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andrewmoocow · 1 year

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Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 8: The Cosmos Quiver (originally published on October 16, 2023)

AN: And so, everything begins falling into place. Steven has some leftover drama to resolve with the Diamonds, Black Rutile's redemption arc is on the horizon, and there's a giant snake monster about to wreak havoc and destroy the cosmos. And I still need to finish my notes on the remaining few chapters on my phone! How can Steven save the universe now when there's a monster of pure, unadulterated destruction on the horizon? Is there a chance he could receive some unexpected help from someone who is also in need of help herself? Stay tuned, folks, for everything begins coming to a head here.

Synopsis: Tensions are high on Serpentes when Nosiop announces his plans for conquest, while Black Rutile ponders if he really needs her.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Aurelio Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

Shirley Millner as Queen Constrictra Jormagundr

Cissy Jones as Princess Naja Jormagundr

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz, Zuli

Shelby Rabara as Peridot, Squaridot

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Grace Rolek as Connie

Ron Perlman as Inner Steven

Neil Flynn as Aescul

Alexia Khadime as Sardonyx

Billie Eilish as Turquoise

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Nicole Sullivan as Sylvia Spectre

Kari Wahlgren as Envyrno, Pyrope

Wally Wingert as Rigby Starglow

Dominic Armato as Captain Gearfeet

JP Karliak as S-L1M3

Rob Paulsen as Monty the Moarchean

Steven Blum as Earthos, Deputy Edward

Beau Billingslea as Sheriff Spiegel

Britt Baron as Michelle Angelon

Julissa Aguirre as Lady Imagineer

Terrence C. Carson as The Decimator

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid

Halsey as Tanzanite

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Jason Marsden as Prince Nosiop Jormagundr

Keith David as Pyth

Crispin Freeman as Mr. Manco

Sam Witwer as Torius Vosania

Featuring Ray Porter as Squamata

And Tim Curry as Velhallen Beo

Serpentes was in chaos. Just moments before halftime of the Contest of Champions ended and the competition could resume, Prince Nosiop abruptly stole his father's throne and claimed that he would now become ruler of Serpentes in place of Cobralan, for he believed that Cobralan was incapable of ruling. In addition, he proclaimed that there was an ancient evil Cobralan was hiding from the public for years, and Nosiop intended to fight it with an army of Gems to prove that the Slytherophidians were meant to conquer.

As the Slytherophidians were sent into a frenzy, Nosiop sat confidently on his new throne while Black Rutile stood by his side. "Ah, this is what it means to take command." Nosiop grinned with his fangs out. "Watching all these worthless insects scurry about while begging for someone to give them orders. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I agree very much, my friend." Black Rutile declared snidely when she felt someone tug on her cape, that someone being Aquamarine. "Oh, Aquamarine, fancy seeing you here. It feels like we haven't talked in a long while. What's up?"

"We have a question about that army of Gems that Nosiop mentioned." Eyeball said. "How are you going to acquire one, if I may ask? What, will we just make more Gems to serve us?"

"Ah yes, then I suppose it's time for a little history lesson." Black Rutile smirked as she played a holographic video of the Lapidarist's history lesson she spied on. "This is what is known as the Lapidarist. As the name should imply, this being is the mother of all Gems through her creation of what would eventually become the Great Diamond Authority. She possesses the power to create life, and I'm certain she also can reset all Gems to their base programming."

"Wait, what do you mean by base programming?" Holly Blue wondered alarmedly.

"This is going somewhere that I surely won't like." Cat's Eye added morosely.

"Oh, you're going to like what I have planned for her." Black Rutile declared. "Once I plead my case to the Lapidarist and she recognizes me as a poor unfortunate soul in pain and in need of help, she will answer my cries by wiping out all Gems across the universe and forcing them to return to the states from which they first originated, thus making them perfectly willing to follow my every command!"

"So, you're going to brainwash us all?!" Emerald shouted as she combed through the Rutile Rebels to confront Black Rutile. "You're simply plotting to erase everything about us, our personalities, our experiences, our lives, just to fulfill your selfish agenda?! I have done horrible things under both the Diamonds' and your command, but this is going too far!"

"Oh, come now, Emerald, you would probably do the same to make yourself more capable of getting rid of Lars." Black Rutile assured her advisor. "Really, you all should've expected that I'd do something this cruel and unusual towards others."

"Yes, like poofing us, for example?" Cinnabar, now fully reformed after being poofed earlier, declared as she and Cinnabar revealed themselves to Black Rutile. "All because we fancied ourselves better leaders than you?"

"Backstabbing two of your closest confidants was bad enough," Andesine added hotly. "but threatening to erase us all, who have pledged our lives to serve you and your goal of a brighter tomorrow for all Gems?"

"Now, everyone, I know this may seem a little rash, but I promise you all that this is for the greater good!" Black Rutile nervously said, lying through her teeth as she felt her subordinates would soon turn on her like everyone else did. "Please, you all have to listen to me!"

"We are done listening to you." Tanzanite declared fiercely. "White Topaz was right about you; you're a bad leader and a bad friend to all of us. You'd sooner throw one of us to the wolves to see if it was safe before running away at the first sight of danger than actually admit how flawed you are."

"I am not flawed!" Black Rutile shrieked angrily, tears forming in her eyes yet again. "Just please, somebody take my side for once!"

"I believe we all knew this was coming." Demantoid proclaimed harshly before turning to the other Rebels. "Come along, Rebels. Let us find somewhere else where we won't be abused."

"No, wait, please, come back!" Black Rutile yelled as she fruitlessly reached out to her now-former pawns. "You can't just leave me like this! You know the Crystal Gems wouldn't dare take you in!"

"We are well aware of that," Morganite replied coldly. "But at least they'd treat us better than you have."

"Honestly, why did I bother continuing to side with her?" Pyrope scoffed as the Rutile Rebels left their master in the dust for greener pastures, causing Black Rutile to tear up again.

"So, after all we've been through, this is how I'm treated?" Black Rutile groaned as she started crying and groveling on her knees. "What's even the point anymore?"

"To give people hope, dear Rutile," Nosiop said as he hugged his partner in crime. "So we can rip it away from them."

"Indeed, my girl." Pyth agreed with the insidious prince-turned-king. "Now come along. We'd like you to meet the rest of what we call the Serpent Society." As the two Slytherophidians led Black Rutile away from the Ouraborium, Nosiop gave Pyth a firm nod, to which Pyth replied with an evil smile.

Elsewhere in the stadium, Steven roamed the halls as he brooded to himself over what he had just learned from the Lapidarist and the Diamonds. Not only was White Diamond more like Pink Diamond than he realized, but the Diamonds were also hiding the fact that they did indeed commit genocide on a few planets that they had conquered. He needed time to process everything he learned, to the point where he barely realized that Nosiop had just announced his conquest of Serpentes.

"You see what sparing the Diamonds will lead you to?" Inner Steven coldly stated as Steven imagined the manifestation of his darker impulses walking alongside him. "You should've let me shatter White when I had the chance back on Homeworld. Then we wouldn't have had to suffer all of this!"

"You and I both know I would never take a life!" Steven shouted angrily at Inner Steven.

"Then what about Jasper?" Inner Steven retorted snidely.

"Okay, you raise a good point," Steven agreed. "but I'd never intentionally take a life."

"Even after my change of heart, I always found it annoying how you'd rather sit back like a coward because you think everyone deserves a second chance." Inner Steven stated. "Much like you, I never fully trusted the Diamonds and thought they would go back on their word to destroy us again at any moment. If that day ever comes, you must be ready for the worst possible scenario."

"Yes, it's true that I feel so utterly betrayed, but I don't think the Diamonds would ever go that far." Steven replied. "I just want to live my life where everyone isn't lying to me and keeping secrets that could destroy us all!"

"You know, on that note, heard the news lately?" Inner Steven added as he tapped his foot, and a voice rang out in Steven's mind-space.

"As of today, I shall now take my father's place as your ruler, for he is not fit to be a king or a Universal Lord. Let this be a wake-up call to you Slytherophidians, the Universal Lords, the Gem race, and the ignorant masses across the entire universe!" the voice of Prince Nosiop declared as a holographic image of him appeared before Steven. "I shall soon arrive with an entire army of loyal Gems at my side to face down an ancient foe my father has hidden from you for so long! We all must answer to the hand of fate, and fate has chosen me to conquer this world!"

"Who is that?" Steven asked his darker half in wonder at the prince before him.

"Prince Nosiop Jormagundr, son of Cobralan and self-proclaimed next in line to become king of Serpentes." Inner Steven revealed. "I'm sure you heard of him before. He and Black Rutile teamed up to conquer the planet and reboot the entire Gem race to turn into their slaves. Don't think you met him in person, though."

"So what, is he meant to be like the Slytherophidian equivalent to Black Rutile or something?" Steven asked.

"Close." Inner Steven answered. "I think he may share some qualities with you. But he's the answer to a very important question."

"What was the question?" Steven asked, not expecting a good answer.

"What if you were more like Pink Diamond growing up?" Inner Steven answered forebodingly. "Think of it. This boy clearly wanted to get everything he ever wanted even though he had everything handed to him on a silver platter, so he resorted to drastic measures when nobody paid attention to him. Remind you of anyone?"

"So what do I need to do?" Steven asked his inner self.

"It's quite simple, really." Inner Steven said with his figurative hands on Steven's shoulders. "You must stop history from repeating itself, or it will mean the universe's destruction and possibly beyond."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Cobralan roared as he slithered into the throne room upon hearing the news. "Nosiop, you better have a very good explanation of what you are doing because you are in big trouble, young man!"

"I see you've heard, my old friend." Pyth declared as he ominously snuck up behind Cobralan and grabbed him by the neck with a jagged knife in his scaly hands. "It seems your son will be getting his coronation early. But unfortunately, you won't live long enough to see him all grown up."

"Pyth, what is going on?" Cobralan asked his insidious advisor. "What is Nosiop doing? What are you doing? Answer me, blast you!"

"It's just a little something I've been working on for the past couple of years," Pyth revealed to his former king. "I notice that Nosiop wants to be seen for his great ideas, introduce him to Squamata, and then covertly guide him along as I use him to gain ultimate power." He slowly pressed the knife to Cobralan's throat. "Now then, tell me where Squamata's resting place is, and I promise you'll only come out of this with a few scars."

"I'll never tell you!" Cobralan yelled fiercely and tried spitting poison in Pyth's face, but the vizier barely reacted to the attack. "It's a secret that our family has kept for generations, and I refuse to give it up to the likes of you!"

"So that's the way it is, then." Pyth cruelly hissed as he prepared to stab the king in his throat with the knife. "Long live the king." However, his murder of the Slytherophidian king would have to wait as a loud crash was heard from above, followed by a hearty "OOOOO-HOHOHOHOHO!" that made him jump. "What was that?!"

"Good day, your majesty!" Sardonyx laughed as she smashed a hole in the throne room's ceiling to view Pyth's attempted assassination. "Am I interrupting anything?!"

"What is that thing?!" Pyth screamed in terror as Sardonyx reached into the throne room and grabbed Cobralan in her giant hand.

"Oh, pardon me for being so rude." Sardonyx giggled. "You may call me Sardonyx. I'm here with my lovely assistant, Turquoise, to rescue the fair king of Serpentes and put a stop to your dastardly schemes! Turquoise, please take care of Mr. Pyth, s'il vous plaît"

"Already on it," Turquoise replied as she conjured up some liquid metal that solidified into metallic restraints to keep Pyth imprisoned while the two fusions escaped. "Catch you on the flipside, Dorkus."

"Get back here, you two! Unhand me at once!" Pyth yelled furiously as he tried to escape his imprisonment. "Ugh, this is what happens when you've been spying on Gems for who knows how long. Eventually, they'll overpower you in every way imaginable. Now, can someone get me out of this thing?"

On the other side of the Ouraborium, the competitors of the Contest of Champions were trying their best to stay calm amid the chaos. Still, each had their own views about Nosiop's planned takeover of Serpentes.

"Yes, Chief, I'm already calling for backup." Sylvia Spectre said to her boss over her communication device. "Prince Nosiop will be brought to justice by sundown. What do you mean what will the king think?! Nosiop just stole his throne and said Cobralan was unfit to rule!"

"Hey Sylvie, can you talk a little faster so we can get out of here?" Envyrno complained impatiently while leaning back against the wall. "I wanna get the Abe Due Dumballa out of here and cause a little mischief already!"

"No, we cannot!" Sylvia declared sternly. "As an officer of the Coalition of Galaxies, it is my sworn duty to root out evil wherever it may lurk and bring them to justice, no matter the species. And that includes thugs like you, Envyrno."

"Oh geez, another busybody rule-follower." Envyrno groaned in dismay. "You should embrace your inner bad girl already. Let's go kill some horrible bosses together, get a purge going! Live a little! In fact, I know of this great place to hang out at a few star systems away. It's a new club that plays really great hardcore techno for a really hip young crowd."

"The answer is still no." Sylvia turned down Envyrno's offer. "Though that club does sound intriguing."

"Now you're speaking my language!" Envyrno gave a hearty chortle while putting a lava-covered arm around Sylvia's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Rigby Starglow stood up on a makeshift stage in the middle of the arena while tuning his guitar. "Good evening, folks, or whatever time it is on this planet. My name's Rigby Starglow. I'm the biggest rock star in the universe and today, I'm going to play you all a song to calm everybody down." He then began to strum on his guitar. "Breath, should I take a deep? Faith, should I take a leap?" Rigby started singing. "Taste, what a bittersweet. All my, all my life. Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears!"

Within the city of Alethinophidia, Captain Gearfeet was having the time of his life as he tipped over market stalls and broke into shops to engage in some looting. "Hee hee hee, this is the most fun I've had in ages!" he laughed happily while diving into a store window to steal its contents. "Come on, everybody, it's the end of the world. Let's get looting!"

"Stop right there, Gearfeet." Sheriff Spiegel declared as he pressed a laser pistol to the captain's nose. "We're gonna need you to hand over everything you stole so we can return them to their rightful owners."

"I dare you to try, copper." Gearfeet said as he protectively held onto his loot. "I'm not even sure who the original owners are anymore!"

"Everyone please, cease this conflict!" Michelle Angelon exclaimed as she flew down from above to get between the sheriff and the pirate. "I understand that you are on different sides of the law, but there are far more pressing matters at hand, my friends."

"Yeah, yeah, the giant space snake is a-coming, or whatever." Deputy Edward replied. "Man, haven't had a day this crazy since we fought those spice cultists back home, eh Sheriff?"

"You said it, Edward. I can still hear them now." Spiegel smirked. "He who controls the spice controls the universe!"

"Can we please get on with it?!" Gearfeet yelled. "I just wanna find a ship and go back to my crew already."

"You and us both, Captain." S-L1M3 said as he slithered to the four with Earthos, Lady Imagineer, Monty, and the Decimator behind him. "I just want to go home already. I didn't even get a chance to fight anybody!"

"I, for one, am still not satisfied with the hand I was dealt on this planet." The Decimator replied in his trademark deep, booming voice. "I demand the greatest fight these creatures could offer, yet time and again, I've been greeted with nothing but disappointment! Whatever this ancient foe Nosiop speaks of may be, it has got to give me a satisfactory challenge!"

"Whatever you say, big guy!" Monty said meekly before pulling out a photo of his wife and children back on his home planet. "Hold on, my family, I'll be home soon."

"That your fam there, Monty?" Earthos asked about the photo. "Not a bad lot, I'll say. Maybe I can visit sometime, be like the cool uncle to your kids."

"That would be so nice, Earthos." Monty replied sweetly before all the fighters gathered in Alethinophidia looked up at the sky to find that the clouds had changed. "Hey, what's that up there?"

"I believe it's a message." Lady Imagineer answered and began reading the message. "I think it says, 'Meet us at the castle at once. Signed, the Crystal Gems'."

"That just spells out B.U.T.T.," Monty said as he read the message in the sky himself. "How are you able to get all that?!"

"Call it a hunch." Imagineer smiled kindly in reply before she flew towards the castle. "Come on, everybody, follow me!"

"Hey, I think I can see people coming towards us!" Laz exclaimed as she, Lapis, and Zuli watched the Contest competitors race towards the castle. "Our message worked!"

"Good, but next time," Lapis said before turning to Zuli. "let's try and get straight to the point instead of just writing funny words in the sky. You're lucky this didn't end up like last time, Zuli!"

"Oh, come on, Lapis, you told me it was a good idea back in the day on Tritek!" Zuli tried shifting the blame to Lapis. "Those Gremlins didn't know what hit them!"

"Can you three please stop arguing and get back in here?!" Jasper bellowed for the three Lapides to come inside. "We need to think of a plan!"

The three terraformers hovered into the main hall of the castle, where the Crystal Gems have gathered the royal family of Serpentes, Captain Boa, Aescul, the Metals, the various contestants in the Contest of Champions, the Diamonds, Bialyoom and Meinerr, the Little Homeworld gems, the Universal Lords, and the Off-Colors together to form an alliance to save Serpentes and the universe.

"Good day to you all." Connie announced to the ragtag band of misfits. "As I'm sure you're all aware of what has been happening lately, about the announcement that Nosiop is plotting to conquer the planet with an army of Gems. Today, we have gathered you all to stop that for the good of everyone in the universe."

"I can't believe my son would do this to me." Cobralan muttered in shame and regret while looking down at his hands. "I've done so much for his happiness, and this is how he repays me? What have I done that would warrant such a reaction?"

"Do you want me to be honest with you or not?" Greg asked Cobralan.

"I'll take any answer at this point," Cobralan replied.

"To be frank, you're kind of a mediocre father," Greg admitted bluntly, much to Cobralan's shock. "What? You said you'd take any answer!"

"Don't fret, dear husband, I'm sure he's just joshing with you!" Constricta tried to cheer her husband up.

"No, I'm being serious!" Greg exclaimed. "I can definitely see you're a great & loving husband and a pretty darn good ruler to your people, but this whole contest has distanced you from your kids and their needs. I mean, Naja probably has serious self-doubt issues, and Nosiop speaks for himself."

"The human is right, father." Naja agreed with Greg. "Ever since you made me the Contest's master of ceremonies, I've had to deal with the fear of disappointing the masses, that I'd be unworthy of being a princess if I make just one mistake."

"Oh my dear, you'll never be a disappointment to me." Cobralan said as he comforted his daughter with a hug. "No matter what you do to impress the masses, you'll always be my little girl. Now, please, Naja, your mother and I urge you this one time. Please stand, stand by us."

"Okay, Father, I will," Naja replied with a sniffle. "And hopefully, we can bring Nosiop back to his senses too."

"So, what do we do now?" Amethyst asked. "The Lapidarist said we needed an ultimate fusion to stop this Squamata guy once and for all, but which one is it? Opal, Sugilite, Sardonyx, Alexandrite? Maybe even Malachite?"

"Hey, speaking of which, anybody seen Steven lately?" Pearl added. "I haven't seen him since the Lapidarist's history lesson, and I'm getting worried. Hopefully, he hasn't decided to leave Serpentes early."

"No way Steven would ever do that, not in a thousand different timelines I've examined." Garnet proclaimed. "He has to be here somewhere; we just need to know where."

"Probably still somewhere in the castle." Peridot answered. "Hopefully, he hasn't gone too far."

"I'll go search for him." Squaridot declared as she tried leaving the group, only to be stopped in her tracks when Peridot grabbed her stubby green arm.

"Oh no, you don't!" Peridot yelled. "I've known Steven longer; let me search for him!"

"No, I'll do it, you obnoxious nacho!" Squaridot argued with her triangular counterpart before the two hissed at each other and got into a slapfight.

"Spinel, you find Steven." Bismuth ordered Spinel, who gave a hearty salute and ran off.

"Hang on, Steve Summers, I'm coming for you!" Spinel yelled as she ran deeper into the castle.

"I hope Steven can find it in himself to forgive the Diamonds for lying to him." White Topaz said.

"Then again, he's just a very forgiving person in general." Aescul declared. "So this should be pretty easy for him."

"Finding this resting place is not easy at all!" Nosiop complained as he, Pyth, Black Rutile, and a few Slytherophidian soldiers ventured into the desert plains of Serpentes in search of Squamata's resting place. "We could've stabbed the location right out of Father, but then we had a couple of fusions ruining everything! No doubt the Crystal Gems are plotting against us as we speak!"

"Thank goodness you eventually got me out of those restraints, Black Rutile," Pyth said with a sinister smile at Black Rutile. "Now look alive. We got some friends on the other side on the horizon."

"Yes, that Serpent Society cult you told me about." Black Rutile replied. "Shouldn't there be more of us?"

"Unfortunately, most of our ranks have been lost to time, except for a few members still alive and kicking today," Pyth explained as a massive spaceship began descending upon Serpentes. Upon landing, its passengers revealed themselves to be a few faces that Black Rutile found familiar.

"Well well well, Torius Vosania." Black Rutile said upon recognizing the crime lord and estranged criminal brother of Batsputin Vosania. "Fancy meeting you here after you got brought to justice by those Pearls."

"Indeed, Black Rutile and I brought along a few new friends I met in prison." Torius declared as he revealed two more thugs by his side who had joined the brother of Batsputin in his revenge plot. One of them was Mr. Manco, the cybernetic menace of East Walleef from Sergione-29 who, much like Torius Vosania, also formed an alliance with Cinnabar in the past before the Black Pearl Brigade foiled his plans. However, the next villain was an even bigger shock to Black Rutile's core.

"No, that cannot be!" Black Rutile gasped in shock at the humanoid figure dressed in green armor with a foghat gray mask, blank red eyes, a purple cape, and a red V on his chest. "Velhallen Beo?! I thought Batsputin defeated you in the Battle of the Night! Were you in prison this whole time?"

"Indeed I was, Gem." Velhallen Beo replied with an arrogant sneer. "But now, thanks to Prince Nosiop, I can retake control of the Twilight Zone with the power of Squamata! Now tell us, where is he hiding?"

"Unfortunately, I was outsmarted by a few of the Crystal Gems before I could extort His Majesty for information," Pyth said regretfully. "Anyone else got any bright ideas?"

"Oh yes, I have one." Mr. Manco declared. "A rumor spread by a fellow prisoner named Titanius Anglesmith says that there is an ancient temple hidden beneath the surface of Serpentes, and only one may be sacrificed for the beast within to be unleashed."

"And I think we know just the sacrifice." Nosiop declared as all the members of the Serpent Society turned to Black Rutile with evil grins. "Black Rutile, would you care to help us unleash total death and destruction at the cost of your life?"

"What?! You can't just betray me like this when I've already been betrayed!" Black Rutile yelled in horror while Beo tried to grab her by the wrists. "Let go of me!"

"Don't try to fight it. You've been craving the sweet release of death, haven't you?" Beo hissed eagerly, stunning Black Rutile for a few moments before she regained her composure and tugged at Velhallen Beo's grip before tossing him over her head, causing the former Universal Lord to lose his grasp on the Gem terrorist. "What the?!"

"I have to warn Steven!" Black Rutile shouted the absolute last thing she ever wanted to say before making her escape.

"What are you waiting for, you nimrods?! After her!" Beo shouted when Nosiop put up a hand to block him.

"Leave her. She's going to bring Steven to us." Nosiop proclaimed. "Now then, anyone else care to be sacrificed? How about you, Maverick? Would you like to give up your life for my cause?"

"Uh, what?" Maverick muttered before Torius picked up the snake guard with his new and improved cybernetics and dragged him away. "I do not consent to this! I demand a two weeks' notice!"

Back at the Jormagundrs' castle, Steven was sitting on one of the castle battlements as he gazed up at the bright afternoon sun when he heard someone approaching him.

"Hey, Steven!" Spinel exclaimed while sitting down next to her best half-human friend. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Yeah, it's about the Diamonds." Steven said softly. "I thought I learned all I could ever learn about them, but then they whip out this whole coverup and make me even more justified in my paranoia! If it turns out someone who loved you was hiding a huge secret this whole time, how would you react?"

"You mean the whole Pink Diamond thing?" Spinel replied with a blunt expression on her face. "Yeah, I'm not sure how to react, considering she died and didn't even tell me because I was standing in the middle of the garden for thousands of years! But the point is, you can't just hold it against the Diamonds for as long as you live, especially since we got a crazy prince about to kill us all!"

"I have every right to hold it against them!" Steven argued with Spinel. "I have every right to be so wary of them, considering that they're acting like they didn't scar me for life, brainwashed my friends, and nearly killed me just because I'm family!"

"Wow, never knew you could hold a grudge, Steven," Spinel muttered in shock. "But hey, it's not like things could get any worse from here on out, right?" Just then, the ground beneath the two began shaking, almost like an earthquake had struck Serpentes. "Me and my big mouth!"

The skies began turning darker than the blackest void as a massive snake creature with green scales, a yellow underbelly, and ginormous sharp fangs emerged from afar and released a mighty roar. "I have turned hundreds upon thousands of worlds to dust in the name of darkness and devastation until I was robbed of my glory." Squamata, the fearsome god of Serpentes, roared for all to hear across the universe. "I will stride across the bones of my enemies and bask in the glow of pure evil, for all of existence shall be mine to consume!"

It turns out that forgiving the Diamonds for their past atrocities would be the least of Steven's worries.

The worst has finally come.

Yeah, you and your big mouth, Spinel. At long last, Squamata has been unleashed and is free to destroy all that he sees! At least until an army of Gems can bring him down for good, but it won't be the army that Nosiop desires. Plus, it'll only be a matter of time before Squamata goes out of control and betrays the Serpent Society to pursue his goal of destroying everything he sees. How can the Crystal Gems possibly survive against a creature that only knows and revels in such levels of destruction and chaos? We'll just have to wait and see.

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macysparadeblog · 2 years

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"The story of the legendary Neil Diamond comes to life on stage in a gripping and uplifting new musical featuring his hit songs “Sweet Caroline”, “America”, and “Cracklin’ Rosie”. Directed by Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), choreographed by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and written by four-time Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Two Popes). Good times never seemed so good." - Playbill

The Lion King

"More than 110 million people around the world have experienced the awe-inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular – one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage. Winner of 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and based on the beloved 1994 Disney film, The Lion King brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals." - Playbill

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msookyspooky · 2 years

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Stu one attacked her at the house defo no way billy have time to leave, get out the outfit and appear at the window that quick also think way he running the knife round her neck and down her body hints to the having thing for her confession plus way clasps the knife fits stu mo

Absolutely, 100%. I actually think Stu had the higher kill count AND he was the one that liked to gut ppl; not Billy. Billy killed out of revenge / pettiness while Stu killed for both sadistic glee AND pettiness.

- Billy obviously killed Maureen while Stu helped/watched.

- Steve was definitely gutted by Stu you cannot change my mind.

- The Casey death is controversial bc Wes says Billy killed her because of the way he stabbed overhead and strangled her while Kevin says Stu killed both Steve and Casey. It could be either one but I gotta agree with Kevin on this bc...Yeah, Billy strangles Sid at the end but so did Stu? Casey recognized her killer when she removed the mask. Not saying she wouldn't recognize Billy as Stu's friend but I think it was heavily implied she recognized it as Stu; her ex boyfriend who had a huge motive for killing her. And the way she was killed was being gutted and hung which is such a Stu thing to do. He even knew so much about how to gut someone at the fountain...Why? Cause he does it to his victims and I truly think him and Billy both chased Casey throughout the house (Stu at the patio, Billy on the phone at the front door) but Stu was who killed her.

- Stu was getting Neil while Billy distracted Sid in their makeout session.

- Stu was the one that attacked her in her home (Like you said) while Billy called Sidney to get her outside so Stu could slip in in costume bc come on. That was Billy Loomis on that phone. The tantrum he had while describing her mother? Billy. PLUS, we hear Stu on the stairs say "Easy easy" in his voice AND he was so much more of a perverted sadist than Billy was imo. Not that Billy wouldn't taunt her with the knife but Stu would actually get off on it and him making the knife almost sexual is such a Stu Macher move IM JS!

- I think the Ghostface in the school bathroom was an awful prank I actually don't think it was Billy or Stu bc that is way too risky even for those idiots AND there was no knife.

- Billy killed Tatum (The door killed her tbf but still) bc Stu was busy entertaining at his party with Gale Weathers there. It would be highly sus if he went missing at his own party while his girlfriend was found murdered. He knew Billy was waiting for her inside (probably from entering through a back door) to go to the garage fridge so he told her to get him a few beers knowing Billy would get her while he distracted everyone with talking about Gale and probably a loud horror movie they were just putting in bc they were deciding what to watch right before Tatum leaves. When Stu says "Hey want another beer? I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"....She was already dead, hanging in the garage door and Stu was admiring Billy's handy work. Honestly, that should have been clue number one he was the killer or one of them bc as far as we knew most of the beer was in the fridge in the garage where her body was 😶 Which OF COURSE he acted shocked by when pointing the finger at Randy which....How would he know Billy was dead? Like okay 🚩🚩🚩

- Stu pretended to Stab Billy and chased her through the house out the attic window.

- Now I gotta wonder if they both wore the costume and Billy hurried up and went upstairs. Like Stu was definitely the one to kill Kenny and was outside but could Billy have been the one to almost kill Randy or Stu? Did Stu stab Dewey or Billy did it? Idk!! I feel like most of the costume was Stu but I lowkey can't imagine Billy just waiting upstairs. So idk who killed who at the party after Tatum. HOWEVER!!! I'd say majority was Stu bc Billy says "I thought you said she was dead?" about Gale meaning Stu had to have checked the van down the road to see. So I think they both had on the costume. Kind of makes me change my mind of Stu damgling the keys to the jeep bc that's a lot for him to quickly take off the costume to stop Randy from warning Sid versus Billy running back inside from a back door to take off the costume while Stu stalled Sidney. IDK IT'S A TOSS UP AT THE PARTY FOR ME 🥴

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bitbybitwrites · 4 months

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Am I late for the writing game?

5, 18, 44 and pick one you really, really want to answer and no one's asked yet :)

It's never too late! 😉

5. How much writing do you get done on an average day?

Oh this is embarassing - not very much, to be honest. Its not that I wouldn't want to. But after dealing with work, then family, then chores/ housework, I'm exhausted . . and its late at night when I finally have time to just myself. By that time I'm almost always fighting sleep, so I can get very little done. So most of my writing is done in tiny spurts here and there. Like I can sometimes squeeze in 10-15 minutes in the morning before I run to work . . . maybe I can write something before I pass out for the night. If I'm lucky to take the train into the city or I'm stuck in like a waiting room for awhile, I can get nice big chunks of writing done. I always carry a journal with me to jot things down in, then I transfer it onto my computer when I get a chance. So whenever I preface with "I'm a slow writer", its not only because sometimes it takes forever for me to get the words right. It's literally because I'm so swamped with other things I have little time to focus on writing.

18. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be, and what would you write about?

I'll be honest - I''m not sure collaboration is in my future - I think I'd frustrate the hell out of another writer if they were waiting for me to hand in my portion ( see question above) and I am a little anal retentive when it goes to editing and stuff and wanting writing styles to mesh so it would seem like a seamless transition from one person's work to another, I'm sure that would drive them crazy as well 😂😂😂 But all that aside . . . if none of that mattered . . I don't know. if we're talking published authors - I think Neil Gaiman and Casey McQuiston would be fun to write with. I also love Amy Tan and Kevin Kwan's writing I love too . . also Bill Bryson ( though he's a non fiction writer, not fiction). If we are talking fan fic - god . . too many to count. You all are so damn good I really can't pick one. Though I have to say if we ever wrote anything together, I can imagine the amount of angst ( esp blangst) that would be coming out of those pages. It might drive readers insane 😂

44. How much research do you do?

It really depends on the story - though I can be prone to going down research rabbit holes if I find something interesting 😂. But that was the part I loved about school - the research, the learning of new things.

. . .and pick one you really, really want to answer and no one's asked yet :). this was hard to choose, so I'll go with this one:

40. Share some backstory for one of your characters

I'll share some tidbits about an OC I created for If I Can Make Your Heart My Home that I've noticed a many of my readers like: Lillian Anderson ( Blaine's English grandmother)

Lillian is a talented musician herself (piano and violin).

She met her husband while auditioning for the London Symphony Orchestra. He was concertmaster at the time. She auditioned for 2nd violin chair.

After they married, he became a conductor and they traveled a bit relocating to whatever orchestra her husband worked with at the time, before settling in New York for a bit - where they had their son and raised him.

They returned to England for the most part after their son (Bradford) finished college, and they began a good deal of philanthropic work ( mostly arts based) until their grand children were born. Then they would travel back and forth, so they could spend as much time as they could with Cooper and Blaine.

Fun fact: Blaine's middle name (Devon) was a nod to Lillian's paternal roots - her own family hailing from Devon, England. During the summers Lillian would whisk the grandkids back off to Devon to bond, especially after her husband passed.

Her moody tortoiseshell cat, Schumann is named after composer Robert Schumann

***

Thanks so much for the asks, @heartsmadeofbooks! 💖💖💖💖

Click here to play

#ask game #bitbybitwrites

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tawneybel · 5 years

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Imagine finding out Rowan snatched Kevin’s body because he’s trying to appeal to your possession kink. Also, your admirer wants to see if any of his other ghostly powers can be used to pleasure you.

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certifiedwhore4slashers · 2 years

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Ours

Yandere!Billy Loomis x Fem!Reader x Yandere!Stu Macher

Summary: You always liked Stu and Billy, little did you know how obsessed they were with you.

WARNING: Obsession, Stalking, Gore, Blood, Yandere Themes, Knife Violence, Manipulation,Yandere Behavior. Naive!Reader, toxic behavior, possessiveness, implied kidnapping, and implied drugging.

quick note that this does not go off the movie, just simply an imagine. i mean, kind of does? Mostly no.

You never thought your peaceful town of Woodsboro would ever be filled with murders and crime, but it quickly turned into a murderous place.

However, Your friends were safe and never murdered, which was a good thing. "Y/n, is everything okay? Your best friend, Tatum asked. You smile nervously."I'm fine, I promise. Just a little anxious."

Sidney nodded."So am I, i hope they catch who murdered Casey." Billy and Stu nodded. "They asked me If I liked to hunt, Stu blurted. You looked at him with surprise.

Randy sat pretty close to you, He had feelings for you since Freshman year, when the two of you met but he never had the confidence to ask you out.

Tatum sighed."They didn't ask me If i liked to hunt." Stu kept being annoying with his jokes, you were more introverted and serious, much like Sidney, your sister, well, half-sister.

You two were close, despite having different fathers you still considered her to be your sister. Maureen slept around, but Sidney still was in denial about that.

"hey Sid, you okay? You ask. Sidney nodded. Your stepfather, Neil, who treated you like his own daughter, would be gone until Sunday. You and Sidney could handle yourselves.

"Are you sure? You ask again kindly. "I promise i am, Sid assured you. Stu said another joke, as usual, you groan."Stu, your jokes aren't funny, worse than Randy's."

"Hey! the two boys said in unison. "Y/n is right, Tatum piped in."Both of you make shitty jokes, so maybe you both should stop." You laughed.

You never knew how much Billy and Stu liked you, no, they were obsessed with you. You still were mourning, Casey was your best friend since you both were four, so you of course were devastated.

"I cannot wait for this day to end, You mumble, getting up and your best friends following behind you. By the time the day ended, You and Sidney were at home.

You sighed, sitting in your room on your computer, you had some essay to do and Sid was talking to Tatum about spending the night with her tonight, you were invited as well.

You decided to go, the killings were scaring you, because after Casey died, more people began to die under similar circumstances. Something that people mentioned often was the death of Maureen Prescott, your mother.

It was still difficult to discuss, even though you knew your mother wasn't the greatest person, she still was a great mother to you and Sidney. Plus, it had been almost a year, you should move on, right?

No, you couldn't.

As you were typing, you felt like someone was watching you, you hoped it wasn't Casey's killer, or even a killer at all. You sighed, biting your lower lip.

Was someone watching you?

You turn off your computer, going to your window, seeing that it was open like you did a hour ago. You closed the window, then closed your curtains, nobody could see you.

You exit your room, closing the door behind you, then rush downstairs. Sidney was still watching TV, so nothing happened to her, but you had a horrible feeling.

Why? You couldn't determine why, you just did. Sidney picked up the phone, and at the moment, you knew she was chatting with Tatum, maybe if she was coming or not?

You went back upstairs, continuing to type your essay. Stu and Billy loved watching you, so peaceful, so naive. You were clueless, thinking closing your window and curtains would help, but nope.

Things were going to plan. Tonight, they planned on attacking Sidney, maybe even giving you a scare. For now, though, They could not mess up this plan.

You sighed, deciding not to type anymore out of paranoia, and leave your room again. Billy and Stu both were completely obsessed with you, although Billy hid it better than Stu.

"Y/n, could you get that? Sidney asked."I'm kind of tired." "Sure! You yell back. You come downstairs and pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Sidney Prescott?"

"No, This is Sidney's sister, who is this?"

"You tell me."

You almost told the stranger your name, even though this person must have known Sidney, you couldn't give your name out yet.

"I have no idea."

"Scary night, isn't it? With the murders and all, it's like right out of a horror movie or something."

"Um, I guess so. But Randy, you gave yourself away, try better next time will you? Calling from work? Tatum is on her way, i think."

"Do you like scary movies, Y/N?"

You were a bit taken aback that someone knew your name, well now you knew it was Randy.

"I like that thing you're doing with your voice, Randy. Smooth and Sexy."

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

"Now that is dumb of you, Randy. You know well I hate Horror Movies like Sidney."

"And why is that?"

"Well, all of them are the same and dumb, the killer stalks some big-breasted girl who goes up the stairs. Quite frankly insulting, you know?"

"Are you alone in the house?"

"For a horror geek, I'm disappointed in you, Randy. So unoriginal."

"Maybe that's because I'm not Randy."

"So uh, who are you?"

Sidney enters from the other room, seeing how worried you look. "I can chat with them, if you want, She offered. You try not to stutter as you nod, shakily hand over the phone.

Sidney had been braver than you were, but she never truly teased you about it. You just stood there, until you saw a figure at the window, the figure wore a ghostly mask, and wore all black.

Great, you could be a witness.

You heard a few thuds, going in to help Sidney, who currently was being attacked by that same person, you try to intervene before being shoved to the ground, hitting your head hard, getting up but pretty dizzy.

Sidney managed to run, but his attention turned to you, you began to run too, before being pinned to the ground, the knife pressed on your neck momentarily, then trailed down your body.

The killer could have killed you, but strangely enough, you were being spared. Suddenly, you kicked him in the balls, and ran as fast as possible.

You sighed, finding Sidney right away. "Y/n! I thought you weren't alive for a second! Sidney told you, relief in her voice. "Me too, I know he is still here though, you respond."I will call 911."

You rushed in the living room, dialing 911, luckily you managed to call, but then, you heard Sidney and went to find her, Ghostface attacking her, you knew his/her's intentions were killing Sid.

"Let her go! You scoff, going over and managing to get Ghostface off of your sister. You panted. Sidney whispered,"Go upstairs, I will distract him, just try to escape."

You nodded, feeling bad but Sidney was a strong girl, so you trusted her word, then went in your room. You bit your lower lip, opening your window and hearing Sidney come upstairs, or at least you thought it was her.

"y/n?"

Startled, You saw Billy, and went to him sobbing. "Someone's here, Billy! You sobbed, hugging him. "Shh, it'll be okay, He assured you, but then you heard something drop.

a mobile phone.

Your eyes widened, rushing downstairs as Billy called your name, not looking back at him. You managed to reunite with your sister, Sidney. You witnessed the police arrest Billy.

"Do you think Billy is responsible? You asked, the two of you sitting on the ambulance. "y/n, you are never wrong, Sidney told you. you softly smile, seeing Tatum approach you.

"y/n, sid, are you two okay?"

It had been over a week since then, but the murders have calmed down, your stepfather managed to come home like promised, and You seemed to forget about your attack.

"Hey Y/N, Billy, Stu and Tatum are coming over, you okay with that? Sidney asked, entering your doorway."Sure, when do they come?" "In an hour, Sidney responded."I told Dad, he's coming home later."

You nod, they were your friends, Randy had to work like usual, so he couldn't hang out. Plus, There was tension between him and Billy and Stu.

You turned back to your magazine, pretty excited about your friends coming over. You heard the door open, and forgot it had been over an hour.

"y/n, how are you feeling? Tatum asked, approaching you. you smile."doing good. where is billy and stu?" "Downstairs, Tatum responded. You shrug. Tatum waves, going back downstairs expecting you to come.

You sighed, closing your magazine and getting up, going downstairs only to feel Stu hugging you from behind. "Hiya, Y/n, Stu laughed. You groan."Hi Stu. I came to get some water."

Billy smiled."Is everything good between us?" You nod. "I can get you some water, He offered. You smile."Thanks." "Wow, Billy you are being super nice, Sidney joked.

Billy came back, a glass of water."Here you go, Stu will be right back." "Okay, You reply, believing them. Sidney smiled, she liked that her boyfriend and sister got along.

You drank the entire glass, but the water tasted different, but you didn't consider much. "I'll be right back, you say, going into the bathroom.

You washed your face in order to get the dizziness to go away. But for some reason, it wouldn't. You heard screams then went into the living room.

You saw everything, 2 Ghostfaces, one was stabbing Sidney, and then the other stood over Tatum's dead body. Her body was completely covered in blood.

You weakly went over to stop the one from stabbing your sister, but the Ghostface stopped, and it was too late, Sidney was gone too. You began to cry.

Then, when you got more dizzy, The two Ghostfaces took off their masks, Billy and Stu. "Guess what Y/N? Stu asked, a crazy smile on his face."You are ours now."

You couldn't react because your vision went completely black.

#scream 1996 #scream #billy loomis x reader #stu macher x reader #female!reader #horror #ghostface x reader #scream x reader #yandere billy loomis #yandere stu macher #yandere scream #prescott!reader #poly!ghostface

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polyghostfacehours · 2 years

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do you think Billy and Stu killed between Maureen and Casey?

Stu is definitely out there fantasising about killing more. The thrill and adrenaline rush from it too good to resist. Could imagine him going out and finding more victims, (although I am biased to Stu being the natural born killer so maybe that's just my favoritism coming into play!) Billy either is just as enthusiastic, or "reluctantly" goes along with it to try keep Stu from going over board and drawing unneeded attention.

They'd have to be less dramatic with their kills, more plain run of the mill murders, maybe travel a little out of town, but it's enough to take the edge off, enough for them to still have fun before they get around to Casey.

Hmmm. So in my personal opinion, if we're talking in a realistic context, no I don't think they did? At least, not in Woodsboro.

The only reason is because I can believe that even Stu realizes how risky killing is. I feel part of the reason their plan of murdering Casey, Steve, Himbry, Tatum, and Sidney all took place in the matter of a couple of days and resulted in Neil being framed and them surviving is because of how risky a straight up spree is. That gives time for the police (as incompetent as they may be) to put two and two together, get facts straight, or test DNA more thoroughly (as primitive as the tech was back then, it did still exist). Plus, if they slip up and leave a hair strand or anything, or they match shoe sizes up, that's it for them. Unless they frame someone each time?

All that aside, Scream...really isn't super realistic in many ways. It's a movie with plenty of plotholes and unrealistic actions. The police are comically bad at their job. Ghosts potentially exist. Motives are sometimes weird or unlikely. Witnesses seem to NEVER be present even if the kill is in public (I.e Randy. How did NO ONE in that campus notice Mrs. Loomis leave the van after pulling in Randy?). The dolls in the attic hanged maliciously lol. Even the ways characters speak sometimes is very...script-like. It's not at all outside the realm of possibility that Billy and Stu DO kill outside of what happened in the movie, specifically to satiate Stu's overzealous bloodlust. And I like the idea of them going out of town/state to do it, at Billy's insistence when Stu gets the urge lmaooo.

tl;dr realistically no, BUT in the context of the Scream-verse, which very much runs on movie/fiction logic, yeah I absolutely can see it and actually like the idea of it a lot lol.

#billy loomis #stu macher #scream 1996 #this is just my interpretation though

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allmusic · 2 years

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AllMusic Staff Pick: The Dear Hunter Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise

The fourth act in the band's sprawling series is the best to date, the perfect balance between the theatrics of the main mythology and Casey Crescenzo's masterful songwriting and imagination. Best experienced in one sitting like a stage play, this is an ideal entry point to the story and one that is guaranteed to deliver. If the first three tracks can successfully pull you in, strap in for the rest of this glorious indie drama.

- Neil Z. Yeung

#allmusic staff picks #the dear hunter

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imbellarosa · 4 years

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Bella’s 20 books of 2020! Thanks to @thewestishharpooners who largely reignited my love for reading this year. I mean I knew HOW to read, I learned in school, but I re learned how to LOVE it adkjfld but ANYWAYS!

The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman (yes. I know. this is three, but it’s lovely!!! the first one is slightly annoying re: the characters, but they LEARN and they GROW, and it feels so REAL, like I know them, like I *am* them)

Beartown by Fredrick Backman. Have I talked about this one enough?? I don’t think I have. It’s LOVELY and gritty and REAL in the best and the worst ways. It reminds me of growing up in a small town. Lovely, lovely. It’s sequel is great too!

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrick Backman. For anyone who ever loved the real fairy tales - hard and sad and full of lessons and found love and family.

Turn Around, Bright Eyes by Rob Sheffield. I read this one at the beginning of quarantine after I realized that it was a sequel to one I LOVED a few years ago. If you like listening to soft love stories about the way music heals and how the way we love matters more than how good we are, this one is IT!

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett. A little girl just wants to be a wizard. No, rather, she IS a wizard, and would like for the world to understand that. How hard can that be? Lovely and sharp, and the perfect one to tune into during a run

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. This is another story about finding family, and the stories we tell ourselves. AJ runs a bookshop on an island after the death of his wife. His most precious book gets stolen, and, as a result, he finds a new beginning

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I actually read this one on a rec from here and BOY am I glad I did. I just. I don’t have any words for this one except if you LOVE “Aristotle and Dante”, this is the book for youuu

Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. History, huh? It lives up to the hype. Just read it.

I Wrote This For You and its sequel by Iain S Thomas on @queenlokibeth‘s recommendation. Love notes for love lost, love found, and the love which remains, always. Added bonus: you can imagine these being the type of notes left around for anyone to find!

Less by Andrew Sean Greer. This makes the list ONLY because my little cousin recced it to me. If you liked Eat Pray Love I think you’ll like this one too. I was not super enthralled by the story but I adore the person who recommended it to me so.

Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell. If you like “I wrote this for you”, try this one next! The poems are sad, and they’re sweet, and you knew them complete, when you wore a younger man’s clothes....

The House by the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Magic, madness, heaven, sin. And love. That’s it, that’s the book, it’s lovely and Important without ever being tragic.

Normal People by Sally Rooney. Idk why I liked this one but I read it in one sitting. I think it has something to do with the idea that people can stay with you forever without being together forever.

Trigger Warning by @neil-gaiman . This might be my favorite anthology of short stories EVER, but the one that really put it over that line is “The Case of Death and Honey”. Bees and love and Sherlock Holmes? Yes Please!

Nowhere Near You by @cuttoothom. I’d read this before but it has to make this list ANYWAYS because of the way it discusses heart, and love, and how the best love stories are the ones that are rooted in friendship and mutual respect and trust. Also mutant teenage kids and found family. It’s the second book in the series, but it’s my favorite of the two!

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. American Gods was fine, but this one is AMAZING! It’s a kids book rooted in norse mythology with talking bears and foxes and owls and far off quests and an odd boy named Odd.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange. It’s a heavy read, of course, but powerful, and it’s a good look into the way that so many of us struggle with our own needs versus what the world demands of us versus what our culture demands of us. I liked it a lot, and I saw myself in it, which is perhaps the most important part

The Enigma of the Return by Danny LaFerriere. Another heavy read about grief, history, and homecomings. One day, I will go home for this reason, as so many of us will, and this story outlines the legacies that we children of immigrants carry.

Alice’s Adventured in Wonderland by CS Lewis . I love fairy tales. Have you notice this trend?? Anyways this is another re read but I read it at the start of quarantine as I was slowly descending into madness and it felt appropriate

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts but ONLY because 1.) it’s how I made friends with @thewestishharpooners and 2.) THERE WAS SO MUCH TALK ABOUT IT ON MY DASH!! It was a Big Book this year, but it’s a sad story, and an unequivocal condemnation of that society. Still, I’m pretty over tragedies at this pointttttt so i won’t be rereading it. It DOES have an ambiguous/happy ending though, if anyone cares!

#long post for ts #i say things #my books!#i liked some of this list better than others and read some more that didn't make it on this list #but i feel like this is pretty comprehensive and a solid book rec list for the most part!

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galcake534 · 4 years

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You know how much I screamed when I saw tonight’s episode of Midsomer Murders and John and Tom were solving a case together...

I went from wondering why Daniel Casey or Jason Hughes didn’t get the lead role in Midsomer Murders (because Troy making a surprise return as DCI would be the BEST.) because I was so sure that DCI Barnaby’s “cousin transferring to Midsomer and being DCI Barnaby 2” would ruin it to loving Neil Dugdeon. I guess being a bit too logical was a terrible idea. After all what was I thinking, Midsomer doesn’t know logic.

But imagine two seconds before the credits of John Nettles’ last ever episode and Troy just appears and it turns out he got promoted from Middlesborough and wants to surprise his old boss like a son showing his dad he can ride a bike, or Barnaby wholesomely puts in word for Jones... or Scott actually appears and it turns out he relocated and got promoted and out of revenge he takes the job as DCI.

Fanfic ideas above anyone?

Guys I can’t even express how much I adore Neil Dudgeon now, pre-lockdown me before the Midsomer binge-diction would be shocked into cardiac arrest after all that preaching about never cheating on John Nettles.

#midsomer murders #barnaby #tom barnaby #john nettles #john barnaby #neil dudgeon #daniel casey #jason hughes

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onelittlebookgeek · 4 years

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Book Challenge 2020 (100 books!!) (I did it!!)

After forgetting to track my reading for three years, I started recording my reading on Tumblr last year again, and I’m committed to continuing that this year!

This year is my final year of my Bachelor’s Degrees (I’m finishing English in June) and I’m planning to do a gap year from September on, so now more university after June (at least as far as 2020 is concerned).

I do not really foresee any issues or obstacles to reading this year, except of course finishing my thesis which will probably take quite some time, so I do expect a decline around April until early June. Although I do have a lot more time off in my gap year, I used to read a lot of mandatory books for my studies, so I don’t know whether having a gap year will mean reading more books. Since I’m not doing any university studying, I am interested in reading academic books by myself, studying by myself. Those books are often longer, denser and just take more time to get through; consequently, I might read fewer books in the same amount of energy and time spent reading.

To make a (somewhat) long story short: my expectations are in line with the amount of books I’ve read in the last years, so I’m expecting to read 75 books this year!

Update: it’s mid-October and I’ve already read 99 books this year, so I’ve finished my original goal of 75 books! Now I’m going for 100 books (which should be easy to do, and after that we’ll just see how it goes!).

The crossed book is the one I’m currently reading, I’ve written reviews for books that have a (x) behind them, with the (x) being a link to my Goodreads review!

Update: Today (November 23) I’ve read 114 books so I’ve finished my challenge of 100 books! Right now, I’m still 25 books ahead schedule! Let’s see if I can keep that energy up!

January

The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin (5/5) (x)

Serpent and Dove (Serpent and Dove #1) - Shelby Mahurin (4/5) (x)

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) - Robert Galbraith (4/5)

Weirdos from Another Planet (Calvin and Hobbes #4) - Bill Watterson) (5/5)

Selected Poems - E.E. Cummings (5/5) (x)

Niets zal ons redden maar een beetje liefde is oké - Henk van Straten (Dutch) (4/5) (x)

, said the shotgun to the head. - Saul Williams (4/5)

Loud and Yellow Laughter - Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese (3/5)

Fireborn (The Aurelian Cycle #1) - Rosaria Munda (4/5)

Sylvia Plath Poems Chosen by Carol Ann Duffy - Sylvia Plath (4/5) (x)

The Comedy of Errors - William Shakespeare (3/5) (x)

Nieuwe Herinneringen - Remco Campert (Dutch) (2/5)

Dido, Queen of Carthage - Christopher Marlowe (3/5)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (4/5)

Alles wat er was - Stine Jensen (Dutch) (3/5)

Zij in de geschiedenis - Alies Pegtel (Dutch) (4/5) (x)

Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (reread) (5/5)

February

Prometheus Bound - Aeschylus (3/5)

The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1) - Rick Riordan (reread) (4/5)

The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) - Rick Riordan (reread) (4/5)

So You Want to Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo (4/5)

The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3) - Rick Riordan (reread) (4/5)

Educated - Tara Westover (3/5)

Prometheus on Caucasus - Lucian of Samosata (3/5)

March

Reading Old English: A Primer and First Reader - Robert Hasenfratz (4/5) (x)

Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? - Billy Crystal (3/5)

The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4) - Rick Riordan (reread) (4/5)

Quick Question: New Poems - John Ashberry (1/5) (x)

Exploring the Language of Poems, Plays and Prose - Michael H. Short (3/5) (x)

The Call of the Wild - Jack London (2/5) (x)

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) - Rick Riordan (reread) (4/5)

April

The Waste Land - T.S. Eliot (reread) (5/5)

And Still I Rise - Maya Angelou (4/5)

Poëzie in Utrechtse Muren - Ingmar Heytze (Dutch) (5/5) (x)

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf (4/5)

Mijn dood en ik - Remco Campert (4/5)

Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster - Mike Davis (3/5)

Native Son - Richard Wright (2/5)

Dido, Queen of Carthage - Christopher Marlowe (reread) (4/5)

May

The Plague - Albert Camus (4/5)

Absalom! Absalom! - William Faulkner (4/5)

Modernism’s Mythic Pose: Gender, Genre, Solo Performance - Carrie J. Preston (2/5)

James Joyce and Sexuality - Richard Brown (3/5)

June

Daisy Jones & the Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid (4/5) (x)

Modernism, Sex and Gender - Alison Pease and Celia Marshik (3/5)

The Burial at Thebes: Sophocles’ Antigone - Seamus Heaney (4/5)

The Host - Stephanie Meyer (reread) (4/5)

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) - Suzanne Collins (reread) (4/5)

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) - Suzanne Collins (reread) (4/5) (x)

A Terrible Beauty is Born - W.B. Yeats (4/5)

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) - Suzanne Collins (reread) (4/5)

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin DiAngelo (4/5)

Are Prisons Obsolete? - Angela Y. Davis (4/5)

The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) - Brandon Sanderson (4/5)

Everything Leads to You - Nina LaCour (2/5) (x)

The Tempest - William Shakespeare (reread) (3/5)

July

Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood (4/5) (x)

American Slavery (A Very Short Introduction) - Andrea Heather William (reread) (3/5)

Angels & Demons (Robert Langdom #1) - Dan Brown (4/5) (x)

Mythos: A Retelling of Myths of Ancient Greece - Stephen Fry (4/5) (x)

Mean Time - Carol Ann Duffy (3/5)

Lijfrente - Vrouwkje Tuinman (Dutch) (4/5)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games #0) - Suzanne Collins (3/5) (x)

Sonnets from the Portuguese - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (3/5)

A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf (reread) (5/5)

The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (4/5)

Onbreekbaar - Hans Hagen (Dutch) (1/5) (x)

The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwoord (reread) (4/5)

The Importance of Being Ernest - Oscar Wilde (5/5)

Het goede leven: een briefwisseling - Piet Gerbrandy & Andreas Kinneging (Dutch) (2/5) (x)

Constructions of the Classical Body - James Porter (3/5)

August

The Complete Poems - Anne Sexton (4/5)

The Kissing Booth (The Kissing Booth #1) - Beth Reekles (2/5) (x)

The Daily Show: The Book - Chris Smith (4/5) (x)

The Duchess Deal (Girl meets Duke #1) - Tessa Dare (3/5)

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehesi Coates (4/5)

Fragments - Heraclitus (transl. by Brooks Haxton) (2/5) (x)

Animal Farm - George Orwell (reread) (5/5)

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) - Rick Riordan (reread) (4/5)

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1) - Mackenzi Lee (reread) (4/5)

Kitchen - Banana Yoshimoto (4/5)

Catilina’s Riddle (Roma sub Rosa #3) - Steven Saylor (2/5) (x)

When Dimple met Rishi (Dimple and Rishi #1) - Sandhya Memon (1/5) (x)

Adulthood is a Myth (Sarah’s Scribbles #1) - Sarah Andersen (4/5)

September

Normal People - Sally Rooney (3/5) (x)

Not All Dead White Men: Classics and Misogyny in the Digital Age - Donna Zuckerberg (4/5)

Sadie: A Novel - Courtney Summers (4/5)

The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus (4/5)

Vloedlijnen - Piet Gerbrandy (Dutch) (4/5)

Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston (reread) (4/5)

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor - Adam Kay (4/5)

Envelope Poems - Emily Dickinson (4/5) (x)

A Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) - Agatha Christie (3/5) (x)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce (4/5)

October

Titus Andronicus - William Shakespeare (4/5) (x)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) - Agatha Christie (4/5) (x)

Het verhaal van Aeneas - Vergilius (trans. to Dutch) (reread) (4/5)

If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin (2/5)

Lesbia, Verzen van Liefde en Spot - Catullus (Dutch) (transl. by Paul Claes) (4/5) (x)

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah (4/5) (x)

The Cat Inside - William S. Burroughs (reread) (5/5)

The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2) - Agatha Christie (3/5)

November

Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid (3/5) (x)

Narratology and Classics: a Practical Guide - Irene de Jong (3/5) (x)

The Murder of Roger Akroyd (Hercule Poirot #4) - Agatha Christie (4/5) (x)

The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot #11) - Agatha Christie (4/5)

The Great Cat (Poetry Collection) - ed. by Emily Fragos (3/5) (x)

Weapons of Math Destruction - Cathy O’Neil (4/5)

The Northern Lights (His Dark Materials #1) - Philip Pullman (4/5)

Vincent van Gogh en zijn brieven - Leo Jansen (Dutch) (3/5)

My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell (4/5)

The Fill-In Boyfriend - Kasie West (reread) (4/5)

Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot #3) - Agatha Christie (1/5)

My 2019 challenge

My 2016 challenge

My 2015 challenge

My 2014 challenge

My 2013 challenge

#2020 book challenge #onelittlebookgeek #2020 #goodreads #goodreads challenge #book challenge

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