#also I may have talked about this before but that Tom Waits interview I linked to?

[jokerfic]

Do you ever find it hard to push yourself to keep writing/to finish a fic? I really admire your works, especially pastimes, because you write both good quality and a good quantity with your stories. I find i'll plan out this long fic, and know all the details, but when it comes to writing more than a few chapters I find it difficult to continue. I don't know if it's just me getting bored of my own idea or being lazy but, do you have any advice for seeing a story through to the end?

Oh, it’s hard forrrr suuuuure. There’s a post floating around about how Charles Dickens shouldn’t be given credit for his prolificity bc he didn’t have streaming services and it strikes me to my core every time I see it. It’s part of why I like Neil Gaiman’s writing advice more than anyone else’s (in no small part because it’s really advice, not rules for you to follow– I hate “writing advice” that’s really a bunch of “don’t EVER use adverbs” and “write only in the mornings!” and other things that only cage you in rather than making you feel free)– it basically boils down to “write anything, write everything, just make the time to write.”

and generating content is just one part of the multi-pronged problem– the second is generating content for a specific project, consistently enough that you actually finish it, lol. some people would have you believe that if you love a project enough then it’ll always come naturally (and imply or even outright say that if it doesn’t come naturally, you don’t really love it– side note, I like some of Charles Bukowski’s poetry but he can eat my entire ass with that “if it doesn’t come easily then it’s not what you’re meant to be doing” idea). That’s only part of it. A thousand writers better than I am have already said that love/“inspiration” only gets you so far, and after that comes the work.

I’ve found that to be true. Not that the love doesn’t come back! I’m constantly falling in love and out of love with different WIPs, and each time I fall back in, I get a little bit (or a lot!) more done, but there’s definitely a point where I say “okay, I’m not allowed to work on anything else until x book is finished.” (Whether or not I stick to that resolution is a different matter.) Honestly, it happens the most with jokerfic because I have a small but active and devoted audience and I start to feel THE GUILT if I leave them too long without new content bc they’re so loyal and it has to be a symbiotic relationship or it’ll 100% die.

idk, man, I’m mostly musing out loud here because writing is work, and it might be fun work, and fulfilling work, but you have to allot time and energy to it specifically, and if you do want to finish and publish something on the longer side (fanfic or original), you have to be the one to decide to put that time and energy into it– no one else can do it for you.

All that to say: you have to figure out what motivates you, and what’s important to you. Personally I’m motivated by a moderate dose of ambition and just a little bit of spite (I see writers I don’t like flourishing, I think “I can do better than that,” and it’s good for at least a few pages), as well as feedback from readers and the desire to be able to re-read the specific, finished work whenever I want to. Probably more significantly, and not to be morbid: it’s extremely important to me to get these stories out there and not let them die with me. Listen, I may be a slow writer, but I live and breathe storytelling, it’s the majority of what I think about, and there’s very little that kicks me in the ass like the realization that time is coming for me and all of us, and I don’t have an unlimited amount of it to waste. So what’s important to you, what’s worth spending your time on? Rewatching a TV show you’ve seen all the way through 3 times already? or making something new and sharing it with people, connecting to people through a story that’s important to you?

of course, you can’t and shouldn’t aim to be productive all the time, you’re not made for it, you need to live your life in addition to doing your work. Stephen King says you have to read a lot if you want to write well, and I agree with him. It’s harder to write people if you’re never around people! Some days you are just gonna NEED to veg out in front of the TV (or tumblr) because you don’t have the energy, mental or otherwise, for anything else. you have to read books, watch movies and tv, spend time with people, live your life, have experiences, if only so you’ll have more to draw from when you are working.

Outside of that normal “living life” stuff, I’d focus on trying to trim things that you know are a waste of time, or that drain your energy without reward. Delete the social media you can do without (or outright hate but for some reason haven’t pulled the plug on yet). If you’re sitting down to write, then write, even if you have to use an app to block out the million distractions that are just a click away. If you can, try and make friends that write so you can egg each other on (there are a lot of writing Discords out there that may be helpful). I personally like reading or watching interviews with artists (not even just writers) that inspire me or that I relate to– the richness of David Milch’s mind and the way he seamlessly ties together humanity, community, history, and art makes me want to work harder and be better so that someday I can be a fraction as good as he is, I found out like yesterday that Donna Tartt and I have basically the same process (and take about as long to finish a thing lol), Jack White’s live performances energize me and make me want to create, Tom Waits is a natural born storyteller and funnyman who weaves such a thick atmosphere and mythology for himself with every word that I feel compelled to try and do the same.

and that’s it, that’s the process that consistently results in the most productive work for me: I read or watch other creators I admire until I’m whipped up into a frenzy of needing to do something, then I get in front of a screen and do it. When the excitement runs out, I pretend it hasn’t until it comes back (with mixed success, but really, “fake it till you make it” is an EVERGREEN piece of advice in almost every area). I try not to let too many months slip away without having something finished and semi-polished to show for my time. That’s about the only way I know how to do it anymore.

[jazy3]

Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 17X6

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Wow this was a tense episode! I liked this episode when I watched it, but then I went back and re-watched it and started thinking about it more deeply when my friend and I recorded our podcast and the more I thought about it the more glaring issues and omissions I caught which made me feel frustrated. Especially because I was expecting to see a bunch of things in this episode, the Mid-Season Finale, that it looks like we’ll have to wait to the Mid-Season Premiere to see and seeing as the show won’t be back for quite a while and we’ve got a long wait ahead of us is rather disappointing.

I think this episode had a great set up, but I feel like they only delivered on about half of what they promised. I think they focused a lot of screen time on scenes that could have been shortened or omitted in favour of more important or interesting scenes that I felt should have been there and were missing and they focused a lot on characters that I don’t particularly care for while at the same time shafting characters that I would have loved to have seen more of or learned more about.

I was so happy that Meredith woke up and was improving! I love the beach motif, but that storyline was starting to drag for me so I was excited to see her back in the game and being her usual self again. I loved her scenes with Tom, but I spent the whole episode expecting someone to say something to Hayes about her being awake and for Hayes to come and visit her and then the episode ended and that didn’t happen and I was so confused. I was sure we were going to get a scene with the two of them in the last ten minutes of the episode, but instead we saw her collapse and they put her on a ventilator without Jackson or Hayes ever discussing the matter or coming to visit her.

And now they can’t talk! They missed their window and I’m so pissed! The show spent ¾ of last season building up a slow burn between Meredith and Hayes which they continued in episodes two and three of Season 17. Hayes asked her out for drinks at the end of last season. They’ve established that they’re close friends. Hayes’ text in the Premiere implies that they’ve had drinks before in his office in between seasons. Hayes is the one that found her in the parking lot. He asked Maggie about her and came to talk to her when he heard she was looking for a new POA. Hayes was the one that Meredith shared her fears of dying with.

And then Meredith becomes unconscious and we don’t see Hayes for two whole episodes and then when he comes back Meredith wakes up and no one bothers to tell him and we don’t see him and Jackson or any of the other characters talk to him about? We don’t see him visit her? This makes no sense! It’s out of character and ridiculous. And here’s my question: Do Hayes and Jackson even know that Meredith woke up? They don’t seem to in this episode and yet characters like Levi know and Maggie, whose a notorious blabbermouth knows and is shouting about on a video call with Winston so presumably the whole hospital would know.

Also is Hayes heard that Meredith was looking for a POA he definitely would have heard that she was awake. They’re close friends and her sisters know that. Plus he’s the one that found her! Jackson and Meredith have been friends for years! Are you seriously telling me that no one told him? That’s ridiculous which makes me wonder if they did in fact know and they did talk about it or go visit her and we just didn’t get to see it on screen. Like there’s a deleted scene that we didn’t get to see.

Which is dumb especially when you consider what they did show us. For example, they had an entire several minute scene where Amelia and Owen operated on the kidnapper in which we learn no new information whatsoever and it does absolutely nothing to advance the personal storylines of either character. On top of that, the scenes that Owen and Amelia have preceding and following the surgery with other characters are so powerful and well done that they could have shorten the surgery scene to a few minutes or made it a montage over music and wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Amelia and Owen are clearly not getting back together at this point even though he’s on the outs with Teddy because Amelia and Link have a child together and Owen for all his faults is not going to take a father away from Scout having lost his own Dad at a young age. So the scene doesn’t do anything to advance their personal storylines other than to establish that they miss their kids, hate kidnappers, and that the world sucks. All things we already knew. 

And then there’s that end scene where Carina and Andrew DeLuca, two side characters they have spent absolutely no time developing, decide to chase after a human trafficker like a couple of vigilante crime fighters on a show that’s supposed to be about surgeons. What?!?!? They could have cut or significantly shortened both those scenes and it would have given them time to show Jackson and Hayes finding out that Meredith was awake and talking about it and then Hayes going to visit her. Which would have made a lot more sense than some of the stuff that they did show us, fit with the set up we were provided, and oh hey given us actually new information and character development that was about a medical case!

I was also hoping that Meredith and Hayes were going to talk this episode because I thought there was a good set up there for them to chat, banter, discuss their feelings, and for Meredith to ask Hayes about the idea of them quarantining together at a hotel. They established in this episode that if her stats held she would need to stay in the hospital for another week before they could discharge her so it’s still possible for this to happen when the show returns I just would have liked to have seen them address it this episode and provide that set up.

So to be honest I have mixed feelings about Meredith waking up and starting to feel better only to get worse and have to be placed on a ventilator by the end of the episode. On the one hand, I read an interview saying that they chose to do this storyline to give Ellen Pompeo the opportunity to act without a mask on the beach because of some health concerns that she has with regards to asthma and so I understand why they keep having to go that route. The actor's safety must come first.

This episode was the Mid-Season Finale and it felt tense the whole way through so I expected something bad to happen at the end, but I wasn't sure what it would be. I am sad that we didn't get any new beach scenes or see Derek on the beach like I'd hoped or see Meredith chat with Hayes the way she did with other characters. I'm also discouraged by the fact that she may spend the second half of the season bedridden because that really limits the storylines they can do about her personal life.

Which may in fact be the biggest critique I have of this episode. The Mid-Season Finale and the Mid-Season Premiere are usually pretty important with regards to Meredith’s personal life and her love life in particular. By this point in the season I expected Meredith and Hayes to have confessed their feelings for one another. I was hoping to see them make plans to quarantine at a hotel together. I was expecting to see her on the beach talking to Derek and getting closer.

But no. Instead we got no Meredith and Derek scene on the beach and no Meredith and Hayes at the hospital and I am mad. I mean if you only watched this episode you would have no idea that Meredith was ever married or that her and Hayes are involved at all. We’ve gotten absolutely no movement on Meredith’s personal life in the last three episodes. None. The people that love her and are taking care of her are worried about her and want her to get better. That’s it. There’s no new information here.

Which brings me back to another issue I had with this episode which is that Hayes finally reappeared only to spend most of the episode in the background and he didn't have meaningful conversations with anyone which I felt was a waste. I was so excited to see him back on screen and then I was disappointed when he didn’t really get to do much. Meredith woke up this episode and was well enough to laugh with her sisters and have a full on gab fest with Tom, but her and Hayes didn't have a scene together. Which felt odd and out of character considering that they’ve established. It was also weird that he didn't have any kind of meaningful conversation with Jackson despite working on a case with him that was racially charged and where black girls and woman were the ones affected.

Hayes is an amazing character so for him to be MIA for two episodes and then show back up only for the show not to use his character to his full potential bothered me so much. The fact that the victims and their mothers were black factored heavily into what happened and yet Hayes, who was married to a black woman and has two biracial kids, did not have any kind of meaningful conversation about the circumstances with Jackson, a black man who used his own money to help that girl's mother.

Also can we talk about the fact that Jo tells Richard that she wants to talk about a career change that she’s considering without ever talking to Carina who is an OBGYN and Hayes whose the head of pediatric surgery? WTF? This makes literally no sense and it’s kind of making me hate Jo because it’s so dumb. Also if Levi and Jo know that Meredith is awake Jackson and Hayes must have which makes no sense because they didn’t talk about it or go see her and I am an angry ball of rage!

On top of that, Jo and Levi have had two separate conversations in which Jo has confirmed that she wants to quit surgery altogether 100% to become an OBGYN on a show that is about surgeons to the exclusion of all others. This makes no sense. There just isn’t enough story here so unless Jo is leaving at some point I don’t understand how this is going to work. The show literally wrote off a plethora of characters in the first few seasons in order to focus almost exclusively on surgeons. It was a conscious choice that the showrunners made.

Several of the show’s current showrunners and writers were a part of the show when that decision was made so it's not like they don’t know why and how that happened. Which makes this storyline all the more bonkers to me. Also, who cares? Watching Jo perform surgery is interesting. Watching her catch babies is not. Also they’ve established that Jo and Hayes are friends and that she’s rooting for him and Meredith so why is she talking to Levi, who is a surgical resident, about this instead of her friend Hayes?

I’m also not as certain that Tom is going to die as I was before. At first I thought him getting better might be a surge, but now his improvement seems more like a for sure thing. And they did the whole storyline about his roommate dying so it would be a bit anti-climactic and predictable to me to have him suddenly die. On the other hand, Meredith is the star of the show and so if she lives it's likely someone else on the show will die of this disease and Tom seems the most likely candidate right now. I think Tom will be upset, panicked, and distraught when he finds out that Meredith had to be put on a vent. I think Teddy and Maggie will have to work very hard to calm him down which gives potential for some good Teddy and Tom scenes.

My heart broke for Bailey this episode like it did last week and while I think she should have taken some time off to grieve I understand why she didn't. Bailey is a work horse, a workaholic, and she always has been. That hasn't changed and as she says if she goes home she risks infecting Tuck and Joey with COVID. She could stay in a hotel, but it would be pretty hard for her to sit around and grieve when she knows patients are dying at Grey Sloan and she can help them. I hope she finds time to grieve and process the loss properly in the second half of the season once Meredith improves and gets better.

I loved Richard’s speech to Teddy. I think he told her exactly what she needed to hear. He told her what everyone else was too afraid to tell her or didn't want to because they were mad at her for what she did. Richard speaks from experience as a recovering alcoholic whose screwed up royally in his life so I think that gave his advice weight and gravitas. Richard is right. Teddy needs to name her demons, deal with her issues, come clean, and stop feeling sorry for herself. While I'm happy that Teddy finally told Owen the truth about who Allison was to her, she neglected to mention that her and Allison were having an affair.

Which is highly relevant seeing as she starts the conversation off by telling him that she doesn't know why she cheated on him with Tom. She tells some of the truth, but not the whole truth. She needs to come all the way clean. I don't think Owen will ever look at Teddy the same way again and I honestly don't see any hope for them at this point. Hopefully they can co-parent together peacefully. Also do we really need more scenes of Owen and Teddy fighting? Come on?

The one big bright spot in this episode for me was the scenes between Maggie and Winston! I love them! They are so cute together! And since it appears that Winston has now moved to Seattle I hope to see a lot more of them going forward. I love that he brought her flowers and was exactly what she needed in that moment. Now if only we could get that kind of movement on the Meredith and Hayes front that would be great.

I was surprised to see Opal, the fake aunt from last season who turned out to be a human trafficker, return. And I'm a bit surprised that they chose to bring the human trafficking storyline back and make it a reoccurring plot. I felt that they wrapped that storyline up pretty neatly and I didn't have any real desire for it to make a comeback. Plus, that storyline centered on DeLuca as a character and since I'm not a fan the storyline didn’t really do much for me. It's sad and scary, but it doesn't leave me excited to find out what happens next.

My favourite scene and quote from this episode was when Owen finished telling the kidnapper that he was the devil's barbeque and what a complete scumbag he was only for the guy's face to droop and for him to pass out causing Owen to remark, "Bold move Bob," and for him to realize he'd now need to resuscitate and save the guy's life from a possible stroke. That made me crack up laughing! I'm not an Owen fan most of the time, but I must say he's had some great one liners the last few seasons.

As for what’s to come when the show returns in 2021, the Season 17 Premiere blew all of my past predictions out of the water so I'm fully expecting to be wrong about several things going into the second half of the season. That being said, I think Meredith will pull through. I think Tom or one of the other characters will die. I think Winston will join Grey Sloan Memorial and start working there. I hope that both Hayes and Winston get the full screen time that they deserve and that they stop focusing on characters we don’t give a damn about because they’ve spent no time developing them.

I think we'll finally get to see the Meredith and Derek embrace that we've been hoping for and I think we'll see Jackson and Jo's relationship develop more. I hope that we see Hayes come and visit Meredith while she's out and that when she gets better we see them talk. I really felt like that was missing these last three episodes. I'd also love for them to quarantine at the hotel together after she's discharged!

Until next time!

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 32

Whoo! A new chapter! Hope you guys like it. Again, sorry about the slowness at the moment. I'm working pretty much full time hours and it's tiring been back at work so I haven't had much time for writing but fear not, I will be working on the next chapter soon. Hope you guys are ready for it. It's gonna be a good one.... I hope XD 

=====================================

Chapter Thirty-Two: Troublemaker

"Their new outfits were so cool!" Kim stated in Alya's latest interview on her blog. Marinette grinned as it had been her highest views, even blowing her interview with Lila out of the water and Kim was really complementary on their new suits. She was inclined to agree with him. The Aqua suits were so cool and in her eyes, Anatis looked really good. She let out a little sigh at the memory of seeing him in his suit. The best part is she got to spend a couple of hours with him, watching a movie. They had chosen Lion King. Of course, she had ended up falling asleep on him, only waking up when the movie had ended. To her surprise, he had also fallen asleep. Part of her didn't want to wake him up because he looked so peaceful and she was extremely comfortable been curled up next to him. She knew it couldn't last forever so she gently woke him up and ordered the sleepy hero to go home but not before she slipped downstairs and grabbed him a box of treats for him and Tikki. He had thanked for her and given her a kiss on the cheek before he left, leaving her practically a melted puddle. Naturally, Plagg had teased her about it but he shut up when she threatened to get him cheddar instead of Camembert. She jumped as her phone began to ring, pulling her out of her thoughts. She scrambled for it and gasped as she saw it was Penny who was ringing. She pressed the answer button and held it to her ear.

 "Hello?!" She gasped.

 "Hello, Marinette," Penny answered, sounding professional as always. "I was wondering if me and Jagged could ask a favor of your family,"

 "Oh? What kind of favor?" She asked, sitting up. "Does Jagged need new glasses?"

 "Oh, no... not yet but I'm sure he would love to commission you again," Penny stated. "No, we're looking to do a reality tv show to help Jagged's single hit number one and for some good press. I suggested we go onto a show called Fill My Shoes and Jagged insisted that he wanted to be a baker. Since your family runs the best bakery in Paris and you also designed his album cover, it would be a wise choice to film it in your family's bakery,"

 "Oh, wow," Marinette gasped, shocked. "I'd have to ask my parents so I can't be certain they'll agree but I can try,"

 "Of course, I understand," She replied back, causing Marinette to imagine her nodding. "If you want, I can drop by for a hour to talk them,"

 "That would be great, Penny," Marinette replied. "Can you make it after school? I have to get going back,"

 "Yes, I can. That actually works perfectly," Penny admitted, making Marinette smile. "Do you think 5pm will be ok?"

 "Yes, my parents close the bakery at 4.30pm on a Wednesday anyway," Marinette explained, getting a hum of approval from Penny. "I'll let them know right away,"

 "Of course," Penny replied. "I'll see you then,"

"Bye, Penny," Marinette replied, hanging up before grabbing her school bag and running downstairs into the bakery. Her mother had just finished serving the customer as she rushed in. "Mama!! Papa!!"

 "Yes, dear?" She asked, looking at her. Marinette launched into an explanation of the phone call she had just had with Penny. Her father joined them as she explained that Jagged himself had asked for their bakery to be the location of the reality show he was suppose to be on and how good this could work for the bakery. She explained that Penny would be dropping by at 5pm to ask them about it and when they showed hesitation, she practically begged them to do it. They agreed to talk it over with Penny, making her squeal with excitement before she dashed out of the shop and ran back to the school. As she ran through the courtyard, she didn't pay attention to where she was going which caused her to trip and let out a scream but instead of hitting the hard concrete, she landed against something soft and blue. She blinked and pulled back when she realized she must of have crashed straight into Luka's chest. She looked up at him as a huge blush came across her face.

 "Are you ok?" He asked with concern, making her blush even more.

 "Y-Yeah... sorry for crashing into you like that," She giggled, rubbing the back of her neck. She could practically feel Plagg roll his eyes. Luka, however, smiled as he held her stand straight.

 "It's ok, Mari," He smiled before tilting his head to the side a little. "Though your melody is louder then usual. Are you sure you're ok?"

 "Oh! I'm just really excited," She grinned, making him smile before she looked around. Seeing no one around, she leaned in close. "Can you keep a secret?"

 ".... uh...." Luka's eyes shot to the side as if he was thinking about something. "I think so,"

 "Ok but you have to swear not to tell anyone else!!" She gasped, barely able to continue her excitement.

 "Pinky swear?" He asked, holding up his little finger. She linked it with hers before leaning closer to him. She thought he froze for a second but brushed it off as she whispered into his ear.

 "My parents' bakery may be on the TV show, Fill My Shoes and Jagged Stone may be the special guest," She whispered, making his eyes widen in surprise before he looked at her.

 "For real?" He asked, keeping his voice hush. She grinned as she nodded in an excited manner. "Mari, that's so cool... ah but don't worry. I won't tell anyone,"

 "I know," She smiled sweetly, playing with her hands. "You're really trustworthy, Luka,"

 A light blush covered his cheeks as he shyly rubbed the back of his neck, making Marinette giggle. She couldn't help but think he looked really cute when he blushed but before she could say anything, the bell rang and made her jump, once again landing in against his chest. It was her turn to blush as he caught her and smiled softly at her.

 "We better head to class," He replied, getting a nod of her. She straightened up and to his surprise, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

 "Thanks for catching me, Luka," She smiled before heading up the stairs to Ms Bustier's class but not before she gave him a wave. He smiled softly and waved back before heading in the direction of his own class, catching up with Aurora and Jean who were heading there too. Marinette let out a little sigh as she watched him walk off before turning on her heel and walked in back into the class. Her mind drifted back to her deal with Anatis, which had been something she hadn't thought about since Captain Hardrock. She had intended to tell Luka that she liked him but just like the day in the park, an akuma turned up. Captain Hardrock had hit home for Luka. She knew he took it personally when his family got turned into akumas but this one was so close to home for both him and Anatis. Once everything had been restored, it felt wrong to confess to him so she decided to wait but then she learnt about the guardian and they got a new hero friend. She thought Culpeo was amazing personally but the point was things got her distracted from talking to him. On top of that, she still liked Adrien a lot. She still sighed gently when she saw him smile and day dreamed off their life together but she also dreamt of what life would be like with Luka. Both seemed amazing in their own way but she was still head over heels for both boys. Of course, Luka had one thing over Adrien. She could actually talk to him. Whereas with Adrien, she could barely string a sentence together but she was getting better. Shaking her head, she decided to put her thoughts aside for now and head to class.

 (***)

 Marinette took a deep breathe as she looked outside the bakery windows. Lots of Jagged's fans were outside, holding up banners and screaming with pure joy as they knew their favorite musician was outside. She looked back as Penny talked with Alec and Bob Roth, who was demanding that the show better meet his demands. Her parents looked super nervous and honestly, she couldn't blame them. She was super nervous, knowing that most of her friends were going to be watching the show.

 "Ok, we are going live in 3, 2, 1," The camera man stated as Alec stood in front of the camera.

 "Welcome to Fill My Shoes!" Alec declared, throwing his arms up in the air before he pointed at the camera as the show of people cheer could be heard outside. "You're joining us live for a new episode and our guest today is Jagged Stone!!"

 Jagged practically jumped into the area next to Alec as he played air guitar.

 "Rock and Roll!!" He declared, grinning as he threw his hands into the horns symbol. "Yeah!!"

 "Filling the shoes of..." Alec shouted as Jagged stood next to him with his arms crossed. "A baker!!"

 "Yo, Rockers!" Jagged grinned as he got into the camera's view as Alec turned to Tom.

 "And a big thanks to Tom Dupain, for having us here in his bakery," He stated as he gestured over to him, causing Tom to come over as he laughed in a nervous manner. "The best in Paris, I might add,"

 "Uh... Hello..." He smiled as he waved at the camera. Sabine smiled at him before grabbing a tray of Croissants and walking over to the crew, Penny and Bob Roth as Jagged and Tom began to bake.

 "Excuse me, do you want some hot croissants?" She asked, holding them out as two of the crew packed up their things. Bob Roth grabbed one as he looked at the ratings and walked off without thanking her. Penny also walked off as Fang began to make a fuss. Sabine turned to Marinette as she stood next to her. "I'm not so sure it was a good idea to let them film the show here, Sweetie,"

 "Of course it was, Mama," She smiled, looking at her before she placed her arm around her shoulders and gestured to the shop. "Don't forget. Jagged asked specifically to come here. You realize how good this will be for the bakery and Dad's gonna be come an instant celebrity!!"

 "Well..." Sabine stated as she looked at her husband. "For a celebrity, he looks pretty nervous,"

 They both looked at him and saw him trying to teach Jagged to knee bread. Jagged, on the other hand, was doing karate chops on the dough. Marinette couldn't help but laugh a little as she watched him do that. Tom corrected him after he waved nervously towards the camera. Hearing the hiss of fang, Marinette looked over and saw Fang pulling on his leash. Penny was holding him and telling him to calm down but she looked really nervous and was clicking her pen repeatedly. Marinette walked over and smiled at her.

 "Are you ok, Miss Penny?" She asked, causing Penny to look at her.

 "Yes, yes," The woman muttered before placing her hand on her chest. "It's just this show was my idea and Jagged's putting all of his trust in me and I just hope that everything goes well today,"

 She bit her pen as she looked terrified of the idea of failure. 

 "I'm sure it will go great, Miss Penny," Marinette smiled as she looked back over to Alec. Her father was waving at the camera again.

 "So Jagged, how does it feel to fill the baker's shoes today?" Alec asked as Jagged smiled happily.

 "It's awesome! Check this editable guitar I made from scratch!! This is so rock and roll!!" Jagged declared, trying to play the bread guitar he made before he started to sing. "Flour, eggs and butter!!"

 Penny couldn't help but let out a small laugh at his song as Sabine walked over. 

 "So, Miss Penny, what's it like working with a star like Jagged?" She asked, causing Penny to look at her. "He seems so cool,"

 "Oh, yes. He's... wonderful," Penny smiled as she looked at him. Marinette felt her heart jump as she recognized the look of one of love. Her inner fan girl squealed as she imagined how cute Penny and Jagged would look like as a couple. However, Penny realized what she said and jolted back, going back to writing on her clip board. "Uh... I mean... yeah, he's awesome,"

 Marinette smiled knowingly before looking over at Jagged as he sang with her father. She couldn't help but giggle as they dragged Alec into it, causing him to look at the camera with pure confusion before her father waved to the camera again.

 "Yo, Marinette, my favorite little lady!!" Jagged called, getting her attention and causing the camera to focus on her. "Come over and rock out with us!"

 "Uh!" Marinette gasped as Sabine gave her an encouraging smile. She walked over in a nervous manner and waved the camera, not sure how deal with the sudden attention onto her. Jagged smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

 "It's so cool that we get to spend the day together. Marinette's practically my niece," He declared, grinning before he turned to Alec. "She's really talented too. She did the artwork to my latest album and she's only in high school!!"

 "Wow! That's impressive. A true family of artists," Alec stated before gesturing to her and her father. "A talented young designer and a gifted patisserie. By the way, what are you gonna bake for us today, Tom?"

 "Uh," Tom gasped, looking nervously to the camera. "How about some chocolate croissants? Could you grab a bag of flour please, dear?"

 "Sure, Papa," Marinette smiled, turning to reach for a bag as Jagged moved out of the way. However, she knocked a large paddle over, causing it to fall on the table. When she went to grab, she accidentally pushed it under a bag of flour but didn't notice as she lifted it to return to her place. Her action caused the bag of flour to fly up and land all over Jagged, making her gasp. "Uh oh,"

 Jagged blinked and looked at himself before he grinned and began to laugh.

 "Hey, look! I look like a ghost! Rocking boohoo!!" He laughed as Alec placed his arm around his shoulders.

 "Making pastries is obviously no piece of cake," He declared before smiling. "Stay tuned. We'll be back from this commercial break,"

 "Boo!!" Jagged declared, hugging Alec before they cut the cameras. Alec dusted himself down and walked over to Bob as Marinette turned to Jagged and Penny walked over.

 "Sorry, Jagged," She mumbled, looking down but he shook his head.

 "No sweat, Marinette," He smiled as Penny turned to her. 

 "Can you tell me where the bathroom is?" She asked. Marinette nodded and told her it was upstairs before she began to help her father clear up the bakery. Penny led Jagged upstairs and looked around for the bathroom but they accidentally went on staircase too high and pushed open the trap room that led to Marinette's bedroom. "Wait, this isn't the rest room,"

 "This must be Marinette's bedroom," Jagged muttered, looking around. It was very pink. "Cool. Hey, there's a sink,"

 Penny nodded and grab some tissue before she began to try and clean off the flour as Jagged looked around. Noticing some of her hat designs, he walked over, making Penny sigh and follow him. 

 "Hey, look," He smiled as Penny scrubbed his jacket. "Man, Marinette has some real talent,"

 She looked up at the designs and found herself agreeing. Marinette was truly gifted but once again, Jagged had moved away. She rolled her eyes and followed him again.

 "Hey, I know this guy," He laughed as he walked over to the poster of himself. "Rock on, Jagged,"

 "We've gotta hurry, Jagged," Penny stated as he turned to face Marinette's photo wall.

 "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, Penny," He stated as he looked over at them. There were a few photos of Adrien Agreste but there were also a couple of photos of Marinette with Anatis and a fair number of her with Luka. Jagged blinked and smiled as he looked at them. In one photo, Marinette and Luka were pulling faces. In another, they were stood back to back while wearing pink hats. Another one showed them with the rest of kitty section. One was outside of the cinema. Another was the two of them laughing as they attempted to bake some sweet treat. Another photo showed Marinette, Adrien and Luka with Wang Cheng while another one showed the two of them on the set of Nino's horror film, Horrificator. Marinette was pretending to be scared while Luka was pretending to be the monster. She also had the pictures of Juleka's photo shoot on the wall and a few with her friends. 

 "And we're back on air with Jagged Stone filling the shoes of a baker," Alec's voice stated as Penny tried to get him clear. "Let's see how that rock star cleans up all that flour,"

 "Isn't that Nanarky's kid?" He asked Penny, who nodded. "There's more photos of him then of me. I think the baker's daughter has a little crush,"

 He winked at the camera.

 "Or maybe they're a couple? They'd make a good one. A talented designer and an upcoming musician," Jagged mumbled before smiling. "Teenage love is so sweet. Makes me want to write a song. Hey, what about-"

 The trapdoor burst open and a fanatic looking Marinette burst through, looking close to tears. 

 "What are you guys doing in here?!" She gasped, distressed. Penny turned to her and clicked her pen.

 "I'm sorry, Marinette," She gasped, frowning. The last thing she wanted was to upset the girl. "I couldn't find the rest room,"

 "Hey, Marinette, you want me to sign that poster of me?" Jagged asked.

 "No, I just need everyone to leave and you stop filming," She gasped, clearly embarrassed but no one made to move. She looked desperately at Penny. "Penny, please get them to leave,"

 "You heard the lady," Penny declared as she began to push Bob Roth out of Marinette's room. He looked at her with shock but then one of the camera men looked up at her and told them she cut them off their air. She picked up the wire and noticed everyone look at her. She wanted to say sorry but seeing Marinette close to tears made her shake her head. "We'll deal with that in a second. Let's leave Marinette's room first,"

 "Penny, we're suppose to be live!" Alec declared, glaring at her. "We're going back on air,"

 "No! Get out of my room first!" Marinette argued as Jagged sneezed.

 "Penny, was that flour organic?" He asked. "You know I'm allergic to the non organic flour,"

 "Penny! Give me that wire,"

 "Penny, get them out of my room... please!!"

 "Penny, we've got no picture!!"

 "Penny, do you have a tissue?!"

 "Penny!!" Everyone's voice blended into one, causing Penny to grip her head as the buzzing got to her.

 "Urh!! Stop!! That is enough!!" She shouted, making them look at her before she looked at Marinette. "Everyone back down stairs now!! Out!!!"

 She forced them downstairs and out of Marinette's room, leaving the girl relieved. 

 "Out! Out! Out!!"

 "Well, what do we do now?!" Bob Roth asked but she glared at him.

 "I'll meet you downstairs in five!" She stated but he went to argue. However, she shoved the list at him and growled. "In five!"

 She slammed the door close before sinking down as she tried to calm down. She was just so stressed and everyone was demanding everything from her. She didn't blame Marinette because Alec and his crew shouldn't have been filming in her room so she could understand why Marinette was so upset. That room was her sanctuary and Alec had invaded that but no thanks to Jagged, who shouldn't have been there either. She took another deep breathe as an akuma fluttered closer to her before it entered her pen.

 "Troublemaker, I am Hawkmoth. You've always the faithful one, taking care of other people and shoving their problems," Hawkmoth declared in her head. "Today, you are free of that burden. From now on, you shall be the creator of all their problems and all I ask in return is Anatis' and Lady Noir's miraculous. What do you say, Troublemaker?"

 "Sounds like a plan, Hawkmoth," She declared, standing up and clicking her pen. She was engulfed in purple smoke, transforming her into an akuma before it disappeared, revealing her new look. Her skin was literally white and she had heavy black eye make up. Her hair was now styled in a pink and white mohawk with black shaved areas around her head and ears. Her suit resembled a rock star from the 80s and was black, pink and white. She wore a dark pink jacket and had a skull and crossbones on her suit. She stepped through the door and clicked her pen again, making her solid. She picked up her list and looked at it. "So, what's on my to do list next?"

 She tore in half and smirked.

 "I know. Take care of Jagged," She laughed before throwing the pieces and clicking her pen. She became intangible once again and allowed herself to go through the ceiling.

 ~Meanwhile in Marinette's Room~

 "This is a disaster!! I'm gonna be a laughing stock at school! Through all of Paris!! On the internet!!" Marinette gasped as Plagg floated next to her. "Luka will never talk to me again!! This is a disaster!! A disaster!!"

 "Pretty sure, he will, dollface!!" Plagg grinned, finding the whole thing amusing. "Besides, it's not like you can change it. The whole thing was live and boy was it funny,"

 "Plagg! Not helping!!" She gasped, rocking to herself. "It's a disaster!!"

 "Huh?" Plagg mumbled, floating over to the TV as the show went live again. "Dollface, it seems the show has your streak of bad luck,"

 "This is a disaster- huh? What do you mean?!" Marinette gasped as she looked over. She got up as her dad angrily spoke to Bob Roth as her mother threatened him but then a bag of flour got dumped onto Jagged and Alec fell on him. Marinette frowned as she watched weird things happen in the bakery. Croissants went flying, doors were slamming. Jagged cried out for Penny as he thought a ghost was haunting them and then the shutters were closed as Bob Roth looked around terrified and asked if the bakery was build on an ancient cemetery. Marinette frowned as she watched things get worst before a strange looking woman appeared next to Jagged, making him jump away in fear and scream for Penny. Marinette gasped as the akuma declared that Penny wasn't around anymore and that she was Troublemaker. She showed that she could make herself intangible before declaring that she was gonna cause him nothing but problems. "Penny?"

 "Oh dear. Now that troublemaker is going to put all that sourdough to waste," Plagg sighed, making Marinette shake her head.

 "Then we better stop her," She declared, holding out her hand. "Plagg, claws out!!"

 A green light over took her, turning her into Lady Noir. She looked over at the film as Alec attempted get footage of Troublemaker but she cut the camera. She frowned before climbing out of the skylight, just as Anatis landed on the ground below. She watched as he tried to get into the bakery only for Troublemaker appear behind him. She grabbed him and threw him into the TV van but Lady Noir extended her baton, blocking Troublemaker's path. She turned intangible again but Anatis had already thrown his yoyo and landed on the balcony, allowing her to bring back her baton back to her.

 "Hey there, handsome," She grinned as he jumped down from the rail and walked over to her. "What brings you to the best bakery in town?"

 "Fancied some freshly baked bread and landed in a spot of trouble," He grinned. "Is Marinette safe?"

 "She's hiding in the bathroom but Troublemaker seems to have it in for Jagged," Lady Noir nodded. "Anyway, follow me,"

 She jumped down into her room and Anatis followed suit, looking at the pictures as they moved across the bed.

 "Uh... Annie?" She asked, making him look at her.

 "Sorry, still not use to seeing myself on film," He smiled, tapping the picture of him and Marinette together. Lady Noir rose an eyebrow. "Anyway, we'll take the grand tour later. Shall we-"

 He suddenly lifted the mattress as knitting needles were thrown at them before he dived at her but Troublemaker clicked her pen, causing him to fall through her. Lady Noir jumped down and helped him to his feet as Troublemaker disappeared and threw an umbrella at them. She knocked it back and Anatis threw his yoyo but it went through Troublemaker as she clicked her pen. She clicked it again and threw the chaste at them. A picture of Luka landed on the ground and Lady Noir gasped before grabbing at it. Anatis rose an eyebrow but was knocked back when he was hit by an otterman. He threw his yoyo but it went through Troublemaker again and got tangled with Lady Noir's baton, causing her to laugh as she sank through the ceiling. He looked around for her as she jumped through the floorboard and clicked her pen, reaching for his earrings. Lady Noir gasped and spit her baton into two. She tripped him up and slammed her baton into Troublemaker's hand, causing her pen to go flying and Anatis to land on the floor. Troublemaker gasped as she looked towards her pen, causing Anatis to realize where the akuma was.

 "Lady Noir! The Pen!!" He shouted as the three of them dived at it. They all caught it but Troublemaker grinned and clicked it.

 "Touch me if you dare," She declared before sinking through the floorboards again. Anatis growled.

 "Damn it. We can't touch her, even if we wanted to her,"

 "But her strength is also her weakness, Annie,"

 "Good point. If she wants to touch us, she has to be touchable as well," He smiled as the two of them stood up. He noticed they were still holding hands before he quickly let go. "Sorry,"

 "N-No worries," Lady Noir gasped, blushing before grinning. "Let's go cause some trouble,"

 The two of them ran downstairs into the living room before looking around. Anatis narrowed his eyes as he spun his yoyo like a shield.

 "Be careful," He declared. "Chances are she's somewhere in this room but if she wants to take our miraculous, she can't be untouchable,"

 "And if we grab her then we snag her pen," Lady Noir grinned as she looked around the living room. Anatis nodded and narrowed his eyes as the two of them around but Troublemaker suddenly appeared through the ceiling and shoved Anatis across the room before she grabbed Lady Noir's arms and twisted them around her back, pinning them there. She went to grab her ring as Anatis jumped back up and threw his yoyo around them both but she clicked her pen, causing his yoyo to trap Lady Noir. She clicked her pen again and kicked Lady Noir to the ground before she ran at Anatis. She jumped and clicked her pen, going through him before clicking it again as she jumped against the wall, throwing herself into him and pinning him down onto the floor. She held his arms above his head and grabbed his right earring, causing the other one to beep erratically as she grinned, holding up the earring.

 "You've already lost half the battle, bug boy," She stated, looking at him as his mask slowly began to disappear, along with parts of his suit. He struggled against her as she went to reach for the other one but before she could, Lady Noir freed herself and held out her hand. Hearing the beeping, she closed her eyes.

 "Cataclysm!!" She yelled before blindly charging at Troublemaker. She gasped and clicked her pen, causing herself to go intangible again. Lady Noir went straight through her and slammed into the window but Troublemaker growled at her as she sank through the floorboards. She had dropped Anatis' earring which bounced away from her. He scrambled up and grabbed it, putting it back on. His mask returned over his eyes and his suit reformed on his legs and arms. He let out a sigh of relief as Lady Noir rushed over to him with her eyes closed and cradling her charged up hand. He couldn't help but smile at her. "Annie, you good?"

 "Yeah, I'm good, kitten," He stated, making her open her eyes. She smiled sheepishly at him before she grabbed his yoyo and handed it back to him. "Thanks for closing your eyes, Kitty,"

 "Well... I only want a reveal when we both agree to it," She smiled bashfully, getting a nod of agreement of him. "But that can wait. First, we need to kick trouble's butt,"

 "Couldn't agree more," He declared before throwing his yoyo up in the air. "Lucky charm!!"

 The magic ladybugs summoned a broken plate, which he caught as he frowned before he looked around in his lucky vision. He gasped as he couldn't find how to use it before he looked around again. Lady Noir frowned as Anatis got frustrated before he sighed.

 "That's strange... I can't see how to use it,"

 "Could losing an earring made your power weaker?" Lady Noir asked as he looked around again, moving over to the bookcase.

 "I hope not," He stated, glancing around before the super glue lit up. "Oh, thank kwamis. It is working,"

 "Oh, good," Lady Noir let out a sigh as he picked up the superglue. He began to fix the plate as she rose an eyebrow. "I mean that had me worried... but... why?"

 She pointed to the plate but before grinned and handed it to her before turning the glue on himself. Well, on his earrings. Lady Noir smirked as he took the plate from her and then the two of them headed back into Marinette's room. Lady Noir went first and held out her hand as she looked around. Anatis followed holding up the plate.

 "This is the lamest lucky charm I've ever had," He muttered in a worried tone. "It's practically useless against a villain who can literally walk through walls,"

 "She doesn't seem to be here though," Lady Noir replied before jumping up onto the bed area. "I'll check the balcony,"

 "Noir! Don't! I only have a plate to defend myself!!" He gasped as she disappeared through the skylight. "Great,"

 Almost instantly, Troublemaker appeared through the ceiling and dived at him. He dove out of the way and threw the plate at her but she clicked her pen and it went through her, smashing against the wall. She dived at him and pinned him down again, grabbing at his earrings as Hawkmoth ordered her to grab them. As soon as she touched them, her fingers got stuck onto them and he dropped the act, grabbing her arms as she tried to get up. He grinned at her as she tried to pull away.

 "Having some trouble?" He asked.

 "Aww, my poor bug-a-boo... looks like you have a super villain stuck on you... literally," Lady Noir cooed as she sat on the railing and held up the super glue. "Let's separate you two,"

 She jumped down as Troublemaker tried to get away from Anatis but he only moved with her, keeping his grip on her arms. Lady Noir jumped over and tapped the pen with her charged hand, causing it to rust and break, freeing both the akuma and Anatis. Troublemaker cried out and grabbed her head as she turned back into Penny. Anatis captured it with his yoyo before releasing the purified butterfly. He grabbed the broken plate and threw it into the air, declaring the magic words. It turned into the swarm and swept across the bakery, fixing everything that needed to be fixed and restored Marinette's room. As soon as that was done, Lady Noir turned her attention Penny as the woman looked around confused. Seeing the two heroes, she gasped.

 "W-what happened?" She asked in a frightened tone. "Is Jagged ok?"

 "You're always so helpful, putting everyone before yourself," Lady Noir smiled gently as Anatis nodded. She knelt down and smiled at her. "Let's worry about Penny for a change. Are you ok?"

 "I... I'm fine... thank you, Lady Noir," Penny smiled, getting up. "I'm sorry for causing trouble,"

 "Don't be, Penny," Anatis smiled. "It's ok to take some time for yourself when you need it,"

 "Thank you," She smiled as the miraculous beeped, reminding the heroes it was time to leave.

 "Sorry, have to go," Anatis gasped. "Rock on, Penny. You're awesome,"

 "Yeah! Rock and roll," Lady Noir agreed as the two of them jumped onto the rails and through the skylight. They hear Penny take a deep breathe before she exited the room. Anatis jumped onto the rail as Lady Noir landed next to him. "That was a close call,"

 "Yeah but no finding out my true identity for you today," He smiled as he spun his yoyo.

 "That's ok," She grinned, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Since I already know who you are,"

 "Y-you do?!" He gasped as she snored and laughed.

 "You're my best friend, you dork," She grinned, hugging him. He smiled and hugged back before she pulled away and held out her fist. "Pound it?"

 "Pound it," He smiled, tapping his fist against hers. He went to jump before he turned and smiled at her. "You're my best friend too, Kitten,"

 With that, he jumped off through the city. Lady Noir jumped up the other part of the room before dropping down to part of her roof and dropped her transformation. She jumped back onto the balcony and let out a sigh of relief. Anatis hadn't found her supply of cheese nor did he seem embarrassed about Marinette having photos of him on her wall. She would have to deal with the rest of the fallout at school. She dived into her room as Plagg dived into his cheese and rushed downstairs. As soon as she burst into the bakery, she saw everything was back to normal. She rushed over to her parents and hugged them, telling them she hid in the bathroom before Penny shyly came through. She looked like she was about to apologize but before she could, Jagged glomped her.

 "Penny!! I'm so glad you're ok and not in your super villain outfit anymore... though very rock and roll... but seriously, what would I do without you?" He smiled as he held her shoulders. "You're the best. In fact, I'm giving you a pay raise for all your hard work!!"

 "Jagged," She smiled before hugging him. He smiled and hugged back. Marinette shared a knowing look with her mother before smiling.

 ~Next Day at School~

 Marinette sighed to herself as she carefully made her way through the school. She intended to avoid everyone but in particular, she wanted to avoid Luka. Well, she didn't actually want to avoid him but she figured he would probably been uncomfortable with the fact that she had their photos printed out and stuck on her wall. And that there was the fact that Jagged hinted that she might have a crush on him, which was true but she didn't want him to find out like that. She wanted to be able to tell him herself but so far, she hadn't seen him which was good. She would wait a few days and then talk to him again. She let out a sigh as she reached her locker and put her bag inside before closing the door.

 "Hey, Ma-Ma-Marinette," Luka smirked, making her jump. He let out a little chuckle as she glared at him before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry... I just wanted to make sure you were ok after that akuma,"

 "O-Oh... I'm fine...a bit... never-mind... I'm good... are you?" She gasped, nervously before pressing her fingers together. "Look... about what you saw on the show last night... the totographs on my wall... I have them on there because they're really good memories for me... I'm sorry if that seems... weird..."

 "Marinette, I don't think that's weird at all but in case, you've forgotten... I'm a Couffaine. Weirdness and chaos is in my blood," He grinned, making her smile "So... I actually wanted to ask you something... um... I was wondering if you wanted to come by the liberty and hang out with me after school while I practice some new songs I've written... um I really could do with a second opinion on them who isn't Rose or Juleka and well, you like my music so... I was hoping... you'd like to come by?"

 "Oh," Marinette gasped, not expecting him to ask but she hesitated to answer. Not because she didn't want to say yes. She so wanted to say yes. She was just surprised that he asked.

 "Oh, you're busy..." He frowned, shaking his head. "Just ignore that. It was a stupid idea..."

 He sighed and went to walk away but Marinette grabbed his hand, making him look at her She blushed and pushed a bit of her hair back.

 "I'm not busy and I'd love to hear your new songs," She smiled shyly, making him smile.

 "Really?" He asked, smiling. She nodded. "Cool. Meet me at the doors after school?"

 "I'll have to drop of my books at mine first though,"

 "Fine by me. I can buy us some sweets,"

 "It's a date," She smiled, causing him to blush. "I mean... a hang out... thing...not like a date date..."

 "Ye-Yeah," He gasped, blushing before he rushed off. He stopped and waved. "See ya after school, Mari,"

===========================

Next Chapter: https://ultra-sassyduck.tumblr.com/post/632366839231578112/miraculous-rise-of-anatis-33

[angelkurenai]

Imagine Tom accidentally spoiling that your boyfriend, Jake, has plans to propose to you and already has bought an engagement ring.

“Acting is on its own a tough profession but one must admit each movie is different and does demand more things from you. Especially a superhero one, has even more demands. And you as actors need to be able to live up to the expectations and demands of this job.” the interviewer said and both Jake and Tom nodded their heads “So my question is, was there a scene that was particularly hard to film and you felt like demanded more from you as actors than any other one?”

“Oh you're playing a very dangerous game there, I'm warning you!” Jake said with a grin, grabbing his coffee to take a sip as he glanced at Tom “Are you sure you want him to answer that one? Because if you do, let me go right ahead and say: Spoiler Warning! Proceed with caution!”

“Come on, dude.” Tom laughed although deep down he too was scared something might slip. It was this kind of questions that he really was scared of “Have some faith in me!”

“Oh I do have faith in you! I have so much faith that I am 100% sure you will leave one non-spoiled scene in the entire movie. That's why I'm making this clear, I have no part in this!” he raised his hands in the air.

“Wow way to throw me under the bus, man, thank you so much for this.” Tom blinked, faking shock and hurt but in the end they both burst in laughter “Anyway, I'll prove you wrong and you'll see it!” he said fully determined before turning back to the interviewer “I actually remember filming this scene which-” he paused for a second, glancing at Jake who was seemingly on alert, watching his with wide eyes.

“Look at him!” the interviewer laughed “He's like ready to jump and stop you in case you spoil something.”

“You know, I suggested getting duct tape with me just in case but somehow they believed it was too much? What kind of thing is even that?!” he looked around with a funny look before scoffing “Now there's only so much I can do about it.” he shrugged as his words earned a laugh “You can never be too careful I tell you.” Jake noted and Tom shook his head with a laugh.

“Don't worry man. As I was saying, there was this scene which aside from the action part which it certainly had, because I remember my heart racing the entire time, it also came down to being really emotional. And- and I remember how it was during the middle of the production and we had shot some easy and hard scenes but when we got to shot that one it was, like, Whow man this is tough! And now that it's all over I can say that for sure. I remember how I had to balance those two and it was particularly hard because other than being this struggling hero trying to fight for his life and the ones he cares, I had to show the emotional pain on my moves and whenever I could my voice and face; whenever it was on display I suppose. It was like putting two aspects together that very often are linked but also very rarely are displayed in that way, with- with the mask on and all that. So uhm-” he shrugged a bit, nodding his head “Yeah, that's it I believe.”

“Wow” Jake breathed out with wide eyes, faking shock “I'm actually impressed. He didn't spoil anything!”

“Told you to have some faith in me dude.” Tom said as they both laughed.

“What about you, Jake?” the interviewer asked the older man.

“Oh nah I just sipped on my coffee, said a couple lines here and there, cuddled the life out of (Y/n) and all around let the CGI team do their thing. It was a great movie to film, yes.” Jake said with smile full of pride, shrugging casually.

“Basically was 24/7 with his girlfriend is what he'd trying to say.” Tom laughed “And even when she had a scene he was like, behind the cameras cheering and fangirling over her!”

“No, man, no.” Jake brushed him off all seriously “It's called fanboying! Fanboying! Learn the right terms.” his voice came out almost stern until they both laughed “I can't believe I'd ever get to say that!”

“(Y/n)'s really forced you to learn them huh?” Tom laughed.

“Nah she talks about it all the time so I just kind of listened to it and now I know pretty much everything.”

“Considering how much time you spent together it would be no surprise. Plus, (Y/n)'s like the ultimate fangirl despite having been part of the MCU ever since the beginning. It was actually-” Tom looked back at the interviewer “Her that I was about to talk about next. Despite how Jake insists that he had it easy, there were some scenes that were quiet stressful and I think if it wasn't for her being there to, you know, support you and make you come back to reality, you would have noticed how hard they really were.”

“All jokes aside, it's a tough job, yeah. A lot more than people actually realize.” Jake nodded his head “That's why friends and family are sometimes really important.”

“And you guys I presume had a little bit of both during this film, right?” the interviewer asked.

“We were very lucky because we had a lot of both, yes.” Tom said, glancing at Jake who nodded his head “And there were a lot of people that were friends and turned into family and that makes the movie even more important. We- Despite any tough days were we really got tired, I think we were always able to find moments to- to actually relax without having to think about preparing for work or anything like that and be ourselves, you know?”

“Which is actually a bunch of five-year-olds stuck into adults' buddies.” Jake said with a smirk, getting hold of his coffee again.

“Which is exactly that, yes.” Tom nodded his head “But it's also something that some days (Y/n) could barely handle and that- that really was an advantage sometimes, you see. Because, I remember that time we had the day off and I had gone to find him in case he wanted to hang out. But when I saw him he was so incredibly nervous and unable to sit down and I was not sure if I should ask or not. In the end I was like “Hey, what's up man? You don't look ok today. Is there something I can help with?” and turns out it was the right thing to say because he was overthinking about some stuff and uh needed a friend to help him take it slow.”

“And at this point I go like: Who the heck told you we're friends?” Jake said playfully, effectively making both him and the interviewer laugh.

“Yeah, here's probably that too. Anyway, I'm really glad we became this big dysfunctional family, even if he and I actually spent the entire day going from shop to shop trying to find the perfect engagement ring for him to prop-” but his words were cut off when he hear the loud coughing coming from the man next to him as Jake had apparently chosen the wrong moment to take a sip of his coffee. Or maybe the second worst decision, with the first one being letting his guards down and thinking that spoilers was the worst that could come out of Tom's mouth.

“Jake, you ok man? Jake?” he patted him on the back as he tried to recover from it “Are you ok?”

“D-dude!” was the first word that came out of his lips as he looked with wide eyes at Tom.

“...Wh-what?” Tom asked after a good few seconds, unable to understand the reason behind all of it was what he said.

Jake's face went serious and he looked at the interviewer saying with an almost blank face and no longer wide eyes “Please tell me you have some duct tape with you. Please, I will be eternally grateful to you.”

The woman was having a hard time hiding her laugh behind her hand “I'm- I'm sorry but... no.”

Jake groaned, letting his head hang low as he shook it “No mercy. Absolutely no mercy. I can't believe this.”

“Wh-what happened? Why are you-”

“What happened? What happened? Oh how about the fact that you just blurted out something way worse than a spoiler for the movie! Is there really no filter? None at all?”

“I didn't- Wait-- you mean you haven't proposed to her yet?!” Ton's own eyes widened “Dude you've had the ring for like 6 months now!”

“Oh yeah, why don't you go ahead and say that too hm?” he asked sarcastically before shaking his head “Oh dear, can't believe-”

“Come on, do you really think after all these months she may have not figured it out herself? (Y/n)'s too smart for that! I'm 100% sure she knows.” he tried to comfort him or probably calm him down before he killed him, judging by the nervous laugh that he let. Seeing Jake somewhat relax he kept going in hopes that he'd make things better “Only reason she's probably not talking about is because she's trying to figure a way out to tell you about the positive pregnancy test without you-”

“What now?!”

Or not. Maybe not. Definitely not make things better.

[villainousshakespeare]

In The Timing

Tom Hiddleston/Reader

Rated E 

Warnings: Smut, Angst, *But in this chapter only FLUFFFFFF with a teasing mention smut 

Chapters: 4 of 4 + Epilogue

After a horrible first date, you end up at a pub filled with University students. You are feeling rather old and sorry for yourself, until a blond haired Adonis strikes up a conversation with you. Obviously he is too young for you, but what could a little flirting hurt?

@yespolkadotkitty @hopelessromanticspoonie @nonsensicalobsessions @caffiend-queen @thecutestlittlebunbunfairy @vodka-and-some-sass @arch-venus25 @devikafernando @devilish–doll @hiddlesholic @just-the-hiddles @kellatron55 @myoxisbroken @wrathkitty @shae-annelore @kellatron55​ @from-hel-i-with-love​  ciaodarknessmyheart

Chapter 1 - First Meeting

Chapter 2 - The Morning After

Chapter 3 - Years Later

Chapter 4 - Time’s Up

Epilogue

"Ladies and gentlemen, you know my first guest as Loki the God of Mischief and The Night Manager. His new movie,  In The Timing, is currently nominated for a slew of awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture. Please welcome back to the show Mr. Tom Hiddleston."

You smiled as Tom jogged out onto stage to thunderous applause. Or maybe "thunderous" wasn't quite right. Thunderous implied deep, and the cheers for your man were much higher in pitch, clearly spearheaded by all of the overeager women in the audience. You couldn't really blame them. In his monochromatic blue suit and leonine mane of hair, Tom was definitely scream worthy. Still, that didn't mean you wouldn't take great delight in teasing him about his status as heartthrob later.

The response to  In The Timing had been incredible, with glowing reviews and box office receipts that were much higher than expected for an independent romantic comedy. Now, with the studio making a push for it on the awards circuit even more people were coming out to see the movie that was your labor of love in more ways than one.

All of this was wonderful for you and Tom, as you were both receiving accolades and prizes for your disciplines, but it also meant an endless round of press junkets, talk show appearances, and gala screenings all around the world. Most of the weight of this, of course, centered on Tom's deliciously broad shoulders, but you had your own share of speaking engagements as well. To your amusement, he had insisted that the studio coordinate your schedules, so that you were promoting in the same city at all times. He had just gotten you back, he insisted. After seventeen years apart he was not going to spend one night separated from you if there was anything he could do about it.

You were only too happy to go along with this plan. The state of pure euphoria you had been coasting through your days in had come to a screeching halt the first time you were asked to get up onto a stage in front of a thousand people and answer questions about your process and the characters you had imagined. Only Tom, standing to one side of the stage like a proud and nervous papa watching his child win her first spelling bee had kept you grounded. Every time you started to falter, you would look over and see him practically speaking for you with his body language. It would make you giggle inside how earnestly he watched you, reacting to the questions with amusement or indignancy on your behalf. What did it matter, you realized, what anyone else thought of you, when the over grown ginger in the wings believed in you so completely.

That didn't mean, of course, that you would let him off the hook for the swooning fangirls. Someone had to keep his head from becoming too big to fit through the door.

"So, Tom," Colbert was saying as you focused on the interview, "I hear you've got a new picture out."

"I have," he answered with a smile, playing along with one of his favorite hosts. Between the Hank Williams duet and the Hamlet soliloquy, Colbert was right up Tom's alley.

"Yeah, I hear it's pretty dreamy. Or rather you are pretty dreamy in it."

"I don't know about that," Tom chuckled with humility, face going a bit red. "I don't know who would have told you such a thing."

"Oh, my female staff, my daughter, my wife..." Stephen deadpanned as the audience laughed. "What is it about this film that is so... I believe the word was "swoony"."

"Swooy? An excellent word. From the old English geswogen, meaning "in a faint"" you rolled your eyes as Tom pontificated.

"If you say so," Stephen laughed.

"I would say that it's the waistcoats, Stephen," Tom said with an impish grin. "They are rather constraining, depriving the wearer of appropriate oxygen. Hence the swooning."

"I see. Interesting. Now, this is a romantic comedy. Normally those are not big Oscar bait movies. Oscars tends to go more for tradgedy or history... the feel good tropes.

"Exactly," Tom laughed along.

"So what is it about this movie that makes it so appealing to awards voters? Is it the waistcoats?"

"Maybe," Tom smiled. "Maybe it's the waistcoats."

He was so charming, you thought you could feel the adoration from crowd washing towards the stage. He would be on cloud nine tonight, you knew. Tom feeded off of the energy of a crowd in a visceral way. It wasn't ego, exactly, or at least not just. It was the validation of his hard work, and the knowledge that he had shared something with an audience that had touched them on a personal level, made them experience something as a communal group.

With a smug smile you wondered if he would be able to wait until you were back to your hotel tonight before sharing that excitement with you, or if you would have to find a closet or some other private room to slip into for half an hour or so. Over the last few months there had been a number of times when, sometimes for no other reason than a look you had thrown at him, Tom had siezed you by your wrist and dragged you to some semi-secluded spot to have his way with you. Hell, once or twice you had even been the one to push him into an alcove and reach for his zipper. Your relationship all those years ago had been marked by insatiability for eachother, and if anything the years apart had only added to the ferver to touch, taste, and fuck eachother senseless.

"Along with the costuming, which is brilliant - bless our wonderful costuming department - I think the thing that sets this movie apart is its writing," Tom was saying, throwing an adoring glance in your direction. "It really gets to the heart of what it means to be in love. How we, as human beings, with all our foibles and idiosycrosies can be our own worst enemies in the persuit of our heart's desire."

And seriously, how could you not love this man to distraction? 

"The course of true love never did run smooth," Colbert threw in.

"Exactly. Shakespeare said it best as usual. But do you know which character that was?"

"Helena, Midsummer Night's Dream," Stephen said uncertainly.

"Close, very close," your walking Shakespeare anthology smiled sugly. "Hermia. Act I, Scene 1 I believe."

"I'll take your word for it," Colbert surrendered to the master. "So, you're nominated for a slew of awards - a BAFTA, a SAG, an Oscar... is there anyone that you are really gunning for? It's the Oscar right?"

"Well, sort of," Tom hedged.

"What do you mean sort of?"

"I am enormously flattered to be nominated for all of them, of course, and so excited for the film to be recieving so much love. But the award I'm most excited for isn't an acting award for me, or even Best Picture. It's the Adapted Screenplay Award."

"And why would that be, Tom Hiddleston?"

"Well, as I mentioned before, the writing, particularly the dialogue, is truly the star of this picture."

"Uh-hu. No other reason?" the host prodded. "I know you're a private man when it comes to your relationships..."

"With reason, you have to keep a bit of life for yourself."

"Of course. So, what do you want to share with us Tom?"

"Well, it just so happens that the writer of this particular movie is someone very close to my heart," he smiled a dopey smile that made your stomach do filp-flops.

"How close exactly are we talking?" Stephen asked, also shooting you a look.

"Well, Stephen," Tom grinned, "it just so happens that this particular author, this beautiful, brilliant, compassionate woman, has recently become closer to me than people may realize."

"Really?" Stephen grinned back at him. "You know, it just so happens that I see her standing there in the wings. Shall we invite her out here?"

"Well..." Tom threw you a smile, eyes saying that he knew he would be in trouble later, "I really do think that she deserves to be the one sitting out here discussing the movie. She is the reason it is a success after all."

"What do you think ladies and gentlemen?" Stephen asked the audience as you glared at both of them. "Shall we bring her out?"

As a chorus of enthusiastic yeses assailed your ears, you vowed that you would make Tom pay for this later, possibly ususing the pair of fur lined cuffs he didn't think you knew he had purchased when you were strolling through the village the day before. Resigning yourself to your fate you sighed and nodded you head once to their entreating glances.

"Ladies and gentleman, she is the writer behind In The Timing Victoria Thomas," you still were not used to hearing your pen name spoken out loud as often as it was, or responding to it. You were going to have to do something about that soon, you thought.

"That is her pen name, indeed," Tom said as you walked slowly out on stage, glad that you were dressed in a chic Calvin Klien dress that flattered your figure, "I hope you will all join me in welcoming the newly minted Mrs. Hiddleston!"

  It had been a complete suprise. You and Tom had been walking through Central Park, Bobby frisking around you as he chased invisable prey. Your fingers were linked together, and Tom had at least somewhat learned to shorten his long stride to make up for your significantly shorter legs. After a bit of wandering, you had made it to the Shakespear Garden near both Delacourt Theater and Belvedeare Castle, and Tom had pulled you down beside him on a stone bench.

  "This garden," he told you conversationally, "has every flower the is mentioned in Shakespeare's plays planted in it."

  "That's so interesting," you teased, even though you did find it interesting, you loved to give him a hard time over his love of all things Shakespeare.

  "All of those flowers," he went on as though you hadn't spoken, "and not one of them is close to being as beautiful as you are."

  "Tom," you sighed dreamily, snuggling against his chest. Honestly, how had you gotten so lucky?

  "Darling," he said, a nervous tone creeping into his usually confident voice. "I wanted to ask you something."

  "What's that?" you said lazily, enjoying the smell of his skin as he kissed the top of your head.

  "Would you look at me love?" he asked.

  You lifted yourself off of his chest to see an anxious expression to match his voice.

  "I know that we have not been back together for long," he began, hands figiting, "but I think you know how much I love you."

  "I do," you smiled at him. "I love you too."

  "And we have, if you think about it, known eachother for almost two decades."

  "I suppose."

  "Given that, and that I don't think I will survive parting from you again," detaching himself from you, Tom dropped down onto one knee and your mind went blank. "My darling love, will you marry me?"

  You gaped at him in stunned disbeleif, unable to move or speak as the sun glinted off of his copper curls. As your eyes met his you saw a look of hope begin to shade into panic, and realized that you had not given him an answer. Just as you were wondering how mouths and tongues worked, Bobby barked loudly and jumped up onto the bench beside you, breaking the spell that you had been under. You burst out laughing, and after a moment so did Tom as Bobby licked at your face.

"Upstaged by my own dog," he grumbled good naturedly, some of his confidence coming back as you were beaming at him. "  B ut come, darling, ' what sayest thou then to my love? speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee  .'"

  "I say yes," you smiled at him as he rose to spin you off your feet in a circle. "Of course yes, Tom!"

  Two days later, in a quiet ceremony attended by just imediate family flown in secretly and his ever vigilant puplicist Luke, the two of you were married in the same spot by your fiesty dirctor Susie, who had obtained her liscense online for the occasion. It was peacful, and even if one or two persistant pedestrians had been able to snap a quick picture of you in your ice blue dress and Tom in a perfectly tailored Ralph Lauren suit, Luke had been able to keep any whisper of it out of the press. As gossip control went, it was a minor miracle.

"So, you two crazy kids tied the knot, huh?" Stephen asked as the crowd finally died down.

"Yes," Tom said quickly, looking a bit nervous. "Though as you may be able to tell by the expression on my beautiful bride's face, we hadn't made the announcement public yet."

"Oh that's okay," Colbert waved it off, "they won't tell, will you guys?"

The crowed laughed at the notion of it staying a secret after such a public announcement.

"Well, congratulations Tom, and to your lovely wife, my condolences."

"Oh, I think Tom's the one who's going to be needing condolences soon," you joked, and Tom gamely winced, though his eyes said he wasn't sure how much you were joking.

"So, why did you agree to marry such an obvious fixer upper?" Stephen asked you. "Couldn't you find anyone good looking?"

"It's a struggle, Stephen," you sighed and the audience laughed, as you had married, by your own reconning, the most handsome man on the planet. "But, well, I'm in love you see."

"Ah," he nodded sagely.

"Yup, I'm in love with Bobby, and the only way to get the dog was to say yes to the man."

"My evil plan worked, you see," Tom chimed in, laughing his endearing ehehe

"You used the dog to get the woman? That's next level planning!"

"Well you see, Stephen," Tom said, staring into your eyes with an intensity that made you forget you were on national TV, "I have been in love with this particular woman for seventeen years. And if it had taken adopting an entire three ring circus to finally get her to marry me, that was what I was going to do. Fortunately for our home, one adorable Spaniel was all it took."

"Seventeen years? Really?" Stephen looked back in forth between you, a wealth of unanswered questions in his eyes.

"Indeed. She led me quite a chase, but I wore her down in the end."

"I have a feeling there's a story here," the host said, in huge understatement, "but I'll wait until your next visit for that."

"I'm afraid that story is not suitible for television," Tom demured.

"Well, can you at least give any advice to the fans out there? Some help for the lovelorn?"

"Well, in the end," he said, giving it his usual deep thought, "all I can say is it's all in the timing."

"And that, my friends, is what we call a segue. You can catch the movie in theaters now."

Tom glanced over to you and winked with a cocky grin, and you thought of all the things that had gone between you, the years and passion and the love. You loved this man with everything you had. He might be insufferable, he might occasionally push you beyond your comfort level, but you knew in that moment and every moment that you were loved with a fierce, constant heart. It was the happy ending you had always dreamed of. And it was yours.

                       Notes:        

Thank you all so much for reading. It has been a wonderful story to write.

[not-a-perfect-metaphor]

Heavy tinhat content ahead! Please keep scrolling if that’s not for you!

J2: parenthood, the children, and all that jazz!

*****

Okay, so I LOVE talking about the kids and doing J2-Daddies posts, 🥰 but I don’t think I’ve really shared many of my in-depth thoughts on what I personally believe is involved in the care of those children/the dynamic(s)/what is known when and by whom/various routines/etc., and it’s a very very important thing to talk about!

I’ll start with some of the basics, one of those basics being the fact that Jared and Jensen both very much wanted to have children, and I have no doubt that future children and parenthood plans were huge parts of their initial contracts with Gen and Dan.

I think that some of those contract specifics may have been overstepped since then...like the number of children at least in Jensen’s case, something he’s hinted at a few times by sharing the fact that he originally only ever planned on/wanted a single child, two at the most. He even used the word “contract” at one point (Pitt-17) while discussing the topic publicly with Jared (they both did actually). Jensen mentioned very briefly that the contract had been too loose and hadn’t held enough water, and his comment was in response to Jared having said that he (Jensen) needed to be more specific in these kinds of verbal contracts with Danneel, like for example “two total, not two more.”

*want a link to my post about the “contract” slips? Message me!*

Regardless of that, however, both Jared and Jensen clearly love being parents, and they are wonderful parents!

I’m SO glad that their dream of one day being daddies-

(on goals/hopes, things not yet accomplished, the below GIF)

-has now been so thoroughly actualized!

The next logical thing to talk about I suppose would be my thoughts on whose children are whose and how all of that works.

I do think that the Js technically live in their own houses, separately and with their respective children and ‘wives’ (fauxmance partners/co-parents), but we know that they’re together as much as they possibly can be, which is a lot even as far as the public is aware and much more than that in reality for sure, and I think that, depending on what’s going on/circumstances/etc., they spend stretches of time varying in length and frequency together in one house.

Take, for example, this comment by Jensen when asked if he and Danneel share household chores (nola-17)-

“It is split up. When we’re not there, she handles it. When we come home, she’s like ‘here’s the keys to everything.’”

The ‘we’ there was in reference to himself and Jared, and the implication seemed to be that he and Jared are together in one house at least some of the time and moreover that they’re given some time and space for just the two of them (and the kids) when they’re home.

I believe that Jensen and Jared each fathered their own three children, yes, but it’s also VERY evident that they love and care for all the kids as their own and that they very much take on the role of a parent not just with their three but with all six.

Let’s look at some dimension-lending examples that support this theory, although it’s really not needed since the Js have pretty much verbally confirmed the one-family-love to be true.

Just for fun, though-

*****

Tom: “Hi, Dad!”

Jared & Jensen simultaneously: “Hi Tom!” (Vancon-14)

Jared: “We didn’t get to see our family last week. But that being said, our kids get to see their parents doing something that they love.” (Houscon-17)

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

Jensen: “The hits just keep coming with six kids!”

*****

^ almost correct! But actually he was just being a dad with his kids, not babysitting 😊.

*****

Jensen: [Jared] wasn’t there, so I was watching the kids.”

^ See what I mean? A separate occasion, by the way.

*****

Jared: “[Shep] and Jensen had a special bond from day one.” (PHXcon-16)

*Jensen pats his heart during a conversation about Shep*

Jared: “They’re kindred spirits.”

Jared (about JJ, m&g): “I love how her face lights up when I pick her up from school. She’s wrapped around my finger.”

Jared (about Arrow’s beautiful long eyelashes): “She’s like a Disney princess!”

Jared (about JJ): “She plays [Jensen] like a fiddle!”

Jared: “Tom said a word in music class that started with an ‘f’ and ended with an ‘uck.’”

Jensen: “Wonder where he heard that? *pauses for a second* Me. ”

Jensen (to Jared): “Don’t worry about getting too old. We are raising the next generation of hunters.”

Jared: “The boys have started to ask where babies come from. I try to distract them. I’m like ‘look a raccoon!’”

Jensen: “No you don’t! You send them to me!” (NJcon-18)

Jensen: “I’ve already had the talk with Shep.”

Jensen: “I get a text message from [Jared]. And he’s like ‘hey, I need you to send Tom a video.’ So I sit down and make a little video to Tom and send it to him.”

•••••••••

As far as what Jared’s kids call Jensen and vice versa, ‘uncle’ seems to be what was chosen right from the start, which makes sense.

Some ‘Uncle Jared & Uncle Jensen’ examples:

Jared (about his boys): “They call Jensen ‘Uncle Jensen.’”

Continued in the first following image-

*****

*****

Jensen: “Instead of saying ‘stop,’ she says ‘go away.’ (...) She got it from Uncle Jared.”

Jared: “Aww, I miss JJ.” (Asylum-16)

Jensen: “Uncle Jensen is trying to get some work done out here.” (Chicon-12)

Tom: “Uncle Jensen.”

Jensen: “I hear you, big guy! I hear you!”

Jared (mimicking Tom when he was missing Jensen): “Uncle Jensen-Uncle Jensen-Uncle Jensen-Uncle Jensen!” (Jib-14)

Tom: “I love you Unca’ Jensen!”

•••••••••

We can only vaguely speculate about what the kids will know and when concerning their parents’ arrangement, if that even is part of the future plan which it very well might not be.

But my guess is that when they reach a certain age, each child will be told at a minimum that Jared and Jensen share a beyond-platonic intimacy (even if it’s kept very vague), because the alternative for the Js is never being able to exist openly with each other even privately with just their family.

And surely as time passes, the kids will pick up on more and more about the full truth, plus they’ll likely be given additional information as they get older (that’s IF they’re not told outright at some point).

And of course we don’t know if there’s any intention of coming out publicly some day or if there’s the hope of coming out publicly some day should circumstances allow for it, but that’s an entirely different matter and would probably involve the decision to have Gen and Dan deny any prior knowledge of the Js relationship (in fact the non-platonic aspect of the Js relationship would likely be presented as something that had unfolded between Jared and Jensen not long before telling the public about it).

Just a side note that popped into my head-

In a collection of written interviews I found from the late 90’s that were conducted with anonymous closeted celebrities, a fairly common answer to one of the questions (about coming out) was that if it were to happen, it would happen after retirement from the industry.

It was heartbreaking to read, however, that the majority of the interviewees felt they would never have the option, realistically speaking, of coming out, at least not while still being able to protect their livelihoods.

I’m getting off topic here.

Although I do want to get into the above a lot more thoroughly in another post.

But for now...back to the kids!

Let’s touch on some more parenting details.

To expand a bit on what I said about Jared and Jensen being the fathers of each of their three respective kids but at the same time caring for all six with a parent’s love and dedication (and AS parent figures in the eyes of all six), I think the same basic principle applies to Gen and Dan.

I don’t think they are as involved in the daily lives of each other’s children as much as Jared and Jensen are (meaning Gen with Jen+Dan’s kids and Dan with Jar+Gen’s kids), but certainly they are to at least a somewhat-regular degree due to Jared and Jensen and therefore the inherent interconnectedness of both families.

And regardless of how I feel about either Gen or Dan personally, regardless of how you feel, they are two of the four parents of six beautiful children, and whatever happens between the Js, whatever happens between Jen and Dan or Jared and Gen, just whatever happens...these four human beings will always be connected through their children at the very least, and that is why there is nothing but good will toward all of them in my heart.

I say that with complete and genuine honesty. I really do.

Alright...

I am too sleepy to carry on. The rest will have to wait for a part two.

But I will conclude things by adding these precious, wonderful photos for you to ‘cute’ over! 😊💕

[rfield87]

Writing Advice from Best-Selling Authors: Stephen King

fine

This week’s re-blog is one that was written by Lauren Passell, and is titled: Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers. It was published on March 22, 2013. If you would like to read the blog on the Barnes & Noble website where I found it, I will leave the link below. 

(When I was re-writing this blog I found some typo errors and corrected them as I went along. It must be the editor in me.)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

                         Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers

Stephen King’s books have sold over 350 million copies. Like them or loathe them, you have to admit that’s impressive. King’s manual On Writing reveals that he’s relentlessly dedicated to his craft. He admits that not even The King himself always sticks to his rules - but trying to follow them is a good start. Here are our favorite pieces of advice for aspiring writers:

1. First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.

2. Don’t use passive voice. “Timid writers like passive verbs for the same reason that timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe. The timid fellow writes “The meeting will be held at seven o’clock” because that somehow says to him, ‘Put it this way and people will believe you really know.’ Purge this quisling thought! Don’t be a muggle! Throw back your shoulders, stick out your chin, and put that meeting in charge! Write ‘The meeting’s at seven.’ There, by God! Don’t you feel better?”

3. Avoid adverbs. “The adverbs is not your friend. Consider the sentence “He closed the door firmly.” It’s by no means a terrible sentence, but ask yourself if ‘firmly’ really has to be there. What about context? What about the enlightening (not to say emotionally moving) prose which came before ‘He closed the door firmly’? Shouldn’t this tell us how he closed the door? And if the foregoing prose does tell us, then isn’t ‘firmly’ an extra word? Isn’t it redundant?”

4, Avoid adverbs, especially after “he said” and “she said.” “While to write adverbs is human, to write ‘he said’ or ‘she said’ is divine.”

5. But don’t obsess over perfect grammar. “Language does not always have to wear a tie and lace-up shoes. The object of fiction isn’t grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story...to make him/her forget, whenever possible, that he/she is reading a story at all.”

6. The magic is in you. “I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. Dumbo got airborne with the help of a magic feather; you may feel the urge to grasp a passive verb or one of those nasty adverbs for the same reason. Just remember before you do that Dumbo didn’t need the feather; the magic was in him.”

7. Read, read, read. “You have tor read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so. If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

8. Don’t worry about making other people happy. “Reading at meals is considered rude in polite society, but if you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second to least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”

9. Turn off the TV. “Most exercise facilities are now equipped with TVs, but TV - while working out or anywhere else - really is about the last thing an aspiring writer needs. If you feel you must have the news analyst blowhard on CNN while you exercise, or the stock market blowhards of MSNBC, or the sports blowhards of ESPN, it’s time for you to question how serious you really are about becoming a writer. You must be prepared to do some serious turning inward toward the life of the imagination, and that means, I’m afraid, the Geraldo, Keigh Oberman, and Jay Leno must go. Reading takes time, and the glass teat takes too much of it.”

10. You have three months. “The first draft of a book - even a long one - should take no more than three months, the length of a season.”

11. There are two secrets to success. “When asked for the ‘secret of my success’ (an absurd idea, that, but impossible to get away from), I sometimes say there are two: I stayed physically healthy, and I stayed married. It’s a good answer because it makes the question go away, and because there is an element of truth in it. The combination of a healthy body and a stable relationship with a self-reliant woman who takes zero shit from me or anyone else has made the continuity of my working life possible. And I believe the converse is also true: that my writing and the pleasure I take in it has contributed to the stability of my health and my home life.”

12. Write one word at a time. “A radio talk-show host asked me how I wrote. My reply - ‘One word at a time’ - seemingly left him without a reply. I think he was trying to decide whether or not I was joking. I wasn’t. In the end, it’s always that simple. Whether it’s vignette of a single page or an epic trilogy like ‘The Lord of the Rings,” the work is always accomplished one word at a time.”

13. Eliminate distraction. “There should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with. If there’s a window, draw the curtains or pull down the shades unless it looks out at a blank wall.”

14. Stick to your own style. “One cannot imitate a writer’s approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what the writer is doing may seem. You can’t aim a book like a cruise missile, in other words. People who decide to make a fortune writing like John Grisham or Tom Clancy produce nothing but pale imitations, by and large, because vocabulary is not the same thing as feeling and plot is light years from the truth as it is understood by the mind and the heart.”

15. Dig. “When, during the course of an interview for The New Yorker, I told the interviewer (Mark Singer) that I believed stories are found things, like fossils in the ground, he said that he didn’t believe me. I replied that was fine, as long as he believed that I believed it. And I do. Stories aren’t souvenir tee-shirts or Game Boys. Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover is small; a seashell. Sometimes it’s enormous, a Tyrannosaurus Rex with all the gigantic ribs and grinning teeth. Either way, short story or thousand page whopper of a novel, the techniques of excavation remain basically the same.”

16. Take a break. “If you’ve never done it before, you’ll find reading your book over after a six-week layoff to be a strange, often exhilarating experience. It’s yours, you’ll recognize it as yours, even be able to remember what tune was on the stereo when you wrote certain lines, and yet it will also be like reading the work of someone else, a soul-twin, perhaps. This is the way it should be, the reason you waited. It’s always easier to kill someone else’s darlings than it is to kill your own.”

17. Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings. “Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. This suggests cutting to speed the pace, and that’s what most of us end up having to do (kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings).”

18. The research shouldn’t overshadow the story. “If you do need to do research because parts of your story deal with things about which you know little or nothing, remember the word back. That’s where research belongs; as far in the background and the back story as you can get it. You may be entranced with what you’re learning about the flesh-eating bacteria, the sewer system of New York, or the I.Q. potential of collie pups, but your readers are probably going to care a lot more about your characters and your story.”

19. You become a better writer simply by reading and writing. “You don’t need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing. Faulkner learned his trade while working in the Oxford, Mississippi post office. Other writers have learned the basics while serving in the Navy, working in steel mills or doing time in America’s finer crossbar hotels. I learned the most valuable (and commercial) part of my life’s work while washing motel sheets and restaurant tablecloths at the New Franklin Laundry in Bangor. You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.”

20. Writing is about getting happy. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So, drink.”  

Which of these rules do you like best?

[that-shamrock-vibe]

TV Review: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Spoilers)

Part 3: The Flash

Spoiler Warning:

Overview:

Okay, now that is how you do a cliffhanger! While this crossover may not be delivering on a couple of really built up plot points, I’m talking 5 year build-up, as a whole the episode has still managed to kick the gear up and, quite fittingly being The Flash episode, accelerated the story and the anticipation for what is to come in the two-part finalé next month.

But with all but several individuals remaining in reality, is it really down to seven Paragons to save the Multiverse?

Vibe Returns:

I can’t decide whether I’m thrilled or annoyed Cisco has his Metahuman powers back, because whether or not he wanted them...let’s face it he didn’t, he now has them and I don’t think they’re going anyway.

On the plus side, I am happy with this as it gives him something to do, I mean seriously if you’re just going to have a non-powered tech whiz, bring back Felicity Smoak. Cisco is Vibe and he should always be Vibe.

Also he didn’t seem to contribute much to the science in this episode, I mean okay he seemingly helped Ray with his Paragon Detector when Team Flash arrived, who by the way contributed nothing in their own episode as a whole, but even when they were down in the Anti-Monitor’s lair...the reason for him to have his powers back was simply to open the door? Because he didn’t contribute any assistance in destroying the Antimatter Speed Cannon.

I am still waiting to see what The Monitor’s dynastic plan is for bestowing Vibe with his powers again because, we know he’s not a Paragon and as I said all he did was open a door.

I don’t know whether or not Carlos Valdes has served his purpose in the Arrowverse and after de-powering should have simply left last season, but I don’t really see a use for him anymore.

A Flash of Black Lightning:

Alright so Flash, Vibe and Frost go to the Anti-Monitor’s lair where Pariah arrives to bare witness to great pain because that is his job now.

It’s not until we get into the lair that we realise what this great pain is because it is revealed that powering the Antimatter Speed Cannon is The Flash...of Earth-90. John Wesley-Shipp is back after randomly disappearing during Elseworlds but I choose to believe it was for this purpose.

Barry saves Earth-90 Flash from the treadmill of torture but the Anti-Monitor has a fail safe of simply having the cannon blow up wiping out reality instantly if no one is powering it, this leads to what could have been quite an emotional moment had I not predicted the outcome as soon as we saw who was originally on the treadmill.

So Earth-1 Barry sees this moment as his time to “Vanish in Crisis” by reversing the speed of the treadmill thereby destroying the cannon.

While this is going on, Pariah brings in Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning from “His Earth”...despite being on the same network his is the only Earth we don’t get a number for...and to temporarily prevent the cannon from blowing up and wiping out reality, he is instructed to either absorb the energy or stabilise it.

As Earth-1 Barry says his “emotional” farewells to Cisco and Caitlin, Earth-90 Barry seizes the opportunity to temporarily steal his speed so that he can be the one to return to the treadmill and “Vanish” stopping the Antimatter...because as he pointed out that newspaper article that we have seen now for 5 years and been reminded of constantly said “The Flash Vanishes in Crisis”, it didn’t say which one...

I call bull! I am sorry but they built this moment up for 5.5 seasons, numerous mentions and the last half a season has been all about the emotion of Barry destined to die in Crisis...yet now he doesn’t die and John Wesley-Shipp’s version who has only been in it once before does?

This “emotional” moment of Earth-90 Barry remembering his wife Tina with a clip from the 90s Flash series was only serving to those who remember that series and as someone who was born a year after it finished I have to say I did not. I contemplated it after the crossover last year but decided not to.

So Earth-90 Flash is now dead and was the prophesied one who “Vanishes in Crisis”, Earth-1 Flash reunites with Iris and Black Lightning joins the crusade.

Dealings With the Devil:

Meanwhile Diggle finally learns that Oliver died and was brought back by the Lazarus Pit as well as Lyla going missing and the need to find Oliver’s soul...because you miss out on two episodes and suddenly you’re out of the loop.

He, Mia and Constantine travel to Earth-666 in the City of Angels Los Angeles, why? Well it seems Tom Ellis is a rather good liar despite his character never lying because Constantine is acquainted with none other than Lucifer Morningstar.

Now I saw an interview just after watching this episode that Tom Ellis did with ET which I will link to here, basically how they’ve made up for the fact that Lucifer is supposed to be ruling hell is that where we meet Lucifer here is during that 5-year period before the start of Season 1 of Lucifer and before he meets Chloe Decker and starts working for the LAPD.

Anyone thinking this is simply a Lucifer doppelganger is incorrect because while there can be doppelgangers of Earths, Humans and Aliens, there is only one Heaven, one Hell, one Limbo, one God and one Devil just as there is only one Monitor and one Anti-Monitor. 

Lucifer presents Constantine with a tarot card which grants temporary passage to Limbo but expires quickly which would damn the users souls for all eternity. Oliver’s purgatory is, surprise surprise, a version of Lian Yu and when the trio reunite with Oliver it is Diggle that breaks through to him.

The only issue with bringing him back however is that a new player appears Jim Corrigan, now as Constantine points out this is not Earth-1 Jim Corrigan as that is Emmett J. Scanlan from Constantine and you don’t mess with Scanlan...although it would have been cool to see Lobo in some form here.

No, this is Stephen Lobo...ironic...and he has become The Spectre...who I know absolutely nothing about other than Corrigan is the first of three hosts of Spectre in the comics with the other two being Hal Jordan and Crispus Allen and that one of his enemies is the Anti-Monitor.

However, Lobo seemingly passes on the Spectre to Oliver through a flashing eye sequence and the trio who risked their souls to come and save his vanish leaving Oliver to wander off with Corrigan...what does this mean? We shall find out hopefully.

Paragon Peril:

Alright so, I have no clue how to feel about the Paragons, I said I would wait to make up my mind until all seven had been revealed and now they have.

In addition to the Paragons of Hope, Courage, Truth and Destiny being Supergirl, Batwoman, KC Superman and Sara, Ray’s Paragon Detector reveals that the Paragon of Honor is Martian Manhunter, the Paragon of Love is Earth-1 Flash and the Paragon of Humanity is Ryan Choi...who?

I will get to him shortly but I want to point out that Mar Novu in his rather expositiony voice stated “These Paragons are spread across the Multiverse”...well his dress is clearly on too tight because four of these Paragons are from Earth-1, two are from Earth-38 and one is from Earth-96...how far spread is that exactly?

As for Ryan Choi, who lives in Earth-1 Ivy Town, all I know about him in the comics is that he is the second Atom and an admirer of Ray Palmer. I know him best from Injustice 2 and to be honest think as much of him as I do Ray so...not a lot.

Also the fact he has a wife and daughter reminds me too much of Scott Lang’s Ant-Man, He doesn’t even have a family in the mainstream comics and the fact this is one comparison where Marvel did it first it’s annoying.

My other note is I know Ray is at least stepping down as a main character in Legends of Tomorrow this season, so if they’re setting up Ryan to be the new Atom they’re going to need to establish his likeability a whole lot better.

Anyway, Iris, Ray and Elongated Man...because he needs something to do, go and recruit Ryan Choi who only agrees after Iris reasons with him on a human scale.

Back at the Waverider, everyone reunites as Barry, Cisco and Frost return to inform them all that Earth-90 Flash saved the remainder of the Multiverse, Earth-1, by sacrificing himself. KC Superman has been trying to save other Earths but failing, Constantine, Mia and Diggle return to tell everyone they failed and the attention turns to the fact they now have all seven Paragons.

However, this is where it gets interesting!

So Lyla/Harbinger has been missing all episode and we as fans know she’s with the Anti-Monitor. When she does eventually appear on the Waverider she originally seems to be fine...but then it goes horribly wrong as she is revealed to have been taken over by the Anti-Monitor and, just like in the comics, kills Mar Novu and uses the energy from that to wipe out the rest of reality.

But just before his death, Mar Novu encourage Pariah that this is what he is truly meant for and Pariah discovers he has the ability to transport all seven Paragons to a place the Anti-Monitor cannot reach, the Vanishing Point.

So the seven chosen are saved while everyone on board the Waverider is obliterated. But then it gets even twistier as it is revealed that while in possession of the Book of Destiny, Lex Luthor foresaw the seven Paragons in a safe space and so decided to rewrite himself as the Paragon of Truth which causes KC Superman to switch places with him...meaning Lex Luthor is now the Paragon of Truth...

So just to clarify that is now 4 Paragons from Earth-1 and 3 from Earth-38...the main Earths heavily featured in the Arrowverse in a crossover that features literally every DC Continuity in film and TV...can you see why this plot point pisses me off yet?

This is the cliffhanger we are now left on until June 14 when Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow return, all I can say I hope for right now regardless of the outcome is that we see Martian Manhunter actually be Martian Manhunter because so far in this crossover I have just seen John Jones/Hank Henshaw.

So that’s my review of Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Flash, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more DC TV Reviews as well as other TV Reviews and posts.

[vinylexams]

Heavy Heavy Low Low - Courtside Seats to the Greatest Fuck of All Time⁠

⁠ @heavyheavylowlow38 #heavyheavylowlow #hhll #deathwish @deathwishinc⁠ ⁠ I’ve been lucky as hell recently to snag insider info on some killer reissues and this one is no exception. You all already know how much I love HHLL, especially Turtle Nipple…, and through serendipity I got connected with Robbie from the band a few months back. I got to hear about how they are coming back to life after some years focusing on other projects, growing up and growing out, and evolving as musicians and artists in the process. They’ve worked with Twelve Gauge Records to put Courtside Seats on vinyl for the very first time and after they announced it on their platforms and immediately sold it out, they’re pressing another batch that you and the HHLL lovers in your life can and should snag before that pressing sells out, too!⁠ ⁠ What’s even more exciting is that I got to pick Robbie’s brain in typical VE fashion and he’s indulged me with all sorts of info about what they’re up to, whether or not we can expect new music, and some feel-good stories about huffing air duster and ripping shit up in an old warehouse on the California coast. Here it is in its unedited glory, but first…head to the website to pre-order your copy and then head to Robbie’s Indiegogo campaign to learn more about his upcoming short firm that’s scored by Nick from Tera Melos! ⁠https://deathwishinc.com/products/heavy-heavy-low-low-courtside-seats https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/morning-deliveries-short-film#/

INTERVIEW

First and foremost, it’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Heavy Heavy Low Low and then out of nowhere you sprang back to life in 2019. What motivated you all to pick up this project again? I’m not sure what motivated it. We had always been trying to jumpstart the whole thing again for some time and I think that it might have been a case of everyone’s lives slowing down and examining that time with a weird reverence. I can only speak for myself. The boys are all in school or doing their own thing.

I imagine you’ve all been working on different projects since HHLL went on hiatus. Do you have anything that you or the rest of the band have worked on that you’d love us to know about? Danny has gotten pretty popular in the Kendama world. Chris is studying various forms of martial arts. Roo is endlessly going to school and currently scoring independent films. Chip is heavily involved in competitive fishing. I’ve been making short films when the situation and my wallet allow it. We’re all crazy excited about finally owning Courtside Seats on vinyl for the first time. Aside from bringing that album onto the vinyl medium, the pre-order page notes that there’s new artwork, too. What can we expect from that? When we made the CD we weren’t expecting to sell any really.. I did the art and Matthew printed them all at his job. Him and I folded every crease, glued the o-cards and vacuum sealed them all. I think it sold out almost completely at the record release show. We made the same amount of records as we did the original cd (500). The artwork for the original CD pressing was done on sketch paper without any comprehension of what could be done with drawn art and a scanner. Matthew was the computer wizard and back then, young and silly, it was all done on the cuff. The new art is a bit more modern and plays with mortality. Court-side Seats to The Greatest Fuck of All Time being a front seat view of a an ordinary, bumpy ride through life. I’m proud of it. What’s it like to bring back an album from the earliest parts of the band’s career? Do you still identify with the music? It is odd. It was a truly surreal time and place. We were out of our fucking minds. We recorded it in Mountain View, Ca in this giant warehouse that tapered into gutted office spaces. It was a weird white collar tomb on the outskirts of Silicon Valley right before the real tech boom. In the big part of the warehouse where we’d enter there were giant mounds of clothes meant to be donated to some third world country. We’d burrow tunnels in them and do huge dramatic flips from pike to pile. There was an aisle of outdated medical equipment waiting to be sent that we’d stalk through in the dark. It was a strangely magic place. Once you got through the warehouse you’d get to these office stations that had been fashioned into recording studios and that’s where we birthed this thing. We were so misguided. The amount of compressed air that we inhaled should have killed us. I contribute a significant drop in IQ to that shit. Smoking copious amounts of weed from gravity bongs. Recording with a hip hop producer, Deegan. Never a disagreement. It still feels like it was some strange purgatory of youth. I don’t miss it, but it was beautiful. Does this mean there’s hope of having Everything’s Watched, Everyone’s Watching on vinyl sometime, too? So, there was a guy who was very adamant about putting that record out on vinyl. We had a dialogue going for the better part of a year and apparently he had been in contact with Rhino Music and Warner, the two companies that hold the licensing to that album. He had received word that it’d cost an impressive amount of money, but he still wanted to shoulder it. Mind you, this dude didn’t have a label, he just wanted to put this thing out and apparently hadnt thought that all out. Time goes by, I’m waiting, not worrying one way or the other. One day I get a link from a friend, a Christian college website detailing that dude had been arrested for kidnapping and assault. Very sad situation. Dude seemed semi normal. Anyway, that was the last effort I’d seen put into that. I’d love to contribute new art to that release if any go-getter wants to try their luck. I’ve loved everything HHLL put out, but Turtle Nipple is in my top 10 list of favorite albums of all time. What was the writing the recording process for it like and how did the band feel about the new creative directions on it? EWEW was half previously recorded material re-recorded and half material written a year prior, kind of forced into a studio with producers we had no previous rapport with. Those producers/engineers were incredible human beings (RIP Tom Pfaffle! See you in the mindfog) but we were very young punk kids thrown into a foreign land where we had our agents visiting and there were platinum records on the wall and it was a total barrage of privilege and excess. It was beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t feel soul in that record. Turtle Nipple is a dense trip through time and the record I’m most proud of in our discography. I don’t remember how long we had to record it, I do remember that it was the only time we’d been given to experiment and layer our sensibilities in an environment that catered to them. Sam (Pura) was a perfect conduit to that vibe and time and space and it really came out just how it should have. I think about that album as a 70s exploitation directors filmography.. it veers violently from genre to genre and while most of the stories are fiction and far from personal testimony, theirs a peek into some shared insanity contained throughout. George Cosmatos wandering through a punk club on an edible. I think that that album is our bands true personality. Sam is a member of our band whether he’s playing with us or engineering for us. He gets us. I love the idea of an alternate reality where we had lasted a bit longer and did an album with Steve Albini. He’d probably hate us, but I love those ‘What If?’ Scenarios. I’ll ask the question EVERYONE has been asking so it’s on the record somewhere: Does this mean we can expect new material or a new album soon? Maybe even a tour? We have a new EP in the works. We have some of it recorded with Sam. We’ve posted a couple clips on Instagram. We’re incredibly busy and spread out in our personal lives. Chip in TX, Dan in FL, Roo in OR, Rob and Chris in CA. Adulthood is a bitter, pulpy drink! We are going to be playing again. We won’t be leaving the West Coast. We had our fill of middle America and the travel involved. We have talked to some of our buds from our early days of touring about playing alongside (opening for) them for a limited run in 2020. I think that qualifies as a tour. Also, if anyone wants to fly us to Europe to play a festival in 2020, we’d like that. It’ll be an interesting year. How does it feel to be welcomed back by so many adoring fans who still love your music and are hoping for more after a long hiatus? It’s incredibly humbling. I have heard from people throughout the years about how we had affected them and it was always just strange to me. I’m pretty self deprecating, so I just don’t understand how some shit I wrote could mean much to anyone. My mind is just a shotgun blast of panic. I guess all of ours are? I love my band mates and their talents, though. So I understand the sorta sirens draw to the greater extent. I think they only got to show themselves slightly, too. Weird existence. Give us a piece of band trivia you’ve never shared in an interview before! Gees. There is a step-in part to most 15 passenger vans. It is a black, hard plastic. It meets with where you close the sliding door. When we had no bottles to pee in, we would just piss in ‘the step’. This thing was a den of germicidal activity. Trash and piss I don’t think we ever truly cleaned that thing. What’s odd is that we so rarely got ill on tour. The Step kept us healthy on a steady diet of trash and piss and general scum. Finally, this isn’t a question but the hidden track on Turtle Nipple is a fucking masterpiece and I wanted you to know. Thank you! I think that may have been my idea to add some weird 70s funk into an old track of ours. I think it turned out cool, but I think it betrays our vibe on that album! I wish it’d have devolved into some weird, primitive Altered States shit.

[jazy3]

Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Predictions - Part 2

I think they might choose to kill or write off Jackson in the upcoming season as the character hasn't had as much to do since April left and his relationships with Maggie and Vic were complete disasters that went nowhere. The majority of fans were not a fan of Maggie and Jackson, myself included, and most people could not care less about Jackson and Vic especially after the devastating loss of Lucas Ripley in Season 2 of Station 19.

Winston was just upped to a main character which means that Maggie will be moving on with him and that they’ve planned that out. They wouldn't have upped him to a main character after one episode if they were planning or putting her back together with Jackson. Jackson has also been spending more time on Station 19 lately between dating Vic and helping Ben out with the PRT mobile surgery truck so it’s possible they could be leaning towards moving him over or writing him off altogether.

It’s also worth noting that Jesse Williams, who plays Jackson, was away for multiple episodes in season 15 and 16 because he was working on other projects and was supposed to be on Broadway at the end of Season 16 before everything was shut down due the pandemic so it’s entirely possible that the actor may have asked to be written off so that he could pursue other projects full time. That being said, all of those other projects are likely now on hold due to COVID-19 so the actor might choose to remain on Grey’s a while longer as a result. I like Jackson as a character so I would be a bit sad if he left.    Which brings us to our final and most likely choice: DeLuca. And not just because I don’t like the character. I think he’s the most likely candidate because at this point the character has just run his course. The writers have rewritten and reinvented his character multiple times and it’s just not working. They’ve done their best, but DeLuca was never intended to be anything more than a side character and suddenly forcing him into the spotlight didn’t change that.

The rewrites and added backstory over the last two seasons were supposed to give the character more depth, but instead they fell flat and as Krista Vernoff herself as outright stated in interviews a large part of that was because the actor played the character very differently than was intended and so the writing came across differently than they had envisioned. At a certain point you have to cut your losses and I think his time may have finally come.

I saw someone on Twitter point out that with Carina moving over to Station 19 full time DeLuca no longer has any meaningful personal connections to any of the other characters on Grey's and I realized that they’re right. Both of his ex-girlfriends, Maggie and Meredith, are moving on with other people and his ex-girlfriend Sam moved to Switzerland to avoid deportation at the end of Season 14. He was friends and roommates with Arizona until she started dating his sister at which point he moved out and while they remained friends afterwards Arizona also exited the show in Season 14 when she relocated to New York.

He ruined his friendship with Link in order to get with Meredith and prior to that he destroyed his friendship with Jo when she went back to Alex and then again when he tried to assault her at Joe’s Bar last season. He was previously close to Amelia when she got diagnosed with her brain tumour and she mentored him in neurosurgery. But he dropped neurosurgery as a speciality after Sam left and they’ve had very little screen time since.

He was friendly with Richard for a while, but that ended when Richard realized he was dating Maggie. They became friendly again after the two of them broke up, but then all of that ended when he started pursuing and then dating Meredith. And that’s it. He's not really close with any of the other characters and the other residents can’t stand him. Bailey and Catherine flat out hate him and half of the Season 16 finale consisted of the other characters talking about how much they hate him both to his face and behind his back.

Andrew and Carina haven’t had much screen time lately and with her moving to Station 19 full time they’ll have even less. I think it’s also worth noting that they’re not that close. There’s also no reason for them to up Hayes to a main character if they’re not planning on having him and Meredith date and end up together as I'm not sure what his storyline would be otherwise as I feel like they've told all the pediatric stories they can with Alex, Arizona, and Addison already.

It’s also worth noting that Hayes was created and introduced as a character while Alex was still on the show. Alex’s departure was a surprise to both the writers and the fans which means Hayes wasn’t created to be a replacement. Having the character be on the show full time only makes sense if the plan is for him to date Meredith. Because otherwise they’re spending a whole bunch of money and time to give us something we already had and that just doesn't make sense. I can also see how writing off DeLuca would have worked at the end of Season 16. In what was supposed to be episode 21 of 25 we saw DeLuca having what looked like a breakdown during which he finally seemed to realize that something was wrong and accept Meredith’s help. My guess is that had they been able to film the rest of Season 16 as planned we would have seen him enter treatment and get better, perhaps with some kind of time jump involved, and return to the hospital only to be killed off in the explosion stemming from the crossover on Station 19. That way the character would have been redeemed and then killed off in a dramatic and shocking fashion. While the explosion storyline won’t be happening as originally planned, they can still carry out this storyline within the first few episodes of Season 17 with a different catastrophe. Or they could choose to write him off by having him undergo treatment and then leave to do a fellowship with Dr. Riley, the diagnostics expert from last season, in California. Or they could have him enter treatment and that’s the last we see of him. With Carina moving to Station 19 that wouldn’t surprise me. I'm also really interested to see how the show handles the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s possible, and I’ve seen people on Twitter speculating about this, that the character death that was supposed to be the result of an explosion might be changed to be a COVID-19 related death to incorporate the pandemic and call attention to how it can take out anyone which if done right could be really interesting. Krista Vernoff said during a podcast recently with the Hollywood Reporter that incorporating the pandemic won’t be all death and despair and that, “There’s joy and fun to be had in people who are quarantining away from the hospital especially for the doctors who, to protect loved ones, crash elsewhere between shifts. As we have seen in real life many of these doctors aren’t going home to their families. They’re getting Airbnbs and living together.”

Which seems to indicate that we’ll see the fictional doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial doing the same. My prediction is that either Meredith’s house will magically expand once again and the entire cast will crash there or we’ll see them all rent a house or an Airbnb together. Which honestly sounds hilarious! Can you imagine Tom and Owen having to share a bathroom?

Krista also said that there are a lot of possible stories to tell due to the fact that so many elective surgeries are being cancelled or postponed right now which means the doctors on Grey’s are going to have to find something else to do with their time. Watching them try to deal with that boredom in contrast to the death barrage of COVID cases should be interesting. So there you have it. Those are my predictions for the new season so far! I can’t wait to see what happens.

Until next time!

Part 1: https://bit.ly/3jtSZVi

[keyogrey-blog]

Nintendo E3 Summary and Review

Being one of the Big 3 gaming companies, it was expected that Nintendo would have a lot to show at this years E, and they did not disappoint. Ranging from Smash Bros. to Animal Crossing, Nintendo had an incredibly good showing this year, and I’m going to walk through the games shown through the direct, and featured on Treehouse Live.

Starting in chronological order is one of two DLC character reveals for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A character that is more popular in Japan than in the west, The Hero from Dragon Quest makes it into smash as DLC Fighter 2 (3 if you include Piranha Plant). Before the reveal many people thought that Erdick, the playable character in Dragon Quest III, would be put in. However Erdick is just a title in the Dragon Quest games, not a name, so Nintendo decided to include Dragon Quest III, IV, VIII, and XI as alternate skins for the character. The character will simply be known as “The Hero” and wields a sword and shield like Link, but also focuses on magic, with the character trailer showing a MP bar and spell selection screen. The Hero will no doubt work in a similar fashion to the other “limit” characters in smash (Cloud and Joker). The Hero is slated to be released Summer 2019, so we can expect more gameplay and news in the coming months.

Astral Chain was shown after, with the trailer focusing more on story than gameplay, though a gameplay demo was shown during Treehouse Live after the E3 Direct. Astral Chain is a JRPG title that focuses on two police force members that are part of the special task force Neuron. Neuron’s purpose is to fend off extra-dimensional beings known as Chimeras. To do this, a device was developed to capture Chimeras and turn them into Legions, beings that fight with the main characters. Gameplay is real time action style, similar to Xenoblade 2, with Chimeras functioning similarly to how Blades from Xenoblade 2 work. Outside of battle Legions can be used to break up civilian violence, track down Chimeras, clean up “Red Matter” which seems to be a collectible, and close extra dimensional portals. Multiple different Legions can be used and swapped, each with its own play style and skills. This game has a lot of potential, and I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Astral Chain in set to release on August 30th, 2019.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield were shown off heavily as one of the main draws of Nintendo’s show this year, and rightly so. The newest entry to the series is coming to Nintendo Switch and it looks beautiful. The art style of the game is following that of recent trends shown in Ultra Sun and Moon and Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee, which is to be expected. New features like Dynamax, a system where Pokemon can grow to gargantuan size was displayed, new Pokemon were unveiled, and the Wild Area was featured heavily. The Wild Area will be taking the place of Routes it seems, with different biome’s and weather conditions. Interestingly, the game as a whole seems to have more focus on open world, allowing the player to move the camera themselves, and providing them with ways to traverse the environment without the use of HM’s, a system that was replaced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. The Wild Area also spawns different Pokemon depending on weather conditions and time of day, and even allows Pokemon to be in the overworld with the player, which makes the game feel a bit more populated. The old gym system seems to be making its return as well, after a brief departure in the Alola region. Two gym leaders, Milo and Nessa, have been revealed, with the predictable types of Grass and Water respectively. The champion has also been revealed, although all we know is his name is Leon, he’s undefeated, and he has a Charizard. Surprisingly, the evil “team” has not been revealed, though we can safely assume they exist, as there has been one in every Pokémon game prior. The legendary Pokemon, Zamanestra and Zacian, were shown off before E3, but it's still worth mentioning that they play into the overall plot of the game, as was stated in the Pokemon Direct earlier this month. Pokemon Sword and Shield will release worldwide on November 15th, 2019.

Another large franchise is also receiving a new entry on the Switch. Fire Emblem Three Houses brings the franchise back to consoles this year. While most of the information regarding this game was given during a previous Nintendo Direct, the new trailer shown at E3 points towards some sort of time shenanigans. This is shown through character appearance rather than gameplay. Interestingly, the trailer dropped at E3 takes place after the gameplay shown in previous directs, and while I love to speculate about games, feel it’s better to let the game give us the answers. Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release for Nintendo Switch on July 26th, 2019.

Nintendo spent a large amount of time talking about Luigi’s Mansion 3, even bringing out new President of Nintendo of America Doug Bowser to introduce it in the Direct. The first game spawned a decent following and good reviews, so it makes sense to keep a beloved franchise going. This time around Luigi and company go to a haunted, multistory, architecturally impossible hotel. The game follows Luigi going through the hotel looking for Mario, Peach, and Toad. With a new game comes new features, and this one is no exception. Luigi has a new Poltergust that has the ability to push and pull ghosts, attach a plunger to an object and move it, use an air burst to stun enemies and elevate Luigi, and bash ghosts on the floor Hulk style. Gooigi is a new feature that allows the player to take control of a Luigi who is made of, you guessed it, goo. This version of Luigi is able to walk through spikes, metal bars, and more that normal Luigi is unable to do. What’s more, Gooigi can be taken control of by a second player, allowing local multiplayer. Another new feature is the Scare Scraper, a floor progression based mode that allows up to 8 people to play together and fight through the different floors. Luigi’s Mansion 3 releases for the Nintendo Switch sometime this year.

Some other things that Nintendo showed off was the third party support coming to Switch. Titles like Ni-No Kuni, Witcher 3, and Dragon Quest XI were revealed. This change in ideology from Nintendo is welcomed, as the only reason to own a Nintendo console in the past was for exclusives. With this support, Nintendo may finally be able to compete with Microsoft and Sony directly again.

The beloved Animal Crossing series is getting its next installment with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. New Horizons lets the player live on an island, complete with beaches, NPC’s and of course, absurd loans from Tom Nook. Players are able to craft their own furniture and equipment like axes and fishing rods, as well as place furniture outdoors. Horizons seems to focus on player freedom more than anything, with the ability to create roads to form villages, or place houses on the beach for that scenic life. Additionally, local multiplayer is supported, with up to four people per console, while online eight player as well. In local multiplayer, one player is designated the “leader”. This player seems to be the only one capable of interacting with crafting benches and NPC’s, while other players are able to perform actions like fishing, digging, and wood gathering. The release date for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is March 20th, 2020.

Finally, the remade Link’s Awakening was the last game revealed for the E3 Nintendo Direct. The game looks incredible, using an art style that looks like clay models. The full game is in tact, and features like the Color Dungeon are also returning. For some reason Dampe from Ocarina of Time is in the game, running a feature called Chamber Dungeons. Chamber Dungeons are player made dungeons created using a tile selection system. The dungeons can be completed by the creator or by other players. The clear time is recorded each time, and the best clear time is displayed. These dungeons can also have multiple floors, and contain items that help in the base game, like fairy bottles. It is unclear if the bosses of these dungeons are chosen at random each time or if the creator can choose which boss waits at the end, but either way this feature is a unique one for a Zelda title, which is always welcome. Link’s Awakening is arriving on Nintendo Switch on September 20th, 2019.

The last 2 things Nintendo showed in their Direct were trailers. I’m going to start with the second DLC character reveal for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. After years of begging and speculating, the Western Smash Bros. players got their wish: Banjo and Kazooie have finally joined the fight. With a happy-go-lucky feel, these characters are welcome additions to the staggering roster of Smash. This addition means there are now four Rare characters in Smash, with King K. Rool, Diddy Kong, and Donkey Kong all having been in Donkey Kong Country. We can expect to see the Bear-Bird combo sometime in Fall 2019.

The final announcement made from the Nintendo Direct is one not many-if any- people were expecting. It’s no secret that Breath of The Wild was one of the best games of 2018, as well as one of the best games in the Zelda Franchise. The game seemed to leave a lasting impact as on Nintendo as well, as they announced that a direct sequel to Breath of The Wild is currently in development. Direct sequels aren’t commonplace in the Zelda series, which is why this particular announcement shocked me. Who’s the villain? What’s the plot? Do I still retain the fancy powers of the champions? The Master Sword? There are a lot of questions that won’t be answered for some time, but one thing has been said. During an interview with IGN, Zelda director and producer Eiji Aonuma stated that "The new Breath of the Wild or the sequel to it, it’s not necessarily going to be related to Majora’s mask or inspired by it... What we showed you currently is a little darker,".

I eagerly look forward to how much darker Zelda is going to get.

Overall Nintendo had a VERY strong conference this year. Titles like Pokemon and Fire Emblem were expected to be present and showed heavily, but some sleeper titles also made their name known. Astral Chain looks promising in its gameplay and premise, Luigi’s mansion looks to be a very whimsical puzzle/action game, and the third party games coming to Switch will expand a bigger audience to the incredible games on the market.

Keep a lookout for more pieces like this in the future! Next up is Square Enix!

-Nick Owens

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.81 / singer-songwriter Lisa Redford with Mark Watkins.

MW : What can we expect from your new EP - Edge Of Love?

LR : Edge of Love has five self-written songs that are a blend of styles that I’m inspired by: Americana, country, folk, soul and classic pop. The songs are really heartfelt and I’m so proud of them; they really represent me as an artist. 

It was produced by José McGill - who produced my last EP Another Place and Time - and there is a mix of band tracks and acoustic songs with really creative arrangements and instrumentation including dobro, pedal steel, acoustic and electric guitars, cello and piano.

There’s a real warmth to it with José adding some really lovely subtle sonic layers and textures. Lyrically, it’s romantic and bittersweet, exploring aspects of love and relationships with a theme of letting go. This includes realising how hard it is, and also letting yourself go; whether you know you need to, or letting yourself go emotionally – letting down your guard, even if that means the risk of getting hurt. 

MW : When and where can we get hold of it?

LR : Edge of Love will be released worldwide on 10th May (2019). As well as being on all the digital platforms, it will be for sale at my website and Bandcamp store. 

I’m really excited about the EP and can’t wait for people to hear it. So far, there has been an amazing response with lots of radio airplay, and lovely reviews.

MW : Will there be a video?

LR : There was an official music video for the first single Anything But Easy which was released on 22nd February (2019). It was filmed on a beautiful day in Walberswick and Dunwich in Suffolk by a really talented videographer called David McKenna. 

We were fortunate that it was a glorious day and he captured such a wonderful light. The natural landscape where we filmed really compliments the song and was exactly what I wanted for this particular track.

Here is a link to the video:

https://youtu.be/8cT1opG9HiU

MW : Any plans to tour?

LR : I will definitely be doing shows to promote Edge of Love and I am also playing some lovely festivals in the summer. 

I’ll be launching the EP at a special concert in my home city of Norwich on 9th May (2019) - the night before the release date - which will also feature some of the amazing musicians who played on the release. 

I would really love to tour more of the UK, and Europe. The best way to see where I’m playing is to keep an eye on my social media and website.

MW : Looking back, what were some of your music highlights of 2018?

LR : Album highlights of last year include You Are Someone Else by Fickle Friends - and - I saw them play a brilliant set at Latitude festival last year, Love Is  Dead from Chvrches, Ruins by First Aid Kit, and May Your Kindness Remain by Courtney Marie Andrews - who I also saw play an incredible gig in the summer at Norwich Arts Centre. 

I have recently started hosting a music show on Future Radio in Norwich, and the playlist is an eclectic mix of indie, folk, Americana and electronic : so I listen to a lot of bands, and artists, old and new, and still love discovering new music.

MW : How's your music column going?

LR : It is going well. Currently I’m really busy promoting the EP but I love to write about music, and in particular songwriting, when I can. Last year, I did some interviews for Songwriting Magazine which included Courtney Marie Andrews and Ethan Johns. They both provided fascinating insights into their writing and recording processes. I’ve also previously interviewed Sarah Darling and Bob Harris. As well as Songwriting Magazine, I write an arts and music column for website All Things Norfolk where I also share my music adventures and do reviews.

My most recent article for Songwriting Magazine is all about the inspiration behind my latest single, Anything But Easy, in a feature called Song Deconstructed:

https://www.songwritingmagazine.co.uk/interviews/song-deconstructed-anything-but-easy-by-lisa-redford/44573

MW : How's Bob (Harris) keeping? Is he still a source of support and encouragement?

LR : Yes, I saw Bob recently at the AmericanaFest conference earlier this year when he hosted a lovely In Conversation with John Oates. It’s always lovely to catch up.

It’s definitely been a real source of encouragement having had Bob’s support. I have been invited to record two Under The Apple Tree sessions on separate occasions, and he has featured all of my releases, first playing Be Around (a ballad from my first album Slipstream).

He also played my song, Dragonfly, on a “Best of British Special” amongst major artists such as Coldplay, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. I’ve also recorded two live sessions when he hosted a BBC Radio 2 show on Saturday nights. “Whispering” Bob’s also introduced me on stage twice: once at The Borderline in London, and again at C2C Country to Country Festival at the O2. It means such a lot to me having someone as respected as him be a supporter.

MW : What’s your view on the public outcry over dumping plastic? 

LR : It saddens me that there is such a huge threat to the oceans. Plastic doesn’t go away. Only a small percentage of plastic is recycled worldwide.

I try to be conscious of my own plastic use, and reduce, and reuse as much as I can. For example, I always bring my own reusable shopping bags to shops, and completely avoid single-use plastic bags. I never use straws, and carry around my own water bottle rather then buying bottles. Naturally when I do use single-use plastics that can be recycled, I always ensure I recycle them. 

It is important to stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution, and to try to raise awareness of the problem.

MW : Describe your music room and/or record collection and how you may be adding to it or re-organising it, and formats...

LR : I have lots of treasured music memorabilia that I try to keep organised and in good order. It is an extensive collection of vinyl, music books, CD’s and more unique items - mostly by The Smiths and Britpop artists. I have previously talked about the memorabilia for a BBC People’s History of Pop documentary and love how they bring special memories of going to gigs and festivals.

MW : What is your favourite plant, tree, garden?

LR : Sunflowers. I’m drawn to the sun and love how they’re vibrant, big, daisy-like and evoke feelings of happiness. They were also famously the subject of Van Gogh’s series of stunning paintings, definitely my favourite still-life.

Tree? It would have to be the mighty oak tree - chosen as the national tree of many countries and a beloved symbol of strength. It evokes feelings of nostalgia and memories of many dreamy summers.

Garden? The Plantation Garden in Norwich, which I often love to visit. It’s a stunning restored Victorian town garden, and its features include a gothic fountain, flower beds, lawns, woodland walkways, rustic bridge, Medieval wall and lots of architectural details. It’s beautiful and dreamy - a tranquil space in the city - and I have filmed some live acoustic videos there, and had photos taken. In the summer there are also outdoor Picturehouse cinema film screenings, which is a lovely way to spend a summer evening.

MW : Do you keep a ‘To Do’ list? 

LR : I do have a to do list. I always have my notebook and diary with me. It’s a busy time at the moment with the new release, so I’m making a daily ‘To Do’ list and updating it helps me keep up with what I need to accomplish each day.

MW : If you could have six guests over to dinner, who would you invite & why, and what would you all eat & drink?

LR : Richard Curtis and Emma Freud - such a lovely, warm and benevolent couple. Emma recently made a lovely comment about my latest music video on Twitter, and I also make a very brief appearance in Richard’s new film, Yesterday, as a festival goer.

Stephen Fry - he would be full of fascinating conversation, is such a font of knowledge and we have a Norfolk connection.

Tom McRae - he’s such a brilliant songwriter. I love his witty and dry sense of humour. He asked me to support him at a recent concert. He is a inspiration.

Bob Harris - always love to spend time with him and talk music. He would of course be a lovely addition.

Adil Ray - we’ve chatted on social media. He’s really funny and intelligent. It would certainly be a special evening of laughter and stimulating, fun conversation.

We would have scallops to start, and then for mains we would enjoy pan-fried salmon with creamy garlic sauce and vegetables. Dessert would be a choice of mocha chocolate fondant, or tiramisu and, as I’m a real savoury fan, there would also be a selection of cheeses with crackers, red onion jam and ruby grapes. 

Drinks would be a choice of red and white wine with some Dom Pérignon Vintage flowing throughout the evening too! Cheers!!

LINKS : - 

https://twitter.com/lisaredford

https://www.facebook.com/lisaredfordmusic

https://www.youtube.com/user/lisaredfordmusic

https://www.instagram.com/lisaredfordmusic/

https://lisaredford.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/lisaredford

http://lisaredford.com/

© Mark Watkins / April 2019

[foreveralwaysanauthor]

Okay, I loved your answers for the first lot so I’m back with more! Spider-Man (Marvel, again-duh), Sharpay Evans (HSM), Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls) and idk if this is cheating but maybe Coral? (my stories bc I’m a narcissist lmao) and another of your choosing, bc why not? 😆 Enjoy! Be as honest as you like!

This is so much fun! I’m loving this!

Spider-Man (Marvel)

First impression: My first impression would have to be of the Andrew Garfield version as that is the first one I ever saw. To be honest, I thought the nerdy, kind and all around cool Spider-Man was the best! I had a crush on him for the longest time.

Impression now: Tom Holland is freaking amazing as Spider-Man! He’s perfect for the role. Peter Parker is a sweetheart and his relationships with his friends, Aunt May, Happy and Tony Stark are so pure and realistic; I just can’t get enough!

Favorite moment:

Jk jk 😂 this one is 👇🏼

Idea for a story: I kinda would like to do a story where Pete’s school visits Stark Industries for a field trip and Flash is all like “time to prove you lied about your interview, Penis Parker” and Tony just comes in and proves Flash wrong in every way he can. Irondad and Spiderson is perfect in my opinion.

Unpopular opinion: I wish Peter didn’t have to grow up so fast. I know what it’s like to mature prematurely bc of family members dying or other circumstances outside of my control. I love the way Marvel handled it, but I still wish he didn’t have to.

Favorite relationship: Irondad (Tony Stark) and Spiderson (Peter Parker)

Favorite headcanon: *SPOLERS* Endgame fix-it. Where everyone is happy and healthy and fucking alive! I’m... still not okay. I’ll post how my Endgame experience went later...

Sharpay Evans (High School Musical)

First Impression: Not gonna lie, she reminded me of this freaking biatch from my school named Ashley. She ticked me off and I wanted so badly for someone to put her in her place. 😆

Impression now: Spoiled rich girl, but after rewatching HSM 3 I’ve realized she actually was getting better over time. Her solo movie was also amazing and added quite a bit to her character.

Favorite moment:

Idea for a story: If I were to make a story, it’d probably be a East High reunion or just a “where are they now” kinda thing.

Unpopular opinion: (not sure if this is unpopular, but it is among my friend group) If she had ended up with Zeke (I think that’s the one I’m thinking of) I would’ve loved it.

Favorite relationship: Her sibling relationship with Ryan is iconic

Favorite headcanon: Once again; if she ended up with Zeke.

Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls)

First impression: Boy version of me when I was 12. I was all about conspiracies, exploring my small town, theories and all of that, so I clicked with him immediately.

Impression now: I have adopted him as my own. I feel like Gravity Falls is a part of who I am now. I loved the show from the day the first episode aired. I have a couple of the GF books, including Journal 3 and I just love the parts about my lil Dippin’ Dots!

Favorite moment: The awkward siblings hugs!

Idea for a story: I actually have a load of story ideas! I have a few that include OCs, but I have at least 5 that are just about the characters in the show. My biggest one that I can’t wait to write, is where the twins get permission from their parents to stay in Gravity Falls with their Grunkles 😁

Unpopular opinion: If Dipper and Mabel had talked things out a bit better before the end of summer, Weirdmaggedon might not have happened the way it did. I don’t blame them for it in any way, but I just think it would’ve gone down differently if they had talked things out.

Favorite relationship: I love the familial bonds Dipper has with his Grunkles and Mabel! They are great! I like how he is with Wendy as well, but the family bonds in the show are just perfection!

Favorite headcanon: Dipper and Mabel go back to Gravity Falls through the years and end up taking mentor/mentee positions with Grunkles Ford and Grunkle Stan respectively.

Coral (Paper Flowers)

First Impression: Sweet, Classy, a little Smartassy. Loved her interactions with everyone! Her relationship with everyone made everything feel realistic to me.

Impression now: One of my favorite OCs to read. I can reread anything with her in it and love it all the same as I did the first time around. She’s amazingly well written and her progress over time has been incredible! I love what you’ve done with her!

Favorite moment: I can’t think of a moment that I didn’t like! I love in chapter 14 of Paper Flowers when she and Butchy danced to Can I Have This Dance, so, if I had to pick, I’d have to say that’s my all time favorite! 😊

Idea for a story: That freaking collab we’ve gotta do eventually, girlie!

Unpopular opinion: I don’t think I have any crazy opinions on her. She’s an amazing character and I love her!

Favorite relationship: Her interactions with everyone are amazing. Your writing is incredible and the relationships are all so well formed! I absolutely adore her relationship with Butchy, so that’s my top fave, but I really like the interactions between her and Tanner as well.

Favorite headcanon: I don’t really have one for Coral just yet.

For anyone who hasn’t read Paper Flowers and doesn’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a link to Paper Flowers and it’s sequel, Reality Check!

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 8

I managed to wake up on time, despite the fact that I’d forgotten, yet again, to set my alarm. After putting on my glasses, I padded over to the dresser to grab my phone. I checked my notifications as I crawled back under the covers and saw there were four texts waiting for me, three of them from Tom sent late last night.

Meeting’s finito. They dragged us out for drinks. It’s 3:00 AM. I want to see you. – T

Mean Nanny Luke says it’s too late and he hid your room key from me. Asshole. – T

We meeting again with Skull people again at 11 morning tomorrow. 3:17. Bed. Night. – T

I figured he’d still be out cold and I was overwhelmed by the urge to ring his phone and rouse him unpleasantly, solely for my own amusement. I resisted, telling myself that he surely would have turned it off prior to retiring for the night. So tempting, but I decided to take the high road instead.

Good morning, Thomas. Hope you and Luke managed to get some rest and that the meeting goes well. Looking forward to seeing you both later. – M

The fourth was from Anne, sent fifteen minutes ago.

Hey kiddo, I’d love it if you’d give me a call. It’s been entirely too long since we last talked. – A

While it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear from her, given Luke had spoken with her yesterday, I honestly hadn’t expected it to happen so damn soon.  Inhaling deeply through my nose, I closed my eyes for a few moments, exhaled and decided to postpone dealing with it and order breakfast instead.

My stomach grumbled as I reviewed the room service menu, my index finger tapping my lips. I grabbed the in-room phone and dialed, and my call was answered on the first ring by an obnoxiously pleasant-sounding woman.

“Good morning, Ms. Gallagher. What can we get for you today?”

Funny, they hadn’t a clue who I was when I’d ordered in over the weekend. I guess Tom Hiddleston answering your door when a meal for two was delivered elevated one’s social status.

“Good morning to you as well. May I please have an order of Belgian waffles with bacon, a large orange juice and a cup of tea? Earl Grey if you have it, sugar and cream on the side. Thanks!”

There was dead air for a few seconds. “Will that be all?” I rolled my eyes. Subtle, lady, really subtle. Sorry to disappoint, but he’s not here at the moment.

“Yep, that’s if for now, thank you.”

“Your meal should arrive in approximately twenty minutes. Aloha!”

I re-read Anne’s text and sighed, running a hand through my hair. If I called her now I could use the arrival of my meal as an excuse to get off the phone, though twenty minutes could seem like an eternity if the conversation turned to a topic I didn’t care to discuss, which it always seemed to do.

“Come on, Maude. Like a Band-Aid, right off. Pee first, then call. That should waste at least two minutes, more if you walk really slow.”

After the bathroom, I sank down into the oversized wing-back chair, phone in hand. My heart began to pound as I located her in my contacts, under ‘L’ for Lestat because it amused me to no end when ‘Lestat calling…’ came up on my screen. Anne had been a part of my life since I was ten years old. In 1988, only a few months after my parents had moved into the neighborhood, she’d returned to the Garden District of New Orleans. After rejoining the Catholic Church she met my father, a devout Irish Catholic himself, and they became fast friends.

She’d been a friend to me as well, offering unwavering support and becoming my lifeline during some incredibly difficult times. One of the hardest decisions I’d ever had to make was distancing myself from her emotionally in order to force myself to move on as I tried to heal. Though it had been a necessity, I still felt terrible about it, and I deeply missed having her to turn to for comfort.

My hands clenched and grew clammy as the pounding of my heart morphed into a dull, throbbing pain. I silently vowed to cut her off immediately if our chat veered into the past and hit the ‘call’ button.  

“Maudie, honey! You took the job!” I wondered how the fuck she knew that already, then remembered she followed my twitter account and must have read the letter I linked to last night.

“Yes, Anne. I took the job. Though I wasn’t looking for one. And thanks for your glowing recommendation. Which established preconceived expectations that I will never be able to fulfill, by the way.”

“You will not only fulfill them, you will exceed them. Never underestimate your abilities, Maudie. You know better. So who is this Luke fellow? Is he as handsome as he sounds?”

I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling, trying to prepare myself for the onslaught of Matchmaking for Maude that was about to ensue. “He is indeed.”

I could picture the sly grin that had surely spread across her face. “So? Is he single?”

“No, Anne. He’s actually engaged.”

“Well, you’re very attractive and, you know, anything can happen…”

“And he’s gay.” I thought that would do the trick. It didn’t.

“You have to introduce him to Christopher.” At least I wasn’t the only victim of her matchmaking…she’d been trying to find Mr. Right for her son as well as me forever.

“I haven’t met his fiancé but I hear they’re deliriously happy. So what’s new with you? How’s my next Lestat installment coming along?”

“I’m still researching some things, but the initial draft is essentially complete. You know, I Googled up Prosper PR and went to the facebook page and that amazingly talented actor, what’s his name…right, Tom Hiddleston, is one of his clients. I would love for him to take on the role of Lestat when the reboot of the Vampire Chronicles gets underway. Will you be working with him? Plant that seed for me, will you? Hmm, maybe he’s single?”

The thought of Tom as Lestat de Lioncourt rendered me mute for a solid thirty seconds, followed by lord knows how many more as I attempted to figure out how to weasel my way around her last question.

“Maudie, are you still on the line?”

“I…erm…yeah. Still here. Sorry, I was…multitasking. I have no idea if he’s single or not.” I was grateful that she couldn’t see my face because she’d know I was full of shit if she got one look at me. “But yes, I am working with him. I’m starting as his social media manager, which he desperately needs because he has issues with keeping his existing accounts updated and his overall presence is lacking, to say the least.  Once I’ve gotten him back on track I transition into the role of social media director for Prosper. But please keep that between us. We haven’t announced anything yet, though we’re meeting tonight to discuss timelines and such.”

She chuckled, and I cringed, realizing that she still knew me entirely too well. “No idea if he’s single or not my ass. Don’t lie to Auntie Anne. You’ve already met him, haven’t you? And he’s a component of the ‘we’ and ‘we’re’, isn’t he?” I said nothing. “That incredibly long pause, in conjunction with your use of ‘am’ as opposed to ‘will be’ working with him gave you away. So, is he as beautiful in person as he is on film? And is his personality as lovely as it appears to be in interviews?”

There was a knock at the door, and my gratitude for the delivery person’s impeccable timing was boundless. “Sorry, my breakfast is here and I have to dash becau…”

She cut me off. “Maude, I did want you to call so I could congratulate you, but I also wanted to speak with you about something else. Your mother…”

I could feel every muscle in my body tensing. “Anne, how many times have I told you that I will NOT disc…”

“Please, hear me out. Her health is failing, Maude.”

“All those years of sucking down bottle after bottle of booze finally catching up with her?” The venom in my voice caught me completely off guard. As much as I insisted to myself that it was all behind me, the reality was that it was always with me, here, in the now… lurking just below the surface, ugly and dark and awful.

“I know, Maude, I know. And I hate to bring it up, but she’s in hospice and, well, I felt compelled to tell you in case you wanted to see her. Before it’s too late.” I counted to ten before I responded, focusing on all the positive things she’d done for me, hoping I could end the call courteously.

“Anne, I have to go. Be well.” I hung up before she could reply…and, thankfully, before I said something I’d wind up regretting.

************************************************** Breakfast was eaten in silence, but I’d showered and gotten ready with my iPod cranking out tunes from my ‘Fuck Off’ playlist. I’d even done a passable job on covering up the hickey. I frowned when I glanced at the clock. It was only 8:15, and I knew I had to keep moving or I’d start thinking again. As I stood on the balcony, gazing out at the azure water rolling in and out, I determined that a walk on the beach might be an ideal distraction.

Shoes in hand, messenger bag slung across my chest, I wandered down as far as I could go without getting soaked by the lapping waves. I breathed in, then out, in, and out, ever so slowly, trying to match the rhythm of the ocean. The sun warmed my face, my hands, my feet, my body…but it couldn’t quite reach into my heart. I closed my eyes and lowered my chin to my chest, using nothing but the sheer force of my will to shove the anger and pain back in the box I’d crafted for it so long ago.

I remained stock-still until the tide of somber memories began to ebb, carrying them further and further away from me, back into the turbulent sea of my past…where they fucking belonged. Always a part of me, but no longer controlling me.    

My eyes opened slowly as I raised my head, and I bent down to pick up a handful of sand, letting it sift through my fingers, just as I had less than forty-eight hours before. Everything I’d overcome, the life I’d made for myself, and the promise of what was to be hit me all at once and I could feel the corners of my mouth curl up in a tiny smile. I stood, took one last look at the ocean, then turned around and headed for the conference room.

I checked my phone as I slowly worked my way down the hall, deleting five new texts from Anne without reading them. Nothing from Tom, which I fully expected. He was probably still sound asleep, all cozy and warm. Bastard. I put the phone away and pulled out my tablet to check my email, cursing myself for not doing so since Monday afternoon. One hundred and fifty-eight messages in my inbox. Fuck. I scrolled down as I walked, starring items that were urgent, until I collided with another body. My tablet went flying, landing on the floor behind me. I bent to grab it without looking up, apologizing.

“I am SO sorry…totally my fault. Reading and walking is not my forte, apparently.” I turned as I rose, and the device fell from my hands and back onto the floor as I realized just whose body I’d run into.

He was wearing black shorts, a white T-shirt and a black sweatshirt that he’d left unzipped, the hood up over his head. Aviator sunglasses hid his eyes, but he quickly removed them as he spoke softly. “Good morning.”

He leaned down and picked up my tablet, slipping it into my messenger bag before encircling me with his arms. I slid mine under his sweatshirt, ran my hands up his back ever so slowly, finally coming to rest on his shoulder blades.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted to see you, but what in the ever-loving fuck are you doing up and about? It’s only 8:30. You’ve got another hour and a half to sleep, at least.” He bent to kiss me instead of replying, parting my lips gently with his tongue, then delving in to explore as his hands fell to my hips and pulled me against him. He was commando again, and rock hard. I groaned and broke the kiss, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Christ, do you even own a pair of underwear?” He laughed, then flinched. I slipped my right arm out from under his sweatshirt and gently grabbed his chin as I inspected his face. He was pale, with dark circles under his eyes that made him look bruised. “You appear to be significantly worse for wear since we last met, sir. Do I need to have a word with the gentlemen from Legendary?”  

He began rubbing small circles on my lower back with one hand. “Honestly, I’d seriously consider having you stand in for me at today’s meeting if you didn’t have prior obligations.” He took the hand that held his chin and brought it to his lips, then sighed. “They just kept buying round after round…Luke and I could barely keep up. We got mortifyingly clobbered at pool and darts. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

I fished a bottle of water from my bag and offered it to him. “Here. Drink.” He stared at me, pouting.

“But I’ll have to let go of you in order to open it. And I don’t want to.” I shoved it back in my bag. He brought me in closer, bending to nuzzle my neck. “I hope my late night texts didn’t disturb your rest.”

“I didn’t hear a thing. Wish I had, though. I would have told you to get your ass up the stairs and into my bed.” He snickered, and I felt his teeth tug at my earlobe. I wiggled my hips against him. “Thank you for the note, by the way.”

He pulled back to look at me and smiled timidly. “Did you like it?”

“No.” His eyes widened, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I loved it. So much so that I held it in my hand while I slept.” He grasped the back of my neck, fingers easing into my hair as he pressed his lips to mine, both of our mouths falling open, tongues colliding. I sucked on his lower lip, sliding my leg up to wrap around him as he bucked against me. We froze at the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly. I leaned sideways to peek around Tom and found Serena staring back at me.

I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand, then wiped my hand on my tunic as I stepped away from Tom. He took it in his and turned around to face her with me. My brow furrowed as I wondered what the fuck one was supposed to say in this sort of situation. Should I apologize? Should I pretend it hadn’t happened? It appeared that Tom had no clue, either. Serena burst out laughing and patted me on the shoulder.

“Good morning, Maude. I should probably give you a lecture and tell you to get a room, but I won’t because my god, the two of you are just so adorable. Dante’s loading the rest of our equipment onto the dolly. He should be here in a sec.” She opened the doors of the conference room, engaging the stoppers so they’d remain that way, then entered and began rearranging a few pieces of furniture.

I turned to Tom, shaking my head. “Public indecency. Told you so. I’m a ticking time bomb.” He smirked.

“I’m afraid I must leave you to your work, Maude. It would appear that something’s come up and needs my immediate attention.” He pulled at his shorts, adjusting himself as he whispered in my ear. “Though it would most certainly prefer your attention.” I pinched his nipple, delighting at his gasp.

“No one likes a tease, Thomas.” Dante was quickly approaching. I sighed. “On with the show, I guess.”

Tom pulled me to his chest and kissed my forehead. “Last one. And then you’re all mine.”

I poked his chest. “You need to go right now or I’m going to disappoint two hundred people when I run off with you.” He grinned. “Good luck with your meeting. I’ll see you at 4:15. Be ready to hula.”

“Oh, I’ll be ready. And I’ll bet you dinner that you can’t get Luke to join in.”

“Well, in that case, you’d better make sure there’s lots of room on your credit card, sunshine.”

“Not necessary. Won’t ever happen.” He waved as he turned and walked down the hall. I called after him.

“You are so very, very wrong.” I watched him go, biting down on my thumb. Sex on legs. Absolute truth. Serena spoke from behind me.

“Maude, Dante needs you to stand on a few marks.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure. Thanks.”

“If he happens to come back before we leave, would you mind terribly if I asked him for a pic with me?” A light blush colored her cheeks. I laughed, shaking my head.

“Nope. Not one single bit.”

************************************************** It seemed as if it was over as soon as it began, and I even managed to keep my shit together when the attendees gave me a send-off standing ovation at the end of the last lecture hour. Though my emotions were mixed about being done with something that had kept me going for so long, I couldn’t help but feel…free.

Tom had stopped in during our first break, transformed from hung over frat boy to runway model after a hot shower, a huge breakfast and a gorgeous charcoal bespoke suit. He hadn’t worn a tie, and his white dress shirt was open at the neck. It took five tries on my part to get a decent shot of him and Serena, mainly because she kept looking at him instead of the camera, but my shaking hands factored in as well. I’d need to get over that shit pronto if I was going to be on photography duty for the foreseeable future. She asked if she could post it online, and I told her it was fine as long as she didn’t include location details.

It was 4:08 when I got back to my room, leaving me just enough time to change into my hiking shorts and vintage X-Files T-shirt. I did a little happy dance at the prospect of being able to spend more time in casual clothes…I’d amassed quite a collection of graphic tees over the years that I hardly ever got to wear, and now that a good portion of my work would be behind the scenes, I could.

“Well, that’s a fucking plus I hadn’t even considered. Comfy clothes, baby. Bring it on!” I ended the dance with a fist in the air as I entered the bathroom. I put my hair up in a ponytail, not even bothering to brush it first. My black Rio Birkenstocks were nowhere to be found, and, thinking about it, I hadn’t seen them since Monday. After tearing the rest of room apart, I spotted them in the little open cubby under one of the nightstands where Tom must have tucked them when he did my laundry. I strapped them on, grabbed my wallet, keys, phone,  and iPod from my bag and stuffed them in my pockets, making up a little song as I danced some more.

“I love pants with pockets and I can wear them all the time and that is fucking cool because…shit. Because I’m a mime? Because I like to rhyme? Damn, I used to be GOOD at this. Ah, fuck it. POCKETS!”

One of the things I abhorred most about dress clothing was the lack of pockets. Carrying any type of bag made me feel weighed down, plus they always either fell off my shoulder or smacked me in the ass as I walked, yet I had stuff that needed to be stored somewhere. Men’s pants had the best pockets, and I often opted for those over the women’s version.

I took a last look at my reflection in the mirror. “Off you go, Maude. New chapter and all that.” I opened the room door and meandered down the steps, hand trailing along the rail. Tom and Luke were waiting for me outside their suites.

I flung my arms out to the side. “Who’s ready to HULA?!”

Luke groaned, rolling his eyes as Tom raised his hand and shouted, “I AM, I AM!”

I put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Come on, Luke, let your hair down a little.” He snorted.

“I tried that last night and found it to be rather disadvantageous.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Tom smirked at me and mouthed ‘this is a bet you cannot win’. I threw him double birds. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to his rental car dangling them in front of me.

“Shall we?” I shook my head.

“Let’s take my Jeep. Feel the breeze. Be rugged.” Luke held up his hand.

“Please, no. The jouncing around might kill me.” I huffed.

“Fine, fine. Have it your way. But if the car has an auxiliary jack you might be sorry I acquiesced.”

He was indeed sorry, as Tom and I sang the entire 11 minutes it took to get to the Kaua’i Museum. Towards the end of Pharell’s ‘Happy’ he appeared to be contemplating opening the door and leaping into traffic.

“I’m not sure what’s making me more nauseated…the hangover or the two of you caterwauling up there.” I reached back to pat his knee.

“I promise I’m not always this obnoxiously elated, Luke. I’m just on a quit-my-old-job-today-and-have-a-super-cool-new-one high. It won’t last.”

He nodded his head. “Mmm hmm. And I’m sure it has nothing to do with our chauffer.”

I glanced over at Tom, put my hand to the side of my mouth and looked back at Luke, whispering. “He is awfully pretty, isn’t he?” He rested his head in his hands as the car made an abrupt right turn into the museum parking lot.

It was a lovely place, located on Rice Street in the Albert Spencer Wilcox and William Hyde Rice buildings. Hula classes were conducted by members of the Daughters or Hawai’i in the courtyard, as the museum itself closed at five. There were a total of eleven of us, and just as Tom predicted, Luke immediately sat on the sidelines while the rest of us gathered around the instructor. Her name was Iolana and she appeared to be in her late fifties. As she explained that hula is a dance accompanied by a chant (oli) or song (mele), the dance portraying the words in a visual format I stared at Luke and tapped my foot.

Iolana asked us all to move behind her, at least three feet apart, and I flung my hand out at Luke and then pointed to the open space next to me. He shook his head. I pouted. Then I put my hands together, silently begging, mouthing ‘please?’ while batting my eyelashes. No way in hell was I losing this bet. He sighed, put his chin on his chest and hefted himself out of the chair to join us. I turned to Tom and stuck my tongue out. He shook his head and stepped closer so he could whisper in my ear.

“He hasn’t actually danced yet, Maude.” I slapped his arm.    

We were instructed to stand with feet apart, left knee bent and our hands on our hips, then step with our left foot and slide our right foot next to the left, bending that knee. The process was repeated in the opposite direction. After we mastered the steps, it was time for some hip action…raising it in time with and in the opposite direction of the step, keeping both knees bent. Iolana turned to check our progress and immediately went to Luke, putting her hands on his hips and pushing them in the correct direction. I turned to Tom and grinned. He shook his finger at me.

“He’s not using his hands.” I rolled my eyes. Iolana had moved back to the front to continue the lesson. One arm bent at the elbow in front of the body, the other extended out from it in the direction of the step, head facing that way as well, fingers together and hands moving at the wrists like a wave. Again, the process was repeated in the opposite direction when moving that way.

Iolana taught us a few more arm motions and explained what they meant, advising that they were only the chorus of a mele called Eleile, which we’d be ‘telling’ over and over for the duration of the class, then turned on the music. I glanced at Luke, then turned to Tom and started doing alternating wave motions rapidly with my hands in front of me. He tilted his head.

“That doesn’t look like a legitimate hula hand motion, Maude.” I grinned.

“It’s not. Do you want to know what it means?”

“No.”

“Sure you do. It’s my visual interpretation of ‘you lose, sucker’.” I thumbed in Luke’s direction. He was dancing, and it looked like he might even be enjoying it a little. Tom hung his head in defeat, and I tried to refrain from drooling as I watched him roll his hips. I kept missing steps and had to close my eyes in order to focus. The tempo of the music increased, and without the distraction of keeping an eye on Luke or ogling Tom I completely lost myself in the dance. It was an incredible feeling, moving faster, back and forth, the rhythm and motions of my body conveying this brief chapter of a story via a method that had been used for generations, dating back to ancient times when indigenous peoples worshiped volcano goddesses.  

I heard clapping, faint at first but louder as more people joined in. I opened my eyes, discovering that I was the only one still dancing other than Iolana. And that everyone was staring at me. I stopped. A huge grin spread across her face.

“Miss, where did you study hula, if you don’t mind my asking?”

I swallowed. “I’m Maude. And, just here. I’ve never done it before.”

Her eyes widened. “Well, Miss Maude, it’s very unusual for someone to catch on so quickly, especially a first-timer. I guess you’re just a natural.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “You dance beautifully, my dear. I’m sure your boyfriend would agree.” She smirked knowingly at Tom, then began to circulate amongst the other participants, stopping to speak to Luke first.

Boyfriend. Is that what he is? I turned to face Tom, and what I saw in his eyes was overwhelming. Desire, passion, admiration, awe, joy, and something else that I didn’t think I was ready or willing to hang a name on quite yet. I waved self-consciously.

“Hi there.” I watched him take several deep breaths, and I noticed he had his phone in his hand.

“Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, did you film that?!” He nodded. I groaned and covered my face with my hands. He pulled them away gently, and now that he was right in front of me I could see his eyes shone with tears.

“Sorry. My original intent was to video Luke so I could email it to Simon, which I did, but then you…and I had to. It was one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen. Here, watch it.” I shook my head.

“Nope. Maybe later.” He reached out to touch my face, fingers feathering over my cheekbone and down to my jaw.

“Alright. Later. But I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. The rest of us, we were just moving. But you, you told a story. An ancient, timeless story.” He waved to get Iolana’s attention. She excused herself from her chat with two older ladies and came over to us.

“Hello, Iolana. I’m Tom.” She shook his proffered hand. “Do you happen to have an English translation of the chorus you taught us today?”

“Yes, I do. Right up here.” We followed her to the table that held her portable stereo and paperwork. She pulled a sheet out of a purple folder. “I’m so pleased you’re interested in learning more. An hour is such a short period of time and I have to focus intently on the dancing, so I rarely get to talk about the song itself. This is the chorus of the mele. Eleile is a dark swirling pool on Maui, also known as the water that returns the ti. It is customary to break a ti leaf stalk and throw it into the pool. As the water swirls, the leaves are unfurled, then pushed back into a long, tight bud.” She handed it to him. He read it, then passed it to me without saying a word. I read it. Then I re-read the chorus again. And again.

Dark is the water of Eleile The cold dwelling place of the mist It is made warm by love That stood close at my side

I felt his hand on my forearm. I refused to look away from the words on the paper. He spoke, voice fraught with emotion he struggled to contain.

“Looks like you were telling our story.” My hands were shaking, eyes still fixed on the mele chorus. He put his on top of them, steadying me. “When you danced…I swear I could see your soul. And oh, how it called to me, Maude.”

Silence surrounded us, and as I raised my gaze I noted that everyone was staring at me. Again. I inhaled, then let it out with a whoosh as my eyes found his. I still couldn’t quite manage to form words. He took a step closer to me, moving his hands to my shoulders.

“I know it’s only been two days since we met, and that you’ll very well likely think me certifiably insane for saying this, and perhaps I am, but every fiber of my being is screaming at me to do so and sometimes you just have to fight your fears and say fuck it, come on, so…Maude, I am totally, completely, utterly, madly in love with you.”

My mouth dropped open, then closed as I bit my lower lip. Right. Fight my fears. Sure. Fuck it, why not? I shrugged. “Well, Thomas, in that case we’d best pick out some matching straitjackets because I, too, have clambered aboard the crazy train. Wildly, wholly, entirely, absofuckingloutely in love. With you.”

He kissed me, briefly, sweetly. The tiny crowd oohed and ahhed, then began to disperse. As we said our goodbyes and thanks to Iolana Luke came over, phone raised, smiling. I rolled my eyes.

“Let me guess. You filmed all of that. What is with you people?” He laughed, and I shook my head. “Well, now we have even more details to discuss. And I want pizza. Can we get pizza? Let’s get pizza. LOTS of pizza. Tom’s even buying. Right, Tom? Or was all this a distraction so you could welsh out on our bet?”

He put his arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head as we exited the courtyard. “You can’t blame me for trying, can you?”

Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What bet?”

I looked at Tom. “You tell him.”

He shook his head. “I’m not telling him.”

Luke ran in front of us, stopped, arms crossed. “Someone had better tell me.”

We remained silent and walked around him to the car. Luke groaned as he got in. “Already conspiring against me. Fine. Don’t tell me. But I’m going to order ten fucking pizzas, just for spite.”

He took out his phone, clicked something, and the sounds of hula music filled the vehicle.

“Thomas William Hiddleston, did you send Simon a video of me doing the hula?” Tom started to chuckle.

“Me? Why on earth would you think I’d do such a thing?”

Luke snorted. “Because you fucking did, that’s why. Hmm, I think I’m starting to see how this went down. Your bet involved whether or not I’d dance. Maude suckered me into it and won. Tom, I’m going to kick your ass when we get out of this car. Maude, I’m impressed. Mildly disappointed in your behavior, but impressed just the same. And Simon says to tell you you’re a wonderful dancer.”

I turned to see Luke’s phone, hoping to catch a glimpse of Simon’s face. I got lucky…it was his lock screen background, or so I assumed. “Is that Simon?” He nodded and passed me the phone. “Damn, Luke, he’s gorgeous.” Luke grinned.

“Even more so in person. You’ll get to meet him tomorrow. He’s flying out to stay for a bit. In the beach house we’ll all be sharing.”

I turned to Tom, tilting my head quizzically. “Um, beach house? What beach house?”

He smirked, then shrugged. “What can I say? The meetings with the Legendary people went well. Really, really well.”

[femmesfollesnebraska]

Artist Feature: Kara Dunne

Pleased to present this q-and-a with artist Kara Dunne. All words and images (c) Kara Dunne...

A Trailer is a Castle on Its Side

Where are you from? How did you get into creative work and what is your impetus for creating?

I like to say I’m from Vermont because that’s where I was born and most likely will end up someday.  Currently I live in Massachusetts.

My observation skills got me into creative work.  I was always good at drawing from observation growing up, and in general observing things that were odd or quirky in the world.  Once I tapped into these heightened skills of seeing things in a new way, I think the gift of creativity followed suit.  Once you are super-honed into the world around you, you naturally start making unusual connections that you’d like to share (secretly in hopes that you may be the first one to make them of course).

As a practicing artist over the years, my work accumulates around me in boxes and flat file drawers.  And since I mostly create multiples of things, sometimes I feel like an unintentional hoarder.  But the thing is, unlike a hoarder, I don’t want to hold on to the stuff I make. I have increasingly felt the “what is the point of producing all this stuff?” question that is not unique to the artist’s experience.  I can relate to the: “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, then it doesn’t make a sound” concept.  If I make work that remains in my flat file, then it too, remains silent.  So what is the point?  I can only amuse myself for so long by producing for myself.  One needs an audience.  Coming from a performance background, audience interaction for me was always the most exciting part of the practice.  I’ve recently made it my main goal as a printmaker to reach an audience with my work by finding new ways in which I can just give my prints away.  I’ve never wanted to sit with my stuff at a table making puppy dog eyes in order for people to stop and buy something from me.  No surprise that I was terrible at selling girl scout cookies.

Tell me about your latest project and why its important to you. What do you hope people get out of your work?

Just before the world shut down, which for me was a year before the pandemic because my time was happily consumed as a new mom, I had just finished a long term research project that connected the agrarian and urban versions of what it meant to be a shepherd and gather something.   It compared the idea of a shopping cart attendant at the grocery store to that of a traditional shepherd gathering and caring for a flock of sheep.  The final result from my years of research into this concept was a limited edition artists’ book, titled, Shopping Cart Shepherds.  Printed on a letterpress, it combined drawings, screen-prints and interviews from my conceptual journey that began in 2012 when I spent time in a small town in Ireland (and yes, around sheep and people who raised sheep).  I met a local man in his eighties named Tom Tarpey, who had been raising sheep for about thirty years at that point.  Strangely enough and quite a rarity in Catholic history, he was the retired priest of the town.  He had left the church in order to marry the love of his life. Once a shepherd of the people, he became a shepherd of sheep.  What a rare find!  I thoroughly enjoy my work when I can interact with the world more directly; when my artistic research connects me to people in places I have never been and with whom I remain in contact with.  I have all these great big ideas, and usually I will be hesitant at first (shy?) to make connections with the community in order to see those ideas come into fruition, but ultimately things pan out in one way or another.  For example, when I came home from Ireland and was blabbing about sheep, a friend gave me a newspaper article about traditional Basque shepherds still working in this country- in the mountains in Idaho.  For a long time, the article was taped to my wall as a reminder to contact some guy I read about named Henry Etcheverry.  In 2014 I was awarded a residency at a fabulous spot called Surel’s Place (thank you so much Surel Mitchell), and it gave me the opportunity to the make necessary connections out there for this book.  Needless to say, it was an amazing experience and the Etcheverry family embraced me like one of their own; and I learned a lot about sheep.  I now consider them my extended west coast family.

110 copies of the book, Shopping Cart Shepherds, exist (that’s all I could afford to get printed) and inside the back cover it asks the reader to pass the book along to someone else once they finish it.  It is my hope that the ideas in this book will travel and reach more than 110 people.  (More trees falling in more forests?)  I have given away most of the copies at this point, both to people I know and don’t know. The books serve as messages in bottles- it’s honestly difficult to not to have control over where they go, but I guess an artist never really knows where their artwork will end up after it is purchased anyway.  Perhaps my books are mostly buried in the sand dunes of someone’s office book pile, or they have actually reached new beaches far far away.  I will never know.

Since completing this major work, all of my ideas for making prints have the underlying purpose of getting out into the world and reaching an audience.

I find certain design elements of architecture to be amusing, and often make work about the structures around us, as they are extensions of our culture and can change with popularity just like anything else.  Cupolas, ultimately a very useful and functional architectural ventilation add-on to barns and other large buildings, have been on the rise where I live.  Decorative cupolas mainly, seem to show up on top of garages overnight, like cherries atop sundaes.  (Makes the sundae and the house look better).  I made an edition of screen-prints based on this idea- a vanilla sundae with chocolate sauce and sprinkles in a fancy glass serving dish…with a cupola on top.  To get them out to cupola-adorning people, I made up a survey of questions about cupolas.  I printed the survey onto paper door hangers and distributed them.  The survey could be cut out from the door hanger as a postcard and mailed to my special P.O. box in town.  If the survey was sent back, that household would receive an original artist print.  I had the post box and distributed the door hangers for a few months before I had to stop the project because of the emergence of covid.  I had received at least a dozen responses at that point, and mailed out a portion of the edition.  I’d like to start it up again at some point.    

My next print- based community outreach project idea is in process now and will involve restaurant placemats.  I just need to make some local restaurant connections.  (Another pre-pandemic idea forced to simmer on the back burner).   Here’s the basic idea.  A table at a restaurant is the perfect gallery space.  It is especially ideal because it is the location where a group of people will sit and wait for a long period of time together with nothing else to do but sit and chit-chat in one place.  Not even in a gallery do you have the same group of people staying near each other and talking for longer than fifteen minutes in front of a single artwork.  

A paper placemat at a restaurant is viewed for a longer period of time than a work of art on a gallery wall.  It is hard not to look at a placemat- it is one of the few places to look while waiting for food.   I will use the format of the dining placemat as a way to bring fine art into the everyday world. I believe an etching is the perfect kind of print for this project.  An etching is considered the finest of fine art printmaking, mainly because the process of making an etching plate is just as time consuming as printing the edition itself.  Also, it would be perfectly ironic if a plate made a placemat.  And the thought of such a sacred piece of paper so carefully processed as an art work that should end up underneath someone’s sweaty beer glass and dinner plate is simply…exciting to me.  Equally, the thought that a restaurant guest may decide to not get it messy because they want to take it home is the kind of leave-it-to-chance scenario that I gravitate to as an artist; it forces me to relinquish my control and challenges the idea of art as an artifact.  For the viewer, the idea plays with the preciousness of “art” and the context in which we view a work of art (in a gallery vs. the real world).  For the restaurant owner, it may also bring more business and create a new kind of hype attracting more customers.  Let’s say I print a series of five placemats, and if people collect all five placemats they get a free limited edition non-placemat print worth X amount of dollars.  Or maybe they collect all five and get ten dollars off their next meal.  Something like that.

This project connects directly with the public and gets the fine art print into the hands of the everyday person.  The imagery within the frame of the placemat will vary- from beautiful local scenery and landmarks (as everyone enjoys a pretty picture), to several different designs that will engage the table with non-phone related activities- like a dining room scavenger hunt or a list of dinner conversation starters, as well as other designs that are more cerebral and open to interpretation, serving as conversation starters themselves (with digestion friendly, witty imagery).  It is also my intention to make one of the placemats at each table have a QR code with a link to a video of how the placemat was produced, essentially educating the public about what an etching is, and moreover- what printmaking is.  

Considering the political climate, how do you think the temperature is for the arts right now, what/how do you hope it may change or make a difference?

The climate is quite volatile right now, to say the least, and I think artists have a responsibility now more than ever to connect people from both sides of a political issue in order to start a meaningful conversation.  I think the temperature for artists right now is great- get in the pool!  Art always impacts at least one person looking at it, so that’s something.  Art is mainly a non-confrontational way to interpret something about the world that needs to change for others who may not understand why change needs to happen.  The best example I can think of within the visual arts is installation and involves statistic- based information.  For example, a person may come across a beautiful sculpture of a sea monster made from plastic cups.  Then they read about the work and how two million cups were used to make the work and that two million cups end up in the ocean every day; that person now has the physical representation in front of them of what two million actually means and it is forever burned into their mind. That person can stand next to the giant sculpture of cups and can better understand what the number means in relation to how it impacts the environment.  A real life artwork that is forever burned in my mind like this is a video piece by the ceramic artist Ehren Tool called the ‘1.5 Second War Memorial’.  In it, every 1.5 seconds a cup is shot and breaks. Each cup represents a human life.  You would have to watch the video for  eight minutes to get to the number of people who died in the Gulf War (Tool is a veteran of that war) and watch the video for two years to get to the number of total casualties in WWII.  

Artist Wanda Ewing, who curated and titled the original LFF exhibit, examined the perspective of femininity and race in her work, and spoke positively of feminism, saying “yes, it is still relevant” to have exhibits and forums for women in art; does feminism play a role in your work?

More often than not, feminism lies under the surface of my work.   How can it not, as I am living as a woman in this world?  Feminism is always going to be relevant.  It does not end, it is forever in existence; Feminism should not be considered as waves of the past, but as the water itself. I hate that ‘feminism’ is still considered a ‘dirty’ word.  Mostly I experience this as a high school teacher, when every so often I will have a male student who expresses their thoughts about what they think feminism is and after I cringe, mostly internally and sometimes externally, I sadly realize that this wrongly informed opinion comes from the belief system of the parents.  I try my best to inform them of what is true and false without becoming pushy; it is my hope that these particular students gain more perspective in the world through life experiences once their bubble becomes bigger-  and of course once their bubble of close-mindedness has popped.

Ewing’s advice to aspiring artists was “you’ve got to develop the skill of when to listen and when not to;” and “Leave. Gain perspective.”  What is your favorite advice you have received or given?

One of my first professors, Nick Tobier, had a five line mantra of sorts that he told us to write down during his first lecture.  

“Public space is yours to take.

Reveal the things that are hidden.

What you see has been filtered for you.

Let private notions become public.

You can make icons”

-

https://www.karadunne.com/

~

Les Femmes Folles was a volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art from around the world. Editor Sally Brown retired from active blogging after 10 years in 2021, but still accepts submissions. sallery_art@zohomail.com https://femmesfollesnebraska.tumblr.com/callforart-writing

Check out the 10th anniversary LFF exhibit, Feminist Connect, here:

https://www.les-femmes-folles-feminist-connect.com/

[orbemnews]

Coming up on self-imposed deadlines, multiple bills face dire future Right now, the measure is expected to fail, as a CNN count shows there are not 10 Republican senators who would vote to override a GOP filibuster. Republicans are concerned the commission proposal has become partisan, is duplicative of law enforcement and congressional investigations, and would slow down implementing needed security reforms at the Capitol, which is now without the National Guard contingent that was brought in when the riot happened almost five months ago. The key vote may happen this week, but could slide past the weeklong Memorial Day recess. That’s because Republicans are indicating they expect a China competition bill that’s on the floor now — the Endless Frontiers Act — may not get completed before the end of the week. The measure, which is meant to counter China’s increasing superiority in manufacturing and global supply chains, boosts technology funding for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and funds upgrades to the US supply chain. It also confronts China on intellectual property theft and revamps the National Science Foundation to better position it to help spur US manufacturing. The bipartisan bill is considered a bellwether for any future interparty deals, although with almost all the other top items on President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda imperiled, it’s not evident now that the bipartisan spirit will carry over. Here’s where the issues stand: Infrastructure We’re one week away from the White House’s soft Memorial Day deadline for significant progress on infrastructure. CNN’s Phil Mattingly and Lauren Fox report the talks are on the brink of falling apart, with major disagreements on the size and scope of the bill and how to pay for it. The White House lowered its price tag by $500 billion to $1.7 trillion last week, and it’s unclear if Republicans will present an additional counter-offer, with the GOP group meeting Monday to discuss next steps. In a sign that the White House is gearing up to go it alone via reconciliation, a shift in messaging from senior adviser Cedric Richmond, who told Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sunday that Biden “wants a deal” and “wants it soon,” but, “he will not let inaction be the answer. And when he gets to the point where it looks like that is inevitable, you’ll see him change course.” A decision could come from the parliamentarian this week, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the influential Senate Budget Committee, is waiting in the wings, and is prepared to work on a budget resolution — the first step in the reconciliation process — as soon as the White House unveils its budget. The expectation, according to aides, is that process will begin in June although that deadline could slip again if rank-and-file members want more time for bipartisan talks. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware unveiled a $340 billion surface transportation bill over the weekend that could serve as a potential building block for a bipartisan infrastructure bill. Voting rights On voting rights, as CNN reported Friday, Senate Democrats will meet privately Wednesday and will continue deliberations on how to advance S1. It is a top legislative priority for Chuck Schumer, but currently doomed to fail in the Senate because it is opposed by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, along with every Republican. Some Democrats want the bill dramatically changed to bring on board Manchin and enough Republicans to pass it. Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming dodged a question about linking Donald Trump’s election lies and GOP voting rights laws, telling Axios on HBO in an interview that aired Sunday night, voter fraud, “certainly exists. I will never understand the resistance for example to voter ID, I think you ought to have to show ID to go vote.” But, she said, “There’s a big difference between that and a president of the United States who loses an election after he tried to steal the election and refuses to concede, and then continues to say the election was stolen.” Police reform CNN’s Maeve Reston and Jessica Dean report lawmakers are still hopeful they’ll make a deal on police reform, but they will not meet their own self-imposed Tuesday deadline of the anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey told CNN’s Bash that the core negotiating group has made “meaningful progress,” but that Democrats and Republicans are still far apart on how to deal with qualified immunity, which shields police officers from civil lawsuits. Republicans oppose getting rid of qualified immunity. “We need to, at some point, get qualified immunity. That’s what I’m determined to at this negotiating table to get,” Booker said on SOTU. “This is one of the big issues that we’re working very hard to see if we could bridge this wide gulf.” Booker, Tim Scott and Karen Bass are all still talking, and Bass is sticking around DC this week, even as the House is out, to keep the talks going. Background checks and gun legislation A series of mass shootings over the weekend left at least 11 people dead and another 69 injured. There were at least 12 mass shootings between Friday night and Sunday, according to CNN reporting and an analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive, local media and police reports. And, so far this year, more than 7,500 people have died from gun violence across the US, according to that archive. But legislation on background checks is stalled in the Senate. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said late last week time is running out, and he wants to move forward by voting on House-passed bill that Republicans are sure to block. The vote, while symbolic, could put pressure on Republicans to demonstrate to their constituents they are responding to the stunning spate of mass shootings in the country. Postal Service reform This is a bipartisan measure that could actually pass. The measure was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators last week and aims to change the bleak financial straits of the US Postal Service by eliminating the very unpopular and burdensome mandate to pre-fund the retirement savings accounts for every employee for decades ahead of time. It also lowers the requirements on first-class mail delivery, and for now at least makes room for former President Donald Trump’s pick to stay on as Postmaster. CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Daniella Diaz, Ali Zaslav, Maeve Reston, Phil Mattingly and Jessica Dean contributed to this report. Source link Orbem News #bills #Coming #Cominguponself-imposeddeadlines #deadlines #dire #Face #Future #multiple #multiplebillsfacedirefuture-CNNPolitics #Politics #selfimposed