#and brings my total to 17 shows this year so far

[rebel-moons]

i’ve have returned from my insanity month-long concert hopping (seven shows in four cities) a bit battered and bruised and definitely broke af and utterly exhausted but 100/10 would def do again in a heartbeat

[tiannasfanfic]

GossipWeb

Eddie Munson x Reader (Angst)

| Eddie Munson & Steddie Masterlist |

Summary: If you want to stay up to date on celebrity gossip, GossipWeb is the site to subscribe to! Monday’s Weekend Roundup for July 17 has an update on Corroded Coffin, and you should totally check it out!

Author Note: Modern Rockstar!Eddie AU. Reader not mentioned in this first part, but will be in future installments so I went ahead and labeled it as an x Reader fic. Written in the style of a gossip column.

CW: Mentions of divorce; mentions of alcoholism and drug addiction; mention of a fistfight.

(The following is an excerpt from the July 17, 2023 edition of The Weekend Roundup, a gossip column posted every Monday afternoon on GossipWeb.com and the GossipWeb app.)

Wedding bells are in the air for model Chrissy Munson and nature photographer David Greggs. The pair have officially announced their engagement on Sunday via social media, confirming recent rumors.

The happy couple shared the news on their respective Instagram accounts, showing photos of the two happily embracing on a beach at sunset. In one, Munson is holding out her hand to show off the huge sapphire and diamond engagement ring now sitting on her finger.

“I said YES!” Munson captioned her photo while Greggs captioned his, “She said YES!”

The pair first made headlines back in 2021, when they were spotted having dinner together just a few weeks after Munson filed for divorce from Corroded Coffin’s frontman, Eddie Munson.

While “Irreconcilable differences” were listed in the official court filing, representatives for both Eddie and Chrissy have declined to comment further on the matter. In the social media post announcing the divorce, Chrissy took a diplomatic path, stating, “Sometimes our plans in life just don’t work out the way we want them to. Unfortunately, this is one of those times. I wish Eddie nothing but the best and wish nothing but happiness for him. While our marriage may be over, he will always hold a special place in my heart.”

But, while her words made it sound like the split was an amicable one, many have their doubts it was that simple.

Rumors had been circulating regarding her ex husband’s hard partying lifestyle for years. Insiders have come forward to provide accounts of escalating drug and alcohol abuse, and extremely irrational and erratic behavior from the rockstar. Shortly after the divorce filing, it was reported to multiple news outlets that an intervention was been staged for Munson just a few days prior to the court filing, but it had failed.

In related news, the former members of Corroded Coffin are continuing to stay busy and are enjoying far more laid back schedules.

Following a highly successful album with their band Fallen Shadows, Jeff Richards and Grant Lee have announced a small, twenty city tour that will occur early next year. While the dates and cities are still to be determined, the two are looking forward to getting back on the road.

“It’s been awhile, but we’re itching to get back out there,” Richards stated in a Facebook post. “There’s nothing like bringing our music out into the world and sharing it in person with the fans.”

But Gareth Emerson hasn’t been so eager to return to the spotlight.

Following a successful stay at the Betty Ford Center, which he entered in December 2019, Emerson says he has done a lot of thinking about his life and who he wants to be, both as a person and an artist.

“The stress I was constantly putting myself under was ultimately my downfall,” he explained in a Facebook post full of self reflection. “And one of the biggest stressors for me was the constant need to promote myself, to sell myself basically. I stopped feeling like a person and started feeling like a piece of meat. In this business, it doesn’t take long before you start getting treated like a machine and you start looking for ways to cope. And, usually, you find yourself coping by turning to drugs. Now I don’t have to just cope because I refuse to put myself back in that stressful position.”

Emerson continues to write and record new music, which he releases on iTunes under his own name. While he’s leaning heavily into experimental sounds, his new style seems to be gravitating towards a blend of classic rock n’ roll, folk and heavy metal. It’s not a combination you would expect to hear from a speed metal drummer, but Emerson clearly has hidden talents he’s only just starting to show the world.

As for the frontman and lead guitarist, Eddie Munson, unfortunately, there’s not much can be said.

The statement from Corroded Coffin announcing their hiatus came in late 2019 just a few days after Munson and Emerson’s very publicized fistfight at the UK Music Video Awards. While he virtually dropped out of the spotlight as a musician in the following months, Munson was frequently in the news due to his excess partying and rowdy behavior.

Then, in 2022, he unexpectedly disappeared from the LA party scene, only to resurface a few months later in his old hometown of Hawkins, Indiana.

Representatives for Munson have declined to comment, so the true reasons for his returning to Hawkins are still unclear. The rocker has yet to make any return trips home to California within the last eighteen months since his departure. This adds credibility to a more recent rumor we reported on last week that Munson is in negotiations to sell his Malibu home to a private seller.

Perhaps the rockstar has finally turned over a new leaf?

Some signs point to yes.

Earlier this year, Gareth Emerson’s wife, actress Kim Simmons-Emerson, sent well wishes to Eddie in a heartfelt Instagram post. She posted an old photo of Munson and Emerson from high school with the caption, “Today marks a new beginning for old friends. We’re so proud of you. We knew you could do it.”

Subscribe to our free newsletter to stay up to date on any new developments!

[swampstew]

Kinktober 2023 ~ Raven's Bingo Board is back!

Year 2 let's go! I am so proud of how I jumped into this fandom straight with the kinks and I'm excited to finally show off what I've brewed in my cauldron for October this year. Unlike last time, the blorbos and the kinks have been pre-picked but I have not prepared a single thing! Last time I picked waaaaayyyy too many options and overwhelmed myself and even though I still managed to post over 20 posts, I definitely want get them all this time. I will NOT be posting a bingo story on SUNDAYS, just like last year. I have something far tastier in store for that :)

RULES

Every Monday-Saturday of October starting Monday 2, 2023, at 9 AM EST through the 30th, I'm going to screen record using a Bingo site to generate the numbers to pick the day's blorbo and kink. Then, I have until 11:59 PM to submit a post (ideally in by 8 PM cause I like consistency) - it will either be a one shot, head canon list, small drabble, but I gotta post!

We're playing Black Out Bingo which means we gotta hit EVERY tile in order to "win" the game. Winning the game means hitting every single tile (not posting means I'm fucking myself and everyone over) - and since the Bingo site counts how many calls are made, I've created a list of scenarios that could be the final Halloween Day story based on how quickly it takes to win the game.

The Bingo site can make total of 75 calls, so how many will it take to complete the board? Note: my bingo board's highest number is O-73.

# of calls it takes to win:

25 - 41 calls = creepy graveyard scenario

42 - 58 calls = haunted house scenario

59 - 75 calls = Halloween party/séance gone wrong scenario

The Board: Each blorbo above (or below) a column of kinks is that blorbo's tile. So in this case, BINGO becomes - Law, Killer, Luffy, Kid, Zoro as the respective letters. Law's column is Pocket Pussy, Master Servant, Dirty Talking, Forced Orgasm, Pet Play. And since its Halloween, I'm making an effort to make every story stay in theme for the season.

Bring your monster fucker permits!

Edit: added this post which has a pre-recorded video and clarified explanation of how the game will play out if this post was confusing to understand.

ALL PROMPTS ARE SPICY. MINORS DNI

OCT 2 - Killer & Partner Sharing ft Eustass Kid OCT 3 - Luffy & Anal Beads OCT 4 - Luffy & Roleplay OCT 5 - Law + Pet Play OCT 6 - Law + Forced Orgasm OCT 7 - Zoro & Mirror Sex OCT 9 - Zoro & Collaring OCT 10 - Zoro & Total Power Exchange OCT 11 - Zoro & Stuck in a Wall OCT 12 - Luffy & Stockings OCT 13 - Eustass Kid & Cock Cage OCT 16 - Law + Master/Servant OCT 17 - Eustass Kid & Glory Hole OCT 18 - Luffy & Risky Sex OCT 19 - Killer & Shibari OCT 20 - Eustass Kid & Milking Table OCT 21 - Law & Dirty Talking OCT 23 - Killer & Overstimulation OCT 24 - Killer & Cum Eating OCT 25 - Eustass Kid & Con Non-Con OCT 26 -Roronoa Zoro & Praise Kink OCT 27 - Monkey D. Luffy & Triple Penetration OCT 28 - Trafalgar Law & Pussy Pocket OCT 30 - Eustass Kid & Cockwarming OCT 31 - Halloween Bingo Story - Eustass Kid X Demon Reader, trick or treat bag of kinks.

Since we've made 60+ calls, the Halloween Scenario is going to be:

Halloween party/séance gone wrong scenario

[thedrarrylibrarian]

Halloween Spooks!

I focused on creatures last year, so I wanted to give my attention to everything else horrific this year. Enjoy these scary and suspenseful recs! 👻

100 Words of Horror by @moonstruckwytch (3,100 words total, rated M)

A collection of Fear Fest Works. Each chapter is 100 words.

*I especially recommend chapters 5, 9, 10, 17, 20, 21, & 22

What is lost stays lost by @cavendishbutterfly (456 words, rated T)

Sometimes Harry leaves the castle in the middle of the night, and Draco follows him.

The Manor by @kittycargo (1,405 words, rated T)

There was something wrong with the Manor.

The mimic by @steampunkserpent27 (797 words, rated T)

Harry hears Draco (who he presumes dead) calling for help outside of his cabin one night. Only, something isn't quite right.

iterum by @moonstruckwytch (2,127 words, rated M)

dark magic keeps draco malfoy alive, even when he shouldn't be. unfortunately, to stay that way he's going to have to give something up—something important.

the tedious work of soothing grief with love by luminae (2,363 words, rated M)

Ginny doesn't like working as a medium. Never has, probably never will. The grief-stricken make for bad company and Harry, while handsome and kind, is no exception.

Cruel Blade by @wheezykat (2,572 words, rated E)

Drowning in his grief after the murder of his husband, Draco will do anything to bring him back.

But this is not Harry. This is something else entirely.

The Willing Flesh by @corvuscrowned (2,763 words, rated E)

Draco shows Harry how to do blood magic. Harry shows Draco just how powerful The Chosen One can become.

at the end of his tether by @helle-bored (4,280 words, rated M)

There's a worn page folded in an inner pocket of Harry's robes with a single underlined paragraph.

Discrete magical signatures have been observed after the destruction of a Dementor. Some scholars believe this implies that the souls of its victims persist as captives within its form, as opposed to undergoing immediate obliteration, and therefore serve the purpose of providing the creature with sustenance over a prolonged period of time.

Harry has carried it for nearly two years.

when god closes a door by luminae (4,400 words, rated T)

Harry usually cares far less about so-called haunted houses and ghosts. They aren't real, after all. Except when they ruin his evening.

Saltwater Stain by @the-starryknight (9,000 words, rated E)

Seven days stuck on a boat investigating a rogue ghost wouldn't be so bad if Harry didn't want Draco so much. Draco has his rules and Harry's content to follow them, but the air feels different away from the shore. Is it possible that the sea could offer Harry something impossible on land?

*be sure to check out last week’s Happy Hour Rec of this fic by @wolfpants as well!

Time and Time Again by @rainbees (16,316 words, rated T)

Draco doesn't know why he keeps stepping into his own future, nor why it involves a hallway covered in Harry Potter's blood.

it is not a house by luminae (43,388 words, rated E)

There are many stories that can happen in a forgotten house, in the middle of the Arctic. Heart-warming tales about human connection and finding the essence of the self. Epic love stories that defy reason. Warnings about the hubris of human explorations. This is both none of the above and a bit of all. This is a horror story.

Vis-à-Vis-à-Vis by @vukovich (49,999 words, rated E)

Harry's assignment was simple. Close out Draco Malfoy's missing persons case so he can be declared dead.

But who's making withdrawals from Malfoy's vaults? How is a death omen-turned-Unspeakable involved? Is an organization known as the Moirai to blame?

Harry brushes it off until he can't. Until The Prophet is flooded with sightings of dead people. Until Robards throws himself on his sword. Until Ron turns on his own family. Until Harry scarcely trusts his own reflection in the mirror and trusts the stranger in his bed even less.

Until all that stands between war and peace is Harry, a name plate, a stadium of murderers, and Draco Malfoy.

God save the Ministry.

Yours is the Earth (Hold On, Hold On) by chickenlivesinpumpkin (127,167 words, rated E)

After a serious accident in the Forbidden Forest, Draco's personality begins to undergo subtle changes. At first, Harry credits this to a new enthusiasm for life. But as the days pass and Draco's behavior becomes more and more mysterious, Harry begins to suspect that something bigger--and darker--is at work.

If you are looking for more Halloween thrills, please check out my Card Catalog! There I have Vampires, Werewolves, Darker Themes, and previous years rec lists for Halloween!

Trick or Treat!

❤️ As always, if you find a fic you enjoy, please remember to leave the author a kudos or a comment! ❤️

[matttgirlies]

Matt & Me🎀

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - mentions of dead people,, arguing

y/nn = your nickname for any confusion🩷

Chapter 14

I’d now been living with Matt about two years and traveling with him regularly. My parents, having returned from Germany, were now staying temporarily with my Uncle Ray in Connecticut, on their way to Travis Air force Base near Sacramento. I was anxious to see them, yet I hated leaving Graceland. Outside those gates, the cord was cut. I was afraid that the one moment I was away from his world would be the one moment when another could slip in.

Yet I needed to see my parents. I did miss them. I was well aware that my appearance—in a tight, form-fitting dress, spiked high heels, heavy makeup, and with my hair dyed jet black and piled high on top of my head in a beehive hairdo—would elicit, as usual, a less than delighted response from them, but I was determined not to change a single part of the total look that Matt had painstakingly created. I flew to Connecticut and my expectations were correct. My parents were again so shocked when they saw me that they could barely speak. Later, my father told me that under all that makeup, my eyes looked like “two holes in the snow.”

The rest of the weekend brought no improvement. I wasn’t being honest about my relationship and style of life. Anticipating uncomfortable questions about my future, I spent most of the time in my room. However, the questions came.

“What’s it like, living at Graceland?”

“Is it true that Matt never goes anywhere?”

I felt their probing was an invasion of my privacy, my personal life, and I gave them guarded answers.

My parents didn’t appreciate my attitude or my defensiveness. They were just showing a natural interest in me, and a concern for my well-being, when they asked how I’d done in school, what kinds of grades I’d gotten, and if I’d brought my report card. They also wanted to know if I was planning to attend college. Even though my only plan was to go wherever Matt was going, I said that I intended to enroll. I tried to tell them what they wanted to hear, and to say as little as possible, convinced that if I said one thing wrong, they’d order me home.

After that weekend, I tried to avoid my parents. But they knew I joined Matt in Los Angeles while he was filming, and they wanted me to spend weekends with them in Sacramento. This created a problem. I couldn’t think of sharing my time with anyone but Matt, especially weekends when he wasn’t working. Still, I’d make occasional trips to Sacramento, because if I didn’t visit my parents, they’d visit us. I knew Matt was very touchy, and I was never sure what might set him off.

I was particularly nervous when my parents decided to bring my sister and brothers down to Disneyland for the weekend—and to stop and see us in Bel Air. I persuaded them that Bel Air was much too far out of their way and it’d be easier for me to meet them at Disneyland. I spent the weekend with them there, but on Sunday my parents insisted on bringing me home. Of course I had to invite them all to dinner.

They dropped me off and drove on to a nearby hotel to check in and get changed. I ran into the house in a panic because I knew I’d have to show them around. I certainly couldn’t tell my parents that I slept with Matt, and I decided to try to fool them into believing that I had my own room.

I asked Charlie Hodge, one of the employees, if I could borrow his room. I rushed up and down the hall, taking things from Matt’s room and putting them in Charlie’s. I placed my little perfume bottles around the tables, hung some of my clothes in the closet, which I strategically left partly open, and finally put all of the stuffed dogs and teddy bears that I loved to collect on the bed.

That evening when we had dinner, Matt was charming and wonderful, but I was too petrified to eat. I was always anxious whenever Matt and my father got together, since I never knew what Dad was going to ask him. Matt used to get very annoyed because so many people were curious about the “regulars,” always asking what this one did, or that one did, and why Matt needed to have so many of them around him. When I would try and tell Dad to be less curious, that only made him more curious.

“Why can’t I ask questions?” he’d demand. “What’s there to hide?”

After dinner, I gave my family a tour of the house. I tried to show them “my” room as casually as I had the others. “See how it overlooks the patio,” I said calmly. “Come on, I’ll show you Matt’s room.”

I opened the door to his room, praying that no one would want to see any of his huge walk-in closets because if they opened a closet door, all of my things would be revealed. One of my shoes, I noticed in horror, had been left next to the bed. I managed to kick it out of sight.

Amazingly, the entire evening came off without mishap. Although my parents never questioned the story about my own room, I’m sure they never believed it either.

That night, when Matt looked in Charlie’s room and saw all of the stuffed animals, he burst out laughing.

I continued to guard my life-style. I was always afraid they’d look too closely at my relationship with Matt. As it was, they inquired about our future together.

“How much longer is this going to go on like this?” they wanted to know. “What are his intentions? Are there any plans for anything? If not, why don’t you just pack your bags and come home? We think it’s about time.”

Hearing this was my greatest fear. I always told them, “We’re doing great. I’m sure everything will work out fine.” I’d give them vanilla ice cream with candy and whipped cream and a cherry on top—so that everything sounded really promising.

Everything wasn’t nearly as promising as I led my parents to believe. Matt and I couldn’t really be happy together because he was so unhappy with his career. At first glance, he had it made: He was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood with a three-picture-a-year contract, at a phenomenal salary, plus fifty percent of the profits. But in reality, his brilliant career had lost its luster. By 1965 the public had access to Matt solely through his films and records. He hadn’t appeared on television since his special with Frank Sinatra in 1960, and he hadn’t performed in a live concert since the spring of 1961.

The sales of his records indicated that his massive popularity was slipping. His singles were no longer automatically Top Ten hits, and he hadn’t enjoyed a Number One record since the spring of 1962.

He blamed his fading popularity on his humdrum movies. He loathed their stock plots and short shooting schedules, but whenever he complained to the Colonel, Colonel reminded him that they were making millions, that the fact that his last two serious films, Flaming Star and Wild in the Country, were box-office failures proved that his fans wanted to see him only in musicals.

He could have demanded better, more substantial scripts but he didn’t. Part of the reason was the lavish life-style he had established and become accustomed to. The main reason, however, was his inability to stand up to the Colonel. In Matt’s personal life, there were no stops in letting anyone know how or what he felt. But when it came time to stand up to Colonel William, he backed off. Matt detested the business side of his career. He would sign a contract without even reading it.

For years Matt had stayed on top of the record charts because he had been given a good selection of songs to choose from, and he’d had free rein to record them in his own style, his own way, and had not yet become disillusioned with the music industry.

When he was excited about the material, he loved recording sessions. He liked to work as a team—with his voice, the backup singers, and the instruments all recorded at the same volume. He didn’t want his voice out front alone. He liked the impact of the whole group. It was his sound, and it was a fabulous sound until one day Colonel said there were complaints from fans and from RCA that they couldn’t hear Matt well enough. Whether or not this was true, he suggested Matt’s voice be brought out more.

This is one of the few times Matt bucked heads with him, stating, “I’ve been singing that way all of my life. What do a few heads in RCA know about music? I’ll sing the songs the way I hear them.”

Matt could handle only so much and then he’d lose heart. He’d put up with the horrendous movies, but now they were tampering with his songs.

Colonel did not intentionally plot to make Matt sound bad, or to get artistic control. His only interest was in getting out the product so the money could keep coming in. But when he started crossing over the line from business negotiations into Matt’s artistry, Matt slowly began going downhill.

I wanted desperately to help him, but I wasn’t sure how. In my innocence, I kept trying to convince him to argue with the Colonel. But he would only get angry, saying I didn’t know what I was talking about.

I didn’t understand his difficulty in revealing his weaknesses to me. Only later did I realize how important it was to Matt to always appear in control in front of me. Whenever I stated my own opinions too strongly, especially if they differed from his, he’d remind me that his was the stronger sex, and as a woman, I had my place. He liked to say that it was intended for woman to be on the left side of man, close to his heart, where she gives him strength through her support.

His role with me was that of lover and father, and with neither could he let down his guard and become fallible or truly intimate. I longed for that, and as a woman, I needed it.

There were nights when he slept restlessly, beset by worries and fears. I lay silently beside him, anxious about what he might be thinking and whether there was a place in his life for me. Lost in our separate miseries, we were unable to give each other strength or support. He was controlled by his inability to take responsibility for his own life and for compromising his own standards—and I was controlled by him, compromising mine.

When things were bad, Matt called James and they talked for hours about their problems. He told his dad he was lonely and depressed and no one understood him. When I overheard these words, I continued to take it personally, again thinking that I was failing him.

I would put on my brightest smile, my prettiest dress—and my phoniest personality and try to rouse his spirits. When I couldn’t get him out of the dumps, he would shut himself up all day in his room. This left me devastated. Afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, I suppressed my real feelings and eventually developed an ulcer.

The more frustrations increased, the more pressure he felt and this resulted in his manifesting physical illnesses. Specifically to handle depression, he was now prescribed antidepressants. His enormously creative gifts were being squandered and he couldn’t face it.

Although Colonel William knew about his state of mind, he had a long-standing agreement with Matt that he’d stay out of his personal life. Instead of confronting Matt, he tried to get the guys to report to him. It was a very touchy situation, and the boys were skeptical. Colonel used to have Sonny West and Jerry Schilling drive him back and forth to Palm Springs on weekends. During the long drive he casually tried to pump them for information. They had to be very careful. If they said the wrong thing, they would be put in a position of having betrayed Matt.

It was especially hard on Nate Doe who, as foreman of the group, spent a lot of time with the Colonel. When Matt began canceling meetings, or acting strangely on the set, Colonel would say, “What’s going on with Matt, Nate? He looks like he’s in bad shape. We can’t let him be seen like this.”

Nate was torn between his loyalties to Colonel and to Matt. He cared about Matt and respected his wishes, but he understood that the Colonel made the deals and had to deliver “the product”: Matt.

When Colonel made Nate responsible for reporting to him on Matt’s “mental and emotional state,” a euphemistic phrase for drug use, Matt found out and said, “I don’t want any sons of bitches here telling Colonel what I do or what goes on in this household.” He fired Nate on the spot. Six months later he forgave him and took him back. It was typical of Matt to blow off steam and then forgive all.

From the time I first arrived at Graceland I began to notice a gradual change in Matt’s personality. In the early days of our relationship he seemed to be more in command of his emotions.

He was a man capable of enjoying life to the fullest, especially during our own special times. We loved to stroll about in the early evenings just before dark. Usually we’d end up at his father’s home and stay and watch television, father and son relaxing, puffing on cigars, discussing the state of the world.

Walking back home with Matt, we’d speak of fate—how it had brought us together, how we were meant for each other, how God worked in strange ways, uniting two people from different parts of the world.

I loved it when he’d talk like this. He’d plan our lives, saying how he was destined to be with me and could never be with anyone else. In this loving atmosphere I found I could open up and express my opinions freely.

Once we were going through a stack of demo records for an RCA soundtrack album and his distaste for each song grew increasingly apparent. Before a record was halfway through, he was on to the next, getting more and more discouraged. Finally he found one that held his attention and asked me what I thought. Remembering that first incident in Vegas, I truly felt our relationship had developed to where he would want my honest opinion. “I don’t really like it,” I said.

“What do you mean, you don’t like it?”

“I don’t know—there’s just something about it, a catchiness that’s missing.”

To my horror, a chair came hurtling toward me.

I moved out of the way just in time, but there were stacks of records piled on it and one flew off and hit me in the face.

Within seconds he had me in his arms, apologizing frantically. It was said that he inherited his temper from his parents. I’d heard stories about how, when Mary Lou was furious, she’d grab a frying pan and fling it at James, and I’d already observed James’s harsh words firsthand. This genetic trait was inherent in Matt’s temperament.

You could sense the vibration when he was angry. The tension in the room mounted to flash point, and no one wanted to be around for the explosion. Yet, if anyone decided to leave, they automatically became the target for his rage, me included. Like the time he came storming downstairs because his black suit which he had worn only the day beforehadn’t been returned from the cleaners.

“Why isn’t it back yet, y/nn?” he screamed. “Where the hell is my goddamn suit?”

He had two other suits identical to the one at the cleaners, but he wanted that one.

When he was angry, it was like the roar of thunder. No one could challenge his biting words; we could only wait until the storm passed. When he calmed down, he made excuses—he hadn’t had enough sleep, he’d had too much sleep, or he hadn’t had his morning coffee yet.

Sometimes he lashed out just to drive home a point. If he thought it would teach us a lesson, he’d blow some minor grievance out of all proportion, and even as he was yelling he might wink at someone nearby. Then, ten minutes later, he’d be fine, leaving us bewildered and emotionally depleted. There were also times he would leave us emotionally uplifted. He was truly a master at manipulating people.

Matt was filled with complexities and contradictions. We would spend an evening discussing the spiritual life and then watch horror films.

One evening while watching the classic horror movie Diabolique, Matt leaned over and asked if I was in a daring mood.

“Sure.” I didn’t know what he was up to, but adventure excited me.

“I’m going to take you somewhere that will scare the fire out of you—it did me the first time I went there.”

After the film he took my hand and we all piled into the limo. Matt instructed the driver, “Take us to the Boston morgue.”

“What!”

I didn’t believe what I had just heard.

“Yeah, there’s this guy who oversees the place. I went there once before. I was roaming around the rooms, looking at bodies, and we ran into each other. It scared the shit out of us both.”

“You mean we’re going inside?”

“Well, we’re not supposed to, but I got ways.”

“Okay, I’m game.”

His fame was his passkey. It was eerie walking through the halls and viewing each room. They were still, solemn, dimly lit. I clutched at Matt’s hand. At first I didn’t want to look, but he assured me the bodies were at peace and that once I looked, it wouldn’t be so bad.

We wandered from room to room. I was amazed at how easy it was to become accustomed to this unusual sight. It was serene, almost as if we were in church.

We were doing fine until I looked on a table and saw an infant who appeared to be two or three months old. We both gazed in silence.

“Oh Matt,” I said, “he’s so little, so innocent. What could have happened? There’s no scars.” Tears were streaming down my face.

“I don’t know,” he said softly. “Sometimes God works in strange ways. I guess it was just meant for the little fellow to be with Him.”

We both took the infant’s hand and Matt said a prayer. A few minutes later, we stood over a middle-aged woman who had just been embalmed. I looked away.

“This is good for you,” he said. “You have to see things like this sometimes. This is the hard cold fact—reality. When you look at a body, you realize how temporary it all is, how it could end in a matter of minutes.”

The spiritual side of Matt was a dominant part of his nature. As a small boy growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, he and his family attended church regularly at the First Assembly of God. He was raised on hellfire-and-brimstone preaching that put the fear of God in you and music that led to the Pearly Gates. Matt, James, and Mary Lou would join in with the congregation and choir, and it was then that music first rocked Matt’s soul. He was capable of spiritual healing; one touch of his hands to my temples and the most painful headaches disappeared.

He always kept the Bible on his bedside table and read it often. Now, faced with an ever-deepening despair, he began looking to other philosophical books for answers and guidance. He read the works of Kahlil Gibran. One book in particular, The Prophet, inspired him. He also read Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and The Impersonal Life by Joseph Benner. He became so enamored of these books that he passed them out to friends, fellow actors, and fans. They appealed to his religious nature and he loved bringing people together “in the spirit of one underlying force Almighty God.”

When his mother, Mary Lou, was alive, Matt had one person to answer to, whom he respected and who constantly reminded him of his values and his roots. It was Mary Lou who kept Matt aware of the difference between right and wrong, of the evils of temptation, and of the danger of life in the fast lane.

“Mom,” he’d say. “I want you and Dad in Hollywood with me. There’s a lot of fast talkin’ businessmen there, makin’ a lot of decisions, fancy talk I don’t understand.”

In the early days, James and Mary Lou accompanied Matt on most of his major appearances around the South and visits to Hollywood when he made his first films. It was Mary Lou’s common sense that counteracted Matt’s insecurities in his youth.

Since Mary Lou’s death, there were no boundaries for Matt. She was the force that kept him in line. Now that she was gone, he was continually in conflict between his own personal ethics and the temptations that surrounded him.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd. This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - this chapter is so sad 🎀

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 739: The training camp's fourth day!!

Pag 1

1: Training camp of Sohoku High School's racing team...

2: fourth and last day, 10:18 in the morning

3: Here it comes, Rokudai!!

4: Yeah!! Teh, Kinaka-kun

Pag 2

1: The training camp fourth and last day!!

The total distance we've ran so far is....

Pag 3

2: Here we go!!

5: 800km!!

Pag 4

1: We still have 200km to go until we reach 1000km!!

2: Teeh.....!! We've ran so much, teh

3: That's right, we already went beyond what I said at first, the distance from “Aomori”

4: “Aomori”!

It's still 10:30 in the morning, so if we keep going like this we can run the remaining 200km that are required!!

We can!!

Yeah!!

Pag 5

1: My legs are all sore

2: I'm trembling all over, teh

3: The Aomori thing, when we first came here

4: 700km!!

I thought it would be impossible

5: When on the first day, the senpai created such a gap between us, I resigned myself and thought that it really was impossible

6: But then, on that day's evening, you had that idea, Kinaka-kun

8: We worked so hard starting from the morning, we closed the gap, and ran until here

Pag 6

1: Being “buddies” really was our “breakthorugh”, teh!!

2: Breakthrough...!!

3: ??

4: Right!!

Teh...!!

5: Somehow, when I think about seeing the “goal”

6: I feel a surge of power, teh!!

Ohh...

7: Yeah, nice Rokudai, that's good!!

8: We've survived so far, so let's run through the end!!

Pag 7

2: Pfui

Yeah....

Let's do... our best and.... run....

5: Huh, where's my bottle?

Teh

Pag 8

3: Rokudaiii!!

6: Oooooogh

Pag 9

3: Ah....

Kinaka....kun? Huh.... I... fell.... and my bo.... ttle?

4: Rokudaii!!

5: So-sorry

You- you saved me, because you're my “buddy”!!

Pag 10

1: Because I'm your friend

3: Because you're my precious and reliable friend!!

4: Don't fall

Pag 11

1: Don't fall yet!!

2: There's still a chance

3: A small one

4: We can't know until the end of this last day of this training camp

Our

5: target

Pag 12

1: is to go together to the Inter High!!

Yeah!!

Pag 13

2: Ohh, they got back up, those first years

They ran 800km, so I thought their pace would drop for 2 or 3 laps

3: and that they would lose momentum like that

5: There are two ways of winning a road race

Pag 14

1: The first way is enduring determinedly, following without giving up in any situation

2: So that you survive and become the last man standing

4: And the other way is attacking yourself, actively passing and leaving behind your opponents

5: showing your strength and taking the victory....!!

6: They're both “victories”, that doesn't change

But the one who brings you more praises and admiration

Pag 15

1: It's the latter, Issa!!

2: That's right, Danchiku!!

3: First year Omihata, my jersey

Yessir!!

4: The heat resistance training ends here!!

5: Kaburagi-san.... he took off his long-sleeved jersey....!!

That means he's gotten serious!!

6: Let's go with with Full Spec, Danchiku!!

Now that our bodies are ready, we'll definitely do our “human sacrifice”....

Pag 16

1: We'll defeat Sugimoto-san and go to the Inter High!!

Of course, Issa!!

Pag 17

3: Let's catch him, Danchiku!!

4: So you're here

Pag 18

1: You two!!

2: We've come to give back to you that “you allowed us to train with you”!! Sugimoto-san!!

Pag 19

2: Danchiku has already mastered the new bike he's riding, and he doesn't stagger anymore

Thanks to you, he's now in perfect condition!! Perfect!!

3: Yeah

Pag 20

1: I'm just next to you and yet I can feel your pressure enough!!

3: Sugimoto-san, sorry but I'm gonna defeat you in one blow

4: I won't let you beat me in one blow

Pag 21

1: Is that your “expectations”? Or your “hope”?

2: Yeah.... for now

3: I'll also take off my arms warmer!!

4: Sugimoto took off his arms warmer!!

5: If you come at me seriously....

Pag 22

1: It's only polite of me to get serious too!!

Pag 23

3: Sugimoto himself hit their handles!!

Even though usually his play-style is to avoid rough play and contact!!

4: You're in high spirits....!!

5: Not as much as you!! Danchiku!!

Pag 24

1: Honestly, I'm surprised that you're going all out like this.... you're worth defeating!!

2: I'll let you train with me one more time, Danchiku!!

Pag 25

2: Ah crap, they've started already!!

The last battle

3: of the fourth and last day of this training camp!!

4: Danchiku-kun!! Sugimoto-kun!!

Pag 26

1: I'll pull now, teh, Kinaka-kun

Yeah, thank you, Rokudai!!

2: Please....

3: No....

4: I'm beaten....

Even though I've finally... cut the 200km left point...

5: That moment.... I overdid it a little....

6: My legs hurt.....

[nativestarwrites]

Tagged by the lovely @jamietarttsnorthernattitude thank you!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

106

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

258,188

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Ted Lasso and Macgyver. I've dabbed in a couple others.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Unwritten Rules (Merlin) Running Through Emotions (Ted Lasso) Unexpendable (Endeavour) Side by Side (Ted Lasso) The Unknown Variable (Macgyver)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, I do try to, it might be somewhat delayed but eventually I do respond! I like to say thanks for taking the time to leave what are often very lovely comments and sometimes chat about canon or plot points.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

That's a tricky one, most of my fics end on a positive note, even if everything is not okay, there's hope that it will be eventually. A lot of my fics are full of angst though, it just gets resolved by the end.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Living Death? This might be because someone left a new comment on this old fic last week, but it does end with Mac and Jack taking the GTO out for a joy ride and I don't think you get much happier than that!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, I've had the occasional odd comment that I can't figure out but no one has really been hateful.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No, I'm ace, it doesn't really interest me.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not really. I have one tiny fic that is a crossover between Merlin and Macgyver though.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, I've had a fic posted to Wattpad without my knowledge. They did acknowledge that it wasn't theirs and was written by me. But it's still theft.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

USS Voyager NCC-74656

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I don't want to say never to anything but I've been saying I'll finish my Garden Fic for years and it's still not done.... :(

16. What are your writing strengths?

Bringing the angst! I like to think I'm fairly good at puzzling out plot problems and coming up with creative solutions. I generally get characters voices pretty good too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I could definitely do with getting tighter on my grammar! There's loads more I want to learn about being a writer and I'm far from perfect. I want to try out and learn from different genres, build my plot structure skills and develop my writing tools. And of course I have a bunch of bad habits. (I do like to start too many sentences with 'And...')

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I don't think I've ever done this but I'm not opposed to it, but I'd want to do it very carefully and be very confident in the translation!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Pretty sure it was SPN in 2007...

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

How can I choose between them?! It might be When Darkness Falls, I'm having so much fun with this, I've been working on it for a long while now and I'm still not bored, I'm so excited to show everyone the rest of the story and what happens! It's my longest fic by a significant margin and in it I can see all the fics that came before, the ones that built my writing skills to be able to write it, so I'm also fond of it for that reason.

I don't know who's already done this, feel free to ignore but I'm going to try tagging @rosieblogstuff @abubblingcandle @thirteenemeraldcats

[suzyq31]

Thanks for the tag @kay-elle-cee! I feel like such an imposter lately since I can't seem to bring myself to write lately, at least outside of journaling.

AO3 Username: Elastic_Heart31

1. How many works do you have on A03? 15, but 2 more are hidden for now.

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 765,116

3. What fandoms do you write for? So far just Harry Potter. If I was braver I would write the Before Sunrise idea I have or attempt to write a fleabag fanfic. I'm also experimenting with more original writing.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Maybe Tomorrow

Iris

It Had To Be You

Found (though currently hidden)

In Between (also hidden 😅)

Those are all Harmony, but my top Jily fic is:

At The Beginning

5. Do you respond to comments? I try my best with my ADHD brain. I truly appreciate when people take the time to let me know their thoughts.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hmm. Not sure since some haven't ended some of them yet. Maybe Plans? Since we know what happens in canon.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably It Had To Be You with it's two part epilogue of fluff.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Sigh. Yes. One of the many reasons I've lost my enthusiasm for writing Harry and Hermione fanfics.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, though often against my better judgement haha. I have no idea what to classify it as. Maybe I'll borrow Kelsey's word and say vanilla.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Nope!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not sure.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Maybe? I've had people ask, but unsure if they are posted.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, hopefully will get back to it someday!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Hmmm I've had so many over the years. The only ones I've attempted to write though have been Harmony and Jily. They've also been consistent since childhood.

Special shout out to my teenage love of Pacey and Joey from Dawson's Creek, even though adult me thinks he deserves better and that show is terrible.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? At this point it feels like all of them 🙈

16. What are your writing strengths? No clue. I've been told I write emotion well. I've also been complimented on my ability to write children realistically.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Probably grammar and sentence structure, I still feel lost a lot of the time when it comes to all of that. I earned to write in English after learning French though it's my native language, and I see how it still impacts me. Also, I tend to be the worst with over writing and then having to edit the hell out everything!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If it makes sense in the story. I've seen it work well in a lot of literary books I've read. And one scene in particular from UaS (if you know, you know).

19. First fandom you wrote for? Harry Potter. One and only (so far).

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Hmm I'm probably proudest of Maybe Tomorrow. It's one that feels personal in ways that are hard to explain. I also think I grew a lot as a writer while working on it.

In terms of Jily, I've really enjoyed my drabbles that aren't on archive. I do hope to expand on some of them someday.

Tagging: @myst867 @annonymouslyblonde @cordovabox @nodirectionhome-ao3 @glitterwitch1

Also if you feel like joining considering yourself tagged!

[kmze]

Finally decided to do a TVD rewatch now that the 'verse is complete. Since I know how everything ends I thought it would be interesting to see how I react with that knowledge. Curious if my feelings might change about characters, ships, storylines etc. (obviously I am fully aware there's going some bias).

Adding my thoughts after I complete the half-way mark of each season (there is simply too many episodes to do a recap of each one). I am talking to the void mostly here but feel free to leave comments, thoughts on my posts for those who still follow me or just find this post. However, I am not here to argue, I simply DO NOT CARE whatever you think is right totally, please leave me alone.

Recaps tagged with k rewatches tvd

S1 Episodes 1-11

I am loving the dark atmosphere of the first season, feeling so much nostalgia! Nice to go back in time to when vampires were scary on this show. That's not really criticism because every supernatural show goes through this. The big bad must always be upped as it goes on but it was nice when the stakes were lower and the mythos was being developed.

Damon makes me feel so uncomfortable so far... I know he was the 'villian' for most of the beginning of the season but his treatment of Vicki and Caroline is just so predatory and gross. Which brings me to...

WHY HAS NO ONE GIVEN CAROLINE A GOD DAMN VERVAIN NECKLACE ALREADY!!! Stefan and Elena both know Damon was using her (and they know damn well he hasn't stopped). Her Mom has the vervain to give her and just has not for no reason!! GET AWAY FROM HER ALREADY! I got so mad when Damon was compelling her AGAIN in the 10th episode. I'm so glad she outlives them all, justice for my baby!

I'm sorry but Stefan is so creepy and self-righteous in the beginning, I remembered this but did not remember how bad it was. Also he did not need to kill Vicki, that pissed me off. I don't think it did as much when I first watch this (mind you that was literally 14+ years ago) but just knowing how freely everyone neck-snaps around here it was bullshit. His one cool moment remains when he told Logan he can't walk in the sun. The manipulative way he used Elena’s adoption to get her to forgive him had me rolling my eyes (then of course she used it against Jenna to get out of trouble lol).

I can't remember who the other vampire is who turned Logan, I'm thinking its Pearl's henchman but yeah I don't remember that part. I also didn't remember the crystal so I like that some of this is like a 'mystery' again.

I did remember that I thought Tyler was such a dick in the first season and yeah confirmed. Though now I remembered his Dad was an abusive piece of shit. Still, fuck Tyler for now.

Alaric looks so different I don't hate him (yet).

I still hate Matt #bias

The progression of Bonnie realizing her powers has been well done, again nice to just see the simple magic again. (Stefan totally wanted to bang Sheila back in the day... maybe they did)

Jeremy just met Anna and I still love them, I wish they got more time. They were the only 'ship I like in this season when it first aired.

The Bonnie, Elena and Caroline friendship is nice but I am annoyed they haven't done more to protect Caro from Damon. Especially when she doesn't know what's going on and they do (though Bonnie only just got all the deets). This might be magnified by my love of Caroline I admit but I hate the prop-y way she's being used so far.

I kinda rolled my eyes at the whole Katherine/Damon/Stefan stuff before Elena knew they were vamps because OMG Stefan is 17(!!!) Does no one thinks it's weird he's like "it was a long time ago" A LONG TIME AGO LIKE WHEN YOU WERE 12?! They should have made him at least 20, just bothers me.

I liked that not every vampire had a daylight ring and it was more of a novelty. That is something that could have stuck more in the later seasons.

Lines that made me laugh:

Caroline: Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines. (Bonnie offers to help her) I guess we can put her in the back. (all right in front of Elena lmao oh Caroline never change)

Caroline: So, Elena...how long do you think this fight with Stefan's gonna last? Is it...like a permanent thing? (eyes on the prize baby! lol)

Stefan: (imitating Damon) Now that the secret society of vampire haters is off our back, I can go back to my routine of how can I destroy Stefan’s life this week. (never gets old!)

Damon: *shoots Logan with wooden bullets* Payback's a bitch, isn't it? (all in the delivery here lmao kudos to Ian)

[praecurokat]

Ted Lasso Finale Thoughts- So Long, Farewell... (I do not know what to think!)

this episode being an hour and 15 minutes..after being released at midnight... that's just cruel.. my brain cannot operate properly under such conditions..

congrats Tedbecca shippers! oop watched more.. sorry Tedbecca shippers...

most normal Beard and Jane appearance in the series at Rebecca’s house in the beginning

writers were bringing the dramatic flair in this episode! first that thing with Isaac dressed as a judge in the beginning, and then a musical number! idk how i feel about that..

speaking of the musical number, i must regretfully inform the masses that idk what the song is from.. pls lmk in the comments.. i see that it relates to the episode title

ah yes Jane acting totally normal by shredding Beard's passport.. total ✨ marriage material ✨

Trent's shirt says sat 17 may.. could this be significant?? everything in this show is..

"You know, that might be a tasty little treat for the diamond dogs.” “No. No. No. No!”-Roy, soon to become a Diamond Dog in a moment of desperation

wait did Trent name his manuscript the lasso way awww

“I only got into this to ruin Rupert's life, and he seems to be doing a pretty good job of that himself.”- Rebecca

So. Many. Throwbacks. Keeley saying “Is everybody decent?”, Jamie using lots of axe body spray like S1, the cleaner walking in on everyone, and way more i can’t think of

the complicated web that is royjamiekeeley is still being spun.. in the last episode..

“Must be awful for them, lying awake at night, haunted by how fucking easy they’ve had it!”- Mae, to Rebecca’s mom

Trent watching Ted read his book.. heart eyes emoji

the way Ted looks at him.. i meannn is this even subtext anymore?

“So you do laugh, but you don't do it until page.. 43?! And it wasn't even a big laugh!”- Trent, while Ted is reading his manuscript

"Whatever happens on Sunday, I want you to know I’m proud of you. All the work you’ve put in this year."- Roy to Jamie, before proceeding to fistfight with him later

Both Roy and Jamie seem very contemplative this ep. What are they thinking??

i am so concerned about the current royjamie feud over Keeley... what is gonna happen here???

“Would you please stay?” and “I know, I just had to try.”- Rebecca, about Ted

lmao Keeley kicking both Roy and Jamie out after they asked her to choose

“You stay put, Trenthouse magazine. You’re part of the squad now.”- Ted, to Trent

“Yeah. Someone better. Can people change?”- Roy, also this is a central tenet of this damn show

“I don’t think we change per se, as much as we just learn to accept who we’ve always been, you know?” -Trent’s most beautiful quote thus far

aww Nate finally got his diamond dogs reaction to Jade

George being Rupert’s coach sent me.. like you Really couldn’t find anyone else?

I hate Rupert but I love his dramatic slay coat swish moments.. again reminds me of Uther’s drama queen antics

“I prefer rugby, there’s just more grown men throwing other grown men into the air like children. And blood. Which is nice." - Barbara

Bloodthirsty and mysterious? Barbara is a serial killer or vampire confirmed.

“Never forget, I am always inside you.” -Zava’s note, which also came with a giant avocado

Zorro has truly entered his superhero arc and Dani Rojas is his genius creator

the fourth thing has to be 'Believe'.. aand it was? Right?

AFC Richmond Women’s club.. i sense a spinoff show opportunity…. or they could just do a show about Trent

George has begun a redemption arc!! (Telling Rupert to fuck off)

Rupert's desperation and misery at the end is not entirely unreminiscent of Rebecca at the start of S1

yesss Colin got his kiss on the pitch!!

haha the same? person from S1E1 taking pics w Ted in the airport

damn so Beard’s going home too, thought Jane would've locked him away in a safe or smth… nvm

omg Amsterdam man has a child.. hmmm Rebecca’s prophecy may still be fulfilled

Roy becoming manager feels natural

Ofc Trent renamed his book ‘The Richmond Way’… never let them know your next move

that montage at the end…so much to process....

beardjane wedding marking the end of the series.. good or bad omen for the future? i think bad

seems very fitting the series ending the opposite of how it began.. Rupert's life ruined, Rebecca in love and not owner of the club, Roy and Jamie healing and bonding w others around them, and Ted back in America with family.

[visitbespin]

20 Questions for Writers

tagged by the wonderful @autumnwoodsdreamer, thank you!! ✨

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

19 works

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

139,379 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

star wars, star trek, and...others (that i either won't mention + there's 2 more fandoms i have unpublished wip's for... one day they will see the light of day) (and i used to write for dghda!)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

you could always see me

time to come home

we're a slow burning tune

no different

5. Do you respond to comments?

yes!! and i love to do so!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i don't really write angsty endings? so i'll pick home is far away - the first fic in the series of the same title! it has a hopeful ending but it leaves the characters in an 'angsty' place emotionally, essentially because it's part 1 of 3.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

home, in every language - part 3 of the home is far away series. ♡ though i am also very fond of the ending of when to hold on and when to let go.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

never, thankfully!

9. Do you write smut?

i have not

10. Do you write crossovers?

no, unless we count mixing characters from various star wars properties; i love mixing rebels characters with the OT, mando, and thrawn books characters, it brings me a lot of joy.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

wow that is quite a question... within star wars i'd pick dinluke or thranto lol. truthfully i think my answer to this question changes every year lol, my ao3 bookmarks show this pretty clearly

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

oh hell... it's a star wars au of another fandom that i started writing in fall 2022. please let me finish this someday, i'm on chapter 4 of 4, and the whole thing is only 10k words rn 😭

also, more relevantly, there is a fic about ezra & luke on lothal that i started in ... early 2023. it's 6k words rn and i'm probably 40% through the story... [sighs deeply] please let me finish this one too, please.

16. What are your writing strengths?

constructing a narrative? i don't know, i'm fond of these stories i've woven. i find it hard to write a fic that's ~just vibes~, although i do love to read those; my writing is always spurred by the need to write these characters undergoing something meaningful, with a meaningful conclusion.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

...i have previously read back some of my work and found some very clunky sentences/paragraphs that really make it clear i'm only a writer by hobby, and that my profession is...more technical lol. i also don't like some of the romance i've written in the past, but i don't regret writing any of it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

hell yeah i've done it multiple times! my bobannec fic is kind of very about that, and i've used other languages in non-sw fics. i like reading it in fics as well.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

dirk gently's holistic detective agency! in 2017-2018. to this day i think it was/is the most welcoming fandom to write fic for.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

home is far away, all 3 parts. ❤️ and since i have a place to say it, that fic means so much to me because it let me express so many of the feelings i was experiencing in 2022. the same goes for when to hold on and when to let go. i really love and cherish both of those stories.

no pressure at all, tagging @theydjarin @gizkalord @gil-estel and anyone else who sees this and feels like answering questions! 💌

[pikmininaplane]

Hello dear mutual LB lanuel Bals third of its name, i do not know a SINGLE thing abt d20 i only rbed because a mutual drew that and i thus extend the official invite to feel free to info dump to me abt it (PLEASE !!! only if u want ofc peeposhy) and also where should i start if i were to try to get into it (asking for me)

thank u and have a great ballsy day <33 uwu

Oh em gee it’s Moo Peng my beloved tumblr dot com mutual haiii ^w^ And thank you SO much for giving me an opportunity to talk about this >:D This might get long tho

D20, aka Dimension 20, is a RPG (mostly D&D) show that you can watch on Dropout (smaller American streaming service, but it has really good content <3), though some seasons are on Youtube!

There are 21 seasons in total so far, but each one is its own campaign (well, except for the 3-4 sequel seasons), which means you can absolutely jump right into a later season and still get what’s going on :] Also the seasons range from 20 episodes to 4, so you don’t always need to find the emotional resolve to sit through 20 2-hours long episodes lol

The fanart you reblogged is of Ayda, a character from Fantasy High, which is basically the poster child of D20 – it was the first season, and it later got two sequel seasons, Sophomore Year (which is the exact one Ayda is from) and Junior Year, the most recent season, as well as two spin-off seasons with locations/characters from its world (Pirates of Leviathan and The Seven (it’s kinda funny actually because I know you’re a PJO fan and, well, I often see posts about it in that season’s tag because of the name X))) Mostly it’s about a bunch of teenagers in a fantasy 80s-esque high school trying to solve mysteries and going on adventures!

Fantasy High is not my personal favorite, however – the medal of honor goes to A Court of Fey and Flowers and Mentopolis, respectively the "fey regency/romance" season and the "Inside Out but as a film noir" season <3 But there’s plenty I love!! There’s a space opera season, a "Game of Thrones but with food" season, a heist season, a furry murder mystery season, a fairytale horror season… the list goes on! It even featured a bunch of drag queens on a season :D

There’s only four seasons available on Youtube, unfortunately, but they’re all really good so here they are:

Fantasy High

I’ve mentioned it before, so I won’t elaborate, but I’ll add that it’s 17 episodes long!

Fantasy High: Sophomore Year

Also mentioned before, but I’ll add that this season was recorded live on Twitch so while it’s a lot of people’s favorite, it has occasional problems (especially audio-wise). 20 episodes long

Escape from the Bloodkeep

Lord of the Rings parody – the villain lords find themselves scrambling when not-Sauron suddenly dies and they’re forced to work together to bring him back :3c 6 episodes long, features Matt Mercer of Critical Role fame

The Unsleeping City

Urban fantasy, turns out there’s a whole magical side of New York that regular people can’t see, and a group of unlikely heroes band together to face the bad parts of that magical side >:3c 17 episodes long, there’s also a second season of it but it isn’t out on Youtube unfortunately :(

The next season, Never Stop Blowing Up, is coming out in like a week and a half, based on the trailer, it’s going to be a Jumanji-like 80s action movies parody and I am!! Very excited!! :D

[kickthecan-revolution]

I’m watching Break Point on Netflix and it is bringing up so many memories. I played three hours of tennis everyday, started when I was 7 and ended when I was 17. I actually got into college for it but never showed up, another proud Diane moment. Anyway. We’d go to tournament after tournament, driving in older kids’ cars, getting housed by other tennis parents. Stuff that would never fly now for sure but back then, things were so much different. 

Tennis parents are - in a phrase - mostly crazy. A girl named Kathy’s parents were totally insane - I beat her in the third set in a tournament in Yakima Valley, 7-6 tie breaker. My mom didn’t come to that tournament and the court was far away - after the match, Kathy’s mom pushed me down a flight of stairs. I got a concussion and my mom threatened her with a restraining order.  An older boy’s dad was completely off the rails, he bought his son a Corvette because his kid was winning a lot, but when he lost an important match? The dad smashed the windows in with his racket. So. Many. Stories. 

My mom was also nuts about it (my dad hardly came to any of the tournaments). I was playing doubles with my best friend Molly - I was 10 or 11 - and we were in the finals in a tournament in Bend, Oregon. I had qualified for Sectionals in singles, a fairly big deal, and my mom called and said I had to skip the doubles final and come home to rest and prepare for Sectionals. Sobbing, I didn’t want to make Molly or her mom mad - her mom snapped at me and said it was my decision. I was a fucking child, but I went home and a day later, I remember my mom driving to Molly’s house and had a screaming match with her mom. They were friends but not after that.  Another time, I was headed down to Oregon for another tournament on a train with another little girl and Mount St Helens erupted. Someone opened a window and ash came pouring in - all I remember is how dark the sky turned and how cool but scary it was. 

We played at a club called Town and Country where Rick Johnson was the coach. We were all sponsored by Fila and Dunlop and got free rackets and clothes - he’d ask us to do a fashion show all of the time, I remember being weirded out because the clothes were so sheer but whatever, everybody was in the same embarrassing boat. I was the littlest one, years younger than the rest. My brother played, my sister didn’t - he was incredibly good and was in it to win. I went because my mom said that’s what we were to do, so I never really felt like I had a choice. Sometimes we’d even go before school to practice, between 5-7am and then back again from 3-6pm, every weekday. She always said it was to keep us out of the house, away from my dad and I do believe that. I think it was also part of her dream that she was part of a family who played tennis, wealth, etc. 

Rick was an excellent coach. We ran drills until we’d throw up on the side of the court which I guess looking back wasn’t a great thing but he was such a great teacher and he loved the game so much. His team was renowned for being great in the Juniors, several players went on to Nationals and several turned Pro. We’d go over to his apartment all of the time and watch TV and stuff, I was there constantly and he got us some cool opportunities when pros came to town to play. I was a ball girl for Martina Navratilova once- I think I am spelling that name correctly - and she asked for me to be removed because I was moving around too much. wa wa.

My brother and I did have a moment of fame -- there was a National tournament called the Equitable where brothers and sisters played against other brother-sister matches, and if you won, you ended up at the US Open to play on a National level. My brother and I were good but mostly, we got along really well. We decided that was the edge we needed and it worked. We played the final at Flushing Meadows in NY and we won the whole thing, and the whole stadium watched while they waited for the women’s final. It’s still kind of surreal that happened. I have vague recollection of my mom staying in the hotel because she was so nervous. Now that I think about it, my dad wasn’t there - how weird is that? We were in the local news and I remember a reporter writing the most horrible article about us and how elite the game is. He wasn’t wrong but it was pretty vicious. 

After that - I think I was 13 or 14 - Rick came over to our house and grabbed a big poster of us with the other winners. It turns out earlier that day, it had been discovered that he sexually abused several of the girls on the team and was peeking at the girls showering through a window. He was chased off and out of town and never heard from again. Nothing ever happened with me which is kind of crazy, I think I was the only one he didn’t mess with. My mom was furious he took that poster. 

I remember my left arm being freakishly more muscular than my right (I am left-handed). At 10 years old, I was serving and volleying which was kind of unheard of for a kid that age. I was good but I didn’t care, I was there for the boys and the dances and I loved it when people watched me but when they stopped, I stopped caring, Not exactly a winning instinct (which makes me laugh so hard as I write that.)

In high school, I started choking. I hated to play and the angrier my mom got when I lost, the more fucked up and scared I was. It was like I was frozen. The day I told her I quit, she was coldly furious. She called me a quitter and didn’t ever really like me too much again after that. Looking back, I get it - she had invested so much money and time, driving me an hour a day back and forth, so many tournaments, and I was quitting before I even got into college. I didn’t realize it at the time but we were broke and I wonder now if she wanted me to try to get a scholarship. She kind of dropped me at that point which is when I found other places to be my Senior year, for the most part, I was rarely home. I figured out how to apply to the UofW,  it was the only school I knew about and was so mentally ill/traumatized at that point, didn’t do much exploration of anything outside of that. When I was waitlisted I panicked and called the tennis coach there who helped me get in. My brother went on to play there and still plays a lot today. 

I have literally not played since the last match before I quit. Maybe I’ll see what it feels like again. 

[twdmusicboxmystery]

not sure if you are aware but amc plus is not doing early release of any of the daryl dixon episodes. My initial thoughts are, is this because they do not want anything spoiled, that they want everyone to see the same episodes released at the same time. If beth returns I do believe there will be mixed reviews from the GA, the same with the hate that TD got especially in the beginning.

Another thought, Glenn's fake out death. On the Talking Dead right after the episode where he is revealed alive, one of the writers- can't remember which one said something along the line that the reason they did the fake out death for Glenn was to test the waters on fake out deaths. TDers always believed this was about beth. That they planned to revealed her alive. Imo bringing back Madison and Troy are examples of seeing how the GA feels about bringing back "dead" characters. As far as I have read, the GA wasn't mad about them returning.

I have always wondered if the backlash about bethyl was why they didn't bring her back sooner. In the beginning the writers played with her age too much. At the farm she was a teenager. Hershel makes the comment about this, when talking about her and Jimmy. At the prison she is raising a baby yet she tells Axel she's 16 or 17 I can't remember, then daryl refers to her as a dumb college b. Yet EK was in her 30s and you could tell. For example other young characters like lyda, Enrid or Carl seem young on the show, they felt like teens. Beth never did. She should have been aged in the beginning the same as tara or rosita. Everyone argument about bethyl was age. Still is if you follow reddit. After all these years beth would not be in that teenage category. Possibly meaning the GA would be more open to the idea.

Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it?

I think they messed up from a PR standpoint when it comes to not showing the episodes to those who pay for the app early. Personally, I don't really care when the episodes drop. I'm watching them either way. But they've released them early for all the shows for so long now that if they were going to change it, they should have done a very big, very obvious announcement about that, and they didn't. People were expecting to be able to watch it yesterday, and that's not happening. So, now they're doing a lot of damage control. Not good.

As for the rest, you make good points about them wanting everyone to watch the episodes together. I seriously doubt it's about episode 1. So much of that episode--practically all of it, tbh--has been spoiled already in one way or another, that it wouldn't matter if they showed that episode early.

But it's probably not about the first few episodes at all. Maybe they're just setting a precedent so that everyone watches the last episode together. And if that's the case, it does suggest something huge happening in that episode. Let's hope so!

I really enjoyed reading what you said about tptb testing the waters for the fakeout. I'd forgotten that about Glenn's death. And I agree that no one seems particularly angry about Troy's or Madison's return. Which means tptb have done their job, getting the GA used to this sort of thing so there will be less of a backlash. There will always be detractors, of course. And Troy and Madison aren't a big part of the shipping wars, as Beth is, so there's that. But still, all great points.

And yes, I totally agree that no one will be able to say anything about Beth's age anymore. She told Axel she was 17, and that was only a year or two into the apocalypse. I read in one of the review articles that the Daryl spinoff goes out of its way to tell the audience we are now 12 years into the apocalypse. There must be some reason they are being so specific about that. So, without a doubt, Beth would be close to 30 now.

And just like that, arguments about her age are gone. ;D Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. I guess we'll have lots to talk about on Sunday. 😊 Xoxo! 🍁🍂💓

[come-chaos]

20 Questions for Writers

Thanks so much for the tag, @elismor and @valkeakuulas !

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 24

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 218,792

3. What fandoms do you write for? At the moment, I seem to be writing exclusively for the animated Star Wars shows.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Suns Tempered by Devotion

Psychostasia

Someone Like You

The Path That Brings Us Home

Relief Support

Unsurprisingly, my Codywan fic tops the list. Number 2–4 are some of my favourite works, so that's nice. Number 5 is ... unexpected, haha! I can't help but notice that none of my cloneshipping fics made the list.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes. I am personally far more inclined to comment on a fic if I notice that the author replies to their comments, so of course I will take care to reply to the comments I receive!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I wrote The Maker Makes No Mistakes back in 2013, in which the angsty ending more or less equals the entire plot. In more recent years, I wrote Suns Tempered by Devotion, where the angsty ending is taken directly from canon – something I did not expect to shock my readers, as I had not yet learnt that canon non-compliance is the norm in Star Wars fanfiction, haha!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Almost all of my works feature, at the very least, a pinch of angst or wistfulness towards the end, but I think Figures of Speech actually builds up to an ending that's just plain happy.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not so far!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Absolutely. It's one of my very favourite things to write. I generally aim to write smut that is realistic, that keeps the characters unique, and that subverts the occasional trope.

10. Do you write crossovers? Nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Also nope.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Uhhh, good question. I tend to stay in fandoms for a long time, but there's no ship in particular that I can think of that has always remained my favourite.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have always finished every WIP that I've truly cared about.

16. What are your writing strengths? I get it done, even when I have to edit a work a billion times. I am nothing if not perseverant. And meticulous. Hence all the editing.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Most of the time, it takes a tremendous effort for me to put words together. A major reason is that English is only my second language, but my brain also seems to simply work poorly in some ways. Another reason why I need to edit my fics a lot is because I keep changing my idea of the characters, which can also be very frustrating.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I enjoy it when foreign words are sprinkled in for flavour, but full incomprehensible sentences that I need to understand in order to follow the story are just annoying. I could see it work if the difficulty is somehow the point (for example if the main character is learning the language and we get to experience the struggle alongside them), but only if the translations are easily accessible right next to the lines.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I've dabbled in this kind of thing since I was a child, but The Hobbit was the first fandom I published a fic for.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? I think The Path That Brings Us Home is my best work, but Someone Like You is my favourite. I poured a lot into that one, and it's by far the longest fic I've ever written.

No-pressure tags: @trudemaethien and @silverxsakura

(Questions under cut)

20 Questions for Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

[writingforfun0714]

Hey everyone,

So I was going through a Bad Batch trailer analysis I had made before S2 premiered and saw something. The trailer is from about 8mo ago and I managed to get this screenshot.

Omega is shown briefly with this boy, who appears to be about 3yrs older than her (anywhere from 2-4yrs older tbh). This is the only time we see him and the only convo/dialog we get is Omega telling him ‘let’s go’. I can’t tell what the light source is in the background, but they are clearly inside somewhere.

Here’s the same shot only I messed with it a bit in Procreate to try and make it brighter.

There appears to be some kind of doorway or something behind Omega on the right, though it’s barely visible and I could totally be wrong. Despite the low quality we can see that the boy has a scarf, fingerless gloves and a casual tunic (nothing like what the rich/senators/powerful people wear). I haven’t really seen this kid discussed but I have 2 theories about who he could be.

**I HC the Clone War lasted about 4yrs. Idk how accurate/concrete the years are for SW**

Theory 1–This boy is Petro, one of the padawans from Gungi’s group (the cocky kid). Considering we’ve seen Gungi already and knew for a fact he was gonna show up, it’s not entirely impossible that we’d run into the others. Personally, I was really sad we didn’t hear a thing about them from Gungi the whole ep (and that Echo didn’t even suggest contacting Rex?? Like yes Gungi belongs w/ his people, but Ahsoka!!! The others!!! I honestly thought that was how the padawans would tie into this season, though so far only Gungi is confirmed). While Petro is about 12 during the padawan/Hondo arc, this boy appears to be about 14/15, meaning about 2-3yrs of the war go by. If BB S2 is about 6mo after O66, that could work out (I think. Cuz Ahsoka would be about 15 during her time with the padawans and about 17/18 during O66). While Petro’s hair color is darker in CW, hair can change color over time. However, the texture of this boy’s hair is more wavy than Petro’s and his nose is straighter (Petro’s nose curves in). Yes we’ve seen Anakin’s straight golden hair turn to a long, curly chocolate brown, but usually facial features stay the same. All facial features ‘shrink’ as we age so yes, they do change in size, but they should still be the same shape, just proportionally smaller (unless surgery or something).

Theory 2–This boy is Lux Bonteri. Lux is about Ahsoka’s age when they meet. Because CW is an anthology series, the only linear time progression we get is through Ahsoka aging (though there are some stories w/ out of order episodes). Since the padawan arc and Ahsoka training Lux happens in the same season, it’s possible that she met Lux after her time w/ the padawans. If so that’d put them both at about 15. As stated in Theory 1, this boy in the screenshot appears to be about 14/15 (Lux’s age in CW). Lux would be about 17ish in BB S2 which doesn’t really line up with the boy in the picture. However, we have already been introduced to Saw Gerrera in S1. It’s possible Lux returned to/stayed with Saw and the rebels on Onderon after Steela Gerrera’s death. That’d be a way to bring Saw back in since we just saw him that one time in S1E1. Also, Lux’s hair texture and color line up better with this boy and while his nose still has a bit of a button shape at the tip, the bridge of his nose is straighter than Petro’s. Only the ages don’t quite line up.

There’s also the possibility that we’ve never seen this boy/he is a new character. I could be totally wrong about my theories. We’ve gotten 2 new characters so far (Phee Genoa and Tawni Ames) so it’s not impossible to have another. I must admit that while both Lux and Petro check similar boxes to this mystery boy, neither match him completely. Lux would be almost an adult (17/18) while this boy looks to be 15 at the oldest (I HC Omega is 12 in S2) though his hair texture, color and nose shape matches this boy more than Petro. In contrast, Petro would be the right age (about 14/15 during BB) and we’ve already got confirmation that Gungi is alive.

I just wanted to bring this up cuz I rewatched S2E6 ‘Tribe’ and was going through some of my previous posts. Thanks for reading 💕

*Edit—I had a thought that it could be Kanan as well. We haven’t seen him since he ran off in S1E1 and because Omega knows Hera, she could set up their meeting. His nose shape and hair color are a match along with his age, though I think the hair texture is a bit different. However, given that he mistrusted CF99/Hunter the last time he saw them, I highly doubt he’d trust Hunter again.