#and now i a baby about it. i mean my sisters r in similar positions bc the youngest is currently looking for a teaching job. and my middle

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[ibuki-loves-you]

Trigger Happy Havoc Girls with an S/O who is like Mikan

Warnings: Mikan's personality/actions

Mod Ibuki: Hey hey hey!! Sorry for the long wait on this :/ I hope it was worth it, though!

Kyoko:

Kyoko was immediately worried for your safety

She had a lot of questions

Why were you so shy? Had you been through something?

She kept those questions to herself though

If someone ever made fun of you, she’d glare

Literally just walk up to you, wrap on arm around your waist and the other on your arm

And glare

If you ever took a fall in front of her she’d carefully lean down and help you up, suggestive or not

Although she might blush a bit if it was a suggestive position

“There, you’re alright. It was just a small trip, thankfully.”

If you ever offered to take your clothes off for her, she would be appalled

“Love, I don’t want you to take your clothes off because I’m not in a particularly good mood. Bad moods are normal, that doesn’t mean you take your clothes off every time it happens. Don’t offer that to me unless you personally want to do it.”

Kyoko is not someone you can look at and feel as if she’s mad at you, because she makes it clear if she is

But if you did think she was, she’d be pretty upset

“No, love. I’m not mad. You did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing at all. I honestly don’t think I can be mad at you. You just seem to make everything better.”

Kyoko’s heart skips a beat whenever you’re around <3

Hina:

Hina LOVED YOU

The minute you two met she did not let you out of her sight for long periods of time

She was just worried someone would hurt you or take advantage of you

If someone ever made fun of you, she’d be so mad

No one wants to deal with mad swimmy baby

“That is so rude, you know!? That was completely uncalled for! There was absolutely no reason to say that! Now apologize!”

If you ever took a fall in front of her, she would honestly fall too just to make you feel less embarrassed

She’d cover you if need be, though

Either with clothing or with herself when she “falls”

If you ever offered to take your clothes off for her, she’d be in shock

Mainly because you offered it to her because you thought she was upset

“What!? Please, S/O, no! Don’t say that! Taking your clothes off won’t make me feel better, cuddles will! Get over here! Because of that statement, I demand you let me cuddle you!”

If you ever thought Hina was mad, which is rare, she’d he so upset

“Baby! No! Not at all! I could never be mad at you! I swear! Your face is just too adorable to be mad at!”

Swimmer baby just wants your happiness above all

Celestia:

Celeste would never admit it if anyone asked

But she loved you the minute she laid eyes on you

Your personality only made her want to be with you more

Not many people dared to bother you, but if an unlucky soul did try to do such a thing…

Celeste would give them a run for their money

“Are you fucking kidding me!? How dare you!? Why don’t you crawl back into whatever ditch you crawled out of and leave my significant other alone! Do I make myself clear!?” She’d turn to you and give you a soft smile. “Come on, dear. Let’s go get some tea to cheer you up, yes?”

If you fell in front of her, she wouldn’t be able to catch you without falling herself, but she’d immediately take your hands and help you up

“Come now, darling. Don’t cry, it was an accident. Everything is alright.”

If you ever offered to take your clothes off for her, it would take a second to click

But once it did her reaction was similar to Kyoko’s

“Darling, I don’t wish for you to take off your clothes merely because Yamada put me in a foul mood. I would much rather you keep said clothes on and have a cup of tea with me, maybe some conversation as well. Please don’t offer yourself to me out of pity.”

If you ever thought she was made at you, she honestly thought she was gonna cry

“W-What? Dear, no. Not one bit. Not one ounce of me is angered by you. I love you far too much to be mad at you. Now, come here and let me hug you.”

Celeste truly does care about you, more than she has cared for anyone before <3

Sakura:

Protective

That’s it

Sakura wants your safety above all, because she knows how shy people can be taken advantage of easily

If anyone dared to make fun of you, oh boy

Sakura is fucking terrifying

“I suggest you run before I snap you in half.”

That’s all it takes to send them on their way

If you fell in front of her, she would definitely be able to catch you

And she would!

But if you did manage to miss her arms, she’d pick you right back up and hold you

“See? I got you. Everything is okay.”

If you offered to take your clothes off for her, she’d be calmer, but nonetheless upset

“Hey, don’t do that. I don’t want you because of your body. I want you because of your personality. That’s what I fell in love with. Don’t offer yourself to me, or anyone else. Ever. It’s your body, you can most certainly choose what to do with it.”

If you thought she was angry with you, she’d be so quick to tell you otherwise

“No, not at all. I am not mad in the slightest. Even if I was, I’d never take my anger out on you. That’s wrong, and I love you too much to even think about doing that.”

With Sakura as your girlfriend, you will always be protected. And that’s a promise

Mukuro:

Mukuro is shy, but definitely not as shy as you

Like Sakura, she wanted your safety above all

Let it be from others or her cruel sister

If someone ever made fun of you, she’d be pretty angry

Hell, she may put those skills of hers to good use

“Hey. Don’t let me hear you say something like that again. Ever. That’s just plain disgusting.”

If you ever took a fall in front of her, her reflexes are extremely fast, so she’d try her absolute best to catch you

More often she does, but on the off chance she’s unsuccessful, she’d apologize with a bright blush

“I-I’m sorry, love. I tried to catch you, uh, I’m sorry. Here, grab my hands.”

If you offered to take your clothes off for her, she’d immediately say no

“S-S/O! No! No, I-I don’t want you to do that! I-I’m not in a bad mood, and even if I was I wouldn’t want you to take your clothes off just to try to improve my mood! Please don’t offer that to me, that’s practically violating you! And I don’t want to do that!”

If you ever thought she was mad at you, poor girl might cry

“L-Love, I’m not mad at all. I-I promise. Even if I was mad, I don’t think it could be caused by you in all honesty. I love you, okay?”

Soldier baby’s heart go brrr

Sayaka:

Shy or not, Sayaka’s a cute blushy mess around you

She still teases you in a friendly manner, but always makes sure you know she’s only playing

If anyone over bothered you, she’d be incredibly salty

Like, pettiness and all

“Oh, so that’s how you’re gonna be? Well, I’ll have you know that my significant other is NOT gonna do that. You’re a rude person and I hope karma hits you hard.”

If you took a fall in front of her, she’d screech so sound and try to catch you, but would most likely fail

When she saw that you were embarrassed, like Hina she would trip to make you feel better

“See, S/O? It’s fine! Now we both tripped, hehe! Isn’t that funny!”

If you ever offered to take your clothes off for her, she’d hug you immediately and try to make you happy

“Nope! I don’t want that, okay? I want to kiss your cute face! Not rub up on you because you want to make me happy! Now c’mere, so I can kiss your cute face!”

If you ever thought she was mad at you, though, she’d be really sad

“What? No, I’m not mad at all! Let alone at you! I promise, S/O. Even if I was mad, I’d have a peaceful conversation. Not a screaming match about it! Now, give me a hug!”

Sayaka will hug you as much as you please, as long as it makes you happy <3

Toko:

Toko thought you were annoying at first

But then she realized how similar you two were

Not long after, she fell in love with you

Just like in those cheesy novels she writes

If someone ever bothered you, she’d get pretty mad

Lowkey considers letting Syo out

“H-Hey, asshole! T-That’s a r-real d-dick t-thing to say! S-So w-why d-don’t you just g-go back to w-whatever ditch y-you crawled o-out of a-and d-die!”

If Syo was around when someone bothered you, well I think we know how that'll go

They aren't around anymore, especially if they were a pretty boy

If you ever fell in front of her, she’d lowkey get second-hand embarrassment, but would help you up anyways

“Hey, l-look, you’re fine. N-Not a scrape or anything. Y-You’re okay.”

Syo would leap into action immediately and pull you to your feet

"See!? It's like you never even fell! You're okay! No tears, I hate seeing you cry!"

If you ever offered to take your clothes off for her, she’d freak the fuck out

“W-What!? N-No! D-Don’t do t-that! K-Keep your clothes o-on! I-I’m n-not mad! E-Even if I w-was, I w-wouldn’t w-want you to s-strip! Y-You’re t-too p-pretty for t-that!”

If Syo was around, she would as well

"What!? Oh no no no, this just won't do! You're body is far to marvelous to be shown so willingly, y'know that? Don't let others see it so easy! Even if it is just me! Doesn't matter!"

If you thought she was mad at you, she’d scoff at first, but then realize you were being serious

“What? I’m not m-mad at you. W-Why would I b-be mad at y-you? I-I have no reason to b-be. D-Don’t say that, I-I’d tell you if I-I was mad at you...S-Speaking as if I-I c-could g-get mad at y-you.”

Syo would latch onto you and hug you, giving you a little spin

"No, dollface! I'm not angry at all! See? I'm happy! So happy! Especially because my baby-cakes is here! Now, c'mon! Gimme a smooch!"

Even though she’d deny it at first, Toko really does love you

[angelsswirl]

Vellichor

The One With Sides to Pick

Notes: I promise I'm working on Dysfunctional, I was just trying to get some ideas on the page and ended up finishing the whole thing at 3 am. So here is sumn slight.

Ratings: T

When it rains it pours. Stay thirsty like before. Don't you know that the kids aren't al-, kids aren't alright?

"She's coughing again, but nothing comes up. It's just a loud, scary, dry cough. I don't know what to do, Grammy." Ryland spoke through the phone on the verge of tears. She looked at her younger sister who was trying to occupy their baby brother. He had been getting restless with you out of commission for the past 4 days.

"Okay, honey, calm down for me. I'm on my way. In the meantime, make sure she has lots of liquids. Use the money I sent you to order a pack of Gatorade and some sipping soup from the grocery store. It'll probably beat me there." Maria spoke about as soothingly as she possibly could to her granddaughter. Making sure she understood her directions clearly and concisely.

"Okay." Ryland mumbled somewhat pathetically.

"Where is Lia?" Maria asked over the chime of her keys.

Ryland scowled to herself, she looked over to Peyton who rolled her eyes with a shrug, "We don't know. She's been answering texts extremely slowly. She's probably with Jisoo."

"Hey, Ry. I know you're mad at her but don't be disrespectful. She's still your mother."

"If she was our mother, she'd come the fuck home." Peyton mumbled from her spot on the livingroom floor.

"Hit your sister upside the head for me."

"How'd she even hear that?!"

"I'm not as old as you think, young lady."

Peyton only pouted and resumed helping Kaleb build his tower.

"Grammy?" He asked Peyton.

She hummed, "Yeah. She's on the phone with Ry. She's coming soon so you can see her then."

Kaleb nodded in response and resumed his tower building as well.

"Alright, I'm in the car now. I'll be there as soon as I can." Maria spoke.

"Ok. Please hurry. I feel like I'm her mom and not the other way around." Ryland said solemnly.

Maria sighed heavily, "I know, baby. I'm sorry. But you have to hang on and do what I said."

Ryland nodded even though her grandmother couldn't see it.

"And make sure Lia gets her ass home or else."

"Yes, ma'am. Bye. I love you. See you soon."

"Bye, darling. Love you too."

Ryland hung up and clicked through to her text thread with Lia.

To Lia-r: Grammy said to get your dumbass home or else she'll beat the shit out of you.

Lia walked through the door 20 minutes later.

"Where have you been? Mom needs an alpha that's not four years old and obsessed with legos! And if it's not mama then you're the next best thing." Peyton yelled as soon as her sister walked through the door.

"...Work?"

"Is that a question? You're such a horrible liar."

"Let me at her, Ry. I promise I'll only hurt her a lot." Lia should have thanked her lucky stars that Kaleb started to tug on Peyton's hands to bring her attention back to him and his blocks.

"Why does it matter where I was?"

"Because you weren't here! Mom needed you and you were hanging out with Jisoo probably! While I was taking care of mom and Peyton was taking care of Kaleb."

Lia didn't speak. She just let Ryland yell.

"She's your mother too, Lia!"

"I know that. But you don't get it. It's an alpha thing."

"You're so fucking stupid. Mom is sick because your mother is an asshole."

"She's your mother too, Ryland."

Peyton just shook her head at her older siblings. She agreed with Ryland but she just couldn't take all of the arguing. Not after listening to her parents argue as well.

She sneakily snuck out of eyesight, than grabbed for Lia's keys. She had to get out of that godforsaken house.

"What are you doing here?" Maya asked with a blush on her cheeks. She had answered the door in a t-shirt and boxers expecting for Lia to have forgotten her key again.

Peyton stared directly at the slightly older girl's crotch. Rolling her eyes when Maya swiped her hands in front to shield herself.

"Nice tighty-whities." Peyton said sarcastically as she pushed passed Maya and into the moderately sized apartment.

Maya swiped a pair of sweatpants conveniently from the couch and hobbled into them awkwardly.

"Again, I ask, what are you doing here?"

Peyton crossed her arms and sat on the couch. Maya sat next to her in a similar position.

"I just had to get away for a bit. I can't wait to move out."

Maya hummed and threw her arm around the back of the couch, "Sure you can. Living on your own isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"You do it."

Maya chuckled, "No I don't. I live with your sister. With the help of my parents. And on a hope and a prayer."

Peyton cracked a small smile before it quickly disappeared again.

"Well, it's happening soon whether any of us like it or not."

"Yeah. I think you'll enjoy college." Maya said with a hint of something else in her voice, "Just don't run off with the first alpha you see, okay?"

"Bae Maya. Why I never. Is that jealousy I hear?" Peyton scooted closer to Maya on her own accord.

"Nope. Just self preservation." Maya smirked, "Just don't want you to get over that little crush you have on me that I'm not supposed to know about so quickly. It would hurt my little heart."

Peyton leaned closer to Maya, "I don't think you have to worry about that."

Peyton captured Maya's lips in hers. The latter of whom let out a mildly surprised and embarrassing squeak.

The kiss quickly turned passionate. Peyton gripped the collar of Maya's shirt, holding it as she layed herself backwards on the couch.

Maya broke the kiss with a look of concern, "Are you sure? You're pretty much writing my name in the Death Note. Meaning your mom is going to kill me. We can back up now if you want to keep me alive. But just know, I'm very much willing to die for this."

Peyton rolled her eyes, "I'm 100% sure, you dork."

"That's Dr. Dork to you."

"You don't have a doctorate."

"Why do you think I'm in school?"

Peyton released an involuntary smile into the next kiss.

Maria arrived to a somewhat bittersweet scene.

Ryland, Kaleb, and Lia had all fallen asleep in your bed with you.

It wasn't lost on Maria that she was missing a grandchild, but trusting that grandchild to be okay, she'd worry about that later.

Right now, it was time to rip Kim Jisoo several new ones.

[fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction]

hi! im new here and just found this through reading your fics on ao3, and I was just wanting to know more about this au, particularly, who are alll the purples you got up there in the banner and whatre their stories???

Ooh you’re in for a heck of a treat when it comes to all my Purples!

From the left to the right:

Lucian Enfuego (aka Afton’d Lucian): A traveling serial killer who ended up being abducted and experimented on by Elder Afton in 1984, his soul being ‘overwritten’ by him over time. Murdered Vincent Heliotrope in 1983 then used his name on a virus that screwed up the Toy Animatronics. Killed the 5 Missing Children and the Butterfly Child in 1987. Was caught and executed for his crimes. His younger sister was the first to realize his soul was ‘stolen’ and spent her life trying to get it back from the Aftons. Referred to as the 1987 Purple Guy. Alex Cho aka Router (the short man): A mercenary, hacker-for-hire, who is also a son of Lucian. He ran away from his mother’s emotional abuse to follow his father’s trail and destroy the evidence that could clear Vincent and Jeremy Sr.’s names, as well as kill the surviving ‘witnesses’ of the 1987 Incident. His work partner (and best friend) is Panther. Was hired by Michael Afton to go to Freddy’s Pizza and retrieve Marionette and Balloon Boy or their data drives containing information about Remnant collected during the 1987 Incident. Ended up killed via springlock failure in Springtrap. Referred to as the Springtrap Purple Guy.

Sydney Elizabeth Michaels aka Panther (the big guy in pink): A mercenary with a tendency to abduct people of strength and essentially brainwash them via torture and Stockholm syndrome to serve as his living weapons. As a teen he was hired by Elder Afton to put Fredbear’s Family Diner out of business; poisoned and killed 11 children there while wearing a pink security uniform for a disguise, successfully shutting down the restaurant. His older brother helped him run away from home to escape police and keep the rest of their family out of trouble. Went with Router to Freddy’s as part of the retrieval job and developed an obsession with Mike’s strength. Ended up killed by Freddy and the gang for trying to abduct him and was soul-bound to a Paper Plate Pal. Referred to as the Pink Guy.

William Afton II: The CEO of Afton Robotics and Fazbear Entertainment, owner of Circus Baby’s Pizza World Party and Rentals (Sister Location). Stepped into the position some time after his father’s disappearance and found the secret information about Remnant, transfers, and the experiments to move/copy souls between vessels. Decided to continue the research and find a way to transfer himself from his sickly body into a healthy one. Searched for a low-level employee that could be compatible with his deceased sister’s Remnant to observe if transfer to a living body was possible, unaware his grandfather successfully did so but was unable to record the success. Ended up killed by his sister via Scooping Room. Referred to as Canon Purple Guy.

Emelia Afton: The daughter of Michael Afton who was killed by Circus Baby and soul-bound to her endoskeleton. She was stored in the Underground Facility by her father, who desperately tried to find a way to free her soul and resurrect her in his father’s Remnant research. Years passing with her trapped ended up eroding her sanity and now she only cares for escaping into a ‘perfect’ body that will allow her to be beautiful, using anything and anyone as a means to that end. Normally looks like an innocent little girl ghost to lure others into assisting her before killing them once their usefulness ends. Her ‘adult’ form was created by absorbing a digitized Lucian into herself to take advantage of his knowledge of murder techniques. Soul-bound to Circus Baby v1, later becoming Ennard. Referred to as Purple Gal.

William Afton I aka Elder Afton: The founder and owner of Afton Robotics. Has an aggressive competitiveness and desire to be the best in creating robots and animatronics. Jealousy towards the ones in Fredbear’s had him hire Sydney to force the diner to close so it could be bought up by his shell company, Fazbear Entertainment, and have the animatronics sent to him for reverse engineering. In his pursuit to creating the most advanced artificial intelligence software for his creations, he discovered Remnant and its properties, experimenting on low-level employees and abducted children to learn how to extract and transfer Remnant. His experiment on Lucian, an intern at the time, culminated in a successful digitized download of Remnant and memories, creating the Lucian Master File. Elder’s desire to live longer to continue his research and curiosity on his hypothesis had him attempt to transfer his own Remnant into Lucian’s body. While mostly successful, the transfer revealed a drawback in that loss of Remnant without allowing regeneration or replacement causes loss of sanity in the donor. This discovery was never documented; on the final stage of transfer, Elder released Lucian from containment and was killed by him. His soul torn in two, part went with Lucian to grow and consume him, part remained in the Facility, laying dormant until awakened by Springtrap, where he then hijacked control of the animatronic for himself. Referred to as Original Purple Guy or First Purple Guy.

Elizabeth Afton: Bionics Engineer, overseer of R&D of Afton Robotics, wife of Michael Afton. She’s responsible for researching and building ways for the animatronics and robots to move as fluidly and ‘naturally’ as a human. She has a cold love for her husband due to blaming him for allowing her favored daughter to die at Baby’s hands. She assisted Elder Afton in his Remnant research and went back to it after her daughter’s death to continue it in secret, searching for her own way to continue living longer and restore her daughter. After Michael’s disappearance and William’s death, she followed the trail of outgoing resources from Afton Robotics to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and Parties to recover Emelia’s Remnant. She was only able to get it back in fragments, so she devised a trap to gather fragments of Remnant from multiple past guards in order to rebuild and stabilize Emelia’s soul. When that plan was foiled, she escaped and decided to continue her search for future host bodies for herself, rebuilding Fazbear Entertainment via video games and using a copy of the Lucian Master File to seek out viable hosts. She plans to use the money from the sales and her newly abducted Reluctant Follower to create another trap to lure in her intended target. Referred to by name.

Michael Afton: Son of Elder Afton, CEO of Afton Robotics and Fazbear Entertainment after Elder’s death. His relationship with his father was distant and strained at best, which worsened after his death as Circus Baby’s programming had her kill his daughter when she wandered over alone. He pulled away from his wife and their relationship grew rocky over the tragedy. Being confronted by Lucian’s sister some time later over the fate of her brother’s soul had Michael searching for whether there was any truth to it; upon discovering his father’s Remnant research and notes, he found a desperate hope that this could be key to reviving his daughter. While he was also attracted to Lucian’s sister for her more vivacious nature, he eventually had to threaten her into leaving him alone so as to keep the discovery of Remnant and soul transfer a secret. He left behind the company and his family after receiving the data on the 1987 Incident in order to find a method of using Remnant to revive Emelia without causing more deaths. Failing that and realizing that Emelia had gone insane and murderous from isolation and desperation, he chose instead to try and destroy everything connected to the Remnant experiments, bringing everything that was affected by it together in one place to be burnt so the Remnant would be destroyed. He was unaware that his wife was also involved. Died in the flames that consumed FFP&P. Referred to as Son of Canon Purple Guy.

Lucian Master File: The ‘pure’ download of Lucian Enfuego’s digitized Remnant and memories. Stripped of anything that could humanize him or create empathy with others, the Master File only seeks to cause as much death and havoc as possible. He generates copies of himself to carry out his plans, assimilating information from them while he remains safely out of sight and harm’s way. The first copy of himself ever created he stripped of similar power to force him to be weaker and gave him over to William Afton II to use in his experiments, which resulted in the copy breaking away from him so drastically he became unique and Master File lost control and connection to him. He only ever assists someone when he feels he’s able to use them to further his own ambitions in the process. Originally the controlling software to Afton Robotics’s main computer, he managed to escape destruction there by coding himself onto chipsets in protected hardware, which later allowed him to escape into the video game software that scanned those chipsets. Referred to as Master File or Glitchtrap.

Phew! i really gotta finish up the wikia articles on everyone.

[midoriyaizukustan-inactive]

OH UH FOR THE ASK THING HAVE YOU DONE SHINSOU HITOSHI AND UH.. KENDO ITSUKA?? (Orange haired girl that beats her 'son' monoma neito he has rabies)

I HAVE NOT DONE EITHER OF THEM THANK YOU FOR ASKING ECHO AHH I SHALL TRY TO MAKE YOU PROUD

shinsou:

favorite thing about them

he’s just a funky lil dude. just like midoriya he hasnt given up even tho some setbacks have happened on his road to achieve his goal. he knows what he wants and on god he is going to get it. rlly makes u root for him

least favorite thing about them

hes so like,,,he thinks he has a moral high ground almost?? compared to the hero course kids. like when i first watched his fight w midoriya i actually rlly disliked him bc he’s going off like “ohh you dont know how hard it is” like??? even discounting the fact that midoriya was quirkless until less than a year ago, he doesnt know him at all?? he doesnt know what he’s been through?? jesus dude chill out

favorite line

“im not giving up. ill show them i can be in the hero course and become a greater hero than all of u” when he’s talking to mido after their match. idk man like i mentioned earlier, he’s so determined it rlly makes u root for him. also this was like a promise that we were gonna see him again so HOoo,,,yeah

brOTP

shinken (shinsou nd kendou), monoshin, shinkami, shinkure (shinsou and hagakure)

OTP

SHINIIDA shindeku SHINKIRI please,,,and a lil bit of shinoji,,,

nOTP

ehh romantic shin-kami just isnt my cup of tea but i understand why ppl like it!! its rlly cute its just not my favored ship dynamic i suppose. also dont be gross abt him and the adults i havent seen anything but i dont trust this fandom dkfjk

random headcanon

bro’s a lil colorblind. cant see diff between red and green. only reason he guessed mido’s hair and eye color right is bc the word green (”midori”) is literally in mido’s name

unpopular opinion

I DIDNT LIKE HIM AT FIRST,,,HE FREAKED ME OUT,,,i mean i love him now and he’s listed as one of my favs but i RLLY DIDNT LIKE HIM AT FIRST,,,i thought he was kinda a brat and i didnt like how he brainwashed others to be on his cavalry even tho like objectively it was a smart move

song i associate with them

welcome to my life by simple plan

DJNKSJKSJNKD IM KIDDING 

but hmmm,, sleep is for the weak by the dreadnoughts

favorite picture of them

HHHH SMILE EXCITED BOY,,,,

kendou:

favorite thing about them

SHES SO CUTE,,she cares so much for class 1-b and i just appreciate her personality a lot i think she cooperative, earnest, nd focused i love that for her

least favorite thing about them

hmm this is hard

perhaps that she doesnt seem to try to talk to monoma abt his obvious inferiority issues?? she just hits him and drags him away. and like it makes for a good bit and i know it’s not that deep but u know,,

favorite line

“us at ua have grown beyond ever thinking there’s no hope!” PLEASE THAT’S SO GOOD,,,she says this when she’s fighting mustard w tetsutetsu. it’s so good just,,love positive characters u know

brOTP

kendeku (kendou nd midoriya), kenmono (her nd monoma), shinken (shinsou nd her)

OTP

literally her and all of the class 1-a girls JKDJKFJK, kendotetsu (can i say power couple)

nOTP

mmm romantic ken-mono just kinda rubs me the wrong way i prefer them as sibling-esque friends

random headcanon

she’s rlly into american media nd stuff bc when her quirk first manifested, her dad was like “oh that’s a lot like khamala khan’s power in the marvel comics” so she got rlly into those and it evolved over time to her become a full-on westaboo djkfjk. she’s rlly lowkey abt it tho bc she’s a lil embarrassed abt it

unpopular opinion

i get the mom jokes r fun but kendou is actually more like class 1-b’s collective sister, not ma

song i associate with them

hmmmm feeling ok by best coast has a similar vibe that she does

favorite picture of them

SHES BABY,,

[vldelijah-blog]

well hello ! my name is blaire (19, she / her, est), and though my app and this intro are very late i’m ecstatic to be here ! i’ve had muse for this baby for a while but was taking forever to make him so here he is ... 4am’s mr. elijah kang ! he’s definitely a lot to handle, but he’s here to bring the party to veil and i’m so excited to see all the craziness he gets in ! i’m super excited to plot with you guys, so please like this if you want to plot something, and check here for his bio, private profile, and public profile ! plots coming soon, i swear, but you can find some general ideas under the cut alongside trivia ! let’s go !

BACKGROUND.

born in la, california !! will always be a cali baby at heart, both his parents are originally from korea but moved there because they wanted to start a family in america !

he has two younger siblings - bora, who’s 12, and jandi, who’s 25 ! such an older brother, he teases / loves them to death and will fly to cali just to fight whoever hurts them !

original name is eunkwang elijah kang, but around middle school he changed it because a.) people always asked him about it or couldn’t pronounce it and b.) he didn’t think it fit him

the only people who still call him that are his parents when they’re speaking korean and his grandparents / aunts in korea. he introduces himself as elijah or eli nowadays, though !

but he prefers eli somewhat because elijah makes him feel like he’s getting in trouble ?? lmao !

his mom tried to get him into child acting because acting was always something she wanted to do, but it didn’t go very far for him

his father hated the idea of him going into the entertainment industry because he didn’t feel like it was a stable career, and thought that as the oldest of the family he should be financially well off

consequently, him and his dad’s relationship has become a little difficult now, he loves him a lot but is frustrated his dad doesn’t seem to be happy for him pursuing his dreams

even so, he started getting into singing because his mom had him join the church choir she lead ! he pretended he hated it but he loved getting all the old people to smile on that little stage

but he really got into performing when he tried to impress a girl with a talent show & won second place by doing a really cringy song & dance performance with friends !

feel free to read more in his bio, but long story short he auditioned as a joke and had the surprise of the century when he made it past auditions AND callbacks !

the idea of being in the “kpop” industy still seems so weird to gim, esp bc it’s never something he saw himself doing ?? he’s a r&b type of guy so it was really weird for him to think about at first

they decided to go with this “flirty bad boy image” for him which isn’t too out of character tbh ?? but they also thought he had the look of a rapper so started training him to be one ! so now it’s one of his positions, and though he finds it really fun he’s embarrassed to call himself one because he doesn’t feel like he has the skills to rap. 

he has a v unique voice, similar to wonpil’s, but since he had no proper training prior to joining the company they had to work with him a lot bc he didn’t really know how to use it !

was a little apprehensive at the whole “boy band” thing at first, until he realized just how much he loved it ?? and then became very invested and has been working hard ever since !he has high hopes for the group and thinks that, as long as they work hard, they can gain a stable following

also was like thank god bc he can’t dance for shit so that helped him otu a l o t !!

PERSONALITY.

like i said before, his personality’s not too different from his brand the company is trying to market him as once they debut ! so “flirty bad boy” pretty much sums it up lmao. he’s got the whole rebellious streak going on, but i wouldn’t call him bad for real because he’s still got a good heart, he’s just dumb and gets into equally dumb scenarios. i think that this pretty much sums it up:

haha !! anyways he is definitely a flirt, even when he doesn’t mean to be ! but he usually does, and isn’t afraid at all at expressing his attraction to others ! ( on that note - he’s pansexual fyi ! ) but his downfall is that he’s terrible with commitment, he’s just not in the mood to settle down and doesn’t know how but i’m sure he’s got a long list of romantic connections ! 

he’s got a bit of a potty mouth, he doesn’t really have a filter ( unless he’s somewhere for work ofc ) but even then he’s had a few embarrassing slip-ups. def got a few wrist slaps for it bc apparently he can’t shut up !! but please lmk if you don’t want him to curse in our threads bc even though it won’t be that bad in threads, i don’t want anyone to feel uncomfy !

very spontaneous, definitely the type to call you up at 3am on a sunday asking to go out some random place with him, he just loves adventure ! some find it endearing while others find it chaotic, he’s really a hit or miss in terms of this !

a charmer, he knows how to say things that people here....especially when trying to get himself out of a sticky situation ! if he had a superpower it’d be sweet talking people, he’s got a way with words and that’s ultimately how he’s become as successful as he has ! once 4am debuts he’ll definitely give fans lots of fanservice and is the type to “marry” them at fansigns and such.

on that note he’s very deceptive and isn’t pathological liar, but can do it v casually if he thinks it’ll make his situation any better ?? not a good thing but yk just how it is !

bc of these he’s quite the life of the party, and actually gravitates toward quieter people because he wants them to have fun & he’s def the first to try to break the awkward tension !

super carefree - the world could be crumbling, and this man will make a joke about it ! it can be good in stressful situations due to his ability to keep a leveled head, but at the same time it causes him to make poor decisions because he’s less concerned about the end results.

a downside is that he can have a bit of a temper, and if he feels like someone’s competing with him or trying to prove him wrong he gets pretty defensive. also if someone breaks his trust this man holds the biggest grudge i stg

tw: alcohol ! he loves to drink, it’s a habit he started back in america but moved over here ! he can’t do it quite as often bc of company rules he has to maneuver, but if you ask him to go out for some drinks, he’ll never say no.

just...silly lmao !! will literally come into his member’s rooms in the middle of the night just to do a stupid dance then walk out & leave.

very loyal & protective over those he loves !! he’s an older brother, so that’s rooted deep in him and he cares deeply about those he gets close too !

not a leader in any way ( thank god atlas saw that ), but he has his own way of checking up on people ! he’s not the talk-about-your-feelings type per se, but if he sees someone’s down he’ll go out his way to make them laugh or do something to make them feel better

also totally irrelevant but definitely has a retro eboy aesthetic going on here ?? his style very much so resembles jaewon his fc, but with a tinge more grunge ?? his ig is so eboy guys i just...he’s a mess

CONNECTIONS.

besties pls ?? 

exes ?? i feel like his exes would’ve ended pretty messily bc he’s the Worst but hey maybe they still vibe !!

drinking buddies ftw !! shall they drink & be merry together !! bonus if ur muse is a stupid drunk two and these two just are losing it 

he misses his siblings a ton so some younger muses, esp girls, for him to interact would be great ? would 100% baby them & treat them like one of his sisters !!

someone equally wild as elijah who he can always count on for a good party or getting into some sot of trouble.

fwb, a no-strings-attached situation except maybe later on ?? depends let’s see he just wants to have fun !

someone very different to him, they’re away of his personality but in contrast are very structured ! it would be super fun to interact with someone like that, see if they butt heads ?

in contrast,  a father-son/mother-son type of friendship where they look out for him to make sure he doesn’t take it too far and he makes sure they take care of themselves and have fun !

give me some rivalry ot enemies pls i love the drama

i promise i’ll add more soon and do a proper plots page but i’m literally so tired i can’t function

[thepropertylovers]

A Definitive (And Totally Biased) Ranking of Every Song on 'Lover'

Have you listened to Taylor Swift’s new album yet? It’s already 2019 biggest selling record and we can see why. When T. Swift releases an album, it’s pretty much all you hear about for the next few months (and the few months beforehand, to be honest). So why don’t we count down the best songs on ‘Lover’?

Thomas is a huge Taylor Swift fan, and now that her new album ‘Lover’ has been out for over a week (and he’s listened to it approximately 113 times), he thought it would be fun to rank the songs in order from worst to best. You may agree with some of the choices and you may not, but we can probably all agree that the first half of the album is infinitely better than the second half, which is typically what you get with Swift.

Red may be her best album lyrically, but this album is probably her most fun. Even PJ (who isn’t a huge TS fan by any means) turned to me the other day and said he thinks this is his favorite album she’s ever put out, and is particularly loving ‘Afterglow’. On this album, she’s giving us HAIM, she’s giving us Lana Del Rey, she’s giving us Postal Service, she’s giving us country (?!). Are there too many songs on this album? Probably. Are some of them skippable? Most definitely. But when Taylor Swift blesses us with a new album every few years, it’s an event, and like any event, we need to make a big deal of it. So without further ado, here are the best and worst songs from ‘Lover’:

18. False God

Taylor doing R&B? I knew from the first listen of this song that it would be my least favorite on the album. I appreciate the lyrics, and she’s the sexiest she’s ever been, even more so than ‘Dress’, but it still feels off for her to be doing R&B. It’s not a bad song (does Taylor make bad songs?) but it’s not my favorite.

Best lyric: Staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town, I’m New York City, I still do it for you, babe.

17. Daylight

This is a beautiful closer, and not a bad song in the least (the words are gorgeous), but this is no ‘New Year’s Day’ or ‘Clean’ for me. It took me a couple of listens to find the melody, but overall it’s a solid closing song that wraps up everything she’s feeling very nicely. I think I just prefer the songs on the first half of the album so much more that this song never really stood a chance for me.

Best lyric: I wanna be defined by the things that I love, not the things I hate, not the things I’m afraid of…I just think that you are what you love.

16. You Need To Calm Down

What could I say about this song that hasn’t already been said? It was supposed to be the LGBTQ+ anthem (maybe it still is?) of the summer, but I think it missed a few of the points of what it means to be an ally. Still, Swift is the only big, heterosexual superstar actively coming out and supporting LGBTQ+ rights in her songs, and the fact that she’s trying so hard to pass the Equality Act is amazing. Plus, it’s catchy as hell.

Best lyric: And I ain’t trying to mess with your self-expression but I’ve learned the lesson that stressing and obsessing about somebody else is no fun. And snakes and stones never broke my bones, so.

15. ME!

Where do we even begin with this song? As the first single from ‘Lover’, it was polarizing to a lot of people. PJ and I stayed up until midnight when it was released and we were in bed watching the music video on our laptop and just kept going what? what….? WHAT?! Over and over again with each verse and chorus, and then when the “Hey kids! Spelling is FUN!” line happened, we almost shut our computer down. Thankfully they removed that line from the album version and it instantly made the song better. I think at the end of the day this is a fun, positive, and uplifting song that I actually enjoy, it just surprised me that a person of Swift’s talents was the one who wrote it. But I guess not every song has to be at an ‘All Too Well’ level, and this song is so damn catchy, does it really matter that it’s mot as good as the others?

Best lyric: I know that I went psycho on the phone, I never leave well enough alone, and trouble’s gonna follow where I go.

14. Soon You’ll Get Better

This song, y’all. It’s so beautifully heartbreaking. It’s similar to ‘The Best Day’ in the fact that it’s about her mom, but it couldn’t be more different in tone and feel. The lyrics are so beautiful and honest and raw and real, and the addition of The Dixie Chicks in the background (who I’m pretty sure were put on this earth to harmonize melodies to perfection) absolutely complete the song for me.

Best lyric: And I hate to make this all about me, but then who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do, if there’s no you?

13. Death By A Thousand Cuts

I don’t know what it is about this song, but this is one that I always skip whenever it comes on, even though I technically don’t have a problem with it. I guess it’s just I would rather listen to the other songs more than this one, which is why it’s lower on the list. It’s not a bad song, though, and I sing along to it whenever it’s on, but it’s not one of my favorites.

Best lyric: I look through the windows of this love even though we boarded them up. 

12. It’s Nice To Have A Friend

This is probably the weirdest song on the album, but I absolutely love it. It gives me major Postal Service vibes, but it’s quirky and fun and playful. I love the innocence of it and the feel it evokes, even if I don’t entirely know what it’s about or what she’s trying to say/the point of the song is. But she is right, it is nice to have a friend. Mr. Rogers would be proud.

Best lyric: Lost my gloves, you give me one, wanna hang out? Yeah, sounds like fun.

11. The Archer

I really like this song, and the only reason it’s on the lower half of this list is because I love her fun, more up-beat songs on the album so much. But I love the words and the angle she’s coming from on this one. And I will casually find myself singing, “All the kinds horses and all the kings men, couldn’t put me together again.” over and over randomly throughout the day. Even when she doesn’t write the words, Swift has an ear for catchy rhymes.

Best lyric: Easy they come, easy they go, I jump from the train, I ride off alone, I never grew up, it’s getting so old.

10. I Forgot That You Existed

I think as an opener it’s a pretty solid song. The title is a little trite, but the words are clever and I like the point of view/outlook she’s coming from when she matter-of-factly states that she doesn’t love the person or hate them, she just doesn’t really think about them at all. Which, to me, is the definition of moving on and is a lot easier said than done, but is so worth it when you finally get to that state of mind.

Best lyric: I forgot that you existed. It isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference.

9. London Boy

Sure this song is silly and has a very questionable opening line, but it’s also one of the most fun on the album. Having never been to London before, I really got a sense of what it’s like by Swift listing all of the things she loves so much about her boyfriend’s hometown. Plus listening to her list everything she loves about Joe is adorable, even if she doesn’t do the best British accent. Bonus points for mentioning Tennessee AND for an intro by Idris Elba. Swoon.

Best lyric: But something happened, I heard him laughing, I saw the dimples first and then I heard the accent. They say home is where the heart is, but that’s not where mine is.

8. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

Taylor at her most Lana-like, almost even more so than ‘Wildest Dreams’. The melody and the beat and the lyrics and the way she enunciates (and the fact that it has the word Americana in it, which is LDR’s favorite topic to sing about) reminds me so much of Lana Del Rey that I almost wonder if this should have been a duet between the two queens. I like this song because it’s interesting and the metaphors are killer. The lyrics are creative, clever, and put to good use, too.

Best lyric: Boys will be boys then, where are the wise men?

7. Paper Rings

Another fun one! I told my sister that I kind of wish she would have put this type of song out about 10 years ago because it seems a little juvenile for a 30 year old to be singing, but it’s a cute love song that is almost impossible not to dance to. It also reminds me of one of my favorite movies of all time, Clueless. Can’t you just picture Cher riding around in her Jeep with her friends listening to this song and living her best life?

Best lyric: I like shiny things but I’d marry you with paper rings uh-huh, that’s right, darling, you’re the one I want.

6. Afterglow

This is a song that grew on me, mostly because this is PJ’s favorite song on the album and I somehow always end up loving whatever song PJ likes in the end. I love how she frames a very common topic in relationships, though: that your head can make up some messed up shit sometimes and you will say or do things you don’t mean in the moment because you’re so upset. But acknowledging that you’ve made a mistake, that it’s all your fault and they didn’t do anything wrong, is the best thing you can do to correct the situation. And it really shows Swift’s maturity as a person and as a songwriter to include a song like this on her album. Also, this is PJ’s favorite song on the album, so I feel like I should have included it a little higher on the list. Sorry, baby!

Best lyric: Fighting with a true love is boxing with no gloves.

5. Lover

The most atmospheric song on the album. I wanted to not like this song because it’s so heavy and schmalzy, but I really do love it. Y’all know I’m sappy lovey-dovey, and this song is one big love letter to love, which is what she said her album is all about, so naturally I’m placing it high on the list. Me and PJ listened to this song the other night while we were in bed talking and it was the perfect background song to just be with him.

Best lyric: Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close? Forever and ever.

4. I Think He Knows

This song is SO MUCH FUN. It’s cute and poppy and boppy and I love the confidence she’s giving us. This album has a lot of 80’s sounding songs, almost more so than ‘1989’, and this is one of the best examples of it. The part right before the last chorus when the music really picks up and she belts, “I think he knooooooows!” gives me major Mariah Carey vibes and I am so here for it. Chills, every time.

Best lyric: I got that uhh, I mean, want to see what’s under that attitude. I want you, bless my soul.

3. Cornelia Street

I always think she’s at her best when it’s just her penning the songs, and this is a prime example. It’s sweet and a little melancholy, but the lyrics are so strong and you can’t help but sing along to the chorus when she sings, “And I hope I never lose you, hope this never ends.” And to be honest, I didn’t want the song to end, either.

Best lyric: Years ago we were just inside, barefoot in the kitchen, sacred new beginnings that became my religion, listen.

 2. The Man

This. Song. Is. So. Good. She’s been extremely vocal the last few years about feminism, and this song wraps everything up in a big bow and delivers it with all of the Haim-inspired gusto it can muster. The beat and music is full on Haim, but the smart and sharp lyrics are all Swift. So many good points made and I love the Leo reference in Saint Tropez. Also, I didn’t know how to pronounce Saint Tropez until this song, so I really owe her a lot for this one.

Best lyrics: If I was out flashing my dollars I’d be a bitch, not a baller, they paint me out to be bad, so it’s okay that I’m mad.

1. Cruel Summer

For me, this song rivals Blank Space in how good of a song it is, which is a big claim to make, and the reason it comes in at number 1. The tempo, the picture it paints, how you feel when you listen to the song. The lyrics and the melody, it all just fits and makes me feel like I’m driving in a convertible with the top down, cruising down the California highway as the sun is setting. Not that I’ve ever done that, but that’s how powerful this song is! It paints such a vivid picture and is easily one of her best songs to date.

Best lyric: He looks up grinning like a devil!

There you have it! Have you listened to the whole thing yet? What are your favorite songs on the album?

[camelliacats]

45 Ways to Make a Werewolf Fall for You (part 30/45)

Some announcements.

Chapter 30: "Having someone play with your hair" [FFN] [AO3] | ←   → | start from the beginning

Pairings/Characters: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Lily Evans/James Potter, Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, with cameos from the Order

Rating: K

Words: ~900

Additional info: romance, slash, fluff, Marauder era, 3rd person POV

Summary: The Marauders, in the prime of their lives, from the last day they set foot at Hogwarts all the way to a reunion thirteen years nearly too late. *Remus/Sirius-centric, relatively canon-compliant, for all of us who would like Remmius to have their happy ending—enjoy your fluff here! Ch30: Sirius and Remus quietly console each other while with their Order friends.

                "No way! You, too?"

                Sirius raised his eyebrows as the conversation in the Weasley household turned once more to babies. It was November, and this Order "meeting" felt more like a catching-up session. Lily and James had already told Sirius, Remus, and Peter about being pregnant, but they'd announced just tonight that they were expecting. Now apparently Alice and Frank had a similar statement.

                Alice nodded, her hands on her barely-there belly, a ring glinting on her left finger. Sirius recalled Remus passing on word from Lily and James that Alice and Frank had gotten married. It hadn't been a very big occasion, with them only inviting a few close relatives and not bothering with a maid-of-honor or best man. But they'd loved the ceremony nevertheless, and Sirius felt happy for his friends. Of course, now Lily and James were envious and planning more fervently for their own wedding.

                "I'm due in the summer, if all goes well," Alice said, her face flushed with a healthy pink color.

                "Us, too," Lily replied, holding James' hand. Her green eyes shone brightly. "Oh! Alice! What if you have a boy and we have a girl? Or if we have a boy and you have a girl?"

                "I know, I know! Right?"

                "Girls," Frank intervened with a bemused smile, "we don't know the babies' genders yet."

                "And already you're planning their betrothal," James stated with a roll of his eyes.

                "But just think," Lily said with a dreamy look on her face. "Continuing the Potter line…"

                "Or the Longbottom line," Alice supplied.

                The girls sighed happily, and those who'd been listening nearby laughed, some with a nostalgic expression on their face. Molly would've been nostalgic, if not for the matter that she was already showing—again!

                "That'd be lovely," Molly commented. She glanced at Arthur. "What are you hoping for? I'd love a girl this time."

                Arthur laughed. "With our luck, we'll have another boy before we get a girl to equalize all the testosterone in our house."

                "What about you, Molly?" Remus asked. Sirius sat up from his slouchy position in the chair beside the werewolf. He always found it interesting whenever Remus and the topic of family came up in the same breath.

                "I'm due in March, dear."

                Remus beamed. "My birthday's in March."

                "Ooh, what about naming him 'Remus'?" Molly mused, looking back to her husband.

                "That'd be a first in the family…," Arthur said.

                "You don't have to," Remus said in a rush, and Sirius snickered at his red face. "I was just making an observation."

                "Well, maybe something with an R, though," Molly finished. "I mean, we've Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George so far. And the twins take a little after their uncles."

                To the side of the room, Fabian and Gideon raised their Chocolate Frogs and toasted their sister with them. "Hear, hear!"

                "What about you?" Sirius asked Alice and Frank.

                Frank sighed as Alice said, very determinedly, "'Neville', for a boy. Perhaps 'Nadine' for a girl."

                "She won't budge on it," Frank mouthed to him, James, and Remus.

                "And you lot?" Sirius said with a cheeky grin to his best mate and his girl.

                "Dunno yet," James answered, and Lily shook her head. "We'll wing it, I guess."

                Sirius and Remus laughed, and Sirius eyed those around them. They were so in love and beaming… The Animagus watched Arthur rest his hands on the back of Molly's chair and gather Molly's red curls over one of her shoulders. Frank was similarly physical with Alice, gently tugging on the spiky ends of her hair. Even James couldn't help winding a tendril of Lily's hair around his finger when she leaned against him.

                The Black son pouted. He and Remus had come to be…so much recently, but they didn't engage in PDA. Though Lily and James seemed to share every aspect of their lives with them, Sirius felt awkward at not even having told his best mate that he was officially in a relationship with Remus John Lupin.

                Then Sirius thought of all the ladies' announcements… He and Remus would never have that. They were two blokes, and, unless they kidnapped a baby or used a surrogate, they'd never have kids. Sirius frowned. He hadn't given it much thought until now, but he rather liked the idea of having a kid—at least, with Remus. Maybe the best they could hope for was to steal Lily and James' ilk. Yeah, okay, that would work.

                Sirius came out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his hair. He looked to the side and saw Remus' smiling face. "What's up?"

                "You looked a little down…," Remus observed, his smile becoming a little sad. "I…I know how you feel."

                "Oh?"

                "We'll just have to steal Lily and James' from time to time."

                Sirius' heart soared, and he grinned and leaned back into Remus' touch, not really caring what the others thought if they happened to look their way. "You know what, Rem?"

                "Hmm?"

                "Play with my hair again, please."

                "Wha…? Well, okay…" Remus gathered his hair and alternated between twirling pieces and braiding pieces. He placed his chin on the top of Sirius' head as the latter reclined on the living room sofa and rested his head on Remus' chest. "You've got nice hair, luv," Remus commented.

                Sirius softly laughed. I'm sure our kids would've, too.

So, yes. Neville and Harry were almost betrothed. *ROFL* And Ron was a Ron because of Remus. :D And, no, there will be no mpreg, sorry to disappoint/don't worry. This… X3 *fangirl squeal* Just awesome. Just, just awesome. And I just realized—only 15 more chappies! D: *le gasp* Has anyone realize a year has passed in the story already? *lol*

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this!

~mew

2017 note: A tad bittersweet, but fluffy nevertheless. :') Also, I love how Sirius so casually thinks kidnapping a kid is an option.

And if you want to support 45 Ways, please swing by its FFN and AO3 versions and consider liking and reblogging these posts on my HariPo fic tumblr!

[muva--milaje-blog]

librarian.

t'challa x black!reader (college au)

an: this was requested by @xclusvnani. thank you so much for requesting this. had a lot of fun writing this.

reader takes a trip to the library everyday just to see the handsome librarian t’challa.

warnings: fluff, sexual mentions, mentions death

"Y/N, you need a break, baby." Your mother, on the other end of this telephone conversation, pleads with you. Her naturally worrisome spirit coupled with her missing you and needing her only child around her is the basis for her call. Life just had not been the same for your mother since the death of your grandparents. "I am so proud of you. And, I know that you are taking those classes this summer so that you can graduate a semester early but I think you should come home. Even if it is for a weekend."

This is not, and will not, be the last time you hear your mother pleading for you to come home. The drive home from the college campus is approximately three hours. Not too long of a drive. However, you are on a mission to graduate from undergrad as soon as possible and get your Bachelor's degree. You welcome the calls from your mother daily. You miss her just as much as she misses you. You two have an extremely close relationship because it has always been just the two of you (and your grandparents). The ass that is supposedly your father skipped out before you were born. Your mother raised you as best as she could in that small ass two bedroom apartment in your hometown. As small as the apartment is, it is home. She worked a couple of jobs just to help you get to where you are now. The first couple of semesters, your tuition was paid for in full due to your mother's dedicated work ethic. It is only right that you work just as hard in your college classes.

"Mommy, I know...thank you, but I know." You assure her. Most of the time, you wish you were somewhere else. Rather than living on campus during the boring Summer semester and taking three classes, you'd rather be somewhere tropical, festive, and surrounded by your girls. Hell, at this point, you would take your childhood bedroom as a vacation spot. "Classes are almost over in July, then I'll be home. Just me and you, the couch, and our favorite movies." Your faves included almost every movie with Angela Bassett.

Your mother practically squealed and sighed in delight at the idea. She wanted to further your daily phone conversation but you told her that you had to go. You were heading to your college's library, your favorite spot at this school. You told her you loved her and hung up right before you walked in, pass the metal detectors, and straight to your regular location: the second floor. Due to the lack of students on campus for the summer, you knew that your regular spot would be available. There was a small nook on the library's second floor that included a couch, two chairs, and a coffee table. It is your hideaway from the rest of the library. You like to read, study, and write in that area. Also, it's where you can usually locate the man of your dreams as your friend Brie likes to refer to him as. As much as you do not want to admit to yourself and your friends, he is another reason you frequent the library.

You noticed him last Fall. He was following around one of the librarians, taking in information and nodding profusely. From what you could tell, he was eager to learn. Whenever he had a question or concern, he pressed his lips tightly together, quirked his eyebrows, and squinted his eyes. Whenever he learned something new, he nodded his head and smiled. It is a sexy, crooked smile. Of course, you know all of this because in between your reading, studying, and writing, you watch him. You noticed him way before he noticed you. You were sitting at your favorite spot when he breezed pass you with several books in his arms.

"Hello," He said to you. You looked upward at him from your position on the couch and nearly melted into a puddle that matched the one that was growing in between your thighs just at the sight of him. That accent, the way he said hello, you were taken aback. You were loss for words. He seemed to wait for you to say hello before he walked away.

"Hi," Your voice squeeked. You were immediately embarrassed. He did not laugh at you like you thought he would, he just smiled at you before walking away. You wanted to creep into a corner and disappear.

He would come over and say hello to you whenever he saw you. After the fifth time, he finally came over to you to say more than just a hello. But you couldn't hear him. You were listening to sweet R&B love songs of the 90s and 2000s through your earphones. Toni Braxton was making you miss a lover you never had when you felt a tap on your shoulder. It was him, Mr. Librarian, a nickname your friends dubbed him. You extracted your earphones from your ears, "Hi...?"

He smiled downward, in your direction, "Hi. I apologize for disturbing you during your studies but I wanted to ask a question,"

You thought he was going to ask you on a date. Maybe you two could have coffee together, preferably at the campus coffee shop. You are in love with their vanilla cappuccinos. However, he just wanted to know your reasoning for constantly returning to this same spot in the library. "Oh, well, I am an English major with a minor in Africana Studies. Most of the books that I need to use are in this section." You shrug. You did not let him know that his cosistent appearance in this section was another reason for your predictable return to this same nook.

"Africana Studies, eh?" He seemed pleased with your choice of study. "May I ask, why did you chose Africana Studies as an area of study?" He quirked his brows, pressed his lips together, and his eyes squinted at you. You play with the ends of your braids to calm the newfound nervousness. At this point, he sat down in one of the chairs.

You steadied your nervousness. He has an aura that commands your undivided attention. But, he gave you his undivided attention. "Why not be verse in the past, present, and future of my people? Black people, black culture, black histoty, blackness in its entirety is so rich. There is much that we know now but I'm sure there is much more that we have to learn." Any hint of nervousness you had detered. "So to answer your question, it was a necessary choice."

The smile that graced his lips did not falter. His smile was contagious. His smile, in turn, made you smile. And every time you saw him, your lips automatically curved into one. You two would have conversations about life on campus (including where are the best places to get good food), areas of study, and the library. You found out that he is a Graduate student studying International Relations. He is working in the library for financial reasons but also, he thoroughly enjoys literature. His love for literature began as a child. His mother forced him to read various literary texts to have a rich education and understanding of points of view that were similar and different than his. His father agreed that it would make him a better man and a better leader once he enters into the politics after college. When you found out his name, T'Challa Udaku, you had to know more about him.

You tried to Google search his name but nothing too juicy came up. He has a twitter where he discusses politics specifically foreign policy, soccer, threads with friends from back home, and how much he misses home. There was nothing hotepish. From what you could sumise, he does not currently have a girlfriend. He seemed to have threads with a someone named Nakia but those threads were older. Funny enough, you were able to find his sister. She seems like a jokester. You assume she probably makes fun of her brother but loves him dearly.

You dug a little deeper and asked your friend, Tiff, if she could find anything on him for you. Tiff was your roommate during your freshman year. You two have a sistership. She works in one of the university's offices. Simple enough, she had a way of looking at T'Challa's file. No it was not right but her helping you out was for research purposes. She could not provide much detail but that he is twenty eight years old, he's an International Student, and he attended school in England for his undergraduate studies. "And he is fine as hell. I see why you are stalking...I mean conducting research."

You learned so much about him during your conversations. You are thirsty and eager to learn more about him so you would find yourself in the library, looking for him. You figured out his work schedule on your own. You knew when he would clock in and out of his shifts.Your attention bounces around the second floor for him. You do not immediately go to your nook. However, he is nowhere in sight. You let out a frustrating sigh and venture over to your normal spot. As you approach, you notice him sitting in one of the chairs next to the couch. He is intently reading a novel: Chinua Achebe's A Man of the People. You recommended this book to him. There were two to-go coffee cups from the campus coffee shop on the table. The adrenaline that pumped inside you, calmed down. You cannot help but to smile at Mr. Librarian.

Your fingers tap his shoulder. He does not flinch. Instead, he looks up at you with a coolness that cannot be unmatched. "Y/N, hi."

"Hi, T'Challa. 'Got started on the novel already?" You sit down on your usual spot on the couch. You place your backpack next to you.

"I thought it was imperative. The way you described the novel, it was thrilling. I can already see such from the first couple of pages."

"Achebe was a genius," You grin. You can feel T'Challa's eyes search you. You catch a glimpse of him looking at your face, then your body, and back up to your face. You let him do so without any disturbance. At some point his stare made you nervous, now you lowkey bask in it. You crave it.

"I can already tell. Thank you for the recommendation. It is much needed to level out my course work and my position here. As a thank you, I went to the coffee shop. Vanilla cappuccino, right?"

He hands you one of the coffee cups. You take it, excitedly. Although it is summer, and it is hot, you will not deny yourself the flavor of a vanilla cappucino. You hum at the taste of the vanilla when you take a sip. "Thank you, T'Challa, you did not have to do this,"

"It is my pleasure Y/N." He pauses for a brief moment. He seems to mentally contemplate his next words. "Any way that I can bring you pleasure, I wish to do so." You sense that his words have a double entendre. He wants to bring you pleasure in the simple things like making you laugh, smile, and buying coffee for you. And, he wants to provide you a pleasure that awakens the sexual goodess within you. He wants to taste you on the tip of his tongue and make you come undone by the feel of him sliding inside of you. Your eyes meet his again, and they are lustful and hungry.

You contemplate your next move: either you pounce on this advancement or you act as if this conversation is not occurring. As many times as you have come to the library to see him and conducted as much outside research on who T'Challa is, you are not going to let this opportunity pass you by. You reach for his hand, so mighty, grand, and rich of chocolate. All you can think about is if his dick has the same description. You are sure that you will find out soon. "Is there anywhere that we can go that is private?" As much as you want to have engage in a public library fantasy, you want to be careful. You did not want T'Challa to lose his job or for your business to float around campus despite the lack of students on campus at the moment.

He takes your hand, enveloping into his. You follow him with your backpack and coffee in tow. Nearby, there is a media center room. There is a sign on the door that says: DO NOT USE. THANK YOU! You used one of these rooms before while working on a group project. It is difficult to book one of these rooms. However, Mr. Librarian has the ultimate access. He unlocked the room with a key. You slide pass him, feeling the hardness of his body against yours. You cannot help but to bite down on your lip at the feeling. He locks the door behind him. "No one is going to come in here, right?"

"This room has been unoccupied in months." He assures you, he places his coffee cup and novel down on a nearby desk. You do the same with your things. You two stare at each other, daring each other to make the first movement. "Come here." He challenges you with a confident smirk.

You shake your head, "No. Come here."

"Are you challenging me, Y/N?" He inches closer to you. You playfully shrug. He is now grinning at you. "So, you can come to the library, almost daily, to see me but you cannot come to me now? I am sure that you are tending to your studies but I have an inkling that your studies are not the only reason you are here. Admit it; you are here to see me."

T'Challa knew what you were up to, you have been caught. You could not back down from his challenge. Actually, his questioning and accusations excites you. Mr. Librarian is nasty, in the best way possible. He is now in front of you, staring into your eyes. He grabs you by your waist and firmly wraps his arm around you. His hand rests on the small of your back, right above your ass. You can smell his cologne - faint but intoxicatingly clean. His skin is perfect, chocolate and flawless. You can smell the scent of honey in his perfectly defined coils. Damn, this man is a dream.

"I come here to study, T'Challa. And, yeah, I come here to see you too." You admit.

"I knew it!" He wags his finger, feeling righteous in his suspicions about you. He did not want to come out and ask you if you only came to the library just to visit him. It would be rude of him. But he decided to take a chance. He checked out your book recommendation, bought your favorite cup of coffee, and with the spirit of Bast decided to take make his feelings known. "Can I ask another question?"

"Go ahead," You say.

"Can I kiss you?" Your heart damn near beat out of your chest. This beautiful, sexy man just asked could he kiss you? You'd never been asked before, by a man, if he could kiss you.

"Yes, please," T'Challa lifts up your chin slowly. His eyes travel down your lips. He examines your lips before pressing his against yours gently. The kiss is passionate, slow and sensual. Your tongue encaptures his, moving back and forth, making its own beautiful rhythm. He parts from you but you need to feel him again.

"One more question?"

"Wha...hm? Yes, T'Challa?"

"May I take you out on a date?" You cannot help but to grin with glee. Who knew practically stalking....conducting thorough research on this man would ultimately pay off?

[idealisticrealism]

Blindspot 3x02 recap

Aka the one where the team has to get their groove back

Ah, man. I always intend to do these straight after the ep but then damn life always gets in the way and now suddenly somehow it’s about 12 hours until the new episode airs… let’s see how quickly I can smash through this one then, huh? (Answer: not very quickly lol)

As usual, many thoughts to be found beneath the cut.

Look I’m not really a fan of hunters or white men who are overly attached to their weapons, but murdering a couple of dudes just because they stumbled upon your shady militant business seems a lil bit rough tbh

Ugh Weller is cooking for his lady he’s such a cutie pie and ugh Jane slept so deeply, when was the last time she slept well?? But ugh they’re really settling back into being around each other and HE COMPLIMENTS HER HAIR and tbh I like it best when it’s the classic ‘Jane Doe’ short look but this is super cute (and better than the wavy hair from last ep). And wow I feel like we’re burning through a lot of topics in this brief scene bc now they’re talking about how Jane disappearing pretty much bankrupted Weller (man, that’d have to add some guilt to the pile), and then it comes up that Jane is now vegan and tbh I have a slight problem with this new fact. Like okay being vegan is fine, but firstly they already had at least dinner together the night before, so this kinda should have already come up, right? And secondly I kinda feel like her being vegan now is just a somewhat clumsy way of the writers showing how these two have both ‘changed’ and ‘don’t really know each other like they used to’. I honestly expected her to be joking, and for that little joke to actually demonstrate that while they’re not exactly the same as they were, they also haven’t radically changed. But nevermind, I guess. It provided the necessary setup for Weller’s question about any other surprises-- following which Jane says nothing about the passports and cash she’d hidden-- which is what the writers really wanted to get out of this scene anyway.

Poor Stuart, Patterson really does not like sharing her lab. But technically he’s right, it is his lab too. And omg he and Zapata giving Patterson shit about her app is priceless. I think it might have been unintentional on his part but Zapata sure ran with it and I am loving her sly grin rn lol. But aw Patterson why you gotta growl at lil puppy Stuart so much?? He doesn’t have the tattoo solving experience you have, and plus, I seem to remember you obsessing over certain specific tattoos and getting distracted from the rest… though maybe the David experience put a stop to that, I guess, and you subconsciously don’t want Stuart to head down that same path. And then lol Weller strides in and tells Patterson he wants to solve one specific tattoo today and ooooh she is pissed, whereas Zapata’s having more fun rn than she did in her entire year at the CIA. I knew you missed this, girl. And then Weller says he solved part of the tatt and she’s immediately like ‘excuse me? By yourself?’ and looks doubtful (and also possibly concerned? It’s not something dodgy is it??). But omg “I’m not just a handsome face, Tasha” hahahaha. And yeah yeah we know about Roman and Berlin, though it’s news that there’s a specific sequence to these tattoos and that Roman is supposedly trying to help save the world. And now the team is crackin’ and ugh Patterson to Stuart “What a math whiz you are” and on one hand it’s funny but on the other c’mon mate, go easy on him. He’s barely more than a baby. Anyway ten she pulls some wizardy stuff with the tattoo and they figure out that it marks a spot up near the finger lakes. But then Jane realises that it may connect with the pre-existing tattoo in the same spot-- the left breast, apparently, thanks Stuart (next time answer a little slower, buddy) and omg she gives him this tiny, amused (but not mocking) smile as she repeats ‘left chest area’ and ugh I’m so glad to see someone being sweet to Stuart.

So the team updates Reade on the sitch, which feels a lil weird, and he’s hesitant to let them rush out and blindly follow the tattoos like Weller wants to, bc he’s worried about them being manipulated again, and oooh Weller gets all grumpy about it. Boys, boys, play nice. Jane gently convinces Reade into it, while Weller continues to grump. Dude, I don’t particularly think Reade should be in charge, but the fact of the matter is that he IS in charge, so you should be watching your tone. It doesn’t matter that you have inside info that this is a time-sensitive situation, that is still not a respectful way to address a superior officer. And then lol they go out and search for hours until Reade tries to make them go home “I don’t wanna just quit”/“it’s not quitting if it’s an order”. Lol poor guy, it’s like dealing with a bunch of headstrong kids some of the time. And then suddenly a satellite literally crash-lands right near them, and is pretty much immediately descended on by a bunch of military-esque guys. Notice that Weller is calling the shots again? Old habits die hard, I guess. Poor Reade….  

Stuart is still obsessed with that same tattoo and PAtterson is still annoyed by it. Reade and Weller walk in with a chorus of ‘so what have you got?’ and again, Weller, time to back down, buddy. This ain’t your team anymore. Lol “we’re not following hunches”/“We just followed Weller’s hunch…” ugh poor beleaguered Stuart. He just can’t catch a break. And sigh, looks like Rich won’t be helping out this ep. Bummer. Ooooohhh but Reade gives the orders and then calls Weller into his office, who definitely has an odd look on his face as he looks at their reversed positions either side of the desk. And omg Reade brings up the tattoo and Weller’s all ‘oh yeah I was right about that’.  Uh excuse me??? I’m not even on this team and even I don’t like your tone one bit, you insolent little preteen! Come on, Weller, this level of juvenile pettiness should be below you. After all, Reade is raising a very valid question about how it was that he just happened to solve the tattoo on the very day that the satellite fell-- which means he’s onto you, buddy. I’d be treading with a little more care and a little less jerkishness, if I were you….

Oh hi Sydney! Oh man when was this filmed??? I stg if they were there when I was there in September…. But oooh damn Roman is getting into some deep stuff here at this support group. Oh hey! I know that guy, he was in an ep of Timeless. And I think possibly in some Aussie ad? Idk. And yep, I don’t care if it’s my native accent, hearing it in an American show is always freakin weird. At least he’s a legit Aussie and not putting on a terrible fake accent haha. And ok I know he’s not but it kind of feels like he’s almost hitting on Roman haha? But in actuality I’m pretty sure Roman has orchestrated this whole thing. Also this dude lives in The Rocks??? He must be loaded, wow. And lol, it’s never too early for a beer in Australia, unless of course you’re me, in which case ‘never’ is too early for a beer haha.

Oooh boy, Stuart, it’s probably not a good idea to literally take the words out of Patterson’s mouth. She really does love briefing the team and showing how smart she is, which in this case involves her having figured out who the satellite belonged to. The representatives of ProtechSat arrive, though are greatly confused since they’re not missing a satellite-- at least, until they see the one in the lab. “Oh, this is for sure ours” hahaha. And then they proceed to have very restrained freakouts and make multiple phone calls as they realise exactly which satellite it was and what it did, while the team gets more and more impatient waiting for answers “getting a little suspicious here guys”/”lotta red flags” hahaha I love the sass in this team. And then lolll the whole ‘We’re from the DOD” exchange and the explaining of the acronyms is priceless. Turns out, though, that the US has a missile shield thingy via a network of satellites, and now with the black box from the crashed one, someone could technically turn it off. Lol at Tasha’s “great, now I have to make a phone call” haha. And Stuart suddenly gets the company name and damn I love this show’s subtle humour. Uh oh, apparently North Korea is priming their missiles, which means possible nuclear war. Geez, high stakes or what. Oh hold up, as long as a single satellite in the network stays functional, the shield stays in place. Who wants to bet that they stop the bad guys just as it counts down to one or two satellites left?? And then lol “stuart’s got something” “Really??” damn Patterson, be nice lol

Stuart has discovered the situation with the hunters, which leads them to a trail cam that shows the ringleader’s face-- and Jane knows him. She worked with him doing K&R, and knows several of his aliases. Reade is immediately thinking of the ramifications of her previous work, but Zapata and Patterson both immediately jump to her defense. Aw, my girls! And then Weller’s all grumpy again over this discovery and tbh I don’t understand why?? As far as I recall, he didn’t ever directly ask her what she’d been doing while she was gone, and rescuing kidnapping victims certainly doesn’t seem like a bad thing?? Like, so what if she worked with some questionable people for the greater good? Geez, Weller, you’re more hormonal in a single day than many girls are throughout their entire teenage years. Chill out, son.  

Back in the motherland, these rather similar looking dudes are bonding over more beers, and ugh Roman is telling him the truth about Shepherd and Jane. “Half the time I want my sister back, half the time I want to kill her”--- who wants to bet that that’s going to be a running theme of the season lol? And then haha “you’re next beer’s going to be a water” uh mate he’s American, the beer he’s used to practically IS water loll

Jane finds Weller in the locker room to apologise, which imo isn’t warranted, but whatever. And he says that she ‘did what she had to do’ and I LOVE that she corrects him and tells him that she did it bc she WANTED to? That’s right, girl, don’t let him alter your narrative to fit his views. And then he judges her about people she may or may not have killed/let die and dude. Duuuude. You’re being an assssss. Good thing Patterson has found some info on their bad guy. Sidenote, but I think the writers managed to slip in a subtle dig about gun control in there and I’m super impressed? Anyhow Patterson shows them the guy’s safehouses she found, which Jane is immediately able to narrow down to one based on her skills and her personal knowledge of the guy. Nice work, honey! And then they bust in there and oooh “this is for Paris”-- ok I need that backstory right now, please and thank you. We see some Korean guys in a car who have apparently already discovered that their contact is blown, but they apparently have an ace up their sleeve. Uh oh….

Oooh Zapata is ranting to Patterson about ‘Assistant Director Reade’ and man it’s weird hearing her use his title. Patterson tries to highlight things from his perspective (with another lil jab from Tasha about her app making it in there haha) and then tells her she might just need to figure out a new balance, likening it to her own ‘friends who hate each other’ thing with Stuart, and Zapata’s all ‘yeah no he definitely doesn’t know that that’s what you are’ and Patterson suddenly feels all bad. As you should, honey, coz you’ve been kinda mean to him this whole time. But aww she says she’ll be better and fix things and ugh I love seeing my babies listen to each other and work to improve themselves. Of course all her good intentions do kind of go out the window when she discovers that Stuart is back to using their processing power on his pet tattoo, and advances on him so suddenly that he literally knocks stuff off his desk in his haste to back away. Ugh the poor kid is terrified of her, despite being practically twice her height haha. She does make a good point that the nukes are all still live and the threat is far from neutralised, though. And lol she refers to the hacker as a he and the ProtechSat guy pipes up in the background “Or she!” and Patterson is all, “Exactly, women can be hackers too, Stuart!” and omg I shouldn’t laugh but the poor guy is so flustered rn and totally scared of her, and Zapata is in the background with her face in her hand hahahaha.

Oooh Reade comes in and diffuses the situation by being completely oblivious to it haha, just as he misses the sass Tasha directs his way. Then he goes in to interrogate the dude they caught and lol when he suggests he’s the hacker the dude is all “Do I look like a nerd?” Ouch man, didn’t you know anyone can be a hacker? Lol. And then “is that the good Korea, or the bad one?” okay I kinda like this guy haha, can we see more of him? Weller is definitely less impressed, taking the opportunity to shame Jane a little more for her past career choices, and dude you better get down off of that high horse before you FALL off of it. You’re hardly one with any right to be throwing stones here. But at she stands her ground, and he backs off a little. You go, Jane.

Oooh Reade is getting a pep talk from Hirst; she thinks he’s overcompensating now that the team is back. Well, that’s probably true. But on the other hand, certain members of his team (*cough* Weller *cough*) are also being prigs. Speaking of people who are being butts today, the bad dude (who is a butt) gets a visit from Jane (who has a nice butt) and there’s lots of sass being thrown around-- “I liked you better when you were unaffiliated” “Funny, I never liked you at all” hahaha yaaaassss my queeeeennnn. Oooh but hold on, he knew about her bounty? And didn’t act on it, due to a mysterious person called Clem telling him not to touch her. Wow, Clem must be powerful. They’re probably a dude, too, but just saying I have an Aunty Clem and though she’s a 5ft nutritionist with a pixie cut and giant glasses, I could totally see her as a mastermind/commander figure haha. I guess they already did the ‘Surprise! This character you’ve been hearing about is actually a woman!’ reveal with Shepherd tho. But anyhow based on Jane’s chat with her old work buddy, there may be a leak in the team-- and of course the first suspect is the ProtechSat guy who happens to be a POC. Original. It’s only when he has an alibi--- sidenote, why was he at the hospital overnight I really wanna know-- that anyone even remembers that oh yeah, he has a colleague who has also been there the whole time, and who they now know had the means to frame him. But I mean she’s a pretty white lady, so who could blame them for not suspecting her til now? (#me #Icould) Aaand now the innocent lil white lady just killed two poor dudes and is about to give the baddies the means to nuke the whole country. Good work, team.

Back by the bay, the beardy boys are bonding beautifully. Poor Aussie dude just really wants to make sure Roman isn’t a risk to himself-- but he doesn’t realise that he’s the one at risk. Roman deliberately targeted him, drugged him and is about to kill him. And ughhh the poor guy is all ‘I don’t wanna die’ and Roman seems to almost regret that he has to do it bc he seems to genuinely like him and duuuude just don’t do it! Don’t kill him! Be a better person!

The ProtechSat guy helped them figure out where the hacker chick is, which I’m super satisfied by bc the guy that they wrongly accused has now just helped save their asses. And Jeller are racing there, and Jane tells Weller she loves him, but it’s with a look of almost trepidation on her face, like when a dog thinks you’re mad at them so they’ll come up and lick your hand and try to be extra cute and lovable. At least Weller immediately says it back, then reassures her that he’s not mad at her, but at Roman for orchestrating all this, and tells her that they can’t let him drive them apart. Mmmm-hmmmm, this is the time when you mention that you ALSO have something to confess, boy! But nope, looks like we’re not free of the hypocrisy yet. Anyhow the team dashes into the building (awkwardly hiding their guns from all the kiddies), guided by Patterson to the planetarium where they find a dead Marcy. Also the voiceover narrating about asteroids and meteorites sounds very much like it’s an analogy for this show’s characters… meanwhile the team is suddenly being shot at, a (male or female, thanks guys) hacker is shutting down all the satellites, Patterson is yelling… it’s just like old times. And finally the team functions like old times, and Reade and Tasha manage to cover Jeller long enough for them to go and take out the hacker and his guards in a kickass lil showdown-- leaving them with two satellites playing Atlas and holding the whole thing together. Lol at Reade losing his comms and being like ‘So did we win or did we get nuked?’ haha. And then awwww the team’s all gathered back at the lab and Reade is giving a lil speech and I’m so proud of them. Also no drinking in the lab is a new rule-- I feel like this was somehow put in place because of Rich haha.

Aw, damn, Roman really killed him. Well, that sucks. But he needed his identity or whatever, so fine. But omg it’s hilarious watching Luke pretend to ‘learn’ how to speak with his own native accent haha. Also when are they going to explain the absence of the scar???

Oh boy. Weller is cooking tofu sticks, which is not going at all well, but it’s a sweet gesture. And yet again I kind of expect Jane to say she was joking about the whole vegan thing, idk why lol. But ugh he’s all ‘I’m trying so hard’ and I really do feel bad for him rn. He’s scared that bc there’s so much about her now that he wasn’t part of, that it will mean he’ll never really have her back or something. But um dude, literally everyone else in the world is with someone who has years of experiences that don’t include them?? Like with her memory wipe, her entire existence is pretty much only like 4 years long at this point, and she was with you for 2 and a half of those. Most people are with someone who lived twenty or more years before knowing them. So I suggest you reassess a bit here, buddy. But then again I know you’re only scared of losing her again, which is probably a fear you’ll carry forever (which as we know, is a situation I am displeased with the writers about). But ugh Jane basically suggests going out on a date which is cute, and Weller’s all ‘no go we’re broke’, and she’s all ‘well actually’ and shows him her giant stash’o’cash. And it’s one of those bittersweet moments bc yes she kept it from him but she was keeping it for an emergency, and had likely planned to tell him once she had realised how dire things had gotten financially. Thankfully Weller decides to focus on the positive, and well, they don’t make it to that date….

Awww Tasha shows up at Reade’s apartment and there’s sass and it’s cute and he apologises and then she’s all oooohhh you’re on a date?? But NO OMG he has a GIRLFRIEND and she looks VERY FAMILIAR and ooooohhhhhhhhhh boyyyyyyyy this is gonna get awkwardddddddddddd  

Meanwhile Patterson is repeatedly calling Stuart to try to apologise and explain her recent behaviour which I really approve of and appreciate, and ugh she tells him he’s good at his job and ugh she’s actually gone to his apartment to see him but oh shit the door is busted in and please tell me he just went back to the lab to work late please please please oh shit oh nooooooooooooooo. Stuarttttttttttttt!! Oh my baby this is so unfair, you deserved so much better….  (Also poor Patterson ugh)

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

When we turn to sustainability, a lot of preppers consider tree fruits for part of our long-term food supply. They can be expensive to buy, so it’s tempting to just plant a seed from the tasty apple we ate for lunch or the fruits of a nearby tree that’s thriving. Johnny Appleseed did it after all.

It’s not quite that easy these days, though. Our most common tree fruits need a little help in the seed-to-plant stage. Then what we get from our 5-20 year investment may be … pretty disappointing.

Rampant Hybrids

The modern era has changed our fruit trees. They are about as far away from Johnny Appleseed’s as our modes of transportation.

Most of our common domestic tree fruits are not self-fertile. They require another tree, usually of a different variety, to pollinate their flowers. This results in a fruit that is carrying a hybrid seed within it.

Call it a Labrador and a poodle, and your seed is a labradoodle … except, it’s not as predictable in results as those labradoodles are.

That’s because many of the fruit trees purchased in the last 50-70 years are already a hybrid. So now you’re planting the equivalent of a puppy bred from a labradoodle and a bagel (beagle-basset).

That’s a lot of potential color, coat, size, health and temperament combinations. Same goes for fruit trees.

Understanding Breeding

When a plant flowers, it already knows what kind of fruit it’s going to produce. That fruit production is coded into its genetic material. It doesn’t matter what pollinates it, the fruit it bears will be the same.

The pollen carries the additional DNA from a different tree for most of our fruits. That new genetic material affects the seeds (offspring) inside that fruit, and in turn the fruit that offspring will produce. Like any other mutt or hybrid, it’s a BINGO pull for which parent’s genes end up in each of the offspring.

Then, there are the ways those genes interact with each other.

With some genes, there’s a straight on-off switch. In many cases, however, multiple sets of genes impact the same trait(s). Labrador coloring is one fairly simple example of gene expression.

Plants – to include our fruit trees – can inherit the same mixes of traits, which will affect our future trees. You can also get the same throwback results and the same potential of mutation, with some mutations positive for the species, some waiting hidden for years and eons, and some pretty negative.

Resulting trees and their fruits may be lacking in flavor or texture, produce very small amounts instead of bushels, be unable to support the weight of its fruit so they all snap off and drop before they ripen, or might create a throwback to a medlar. It might be two feet tall, ten feet tall, or twenty feet tall, spindly or shrub-like or lollypop-umbrella “tree” shaped. Its roots might be polite or might run along the surface.

Takeaway: Just because you like the fruit, the fruits from the seed inside are most likely going to be different.

That’s assuming the seed is actually capable of developing into a mature tree, and a fruit-bearing tree. Non-fruiting ornamental varieties of trees are also the result of hybridization. Disease and pest resistance may vary greatly from the parents.

Plus, the new hybrid may or may not make a good pollination partner with the existing trees or its newly sprouted hybrid-hybrid brothers and sisters. Fruits usually come in several prime pollination and flowering “seasons”, and sometimes have only a handful of other varieties that will work well as a pollinator for them.

Grafting’s Influence

On top of the high likelihood that your parent trees were both hybrids and your seed is likely to conceal all kinds of throwback and combination genetics, it’s very likely that if a tree was purchased in the last 20 years, it’s grafted.

Grafting is when you take a root from one tree, and glue a stick from a different tree on top of it. (Every botanist and arborist just twitched at that oversimplification. You’re welcome.)

Mostly, grafting is done to control size or to place a favorable fruiting variety on a root stock that can handle soil conditions better than that fruiting species. Sometimes it’s done to create the “tree of many fruits” combinations, or to make “self” fertile apples and peaches.

The root stock in no way affects the genetic material that’s carried by either the hybrid pollen donor or the hybrid female flower that will turn that pollen into a seed. However, it does create an additional set of issues due to the introduction of that fifth (and potentially sixth if it, too, is a hybrid) set of genetics into the “successful tree” gamble.

The problem for home growers who want to propagate their own trees is that the root stock defines a lot of the tree’s success, while the scion that will grow into the trunk and limbs determines the actual fruits you’ll harvest. Without the root stock, that scion may not even survive long-term.

Identifying Grafted Trees

First off, if you bought an apple, cherry, peach, plum, or pear tree in the last 20 years, I’m pretty comfortable saying it’s grafted. But maybe not. If not, you probably hunted hard to get your pure-bred, non-grafted, standard-sized heirloom, and know it’s not grafted.

If you want to check, look at the base of your tree. If you’re into mulch volcanos (many Americans are), you may want to move some of the material away from the base of the tree.

You’re looking for a ring or bulge somewhere right above where the roots start spreading out horizontally, sometimes up to 1-2’ above that point. That’s the scar tissue from where your tree was grafted onto its root stock.

Some trees are sneaky (by which I mean they heal flawlessly), and some botanists and arborists are artistic masters who should be working in cosmetic surgery, so it’s not 100% that you’ll find the scar. To further complicate it, there’s chip budding that is sometimes done, and grafting not the trunk, but limbs, which requires looking higher on the tree.

For the most part, though, look for that bulge or scar, in a circle or a series of them within 1-2’ of the soil and root levels. That’s your clue that you aren’t dealing with just one hybrid, but have an additional set of genetics contributing to the tree’s success.

Cold Stratification

Still want to try that seed for future apples? Or, want to try to breed some successful root stock crops for your area? Sometimes just tossing an apple core as-is works. It’s how we get apples growing in the woods around school campuses all over the world.

However, there are more reliable methods that can increase your chances of getting a tree to actually grow from that seed.

You can separate the seeds and plant clusters of 3-8 spaced 2-4” apart, with clusters separated by 4-8” in a row or mound. Top it with sand for the least-compaction potentials.

If you have problems with rodents, cover the seeds with some screen or wire mesh, similar to planting bulbs in “cages” but with the ability to cut it free and bend it up as the seedling grows to avoid girdling it.

At that stage, you may be digging them to graft and transplant, or you might be thinning to 6-25’ with the intention to graft in-situ, or just wing it and let them grow up. Whichever the goal, you want to go ahead and thin before their roots become too entangled.

Spring planted seeds are less likely to sprout the same year, and can be susceptible to late frosts and heavy rains or rotting in saturated soils. Autumn-planted sprouts may need mulched over – similar to strawberries – to protect them over winter.

A 6-to-24-hour lukewarm water soak ahead of planting out in spring will increase germination rates – which are typically pretty low for fruit trees.

  Another method is to keep seeds cool and dry until 60 days before spring planting. At the -60 mark, the seeds are moved to damp (not soaking wet) straw, sawdust, peat moss, sphagnum moss, or sand and kept in the fridge.

You can also do the fridge stratification, and transplant into bags or cells. I prefer bags, because you slit or untie them, and transplant a full plug without ever disturbing the roots. A tree with a healthy tap root will be more successful and need less help later on in life.

For fruits like peaches and plums with their thick pits, you can help them out by gently cracking that tough armor when you get to the damp stratification, pre-soak, or are directly sowing them. There’s a tiny tree embryo in there, so be gentle. Nut crackers, a thin hand saw, and gentle taps with a hammer are all ways to open up that pit.

It’s Not All Bad News

Personally, I’m not much of a gambler. Especially when it comes to months, years and decades of time and space investment, I’m more comfortable with a sure thing. So how do I plan to continue propagating fruit trees?

I do it the same way the pro’s do to put those apples in the supermarket and all those baby trees in newspaper tubes for sale at Tractor Supply – grafting.

Those trees that are so hard to predict and so hard to sprout are pretty incredibly easy to graft. Not only do they form fast bonds, they’re pretty adaptable to “whose” roots you stick them on.

There are copious YouTube and web instructions for various types of root grafting and scion propagation. Some of the county and state extension offices, Master Gardener programs, and co-ops put out region-specific information that can help, too.

Air Layering

When I said I’m not much into gambling, and that I propagate root-scion combinations to replace trees and expand my orchards, I lied a little bit. I don’t like gambling on 10% germination, 50% survival rates from that 10%, and waiting 5-20 years to see if my lottery numbers get called.

Instead, I air layer limbs. Usually air layering is done with pencil-thick woody stems. If I can support the weight, I’ll use milk jugs and do limbs even 1-1.5” across.

By propagating a limb, I make a 2-8’ “sapling” in 3-6 months. It cuts years off the wait time and increases my survival rates from <5% to better than 70% (remember, that new tree is lacking the root stock that made my first tree successful).

Instead of 5-20 years, I know if I have a tree that can produce on its own in as little as 3-8 years. That’s a gamble I’m willing to take, with about 30-40% of my propagation.

Too, because it’s a clone of the tree limb that’s already giving me fruit, I already know that if it does survive, I have pollination partners that work for it on the property, which I can also propagate, and I know it produces a yield I actually want.

Yeah, I’m never going to discover the next Fuji or Methley, but I’m comfortable with that.

  The post Tree Fruits from Seed appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

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Ken Hatton shares his insight about performing with the Bluegrass Student Union, the Louisville Thoroughbreds, his experience as a director, solo performer, and arranger, and his very candid opinions about the evolution of the music industry and the Barbershop Harmony Society.

Top photo: Ken Hatton

Bottom photo: Bluegrass Student Union 1978 International Quartet Champion of the SPEBSQSA (DBA Barbershop Harmony Society) (L to R) Ken Hatton, Allen Hatton, Dan Burgess, Rick Staab

Todd Wilson had a chance to interview Ken Hatton for our email newsletter. Todd is one of our founders and serves the Nashville Singers as Executive Director and Artistic Director.    

You can subscribe to our newsletter by texting the word SINGERS to 42828

DISCLAIMER: Some of our readers may find Ken’s responses to a few of Todd’s questions a bit edgy. Due to the length of this interview, only a small portion was published in the Nashville Singers newsletter. Hatton’s views do not necessarily reflect the views of the Nashville Singers organization.

TW: When did you know you wanted to be a singer?  

KH: It’s impossible to remember not being a singer.  Granddaddy and Dad were both “song-leaders” in the Church of Christ (“Minister of Music” was considered too “uppity”), and Dad joined the Louisville #1 Chapter of SPEBSQSA, Inc. as a tenor with his high school gospel quartet, in 1951.  Mom was a fair pianist and could hold a tune pretty well too.  Brother Allen was born in 1954, and I came along in 1955.  

The Church of Christ held that instrumental accompaniment was a sin when making a “joyful noise,” so all the worshippers sang in 4-part harmony, you know, just like that original quartet, “Matthew-Mark-Luke-and-John.”  It was all we knew as toddlers, so I can’t really recall when I learned to sing harmony.  It just always was.  Dad taught us to use our “musical ear” to find the harmony, using the shape-notes in the hymnal.  His advice was, “When the note moves up, sing higher, and when the note moves down, sing lower, until it sounds good with the melody-note.”  That was how we learned to woodshed; it was a spiritual thing.  

I do remember at the age of five, when I learned my first popular song.  Allen was in the first grade, and I would wait for his school bus every day on the front steps. I really missed my playmate!  Each afternoon, he would teach me all the things he had learned that day in school.  On one of those afternoons, he sang me a song that some of his fellow first graders had heard on the radio.  Within a few minutes, we were singing it in unison, and with some occasional improvised harmony.  “When I was a little bitty baby, my mama would rock me in my cradle, in them ol’ cotton fields back home.”  I’m not sure that’s when I knew I wanted to be a singer, but that’s when I realized that I was one.  

TW: What can you tell us about growing up in the Hatton family?  

KH: We were encouraged to participate in music-programs in school by our parents, and we enjoyed those activities.  Perhaps talent at a given discipline affects one’s motivation (For some reason, I did not really dig long division or algebra).  Allen learned to play the trumpet, and both of us took piano-lessons as youngsters.  Later, our younger sisters displayed similar talents for singing, and the oldest of the three, Jo Anne, played piano.  Dad was one of the original Thoroughbreds, when the chorus was formed out of the old Louisville Chapter, and Mom sang with the Kentuckiana Chapter of Sweet Adelines, Inc. (later, Sweet Adelines International).  Both parents dabbled in quartet-singing from time to time, and their ensembles always sounded musical, but never seemed to stay together long enough to earn rank in competition.

Dad took Allen and me to an occasional chorus show, where we would be seated in the audience and admonished not to move.  Then, we would watch the chorus rehearse for their performance, and would enjoy the show. I can recall getting an unexplainable lump in my throat whenever that chorus of men would sing with reckless abandon. The highlights of those shows were the several chapter-quartets, including the Derbytowners and (later) the Citations, both of whom were really good competing quartets.  We didn’t realize that the goose-bumps and throat-lumps were being caused by the ringing of chords.  The big thrill for us, as kids, was to experience the Club House Four. They were a pretty good singing District Champ quartet, but those guys really worked at entertaining.  Their jokes and routines were not as “edgy” as the Brian Lynches of the world might prefer, but old folks and kids alike just couldn’t stop laughing whenever the “Club House” was on stage.  

The Thoroughbreds’ Musical Director was a guy named Bill Benner, who had moved to Louisville for work, after having directed the Lake Washington Skippers to a second place finish in international competition in 1957.  Over a four year period, he took the brand new Thoroughbred Chorus to 8th, 6th, 2nd and 1st place finishes, winning their first chorus championship in 1962.  Soon after that competition, Bill resigned as director, though he still conducted the Sweet Ads for a while.  It seems he had been so focused on barbershop that he had ignored his wife and his job, and they both sort of fired him.  He needed to get paid for directing the chorus, and the 1962 T-breds didn’t like that very much.  So, our family took him, in, and Dad provided him with a job at his real estate company.

The saddest part was that Bill was being considered for the Society’s Music Services Director position. The Thoroughbreds’ 42 singers had finished second in 1961 to the 160 voice Chorus of the Chesapeake, under the direction of Bob Johnson.  It was revealed later that year that a certain judge was a member of the winning chorus, and he had over-scored the winners and underscored the ‘Breds.  The judge was kicked out of the judging program, and the Thoroughbreds received a secret apology, which was delivered in person by the new Music Services Director – Bob Johnson!  It probably was a good thing, as Bill’s tunnel vision personality might not have been a good match for that position.    

Bill proved not to be much of an agent, but he sure was fun to have around the house!  While he was thinking about what he was going to do with the rest of his life, and eating Mom’s home-cooked meals every night, Bill would teach us tags.  The guy was a savant, carrying all four parts in his head, and could teach the whole song by rote – eight bars at a time, with no “spots (That’s what we called sheet music back then).”  In fact, that’s the way Bill had had taught most of the charts to the Thoroughbreds for four years – by rote.  

So, Allen and I had one of the Society’s premiere musical smart-guys in the bedroom next to ours, and we got quite an education during his year and a half long visit.  It turned out that we were pretty quick studies, which was a good match for a bipolar type, like Bill.  There were five us in the house at that time who could hold our parts, and it was fairly easy to sing one of Bill’s tags after very little teaching time.  The first one we learned was “I Found in My Mother’s Eyes.”  

Bill moved to Chicago, and none of us ever heard from him again.  Jim Miller and Joe Wise had been appointed co-directors, and with the help of coach/arranger Ed Gentry, ushered in a new era of barbershop chorus singing through the Thoroughbreds.  Meanwhile, Mom took Bill’s place as Musical Director of the Kentuckiana Chapter of Sweet Adelines, Inc., later directing Falls of the Ohio Chapter, Derby City Chorus and Song of Atlanta.  She served as a judge in SAI contests, and sang a pretty mean baritone.      

Most choruses had a rule back then that excluded men under the age of 16. The exception was that one could join at 15, if your dad was an active member.  The thinking was that the members looked forward to their night out with the men (not with the women or the children).  They didn’t watch their language, and if they felt like having a beer or a smoke, they didn’t have to worry about being a role-model for just that one night each week. Boy, I miss those days!

Allen and I both joined at 15, and sang in our first Chorus Contest in Atlanta, in 1972, in which the chorus placed third.  We were disappointed, as the Thoroughbreds had won the championship without our help in 1962, 1966 and 1969, and were tied with Pekin, IL for the most international wins. Allen headed off to Morehead State, and back home, Rick Staab, Danny Burgess and I got our feet wet, singing with an “old” Thoroughbred named Paul Morris on tenor.  Paul was 28.  We sang together for about six months.  Rick went away to attend Georgetown University, breaking up the group, and Allen came home to attend University of Louisville.  Then, Rick surprised everybody, and came home to attend U of L as well.  That’s when the final combination of the Bluegrass Student Union was formed, with Allen on tenor.  Now, we had four guys about the same age, with similar skills and education.  

Mom (Mary Jo Hatton) was our first coach, and refused to let us work on craft, focusing instead on singing with the right muscles.  She knew we wouldn’t go back and do that grunt-work after we had earned the “cheap” points.  Mom was concerned about us damaging our young voices, so she demanded that we master vocal production first – a smart move.  

TW: What got you interested in barbershop harmony?

KH: One could say, “See Question #2,” and just stop there, but there is a twist.  As a young teenager during the hippie-years, barbershop was associated with the establishment, and we young people had our own subculture. We were told not to trust anyone over 30, and pop music was progressing in a different direction from Tin Pan Alley and the Great American Songbook.  I perceived barbershop in those days as a fun hobby for older fellows, but the quartets and choruses I had heard didn’t seem like a good fit for the musical trends I was following as a baby-boomer.

Allen and I attended our first International Convention on our parents’ coattails in 1964.  Later, we attended our second one in 1968 (I was twelve), and discovered that barbershoppers had lots of pretty daughters in the “Barberteens” room, but didn’t appear to have very many sons. That turned out to be handy for us. We enjoyed attending those conventions, and sang some tags, but didn’t really pay much attention to the musical goings-on – too many distractions.    

Fortunately, Mom and Dad had a library of recordings of the Society’s Top Ten quartets, as well as recordings of live shows and Long Play (LP) record-albums produced by top quartets like the Renegades, Roaring Twenties, Boston Common, Dealers Choice, Regents, Gentlemen’s Agreement, Sundowners, Sidewinders, etc..  We listened to them all, and enjoyed some more than once.  But far and away, the quartet whose records I fell in love with were produced by the Sun Tones (later the “Suntones”).  My headphones and I spent hundreds of hours poring over their fantastic renditions of popular songs set to barbershop, and that music convinced me that this particular a cappella style could actually be “cool.”  Later, I would wait by the mailbox for each new Suntones-record, as it was released.  I listened until I had accidentally memorized all four parts to all of the several “Sunspots” records that we had.  That was the final piece of the puzzle.  I then joined the chorus, because I simply had to.

TW: You were a member of the Thoroughbreds, considered one of the most successful barbershop choruses in history.  Can you share a few of your own experiences with the T-breds?

KH: Like you guys, I could write a book.  Most of my experiences would be similar to those of other long time barbershoppers, and if I started telling about funny things that happened, we would never be able to list them all.  I will mention one general happening that helped create my personal mission and philosophy.  

Our 120 man chorus showed its best face during competitions, but after winning each trophy, about half of the guys would take a “break” for a couple of years.  We would be left with 60-70 active singers, who did the business of the chorus, week in and week out.  That core of “lifers” sold the tickets and program-ads, built the scenery, commissioned and tweaked the arrangements, rehearsed the show-tunes and performed the package-shows. The rest of the guys came back only to compete.

To our director, Jim Miller, it didn’t matter how small the audience was, or whether it was a prestigious event.  He spent the same energy in preparation and performance, whether we were singing for a banquet of 75 people or a stadium of 10,000.  I can recall many tough shows for small audiences who were not expecting the entertainment to be some barbershop group.  Jim would plan the show carefully, knowing that we would have to work hard and smart, in order to please the “tough” crowd.  Then, he would rehearse us for a couple of hours before the performance, to see which key people were missing, and would change his plan accordingly, moving certain singers to different voice parts to achieve balance, and substituting some second string MCs, soloists and quartet-singers.  

After a complete run-through, the chorus would hit the stage, and Jim would let the audience know with his body language and apparent effort that we wanted to please them. He would work up a sweat, and motivate us to dig in, so as to deliver the most emotional and exciting performance we could muster.  We always exceeded the expectations of those tougher (smaller) audiences, and each performance made the event seem more important to them and to us than it really was.  

BSU followed Jim’s example in that regard, and, with few exceptions, we exceeded the expectations too. For three decades, our quartet did a complete run-through before every performance.  We found that our percentage of remembered lyrics and accurate intervals went up, while our number of seconds of dead time went down.

Music Educators generally teach singers to perform without showing any apparent effort, but that was exactly the opposite of our approach.  We always wanted the audience to sense how hard we were working for them, so we made sure that all of our effort was apparent.  That made our audiences feel special, which is supposed to be “the job,” isn’t it?  Jim’s and our approach was one of the things that set our chorus and quartet apart from most others, who tried to hide their effort during performances, for some unknown “sophisticated” reason.  

One exception?  We sang for a United Nations General Assembly dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in the early 1980s, and we gave ‘em our best stuff, performing with reckless abandon.  We never got more than a white gloved golf-clap from those diplomats. Our host explained that they had all been taught to be very reserved, when in the presence of each other.  But our job was to make them forget their emotional training, so we failed that day. There were no whistles, shouting, hats in the air, money or room-keys on the stage, and no tears or laughter from anybody.  It was miserable.  Later, at the reception, the audience-members were quick with the compliments flattery, but I just wanted to crawl under a rock.

The rest of the 33 years of shows pretty much run together in my mind, because they were the same in this regard:  We gave everything we had in preparation and performance, and fell across the goal line each time, totally spent and exhausted… victorious!  Looking back, our experience was a lot more fulfilling than if we had taken some drugs, skipped across the stage, and tried to hide our efforts from the crowd.  Thanks, Jim!

TW: What were the names of some of the quartets and quartet-singers you sang with before the Bluegrass Student Union?  Compared to those quartets, what was different about the BSU?

KH: BSU was the first organized quartet of which I was a member.  Years later, I sang in several other quartets; Kids at Heart, The Sensations, The Exchange, Four for the Price, Bold Venture and The Daddy-Ohs!  One difference with BSU was trust.  Since I knew that the other parts would always be where they were supposed to be, I was free to think about the message of the song and our emotional connection with the audience, instead of being preoccupied with a few synchronization errors, out of tune chords or horizontal tuning (song going sharp).  The other main difference was the fact that BSU was all business.  When the last man arrived at rehearsal or at the studio, we started singing, and we didn’t quit until the first guy had to leave. On the road, we didn’t sight-see or attend a lot of parties.  We discussed future plans on the plane or in the car, had our carb-dinner together, rehearsed at the hotel, went to the venue early, set up our recordings in the lobby, dressed and made up, did our complete run-through, and gave our performance. Then, we repeated the process before the afterglow.  We often listened to the show tape on the way home, and discussed improvements for the next show.  Every action was designed to maximize the quality of performance.  In some of those other quartets, we spent a little time more enjoying ourselves, and that was fun, too, but in a different way.

TW: What can you tell us about a few of your most memorable BSU performances?  

KH: There was a sameness about our performances over the years that makes them all kind of a blur.  The common denominator was the audience-reaction. We started with a short, fast, high pitched opener, designed to get the audience’s attention away from whatever had preceded us on the show. We followed with self-deprecating humor, to make them like us personally. Then, we sang a swing-tune to charm, and followed with a sincere love-ballad, for the “kill.”  After that, we could sing our novelty songs, to demonstrate virtuosity, and repeat the process ad infinitum.  We were never really a one-song standing ovation kind of quartet. Our approach was a selling process, designed to earn the audience’s respect and love over the course of the performance.  Typically, the long or standing ovation would come at the end, as designed, and only then would we agree to perform an encore. Incidentally, you never saw BSU take cups or bottles of water on the stage. What’s up with that?  Do beta-blockers dry you out?    

Of course, we saw our share of far-away places and prestigious venues, but prestige and exoticness were not what made a performance memorable. Again, it was the audience.  One that stands out was in Viborg, South Dakota.  This community had one hotel, made of unpainted concrete blocks. There was no phone in the room, and a black and white TV was advertised at 50 cents extra per day.  The venue was a high school gymnasium, and our expectations were low.  Nevertheless, we prepared according to our training, and when we hit the stage, we realized there was standing room only in the place; people were hanging from the light fixtures to get a chance to see this show.  We didn’t know that South Dakotans rarely got to see any kind of live entertainment.  People had driven to Viborg from several hundred miles around.  It was such an appreciative crowd, and we were able to deliver a solid performance because we had not taken them for granted.  Carnegie Hall was nice, but this crowd was deafening!

We were invited to sing on the Saturday evening show at the Buckeye Invitational, in Columbus, Ohio, 30 years after our first performance.  It was to be our second appearance at the Buckeye, which was rare, so we were excited about the opportunity, late in our long career.  

We decided to dress and make up in our hotel rooms, and arrived during intermission, knowing that there would be a feature quartet before our spot as the headliner, which was traditionally the final act.  The stage manager excitedly welcomed us into a dressing room, expressing surprise that we were so late, and advising that we were scheduled to open the second half of the show.  I apologized, and asked, “Who is headlining?”  “Max Q,” he replied (who at that time was a silver medalist).  

Barbershop-etiquette calls for the International Champion to headline the show, which should have been us. It was (and is) a slap in the face for any champion to play second fiddle to a second place quartet.  Of course, it was possible that the show producers were neophyte barbershoppers who didn’t know any better.  However, there is no way that Max Q would not have known that tradition.  They should have declined immediately, when asked to headline, but evidently, they had decided it was appropriate for them to be the stars of the show, for some reason that was more important than good manners.  

We decided that the only thing to do was to remain quiet about their offense, and to simply do our “talking” with our performance, as we had been trained to do.  We spent a few minutes in the dressing room, rearranged our song-order and palaver for maximum effect, and went through the curtain with big ol’ grins, about half pissed off.  We opened with “Back in Business,” and the crowd went wild.  We just banged every song, and there was nothing left for Max Q, but a pile of juice.  In the lobby after the show, our recording table was mobbed, and theirs had four lonely guys in tuxedos holding pens, with a couple of crickets chirping, and no autographs to sign.  Second again!

As we were packing up, Jeff Oxley ambled over, and said sheepishly, “I guess you guys probably should have headlined this show.”  Ya think? Yeah, that one was memorable.  We never told anybody about it, until this writing.  

In the 80s, we did some research by surveying the various chapters.  There were over 800, and about 600 of them held an annual show, with a guest quartet.  If you took out the holiday weekends, on a given Saturday night, there were 15 annual chapter-shows going on in the country.  All of the show-chairmen wanted a champion, a past-champion or a top ten quartet as their headliner.  As one of the most popular show-quartets, we had our choice, so we conducted a survey, and began to be selective about which bids we would accept.  Our goal was to maximize fun and profit.  We started to perform only where the chapter had a larger crowd (good for recording sales) and a reputation of hospitality where other guest quartets were concerned (good for the fun).

We pitched in with the Citations, the Harrington Brothers and eventually the Suntones, to organize three special weekends.  We approached chapters about sponsoring special shows that would feature BSU and each one of those other quartets, with only quartet-singing – no choruses.  The idea went viral, and the three weekends were spectacular - so much fun!  The last one was in 1991, with the Suntones.  We performed on a Friday night, two shows on Saturday and one on Sunday afternoon in the southern Michigan and northern Ohio areas.  What a kick to ride around for the weekend with our idols, and get to know them personally!  We included a set as an octet, since we knew all of their tunes, and we traded two of our guys for two of their guys at the afterglows.  It was a dream come true, and BONUS – we all became good friends.

TW: What BSU CD recording project generated the biggest sense of pride, and what about that project was different?  

KH: We were proud of all of our recordings, because we took great care in the production of each one. From a young age, we knew that our quartet was finite, and hoped that people would listen to our recordings, long after we were gone.  That thought was on our minds with the planning and execution of each project. Bobby Ernspiker was our recording engineer, and he was also the son of a Thoroughbred.  

On the first two albums, “After Class” and “The Older the Better,” we had a largely technical approach, caring more about the accuracy of the notes, the ringing of the chords and the intelligibility of the lyrics than about the art.  We were making pretty good bucks on the road, so we decided to give Bob unlimited control over the duration of sessions.  Bob was our fifth set of ears, and was instrumental in capturing the best performances we could muster. Unlike other quartets, we spent six months to a year in weekly recording sessions, to do our best work.  It was our perception that those albums were not perfect, but they were better than most others.  We made money, although our sales were not yet commensurate with the expense and effort we had invested.  

Having met Walter Latzko, we decided to do our first theme album, which would be the first one created by any barbershop quartet.  We chose Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” as the theme, and set to work on Walter’s fantastic arrangements.  We spent more time listening to Bobby’s guidance in the studio about emotional performance. It took a year to take the tunes from the paper to the stage, and another year to record them.  This time, we spared no expense on the studio time, the costuming, choreography, graphic art and photography, in an attempt to create the best show-package and recording in the history of the Society. The result was an artistic success, but again, the sales were no better than those of any ol’ past champion.

In spite of the apparent unwillingness of the buying public to notice any difference, we were pleased with the product, and decided to look for another theme.  We eventually settled on the songs of the 40s, and the idea for our “Jukebox Saturday Night” album was born.  Latzko and Waesche, our two faves, collaborated on the charts, and we applied the same attention to detail (and spent the same moneys), to create the best product possible.  We accelerated our attention to capturing the right mood for each song.  When that recording hit the streets, the sales went through the roof.  It was puzzling; perhaps the barbershoppers were tired of the Music Man theme, but excited about hearing tunes adapted to barbershop that they had not heard before. For whatever reason, this particular theme appealed to them, and Jukebox catapulted us to a new level of acclaim that left the other past champs behind.  The perception was that we were progressing, improving and pushing the edge of the envelope musically, just as our great examples, the Suntones and the Buffalo Bills, had done twenty and thirty years before.  

We continued that approach with a collection of tunes written by George Gershwin, whose chords and progressions had earned his songs taboo-status in previous Society competitions. But we liked them, and so did Walter (Latzko) and Ed (Waesche).  The result was our album, “Here to Stay,” the first one we did not release as an LP record, but only as a CD and a cassette.  The songs were more sophisticated, the arrangements were arguably better, and the performances were emotional.  The singing demonstrated greater savvy, while our technical execution was just a hair less precise than that of the previous two recordings.  The perception was that this was a lateral move, kind of an extension of Jukebox, and the sales were just as strong as those of the previous album.

In 1998, we introduced “LEGACY,” a 25 year collection of audio recordings in a 3-CD box set, including all five studio-albums, several previously unreleased tracks and a recording of a live show, complete with declamatory stuff between songs.  In 2006, we created our final recording product, called “COMMENCEMENT,” a 2-disc set (1 CD and 1 DVD).  The audio disc includes a few tracks that we were messing around with when we decided to retire for good.  The video disc includes the best performance of each song that we could find on video tapes we had collected over the years.  

Fans of “Here to Stay” and “Jukebox” have since gone back and checked out “Music Man,” and found it to have been under appreciated by past generations. We understand that our video of the Music Man show-package has been used by teachers at Harmony University for decades, to demonstrate showmanship, the way to put a show together, avoidance of dead time and the use of costumes, props, lighting, effective pauses and voice-over-music, to enhance a quartet’s performance.  That pleases us very much.  All of our tracks are available perpetually and digitally through iTunes, CDbaby.com and Pandora.  We have discontinued production of all hard copy CDs, etc.    

We are certainly proud of all of the products, since those five (original) releases each represented our best work at a certain stage in our development.  By design, many of the songs in the second half our career had a timeless appeal that continues to pay dividends.  Thanks to some good taste in song selection, great arrangers, hard work, outside-the-box engineering and professional artwork, our collections of recordings are still being purchased and listened to today.  We anticipate that people will enjoy our music a century or two after we start keeping each other company at the ol’ marble orchard.

TW: The Nashville Singers had a chance to sing your arrangement of “Manly Men” a few years ago, and the audience loved it!  When did you complete your first vocal arrangement?  Do you remember the name of the song?

KH: Glad you liked that one, but sorry, I really don’t remember the first one. When BSU started, I was not adequately educated to sight-read. That skill was developed slowly, and by necessity, over the years.  BSU was a hybrid quartet – that is to say, we were products of the woodshedding generations of the 40s, 50s and 60s, but were also affected by the work of genius-arrangers of the 70s and 80s.  As a result, we did not trust some aspects of the written arrangement, and always reserved the right to woodshed our own changes. Sometimes, they were necessary, to facilitate breath-points and “covers” of pickups.  Other times, they were swipes that we heard and felt, as we learned the chart. Helping to create the tune was a big part of the fun that we simply refused to give up.  

Most arrangers think it is presumptuous of others to change anything about their work.  That attitude is hypocritical and presumptuous in itself, since an arrangement, by definition, is composed of changes from the songwriter’s original work, who is the real (and legal) artist in question, anyway.  As we experienced different arrangers, we figured out which ones had a problem with our changes, and we quietly declined any and all opportunities to sing their charts. Ed Waesche was the first to exhibit an appreciation for what he called our “musical sensibilities,” and endorsed our changes, unless we committed a form-error, which he would help us to correct. Later, Walter Latzko encouraged those same sensibilities, so we had two of the smartest geniuses in our corner, which was more than anybody else had.  Those who wanted to dictate every aspect of the way we sang a song could go find their own quartet.  This one was ours!

The woodshedding accelerated my learning process, and over the years, I learned to spell some of the chords, identify intervals, tell a major key from a relative minor key, make up simple key-changes, etc.  Before long, I could sight-read all four parts, and would know them cold before we had our first rehearsal on a given song.  

It wasn’t until 2002 that I bought my first Finale software.  Friend Walter, had suffered a stroke several years prior, but was still writing arrangements daily, using his left hand to operate the mouse of a computer. The Finale system would enable me to be of assistance to him.

In his salad days, Walter could write an arrangement with his lead pencil and some blank staff-paper while on an airline flight that lasted a couple of hours. He could see the notes on the page in his head, could hear the tune being sung (also in his head), and he could write it down as fast as you or I could write a letter to Mom.  That was his genius, and it explains why only a handful of our Society members were respected arrangers in those days.  In no case did it take Walter longer than a few hours to hand write an arrangement of a single song.  

However, the stroke had robbed him of the use of his strong writing hand and of some of his energy. On the computer, it then took Walter about twelve hours to write an arrangement.  It became a two day job, so he would sometimes tire of the piece before he finished, and would send it to me for ideas from my old “musical sensibilities.”  We collaborated on a lot of charts during the last years of his life, and he taught me a lot about arranging.  

Lacking formal musical education, I am certainly no match for the geniuses who have that special (in their head) kind of talent.  However, with the aid of the Finale program, I found that I was competent to write a chart that included some original ideas.  With the computer, I could listen to my work through speakers, instead of “in my head,” and, with effort, could tweak the chart until it met my own standards as a top quartet singer.  

It was a labor of love, and I was mentored by a guy whom I loved.  I found that, even as my performing ability began to slow down, my strong imagination produced the same endorphin-rush, while writing, that I had enjoyed as a performer.  Over the past 14 years, I have compiled a modest library of 60 or 70 charts. However, I was not the only one who discovered that Finale can take the place of those certain genius-skills. There are now more competent arrangers than there used to be, all competing for the attention of the top ten quartets and choruses.  Of course, there only ten of them, right?  So, my catalogue has been placed with friend Jay Giallombardo and his wife Helen, in the hope that some hot shot quartets might notice them.  Some of those charts are listed on Jay’s web site, but I am not writing much these days.  

Some favorite arrangements that I wrote include a medley of songs from “Paint Your Wagon,” a millennial song popularized by “Five for Fighting” called “100 Years,” and a five part solo (with barbershop chorus background) called “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town.”  My favorite collaboration with Walter is a contest-chart of a song written by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, called “County Fair” for an obscure Disney film called “So Dear to My Heart.” We finished that one shortly before my old friend passed away.  All of those tunes have matching learning tracks, which should be available from Jay.  You can hear full mixes of several of them on my album, “Walter and Me,” available on iTunes and CDbaby.com.  Thanks for the commercial.

TW:  From 2004 to 2011, you released four recordings as a soloist. What/who inspired you down that path? How would folks purchase some of those products?

KH: In January of 2002, the phone rang, interrupting a BSU rehearsal on a Sunday evening at Thoroughbred Hall.  A tiny voice said, “You don’t know me, but my name is Chilton Price, and I’ve written a song to honor the fallen firefighters from the 911 disaster.  We would like for the Thoroughbreds to sing it.”

Usually, such a phone call resulted in an embarrassing experience, because I would have to tell the person that they had written a bad song.  This time, such was not the case.  Ms. Price faxed me her song, and on Monday, I sent it to Walter, who wrote a chart that same day.  That evening, I passed it out to the chorus, and we learned in the same night.  Two weeks later, we performed it for a thousand attendees of a convention of the National Association of Retired Military Officers and their bejeweled significant others, at the Grand Ballroom of the Galt House Hotel, in downtown Louisville.  The place came apart.  

I visited Ms. Price the following Tuesday evening, to present her with a recording of that performance, and to thank her for thinking of us.  She said,” Ken, I didn’t tell you who I really was, because I wanted you to judge my song by its own merits.  I have several gold records hanging on the wall in my hallway.  I wrote ‘You Belong to Me’ and other hits from the 1950s. They stopped recording my music when Elvis came along, because I refused to change my writing style.  But I have continued to write new songs that sound just like the Great American Songbook tunes for the last 50 years.  No one with talent has ever heard them before.  Would you be willing to listen to some?”  

Chilton played, and I sang. I felt as if I had won the lottery. The first song made me cry, and each one was better than the last one.  This was the start of a beautiful friendship that lasted 400 Tuesday nights over an eight year period, until her death at the age of 96.  We catalogued her music, and wrote verses and extra lyrics together.  We collaborated on new original songs.  And we talked about every aspect of our lives, keeping no secrets.  You guys should know by now that when you make music together, it is one of the most intimate things you can do with another person. When writing together, we had to communicate the same feeling to the listener, so we had to compare our feelings and life-experiences, in order to tell the same story.  It really was one of the thrills of my life, to become friends with an accomplished songwriter, and Chilton, in particular, was a genuine person, with great wisdom and class.  She taught me how to write songs.  

Along the way, Chilton expressed her desire to have other artists sample her work.  We were already familiar with the freshly budding careers of Michael Bublé and Josh Groban, so she was inspired to hire a pianist and record a demo-CD of original songs, with me doing the singing.  We called it “Pure Price.”  The project turned out well, but we were advised that new songs presented by a new singer was a tough sell.  So, we went back to the studio, and recorded a CD with half original songs and half familiar songs, called “The Best Is Yet to Come.”  Then, we were advised that, while piano-vocal was charming, the tunes really deserved more accompaniment.  So, we went back a third time, and recorded yet another CD of half familiar and half original songs, but this time with a full 17 piece big band and a dozen string-players. The original band-charts were written by our favorite pianist, Jay Flippin, who also put together the best musicians in Louisville for the project.  Man, this was a dream come true!  To be the Sinatra-guy, with a studio full of hot players and the actual songwriter, smiling behind the glass.  It really was heaven.  We got to meet with Michael Feinstein for an afternoon, but so far, none of Chilton’s and my unpublished works have been recorded by anyone famous.    

By that time, BSU had slowed down, and in December of 2006, we called it quits for good.  Another singer who was working at the studio had a steady gig, fronting a big band on the Cunard cruise-ship “Queen Elizabeth II,” and needed some relief, so he could spend more time with his family. So, he got me set up to take his place on several trips for 35 days at a time over the next two years (2007-2008). That was a real learning experience. I was surprised to learn that those musicians do not rehearse.  They don’t need the practice, because they can sight-read it the first time, and make it sound like some guy on the radio.  The only question was, could I keep up with them?

We had several thousand passengers on the ship, and several hundred of them came on board strictly for the ballroom dancing in the ship’s famous Queen’s Room, which was designed and furnished in the style of the Titanic, from the original White Star Line. It was a classy joint, full of rich folks from several continents, who were very sensitive to the tempo required for each different kind of dance.  We performed two one hour sets each evening, seven days a week, and we were not to repeat a song during any certain cruise, some of which lasted for more than two weeks. I had the opportunity to perform several hundred different songs, and I had a whole four measures to figure out the key, tempo, meter and rhythm of each one, before coming in on time and in tune.

The international montage of musicians was mostly fresh out of college, using their talents to work their way around the world, before settling down with a job and family. These guys were all pretty jaded, and showed it with their playing.  Everybody was in business for himself, and not enjoying the room, the crowd or even each other.  It became apparent that they had been taught by their university professors to look down their noses at the listeners and at other musicians who could not play as well. We had a trombone player who was a great sight-reader, but who was not an experienced improviser.  They would “throw him the ball,” and then laugh hysterically (in full view of the audience) at his feeble attempts to play a trombone-solo.  

I dressed them down pretty good during the next break.  I let them know that this was unprofessional behavior, and I expected them to get a haircut, be sober, stop showing up with spotted ties and wrinkled clothes, and to act like pros, instead of amateurs.  They could set me off the boat in Tahiti, and I could fly home – no problem, and they could explain the absence of the singer for the rest of the month.  Then, I began to recognize horn players from the stage whenever one would distinguish himself with a solo.  I gave them nicknames, like “Mr. Incredible (Ukrainian)” and “Lady-Killer (Canadian).” Before long, those guys were smiling at each other, calling out the measure-numbers and enjoying playing as an ensemble.  We didn’t feature the trombone player anymore.            

It was a little nerve-wracking at the start, but after three or four days, I was comfortable enough to look up from the music-stand and perform.  After another few days, the music-director in charge of all the acts asked me to handle the speaking between songs.  At the end of our first 17 day cruise, the passenger-evaluations gave us a score of 85 out of 100, which turned out to be the highest score ever awarded to that particular room.  The musicians and the bosses were pretty doggone happy, and the band-director got a raise.  All that resulted from a barbershopper – an amateur with a professional attitude – being thrown in with a bunch of professional musicians with bush-league attitudes.  I found out from the band-cats that singing in tune on that ship made me an anomaly, which helped.  

We made some good noise, and I learned a lot.  The favorite tunes we played turned out to be a samba called Quando Quando Quando, with lyrics by Pat Boone, and a waltz-rendition of “If You Were the Only Girl in the World.”  The young cats had never heard of the latter, but played it well, and told me, “Dude, you sang that tune like you wrote it!”  It was fun!  I was able to stick and jab – to back phrase – whenever I felt like it; much different from singing homophony with a quartet.  No rehearsal was necessary.

After each performance, we had a midnight buffet, and then I would stay up all night in my cabin, writing band-charts.  What was cool about that?  The band would play the chart the next night, and would then give me pointers about my writing.  It was a great experience, but after two years, I had enjoyed a lot of songs, and had learned everything the ship could teach me.  I came home, and fronted for the Don Krekel Orchestra, a big band in Louisville, for a couple years, before retiring from solo-singing.  It was a kick, but in the music biz, “you is either famous, or you is pore!”  My last gig was a party for some rich folks at the Galt House on New Year’s Eve of 2015. I looked marvelous, but filled the room with mediocrity.  Time to move on.

By that time, I had collaborated with Walter on some great charts, and I had written some myself that I liked, so I produced an a cappella recording, singing all four parts.  I called it “Walter and Me, and it appears with my three solo recordings on iTunes and CDbaby.com, under the artist-name Kenny Ray Hatton.

TW: Can you talk about some of the choruses you have had a chance to lead over the years? What advice could you give to aspiring choral-directors?

KH: It was always a dream to someday be front-line director of the Thoroughbreds.  At the same time, I had watched as the guys who followed John Wooden at UCLA and Adolph Rupp at University of Kentucky do well, but fail to come close to the records of the great ones.  I did not relish the thought of following Jim Miller with the ‘Breds.

Brother Allen got his shot when Jim resigned in 1985, as co-director with Ken Buckner.  Then, when Bunk left town to work for the Society in Kenosha, Allen was the man!  He did well, and if you listen to the recordings, the chorus did some of its best singing ever, under his direction.  But certain other choruses were getting better exponentially, and even though the T-Breds tied for first in 1990, the proverbial “coin-toss” went to Dr. Greg Lyne and his Masters of Harmony.  Egos, trends and politics divided our chapter after that. Choruses have a way of assigning all the credit for a chorus’s success and all the blame for its failures to the director, neither of which is true.  But directors and chorus-members know that going in, so I suppose it’s fair.

When Allen resigned in December of 1992, I was not active in the chorus, but the BOD sent guys to talk to me.  I had recently started my own business, and was not prepared to discuss the matter until August of 1993.  They had appointed a guy as “interim director,” while they conducted a “search.”  The Board asked me to keep quiet about their approach, so they could make that guy think he was getting the job permanently, while they waited six months for me.  I refused to make that promise, but I did not go out of my way to let him know. I regret that.  

That’s the thing about chorus-directing that I detested – the politics.  The official BOD of our beloved Thoroughbreds deceived that poor fellow, an action which was, in their minds, “in the best interests of the chapter.” I never understood how lying to a guy could ever be in the best interest of any chapter.  But that’s what you get, when you put humans in charge.

A seasoned judge once wrote, “You get good marks, and win a scholarship. You finish pre-law, and get into a great law-school, where you graduate with honors, and land a job as a clerk for a Federal judge.  You get on with a prestigious firm, and after several years, they make you a partner.  Then, you run for circuit-judge, and win the election.  Your first trial is almost over, and who makes the decision?  Two retired guys, three housewives, a file clerk, a bricklayer, a schoolteacher and ditch-digger!”  That’s kind of the way a barbershop chorus works.  The Board of Directors searches to find the most skilled and knowledgeable person they can to be the Music Director.  Then, knowing they are less qualified, they complicate your efforts with frequent attempts to micromanage. Unless you can earn enough implied authority with the troops, it is a built-in recipe for failure.      

Regardless, I showed up to accept the directorate in August, and we went to the Cardinal District prelims a few weeks later.  We won handily, with a group of about 70 men, and began to prepare for our annual Christmas Show, as well as the 1994 International Chorus Contest in Pittsburgh, with 92 guys on stage.  

International competition was a different story.  Our ranks had been decimated during the prior year by the formation of the Louisville Times Chorus by David Harrington and Mark Hale, along with a couple of dozen of our better singers. The new group had a tough audition for admission, and didn’t invite any of our “average” singers to participate.  Wonder where that idea came from?

That loss of so many good singers gave us a tougher row to hoe, but we started in earnest on the fundamentals.  We tackled a new Ed Waesche medley of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Billy-A-Dick” and Jule Styne’s Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat,” along with a new chart of “Till We Meet Again.”  We had Sally Whitledge, of International SAI Champion “4th Edition” fame as our choreographer, and her husband, Bob, of the “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” was our bass section leader and one of our associate directors.

We worked hard, but the resulting performance was scored in the mid-80s; not up to the chorus’s reputation, nor to my standards.  I was privately embarrassed by the singing, even before the scoresheets revealed a 6th place finish.  Another year and two new contest songs later, our 1995 contest performance in Miami was equally embarrassing (to me), and the rank was identical (a gift, in my opinion). In the meantime, we had done a lot of exciting B-level singing on shows, and held on to most of our local following.

When Ken Buckner announced that he was moving back to Louisville, I was sure that he could lead the chorus to greater heights than I.  As it turned out, the performance we gave in the 1995 fall contest was the best singing the chorus had ever given under my direction.  I had my letter of resignation in my pocket, and handed it to the Chapter President immediately after we came off stage, and before the call-off.  I was finally proud of a contest-performance, even before I learned that we had won, and we had beaten the second place chorus, the Louisville Times, by 20 points. I handed the baton to Bunk, and wished him well.

Three years later, in February of 1998, the chorus was struggling even harder, and I was approached by the president and one of the associate directors to again serve as front line director.  When I showed up at the Board meeting to respond, both of those guys denied in my presence that they had approached me.  Once again, they didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the guy who was in charge at the time.  More politics – more lying.  

I then announced to the Board that this idea must have come to me in a dream during the night.  I would be out in the parking lot long enough to have a smoke – about four minutes, and then my offer would be withdrawn. They came out and got me to serve as director three minutes later, but explained that they had to complete their “search,” so it would be a couple of months before I would start my term. That wasted time led to a slim defeat in the fall contest at the hands of our rivals, the Louisville Times – more embarrassment.  We weren’t even the best barbershop chorus in town!  Still, we received a “wild card” bid to participate in the International Chorus Contest, where they finished eighth, and we finished fifth.  

This time, I quickly got Brother Allen on Board, appointing him as co-director for the duration.  The group improved exponentially in preparation for the 1999 chorus contest in Anaheim.  We commissioned a new Waesche arrangement of the Irving Berlin tune, “Pack up Your Sins, and Go to the Devil,” and dusted off Ed’s old chart of “Over the Rainbow.”  The Anaheim contest saw the Thoroughbreds return to the medals, although it was a bronze, awarded for a 5TH place finish.  In the old days, it would have been disappointing, but our guys jumped for joy, as they had failed to even qualify for the dance the previous year (for the first time ever).

We seemed to have a tiger by the tail, but that’s when the wheels started to come off.  Allen and I agreed to implement individual performance-accountability, and divided the chorus into two groups – one performing group and the other remedial.  This was our way of competing against the “hand-picked” choruses – by focusing our teaching efforts on smaller groups and individuals where they were needed most. We had not predicted that the remedial group would be embarrassed to the extent that they would vote as a political block.  The following year, we competed with fewer singers, and dropped out of the top ten choruses, and in 2001, in Nashville, finished 14th. That was it!  Allen and I were pretty much out on our ear.  

We left the chapter with about 30 guys, and formed the New Horizon Chorus, leaving the ‘Breds in even worse shape.  We had allowed ourselves to be affected by the individual performance accountability standards which were running rampant around the Society, but our Thoroughbreds were not willing to accept them.  In retrospect, we would have been smarter to have continued the path of John Henry against the steam drill.  We still would not have won the championship, but we would have gone down swinging! Instead, we joined the plethora of chapters who had divided themselves in the interest of the elitist-singer. We had become what we had previously scorned.  We ended up with three “also-ran” choruses, in lieu of the mighty International Champion Thoroughbreds.  

In 2013, I moved to Alabama for work, and also accepted the job of Music Director of Voices of the South, in Birmingham, Alabama.  We started with sores of 68%, and (several times) raised those scores to the middle 70s. We finished second in our first spring chorus contest, and three years later. We tied for second, one point out of first, in my final contest performance as a director.  We sang some good shows during our three years, and the guys were kind enough to sing some of my arrangements, along with some written by my late pals, Walter and Ed, as well as two original songs written by my dear departed friend, Chilton Price and me.  I retired in 2016, because some physical ailments made it difficult to perform the athletic tasks associated with conducting.  Also, I had not been able to figure out how to grow the chorus. We started with 22 active, and we ended with 22 active.  I thought perhaps a younger guy could do better.            

What did I learn that I can share with aspiring chorus directors?  I was not smart enough to figure that  out.  All hail Jim Miller!  He used to say, “I hate when you guys whine, ‘I don’t know what to do, Jimmy.’  Maybe I’ll smack you in the balls, and then you’ll sure know what to do.  You’ll say, ouch!”  I wrote an e-book about Jim’s life called, “If Not for Jim,” available on Amazon and iBooks, which was released in 2012, a few months after his passing, at the age of 87. Read the book, and maybe you can get some advice from Jim. My advice is, if you don’t know what to do, stick to quartet-singing, or you might get smacked in the balls.    

TW: You’ve had a chance to work with so many amazing coaches over the years.  What is some of the best advice you have been given by a coach?

KH: Well… not so many.  In the 70s, Jim was too busy directing and singing in the Citations to coach us as a quartet.  Ed Gentry was already coaching the Citations, the Thoroughbreds and the Cardinals quartet.  My mother was our first coach, as previously mentioned.  Her lessons had to do with breath support and using the right muscles, which held us back at first, but raised the level at which we would perform later.  We failed to qualify for International in our first two attempts, in 1974 and 1975. However, we had won the Cardinal District Championship, in the fall of 1974, a year after our formation.  Back then, there just weren’t many good singing young quartets.  Most good ensembles were in their thirties, forties and fifties.  The hot-shots of our youth had been the Sundowners and the Grandmas Boys, who were six to ten years older than we.  

The Johnny Appleseed District had scouted us at our convention, and invited us to an all-expense paid trip to the JAD spring convention, in 1975.  There, we sang for the quartet contest audience, while the scores were being tallied. Let’s just say, we were having a good day.  We sang almost everything we knew, and there were money and panties thrown on the stage.  We got to our dressing rooms, and already had our jackets off, when the MC came to get us, and said, “They won’t stop clapping until you guys come back out here. They don’t care who won the quartet contest.”  

So, we went back out, and sang the only other song we knew; the Suntones’ “Lollipops and Roses,” being sure to apologize in advance for the fact that it wasn’t suitable for the contest stage.  In the judges’ pit that night was a man named Don Clause.  When we left Dayton on Sunday, he was our new coach. Don was one of the writers of the category description of the new “Sound” category, and was getting ready to be C&J Chairman, which we didn’t care about.  He was also the coach of the 1973 and 1974 International Champions, the Dealers Choice and the Regents.  We recognized him from his picture on the back of the DC’s first album, which we did care about.  

Within a year, Don had introduced us to several original Ed Waesche contest-arrangements, had us as his guests on Long Island for a weekend coaching session, had interpreted all four of our new contest songs (which we recorded), and had challenged us to master our craft, using the Society’s “green book,” a craft-manual patterned after the one Ed Gentry had written for the Thoroughbreds.

We didn’t always sing every phrase the way Don had instructed, but he never noticed that. What Don did for us was to convince us that we could master our craft, and provide a tie-breaker to keep us from arguing about how to sing each phrase.  We did all of our homework within six months, having applied our new craft to the four Waesche charts, including “Midnight Rose,” and “I’ve Found My Sweetheart, Sally.”  In the spring of 1976, at the ages of 20 and 21, BSU won the Cardinal prelims, and in San Francisco, in our first International Quartet Contest, we were awarded a 4th place medal.  That was the biggest thrill in my quartet career, to this day.  It was so unexpected by so many people, including us!

Don’s impact was the greatest, but not the only one from great coaches.  He put each of us in touch with our weaknesses.  Mine was pushing down low, instead of trusting my fellow singers to help create my note.  Ricky’s was forgetting the dynamic plan.  Danny’s challenge was to be firmer with his diction.  Allen’s was to keep his falsetto tenor balanced (softer).

Our visual presentation coach was the great Ron Riegler, from the Roaring Twenties, who came in fifth to our fourth, at the San Francisco Convention. Ron taught us to move to the outside when singing louder, and move to the inside when singing softer.  He taught us to do a preparatory move in the opposite direction from which we intended to move, like Jackie Gleason before he would say, “And away we go!” Sadly, Ron became gravely ill in early 1977, and passed away after the 1977 convention.  We recruited my high school drama teacher, Gene Stickler, to choreograph four new tunes for the 1977 and 1978 contests.  You would have sworn that Gene was Ron’s brother; they were so much alike!  

The third coach was a more modest fellow, also from Cincinnati, Ed Weber. Ed was a stage presence judge, who specialized in facial expression, focal point and the fundamentals of stage presence.  He taught us that it mattered where we looked in the audience during each phrase, and that our facial expression should be planned to mirror the emotion suggested by the changing message of the song.  Ed taught us never to raise our hands above the waist, unless there was a planned reason for them to be up there.  And don’t ever close your eyes.  They are the windows to the emotions.  

Our makeup guy was Joe Bruno, who taught us which stage makeup to buy, and how to apply it modestly, so that we looked normal and handsome on stage, rather than like a bunch of clowns.  The makeup was a part of our ritual of preparation, which helped us to feel an aura of invincibility before we took the stage.  The longhairs coming out of the universities to save us all from ourselves have since convinced our lazier members that such efforts are unnecessary. Consequently, their faces wash out in the stage lights, and we can see their expressions only by watching the big screen – when there is a big screen, that is.  We miss you, Joe.    

Our costume-designers included Louise Cecil, a professional, who made the brightly colored thrift-store knickerbockers that we wore during our three contest years for $143.75 – for all four them!  Another was clothier and barbershopper Mike Mazucca, who designed our unique kelly green tuxedos and our rose colored (pink) tuxedos for the other two contest sets. Our last costume-designer was Dan’s wife, Cyndy Burgess, who had a degree in Home Economics from the University of Kentucky.  She designed and built our Music Man costumes – the ones that appeared in the photograph, with the plumed hats and reversible jackets.  We wore them on stage for many years.  

TW: What are your thoughts on the evolution of the music-industry and songwriting over the course of your lifetime?  Are you happy with this evolution?

KH: Well first, let me say that Irving Scrooge Berlin was a greedy SOB. Besides refusing to allow barbershop arrangements of his songs because our genre was not “legitimate,” thanks to that stuck up, crusty old curmudgeon, who never learned to read a note of music, and played piano only by ear in the key of F sharp, and thanks to his lawyers, the term of a song-copyright was extended from 50 years after the copyright started to 90 years after the death of the longest surviving collaborator.  I don’t like that very much.

I am glad to see the money-people, whose only talent is to recognize and take advantage of the potential of others, finally being left out of the mix, thanks to technology.  With the advent of cell-phones, video and social media, any artist can reach the public directly with his or her songs, voice and instrument, from the safety and obscurity of his bathroom or basement. He or she no longer needs cow-tow to the David Fosters and Phil Specters of the world, in order to be “discovered.” If his or her talent is special, it will now be noticed by the real judges.  In the words of the late George Gershwin, “It is not the few knowing ones whose opinions make any work of art great; it is the judgment of the great mass that finally decides.”

Of course, I detest licensing agencies BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, and abhor publishers Hal Leonard and Alfred Publishing for what they have done to the undiscovered songwriter and hobby-singer/player of music, and I am embarrassed and angry that our Society is playing ball with them.  By the way, BHS is both a licensing agency and a publisher.  The former group of pariahs caters only to the writers of songs featured in blockbuster movies, the top 100 grossing concerts annually and of protected works that get radio, TV and internet airplay.  The latter group is squeezing the rest of us out of mere participation by the high cost of permission to arrange, perform, record and promote, and our Society is helping them do it by agreeing to their terms.  

Our better option is to join together to boycott all protected works, and resort to Public Domain songs and original songs copyrighted by our own members, and to make sure not to allow any of those publishers or licensing agencies (or our Society) to participate in even partial ownership of our protected works. This happened once before, you know, when ASCAP got too big for its britches in the late 1940s, and took all of its catalogue off the radio airwaves. That’s what gave birth to the country music industry and caused BMI to be formed.  Perhaps such a boycott now, would birth another industry called a cappella. There are thousands of public domain songs that are very fine vehicles, and we are perfectly capable of writing our own songs that fit the style.  

Meanwhile, if you want to adapt any protected work to the barbershop style represented by one of these licensing agencies or publishers, just so your quartet or chorus can sing it in a show or a contest for which you might earn no moneys in exchange, please be prepared to pay several hundred dollars to the copyright owner, just in exchange for permission.  Of course, another way is to woodshed your own arrangement of a protected work, which constitutes “fair use,” under the law, as long as it is not written down. We used to all know how to do that!

TW: What personal accomplishment are you most proud of outside the world of barbershop harmony?  

KH: Many people like to say they are proud of their families.  I cannot take the credit for the successes of my children, and I will not take the blame for their failures.  We lead the horses to the water, but it is up to them to make the choice to drink.  I feel good about having done my job.  They did not ask to be brought into the world.  Their mother and I made that decision, and all three arrived kicking and screaming mad about it.  We owed them good food, clothing, shelter, education and love.  We paid our debt and provided additional things like cars and money after they were grown.  Since then, it has been up to them.  To their credit, they are all paying taxes, and none are drug-addicts or criminals. I am glad for their varying degrees of success, even while meeting different levels of hardship, because I love and want only good things for them.  But to be “proud” would claim responsibility for their success, which I cannot do.  There are people close to me who have had adult children who made wrong choices that resulted in incarceration and even death.  Those children enjoyed the same benefits that mine did.  If I claim credit for my own children’s success, I would be blaming other parents for the failures of their kids, which would be over-the-top inappropriate.  That’s why I cringe when I see parents bragging about “pride” in their adult children’s successes, and it’s why you won’t see claims of pride in my kids’ accomplishments on my Facebook page.  

That being clarified, I suppose I am proud of the fact that I work hard every day, and that I am not a burden on my family or on society.  I am proud of the kind of work I do, and that makes it necessary for this answer to overlap the answers to your good question numbers 15 and 16.

TW: Barbershoppers probably know you best as the energetic performer and lead singer of the Bluegrass Student Union, the 1978 quartet champs of the SPEBSQSA, now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society.  What are a few things that folks may NOT know about you?

KH: I can juggle.  I discovered as a teenager that I could isolate overtones with my voice, and play tunes with the overtones while holding the same note, simply by changing my mouth opening and tongue position.  I speak fluent Spanish.  I have not been able to walk farther than a block and a half without resting for ten minutes since 2003.  That will likely never change.  I didn’t like Irving Berlin when he was alive, and now that he is dead, I still do.  Oh yeah, we covered that.    

I have worked as a loading dock equipment and industrial doors application-expert on and off since 1986. When I entered the industry, I was sent to a school held by our main factory, which was called KELLEY, inventor and manufacturer of the hinged lip dock leveler, a bridge between the loading dock and the trailer bed.  The fellows who taught that school were the same ones who had been around since the invention of the device, in 1953.  They had been the first generation of sales persons, who introduced the product to American industry, and they imparted to me their noble mission.  Their product had revolutionized the safety and comfort of the loading dock worker, and, along with a later invention by a competitor (the trailer restraint), had saved the lives and limbs of countless people around the world, none of whom realized that they would have died or been maimed without it.  

Most businesses provide goods and services that help people in some way. We don’t all get to be astronauts or Supreme Court Justices. Most of us make our contributions to humankind in smaller, less famous ways.  On our tombstones, it won’t say, “He laid a lot of brick,” or “She counseled a lot of crazy people.”  On mine, it won’t say, “He sold a lot of levelers, restraints and overhead doors, and made sure they were properly installed.”  But that is exactly the thing of which I am most proud.  Funny how one can attain something akin to immortality by doing a little singing, but the day in and day out saving of lives by most of us who do it goes unnoticed.  

When I was a kid, I didn’t imagine growing up to be a dock leveler salesman. The job sort of found me, instead of the other way around.  But I developed a keen interest in the product and in applying and installing it correctly.  I found that once I embraced the noble motivation, my clients could sense that sincerity.  When I get the job, lives are saved, the work area is more comfortable, the customer’s management enjoys the savings that comes with increased productivity, and my commissions take care of themselves.  It’s a great business, because my degree of personal fulfillment just happens to be commensurate with the financial rewards.  What a great country!  I have to believe that unless you are a criminal, or you work in the liquor- or tobacco-industry, your job probably offers similar fulfillment.  We are all here to serve each other, and most jobs allow you to do that.  I can only hope that it brings you similar rewards.  

TW: What’s the next item on your bucket list?

KH: That’s a tough question, because I have had such a great life!  I had two marriages that lasted a total of 36 years, and 29 of them were pretty darned good.  I loved me some women.  I am now divorced and single, and life is really stress-free these days.  My three kids are healthy and standing on their own six feet.  I have a special relationship with my son, Mike.  I always treated him as an equal; not as a child.  As a result, he is now my friend, in addition to being my son, which pleases me very much.  I enjoy my work, and will never retire, as long as I can walk and think.  I have lived many of my dreams, helping the Thoroughbreds to earn four gold medals and some other colors too, winning quartet contests with my three “brothers,” Allen, Danny and Rick, and then going on to join the Suntones-Buffalo Bills-Boston Common-club.  I got to direct the Thoroughbreds in competition on several occasions, although it didn’t turn out as well as I had envisioned. I traveled around the world a few times, and got to visit 47 states, most of them multiple times.  I directed a chorus across mainland China for four 2-week trips, and coached my way across New Zealand and Australia.  I learned how to arrange music, with no formal education, and I sang professionally in jazz clubs with a great accompanist.  I became friends and wrote songs with a real award-winning Great American Songbook writer.  I met idols, heroes, presidents and other famous people along the way, who all turned out to be regular guys, just like me.  My quartet recorded some of the best-selling barbershop-recordings of all time.  I recorded a big band album with 33 top musicians that sounds like it belongs on the Sirius Sinatra channel.  I wrote a biography about the life of my mentor, Jim Miller.  I made a barbershop recording dedicated to my other mentor, Walter Latzko.  I made three recordings that honored yet another mentor, Ms. Chilton Price.  I wrote original songs and arrangements, and heard them sung by others.  On occasion, I even got to perform on the ‘lectric television.  Hoo-wee!  

I promise you that I have done everything that I wanted to do, and more.  I have a few regrets, but owe no amends.  There is no bucket-list, but I discovered something else that I enjoy, just this past year.  You see, I moved to Alabama five years ago, for my work, and I have no “old friends” here. New friends are nice, but there is nothing like the friends with whom you share some history.  I see Allen, Rick and Dan once a year, at a reunion at Allen’s lake house.  I hate to think that I might see those guys only a handful (or two) more times before one of us takes a header.

I have other friends around the country, with whom I stay in touch.  Still, there are others who I care about deeply, but don’t get to see anymore.  Last June, I visited Marjorie Latzko at her home in Lewes Delaware, where she lives, with her daughter, Melanie and her husband and two boys.  Marjorie is one of the tenors of the Chordettes, of Mr. Sandman fame, besides being Walter’s devoted wife for over 50 years and one of my dearest friends.  After a great three day visit, I took the ferry across Delaware Bay, to Cape May, New Jersey, and drove to Brigantine, where I met with old friend Carol Plum. We took her parents, Ellen and Neal, out to dinner, and enjoyed reminiscing about his quartet, Sound Revival, back in the 70s and 80s.  

The next morning, I met pal Jack Pinto, of Old School quartet, for breakfast, and we traveled to New York City, where we had dinner with genius arranger, judge and quartet-man Steve Delehanty and his wife, Connie, along with medalist lead singer Scott Brannon, of the Cincinnati Kids.  I enjoyed spending time with these many good friends, and made a new friend, Keith Harris, the barbershopper and professional opera-singer.  It took some effort and expense on my part, but this was more fun and fulfilling than going around the world.  I did that already, and got paid for it – twice!  It couldn’t be as much fun the third time, especially if I’m paying.  But this trip was a gas, because I got to see those lovely people one more time.  

So, I don’t have a bucket-list of things I want to do and experience.  I just want to see my old friends one more time.  So, I have already planned my trip for 2018.  In February, I will see Todd and Jennifer Wilson, in Nashville, and then hop on a plane to see Holly and Brian Beck in Colorado Springs.  With any luck, Bobby Gray and Terri will be available for dinner, and maybe I can sneak in a luncheon with George Davidson, Terry Heltne and Kurt Hutchison in Denver, before visiting old quartet-buddy, Vince Winans and his wife in Salt Lake City. After a couple of days, I will head for Palm Springs, California, to visit former Thoroughbred Jonathan Friedman and his wife, Annabelle, where they will introduce me to their new baby girl, who is to be born next month.  Then, it’s on to Oakland, where I will spend a few days watching some of my grandkids play soccer and volleyball.  

I might try to visit old pal Greg Lyne, while I am there.  He always tries to tell me that the Thoroughbreds should have won that contest in 1990.  I like that about him.

[dachi-chan25]

Game of thrones season 7 episode 4 recap Pt. 1

I need to vent about this episode so bear with me please.

WARNINGS: SPOIIIILERS; definitely not a D@€n€r¥$ fan so I’m actually gonna talk about the bad things she does/says (specially this episode); a Jonsa shipper so I’m bound to talk and fangirl about them I’m afraid.

A few things I would like to say before I start:

- I don’t hate D@€ny, it might surprise y'all because of all the things I said on my last reacap, but I don’t, I find her an intresting character, her arc from wannabe hero to quasi-Villian is very cool, but I do dislike her which means I don’t root for her to get the IT (I don’t even want the IT to be a thing at the end of the series) and she does annoy me a lot when she acts like a brat, but I have nothing against the people who do like her and root for her, and neither should anyone, let people like the things they like please. Same thing goes for shipping.

-I will not talk anymore about spoilers and leaks from future episodes, this is getting awfully tiresome, and I prefer to watch for myself what is going on when I watch the episodes.

-This is gonna be kinda long, so again I’ll break it in parts.

Cool? Let’s begin!

——————-

1.- We start with the Lannister-Tarly army leaving Highgarden, they already transported part of the money and are taking the rest along with the very much needed food in carts.

Bronn got a big bag of gold as payment, but he still wants the castle Jaime promised, so how about he takes Highgarden? LOL no says Jaime, you’ll get your goddamned castle when this shit-show is over, and Bronn sass the heck outta him and Cersei’s reign. I really like Bronn a lot y'know? Always makes me laugh.

Tarly senior and junior come along to inform them the Reach farms are almost emptied, and Jaime sends Bronn along to help them persuade the farmers that are reluctant to give them the food.

LOL Bronn calls Jaime m'lord in the most sarcastic way ever. I really like their friendship even a bit more than theTyrion/Bronn one.

2.- Back on KL we have random Iron Bank dude congratulating Cersei on getting the money in such a short time, and is basically kissing her ass to the point Cersei has to drink to stop herself from shutting the fake bih off. (Same girl)

Random dude suggests that now she has no more debts, the Iron Bank might be willing to help her in her actual quest, she says that would be cool but she has already sought out a group of mercenaries I think? (don’t remember the name Sorry) that random dude says have been very helpful to hurry up the payments of some difficult clients, Cersei says she sought their services to retrive something (OK I think it might beTyrion or Sansa).

And wow dude, Cersei might be a crazy ass bitch but you know what they say: bitches get things done. She has played things very well and even I’m not rooting for her I respect that she managed to turn things around, she has a clear advantage over D because she was smarter, she knew Tyrion would underestimate her and he did.

3.- Winterfell! So LF is kissing Bran’s ass (he couldn’t get in Jon’s good graces so obviously he’s hoping to get Bran on his side, pity that Bran knows what a trick ass bitch Baeless is) and gives him the dagger that tried to kill him, also saying he would have died on Cat’s stead (don’t make me laugh you coward) and how hard it must have been for him to come back to find such chaos in the world, Bran looks him dead in the eye and says ‘chaos is a ladder’ which is a quote that LF says to Ned in S1 if I remember rightly, this makes Lil'creeper very uneasy.

Meera enters the room, and Baeless gets away like the big coward he is, she asks about Bran’s new wheelchair, he says Maester Wolkan made it for him (I know he is a very minor character but I really like him) she says that’s good and that she came to say goodbye cuz she wants to go back with her family to wait for the WW with them besides she knows Bran doesn’t need her anymore, ‘I don’t he says and breaks my heart and Meera’s as well, she makes him remember about Jojen and Summer and Hodor’ s sacrifices but Bran just thanks her and says he is no longer Brandon Stark he remembers what it was like to be him, but know there are so much more memories, and well seems I was right being the TER is too much a person’s psyche and forces them to abandon their previous identities, I’m heartbroken because I love Bran a lot, but Meera is right to say he died on that cave, remember the ‘kill the boy and let the man be born’? Bran had to do it so he could be reborn as the TER and fight on the war against the WW, but it’s still pretty sad.

Meera leaves and Bran stares at the window, cue to Arya arriving in WF, and a parallel to S1 one the guard doesn’t let her in because they don’t believe she is Arya Stark. To be fair as far as the WF guards know Arya is dead, she tells them to ask Ser Rodrick and Maester Luwin (my Poor baby doesn’t know) they say there’s no one in WF with those names, then she tells them to ask Jon KitN and her brother, they say Jon is not there, who did he leave in his stead she asks, Lady Stark they answer, Arya is quite confused and asks what Lady Stark are they talking about? (my guess is that she assumed Jon was married, Hot Pie didn’t mentioned Sansa at all) they mock her and tell her she should know as she is trying to pass for her sister. Arya símiles and tells them to tell Sansa then, but they refuse because their Lady is to busy to lose time with her, Arya says that if she is ot who she says they would know but if she is and they didn’t tell Sansa well…

They let her in, and is such a beautiful thing Arya looking around and seeing her home and the banners of her house again.The guards are fighting over who stays and who goes, they clearly respect Sansa a lot, unfortunately before they can Reach an agreement Arya takes off.

They go to Sansa and tell her about what happen, but they brush it up saying the girl was lying most probably and that she asked for a Ser Rodrick and a Maester Luwin, Sansa then realizes her sister has come home, and she knows where she is.

Down the crypts in front of Ned’s sculture, they exchange some words (should I call you Lady Stark now? Yes) and they hug, I cried (not for the first or last time in this ep) and is such a beautiful moment (also I would like to say FUCK YOU to those who said they hated each other and wouldn’t be happy to be together again) Arya asks Sansa if Jon left her charge, she says yes and that she hopes he comes back soon (ahhhhh kill me my shipper heart, just one episode and she says she wants him to come back again I feel #blessed) because she is sure that when he sees Arya he’ll probably die from happiness (again FUCK YOU to those who thought Sansa would be jealous of the closeness of Arya/Jon relationship). Arya asks if Sansa killed Joffrey, and she is like no but I wish, Arya is like bitch me too the fuck! and says she got upset when she found out about it cuz Joffrey was always at the top of her list, what list? sansa ask, oh you know the one with the people I’ll murder, Sansa laughes it off thinking is a joke and asks what Arya has been doing all these years, she doesn’t answer but both know they went through some awful shit.

They oth turn to watch Ned, and Arya says it doesn’t look like him, this scene is very sad because the both long for the dad so clearly but at the same time know they must be strong to keep surviving.

They hug again!! And Sansa tells Arya Bran is also in WF, but Arya sees in her expression something is not right.

Under the weirdwood Bran is already waiting for them, Arya hugs him, but she immediately knows something is different, then he says he saw her at crossroads and that he thought she was going to KL, why would she do that? Sansa asks, because Cersei is on her list Bran answers, and you can see the moment it dawns on Sansa that Arya was being serious, then she asks her who else is on her list, Arya says most of them are dead and Sansa tries to smile because she wants to understand her little siblings so badly but she can’t fathom what kind of things they went through, and she knows she can’t protect them, also I think this is a nice parallel between her and Jon, because Jon was also baffled by how much Sansa had changed and wanted to protect her even if Sansa didn’t want to and know she finds herself in a similar position.

Bran gives Arya the dagger, says LF gave it to him and that it’s the one used to try to kill him, Sansa is worried af, she knows LF gives nothing without gain. And I think is safe to say his days are numbered.

They go back to the castle and Brienne is in proud mama mode, Podrick congratulates her and she is too emotional to cut him off.

Without a doubt my favorite scenes were the ones in WF. . . Already to long so I’ll continue in part 2

[xseildnasterces]

i'm a loser baby (so why don't you kill me).

Well, it’s been a while. Quite a lot has happened since I last wrote here. I guess I got bored of writing every day when nothing much was changing and the expectation I put on myself to write made me not want to, so I gave up on the daily diary entry and instead I will go back to writing when I feel like it. 

Birthday:

Yep, that’s right, like many other people this year I celebrated my birthday in quarantine. Unlike many other people though, I did so alone, thousands of miles away from the people I love. However, my birthday made me feel very lucky to have such an amazing bunch of people in my life - it really, really did! I didn’t even cry on my actual birthday which is amazing considering that’s all I’ve seemed to do over the last few years. (We will ignore the bit when I did cry the night before when I received a message that said ‘happy birthday btw’. Yeah, that hit me pretty hard and I lay on my yoga mat surrounded my candles and cried away the internal pain I felt on reading that email. 

Thankfully, my family and friends went out of their way to make me feel loved and special. I got all my lovely cards from my family, even K which was a surprise, O sent me a huge delivery of cupcakes from my favourite DC cafe, C sent me a bunch of UK chocolate and R sent me a super cute little care package which I loved. I felt so incredibly lucky to have people in my life that made such an effort on my birthday when they were all so far away. We all chatted all day, video called and just had a really nice time. H sent me flowers and chocolate and L even drove around and dropped off a cake they had baked for me with a candle in it! It was so cute and made me so happy. Everyone at work sent me happy birthday emails and messages, and I just felt lucky, and considering I was physically alone, I still had a wonderful day and it was so much better than I had expected. I was glad to not have FB active because it took away another way for me to feel sad when certain people didn’t wish me happy birthday. It made me realise even more who was a valid and important part of my life, and who indeed wasn’t.

Work

I am hating work right now. I have lost count of the times I have sat crying my eyes out after receiving an email, after a meeting or a phone call and wished I could find another job. I’m not the only one who has noticed that I am criticised openly more than anyone else in our team, and I feel that no matter what I do I cannot do anything right. I could go on and on. I have my APR on Monday and I have never dreaded anything more in my life. I am absolutely petrified. Cue no sleep this weekend and major anxiety all day until my meeting.

Friends

R and I are trying to video call once a week which is great. We spend so long on the phone together and just laugh our heads off for hours. It makes my day every time I see her face and we chat. Neither of us care what we look like and can be so unbelievably open about everything and anything. She is, and will forever be, my day one. J and I video call at least once a week too, he always cheers me up beyond belief and he’s great to talk to about work issues but also just general chitchat. Another person I am very lucky to have in my life. L and I talk most days on and off and it’s nice to have someone here in a similar position to me. H and I talk a lot either work related or non work related and F always comes in to say ‘hi’. She told H that she loved me the other day and if that isn’t adorable. I also have frequent email and WhatsApp chats with various people I have worked with over the years and it’s so interesting to hear how everyone is dealing with this in lot’s of different countries. (Much better than the US and UK... which comes as no surprise).

Parents

Thankfully my parents are doing okay. Luckily the UK has had some wonderful weather so they have spent a lot of time in the garden together and gone out very early for long walks together. What cuties. My dad is still working but wearing a mask and gloves every day and they have brought in some measures to ensure people are protected in at least some way. They also get their temps taken before entering the factory. My mum is still off work and my grandma is still shielding inside - which reminds me I need to write all my birthday ‘Thank You’ notes and send an especially long one to my grandma. 

Sister

K is still in Bangladesh. She hates it. I hate her husband and wish she would divorce him and come home. He goes out every night to play sport or eat with his friends and when she asks to go he tells her that she is fine at home. Personally, I wouldn’t be putting up with this, and she shouldn’t be either but ‘love is love’ and she’s in love. Unfortunately. She has incredibly low self-esteem and I’m pretty sure she thinks that she would never find anyone else. She’s so young and wasting so much of her life and I just hope she doesn’t live to regret all of this as much as we all think she will. 

Yoga

I have lost count of how long we have now been in quarantine but apart from one or two days at the beginning, I have done yoga every single day. I could not be prouder of myself, and what’s more I am already feeling better for it and enjoying it. I’m currently in the middle of a 30 day plan that I am following. Some days are awfully painful and I’m working muscles I don’t think have ever been worked before, and other days I am perfectly fine and can do everything that is requested. I’m excited to see my yoga practice grow, to improve my flexibility and becoming more connected with my personal well-being. (Yoga is exactly what I am going to do once I’ve posted this). I’m also doing plank before bed. So far I am only holding for a minute but I’m proud of myself for doing this each day. Plank is also part of most of my yoga flows, but I also want to build on this.

Health

IBD is a major bitch. I had an online appointment with my IBD Dr here in the US the other day and I am being scheduled for a colonoscopy over summer. I also have to have bloods taken next month and provide samples. They are trying to distinguish whether it is Crohn’s or UC because at the moment it is still diagnosed as IBD-U which means undetermined. They are currently leaning towards Crohns and that there is a good chance that my whole digestive tract is affected, so that’s pretty rubbish. In other news, from doing so much yoga I have developed a small cyst between the joint on my wrist. It’s so annoying because it is completely in the way during certain poses and causes pain. For now I have to just see how it goes. Some peoples disappear over time, but not if you are constantly using it - which I am everyday. If it gets bigger or causes me more pain then I may need to go in for hand surgery with a specialist. 

Therapy

Therapy is going well. Last week though I just wasn’t in the mood. I had so much going on at work that I just didn’t want to address anything else. We spoke about work but I didn’t feel like I got anywhere or made any progress. I also realised afterwards that I avoided talking about anything else which is frustrating because I have been doing so well. I’m still finding it hard online and look forward to being able to connect again in person. A couple of weeks ago though I did have a really good session, even if I did find myself crying during it. We discussed identity and sexuality and my therapist said how much more alive and happy my body language was when I was discussing being part of the LGBTQ+ community and feeling a part of something, meeting people and taking part in events like Pride. I expressed that I was finally reaching a place where I was proud of how far I had come, and trying to be proud of who I am despite the hurdles I have overcome and still have to face. I explained how this happiness and feelings of love just became tainted with other aspects of my life and how I felt that I couldn’t celebrate that part of myself (which is my whole self) because of other things, and again these are things that I need to work on. I love that when I talk about certain people she instantly can see and understand by my body language and emotions how much they mean to be and how special they are to me, and I think it’s important to have a relationship like this with your therapist. 

COVID-19

I had to add this topic, but honestly, what a mess. I can’t even express how much of a car crash the UK and US Press Briefings are each day. Trump now says the virus will just ‘go away’ without a vaccine, and the UK are talking about opening the country and putting measures in place that should have been in place two months ago when every other European country put them in place. The whole thing is a joke. People celebrating VE day yesterday make me so angry. In my whole 28 years of life, I have never heard of anyone having VE parties before, yet now, in lock down, people are doing the bloody conga down the street. What? Is this even real? Put simply, people have used it as an excuse the flaunt the rules. After the US idiots protesting over the lock down, people in the UK have now started to do the same in London. Absolute morons. I have nothing else to say on the matter.

Skin

My skin is an absolute disaster. I have no idea why, but clearly being inside does not work wonders for my skin. I am breaking out every single day with new spots and my face looks like the moon full of craters. My jaw and chin is covered in massive potholes and my head has a bump on it like I’ve just been hit with a hammer. I have zero idea what is going on but nothing seems to be helping. Is clear skin too much to ask!?

05.05.05

This week marked 15 years since J died. 15 whole years. No matter how much time has passed, thinking about that day takes me right back. I remember where I was, in which classroom, who I was sat next to, the empty seat in front of my desk where J should have been sitting, the cries from her cousin when she was told the news, and then the complete and utter shock as us, a class of 13 year old were told that they were never going to see their classmate again because they had passed away. I remember standing outside and a teacher asking if I was okay whilst I cried in the arms of a friend. I will never forget that day. I cannot believe it has been fifteen years. Fifteen years since I saw her little face and joked about wearing pigtails. It’s unbelievable really. Time is passing fast. Much faster than I think any of us realise, so we really must not take life for granted, or the people we hold so dearly in it. If right now wasn’t proving it to you, I don’t know what will... life is short, so incredibly short.

[Blog title:  I'm a Loser Baby (So Why Don't You Kill Me) - Beck].

[thewebofslime]

[Our correspondent Dianne Lipson attended the indictment dismissal hearing for Jeffrey Epstein today and gives an impressive report on the events.] By Dianne Lipson Because of Jeffrey Epstein’s untimely death, US District Judge Richard Berman held a hearing today to dismiss the indictment. In a twist, the judge allowed the alleged victims to make statements at the hearing. Instead of being held, as previously scheduled, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, the hearing was held in a larger room at the older, venerable, Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse. Waiting to enter the courtroom, I saw a tall woman wheeling a baby in a stroller. She turned out to be an Epstein victim, represented by Gloria Allred. Judge Berman began by thanking everyone for their hard work. He said the news on August 10th that Epstein was found dead in his cell was shocking. The anticipated next step would have been the defense motions, followed by a jury trial in which the accusers and the accused would meet face to face, and everyone would get their day in court. The judge called Epstein’s death a stunning turn of events. Judge Berman made reference to an article critical of him, in a New York Law Journal titled, “The Judge in Epstein’s Case Should Not Turn the Dismissal Into a Drama for the Victims,” which said of his decision, “This is an odd moment for transparency in a criminal case.” Judge Berman disagreed with the article and gave examples to bolster his decision, adding that there has not been much minimization of the drama in this case. It’s better to involve the victims before rather than after. He also mentioned that one of the authors is counsel in one of the Epstein related cases. Maurene R. Comey, a prosecutor, assured the judge that the government would still pursue others who may have aided Epstein, saying those investigations “have been ongoing, remain ongoing and will continue.” Prosecutors also said a grand jury was investigating Epstein’s death. Reid Weingarten, one of Epstein’s lawyers, asked Judge Berman to conduct an independent investigation into Epstein’s death. Weingarten said Judge Berman could hold hearings or assign an independent lawyer. A lawyer for Epstein also brought up the serious improprieties in the jail. There are allegations that people falsified documentation. Epstein was never to be left alone. The defense was also assured from medical and scientific professionals that Epstein’s injuries were more consistent with assault than suicide. Regarding Epstein’s death, he said defense lawyers did not see a despondent or suicidal person. Moreover, “We have heard that the [surveillance] tapes were either corrupted or not functioning.” The defense heard that the tape system was broken for six months. But what if the tapes were only inoperative or corrupted on the day he died? The defense stated that these are incredibly important questions, that there are conspiracy theories galore, and the court has the authority to find out what happened. This is important for the public to have confidence in the system. Conditions in US Federal Prison Are Like Third World Conditions at the jail were dreadful, both for Epstein and other inmates. Vermin, abuse, it’s a disgrace, his lawyers said. He cited reports that conditions at Guantanamo Bay are better. A second defense lawyer said that the government should keep its defendants safe. He also spoke of conditions at the jail, citing vermin, wet floors from leaking plumbing, no sunlight, limited exercise. No defendant should be subjected to this. The government [judiciary] should see what kind of conditions exist 50 or 100 yards from the court. He reiterated the assertion that no new evidence surfaced of any Epstein crimes taking place after 2005. He said the defense had an attendant doctor at the autopsy, who found the broken bones in Epstein’s neck more consistent with external pressure; Homicide, rather than suicide. The time of death was at least 45 minutes before he was found but may have occurred hours before. He was moved after he was found, which makes the scene more difficult to reconstruct. Like the other defense lawyer, he also asked when the dysfunction of the video was known to MDC. “We ask your honor to find out what happened to our client,” he said. The prosecution responded that the circumstances of Epstein’s death were the subject of ongoing and active investigations, and that it was not relevant to today’s hearing. Alleged Victims Began to Line up The many alleged Epstein victims began to line up in the aisle of the gallery, and subsequently found seats. The prosecution stated that some witnesses did not come out of fear of public exposure. Some used their names, and some did not. The government attorney took issue with the law journal article, which she said seems to say that transparency is not important. She said that assertion is tough to swallow. Alleged victim Courtney Wild’s attorney, Brad Edwards, said she came to him in asking for the government to talk to her, not to sue him for money. A few months later, they learned of the secret plea deal. The victims were treated as though they did not matter. Edwards thanked Judge Berman for making things very different now. The victims are not ‘one size fits all.” He said this hearing means a lot to the victims. If they were accorded their rights, would any of us be here now? Wild said she was 14 years old and wearing braces when she was recruited outside a high school to give Epstein massages. “Jeffrey Epstein robbed myself and all the other victims our day in court to confront him one by one—and for that, he is a coward,” she said. “I am angry and sad that justice has never been served in this case.” Wild broke into tears. Jane Doe 1, who had a hesitant speaking manner, cried when she said she read other victim stories that were similar to her own. A lot of girls were raped, and change needs to happen. Jane Doe 2 said the experience was really hard to explain to people who have not gone through it. Things happened slowly over time. We are not bad people. We were vulnerable and sometimes in extreme poverty. Jane Doe 3 came from a small town to New York City to be a model. She met a female who told her about an amazing man who was able to help her. At Epstein’s home, she was sexually assaulted. She was ashamed, embarrassed. This was not how she was brought up. Her world spiraled. She stopped modeling, became depressed, and left New York. She buried what happened deep within her. Jane Doe 4 said Epstein took away the future she had envisioned for herself, and she will never fully heal. Jane Doe 5 seemed to be speaking of her assault and trauma. She was in tears throughout, her voice choked with emotion. Next came Chauntae Davies, an aspiring masseuse. She said Epstein flew her to his private island in the Caribbean, where his associate instructed her to give him a massage. She said the encounter became violent when Epstein grabbed her wrist and pulled her body “onto his already naked body,” she said. She begged him to stop but “that just seemed to excite him more” and he raped her. The abuse continued for three years. She had been conditioned to accept it. She spoke of every [subsequent] relationship that she had to end. In a strong and confident tone, she said, “I found my voice now. I needed him to hear the pain he caused.” She added that Epstein’s death gave her no satisfaction. Another alleged victim said it’s tragic when someone dies, but she is truly relieved that Epstein will not be in a position to hurt any more children. A letter from alleged victim Michelle Acosta was read in court. She was told that Epstein would be held accountable, but then there was the secret plea deal, making her feel she was treated as if she did not matter. She said this time it was completely different. Her attorney was able to tell her what happened at every stage. Now, she feels that she and the other victims matter. A legal speaker, Paul Cassell, a former judge, said transparency is the overriding objective. Victims need to be treated with fairness and respect. He said the one positive thing that came of this was to allow the victims to come forward. Judge Cassell encouraged Judge Berman to publish his decision. Judge Berman had not been aware that Cassell was going to speak, and he was pleased that Cassell had traveled to New York in order to do so. Another lawyer who represented five alleged victims said that Epstein could not have done what he did on such a scale without co-conspirators. His first client who spoke said 17 years ago she came from California to New York. What happened was a dark corner in her life. She felt shame and anger for normalizing it. Now it’s time to bring light to replace the darkness. It was a phase in her life that she is no longer covering up. Jeffrey Epstein is no longer here, but the women who helped him are. She mentioned the name of Ghislaine Maxwell. Virginia Roberts Giuffre spoke next. Like many others, she thanked the judge for allowing her to address the court. She thought she was being given her big break, but her hopes were quickly dashed, and her dreams stolen. But the reckoning and accountability have begun. Annie Farmer spoke. She also appreciated the opportunity to speak, and was sorry others did not have the opportunity to do so. She was disappointed by Epstein’s death but encouraged to hear of the continuing investigation. Epstein did not act alone, and others must be held accountable. Ms. Farmer’s story is here, along with a link to a podcast. https://ift.tt/3238N8H The Sisters Who First Tried to Take Down Jeffrey Epstein – The New York Times Ms. Farmer moved to New York in 1993, eager to pursue her passion for art, and enrolled at the New York Academy of Art. She already had a specialty, exploring figures of nudes and adolescents, and … www.nytimes.com The next woman was a model who agreed to meet Epstein at his house. Attorney Lerner from Lerner & Lerner described a client’s experience. She was 14 years old. What he could not buy, he forcibly took. He surrounded himself with facilitators. She asked that all enablers and co-conspirators be brought to justice, Epstein no longer has power over her. Then a client described, in tears, how Epstein stole her chances for love by making her too scared to trust anybody. She was ashamed and embarrassed until she found out there were other victims. “The fact I will never have a chance to face my predator in court eats away at my soul,” said Jennifer Araoz, who accused Epstein of raping her when she was a 15-year-old student at a performing arts high school in New York. “They let this man kill himself and kill the chance of justice for so many others in the process, taking away our ability to speak.” Next came victims represented by attorney Lisa Bloom. Jane Doe 7 said she used to be carefree, hopeful, and excited about life. Her life became dark. Epstein and his recruiter “ruined me.” In the immediate aftermath, she was unable to function. Her parents brought her home and she became a recluse for years. She thought she did this to herself and that she had allowed it to happen, and she felt she didn’t deserve to be happy. She spoke of a reckoning, and thanked Judge Berman. Jane Doe 8 feels she is still a victim. There is no closure because Epstein took his own life. She and others will never have an answer why or an apology. In choosing death, Epstein denied everyone justice. She still wants closure. As if to save the most dramatic for the end, Gloria Allred’s clients were the last to speak. Some had sent statements, read by Ms. Allred. She thanked the Judge, and said many victims never even told their own families what happened to them. Allred said it would increase confidence to have the court oversee the investigation into Epstein’s death because the court is a neutral party. She asked if there was a way to keep the record open for victims who were not present, or had not yet spoken to an attorney. She said this is about power, and the fear that rich and powerful men have power to silence the victims. Jane Doe 9, in tears, also said she is still a victim of Jeffrey Epstein. She is fearful for her daughter and for everyone’s daughter in a world where there are predators and cowards. She was 17 years old and she thought she found someone who cared about her. Epstein took advantage of that poor girl who will never be the same. ‘He thought he was untouchable and so did I.’ Jane Doe 10 related that when she was 15 she was on a plane to the ranch. Paraphrase: ‘When I was molested, he explained to me how beneficial this experience was to me and how he was helping me to grow. After he had finished, he told me to describe how good my first sexual experience had felt.’ Allred read a statement of another victim. She was from a small Texas town, her mother died when she was 11, and the family was poor. At 15, a lady approached her and told her she worked for a rich man. She could arrange transportation and the girl would be there and back before anybody knew about it. Over four visits, things progressed to oral copulation. She stopped going. She took a gun to kill herself, but remembering her mother’s voice stopped her. She said Epstein took the easy way out. Another victim statement read by Allred, paraphrased: I was a 16-year-old virgin when Jeffrey Epstein first raped me. I was impressed by him – he called celebrities in my presence, as well as award-winning actresses and supermodels. They always took his calls. My mother wanted us to go to college. My life was turbulent. He promised me a letter of recommendation to Harvard, saying he was donating money to them. A massage turned sexual almost immediately. Even if I resisted, I was no match for him. I wanted to vomit. The progression was constant and unending. I had never even kissed a boy. Epstein never kissed me. He said, ‘If you’re not a virgin I will kill you.” Then I wasn’t a virgin. I protested. He forced my face into the bed. If I missed an appointment, he said, “I’ll bury you. I own this f’ing town.” Then the appointment was rescheduled. He was the master of the universe, the world bent to his will. I felt less human. One day I walked out and saw another girl. I had an epiphany. I realized I was one of many. I went into a deep depression and locked myself away from everything. I could never go back to my old life. How easy it is to manipulate a 16-year-old virgin. I went into therapy and took antidepressants. They say you never forget your first time. I’m trying to do just that. Years later I married. When Epstein was arrested I thought, I’ll show him I am worthwhile. His ghost is laughing at us. Allred read a final victim statement. She was a model from another country. A booker said she should meet Epstein in order to be a Victoria’s Secret model. She went to the mansion. A woman told her to be nice to Epstein. He met her wearing a robe. He took the robe off. The door was locked. He touched her genitals. She refused. A girl outside said to be careful if I didn’t do what Epstein wanted. The hearing ended and Judge Berman thanked everyone for their participation. The Epstein victim who came with her baby appeared outside with Gloria Allred and another victim. Allred said Judge Berman was paying attention and listened carefully to all the victim’s statements, and she thanks him for that.

[fangzeronos]

A Luthor and A Super Ch. 8

Ch. 1 / Ch. 2 / Ch. 3 / Ch. 4 / Ch. 5 / Ch. 6 / Ch. 7

Almost a week had passed for Kara, locked up in the DEO. Protests outside of the building, its location leaked by Lena, sounded day and night. Lena and Alex did their best to try and keep Kara from doing anything crazy that would get her in more trouble. She sighed as she watched people go back and forth in front of the cell, Brainy bringing her meals when it was time. She was bored, no doubt about it. She was sure the cell was being radiated with Kryptonite or Red Sun energy since her powers weren’t working. Her phone was taken, and she was pretty sure her apartment was being raided every other minute by more and more DEO agents.

 Alex walked down the hall and leaned against the wall, looking at her sister. “I am trying to get you out of here, sweetie. I swear, I am doing my best.”

 Kara nodded softly, sitting up and rubbing her arms. “I know, Alex,” she said. “I…I didn’t do anything wrong. Hiding being Supergirl, not telling the government. I didn’t lie to save my own ass. I lied so the people I loved wouldn’t be hurt. Lot of frigging good that does me, right? You or Lena are kidnapped or beaten up every Sunday. It’s like clockwork.” She sighed and brushed her hair back. “Question. Is Kryptonite being pumped into the cell? Cause ever since I got shoved unceremoniously into this thing, I have been nauseous as hell.”

 Alex narrowed her eyes, grabbing her tablet from her hip and scrolling to the cell schematics. “That bitch,” she growled. “She’s pumping low levels of Kryptonite through the walls. Not enough to hurt you, but just enough to keep you obedient.” She tapped a tab and shut off the Kryptonite, watching the color start to come back into Kara’s face. “I thought you looked sick. Kara, I’m sorry! I should have realized—”

 “Stop,” Kara said with a small smile. “You didn’t know. It’s alright, Alex. It’s not your fault.” She bit her lip, looking at Alex. “What’s being done to get me out of here?”

 “Well, other then having J’onn keep Lena from ripping Haley’s head off, I’m waiting for Lucy,” Alex said. “I called her the same day you were put in, and she’s looking up everything she can to get you out of here. She said as soon as she’s got something, she’s going straight to President Baker and going to get you out. I mean, protesters all over the city are marching around the DEO every hour of the day, and polling’s showing that you’re doing better then he is. It’ll be another Ben Lockwood situation if he isn’t careful.”

“Wait—what about Lockwood?” Kara asked, her eyes wide. “What happened?”

 Alex sighed. “People protested outside of the prison for so long and loud enough that Baker signed an executive pardon and released him. Three days ago,” she said.

 “Son of a bitch,” Kara growled. “After all the trouble I went through to get him in the first place!? That jackass in the White House says it’s fine for him to walk around and incite more anti-alien violence? Xenophobia’s fine, but hiding a secret identity is wrong? What the actual fuck?!” She slammed her hand into the wall, yelling as she did.

 “Kara!” Alex said. “Calm down, honey.”

 “NO! That bastard’s walking around, James Olsen in his goddamn pocket, turning my city against Aliens, and I can’t do a fucking thing to stop it! I’m trapped in a cell, Alex. Cut off from my girlfriend, my other friends, my sister, my mother. I can’t do anything stuck in here. Lucy needs to find a solution fast or I’m ripping these walls down and walking out!”

 Alex sighed, opening the cell door and walking in before hugging her sister tightly. “I’ll get you out of here, Kara,” she whispered. “I swear. I’ll do whatever I can to get you home.”

 Kara nodded, wrapping her arms around Alex and blinking back the tears. “No more tears. I have to stop bawling like a baby every time something happens. Time to grow the fuck up.” She thought, squeezing Alex softly. “Love you.”

 “Love you too,” Alex said, pulling back and putting her hands against Kara’s cheeks. “Keep strong, sweetie.”

 “Feel like I’m interrupting something,” a new voice said, Kara looking over Alex’s shoulder and grinning.

 “Lucy!” Kara grinned, moving past her sister and hugging her friend. “You’re here!”

 “With good news,” Lucy said, hugging Kara back and smiling. “You look good, girl.”

 “I need a shower,” Kara laughed.

 “What’s your good news, Luce?” Alex asked, folding her arms and smiling.

 “President’s wrong for keeping you locked up,” Lucy said. “There’s no case. There’s no law that says anything about superheroes working with government agencies that have to reveal their identities. You don’t get paid, you don’t draw taxes, you’re not losing anything by working for the government, so you’re being held illegally. I’m taking these to Haley, and they’ve got Baker’s signature. You’re free today, Kara.”

 Kara smiled and nodded. “Lucy, I can’t thank you for this.”

 Lucy shook her head, putting her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “You don’t have to. You’re my friend. Alex told me what happened, and I dropped everything to get here to help you. I’m sorry it took me this long.”

 “One more day in that cell, I would have gone bonkers,” Kara said. She walked down the hall with Lucy and Alex, seeing Hayley barking orders around the room. “Colonel Haley.”

 Haley turned, narrowing her eyes before seeing Lucy. She quickly snapped to attention and saluted. “General Lane. I was unaware of you coming to the DEO.”

 “At east, Colonel,” Lucy said. “I’ve just come from the President, Lauren. After extensive research and fact hunting about Ms. Danvers. You’re holding her illegally, no rights were read, no laws were violated. There is nothing about heroes who work for the government having to reveal their identities. These are signed by President Baker himself, papers for Ms. Danvers’ release.” She handed the folder to Haley, smiling as she did. “She’s been released, and you’re being sent back to Washington. Clear out your desk, Colonel.”

 Haley narrowed her eyes. “This will not stand, General,” she said.

 “Get out, Lauren,” Lucy said. “Clear your desk, take your ass back to Washington. Or, if you’d rather fight me, I’ll lock you away until you’re tried for insubordination and we’ll knock you down a few stripes. That what you want?”

 “No,” Haley said, stepping around Lucy and grumbling.

 “About time,” Brainy said with a shake of his head. “That woman was more annoying than Imra’s monthly psychic outbursts.”

 “I’m going to assume that’s similar to--?” Kara asked.

 “Yes,” Brainy said. “Not fun. Even Mon-El knew to hide form her for a week. Did not help that she could find him simply.”

 Lucy snickered softly, shaking her head. “Where’s J’onn?” she asked.

 “Retired. Took up a private investigator job,” Alex said. “I’m in charge.”

 Lucy smiled. “Go Danvers,” she said. She looked at Kara and smiled, hugging her again. “Go home. Shower, sleep, eat until you explode.”

 “Ravage Lena until you’re both passed out,” Alex smirked.

 Kara laughed. “Yes, mothers. I’ll do that,” she said, hugging Alex and Lucy. “I really do owe you for this, Luce.”

 “No you don’t,” Lucy said, putting her hands on Kara’s shoulders and spinning her around. “Go, woman!”

 Kara smiled, taking off running before leaping over the balcony, cheering as she soared off. The crowds around the DEO saw her, cheering as she disappeared into the skies. She flew over the city, sighing as she enjoyed the wind in her face and hair, the feeling of freedom after a week in confinement. Scanning the city, she flew down to the balcony of LCorp, pushing the door open and wrapping her arms around Lena’s shoulders.

 “Hi, babe,” Kara said, kissing Lena’s cheek.

 “Kara!” Lena yelled, turning and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend tightly. “Oh, my God….” She shook as she clung to Kara, sniffling softly. “What…how…?”

 “Alex called Lucy Lane,” Kara said. “There was no case. I was being held illegally. Haley’s been sent packing to Washington and I’m free as a bird.”

 Lena smiled, cupping Kara’s face and kissing her. “I have missed you,” she whispered. “Vibrators are nothing compared to you.”

 Kara smiled, kissing Lena back and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. “Well…cancel your meetings for the rest of the day and we’ll go home. I’ll show you how much I’ve missed you. After I get a shower and eat my weight in pizza and pot stickers.”

 Lena smiled and nodded. She looked over as the door was knocked on and opened, Jess walking in. “Jess? What is it?”

 “Eve’s outside. She needs to speak to you,” Jess said.

 Lena nodded. “Alright. Send her in.” She looked behind Jess as Eve walked in. “Eve? What’s wrong?”

 Eve bit her lip, walking around Jess and sighing softly. “We’ve had a break in down in R&D. The research is gone.”

 “Which part?” Lena asked, panic in her voice. “Eve?”

 “All…all of it,” Eve said. “I’ve got CCTV footage so we might find something, but…”

 Lena sighed, her hands clenched. “Let me see,” she said. She took the tablet from Eve, playing back the footage. She watched it and rewound it several times, narrowing her eyes. “Who the hell?”

 Kara looked over Lena’s shoulder, watching the footage. “Can we slow that down just a bit more?” she asked. Lena nodded, slowing the footage. “Manchester Black. What is he doing breaking into your R&D?”

 Lena sighed, looking down before looking at Kara. “Come with me,” she said. “Eve, you too.” Eve nodded, following Lena and Kara toward the elevator. Once they were inside, the guilt in Lena’s gut overtook her. “Kara, I…have a confession to make. Last Spring, when you brought the Harun-El. I may have…managed to replicate it. What your mother took back to Argo City was the real Harun-El, but I made a copy of it. I’ve been…I’ve been testing it on hearts. Testing it on human tissue. We had one positive test that let the heart shrug off damage, and it grew a thick outer skin that made it damage resistant to everything.”

 Kara looked at Lena, not in anger, but in intrigue and fascination. “Why am I just now hearing about this?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

 Lena bit her lip. “When I was going to tell you, it was before you told me you were Supergirl, back when we were still arguing. Then you told me the truth and everything that’s happened since…I honestly never tried hard enough. It’s supposed to be a way to give powers to a normal human in case shit gets too tough for you and Brainy can’t get out to help you,” she said, looking at Kara. “Are…are you mad at me, honey? Upset? I’d understand if you were.”

 Kara smiled, taking Lena’s hands. “I’m not mad,” she said. She kissed Lena softly, smiling against her lips. “I can help you with this. Back before Krypton exploded, I was in the Science Guild. I’m a scientist at heart. Let’s figure out why Manchester wanted the thing, and we’ll get to work finishing it.”

 Lena threw her arms around Kara, clutching her girlfriend tightly. “I don’t deserve you,” she said, smiling against Kara’s neck.

 Kara smiled, rubbing Lena’s back and looking up as the elevator stopped in the basement of LCorp. She walked out with Lena and Eve, the lights coming on as they made their way over to a table. “This is where you were working?”

 “Yes,” Lena said. “The heart was there, but according to the tape, Manchester Black got in, stole the heart, and got right back out. No alarms were tripped, no doors were kicked open. In and out like he phased through the wall.”

 “Ms. Luthor? I’m rewatching the footage, and there’s a red mist that appeared just before Manchester,” Eve said, handing the tablet to Lena. “Right there.”

 Lena narrowed her eyes. “Whoever can do that, that’s how Manchester got in here. But why take the heart?”

 Kara sighed, looking around. “He’s obsessed with getting back at the Children of Liberty for killing his fiancée. He thinks that they all deserve to die and that aliens should stand up and fight back against the xenophobia that’s become rampant since the Children showed up and President Marsdin was removed and replaced with Baker. What makes it worse is that there’s nothing I can do to stop either side.”

 “Yes, there is,” Lena said. “You’re a symbol of hope. Someone that people look to for hope, freedom, safety. You’re doing something even when you can’t see the outcome, Kara.”

 Eve smiled and nodded. “The last week, everyone’s been begging for Supergirl’s release from jail for not doing anything wrong. When they see you out there in the suit again, they’ll have their hope back.”

 Kara smiled softly, nodding and making her way over to the table. “Alright, so what do we need to do first?” she asked. “Obviously, find a way to track Manchester. If his red mist friend can just pop in and out like a genie in a bottle, we’ll have to be extra careful.” She looked around and let her eyes land on the vault in the corner, biting her lip and looking away as terrible memories flooded back into her. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed.

 “Kara?” Eve asked.

 “I’m fine,” Kara lied, smiling a bit.

 “No, you’re not,” Lena said. “You eyeballed the vault and got quiet.” She walked over and took Kara’s hands, squeezing before leading her over to the vault. “You thought back to when you asked James to break in, didn’t you?”

 Kara nodded. “I still feel terrible about it, even after all the crap he’s done.”

 Lena smiled softly, leaning in and kissing Kara gently. “I’m going to prove that there’s no Kryptonite in the vault,” she said. She stepped back and input her security code, twisting the knob and pulling the vault door open. When she did, a dull glow emanated from inside, Lena’s eyes getting wide before she threw the door shut. “Son of a bitch!”

 Kara hit the ground, looking up at Lena. “Lena…? What the hell…?”

 “Honey, I swear to you, I removed all of the Kryptonite from the vault,” Lena said, kneeling beside Kara and cupping her face. “I swear. I can have Eve show you the footage from when we did. I wouldn’t keep it after knowing it can hurt you and learning the truth, you have to believe me, baby.”

 Kara leaned into Lena’s hand, nodding softly. “I do believe you,” she whispered. “But who could have gotten into—” She stopped, looking at the vault and narrowing her eyes. “Who else has access down here?”

“Just Eve and I,” Lena said. “Why? Kara, what are you thinking?”

 Kara stood up, shaking her head out. “Your mom’s still in jail, right?” she asked.

 “Yes,” Lena said, cocking an eyebrow. Her mind started working, her eyes going wide. “Oh, shit.”

 “Ms. Luthor?” Eve asked. “What’s wrong?”

 “Lex. Lex was getting out this week. I never changed the security codes or took his scan out of the system,” Lena sighed, her hands clenched tightly. “Goddamn it! And since you were outed by Olsen, and prison just shows news most of the time, I’m willing to bet my life that Lex is out and found his Kryptonite and stashed it here because he knew I’d bring you here and open that vault.”

 Kara took Lena’s hands. “We’ll get him. I swear. He won’t get away with this. Between Manchester, Lockwood and the Children of Liberty, and now Lex…we’ve got a massive three-way war on our hands. We have to be careful.”

 Lena nodded, looking at the vault and narrowing her eyes. “Let’s go. I can get rid of this later.”

 “I can have it breached to a different Earth,” Kara said. “I just need to get Cisco.”

 “Friend from Earth-1?” Lena asked.

 “Yep,” Kara said. “I have a device that lets me breach into other Earths, and Cisco can follow me back here. You can give him the Kryptonite, he can take it where it can’t be found or used to harm anyone. I can do that first thing in the morning.”

 Lena nodded, wrapping her arms around Kara and kissing her softly. “Alright,” she whispered. “I love you. I’m so sorry Lex is trying to hurt you.”

 Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist as she kissed back, smiling against her girlfriend’s lips. “I love you, too. You don’t have to apologize for Lex and his murderous ways. You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said. “Now…why don’t I take you home and have some fun with you?”

 Lena smirked, nipping Kara’s lip. “That sounds like a date, Ms. Danvers,” she said, teasingly sliding her hands down Kara’s back before grabbing her ass, making her girlfriend jump.

 Eve cleared her throat softly. “Um…you know I’m still here?” she asked with a smile and a cocked eyebrow.

 Lena looked at Eve and felt a blush crawl up her face. “Sorry, Eve. You can go home for the rest of the day. Take tomorrow, too.”

 Eve smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. See you on Monday,” she said, setting the tablet down and walking off.

 Kara giggled, nuzzling Lena’s neck with her nose and nipping softly. “Soon as we get you home, I’m pinning you to the bed and not letting up until you can’t walk.”

 “Then don’t turn on the Red Sun Lamps,” Lena smirked, laughing when Kara scooped her up and took off.

 “I don’t plan on it,” Kara said, kissing Lena as she flew back toward the apartment.

 Despite the elation in her heart, Kara’s stomach weighed heavily, knowing her words were right about an upcoming three-way war between Manchester, Lex, and Lockwood. She’d be caught in the middle of the conflict, and she wasn’t certain she knew what to do when it finally boiled over.