#author Nicky James

[melaniem54]

Review: Unstable Connections (Valor and Doyle (Book 3) by Nicky James

Review: Unstable Connections (Valor and Doyle (Book 3) by Nicky James

Rating: 5🌈 Nicky James has written an extraordinary story with Unstable Connections, the third novel in the amazing Valor and Doyle series. Usually there’s one element that’s lacking when you have a couple and series with such serious storylines and a myriad of emotional issues. Most of which, like past domestic abuse , alcoholism, and deep loss, thread through the couple’s new shaky…

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Characters, book, and author names under the cut

Will Kempen/James St Clair - Dark Rise series by C.S. Pacat

Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose - All For The Game by Nora Sakavic

Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji - Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/ Mo Dao Zu Shi by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

[rmstitanics]

* FAMOUS INDIVIDUALS WITH YOUR MOON SIGN.

If you’re looking for suggestions on which authors and music artists to check out next, look to your moon sign! In Western astrology, the moon is said to represent your subconscious mind, emotions, and inner personality, so it is widely believed that we tend to relate to media by artists who share our moon sign.

♈️ ARIES MOON

WRITERS:

Gore Vidal

George R. R. Martin

Nicholas Sparks

Rick Riordan

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Christopher Paolini

MUSICIANS:

P!nk

Whitney Houston

Céline Dion

Selena Gomez

Rihanna

Tupac

♉️ TAURUS MOON

WRITERS:

Jodi Picoult

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Hans Christian Anderson

Clive Barker

George Bernard Shaw

Aldous Huxley

MUSICIANS:

Pharrell Williams

Kelly Clarkson

Bob Dylan

Demi Lovato

Christina Aguilera

Pitbull

♊️ GEMINI MOON

WRITERS:

C. S. Lewis

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Orson Scott Card

Franz Kafka

Margaret Mitchell

R.A. Salvatore

T. S. Elliot

MUSICIANS:

Ella Fitzgerald

Florence Welch

Art Garfunkel

Billy Idol

Sia

Tina Turner

♋️ CANCER MOON

WRITERS:

George Orwell

Liu Cixin

Brandon Sanderson

Cassandra Clare

Diana Gabaldon

Lois Lowry

MUSICIANS:

Tchaikovsky

Taylor Swift

Kurt Cobain

Halsey

Aretha Franklin

Janis Joplin

♌️ LEO MOON

Oscar Wilde

Holly Black

Geraldine Brooks

James Dashner

Jack London

Ta Nehisi Coates

MUSICIANS:

Lana Del Ray

Paul McCartney

Queen Latifah

Niall Horan

Bruno Mars

David Bowie

♍️ VIRGO MOON

WRITERS:

Leo Tolstoy

John Grisham

Claudia Gray

Isabel Allende

Xiran Jay Zhao

Douglas Adams

MUSICIANS:

Dolly Parton

Nicki Manaj

Madonna

Lorde

Bo Burnham

Lizzo

♎️ LIBRA MOON

WRITERS:

Jane Austen

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Sylvia Plath

William Shakespeare

Maya Angelou

R.F. Kuang

MUSICIANS:

Ariana Grande

Charli XCX

Bruce Springsteen

Jay-Z

Harry Styles

Fergie

♏️ SCORPIO MOON

WRITERS:

Veronica Roth

Edith Wharton

V.E. Schwab

Harper Lee

Keira Cass

Meg Cabot

MUSICIANS:

Lady Gaga

Tyler the Creator

Cyndi Lauper

Beyoncé

Bob Marley

The Weeknd

♐️ SAGITTARIUS MOON

WRITERS:

Stephen King

Victor Hugo

Marie Lu

Suzanne Collins

Samantha Shannon

Adam Silvera

MUSICIANS

Hozier

Freddie Mercury

Adele

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Chappell Roan

John Legend

♑️ CAPRICORN MOON

WRITERS:

Sarah J. Maas

J.M. Barrie

Jeff Shaara

Joyce Carol Oates

Stephanie Meyer

Angie Thomas

MUSICIANS:

Frédéric Chopin

Neil Diamond

Jon Bon Jovi

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Stevie Nicks

Donna Summer

♒️ AQUARIUS MOON

WRITERS:

Margaret Atwood

Leigh Bardugo

Louisa May Alcott

Seth Grahame-Smith

Anthony Horowitz

S.E. Hinton

MUSICIANS:

Cody Simpson

Marilyn Monroe

Britney Spears

Billie Eilish

Tim McGraw

Carrie Underwood

♓️ PISCES MOON

WRITERS:

Toni Morrison

Edgar Allen Poe

Malcolm Gladwell

Lisa McMann

Alice Oseman

Philippa Gregory

MUSICIANS:

Kenny Chesney

Elvis Presley

Frank Sinatra

Prince

Kendrick Lamar

Sabrina Carpenter

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🖤 Black History Month ❤️

💛 Queer Books by Black Authors 💚

[ List Under the Cut ]

🖤 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta 💛 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💚 I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz 🖤 Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell 💛 The Unbroken by C.L. Clark 💚 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova 🖤 Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 💛 That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole 💚Work for It by Talia Hibbert

🖤 All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon 💛 How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters 💚 Running With Lions by Julian Winters 🖤 Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender 💛 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum 💚 This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow 🖤 Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia 💛 Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 💚 The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

🖤 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 💛 Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole 💚 Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 🖤 Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney 💛 Power & Magic by Joamette Gil 💚 The Black Veins by Ashia Monet 🖤 Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow 💛 Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James 💚 Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

🖤 The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee 💛 A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell 💚 Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson 🖤 Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad 💛 Darling by K. Ancrum 💚 The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode 🖤 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett 💛 Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 💚 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

🖤 How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans 💛 The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller 💚 A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark 🖤 A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo 💛 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 💚 Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome 🖤 Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite 💛 Soulstar by C.L. Polk 💚 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell

🖤 Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby 💛 Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair 💚 The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 🖤 If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier 💛 This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron 💚 Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon 🖤 Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez 💛 Memorial by Bryan Washington 💚 Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn

🖤 Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole 💛 Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn 💚 Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones 🖤 Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman 💛 The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr 💚 Odd One Out by Nic Stone 🖤 Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons 💚 Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

🖤 Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson 💛 Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde 💚 No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull 🖤 The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor 💛 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 💚 Peaces by Helen Oyeyem 🖤 The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh 💛 Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San 💚 The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera

🖤 King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery 💛 Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz 💚 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 🖤 Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay 💛 Remembrance by Rita Woods 💚 Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo 🖤 You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters 💛 Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi 💚 Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem

[zombie-bait]

Omg i just realized I have something tiny to add to the whole James Somerton debacle. I'm currently watching the hbombguy vid (as you do when procrastinating assignments) and I remembered something that stood out to me in James' old videos.

So I used to be a fan of his stuff. I am also a fan of Hannibal and IWTV. He made a video covering both so naturally I was very hyped. It was called 'The Gay Appeal of Toxic Love.' The vid itself was fine (I don't remember having any super strong opinions of it besides being excited to hear ppl mention Interview cuz I had recently become obsessed) but one thing did stand out to me. In the IWTV section he mentions Nicki and, naturally, his death:

"After becoming a vampire, Nicky becomes nearly catatonic, and eventually slips away from Lestat entirely. And after centuries of dealing with depression and severe mental illness, Nicky kills himself."

(sourced from this transcript: https://github.com/TerraJRiley/James_Somerton_Transcripts/blob/main/Transcripts/The%20Gay%20Appeal%20of%20Toxic%20Love.txt)

To anyone who's read TVL, I don't think I need to explain that Nicki had not, in fact, been around for centuries. "Nicki had lived to be 30" has been rattling around in my head since I first read it.

And like, obviously I don't expect every youtube essayist to read several long-ish novels to have a full grasp of the series' deep lore, especially when the focus was largely on IWTV and Loustat rather than the entire Vampire Chronicles. Still, it makes you wonder a bit about the quality of the research being done here. You can find the proper info in like, 5 seconds by just going on the fan wiki so I'm not sure what his sources were. And that's the issue at hand, isn't it?

At the time I felt a tiny bit smug recognizing the error but in light of everything that's been revealed, it's kind of telling. I'm not saying this part was plagiarized (I haven't found anything but others on reddit have found issues with different sections of the same video) but rereading the transcript it comes off as someone who clearly doesn't know much about Interview.... It feels like he's reading through a loose summary of plot points rather than analyzing a piece of media that actually means anything to him. It's very much Interview for people who don't know Interview which, one could argue is fair. Especially beyond book one, VC is a niche series and a lot of elements that are important to certain characters or plot lines cannot be summarized quickly for an audience unfamiliar with it. A good writer, who's done a lot of research about the specific topic they have chosen to make a video on, would be able to balance this. There is a LOT to analyze about queerness in VC and its a shame to see one of the more popular queer media channels half-assing it just to churn out videos heavily made up of other people's work. In retrospect he had several videos like that, where he would discuss things like manga/manhua communities while clearly having little knowledge on the nuance of those subjects. He was an outsider who presented himself with a strange amount of authority.

This was content created with the sole intention of propping up queer stories and history, yet it's built off stolen work from queer authors and doesn't actually care that much about exploring the communities it features. Vids like the IWTV one weren't really fact checked because it's only people like me who would might give a shit or even notice anything is off in the first place. There's a bit of a similar vibe in some of his other vids where he undermines the experiences of queer women because he clearly has not taken the time to learn about the nuances of representing queer women in media. These are things that irritated me when I first started to notice them but I put those concerns in the back of my mind because I cared about the topics he was covering and was excited to see these discussions becoming more mainstream.

The revelations of this evening have been disappointing to say the least.

(also for the record I know he made other more recent vids about IWTV but I haven't seen those and even if his account was still up I don't think I would lol

BUT

I did look at the transcript for his 'Vampires and the Gays Who Love Them' video (found from the same link I included above) and this quote about the IWTV AMC show is sending me: "Daniel has never grappled with the complexities of being gay"

Shoutout to straight, uncomplicated icon Daniel Molloy. Devil's Minion was a mass hallucination, spread the word)

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Full list of all guaranteed entries for the sword gays showdown so far!

(aka you don't have to submit them anymore, but propaganda is always appreciated!)

One Piece - Zoro has 13 submissions, Kikunojo has 7, Mihawk has 5. There were several other characters submitted as well, but since my limit is 3 characters per fandom the others will get a bonus poll but won't get into the tournament (sorry Law and Shanks, I still love you).

Fandoms with multiple guaranteed entries, in no particular order:

MDZS/The Untamed - Lan Wangji with 6 submissions, Wei Wuxian with 4

The Dragon Prince - Runaan with 4, General Amaya with 6, Janai with 4

Revolutionary Girl Utena - Utena with 7, Juri with 3

Nimona - Ballister with 9, Ambrosius with 7

Avatar: the last airbender - Zuko with 8, Sokka with 5

Star Wars - Shin Hati with 3, Luke Skywalker with 3 as well

Raya and the last dragon - Raya with 4, Namaari with 3

Black Sails - James Flint with 4, Anne Bonny with 3

The scum villain's self-saving system - Liu Qingge with 3, Luo Binghe with 4

The Locked Tomb - Gideon Nav with 8, Camilla Hect with 3

Willow (TV series) - Jade with 3, Kit with 3 as well

Heaven Official's Blessing/TGCF - Xie Lian with 5, Hua Cheng with 4

The Old Guard - Joe with 4, Nicky with 3

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Leo with 5, Usagi with 3

2. Single characters (with fandoms listed as well)

Izzy Hands (Our flag means death) - 3

Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson series) - 5

Haruka Tenou AKA Sailor Uranus (Sailor Moon) - 3

Adora/She-Ra (She-Ra and the princesses of power) - 6

Sasha Waybright (Amphibia) - 5

Pearl (Steven Universe) - 6

Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess) - 4

Diana of Themiscyra/Wonder Woman (DC) - 3

Link (The legend of Zelda) - 6

Inigo Montoya (The princess bride) - 4

Seiji Katayama (Fence comic) - 5 [decided to allow this media despite my initial concerns about the author's past works]

Lady Oscar Francois de Jarjayes (The rose of Versaillles) - 3

Di Feisheng (Mysterious Lotus Casebook) - 3

Hikaru Sulu (Star Trek) - 4

Richard St Vier (Swordspoint) - 3

Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Marvel) - 4

Zhou Zishu (Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers) - 4

Dave Strider (Homestuck) - 4

Magnus Chase (Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard) - 3

Castiel (Supernatural) - 3

Adolin Kholin (The Stormlight Archives) - 3

Felix Hugo Fraldarius (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) - 3

Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) - 3

Jean-Pierre Polnareff (Jojo's bizzare adventure) - 3

Kurogane (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle) - 3

Ava Silva (Warrior Nun) - 3

Zagreus (Hades) - 3

Dominique de Sade (The Case Study of Vanitas) - 3

Demoman / Tavish Degroot (Team Fortress 2) - 3

Yasha Nydoorin (Critical Role) - 3

Kaedehara Kazuha (Genshin Impact) - 3

Cassandra (Tangled the Series) - 3

[princessanneftw]

Why Princess Anne will be the King’s bedrock of support

The royal world has changed once again – but the industrious Princess Royal will keep the show on the road

By Camilla Tominey for the Daily Telegraph

Over the years, she has tumbled down the line of succession to a lowly 17th place in the Windsor pecking order.

On paper, the Princess Royal may not be the most prominent royal, lagging well behind her nephew Prince Harry and her brother the Duke of York – even though they are no longer “working” royals.

But when it comes to putting in the hours on behalf of the family Firm, few could dispute Princess Anne’s status as one of the King’s most stalwart supporters.

As the 75-year-old monarch on Monday began what Buckingham Palace has described as a “schedule of regular treatments” following his cancer diagnosis, his 73-year-old sister was the first to ride to the royal rescue.

With typical gusto, the grandmother-of-five put her best foot forward to carry out an investiture at Windsor Castle at 11am on Tuesday, before turning her attention to three further royal engagements.

After handing out gongs to the likes of media doyenne Elisabeth Murdoch, conductor Ivor Bolton, tenor Nicky Spence and wheelchair rugby league player James Simpson, the Princess made her way up to the Midlands for yet more pressing of the flesh.

On Tuesday afternoon, she was due to visit Nottingham West Primary Care Network at Eastwood Primary Care Centre in her capacity as patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, as well as popping in on woolmaker GH Hurt and Son.

She then plans to travel the 128 miles back to London to present The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering at the Science Museum.

Although the jobs will have been in the royal diary for months, they reiterate the importance of the Princess’s role as the Royal family’s resident trooper.

Last year, she was once again crowned the hardest-working royal, clocking up an impressive 457 engagements, 32 more than the 425 carried out by the King.

Not that there is any sibling rivalry between the pair. Although they used to “fight like cats and dogs” when they were little, according to Ingrid Seward, the veteran royal author and commentator: “Charles and Anne’s relationship is very good now.

“They have a great mutual respect. Before the prospect of Charles marrying Camilla became a possibility, the late Queen always thought it would be Anne at Charles’s side, acting as a sort of incognito Queen. Elizabeth II always had that vision – that Anne would play a hugely significant supporting role.”

Her bond with the King was plain to see during their mother’s funeral, when the Princess was the only woman to join the solemn march behind the coffin for the procession to Westminster Abbey.

As her brother’s eyes threatened to overflow with tears, his characteristically calm and collected sister looked him straight in the eye with a silent show of support.

In her 2022 book The Palace Papers, the journalist Tina Brown even went so far as to suggest that “there are plenty in palace circles who believe she is the best king we will never have”.

Stalwart, straightforward and surprisingly down to earth (despite being an unapologetic stickler for royal protocol), the Princess’s popularity within the household and beyond has been built on her reputation for getting on with it with little fuss or fanfare.

As Valentine Low explained in his 2022 book, Courtiers: “That was Harry and Meghan’s downfall – there was too much ego. Anne has no ego. She recognises that this is the job, and you just get on with it.”

It is a testament to the Princess’s work ethic that Buckingham Palace has stressed that the King will not need to use counsellors of state – royals authorised to carry out the monarch’s official duties should they be incapacitated or overseas.

Historically, they are the sovereign’s spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21. Until recently, the King’s were Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice.

Amid concern that Princes Harry and Andrew no longer undertake official royal duties and that the former does not even live in the country, a change was made to the Regency Act of 1937 to include the Princess along with her youngest brother, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Both will be expected to increase their workload in light of the King’s cancer diagnosis, which has forced him to cancel all forward-facing public engagements to minimise any health risks.

As heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales will also undertake royal engagements on behalf of his father along with the Queen.

Yet with the Princess of Wales also out of action until after Easter after undergoing abdominal surgery, the monarchy has never looked more “slimmed down”.

Naturally Anne was one of the first to identify the potential pitfalls of stripping back the number of “working” royals.

“Well, I think the ‘slimmed-down’ [monarchy] was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment,” she said in an interview last year.

When it was put to her that the world changes, she added: “It changes a bit. I mean, it doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I have to say. I’m not quite sure what else, you know, we can do.”

The royal world has changed once again – and as ever, industrious Princess Anne is front and centre of efforts to keep the show on the road.

[frischkasekuchen]

Dreamtalia Carrie AU - Blood of the Covenant

Credits:

Nevo, Dreamtalia and its characters by kyokyo866

Carrie by Stephen King

Content Warnings:

Swearing

Religion/Christianity

Religious Abuse

Child Abuse

Homophobia (slurs are used)

References to smoking

Starring:

Reve and World as Carrie White (Reve Faucher and Nicholas Major)

Nevo as Margaret White (Nathan Major)

(Author's Note: I spent Lent and partway through Easter working on this fic. This is for the 50th anniversary of Carrie. Beta read by my sister. Please remember to thank Tabitha King for making sure Carrie's story was told and kickstarting King's career. )

 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4 (King James Bible)

If it wasn’t worth it, if it wasn’t for his only friend, he’d never do this. If the boy didn’t think there was more to life than prayer, the day of Judgement, and papa- he would happily rot in these four walls till some other horrible disaster came.

(tonight)

The word bounced around his head. 

(i am not afraid of him)

Nicholas, for the first time in his life, was going to do something worse than just say fuck under his father’s roof. Something worse than 

(of whom shall i be afraid)

sharing a quarter cigarette with Reve that one evening. But there was that rising nausea, like the same urge to vomit when he first tasted sin- nicotine.

(she gave of me the tree, and I did eat)

Anxiously, 

(flex)

Nicholas made his pocket change swim in the air around the ceiling light, like sharks circling a lone surfer.

“Nicholas!” Papa called, causing him to shoot up from his bed and drop the coins. “Reve has come over for dinner, come downstairs!”

“Coming!”

The boy looked in the mirror. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders the way Alfred does- minus the boisterous, prideful laughter that accompanied the stance. Nicholas marched downstairs, like a soldier to a battlefield.

—

(it was a dark and stormy night)

As Reve surveyed the dinner table one could most definitely compare it to a battlefield. Despite the polite conversation he had with Mr. Major

(what is your favorite proverb)

the air was thick with tension- the boy might as well cut it with a knife so he could breathe a little. 

Things began to escalate when dessert was presented at the table. Nicholas’ father divided a blueberry pie among the three. Its filling looked thick and slimy, with cane sugar crystals. Fresh, bulbous blueberries were packed together and nestled in the crust. 

When Reve took a bite of his share, he puckered his lips. The pastry was too sour and too sweet all at the same time. “It’s great!” Reve said.

However, Nicholas wasn’t having any of it, literally. He just twirled his fork in his right hand, while his left was scratching his pant leg.

“This is new.” Mr. Major said, “You haven’t touched your pie.”

“It makes me have breakouts.” Nicholas answered firmly, pushing the plate away from himself.

Mr. Major let out an ‘I-know-better’ sigh. He pushed the plate back towards his son. “Pimples are the Lord’s way of hindering pride.” 

“Maybe it’s a Sign I should lay off the sweets.”

Reve jumped in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. “I-I wouldn’t mind taking his share! I have a sweet tooth after all.” Personally, it was in the boys best interest to keep the man placated. 

A pregnant pause.

“Actually,” Reve chimed in once more with an eager grin, “Nicky and I have something important to tell you!”

Mr. Major’s eyebrows raised and he hummed in expectation.

Nicholas looked like a deer in headlights, it was as if he forgot what this dinner was for. The boy’s wide eyes told Reve ‘I can’t do this’.

Reve locked his pinky with Nicholas’ own under the table. 

(im here)

It seemed to say.

“Reve and I…”

(spit it out be a man)

“Have been invited to prom!”

The man froze as though struck by the lightning outside. “Prom.” Mr. Major muttered in horror.

“I’m going to support Reve and-” Nicholas gulped for air a moment, “The coach thinks this could be good for us because, y’know, we’re growing up- and stuff.”

The man’s lips moved but neither boy heard what came out his mouth.

Nicholas pressed on, “V- Mr. Bazarov and Ludwig bought us tickets- so you don’t have to spend a cent.” 

“No.” Mr. Major’s voice raised to an audible volume.

Nicholas began a tangent, “People think we’re- Reve and I- are weird, and not the good kind- the bad kind. And I think we need to learn, to- well- get along with everyone else, before it's too late-”

Nicholas was promptly doused with tea as his father threw it across the table. Some of it got onto Reve’s shirt. Fortunately for the two it was lukewarm. Nicholas sputtered and sniffled quietly.

Reve placed his palms on the table to stand up and voice his outrage-

But Nicholas placed a hand on his knuckles and gave a faux-reassuring squeeze. Reve sat back down. Nicholas’ hand stayed

(i just need you here)

right where it was.

“Go to your closet.” the man snarled.

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” Nicholas protested.

“After all you’ve been taught- you fraternize with a sodomite?”

“He isn’t a bad person, Papa.” Nicholas muttered as he scrubbed tea out of his eyes.

“The moment you stepped into that shower room-” The man heaved a heavy breath, “You exposed yourself to him, those boys- that filth. And even after you were punished for the Sin of Lustful Thoughts- you went back for more.”

“It-” Reve whimpered in a small voice, “It isn’t like that.” No one heard him.

(my siblings arent bad people im not bad am i)

The man shot out of his seat and thundered over to Nicholas. He gripped the boy’s forearm as though he were a chew toy. Mr. Major’s face appeared disturbingly enchanting, with his blue eyes framed by stringy, pink hair.

(this is too much too mu)

“Come to your closet and pray.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong.”

The man raised his hand to strike at Nicholas. The boy seemed resigned to what would come next.

Reve spent a good quarter of his life just…watching Nicholas be treated like everyone’s ragdoll. But remaining seated as his own father did the same? That was just too much.

The sound of Reve smacking away Nathan’s hand was almost as ear shattering as the sudden thunderclap.

Nicholas looked dumbfounded. The man looked offered. And though he was terrified, Reve stood between father and son.

“Don’t you hit Nicky!” Reve shrieked. “He’s your son- he doesn’t deserve that!”

“You have no right to-”

“I do! He’s important to me!” 

Nicholas had doubted that Reve cared. He thought they were only friends of circumstance, but he’d gone and said that. “Reve…”

Reve was shoved and he slammed against the kitchen counter. 

“Reve!” Nicholas ran over to his side, and shot his father a glare.

“Nicholas.” Papa said in a hushed tone. “Tell that man no.”

“I already said I was going.” Nicholas countered as he got Reve to his feet.

“Then tell him you’ve changed your mind!” Nathan nearly hollered. “Or we’ll move! Move somewhere you’ll never see that boy or that teacher again!”

“No- I won’t!”

“That’s final.” Mr. Major walked away as though he had the last word in. 

“I’m not done!” Nicholas screamed.

“I have to close the window. The rain’s getting in the house.” he marched to a nearby window.

“I’ll get them- just please talk to me!” 

And Nicholas flexed. 

At that moment, Reve felt the house shift. Every window slammed shut, even the one upstairs, and the one Mr. Major was going to close and nearly crushed his fingers. 

A large knife dangled inches away from the man’s face as he cowered in a corner.

Nicholas’ fingers flexed and twitched like a malfunctioning machine.

Reve put a hand on Nicholas’ shoulder. “Nicky,” he murmured, “put the knife down.”

Nicholas breathed a staccato of inhales and exhales through his nose.

Reve wrapped his arms around Nicholas’ shoulders, leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Please put that knife down, Nicky.”

The knife fell to the floor

(not worth it hes not worth it)

with a clatter.

“Witch.” Mr. Major breathed. “Devil’s power.”

Nicholas was sniffling, but without any doubt in his mind he said: “The devil’s got nothing to do with this. It’s me- me.”

“And it’s- he’s amazing.” Reve huffed.

“Nonsense.” Mr. Major rose from his crouch. “The devil is cunning. He gives you things- he tricks you- you know what he did to your mother-”

Nicholas chuckled with mirth. “She ran away, Papa.” 

“She was seduced, she vanished into the night-”

“She ran away. Everyone knows that.”

(she knew she knew you were)

Reve put a hand over his mouth; Nicholas’ life was revealed to be more of a hellhole with every new fact he learned about his friend.

(can anyone tell me what abandonment means)

Nicholas sighed, “And I don’t wanna talk about these things anymore.”

(just wanted to talk like how all the other kids do with their)

Reve looked to Nicholas, his father, and then back to his best friend again. 

“Are ya really sure you wanna go to prom? You don’t gotta go just for me.”

Nicholas smiled at him through the tears, the tea and nodded. He gripped Reve’s hand in his “We’re going.” Nicholas looked at his father. “We’re going to prom.”

And that affirmation is what sealed the boys’ fates.

—

Reve opened his umbrella and stepped out of the doorway.

“Have a good night, Reve.”

Reve nearly stepped off the porch. Instead, he whipped around to face Nicholas. He didn’t notice at the time, but he was crying. “Please- please promise me- that if I leave you alone with him, you’ll still call me in the morning.”

Nicholas was confused, but gave him a grin. “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“People like him- they- what if he-” Reve’s trembling lips stopped that track of words.

(no no i cant say it)

“Papa won’t do that.” For some reason, Reve felt like the other boy was lying through his teeth. “Things are gonna change around here.”

“Saturday night?” Reve sniffled.

Nicholas cupped Reve’s cheeks, stood on his tiptoes, and kissed away Reve’s tears.

He pulled away. “Saturday night.”

Reve nodded, turned away, and found the courage to drag his feet away from the Major bungalow and walk home.

(Author's Note: Sorry if this piece was heavy- the Carrie AU is kind of a personal story to me (aka mad projecting). I just really wanted to do something for a Stephen King anniversary because both his novels and Dreamtalia itself have carried me through tough times. Thank you for reading.)

(P.S Shout out to anyone who got the Utena reference)

[eloreenmoon]

Skeletons in the Closet (Shadowy Solutions Book 1) by Nicky James #Audiobook #MMRomance #Contemporary #Review #LGBT #Suspense

Erryn reviews ‘Skeletons in the Closet (Shadowy Solutions Book 1)’ by Nicky James. This book was released by the author on May 30, 3034, and is 367 pgs long. The audiobook version of this story was narrated by Nick J. Russo.  It was released on May 31, 2024, and is 10 hrs and 55 mins long. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. Why I read this book:  A Valor and Doyle spin-off?…

[mundrakan]

Writers' Ask

Thank you so much for the ping @tracingpatternswrites, I am happy you thought of me :)

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

Stand today 272, but taking part in Kinktober means, tomorrow it will be one more.

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

1,635,079. I am secretly embarrassed about it.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My two mains are Harry Potter and Witcher, but I have tried out several fandoms by now and am myself wondering what will stick.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I died but I got better (Old Guard AU longfic with a lovely mute Nicky)

Opposites attract (Harry Potter: Harry/Regulus post-war, the "other" 8th year fic)

The Spin (Harry Potter: Harry/Theo A soft dom Theo AU, that would not have been finished without the encouragement of a fandom friend)

Half a Soul (Harry Potter: James/Tom Soulmate AU)

Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen (Harry Potter: Sirius/Harry, a festfic for the HP incest fest of last year)

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

Yes, often before the ink is dry. I love giving and receiving comments and I know how happy I am to chat with authors, so I give my readers the same chance. Not to mention that I have found fandom friends that way.

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

Uh... Ah... Angstiest? That's really hard to tell, because I am a very angsty writer, but I'd say, there's a tie between Window of Opportunity and Guilt and Shame, the latter contains more death and destruction, but it's labeled Shakesperean tragedy, so you kind of expect it. The former... hits harder.

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

I'll go with Wisdom of the Beast, because it's one of very few of my fics that's not just "good enough" but "all is well"

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Surprisingly little. I write some wretched stuff, but it seems, people have come to expect that, so I generally have readers who like it.

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

Yes. Very much. Often D/s, many kinks, sometimes funny, but never just by itself. I always have to say something with it. Just the mechanics are boring.

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

The closest I have come to a crossover is my Criminal Triad AU, where I borrowed the world of Blacklist for my Harry Potter characters.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Twice by now. I have two unauthorized translations out there, one in Russian, one in Spanish. And there is nothing I can do about it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

See above.

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

Not yet. I plan one, a big one, but... our time constraints make it difficult.

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

Snack. Enemies to lovers on speed. Though lately I savour a good Fenrir/Sirius as well.

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

SO MANY. But the most pressing is an original I have about 70 percent written. The parts I have are good, but.... will I ever fill the gaps?

16. What are your writing strengths?

Description, dialogue, destruction ;)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fighting scenes and (those who know, know) punctuation.

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

I use it occasionally. I am fluent in 2 languages and know snippets of a few more, but I would never do it without a native to help.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Depends. If you count RPG summaries it's Star Wars. In my teens my group created their own canon so far from what it is now, it was practically a whole new world. Officially "The Old Guard". It brought me to English writing and to AO3

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Oh... that's a hard choice. I lean towards When in doubt, because it has an important topic, I did a lot of research and work for it and it turned out beautiful. Wolfstar lovers will hate it though... :(

Without pressure I ping @whataboutthefish, @kazuza-art, @metalomagnetic

[alj4890]

Hii 🥰

What is something you love about your MC / OC? You can create and share anything you’d like 😍 HC‘s, moodboards, edits or drabbles. Have fun and gush about your MC / OC 🥰

Also what made you create your MC /OC what was your inspiration?

Eek! I love this idea @peonierose 🤣 So I did a little moodboard, or tried to 🤦🏻‍♀️ I wish I was better at them, LOL! I went with my OC Amanda Bridgerton. *on a side note, I'm still out of town so this was done after long theme park days and nights 😂 So my exhaustion might be shining through with multiple mistakes 🤣

One of the things I love about her is how once she is assured that her love interest returns her feelings, she immediately relaxes and is so giving with her heart and affection. She settles into the role of girlfriend/fiancee/wife with ease and does nothing but look forward to being with the one she loves. Her adoration of her love interest only makes him fall even more in love with her. Her gentleness and humor go a long way to endear her to those she considers hers.

My FC for her is Anne Hathaway. The other two FC's are James Marsden for Maxwell Beaumont and Jon Hamm for Thomas Hunt. Amanda was created at first for Maxwell Beaumont. In my HC, she is a duchess from Cordonia. Her duchy is St Orella. Her parents died at sea when she was twelve and she grew up with Liam, Maxwell, Drake, and Olivia. Her uncle, Nicholas Bridgerton "Uncle Nicky" raised her and was a huge influence on her life as well as her friends' lives. He was warm, fun loving, and wise and died shortly before the events of TRR.

I usually had her either crushing hard on Maxwell or in love with him. In a few older AU's of mine, they always ended up together. Amanda is also a successful author. From the beginning, I had her working with Thomas Hunt and Ryan Summers of Red Carpet Diaries to turn her book about her ancestor into a movie. In the beginning, I had her falling for Ryan Summers when she believed that Maxwell would never see her as anything more than a friend. Then I did something that changed everything 🤣

I decided to write an angsty piece with Maxwell and Amanda. I allowed Thomas Hunt to enter into the picture as a love interest and realized (along with a few others on here) that she was better suited with him than she was with Maxwell.

So the end of Maxwell x Amanda came about and I entered into the Thomas Hunt x Amanda saga.

I must admit writing their love story came about so much easier than when I tried to force her with Maxwell 😂😂😂 Now I can't imagine her with anyone else.

So, regardless of the Love Interest or the AU, Amanda is trying very hard to not be a suitor for Liam because she is desperately in love with either Maxwell or Thomas. And usually, they are working just as hard to make certain she doesn't have to.

Amanda longs to find the one she is meant for, marry, and have a family of her own. With Maxwell, she has two daughters, Nichole "Nicky" and Emily. With Thomas, she has three children, Kathleen and the twins: Ian and Elizabeth. All these names are what I wanted to name my own children, especially if I had been fortunate enough to have girls and one more boy. 🙄 I have two sons and was unable to have anymore due to serious health issues that developed after having my second son, so it at least I have my imaginary ones 😂

As for inspiration for my OC, it belongs with my late aunt whom I lost in 2013. Aunt Ann always encouraged my imagination and story ideas and she wanted me to one day write a story and have a character with my name (she loved how it looked written out). So Amanda has my first name and long before Bridgerton became popular on Netflix, I devoured the Bridgerton series of books back in 2016/2017 and gave her their last name in honor of my all time favorite series of books.

I've also given Amanda my own quirks and insecurities along with my dark hair and hazel eyes.

She has my hatred of having to stand and speak before large groups. She loves to dance. She loves movies, especially the classic films which is something I was raised to adore. Her favorite flower is the tulip and her favorite color is blue (which is also her duchy's color along with silver)

She is an only child like me. She suffers with many of the doubts I did as a teenager and young adult while waiting on my perfect match to appear.

She is highly critical of her own body like I am. She loves cheese enchiladas and chip and dip like I do 🤣 She laughs often which I'm guilty of and is pretty upbeat for the most part when she isn't wallowing in her doubts.

Amanda also over thinks things and jumps to conclusions though tries to be logical about them in her arguments much like I do 🤦🏻‍♀️ I also gave her my clumsiness. It's been so great to have in life 😂

LOL! I've given her a lot of me in case you can't tell. So if you like her, then chances are very high that if we were ever to meet, you'd like me too.

[melaniem54]

Review:  Power of the Mind (Shadowy Solutions Book 2) by Nicky James

Rating: 4.75🌈 I’m not sure if Shadowy Solutions won’t surpass Valor and Doyle as the series I come to adore the most. Just based on the three novels that James has given us, the characters of Shadowy Solutions have me in their thrall totally and anxiously waiting for more. It’s been 3 months since the last case, time frame, 10 months since they met during the events that occurred previously. …

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Book names + authors under the cut

Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose- All For The Game by Nora Sakavic

Evelyn Hugo/Celia St James- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jankins Reid

[freeworldallahexecutivembaclass]

All states should follow suit in America and make your city , county , town and region like ours

My list of accomplishments : 🤗🚲🛣🌠🌟🌆🗽

I built hotels for the homeless in New York City 2021

I got union contracts for Amazon the company owned by Jeff Bezos

I got union contracts for Starbucks employees - 2022

I got my own Bibles numerous Bibles

I got my own street named after me named Respect Avenue in New York City New York and Brooklyn New York

I won the Super bowl with Patrick Mahomes

Lebron James to sports center " I like what we're building " 4 / 2 / 2023

I'm John F Kennedy in his captivating history book kindle Amazon book and my wife in the book is Nicki Minaj they was just joking with her but I like it ( My Marilyn Monroe ) true story they made her my friend and I'm grateful . We actually have had our own Ferraris next to each other on 55th street on park avenue our own books like I said of course as the Roosevelt's and the Kennedys she into music and her personal business and me with politics economics social science and now music because I moved on from my prior interest in those arenas of betterment for our society and her claiming me as her creation in numerous songs and videos I honor that and yes Wendy Williams has mentioned us as together as friends and being cool .

I got the minimum wage raised to 15 $ dollars to 17 $ dollars an hour for the United states of America it goes up every 2 years an 2 dollar increase which is great for the economy think about it in a few more years we will be at 24 to 26 dollars an hour for a base salary like that would be the minimum you could get from there it can only increase more and more in dollars amount but we do need some kind of tax break so it not like we still making 11 dollars an hour at 15 and 17 dollars an hour like put more money in the pocket of the people providing society services like security , sales , stock clerks , cashier's and even clerical and computer driven jobs say yes for all states of America receiving this healthy and much needed bonus it is suppose to go up every 2 years an 2 dollar increase suppose too I proposed it and the deal was signed into law I just got it done and never really seen where he was trying to take it hopefully he went with the every 2 years which is great for the economy think about it in a few more years we will be at 24 to 26 dollars an hour for a base salary like that would be the minimum you could get from there it can only increase more and more in dollars amount but we do need some kind of tax break so it not like we still making 11 dollars an hour at 15 and 17 dollars an hour like put more money in the pocket of the people providing society services like security , sales , stock clerks , cashier's and even clerical and computer driven jobs say yes for all states of America receiving this healthy and much needed bonus .

I got the fair chance act put in place to get ex convicts returning to society jobs and licensing without discrimination Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris should include this law into all of their plans for cleaning up America I'm glad to see it go beyond New York City it is now happening in California and even other counties in New York I want to share this honor with author Michelle Alexander who I did my research from her book about mass incarceration of the black and Latino community the New Jim Crow and the political office and my friends that help put this law in place I reached out to hopefully stop the recidivism to prison and hopefully to help some of my friends and people that go back and forth to jail because they couldn't get a job due to the felonies on their record I recommend a certificate of relief of disabilities to all people returning to society if they haven't given you one go get it from your county's or borough courthouse it works wonders .

I was named The 16th Captain of New York City that is New York Yankees history and current captain of New York city New York Yankees hat history and time magazine 2022 man of the year from 25 cell in protective custody on Rikers Island I'm the first to win man of the year from prison maybe because I got them to put video games and tablets with job search podcasts on their to rehabilitate the other inmates in there , good luck and wish them the best

I got Weed ( Marijuana ) Legalized in New York City

I got free gym membership for people on Medicare

I got free college education for people in New York City

Elon Musk reinstated my Twitter account

Kanye West named his album Jesus is king after me

Nas and Michelle Obama called me the black Jesus

I got Citibikes for New York City and the citibikes 5 dollar monthly plan

Cam'ron got me in good with Jay Z and Roc Nation

Amazon prime deal for people on human resources assistance

Benefit monetary increase for people on Human resource assistance

I won the Nobel memorial prize for Economic sciences twice 2019 and 2021

I won the Nobel Peace prize only one time though that is big big that is a great accomplishment for me , thank you so much 😀

I got Video games and tablets in prison

I shared the 2021 Emmy with Debbie Allen the Governor's award and got a standing ovation from the crowd thank you so much .

I shared a Heisman trophy with Johnny Menzel

Cleaned up Fox Square in Brooklyn New York so now people can have somewhere to sit and talk in Brooklyn New York .

Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns called like he see it and says I'm still 5 Percenter of the Nation of Gods and Earths and that is also in the video game baseball clash ⚾I will always be one of those but I moved on from them I'm just human and living my life how I want nowadays no funny stuff but religious people are crazy and I run my own life I'm good my own life like every other human is god of themselves not me

Next order of business : My Plans for infrastructure in a utopian society hotels jobs pay raise on citizens paycheck from 15 $ - 17 $ dollars minimum wage pay to 19$ dollars to 20$ dollars an hour to better provide for all costs emergencies uncovered insurance payments due to partial health care coverage and full union membership granted to employees of any company free education grants and school loans payment plans

Pay raise for school teachers in every city at junior high school , high school and elementary school level since they are stewards of our children's future .

Pay raise for civil service workers and Civil service exams made and updated daily to the public , school crossing guards , correction officers , supervisors , probation officers , construction site supervisors .

Pay raise for day care workers

Free day care services for temporarily unemployed mothers and fathers

Pay raise for city fire fighters and police officers .

Job contractors fulfilling contracts with back to work public assistance programs that train and employ job candidates without their high school diploma or GED and granting them full employment with full medical and medicare coverage union membership and back to school Acces Vocational rehabilitation counseling and restoration of financial aid assistance for non violent crimes like drug sellers and abusers to stop recidivism to prison and to cure an addiction to a habit of committing perpetual crimes thus creating repeat offenders

Jobs moving back to inner cities through the effort of study and research groups from urban planning courses from their neighboring colleges

Tax abatement and financial incentives and business incentives and tax breaks

Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris should include this law into all of their plan for cleaning up America I'm glad to see it go beyond New York City and other counties in New York I want to share this honor with author Michelle Alexander who I did my research from her book about mass incarceration of the black and Latino community and the political office and my friends that help put this law in place I reached out to hopefully stop the recidivism to prison and hopefully to help some of my friends and people that go back and forth to jail because they couldn't get a job due to the felonies on their record I recommend a certificate of relief of disabilities to all people returning to society if they haven't given you one go get it from your county's or borough courthouse it works wonders

Next order of business : Tax cuts to help the everyday person keep more of their check in their pockets cut the tax rates in New York City by 4 percent I see it as New York State taxes % 8.82 to % 4 percent and business tax cuts to create more jobs Proposal For a Wage increase of $ 22 dollars an hour Including : Fire safety directors Security guards Librarians Fed Ex workers UPS workers Ready Willing and able with free vocational grants from access vr programs they should hire vocational rehabilitation counselors and job developers finding permanent housing and permanent job placement after the clients training Stock Clerks and cashier's at major stores like Gristedes , C Town , met foods , Burlington coat factory wage increase for all warehousing and factory workers jack pallet and forklift training for people with no experience and a starting salary at $ 17 - 19 $ dollars an hour and it increase with more time on the job how about the first year at that base salary of $ 17 - 19 $ dollars and on the even of that year the employee gets an raise of $ 2 dollars more on their check and other financial incentives as cash allocation from their check for newly place employee mutual fund packages besides with other benefits that said company is offering this helps to place that company on the stock market because of the huge huge employee buy in it is like employers investing in their employees their stores and company .

Educational requirements for jobs posted is less than a high school diploma but the job candidate has to be in a vocational program or GED preparation course half or full time hours .

Civil service jobs and exams posted weekly .

Sales professional salary plus commission on sales and stock options for mutual funds packages as bonuses with an wage increase to $ 19 dollars to $ 21 dollars an hour .

Newly added benefits to a job description benefits an employer on jobs posted give to their employees an employer get to hold back cash or take money out of an employees check to put towards a mutual funds stock fund option to help that client make more money as a second job the municipals funds and stock and funds and stock and then you gotta get hedge funds option packaged in to help the employees money make more money for them talk about overtime whew and at the same time that local market and store owner can put his company on the stock market and give out public shares thus in the end making it a good investment a regular place of shopping in a family like environment it is like getting to know your deli clerk , butcher , bakery attendant again only this time you are making money with the people you are spending money with Think about it that in turns build better communities better stores customer relationships safer neighborhoods and the beautifying of economically depressed environments more money for your kids college tuition school supplies newer roads being built leading to and from better neighborhoods and businesses and this is a future that we all as fellow New Yorkers can build together

Next order of business : Fat Joe and Salt from Salt and Pepa communications company a for profit organization this is a company that I'm pitching that travel from city to city across the united states of America and even the USA carribean Islands like Saint Croix Saint Thomas and Puerto Rico and visit the jails and educate the misfortunate that happens to be incarcerated and provide them with vocational training programs and certificates upon graduation to help stop recidivism to prison and make honest working citizens out of the men and women even the adolescents that find themselves incarcerated in places like New Orleans 3rd ward 5th ward and the 7th ward even in Texas in towns like Temple Killeen Copperas Cove Houston and Dallas Texas and help these men and women even adolescents become civilized citizens America earning an honest living wheter entreprenuerial activities or working a day to day job with classes in managing and budgeting their finances .

Every city or country can take this model and use it for their city , town , county or country to better the lives of the people of their society .

Rikers Island

when it moves from the beach out there in Queens into more like the inner city of the boroughs they should have and develop educational and vocational programs for the inmates at Rykers .

I mean government funded school in prison with real certified teachers in GED training and High school completion courses as well as College courses for students that is ready for it and all inmates should be able to practice their religion and culture without any retaliation for it because this gets them to change their life to learn love from the heart and a love for a creator whether themselves or a higher power .

That they believe it internalizes into their heart and spirit of their character thus changing them righteously making them want to take responsibility for their actions and change their savage and brutal behavior into becoming a more valuable human and contribute something to their immediate family instead of taking from their family they can give something in return whether that be financial with the skills productive skills gained while incarecerated or just being a son to mom or dad or a young father to their children being their for their kids raising and teaching them the right things and hopefully they steer them from the same fate that they suffered and endured .

The school programs should include

Basic mathematics - addition subtraction multiplication fractions percents and decimals and each operation in each like how to multiply fractions decimals and percents and then instruct them on algebra and the harder subjects after if follow that sequence more students wouldnt lose interest and then drop out but more can gain their GED diploma then steady employment when released from incarceration which ensures employment and not recidivism to prison and their guidance counselor should make sure to remind the inmate that they can receive a certificate of relief from disabilities when released from prison so that they will have no problem getting a license for their chosen field of employment or to get back in school

English courses Language art classes Earth science class Social studies class

And vocational classes should include :

Mechanics for automotives Carpentry Janitorial Maintenance skills Electrician Plumbing AC and refrigeration

I heard prison has so much private investors to build more prisons even celebrities and corporations are getting in on the action so why not turn jail prison into a more revenue generating machine and a school house for societies so called rejects maybe Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls or Corcraft can invest in creating educational programs for students or even students that have been out of school and who wants to return to society a more reformed person who wants to help provide value to society and not be destructive in society this plan is even better for business because it creates job opportunities for teachers / instructors and teacher assistants principals and financial aid granting Pell grants and full financial aid the plans like all my plans is to help boost the economy by creating more businesses and putting more money in the consumers pocket and creating more job opportunities for those consumers it is reciprocal create jobs you create business .

Let's Make New York great again .

[soppingwetguywife]

ask game!

WAHOA.... i got tagged in a THING. yeah this doesnt happen much, im sort of a hermit even on this hellsite but my FAVORITE fic author has tagged me (thank you @overnightmask you bless me as always) and i cannot deny my innate queer need to overshare even if the answers are wholly uninteresting! (below i shall tell all.)

fave ships: oh well, hmmm. newtmann, nandermo, akeshu.... nickistat? but that’s an og twelve-year-old jordan ship, so if im counting that i have to count soriku as well!

first ship: UH. m...hmm..... ishigo/uryu? byakuya/renji? sora/riku? ....bella/jacob...? my childhood’s sort of a blur really so really i could put nicki/lestat HERE too and it might even be MORE accurate than the rest, it’s DEFINITELY one of these though

last song: if you mean the one i’m listening to as i type this, then do you remember, by jarryd james

last movie: ...pacific rim, for the. well i shan’t count the times (i’ve lost count)

currently watching: i keep trying to push myself to keep watching cyberpunk edgerunners even though i dont like it, ditto with... chainsaw man, sasaki and miyano, love flops, uhhh, spy x family, etc etc etc

consuming: too much lemon curd cheesecake, two vegemite and lactose free cheese sandwiches as if the cheese outweighs the cheesecake ive just eaten that’s going to kill me dead

currently working on: ...god i wish i had ANY answer for this that wasnt ‘finding a will to live haha’ but like yeah i dont.... do anything cool, ive been meaning to open sketch comms to afford my hotel room in february but until then, uh, nothing! playing a lot of final fantasy fourteen! reading gideon the ninth again! finding a will to live, haha! all my fic ideas never make it past the title screen so to speak, so get back to me ig

oh god i dont have- who do i... tag on this. (i’m SO sorry in advance mutuals, you don’t HAVE to do this. but i’ll tag the besties i see a lot.)

@wh0rehound (sam if i have to do this i’ll make you do it too i love you) @shamebats (i am shaking your hand politely) @emetkoto (i am shaking your hand Politely (thank you for emetposting)(thank you for kotoposting)(thank you for emetkotoposting))

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (25-31 Dec 2022)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰👂‍Hogfather (Terry Pratchett, author; Sian Clifford/Bill Nighy/Peter Serafinowicz, narrator) - I thought this was gonna be a reread but it turned out I hadn't actually read it before! It's Pratchett so of course it was very entertaining. Excellent narration as well - really clever way to do the footnotes.

🥰do you get déjà vu? (dreamtiwasanarchitect, liadan14) - pt 3 in the AU where college bro Joe is the newest immortal - it's 7 years on, Joe & Nicky are heading back to college to search for a missing person and find someone they definitely do not expect

😍😍4 Minute Window series (Speranza) - 179K, canon-divergent stucky au - annual reread of one of the best series series/fics in the entire fandom (all but the as-yet unfinished 2022 advent story)

😊Fuckboi Hob vs The Endless Family Dinner (dancinbutterfly) - 41K, human AU - enjoyable fic prompted from that craigslist ad about a fake holiday date to piss off your family

💖💖 +496K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

The First Rule of Book Club series (Deisderium) - MCU: stucky, 28K - reread of this fave - post WS, Bucky moves to a small town in NC and joins a book club - I adore the outsider POV/OC in this so MUCH!

Can’t you see I’m ready now (Bittersweet_in_Boston) - MCU: stucky no powers AU, 3K - pretty much just PWP but seriously 🔥🔥🔥

the queen of spades (magneticwave) - James Bond: 00Q, 21K - nice little fic where Q has siblings which confounds & intrigues Bond

Synchronicity (stereobone) - James Bond: 00Q, 7K - "It goes on like that for months, and then Q realizes that James Bond is "hanging out" at his flat." - reread, this one is a fave

undersell, overcommit (silentwalrus) - MCU: stucky, 10K - reread, love this one so much - Bucky could really benefit from massage therapy, so Steve just…becomes a licensed massage therapist. The characterizations/character voices are SO FUCKING GOOD in this.

Not In The Answer But The Question (aimmyarrowshigh) - MCU: shrunkyclunks, 27K - love me some shrunkyclunks goodness like this! man-out-of-time/defrosted cap!steve finds an anchor to his past in a deli in brooklyn (and the cute jewish deli owner) - lots of flashbacks & steve healing

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Midsomer Murders - s23, e1-3

Enola Holmes 2

A Very British Murder with Lucy Worsley - e1 "The New Taste for Blood"

The Last of Sheila

Hot Ones - Kevin Bacon Needs Six Degrees of Separation From Spicy Wings

Hot Ones - Tessa Thompson Feels Alive While Eating Spicy Wings

Hot Ones - Daniel Kaluuya Listens to His Ego While Eating Spicy Wings

Hot Ones - Lizzo Earns Her Hot Sauce Crown While Eating Spicy Wings

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Off Menu - Ep 174: Mel Giedroyc (Christmas Special)

Ologies with Alie Ward - P-22: The Life & Death of an L.A. Cougar with Miguel Ordeñana & Beth Pratt

Vibe Check - 2022 - That’s a Wrap!

Desert Island Discs - Baz Luhrmann, director

Decoder Ring Plus - The Mailbag Episode

Hot and Bothered - Live from Pemberley: Sexuality in the Regency (with Emily Nagoski)

Into It - Are We Into or Not Into 2022?

Come As You Are - Prelude: Pleasure is The Measure

Weather Geeks - Weather in Hollywood

Weather Geeks - Lights… Camera… Climate!

Ologies with Alie Ward - Bonus Episode: Secrets, Advice + Ask-Me-Anything

Hit Parade Plus - Hits of the Year Edition Part 1 & Part 2

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Classical Calm

Timeless Classics

Feel-Good Classic Rock

RENAISSANCE [Beyoncé]