#dixie helping johnny

[oldtvlover]

Hey E! Gang,

yes, me again and I’ve been busy with this wonderful episode. Just didn’t know what to do first: the guy and his rescues or the singing contest.

You can see what won. :-D As I found out via Internet, the guys are called The Barbershop Quartet, so I go along with it, though it should be a quintet.

I love how Johnny is so deep into this thing and draws everyone in, except Roy. Or more partly but Mike, Marco, Chet and Cap Stanley are full for it. Good gang and team! lol

P.S. If I should post one gif separately, let me know. *wink, wink*

[aliaology]

NOW THAT WE DONT TALK

summary: yn makes it to michigan with her friend sabrina, shockingly, reconnecting with old friends and also bumping into bad memories.

series masterlist

you felt weird, the stares of others pouring heavily onto your body. you didn’t like it, the feeling, whatsoever. the crowd parted as you walked into the house. the memories from this house flooded through your mind, from running to your room away from jack, to even skinny dipping with him in the lake.

you watched cole leap up and made his way to you, leaving a very uncomfortable jack and trevor behind. "bells! you made it" he grinned.

the shorter boy threw his arms around you in happiness. "hey coley, i told you i'd be here" you smiled, hugging him back.

"i know but it's just, unreal! i haven't seen you in forever!" he smiled.

you frowned. "im sorry cole, ive been really busy in toronto and it doesn't help that i feel so out of place in michigan now.." you trailed off.

"dont sweat it, bells. im just glad you're here" he smiled at you. "how long are you staying here for?" he asked.

"well— sab leaves tomorrow, im staying to get my dorm situated back at umich" you told. cole nodded.

"get lunch with me tomorrow then? i want to catch up" you just nodded before hearing your name get called. looking behind you, you see some of jack's teammates.

jack's teammates, john marino and nico hischier always liked you. hell, you still talked to them to ask how games went and just how they were.

"ill talk to you later coley" you grinned.

cole nodded and went back to trevor and jack. trevor held a sour look on his face while jack looked pissed. you grabbed sab’s arm and brought her with you to john and nico.

"hi johnny, hi nico" you smiled at them, giving them each hugs once you got to them. "its been awhile." you added.

"seriously, a long time. have you been in toronto the entire time?" john asked.

you nodded. "yeah, i moved in with my brother. im with him for just two more weeks until i move into my new apartment." you smiled.

"really? where you moving to?" nico asked.

"new york, actually." you grinned. "maybe ill drive over to nj and pop in."

nico grinned, "i'd be careful with that one, y/n. i cant lie, jacks been in a little bit of a twist since your song came out." he spoke.

john nodded. "more standoff-ish, but he had it coming.”

you heard sab snort from behind you, causing you to grin along. "sorry its just— one of my songs ends with ‘he had it coming’ and it reminded me of that.” sabrina spoke.

"its okay— how have you both been?” nico asked. you looked at sabrina with a hesitation glint in your eyes. she just sent you a nod.

“ive been— okay? uhm, just a lot going on currently. very stressed i dont know— i just cant wait to get back to umich.” you explained.

“and i have to go back to LA tomorrow so i have to soak my time up with my girl.” sabrina grinned, tossing an arm around your neck.

"uh oh— warning, trevor is on his way over.” john said, bringing his cup to his mouth to quiet his words before taking a sip of whatever alcoholic drink he had.

you tensed up slightly, not turning your head, you kept close to sabrina.

"what up guys, how you enjoying the party? cole's wondering." trevor faked a smile.

"oh, very fun if i do say so myself." sabrina sarcastically spoke.

you nudged her slightly, elbowing her in the side. she sent you a glare, basically stating ‘cut the shit.’

trevor sarcastically smiled. "well isn't that just peachy? anyone here finding someone to go home with tonight? i know it shouldn't be too hard for some of you."

you grab nico's drink, sipping it yourself. "maybe— i heard that dixie girl is single, might ask her to go home with me.” you shrugged.

the four guys went completely silent. you coughed, "anyone up for another drink? i think i need to get drunk tonight." and you walked away.

“oh my god” sabrina laughed, immediately going after you.

“fucking bitch”

trevor scoffed, walking away in anger. john and nico looked at each other, wide eyes. "holy shit."

lol hey... this sucked but hey! tags: @honethatty12 , @slaythehousebootsdown13 , @lovinbarzal , @outrunangelss , @absolutelyhugh3s , @hockeyboysarehot , @shadowsndaisies @lxnceclercs

[buckysmith]

Advent special 3

find the others here

Baking Christmas cookies with you

Hey, I’m truly sorry that it’s too late again- I was just really busy

Includes: Ghost, König, Soap, Price, Graves and Gaz

You doesn’t have a gender (nonbinary) so everybody can see themself with :D

Ghost:

- he isn’t really a fan of Christmas at all

- and that’s why he doesn’t really enjoy doing anything Christmas related

- he just accepts if you like it ( he even accept if you decorate the whole house with Christmas shit)

- for him it’s important that you’re happy and it’s not like that Christmas itself is going to kill him

- but if you ask him to help you bake cookies, he’s a bit more interested

- but you both need to go shopping first

- he always wears a mask, so expect people to stare at you

- especially cause he’s so fricking tall and his eyes are always on the watch for threats

- creepy guy

- but he’s helping you like the good boyfriend he is

- you’re too short to reach one of the shelves? He’s got your back

- you forgot something? He is gonna bring you the item while you continue to shop (he would even ask you too, he wants to go back home as fast as possible)

- but back to the baking itself

- he’s gonna read the recipe first so that you both don’t make any mistakes

- a bit later you would argue

- you’re 100% sure the recipe said 2 cups of sugar and he tells you it’s 1 not 2 cups of sugar

- he’s right, you’re wrong

- he has to hold you back to not eat anything of the raw dough

- you’re complaining that it won’t make you sick

- he’s already so done with you after forcing him to listen to Christmas songs while baking and let’s you do whatever you want

- after the cookies are in the oven he cleans the kitchen by himself

- he knows you can do that too - but again he’s done with the Christmas songs

- he gives you a kiss on your forehead, telling you to go in the living room to watch some Christmas movie you love

- he absolutely doesn’t do this to get rid of you and your Christmas songs- no ofc not…. Cough cough

- he wouldn’t admit it but baking with you feels good for him, it gives him that warm spread in is stomach even tho he hates the songs in the background

- after the cookies are ready he lets them cool down

- he decides to join you and your silly little movie

- can’t hold a grin back after you complain that your tummy hurts

- didn’t he told you that you’re gonna be sick after eating raw dough?

Soap:

- he’s the one asking you to bake with him

- it’s his and your first time being with his parents and whole family while Christmas so you’re quite nervous

- and it’s somehow a tradition for him to bake with his family and cause you are his family now he wants you to accompany him

- watch the whole McTavish family having fun including you

- watch out for flying eggs cause his brothers an him will have a fight

- watch momma mctavish scold her adult kids like their 5

- Johnny is also constantly touching you, keeps giving you a kisses on your cheek or neck and whispering sweet little nothings in your ear

- at one point while you knead the dough he warps his arms around your waist, burring his face in your neck mumbling how much he loves you and that he’s so happy to have you

- this sweet little moment would end pretty quick with his brothers mocking him

- well- your boyfriend doesn’t take it well and hunts his brothers with a pastry roller

- you have to run after him cause he will use his weapon to beat his big brothers asses

- when you all come back into the kitchen, theres no dough to be seen

- just a happy golden retriever with a wagging tail

- watch grown men freaking out cause they think she not only ate the dough but chocolate too

- the little Nessie is the most chill out of all of you

- eventually everything will be okay after they found the chocolate- but the furry little girl is now banned from the kitchen

- you just have to make a new dough now

- with the Nessie out of the kitchen there’s only one threat left for the dough

- keep an eye on your boyfriend or he will eat some of the raw dough too… wonder why Nessie does it, seems like she had a good teacher…

- after hours of making cookies, eventually it will come to an end

- as a good end for the day his family watches a Christmas movie with all of you

- watch your boyfriend excuse himself to go the bathroom

- wasn’t the brightest idea to eat raw dough, wasn’t it Johnny boy ?

- what you both don’t know…. his brothers put viagra in the part he ate….-

- they know they fucked up when instead of exposing him with a boner in front of everyone while you’re sitting on his lap, they managed to give him the worst diarrhea imaginable

- they fucked the pills up and gave him laxative

- what a wonderful shitmess- sorry, I meant Christmas!

König:

(It took me some time to find a German song that I could imagine König to sing along too, but that song slaps… it could be a bit faster tho )

- he loves to bake, especially since it reminds him of the winter break

- it’s just that he wants to be with his whole family at least before Christmas to bake some cookies

- if you want to be with your family he just decides that they should come too

- so now you’re baking with your deadly boyfriend while your parents talk with his and thanking them that they can live rent free while they stay

- your parents doesn’t know that your boyfriend is in the military- well nobody knows besides you and his family

- they think he’s a baker cause his baked goods look way better than the baked goods in bakery’s does

- but- he’s still a bit hyperactive and he’s clumsy, especially thank to his height

- he yanks everything over- not just once

- watch out of his elbows cause if you don’t, well… we just say that the Christmas photos wouldn’t look that good-

- you have to tell him that’s it’s not good for the old Bernese Mountain Dog called Bernd to eat cookie dough

- he doesn’t give a duck about that and gives his beloved Bernd a piece here and there- only for him to eat something too

- the first dough you made is almost entirely in the stomach of your boyfriend and Bernd

- but you have to leave the kitchen for one single second

- watch Bernd slowly walking out of the kitchen while you’re entering it again

- there’s no dough left -

- it’s your boyfriend that has the last piece in his mouth, grinning at you like a child after you put one and one together

- he and the dog just ate the fricking dough- all of it!

- „Es tut mir leid Liebling, ich konnte nicht widerstehen“ (I‘m sorry darling, I couldn’t resist)

- don’t worry he helps you after that like a pro-

- well he doesn’t help- he makes everything without your help cause in his eyes you deserve to rest after making such a yummy dough

- he also cleans up everything! Even the stuff you used!

- decorating the cookies is the best part of everything

- he makes two little gingerbread men that look exactly like the both of you

- your parents see his one

- they ask him why he made such a weird face masked cookie

- I mean Halloween is already over, so what’s with that ugly mask…

- …. You should tell him after you’re alone again that his mask ist beautiful…

Price:

- you’re the one asking him to bake cookies with you

- he’s quite found to the idea

- it’s a struggle to find a cooking book in his house- is there even one there!?

- good thing there’s google

- bad thing, he lives in the woods- there’s no signal for your phone

- so you end up frustrated and sitting on the couch

- but wouldn’t he be a good boyfriend if he doesn’t know a cookie recipe?

- so now you’re following his orders

- don’t worry, his voice is just as loving as usual

- everytime you bring him whatever he needs he gives you something in reward

- be it a cute little nickname after a thank you or a kiss on your lips, cheeks or on your forehead

- he has a radio but he enjoys listing on a gramophone much more

- so you’re baking together, while the fire is safely burning in the fireplace, and o holy night is playing on the gramophone

- he takes breaks while you continue to make the cookies

- he just admires you while you’re smiling over such a silly thing

- he wraps his arms around you while pressing your back against his chest, burring his head in the crock of your neck mumbling sweet nothings

- he just can’t believe that this is really happening

- you have to tell him to let go of you or you both will continue to stay there for forever

- after the cookies are in the oven he just takes you to the couch

- cupping your cheeks and kissing you like it would be the last time

- just have an eye on the time or the cookies will burn -…

- but your eyes are everywhere but the time

- everywhere is btw price

- the cookies end up black as coal

- and after another try they’re really yummy!

Graves:

- Sweet Family

- such a good thing you are

- he’s rarely home but he makes sure he is around Christmas time

- he has already made a plan so that he can do everything he wants to do

- baking cookies is one of the first things on the list

- expect to be in the kitchen the whole day

- don’t worry he’s too

- you wake up, next to you a hot chocolate with a sweet little note

- „come to the kitchen when you’re ready darling“

- see your man in a red and white Cooking aprons with Santa on

- the moment he sees you he smiles at you

- he comes to you, wrapping his arms around you before kissing you with the brightest smile you’ve ever saw from that man

- he asks you to join his baking session

- hear him singing to whatever Christmas song is playing

- he can’t hold himself back

- he has to give you a kiss whenever you give him what he needs to make another dough

- together you bake for hours straight

- you both end up with 20 different Christmas cookies from around the world (whenever he worked with another military he asked them for recipes and he also asked his shadows for recipes )

- he did and does that so when he brings cookies to the shadows that can’t leave the base or that don’t have families that they at least have something for Christmas

- he wants that everyone feels like home (everyone, no matter the religion or ethnic)

- he even ask you to bring his shadows home for Christmas so that they don’t have to be alone at a military base

- Shepard is strictly forbidden to visit btw

- so you not only end up with hundreds of cookies but also with like twenty (or even more) soldiers at home

- even when they’re older than you, his soldiers see you as somehow a parent figure

- I mean, graves is their father figure so….

- you love them the same way they love you

Alejandro:

- he’s a sucker for Christmas

- but he doesn’t really have free time, I mean the bad guys don’t really care about holidays don’t they

- so the base is decorated to at least feel a bit like home

- you have to visit him to do the Christmas stuff just like baking cookies or something like that

- so you now you here, standing in the big ass kitchen that would normally prepare food for his man and him but now baking cookies

- but no no, you’re not alone here, his whole team his there too

- Rudy overwatches the younger recruits while Alejandro decides which cookies they should do next

- he loves to wrap his arms around you, pulling you closer to his chest while you’re decorating some of cookies

- his man know how much he loves you so they would look away, so that you could at least enjoy the moment of intimacy with your husband

- Rudy makes a picture of it

- supportive best friend

- after all the cookies are baked Alejandro enjoys the moment of peace

- in the end you end up with Alejandro, Rudy, and some of his other men on the couch, all cuddling together while watching a Christmas movie and eating the cookies you baked

- the others sit around you, some of the other couches, some on the ground but all with cookies in their hand

- big ass family

Gaz:

- you’re the one asking him to bake cookies with you

- watch him getting excited

- he’s not the biggest fan of Christmas but the music rocks

- with him it’s a pain in the ass cause he will do everything but what he has to do

- flour fight

- he casually grasp some of the flour and throw it right into your face

- after that you both are fighting

- watch out for the eggs!

- you’re able to throw a egg right into his face

- it wasn’t meant to hit his face tho….

- after that you should run

- very fast

- hes after you like a hell hound

- after you both are done with playing with each other

- there’s no flour, eggs, sugar and butter left

- well it is- but you can’t use it anymore cause it’s like everywhere

- the kitchen looks worse than a battlefield

- you both don’t look any better

- you both are covered with flour, eggs, butter and sugar

- there’s no need to add sugar peeling while showering….win win… cough

- it takes hours to clean the kitchen

- after that you agree to just buy dough from the store

- but you both can’t stop yourself so you end up eating half of the raw dough

- the other half makes it into to oven!

- but…. It wasn’t the brightest idea to eat raw dough

- you both are laying on the couch dying

- but hey- at least you end up with tasty cookies

[phoenixthemenace]

Till Death

Day 30. Lost hope/Death do us part-

"Dix?" Johnny asked sadly. "Roy was here, right? I didn't dream that, did I?"

"Yes he was."

"Then why…why hasn't he come to see me?"

Drat the boy and those eyes. She thought, as her heart twinged.

"I don't know." She said softly. "Do you want him to?"

He nodded, hiding his eyes so she wouldn't see the tears.

"I came back for him."

Joe, who had just slipped in quietly, caught Dixie's eye and nodded.

"Johnny. Do you want to be with Roy?"

He glanced up at both of them.

"For the rest of my life." He whispered.

"Johnny." Joe said, taking Johnny’s hand, surprising him and Dix. "You are the closest thing I have to a son."

Johnny stared at Joe, mouth agape.

Drat the boy and those eyes. Joe thought before continuing.

"If that is what you want, I will help you. Even if I have to drag him in here and sit on him while you two talk"

"Me too." Dixie said, taking Johnny’s other hand. He could see she felt the same way.

His eyes filled again even as he laughed at the thought.

"Thanks." He whispered as he ducked his head.

"What did you say to him when you woke up?" Joe asked.

Johnny smiled.

"I told him to go home, that I'd be okay now and I…" He blushed furiously.

"Love him?" Dixie whispered conspiratorially.

"Yeah." Johnny sighed adorably. His companions rolled their eyes.

"That explains it." Joe said to Dixie.

"Yeah." At Johnny’s inquiring look she explained. "Well, Tiger. All we heard was 'go'."

Johnny looked horrified and tried to get up.

"Easy, easy Johnny." Joe said effortlessly holding Johnny down. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."

"Roy's on duty today." Dixie soothed. "We'll talk to him."

"Knock some sense into that thick skull."

"That might be impossible Joe. It's almost as thick as Johnny’s."

Johnny gave up struggling and spluttered indignantly as Joe and Dixie chuckled.

"Meanwhile, since you're so healthy, we're going to move you into a regular room and let someone who needs it have this one."

"And we're giving you a special roommate." Dixie smiled sweetly.

"Now Dix, Don't spoil the surprise!" Joe laughed.

*****

Roy was devastated.

His Johnny had fought his way back from death's door only to tell him to go. Dixie might think, believe, that he was saying something else but that was too much for Roy to hope for in this grief stricken state

She didn't know about the envelope he'd discovered in the pocket of Johnny’s blue jacket when he washed it. It had two letters to Cap, one a transfer request, the other a letter of resignation.

He'd failed, he'd hurt Johnny that badly, and now he was certain there was nothing to be done.

*****

"Roy." Dixie said kindly. "I want to talk to you."

Roy opened his mouth to protest. He knew what she wanted to say, and couldn't bear to hear it. Fortunately for him, a call came in and he and his temporary partner had to go.

*****

"Roy." Joe said sternly. "I want to talk to you."

Roy closed his eyes and sighed. Why wouldn't they leave him alone? He was saved by a three alarm structure fire.

*****

It took most of an extremely busy shift before they were able to corner Roy.

"I'm telling you Roy, what you heard was not what he said." Joe said with gentle firmness. "Remember, he'd just gone through a terrible ordeal."

"Doc…" Roy tried to begin, but Joe took him by the arm.

"No, Roy. Now we are going to go talk to your partner."

Roy looked to Dixie for help but she just smiled innocently and didn't interfere as Roy was hauled off to the elevators.

*****

Johnny was bored.

Kelly Brackett was about as fun a roommate as a broken leg. His idea of passing the time was reading medical journals and was good to share them with Johnny, but enough was enough. So, partly out of boredom and partly out of a desire to annoy Brackett, he started flirting with every nurse in sight. Soon, he gathered a trio around him and was entertaining them with a story of his heroics when the door swung open and Roy was herded through.

Johnny was startled to see him and slid down under the covers.

"How are you doing, Johnny?" Joe asked as Roy stood to the side, staring awkwardly.

"Oh…I…uh…" He sputtered eloquently, trying not to stare longingly at Roy.

"How about you, Kel?" Joe asked, turning a twinkling eye to his friend. "Enjoying your roommate?"

"I shouldn't say this, but Romeo here was a lot easier to live with when he was in a coma." Kel answered dryly.

They all laughed and Joe plopped down on the end of Brackett's bed, and proceeded to flirt brazenly with everyone in the room, including Kel.

Especially Kel.

Dixie came in a short time later and swept the three nurses away, shooing them back to their duties. Joe stood and started fussing around the head of Kel's bed, taking vitals and shielding Roy and Johnny from view, while they, meanwhile, fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Ro-"

"Joh-"

They started speaking at the same time, and smiled with nervous fondness at each other. Unfortunately, Roy was called away. Johnny sighed, slid further under his covers and curled up, facing away from Joe and Kel.

Joe sighed.

"Take me for a walk." Kel said quietly.

"Sure Kel." Joe knew he wanted to talk.

They slowly made their way down the hall, Kel trying not to shuffle, Joe trying not to notice.

"Joe, what is going on between those two?"

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, surprised that Kel would have guessed.

"They've been upset with each other for a while now. At first I thought it was about the virus, but now I'm thinking it's got to be that nurse from the maternity ward that they were fighting over recently."

"I don't know Kel, I don't think those two would let a woman come between them."

"You may be right Joe. But did you see how Johnny reacted to Roy? Like he was guilty?"

They were back to the room now.

"Okay Kel. I'll talk to them, just don't you say anything to Johnny. You know how he is, it's apt to get really uncomfortable if you do."

"Sure Joe." Kel said tiredly. He climbed back into his bed and dropped off to sleep almost at once. Joe turned to Johnny who was still curled on his side, but Joe could see he wasn't asleep.

"Johnny." Joe said softly as he put his hand on his shoulder and encouraged him to turn over onto his back. There were tears on his cheeks.

"Thanks Doc." He whispered. "For everything."

"Don't give up hope."

Johnny tried to smile.

"I mean, for all the help you've given me over the years. My aunt and I wouldn't have survived without you and Dix."

Joe blushed and focused on the floor for a few minutes. Finally composed, he ruffled Johnny’s hair and smiled down at him. Johnny felt warmed by it and maybe hoping wasn't so hard after all.

"Don't give up hope." Joe repeated and left Johnny to his nap.

*****

That day set an unfortunate precedent of missed opportunities for the two broken hearted men to talk. As the days passed without seeing or speaking to Roy, Johnny began to withdraw, regretting not following his Auntie. Roy, too, was losing hope despite Joe and Dixie's encouragement.

Finally, the day arrived for Johnny to be discharged from Rampart. Johnny looked up hopefully when his door opened that morning, but it was Dixie and Cap. Johnny tried valiantly not to let his face fall.

"Hey there Tiger." Dixie's smoky voice was soft and sad. "Ready to go?"

Johnny just nodded and accepted the bag of clothes his captain held out to him.

"Thanks, Cap."

"No problem, Pal. We'll wait out here while you change, then I'll drive you home."

Out in the hall, Hank turned serious eyes to Dixie's worried ones.

"Is he okay to go to his apartment alone? Should I take him home with me?"

Dixie sighed.

"He refused me and Joe when we offered. I think we're just going to have to let him go."

"I wish I'd been paying closer attention that day."

"I know. I think we all wish we had been too." She replied, patting his arm.

Johnny stepped out into the hall then. His clothes were loose on him and his eyes were tired and sad. He tolerated Dixie's fussing, but was grateful when Hank finally led him to his car.

They drove in silence for several blocks before Johnny spoke.

"Thanks Cap."

"No problem, John."

"I mean…" Johnny shrugged. "Just for everything."

Hank glanced over at Johnny.

Drat the boy and those eyes. He thought as he slowed for traffic. They were pleading for something.

"Hey Pal?" Hank began slowly. "What happened between you and Roy?"

Johnny stared at his hands folded in his lap for a long time, messy hair tumbling over his forehead.

"You know me Cap." He finally shrugged with a sigh. "I'm always messing things up."

Hank reached over and put his hand on the nape of Johnny’s neck.

"No Son. You're not." He said with gentle firmness. "You're one of the best men I know. Now don't let me hear you saying that about yourself again."

Johnny smiled at that, and they were at his apartment.

"Just drop me off here. The lot is full, you'll never find a spot."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Johnny paused before climbing out of the car. "Thanks again Cap. You know, for everything."

"You're welcome, John."

Johnny waved as his captain drove reluctantly away, and slowly climbed the stairs, his throat slowly tightening and eyes stinging. With a heavy heart he opened the door to his cold, dark apartment.

He half hoped Roy would be there, waiting to surprise him. But he wasn't and Johnny was overcome with exhaustion. His bedroom was too far away so he trudged to his couch.

Just when he thought his heart couldn't break any further, it did.

But there, on his coffee table was an envelope with his name written in a dear, familiar hand. With hopeful terror he snapped it up and opened it. Something metal clanged out and bounced across the table and onto the floor. He ignored it to devour the short note.

John-

Please come home.

-Roy

*****

"Hey Cap," Roy had asked earlier. "I'm supposed to pick Johnny up after we're off today and take him to his apartment. Could you-"

The klaxons sounded, cutting him off and calling the squad out to meet the coast guard. Roy looked anxiously at Hank as he handed over the call slip. He nodded to Roy, answering the unasked question.

Now, hours later, he wearily climbed the stairs to his home, hope buzzing around the edge of his senses along with the tiredness. He hoped Johnny would be there, waiting for him. But no one waited behind the door.

Just when he thought he couldn't hurt any more, he did.

Too tired to go to bed he flipped on the TV and flopped onto his couch. A soap opera was on and Roy blearily watched it, trying to figure out the convoluted plot that seemed about to conclude with a wedding. Or start. He didn't really understand these things.

But he was too exhausted to find something else.

His thoughts drifted to Johnny. He had been glad that he'd left the note for him to find when they got to Johnny's apartment. But now without him here at home, Roy mused that it was probably best he had not been the one to drive him this morning.

He also thought about resigning himself, and going far away. But he knew the pain would just follow him. Sighing, he struggled to his feet and went into the kitchen for a glass of water and ended up staring, sightless, out the window for an unknown amount of time, the empty part of his soul echoing with heartache.

*****

Johnny crawled into the bed when he finally arrived home, intending to only take a quick nap. But the events of the morning catching up to him, and was sound asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow

He didn't know how long he slept but his dreams took on a weirdly soap opera quality, and he realized that he was awake, listening to the sounds of the tv in the living room. He waited until he heard the kitchen faucet running before deciding to get up.

*****

Roy thought he'd finally lost his mind when arms wrapped around him and a warm body pressed against is back. He felt a cheek rest against his neck and warm breath breeze past his ear.

"I love you, Roy. That's what I was trying to tell you. To go home and get some rest. That I was going to be okay and I love you. I love you."

Roy held onto the sink when he felt his knees go weak.

"Johnny." He whispered. "I…I…"

There was so much to say that he couldn't say any of it. He choked on a sob or two. In the background, the drama on TV was reaching its crescendo as the characters were reciting their vows.

"Roy, I love you, and I'm yours, I want to be yours." He paused, listening for a moment before laughing softly and echoing what he'd heard. "Till death do us part."

Roy suddenly shrugged him off. Johnny stumbled backward as Roy spun around, his eyes blazing.

"No."

End

[eloisemeadows]

i'm begging you please to come home

Song/Skeleton: Cecilia

Name: Eloise Meadows

FC: Sophie Skelton

Age: 32

Birthday: December 24

Gender & Pronouns: Cis-woman, she/her

Sexual & Romantic Orientation: Heteroromantic & heterosexual

Occupation: Receptionist/Guest Services for the Birch Bay Travelodge

Neighbourhood: Born and raised in Birch Bay, currently residing in a tiny apartment in Willowdale

Positive Personality Trait(s): Warm, friendly, idealistic, independent, supportive

Negative Personality Trait(s): Stubborn, people-pleasing, emotionally-driven and oversensitive, envious, insecure

Extras: Here is a little baby playlist that is era-appropriate to set the vibe! Please Mister Postman - the Marvelettes Here Comes the Sun - the Beatles I Say a Little Prayer - Aretha Franklin Do You Believe in Magic - the Lovin’ Spoonful Chapel of Love - the Dixie Cups Wouldn’t It Be Nice - the Beach Boys I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - Four Tops I Will Follow Him - Peggy March I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash Love Me Do - the Beatles Yesterday - the Beatles You Can’t Always Get What You Want - the Rolling Stones I Want to Hold Your Hand - the Beatles You Send Me - Aretha Franklin Put Your Head on My Shoulder - Paul Anka Fly Me To the Moon - Frank Sinatra Then He Kissed Me - the Crystals All You Need is Love - the Beatles Blackbird - the Beatles A Sunday Kind of Love - Etta James If I Can Dream - Elvis Presley This Magic Moment - the Drifters Hold Me Tight - the Beatles Oh!Darling - the Beatles If I Fell - the Beatles Across the Universe - the Beatles And some songs that are not era-appropriate but fit the vibe: Mirrorball - Taylor Swift The Archer - Taylor Swift The Man - Taylor Swift The Lakes - Taylor Swift Lavender Haze - Taylor Swift Tied Together with a Smile - Taylor Swift Mine - Taylor Swift (...you might be sensing a pattern here) She Used to be Mine - Sara Bareilles Fight Song - Rachel Platten Better Place - Rachel Platten Sunlight - Hozier I Can’t Breathe - Bea Miller Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol Waking up Slow - Gabrielle Aplin Grace - Kate Havnevik Stand in the Rain - Superchick Wildflowers - Tom Petty Dancing Queen - ABBA (1976 so CLOSE) Dandelions - Ruth B. Don’t You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia (though I prefer the Madilyn Bailey cover) And a pinboard! https://www.pinterest.com/rachaelredridinghood/heavens-got-a-plan-for-you/ BIOGRAPHYtw: mentions of religion/religious upbringing (not detailed, just mentions), gender roles, war

In a home where she wanted for nothing, she somehow wanted for everything she did not have. From a young age, Eloise craved the great wide somewhere that only existed in the depths of her imagination. Eloise was born and raised into the warm embrace of what was the picturesque family: a dutiful father who worked hard to support their family, a doting mother who was there for every moment of every day of Eloise’s childhood, and Eloise was the final piece to the puzzle that was their white picket fence life. Her childhood was marked by dusty wooden pews on Sundays with lace gloves and stiff-skirts, hot humid days spent in her mother’s ever-so-loved-and-tended-to garden, brunches and tea parties with her mother’s friends at least once a week and ever-important trips to the library to add to the stacks of books in her room.  While her upbringing was steeped in the belief that her purpose was to become the image of her mother, an adoring wife and mother tending her own family and her own garden with her own brunches, the books she read were something of a guiding light that showed her another way. Fairy-tales, adventures and stories of the great and fantastical had Eloise dreaming of life outside of what she had been raised to believe was proper and expected, though those dreams were generally squashed just as soon as they came to light; more time in the garden, more time spent with her mother and her friends, that was what she needed. Less books would do her good.

In truth, it was more her father that was to blame for her ambitions with the example that he set. His influence on his daughter was strong, and Eloise was always over-interested in his work at the hospital. His care and compassion for the people of their town ran deep and left a defining mark on her young mind. An interest in medicine sparked when Eloise was hardly in double-digits, and despite her father’s appreciation for his daughter’s interest in his work, her parents doubled down on their insistence that Eloise live a life of domesticity. Her father worked hard so that his wife and daughter would not have to, and that was the future he wanted for his daughter.

Eloise kept those dreams on the backburner, learning that it was easier to keep those thoughts to herself than to bring it up again. Her aspirations and dreams fell on deaf ears, and it was better to stay quiet than have that fire extinguished time and time again. She focused on school, still spending her time with her nose pressed into books at every available turn. In every way, it appeared that she had reluctantly conformed to her parents’ wishes, even if she still yearned to follow in her father’s footsteps. It was easier to go with the current than against it, even if it left Eloise feeling like her future wasn’t her own.

It was hard, trying to find purpose when her path in life felt so rigid and out of reach from what she wanted. He made it easier, giving Eloise something to focus on that wasn’t doom and gloom or frustration. He made her smile, and at first that was enough; soon, she realized that he and he alone could make her heart pound right out of her chest in a way she had only read about, and it was twice as meaningful because she had chosen him. Naturally, her parents didn’t approve, but that was something she chose to ignore. Truthfully, it gave her just the slightest bit of satisfaction. She’d yielded in so many other ways, but in this way she would not.

Her parents were displeased when she began to work for the Travelodge shortly after graduating from high school, but Eloise found joy in being able to provide for herself even in just a part-time manner. Their opinions were still ringing loud and clear like church bells on Sunday: it was temporary, they insisted, as she’d marry and have a family of her own soon and then she’d be able to stay at home and live the life they dreamed. Of course, every time she brought up marriage or engagement or anything long-term with the man she’d chosen, she was met with objections. He did not fit the bill they’d ordered, and in their view was just as temporary as her job.

Even with the sense of fulfillment from her part-time gig and the happy hours spent with who she believed to be her one true love (just like in those fairytales, all those years ago), she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something missing. The call towards medicine was still so strong, though she’d never even applied to college. She knew her parents would never approve, and despite her age she still sought their approval. She ached and longer for her life to mean something and knew she would never find purpose from behind a service desk, or with a stupid cross-stitch or book in hand on a porch swing.

And then came the war, and the draft. And then he was gone, and what meaning she’d found for herself in life felt as though it was slipping through her fingers. Time to break out those old and well-worn rosary beads, keep them in her pocket, taking time to finger through them during quiet moments with the thought of his quick and safe return the only thing on her mind. Eloise missed him in a physical way that she could not escape, and adjusting to contact only through letters was strange and took more time than she liked to admit. Work was a welcome distraction, though even that couldn’t help her thoughts from wandering: what would happen if she lost him? Who would she even be if she lost him? Best not to think about it, but she’d never been good at keeping her thoughts in line with what was best for her. Best to put her energy into those letters, writing her heart onto the paper to send away to him. Her heart was always safest with him, after all, even in a warzone. So she’d pour it all out for him, bleeding onto the paper along with the lipstick marks and a few spritzes of the perfume he’d always liked best.

They’d be married when he got back, they’d decided. There was no reason to wait any longer, even if her parents disapproved. Hell, maybe she’d finally mail those college applications away finally and take a dive at two dreams.

If he made it back. When.

[katb357]

Sicktember 19: Whining

J. Gage/D. McCall/Emergency! 

Dixie stepped into John Gage’s hospital room. She was off duty, but she wanted to check on one of her two favorite paramedics. Her fond smile quickly turned into a scowl, though, when she noticed his incentive spirometer on the floor. He must have hurled it across the room. She picked up the device, made sure it wasn’t broken, then disinfected it. Then she approached Johnny’s bed and thrust it at him. “Use it, Buster. While I watch you.” 

John frowned then coughed pathetically. “But Dixie, that thing hurts when I use it. It doesn’t even help,” he whined. “Give me a break.”

“Oh, so your doctor just gave this to you and told you to use it in order to torment you?” She arched an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, that sounds just like Dr. Brackett.” 

Johnny sighed. “No, he wouldn’t do that, but that thing is too hard to use right now. Can’t I wait just a coupla days?”

She wagged a finger at him. “Waiting won’t make it any easier, Tiger. You know that. It always hurts at first. But if you use it the right way, it will start getting easier and it won’t hurt as much.” She took a seat next to his bed and put a hand on his arm. Her expression softened, just a little bit. “I’m sorry it hurts. But we want you to get better and get out of here, and this is part of your ticket to discharge.” 

“I think the smoke inhalation hurt less than this stupid gizmo. But okay. I’ll try.” He picked up the spirometer and blew into it, which immediately sent him into a coughing fit. It also sent tears streaming down his face by reflex.

Dixie gave him a minute to stop coughing. “Do it again. How many repetitions did Brackett tell you to start with?” 

“Three,” Johnny wheezed. He stared with trepidation at the spirometer and reluctantly blew into it again, with much the same results. He finally stopped coughing and addressed the ceiling. “I ain’t doin’ this. I am done!”

“Suck it up, Buttercup,” Dixie said sternly. “One more time.” 

John considered the wisdom of telling Dixie no, and decided he valued his head too much. He sighed and blew into it one more time. He coughed, but at least he wasn’t left crying this time… an improvement in his books.

Now Dixie was smiling sweetly at him. “There you go. You’re all done.” She took the hated spirometer and set it on his swivel table. “Now, for your reward, there’s someone I want you to meet. Should I call her in, or are you too miserable for company?”

John’s curiosity was definitely piqued. “Sure. I’m okay.”

She plumped up his pillows, then moved to the door. “Don’t go anywhere.” She stepped out into the hallway, then returned a moment later with a young brunette in a nurse’s uniform. “John, this is Marla, our newest hire. Marla, this is John. He’s one-half of our top paramedic team. I’ll leave you to get to know one another. John--I’ll be back when it’s time for you to go another round with that spirometer. And then she slipped out the door, leaving the pair alone.

John smiled at Marla, his bout with the spirometer completely forgotten. The brunette was beautiful, and it looked like this hospital stay might not be so bad after all!

The End

[ljones41]

Favorite DISNEY STUDIOS Live Action Movies

Below is a list of my favorite live-action movies from the Walt Disney Studios.  This list is in chronological order:

FAVORITE DISNEY STUDIOS LIVE ACTION MOVIES

“Treasure Island (1950) - This adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 adventure novel starred Robert Newton and Bobby Driscoll.  Byron Haskin directed.

“Davy Crockett and the River Pirates” (1956) - Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen starred in this prequel to the 1955 movie, “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier”.  Norman Foster directed.

“The Parent Trap (1961) - Hayley Mills starred in this first version of Disney’s film about long-lost twins who scheme to reconcile their divorced parents.  Co-starring Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith, the movie was written and directed by David Swift.

“Mary Poppins” (1964) - Oscar winner Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke starred in this award-winning musical adaptation of P.L. Travers series of novellas about a magical British nanny.  Robert Stevenson directed.

“That Darn Cat” (1965) - Hayley Mills and Dean Jones starred in this comedic adaptation of Gordon and Mildred Gordon’s 1963 novel, “Undercover Cat”.  Robert Stevenson directed.

“The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin” (1967) - Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette and Bryan Russell starred in this adaptation of Lowell S. Hawley‘s 1963 novel, “By the Great Horn Spoon!“.  James Neilson directed.

“Blackbeard’s Ghost” (1968) - Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette starred in this comedy adaptation of Ben Stahl’s 1965 novel.  Robert Stevenson directed.

“The Love Bug” (1968-69) - Dean Jones, Michele Lee, David Tomlinson and Buddy Hackett starred in an adaptation of “Car, Boy, Girl", Gordon Buford’s story about a magical Volkswagen.  Robert Stevenson directed.

“Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971) - Angela Landsbury and David Tomlinson starred in this musical adaptation of Mary Norton’s children books, 1944′s “The Magic Bedknob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons” and 1947′s “Bonfires and Broomsticks”.  Robert Stevenson directed.

“The Million Dollar Dixie Deliverance” (1978) - Brock Peters starred in this Civil War adventure about a black Union soldier and escaped prisoner of war, who helps five wealthy Northern children being held hostage from Confederate soldiers escape from their captors.  Russ Mayberry directed.

“Dick Tracy” (1990) - Warren Beatty directed and starred in this adaptation of the 1930s comic strip created by Chester Gould.  Oscar nominee Al Pacino, Glenne Headly and Madonna co-starred.

“The Rocketeer” (1991) - Bill Campbell starred in this adaptation of the superhero comic book series created by Dave Stevens.  Directed by Joe Johnston, the movie co-starred Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton and Alan Arkin.

“The Adventures of Huck Finn” (1993) - Elijah Wood and Courtney B. Vance starred in this adaptation of Mark Twain’s 1884 novel, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.  The movie was written and directed by Stephen Sommers.

“The Three Musketeers” (1993) - Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O’Donnell, Charlie Sheen and Oliver Platt starred in this loose adaptation of Alexandre Dumas père‘s 1844 novel.  Stephen Herek directed.

“Pirates of the Caribbean:  The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) - Johnny Depp starred in the first film of the supernatural swashbuckler film series that was based on a Disney Park attraction.  Directed by Gore Verbinski, the movie co-starred Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush.

“National Treasure” (2004) - Nicholas Cage starred in the first adventure movie in this film series about a historian and treasure hunter.  Directed by Jon Turtelbaub, the movie co-starred Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean and Jon Voight.

“Pirates of the Caribbean:  Dead Man’s Chest” (2006) - Johnny Depp starred in the second movie of the supernatural swashbuckler film series that was based on the Disney Park attraction.  Directed by Gore Verbinski, the movie co-starred Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy.

“National Treasure 2:  Book of Secrets” (2007) - Nicholas Cage starred in the second adventure movie in this film series about a historian and treasure hunter.  Directed by Jon Turtelbaub, the movie co-starred Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Ed Harris and Helen Mirren.

“Prince of Persia:  The Sands of Time” (2010) - Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley starred in this action-adventure adaptation of Jordan Mechner’s video game series.  Mike Newell directed.

“Saving Mr. Banks” (2013) - Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks starred in this biopic about conflict between author P.L. Travers and filmmaker Walt Disney over the development of the 1964 movie, “Mary Poppins”.  John Lee Hancock directed.

“Tomorrowland” (2015) - George Clooney, Britt Robertson and Hugh Laurie starred in science-fiction adventure about a disillusioned scientist and a teenage science enthusiast embarking on a trip to a futuristic alternate dimension.  Brad Bird directed and co-wrote with Damon Lindelof.

“Cruella” (2021) - Emma Stone starred as the titular character in this crime comedy about the villainess from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians”.  Directed by Craig Gillespie, the movie co-starred Emma Thompson, Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser.

Do you have any favorite Disney live-action movies?  What are they?

[babeyloser]

Johnny helps Julien cope with Garbage Body disease

“Johnnyyyyy” Julien whines.

“What is it, dude?” Johnny throws back.

“I feel like twice boiled shit”

“That bad, huh?”

“Yeah, my back and neck ache. My tummy kinda hurts—like in the pukey way. Also I’m getting auras too.”

“Jesus. If you were a horse I’d shoot you.”

“Do I have to be a horse?”

“Stop.”

“Hey, you started it.”

“Fine...” Johnny rolls his eyes and puts two fingers to Julien’s head, “Bang.”

Julien flops over in his chair. He sticks his tongue out for good measure.

“Thank you,” Julien croaks out like they’re his last words.

“Okay but seriously. What can I do to help?”

“Uh, can you turn on the kettle and help me get settled in bed?”

“Sure thing.”

Johnny rolls to the kitchen. Julien rummages through the bathroom cabinet for painkillers. Fucking hell there are so many pills in here.

Julien finds his migraine pills tucked behind Johnny’s birth control; he flushes the pills down with a dixie cup of sink water.

“C’mon, big baby. Let’s get you to bed,” Johnny guides Julien to his and Gyro’s bedroom.

Johnny flicks on a lamp and sets down Julien’s mug of ginger tea. Julien strips and slides under the covers.

“Feels so fucking good in here. All cool and silky ‘n shit.”

Johnny smiles seeing his boyfriend wiggle around in his sheets. It reminds him of a puppy rolling in a patch of clover.

Julien settles in, putting Johnny’s pillow under his knees and pulling his bonnet down to shield his eyes.

Johnny plugs Julien’s phone into a charger. He tsks—under 5% again.

“Okay, anything else, your highness?”

“A kiss please.”

“I can manage that,” Johnny holds Julien’s face in his hands and kisses him all over his face. He exaggerates the smooching noises to a disgusting degree. Julien laughs and lets the assault continue.

Now satisfied, Johnny drops Julien’s head back onto the pillow. They share a sigh; Julien hugs Gyro’s ratty bear.

Johnny turns the lamp back off and starts heading out. He rests his hand on the door.

“I’ll bring you dinner later if you’re feelin’ up to it. Don’t let that tea get cold,” Johnny speaks softly.

He leaves the door open a crack like how Julien likes it. Then he hears a whimper.

“Baby?” Johnny calls into the dark.

“…can you stay for a bit please? I missed you today,” Julien whispers.

Johnny rolls back and transfers onto the bed with a grunt. He plasters himself to Julien’s naked back and holds him tight.

“No need to miss me, baby doll. I’m right here,” Johnny mumbles into the back of Julien’s neck. It makes Julien shiver. He places his hands over Johnny’s, hugging himself.

With the migraine kicking in, Julien has run out of words to say. He turns to kiss him instead. ‘I love you’ is what he wants to say.

Johnny chuckles “I love you too, sweet pea. Now get some rest. Me and Gyro’ll be waitin’ for ya when you wake up.”

Julien nuzzles into his neck. Johnny can feel him smiling; it makes him smile too. He rubs Julien’s back until he starts snoring. The smile doesn’t leave his sleeping face.

Julien feels a lot better when he wakes up.

As promised his boyfriends are waiting for him. He tells them he loves them with his kisses, hugs, and words.

[dixiedrudge]

SICK! CNN ‘Advises’ Parents What to Do If Their TODDLER ‘Comes Out as Trans’

(Let me get this straight. Little Johnny isn’t old enough to get his own cookie, but he’s old enough to eliminate his wiener and declare himself Little Janie? Absolute insanity straight from the foulest pits of hell and/or CNN! Give them a participation trophy for extreme stooopid – DD) Help Dixie Defeat Big-Tech Censorship! Spread the Word! Like, Share, Re-Post, and Subscribe! There’s a lot more…

[lboogie1906]

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist. She attained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and rhythmic accompaniment that was a precursor of rock and roll. She was the first great recording star of gospel music and among the first gospel musicians to appeal to rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll audiences, being referred to as “the original soul sister” and “the Godmother of rock and roll”. She influenced early rock-and-roll musicians, including Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Willing to cross the line between sacred and secular by performing her music of “light” in the “darkness” of nightclubs and concert halls with big bands behind her, she pushed spiritual music into the mainstream and helped pioneer the rise of the pop gospel, beginning in 1938 with the recording “Rock Me” and with her 1939 hit “This Train”. Her unique music left a lasting mark on more conventional gospel artists such as Ira Tucker, Sr., of the Dixie Hummingbirds. While she offended some conservative churchgoers with her forays into the pop world, she never left gospel music. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #womenhistorymonth

[oldtvlover]

Hey E! Gang,

and here the other good scene with the skateboard and Johnny just has to do it!! Poor Roy watching it and Dixie really enjoying to treat Johnny. Her look speaks volumes. lol

Yeah, well, when he doesn’t listen ... he’ll feel it. lol

[christiangrest]

Brownells BoP Invasion… IV8888 Range Day 2023

This is an event that happens each and every year. It’s a private event, by invitation only and honestly a very fun event to attend if you’re fortunate enough to get an invite. Eric of the IV8888 YouTube channel has been a staple for the firearms and Pro 2A community for many, many years now. I can’t believe that anyone in this space hasn’t heard of Eric. He’s also helping lead the charge by working with the GOA (Gun Owners of America). This year was especially special to me because I was going to get a chance to meet some of my fellow BoP field agents that I had yet to meet in person. To help coordinate some of this, I set up a group chat to help answer any questions first time folks might have and to also try and coordinate travel, meetings as well as timing.

The event starts on Friday evening as kind of a meet and greet over at the range. Food and beverages are provided and this year Brownells was one of the sponsors of the Friday night event. As much as I had hoped to arrive early, we arrived a tad later than I would’ve liked. But quickly I was able to locate one of the folk I was excited to meet for the first time, Joey Hunt. Joey or J_C Hunt has both an Instagram account and YouTube channel and we’ve become quite good friends over the past year or so. This was his first time attending the IV8888 range day and he brought along his lovely wife who was helping to video/photo the event. Another first timer was Shreckenguns(Jason). He was there to assist his good friend Ryan Repp with his marketing table he had set up. Ryan is actually one of the founders of the BoP. He's since moved on to start his own marketing firm, but is always in our hearts & minds. Roy Hill (PossumFatback) one of the other BoP founding fathers was in attendance as well. He recently left Brownells to work for another company. We sure do miss him, but so happy for all of his success. Got to spend a good bit of time chatting with Roy about what he wsas doing and also his involvement in the Special Operations Wounded Warrior(SOWW) charity. Friday evening I was also able to catch up with Joe from Shooting Gallery and Rich from Flying Rich. Both BoP field agents with strong YouTube channels. We had missed meeting each other last year because of storms in Florida. Got to see a lot of other great BoP members like Caleb Savant, Pat RMG, Cody Hinton(Smokenpew) one of the BoP leaders at Brownells, Andrew(GlocktopusReviews), Orly198d, Johnny B and Kevin Dixie. Although not a BoP member, I was finally able to meet Steve MrBigKid. Him and I go way back…. When I started doing YouTube, he was just starting out and has been quite successful. We got a chance to chat a good bit on Friday evening.

Saturday is range day and all about seeing/chatting with the vendors that are setup and shooting their firearms. There is always so much to take in and see. It’s truly hard to spend a ton of time at every table as well as every vendor’s demo firearms. My wife came with me and she had fun shooting a few items as well as walking around and chatting with folks. The CMMG table is always a ton of fun with their CMMG Mutant- full auto rifle. On Saturday Paul Roberts showed up. He’s an insanely good photographer and videographer as well as a BoP field agent. He helped me get my original invitation to the event some years ago.

At the end of Saturday, it was time for us to say our goodbyes since we weren’t going to attend the range day on Sunday. Maybe next year I’ll make plans to stay for the extra day. So if you’re a content creator and looking for a fun event to meet a bunch of folks and shoot some cool firearms, definitely try and get an invite to the IV8888 Range day. Eric and his wife Brandy do an outstanding job…already looking forward to next year!

[releasing-my-insanity]

Trick or Treat Exchange Letter

Hi everyone, I decided to participate in the trick or treat exchange this year and here’s my letter. Under the cut for length.

Hello content creator. I’m glad you’ve joined this exchange. I’m sure I’ll love anything you make. Obviously nothing in here is required except for DNWs. I just like to provide information and suggestions in case they’re helpful. I put in some Halloween specific likes, but I'm fine with Halloween or non-Halloween stories. Largely copied from other exchange letters. I've asked for treats only, no tricks. So my suggestions are all with that in mind.

General fic likes:

Fluff.

Humor.

Kindness and helping others.

Cuddles and snuggles.

Cozy scenes.

Bedsharing.

Casual touching.

Little soft and/or quiet moments between friends or significant others.

Characters sharing a love of music or movies or books or hobbies.

Pet owners.

Cute kids when those kids are canon children of requested characters.

Living together, either platonically or romantically.

People being really good at what they do and their friends/partners being impressed.

Characters who speak languages other than English slipping into those languages occasionally.

Teaching each other.

Communities supporting each other.

Everyone being accepting of the characters and their differences and/or relationships.

Women who get stuff done.

Bi and Ace-spectrum Headcanons.

Shippy stuff:

Soulmates (both common and creative varieties),

The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement,

Polyamory.

Friends to lovers.

Rivals to lovers.

Annoying each other constantly to lovers.

Established relationships.

Couples knowing each other really well and doing things the other one likes just because.

“Man I really love my wife” guys.

Asking before kissing someone.

Stopping a kiss or a touch immediately when asked.

Surprise kisses in an established relationship.

True Love’s Kiss when fairy tale elements are present.

Only One Bed snuggles.

Marriage Proposals (doesn’t have to be the man proposing to the woman in het ships, the woman can propose to the man too.)

Weddings.

Platonic/familial stuff:

Becoming friends.

Insta-friends,

Female Friendship

Friends who stay friends (they don’t become romantic and they don’t stop enjoying each other’s company).

Found families.

True companions.

Healthy families of origin.

Halloween-related likes: I'm not much for the "spooky" elements of Halloween. But I do like cute Halloween related things. Children's parties, fun costumes, candy, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, sheet ghosts, witches' hats, pets in costumes, amusing decorations. Anything fun but non-scary. I put in Halloween prompts where I thought of them, but I don't have many.

Reiterating DNWs for convenience:

Any sort of death or death imagery.

Abuse of any sort.

Anything that AO3 has under major warnings.

Unhealthy relationships.

Cheating, especially cheating being presented as a *good* thing.

Character bashing.

Explicit sex (implied or referenced sex between consenting adults is fine).

Anything that could be considered a loss of control.

Anyone transforming into anything else.

Illness beyond the common cold.

Mpreg.

Non-canonical pregnancy.

Discrimination or bigotry unless in the context of characters working to end it.

Unhappy ending.

-

Fandom Specific:

Emergency!:

Fandom content notes: It's a medical/firefighting show so the usual content warnings for that genre. Fires, accidents, illnesses, hospitals, heights, danger, a few episodes with snakes, etc. Cops appear often.

Relationships requested: The Crew of Station 51, Dixie/Joe/Kel, Joanne/Roy/Johnny

Tumblr tag for fandom: Emergency!

Fandom specific likes: The crew all being close. The fact that Johnny and Chet are good friends being obvious even through the bickering. Roy and Joanne's kids absolutely adoring Johnny. Joanne being 1000% on board with the firefighting work even if she worries about Roy and Johnny getting hurt. Appearances by Nurse Sharon.

Fandom specific DNW: No rescues involving snakes, spiders, or deadly diseases please. I also don't want anything where Joanne is unsupportive of the guys and their work.

Optional prompts: For Joanne/Roy/Johnny, I really love fluffy stories where Johnny spends time with the DeSotos. Maybe they all take the kids trick-or-treating, or help them make costumes, or Johnny gets a little too into "helping" the kids eat their Halloween candy. Or maybe they all just have dinner together and talk about their days and there's just a lot of love there.

For Station 51, I'd love to see them hold a station Halloween party for the various local kids. Or another show-typical silly event happening in their downtime.

For Dixie/Joe/Kel, I guess I'd just like to see more of the three of them getting to spend time together and get a break from ER work for a bit. Maybe when Joe and Kel went to that conference they were so excited about, Dixie got to go too and they had a fun time getting a little vacation around the conference events. For a Halloween prompt treating people in absurd costumes could be fun. I'd also be happy with them all supporting each other after a hard day in the ER.

-

Enchanted Forest Chronicles:

Fandom content notes: Cimorene runs away to avoid an arranged marriage. A few bad guys are mentioned as being eaten by dragons. Mendanbar is imprisoned for 17 years between books 3 and 4. Two characters in the 3rd book are transformed into something else. One by accident, the other as a punishment.

Relationships requested: Alianora/The Stone Prince, Cimorene/Mendanbar, Morwen/Telemain, Shiara/Daystar

Tumblr tag for fandom: Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Fandom specific likes: Mentions/Appearances of Alianora even if she’s not the focus. Morwen’s cats being snarky.

Fandom specific DNW: A story where the focus is on the time between Calling On Dragons and Talking To Dragons.

Optional prompts:

- Cimorene/Mendanbar: We don’t get to see very much of their married life so I would love to see some fluff taking place after their wedding but before Book 3.

- Daystar/Shiara: In an AU where they found some way to rescue Mendanbar sooner and Daystar grew up as the prince knowing both of his parents, how does this effect his and Shiara’s first meeting? Do they get along better or worse? Why is Daystar out in the forest at the right time to find her?

- Morewen/Telemain: I am down for basically anything with these two as long as it’s fun. Growing up together. Being classmates in magic school. Quests/adventures. Spending time together between adventures. Married life. Anything that appeals to you.

How exactly did they manage to get engaged? I would love to get the story of what conversations happened that we aren’t shown.

-  Alianora/The Stone Prince: I just want to see anything about their relationship. We don’t get to see a lot of it in the book but I find it fascinating. I like how by the rules of this world, their one-day courtship and falling in love incredibly fast is normal and would enjoy seeing more about it.

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Highway to Heaven:

Fandom content notes: A wide range of injustice and discrimination appear throughout the show. Within the episodes relevant to Jane, Diane, and Scotty, there’s character death, a suicide attempt, and some ableism.

Relationships requested: Diane/Scotty, Jonathan/Jane | Jennifer, Jonathan & Mark

Tumblr tag for fandom: Highway to Heaven

Fandom specific likes: Jonathan is an angel but sometimes he’s still painfully human. (E.G. Getting too emotionally involved with an assignment, his crisis of faith in We Have Forever, his reaction to Mark getting hurt in Going Home, Going Home.) I just really like that Jonathan isn’t perfect and makes mistakes and has strong emotions just like the rest of us.

Exception to no character death: I’m okay with mentions of it in relation to Jonathan and Jane, but I don’t want it to be the focus or the ending. I need to see them as angels afterwards if their deaths come up.

Fandom specific DNW: Ignoring the fact that Scotty is quadriplegic. Making the entire story about Scotty being quadriplegic as though it’s his only trait. Not a hugely important thing, but I would prefer Jonathan and Jennifer not sleep together (except literally) since he doesn’t know that she’s Jane.

Optional prompts:

Jonathan/Jane: I am down with basically any story for these two that you want to tell.

How they fell in love. Scenes from their marriage. Missing scenes between the two in Keep Smiling.

What it was like for Jane to become Jennifer and be given the first assignment of helping her husband regain his faith? A missing scene from their two months together.

Something where they meet again later, either between assignments, sharing an assignment, or being reunited in heaven when they’ve both earned their wings.

Scotty/Diane: A Match Made in Heaven is my absolute favorite episode, I would love literally anything based on it. For a video you’re welcome to use content from any or all of their episodes of course, but I would also be just as happy with one based entirely on this episode.

I’d also love the missing scene of their wedding, or scenes from their married life, or something with them being parents.

Jonathan & Mark: I just really enjoy their friendship and watching the two of them helping others so anything based on that would be lovely.

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Magic School Bus:

Fandom content notes: There are multiple episodes where the characters turn into different animals. There are also many episodes going inside the human body.

Relationships requested: Arnold & Carlos & Dorothy Ann & Keesha & Phoebe & Ralphie & Tim & Wanda, Ms. Frizzle/Mr. Seedplot, DA & Keesha

Tumblr tag for fandom: Magic School Bus

Fandom specific likes: Ms. Frizzle being open to dating many different people, not just Mr. Seedplot. The kids all being close friends and no matter how many arguments they have they always make up quickly. Appearances by Mikey.

Fandom specific DNW: Romances between the kids. I don’t mind occasional references to crushes, but I don’t want shipping with them. The sequel show.

Optional prompts:

- The Kids: How did they first become friends? Phoebe transferred in, but have the other seven always been classmates? Was it hard for Phoebe to fit in at first or did they all make her feel welcome? Did they used to have other classmates before Ms. Frizzle’s class? What do they like to do for fun when they’re not in school or doing science?

A favorite headcanon of mine is that after college, the eight of them chip in and buy a house to use as home base. And they all travel around researching in their respective fields, but sometimes they just stay right there and do science. I would love any sort of story set in that world.

- Ms. Frizzle/Mr. Seedplot: How did they first meet? What happens after Liz brings Ms. Frizzle the flowers and note? Do they go on a date? Do the class ship them?

- DA and Keesha: I accidentally thought of the concept of Keesha and Dorothy Ann being sisters and now I'm extra obsessed with their dynamic. Whether actual sisters or just friends who are like sisters.

- Halloween: I'm a big fan of the Haunted House music episode so anything based on that would be lovely.

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The Monkees:

Fandom content notes: It's been awhile since I watched the show, but I do remember that various plots included danger, kidnapping, a couple of nazi references played for laughs (Monkees Race Again), implied drug use, brainwashing, Mike mistakenly believing a woman is planning to kill herself (Monkees On The Line), a deal with the devil, all played for laughs.

Relationships requested: Davy/Peter/Micky/Mike

Tumblr tag for fandom: The Monkees

Fandom specific likes: The Monkees all absolutely adoring each other. Being best friends as well as romantic partners. A whole lot of goofy nonsense like in the show. Casual affection. Milly from Monkee Mother staying in their lives and them all loving her as their honorary mom, but still being a little annoyed by her sometimes. The reunion episode.

Fandom specific DNW: A fic focusing on less than all four of them. Drug use. Anything trying to split them up. Any episode where they're not character!Monkees (e.g. the one on tour or the one with Princess Gwen or something similar I'm forgetting). Any episode/movie that's notably darker in tone than the rest.

Optional prompts: I'd just like a nice fun romp. That's what this show is all about to me. A whole lot of fun and silly content. I love the episode Monkee See, Monkee Die. "Spend the night in the haunted house for the inheritance" episodes in sitcoms where they all get jumpy but nothing bad actually happens and it's all revealed to be a hoax anyway is one of my favorite kinds of episodes.

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Sesame Street:

Fandom content notes: One episode deals with the aftermath of the death of a main character.

Relationships (and character) requested: Linda, Linda/Bob, Maria/Linda, Maria/Luis/David, Susan/Gordon, Susan/Gordon/Bob

Tumblr tag for fandom: Sesame Street

Fandom specific likes: Mr. Hooper lives. No one ages. The characters making sure to sign for Linda so that she knows what’s going on. Miles and Gabi being best friends. Bob and Maria being metamours and having a very sibling-like relationship. Mr. Hooper refusing to tell anyone what his orientation is. Big Bird basically being everyone’s child. Bob being in both of the above polyamorous relationships at the same time.

Fandom specific DNW: Anything involving the death of Mr. Hooper. Making Linda hearing instead of Deaf.

Optional prompts: As with all of these I’d be happy with anything you want to write but here are a few thoughts.

Linda: I love her so much and how silly and how sarcastic she can be. Something with her training Barkley might be fun. Or something where she gets a new book that she's excited about. Or a day at the library.

Linda/Bob: If they had gotten married, what would their wedding look like? What kind of dates do they go on?

According to episode summaries on The Muppet wiki, Bob writes songs for Linda and she teaches him American Sign Language. I would love to see either or both of those things.

Maria/Linda: When Linda first arrives on Sesame Street, Maria is the person who’s the most fluent in ASL and that leads to her and Linda becoming friends quickly. Linda learning some Spanish sign language so she and Maria can both speak Spanish.

Susan/Gordon: I would dearly love some fic about how they met and fell in love. Or a fic about how they decided that they were ready to be parents and that they wanted to adopt. Maybe something with them geeking out together over science.

Maria/David/Luis: The only logical solution to the Maria/David, Maria/Luis relationships. I actually shipped David/Luis before I shipped Maria/David, so I definitely view this as a full triad.

How do they get together? Are two of them together first and then the third joins them? Or do they become a triad all at once? What do their dates as a triad look like? Do the three of them ever go dancing?

How do they decide to get married? To become parents? Does it matter which of Maria’s husbands is Gabi’s biological father or do they only know for medical history reasons?

Susan/Gordon/Bob: Did they know each other before Sesame Street or did they meet there? When did they get together? One thing I really like is the idea of them having gone to college together and getting up to hijinks. I would love to see some of that. How involved is Bob in parenting Miles?

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WordGirl:

Fandom content notes: Some danger, one episode (Dr. WordGirl Brains) features a mind-swap, another episode features a kidnapping, there are some cops.

Relationships requested: Becky/Tobey, Becky/Violet/Tobey/Scoops, TJ/Johnson

Tumblr tag for fandom: WordGirl

Fandom specific likes: Tobey realizing that he’s loved. Tobey’s robots being sweet.

Fandom specific DNW: Angst. These are children so I’d prefer they not show affection with anything more than a handhold or maybe a kiss on the cheek, unless they’re aged up. Tobey causing genuine harm beyond his usual property destruction.

Optional prompts: I’m happy with any kind of cute content for any of these pairings. I would especially like to see a get together.

I also read a fic once where Becky and TJ were allowed to invite their friends on a Botsford family trip to a cabin on a lake. Scoops and Violet couldn’t go in the fic, but I keep wondering what it would be like if they did and Becky was there with her mutual crushes and TJ was there with his.

[mourning-again-in-america]

Slowly losing my enchantment for 'Dixie' as I'm finding more and more 'Reb' songs that got a bit memory-holed (Johnny Reb, 'I'm a Good Ol' Rebel') and frankly, Dixie is an anthem for a state I never knew and never particularly cared for--much more like La Marseillaise than America the Beautiful to me. But I don't like forgetting, I don't like forgetting 'the brags and the fuss', and I don't like forgetting 'starv[ing] at Point Lookout' and I especially don't want to forget 'I saw the young boys as they began to fall/You had tears in your eyes cause you couldn't help at all."

[phoenixthemenace]

Till Death

Day 10. Sacrifice-

Johnny’s aunt didn't leave him, but wasn't able to return to work. She had enough savings, she thought, to last until Johnny graduated high school. He wanted to get a job, but Dixie and the support system she cobbled together tried to help his aunt convince him to focus on school.

"Auntie. " he said gently, taking her hand, his head tipped to one side, his soon to be trademark grin creeping soflty across his face. "If I work weekends, I can still focus on school, and we'll have money for groceries and things I might need for school. And we won't have to burn through your savings as fast!"

"Johnny," she mumbled through partially paralyzed lips. "It's too early to put an end to your childhood!"

His eyes held a devastating mix of sorrow, tenderness and love. He gently stroked her hair.

"We both know it's too late for that. But you saved me! Let me save you back. Just this little bit."

Joe and Dixie, who overheard and were moved by the conversation, understood her inability to say no. So Joe, who had just purchased a home and was incredibly fond of Johnny, hired him to help with some renovations, which segued into maintaining the lawn and gardens. For the next few years, Joe's garden was the envy of the neighborhood, and they all enjoyed a bounty of fruits and vegetables.

Word spread and soon some of the other doctors hired Johnny, even the irascible Kel Brackett had him do a few odd jobs. His experience grew and was varied. So did his confidence and personality. Soon, he went from quiet and withdrawn to gregarious and charming.

He pushed himself to excel at school and track. Girls began to take notice of their good looking classmate, and he began to notice them right back.

Every night he came home and tended to his aunt, cleaned the house and prepared meals. Mrs. DeSoto helped when her own work schedule permitted. Johnny took care of her yard and fixed things around the house for her.

Johnny’s aunt had three more minor strokes over the next two years. Johnny never faltered in his care or his positive attitude. They discussed it at length and planned on Johnny entering the fire academy that fall.

Three days after his graduation, his aunt suffered another major stroke. This time she was totally incapacitated. Johnny willingly put his career on hold to care for her, but it soon became apparent she needed more than he was able to provide.

It was October before Johnny and his committee of helpers and advisors (Joe and Dixie mostly) found a place they all liked in Santa Barbara. They moved her in and got her settled, then Johnny, acting on his aunt's behalf, sold the house. The money would support his aunt. He'd supplement it as much as he could.

He was loading the last few of his things into his car when Mrs. DeSoto came to say goodbye.

"Here you go dear." She said, handing him a box full of foil wrapped packages. "There's some cookies and dinner for tonight and a couple for your freezer."

"Mrs. DeSoto…" he started softly, touched by the gesture. "I…Thank you."

He gave her his best, brightest, most devastating smile. She smiled and cupped his face in her hands.

"You dear sweet boy. You've been such a comfort to your aunt. And to me as well."

"I'll swing by next weekend and take care of the leaves. Maybe put up Christmas lights if you'd like. It's early but…"

"No dear, Roy said he'd take care of things for me now."

Johnny swallowed. He'd managed to avoid Roy since his discharge. He was almost grateful that his joining the academy had been delayed until the following year. At least they wouldn't be in the same class. He briefly reconsidered his career choice, but wasn't going to let anyone stop him from pursuing his dream. In the meantime, his yard care and odd job service would support him quite nicely.

"Of course, you're always welcome to visit. Come over for dinner sometime!" She said, patting his cheeks as she let him go.

He shifted the box and scooped her into a one armed hug. Impulsively he dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

"Thank you, Mrs. DeSoto."

"It's Harriet, dear."

He just smiled his bashful, dimpled smile and tipped his head to her. She returned to her house, and waved from the front porch as he drove away, feeling oddly sentimental. He knew he'd never return to the DeSoto house.

The following fall, Johnny scaled his business back to what he could handle on weekends and enrolled in the fire academy, embarking on a fine career and an unavoidable collision course with the past.

[creativemorningsaustin]

July’s global CreativeMornings theme TREASURE will be discussed by Mike Woolf on Friday the 28th.

Our musical guest with be Mama Birds. 

Join us for Cuvée Coffee & breakfast tacos.

We’ll be meeting at Wicked Kitchen.

All thanks to our partners The Creative Executive and Microsoft Teams.

Register to get your free ticket here.

Fill your feed with treasures with the hashtags #CMtreasure & #CMATX

About Mike Woolf:

Oscar Winner. Grammy Nominated. Westminster Finalist. None of these accolades apply to Writer/Director Mike Woolf. 

However, he has been a shiny cog in the Austin advertising machine for 20+ years. He did win a lot of ‘Addys’, writing at GSD&M, for the likes of Southwest Airlines and Texas Tourism. He then founded Beef and Pie Productions which helped lay the foundation for the local video production scene. At Beef and Pie, he continues to create clever commercials, big brand videos and all kinds of disposable social content. He has also done important work in the world of documentary, dealing with such heady subjects as space, beards and beer. His latest film project uses Austin’s first mural as a portal to visit Austin in the early 70’s: 23rdstreetmural.com

Mike’s appreciation for authenticity, obscure tales, and real people doing really crazy things, can be traced back to his upbringing in Baltimore, where the people are often all too authentic. With a degree in Mass Communications from Boston University, but no practical ability to make ads, Mike ‘figured all that shit out’ writing direct mail at a Baltimore ad agency for two long years.  With a very DIY portfolio and the 15-minute short doc, “Pollock Johnny’s 20th Anniversary Polish Sausage Eating Contest,” Mike landed a Jr. Writer position at GSD&M. His salary was $27,000. 

Over the next six years Mike wrote over 75 commercials for AT&T, Gummout, Texas Lottery, the Dixie Chicks, Macaroni Grill and a magical spot for Texas Tourism starring Lyle Lovett. His biggest contribution was for Southwest Airlines, writing the “Wanna Get Away” campaign. It is still a key part of SWA’s marketing, yet he has received no residuals. 

Mike left the agency and started Beef and Pie Productions to get behind the camera and more in control of the production process. He has learned that great work is a result of strong partnerships with trusting clients. Beef and Pie has fostered a roster that ranges from global icons to local legends: the US Airforce, Patron Tequila, St. David’s Healthcare, YETI, Austin Beerworks, Masterbuilt Grills, Homeslice Pizza and Austin FC are all awesome partners.

His feature documentary, Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott’s Road to the Stars, won best documentary at SXSW. His short docs “Growin’ A Beard,” “The 72oz Steak,” and “Crazy Carl and his Man-Boobs: An Austin Love Story” have respectively, spawned the beard craze, the food eating contest industry and the man-boob business. 

Mike runs Beef and Pie with Executive Producer partner Michelle Crosby out of a Bungalow in Hyde Park. He lives with his super-talented designer wife, Ayse Iyriboz and their teenage son Isaac also in Hyde Park. And yes, he should have bought sooner.