#jeffrey henning

[dedalvs]

Fiat Lingua Top 10 for 2024

It's time for the annual Fiat Lingua rewind!

Background: I created Fiat Lingua over ten years ago with the idea that it could be something like the Rutgers Optimality Archive: A place where conlangers could post work that they wanted to showcase, or work that was in progress. We've had tons of contributions over the years, and some standout work I'm really proud of.

Using our fancy statistics program (you know, the free version) we're able to determine the top 10 visited posts for this year (though, note, the numbers for the current year's December post will always be down a little bit, since it didn't have a full month. If you'd like to take a look at it, Carl Buck created a new workable orthography for Klingon from the original!). Here they are!

NUMBER 10

We have a tie...

"A Naming Language" (November, 2016) by Jeffrey Henning: A fantastic (and short!) essay about how to create a conlang sketch (or naming language) specifically aimed at authors. The author, Jeffrey Henning, was the most important person in conlanging from the 90s through the mid-2000s before his seminal website, Langmaker.com, died.

"Down with Morphemes: The Pitfalls of Concatenative Morphology" (March, 2014) by David J. Peterson: Honestly, I'm touched. And baffled. Why this paper, published ten years ago which hasn't touched the top ten the past two years, is suddenly on it is absolutely beyond me.

NUMBER 9

"Afrihili: An African Interlanguage" (April, 2014) by William S. Annis: Afrihili is an a posteriori auxlang from the late 60s that uses Bantu languages as its source. If you haven't read about it, you must. This article took sixth place the past two years, but this year dropped to ninth!

NUMBER 8

"Tone for Conlangers: A Basic Introduction" (April, 2018) by Aidan Aannestad: This is the third time this article has been in the top 10, but it slipped one place to number 8. Conlangers continue to find this introduction to tone quite valuable.

NUMBER 7

"Names Aren’t Neutral: David J. Peterson on Creating a Fantasy Language" (March, 2019) by David J. Peterson: Down two spots from last year, this is my article on best practices when coming up with names in a fantasy setting—even when no conlang is present.

NUMBER 6

"Introduction, A Note on the Terminology and Linguistic Methodology of This Paper, and Section I" (February, 2012) by Madeline Palmer: So...this came out of nowhere. This was an early series that helped me avoid having to do a bunch of work for Fiat Lingua in the early years. I was grateful for the runway! I have no idea why, after more than ten years, the dragon language Srínawésin is now getting attention after getting next to none in the past, but…it's getting attention—in a big way. Anyone know why?

NUMBER 5

"Patterns of Allophony" (April, 2015) by William S. Annis: Definitely one of the most popular papers on Fiat Lingua, William illustrates graphically a number of very common sound changes. This article has been at #3 the past two years but tumbled two spots this year to #5.

NUMBER 4

"Hieroglyphs of Fneise" (April, 2024) by Jason Lynn: New to Fiat Lingua this year and new to the top ten, everyone loved this new article about the hieroglyphs of Fneise, created by Jason Lynn, friend of LangTime Studio!

NUMBER 3

"A Conlang-Venture: A Select-A-Feature Adventure" (January, 2024) by Jessie Peterson: This MAMMOTH .pdf is honestly one of the greatest conlang achievements ever. Clocking in at over 700 pages, Jessie created a hyperlinked choose-your-own-adventure demonstration of how to evolve a naturalistic conlang. This document is nothing short of amazing.

NUMBER 2

"Grambank & Language Documentation: Zhwadi and Its Features" (June, 2023) by Jessie Peterson: Even her massive conlang-venture .pdf couldn't top her incredible resource from last year. This is a short description of how to use Grambank in conlanging with a link to a fillable Google spreadsheet any conlanger can copy and use to introduce their conlang to others. Last year this made #4 on the list, and this year it jumped two spots!

And now for the top viewed article for 2024 on Fiat Lingua...

NUMBER 1

"A Conlanger's Thesaurus" (September, 2014) by William S. Annis: The king is back! Last year my article on how to create a surreal conlang took the top spot. This year? Not even in the top THIRTY! It's like it was wiped off the face of the internet! Whether it's top spot or not, though, William Annis's resource on how to create unique words with unique interrelationships and associations has proved useful to conlangers of all stripes. As a reference work, it is unparalleled in terms of usefulness modulo brevity.

* * * * *

And that's it for 2024! I'm looking forward to posting more conlang articles next year. If you are a conlanger, a conlang-researcher, or conlang fan who has something to say in .pdf format about a specific conlang or conlanging in general, please consider submitting something to Fiat Lingua! We take any and all articles related to conlanging in whatever form you have them. I'm also happy to help you think up ideas, or refine those ideas you have. There is no strong review like in a fancy journal: I just want to get what you have up. I'm especially in interested in hosting personal conlang stories—stories about how or why you started to create a language, or your experience creating your own language—personal stories that are often lost, but are so vital, as there is an absolute dearth of literature about conlangers! If you think you have even the seed of an idea, please get a hold of me! I want to share as many stories and ideas as I can.

[sp0o0kylights]

Adopt a Jock Part One / Previous Part / Part 10.2 (you are here)

A03

Gareth had been a part of a handful of grand finales in his day, but none of them had ever been like this.

Maybe it was the fact they’d almost died in real life.

Maybe it was the kids in the room, egging and cheering them on.

Likely it was a combination of a lot of things, up to and including the way Eddie had poured his entire soul into this game--as if in doing so, it might fix the world that had been accidentally ruined for them.

(Possibly it was the cheesy effects Eddie had somehow roped Steve into pulling off with him, which included a number of lighting changes and a smoke machine that was cool for all of five seconds before it overwhelmed the room.)

They’d stayed well past when they had the room for, shouting and cheering and screaming-- and for once no one came in to chew them out for it.

Coming out triumphant, they'd defeated the great evil Eddie had cooked up in order to save the realm.

All the twists and turns and reveals…even now Gareth still felt the victory pulsing through his bones.

They really had needed this.

“Not gonna lie, I am not ready to go home.” Gareth thinks it was Stewart who said it, but it might have been Jeff. Not that it mattered--plans were sprung sprung, and they agreed to meet up at the only place still open that wasn’t the McDonalds.

“All middle schoolers get to go home first!” Steve announced with his typical mother-hen flair, which caused a very large amount of boos to be sent his way from said children.

“It is almost 10pm, you dipshits, I don't need all your moms crawling down my throat.” he tacked on, glaring as Dustin and Grant both began loudly gagging.

“Stevie’s right!” Eddie boomed from where he was still gathering his papers, haphazardly throwing them into his backpack. “You all know your moms want him.”

“Munson--”

Hop to it, hobbits, I want a burger.” Eddie interrupted, grinning cheekily.

Steve rolled his eyes at him.

“Who are you calling a hobbit!?” Mike bit out, offended.

“if hopping makes someone a hobbit, then I guess we should start calling Eddie Frodo.” Jeff added sweetly.

“I have been walking normally for days, Jeffrey--”

Several parting shots later, the children allowed themselves to be herded outside, wherein they all stood around and proceeded to try and wheedle a ride out of anyone willing to listen to them.

“I don’t have a car today.” Tiff lied, standing in front of her family’s ancient Crown Vic.

“Sorry guys, I hitched a ride with Grant.” Jeff piled on with a grin. “And I don’t think he’s got room for all of you.”

“Come on, you’re not really gonna make us bike home? In the dark?” Dustin tried valiantly, gesturing at the sky as if it was pitch black outside.

It was not, and thus, his point was moot.

Gareth once again tuned out the ensuing argument, taking the time to just enjoy the moment.

(Maybe make a secret, near-silent bet with Jeff about who was going to break down and give the kids a ride home, communicated entirely through eyebrows and eye rolls.)

“Why are we even asking you--where the hell is Steve!?” Dustin finally shrieked, hands flung in the air in a way that was too reminiscent of Eddie to not be intentional.

Apparently Harrington wasn’t the only person he impersonated.

“Pretty sure he picked ‘stay behind to help clean.’” Grant told him, as if Eddie had ever done such a thing in his life.

“Someone tell them to hurry up.” Max grumped, hands crossed over her chest, Lucas’s arm around her shoulders. “They’re taking forever.”

“Welcome to life kid. Eddie runs on no one's clock but his own.” That from Stewart, who was also doing a grand job of pretending his mom’s car wasn’t sitting in the parking lot.

“Eddie doesn’t even know what a clock is.” Tiff said flatly, before Max could murder him for the kid comment. “I gave him one once and he acted like I gifted him a bomb.”

Darkly she muttered, “I think he ran it over with the van.”

“I’ll go get them.” Gareth announced, interrupting the entire charade before Dustin and Mike both could lose their shit. “I left my jacket in there anyway.”

More than likely Eddie's leg had begun hurting, in which case Gareth would be right about the only person besides Steve who Eddie would allow help from without falling into a snit.

(He did not want to end the night with Eddie in a snit.)

He figured the sooner he went, the sooner the whining would stop. Besides, it was just a quick trip back in, grab what he needed, and come right back out. Easy enough.

Unfortunately, Gareth forgot a few key things about surviving a horrific incident.

Mainly that PTSD was a bitch and schools were really creepy when they were empty.

At the right time of night, with the shitty, fluorescent lighting and the dark corner?

It looked a lot like the lab had.

The floor was even echoey in the same way as he slowly walked down it, each step ringing out as if to sing out his very doom.

….Which is why he immediately dived into the first door to Hawkins High’s tiny ass auditorium, rather than walk all the way down the creepy ass hallway to use the door they’d all trooped out of.

It had way more lights, and a far less chance of hiding a murder monster.

(Would he always be like this now?

Worried about shit that shouldn’t be real?

The Men in Black had done a group job of insisting this whole thing was a one off but that didn’t exactly make anyone feel better given the kids had told them they said that every time this shit happened.

Which was apparently bi-yearly.)

Unfortunately for Gareth, it also meant he was popping into a door that was at the very far back of the drama room--hidden, partly, by the costume rack Hellfire had shoved over to make room for Eddie’s throne.

He wasn’t being quiet. Didn’t think he needed to be and given his thoughts didn’t want to be-- but it wasn’t until he was through the door and weaving his way through ancient, tacky clothes that he realized Steve and Eddie hadn’t heard him come in.

Given the very compromising position they were in, Gareth doubted it would have mattered if he came in blowing a trumpet.

They were making out.

Or--no.

They weren’t.

It looked an awful lot like they were, from the angle Gareth was at, but he quickly adjusted to the low lighting and realized their heads weren’t lined up right.

He was proven right a moment later, when Steve straightened up--hand going to an all too familiar guitar pick that now hung around his neck.

“I can’t take this.” Steve protested, quiet voice made loud in the emptiness of the room.

He sounded off as he said it, a little like he had been that night at Eddie’s, when he’d been so upset about his parents. The choked, strangled voice of someone trying to reign in their emotions and doing a piss poor job about it.

Something clearly had happened between them in the ten or so minutes they’d been dragging their feet back here.

“Yes you can.” Eddie replied.

“Ed’s--”

“I’m giving it to you. You think I’ve ever offered this to anyone else?”

That was said as a challenge--Gareth very much recognized it as one--but Eddie’s bravado sounded wrong too.

Like he was trying to be serious about one part of this, while hiding another entirely. A magician performing an unfinished trick, relying on the audience to look right where he wanted without much prompting.

“Exactly. You should be giving this too--I dunno, someone who is important to you.” Steve protested, voice thick. “Not to me. Not because I was joking around. Fuck Eddie, I didn’t mean it--”

“Yes you did, and that is exactly why I’m giving it to you.” Eddie interrupted, reaching out to flick the guitar pick that now sat on Steve’s chest. “You mean something to a lot of people, Steve, and now you have proof.”

They stared at each other for one far too heated moment. 

(They were both so emotionally constipated--and Gareth absolutely shouldn’t be overhearing this.

Why were they always having these damn conversations in places he was around!? 

If either of them realized he was in the room…)

“I don’t need proof--” Steve said, but his hand had come up, trapping the one Eddie still had hovering near his chest.

“Yes you do. And you deserve to know that people want to be around you. That I want to be around you.”

Slowly, carefully, Gareth began walking backwards, trying not to make a sound.

This was way too fragile for him to ruin.

Steve made a frustrated noise. “I can’t imagine why.”

“Really? You, the person who apologized to me, told me you didn't care if I was gay, and insisted that I wasn't a satan worshiping demon, can't figure out why you’re important to me?”

Eddie’s voice faded as Gareth successfully retreated back out the way he came, doing his level best to ensure the door closed as quietly as possible.

Relief made him slump his head against the wood, and he held it there for a moment in order to give his two, idiotic friends the time they clearly needed.

Maybe Eddie would have a boyfriend after this.

(Let’s be honest, they’d have a better chance resolving their feelings by talking to a brick wall, but that wasn’t Gareth’s problem to fix.

At least not yet, anyway.)

Either way, he looped back to conquer the terrifying halfway, cursing out Munson and Harrington both the entire way down.

Made his way to the front of the door as loudly as he possibly, conceivably could, smacking into it as though he’d fumbled opening it on the first try (and only partly because being so fucking loud meant the monsters couldn’t get him.

Right?)

“Are you two done yet?” He yelled, and made sure to wait for an affirmative before barging in.

Sure enough, they were still close together, Steve with a smile on his otherwise red face and Eddie equally looking guilty, but both swung to look at him when Gareth marched in.

“Are you guys partying here or cleaning? Hurry the fuck up we want food.” He challenged, gesturing at the pile of shit Eddie still hadn’t put away. “Also the children need a ride.” 

“Dammit--” Steve growled, springing to life and trotting out past Gareth, hand running through his hair--and his other hand carefully hiding the necklace under his shirt.

Now, Gareth decided, that could let on what he’d seen, since they’d been about as subtle as a fucking hippo.

“I have told you you’re screwed, right? We’ve had that conversation?” He teased, after waiting just long enough for Steve to be out of earshot.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Eddie sniffed.

Gareth grinned, slow and mocking. “Mmm. and I’m sure the necklace I just saw was totally a copy you bought for reasons. Couldn’t possibly have been your real pick…”

Eddie’s face immediately reddened. “Shut up, Gary.”

“Whatever kind of situation could have just happened to have led you to hand over that?”

With a faked gasp, Gareth suddenly clutched at his heart. “Munson, tell me you didn't just deflower the good maiden Harrington!?”

He got punched in the shoulder for his efforts.

“Shut up, Gary!”

Quiter, not wanting to take any chances at all of being overheard, he said; “Did you tell him it was your moms?”

“No.” Eddie said, just as quiet. A true feat, for him. “And I will be furious if you tell him.”

Gareth raised his hands in surrender.

“Secrets safe with me.”

They both knew he meant it.

xXx

With the first lazy days of summer came a quiet kind of healing: Eddie finally stopped limping, Steve had gotten better about hugs and high fives, and Gareth was (mostly) sleeping through the night.

It was peaceful--or had been, until the Munson phone started to ring.

(Or maybe It had been ringing for a while, Gareth thought. Time was a little fuzzy right now.)

“Ten to one that's Henderson.” Eddie said, as the phone stopped, only to immediately start back up again.

He hauled himself up, apparently deciding the ringing was not going to stop until it was answered.

Steve, sprawled out on Eddie’s couch, groaned.

“Why is he calling here?”

“Because you're always here.”

A fun little fact Gareth knew was true more than it wasn’t.

Steve spent an awful lot of time in Eddie’s trailer these days. Gareth’s garage and the drama room too, but given how Steve seemed more eager to hang out with Eddie than anyone else, those places didn’t count.

“How do you know he's calling for me, and not D&D advice?”

“Because he worships you, dude.” Eddie drawled, returning from the kitchen where the phone now sat politely on the kitchen counter, with tinny Dustin Henderson-esque noises squawking out of it. “Not me.”

“I seriously doubt that.” Steve muttered, but heaved himself up off the couch, careful to step over Gareth--who had claimed the floor the very second Eddie had magicked a joint out of his lunch box.

“What, Henderson?” Steve said into the receiver, as Eddie flopped dramatically onto the couch.

He nearly kicked Gareth in the process, who hissed at him for it.

“Yes, yes, you’re so vicious.” Eddie cooed, and if Gareth wasn’t high, that comment would have earned a solid tackle. Alas, the floor called to him, so he simply flipped his best friend off instead.

Steve’s voice floated back from the kitchen, fond and exasperated in equal measures.

“The plan you put in my hand yesterday? Yeah Dustin, I have it.”

Whatever Dustin said in response caused him to make an offended noise, followed by a higher, actually offended noise.

“Where’d the joint go?” Eddie questioned lazily, hands idly patting the couch.

“Did you put it in your pocket again?” Gareth asked, after checking that he himself did not have it.

Eddie thought that over.

“I don’t think I’m wearing pockets.” He decided after a moment.

“Okay--okay! If anything happens I will handle it, and fill you in later.” Steve said, followed by a loud; “No.”

And then;

“I said no!”

And then;

“That's stupid, Henderson. You're two hours away at camp, you wouldn't make it back in time to do anything.”

“Is it under the couch?” Eddie asked, half watching Steve slowly sink down onto his elbows on the kitchen counter, only to spring back up anytime Dustin talked.

Gareth gave him a look.

“Why would it be under the couch?”

Eddie shrugged. “Dunno man. Joints roam sometimes, you know?” He walked a few fingers in the air, as if joints had legs and used them.

“And they walk under the couch?” Gareth challenged back. “I am amazed this trailer’s never caught on fire.”

“I wouldn’t say never, Gare-Bear.”

“Can you just go enjoy camp?” Steve pleaded in the background, sounding like the world's most disgruntled parent. “For me, man, I have to work all summer, I’m literally doing my last interview tomorrow. How am I supposed to look forward to making fun of your dorky math adventures if you don't go on any?”

Finally;

“Yeah, you little shit, you too.”

“Not to worry, we have all summer to find it.” Eddie said, before he caught up to the conversation.

Head whipping towards Steve, he accused; “Did Steve just say he got a job?”

“I wasn’t listening.” Gareth said, too busy looking under the couch in case Eddie really had dropped a lit joint under there. How he didn’t know, but this was Eddie Munson, after all.

Stupider things had happened.

Steve grumbled, “I'm hanging up now!”--before slamming the phone back into the receiver with a sigh so heavy his entire chest shook with it.

“Who knew Steve Harrington was whipped?” Gareth teased rolling back onto his back and miming cracking a whip in the air. “And to a future freshman, no less!”

“I did!” Eddie raised a hand in the air.

“Oh screw you guys.” Steve scoffed, hauling himself back to the couch. “Someone hand me the joint, I need it.”

“So bad news about that…”

Gareth got to watch in delight as Eddie tried to explain the missing joint to Steve--who was a lot less casual about being potentially lit on fire.

“Where are you interviewing at, anyway?” Gareth asked, as Eddie dramatically army-crawled to his bedroom in search of a new joint, after being thoroughly chewed out about losing the last one.

“Starcourt. Place called Scoop’s Ahoy.”

Knowing damn well he was the highest person in the room right now, Gareth frowned as he tried to recall what store that was.

It took him a moment.

Then the realization hit and glee overtook him in a wave that not even weed could temper down.

“The ice cream shop?” He said, amusement overtaking his voice.

“Yeah!” Steve said, only to immediately frown when a cackle of laughter burst out of Gareth’s mouth.

“How is that funny?”

“If you don’t already know,” Gareth snickered, “I’m not telling you.”

He was saved from having to explain by Eddie inch worming back, this time with a lit joint in his mouth.

Sparks twirled from the end of it, landing threatening on the thin carpet every time he puffed.

“Dammit Eddie you’re gonna catch the trailer on fire!”

“Supposedly he already did.” Gareth tattled.

This did not earn him any favors, but did give him endless amounts of delight when Steve dived on Eddie as if wrestling would, in fact, save them all from catching the place on fire, and not help it along instead.

God, Scoop’s Ahoy.

Gareth’s summer just got a hell of a lot better.

Bonus

If he was a good person, Gareth would have given Steve a heads up about Hellfire visiting on his second week of work.

Unfortunately, Gareth was far more interested in seeing everyone else's reactions to care. Only Tiff so far had realized what “Steve’s working at that ice cream place at the mall” meant and Gareth was in dire need of watching Eddie’s reaction to The Shorts.

“Remind me to steal Grant's camera next time.” He whispered to Hellfire as a whole as they walked up to the counter, grin growing as Eddie finally clocked Steve.

Slutty little sailor outfit and all.

Eddie’s own grin froze first, and then his limbs, eyes growing so wide they practically overtook his face. He didn’t seem to know what to do with his mouth, and so it stayed slightly open, giving the wonderful impression that he’d been paused like a VHS tape.

Gareth wanted to live in this moment forever.

“Hey Harrington, you didn't clean the--whoa.”

Steve’s coworker—a girl from band whose name Gareth couldn’t recall—stared at the group, her expression shifting into something that could only be described as “overworked minimum wage employee completely fed up with life.”

“Can I help you?” She challenged, planting her hands on her hips with one eyebrow raised.

Like he’d been shocked back to life, Eddie sprung into action.

“Oh we're here to laugh at--ow, Jeff, your elbows are like blades!”

“We're here to see Steve.” Grant said over Eddie’s screeching, before turning his own cheeky smirk on their ex-jock. “Right buddy?”

A smile flit over Robin's face, something that's got too much of an edge to it to be friendly.

“Well don't let me stop you. Take your time, we offer unlimited free samples.” She waved her hand to all the open tubs in the case, the same gesture Eddie used when pretending to be a merchant unveiling fanciful wares.

Steve frowned, head whipping to her in outrage. “Not even an hour ago you were down my throat about giving out too many!”

Robin turned innocently towards him. “I don't know what you mean.”

“You literally said and I quote, ‘Harrington we don't offer unlimited free samples!’”

“You must have misheard me.”

“Well don't convince the lady otherwise, let's try some ice cream!” Eddie said, clapping his hands together.

To the average outsider it might look like he's taking Robin's side (and advantage of the situation)

What he was actually doing is what he always did--pulling the attention back on himself to get heat off everyone else in a way that allowed him to stare greedily at Hellfire’s newly acquired sailor boy.

Steve huffed, frustrated, but pulled his scooper out of his holster anyway. Twirled it as he does so and then did it again when Eddie ooed and awed at him for it.

“Can you do tricks?”

“Like what?”

“I dunno man, throw it in the air and catch it?”

“Do not throw ice cream.” Robin warned from the spot she’d retreated too, settling against the wall to watch the show.

Idly Gareth wondered how long it would take for her to catch on that they’re all friends.

(It still surprised him to learn there were people who didn’t know they were friends.

Gareth had assumed small town syndrome would mean the entire school had figured it out by now, but there’s always people who don’t eat their lunch in the cafeteria or pay much attention to gossip.

A stereotype that Buckley fit to a perfect T.)

“Yeah Munson, I'd probably just get it all over me!” Steve added, exaggerating his own frown.

A fact Robin considered, before stating:

“On second thought, tricks would bring in more customers…”

Eddie pointed a finger her way, winking. “I think I'm starting to like you, Buckley.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Well, stop.”

(He never actually started, of course, but Gareth doesn't think she's figured that out yet.)

Bonus x2

“There’s a guy drowning in the mall fountain.” Robin announced as she trooped past, backpack slung over her shoulder. Steve had opened the store by himself today, something he had privately told Gareth he was proud of.

(“Means she’s starting to trust me!” He’d declared, triumphant, and somehow missed Eddie making a gagging noise in his peripheral vision.)

“Sonovabitch!” Steve growled, flinging the dishrag down and vaulting over the counter.

“What--” Robin sputtered, flinging herself away before she got plowed over. “Dingus we have a door--!”

Gareth said nothing, instead taking a noisy slurp of his shake as he too, turned to watch as Steve paused at the fountain’s edge, assessing the splashing happening inside of it with narrowed eyes.

“Fucking show off.” Robin finished in a mutter, as Steve seemed to decide the best course of action was to lunge forward, grabbing onto the drowning guy’s waist with both arms and bodily hauling him out.

A familiar figured flailed around for a minute before going limp, causing him and Steve both to crash to the floor and--

Gareth almost choked on his shake.

“Oh shit that’s Stewart!” He gasped, slamming the shake on the counter before rushing over to help his friends.

“There’s a trash can, right there.” Robin called after him, and when it proved ineffective, threateningly yelled;

“I’m throwing this away!”

“Dude, you're a trouble magnet, you know that?” Steve was ranting, as Stewart sputtered and hacked up fountain water.

“I thought I saw something!” He whined in between coughs as Gareth trotted up.

“Well stop it.” Steve crawled back up to his feet, trying to fix his dumb little sailor suite while glaring menacingly at Stewart.

“Was the thing you saw coins perhaps?” Gareth teased, now assured that Stewart wasn’t in danger of dying from his own stupidity (again.) “Maybe a misplaced dollar bill?”

“Shut up.” He moaned, while Gareth smirked at Steve.

Who just ran his hands through his hair, like he wasn’t fond of their antics, the liar.

“Did you decide to find it with your mouth instead of a hand, like a sane person?”

“I said shut up Gareth--”

“Let me get you real water.” Steve interrupted, being hauling Stewart back to Scoop’s, like the mom figure he so totally was.

[iinryer]

i made a post about s7 and s4 parallels… so obviously we have to do a s8 and s5 spreadsheet too :)

i’ll update this post as i update my list!

[ID under the cut for easier legibility than alt]

DISCLAIMER: this is for FUN. please don’t take this as anything other than me goofing around <3

—

[a three column spreadsheet with the labels "PLOT POINT", "SEASON 5", and "SEASON 8"]

An opening emergency that has Athena confronting something traumatic from her past and dealing with someone she arrested years ago, culminating in gunshots in a parking garage (?) with Bobby there (an antagonist gets their dick obliterated somewhere in this plot)

- S5: Jeffrey Hudson

- S8: Dennis Jenkins

Creatures are loose in LA where they are not supposed to be, and causing havoc

- S5: Zoo animals

- S8: Bees

Buck, Eddie, & Chris scene in the Diaz house where someone with the initials TK (that Buck met in relation to a helicopter, who kissed Buck in his kitchen after Eddie got hurt and then had to leave) who Buck is now dating is a guest. Eddie is having a bad time

- S5: Eddie cooks dinner, Taylor is a guest

- S8: Eddie throws a Zoom birthday party, Tommy is a guest

Hen and Eddie treat a cheerleader who gets hurt in an episode 4 with the word "home" in the title

- S5: 504 Home and Away

- S8: 804 No Place Like Home

The 118 team is fractured due to core team members leaving

- S5: Chim leaves, Eddie leaves, the 118 feels off

- Bobby is still out, the 118 under Gerrard feels wrong

A family member of the 118 has left the state to heal

- S5: Maddie runs to Boston

- S8: Chris is still in El Paso

Antagonist on the 118

- S5: Jonah

- S8: Gerrard

Characters from air control make an appearance due to a plane-related system failure

- S5: Blackout opening emergency causes air control to lose contact with a plane. 118 called in for panic/heart attacks

- S8: Plane collision opening emergency has air control on call helping Athena and Jem land the plane

People helping each other in the opening emergency with assistance from dispatch

- S5: Neighborhood getting power to the ventilator

- S8: Passengers on the flight keeping each other alive

The cause of the opening emergency disappears and isn't addressed or followed up on

- S5: The hacker group goes dark and is never identified

- S8: The bees? fly away?

Eddie connects with a father he meets because of a call, goes beyond the job description to try to help him do something good for his son

- S5: Mitchell and his son

- S8: The cheerleader and his dad

Discussions of postpartum and Madney parenthood

- S5: Jee

- S8: New Han baby

Buck asks his partner to move in after he has a strong emotional reaction and is battling over revealing something to them

- S5: Taylor

- S8: Tommy

Buck's relationship with someone who has the initialsTK who he met in relation to a helicopter and kissed him in his kitchen after Eddie got injured, ends while in Buck's loft

- S5: Taylor

- S8: Tommy

Eddie goes to someone for help after a period of being miserable and not letting himself heal

- S5: Therapy

- S8: Confession

Eddie lets himself feel joy

- S5: Returning to firefighting

- S8: Dancing for the sake of dancing

Eddie decides to leave the 118 after a period of internal turmoil in an effort to do right by Chris without consulting anyone in his support system in the midseason cliffhanger

- S5: Quitting Firefighting

- S8: Going to Texas

Unaddressed callbacks to previous NDEs

- S5: Man shot and buried alive, Buck and Eddie held at gunpoint

- S8: Hotshots stunt double hanging from the ladder, kid in a well

A parent is heartbroken about missing their kid's big milestones

- S5: Maddie and Jee

- S8: Eddie and Chris

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1 REACTION

It's a new week which means a new episode of 9-1-1. So, let's talk about it! This reaction is for the season 8, fourth episode "No Place Like Home" which originally aired October 17. 2024. The episode was written by Lyndsey Beaulieu and directed by Marita Grabiak. Spoilers ahead!

I want to start off by saying I love this show. I love the characters. I love the emergencies. I love the big disasters. I have been thoroughly entertained by this show since episode one. There have been many amazing episodes over the last eight years. "Buck Begins", "The Searchers" and "Fight or Flight" come to mind. If I were to make a list of my Top Ten or Top Twenty Episodes of the series, tonight's episode would be a strong contender for either list. Yes, you read that correctly. Tonight's episode has everything I like in an episode of 9-1-1. We have two brutal emergencies. We have some comedic moments as well as some heartwarming ones as well. We also have one of the best villains I've seen on primetime television in a long time. Olivia Ortiz is part mafia boss, part Captain Planet villain and I loved hating her this episode. I have a feeling this will not be the last time we see her. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start off by talking about the best plot.

Best plot?

There are a few strong contenders for best plot of the episode. I really enjoyed Eddie's side quest to reunite the cheerleader Weston (played by Trent Mason) with his father Mike (played by DaJuan Johnson). The plot really endeared me to Eddie and his situation. I haven't been the biggest Eddie fan since he blew up his life last season but I'm starting to see glimmers of what his character was like back when he was first introduced. I hope they don't carry on the 'Christopher is mad at Eddie' storyline too much longer. I need Gavin McHugh back on my screen again and not via a FaceTime call. 

I did also love the stuff involving Bobby and Athena. I totally get where both of them are coming from. Athena wants something familiar and Bobby wants something new. I'm honestly surprised they lasted as long as they did living in Athena and Michael's home especially after Michael ended up in her bed that time. Perhaps Athena didn't want to uproot her children from their childhood home. Maybe her thought process was that it didn't matter if her family looked different (divorcing Michael and marrying Bobby( as long as the environment she was in stayed the same. I'm glad that Athena really acknowledged Bobby's feelings. Listening and taking into account each other's feelings has been an obstacle for them to overcome. I really think the cruise saved their marriage. They seem to be so in tune with each other. I can't wait to see where they end up living.

While I enjoyed the two aforementioned plots, the best plot of the episode, in my humblest of opinion, was Hen and Karen's fight to get Mara back. First off, shout-out to Veronica Falcón. Councilwoman Olivia Ortiz is hands down the best villain we have ever gotten on this show. Psycho firefighter Jonah Greenway (played by Bryce Durfee) and serial rapist Jeffrey Hudson (played by Noah Bean) or even Vincent Gerrard (played by Brian Thompson) can't hold a candle to this ruthless person. In the scene where Hen goes to Olivia's campaign office, I actually thought that she'd finally gotten through to the councilwoman. Boy was I wrong. No one holds a grudge quite like Olivia Ortiz. The woman is pure evil and I don't even think she cares as much about her son as she would like us to believe. The only thing she cares about is having power and maintaining it.

My heart broke for Hen and Karen when they were told they could no longer be around Mara. It never occurred to me there could be something wrong with Maddie and Chimney fostering Mara as a way of having Hen and Karen around. At least they didn't remove Mara from the home. I think that would've broken Hen and Karen. And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, we learn via Gerrard that the ultimate goal is to not only break up Hen's family at home but her work family as well. The woman is diabolical I tell you! In the most surprising move on the episode, not only do we get a conclusion to the Mara/Olivia Ortiz storyline, we get a twist! Turns out, Gerrard is still a steaming pile of horse shit but he is capable of doing something really good - even if there's something in it for him. 

Who knew that Chekov's bodycam would be the thing that brought Olivia down. I just knew that when we saw Gerrard go to Ortiz's office that things were about to go left. Turns out, Bobby does manage to get through to Gerrard during his visit to the firefighter show set and he uses his own bodycam to expose Olivia's nefarious plans to close the 118. We get to see that footage played during the hearing at the end of the episode and just like that, ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead and that's not even the best part. Gerrard ends up taking over Bobby's job at the studio and Bobby is reinstated as the rightful captain of the 118. It's a win-win situation although something tells me we haven't seen the last of Olivia Ortiz.

Best emergency sequence?

One of the major complaints about last season is the lack of emergencies we got to see the 118 respond to. The first three episodes of the 10-episode season were dedicated to the cruise ship disaster. We had an episode devoted to Maddie and Chimney's wedding. The last two episodes were all about Bobby. Thankfully we're back to the kooky emergencies that really put this show on the map. As far as what's the best emergency sequence of this episode - that's a hard one. Out options this week is Death Becomes Cheerleader and Tiger King. The emergency involving the tiger in the high-rise building was especially fun because we got to see Chimney be a total bad-ass with a tranq gun. My pick for best emergency sequence is our totally twisted cheerleader. Not only does it involve body horror and toxic masculinity, this emergency also feeds into Eddie's storyline. It did make me a tad bit nervous when we got the establishing shot of a football field and cheerleaders performing a routine. The last time we had cheerleaders in the show, it ended in tragedy. Weston does manage to survive his injury thanks to Eddie and his superior paramedic skills. I do wish they would play up his paramedic side a bit more on the show but that's sort of hard to do when you already have Hen and Chimney there.

We learn that Weston has a strained relationship with his father who isn't exactly thrilled about having a cheerleader for a son. I've always found the whole 'cheerleaders aren't real athletes' sentiment to be baffling because one could argue that cheerleader requires a lot more athleticism than playing football does. Yes, I know that football players are putting their bodies on the line for the sake of winning a game but cheerleaders are flipping and being tossed in the air all without wearing pads and there's a strong chance they may fall on their head or in the case of this Weston, get their entire body twisted around. Unfortunately, Weston's father Mike doesn't see cheerleading that way. He thinks cheerleading is for girls and deems his son as less masculine for being a cheerleader. Eddie decides to talk to Mike about his treatment of Weston which leads me to my award.

Episode MVP?

The MVP of this episode is Eddie Diaz! Yes, you read that correctly. I really liked the scenes we got with Eddie. Minus the awful mustache, it really felt like we got old Eddie this episode. I was totally on board with the advice he gave to Weston's dad. At first I thought it was a bold move for Eddie to seek out Mike and talk to him. No offense but Eddie is hardly the person to be doling out parental advice at the moment. I did like his approach to talking to Mike. Eddie was very honest about his own fraught relationship with Christopher. I truly felt for Eddie during this conversation because things have not improved between him and Christopher and he doesn't want things to get so bad that he becomes Mike and Christopher becomes Weston. Eddie does manage to get through to Mike and we see father and son reunited at the end of the episode. Even if Eddie isn't able to repair his own father/son relationship, at least he can facilitate reconciliation between Weston and Mike. Hopefully we get to see more of his journey towards forgiveness and reconciliation in the next episodes. I miss Christopher and I can't wait until he's back in Los Angeles where he belongs.Hey writers! More of this Eddie please. Oh, and please, please, pretty please with sugar on top get rid of that creepy mustache! Ryan Guzman is a gorgeous man and it's diminishing his sexiness. 

BuckTommy Corner

There's no BuckTommy in this episode. For our third episode straight, Tommy Kinard is nowhere to be found. But I'm not too upset about it. Lou Ferrigno Jr. did shout-out the episode on Twitter so I am quite confident we will be seeing him soon. The man stays booked and busy so the show has to work around his schedule. I do think this is a sign that he is meant to stay for the long haul because I'm sure they could find another actor who is more available. I get the sense that Tim and the gang really love Lou and what he brings to the show so they are more than willing to take what they can get.

Something I found amusing that is BuckTommy is adjacent to Gerrard's nickname for Buck in this episode. He calls our dear sweet Evan 'tight-end' which is a reference to his position when he played football back in high school. I did wonder if Gerrard's usage of the name is more about Buck's sexuality than it is about a football position. Also, I never really figured out if Gerrard knew about Buck and Tommy. I'm sure he knows about Tommy but does he know  they are dating? I guess that's all moot because Gerrard is gone and Bobby is back. Poor Buck has been so miserable as of late. Hopefully Bobby being back will mellow him out a bit. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode. It felt like classic 9-1-1. I've said it once and it bears repeating - the move to ABC continues to be one of the best things that has happened to the show. The network truly cares about 9-1-1 and is throwing all the money at the show. I do wish they could have rescued 9-1-1: Lone Star as well. Maybe Sierra McClain would still be on the show if the spin-off made it over to ABC as well. I have heard some scuttlebutt about there being another 9-1-1 sequel that will air in conjunction with the OG series but nothing definite. I do wonder which city they would pick if we do get another show. My vote is for New Orleans or Atlanta. But hey, we're talking about 9-1-1.

I am curious as to what's in store for everyone now that everything's been reset. Bobby is back at the 118 and Hen and Karen got Mara back. I hope we get to see more of Buck and Tommy. I am curious about the journey Eddie's about to embark on. The B*ddie shippers seem to think we're about to see Eddie wrestle with his latent homosexuality but I think the man has bigger fish to fry. Eddie needs to deal with his religious trauma. I think he also needs to reckon with his feelings about Shannon. He also needs to get Christopher back. Our boy has a lot of work to do and playing kissy face with his best friend and coworker is not even remotely a priority. Another thing I think we're going to focus on is Maddie and Chimney's first year of being married. Maddie's last marriage was a total nightmare and old habits die hard. I wonder if we will see her struggle with own personal demons as she navigates a marriage with Chimney. I can't wait to see Bobby and Athena move into a new home and deal with being empty-nesters. I do wonder what they have in store for Hen and Karen. Hopefully they're good for now and maybe all we need is the occasional scene of domestic bliss. I guess we'll have to wait to see what happens next. Until next time ...

[unsaidace]

Those fans should stick to watching episode compilations of Eddie scenes & gifsets and stop pretending to care about the show as a whole.

This material is so rich. I’m not surprised nor judging Athena’s anger at Chimney and can totally put myself in his shoes to feel his anger at Bobby. Like, that’s a lot—to have someone trade their life for yours. Athena’s response has many layers—she’s angry at Bobby as we saw, but he’s not there. Chimney is and a reminder of that. It’s like when she was angry about Jeffrey’s influence on Harry but lashed out at the latter. If they really wanted to, there would be Athena and Maddie conflict, since they’re close but Maddie would be protective of her husband. One of the few times in the later seasons where they allowed for real discord was Maddie confronting Hen about not being on board with a proposal/engagement.

Bobby saved Hen’s life too. I don’t know how much we’ll get with Ravi, but he was in there and got out unscathed, no surgery required, no antiviral needed. Buck being on the outside. We’ve seen how concerned he’s been in the the past when Bobby’s life was at risk, all the times that he did make it through.

The building collapse at the Indian wedding in season 1, where they show up and there’s already 16 people DOA that then leads into Bobby’s backstory -> it’s such a good example of how this show was telling stories at the beginning. I enjoy the funny calls too, but this is not a good guys win/live, bad guys jail/die always, tv series

All of this, x1000.

Honestly, I can’t take any of the bitching seriously. Especially the “this is too dark for the silly found family firefighter show” stuff, because this has never been a “silly” show. Yes, there are some goofy arcs, but the overall theme of the show has always had a little grit to it. When we first met Bobby, he was a suicidal accidental arsonist turned firefighter, for god’s sakes. There’s nothing “silly” about that. And there’s a dozen other arcs that people call “stupid” or “goofy” when, in reality, they’re actually quite serious; Buck’s saviour sibling arc being one.

I think that part of the problem is that the show has that “found family” feel to it. We’ve seen so many found family shows where everybody lives, so when this show also has that same kind of vibe to it? People expect the same. Except that’s not realistic, because this is a show about firefighters. In real life, unfortunately, firefighters die on the job every day; it’s a miracle the crew in the show lasted as long as they did, honestly. I’m glad Tim finally found the balls to kill a main and raise the stakes — it’s well overdue, and it makes the show feel fresh and interesting again.

[thelonelyseraph]

i said i was going to do the thing. so here i am. doing the thing.

("the thing" is me rewatching every single episode of supernatural. and blogging about my experience with them. godspeed to me.)

a bit of a preamble: why am i doing this? because i can because for some reason, supernatural resonated with me on a scale that i wasn't expecting. i'm a supernatural late bloomer, having only watched it for the first time last year. my first attempt to watch it, and i gave up after three episodes. my second attempt to watch it, and i "watched" every single episode in the sense i also slept through a great portion of it because my dog had had major surgery and needed to be cleaned nearly every hour for weeks, and so i watched it extremely sleep-deprived and during naps. i think it deserves a genuine watch-through now because the parts i was at least semi-alive for, i absolutely adored, and i want to better understand why that is. also because supernatural is just a brilliant gateway into practising my writing. i mean, come on. the fanfiction opportunities with this show are endless. endless! for the sake of not misleading anyone though, while i'm not necessarily a shipper yet, i do very much lean towards being destiel friendly. i know that shipping is a pretty astronomical part of this fandom and i will inevitably be pulled in eventually, so i wanted to make it clear from the gecko where i'm at.

without further ado, season 1, episode 1. here we go.

i am immediately struck by how fucking bizarre it is to see jeffrey dean morgan without a leather jacket. mate, where's lucille? john winchester does make reference to sam tossing around a football, but a young dean says sam's not ready for that. i hope john's not considering a future for sam in baseball now. also, i just noticed that john's wearing a shirt that says "JSM" but i think they should have given him a shirt that says "JDM". is it too late for them to redo this scene?

there's a fire and the firefighters arrive and i guess bobby, hen, chimney et al weren't working that day (i've never seen 911 but i hear you, tumblr, i hear you).

cue sam and dean. if i'd watched this show when it first started, i'd have been 10, and sam and dean would have been a lot older than me. but instead i first watched it at 29, and they are a bit younger (and a lot taller) than me. by the time i finish the show again, they'll out-age me again, unless it takes me years to do this rewatch. that's neither here nor there. i never watched it when i was a kid because my sister said it would be too scary, but that's okay because i grew up on doctor who with episodes like the empty child to make up for it.

dean has a chevy impala but i often wonder about how different the dynamic of the show would have been if he drove a mini cooper. it's very strange that they didn't make that artistic decision, but oh well.

sam has to get back "first thing monday" because he has a law school interview. i think he should have pushed to get back sunday evening though so he could have had a healthy meal and a good eight hours of sleep to better prepare. i think if that had happened, he would have become a lawyer and the rest of the show would have been very different. he probably would have ended up as dean's defence barrister.

there's a scene where the impala is driving itself and i've changed my mind. baby shouldn't have been a mini cooper; baby should have been a 1963 volkswagen beetle named herbie. another missed opportunity.

we also learn that dean is a strong swimmer and can apparently swim upstream through a coursing (river?) fully clothed, and i think that's even more supernatural than anything else in this episode. instead of telling his brother how impressive that is, sam tells him he smells like a toilet. to be fair, i struggle with giving (and receiving) compliments too, so i'm not judging. from there i just completely forget to write about anything else because i was genuinely really enjoying the episode, both in terms of character dynamics and atmosphere. i don't think it's scary, and i didn't think it was on my first watch, but embarrassingly the only thing that scares me nowadays is cheap jumpscares à la five nights at freddy's and birds, so there's that. in saying that, my sister was right and i would have been terrified to watch this when i was 10, so thank goodness i didn't grow up with things like blink in its place (i did).

[texasbama]

I wanna ask your opinion on something bc im not black and dont wanna overstep on anything but have you noticed that 911 is like more tragic and graphic w trauma than necessary w black people than others? Im doing a rewatch and it seems like all the mains get reasonable physical traumas but then theres hen w losing nia and athena being beaten. I just finished the tania story and it was like more graphic about her death then i thought necessary not to mention the mara plot. Idk maybe im overthinking but the only other really graphic story i can think is the maddie one w doug hitting her but again wasnt nearly as bad as jeffrey attacking athena. I also think in terms of calls theres almost always a black parent dying and leaving kids behind and i just wanna know your opinion

oh no you are 100% spot on. while this is a show that showcases all types of trauma, the trauma with the black characters - minor or major- are almost always more violent and tragic in nature. it's abhorrent. Athena beaten the way she was. Mara's backstory and then comparing her trauma to a dog. A DOG. showing her taken away from the Wilson's in such a traumatic way. idk if you followed me back when 6x03 aired but Tanya's story had me sick to my stomach. I know there have been a lot of episodes of this show, but I don't recall one that has EVER been that vile. Is it a reality for little black girls? unfortunately. but to see it played out like that? i was disgusted.

and honestly, I'm sure if we went through each episode there are probably more examples. 911 is no stranger to tragedy but they definitely make sure the black characters trauma is the worst. I am convinced that 1) there are no black writers in that writers room. 2) Tim Minear and Co. love to exploit black trauma, specifically with black children. Overall this show is amazing, but they fail in a spectacular fashion when it comes to writing stories for these black characters that is impactful but doesn't exploit our trauma. They have to do better.

[thetalee]

Protective Custody

A Born for Adversity one-shot in which we see the possible results of a violent action.

(Because this scenario has been playing in my brain, but it can't actually go this way unless I really want to fuck everything up.)

The house was silent, but it was not peaceful. it hadn't been peaceful since that bastard walked in and took Athena's son from his home, since he violated that sense of safety. Bobby was at the stove, working on breakfast for the pair of them. Just for the pair of them: Harry had spent the night at his sister's, and it hurt that Athena understood exactly why he did not want to be home.

The house wasn't peaceful, but it was silent. And then it wasn't even that as Athena's phone rang. She debated for a moment to just let it ring through, especially since it wasn't any of her children calling. It was Eddie, though, which made her instincts sit up and take notice.

She picked her phone up off the table, answering it with a simple,

"Hello?"

"Danny's going to kill Chimney!"

That had her full attention. If it was about anyone else, Athena would've chalked it up to hyperbole. As it was, she knew Daniel Buckley far too well at this point to not take the words seriously.

"What do you mean?" she asked, getting to her feet.

"Chimney got an insurance invoice about an ER visit for Jee," Eddie explained in a rush. "He went over to confront Buck or- or something, and- It doesn't matter. Chimney got angry. And then he punched Buck."

"Is Buck okay?" Athena asked, which was a question that earned her husband's concern. Bobby turned off the burners and grabbed a towel to wipe his hands off as he came over, curiosity etched into the lines on his face.

"I'm at the ER with him, we're waiting for the doctor to come back. They're worried about the bone around his eye. But Athena, Danny knows. I haven't seen him this pissed since... I don't know. Ever."

"Where is he now?"

"He just left."

Athena didn't bother with farewells. She hung up and immediately fell into crisis mode, grabbing her shoes and her keys. Bobby, seeing her in action, hurried did the same. When she pulled her gun out of its lockbox - not her department issued sidepiece, that one was taken as part of the requisite investigation into her shooting of Jeffrey Hudson, but her personal one - his eyes went wide as saucers.

The car ride there probably should have taken longer than it did. As it was, she was undoubtedly going to have to call it in, if only to explain why there was a car breaking every known traffic law as it sped through the city. She came to an ungraceful stop in front of Chimney and Maddie's building, tires squealing.

Chimney and Hen stared at them, the latter apparently in the middle of packing up his car.

"Athena." Hen sounded bewildered as she watched her and Bobby jump out. "What's-?"

Another car came to a squealing stop, nearly sideswiping them all with its carelessness. Athena understood what Eddie had meant, now, when he said he had never seen Daniel Buckley so angry. He got out of the car, that damned baseball bat already in his hand. It glinted in the sunlight as he pointed it at Chimney.

"You!" he snarled with enough viciousness that even Bobby flinched, storming towards them. Chimney let out an actual squeak, scrambling for distance.

"Dan." Athena put herself in front of Chimney, hand on her gun. "Don't."

"I'm going to beat him bloody," Daniel said, only to draw up short when she pulled her gun out and pointed it at him. "Really?"

"I'm not going to let you do this."

"I don't give a fuck about what you'll let me do," he told her. "I am going to kill him."

"Dan, I know you-" Bobby tried, mediator voice in full effect. It might've been the worst possible thing he could've done, because it just made Daniel angrier.

"Shut the fuck up, Nash! You don't get to talk, not about this."

None the options that lay before Athena were good ones. She didn't want to shoot Daniel, but she also didn't want to watch him murder Chimney with a baseball bat. She needed to deescalate the situation, somehow. She needed-

There was a tiny little cry from the car. They all looked at it, spotting Jee-Yun in her carseat. Chimney took a step towards her, only a single one - he froze the moment the motion put him in Daniel's sights again. Jee-Yun's cries got louder, more urgent.

Daniel looked between them, face having gone unnervingly blank. And then he turned and went to Chimney's car, yanking the door open as he set the bat aside.

"Hey, princess." It was a complete switch from his words just skant moments ago, soft and full of adoration. "What's got you so upset, huh?"

Athena watched him reach in and unbuckle his niece, pulling her close to his chest. This was a reprieve, she knew, but it didn't actually solve anything. She needed to keep Chimney somewhere that Daniel couldn't get to him. She needed to arrest Chimney for his own good.

"Howard Han," Athena said, digging one-handedly into her pocket for her cuffs. They were going to be a last resort on Daniel, because she knew what memories it would dredge up for him; putting them on Chimney was a much better use. "You are under arrest for the assault and battery of Evan Buckley-"

"Athena!" Chimney protested. Judging from Hen's look of horror, it appeared that he hadn't shared that tidbit of information with her.

"You have the right to remain silent," Athena recited, keeping an eye on Daniel as she reholstered her gun. When he didn't immediately lunge to carry through with his threats, when he barely glanced their way as he pawed through a diaper bag, she grabbed Chimney's arms and manhandled him as she cuffed his wrists. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law-"

"But Jee!" Chimney struggled a little against her grip. "Maddie! I need to-"

"You need to shut up," Athena hissed at him. "What did you think was going to happen when you put Buck in the ER?"

"Go," Bobby urged. "Get him out of here. I'll stay and handle this."

Athena nodded, so very grateful for her husband, and bustled Chimney into her car. She shoved him, with very little grace, into her backseat before sliding behind the steering wheel. Daniel's eyes tracked them as she pulled back onto the road.

"Athena." Chimney leaned forward as best he could with the way he was buckled in, hands cuffed behind his back. "This is just... I'm not really under arrest, am I?"

"The DA will decide if there'll be any charges filed," Athena told him. When he spoke up again, protesting about how Jee-Yun needed him and how he needed to find Maddie, she lost her temper. "Shut up, Howard! No one's happy with you right now. Maddie might be one of the last people you want to see, right after Daniel, because she'll probably join him in murdering you. What the hell did you think was going to happen when you assaulted Buck!?"

"...I wasn't thinking," was the quiet admittance.

"Obviously."

[catmomjudy]

(Gratuitous Jee since there wasn’t a third photo in that set.)

So, I posted elsewhere (Cold Open) the order I think the beginning of the episode will go. I am also assuming that these photos are in order (as I’ve seen others anssuming—although the hospital photos seem all over the place).

I don’t really think the Diaz parents, in the end, look angry here. They seem to calm down after they hear what Eddie has to say. They look surprised and concerned.

So, let’s hope they take Christopher for the weekend, and the trio of photos above is Buck and Eddie waiting for Chris to come home (after he’s calmed down a bit), and then the Big Conversation (Full Circle). Remember what the synopsis says: “Christopher fights to trust his dad.”

This doesn’t sound like giving up. In the synopsis, they are ALL fighting to rise up again (like a phoenix from the ashes).

In the photos of Hen and the Buckley-Hans, they are all HAPPY—including Hen. They are all in different clothes than they were wearing at the hospital (Chim’s shirt IS new—at first I thought it wasn’t). They are all smiling. This feels like good news about Hen’s situation.

🔥🐦‍🔥🔥

It’s very confusing. But Athena has left the hospital and is On a Quest in the stills, so I suppose we can assume that Bobby is stable and awake. Otherwise, I don’t really think she’d leave. Hen looks happy. Eddie is up in the air, but I’m hopeful for the reasons given above.

OTOH, these photos may only get us 15 minutes into the episode, like last week. And we’ll get true resolution of the these two plots at the end (where these stills are the hopeful middle).

And the last 20 minutes will be Athena being kidnapped by the cartel or the hijackers. I hope Athena learned her lesson about being TSTL with Jeffrey Hudson.

🤷🏻‍♀️

[typicalopposite]

*paces the room*

So I just finished season 5!

So MUCH happened I swear going back to look at the episodes synopsis’ for this post I was like… wait that was in this season too?!? I stayed up ALL night TWICE watching this season because I just couldn’t turn it off! It’s crazy that people didn’t like this season (like vehemently didn’t like it at least on Reddit… BUT they say they don’t like s6 because its Buck centric and he “needs to be more of a background character” sooooo clearly I won’t read too into their nonsense)

ANYWAY this season is possibly one of my favorites! From the hackers the gps wrecks and tower scare, the zoo breakout (THE ZOO BREAKOUT OMG… THE ALPACAAAAAAAS! And Buck being scared LOL) to Jeffrey escaping and then Athena’s whole story line following! I was terrified for her and for Harry and ACK!!!!

Maddie’s PPD and leaving arc was so heartbreaking and frustrating at the same time! And I felt so bad for Chim (and Buck) and baby Jee!

OMG the homecoming parade crash and the mixup I was so Heartbroken for them! :(

Claudette… :/ hated her and her ending… but mostly her

Of course Lucifer (spn) shows up as an extremely bad guy but he wants to play dad of the year (ok the guy here at least is thinking of his kid more than himself… but still PARALLELS!)

MICHAEL AND DAVID! I hated to see them go! And that montage had me all teary eyed during one of my all nighters!

Toni’s little love story <3 and the girls from the oil spill! <3<3

Eddie’s panic attacks and leaving the 118 was so sad! But I get it… I also know he will be back because I came from season 7 *shrugs* so it wasn’t too sad, yanno?

I love that everyone still came together for Christmas tho, i was like poor Bobby and Athena </3

Madney reunion… sort of </3 but again…. I know how this ends lol. Also JJ and Kate reunion (criminal minds)

The kiss might be the one thing I truly disliked from the season because it doesn’t really do anything beyond being annoying.

WHY DOES EVERYONE USE BOBBY’S PAST AGAINST HIM WHEN THEY ARE ANGRYYYYYYYYYYYYY :(

Well I have a fear of sauna’s now (and stop signs… and exercising)

The mom that falls saving her daughters had me BAWLING!

Bobby and May’s relationship is everything to me! And ack I knew I didn’t like Jonah

I take back my original assumption of Buck having the worst luck. It’s Chimney. What the hell. Give this man a raise and a vacation… some amazing life insurance and some bubble wrap. How he is alive is beyond me!!

THE LAST EPISODE

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH <3

Toni getting married, and the drama about her missing Hen and Karen’s wedding. Buck’s face when Maddie texts Chim first. Bobby </3 was not ok, but EDDIE CAME THROUGH! And when he poured the whiskey out I was whooop whoooping out loud! THEN THE WEDDING I love Toni so much omg and everyone coming! PLUS no more Taylor :) hahahaha (sorry i just never liked her)

(Omg the maggots in the hair might have too the cake as the worst thing to happen… at least visually… for me)

SEASON SIX HERE I COME! You better be all about Buck like the pissy people on Reddit said you are! And y’all, send me strength for that mid season finale i have seen it dozens of times but this is gonna be different and I have never been so prepared to be unprepared for something in my life! O.o

[dedalvs]

Hi David! Hope you’re having a nice day.

Do you have any tips for people who want to create a casual conlang, as in only for like a pen & paper game or a story they’re writing, where they want to coin some phrases and have a recognisable and somewhat realistic sound but can’t put in all of the background work that really goes into what you do?

Thanks for your time!

Yes I do! I recommend you read a short paper by Jeffrey Henning called "A Naming Language" (you can find it at Fiat Lingua). This will tell you how to create a small language sketch that will allow you to create just enough of a phonology and basic grammatical decisions to create names in your language. What it won't help you do is create complex syntax and inflection required for full scale translation. Now, when I say that, you might be thinking, like, to translate a novel or a political tract, or something like that, but frankly, translating something like, "Can you hand me that wrench over there?" is complex enough. Embedded in that one sentence is choices you have to make about:

Polar question formation

Abilitive/permissive modality

Potential subject/object concord

Demonstratives

Spatial location systems

Pronoun systems

Now this all works in a specific way in English, but it will work in a different specific way in every other language. Some things that English is sensitive too others may not be (for example, English changes word order when changing from a statement to a question; other languages don't do that), but other languages may be sensitive to things English isn't (for example, a language like Georgian has verbs that agree with both the subject, direct object, and indirect object. English doesn't do that). All of these are decisions you have to make (or make implicitly) when designing a language.

I mention all this so you understand what exactly you'll have when you create a language sketch—what you can do and what you can't. With a language sketch, you can create names, you can create single words, you can create derivations, even phrases that don't resolve to anything (like "Cool!" that is a word with one meaning but used to mean something else). You can't translate full sentences. If you do, what you'll either be doing is either (a) creating actual grammar, which is what you do when creating a full language, or (b) unconsciously recreating the grammar of another language (e.g. unconsciously copying the grammar of English).

It is within everyone's capabilities to create a language sketch in no more than a week—perhaps even an hour or two. As long as you know exactly what you can and can't do with it, you can plan accordingly for your fiction—and a sketch can always be expanded into a full conlang later!

[filipinfodump]

Kabesang Tales - Isang Rap en Rol Musical

A Filipino Musical that hasn't left my mind since the mid 2010s

Poster for Kabesang Tales posted by Palakat Batangas City via Facebook

Although the Philippines is known for its many talented singers which include many that had crossed over to Broadway such as Lea Salonga, and Rachelle Ann Go, alongside many other Filipino-American talents like Conrad Ricamora, Arielle Jacobs, George Salazar, and Darren Criss just to name a few, the musical scene in the Philippines itself isn't as popular nor as successful in the country as it really should be.

Even with Filipino-majority musicals in states like the controversial Broadway musical "Here Lies Love" which narrates the life story of Imelda Marcos, one of the most controversial figures in Filipino politics and history today, and with Filipino stars often taking in lead or secondary roles in major productions, the musical boom of the 2010s did not come with a boom for the musical industry in the local level compared to the sudden popularity of American musicals like Hamilton, Heathers, Dear Evan Hansen, or Be More Chill to name a few.

The very few musicals that did garner the spotlight did not receive the same notoriety of these foreign productions save for one of the few musical movies to have gotten major media acclaim Loy Arcena's Ang Larawan (2017) (en. The Portrait) based on the 1997 play of the same name by National Artist Nick Joaquin which became a media frenzy as being maybe one of the few if not the only original movie not based on major series or created by a large production company to be released that year for the Metro Manila Film Festival. One of the things that had skyrocketed it to media attention was the fact that most theaters did not screen it and it was only shown in very few cinemas, but that's a story for another time.

Despite the time and devotion Filipino musical fans may have for theatre, rarely do Filipino made and produced musicals ever enter the pop culture zeitgeist due to many factors like the lack of advertising, accessibility issues, and honestly the lack of cast recordings. Out of the many throughout the 2010s, one of the few I was able to watch that I still think about at times is Ricky Lee's very own rap and rock musical Kabesang Tales.

Background

Photo of Ricky Lee, the writer of Kabesang Tales the Musical via Inquirer

Kabesang Tales - Isang Rap en Rol Musical) (en. Captain Tales - A Rap n' Roll Musical) is a rap and rock musical first performed in the year 2015 and was written by renowned Filipino writer and National Artist Ricky Lee. The musical was directed by Alejandro "Bong" Ramos, with music by Jeffrey Hernandez and Alfredo Ongleo, and produced by Red Lantern Production (Inquirer, 2015).

Photo of John Arcilla, the lead actor for Kabesang Tales the Musical via Inquirer

The musical stars John Arcilla as the titular character Telesforo Juan "Kabesang Tales" De Dios, famously known for his breakout role as Hen. Anotnio Luna in the historical film Heneral Luna released the same year as the musical, alongside other talents such as Dio Marco as Karyo, Kevin Posadas as Tano de Dios, Alecx Lorica as Juli De Dios among many other talented actors (Inquirer, 2015).

A cover of one of the book's translations posted by twitter user El Filibusterismo (@/joseriz15155899) via X/Twitter

The play is based on Jose Rizal's El Filibusterismo (en. The Filibuster) and more specifically, the character of Kabesang Tales, the head of his barangay (a sort of Filipino village) and father of Basilio's main love interest Juli, who had turned into a guerilla bandit after his family and life were ruined by the Spanish friars. He becomes the feared Matanglawin (en. Hawkeye) who terrorizes the countryside. He plays a minor but important role in the books, being the father of one of the main secondary characters as well as being one of the main allies of the primary characters as they tried to start a revolution in the country.

The play primarily focuses on his perspective throughout the whole book with some scenes focusing more on the main protagonists Simoun and Basilio as well as his daughter Juli.

Performances and Releases

The musical had limited performances throughout some parts of the CALABARZON Region or Region IV-A, with some select performances in Metro Manila as well as some other provinces like in Mindoro, sometime during the years 2015-2017 with some being done in local cultural centers and schools throughout the region with very limited promotion outside of news stories.

The only promotional material I could really find are some posts on Facebook and a trailer in the Red Lantern Production's YouTube channel which could be seen here:

Trailer uploaded by Red Lantern Production via YouTube

There are no original cast recordings that I could find of any of the songs and the only material that I could find besides this are uploads on YouTube of scattered scenes from different parts of the play:

Full Playlist uploaded by YouTube channel pheejaypi here

I was also able to find a collection of clips of Karyo, a character possibly named after Karyo from Mga Ibong Madaragit which is a continuation novel of the El Filibusterismo written by Amado Hernandez, played by Terrence Guillermo.

Video uploaded by YouTube channel pinoy music maestro here

I remember some time in the 2010s seeing uploads of members of the cast singing in interviews I believe but I could no longer find any of these videos.

As of now, it is unknown if the production will ever come back with the last post on the Facebook page having been in 2021 with a post prior to posted on July 2019 calling for auditions in August 2019, possibly hinting that there was a planned 2020 tour for the musical before the pandemic hit.

Photo of the audition announcement posted on Facebook

The Plot (mostly from memory)

As there's barely any material of the live musical, I'll do my best to recollect what I could remember with the aide of the actual books to guide me. Of course, spoilers for Rizal's books Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo if you haven't read them.

The plot follows the events of El Filibusterismo but mainly from the perspective of the titular character Kabesang Tales. It begins with an extremely happy and optimistic scene with him, his family, and barangay as well as the visit of Basilio, Tales's daughter's lover to their house. I remember that there was an extremely cheesy song here between the two that a lot of people squealed over.

Photo of the mentioned musical number between Basilio and Juli posted by Jayson Pascua

The perspective switches over to Basilio and his visit to his mother's grave where he is shocked to see a man there who is revealed to be the thought to be dead fugitive Crisostomo Ibarra who now goes by Simoun, a jewelry merchant from the United States. The two have a bit of an argument where Simoun tries to convince Basilio to join him and his rebellion and I don't recall exactly if there was a song, but it seems likely.

Perspective switches back to Tales as tragedy strikes as his entire family gets struck with malaria resulting in the death of his wife. I don't remember all the details here or if there was a song, but I remember a sort of depressing atmosphere for the rest of this part.

Photo showing all of the actors playing the De Dios Family posted by Jayson Pascua

The family struggles with money and friars come over to cause even more problems for them. There's a rap battle here between Tales and a friar. Here starts his downward spiral as he struggles to make ends meet as well as handle the friars that had been trying to gain his land. I don't recall if it's shown that he has to pay for a lot of lawyers, but he starts paying more and more for legal fees because of the legal drama with the friars and the government.

My sister tells me that there's a song about how good the friars are before they get properly introduced and I have a hazy memory of three friars wearing varied outfits typically associated with friars posing for the stage as people sing songs of praise and goodwill. My sister tells me that Basilio was in the ensemble here.

His son, Tano, gets drafted to the Guardia Civil (en. Civil Guard) and sent to the Caroline Islands because Tales could not pay money to prevent his draft due to their financial struggles. This is shown as a heart wrenching scene in the play where the rest of the family is left distraught.

He starts guarding his property in fear of bandits possibly taking his fields and taking whatever he has left.

Tales then gets taken by these bandits who demand ransom money for his return. There he meets Karyo, one of its leaders who tells him about the struggles of the working class and why he and the others had resorted to being bandits in the first place (?). I don't actually remember if this is the first they meet or what since I do remember that the two have a philosophical discussion about violence later and that Karyo is definitely a member of the bandits but there are scenes where he acts as the emcee during Tales's rap battle with the friar.

The bandits later lets him go back to his family where he finds that he has no one left.

Juli, in order to help with her family's financial struggles as well as pay for her father's ransom, leaves home and asks for loans and find work.

If I'm not mistaken, his father Tandang Selo goes mute with the grief of the continuous tragedies that had struck the family as well. It's hard for me to remember if this was shown in the musical.

When Tales returns, he finds himself at a loss for what has happened to his family. He is left with his daughter forced to work and his father mute. He is then met with Simoun, who comes to him as a jeweler. Simoun tempts him with some ideas of radicalization against the friars and he refuses at first before spiraling further and joining Karyo and his bandits, becoming the feared Matanglawin.

I genuinely don't remember if his meeting with Simoun was also in the musical or not but it's important context for the story.

The musical then switches perspective to Basilio, who gets implicated with a conspiracy against the government and gets arrested. A heartbroken Juli goes to Padre Camorra, a creepy priest that's been trying to corner her, to beg for his help since she saw no one else that could help her. This leads into a rather intense scene acted in shadows and lights where it is heavily implied that Juli gets assaulted.

After this, Juli sings a song about her assault where she contemplates getting revenge or retaliating but instead chooses to jump off to end her life.

The scene switches back to Tales who, unlike in the books, meet with his son again who has returned to the Philippines. This one, I know had a song in it since I remembered the extreme daddy issues punk rock vibes the scene gave off. He sang about how he no longer respected his father and that it's too late to repair things if I recall as he's now a bandit and he's a member of the Guardia Civil.

Photo of the confrontation between Tales and Tano where Tano sings about his frustration with his father posted by Jayson Pascua

Desolate and distraught at the loss of his family, Tales gets visited by a diwata (a forest spirit/fairy) and this part was extremely out of left field and absolutely not in the books.

Here, the diwata shows Tales visions of the future (???) and directly tells him, without any sort of subtlety, that the working class, and especially farmers like him, will continue to struggle in his country in the future. He is then shown a scene of farmers in a protest who were then taken down by police in what I remember as riot gear. He contemplates the future and is further given resolve to continue his rebellion.

Photo of the mentioned scene where Tales first meets a diwata who will later send him to the future posted by Jayson Pascua

Photo of the mentioned scene where Tales is sent to the future by a diwata to witness farmers being taken down by cops in riot gear posted by Jayson Pascua

Another photo of the mentioned scene where Tales is sent to the future by a diwata to witness farmers being taken down by cops in riot gear posted by Jayson Pascua

I need to cut in and say that this was so on the nose and is by far the weirdest and personally maybe the worst part of the show. I'm not even against the message, it just ruined my immersion and just left a weird taste in my mouth. I think the play was doing a plenty good job driving that point across already without the time travel diwata scene but maybe that's just me.

The scene cuts back to the climax of the story where Basilio, distraught over then death of Juli, finally joins Ibarra as they plant a bomb in a wedding reception that the Governor-General of the Philippines was attending. The scene plays out like it was in the books where the lamp gets tossed out by Isagani and the revolution doesn't start.

It goes back to a scene of Tales and his men trying to fight the Guardia Civil where he is shot and killed in action, by the gun of his own son. Tano realizes what he has done and is horrified. This leads to a song which later leads to a finale that sings about Tales as the cast come together for the curtains to close.

Photo of the mentioned scene where Tales is shot and killed by his son Tano posted by Jayson Pascua

Another photo of the mentioned scene where Tales is shot and killed by his son Tano posted by Jayson Pascua

The musical ends and the cast is called on to the stage one by one, with the loudest applause going to Basilio who a lot of the girls found hot, and of course, the man himself, Kabesang Tales.

Photo of the closing song with Tales being shown front and center posted by Jayson Pascua

After the play and final thoughts

Ricky Lee actually attended the performance I watched and I remember so many people crowding around the actors to get their autographs. My sister bought one of Ricky Lee's book, his script writing guide "Trip to Quiapo" and had it signed but she genuinely can't find it anymore sadly. My sister also got the autograph of some of the actors and the director on that same book so I'm a little miffed that we can't find it.

I would discuss more things and even show off my old ticket but I'm pretty sure that I would end up doxxing myself if I speak any more details.

That's all I remember from it and I would love to say more or even discuss the songs but as you can see, I could barely remember them, with only maybe a solid grasp in about maybe four songs.

It's a shame that it doesn't have as much of an established release and media presence because despite that one glaring issue I had with the weird diwata scene, I quite enjoyed the musical and it remains one of the few that I actually got to experience live.

It isn't Les Miserables or Hamilton, but it's still a musical I'll probably fondly remember especially since El Filibusterismo is one of my favorite books of all time with the character of Kabesang Tales being one of the most interesting — a man of honor and virtue who slowly descends into extremist violence because society had failed him. It's sad to see this musical barely recognized and very little talked about today and I do hope that it will one day return to the stage.

References

Introduction

Palakat Batangas City. (2015, May 29). "The Batangas City Government and Red Lantern Production present Ricky Lee’s KABESANG TALES - Isang Rap en Rol Musical." [image]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://web.facebook.com/palakat.batangascity/photos/a.1543377512565520/1636600273243243/?type=3&_rdc=1&_rdr

Background

El Filibusterismo (@joseriz15155899). (2019, November 13). "#TheFilibuster Ventura's salvificact made Rizal gave his original manuscript of El Filibusterismo, a pen and an autograph printed copy." [image]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://twitter.com/joseriz15155899/status/1194459895657041920

Inquirer. (2015, December 12). John Arcilla stars in Ricky Lee ‘rap en rol’ musical ‘Kabesang Tales’. LIFESTYLE.INQ. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/215824/john-arcilla-stars-in-ricky-lee-rap-en-rol-musical-kabesang-tales/

Inquirer. (2015, August 29). Ricky Lee writes rap, hip-hop libretto for new musical ‘Kabesang Tales’. LIFESTYLE.INQ. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/204943/ricky-lee-writes-rap-hip-hop-libretto-for-new-musical-kabesang-tales/

Lee, R. (2015, August 29). Ricky Lee: “I have been longing to do a musical, music being a driving passion in my life.” PHOTO FROM RICKY LEE [image]. LIFESTYLE.INQ. Retrieved on 17 February https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/204943/ricky-lee-writes-rap-hip-hop-libretto-for-new-musical-kabesang-tale

Red Lantern Productions. (2015, December 2012). John Arcilla. PHOTO FROM RED LANTERN PRODUCTIONS [image]. LIFESTYLE.INQ. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/215824/john-arcilla-stars-in-ricky-lee-rap-en-rol-musical-kabesang-tale

Performances and Releases

Kabesang Tales - Isang Rap en Rol Musical. (2019, July 27). Picture of the audition announcement posted on Facebook [image]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://web.facebook.com/kabesangtalestherockmusicale/photos/a.459803204196123/1309076952602073/

pheejaypi. (2016, October 3). Kabesang Tales: Isang Rap en Rol Musical clip 1 [video]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftRyZOpxAA&list=PL1Yv-w-s-ETvRYsDWtaMPw2q0QO0q8Nfc

pinoy music maestro. (2021, January 1). Kabesang Tales excerpts feat. John Arcilla and Terence Guillermo [video]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlOkDi8_D_A

Red Lantern Production. (2015, August 15). Kabesang Tales Trailer [video]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKKJsuBiuc

Plot

Pascua, J. (2015, October 11). Various photos [images]. Retrieved on 17 February 2024, from https://estranghero.weebly.com/photo-blog/john-arcilla-on-ricky-lees-kabesang-tales-isang-rap-en-roll-musical

[chaoticbug]

Rewatching 911 and keeping track of all the near death experiences

edit: ignore the typo i meant quiet room lmao

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

I always look forward to your make me write challenges, thank you so much for sharing your work!!!❣️❣️❣️

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

🚨🚨🚨🚨

🩸🩸🩸🩸

🔮🔮🔮🔮

🧟🧟🧟🧟

👑👑👑👑

and because I am especially intrigued by it 👀

🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼

Thank you so much!! I am so glad!

12 for ⚡️:

---

“Do you?” Eddie presses.

Buck frowns. “Eddie, are we planning for mutual future goals or are we getting me exactly what I want, the way I want it? I don’t know what you want me to say.”

Yeah, Eddie is aware he’s being confusing. 

He sighs loudly. 

“Sometimes I’m worried you settle on stuff,” he admits. “Instead of being firm on what you want.”

Like he’s just so content to be with Eddie and Chris, what he needs can be pushed aside. But how much longevity does that attitude have? That’s not fair to either of them, if it’s true.

---

12 for 🚨:

---

He knows Bobby is going to be angry. Is angry. He knows Hen and Chim will judge him for his rashness. He can deal with that. With lectures. He has a childhood of listening to how stupid and reckless he is to fall back on. 

What he’s not expecting, when he’s pulled up over the side of the pool deck, into the mostly emptied pool, is the look of icy rage on Eddie’s face.

His eyes are narrowed. His mouth is tight. He looks like, if Buck were to reach out and touch him, he’d get frostbite. And that hurts more than he could have anticipated. Doesn’t Eddie know?

---

12 for 🩸:

---

“Is it pathetic to say I missed you?” Eddie asks after giving Buck a proper kiss hello.

Buck grins. “No. I don’t know. Maybe I’m also just pathetic.”

Eddie kisses him again quickly.

“How was work?”

“Good,” Buck shrugs. “Better, actually. I had a good chat with Bobby, but I’m too sleepy to talk about it right now.”

“Nap or shower?” 

“Shower for sure,” Buck says.

---

12 for 🔮:

---

“But you are going to get out of here, Buck. You will. And you’re going to find people who love you properly. It’s not just Maddie.”

Bobby’s brain wanders to just how many people were gutted when Buck was struck by lightning. 

“We all love you so much. I love you so much, kid. And… And I’d never… I’d never want to be the reason you felt like this.”

Bobby’s throat feels thick. He looks at the Buck in front of him, laying in the grass. Maddie left him for herself, for her own reasons.

---

12 for 🧟:

---

“Sorry,” he mumbles, as she flinches from the light. Like it’s painful.

There is absolutely no yellow.

All good signs. 

“May, can you tell me what month it is? What state are you in?” Buck tries. 

She groans. “Um, September? California?”

Her words are slurred but unmistakable. 

Buck pulls himself out of the car.

---

12 for 👑:

---

“Feel free to try one.”

“Really?” Maddie asks. “That’s very kind.”

Chim shrugs. “The bakery is paying me an advertising bonus on the side.”

Maddie laughs. It’s a beautiful sound, he thinks. 

“Well, in that case, I’ll take you up on it.”

“Good,” Chim smiles.

He has never liked Portuguese egg tarts as much as he does at this moment. Thank god for egg tarts.

---

24 for 🔼:

---

Someone, a woman who might be the age her own mother would be, were she alive, crouches before her. Her face is kind. Warm brown eyes. Like Isabel’s; maternal and gentle. 

“Paramedics are coming,” the woman tells her. “You stay strong, sweetheart.”

“Th-th-thank you,” Shannon manages, breathing heavily. It hurts to breathe. That can’t be a good thing. 

“What’s your name, honey?” The woman asks, pushing hair from Shannon’s eyes lightly. 

“Sh-Shannon.” 

“Shannon, I’m Nancy. My husband, Jeffrey, is on with 9-1-1. Someone is coming, okay?”

“O-okay,” Shannon replies. “Nancy?”

“Yes?”

“Y-you have to tell them I’m pregnant,” she says. Nancy’s expression twitches. Like this news concerns her, but she doesn’t want to let on. Oh, no. That’s not… No. Shannon feels panic begin to swell in her chest.

[cliperry]

source: HSD

111 BEAUTY A RELATIONSHIP that does not understand GENDERS

The singer HARRY STYLES strengthens his bond with GUCCI by becoming the ambassador of its new fragrance, Mémoire d'une Odeur. With this proposal, for all audiences, he defends the greatest fortune of our time: the freedom to be oneself.

"Roman chamomile, jasmine, cedar, various musks, and an irresistible touch of vanilla," recites, from memory and with perfect intonation, Harry Styles (England, 1994). These are the ingredients of Mémoire d'une Odeur, Gucci’s first universal fragrance," adds the singer, seated in the suite of a Roman hotel, where he has come to introduce himself as its ambassador. The lesson, of course, is already well learned.

The Brit will lead, therefore, in an innovative aromatic-diplomatic exercise born from the mind of Alessandro Michele (creative director of Gucci for four years), a diverse cast of friends, including designer Harris Reed, artist Ariana Papademetropoulos, musician Stanislas Klossowski de Rola, designer Zumi Rosow, and more than a dozen models.

The proposal is, therefore, as universal in its selection of raw materials as in the choice of protagonists for the campaign. "Gender is becoming less and less important in matters like perfumes or clothing. People already express themselves as they wish in these areas... I think the standards are not as strict as they used to be, and that is something I find incredible," states the singer.

His outfit at the latest Met Gala—dedicated to the camp aesthetic and attended alongside Alessandro Michele—proves it: high-waisted trousers (up to the chest), a semi-transparent chiffon blouse with a bow at the neck, nails painted in various shades of blue and green, multiple rings, patent leather ankle boots with a five-centimeter heel, and a dangling pearl earring. "It was an exceptional opportunity to play with the look. Besides, we are in an industry that is absolutely liberal in that sense. Clothing is part of the show, and it allows you to express yourself in a way similar to music," he argues.

It was not the first time the public celebrated his stylistic audacity. In fact, his relationship with Michele dates back to 2016. He had bought a bunch of shirts and a handful of suits for his concerts, and one day, they met for coffee in London. "He's incredible: kind, generous, good... the kind of man you need to have close," he describes.

By the time his 2017 tour, Harry Styles: Live on Tour, began, he was already completely devoted to the Italian designer's ornate and striking designs. "Performing shows is what I enjoy the most. And I think wearing a slightly crazy suit can help in certain moments, make you feel good."

The admiration was mutual: in January 2018, Styles starred in his first campaign for the brand's division.

BEAUTY 145 THIS IS HOW HE DRESSES

At the entrance of Gucci’s 2020 Cruise show in Rome, with a handbag.

At the latest Met Gala, wearing a semi-transparent Gucci blouse.

At the Met Gala afterparty, with a large red bow at the neck, by Gucci.

At the iHeartRadio Awards in 2017, wearing a harlequin suit by Gucci.

In a purple jumpsuit by Charles Jeffrey, on X Factor, in 2018.

At a concert in New York, in 2017, he debuted a pink suit by Edward Sexton.

For Gucci’s menswear campaign, directed by Glen Luchford, he visited a fried chicken shop with a live hen under his arm. "Glen is one of my favorite people on the planet to work with. And we’ve been lucky to reunite now for the Mémoire d'une Odeur campaign. We all gathered for three days on the outskirts of Rome. It was great because, most of the time, we were just hanging out, chatting, and spending time together while they filmed us. It was really entertaining."

Outside the Roman hotel where he is currently staying, a large group of fans waits—mostly teenagers who have followed him passionately since his days in the boyband One Direction, on indefinite hiatus since late 2015, when Styles launched his solo career. They found out about his arrival in the Italian capital and refuse to leave without meeting their idol.

Dressed in loose khaki trousers and a mustard sweater with a deep V-neck—revealing three of his more than fifty tattoos (the two swallows on his chest and the upper part of the butterfly adorning his abdomen)—he remains relaxed on the sofa, where he will give interviews to various media outlets throughout the afternoon. He animatedly reflects on fashion, gender, memories, perfumes...

"Times are changing in every way. It’s incredible to be alive at this moment, to witness how the world evolves and be part of it. My friends, and my friends’ friends, have a freedom like never before to be open and free. They have the opportunity to be who they truly feel they are. I find it amazing to think that my children will grow up in a time when they can be whatever they want to be."

Seconds before the interview ends, he returns to his role as ambassador. "I know from Alessandro that the new perfume is about the connection we have with scents and fragrances, which can evoke certain memories or transport you to a place," he explains. "He’s not just creating a perfume and presenting it. There are emotions behind it. I love that. And besides, it smells really good. It contains Roman chamomile, jasmine, cedar, various musks, and an irresistible touch of vanilla."

PALOMA ABAD

ALLUDING TO THE PAST

Just as a simple madeleine triggered countless memories in Marcel Proust, inspiring him to write seven novels, Mémoire d'une Odeur (€66+), by GUCCI, comes from the most intimate memories of Alessandro Michele.

[apenitentialprayer]

Judgment Day: A Rectification of Injustice

And though, as I said a minute ago, Our Lord in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats painted a characteristically Christian picture [of Judgment], in another place He is very characteristically Jewish. Notice by what He means by 'an unjust judge.' By those words most of us would mean someone like Judge Jeffreys or the creatures who sat on the benches of German tribunals during the Nazi régime: someone who bullies witnesses and jurymen in order to convict, and then savagely punish, innocent men. Once again, we are thinking of a criminal trial. We hope we shall never appear in the dock before such a judge. But the Unjust Judge in the parable is quite a different character. There is no danger of appearing in his court against your will: the difficulty is the opposite — to get into it. It is clearly a civil action. The poor woman (Luke 18:1-5) has her little strip of land —room for a pigsty or a hen-run— taken away from her by a richer and more powerful neighbor [... a]nd she knows she has a perfectly watertight case. If once she could get into the court and have it tried by the laws of the land, she would be bound to get that strip back. But no one will listen to her, she can't get it tried. No wonder she is anxious for 'judgment'. Behind this lies an age-old and almost world-wide experience which we have been spared. In most places and times it has been very difficult for the 'small man' to get his case heard. The judge (and, doubtless, one or two of his underlings) has to be bribed. If you can't afford to 'oil his palm' your case will never reach court. Our judges do not receive bribes. (We probably take this blessing too much for granted; it will not remain with us automatically.) We need not therefore be surprised if the Psalms, and the Prophets, are full of longing for judgment, and regard the announcement that 'judgment' is coming as good news. Hundreds and thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgment. They know their case is unanswerable — if only it could be heard. When God comes to judge, at last it will. Dozens of passages make the point clear. In Psalm 9 we are told that God will 'minister true judgment' (8), and that is because we forgetteth not the complaint of the poor (12). He 'defendeth the cause' (that is, the 'case') 'of the widows' (68:5). The good king in Psalm 72:2 will 'judge' the people rightly; that is, he will 'defend the poor'. When God 'arises to judgment' He will 'help all the meek upon the earth' (76:9), all the timid, helpless people whose wrongs have never been righted yet. When God accuses earthly judges of 'wrong judgment', He follows it up by telling them that the poor 'have right' (82:2, 3). The 'just' judge, then, is primarily he who rights a wrong in a civil case. He would, no doubt, also try a criminal case justly, but that is hardly ever what the Psalmists are thinking of. Christians cry to God for mercy instead of justice; they cried to God for justice instead of injustice. The Divine Judge is the defender, the rescuer.

- C.S. Lewis (Reflections on the Psalms, pages 12-14). Italics original, slight change to paragraph breaks to avoid a wall of text.