#p.t. banks

[danbenzvi]

On The Jukebox: Moby - “Resound NYC”

Featuring guest appearances from Gregory Porter (on “In My Heart”), Dougy Mandagi (on “Extreme Ways”), Ricky Wilson (on “South Side” and “The Perfect Life”), Amythyst Kiah (on “Flower (Find My Baby)”), Nicole Scherzinger (on “In This World”), Marisha Wallace (on “In This World”), Margo Timmins (on “Helpless”), Damien Jurado (on “Helpless”), P.T. Banks (on “When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die”), Oum (on “Second Cool Hive”), Sarah Willis (on “Second Cool Hive”), Danielle Ponder (on “Run On”), Elijah Ponder (on “Run On”) and Lady Blackbird (on “Walk With Me”).

[jacqcrisis]

its funny how, as a child of two chiropractors, my first thought upon throwing out my back is not to go pay someone for an adjustment that wouldn't actually help anything but line a chiro's pockets, but to do meaningful exercises and stretches to soothe whatever lumbar muscles got pissy yesterday. I could barely stand yesterday, but after doing what you should, I'm already 60% better today.

[scriptedencryptid]

Jordie lives content

My spin on jordie lives story

Jordie still gets tricked by rollins, hook line and sinker. But instead of just sitting and waiting for the plague to hit, he takes that bank note and P.T. Barnum’s it at another bank. (Taking the worthless note to pull out a loan at a second bank bc second bank doesn’t know it’s worthless). This gives them both enough financial padding to survive the plague, and not a penny more. After that following the narrative in SoC, homeless, barrel brat, mugging other children, scams, and later a piss pot washer for the dregs.

That gift of gab never fades and only gets stronger, jordie has a talent for negotiation, parley, and show biz. This leads him to usually working at the bar in the crow club or as a bouncer. And he generally improves the public opinion of the club itself and by extension Kaz in the gang itself.

Kaz tends to get a sort of kick out of shelling out payment where it’s due, jordie unfortunately doesn’t share this feeling. The gang generally thinks that jordie is too nice to be in the barrel, he doesn’t enjoy the carnage, he avoids conflict where he can, and is really just here to have a good time and support his brother, in kaz’s atrocities and other endeavors.

That being said he’s soft and prepared. Conflict can’t always be avoided so when a fight does roll around he moves to end it as fast as possible, gun, bat, mallet, fists. Usually with a blunt force weapon, to knock down his opponents and not kill. That being said he can be very thorough in educating his opponent on why they shouldn’t ever try him again.

in my head jordie is the bigger (taller,stronger) of the brothers, though this is most likely due to the fact that kaz spent his most vital period if growth (9-14) malnourished.

not to be mistaken though, kaz is still the mastermind in this whole situation

[whartonists]

1870s Jenny Lind Cake

This recipe has everything. Opera! Science! Vanilla extract!

The specificity of this cake’s name is what first caught my eye--I knew who Jenny Lind was and I was curious as to why the cake bore her name. It also looked fairly straightforward to make, and I though that my rewatch of 1.04, with its memorable cameo by the Academy of Music (played by the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, incidentally) would be a great time to make it. (I did actually make it last Tuesday in time for my rewatch, but then I got so into the research for this post that I’m not posting it until now. Whoops.)

The recipe comes from a recipe manuscript from Massachusetts, dated 1870, but likely containing recipes from both before and after that date as well, and is transcribed in ye old trusty Food in the American Gilded Age, edited by Helen Zoe Veit. It reads as follows:

Jenny Lind Cake

Beat together 1 egg and 1 cup sugar--stir in 1/4 cup butter--Add one cup milk 1 tea spoon soda 2 tea spoons cream tartar A little salt 2 cups flour Flavor to taste--1 loaf.

It’s written in a cross between the narrative style of older recipes and the more precise format that was becoming increasingly common at the end of the 19th century, and is of course notably lacking baking instructions of any kind. However, it does include the clue that it should be baked in a loaf tin, and more precise instructions would’ve been fairly useless both to her and to me today--she would have been baking in a coal- or wood-burning stove, which had no precise heat settings and relied upon the baker to have the experience to know how to bake different genres of baked goods, like cakes, in it.

Jenny Lind, whose name first drew me to this recipe, was a Swedish opera star of the 19th century, who notably was brought to the U.S. by P.T. Barnum to do an American tour from 1850 to 1852. She was a sensation in American popular culture, and apparently any number of things were named after her--a quick search through the Feeding America cookbook archive turns up Jenny Lind’s Pudding (1857); Jenny Lind’s Soup (1870), purporting to be an actual recipe Lind’s cook made for her to soothe her chest and throat; a Jenny Lind Bread (1878); Jenny Lind Pudding (1882, totally different from the 1857 recipe); and Jenny Lind Punch (1897). I also stumbled across this wonderful blog post, listing a number of recipes specifically for Jenny Lind Cake. The first is from 1853--clearly, cooks were naming things after her almost immediately. (Indeed, a different recipe appears in a published cookbook that same year.) The post then goes on to list eleven other Jenny Lind Cake recipes, from personal cookbooks, published cookbooks, and newspapers, all the way up through 1913. The staying power and cultural relevance of Jenny Lind’s name is fascinating to me: sixty years after she had left the country, Americans were still naming recipes for her.

I couldn’t find cream of tartar at my grocery store, so I used baking powder to substitute for the baking soda and cream of tartar. Baking soda seems to have been more available in US earlier than baking powder (though the label on my brand of baking powder proudly informs me that it has been around since 1859); earlier recipes tend to use soda rather than powder. The difference of course is that baking powder has an acid, to activate the baking soda it contains, already mixed in; because baking soda needs an outside acid to react with, you’ll see recipes call for buttermilk or sour milk (most common in recipes I’ve seen), cream of tartar (close second), or another acid.

I used four teaspoons of baking powder, becausebaking powder has quite a bit of stabilizing agent (like corn or potato starch) mixed in to keep its other elements from reacting prematurely. It rose well, for a cake (which should be, well, cakey), but I’d like to try it again using the proper ingredients, and see what texture differences there might be.

For the flavoring, I of course had to use tumblr’s new favorite flavoring agent, vanilla extract. I used a scant teaspoon. Vanilla actually has an interesting history that ties in here, however, as it’s around the later 19th century that it starts becoming the “default” flavor in baked goods, the way we think of it today. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the default seems to have been rosewater, a flavor we almost never bake with anymore, but it served a similar purpose as vanilla does today, both a flavoring on its own as well as a complement to other flavors in baked goods. (This is purely something I’ve noticed from reading old cookbooks, so if anyone knows why this happened or has better sources around it, let me know.)

I ended up baking my cake loaf in a nice middling 350F oven, and it took almost exactly an hour to bake through. It got a lovely crust on top and has a very pleasant, almost birthday cake-like flavor from the vanilla. Highly recommend! It’s a lovely sort of snack cake, easy and tasty, and I will definitely be making it again the experiment further with leavenings (and flavorings--other Jenny Lind cake recipes call for spices to be added, so maybe I’ll experiment with that.)

[sumbarlivetv]

Ketua DPRD Dharmasraya Beri Apresiasi Dalam Peresmian Kantor Baru BNI KCP Koto Baru

Ketua DPRD Dharmasraya Beri Apresiasi Dalam Peresmian Kantor Baru BNI KCP Koto Baru

Dharmasraya, SumbarliveTV – Ketua DPRD Dharmasraya  Beri Apresiasi Dalam Peresmian Kantor Baru BNI KCP Koto Baru. P.T. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk resmi membuka Kantor Cabang Pembantu (KCP) Koto Baru yang baru. Dalam Pembukaan tersebut Pariyanto, S.H hadir serta beri sambutan. Senin (30/05). Dalam sambutannya Pariyanto, S.H selaku Ketua DPRD Dharmasraya Parianto SH, sangat mengapresiasi…

[jimbuchan]

When The Outs Get In The Ins Must Change (Or Get Out)

A battle has been ongoing for the past 5 years, but the battlefield.is anything but normal. While all of the excitement, tension and glory common to any conflict is present, the weapons are out of context from what you would find in a traditional battle, and what of chivalry and rules of engagement? Well… that’s in the eye of the beholder. While this battle has been simmering since about 2015 or so, it wasn’t until the shift gained steam a couple of years later when the incumbent powers began flexing their muscles due to the massive gains that were being rewarded to the early crypto adopters. The battle lines were drawn when the crypto space became a real threat to the establishment, and though years before they could have scuttled the ‘operation’ they ignored it instead, which brings us to the current state of the matter today. Stage 1 - Ignorance In the initial formative years of Bitcoin, those of us who understood the concept were fascinated by it. While the newcomers / early adopters of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency pushed ahead for increased development and uses for the technology, the legacy banking contingent saw it as a cute notion of transferring value, but certainly no threat to their domain. This continued on for a few more years until it started to gain real momentum by way of investors starting to pour their capital into cryptocurrency. Being opportunists, these early investors saw the writing on the wall with the fiat system while at the same time embracing the technology and low-fee / high-yield structure of Bitcoin and other digital assets. Stage 2 - Ridicule While this was going on, the incumbent banks and regulators started to take notice, but still reserved in their minds about the likelihood of it being a real contender to the familiarity of their money. This started the campaign of poking fun at it, and attempting to change the minds of the curious by notions of drug smuggling, scams and general nefarious activities. For the early days, the marketing plan worked… and worked well and in some cases reaching as far from within the walls of their own institutions with threats of job loss for anyone bold enough to buy cryptocurrency with their own money, and on their own time.

We’re not all the same and as such don’t march to the beat of the same drum, and while P.T. Barnum may have been able to convince some, it didn’t take long until the truth was known. With the modern version of this same ‘look here, but not there’ routine playing out, the difference this time is that the genie has long since been out of the bottle, and there is just too much proof in which to stop it. However, the rhetoric train rolled-on nonetheless, but behind the scenes, things were getting less and less funny. Stage 3 - Combat With the threat of cryptocurrency possibly taking over the well-laid rails of the century-old monetary structure, the fight had ramped up. Everything was now at stake from stocks to precious metals, to entire fiat-based paper-money and the threat was real because all assets, be it diamonds or gold and even the dollar was and is backed by nothing more than a perception of value. The shift started around 2017 when interest really arrived on the scene with everyday (retail) investors realizing massive profits with digital assets such as XRP just like the profit-machines which the big banks had known for years. The sentiment had suddenly turned from ignorance, to ridicule to ‘how dare those poor people think they can be wealthy’. The script had now been flipped to where we now find ourselves in the vein of the ‘big shots’ proclaiming that we should be enjoying our lives and going out in the real world to restaurants and barbecues with friends while leaving the big money for them to control. Stage 4 - Outcome The final chapter has yet to be written, but the stage has already been set. To what heights crypto will attain is anyone’s guess, but statistically speaking if Bitcoin hits $250k/unit, this will be enough to overtake the US Dollar in spending power, and when this happens, the world will have no choice but to accept Bitcoin both at banks and anywhere else that money is accepted. The latest evidence however is quite revealing with El Salvador accepting Bitcoin in addition to Palau and Bhutan piloting the XRP Ledger for their Central Bank Digital Currency. Small countries you say? Hogwash. It might not be the United States or UK, but it’s a testament to what is possible, and that slowly the dominoes are falling, and there are signals that Panama, Mexico and Argentina are looking at drafting similar guidelines. No one wants to be first, and with El Salvador taking this excuse away, the floodgates will explode as they prosper because of their bold move. When the truth is known of the valuations El Salvador has made while they sat on the sidelines, the old guard will have to join forces with crypto to survive instead of trying to regulate it out of existence.

Title image by Creative Software / City Bomber | Rendering by Jim Buchan

[amazonworrier]

The greatest showman as an AU? Zac Efron/zendaya pairing I forget their character names lol lol

Oh I knew I had a Greatest Showman ask buried in here somewhere! I rewatched it the other night and my mind ran WILD. It’s not quiteeee what you asked for (sorry) but I’m braindumping it here anyway:

Santana as P.T Barnum. 

Grew up on the streets after her Abuela kicked her out for being gay. At age 11, met and immediately fell in love with a young, blonde child of wealth called…

Brittany! As Charity Barnum. 

Her parents don’t approve of her relationship but respect her decision anyway. Santana makes her money working on the railroad by pretending to be a man for a few years then waltzes up to the front door of the Pierce family home and asks Britt to run away with her. Which she does. Without question. Can you imagine the two of them singing A Million Dreams to a montage of married cuteness? Because I can. I have. It’s wonderful. 

Obviously, being an interracial lesbian couple in the 1800s is hard, so as far as wider society knows, they’re just friends. It’s safer that way. The museum of strange and wonderful things is actually Brittany’s idea, but Santana helps her get it off the ground by talking her way into a loan from the bank. When it fails and no one shows up, she finds herself desperately trying to make the money back in time.

That’s when we meet Trouty Mouth. 

Santana finds Sam selling oranges at a local fruit market and asks him how many he can fit in his mouth. He remarks that he’s never had any balls in his mouth, but decides to try - taking his shirt off in the process for absolutely no reason. Needless to say, the act draws a huge crowd....

Santana sees $$$$ and asks Sam to come work for her. She then tells Brittany her idea, and the pair begin searching the streets for oddballs and outcasts to join their show. Thanks to the blatant racism & homophobia plaguing society at the time, there’s an abundance of choice... 

And thus the circus is born!

Notable cast members include: 

The Changs - a trapeze duo who everyone assumes are related because they look similar and have the same last name. They’re not. Y’all are just racist. 

Mercedes Jones - a super talented singer who has been shunned by society due to the colour of her skin. (and YES, she sings This is Me. Of course she does). 

Artie Abrams - the two-wheeled dancer

Kurt Hummel - the self-proclaimed triple threat seeking sanctuary from a never ending barrage of death threats over his sexuality.

Frankenteen - the world’s tallest man-child. 

Needless to say, the circus quickly attracts notoriety, and abundant criticism from local newspaper woman Sue Sylvester, who seeks to destroy them at every turn. 

Still, among the people it remains a roaring success. As ticket sales rise, Santana realises she needs more money to expand, and so partners up (on a 70/30 split) with well-respected, wealthy stage actress, Quinn Fabray, who has long-since grown tired of her station in life. Quinn blends seamlessly with the rest of the show, acting as Santana’s stand-in and second in command on a number of occasions. Sue Sylvester describes the pair as ‘a match made in Hell.’ (and yes, they do sing the Other Side in a bar together. It’s great). 

Of course, good things never last. Trouble arrives quickly for both of them... 

For Quinn, it’s in the form of Tina Cohen-Chang, whom she’s immediately stunned by upon meeting, later realising it’s a little something called love. Needless to say, her dating an Asian woman raises a few eyebrows among polite society. Having been shunned by others all her life, Tina distances herself from Quinn, believing it to be safer for both of them that way. (I just think they’d cover Rewrite the Stars really well together, okay??). 

For Santana, it’s in the form of one Rachel Berry, a famous singer from Europe, who Santana meets at their audience with the Queen, and taps to be the next big thing in the US. She puts every last cent she has into promoting Rachel’s show, tossing aside the circus (and her relationship with Brittany) in the process. We get two fabulous dream-sequency solos out of all this mess: 

Rachel singing Never Enough

Brittany singing Tightrope 

Rachel develops feelings for Santana while they’re on tour. When she makes her feelings known, Santana politely rejects her, announcing that she intends to return home before the last few shows are over. Rachel’s heart is broken. She kisses Santana ‘goodbye’ in front of the press after the show that night, leaving Santana stunned... 

Meanwhile, tensions rise between the circus and the locals, and an angry mob burn the place to the ground. Santana arrives to discover her life’s work in flames. All are accounted for but one. Quinn, having mistakenly believed Tina to be in danger, lies unconscious somewhere inside. With Sam and Finn’s help, Santana rescues Quinn moments before the structure collapses. She then travels home to find Brittany packing up her things, having seen the photos in the papers of her and Rachel kissing. The news also revealed that Rachel has abandoned the tour, stating no intention of performing again. Brittany is furious that Santana gambled their life away without asking. She reasons that she would’ve said yes if Santana asked her, but she didn’t, and that’s a far worse betrayal. A heartbroken Brittany returns home to her parents. 

Santana loses everything. 

Devastated, she retreats to a local bar. The troupe find her there, Mercedes leading the charge in saying that despite Santana’s many shortcomings, they still think she’s worth the trouble. She created a home for all of them - a family.  Inspired, Santana resolves to build a new show and not let her desire for fame take over this time. She reconciles with Brittany, while Quinn recovers in hospital with Tina at her side.

As the dust settles, Quinn offers her share of the original circus’ profits to help Santana rebuild, in exchange for becoming a full partner this time, which Santana gladly accepts. They start afresh by the docks, where land is cheaper, in an open-air tent circus.

The revamped circus is a huge success. We end on Santana, Quinn and Brittany taking centre stage with everyone else in front of a huge audience; a reluctant Sue Sylvester applauding them in the crowd.

[fandom-lover20]

Requests Are OPEN

(I’m happy to do crossovers for anyone who like one)

I’ll do more than just romance ideas as well, if you want a father/daughter or best friends, siblings etc. that’s completely okay. This is also the same masterlist for if anyone wants any Match-ups, gifs, icons basically just anything you want. If it's in italics then it's because those are my favourite or the ones I just find easiest to write. One-shots: Whatever relationship you like, characters included and either writing prompt or small idea of what you want to happen Match-ups: Fandom (as many as you like), gender/pronouns and sexuality, basic description of physical features and some hobbies/interests, style, any extra info if you like

MINORS

⭐  - Headcanon

❤ - Romance

💋 - Smut

💛 - Fluff

🌹 - Angst

----------

MASTERLIST

----------

Requests are open for the following fandoms: 

The Alienist

Cyrus

John Moore

Laszlo Kreisler

Lucius Issacson

Marcus Issacson

Sara Howard

Stevie

The Breakfast Club

Allison Reynolds (the basketcase)

Andrew Clark (the jock)

Brian Johnson (the nerd)

Claire Standish (the princess)

John Bender (the criminal)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Angel

Buffy Summers

Rupert Giles

Oz

Spike

Willow Rosenberg

Xander Harris

Criminal Minds

Aaron Hotchner

Alex Blake

David Rossi

Derek Morgan

Elle Greenway

Emily Prentiss

Jennifer Jareau

Kate Callahan

Penelope Garcia

Spencer Reid

DC - (I'm not the biggest fan so the character list for this is short)

(any characters from)

Aquaman

Wonder Woman - I haven't watched 1984, sorry

Divergent

Caleb Prior

Christina

Eric

Peter

Tobias Eaton

Tori

Tris Prior

Will

Doctor Who

10th Doctor

11th Doctor

Amy Pond

Glee

Artie Abrams

Blaine Anderson

Britney Pierce

Finn Hudson

Jake Puckerman

Kurt Hummel

Kitty Wilde

Marley Rose

Mike Chang

Noah Puckerman

Quinn Fabray

Rachel Berry

Santana Lopez

Sam Evans

Tina Cohen-Chang

The Greatest Showman

Anne Wheeler

Charity Barnum

Charles Stratton

Jenny Lind

Lettie Lutz

Phillip Carlyle

P.T Barnum

W.D Wheeler

Grey’s Anatomy (up to the end of season 9)

Addison Montgomery

Alex Karev

Amelia Shepard

April Kepner

Arizona Robbins

Callie Torres

Christina Yang

Denny

Derek Shepard (McDreamy)

Finn Dandridge (McVet)

George O’Malley

Izzie Stevens

Jo Wilson

Lexie Grey

Mark Sloan (McSteamy)

Meredith Grey

Miranda Bailey

Owen Hunt (McSoldier)

Richard Webber

Teddy Altman

Harry Potter

Angelina Johnston

Blaise Zabini

Dean Thomas

Draco Malfoy

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Ginny Weasley

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Katie Bell

Luna Lovegood

Neville Longbottom

Pansy Parkinson

Ron Weasley

Seamus Finnigan

(Young) Tom Riddle

Bellatrix Lestrange

Hagrid

James Potter

Lily Evans

Narcissa Malfoy

Newt Scammander

Nymphadora Tonks

Peter Pettigrew

Remus Lupin

Severus Snape

Sirius Black

The Hunger Games

Beetee

Cato

Cinna

Clove

Effie Trinket

Finnick Odair

Gale Hawthrone

Glimmer

Haymitch Abernethy

Joannah Mason

Katniss Everdeen

Marvel

Peeta Mellark

Primrose Everdeen

Rue

Inkheart

Dustfinger

Farid

Meggie

Mortimer

Knives Out

Benoit Blanc

Marta Cabrera

Ransom Drysdale

Kong: Skull Island

Cole

Houstan Brooks

Jack Chapman

James Conrad

Mason Weaver

Mills

San

Slivko

Lab Rats

Adam Davenport

Bree Davenport

Chase Davenport

Donald Davenport

Douglas Davenport

Leo Dooley

Marcus Davenport

Tasha Davenport

Mamma Mia

Sky

Donna Sheridan

Rosie

Tanya

Sam Carmichael

Bill Anderson

Harry Bright

Sophie Sheridan

Marvel Cinematic Universe (I haven’t watched WandaVision but it’s on my list, I just don’t want to ball my eyes out)

Baron Helmet Zemo

Bruce Banner

Bucky Barnes

Clint Barton

Darcy Lewis

Drax

Gamora

Groot

Jane Foster

Loki Laufeyson

Natasha Romanoff

Nebula

Peggy Carter

Peter Parker

Peter Quill

Rocket

Sam Wilson

Sharon Carter

Shuri

Stephen Strange

Steve Rogers

T’Challa

Thor Odinson

Tony Stark

Vision

Wanda Maximoff

The Mighty Ducks

Adam Banks

Charlie Conway

Connie Monreau

Dean Portman

Dwayne Robertson

Fulton Reed

Gordan Bombay

Greg Goldberg

Guy Germaine

Jesse Hall

Julie Gaffney

Lester Averman

Luiz Mendoza

Russ Tyler

Ted Orion

Terry Hall

NCIS

Eleanor Bishop

Kate Todd

Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Nick Torres

Timothee McGee

Tony Dinozzo

Ziva David

Now You See Me

Daniel Atlas

Dylan Rhodes

Henley Reeves

Jack Wilder

Lula May

Merritt McKinney

One Tree Hill

Brooke Davis

Haley James-Scott

Lukas Scott

Mouth McFadden

Nathan Scott

Peyton Sawyer

The Originals

Aiden

Davina Claire

Elijah Mikaelson

Freya Mikaelson

Hayley Marshall

Joshua (Josh) Rosza

Klaus Mikaelson

Kol Mikaelson

Rebekah Mikaelson

Pitch Perfect

Barden Bellas

Beca Mitchell

Chloe

Emily Junk

Fat Amy

Flo

Stacie

DSM

Kommissar

Pieter Kramer

Treblemakers

Benji

Bumper Allen

Jessie

Rush

James Hunt

Niki Lauda

Scandal (seasons 1-3)

Abby Whelan

Charlie

David Rosen

Fitz Grant

Harrison Wright

Huck

Jake Ballard

Mellie Grant

Olivia Pope

Quinn Perkins

Stephen Finch

Sherlock (RDJ Movies)

Irene Adler

John Watson

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock BBC

Greg Lestrade

Irene Adler

Jim Moriarty

John Watson

Mary Watson

Molly Hooper

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Suits (I'm halfway through S3, just finished thingy oils plotline)

Donna Paulsen

Harvey Spectre

Louis Litt

Mike Ross

Rachel Zane

Supernatural

Castiel

Charlie

Claire Novak

Crowley

Dean Winchester

Gabriel

Rowena

Sam Winchester

Teen Wolf

Adrian Harris

Allison Argent

Bobby Finstock

Chris Argent

Derek Hale

Hayden

Issac Lahey

Jackson Whittemore

Jordan Parrish

Kira Yukimara

Liam Dunbar

Lydia Martin

Malia Tate/Hale

Noah Stilinski

Peter Hale

Scott McCall

Stiles Stilinski

Theo Raeken

Twilight

Alec

Alice Cullen

Bella Swan/Cullen

Carlisle Cullen

Demitri

Edward Cullen

Embry McCall

Emmet Cullen

Esme Cullen

Felix

Jane

Jasper Hale

Leah Clearwater

Paul Lahote

Quill

Rosalie Hale

Sam

Seth Clearwater

The Vampire Diaries

Alaric Saltzman

Bonnie Bennet

Caroline Forbes

Elena Gilbert

Enzo St. John

Damon Salvatore

Jenna Sommers

Jo Laughlin

Kai Parker

Matt Donovan

Stefan Salvatore

Tyler Lockwood

Lexi Branson

Liv Parker

Valerie

Vicki Donovan

X-Men

Charles Xavier

Erik

Kurt Wagner

Logan

Raven

Youngblood

Dean Youngblood

Derek Sutton

Jessie Chadwick

Coach Murray Chadwick

[aamerch]

Okay but the movie The Greatest Showman just radiates quiet chaotic energy lol. I mean... the scene where Barnum is talking about Jenny Lind's tour with Phillip while O'Malley just freaking destroys Caroline's piggy bank in the background? O'Malley casually about to steal a man's watch until P.T. tells him no? One of the performers literally running to attack the protesters with what looks to be a piece of plumbing? The part where Lettie, Charles and W.D. are all playing cards as P.T. drops the bombshell of a tour onto Phillip? Just the entirety of the Other Side?

We stan our chaotic circus family❤🎪.

[weisshapt]

* BLACKBIRD "seconds later, feels like something's missing- something really important. then i realize you're there, always were, and this stupid wave of relief washes over me."  a mix for vesper and johnny.

tracklist and lyrics under the cut

chainsmoking - jacob banks

it’s getting harder to breathe chainsmoking your love can’t be good for my sanity can’t be good for my lungs

dark nights - dorothy

don’t send me no angel this city’s too cold ‘cause i need a man with a black heart of gold

blackbird - the beatles

blackbird singing in the dead of night take these broken wings and learn to fly all your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise

never fade away - p.t. adamczyk

i saw in you what life was missing you lit a flame that consumed my hate i’m not one for reminiscing but i’d trade it all for your sweet embrace

apartment - bobi andonov

you can’t lie, i know how you feel about me, about me, yeah you’re nervous, tonight isn’t real but don’t we, don’t we

subtle thing - marian hill

i always see you when i’m out on the street i wanna talk and you appear on my screen dreaming like a broken record looping all you know forever

power - isak danielson

i was lost until i found me in you i saw a side of me that i was scared to but now i hear my name and i’m running your way all i feel as i get closer to you is the desire to move like you do so now i hear my name and i’m running you way

blurry - jp saxe

your lips up against my neck you whisper in my ear “don’t let go yet” and i don’t gotta know what’s next ‘cause all that i’m in are the parts of my skin touching yours

lay all your love on me - the butterfly effect

but now it isn’t true now everything is new and all i’ve learned has overturned i beg of you

madman - sam tinnesz

voices in my head turn me wicked from within something waking from the depths a madman, a madman

if i had a heart - fever ray

if i had a heart i could love you if i had a voice i’d sing after the night when i wake up i’ll see what tomorrow brings

mercy - jacob banks

i sing your lullabies your melody, like a symphony we burn the same inside a fire

do it for me - rosenfeld

give me your hand i’ll show you things you’ve never done hold my head i’ll make you feel like never before

iris - goo goo dolls

and all i can taste is this moment and all i can breathe is your life and sooner or later, it’s over i just don’t want to miss you tonight

wicked games - the hot damns

these wicked games we play kill the lights, better hold on tight out for blood better run and hide

bloodshot - dove cameron

and my friends say i’m losin’ my mind and my parents check in all the time but it’s harder to see you’re not mine with my bloodshot eyes

heaven in hiding - halsey

and when you start to look at me, a physical fatality and you surrender to the heat, you’ll know i can put on a show, i can put on a show don’t you see what you’re finding? this is heaven in hiding

obsessed - dynoro

i ran through all your veins i saw all of your visions i found all of you babe but i couldn’t find me anywhere and now i’m stuck inside of you

even if it hurts - sam tinnesz

even if it hurts even if it makes me bleed i’m gonna carry you pushing through with the dirt on my sleeves

(don’t fear) the reaper - blue öyster cult

all our times have come here but now they’re gone seasons don’t fear the reaper nor do the wind, the sun or the rain we can be like they are come on baby, don’t fear the reaper

the only living thing - adam french

won’t you lay your body down get to know me be the only living thing i care about you’re not alone when i’m around

voyeur girl - stephen

those stolen eyes can’t hide what’s underneath a lonely power no one else can see voyeur girl wanting more, more and more

slow love - tender

spend a little too much time together forgotten how to be all by ourselves could be worse, yeah, it could be better we'll stay inside beyond all others

worst in me - unlike pluto

i saw you standing there, and i knew i’m done for, it’s over, i’m through playing games from the start sinking your nails in my heart

smoke - pvris

you make your way into my veins course right through my limbs and dig you way into my brain so in the second that you walk, walk into a room i can’t help myself from that thing that you do

the drugs - mother mother

‘cause your hotter than the sun and your better than the drugs i used to love and you’re deadly like a gun yeah, you’re deadly like the drugs oh, the drugs i used to love

something to lose - dylyn

oh i’m scared, this time i really care ‘cause i’m a better me when i’m with you suddenly i got something to lose i’m just so scared, i don’t wanna tear us apart ‘cause i like how i feel when i’m with you

fear of falling asleep - tender

and as i lay here in my bed at night the only thing that’s mine is my fear of falling asleep and not waking up

my demons - starset

take me high and i’ll sing oh you make everything okay we are one and the same oh you take all of the pain away

gravity - eden

‘cause you say i drink and i smoke and i talk too much but i know you lied when you said that you just gotta go and save yourself

hallucinations - pvris

hallucinations, you occupy my imagination’s running wild new sensations, sweet temptations i can’t tell what’s real and what’s

dinner & diatribes - hozier

honey, i laugh when it sinks in a pillar i am of pride scarcely can speak for my thinking what you’d do to me tonight

artificial paradise - vlad holiday

numb me ‘til i feel emotion beat me up so i can fight for what i believe in trip me so i fall all the way up to heaven plug me in and take whatever makes me human

trouble - tender

whenever i’m alone i feel your ghost your presence is known, i already know too much what you did in your past life, it’s no business of mine i would join you and all, but i’m starting to tell we’ll be fine

bones - wens

tangle me, tangle me in your web all of me is alive ‘til i’m dead hold me close ‘til my pulse loses time i’ll be yours if you’re mine, if you’re mine

heat - l.a. rose

it’s not passion till you bleed a little for it it’s not love till you lost more than a little bit feel the heat on your neck it’s not real it’s gone and you’re no longer holding on to it if we want to get close then we’ll need to get lost in the heat of it

in flames - digital daggers

and i know your devils i know them by name when you look my way oh i’m not afraid

[bangtanreadingcorner]

all my tomorrow’s • min yoongi

plot – yoongi gets it in his head that you wouldn’t stand by him through just about anything, so you help him remember.

words – 2.6K

“Hey, can we talk?” Yoongi asks when you two walked out of your ensuite bathroom, having just taken a shower together. You were going to make some tea and then cuddle in bed, watching a movie or a series.

“Yeah, sure, what’s up?” You grinned at him, towel drying your hair over your shoulder.

“So, my surgery is coming up in a few days.” He started, clearly nervous, sitting on the edge of your shared bed in a shirt and flannel pants.

You frowned a little, not sure where exactly he’s heading with this conversation, but you nod anyway. “I know. Three days, to be exact.”

He hums, then looks at you, gripping the sheets. “What I’m trying to say is, these next few months, they’re not gonna be easy, so, I’d understand if you want to take a break.”

You looked at him, watching as he lowered his head, wondering how he could have possibly come up with this ridiculous idea. Maybe he was joking. When he didn’t say anything else, and you realised that he was being dead serious, you scoffed.

“You’re a real fucking idiot, you know that?” You said, completely serious. He looked up at that, eyes widening in surprise but there was relief on his face too.

“I’m just giving you the option.” He defended.

You clicked your tongue at him, offended. “Well, I never asked for it.”

He sighed gently, voice low when he spoke. “This isn’t what you signed up for.”

You turned away from him, trying to suppress the urge to scream at him. Maybe you could get one of the other members to beat some sense into him. Definitely not Jeongguk, the maknae would take it a bit too literal.

You sighed, taking a deep breath before turning to face your idiot. “Yoongi, why do you think I’m with you?”

“Because you love me.” He answered without hesitation and you felt relieved that he knew at least that much.

“Great, so you know.” You deadpanned, the smile on your face edging on sharp. “Now, can you please explain to me why I would want a break from our relationship when you would need my support most?” You glared at him slightly.

“Because I will be in pain, and difficult and I will need to do P.T and I will probably be short tempered.” Yoongi blurted and you felt anger starting to stir inside of you.

“Did it ever occur to you that I might want to be there despite that? That I want to take care of you while you heal?” You asked, voice a little heated.

His silence was more than enough of an answer.

“Jesus Christ.” You felt a little defeated, anger washing away and tears stinging your eyes. “Five years, Yoongi. Five fucking years we’ve been together. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“I’m sorry, I just thought you might want to sit this one out.” He shrugged, looking a little guilty.

“Heaven and hell, good and bad – that’s what we promised each other. Do you remember?” You looked him in the eyes, hoping the memory flashed to the surface for him as it did for you.

Two years ago:

“I want to marry you.” Yoongi said while you two were walking hand in hand on a secluded beach somewhere in Turkey. You couldn’t remember the name.

You tilted your head at him, a warm smile on your face, skin golden under the light of the setting sun. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

“I’m telling you.” He said firmly. “Let’s get married. Tonight.”

You wanted to laugh, but one look at his serious face had you stopping in your tracks. “Are you insane?”

“Insanely in love with you, yeah, but that’s besides the point.” Yoongi waved you off. “So, what do you say?”

“What about your fans and your members?” You asked, throat feeling dry and your heart beat speeding up because the longer you thought about it, the more you wanted it. Yoongi being your husband.

Husband.

The thought was a little dizzying.

Yoongi stepped in front of you, taking hold of your hands. “We don’t have to make it public. It’s just a piece of paper anyways, and it’s not like your surname would change like in other countries if we did sign papers, so what’s the point? Marriage is more than a piece of paper. Years ago, people didn’t sign any papers and they were still married, so why can’t we do it? As for the guys, they know. They’ve known since I looked at rings in Hawaii a year ago.”

“A year ago?” You echoed, grip on his hands tightening. “You’ve really thought about this.”

“I have.” Yoongi nodded in agreement. “I asked the others earlier and they’ll be witnesses for us. We can do it right here.” He gestured to the beach you were walking on.

Tears welled up in your eyes as the looks on the guys' faces suddenly made sense when Yoongi asked you to go for a walk on the beach earlier. “Well, I mean, I do have that white dress Hoseok bought for me as an early birthday present yesterday.”

Yoongi smiled at you, eyes twinkling as he gave you a pointed look. You gasped, tears finally rolling past the brims of your eye banks. “Oh my God, that was actually from you?”

When he nodded, you let out a half-laugh, half-sob. “I know it’s not exactly what you’d consider a traditional wedding dress, but I thought it would do nicely.”

“It’s perfect.” You assured him.

His eyes lit up, “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” You nodded, another tear rolling down your cheek.

He pulled something out of his pocket, a ring. An engagement ring. You gasped again, "Where did you even get that?"

"My mom bought it for me a few months ago." Yoongi admitted with a shy smile. "I would have done it myself, but then I would have trended on Twitter five minutes later." He said, taking your hand and slipping the ring on your finger.

The next few hours went by in a blur as you showered, did your hair and then pulled on your dress, forgoing shoes because it was a beach wedding, after all. You felt so giddy at the thought that you let out a squeak of happiness. Finally, there was a knock on the sliding door that lead outside to the beach. You opened it and grinned at the person at the other side.

“Hey Hoseok.” You stepped aside and let your oldest friend in. He was wearing a white button up and white dress pants that were rolled up to his ankles, also barefoot.

“Wow, you look really beautiful, Y/N.” He gave you his sunny smile and you felt a little less nervous.

“Thank you.” You told him, sincerely. “For everything.” Because he was the one who introduced you to Yoongi. Sure, it was to the whole band at the time, wanting them to know his best friend in the whole world. You and Hoseok grew up together in Gwangju, next door neighbours and best friends from the first play date your mother’s arranged. “If it wasn’t for you, I would have never met Yoongi.”

“Ah, it was nothing.” He waved you off with that cheery grin of his. “You two did all of the hard work, nearly killed each other too.”

You rolled your eyes fondly, “We weren’t that bad.”

“Yes, you were.” Hoseok said with a serious look on his face. “Yoongi-hyung thought you weren’t interested and you thought he hated you because he almost always left the room the second you came in, when he was just really shy around you.”

“We figured it out eventually, didn’t we?” You pouted.

“Only because we locked you in a room together and wouldn’t let you guys out until you talked to each other.” Hoseok pointed out.

“Eh, semantics.” You two giggled and when you called down, you looked at him seriously. “Hoseok-ah, can I ask you a favour?”

“Anything.” He said and meant it. Yoongi often joked and said that you and Hoseok were like Jimin and Taehyung – soulmates. He also said that you’d probably murder and cover up a murder for each other.

Personally, you like to think that neither you or Hoseok are that violent.

“So, we’ve known each other since we were six months old, we went to school together and did everything we could together and if there is any truth in soulmates like Jimin and Taehyung believe, then I’d like to think that you are mine. So, Jung Hoseok, partner of my soul and best friend of my life, will you walk me to the beach and give me away?” You looked at him.

“Yes, I’d be honoured.” He nodded, eyes shining with tears like yours did. And so he did, he walked you down the makeshift isle to the beach where Yoongi was standing with the rest of the band.

You’d have like your parents to be here but it’s okay, they are here in spirit, having given Yoongi their blessing long ago.

Yoongi and the rest of the guys were dressed exactly the same as Hoseok, white button up and dress pants, rolled up to their ankles.

“I’d say take care of her, hyung, but that’s all you’ve ever done.” Hoseok said with a bright, teary smile as he gave your hand to Yoongi.

Namjoon would be ‘officiating’, so he stood with his back facing the ocean, while the rest of them stood on the other side of you and Yoongi, looking at the ocean and you and Yoongi looked at each other, holding hands.

“I’m not exactly sure how this works, but I’ll try.” Namjoon said, causing all of you to chuckles. “We are all here to celebrate the union of Yoongi-hyung and Y/N. They didn’t have the easiest road but they got here, with hard work and being dedicated to each other. Yoongi-hyung said they wanted to do their own vows.”

Yoongi nodded, smiling at you. “Ladies, first.”

“I didn’t have time to write something, so I’ll just speak from the heart. Yoongi, my love, my heart. There is so many things I could say to you, comparisons I could make and metaphors I could use but in the end, they could never fully explain everything I feel for you and they all add up to the same thing: I love you. And I will love you for as long as there is breath in my lungs and even after. Heaven or hell, I’ll pick whatever road you take. Good times and bad times, I’ll be by your side. For all my tomorrow's.”

Yoongi was smiling that gummy smile at you, the one you fell for the first time you saw it. “Y/N, that was beautiful and I loved it. I hope you like mine. I’ve been thinking about vows for a while now, knowing that I’d want to say something to you. And in the end I realised that there is nothing I could say here, today, that I haven’t already said and will say again to you, so instead I’ll tell you a secret you’ve always wanted to know – how I fell in love with you. The first time I saw you, I knew there was something about you. It wasn’t until a few months later, when you came over for dinner and laughed with Hoseok about something Jeonggukie did, one of those belly deep laughs, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you, that it finally hit me. I was falling in love with you. And everyday since then, I’ve been falling. And like you said, heaven or hell, good or bad, I’ll always love you and I’ll always be by your side.”

You both turned to Namjoon, who smiled at you, dimples showing. “I guess asking if you’ll always be there for each other is kind of moot now, huh?” You laughed a little, feeling so full love that you might actually combust.

Namjoon looked at you, “So, Y/N, do you take Yoongi-hyung as your husband?”

“I do.” You grinned.

“Yoongi-hyung, do you take Y/N as your wife?”

“I do.”

“In that case, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Present Day:

You looked at him, eyes searching desperately to see if he could still remember your vows from your wedding.

“I’ll always remember.” He looked at you softly, and so full of love, like he always does.

You walked to him, until you were right in front of him. His eyes followed you. Your voice was quiet and full of hurt when you asked him, “Then why would you tell me something like that?”

Yoongi took your hands and pulled you closer until you climbed onto his lap, straddling him with your knees. He rested his forehead against yours. “Because I’m an idiot who is hopelessly in love with you and I’m still terrified that one day this life is going to be too much for you and you’ll leave.”

“At least we can both agree on that – you’re an idiot.” You told him in a whisper. “But you’re my idiot.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, but if you ever say something like that to me again, I will withhold sex for a month.” You threatened seriously.

“Just a month?” He teased. Both of you’ve gone longer without physically touching each other when he’s been on tour.

“There’s only so long I can resist you.” You admitted, cheeks heating up a bit. “Especially when you are in my immediate vicinity.”

“Like that time you jumped me when I stepped through our door after a world tour?” He gave you a smug look.

You sighed, “Oh, not this again. I didn’t jump you.”

“Okay, fine, you didn’t jump, you leaped into my arms.” He snickered.

You pouted, “To give you a welcome home hug.”

“And remind me again, what did we do right after that hug?” He raised a brow.

“As far as I remember, you were a very willing participant.” You grumbled.

“Never said I wasn’t.” Your husband said. You glared at him.

Yoongi chuckles, the sound making you melt as he leaned closer and kissed you. You kissed him back, not hesitating. You loved being kissed by him. His tongue asked for entrance and you granted it, moaning into his mouth when he thoroughly explored your mouth with his tongue. When you pulled apart for air, Yoongi went for your neck, kissing, biting and licking wherever his lips touched, setting your skin on fire, blood roaring through your veins.

His hands moved up your bare thighs, fingers nudging the seam of your pyjama shorts.

Something occurred to you in your desire filled mind, want slowly drowning out any coherent thought.

“How’s your-” You cut yourself off as he gave a particularly hard suck on your pulse point and you knew there would be marks.

“How’s your shoulder?” You finally asked – gasping in pleasure when his teeth scraped the sensitive skin, eyes fluttering shut – the knowledge of Yoongi being in pain would be enough to douse the fire inside you.

The next moment you were on your back, eyes opening to see Yoongi looking down at you with wicked grin, a hand on each side of your head. “It’s fine. I haven’t had any pain today, you know that.”

“Just checking.” You said with a pointed look as you wrapped your arms around his waist, slipping your arms beneath his shirt. The look was to remind him of that time when he didn’t tell any of his members that he was in pain during a practice and passed out from pain.

“Yes, mom.” He rolled his eyes.

You pinched his waist with a light huff, “Fuck you.”

“Oh, trust me,” Yoongi smirked, eyes full of intent. “You will.”

the end.

[mooremclaren435]

Camp Lejeune and Onslow County have come a long way since September 1941 when the 1st Marine Division set up camp in the middle of a sandy pine forest along the Atlantic Seaboard.

Units have trained and deployed around the globe to keep the peace and fight wars. A tobacco barn, farm house and temporary tent cities have grown into a 244-square mile premier military training facility. A bond has grown among the Marines, sailors, Coast Guardsmen, family members, military retirees and civilians who have planted the seeds that are making Onslow County grow at an unprecedented rate.

The Camp Lejeune story began in 1940. World War II had been raging in Europe for more than a year and military planners were posturing forces for America's eminent entry to the fight. The need for an East Coast amphibious training facility was answered as the Department of the Navy purchased an initial 110,000-acre tract of land. With close proximity to ports at Wilmington and Morehead City, Lejeune was a logistical gem. When planners added the remote pine forests and miles of beach, the value of Camp Lejeune as a home training base for Marines was unbeatable.

On April 5, 1941 Congress authorized over 14 million dollars for the construction of the base. On May 1, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel William P.T. Hill was ordered by the 17th Commandant, Lieutenant General (then Major General) Thomas Holcomb, to establish and assume command of the base, then known as Marine Barracks New River, N.C. Hill and quartermaster, Brigadier General Seth Williams, were instrumental in the layout and design of the base. Hill's original headquarters was located at Montford Point; in August 1942, it was moved to Building 1 at Hadnot Point where it remains today.

Near the end of 1942, the base was named Marine Barracks Camp Lejeune in honor of the 13th Commandant and Commanding General of the 2nd Army Division in World War I, Major General John A. Lejeune. Camp Lejeune's value to the Corps in World War II was evident through the contributions of Marines trained or based here. In 1944, it was renamed Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

The value of this land to the Marine Corps has grown over the years as men and women have trained to fight wars in the Pacific Islands, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Camp Lejeune has also proven invaluable for the training and deployment of Marines for such actions as peacekeeping in Lebanon, tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel missions, drug interdiction missions and a host of noncombatant evacuation operations. The idea of Special Operations Capable Marine Expeditionary Units was born at Camp Lejeune and Marines here continue to make strides toward the future of warfare in such areas as urban and riverine operations. Camp Lejeune and the satellite facilities at Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, Courthouse Bay, Stone Bay and the Greater Sandy Run Training Area have an historic value that goes beyond their national strategic importance.

Camp Johnson, which now plays a crucial role in the follow-on training of thousands of Marines every year, was the first training base for black Marines. Originally known as Montford Point, black Marines attended boot camp here while the nation was still racially segregated. After the walls of segregation came down, it was named in honor of Sergeant Major Gilbert H. “Hashmark” Johnson in 1974 and Marine Corps Combat Service Support Schools was located there. Outside the gate of Camp Johnson stands a solemn tribute to Marines and sailors who gave their lives keeping the peace in Lebanon. The Beirut Memorial is the site of an annual commemoration of the tragic October 1983 bombing of Battalion Landing Team 1/8's headquarters in Beirut. A visit to the Jacksonville area isn't complete without a stop at this memorial.

Camp Geiger is a vital training center unto itself. With more than 24,000 Marines undergoing Marine Combat Training at the School of Infantry every year, it is a hub of activity that mirrors the original days in 1941 when the 1st Marine Division prepared to ship-out to the Pacific. Entrenched into the Marine warrior ethos is “every Marine is a Rifleman,” and it is at Camp Geiger where Marines learn and develop their warfighting skills before they attend their secondary schools to learn their military occupational skill.

To help prepare warfighters for combat and humanitarian missions abroad, Camp Lejeune takes advantage of 156,000 acres, 11 miles of beach capable of supporting amphibious operations, 34 gun positions, 50 tactical landing zones, three state-of-the-art training facilities for Military Operations in Urban Terrain and 80 live fire ranges to include the Greater Sandy Run Training Area. Military forces from around the world come to Camp Lejeune on a regular basis for bilateral and NATO-sponsored exercises.

The base and surrounding community is home to an active duty, dependent, retiree and civilian employee population of nearly 150,000 people. The base generates almost $3 billion in commerce each year, coming from payrolls and contracts to support the structure required to train and equip our modern Marines.

Some services available aboard Camp Lejeune include: childcare, shopping, education, family support, hunting and fishing, dining, boating and swimming.

Some facilities on base include banks and credit unions, the commissary, the library, hobby shops, fitness centers, the beach, theaters and more.

From the supporting infrastructure, a tradition of excellence in doing day-to-day business has evolved. From environmental programs that include a state-of-the-art landfill and water treatment system to quality of life programs that ensure Marine families are taken care of, Camp Lejeune stands out as a superior military base.

Camp Lejeune is a seven-time recipient of the Commander-in-Chief's Award for Installation Excellence. This award recognizes the base on a Department of Defense level for effectively managing assets and developing quality programs to accomplish the mission of providing expeditionary forces in readiness. The Marines, sailors, Coast Guardsmen and civilian Marines who provide for the efficient management of Camp Lejeune's assets strive to ensure even grander goals are realized in the future.

[klildevil]

Not bl

Vinland saga

Hakuoki

Namaikizakari

Secretly c*mming during class

My blind date is a womanizing cop

Dear my living dead

Raise wa tanin ga li

Beware of the villainess

Uncle cool

Namaiki zakari

L-DK

Hapi Mari (happy marriage)

To your eternity

Bl

Dear door

The Titans bride

The last omegaverse

K’s secret

My suha

Camp buddy’s

Blood link

Egoism

Not a sugar daddy

Legal drug

Hidoku shinaide

Yarisugi party night

Behind the desk

Biting the tiger

Beware or demons

Private scandal

If you hate me so

An easy target

Down and dirty

Behind the scenes

May belongs to me

Sick

Pian pian

Sadistic beauty

Moonlight garden

An innocent sin

Ookami kun wa kowakunai

Angel buddy

Tied with twins

Theo

Bl motel

Make me bark

Shame application

Dance with the devil

Encircled love

I’m banging my rival from a parallel world

Omae no subete wo ubau made

30 sai Kara no coming out

Kedamono arashi

Shokkarr harassment

Blood bank

19 days

Smurfs world

Love or hate

Wolf in the house

Viewfinder

Incidentally living together

Kingyo no ubugoe

High school Lala love

Dakaretai otoko ichii ni odosarete imasu

Mellow pillow

Yakimochi wa kitsuneiro

Dear signal

Only the flower knows

I seriously can’t believe you

Sweet sport

Suns blood

Eyes speak more love than the mouth

Hatsukoi encounter

Body complex

The devil’s temptation

Boundary

Silent color

Too close

False memories

Take care of my house keeper

Aporia

Virus

Dan día long Zhong ba!

Sm gokko

The wolf king may not

Mr 100% perfect

Miss you, Lucifer

Anti P.T

Scandalous M

Hinkekure Sakura ni koi ga saku

Sadistic madness

Nindan da Shikoku de ninshin shita ore

Dating my way up

24 jikan ochi nai kiss

Nirameba koi

Ai to hanaji

Hoshi to harinezumi

Okusama wa alpha

2ban me no alpha

Deawanakereba yo Katta no

Oh my hero

The good teacher

How sweet is a sugar daddy

Heart of the red cloak

Paramour

Tale of the yellow dragon

The boy and the wolf

Samishigariya no love

Miwaku shikake amai wanna

Kijima-kun

Akai ito no shikkou yuuyo

Jazz for two

Never understand

My darling signed in

Shen Sheng

Star x fanboy

Let’s go asmr

Fools

We only held hands

In my closet

Salad dats

Inner beauty

Dream away

A trace of you

Sasaki to miyano

Haru mastu bokura

Ichirei shite, kiss

Madk

Kamisama no uroko

Kamisama no lutoori

Tree spirit

Awkward magic

Nanohana boys

Hyung you’re my idol

Banana fish

Garden of light (read after banana fish)

Zombie hide s3x!

Stare

The god of pains groom

Never understand

In these words

A prince in a luxurious mansion

Namaiki kareshi

Kanawanu koi no musubikata

Kirakira-kun to imaichi-kun

Nan hao Sheng feng

Vassalord

On doorstep

I’m yours blood and soul

Alice in adultland

Love shuttle

Keeper of the pearl

Marry me alpha

A week of lust

Fate makes no mistakes

Here you are

Butcher shop

Sailor danshi

Dre no ushiro ni tarsi na

Junai drop out

Toshi no hige otome -Chan

Sokuochi yarichin yankee

Megumi and tsugumi

Bouai friendship

Usagi-Chan doshikori moushiagemasu

Princess top

Don’t forget that I like you

A shoulder to cry on

Your heart in my hands

Keep holding on

For your love

Aoi haru akaiito

Kazoku ni narouyo

Ao ni naku

Kimi wa natsu no naka

Starting with a lie

Never good enough

Midnight rain

The key stone romantic combination

Ninth life love

Kashikomarimashita destiny

Bokura no negai

Mayonaka no oyatsu

Yume musubi koi musubi

Haru and vampire

Kyou Kara omega ni narimashita

Kanawanu koi no musubikata

Koi Nanak shitakunai

Sora to hará

Rumspringa no joukei

Kamisama no uroko

Vampire heart

Hyacinth

Caramel honey

Snail pond robber

Smells like green spirit

Ao no flag

Okashiratsuki

Oyasumi punpun

10 years that I loved you the most

Kings maker

The unfeeling me

Glen

Wild city

The last zombie

The part time  house keeper

Oku made furetemo Ii desu ka

Dirty vibration

Social cat

Therapy game

Boku no Omawarisan

Puppy love

Straight or not

Koubutsu wa ichiban saigo ni hara no naka

Kendamomo arashi (kiss me baby)

Ookami-kun wa kowakinai

Dress him up

Samishigariya no love letter

The good luck story of an unlucky guy

Tell me your wish

Kiraide isasete

Chew and swallow

Red candy

Lies like lies

Cupid ni rakurai

Koi wa etude

Chess and rawin

The man in the mirror

Can’t take my eyes off you

Voice of love

Kekkon shite kudasai!

Restless

He, him & us

Karasugaoka don’t be shy

Mihanada pectolite

Abarenbo honey

Ore to joushi no kakushikoto

Omae no koi wa ore no mono

Yagi to ookami no hatsujou jijou

Meeting him

I like you

My starry sky

Peach love

I am beautiful

Settia

Ordinary men

Fall for me

December rain

Maiden rose

Deri pocha

Bitsu na koi no seesaw game

Fukouchuu no shiawase

Otoshiana ni hamerarete

Well done

Playboy no ore ga onna ni saremashita

Welcome to the cafe of love

Addiction

Pervert hero and the #1 fan

What’s your name?

Shall we go surfing

Ice man

Yamada to shounen

Hoppe ni himawari

Till out lips touch

Bottomless swamp

My last love scenario

Himitsu ni shiro yoll

Suzume favorite

Bokura no shokutaku

Asatte ni kiss

Mr. A & Mr. B

Sflower

I’ll be waiting for you in 1999

Never good enough

Outsider communication

Bouai friendship

Mahoroba days

Shinkonsan!

Baka ni koi toka shoujiki muri ja ne?

Ore to aitsu no jikangai xx

You’re my favorite toy

Maria boy

Sugar my baby

Yagi to ookami no hatsujou jijou goat x wolf

Kedamono arashi

MADK

Castle Heaven

Warehouse

Dispar

Youth

To take an enemy’s heart

Re-season

Raising a bat

Totally captivated

A thousand cranes

Serene bird

[sj-thefan]

III

I went to the circus every night that week.

By the fourth night, I had a permanently reserved seat, courtesy of Mr. Barnum. It was right in the front where I could see everything.

On the sixth night, Mr. Barnum introduced me to the cast after the show. They were all curious to meet the girl who came to their show every night.

I met the Bearded Lady first, but she preferred the name 'Lettie'. She was very kind and thanked me many times for coming to the show every night.

"I should be thanking you," I said. "You're the one who brightened up my ordinary world with your performance. I just watch."

She laughed and smiled at me. She resumed getting out of her costume while Mr. Barnum introduced me to some more people.

"Tom Thumb," he told me, "was the first to join the show." Mr. Barnum explained how he had seen Charles in a bank and a few days later offered him the job. "Tom here was the one who made this possible."

"Thanks, P.T." I admired Tom's uniform as he spoke. It was very well made and obviously custom, which probably made it very costly, but I doubt he knew that. It didn't seem like Mr. Barnum would talk about the cost of things very often.

Next, I met the Lord of Leeds, Fedor Jeftichew, and Prince Constantine. The Lord and Prince were playfully arguing while the dog boy stood info the middle turning his head to follow the speaker. When P.T. and I walked up, they stopped.

"Hey, Barnum!" Lord of Leeds said before he noticed me. "Well, if it isn't our greatest fan. It's nice to finally meet you!" He gripped my hand tightly as she shook it. He looked even bigger up close.

"Call me y/n."

"Forgive this buffoon," Prince Constantine playfully nudged the Lord out of the way as he grabbed my hand. "Prince Constantine," he leaned down and kissed my hand, "at your service."

I just giggled. Up close I could see each of his tattoos. They were mesmerizing. "I like your tattoos," I said. "They're beautiful."

"Why thank you y/n." He smiled at me before turning to the Lord of Leeds and sticking his tongue out.

Fedor had been watching us the entire time and once Prince Constantine had turned slightly away from me, he took the opening and grabbed my hand, shaking it wildly. He didn't say anything, just smiled.

I smiled back. "It's nice to meet you too."

The four men laughed and soon Fedor and I joined in.

Mr. Barnum introduced me to everyone else fairly quickly. There was Chang and Eng Bunker, the conjoined twins; Frank Lentini, the three-legged man; Jeff Harris, a juggler; and the Albino Twins. When I met the Irish Giant he almost fell on me. They were all captivating.

Eventually, Mr. Barnum said he had to go, something to do with his family. He said I could stay if I wanted but I politely declined.

I almost didn't meet the Wheeler siblings. It was when I was making my way out of the building when I ran into them.

I was startled at first and quietly apologized for running into them but once I realized who they were, I couldn't contain my excitement. "You're the trapeze acrobats!" I almost shouted. "You guys are awesome."

They both looked back at me, shocked filled their faces from what I said and from when I ran into them. They mumbled a thank you.

"I'm y/n, by the way. Y/n y/l/n." I held out my hand to them.

"Oh, you're our reserved seat," Anne realized. I could see them relax quite a bit then. "I'm Anne Wheeler," she shook my hand, "and this is my brother W.D."

I let go of her hand before shaking his as well. "It's an honour to meet you both. I could never do what you do." I didn't stop smiling.

I talked to them a while longer before realizing what time it was. I said a quick goodbye before I rushed back home.

"Where were you?" my mother asked when I walked through the door. Her small body was seated on a chair near the fire. Her old features were highlighted by the flame.

"I was at the circus," I stated confidently.

She scoffed at me. "You always get home at 8:30 when you go. It's nearly 10 o'clock. So again, where were you?"

"I was at the circus. I stayed afterwards to meet everyone."

Her eyes widened at my statement before she began shouting. "Y/n y/m/n y/l/n! I will not have you being friends with these creatures. It's bad enough you go watch their show every night, but to actually talk to them- "she took a deep breath," it is disgraceful."

"They are just people mother!" I yelled back at her.

"I will not have you place shame upon our family with this. If you continue, you will be disowned."

To say I was shocked would be a complete misunderstanding. I was furious! I turned from the woman who gave birth to me and walked to my room.

I couldn't understand her decision. Could she not see they were people? Was she so concerned with her own image that she couldn't be bothered with me? I had known she was conceited, but I never thought she would disown me because I wasn't.

The next morning, she was waiting in the kitchen for me.

"You have to leave." Her face showed no emotion.

"Pardon me?" I quietly questioned.

"I talked to your father and we agreed. People have already begun distancing themselves. You need to leave." Her voice was stern but her face remained free from emotion.

I could feel my eyes fill with sadness. A part of me had hoped she would change her mind, that she would put her daughter before her ego. But I was wrong.

"I've arranged a ride for you at 10 o'clock. You will leave then." With that, she rose from her seat and left.

I stared at her seat for a few moments. When I finally broke out of the trance I headed back to my room. I didn't eat anything, I wasn't hungry. The only thing I did that morning was pack.

I wouldn't give my mother the satisfaction of knowing I had nowhere to go, so I packed all my clothes and personal belongings and acted like I would be staying with a friend.

No one was around when I left. It was a good thing though. If I had seen my mother and father, I would have been alright, they kicked me out, but my brothers would probably be there and I couldn't face them.

I probably would have burst into tears if I saw them. I had wanted to take my brother's to the circus earlier in the week, but my parents had forbidden it. The boys didn't understand the world. Zachary was only six and would probably forget I ever existed, especially if my parents refuse to talk about their disgraceful ex-daughter. Thomas would probably remember me as a distant relative. He was ten so he might remember my face but not my name.

I hoped that Victor would help them remember me. He was seventeen though, and once he turns eighteen, he will join the army. That's what he's always wanted. To protect our country. Victor was my parents favorite. Even though I was two and a half years older, and always tried to be perfect, nothing I ever did was good enough, so eventually I stopped trying so hard. I know why he was their favorite. After they had me they wanted a boy, to carry on the y/l/n name. They tried and when my mother got pregnant, they were ecstatic.

At least until the accident.

She was about halfway through her pregnancy and I was still less than a year old. It was time for my nap and I was crying. My mom had left my room, but after half an hour of crying, she decided to come back and check on me. Usually, she would send the nurse she had hired to help her, but she had given her the day off, so my mother was alone with me.

My mother left the living room in a hurry to get to me upstairs. While climbing the stairs, she misstepped and tripped. She fell forwards and slid down the stairs, still on her belly.

She got up and seemed okay. When she continued her journey to my room, she carefully moved slower. When she got to my room, not five minutes later, I was asleep.

When they had an unexpected early birth, the baby was stillborn. It was a boy. They named him Albert and held a funeral for him.

It took them almost a year to get pregnant again, and when they did my mother put herself on bed rest. I didn't see her for nine months.

When Victor was born healthy, my parents were happy. My childhood was spent watching my parents coddle and praise him, while I studied in the library.

I've always suspected they resent and blame me for Albert's death. There is nothing I could have done about it. I was a baby. It wasn't my fault. But they would never admit their resentment, so I could never defend myself.

After I helped the steward put my bags on the back of the carriage I got in. The silence I sat in was interrupted by a question.

"Where am I headed today, miss?" the steward asked.

I hesitated. I had nowhere to go. All my friends were my friends because of my family. Without that, I was just another person they saw on the streets.

"Miss?"

"Yes, um- could you take me-," I thought back to what he said. "-Wait. Did you say today? Do I have you for the entire day?"

"Yes, ma'am," he beamed. "I am to take you wherever you wish to go today. Mrs. Y/l/n wants you to go however far you wish. I assume I will have to pick you up tomorrow, though."

She hadn't told him. I assumed she wouldn't tell anyone until I was out of the city, but where did she expect me to go.

"In that case, could you take me to the library for now. I'll tell you where to take me after I'm done there." My best thinking was done in the library. I could always find a solution when I'm at the library, and now I needed one more than ever.

"Don't fail me now," I mumbled as the carriage began to move.

I had been at the library for almost two hours, going back and forth between thinking and reading the book in front of me.

I still hadn't come up with a place I could go. I couldn't go to an old friend, they probably wouldn't take me in, given I've been disowned and such. I no longer had any family to go to either. My only option would be to find a place of my own. I had saved up some cash but not a lot. It would have to be a cheap place.

Now I was in the midst of deciding what to do. It was Sunday, so I couldn't check the paper. I would have to look tomorrow. For now, I didn't know what to do or where to stay.

I needed a little happiness to brighten up my dull and dreary day. So I left the library and told the steward to take me to the greatest place to be.

After stopping at a local fruit stand, I headed to my destination. I got to P.T. Barnum's Circus a little after 1. The show was supposed to start at 2 o'clock today, so the building was open now.

"Hello, Mr. Barnum!" I called to the man as he was running around.

He stopped when he heard the sound of my voice. When his eyes met mine, his lips turned into a brilliant grin. I was already happier.

"Miss y/n. I wasn't expecting you until a little later," he handed off the box in his hands to one of the stagehands and mumbled some instructions before turning back towards me and taking a step forward. "Not that I don't enjoy seeing you!"

I smiled back at him and took some steps to meet him halfway. "Just some family trouble, so I thought I'd come early."

His smile faltered slightly. "Is everything alright?"

"Not really, but it's nothing to concern yourself with," I attempted to reassure him.

His smile was gone, replaced with a look of worry. "Are you sure? If there's anything I can do to help, I want to do it. You were my first customer and a daily regular to the show, I want to help if I can."

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do," I mumbled before slowly adding, "unless you know a place that's cheap and looking for tenants."

"Your parents kicked you out!?" he was almost yelling. "Why?"

"Because apparently associating with nice, kind, and amazingly wonderful people is the wrong kind of people." I was starting to get angry now too. "They wanted me to follow societies rules, but I won't abandon anyone because they are weird or different. It's not right."

Mr. Barnum looked slightly shocked at my stern voice. I had never been anything other than happy when I was here. I was surprised he recovered so quickly, but his smile was back faster than it disappeared.

"Well-" he didn't get to finish because his wife, Charity Barnum, and their daughters, Caroline and Helen, walked in, laughing and smiling.

"Daddy!" Helen yelled as she ran to her father.

He picked her up. "Hello! How has your day been?"

"It was great. We went to a bakery and got cupcakes and we ate them, then we went to a park and played with the pond ducks, then Caroline and I played tag, and then we saw a dog, and-"

"Don't forget to tell him about the boutique," Charity added.

"Can I tell him, mom?" Caroline asked excitedly.

Charity nodded at her daughter.

"We went to that boutique with all the ballet stuff and we saw the prettiest dress ever. It was pink and had a silk bow," she had her eyes closed as she pictured the dress. "But it was too big," she sighed. "So mommy said that when I'm bigger I could get it."

Hey, I know you," Helen said quizzically.

"Girls, this is y/n. The shows greatest fan!" Mr. Barnum stated proudly.

"Hi," I looked at the little girl, still in Mr. Barnum's arms. "You gave me a flyer at the train station. And I've been here almost every night."

"Oh..." she sighed knowingly. "Well, I'm Helen! And that's my sister," she pointed to the other girl, "Caroline. And my mom's name is Charity."

We all smiled at the little girl. "Thank you for the introductions, Miss Helen," I exclaimed. She giggled.

"I was just about to tell y/n that she would be staying with us until she finds a place." He gave his wife a serious look that he didn't think I saw.

"Oh, of course," she quickly said turning her attention from her husband to me. "It would be lovely to have you."

"Yeah, it would be fun," Caroline added.

"No, it's okay. I don't want to intrude." I gave them a half-smile.

"No y/n. I insist." I knew Mr. Barnum wouldn't give up. So I conceded.

"Alright," I agreed.

"Yay!" Caroline and Helen both began yelling and jumping around excitedly.

"Oh-" Helen stopped suddenly. "You can come to see Caroline's ballet tonight!"

So that was why the circus show was happening early today. I smiled as Caroline added, "yeah!"

I looked to P.T. to make sure it was okay. He nodded at me, his smile filling his face.

"I would love to!" I smiled at the girls.

"Y/N!!" Lettie called. "You're here super early. The show doesn't start for another forty-something minutes." She was seated on the floor with Tom Thumb. Anne, W.D. and Prince Constantine sat on various objects surrounding them. They all wore looks of shock and happiness.

"I just couldn't stay away," I joked with them, even though it was kind of true.

"Well," Anne began. "I'm glad you're here." She got up and walked towards me, a large grin covering her face. "You can help me with my wig. W.D. can never get it right."

I heard him groan from behind her. As he did, Anne and the other cast members burst into laughter.

I watched the show from backstage that night. I had helped some of the cast get ready and in return, they asked me to stay backstage for the show. In between the acts, I would talk to each person about how they did. They were all awesome!

When Anne and W.D. finished their solo act, I chatted with them and made sure Anne's wig was properly situated while we waited for the last act to begin. It was a big group number, with all the cast singing and dancing. They ended their show with this song every night; The Greatest Show.

I watched as everyone began getting in their positions. "Good luck!" I whispered to those I passed as I moved out of the way. They sent grateful smiles in my direction.

As the music started, P.T. moved to the middle of the stage.

"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for."

I stomped my feet with the cast and some of the crowd who had seen it before.

"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor."

We stomped again.

"And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore; taking your breath, stealing your mind" The cast started to move forward. "And all that was real is left behind."

I smiled as they began running forward to join P.T.

"Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya. It's only this moment, don't care what comes after. Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer. Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over. It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open. It's a preacher in the pulpit and you'll find devotion. There's something breaking at the brick of every wall. It's holding all that you know,"

"So tell me do you wanna go?" I sang with them. I caught Lettie, Anne, Constantine, Tom, and P.T. smile when they heard me.

As they kept singing, I did too, but my focus switched between watching the cast and watching Caroline and Helen dance. They got everything right.

The song finished with a standing ovation like it always did. As they ran off stage, I met them in the back.

"You guys were awesome!" I happily said.

They all said their thanks as they passed by to get undressed but a few stayed to talk with me.

"Y/n!" I heard P.T. shout. I turned to face the giddy man. "How did you like it?"

"It was spectacular! Just as amazing, if not slightly better, than the nights before." A smile still covered my face.

"Brilliant!" he boasted. "I'll be just a minute, but then we need to head over to the theatre for Caroline's ballet."

Mr. Barnum had instructed Charity and his daughters to go ahead of us, so Caroline could get ready. When we got there, the place was crowded. I hoped I wouldn't be seen by anyone I knew. It would be awkward for both of us.

Charity and Helen had saved us seats with them in the fifth row. I watched the ballet and when Caroline came on stage, I noticed P.T. had a large smile on his face. It was the same large smile he wore during his performances, one filled with amazement and wonder.

I focused back on Caroline's performance. She was very good. Her smile was bright and covered her face. Her movements were precise and confident. As someone who had spent her childhood in ballet classes, I could tell she was very talented.

After all the group's had preformed, P.T., Charity, Helen and I waited in the lobby for Caroline to come out so we could congratulate her.

The noise level increased as a group of people came out of the theatre. I recognized several of the members but in the centre of the group was a man I hadn't seen in two years. Phillip Carlyle.

His brown hair was neatly hidden under his hat. He was laughing at something one of the many women around him had said, but his blue eyes were lacking their usual shine, despite the smile on his face.

"Hey, sweetie, who is that young man over there?" I heard P.T ask Charity from behind me. I turned and followed his eye line. He was referring to Phillip.

"That is Phillip Carlyle," Charity answered. "A bit of a scandal, they say. - His last play was a hit in London."

"- Play? Pay good money to watch people stand around and talk for two hours, and they call me a con man."

Phillip and I had been friends when we were younger. I always thought my mother would try to marry me off to the Carlyle boy, but once I stopped trying to please her, she turned her attention to other things. Then Phillip was sent away to school when we were 16 and we hadn't talked since, although I had heard many stories of his various romantic escapades.

I glanced over at P.T. and saw his signature look of wonder. I couldn't imagine what he was thinking.

I saw his face suddenly morph into sadness. I followed his eyes. They were watching Caroline approach some members of her ballet group. As I watched, the girls said something I couldn't hear before walking away from Caroline. It was disturbing to see her treated horribly.

As Caroline approached our group, I noticed P.T. and Charity had been talking.

"-shouldn't have to," P.T. was saying. Their conversation had finished when Caroline arrived.

I gave Caroline a hug and told her she was great. In return, she sent me a half-smile.

As we were walking to the carriage, P.T. was praising Caroline. "I can see it right now. 'Youngest prima ballerina in the history of the City ballet,'" he was saying.

"- I'm quitting," Caroline bluntly stated shocking all of us, P.T. especially.

"-What? Why would you quit?"

"I started too late. I will never catch up."

"Carol-" I started but was interrupted by the oldest Barnum.

"Caroline, you were the best dancer on that stage," P.T. said. "What? Do you think I can't spot talent?" P.T. replied to her eye roll.

"Ballet takes years of hard work. It's not like the circus. You can't just fake it." Caroline rushed towards the carriage, leaving P.T. standing with his mouth slightly opened in shock.

I continued my walk, certain that the reason Caroline wanted to quit was because of those girls, not her lack of experience.

When we reached the mansion, Caroline went straight to her room. I was shown the guest room by Charity who hurried away to calm her husband.

I had difficulty drifting off to sleep that night. My mind was preoccupied with thoughts of my family, Phillip, and Caroline. Why was life so difficult?

Previous Part | Next Part

[mythicallore]

Creature Feature: Champ

Champ of Lake Champlain

People the world over have heard of "Nessie," the monster that supposedly inhabits Loch Ness in Scotland. Fewer people are aware that a body of water in North America also have a reputation of having a monster. In Lake Champlain, located on the border between New York and Vermont, the creature, which may be real or legendary, has been given the nickname "Champ".

The Iroquois nation lived along the lake before Europeans came. They had stories that said a horned serpent lived within its waters. Many American bodies of water were sourced for such legends about water serpents and spirits, and it is difficult to use these as proof of Champ's existence.

Some historians place the earliest sightings of the creature by a European with Samuel De Champlain, after whom the lake is named. Champlain is supposed to have mentioned the creature in a chronicle he wrote in 1609. A careful reading of the text, though, shows that the animal described by Champlain might have been a large garfish, rather than a monster. Many garfish continue to live in the lake today.

Reports of the monster start showing up in the newspapers around 1873. According to a story in the New York Times, a railroad work crew was laying track near Dresden, New York, when they saw the head of an "enormous serpent" emerge from the water. After a moment of paralyzing shock, the workmen ran away. The creature, in turn, swam away. Witnesses reported that the animal had bright, silver-like scales that glistened in the sun. The article said, "The appearance of his head was round and flat, with a hood spreading put from the lower part of it like a rubber cap often worn by mariners."

In August of that same year, a small steamship loaded with tourists, allegedly struck the creature and nearly turned over. According to newspaper accounts, the head and neck of the animal were sighted afterward about a 100 feet from the ship.

As the fame of Champ grew, showman P.T. Barnum posted a $50,000 reward for the "hide of the great Champlain serpent to add to my mammoth World's Fair Show."

Reports appeared in the newspapers for the rest of that century. In July of 1883 the Clinton County Sheriff saw "an enormous snake or water serpent" which he estimated by 25 to 35 feet long. In 1887 a farm boy spotted the creature "making noises like a steamboat" a mile out in the lake. That same year a group of picnickers near Charlotte, Vermont, reported seeing an animal seventy-five feet long and "big around as a barrel" out in the water.

All the reports of this ear seem to picture the creature as long serpent with an arched back and a broad, flat tail. In modern times there have also been similar reports about Champ. In 1970 the creature was reported spotted by two independent witnesses traveling on a ferry across the lake. Richard Spear, one witness, said the animal was "dark brownish-olive" in color with "the size and shape of a barrel in cross-section." The other witness said the creature appeared to be "a large snakelike creature, swimming with its head above water, held as snakes do, with coils behind."

There have also been other reports that seem to describe the creature resembling a plesiosaur. Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles with long necks, a bulky body, four fins and a long tail. They have been extinct since the age of the dinosaur ended some 65 million years ago.

Probably the most convincing piece of evidence for the existence of Champ os the "Mansi Photograph" taken in 1977.

The Mansi photo was taken in 1977. Sandra and Anthony Mansi were visiting relatives in Vermont when they stopped along Lake Champlain's edge near the Canadian border. Sandra's children were playing in the lake while the adults watched. While Anthony went back to the car, Sandra noticed some "turbulence" in the water. As she watched, a huge creature with a small head, long neck and a humped back rose out of the lake. The head, which was 8 feet above the surface, moved from right to left. To Sandra it appeared to resemble a prehistoric animal. When Anthony returned, he saw it too. Alarmed for Sandra and the children's sake, he got them out of the water and up the six foot lake bank. It was at this point Sandra took the photograph with her Instamatic camera. Moments later the creature seemed to sink back into the lake, perhaps startled by a motorboat that was approaching. The whole sighting lasted six or seven minutes.

Investigations continue at Lake Champlain Cryptozoologist Roy Mackal visited the lake in 1981 and suggested the creature might be a surviving zeuglodon. This is a primitive form of whale which has a long snakelike body that would match the description of many of the reports, but not the Mansi photograph. The fossils of such a creature, thought long extinct, were discovered near Charlotte, Vermont, just a few miles from the lake.

Lake Champlain is very much like Loch Ness: It is long, deep, narrow and cold. Scientists have discovered that both bodies of water have an underwater wave called a seiche that can throw debris from the bottom of the lake up to the surface. Some skeptics think this may explain many of the monster sightings.

Whether Champ is a zeuglodon, plesiosaur, or seiche wave, one thing remains certain. People living and visiting Lake Champlain will continue to see things in the water and wonder what they might be.

[breakupscng]

Philipp: You know, Barnum, when I first met you I had an inheritance, acclaim, an invitation to every party in town. And now, thanks to you, all that’s gone. All that’s left is friendship, love, and work that I adore. You brought joy into my life. 

Lettie: Into all our lives. 

P.T.: If only the bank would take joy as collateral.