#reply 1988 all songs

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up: Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) || Chapter 11b (Nothing Else Matters) || Chapter 12a (Handle With Care) || Chapter 12b (I’m So Tired of Being Lonely) || Chapter 13a (Angel) || Chapter 13b (She’s My Addiction) || Chapter 13c (Patience) || Chapter 14a (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14b (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14c (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 15a (Dreams) || Chapter 15b (I Sing A Song of Love) || Chapter 15c (You Can Do This If You Try) || Chapter 16 (Let That Feeling Grab You Deep Inside || Chapter 17A: Never Tear Us Apart || Chapter 17B: It’s Tough To Be Somebody, And It’s Hard Not To Fall Apart  || Chapter 17C: I’m Wishing, Lord, That I Was Stoned || Chapter 18: Turn The Page || Chapter 19A: When You're Alone, Do You Let Go? ||| Also posted at AO3

Chapter 19B: Heading For A Spin

Here I go and I don't know why I spin so ceaselessly Till I lose my sense of gravity

- Patti Smith, “Dancing Barefoot” (1979) [click here to listen]

Pittsburgh || Early October, 1988

Five knocks had been their signal all tour.

He had told her that she could just walk in – that she was always welcome in his dressing room, that nobody else would disturb them. Yet she still didn’t feel comfortable doing that – respecting his space, and the quiet time he needed to collect himself before every show.

Never mind that these days, more often than not Jamie would bolt the door so that they could love each other quickly and quietly before he went on stage.

She was always ready for him – but tonight, when he answered the door, she knew he would need something different.

At about half of the concerts this tour he would wear a simple black tank top with his jeans. For the other half, he’d forgo a shirt entirely. Not that Claire minded either way, though she did love how the tattoo of her name over his heart would be proudly on display for the world to see.

Tonight he had opted for no tank – which is how she quickly noticed the rapid rise and fall of his chest, as he took very quick and shallow breaths. Eyes wide and unfocused, piercing into hers, impossibly blue amid his black eye makeup.

“Jamie,” she breathed, rushing inside and closing the door. “I’m here. Tell me.”

He swallowed, pushing her against the dressing room wall. Hips flush with hers as her cool hand rested over his heart, fingertips tracing her name inked on his body.

“I…” he gaped, then closed his mouth. Breathing deeply. Eyes wild. “I…Claire…”

“I’m here,” she repeated softly. “I love you. Do you love me?”

“Forever,” he choked. Hand fluttering under her Print t-shirt, thumbnail digging into the bone of her hip.

“I’m here, Jamie. I’m not going anywhere.”

He swallowed.

“Let me call Raymond right now. We have his home number for a reason, that’s what he told us when we called last week. We have time before the show. Everybody can wait. You have a phone in here, right?”

He shook his head. "No. Not tonight."

She frowned. “Did you take anything?”

“No,” he replied instantly. “No. No. Definitely no. Wouldn’t do that to you. To us.”

Her fingertips skimmed down the inside of his arm, and his gaze followed. She turned her hand palm upward. “Do you see your letter on me, Jamie? The one you inked yourself, in Boston?”

“Yes,” he breathed. Reached a fingertip to touch the J tattooed below her thumb.

“Focus on that. How much I love you. And do you remember when I inked my letter on you?”

He turned over his hand to proudly show her the C tattooed below his right thumb. “Your touch. Always with me.” He swallowed. “Every note I play, it’s with me.”

“That’s right, Jamie. I’m always with you, and you’re always with me.” She reached up to caress his cheek, smiling at the rasp of his stubble. “We have time. Do you want to love?”

Her hand drifted down across his chest and rested on the belt loops of his jeans. Waiting. Giving him the choice.

He leaned down for a long, slow, sweet kiss.

She felt the tension seep from his body.

“Want to wait to love you tonight,” he whispered against her lips, hips still flush with hers. Teasing. “But only if you can wait, too.”

She nodded, kissing his lower lip. “I can. But I’ll be thinking about it the whole show. How amazing it will be, later. Will you, too?”

He deepened the kiss. “Fuck yes.”

“And not here,” she gasped between kisses. “Back at the hotel. I want to take my time.”

He bit the side of her neck.

Three pounds on the door. Colum’s signal for five minutes until showtime. Because he knew better than to barge in. The one time he had…well, that was enough.

Jamie pulled away only slightly, his body still pressing Claire’s against the wall. He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. Breathing deeply. Inhaling the scent of her skin.

“What happened?”

He sighed. “One of the fans at the meet and greet told me that I inspired him to get clean. Go to AA. Deal with his shit. He actually thanked me.”

“Oh, my love.” She kissed him. “That’s so wonderful.”

He sought shelter in the safety of her neck. “I fucking did that, Claire. I can’t believe it. It's...it's unreal.”

She nodded, arms winding tight around his shoulders. “You did do that, Jamie. That’s so amazing.”

“He was so fucking happy. So proud. I didn’t know what to say.”

“That’s all right. You don’t need to say anything. Knowing is enough.”

He kissed her collarbone. “I just can't get over it. For all this time, I've only thought that all that shit I used to do could only have one result. That it was all bad. And now it's messing with my head to know that my fuck-ups actually helped someone. Kind of makes me happy in a weird way that all that shit happened, because it helped him.”

She carded her fingers through his hair. “It makes it worth it. Will you promise to tell Raymond about this?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We need to talk with him about this. Not gonna lie, it's fucking with my head a bit. Because I’m nobody’s hero, Claire. Nobody in this world who has any sense should look up to me. I’m an addict, and a musician who just got insanely lucky.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

Jamie smiled. Thrust his pelvis into hers. Smiling when she whimpered.

“I think it's impossible that with all the records we've sold, and with all the sold out shows this tour, that only that one person has changed their thinking. So what about..."

He swallowed, a bit unsure. Claire ran her thumb over his cheek.

"Maybe...maybe I do something official. Like, launch a sobriety support program for fans. Encourage them to have sober meet-ups with each other.”

She smiled, ecstatic. “That would be so amazing, Jamie. We should tell Colum - he can get the publicity people on it right away. You’ve got a voice – you should use it.”

Four loud knocks.

“Kiss your bride goodbye, Jamie! Everyone is waiting!” Colum yelled through the door.

Claire smiled. “You’re gonna do so great tonight. I’ll be right there with you.”

Jamie smiled. “I do have a voice, Claire. And I sing for you.”

He darted in for a kiss. And another. And another.

Neither heard the door open, until –

“For fuck’s sake!” Colum screamed. “I said kiss her, not swallow her!”

Jamie pulled away. Light. Happy.

“See you after the show,” she smiled.

“Can’t wait,” he grinned. Slung his guitar over his shoulder. Waited for her to find and pick up her medical bag. Gripped her hand. Led her to the stage.

[havemyheartaziraphale]

The Diamond Robbery

This was originally a reply here but I thought I'd make it it's own post so I can come back to edit it as and when I need to

I've gone through the whole post..

Dick Turpin (wasn't even alive at the time, also the name of Newt's car)

The Star of South Africa wasn't until 1869 and the weights are all wrong as well...

Wertheimer and Fray never existed (that I can find...)

And the first post was in July 2023 as well... so same month as releaese of GO2

And then there's a post on the blog all about Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson. the blog is wild

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I went back and clicked on the Smooth Criminal post, because I wanted to go back over what was written and… none of it makes any sense ><

Notably:

Was actually released 1988, NOT 1987 THis?? Beyond its artistic influence, Smooth Criminal also imparts valuable lessons that resonate with audiences worldwide. This song communicates a powerful message about resilience and the ability to overcome adversity. Its lyrics highlight the importance of justice and the triumph of good over evil, inspiring listeners to stand up for what is right. Additionally, Smooth Criminal serves as a reminder of the significance of mastering one’s craft. The precision and mastery displayed in Michael Jackson’s performance emphasize the dedication and hard work required to excel in any field. This song encourages individuals to pursue their passions relentlessly and to continually strive for excellence. I'm sorry, but are we talking about the same song?? The one that says the same things over and over? The one that mentions signs in windows of being attacked and running into a bedroom to hide?

hmmm… "Surrender the Angle" and Jim going into the bedroom when told to? (Also, "You were struck down/ It was your doom Annie")

THIS paragraph a well?? Smooth Criminal is renowned for its ability to stay one step ahead of the authorities, leaving no trace behind. To achieve this, the song’s protagonist employs a variety of tactics. Changing identities frequently – adopting new names and disguises to elude capture Moving swiftly from one location to another, never staying in one place for too long Operating in the shadows, carefully avoiding any unnecessary attention By constantly adapting and maintaining a low profile, the smooth criminal can continue their illicit activities undetected. Shax changes identity several times… As does Muriel (although granted she only has the Police costume, but she was also there when Azi was asking questions in Heaven about Job)

Please… read the whole blog post. Because why write something about a song?

hm…. what was it Beelzebub said to Gabriel? (S2 ep 6, 23:58)

Lord Beelzebub: I like it. Contains information in a tuneful way Like I know there's probably nothing there but it's so funny to me that there's a "serious" blog post about the song that doesn't even analyse the song at all correctly

[streets-in-paradise]

Unlikely Friendship-Child's Play (1988) and Stranger Things Crossover

Warnings: Crossover AU, many apects of the ending of Stranger Things season 4 were ignored for this. Eddie Munson moves to Chicago and gets adopted by meets the Barclays. Background Eddie x Reader (reader is named). Happy fic with an A Nightmare On Elm Street-like open ending.

Summary: Little Andy Barclay develops a peculiar fascination when he meets the boyfriend of his substitute babysitter, a neigbor from his building that keeps an eye on him whenever Maggie is unavailable. His mother is highly skeptical of him due to his strange attitude and threatening appearance, but Eddie's kindness of heart would end up surprising her.

Notes: The name I picked for the reader (Lily) i did because I wanted a flower name to match with Maggie and I really like that one. Also, the flower represents a few things in her characterization and plot function. Not intending to make it even more of a self insert or anything

Tags: @losersclubisms

The neighbors of the building were for most living immersed in their own problems and Karen didn’t expect anyone to care for hers. Being a prideful woman herself, she wouldn’t have seeked any support networks among them. There was not much on their part besides some volatile offerings during small talk that often sounded more like charity than friendly help born from true involvement. A kind young girl on the down floor was the only exception, she had been babysitting Andy from time to time since the first moment she had to leave him for a job interview. The deal was arranged as a spontaneous thing meant to last just for that occasion, but it kept repeating sporadically. The little boy responded well to her and his adorable sweetness won her over, so she felt more than happy to help. As their bond became more stable Karen insisted on offering her payment almost every single time, but she would end up accepting only a minimal fraction attempting to show she truly cared for her family untill she would understand it.  

A cordial, reciprocal solidarity based friendship began to develop between both women. They were both struggling in their different ways, Lily didn’t have a good relationship with her mother and she would often come to her asking for advice on countless topics. From work problems to romantical advice, anything that would be floating around in her mind she would share it with her. Karen was quite concerned about the guy she was seeing, from the tales she heard he seemed quite eccentric and describing him like that would be an euphemism. It wouldn’t take much time for some of her guesses to be confirmed, since she got to meet him quite quickly as the relationship advanced. 

If she would have come across him on the streets, his threatening looks would have probably scared her. The long haired young man dressed in black leather and jeans carrying tons of jewelry with strange symbols didn’t inspire her much trust. Even less the first words she heard him say overhearing the couple talking before they noticed her and her boy coming in close to them.

“ I’m going to keep taking you home, babe. I have reasons to be worried, there is a maniac on the loose! Well, another one besides me, of course. “ He joked, making the girl chuckle. “ How long do you think it’s going to take for local metal bands to catch up on that? Every impactufll psycho eventually gets their song."

“ Until police would catch him, I hope. “ 

Their conversation got inmediately interrupted by Andy's pure excitement.

" Hi Lily!!!" He happyly saluted, quickly catching attention before his mother could say anything. " Nice to see you!!"

Her expression was brightfull for the cute surprise.

" Andy!!! How are you, darling?"

He was all smiles before replying.

" Good, doing all kinds of stuff. "

The curious eyes of the kid were fixated on the man beside her, his attention focused in his unusual appearance.

In the meantime, Karen followed with more kind salutes.

" Good evening, dear. Excuse us for the intrussion. "

The young neighbor was happy to see her.

" You are never intruders, i have wanted to do the presentations from quite some time. "

" I handle it from here, sweetheart. " The man followed her. " A pleasure to meet you, from all I have heard I guess you must be Karen. I'm Eddie, and i have the honor of dating this lovely lass."

Andy chuckled, the self introduction somehow reminded him of a Robin Hood he saw in a puppet show.

He once more spoke in advance

" Hi, Eddie! I'm Andy!!!"

Eddie responded while offering him a handshake.

" Nice to meet you, Andy!!"

There was no glimpse of fear in the boy, only a strange fascination. He was paying attention to all the details in his jewelery, specially the rings.

" Woooow! What's that?"

The kid had clearly pointed one of the skull shaped ones.

" Well, it's how all of us look from the inside. When we die, that's what's left. "

The answer was too disturbing and it weirded the mother.

" That's enough, honey. We are going home. "

As the small family followed its route, Eddie still intended to apologise.

" Sorry, Mrs Barclay! i'm not a big fan of lying to kids, I will try to be less terrifying next time."

It was hard for her to understand what was that girl seeing in him. The first awkard interaction didn't do much for his reputation, but she would notice her so in love and the whole thing was a mistery to her.

However, her son was another story. The strange man must have caused a great first impact in him, because he wouldn't stop talking about him. Everytime his neighbor would be babysitting him, he would ask her about Eddie. When was he coming to see her?, What was he doing? and Could he come to play? where some of the most usual ones. At one given time it occured to him that they could call him and she had to invent some excuse to avoid indulging him. During their next cassual encounter in the building the metalhead was carrying his guitar and the kid wouldn't let him be. He even attempted to beg his mother if they could invite him for dinner so he could show him his music.

When he saw him for the fourth time Andy came to him for a hug and asked him if he would be his friend. Eddie looked at Karen, bright smile in his face caused by the shocking reaction of the child, indirectly asking for her approbation before giving any answers.

She couldn't refuse, not when her son seemed so happy. That didn't mean she wouldn't bombard Lily with questions about her boyfriend. She already knew they have in the record store where he worked, only job Karen imagined that would have allowed him to keep that style. Admitting she was understanding of why she would find him a bit rough arround the edges, her neighbor promised he would surprise her if she would give him time. His kind heart and sense of humor had her infatuated since the first date, she had no doubt more people would be able to see the good in him.

Watching an instant on any of the interactions he had with the boy was enough to make one suspect there had to be more about him than what meets the eye. Eddie had managed to connect with Andy in such an unique form. He seemed to understand him in ways no one else in his close circle did, they somehow related to each other. His impressive, highly developed imagínation was doing great as a developmental stimulation source for the little boy either while telling stories or playing games. Karen saw it happening by herself on his first short visits coming to pick up Lily after the babysitting. The positive impact on her child slowly began to change her mind about him.

The definitive step that seiled a start of true bonding between them happened spontaneously and with a very strange timing.

It was the morning of Andy's sixth birthday and facing her son's dissapointment with the gifts she could buy for him had crushed her. She brought him clothes and the only Good Guy brand set of toys she could afford. An accessory playset, while he wanted the doll meant to go with it. A good while after the present unboxing Andy got the first birthday call of the day. Their happy couple of neighbors wanted to give their salutes early and Karen pretended not to hear the sadness in her boy's voice while telling Eddie about his presents.

Minutes afterwards they were at their doorstep and the smiling metalhead was carrying a huge wrapped box. Karen couldn't believe her eyes and the disbelief was evident. To the ' no way' in her expression, Eddie's complicit mischievousness seemed to confirm her it was, Indeed, very possible. The pridefull smile of his girlfriend showed it was probably his idea. She knew which presents the mother was planning to get for the kid and probably just commented to her boyfriend about it before deciding what they were going to do.

" Good Morning, Karen! Where is the birthday boy? I have this thing my princess has been hidding for him in her appartment."

Andy rushed to the sound of his voice, but remained skeptical to the sight of the package.

" We tricked you, little buddy!!! Do you think your mom was going to leave the big one in plain sight?" Eddie cheerfully encouraged him to approach, pretending he was carrying the box for Karen. " This is all an elaborated scheme to surprise you. The little one Karen gave you is ours, we were hidding hers all along. "

It was enough to get the kid excited again.

" Really? Woooow!!!"

" We have no idea of what's inside, but it's kind of heavy." The man followed, exaggerating with his mannerisms the effort of carrying the box to later support it at the floor level." Why don't you take a look for me?"

The three adults remained expectant and when the kid ripped off the paper mother and son were one in the surprise.

" A Good Guy, I know it!!" Andy cheered towards her. " I knew you would get me one!!!"

Karen gave a side look to Eddie while he played the fool, comical fake innocence almost getting a chuckle from her.

It was unbelievable, the excuse was so perfectly crafted that she had no time to object before he presented the doll in her name.

" A Good Guy doll for the nicest kid in the neighborhood. " Eddie spoke because Karen couldn't. " It fits, ríght? Your mom is a genius."

Andy glanced at him for an instant and smiled, then rushed to hug her.

" Ohh, mom. Thanks!!"

" You are welcome, honey. " She lovefully replied. " but you should also thank Eddie and Lily for helping me hide it. Without them, the surprise wouldn't have been so great. Don't you think?"

The boy nodded affirmatively and kissed her cheek before following her suggestion.

" Happy Birthday, buddy!!!" Eddie cheered while receiving him. " Aren't you excited to play now?

" Thanks, Eddie! Will you play with me?"

The metalhead didn't hesitate in reassuring him.

" Sure I will, we are going to play such cool story games that Good Guy Show will want to hire me to write for them."

The boy's eyes were open wide and the excitement accompanied him when he gave the girl her time to be hugged.

" Thank you, Lily, for my friends. " He sweetly said to her and she understood the phrase implied two different things.

Convinced of the tale they told him, he was thanking her for hidding the doll with her. However, in his childish way he also tried to thank her for bring Eddie into his life.

" You are welcome, sunshine. " She inmediately responded. " I love them too. "

A silent instant of shared smiles completed the moment, then she tried to create a good excuse to get him occupied so her boyfriend and the mother would have their needed space to talk.

" Hey, Andy! The box says your new best friend needs batteries. I have a singing rabbit plushie at home, so I know how this things work. Wanna follow me so we can power up your buddy?"

He happyly obbeyed, leaving Karen free to interrogate Eddie.

" So, you finally learned how to lie to kids … You didn't have to do this. How the hell did it occur to you? Do you know how fucking expensive that thing is?"

He tried to ignore the fact that hearing her swear was kind of shocking.

" Hell i know, but I was sure Andy would want it. Good Guy Show is all he talks about and the ads are everywhere."

The answer frustrated her, he would say that as if she wasn't already aware of that.

" Why couldn't you just wait untill I would get one for him? "

" He would have never ask you directly, he knows you can't afford it."

The ríght guess in his thought process felt a bit too personal. It was one of those moments where Karen felt as if the man would be trying to prove he knew Andy better than her even when that wasn't his intention.

" And how exactly did you got it?"

It was an important question he trully didn't want to answer, even less to her accusatory tone.

" A magician never reveals his secrets, just enjoy the magic."

She was not in the mood for more of his jokes.

" Eddie, I'm being serious. You are an adult and I shouldn't mess with your spending, but i'm older than you and I can't just allow you to commit this act of financial irresponsibility without having a say. "

She was showing true concern for him, so he was at least going to give him some of his reasons. Seeking to make her understand so he wouldn't have to explain more Eddie opened up to her like never before.

" Listen, Karen. I come from a trailer park in a small town forgotten by God in some corner of Indiana. My uncle took me in on his own and it was just the two of us against the entire fucking town. I know how your son feels, he just wants a nice toy and a friend to play with. Believe it or not, I understand your powerlessness too because i saw it happening while growing up. If i can make it better for another struggling family, one that by the way I really care a lot about, I'll do it even if I have to go broke for it."

It was then when she got to discover he trully had a heart of gold, the breaking surprise her neighbor prophetized.

" I'm so thankfull, but please take care of yourself. " She tenderly nagged him while approaching for a hug. " I promise I will find a way to repay you. "

" You don't have to, but if you insist, just think of me if Ozzy adds concert dates near here on his next tour. "

It was a joke, he chuckled to let her know he was just messing with her.

Her son and his girlfriend returned to find her kindly fixing the loose locks of his messy hair.

Andy was happyly showing his unboxed doll.

" Mommy, mommy!!! Come to see this!!! "

The three adults silently shared their relief for the accomplishment.

Andy wasn’t completely unaware of the implicit secrecy around him despite not being sure of its reason. It made his smile acquire a shade of mischievousness, wondering if there was another surprise. 

“ You tricked me again! ” He complained to the young man, slightly frustrated. “ How you do it?” 

Before he could get to answer, Karen did it for him. 

“ I invited him to your party, that’s the last surprise.” She announced, matter that was never discussed before. “ Lily can bring Eddie after work to play and have cake if that’s fine for them.” 

Trying the doll was the only thing that could have possibly redirected the kid’s excitement after getting to hear that. Fascinated as he was with its startup phrase introducing itself as Chucky, he encouraged every single one of them to talk to it. 

Chucky and Eddie were all he would be talking about for the rest of the day. Although his mom couldn’t be present for the occasion because work forced her to miss it, he would still comment on it with Maggie over and over. Best friend and coworker of Karen, she was his main babysitter and the most trustable emergency contact. Usually, the neighbor girl would come whenever she was unavailable.

They had met, so she was aware of her, but on the many times Andy would mention Eddie he referred to him as his friend and never specified he was the backup sitter’s boyfriend. In fact, the way he would speak of him didn’t differentiate him much from a child. Karen told her about the kind hearted lad showing up at her doorstep with the doll her son wanted, but the differential descriptions made her think she and Andy were talking of two different persons.

Opening the door for a threatening looking grownass man followed by his contrastingly sweet appearing girlfriend was not what she had in mind. 

The visits were initially unaware of the change and, since they were hoping to find Karen, seeing someone else confused them too.

" Sorry, wrong place. "Maggie said as soon as she saw him, almost shutting the door if she wouldn't have recognized the girl beside him. " Is this guy coming with you? Look, Lily. Karen isn't home because Walter forced her to take other shift to cover up for someone else. I have been warned Andy is waiting for a friend to show up, but i will be fine on my own dealing with the two kids. "

The couple shared a few chuckles, unsure of how they were going to explain the hilarious misunderstanding.

" Well, if you think so i'll pick him up at nine. "The girl responded, acting on purpose as if she would be leaving a kid at the birthday party of his little friend. " Have fun, Eddie! Listen to Maggie and don't get yourself in trouble."

He followed the joke pretending child like excitement.

Maggie got the message, but was still quite shocked.

" So, this is Eddie … If you would hear the way that kid talks of you, you would get why I was waiting for a child."

" My teachers used to say i'm one in spirit as some flattering, euphemistical replace for inmature as fuck. " He mocked himself, trying to overcome the awkwardness. " I guess I should let you judge by yourself. "

She rolled her eyes and let both in.

" No swearing in front of the boy. If I hear one curse word coming from Andy, I'm going to know he got it from you. "

He smiled and did a gallant reverence before stepping in.

" Worry not, Margareth, for I will keep the manners of a knight."

Lily chuckled as he guided her inside to later kiss her knucles and do the same for Maggie.

" Calm down, Shakespeare. " She mocked him in return. " Don't piss me off and we are going to be fine. "

" I could never not behave accordingly in the presence of such lovely ladies. " He insisted, sticking to the character for a little bit. " Margareth and Lily, the most beautifull flowers on the little prince's garden. "

She amusedly ignored the compliment.

" Andy, you friend is here!!!!"

In a matter of instants the presence of Eddie revolutioned the home. The quiet playtime of the little boy was over, since the energy of the metalhead would incentivate him to go nuts. It literally finished turning the situation into something closer to a birthday party, music incluided. Aware that Andy was super curious about his guitar, he would have preferred to play something by himself. However, since Karen just started to like him and he guessed that would be too much for her, he límited himself to bringing a mixtape with the most palatable music for a general audiencie that he owned. When questioned about it, he simply said there was nothing on it heavier than Metallica mixed with some radio friendly hard rock.

Maggie stopped caring for his strange excuses once she saw Andy jumping all over the place to Led Zeppelin's ' Rock and Roll ' while holding his doll so he could pretend it was doing the same. He was acting like a happy kid on a birthday should despite that was happening in a very unconventional way. In fact, she wished she could have videotaped it for Karen to see. The hairstyle of the doll was completely ruined during Andy's attempts of making it replicate the movements of Eddie, who would also try to encourage everyone else to join them.

She got more material for her self deprecating and ironical dating jokes. When asked about it she could say that at least part of her night involved being dragged to move by a twenty somethings and out of context it would work.

The calm part of it was still full of games that were more intense than what she would have expected from Andy's usual playing behavior. He tried to show Eddie the way that the Good Guy Show lore pre imagined for him to play with Chucky, but the man kept challenging it.

" We are going to think outside the box here, Andy, … literally speaking. " He was kindly explaining his point. " The Playpal guys say Chucky has only six options depending on the accesories we can buy for him, but he can be anything we want if we dare to imagine it and we don't need any more sets for that. "

Sat on the floor ríght next to him and in front of the doll, the kid was observing it as if he had the most amazing realization.

" But we have the construction worker set, what else can we make him be?" He asked in a wondering tone. " What do you think ?"

" I don't know, but we can have fun figuring out. " Eddie followed him. " For example, with that flaming red hair and the hammer, I believe he could be a dwarven blacksmith who craftes magical weapons and beautifull jewelery. "

The idea seemed appealing to the kid simply because he made it sound way cooler.

" Mom sells jewelery, Chucky can make it for her. " Andy agreed. " Don't you, Chucky?"

Following the whole thing while trying to keep a conversation with Maggie, Lily was undone from tenderness feeling as if her heart would be about to explode holding all that love for Eddie. She couldn't help excusing herself and do an Intervention to help him out.

" We can make him look more dwarvish, we just have to make some little changes."

She attempted to transform Chucky into a fantasy dwarf using one of her boyfriend's bracelets as necklace for the doll and adding the touch of one of the pending chains from his pants circling the hip to represent a belt.

" I will add a few cool dwarvish braids in his hair and that's it." She pridefully informed. " He would be ready for forge work or battle. "

" He still needs a battle axe, but that one comes in the fireman playset. " Eddie joked, still admiring the work. " Be carefull with that, babe. Braiding hair is a marriage proposal gesture in his culture. "

Andy seemed quite surprised and she pretended to follow him for an instant.

" Well, I can play as Chucky's bride. Surely he will not mind."

" Over my dead body!!!" Eddie exaggerated on purpose, making the kid laugh. " I'm going to challenge him to a duel for your hand. "

" Andy should decide who I should marry, it's his birthday and you are his friends. What do you say, birthday boy?"

" I don't want them to fight. " He sweetly admitted. " Friends shouldn't fight."

Maggie couldn't help bursting into laughter many times while watching the madness escalate. Eddie convinced Andy of enacting the duel, but it ended up as playfull fighting between them while Lily finished braiding Chucky's hair.

Some of the fictional escenarios they were collectively coming up with were hard to follow, so the woman eventually got bored and sat on the couch to watch tv.

" Pardon me, Margareth, but we are in the middle of a quest to destroy a dark wizard and you are ruining the ambience!!" Eddie complained at some point. " Are you sure you don't want to be the wise witch guiding us? I'm offering you the coolest role."

He made her chuckle, she couldn't pretend to be upset anymore despite she would still make him a target of her sarcasm.

" That sounds great, but i think the dark wizard can wait untill after the cake. "

Once Andy blew the candles surrounded by happy cheering and had a piece of his cake he began to feel tired from all the exciting playing. Noticing it as well, Eddie explained him that they didn't have to complete the quest all in once. Relieved and happy, the boy finished the day with some of the standard playing with the construction set and his Good Guy back in the classical look. In the meantime, Eddie insisted in helping Maggie clean to compensate her for all the chaos of the night.

Bedtime was near when the little boy delivered one last weird occurence.

" Aunt Maggie, Chucky wants to watch the nine o clock news."

She shared complicit glances with Eddie as he pilled up the clean dishes that had to be saved, initially thinking Andy's plead was some joke to ignore the bedtime and keep playing with him.

"Sure, he does."

Lily tried not to chuckle, feeling almost sure of what the thing was about.

The news presenter mentioned the Lakeshore Strangler, Eddie's most recent fixation. He obviously wasn't talking about that with Andy, but he must have been aware of that because her boyfriend was talking about it with her the same day the kid meet him.

"Don't worry, sweetie. He can watch the repetition at twelve. " She tranquilized him in sweet whispers as Maggie approached. " You should go to rest."

His aunt turned off the tv and picked him up in order to carry him to the bedroom, while the substitute sitter carried Chucky a similar way. The kid obediently proceeded to go brush his teeth in the bathroom, when the sudden bombing of tv sound freaked them out. 

Eddie was sitting on the couch, staring at them innocently like a child that tries to deny doing mischief. 

“ I’m done with the chores … Can I watch the news, Aunt Maggie?” He pleaded by himself. “ It’s very important, I wouldn’t ask it otherwise. They are on the case I’m following.” 

“ Again with that? “ Lily wondered out loud. “ Charles Lee Ray is dead. It 's over, love.” 

“ His accomplice has escaped. “ He summarized for her. “ Police get the right Eddie this time and they let him escape. Can you believe it?” 

“ Why is it such a big deal for you?” Maggie seriously asked him. “ The hell are you talking about?” 

Following the conversation and remaining attentive to the screen was hard, especially because one of the women was in front of it. He didn’t want to explain his full reasoning, but she was cornering him so he had to say something.

“ I know it sounds creepy and I’m a total freak, just don't get upset with Andy. He must think that the Strangler is to me what the Good Guy show is to him, that’s why he said that. I never spoke about it with him, I swear. He must have overheard me and he just wanted to be nice. “ 

“ If you say so, I won’t deny it: you are a freak.” Maggie simply stated. “ … but you make that kid happy so I guess I have to get used to it.”

“ Eddie is not a weirdo obsessed with a killer just because his partner in crime has his same name, he has valid reasons to feel the way he does. “ His girlfriend interrupted, sweetly approaching to sit beside him. “ There was a series of ritualistic murders happening in his old town and the people wrongfully targeted him and his friends just because they looked suspicious to them. When things seem to work out, he moves here trying to leave everything behind and some guy starts doing a similar thing. He was terrified of being targeted by the police all over again, he would be trying to hide it from me through silly dark jokes.” 

He was very thankful of not having to explain the situation himself, unsure of how to present it in a way that wouldn’t ruin things. 

“ I elaborated an exhaustive list of reasons proving I could never be the Strangler just in case they would come to interrogate me, if there was going to be a second time I wanted to be ready.” 

“ Holy shit, that’s terrible!” Maggie exclaimed, feeling truly sorry for him. “ I can’t imagine how horrible it would be to be blamed for a crime I didn’t commit. Did they eventually catch the guy?” 

“ I like to believe I helped to serve justice somehow.” He vaguely explained. “ Charles Lee Ray was the most faithful reflection of everything people said I was, I felt relieved when they identified him as the Lakeshore Strangler and I followed his case intensely because I wanted to feel sure cops weren’t fucking up again. The dude who was shot in a toy store last night wasn’t an unlucky scapegoat and nobody will be coming after me again saying I’m a killer for the way I dress, the game i play or the music I listen to.” 

Maggie stopped obstructing the screen. 

“ I was kind of a bitch to you, sorry for that. You may be weird, but I can tell you are a great guy.” 

The recognition got a genuine smile from him. 

“ No problem, I’m used to it.” 

“ I tell him all the time that I feel lucky to have him, but he says I’m insane.” Lily continued, seeking to cuddle from her position beside him. “ He is wonderful, maybe I’m a bit guilty of trying to make the world love him as much as I do.” 

He gave her a soft peck on the lips and they smiled at each other before he proceeded to share bits of their story. 

“ I love this woman from the very first moment she smiled at me after having asked me for the dullest hair metal record that she wanted to buy mostly for the power ballad single. She was so lovely, I became a mess and I couldn’t care less for my artistic principles. For her I ended up listening to that damn Whitesnake record during the in-between dates time, closing my eyes to think of her to Is This Love because I knew she loved that one and I was becoming a lovesick fool.” 

Their tenderness was very surprising to the woman observing them. 

“ Girl, I’m going to end up asking you for dating advice.” Maggie mocked them, that time with plenty of good intentions. “ Should I start attending metal concerts?” 

“ We are on the same page, I follow Karen’s. “ She honestly replied. “ Well, except for that one time I didn’t and I kept dating him.” 

The women chuckled and kept chatting, but he missed most of it because he got lost in his own thoughts while the heat of his girlfriend’s body was relaxing him. Eddie’s imagination was starting to connect the dots in many strange coincidences surrounding him and the story he intended to follow. Lee Ray and Caputo were partners in crime named exactly the same as Andy’s partners in playing. From the many names the Good Guys could have, the one he got for the kid was a Chucky and Chucky was short for Charles. The serial killer was shot by police in a toy store, last hideout resource when his friend abandoned him.

“ Hey, handsome. It’s your mind on the moon again?” Lily teased him sweetly, noticing he got very distracted. “ What’s wrong?”

“ I’m gonna write the song, babe … and I know what I’m going to do.” He revealed, with determination. “ I’m going to write about the killer from the point of view of his friend, and it's going to be wrapped in a metaphor about childhood. Andy just inspired it to me, you know? We have a Chucky and I’m an Eddie … that ‘ My best friend Chucky ’ thing. It 's perfect! “ 

“ What do you mean?” She stopped him before the rambling could escalate because she wanted to follow him. “ Slow down and share it.” 

“ Chucky IS Chucky.” He replicated with excitement. “ Chucky is short for Charles, so doll Chucky is my metaphor for dude Chucky and Eddie is his best buddy. Committing crimes is like playtime for them, until the police arrive. Waking up from the fantasy of their murder spree is like growing up. Eddie becomes aware of the consequences and trying to escape those he leaves Chucky behind to die in the fucking toy store like a forgotten toy. “ 

It was a bit too much, but she was quite impressed anyway. 

“ It’s … twisted, but brilliant! And you are going back to writing! That’s good, I’m just so happy that Andy managed to inspire you somehow.” 

“ Are you planning to launch your musical career with a lawsuit from Playpals? Because that’s what you are going to get. “ Maggie warned him. “ Just try to keep yourself out of trouble, allright?” 

The casual demonstration of concern was well received by him. 

“ Yes, Aunt Maggie!” 

They intended to stay until Karen would return, but Maggie told them over and over that she was going to be alright on her own and they didn’t have to. They were going to be in the building anyways, so if she needed anything she could just call them and they would be there for her. 

Lily seemed uneasy, there was something else her boyfriend hadn't discussed with her and coming down from all the excitement surrounding them once they were back in her apartment made her aware of it. 

“ Where did you get the doll, Eddie?” She questioned him. “ I had no money for it, as far as I know you didn’t have it … So where did it come from?” 

The ask was very rational, but at that point he would have preferred to avoid it.

“ Why does it matter? Andy is happy and Karen will not have to lose all her savings for it.” 

“ It matters to me because I’m afraid you could have endangered our friends “ 

She meant she feared he could be messing himself and others into something illegal and she had a point. 

“ It was alley money for a clean doll, alright? I got rid of the last shit I had left and with what I got from those sales I bought him a brand new doll from the store.” He finally confessed. “ I paid in cash so there is no way to track it, just don’t tell Karen. “ 

There was no inmediate reaction, but when it came, her reply was way deeper than a moral objection.

“ Andy told me something very curious today when we were unpacking the doll from the box.  I kept calling it his best friend because that’s the slogan of the brand, but he corrected me. He said Chucky is not his best friend, you are.” 

She held his hand holding back tears. 

“ If something happens to you, it would crush that kid. I want you to take care of yourself and I’m not even doing it for us, but for him. He already lost his dad, he can’t lose you in the most shitty way possible.” 

Eddie hugged her and began to caress her hair in a calming way. 

“ Easy, princess. it’s going to be ok, nothing bad will come to them or to us.” 

For once in his life, that seemed to be true. With some ups and downs, but things were working out. He had a day job that didn’t suck while he could still keep working on his music, a wonderful girlfriend and one more friendship with a kid bringing out the best of him. Aware of Andy’s frustration for wanting to get little friends of his age, Eddie was slowly starting to teach him how to socialize in the way of the weird kids. He would constantly tell him about his younger friend from Hawkins who had three friends to play with since many years before meeting him. In some ways, he could be blamed for talking too pridefully about Dustin presenting him and his experience as the horizon for lonely freaky kids. To be fair, he would also comment with excitement to Dustin about the baby steps the little boy was making from time to time on their phone calls. 

His first visit was an important event for everyone involved.By that point Andy had heard so many amazing stories about him that he hero worshiped Dustin despite the teenager was initially unaware of it. 

" You are completely sold to that cute little brat, it is unbelievable. " Dustin concluded in whispers after observing an interaction between his friend and the kid for the first time. " I finally understand how Steve felt when I befriended you. "

Andy couldn't hear the talk because he was distant enough from them searching for some thing he desperatedly wanted to show them.

" We are lucky he isn't here. He would loose his shit over how tiny and cute that kid is, Msrs Barclay would never get rid of him."

They laughed because of how accurate that sounded to both.

" Karen could use one more free babysitter. " Eddie concluded. " C'mon, Dustin! I can't believe you are jealous of a six year old kid. "

" Well, he says you are his best friend and i thought WE were best friends. "

They were just messing with each other, but he still wanted to give him a good reminder of how important their friendship was.

" I owe you everything, you are practically my little brother. "

Eddie hugged him ríght away and Dustin chuckled through it.

" Don't try to make me tear up!"

Briefly afterwards Andy returned proudly holding a piece of paper.

" I made this for you. " He explained to Dustin while handing him the paper. " … and your friends. "

A drawing, classical little kid present. The teenager managed to distunguish at least four human figures in it surrounded by strange shit that was coming after them.

He smiled, unsure of what to say, so Andy provided a clarification.

" It's you fighting the monsters with them."

" Did you told him about the Upside Down? " He asked to Eddie, midly panicking. " How much does he know? "

" Chill, Karen and Maggie think is just nice tales I tell him. " Eddie defended himself. " Andy knows you are a hero."

Without any gestural warning the little boy rushed to hug Dustin.

" I want to fight monsters with my friends like you. "

The kid managed to awake his sentimental fiber.

" I wish you and the friends you will make will never have to, Andy. "

They all were awaiting for more introductions to be made. Since Eddie was introducing Dustin, Andy wanted them to meet the very first friend he managed to make in school. Lily was in charge of bringing him in, acting as trusting sitter and bridge between both families.

Eddie was particularly excited about it, from all comments he had heard the child was an old school freak in the making. He was a loner with an interest in fantasy and a labelled troublemaker.

The first impression didn't dissapoint.

" Nice shirt." The kid complimented him ríght away, pointing at the Iron Maiden cover art in the shirt Eddie was wearing." Great taste. "

" Aren't you a bit young to know what this is?"

The questioning didn't bother him in the slightlest.

" Is she your girlfriend? "

" Yeah, she is. " Eddie confirmed. " She is Andy's sitter and i heard she will become yours soon too because everyone else has given up. "

He smiled at her, then replied.

" … I like her. "

" Well, Lily is lovely so I can't blame you. " The metalhead added before introducing himself. " it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Eddie. "

The boy was laughing, a bone chilling cackle that threw everybody off.

" What should I do with your Good Guy, sweetie?" Lily asked him, trying to overcome the awkward moment. " I wouldn't want to mix both by mistake, Andy has a Chucky too. "

[the-al-chemist]

The Lights That Never Go Out

Prologue: There Is A Light

Something is coming this Christmas… I’ll let these two start telling the story.

Warnings: mentions of difficult family situations.

24th December, 1988

Charlie was starting to regret not sleeping for longer before driving his brother and friends home. When the little blue car he’d borrowed from his father’s garage had left Hogwarts, it had been late evening. Now it was the early hours of the morning, and they were still airborne. At least before he had been able to see the lights from the towns below, now there were only the car’s headlights illuminating the endless expanse of night sky through which they continued to soar.

He had hoped that the others would have stayed awake with him, but he had been proved wrong. In the back seat, both Bill and Merula had fallen asleep, and from the way Artemis was leaning her head against the window, she was struggling not to doze off as well. Charlie glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked tired. There was no point in trying to keep her awake, so he turned down the radio, which was playing an old Christmas carol sung by a church choir. At least that way she’d be able to drift off peacefully, rather than humming along to the music.

However, as Charlie lowered the volume on the car radio, he realised that Artemis wasn’t humming along to the Christmas carol at all. She was quietly singing along to a completely different tune, her eyes glazed as she stared out of the window into the darkness.

“Take me out tonight, where there's music and there's people and they're young and alive.”

Charlie smiled to himself. He didn’t recognise the song, but no doubt that was because it was a Muggle song. Artemis loved Muggle music. He would have asked her what it was, but it wasn’t often that he heard her sing, so he stopped himself before he interrupted her.

“Driving in your car, I never, never want to go home.”

A fitting lyric, if ever there was one.

“Because I haven't got one anymore.”

Sadly, probably also true, in Artemis’ eyes at least. Charlie frowned. He doubted that Artemis was even aware that she was singing out loud. Now wasn’t the time to ask her about it, as much as he wanted to.

“And if a double decker bus crashes into us…”

Charlie blinked. Surely he’d misheard that lyric.

“To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die.”

Maybe he hadn’t misheard. What kind of song was this?

“And if a ten-tonne truck,” Artemis continued to sing under her breath, “kills the both of us—”

“Well, that’s Christmassy,” Charlie muttered. He had said it more to himself than to Artemis, but she must have heard him, because she stopped singing.

“What is?” she asked, taking her head off the window to turn and look at him.

“Your song.”

“What song?”

“The one you were just singing along to.”

“I was singing a song?” Artemis’ nose wrinkled as she asked her third question, and Charlie nodded in response. “What song was I singing?”

“I don’t know. Muggle song, I think. Had a car in it,” Charlie shrugged, not wanting to really go into the details of the lyrics. They seemed too personal, somehow. “Lots of death and misery, too.”

“Oh. Festive.”

“Exactly.”

They were quiet for a bit longer, as Artemis fiddled with the volume of the radio to turn it back up, before turning it down again after a few more bars of choral music played through the speaker.

“Rubbish,” she whispered. “There’s much better Christmas songs than this one.”

“We can play some tomorrow, if you like. We have a wireless. Mum will want to listen to Celestina Warbeck in the evening, but I’m sure no one will mind if you want-”

“Does she do that every Christmas?”

“Yeah, it’s her thing,” Charlie nodded. “She loves Celestina Warbeck, and she’s so busy the rest of Christmas getting things ready, like the food and the presents for everyone. It’s the one thing she does for herself, you know?”

“Sort of,” Artemis replied. “How do you normally do Christmas?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what happens in your house at Christmas?”

“Oh, right. Well, usually Ginny wakes everyone up super early — she’ll get you up early, too, I’m afraid — and we go downstairs to open stockings. Then we play games and stuff until lunchtime, then after that we open presents. There’s a lot of food, so you’ll be happy.”

“Bill said there would be pigs in blankets.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Charlie half-laughed, half-frowned. “Do you not have them at your… Where do you normally go for Christmas?”

“My aunt and uncle’s,” Artemis told him. “Aunt Tina doesn’t like anything with pigs in it. She doesn’t really like Christmas that much, either, she just does it for mine and Uncle Newt’s sake, more than anything.”

“So it’s just the three of you normally?”

“And mum, sometimes. She doesn’t like Christmas at all, so usually she stays back at her house.”

“Do you have any cousins or anything?”

“Yeah, but they all live in America. I’ve not actually met them before, except for my grandma and granddad, and Newt and Tina’s son and his family. They came to visit one year when I was little. They were nice.”

“What about on your dad’s side?”

“My other granddad died in the war. I never met him,” said Artemis, drawing her legs up onto the seat. “And my grandma lives in a house for old Muggles. She has to have people look after her because she’s so forgetful. One time when she was looking after me, she flooded her whole house. I mean, it was fine, I just floated on a rug. But after that she wasn’t allowed to live by herself anymore.”

“Do you see her often?”

“Not since Jacob went missing. She never really remembered who we were, anyway.”

Charlie said nothing. He’d been surrounded by family all his life. He couldn’t imagine not having them around, especially not at Christmas.

There were more questions he wanted to ask Artemis, but in his peripheral vision he could see that she was drawing her legs ever closer to her chest, and moving head restlessly to look out of the window, even though there was nothing to be seen. She’d had enough of this conversation, he could tell.

“If you like,” he said, as breezily as he could muster, “you can have my pigs in blankets.”

“Really? Don’t you like them?”

“I do,” Charlie laughed quietly, “but I like you more.”

“It’s fine. I like you more than I like pigs in blankets, too,” Artemis said. Charlie made a shocked expression with his face, and she giggled. “More than pigs in blankets. Less than Bakewell tarts.”

“I’m not sure whether to be offended or not by that.”

“You shouldn’t be. I don’t like anyone more than I like Bakewell tarts.”

Charlie looked at Artemis, who smiled guilelessly at him and shrugged her shoulders, making him chuckle. At Artemis’ feet, there was doleful miaow.

“Obviously, I don’t mean you, Fergus,” she said, reaching down to put a finger through the metal door of the cat basket in the footwell. She turned to glance over her shoulder at Bill, still fast asleep, before opening the basket. “Come on. You can sit here for a bit.”

The marmalade-coloured body of Artemis’ cat Fergus emerged from the footwell, and Charlie shook his head as the cat made himself comfy around Artemis’ shoulders, purring loudly.

“Quiet, mate,” Charlie whispered, his eyes flicking to Bill’s reflection in the rear-view mirror. “You don’t want to wake up the Fun-Auror.”

Artemis grinned and stifled a yawn as she settled back into her seat. Charlie said nothing. She looked tired, and she’d need some rest to enjoy Christmas to the full, as she deserved to do. He didn’t mind driving without company for a while.

A pair of socked feet appeared on the dashboard to Charlie’s left, and a quiet hum resumed from the passenger seat. It sounded like the same song as before, but a different refrain this time.

“There is a light and it never goes out...”

Charlie smiled to himself as he listened to Artemis’ voice fade, watching the car’s headlights illuminating their path home.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Mark McLachlan aka Marti Pellow, born March 23rd 1965, the same year as myself.

Picture the scene, a teenage Mark chatting to his dad in Clydebank, and telling him he was going to be a musician, according to Pellow the reply went something like this....'Are you on a hallucinogenic substance or something? What's wrong with getting out there and getting an apprenticeship? I'm a builder, your grandfather was a builder, your great-grandfather was a shipbuilder. What do you want to be a musician for?'

And so it was, Mark became Marti and Mclachlan, became Pellow.

In 1982, at the age of seventeen, Marti formed the band Vortex Motion, with three friends from Clydebank High School in his hometown, the bands name was later changed to Wet, Wet, Wet who went on to have numerous hit singles and albums.

PolyGram signed the group in 1985 and spent a fortune fine tuning them in, the group scored a hit two years later with "Wishing I Was Lucky," which reached number 6 in the charts, the album Popped In Souled Out was a huge success scoring them a debut number one, two more would follow.

The Wets, as they became known had more single success in 1988 with their first number one, a cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" cut for the charity ChildLine.

Hit singles including Sweet Surrender and Goodnight Girl preceded a 1994 cover of the Troggs' "Love Is All Around" which spent an astounding 14 consecutive weeks atop the charts and was their third chart topper; however, in the wake of 1997's album, 10, the Wets began splintering amid copyright squabbles, and in May 1999 Pellow left the group.

Marti had a few minor hits as a solo artist but soon found fame in London's' West End in the hit stage musical Chicago.

Marti's mother passed away in 2003 and he was touched that all his ex band members attended the funeral, he recalled his mum saying that maybe Wet Wet Wet would get back together sometime and Marti later said in an interview "Moments like that put things into perspective - it wasn't all about music, it was more about a kinship between us." The band reformed the following year.

While the group haven't officially split the earlier success has eluded them, they still attract fans to their sell out concerts, Marti is still playing to audiences in London, his last role being Che Guevara in Evita aside from music he was the narrator in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers in 2015.

Pellow is currently touring singing some of his best-known songs on a UK-wide tour. He'll be playing former band Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped in Souled Out, in full - plus a string of other hits. The first night was at in Dublin and he played Glasgow's OVO Hydro last Saturday, he is in Leeds tonight, followed by Newcastle, London, Bournemouth and Birmingham.

[maverickcalf]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤️

Dang, so uhhhh i love all my fic pretty equally. And I am going to limit the five I go into detail about to be finished fics. Which does cut down the number to 46...

Also this has been sitting in my drafts and is late but i think i got all of them!

5. A Mark of a Fig Tree -Mission Impossible

A soul mate au with a bit of a twist. I never really liked standard soul mate aus because it leaves very little room for people to grow into different relationships. There is also time, time changes people. So what would happen if one of those marked was trans.

This goes into a bit more of a happy ending, but Ethan goes through a lot of self hatred to get there. Pretty short but sweet.

4. Dance around the Subject - Cocktail (1988)

Ah so this one. I feel like i really captured the characters well. This fic is an au where Jordan saw Brian walk off with Doug to sleep with him instead.

It's a bit messed up, but it captures things well and made me actually grow attached to Jordan and Brian as a couple.

3. Done with Love - Top Gun

I wrote this fic in one night but you can tell how much i love it by the placement!

It's a fic going into Carole's and Maverick's relationship post Goose's passing and how part of the queerplatonic partnership sticks together even if things seem hopeless.

(Best read listening to the song of the same name)

2. Beach Static - The Firm (1993)

Mitch Mcdeere deals with nightmares. It's post canon, and it really is one of my favorites. I feel pain when i read it but i... like that? The warnings are important but i feel the fic captures my feelings on the firm and how certain feelings don't hit you until you are safe.

Even if you don't feel safe.

(Please read Beach Static, it is very underappreciated)

1. The way I wanna feel - Top Gun

This is the story of Goose and Maverick coming together in a different sort of relationship with some help from Carole, who also loves them.

This fic has a lot of good family stuff but also Maverick being a reckless fool. Also they just love...

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy everytime i read it. Queerplatonic Goosemavcarole rules!

[gizkasparadise]

What are your favorite love stories from dramas? Chinese or Korean. The OTPs that slayed you?

yay! i love love!! SPOILERS below!

--

li zi wei / huang yu xuan, someday or one day. taiwanese drama.

boy meets girl. boy dies. girl time travels about 20 years into the past and meets boy's doppelganger, except he's older than he should be in 1998. turns out boy is ALSO a time traveler, and he waited years to be reunited with the girl in her original timeline after meeting her in 1998 😭. boy still dies. girl goes to correct the timeline again. in order for the boy and the girl's friends to survive, they have to erase the timeline where they meet, and all their memories together, and they choose to do so. it's implied the boy will still meet the girl someday, one day 😭😭😭. a follow up movie (with the same cast!) is going to be released soon, but the original drama is perfect on its own and their story hits all the best bittersweet notes.

also their theme song kills me/watch for a highlight reel:

--

dongfang qingcang and xiao lanhua, love between fairy and devil. chinese drama

this story is like someone took all my favorite fanfics from when i was 14 and injected it straight into my veins!! xiao lanhua is an unimportant orchid fairy who accidentally frees the leader of the moon tribe (the fairies' #1 enemy), certified big bad and girlboss dongfang qingcang, who has sealed away his emotions for a power boost. over time, the two of them grow closer and understand one another better and if you're someone who likes "i'll burn the world down for 1 person" with notes of devil/jesus or hades/persephone this is 100% absolutely your ship.

like, the way we all went absolutely feral during this scene:

--

do hyun soo/cha ji won, flower of evil. korean drama

idek where to begin with these two, but ugh. ugh!! ugh!!!! the way they killed me over 16 episodes! definitely an unconventional couple, do hyun soo is a suspected serial killer who's been on the run for over 15 years, and cha ji won is his wife and also a detective recently assigned to hunt him down. their story is just such a raw and lovely look at trauma's effects on people and they're so ride or die for one another and their daughter. it's wonderful to see a love story about a long-term couple, as well.

--

yu sifeng/chu xuanji, love and redemption. chinese drama

THE ship for you if you like inverted gender dynamics, masochism tangos, and 10 lifetimes' worth of pining and star-crossed lovers. thousands of years ago, there was a god of war who was punished to live 10 lifetimes on earth so she could unlearn her hatred at heaven. chu xuanji is her 10th and final mortal incarnation, a girl who can't understand the 6 senses and lives with her father's martial arts sect, although she can't practice martial arts or cultivation herself. sifeng is a member of a rival sect, a sect that forbids love, marriage, or children from its members. it's revealed that sifeng has loved and followed xuanji through 9 previous lifetimes that all ended violently for him, and this is their last chance to break the cycle/get their happily ever after /;3;/

what i love most about this one is that it flips the script on gender dynamics-- sifeng is a martyr for love and xuanji is the overpowered one who struggles to understand her feelings. here's one of my favorite scenes where xuanji reveals her hidden powers to save sifeng from being whipped to death

--

sung deok sun/choi taek, reply 1988. korean drama.

the other love stories on this list are all fantasy-based or have extraordinary circumstances, so i figured for this last one i would pick a love story that's just so wonderfully normal and grounded. a lot of people got second-lead syndrome from this series, but i am empathetically not one of them!!

deok sun and taek are childhood friends and neighbors who grew up together. it's evident early on in the series that taek loves deok sun, and he's always honest about his feelings, but it takes deok sun a little longer to realize she's in love with taek. what i love about this ship is that it's really quiet-- we see them fall in love with small moments and through their actions/behaviors vs. large, grand confessions (although we get a great confessional moment near the end of the drama too!!). there's also such a great balance between birds of a feather and being complimentary toward one another.

some other favorites:

lan tian ye/su can can, wait my youth (chinese drama)

dan oh/haru, extraordinary you (korean drama)

lee jung in/yoo ji ho, one spring night (korean drama)

yoon sae boem/jung yi hyun, happiness (korean drama)

ha moon so/lee kang do, just between lovers (korean drama)

sung shi won/yoon yoon jae, reply 1997 (korean drama)

kang dong gu/han yoon nah ft. sol, welcome to waikiki (korean drama)

[merlinsbudgiesmugglers]

A Tinkling Song in the Next Room

A fluffy snippet from the Tonks family home in the summer of 1988.

Snippet: Ted appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with an easy smile.

‘No,’ she said, shooting him a stern look.

‘What?’ he asked, but the smile stayed. ‘Isn’t a man allowed to appreciate his wife?’

Andromeda tried to return her attention to the parchments in front of her, but all of her concentration was taken up by her awareness of Ted slowly crossing the room. ‘I have to get this done,’ she tried to tell him firmly. But any resistance was futile. Her eyes slid shut when his lips found her jaw, her quill dropping from her fingers.

‘One dance,’ he murmured against her skin and she tilted her head as his lips trailed down her neck. ‘You’re nearly done, anyway.’

‘It’s never just one dance with you,’ she replied, but she made no attempt to stop him as his hand found hers and he pulled her out of her chair.

Ted grinned, ‘I can’t help it if you find me irresistible,’ he said, making her laugh before he spun her slowly under his arm and guided her into his embrace. 

[sadiejulius]

10 Characters and 10 Fandoms

Rules: name 10 of your favorite characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people to do the same.

Tagged by @midnight-sun16, thank you for tagging me! Although my free time is limited at the moment, I always try my best to participate in these tag games whenever I can! <3

In no particular order or ranking:

choi taek (reply 1988)

lee ikjun (hospital playlist)

li ziwei (someday or one day)

hong chayoung (vincenzo)

wei wuxian (the untamed)

na heedo (twenty five twenty one)

jung joonhyung (weightlifting fairy kim bok joo)

cheng shaoshang/niaoniao (love like the galaxy)

lara jean song covey (to all the boys i’ve loved before)

choi namra (all of us are dead)

Tagging any mutuals seeing this! Consider yourselves tagged 💜

[gilmoregirlscult]

Season 1, Episode 1

"Pilot"

Pop culture references and jokes explained in order of appearance! Follow along as you watch the episode (spoilers!).

The episode opens with There She Goes by The La's. The song is commonly associated with the show.

Joey, the guy hitting on Lorelai says "Just passing through on my way to Hartford" to which she replies “You’re a regular Jack Kerouac”.

Jack Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. His 1957 novel On the Road is based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. He does not seem to get the joke!

Later, Lorelai pulls a lot of makeup out of her bag and Rory remarks “RuPaul doesn’t need this much makeup”.

RuPaul, of course, being the famous American drag queen who would later go on to produce, host and judge RuPaul's Drag Race.

Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. The CD they are reffering to is of the album On How Life Is (1999).

The theme song of the show is Where You Lead a song written in 1970 by Carole King with lyricist Toni Stern, introduced on King's iconic 1971 album Tapestry. The version of the song used is a duet with Carole's daughter, Louise Goffin.

The class is reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel by American author Mark Twain published in 1884. It is considered one of the Great American Novels by many.

Rory looks at the plaid skirt her mother gave her and says "I'm gonna be in a Britney Spears video?". Britney Spears wears a schoolgirl uniform in the music video of ...Baby One More Time. The outfit is considered to be one of Spears's most iconic looks as well as amongst the hallmarks of pop culture!

Small line, but Lorelai remarks "There are several chapters from a Stephen King novel I'd reenact before I'd resort to that option", the option being asking her parents for money. Stephen King, nicknamed the "King of Horror" is an American author. The genres of his novels include horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy.

When Dean is standing next to her silent, Rory exclaims "God! You're like Ruth Gordon just standing there with the tannis root. Make a noise". In their first interaction, Dean catches the reference and replies "Rosemary's Baby". Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on Ira Levin's 1967 novel of the same name. The actress Ruth Gordon plays Minnie Castevet.

Moby-Dick is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. Madame Bovary is a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856.

Lorelai tells Rory “You’ll have to walk faster than that. You’re gonna have to turn into freaking Flo-Jo to get away from me!”

Florence Joyner also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete and the fastest recorded woman of all time. She set world records in 1988 for the 100m and 200m. During the late 1980s, she became a popular figure due to both her record-setting athleticism and eclectic personal style.

While they’re in a fight, Lorelai jokes “Aw, you’re not gonna give me the mommy dearest treatment forever, are ya?”

The phrase "mommy dearest" is most commonly associated with the 1981 film Mommie Dearest, which is based on the 1978 autobiography of the same name written by Christina Crawford. The book and film detail Christina's difficult and allegedly abusive relationship with her mother, actress Joan Crawford. Since the film's release, the phrase "mommy dearest" has become a popular way to describe a difficult or controlling mother.

Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite) is an American night time programming block broadcast by the American cable channel Nickelodeon.

The episode closes with the song My Little Corner of The World sang by Kit Pongetti.

[vousmereve]

ㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤ 𑣪 Things That Spark My Curiosity!

The seeds of a profound connection often sprout from shared interests, serving as a gateway to deeper conversations. It is truly remarkable how the intertwining of our respective preferences can pave the way for enduring friendships. Below, I offer a glimpse into my world, allowing you to discern the facets of my better personality.

MUSICAL REPERTOIRE: IU, AILEE, HUH YUNJIN, LE SSERAFIM, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, ITZY, Elaine, Lyn, Kehlani, Taylor Swift (big fan), beabadoobee, NIKI, wave to earth, Novo Amor, The Weeknd, Chase Atlantic, Roosevelt, Reality Club, Laufey, Lonely in the Rain, Sleeping At Last, Westlife, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Ben Howard, Bon Iver, MALIQ & D’Essentials, Fourtwnty, and the songs I listen to, according to how I’m feeling.

SERIES & FILMS: Sherlock Holmes, Enola Holmes, Harry Potter, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Alice In Borderland, Jigsaw, Wednesday, Elizabeth, Anne With An E, Disney Princess, Barbie(s), Casper (1995), Sherlock, Tomorrowland, The Meg, The Black Demon, Shark Bait, Fall, The Rain, Me Before You, The Crown, Hocus Pocus, 1899, The Sinking of Van Der Wijck, The Maze Runner, and many are not on the list.

KOREAN DRAMA & MOVIE: Hope, 20th Century Girl, Memories of the Alhambra, W (Two Worlds), While You Were Sleeping, Descendants of the Sun, The Legend of the Blue Sea, Vincenzo, Mouse, Taxi Driver, Our Beloved Summer, Law School, Dr. Romantic, Miracle in Cell No. 7, Reply 1988, The Beauty Inside, Crash Landing On You, Are You Human?, Itaewon Class, Who Are You: School 2015, School 2017, He Is Psychometric, All Of Us Are Dead, Squid Game, Train to Busan, Fight for My Way, Romance Is A Bonus Book, Big Mouth, The Lonely and Great God (Goblin), Pinocchio, Psychopath Diary, Hell Is Other People, The Heirs, Strong Girl Bong-soon, When the Camellia Blooms, My Love from the Star, The Moon Embracing the Sun, and many are not on the list.

ANIMOVIE: Your Lie in April, Kakegurui, Singeki No Kyojin (big fan), Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, Tokyo Ghoul, Kimetsu no Yaiba, Blue Lock, Tokyo Revengers, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, My Little Monster, Takt Op. Destiny, Assassination Classroom, and many more are not on the list.

CHINESE DRAMA: The Untamed, Love O2O, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, A Little Thing Called First Love. (I don’t watch many Chinese dramas, if you have any recommendations please tell me)

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ㅤㅤㅤ

[filliteapot]

Filli do you have a list of kdrama recs!

Oh, I do. I mostly watch slices I identify as joseis (with some exceptions), but anyway I'm in the mood to talk about them, so

Faves:

Reply 1988 - my fav kdrama josei, focused on friendships and family, filled with nostalgia. I think this show and Spitz share the blame for my love towards 80-90s songs, I rewatched it recently and now my playlist looks like korean radio in 1988

Hospital Playlist - same crew as Reply, watched it to feel a bit better about people, it served its purpose + I loved all the songs

Age of Youth - story of friendship of five very different college girls, I haven't watched season 2 but the first one was great

Be Melodramatic - slice of life with lots of bittersweetness and irony and personal tragedies which amazed me with its direction, focus and the way it dealt with key themes

Healer - one of the things that once made me consider kdramas as a way to pass time, I thought I'd find it naive and no so good with time passing, but no, it still works on me

Recent faves:

Stove League - best drama I watched this year. Who would have thought a story of baseball club management could be so interesting

Beyond Evil - a detective story of two psychos officers trying to catch a serial killer while suspecting each other and making problems for the town (I fell in love with the ost first of all)

Racket Boys - haven't finished it but it's wholesome and fun, about a small school badminton team trying to win a competition

Youth of May - something that looked like a light story of students in Gwandju in 1980 and turned out to be about tragic historical events and killed my heart (I had no idea)

The Red Sleeve Cuff - something that looks like a story of love between a king and a maid (and later concubine) that is in fact just a tragedy of people of different social status and merciless era

My Liberation Notes - a story of lonely people dealing with life that hit me on a very personal lvl

Human Disqualification - same as previous, I got a bit mad about this one bc it gave me the same feelings my beloved Takaya once did with her Hoshi wa utau

Honorable mentions: One Spring Night, It's Okay To Not Be Okay, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, I Hear Your Voice

[faireluire]

[angryteapott]

Get to know you tag! thank u @rosyfingered-moon for all these tags i do not deserve them

favorite color: i hate colors absent textures, but i love teal velvet or the orange black fabric goes when you bleach it

currently reading: nothing i’m a head empty sorta gal

last song: floral and fading by pierce the veil

last series: a cdrama called never grow old that is an embarrassingly obvious knockoff of reply 1988, and i don’t care, because shouldn’t there be millions of intergenerational stories of regular people living and loving their neighborhood and each other fiercely with stupid farm animal noises for a laughtrack?

Last movie: rewatched barbie in the nutcracker on christmas eve, absolute banger

currently working on: nothing really? i have that reset 2022 fic that’s going nowhere and my last fic that barely anyone read kinda. said everything i’ve been trying to say? so i feel way less of an urge to write.

sweet savory spicy: savory protein like tofu cheese egg etc.

tagging: anyone who hasn’t participated yet!!!

[jeonqkooks]

ooo I love recommendations and hearing what other people like!! what’s your top kdramas?

I’ve not watched many, but the ones I’ve seen and loved are weightlighting fairy kim bok-joo, our beloved summer & hometown cha cha cha.

kdrama recs!

my ultimate faves, aka ones that i would rewatch:

goblin: if i had to pick a favorite it’d be goblin !!! so so good oh my god. the last episode took all of my tears……….

doom at your service: i’m not big on fantasy kdramas but this was so good (and also so sad)

strong girl bong soon: this has to be in my top !! it’s so cute and park bo young and park hyung sik have insane chemistry :((

descendants of the sun: it wasn’t one of the most popular dramas in all of asia in 2016 for no reason !! will always have a special place in my heart (if u ignore all the shit that went down between song joong ki and song hye kyo afterward lol)

hospital playlist: v cute and heartwarming !! 🥹

twenty five twenty one: a definite thumbs up!! v bittersweet tho

our beloved summer: even though i didn’t like yeon su that much, this was still a v good drama and i’m gonna have to rewatch it soon

crash landing on you: honestly i think the premise is kinda stupid 😭 but it’s entertaining and hyun bin + son ye jin are *chef’s kiss*

reply 1988: my favorite in the reply series (even though i didn’t love the ending). reply 1994 was pretty good too but major second lead syndrome :/

secret garden: one of hyun bin’s best dramas. also has one of the best kdrama soundtracks

hometown cha cha cha: very wholesome and comforting 💕

flower of evil: lee jun ki and moon chaewon’s chemistry is top notch. also lee jun ki is v hot in this 🫡

extraordinary attorney woo: v cute and refreshing. all the side characters are wholesome and it’s the first (i think) kdrama to feature an autistic lead character!

the moon that embraces the sun: i don’t watch a lot of period dramas but this was so good. kim soo hyun’s acting is always top tier

hi bye mama: 10 out of 10 would cry every episode. so freaking sad……

cafe minamdang: i’m watching this rn! it’s so funny, and seo in guk is fantastic in this

ones that i enjoyed but probably wouldn’t rewatch:

a business proposal: this was kinda overrated imo 😭

dream high: an oldie but a goodie!

uncontrollably fond

penthouse: only the first season is good. season 2 + 3 are freaking train wrecks

big mouth

mystic pop up bar

abyss

dinner mate

happiness

was it love?

the k2

the king: eternal monarch

something in the rain

dp

my name: super violent and gory…….. i highly advise you to consider this

weightlifting fairy kim bok joo: the first bit is cute! nam joo hyuk is v cute in this 🤤 but it was so slow for me asdfhkl

prison playbook

suspicious partner

navillera

when the camellia blooms

vagabond

kingdom

hyena

the silent sea

city hunter

my love from the star

fight for my way

my girlfriend is a gumiho

cinderella’s stepsister

a gentleman’s dignity

mouse

there’s a lot more on my to-watch list but these are the ones that i enjoyed the most. do you guys have any recs for me that aren’t on this list? 👀 i can’t live without kdramas if u can’t already tell haahah

[wecandoit]

hi I came across your account a few days ago and I’m in love with it <3 here are some random questions hehe

personal questions (only if you’re comfortable sharing!)

what is your age ?

what is your gender?

do you have any pets?

where do you live?

what is your major?

do you enjoy going to your school? why?

what are some of your hobbies?

how does one become your mutual?

routines / tips

what is your study routine?

what is your night routine?

what is your morning routine?

how do you spend your free time?

do you have any study tips?

speaking of which do you have any study apps to recommend ?

books / movies / songs

do you like musicals? if yes what are you favourite musical?

top song right now?

top artist right now?

one direction yay or nay?

a song that you listen to while studying

a song that keeps you grounded

a song that you know all the words to

a comfort song / album

what is your comfort movie?

what is your comfort tv series?

what is your comfort kdrama?

what is your most anticipated movie / tv show / kdrama of this year?

do you have any show recommendations?

book time! what is your favourite genre?

what is your favourite book?

favourite series?

favourite author?

who is / are your comfort characters?

harry potter vs percy jackson?

any ya / fictional book recommendations?

name your fandoms!

random

do you like bubble tea? if yes what is your favourite brand and go to order?

matches or lighters?

do you enjoy the sound of rain?

how late do you sleep?

favourite animal?

what was the last message you sent ( on tumblr / any other apps)

what was your last phone call about?

do you sleep with the windows open?

reading when its raining under your blanket yay or nay?

—-

yay I think thats all sorry for the loooonnngggg list <3

thank you so much, i'm glad you like my blog :))))

personal questions

1. I'm 18 2. I'm cis female 3. i don't have any pets but we might get a dog soon 4. i live in Australia 5. i'm majoring in Psychology 6. i hated going to high school. university is a lot more bearable for me, because there's a lot for freedom 7. some hobbies include reading, dancing, scrapbooking, running, plant care 8. interact with me through posts, inbox, DMs <3 i consider all my followers friends

routines / tips

1. not a big musical person but i really loved Hamilton 2. top song right now is probably MY BAG by (G)I-DLE 3. top artist right now is definitely j-hope 4. one direction yay 5. i've actually been listening to a podcast called You're Wrong About while studying 6. honestly nothing's keeping me grounded right now. i'm struggling 7. a song that i know all the words to, among many, is Want You Back by 5SOS 8. some comfort albums: BE by BTS, Manic by Halsey, Cry Baby by Melanie Martinez 9. comfort movie: any Ghibli movie 10. comfort tv series: Anne with an E and Brooklyn Nine-Nine 11. comfort kdrama: maybe Reply 1988? i don't rewatch dramas much 12. most anticipated movie this year: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once 13. i have so many show recommendations: Anne with an E (for my cottagecore lovers), Derry Girls, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (in case you've been living under a rock), The End of the F***ing World, I am Not Okay With This, Kim's Convenience, Money Heist 14.i mostly enjoy literary fiction books, though i don't mind a crime novel 15. my favourite books are probably All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Still Life with Tornado by A.S King and The Messenger by Markus Zusak 16. i haven't read many book series but I did enjoy the Chaos Walking series 17. i don't have a favourite author 18. comfort characters in books include Sarah from Still Life with Tornado, Finch from All the Bright Places, Ed from The Messenger, Guillermo Garcia from I'll Give You the Sun haven't read harry potter or percy jackson (i have commitment issues okay) 19. i'd recommend all the books i've already mentioned, also any 20. ya books by jandy nelson and john green 21. my fandoms: 5 seconds of summer, bbc merlin, bts

random

1. i don't like bubble tea actually, don't like any tea (but bubble tea looks so pretty) 2. matches for sure, but lighters are cool too i guess 3. i do enjoy the sound of rain (did you know it has a name-- petrichor) 4. i generally just sleep whenever i get tired, so sometimes 9pm, sometimes 4am 5. my favourite/spirit animal is the sloth 6. last message i sent was on Instagram and i literally just said"oh good" 7. my last phone call was to my mum to pick me up from work 8. i don't sleep with my windows open 9. i can't see under my thick quilts so unfortunately, nay to reading under the blankets though it sounds like a vibe