#richard roberts healing

[roshanzion2023]

[soracities]

what are your suggestions for starter poetry for people who dont have strong reading/analysis backgrounds

I've answered this a few times so I'm going to compile and expand them all into one post here.

I think if you haven't read much poetry before or aren't sure of your own tastes yet, then poetry anthologies are a great place to start: many of them will have a unifying theme so you can hone in based on a subject that interests you, or pick your way through something more general. I haven't read all of the ones below, but I have read most of them; the rest I came across in my own readings and added to my list either because I like the concept or am familiar with the editor(s) / their work:

Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times (ed. Nick Astley) & Being Alive: The Sequel to Staying Alive (there's two more books in this series, but I'm recommending these two just because it's where I started)

The Rattlebag (ed. Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes)

The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry (ed. Ilya Kaminsky & Susan Harris)

The Essential Haiku, Versions of Basho, Buson and Issa (ed. Robert Hass)

A Book of Luminous Things (ed. Czesław Miłosz )

Now and Then: The Poet's Choice Columns by Robert Hass (this may be a good place to start if you're also looking for commentary on the poems themselves)

Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World(ed. Pádraig Ó'Tuama)

African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song (ed. Kevin Young)

The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing (ed. Kevin Young)

Lifelines: Letters from Famous People about their Favourite Poems

The following lists are authors I love in one regard or another and is a small mix of different styles / time periods which I think are still fairly accessible regardless of what your reading background is! It's be no means exhaustice but hopefully it gives you even just a small glimpse of the range that's available so you can branch off and explore for yourself if any particular work speaks to you.

But in any case, for individual collections, I would try:

anything by Sara Teasdale

Devotions / Wild Geese / Felicity by Mary Oliver

Selected Poems and Prose by Christina Rossetti

Collected Poems by Langston Hughes

Where the Sidewalk Endsby Shel Silverstein

Morning Haiku by Sonia Sanchez

Revolutionary Letters, Diane di Prima

Concerning the Book That Is the Body of the Beloved by Gregory Orr

Rose: Poems by Li-Young Lee

A Red Cherry on a White-Tiled Floor / Barefoot Souls by Maram al-Masri

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky

Tell Me: Poems / What is This Thing Called Love? by Kim Addonizio

The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins (Billy Collins is THE go-to for accessible / beginner poetry in my view so I think any of his collections would probably do)

Crush by Richard Siken

Rapture / The World's Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail

Selected Poems by Walt Whitman

View with a Grain of Sand by Wislawa Szymborska

Collected Poems by Vasko Popa

Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas (this is a play, but Thomas is a poet and the language & structure is definitely poetic to me)

Bright Dead Things: Poems by Ada Limón

Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire,

Nostalgia, My Enemy: Selected Poems by Saadi Youssef

As for individual poems:

“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

[Dear The Vatican] erasure poem by Pádraig Ó'Tuama // "The Pedagogy of Conflict"

"Good Bones" by Maggie Smith

"The Author Writes the First Draft of His Weddings Vows (An erasure of Virginia Woolf's suicide letter to her husband, Leonard)" by Hanif Abdurraqib

"I Can Tell You a Story" by Chuck Carlise

"The Sciences Sing a Lullabye" by Albert Goldbarth

"One Last Poem for Richard" by Sandra Cisneros

"We Lived Happily During the War" by Ilya Kaminsky

“I’m Explaining a Few Things”by Pablo Neruda

"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" //"Nothing Gold Can Stay"//"Out, Out--" by Robert Frost

"Tablets: I // II // III"by Dunya Mikhail

"What Were They Like?" by Denise Levertov

"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden,

"The Patience of Ordinary Things" by Pat Schneider

“I, too” // "The Negro Speaks of Rivers” // "Harlem” // “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

“The Mower” // "The Trees" // "High Windows" by Philip Larkin

“The Leash” // “Love Poem with Apologies for My Appearance” // "Downhearted" by Ada Limón

“The Flea” by John Donne

"The Last Rose of Summer" by Thomas Moore

"Beauty" // "Please don't" // "How it Adds Up" by Tony Hoagland

“My Friend Yeshi” by Alice Walker

"De Humanis Corporis Fabrica"byJohn Burnside

“What Do Women Want?” // “For Desire” // "Stolen Moments" // "The Numbers" by Kim Addonizio

“Hummingbird” // "For Tess" by Raymond Carver

"The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin

“Bleecker Street, Summer” by Derek Walcott

“Dirge Without Music” // "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed" by Edna St. Vincent Millay

“Digging” // “Mid-Term Break” // “The Rain Stick” // "Blackberry Picking" // "Twice Shy" by Seamus Heaney

“Dulce Et Decorum Est”by Wilfred Owen

“Notes from a Nonexistent Himalayan Expedition”by Wislawa Szymborska

"Hour" //"Medusa" byCarol Ann Duffy

“The More Loving One” // “Musée des Beaux Arts” by W.H. Auden

“Small Kindnesses” // "Feeding the Worms" by Danusha Laméris

"Down by the Salley Gardens” // “The Stolen Child” by W.B. Yeats

"The Thing Is" by Ellen Bass

"The Last Love Letter from an Entymologist" by Jared Singer

"[i like my body when it is with your]" by e.e. cummings

"Try to Praise the Mutilated World" by Adam Zagajewski

"The Cinnamon Peeler" by Michael Ondaatje

"Last Night I Dreamed I Made Myself" by Paige Lewis

"A Dream Within a Dream" // "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (highly recommend reading the last one out loud or listening to it recited)

"Ars Poetica?" // "Encounter" // "A Song on the End of the World"by Czeslaw Milosz

"Wandering Around an Albequerque Airport Terminal” // "Two Countries” // "Kindness” by Naoimi Shihab Nye

"Slow Dance” by Matthew Dickman

"The Archipelago of Kisses" // "The Quiet World" by Jeffrey McDaniel

"Mimesis" by Fady Joudah

"The Great Fires" // "The Forgotten Dialect of the Heart" // "Failing and Flying" by Jack Gilbert

"The Mermaid" // "Virtuosi" by Lisel Mueller

"Macrophobia (Fear of Waiting)" by Jamaal May

"Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong" by Ocean Vuong

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

I would also recommend spending some times with essays, interviews, or other non-fiction, creative or otherwise (especially by other poets) if you want to broaden and improve how you read poetry; they can help give you a wider idea of the landscape behind and beyond the actual poems themselves, or even just let you acquaint yourself with how particular writers see and describe things in the world around them. The following are some of my favourites:

Upstream: Essays by Mary Oliver

"Theory and Play of the Duende" by Federico García Lorca

"The White Bird" and "Some Notes on Song" by John Berger

In That Great River: A Notebook by Anna Kamienska

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib

The Book of Delights by Ross Gay

"Of Strangeness That Wakes Us" and "Still Dancing: An Interview with Ilya Kaminsky" by Ilya Kaminsky

"The Sentence is a Lonely Place" by Garielle Lutz

Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty

Paris, When It's Naked by Etel Adnan

[minniethemoocherda]

Can I Lay By Your Side?

Summary: In the aftermath of Sinister's attack, Morph struggles to get to sleep, so Logan keeps them company by watching a movie.

A/N: This fic can be read as a sequel to my other Morpherine fic "Loving You is a Losing game" but also works as a stand alone. Also cannot believe I have written two Morpherine fics in two days??? I am going insane right now!! Can't promise that any more fics about these two will be as consistent! Xxxxxx

Ao3

FF.net

Morph sat glued to the living room sofa, unable to make themselves move, terrified to go to bed to face the onslaught of nightmares waiting for them.

Mr Sinister's attack had been an ordeal for all the X-men, especially for the two Jeans and Scott who now had to grieve the loss of their son to the future. Morph's problems felt ridiculous in comparison. Sinister hadn't even controlled them again, not if you counted making Jean do it for him. There wasn't really anything for them to be upset about.

Yet every time they closed their eyes, they could feel the tendrils of Sinister's claws inside them. Morph scratched their arms, skin turning to gloop under their fingernails, digging for the mind control chips they swore they could still feel buried there.

"Pick one."

Logan slammed a box down on the coffee table in front of them, startling their edges back to a solid form.

"Huh?" Morph stammered, having not even heard their friend come in.

"We're watching a movie." Logan stated, pointing at the box.

Morph peeked over the edge to see a pile of rom-coms, their favourite genre.

"Unless you'd rather... talk... about it." Logan said, in a gruff imitation of Morph's offer back in the club. And on any other day, Morph probably would've excepted his offer, if it hadn't been Logan himself that had appeared in their nightmare. And there was no way in hell they were going to be talking to Logan about that.

"And miss the chance to finally make you watch Pretty Woman?" Morph replied, knowing that their attempt at a smile did not reach their eyes.

Thankfully Logan didn't comment on it and instead grabbed the VHS, wound it back with the tip of his claw and placed it in the player below the TV.

Morph was expecting Logan to sit in his usual spot at the other end of the sofa, so was therefore caught off guard when the Canadian sat right next to them.

They deliberately tried not to think about that fact as the opening credits started to roll. As it continued they found themselves becoming more engrossed in the film, admiring all of Julia Robert's iconic outfits, that red dress in particular giving them inspiration for whatever gala the x-men were next invited too. They allowed themselves get lost in the romance of a rags to riches tale as like all rom-coms the main character converged ever closer to a happy ending. The guaranteed happy ending, being the reason why the genre was their favourite in the first place.

The film even managed to get a chuckle out of Logan, which Morph counted as a win as they knew that with the revelation of an additional Jean, he had to be going through his own shit.

And when Morph's attention wavered and the edges of their skin started to droop, Logan placed his arm along the back of the sofa, his hand resting on their shoulder, effectively grounding them back to this reality.

Even if it did made it harder for Morph to as much attention to the movie afterwards.

Too soon the film finished and whilst Morph was feeling more solid, they still weren't ready for the concept of going to sleep yet.

Without even having to ask, Logan picked up the remote and rewound the tape back to the beginning, even though Morph knew that Logan wasn't a fan of films, rom-coms especially so. But he made no complaints as Richard Gere once again fell head over heals for the beautiful Julia Roberts.

Once again, the big ballgown scene played out and it was becoming a battle for Morph to keep their eyes open. Too exhausted to talk themselves out of it, hoping to conserve some of their energy into staying awake, Morph rested their head against Logan's shoulder. Expecting Logan to brush them off or turn it into another joke, they were surprised when he actually pulled them closer, his hand now properly gripping their shoulder as though they could physically shield them from their own nightmares.

And it must have worked as the next time Morph opened their eyes, daylight was flickering in through the living room windows. The first thing they noticed as they slowly came to their senses, was the low volume of the TV as it played the movie for what must've have been the tenth time. The next was that their whole body was pressed against Logan's side and that The Wolverine's hand had moved from their shoulder to their waist, hugging them even tighter.

"Sleep alright?" Logan asked, concern etched in the creases of his face.

Morph nodded, not trusting the words I love you to not tumble out of their mouth.

"Good," Logan said, those creases turning into a smile. "'Cus I can smell Jubilee making pancakes."

Of course that was when Morph finally woke up enough to realise that they were cuddling The Fucking Wolverine.

They practically ejected themselves from the sofa, putting as much distance between them and Logan as physically possible.

"Did you say pancakes?" Morph cried, acting as though their internal mental breakdown was actually just an over enthusiasm for food. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Not waiting to see Logan's reaction, they sprinted down the corridor to the kitchen, not realising until they were long gone that Logan must have stayed awake to protect them all night.

[ed-recoverry]

List of free audiobooks on YouTube for anyone interested

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Alice in Wonderland

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H P Lovecraft

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The Village by Caroline Mitchell

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (fuck JKR)

Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Upside Down by Danielle Steel

The Fiancée by Kate White

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Theif

Accidentally Married by Victoria E. Lieske

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

The Collector (book one) by Nora Roberts

The Lies I Told by Mary Burton

Dead Man’s Mirror by Agatha Christie

The Hobbit

The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey

The Good Neighbour by R J Parker

The Island House by Elana Johnson

Desperation by Stephan King

The Healing Summer by Heather B. Moore

The Last Affair by Margot Hunt

To Be Claimed by Willow Winter

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Inn by James Patterson

Wonder by R J Palacio

Faking It With The Billionaire by Willow Fox

The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark

Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum

The Catcher in the Rye

The Lottery Winner by Mary Higgins Clark

Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean

Death of a Nurse by M C Beaton

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Frozen Betrayal by Clive Cussler

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Line of Fire by R J Patterson

Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

The Remnant by Tim LaHaye

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

Payment in Kind by J A Jance

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida

The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A Marriage of Anything but Convenience by Victorine E. Lieske

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Inheritance Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

The Kama Sutra by Mallanaga Vatsyayana

The Wisdom of Father Brown by G K Chesterton

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Robin Hood by J Walker McSpadden

The Poor Traveller by Charles Dickens

Days on the Road: Crossing the Plains in 1865 by Sarah Raymond Herndon

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Man After Man

Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Charlotte’s Web

Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie

Out of Silent Planet by C S Lewis

The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton

The Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harai

Hamlet by Shakespeare

[pupsmailbox]

MEDICAL︰GORE ID PACK

NAMES ⌇　aceso. addison. aden. aero. airmed. aliza. alora. althea. ambrose. ambulette. ame. amelie. amor. amore. angel. angelique. angelo. anna. anthony. apollo. arabella. arzt. asa. avian. babe. baby. bambi. bandage. bandagette. blanche. blanchette. blood. bloodette. bright. brigid. cal. carla. carmelita. catherine. cathie. cathy. cecil. chamomile. charge. charles. charlotte. clara. clemence. clement. connie. cora. corina. corry. cosmas. cross. crosse. crossette. daisy. daniel. david. delilah. desdemona. dorothea. dropsy. edema. edith. eira. elias. eliza. elizabeth. ellison. emil. emily. emma. evangeline. feronia. fleur. florence. fragilette. frailette. galen. ginger. gram. grimm. hansen. harmonie. harmony. hazel. healer. hira. hospette. ida. incisionette. incisionne. ivie. ivy. jace. jackie. james. jason. jayla. jayr. jen. jennifer. joasias. john. josiah. joy. jules. kaison. lace. lain. laryn. leah. lee. leigh. leuk. lucie. luciel. lucile. lucy. lue. lues. lyra. lyrica. mae. maebell. maggie. maiya. malachi. mark. mary. marybelle. may. maya. meddette. medette. medicel. medicette. medicinalle. medilita. mercia. michael. michelle. milo. milu. mitzi. moraxella. morgan. natasha. needlette. nile. norrie. norry. nursesse. nursette. nursie. nwurse. nyura. palsy. penny. phoebe. phoebus. pille. pillette. pott. potter. quinn. raphael. ray. red. redde. reseda. reye. richard. robert. rose. salmon. savior. scalpelle. scarlet. scrivener. scrubbe. scrubette. scrubs. serra. shiga. solitude. steven. stitch. stitches. stitchette. susan. sylvie. syrinelle. syringe. syringette. thomas. triage. vasc. viper. vitas. vitus. wiel. winnie. yves. zika. zoster.

PRONOUNS ⌇　ache/ache. ai/aid. aid/aid. aid/aide. amb/ambulance. ambulance/ambulance. bacteria/bacteria. band/age. band/aid. band/bandaid. bandage/bandage. bandaid/bandaid. bile/bile. bl0/bl00d. blood/blood. bu/bubonic. bump/bump. ca/care. care/care. chick/chicken. chronic/chronic. chu/chu. clean/clean. cold/cold. cough/cough. crab/crab. cross/cross. cross/crosse. cure/cure. cyu/cyu. die/dying. doc/doc. doc/doctor. doctor/doctor. dra/draw. drug/drug. fe/fever. fever/fever. flu/flu. fluff/fluffie. fragi/fragile. fragile/fragile. fragile/fragility. frail/frail. frail/frailty. gauze/gauze. germ/germ. gown/gown. gross/gross. he/heal. he/heart. he/help. he/hem. heal/heal. heal/healer. healer/healer. heart/heart. help/help. herb/herb. herb/herbal. hos/hospital. hospital/hospital. ill/ill. in/inject. incision/incision. infect/infection. injure/injury. IV/IV. iv/iv. ivy/ivie. ivy/ivy. lace/lace. li/live. love/love. lung/lung. luv/luv. mas/mask. mask/mask. med/med. med/medic. med/medical. med/medicine. medi/medic. medi/medicine. medic/medic. medical/medical. medicine/medicine. nee/needle. need/needle. needle/needle. nu/nurse. nur/nurse. nur/se. nurse/nurse. out/outbreak. pain/pain. pat/patient. patient/patient. pi/pill. pil/pill. pill/pill. pla/plague. plus/plushe. poke/poke. red/red. sa/save. savior/savior. sca/scan. scissor/scissor. scissor/scissors‎. scrub/scrub. shi/hir. si/sick. sic/sick. sick/sick. sick/sickly. skin/skin. sle/sleep. sneeze/sneeze. so/soft. soap/soap. sore/sore. stab/stab. stem/cell. stitch/stitch. stu/study. su/surgeon. sun/sun. sweet/sweet. symptom/symptom. syn/syndrome. syr/syr. syr/syringe. syri/syri. syrin/syringe. syringe/syringe. tape/tape. te/test. virus/viruse. ward/ward. we/well. wrap/wrap. ☎ . ☣️ . ⚰ . ❤️‍🩹 . 🌀 . 🌡️ . 🎀 . 🏥 . 🏨 . 👨🏻‍⚕️ . 👩🏻‍⚕️ . 💉 . 💊 . 💐 . 💤 . 📞 . 🔬 . 😷 . 🚑 . 🤒 . 🤢 . 🤧 . 🥀 . 🥼 . 🦠 . 🧊 . 🧑‍⚕️ . 🧠 . 🧪 . 🧫 . 🧬 . 🩸 . 🩹 . 🩺 .

[teddy06writes]

X Reader Fic Masterlist

~~

Dead Poet Society:

General/Unit:

Charlie Daltons Annuel Dead Poets Holiday Party: Halloween Edition Diner Days Everything Falls Apart Study Session Repercussions Dating the Dead Poets HCs

Neil Perry:

Music of the Night Why'd I Guess the Ending? Anywhere... Just Not Home Happiness Here For You A Quiet Moment Everyone But You

Todd Anderson:

Favorite Poet Surprise Cuddle Sessions Friday Night Fun, Monday Meetings

Steven Meeks: Of Little Love Poems, Secret Admirers and Anonymous Notes

Charlie Dalton:

Friends to Lovers Hcs

Gerard Pitts: None yet

Richard Cameron: None yet

Knox Overstreet: None Yet

~~~

The Outsiders:

General/Unit:

Being the Fourth Curtis Brother HCs

Dallas Winston:

Never Fall In Love Again No Matter What Ghost Stories Late Nights By The Fire Oh How The Turn Tables People Watching

Sodapop Curtis:

Golden Too Old? Yeah Right! Meltdown Soda x theaterkid!reader

Two Bit Mathews:

I'll Try Too Old? Yeah Right! Spooky-est Place On Earth

Darry Curtis:

Pumpkin Spice Everything Hot Tea Heals The Soul Morning Routines

Johnny Cade:

Protective Cool, Calm, and Collected-- Until He Smiles

Steve Randle:

1955 Chevy Delray

Polyam Jally:

Take Me Back to the Night We Met

Polyam Dallypop:

I Told You It Was A Dumbass Plan

~~~

Top Gun: Maverick:

General/Unit:None Yet

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw: None Yet

Jake 'Hangman' Sersin: None Yet

Javy 'Coyote' Machado:None Yet

Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace: None Yet

Robert 'Bob' Floyd: None Yet

Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia: None Yet

Ruben 'Payback' Fitch: None Yet

Polyam Hangster: None Yet

Polyam Bobnix: None yet

~~~

The Bear:

Carmen Berzatto: None yet

Sydney Adamu: None Yet

Richie Jerimovich: None yet

Marcus: None Yet

~~~

Peaky Blinders:

Tommy Shelby:

Can't Sleep?

Arthur Shelby: None yet

John Shelby: None yet

Lizzie Stark/Shebly: None yet

Alfie Solomons:

Interrupted Date Nights Lost Words Win Win Much Ado About Nothing

Michael Gray: None Yet

~~~

Star Wars:

Cassian Andor:

Stubborn

Jyn Erso: None Yet

Polyam CassianxJyn: None yet

Bhodi Rook: None Yet

Din Djarin: None Yet

Han Solo: None Yet

~~~

Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit:

The Fellowship: None Yet

The Company: None Yet

Aragorn: None Yet

Boromir: None yet

Legolas: None Yet

Gimli: None Yet

Frodo Baggins: None Yet

Samwise Gamgee:

Harmony

Pippin Took:None Yet:

Merry Brandybuck:None Yet

Faramir: None Yet

Eomer: None yet

Eowyn: None Yet

Bilbo Baggins: None yet

Thorin Oakenshield:None yet

Kili: None yet

Fili:None yet

Bofur: None yet

Bard Bowman: None yet

~~~

The Umbrella Academy:

General/Unit: None yet

Number Five Hargreeves: None yet

Klaus Hargreeves: None Yet

Diego Hargreeves: None yet

Allison Hargreeves: None Yet

Luther Hargreeves: None Yet

Viktor Hargreeves: None Yet

Lila Pitts: None Yet

~~~

Marvel:

Bucky Barnes: None yet

Sam Wilson: None yet

Natasha Romanoff: None yet

Loki: None Yet

Druig: None Yet

Makari: None yet

Sersi: None yet

~~~

The Breakfast Club:

General/Unit:

None yet

John Bender: None yet

Andrew Clarke: None Yet

Brian Johnson: None yet

Claire Standish: None yet

Allison Reynolds: None yet

~~~

More potentially to be added...

[alwayscoldj]

Top 10 Hollywood Romcoms of the 90s

The 90s was a golden era for romantic comedies in Hollywood. From iconic pairings to unforgettable storylines, there were so many romantic comedies that captured our hearts and made us laugh. In this blog post, we will take a trip down memory lane and revisit the top 10 Hollywood romcoms of the 90s.

1. Pretty Woman (1990)

Pretty Woman is a classic romantic comedy that tells the story of a wealthy businessman who falls in love with a prostitute he hires to be his escort for a week. Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, this movie has become a staple in the romcom genre and is beloved by audiences around the world.

2. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

While technically released in the late 80s, When Harry Met Sally is a quintessential 90s romantic comedy. It follows the relationship between Harry and Sally over the course of several years, exploring the question of whether men and women can truly be friends. Starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, this movie has become an iconic part of romantic comedy history.

3. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Sleepless in Seattle is a heartwarming romantic comedy that tells the story of a widower who, with the help of his young son, tries to find love again. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this movie is a classic example of the power of love to heal even the most broken hearts.

4. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

Four Weddings and a Funeral follows the story of a group of friends and their romantic entanglements over the course of several weddings and a funeral. Starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell, this movie is a charming and witty look at love and relationships.

5. The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer is a hilarious romantic comedy that takes place in the 80s and follows the story of a wedding singer who falls in love with a waitress. Starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, this movie is filled with nostalgia, great music, and a heartwarming love story.

6. You've Got Mail (1998)

You've Got Mail is a delightful romantic comedy that tells the story of two business rivals who fall in love with each other online without realizing they are actually enemies in real life. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this movie is a modern take on the classic love story.

7. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

My Best Friend's Wedding is a romantic comedy about a woman who realizes she is in love with her best friend just as he is about to get married. Starring Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, and Cameron Diaz, this movie is a funny and heartwarming exploration of love and friendship.

8. Clueless (1995)

Clueless is a beloved romantic comedy that follows the life of a popular high school student who decides to play matchmaker for her friends while also navigating her own romantic relationships. Starring Alicia Silverstone, this movie has become a cult classic and a defining film of the 90s.

9. Notting Hill (1999)

Notting Hill is a romantic comedy about a bookstore owner who falls in love with a famous actress. Starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, this movie is a charming and romantic story about two people from very different worlds finding love.

10. The American President (1995)

The American President is a romantic comedy that tells the story of a widowed president who falls in love with a lobbyist. Starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening, this movie is a smart and funny exploration of love in the political world.

The 90s was a decade filled with romantic comedies that continue to be beloved by audiences today. From Pretty Woman to The American President, these movies captured our hearts and made us believe in the power of love. Whether you're in the mood for a classic love story or a hilarious take on modern romance, these 10 movies are sure to deliver.

[transmutationisms]

hi can you recommend any books on the histories of medical practices?

ok this is scattershot & disorganised geographically and temporally but, some starting points for medical practice & practitioners:

indian doctors in kenya, 1895–1940: the forgotten history, by anna greenwood & harshad topiwala

migrant architects of the nhs: south asian doctors and the reinvention of british general practice, by julian m simpson

herbs and roots: a history of chinese doctors in the american medical marketplace, by tamara venit shelton

the people's hospital: a history of mccords, durban, 1890s–1970s, by julie parle, vanessa noble, & christopher merrett

nationalizing the body: the medical market, print, and daktari medicine, by projit mukharji

doctors beyond borders: the transnational migration of physicians in the twentieth century, ed. laurence monnais & david wright

physicians, colonial racism, and diaspora in west africa, by adell patton

doctors of empire: medical and cultural encounters between imperial germany and meiji japan, by hoi-eun kim

the emergence of tropical medicine in france, by michael a osborne

the professionalisation of african medicine, ed. murray last & g.l. chavunduka

aaron mcduffie moore: an african american physician, educator, and founder of durham's black wall street, by blake hill-saya

atomic doctors: conscience and complicity at the dawn of the nuclear age, by nolan l james

beyond the state: the colonial medical service in british africa, ed. anna greenwood

before bioethics: a history of american medical ethics from the colonial period to the bioethics revolution, by robert baker

medicine and memory in tibet: amchi physicians in an age of reform, by theresia hofer

domingos álvares, african healing, and the intellectual history of the atlantic world, by james h sweet

pushing silence: modernizing puerto rico and the medicalization of childbirth, by isabel m cordova

the business of private medical practice: doctors, specialization, and urban change in philadelphia, 1900–1940, by james a schafer, jr

the lomidine files: the untold story of a medical disaster in colonial africa, by guillaume lachenal

fit to practice: empire, race, gender, and the making of british medicine, 1850–1980, by douglas haynes

the racial divide in american medicine: black physicians and the struggle for justice in health care, by richard d deshazo

[acurlygirlamy1]

First 25 Videos Played On MTV: 8-1-1981

1; Video Killed The Radio Star- The Buggles

2: You Better Run- Pat Benatar

3: She Won’t Dance With Me- Rod Stewart

4: You Better You Bet- The Who

5: Little Suzi’s On The Up- Ph.D.

6: We Don’t Talk Anymore- Cliff Richard

7: Brass In Pocket- The Pretenders

8: Time Heals- Todd Rundgren

9: Take It On The Run- REO Speedwagon

10: Rockin’ The Paradise- Styx

11: When Things Go Wrong- Robin Lane & The Chartbusters

12: History Never Repeats- Split Enz

13: Hold On Loosely- .38 Special

14: Just Between You And Me- April Wine

15: Sailing- Rod Stewart

16: Iron Maiden- Iron Maiden

17: Keep On Loving You- REO Speedwagon

18: Bluer Than Blue- Michael Johnson

19: Message Of Love- The Pretenders

20: Mr. Briefcase- Lee Ritenour

21: Double Life- The Cars

22: In The Air Tonight- Phil Collins

23: Looking For Clues: Robert Palmer

24: Too Late: Shoes

25: Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around: Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

In honour of Le Mans today, here's a little soundtrack for you. This is motorsport number twos, the edition for all the drivers. Enjoy 😊

Sebastien Loeb (26th February 1974) - Alvin Stardust - Jealous Mind

Tony Kanaan (31st December 1974) - Wombles - Wombling Merry Christmas

Juan Pablo Montoya (20th September 1975) - Leo Sayer - Moonlighting

Mark Webber (27th August 1976) - Wings - Let 'Em In

Kimi Raikkonen (17th October 1979) - The Police - Message In A Bottle

Jenson Button (19th January 1980) - Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again

Felipe Massa (25th April 1981) - Ennio Morricone - Chi Mai

Heikki Kovalainen (19th October 1981) - Laurie Anderson - O Superman

Andre Lotteter (19th November 1981) - The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Pippa Mann (11th August 1983) - Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)

Simon Pagenaud (18th May 1984) - The Pointer Sisters - Automatic

Robert Kubica (7th December 1984) - Jim Diamond - I Should Have Known Better

Nico Rosberg (27th June 1985) - Madonna - Crazy For You

Jerome D'Ambrosio (27th December 1985) - Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You

Rahel Frey (23rd February 1986) - Diana Ross - Chain Reaction

Kamui Kobayashi (13th September 1986) - Boris Gardiner - I Want To Wake Up With You

Rene Rast (26th October 1986) - Status Quo - In The Army Now

James Hinchcliffe (5th December 1986) - Berlin - Take My Breath Away

Oliver Turvey (1st April 1987) - Mel and Kim - Respectable

Sebastian Vettel (3rd July 1987) - The Firm - Star Trekkin'

Alexander Sims (15th March 1988) - Rick Astley - Together Forever

Molly Taylor (6th May 1988) - Fairground Attraction - Perfect

Simona De Silvestro (1st September 1988) - Brother Beyond - The Harder I Try

Sarah Bovy (15th May 1989) - Kylie Minogue - Hand On Your Heart

James Calado (13th June 1989) - Cliff Richard - The Best Of Me

Brendon Hartley (10th November 1989) - Milli Vanilli - Girl I'm Gonna Miss You

Earl Bamber (9th July 1990) - Luciano Pavarotti - Nessun Dorma

Cristina Gutierrez (24th July 1991) - Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We've Found Love

Abbie Eaton (2nd January 1992) - Michael Jackson - Heal The World

Timmy Hansen (21st May 1992) - Guns 'N' Roses - Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Daniel Abt (3rd December 1992) - Charles & Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Alice Powell (26th January 1993) - Exterminate ft Niki Harris - Snap!

Tatiana Calderon (10th March 1993) - Shaggy - Oh Carolina

Christine GZ (22nd July 1993) - 4 Non Blondes - What's Up?

Alex Lynn (17th September 1993) - Pet Shop Boys - Go West

Bubba Wallace (8th October 1993) - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room

Michelle Gatting (31st December 1993) - Take That - babe

Naomi Schiff (18th May 1994) - Stiltskin - Inside

Jessica Hawkins (16th February 1995) & Luca Ghiotto (24th February 1995) - Annie Lennox - No More I Love Yous

Beitske Visser (10th March 1995) - Alex Party - Don't Give Me Your Life

Nicholas Latifi (29th June 1995) - Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom Boom

Jack Aitken (23rd September 1995) - Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone

Oliver Askew (12th December 1996) - The Prodigy - Breathe

Louis Deletraz (22nd April 1997) - Robbie Williams - Old Before I Die

Catie Munnings (15th November 1997) - Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Cem Bolukbasi (9th February 1998) - Backstreet Boys - All I Have To Give

Jamie Chadwick (20th May 1998) - Aqua - Turn Back Time

Kevin Hansen (28th May 1998) - All Saints - Under The Bridge

Mick Schumacher (22nd March 1999) - Boyzone - When The Going Gets Tough

Toni Breidinger (14th July 1999) - ATB - 9pm (Till I Come)

Max Fewtrell (29th July 1999) - Five - If Ya Gettin' Down

Robert Shwartzman (16th September 1999) & Bent Viscaal (18th September 1999) - Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)

Felipe Drugovich (23rd May 2000) - Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby

Marta Garcia (9th August 2000) - Craig David - 7 Days

Arthur Leclerc (14th October 2000) - Mariah Carey ft Westlife - Against All Odds

Sophia Florsch (1st December 2000) - Leann Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight

Clement Novalak (23rd December 2000) - Eminem - Stan

Frederik Vesti (13th January 2002) - Puretone - Addicted To Bass

Luke Browning (31st January 2002) - A1 - Caught In The Middle

Liam Lawson (11th February 2002) - No Doubt - Hey Baby

Olli Caldwell (11th June 2002) - Eminem - Without Me

Jack Doohan (20th January 2003) - Busted - Year 3000

All added to this playlist 😊😊

[roshanzion2023]

[unwelcome-ozian]

THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND TREATMENT MODELS (listed alphabetically)

Practitioners who are unfamiliar with dissociative disorders or to working with DID may prefer to start with texts that are based on their core models or familiar ways of working. Survivors can also expect to come across and be offered a variety of theoretical approaches, summarised below, although none have the monopoly on healing. It is more important that professional help is trauma-informed and based on a collaborative and companionable approach to finding what is best for each individual’s journey.

Attachment-based Psychotherapy – focuses on relationships and bonds between people. It emphasises the developing child’s need to form a healthy emotional bond with at least one primary caregiver for positive social and emotional development.

Doing Psychotherapy: A Trauma and Attachment-Informed Approach, (2020) by Robin Shapiro

Nurturing Children: From Trauma to Growth Using Attachment Theory, Psychoanalysis and Neurobiology, (2019), by Graham Music (See description in Working With children & Adolescents)

Trauma and the Avoidant Client: Attachment-Based Strategies for Healing, (2010), & Trauma and the Struggle to Open Up, (2019) by Robert Muller

Working with the Developmental Trauma of Childhood Neglect, (2022), by Ruth Cohn

Cognitive & Behavioural – theories and therapies elaborate the interplay between mind, thought, behaviour and action, and demonstrate how they can provoke emotions and contribute towards the maintenance of problems or towards recovery.

Cognitive Behavioural Approaches to the Understanding and Treatment of Dissociation, (2013) edited by Fiona Kennedy, Helen Kennerley & David Pearson

DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, (2014) by Marsha Linehan

Reinventing Your Life, (Schema Therapy-updated 2019) by Jeffrey Young & Janet Klosko

The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Recovering from Trauma and PTSD: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to Overcome Flashbacks, Shame, Guilt, and Fear, (2013), by Deborah Lee & Sophie James

Trauma-Focused ACT: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Mind, Body, and Emotion Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (2021), by Russ Harris

Creative Therapies – use arts-based models and interventions, including music, drama, movement, art or play, with support from a trained professional. Individuals of all ages may find them helpful because they address issues and support expression without the need to talk or focus on the physical self.

A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma, (2017), by Karen Treisman

Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy, (2020), by Cathy Malchiodi

Integrative Therapy – affirms and blends different models of therapy with consideration given to what works and why.

Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders, (2009), by Paul Dell & John O’Neil (Eds)

Mindsight: Transform Your Brain with the New Science of Kindness, (2011) by Daniel Siegel

Neurobiology and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation: Towards an Embodied Self, (2008) by Ulrich Lanius, Sandra Paulsen & Frank Corrigan

Working with Voices and Dissociative Parts – A Trauma-informed approach, (2019) by Dolores Mosquera. (See description in Treatment Books)

Internal Family Systems Therapy – elaborates the relationships between parts of self or psyche and demonstrates how separation or division between parts can cause suffering.

Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual: Trauma-Informed Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, PTSD & Substance Abuse, (2017) by Frank Anderson, Richard Schwartz & Martha Sweezy

Internal Family Systems Therapy, 2nd Edition, (2019) by Richard Schwarz & Martha Sweezy

Mindfulness – a meditative practice that reconnects individuals to the present moment; purposefully drawing attention and focus to moment-by-moment, internal and/or external awareness.

Dissociation, Mindfulness, and Creative Meditations: Trauma-Informed Practices to Facilitate Growth, (2017), by Christine Forner

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing, (2018), by David Treleaven & Willoughby Britton

Polyvagal Theory – explains the importance and value of interpersonal neurobiology in recovery from trauma, and the effect of trauma on the body and the brain. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation, (2011) by Stephen Porges The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, (2018) by Deb Dana

Psychoanalytic – theories and therapies that aim to treat mental disorders and distress by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious mind.

The Dissociative Mind in Psychoanalysis: Understanding and Working with Trauma, (2016), by Elizabeth Howell & Sheldon Itzkowitz

Trauma, Dissociation and Multiplicity: Working on Identity and Selves, (2010) edited by Valerie Sinason

Psychodynamic – based on the theories and principles of psychoanalysis, but with an increased emphasis on an individual’s relationship with their external world; seeks to understand conscious and unconscious processes that influence emotions, thoughts and behaviour patterns.

Easy Ego State Interventions: Strategies for Working with Parts, (2016) by Robin Shapiro

Somatic (Body-Oriented) Resources – recognise that trauma and its effects are stored within the body, and cause dysregulation and restriction to movement and/or emotion.

EMDR Eye Movement, Desensitisation & Reprocessing – a psychotherapeutic approach that uses visual, auditory or tactile stimuli bilaterally, (from side-to-side of the body), in a rhythmical pattern, to enable reprocessing of memory and its effects. Care needs to be exercised with RAMCOA survivors, since similar techniques have been used in some survivors’ abuse, and EMDR may prove triggering or breach the therapeutic relationship.

EMDR and Dissociation: The Progressive Approach, (2012) by Anabel Gonzalez & Dolores Mosquera

EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociation, 2nd Edn, (2018), by James Knipe

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy – an evolving “body-oriented talking therapy”, helps individuals stabilise, discharge and resolve physiological symptoms of trauma and adverse experiences.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment, (2015) by Pat Ogden & Janina Fisher

Trauma and the Body, (2006) by Pat Ogden, Kekuni Minton & Clare Pain

Additionally: The Body Remembers Volume 2, (2017) by Babette Rothschild 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery, (2010) by Babette Rothschild

Somatic Experiencing – focuses on the body and perceived body sensations, to express and relieve mental and physical traumatic stress-related conditions.

In an Unspoken Voice, (2010) by Peter Levine

Waking the Tiger, (1997) by Peter Levine

[slxsherwriter]

Find You Here

Fandom: Heartstopper 2006, Robert Englund characters

Pairings: Sheriff Richard Berger x female reader

Word Count: 2,947

Warnings: Mentions of previous robbery/assault

Author's Note: I couldn't not write for this character. The character doesn't really fall into the realm of things here, but the movie certainly does, so here is Richard. Apparently, there is something about RE characters that hit the sweet spot of my brain for writing. Gif made by me (on my phone so please excuse the cruddy quality) Tagging: @slashingdisneypasta

Flipping the closed sign to open felt like a small victory itself, even if you were a little jittery and nervous about it. The incident two weeks ago had left scars both physically, mentally, and financially. The small bakery that you ran was repaired, your body was healing physically, but your mind was taking a little to catch up. Still, you couldn't stay away forever or let them have that power over you. It was that fierce determination that had led you to open your shop in the first place and you couldn't let go of it now.

An extra set of hands in the form of your neighbor and best friend, Tony, helped in the back since you couldn't do much with one hand in a cast. Manning the counter and making the occasional cup of coffee was what you had been relegated to doing. You would have much rather been in the back to avoid the stares, murmurs, and passed along sentiments of sympathy. At least for a little while. But, it was what it was, and maybe it was just part of the process of healing post robbery and near death experience.

“Everything's gonna be fine, doll.” Tony slung an arm around your shoulders and pulled you into a side hug. “Business will boom like it did. You'll see. Know it ain’t back to normal, but it will be soon.” You smiled, returning the squeeze in a silent thanks.

“We'll get there.”

“There's that tenacious spirit.” He kissed your temple and headed to the back once the oven started to alert. “Until then, I'm your humble servant.” You rolled your eyes with a laugh. Trust him to bring a smile. If it wasn't for him, who knew when you could have reopened.

Slowly, business began to trickle through the door. Mainly, it was a few regulars that were surprised to see you open again. They passed along a few sympathies, but most were far more supportive and angry on your behalf. It actually felt good to know that you had made such an impact within the community and were so supported. A familiar routine soon overtook everything else, and the smile that rested on your lips felt more genuine and less forced. There were still moments when the door opened that your breath caught, and your hand shook just a little. A reaction that likely would take a long time to fade. If it did at all.

It was just prior to lunch time when the door opened, and you found yourself feeling a bit nervous for an entirely different reason. In walked one Sheriff Berger. You hadn't seen the man since the last meeting at your home, just a few days after you got out of the hospital. He had been kind, compassionate, and understanding throughout the entire ordeal. Check-ins throughout the recovery process had been routine, including the meeting at your home. Most of it for whatever part of the investigation that needed to be finished. But, it had also felt like there had been a genuine concern about you. He had also been the one to respond to the shop during the initial incident. If it hadn't been for him, who knew if you would have survived everything.

He pulled his hat from head and made his way to the counter, a smile appearing on his face.

“Glad to see everything back up and running. How are you feeling?” There wasn't anyone else that needed to be seen to, so you had a few minutes to be able to talk to him.

“Hi, Sheriff.” You lifted your hand in the cast. “Feeling a little bit useless but all in all, it's nice to be back to something that's almost normal.” He nodded, as if it had made the most sense in the world.

“Routine is a good thing, helpful.” You imagined that he was speaking from experience. Dealing with what he had couldn't have been easy, even if he dealt with it more often than you did. There was some sympathy there for the man, and you realized that as much as he helped, did he have someone helping him?

“How are you?” He seemed a little surprised, brow raising for a split second. Well, there was the answer to that question.

“I'm doing fine. Things will hopefully be a bit quiet for a while.” You moved to start a cup of coffee for the man. While you didn't know how he took it, you had seen him drink it. The least that you could do was provide him some free caffeine. “How much longer are you stuck in that?”

“Another three weeks. But it could be worse, at least it isn't my dominant hand. And now I have some use of my fingers.” You paused and glanced up. “How do you take your coffee?” You nearly laughed as he set his hat down and seemed unsure how to answer. It wasn't a difficult question, but maybe the anticipation of you being ready for the request had thrown him.

“Black, four sugars.” You nodded and set about adding the sugar to the steaming cup.

“On the house.” Really, it wasn't a huge loss of revenue between a cup of coffee and whatever sweet he may have wanted. “That and whatever treat you want.”

“That's not necessary.”

“Maybe not, but I want to. So, what will it be, sheriff?” There was an argument on the tip of his tongue before his shoulders dropped, and he gave in.

“How about one of those chocolate chip cookie sandwiches?”

“Hmm, good choice. I gotta admit, those are definitely a favorite.” They often sold out quick, so you made a mental note to have a batch sent over to the department as a whole. Assuming that he had to run, you packed it up so it was ready to go. He pulled out his wallet as if testing your resolve and you shook your head. A sigh came from the man before the wallet was once more tucked back into its pocket.

“Thank you. You need anything, just call.”

“Will do. Have a good rest of your day, Sheriff.”

******

He started stopping in the shop daily. Some days, you were able to talk uninterrupted for a bit while on others, his business or yours kept the interactions brief. But the routine was there. He had gone from Sheriff or Sheriff Berger to Richard at some point. You found yourself looking forward to seeing his face. Even the quick hellos and see ya tomorrows on the days when you couldn't spend time talking brightened your day. Enough so that Tony started to tease you about it. Yeah, there was a bit of an age gap, which he found hysterical. But he also encouraged you to say something and go for it, trying to give you the confidence to say anything. The worry was, did he simply see you as someone who had been saved and was a friendly face or something more? That concern gnawed away at any chance of building confidence.

It was a Thursday that he missed his usual stop in time, and you were worried. He had a dangerous job. Did he get hurt? Was he sick? A million thoughts flew through your head, leaving you more than halfway distracted for the day. Yet another thing for Tony to tease you about, but it went in one ear and out the other for the entire day. It felt silly on one hand. He was a friend at most and a polite customer, at the least. Nothing more. Even if it would have been nice. You didn't exactly have any right to call up the department and ask if he was okay. Maybe there was something planned. He didn't have to tell you.

Friday rolled around, and you found yourself a little more bothered by it than you cared to admit. If he didn't show today, you weren't sure what you would do.

The cast was finally off, and you had clearance from the doctor to resume light activities. Apparently, there was a concern that you would have a little weakness and risk hurting it by jumping right back in. That was taken as allowed to be back in the kitchen and moving carefully with heavy things. You could take sore and sorry. So, you were doing your best to focus. Slipping and hurting yourself now would be embarrassing and damage your pride.

The act of baking had always been soothing to you, even on this sort of scale with timetables and deadlines. There was a flow that you could lose yourself in until the rest of the world melted away. That nagging worry about Richard, though, kept you from falling completely into the zone. No mistakes yet, but it was frustrating, to say the least. Tony had decided to stick around and help out up front until he was sure you were one hundred percent back on your feet. You were so thankful to have him. It meant the front was handled while you found your rhythm again in the back.

Tony came back around noon, looking for you. Something you missed as you cursed, dropping the hot pan in the sink. Thankfully, it was empty. Burning yourself was a commonplace injury on the job, and after a while, you were able to ignore or work through most minor things. This? Well, it hit the tender part of your forearm that had been in the cast.

“Shit,” he laughed and moved over to you as you cursed yourself for the silly mistake. The laughing caught your attention, and you flipped him off as he pulled your arm gently towards his body. “It doesn't look that bad. You gonna treat it?”

“No, it isn't that bad. I'll put something on it later. What's up?”

“Ah, right. Well, there is someone up front requesting to see you. A certain someone in uniform…” Richard was here? Well, shit. Your head shot up, the burn forgotten about for the time being.

“What?”

“You are seriously adorable when you are crushing on someone.” You smacked at him. Brushing some flour off of your hands and your apron, it was the best that it was going to get. Oh, well. Letting out a small sigh, you double-checked that there was nothing that needed your immediate attention. Everything was cooling or had time still in the oven. “Go, there isn't anything back here that needs you. I'll make sure to take care of other customers. Go.” He shooed you up front. Richard was standing at the counter, hands in his pocket, and glancing around.

“Hey, Richard.” The greeting may have been a little too bright, but it was what it was. You were happy to see him. So what? He smiled, face brightening up as you leaned against the counter.

“Finally back there again, huh?” He propped his hip against the counter right where you were leaning. “Good thing for the product, little sad for all of us up here.” There was no denial that there was a blush. Your cheeks felt hot.

“Oh, I'm sure my customers will be far happier to have me back there and not up here, causing problems.”

“And miss that beautiful face every day? I hardly think that is the case.” By far, that was the most direct he had been, and the heat increased. Maybe Tony was right. Because right then and there? You felt like a teenager with their first crush.

“Or you'll just miss your free coffee and treats.” His smile faltered for just a second. “Missed you yesterday. Everything okay?” You watched as a hand moved from his pocket to rub at his cheek. Whatever the first comment had done seemed to be erased by the fact that you noticed he hadn't shown up yesterday.

“Yeah, everything is fine. Had to be in court most of the day. Wasn't able to get away for anything.” You made a face.

“That sounds miserable.”

“One of the least enjoyable aspects of the job but necessary.” He paused and seemed to be debating just something as his eyes wandered the little seated area that you had. “Are you doing anything tonight?” You swore you could have heard Tony made some sort of sound behind you, but you didn't dare pull your attention off of Richard.

“Didn't have any plans after closing the shop.”

“I was wondering if you would want to have dinner with me…” It took your brain a second to catch up to the fact that he had asked.

“Tonight.”

“That was the thought.”

“I would love to.” His body sagged just a little bit against the counter, and it was hard to miss the sigh that came from him.

“How long do you need to close up?” You glanced back to the kitchen and tried to think how quickly you could manage your usual closing routine. Tony was watching, and that was obvious as you saw him walk by the entrance of the kitchen. As if he could have made it any more obvious.

“I would say, depending on how busy it is, I could be done about a half hour after close.”

“So, seven could work?”

“Yeah, that would be perfect.” It would give you enough time to get home and get yourself properly cleaned up.

“Would you mind if I picked you up, or would you prefer to meet me?” A considerate question and the mark of a gentleman. Given that he knew where you lived, it wasn't like you had to give him the address.

“I don't mind at all.” His knuckles rapped against the counter, and he offered a bigger smile.

“All right. I'll see you around seven tonight then?” You nodded, fighting back a sound that would be rather embarrassing.

“I'll see you tonight.” He headed off and it was only when the door closed that you realized he hadn't gotten his coffee or his treat for the day. You could make up for that tonight, but for now, it was a countdown until seven tonight.

*********

Tony had insisted on cleaning up the little bit that was left as it ended up being far past the expected time for you to leave. He hadn't wanted you to miss getting ready for your date. Not that you needed a lot of time, but you also didn't know where you were going, and you wanted to look nice.

Cutting it close, you were just setting your shoes by the door when the knock came. A quick check told you it was the man you were expecting. Out of uniform for the first time, he looked nice dressed in a nice sweater and blazer.

“Good evening.”

“Good evening. You look lovely,” he complimented before anything else. “All ready?”

“Yep.” He offered his arm, and yours slipped through his as you stepped out the door. The evening air was cooler but not unpleasant. Leading you to his car, he opened the door and waited for you to get in before shutting it. It may have been quite a bit since you had last been on a date, but this was worlds better than what you had last experienced. Not that you expected every moment to be like this, but occasionally, it was nice to be treated by a man who had some manners.

All seated in the car, you did your best to relax despite some of the nerves bubbling in your gut.

“Where are we going?”

“Well, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?” He shot a smile in your direction. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.” A jab at his own age? You decided to let it go for now, instead of bringing it further to the surface by pointing it out.

“It would ruin the surprise. So, I won't ask again.” You kept your tone light and teasing, not wanting him to think you were at all upset with the fact. The drive was nice, the windows down just enough to let the cool air in and not leave the car stifling hot. He asked about the rest of your day and you about his. Stories traded back and forth of various occurrences. Mundane sort of things but entirely comfortable.

It seemed you were leaving the city. If it were anyone else that you were with, you probably would be a little concerned, but with Richard, you felt safe.

The car stopped at the end of a dirt road, an opening to a small lake. The sky was clear, and the moon danced off the water, creating a gorgeous night-time atmosphere. This had been very planned out.

“Wait here, one minute.” He slipped from the car and rummaged in the truck for a moment before heading off towards the edge of the lake. The headlights were off, so you couldn't entirely make out what he was doing, but after a few moments, a fire blazed to life. Manners and thoughtfulness on top of every other quality you had found out about him so far. How was this man not taken?

He was back at the car and opening your door.

“Few tricks indeed.” He chuckled softly and once more offered his arm.

“Gotta do something to stand out a bit.” Homemade food and wine on top of a little campfire lake side. A lot of thought had gone into it. How could you not let your heart melt for the man a little more than it already had? There was no doubt that you had it bad and this would simply seal the deal.

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

What books do you think OUAT characters would enjoy reading? Like what books would you match to each character?

Thank you so much for the ask, Nonnie. I am going to hit the main players. If I miss out on one you wanted, just let me know.

Below the cut, because you know I can't keep it short. I had SO much fun with this one. Thank you again for the ask, love.

Emma Swan-Jones

As often as possible, Emma scoops up the family and reads a children's book aloud. Hope loves fantasy stories. Right now, they are making their way through the Wings of Fire series.

Of her own volition, I think Emma loves soft stories filled with family stories in quirky small towns. (We so often read to heal wounds without even knowing we are doing it.) I think she would read cosy mysteries. (Since I don't really read much in this genre, I am pulling one from a guest host on a podcast I am currently listening to.) The Thursday Murder Mystery Club Mystery series by Richard Osman.

Killian Swan-Jones

Killian reads. His tastes are extremely mood-dependent and impacted by the seasons, things happening in his life, the weather, etc. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is one of his all-time favourites.

Snow/ Mary Margaret

Snow devours enemies-to-lovers, rom-com novels that are packed with adventure. She reads to confirm her steadfast belief that even the most unlikely pairings will find their way to one another. Every time there is a third-act breakup, tears fill her eyes. Every time they come back for each other in the end, she sighs happily. She is currently reading Unfortunately, Yours by the amazing Tessa Bailey.

Charming/ David

David is reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. David loves high, light fantasy novels. He likes his stories to have a hero's journey and evil defeated. He does also enjoy Star Wars novels. The heroes and villains are still clearly defined, but redemption is possible for those who seek it and work at it.

Belle French

Our girl, Belle, reads those dark romances. She has read the Emily McIntire Never After series and is reading the Wicked Villians books by Katee Roberts. She loves a mafia romance novel. This girl loves an overbearing, unforgivable male lead who bends and heels for the love of one woman.

Rumpelstiltskin

He is currently rereading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. Rumple is obsessed with the grim dark genre. He sees himself in these morally grey characters trying to do the best thing in impossible circumstances, in broken and dying worlds. There is never a right path and he hates books that imply that there is.

Regina Mills

After pouring a glass of red wine, Regina settles down with a thriller. She loves the intense fear and action that builds through the story and always figures out the twist moments before it is revealed. "I knew it!" she celebrates each time it is revealed. I don't know enough about this genre to tell you what she is reading now, but she will definitely defend her position that Girl on a Train is light-years better than Gone Girl to anyone who brings up Gone Girl.

[theultimateflix]

Gen V is an American superhero television series, developed by Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg, and Eric Kripke, serving as a spin-off of The Boys by Kripke, and based on The Boys comic book story arc "We Gotta Go Now" by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The series serves as the third entry in The Boys franchise.

The series, set concurrently with the fourth season of The Boys, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on September 29, 2023. In October 2023, less than a month after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season.

Premise

Young adult superheroes, or "supes", are tested in battle royal challenges at the Godolkin University School of Crimefighting founded by Patrick Godolkin run by Vought International.

Cast

Main

Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, a hemokinetic (the ability to psychically manipulate blood) Supe with a tragic past.

Jaeda LeBlanc portrays a young Marie.

Chance Perdomo as Andre Anderson, a popular student and Luke's best friend with magnetic manipulation capabilities.

Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer / Little Cricket, a Supe with the ability to alter her size by "purging" or eating.

Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap, a Supe with telepathic abilities, primarily in the form of tactile mind control, and Luke's longtime girlfriend.

Violet Marino portrays a young Cate.

London Thor and Derek Luh as Jordan Li, a Supe gender-shifter. Thor portrays Jordan's feminine form who can fire energy blasts and Luh portrays Jordan's masculine form who has superhuman durability.

Asa Germann as Sam Riordan, a young Supe with superhuman strength and durability.

Cameron Nicoll portrays a young Sam.

Shelley Conn as Indira Shetty, the dean of Godolkin University and former behavioral therapist who does not have superpowers.

Recurring

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Luke Riordan / Golden Boy, Sam's older brother and a popular student with pyrokinesis and superhuman strength.

Maia Jae Bastidas as Justine Garcia, a Supe influencer attending the Crimson Countess School of Performing Arts

Daniel Beirne as Social Media Jeff, the social media manager for Godolkin University.

Sean Patrick Thomas as Polarity, Andre's dad and a famous superhero who is a trustee at Godolkin University.

Alexander Calvert as Rufus, a psychic student at Godolkin University who possesses telepathy, astral projection, and clairvoyance.

Marco Pigossi as Dr. Edison Cardosa, a therapist at "The Woods".

Guest

Ty Barnett as Malcolm Moreau, Marie's father

Miata Ada Lebile as Jackie Moreau, Marie's mother

Robert Bazzocchi as Liam, a classmate of Emma's

Alex Castillo as Vanessa Haycraft III

Clancy Brown as Richard "Rich Brink" Brinkerhoff, a renowned professor at Godolkin University and Chairman of the Lamplighter School of Crimefighting.

Warren Scherer as The Incredible Steve, a student with a healing factor sufficient to reattach lost body parts.

Jessica Clement as Harper, a rat-tailed student at Godolkin University.

Siddharth Sharma as Tyler Oppenheimer, a student with intangibility.

P.J. Byrne as Adam Bourke

Jackie Tohn as Courtenay Fortney

Matthew Edison as Cameron Coleman

Laura Kai Chen as Kayla Li, Jordan's mother.

Peter Kim as Paul Li, Jordan's father who disapproves of their gender-shifting ability.

Derek Wilson as Robert Vernon / Tek Knight, a former supe turned true-crime TV host who uses his show to cover up scandals for Vought.

Jason Ritter as himself via Sam's hallucinations of an episode of the educational TV series Avenue V.

Andy Walken as Dusty, a Supe resembling a teenager whose body ages slowly.

Special guests

Elisabeth Shue as Madelyn Stillwell

Jessie T. Usher as Reggie Franklin / A-Train

Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett

Chace Crawford as Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep

Jensen Ackles as "Soldier Boyfriend", Cate's childhood imaginary friend who is based on the films of Soldier Boy

Claudia Doumit as Victoria Neuman

[ozmatippetarius]

The Secret History and A Separate Peace Comparisons/Analysis

I've been wanting to make a comparison post between The Secret History and A Separate Peace for almost a decade now, and the time has come. They're two of my favorite books of all time, and the relationship between the two is so delicious to me. (If you're a fan of TSH and haven't read ASP, go read it and then come back. It's short and you'll love it, I promise.)

(We'll skip right over the most trivial similarities, the academic New England settings and the [Article][Descriptor][Abstract Noun] titles.)

The Intros

We open to our narrators, now years removed from their time in academia, returning (either physically or metaphorically) to their youth to revisit the scene of a violent death by falling that shaped their lives forever.

Gene desperately wishes to find peace. In his visit, he finds reassurance - nothing is forever. He too will be able to heal, eventually.

Everything at Devon slowly changed and slowly harmonized with what had gone before. So it was logical to hope that since the buildings and the Deans and the curriculum could achieve this, I could achieve, perhaps unknowingly already had achieved, this growth and harmony myself. [...] The tree was not only stripped by the cold season, it seemed weary from age, enfeebled, dry. I was thankful, very thankful that I had seen it. So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all—plus c’est la même chose, plus ça change. Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence.

Richard has something of the inverse experience. He had convinced himself by aggressively compartmentalizing that he had left Hampden unaffected by Bunny's death, and is only now coming to terms with the permanent impact it had on him. His conclusion is a lot more pessimistic, too: Richard does not think he'll ever truly be able to move on.

But walking through it all was one thing; walking away, unfortunately, has proved to be quite another, and though once I thought I had left that ravine forever on an April afternoon long ago, now I am not so sure. [...] I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell.

Finny/Bunny

All around, Bunny comes off as a very intentional subversion of Finny, a grittier and perhaps more modern take. In A Separate Peace Finny's naivete verging on social ineptitude, along with his general unawareness of his privilege, comes off as charming to most readers, even as it grates on Gene's nerves. The Secret History is a lot more blunt about the kind of casual bigotry that arises from being raised in the particular bubble that Finny and Bunny were.

John Knowles has stated publicly that Finny was based on a real classmate of his, David Hackett, who was best friends with Robert Kennedy and whose career was very solidly based upon his relationship with the Kennedys. Hackett's enthusiastic welcome was the primary reason for Bobby being socially accepted at their school, which had a "High WASP" culture and was "unwelcoming to Catholic new money". This article about him is really fascinating.

Bunny, on the other hand, fully embodies "High WASP" culture himself and spends much of the novel making fun of Catholics (and new money). It's an eye-opening revelation when, after his death, we learn that his family was obsessed with the Kennedys and that Bunny has on occasion posed as one for preferential treatment.

Although this scene doesn't exist in the novel version, here's Finny's introduction in the short story Phineas (precursor to A Separate Peace).

I had seen him at a distance around the school the previous winter and gotten the impression that he was bigger than I was.  But when he straightened up, our eyes met dead level.  For a second I thought he was going to say, “I bet my old man can lick your old man.”  Then his mouth broke into a grin, and he said, “Where did you get that dizzy shirt?” It was like one of the shifts which made him so good at sports: exactly what the opponent didn’t expect.  I had been prepared to introduce myself, or to waive that and exclaim, “Well, I guess we’re roommates!” or to begin negotiating an immediate, hostile division of the available floor space.  Instead he cut through everything and began criticizing my clothes—my clothes—while he stood there in hacked-off khaki pants and an undershirt.  As a matter of fact, I was wearing a lime-green, short-sleeved sports shirt with the bottom squared and worn outside the pants, much admired in the South.  “At home,” I said.  “Where did you think?” “I don’t know, but I can see that home is way down yonder.”

This should sound eerily familiar. Here's Bunny's first real introduction in The Secret History.

“By the way, love that jacket, old man,” Bunny said to me as we were getting out of the taxi. “Silk, isn’t it?” “Yes. It was my grandfather’s.” Bunny pinched a piece of the rich, yellowy cloth near the cuff and rubbed it back and forth between his fingers. “Lovely piece,” he said importantly. “Not quite the thing for this time of year, though.” “No?” I said. “Naw. This is the East Coast, boy. I know they’re pretty laissez-faire about dress in your neck of the woods, but back here they don’t let you run around in your bathing suit all year long. Blacks and blues, that’s the ticket, blacks and blues.…"

Gene (and John)/Richard (and the twins)

Gene is a scholarship student from down south. He's embarrassed by his background and uses fake pictures to give an impression of a lifestyle that he never had.

Over my cot I had long ago taped pictures which together amounted to a barefaced lie about my background—weepingly romantic views of plantation mansions, moss-hung trees by moonlight, lazy roads winding dustily [...] When asked about them I had acquired an accent appropriate to a town three states south of my own, and I had transmitted the impression, without actually stating it, that this was the old family place.

Meanwhile, here's Richard telling Julian about his own home life in California. Unlike Gene, Richard doesn't have any hold-ups lying explicitly about his background.

Orange groves, failed movie stars, lamplit cocktail hours by the swimming pool, cigarettes, ennui. He listened, his eyes fixed on mine, apparently entranced by these fraudulent recollections.

And then we have this (heartbreaking, to me) scene, where Richard destroys the only real photographic he has of his mother because he's afraid that it will uncover his embarrassing reality.

It was the most gratuitous sort of cruelty. My lies about my family were adequate, I suppose, but they could not stand up under these glaring attacks. Neither of my parents had finished high school; my mother did wear pants suits, which she purchased at a factory outlet. In the only photograph I had of her, a snapshot, she squinted blurrily at the camera, one hand on the Cyclone fence and the other on my father’s new riding lawn mower. This, ostensibly, was the reason that the photo had been sent me, my mother having some notion that I would be interested in the new acquisition; I’d kept it because it was the only picture I had of her, kept it tucked inside a Webster’s dictionary (under M for Mother) on my desk. But one night I rose from my bed, suddenly consumed with fear that Bunny would find it while snooping around my room. No hiding place seemed safe enough. Finally I burned it in an ashtray.

At the same time, Richard has maintained a (probably wrong) impression of the twins' home in Virginia that is eerily reminiscent of the story Gene cooked up: "a childhood I like to think about, with horses and rivers and sweet-gum trees."

Even more than the character Gene though, I think Richard correlates to the author John Knowles himself. Here's an exerpt from an old essay of his about his time at Exeter.

My father was in the coal business in West Virginia. Both dad and mother were, however, originally from Massachusetts; New England, to them, meant the place to go if you really wanted an education. My brother had, to be sure, gone to Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, but then he dutifully went off to Dartmouth, deep in deepest New Hampshire. I was expected to follow him to Mercersburg, but picking up a catalog one day which was lying around the house, the catalog of Phillips Exeter Academy, I found a preliminary application form on the last page and, just for the hell of it, filled it out and mailed it. Soon, entrance examinations were arranged for me at the local high school, administered by the principal no less. Exeter was clearly an important place. I knew little else about it, knew no one who had ever gone there, and, although my family visited New England most summers, I had never seen the school.

Again, sound... eerily familiar? Moreover, Richard (first name John!) becomes an author himself and the entire framing device of the novel is his attempt to write the story of his personal experience in school, much as John Knowles did (with a much greater degree of fictionalization). The meta-fiction of it all is so satisfyingly multi-layered.

I'll close off with this laughably off-base review I stumbled upon while researching this post.

(Imagine being anti-intellectual enough to complain about the use of the phrase "gravity of the situation" and suggest "how serious it was" would have been a superior substitute, while also being insecure enough to throw words like "gaseous" around. Cracks me up.)