#scandal was a big gay night for me

[m4sonn]

*ೃ༄ Dally smut imagine˚◞♡ ⃗

(Thx to @peachyponyboyy for helping me a bit with this, honestly I wrote this a while ago and I’m a bit embarrassed abt it so just be nice 😥😣)

A soc and a grease, who would’ve thought…? Especially two boys. It was unheard of at the time!! (Scandalous 🤯) You two weren’t really public about it, though Dallas was convinced that if you two got jumped for being gay he could take ‘em (his words not yours, but he probably could). He always wanted to show you off, you were opposed to the idea. The only people who knew of the two of you were his friends (the greaser gang) and your dad (great dad for once in a fic 👍👍). They surprisingly all accepted you guys. Your dad went on business trips a lot, being out of the house for a while.

You and Dallas had been hanging out in your room, you had invited him over to hangout and watch a movie, you guys were planning to just have an innocent little sleepover, or that’s what you thought, he had slightly different motivations. You smiled as you heard a knock on the door, rushing over to go answer it. As soon as you opened it Dallas pulled you into a big hug, pulling your lips into a loving kiss, you disconnected your lips from his after a few seconds. “Dal… someone’s gonna see us…” you murmured out nervously as you looked around to see if anyone was outside. “Aw don’t sweat it doll face. C'mon let’s just go inside

ೃ༄˚◞♡ ⃗

It was now 11:30 at night, it had been around lunchtime when Dallas first arrived at your house. You were in bed, cuddled up to him. He laid on his back as you rested your head on his chest, his arm wrapped gently around your waist. You guys silently watched your movie, enjoying each other’s embrace. His thumb absentmindedly rubbed up and down in a gentle and steady rhythm.

You feel a warm calloused hand snake slightly into your pants, it rested in the same spot as it was in before just under your pants. You look at Dallas from the corner of your eye. He gave you his signature grin. “What? ‘M just trying to explore you” he said with his usual cocky smirk, he looked at you to confirm if you wanted to continue. You just nodded in approval. With one motion he had sat up and lifted you into his lap, you let out a slight squeal. “Awww… did I scare you, cutie?” “Oh shut up…” you murmured out

ೃ༄˚◞♡ ⃗

Dallas Let out a soft groan “mmm… yeahhh… just like that…'' his grip on your hair tightened slightly as he forced your throat down more into his lap. You gently gagged as his length hit the back of your throat, your room was consumed with the sounds of slurps, chokes, and gags. you didn’t mind his strong hands pulling your hair, you enjoyed having him to guide you since you weren’t very experienced, hell you had just gotten out of the habit of using teeth.. He started to pull your hair harder, moving your throat faster and harder, forcing your head more down. This took you slightly by surprise as you gently held onto his thigh. “Fuuuckkkk… dollface…” he groaned out. “Hmm… I’m close doll… ohh…” with that he shoved your head farther down and released his warm white liquid down your throat. He let go of your hair and you jerk your head back and choke slightly.

ೃ༄˚◞♡ ⃗

You laid in bed, your face resting in a pillow on the bed.Your hands gently rested on the sheets below you. Dallas’s hands slid up and down your shirt to feel your soft skin and to make you shiver, your shirt was the only thing you had on still. You feel one of his hands snake down to your waist then to one of your ass cheeks, he grabbed it and then separated from the other “hmm look at this view~ ain’t nothin’ better than this~” he said while smirking down at you. “You ready, pretty boy?” You simply nodded your head in response.

Dallas put some lube on his fingers, slipping one easily into your hole. “Mmmg…” you gently hummed out as he started to move his finger in and out. He soon slipped a second then a third one in. His fingers were real’ thick and just those already had you basically screaming, Dallas was a lot more experienced than you with this stuff and he was pretty damn good at his craft. His digits moved around as if they were searching for something, you assumed he was looking for your prostate so you moved a bit to make it easier for him. Dallas looked at you with a raised eyebrow. “Uncomfortable?” “Oh, no, I just thought you were trying to get to my prostate…” you murmured out embarrassedly “I know where your prostate is,” he said with a half scoff half giggle “I was just teasing you”

He suddenly moved his fingers and hit that spot that made you see stars, your back arches and you scream out in pleasure. He gave his normal cocky chuckle as he kept moving his digits into that specific area, you were basically seeing stars at this point. He suddenly slid his fingers out with a smirk, you looked up at him with a whimper. “W-why’d you stop…?” You barely managed to sputter out. “Awh, doll face I’m not letting you come that easily…” he said with a smirk. He gently tapped your left ass cheek twice “now let’s get to the fun part, shall we, pretty boy?”

ೃ༄˚◞♡ ⃗

He slowly slid his length into you, your eyes widen and you let out a soft whimper, your hands clenching to the sheets below you so hard that your knuckles turned white. You’ve only ever really used your fingers and never done it with anyone else before, and he was a lot bigger than just a finger or two of yours.. “Awww, can’t take it? Is it too much already, doll?~” he cooed out to you. You would’ve said a smartass response but he shoved the rest of his length into you which forced you to let out a scream. “Hnghh…. D-Dal i-it hurts….” “Mmh.. I know, I know, it’ll feel better after you get used to it I swear m’love…” As he started his gentle thrusting the pain faded into pleasure. He started to thrust harder and harder, earning louder moans from you each time. He chuckled as he watched your back, your back, back of your neck, and the tips of your ears plagued with a red blush. “You like that pretty boy?~” Dallas said as he pressed his chests again your back and pressed his mouth up against your ear. You sputtered out a soft “m-m!. y-yes” in between loud moans. He moved one hand from your waist and to your ass cheek. He let out a few soft groans as he continued thrusting. “You’ve got such a nice ass, darlin’.” You let out a soft whine and glared at him in response. He chuckled and peppered gently kissed all over the back of your neck and ears, enjoying the small moans he received in response.

ೃ༄˚◞♡ ⃗

You felt like everything was melting your eyes rolling back into your skull as your toes curled. “Mgghh… your face is so pretty when you’re all fucked out” he said with a sly grin as he mercilessly rammed himself into you over and over again. You had moved to lay on your back a bit ago to make it more comfortable for the both of you, a pillow under your lower back to make it more comfortable for you. You tried to squirm but he pushed your wrists more into the sheets and held your waist a bit tighter. “Stay still pretty boy” he cooed out at you as you just muled out loud moans. “I-I’m- ahhhnnnnn!!! I-I’m gonna commmmeeee~” you barely managed to moan through his harsh thrusts. “Go ahead, I’m close too~” he hummed out, continuing to ram into you. After a while his thrusts got sloppy, his hips stuttering as he continued to slam into you. You soon reached your peak, your head tilting up as you released, him releasing soon after.

ೃ༄˚◞♡ ⃗

“You’re real’ cute, yknow.” He gently hummed out to you, you guys had finished cleaning up a bit earlier, taken showers, replacing the sheets, and getting clothes on. He did most of the work of course since your legs were basically numb. You guys cuddled up together just like you had been before. You guys had a movie on but he was watching a little more than you since you were both half asleep, you a lot more than him. “G’night, doll face” he said softly before gently kissing your forehead. You mumbled out a small goodnight before falling asleep on him.

[lily-alphonse]

Sam/Haley?

(Saley? 🤭)

Saley? Or Ham. LMAO

Hmmmmmmm this one. This one irks me. They sure would be pretty though.

I'm itching to put them in some kind of AU because my mind screams that they don’t make sense in their current context. There has to be an inciting factor like both working as camp counselors in a nearby town or going to college together or something. (Or… Scooby Doo AU? A little Fred/Daphne dynamic perhaps?)

Like maybe Haley has considered it, kinda liked the rogue skater, class clown thing Sam had going on. But she was always expected to be with the star athlete.

Ok wait maybe the inciting incident is Alex coming out as gay. That could work. Farmer shows up, we have an “oh no he’s HOT 😩” moment and Haley is left in the dust.

She’s pissed at first but then realizes she’s free. She can truly do whatever she wants. Who is going to care, now that the rumor mill is abuzz with Alex’s scandal?

She experiments with her fashion. Tries new hobbies. She goes to visit Emily at work and even gets a little tipsy and dances. And one Friday night she sees Sam there playing pool with Sebastian and she can’t help herself. He’s so fucking tall and edgy, it’s an exciting kind of intimidating. But Haley can be intimidating too, despite her size.

“Sebastian. Sam.” She greets them both with her arms crossed and an easy smile.

“Uh. Hi.” Sebastian is the first to respond, straightening up from where he was lining up a shot.

“In light of recent events I feel the need to ask if either of you are gay,” Haley starts.

“What?” Sebastian asks in disbelief.

“No,” Sam says immediately.

Haley meets his eyes with a predatory sort of smile. “Alright, prove it. Dance with me.”

Sam kind of chuckles and bites his lip, looking over at Sebastian. “Man I know we’re in the middle of something but…”

Sebastian rolls his eyes and points to Haley. “You, wait there two turns. If you still want him after I kick his ass you can have him for tonight.”

Haley chuckles. “Deal.”

It’s actually kind of torture, in a good way. She has a front row seat to watch his body move, his eyebrows furrow and tongue sticking out when he’s concentrating.

She doesn’t know much about pool, so she doesn’t care that Sebastian is right about kicking his ass. All she cares about is the man rounding the table to meet her, as Sebastian goes off to find Abby.

“Hi,” Sam says with a cheeky smile down at her. He isn’t shy, getting close and personal already.

“Hi,” she gives him her best flirty smile.

“Still up to dance with a loser?”

“Can’t really be considered a loser with the hottest girl in here on your arm.”

He chuckles at that, taking her hand to guide them to the dancefloor. She’s caught a bit off-guard by his forwardness but damn if it isn’t sexy as hell. And his hand is big 🫠

His hands move to her waist on the dancefloor and they sway with some distance between them to continue speaking.

“I don’t know how you can be so confident about that by the way," He says once their settled into a rhythm.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I mean, just look at Pam. You’ve got some stiff competition.”

“Oh har-har very funny,” she rolls her eyes but fights a smile.

“Ooo tough crowd.”

“I’m tough to please.”

“I can imagine. But correct me if I’m wrong Princess, seems like you’re already sold on me.”

The sudden nickname almost gets her flustered. She decides to ignore it. Ignore it and definitely not file it away in her brain to obsess over later. “Not sold at all, that’s why I asked for a dance and not your hand in marriage.”

“I see. This is my test drive then?”

“You could call it that.”

“You look beautiful.”

It’s obviously a line. But it comes so suddenly that Haley does get flustered this time. “I know,” she blurts, and then, “thank you.”

His smile widens at her blush. “I’m serious, I like the new look. You seem more like yourself.”

“Myself? And how would you know?” she raises a perfect eyebrow at him as its his turn to get sheepish.

“Oh, well I just mean like, I don’t know. It suits you. You seem happier.”

She thinks about that, looking at his shirt instead of his eyes. She has been feeling happier. She sighs and leans into Sam, closing the distance between them to lay her head against his pounding chest. He stops swaying, surprised. She smiles at how fast his heart is going under his facade.

“I am happier, I think.”

DAMN OK I DONE GONE AN CONVINCED MYSELF LMAO these two are kinda fire ngl I think theyd both be sassy and flirty the banter is top tier

Send me any Stardew Valley rarepair and I will tell you how I would make them work! (Even non-marriage npcs) If youre lucky you may get a mini fic out of it. Check the list below to see if Ive already answered yours

Rarepair Masterlist

[adankrivervalleynearyou]

There’s no way Sebastian doesn’t know what he’s doing. With the mischievous, viridescent gleam in his eye and the big Cheshire Cat grin on his face, there’s no way he’s not up to something. Blaine can tell he’s someone who likes to get what he wants, being the son of a State’s Attorney and all that rich-white-people shit.

What Blaine wants, though, is for Kurt to stop looking at him like he killed his mom. He wasn’t the one who agreed to go to Scandals with the guy. He doesn’t really want to spend all night watching Kurt, his boyfriend whom he loves dearly, and Sebastian, a nauseatingly gorgeous boy he’s known for all of one hour and who seems determined to get into his pants, at a gay bar circling each other like wolves fighting over prey. Especially because in this scenario, Blaine is the prey.

Blaine’s interrupted from his brooding, face-down on his bed wearing one of his mom’s hoodies, when his phone buzzes. He rolls over with a grunt, pushing his ungelled hair out of his eyes and looking at his phone.

[Unknown Number] Hey, it’s Sebastian. Duval gave me your number so we could talk Warbler to Warbler.

Something anxious and squirmy shoots up his spine, right alongside an electric, excited feeling. He promptly ignores both and adds the number to his contacts.

You’re one of those jocks who calls everyone by their last name, aren’t you?

[Sebastian] I don’t know where you could’ve gotten that impression, Anderson.

Blaine, horrifyingly, feels himself smiling. He pushes down his giddiness like he’s trying to stamp out a fire.

You sure made an impression on my boyfriend.

Why’d you invite us to Scandals anyway? Trying to sow seeds of destruction?

[Sebastian] I’m flattered that you think I’m that maniacal.

Are you saying you’re not?

[Sebastian] I’ll let you figure that out for yourself, pretty boy.

Blaine’s traitorous, unfaithful heart pulses with warmth, and his breath catches on something. He clutches the hoodie tight to him, hoping it might soak up the sick, guilty feeling in his chest.

full fic here

[flimflamfandom]

Hi there, it’s me again. I hope you’re doing well and that you’re having a good day/night. Since it’s pride month where I’m at, I was wondering how Rocky got into fighting for LGBTQ+ rights as well as women’s rights? Was he an avid supporter since he was a young adult or was it later in life? 

Also, I was wondering how Rocky’s shows would work? What’s his comedic style? And did he ever talk about his activism stories openly in his shows? 

And, as a last question for now, do you have any other miscellaneous older Rocky trivia that you would like to share? If for some reason you can’t answer these questions then I completely understand. You’re busy with a new job if I can recall and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Please make sure you leave time for resting as well if/when you can, burnout’s no joke. I adore your future Lackadaisy headcannons! 

Hello! New job has been taxing, but fun. In any case, I CAN answer the questions!

FIRST

As far as activism in this case goes, most of his started during his later life in the 70s and 80s - Rocky was never particularly public about his sentiments towards the queer community until then.

His sentiments were definitely aligned with the community - he didn't have to be convinced to accept them - but after Stonewall, he started to try and add more gays into stories he pitched, shows he wrote, etc. He wasn't necessarily groundbreaking in this regard - it's very 70s style stuff - but he did his best to keep them from being the punchline.

During the AIDS crisis, he was notable for visiting friends of his who were patients - of which there were remarkably many. he wasn't going into any marches at this point in time, being in his 70s, and he was mostly retired, but he did contribute some TV episodes about the crisis here and there.

HIS SHOW

Rocky went through a few different forms of entertainment - first, of course, was radio. He was brought on to run a comedy show, which was structured around parodies of other radio shows, comic adaptations of dramas, and show-within-a-show episodes which were explicitly about running the show. Think of him as this universe's Jack Benny.

He transitioned to Television in the early 50s, and he did well there! He was notable for his show's transition, which was one of very few radio-to-TV bids that actually...y'know. Worked.

But he was ALSO notable for a game show, Ivory Towers, which ran from '55 to '62 - a quiz show where a group of college professors would compete against random attendees to answer questions. After being pretty much the only quiz show NOT to be cooking the books after the big Quiz Show scandals, it started to run with the subtitle of 'The Cleanest Racket in Town'.

OTHER TRIVIA

Rocky actually got a lot of fanmail from girls. It made his wife rather jealous.

In the OLD AU, I shipped Rocky with an OC named Loretta - she has been written out of existence.

Rocky once entered a pie eating contest and won, and wore a giant fake pie slice on his head for the next show. He became so well known for it that he would enter that contest annually until he died.

Rocky almost recorded a comedy album about Christmas - it never got released or published.

[duchessdepolignaca03]

🥰 😍Thank you for the tag @piratefalls and leveraging the open tag from @orchidscript and @suseagull04

I can write non depressing things! That are also not utterly unhinged unerotica featuring words like porksword, man chowder and Porsche driving into a queensway.

Wrote this what feels like ages ago, the idea being a threesome fic with Alex/Henry/Luke from PH. One day once Rule Britannia and my Big Bang fics are done, I will return to this. Or maybe I should just refresh it to give my brain a break lol.

“One time, Henry here got his hands on a Magnum Dom Perignon bottle - he pulled TWICE and left with two blokes that night,” Pez exclaims, making Alex’s eyes shoot up in surprise.

Pez continues, yelling in Alex’s ear. “He used to call champagne his ‘get that D juice!’”.

In front of them, Henry is oblivious to Pez revealing another one of his secrets (Pez has a habit of sharing Henry’s secrets when he’s had too much to drink - much to Alex’s delight and Henry’s consternation when he catches on). He’s got a bottle of champagne in one hand (not a Dom Perignon, sadly), and is awkwardly fist-pumping to the EDM song.

Alex knows where Henry is on his drunkenness spectrum - a little loosened up with a few buttons on his shirt undone (“for air circulation” he would say) but not quite ready for karaoke or scandal.

Alex has no doubts that Henry is very conscious of their setting: an afterparty following an event honouring Allied Marine Forces. The fact that they had been invited to host - as an openly gay couple representing the US and UK - signals a degree of acceptance of their sexuality, but Alex is certain that Henry wants to be on their best behaviour. Even as the party really kicks off and ‘best behaviour” becomes relative.

Alex is a thrill-seeking little shit and the revelation from Pez about Henry’s ‘slut era’ offers heretofore unconsidered possibilities that make Alex dizzyingly horny.

No pressure tags for @sparklepocalypse @tailsbeth-writes @taste-thewaste @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @priincebutt @onthewaytosomewhere @thesleepyskipper @wordsofhoneydew @leaves-of-laurelin @anincompletelist @itsmaybitheway @myheartalivewrites @firenati0n @anchoredarchangel @bitbybitwrites @ships-to-sail @thinkof-england @getmehighonmagic @nocoastposts @bigassbowlingballhead and @zwiazdziarka 🥰 and OPEN tag (please tag me so I can read!)

[ayeeedomino]

Ateez 9th member

How would the guys react to Roux coming out

Roux was not scared of how they would react, no, she knew that despite anything they would support her. But after the controversy blew up, she was more scared it could taint the group’s image, or ruin their reputation. So because of that, she decided to tell each of the members the truth. If the world couldn’t know the truth yet, at least her closest friends, her family could.

Hongjoong: At one of the nights the two of you were on the studio, you thought it was finally the time to tell him. As the leader, he feels responsible to all of his members, so he would first offer wise words of wisdom and reassurance, emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself and expressing support for Roux. He would reaffirm that there’s nothing wrong with her and that it’s fine being who she is, that she shouldn’t worry about the public’s reception, that she should focus on being herself and continue as she is. But sadly he would have to have a down to earth conversation that she should be cautious, like a worried dad would be, not because of how might affect the group, but how it could put her in danger.

Mingi: After a dance practice for a speacial stage, as they both were catching some breath, she told him. He instantly said that everything would be fine, similar to Hongjoong, and said he thought she was very brave for being herself despite everything. To not make the topic heavy, he carried on normally, but making sure to make her feel comfortable with herself.

Yunho: They were walking by a lake, late at night, and when they stopped to look at the stars, she said to him. His first answer was give Roux a big hug, showing his affection and support. He expressed how proud he is of her for being brave enough to share her identity with him, and was more than happy to share this new chapter of her story with Roux.

Yeosang: As they were making dinner, Roux just simply threw a “Oh, have you seen the rumours?” And he was like “Yes, I did.”, she simply said “they are true.” Yeosang would be quiet for a while before offering her quiet support and understanding to Roux. He sat down and expressed that although he might not be as loud, he still is happy for her and wishes her the best.

San: One of these days, Roux was accompanying San on his workout at the gym. He would actually be the one who started the conversation by asking how she was doing after this scandal. Roux would say she was fine and that she wished people would be more chill about having queer kpop idols like herself. It would take a hot minute for San to understand but then he would give her a big smile and become really enthusiastic in his support for Roux, expressing his excitement at getting to know her more deeply. He would also start asking her question, always making sure she isn’t uncomfortable with them, because he is genuinely curious.

Seonghwa: It was a bad day for Roux actually. She was deep in her room thinking about her ex and how now she would end up alone because being an idol and lesbian would be hard. Seonghwa heard her crying and knocked on her door and asked to come in. As he sat down beside her, he offered to listen, as always, to whatever was bothering her. As she told him everything, he would make sure she knows that he's there for her to talk to and that her identity doesn't change how much he cares about her. As I mentioned on my previous post, Seinghwa is like a mother to her, so he would go to hell and back to defend her. At the end he offered some of the cookies he was baking.

Wooyoung: Woo and Roux are very close. Between all the members, they are the closest to each other, said that, he knows every little thing about her. They were watching tv, when a lesbian couple appeared. As Roux began to talk, Wooyoung simply said: “What? Are you about to tell me you are a lesbian? Girl as if I didn’t know….your gay ass would CONSTANTLY talk about how hot you think Renee Rapp is, or how insanely hot Ryujin is on stage, or daydreaming about living in a farm with a woman even though you hate bugs. I don’t know who you think you are fooling, but it ain’t me.” and would give that classic smile. He would start making a lot of jokes but Roux know that Wooyoung means good, and that’s his way of saying that everything is fine and that he loves her in any way.

Jongho: They were talking about something work related, when the topic died she thought it would be best to come clean with all of the members, so she just said to him that’s she’s a lesbian. Jongho just looked at her and said “Okay”. Now, Roux didn’t know what she was expecting, but that answer was not what she thought. So she would simply mind her business and continue with her day. Later that day, Jongho sent her a message:

“I’m sorry if my answer felt odd is just that it’s literally okay? 😀 Like if you were a dinosaur, you would still be the talented, amazing, funny and caring friend that you are. I hope you know that I support you and that you are always welcome to talk to me. Now I’m at that noodle shop you love, would you want some?”

“Omg I love u, u are the best, now bring them noodles home!! 🫡

[landwriter]

Hello Mrs landwriter. Would you consider writing a continuation of your You've Got Mail Dreamling AU? I just stumbled across it and it's really very good and I am yearning for more. Much love to you 💖

part one for context. I would also like to take the opportunity to announce that despite my Advanced Internet Age of late twenties, I am scandalously unwed and unattached. any and all comers are welcome to pitch me for my hand in marriage in my askbox.

OP - thank you so much! I have plans to write a full You’ve Got Mail AU at some point but here is another scene, just for you! thanks for enabling me :)

---

“8 o’clock, boss, right on time,” said Matthew, as they stopped outside the cafe that was definitely gonna be Morpheus’ future Last Known Location. “This mystery penpal date is some real serial killer shit, man. You know? He could be anyone.”

“Matthew,” said Morpheus, and turned to look at him with a terrifyingly smitten expression. “A mystery he may be, but he is still the single most charming person I have ever come in contact with. The way he writes of life. The stories he tells! His passion, his hunger, his wit. He could be a bike messenger, and I would be a madman to not turn my life upside down and marry him.”

Matthew felt the rare, exquisite discomfort of actually being the fuckin’ voice of reason in a situation. “You don’t even know what he looks like, boss. Marriage seems a bit, uh, full on? If you haven’t even swapped photos?”

Morpheus regarded him a little satisfied smirk. “We haven’t exchanged pictures of our faces, no.”

“No, you didn’t,” he said in disbelief. Morpheus just raised his eyebrows. “You slut! What is it with gay dudes and-”

“It would be tremendously unprofessional for my assistant to make generalizations about an entire population,” said Morpheus. He sniffed. “Also, he is bisexual.”

“Okay, okay, boss, he’s bisexual, my bad, how about the professionalism of dragging your assistant to your date with this mystery bisexual whose name you don’t even know?” He was, truth be told, pretty fuckin’ invested at this point, but if he could guilt Morpheus into a more generous Christmas bonus, he would. Shame was for suckers.

“You are here in your capacity as my friend,” said Morpheus. Oh, the cold-hearted asshole, invoking their friendship on a Nets game night.

“Then at least let me be homophobic!” he protested. A passerby glared at him. Tourists. “You only get to choose one, man. Loyal assistant or lovably brash bosom buddy, making the protagonist look like less of an-”

“Go on, then,” said Morpheus, heading off his loving insult and folding his arms expectantly.

“No, fuck, the moment is gone. It’s not the same if you give me permission, man. I’m taking an I-O-U for later. One homophobia, when you least expect it,” he said.

Morpheus, who actually did look like he might vomit from his nerves at any moment, at least rolled his eyes at that. That was something.

This was definitely a pep talk moment. God, he was shit at pep talks.

“Well, I’ve loyally delivered you to your fate, or date, or whatever, so, uh, have fun! Don’t get stabbed, text me how it goes, and remember: don’t let him take you to a second location. That’s how they get you, boss. Unless I’m in your will. Then totally do,” he said. He clapped Morpheus on the shoulder and added, in all his generosity of spirit, “Good luck, man. You’ve got this.”

Morpheus clapped a hand on his shoulder too. It stayed. It squeezed painfully tight. “Matthew. My best friend,” he said.

“Yeah?” he asked. This was not good. This was Big Favor shit coming on, he could smell it.

“Would you go and look for me?” asked Morpheus, in a rush.

“Me?” he asked, and thought That’s it? Morpheus had it bad. So, so bad.

“Yes. Just go look through the window and check him out. Please,” said Morpheus. His voice was edged with hysteria. Matthew thought he might actually start to vibrate apart.

“You’re pathetic, boss,” he said, cheerfully. “Also, that’s creepy as fuck.”

“Matthew,” said Morpheus.

“Alright, alright bossman. I’m going. I’m looking. As your best friend.”

Morpheus nodded and sat himself down heavily on a nearby bench. It sounded like he was doing La Maze breathing.

He climbed the steps and, yes, very fuckin’ creepily peered through the window into the cafe. All groups and couples, definitely not Mystery Bisexual, except - there was a waiter taking an order from the table at the back. There was a closed book on the table. “Is he uh, supposed to have a book or something? You know, since you don’t know what his face looks like?” he asked, and didn’t even make the joke, excellent best friend that he was.

“Yes,” said Morpheus. “Yes, and?”

“And the waiter’s blocking him,” he said. “Wait, hold on, he’s moving-” The waiter left and he sucked in a breath.

“Well? Can you see him? Can you see him?”

“Uh,” he said, dumbly.

“Matthew, New York is an at-will employment state. Matthew. What do you see.”

“I can see him,” he said, slowly. Well, at least Morpheus wouldn’t get murdered by his date. Or he would, actually, but at least Matthew would be able to point the cops in the right direction.

“And?” Or - third possibility - Matthew would be the one murdered, by his own  best friend.

“He’s, uh, he’s hot, boss.” He was. Nice smile, warm eyes, broad shoulders. The sort of approachable hot guy-ness that could make another guy wonder about sucking dick after a few drinks. Y’know. Theoretically.

“I knew it,” said Morpheus, triumphantly. “I knew it. I knew he would be, Matthew. He had to be. Had. To. Be.” He laughed in delight.

Matthew had never heard him sound happier in his life. It was fuckin’ unnerving. He felt like he was witnessing a Great White cavorting through the water like a dolphin. Felt wrong. Felt a bit too toothy. He took a moment to mourn his Christmas bonus, and then sighed and spoke again.

“Uh, boss, it’s just. He sort of looks like, uh, that Hob guy?”

“What, Hob Gadling with the little bookstore?”

“Yeah, I mean, he’s hot, right?”

“Yes. I suppose. Absolutely. I don’t care about Hob Gadling. He’s irrelevant.”

Hoo-fuckin’-boy. Matthew grimaced.

“Boss, if you don’t like Hob Gadling, I can uh, I can promise you, you’re not gonna like your man with the book.”

“Why not?”

“Because it is Hob Gadling.”

[rapunzelforlorn]

Ep6

Nick is so brave introducing Charlie to his dad

Two more years of high school?? I thought Nick was like a junior

Seeing the style on Nick's face, meeting his dad already seems difficult but he wanted to tell him about Charlie so bad

Are they playing find Waldo?

I love that the boys & girls had the same reaction to E&T's kiss

Sneaking around the hotel 🙈

Issac looks left out 🥺

Everyone sneaking to smooch town

Charlie needs to listen to Nick

Ajayi is trying his charms

Faruk IS gay!!

Clocked him 👀👀👀

"You flirting with me?"

Oh, happy birthday Tara

Imogen being part of the gang makes me so happy

Isaac is in book heaven

Charlie's a little hoodie thief

"I'm just recharging" - Nick 💜

There's a lot of underage drinking for a relatively wholesome show

Why isn't Isaac with James???

Who the FUCK let Ben in?

Kiss the boy Isaac

Paris is so gay 🏳️‍🌈

Isaac??

Hey babe let's go to a party just to escape it and enjoy each other's company, that's Nick & Charlie's relationship

Harry is trying...I think genuinely

But I'm pissed Ben is there much his church ass out too

Tao is always a ham

Who is this sour ass, shaved head ass, biiiiitch bringing down the vibe of the party??? Uhh...kid 1 that's who! Not even relevant enough for a name

Ben's bitch ass shouldn't have been there

Nick is a boss! And bi, actually

Why did they ruin to the teachers and not the bathroom if she was gonna get sick

Not sure if I want to be carried or carry someone like Nick "strong man" Nelson

Sharing a bed, how scandalous 😏

The revenge of the hicky

Oh Nick is so sweet & innocent, despite the hicky allegations

Darcy is having a time

Teachers getting scandalous now too 🙈🙈

Ep7

Nick seems so bummed not noticing or maybe not talking to Charlie sooner about eating habits

Go Elle!!

Tao's mom is great we love supportive mothers

Nick's mom fucking ROASTING David

Tori better go to this dinner party too

Congrats Elle!

What's with the purple smog at Darcy's?

Isaac seems off

Will Ben just FUCK OFF!!!

No matching suits?? Outrageous!!

Darcy doesn't have a good home life did she 😒

Issac actually ACE?

Fucking slay Elle 😍😍😍

Tao is so bad with change

Clocked Isaac

So glad he met someone to explain it to him

Imogen is trying, really

Prom is tomorrow?!?!

Elle's art 💜💜

Tao maturing

Ben is stalking now???

Don't make us feel bad for Ben, fuck him

Oh so he's ALWAYS been a predator

I'm here for you "mate"

Tori in the house!!

Fuck David!!

GETTEM TORI!!!

NICK 🥺💜🥺💜

Stephane 👀 no, no Stephane

He's always got mom

Tori's about to go away for murder if David doesn't shut the fuck up

Charlie's mom cares, just wants him to do well

Nick is always so proactive with the Google machine

Oh Darc ☹️

Ep8

No way this man woke up and didn't have his phone on a charger

The (I'm bi, actually) ig post 💗💜💙

The ig comments 🤢

Everything's prefect except you aren't eating Charlie boy

And they were official T&E

Tara sending out the prom SOS

The squad rolling up

That's a waste of paint

Coach wingmate

Nick opening up to Tao about Charlie

Tao opening up to Nick 🥺

Charlie needs to open up

They look so good for prom!!

I miss prom

Charlie's little prom fantasy was so cute

Darcy needs some help

Isaac is also on the struggle bus

Elle's dad, is exactly what I hoped

She always looks stunning 🤩🤩

They all look so great!!

Why did Sahar bring a guitar?

I want to believe Henry is trying

The rugby mates for sure are trying

Nick giving Tara advice that's actually for himself too

Oh she's in the band

I wish my school put this much effort into prom

These high schoolers are having so much growth

Tori at prom too 🥳

"That night in Paris..."

"Next time 😉"

Is Imogen...bi?

Neither can dance? I doubt that

Oh no 😨 Tara went to Darcy's

Her mom's such a bitch!!!!!

Sit down at Nick's

SEVEN

Big group hug 💜

Poor Darcy 🥺

We love disasters

Playing pong with normal cups 😂

Isaac looks so much happier knowing who he is

Best Team Player 🏆

Charlie 😭😭

"Promise to tell me, if it ever gets that bad again? "

Just hold hands through it all 💜💜

"I love..."

Gets me everytime Charlie gets on his tippy toes to kiss Nick

Wait...have they not said I love you too each other??

What a cliff hanger!!

Were both ready for season 3 😁

[trobedgirldads]

Hey, I'm working on my Cooliver fic. Do you have a list of episodes that are best to rewatch to get their personalities and dynamics?

okay first of all i’m honored that you thought to ask me. second of all, i’m sorry i took forever to reply but i realized i didn’t have a list so i put one together lol

the otto motto (s1 e18) is the first time the idea of oliver being gay is mentioned

the walk (s1 e 20) is sooo important for cooper. first time we see his real personality instead of just his cool kid facade. also iirc this is the first appearance of “move on to your next point”

boo-who? (s2 e5) is pretty good for early oliver. it’s got his sass, some insecurities, a touch of scheming and ofc his iconic scream. cooper’s not in it tho.

blondetourage (s2 e11) is so iconic for them. the sneakers, the phone scheme. “i’m already riding bitch on your vespa.”

all coupled up (s2 e17) is their first big fight, so if you’re writing a fight/argument this is a good one. also some good cooper & katie moments.

it’s hard to say goodbye (s2 e19) is another one without cooper, but if you’re writing sad oliver this is such a good reference; he’s really well written and acted in this episode. the cgi tears take me out tho 😭😭

here we go again (s3 e2) has them work through conflicts and like resolve a fight without intervention from katie/greg. i love them <3. absolutely banger episode for each of them individually, and them as a duo.

enemies: an otto story (s3 e4) has a good oliver scheme, and he gets cooper in on it. cooper talking about tagging along to boarding school with him makes me feel things.

trust me (s3 e5) is the absolutely iconic scooby-doo halloween costumes/making out practice episode that every cooliver writer has written about. i think it’s the first time cooper is seriously brought into the whole “oliver might be gay” bit, but i might be wrong about that (i know cooper’s mentioned the first time it’s ever brought up, but i think this is the first time he really seems like a piece of the puzzle)

body image (s3 e6) again, no cooper, but very good for insecure oliver

mo’ money, mo’ problems (s3 e13) is also so iconic in my brain. idk how genuinely important it is to either of their development, but it means a lot to me. i can’t remember who it was, but someone on here posted a really good analysis of cooper in this episode and how he’s lying to try to get oliver to not go to the party, which could be useful depending what you’re writing. also this is the first time cooper calls katie and greg mom and dad :(

insta-friends (s3 e16) is another big fight for them, and also some serious cooper daddy/mommy issues. this one isn’t super helpful for individual oliver, but it’s great for individual cooper and their dynamic when they’re mad at each other

field trippin’ (s3 e20) is a much sillier, fluffier episode than a lot of what i have on this list. silly lil scheme gone wrong. cooper’s really only in the first like half of this one tho

a mom’s parade (s3 e22) ok so hot take i don’t really like this episode that much… you can do you is very queer coded tho so it’s going on the list lol

girls’ night out (s4 e6) is just so awesome. oliver’s really sweet towards the end, and it’s bcuz of cooper. cooliver/triplor double date mention!!! tiny touch of cooper angst. greg implying that cooper holds a similar role in the family to trip. just all of it is so perfectly cooliver. this is one of their best episodes imo

hip to be square (s4 e9) is the i love you episode!!!!!!!!!!!! them fighting and then saying they love each other!!!!!!!!!!! so interesting for their dynamic!!!

a very english scandal (s4 e14) is the one where the whole school thinks oliver is gay. the one time cooper denies being oliver’s boyfriend. overall very gay episode.

all is fair in love and war reenactment (s4 e17) is a good one for them supporting each other, but not enabling each other’s shitty behavior. really good for their dynamic, and cooper’s got some good layers in this episode

senior prank (s4 e18) ohhhhh they’re such big brothers in this one i love it so much. if you wanna write them as parents this might be a decent reference. also, not cooliver related but franklin is just so iconic in this.

vacation! (s4 e19) i’ve said it before and ill say it again: this episode feels more like a cooliver fic than an actual episode. so good for both of them as individuals, their dynamic as a couple, and how cooper fits into the otto family as a whole.

prom (s4 e20) is another one that i think is good for oliver as an individual and their relationship as a pair. also big brother cooper crumbs!! (they’re very small but they’re there and they’re important to me 😌)

graduation (s5 e1) is ofc so good if you’re writing some angst. seeing how they deal with issues involving them that seem out of their control. also more cooper fitting into the family as a whole <3

psych (s5 e2) is really good for later-seasons oliver and his need for validation. also supportive bf cooper :)

coupling (s5 e3) is the episode i show ppl if i want to get them into the show bcuz it gives such a good overview of all of the characters and their relationships with each other. more cooliver fighting if you need references for that. the couple coding in this episode is so intense.

kids these days (s5 e5) is sooooo good for their dynamic bcuz it really shows how they support each other without enabling each other. i love cooper so much in this episode. “our family” <3

mother’s little helper (s5 e6) is pretty good. shows off that no matter how much they’ve grown, they’re still just dumb teenage boys.

encourage, discourage (s5 e8) is soooo good for cooper fitting into the family as a whole.

the heist (s5 e9) chef cooper origin!!!!! oliver being a supportive bf!!! i love them!!!

getting frank with the ottos (s5 e10) is a big turning point in their relationship. once again, supportive bf oliver!! they’re so cute.

the election (s5 e13) i feel like their dynamic is a little bit weird in this episode (oliver’s like weirdly chill abt once again being confronted w the idea of cooper moving, but ig it’s bcuz he has his own stuff going on) but it’s so good for sad cooper/daddy issues cooper. this is definitely a huge one for cooper angst references

okok so this is a really big list. obvs i don’t know what the plot of your fic is or when it’s set, so some of these might be much more helpful than others depending what you’re writing. these are just my suggestions of the ones that stand out as important for them as individuals and as a duo. hope this is helpful!!!! i’m excited to read your fic if/when you post it :)

[bonesandthebees]

okay! hello bee! i have decided to collect all my thoughts here as i near the end so here i go!

okay first of all, i am not famously a fantasy enjoyer though recently i read six of crows and night circus (night circus kicked me into fantasy gear) so i decided to tackle this! i am the kind of person who requires a book to be fast paced if im going to get into it (like i never got into harry potter because the beginning was boring) and priory did just that for me it was constantly moving and that is exactly what i needed. now while i loved it and it was amazing, i can recognize that the fast paced nature made it so that things feel a tad underdeveloped and when i think back. i love it all in the heat of the moment, though stepping back i can say that due to the nature of how the book was written a lot of things can feel sort of rushed for someone who is reading it (it didnt feel rushed for me but i can see how it would for a lot of people and how it might if i read it again under circumstances in which i took my time). either way i adored it, i liked the switching povs, i liked the politics and the exploration of religion and the questioning of all someone has known. i like how she broke typical gender stereotypes and introduced lgbtq relationships in ways that didnt make it so scandalous that they were gay but more so just because of status. i like how there were platonic relationships especially between males and females where they didnt once have a sort of unrequited love situation because while those do happen, so do these platonic relationships where people are just family to each other and have never been anything more. i am living for women training to be soldiers/warriors though i wish we got more of tané and her training or just more time of her before her dragon got yoinked cause i like her wish she got more screentime! anywho speaking of tané i do like her ending i think it opens the door for a lot of possibilities and that it basically is saying that her story is not yet over! anyways this has gotten far longer than i intended for it to be that is /my/ bad. i hope you have a good day bee, thank you for the silly book recs i have now sufficiently fallen into the realm of fantasy books

⁃🪿

I definitely understand what you mean by saying some things felt fast paced, but also I think it's a testament to how much goes on in priory that some things can still feel like they needed more words when the book is already 800+ pages long. personally I'd say there was only one moment that felt actually rushed to me and that was the big final battle, but I was skimming through the authors old tumblr and she said that originally it was longer but her editor convinced her to cut it down, which was a decision she came to regret so I don't blame her for that one

yes yes yes I loved all of those things. it's so refreshing to read about a world where there's no question about women being warriors or queens or lgbtq people/dynamics are completely normal. like, it's not exactly a world completely free of homophobia or sexism when you consider how every berethnet queen is basically destined to be a baby machine to pump out the next queen in line, but those themes are explored in a much more nuanced and subtle way which I really adored

also I agree I wish we'd gotten more screentime with tané and nayimathun because I loved their dynamic so much, and all of tané's training was SO interesting I just loved everything with the miduchi dragonriders

I'm reading the prequel to priory right now and it goes so much more in depth to so many of the different cultures and groups we see in the first book. I'm in love with it so far I definitely would recommend it if you would want to see a lot more of that kind of thing in depth

[angeltreasure]

Okay just kinda rambling but wanted to share my thoughts and have someone who I respect to bounce off of. I like macabre and dark stuff, like vampires, ghosts, horror, goth, the whole thing. Now I'm not like trying to contact the dead or summon demons, I'm not an idiot. I find the imagery of that dark stuff lovely in a way, since it's not this cookie cutter materialistic crap of what society wants us to conform to be. Like, imagine a dark cathedral with a cemetery, crosses, angels, roses, classical music, that kind of images. I'm also a Christian, and believe in God and all that stuff. So I was thinking, since the idea of memento mori and the soul being eternal, would that perhaps be why I like the dark imagery? Cause I can appreciate the beauty of nature and praying for the dead and all that which is one of my favorite works of mercy, but I also find comfort in the idea that we only live once, so better to make the best of it cause we don't know when God's gonna come a knocking to bring us home.

I was attracted to darker things growing up too. I dressed darker, I gobbled up all kinds of videos of vampires and ghosts, loved horror movies, I wasn’t even scared of the cemetery the next street over from my childhood hometown. I had used a ouija board twice at different times, the first time I thought it was funny to prank a friend who used it with me. My all time favorite mass was at 6:30 PM at night. Depending on the time of year the sun would set before getting there. Mass at night in that big church (it felt big to me but now it’s so small) with its dark wood, so many beautiful stained glass windows were darkened by the night, candles were light all around the altar and many places for prayer in dark corners, the dark wood was beautifully craved in the whole place, and I was fascinated with what was behind the veil that I couldn’t see… especially in churches because the veil between Heaven and Earth is the thinnest! My apartment was haunted, or so I joked with my parents, because we had so much paranormal activity happen with seeing ghosts, hearing sounds like people walking, hanging on walls, lights would turn off, cold spots would be felt near the bedrooms, chains like a Scooby Doo ghost passing the hallway outside our doors around 2 AM, we had things go missing, we had chairs rock, the tv would turn on by itself, we had imprints of a person sit down next to us on the couch, I saw shadow people….Looking back, it was clearly a level of demonic infestation. We never had a priest over but we blessed the rooms a few times with Holy Water.

And of course, you can’t get more “gothic” than Catholicism, meditating on ancient prayers about His Passion were so powerful. I never had a doubt in Jesus’s true presence in the bread and wine. I found comfort in only living once too, and a verse burned into my mind ever since reading it at my grandmother’s funeral that goes something like ‘When we live we live for the Lord, when we die, we die for the Lord’. I was His, even with all my own sins and the terrible things I was going through in mind, I clung onto the Church. Even when news of the scandals came to light through better transparency and law, I clung onto the Church. Even my own priest, who I was suspected all along as gay, ran off and married as a gay man, I clung onto the Church. When my church had lied to me about why he left, I clung to the Church. When someone threatened suicide against me that I thought I fell in love with, I left them and clung even closer to the Church. Even with family deaths so close to each other, I clung to the Church. Searching for myself, who I really was, I cling to the Church.

Without my Church, I would not be who I was meant to be—- I would be a totally different person. I find comfort in the living Word of God. I may not dress as dark as I used to (especially when I walk up to the ambo as a Lector), even I avoid a lot of the darker music I found years ago, even though I also I avoid “fandoms” now, memento mori is still a big reminder to me and Catholicism is mien forever. I can’t imagine ever leaving especially knowing Jesus is truly present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist and wine.

So, to answer your question, yes it could be a reason why you like dark imagery. Be careful where it takes you, as I know where it can lead if you go down the path too deep into its woods. I hope one day we can meet in Heaven. To be a saint is both our ultimate goal.

[astrognossienne]

scandalous figure: william desmond taylor - an analysis

“The dearest, sweetest little girl in the world was in love with me, and I'm old enough to be her father.” - William Desmond Taylor

One hundred years ago, Hollywood was stunned by the murder of Irish-born film director William Desmond Taylor. Arguably the most famous director in Hollywood in the early 20th century, Taylor was a Hollywood success story with a questionable past; his extraordinary journey brought him from a ranch in Kansas, to an antique shop in New York (abandoning his wife and daughter there in the process), to the gold mines of the Yukon, before finally arriving in Los Angeles at the emergence of the nascent movie industry. His wife and daughter had no idea where he was until one day, they went to the movies and he appeared onscreen while they sat flabbergasted in their seats. Taylor was known as a prolific womanizer, but it was his reported dalliances with men that people were most concerned about. Many who knew him characterized him as a prolific bisexual lothario. Gossip about gay orgies in opium dens still persists. However, that all came to an end one cold February night in 1922 when he was shot in the back and killed in his home. The murder of Taylor, 50 years old, became a nationwide scandal and proof to the nation’s moralists of Hollywood’s depravity. Two of the actresses linked to Taylor got caught up in the scandal and saw their film careers flounder following the murder. A century later, the killing of Taylor remains a mystery.

William Desmond Taylor, according to astrotheme, was a Taurus sun and Sagittarius moon (the moon is speculative). Born William Cunningham Deane Tanner in Carlow, Ireland, he was the son of a British Army officer and grew up in well to do surroundings of an Anglo-Irish life. In 1885 he attended Marlborough College in England but his adventurous spirit saw him take off the America in 1891. He would later change his name to William Desmond Taylor when he ventured to the US. When his sister died back in Ireland, Taylor received a small inheritance and with this he set himself up in New York. There he met actress Ethel May Hamilton and they married in 1901 and had one daughter. Taylor and his wife led a charmed life in the Big Apple. Taylor and his family were well known in New York society and were members of several clubs. He was also a heavy drinker, possibly suffered from depression, and was known to carry on affairs with women. In 1908 Taylor suddenly left his family and for a number of years traveled around the States and Canada with many people, including his wife, not knowing his whereabouts. Taylor made amends by making his abandoned daughter, Ethel Daisy, his heir.

In 1912, Taylor was finally tracked down in San Francisco and his wife was able to obtain a divorce from him.  From San Francisco, Taylor made his way down the Californian coast to a little burgeoning place in Los Angeles called Hollywood. Taylor acted in a number of silent movies before going behind the camera from 1914 onwards. He would quickly become a much sought-after filmmaker in Hollywood and went on to make up to 60 films. His directorial debut was "The Judges Wife" and he followed that with a very popular 30 episode serial called "The Diamond from the Sky." Other notable films of Taylor's include "Davy Crockett," "Huckleberry Finn" and "Anne of Green Gables." In 1918, Taylor put his film making career on hold when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was stationed in Dunkirk during the dying days of WWI. By 1919 he had reached the rank of Major and had served at Bergues, France. After the war Taylor returned to Hollywood and picked up where he left off making more hit films which starred the big names of the day such as Wallace Reid and Mary Pickford. Taylor would enjoy another few years of screen success before he entered his own final act.

the murder of William Desmond Taylor It was February 1, 1922 and an unusually cold night for Los Angeles. Through their work together, Mabel Normand became one of William Desmond Taylor’s closest friends and confidants. Despite the fact that this was during prohibition, director William Desmond Taylor and silent film comedienne Mabel Normand enjoyed Orange Blossom Gin cocktails, discussed Nietzsche, Freud and movies. Mabel played comic riffs on the piano. At about 7:45 p.m. he walked her to her car leaving the door open or unlocked to his exclusive Alvarado Street bungalow. As her chauffeur drove off, they blew kisses at one another. With the exception of the murderer, Mabel Normand was the last person to see William Desmond Taylor alive. The next morning, Henry Peavey, the dead man’s valet, found Taylor's body. It’s likely he also placed the first call to the studio instead of the police. Someone shot Taylor in the back, between neck and shoulder, leaving him dead on the floor of his duplex at the Alvarado Court Apartments. There appeared to be no sign of a break-in or burglary, and cash was found in the house and on the body. Soon word spread of Taylor's murder, which quickly drew a lot of people to the house, including a strange person who claimed to be a doctor examined the body and announced that Taylor’s death was because of a "stomach hemorrhage". A number of suspcts were investigated, inlcuding Normand, his valet Peavey, and a starlet named Mary Miles Minter. Minter was a popular child star who was groomed by Taylor. It was said that she was just three years older than Taylor’s biological daughter. During the investigation, they found love letters written by Minter to Taylor in his apartment. This brought to the conclusion that they had an ongoing sexual affair before his death. Based on her statement, it was revealed that her love for Taylor was one-sided as he explained himself to be old enough to be her father. There wasn’t enough evidence to prove that Minter was the killer.

On October 21, 1964, while still living in Hollywood, silent-film actress Margaret Gibson suffered a heart attack at her home. Sensing that she was dying, a highly distraught Gibson—a recently converted Roman Catholic—asked for a priest and then confessed to neighbors the February 1, 1922, murder of Hollywood film director William Desmond Taylor. However, all of the police files and physical evidence relating to Taylor's murder had disappeared by 1940, and aside from circumstantial evidence, no independent confirmation of Gibson's involvement in it has emerged.

Next, I’ll talk about the very beautiful and very pious actress he (allegedly) knocked up: Capricorn Mary Miles Minter.

Stats

birthdate: April 26, 1872*

*note*: due to the absence of a birth time, this analysis will be even more speculative

major planets:

Sun: Taurus

Moon: Sagittarius

Rising: unknown

Mercury: Taurus

Venus: Aries

Mars: Taurus

Midheaven: unknown

Jupiter: Cancer

Saturn: Capricorn

Uranus: Cancer

Neptune: Aries

Pluto: Taurus

Overall personality snapshot: He was torn between an instinct to roam free and a determination to find security and make a solid, lasting contribution to the world. As he repeatedly changed horses in search of both ultimate certainties and high-spirited adventure at the same time, he found himself deeply divided and uncertain. He sought to earth the fire from heaven and put it to work, but he found all too often that it would not let him rest. In his search for stability and security, he became a farmer and was immediately confronted with the changing seasons. He embraced the solid certainties of geology and was hit by an earthquake. He sought certitude and permanence, yet his endless inquiries constantly confounded yesterday’s certainties. When he got his own uncertainties together (by accepting he wanted the best of both the changing and the unchanging worlds), he was a brilliant teacher, conversationalist, counselor, entertainer, wit, creative artist and entrepreneur – in fact he could have anything he wanted. Once focused, he could be a human dynamo, and wonderfully humorous, witty and entertaining with it. As he discovered, his quest for solid material certainties did not make a happy bedfellow for his yearning for excitement and larger religious and spiritual understanding. In one way or another, be it through philosophy and the spiritual quest or through writing, music or art, he needed to put together and formulate a total vision of the universe which was based on unassailable facts yet satisfying to his idealism.

Constantly seeking, he was a natural agnostic, applying the criteria of science to counter woolly speculations, yet at the same time highly skeptical of the limited and statistical pronouncements of unthinking science. The danger, since he did not marry these elements within him, was that he swung from one to the other and undermined the virtues of both. A restless changing of jobs, careers, partners, visions or aspirations left him drunk with his own spinning. When you deliberately try to remain sober and commonsensical, it seemed to make matters worse for there was something of the gambler in him. This all-or-nothing streak temporarily overcame his natural caution and enabled him to burn his bridges (though he would usually ensure there is something tucked away for a rainy day). He felt an impulsive need to do things on a grand scale, to live with commitment, to feast on the world, and to understand what it was to be alive in all possible ways. He seemed called both to explore the reaches of the imagination and to build secure foundations. He brought far-reaching visions into manifestation, and these visions injected his conservative desire for stability and security with flair and colour. His vision of tomorrow and the larger world gave spice to any project he undertook. He saw endless possibilities and wanted to make them real. In this he could be the natural entrepreneur who saw economic opportunities at every turn, an inspiring counselor and teacher, and a stimulating companion whatever he did.

He was practical, steady and patient, but he could be inflexible in his views. One thing he did have was plenty of common sense and good powers of concentration, although he tended to think that purely abstract thought was a waste of time. His thought processes weren’t as quick as others, but his decisions were made with a lot of thought behind them. He needed love and emotion, and his sense of compassion led him to help others, as he was very protective. However he could sink down into the depths of self-pity at times, although normally he was of good humour. He didn’t react well to a hostile and competitive environment, in fact he preferred to stick to private endeavours where he could protect himself. He was quick to go on the defensive, rather than the offensive, when dealing with adversaries and adverse situations. He had a strong sense of purpose and was very sincere. Worldly success was well within his reach, because he possessed all the necessary talents to gain power, influence and status. He was practical, determined and patient. When there were hitches in his plans, he simply worked around them. He knew where he was heading to, and had already figured out the best way to use his talents to reach his goals.

He belonged to a generation that experienced a revolution in family and domestic life. As a member of Uranian Cancer generation, he could be unpredictable and changeable, but also original and imaginative. He was part of the ‘me’ generation which felt confined and limited by conventional roles and sought a more fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle, even at the expense of a stable family life, as was evidenced with Taylor leaving home relatively early in order to pursue his dreams and ideals, whilst still wishing to remain on friendly terms with his parents. He questioned long-held beliefs and ideals. He saw himself as a hero and would fight for his causes no matter the risks. He helped to bring avant-garde tastes to art and created radical changes. As a member of the Taurean Pluto generation, he valued material security, and was prepared to work solidly and steadily towards improving his material life. He was prepared to manipulate his environment, and he was seemingly never satisfied, always needing more and more.

Love/sex life: He was a competitive lover. He was always looking for a challenge in his love life even it was just trying to top his last encounter. Even though he had this luscious capacity for physical pleasure, he was never altogether satisfied with his sexuality. No matter what kind of sex he was getting, he found himself wanting more, or better, or maybe just different. This restlessness often disrupted him basically conservative approach to sex and led him into bad relationships and embarrassing situations. On the positive side, he was the Taurus Martian lover least likely to settle into a predictable, sensual rut in his love life. He was always ready for a new experience and wasn't afraid to take chances. He understood that the plodding search for sensation got boring after a while unless it was accompanied by an element of passion. This intense, even combative approach to desire made him an exciting, provocative lover who was often hard to satisfy but always worth the trouble.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Gemini

Lilith: Cancer

His North Node in Gemini dictated that he needed to prevent his idealism from influencing his thoughts to such a high degree. He needed to consciously develop a more clear-minded and analytical approach involving his thought processes. His Lilith in Cancer dictated that he was dangerously attracted to women who were too sensitive and resorted to nasty emotional manipulation, games, and pulled all sorts of shit to reclaim the power they felt they lost, as is evidenced in his association with Mary Miles Minter and her mother.

elemental dominance:

fire

earth

He was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. He generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. He was exciting to be around, because he was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, he could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, he chose the former. Confident and opinionated, he was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because he was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—he was bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at his best, his confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves. He was a practical, reliable man and could provide structure and protection. He was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at his best, he provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.

modality dominance:

cardinal

He was happiest when he was doing anything new (in his case, it was beginning new partnerships), and he loved to begin new ventures. He enjoyed the challenge of claiming territory. He tended to be an initiator—and a bit territorial as well. Also, he had a tendency to start more things than he could possibly finish.

house dominants:

9th

10th

11th

Traveling, whether physically across the globe, on a mental plane or expanding through study was a major theme in his life. He was not only concerned with learning facts, but also wanted to understand the connections formed between them and the philosophies and concepts they stand for. His conscience, as well as foreign travel, people and places was also of paramount importance in his life, as is evidenced in his appeal and greater opportunities for more meaningful work outside of America. His ambition in relation to the outside world, the identity he wished to achieve in regard to the community at large, and his career aspirations were all themes that were emphasized throughout his life. All matters outside the home, his public image and reputation were very important to him. His attitude to people in authority, and how he viewed the outside world, as well as the influence of his mother and his own attitude to her was highlighted. Globally aware, he put emphasis on his friends and acquaintances, as well as the influence of groups and societies on his life. His general hopes and aspirations revealed themselves, as well as how well he functioned as part of a system. This extended to how he manifested his creativity against the background of the community.

planet dominants:

Mercury

Saturn

Jupiter

He was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. He dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that he was left-brained. He was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains. He believed in the fact that lessons in life were sometimes harsh, that structure and foundation was a great issue in his life, and he had to be taught through through experience what he needed in order to grow. He paid attention to limitations he had and had to learn the rules of the game in this physical reality. He tended to have a practical, prudent outlook. He also likely held rigid beliefs. He had luck, and believed in expansion, integration, and growth. He could also be excessive and lazy. He reached out beyond himself and expanded his consciousness. He loved travel, was fairly religious, and liked to integrate himself into the larger social order—church or religion, community, and corporation. He had intellectual and spiritual interests in the most.

sign dominants:

Taurus

Capricorn

Sagittarius

His stubbornness and determination kept his around for the long haul on any project or endeavour. He was incredibly patient, singular in his pursuit of goals, and determined to attain what he wanted. Although he lacked versatility, he compensated for it by enduring whatever he had to in order to get what he wanted. He enjoyed being surrounded by nice things. He liked fine art and music, and may have had considerable musical ability. He also had a talent for working with his hands—gardening, woodworking, and sculpting. He was a physically oriented individual who took pride in his body. He was a serious-minded person who often seemed aloof and tightly in control of his emotions and his personal domain. Even as a youngster, there was a mature air about him, as if he was born with a profound core that few outsiders ever see. He was easily impressed by outward signs of success, but was interested less in money than in the power that money represents. He was a true worker—industrious, efficient, and disciplined. His innate common sense gave his the ability to plan ahead and to work out practical ways of approaching goals. More often than not, he succeeded at whatever he set out to do. He possessed a quiet dignity that was unmistakable. He sought the truth, expressed it as he saw it—and didn’t care if anyone else agreed with him. He saw the large picture of any issue and couldn’t be bothered with the mundane details. His Sagittarian dominance dictated that he abandon his family to explore uncharted territories and new adventures. He was always outspoken and likely couldn’t understand why other people weren’t as candid. After all, what was there to hide?

Read more about him under the cut.

Born in Carlow, Ireland, William was the third child of British Army Major Deane-Tanner. Soon after, the family moved to Dublin. In his teens, he failed tests to enter the Army. Because of this, his father sent him to a reform school / working ranch in the American middle west. He later turned up in New York as an actor. On December 7, 1901, William Cunningham Deane-Tanner married Ethel May Harrison, the daughter of a New York stockbroker. He held the position of vice-president of the highly successful and well-known English Antique Shop in New York, allowing the couple to live in upscale Larchmont. He was well liked and popular with the people who knew him. Daughter Ethel Daisy was born in 1903. In 1908, he went to lunch and never returned. The next day he telephoned the shop to ask for $600, which he received by messenger, and he was never seen again. Rumors abounded that he was seen mining or acting in Colorado, Montana and Alaska, then going by the name William Desmond Taylor. Ethel divorced William, residence unknown, in 1912 to remarry. In December 1912, he showed up at Inceville, the city of motion picture sets Thomas H. Ince built along the ocean front near Santa Monica. He was hired to act in Counterfeiters (1914). Next Taylor showed up at Kay-Bee Studios production of The Iconoclast (1913) . Whenever there was a break in the filming, Taylor would spend his time studying and watching the various phases of the movie business or reading. Small talk with the other actors was not something that he did voluntarily.

When The Iconoclast (1913) completed filming, Taylor was offered another acting job and then offered a chance to direct. In the early days, it was cheaper to hire an actor that could direct the movie than to hire two men to do the same thing. William S. Hart did the same thing for Triangle Pictures. Taylor continued acting, directing or both until he was hired as an actor in A Tale of Two Cities (1917). He became invaluable to the director when his knowledge of art and literature became known. Thereafter, he rapidly climbed the ladder of success and became the leading director of Famous Players-Lasky. Taylor directed Dustin Farnum, George Beban, Kathlyn Williams, Constance Talmadge and other stars with great success, and was asked to direct versions of both Tom Sawyer (1917) and Huckleberry Finn (1920). With sudden riches, adulation, and fame, women became very interested in him, and as a handsome and charming director, he was in a position to help them. Like many directors who turned out a large number of films, some of his films like Ben Blair (1916) were poorly received; some like The Last Chapter (1914) were average at best; and others such as The American Beauty (1916) were very well received. In How Could You, Jean? (1918) Taylor directed Mary Pickford. With World War I raging in Europe, at age 41, Taylor enlisted in the Canadian Army in July 1918, but the war would end before Taylor could be sent to France. Instead he served in the Army until he was discharged in the summer of 1919. He returned to direct the well-received Anne of Green Gables (1919). One of his last projects would be to direct Betty Compson in The Green Temptation (1922).

In the early morning hours of February 2, 1922 Taylor was found shot to death in his bungalow. His still-unsolved murder was one of Hollywood's first major scandals. From what the police could piece together, at 7:00 pm, Taylor returned a telephone call to actor Antonio Moreno at the L.A. Athletic Club. At 7:05 pm, close friend and actress Mabel Normand arrived at his door. She left at about 7:45 pm, with Taylor walking her to her car, according to witnesses. According to one theory, Taylor was shot in the left side with a single bullet shortly after her departure by an unknown assailant. Others put the murder sometime between 1-2 am based on lack of rigor mortis when his servant arrived at approximately 7:45 the next morning to discover the body. Studio officials were first on the scene and are alleged to have removed key evidence long before the police and coroner arrived to begin investigation and secure the murder scene.

The list of suspects included the A-list in Hollywood and rumors of payoffs and cover-ups quickly spread. Reports of finding some of Mary Miles Minter's personal belongings (including a monogrammed negligee) in his bungalow and her being suspected of the murder effectually ended her career in pictures. Minter's mother, Charlotte Shelby was another suspect in the murder. Mabel Normand's career would be tarnished by her association and questionable motivation in the death of Taylor. Other theories involved drug dealers who were angered by Taylor's attempts to get Normand free of drugs. Many actresses, in later years, would make deathbed confessions of being the true murderer of Taylor.

Taylor's funeral was one of the most impressive held in Los Angeles up to that date. Virtually everyone of prominence in the motion picture industry was in attendance. (x)

[annihilate-this-week]

Fuck it, here’s a piece of the chapter I’m editing.

"The more humorous flirting is, the better," he said. "When you try to be too serious about it, it just gets creepy."

"Unless you're really serious, and it just gets hot," Tanya said, still grinning.

"Oh, does it?" Danny said in a lascivious tone. She could tell he was grinning too.

"It can... but only if you're really good."

"Whoa," he giggled. "I feel like we're about to have phone sex."

In a more normal tone, she asked, "Have you ever had phone sex before?"

"No!" he declared, sounding scandalized.

"What? It's not a bad thing," she said, smiling. "I have."

"Like... a lot?" he asked.

"No, not a lot. Well..." she thought for a second. "That's a complicated question."

"Well, I definitely need to hear the full story now," Danny said. He sounded like he was still amused, which was good.

"OK," Tanya sighed, curling up in the doorway and putting her hand over her face. "Promise you won't judge?"

"No no, I'm sure I could tell you some embarrassing stories about my history too. It's fine. Just tell me."

"OK, yeah. Here goes. Ummmm..." She thought for a moment. "I guess it was 13 years ago now. So yeah, when I was 26. Anyway, I was on this website that was sort of a profile/message board type thing? Forerunner to social media. And it was very hetero in tone. At the time, of course, I was so deep in the closet, not only did other people not know I was a woman, I didn't know I was a woman. Anyway..." She began speaking even more quietly than she already had been. "I was one of the few 'gay boys' or whatever on the site. And of course, we all found each other and started IM-ing and shit like that. One of them really dug me, and he actually lived in Memphis, so at one point because I'm crazy, I saved up a bunch of money and drove out to spend a weekend with him."

"I've done that kind of thing," Danny said. "Flew out to spend some time with a girl in Florida that I'd met on a Facebook group. That was several years ago. Turned out to be a huge mistake. Had a miserable time. The less said about it, the better." He laughed. "But yeah, I understand."

"I'm glad," she said. "The whole thing was a big mistake for me, but I didn't find that out for a while. Anyway, back then I still had a land line, and so did he. We had to buy long distance cards at convenience stores to call each other. And like, I think it would have been super creepy if it had happened at first, but we used to spend so much time on the phone, especially late at night, and one night... well, he told me he was really horny, and he started doing stuff to himself, and I could tell it was real. I could tell he was... aroused. And I could tell when he got off."

"Oh my god," Danny said. "I'm not sure I'd be into that."

"I wasn't sure if I was!" Tanya said. "But that wasn't the only time it happened, and by like... the third time, it was starting to really turn me on. And he'd get me to talk to him about fantasy stuff, things we could do together, and then... I started to participate as well."

"Really?" Danny's mind was clearly blown. "That is wild."

"I dunno," Tanya said, feeling self-conscious. "Maybe it was dumb to tell you that story. That's the only relationship I ever had phone sex as part of. But we did it a whole bunch. We were together for about six months, and living six hours apart, so yeah... it happened on a regular basis by the end."

"So what happened to end that relationship?" Danny asked, then quickly added, "I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

"Nah, it's ancient history," Tanya said. "Actually, you'll probably find this funny -- I can never really enjoy sex if people are thinking of me as masculine, and he would say stuff... I just wasn't comfortable. And I tried to tell him that I wanted him to see me as more of a soft sweet delicate partner, not a rough and scratchy partner. Or something like that. He didn't get it. And it bugged him. He was all 'But you're a man, aren't you?' And I didn't really answer, and he got all uptight, and I finally told him that I had women's clothes I wore sometimes. He thought it meant I did drag, and he already didn't think much of that, but I was trying to explain that it was more of a private thing, more how I, um... I guess how I wanted to be perceived in intimate situations? God, does that make any sense?"

"A thousand percent," Danny said. "I've said similar things to partners pre-transition. From the masc side, obviously, but I know exactly what you mean. It's gone better with some partners than others."

"Yeah," Tanya said, and snorted. "Did not go well with this guy. At all. I mean, that wasn't the end of our relationship, but we never saw each other in person again after that, and things were awkward even on the phone for the next few weeks. After a while, it started to seem like... why am I spending $20 on another long-distance card to call this dude who just makes me feel weird and bad? So I just stopped. Wrote him a long email, and we agreed it wasn't working out." She barked a short laugh. "So much for talking all flirtatiously with you about phone sex. Now we're just having another serious conversation."

"That's OK," Danny said. "I like that you're serious. You're a thoughtful person with a lot of history and a lot of depth."

"So I'm old and uptight, is that what you're saying?" Tanya cracked, grinning.

"You know that's not what I mean!" Danny said. "You're definitely not old. To me, you're more like... sexy older lady with experience." He laughed in a muffled way. "Sorry, that didn't come out very well."

"No no, I know what you mean," she said. "Did you just laugh into your pillow?"

He chuckled again. "Yeah, I did. I'm amazed you can hear that."

"I pay attention when I'm on the phone with you," Tanya said. "So are you comfortable right now? Is your bed soft and warm?"

"It's a little too warm," Danny said. "I'm actually lying here in just my boxers, with just a sheet over me. But it's soft and comfortable. I have this really nice bed that I bought back when I was in my last serious relationship, which I thought... You know, I thought she was the one. But I was also figuring out the whole trans thing, and I was starting to use 'they' pronouns, and wearing a binder all the time... She finally lost it on me one night and started talking about how she didn't like seeing me turning into a man, and all this, and I was sitting there like, 'Is that what's going on? Am I turning into a man?' And I decided I was, and that's what I wanted, and she decided to leave. Aaaaand now here I am, four years later, still sleeping in this high-dollar bed we bought together back then. All by myself."

Tanya's mind whirled. She could go so many directions from this story and she wanted to go in all of them at once. She settled for saying, "I would be there with you if I could be."

[yourapple56-blog]

I have to get something off of my chest.

I am really sick and tired of the hypocrisy of the Pro-Isreal camp.

Now, Harvard President Claudine Gay is being accused of 40 counts of plagiarism.

Seriously?!

Why didn't these allegations come up before this whole protest scandal?

Ms. Gay was defending free speech for the protestors. Disgusting free speech, but free speech nonetheless.

Free speech needs to be defended, even for individuals such as Richard Spencer and Donald Trump.

The ACLU would tell you that.

A student should not be punished for saying something disgusting, they should be punished if they have made threats to anyone, or called an individual or individuals nasty things.

There was a student at Cornell who sent threats to Jewish individuals and was promptly expelled and arrested, as he should have been.

There was another student back in the 1990s who assaulted a black student on campus. He was expelled, as he should have been.

Their conduct went beyond free speech, and that is what these college presidents were talking about.

Have we suddenly forgotten what free speech is?

These "allegations" feel like a bullshit hit job to me.

But, we shall see.

But before I go, I need to ask a question.

When has any Pro-Isreal individual condemn Anti-Muslim sentiment anywhere, including on college campuses?

Anti-Muslim sentiment is only being challenged now because there are a lot more Muslims in this country than there were back in the day, so it's not so easy to get away with it now.

Writer Bari Weiss tried to get an Arab professor fired because of his Pro-Palestine stance back when she was a student at Columbia.

Norman Finkelstein, who is a scholar of Jewish origin, has been hounded and harassed to the point where he can't get work at any school because of his Pro-Palestinian stance. This has been going on for years.

Yet, no one bats an eye on those two cases.

Why is Medhi Hasan losing his show on MSNBC?

I'm telling you, this is a hit job.

Now, I personally have a complicated relationship with free speech.

I recognize its importance even though you will never see me marching out in the street for it, because I will not put myself out there for the likes of Richard Spencer or Farrakhan though I will not fight against it either because it would mean endangering my right to free speech and those who I agree with.

We need to remember what free speech is, or we are going to get ourselves in big trouble.

And I'm seeing that trouble happening now.

We should be afraid.

Very much so.

The other reason why these presidents are being targeted is because of wealthy donors being upset over the pro-Palestine sentiment of the protestors.

Money muscling its way into free speech.

This should get you worried, because what's happening to these college presidents is what's going to happen on a more regular basis where free speech is concerned.

If a donor is offended by a president's stance, then you simply pull out your funds. You do not get the government involved where they bully people, and those female presidents were being bullied-by congress and the donors using government might.

Make no mistake about it.

Your right to put your money where you mouth is should be your right.

Silencing free speech should not be anyone's right.

And with that, I wish you all a very pleasant evening.

Bye for now.

Good Night.

And let's try to be kind to one another.

[nysocboy]

The Eyes of Tammy Faye: A Gay-Positive Light in the Homophobic 1980s

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) takes us back to the golden age of televangelism, when the big names were world-famous celebrities with huge political and social influence.  They had dinner at the White House.  They were parodied on Saturday Night Live.  

1. Jerry Falwell (Vincent D'Onofrio) turned his Moral Majority into a seething- ground for anti-gay hatred.  He blamed them for everything.  An airplane crash in Peru -- must have been some gays on board.  Rise in teen pregnancy -- gay rights make our kids think they can do anything they want.  Your basement is flooded -- God is punishing you for not hating gays enough.  "A homosexual will kill you as soon as look at you."

2. Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) proclaimed that God was punishing all of the gays by giving them AIDS, but they wanted to infect as many straight people as possible, with the goal of destroying society before becoming extinct.   They had special rings that, when you shook their hand, would prick you with a little of their blood, so you would catch AIDS and die.  They would spit on your food or cough on you on purpose

3. Jimmy Swaggart (Jay Huguley) said that he would kill any gay man who looked at him romantically.  He saw his huge tv ministry decimated after two prostitution scandals, in spite of his famous "I have sinned" speech. 

4. Oral Roberts managed to build a whole homophobic university with sleazy fundraising techniques, like claiming that if viewers didn't send in $8,000,000, God would kill him.

5. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker (Andrew Garfield,top photo and left, Jessica Chastain) ran the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club.  Jim always promoted homophobia and denied allegations of "homosexual activity," even after he was convicted of defrauding his viewers out of $150 million and sentenced to prison.  

Tammy Faye, however, believed in compassion.  In 1987, she interviewed Steve Pieters, a gay minister (who had AIDS), without ever saying "God's punishment." She asked stupid-sounding questions like "If you've never been with a woman, how do you know you don't like it?". but later explained that those were the questions her viewers had.  

She regularly attended pride events and was interviewed in gay magazines through her post-PTL years.  Her heavy make-up made her look like a drag queen, and she went with it, attending -- and judging "Tammy Faye Drag" contests.

Tammy Faye was not entirely gay-positive: she didn't support same-sex marriage, and continued to believe that same-sex acts were sinful.  But so was premarital and extramarital sex between straight people; why should gay people be subjected to discrimination and prejudice?  

Many evangelicals today still hate LGBT persons, but imagine what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s, when almost all of them did!  My sister didn't speak to me for five years after I came out (my brother was always fine with it).  In that morass of homophobia, Tammy Faye was a beacon of hope. 

There are nude frontal and rear photos in the NSFW version of this review, on Righteous Gemstones Beefcake and Boyfriends

[musingsofabookworm1]

My Last Five Reads

My last five reads have been polarizing: great or bad.

The first, Edenville by Sam Rebelein, was not good. It was short but felt like it went on forever. In this horror novel, horror-novelist Cam is at a loss regarding a follow-up to his smash debut so takes on a one-year writer-in-residence at a small college. Quinn, his girlfriend, is uneasy about heading to the title destination as she grew up not far away and heard, well, horror stories about it. It was not what I expected, and the writing style was not for me. 2 stars.

Next, up is The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok, and it was awesome! It follows two women: Jasmine and Whitney. They could not be more different. Jasmine leaves her Chinese village to search for a better life and the daughter she was forced to give up due to the One-Child policy. Rebecca is a big city career woman who seems to be "living the dream" until a scandal rocks both her personal and professional life. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this book was 5 stars from start to finish.

Midnight is The Darkest Hour was another miss. It started strong. The preacher's daughter and her outcast friend in a conservative, ultra-religious Louisiana town try to live their lives under the watchful eye of a community dealing with a killer on the loose. There is a lot more to it, but it was two stars for me despite a strong beginning. It dragged on, had meaningless jumping back and forth through time, and the ending was just ridiculously disappointing.

Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business by Roxane Gay was another amazing effort by one of the best writers of our time. Anything she writes, I'll read it. A book of her opinion columns? Sign me up! I loved the columns regarding current events and politics. But I'm not up on or a fan enough of some of the pop culture ones. 4.5 stars. I hope Roxane Gay never stops writing. Her thoughts and the way she presents them are deeply important to our time.

This morning, a much-needed day off of school, I woke up at 4:30 AM after falling asleep on the couch last night at 8:15. I laid in bed for an hour hoping for more sleep, but that wasn't in the cards. I'd only read 50 pages of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library all week so decided to finish it before getting out of bed. Loved it! Very unique concept that continued to become more engaging as the book progressed and a perfect ending that had the potential to be cliché but was not. I went in knowing nothing about this book, and I can't think of a better way to have consumed it. Therefore, no plot details! 5 stars. Just trust me!