quick sketches of Elizabeth and the medallion and Visander and the umbrella

Part 4 and final part of my favorite quotes/scenes from diary of a wimpy kid: rodrick rules

Every time Rowley is the only one clapping and says "yay Greg!!!'

Chirag going to ridiculous lengths to pretend to be Holly

Again with Rodrick's character development, him seeing Greg sad about the note/Holly/Chirag incident and taking him out to have fun

The comical reactions to the fake vomit

Character development!!!!!!! Greg opening up to Rodrick about Holly

"Chicks act like they're not into me but they are. I know they are" -Rodrick. Again, they have to be pathetic

The photos part 2 and the comical (take a shot every time I say comical in this series) photo of Rodrick pouring soda in the cups because this is a family movie and we can't have any innuendo with those red solo cups

The argument about the party

"You're my brother, but you'll never be my friend" -Rodrick 😭😭😭😭

Again again with the emotionalness of Rodrick

Maybe I'm the weird one but since I've watched this an ungodly amount of times I've noticed the inconsistencies. Rowley's mom is different from when they're at the mom/son dance and when Greg spends the weekend with them at the boardwalk. And then I noticed that during the talent show Rowley's mom isn't even there. On halloween, Greg and Rowley go to his grandma's house in the north part of the neighborhood. But when they go to their grandpa's retirement home, there's no grandma there. With a few things Frank has said about his dad, I think he's passed which means this is Susan's dad. And with no grandma in sight in the og trilogy you could assume Susan's mom has passed too and the grandma up north is Frank's mom. But in the long haul they road trip to see Susan's mom. I think I've watched these too much

Rodrick fake laughing so hard and spitting milk on Greg

"That is HILARIOUS grandpa [without missing a beat] read another one Greg" -Rodrick. I love the delivery Devon Bostick gives to his lines

Rodrick running around the hall reading Greg's diary

Greg not even making a noise and the old lady suddenly popping in front of the stall like mf YOU are the peeping tom

Them immediately jumping to beat Greg up

Rodrick tearing up during Patty's song in the talent show

I'm sorry but there's so many moments where Rodrick is sad and teary eyed I can't not mention it

"Can I borrow your eyeliner?" -Rodrick

The way the announcer announces loded diaper I just love the way he says it

It's tragic realizing that no one is actually singing themselves in this movie but I love Ben Segal and exploded diaper goes so hard

Rodrick kicking out Bill cause yeah!!!!!!!!!

Susan

Rodrick being nice to Greg on the way to school and then pretending to be a dick when he drops him off but the little thing he does when he leaves aughhh I love them

Worth The Feeling

Chapter 30

Content Warning: 18+ This series contains explicit smut, intimidation, and an age gap relationship. Minors, do not interact.

When my mom finds me, I'm curled up in a ball in my room, eyes swollen and nose running. At this point, she gives me a knowing look and I have no other choice but to spill everything to her. To be fair, I had promised to tell her anyway last night. Though I didn't know I would be getting this extra piece to the chaos-infused puzzle of my life.

I tell her everything—save for the intimate details and nights spent in the same bed-–and she listens. She doesn't have a strong reaction to any of it, just nods along and squeezes my knee when I get choked up. I didn't expect either of my parents to know who Javi was. They almost exclusively watch the local news, and the Hallmark Channel. Explaining the magnitude of it all is the most embarrassing part. Well, that is, until I get to the most recent update.

There is no way for me to hide the fact that Javi and I were at least kissing at the wrap party. I wouldn't be able to explain why I flew here to begin with. This also means that I have to explain the way I flirted with Blake in Italy, and how he showed up in our hotel room. Because apparently, he was so irked by the studio telling him that I was asked if I was going to press charges, that he had refused to attend the party at all. No one expected him to show. That is why, when he was spotted by the VIP door, skirting away out the back, it was seen as slightly suspicious. Emma, of all people, noticed him and thought to report this information to the studio when she saw the tabloids. After all, only the lead roles had keys to that room. I make a mental note to send her flowers.

The studio called Blake, threatening him with legal action, or he could simply admit to it now and make the whole thing easier. He did admit to it, under the promise that they wouldn't make that known to the press.

Which made for one last loose end for Norwick to tie up: me.

They could promise Blake all they wanted that they wouldn't go to the press, but I could. I could post about, spread it around town, sell the information to the tabloids, and there was nothing Norwick could do about it. The rest of the phone call, after my soul returned back into my body, was Devon explaining the documents he was going to send to me. I need to sign something that says I was not put in harm's way from the studio, that this wouldn't impact my promotion, and that I promised I wouldn't press charges that would out Blake for defamation, his past threats, or revenge porn. He and Tom made it clear they weren't interested in sparing Blake from the bad press, but they did need to spare the movie and its future sales. I agreed to it. At this point, I just want it to all go away.

"But...honey, this is a good thing, isn't it?" My mom asks after she's sure that I've finished unloading this shitstorm. "Your promotion isn't in jeopardy, and it was just some lousy has-been with a camera."

It's not worth explaining to my mom that Blake Henley is far from a has-been.

"No, that part is good. I'm grateful for that. I just feel...exposed. And for the past few months Javi and I have tried to keep our relationship a secret from just the studio...I didn't think it would get posted everywhere so fast." I sniffle.

My mom waits, sensing there is more. And of course, there is. "I feel like it might be...too much, for him. We haven't known each other for too long. What if it's not long enough for this to be worth it," My voice drops to a whisper, "What if...what if I'm not worth this?"

My mom hugs me now, wrapping her arms tightly around my shoulders.

"Maybe this won't mean much coming from your mother. But you are worth it. Ava, I haven't seen you talk about a man like this, probably, ever. Not even with John." She pulls back and her face softens in sympathy. "I probably shouldn't talk about him. But you know what I mean. Do you feel like it's worth it?"

I nod gently. "When I'm with him, I'm not thinking about anything else. It feels heavy but...it's worth it."

"Then follow that feeling. If he knows what's good for him," she smirks, "He'll know that feeling is worth everything."

I wipe my nose with the back of my sleeve and smile at her. "Thanks, Mom."

After a minute, my smile turns sly. "Would now be a good time to tell you Javi is older than me?" I knew they wouldn't care once they heard how much I liked him, but I also knew it would completely throw her off.

My mom laughs. "How much older?"

"Older. Let's call it at least...twenty years older."

My mom's face goes slightly pale, and I let out my first, real laugh since I got home.

She smiles despite herself. "Maybe wait to tell your father that detail. Let's lead with...well, anything else."

Both of us laugh now, and I feel the room get brighter despite the setting sun.

- - -

Telling my dad later on was a bit easier now that I had told my mom. Having her support made it go smoother. That and the fact that this time I was crying a lot less. After his anger toward the media and Blake subsides, he mostly just wants to know more about Javi. I tell them both about how we met, and our first date. I tell them about Italy and how he calmed me on the plane.

"How was the plane ride here? That was one of the most shocking things to me, that you boarded so last minute." My dad interjects.

"Honestly I think wanting to escape all of the craziness helped. I would rather it wasn't happening but it pushed me to get on the plane, and my panic was minimal."

My dad reaches across the table and squeezes my hand.

"I'm proud of you."

The earnestness in his voice is enough to make my eyes well up again. I've cried so much today I'm surprised I have any tears left.

"So what does your guy think about all this?" He asks, and I know he's trying to change the subject to avoid seeing me cry.

"Well, uh, he's been supportive but we haven't been able to talk about it much. Everything happened so fast. He wanted me to come to his house when I left but I felt like it would create a bigger media storm. Now that I've been home for a bit...I feel like I ran off too soon."

"Why don't you give him a call then?"

"I asked him to call me after his meeting but then Dwayne called and after hearing about Blake I just sort of listened and then cried until mom came home." I laugh but my dad gives me a disapproving stare.

"And you said you weren't going to charge him?"

I nod. "I feel like he's just bitter over what happened in Italy, or maybe he's just bored, but it would create even more of a mess. I also don't think what he did was technically illegal, even though it's creating all this...noise."

My dad nods now. He hesitates, then adds, "I can't deny that this worries me, honey. It sounds like a very big spotlight on you."

"We'll have your back here, of course," my mom chimes in.

"Of course," he agrees, "And I am glad your studio has your back, too."

"It really seems like they do. Dwayne still plans on giving me his position."

My parents exchange a long look.

"I can't say that I thought you would ever date an actor," there is humor in my dad's voice now. "Is he very dramatic?"

I laugh. "I think you'd like him. He's very down to earth."

"Hmm. Well you deserve to be happy sweetie."

"Thanks, dad." I smile at him before letting out a big puff of air. "I think I've been wanting to talk to you guys about all of this for a while. It's been hectic. Great, but hectic."

"When do you think you'll go back?" my mom asks.

I shrug. "I don't know. I'm on hiatus for at least another month. I do need to know what Javi wants to do, and what our PR guy told him to do. Dwayne said that Javi was given advice on next steps and I'm nervous about what that means. I told mom but, I think...I think it's possible this has run its course. It might be too much for him."

My dad clicks his tongue. "Don't jump to conclusions, Ava. You just need to talk to him."

I nod. "I know, I will." I glance over at the clock. It's not even eight yet, but the stress of the earlier phone call, the jet lag, and retelling these past few months twice is weighing on me.

"Honestly I think I might turn in early."

"Okay honey," My dad stands up to press a kiss to the top of my head.

"Love you," My mom calls after me as I make my way up the stairs.

I know they're right, and I need to talk to him. I reread his text messages while I brush my teeth. I don't know why I feel so nervous about all of this, and so calm when I read his last texts. When I'm alone, or I'm speaking to my parents about it, all I can think is, why would he want to deal with this? I can imagine what people are saying about him, just by the few questions the paparazzi barked at me the other morning. I don't know why he would put up with all of that. He could date someone who gets it, someone who is used to the limelight. But when I read his reassuring messages, and how understanding he was when I up and left...I don't feel the weight of my fear.

When I get under my covers, I take a deep breath, and call him.

I'm feeling good about my decision to do so until he doesn't pick up. It rings and rings, but it goes to voicemail. I hadn't planned for this, and my heart beats a little faster.

"Hey, um, it's me. I was just calling to see how the meeting went. I had a call earlier with Dwayne...but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't say any of this over the phone. I'm not sure what the protocol is," I let out a nervous laugh and feel my face flush. What am I saying? "It's been good to be home, but...I miss you. I guess that's all I wanted to say. Okay, bye."

I hang up, covering my face with my hands immediately. Not my best work.

I turn my call volume up, knowing that it must be almost six back in L.A. so he still might give me a call back. Grabbing my marine book from the bedside table, I flop on my back and read a chapter about penguins.

The next thing I know, I'm being jolted awake by the sound of my alarm screaming near my ear.

Next Chapter

Previous chapter

Series Masterlist

Since you were talking about which Kleypas' heroes are conventionally attractive, what is your ranking for how attractive you find Kleypas' heroes?

I mean, I think that physically all the ones I've read are fuckable. But for me personalllly

Derek Craven--always, forever, every day of the week, Monday though Sunday, breakfast lunch and dinner, anytime anyplace anywhere. I love his physicality, I love his competence, I love his inability to love but also his deep capacity for love, I love his trash sense of interior design, I love his gauche new money nature, I love when he tells Sara he wants to punish her a little.

Kev Merripen--big, self-loathing, feels like he's gonna break her with his giant dick.... yeah, I think I fuck with him

Sebastian St. Vincent--also fucks so hard but he has to overcome the fact that he a) is blond and b) can't fight good, big sins in my book, and the fact that he does speaks to how hard he fucks

McKenna--I really like a revenge plot and I also like that he told her to shut up while he was going down on her

Westcliff--ugly hot, as we've discussed, but the fact that Westcliff can show up in the midst of literally any problem and solve it in five minutes makes him hotter; you'd be like "Westcliff I'm so confused I've had this problem for eight weeks" and he'd just press a button and it would be fixed

Leo Hathaway--always in forever in my heart as a hot man because a) he used to be so sad b) he makes the heroine say pussy in a way that is mildly degrading and I'm about it

Rhys Winterborne--NOT FIVE FUCKING MINUTES is pretty hot, though I will admit that his hairlessness freaks me out. He overcomes this admirably by being hot in every other way, and I also like that he's like, a Kohl's King

Simon Hunt--has a foot fetish, gets immense points for this

Jack Devlin--very sexy hot, also did extremely mild butt stuff which is super compelling

Gideon Shaw--he was actually very sad and I loved him, I appreciated the work he did to be a better man and his general guilt complex

Cam Rohan--I have my general fetishism issues with Kev and Cam's portrayals, but I will say that Cam being hyper competent and also like, one of the chillest Kleypas heroes is very sexy of him; he had to be chill because Kev got all the family angst

Keir--I know people have issues with his book and his very existence, but I think the fact that Keir is so hot that he has to grow a beard to be in public is so funny

Gabriel Challon--honestly, a shadow of his dad and not as kinky as he could be (sad :() but still very charming

Devon Ravenel--seduced me a bit with his general douchebaggery I gotta say

Harry Rutledge--should honestly re-read this one, but I think I had issues with his heroine and I liked that he was generally horrible

Nick Gentry--would be hotter if not for some unfortunate implications about his backstory, but I did love how competent he was

Tom Severin--actually pretty hot, hampered by my general "meh"ness on his being paired with Cassandra

Ross Cannon--he was fine I guess but didn't make a huge impression on me, too nice and too staid, also named Ross

Matthew Swift--he's.... fine, but he's too sweet for me

Grant Morgan--I mean, I'm not against the amnesia trickery but I preferred it when Lorraine Heath did this

Christopher Phelan--I need to re-read his book because to be honest sorry to this man I remember like... not much at all besides being a bit annoyed by what he was annoyed with

West Ravenel--controversial but brave, I think West would've been much more interesting if Phoebe had met him pre-reform, as it was he came off as a much more boring Leo Hathaway

Ethan Ransom--I just.... wasn't... that into him

Hunter, Earl of Hawksworth--great name, iffy book, not a huge impression made

Top 10 Actors Who Guest-Starred on Murder, She Wrote

Just the top 10 actors who appeared during the shows run. What? The show is a guilty pleasure of mine. I’m not including William Windom, Ron Masak and Tom Bosley who were on the main cast.

#10. Clifton James as Ray Dressler S5/E7: The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel (1988)

All I can say is, the southerner crewman from the Dixie Damsel could have caught a different kind of stabbing... with my penis.

#9. Barney Martin as Lt. Timothy Hanratty (2 episodes 1987-189)  

What? The glasses makes him adorable.

#8. Eugene Roche (4 episodes 1986-1991)  

#7. Robert Prosky as Bishop Patrick Shea, S4/E4: Old Habits Die Hard (1987)

The only reason he's not higher on this list is because he doesn't have a beard. Wait... don't I dislike beards?

#6. Martin Milner (5 episodes 1985-1996)

#5. Ken Howard (6 episodes 1985-1994)

I don't have a favorite Howard guest appearance, but I do have a least favorite. It's the ones where he's not wearing his hair piece. What? He looks hotter with it on.

#4. Paul Sorvino as Al Sidell S5/E20: Three Strikes, You're Out (1989)

What? It's Paul fucking Sorvino, who I will affectionally call 'Mr. Ass.' Why? Have you seen his ass.

#3. Dakin Matthews (3 episodes 1992–1995)

Jess and Seth are road-tripping and making a stop in South Carolina (my home state) to see Seth’s cousin and murder victim, Buford Hazlitt (Matthews). Thoughts of doing the two Hazlitts were popping up... among other things.

#2. Richard Riehle (2 episodes 1989–1992)

Sergeant Devon O’Malley is my favorite of Riehle's two guest appearances. Mainly for his Irish accent and being of the two things in his catalog where he's moustacheless.

#1. Len Cariou as Michael Hagarty (7 episodes 1985–1992) 

A British former MI5 agent, who often appeared when Jessica least expected him to drag her into a dangerous case. Plus, he's the only one on this list who probably clapped Jessica's cheeks.

Hi Thank you for the amazing game! I’ve been trying out so many endings now and I’m just curious about the default order of who shows up with noah/devon at the end in the evil ending (killed matthias). I know at first it is your ex LI if you had one, but then I’m not sure. I didn’t have a LI other than matthias so Lincoln showed up. (Even tho we had the least relationship points) If he was dead it was Tom who came instead of like Amalia or Joss, or even Connor, (Abel was also dead that route for me) Would you please tell me the order in which the characters will show up if they are not dead? (I really hope my question is not too confusing😓)

So it was supposed to be your ex LI first (if they survived) then highest relationship LI if no ex, then whoever of ilw crew is alive if you don’t have a high relationship in the crew (order was Linc > LIa > Abel > Joss), then if all the ILW crew are dead, Tom > Danni. But the order got messed up, so if you didn’t have an ex LI or a high relationship with anyone, it defaults to Tom and/or Danni, just depending on who’s dead (if Tom is dead it will be Danni).

It Lives Within | Chapter 20: No Way Home | Choices

It Lives Within Home Page

Choices may vary based on if Noah or ILITW MC survived.

For convenience sake, ILITW MC will be referred to as "Devon". ILB MC will be referred to as “Harper”.

Choice 1

Duck! (🠘 Correct)

Dodge! (MC Nerve -2)

Block! (Didn't get Amalia's chapter 13 self-defense scene, MC Nerve -2)

Block, grab, attack! (🠘 Correct, Got Amalia's chapter 13 scene, MC Nerve +2)

Choice 2 This Choice is timed!

Shoot! (SHADOW +1)

Dodge! (BLOOD +1)

Freeze! (MC Nerve -3)

If time runs out, you Freeze!

JOCELYN Nerve +5, if she got the Whip.

MC Nerve +5, if you got the Bone Dog.

If you get the Shield: ABEL Nerve +5, MC Nerve +3

AMALIA Nerve +5

Choice 3 - if Amalia came back in Chapter 18 This Choice is timed!

Duck and roll! (🠘 Correct)

Rock and roll! (No effect)

Bread roll! (MC Nerve -2)

If time runs out, you choose Bread roll!

AMALIA Nerve Check! AMALIA Nerve +3 if passed.

Choice 4 - If Amalia did NOT come back in Chapter 18

Left! (No effect)

Center! (No effect)

Right! (No effect)

JOCELYN Nerve Check! If she passes, go to Choice 6. If not, go to Choice 5.

Choice 5 - If Jocelyn failed her Nerve Check.

Let Jocelyn handle it. (JOCELYN Nerve -5)

Stop Nate right now. (No effect)

Choice 6

Hell yeah. (MC Nerve +5, JOCELYN Nerve +5)

How about no? (No effect)

Choice 7

I promise. (AMALIA Nerve +3)

I can’t promise that. (AMALIA Nerve -1)

If Amalia or Jocelyn were heavily romanced and someone else was picked in Chapter 19, you will lose relationship points with them.

Choice 8

Offer to patch it up for her. (If your relationship is over 50, +JOCELYN, otherwise, No effect)

Let her do it yourself. (No effect)

Choice 9 Choice loops. You talk to everyone who is alive/present.

Amalia, “Harper”, and Danni. (No effect)

Jocelyn, Andy, and Tom. (Choice 10)

Abel, Parker, and Imogen. (No effect)

Lincoln, Ava, and Dan. (Choice 11)

Choice 10

We should kill them. (No effect)

I feel the same. (No effect)

Choice 11 - You only get this option if NOT romancing Lincoln AND your relationship is 80 or above.

Hug him. (+LINCOLN)

Tease him about being besties. (+LINCOLN)

Nod. (No effect)

If Amalia or Jocelyn were heavily romanced and someone else was picked in Chapter 19, you will lose relationship points with them.

If Jocelyn's relationship with you is 50 or higher, she will come clean about working with Matthias.

If Jocelyn's relationship with you is lower than 50, she will lead you into a trap. (Go to Choice 14)

Choice 12 - No Betrayal You only get this Choice if you chose Jocelyn as your LI in Chapter 19.

Kiss her. ❤️ (No effect)

Step away from her. (No effect)

Choice 13 - No Betrayal You only get this Choice if Amalia or Lincoln is your LI.

Break it up. (No effect)

Step aside. (No effect)

Choice 14 - If you got all the Collectibles

Of course! (MC Nerve +5)

No thanks. (No effect)

If he has the Shield, (ABEL Nerve +5)

If you accepted Matthias's feelings in Chapter 17, continue to Choice 15. Otherwise, skip to Choice 18.

Choice 15 - Matthias Romance

First show me your real face. (Matthias will turn into his younger form.)

Go on. (No effect)

Choice 16 - Matthias Romance

Yes. (No effect)

No. (You join Matthias)

Choice 17 - Matthias Romance If you answered “Yes” in Choice 16.

With you. (You join Matthias.)

Against you. (You fight Matthias. Chapter End)

Choice 18

Agree to take Loha’s place. (No effect)

Refuse. (No effect)

Choice 19

Go to hell. (No effect)

You won’t get away with this. (No effect)

I’ll find another way. (No effect)

JOCELYN Nerve +5, if you do NOT join Matthias and she has the whip.

AMALIA Nerve +3, if Jocelyn warned you of the trap.

Chapter 20 Complete

6 out of 6 Collectibles Found 9 out of 9 Lore Docs Found

&lt;;< It Lives Within Choices: Index

&lt; Chapter 19: Three, Two, One, Fun

> Chapter 21: Vertigo Cave

Since quite a few people seemed to rather enjoy the six sentence post from yesterday I thought I'd post the entire scene

London, 1941

He spends his first day back in England in months on a train down to Devon, to visit the grave of Mama and Daisy, and the evening on his Aunt Fanny's old, faded sofa, listening to the news of his siblings and cousins, while Fanny promises solemnly to not tell his father about the visit. The journey back to London drags on and on, people on the tracks apparently, but once he reaches Kings Cross it’s a short walk to the Folly, where he trudges right up the steps to the lab they’ve given David for the duration of the war – however long that might be – crossing the room until he reaches one corner, where he can slide down to the ground between a metal cabinet and wooden workbench that had been pushed up against the wall, weighed down with copious amounts of notebooks and notes, some kept in boxes, some stacked precariously high, David’s thoughts spilled out over the paper. He hasn’t even taken the time to take off his coat and scarf, far too warm for the sweltering heat in the lab.

David himself only looks up from his experiment once he’s done, though Thomas has no way of telling what exactly he has finished.

“Are you quite alright, Thomas?” he asks and takes off his glasses to clean the round lenses with the sleeve of a dark blue jumper peeking out from under a lab coat that had once been white.

“Splendid,” Thomas grunts, and runs a hand through his hair, already messy from the wind outside.

David, who has had enough time to map out his responses over the years, slips out of his lab coat and approaches him, heaves a box from the end of the bench so he can sit next to Thomas, who rests his head against his leg. Almost immediately there are fingers combing through his hair, brushing a curl out of his face.

“Would you like to tell me?”

“Not particularly”

“I think you ought to"

“Later. Maybe"

“Your sister called,” David tells him instead, “she wants to see you. Stephen as well. They’re your siblings, you can’t avoid them forever”

“I know. I just – Just not right now. Can you tell Drina I'm still on the continent the next time she calls?”

“Somehow I don’t think she'll believe me. Especially considering Henry was on the continent with you and came yesterday. Victoria knows your on home leave”

“Curse the day your nephew decided to marry my niece"

“They’re children. Can you truly begrudge them some happiness"

Thomas sighs, rubs his cheek against the coarse wool of David’s trousers, closes his eyes. “No. That doesn’t mean I have to like it"

“I know. But still, please talk to her. I have a feeling every time we talk she likes me even less, and if she doesn’t hear from you soon she'll show up at Folly and castrate me for hiding you from her"

Thomas nearly laughs “We can’t have that, of course"

“Are you sure she doesn’t know?”

“Without a doubt. She’d be much worse if she knew about the sodomy. To both of us"

“Would you like to help me with some experiments?" David asks in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood, "I have some test tubes that need to be blown up"

“You know I'll gladly blow anything for you, Davey"

David laughs and pulls him upright, presses a quick kiss to his cheek. “I’m glad you're back home"

Thomas says nothing and lets David lead him towards the table he’d been working on when Thomas had arrived. The set up looks complicated, but most things David does in his lab are so far beyond Thomas’s comprehension that he no longer even bothers to ask.

Once more dressed in his lab coat David lines up two dozen tubes, “I think we’ll start with a simple werelight,” he says, “and go on from there”

He isn’t sure how much time they spent in the lab, Thomas performing various spells at David’s request, but when David sets down his pen, apparently satisfied with the results at last it’s already dark outside.

“You should go to bed, Tom,” David says and Thomas lets his werelight blink away, plunging the room into sudden darkness. Either there’s another power outage or David’s simply forgotten to turn on the lights again.

“I don’t even know where that is" He is a CO now and therefore, by Folly mechanisms, entitled to one of the rooms on the second floor, which he'll still share, but with only one other man. He'd rather crawl into bed with David, but, of course, that won’t be poss-

“In that case I have some good news for you. We're sharing until you leave again"

“Honestly?”

“Yes. Apparently most find me to be an insufferable roommate”

“Because you are, David”

“I beg to differ”

*

The room is bleak and unpersonal, except for an old photograph on the edge of the desk that also serves as David’s nightstand, now that another bed has been shoved inside and every unnecessary piece of furniture put up in the attic, of David and his brother, dead now for over two decades, killed in some trench in France, and a small stack of books he faintly recognises as some of David’s favourites. Waugh, Collins, Wells and the like.

None of it feels quite tangible and it might very well have been a dream, if it weren’t for the weight of David’s arm wrapped around him. No matter how lonely, how unhappy, he is, when he imagines David’s embrace it never feels real

“What are you thinking about, pumpkin?” David, already half asleep, asks.

If I die will you put up a picture of me as well? A neat little collection of the people you've lost, trod under England's heel?

“Nothing. Go to sleep"

David’s never been one who had trouble falling asleep, and after a few minutes he can hear him snoring, firm against his back, breath ghosting over Thomas’s neck. If he’d ever been such a sleeper he certainly is no longer, considering the things haunting his dreams, despite the sense of secruity and comfort David’s presence gives him.

He'll have to mess up the bed in the morning, he thinks, before the maid comes to clean the room, make it look as if he’s slept in it. He doesn’t know how long he stares into the soft shadows of the room, but it seems like he is lulled to sleep faster than he normally falls asleep these days

Muse Fosters Community Between the Lines of Your Favorite Song

Rolling Stone Magazine spoke to Muse fans earlier this year in 2022 about how Muse bring together a community of fans

Kwasi Boadi, July 29, 2022

In our second Welcome Sessions feature with Jim Beam, we dig beneath the live music frills to explore how strangers in the crowd become quick friends by talking to the supergroup and their most passionate fans

There’s something so communal about going to a Muse show. The experience has a way of inducing a unique catharsis. On the one hand, it’s hard to ignore the tremendous feeling of it all, from the hypnotizing laser light show to the rousing pyrotechnics and the otherworldly visuals.

But beneath the (literal) flash and frills lies something much more intimate. Fans are embracing, fists are pumping, and in spurts, the audience takes on the role of lead vocalist while they roar the lyrics of their favorite records. In these moments, complete strangers become part of something much larger than themselves because there’s community to be found between the lines of your favorite song.

“Nothing beats being in the crowd with music fans when you don’t know what the setlist is,” says self-proclaimed superfan Helen Rose Tooth. “When they start bringing out the songs, and bring out some rarities, and everybody just comes together, you get picked up by the atmosphere.”

Rolling Stone caught up with Rose Tooth and a host of other Muse diehards at a secret homecoming show in Exeter, Devon. Hosted by Jim Beam as part of their Welcome Sessions event series, the intimate gig brought Muse superfans back to the Cavern, a cozy music venue in the South West of England where the band started out by playing for some of its earliest supporters: friends, family, and classmates.

When asked about her favourite song to see live, it only takes Rose Tooth a moment to land on “Definitely ‘Knights of Cydonia’” as her answer. Tom Kirk, a longtime friend of the band, doubles down on the sentiment. ’Knights of Cydonia’ is the ultimate fan singalong. I don’t think Matt needs to even stretch his vocal cords for that anymore because the whole crowd in the arena or festival [is] just bellowing it out. It’s an electrical force of people being completely tuned into the moment like nothing else exists.”

It’s easy to hear why the record elicits a range of emotions from the Muse faithful. The song kicks off with a spellbinding harmonica solo by bassist Chris Wolstenholme. Though everyone in the house knows what’s coming next, the anticipation builds like a roller coaster inching closer to its first big drop. Then, at the perfect moment, Matt Bellamy sends the audience into an auditory free fall once he interjects with a few crackling strums of his electric guitar.

When you’re singing along to lyrics that speak to you, that feeling you get is irreplaceable, and it runs much deeper when you look to your left and see a fellow fan sharing in that communion. There’s a bond created there, an understanding that the words that made such a pronounced impact on your life have struck a chord with someone on a similar frequency. At that moment, a would-be stranger feels more like a kindred spirit.

This belief that you truly feel connected when belonging to a community is rooted in Jim Beam’s two-century history of bringing people together, and that sentiment is evident in talking to another Muse superfan, Hannah Chandisingh. “You’re all in that together”, she says. “And when they break out these really powerful songs, when you actually realize that you and the person next to you are both in floods of tears, [there’s this sense that] ‘I don’t know you, but I love you.’”

It’s a feeling that can transcend language and borders. Danny Yeates has vivid memories of his first Muse show outside of the UK. “I went to Madrid for a VIP experience in 2016,” he recalls. “The fan base was just so different. This guy literally collared me, and [we] just started singing along. Generally, in the UK, it doesn’t really happen that way. The cultures are very different, but we’re here, and the universal language is Muse.”

Muse frontman and songwriter Matt Bellamy describes this lightning in a bottle as equal parts method and magic. “It’s hard to describe the emotions that you feel on stage. Spiritual, I guess some people could describe it that way,” he says. “It’s something otherworldly. Very connective with thousands of people.”

Early on, Bellamy realised he should pen his lyrics through the lens of inclusivity. “Over the years, [I realised that] you know what? I can actually play with this and start writing songs using ‘we’ pronouns instead of ‘I’ and singing about myself. ‘Uprising’ was the big moment where I was like, ‘I’m going to change this song. Instead of it being about me, I’m going to make it about us,’ and I sort of deliberately wrote the lyrics with that in mind.”

That communal spirit can be just as stimulating for the performer as it is for the audience. Muse drummer Dom Howard speaks warmly of that synergy. “It’s an amazing feeling,” he says. “It’s kind of this really reciprocal feeling of you enjoying what you’re doing and them enjoying what you’re playing. It’s a wonderful thing where you’re very much tuned in to each other and aware of how everyone feels.”

In the mind of a songwriter, that reciprocity is a catalyst for growth because feeling understood can be an invitation to push the envelope even further. Bellamy observes that, “there’s a vulnerability in songwriting because you’re digging into workings of your personality and expressions and experiences that you’ve had,” he says. “There’s a kind of confidence that emerges over time when you realise how many other people there are in the world that can relate to that. And over time, that actually gives you a bit more confidence to maybe dig deeper.”

@ila-appreciationweek day 6

Late to the party as I decided to go back to the previous two books (aka watching them on YT) to see which scenes I liked the best since I loved a lot of scenes from the two books. But i managed to compile a list of scenes from all three books I adore by a longshot.

ILITW

Chapter 7 scene where everyone including Connor gathers around Devon (whose name is Jasper in my playthrough) to protect them against Cody. I loved it as it proves just how much they meant to their friends and also Cody deserved to get smack talked like that.

Chapter 7 premium scene with Lucas, I love those boys so much and the kiss was the cherry on top.

Chapter 12 premium scene before homecoming, specifically Lucas's. It's just so soft and it really is like a calm before the storm kinda thing.

Chapter 14 where Devon talks to Dan in the premium scene. Poor guy suffered a lot under Jane's control and both of them talking about everything is just shajcjbssh

Chapter 16 where the survivors gather up in a restaurant. Loved it a lot.

ILB

Chapter 3 where Harper is trying to escape Ned's house from the cultists. Really gives off the feeling of being trapped and there's no room for error.

Chapter 7 dance scene with Tom. Very soft and a good moment before shit goes down with the cultists.

Chapter 11 scene where Tom faces his fears to save Harper. Loved it as it shows that even though he didn't witness it personally, he probably visualized it in his brain so many times that it's engraved, and despite that he still got in to save Harper.

Chapter 12 where Astrid threatens Tom's life. It's like a totally hopeless situation and for a moment I thought the guy was gonna lose an eye before Parker and co. saved everyone.

Chapter 17 where Harper gives Dick Sutcliffe a reality check. Hell yeah.

ILW

Chapter 16's scenes where all three MCs get something. Harper reuniting with the friends, Devon getting revived and Rowan (Violet) discovering what they really are.

Jocelyn's carnival scene in chapter 19. It's like the penultimate thing before the finale and it shows how much she's grown despite wanting to betray Rowan at first. And the kiss, the kiss holy shit i love it.

The memorial in chapter 23, everyone happy at last despite all the shit they gone through <3

Nicholas Evans, who has died aged 72 after a heart attack, was the unlikely author of the bestselling novel The Horse Whisperer (1995), which became a Robert Redford film. Unlikely because the book, set in Montana, was a first novel by a British television producer, and landmark because the book sold for a record price at auction, and justified its sale price.

Evans had previously left a successful position as number two to Melvyn Bragg on the South Bank Show, where he produced many of the flagship programmes of the television arts series, including profiles of Patricia Highsmith, John Le Carré, Laurence Olivier, Francis Bacon and, most crucially, the film director David Lean, who became a friend and wondered why Evans was making a film about him, and not something he wanted to do for himself.

Evans then co-produced and wrote a TV film, Murder By the Book (1987), about Agatha Christie and her character Hercule Poirot, played by Peggy Ashcroft and Ian Holm. He wrote three screenplay adaptations, but by 1993 a film project had fallen through and he found himself £65,000 in debt and diagnosed with a stomach melanoma.

Evans had begun writing a novel based on a story that he had been told by a Devon blacksmith, who used the term “horse whisperer” to describe someone with a gift for communicating with horses. Evans had gone to the US, to meet men who did this, thinking the story needed a western setting. “If you set a book in postwar or contemporary Britain, something shrinks,” he said. “It becomes parochial.”

He gave the manuscript of the book, half-finished with an outline of the remainder, to his friend the agent Caradoc King, who took it to the 1994 Frankfurt book fair, where it instigated a bidding war.

Dell bought the US rights for $3.15m, Bantam got UK rights for $537,000 and translation deals in Germany and Italy netted another million dollars. The film rights went to Robert Redford for another $3m because Evans saw Redford in the role of his hero, Tom Booker.

While this was happening, his melanoma was removed by surgery and his local bank manager, who had been demanding repayment of his overdraft, called and invited him to lunch.

The novel got mixed reviews, especially in the US. Virtually no critic could resist mentioning Evans’ advances; many also drew comparison with Robert James Waller’s The Bridges of Madison County. Evans himself acknowledged the influences of Cormac McCarthy, Ernest Hemingway and Jack London. The New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani called it “a sappy romance novel, gussied up with some sentimental claptrap about the emotional life of animals and lots of Walleresque hooey about men and women”.

But it shot to the top of the New York Times’ bestseller list, ranked No15 for the year despite being released in the autumn, and remains one of the bestselling novels of all time. Redford’s 1998 film, which starred the 14-year-old Scarlett Johansson as Grace, the teenager injured along with her prize horse, and Kristin Scott Thomas as her mother, who seeks out Redford’s Booker, and has an affair with him, did well but was not a huge hit.

Evans was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, the son of Anthony, the sales director of a motor engineering company, and Eileen (nee Whitehouse). He was head boy at Bromsgrove school, and after a year teaching in Senegal for Voluntary Service Overseas, went to St Edmund Hall, Oxford to study law, where he met Jenny Lyon, his future wife, in their first week.

After taking a first-class degree, he started work as a journalist for the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle. In 1975, he started at London Weekend Television, first on Weekend World and then the London Programme, the broadcaster’s top current affairs show, before joining the South Bank Show as executive producer from 1982 to 1984.

After Murder By the Book, he adapted screenplays for the TV movies Acts of Betrayal (1988), about the IRA, and Secret Weapon (1990), the story of Mordechai Vanunu, the nuclear bomb whistleblower kidnapped by the Israelis and imprisoned for treason, and for the Julie Walters film Just Like a Woman (1992), based on Monica Jay’s novel about a transvestite’s romance with his landlady.

His second novel, The Loop (1998), brought a wolf biologist, Helen Ross, from Cape Cod into Yellowstone Park to cope with the reintroduction of wolves; pursued by a local lothario, she instead romances his 18-year-old son and cures his stutter. It sold 5m copies.

He followed this up with The Smoke Jumper (2001), whose titular protagonist is in love with his best friend’s wife, and who exiles himself as a war photographer. Next came The Divide (2005), about a wealthy New York couple who holiday in Montana, where the body of their eco-terrorist daughter is discovered frozen in the mountain ice.

Evans and Jenny divorced in 1998. He then married the singer-songwriter Charlotte Gordon Cumming. In 2008, while on a visit to Gordon Cumming’s brother’s estate in Scotland, Evans picked mushrooms for a family lunch. What he thought were ceps were instead highly poisonous webcaps. Evans, Gordon Cumming and her brother were all placed on kidney dialysis. Three years later, Evans’s heart began to suffer under the strain of dialysis, and his daughter Lauren provided him with a kidney; Gordon Cumming later received one donated from a friend.

At the time of the poisoning, Evans had almost finished his fifth novel, The Brave (2009), about a family’s hidden secrets.

When he began writing again, thinking for the second time he needed to finish writing before he died, he said the book changed direction. “I found new empathy with the characters ... it became more emotional,” he said. Gordon Cumming released an album of songs tied to the novel, and they campaigned together for kidney care and organ transplants.

The couple lived in a 14th-century manor house in Devon once owned by the film director Robert Bolt.

Evans is survived by Charlotte, their children, Finlay and Lauren, a son, Max, from his first marriage, and by Harry, his son from a relationship with the television producer Jane Hewland.

🔔 Nicholas Benbow Evans, writer and television producer, born 26 July 1950; died 9 August 2022

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

Taylor Swift Leads Nominations at 2023 Kids' Choice Awards - Complete List of Recognitions Unveiled

Taylor Swift Dominates Music Nominations at 2023 Kids' Choice Awards with Five Nods - Including Two for Favorite Song and One for Her Feline, Olivia Benson Swift Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock (10481442fs) Taylor Swift 47th Annual American Music Awards, Show, Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, USA - 24 Nov 2019 Music Favorite Song - “About Damn Time”- Lizzo - “Anti-Hero”- Taylor Swift - “As It Was”- Harry Styles - “Bejeweled”- Taylor Swift - “Break My Soul” – Beyoncé - “First Class”- Jack Harlow - “I Ain’t Worried”- OneRepublic - “Lift Me Up”- Rihanna Favorite Album - Dawn FM– The Weeknd - GOD DID – DJ Khaled - Harry’s House– Harry Styles - Midnights (3 am Edition)- Taylor Swift - Renaissance– Beyoncé - Special – Lizzo Favorite Female Artist - Adele - Beyoncé - Billie Eilish - Cardi B - Lady Gaga - Lizzo - Rihanna - Taylor Swift Favorite Male Artist - Bad Bunny - Drake - Ed Sheeran - Harry Styles - Justin Bieber - Kendrick Lamar - Post Malone - The Weeknd Favorite Music Group - 5 Seconds of Summer - Black Eyed Peas - BLACKPINK - BTS - Imagine Dragons - OneRepublic - Panic! At the Disco - Paramore Favorite Music Collaboration - “Bam Bam”- Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran - “Don’t You Worry” – Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, Shakira - “I Like You (A Happier Song)”- Post Malone, featuring Doja Cat - “Numb”- Marshmello, featuring Khalid - “Stay With Me”- Calvin Harris, featuring Justin Timberlake, Halsey, Pharrell - “Sweetest Pie”- Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa Favorite Breakout Artist - Devon Cole - Dove Cameron - GAYLE - Joji - Lauren Spencer-Smith - Nicky Youre Favorite Global Music Star - Bad Bunny (Latin America) - BLACKPINK (Asia) - Harry Styles (UK) - Rosalía (Europe) - Taylor Swift (North America) - Tones and I (Australia) - Wizkid (Africa) Favorite Social Music Star - Bella Poarch - Dixie D’Amelio - JoJo Siwa - Oliver Tree - Stephen Sanchez - That Girl Lay Lay Film Favorite Movie - Avatar: The Way of Water - Black Adam - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Hocus Pocus 2 - Jurassic World Dominion - Monster High The Movie - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Top Gun: Maverick Favorite Movie Actor - Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Thor: Love and Thunder) - Chris Pratt (Owen Grady, Jurassic World: Dominion) - Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam/Teth-Adam, Black Adam) - Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog 2) - Ryan Reynolds (Big Adam, The Adam Project) - Tom Cruise (Capt. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, Top Gun: Maverick) Favorite Movie Actress - Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) - Letitia Wright (Shuri, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) - Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) - Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes 2) - Natalie Portman (Jane Foster/The Mighty Thor, Thor: Love and Thunder) - Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah Sanderson, Hocus Pocus 2) Favorite Animated Movie - DC League of Super-Pets - Hotel Transylvania: Transformania - Lightyear - Minions: The Rise of Gru - The Bad Guys - Turning Red Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie (Male) - Andy Samberg (Dale, Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers) - Andy Samberg (Jonathan, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania) - Chris Evans (Buzz Lightyear, Lightyear) - Dwayne Johnson (Krypto, DC League of Super-Pets) - Kevin Hart (Ace, DC League of Super-Pets) - Steve Carell (Gru, Minions: The Rise of Gru) Favorite Voice From an Animated Movie (Female) - Awkwafina (Tarantula, The Bad Guys) - Keke Palmer (Izzy Hawthorne, Lightyear) - Salma Hayek (Kitty Softpaws, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) - Sandra Oh (Ming, Turning Red) - Selena Gomez (Mavis, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania) - Taraji P. Henson (Belle Bottom, Minions: The Rise of Gru) Television Favorite Kids TV Show - Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Ghost Island - High School Musical: The Musical: The Series - Ms. Marvel - Raven’s Home - That Girl Lay Lay - The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder - The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers - The Really Loud House Favorite Family TV Show - Cobra Kai - iCarly - Obi-Wan Kenobi - She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Stranger Things - Wednesday - Young Rock - Young Sheldon Favorite Reality Show - America’s Funniest Home Videos - America’s Got Talent - American Ninja Warrior - Floor Is Lava - MasterChef Junior - The Masked Singer Favorite Animated Show - Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous - Rugrats - SpongeBob SquarePants - Teen Titans Go! - The Loud House - The Smurfs Favorite Female TV Star (Kids) - Audrey Grace Marshall (Vivian Turner, The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder) - Imogen Cohen (Zina, The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder) - Olivia Rodrigo (Nini, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) - Raven-Symoné (Raven Baxter, Raven’s Home) - Sofia Wylie (Gina, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) - That Girl Lay Lay (Lay Lay, That Girl Lay Lay) Favorite Male TV Star (Kids) - Brady Noon (Evan Morrow, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) - Israel Johnson (Noah Lambert, Bunk’d) - Joshua Bassett (Ricky, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) - Tyler Wladis (Roy, The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder) - Wolfgang Schaeffer (Lincoln Loud, The Really Loud House) - Young Dylan (Young Dylan, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan) Favorite Female TV Star (Family) - Hilary Duff (Sophie, How I Met Your Father) - Jenna Ortega (Wednesday Addams, Wednesday) - Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven, Stranger Things) - Miranda Cosgrove (Carly Shay, iCarly) - Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield, Stranger Things) - Tracee Ellis Ross (Bow Johnson, Black-ish) Favorite Male TV Star (Family) - Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair, Stranger Things) - Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan-Kenobi) - Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things) - Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson, Stranger Things) - Jerry Trainor (Spencer Shay, iCarly) - Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso, Cobra Kai) Other Categories Favorite Male Creator - Austin Creed - MrBeast - Ninja - Ryan’s World - SeanDoesMagic - Unspeakable Favorite Female Creator - Addison Rae - Charli D’Amelio - Dixie D’Amelio - Gracie’s Corner - Kids Diana Show - Miranda Sings Favorite Social Media Family - FGTeeV - Ninja Kidz TV - Ohana Adventure Family - The Bucket List Family - The Royalty Family - The Williams Family Favorite Female Sports Star - Candace Parker - Chloe Kim - Naomi Osaka - Serena Williams - Simone Biles - Venus Williams Favorite Male Sports Star - LeBron James - Lionel Messi - Patrick Mahomes - Shaun White - Stephen Curry - Tom Brady Favorite Celebrity Pet - Dodger Evans - Gino Chopra Jonas - Noon Coleman - Olivia Benson Swift - Piggy Lou Bieber - Toulouse Grande Favorite Book - Cat Kid Comic Club Book Series - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book Series - Five Nights at Freddy’s Book Series - Harry Potter Book Series - The Adventures of Captain Underpants Books Series - The Bad Guys Book Series Favorite Video Game - Adopt Me! - Brookhaven - Just Dance 2023 - Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - Minecraft - Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Read the full article

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 !

when  were  you  first  introduced  to  tumblr  rp,  &  do  you  remember  how?

i  feel  like  i’ve  been  on  tumblr  rp  since  forever,  but  realistically  it’s  probably    …    around  10ish  years  maybe?  i  was  super  nervous  at  first  because  i  didn’t  really  understand  how  tumblr  rp  worked.  i  feel  like  the  places  i  was  roleplaying  on  previous  to  tumblr  were  very  different,  and  also  weren’t  group-centric,  but  thankfully  i  was  introduced  by  a  friend  already  rp’ing  on  tumblr  so  i  had  a  lil  guide.  if  i’m  remembering  right,  my  first  ever  experience  was  a  harry  potter  rp  writing  my  boy,  seamus    &    y’know  it’s  an  old  group  when  i  tell  you  i  was  still  using  dear  ol’  devon  murray  as  his  faceclaim.  not  long  after,  i  discovered  indie  roleplay,  fandom  roleplays    &    simply  never  left.  here  i  still  am!

do  you  prefer  to  write  in  silence,  or  with  music  /  background  noise?

my  main  go-to  is  music,  especially  if  i  already  have  a  playlist  set  up  for  the  muse  i’m  trying  to  write.  it  helps  me  get  into  the  feel  of  their  character,  their  personality,  their  experiences  vs  how  they  would  respond  to  current  ones  happening,  etc.  that  said!  i  can  get  very  easily  distracted  when  it’s  a  song  i  like  and  end  up  putting  on  a  one  woman  concert  instead,  so  sometimes  i  have  to  admit  defeat  and  either  write  in  silence,  or  put  on  a  show  /  film  i’ve  already  seen  1000  times  so  i  don’t  focus  too  much  on  it.

what  character  have  you  never  written,  but  have  wanted  to?

hmm    …    nox-wise?  i’ve  eyed  ron  weasley  more  than  once.  i  don’t  think  i  ever  would  for  a  multitude  of  reasons,  the  fact  i  already  write  arthur  being  the  main  one,  but  i’m  definitely  drawn  to  his  character    &    i  often  think  about  how  much  fun  i’d  have  slotting  him  into  the  nox  world,  especially  now  ginny    &    draco  are  public  like  hello??  we  are  missing  out  on  comedy  gold  family  drama  right  now.  similarly,  i’ve  also  had  many,  many  thoughts  about  how  much  fun  i  would  have  with  bill  weasley    &    lee  jordan.  away  from  nox  and  just  in  general,  there’s  an  original  character  who  lives  rentfree  in  my  mind  built  around  david  bowie’s  major  tom.  maybe  i’ll  bring  him  to  life  one  day  somewhere.  maybe.

what  character/s  do  you  relate  to  the  most?

this  is  a  hard  question  because  i  feel  like  when  it  comes  to  picking  and  loving  characters,  it’s  less  about  who  i  relate  to    &    more  about  who  i’m  drawn  to.  i  get  invested  in  such  a  weird  array  of  characters  that  are  so  different  from  one  another,  but!  there  is,  without  a  shadow  of  a  doubt,  two  types  of  character  you  can  guarantee  i’ll  love    &    people  who  know  me  are  never  surprised  when  they  learn  i  do,  and  those  are    …    one,  the  kinda  batshit  insane  villain  with  a  tragic  backstory  arc    (  see  negan  from  the  walking  dead,  klaus  mikaelson  from  tvdu    …  )    &    two,  the  side  character  that  most  of  the  fandom  forget  about,  didn’t  even  survive  an  entire  season  before  dying  tragically  with  only  seven  minutes  of  screentime.  examples  of  this  are  denny  duquette  in  grey’s  anatomy    &    doyle  in  angel.  that’s  just  my  bread  and  butter.  when  it  comes  to  characters  i  can  relate  to  the  most,  it’s  probably  the  ones  whose  stories  are  connected  to  my  own  experiences  more  than  an  actual  specific  type  of  character.

do  you  prefer  writing  original  characters  or  canon  characters?

i  don’t  think  i  have  a  preference.  i  love  canon  characters    &    i  love  original  characters.  our  favourite  canon  was  someone’s  original  character  once  upon  a  time  after  all!  i  do  really  enjoy  the  freedom  that  comes  with  an  original  character:    someone  you’re  able  to  build  from  scratch.  you  control  their  backstory,  their  personality,  their  experiences.  canon  characters  can  come  with  a  few  more  restraints,  as  they’ve  already  had  part  of  their  story  told,  but  at  the  same  time    …    that’s  just  as  fun,  because  you’re  writing  someone  you’ve  grown  to  love    &    you’re  adding  some  extra  excitement  with  your  own  interpretation.  honestly,  i  just  love  writing.  

what  is  a  headcanon  you  have  for  [  character  ]  that  you  haven’t  posted?

i  struggled  to  pick  a  character  for  this  one,  so  instead  have  a  string  of  random  facts  about  several:    andie  once  had  aspirations  of  becoming  a  healer,  but  the  year  she  finally  had  enough  savings  to  apply  for  training  was  the  same  year  she  fell  pregnant    &    now,  she  neither  has  the  time  nor  the  finances  to  spare,  but  that’s  okay.  raising  marco  is  her  new  dream.    /    millicent  knows  exactly  where  her  obliviated  -  father  lives    &    works,  despite  insisting  they  do  not  care  what  happened  to  him  after  the  ministry  wiped  his  memories.  it’s  more  about  self  -  preservation  than  a  longing  to  know  him.  as  long  as  she  knows  where  he  is,  she  also  knows  how  to  avoid  him!    /    the  podcast  justin  hosts  is  a  true  crime  one,  predominantly  around  muggle  history    /    arthur  has  a  molly  -  centric  tattoo  that  his  children  must  never  learn  about.  he’s  managed  to  keep  it  hidden  this  long!

Ability Research Center Snippet Preview

New chapters posted so that means another random snippet from the story to share! :D https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696273/chapters/133291948

Connor walked off the stage even as the applause and cheers continued. The concert had been long and hard but it had been one of the most successful ones so far as far as no technical issues or unruly fans. Once he was out of sight, he wiped the sweat from his face and gratefully took the water bottle one of the stagehands offered. It was another concert finished and once he had caught his breath, Connor headed back to his private dressing room to see Devon.

With the typical congratulations and thumbs up from the crew, Connor reached his room and gave a knock in case Devon was already there waiting. “Hey D? You here?” he asked as he opened the door and walked in. “Wanted to see what the final tally was for the ticket sales tonight. How did we do?”

“Hey kid I’m in here,” Devon called and waved at Connor as he walked in, “great show tonight kid, you made a killing with the sales! This was one of your best yet. I gotta ask, have you given any more thought to the Europe tour that the label wants you to do to promote your latest album?” 

Connor beamed proudly at that. “The crowd seemed really into it, more so than usual. And Tom from merchandise said he actually sold out of a few things tonight!” Connor walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed one of the bottles of beer from it and then sat down in his oversized chair. 

“Yeah, I think we definitely need to do the tour. First one of that scale so if the label is willing to go with it that will get a hell yeah from me” Connor said as he took a drink, knowing that one was all he could have - for now. He still had a meet and greet to get to in a little bit.

“Trust me kid if you keep going the way you are, between ticket sales and merchandise, the sky’s the limit,” Devon smiled as he finished the tally of the sales. “And the label wants you to step up with the interviews as well, so I’ve booked you some of the morning chat shows next week. This is going to be huge, just the push we have been waiting for!” 

Connor made a small face at that last bit. He liked the music and performing. Talking to people was another thing and especially when he had no choice in who he had to talk to. But he knew Devon was right and that it was what the label wanted and what he had to do. He’d just make the best of it.

“You’ll give me the basic script to stick to right?” he asked with a small smirk, knowing that Devon was fully aware of how easily he could get off on tangents during interviews. “And security will be there too right? I’d rather not have to deal with that crazy stalker on my own if she shows up!”

“She won’t get anywhere near you,” Devon promised, “and security will be with you at all times. I will personally make sure you’ll have a ready to go script, I’ll get our PR team to work on it,” he said. “The label knows if you work hard at this, you might even get album of the year, I’ve heard sales are doing extremely well on the global charts as well. They will absolutely adore any positive publicity we can give them right now.” 

Connor nodded in approval as he enjoyed his beer. “Definitly won’t complain about that!” he laughed. “I’ll get with the PR and marketing team in a day or two and we can start hammering something out and working out the details. I got plans after the meet and greet tonight so I’ll need at least one of the security guys as usual. Got myself a date” he said with a smirk.

Devon grinned at that, “I’ll let security know and make arrangements for you while you’re at the meet and greet. And who’s the lucky lady,” there was a pause, “or guy, I definitely don’t judge,” he added. 

“Names James” Connor said with a grin. “He’s actually been to a couple of the shows and meet and greets. We’ve talked a bit here and there. Thought he might be one of those stalker types at first but hes never pushed or done any of the creepy stuff ya know? At the last show, he asked me for a date and figured why not?”

“Well enjoy yourself kid you’ve earned it,” Devon grinned, “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he added with a wink as he went up to grab himself a beer from the fridge. 

Connor lifted the mostly empty beer bottle with a grin at that then reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter and the well-worn tin he usually had in his pocket. He saw Devon’s look as he opened it and took out one of the spliff rolls he had made earlier.

“Oh come on man, don’t give me that look” he said. “I haven't had one since a few hours before the show! You’re gonna make me do the damned meet and greet without it?”

“I’m just trying to look out for you kid,” Devon said, raising his hands in a ‘I surrender’ position. “You know if the label finds out about this they won’t be happy, you signed a contract that said that you wouldn’t bring the label into disrepute. I mean you’re hardly the first musician out there to indulge in these vices but the press will eat you alive if they find out. So, ya know know, go easy and be careful.” 

“Fine, fine…” Connor said with a small sigh as he put the tin and lighter back in his pocket. “The things I do for you and the damn label company,” he said, sounding annoyed but there was a slight smirk on his face all the same. “I’ll keep the vices to my personal time” Connor conceded as he finished the beer.

“That’s all I ask kid,” Devon grinned. “Anything that can give us some plausible deniability if the higher-ups start sniffing around, what the suits don’t know won’t hurt them right?”  

“I knew there was a reason I liked ya Devon,” Connor said with a laugh as he stood. “Well guess it’s time to start that meet and greet huh?” he asked as he looked at the clock. “Think the paparazzi are around again?”

“I noticed a few of them hanging around the lobby, so you might have a media scrum on your hands on the way to the meet and greet,” Devon said apologetically, “but you know how to handle the press, make sure they can’t get any photos worth selling,” he said with a grin. 

Read the whole story here!

(untitled)

October 19th, 2007

hello hello hello to anyone who actually finds these interesting, we just like having an excuse to look through our photos.

here’s some photos from ireland: just to prove we went

thats us chillin’ (haha ellen is a comedy genius) in the fridge in belfast

there were bad omens for the tour in belfast considering the power went off as soon as we started our set. but we feng shuid and cleaned our chi and started the tour anyway. we also made tom felate a banana…

The first memorable thing to have happened was the bread face we made in bristol…(on another note Ollie is currently continuing his quest to try and fit into as many small spaces as possible. This week he is attempting to get into the kitchen cuboard in The Cockpit. He is currently in the cuboard. He just fell out of the cuboard. People are laughing, i think he may be crying in pain. Possibly concussed.) Back to the bread face, all appreciate the glory and wonder of its kiwi eyes and banana smile. We were so proud of the success of this initial experiment that we thought we would make him a brother. He is closely modelled on his siblings, apart from the additional banana eyebrows and extra detail (note the lifelike haribo eyes.)

We have been touring with the wonderful You say party! We say die! and dead good Sky Larkin, who have been brilliant company and have been fairly embarassing to play after due to the fact we suck bottoms compared to them. The photo below is a example of YSP!WSD! majesty when we all played in Manchester together, although you cant really tell she is wearing a amazing gold dress. Krista is a shining star in a dark night. Devon is a dark knight mounting a shining star. Derek is an explosion of stardust onto the face of Steve who is painting glitter on Becki. (Their words not ours.)

Before the gig in Manchester Neil decided to try and to prove that we are the second most punk rock band in England by letting us write on him in eyeliner. He then removed his shirt during the second song prompting his mum to worry that he had got a rather hideous new tattoo. We also did a interview in Manchester with a certain someone who wasnt very careful when texting a friend during the show and a mutual friend reported to us afterwards that this certain someone said that some of the band were fit, and perhaps dirty and looked like they like to experiment in bed due to their appearance. The bands response to this is that we are all very hygienic and extremely boring in bed.

In Glasgow we were given some brilliant Fan art which is Niall’s own interpretation of our little faces, and bodies. He has also included himself in the picture, but at first we just thought he had mispelt Neil. It is now sitting on our Dashboard, and if anyone wants to make us some more to perk up our van we would be very grateful. I would also like some febreeze to save time on washing. If we get two we might be able to set up a fan art page on our website….

We had a aftershow party in Glasgow (our very first organised aftershow party) at the Garage, we think however the staff are perhaps….muppets. They took our whisky off us at the door, they searched Ellen to the point of sexual abuse asking her to tell them where her Weed was because “they were going to find it and throw her out.” Ellen does not smoke weed, but the fact she roaches her rizla packets for rollies because she cant be bothered to buy filters made the security suspicious. This also makes them stupid. But the party was extremely fun despite the music of Good Charlotte/30 Seconds to Mars being continously filtered through to the area we were in.

Doug from Sky Larkin and Gareth demonstrate their gunts in Newcastle. This show was possibly the most rock n roll one we have ever played. There was a stage invasion, and someone tried to steal the melody horn. Someone suceeded in stealing the glock beater, and the korg was knocked over. The glock beater has been passed down for many generations in the Campesinos family, so I am asking the person who borrowed it to turn themselves in to their nearest police station before things get ugly. Yep. Alek is Russian, Tom is Italian and between them they can summon enough mafia to make you feel very uncomfortable.

To add to the Rock n Rollness of the evening Harriet and Ellen thought it would be appropriate to don their best bread hats as they headed to the aftershow DJ set which we all did just down the road from the gig. An exclusive album track was played much to everyones apathy, and the classic “Gravel Pit” by the Wu-Tang clan was pulled out. Gareth played M.I.A like 8 times.

To make everyone leave he had to play the most requested song of the night, which was deemed some Pixies song, and was counted by a show of hands from the eight people remaining.

and that is a runthrough of all our adventures so far. we’ll keep you updated. lots of love and hugs, ellen and aleks and the rest of LC!

Nooooooo I wanted to see Grandma Josie 😭😭😭 why is she still mad lol🤣🫢 shouldn't she be with her daughter and son-in-law and find peace at last 🥺. Okay but this chp was just 😭😭🥺🥺. From Lincoln's *** scene 😳😉 to Diavolos the horse 🥺🥺 to Annie 🥺🥺🥺🥺(even if it created more confusion 😵😵‍💫) I had a question tho, in the scene where Devon visits Noah's grave it mentioned spend a special time with someone if they're alive (and my Devon's LI is Connor) so why didn't he show up in the flashback🫢🤣. Anyways I hope we get to see my baby boy Tom🥺. Ahhhhh I'm so hyped✊🏻✊🏻. Also Sylvia can like get it even though I'm gay af 🫢the McQuiods sure can get it huh all three of em🫢

she's still mad because she was forcibly taken down by harper and was angry about it :'( so glad you enjoyed all the moments of the chapter!!! also as for the LI in the ch 15 grave scene uh... pretty sure that's my bad. I think we were planning on adding some variants that we forgot to add and never changed the tutorial lmao

also you're SO right, the mcquoids can get it. a family of complete hotties