#farm witch friday fun | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lobotoboy · 2 years

Text

Personal Ranking of Nightmare Time Episodes

Let me preface that I love every single thing that has come from the Hatchetfield series, including every Nightmare Time episode. The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals and Black Friday got me through quarantine, and I have all the Nightmare Time release dates(just Yellow Jacket left) on my calendar. This ranking was so hard to make, and inevitably came down to just personal character preferences. There will be an explanation for each ranking. Spoilers for Nightmare Time season 1, all currently released episodes of season 2, Black Friday, and TGWDLM.

11. Killer Track: This story was solid. I love how we got more context on Miss Holloway’s past. We got to see a bit more of the Black Book, and I especially liked how we get to see the storylines so far, intertwine at the Honey Festival. It really drives home that this whole season takes place in one crazy summer. All the acting was phenomenal, and the music(especially the Needy Beast’s cover of the Nightmare Time theme song) will be streamed the second it releases on Spotify. What put it in last place, was just the fact that I didn’t really find the Killer Track itself, scary. Jeff Blim did great, but I was vibing the entire time. I also don’t like Duke or Miss Holloway as much as the other characters, so until I see them more, I won’t exactly be engrossed in their relationship. Still a solid episode, I’d rate it a 6/10.

10. The Witch In the Web: Once again, solid story. I love how it showed Lex and Hannah’s home life, and it introduced Duke and Miss Holloway. It gave us so much lore on the Lords in Black and Webby, and I will always enjoy lore dumps. It called back to previous Hatchetfield moments, like when they visited the Starlight Theater, or met Uncle Wiley. The dream setup of the story was also very fun to follow along with, and parts reminded of me of stories like ParaNorman. What dragged it down was the horror elements. Stories structured like dreams are just so fascinating to me, that I didn’t find anything scary. The closest I got to a fearful reaction, was either Lex’s transformation into Willabella Muckwab, or when Pamela was strangling Miss Holloway. I’d rate this episode, a 6/10.

9. Abstinence Camp: I was a church kid. I went to vacation bible studies over the summer, Sunday school, Wednesday church, the whole shebang. I am a Baptist Christian. Abstinence Camp was a fun little reminder about those summers spent learning “pure” things. I love Peter Spankoffski, even back when he was just the Hot Chocolate Boy/Obnoxious Teen. The little relationship between Stephanie and Pete was interesting to watch. Grace Chastity was not at all what I expected, and I loved every second. Kim Whalen and Jon Matteson did such a good job as Boy Jerry and Girl Jeri. The gore was on point, especially the description of what happened to Gabe. The humor was awesome. Corey Doris and Bryce Charles sang the Axe Man song beautifully, and I still find myself humming Virginity Rocks. With that being said, I am an asexual, who gets pretty uncomfortable at mentions of sexual things, but that didn’t really affect my enjoyment, until the Dirty Girl scene. But aside from that, it’s a really fun experience. I give it a 7/10. Jon Matteson playing an insane character is always enjoyable.

8. Perky’s Buds: I don’t get why a lot of people dislike this one. Aside from the vomiting scene, it was a fun story about Emma’s pot farm dreams, and elaborated on a character mentioned in Watcher World, Ziggy. It gave us lore on the Hatchetmen, and the Witchwood in general. Joey’s performance of Ezekiel was phenomenal, every second he was onscreen was iconic. I will be using lines like “Isaac, never speak to me again” in regular conversation. I’ve already adapted “tig ol’ bitties” into my day to day vocabulary. The horror moments were terrifying as well, from the Metzger’s being pecked apart by birds, the realization that the birds could mind control people, and the Scary Movie-esque moment of Ezekiel wielding multiple guns. What brought it down for me, was the vomiting scene, yes, but also the ending. I know they probably didn’t want to have Emma and Ziggy burning up in a fire, but their rescue just felt like a bit of a cop-out. Still a good time, would love to see Jae in more Starkid stuff. I’d give it a 7.5/10.

7. Jane’s A Car: From here on out, I’d like to say that my jaw dropped, a minimum of once for these stories. Jane’s A Car not only brought one of the lines that haunt me during exams, “Got my foot on the gas”, but genuinely made my jaw drop at the ending. Tom and Becky were my second and third favorite characters in Black Friday, losing to Linda Monroe. It was really cool to meet Jane, in her car form. It was setup in a way similar to a Goosebumps story, where no one really believes the main character, because if someone told you their car was possessed by the soul of their deceased wife, you would either assume they were lying, or have them admitted in a mental hospital. The twist of Jane succeeding in taking over Becky’s body at the end, along with the context on the Black Book, was very interesting. Also, it gave us the brief return of Greenpeace Girl, along with a solid Lex and Ethan moment that set up the main plot. Dylan’s performance of Tom has so many complexities, that it really brings Tom to life, and makes him feel like someone I would genuinely encounter and enjoy being around. The only thing that detracted from this story, was the nearly erotic car scene, that would make the guy in love with his car on TLC proud. As I said before, that sort of thing just makes me a tad uncomfortable. All in all, Jane’s A Car receives a solid 8/10.

6. Daddy: This story makes watching Black Friday, a whole new experience. On my first watch of Black Friday, Frank just seemed like your average capitalist, taking advantage of the biggest money-making day of the year, but Daddy gives him so many new dimensions. While he still has the same personality, you learn he doesn’t have much money, since he followed his passion with unfortunate timing. His dog dies in the beginning, and that alone was enough to bring a single tear to my eye. My dogs mean everything to me, I just felt the pain. The Young family, which I now realize is a literal last name, was a fascinating thing to get more context on. How Sherman can buy all the Wigglys (Wigglies?) from Toy Zone makes sense now. Sheila being involved with the Black Book and the Lords in Black, Sherman gaining the ability to stay a kid forever, learning that the Man In A Hurry’s name is Barry Swift, made the story so fun to watch. Jaime and Corey did amazingly. I’d give this story, an 8/10. Also Ted gets shot in the dick, and that’s funny as fuck.

5. Hatchetfield Ape-Man: Any story with Professor Hidgens and Ted is immediately amazing. The Hatchetfield Ape-Man song was so jazzy, I sing along every time. The story has a Tarzan x The Most Dangerous Game feel, especially when Hidgens chases Johnathan through the Witchwood. It’s a self-aware story, that shows Hidgens and Ted at the best. A lot of those lines made me crack up laughing, and this story marks one of the many times Ted gets shot. What I will say, is that the horror only really picks up towards the end, but for the first episode of Nightmare Time, it’s excellent pacing, and I will never tire of crazed Professor Hidgens. 8.5/10, go watch it if you haven’t.

4. Honey Queen: For being a longer story, it doesn’t feel stretched out. I adore Linda Monroe, anything Lauren does is immediately awesome, but Linda really sticks out to me, for no reason in particular. Aside from meeting her kids and Gerald, we get a lot more insight into Linda in general, from her upbringing to the underhanded means she’ll stoop to, to get what she wants. We also get to see Zoey and Sam again, and it really feels like a blend of the TGWDLM cast and Black Friday cast. We get so much Zoey context, the entire Latte Hottay song, and Nibbly’s first standalone appearance. That Nibbly appearance was written so beautifully grotesque, it really helped me visualize the horror that is Nibbly. Paul also gets two lines, and that's enough to have put this in the Top 5. Also Jon Matteson plays another villain, and while I followed him for his performance as Paul, I’d do it again for Roman. 9/10.

3. Time Bastard: Ted is one of my favorite Hatchetfield characters, and every time he shows up is fun for me. So I loved this deep dive into his past. This and Forever and Always also tie into one another, and that is something I do like to see. The way the story made Ted into a somewhat sympathetic character, despite not changing his personality, and made the Homeless Guy important to the lore of the story, was a cool outcome. It makes watching La Dee Dah Dah Day a different experience. Peanuts The Hatchetfield Pocket Squirrel song is art worthy of the Louvre. The future for CCRP Technical was so surreal. The moment that Ted accidentally kills Jenny, was a jaw drop moment. Watching Time Bastard has such strong implications for Hatchetfield as a whole. Also we get the first solo appearance of Tinky, and Jeff Blim is a wonderful actor. 9.5/10.

2. Forever and Always: What can I say, I love Paul and Emma. This story is near perfection to me. The whole story is just Paulkins, with the very solid hook of the Emma he married, not only isn't the real Emma, but is a homicidal android. The Homeless Man's appearance and the tie ins with Time Bastard were superb. The duet between Robert and Mariah was god-tier. The finale twist of Paul himself being a clone, who killed the original, after you find out they killed the real Emma, is so shocking. The only thing that kept Forever and Always from first place, was the strengths of the next story, and the fact that Paul23 barely has any time to be evil. 9.9/10.

1. Watcher World: There was a brief period of time, where I could not finish this story. It was eerily similar to a recurring dream I had been having, down to the eyes and color motifs. Every single time, I could only get about as far as the first mention of purple eyes, and then I would tap out. I forced myself to sit down and finish it, and Oh My God. My jaw, the ground. Corey and Mariah's performances as Bill and Alice were so believable. Father/Daughter relationships mean a lot to me, so seeing the very realistic bond between them was so emotional. Blinky's concept as the Watcher with a Thousand Eyes is horrifying, so much so that the mere idea of it made the climax that much scarier. The eerieness of the Sniggle performance, coupled with the strange, hallucinatory visions created by Blinky, really brought the overall atmosphere home. The vision that Bill has of smashing Alice's head in with the mallet is scary as hell. And the ending, one of the only happier endings in Hatchetfield. Talking about everything I liked in this story would take too long. 10/10.

All in all, I'd highly recommend this series to anyone I'll come across. Expect the overall look of my blog to change soon. I will not be posting again until the 9th, which will be my 16th birthday and 69th post. Have a good day!

#hatchetfield #hatchetverse #black friday #nightmare time #tgwdlm #the guy who didn't like musicals #ted spankoffski #honey queen #watcher world #perkys buds #and all the rest #i want a blinky doll #i was a pokey doll #i want a Wiggly doll #ideally four of them

13 notes · View notes

grex-statera · 8 months

Text

Chapter 7: Comfort - Spring, Year 1

The following days had been a blur to Elliot. She has fallen into a comfortable routine: take care of crops first thing in the morning, head out into the mines and then report back to Rasmodius at the end of the week for any progress.

Of course, she made time for friends as well. On Mondays, She would hang out with Leah and Elliott, either at the beach, in the forest or at the Library. On Wednesdays, she would hang out with the ASS gang. Fridays are a bit tough though, but she tries to balance the two groups together.

It was nice to be able to have such a close community looking out for you. Elliot felt like she was part of one huge town-sized family.

She and her father occasionally called to check up on each other, as well.

Dad: So, how's the townsfolk treatin' ya? Hope they haven't been speculating that you're a witch?

Ellie: What? Where'd that come from? I thought magic people were the norm here in the countryside.

Dad laughed.

Dad: I'm just teasing you, sweetie. I'll send you some extra cash in the bank sometime this week. Thought you could use a hand.

Ellie: No need, dad. I'm all set out here.

Believe it or not, Elliot's farm was actually doing pretty well. She took a tally of how much produce cost with Mayor Lewis' help. If she could save enough by the end of the season, she could expand her farming plots and install sprinklers to save time.

Dad: That's great news, sweetie. I knew you'd do good.

Ellie: How are things back home?

Dad: Ehhhhh. Same old, same old. The house is just lacking a hermit who spends the whole weekend typing away at her computer.

Ellie laughed. But there was a slight pain in her chest.

Ellie: Alright, Dad. I think I'm going to bed. There's a festival tomorrow so I have to get up early. See you soon. Love you.

Dad: Alright, dear. Have fun! Love you too.

Ellie sat quietly on the edge of her bed in the darkness. She always did this when she was feeling... something. She spends a lot of time trying to make herself busy to ignore her feelings. It didn't matter if it was joy or sadness or something else. She wanted to be a brick wall.

There are moments like this, though, when she considers her humanity. Even then, she still tries to hide from it.

Maybe if I sit perfectly still, silently breathing, it wont find me, Ellie thought.

She always thought that the "it" that she referred to were her emotions, buried memories or other, deeper thoughts at the back of her mind. But maybe "it" can also very well be herself.

Her thoughts lingered on this. What a complete pity and tragedy to bury yourself within yourself, so deep that you can no longer find the buried you.

Elliot sighed deeply.

Ellie: There's no point in this self-pity, man. Just go to sleep and get some festival food tomorrow.

Ellie plopped herself into the bed, clutched one of her pillows closely to her chest and slept.

+++++

It was the day of the flower dance.

Mayor Lewis told her that it was a ritual festival for the bounty of the valley.

Lewis: There will be a dance but you will need a partner if you want to participate. It doesn't matter what gender. If you DO find a partner, you can go to Haley so she can teach you the steps. It's all very basic so, not to worry.

There was a pep in his voice. He must really like this festival, Ellie thought.

She didn't bother to find a partner since she didn't want to be too awkward around everyone else. Sure, everyone knows everyone in this town but still...it was kind of embarrassing. Besides, she's only been here for a few weeks. She figured she will just skip today's dance and if she liked it, she could try asking someone next year.

Ellie arrived at the festival grounds at 9 am sharp, wearing her nicest floral dress.

Emily: Hey there!

Ellie: Hi, Emily!

Emily: I LOVE your dress! It fits the festival theme so well.

Ellie: Thank you. Ehm, this is my only dress with a flower pattern so it'll probably be a Flower Dance uniform for me from now on.

Emily laughed.

Emily: Oh, I can definitely help you with that! Just come over to my house and I'll make you something good.

Emily winked.

Emily: Have you tried the red jelly yet?

---

Elliot walked over to where Leah and Elliott, the writer, was.

Ellie: Hey guys!

Leah: Ellie! You look so nice.

Ellie: Thank you, you too!

Elliott: Ah, it is very lovely to see that not only the flowers are in bloom today.

Ellie felt her ears get hot.

Ellie: Ehm. So uh, you guys dancing today?

Leah: Yeah, I guess. It's not too bad, but honestly, I'd rather just enjoy the food. Elliott here has other plans, though.

Ellie: Ohh, so you're partners?

Elliott: At the dance, yes. We were partners last year and it went well.

Ellie: I see...

Leah: Hey, do you wanna dance with Elliott this year?

Ellie couldn't help but blush.

Ellie: Oh, uh. I think I'm just gonna observe for now. I mean... I mean watch. I'm not really sure if I could keep up with the... Yeah.

Ellie wasn't sure yet if she had a crush on Elliott but her awkwardness betrayed that.

Elliott laughed.

Elliott: That's quite alright, Ellie. You should look closely then, once the dance starts. Maybe next year we could be partners.

Ellie: Y-yeah! Sure, uh, definitely. Thanks. For the invite. I think I'm gonna get some food for a bit.

Leah: Yeah, sure. Try out everything, they're all local delicacies.

Ellie moved away from the two, still blushing. Why can't she stop being so awkward? It's not like the dance was some grand, high-stakes deal. It's just a dance.

Ellie poured herself some jelly in a bowl and found a corner to stand in.

The atmosphere all around felt great. There were people from the city and the neighboring towns, admiring the flowers and catching up with friends. Ellie was lost in her thoughts, smiling at the view.

Seb: Hey.

Ellie almost jumped.

Ellie: Oh! Uh, hey. Sorry about that.

Seb: You're quite jumpy.

Sebastian snickered.

Ellie: Well, I wasn't expecting someone to talk to me yet. I'm on standby mode, see?

Ellie made vague hand gestures to herself.

Seb: Standby mode, huh? Me too, I guess.

Ellie: Enjoying the festival?

Seb: Nah. I hate this one actually. I hate dancing in front of everyone.

Sebastian started to scowl.

Ellie: You're not gonna light a cigarette right now, aren't you?

Seb: Hm? Oh, nah. I have to behave. Keep myself presentable.

Ellie payed attention to how Sebastian looked - he was quite presentable. And cute too.

Ellie: I think you look handsome.

Sebastian looked at her, quite surprised. He looked like he was fighting a blush.

Seb: Uh, th- thanks. You too. I mean, not handsome, like... Pretty.

Ellie: Thank you.

They shared a bit of silence between them.

Seb: You, uh, dancing?

Ellie: Oh, God, no. I'd mess up.

Sebastian nodded.

Ellie: You?

Seb: ...yeah. With Abby.

Ellie: That's cute.

Seb: Eh. Our parents make us do it. Not a big deal, though.

Ellie searched the crowd for Robin and Pierre. She found the two families locked in conversation in the far side of the grounds.

Ellie: Cool.

Another round of silence.

Seb: You're-

Ellie: Hm?

Sebastian paused, looking a bit puzzled.

Seb: Nevermind.

Ellie: You okay, man?

Seb: Yeah, I just... It's nice hanging out with you, you know. Like... I don't get pressured to talk or something.

Ellie: Ahh, well. Silence is nice sometimes.

Seb: Yeah. Silence is nice MOST times.

They shared a laugh.

Lewis, over microphone: Good morning, everyone. I'd like to officially welcome you all to the Flower Dance festival. Thank you to our visitors, for taking the time to go to our humble town. We will now start with the dance- I'd like to ask the participants to take center stage.

Sebastian swallowed hard, adjusting his bowtie.

Ellie: Hey, man. Chill out. You'll do great out there.

Seb: Yeah... Uh, thanks... I'll-

Sebastian's gaze fell to the floor.

Seb: Hey, uh, don't watch me too much.

He said, smiling while walking away.

+++++

The dance was beautiful.

Elliott and Leah glided throughout the sequence effortlessly. Sebastian was quite stiff, almost as if he was just there to support Abigail when she was twirling.

Both scenes brought warmth to Elliot, as if she was taking a mental picture of the day.

Leah: Walk me home, Ellie.

Leah giggled, holding Ellie's hand while twirling.

Leah: I wish I could've seen you dance.

Ellie: Haha, maybe next year. I may be able to keep up with the moves.

Elliott: Ah, yes, that sounds marvelous. I'd love to dance with you sometime, Elliot... Ehm, Farm Elliot.

Leah had come up with a nickname for the two of them.

Leah: You should be Farm Elliot and you should be Beach Elliott. Easier, right?

Ellie laughed at the memory.

Ellie: Just Ellie's fine. What's up with the locator, anyway?

Elliot: Sometimes, it feels nice to be called by your entire name, doesn't it? To be recognized?

Leah: Alright, Diogenes, this isn't gonna be a philosophy class. You're drunk.

Elliott chuckled.

Elliott: Tipsy, yes. Drunk? Not yet.

The three of them reached Leah's cabin.

Leah: Alright, you two. I'll be dozing off. Today was so fun! See ya tomorrow, maybe.

Ellie: Alright, see ya. Good night.

Leah gave the two Elliot/ts a hug then went in.

Elliott: Would you like me to walk you home, Ellie?

Ellie: Oh, uh. Sure, I guess. It's gonna be far from your cabin, though. Is that alright?

Elliott: Of course, it would be my pleasure. I have to be honest: I haven't set foot on your farm before and am quite curious with how it looks.

Ellie: I see. Let's go, then?

The two of them started walking to the farm.

Elliott: It's been quite troublesome, yes. But I'm quite positive that I will get inspiration soon.

Ellie: Yeah, that's the spirit! Don't let bad thoughts get to you - it'll only weigh you down.

Elliott: Indeed.

They reached Ellie's front porch.

Ellie: Thank you, Elliott. It was quite lovely talking to you.

Elliott: The pleasure is all mine. I'll be off now. Good night, dear Ellie.

Ellie: Good night, Elliott.

Elliott walked a few paces, before turning back to Ellie.

Elliott: If you don't mind, could you come visit me sometime in my cabin? I could use the company. Maybe you could look at my drafts and give me feedback for my works in progress.

Ellie blushed.

Ellie: Sure thing. I'll be there.

Elliott: Quite splendid.

Elliott started to walk toward the town, looking back again at Ellie once, with a smile.

+++++

Ellie spent the night sprawled on her bed, staring at her ceiling. It felt like there was a golden ball of light in her chest.

Yeah, it did suck that she had to move away from her dad and the comfort of her city life. But the way that the people in Pelican Town connected with her - it felt warm. Important. Precious.

Ellie's thoughts went back to Rasmodius.

Rasmodius: Mortal affairs are small and mundane, but precious all the same. We cannot always save them from their personal and interpersonal dilemmas. But, it is our duty as Custodians to still watch over them and the environment they live in. Especially the environment they live in. It is not just humans who live in this world, Elliot. There are some entities who respect boundaries and treaties, but there WILL be deviants, working to topple the balance of it all.

Ellie sat there on the wizard's hardwood floor, trying to absorb his lessons.

Rasmodius: Ultimately, peace and order shall be our end.

Ellie kept the wizard's words in her head.

Ellie: Alright. I'm doing my best. Trying to, at least.

Ellie turned to her side, waiting for sleep to visit her. Her mind presents her with the picture of her friends and the townsfolk - a lovely memory.

Yeah, Ellie thought, that's definitely something worth protecting. She closed her eyes and slept.

#stardew valley #stardew au #stardew fanfic

1 note · View note

gigantomachylesbian · 1 year

Text

OKAY rage abandoned let me make a list of things I’m looking forward to:

1. Audrey’s birthday is this week!!!! We are going to eat sushi and I love to celebrate a birthday

2. We’ll probably get to do work on the farm for my greenhouse class again

3. lots of stuff I don’t even know about yet!!! I will have nice little moments and fun conversations that I can’t even predict

4. After Friday it’s spring break :^) and the following stuff is all Break Stuff:

5. take a nice shower in my house as opposed to a gross shower in my dorm

6. see dogs!!!

7. I am going to convince mom and my twin to go to one of my favorite local bookstores with me and then try out this local ice cream sandwich place (all their ice cream sandwiches are named after fictional witches/wizards (but not the shitty ones) and I NEED to try the Howl one) so I will be able to replenish my book supply and get a treat AND have family time

8. See Jena my friend Jena and watch Howl’s Moving Castle :^)

9. Call my friend Danny!!!

10. Maybe I will finally be free to attend a discord movie/video night with folks for once in my life...

11. Maybe get to work on my new diorama project! I don’t have all the materials I need but I could at least start

12. Just be on break :^)

13. Oh my god literally the most important thing is I can FINALLY see my doctor. I will at the very least know if months of knee pain is just part of the healing process or find out if something is wrong!!!

#k talks #okay. okay. I have some big things to do this week (timeline project mostly) but once I'm through I get a week off!!!! let's go let's go

1 note · View note

providencepeakrp · 3 years

Photo

“IT’S ℌ𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔫 -

EVERYONE’S ENTITLED TO ONE GOOD SCARE.”

A Ghoulish Gathering. A Jack-o-Lantern Jamboree. A Halloween Hoedown. A spooky event that finds itself gracing the pumpkin farm fields in the outskirts of Bighorn Hills every autumn season, bringing the crisp fall fun to many families, couples, and even a couple of canines alike. This year, citizens can find themselves enjoying not only the main events at Jack’s Pumpkin Farm, such as pumpkin carving, hayrides, and bobbing for apples, but can also attend one of the many events hosted during Halloween week in a local spot around the city!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

All Week (October 22nd to October 31st) - Beginning at 4pm during the weekdays and 2pm during the weekends, seak out the truly ghoulish gathering at Jack’s Pumpkin Farm where, in addition to the corn maze, hayrides, and pumpkin picking that have been going on all month, you’ll also find local vendors, food trucks from The Lunch Box, Farm to Fork, The Sweet Spot, and Deja Brew, bobbing for apples, live music putting a spell on everyone there, and crafts for kids and adults alike. Grab a spiked hot apple cider and treat yourself to some scares in the nearby Haunted House for a perfect end to your... night.

Wednesday (October 27th) - Book your tickets early to The Glass Onion’s very first Murder Mystery Dinner, where everyone is invited to dress up and attend a fine dining dinner that goes horribly ary. Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with a chef’s knife? Or the person sitting next to you in the eccentric clown mask? Bring a group of people, a date, or risk it all on your lonesome!

Thursday (October 28th) - Glide your ghostly selves down to Cinematic with a donation item for the local food pantry and find free front row seats to a showing of Halloweentown or if you’re not looking for something family-friendly, try out the theater down the hallway for a truly spooktacular showing of John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween classic.

Friday (October 29th) - Start your weekend off with a Drunk or Treat at The Grape Escape, where an adult spin is put on the classic childhood favorite trunk or treats. The vineyard promises no tricks are included with their seasonal wine flights - but don’t be fooled; some wine is flavored like delicious Halloween candy or pumpkin while others are... particularly frightful flavors. Want to take your chances on a scary surprise?

Saturday (October 30th) - Halloween only comes once a year and Victoria Carlyle is never one to miss the season she hates the most. No one is really sure why she hates it, but rumor has it that she rents out the entirety of Peak Seasons to host the city’s largest Spooktacular Soiree just to spite the holiday itself. Dress in your best costume and head to the hotel early to grab a daring drink of Witch’s Brew or Beetlejuice before experiencing the truly traumatic scares down each hallway of the hotel. Want to skip the scares? Stick to the ground level where you’ll find the host herself judging the evening costume contest, The Peak’s Keola and Mya playing the spookiest dance soundtrack, and even more alcoholic drinks and festive treats to ring in the holiday with.

Sunday (October 31st) - If you managed to escape Victoria Carlyle’s clutches before the early morning sun rises and you’re not feeling like a decaying skeleton yourself from the hangover, make your way to Jack’s Pumpkin Farm for the Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest. Judges will be local celebreties Keola and Mya, Mayor Harris herself, and well-known District Attorney Robert Porter.

EVENT DETAILS

This event will be kicking off Friday, October 22nd at 7pm EST. An end date and time will be announced in the near future.

Previous threads should be paused or completed by the end of Friday, October 22nd.

Activity checks will not be performed during this event, but members are expected to continue to be active and if characters are assumed to have ghosted without communication, contact will be made and an unfollow will be posted.

Dress in your favorite fall layers as weather is expected to be creepy and chilly!

Have fun and be sure to relax and enjoy this event! Please tag all event related posts with providence.event and be sure to check the starter blog for open event starters.

#providence.event #oc rp #city rp #town rp #lsrpg

7 notes · View notes

professorchaos · 3 years

Note

randy n clyde 4 the ask meme... switchin things up a bit :)

i already did clyde, so i'll just do randy!

Why I like them

in earlier seasons - honestly even up until the most recent few and all the tegridy farms stuff - i found him absolutely hilarious. he's a perfect poster boy for one of south park's funniest and most persistent jokes: the idea that kids are often smarter and more reasonable than their parents

Why I don’t

i didn't hate it as much as a lot of people, but nonetheless, the tegridy farms bit got old rather fast. it felt like... this character who had previously been so funny, when used in contrast with the kids, lost a lot of appeal when stood on his own. it reduced him to just, like, weed, sexual and toilet humour, and divorce, with less of the cleverness and genuine immature playful spirit that had previously made his character so much fun.

Favorite episode (scene if movie)

you're getting old, medicinal fried chicken and a nightmare on face time

Favorite season/movie

i REALLY liked him in the black friday trilogy (the dramatic scar that was just a fake stick-on wound might be one of my favorite jokes in the show)

Favorite line

don't have one. i think the jokes that are the best with him are largely situational

Favorite outfit

i actually like his tegridy farms outfit better than his blue shirt... but it's GOTTA be his witch costume.

OTP

randy x years and years of therapy and family counselling

Brotp

WITH THE OTHER DADS OMG I GENUINELY CARE ABOUT THEM...

Head Canon

man i dunno... when he grows old he will start some kind of weird collection. stamps or something. just seems like a bit of a randy thing. he always needs something to get weird over

Unpopular opinion

i like him

A wish

go back to being a background character please bestie <3

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen

i would be sad if he died ):

5 words to best describe them

dad i'd like to... study

My nickname for them

rands <3 randall <3 (just kidding. he's randy)

#vhvrs #ask games #thanks for asking sorry it's late! these take a while so i'm going slow lol

9 notes · View notes

better-than-firewhisky · 3 years

Text

In my mind, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione went to Glastonbury fest in 1998 - one of the rainiest and muddiest of them all.

Because they were young and deserved some fun.

Ron and Hermione had already come back from Australia with her parents, and funerals and memorials had ended. It had been almost two months since the Battle of Hogwarts and things were slowly going back to normality - or a certain normality at least, taking into account what they'd lost.

One day Arthur Weasley came back home from the Ministry with four tickets, which had been seized from a wizard that was magically duplicating them and using the almost perfect copies to con some muggles.

At the beginning, Harry and Ron weren't very excited about the idea of going to Glastonbury - they had already had enough camping for a lifetime, and Harry didn't like overcrowded places at all. But Blur was Ginny's favourite muggle band, and Pulp was Hermione's (the boys were much more into Oasis, something that usually led to Ron arguing with Ginny, ending with one or both of them playing music very loud in the wireless and with Molly shouting at them) so, despite everything, the decision was made.

Only a few times in their lives they had been more grateful for being wizards and witches than they were that weekend. Poor muggles.

They were lucky too, because they settled their tents in a quite good spot. Obviously they used charmed tents that looked completely normal from the outside. Could have used only one for the four of them, but four people comfortably settled in only one tent would have been too suspicious for muggles, so they used two. One for Harry and Ginny, and one for Ron and Hermione - because, honestly, after their trip to Australia (and the time Harry and Ginny had spent on their own in the Burrow), other sleeping arrangements would have been nonsense.

Despite the many, many litres of rain that fell on Friday and Saturday and the unbelievable amount of mud there was everywhere, their charmed tents remained totally dry inside and they were able to rest for the three nights spent in Glastonbury. They also furtively casted some charms to stay completely dry, warm and clean under their raincoats and to avoid their boots sinking too much into the mud.

The muggles that were around them, especially on Friday and Saturday, could be clearly divided in two groups: those that looked as if they were in a living hell, and those who didn't care about anything at all and just wanted to have fun. It didn't matter the group, they all were covered in mud.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione couldn't enjoy the shows as much as they could have done if the weather had been better, but had a lot of fun anyway. With a little help from magic, there wasn't mud enough in that farm that could dissuade Ginny from singing and dancing with Blur. Pulp played on Sunday, when many people had already given up and left and the weather was much better, so Hermione was very happy too. And the boys had much more fun than they had expected. Even Ron eventually admitted that he liked seeing Blur.

But, after three days full of rain, mud and exhaustion, when they arrived at The Burrow on Monday morning, the four of them unanimously agreed that they were not coming back - unless a forecast of several sunlit days could be granted.

A thousand apologies for my many mistakes, English is not my mother language and I find it very difficult to express myself. I'd appreciate it if you could tell me about them so that I could correct them.

If someone wants to write a proper fanfic about these imaginary funny days at Glastonbury, I'd love to read it. Please let me know!

#I know this is a very silly thing #and poorly written #sorry #today it's been a year since the last concert I went to and I miss it #I went to see Green Day and enjoyed it a lot #Harry Potter #Ginny Weasley #Ron Weasley #Hermione Granger

34 notes · View notes

quantumcheese · 4 years

Text

Have you ever noticed that the brother's personalities kind of mimic different stages in a humans life cycle? Not exactly, obviously, because they aren't human.

Examples**-

Belphie: cranky napping grandpa who only has enough energy to move from his napping chair to his napping couch. Sleep mumbles about the good old days when humans were monkeys and monkeys were at least funny. Will sleep grope a woman if she walks by, but is he really sleeping? The exaggerated snoring afterward leaves some questions.

Lucifer: stressed 40-something soccer mom constantly worrying over her brood, wondering if she was supposed to bring the snacks this week, was it her turn to car pool, was the PTA meeting tonight or tomorrow, and who exactly had the dentist appointment on Friday? Not to mention the upcoming potential promotion that she needed to kiss her bosses ass for, and... Does she need to pull this van over and teach someone a lesson right now?? I mean it and I'll leave you on the side of the road for the sewer clown to find, I swear to Diavolo!

Satan: pretentious 30-something masters of literature student who attends poetry slams and snorts when you say you enjoyed Animal Farm, but can't name any of Orwell's more obscure titles or debate on why communism is actually what every capitalist society will become if they exist long enough.

Beel: ravenous athlete, consuming thousands of calories pre-game. It's almost coming to the point where it would be less expensive to raise wild greater scalebeasts for him to eat each day if it weren't prevented by law. Too bad really, Akuzon was starting to threaten not to deliver to your house anymore after the delivery person was scared to death (literally) and then eaten (literally) by Beel after the stupid creature wouldn't just hand over the food when Beel was ravenous. Something about needing confirmation of client and a signature before release. Lucifer compensated them by having Beel and Mammon work in the warehouse for a month.

Mammon: money-hungry, poor, 20-something student who has done every job out there at least once. He's not particularly proud of it, some he won't speak of, but hey! At least he landed a cherry modelling gig out of it! Too bad he also ended up having to fulfil obligations with the magazine Madam Succubus as well... Not to mention the loans to some witches he was paying off in ways he'd rather not discuss.

Levi: that college student who flunks out for getting addicted to the game du jour. First he was cited for missing too many classes, then his RA in dorm thought a body was rotting in his room due to the smell of all the garbage, final straw was when he missed all his second term finals for a tournament. He ended up winning it though, prize was a sponsorship by RedMinotaur and more Grimm than Lucifer made in interest off his investments in a year. He was set in his opinion.

Asmo: The 20-something guy who comes to work always smelling like sex, making slightly sexual innuendos, and always having that come-hither look on his face that earns him the most tips. And you all work as tellers in a BANK for hells sake.

**DISCLAIMER**

I don't actually think the boys are like this, it was just fun to imagine.

If you enjoyed this, and would like to ask me to write something you've wondered, go on ahead, my box is always open ☺️

I'm tagging a couple people I think would enjoy reading this, if you do not want to be tagged in the future, please let me know!

@inb4belphienaps @thehouseoflamentation @bitchoftheclouds @luciferrno @bluelipsblueveins-blue @leviastans @tickledpink31

36 notes · View notes

hauntedskeletonmoon · 4 years

Text

ENTRY THE ??????

Time may have lost all meaning but horror media sure hasn’t! I have more opinions written just for you, dear reader.

16) Scarlet Hollow

Friends of some of my real life friends made this game! Do you like weird old towns, fucked up humanoid monsters, and elderly dogs? Then BOY, do I have a visual novel for you. I recently did a playthrough of what’s been released so far and really enjoyed it. The dialogue is fun and snappy and the art (by Abby Howard, creator of the incredible webcomic The Last Halloween) is GORGEOUS. I have no idea what’s going to happen in the story but I’m very intrigued. The first chapter is free on Steam and there’s still time to back the kickstarter this week.

17) Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Back in 2014 I had the audacity—the AUDACITY—to say that this movie wasn’t worth watching because it was “muddled and nonsensical.” Horseshit. Watch it. It’s about an evil scheme to use Halloween masks powered by Stonehenge to turn American children into piles of bugs and snakes. Who gives a shit if it’s “good”? Movies don’t need to be good to be good.

18) The Haunting of Hill House (2018) 19) The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

I’m here to tell you that these shows are good, actually. However, you do have to go in knowing that they are not one-to-one adaptations of the original stories, but more like extended riffs on the idea that love and horror are inextricable. I’m very into that so I had a grand old time. Hill House properly captures how I imagined Shirley Jackson’s accursed building would ensnare a whole family instead of just one person. Bly Manor commits the gravest possible horror sin—it isn’t scary—but it has something most shows don’t: wholesome, straightforward lesbian content. Both of these are on Netflix.

20) Daniel Isn’t Real

I went into this movie with low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised. Not unlike The Babadook, the central “antagonist” seems to be a crude metaphor for mental illness but turns out to be something external: a thing in itself that preys on the weak and the wounded. An imaginary friend turns out to be very real and very dangerous...and also, the main character’s mother has a harrowing schizophrenic breakdown. Multiple things can be scary! The performances in this are fantastic and it has some very surprising body horror about halfway through.

21) [REC] (part one and part two on dailymotion)

Remember zombies? Remember when zombies were scary? Pepperidge Farm remembers. If [REC] doesn’t creep you out you may be clinically dead. Just watch it.

22) Child’s Play (2019)

This is yet another movie that pleasantly surprised me. It’s a reimagining of the classic Child’s Play for the 21st century and you know what? It’s not half bad. Instead of the ghost of a serial killer, this iteration of the Chucky doll is inhabited by a malfunctioning artificial intelligence; the movie opens with a disgruntled sweatshop worker disabling the morality protocols on a high tech children’s toy. If you’re wondering why a toy has morality protocols that can be disabled then you are thinking too hard. Just go with it. Mark Hamill voices the doll.

23) Bride of Chucky 24) Seed of Chucky

I am recommending these movies for serious reasons and definitely not because I have a huge monster crush on Jennifer Tilly. These are two of the silliest horror movies I’ve ever seen and frankly I adore them. Bride is a genius continuation of the original Child’s Play mythos and Seed (good lord I do hate that title though...) is so bizarre I can’t not recommend it. It has John Waters and a child doll who is sometimes Glen and sometimes Glenda. It also has Jennifer Tilly playing herself and Jennifer Tilly playing a murderous doll because she HAS the range.

25) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

This is an objectively terrible movie but you should absolutely watch it. Jason Takes Manhattan posits that Crystal Lake connects to another lake which is close enough to New York City for a bunch of high school seniors to take a boat there. About 90% of the movie is spent on the boat, and when Jason finally arrives in Manhattan it’s actually Vancouver. He punches a man’s head straight off his shoulders and into a dumpster. Please watch this movie.

youtube

26) Alien vs. Predator

Watching this made me understand why people write reader-insert fanfiction about the Predator. Is it scary? No. Does it have that thing where someone or something gets cut in half really fast and then falls apart slowly? Yes. If you like seeing buff monsters go about their business then you’ll probably like this.

27) The Existential Threat (music video)

Back in middle and high school I used to get a kick out of watching Cyriak’s animations of exponentially multiplying and mutating farm animals. Cyriak has come a long way as an artist since then. I truly hated watching this. It’s the visual equivalent of accidentally tasting your medication before you swallow it. Top tier creepy stuff, in other words.

youtube

#long post #horror recs #Scarlet Hollow #halloween iii season of the witch #the haunting of hill house #the haunting of bly manor #daniel isn't real #[rec]#child's play 2019 #bride of chucky #seed of chucky #found footage #jason takes manhattan #alien vs predator #cyriak #horror movies

16 notes · View notes

farm-witches-fic-recs · 1 year

Text

This or That Friday Fun

Happy Friday, farm witch friends! We’re back with a new this or that rec game!

We wanted to make this one a little shorter (and potentially less intimidating to your recall), so everyone can all have some fun with it.

Pick which thing you like best and include a fic rec for it on your reblog.

Be sure to tag us in your responses so we can share them!

#friends of farm witches #sc fanfic #schitts creek fic #SC fic #schitts creek fanfic #friends of farm witches fic recs

76 notes · View notes

rocksandrobots · 4 years

Text

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 21 - Fishing Trip

"So what do you wanna do this weekend?" Hiro asked Varian.

The other boy only shrugged his shoulders as he had no idea.

It was Friday and they were both walking home from school while trying to make plans for the weekend. All of their other friends were either away or busy due to Father's Day coming up. Fred was going to accompany his dad on a mission. Gogo was driving down to her father's for a few days. Wasabi had bought plane tickets to fly back to his hometown of Seattle. Karmi went back upstate for the weekend with her parents, and Megan was still grounded, but had a full day planned to butter up her dad. Even Honey Lemon was going home to spend time with her abuelo.

This left Varian feeling a little awkward. In Corona they had a Guardians Day, which was meant for both parents or caretakers in general, but for Varian it was always a day for just him and his dad to spend time together. One of the few times in the year when his father wouldn't work in the field, or go to market, or have business at court.

Varian knew precisely what a day like Father's Day meant and how special time spent with the man who raised you could be. He envied his friends, but mostly, knowing this would be the second year without his dad pained him.

In a way, he was thankful that Hiro shared his delima. Though he certainly wouldn't have wished his predicament upon anyone, it was still somewhat comforting to know that he wasn't alone.

They were a less than a block away from the Lucky Cat, still discussing things to do, when a sleek car pulled to a stop beside them. The window rolled down to reveal a man with blonde hair, a large nose, and a wide smile. He was wearing a plaid shirt and a tan floppy hat.

"Hey Hiro! Go grab your overnight bag and some sunscreen!" He joyously ordered. "Your new brother, cousin, thingy too. We're going fishing!"

Varian could only look on confused, he didn't know this man nor why he wanted to him and Hiro to go on a fishing trip with him. However, Hiro apparently did know him and was also apparently not onboard with this idea at all. He stood with his mouth a gape with a look of horror in his eyes.

After processing this terrible news, Hiro could only sputter out, "But.. but why?"

The man in the vehicle began to offhandedly list his reasons. "Because fishing by oneself isn't any fun unless there's someone else around to show off to. Because I had an awful childhood, whose own father would never take fishing, and now I'm living vicariously through you. Also, you're still my intern and for the rest of the year, I still own you."

The man flashed another wide grin and Varian began to put the pieces together. This must be Krei. Owner of Krei Tech, the man in charge of the portals that brought him here, and also Hiro's boss. Though, this new revelation did nothing to stem the confusion in his mind. He couldn't for life of him see why he was being invited along on the trip nor did he understand Hiro's objections.

"But...but...b, but…" Hiro suttered desperately trying to think of way out of going.

"No buts! I've already talk with your aunt and got her permission, reserved the campsite, and I even bought you both fishing poles!" Still grinning, he reached down beside him and lifted the new poles up for Hiro and Varian to see.

Hiro let out a wordless half groan, half whine in defeat, before turning around and slumping towards the cafe. Varian blinked and looked back and forth between the two of them unsure what to do. Krei waved to him cheerfully, clearly excited for the upcoming trip, and Varian numbly waved back before deciding to follow Hiro and pack his own bag.

----------------------------

Varian found himself enjoying the fishing trip more than he had expected. The first day was spent mainly getting there and setting up the campsite. The second day was spent fishing, exploring, and just taking in the scenery.

Varian had been allowed to bring Ruddiger along, as Hiro had also brought Baymax. His pet was overjoyed to be back in his natural environment and Varian had to admit that he felt more at home here in the great outdoors than in the crowded streets of San Fansokyo. The big city was fascinating but he'd always be a simple farm boy at heart.

Krei felt much the same way. The businessman hadn't been raised in the countryside the way Varian had, but he had a great love of camping, fishing, and being out in nature. His passion stemmed from childhood summers spent on vacation at something called 'summer camp'.

Varian found he got along with older man well. They spent the ride up chatting about science and it's more practical applications, spent the trip sharing wilderness tips, and fishing out in Krei's boat. Fishing had never been Varian's favorite activity, but he now found a new sense of nostalgia for it and the praise Krei would send his way whenever he caught one helped to fuel his enjoyment of the sport even more. Plus he got a chance to show off his cooking skills after they had cleaned their catch. Not the most pleasant task ever, but Varian could stomach it much better than butchering other kinds of meat.

Hiro however did not enjoy fishing, or camping, or anything to do with the outdoors really. The other teen mostly sulked the whole trip. When he wasn't busy gagging at the worms used for bait or getting scared by the unfamiliar sounds of the local wildlife that is. Mainly he stuck close to Baymax and the tent, bored out his mind and annoyed he had been forced to come long. Varian's enthusiasm only aggravated him further and, if he was being honest with himself, he was a little jealous by how easy things came to the other boy. He'd spent half a year trying to get on Krei's good side and impress him, while Varian had managed it in mere minutes of meeting the CEO.

The only time Hiro came out of his grumpy shell was at night, when they built a campfire and roasted marshmallows. Varian had never had smores before, but they were tasty, if also sticky and a little too sweet. Ruddiger however went nuts over the fluffy sweets and had to be kept from stealing the whole bag of them. Hiro didn't really care one way or the other about the traditional treat, but was more than eager to share ghost stories with the rest of the group. Gleefully recalling with gory detail about the spirit of an ax murderer who apparently stalked the woods. Perhaps it was a little vindictive of him, to try his best and scare the other teen, but Hiro couldn't help filling a little thrill whenever Varian gave a little jump or clutched his pet raccoon even tighter in comfort.

Keri was only amused by the story. He'd heard similar ones growing up at camp. He laughed at the end of Hiro's tale.

"Ha! Kids are still telling that one? Let me tell you a real horror story."

It was about tax audits.

Both boys could only shrug at each other.

"I do not understand the purpose of a 'ghost story'." Baymax observed.

"It's suppose to be for fun." Hiro informed him.

"I see; an adrenaline rush within a safe and controlled environment can be considered a pleasant feeling for some people. However I do not understand how taxes figure into that."

"Uuuuh, neither do we." Hiro admitted, "but I guess fear is subjective. Do you have any stories to share, Varian?"

Varian had to rack his brain on that one. His own life was more of a horror story then most ghost tales he knew, but he didn't want to devel into that. Instead he told a folk legend that his dad had once told him. It had been an old story from his home country; a parable about a rich man who was so greedy that he hoarded a well from the poor townspeople during a drought. Forcing them to pay him tribute lest they die of thirst, but he made the mistake of refusing water to a witch and so was cursed to become a vampire. To spend an eternity in thirst himself and to be forever alone, because he could no longer get close to other people without risking harm to them.

"And so a leader must care for his people, son," he remembered his father instructing him at the end of the tale, "He must share and give back to the community. He who sacrifices love for his fellow man in exchanged for selfish possessions, forfeits his right to live among mankind and to even be called a 'man' himself."

If only his father's words had been true. If real life had been as simple as stories, then Corona would have sided with him and not the evil king who kept the wondrous healing flower hidden away and who turned his back upon people need. But Varian conveniently left out this more personal anecdote.

"Wow." Hiro said flatly. "That's deep."

He wasn't used to horror stories having explicit morals attached to them and didn't know how else to respond. The tale hadn't been scary so much as eerie with an unnerving ending. Unlike his serial killer story, it wasn't anything you could be afraid of happening to you, yet questioning your place in the world was somehow more off putting than simple dismemberment.

The mood was broken however, by Ruddiger stealing Hiro's marshmallow off his roasting stick. It turned out to be last one as Krei had spent the majority of Varian's story battling the gluttonous raccoon over their food stores.

"I know racoons aren't 'mankind', but does this mean he's doomed to be a marshmallow vampire now?" Hiro joked as Varian got onto his pet.

"I don't know. Your robot looks like a walking marshmallow though." Varian shot back good naturedly.

Now out of food, save for leftover fish, they all decided to tuck in for the night.

----------------------------

Hiro hated the woods. He hated how unfamiliar everything was, how inconvenient it was, and most of all he hated how gross it was. He woke up irritated and sore from sleeping on the thin sleeping bag inside the tent. He couldn't find anything decent to eat for breakfast. He never stopped grumbling while he was forced to use the bathroom outside. To make an awful morning even worst, he couldn't shake the feeling of being stalked as strange animals hooted and howled. One bush in particular shook right when he pasted it. He nearly jumped out of skin when Ruddiger pop out of it holding the last of the fish in its mouth.

He groaned as he watched the raccoon scurry away and climb up a tree a little ways off from the campsite. He didn't much care for the creature, or for wild animals in general, but he knew how important the pet was to Varian and so had tried to be polite about having it around. Still Hiro's patience was wearing thin. The walking bottomless pit had eaten practically everything in the camp.

Hiro reluctantly followed after, debating if it was worth trying to get the fish back. Probably not, he didn't even like the taste of fish all that much to begin with. He stopped in surprise when an apple core fell from tree and nearly hit him. He looked up and found Varian sitting in one of the top branches, raccoon by his side, and reaching up to pick another apple off the tree.

The other teen paused when he saw Hiro. "Hey! Morning! You wanna an apple for breakfast?"

Hiro's stomach growled in response but all he actually said was, "How did you get up there?"

Varian laughed, "Climbed up here. How else you do think? Fly?"

Hiro looked up at him blankly. It was an obvious answer, of course, and he felt silly for having asked it.

"Come on up!" Varian encouraged. "There's plenty of apples to go around."

"I..I can't." Hiro admitted sheepishly.

"Why not?"

"I don't know how to climb a tree." He mumbled.

Varian looked surprised by this revelation and before Hiro could do anything else, the other boy quickly climbed back down to join him.

“You never climb a tree before?”

‘Well, I did once, with Baymax’s help.” He rubbed the back of his neck self consciously.

“It’s not like there’s a whole lot of trees in San Fransokyo to climb.”

“Oh, well, it’s easy. Here, I’ll show you. Just put your foot there, in that knot, and place your hand here on this bump in the bark.” Varian instructed, helping Hiro find the footholds. “Now you see that groove up here, place your other foot there, and as you hoist yourself up grab that lowest branch with your other hand, like climbing a really uneven ladder.”

Hiro did so, though not without some struggling, but eventually he pulled himself up onto the lowest branch.

“Great!” Varian cheered and followed after with practiced ease. “The hardest parts done. Now all you gotta do is swing up the rest of the branches, like so.”

Varian took off, showing Hiro the best way to navigate the tree top. Hiro followed him, mimicking the other boys actions. With great effort he hauled himself up onto the final branch and heaved a ‘wooooph’ in relief of having made it up.

His sigh quickly turned to awe though when he caught sight of the view. The early morning sun sparkled on the lake. Further out a misty fog was beginning to disperse and you could see the opposite shoreline reflected in the water like glass. Beyond that giant redwoods poked out of the canopy of trees and way, way off in the distance you just about make out the tips of blue mountains.

“Woah.” He breathed. Hiro had to admit, you didn’t get scenery like this in the city.

‘Here.” Varian handed him an apple. It was smaller than the ones you’d buy in the store, with pink and yellow skin. Hiro tentatively took a bite. It was crunchy and very tart, but edible. Not to mention it was practically the only food they had left in the camp, so Hiro wound up eating it all and started in on a second one.

“So, where did you learn to climb?” Hiro asked taking another large bite of the wild fruit.

“Oh, I’ve been climbing trees since I could walk.” Varian laughed. “We owned an apple orchard along with the farm. Also the forest is right next to my village.”

Ruddiger joined them, procuring his own apple and sitting right on Varian’s lap to enjoy his meal. Varian scratched his pet’s ear.

“Does he ever get full?” Hiro asked.

“Nope.” Varian replied, and then they both broke into giggles.

Once the laughter had subsided Hiro commented, “I guess that’s why you’re so good at this outdoors stuff. This is the first time I ever been fishing, and with any luck, it’ll be my last.”

“My dad taught me.” Varian quitely confessed. “He’d take me on trips like this sometimes. Try to teach me how to hunt and fish. The fishing is a lot better than the hunting, let me tell you. I never could fire an arrow right and I can’t stand the sight of blood.” He cringed as if recalling a gruesome memory. “But, I guess he was just looking out for me. He taught me the skills he had to live on to survive. Apparently there were no farms where he grew up, the land was always baren. I guess that’s why he prefered gardening to being a knight.”

“Wait, your dad was an actual for real knight?”

Varian nodded, “Yeah, I found his armor after...after the accident. Along with a bunch of other important stuff he never told me about.” He added bitterly.

Hiro didn’t know how to respond to that. So he stayed quiet and let Varian dictate the conversation.

“Anyways, it worked. The fishing did come in handy. I had to do a lot of that, when.. when I was on my own.” He worked his jaw as he mulled over that last confession, his eyes gazing out to into the distance, clearly not seeing the breathtaking view before them.

Hiro’s heart dropped. He had a vague idea of what happened to Varian, but this was the first time it really hit home just how messed up the other’s teen’s life had been before now. He could empathize with losing a loved one, but he had always had his aunt and his friends to depend upon. If nothing else to be there and take of him as he sank into depression. But Varian had to do everything for himself, even while battling that same depression. The idea of having to catch or scavenge for your own food on top caring for you ill father was a nightmare that Hiro could barely comprehend. A nightmare that only somehow got worse.

“Fortunately, there’s a river that runs through my village, and I could set up lines overnight and just go check them in the morning, and we had food stored up for winter. Like oats, bacon, dried peas, that sort of thing. That is, until spring rolled around and the king's guards run me out of my house.” He said irritably.”Then I just had to forage or steal to survive.”

“Be...because you stole medicine?” Hiro asked disquietly. He couldn’t imagine a world so cruel and yet to his surprise the story got even worse.

“Oh no, this was before I stole the flower.” Varian said matter of factly and Hiro just stared at him in horror. Varian heaved a heavy sigh and went on to explain. “My father was the only other person who knew about the sundrop. The king kept it hidden from everyone. I guess when he found out that my dad, was, was ‘gone’, he decided to try and remove me from the picture, so as to keep his secret safe. He made a bunch of false charges about me ‘attacking the princess’ so that no one would believe me when I asked for help or told them the truth about the flower. Then he sent his elite guard to arrest me and I had to run.”

Varian gave a little shrug and added, “I guess after that, ‘treason’ didn’t seem like that big of deal. I mean they were going to throw me in jail either way, and not many people leave those dungeons alive.”

Hiro could barely process what was being told to him. He didn’t know what to say. His stomach churned and his breath shallowed. Varian’s past was far scarier than any ghost story.

Then suddenly he felt guilty. He’d been so caught up in his own grief and his own struggles with readjusting, that he hadn’t actually stopped to think about things from Varian’s perspective. He had thus far grinned and bared the discomfort of having his life turned upside down, because, well because that's what he thought he needed to do in order to be a mature decent person. And while that was true in part, it never occurred to him that this move was yet another upset in Varian’s life, in a long, long string of seemingly never ending upsets.

Hiro found himself so easily annoyed by the other teen, yet he really had no right to be. Varian was readjusting to whole new culture and way of life in addition to struggling with his grief and trauma. So what if he cooked weird food sometimes, didn’t always know the appropriate conduct to certain situations, or was so super confident in nearly everything he did that it made Hiro self conscious and a little jealous at times. Deep down, Varian was suffering through something that no one in Hiro’s little corner of the globe could fully understand, and the least that Hiro could do was try to be a little more patient and a little more open about letting Varian into his life.

“You know,” Hiro slowly said, trying to ease the conversation and offer a little understanding, “I never really knew my dad. I was just four when he and my mom died. It was always Tadashi who taught me things, like how to ride a bike or how to hotwire a robot. Though he never taught me to climb to tree, so I guess that’s one I owe you.”

He smiled encouragingly at Varian, who nervously returned it. Once again Varian wasn’t used to praise or acknowledgement that he anything ‘right’.

“Maybe, you could teach me more outdoorsy stuff.” Hiro offered. “And I can teach you more about more modern stuff, like how to play Mind Smith II Turbo .”

“That..that’s that video game you like, isn’t it?” Varian asked as he tried to remember what Hiro even talking about.

“Yeah!” and with that Hiro eagerly launched into a detailed description of the game.

Soon the boys were interrupted by Krei emerging from the tent. He stretched sore back and tried to reheat the leftover instant coffee he’d brought. He then promptly spit it back out in disgust. The boys tried their best to suppress their snickers. Keri spotted them anyways.

“How ‘bout we pack it up and go get tacos instead?” He asked them.

“Yeeesss!” Yelled Hiro, who was more than ready to go.

“Sounds great!” Agreed Varian. “We’ll be right down!”

Keri went back in the tent to start packing and Ruddigger scurried down after him, hoping to maybe steal another treat from the camp.

Varian stood up and started to also make his way down when Hiro’s voice stopped him.

“Ummm...Sooo how do you get down exactly?”

----------------------------

The day ended with a trip to Yaki Taco and a huge feast of fast food nachos and deep fried burritos. Rudiger was once again confined to his carrying cage, but was allowed a cup of some cheese sauce to snack on. Baymax was let out of his charger case to kept an eye on the mischievous raccoon. All agreed it was actually the best part of the camping trip.

“Say, ‘cheese’.” The robot said, as he took a photograph with his internal camera.

The three guys sing songed the the word even as actual cheese dripped off the burritos they held in their hands, plastering on dopey grins for the camera. Then a few more pictures with silly faces to complete the set.

“Fantastic!” Krei said. “I want copies for the office.”

“Why?” Hiro asked.

“So if any clients come in I show off ‘my family’ to them instead just the photo of my mother. I love the woman but she doesn’t necessarily impress the image of ‘family friendly company’.”

“I knew there was a catch.” Hiro scoffed.

Keri looked wounded. “Hey, I told you, my employees are my family.”

Hiro rolled his eyes but he couldn’t help giving a little smile at that. He knew Krei well enough by now to know that, underneath his seemingly conviving self-serving self, he had a heart, and he wouldn’t have invited Hiro and Varian along if he didn’t care.

“Aunt Cass put you up to this, didn’t she?” He prodded.

“I’m sworn to secrecy.” Krei insisted and they gave Hiro a knowing wink. Then more seriously he said, “I know what it’s like not having your dad around on Father’s Day. So, I figured, why not a fishing trip? It’s better than being stuck at home while your father’s away on a business trip to Tahiti that weekend.”

Hiro raised in eyebrow. Keri had a tendency of oversharing at times.

“Buuut, enough about me. Who wants dessert!?”

#big hero 6 #varian #Hiro Hamada #tangled #ruddiger #krei #BH6 the series #tts #rta #tangled the series

33 notes · View notes

tomorrowedblog · 3 years

Photo

Friday Releases for February 5

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for February 5 include Malcolm & Marie, Bliss, Falling, and more.

Malcolm & Marie

Malcolm & Marie, the new movie from Sam Levinson, is out today.

When filmmaker Malcolm (John David Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya), return home from a movie premiere and await his film’s critical response, the evening takes a turn as revelations about their relationship surface, testing the couple’s love.

Bliss

Bliss, the new movie from Mike Cahill, is out today.

An unfulfilled man (Owen Wilson) and a mysterious woman (Salma Hayek) believe they are living in a simulated reality, but when their newfound ‘Bliss’ world begins to bleed into the ‘ugly’ world they must decide what’s real and where they truly belong.

Falling

Falling, the new movie from Viggo Mortensen, is out today.

John (Viggo Mortensen) lives with his partner, Eric (Terry Chen), and their daughter, Mónica (Gabby Velis), in California, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago. John’s father, Willis (Lance Henriksen), a headstrong man from a bygone era, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up. Willis is in the early stages of dementia, making running the farm on his own increasingly difficult, so John brings him to stay at his California home so that he and his sister Sarah (Linney) might help him find a place near them to relocate to. Unfortunately, their best intentions ultimately run up against Willis’s adamant refusal to change his way of life in the slightest.

Little Fish

Little Fish, the new movie from Chad Hartigan, is out today.

As a memory loss virus runs rampant, one couple fights to hold their relationship together before the disease can erase all memory of their love in this sweeping sci-fi romance.

Two Of Us

Two Of Us, the new movie from Filippo Meneghetti, is out today.

Two retired women, Nina and Madeleine, have been secretly in love for decades. Everybody, including Madeleine’s family, thinks they are simply neighbors, sharing the top floor of their building. They come and go between their two apartments, enjoying the affection and pleasures of daily life together, until an unforeseen event turns their relationship upside down and leads Madeleine’s daughter to gradually unravel the truth about them.

The Mimic

The Mimic, the new movie from Thomas F. Mazziotti, is out today.

Based on a true story, ‘the Narrator’ (Thomas Sadoski) is befriended by his young new neighbor (Jake Robinson), after he joins the local newspaper team. Obsessed with the idea that ‘the Kid’ may be a sociopath, ‘the Narrator’ goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth about him. After unsettling rendezvous, the truth he finds is anything but what he expected.

The Right One

The Right One, the new movie from Ken Mok, is out today.

In this heartfelt and hilarious rom-com, Sara, a novelist struggling with writer’s block needs inspiration—and finds it when she serendipitously meets Godfrey, a down-on-his-luck oddball who constantly changes personas in order to cope with a traumatic past and avoid reality. Just as Godfrey begins to open up to Sara, he discovers that she’s been using him as inspiration for her next novel, and he vanishes from her life. Did Sara just lose the man of her dreams, or will she be able to find him and make things right?

The Reckoning

The Reckoning, the new movie from Neil Marshall, is out today.

After losing her husband during the Great Plague, Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk) is unjustly accused of being a witch and placed in the custody of England’s most ruthless witch-hunter, Judge Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee). Forced to endure physical and emotional torture while steadfastly maintaining her innocence, Grace must face her own inner demons as the Devil himself starts to work his way into her mind.

Space Sweepers

Space Sweepers, the new movie from Sung-hee Jo, is out today.

Chasing after space debris and faraway dreams in year 2092, four misfits unearth explosive secrets during the attempted trade of a wide-eyed humanoid.

PVT CHAT

PVT CHAT, the new movie from Ben Hozie, is out today.

Jack is an internet gambler living in NYC who becomes fixated on Scarlet - a cam girl from San Francisco. His obsession reaches a boiling point when fantasy materializes in reality and Jack sees Scarlet on a rainy Chinatown street.

The Last Paradiso

The Last Paradiso, the new movie from Rocco Ricciardulli, is out today.

The story of an impossible love, a dream of an indomitable man who has a sense of rebellion and justice coursing through his veins.

Son of the South

Son of the South, the new movie from Barry Alexander Brown, is out today.

A grandson of a Klansman comes of age during the early 60’s in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement.

The Snoopy Show

The Snoopy Show, the new TV series from Rob Boutilier, is out today.

Starring the world’s most famous Beagle, and his best bud, Woodstock. He’s a dog like no other — whether he’s flying high in the sky, or searching for treasure at the bottom of the sea, he’s always up to something fun.

#Movies #TV #News

3 notes · View notes

the-forest-library · 4 years

Text

My Decade in Books

I was tagged by @aliteraryprincess. Thank you!

The rules: respond to the prompt “my decade in books” however you want, & then tag some ppl! I chose a book or series to define each year of the decade, some w/a little description. You can do that, or make up your own response.

2010: This was the year of The Hunger Games. I read all of the books in a rush. And, I was reading Catching Fire or Mockingjay when we were on vacation to Washington DC when we got engaged. :) I read my first Maggie Stiefvater book (Linger) and Little Women & Werewolves (all I really remember about it was Mr. March holding a prostheses/fashion show with werewolf Civil War veterans???). It was a big year in non-fiction, too, with Friday Night Lights and a couple of Michael Pollan’s books.

2011: I read the delightful His Dark Materials prequels, Once Upon a Time in the North and Lyra’s Oxford, but this was a year of horrible reads. The worst of which was One Day. I detest this manipulative book, and I was in a complete funk for days after finishing it. I read it in the summer and went to a picnic the day after finishing it and just remember sitting on a picnic table absolutely fuming over it.

2012: This was a much better reading year featuring two all-time favorites: A Discovery of Witches and Among Others. If you at all like science fiction or fantasy, please read Among Others. It is a love letter to those genres and will introduce you to other books you’ll want to read. I also read The Night Circus, Beautiful Creatures, and The Maze Runner this year.

2013: I read the first three Earthsea books and the first two books in The Raven Cycle this year. If those had been the only books I read that year, I would be completely happy. I also read a whole bunch of popular YA (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Anna and the French Kiss, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares). I also read my first Rainbow Rowell book, Attachments. I don’t actually remember that being the first RR book I read, but apparently it was. This year was when I read A Light that Never Goes Out (a history of The Smiths that I absolutely adore).

2014: More Earthsea and more Rainbow Rowell. I read Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, where I was introduced to Simon Snow and Baz Pitch for the first time. This was a pretty great reading year, as well. I also read these other favorites: The Scorpio Races, I Capture the Castle, Rilla of Ingleside, Code Name Verity, and The Wind in the Willows.

2015: Personally, this was a big year of upheaval, but a standout in reading. I started the year with A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, which introduced me to my girl, Eleanor of Aquitaine. I came across it browsing in the used books section of Barnes & Noble, for which I am forever grateful. I read my first Tamora Pierce (Alanna) and Robin McKinley (The Hero & The Crown and The Blue Sword). Charlotte Sometimes, Station Eleven, and Lolita were important reads, and I also started The Dark is Rising series. And most important of all - Carry On was published in October. I had been eagerly awaiting this book since the Simon and Baz parts of Fangirl were my favorites. Carry On is also the fandom that brought me to tumblr.

2016: Dove headfirst into more Robin McKinley (Rose Daughter, Spindle’s End, Sunshine) and also finished The Dark is Rising. So many of my reads this year were clearly influenced by tumblr: The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Everything Everything, The Book Thief, Illuminae, Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Six of Crows, Salt to the Sea, The Song of Achilles, The Secret History, and Solitaire. The reading experience I remember the most was reading The Raven King (Steifvater) at the hospital while my fiancé was having surgery. I also got to see Maggie Steifvater speak for the first time.

2017: This year was defined by The Books of Pellinor (eternally indebted to @all-these-paperback-dreams for introducing me to this series), more Robin McKinley (Beauty and Chalice, which ignited my love for bees), and My Lady Jane. My Lady Jane made me want to read more about horses, which led me to another all-time favorite, Black Beauty, which led me to going to a horse farm. Other favorites: The Secret Horses of Briar Hill, If We Were Villains, An Unnecessary Woman, All the Light We Cannot See, The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, and Fire & Hemlock (my first Diana Wynne Jones). Happened upon an Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity) event while on vacation.

2018: I started listening to a lot of audiobooks this year (mostly non-fiction) - When Breath Becomes Air, The Bright Hour, The Happiness Project, and Better Than Before are standouts. More McKinley (Deerskin and Outlaws of Sherwood). The Blue Castle (thank you @lilymaidofgallifrey). I read Hattie Big Sky, which stoked a fire in me for pioneer stories. In Other Lands (thank you @bookcub). I read 29 Gifts, which inspired me to do my own 29 Gifts projects for the last two years, and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, which was probably the most-impactful book I read of the year. I finished the year with the first three Poison Study books.

2019: I listened to Just Kids and M Train by Patti Smith at the beginning of the year, which set the bar really, really high. My reading year was a little weird because the two main themes were Little House on the Prairie and Royalty Romance. I never read the Little House books when I was younger (I tried once but it didn’t click); however, reading Hattie Big Sky in 2018 really inspired me to try the series again. I read the whole series, finished two non-fiction books about it, and started a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder at the end of the year. My deep dive into Royalty Romances started with Red, White & Royal Blue (sandwiched between two Little House books, LOL, and during a crazy time when I was packing to move), which really was the best of them. I also read Prince Charming, American Royals, The Royal We, Her Royal Highness, and Bringing Down the Duke. I read 97 books in 2019 (my most ever).

Tagging (no pressure, just fun!): @all-these-paperback-dreams, @lilymaidofgallifrey, @bookcub, @bvkspine, @thefandomtreatment, @therealprincesszeanah, @damecatoe, @brightbeautifulthings, @the-haunted-pencil, and anyone else that would like to do it (please tag me if you do this).

#book discussion #best reads of the decade #book recommendations #reading recommendations #books #booklr #bookish #reading #bibliophile #tags

47 notes · View notes

classicmollywood · 5 years

Text

TCM’s 1939: Hollywood’s Golden Year Celebration Week 1

Every Friday during the month of July, Turner Classic Movies is highlighting the year 1939. Why is this year important 80 years later? Some of the best films in cinematic history were produced in 1939. The actors were fantastic, the directors were innovative, the stories riveting, and it felt like every film was a bit of a hit.

To honor TCM’s celebration and these films that are timeless (and perhaps have a bit of relevancy 80 years later with their themes), each week I will list the must see films airing on Friday on TCM! I will also give you a blurb about the film and why I find them must watches!

Friday, July 5th Must Watch Films:

The Old Maid (airing at 1:45 pm)

Starring: Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins, and George Brent

Charlotte has a rendezvous with her cousin Delia’s ex-lover on the day of Delia’s wedding. Unfortunately, her love ends up dying in the Civil War, leaving Charlotte alone to have their child. Once Delia finds out that Charlotte has an illegitimate, she offers to take the child in as her own. Jealousy and family secrets threaten to strain the cousin’s relationship throughout the years.

Why You Should Watch It: Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins are delightful in the film together. The tension that they had towards each other on set actually really works with this film. It also has a pretty juicy story line for a Production Code era film.

Only Angels Have Wings (airing at 3:45 pm)

Starring: Jean Arthur, Cary Grant, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, and Thomas Mitchell.

Bonnie is a cabaret singer who leaves her boat at a stop at the port of Barranca to go exploring. She finds some American flyers who take her to the hotel owned by their boss. Bonnie then meets Geoff, who is the leader of the flyers. Bonnie falls in love with Geoff, even though he doesn’t want to be attached to any woman because he doesn’t want to be kept from flying dangerous flights. Then trouble starts when Geoff’s ex, Judy, and her husband, Bat, arrive.

Why You Should Watch It: Cary Grant is tough as nails in this film but so easy on the eyes. Also Jean Arthur is a delight! Rita Hayworth is great in this film, considering it was one of her first meaty roles! Also danger! Adventure! Planes!

The Wizard of Oz (airing at 8 pm)

Starring: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton.

Dorothy Gale gets swept away to the land of Oz during a tornado that touches down by her Kansas farm. She meets the Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man, and The Scarecrow. They all have a desire to go see The Wizard and ask for things they are missing. However, things don’t go as planned when they cross paths with The Wicked Witch of the West.

Why You Should Watch It: This is one film I recommend everyone sees at least once. It has such a childlike innocence to it, and it really shows Judy Garland in one of her best roles. There is also some really interesting behind the scenes stories of this film, which are always fun to look up after you watch it!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (airing at 11:15 pm)

Starring: Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, and Edmond O’Brien

In 15th Century France, Quasimodo is sent by Frollo to kidnap Esmeralda. He gets caught and ends up getting flogged. Esmeralda is the only one who brings him water when he is tied up in the square and he grows a fondness for him. So when Esmeralda is accused of murder and sentenced to death, he tries to help clear her name.

Why You Should Watch It: Charles Laughton is absolutely WONDERFUL as Quasimodo. His representation of him is probably one of the most sympathetic! I also like how this film has a great Gothic feel to it. This is another film I recommend everyone watch once!

Gunga Din (airing at 1:30 am)

Starring: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Sam Jaffe, and Joan Fontaine

Three soldiers are stationed in British India during the Thuggee uprising. One of them wants to spoil their fun and leave the service to get married. The other two trick him into one last mission, which ends up having the three of them against the Thuggees as the rest of the British army is going towards a trap.

Why You Should Watch It: Cary Grant and Victor McLaglen are hilarious in this film! The shenanigans they lead Douglas Fairbanks Jr. on are just so wild, they are perfect to watch!

Come back next week and I will tell you some more 1939 films you should tune into!

41 notes · View notes

hillbillyhippiemusicreview · 4 years

Text

POST #24- J’s Year in Review 2019

Jesus Christ it’s 36 degrees and dark at 5:30. The most depressing time of year for me. I owe my friends a few reviews and keep putting them off. I’ll do them tomorrow. Hell, maybe when I have time over the weekend I’ll get that one out I promised a few weeks ago. Here I am, sitting on the couch trying to figure out which record I want to highlight next. It’s a daunting task. A lesson I’ve learned over the past year. I need to get those reviews out but my mind (and ears) get the best of me. What do I do instead? I listen to a couple of records and skip right to the end. What I mean by end is that cliche year in review article that all music journalists put out with their favorite artists, songs, records, and shows of the year. This is all new to me. Shortly after the new year I decided it was time for me to get in the game. I don’t have much to offer but I wanted to put my perspective on paper. My first article was a piece about Tyler Childers raising awareness and getting a large donation of bottled water for the citizens of Martin County, Kentucky. I knew about Martin County. I didn’t know how deep it went. It wasn’t the meet and greet and small solo set that made me want to write about my experience. It was Tyler’s words. It was the raw emotion and the choked up words that inspired me to be a writer. I wanted as many people to know about this event as I could possibly get the word to. Be it 5, 10, 20 or even 30 people that read the article and learned about the plight of the citizens of Martin County have been in for years. That maybe 5, 10, 20 or even 30 people that may learn how to contact their representative and ask questions. I hope it inspires people to learn about their community and lend a helping hand to those in need. That event was last year, but it inspired my path this year.

Let me begin by saying that I have met some of the most amazing people over the past 12 months. I will touch on as many of those people as much as I can. I am going to highlight the music that has moved me over the same amount of time. I’m gonna forget people. I’m sorry in advance. I could put a list of my top 10 albums out but that just wouldn’t be fair. To be honest, there is one album that stands head and shoulders above all others. It’s not even a competition. How do you compete with amazing art? I look at it like its a steady stream of good shit coming out and keeping my playlist full.

Album of the Year (Any Genre)

Sound and Fury - Sturgill Simpson

Why?

It’s f*cking amazing. Earth shattering. Ground breaking. LOUD!

Sturgill Simpson took everything you thought you knew about him and his music, threw it out the window of his muscle car, and backed over it about a hundred times. This man does not give a shit. I screwed up on my first listen. There are two ways this album should be heard. 1) On a turntable with the volume turned as loud as it can possibly go. 2) Watching the accompanying anime movie with the volume turned as loud as it can possibly go. Unfortunately I did neither. Most of my first listen was a track at a time on my phone or in my truck. Dead. Wrong. If I had it to do over again I would most definitely start with the anime.

I get it. Anime is not for everyone. If I could give someone a starting point with anime, it would most definitely be Sound and Fury. This album is The Wall of our generation. After my first listen I posted, “Album of the Year Any Genre”. I fully stand by that assessment.

Favorite Albums of the Year

This is where I will most definitely make someone mad or make myself mad for leaving off someone who deserves to be included.

Home - Billy Strings

Favorite Tracks: Away From The Mire and Watch It Fall

Country Squire - Tyler Childers

Favorite Tracks - Creeker and Peace of Mind

Stranger In The Alps - Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle

Favorite Tracks: Buffalo’s Canon and Stewball

Between The Country - Ian Noe

Favorite Tracks: Barbara’s Song and Methhead

Seneca - Charles Wesley Godwin

Favorite Tracks: Hardwood Floors and Seneca Creek

Chris Knight - Almost Daylight

Favorite Tracks: I’m William Callahan and Go On

The Wind - Eric Bolander

Favorite Tracks: Closer to that Flame and Ghost

Josh Nolan - Kind Heart to Follow

Favorite Tracks: Makin’ Eyes and The Honeysuckle

Nicholas Jamerson - Floyd County All Star

Favorite Tracks: Patience and Floyd County All Star

High Expectations - Sean Whiting

Favorite Tracks: Melody and Misery

Songs Only A Mother Could Love - Wayne Graham

Favorite Tracks: By and By and Every Evil Thing

On The Hilltop - Nic Allen and the Troubled Minds

Favorite Tracks: Cheap Pills and Wine and For Heaven’s Sake

Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold - Mike and the Moonpies

Favorite Tracks: Cheap Silver and Danger

The Gospel - The Local Honeys

Favorite Tracks: Amazing Grace and Let the Church Roll On

Full Moon/Heavy Light - Ona

Favorite Tracks: Young Forever and True Emotion

Trial and Error - Vintage Pistol

Favorite Tracks: Lay It Down and Leave Me Behind

The Pilot Light - Derek Spencer

Favorite Tracks: The Witches of Appalachia and Lit By Moonlight

We Fall, We Break - Walter DeBarr

Favorite Tracks - Wicked Eyes and We Fall, We Break

Alive at Hillbilly Central - Arthur Hancock

Favorite Tracks - Take Me Back To The Country and Kenton’s Outdoor Seating Area

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Favorite Tracks: Truth Hurts and Juice

I have to give a shoutout to some amazing visual artists for their work on some of these records. Jimbo Valentine and Colonel Tony Moore did an absolutely amazing job on the Country Squire album art. With Valentine’s futuristic hillbilly aura and Moore’s gritty comic book background, their collaboration is my favorite album artwork in some time. Honorable mention goes to Nashville Tattoo Artist, Squishy Eyes. His work for Billy Strings’ home is colorful and visually stimulating. I definitely want some skin art done by this guy!

Next. Let’s talk festivals. Jon Grace burst onto the scene this year putting on not one but two music festivals. Jon and I go way back. We’ve been to country shows, rock shows, heavy metal shows, nu metal shows, Ozzfest. You name it and we were probably in the vicinity. Laurel Cove Music Festival was Bell County’s first foray into the music festival scene and it started with a flash of lightning, then another, then a shit load of rain. An outdoor music festival being held at a beautiful natural amphitheater turned in to an indoor show in the conference room at Pine Mountain State Park. It was a tough decision to make, but in the end, it was worth every minute. The lineup came together in short order and provided us with two days of blistering sets. Jon then put together the FREE Cumberland Mountain Fall Festival in downtown Middlesboro, KY. Featuring local and regional talent for another two days of fun and music. 2019 set the bar high for live music in Bell County.

Festival of the Red is located in the heart of the Red River Gorge area and put on three days of camping and music. The only downside was that I was only there on Saturday. My buddies Blake and Dave packed in the truck with Dave’s little boy Waylon to make the two hour trip to Slade to catch up with old friends and new.

Master Musician Festival is a yearly mainstay in Somerset, KY. Tiffany Finley and company put together a stellar lineup year after year. My wife and I went for the day on Saturday and returned home with memories that we still laugh about months later. I first want to give a shoutout to the staff of MMF for enduring a brutal storm and having the integrity to cancel the headlining act in the face of severe storms. We were devastated that we missed out on a Jason Isbell set, but we are also blessed that we were not injured in a stupid storm. The party rolled on to Jarfly and into the wee hours of the morning.

This brings me to the granddaddy of them all.

Kickin’ It On The Creek.

The Roberts do it up right on Ross’ Creek. The 5th Annual Kickin’ It On The Creek held on Byron Roberts’ farm is something every music fan should experience once in their life. I went to Irvine in June to attempt to buy tickets in person. I left the house Saturday morning around 4:30. My anxiety hit when I got into town and parked and saw the line stretched nearly a half mile down the road. What do you do though? You hop in line! My friends Jon and Daniel arrived about an hour and a half ahead of me and were about 15 people in front of me. Throughout the morning we made conversation with both veterans and newbies alike. The vibe was jubilant. It was almost like a family reunion atmosphere, and this was just the presale. Long story short, about 3 hours later we get to the front of the line when Byron exits the store to announce the tickets were sold out. My friends who were 15 people in front of me were the last group in. It made me ill to realize I was that close. Never fret, the next step was an online sale that supposedly sells out in seconds. Over the next few weeks, karma would smile on us as we were able to purchase enough tickets so everyone in our group of friends were able to procure tickets. Now the wait.

I’m not a festival virgin by no means. I was fortunate enough to go to three Bonnaroo festivals in the early 00’s. Needless to say, I had an idea of the festival life. However, I can’t begin to explain the giddiness that my wife and I felt driving to the festival that Thursday evening in late September. We made it just in time to set up camp and catch Bedford Band and one of the acts I most looked forward to, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle. The family atmosphere was in full effect. We were home. On Friday we were treated to sets by a variety of artists handpicked by the Roberts family. Favorites included Luna and the Mountain Jets, Crownover, Laid Back Country Picker, Green Genes, Jericho Woods, Vintage Pistol, Magnolia Boulevard, John R Miller and the Engine Lights, Town Mountain, and the ‘Lectric Wooks. Saturday favorites included Abe Partridge, Padre Paul Handleman, Wayne Graham, William Matheny, Senora May, Ona, The Wooks, Arlo McKinley, and festival headliner Tyler Childers. I’m already thinking about KIOTC 2020.

This year was magical. I heard amazing music, saw amazing music, introduced my children to amazing music, and most importantly shared with with my wife. I met lifelong friends and have several shows to look forward to in 2020.

Upcoming shows I’ll be attending are The Wooks, Arlo McKinley, Eric Bolander, Charlie Woods and Deep Hollow, and Dave Shoemaker at the Bell Theater on December 21st. 2020 brings Morgan Wade/Kelsey Waldon, Town Mountain/Buffalo Wabs/Geno Seale, Billy Strings, and Sturgill Simpson/Tyler Childers. The festival circuit is also ramping up with dates set for Laurel Cove 2020.

-Josh Trosper

*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).

2 notes · View notes