#willow harmon

[erinlivingdeadgirl]

me if you even care……….

this is what i mean when i say “girlhood is a spectrum”😴

#horror movies #saw franchise #scream #gale weathers #kinnie #pj bottoms #bottoms movie #abbey bominable #willow 2022 #kit tanthalos #save willow #sapphics #lesbian #kat stratford #10 things i hate about you #american mary #carrie bradshaw #satc #american horror story #violet harmon

[textillian]

This is Harmonize by Romi Hill. The yarn is Willow by Tanis Fiber Arts. It was an enjoyable knit that was knit for a friend that is allergic to wool.

#knitting #handknitting #romi designs #harmonize #shawl #tanis fiber arts #willow #silk #linen

[couldbebetterforsure]

You know Jack Jeanne….you can joke about Suzu being a weak singer all you want….

Doesn’t really work when you have Yuma Uchida playing him as if he has the voice of an angel 😂

#story time with me #jack jeanne #jack jeanne spoilers #willow takes center stage at univeil #by the by I don’t find it annoying I find it funny 😂😂😂 #because suzu has such a beautiful singing voice but once in a blue moon #that game brings up some comment suggesting suzu can’t sing well #and I’m sorry game but you should’ve told yuma uchida to suck harder if that’s supposed to be the case 😂 #like the one and only time suzu’s singing sucked was HIS VERY FIRST APPEARANCE #and yeah the idea is that he definitely improved because of how hard he worked but like outside that one time boy never really sucked #heck he’s probably one of the strongest singers of the cast in my opinion and I love ALL their voices! #fortune color is crystal? banger solo #beyond the plane tree? GORGEOUS harmonizing #We are the great galleon? lots of pep and fun! #ghost party? more fun energy and pep!!! #and the opening jack and Jeanne of quartz? absolutely phenomenal #and let’s not forget his absolutely gorgeous work in the shuffle versions of fortune color is crystal and ghost party #my boy was a great maiden in the first and a fun ushinoko in the second

[phree-izi]

female energy - willow smith (lyrics)

#freedom #harmonic vibes #earth girl #individual #life #beauty #scorpio #introvert #infp #natura naturans #willow smith #female energy #mood sic #Youtube

[winnienora13]

CASTING MARAUDERS

Marlene:Sophie Thatcher

Sirius:Felix Mallard(I don’t really like that one but I don’t really like any Sirius fancast so)

Remus:Esteban Kukuriczka

James:Achintya Bose

Peter: Lewis Capaldi

Dorcas:Precious Mustapha

Mary:Sofia Bryant

Pandora:-white=Elle Fanning

-black= @canfrgu or Willow Smith

Xenophilius:river phoenix

Emmeline Vance:Nhung Hong

Alice Fortescue:Carey Mulligan

Frank Longbottom:Jim Sturgess

Lily:Annalise Basso

Barty:Maxence Fanet Fauvel or Richard Harmon

Evan:-white= Casper von Bülow or Hugh Laughton Scott

-black:Dominic Fike or Kelvin Harrison jr

Regulus: Timothée Chalamet

#marauders #james potter #james x regulus #marauders era #jegulus #regulus black #wolfstar #latino james potter #sirius black #starchaser #rosekiller #evan rosier #emmeline vance #barty jr #bartemius crouch jr #pandora lovegood #dorcas meadowes #lily evans #alice fortescue #frank longbottom #remus lupin #peter pettigrew #marlene mckinnon #mary macdonald #fancast #casting #xenophilius lovegood

[moondrop04]

You know if CRWBY do decide to go with a romance between Weiss and Jaune in a future volume, there is three things I would like to happen to help build up the relationship up….

And just to clarify i do believe Jaune will return to Remnant, with team RWBY, back in his original teenage form….maybe kept the wolf-tail though…

The Setting: For starters I would like to see Weiss and Jaune journey together back to one place I think that would fit them perfectly together as a duo……Argus.

For the first reason I would choose Argus is that they could help diverge half of the refugees from Atlas/Mantle, that are currently in Vacuo, over to Argus while the the other half can be transported over to Haven. It’s highly likely a large scale battle will be taking place in Vacuo in the future, for the possession of the relic of destruction, so getting the civilians away should be a main priority.

The second reason I choose Argus is because it’s Pyrrha’s hometown and that having a scene together with Weiss and Jaune at Pyrrha’s memorial would be special to see.

2. Family Dynamic with Two different families: We all know Jaune’s sister lives in Argus with her wife and son but what if Jaune’s entire family could be there? And not only that……have them interact with the remaining members of the Schnee family!?

Jaune’s mother could rope Willow Schnee into helping doing chores around the home.

Saphron and Terracotta would force Winter to help them out with various tasks around the city…..or help them babysit Adrian.

The rest of the Arc siblings would do a variety of different activities with Whitley, that he would initially find annoying.

Finally have some tension between Jaune and his father that would bring up some uncomfortable and familiar feelings for all members of the Schnee family.

3. Lastly……and I think what would give a solid moment between Weiss and Jaune is “Music and Singing”:

In my head I imagine Jaune picking up a guitar and slowly play a melody until Weiss chimes in and begins singing along to Jaune’s music. While Weiss sings Jaune would play along with her and sing along with her until eventually they harmonize with each other and sing their lyrics at the same time.

The best example I have what would this be like is this video from the tv show “Empire”. They wouldn’t be singing the same lyrics of course but they would singing along with each other with a similar beat and have their lyrics be about their own troubles and feelings…

#rwby #weiss schnee #jaune arc #rwby whiteknight #white knight #rwby volume 9 spoilers

[signalwatch]

Happy Birthday, Hannah Waddingham

  Today marks the birthday of actor, singer, performer and, I suppose, presenter, Hannah Waddingham.

Eagle-eyed readers, followers of my socials and fans of the podcast will note I became a fan of Waddingham while watching Ted Lasso, and I continue to enjoy her work and joie de vivre. 

This year, Waddingham completed Season 3 of Ted Lasso where she played the complex and often very funny owner of Richmond AFC, Rebecca Welton.  She also co-starred in a BBC/ PBS version of Tom Jones, where she played the manipulative but vivacious Lady Bellaston (and more or less stole the show).  She's been Emmy nominated for both parts.

Last Fall she had a key but small part in Hocus Pocus 2, and a cameo role that was maybe the best part of the Disney+ Willow series. 

Waddingham also hosted the Oliviers (the British Tonys) and Eurovision 2023.  This Christmas, she has a holiday special coming to Apple+ that was recorded a while back, and, according to those who were there, is pretty great.  So keep your eyes open for that.  She's also leant her voice to the upcoming cartoon, Krapopolis, from Dan Harmon.  She mentioned a possible album this year as well.  We'll see.  Oh, and she'll be in the next Mission Impossible movie.

She's selling Pepperidge Farm cookies (they're pretty good, y'all), and has been part of a collab between Johnnie Walker, the Women's Sports Foundation and Justwomenssports.com to encourage people to watch women's sports.  And drink Johnnie Walker, presumably.  Done and done.  And, she's out there on the SAG-AFTRA picket lines.

Anyway, busy year for Waddingham, but all good stuff.  Not bad for someone you didn't hear of before 2020 unless you were hitting a lot of West End shows (I was not).

I have no idea what she'll be up to next, if Ted Lasso is truly over, etc...  But we'll keep tuning in.

https://ift.tt/eWbfYSO

from The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/7Zo98LC

#Hannah Waddingham

[house-of-slayterr]

INFP - INFJ Characters I Relate To

Luna Lovegood - Harry Potter 

Wanda Maximoff - WandaVision 

Number 7 - The Umbrella Academy 

Cassie Ainsworth - Skins

Max Caulfield - Life Is Strange

Peter Parker - Spider-man

Lapis Lazuli - Steven Universe

Raven Queen - Ever After High

Bubbles - Power Puff Girls

Newt Scamander - Fantastic Beasts 

Nico di Angelo - Camp Half-Blood

Charlie Kelmeckis - Perks of Being a Wallflower

Amelie - Amelie 

Aurora - Sleeping Beauty 

Musa - Winx Club 

Alice Kingsleigh - Alice in Wonderland 

2-D - Gorillaz

Persephone - Greek Legends 

Victor Van Dort - Corpse Bride

BMO - Adventure Time

Asriel Dreamer - Undertale

Jason Dean - Heathers

Courage - Courage the Cowardly Dog

Lucy Pevensie - The Chronicles of Narnia 

Romeo and Juliet - Romeo and Juliet 

Barry Allen - The Flash 

Davy Jones - Pirates of the Caribean 

Merlin - Merlin 

Susanna Kaysen - Girl, Interrupted 

Emma Chotta - The Red Band Society

Carrie Krueger - The Amazing World of Gumball

Arwen Undomiel - The Lord of the Rings

Ethan Lewis - Euphoria 

Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables

Rue - Hunger Games

Ratcatcher 2 - Suicide Squad 

Misty Day - American Horror Story

Lydia Deetz - Beetlejuice

Joshua Washington - Until Dawn

The Phantom - The Phantom of the Opera

Aurora - Maleficent 

Alison Cameron - House M.D.

The Monster - Frankensstien 

Crybaby - K-12

Sweeney Todd - Sweeney Todd

Abigail Hobbs - Hannibal

Credence Barebone - Fantastic Beasts 

Kermit the Frog - The Muppets 

Ofelia - Pan’s Labyrinth 

Ponyboy Curtis - The Outsiders

Coraline Jones - Caroline 

Rogue - X-Men

Candy Chiu - Gravity Falls

Eloise Turner - Last Night in Soho

Zoe Benson - American Horror Story 

Sam Manson - Danny Phantom 

Louis de Pointe du Lac - Interview with the Vampire

Antigone - Greek Legends

Wiccan - Marvel

Orpheus - Hadestown

Melinda Sordino - Speak

Evey Hammond - V for Venddetta

Fisk - Undertale 

Harry Osborne - Spider-man

Greg Wuliger - Everybody Hates Chris 

David - Hilda

Buffalo Bill - Silence of the Lambs 

Christine Daae - The Phantom of the Opera

Scorpius Malfoy - Cursed Child

Frances Houseman - Dirty Dancing

Max - Sharkboy and Lavagirl 

Susie Salmon - The Lovely Bones

The Grabber - The Black Phone 

Ethan Morgan - My Babysitters a Vampire

Stevonnie - Steven Universre 

Abby Sciuto - NCIS

Miles Halter - Looking for Alaska 

Jacob Portman - Miss Peregrine 

Sarah - Labyrinth 

Marius - Les Mis

Bridgitte Fitzgerald - Ginger Snaps 

Thomasin - The VVitch 

Edith Cushing - Crimson peak 

Basil - Dorian Gray 

Allen Ginsberg - Kill Your Darlings 

Jane Eyre- Jane Eyre

Andrew Detmer - Chronicle

Wanderer - The Host

Kurt Wagner - X-Men

Scout Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird

Emma - Blue is the Warmest Colour

Syrena - Pirates of the Caribbean 

Sara Crewe - A Little Princess

David Haller - Legion 

Skeeter - The Help 

Nico Minoru - Runaways 

Dave Lizewski - Kick-Ass

Annie Sawyer - Being Human 

Nugget - Kindergarten 

Chip Dove - Jennifer’s Body

Mia Warren - Little Fires Everywhere 

Chase Mathews  - Zoey 101

Eli Goldworthy - Degrassi 

Willow Rossenberg - Buffy

Fiona - About a Boy

Violet Harmon - American Horror Story 

Anastasia - Anastasia 

Spike - Buffy

Theo Putnam - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina 

Frances Shea - Legends 

Micheal Darling - Peter Pan

Jughead Jones - Archie Comics

Johnathan Morgenstern - The Shadowhunters

Rapheal Santiago - The Shadowhunters 

Bree Tanner - Twilight 

Angela Weber - Twilight 

Michelle Jones - Spider-man Homecoming

Davina Claire - The Originals

April Ludgate - Parks and Recreation

Alec Lightwood - The Shadowhunters

Nia Nal - Supergirl 

Raven - Teen Titans 

Remus Lupin - Harry Potter 

Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird

Will Grahm - Hannibal 

Harley Quinn - DC Comics

Amy Dunne - Gone Girl 

Lexi Howard - Euphoria

James - The End of the Fucking World

Vision - WandaVision 

Nina Sayers - Black Swan 

Veronica Sawyer - Heathers 

Mathew Murdocck - Daredevil

Gellret Grindelwald - Fantastic Beasts

Dawn - Total Drama

Sally - The Nightmare Before Christmas

Eurus Holmes - Sherlock 

James Wilson - House M.D. 

Professor X - X-Men

Ester Coleman - Orphan

Winter Anderson - American Horror Story 

Needy - Jennifer’s Body

Joan of Arc - Clone High

Micheal Morbius - Morbius 

Nick Goode - Fear Street

Miss Honey - Matilda

Cole Sear - The Sixth Sense 

Brea - The Dark Crystal 

Ingrid Beuachamp - The Witches of East End

Victoria Winters - Dark Shadows

Bella Swan - Twilight

Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim 

Fern Arable - Charlottes Web

Dwayne Hoover - Little Miss Sunshine

Rose Bukate - Titanic 

Candyman - Candyman 

Magenta - Rocky Horror

Tom Riddle - Harry Potter 

Bruce Banner - The Hulk 

Sirus Black - Harry Potter

Barbra Godron - Batman 

The Enchantress - Suicide Squad 

#INFP #INFP Characters #INFJ #INFJ Characters #characters I relate too #alice in wonderland #the enchantress #misty day #abby sciuto #needy lesnicki #frances shea #cassie ainsworth #Abigal hobbs

[runilareads]

Review: Beatrice the Bride - Kirsten Osbourne (Cowboys & Angels, 1)

Title: Beatrice the Bride Author: Kirsten Osbourne Series: Cowboys & Angels, 1 Release Date: October 2017 Publisher: Unlimited Dreams Publishing Rating: 1.5 stars

Favourite character: Millie Least favourite character: Arthur

Mini-Review: Oh boy. This book was something else. So much happened in it and it was so awkwardly written. In the course of the first 12% of the book here's a quick summary of what happens: her parents die, we meet an angel, we have a cameo by the Grim Reaper, we meet bachelor #1 who ends up being the best guy for her to marry in the town but is actually giving her ultimatums, gaslighting and controlling her throughout the book. Not to mention that there are constant mentions throughout the book that women keep disappearing in the town. It's just all over the place and none of it flows properly. And the whole angel/Grim Reaper angle threw me off because I had no idea that there was going to be a paranormal/supernatural element to it. I know the series says Cowboys & Angels but I figured it meant Angels as in city women who don't belong in the Wild West. Whatever. I'm going to suffer through the rest of the series.

Fan Cast: Beatrice Hart - Willow Shields Arthur Jameson - Devon Werkheiser Rev. Callum Bing - Richard Madden Millie Bing - Karen Gillan Archibald "Archie" Grady - Richard Harmon Gabriella - Michelle Gomez Mortimer Jackson - Misha Collins Hugh Fontaine - Devon Bostick

#book review #historical fiction #beatrice the bride #kirsten osbourne #cowboys & angels #supernatural fiction

[wingedblooms]

a demon in Spring

Elain Archeron Week, Day 4: Romance

@elainarcheronweek

Clutching her husband’s hastily written note in her hand, Elain finally escaped the rose-covered manor as the sun began to sink into the hills.

Come find me in the stars.

She smiled to herself, soaking up the golden shimmer of dusk and the scents of eternal spring—jasmine, lilac, and roses—as she crested the hill to their slice of starlight. They had stumbled upon the enchanted pool at the end of a particularly brutal day of meetings in her first week as High Lady. And ever since, Azriel would beckon her to the pool whenever she needed some peace and quiet, their moans harmonizing with the melody of the forest as they worshipped each other among the stars. Hours later, when they were exhausted from the exertions of their secret ritual, they’d melt into the grass and fall asleep to the lullabies of the ancient willow. As the sun rose the next morning, their bodies would come together once more, slow and gentle and gilded with the soft light of dawn, before they had to return to face the day, and their court, together.

It was quite a shock when the magic chose her after Tamlin succumbed to his beast form and could no longer rule. His grief lingered in the heart of the land, from the tangled roses to the crumbling exterior of the long-neglected manor. Elain felt the ache of the court’s despair in her bones as she set to work. She introduced herself to the manor and surrounding land first, running fingers across leaves, rubbing the bark of trees, and cupping roses in the gardens, her voice a soft and healing chant. Spring quickly thrived again under her loving care: flowers bloomed, birds chirped merrily, and beasts settled in her presence. It was this quiet care, with her mystical and mighty powers from the Cauldron, that gradually won the respect of her court.

Elain shook the cloudy memory of those days from her eyes, focusing on the dream made flesh before her: her husband was aglow with the dying light, a symphony of song flitting between the trees around him as his wings darkened the iridescent pool of starlight. She took a moment to admire the flow of starlight as it meandered down his powerful wings and muscled back and into the cosmic depths below. No matter how many years passed, his unearthly beauty still made her breathless. He was forever her beautiful Death, a demon who loved the spring and the Lady who tended it.

Sensing her heated gaze, Azriel turned slowly, his leathery wings fluttering with her attention. Her mouth bloomed into a smile at the subtle display of dominance and she descended to meet him, her fingers plucking at the laces of her velvet gown. It dropped to the ground at the edge of the pool and slow and smooth as honey, she sank into the liquid starlight and sighed with relief when its healing warmth seeped into her body. The space between them disappeared as she wrapped her arms around him, her vibrant light twining with his shadows as their bodies melded together. Azriel’s eyes glowed with hunger, and his voice—the loveliest sound in all of Spring—was soft as silk against her ear as he whispered, “Good evening, wife.”

This short headcanon is based on the theory that someone outside of the royal bloodline—like Elain—will inherit the magic of Spring and Azriel Archeron, her husband, makes the court his home without hesitation. I am not a creative writer like my talented friends, but I had to write about this image that came to me as I was writing Blooming spring. Elain is associated with symbols of rebirth [spring and dawn], so I’m quite obsessed with her possessing light that heals and creates hope, and when combined with her sight, she can create a brighter, more loving future [as long as you aren’t on her shit list]. @silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell, and I have theorized about her sight and song, which inspired the witchy chant that’s mentioned when she first arrives in Spring. I believe they will support and challenge each other to grow in a way that suits their characters, which may even mean healing and finding their home away [either temporarily or permanently] from the Night Court. There are many possibilities for their story and I cannot wait to read it!

#elainarcheronweek2022 #elriel #elriel headcanon #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #a demon in spring #beautiful death and blooming spring

[thecuddlycauldron]

Ohhhhh! Hi Willowww! It’s me again!

I wanted to change my question.

I’d like to know people’s first impressions of my physical appearance!!

Thank you in advance!

TM 💫

Hi again TM, nice to see you!

I drew the star for you! "The universe sings its eternal song of hope and beauty. Listen and find your own harmonic place in the cosmos." This is a bright card symbolizing hope, inspiration, and healing. When it comes to people's first impressions of you, they may perceive you in a positive and uplifting light. With a radiant aura, people may perceive you as having a positive energy that shines from within. Your presence may be uplifting and inspiring to those around you. The star is also associated with grace and elegance. Others notice your poise, gracefulness, and effortless charm, which can make a lasting impression on them. They perceive you as having a unique and captivating appearance that sets you apart from others. Your first impressions are positive, seeing you as someone who exudes hope, grace, authenticity, and beauty both inside and out.

Love, Willow

#areyoutiredt #oh wow girl!! #daily tarot #free tarot #free tarot readings #tarot #tarot cards #tarot deck #tarot reading #my tarot reading #tarot witch #tarotblr #tarotcommunity

[ratsoh-writes]

Can you do this for Rancher, Peaches, Salt, Sparks, Star, Honey, Oak, Willow, Red, and Edge? Their reaction:

S/O is terrified of bugs. One day when he's just around, he hears a hug pitched and loud girly scream from the next room and a crash. If he goes and sees, they're up on a table or the counter and accident knocked stuff off, luckily didn't break anything. There's a small roach on the floor... Ye reason for all this.

Peaches: he starts sniggering but because he’s nice, he’ll try to muffle it. Peaches picks up the roach, has you follow him, and you both head to the hen house. He lets you watch the chickens execute it velociraptor style

Rancher: he huffs at the mess you made and will pick the roach up and casually toss it out a window. Rancher is gonna tease the heck out of you later for this. He’s a meanie lol. If this is a really common occurrence though, he might try to make you pick it up yourself. You gotta face your fears!!

Sparks: he shrieks as well when he sees the cockroach. Sparks jumps into your arms scooby doo style and starts screaming for salt to save you both. Sparks HATES cockroaches. With a burning passion. He thinks they’re disgusting.

Salt: when he hears the crash, your shrieks, and his brothers screaming harmonizing with yiu, salt knows it’s time to play the hero. He sighs, walks slowly into the kitchen and picks the roach up with a napkin. He’s use his hands, but then sparks would have a hissy fit and make him wash them for like five minutes straight.

Star: with all the bravery of a honey badger, Star storms in, stomps on the roach full force while screaming “DIE DIE DIE!!”. That roach is dusted, obliterated, vaporized. You think he shortcutted it away somehow as you can’t see it under his shoe or on the floor anymore. Your hero wants his kisses now. Please and thank you~

Honey: he runs in frantically thinking the worst, but when honey realizes it’s just a cockroach, he breathes a sigh of relief. No one’s hurt. Honey will scoop the roach up in his bare hands and tease you for being so scared. This little jerk even tries to get you to hold it. “It’s just a baby y/n!” The but does have to go though. He can’t have roaches in his house

Oak: he shortcuts in and you helpfully point at the roach in terror. Oak gives you a look that just screams “really?”. He picks up the roach, and pops it in his mouth chomping it like it’s a salted cashew or something. Oak thought he was being helpful. But now you won’t kiss him :(

Willow: you don’t scream for willow. He’ll scold you for being scared of a tiny bug. Instead you’re smart and scream for his dog, chaos, instead. And chaos delivers. She runs into the kitchen in a full bio hazard suit. By know your know not to question where she gets this stuff. Chaos carefully picks up the cockroach with a pair of chopsticks, puts it in the sink drain, and turns on the garbage disposal switch. Modern problems call for modern solutions

Red: he walks in on the sight of his terrified SO watching his cat, baby bones, eat a cockroach in horror. Red has to take his cat outside and make it spit the bug out. Who knows where it’s been. Baby bones is so mad that the one prey he’s ever caught in his own was thrown away like rubbish. The cat sulks all evening

Edge: SO isn’t on the table when he comes in. Instead they’re running across the kitchen to get away from the cockroach and his cat doomfanger. Doomy took offense to SO jumping on the table and started swatting SOs leg until they got down lol. Luckily edge is here to save the day! He disposes of the bug and calms his cat and lover down. All in a days work.

#undertale imagines #undertale headcanons #underfell #Underswap #horrortale #farmtale #lustswap

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube

[thisworldisablackhole]

Top 25 Albums of 2023

These are not reviews, simply blurbs of my thoughts on each release. Some have more effort put into them than others. So without further ado...

25. Cursetheknife - There’s A Place I Can Rest

SOUNDS LIKE: HEAVY SOFT ALT ROCK FOR STARGAZING ENTHUSIASTS / LISTEN

Oklahoma rock group cursetheknife caught me by surprise with this release. This was one of those unplanned listens that I checked on a whim because I was intrigued by their 2000s emo "no spaces allowed" type band name paired with a black and white still life painting of an urn and some... cubes? I like it. This record is really great at being loud and quiet. Acoustic guitars and hushed, tired vocals are interrupted by a massive wall of crunchy guitars coloured by pretty harmonics and sustained tremolo bends. Reminds me of both the earth shattering gaze of Hum and the moody depressive folk of Pygmy Lush. A combo I never expected to hear but one that won me over without hesitation.

24. Militarie Gun - Life Under the Gun

SOUNDS LIKE: MELODIC POST-HARDCORE FOR GROOVERS / LISTEN

I wasn't a huge fan of the mix on Militarie Gun's earlier EP's. I liked what they were trying to do musically, but it sounded dry and flat, and vocalist Ian Shelton's strained pleas for love hardly changed their inflection enough to keep me waiting on stand by. My first impressions of this band were completely turned on their head and booted into outer space when I saw them live. Everything made sense. The mix from stage was loud and dynamic, with just enough room verb to slick up their sound. The songs were tight, catchy, and had enough punch to shake you to your core. Their performance that night left me awed, and I’m happy to say that version of the band I saw on the big stage is much better portrayed on this LP. What we get is 12 songs of 90s influenced, groove laden post hardcore that would make any fan of Fugazi, Lungfish or Self Defence Family happy.

23. PinkPantheress - Heaven Knows

SOUNDS LIKE: DRUM & BASS WITH SOUR KEY POP HOOKS / LISTEN

Where are you feat. WILLOW was the first song to draw me into the downtempo bubble gum world of PinkPantheress. Downtempo and bubble gum might sound like distant, thrice removed descriptions, but melancholic piano leads, ambient backing vocals and breakbeat drum samples are combined with PinkPantheress’ signature high pitched, sweet vocal delivery and highschool journal-esque lyrics in a way that hasn’t been done before. Things are generally more upbeat on this album, and it’s good that way. I actually think her style works better when the energy is high and the drums are quick. This album is almost flawless with the exception songs like Bury me, Internet baby and Feelings where the bass lines slow down into a warp, the drums become more sparse, and the lyrics become more repetitive. It’s these moments where the energy and charm are lacking and the result is just meh. Trim the fat, take out a few of these songs, and the album would be a 5/5.

22. Year of the Knife - No Love Lost

SOUNDS LIKE: HEAVY HARDCORE WITH LONG HAIR SENSIBILITIES / LISTEN

Woof, not only does this band have the grit and claws to survive and face real life tragedy, but their tough as nails resolve as individuals is fully apparent through the music they create as well. This album is punishing, frantically violent, but measured and controlled. This band absolutely smokes through powerviolence blast beats and nasty death metal riffage with a cool head, creating a record that teeters on the edge of deathcore at times without ever giving in to the cornball theatrics (which I love btw).

21. END - The Sin of Human Frailty

SOUNDS LIKE: CHAOS, PANIC, CAUSTIC BURNS, METALCORE / LISTEN

Face melting, pummeling madness, blah blah name your adjective, this band has it. Dissonant and chaotic metalcore that will make you feel like you’re being buried alive - face down in the dirt fighting for your life. The production on this thing is DENSE and begs to be played loudly. The layers of noise are packed together in a tight weave that really adds to the oppressive, suffocating nature of their music. Yet it all begins to break apart and show it’s intricate colours the more volume you pump into the speakers. If you’re not a fan by the time Hollow Urn hits you with that cinematic, theatre rumbling bass drop that sounds like a war horn from hell, then I don’t know what to tell you.

20. Panopticon - The Rime of Memory

SOUNDS LIKE: UR LAST MOMENTS BEFORE YOU DIE IN THE WOODS ALONE LOL, ATMOSPHERIC BLACK METAL / LISTEN

This is it, this is gonna be the album that finally reignites my love for black metal. Beautiful, atmospheric, sad. The opening two tracks are full of gothic folk passages packed with orchestral strings, acoustic guitars and even a softly blown flute. By the time the blasting drums, guitars and tortured howls kick in 8 minutes into Winter’s Ghost, it feels like you just got snapped thru a speed run flash back of someone’s personal grief simulation. Your heart will sink through the fucking floor, but from that pain will rise immense beauty and the courage to trudge thru the brutal, frozen wasteland soundscapes of The Rime of Memory.

19. Silent Planet - SUPERBLOOM

SOUNDS LIKE: THE SOFTWARE CHIP IN YOUR BRAIN IS MALFUNCTIONING, METALCORE / LISTEN

I’ve been watching Silent Planet from the sidelines for a couple years now, first being introduced to them through their 2021 effort Iridescent, and then dabbling in some of their older catalog which oddly made me think of an alternate timeline where La Dispute was a metalcore band. I wasn’t a huge fan of hearing melodramatic slam poetry before my breakdowns, but they had a knack for songwriting which made them hard to discredit. Their earlier work just seemed like something I would have had to be there for on release to fully appreciate. Now was my chance. When singles started dropping for SUPERBLOOM, I was excited to finally be on board the hype train for one of their records. This record ended up showcasing a heavier, more modern and electronic influenced side of the band than we’ve seen before. Anecdotally, when this was released I was in the midst of a Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough, and found it to be a very fitting soundtrack to the game. Colourful and archaic. There are a lot of fun and creative ideas on this LP, some of which aren’t given ample room to breathe, but are nonetheless present. I found some of the tracks a little unmemorable at first but it honestly sounds better the more time I give it between listens. Only time will tell how it continues to age.

18. Polaris - Fatalism

SOUNDS LIKE: THE BOUNCY CASTLE AT UR PARTY IS DEFLATING, METALCORE / LISTEN

Polaris are good at what they do. Maybe too good. They are at the pinnacle of modern progressive metalcore alongside bands like Erra and Northlane, but whereas Erra excels in technical proficiency, and Northlane excels in synth pop metal integration, Polaris just brings down the emotional hammer. This band excels in the art of mixing heavy progressive riffs with soaring, passionate, radio ready choruses that just tug at your heart strings. I think Fatalism is overall heavier than their 2020 album The Death of Me, but they have doubled down on all the parts of their formula which make their songwriting so effective at simultaneously jerking tears and making your fists swing in a rage.

17. Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color in the Valley of Night…

SOUNDS LIKE: SWIRLING, INTOXICATING INSTRUMENTAL PROG METAL / LISTEN

I was pretty adamantly opposed to instrumental music outside of electronic and ambient for a long time until I recently started reading books again. I wanted to see if I could get two birds stoned at once and listen to some tunes that I would usually avoid while I absorb words. I ended up enjoying this release so much that I started listening to it even when I wasn't reading books, but it does make every page you read play out like an intense action scene, so I'm inclined to continue listening in that fashion. Night Verses are an instrumental metal band, but don't go into this expecting full gas technical wankery. Night Verses are pro's at utilizing restraint and softer textures to weave a narrative with their instruments. Never have I encountered a band so skilled at telling a story without words.

16. Termina - Soul Elegy

SOUNDS LIKE: EMO ROBOTS FROM NEPTUNE DISCOVER TECHY DEATHCORE / LISTEN

I was first introduced to this outfit through their single Parasocial and was immediately sold. Sharp, twisting angular guitar leads over over deathcore inspired instruments and vocals. At one point the instruments drop out into an evil bass heavy hip hop beat with pitch shifted demon vocals before launching straight back into full auditory assault. It was just straight up one of the coolest switch ups I've heard in a metal song before and I was really hyped to hear what else they had in store. Ultimately I didn't enjoy the other singles on first listen as much as Parasocial, but the rest of the album really delivered upon release. There are points during this record where I feel like it was written by an AI; algorithmically engineered to release the right amounts of dopamine in my brain at specific intervals to keep me engaged. I don't mean that as an insult, as the result is a highly addicting LP that hits all the hallmarks of modern metal while still feeling innovative and fun.

15. Dying Wish - Symptoms of Survival

SOUNDS LIKE: THAT SHIT UR 40 YEAR OLD METALHEAD HOMIE PUTS ON THE AUX, TURN OF THE CENTURY MELODIC METALCORE / LISTEN

I was exposed to this band when they were on tour with Counterparts. The bill that night was supposed to be Counterparts, Dying Wish, Foreign Hands and SeeYouSpaceCowboy, but unfortunately Foreign Hands had their vehicle broken into in Washington and couldn't cross the border. I was still treated to a ménage à trois of metalcore excellence that night, but was especially blown away by Dying Wish as they were the only band on the bill I wasn't familiar with. My expectations were low and they spin kicked me in the teeth with their oldschool melodeath inspired riffs. From that moment on I was eagerly awaiting this album. The singles they drip fed us showed a marked improvement in their songwriting and especially in Emma's performance as a vocalist. The full album proved to be a worthy contender, bringing back a solid nostalgic sound to an arena packed to the brim of tiresome modernity. I still can't get the sound of those crash laden breakdowns out of my head.

14. fromjoy - fromjoy

SOUNDS LIKE: CHAOTIC GRINDIN MATHCORE MADE BY DEPRESSED ZOOMERS WHO PROBS GREW UP ON 4CHAN / LISTEN

This is a very recent addition to this list, but one that has swiftly earned it's place. There have been plenty of bands this year that have done this kind of chaotic, math influenced metalcore, but none that have blended the sound with electronic breakbeats and haunting choruses the same way fromjoy has. I can get kind of tired of albums that are just 100% speed and brutality front to back, but fromjoy have injected enough elements of other genres here to offer moments of respite from their brain melting, hellish soundscapes. Songs like of the shapes of hearts and humans, or the saxophone vaporwave of Helios, are much like a bench atop a canyon vista. A moment to regroup and recover before you continue pushing that boulder up hill.

13. Invent Animate - Heavener

SOUNDS LIKE: U JUST PISSED OFF SOME ANGELS BRUH, METALCORE / LISTEN

Invent Animate are a progressive, atmospheric metalcore band. Sounds pretty fuckin cool to me, but I have a strange relationship with this album. It's an album that I've always liked, but have really struggled to connect with on an individual track basis. It took months of casual listening before I could really differentiate one track from another. It all sort of blurred together, which is on one hand a testament to the atmosphere they have created with this record, but on the other hand it created a challenge to find specific moments to draw me back in. Despite that I still really enjoyed the general sound of what I was hearing; heavy polyrhythmic riffs backed by icy reverberated synthesizers which melted into breakdown ASMR in my headphones. It wasn't really a hard decision to continue giving it a chance to grow on me, and I'm glad I did.

12. TesseracT - War of Being

SOUNDS LIKE: IF DREAM THEATER WAS GOOD LOL, PROGRESSIVE METAL / LISTEN

I was a huge fan of TesseracT's album One back in the early 2010's. I decided to revisit that album earlier this year just out of curiosity to see if I would still enjoy that kind of music, and I was pleased to find that the album still sounded just as good to my 28 year old brain as it did to my 16 year old brain. It's always a nice feeling to realize that your younger self didn't have terrible taste in music. During this time of re-listening to One I had no idea that they were on the verge of releasing a new album. When the single War of Being dropped in July I was absolutely floored to find out that not only did their old material still hold up, but their newest material was absolutely on par with it. The groove, the heaviness, the atmosphere, Daniel Tompkins sultry sweet vocals and crushing screams. It was clear to me that TesseracT hadn't missed a single step in their newest endeavor. It was a full package that made the 16 year old in me gleam from ear to ear.

11. Mental Cruelty - Zwielicht

SOUNDS LIKE: LEGOLAS FUCKED UP AND TOSSED GIMLI STRAIGHT INTO THE ORCS, SYMPHONIC DEATHCORE / LISTEN

I didn't even really know what deathcore was until I saw Lorna Shore's Pain Remains plastered all over the front page of sputnikmusic and the users top albums of 2022 lists. I decided to give it a try out of morbid curiosity and discovered that I actually really loved the combination of heavy as fuck instrumentation, twisted pig squeal vocals and symphonic, fantasy soundtrack-esque passages. It was like nothing I had ever heard before and I loved the total absurdity of it. Discovering Mental Cruelty just cemented my newfound love for this genre. Zwielicht is epic, grandoise, brutal, disgusting and beautiful all at the same time. The symphonic breakdown on Pest makes me feel like I'm listening to a metal record while witnessing firsthand the battle of Helm's Deep in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkein's The Two Towers. Dark and dramatic, this album perfectly conjoins my love for both extreme metal and fantasy.

10. The Republic of Wolves - Why Would Anyone Want To Live This Long?

SOUNDS LIKE: YOU JUST GAVE THE INDIE KID A NOOGIE, LOUD ALT ROCK / LISTEN

The Republic of Wolves completely blindsided us with a surprise EP in December, just two weeks before Christmas. I had listened to this band very briefly back in 2011 when they released The Cartographer, but it wouldn't be until discovering Shrine a couple years ago that I really fell head over heels for them. Their moody, dim lit and introspective brand of post hardcore tinged indie rock felt like it was tailor made for my tastes. To put it simply, this new EP is fantastic, but it comes with a caveat; the mix. It is raw and unpolished. Maybe a little thin and tinny sounding when compared to Shrine. This release is kind of like a haphazard demo tape thrown together just to remind the world that they still have the chops, and boy do they ever. Hidden below the rough edges of this recording is some of their most adventurous and rewarding song writing. Beautiful moments reveal themselves like treasure chests on the high seas, and the closer you get the more they glisten.

9. Koyo - Would You Miss It?

SOUNDS LIKE: I DONT HAVE ANYTHING FUNNY FOR THIS ONE, SAD POP PUNK IS ALREADY A JOKE / LISTEN

Pop punk! A genre that I always thought was kinda corny and lame until I started listening to The Story So Far and realized that it can actually be incredibly potent, emotionally charged and energetic form of catharsis. Koyo really fit the bill when I was searching for more bands that would satisfy my TSSF cravings. Although I'm not a huge fan of "gruff bearded IPA guy" vocals in punk music, Koyo's songs were so catchy and impactful that even the singer eventually won me over, and this record found itself in constant rotation.

8. Maruja - Knocknarea

SOUNDS LIKE: HARDCORE KIDS STARTED LISTENING TO JAZZ AND NICK CAVE, POST PUNK / LISTEN

My friend randomly sent me a song from this, saying that it auto played for him on spotify and he thought I would like it. I was enthralled by it immediately and it ended up being the best thing he has ever recommended to me. I am a huuge sucker for saxophone and firmly stand behind the opinion that horns can improve almost any genre of music, especially when that genre is moody post punk blasting straight out of the smoky stairwell exit of an underground english club. Maruja's use of the saxophone is much more than just a garnish though, it is woven into the structure of each song the same way a guitar would be. When paired with the anguished croons of vocalist Harry Wilkinson, the result is an atmosphere almost oppressive with it's heavy yet deeply moving temperament. This will undoubtedly be a band to pay close close attention to in the coming years.

7. Johnny Booth - Moments Elsewhere

SOUNDS LIKE: BOTCH TAPE IS IN THE STEREO AND UR BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING, METALCORE / LISTEN

I had never heard of this band before this album dropped, and I only checked it out because their name sounded weird as hell to me. I thought we left name-names like Billy Talent in the dust years ago. What I wasn't prepared for was the scourge of angry-fun math infused metalcore behind it's surreal cover art. One thing that made this album stand out to me was the pure variety of sounds and influences available. Everything from Botch worship, dreamy alt rock reminiscent of the softer cuts on Loathe's 2020 mammoth ILIIAITE, and Blood Brothers inspired "four on the floor" dance punk. This album portrays itself like a psych-ward colouring book, and the result is an album that never feels boring or out of touch.

6. Spiritbox - The Fear of Fear

SOUNDS LIKE: NEW AGE, EASY LISTENING, ALTERNATIVE METALCORE / LISTEN

Spiritbox have been a controversial band in the metal community, mainly criticized for their streamlined, "sterile" (not my words) take on pop infused metalcore. I for one love the fact that they are creating heavy music that is still accessible, smooth, and packs enough heart to caress the unwrinkled surface of my brain. This EP is extremely succinct, all killer no filler, and just a really great example of all the strong suits this band has to offer. Songs like Cellar Door and Angel Eyes are just heavy and intense, purely utilizing harsh vocals to convey the feeling of anxiety that comes with grappling your sense of self. Nothing has resonated with me this year more than Courtney screaming "I can't live in this world while I breathe in another one" right before the heaviest fucking breakdown. Too Close / Too Late, The Void, and Ultraviolet are all shimmering and beautiful alt-metal tracks with no harsh vocals present at all. Jaded sits firmly in between, open arms firmly grasping from all corners of Spiritbox's repertoire to create a perfect balance of screaming, frost bitten metallic riffs and a chorus so catchy it could rival some of the biggest pop R&B artists on the radio today.

5. Nothing,nowhere. - Void Eternal

SOUNDS LIKE: THE PICTURES IN YOUR HIGHSCHOOL LOCKER, NU METAL, METALCORE / LISTEN

Given the fact that this album features Pete Wentz, Shane Told, Buddy Nielsen, Underoath vocalists Spencer and Aaron, as well as some more contemporary artists such as Will Ramos, Connie Sgarbossa and Olli Appleyard, it confuses me to see how little it is talked about. I don't know if this album completely flew under the radar of post hardcore and metalcore fans, or if it was just written off as over produced studio nostalgia bait. Naysayers be damned as there are some seriously catchy, well written songs here. Even when the album ventures into Linkin Park nu-metal rap territory, Joe Mulherin is just such a talented vocalist and song writer that he always brings the songs back to earth with a bangin chorus or death defying breakdown.

4. Wednesday - Rat Saw God

SOUNDS LIKE: IF MBV WAS A COUNTRY BAND, TWANGY ALT ROCK / LISTEN

Kind of the oddball addition to this list, but god damn I love this album so much. Even though I come off as a metalcore fan first, a lot of my favourite artists are actually 90s indie rock bands of the slacker variety, and adjacent americana influenced singer songwriters. Wedneday checks all the boxes that I love about 90s alternative music. Rough around the edges but infectious with it's melody. Reminiscent of both the untuned honesty of David Berman and the super charged, off kilter charm of Swirlies.

3. Hail The Sun - Divine Inner Tension

SOUNDS LIKE: AN EDGIER, COOLER MARS VOLTA, PROGRESSIVE POST-HARDCORE / LISTEN

This was my most anticipated album of the year, and one that I made the unfortunate mistake of burning myself the fuck out on it's singles. I listened to Maladapted, Under the Floor, Chunker, and Mind Reader so many times in a row that when the full album was released, it just sounded WEIRD to me. Obviously I didn't let that get in the way of my enjoyment, but my brain had been wired to expect certain songs to be preceded by and followed by certain songs. Ya know what I mean. It threw me through a loop and it took a long time for the other songs to really click into place. Divine Inner Tension is one of Hail the Sun's strongest and most fun albums to date. These tracks are smart and witty, dazzling with it's technicality and playfulness. Math rock guitar harmonies, funky bass lines and spastic drum fills phase in and out of battle stances before breaking free into powerful choruses and descending back down their stairwell of madness. Vocalist Donovan Melero can be a bit of an acquired taste, but fans of The Mars Volta will feel right at home listening to the dramatic flair in the ceiling shattering range of his voice. Despite the fact that he can sometimes hold me back from recommending this band to people in my inner circle, I couldn't imagine a more perfect vocalist for the band. He knows how to command a room, and sometimes (if you close your eyes) the instruments feel like an extension of his voice, spreading from his open mouth like tendrils to do his bidding. Admittedly I still feel a stronger emotional connection to New Age Filth and Wake, but this band doesn't miss and I'm sure my emotional attachment to Divine Inner Tension will grow the more it marinates and the singles that I burnt myself on begin to simmer down into a stew on low boil.

2. Aviations - Luminara

SOUNDS LIKE: BEING EMBRACED BY THE SWEET WARMTH OF THE COSMOS, PROGRESSIVE ROCK, METAL / LISTEN

Beautiful melodies, progressive signatures, intricate harmonies, bright pianos and sweet, soaring vocals. This album engulfed me in it's gorgeous fiery glow and there was no looking back. Despite technically being a metal band, pure heaviness is merely a fork in the road on Aviations journey, a stormy mountain passage per se. In fact, I think one of the most impressive aspects of this band is their ability to utilize downtuned guitars and hard hitting polyrhythms in the softest way possible. Screams are sprinkled here and there on different tracks for emotional emphasis, but fourth track Legend is the only song on the album where the band goes all in on the heavy. They offer us a brief, deafening glimpse into their realm of madness before switching gears with La Jolla back into a band that sounds suspiciously like a modern church worship group, almost as if Legend was just an accidental slip of the mask that you were definitely not supposed to see. Watch your back. It doesn't matter which mask this band wears though, as everything they do is just beautiful and unique in it's ability to sound like a sunrise in motion. Adam Benjamin's vocals are just icing on top of an already sickingly sweet cake. His ability to dance between delicate falsetto and smooth, passionate wails makes me believe he has cherry blossoms and bleeding hearts in place of vocal chords. Luminara is a testament to what can be achieved when six technically proficient musicians come together with a central vision to create a a metal album that moves mountains with it's tenderness. The artistically explorative and emotionally impactful music they have laid down here make it an easy pick for second place.

1. Currents - The Death We Seek

SOUNDS LIKE: JUMPING IN THE BATH WITH A TOASTER OVEN, STICKING A FORK IN AN OUTLET, METALCORE / LISTEN

See below or click here for my full thoughts on the undisputed AOTY of 2023.

#currents #polaris #dying wish #silent planet #metalcore #sharptone records #aviations #hail the sun #equal vision records #spiritbox #johnny booth #koyo #invent animate #pinkpantheress #pure noise records #post hardcore #progressive metal #djent #alternative music #music #m

[evabellasworld]

First Meeting at Fennel Fields

AO3 Link ——————————————————————————————

Pairing: Adrian Chase x Agender!OC (Rue Iqbal)

Rating: 13+

Summary: 

Rue Iqbal, who recently moved to the town of Evergreen, stopped by at Fennel Fields to enjoy a meal when they made a potential romantic connection with the cute busboy, Adrian Chase.

A/N: This is part 1 of the series, Star Blossom. Stay tuned for part 2

It was a cold, late afternoon, with light gray clouds and a glint of sunlight in the sky. Driving in a silver car, Rue Iqbal admired the quaint town of Evergreen, with rows of mom-and-pop shops attached together and small trees and shrubs planted in every corner of the sidewalks, their light green leaves slowly fading into dark orange, reflecting the beginning of the autumn season. Their face was drenched with sweat and makeup and their ribbons loose from both sides of their curly hair. Wearing a light blue knitted vest with a slightly crumpled shirt and flared midi skirt, their Mary Jane shoes that Rue polished early in the morning had lost its shine, along with their white stockings that turned gray.

Despite their favorite song, La Vie En Rose, playing on the radio, Rue’s head was throbbing with slight pain and their right eye felt heavy, their left eye covered with eyepatch. But with their last meal after their mid-afternoon prayer, Rue’s stomach rumbled for hours, forcing them to drive to a nearby restaurant and eat as much as their heart desired. If they had the option, they craved a large paratha with thick, spicy mutton curry and a side of pakoras, just like how their paternal grandmother made them years ago. 

Unfortunately, grandmother isn’t here to cook their favorite food, let alone comfort their heavy heart and dried tears. They’re on their own, in a new place, without anyone by their side.

Parking their car in front of a restaurant called Fennel Fields, Rue stared at their reflection in their rearview and touched up on their makeup and hair, before spraying an ocean-scented perfume on their bare neck. Taking a deep breath, they emerged from their vehicle with their light blue handbag and approached the restaurant their co-workers raved about earlier. The interior of the restaurant was painted with warm yellow that harmonized with the mild lighting and toasty surroundings, and the scent of Bolognese sauce and fresh rosemary welcomed the only customer. 

All the seats were vacant, with saucers and a set of forks and knives placed on top of serviettes. Rue noticed that there were only a few staff on duty, and focused their gaze towards the round clock hanging in the middle, which was half-past five. As Rue glanced at the freshly mopped wooden floor, the restaurant hostess approached them with a warm smile on her face and a menu in her hands.

“Welcome to Fennel Fields,” she greeted. “Are you here to dine in or takeout?”

“I’m here to dine-in,” they replied in a cordial manner.

“Alright, miss, right this way,” she said, as she led them to their seat, which was a table with only two chairs and a painting of a willow tree on their right.

“Thank you,” Rue said, as they sat down and hung their handbag behind them. 

“You’re welcome, miss,” she responded, handing them the menu. “Feel free to take your time to browse through the menu and ring the bell once you’re ready to order.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” they said, browsing through the menu, hoping the restaurant had options for vegans and vegetarians, just like what their co-workers claimed. They were right‌, because there is a vegan section on the menu, which is completely plant-based. Five minutes later, Rue rang the bell and a waitress approached her table, with a notebook in her hands.

“I’ll have a Caprese salad with a strawberry Italian soda,” Rue stated, as the waitress wrote it down on their notebook.

“Will that be all?” she asked. “A Caprese salad with a strawberry Italian soda?”

“That will be all,” they affirmed, handing her the menu. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem, miss.”

As the waitress left, Rue leaned against their seat and as they listened to the tranquil music in the background and turned to a simple willow tree painting on their right, sinking deep into their thoughts. They couldn’t help noticing the yellowish-greenish colors that were used for the leaves, along with the shadow that casts underneath it with light gray colors. Rue remembered the willow tree in the park one sunny day, where they used to sit whenever they felt like their burdens were too heavy for them to carry on their back and weeped without shame and guilt from people around them. With orange butterflies fluttering and the scent of nectars in the air, it was the perfect way to feel home. 

But they weren’t home anymore. They’re in Evergreen, where there’s no sight of enormous skyscrapers and the mysterious green forest loomed at the edge of the town.

Before delving further into the new town, the waitress returned with their Caprese salad and a glass of strawberry Italian soda, bringing them back into the present. Rue thanked the waitress and glanced at their meal, which consists of fresh tomato slices, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil and a hint of black pepper. It may not be vegan, but last they checked, mozzarella cheese did not contain rennet, hence, it was safe for them to eat. As they took a bite of their meal, they tasted the tanginess of the tomato and mozzarella slices mixed together with the pungent taste of basil. With the balancing flavor of the olive oil and black pepper, Rue’s eyes widened as they glanced at their meal, taking another bite and stuffing it in their mouth, satisfying their hunger. 

They then took a sip of their strawberry Italian soda with a red-striped straw, and sighed in relief at the sweet taste of the fresh strawberries that were mixed with the bubbly club soda and the cooling ice cube that refreshed their body, despite the cold mist fogging the restaurant’s window.  Despite the fog, however, Rue pictured the golden leaf that blew towards their bedroom window early in the morning, resembling the ones that were scattered near the willow tree. The street sweeper usually piled them up into a mini mountain, and Rue used to jump towards the pile and let the leaves rain towards their giggling face, until the sweeper showed up and cursed at them. 

That was years ago when they were still in high school. As their mind flies towards their past, they did not notice the busboy approaching their table, who had been admiring their beauty since the moment they stepped foot into Fennel Fields.

“Excuse me, miss,” a busboy asked, carrying a jug of strawberry Italian soda. “Do you want a refill of your drink?”

Rue focused their attention towards the busboy who was standing in front of them and traced their eyes from his head to his toned forearms, all the way to his leather black shoes, which looked almost worn out. Wearing a red cap with matching shirt and a beige apron, his bespectacled eyes reminded Rue of a forest at night, which complimented with his porcelain skin and dimpled smile. Rue could only sip their soda as they admired the handsome busboy sitting in front of them, who resembled one of those main leads in a Korean drama, except for the fact that he was clearly a white man whose age they could not guess. But if they had to bet, the busboy looked like he was either in his late 20s or in his early 30s, though not more than 31. 

Their eyes then moved towards his name tag on his apron before nodding in response. “I would love that, Adrian, thank you.”

He rapidly blinked at Rue’s response, gripping on the jug’s handle. “How did you know my name?”

“It’s on your name tag,” they pointed out, much to his relief.

“That makes sense,” he chuckled, as he poured their drink into their glass. “Though it feels weird that a customer would refer to a busboy or a busgirl or a busser by their names, since we mostly do the dirty work that the waiters don’t dare.”

“Yeah, bussers have to carry stacks of dirty dishes and refill drinks, which is really tiring. Like, I remember carrying 15 dirty dishes from one table and both my arms and legs were super sore.”

“Wait, you were a busser as well?”

“Yeah, it was my first job back in high school. Whenever school finished, I worked from around 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and then woke up for school at 6, and then the pattern repeated.”

“I know that feeling,” he empathized with their experience as he leaned closer to their ears to whisper. “Not to mention you’re underpaid, a lot.”

Rue’s eyes widened as Adrian whispered in her ears, though they understood that he could not say it openly at his workplace since it might get him fired, or worse. Speaking of the workplace, Rue realized that they may have been taking loads of Adrian’s time, since he was still on duty right now. 

“You should head back to work,” they reminded him. “I don’t think your boss would be happy to see you mingling with a customer.”

“Please, you’re the only one here,” he snorted, as he took a seat and placed the jug on the table, facing Rue. “Besides, I was really bored and there’s nothing much I can do anyway, aside from wiping the table, which I’ve done that for like a hundred times.”

Rue burst into laughter. “You talk to customers when you’re bored?”

“Nah, I usually would be sitting in the back and listening to music, but since you’re here all alone, I thought you could use some company anyway, since you look lonely and all.”

“I appreciate that,” they replied. “So how long have you worked here?”

“Pretty long, I guess,” he shrugged, looking upwards. “Probably around a year or two. Or maybe three. I don’t know. I’m bad at math. Anyway, let’s talk about you. What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a high school chemistry teacher. Today’s my first day of teaching at Evergreen High School. Ever heard of it?”

“Oh my gosh, yes, of course I heard of it. I used to go there, along with my older brother and my best friend, who’s close with my older brother,” his eyes brightened, reminiscing his past to Rue. “If I could remember, Mr. White was my chemistry teacher, until he got killed by a drug lord, which I’m not sure how to feel, since chemistry isn’t my favorite subject and also the fact that I zoned out at every one of his classes.”

“So you and your older brother and your best friend, who’s close with your older brother, were alumni of that school?” they recapped, feeling goosebumps on their skin on Mr. White’s death. “Well, that explains why the superintendent hired me immediately after the interview.”

“I’m not surprised,” he shrugged. “A lot of teachers are leaving the profession, which I don’t blame them, since the pay is low and students can be dickheads sometimes. Are your students a bunch of dickheads?”

“So far, they seemed fine,” they laughed with amusement. “Though it’s too early to judge, since it’s only the first day.”

“That’s totally understandable,” Adrian let out a pleasant laugh, before proceeding to dig through their history. “So if you don’t mind me asking, where are you from, cause I’ve never seen you around town before, so yeah…”

“Well, I was born and raised in Malaysia, but I came to America when I was fourteen,” they explained, releasing a shallow sigh. “I lived in Kane City for eight years, which was famous for their willow trees, until I decided to move to Evergreen, where I’ve only been here for two days.”

“That’s a lot of moving,” he remarked. “So you must be a city girl, right?”

Rue chuckled in response, much to his confusion. “Did I say anything wrong?”

“I’m not sure how to say this, but I’m not a girl,” they clarified, pressing their hands together. “I’m actually agender, which means I don’t identify with any gender at all. Basically, I’m genderless, so yeah…”

“I am so sorry about that,” he babbled, aghast at his own behavior. “I should have asked before assuming your gender, which I did, and now I think I made things awkward between us.”

“No worries about that,” Rue assured him. “I get that a lot.”

“It’s still not an excuse to misgender you, though,” he looked down on the table, avoiding their eyes, before clearing his throat. “Anyway, to make things less awkward, what pronouns do you use?”

“I go by they, them, ze and zir,” they answered. ‘What about you? What pronouns do you go by?”

“I go by he and him pronouns, and I’m also a cis male, just to clear up the confusion between the both of us.”

“Alright, looks like we’ve cleared up the air,” they clapped their hands once. “So, how long did you stay in Evergreen?”

“Since I was born, which was practically my whole life,” he answered, gazing at Rue’s right eye. “I never left Evergreen, and I don’t think I ever will. I mean, I know it can be boring and all, with nothing much happening in this town, except for the fact that we were almost invaded by a bunch of butterflies, which I obviously have nothing to do with, but otherwise, there’s nothing much here except for a few crimes here and there.”

“Honestly, I would rather be almost invaded by a bunch of butterflies than to deal with corrupt cops and some billionaire who tried to poison our rivers,” Rue chortled. “Besides, butterflies are beneficial to the ecosystem since they contribute to our food production.”

“Yeah, of course,” he laughed nervously, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “Those butterflies are definitely beneficial to the ecosystem, alright. Anyway, let’s talk about your home country, Malaysia, since I’ve never heard about it before, so yeah, what’s it like down there?”

“From what I remembered, I would hang out at the esplanade with my friends while admiring the ocean up close, along with the blue sky above. I also remembered the alleyways with artworks of children riding on the bicycle and playing on the swing. I also remembered enjoying swimming in the river near my grandparent’s house and the water would be freezing cold, despite the immense heat outside. Oh, there’s also a rice field nearby as well, and it’s a beautiful sight when it’s being harvested.”

“It sounded like paradise.”

“It did, actually,” they smiled sadly. “If only I could stay there forever.”

“Do you miss your home country?”

“Yeah, I do miss Malaysia a lot,” they sighed. “I could come back there, but I’m not sure whether I would recognize it since everything changed for the past eight years.”

“Well, you know what they say, if you’ve been away from home for too long, you end up becoming a foreigner when you return home.”

Rue nodded as they stared distantly at their drink, contemplating Adrian’s words. Their memories of their eight years old self enjoying a strawberry ice ball replayed in their mind like a rolling film camera. They were sitting all alone in an open-air shop and counted every trishaw that rode past them on the quiet streets. The shopkeeper knew their parents well. Whenever Rue came to his shop, he always smiled and talked to them in their native language. Rue would love to go back to those moments, but they no longer live there anymore, nor speak their native language that their parents and teachers from her old school had taught. Even if they go back, they would no longer be the same little girl that everyone recognized. 

“Everything alright, Rue?” Adrian interrupted their thoughts, his brows wrinkled. “You seemed sad.”

“Yeah, I’m alright,” they insisted, grinning from ear-to-ear. “I was just taking a trip down to memory lane, that’s all.”

“Is it something I said, cause if it is, I’m really sorry about that.”

Rue shook their head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Adrian. It’s just that I realized that I forgot how to speak Malay, which I used to be super fluent along with English, but since coming here, I could only converse in English, Japanese and Korean, which is embarrassing, cause I made an effort to learn Japanese and Korean but somehow I didn’t do the same with Malay, which was the language my parents and my grandparents and the rest of my ancestors have spoken, even during the colonial eras. So yeah, you’re right. If I returned to Malaysia, I’ll feel more like an American tourist instead of a Malaysian who returned home.”

Adrian can’t imagine losing the ability to speak his native tongue, but listening to Rue’s cries on forgetting the language that their ancestors have spoken made his heart ache. They would insist that everything seemed fine, but he noticed their suppression of tears through their right eye, since the other eyes were covered with an eye patch. He wondered how they lost half of their sight in the first place, though it’s not the right time to ask about it.

“It must be painful forgetting a language you used to be fluent in,” he empathized in a softer tone. “And I’m sure it hurts to feel disconnected from your home country and its culture. But I’m confident that it is never too late to re-learn the Malay language and reconnect with your culture. It definitely won’t be easy, but I’m sure it will be a healing journey for you and your family, if you’re still in touch with them, of course. Are you still in touch with your family?.”

“Unfortunately, no, but you’re still right,” they smiled at Adrian. “It’s never too late to re-learn the Malay language and reconnect with my culture. After all, we persevered through the colonial era and the Japanese occupation during World War II, so I don’t think I’ll give up anytime soon.”

“That’s the spirit,” he cheered, as he noticed their blue handbag hanging on the chair. “Is that a Kate Spade you got there?”

“How did you know?” they gasped, grabbing their handbag.

“It’s the leather for me, cause it’s made of crossgrain calf leather, which is the least expensive kind of leather and also more durable than the regular soft leather, perfect for carrying loads of stuff like files and books, since that’s what teachers usually carry all the time.”

Rue raised their eyebrows as they leaned towards him while still clutching on their handbag. “You have such eyes for details. Does anyone ever tell you that?”

“No, people just call me stupid and clueless, which is actually true, since I can’t tell who’s being sarcastic and I also don’t feel emotions like people do.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Adrian shook his head. “No, it’s true. People always tell me that I’m dumb and that I talk too much, which is also true as well.”

Rue blinked at his statement, wondering whether he was pulling their leg. Surely, a man who accurately guessed the brand of their handbag would not be stupid, clueless, and dumb. As for the emotion part, Adrian makes them feel like they’re talking to a close friend that they’ve known for years instead of a stranger they just met an hour ago. 

“What makes you think that you’re stupid and clueless?” they asked, tilting their head to their right. 

“Well, one time, I noticed my best friend was really occupied with work and all, so I decided to help him do his laundry. Unfortunately, I may have used the wrong detergent, so his clothes pretty much turned pink. Understandably, he got mad and he wouldn’t allow me in his trailer for two weeks, so yeah.” 

Rue burst out laughing that they almost choked on their saliva, before clearing their throat and straightening their posture. “I don’t think I can consider you being stupid, since I also accidentally turned one of my white dresses pink. But honestly, at least I could wear that dress, since most of my clothes are blue and white.” 

“I threw my best friend's phone out of the car, thinking it was trackable, but his dad found him anyway because of his helmet. I realize now that it was a dumb thing to do.”

“Wait, helmets are trackable?” Rue bit their cheeks in thought.

“Well, my best friend’s helmet was trackable since his dad specially built it, and his dad is a racist nutjob‌, which you shouldn’t worry about, since he’s dead and I definitely have no part in his death, so yeah.”

“Okay then, that’s good to know,” Rue nodded. “So, you mentioned you have an older brother, right?”

“Yeah, I did,” he replied with a grin. “His name is Gut, and he’s like way older than me, like 13 years older, and he was alright. We only see each other during the holidays, since he has his own life and all.”

“Huh, it must be nice having a big brother. How about the rest of your family? Are you close with them as well?”

“Kind of, I mean, I only see them during the holidays, so yeah, it’s all good, I guess.”

Rue hummed in agreement as they stole a quick glance of the time. It was already 6.30 p.m. It dawned on them just how swiftly the past hour and a half had flown by, their conversation flowing seamlessly and effortlessly. Yet, Rue was hit with their most important part of their everyday obligations, which was their daily prayers. In 20 minutes, their next prayer would start, though they can’t bear the weight of leaving Adrian all alone, despite their short but captivating connection they had shared earlier. 

Letting out a resigned sigh, Rue took out a piece of a blue memo pad and a Sharpie from their handbag, puzzling Adrian with their unexpected action.

“Everything okay, Rue?”

“I would love to stay and chat with you longer, but I just realized that my next prayer starts in 20 minutes, which I can’t be late to, so will it be okay if I give you my phone number instead?

Adrian’s eyes sparkled as Rue handed him their phone number on a blue memo pad, which had an ocean scent attached to it. It’s not every day a pretty person like Rue would give their phone number to him. He felt like floating in the air as angels surrounded him with their soulful opera.

“Of course you can,” he grinned, folding the piece of paper inside his pocket. “I would definitely call you, after you’re done with your prayers. By the way, what time is your last prayer, cause I don’t want to disturb you while praying, you know.”

“You can call me at 9,” they suggested, getting up from their seat. “I’ll be done by then.”

“Sure thing, I’ll definitely call you at 9,” he got up with them. “I can’t wait to continue our conversations together.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Rue winked, before realizing that they only had one eye, prompting them to turn around and ignore his soft laugh behind them. “Just don’t be late.”

“See you soon, Rue,” Adrian waved as he watched them leave Fennel Fields. Looking down at the phone number that they gave earlier, he paced out of the restaurant through the back door and performed his signature dance move at the empty alleyway, not giving a fuck whether his co-workers were staring at him weirdly.

#adrian chase #adrian chase x oc #freddie stroma #vigilante x oc #peacemaker hbo max #agender oc #dc fanfic #vigilante fanfiction #adrian chase fanfiction #peacemaker #vigilante #adrian chase imagine

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

Neutralised (1994) [3/?]: My Version of The Shared Universe

For those of you unfamiliar with 'Chicago Hope', it was actually set in a shared universe. Also, 'Suspiciously Similar' characters will be involved (Due to actors playing multiple roles). This is my take on that:

Shows:

Chicago Hope

Homicide: Life on the Street

Law & Order

Neutralised

Oz

Picket Fences

characters (I'm not listing anyone who was in 20 episodes or less) under the cut. Also technically these are not all the characters as I'm still writing stuff.

Chicago Hope - Characters (& Actors):

Doctor Aaron Shutt (Adam Arkin)

Doctor Phillip Watters (Hector Elizondo)

Doctor William 'Billy' Kronk (Peter Berg)

Doctor Dennis Hancock (Vlondie Curtis-Hall)

Doctor Diane Grad (Jayne Brook)

Doctor Keith Wilkes (Rocky Carroll)

Doctor Jack McNeil (Mark Harmon)

Doctor Daniel Nyland (Thomas Gibson)

Doctor Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin)

Nurse Camille Shutt (Roxanne Hart)

Doctor Lisa Catera (Stacy Edwards)

Alan Birch (Peter MacNicol)

Doctor Joseph Cacaci (Bob Bancroft)

Doctor Robert Yeats (Eric Stoltz)

Doctor Gina Simon (Carla Gugino)

Doctor Jeremy Hanlon (Lauren Holly)

Doctor Francesca Alberghetti (Barbara Hershey)

Homicide: Life on the Street - Characters (& Actors)

Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer)

Detective Meldrick Lewis (Clark Johnson)

Lieutenant Alphonse Giardello (Yaphet Kotto)

Detective Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor)

Detective Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher)

Detective / Sergeant Kay Howard (Melissa Leo)

Detective Mike Kellerman (Reed Diamond)

Officer/Detective/Lieutenant Stuart Gharty (Peter Gerety)

Detective Paul Falsone (Jon Seda)

Lieutenant/Captain/Detective Megan Russert (Isabella Hofman)

Detective Laura Ballard (Callie Thorne)

Detective Terri Stivers (Toni Lewis)

Captain/Colonel George Barnfather (Clayton LeBouef)

ASA Ed Danvers (Željko Ivanek)

J.H.Brodie (Max Perlich)

Detective Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin)

Detective Stanley Bolander (Ned Beatty)

Dr Julianna Cox (Michelle Forbes)

FBT Agent/Officer Mike Giardello (Giancario Esposito)

Detective Rene Sheppard (Michael Michele)

Dr. Alyssa Dyer (Harlee McBride)

Detective/Captain Roger Gaffney (Walt MacPherson)

Law & Order - Characters (& Actors)

Sergeant Maxwell Greevey (George Dzundza)

Junior Detective Michael Logan (Chris Noth)

Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek)

Exex ADA Benjamin Stone (Michael Moriarty)

ADA Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks)

DA Adam Schiff (Steven Hill)

Sergeant Philip Cerreta (Paul Sorvino)

Dr Elizabeth Olivet (Carolyn McCormic)

Senior Detective Leonard W Briscoe (Jerry Orbach)

Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson)

ADA Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy)

Exec ADA/DA John McCoy (Sam Waterston)

Junior Detective Reynaldo Curtis (Benjamin Bratt)

ADA Jamie Ross (Carey Lowell)

ADA Abigail Carmichael (Angie Harmon)

Junior/Senior Detective Edward Green (Jesse L. Martin)

Interim DA Nora Lewin (Dianne Wiest)

ADA Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Röhm)

DA Arthur Branch (Fred Thompson)

Neutralised - Characters (& Actors)

Abraham Machado (Alfred Molina)

Andreina Neri (Robin Wright)

Caleb Willow (Cary Elwes)

Dove Lewis (Alfre Woodard)

Esmé Verity (Janaeane Garofalo)

Faustus Sanchez (Hank Azaria)

Grayson Bryant (Harold Perrineau)

Hunter Kingsley (Chris Farley)

Ichabod Mortimer (Danny DeVito)

Jared Foster (Kirk Acevedo)

Kane Carter (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

Lance Carter (John Goodman)

Monday Duke (Patricia Arquette)

Noam Gold (Oliver Platt)

Omega Finch (Willem Dafoe)

Peyton Blythe (Regina King)

Russel Warszawski (Adam Sandler)

Sullivan Landon (Christopher Lloyd)

Tuesday Duke (Reese Witherspoon)

Victor Jamison (Mike Myers)

Winslow Warszawski (Brad Garrett)

Xavier Solomon (David Spade)

Yancy Haggard (Kiefer Sutherland)

Zoey Knight (Geena Davis)

OZ - Characters (& Actors)

Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau)

Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen)

Ryan O'Reily (Dean Winters)

Kareem Saïd / Goodson Truman (Eamonn Walker)

Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo)

Vernon Schillinger (J.K. Simmons)

Simon Adebisi (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)

Christopher Keller (Christopher Meloni)

Zahir Arif (Granville Adams)

Hamid Khan (Ernie Hudson Jr.)

Nacim Bismilla (Re Hanna)

Huseni Mershah / James Monroe Madison (Roger Guenvuer Smith)

Leroy Tidd / Salah Udeen (Jacues Smith)

Jefferson Keane (Leon)

Kenny Wangler (J.D. Williams)

Arnold 'Poet' Jackson (muMs the Schemer)

Paul Markstrom (O.L. Duke)

Junior Pierce (Malé-Lexington Alexander)

Malcolm 'Snake' Coyle (Treach)

Johnny Post (Tim McAdams)

James Robson (R.E. Rodgers)

Mark Mack (Leif Riddell)

Jaz Hoyt (Evan Seinfeld)

Scott Ross (Stephen Gevedon)

Andrew Schillinger (Frederick Koehler)

Nino Schibetta (Tony Schibetta)

Peter Schibetta (Eddie Malavarca)

Antonio Nappa (Mark Margolis)

Chucky Pancamo (Chuck Zito)

Dino Ortolani (Jon Seda)

Don Zanghi (John Palumbo)

Joey D'Angelo (Goodfella Mike G)

Mario Seggio (Todd Etelson)

Salvatore DeSanto (Phil Campanella)

Raoul 'El Cid' Hernandez (Luis Guzman)

Carmen 'Chico' Guerra (Otto Sanchez)

Carlos Martinez (Carlos Leon)

Carlo Ricardo (Juan Carlos Hernandez)

Cyril O'Reily (Scott William Winters)

Rev. Jeremiah Cloutier (Luke Perry)

Timmy Kirk (Sean Dugan)

Alonzo Torquemada (Bobby Cannavale)

Richie Hanlon (Jordan Lage)

Shirley Bellinger (Kathryn Erbe)

Bob Rebadow (George Morfogen)

Agamemnin Busmalis (Tom Mardirosian)

Donald Groves (Sean Whitesell)

Jackson Vahue (Rick Fox)

Desmond Mobay / John Basil (Lance Reddick)

Richard L'Italien (Eric Roberts)

Nikolai Stanislofsky (Phillip Casnoff)

William Giles (Austin Pendleton)

Henry Stanton (Thomas G. Waites)

Colonel Edward Galson (John Doman)

Eli Zabitz (David Johansen)

Kipekemie Jara (Zakes Mokae)

Dean Alvah Case (Charles S. Dutton)

Sean Murphy (Robert Clohessy)

Claire Howell (Kristin Rohde)

Diane Wittlesey (Edie Falco)

Clayton Hughes (Seth Gilliam)

Karl Metzger (Bill Fagerbakke)

Eddie Hunt (Murphy Guyer)

Lenny Burrano (Skipp Sudduth)

Father Ray Mukada (B.D Wong)

Doctor Gloria Nathan (Lauren Veldez)

Governor James Devlin (Željko Ivanek)

Martin Querns (Reg E. Cathey)

Doctor Frederick Garvey (Milo O'Shea)

Warden Leo Glynn (Ernie Hudson)

Tim McManus (Terry Kinney)

Sister Peter Marie Reimondo (Rita Moreno)

Picket Fences - Characters (& Actors)

Sheriff James 'Jimmy' Brock (Tom Skerritt)

Doctor Jill Brock (Kathy Baker)

Kimberly Brock (Holly Marie Combs)

Matthew Brock (Justin Shenkarow)

Zachary 'Zach' Brock (Adam Wylie)

Deputy Kenny Lacos (Costas Mandylor)

Deputy Maxine 'Max' Stewart (Lauren Holly)

Carter Pike (Kelly Connell)

Ginny Weedon (Zelda Rubinstein)

Douglas Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel)

Judge Henry Bone (Ray Walston)

DA John Littleton (Don Cheadle)

DA Barnaby Wood (Peter Frechette)

ADA Petrovic (Jason Beghe)

Father Gary Barrett (Roy Dotrice)

Laurie Bey (Marlee Matlin)

Howard Buss (Robert Cornthwaite)

Doctor Joanna 'Joey' Diamond (Amy Aquino)

Lisa Fenn (Alexandra Lee)

Frank (David Proval)

Rachel Harris (Leigh Taylor-Young)

Ed Lawson (Richard Masur)

Peter Lebeck (Michael Jeter)

Milton Lebeck (Chris Owen)

Reverend Henry Novotny (Dabbs Greer)

Principal Michael Oslo (Roy Brocksmith)

Cynthia Parks (Elisabeth Moss)

Bill Pugen (Michael Keenan)

Lydia Brock (Cristine Rose)

Aiesha Campbell (Bruklin Harris)

Brian Latham (Gregory Vignolle)

Agent Donald Morrell (Sam Anderson)

#original character #original characters #original writing #original series #Neutralised #chicago hope #homicide life on the street #law & order #oz #hbo oz #picket fences #shared universe #very long post #alfred molina #tagging only alfred because i hope the molina girlies like bram

[cameronsactivities]

Anderperry Week 2023, Day 1

(Life together)

The Sun Rises

“Good morning, my love.”

Neil heard his voice before his weary eyes could focus on his surroundings. “Hi,” he mumbled through his dry throat. Todd was sitting cross-legged on their bed, holding a notebook with poetry scrawled in blue ink. With the dark green blanket scrunched up by his waist, he looked like a forest nymph in a painting, sitting in lush grass. 

Neil squinted at the clock, unable to tell the time through his bleary, hopelessly nearsighted eyes. 

“Seven-twelve,” Todd supplied, mindful that Neil preferred to know the exact time. 

“Much too early for a weekend,” Neil grumbled, replacing the poetry book in Todd’s lap with his head. 

“You’re just in time for the sunrise,” Todd said. Sure enough, the sun was appearing in thin streams through the window, making his hair seem even blonder. 

“Were you watching me sleep, just now?” Neil mused. 

Todd looked away, smiling gently. “If you put it like that, no. I was… using you for inspiration.”

“Inspiration? You’d better have something to show for it, then.” Neil sat up suddenly, landing a kiss on Todd’s chin on the way up. 

“It’s not good,” Todd mumbled dismissively. “I wrote it because I couldn’t fall back asleep, but you can read it.”

“I’ll always read your poetry.” Neil accepted the notebook, but kept his eyes on Todd, directing a puckish smile toward him. “Unless, of course, you’re here to read it to me.”

“Read it to you?” Todd said with a laugh. “God, you’re just like Keating. Alright, give me the notebook.”

The sun rises, again and again and again

Every morning, it leads me out of the vicious night

Where wolves with their bloody maws chase me through a dense wood

But unfalteringly so, the sun is always there

Greets me by thawing my frostbitten fingers,

Breathing tranquil into my shuddering heart, 

Day after day, again and again

The sun rises upon a meadow

I can feel its heartbeat when I lay my cheek upon the grass

Wafting around me, a scent which cannot be captured in perfume

Willow tree and windchimes putting on a magnificent play 

The shadows dance in some unchoreographed ballet

The chimes laughing, harmonizing like a group of friends

My sun rises for me, again and again and again.

When Todd finished reading, Neil leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“You flatter me, Neil,” Todd laughed. 

“I want to know what you picture in that second part,” Neil said.

“I guess the world will never know.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I can’t draw to save my life.” 

“No way,” Neil said adamantly. “Draw something.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, a leaf or something.”

Todd shrugged, roughly drawing in his notebook and showing it to him as if proving a point. Neil stayed silent for longer than he would have if he were about to give praise. He debated his response to what looked like three scraggly pine cones arranged in what was supposed to be, it seemed, a maple leaf. 

“This may be one of the few skills you didn’t underestimate your ability to do,” Neil said slowly. 

Todd laughed, a quiet giggle that sounded what fresh, butter-soaked bread tasted like. 

Neil leaned into Todd’s shoulder, saying, “I can picture it so clearly in my mind. God, I wish I had something to paint with.”

“I think Meeks has some watercolors from last Christmas,” Todd said, his hands habitually toying with Neil’s hair. 

“I’ll get them later,” Neil murmured through a yawn. He fell back into his pillow, dragging Todd down with him. Without realizing, they soon drifted back to sleep in each other’s embrace.

***

Neil spent the rest of the day painting to the music of Todd’s pen scratching across paper, almost indistinguishable from the breezy rustling of leaves outside the window. He stepped back to look at the small landscape he had painted — a vibrant green meadow with a single willow tree reaching up to an equally bright blue sky. He’d spent so long perfecting the shadows of the nimble and supple branches, hoping he had captured the essence of Todd’s “unchoreographed ballet.” He made sure the sunlight glistened off the silver wind chimes brilliantly, and that the atmosphere was perfectly dreamy.

“I’m done,” he announced, stretching his arms. Todd came up behind him to look at the painting, propping an arm on the back of Neil’s chair. 

“That’s exactly how I imagined it,” he said, in awe. “Neil, this is so uncanny. I-I can’t believe it.”

A massive grin broke out on Neil’s face. “Thanks,” he said. “That’s the best compliment I could ever get.” 

He left the room to clean Meeks’s paintbrushes, and returned to find Todd absent from the room. However, the painting had an extra detail. It was only four dots of color, simple enough that anyone could paint them. A brunette figure with a dark green sweater, next to a head with slightly lighter hair, and a blue sweater. They matched the grass and the sky quite nicely.

#anderperry week 2023 #neil perry #todd anderson #dead poets society #dps #day 1 #anderperry #i am on a roadtrip and posting this from mobile forgive the scuffed formatting in the poem #i wrote this in a car while trying not to die from motion sickness #an excellent start to my first fandom week