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anonymousewrites · 6 months

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A Good Day for Death Halloween Special 2023

Wednesday Addams x Reader

“Halloween is so important for Outcasts!” chirped Enid, flipping through her pinterest of costume ideas. “Come on, we have a huge party every year. You have to come and dress up!”

“All Hallow’s Eve is important to my family,” said Wednesday. She glanced at the variety of pink and fantastical outfits on Enid’s board. “However, we prefer to spend our time performing seances to commune with our deceased family members rather than at kids’ parties.”

“Addamses can actually die?” asked (Y/N). Honestly, that was the most surprising part of that discussion.

“When they decide they want to explore the afterlife,” said Wednesday matter-of-factly.

“Oh, cool!” said (Y/N) brightly. “I’m not really sure how easy it is for me, either. You know, child of Thanatos and all that.”

“We could find out,” said Wednesday.

“Let’s please not try to kill (Y/N),” said Enid, not liking how easily (Y/N) was nodding. They were way too willing to go along with Wednesday’s ideas.

“Another time, then.” Wednesday glanced at (Y/N). “Though I suppose I’d have to just take you to the brink of death.” She didn’t really want (Y/N) dead (not that she’d admit it to anyone. That would be soft).

“I trust you!” chirped (Y/N).

Wednesday couldn’t respond to that as she felt her heart skip a beat (a pleasant sensation since it might signal her death). (Y/N) was surprisingly skilled at finding that Wednesday was (unfortunately) soft for them.

“Hey, hey, focus, you two!” said Enid. “We need costumes!”

“I already have mine,” said (Y/N), shrugging.

Enid sighed, and her shoulders slouched. “You go as the exact same thing every year!”

“I updated the outfit this time,” said (Y/N), smiling. They looked at Wednesday and grinned. “I always go as a grim reaper.”

“Appropriate choice,” remarked Wednesday.

“Thanks,” said (Y/N), smiling.

“Fine, fine, you’re a reaper as usual,” said Enid. She crossed her arms. “Wednesday, tell me you of all people have a cool costume.”

“I’m a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else,” said Wednesday.

“Oh, nice,” said (Y/N).

“You guys are both terrible at this,” muttered Enid. She threw up her hands. “Okay, fine. But I need help since I actually put in effort. I have a few ideas, but I have no idea what to do.”

“You should go as my victim,” said Wednesday.

“Uh, no thanks,” said Enid. “I was thinking of going as Draculaura or Princess Peach.”

“Definitely Princess Peach. We have enough Fangs here already,” said (Y/N). Wednesday nodded in agreement.

“But she’s so cute…” Enid pouted, but (Y/N) and Wednesday had a point. “At least Princess Peach is totally in my color scheme.” She grinned. “Now, let’s get ready for the party!”

“I’m not going,” said Wednesday.

“You say that now, but Enid loves this party. You’re not getting out of it,” teased (Y/N). They smiled. “But don’t worry, I’ll be there.”

Wednesday supposed that would make it better couldn’t make it worse.

“I still don’t understand parties,” remarked Wednesday as she stared around herself at the students partying and dancing (and drinking).

Enid almost patted her on the back but stopped since Wednesday didn’t like physical touch. “I know you don’t like parties, but (Y/N) will be here soon.” She grinned at Wednesday, dressed in a blond wig and a knee-length pink dress decorated with Nintendo emblems.

“Why would that change anything?” said Wednesday, refusing to look at Enid’s smile.

“No reason,” chirped Enid. “Here they come, have fun!” Enid knew very well that Wednesday liked (Y/N), so she was more than happy to leave them alone.

“Hey, Wednesday!” said (Y/N). They blinked as Enid left. “Where’s Enid going?”

“She likes to dance,” said Wednesday simply.

She glanced at (Y/N) and their costume. They had black trousers and a crop top on with a long grey cloak overtop. In their hand, they held a fake scythe (though Wednesday knew they were skilled with a real one, so the impression wasn’t lost). Their makeup was dark around their eyes to create a gaunter expression. (Y/N) was definitely a grim reaper.

“You actually attempted to look scary,” said Wednesday. “Good.” Too many of the costumes here were cute. Wednesday thought perhaps she should dress up as a killer and then scare them.

(Y/N) smiled, knowing that was a compliment from Wednesday. “You should see me during Dia de los Muertos. I look amazing.”

Wednesday was silent for a moment before speaking. “You always fit with death.”

(Y/N) faltered, surprised at getting two Wednesday-like compliments back-to-back, before laughing nervously and turning a little pink. “Thanks, Wednesday.” They glanced at her. “But seriously, you should come celebrate with me. I wouldn’t make you wear color, and it could be really fun.”

“I don’t really do ‘fun,’ ” said Wednesday.

“Not even fun that involves graveyards, death, and ghosts returning to visit us?” said (Y/N), knowing what Wednesday liked.

Wednesday considered. “I suppose that is my family’s typical Halloween.”

“Then you’ll like my family’s Dia de los Muertos.” (Y/N) grinned. “Sometimes my dad likes to show up, too.”

Now, Wednesday was against parties, but with (Y/N) and the god of death present? She could put up with irritating people. “I suppose I could come.”

(Y/N) brightened, and Wednesday pretended she didn’t like how happy they looked. “Awesome! I’m glad you said yes.”

Wednesday didn’t respond, but she silently knew that she was more willing to do what (Y/N) asked of her than anyone else.

Taglist:

@strawberriesareprettycool

@im-making-an-effort

@champagnewitnocham

@simpcreator

@ksunoosworld

@dot-and-co

@genderfluid-anime-goth

@itsyapeepkiri

@daza1s-w1fe

@tired-writing-reader

@mary-jinx

@ognenniyvolk

@under-kitty

@colezb

@simp4natasha

@emily-roberts

@left-and-right-up-and-down

@star583

@rainbow-love4ever

@nemtodd-barnes1923

@likefirenrain

@ziro-the-null-god

@youralphawolf72

@mjoiner1136

@alexkolax

#wednesday netflix #netflix wednesday #wednesday series #wednesday x reader #wednesday addams x reader #halloween special #halloween #x reader #gn reader #x gn reader #x nb reader #nb reader #a good day for death

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welcome-to-roomba-fazbender · 2 years

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from the bottom of my heart thank you all 5,000 posts in just 3 years is a massive achievement so much has happened in that time! i’ve made friends, lost friends and improved alot over time!

charlie’s not going anywhere anytime soon and hell even if some things don’t go well it will keep going strong! april 5th 2023 will be his 4th birthday and 2024 will be his 5th birthday and trust me he’ll be around for thoes too!

but 5,000 posts is the goal i’d like to celebrate today and heres hoping to another 5,000!

down below are people included in this image who have been a big part of charlie’s history and i wouldn’t be here without them so thank you everyone and ... STAY CURSED

https://www.instagram.com/aj_pog_/ ((they made the photo of myself i used in this image))

https://www.youtube.com/c/VoicesInTheDarkness ((dyl in the dark))

@not-robert it’s robert owned by my close friend jack

@chuck-the-fanboy it’s chuck owned by my close friend charlie!

both jack and charlie have been in my lives since at least 2020 maybe sooner they are both extremely close friends and i am glad to have them in my life they’ve helped me so much

@gemnis-trash-fazbenders ran by a great friend named owl! i’ve known them well before charlie existed jeez it’s been such a long time i can’t even remember!

but they are a wonderful friend and also run this blog from time to time! which i find pretty neat too! ((it’s also canon to the story!))

@official-sk8ter-mangle charlie’s old daughter mangle an old relic of charlie’s past but someone i still hold dear

@adeptfrank we’ve had at least one interaction on our blogs together but even so we’ve kept up to date and talk from time to time! they are a pretty rad person

@balloon-boy-gang-official a blog that doesn't get the attention it deserves this person despite the low activity stays determined and active! only interacted once but they seem pretty cool!

@tired-t-rex a long time friend as well! and a real vet around the blog even making charlie a wonderful gift for his 1st offical birthday gotta love red vs blue!

@casmoswhitewall a new person around the blog but still important! they are the owner and creator of the imposter charlie! and a lovely person in general

@journalistsobssession our interaction is one that i’ll remember dearly they are one of the few people who kept charlie his orginal size and also made a fantastic meme about him in the process ((also i love their verion of ghostface super pog!))

@directdogman what can i say about doggo? an amazing guy and hell without him charlie wouldn’t exist in the first place! a huge inspiration and even if charlie eventually separate's from his origin i’ll still have doggo to thank for inspiring me to create!

hell within days of creating charlie’s blog doggo was there and that meant everything back then and still does

@scp-wiki-offical sadly no longer active but they were an important part of charlie’s history and even if they don’t remember him i remember it all because of the interaction we had charlie is at least known by the scp community! so thats a step up in my book! plus the person who ran the blog was a real sweet heart

@issactikket might not have interacted much on this account but i’ll never forget our first interaction of confusion and fear i’ll be supporting them thru and thru we’re still friends and talk thru discord!

@ask-noelleholiday a real sweetheart and one of the only deltarune blogs i’ve interacted with and anyone who can put up with charlie is a peach in my eyes they also have a really pleasing art style!

@dasabucket one of the first damn people i interacted with and i can never forget them! thankfully we still keep in contact! and i love their lil bubblegum animtronic simon! a real blast from the past

@jack-o-phantom met them in October 2020 and are still fast friends who i’ve had multiable interactions with over the past 2 years we’ve known eachother! i think the first ask i sent them was something about who’s worse charlie or william afton hehehe nothing but good memories!

@vsemily the legend themself! a relic of the past but an important one! they were the one who in response to charlie made a comic that i still go back and look at! they are someone who has inspired me deeply much like doggo

they never give up and stay truth to themself plus their own projects and content i love to see! and we might not talk much but they are one amazing person

@lemonysakuras a few interactions here and there i love their oc rowan and had to include em! we’ve had plenty of interactions in the past and i am sure we’ll have even more in the future

@cook-ie-chip the creator of charlie’s blue prints and one of the first dsaf blog’s i interacted with back when they were still posting content for it! she’s basically my sister at this point and i love and care for her deeply

@fishymom-art defiantly one of the most fun people i’ve interacted with another person i’ve known for about 2 years and defiantly has one of the best charlie designs i’ve seen drawn a close friend and we still support eachother to this day

i wish i could say more i am just not the best at words lol

@animdude-official ... they might be gone from tumblr but they will never be forgotten! a hero in the fnaf community and a real legend untill the end! i am glad we got the chance to interact when we had the chance

their are many more people of course but these are most the people that i mostly still keep in contact with! all played a huge part in my life and i am sorry for anyone i forgot to mention but rest assured your still important!

one more time i’d like to say thank you and see you on the flipside!

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drama-pop · 4 months

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Dramas I Watched in 2023

There was a lot more time between dramas this year and except for 1, all of them were new to me this year. I ended up watching 9 dramas again, like last year. Here are the dramas I watched this year and I what I thought of them!

Dream High (7/10)

2nd watch – My sister and I watched this through winter break and finished early in the year. It wasn’t as fun as I remember it being in my first watch, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It took several episodes for my sister to be convinced that this was going to be worth watching. The fashion, camera quality, and acting hasn’t aged that well, but the music and desperation of youth still endures.

Hometown Cha-cha-cha (6.5/10)

1st watch – I have a love-hate relationship with this drama. I liked it a lot at the beginning and end, but once Hye-jin started on her whiny “Hong Banjang,” I kind of stopped caring about her character. The townspeople are quirky, yet lovable. I thought they did a good job fleshing out the character of the second male lead as well. I cried a lot in the final episodes of the show though! It’s worth a watch. “Romantic Sunday” is an excellent driving song on a sunny day, just throwing that out there.

Little Women (7/10)

1st watch – I had to watch this one in small doses because it was quite disturbing at times. The acting was very strong all around. If you’re like me and developed a crush on Wi Ha-joon after Squid Game, I’m happy to report that he’s looking as fine as ever, even though I wasn’t sure if I could trust his character (or anyone else, for that matter!). Had the show been the traditional 16 episodes, I would not have made it. 12 dark episodes was enough for me! If you like mystery thrillers, I recommend Little Women!

Crash Course in Romance (7.5/10)

1st watch – I liked a lot about this drama. Jung Kyung-ho and Jeon Do-yeon were fantastic and it was refreshing to see a cast with older leads (despite my initial hesitation). Sure, there were a few twists that felt a bit contrived, but it’s a K-Drama! What was I expecting? This is one where I couldn’t wait to start the next episode and find out what would happen next.

Mystic Pop-Up Bar (9.5/10)

1st watch – This was the highlight of the year for me. I loved the characters as individuals and as an ensemble. The casting was perfect, in my opinion. The overarching story was mysterious and the cases that Wol-ju had to solve were touching. One episode in particular had me bawling my eyes out. This drama is one that you can enjoy casually or one that could inspire you to reflect on your life and the people in it that you love.

King the Land (7/10)

1st watch – Sadly, I can’t recall much about this one. I remember that I liked the characters, especially the lead and how hard she worked. It had a nice balance of silliness and touching moments. One thing that I thought this drama did well was develop the female lead’s friends. They had their own side stories and shared a genuine friendship. And this show has a vacation episode, which I live for!

Crash Landing on You (7.5/10)

1st (full) watch – My mom and I tried to watch this one in 2020 and completely gave up on it after the first episode. I know in my heart not to judge a K-Drama by its first episode, so we gave it another try this year. It was really well done and the ensemble is fabulous. Seriously, if you only watch it for Captain Ri’s soldiers (or for Captain Ri…what a handsome guy), I wouldn’t blame you! While I had a hard time warming up to the second female lead, I thought that the way she was written had some refreshing twists. She's not the confident woman you'd think she is from her appearance and ice. The show made some choices near the end that I didn’t agree with, but it was an overall great watch. I’m glad I gave it another try!

Touch Your Heart (7/10)

1st watch – I loved seeing Yoo In-na and Lee Dong-wook back together again and with a happier ending than in Goblin! The drama was a little silly at times and took a while for me to get into, but I grinned a lot at their cute relationship. If you like seeing your leading male looking confused and lovestruck, this is a good one! Lee Dong-wook makes the most endearing faces.

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (4/10)

1st watch – I’m so sorry. I wanted to like this drama a lot and kept watching episodes hoping that it would grip me, but it just didn’t. There were a lot of plot elements that I couldn’t get behind and some that I flat out said, “that’s it, I’m not watching this show anymore.” Of course, I did finish, but it took everything in me not to give this drama up. I personally know someone who puts this as her top drama, but it just wasn’t it for me. Mimi the dog is too cute to be real.

And that’s it! I hope that you have a happy new year and that 2024 brings good things for you! Feel free to send me any drama recs!

#kdrama #review #Happy New Year!#2023 #dream high #hometown cha cha cha #little women #crash course in romance #mystic pop up bar #king the land #crash landing on you #touch your heart #do do sol sol la la sol

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asagaos-in-the-window · 1 year

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hello. ive been considering replaying asagao academy for the first time in like six years. any advice/tips/recommendations i litch rally do not remember the optimal route order or anything like that and idk if i trust 2016 fandom abt it tbh.

this is an insane ask to receive in the year 2023 on anon i hope you know that BUT i got you!

my personal recommendation [aka the order i should’ve replayed the game in, and the order i actually replayed the game in] kinda changes depending on how much you remember of the game, and if you’re trying to/willing to play the entire thing (which... okay, i have opinions on that, but we’ll get to it. for clarity’s sake, i’ll be including jared and jon routes, but it’s up to you if you want to play those.)

strap in. long post under the cut.

#1) if you want to actually enjoy the game (subtitle: 2016 fandom wasn’t wrong but they weren’t right either)

if you don’t remember the game, 2016 fandom’s order of completion isn’t... bad?? but it isn’t very fulfilling narratively for your second time playing. you should only play pbg route first if you don’t remember his plot twist -- if you do remember it, leave him till last. it’ll make all of his sad guy shit in the background of every route a little funnier, and a little sadder, and it solidifies pbg as (if not the “canon” route) the standard route to play him at the end.

additionally, the level of quality in each route varies a *lot* more than 2016 fandom would have you believe. this is purely subjective, but the “optimal route order” REALLY assumes all routes are written equally, and going from a fantastic route to a meh one is going to kill the mood a little. in my recent replay of the game, i went from jared route [unfortunately the best-written route in the game] to continue route and had to quit from whiplash. HOWEVER: if you’re looking for the funniest experience, which is also my personal choice of playthrough, ill give you a good -> bad -> good -> bad ranking.

my order in this scenario:

*#1. pbg (if you remember NOTHING of this videogame, play pbg’s first -- if you remember his twist but nothing else, play him last.)

#2. jirard (play this before the more heavy routes; it’s insanely sweet and the whiplash will be too strong anywhere else)

#3. jon (you can put this before jirard route or after it, but this is basically just a long haul to get to better routes, so if you don’t want to play it -- it is HILARIOUSLY subpar -- you can skip it pretty easily)

#4. continue (i can’t support playing it last but i can’t support playing it first either. i don’t care for the paul/hana romance, because hana’s kind of miserable throughout it, but if you like josh and nick [plus some kick ass ian characterization] continues got something for you. this is also the only other appearance of mai bikini sprite outside of jared route.)

(**bonus: #5. hiddenblock route (play this as an intermission before jared route, it’ll make the absolute roster of hb members in that one so much more fun)

#5. jared (the best written route in the game. i played it again for the irony and sadly its narrative is fucking incredible. 10/10. you can’t play this route before paul because if you do, dating paul is going to be miserable. believe me. i did that and literally had to quit continue route even though i was thoroughly in love with josh [and, yknow. jeff and ian content is good.]) #6. satch (you have to play satch and jared right after each other because they’re weirdly relevant in each other’s lives. either order is good, but there’s a joke at the beginning of shane route that begs me to say satch - > jared. so ill say that in my personal order.)

#7. shane (i switch satch and shane’s routes around for maximum whiplash <3 no seriously, play this route as one of the last. i have some insanely mixed opinions on it [it’s the funniest route but it definitely wasn’t trying to be] but you can’t play it as one of the first.) *#8. pbg (again, if you remember his whole deal, play him last.)

if you’re a real trooper and you want to play jacques route... kinda got no opinions on that. play it whenever you want so long as its in the later half of your run.

#2.) my personal order (subtitle: don’t play the game this way)

in my personal run through, my friend and i decided to pair each Really Good route with a less good one. you can play these pairs in any order, but you cannot separate them. [good/bad]*

*(the only exception to this is satch/hidden route, in which both routes are fantastic.)

#1. pbg/jon:

they’re roommates, and jared’s route is too good to be paired with pbg’s. nothing will make it more apparent that jon gives zero shit about hana than playing pbg route before or after jon’s route. if you’re in it for a depressingly hilarious romp that ultimately culminates in hana settling for second-best to a BIRD, the poor writing of jon’s route goes from dreadful to insanely funny. watching pbg treat her like a human person after or before that is both comedic and speaks to the pbg route’s strengths.

#2. jared/paul:

i don’t hate paul route -- far from it, actually, even if i’m biased in saying that. but jared route is simply and utterly, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best route in this game. and there is just nothing more cathartic than watching hana break down in tears in paul route because shes in love with him and he fucking sucks before watching jared and hana have the most beautiful dating sim romance ever written [alongside paul’s clowning in chapter 4]. like i don’t hate paul but how do you even compete with the romantic lengths jared goes to for hana. simply isn’t possible.

#3. jirard/shane:

i know this would be controversial in 2016 asagao fandom but jirard and shane are inseparable in every route that isn’t shane’s and that’s why shane’s route fails. they’re like “what if we made shane so sweet and niceys” and then didn’t even give him the guy that forces him to be sweet and niceys until the end of the route.

jirard’s route is a nonstop fluff-fest of sweet hana characterization, accurate hidden block characterization, with an insanely good, if simple romance at its center. it’s got so much heart and earnest love to it that you can’t help but feel like jirard is the perfect match to all of hana’s insecurities. how can hana be as bad as shes convinced she is if someone like jirard loves her so much? and on top of that, jirard has to convince her that’s a bad way to think -- that his goodness is not a marker for her goodness, that she is good in her own right. it holds a lot of weight, surprisingly, and even when it gets tropey, it still feels earnest, sweet and new. (i’ve replayed this route eight times.)

shane’s route on the other hand. squints. i don’t know how they made every possible bad writing decision but they absolutely did and unless you’re SUPER invested in shane, but not invested enough to care that they butcher his characterization from every other part of the game, it’s going to be obvious. the favoritism is real (the only NB members that show up with any notable screentime are jon and jared), the hidden block characterization is utterly insane (it’s not only violently out of character but has some insane implications on shane’s relationship to hidden block. ALSO LUKE DOESN’T SHOW UP EVEN IN PASSING), and the crux of shane’s issues does not excuse nor explain his actions in any other route. just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s good.

Dont be fooled though shane route is the funniest one and i love her for it. But yknow. They probably didn’t mean for it to be funny in this way.

*#4. satch/hidden route:

i should preface this by saying this is the only pair of routes where both are equally great, and i’ve put them together because they promote the same agenda. this agenda being hiddenblock supremacy.

i’ll spare you the details since i just went on and on about jirard and shane, but satch’s route is deeply sad while remaining endlessly kind to hana AND satch’s plights. it’s a great balance. and at the crux of it all is the fact everyone in normalboots sucks aside from satch, who OPENLY CRITICIZES NORMALBOOTS’S WEIRD HIEARCHY AS PERPETUATED BY SHANE, and you might as well go sit down with hidden block afterwards with satch in your heart. when shit goes down, satch, mai, and the hidden block club remain oh so sweet to hana and that is fucking refreshing.

(personally i enjoyed playing satch route *before* shane route. shane is such an unbearable dickwad in satch route and i love him SO much for it. his feeble attempts at cottagecore cannot fool me.)

hidden block route doesn’t need a lot of elaboration. it’s hidden block shenanigans featuring hana, and there’s no party like a hidden block party. have fun with it.

thank you for coming to my ted talk anon let me know how it goes!!!!!!!!!!!!

#asagao academy #thats like all i can tag this as huh #anyway thank you for coming to me with this (guy with zero expertise) i hope i didn't set you up for failure #xoxo

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esoehh · 1 year

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Sycamore Circle (The Rumors in Ross County Series Book 2) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Details:

Title: Sycamore Circle

Series: The Rumors in Ross County Book 2

Author: Shelley Shepard Gray

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 296

Release Date: February 7, 2023

Genre: Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Description:

There’s a lot going on in Joy Howard’s life. She’s got an ex-husband who starts acting like he doesn’t want to be an ex anymore, a sixteen-year-old daughter in need of a guiding hand and a lot of rides to dance practice, more orders for paintings than she has time to paint, and a roster of tutoring clients who sometimes need far more than she can give.

What she doesn’t have is time for a new relationship.

Samuel “Bo” Beauman is a lot of things. He’s a counselor for transitioning ex-cons, a good friend to many, a construction worker, a brother and son, and even a part-time model for a high-end sportswear catalog. He’s also a man searching for redemption.

One thing he isn’t is a man in need of a girlfriend.

But none of that seems to matter when Bo hears Joy’s kind voice in a crowded coffee shop. He instantly knows she’s someone he wants to know better. The two of them hit it off—much to the dismay of practically everyone they know—but Bo doesn’t care what other people think. He feels at peace whenever he’s with Joy, and he won’t let her go without a fight.

When Joy starts getting mysterious texts and phone calls from unknown numbers, she tries to ignore it. But instead of going away, the messages escalate and Joy realizes she can’t handle it alone. But she is juggling a jealous ex-husband, a handful of students with little to lose, and a brand-new boyfriend who spent several years behind bars. Who can she trust?

My Thoughts: Wow!

Wow! I don't even know where to begin. Sycamore Circle is just another example of author Shelley Shepard Gray's amazing writing. She has once again blown me away with another fantastic story.

Joy and Bo's story captivated my heart, and I especially loved hearing tough guy Bo using terms of endearment. (sigh) Joy and Bo each have a caring heart, but their background stories are so different. Those differences, their feelings and their uncertainties about a relationship made their story so endearing and kept me guessing just how their relationship would evolve.

The romance was just one of the things that made this such a great story. Entwined with the romance is intrigue, mystery, suspense, a light message of faith and some really great secondary characters. No element overpowers another making this a perfect combination that kept me glued to the pages.

Sycamore Circle is a truly amazing story and a great addition to the Rumors in Ross County Series. Even though it is part of a series, it contains plenty of background information from book one, Edgewater Road, that it can be read as a stand alone. It is a great read and one that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are strictly my own.

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

About the Author: Shelley Shepard Gray

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, https://shelleyshepardgray.com/ to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on:

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyShepardGray?fref=ts

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shelley.s.gray/?hl=en

Twitter https://twitter.com/ShelleySGray

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moconut · 2 years

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Whatever It Takes: A Degrassi Season 10 Retrospective (What A Girl Wants, Pt. 1)

You know how in high school, you get to pick a senior quote? For most kids, it’s usually something that’s been used a million times. Like, “Shoot for the moon; even if you fall, you’ll land among the stars.” Mine was a little different. Not different as in particularly funny or original, but different as in distinctly cringy even compared to the rest of my class. I didn’t quote Shakespeare or Einstein. No. I was determined to go higher. I quoted the god damn Degrassi theme song.

That should tell you a lot about my formative years. Instead of going to parties, working, and having thematically appropriate coming of age moments, I spent my time watching fictional Canadians doing it. About three years too late, too—most of my peers had stopped watching Degrassi back in middle school. But something about witnessing characters my age living fantastically eventful lives while I spent my prom eating Taco Bell at home made me feel a little less pathetic. I’ve even made a bit of an initiation ritual out of showing the last few seasons to friends I trust won’t immediately judge me for it.

As I write this, HBO MAX just announced a reboot for 2023. 10 episodes, hour long each, no word on how it’ll fit in continuity-wise with the other series. But the news didn’t excite me. It’s not that I won’t watch it. I will--ravenously. But even after Next Class got unceremoniously dropped from Netflix, I never doubted that the poutine-covered corpse of Degrassi would get dragged from its resting place once more. It always does. I won’t pretend to be super well-versed in the show’s history; I only started religiously watching when season 10 came out. But for a franchise that first came out in 1979, it’s never stayed quiet for long. After all, high school is high school. Even as technology and politics change, teenagers…don’t. Not in a way that wards off reboots, anyway.

In a way, my own Degrassi obsession was born via a reboot. Season 10 is where the show dropped its “Next Generation” subtitle. Not only that, but the creators went hard on making it a distinct product from the prior seasons. Unironically cool music video promo, telenovela-style airing schedule that summer, and plenty of original characters to make it newcomer-friendly. I start off friends here for a reason—there’s very limited prior knowledge needed to appreciate and understand what’s happening. Even old characters have redesigns or completely new plotlines. Going into this season, you don’t need to know that Alli cyberbullied Holly J once or that the principal used to attend Degrassi himself. These are -fun facts-, but really not necessary to engage with the characters and story.

There’s a lot about this show—specifically, season 10 up through New Class—that fascinates me. It’s a show that somehow speaks to teenagers and ignores their actual experiences entirely. I think about it a lot, which probably says some not-so-flattering things about me. But for better or worse, it’s something that I want to talk about. And given my own experiences, I feel it makes the most sense to start off this retrospective where I started watching.

We start with a scene that might be a bit confusing to new viewers. Basically, the context I give is:

Holly J is from Degrassi, she’s a senior who’s dating Declan. She’s been in New York for the summer doing an internship and wants to go to Yale because that’s where Declan is going.

Declan is a rich kid from New York, but his family still has a Canadian accent for some reason. He’s super dedicated to Holly J but can be accidentally insensitive. That’s kind of all there is to him.

Fiona is Declan’s twin. She had a bit of an episode in the tv movie set before this season and has some boundary and mood issues. She drunkenly kissed Declan a few weeks ago; this will become somewhat relevant later on. She’s also my favorite character.

Meanwhile, Fiona has a boyfriend?! This is shocking because she’s previously shown no real interest in guys other than a platonic situation with a gay guy. Again, this will become relevant later on.

Speaking of relevancy, we dive back in with a scene at the classic Dot. The Dot is a coffee shop that also doubles as the epicenter of many dramatic scenes, including break-ups, dances, and even a hostage crisis. You’ll notice this guy Peter working here for the first few episodes—he graduated last season but he’s basically an NPC now that only serves to talk to Sav sometimes, so you can ignore him. Sav has some tension with Anya, who’s his ex. This will become extremely relevant very soon. Sav is a musician, senior, and all around pretty decent guy. Anya is also a senior, she’s a little bland honestly but perfectly serviceable as a support character.

We’re also kind of introduced to Drew here, and for some reason the show tries to use irrelevant Peter to set up a friendship between him and Sav that never actually materializes. So basically, this scene is useless except to show Sav and Anya awkwardly existing in the same area for a few seconds.

Next is a slightly overwhelming dump of more characters, most of whom older viewers should recognize. This is the bulk of the sophomore cohort, most of whom are about to become much more prominent than they were in previous seasons. Clare is the new Emma, which won’t mean anything if you haven’t seen any of the show before—basically, she’s supposed to be the relatable, kind of nerdy main character who ends up getting put in increasingly un-relatable situations as the show runs out of plots to give her. Alli’s her best friend and Sav’s little sister; she’s smart and rebellious, but historically doesn’t have the best taste in guys. Dave is an entitled and immature bitch boy and I hate him. Wesley is the most stereotypical nerd possible, and Connor is the show’s attempt at representing autism. He’s honestly not bad, but they don’t do a ton with him other than the Asperger’s thing. Connor drops a cryptic line about some algorithm not working, which Dave ignores because he’s too wrapped up in getting Alli to date him. I wonder if this will become relevant?

We then get a brief glimpse back to New York, where Declan gives Holly J the most romantic parting gift possible: an SAT prep book. See, this is already relatable. Fiona hugs Holly J and wishes the two could’ve become closer; unfortunately, Fiona had kind of prevented that from happening by trying to sabotage Holly J’s internship and later her relationship. Holly J understandably seems to feel a little weird about this, but she responds pretty graciously nonetheless.

And back to Degrassi, with the class that’s apparently required every semester every year for every student: Media Immersion. Alli confronts Dave about being ranked super low on the list of Degrassi’s Hottest Girls, because that’s a thing that happens in real life. This is apparently the algorithm glitch Connor tried to warn Dave about earlier. It was supposed to put Alli at the top, and I’m not really sure why they even needed an algorithm in the first place to do that. Also, there’s a hot new teacher and balls.

Now, forget about Degrassi: back to New York again! Fiona and Declan have their first day of rich kid school, and we see more of Fiona’s boyfriend Bobby. Declan seems a little suspicious, but Fiona dismisses this as him just being protective. Bobby tells Fiona, who’s into fashion, that he got her an audience with the school board about proposing new uniforms. So far, so good…then there’s this weird exchange where Fiona seems disappointed he won’t actually help her design the uniforms and he seems offended that she’s not more appreciative. And objectively, yeah, he’s kinda right? But the way he says it and the fact that this is Degrassi means that things are only gonna get worse.

Meanwhile, Holly J is back home and surprised to see boxes in her house. Some background—earlier, she used to be rich, but then her family went broke—so this probably isn’t good news. She adds some new items to her Declan slash New York shrine and we fade to commercial.

We come back to Sav’s house, where his mom convinces him to run for class president. Only problem is Holly J is always class president—until now! We find out she skipped the first day of school to stare at moving boxes and Skype Declan. And here comes her mom with the big news: yup, their financial advisor lost all their savings, including Holly J’s college fund. But what about Yale? What about her future with Declan?! She meets up with Sav the next morning, and he reveals his presidential ambitions. And here’s Drew again, with the show still pretending these guys are friends for some reason.

Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Isn’t this supposed to be a Degrassi season opener? Where’s the drama? Where’s the emotional plotline with the important life lesson for impressionable teens?” Well, it’s right here (CW for domestic violence from here on out).

We’re kicking things off with a surprisingly rare storyline for this show: partner violence. It’s not easy, nor necessarily in good taste to joke about this part, but here’s what happens: Bobby shows up to Fiona’s place, they have a stilted and tense conversation, he grabs her. All in all, a pretty classic depiction of domestic abuse. But the show actually goes the extra mile in making it more realistic with what they do next: they show Bobby apologizing and being extra affectionate to try and make up for what he did.

This is a part of the abuse cycle you don’t see represented as much: the honeymoon period. After a violent event occurs, the abuser often makes a show of trying to atone for their actions. They act so contrite and loving that it often makes the victim doubt whether the violence had really been so bad, whether they’re actually in an abusive relationship at all. It can cause them to think, “that won’t happen again. Things will be ok now.” And things usually will seem ok! Until they’re not again. This is the nuanced part of abuse that a show targeted towards younger audiences typically won’t show: the charismatic and manipulative qualities of an abuser that lure and trap their partner and make things seem perfect to an outsider. On the surface, Bobby seems like a great match for Fiona: a guy who makes romantic overtures and gestures to make her feel appreciated. Her family approves, and for once she feels like she’s doing something right in her life. Once in a while, he’ll make a remark or physical move that feels off—but it must be in her head, right? After all, she has a historic flair for the dramatic. No need to go looking for problems where there aren’t any. At least, that’s what she’s trying to convince herself of at this point.

In the much lighter storylines, Sav officially announces his candidacy for the presidency while Dave continues to be a horrible friend towards Connor by blaming him for the Alli algorithm debacle and making fun of his Asperger’s. Have I mentioned that I hate this character yet?

Anya pops back into the plot to bond with Holly J over hating Sav. They exchange some exposition for new viewers about how Sav and Anya fucked in a limo at prom last season and then broke up like five minutes later because this is Degrassi. Anya’s grateful she’s not pregnant, which seems to give Holly J an idea. I wonder. If this. Will become RELEVANT?

Fiona and Bobby are hanging out while she works on the uniforms, and things seems surprisingly okay after the incident earlier that day. Then Bobby tries to push things physically. Fiona isn’t into it, but Bobby isn’t taking no for an answer. Fiona tries to fight him off, which leads to him slapping her across the face.

Again, Bobby doesn’t twirl his mustache and cackle afterwards—he brushes past his actions and tries to make amends. But Fiona is firm about him leaving, and the scene fades out with her alone in shock.

Pretty soon, Sav is also in shock, because Holly J drops this line: “My future doesn’t involve teen fatherhood.” Now obviously, Anya isn’t actually pregnant, but Sav doesn’t know that. Yeah, Holly J used to be like, a little evil.

Back to New York for one last time this episode, we see Fiona’s family prepping for the school board meeting. Bobby arrives with a huge bouquet, and Fiona’s mom calls her to come see how lucky she is. Around the corner, Fiona dabs make-up onto her black eye, having chosen to proceed like everything is normal.

And that’s how part one of the season opener ends. In a way, this episode hits a lot of classic Degrassi notes: school politics, crush drama, and the very-special-episode style serious plotline. You’ll notice I said part one—for some reason, all the episodes from here on out are split into two parts. I don’t think that was a particularly good choice, as almost always one part ends up being way more eventful than the other. I’ll talk about the season 10 opener as a whole after we get to part 2 (if that ever happens), but I think this first half is a pretty strong start. It’s carried almost entirely by the abuse plot and a few funny moments from the Holly J slash Sav president plot, but those two storylines set up a surprisingly strong foundation for where these characters are headed here on out. The Dave and Alli storyline is barely even a presence here, but Connor is charming and Alli gets some good hits in on Dave every now and then.

In all honesty, I’m a little surprised I had this much to say about just half an episode of Degrassi. But I guess this post is partially the product of having watched this season more times than I admit to count. And even more weirdly, I’m excited to talk about it more. So if you’re also interested in the Canadian melodrama or just reading me ramble about an interest I should’ve outgrown a decade ago, I hope you stick around.

#degrassi #degrassi season 10 #review #fiona coyne #holly j sinclair #declan coyne #sav bhandari #alli bhandari #what a girl wants #degrassi review

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velvethoneybody · 4 years

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klaine fic recs

this post is mainly just for me to organize and keep track, but if you’re interested, here is my list of fanfiction recommendations for kurt + blaine. feel free to like/reblog if you want to save for later!! these are in no particular order, but the ones i like more are at the top hehe. i’ll continue to add on as i continue to find ones i like. one-shots are at the bottom. happy reading! (none of these are my personal fics) Updated November 2023.

Current favorite: Life Less Ordinary

Blaine's life is privileged, fantastic, and entirely routine until he changes things up and tries out a new coffee shop, where one struggling NYADA student named Kurt Hummel happens to work.

Near Misses

Kurt and Blaine could easily not have met on a staircase in high school. They could have met a few years later in college instead.

This story is AU from within 2x06 ("Never Been Kissed"), with many of the broad strokes of canon remaining except where I thought they would be different because of the AU or other factors. It takes place in Blaine's first year of college, starting about a year from now. There are some spoilers through 3x22 (“Goodbye”)

In My Place

Blaine has always been shy and introverted, so after his father dies, he looks for comfort in his childhood dream - owning a book store. But then Kurt Hummel walks into his life, turning his dream into a complicated affair. Klaine AU.

Carry Me Home (Tonight)

As disagreements continue to rage in the Anderson household, Blaine is forced to spend his evenings behind a bar to pay his way through OSU. It’s not an ideal solution, but the money is good and he manages well enough. That may very well change, however, when the interested gaze of Kurt Hummel, self-proclaimed resident bad-boy, lands on him. And it seems that Kurt doesn’t have the word ‘no’ in his vocabulary.

Take It Like A Man

A Legally Blonde AU. Blaine Anderson has it all. He's a member of both the polo and fencing clubs, founder of the charity, Songbirds in Schools, and the lead soloist of the university’s famous all-male a capella choir, the Warblers. In his senior year at UCLA, Blaine -- a show choir major -- wants nothing more than to be the future Mr. Blaine Anderson-Smythe. When Sebastian breaks up with Blaine instead of proposing and heads off to a more ‘serious’ life at Harvard Law, Blaine sets his sights on following the love of his life to Boston to win him back. But Harvard holds a lot more obstacles than Blaine anticipated: challenging coursework, Santana Lopez, and an admittedly cute graduate by the name of Kurt Hummel.

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A Song for Cordelia

Kurt never called Blaine after the break up, despite Isabelle's advice. It was not because he didn't believe she was right, but because his heart didn't know how to forgive. Five years later, when their paths cross once more, Kurt and Blaine decides to be friends again - just friends. But where the heart goes, the man follows…

SEQUEL to A Song for Cordelia: One of the Good Guys

This is a story about a love; big enough to survive. And it's about forgiveness, second chances and trusting that there is something good in us all. "One Of The Good Guys" takes place a year after "A Song For Cordelia".

TRILOGY to A Song for Cordelia: Carry Me Home

Things are moving fast for Kurt and Blaine, who seems to have a perfect life in New York. More success is just around the corner and the future looks bright. But the high pace gradually wears Blaine out and hard decisions have to be made. This is the third and last part of Cordelia story, following A Song For Cordelia and One Of The Good Guys.

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Syrup and Honey

AU!Klaine. Kurt Hummel is 25 years old when he finds himself being the owner of the bakery he had been dreaming about his whole life, just in time to sweeten up Blaine Anderson's days.

Go Your Own Way

Kurt Hummel just wants to get through his Junior Year at McKinley in one piece. But when the new guy from Dalton Academy Reform School for Boys takes an alarming interest in him, he's certain he's going to be in for a wild ride. Badboy!Blaine, Klaine, AU

Little Numbers

AU: Blaine sends a text message to a wrong number by accident. Things progress from there.

Expectation Fails

In a D/s AU where your soulmate's name appears on your wrist (left for dom, right for sub) during puberty, Kurt and Blaine are marked with each other's names. But Kurt, the dom, is a 16-year-old high school student and Blaine, the sub, is his 27-year-old history teacher.

Dalton

Post-Furt: Spinning off from Glee, Kurt begins an entirely new chapter in his life at Dalton Academy for Boys. Blaine, Wes, David and the boys of Windsor House make his life, for better or worse, far more eventful than he imagined.

Sideways

Blaine is the most popular kid at school, he's also a bully. Kurt is the new kid and the victim of the football team, but bullying somebody doesn't necessarily mean you won't end up liking them, even if you try your best not to.

SEQUEL to Sideways: Anywhere but Here

Kurt and Blaine have never been happier or more in love, but as things begin to change and doubts set in, the two aren't as certain as they once were that they can make it together, or by themselves.

The Sidhe

Epic romantic fantasy adventure, seriously AU, with angst and fluff in equal measure. I can sense your hesitation, but just give the first chapter a try. It's been winning some folks over and it may surprise you.

Coffee Shop Soundtrack

AU where Kurt and Blaine never met or dated in high school. Blaine works at a coffee shop in New York and Kurt comes in one day.

I Do, I Think

"I do," Kurt vowed without thinking, and before the thought even reached his mind, he added, "I think." Immediately realizing what he'd just said, Kurt whipped his head up, but not to look at his shocked fiance - to look at his best friend Blaine.

Twisted Fate

Kurt and Blaine have been best friends since meeting on the Dalton staircase 13 years ago. Kurt is about to get married and Blaine- as ever- is the sure and steadfast presence right by his side. But does fate have other ideas?

Worlds Apart

After a car accident, Darren and Blaine swap bodies. Will they be able to go back ? How will Kurt and Chris react ? Set before Funeral/during the shooting of Funeral, based on speculations at the time. Established Klaine, CrissColfer to come.

Hearts Flying High

Kurt had always believed he was happy with his life and the direction it was going; That is until he met Blaine, the cute businessman who happened to board his flight and make him question everything he'd once believed about himself.

Just Say Yes

Blaine Anderson's parents have just cut him off upon learning that he's gay. His entire future is gone just like that - until he finds out about a trust fund from his deceased grandmother. There's just one catch - in order inherit the money, he has to get married. Good thing Kurt Hummel is in desperate need of some cash..

Not Like the Movies

When new Hollywood golden boy Kurt Hummel receives some disturbing letters, his manager hires bodyguard Blaine Anderson to be with him 24 hours a day. In an attempt to hide Blaine's true identity from the press they decide he needs to go undercover...as Kurt's boyfriend. Famous!Kurt Nevermet!AU

Behind These Hazel Eyes

Kurt Hummel is a world famous model sick with the shallow ways in which our society judges by appearances. Desperate to find someone who likes him for him and not his looks he seeks refuge in the arms of the one man who can see him for who he truly is. AU

What Brings Us Closer Together

When Kurt is attacked, Blaine instantly leaves college to take care of him. With one decision, their entire relationship is changed and their futures reshaped. It also makes everyone around them realize just how close they really are. AU.

When I Get You Alone

Cooper takes Blaine to a strip club for his 18th birthday and Blaine sees something he *really* likes.

Roses in December

In a cozy coffee shop in a small town, a boy with beautiful blue eyes sits at the same table every day, as if he's waiting for something, or someone. Blaine feels strangely compelled to sit down and talk with him… and discovers the unimaginable.

How Kurt Hummel Loses His Virginity (But Accidentally Falls in Love in the Process)

Tired of being a virgin, and not having anybody be interested in him, shy and insecure, Kurt, decides that for his twentieth birthday, as a present to himself, he will hire an escort and lose the big V. Little does he know, that when he meets Blaine, his escort, everything will change.

You’d Tear This Canvas Skin Apart

Blaine is at last embracing his second love - art. What he doesn't expect is for the living statue of David to walk into his art class in nothing but a silk robe...

The Kurt Project

Blaine helps set up a hotline like the Trevor Project to help kids. One night before the hotline is ready, Blaine is alone in the building - no professionals to help and he hasn't had his training yet. Blaine answers the phone to find a distraught boy on the other end, and all the boy wants is a pair of warm socks before he jumps to his death from the bridge to the icy river.

Carry Your Shame

Kurt's spent his entire life being pushed around and ignored. He's never had a single friend until he met Blaine Anderson, a swimmer for the National Team and McKinley's Golden Boy. When the boys fall for each other, Kurt has to learn the hard way that there are some things even love can't fix—like the fact that his step-brother and boyfriend are mortal enemies. (Klaine AU)

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**ONE SHOTS***

I don’t get around to reading one-shots too much because I thoroughly enjoy fully written stories, but here are a couple I very much enjoyed, and once again, I will continue to add on as I read more!

The Road Not Taken (one shot)

"It took a while for Blaine’s brain to register that Kurt was talking to him because holy Mother of God, was the man in front of him a sight to behold."

I’ll Do It

(one shot)

Blaine has had a crush on his teacher for as long as he could remember. He simply wants mister Hummel. Fortunately for Blaine, his teacher’s thoughts about him aren’t exactly appropriate either…

#glee #kurt hummel #blaine anderson #klaine #klaine fanfic #klaine fanfiction #glee fanfiction #klaine au #darren criss #chris colfer #crisscolfer #glee fanfic #klaine fanfiction recs #klaine fanfiction recommendations #klaine fanfic recommendations #klaine fic recs

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