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illusionsofdreaming · 3 years

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Helloo! I'm not sure if you're open for requests but if you are, may i ask for headcanon of the main trio + eruhaben with a dragon!s/o who's just really nice and chill :D

On another note, i just wanna say that your writing's so good i wanna melt into a puddle (*´ω｀*)

Notes: <3 I'm glad you enjoyed my writing! I hope you'll enjoy this one too!

Ft: Cale, Choi Han, Alberu, Eruhaben

Cale Henituse

People often forget you’re dragonkind because you’re chill and easy to get along with

Even your enemies make the mistake of underestimating you until you almost terraformed an entire city instantly turning the tables of a fight with a single flick of a wrist

As the enemies cowered at the display of your true strength, Cale is at the side resting against the wall with a knowing smile on his face

Absolutely proud of you

Unlike other dragons whose sense of strengths and ethics differs from human standards, you’re surprisingly down to earth thus you’re often called upon to act as the mediator when conversing with your kin.

“No, Billy you cannot blow John up because he irritated you. No, not even a little bit.”

And when reasoning won’t work, you’re more than strong enough to threaten them as well.

Whether it comes to magical or strength related problems, he’s happy to let you do all the heavy lifting

and of course, he’ll fully compensate you for your hard work and anything you want or need will be at your disposal

your calm and chill attitude to life vibes with his goals to becoming a slacker

probably the sanest dragon he’s met so far

Choi Han

started off with Choi Han wanting to test his limits and you’re the only one strong enough to withstand anything he throws

that there’s someone he can truly let loose with and push his boundaries excites him to no end

an invaluable training partner who gives great advice on how to better improve on his weaknesses

the more he trained with you, the more he’s in awe at the raw power dragons possess

Cale does not approve of the two of you getting even stronger but has no way to stop it either

he feared the day you two let loose and entire countries would disappear in a blink of an eye

Choi Han had the honour of seeing and riding your true form and it’s an experience he’ll be unlikely to forget soon

Because he understands the amount of power you hold at your fingertips, he can truly appreciate the amount of control and restrain it takes just to be careful not to hurt others

seeing you play with children does the funniest fuzzy things to his heart

Alberu Crossman

it started a bit stiffly, as years and years of culture to respect the magical beings of Dragons so deeply ingrained in him is hard to ignore completely

but he was quick to adapt and relax when you insisted on dropping formalities

your chill and calm personality helped a lot in breaking down barriers

Dragons are known for their mastery at manipulating mana and nature, so he would often come to ask for your advice and thoughts

you spent many late nights huddled by the light of a candle, working out spells that he as a half dark elf would be adept at wielding

Watching you perform magic is the most breathtaking thing for him to witness

he can feel the literal purity of mana generated dancing across his skin, the glow of power and absolute authority just steals his breath away

the respect in his eyes can be shocking, and you’ve once wondered and feared if perhaps the elves’ natural adoration for the Dragonkind was perhaps being mistaken for affection for you

he held your hands gently that time and ask “Why can’t both feelings coexist?”

he admires your strength and power, and he loves your personality, soul and heart. Perhaps there’s no clear line drawn where one ends and the other begins.

“How do you know your feelings for me aren’t like the feelings someone has for their cute, fragile pet?” he teases you in return.

it makes you laugh and you agree you’ve been silly

Eruhaben

Eruhaben is not like his peers who are often known to be full of arrogance and pride

so to have met another like him, who’s not opposed to understanding from another perspective and even sympathise with weaker beings - well, he’s quite smitten from the get-go

obviously, it wasn’t the smoothest relationship from the beginning

some instincts are hard to ignore

but with time and a lot of patience, you two learned to find your own paths to coexisting as dragons in a permanent relationship

it involved a lot of give and take and turning a blind eye, of accepting and of course a lot of arguing and making up as well

you two aren’t strangers to being regarded as weird by other dragons so their commentary didn’t bother you much

however, whenever a foolhardy dragon dares approach you for courtship thinking they’d have a chance, they’d find themselves very quickly chased off by a very jealous and possessive Eruhaben

you being the calm and understanding one is the only reason why whole continents don’t disappear overnight when such incidents happen

the cave you’ve carved out for yourselves is filled with both your possessions, but mainly decorated by you because Eruhaben is terrible at it

maybe a smaller cave will be added in the future as the family expands

#tcf #trash of the count's family #tcf x reader #headcanons #cale henituse #choi han #alberu crossman #eruhaben #dragon s/o #dragon reader #mostly fluff #eruhaben x dragon!reader is basically old married couple trope #cale's one is a bit abrupt but you know he's 500% in love with your potential- I mean #you #hellabeesworld

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ghstandpucks · 2 years

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Pumpkins to Carve ~ Cale Makar

A little Halloween imagine for the belated birthday boy! Enjoy!

Summary: What happens when Cale's best friend takes him to a pumpkin patch and the go into a "haunted" corn maze?

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1,458

Master List

Cale chuckled as he watched you try to balance what seemed like a ridiculous number of little pumpkins in your arms. He caught himself admiring the redness of your cheeks as the Denver chill settled in for the evening and he had to look away for a moment. You were his best friend here in Denver, the two of you becoming close once he was introduced to you at Matt Calvert’s house while you were babysitting the older Avs’ kids for the evening. The friendship the two of you formed was of no surprise to the Calvert’s as they thought you would get along.

Over time, Cale couldn’t help but feel something for you. Falling for you came as easy as skating, and he hated that you probably only saw him as a friend. Unbeknownst to him, you felt the same. Matt and Courtney would tease you all the time about the rookie, often calling you over to watch their kids even if Cale himself would be home. That was how you were able to get to know each other so well; the Calverts’ trying to play matchmaker.

A few years later led you here, to a pumpkin patch on Halloween as Cale had the rest of the day off after morning practice. You had treated him to lunch, wanting to celebrate his birthday since he had a game the day before on it. He had insisted on paying, but you ran the bill up to your waitress before he could even touch it. Now you were at the pumpkin patch, forcing him to take pictures with you and waiting for the night corn maze to open up. Admittedly, neither of you were really that into scary movies or haunted houses, but the corn maze sounded fun when you read about it online.

“Y/N, do you really think you should be getting all those pumpkins right now? We still have the maze to go through,” Cale laughed as you dropped one with a squeal.

“But look how small they are! They’re so cute!” you replied and he just shook his head.

“How about we pick some out on the way out of here?” he asked, trying to get out of having to carry the pumpkins around the rest of the night as he knew that would happen. You would complain they were getting heavy and give him your best pouty face that he could never say no to, and that would be that. You did it once in front of the team and he was chirped mercilessly for a week over being whipped for someone he wasn’t even technically involved with. You smiled at his suggestion though and set the pumpkins back down.

“Will you carve them with me too?” you asked, looping your arm through his.

“Halloween is today though? Aren’t we a little late for that?” he chuckled, pulling a piece of hay from your hair. How it got there he had no clue.

“It’s never too late for pumpkin carving,” you smiled up at him and all Cale could do was smile back as he quietly agreed with you. The day carried on with a hayride and walking through the petting zoo. You played a few games at the booths set up as the sky grew dark. When the “haunted” corn maze was announced to be opening, the two of you went to line up. While in line, you heard a scream from a group that was ahead of you and you turned to Cale.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea...” you trailed off as another scream was heard.

“We’ll be fine,” Cale grabbed your hand and intertwined your fingers with his. It was partially for his own comfort too, and it gave him an excuse to be near you. This was one of the reasons why you liked Cale, he was calm and soothing. You on the other hand were not. As the line moved forward and you both were getting closer to the entrance, you could feel your nerves grow. Shifting closer to Cale, he softly kissed the top of your head like he usually does when he needs to calm you down. He wasn’t sure why, but it was an action that comforted you. One evening after putting the Calvert’s kids to bed, you broke down from stress when you were studying. Cale came into the kitchen to find you crying and immediately went to hold you, kissing your head as a sort of reassurance that everything would be fine. It was an action that surprised him even when he did it, but you seemed to calm down after and it slowly became a thing he did to placate you. You never questioned it either, but instead would allow yourself to melt into his warm embrace and calm exterior.

Ten minutes later you were both up next and staring into the dark maze. “If I don’t make it, please take care of my gold fish,” you said to Cale with a nervous smile.

“You don’t have a goldfish hun,” he said, bumping his hip into your side.

“Then buy a goldfish, name it Y/N, and never forget me,” you tried to be serious, but broke into a slight giggle at the end.

“I promise to never forget you,” he whispered into your hair with a chuckle. He was about to tell you that he honestly would never be able to forget you when the maze worker beckoned you in. Taking a deep breath and locking arms, you trudged in slightly behind Cale as you used his frame to guard you. A few feet in, and all that was scary was fog machines and eerie noises coming from a speaker. “See, it’s not so bad.” Cale said, but it was all in vain. At that moment, a clown jumped out of the corn and you screamed, turning and taking Cale with you down another path. More actors jumped out as you rounded corners and tried different ways to get out. At one point you were being chased by a man with a chainsaw.

“Cale, I hate you. Why did you let me think this was a good ideaaaahh!” you screamed and clung to his arm as a women dressed as a bloody doll popped out from another corner.

“I never told you it was a good id… oh shit!” he jumped back into you and dragged you down another pathway as another scary clown popped out. The both of you rounded a corner and stopped dead in your tracks. It was like every nightmare, movie villain, and scary thing that you could ever think of lining the pathway out. You quickly turned around, but screamed when you saw the clown behind you. You were stuck.

“Cale,” you said apprehensively.

“That’s the way out Y/N, we have to go,” he said with a laugh.

“But…”

“Keep your head down and run. I got you,” he said softly as he pulled on your hand. Taking a few steps forward, he started to run dragging you behind him. Screaming your way though, you finally burst out of the corn field and back into the pumpkin patch where you could smell the popcorn and hear children’s laughter. “Y/N, open your eyes,” Cale chuckled. You did, not realizing you had been running with them shut. The blind faith you had in Cale was very evident. Cale pulled you into a hug and kissed the top your head again as you felt your heartrate start to even out. You looked up at him, admiring the red of his cheeks and melting under his smile. Without really thinking about it, you stood on your tiptoes and kissed him. Pulling back quickly, Cale was staring at you completely dumbfounded.

“I’m so sorry, I think the adrenaline…” but you were cut off by Cale this time leaning down to kiss you. One of his hands cupped your cheek as the other held you by your waist and pulled you close to him as you kissed him back. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against yours.

“Should I be sorry?” he said, slightly breathless.

“Only if it meant nothing,” you whispered. Cale chuckled and shook his head.

“I would be lying if I said that,” he kissed you again, this time it was short and sweet leaving the two of you grinning ear to ear when you parted. “Let’s go get you a pumpkin to carve,” he said, taking your hand in his and beginning to walk.

“Can we carve cute matching ones?” you asked leaning into his side and smiling up at him.

“When have I ever been able to tell you no?” he asked rhetorically, heart jumping when you giggled.

#nhl imagines #nhl fic #nhl fanfiction #nhl writing #cale makar imagine #cale makar x reader #nhl imagine

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nugnthopkns · 3 years

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dance me to the end of love (iii)

word count: 4.3k

warnings: fem!oc, cursing, potential percy jackson & the olympians spoilers, alcohol consumption, motion sickness and vomiting

series masterpost: here

a/n: this took me a hot sec to finish but here it is! there's a dumb little latin joke in here but that's just because i'm a nerd lmao

Ryan is certainly giving Bette a run for her money in the best friend department.

Magdalene has no intentions of usurping her best friend, but Ryan is quickly becoming the person she talks to most frequently. It started on social media but quickly moved to regular texting, both of them being twenty-five and capable of communicating through more normal channels. The text thread between them isn’t indicative of their newfound friendship – it looks like they’ve been friends since high school. At any given moment at least three conversations are going on, and Magdalene regularly sends him random updates throughout the day. Ryan likes hearing about any interesting artefacts she encounters at work so she keeps mental notes to tell him during their frequent phone calls.

Despite talking to him almost constantly, Magdalene hasn’t seen Ryan since they grabbed lunch at Barn Owl nearly two weeks ago. The lake house trip is a couple days out, and she’s been busy trying to get all her ducks in a row. At work, the current project is coming to an end and Magdalene will be sad to see it go – it’s the first thing she’s been on from start to finish. She’s got a neighbour coming to spend time with Caligula while she’s away so he doesn’t get too upset. Though the days are passing by in a haze as she tries to get ready, Magdalene is excited to get away for a little bit. It’s been a few years since she’s left Denver for more than a night, electing to skip on Bette’s previous vacation invites, and it will be nice to slow down. Life is moving at a comfortable pace, but having some time to pause and breathe will keep Magdalene from feeling too overwhelmed.

Halfway through her last day of work, Magdalene gets a text from Ryan that makes her nearly double over in laughter.

Julius Caesar walks into a bar and says to the bartender “I’ll have a Martinus please!” The bartender replies “Don’t you mean a Martini?” Caesar shakes his head and says “If I wanted double I would have said so.”

It takes her a minute to catch her breath, which piques June’s curiosity. Magdalene recites the joke and her boss rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but does let out a chuckle.

June didn’t think it was funny, but I did. Thank you for making today infinitely better. You riding with us tomorrow?

Magdalene tucks her phone back into her purse, determined to remain focused for the last few hours, and misses the reply telling her that Ryan won’t be riding with Bette, Tyson, and herself, but rather with Cale and his girlfriend to leave enough space for all the gear getting brought. She doesn’t see it until she’s walking across the parking lot to her car and it fills her with a sadness that doesn’t make much sense. He’ll be there for the entire week, so does it matter that he’ll be in a different car for the four hour drive? Magdalene has a sinking suspicion about why she’s upset, but she pushes it down. There’s no space in your life for a relationship right now, she reminds herself as she unlocks the door to her apartment. Caligula is waiting patiently at the door and distracts her thoughts from the handsome man with the kind smile that’s been all she can think about recently.

The cat is incredibly perceptive and knows the regular routine is going to change, making him particularly clingy. He follows Magdalene as she finishes packing, meowing and begging for pets, and she considers bailing on her friends. Caligula has mild separation anxiety and Magdalene doesn’t go away often partly because of it – though another reason is her homebody nature. Only the thought of seeing Ryan keeps her from hanging all her clothes back up.

“Don’t worry little boots,” she coos, “I won’t be gone long. Maria is going to check on you while I’m away, and I’ll be home before you know it.”

It seems ridiculous to speak to her pet as though it’s a child, but Magdalene knows Caligula comprehends what she’s saying. He’s always been smart, and the two of them share a bond that’s hard to explain. She picks him up, puts him in the pocket of her hoodie, and they spend the rest of the night packing and dancing along to the radio.

☼☼☼☼

Bette forgot to mention that the road to the lake house is winding, and Magdalene spends the entire ride with her head between her knees. Motion sickness is something that unfortunately plagues her during journeys longer than a couple of hours and she wishes she would have thought to take anti-nausea medication before leaving the house. Tyson tries to crack a joke about her being a bad passenger, but his girlfriend swats his arm and passes her friend a water bottle with a concerned smile. The two of them speak in hushed tones, almost certainly for Magdalene's benefit, and she does her best not to throw up on the floor of Tyson’s car. After what feels like two decades the vehicle rolls to a stop at the end of a gravel path.

“Mags, we’re here,” Bette says softly, praying that her friend will begin to feel better after stretching her legs and feeling firm ground underneath her.

There’s an unintelligible groan from Magdalene, but she rises out of the car and stumbles into the house. Tyson and Bette insist that she rest and they’ll handle the unloading of the car, so she crawls into one of the empty beds and falls asleep as soon as her head touches the pillow. It’s a dreamless slumber, one fuelled by the pure exhaustion of battling illness while travelling, and when she awakes hours later Magdalene feels oddly refreshed. Her energy level is still relatively low, but she knows that intaking food won’t be an issue.

Padding down the stairs as quiet as possible in an effort to not break the peaceful atmosphere, Magdalene is met with a quiet house. She’s utterly confused – she didn’t sleep long enough to miss dinner and judging by the way the sun is low in the final car full of people should be arriving any minute. For a moment she thinks the group left her in the mountains alone, but then the sound of a trunk closing breaks the silence.

“I fucking told you bro, you should have let me drive!”

Ryan’s voice echoes in Magdalene's ears and her heart skips a beat. She didn’t realize how much she had missed him or how excited she is to see him. Despite everything inside of her saying she should run into his arms Magdalene stays put in the kitchen, running the tap to get a glass of water. She focuses on the mountain on the other end of the lake, framing the setting sun and creating a postcard ready photo. The camera app on her phone is open and angles for the best shot are found. Ryan tumbles through the door a second later, arms filled to the brim with luggage and bags of food.

He drops them the second he sees her, running up behind her and lifting her off the ground. “Mags! Cale almost hit a deer!”

The shock of Ryan’s onslaught of affection catches her off guard, and Magdalene shakes her hand, forcing the picture to turn out as nothing but a blur.

“No hello?” She laughs as Ryan lets her feet touch down on the wooden floor. “It’s the least you could give me after destroying my chance of getting a National Geographic worthy picture.”

He smiles but doesn’t let his hands drop from their perch on her waist. “There’s six more days for you to nail it. I’ll even help if you ask.”

Other bodies enter the house then, causing Magdalene to slink away from Ryan’s touch even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. They’re simply friends, and she doesn’t want Bette to get any ideas. The last thing Magdalene needs on her plate right now is her best friend forcing her to paint a custom denim jacket with Ryan’s number across the back. “I can’t believe you almost hit a deer,” Tyson sighs in disbelief.

“It wasn’t even close,” Cale grumbles, picking up his bags and stomping off to find a place to claim as his own the next couple of days. A petite redhead follows after him, giving a small wave to those in the kitchen before scurrying away. When she asks, Ryan tells Magdalene the girl’s name is Livy, and that she’s Cale’s girlfriend from back home.

Everyone shrugs at his moodiness and disperses. Bette and Tyson stay in the kitchen to make dinner, Ryan goes to claim the final room, and Magdalene slips outside to sit on the patio furniture. The sun has dropped drastically in the past five minutes, causing the air to chill. She wraps her arms tighter around her legs and watches a pair of birds fly over the lake below. It’s so peaceful, a complete one-eighty from the insanity of her life in Denver, and Magdalene thinks about never leaving. She knows it’s impossible, but as she closes her eyes and listens to the quiet laughter of her friends inside the idea seems like a pretty good one.

The sliding door creaks open and Ryan goes through as quietly as possible. He tosses a sweater in Magdalene’s direction as he walks over, plopping down beside her on the small couch.

“Thanks,” she mumbles, slipping the fabric over her head. “I didn’t realize how cold it had actually gotten.”

He smiles in response and shuffles his body a little closer to create extra warmth. Magdalene leans into him, trying to appear casual even though her heart is beating rapidly, and pulls on the strings of the sweater Ryan gave her.

“So, are you excited for this week?”

It’s more awkward than she thought it would be – seeing him in person again, especially since they’ve been texting almost constantly, and the words kind of stick in her throat.

“Honestly? Now that I’m here I am, but I was a little leery about taking time off,” Ryan explains, detailing how he’s trying to improve some aspects of his two-way play and is worried his progress will plateau. Magdalene understands and shares her own worries about taking time off work even if her boss encouraged it.

After catching up quickly and running out of things to say, the pair of them sit in silence watching the sun set until they’re called inside for dinner. It’s nice to just exist, especially with Ryan beside her, and Magdalene feels her heart sink as they separate and he goes to make sure Cale isn’t actually mad at him.

☼☼☼☼

It storms the first two days at the lake house, forcing everyone to stay inside. Tyson complains about how he has less time to drive the boat that came with the property but the others take it in stride. Magdalene spends most of the time reading for pleasure, something she hasn’t been able to do much of the past few years, and Ryan joins her for large chunks of the time. It turns out that he too is an avid reader, and the two of them discuss their favourite novels and series while the other four play board games.

“So you’re telling me you wish Annabeth would have joined the Hunters of Artemis?” Magdalene shrieks in shock, almost knocking the wine out of her glass as her arms flail in disbelief.

“I think it made sense for her to,” Ryan defends.

“But she’s perfect for Percy!”

He sticks to his guns. “I’m not saying she isn’t. I just think that at the time the offer was presented it was the most logical choice. You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about what would have happened if she did.”

She ducks her head in defeat because she had imagined it, on many occasions in fact. When reading the series for the first time in middle school Magdalene had desperately hoped Annabeth would choose the Hunters over Camp Half-Blood, gaining the family she herself never was privy to. They return to reading quietly beside each other, occasionally knocking elbows when trying to turn a page.

Tuesday brings sunshine and clear skies, which means Tyson is trying to corral everyone into the boat as soon as they’re up. Magdalene tries her hardest to get out of it but her pleas fall on deaf ears.

“You’ll be fine, stop being such a wimp,” Cale jests. She knows that he’s just anxious to soak up some sun, but the words hurt more than Magdalene would have liked them to.

Livy swats her boyfriend across the chest. “Enough! If she doesn’t want to come she doesn’t have to.” The smaller girl sends her a kind smile before speaking low enough that only Magdalene can hear her. “I know your book is just getting good and you look like the kind of person who needs alone time to function properly. Enjoy yourself.”

Seemingly excused from the day’s festivities, Magdalene gives a sheepish wave before climbing the small hill to the house. Ryan meets her halfway and is appalled when he hears of her plans.

“Nope, I don’t think so. You’re not leaving me alone to be the ultimate third wheel!”

He has her off the ground and over his shoulder in a millisecond, jogging lightly to catch up with the rest of the group. Magdalene’s laugh bounces off the tree lined shore, and she’s too busy having fun shrieking at Ryan to complain about being forced to spend all day on a boat away from her book. Tyson peels away from the dock before she can regret tagging along, and Bette tugs Magdalene to the bow.

The two girls chat quietly, giggling and sipping on the mimosas they made earlier. Magdalene isn’t a huge day drinker, but Bette makes sure there’s more orange juice than champagne to make her feel less guilty. Livy joins them a while later after becoming sick of the boys and their shenanigans. It’s nice to hang out with a group of girls that aren’t competing for the top spot in a class, Magdalene decides, and she revels in the stories they tell of going to hockey games and babysitting the children of players so they can catch a break. Twinges of jealousy creep up at the wonderful family dynamic the Avalanche seem to have, but she stomachs them. She reminds herself that other people deserve to have support systems and excuses herself from the conversation.

Magdalene slides into the free space beside Ryan, and without thinking he wraps an arm around her shoulder. It feels so natural that she wonders if it’s how he greets all his friends, but the looks of shock and Tyson and Cale’s faces say otherwise. After a bit more cruising they find a small bay to anchor in for a while. The sun had climbed to the middle of the sky and is unbearably warm, leaving everyone no choice but to jump into the water to cool off. Magdalene does her best to float peacefully a short distance away from the group but is somehow brought into a splashing war because the teams aren’t equal.

Eventually the constant barrage of water chills her to the bone, and Magdalene swims back to the boat. She watches from the sidelines and cheers for her old teammates with a towel wrapped snugly around her. Ryan breaks from the group too, insisting it isn’t fair to have teams on unequal strength. Once dry, he picks up the baseball cap he brought and places it delicately on Magdalene’s head.

“Your cheeks are starting to go pink and I don’t want you to burn,” he explains, passing her a bottle of sunscreen as well.

“Thanks Ry.”

They muse about the idyllic beauty of the scene in front of them until everyone rejoins them. For reasons unbeknownst to Magdalene Tyson is in a rush to get back to the house, which leads to him driving very fast and a little erratically. The contents of her stomach threaten to come up but she holds them down, tightening her grip on the leather seat. A wave crests and Tyson hits it head on, causing the boat to lurch and rock. Magdalene knows it’s going to happen before it does and leans over the side to save a mess from being created. All the alcohol and food she’d consumed throughout the day is no longer in her body, and heat creeps up the back of her neck. She’s embarrassed – what twenty-five year old gets sea sick?

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked, not bothering to hide the concern in his voice.

She tries to smile but it comes out more like a grimace. “I just, uh, get motion sick really easily.” Bette passes her a water bottle and she drinks it quickly, eager to get the taste out of her mouth.

Ryan lets Magdalene curl into his side the rest of the way home, and rubs comforting circles on her back to ease her discomfort, doing his best to ignore the stares from his friends.

☼☼☼☼

The trip comes to an end much more quickly than Magdalene would have liked. Tomorrow morning they’ll pack up and drive back to Denver, returning to their normal hectic schedules. Cale and Livy are heading back to Alberta for the rest of the summer, and Bette and Tyson will be going for a visit as well. She’s heard Ryan mention going home in passing, which most likely means he doesn’t have plans to stay. Magdalene will be all alone in Colorado, but she’s used to it. The only issue being friends with professional athletes is that they leave. She’s been dealing with the loss since Bette and Tyson got together years ago – having them around as her support system most of the year and then them disappearing for a couple of months.

Not wanting to think about how soon she’ll be alone, Magdalene heads outside and starts a campfire. It’s a skill she picked up as a kid and it has come in handy over the years. The newspaper crinkles under the flame from the lighter, and soon the kindling is burning well. Everyone else is still inside, cleaning up from dinner and preparing for one last night in paradise. She places a few blocks of wood in the fire pit once there’s a good enough flame and curls up in a chair, lost in thought about what comes next. There’s rustling from somewhere behind her but she pays it no mind, assuming it’s a small animal wandering through the forest.

“Can I offer you some company?” a voice says softly, waiting for a response. The movement wasn’t a raccoon but in fact Ryan, and Magdalene gestures at the chair beside her with a smile.

He passes her a glass of white wine, which she takes with an appreciative hum. They sit in silence for a moment, admiring the beauty of the setting sun. “I’m going to miss it,” Ryan sighs, leaning back in his chair and extending his legs.

She nods. “Me too. It’s so quiet up here. Denver gets too loud sometimes.”

“Tell me about it. I’m not just going to miss the lake though, it’s also lounging around and not having to worry about hockey. And you.”

The ending comes out rushed, and Magdalene isn’t sure she heard him correctly. “Me?”

Ryan looks at her like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Yes you. Why wouldn’t I? You’re funny, smart, and catch all of my West Wing references. There’s no one who gets me quite like you, even back home.”

It takes her by surprise. They’ve only known each other for a few months, and only really started associating after the party at Bette and Tyson’s. There has to be somebody who knows him better than she does. When she voices her opinion Ryan just scoffs, saying that people treat him as one-dimensional because he plays hockey. Somehow the conversation shifts to Magdalene, and when she lets it slip she gets lonely in Denver without her friends, Ryan asks the question she’s been dreading.

“So why don’t you get a boyfriend?”

“I can’t just get a boyfriend because my friends are gone,” she laughs, but there’s an edge to it, like she’s unsure of where this will go and how to question the follow ups.

He rolls his eyes. “I know that, but like, I don’t know, wouldn’t it be nice to not be alone all the time?”

It would be, Magdalene thinks, but she just shrugs. “I guess I’m not looking for a relationship right now. I just finished school and for the first time in a long time I can focus on myself.” She leaves out the part where Ryan gives her butterflies and that if he asked she’d probably jump headfirst into a relationship with him.

The topic is dropped then because Tyson comes out of the house screaming about the night is going to be wild because it’s their last together for a while. Magdalene and Ryan share a look of mild panic, but both of them are itching to have fun with friends so they raise their glasses in salute before finishing them in one gulp.

Magdalene drinks more than she should and wakes in the morning with a killer hangover. It seems that no one else is better off though, all stumbling around looking for Advil and coffee like it’s going to be their last meal. Packing up takes a bit longer than expected, but they’re still out before the official checkout time. There’s a bit of discourse on who Magdalene will travel home with. Bette wants her in Tyson’s car, no doubt to talk about how close her and Ryan seem to be, but Cale offers to bring her with them. His reasoning is that Ryan is driving him and Livy directly to the airport, and having the front seat could be good for her motion sickness. It’s ultimately Magdalene’s choice and the idea of having more time with Ryan before he leaves is too enticing to pass up. She bids her other friends goodbye, promising to come over for dinner before they fly out, and climbs into the cab of Cale’s truck.

Once again she’s a less than ideal passenger, but this time it’s because she sleeps the entire way back to Denver. The drinking took it out of her and coupled with the queasiness in her stomach from the winding roads sleep is the only thing that makes sense. So much for extra time with Ryan she thinks as she wakes up in the airport parking lot.

“Sleeping beauty has risen!” Ryan chuckles, “Why don’t you get out and stretch your legs for a sec? We have the parking spot for another fifteen minutes.”

Magdalene does as suggested because truthfully her joints are a little stiff, and finds Cale and Livy grabbing their bags from the back. She hugs them goodbye and wishes them safe travels, which Cale returns with a warning not to get into too much trouble before heading for the entrance. Once both of them are safely inside the confines of the airport, Ryan and Magdalene get back in the vehicle and finish the last leg of the trip.

She directs Ryan to her apartment complex, and he mentions that he’s never been in this area of the city. “That’s because you have no need to be around a bunch of university kids,” she laughs. Once they pull into the parking lot, he offers to help her take up her bag. It’s only a small suitcase Magdalene could definitely handle herself, but she wants him to come up, to prolong her time with him.

Magdalene’s keys jingle in the lock as the door opens. Ryan follows her in and shuts the door carefully, not wanting to disrupt the aura of peace that permeates the space. From what he can tell, the average size apartment is the perfect reflection of Magdalene – packed full of books and plants and feels very put together despite the owner being only twenty-five. After their shoes find a home on the boot rack and the coats they brought for the drive home are hung in the closet she leads Ryan into the living room. There’s a soft purring by his feet, and Ryan looks down to see an animal. He never pegged Magdalene as someone to keep pets.

“Who’s this?” he asks, bending down to pet the small white cat.

“That’s Caligula.”

A puzzled look graces Ryan’s features. “Who?”

“Caligula,” Madalene giggles. “You can call him little boots if you’d like. He’ll respond.” She picks up the animal when it comes to her and scratches gently behind its ear.

“Why would you name your cat something dumb like Caligula, and why does it respond to little boots?”

It’s then the woman realizes that not everyone understands the reference. “Caligula was the third emperor of Rome,” she explains, “But his real name was Gaius. He gained the nickname Caligula as a child and it just stuck. It translates to little boots in Latin.”

Ryan is in awe of Magdalene for what feels like the millionth time. Of course someone as smart as her would have a crazy name for a pet and have the knowledge to back it up. He feels his chest tighten with affection but he wills it away. She isn’t looking for anything right now, he reminds himself. Magdalene’s self-professed inability to reciprocate his feelings is frustrating, but Ryan knows he’d wait forever for her.

☼☼☼☼

additional notes: catch some extra content here!

taglist: @scrunchmakar @marcoscandellas @toplinetommy @ricohenrique @lovethepreds @cutiesara23 @hockeyallthetime @stlbluesbrat21 (add yourself to the taglist!)

#ryan graves imagine #ryan graves x oc #ryan graves fic #colorado avalanche imagine #nhl imagine #nhl fic #hockey imagine #hockey fic #cwrites #dmtteol

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meadowstoneuk · 4 years

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The AG team’s desert island albums

It's hard to choose your favourite album, but we've all sat and scratched our heads, ummed and aaahed and here are the results!

Asking someone to choose their favourite song is about as simple a thing as asking them ‘what does blue taste like?’

It all depends on the mood and the moment, hingeing on whether there was enough milk for their morning tea, whether a special friend remembered to send a loving text or, currently, whether there was any loo roll left in the supermarket.

However, we are a decisive lot here at AG, so here are our favourite albums – at the moment at least!

Headquarters – ‘joy and spontaneity’

Headquarters, The Monkees 1967

Most will know The Monkees from their TV show and hits like I’m A Believer. Some may also know that the group were not a ‘band’ in the conventional sense, but four individuals recruited as the cast of a TV show about a fictional band. The songs for the show were written and played by top musicians with the cast only allowed to provide vocals.

Their first single, Last Train To Clarksville, was released in advance of the series and went straight to No1. This success, ironically, was where it all went wrong.

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People thought they were a real group and right from the start the popularity of the music far outstripped the popularity of the TV show.

By the time I’m A Believer and their second album, More of The Monkees, were released, they were outselling The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined.

They were the biggest band in the world but the cast felt like phonies. In an extraordinary demonstration of integrity, the cast rebelled against their contracts and insisted on being the sole musicians on their records.

For two weeks Nesmith, Dolenz, Tork and Jones locked themselves in a studio with the aim of proving they weren’t ‘fakes’. The result was Headquarters.

Bearing in mind only two them were musicians, the recordings are surprisingly good and have a very different feel to the highly-polished work of the session players on previous Monkees records.

There is a real sense of joy and spontaneity about the music with the four of them clearly enjoying themselves and desperate to prove their worth. They had finally become a legitimate band or as Dolenz once said: “It was like Leonard Nimoy becoming a real Vulcan”. Television fantasy became reality.

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Musically, it’s a sort of folk-pop, proto country-rock, avant-garde garage album, with band members writing six of the 11 songs. There are also two interludes, which include a ‘rap’ track and a rehearsal of the theme tune to the Warner Bros Merrie Melodies cartoon series.

It’s an eclectic collection, but like all good albums it has the same feel and vibe throughout.

Headquarters got to No 1 in America and No 2 in Britain. One single was taken from album but only released in the UK — a track called Alternate Title. Written by Dolenz, it was a word-association ‘diary’ of his first visit to Britain.

It was originally titled Randy Scouse Git, Dolenz having picked up the phrase while watching Alf Garnett on the TV show Till Death Us Do Part. It was deemed inappropriate to release it under that name in the UK, so it became Alternate Title.

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For their next album The Monkees decided that it would be best if they got a session drummer, as Dolenz ‘‘Could rarely repeat a triumph” and though the band did all play on subsequent hits Pleasant Valley Sunday and Daydream Believer they never recaptured the spirit and feel of Headquarters. The experiment was successful, but never repeated.

This was the first album I ever bought some 53 years ago and 786 vinyl albums later, it’s still the one I’d choose for my desert island.

Garry Coward-Williams, editor

Masseduction – ‘a delicious, driven, dirty masterpiece’

Masseduction by St Vincent

St Vincent, alias Annie Clark, is something of a one-off. Not only is she a superlative lyricist, singer and guitarist, she also designs and makes her own guitars because most are designed by men who rarely take into account the physical differences between male and female performers (it’s a chest/waist thing, you see).

She is also a mesmerizing performer, as I can attest having seen her twice at the End of the Road music festival.

So why Masseduction over my other shortlisted albums: Neil Young’s Harvest, David Bowie’s Hunky Dory or Ziggy Stardust (eventually discarded because how can you choose between the two?), Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, the Pet Shop Boys’ Behaviour or Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense?

Simply because Masseduction doesn’t contain one single track that could be considered ‘filler’ material. Each of the 13 songs stands strong on its own merit.

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It’s also St Vincent’s most personal and direct album to date, a brilliant biographical vomit about life, love, loss, drugs, drink, friends and relationships.

There are gentle songs, such as the tender and melancholic Happy Birthday Johnny, pensive New York (beware F-bomb at the end of each verse) and the gliding, slow-dance Slow Disco.

Hang on Me is a late-night desolate drunken phonecall to a recent ex, Saviour is a sexy, funky jagged piece of sauce that wouldn’t look out of place on a Prince album.

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Best of all is Los Ageless, a blistering takedown of hollow Los Angeles and its facelifts and broken dreams, ridiculing the quest for beauty at any price, topped off with one of the best guitar riffs for many years.

on of electronica and guitars, rock and roll, sex, emotion and funk, Masseduction is a delicious, driven, dirty masterpiece.

Ruth Hayes, gardening editor

Rumours – good music never fades

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

In 1987 I discovered Fleetwood Mac. Big Love was in the charts from their album, Tango in the Night, and the band were as popular as ever. I was belatedly introduced to the 1977 album, Rumours.

Of course it was vinyl in those days and I played it non-stop on my brother’s old record player.

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During the carefree days of the 80s, music had a huge impact on my life.. I’d grown up with my parents’ choices, The Beatles and The Carpenters… so by my early 20s, I was listening to every genre out there, from classical to country, to punk and rock.

The Rumours album stands out as a personal favourite. The mood changes throughout, from the upbeat I Don’t Want to Know, to the more melancholy Songbird sung by Christine McVie. I also love the version recorded by Eva Cassidy.

Stevie Nicks’ crystal clear vocals are wonderful in Dreams and of course I can’t go without mentioning the amazing guitar solos by Lindsey Buckingham on The Chain.

It’s not surprising this album continues to be a success and has sold 45 million copies. It’s a masterpiece but of course it’s really remembered as the album that told the story of the problems within the band members’ personal lives.

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Two years ago I was lucky enough to see a tribute band called Rumours of Fleetwood Mac locally. These musicians are so talented, professional and precise.

Mick Fleetwood provides a video endorsement by introducing the band, and they regularly tour around the UK. So if you love Fleetwood Mac’s music, they are the next best thing to the real thing.

Good music never fades.

Wendy Humphries, letters editor

Fruit Tree – ‘ a quiet, compelling invitation to drift along in wonder’

Fruit Tree by Nick Drake

“Time has told me / you’re a rare find A troubled cure… for a troubled mind” Time Has Told Me

So much has been written, deservedly so, about the legacy of Nick Drake’s music, and the achingly beautiful messages conveyed in his delicate strumming and hushed, shadowed vocals; so many profound layers of internal conflict, poetic reflection, tangible loss and eternal daydreaming, all waiting to be discovered and rediscovered inside the well-worn covers of this box set compendium.

Identifying what makes this so special feels like capturing smoke, a gentle breeze, a sigh. Trying to encapsulate the lyrical and emotional souvenirs – and what these tunes make real on a cellular level – is as tricky as attempting to pick one favourite above all others. Impossible. We need them all.

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Musical purists can delight at the reverential string work and harmonic thrumming tour de force of Cello Song and River Man from 1969’s Five Leaves Left.

Miserabilists can find quiet refuge in the eerie tranquil dapplings of Things Behind The Sun from 1972’s fractured Pink Moon. Romantics can still their yearnings by embracing the lush sentimental reveries of Northern Sky from 1971’s sophomore release Bryter Later, featuring John Cale in a crescendo of organ, piano and celeste.

I will admit to having played one of Nick Drake’s songs live (the sensual and provocative Free Ride) and feeling a rush of unbridled joy but also a pang of guilt for even attempting to pay homage.

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There is exquisite technical mastery in Nick Drake’s shy, idiosyncratic fingerpicking yet it feels effortless; arrangements hover between standard chord progressions, teasing with time signatures before dissolving into muted string epiphanies: time and again, familiar streets turn sideways into unexpected spaces, commanding immeasurable respect and attention with his gently delivered yet staggeringly accomplished melodies.

All that aside, the simple truth is that this box set is as satisfying an emotional journey as it is possible to have with music. For it touches on so many specific moods and musings with fluidity and grace, yet operates in an otherworldly register seemingly above it all.

So all one can do is gratefully switch off from the everyday and accept Drake’s quiet, compelling invitation to drift along in wonder.

“I never felt magic crazy as this Never saw moons know the moaning of the sea Never held emotion in the palm of my hand Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree Now you’re here… brighten my northern sky” Northern Sky

Janey Goulding, assistant editor

The Free Story – a bluesy rock masterpiece

The Free Story by Free

My favourite album is The Free Story by the English blues rock band Free. This compilation album includes their biggest hit, All Right Now, and was released in 1973 – the year they finally disbanded. The album reached No2 in the charts.

The band Free was formed in 1968, when I was 10, so I didn’t know anything about them at that time. It wasn’t until the single Wishing Well was released in 1972 that I was old enough to appreciate their music.

The band’s lead singer was Paul Rodgers, who later went on to form Bad Company. Rodgers also toured with Queen in 2005 and 2006 as Queen + Paul Rodgers. The other members of the original Free were Paul Kossoff, Andy Fraser and Simon Kirke.

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I think it was Paul Rodgers’ voice that got me hooked on the band – and in 2010 Rodgers was voted 55th in the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine, just behind Luther Vandross, Muddy Waters and Brian Wilson.

Other Free hits include My Brother Jake and Little Bit of Love, but Wishing Well is still my favourite track.

All Right Now may have been the band’s greatest hit, but I never particularly liked it. For me, it’s Wishing Well that typifies Free and their bluesy rock music complete with Rodgers’ powerful voice.

Lesley Upton, features editor

Turns Into Stone has seen Kathryn through any a long car journey

Turns into Stone by The Stone Roses

A controversial choice because it was released by the record label they were suing at the time, this tricky-to-get-hold-of Stone Roses compilation album reminds me of my student days and features a 12-inch version of Fool’s Gold, arguably the best dance/indie crossover track.

The track listing comprises mostly B-sides and extended versions and just hearing the intro to Elephant Stone makes me want to turn the volume up LOUD and dance around the room.

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Asked about any hidden meanings, guitarist John Squire apparently said: “What’s it about? Love and Death… War and peace… Morecombe and Wise.”

Turns into Stone might not be the choice of die-hard Roses fans but it has got me through many a long car journey and would definitely be my desert island pick. After all, who doesn’t need a wah wah pedal and a drum solo to lift their spirits in challenging times.

Kathryn Wilson, features co-ordinator

So what do you listen to in the garden shed? Let us know at [email protected]

We are here for you

Although many people are coping well with self-isolation, others are really struggling and feeling completely forgotten and alone.

Here at AG we are doing our best to keep connected to our readers though the magazine, this website and also through social media.

Our gardening ‘agony uncle’ John Negus is also still working hard. Send him your problems and questions, with pictures if you can, and he will get back to you with an answer withing 24 hours, as he has been doing for decades. Contact him using the AG email address at [email protected]

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We already have thriving Facebook page but are also on Twitter and Instagram. These sites are a brilliant way of chatting to people, sharing news, information, pictures and just saying hello – we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Best of all, as gardeners are generally lovely folk, more interested in plants, hedgehogs, tea and cake than political shenanigans and point-scoring, so the chat is friendly and welcoming.

So please drop by, follow us, ‘like’ our posts and say hello – the Instagram feed is in it’s really early days so the quicker we can get that going with your help and support, the better!

You can find us at:

Facebook: Facebook.com/AmateurGardeningMagazine

Twitter: Twitter.com/TheAGTeam

Instagram: instagram.com/amgardening_mag

Don’t forget to give someone you know or love a call. They might be feeling low and lonely and hearing from you will make their day. Happy gardening!

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