Madamemidnight - Author & Aesthete

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Chapter 28: I Would for You

Things heat up as Gabriel takes on Claire's pain and offers to comfort her. Driven by no small amount of spite and curiosity, Claire gets a little revenge and attempts to balance the scales between them in a way that turns him on immensely.

Gabriel's PoV whenever Claire bites her lip.

For further elucidation, Johnny Cash became interested in Folsom State Prison after his unit (he served in the USAFSS), was shown the film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison in 1951, which inspired him to write one of his biggest hits, Folsom Prison Blues, based on his perception of life in prison.

Released in 1957 (after he got clean and wanted to revive his faltering career), Cash released Folsom Prison Blues. It was a major hit with inmates all over the country and Cash decided to start doing prison concerts that same year. It took 11 years after its release (and a change in command of the country music section at Columbia), but he was finally able to record a live concert at a prison like he wanted to and Folsom Prison agreed. It was Cash's first live album as well as the first to be recorded in a prison with an audience of 2,000 inmates.

2 days before the concerts (He and a few other bands played two a few hours apart that day), Johnny learned to play the song Greystone Chapel, which was written by inmate Glen Sherley who was incarcerated at Folsom. He'd given in to the warden in the hopes it would be sent to a studio some day. The song was the show closer and Glen was in the front row for the first concert (by design), and had no idea his song would be played.

This concert, and the live album revived Cash's career and would go on to inspire many musicians, especially in the punk scene, to play at prisons.

The USAFSS was a secretive branch of the Air Force tasked with monitoring, collecting and interpreting military voice and electronic signals of countries of interest (primarily Soviet and their satellite Eastern bloc countries). This intelligence was often analyzed in the field, and the results transmitted to the National Security Agency for further analysis and distribution to other intelligence recipients. USAFSS was tasked to carry out a cryptologic mission and to provide communications security for the newly-established Air Force. The USAFSS motto "Freedom Through Vigilance".

After serving in the military, doing cryptological espionage, Johnny Cash dedicated a decent chunk of his career to playing shows for people in prison (recording several other live prison concerts), helping inmates, many of whom were failed by the system. His time in the military and consequent heroin addiction laid the foundation for his political views expressed verbally and lyrically, touching on everything from racism, Native rights, prison life, to the Vietnam War.

For a very articulate look at his politics and the phenomenon of diametrically opposed parties both adamantly claiming him as their own, this article explains it well.

https://lithub.com/the-politics-of-empathy-on-the-life-and-music-of-johnny-cash/

The kids on TikTok think that just because he was a classic country singer, Johnny Cash was conservative??? My babies he covered a Nine Inch Nails song in his seventies.

Classic country singers (the majority of which came from poor roots) were always talking about how much The Man sucked because they were taking money from poor rural folk. You’re gonna tell me that’s conservative?? Get outta here.

Never forget one of the baddest BBEGs loves vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkies. 🌈🍦🖤

I wrote a drabble for this, because I loved this moment so much. Enjoy. 😆

I interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you one of my favorite moments in television from 2007: a cutaway shot of Zachary Quinto randomly eating ice cream.

(Heroes 1x22: “Chapter Twenty-Two ‘Landslide’“)

Chapter 27: One Chance is All it Takes

Claire takes a chance and tries to learn more about Gabriel, and gets more than she bargained for. In exchange Gabriel offers to share her pain in a literal sense as recompense.

*How he wanted to touch her lips.*

Vanilla Ice Cream and Schemes

A drabble I wrote because of my love of this scene. Enjoy. 😊