#Jules Sky Singer

[kimberly-earthfriend]

The boys take on Darkmoor. I know you can only have four wizards to a dungeon but I promise there being five of them makes sense in my wider canon. I promise. Also this took me 13 hours so there’s no going back now. Loosely inspired by the Night Falls dance number from descendants 3

[mx-mind]

I never finished making my first animatic but I REALLY wanna make another one for this song I just found but I wouldn't be able to share it publicly because of the content hell fucking world

[hemmingsleclerc]

Charles x reader where we’re going on our Renaissance world tour and our daughter comes out on stage with us (like blue Ivy). Charles + Leclerc family’s reactions and the grids reactions maybe??

World Tour┃charles leclerc

pairing(s): charles leclerc x singer!fem!reader

a/n: I LOVED THIS IDEA OMG!!! Hope u like it 💕💕

𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ › ‹ ᵎ 𖧧. ⊹ ˖ ♡.˚˳𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ › ‹ ᵎ 𖧧. ⊹ ˖ ♡.˚˳𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ › ‹ ᵎ𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ ›

‹ ᵎ 𖧧. ⊹ ˖ ♡.˚˳𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ › ‹ ᵎ 𖧧. ⊹ ˖ ♡.˚˳𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ › ‹ ᵎ𖧧  ִֶָ 𖥔 ﾟ˖ ⊹ › ‹ ᵎ 𖧧. ⊹ ˖

The lights in the sold-out stadium went out and the crowd noise grew louder as the opening chords of the song echoed through the arena. Charles sat in the VIP section, a proud smile on his face as he watched his wife take the stage. Next to him were his mother and brothers, as well as his closest friends, including Lando, Max, Daniel, Oscar with his girlfriend Lily, George with Carmen, Pierre with Kika, and Lewis.

Y/n's voice filled the stadium, moving everyone present. Halfway through the concert, a spotlight suddenly illuminated a small figure walking towards the stage. It was Jules, their daughter, dressed in a mini version of her mother's outfit that night.

Lando gasped and clutched his chest dramatically. "I think I'm going to faint," he whispered loudly, making the others laugh.

Daniel jumped from his seat, raising his arms in the air. "Jules! No way!" he yelled as he began to jump with joy.

Max had tears in his eyes. He dried them quickly, not wanting anyone to see them, but he couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face. "She's amazing," he said softly, his voice filled with awe as he clutched his head. As the music intensified, Max began to sing and dance, performing the choreography to perfection. "I've never practiced this," he muttered under his breath, although everyone knew he had been doing it for the past two weeks.

Oscar leaned forward, his eyes wide with amazement. "She's amazing," he commented, clearly impressed as he smiled big.

Lily nodded, her eyes shining. "She is a star in the making" she said enjoying the concert too much, as she was a big fan of Y/n.

George was standing, clapping to the beat. "This is amazing! Watch her dance!" Carmen, next to him, was just as cheerful, loudly cheering for Jules.

Pierre put his arm around Kika and they both began to dance together. "Jules is naturally talented," Kika said, her voice full of admiration and emotion. The two began shouting at the top of their lungs in support of Jules, his voices almost drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.

Lewis recorded the moment on his phone, capturing every second. "This is going to be iconic," he said, already planning to send the video to Jules later.

When Jules began to dance alongside her mother, the audience erupted in cheers. The energy in the stadium was incredible. Charles couldn't contain his emotions. He stood up and joined the rest of the drivers as they sang. His heart filled with pride as he watched her daughter share the stage with the same grace and confidence as his beautiful wife.

Lando, now fully recovered from his initial shock, began to dance to the music, his movements exaggerated. "This is the best concert ever!" He declared, spinning around and nearly knocking Max over to the floor.

Max, despite his earlier tears, was now dancing out of pure joy. "I'm having the best time of my life!" he shouted over the music, following the choreography perfectly.

Daniel continued cheering loudly, his voice hoarse but his emotion intact. "Jules, you're amazing, I'm your fan!"

The concert continued with Jules and Y/n performing a duet. As the final notes of the song faded, the crowd erupted in applause. Jules and Y/n bowed as they said goodbye as confetti exploded from the sky and the rest of the dancers joined in to say goodbye.

Charles, almost on the verge of losing his voice, shouted proudly of his wife and daughter.

As the concert came to an end, Charles and his friends headed backstage to congratulate Y/n and Jules. The reunion was filled with laughter, hugs, and a few more tears as everyone celebrated the night.

Charles hugged Jules tightly and lifted her off the ground. "You were amazing, my little star."

Jules laughed and her eyes shone with happiness. "Did you like it, dad?"

''I adored it'' he said while with her other arm he hugged Y/n around her waist to give her a kiss.

[philtstone]

OOH can i ask for 38. delightful smiles or 40. missing them - whichever feels more authentic / comfortable to u - for arawen, please? i love the way u write them 💖 if it’s too much trouble, i can send a prompt for shawn x jules instead!

38. delightful smiles

you can also read this on ao3!

Aragorn is dozing. He does not realize it until the corners of his consciousness are bent and shaped by song. It moves through him, life-giving, and not just for the fact that it sings in his wife’s voice.

Wakefulness comes back to him in lazy parts. Time has never been a matter of days and weeks to him, as it is to his faithful steward or more hobbitish friends, but he must admit it has been a taxing few months. There is ardour in their work, and care and hope, but much death and pain, too. And interminable meetings. The world has healed in ways that can only be called triumphs, yet has much healing left to be called at peace. 

They reached somewhat of a breaking point yesterday. Eomer King yelling at the stuffed up Gondorian minister for agriculture while poor Faramir distracted the latest Haradim peace ambassador from the chaos to dubious success was, in many ways, enough to do it. 

Perhaps they needn’t have snuck out to a faraway corner of one of Legolas’s more indulgent afforestation projects like they were but forty and two-thousand again, and escaping to the clear brook outside Imladris’s borders with a touch too much audacity, but it is hard to say no when the Evenstar is leading the way. Specifically when she is wearing that lilac nightshift that flutters around her legs. 

Aragorn blinks a few times and sighs, tipping his head back. Almost awake. His limbs are without partner in the soft grass, but that is unconcerning. Arwen has always had the uninhibited capacity to recover more quickly. 

His nose is full of orange blossom and chamomile, his neck is damp from his own sweat and the dewy grass, and half his cheek is hot; his own arm lays covering it, stretched above him in the position it took immediately before his little nap. The air is warm. Gondorian springs come in hot and fast, carrying everyone swiftly into the happy embrace of summer. Yet it has cooled since noon, quiet and blue under the twilight sky. Now the night air is perfect against his skin, and a soft wind moves through the tall pines that open themselves up to the heavens and starlight. Sssshhhhh cry the trees, a whisper of such magnitude that it has taken his breath away many a time as a young man hidden in the forested wilds and intent upon clinging to even the smallest token of hope. 

It is to the open sky that Aragorn finally opens his eyes. The night is full of stillness and quietude, and contentment falls over him like a blanket. 

Somewhere in the distance he hears a nightingale. As much as he could swoon from a carefully employed note of Arwen's voice, she’s never been quite so talented a singer as to match the little birds. But singing she is. And it’s from a little distance too. Soft Quenya fills the wood, lilting. So that is why the space beside him feels cold and empty, he thinks, to the extent that he is capable of functional thought. Aragorn lets himself focus on the sounds of her, one arm still flung over his face. He does not turn to look, but she is clear in his minds eye: fae and shocking yet totally at home in the greenery, face tipped skyward, arms outstretched to touch the Life that fills this glade, naked. Her hair is unbound; he is responsible for that. 

Her voice stops of a sudden, and two pale feet appear beside his shoulder.

“Your shift is ruined,” he mumbles to the sky. He cracks one eye open to peer from under his arm at the crumpled heap of purple in the bushes. “Silk is not made for the damp.”

“Estel the weaver,” says his wife. 

He revises his statement; she does not need to sing to warble as beautifully as the nightingale. 

“Or the poet,” Arwen sighs, only laughing a little bit. “I cannot say I don’t enjoy it.”

“One can only hope.”  

She kneels down and seats herself so that her long legs are bent over his stomach, and a small movement would touch the small of her back to his raised thigh. Thick spools of hair slip down from the pin atop her head and hang around her face, and his. She is smiling. He looks upon her rosy cheeks, the flush dusting her neck and collarbone and breasts, the little quirk at the corner of her lips. There is an impish quality to the smile that he recognizes.

“Why did you stop?” Aragorn says. 

She brushes two fingers over an old scar under his rib. It is a Dark one, and she herself had once healed it. Perhaps this is why his skin burns at her fluttering touch.

“Singing? I am humble enough to know I have not Tinuviel’s talent.”

The little nightingale continues to serenade them.

“That is not why you were singing,” he says, so lowly that she must surely hear and understand only because she is Arwen. Her thumb has made its way to his bottom lip. Her soft breath ghosts over his cheeks. Aragorn opens his eyes all the way and rolls his head to face her in the grass.

Arwen glows. 

The Valar have blessed him, he thinks, compelled.

“Mmm,” she says. 

“What.”

She tilts her head, scuffs the tip of her nail under his chin. Then his throat. “Only thinking.”

Lazily, one corner of his mouth tilts upward. The slight movement risks the brush of her mouth; she revels in it. “The verdict?”

“I want a baby.”

“Take one from me, then,” he murmurs. The words slip out as easily as a breath might, unhurried, assumed. Arwen’s delighted smile unfurls like the nephridil only her touch has coaxed to life in the corners of this garden.

“I believe I just did,” she breathes into his ear. 

Her eyes are shining. The joy of her radiates into the trees around them. Aragorn feels his own follow, uninhibited like the breeze in the sky. 

[alicetheangel]

Don't let yourself be hurt this time.

Don't let yourself be hurt this time.

Then I saw your face

Then I saw your smile

The sky is still blue

The clouds come and go

Yet something is different

Are we falling in love?

Another singer with a heavenly voice. From Twin Peaks. Still haven't finished the show, but I really enjoyed it.

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 2

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 1505

Warnings:

Summary: Hangman learned his lesson a long time ago to never show his true feelings when someone's words or actions hurt him. To do so showed weakness that could be exploited, and Seresin men couldn't show weakness. Of course, there was an exception to every rule, and Jake's always came in the form of women, three in particular: his mom, Juliette Kazansky, and the girl whose name he could no longer bring himself to speak. She was the girl that got away; she was his biggest 'what if' and his biggest regret; she would forever be the ghost that haunted his dreams. Jake believed that's where she'd stay, for he would surely never see her again after what he did.

Or so he thought.

Notes: This is the sequel to India Lima Yankee; I'm using the same callsign for the Female OC as in Ghost Story because I just really like it, but they are different characters; chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Man I Feel Like A Woman Out of Sight Out of Mind

****

Hangman

People packed into the Hard Deck, not unusual for a Friday night. But unlike most of the patrons, Hangman found himself and his brothers-in-arms dressed to the nines in their whites and, in the case of Phoenix, Juliette, and Halo, their cocktail dresses. They'd gone out to celebrate Juliette's big promotion at work. Of course, she couldn't drink being pregnant, but Juliette apparently didn't need alcohol to have fun. She happily sang at the top of her lungs when Rooster played the piano or at karaoke with whoever would join her (mainly Phoenix and Fanboy), although Jules put all other singers to shame. She hustled unsuspecting pilots at pool and joked around with the Daggers like they'd grown up with each other. Rooster kept a careful eye on her. Hangman noticed his comrade had become extremely protective and concerned about Juliette since she passed out Christmas morning, a side effect of the pregnancy. The doctors assured them it'd been a one-off, but Rooster, traumatized by an unspoken tragedy, refused to wholly believe them.

Hangman knew this. Hangman understood Rooster had every right to be protective over Juliette and that he himself had no rights at all, but he couldn't help the jealousy that rose up in him every time he noticed the longing gazes the couple exchanged, how Rooster would watch Juliette with the softest of smiles as if he wasn't even aware he did so, the way Juliette leaned into Rooster whenever he stood next to her. They were so helplessly, madly, head-over-heels in love with each other, and as happy as Hangman was for them, it still hurt. Hangman had fallen swift and hard for Juliette, although he'd never admit that. Jake understood he could never compare to Rooster. Bradshaw had a history with Juliette, and Hangman didn't. He was just the resident playboy with the reputation of never wanting to settle down, whose one true love was the open sky and his career. Juliette had made him question those beliefs, and he hadn't felt that since-

"-ghost. Blasted past me on the freeway like the devil himself was after them and disappeared in the blink of an eye, they were driving so fast," Coyote said, interrupting Jake's train of thought. He took a swig of his beer, keeping a carefully calculated expression of nonchalance despite his meandering mind.

"Or maybe you were driving like you're on a Sunday drive, like you always do," Payback jested.

"This stranger wouldn't happen to have been on a red and black Kawasaki, would they?" Juliette queried, her eyes glittering with intrigue.

Coyote cocked his head in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"It's Princess," Hangman said, shooting her a playful smirk. "She knows everything."

"As much as that is usually true-" Jules began, returning the compliment with an appreciative smile- "it was a hopeful guess. If you'll excuse me for a moment!"

She slipped out of her fiancé's arms and darted through the crowd, leaving the Daggers confused. Hangman bit back his amusement at Rooster's puppy dog eyes trailing after her, obviously restraining himself from following. Jake's attention was diverted to the pool table when Phoenix called out his name. He acquiesced to her request to join, grabbing a pool stick. She teamed up with Bob while Coyote joined Hangman. The pairs used the ever-trusty "Rock Paper Scissors" to decide who went first. Phoenix, as usual, won.

Right as Hangman bent over to hit his shot, a familiar guitar riff and voice broke out near the karaoke machine. Cheers went up, especially from the Daggers, as the sound of Juliette belting out to 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman.' Hangman failed to remember ever knowing she played guitar, but he'd add it to the list of ways she kept surprising him. The Daggers would've moved closer to cheer her on, but the crowd prevented that endeavor. Rooster managed it, but he also didn't appear to give anyone blocking him a choice, shouldering his way through to get to Juliette. His piano skills soon joined the guitar, along with a second female voice harmonizing with Juliette. Could it be the mystery person Juliette raced out to greet?

Hangman sang along at the top of his lungs, thoroughly enjoying the song and the killer cover by Juliette. When it ended, she received a well-deserved ovation. The crowd parted for her, Rooster, and their mystery guest. Only when they rejoined the Daggers did Hangman wish he'd caught a glimpse of the person beforehand to prepare himself. The face that haunted his dreams appeared before him, wearing eyeliner sharp enough to kill a man and red lipstick that surely received its striking color from the blood of her enemies, namely him. For the first time, Hangman purposefully faded behind his wingmen, desperately needing a moment to catch his breath and gather his wits. He locked eyes with Coyote on the way, and a silent understanding passed between the two friends.

"Well, I'll be damned," Payback said, smiling at Ghost. "Where the hell have you been?"

"You know I can't answer that," Ghost chastised teasingly.

"If she tells us anything, she'll have to kill us," Coyote remarked. His voice immediately garnered her attention. For Ghost, she had always figured that wherever Coyote was, Jake most likely wasn't far away.

Still, Ghost's voice held nothing but sincere happiness when she said, "Hey, Coyote."

"Hey." He strode up to Ghost and gave her a rare hug. "Good to see you."

"You as well." She scanned the room, her eyes finally landing on Hangman. Then, curtly, she nodded and said, "Seresin."

"Blackwood, as I live and breathe." Shooting her his hundred-watt smile, he looked her up and down, admiring the black dress hugging her curves. "You look good."

"How do you all know each other?" Juliette asked. The question sounded casual enough, but he saw her analyzing the situation before her, picking up on the tension he tried so hard to hide. For better or worse, that analytical mind of hers wasn't limited to engineering and designing aircraft.

"Stationed with most of these guys at some point," Ghost answered. "Went to school with Coyote, and as you already know, Top Gun with Rooster."

"What about you and Hangman?"

"Old acquaintances," Jake said casually before Ghost could even open her mouth to answer. Juliette stopped her questioning like he knew she would. She remembered what those words had meant for her not too long ago. Still, Hangman would prepare himself for the interrogation from her later because it would undoubtedly be on its way.

Coyote wagged his finger at the two girls. "Where did you two meet?"

"In passing at Top Gun, but we didn't actually talk until a month or two later by happenstance," Juliette said, grabbing her water and taking a few gulps. "Not much bonds girls quicker than having each other's back when a creep starts following one of you in a store."

Noticing her friend's drink, Ghost said, "Please tell me that's vodka. You're celebrating a huge job promotion!"

"If I could drink, I would, but I can't." Juliette slung her arm over her friend's shoulders. "Girl, I have so much to catch you up on, but for now, long story short? Rooster and I are engaged, and I'm expecting twins."

Ghost's mouth fell open, shock etching itself onto her face until Jules's words fully processed. Then, the pilot let out a joyful scream and hugged Juliette tightly. "Oh my God, I'm so happy for y'all! When are you due? When's the wedding?"

"Thanks! I'm due in August, and the wedding will be sometime next year. Still deciding on a date. Obviously, you're invited." Juliette sat on an empty bar stool to get off her feet. Rooster stood behind her, and she leaned against him. Hangman watched Jules and Ghost shoot the breeze. 

Coyote stood beside him, mumbling the question loudly enough only for Hangman to hear, "You good, man?"

Not wanting to worry his only ally in this situation, he lied, "Yeah, I'm good. Wasn't expecting this. Did she say she was-"

"No. I had no clue." Coyote had stayed in touch with Ghost, but he never said much, if anything, about her, understanding Hangman would rather talk about anything else but her. Hell, Jake would rather face an angry Juliette than utter Ghost's name, and that was saying something. Even speaking her last name made his heart constrict painfully in a way it hadn't in years, the last time being when they'd parted ways, never to speak again until now. 

Hangman glanced at the clock, estimating how much longer the group would be here. Dismay settled in. It was only nine o'clock, and the Daggers were far from ready to leave. They'd be going until at least midnight. Hangman, typically the last to leave, couldn't be the first tonight. It'd look too suspicious with Ghost's arrival. No, he'd have to play it cool until some of the others departed. Then he could make his escape. How difficult could it be?

****

Tags: @lgg5989 @shanimallina87 @polikszena @summ3rlotus @icemansgirl1999 @supernaturaldawning @thedarkinmansfield @lyannaforpresident @lapilark @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @simpofthecentury @shadeops21 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @double-j @bradshawsandbridgetons @majdoline @catsandgeekyandnerd @peachiicherries @multifandomcnova @fandomsstolemylife00 @bookloverhorses @mak-32 @midnightmagpiemama

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2

If you're on the tag list, it's because I copied from the India Lima Yankee tag list. If you don't wish to be tagged for this story, just let me know! If you're not on the tag list and want to be, comment below :)

[n0wornever]

So Cliche - Julie x Fem!Reader

hi! can i request a Julie x fem reader where she asks you to fake date her to make Luke jealous but by doing this she realizes she has feelings for reader and it ends with them confessing to each other? thank you :)

Hihihihihi I know this request was asked FOREVER ago, but I was having the hardest time not making it cringe. I got a lot of requests for Julie fake dating, and I decided to pair them with another request I received. I hope you both enjoy!

“Y/N, you dropped this” The girl’s vision suddenly clouded by her best friend’s closed fist near her face.

She shook her head in confusion. Julie opened her palm and leaned over to cup the girl’s chin. “You are practically drooling over my bandmate,” Julie said with a smile.

Y/N snuck one last look at the chiseled guitarist in front of her before she pulled out of Julie’s grip. She locked her jaw as her back fell against the couch, glaring at her best friend. Her eyes eventually wandered back over to Luke, who was now talking with some girl from his AP chem class he’d ask to come to rehearsal. Their bodies dangerously close as the girl placed her hand on his upper arm. She felt the cushion next her sink, and looked over to meet her best friend’s big brown eyes. 

“I don’t get it either, Y/N.” Julie sighed, wrapping her arm around the other girl’s shoulders. Y/N leaned in, her head settling on Julie’s shoulder. 

Luke turned in their direction “Julie I-” He stopped, eyeing the scene in front of him before giving the pair a smirk “Don’t you two look cozy!” His eyes widened as he teased them. 

Y/N nuzzled into Julie’s neck, the other girl trying to hide her growing rose colored complexion. Julie tapped the girl’s shoulder a few times, signaling to her to sit up. Julie cleared her throat, pushing herself off the couch and toward her bandmates. 

“Let’s go boys,” Julie circled her hand around the crew, bringing them back to their instruments. 

Y/N tried to keep her eyes off the guitarist as they performed, but failed quickly as her brought his eyes over to her and shot her a wink during the last song. She could feel Julie’s gaze at the same time, but didn’t feel like being let down so quickly from the high his gaze set her on. 

As the band finished rehearsing, Julie jogged up to the couch, falling next to her once again. “Epic fail on the whole ‘playing it cool’ thing you’ve been telling me you’ve had planned for weeks.” 

Y/N pushed her best friend’s shoulder back, rolling her eyes at her. "Whatever, I just looked at him,” Her eyes turned to meet Julie’s “That’s all it was, eye contact.” 

Julie’s head fell back with laughter as the boys approached them. Luke looked at the lead singer with worried eyes. 

“What’s so funny, Molina.” 

Julie looked between Y/N and Luke a few times before responding. “Nothing, just a secret between girls,” She placed her hand on Y/N’s knee as she spoke. 

The other girl looked curiously down at her lap before continuing to watch their interaction. Luke looked at the two with a pout spread across his face before he waved a hand at her and walked away. Reggie and Alex followed behind him, the three exiting the garage. 

“What was that about?” Y/N asked, raising an eyebrow at the curly-haired girl. 

“I have no clue,” Julie said, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. 

Alex interuptted the discussion, smiling down at the two girls and pointing toward the door.

“Let’s go get food?” He questioned, looking back and forth from Y/N to Julie.

The girls nodded, lifting off the couch to stand in front of the blonde. Julie instinctively grabbed Y/N’s hand and pulled her behind her as they left the garage.

The next day, Y/N showed up early to rehearsal. As she walked in the door she was met by Luke, who was tuning his guitar on the couch. 

“Hey stranger,” He said with a smile.

She waved weakly at him, “Hey, have you seen Julie?” 

The girl quickly shoving her hands in her back pockets as she walked toward him. He stopped strumming and put his guitar to his side. 

“Molina isn’t here yet....” He gave her his award-winning smirk.

“Darn, okay.” 

She glared at him, but he just rolled his eyes. “You’re never this early to see me, Y/N.” 

She cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at him. “Okay?” 

He laughed at her scrunched expression, raising off the sofa and over to the band’s makeshift stage. 

“I’m just saying....”

Before she could ask another question, Julie strolled in the door. The girl’s arm fell around Y/N’s waist loosely, giving her a smile.

“You’re early!” She beamed down at her.

Luke walked over to the other side of the garage in a hurry, leaving the two girls alone.

Y/N let her head rest on her shoulder “Yeah, and Luke was being really weird about it...” 

Julie rose her eyebrow at the girl as she raised her head from her shoulder. 

“What do you mean?”

Y/N shrugged, throwing her hands up in the air “I don’t know, he was just like...’you never show up this early to see me?’” She said, giving her best Luke impression, biting down on her lip after the last word.

Julie giggled at her friend, covering her hand with her mouth. She looked over to the corner of the room and saw Luke peeking over to the girls from the corner of his eye. After thinking it over for a moment, she grabbed the girl’s hand, fighting the racing feeling the grip brought to her chest and smiled at the girl. Y/N turned to her with wide eyes.

“What are you doing? Why are you smiling like that?” The words raced from the girl’s lips so quickly Julie could barely make out what she was saying.

“Just trust me,” Julie said, squeezing her hand. 

Y/N’s face didn’t change, but she let Julie intertwine her fingers with her’s. Julie led her two the couch, letting go of her hand as they sat down. She quickly moved to place her arm around her shoulders, squeezing lightly as the eased her closer to her. Y/N moved slowly, finally letting herself ease onto Julie’s arms. The girl tilted her head up, looking up at Julie.

“I’m so confused right now,” she murmured.

Julie just shot a wink down her way, letting her thumb rub circles onto the girl’s right shoulder. She shifted her gaze to Luke, who was now looking at the couple with wide eyes as he moved closer to the stage. She shot him a confused glance and the guitarist just shook his head, a little smirk raising onto his left cheek, before he brought his gaze back to his guitar. 

Y/N’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out. Julie leaned her head over to look at the brightened screen. The girl patted her friend’s thigh, looking up with a smile.

“Mom’s calling, I’ll be right back.” 

Julie released her grip on the girl and she sprinted toward the garage door,  Julie’s eyes trailing after her. As soon as she was out of sight, Julie returned her gaze back to the stage. Luke was already looking at her, hands fumbling with the strings of his guitar. 

“Glad you finally made a move, Jules,” Luke said, sending a knowing nod her way. 

Julie shifted, letting her arms raise to cross at her chest “What are you talking about, Patterson?” 

Luke laughed, rolling his eyes at the girl. He let go of the guitar and moved over to the couch to sit next to her. He placed a hand on her knee and letting a smile creep up onto his cheeks.

“We’ve all known about your little crush for months now,” He sighed. “We were just waiting for the moment that you’d clue into it too.” 

She shook her head “Wait Luke no I-” 

“Jules, it’s obvious.” Luke leaned in a bit closer, studying her face. “You cannot fake those dilated pupils and that wide smile.” 

He bit his tongue between his teeth as the took in her exasperated expression. The girl simply looked at him with parted lips, her mind racing at his response. The panic in her head almost clouded the sound of the door opening, but as a soft voice rang out, both of their eyes finally shifted in the direction of the entrance. 

“Oh, I guess I interrupted something,” Y/N’s voice cracking at the end of the sentence. “I’ll just go...I” 

The girl spun on her heel to leave and Julie immediately jumped up from the couch, not even monitoring Luke’s response to her abrupt departure and eyes fixed on the door. As she ran outside she noticed Y/N didn’t get far, the girl sat on the back staircase, running a hand through her hair.

Julie walked over to her slowly, leaning on the railing beside her as she studied her pink cheeks glistening with moisture. She kicked herself for thinking that this flirtatious plan would go over smoothly. Y/N had tried to convince her months ago that Luke was into her, but she brushed it off knowing that she wasn’t interested in the guitarist in the slightest.

Julie took in a moment of quiet before clearing her throat. Y/N’s eyes migrated over to her’s with a somber look in them. She bit down on her bottom lip as she looked at her best friend’s sad expression.

“Jules, I don’t know what you were trying to do today to make Luke...whatever but it worked,” Y/N’s face curling into a scowl.

“Y/N, it isn’t like that I-”

“I’ve told you this for months. I’d understand if you and Luke are more than friends.” Tears started rolling down her cheeks once again. “Don’t get me wrong...It hurts but I don’t want you to have to pretend that you’re trying to get us together.”

Julie squeezed her eyes closed. She tried to avoid the obvious shaking in her hands as she reopened them and took in the softer gaze of her best friend in front of her. She tucked a curl behind her ear and shook her head down at Y/N.

“That’s not it at all, Y/N.” 

“Julie-”

The curly-haired girl held a hand up to silence her. She took a deep breath, gripping the railing below her tightly before meeting her eyes again. Her heard was thumping in her ears, making it hard for her to hear her own thoughts. 

“If I wanted to make someone jealous Y/N, it definitely wouldn’t be Luke.”

Y/N’s eyebrow rose, lips slightly parting as her eyes shifted around Julie’s face. 

“I’m confused I-”

Julie interrupted her again, letting her eyes drift to the sky. If she was going to say this out loud, she was going to at least derail the disappointment of looking at her face for another moment. 

“Y/N, you’re driving me crazy,” She started, tapping her fingers on the cool metal below them as she spoke. “I’ve been avoiding this gut feeling I’ve had for months, so I’m just going to say it.”

Her eyes fell back toward the other girl’s hesitantly. She watched as Y/N’s gaze shifted around with her brows furrowed. 

“I think...I think that I’m interested in being more than friends with someone,” She heard Y/N take a sharp inhale as she spoke. “But that’s not Luke, I...Y/N I’m interested in you.” 

The girl’s face dropped in awe. She didn’t say anything for a moment, the girls sitting in silence and staring at each other’s faces. Julie took in her features for another second before pushing off the railing and turning toward the garage again. As she took her third step away from the house, a hand grabbed onto hers. She turned around and met the shy smile in front of her.

“You’re serious?” Y/N questioned, letting her eyes fall down toward her feet.

“Yeah, pretty serious about this one,” Julie said, squeezing down onto her palm as she spoke.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to react like that I- i was just surprised, that’s all.” 

Julie nodded, and the girl’s eyes rose back up to meet hers. It was Julie’s turn to blush as the girl reached for her other hand, letting their embrace swing between them. Y/N let a bright smile fall across her face as she looked into Julie’s brown eyes.

“So...” She said quietly. “Are you going to ask me on a date then?” 

Julie’s heart raced at the question, stumbling on her words as they came tumbling out. 

“Does that mean that you’d go?” 

Y/N bit down on her lip before lightly nodding at her “Maybe, yeah, I’d like that a lot.” 

Julie’s smile escaped her, pulling straight across her lips automatically. She looked down at their hands and back up at the happy girl in front of her.

.

.

.

.

Tag list: @marinettepotterandplagg @lukeys-giggle  @xplrreylo @kiss-themoongoodbye​ @bathtimejish​  @bookfrog247​  @dasexydevitt13 @musicconversedance​ @txrii​ @bestdressedandstressed​ @daisiesforlacey​ @epikskool​  @themaddies-obx​ @jukeobsessedgirl​  @writerinlearning​ @dani27297 @whatever-happens-imma-stand-tall​ 

[britishchick09]

1984 livewatch

the time has finally come to watch the full movie! it’ll be sad, it’ll be disturbing, it’ll possibly be cringy, but it’ll be a lot of fun! :D

we start out with the mgm lion! noice ;)

epic quote B)

wait why is opera music playing i thought we’d start at the 2 minutes hate

OMG what if they’re gonna hate on opera

this looks like a drive-in movie tbh

narrator: “this is a land of peace and hope, a land of plenty...” OH SHUT UP YOU

they’re showing wheat like it’s little house on the prairie BOI YOU’RE IN LONDON

this is epic propaganda B)

what if the war footage was taken from ww2 and thus... isn’t real :o

HOLD UP is the eurasian war racist?

THE QUEEN HAS ENTERED THE CHAT

WHAT ARE THEY ALL SHOUTING I CAN’T HEAR WHAT THE FDR GUY IS SAYING SHUT UPPPPP

oh no it be u (his face is like ‘WHAT IS GOING ON’ and it’s very lol)

julia’s so into this! :o

o’brien’s like ‘ohhh!!!’

look who decided to SHOW UP FINALLY

he pauses a bit before reluctantly joining in yas ��

OMG THIS IS LIKE A SCHOOL ASSEMBLY STOP TALKING GEEZ

good they stopped!

WOWWW DON’T EVEN LIST SUZANNA HAMILTON’S NAME WITH THE OTHERS GIVE HER A ‘WITH’ CREDIT WOWWWWW

this IS a school assembly they’re going back to work!

winston in glasses *chef’s kiss*

ooh a rotary dial! great use of tech from when the book was written :D

winston’s looking over at syme WITH SO MUCH JEALOUSY lol

what if the words they speak are just random stuff with no meaning

OMG confession!!!!!

poor winnie with his cough :(

this confession sounds JUST LIKE WINSTON’S OMG!!!!

winston: “bugger!” he’s a brit lol :D

epic B)

OMG this guy read goldstein’s book SO DID WINSTON!!!!

i love how the diary is in a brick hole that’s so cool :D

the diary scene was filmed on april 4th just like in the movie so that’s way rad man :D

i want you valley!!! :D

ooh they’re put a smol scene of his childhood in there coolio! :D

he  s l e e p

this violin squeak tho :o

OMG THIS IS THE STANDING UP SCHOOL SCENE

it’s not but i can easily imagine it lol :D

he’s a stick omg ;o

when the lady talks to him you know it’s not a recording ;)

lady: “anyone under 45 is perfectly capable of touching his toes” BOI

oh no PARSONS

parsons: “choco rations are going up” c h o c o

parsons: “i seem to have run out of razor blades for some reason’ yeah,,, for some reason... ;)

this is so a cafeteria scene at school

THEY SAW EACH OTHER OMG

♫ i suddenly see him standing there, a beautiful stranger tall and fair, i wanna stuff this weird food in my faaaace! ♫ :D

me: “this is so romantic!” winston’s thoughts: “lemme smash HER WITH A ROCK”

wait did the lady say pineapple grenade???

HIS FACE LOOOL

syme rip boi

the 11th edition isn’t thicc :/

aww winston’s smol nod ♥

parsons: “by 2050 we won’t have conversations like this!” yeah because of screens lol

OMG the food looks and taste like meat but isn’t IT’S PLANT BASED MEAT!!!! :o

parsons just pulled a ‘hey need help with that?’ and put winston’s food on his plate EPIC

julia’s lookin’ at u ;)

YAS PROLES HOPE!!! :D

oh no DON’T TALK ABOUT THE 50 YEAR OLD WOMAN SEX WINSTON

OH NOOOOOOO

he liked the ‘bright red lips’ yet...

THIS CHICK’S LIPS AREN’T BRIGHT BOI

poor baby desperate for money :(

let’s GET THIS BEAT

hand on cheek = doublepluscute ^_^

epic foreshadowing B)

OMG CHESTNUT TREE POEM FORESHADOWINNNGGGGGG

OMG a couple is making out in the bar EPIC

winston’s just like ‘nnope’

OMG THE THOUGHT POLICE WERE FOLLOWING????

he’s at an antique store in prescott bless his heart ♥

mr. charrington sounds so kind WHYYYY

THE BIRTH OF A QUEEN ♥

mr. charrington says ‘4 dollars’ but they’re in london??

YAS BELLS OF ST. CLEMENS!!!! :D

winston: “what was that?” mr. charrington: “something old.” no DUH

they see each other againnn!!!!! :D

winston writes that he hates her SAME WITH A LOOK LIKE THAT

OMG SMOL WINNIE BIG O’BRIEN????? :o

his mom is lying dead in the field like the erza kid in ‘kirsten’s promise’ :(

he’s just... staring

OMG SPYING ON THE SPICY STARING ACTION :o

she PLONKED

that ‘ow!’ was so fake jules!

this is like anna and hans but not as bad underneath!

julia: “it’s nothing!” but this is turning out to be something... ;)

we’re half an hour in and wowza it’s gone by so fast! :D

winston: *gets a cute love note from julia* YEET!

THE HELICOPTER IS BACC!!!!! they’re really not making the spying subtle

OMG THIS IS THE THOUGHT CRIMINAL SCENE YAAAAS!!!!! :D

winston is the best plummer confirmed

kid: “you’re a thought criminal!” winston: *gives a slight ‘wha’ face and smiles* ICONIC

:)

the crowd is clapping and cheering over the war yet winston’s not doing anything SAME

jules is just scooching by lol

HAND HOLDING WHILE PASSING A NOTE OMG ♥♥

the sky does exist! :o

the telescreen has some great music :D

winston’s joining the ‘big man’s hiking group’ suure you are... ;)

the train is going to the beat of the kids’ singing coolio! :D

big brother is called ‘bb’ yas bby!

YEEES THE I WANT YOU VALLEY SCEENE!!!!!

the lq audio made the twig crack and the leave brushing really weird lol

winston: “i want you.” I-CON-IC!!!! :D

THAT SMIRK THO

winston: “i want everyone corrupt.” julia: “i’ll suit you, then. i’m corrupt to the core.” *mal screech*

OH NONONONOONO SHE GONNA TAKE HER TOP OFF BI PANIC BI PANICCC!!!!!

she really went commando huh

ALL THE WAY

the sex looks like it hurts NO WAY MAN NOT FOR ME NNNNOPE

i’m glad it was only a part you couldn’t really see and not a full on thing I DON’T NEED THAT

awww she’s so peaceful after big naughty :)

this is vaguely gay...

aww winston’s hair ruffling in the wind ♥

c r o n c h

also did he just cronch into a potato???

OMG THIS IS JUST LIKE SCHOOL

teacher: “when the orgasm is finally eradicated...” totally julia: “NOT ON MY WATCH”

winston is the kid who smokes in glass while julia is the one kid who Just Doesn’t Care lol :D

thoughtcrime THIS IS THOTCRIME

wow syme is still alive?

julia: “you dropped your ink pencil” you mean pen?

winnie’s back in prescott! :D

the room is 4 bucks a night noice B)

BACC TO THE H8 BBY

the modern say 2 minutes hate is probably just a livestream with kids texting ‘h8 xd’ in the chat lol :D

winston’s thoughts: “she who is so careful...” boi she threw a dictionary at the telescreen in the book THAT’S SO NOT CAREFUL

hey girl CUTE LQ SMILE YOU HAVE THERE!!! :D

YAS THE REAL COFFEE SCENE!!!!! :D

she has so many smiles YAS!!!!

she’s so eager with showing him I LOVE YOU SO MUCH JULES ♥♥♥

she says ‘real sugar, real bread’ and... jam

winston: “how did you manage to get all this?” jules has her ways... ;)

winston: “i want you” julia: “i want you too” YAS :D ♥♥

the thiccc singer is here!! :D

she’s so pretty! ♥

aww the stroke ♥

his hands are shaking as he touches her :(

winston: “freedom is the freedom to say two plus two equals four. if that is granted, all else follows” iconic!

YAS THE PAPER!!! :D

it be gin time ;)

he scratches the face off the gin bottle woah :o

I JUST REALIZED THAT THIS IS O’BRIEN :o

winston’s little ‘yes!’ at getting the 10th newspeak dictionary ♥

that’s a look of longing my friends! :o

winston: “the call has come. all my life i’ve been waiting for it...” and now he’ll go into the unknown... ;)

AAND we cut to naked julia eating an apple! slight bi panic

she’s touching the paperweight queen love it ♥

SHE KNOWS THE CLEMENS YAS!!! :D

julia: “i just know it!” BOI YOUR G-PA HELPED OUT

winston: “the only thing to do is to walk out of here before it’s too late” thus my ‘julia lives’ au comes in! :D

winston: “never seen one another again” ...oh he was talking about that NOT IN MY AU SON

julia: “you do, i do.” omg marriage :o

YAAAS JULSTON KISS!!!!!!! :D

fluffy! ♥

julia: “i love you.” awww :)

winston: “julia. do you think the resistance is real?” julia: “none of it’s real.” STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER!

♥

OMFG THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION :o

work is scrambling like eggs!

poor headache bby! :(

epic B)

winston’s dreaming of his bishy selfish chocolate mom adventure!

the rats were there when his mom and sister were vaporized! :o

she’s in the dress! ♥

they’re talking about betrayal and julia’s like ‘they can’t do that!” OH BOI BUT THEY CAN!!!!

julia: “they can’t get to your heart” aww :)

awkward...

winston sees o’brien WITHOUT JULIA THE F????

this feels like the principal’s office lol :D

o’brien’s voice is so deep and british ♥

the way he clutches the newspeak dictionary is so cute! :D

aww he’s stroking the pages as he reads :)

the oceania anthem sounds russian :o

YAAAAAAAASSSS!!!!!!! :D

so soft ♥♥

winston: “julia, my love.” MY LOVE MY LOVE AHHH!!!! :D

YEES THE COFFEE SMILEEE!!!!! :D

she’s hungry... she wants coffee... who’s gonna tell her coffee isn’t food?

omg i saw winston butt :o

:)

winston: “she’s beautiful.” julia: “she’s a meter around the hips easily” winston: “that’s her standard of beauty.” YAAAS!!! :D

winston: “the future is ours.” YAS

OH CRAP THEY SAID ‘WE ARE THE DEAD’ NOOOO

mr. charington is loud compared to how i thought in the book

his ‘you are the dead’ should’ve been quieter like winston and julia’s then he could be loud!

FBI OPEN UP!!!!!

charrington: “here comes a candle to guide you to bed, here comes a chopper to chop off your head!” OHHHH NICE ONE MR C!!!!!! :D

RIP TO A QUEEN :’(

i should be a bit more heartbroken BUT THAT MR C RHYME MAN

OMFG THEY JUST BEAT UP JULES

SHE’S IN SO MUCH PAIN NOOOO :’(

why does he look old

awww :(

delete the drunk old lady BUT GIVE US PARSONS SUUURE

i dread the scene to come...

parsons didn’t say that he said ‘down with big brother’ so that’s a bummer :/

aww poor parsons he’s crying! :(

oh SNAP room 101!!!! :o

poor parsons but at least that scene wasn’t a thing!

OUCH THAT SMACC LOOKED LIKE IT HURT

is this leading into the bloody mouth scene? I STILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS

winston doesn’t know where he is IT’S THE I WANT YOU VALLEY!!!

hold up this is just a vision ok BUT WHERE’S THE BLOODY MOUTH SCENE

frankenstein and spirit halloween called!

also o’brien flipped the switch without warning BISH

o’brien: “you suffer from a defective memory” and you suffer from a BISH MEMORY SIR

remember winston it’s all in the mind... ;)

WHY DID O’BRIEN SHOCK  WINSTON HE SAID FIVE

'how many fingers’ is a trick question because winston sees four YET WE SEE FIVE OHHH

mother gothel vibes...

awww winston’s little scared squeak :(

winston: “i don’t know... i don’t know!” SAY FIVE WINSTON SAY FIVEEEEE

o’brien’s voice is so calming yet it spouts evil words...

julia immediately betrayed winston BECAUSE SHE HAD A ROSEMARY KENNEDY yet she’s somehow still alive without damage by the end???

ooh a new shot! :D

they just faded to black and showed a new angle which is a bit weird...

o’brien: “you’re thinking that my face is old and tired...” because it belongs to poor richard burton!

o’brien just yoinked winston’s tooth out tho :o

mother gothel strikes again!

winston to o’brien: “i love you.” you don’t say that back to jules YET YOU SAY IT TO O’BRIEN BOIIIII

o’brien: “you’re one of us. one of the chosen.” one of us gooble gobble! also ANAKIN IS THAT YOU????

winston just said ‘i love you’ oMG OMG OM WAIT WWAIIITIT

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

seconds after she says ‘i love you too’ SHE’S FREAKING SHOT DAAANG NO PUNCHES PULLED BACK!!!!!

aww he called her ‘my love’ even in a dream

so that was the infamous bloody mouth scene and it was quicker than i thought it would be? at least i have a bright julia smile! ♥

OMG winston’s calling for her yet it sounds so weird WHYYY

he’s much improved!

they’re skyping lol

after all he’s been through he still hates bb! :o

ROOM 101 :o

room 101 is a personalized experience just for you! :D

also IT’S A DREAM MIRROR

omg the rats are GOING AT EACH OTHER GEEZ

winston’s squeak at the rats no!!! :(

‘do it to julia’ sounds a bit selfish but it’s the betrayal we’ve been waiting for!

...NOT

uh oh here comes the awkward reunion...

they should’ve said “...sup.” to each other

the bartender saying “on the house!’ tiredly each time is great :D

winston: “thank you for coming.” julia in her thoughts: “yeah whateves bro.” :/

at least they can still bond over something :)

jules gin time ;)

they ratted out on each other true love???

julia: “we must meet again.” winston: “yes, we must meet again.” ...they never met again

but if they did it would be a bro time!

winston: “i have seduced party members of both sexes” BI NANI???? :o

since his crimes are like the guy’s from earlier... what if he didn’t do them and was convinced that he did? :o

in the book he says i love you to bb, but here he turns away and says it... what if he still loves julia? :o

and with that question, the movie has come to a close! it’s a fantastic little film that closely follows the book. while i would’ve liked to see julia with winston at o’brien’s and the drunk jail lady, the cutting of the gross parsons scene, the addtion of the bloody mouth scene and the possibly hopeful ending make up for it. overall, this is an amazing adaptation of such a great book! :D

[kingsborohq]

Thank you to all who participated in the Kingsboro Superlative task!

The winners are below the cut...

Biggest Only Fans Following: Cody Ellis

Biggest Prankster: Cillian Kelly

Runner Up: Trav Cameron

Beauty and Brains: River Holloway

Best Smile: Nate Vanderbilt

Best Eyes: Zara Moreno & Parker Jones

Most Unique: Roman Beckett

Most Likely To Become President: Aaron Hart

Most Athletic: Ella Nazari

Most Changed: Cillian Kelly

Life of the Party: Jess Kipley

Runner Up: Ellie Robinson

Frenemies: Sky & Mat

Runner Up: Jude, Cillian & Claudia

Class Clown: Jude Taylor

Runner Up: Cillian Kelly

Most Opinionated: Stella Montgomery 

Most Liked By Parents: Park Jinsu

Runner Up: Tee Hill

Most Gullible: Aurora Lancaster

Most Creative: Claudia Fernandez

Best Hair: Vivi Beckett

Most Likely To Get Away With Murder: Aaron Hart

Biggest Heartbreaker: Aaron Hart

Most Likely to Make It As A Pro Musician: Dorian Taylor

Most Likely To Get Arrested: Cillian Kelly

Runner Up: Jude Taylor

Biggest Drama Queen: Sky King

Shoulder to Cry On: Allister Jackson

BROTP: Aaron x Landon

OTP: Aaron x Roman x Quentin

Runner Up: Jude x Cillian

Biggest Flirt: Quentin Delancret

Most Likely to Marry a Millionaire: Valentine Lee

Most Successful: Mat Berinut

Most Likely To Take Over The World: Yang Seojun

Best Personality: Kami Desai

Best Fashion Sense: Ellie Robinson

Best IG Feed: Sky King

Biggest Stoner: Kami Desai

Most Likely to End Up In Rehab: Claudia Fernandez

Biggest Snitch: Mat Berinut

Coolest Aunt / Uncle: Raelynn Taylor

Runner Up: Tee Hill

Kinkiest: Ronnie Roy

Recycling Club President: Jules Robinson

Most Likely To Have Their Own Late Night Talk Show: Cody Ellis

Biggest Activist: Stas Morello

Runner Up: Raelynn Taylor

Most Likely to Become a Victoria’s Secret Model: Jaycee Lynd, Vivi Beckett, Stella Montgomery 

Best Singer: Dorian Taylor

Most Likely to Join The Circus: Daisy Greene

Runner Up: Trav Cameron

Thinks They’re a Doctor Just Because They Watched Grey’s: Zara Moreno

Most Likely to Break and Enter for Funsies: Cillian Kelly

Most Likely to Leave The Groupchat 3 Times a Day: Aurora Lancaster

Soccer Parent: Landon Davies

Most Kingsboro Spirit: Aaron Hart

Most Likely To Travel The World: Ella Nazari

Biggest Crier: Ellie Robinson

Lowkey Simp: Jude Taylor

Next Stephen King: Jules Robinson

Most Likely To Win an Olympic Medal: Oliver Navarro

Cat Parent: Byeongsu Kwon

Plant Parent: Chalrie Parker

Dog Parent: Allister Jackson

Biggest Nerd: Aurora Lancaster & Park Jinsu

Someone You Would Never Trust to Babysit: Trav Cameron

Runner Up: Kami Desai

Lowkey Kinky: Byeongsu Kwon

Big Dick Energy: Ronnie Roy

Best at Giving Advice: Allister Jackson & Jess Kipley

Covered in Tattoos: Dorian Taylor

Most Organized: Roman Beckett

Most Extra Baby Gender Reveal Party: Jaycee Lynd

Tells It Like It Is: Sky KIng

Business Partners: Aaron & Seojun

Coolest Teacher: Nate Vanderbilt

Runner Up: Park Jinsu

Most Romantic: Roman Beckett

Runner Up: Ching Mingyu

Best Actor: Mat Berinut

Runner Up: Cody Ellis

[asfaltics]

givings away

  Hawthorne was a hearty devourer of books, and in certain moods of mind it made very little difference what the volume before him happened to be. An old play or an old newspaper sometimes gave him wondrous great content, and he would ponder the sleepy, uninteresting sentences as if they contained immortal mental aliment. He once told me he found       1   givings away in some       2 gestures and beckonings, and givings away of small bunches of early violets       3 licenses, and bridesmaids, and carriages, and givings-away, and       4   (or “givings away”), a term derived from the Chinook jargon word potlatch, “to give”       5 he told me of Lamb’s “givings away”       6 the thefts, the robberies, the givings away. There was no one who would not rather have had all those things in flames       7   these givings away, as well as       8 givings away of [ ] heartsease and rue       9 here are their givings away [ ] all       10   standing there a minute And holding the thrifty man’s book of “givings-away”       11 “givings-away” in one hand, and say:       12 There are these two givings-away. What are the two?       13   across the found time between his givings away to street, or ask favors of       14 the world, with society, with the entourage consisting for him, in its most pressing form of, say, [ ] this challenge, as I have called it, in some way that will sort of meet it without givings-away. These three       15 would Two Givings-Away.       16   You know, we all make deals, I suppose, in terms of how we think about the process of our aging. It’s a series of givings away, a making       17  

sources

1 ex James T. Fields, Yesterdays with Authors (1871; 1872) : 62 (same source, different edition, for entry 6 below) 2 ex Jabez D(elano). Hammond. Life and Times of Silas Wright, Late Governor of the State of New York (Syracuse, 1848) : 552 3 ex The Daisydingle Sunday-school (Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1849) : 22 a “Sunday School Reward Book” 4 ex chapter 12, “A Compact with the Evil One” in “Stoke Dotterell; or, the Liverpool Apprentice,” in The New Monthly Magazine 105 (London, 1855) : 323 5 ex Robert Brown (1842-1895 *), The Races of Mankind : Being a Popular Description of the characteristics, manners and customs of the principal varieties of the human family. Vol. 1 (of 2; 1873) : 75 6 ex James T(homas). Fields (1817-81 *), “‘Barry Cornwall’ and some of his friends,” in Yesterdays with Authors (1871; 1879) : 359 7 ex Cicero’s oration for Sex. Roscius Amerinus, the text closely rendered and illustrated with short notes by an Oxford graduate. (Oxford, 1880) : 9 8 inscrutable OCR misread (snippet view only), Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for the Year (1880?) : 119 9 OCR cross-column misread, involving reviews of two books, Sir John Lubbock, The Pleasures of Life (London, 1887) and James R(ussell). Lowell, Heartsease and Rue (London, 1888), in The Oxford Magazine (May 23, 1888) : 379 on heartsease (or wild pansy (Viola tricolor), also known as Johnny Jump up, &c, &c.) on rue (Ruta graveolens, commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace...) 10 ex statement of C. W. Bennett, in Hearings before the Committee on Territories of the United States Senate in relation to the Bill (S. 1306) for the local government of Utah Territory, and to provide for the election of certain officers in said territory. (Washington, D.C.; February 11, 1892) 155 11 ex snippet view (only), Commercial West 18 (1910) : 28 12 ex “Thrift,” by Rev. Robert J. Burdette, Pastor Emeritus Temple Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California,in “Savings Bank Section,” Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Convention of the American Bankers’ Association... (Held at Los Angeles, California, October 3 to 7, 1910) : 535-538 13 ex “Chapter on Gifts, the thirteenth,” The Anguttara Nikāya of the Sutta Pitaka, Eka Duka and Tika Tika Nipāta; published by The London Pali Text Society in 1885; translated by Edmund Rowland Jayetilleke Gooneratne. (Galle, Ceylon, 1913) : 114 same volume, these errata — for passions read fascination for place read state read any other state for at least read not after cut read off for into read after for does read does not omit, by after blind read man after sandal read wood for error read ignorance after Him insert a full stop 14 ex “In North Carolina’s Calcium Light” (series), Robert Lilly Gray (1877-1945?), “‘Jule’ Carr, the Man—A Pen Picture,” in Sky-land 1:7 (April 1914) : 401-406 a literary magazine promoting a vision of “white” culture and civilization; Julian Shakespeare Carr (1845-1924), was a North Carolina industrialist, philathropist, and Ku Klux Klan supporter; aided (the Methodist and Quaker affiliated) Trinity College, that would become Duke University on Carr’s land in Durham. (much) more at wikipedia aside — it may be that usage of the expression “Sky-land” to denote that region of western North Carolina originated in a travel sketch entitled Land of the Sky (1876) by Christian Reid (1846-1920 *); her characterization was subsequently used to advertise a railroad extension to the area. 15 Henry James, The Ivory Tower (unfinished novel; 1917) : 330 16 OCR cross-column misread/jump, at “Crowns Coronets Courtiers” in The Sketch : A Journal of Art and Actuality 104 (October 9, 1918) :40 weekly magazine, devoted to “high society and the aristocracy” during the years 1893-1959 (wikipedia) list of issues available via hathitrust 17 ex Mark Singer, “David Milch’s Third Act — Despite what dementia has stolen from the cerebral creator of “Deadwood,” it has given his work a new sense of urgency.” The New Yorker (May 27, 2019 issue) : here full passage — “You know, we all make deals, I suppose, in terms of how we think about the process of our aging. It’s a series of givings away, a making peace with givings away. I had thought, as many or most people do, that I was in an earlier stage of givings away than it turns out I am. It’s kind of a relentless series of adjustments to what you can do, in particular the way you can’t think any longer. Your inability to sustain a continuity of focus. And those are accumulated deletions of ability. And you adjust—you’d better adjust, or you adjust whether you want to or not.”  

[kimberly-earthfriend]

MEET THE WIZARDS: Jules Sky Singer

Jules is from the world of Azteca. He is only young, yet burdened with knowledge far beyond him. He keeps fragments of the song of creation. His quetzal messenger brings him news of doom and fatality. The world is always ending. Now more than ever. So he sends out a distress call.

The Young Wizard answers the call, accompanied by Kimberly Earthfriend and Anya Silverblood. Together, the four of them quest through Azteca searching for a way to reach Xibalba and prevent the comet from destroying Jules’ home.

He is greatly affected by the fall of Azteca, and wants revenge on Morganthe for the senseless violence and suffering that she has brought to his people. So he follows the party, now prophecy-child-less, on to Khrysalis. He helps them defeat bugs and burrowers alike, making use of his proficiency in creation - a sort of myth magic.

Due to his magical skill, Kimberly asks him if he would accompany Alex to defeat Malistaire in Darkmoor. He is more than happy to oblige, given Malistaire’s role in the destruction of Azteca, and lets loose on him with a furious defiance that is reflected in his very being. He becomes corrupted, reflections of the dread comet in his eyes and a great wrath summoned from the heavens. He becomes a pivotal component in the final defeat of Morganthe, finally fulfilling the line of the prophecy that “the sky will fall.” He summons meteors from above to rain down on her the way she did to his home, and her shadowy presence over Khrysalis finally fades as she falls eternally through the skyways.

He decides not to stay on with Kimberly and defeat the Spider’s shadow-children. After all, he had a long way to go if he was going to make it to Xol Akmul and help his people rebuild.

[glorious-blackout]

Thoughts on David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii:

Turns out the CD really undersells just how fantastic this concert sounds (either that or my earphones are terrible... which is very possible). Everything sounds clear and crisp and David’s aged, deeper vocals sound terrific on songs like Money and In Any Tongue.

As can probably be expected, the lighting is amazing and works to make this ancient ampitheatre appear even grander than it already is.

David constantly alternates between being the most badass guitarist in the world to the cutest grandpa you ever did see. There is no in-between.

His tribute to Rick (A Boat Lies Waiting) is only the seventh song, which is faaaar too early for tears, how dare you... It makes up for the sudden onset of pain by somehow being even more beautiful than the studio-version.

Rick’s absence is clearly felt, but the keyboardists in this line-up do a great job throughout, especially on ‘Shine On...’

Turns out ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’ works really well with a male vocalist (alongside the two excellent female backing singers: Lucita Jules and Louise Clare Marshall). Kudos to Bryan Chambers, who also does great work on In Any Tongue.

Great musicians come and go, but David’s ridiculous guitar-face is eternal.

“We’re gonna have a short break now. Gonna grab a cup of tea...” Continuing the tradition of Pink Floyd members being wild party-animals I see.

Also David Gilmour speaking Italian. That is all.

This version of ‘One of These Days’ is easily my favourite. The bass tone is just so tasty in this one and David’s lap-steel solo is amazing. 

The drummer (Steve DiStanislao) looks like he’s having the time of his life throughout the entire show, especially during Comfortably Numb. I’m tempted to rewatch the gig and focus only on him and his wonderful grin.

Guy Pratt is no longer a baby but he is still a treasure (and also seems to be having the time of his life).

Fat Old Sun has a keyboard solo AND a guitar solo, harking back to some of the extended live performances in the early 70s. I may or may not have cried.

Pulse’s version of the infamous Comfortably Numb solo has become my favourite, partly due to that ‘wailing’ segment, but this is the first live version I ever heard so I’m still very fond of it.

It’s strange going from Delicate Sound of Thunder/Pulse to this gig and seeing all the phones in the crowd. Not that that’s a bad thing, though I do wonder why people put so much effort into recording a concert which was going to be released on DVD anyway.

In Summary: 10/10, yet another concert I probably should have gone to. Made more annoying by the fact that I was actually alive for this one 😅

But also no-one takes their shirt off in this one so -100000/10, should have taken Polly’s advice.

[tommyplum]

hello there, lovely tag.

we are john & maggie, and this is our tom hardy appreciation blog!

what we do:

answer asks about tom hardy characters

write ficlets about tom hardy characters

make fashion posts for tom hardy characters

post pictures and gifs of tom hardy, also his characters

shriek incoherently about tom hardy, as well as his characters

various other content, largely peaky blinders, the terror, and boyd holbrook

we do not do:

imagines

tom hardy character x reader

real person fic (no moral judgement there, we just don’t)

welcome and please ask away!

about us: john is english and subsists almost entirely on tom hardy and fashion, two great tastes that unfortunately do not converge very often. maggie is canadian and was inculcated into tom hardy adoration entirely due to john; can also be found on her personal, bossymarmalade.

masterlist

visuals

sky mobile gifs prince’s trust, 2013 gifs cbeebies gifs (1), (2) the take, 2009 gifs interview for the revenant, 2015 gifs (1) taboo, 2017- gifs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) peaky blinders gifs (1) rocknrolla (1)

venom: deleted taxi scene

. . . fashion: eames running errands with yusuf in mombasa eddie on a date with symbiote and anne fight night, modern!alfie solomons style eames on a night out with saito for .... modern alfie feeling sexy

. . . art comparison: pain and galliori, tommy hands and flameng, alfie divinity and marin, alfie portraiture and singer sargent, alfie pandora and jules joseph, ada

. . . graphics: lithomancy and aeration, tolfie the serpent was subtil, tolfie both good with mint, tolfie strong bone box, alfie the duel/the company, tolfie lethe, tolfie the only halo there is, tommy you cannot kill me, alfie

. . . miscellaney: birthday art for maggie from her sister glockgal  how will you spend christmas vacation? affirmation plate (tommy)

written

. . . [ peaky blinders ]

arbiter of many things, daylight among them  |  AO3 -  the morning routine in camden town

pbeebies: book one, lollypop syrup  |  AO3 -  mr. solomons reads the children a story

sugar feeds yeast  |  AO3 -  tommy and alfie negotiate starch and come away sweet (tolfie)

the king’s shilling  |  AO3 -  tatiana has things to teach tommy, if he’ll learn

crumb coat  |  AO3 -  sometimes a sweet tooth just won’t be denied (modern tolfie)

the midlands  |  AO3 -  no sense letting a perfectly good hotel room go to waste. (tolfie)

i am but dust and ashes (the world was created for me)  |  AO3 -  taboo au, where tommy is alfie’s half-sibling (tolfie)

mind the upholstery  |  AO3 - tommy can be very particular. not overly perceptive, though (tolfie)

**meme writing the devil never eats salt - amateur occultists au stop before i begin - dystopian bonded-for-life au tied my lead and pulled my chain - western/deadwood au 

**for the eradication of seemingly incurable sadness’ series aka the liquorverse (modern tolfie) - the liquorverse memes and scenes - tommy’s mixtape

tis the saison  |  AO3 -  holiday office parties are a necessary chore eggplant peach question mark  |  AO3 -  some days require sexting or your best approximation thereof margarita’s no good without salt  |  AO3 - alfie and tommy skive off work early to get down to business

transcripts: the gospel of alfie solomons & the ballad of tommy shelby

these fucking rhyming couplets made flesh (musings) we at tommyplum are not team grace / addendum  (grace shelby meta) . . . [ inception ] mine i’ll leave to chance | AO3 - yusuf/eames in mombasa  the time before that and the other time after  |  AO3 - yusuf/eames but what do you remember

. . . [ venom ] you’re burning yearning | AO3 - eddie brock/symbiote/anne weying symbiotic conversations (symbrock chat posts)

non-tom hardy content

. . . boyd holbrook: on ‘camp confessions with shannon coffey’ in the shadow of the moon interview on ‘the gate’ gifs el pais fashion shoot gifs two/one gifs (1)

. . . our rp characters-related ephemera: hardy & holbrook, fanart, b&w, hatfields & bondurants

. . . music: ten songs for ... (ten-song themed playlists)

fanwork recommendations

14 november 2019 29 november 2019 14 december 2019 29 december 2019 14 january 2020 23 february 2020

. . .

[deadmancrawling]

write me something soft about calum please I need to regain my sanity 🥺🥺 also ily

hello miss jules i’m love you so much and i will GLADLY write you something hehe!!!! this is a little long for a blurb, but this one is one of my favorites so YOU’RE WELCOME. 

the song i used while writing this is Hold On by Michael Buble so. you should def listen to it.

it’s your first date night with Calum in a few months, and even though the two of you have been dating for years, it’s almost like you’re going on your first date.

butterflies in your belly, that weird feeling in your throat, and your heart is beating at a rapid pace, but you look in the mirror and try to relax.

you spent the day at your best friends, so you haven’t seen Calum all day, and he’d be picking you up in a few short minutes.

“do i look okay?” you ask your friend, who sits on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

you press your hands against your thighs, smoothing out your dress as you look at your friend.

“spin.” she says, rotating her finger. you do as she says, and stop when you are facing her again.

“what do you think?” you ask her. you still don’t know why you’re nervous. you know you look good, you know Calum will think you look good, but you’re feeling like a school girl with a crush.

“i think i’m gonna steal that dress soon.” your friend smiles. “you look super cute. Calum’s gonna love that you’re wearing it.”

you smile and turn back to face your reflection in the mirror, moving your hair out of your face, and then grab your things as soon as Calum says he’s outside.

“use a condom!” your friend calls after you.

“no promises!” you yell back, slightly chuckling as you shut the door behind you.

Calum sits in his car, and when you get in, you see he’s dressed in a nice suit - and you’re glad you wore the dress you picked out.

you sit down and buckle up, and immediately Calum’s right hand finds yours, and he holds your hand while he drives.

“you look beautiful, babe.” Calum smiles.

“as do you.” you smile, leaning over to give Calum a kiss on his cheek.

the two of you are silent on your drive, but it’s a comfortable silence, a silence that practically says everything at once and nothing it all.

the two of you arrive at a fancy restaurant just outside of town, you’d heard your best friend talk about it previously, so you were excited to try it out.

hand in hand, you and Calum walk in together, and the hostess sits you down at a secluded table in the back corner of the restaurant.

“this is nice.” you smile, opening the menu.

“i’ve heard wonderful things about this place, so i figured i’d bring my favorite girl here to experience it with me.” Calum smiles.

the waiter comes by and the two of you order two glasses of wine and some water. Calum isn’t really a wine guy, but you figured it fits the occasion so that’s why he ordered some.

the food comes out several minutes later, and you’re greeted with an abundance of smells; everything from seafood to soup, and you couldn’t wait to get the food in your tummy.

Calum holds his wine glass up to cheers. “to us.”

the two of you clink your glasses together and take a sip, and then dig into your food. it’s hard for you to pick a favorite, but you’re really diggin’ the lobster bisque and the smoked duck. 

after about an hour and half, Calum pays the bill and the two of you walk out towards your car.

to your left, there’s a little river walk that’s lit up with a bunch of string lights, and it looks so cute that you just have to go over there.

“Cal, look.” you say, pointing over to the river walk. “can we go over there?”

Calum nods and pulls you close. “of course, baby.”

the two of you walk to the river walk, the sun barely peeking above the horizon anymore, and cool blue hues of the sky welcoming you and Calum to the river. it’s quaint, there are a few families strolling along with their dogs and their strollers. young couples are hand in hand, giving each other quick and affectionate kisses every now and then. a little further down, a band plays a song softly from one of the restaurant patios.

“we should dance.” Calum says, taking you by surprise. Calum is never one for dancing, especially in public.

“right now?” you ask, looking into his eyes. you can’t tell if he’s serious or not.

“yes, right now.” he says, holding his hand out for you to take, right as the song changes.

you smile as the faint piano from one of your favorite songs, Hold On, plays. the singer begins singing, and Calum pulls you close, giving you a chaste kiss upon your lips.

you smile when he pulls away, and you rest your head on his chest as he holds you. he’s quietly singing along, trying not to be too loud as to cause a distraction. you could live in this moment, dancing in the moonlight, along the river walk, with Calum, forever.

you look up at him and kiss him, and he spins you around twice before dipping you down, causing you to giggle just a bit.

“i see you’ve got a flair for the dramatics, huh?” you say. Calum giggles and kisses you gently.

he begins singing along again now that it’s the end of the song, “hold on to me, it’s going to be alright, hold on to me, tonight.”

“didn’t they always say, we were the lucky ones” you sing back.

[edward-richtofen-queen]

Beyond The Veil [Part 2 of 2]

Masterlist

Part 1 ← | Part 2 ↓

✼⋅•⋅•⋅⊱•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•∙∘❆༓❆∘∙•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⊰⋅•⋅•⋅✼

After moments of unbearable pain, Julie woke up covered in dried tears and distress—had Susie just betrayed her in the blink of an eye without even letting her explain? The pain eased away into nothing as she numbly stared into the fire, unpleasant memories from her first kill flooding back into her mind.

Muffled cries left Julie's lips as an unfamiliar man grabbed her by the back of her jacket as a hand cupped over her mouth. It had been a dare from Frank that lead them here, and now Julie was being held against her will by what seemed to be the janitor. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she struggled to get free from the man's grasp only to hear the man cry in pain as she was let go and met with cold tile to her face.

"We've got to kill him now—go on," Frank demands, Julie standing up to stare at the now bleeding man on the floor. Joey was the first to react, swiping the blade from Frank's bloodied hand and stabbing the cleaner in his ribs as he let out a pained whine. Joey gestured the knife to Susie, whom only shook her head. "I—I can't do it," She whispered, looking away from the knife and the body. Frank clenched his teeth, his voice raised as he spoke, "We've got to finish what we started, Susie! You can't pussy out now, it's too late."

Julie took the knife from Joey, closing her eyes and sliding the blade into the man's chest as he sobbed out once more—quietly this time. Susie, with eyes wide looked at Julie with scared eyes as Frank took her hands and stabbed the knife into the man's throat to end his suffering. Silence filled the small store as they sat there to admire or grimace, Frank barking orders as Julie and Susie mopped while Joey helped Frank with the body. Murder was never an easy task as they loaded the body into the back of Joey's truck, leaving the crime scene as if nothing ever happened.

Ever since that day, Julie was wasn't very keen of surprises—let alone being hugged or touched from behind or on her back.

Julie hadn't kept track of time, her eyes glistening with tears and reflecting the licking flames of the campfire. Her face had been wiped of all emotions, a hollow shell of a woman. Patting her dried tears from her face, her lips were drawn in a line as she stared blankly up at the sky. Her heart ached and pulsed in pain, having been betrayed by one of her own friends. "Julie?" The sweet southern accent made her internal pain ease—she decided that mute was the way to go, using her eye quite like her mouth was used.

Eyeing the singer, Kate flinched back—her face was blank but her eyes were a wreck of emotions. Sadness pitted with anger and despair pooled in her orbs as she turned away, having looked to long. "You're upset," Kate spoke, sitting close but not too close to Julie for a little comfort. Julie was still an unknown factor—she was never emotional during trials, and everyone acted different when expressing varying emotions. "I understand, Julie. I'm guessing one of your previous friends was in trial?" Kate gave a light frown as she saw Julie flinch—they must've done something to her to make her act this way.

"Anythin' I can do ta' help?" She asked sweetly again, pulling out her guitar to strum some type of ambience to ease the tension laying a blanket over the camp. Julie shook her head as Claudette came to sit next to Kate. "Is she okay?" Her soft sweet voice made Julie glance over at the chocolate colored girl, a sweet little smile painting her face as she waved to Julie. Fixing her glasses with a finger, Kate shook her head. "She's a bit upset so I'm tryin' ta' help," The singer explains as Claudette nods.

Gasping, Claudette disappears for a moment and returns with an object in her hands. Julie stiffened as an the object was placed on her head, a giggle escaping the botanist's lips. "You look adorable in a flower crown, sweetie," She spoke, Julie's fingers feeling up her hair to touch the weaved crown. A small little smile made Kate beam, holding out a hand for Julie to take. "You feel a little better? I want ya' ta' meet the others properly and stay for girl's night—you up for it?"

Feeling a little more confidence, Julie took the hand as both woman led her to a corner of the campsite.

❉ ╤╤╤╤ ✿ ╤╤╤╤ ❉

Julie had lost count of the trials she went through, going up killers she remembered making friends with. She was sacrificed once or twice for being altruistic, but was still happy to play out of her comfort zone for a little while. Kate, Claudette and Nea became her temporary friends.

Alas, she was being taken back to murder once more.

The small group of girls had been chatting, making conversation about The Shape or Michael after a scare of him having Infinite Tier Three. Trials were done for the day and decided to do something fun as Claudette taught Julie how to weave crowns and Julie learned a couple more songs. When fog crept to Julie's leg, a sense of sadness fell over her. "It looks like it's my time," She announced, fixing her hoodie as they gave her a side hug. "Will you let us go when we see you again?" Nea asks jokingly, fixing the beanie atop her head as Julie laughed. "I'll think about it. I'll see you in trial!"

With glowing orange and black claws, The Entity dropped her back in Ormond—her home. The air was flooded with white, cold bliss spilling on her pale fingertips—how she missed home. Walking into the large resort, the crackling of the old fashioned oven/fireplace brought the only warmth they had in this cold land but she was used to it. Her mask in place over here face, she felt tears rushing down her eyes again—how would she be able to keep her composure now that her best friend had the audacity to kill her in cold blood? Had being around her that long not given her enough time to memorize her features?

Sitting on the couches around the fireplace sat Joey and Frank, whom now noticed their pale friend. "Julia?" Frank's warms voice made Julie break into a sob, throwing herself between both men and removing her mask to place on the table. Joey and Frank gave each other worried glances as her face dived for Joey's neck, sloppy wet tears dripping down his skin. Scooting closer, Frank and Joey comforted Julie as she wept and wept. Whispering words of comfort, her tears eventually ran dry as she grew tired, Joey holding her close as she cuddled him. Wiping her tears from her cheeks, she looked peacefully as she gave a broken kind of smile as she slept.

"She was gone for a full day and came back crying," Frank muttered to Joey as Julie sniffled in her sleep, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Susie said something about an imposter—you think it was Julie but Susie couldn't remember?" Joey asked as Frank shrugged, stroking her hair with cautious fingers. "Probably—you think Susie has Capgras? She knows Julie by her voice but she does tend to forget her face." Joey huffed, holding Julie as she whispered in her sleep.

❉ ╤╤╤╤ ✿ ╤╤╤╤ ❉

When Julie awoke, her fingers brushed up against leather fabric and the smell of sandalwood filled her nose—she has been cuddling with Joey, hadn't she? "Morning, Sunshine," Joey's voice spoke from above her, legs sprawled and tangled together as she looked up at him. "Hey Joey," She smiled as he hummed, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she blushed. "How long was I out?" Julie asked as Joey flipped his wrist to look at his watch. "A good hour or so—you good?" He asked as she nodded, removing herself from his embrace.

Walking up the steps, Julie completely ignored the pink haired girl as she stopped at the door. Susie immediately went after her as she leaned against the railing, a regretful look on her face. "Julie?" Susie's voice came to her as no response was given a hefty sigh leaving her pink lips. "Julie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe you—you were suddenly gone and you didn't look like you to me." Susie explained, fingers twirling her thumbs as she went to speak again only to not have words. A twitch in Julie's eye made Susie flinch slightly, her sudden movements angered and serious.

"You're telling me in all the time that we've been friends, you forgot what I looked like?" Tears dripped down her cheeks as she spoke, fingers holding her arms as she shook. "You said you'd never hurt me, Susie. You broke your promise to me—our friendship promise! How am I supposed to believe you anymore? I even quivered when you touched my back! You know I hate it when people touch my back! Ever since that night, I can't be touched on the back. I thought you knew this, because i thought you knew me!" Sobs racked her frame as she finished venting, fingers covering her eyes as guilt washed over Susie.

Julie hadn't been this emotional in a very long time, anxiety of being judged always a thing to worry about in high school. Multiple steps hurried up the stairs as Susie hugged Julie gently, careful around her back. "I was an idiot, I didn't tell you guys I had Capgras Syndrome—I didn't think it would come back to haunt me. I'm sorry, Jules," Susie sniffled, pressing a friendly kiss to her cheeks as she stifled her sobs. Joey's chocolate hands cupped Julie's cheeks, Julie leaning into his warmth as Frank held her hands.

"I love you—all of you," Julie spoke, blinking away her tears and smiling warmly. Frank chuckled, pecking her lips. "Of course—we're The Legion, loving each other through and through. Isn't that right?" Joey and Susie hummed in agreement as she melted into their combined embraces.

Maybe that back thing didn't matter that much anymore...

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part nineteen) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±7500 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part nineteen: The Flagstaff Horse Fair is about to kick off, but not without a hitch. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: ‘Fortunate Son’ - Creedence Clearwater Revival, ‘Backwoods Company’ - The Wild Feathers.  Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Prepare for cuteness and a bit of angst! Thank you @kittenofdoomage​​, @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish​​, @manawhaat​​ and @winchest09​​ for helping me. I especially want to thank Kay, who has beta’d Ride from the very beginning, but needs to take a break from Tumblr to focus on school. I will miss her dearly, but I’m super thankful that Mana is willing to take over. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999​​, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these.

Ride With Me Masterlist

     With a black bumper-pull trailer in the rearview mirror, Dean’s beloved ‘67 El Camino rolls up Interstate 17. The windows are down, allowing the wind to wash in, like waves crashing onto the beach on a hot summer day, the cool air welcome and refreshing. 

     The Gold Canyon Ranch caravan left around three o’clock, the column of three pickups and trailers now heading towards Flagstaff, Arizona. Bobby and Jo lead the company in his powerful Ford with an impressive gooseneck in tow, which currently accommodates five horses. Benny follows in his four by four, with three horses on board another large trailer, facilitated with a small living quarters. Dean is the last wagon of the train, Meadow and one of his calmer geldings in the back, and Y/N beside him in the passenger seat.

     The cowgirl is soaking up the scenery, the hills that flow next to the highway, the mountains in the distance, the blue sky above them. The tall saguaros that dominate the landscape at home are swapped for ponderosa pines, dusty desert for green grasslands. The forest is already beginning to change color, autumn painting deciduous trees in shades of yellow and orange. It’s remarkable how different her current surroundings are from the Phoenix area, only two and a half hours south. 

     With Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival playing on the old cassette deck of the classic car, Dean drums against the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song. He absently hums along, mouthing a few words every now and then. When he glances aside, a small smile forms on his lips. The woman, who managed to calm him after the disturbing news Bobby delivered, is breathtaking without even trying. Loose strands of hair have escaped her ponytail and dance in the playful wind, her maya blue blouse fluttering against her Arizona sun-kissed skin. She looks at the world through her shaded Ray Bans, lost in thought and wonder.

     He returns his gaze to the road as he reaches for her, laying his hand on her knee to get her attention, softly rubbing his thumb over the denim. Awoken from her daydream, she glances over, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she lays her hand over his, warmed by the touch.

     “Nervous?” he wonders, dropping her hand just long enough to turn down the stereo before he laces their fingers together once again.      “A little bit,” she confesses.      “Don’t be. You’re gonna do fine,” he reassures. “Besides, your class ain’t till tomorrow.”      “I’m not nervous about riding.”      The wrangler moves his focus from the asphalt to his girlfriend. “What about then?”      She’s quiet for a second. Shy, just like she was the first time they met. “Just… This is your scene. People know you, and I don’t know anyone.”      He smirks, lightly. “Concerned about former flings?”       The cowgirl shrugs, half admitting her insecurity.      “Yankee, you have nothing to worry about. Hey…” He squeezes her hand, glancing over again. “I’m with you, okay?”

     A smile breaks through the surface as Y/N glances at the handsome wrangler she gets to call hers, his green eyes making a silent promise. For a guy who claims not to be good with words, he’s doing a pretty great job. She takes a breath when he concentrates on the road again.      “So, how are you going to introduce me?” she wonders.      “As my girlfriend,” he returns, matter-of-factly, cool confidence sitting on the edge of his mouth. He honestly can’t wait to introduce her as his.

     Y/N is unable to hide her contentment, the corners of her mouth creeping up further as she gets lost in the sight of him. There it is again; that tingly feeling, his confirmation breaking down the doubt bit by bit.      “What about Bobby?” Y/N checks. “He still doesn’t know.”      “Believe me, Bobby will be too busy strikin’ deals and sellin’ horses. He’s not gonna notice us,” Dean states, not concerned about his uncle. “It’s gonna be fine, you’re gonna have a blast, trust me.”

     After shooting her that grin she’s loved from day one, he glances past the trucks and trailers in front of them. They drive by a large sign made from stone and wood, that says ‘1882 - Flagstaff, Arizona’, the city up ahead and Humphreys Peak in the backdrop. The caravan turns onto I-40 going west, before taking the exit a couple of miles later.

      When they come over the hill, the competition grounds come into view. Flags reach skyward and wave proudly in the Western breeze, the stars and stripes alternating with the state flag of Arizona, the American Reining Horse Association, and many others. There’s the main arena, several training areas, stables, and amusement rides, complete with hundreds of trucks,  trailers, and RV campers filling the fairgrounds. Observing the scene, it becomes clear to Y/N that this isn’t just a local show.

     Dean was right, this is the perfect practice run for her and Meadow, but the sight of the large event has her stomach in knots. Right, those lovely performance nerves that never fail to torment her. She hopes she can survive tomorrow and still be able to eat without throwing up, because it wouldn’t be the first time that the highly strung feeling she experiences right before a ride has her physically sick. 

     The Gold Canyon Ranch caravan enters the show grounds, Bobby following the directions of the parking officer. After a short drive, they park the trailers next to each other on a large field, adding to the rows and rows of pickups, trailers, and even semi trucks with pop out living units.       “I’ll check in with the stable manager,” Jo announces when they get out of the cars, heading over to the stable office to check which boxes are assigned to them.

     Y/N picks her hat off the seat and pushes it on her head, leaving her shades on the dash now that she doesn’t need them anymore. She opens the hatch of the black trailer behind Dean’s Chevy, peeking inside. Meadow greets her with a slightly nervous neigh, eager to get out now that they’ve stopped moving. Lovingly, her rider pets her nose, trying to calm her a little, but the spirited mare begins to scrape her hoof on the rubber coated floor, nonetheless.      “She okay?” Dean asks.      “Yeah, she just wants to get off the trailer. I’m going to unload her, let her graze a little,” she says, attaching the leadrope to her halter. “Could you get the lid?”

     The wrangler nods and walks around to the back, opening the latches as Y/N unties her horse. The cowgirl pushes the divider away and gently leads Meadow down the ramp. The beautiful bay Quarter Horse takes in her surroundings with large eyes, alert and ready for action, belting out another loud neigh to announce her arrival. She circles around her owner, who can’t help but laugh at her cocky attitude; she could have sworn her granddad bought her a mare, and not a stallion, even though Meadow behaves like one at times. Eventually she drops her head and cuts a few bites of grass, before pulling up her head again while chewing, staring at another animal in the distance.

     “She really is a character, ain’t she?” Dean laughs, watching the pair.      “Sure is,” her owner chuckles, rubbing the mare’s withers. “She knows it’s showtime. She can feel it.”      Y/N crouches down to remove Meadow’s travel leg protection while Dean holds the feisty horse, glancing in the direction of the stable office, from which Jo returns.      “Tent B. Box sixty-four to seventy-three,” the ranch owner’s daughter informs. “Let’s unload.”

     Within thirty minutes the ten stables are ready, the heavy trunks installed, the tack rooms decorated and the horses unloaded. Y/N does her bit, rolling the wheel barrow from the truck to the stables with hay bails and wood shaving bedding, but it’s clear the Gold Canyon crew has taken this many horses to a competition before. Benny, Jo, Dean, and Bobby operate like a well-oiled machine, although the head of the ranch is moving a little bit slower these days. 

     Y/N tapes a form to the stable with Meadow’s name and an emergency phone number when Dean comes back from the water point, a full bucket in each hand. He and Benny have been going back and forth a couple of times now, supplying the ten horses. When the head wrangler walks by carrying the water, she’s distracted from the task at hand. Watching his shoulders work under his plaid shirt, she can’t help but get a little lost in the view. His biceps flex against the fabric, back strong and firm while he transports the heavy buckets with steady steps. God, he is good on the eyes.

     “Are you gonna continue to drool over my cousin or are you gonna come with me to the show office to pay our fees?”      Y/N’s eyes shift to Jo, who’s leaning against the stable door with her arms crossed in front of her chest and an amused smirk on her lips. Without a doubt, the blush that fires up her face is hard to miss.       “Let me get my bag,” she says, straightening her back and turning to the head wrangler. “Dean, is the car still un--”

     Before she can finish her sentence, her boyfriend has dug up the keys to the El Camino from his pocket and tosses them to her. Y/N catches them skillfully.      “Awww, so you can read each other’s mind now, too?” Jo comments, earning a glare from Dean, causing her to shrug. “What? It’s dead cute!”      “I’m not cute!” Dean counters, his face contorting as if she just called him something foul.       “No, you’re a tough, manly man. We get it, Cowboy.” She passes him, patting his shoulder. “Keep tellin’ yourself that.”      “You keep tellin’ yourself… somethin’,” he stammers, struggling to stand up to the reputation Jo is undermining.

     She walks on, laughing, not even granting him another look. Bothered with his own unimpressive reply, the wrangler watches his cousin catch up with her father. God, sometimes he wishes he could shut her up without having to deal with her sassy attitude.      Annoyed, he turns back to Y/N, who can’t hide her amusement as she steps closer. He eyes her, which only causes her to chuckle.      “I’m not cute,” he underlines.

     The cowgirl smirks and pushes him into the tack room, out of sight and safe from Bobby’s judgement. She takes his hat from his head and leans in, connecting her lips with his. The kiss is short and sweet, but it’s long enough to make Dean’s head spin. When she parts from him, he opens his eyes again, taking her in as she places his Stetson back over his tousled hair.       “You’re adorable,” she says.      Dean half pouts while furrowing his brow, still trying to establish that he is neither cute or adorable, but breaks character when his girlfriend smiles widely before she spins around. Fine, maybe he is turning a bit soft, but it’s all her doing. 

     Jo joins Y/N with her father’s wallet in hand, the two friends almost skipping to the exit of the stable, joking and laughing as they go. Dean watches the pair and shakes his head, not missing Benny’s wide grin coming his direction. The lovebirds might have stayed out of the ranch owner’s line of sight, however, Benny had a clear view of the endearing interaction. He’s leaning against a tack trunk, arms crossed in front of his broad chest, blue eyes sparkling with mischief and playful judgement that’s impossible to miss.       “Get it over with,” the head wrangler mutters. “Got anything to add to that?”      “Nah, I reckon the gals made their point,” the Southerner chuckles.

     “So, you two are still doin’ good, huh?”      Jo glances at Y/N from the corner of her eye while pushing her father’s wallet into her back pocket. She leans against Dean’s car, careful not to scratch it, knowing that all hell is going to break loose if she does.      “Surprised?” her friend counters, picking up her bag from the front seat, before closing the door.      “Just checkin’ if the woman-oholic isn’t suffering from tremors, hallucinations, insomnia,” the cowgirl states.       Y/N grins at that, pushing the strap of her bag on her shoulder, ready for her friend to lead the way to the show office. 

     “He’s not, don’t worry,” she claims, very much aware that Jo is just toying with her. “He’s been really wonderful, actually. I honestly didn’t expect him to be so attentive and sweet.”      “No one did. Hell, I don’t think even Dean knew he had it in ’im. Guess you bring out the best in my notorious cousin.” She hooks her arm around Y/N’s neck, pulling her in for a side hug.

     On their way over to the show office, Jo is greeted by multiple familiar faces, asking her how she's doing and the ranch owner’s daughter returning the question in a quick exchange. It becomes clear to Y/N that this isn’t just Dean’s scene, but Jo’s as well. 

     She soaks up her surroundings, glancing left and right as they walk up a two story building, a little further up the slightly hilly property. Stalls are lined up along the boulevard, selling all sorts of things, from horse gear to fashion and interior design. It’s not incredibly busy yet, the people waiting in the short lines for the food stands mostly riders, trainers, and horse owners. The organisation is probably expecting a bigger crowd on the weekend.

     A ferrier is hammering a loose shoe under a horse’s hoof, the large animal waiting patiently until the job is done, while a promoter tries to sell a new tractor to an interested party. Cheers roar from one of the arenas, excitement heard in the voice of the commentator, who echoes over the terrain through the speakers. The smell of cotton candy when they pass a concessions truck reaches the cowgirl’s nose as she watches children having fun riding a Shetland pony from the local riding school.

     Content, Y/N smiles, because apart from the temperature, the atmosphere on this show isn’t different from the events she’s been to when she was still living in Freeport. The nerves she felt in the car earlier seep away with the familiarity, excitement taking its place. Before she came to Gold Canyon Ranch, she was buried under pressure and books, working on her thesis around the clock. The last competition she rode was the State Championships. God, she missed this circus. This life. This is where she belongs, not behind some desk, no matter how good the salary.

     “Jo Singer, it’s good to see you again, my dear,” the woman behind the counter in the show office says, recognizing the blonde cowgirl instantly. “How are you and your family doing?”      Reading glasses balance on the tip of the nose of the kind secretary, who smiles at both the girls. Her ash blonde hair is short, and worn in a fashion you would expect for a lady in her sixties.      “Good to see you too, Mildred,” Jo returns, pulling Bobby’s wallet from her pocket. “We’re okay. How are the boys?”

     Y/N glances at her friend from the corner of her eye as the two acquaintances make small talk. She noticed the hint of doubt in her claim that everything was fine with the Singer family, followed by the quick counter question to avert the attention back to the woman on the other side of the desk. Aware that the information Dean shared with her is confidential, she didn’t discuss it with Jo, even though she wanted to. While she didn’t want to get the head wrangler in trouble, she was also unaware of how up to date the youngest Singer actually is. Now that she heard the slight hesitation, however, she’s getting the idea Jo knows more about the ranch’s financial struggles than her bubbly and carefree personality leads on. 

     “How many horses are you competing, hon?” Mildred asks, pushing her glasses up her nose as she searches for Jo’s name on the competitors’ list.       “Two. I’d like to pay for Dean as well, and one entry for my friend here. She’s riding one of ours.”      “Winchester, right?” the secretary checks, crossing off names.      Jo nods, picking at her father’s credit card. “Yeah.”      Mildred flips the page until she finds the one on which the riders filed under the letter ‘W’ are listed.      “Four horses for Dean? Your cousin has a busy weekend ahead of him,” she chuckles, warmly, and looks up at the young woman that accompanied Jo. “What’s your name, sweety?”      “It’s Y/N L/N,” the intern answers. “I’m competing two horses, one of my own. I’d like to pay for Meadowsweet separately.”      “Not a problem.” Mildred focuses on the blonde cowgirl again. “So that's an entry fee for seven horses, plus the stable fee for nine. Y’all brought two horses for auction, am I right? I remember because I had your father on the phone just this morning.”      “Yeah, we do. Do we have to pay to enter the auction too?” Jo wonders, nervousness lacing her tone.      “Yes, the auction entry is 200 dollars for each. After the sale the amount will be settled, together with the commission,” the elder woman informs. “Entry fee is three bucks per horse, stable fee is fifty each, so that will be 877 dollars in total.”

     Jo takes a breath and offers Mildred the card. The normally confident cowgirl seems on edge all of a sudden as she watches the secretary swipe it. Several seconds tick by while they wait for the machine to accept payment, and apparently it’s getting on Jo’s nerves. Y/N’s friend fiddles with her father’s wallet, tension coming off her in waves. Then the machine bleeps, a long high tone cutting through the heavy silence.

     Mildred looks up at the blonde rancher, sympathetically. It’s in her eyes and Jo’s heart drops to her gut before she even speaks. “I’m sorry. It’s declined.”       “W - what? No, that - that can’t be,” Jo stammers. “Can you try again?”      The kind lady swipes the credit card a second time, even though they know it’s not going to make a difference. The same message appears on the small screen, followed by the monotone beep. The sound is interrupted by the door opening and closing, two other competitors now entering the show office, getting in line to pay as well. Jo curses under her breath.

     “Any other way you can pay, darling?” the secretary asks, kindly.      “Uh - I have…” She leafs through the banknotes with trembling fingers, counting the money, her face turning red. “I have 300 dollars. I’ll check if there’s more in the truck--”      “I got it.” Y/N steps closer to the counter, pulling her wallet from her purse.      “What? No, c’mon,” Jo objects.       But her friend isn’t taking no for an answer. “It’s not a problem. I’ll sort it out with your dad later,” she assures, handing over her own card. She returns her attention to Mildred again. “Could you add my fees as well?”      “I sure can. That will be 930 dollars,” the elder woman states, changing the number on the terminal before swiping the credit card. 

     This time it beeps three times, confirming payment without a hitch.      “Alright, all good to go. Good luck on your runs, ladies,” Mildred says, cheery, trying to clear the awkwardness with her warm smile.      “Thank you,” Y/N returns genuinely as Jo gives the woman behind the desk a nod.

     The girls exit the show office, Jo pulling her hat over her eyes a little deeper to mask her flustered face. The redness slowly starts to leave her cheeks again after a minute, as they walk down the boulevard in silence. Y/N isn’t sure if she should say something, and so decides to give her friend some space. Her mind is going over the incident, however. A maxed out credit card; that can’t be good. The writing on the wall is applied with a paintbrush, the black letter getting bolder the more she learns about the suffocating situation. Her mind hasn’t stopped reeling since her talk with Dean in the cafeteria earlier this morning. There has to be ways to tip the scale. 

     Jo eventually speaks up, voice clipped with embarrassment. “I’m sorry ‘bout that. My dad will pay you back.”       “I know,” Y/N responds, not doubting it for a second. “It’s no big deal, seriously. No reason to apologize.”      “Still... Thanks,” the blonde cowgirl utters, embarrassed nonetheless.      It’s now Y/N’s turn to wrap her arm around her friend’s shoulder, hoping the gesture will ease Jo a bit.      “That’s what friends are for, right?” she comforts her. “Come on. Let’s head back. What’s your starting time?”      Jo glances at her watch. “Eight thirty. Thirty minutes after the opening. So that gives me an hour and a half.”      “Better ready your horse then,” Y/N smiles. “You’ve got barrels to race.”

     “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome on this Friday night to the eighteenth annual Flagstaff Horse Fair!”

     With Y/N’s hand in his, Dean walks up the bleachers, as if he’s afraid to lose her in the crowd. Plenty of people have settled down in their seats already, only a few spots left now that the opening ceremony is about to begin. She’s glad he’s keeping a hold on her, though, because once again she feels slightly overwhelmed by the number of strangers who all seem to be very much aware who her boyfriend is. 

     Several times Dean was held up on their way over to the main arena, by acquaintances, former and current clients, old friends and forgotten faces. She could tell he was doing everything he could to ease her nerves, his hand on the small of her back, engaging her into the conversation by introducing her. Yet she felt relieved when the ring came into view, hoping to find a time to take a breather from keeping up appearances and pretending she’s comfortable amongst new company. 

     “Dean!”      Y/N almost flinches at the female voice calling out for the cowboy. For a brief second Y/N shuts her eyes and takes a breath; guess she needs to keep her mask on a bit longer. She turns to face two women, who greet the wrangler, the one with dark, boy cut hair the first to embrace him.      “It’s so good to see you again,” she says, warmly.      “Hey, Jody.” Dean returns the embrace, genuinely pleased to see her too, before he directs his attention to the happily smiling blonde. “Donna, it’s been a while. How are you doing these days?”      “Hiya, handsome. I’m doing just fine, thanks.” The woman with a strong Minnesota accent pulls him into a tight hug as well, pressing her dimpled cheek against his. She backs away, her delighted eyes bouncing from him to the girl behind the cowboy. “Are ya gonna introduce us to this lovely lady?”

     Dean adjusts his hat and reaches for Y/N, his hand slipping behind her back when he nods at the brunette. “That’s Jody Mills - she takes horses off our hands regularly and finds us buyers - and her business partner Donna Hanscum. Good friends of mine, good friends of the Ranch.”       He then gently pulls her a little closer, the pads of his fingers lingering on her hip.      “Jody, Donna, this is my girlfriend Y/N,” Dean responds, unable to hide his proud smile. 

     Both women share the exact same reaction, their jaws dropping to the floor. If Y/N wasn’t so nervous, she would have found it comical.      “Shut the front door!” Donna exclaims. “Are you tellin’ me that Dean Winchester is off the market?”      Dean nods, his grin not faltering. “I’m spoken for.”      Delighted, Jody laughs. “Well, I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.”      “Took you long enough,” Donna jokes, teasingly pushing his shoulder, before she winks at the cowgirl next to him. “You must be one heck of a gal if you managed to tie this one down. C’mere!”

     Before Y/N can escape, the woman with the vibrant personality pulls her in and gives her a warm hug as well. She can’t help but to chuckle, because both Donna and Jody seem like sincerely kind people. The warm welcome eases her, helping her to feel more comfortable amongst these new friends.      “Why don’t you sit with us?” Jody suggests, after Donna lets go. “Because I wanna hear all about this miracle woman.”

     They take a seat and Y/N soon engages in conversation with Dean’s friends. Contently, he watches his girl, listening to her enthusiastic voice as she tells them about their meet cute. Dean chuckles at the memory himself; never in a million years could he have guessed he would be where he’s standing now, together with the then so timid and slightly prissy intern. She opened up like a wildflower in spring, blossoming into the carefree spirit that years of studying and discipline hid away. 

     Damn, he fell hard for her, didn’t he? She isn’t the only one who developed; because Jody wasn’t wrong. He too never expected to be able to commit, to be faithful to one woman, yet he can’t even imagine being with anyone else but her now. She taught him to look further than tomorrow. He has to admit, he has been thinking about the future more in the past week than he has in all the prior years combined.       His thoughts are interrupted by the commentator, who’s voice echoes through the speakers, mentioning the sponsors of the event.

     “We thank you for comin’ out here this weekend. Folks, right now I would like to ask Alex Jones to enter our arena floor with the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America.”

     Dean glances at Jody, who proudly watches her adopted daughter trot into the ring on a palomino. She’s dressed in a red shirt, blue and white fringe on her sleeves and chaps playfully dancing in the breeze. The end of the flagpole rests on her stirrup, the American colors fluttering in their wake. The crowd rises to their feet as the flag is carried in, respectfully doffing their hats. 

     “As we gather in the spirit of the Old West, let us be reminded of the part that the horses we cherish have played. They offered our forefathers safe travel, partnership, and the freedom to roam this great land. The same unbreakable bond between man and horse still remains today, as we ride for our country. We ask you to remain standing for the playing of the national anthem.”

     Y/N holds her hat by the brim and squares her shoulders, following Dean’s example when he places his right hand over his heart. A calm falls over the bleachers, every single soul watching the flag with the same steady reverence that only blue-collars truly can. The riders in the warm up area are standing side by side, facing the Stars and Stripes, and even the younger inexperienced horses seem to pay their respect.

     “Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light      What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?      Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,      O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?”

     The hairs on her arms rise up as Y/N softly sings along. She knows every word, taught in school of course, but it’s more than that. She believes them. And since she was a little girl, she has dreamed about the Star-Spangled Banner. She imagined it would play while she was standing on the highest step of the podium at the major events: Congress, the Derby, and who knows, maybe one day at the World Equestrian Games. It’s a long shot, maybe, but a goal nonetheless, one she will continue to chase until the day comes that she fulfills that dream. 

     “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,      Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.      Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave      O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

     The cowgirl and her horse began circling as the end of the anthem neared, speed increasing. Alex is galloping along the boarding of the arena, the Stars and Stripes flaunting proudly, standing tall. After the last note, the crowd cheers and claps, rallying the rider on as she takes the flag out of the arena at high speed. 

     “Give it up for Alex Jones!” the commentator encourages. “Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, get comfortable, take a load off your feet, take a seat, and get ready. We’re gonna kick off the competition with Barrel Racing for three year old horses. Let’s ride!”

     “Jo is sixth, right?” Y/N checks as they sit down.      Dean nods, leaning his elbows on his knees, watching his cousin in the warm up pen. “Yeah, after the drag.”      “Smooth footing. Could work in her advantage,” Y/N notes, linking her arm with his. “I was wondering; why don’t you teach Jo?”      The wrangler snorts. “Because she would claw my eyes out.”      His girlfriend laughs now, leaning into him and sweetly resting her cheek against his shoulder.      “Hey, we’ve tried, but we just fight like cats and dogs. It ain’t a good fit,” he chuckles.

     The first horse and rider combination shoots from the holding box and the audience’s motivating cheers rise from the stands into the Arizona air. Being a good sport, Dean claps too.       “Ever raced barrel, sweetcheeks?” Donna wonders, leaning forward to make eye contact with Y/N.      “Once or twice when I was a kid,” she admits. “You?”      “Oh, you betcha!” the cheery blonde states. 

     The rules to the game are quite simple. Three barrels are set up in a cloverleaf in the arena and the horse and rider pair need to cleanly negotiate the pattern. The cowgirl who’s the fastest without knocking over any barrels wins. It’s a thrilling sport to watch, perfect for a horse’s speed and agility when the rider knows how to bring it out in them.

     The second rider kicks off, setting a better time that pushes her up the board. The third follows, knocking over the second barrel, landing the poor girl a five second time penalty.

     Y/N keeps an eye on Jo, who gets instructions from Bobby. The ranch owner’s daughter is riding a mare called Sundance, who she started up about eight months ago, being the first person to ever ride her. The young horse had her first practise run a couple of weeks ago, but today is her show debut. The atmosphere of a big competition like this can be quite daunting for an inexperienced horse, but Jo prepared her well.

     The fourth goes wide around the first barrel and swerves to the third, wasting valuable time. Number five has a clean run and betters the leading result; 17.13 seconds is the time to beat.      A tractor enters the arena and the crew removes the barrels, white spray paint indicating where they need to be put back once the sand around it is dragged. When the footing is smooth again, the barrels are placed back.

     “Next up is Joanna Beth Singer with Sundance. Now, this young lady knows how to ride, with multiple wins under her belt, so let’s see what she will do with this youngster today.”

     Y/N moves to the edge of her seat, her heartbeat picking up. She might not be the one competing, but sometimes being the person on the sidelines is more nerve-wracking than actually being the one in the saddle.      Bobby walks with his daughter to the entrance of the arena, the young mare next to him already bouncing with excitement. Rousing music only adds to the exhilarating atmosphere surrounding them, the spectators waiting for the thrilling ride that is about to start. The second Jo’s father lets go of the rein, Sundance bolts away, locking on the first barrel like she has been doing this all her life.

     “And she’s off! Look at that speed, people!”

     “C’mon, Jo!” Y/N encourages, joined by Dean, who has gotten on his feet in anticipation.      The crowd cheers when the fast horse turns sharply. Focused, Jo pushes her heels into the bay’s flanks, hands towards the mare’s ears, guiding the youngster through the pattern to the second barrel. They are making good time.      “Smoke them, Jo! You got this!” Dean shouts, voice lost to the crowd that seems to favor Jo and Sundance.

     The clock ticks; eight seconds, nine, ten. Sand clatters against the metal as the eager horse cuts the third obstacle, so tight that you could barely fit a piece of paper between her boot and the barrel. It starts to tip, and Y/N grabs Dean’s arm when the drum almost tumbles over, but Jo pushes it back with her reins in hand so that it stays upright and the audience erupts. 

     “Yeah! Bring it home!” Y/N squeals, excitedly.      At full gallop the two shoot back to the gate, Jo flat on the Sundance’s neck, the energetic horse accelerating until they pass the finish line. The clock stops at 16.35.

     “Folks, if that ain’t horsemanship, I don’t know what is. What a ride and what a horse! Jo Singer and Sundance are in the lead!”

     Dean grins proudly and whistles on his fingers, glancing down at his girlfriend, who is still applauding excitedly.       “Dean, is that mare for sale?” Jody checks, the trader clearly interested now that she has witnessed the talent.       He chuckles. “Depends on your offer.”      “Fair enough. I’ll go have a talk with Bobby then,” she returns, aware that for a horse like that, she needs to raise the stakes.      “We’ll walk with ya,” Dean states, glancing aside when Jody’s friend doesn’t follow. “Donna, you comin’?”      “I’ll meetcha guys later. I’m gonna watch some more runs with Alex.” She nods at Jody’s surrogate daughter, who just sat down in one of the first rows. 

     They say goodbye and the wrangler places his hand on Y/N’s lower back as they walk to the stairs and get down from the bleachers. She can tell he’s trying to play it cool, but she senses his relief. Jo delivered and just secured more than just a place on the podium with that solid ride. The buyers are going to be lining up for Sundance, which means they can keep the price high. It’s a win Gold Canyon Ranch so desperately needs. The cowgirl bumps her shoulder against his, drawing his attention. The smiles they exchange say enough, she knows what’s on his mind, and he knows she understands.      “I’m gonna see if I can catch Jo. It was really nice to meet you, Jody,” she announces, shaking Jody’s hand before turning to Dean. “See you in a bit?”      He nods and meets her in a sweet, short kiss, before she runs off to the stables. His gaze stays fixed on her, lovingly, until he loses track of her in the crowd. Only then does Dean notice Jody’s knowing smirk.      “What?”      “You got it bad,” she comments, an earnest laugh falling from her lips.      He tilts his head, nodding; there’s no denying it. He’s known Jody for a while, and even though they only see eachother every now and then, he considers her a dear friend. 

     “She’s amazing, really. It’s all still kinda new, though,” he admits, comfortable enough to let some of that softness show. “Oh, which reminds me... Bobby doesn’t know yet. So could you not mention it?”      The raised eyebrow and judgemental look she sends him says enough. Jody stares him down as if she’s about to use her mom-voice, causing Dean to slightly cower.      “She’s the intern and it’s kind of a touchy subject. I wanna time it well so that he doesn’t bite my head off,” the cowboy excuses.       The woman who is tough when she needs to be, turns soft now, rolling her eyes slightly.      “Fine, I won’t tell him. Don’t wait too long, though. It’s Bobby, he wasn’t born yesterday. He’s going to find out sooner than later,” she reminds him.      “I’ll tell him soon,” he promises.      “This is a big first for you, ain’t it?” The female ranch owner smiles at him warmly, apparently amused with the somewhat uneasy behavior of the cowboy.       “It is,” he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “But it’s good. Never thought I’d say it, but I could get used to this.”      “I’m glad you’ve met someone, Dean. You deserve a slice of that apple pie life.” 

     Dean smiles at his boots, knowing she means more with those words than would seem so at the surface. From a young age, even before Dean moved in with the Singer family, she has kept a watchful eye on him and his little brother whenever they were at the same shows and rodeos. Even though she’s only a few years older than him, she was always taking care of others, protecting those who needed it, and apparently she sensed the Winchester boys could use some support. To be honest, she wasn’t wrong. She has seen a few things, picked up on the tell signs. That knowledge adds to the weight of her kind message.

     “And if you ever are in the need of advice only a woman can offer,” she continues, “may it be suitable birthday gifts for the lady, or choosing an engagement ring, you know who to call.”

     Dean’s eyes widen, glancing aside at the fierce woman, walking beside him. He thought about what is to come, but he didn’t think that far ahead. Especially with her internship ending March next year, he’s slightly careful to presume she is going to want to stay with him. Yes, he will fight for her, but he can’t predict the future. Who knows what will happen when she’s due to leave.      “Whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” he laughs. “We only just started dating, y’know?”      “Yeah, I know, but she’s a keeper, I can tell,” Jody counters, sure of herself. “Give it some time, I’ll remind you of this conversation at your wedding.”

     The cowboy chuckles, but doesn’t contradict her. Jody Mills is a smart woman, one who usually is right. She can read people, and despite the small age difference between the two of them, his caring friend often mothers him with her wisdom. He can’t believe the thought crosses his mind, but it flashes through his conscience nonetheless. I hope she’s right.

     He doesn’t want to dwell on it too long, though, because the glimpse of what he secretly hopes one day will come true, takes him by surprise. Somewhat daunted, the wrangler redirects the focus.       “I’ve haven’t spoken to Gabe in a bit. How’s he doin’ these days?” 

     There’s a hint of guilt in his voice, even though he tries to suppress it. Gabriel had worked at Gold Canyon since 2005, until Bobby had to let him go last year. The head wrangler felt horrible, especially since he taught Gabe the ropes when it came down to training horses, and getting fired was the last thing his friend ever expected. Just like with Ash, he would have done anything to prevent the lay off, but their boss didn’t have much of a choice.       Thankfully, Gabe got a job as a horse trainer at Jody’s ranch. They kept in touch, but over time the calls came and went less frequent. Lately, it’s been quiet, though, and the woman next to him looks up at him stunned, a mixture of remorse and empathy in her eyes.

     “You haven’t heard?” she asks, appalled.      Dean shakes his head. “Heard what?”      “Oh, honey, I’m not sure how to tell you this,” she starts, averting her gaze to the ground, as if she’s trying to find solace in the dirt underneath her feet. “He had an accident earlier this week. He’s in hospital.”      The wrangler snaps his eyes at her in shock, a frown puckered between his brows. “W-what?”       “Yeah, he--” she pauses, shaking her head as if she still can’t believe it, “- he was working with a stallion, quite a special case. He turned aggressive and Gabe got trampled. He suffered multiple fractures in the vertebrae.”      The head wrangler stops dead in his tracks, causing his company to turn to face him. In shock he stares at Jody before his gaze drifts off, the unpleasant surprise still evident, though. Not sure what to say, he moves his hand to his face, tracing his stubble as he tries to digest the news.      “Fuck…” he stammers. “Is he - he’s gonna be ok, right?”

     “The doctors haven’t given us much yet. From what I’ve heard, the first tests showed very little reflexes, but there was still a lot of bruising and swelling. They hope to be able to get better imaging soon, but right now it’s not looking good. He most likely damaged his spinal cord; he can’t move his legs,” Jody explains, observing the disoriented man before her with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Dean. I know he is a friend of yours. Honestly, I expected you would’ve gotten a call from his brothers.” 

     The cowboy still stares at nothing in particular, unable to grasp what he just learned. “We - uh, we didn’t talk as much as we used to. Kinda fell out of touch after he left Gold Canyon.”       Jody nods at that, the endearing smile that was there when they were talking about his newfound relationship now gone. The corners of her mouth are drawn down, the worry and guilt aging her in a matter of moments.      “It’s really tragic. Honestly, I feel awful. It happened on my land, the horse was my client’s.”      “Hey, this is not your fault, you hear?” Dean replies, gently gripping her upper arm. “These accidents can happen. We forget sometimes, but we still work with thousand pound animals who have minds of their own. It’s dangerous, and he knew that.”

     Jody swallows down the guilt and turns to slowly stroll to the warm up area, not walking away from it entirely, but giving herself something to do. Dean adjusts to her pace, shoulder to shoulder with the rancher.      “I found him in the pen. He was screaming in pain,” she tells. “Of course I happened to be the only other person on the premises. Donna was delivering a horse to a new owner.”

     Shaking his head, Dean glances aside. Damn it, he wishes she didn’t have to go through that. Waiting on an ambulance must have been horrible. Dean knows Jody treats her staff like family, their bond much like the dynamic between the Singer family and their personnel. Dean cares about those he works with deeply, he would never forgive himself if an accident like that would happen to a member of the crew.       “He’s gonna bounce back. Gabe’s a tough one,” he soothes, hoping to offer at least a little comfort.      “Yeah, I hope so.” She sighs as they reach Bobby, who is having a conversation with two older men on the sideline, without a doubt doing business. “I’m gonna talk to your uncle. See if we can come to an agreement on that horse.”      “Better get in there fast, before he sells her to someone else,” Dean advises, after which he turns around. “See you at the party tonight?”      “Depends on how much money I spend at the auction, but I’m certain Donna will drag me there anyway,” she says, doing her best to pull together a playful grin.

     Dean watches Jody step up, politely interrupting the negotiation, not even a bit intimidated by the possible buyers who have already named a price. She’s tough, something that he has always admired. The woman stands her ground in a man’s world of horse traders, runs her own ranch and built her own network. An extraordinary person, who always has his back. He carries nothing but respect for her.

     As he makes his way to the stables, tipping his head to the people he knows on his way over, his thoughts go to Gabriel. Jody is not the only one who feels guilty about his current condition. He just told her she shouldn’t blame herself, so why is it that he wishes he would never have let his good friend go? Maybe if Gabe had stayed, he wouldn’t have broken his back. Maybe if he had taught him better, he would’ve still been able to walk. 

     He shakes his head, trying to dismiss the notion. But like a mosquito the mental picture keeps patronising him, buzzing into his ear, draining him and stealing the wrangler’s peace. When he nears the stable tent B, he picks up pace, however. Because he knows that the one person who will calm his mind and make him feel better with just her smile is right around the corner.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part twenty here