#MEET NICK'S WIFE CHARLOTTE

[op15-moonwaltz]

"You look so chilly, my dear!"

Jack's been dragged to New York for an After-Christmas gettogether with the Cane family! He couldn't be more terrified and nervous, most children are put-off by his icy nature and appearance.

However he learns that the Cane's are pretty 'chill' when it comes to his icy looks! Read out the little mini-story here for the After-Christmas of '69! (jack's ears definitely twitch around and show how he's feeling if his goofy little noises don't give him away first)

==== It was After-Christmas, 1969. Nick had brought up the idea of me visiting his family with him off in New York for the occasion, but I always came up with an easy lie to get out of going.

Not because I didn't enjoy his company, not at all! I adored having someone around that listened to what I had to say, I just. .

Didn't know how his family would react to me. Icy hair, stark blue eyes, pointy ears, frosty clothes- Not exactly 'huggable and warm,' now is it? And he apparently had a granddaughter now, something with a 'C'. Charlotte? No no, that was his wife's name. .

"Jack, are you alright? You've been staring at that piece of broken cement for the last four minutes like it's gonna move."

I looked up at him and felt my ear twitch as a snowflake floated past. "Huh? Oh! Yes, yep, I'm alright. Just thinking and all that." I watched him raise a brow over his glasses and then push them back up his nose. I flashed him a grin and then I heard the patter of feet, oh gods.

"Pa, you're home!" I watched this young woman run out of the house with no coat, just a sweater, bellbottom jeans, boots that looked too fancy to be out in slushy wet snow and a head of fiery orange hair.

"How's my girl? Look at you! How long has it been since I last visited?" I hoped that staying by the sleigh made me more invisible. I kept my ears as flat against my head as I could get them, and part of me wished I thawed my hair out before I agreed to come.

"Over a year, pa. You know this, you ask how long it's been every year!" I could hear Nick laugh and then I watched the woman turn her gaze toward me. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest at her shocked face. "And who's this fella here?"

I tried to put my charm up despite my nervousness and stepped up to her, offering my hand for a handshake. "Frost! Jack Frost, Legendary Figur-" I got cut off as the lady took my hand and shook it, laughing a little as she did. I squinted at her.

"So you're the one Pa's been working with all these years! I've been waiting to meet you, Ma's been too!" I felt my brain stutter and I only realized the handshake ended when snow hit my palm. "My name's Judy, by the way! Now come inside, it's cold out there and I bet yous' are hungry!"

"You sound like your mother!" I heard from Nick and I shook my head slightly to wave off the slap of confusion I felt prior before walking inside with him. The house was beautifully decorated in reds and golds, even some blues and silvers lining certain areas like the front windows of the house.

I let my ears stick up just a little more as I looked at the snowflake paper towel cutouts that hung delicately from the ceilings with what looked like fishing line and thumbtacks. Which not only seemed tedious as all hell, but showed absolute dedication.

"My! You look so chilly, dear!" I looked away from the ceiling when I heard a woman's voice, she was clearly older, hair snow-white, short and curly. I could see her walk up to me, and I realized who this was as I stuck my hand out for a handshake.

"You must be Charlotte, right?" "Righto! You must be Jack Frost, as well. Pleasure to finally meet you, my dear!" I smiled as she shook my hand and then led me over to a playpen. "That there is baby Caroline, she's almost 3 years-old!" I nodded, watching the 2 year-old dance around her playpen a little. Okay. .

Maybe kids were a little adorable. But only this one in particular.

I could feel myself getting led over to the dining room, how long did I have to stay here? I looked at the wide spread of food that covered the dining table and I had to admit, it did smell pretty good. I could hear Nick laugh as he sat near the head of the table. "You've done it, Charlotte. You've got him fascinated by all the food."

"I'm not. . 'fascinated', I've just never seen so much food before." I watched as Judy pulled a chair out and sat down, then Charlotte after hooking little Caroline up in a highchair. And I was left trying to figure out where to sit. I was a guest in the home, so maybe I sat. . somewhere out of the way? Or more toward the far end of the table?

"Here, dear- You can sit next to me if you're a little lost." I watched Charlotte wiggle out a chair for me next to her and I timidly took a seat. "Sorry, I've just uh- Never done a holiday dinner before." I watched Judy look at me with a face of disbelief and Mrs. Cane (should I be formal?) already started fixing me a plate of ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, they even had a various array of wines-

"You've never had a holiday dinner before? Aren't you literally part of a holiday?" I put up a timid smile, nodding a thanks to Mrs. Cane as she placed my plate in front of me. "T-Technically I'm part of a holiday, but I don't have any real Reign over all the Christmas-y stuff-" I heard Nick scoff as he adjusted the bun in his hair.

"You Didn't have any reign over Christmas, you do now though! And I hope to see it stay that way, the blues and silvers you add is a lovely change." I felt my ear twitch and Judy looked at me ecstatic. "The blue and silver decor is you? I love the sparkly look they always have, it's so beautiful!"

I laughed a little, eying the plate of food and trying to ignore the twitches of my ears even though I knew Nick caught sight of them by the smile on his face. "Thank yous', really though it's Nick that deserves the credit! He's done a lot to help me get more recognition in the season." I could hear Nick brush me off and slowly let the conversation drift away from me, deciding to instead enjoy the meal.

Little Caroline was busy mushing around mashed potatoes in her highchair. Nick and his family fell into conversation as I stayed out of it and ate quietly. The silence was. . comfortable. It felt like they still knew I was there, even if I wasn't a part of their conversation. Completely different from how the Council made me feel.

I only realized I had been twitching my ears to the beat of Frank Sinatra's 'Let It Snow!' when Caroline actually giggled. I watched her try to mimic the twitches of my ears with her hands and I felt my chest warm up at the little laughs she did as she flapped her hands around.

I listened to the 'awe's that came from the table as they finally saw what I was doing and I only kept up the ear twitches to keep Caroline laughing, even after my face felt all warm and I knew the tips of my ears were red. "Seems like Jack is finally warming up to kids." I glanced at Nick, almost shooting him a small glare when Caroline started tilting her head side to side like my ears twitching up and down.

Okay, maybe kids weren't horrible. I could maybe get used to this specific tiny human. I smiled.

I could maybe get used to this whole holiday dinner thing too.

[triviareads]

Any good marriage for convenience romance books?

I actually had a hard time with this one because there are so many historicals where the marriage is convenient for one party, or like, convenient in that otherwise she'll be "ruined" or she's possibly pregnant. But here are some of the ones where both parties agree to marry without any (or much) external pressure:

Historical:

Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven: Harry wants to devote her energies to proving Fermat's Theorem (which I now know way too much about) rather than being out in society, and Thomas needs a rich wife, so they decide to marry and Harry even says he can sleep with whoever after they marry..... unfortunately this man is only able to get it up for her soon enough.

Fiona and the Enigmatic Earl by Grace Callaway: Fiona wants to be free to continue her work as a member of an investigative agency, Lady Charlotte's Society of Angels, and Hawk wants to marry but without any emotional entanglements and to continue his spy work, so they agree to a marriage of convenience where neither party will hinder the other.

How the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh: After fucking up his sister and best friend's (DOM MFING KILBURN) marriage, Finn needs to marry or he'll be cut off, and Tabitha wants to join an influential intellectual society that only admits married women, and so marriage it is.

The Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan: Kind of a marriage of convenience? Except the terms aren't laid out super clearly beforehand and Clara's brother does have a hand in the marriage, but this one is too funny to not include. Clara lies about being pregnant to escape marriage to an asshole, but when she's sent to Scotland, she meets Hunt, a laird who has a generational curse on him which means he will die before his heir is born. So Hunt decides to marry her because she's pregnant with someone else's baby so obviously, he won't die!

Except, well, it's a lie, and he finishes inside her multiple times after they're married so........

The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard: Astrid proposes marriage to Thane, a scarred misanthrope duke, so that her sister can escape marriage to the man who ruined Astrid's reputation. Thane eventually agrees because he's intensely attracted to her but has no intention of falling in love with her.

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare: Another scarred duke, this time in want of a wife that won't faint when she sees him so he can begat heirs; Emma is the seamstress who made his former fiancée's wedding dress and shows up for payment, but Ashbury decides she'll do just fine as a wife.

Worth Any Price Lisa Kleypas: The only male virgin in Kleypas-verse (well at least in the beginning), Nick Gentry is tasked with finding Charlotte on behalf of her family and fiancé, but it turns out the fiancé is, among other things, deffo a groomer so he agrees to marry her to protect her.

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: You know the deal with this one; St. Vincent needs to marry a rich heiress since he's about to be cut off and his attempted kidnapping of Lillian failed miserably, and Evie needs to escape her abusive relatives, so off to Gretna Green it is.

Contemporary:

Lush Money by Angelina M Lopez: Prince Mateo agrees to marry billionaire Roxanne and have sex with her three nights a month so she can have a kid in exchange for money for his impoverished country. The resentment in this man is real, not that it stops him from calling her mi mujer and jumping her every 10 seconds. Basically, the only wife guy I condone.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey: Natalie and August agree to marry so Natalie can access start-up capital and August can improve his shoddy vineyards. I really loved August's (objectively dumb) no-PiV-sex-until-she-won't-regret-it rule because it actually made the wedding night kinda great, and it also drew out tension until they had no choice but to admit their feelings for one another.

The Harlequin fave Jackie Ashenden very helpfully made a page on her website devoted to all her marriage of convenience books, and yes, I recommend all of them.

Crowning His Lost Princess by Caitlin Crews: Warlord touches down in a Kansas (?) field and announces that this farmer gal was switched at birth, is actually a princess, and that they must marry for political reasons.

Trust Fund Fiancé by Naima Simone: Reagan needs access to her inheritance and proposes a marriage of convenience to her friend Zeke in order to gain access. This one is also technically friends-to-lovers but a really well done one.

*tbh your best bet in terms of modern marriages of conveniences might be harlequins because the stakes feel somewhat high and the tension is real, unlike a lot of contemporary romances which have people marrying to like, inherit a family ski resort or something.

[pussinbootsandbountyhunter]

Once Upon a Studio (Series) Season Two; Episode Three: Prescott’s Valentine Mystery

(A special episode)

Info: It’s Valentine’s Day and Prescott had received a letter from his secret admirer which made him wonder who is his valentine’s date.

Characters that would be part of this episode: Gremlin Prescott, Gremlin Gus, Mickey Mouse, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the Mad Doctor, Rapunzel, Eugene, Anna, Kristoff, Jasmine, Aladdin, Cinderella, Prince Kit, Aurora, Prince Phillip, Belle, the Beast, Lumiere, Olaf, the Genie, Hades, Maleficent, Hercules, Meg, Peter Pan, Wendy, Chip, Dale, Basil of Baker Street and Mushu (properly more characters since this is a special episode of season two and Valentine’s Day is my favourite day of the year)

Hint: This episode is based on House of Mouse: Goofy’s Valentine’s Date, Anna was the one who give Prescott a love letter as his secret admirer, Mickey and Mad Doctor decided to give each other a chance in secret, Goofy and Mortimer tried to help King Magnifico to win his ex-wife Queen Amaya back, Chip and Basil hanging out as a sign that they might be dating, Hades and Maleficent are still dating since House of Mouse: Halloween with Hades, and both Judy and Nick had a crush on each other but not ready to tell each other as they hanging out together

My favourite ship(s): Anna x Prescott (AnnScott), Mickey Mouse x the Mad Doctor (MickTor), Judy x Nick, Basil x Chip (ChipSil)

Note: I'm planning to do some once upon a studio series as everyone wants to see if they can lend a hand for me by likes, comments and reblogs their ideas and create arts if they want!

Summary: (beginning) It's Valentine's Day and Magnifico is sad that he thought his ex-wife Amaya doesn’t love him as the day use to be their favourite time of year to spend time together. Mortimer offers to demonstrate how to pick up women, but his own attempts all prove fruitless. And Goofy decides to help the king to win his queen back.

Meanwhile, Prescott, doesn’t have someone to spend time with, receives a love letter from his secret admirer and try to figure out who it was, with the help of Lumiere’s advice to show love and respect to the woman as the gremlin doesn’t know how to be a good gentleman.

Mickey was about to go on a date with Minnie when he spotted the Mad Doctor who was only helping Charlotte with the decorations for tonight, Mickey goes to Doc and tell him to meet him at his bedroom tonight as he had something to tell him.

(End) Goofy tells his friends; Minnie, Mickey, Oswald, Ortensia, Donald, Daisy, Clarabelle, Mickey and Gus that Prescott figured out who his secret admirer really was - Anna! Much to Elsa and Kristoff’s surprise but decided not to ruin the moment as they saw Anna and Prescott enjoying ice cream together.

Mortimer was about to be roasted by Magnifico after all the ideas went wrong when Amaya stopped him by telling him that Valentine’s Day wasn’t the same without him and they decided to put their differences aside and spend time together while it lasted. Hades and Maleficent are pleased to see them together again, much to Mortimer’s surprise.

Later, Mickey went to Mad Doctor’s room and tells him that he’d like to give each other a try as a relationship in secret before they share a kiss.

[antiatuz]

My Zodiac Sign HeadCanons for Top Gun (+Maverick) Characters...

Aries:

Tom "Iceman" Kazansky" is the leader. He is hot like Fire. He can be overly aggressive sometimes, there is a masculine attraction about Iceman..... 🔥

Taurus:

Robert "Bob" Floyd is someone you can easily fall in love with. Bob personally does not meet being domestic and gluttonous, which are the general characteristics of Taurus; if you meet Bob himself, you know you want to get married to him immediately, but he might say "no". He might convince you to stay together,without official papers. Don't get upset, he will eventually propose to you... And when you say "yes", your children will be really beautiful. Physically, they'll be very nice babies. Bob and you are likely to have daughters. And Bob wants to name his first daughter "Venus", the goddess of Beauty. 🤓

Gemini:

Jake "Hangman" Seresin loves to be competitive and belittle everything. According to him, there is nothing that he cannot do. He does not have permanent friends, as Competition is such a big fault in his personality. He cannot accept to be the second one, but of course he'll learn some manners. There's a bit of aggression in him, too; it's like he has two personalities… it's weird, but it's true. You want to be really patient with him, as his mood changes from one moment to another... 🏆

Cancer:

Natasha "Phoenix" is overly sensitive and a player. You can't really be sure what's on her mind. She might cry so well and make you believe it, but then it turns out that she'd fooled you. 🎭

Leo:

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is the king of the jungle. That is why he always annoys Iceman. Maverick believes he cannot love any person. He doesn't look like he's for the long-term relationships. Does this remind you of Hangman? Yes, from the outside, such people are so like "out of your league" but then, if you have the right key to the doors of their hearts, they disprove this theory: "Hangman and Maverick were not created for Love." If you aren't the romantic person, then they'll make good bed partners. Maverick looks like a superficial person but deep inside, he yearns for true love... 🦁

Virgo:

Nick "Goose" Bradshaw... boy of September is an angel, like his wife describes.This Virgo will be your best friend, but this Virgo is a bit of a liar (not to the mischievous-extent of Natasha's Cancer). He might lie in order to save you, for example. And he gets caught too. Just like Pinocchio; when he tells a lie, his whole face flushes. His forehead, his cheeks, his nose and his chin. It's blood red all over. You cannot stop being friends with him, he's adorable. 👼

Libra:

Penny Benjamin is a star. Seriously, you can see her often among celebrities and stuff. Because she's so popular. Not only among the aviators of Top Gun, her fame exceeds her humble bar... She does know a couple of celebrities, even. They say she knows Jared Leto personally! And they're friends! Well, that's because she used to be an amateurish singer and took some acting classes… but then she didn't seek this career. She has an Aries-like charm, but as I said, while Iceman owes his charm to his masculinity, Penny owes hers to her femininity. Beauty comes from Penny's grace. She's extremely in love with her family. If you're going to marry Penny, good luck. She will love her child more than she loves you, don't be sad. It makes sense. That's her child, c'mon! 🌟

Scorpio:

Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood is never shy. Contrary to the stereotypes of Scorpios, her eyes are dull, but she can be very sexy, remember her tongue kisses. She is good "good day pal". Never go to Charlie on your bad day, you will regret it. She won't listen to you. Not because she doesn't care, she's TOO busy. Again, like Leos -like Maverick-, you cannot expect to have long-lasting relationships with her. But she'll make a good friend. Not the best one, but a good one. She just won't go all the way with you. Eat, drink, have fun with Charlie, but never treat her as a "bad day buddy". She'll leave you eventually. 😏

Sagittarius:

Ron "Slider" Kerner, that's whom you need to be bros with!!! Because he is full of Life. Is he seriously the travel-loving, "single" Sagittarius, as the astrologers claim? A little bit… but I think what makes Slider "Sagittarius" is that he's a good-looking person. He likes to have fun, and, he is positive, aaaannnnd he is such a "friend of dark times" - opposite Charlie. It's the person you least expect, who's there when you get into trouble. He is such a tactless person that he will not be offended even if you insult him, because he does not do it himself! I mean, he forgets everything instantly, you can't say "go away" to him.. You know he'll stick to you. He's actually so naïve. 🤪

Capricorn:

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw is traditional, domineering, cold, serious, distant. Look at portraits of people in the Victorian times. They posed with a stern, expressionless face. Is it because they are unhappy? Nooo... being indifferent is not equivalent to being unhappy. Bradley also has very innovative, productive ideas. And when you look at all the geniuses, you will see a Bradley in them. When Bradley travels to a new city, he does not only want to visit its museums, he is not that boring. He is a fan of sea-sand-sun, actually. Asocial people don't like to talk very much, but you don't have to be unfair by saying "the coldness of his inside is reflected on his face". For one thing,Bradley is not a mannequin. He has feelings, and you need to break his "ice". ❄️

Aquarius:

Carole Bradshaw is cool like her son.....Carole is more innovative, more productive, more sociable than Bradley; because she is able to express her emotions quite openly..… Carole and her son spent a long time together, and they've become like twins. Sometimes, she tried to neglect Bradley's trauma and wanted him to be the "winner" twin; but those roles are not interchangeable... After praising Carole so much, a bit of criticism...She talks and talks… no, she can't keep quiet. She takes away the "chatterbox" medal from her husband. No, it's not about talking too much, it's about talking nonsense. If she were a pilot, her callsign would be Parrot, that's for sure. You wish she shut the fuck up, you actually like to chat with her, but not more than half an hour. You wish to tell her that she has only one tongue against her two ears! 💬

Pisces:

Sorry for the picture with the lowest quality, first of all, dear Cyclone. Beau Simpson does not have the characteristics of "crying, more idealistic than 'everyone' else, open to addictions", something Pisces is often accused of. Cyclone is a very sociable person. He is perceived as too naïve but he is not actually naïve. Keep that in mind: He's a "good day friend". Like Charlie (?) Eat, drink, have fun with Cyclone. But at the end of the day, remember he is only a good friend, if not the best one out there. He might easily let you down. Don't expect Cyclone to "come to the end" with you. Like Charlie(?), he's the "friendly-looking next-door neighbor" at most. The unexpectedly closest relationship you can have with a man like Cyclone is friendship again. Not because he isn't a romantic or anything, but because he's married to his job. Literally. 👷🏻

[bl00dyromant1k]

REDOING MY TGWDLM X REGRETEVATOR AU IDEA X333

(Some characterz are recasted ofc, I may accidentally make some new shipz with diz, AND I’m not sorry for spive n wallmark not being canon in diz au >XD

Thiz AU can go any way cuz of how the actorz play diff characterz but I’m not doing dat lolzerz

Paul- Pest(Info 4 au lol: Pest iz da main mc, being the title guy n cuz I feel like Paul suited him best XD. He’z the average guy you meet on dat street n never bat n eye to til he getz hiz moment to be in da spotlight(Albeit, he wuz forced to by da plot n our lord n savior Nick Lang/silly)

Bill - Mark(Info: The papa barely getz to see hiz daughter(Well- son in de au XD) He juts wanz to connect wif tem, trying to share n indulge in their intrestz. Felt like Mark being Bill made sense cuz A) Wallterz canonically snobby n full o himzelf(apperently) n B) I like Mark being wholesome papa :33

Ted - Infected(Info: MANWHORE- *Explodez* I like Ted :33 I don’t even know Y I decided to give da roll to Fected when I originally gave it to Poob, I meaan, they’d bof work betr in smoke club but.. idfk.. P.S. Tedz fav thingy 2do iz screw around wif anothr manz wife..

Charlotte - Pilby(Info: Jus kinda felt right lolzerz, Charlotte strugglez with her marrige n Pilb stgglez with their job :P pluz, personality wise, it workz XD

Emma - Emerson(Info: Uh- they hate their job XD, plus, Emerson n Emma would be friendz if they met, PROVE ME WRNG >XC

Hidgens - Bive(Info: Crazy conspirisy theorist :DDD Pluz, Bive would theoriez THIZ SAME FUCKING THINGY!!

Das iz, BAIIIII <3333

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for November 17

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for November 17 include Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Super Mario RPG, New Blue Sun, and more.

Next Goal Wins

Next Goal Wins, the new movie from Taika Waititi, is out today.

NEXT GOAL WINS follows the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001. With the World Cup Qualifiers approaching, the team hires down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team around in this heartfelt underdog comedy.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the new movie from Francis Lawrence, is out today.

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain

Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, the new movie from Paul Briganti, is out today.

In PLEASE DON’T DESTROY: THE TREASURE OF FOGGY MOUNTAIN, John Goodman narrates the adventure of Ben, Martin, and John, three childhood friends turned deadbeat co-workers, who fend off hairless bears, desperate park rangers and a hypocritical cult leader in the hopes of finding a priceless treasure, only to discover that finding the treasure is the easiest part of their journey.

Saltburn

Saltburn, the new movie from Emerald Fennell, is out today.

Academy Award winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) brings us a beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire. Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

Rustin

Rustin, the new movie from George C. Wolfe, is out today.

Rustin is the critically acclaimed film from director George C. Wolfe, starring Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin. Architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Rustin challenged authority and never apologized for who he was, but was forgotten despite making history. Rustin spotlights the man who, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., dared to imagine a different world and inspired a movement.

Dashing Through The Snow

Dashing Through The Snow, the new movie from Tim Story, is out today.

Eddie Garrick (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) is a good-hearted man who has turned his back on Christmas due to a traumatic childhood experience. At the request of his wife Allison Garrick (Teyonah Parris), from whom he is separated, Eddie takes his 8-year-old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) out with him on Christmas Eve, where they meet a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick (Lil Rel Howery). Eddie, who is a social worker, thinks the man is delusional and needs professional help, but when he evokes the wrath of a local politician (Oscar Nuñez), he and his daughter are taken on a magical adventure that just might restore his faith in Christmas.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the new TV series from Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, is out today.

Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, but learns he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. Then things get even more complicated.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the new TV series from Chris Black and Matt Fraction, is out today.

Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco, and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch.

Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army Officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows.

The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.

Nothing To See Here

Nothing To See Here, the new TV series from Santiago Limón and Big Drama, is out today.

When an aspiring blind comedian goes after his dreams, it's him and his best friend with cerebral palsy against the world, no matter what runs them over.

Super Mario RPG

Super Mario RPG, the new game from Nintendo, is out today.

Team up with an oddball group of heroes to save Star Road and stop the troublemaking Smithy Gang. This colorful RPG has updated graphics and cinematics that add even more charm to the unexpected alliance between Mario, Bowser, Peach, and original characters Mallow and Geno. Enter (or revisit) this world of eccentric allies and offbeat enemies in an RPG for everyone.

New Blue Sun

New Blue Sun, the new album from André 3000, is out today.

Quaranta

Quaranta, the new album from Danny Brown, is out today.

Welcome 2 Collegrove

Welcome 2 Collegrove, the new album from 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, is out today.

[geekcavepodcast]

Dashing Through the Snow Trailer

Eddie Garrick has not enjoyed Christmas since a traumatic childhood experience. At the request of his wife Allison, from whom Eddie is separated, he takes his 9-year-old Christmas-loving daughter Charlotte out with him on Christmas Eve. Eddie and Charlotte meet Nicholas, aka Santa Claus. Eddie, a social worker, thinks Nick need professional help. When they run afoul of a local politician, Eddie, Charlotte, and Nick end up on a magical adventure that might restore Eddie's faith in Christmas.

Dashing Through the Snow stars Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Madison Skye Validum, Lil Rel Howery, Teyonah Parris, Oscar Nuñez, Ravi V. Patel, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Gina Brillon, Sebastian Sozzi, Kevin Connolly, and Zulay Henao. Tim Story directs from a screenplay by Scott Rosenberg.

Dashing Through the Snow hits Disney+ on November 17, 2023.

[randoauthor]

Love Letters to No One (B.B)

Part Eight: Dagger One

Pairings: Bradley x Fem!Reader, Platonic!Pete x Reader

Warnings: mentions of death, maybe some swearing?

Word Count: 1k words

Author's Note: I added in a fun little fact about Lemon that I hope y'all can find!

Summary: Lem finds herself in the people lost long ago, and the mission begins.

MasterList!

I don't remember why I love to fly anymore.

I don't remember if it's because my dad and all my uncles flew and that's just the life I have lived all my life.

I don't remember if it's because I knew I would always follow Bradley everywhere even if that meant going in the sky.

It had been two days since Dad announced his team. It had been two days since I had talked to anyone, I had barely eaten or slept. I spend most of my time reading or today I found myself at Uncle Tom's grave.

"Hey Uncle Tom," I said softly, "a lot had happened and I miss you dearly." I sat and talked to him for a couple more minutes before wandering around. I knew my mom was buried here somewhere but it's been so long since I've visited so I am kinda just wandering 'till I find her.

I didn't expect to also find Uncle Nick and Aunt Carole in my search. I never went to Carole's funeral and wasn't around yet for Uncle Nick's but I always assumed they were buried closer to the hometown where they met, where Bradley was born. I sat down for a moment between them.

"Hi Aunt Carole, it's good to see you again. I know I have grown a whole lot since the last time you got to play with my hair or fix me some dinner after a long day. I promise we took care of Bradley the best we could, though he left about three days after you died and I don't know why. He won't tell me, actually, neither of them will."

I turned to Uncle Nick.

"Hi Uncle Nick, I'm (Y/N) Collette callsign Lemon." I smile, "I was named after you apparently, though we never got to meet your wife and son love me dearly and I assume you would too. I have heard all the crazy stories from way back when and I want you to know how amazing Bradley has become. He is a wonderful Pilot and an amazing friend. I hope Aunt Carole has told you about me otherwise I'm gonna look like an idiot but I have a feeling if she didn't Bradley or my dad did. I wish I could have met you, I feel like I would have made you proud, dad always says I am exactly like you." I smile before placing a hand on his stone, "You were an amazing man and by proxy, you have an amazing son." I bid them both farewell before moving on to find my mom, coming across her grave soon after.

Charlotte "Charlie" Marie Mitchell

A loving wife, mother, and daughter

09.12.1957 - 03.18.1995

"It takes a lot more than just fancy flying."

"Hi mom," I said softly, "dad is once again being an absolute idiot. I know if you were still here you probably would have agreed with him but still, it is really frustrating when he does stuff like this. I know you never wanted me to fly, and I know there is a lot of my life you are gonna miss because you aren't here anymore. Dad and I miss you terribly, but he's finally healing and moving on and I'm really proud of him for that. Penny is an amazing woman and Olivia and I get along fantastically. You woulda loved them. You woulda loved to see Bradley again too, and according to dad, he looks exactly like his father so there's that."

I hear footsteps approaching behind me.

"Hey, hon," Dad's voice comes out soft, "I know I have visited in a while I've been busy doing what I always did best. Pissing off the Admirals." Dad sat down beside me and threw an arm over my shoulder.

"I have already lost your mother Lem, I can lose my other girl too." I smiled and gave a small nod as we continued to sit and talk to mom, it finally felt like a family again.

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

The next day we had all loaded onto the boat, Bradley hadn't left my side since we got to the dock and I know it's because he was terrified he isn't gonna make it back from this.

I watched sadly as my dad and best friends prepared their jets for the mission I had no idea if I was ever gonna see them again and frankly I think they were probably thinking the same thing. Bernie graciously allowed me a moment with my dad once he was all situated in his plane.

"Please come home," I said with tears threatening to spill, dad gave me the smile he always did before missions, the one that said, "I'm gonna tell you a will but you know I can't make that promise." I smile back at him as I give him the best hug I can before jumping down and heading swiftly over to Bradley, just to catch him right before the cockpit closes down.

"Lem," He began softly his bottom lip quivering a little.

"Don't," I say, "not now, you're coming home. Please just come home, alive." I add causing him to let out a sad chuckle. I kissed him softly before watching as the glass lowered down, I give him one last look before stepping down from the ladder. I wave to everyone as the rest of the team prepares for the hell that's about to come.

One by one they take off, and after the final of the four leaves the boat I head to the control room with Bernie, as dad told him not to let me leave his sight while he was gone.

The mission had been successful so far but now they were reaching the point where a dogfight would ensue and we were all on the edge of our seats. Sure enough, as Dad came over suicide hill the missiles locked on, and there it was, the chaos of the air with pilots and missiles, guns and explosions. But none of that mattered because Bradley hit the target. The plant exploded from the bottom up and the control room cheered, now it was time for the boys to come home. But the happiness soon subsided when Bradley's voice came panicked over the speaker.

"Dagger One had been hit I repeat Dagger One had been hit."

Taglist!

@itscheybaby

@turningtoclown

@daryldixonstorm

@Dilfsandtherapy

@Nickie-amore

@malindacath

@luckyladycreator2

@sadpetalsstuff

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@malindacath

[lovelucybradford]

I Pretend You’re Mine (5)

A/N: Back with the promised continuation chapter! 

Not sure if you’re interested, but when I was writing, in my head I pictured:

Betty White as Grandma Rose

Richard Madden as Levi

Peter Gallagher as Jason Martin

Scott Eastwood as Drew

Masterlist

Tags: @empath-bunny

@ityagirljay

@wolfarrowepz​

@supernatural-crazed-girl

Five: You Were Romeo (I Was a Scarlet Letter)

Day 1: Thursday, June 13th

7:00 pm- Welcome Cocktails in the Stardust Lounge, Deck 6

“Champagne, miss?” The formally dressed waiter offered a flute of sparkling wine, a raspberry garnish floating in the glass. Rosalie took it from his hands with no hesitation, sending the attendant a silent smile of thanks. She put the glass to her lips, then paused and looked up at Derek.

“Will people judge me if I chug this whole thing right now?” she voiced, loving the amused smile that lit up her partner’s face at the innocent question.

“I thought we didn’t care anymore what people thought of us,” Derek reminded her, though she knew that when he was referring to ‘we’, he really meant her. Derek never was one to care what people thought of him.

Rosalie weighed her options, then decided that her family judged her anyways so why not have a good time?

In order to get through this hellish night, she’d have to be tipsy. Best start now.

Without a word of affirmation, she forewent her instilled manners and chugged the glass down in one long sip. Rosalie wasn’t normally a fan of champagne, unless it was Dom Perignon, which she realized made her sound like a total snob. It was the one thing that she’d inherited from her father, her expensive taste in food and drink. It seemed by the familiar, rich, and delicious taste of the bubbly that the cruise ship staff had only provided the very best for their VIP guests.

Rosalie searched for a place to set her glass, finding a nearby unoccupied table and gently depositing it there. She, quite literally, couldn’t afford to even chip one of the crystal goblets.  She stumbled back to Derek, who was waiting for her with an open arm.

“You ready for this?” he whispered in her ear, his breath hot on her neck. It caused unvoluntary goosebumps to crawl up her arms, which she prayed he didn’t notice.

Was she ready?

A part of her never would be. She’d purposely left this part of her life behind, knowing all too well how toxic it was for her mental health. But Rosalie knew if she backed out now, then the family would know that they finally got to her. They would think that she was still strung up and heartbroken about Drew, or jealous of her stepsister for getting the diamond that was meant for Rosalie.

And sure, she had been… once upon a time.

Moving back to Beacon Hills, reconnecting with normal people, people she loved more than her own blood relatives… it had put everything into perspective for her again.

Rosalie could once again be herself, be that strong woman that Talia Hale had raised to be when Rosalie’s own mother had fallen short. The strong, kind, generous, goofy, compassionate, empathetic woman with a mind of her own and a head on her shoulders. Not the ice queen, the submissive and serious woman that her father had tried to warp her into.

And for that, Rose was forever thankful.

She was different now, but exactly the same. And this version of her, with her closest confidantes by her side, wouldn’t cower in a corner.

Rosalie held her head high, meeting Derek’s gaze with a confident look in her blue eyes.

“Yes,” she declared, feeling her confidence rise.

“Good.”

“Lead the way, Prince Charming.”

Derek snorted and shook his head at the nickname, but complied and escorted Rosalie further into the room. She searched for a friendly face among the crowd. Normally, she’d be able to find Lydia by her head of bright red hair, but nearly half of the people in the room had some shade of red hair.

Thankfully, Rosalie didn’t have to look all that hard, as Charlotte came bounding up to her aunt, screaming, “Auntie Rosie! Uncle Derek!”

And suddenly, as the child wrapped her arms around one of Derek’s legs and one of Rosalie’s, all of the attention in the room shifted to the couple.

“Is that Rosalie?” her cousin Noah commented to the man next to him.

“Who the hell is that with her? Because dayum, I’d like to tap that ass,” Noah’s twin, Nick, said back.

“That has to be her friend,” Uncle Alex said to his wife, his lips around a glass of Scotch.

“Not with the way he’s holding her. Besides, did you hear her niece call him Uncle? How she managed that is beyond me,” Aunt Sarah replied, looking Rose’s companion up and down with hungry eyes.

Rosalie ignored all the talk, even though it seemed as if the crowd wasn’t even attempting to be discreet in their conversations.

She reached down to pat Charlotte’s blonde head. “Hey, honey! I missed you!”

Derek ruffled Charlotte’s curls playfully, to which the little girl pretended to be angry with him. But Rosalie could see the smile that she was hiding as Charlotte clutched the adults’ legs even harder.

“All right, all right, Charlie. Let’s let Auntie Rosalie and Uncle Derek breathe, yeah?” Rosalie’s brother, Levi, broke through the crowd, detaching his daughter from the couple and telling her to go on and play with her cousins.

As soon as the little girl was out of sight, Levi enveloping his sister in a hug. Derek held out his hand for a friendly shake, but Levi pulled him into an embrace as well, the two men patting each other fondly on the back.

“I’m digging the beard,” Derek approved, gesturing to Levi’s newly grown beard while rubbing his own.

“What can I say? I was inspired by yours. Although I have to say, mine looks a little better. Y’know, because it’s still all one color,” Levi joked, comparing his solid red scruff to Derek’s salt-and-pepper look.

Rosalie elbowed Derek in the side teasingly. “Yeah, you old man!”

Derek raised one brow and stepped away from Rosalie, crossing his arms. “Oh sure, call me old man one more time.”

Rosalie beamed up at him, wagging her own brows. “What would you rather me call you? Sugar daddy?”

With one fell swoop, Derek was pressed against her, fingers tickling the small expanse of visible skin on her waist. Rose squealed with laughter, trying in vain to pull away from him and begging for mercy.

Levi cleared his throat loudly, causing the couple to separate. Rosalie’s cheeks burned red at the embarrassing scene that she had been a part of. Surely her brother would tease her about it.

Instead, Levi looked a bit pissed.

“So, I guess my daughter didn’t dream up your engagement, then. This,” Levi gestured to Rosalie and Derek, “is really happening?”

Derek shifted his weight on both feet. Rosalie bit her lip and looked to the floor guiltily. She loved her brother. She really did. But she knew that Levi had loose lips, and he’d surely have one too many and (unintentionally) let slip the whole ruse. That, and Rose couldn’t take the disappointment from him.

“It’s about fucking time,” Levi added, sounding a lot more jovial. Rosalie’s and Derek’s heads shot up instantly, shocked at his comment.

Levi slapped Derek on the shoulder. “Bro, I am so glad you didn’t listen to me.”

“What’s he talking about?” Rosalie interrogated Derek.

Derek scratched the back of his neck and turned his head towards the large window next to them. Before he could explain, Jess, Levi’s wife, snaked her arms around her husband’s waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Lee was telling me all about how he’d threatened Derek with his guns if he even put his hands on you.”

Rosalie’s jaw dropped. Derek stayed unusually silent. “You gave Der the boyfriend talk?! When was this, big brother?”

Levi raised both hands in surrender. “In my defense, Derek was a horny college kid back then, and I was only trying to protect my little sister. You know the, um, milestones that come with prom night.”

The tapping of a mic interrupted their conversation, which Rosalie was thankful for since she was at a loss for words.

She’d remembered that night in question, fondly. It was the night that she’d realized that she’d had feelings for Derek. Rosalie’s then-boyfriend, Ryan, had dumped her a week before prom for another, more sexy, more experienced, girl. Rosalie was heartbroken, and had sworn off prom, until Derek had shown up on her doorstep in a suit with a pink corsage and a sparkling silver tiara.

She’d laughed, of course, at the reference to the childhood nickname. Then, she’d excitedly rushed upstairs to ready herself, leaving Derek at the mercy of one Levi Martin. Levi Martin, who had, apparently, threatened to cut off Derek’s balls and feed them to the family dog if he had even touched his baby sister in an inappropriate way.

(Levi was always… poetic when it came to his threats.)

Rosalie had hoped, prayed, that as Derek had driven her home in his black Camaro, that he would kiss her, to put a fairytale ending on a perfect night. Sure, he’d kissed her when he dropped her off at her front door… on the cheek, like a brother, or a best friend, might.

Rosalie had dreamt about that night for years afterwards, of what it would be like if he had actually kissed her.

_______________

“I’m sorry, Grandma Rose. I have to go rescue my fiancé from your dear grandson.”

Rosalie stood from the table, feeling a rush in her head for a few seconds. She was definitely tipsier than she thought.

Once Rose got her bearings, she strutted, barefoot, to Derek, who looked highly uncomfortable. With every inch that Nick advanced on Derek, the man backed a considerable distance away.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have an amazing ass?” Rosalie heard Nick flirt from paces away. The way that Nick was looking at Derek, the way that he was blatantly hitting on the man when Nick knew that Derek was taken, it unsettled something in Rosalie. Her vision turned red as she approached the two from behind, wrapping an arm around Derek’s waist.

“Hi Nick. Sorry, this amazing ass is mine.” Rosalie didn’t know what she was saying, didn’t really think through what she was doing. All she knew was that she was grabbing Derek’s right butt cheek with her hand, smiling smugly as Nick’s eyes widened.

Derek waited until Rose’s cousin scurried away before stiffly asking, “Rosalie, why are you grabbing my ass?”

Rosalie let go of Derek immediately, feeling as if she’d spontaneously combust in mortification. “I am, so, so sorry. I just kind of… he was ogling you and it made me mad. Like you’re gorgeous but you’re more than just a pretty face and an incredible ass.” Rosalie’s eyes widened at her word vomit, and now she definitely wanted to throw herself from the nearest balcony and test her drunken theory that she was secretly a mermaid.

“I… I need a drink.”

Derek turned to face her, a hint of a forming chuckle on his lips. “I think you’ve had enough of those, babe.”

Rosalie wished that she could slink away. She wished that someone would hit her in the head, and she’d wake up with amnesia. Maybe she could change her name and move to Antarctica? Yeah, that would be good.

Derek rolled his eyes, grabbing his best friend by the elbow and latching her hand back onto his arm. “I’m not mad at you, Rosalie. Feel free to grab my ass anytime if it makes you feel better.”

Rosalie tried to scowl, but the frown was turning upward with every second. “I hate you so much.”

Derek escorted the two back to Rosalie’s table, where Grandma Rose looked completely unimpressed with the whole shindig. Before they sat, he pulled Rose close and whispered, “I’ll let you grab my ass as long as I can grab yours.”

At that, he pulled out Rosalie’s chair and plopped her down, taking the one next to her. Rose was speechless. Did that actually come out of his mouth? Wait, did he actually want to grab her behind? Yep. Those were his words. Exactly.

Rose’s cheeks flushed a healthy shade of pink. Derek laughed at her slowly coloring face, to which she smacked him on the thigh under the table. Before she could remove her hand, Derek grabbed it and held it between the two of them.

“I always knew the two of you would end up together.” Grandma Rose said wistfully, looking at the couple with soft eyes.

You and everyone else, apparently. Everyone but Derek, Rosalie thought sadly, and tried to shove the painful pang in her heart.

“You know how I knew, Rosalie?” Grandma Rose shakily reached for her flute of champagne, taking a long sip. “I knew it when this one, this big, strong, handsome man,” the old woman reached for Derek’s free hand and patted it kindly, “punched my idiot son in the face at that party, after you got your master’s degree.”

Rosalie snickered at the memory. Jason and Derek had never gotten along. Jason thought Derek was ‘some jock who was too concerned with an unlikely career in basketball instead of his studies’. Derek thought Jason was a ‘pompous, cheating, scumbag, son of a bitch’. (Both quotes were their words exactly)

All of the building tension exploded when Jason had chosen to make a below-the-belt comparison between Rose and Ashleigh’s accomplishments. As if they weren’t celebrating Rosalie graduating from Columbia University, an ivy league, with a master’s degree, with the highest honors.

Derek had broken Jason’s nose. Jason had gotten a restraining order (his favorite defense tactic; it expired last year).

“I’m so sorry,” Derek told Rosalie’s grandmother, though he didn’t sound the least bit remorseful.

“Oh, sweetheart. It wasn’t like every sane person at that party wasn’t thinking the same thing. You were the only one brave enough to do it. Rose’s knight in shining armor.”

Derek’s face flushed red, a rare sight for a man with so much confidence.

“Rosalie, dear. I do have to warn you, Drew and Ashleigh are here.”

Rosalie sighed. She knew that they would be here. The pair had done a very good job at avoiding them; Rose wondered when they’d finally make it around her and Derek’s way. If Rose were lucky, maybe they’d just avoid her the whole trip. Only in her dreams…

“I know, Grandma. I—have you seen them yet?”

“Yes, I had the misfortune of running into both of them while yelling at your father for dragging his ninety-two-year-old mother on an extravagant trip. Do you know how long the plane flight was? Anyways, Drew called me ‘grandma’. You know what I told him, loves?”

Derek and Rosalie looked to each other, both knowing that it was probably something rude. Grandma Rose was Rosalie’s favorite relative, outside of her brother and Lydia. She was the most real of all of them. She spoke her mind and wasn’t afraid to let anyone know how she felt.

“I told him to go fuck himself.”

Derek choked on his glass of white wine. Rosalie smacked him on the back a few times, unable to hold in her shaking laughter.

“Yes, I told dear old Drew to go fuck himself. The only man that’s allowed to call me that is Derek. He doesn’t have his head up his ass. He sees how beautiful, wonderful, and deserving of love my real granddaughter is.”

All jokes aside, Grandma Rose’s words warmed Rosalie’s heart. At least one of the extended family members didn’t think she was a disgrace.

“Well, kids. Would you look at that? The pompous son of a bitch wants to go blab about himself. Someone should go tell him to shut up.”

Rosalie looked to the small stage at the front of the lounge. Sure enough, there was her father, Jason, dressed to the nines in a likely customized Hugo Boss suit, a pink Hibiscus sticking out of his breast pocket. Jason looked around at the crowd, clearing his throat to get the attention of his guests.

“Welcome, everyone! I’m so glad that you’re here and could join me on this fantastic excursion…”

Jason continued his schpeal and Rosalie tuned him out. He was likely talking about how great he was for paying for everyone’s accommodations, or how lucky they were to be spending time with him on this 1K-a-night cruise. Rosalie had heard it all before, multiple times, and she was sick of it, frankly.

What was it about rich people’s money that made them think that they were gods and should be treated as such?

Derek squeezed Rosalie’s hand hard, his nails digging into the back of her hand.

She looked to him in explanation, but he only nodded his head towards the stage.

Where Drew was shepherding Ashleigh up the steps, his hand resting on her backside.

“Yes, as I said, we have two exciting announcements that Evelyn and I could not wait to share with you tonight.”

 Jason looked fondly towards Ashleigh and Drew, who were now hobbling towards him. There were resounding gasps and excited squeals, but Rosalie could only focus on Drew.

Drew was still as handsome as the day that she had first met him. His blue eyes sparkled with confidence and charm. He’d grown a beard since Rosalie had seen him last, wafts of brown hair covering his strong jaw. He stood behind Ashleigh, his hands moving to rest on her stomach, and that’s when time stood still.

Because, under Drew’s lithe fingers, was a protruding bump. Rosalie, despite herself, couldn’t help the gasp that formed around her lips, nor the shaking of her hands.

Drew, when he was with her, had told Rosalie that he didn’t want kids. He’d had daddy issues too and didn’t want his offspring to grow up with a messed-up dad. Even though Rosalie desperately wanted a family, she was so in love with Drew that she’d put those dreams aside, for him.

Now, Drew stood proudly cradling his pregnant fiancée’s stomach as he spoke sweet nothings into her ear, looking thrilled to become a dad.

Derek squeezed Rosalie’s hand tightly, then removed it to wrap around her shoulders instead, nestling her into him. Derek’s lips brushed the top of Rose’s head, then her forehead.

“Fuck, Rosie. I’m so sorry. I… he didn’t deserve you. You’re better off without him. Do you want to go?” Derek whispered huskily in Rosalie’s ear, breaths coming out shallowly.

Rosalie didn’t need to feel the tenseness of his arm around her to know that he was pissed. She could tell just by the tone of his voice that he wanted to kill Drew.

Rosalie turned her head so that now her lips would be close to his ear. “I… I should have known. I—No, we need to stay. If I leave now, then Ashleigh and Evelyn will know that they’ve won, and I can’t let that happen.”

Rosalie rested her head on Derek’s shoulder, finding comfort in his embrace.

Someone kicked her leg under the table. Rosalie raised her head to look at Derek questioningly. His expression matched her own.

“Rosalie? Dear, are you here?” Jason called from the stage, his snake-like grey eyes checking the crowd for his daughter.

“She’s here, you pompous prick!” Grandma Rose yelled to her son, shoving Rosalie gently with a hand to her back. From a distance, Rosalie heard Stiles guffaw. She imagined that Lydia smacked him in the head while trying to control her own laughter.

Jason scowled, but ignored his mother, watching with a forced smile as his daughter and her ‘fiancé’ ascended the stairs. Derek had a tight hold around Rosalie, who had forgone her shoes in the shock of the moment. She leaned on him, both physically and metaphorically, for strength.

“Some more good news for my daughters. Somehow, someone managed to put a ring on my dear little Rosalie. Yes, it shocked us, too. Good on you, Derek!” Jason looked to Rosalie’s bare feet. “And it seems he doesn’t mind her habit for walking around barefoot. Welcome to the family, Derek Hale!”

Most of the crowd laughed, Evelyn and Ashleigh’s shrill merriment sticking out the most. Derek held Rosalie tighter. She bit the inside of her lip in an attempt to stay strong.

From Jason’s other side, Drew asked, “Wait. Isn’t that the guy who broke your nose?”

Derek rested his forehead on the side of Rose’s head, huffing into her ear “Yes. That was me. And if you don’t shut up, I’ll break your nose, too, you douche”.

That made her chuckle, and with his arms securely around her, Rose knew that she’d be alright as long as Derek was by her side.

[sweets-fanfics]

Homecoming 20

Title: It’s been a day

Word count: 2713

Warnings: Fucking Micah i guess, and dutch is goin’ crazy.

Tags: @rollyjogerjones

AN: This was going to be a lot longer but for your sake’s it’s being split into part 21 when my favorite side mission begins (Charlotte)

__________________

“You are mighty brave, Micah Bell. I could shoot you right now,” You clicked back the hammer and glared at him. 

“Aw well, you can’t do that.”

“And why not?” 

A gun clicked behind you, “Because he isn’t alone, Miss Van Der Linde.” Agent Milton added. “Get off the horse.”

“We are in the middle of the city, you want to do this now?” You ask as you put your pistol away and hop off of Suzie.

“We need to have a chat.”

“I already said I won’t work for you-” 

“That’s not what this meeting is about.” Milton cut you off. “You haven’t been a very well behaved lady since your husband’s return.”

“He came back yesterday. How have I fucked up so badly?” You ask sarcastically.

“Well one, you told Dutch.” Micah grinned. “But luckily your father is a complete idiot and trusts me unlike you.”

“You had two years on a godforsaken island to get in his head.” You mumble.

“And two, you are planning on leaving the gang,” Micah added over you.

Shit. He knew? Does that mean your father will know? “How the hell did you-”

“Oh, it’s obvious. You visiting your rich friends here in town. Morgan being hush hush and talking alone to Jonny Boy. You all want to leave. But I can’t let ya do that.”

“Why not?”

“Who knows what might happen to that little girl of yours…” Agent Milton hints making you reach for your pistol and aim it at him. Micah pulled out one of his and aimed it at you making you stop. 

“You don’t get to threaten her.” You growl. “I guarantee you’ll end up in the ground.” You put away your pistol and climb back onto Suzie.

“We aren’t done here, Miss Van-”

“It’s Mrs. Morgan, agent Milton. And we are done.” You glare at Micah, “This is your one chance to disappear forever. If I see you take a damn step towards my family, I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

“Why? Dutch trusts me more than he trusts you.”

You roll your eyes as you turn Suzie to leave, “Yeah, I only held this damn family together while ya’ll were gone.”

____________________

You rode into the new camp and hitched Suzie near Athena. You hadn’t meant to get to camp so fast, you wanted to get some distance from everything for a while but next thing you knew you were in camp. 

“Momma!” Bea’s voice ripped you from your thoughts as she waddled up to you and grabbed onto your leg. “Hi.” She mumbled.

“Hi baby,” You lifted her up and hugged her close to you. “Momma got lost.” You lied.

“Lost?” Arthur asked walking up. 

You smiled as he kissed your cheek, “Yeah… I guess I spaced out and next thing I knew I was lost.” You could tell Arthur knew you were bullshitting but he wasn’t going to ask now.

“Well let’s get you some stew.” He says as the three of you walk up to Pearson. 

As Arthur grabs two bowls you hear your father yelling. When you glance over you see it’s him yelling at Susan.

“What’s goin’ on?” You ask your husband.

“Someone smashed the donation box.”

“What the hell?” You watch as Dutch gets angrier and gets in Susan’s face calling her mean names. “He’s become such a nasty man.”

“What an awful thing to say about your own father,” Bill grumbles nearby where he’s eating.

“That’s so strange because I don’t believe I was talkin’ to you.” You say sweetly as you feed a bit of stew from your bowl to Bea.

“Maybe you should learn some manners?” Bill stood up.

As he walked over Arthur got between the two of you and glared at Bill, “Maybe you should go cool off, Bill.” Arthur's voice comes off as a threat.

“This woman has changed you, Morgan.”

“That woman is only thing keeping me from beating you right here and now so it be best you walk away right now.” Arthur’s voice was a low growl. It worked though because Bill backed up and walked away grumbling.

“Thank you, Arthur.” 

“Best you stay near me for a while,” Arthur says pushing you towards your shared tent to eat. 

___________

“I found her,” Uncle says making you glance up from your spot on the ground where you were combing Bea’s hair.

Uncle walked up with a very drunk Molly. After everything happened she would only stay in camp for a little bit from time to time but was out most of the time. You and Sadie always knew where she was but gave her her space.

“So nice of you to finally join us, Miss O’Shea.” Your father says sarcastically.

“I loved you, Dutch!” Molly slurs, “I gave you everything! Everything! And all I got was nothing!”

“Please calm down!” Dutch snaps. 

Bea turns and climbs into your arms as you stand. She hides her face in your hair as you move in to listen to them.

“...I told them!” You catch Molly say at the end of her sentence as you walk up. 

“What?” Dutch asks as the whole camp goes quiet.

“You heard me! I told them everything!” Molly slurred and pointed at Dutch.

Dutch pulls out his pistol but Arthur stops him, “Dutch, she ain’t worth it. She’s lost it.”

“You know the rules, Arthur!” Dutch warns.

“Why couldn’t you just love me back?” Molly asks.

“What did you tell them?” Dutch asks.

“Why couldn’t you just treat me with some god damn respect!”

“Woman, what did you say to them!” Dutch asks again getting louder. Bea at this point is squeezing your neck.

“I loved you-” A shot rang out making you jump and Bea and the other ladies let out a quick scream. You turn and look at Susan holding a shotgun.

“Susan!” You yell, angry.

“She knew the rules, Y/N.” You could feel yourself getting angry so you just turned away trying to calm a now crying Bea. “Mr. Williamson, burn her body.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” You say to Susan again. Instead of replying she only sighs and walks away as you watch Bill and the other men move Molly’s body.

You glance at Arthur as he’s racking his hands through his hair, equally as stressed out as you. He walks up and hugs you and Bea. “We’ll go soon,” He whispers so only you hear. You nod as Bea reaches for Arthur.

He instantly smiles and takes his daughter. “Wanna go look at the water before bed?” He asks her.

“Yes,” Bea replies instantly.

“Y/N, can I speak to you and Henry a moment?” Dutch asks as you begin to walk away with Arthur. 

You glance at your husband and give him a sad smile, “I’ll join you two in a bit.” He kisses you softly before walking away as you walked up to your father.

He was sitting in his tent with a book in hand, acting as if the woman he ‘loved’ wasn’t just shot in front of him. Henry steps up next to you and smiles at you.

“In times like this, I need you two to be my biggest supporters…” Dutch begins.

“You know we will always trust you a hundred percent, father,” Henry says without a second thought.

“Daughter, do you feel the same way?” He had noticed how you hadn’t looked up from your shoes. You glanced up at him. You could tell this was a test. 

“I… Am I allowed to be honest?” You ask.

“That’s all I want.”

“I think we are in over our heads at the moment. Someone was just killed in our camp before we were even able to see if she was telling the truth.” You look back at Molly’s blood still wet on the floor. “I used to have full faith in you, Pa. But something is different about you and it scares me.”

“Hm.” Is all he says.

“Y/N, you should really put more faith in him,” Henry speaks up. “He took us in when we lost everything.”

“Because one of his enemies burnt our house down.” You snap. “I don’t mean to be so upfront, but someone needs to be since Hosea is gone.”

“You can’t replace him.” You glare at Henry. “Just do your job and stand by our father. You have way too much freedom in my opinion.” Henry had never spoken to you this way. “You get too many ideas from the family you visit in Saint Denise.”

“What family?” Dutch asks.

“It’s nothing-”

“It’s Bronte’s son and his wife,” Henry answers over you. “She goes to visit them.”

“Only because they have a child Bea’s age.” 

As if you needed another excuse to be lectured a horse rode into camp making everyone lookup. And of course, it was Luca.

You hurry to him before anyone else can. But you hear your father stomping behind you. “Now is a really, really bad time.” You say as he hops off his horse.

“I have what you asked for.” He says giving Dutch a worried glance. Luca quickly slips the papers into your pocket and then pulls out a toy rabbit. “You said you had been looking for one like Nick’s, isn’t that right?” 

You smile in relief at Luca coming prepared with an alibi. “Uh… yes, of course.”

“Daughter, what’s he doing here?” 

“Oh, Pa, you remember Luca Bronte. His son has a toy that Bea was always fond of so he brought one for her.” You lie effortlessly.

“I hope I’m not intruding sir, I was in Annesburg for business and thought I’d drop it off on the way.

“Leave. And I better not see you here again.” Dutch says before giving you a dirty look and stomping back to his tent.

“He’s in a really bad mood.” 

“Are you and your family safe here?” You thought back to Micah and Milton threatening you earlier. 

“I have no choice at the moment…” You smile at him as he gets back on his horse. “We’ll have a playdate again soon.”

“You or Arthur let me know if you need a place to hide,” Luca whispers before riding off.

You turn around and Henry is standing close behind you. “Why did you tell him where the camp was?” 

You rolled your eyes and began walking to your tent, “I didn’t, I just said we are near Annesburg.” 

“Bullshit. You are single-handedly going to ruin this camp.” He spat towards you.

“Oh shut your mouth. Trying to act tough because you think Micah is your friend. You’re still the boy who didn’t know how to shoot a gun properly till we met these people.” You put the toy in Bea’s small bed before turning to look at Henry who was fuming. 

“You can’t speak to me that way.”

“Until you realize how dumb you are acting I will speak to you however I may please.” 

If it was possible. Steam would be coming out of his ears. “You need to learn your place-” 

You can tell the camp went silent as you smacked his cheek as hard as you could. “You are not the same brother I used to know.” You say in a low voice so the others couldn’t eavesdrop. “You’re more like Dutch than you are like Henry. I think it best we don’t talk for a while.” 

Henry rubbed his cheek and turned to walk away. You noticed that when Tilly ran up to check on him he swatted her away. She gave you a sad look before going to her tent with the other girls. 

You took a deep breath to compose yourself before heading down to the water where Arthur and Bea were. He smiled at you when he noticed you but it soon disappeared when he saw you quickly wipe your eyes.

“What did your father say to you?” He asked, getting angry. 

“It’s Henry. I’m used to Dutch but not used to how Henry is acting. He told Dutch about Luca Bronte and Dutch said stuff about Henry and I being his biggest supporters. Then Luca showed up to give me more papers he had found and Dutch saw him. Luckily he acted fast and acted as if he was giving me a toy for Bea.” You pulled the folded papers from your pocket and opened them. 

It was two properties, Beecher’s Hope down near Blackwater and an old apple orchard near Saint Denise and the Bayou. You had seen it from time to time but it always looked so well kept you didn’t know it was empty.

“Those the properties?” You nod to Arthur’s question.

“Land to make a ranch near Blackwater,” You eye Arthur who rolls his eyes to going near that town again. “And a place near Saint Denise, an old apple orchard. It’s a cute farm.”

“Well, we gotta think about it. Don’t very much feel safe going that close to Blackwater and I don’t want Bea near gators…” You smile at him before glancing at Bea who’s splashing in the water. You see a fisherman a bit a way down near the deeper part of the river who does not look happy about a toddler spooking all the fish.

“Charles asked me to help him with somethin’,” Arthur mumbles after a moment.

“Oh? Where you goin’?” 

“The natives at the Wapiti are having some issues. They asked if I can steal some papers for ‘em.”

“You are the best thief I know.” You tease. “I wanted to take Bea up to that big old waterfall.” 

“Uncle Arthur?” Jack says behind you both. You hadn’t even seen him walk up but you still smiled and acted as if he hadn’t surprised you. “Have You guys seen Cain and Bear?” 

You thought about it before realizing you hadn’t seen either dog. “Ah, I’m sure they are somewhere.” Arthur shrugs, “Maybe they are chasing squirrels.”

“I hope so.” Jack sighs.

“How about you play with Bea to take your mind off of it.” You suggest. Jack smiles and walks up to Bea who immediately splashes him. 

“Bear didn’t walk with you guys when you moved to this campsite?” You ask Arthur.

“Both dogs were here at first… I’m sure they are fine.” He looks up towards the sunset. “Are you takin’ Bea tomorrow?”

“Maybe. It’d be nice to give her a day away after… the events earlier.” Arthur nods in agreement. “Will you talk to John about the properties if you get a moment alone with him?” 

“I will.”

“You got my back, Arthur?” You ask him. He looks at you as if to see if this was a real question. But when he looks towards you all he sees is raw worry from how everything in the group was falling apart. He saw a pang of sadness in your eyes he had never seen before.

“Always, Y/N.”

_____________

You set off for the waterfall before Bea or the rest of the camp was even awake. Arthur had helped you wrap the sleeping toddler to your body before kissing you goodbye. You took your time riding through the forest. You always loved how it looked in the morning. Mist lightly covering the floor, animals running around. It was peaceful. 

“Change for the blind?” And old man asks, seemingly appearing from nowhere. 

“Oh, good morning sir.” You say to hide your shock.

“Help a blind man, Miss?” He asks again holding up an empty cup. 

“Of course,” You hop off Suzie carefully, to not wake Bea and put five dollars in his cup.

As you begin to turn he grabs your wrist with his bony hand. “Your family is seduced by the one with the forked tongue... it's no use hoping...” He says in a deadpan tone of voice.

“Oh… I’ll keep that in mind, have a good day sir.” You quickly climb back onto Suzie.

As you begin to trot off the man calls again, “Your daughter will follow the right star even if leaves her alone in the end.” You glance at him one more time wondering how he knew you had a daughter. “Please leave me now.” 

“Oh, sorry.” You mumble and ride off.

[bookwormdeen]

Requests Open

Requests Open

Hello!

These can be pairing with Reader, OC (fanfic or one-shot) or just one-shot without pairing (just the character).

I do dates special (b-days, Christmas, etc)

Smut (Only in some cases), Dark themes: Allowed.  I like polemic, yes! Feminism, Gender questions, Politic, Health. All of it. The world is a lot of things, writing has to be too. Plus, art is here to help.

I value things that run from stereotypes or cliche. So your character can be LGBTQI +, Black... Anything really. I don’t wanna just white perfect characters. I want different.  Because different is far more challenging and fun to write.

I am taking requests with the following characters:

TV Shows

Daredevil: Foggy Nelson; Benjamin Poindexter, Matt Murdock, Vladimir Ranskahov

The Originals: Kol, Klaus, Elijah

Vampire Diaries: Damon, Kai Parker

Vienna Blood: Max Liebermann

The Punisher: Billy Russo.

The Witcher: Jaskier, Cahir, Lazlo

The Order:Hamish Duke, Randall 

Justified: Tim Gutterson

Limitless: Bryan Flinch

Ragnarok: Fjor Jutul, Laurentis

Dark: Jonas, Magnus Nielsen

Peaky Blinders: Thomas Shelby, Michael Gray

Amazing Spider-Man: Ben Reilly (Scarlet Spider), Peter Parker, Alistair Smyte, Miles Morales

A Discovery of Witches: Marcus Whitmore 

Merlin: Merlin, Arthur, Mordred, Gwaine, Lancelot

Grimm: Nick Burkhardt

Good Wife: Cary Agos, Finn Polmar

Star Trek: Spock, Khan, James Kirk, *Data

Dusk Till Dawn: Richard Geko, Seth Gecko

Glee: Sam Evans

Scream: Noah Foster, Gustavo Acosta, Eli Hudson, Will Belmont

Hannibal: Hannibal Lecter

Money Heist (La Casa de Papel): Berlim

The Good Doctor: Shaun Murphy, Neil Melendez, Alex Park

Castlevania: Adrian Tepes, Trevor Belmont

Clone Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker

Sex Education: Otis, Adam Groff, Eric

Movies

Marvel: Loki, Bucky (Winter Soldier), Peter Parker, Sam Wilson, Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange, Quicksilver, Black Panther, Harry Osborn

DC: Bruce Wayne, Scarecrow, Joker

Ex Machina: Caleb Smith

Riot Club: Miles Richards, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Guy Bellingfield, James Leighton

1917: Blake, Scholfield

Narnia: Edmund Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Caspian 

Hobbit: Legolas, Thorin, Thranduil 

Fantastic Beasts: Newt Scamander, Theseus Scamander

6 Underground: 4, 6, 7

HP: Draco Malfoy

Game of Thrones: Robb Stark

Maze Runner: Newt, Gally

Characters 

Iron Fist Austen: Mr Darcy, Mr Tilney, Sidney Park, Frederick Wentworth

Noah Centineo

PS: Here are listed only man but you can ask woman too (I don’t know which ones to put, there are much more than these ones).

Ships

Crossover ships are accepted too!

Davina x Kol

Mr Darcy x Elizabeth

Mr Tilney x Catherine Morland

Anne x Gilbert

Sidney Park x Charlotte

Matt Murdock x Karen Page

Billy Russo x Krista Dumont

Amy March x Laurie

Rich Gecko x Kate Fuller

Anastasia x Dimitri

I love AUs and crossovers: like HP meets Narnia, or something like that. Ask about Actors are good too. 

Free Stories 

These ones I pretend to write more of it or remake it. These will be long fanfics. Feel free to share ideas. If you want a one-shot involving these TV shows or movies is good too. 

Obs: Some of them may be only in my Wattpad account. * @lucy_beau

The Alienist; Dirk Gently; Northanger Abbey; Sherlock, Sanditon; The Adventures of Tintin; Chained; Fallet; Ripper Street; Byzantium, Jumanji; Carrie Pilby; Vallerian; The Name of The Rose, Crimpson Peak; Revenge; Red Sparrow; Hookup Plan; The Ottoman Lieutnant

Free Ask:

Saw a thing and want a fanfic? Send me the idea. The movie is bad but could be good? Let’s write it. Want a prompt but can’t write? Maybe I can do it. Send it to me!

Free fanfics or stories have a limited number of chapters: 20.

Obs: I don’t do terror. Horror? Yes. 

SEND!!!!

If you want to be in my TAGLIST, say.

Need some help getting ideas? Look here: Prompts

[slxrpindust]

Labor on That Midnight Wire

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Rating: M

Archive Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Relationships: Molly/Alastor, Angel Dust/Husk, Charlie/Vaggie— mentioned, Arackniss/Salem, Lucifer/Lilith — mentioned

Characters: Angel Dust, Molly, Arackniss, Alastor, Husk, Salem, Henroin, Lucifer, Minor Character(s)

Additional Tags: Non-Consensual Drug Use, Alternate Universe — Royalty, Alternate Universe — Nobility, Mentioned Character Death, Hurt No Comfort, Angst, No Happy Ending, Non-Graphic Violence, Fade-to-Black Sex, Conflict No Resolution, Incomplete, Viva la Revolución

It’s a classic European royalty AU, with King Lucian, Queen Lilith and Princess Charlotte. Varona (Vaggie) is Charlie’s Lady in Waiting but they have been secretly courting each other for quite some time now. (Unfortunately this is just the B plot and I don’t have much planned for it.)

Our focus will primarily be the House of Cadaverini: Marquis Henry Cadaverini and his late wife Marchioness Clementine, and their three lovely children, the Lord Nicholas, the Lady Maria, and the Young Lord Angelo.

Nick is the perfect heir. Upstanding young man, handsome, does what he’s told, handles quite a few of the House’s duties, helps maintain good relations with neighboring lords... the usual. In fact, many suspect that he will be betrothed to the Princess come year’s end.

Lady Maria is the talk of the land for her beauty and grace, but mostly her sharp wit. Normally ladies are expected to be prim and proper, and while she is, she has also never hesitated to cut a man down with her words... Many a rumor about what lucky lord will be able to “tame” that lady into a proper wife... Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening any time soon, since Henry is soft on her, his only daughter who reminds him of his wife so much; he’s given her the liberty of rejecting any suitor that comes before her and she does so gleefully.

And lastly.. of course, the Young Lord, Angelo. He is much more reckless than both of his siblings, and tales of his escapades travel far. He’s a heartbreaker, said to be able to woo anyone woman in the land. Although it would seem his tastes lie with the gents.. and is also exceptional at challenges of the equestrian variety. While beloved by many, much of the older Nobility find him disgraceful, due to his blatant disrespect and unwillingness to perform the duties expected of him. As you can tell the House is quite the popular topic for gossip.

Now one day, Lord Angelo and Lady Maria are out for one of their rides, (another thing she shouldn't be doing but WELL..) and they come across a hovel of a building.. Never noticed it because they never come out this far..... and it's so creepy it's like an above ground graveyard or a mausoleum or something..... there are coffins EVERYWHERE.... some open... some, more disturbingly, closed. This is where they meet the estranged Alistair who has.. no last name? Despite Angelo’s distrust, Maria seems to be immediately intrigued by this strange man... the first able to keep up with her Wit, following along with every twist and turn and giving as good as he got.

[ Interaction Interlude:

“So... Alistair...... What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a Carpenter! :)”

“..... who only makes coffins?” :doubt:

“................... Correct! :)” ]

Eventually, Angelo has had enough and is like “Alright let’s go!” And Maria seems frustrated by this but she agrees anyway.. they leave but even as they do both Alistair and Maria know... She’ll be back.

And she is! She starts to visit Alistair more and more often, all alone as well, which is extremely unacceptable for a woman of her status. And before they know it they’ve begun their own private little courting dance that neither will admit to. And thats. Main Plot Part A.

MEANWHILE IN MAIN PLOT PART B.... While Maria is off on her secret dates, which Angelo knows about and is begrudgingly been covering her for... Angelo actually has to go out since he’s supposed to be out with Maria. And he finds his time occupied at this kind of shitty smithy which is clearly for low income peasantry and thus. Absolutely NOWHERE he should be spending his time... Which is why he likes it so much. :))) And it’s there that he meets the gruff and burdensome blacksmith who offers no name. It’s fine though. Angelo doesn’t need a name to flirt. And this blacksmithy is cute under all that dirt and grime He Knows It. Unfortunately the Smith doesn’t seem to like the Young Lord at all, which is also fine. Angelo’s certain he can crack him eventually. No one can resist Lord Cadaverini. They go back and forth for months.. Angelo learns that people call the smith Husk... he likes the name. Eventually the man seems less genuinely irritated and more begrudgingly annoyed. Angelo can tell. The smith enjoys his company he just won’t admit it. Especially to himself. Finally one day, Angelo is actually getting on Husks nerves but he can’t even tell. The Lord is a bit oblivious to when people are legitimately mad at him, since he’s so used to mindlessing pushing people’s buttons. What pushes it over the line though, is Angelo asking why Husk is always smithing weapons especially since there's no way there could be that much demand for such a simple low class smithy... yet he’s always working. Husk snaps, although Angelo doesn’t know why, and he sends the lord away.

So! While his siblings have been gallivanting about, making poor examples of the Cadaverini House, Nicholas has been the one thing trying to hold their damn reputation together. Honestly the only reason that the Cadaverini haven't fallen in standing with the other Noble Houses is because the elders have faith in Nicholas to uphold the legacy and their beliefs in what nobility should be. He’s their last bastion of hope. They’d already given up on Angelo, and with each year unwed, they lose faith in Maria as well. In fact, prospects for House Cadaverini Look brighter than ever, since rumors say that Nicholas and the Princess will be wed.

Nick pays no mind to the rumors. Which is a real shame because he is woefully unprepared when Henry comes to inform him that yes, he has talked to King Lucien and he and Charlotte will be wed in December.

You see... Nicholas has not been the perfect son that everyone believes he has. He has a lot of duties for the kingdom; one of which is “maintaining foreign relations” a position that requires him to report directly to the king, making him Quite the Reputable and Important figure…

On paper, Hel is supposed to be fostering positive relations with its neighboring country, Locasta. However, under the surface King Lucien is planning a Coup, and intends to have his brother, Apollyna assassinated. In order to achieve this, Nicholas has been appointed as his Locastan Envoy, and is expected to spend long trips in the other country integrating himself into their Nobility, establishing a close relationship, and eventually learning trade military secrets. So Nick has spent his time trying to get into Count Caius Costello’s good graces. Although of lower rank, he is in charge of one of Locasta’s fiercest regiments. The plan was to use his status as a Lord and future Marques of Cadaverini House to garner a seat at Costello’s table. Then he would endear himself to the Count’s Sister, Salem, and use her as a pathway to receive information... Unfortunately... Things didn’t work out quite as planned.

Salem is smart as a whip, and just as quick and vicious. She pulls Nick off to the side of the stables one day, and before he can defend himself, she has him pinned to the wall with a knife to his throat. It’s almost shameful how easily she reads him, he’s like an open book before her. It’s impressive, but Nicholas still has a mission. So he lies through his teeth and waves his position around as though it were a white flag, and even though she doesn’t seem to believe him at ALL, she lets him go. He has a point after all... Killing someone of his status WOULD be a declaration of war, which is exactly what King Lucian would want. Her hands were tied.... for now. But the moment Nick slipped up, and he would slip up, she’d be there, sword at the ready. And he knew it. And he liked it.

He wouldn’t call it courting.. .that’s too formal. Too normal. Too acceptable. He spends the time in Locasta... pursuing Salem. And he spends his time in Hel missing her company. It’s a miracle his siblings haven’t noticed his lovesick longing, but he supposed that for once they were too busy doing whatever to be prying into his life. And for that he was thankful.

Back in Hel, Angelo has been... Sulking. To put it plainly. Maria’s been off with her new beau.... Nicholas has been off being Stupid Perfect Son Nicholas. And he’s been fucking alone because Husk hates him now and never wants to see him again and he doesn’t even know why. And this house is big and empty and it just makes him lonely upset and mad and lonely. And it’s on one of those lonely days in an empty house that the monotony was broken. Broken by a concerned servant, who requires the assistance of the Lord of the House and since Angelo is the only one there well... that task falls to him. Apparently there is a weaponsmith at the front gate and he is quite adamant that the Lord come see his wares. So Angelo makes his way to the front of the grounds and who does he see but. Husk. The young lord is immediately on guard; the last time they met they didn’t part on good terms after all. He debates just sending the man away but Husk asks that he please hear him out and well.... he quite likes the frump so... he invites him in.

[They make up. They fuck.] Funnily enough, it isn't until they're in bed that Angelo learns the man’s name... Hadrian Cabot... it was a good name. (And thank god his mother was already dead because had she heard of this she might have died again.) But Angelo demands one more thing from him. If he’s going to stay in his life then Hadrian will have to be honest about what set him off that day in the smithy. He doesn’t seem like he wants to share but after looking at Angelo’s face again it seems to break him down a little. He explains his... checkered past.... and the fact that until Angelo he’d always hated Nobles... and in fact he still hates 99% of them. Which makes Angelo laugh, knowing he's the 1%. And he doesn’t fault the smith for that; as a lord he could attest, Nobility, including himself tbh, were all AWFUL people. But then Hadrian tells him something that he can’t just brush off.. He tells him of a plot, an uprising in Hel. People are banding together, they know that King Lucian is power hungry and tyrannical and fear that a war they don’t want is on the horizon. It’s made the people restless and some have decided to lash out before he gets the chance to strike. That’s why he was always crafting weapons. He owed the guy who has become the unofficial leader of the revolution.. they’d worked together in the past and the reason Hadrian lashed out was because he hadn’t wanted to get Angelo involved. Angelo could understand why. He knew what revolution entailed. Heads would roll. Heads like his. He could understand why Hadrian didn’t want to get close to him. Not if he would be partially responsible for his death in the future. But even still something about the story unsettled him. This guy that Hadrian was indebted to... What was his name? Who is leading this revolution?.... Angelo wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. But he had to ask.

LET’S CHECK ON MOLLY HUH??? —

Alright! It seems that for Maria, her lovelife has been sailing far easier than either of her brothers. Alistair is fantastic. He actually engages her, he’s interested in the things she has to say, appreciates her mind instead of her breasts. It’s such a relief after wasting so much time with those bastards in the court. They get along quite well. It’s refreshing. She’d been making trips out to visit him once or twice a week at this point, just glad to have someone outside of her brothers that she could consider an actual friend. ((It’s not like she could just make informal housecalls to see the princess when ever she wanted, even if they were friends)) Someone who she could just be herself around, even if he was just odd. She could tell him her passions about the medical field, and he would in turn talk about his hunting escapades. She learned that although he made a number of coffins for work he also found an unexpected pleasure in the art. It soothed something in him, brought him to peace with death both future present and past. Maria didn’t quite understand it, but she respected it well enough. It was a day like any other, they’d been having tea and Alistair was in the process of explaining ‘taxidermy’ when Angelo burst in. He looked ragged and distressed and he wasn’t breathing right... It set Maria on edge.

His eyes looked so wild, darting back and forth every few seconds to look at Alistair, as if taking his eyes off him for a second would be catastrophic but also desperate to ensure that his sister was unharmed and in one piece. It took a few seconds to realize that between his reedy breathing and panicked gasps he was trying to speak, but it was all rushing together so quickly that it was incomprehensible. Maria immediately went to his side, assuming the worst. Thankfully it seemed that having her in arms reach helped to calm him, if only a little. During all the stress and concern, she hadn’t even noticed the man who followed Angel in, slightly out of breath. But thankfully Alistair did. He immediately took control of the situation, as if he were born to lead. It was a bit unexpected, but not unwanted, although again Maria and Angelo seemed to be out of sync with that thought. He instructed everyone to have a seat, and began to prepare tea for everyone as he tried to explain to Angelo that no one would be able to understand him until he calmed down and that the tea would help. The young lord didn’t seem to agree with him but eventually was cajoled into drinking by his sister and his... beau. He wished he hadn’t.

Within minutes he felt calm. Too calm. His tongue felt like lead in his mouth, every blink came slow and heavy, and suddenly the teacup had the weight of an anchor sitting in his hands. He wasn’t tired, it just felt that he was underwater. Every movement came, but it came sluggish like the drip of molasses off a wooden spoon. He wanted to glare, to yell and accuse Alistair for his misdeeds, but the very thought of lifting his head seemed like a monumental task, so very far beyond him. Thankfully, his sister was no fool, and immediately noticed something was wrong. Everyone was just too relaxed for the situation at hand. She turned to confront Alistair but he just responded with the same smile he always did, asking that she refrained from being swept away in her own emotions and that she hear his explanation. She didn’t know if she wanted to, but the sight of her brother, nearly comatose and in the arms of a stranger, left her with little choice now didn’t it? And she didn’t hesitate to point that out.

Thankfully, Alistair didn’t waste time on contrivances, and was quick to explain himself. He explained that while yes, it was coincidence that they happened upon his humble abode that fateful day, it was always part of the plan to “make contact” with the Cadaverini heirs. And yes, he meant Kidnapping. But thankfully he realized that day, there was no need to resort to such methods because Maria was an intelligent woman and surely would see his logic. He had no intention of hurting either her or her brother, he simply needed them as a means to an end, and it just so happened that if she would willingly agree to his cause that would only make things much easier. At that point, he details his entire plan to her; a move some might consider foolish, but when questioned he assured that he held no doubt in his mind that Maria would not betray him. It burned her inside to know that he was right. He explains the role that she and her siblings are to partake in this game of his and that is when she has had enough. She needs to know. Is that all this was to him? A game? Alistair is excited, he can tell by her calm demeanor that he’s already won her over, had he not he may have been in actual danger, and the thought has made him giddy. He’s prancing about the house, making changes to their plans to accommodate their new accomplices when he registers the question. “A game? Why of course not, Dear Maria! I’ve always considered you a good friend.”

She didn’t know if that answer made her feel better.. or worse.

[motherofbulldogs]

Forget the girls, it's simmering tensions between brothers William and Harry that are at the heart of the frostiness between the two royal power couples

EXCLUSIVEBy Emily Andrews, Royal Correspondent7th December 2018, 10:15 pmUpdated: 8th December 2018, 11:25 am

Oh, Emily! When are you going to learn you’re a fool for doing Meghan’s bidding??

FOR two weeks all eyes have been on the “difficult relationship” between royal wives Meghan and Kate.

But today the Sun can reveal the simmering tensions between brothers William and Harry are at the heart of the frostiness between the two couples.

After we told exclusively how Harry and Meghan are moving to Windsor because they “don’t want to live next door to William and Kate” we can now unveil the “Fab Four’s” other issues, such as:

HARRY accusing Wills of trying to “wreck his relationship” with Meghan after he voiced concerns over her;

MEGHAN feeling rebuffed when she tried to befriend Kate;

RIVALRY between the brothers’ over palace appointments, and;

 HARRY’S desire to protect his wife at all costs after not being able to do so for Princess Diana.

From being young boys united in grief to building Britain’s modern monarchy together, the brothers could not have been closer.

Until now.

For insiders say it is problems between them, dating back to when Meghan, 37, appeared on the scene, that are fuelling the fallings-out.

And Harry’s over-protectiveness of his wife — and refusal to see reason — is the main cause of the chasm.

As one courtier told me: “It’s my opinion that Harry feels he couldn’t protect his mother, so he’s going all out to protect his wife.

“This is his way of atoning.

“He will brook absolutely no criticism of Meghan — and he is so sensitive he often sees criticism or negativity where there isn’t any.”

Using the memory of mummy dearest when all other PR strategies fail....

Of course, the brothers have locked horns before. William, 36, was said to be furious with Harry, 34, for getting caught on camera stripping in a Las Vegas hotel room six years ago.

Can you blame William, though? Harry was old enough to know better...

And their teasing about everything from who’s the most bald to the better soldier has always been rife.

But they always turned to each other when times were tough — the only people who could truly understand their lives.

The first hint of friction came after William was introduced to Meghan, 37, when she was staying at Kensington Palace.

Once she’d returned home to Canada, Wills sat Harry down for a chat — meant as brotherly advice.

He knew Harry was already head-over-heels for the US star but wanted him to take it slowly.

A well-placed source said: “William told his brother they knew nothing about her background, her intentions, what she was really like.

“He just wanted to stress that becoming part of the Royal Family is a massive undertaking and the pressure and scrutiny is unrelenting. Was Meghan the right one?”

The chat did not go down well.

“Harry went mental,” said the friend. “He accused his brother of trying to finish his romance before it had begun. The brothers’ relationship has not really recovered.”

The Sun understands other senior members of the family also “had concerns” and voiced them to Harry.

As one courtier cautiously volunteered: “A lot of people in the family objected. Who really knows what the concerns were? Was it Meghan’s background? Her father and dreadful half-sister? Because she was an outspoken American? Divorced?

So, all the rumors of the BRF having concerns about the rushed engagement last year and before were true!

“Harry stood up for Meghan very forcibly. He really loves her.”

Meghan also faced some opposition from the Middleton family, who didn’t want to invite her to Pippa’s wedding last May. They feared Meghan’s first public appearance with Prince Harry would overshadow the bride’s big day.

Eventually she was asked but chose only to go to the evening do.

Meghan “chose only to go to the evening do,” or was only invited to the evening do?? Nice spin there, Ms. Andrews. 

So it was no surprise that when she moved to London last November — and her engagement to Harry was announced — she was desperate to make things work.

She hoped that in Kate, another “outsider” who had navigated the choppy waters with aplomb, she would find a natural best friend.

But Kate, 36, was recovering from terrible morning sickness in her pregnancy with Prince Louis and was busy with George, now five, and Charlotte, three.

A royal source said: “Meghan hoped Kate would show her the ropes. But, equally understandably, Kate was busy. She didn’t have as much time for her as Meghan would have liked. They were at very different places in their lives.

“Meghan felt quite let down. She had really tried but felt rebuffed, and so just stopped trying.”

Meghan felt rebuffed... all these stories about her not listening and being demanding simply just aren’t true! It’s Kate’s fault!

Harry did not take this lightly and spoke to William about making Meghan feel welcome. William, of course, took his wife’s side — after all, she was following his lead.

In February, the Fab Four appeared on stage together for the first time to talk about their Royal Foundation charitable work.

Host Tina Daheley asked them: “Working together as a family, do you ever have disagreements about things?” Cue nervous laughter.

Meghan looked down, Kate fiddled with her hair and they left it to William, who answered with a very direct: “Oh yes.”

Harry then joked that there are so many clashes that “they come so thick and fast.” When asked if they’d been “resolved”, Wills jokingly replied: “We don’t know!” Could he have been thinking about Harry’s new role as a youth ambassador for the Commonwealth? Wills’ nose was reportedly put out of joint when the Queen gave the plum job to his brother instead of him.

Afterwards William had to be cajoled into doing anything for the Commonwealth, say courtiers.

But aides point out that if he’d wanted to veto Harry’s appointment, he could have done so. However, the tension didn’t help matters, coming as it did before May’s Royal Wedding.

Ah, yes, William, future Prince of Wales and likely future Head of the Commonwealth, is jealous of Harry’s made up position of Commonwealth Youth Ambassador....

Meghan’s father Thomas Markle was about to pull out of walking his daughter down the aisle after it was revealed he had posed for paparazzi pictures. Calm but collected, Meghan decided her team should say nothing publicly and cut him off.

However, William — having lost his mum — couldn’t understand ignoring a parent, whatever they’d done. He thought Meghan was making a mistake.

Even Charles, who dotes on Meghan, asked a senior member of his staff to intervene. But the policy stands and The Sun understands she has still not spoken to Thomas.

Meghan is said to be far less intimidated by the royals than might be supposed. At a recent gathering of senior family members, including Meghan, one well-placed aide remarked: “All their IQs put together would not equal hers.”

She and Harry have started spending less time at Kensington Palace after taking possession of a Cotswold farmhouse in the spring.

The bolthole is used to entertain friends like Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas — now her husband — Serena Williams and George and Amal Clooney.

William and Kate also swerved a board meeting oft he Royal Foundation this week, leaving Harry and Meg to go alone.

They also missed the Christmas Party, with one insider saying: "it 'was a shame' they didn't attend."

The source added: "Not only were Harry and Meghan there, but they went to the staff Christmas party afterwards.

"It was a very jolly affair. It's a shame that William and Catherine did not turn up.'"

Then Wills and Kate turned down an invite to the Castle of Mey with Harry, Meghan and Charles in June. And while the Cambridges holidayed with Zara and Mike Tindall, Peter and Autumn Phillips and their kids at Balmoral in August, Harry and Meghan were absent.

[jumphq]

Post-Mortem, Sparrow Tour 2018

This was a month that felt like four months. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean that in the amazing way that doing all sorts of brand-new things and being very much in the moment seems to slow down time. There are articles written about this phenomena, actually: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201705/how-slow-down-time. According to this article, the reason September went by so freaking meaningfully is that we were bombarding ourselves with Firsts. First big tour in support of Sparrow. First time in a long time heading back to the Northeast and Midwest. First time I had to add an actual keyboard to the list of instruments I bring on stage, and within that one instrument there were dozens of sounds I had to reproduce. Etcetera, etcetera.

We worked hard. I don’t know if it’s readily ascertainable that being in a rock and roll band is tons of work by looking at one. It’s fun work, usually, but has its moments of being very intense. Especially when a new album comes out. There is radio to do in the mornings, interviews scattered during the day, loading in and out of venues, and we added soundcheck meet & greets that meant that once we arrived in a city, we were going to be working from then until show, basically.

It’s so fulfilling, though. I am the kind of person that works hard, all the time. I push and push myself (sometimes for no seeming reason), and am frustrated and disappointed with myself when I don’t get enough done. I would be classified as a “type-A” person, and I don’t mind. But sometimes I’m just working on “things” that I’m not as passionate about. An eight hour day of working on something I’m not emotionally connected to is much more tiring than working sixteen hours a day on something I believe in and care about. Being in JLC is that kind of job.

We needed every second that we had to put this tour together. These new songs are hardto play. There is so much going on in each and every song on Sparrow. Not necessarily more than on earlier recordings, but keep in mind that we never had to re-learn songs after other albums; we had been playing them live forever before we got to the studio and didn’t change them much after. There has always been a “live version” and a “studio version” of early Jump songs.

Not this time. Jay spent a crazy amount of time accessing the original recording files and turning his voice and Ward’s cello parts into samples that I could play on the keytar. While Evan didn’t really want to play to tracks, he add some electronic drums to his repertoire to approximate some of the parts live. Ward brought two guitars on tour for the first time, and Johnny played not only electric bass but a beloved new Moog Phatty. It was complicated, felt a little bit fragile, at first, but once we got the hang of things it was fun.

Hurricane Florence, while not visiting Charleston, still brought chaos to the city. There was anxiety felt wondering whether we’d be hit and how that would affect our practice. Shops and roads started closing down and we made a move so the entire band could be close by in case of flooding. In the end we were very very lucky, but there were still repercussions for us. We were trying to fulfill our PledgeMusic items, to get them sent out before tour, but this didn’t happen because mail basically shut down in NC, SC, and GA. This put us a full week behind, and we spent the rest of the month trying to catch up on many things.

Even in the last few days of rehearsal we were all feeling a bit overwhelmed. We camped out at the Footlight Player’s Theatre and the goal was to have a “listening party”, a final rehearsal before we hit the road, and that night, to be honest, I was not ready. Lyrics weren’t memorized and I had to think way too much about parts and how to play them. We were being hard on ourselves, though, and the response was so encouraging afterwards I didn’t mind spending the rest of that week’s dinner breaks to get in some extra practice so that the songs could feel comfortable.

Once the shows began, a quick weekend to some of our favorites: Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia, where we were starting to find our groove. Raleigh, though, and the Lincoln Theatre, was a special surprise. It was Sunday, we hadn’t had a day off in three weeks, we were exhausted. It wasn’t the largest crowd we’ve played to, but that show was so much fun. People there were there to have a good time, and it put us into overdrive. Thank you so much, Raleigh.

The next leg was in the Northeast (and DC, where I insulted many a mid-Atlantic inhabitant). We hadn’t been there in fifteen years, but every show was sold out or nearly so, and that made us feel so great. These shows were our first of the City Winery gigs, and they were good to us. Great sound, great food. There were many highlights, for me, up North. We had a duo of ASL interpreters in DC that had mad sign-singing skills, and were more fun to watch than we were. Our show at Le Poisson Rouge made us feel so sexy to sell out such a great place in the Big Apple. Performance-wise, the NYC show was my favorite performance-wise; I felt really “on” that night. The super-intimate punk-rock feel of Union Pool in Brooklyn was refreshing after the lovely but slightly clinical City Wineries. We had to put Wardie in a corner to fit on stage, and many Dirty Dancing jokes were necessary. Our old pal the Mommyheads came to play with us, and they were as good as they were 20 years ago. Lots of our fans came just to see them that night and I didn’t mind at all. We had a lovely evening off with three people that pledged for the album and got to go to a Dr. Who-themed bar with us. The trio couldn’t have been more interesting and fun to hang out with: the professional bassoonist, the research monitor, and the Facebook developer. Loved that evening, and Ward got to show off his hipster Brooklyn knowledge by taking us to great places for dinner and dessert.

And Chicago! My kind of town. Chicago was a big deal for me personally, because I knew that the audience was going to be made up of a lot of friends and family that had never seen the band before, never seen me in that light, literally. I was a little nervous about that show, and I rarely get nervous. I also wanted very much for Chicago to be the show that was 100% accessible to the d/Deaf and hard of hearing. City Winery worked so hard with me to provide CART real-time captioning for all the goofy stuff we said in-between songs. And the captioning of the lyrics was provided by my other passion job, CaptionPoint, built by my wife Lindsay and run by my dear friend Lora. It was even more successful than I had hoped, the captions looked great on both sides of the stage. It was the first time Lindsay had ever been able to fully experience a JLC show; I am sure that our stage patter was absolutely worth the wait.

Wow. As I’m writing this I realize again how relatively short the tour was: after Chicago there were only three more dates. But it felt like we did so much. We saw so many of you, talked to everyone as long as we could and took pictures. The “soundcheck parties” were so fun for us. Seeing everyone again was energizing, to me. I wished at times that I could have spent more time. You said such wonderful, heartfelt things, things that I heard very clearly and appreciated completely. I am honored that this band and music and community has meant so much to you over the years; you mean everything to us. When people told me that they liked Sparrow I knew they were telling the truth and not just making conversation. Nothing could have made us happier. Like I said: fulfilling.

Athens was a highlight: we hadn’t seen the GA Theatre since it burned in 2009. The renovation was beautiful. They managed to keep the vibe of the place while making it all so much…better. But the fans in Athens have always been a special breed and we could have played on the streets if that was the only way to get to them. In the new GA Theatre we didn’t have to.

And finally, the Charleston Music Hall. Our new home. Our new “Dock Street”, a place that just makes us feel like the chamber-pop stars we are. We will see you soon, CMH.

This post is a marathon. If you’ve gotten this far, you must be a fan of the band, so I appreciate it. I want to thank many people for making this tour and this year possible, because…contrary to pop belief, we are not a famous rock band with loads of cash and there were many many donated hours that made this tour work.

Our manager Vance’s sidekicks on the Crew were Nick Stewart, the Ultimate Intern, hazed by his boss into oblivion and seemed to love every minute. He sold you tee shirts this time, but he’s going to be running something big someday. Herbie Jeffcoat, monitors and front-of-house, the sweetest “country boy” (his words, but also true) you could want on your team. Especially funny this time was hearing Herbie converse in his potent Southern accent with the FOH in Boston with a potent accent of his own. Translators were required.

Mike Rogers: what a treat it is to have gotten to know you both as a professional sound engineer and family member. I think that if Dad and your Mom had a reason to work with each other growing up like Evan and I have with you, our families would be closer than they are. Let’s keep working at it.

Alison Kendrick! The person that would be sooo bad at being a ninja because she simply wouldn’t be able to be quiet because life is just SO MUCH FUN and worth every giggle: thank you. Teasing aside, Alison is a complete and utter professional, a doer but more importantly a Problem Solver, and I truly would not have been able to do all the things internet-related without you. Thank you for being a mentor and a real friend. If you’d like to work with Alison yourself, please go to akshouts.com

Our uncomfortably attractive lawyer Gabe Fleet is genuinely fun to hang out with, giving attorneys a good name. Old pal Josh Terry and his amazing team in Maddison and Jen at Workshop Management opened doors that are closed to most people so thank you for helping us walk through them. New friends Sue, Lindsay and Tyler at Stunt Company put us in front of the movers and shakers and some (NPR, Paste, American Songwriter) actually liked what they heard.

Chris Slack, you hold all the archival keys to our kingdom and are dear to us for much more than that. Nate Baerreis and Ed and Val Schooling Brantley made us look so cool, so often. How, we will never know. Thank you.

Thanks to our families who let us be gone as much as we have been, this year. Some of you haven’t experienced not having us around, and I know it was hard, but thank you for being so supportive. We love you.

And Chief “Not-Getting-Paid-What-He’s-Worth” is Vance McNabb, who is still working on this tour two weeks later and won’t be done for a while. There are no ways to thank you, V, except perhaps to find a way to make Sparrow huge so you can get a massive raise and hire tons of people to help you. So, we’ll work on that.

Actually…will y’all please help us work on that? If not for us, for Vance? Thank you. And thank you most of all, for letting us make this album. Sparrow is a beautiful thing to us and we’re so lucky that you wanted to hear it. We are lucky that we got to make it. But it isn’t over, is it? There are ways we can try to keep this machine going, if you are willing. More in another post.

[tabloidtoc]

Star, January 21

Cover: Jessica Simpson’s Dangerous Pregnancy 

Page 1: Meghan Markle’s dad to crash the palace to meet his grandchild, Meghan can’t stop crying and wonders why everyone hates her 

Page 2: Contents, The Bachelor Colton Underwood 

Page 3: Emma Roberts, Paul McCartney and wife Nancy Shevell, Kendall Jenner and Charlotte Lawrence 

Page 4: Angelina Jolie running for office 

Page 5: Justin Theroux’s creepy new bromance with director Travis Knight, Presley Gerber blames DUI on dad and mom’s drinking and he’s jealous of sister’s Kaia’s success 

Page 6: Calista Flockhart trying for an Ally McBeal reboot but there aren’t any takers, Chip and Joanna Gaines don’t let their kids watch TV but watch it themselves, Spot the Stars -- Allison Holker and Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Zac Efron, Pauly D, JC Chasez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Mindy Kaling, Ray Kelly 

Page 8: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are splitting and Kim is getting their new baby in the billion-dollar divorce 

Page 10: Star Shots -- Yara Shahidi, John Mayer and Dave Chappelle, Hailey Baldwin

Page 11: Mindy Kaling and daughter, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn 

Page 12: Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Hudson and will.i.am, Ellen DeGeneres and Dax Shepard 

Page 14: Pippa Middleton and new son, Lisa Rinna and daughter, Katy Perry and Adam Lambert 

Page 15: Isla Fisher

Page 16: Bikini Babes -- Lady Victoria Hervey, Karrueche Tran, Olivia Culpo 

Page 17: Sofia Richie, Dua Lipa 

Page 18: Trevor Noah, Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham, Rita Ora 

Page 19: AnnaSophia Robb and boyfriend, Venus Williams and Serena Williams 

Page 20: Madison Beer, Mario Lopez, Stephen Amell 

Page 21: Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler 

Page 22: Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Chloe Bridges and boyfriend Adam DeVine 

Page 24: Normal or Not? Lauren Silverman and son, Marc Jacobs and dog

Page 25: Cardi B, Ariel Winter, Steven Van Zandt 

Page 26: Fashion -- Best of the Week -- Natalie Portman, Dua Lipa, Kate Bosworth

Page 27: Lupita Nyong’o, Amandla Stenberg 

Page 28: Hot Sheet -- Olivia Culpo, Teresa Giudice, Dwayne Wade 

Page 30: Tom Cruise’s New Year’s resolution -- see Suri 

Page 31: Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx 

Page 32: Stars celebrate New Year’s in style -- Ryan Seacrest, Post Malone, Mariah Carey, Quavo and Takeoff of Migos, Drake 

Page 33: Kate Beckinsale, G-Eazy, Christina Aguilera, Camila Cabello, Aliana Lohan 

Page 34: Star Couples -- Heartbroken Tarek El Moussa may go off the deep end now that ex-wife Christina is remarried 

Page 35: The real reason for Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth’s quickie wedding was tax purposes, Victoria Beckham fears spendaholic David Beckham is bleeding the family dry as her fashion label loses $5,000 a day, Heidi Klum’s kids aren’t thrilled with her engagement to Tom Kaulitz and want to move in with dad Seal 

Page 36: Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk and Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson’s awkward family vacation, Gigi Hadid dumps druggie Zayn Malik, Love Bites -- Usher and Grace Miguel split, Wyatt Russell and Meredith Hagner engaged, Rob Delaney and wife Leah welcomed a baby boy, Ricky Martin and husband welcomed a girl 

Page 38: Cover Story -- Pregnant Jessica Simpson pigging out 

Page 42: Hollywood hunks’ diet secrets -- Zac Efron, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson 

Page 43: Terry Crews, Henry Cavill, Mark Wahlberg 

Page 44: David Beckham, Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans 

Page 45: Nick Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds 

Page 46: Burning Questions -- Kevin Spacey charged with sexual assault and released a bizarre video in response, what Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson got his mom for Christmas, Macaulay Culkin to change his name to Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin 

Page 47: Louis C.K. in hot water again, Madonna boosts her butt 

Page 48: Wicked Whispers -- Demi Lovato demanded tons of free samples at Sephora, Kelly Osbourne left a restaurant with toilet paper stuck to shoe

Page 49: Kurt Russell’s had to man up when he was just a little boy, James Corden’s wife has signed them both up for healthy cooking classes, blind item 

Page 50: Double Takes -- Jessica Biel vs. Jessie James Decker 

Page 51: Priyanka Chopra vs. Jennifer Lopez 

Page 52: Style -- Olivia Culpo 

Page 56: Beauty -- Weatherproof your hair -- Nicole Kidman, Hailey Bieber 

Page 57: Kate Mara, Shay Mitchell, Marion Cotillard 

Page 58: Entertainment 

Page 60: Harley Pasternak’s at-home workout 

Page 70: Wait There’s More! -- Chrissy Teigen shades Kim Kardashian for being late to Bird Box, Ryan Seacrest’s New Year’s resolution 

Page 71: Taylor Swift’s New Year’s Eve bash featured only 2 A-listers, Kourtney Kardashian’s snowy show odd, Wise Words from Abby Hunstman 

Page 72: Lady Gaga kicks off her residency in Las Vegas 

[tomorrowedblog]

First look at Dashing Through The Snow

A new trailer has been released for Dashing Through The Snow, which is set to release November 17, 2023.

Eddie Garrick (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) is a good-hearted man who has turned his back on Christmas due to a traumatic childhood experience. At the request of his wife Allison Garrick (Teyonah Parris), from whom he is separated, Eddie takes his 8-year-old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) out with him on Christmas Eve, where they meet a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick (Lil Rel Howery). Eddie, who is a social worker, thinks the man is delusional and needs professional help, but when he evokes the wrath of a local politician (Oscar Nuñez), he and his daughter are taken on a magical adventure that just might restore his faith in Christmas.