#Wellie the Dancing Well

[unacaritafeliz]

we know lardo would sweep so...

[brummiereader]

Binding Love (Part Seven Final Chapter/ Dark!Tommy)

Summary: Your husband has found you. And after a morning of confrontations, of mixed reactions, of tangled emotions, you are left to make a choice that will seal your fate forever. Will you forever be bound to your husband? Or will your predicted end, spoken through the words of the old lady, be your final step into freedom?

Warnings: Dark!Tommy, language, violence, psychological mind games, controlling behaviour, toxic relationship, manipulative behaviour, psychological abuse, mutual pining, angst, murder, suicidal thoughts, smut.

Word Count: 4K

Authors Note: The last part of this chapter picks up from the beginning scene of this series.

[Masterlist] [Previous Part] [Trailer]

A day full of chores wasn't what you envisioned for your morning when you woke up at the crack of dawn the next day and forgoed your mandatory English brew for the pile of mounting laundry stacked in a wicker basket at the foot of your bed.

But yet here you were, freshly laundered sheets blooming into the crisp morning air one by one as you shook the creases from their crinkled corners before hanging them out on the washing line in the garden of your quaint cottage.

A therapeutic cleansing, a dance of repetitive movements until you dulled out the uneasy thoughts that chased you throughout the day if left to dwell on them. Clean home, clean mind. Or so you thought.

"Elsie, shoes off!" you broke the peaceful silence of red robins chirping above, of your wellies crunching along the frosty grass with each shuffling foot down the patchwork of laundry as your eyes darted to your daughter climbing the bricked steps to the kitchen door.

" Yes, mummy!" she called back to your rolling eyes, watching her discarded boots tumble down the concrete stairs as she raced to the bottle of milk delivered to your doorstep for the well-deserved bowl of porridge she was keen to devour after a tiring morning of shutting doors and removing shoes.

Running your hands along the freshly hung sheets with each step back to your home, you came to a stop when an unsightly bobble of lint caught your eye on the pristine sheet of linen you had spent the early hours of the day scrubbing.

" I think not" your brow furrowed, flicking the ball of fluff from your bed throw when the creak of the garden gate swinging open pricked your ears.

Brow scrunched, you stepped back from the emerging shadow looming behind the draped linen as you slowly walked along the trail of mismatched colours obscuring your view until a gap between your perfectly placed laundry appeared.

Fingers pulling back the curtain of washing, the rusty gate at the bottom of your garden slowly began to appear as your startled heart rapidly began to thud against its bony cage.

"Fuck..." a strained chuckle and hand to your chest had you feeling foolish for letting your fragile nerves trick you into believing the looming hour of your discovery had met its ticking end as you watched the rickety wooden frame scuff against its lock with every gust of wind as the heavens parted, illuminating your picturesque garden and drying laundry once again.

" Elsie, how many times have I told you? Shut the gate, shut the doors" you marched towards the weathered fence with a heavy sigh as you rattled with the rusty lock until your enthusiastic manhandling had it breaking off into your hand. " Shit"

" Mummy, she found me! She came all this way!" your daughter screeched with excitement, waving her hand and the sloshing bottle of freshly churned milk back and forth on the kitchen floor as your focus and squinting eyes honed in on the weathered hinge in your hand.

" She was right there, on the doorstep!" She pointed through the zigzag of hallways to your front door with a dimpled smile as you stayed enthralled by the task in hand.

"Ok, darling " you absently replied, mumbling a string of insults at the fiddly bracket and screws in your hand.

" How are you misses pony? Did you have a safe journey? You've traveled such a long way for someone so little" she trotted to her bedroom, loved toy with a new mane of locks and coat of paint clutched in her hand. It's mysterious way back to her left to her young imagination.

" There" you gave the aged gate a firm shake before examining the damage to the tips of your brittle nails before plodding back to your home, weaved basket in hand in search of the abandoned pair of boots belonging to your daughter.

With a knitted a brow you came to a stop at the top of the slabbed steps, eyes darting down to the neatly arranged pair of muddy boots sitting on the doorstep and not tossed into the unkempt grass you saw them launched into moments before.

Did she pick them up?, a passing thought left you glaring down at them with a frown as you shook off your shoes, numb toes dipping into a puddle of milk on the kitchen tiles as the letter box began to rattle.

" Elsie!" you huffed, pulling off your soggy socks as you padded to your front door. Too distracted, too frazzled to notice the smell of tobacco smoke weaving its way from room to room.

" Hello Miss, got your newspaper" Harry, the cherry-cheeked paperboy pulled the ragged corners of your paper from the letter box as his eyes darted behind you in search of your daughter.

" Thank you, Harry" you smiled, turning the pages as the chatty four-foot boy began to inundate you on his mornings observations and dislike of his mum's cooking.

" Is that your posh car down the road?" the muddy kneed seven-year-old nodded to the end of the lane as your fingers flicked from page to page with a shake of your head, eyes consumed by the latest goings-on in the world.

" My dad's got an old banger, puts sawdust in its engine.." he continued as he adjusted the heavy bag of deliveries on his shoulder as your eyes scanned down the freshly printed page.

" I've only got five more houses to do, and me mams made bread and butter pudding for me for when I get back. I hate it miss, it tastes like soggy..." he continued his enthusiastic conversation when your darting eyes caught the flashing headline printed in block on the next page.

Notorious Peaky Blinders boss released from Winston Green prison due to insufficient evidence related to the missing person cases that left the residence of Birmingham with conspiracy theories of their own, you read, re-read and read again until your eyes strained, until your thundering heart left a deafening whistle ringing in your ears.

" Can Elsie come out and play?" young Harry looked up at the thousand-mile stare glaring past him. "Miss?"

"Bye mummy!" your daughter scooted past you, knocking your shaky body into the frame of the door upon hearing her friend as she looped her knitted scarf around her neck, eager to join Harry on the rest of his round.

" Elsie...Elsie wait" you grabbed hold of her arm, swallowing back the grating dryness in your throat, the welling tears of fear in your eyes.

" Please?" she pouted up at you as you knelt down to her small frame, pulling the fronts of her coat around her knitted scarf with trembling fingers as your eyes darted to the small cobbled lane in front of your house.

They wouldn't just let him roam freely, they had men following him. You were safe. Safe, you convinced yourself as you scanned the farmers' pastures a short walk from your cottage. Eyes darting to every tree, every bale of hay that sat lonely in the empty field. You were safe.

" Be...be careful" you apprehensively let her go with brimming eyes of worry, watching her skipping steps along the stoned path as you battled with the overbearing, over-consuming need to pull her back into the house and bunker down.

" Love you, mummy!" she shouted from the gate with a mittened hand before her brunette locks danced around the corner out of sight.

" Love you..." you mouthed back, shaky fingers pressing against your lips as you backed your stiffened legs into the warmth of your home, your thoughts harassing you with the sentiments you felt the previous day and the dread that now shrouded them.

How foolish you had been to think your husband would forgive and forget as you were so eager to do just yesterday. For Tommy never forgot, and never forgave.

With each a makeshift boat in stick form in their hands, Harry the paperboy and your daughter launched their battleships into the flowing stream, running along beside them with giggles and rowdy words of encouragement for theirs to be the winning logged boat when the clumsy footing of your six-year-old had her stumbling into a burly obstacle of human form, puffing on a cigar from the corner of his mouth.

" Johnny!"

Back pressed up against the door, you battled to steady the heavy breaths of panic rising from your chest as you clutched the crinkling newspaper between your fingers.

You were safe. You and Elsie were safe, you closed your eyes, shutting out the nagging feelings of fear that had overtaken every trembling limb of your body before your thumbling hands jostled with the brassy lock of the door.

With determination to battle through the shaky end to your morning, you padded through the halls of your home, tossing the news of Tommy's release into the bin for the pilling sink of dishes waiting for you in the kitchen.

Once these were finished, you'd go get Elsie. You'd call the detective, you told yourself, hands deep in the soapy water filled with cutlery as your eyes darted to and from the back door and the view of your garden from the kitchen window.

"Fuck" you surrendered to your nerves as your plodding feet and narrowing eyes approached the silver key, wiping the frothy dish soap from your hands on the silky fabric of your dressing gown before turning the intricate lock with a click.

Safe within the four walls of your home, every shut door, every secure entrance had you confident of your safety as you settled the small lock to your home on the wooden kitchen worktop beside you.

This last pan, then you'll go get her, you decided to leave the last of your chores and respond to your motherly need to have your child in eyesight, in earshot of you as you scrubbed with a knitted brow at the charred remains of last night's dinner embedded into your stove pot.

Frothy bubbles swishing back and forth in the murky water, you became enthralled with the task in hand, unbeknownst of the steady footsteps approaching you until you felt a pair of leather gloves slip around the curves of your waist, settling on your stomach.

" Hello, darling" the familiar sound of a gravelly voice breathed against your ear, chiseled jaw settling against your cheek as your eyes darted up to the weathered window of your kitchen to see your husband stood behind you, piercing stare and clutched hands holding your every move, every reaction in place.

"Tomm..." your mumbling voice, frozen with fear caught in your throat as you dropped the pan in your hand with a clanging thud against the tin sink.

" Shh" he hushed your rapid breaths, gloves trailing up your arms to your heaving shoulders, to the velvety skin of your neck and the chain looped around it.

" No longer a noose, then?" his brow cocked with surprise to see the circulaire band resting against your chest as he pulled the necklace into his hand, thumb brushing over the promised vows that bound you together before letting it slip back between the curves of your breasts, back to your heart.

"I...I" your eyes welled with tears, pools of fear blurring out the image of your husband in the reflection of the glass as his ghosting lips peppered kisses along your neck, as the feeling of his gun, nestled in his holster, digged into your back as he pushed his body against yours.

Hands clutched on the sink's edge, you watched your husband's roaming hands and lazy eyes graze over your body. Starved of your touch, of the warmth of your body he'd craved in the nights he'd spent in his cell as you dipped your fingers into the greying water.

" You've upset me, Y/N" he sighed heavily into your ear, fiery breath prickling down your neck as you mumbled your desperate apologies, fingers silently wading through the water for something, anything to defend yourself when he finally snapped out of the comfort he sought from you.

" But I'm an understanding man. And it's dawned on me that I didn't protect you enough. Didn't keep you away from that bastard and his lies. But you don't have to worry about him now, love" your eyes widened at his murderous admission, your lifeline disposed of by the hands of your vengeful husband.

" I'd never hurt you, Y/N" you felt his grasp on you tighten, urging you to agree to his delusions that precariously tethered on the edge of insanity as your fingers curled around the handle of a knife at the bottom of the sink.

"I know " you pushed through the unbearable fear you felt as your grasp tightened around your only means to defend yourself from your husband's crazed mind when Tommy's eyes flew open, hand plunging into the water to grab hold of yours.

" Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't if I were you, darling" he squeezed his fingers around your hand, forcing you to release the knife with a crushing grip.

Spinning you around to face him, Tommy pushed the curve of your back into the worktop with a grunting slam. Legs splayed, looming frame pushed against yours in a suffocating hold as the snap of his leather gloves curled around your face, grabbing your chin.

" I've been reasonable enough, forgiving enough. But you took it too far. You took my daughter, Y/N" Tommy seethed through gritted teeth at your daring actions, succumbing to the pent-up anger of you abandoning him.

" You left me and took my fucking daughter!" his thunderous voice bellowed in your face, strained veins tunneling down his neck as his fingers digged into the fleshy pads of your cheeks.

" You scared me, Tommy. Please.. you're scaring me" stuttering cries hysterically wailed from your lips as your eyes shut out the frightening image of your husband's anger piercing into you.

" Scaring you?" Tommy's brows knitted together with confusion as all logical reasoning as to what had your trembling in fear escaped him. Convinced he only had your best interests at heart.

" Tom" your eyes pleaded with him, searching for the man you had married as you refreshed his ignorance with the atrocities he had committed. " The bodies, the murders..."

" Darling, I was just keeping you safe" your reasoning with his paranoia took its expected fall as Tommy shuffled the weight of his body from one foot to the other with a heavy sigh of bewilderment.

" I know and...and you did. You did" you entered his state of mind if only to delay the grimacing effects of his thunderous voices return as your shaky fingers drifted to ground him with your gentle touch.

" I missed you" his voice softened, grip loosening to caress the redness from your cheek as the pendulum of his yo-yo demeanor swung back and forth without warning.

" I missed you too" you echoed the weeks' worth of foolish sentiments you had felt for him through sobs. The empty void your escape had left now filled once again with a twisted flurry of emotions.

" Come back to me, Tommy" you wept for the man that would never return through strangled cries as he pressed his cheek into the warmth of your touch.

" I'm here, sweetheart" he cupped your face, thumbs brushing your grieving tears for his former self from your eyes as he pressed his head to yours.

" I love you, Y/N. Let me show you how much I love you" his lips ghosted against your mouth, his feelings of anger momentarily dulled by his distorted understanding of your weeping admissions.

" Tommy, Elsie...Elsie will be home soon" your scrambling hands pushed his need to connect with you away, to have you beneath him to dull the intrusive thoughts that plagued you, he couldn't control.

" Let's go upstairs" he ignored you as his pent-up eagerness continued with the unbuckling of his belt, with groans of want moaning against your tongue.

" Elsie...Tom" a dazed, breathy sigh left your drying throat as he pushed your knickers to the side, his throbbing desire shielded by the scuffling layers of his heavy coat as he hurried to pull himself free.

" Fuck sweetheart...you like that, eh?" you fell forward onto his shoulder as he ran his leathered finger across your opening, your head whirling in a battle of emotions against his strong frame as you desperately tried to pull yourself from his hold on you.

Was this what you had belittled yourself to? Giving into the crumbs of his gentler side, of his passionate side free from the rage bubbling within him? So weak, so desperate, you stifled the cries mounting in your chest as the re-emerging sounds of your husband's moans in your ear, to the feeling of him lining himself up against you had you hurtling back into the moment.

" Tommy, stop!" you suddenly pulled yourself out of the intensity of his touch with a shaky breath, leaving him with grinding teeth as he buckled his straining cock back into his briefs.

" Elsie will be back soon" you firmly stated, distancing yourself from his turning body as he slid the leather strap into the loop of his belt with a shake of his head.

" She won't" Tommy adjusted the lapels of his jacket, shoulders rolling off the unsatisfied urge still pressed against his trousers.

" What...where is she, Tommy? Tommy, where is my daughter?" your eyes widened, trembling hands frantically searching behind you for something to lean your slumping body against as panic hurtled towards you.

" You'll never take her from me like that again, Y/N. You'll never leave me again" he watched your frantic eyes scan the room for the misplaced key as your desperations rattled against its handle.

"Looking for this?" he shot you a smirk of amusement as his gloved finger pulled the silver key with a scrape along the kitchen worktop into his palm.

" Darling..." he sent you a toying smile, pulling the plug from the sink until the frothy soap slipped down the drain with the clanging sound of the key against the pipes following it. "...you're not going anywhere"

With a scream hurled his way, you pushed a wooden chair in his path as he strode with long steps towards you.

"Now, Y/N" he warned you with a pointed finger in your fleeing direction over the turned furniture barricading him from you as you scrambled for the door, when your shaky body and a twist of your misplaced foot had you collapsing forward with a sharp blow to your head on the leg of a chair as your body hit the tiled flooring.

" Shit" Tommy waded through the path of wood to get to you as your mumbling voice mouthed his name, eyes drifting in and out of a hazy darkness.

"Come on sweetheart, up you get" Tommy hauled you up into his body, eyes darting with a wincing concern at the bloody cut to your head trickling down your cheek as he rose to his feet with your limp body in his arms for the front door.

"We're going for a little drive"

" Y/N!" Tommy's voice bellowed after you through the thick bushy hedgerow of the steep coastal path as your shoeless feet scraped along the rocky lane with each precariously placed foot.

" Fuck..." you quietly winced through gritted teeth as you slid down the thawny hill to the footpath below, dangerously close to the cliff's edge and thrashing waves of the English channel.

Bloody gash to your head, bloody feet, bloody hands, bloody slip, you cowered your bloody trembling body behind a boulder of chalky limestone as your grunting husband scooted down the hillside after you.

" Enough, Y/N" he rested the palms of his hands on his knees, body hunched over for a breather to fill his strained lungs.

" Come on, let's go home. I want us to get a head start before rush hour hits" his unfazed demeanour, his careless attitude to the day's events and his frightening role in them had him straightening his cracking back like one would after a long nap as his eyes darted to the rocky boulder he knew you were concealed behind.

" Where's Elsie, Tommy? your trembling hand held you steady against the stoney wall separating you as your eyes darted around for a means of escape.

" Home. Safe and sound waiting for her parents to get back, and tuck her into bed" he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, squinting eyes scanning the horizon and the French cliffs of Calais in the distance.

" You've had your little tantrum, now come on" he flicked the aspen match over the rocky edge with a disgruntled huff. " Y/N?"

" I don't believe you" you swallowed back the grating dryness in your throat, desperate to quench your thirst from the hours of being confined in the boot of Tommy's car as you pushed your foot along the gritted path, ears honing in on the sound of the pebbles descending down the cliffs edge.

" She's my child. And you're my wife. I'd never hurt either if you, you know that" a heavy sigh with a cloud of smoke left his throat as he pinched the band of stress, of self inflicted turmoil he had created from his brow.

For as deranged as his behaviour had been, as twisted as his agenda had become, you and Elsie were his reason to keep going, to stay alive.

Was that where his fears came from? Was that why he had let the call of his paranoia overtake him? He was scared of losing the two things in his life worth living for?

" Y/N this can go one of two ways, love. You either come with me freely or I take you by force. But you won't be leaving here without me" he calmly gave you your options as he threw his burnt cigarette to his feet.

" And if I do come with you, then what?" you appeared from behind the large boulder, backs of your feet slowly walking you to the cliffs edge and the crashing waves battering against the mountain of rocks below you.

" We go home, to be a famil..." his words petered out as his narrowing eyes darted behind you at the deathly step you were mere inches away from making.

" Darling, come away from the edge" his panicked eyes widened, ushering you back to him, back to safety with a hand stretched out as he slowly inched himself closer to you.

" Will you stop?" your heels shuffled back, curling around the rocky edge as your husband's clenching jaw and bulging eyes watched every miniscule move in silence. Words stolen from him as the pumping blood in his veins rushed to his ears with a deafening whistle. " Tommy, will you stop?"

" Y/N, please. Don't do this to me. Don't let her be right" his chest heaved with a gut-wrenching fear that the old lady's vapid words had met their predicted end.

" Will you stop, Tommy?!" you screamed at him, the force of your demanding question causing you to almost lose your footing entirely. A stomach flipping moment that had your husband match the velocity of your voice in a bellowing panic of honesty.

" No! I will not stop! You're my wife, Y/N! I will never stop trying to keep you safe! I will never, fucking, let you go! Do you hear me?!" his strained voice and welling eyes, encompassed his reddening face of desperation as he relented to his tamed vulnerabilities, whispering one last plea for you to step away. "Baby, please..."

" In the bleak mid-winter" you closed your fluttering lashes as you lifted you arms to a gust of wind swirling by, letting it take you body over the cliffs edge with a breath of relief.

" Y/N!!" your husband screamed for you as he lunged forward to the rocky hillside, his heart ripping from his chest in a searing pain no bullet, no knife to his flesh could ever inflict on him as his body hit the gritted ground.

Face covered with stoney pebbles, Tommy pulled his fallen body from the floor in a hazy swaying of shaky limbs as a feeling of nothingness of hopelessness tore his heart in two.

" Darling..." he closed his eyes, tips of his feet on the rocky edge as he answered deaths call for him to follow you over into the salty water when his inching boots sent a tumbling of small rocks over the cliffs edge.

Eyes darting down to the echoing sounds of them bouncing off a stoney path, Tommy pushed another heap of grit over the edge when his widening eyes had him crouching down to the rocky hillside.

"Fuck! FUCK!!" a wail of realisation left his collapsing lungs as his bellowing voice traveled across the rippling waves, a sickly feeling plummeting to his stomach at the sight of your bloody footprints fleeing along the small ridge below.

You had tricked him. Played your winning move in his game of control as his observations of you lapsed while you plotted your perfectly timed fall.

"Huh" he sniffed back the foolishness he felt, the tears pooled in his lashes as his eyes scanned the sandy beach below until they landed on you, locks of hair blowing in the sea salt air and your sentiments for him made known with a middle finger aimed up at him.

" Love you too, darling" he quietly mouthed through the smile curling on the corners of his lips as the setting sun glistened against the blues of his eyes, glowing rays of orange warming his skin.

Jumping down to the small path below, a youthful gleem of rebirth shone behind you husband's eyes as he hunted you down along the sandy dooms. A picturesque sight to any bystander watching the playful display of a married couple's chase along the sandy beaches of England's shores. But the reality of what was unfolding through the misinterpreted screams of joy, the rapidly approaching feet and shouting warnings of your husband was a reality, a life far darker than anyone could imagine. A life of obsessiveness, of codependency, of control, of an unbreakable...binding love.

The end.

Thank you to everyone that commented, reblogged and liked this series. Your interactions have helped me no end. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ending in the comments below! Thank you again ❤️.

Brummie xxx

Tag list: @peakyswritings @justrainandcoffee @garrison-girl-08 @meadows5 @lavender-haze-01

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[fortytworedvines]

8 from the drabbles list ♥️

"How long were you planning on hiding this?"

Inspired by GraceBe's new fic Heiress. Audrey hummed as she cleared the table and began the washing up. A new year, Tris and James home, Richard visiting, Edward arriving imminently; she was very happy.

Gentle flakes of snow were floating down in the yard and she watched them as she washed. She loved their gentle dance. She loved the whiteness, the dampening of all sound, the otherworldliness that snow brought. She also rather enjoyed Mr Farnon’s over the top reactions to it.

She heard his car pull in and smiled to herself. The car door banged, the kitchen door banged…

“Mrs Hall!” he bellowed, as a pair of wellies were flung on the floor. “Mrs Hall!”

“I’m here, you daft beggar!” she said, putting her cloth in the sink and rounding the corner. Then she startled back. Beside Mr Farnon was -

“Edward!” she gasped. Then she was running forward and her son was in her arms. “Oh, Edward!”

“Hello, Ma,” he said. His voice was muffled in her coat. She laughed and loosened her embrace. “You’re early!”

“We made better time than expected. Thought I’d surprise you.”

“And you did.” She studied him. He looked well, his injuries from last December had healed.

“I found him at the bus stop,” Mr Farnon put in proudly.

She smiled at him over Edward’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

She patted Edward on the back and let him go. “Go on, get settled. You’re in the same room.”

Edward smiled at her. “Thanks, Ma.” He pressed an unusual and very welcome kiss to her cheek, picked up his bag and left.

When Edward had vanished, Mr Farnon turned to her, an odd expression on his face. She put her hands on her hips. “What is it then?”

“Edward and I had a good chat in the car.”

“Oh?” she said, faint prickles of unease stirring. She turned back to her washing up. “Anything interesting.”

“Very interesting.” Mr Farnon picked up the drying cloth and stood next to her. “He told me all about a distant relative of yours who passed away last year.”

“Oh – yes.” She handed him a bowl. He took it. “I didn’t know her. Didn’t know my grandmother had a sister.”

“She did though.” He put the bowl down. She passed him a fork. “A rich one. A very rich one.”

“As it turned out, yes.”

Mr Farnon put down the fork and cloth and tugged her wash cloth out of her hands. She made herself look at him. “She left you a fortune, Mrs Hall.” He was studying her closely. “How long were you planning on hiding this?”

“I’m not hiding anything,” she protested. “I just –didn’t tell you.”

“But why not?”

She gripped the edge of the sink. “Because – because I don’t want to leave! I like it here. What would I do with a fortune?”

“You turned down a fortune for me? Us?” he asked quietly.

She shook her head. “I’ve got the fortune.” She grimaced, remembering the solicitors and accountants and all the advice and paperwork which she had been given. “I’m just not using it.” She glared at him. “I’m happy working and living here. Do you want me to leave?”

“No! No of course not,” he protested.

“Well then.” She retrieved her cloth. “There’s nowt more to be said.”

He was silent for a moment. “Thank you for staying,” he said eventually. “It means a lot… Thank you.”

She smiled at him and turned her attention back to the washing up. Now he knew about the money, she was thinking over plans. Some new equipment for the surgery. Maybe a fund for poor people who couldn’t afford veterinary treatment. She hummed happily. She’d discuss it all with him later, over a whisky.

[aardvark-123]

~Fallout 4 Companions React to a Pair of Hunter™ Original Red Wellington Boots~

Ada would be delighted to have some high-quality rubber to cut up and use in various projects. A marksman's stock, stealth lining for armour, a generator and some power pylons... Oh, the possibilities!

Cait would be mildly amused. "Well, aren't those cute?" she'd chuckle, and then go and do something else.

Codsworth would be quite chuffed. "By George, is that a genuine pair of Wellingtons, made by the Hunter Boot Company of Edinburgh?!" he'd exclaim. "How splendid to see genuine British craftsmanship still thriving in this day and age! Why, it was nearly impossible to acquire Hunter footwear in the years before the war, thanks to the Chinese government shutting down all their factories..."

"Ah, tres bon! It is most important to 'ave ze protective footwear if zere is contaminated water around," Curie would remark. If she was in her Miss Nanny form, that would be all. In her synth form, on the other hand, she'd ignore them because she's already wearing protective shoes. (Yes, those combat boots included with her Flannel Shirt and Jeans™ are actually chemical-resistant, heat-resistant, suitable for agriculture, industrial work, laboratories, bird-watching and professional kitchens.)

Paladin Danse wouldn't care about the boots at all. Not one bit. However, he'd be very concerned about the Commonwealth gaining access to Vulcanised Rubber. The thought of raiders or civilians learning to heat up naturally-occurring latex until it becomes a firmer, tougher material would keep him awake at night.

Deacon would smile mysteriously and tuck the boots away in his bag. "One step closer to my Wonder Woman costume," he'd declare, already thinking of where to find gold paint and a craft knife.

Dogmeat would use the £135.99 pair of wellies as chew toys unless you stopped him.

Porter Gage would laugh at the wellies. "Looks like something one of the Pack would wear!" he'd guffaw. This belies the fact that Gage would absolutely wear them if they were yellow.

"Look at those stupid things! You wouldn't catch me in anything that garish," Glory would laugh. "But let me know if you find a pair of Chore™ Adjustable Tall Boots by the Original Muck Boot Company, okay? Black or camo, not pink."

Hancock would be mildly amused. "Well, aren't those cute?" he'd chuckle, and then go and do something else.

MacCready would be reminded briefly of the mole costumes they used to have in Little Lamplight, and how, after two hundred years of wear on generations' worth of feet, the boots always leaked. Then his mind would start racing, thinking of all the historians and eccentric collectors he knew, and who would pay the most for a genuine, mint condition pair of pre-war wellingtons. Sydney and Emaline, maybe? Or Sierra? They're red, so he could probably convince her they were Nuka-Cola boots...

Nick would be kinda ticked. "Well, aren't those fancy?" he'd chuckle, and then mosey along to his other business.

Old Longfellow would be quite underwhelmed. "Too short," he'd sigh. "They're better than nothing, but they won't keep the waves out for long."

Piper would be absolutely delighted. "Look at them! They go so well with my coat!" she'd laugh, dancing around with the wellies on her feet. "Nat's going to be so jealous... Wait, but what if this encourages her to wear shiny red boots in a reckless manner?! I-I can't be a bad influence on my little sister! Should I give them to Ellie instead, or...?"

Preston wouldn't really know what to make of the boots. "Er, those are quite nice," he'd say noncommittally. "Not really my colour, though. Er, is there any reason you're showing me these? It's so random... Oh, yes! Speaking of things that are red, we've had reports of a Yao Guai stalking around near Oberland Station..."

"Ah... Thin red buckets!" Strong would declare. "Too fancy compared to normal buckets. Strong can't carry much Milk of Human Kindness in these," he'd add before tossing the boots over his shoulder. They'd land in some unseen location with a crash of breaking glass and the anguished screech of a cat.

Z6-88 wouldn't react. He wouldn't betray the slightest thought or emotion regarding the wellingtons. If, on the other hand, you were wearing them, he'd peer down at your red rubber-clad feet for just long enough to unnerve you, and then speak. "You are aware that the Institute makes its own rubber boots," he'd declare. "Far superior to those antiques. Unless, of course, you enjoy blisters and chafed calves."

[foxounderscorecube]

Oohh the talk about ask game :)

16 and 23

That's all good!

16 - Talk about the best party you’ve ever been to.

Oh, god, I haven't been to many parties, really. You know, it's a loose use of the word "party", and it's for weird reasons, but I actually think probably prom.

Our prom was at the end of secondary school, so we were 16 (we had a dinner organised by the school followed by wandering off to the cooler of the bars in town/the singular nightclub after Sixth Form - much less fanfare). It was, of course, mostly unremarkable in its own right - a buffet, one (1) complimentary orange juice and lemonade, and dancing to pop music. Unfortunately, the memory is somewhat sullied too by the fact I snuck in my boyfriend at the time (he was homeschooled and we weren't really allowed +1s), who didn't actually do anything awful for once, but it means the Polaroids I took are liberally scribbled with permanent marker.

None of this sounds like it would constitute the best party I've ever been to, but the important thing was what it represented to me. My time in secondary school was miserable. Just awful. Prom was the end of it. Of course, I still had Sixth Form ahead of me, but even so, I cannot express the sheer joy I felt all evening because that part of my life was DONE. I wore a beautiful dress that had belonged to my grandmother in the 70s and I almost even felt okay about myself. I remember little about it because of how unremarkable it was, but the one thing that remains is the elation that I don't think I've felt since.

32 - Talk about a place you remember from your childhood.

So, I grew up on a farm. We didn't own the farm - we lived in an annexe to the farmhouse, and our landlords were the farmers. They had kids that were probably 10-15 years older than me at a guess, and I loved the family and would spend a lot of time round theirs or "helping" on the farm. I was basically free to wander about, although on my own I only really ventured in the field that was just beyond our garden.

The boundary between that field and the one beyond it was a small stream which I think (could be wrong) was a tiny part of the river Tamar. I just Googled it and it may have been, but it may also have been an unrelated stream and the Tamar was very nearby. Either way, that's where Teimahr gets his name from!

DnD characters aside, there were wire fences either side of this bit of stream as well as banks, presumably to stop cows getting stuck or whatever, leaving a long strip of land across the edge of the field more or less left alone. One time some cows had managed to get in there, surprisingly sneaky bastards as they are, but usually I could play there uninterrupted. I had a backpack shaped like a teddy that I'd pack sandwiches into and I'd go down and explore. The ground was sort of dusty there and the undergrowth varied quite a lot in density - there were some places I couldn't get to, but most of it was dirt or plants that didn't grow especially high. The stream was small and shallow enough that worst case scenario I could just splash through with my wellies. There were banks that could be a bit annoying to climb up because they were steep and relatively narrow, but there were enough trees along them that you could usually grip them to help yourself up.

I used to feel like such an explorer going down there, although I really didn't do much. I'd wander around a bit, eat my sandwiches, and probably wander slightly more. I did once find some bones down there, though: a jawbone and some vertebrae. All I could tell you is that they were from a herbivore, most likely a deer. I don't know why I didn't bring them back home, but it was a cool thing to find, anyway!

The only problem, though, was going back home. For whatever reason, about halfway up the field, was a patch that got way goopier than the rest when it was damp. Usually I was okay at avoiding it, but I got my wellies stuck in the mud more than once, the worst time finding me with one leg and both arms stuck. One leg wasn't, because I'd tried to pull out my boot and only pulled out my foot (which I subsequently dropped in the mud, ruining my tie-dye orange sock, devastatingly). I had to yell until someone (I think my mum) came to pull me out.

[inkpot-winters]

a the amazing devil song each for the shadow and bone characters *this is based off of the netflix series versions of the characters

Kaz Brekker - The Old Witch Sleep and the Good Man Grace 'Cause when I stand, oh all those folks will run And tell the tales of what I've become They'll speak of me in whispered tones And say my name like it shakes their bones

Inej Ghafa - The Calling And I promise you I'll write I love you With my fingers on your sleeping hand And when that fox howls I'll howl with it, in its cries I'll find an end And when I think I'm fine you'll visit And then you happen to me, you happen to me all over again

Nina Zenik - Ruin I will bring you ruin in everything I do It's never my intention but it happens all the same It starts with love and comfort Becomes a strength of will But all that strength made rubble of those towers we built

Matthias Helvar - Blossoms And my saint she is dancing As every step I choose to take begins to set the world aflame And the soldiers march behind me I can hear them beat their spears And for the first time in all my life I know I'm more than what I fear

Alina Starkov - Inkpot Gods Oh what these? These aren't tears It's just the rain that wasn't brave enough to fall And what they hear isn't laughter after all It's just your voice learning for once to stand up tall

Aleksander Morozova - The Horror and The Wild Think of all the horrors that I promised you I'd bring I promise you, they'll sing of every Time you passed your fingers through my hair and called me child Witness me old man, I am the Wild

Malyen Oretsev - Farewell Wanderlust Because farewell wanderlust, you've ever ever so kind You brought me through this darkness but you left me here behind And so long to the person you begged me to be He's down, he's dead Now take a good long look at what you've done to me

Nikolai Lantsov - That Unwanted Animal And you rip my ribcage open And devour what's truly yours And our screaming joins in unison I cry out to the lord 'Cause if we join our hands in prayer enough to God I imagine it all starts to sound like applause

Genya Saffin - Fair "'Cause outwardly," he says, "I try so hard to make you laugh at me" And she, she does, she laughs as though she's not heard the joke ten thousand times before And he adores her, he watches her get dressed as though she's hurtling through time "Oh darling, please be mine"

Jesper Fahey - Welly Boots And when you scream that it's not fair It's like I've gone off to the coast Left you behind just standing there Pretending not to see your ghost

Wylan Van Eck - Secret Worlds 'Cause I will suffer silence for the strings you tune And I'll withstand what's written for the writer in you Write me well my love, write me weird Write me willing, write me well

[birlcholtz]

locked tomb au ummmmm bitty and parse as coronabeth and ianthe, whiskey as harrow, tango as gideon (nav), guy as ortus??

featuring wellie the dancing well as alecto

[crashpill]

Wellie

Name: Olivia "Liv" Manning

Age: 48

Gender: She/Her

Residence: Parade District

Job: Make-up artist

Hair color: Red hair

Eye color: Green grey

Family: Grandparents deceased, Parents unknown

Relationship: Single

Special features: Birthmark

Likes:

Flowers

MakeUp

Uncle Jack

Swimming

Being Dominant

Favorite song: Cheer Up

Dislikes:

Downers

Anton Verloc

Loud Criers

Artistic blocks

Disarray

Backstory: Olivia "Liv" Manning spent her early childhood in the lively but more modest neighborhoods of Wellington Wells. Her parents were talented street artists with a passion for music, dance, and visual arts. The streets were their stage, and Liv grew up amidst the creative performances of her parents.

From a young age, Liv displayed a natural curiosity and enthusiasm for artistic expressions. Instead of traditional toys, Liv could often be found with colorful paints and brushes in hand, attempting to capture the vibrant energy of her family on paper. The dazzling costumes and creative face paintings of her parents fascinated Liv, inspiring her to discover her own artistic voice.

The financial challenges of her family did not hinder Liv from developing her passion for arts and crafts. Supported by her parents, she began refining her skills in makeup artistry, creating small masterpieces on the faces of her friends and siblings.

As Liv grew older, she chose to stay in Wellington Wells and did not travel further with her family. Opting to remain with her grandparents in Wellington Wells, Liv continued to pursue her artistic passion. She started doing makeup for the members of Nick Lightbearer's band. However, when the band parted ways with Nick, Liv faced a new challenge.

This opportunity eventually led Liv into the glamorous world of the Broadcast Towers. Liv's work as a makeup artist in the Broadcast Tower flourished. Although it wasn't the same as doing makeup for the band members, working with Uncle Jack and making him look good for the camera fulfilled her. It was a dream come true for Liv to be so close to Uncle Jack, and she cherished the opportunity.

Relationships with:

Arthur: She hates him.

Sally: She admires Sally Boyle for her intelligence and creative brilliance. She considers Sally an inspiring colleague.

Ollie: She has a strong dislike for Downers, and this extends to individuals like Oliver Starkey. She may see Downers as a burden or people who could impact the positive energy and creative atmosphere in the Broadcast Tower. Liv likely views Oliver Starkey with skepticism and strives to distance herself from his negative vibes.

Relationships with other characters:

Nick: She admires Nick Lightbearer not only as an artist, but also as an inspiring personality. His creative genius and unique combination of music and performance deeply impressed Liv. Despite the challenges when the band split up, she considers her time with Nick a formative period in her career. His authenticity and emotional expressiveness in art left a lasting impression on Liv.

Bobbies: She maintains a positive relationship with the Constables. She appreciates their role as guardians of safety in Wellington Wells and likely collaborates well with them. Liv may see the Constables as a supportive force contributing to the stability of the city.

Doctors: She likely holds doctors in high regard, appreciating their skills and contributions to health and stability in Wellington Wells. Doctors could be significant figures for Liv.

Uncle Jack: She finds him very inspiring and is happy to work with him. She wouldn't deny that she wanted to have more with him.

Foggy Jack: She finds him very interesting and would like to know more about him.

Downers: She dislikes Downers, viewing them as a negative influence that could disrupt the positive atmosphere. She tends to keep her distance from their negative energy.

[eldritchpluto]

5, 20, 27 for the music ask game?

hehe music ask i love this. Ok, ramble time!!

5. A song that needs to be played LOUD- Bodys by Car Seat Headrest

wow Static talking about CSH again, how original. BUT SERIOUSLY I ADORE THIS SONG! Definition of a song that is asking you to dance and live in the moment. I want to see this song in a coming of age movie SO badly, you have no idea. But, the amount of time I've fuckin blasted this song full volume is wild. It's beautiful and fun and has some amazing lyrics as well. CSH my beloved <3 I can ramble about these lyrics for a while I really want to paint some of them on a jacket >:3

(Honorable mentions: Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Soundsystem and Slip Away by Perfume Genius. Both INCREDIBLE songs)

20. A song that has many meanings to you-Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffe

This is maybe my favorite love song ever (competing with Fair by The Amazing Devil) and is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Like holy SHIT those harmonies and lyrics and the overlapping part and the AHHHHH. If you can't tell this is one of my all time favorite songs lol. But it's a song that breaks my heart because I found it through an animatic that is SO fucking sad for one of my favoirte pieces of media, The Adventure Zone. That animatic fucking wrecks me and has made me cry multiple times. So, sometimes it makes me sad, but I still think it's amazing. And it's a song that my mom loves as well, its so fun to sing it with her in the car. :D ahhhh its so good. If you go and listen to any song here, it should be this one.

(Honorable mentions: Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales by Car Seat Headrest and literally any song from the Historians album by Lucy Dacus lol)

27. A song that breaks your heart- Elysian Fields by the Mechanisms and Welly Boots by The Amazing Devil

I have a LOT of options for this one because angst is my absolute favorite (as you know afgdhjsjkl) But this song has fully wrecked my shit SO many times. It's the ending of a narrative album called "Ulysses Dies at Dawn" which means the world to me, and this song is...well. Ulysses dying at dawn. But, the reason why I always return to it is it's stunningly bittersweet lyrics and the heartfelt instrumentals. Also it reminds me of the ending of my book which i also have big emotions about so that doesn't help lol. But this album is a fucking masterpiece and this ending will forever stick with me and make me VERY sad.

Welly Boots is my most listened to song on spotify across like four entire years worth of music lol. This song DESTROYS me and has some of the most beautiful lyrics I've ever heard. Also word for word also connects to my book (the same two characters actually), so I connect it with one of my favorite things I've ever written. Fuck, this song is so amazing. Also is very bittersweet and heartbreaking and ahhhhh

(Honorable mentions: It's ok to cry by SOPHIE, and levers by Roland Faunte (or ANY song by him ngl) )

Thanks for the ask! I fucking LOVE to ramble about my music. I have so many thoughts all the time :DDDD

[heniareth]

Character Songs Tag Game

Tagged by @bumblewarden thank you so much for the tag ^^ *rubs hands together* This is gonna be fun. Tagging in return: @siriskulksnerding @wild-houseplant @icy-warden @badartxd @oxygenforthewicked if you all fancy this game, and anybody else who thinks it looks cool as well!! Have a lovely day ^^

So! Some songs for my main girl (beloved darling of my heart), Astala Tabris

Hit Like A Girl (Meet Me @ The Altar)

Got strength, no brute

Nothing to prove

They just don’t know about it

Got grace and truth

It’s nothing new

They just forgot about it

The Wedding Feast (Bonnie Grace)

In my mind and heart, this is the soundtrack for the wedding before everything goes south

Warrior (The Phantoms)

The drums of war are beating

At the end of it all

The last light is fleeting

As the Shadows fall

But still we’ll stand up, we’ll stand up, we’ll stand up

Soldier (Tommee Profitt & Fleurie)

Soldier keep on marchin' on

Head down til the work is done

Waiting on that morning sun

Soldier keep on marchin' on

Welly Boots (The Amazing Devil) aka Astala’s issues with her mother in a nutshell

“How could you leave me here?" you'll scream

And louder, I'll scream back to you from that unknown

And say

"I know you're strong enough

I know you're strong enough

I know you're strong enough to do this on your"

And a bonus one for Zev and Astala:

Dust to Dust (The Civil Wars)

Let me in the wall, you've built around

And we can light a match and burn them down

And let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flames

In front of us

Dust to dust

More OCs over here!

Ilanlas Mahariel

Khêd Brosca

Sulri Aeducan

Surana

[shivunin]

Am I too late for the music meme??? If not can I ask for 4, 5 and 6 for the whole crew? Pretty please?

It's never too late for music!! Thanks for asking, Lilou c:

(Music Meme list)

4. a song lyric that describes my muse

Answered here for all of them c:

5. a song that makes my muse sad

Oh, songs that make me sad, you said? Songs that make me cry in front of my computer while trying to transcribe relevant lyrics? Those songs?

Arianwen: Welly Boots by The Amazing Devil.

Not that everything comes back to her mother, but I think Adaia's loss is one of the things that's going to push Wen's buttons every single time. This song is about someone watching a loved one from the afterlife (perhaps as a ghost?), knowing that they can't really do much to help but still reaching out over and over again anyway

Choice lyrics: "If only you could hear my voice, but you are screaming far too loud to hear me swear: just because I left doesn't mean that I'm not still there." and " 'How could you leave me here?' You scream/ and louder I'll scream back from I don't know/ 'I know you're strong enough, I know you're strong enough, I know you're strong enough to do this on your own.'"

Maria: Stay, I Pray You from Anastasia (the musical)

I've talked about this before, I think, but this song so encapsulates her watching Ferelden fade into the distance from a ship bound for Kirkwall. Everything she's ever known, her sister's body, her home, her father's final resting place---gone. The grief of losing her homeland lies firmly under all the others until she goes back again someday. Thinking about Ferelden makes her feel an unshakeable sense of loss even years later.

Choice Lyrics: "You are all I know/you have raised me/ How to turn away?/ How to close the door?/ How to go where I have never gone before?"

Elowen: Queen of Nothing by The Crane Wives

This song taps into Elowen's imposter syndrome, the sneaking belief that everyone else knows that she is a fraud and she has already doomed herself in some looming, unknowable way. Deep down, she believes that she is not enough and it will eventually and inevitably hurt the people she cares for best.

Choice lyrics: "Like a moth in the night/ I'm desperate for a minute in theb light/ Cus everywhere that I go/ Something pulls me to the shadows/ And I'm trying not to get too close, but it's always there/ Saying my name, calling to me/ Isn't this what you wanted?/ Time sure feels like it's runing out/ Just finish what you started/ Queen of nothing/ Wearing such a heavy crown."

Emmaera: Chords by The Amazing Devil

For Emma, I think that she often gets caught on the knowledge that to love something is to have already lost it. Nothing lasts forever, but how do you love something even knowing that it will be lost? The thought of it fills her with a soft melancholy, and I think this song (which is about one's children leaving home at last) taps into that feeling.

Choice lyrics: "Pick your chords well, loves/ but sing your notes off-key/ You can't rehearse the chorus, but the verse is sweet/ And if your voice begins to crack, if you ever feel alone/ They might laugh because you're leaving, but know we'll sing your name when you come home."

Salshira: Neptune by Sleeping At Last

Salshira knows that she's intentionally presented a fragmented picture of herself to everyone else. She does this to keep her truest self safe, but it also means that it's really hard for others to really know her. In turn, she never really feels seen or known. I think this song is an uncomfortable mirror held up to those parts of her personality.

Choice lyrics: "I'm only honest when it rains/ If I time it right, the thunder breaks when i open my mouth/ I wanna tell you but I don't know how/ I'm only honest when it rains/ An open book with a torn-out page/ And my ink runs out/ I wanna love you but I don't know how"

6. a song that makes my muse want to dance

Arianwen: Scary World by Night Club (backup, Beautiful is Boring by BONES UK)

Wen is easily the most graceful of my OCs, but I think she probably gravitates to music she can grind or headbang to. In her modern AU, she is very much into music you can feel with your whole body.

Maria: Dance the Night by Dua Lipa (and a backup, Universe by Ambar Lucid)

Maria is very good at formal, structured dances (she's an excellent partner for the waltz, for example) but she's awful at anything free-form, so I want you to imagine her with her hands over her head, flailing to both of these songs. Gorgeous woman laughing her head off doing the most ungraceful dance moves known to Thedas.

Elowen: Labyrinth by Miracle Musical

It wouldn't be her if even a song she would dance to wasn't also about being trapped in a maze of your own making lol (but I picture Elowen's dancing as lots of shoulder work and rhythmic swaying, maybe the occasional gesture of her hands if she's really feeling the lyrics)

Emmaera: Magic by Juniper Vale

For a nice little "spontaneously slow-dancing in the kitchen" moment with her love

Salshira: How to Be a Heartbreaker by Marina

I rest my case

[alexandroslocaldevotee]

31 Days Of Helpol: Days 18 to 21

Day 18: How can you best describe your relationship with each of your deities?

I don't really know how to describe it with most of them but I'll do some.

Lord Ares is a very paternal figure to me, he's a pretty constant presence in my life right now. He reminds me that I need to stand up for myself and my ideals and that he's there with me when I try to. He's there when I'm at my lowest helping to placate my more anxious and self-hating thoughts. He reminds me that it's okay to be tired but that you can't let the negative parts outshine the postive.

Lord Apollo is in my life through the things I like, he reminds me that art and music are vital things in my life and to cherish them. He's a reminder that even on the worst days the sun will rise and shine brightly upon all of us.

King Odysseus is a lot like a father to me as well, he's also my mentor in a way. He's very patient with me as I often feel too drained to worship him and his wife properly.

Lord Prometheus is always there to remind me the beauty and happiness that comes with existing and being myself. The beauty in caring about others and taking care of my friends.

Lord Hermes just pops up in my life every once in a life with perfect timing, he's very helpful and friendly and keeps finding me things to put on his altar

Day 19: If you had to assign one song to each of the deities you worship, what songs would you choose?

I have playlist for all of them but I'll give you the one I associate with them the most.

Lord Apollo, Sunlight by Hozier

Lord Dionysus, Dionisio by Rapsodia or Let's Dance by David Bowie

King Zeus, I'm still standing by Elton John

Lord Ares, any punk/political music, I have a huge playlist of it but also Nobody's soldier by Hozier

Lord Hermes, Don't stop me now by Queen

Lord Prometheus, Always forever by Cults

King Odysseus, I heavily associate with Welly Boots by The Amazing Devil

Queen Penelope, Movement by Hozier

Lord Hypnos and Lord Morpheus, Rises the moon by Liana Flores

Day 20: Do you have a favourite aspect of Hellenic Polytheism?

My favourite part is the community, the way everyone helps everyone and the fact that it's an open religion welcoming people from all religious backgrounds

Day 21: Are there any retellings/adaptations of greek mythology that you LIKE? Why/why not?

Anything by Stephen Fry is absolutely fantastic in my opinion, he explains things simply with a touch of humor. Also EPIC: the musical, even if it's not accurate to the original text, it's an amazing musical with so much effort poured into it.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 31th October

Well, we've hit something frightening, and just in time for Halloween! This song might not be explicitly spooky, but there's a frenzied mania to it, a horny-knife-wielding-psycho kind of energy that you can still feel today. Heavens knows what this one felt like in 1957...

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On - Jerry Lee Lewis (peaked at Number 8)

Well, we've just come off one track about having a wild party, and now we've got another one up to some pretty much identical tricks. Except while I accused Elvis of goofing it up to make himself seem more harmless, Jerry here seems to be doing his level best to make himself seem more wild and dangerous, a confirmed threat to wives and daughters across the land!

Part of this is simply due to the speed and sonic rawness of the track - if you thought Elvis was ramping up the speed, you ain't heard nothing yet. The song runs on this untiring, thumping boogie-woogie piano bassline, livened up by all sort of trills and runs, and a drum beat that just doesn't let up. The drums are strangely recorded, muffled and not as crisp as they could be, and at one point in the middle of the song, Jerry shouts a let's go and the drums take over, together with the piano, suddenly playing at double speed, along with a piano that's suddenly gone absolutely insane and a brief bit of properly scuzzy-sounding guitar that's notable mostly because it's the only bit of guitar in an otherwise piano-driven song. It's rockabilly thumpiness at its best and least subtle, an absolute screaming mess.

In the face of this instrumental battery, the song's lyrics are barely relevant. It's a cover of a Big Maybelle R&B song, and Jerry does a good job of it, giving it plenty of welly where he needs to, especially in the lines at the start, where he encourages his love to come on over, baby, whole lotta shakin' goin' on, but there's not a whole lot more than that, not at first.

Then we get downright risqué in the middle, as Jerry's voice drops to a low, lustful purr, telling some imaginary lady that all you gotta do, honey, is kinda stand in one spot / Wiggle around just a little bit / That's what you gotta do. And then we get a whole load of lines that are basically just shake it, babe, shake it. Up until this point, I'd kind of assumed that the "shakin" in the title just meant partying, but there's no mistaking it, Elvis might be happy to just dance the night away, but when Jerry tells you to "make it shake", he means something much less innocent than a teen dance party.

Amusingly, a producer apparently told Jerry to tone this down. Which he evidently didn't, and I can't say that the end result is any the worse for it. But yeah, I can see this raising eyebrows. The lack of control in the playing, the messiness of the recording, the innuendo of it all, the outright wild changes in dynamic and tempo. It's dynamite, punk rock before its time. I don't, for all that, love it, but I like that it managed to do this well for itself, in all its chaotic glory.

Yeah, we've had a few weeks of chaotic little rock numbers, but honestly, I can't see this one being topped for a while, just in terms of wild energy. It will be interesting to see how artists respond - are we entering into an arms race of ever-increasing sexiness and thumpiness? Or is somebody going to come along to tone it down? I've no idea, but I'm excited to find out.

Favourite song of the particularly messy bunch: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

[vidrphotography]

Honeysuckle Tea House Wedding in Chapel Hill, NC

~Rustic Fall Wedding at the Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill, NC~

Just outside the heart of Chapel Hill, at the enchanting Honeysuckle Tea House, Criss and Emily were joined by their friends and family in celebrating their wedding day. They began with a private first look at their home in Durham, joined by their dog, Wellie, before meeting up with their loved ones during the ceremony.

Honeysuckle Tea House

Honeysuckle Tea House is a wedding and event venue located just 15 minutes outside of the heart of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The venue is hosted on a 30-acre farm full of gorgeous and sustainable greenery. The venue’s team describes it as “a hidden gem just 15 minutes away from Chapel Hill…your destination for majestic nature, rustic charm, and unforgettable events.” The venue focuses on sustainability in all its practices and is even constructed out of shipping containers and other repurposed materials. I absolutely love this venue as it offers stunning views with cute quirks around every corner. This venue is just as beautiful in the spring, as the flowers bloom, as it is in the fall when the leaves start to change colors. The Honeysuckle Tea House is especially gorgeous at night. The venue has multiple indoor and outdoor seating areas, a hammock circle, and a large tent outdoors all decorated in lights. This ambient lighting allows for the perfect mood to get the dance floor going. At Criss and Emily’s wedding, their guests absolutely tore it up on the dance floor and had a blast. I absolutely adored being able to capture some special moments from their dance party. Another great bonus of the Honeysuckle Tea House is that they offer their own signature products! From tea blends to farm products and mead, trying some of their products is an absolute must. At this time the Honeysuckle Tea House is available for booking special events, retreats & weddings. They also host special events and festivals for the general public. Feel free to check them out, I highly recommend them!

Private First Look

Criss and Emily began their special day with a private and intimate first look at their home in Durham, North Carolina. They were joined by their lovely dog, Wellie, who was a great addition to this moment. Criss initially stood with his back facing Emily before the final reveal. This made for some adorable shots where you can feel the anticipation from the couple. After the initial reveal, we captured some shots on a bench in their backyard. There were actually some cute yellow flowers that paired perfectly with Emily’s yellow dress which I made sure to get in the shot as they sat on the bench. Eventually, Wellie could no longer contain his excitement and joined his parents by the bench for a few photos. We continued to capture some different poses before moving to the front yard. Their wedding was actually right before Halloween and their front yard was decorated perfectly for the occasion. From pumpkins to spooky Halloween decorations, we were able to get some pretty fun and creative photos that capture Criss and Emily’s personality as well as the fall weather. I love when couples can have fun in front of the camera and just let loose. I think that often makes for the most memorable photos and I think Criss and Emily were able to do just that. It seemed like they had a lot of fun messing around with the decorations and posing for the camera. After the first look at their home, there were a few hours before the ceremony began at the Honeysuckle Tea House.

Rustic Fall Ceremony

Criss & Emily’s Ceremony took place at the Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The venue was perfectly decorated with lights and fall décor which fit the overall atmosphere. At the end of the aisle, under the white arch, were multiple pumpkins which paired perfectly with the yellows and oranges of the surrounding foliage and with Emily’s stunning yellow dress. Criss and Emily shared beautiful vows that captured many inside jokes and displayed their deep love for one another. Many of their vows centered around moss, as Emily is very fond of moss. Emily happens to be so fascinated by moss that they even had mini terrariums as wedding favors for their guests! The ceremony was full of laughs, tears, and smiles. After Criss and Emily shared their first kiss and walked down the aisle, we took some portraits in the farm area of the venue. These colors were absolutely stunning and fit the desired fall aesthetic perfectly. Wellie even joined the newlyweds during this section to get some more photos together.

Furry Friends

One of my favorite things to see at weddings is the inclusion of a couple’s pets! Having your pet as part of your special day can be so much fun and make for some amazing memories. It can be difficult to think about all the added elements that come along with having your pet as part of your wedding day. Couples will often have a trusted friend or family member responsible for taking care of the animal on the day of or even hiring a third-party service that takes care of your pet for the day. These services will even bring your fur baby to the venue, ensure they are getting the best of care, and allow your guests to not have to worry. When it comes to photos with your furry friend, it's important to just have fun! You know more than anyone how to make sure your animal has fun and what will make them smile for the camera. Criss and Emily seemed to have so much fun with their dog Willie. He was absolutely adorable and was one of the highlights of the night.  

Vendors:

Photography: Vidr Photography

Vidrphotography.com

Officiant: P&M Notary

Diana Giraldo

pmnotaryandofficiant.com

Venue, dinner, and drinks: Honeysuckle Tea House

honeysuckleteahouse.com

Dessert: Richardson Cakes

srichardsoncakes.com

Videographer: Summit to Sea Photography

summittoseafilms.com

Ceremony sound technician: Triangle Sound Service

trianglesoundservice.com

[samwell-international-students]

does every american university have a mascot? and have all of them resulted in campus-wide lockdowns? or is it just samwell that's Like That?

Hey! Thank you so much for your question!!

Weirdly, every American college seems to have a mascot, but we still can't tell if it's just Wellie that's been driven to homicide. We'll keep you posted on that!

Are you confused by any aspect of the Samwell Experience? Ask us here!

[crashpill]

Wellie

Name: Alice Wright

Age: 36

Gender: Female

Residence: Maidenholm

Job: She always wanted to be a nurse (Helps out with paperwork)

Hair color: Ginger

Eye color: Green

Family: Her family left her alone, at the time since she lived alone in Wellington Wells. She doesn't know whether her family is alive, but she doesn't really care.

Relationship: Single?

Special features: doesn't talk and writes everything she wants to say in her notebook

Likes:

Joy Doctors

Writing

Likes to hear stories

Books

Autumn

Favorite song: Dead of Winter

Dislikes:

Stress

Tea

Rain

Groups of people

Spiders

Backstory:

She was born in Wellington Wells, and her family lived very devoutly in the Catholic faith. This is why they couldn't come to terms with Alice being mute and as a result, disabled. This is also the reason why she has no siblings; her parents were too afraid of having another child with a disability. Her family prayed in the church and regularly took her to see every priest they could find, but none could 'heal' her. At the age of 16, she was cast out by her family because they couldn't accept that their daughter had a disability.

She doesn't care whether her family is alive or not, and she never wants to see her parents again. From that point on, she tried to survive, but she can't remember what happened next. She is grateful that she has a place to live and manages to get by with some paperwork.

When she's not doing paperwork, she enjoys reading books or knitting. Occasionally, she scribbles in her notebook, but only to pass the time. She has never had a partner and has never had many friends. The friends she once had are no longer in touch with her.

Her greatest wish was to work as a nurse, and she attempted it several times. However, due to her disability, no one would hire her. That's why she secretly works on her own medicines in her apartment, though without success so far. She took a first aid course and can thus help people when they are injured.

Despite her disability, she gets along well with people, but only with those who can read or are willing to 'listen' to her.

She avoids crowds because she can no longer concentrate on writing. She also avoids rain because her last notebooks get completely wet and she can no longer communicate.

Alice has had several disputes with Bobbys and Joy Doctors because she cannot speak. She is known in the Constabulary and is usually sent away.

She just wants people she can talk to.

Relationships with:

Arthur: She knows him through the newspaper, but she's not interested in him.

Sally: She finds her a bit strange. Hears a lot of people talking about her. But doesn't want anything to do with Sally.

Ollie: Finds him creepy

Relationships with other characters:

Nick: She enjoys listening to his music and dancing to the music. She would like to meet him sometime.

Bobbies: She likes the bobbies, but still keeps a bit of a distance from them. She wants to avoid stress with the bobbys.

Doctors: She enjoys talking to the Doctors. She finds them very interesting and she likes the way they talk.

Uncle Jack: She likes his show and enjoys watching it.

Her favorite show is: Funny Old Customs

Foggy Jack: She is afraid of him and closes everything at night and no longer answers the door in the evening.