#Wisdom of the Crowd trailer | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bmodiwrites · 2 years ago

Text

Lost Boys Life

Hi friends! This is my dave five contribution to @steddie-week! The prompts I used were together and established relationship. I hope you see both of those reflected in this little beauty. You can read it down below or head over to AO3! Let me know what you think, I'm loving all the freedom of these prompts.

For their twentieth anniversary, Steve takes Eddie to Disneyland.

Of course, Steve wraps up the idea in their 10 year old daughter who is both young enough to be terribly excited yet already treading the line of being too cool to hangout with her fathers for shits and grins much longer. For that reason alone, Steve believes the idea is perfect. There is no better time to spend with Charlie than now. Every passing second is fleeting and Steve isn’t ready to lose his little girl quite yet.

Unsurprisingly, both Eddie and their rambunctious daughter are on board without any necessary convincing. The excitement written across both of their faces makes Steve grateful he listened to Robin and chose to make a family continue to work with Eddie each and every single day. Charlie takes after her surrogate mother so much it’s hard to truly parent her, though. She’s the best pieces of both personalities Steve loves the most.

After getting everyone on board, the plan is pretty perfect from start to finish, if Steve says so himself. He invites Robin and Nancy and their two children. Darren and Laura are thankfully old enough to hold their own and will make for a perfect distraction for Charlie. Of course, Robin is in on the plan, ready and armed to take the group of hooligans in exchange for endless date nights when they get back to their Flagstaff homes.

See, disguised in the child focused trip is Steve’s true gift to Eddie.

More than two decades before becoming who they are now, Steve found out a secret of Eddie’s that changed Steve’s opinion of him forever.

Back in the days when Steve’s entire focus is his popularity, Eddie is just a face in the crowd. He’s Steve’s dealer who makes him come out to the trailer park at the most inconvenient times. To Steve in that moment, Eddie is a scatterbrain who forgets who’s sitting across from him waiting to make a deal. It takes Steve a long time to realize that perspective changes things, that Eddie will one day make a world of difference. That wisdom is yet to come.

Instead, Steve sits impatiently, eager and ready to get the fuck out of there. He’s on a couch that looks twice his age, alone in a place he’s never been. Though Steve gives off confidence in droves, his anxiety spikes in such a foreign environment. Nervously, his hands reach for something to occupy themselves.

Lucky for the both of them, Steve scoops up a well loved copy of Peter Pan. There’s a nice bookmark halfway through the novel; it’s obvious to Steve that though the book is old, the person reading it is interested in taking care of its pages. For some reason, the idea of Eddie in Steve’s head changes then. He’s not just a drug dealer but a person with a little more depth than Steve thought him to have before. Though he’s sure Eddie wouldn’t be a fan of Steve knowing his secret appreciation, Steve is happy for the knowledge.

It’s the memory of that moment that takes Steve’s breathe away as Eddie pushes him up against the wall of a rundown boat house a few months later. He forgets the broken bottle at his throat and is instead taken by the fact that the man before him is just like Peter himself, lost and forcefully bitter from the narrative being written about him. It’s both absurd and changing, Steve thinks in the tense moments later when his heart throbs with want instead of fear for Eddie and his perilous situation.

Thankfully, Eddie doesn’t take after Peter in the sense that he never grows up. They get to him just in time and after months in and out of hospitals and courtrooms, Eddie gets his freedom; the ability to actually live his life the way Eddie wants. With that new ability, Eddie walks straight into Steve’s arms, bringing with him magic and adventure in ways Steve’s never known.

After making it out of the Upside Down alive, Steve’s well aware that’s saying something. They’re lucky to be breathing, let alone have each other.

Throughout the years, Steve learns that Lost Boys never truly grow up – the time simply passes them by, instead. It’s easy to see that Steve himself doesn’t really change. He’s not the most successful guy with a career that makes him known by the masses. After college, Steve thinks getting by from day to day is quite the achievement. He still likes his summer vacations and time away from perpetual babysitting duty. Instead of growing into mean, bitter people like his parents after so many years together, Steve and Eddie twist and mold around each other in a relationship that’s perfect for two people just happy to have someone to share a life with.

Soon, ten years passes them by measured in fights fought and romantic moments both men happened to luck into. It’s years of finding what works best for them and trying to blend in without breaking themselves or each other apart. They move out of Indiana and then the east coast completely. Robin comes with them and Wayne eventually joins them, too. When they settle in Arizona, the world changes again.

The Lost Boys, it seems, are going to be dads.

Steve almost walks out the first time Eddie mentions it, the idea of parenting. He’s happy as a clam just the two of them. The mere thought of adding someone else to the mix makes Steve’s skin crawl. He deals with kids every day. One in their house, getting between them, causing waves – Steve can’t even pretend to be interested.

As it turns out, Robin is in on that plan, too. She explains Eddie’s motivations and the desperate plea he made to her to finally make his family complete. Robin tells Steve of Eddie’s vision of the two of them happily creating a beautiful human society is lucky to have and made better because of, together and united all the way. It’s nice and totally tangible, but still Steve balks. He’s not ready for them to grow up, for their world to change so drastically.

Robin says she’s already said yes, that she’s willing and happy to play a small part in Steve’s never ending happiness. Though, she’s clear when she tells him that she’s not going to sit by and let him ruin the best years to come. She’s a manipulative little shit, clinging to logic like that, but she’s right. Steve can’t deny her or the best thing to happen to him nine months later.

Unlike his worst fears, parenting is just another Lost Boys’ adventure. They exchange their freedom for diapers and late night feedings and the type of joy that’s unprecedented. Eddie’s Peter Pan book resurfaces and quickly becomes part of a routine that Steve is happy to be a part of. Like her father, Charlie wants to be Peter Pan and never grow up while she flys free and unhindered amongst the joys of Neverland.

As it turns out, taking part in the successful growth of a daughter is much more fun than either could fathom. Charlie is a handful, the perfect mix of Eddie’s curiosity with Steve’s ability to play it cool. And though she looks like Robin, Charlie is her fathers’ daughter. Her mannerisms read Steve while her love of fantasy and all things mystical play to Eddie’s side of the table. Reading books is a common occurrence that luckily doesn’t change as Charlie gets older. D&D reference handbooks replace picture books sooner rather than later but Peter Pan always stays. Neither Charlie nor her dads are ready for that story to hit the shelves.

Long story short, this trip with Eddie and their girl is long overdue.

Steve chooses Disneyland because it’s easiest to convince Robin to stuff her family into the car for a six hour drive instead of a torturous flight to Florida at the airport. Robin went to college in LA, so the turf is well known to her and is always an easy bartering chip for Steve to use.

Never mind the fact that the coastal state is progressive to boot. Steve and Eddie spent enough time in Los Angeles and it’s surrounding cities to know the limits to push. It’s been such a long time since Steve got to simply hold Eddie’s hand in public, even for a brief second. He’s looking forward to the small amount of wiggle room the liberal seeming place always affords. Parents like them won’t be one in a million. Their love won’t be, either.

Splurging on all the good stuff is the right decision, everyone knows that right away. Steve’s teacher salary isn’t nearly enough to live on and luckily, Eddie makes great money with more than enough manuscripts to go around. The times that Steve can contribute meaningfully are far between but exciting and heart warming when they do happen. This time around, the whole trip is on Steve and it’s the best feeling ever. Smiles are abundant all around.

They’re at the resort where every breakfast is filled with yummy food and so many characters that even the adults’ heads spin. Steve is enamored by the looks of pure joy on Eddie and Charlie’s faces. All that happiness makes the grueling heat and resultant complaining worth it. Thankfully, Charlie is just tall enough to ride everything and more brave than anyone can give her credit for. She rides all the coasters and little kids’ rides… anything Charlie can get her hands on, she’s ready to step up to without batting an eye. Aside from the inevitable sunstroke and impatient fit Steve’s forever trying to stop, the benefits far outweigh the cons.

Especially the morning that Steve’s been waiting for. The whole trip is planned around the short encounter that he knows is going to be worth all the time, effort, and heartache putting this trip together actually was.

Robin exclaims that it’s a pool day long before Steve needs to convince Charlie to go hangout with her cousins. It’s so easy to dress her up in her Belle swimsuit and send her on her way. They don’t even need to con her. Eddie looks a little tired but is happy to see her go. They share a sigh of relief and lean an extra minute against each other in celebration.

Though forty isn’t old and withered like Steve always thought, the years are catching up.

Not fast enough to ruin his plans, however. Steve perks up when the alarm he sets goes off. His smile is so wide that Eddie squints at him in visible confusion. It takes a lot of effort not to question the situation, Steve sees that as Eddie gets up off the bed they tumbled onto and slips into the third all black Disney getup he insisted on. While Steve’s wearing a pair of traditional Mickey ears, Eddie’s are black and leather, dark and thick like all things Eddie stands for. It’s unusual and perfectly imperfect for the man who rocks leather 300 days out of the year. They’re all celebrating in their own way.

Steve keeps it together until they enter the small theater his surprise is taking place in. It takes a walk through Main Street that never fails to ramp up the excitement of anything about to happen in the park. Knowing what he does, Steve has to bite his lip to stop himself from spilling all the beans. He refuses to let his own excitement be this surprise’s downfall.

At the door, Steve gives their names as the Harrington-Munson’s. Neither of them can take the name legally, but all of Steve’s life is wrapped up in that silly little hyphen. It doesn’t hurt either that Eddie does this giddy little wiggle every time Steve uses it. Now is no exception, especially because an excited Eddie is extra affectionate. His hand slides into Steve’s for a brief second, squeezing their fingers together tightly. It’s gone sooner than either want but both men revel in the happiness of such a simple gesture.

They are early and first in line, which turns out to be the best thing. Steve isn’t distracted by Eddie’s listlessness as the crowd gets bigger. They are front and center for the main attraction’s arrival. Steve gets to see it all and Eddie’s reaction is worth memorizing.

Eddie’s eyes widen as a small actor in green tights enters the room. It’s easy to get lost in the spell of fantasy as Wendy joins Peter on the small stage. The backdrop is that of the bedroom where Peter and the kids first meet. The whole thing feels like a direct interpretation of the scene Steve now knows by heart. Eddie and Charlie both love the magic of Peter’s first moments.

A gasp follows Eddie’s hand sinking back into Steve’s. Eddie clings to him, vibrating there against Steve’s side like a spring ready to slap back and bounce off the walls. Eddie’s lips are moving but no sound leaves them. Overwhelm sits in his expression, though excitement thankfully trumps Eddie’s usual social anxiety. In that moment, Steve thanks his lucky stars – Eddie will be able to enjoy this to its full capacity.

And man does he. Steve watches the love of his life fanboy during their brief moments with the characters. Each actor brings a small part of their favorite story to life. Eddie is star struck and the kids playing Peter and Wendy are kind about it. They get him talking after a minute and Eddie finally unfurls from his shell enough to truly open up. Soon, the young man and woman playing out this fantasy know about Steve and Charlie and their trip to the happiest place on earth. Steve does his best to stay to the side so Eddie can thoroughly enjoy, but he’s not immune to Eddie’s contagious charisma that oozes from him.

A smile graces Steve’s lips each time Eddie gestures affectionately in his direction. By the end of the interaction, no one is immune to that level of happiness.

When the time to take pictures comes around, Steve tries to stay where he’s been, lingering off to the side, but neither Eddie nor Peter and Wendy are having it. He’s being called over and Steve is helpless to do anything but listen to Eddie’s gentle prodding. The words “we do this together” ring in Steve’s ears as the flash goes off over and over. With each click, Eddie holds him closer.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Eddie says as they’re herded back towards the exit a minute or two later. Steve holds the prints of their interaction in his hand, each prepaid dollar absolutely worth it. The tone of Eddie’s voice says he too agrees with that assessment. So does the happily uttered “to Neverland, indeed.”

Smiling at the perfect opening, Steve stops them just outside the bulk of the crowd.

“Speaking of,” Steve mutters, his voice dipping as he digs in his pocket. The small box is easy to fish out, fitting in Steve’s palm nicely. “I gave Charlie her’s last night.” He opens the box then, showing off two rings on chains, intimately nestled together. “Life with you and our girl is a trip to Neverland every moment of every day, Eddie. You two bring magic to life just by existing but I got us these reminders, just in case. I’ll always adventure anywhere with you.”

Eddie’s fingers shake as he pulls at one of the rings. He traces the edge of it before turning it the way Steve’s been waiting for him to do. The inscription “to Neverland, always” takes up the circumference of white gold and will sit nicely over both their hearts. Steve can’t help but laugh at the perfect way it fits around Eddie’s neck.

Steve isn’t prepared for the awestruck look in Eddie’s eyes as he wraps Steve’s necklace around his neck, too. Eddie takes his time doing up the clasp, his fingertips brushing teasingly along Steve’s skin. When Eddie pulls back, he looks satisfied by the gooseflesh overtaking all of the tanned flesh making up Steve’s neck and shoulder. That’s probably why he doesn’t even blink an eye in surprise when Eddie leans in close, when his usually shy significant other presses their lips together. Steve’s expecting it, for once happy to be on the other end receiving it, too.

The kiss is quick but the intimacy of the moment remains. Eddie rests their foreheads together, their breaths shared. It’s kind of perfect.

“I love you,” Eddie says, like the words are easy now, twenty years and one child later. Maybe they are. Or maybe they’re a little different. Their love most certainly is.

Steve smiles at the thought and returns the words, the truth of them lingering.

tag list (message if you’d like to be added): @infinite-orangepeel, @thefreakandthehair, @corrodedcoughin, @prettyboisteveharrington,

#steddie #steddie week #steddieweek2023 #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve harrington/eddie munson #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie fic #steddie au #disneyland #bobbie writes #lost boys life

42 notes · View notes

clarkes-and-god · 1 year ago

Text

A Season Of Birthdays And Thoughts On Marriage

It has been such a season of celebration in the Clarke household! My eldest son, Tyson, has just turned 6! He is still such a sweet boy, and he always does what he can to help others. He's clearly a natural headship -- he's so protective over little Mandy, and he's always wanting to make sure I'm ok. Such a little gentleman! At the advice of Tobias, he's going to be attending the secular elementary school in our area. While this isn't what I thought would happen, Tobias thought it would be beneficial for us not to be all crowded up in our little trailer all day, and Christian private school isn't really financially possible for us. I'll be praying that my son remains strong in his faith, and his gentle spirit isn't corrupted by secular influence. Mommy has faith in you!

My little girl, Mandy, has also recently turned 2! She already is so ladylike, and she loves mothering on her stuffed animals, which is so sweet to watch! I've shown her the crib, which we are keeping in the 3rd bedroom (now Mandy and Tyson are bigger, we've gotten rid of most of the baby stuff, and they can share a room) and she is so excited for when Mommy is going to be blessed with a little baby, God-willing. She's still a Daddy's girl, and loves to watch him play his video games. We are so proud of you, sweet girl!

Recently, I made a misstep in my marriage -- I talked to a family member in a way that made them think me and Tobias were having difficulties, both financially and in our marriage. This caused the family member to give me some advice, which while I'm sure it was well-meant, was ungodly and unneeded! While we aren't affluent, we have a roof over our heads, beds to sleep in, and food to eat! A wife's job is to make what she has work, and this is a skill I've been working on over the years. For example, little Mandy is actually wearing Tyson's old shirt, but it doesn't look boyish at all with the leggings and skirt i found at Salvation Army -- she looks like such a classy little lady in her blouse! And I would say that the only relationship issue we've had is my tendency to not think before I speak, which has only caused my husband and the people around us annoyance. I've been working on this flaw of mine, and I think my progress will do a great deal of good in our marriage. Tobias leads the family, and so my opinion isn't necessary if he's already told me his. I think this advice would also do good for other ladies in biblically-led marriages. Finally, Tobias gave me a word of wisdom in who we should trust for our advice! Only go to women who are living their lives by the word of God -- why should I trust a bossy harlot, who got pregnant before she married, and wears tight pants in front of men, to give me good advice? Naturally, women are naive and trusting, so it was so good of Tobias to point this out to me!

#cherish #tobias #birthdays #fundie sims #quiverfull sims #fundie snark #fundie simblr #modest sims #satire #homeschool sims #tobiascherish

21 notes · View notes

smashlawlai · 4 months ago

Text

Here’s a Super Smash Bros. Lawl moveset for **Morgan Freeman**:

### Reveal Trailer:

The trailer starts with a quiet, serene Smash battle happening in the background. Mario and Donkey Kong are about to face off when a voice begins narrating the situation: "And so, they found themselves, once again, on the battlefield." The camera pans to Morgan Freeman, sitting in a chair with a book, calmly narrating the fight. He closes the book, stands up, and says, "But now, the time has come for me to join." The screen fades to black, then reveals: "Morgan Freeman Narrates the Fight!"

### Moveset:

- **Neutral B (Narration Power):**

- **Description:** Morgan Freeman speaks a line of narration about his opponent’s actions, such as "And then, they felt the weight of their decisions." This stuns opponents for a brief moment, as they become trapped in their own thoughts. This move deals no damage but leaves opponents vulnerable.

- **Inspiration:** Morgan Freeman is famous for his narrating voice, which is so powerful it can pause people in their tracks.

- **Side B (Godlike Force):**

- **Description:** Channeling his role from *Bruce Almighty*, Morgan Freeman points forward, and a wave of godlike energy shoots out, pushing opponents back and dealing moderate damage. The force covers a wide range, making it great for clearing out crowds.

- **Inspiration:** This move references Freeman's portrayal of God, using divine powers to influence the world around him.

- **Down B (Calming Wisdom):**

- **Description:** Morgan Freeman sits down and calmly begins to speak wise, soothing words, healing himself slightly over time. While sitting, he is vulnerable to attacks but can recover a small amount of health if uninterrupted.

- **Inspiration:** Morgan Freeman is known for his calming, wise demeanor, and this move reflects his ability to bring peace in any situation.

- **Up B (Cloud of Knowledge):**

- **Description:** Morgan Freeman rises into the air, carried by a cloud of text and knowledge. The cloud propels him upwards and deals light damage to any opponents it touches. This move serves as both a recovery and an attack, with Morgan Freeman floating back to the stage gracefully.

- **Inspiration:** This is a metaphor for Freeman’s vast knowledge and wisdom, often portrayed as being "above" the rest in terms of intellect.

- **Final Smash (The Voice of the Universe):**

- **Description:** The screen darkens as Morgan Freeman’s voice booms across the stage, narrating the events of the fight. Opponents are hit by waves of sound that shake the screen, dealing heavy damage and launching them. His final line, "And so, their story came to an end," delivers a massive blow to all opponents, likely launching them off the screen.

- **Inspiration:** This Final Smash represents Freeman’s omnipotent narration, using his voice as a force of nature that controls the battle.

### Taunts:

- **Up Taunt:** Morgan Freeman adjusts his tie, smiles, and says, “You know, I could do this all day.”

- **Side Taunt:** He opens a book, skims through it, and says, “And thus, the story continues.”

- **Down Taunt:** Freeman calmly folds his hands and says, “Patience is a virtue.”

### Victory Poses:

1. **Victory Pose 1:** Morgan Freeman sits in a leather chair by a fireplace, reading a book. He looks up and says, “And that, my friends, is how you win a fight.”

2. **Victory Pose 2:** Freeman stands in front of a glowing sunrise, arms behind his back, looking into the distance. He simply says, “The end was inevitable.”

3. **Victory Pose 3:** Freeman sits at a desk, typing on a typewriter, and says, “Another chapter completed.”

### Defeat Pose:

- **Defeat Pose:** Morgan Freeman stands with his arms crossed, nodding slightly, and says, “Even the wisest lose sometimes."

0 notes

smartzinc · 1 year ago

Text

Words that Rent: Crafting Compelling Listings to Snag Stellar Tenants

Let's face it, in the competitive world of rentals, your listing is the first impression that sets the hook. It's your digital billboard, your online open house, and the key to attracting tenants who are more than just warm bodies filling empty spaces. They're your ideal residents, the ones who pay rent on time, treat your property with respect, and maybe even bake you the occasional batch of cookies (fingers crossed!).

So, how do you craft a listing that sings like a siren to the right kind of tenant? Worry not, fellow landlords and property managers, for I'm here to share some word-wielding wisdom:

Hook 'em from the Headline:

Think of your headline as the movie trailer. It's gotta be catchy, informative, and leave them wanting more. Ditch the generic "Cozy 1 Bedroom Apartment" and opt for something more evocative, like "Sun-Drenched Oasis in Vibrant Downtown" or "Tranquil Garden Retreat: Your Urban Sanctuary Awaits."

Paint a Vivid Picture with Words:

Don't just list features, bring them to life! Instead of "Hardwood floors," describe the smooth gleam underfoot, the way they catch the sunlight and add warmth to the space. Instead of "Stainless steel appliances," mention the chef-worthy oven that will inspire culinary masterpieces. Use sensory details, evoke emotions, and let your words paint a picture that draws potential tenants right in.

Highlight the "Wow" Factors:

Does your apartment boast a balcony with breathtaking city views? A rooftop deck perfect for stargazing? A fireplace that begs for cozy nights in? Don't be shy! Highlight these unique features, the things that make your rental stand out from the crowd. Remember, sometimes it's the little extras that make all the difference.

Be Honest and Transparent:

Nobody likes surprises (except maybe birthday presents, but that's another story). Be upfront about the square footage, any limitations or quirks, and the overall vibe of the neighborhood. Transparency builds trust and attracts tenants who are a good fit for your property.

Speak to Their Needs:

Imagine your ideal tenant. What are their priorities? Are they busy professionals seeking a convenient commute? Young families looking for a safe and playful environment? Tailor your language to resonate with their needs and desires. Talk about the nearby parks, the proximity to public transportation, or the pet-friendly amenities, depending on who you're trying to attract.

Proofread Like a Pro:

Typos and grammatical errors scream unprofessionalism. Before hitting publish, proofread your listing meticulously. Ask a friend to give it a once-over for good measure. Remember, attention to detail shows you care, and that goes a long way in attracting quality tenants.

Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words:

They really are! Invest in high-quality photos that showcase the best aspects of your rental. Show off the natural light, capture the spaciousness, and highlight any unique features. Remember, people eat with their eyes first, and in the world of rentals, that translates to renting with their eyes.

Bonus Tip: Embrace the Power of Personality:

Let your personality shine through your writing! Infuse your listing with a touch of your own voice, a hint of your sense of humor, or a genuine expression of what makes your rental special. People connect with authenticity, and letting your personality peek through can make your listing stand out in a sea of generic descriptions.

By following these tips and unleashing your inner wordsmith, you can craft a listing that doesn't just fill your vacancy, it attracts the dream tenants who make property management a breeze and turn your rental into a success story. So, get writing, unleash your creativity, and remember, the right words can turn "For Rent" into "Leased!" in no time.

0 notes

taurustwister · 2 years ago

Text

LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2024.

ke huy quan - finding o’hana, eeato, abc, loki

jane fonda- moving on, 8b, book club, g&f

dan levy- happiest season

sarah kendall- radio interviews, the other one, taskmaster/coc3, game shows (guessable, rohouse of games, weakest link, wity, spicks & specs, question team), things you should have done, motherland, big zuu's big eats, frayed + bloopers + interviews, comedy shows, beehive (2008)?

ava capri- embattled, blast beat, fletcher's mv, do revenge, love victor, reply, the experience, interviews?

james lance- ted lasso, winx

oona chaplin- interviews, made to love, molotov jukebox's "neon lights" vid, treason, lullaby, anchor and hope

lauren graham- gg, mighty ducks, evan almighty, dinner takes it all, merry friggin christmas, zoey's ep, parenthood

alexis bledel- gg, handmaid's tale

melissa mccarthy- gg, mike & molly

jessica gunning- the outlaws, baby reindeer, interviews, pride, ps: tennison,

lisa ann walter - bitter trailer, the ladies, greys, 911, doubt, psycho st, the more things change clips, jersey, parent trap, ae s2, glow

jenna fischer- mean girls + int, the office, splitting up together

zoe perry- young sheldon

liza weil- the cleaning lady, htgawm, gg + revival, the passenger

natalia tena- i love you stupid, interviews, john wick4, hp, anchor and hope, wolfe, wisdom of the crowd, molotov jukebox vids, 10.000km

kathryn hahn- I love d*ck, happyish, I know this must is true, transparent, tiny beautiful things, mrs fletcher, private life, bad words, the shrink next door, flower, parks and rec

lily rabe- ahs, tell me your secrets, shrinking, fractured, downtown owl, the veil, letters from the big man, redemption trail, golden exits, presumed innocent, the great lillian hall, the tender bar, pawn sacrifice, a midsummer night's dream, the wizard of lies

hamish linklater- tell me your secrets, redemption trail, downtown owl, a midsummer night's dream

vera farmiga- hawkeye, at middleton, higher ground, boundaries,

neve campbell- hot air, pof5, lincoln lawyer

lance barber- young sheldon

charlotte ritchie- ghosts, taskmaster, the other one, wonka, feel good, you

catherine tate - doctor who 2023

david tennant- doctor who 2023

rosie jones- taskmaster

lucia keskin- things you should have done, mandy

diane morgan- frayed, cunk on earth,

sean astin- st

scott patterson- sullivan's crossing, gg, saw

elaine hendrix - parent trap, dynasty

poorna jaganathan- nsie, i'll show you mine, the out-laws

jovan bridges/yvie oddly- interviews

abby elliott- the bear

matty matheson- the bear

sarah paulson- the bears2

angela kinsey- the office, tall girl 1 & 2

amy ryan- the office, omitb, beau is afraid, beautiful boy

gaby hoffmann - finish cmon cmon and transparent

nick offerman- parks & rec

rashida jones- the office, parks & rec, angie tribeca

ellie kemper- the office, bridesmaids, kimmy s, happiness for beginners

kristen bell- the good place, the woman in the house across the street

winona ryder- gone in the night

lily tomlin- grandma, 80b, moving on, g&f

katee sackhoff- christmas sail

rainn wilson- the office, mom, jerry and marge go large

dolly parton- g&f

rakhee thakrar- rules of the game

craig robinson- the office, killing it

andie mcdowell- maid

rita moreno- 8b, west side story, x fast and furious

sally field- 8b, spoiler alert

janelle james- ae s1 & s2

william stanford davis- ae s1 & s2

sheryl lee ralph- ae s1 & s2

tyler james williams- ae s2

quinta brunson- ae s2

courteney cox- shining vale

kelly mccormack - sugar daddy, aloto, ginny and georgia

keiko agena- gg, prodigal son

martin short- omitb

steve martin- omitb

mae martin- feel good

meryl streep- omitbs3

cristo fernandez- interviews

nick mohammed- ted lasso, taskmaster

~~~

michaela mcmanus- the village*

toni collette- mafia mama, knives out, hereditary*

elizabeth mitchell- sc films*

jodi balfour- ted lasso*

smg- do revenge*

0 notes

soaring-kite · 3 years ago

Note

Yo! Saw you had a tumblr, and we’re taking prompts/asks. I enjoy your DCU KHR crossover with Fon. I wanted to know how he would react if he found his other fellow Arcobaleno or at least one of them? Like maybe Skull, since Fon trusts him in your fic, Dick and Skull would also be a headache circus, motorcycles and all. Keep up it up! their really entertaining!

Lmfao, yes. If Skull was in this universe, he and Skull wouldn’t have met for a while. Like, not until Fon was well on his twenties, maybe. Skull would’ve been an orphan and ran away to join the circus because. Hello? Cloud much?

So then Skull would’ve actually been normal in this world. Like, no mafia, no evil world dominations—just a weird little boy with strangely too much information about being an adult and bouts of wisdom.

They would’ve met when Skull started making a name for himself, I guess. That should be late-teens to early-twenties, so. Fon sees the poster one day and he is. Just. Struck. Could this be??? Meanwhile Skull doesn’t know about Fon because he’s half stuck in the ‘Gotham is a myth’ mindset.

He dawdles for a bit because, fucking hell. What if it’s just a coincidence??? Then his family, who have at this time been told of his Past drag him to one of the stunt shows.

They meet, their Flames brushing up gains teach other even with Fon hidden in the crowd, and Skull almost gets his head chopped off by a helicopter blade and Fon almost dusts the entire place.

After the show, they meet up backstage and get drunk in Skull’s trailer as they reminisce about old times and moan how much their new family gets on their nerves sometimes.

They part the next morning after exchanging contacts, and yeah. They’re healing.

#skull de mort #fon #dcu #khr #batfam #reincarnation #this is from my ao3 fic #like the wind

81 notes · View notes

rosewcterdrunk · 2 years ago

Photo

ABOUT HALEN | Can you believe the outcome? I’m asking you god how come.

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: Halen Alexandra Blackwell

AGE: Twenty-Seven

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis woman, She/Her

FACE CLAIM: Anya Taylor Joy

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Blonde, though heavily dyed other colors

HEIGHT: 5′9″

DATE OF BIRTH: January 24th

ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Associates Degree, Pursuing Bachelor’s in Hospitality

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: N/A

OCCUPATION: Housekeeper at high end hotel, drug dealer

HOMETOWN: New Orleans, Lousiana

NEIGHBORHOOD: Gastown

CHARACTER HISTORY [TRIGGER WARNING FOR CHILD NEGLECT, DRUG ABUSE, DRUG OVERDOSE, POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION]

Van and Halen Blackwell have known the same song and dance their whole lives, but the it was to a beat that was entirely their own. They were born in New Orleans and spent their days escaping the stillness of a trailer park and how the rumble of their tummies filled the silence when their mother wasn’t entertaining a guest they’d never meet. The twins were well known at the local police station for their adventures in wandering the town, but the they were never lost. They had each other and there was always a purpose to their step, even if they didn’t know. CPS finally intervened, finding some saving grace in their father who had been absent when it mattered the most in their lives. His return was suppose to be the better option and the promise of average to replace a never ending cycle of survival. Their father had spent most of his life on the road and working on tour with bands that sang about tales Vann and Halen would come to know too early in life. His dreams had never stopped before, and they wouldn’t know with his newfound responsibility. The twins joined him on the road as soon as custody was handed over.

They learned the ways of the world through the ups and downs between sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The two were raised in a village of those that were deemed criminals in the eyes of some and gods in others. Vann and Halen served as roadies and found affection from those tossed aside by the ones who claimed to understand what it felt like to not be wanted. To this day, they’ve been part of each other’s ups and downs in a vicious cycle that has yet to be broken. One goes up high with the other, stays there for the mutual crash to ride it out together, and the numbing aftermath they take care of the other through.

At sixteen, Halen’s drug debacle with an older band took a turn for the worst. With a headache and a conscious effort to breathe, she woke up in a panic as those around her had seemed to reach a higher power than she had and there was no way they would be coming down. Her brother had found her and pulled her away, keeping her out of trouble and her name out of the tabloids surrounding the overdose and unfortunate passing of a band.

The sole survivor of the catastrophe would find fame, and he’d go on while the Blackwells moved from tour to tour assisting in set up, merchandise, and whatever they could offer as the stage hands to shows people swore they’d remember forever.

While no one remembered them by name and they were hidden behind stages and crowds, Halen found a way to make her mark in the world. She grew up listening to stories about the greatest of loves and the greatest of losses. She tailored herself to be remembered, even more insistent since her short cross with death, and learned how to be what someone with a headache of a creativity block needed. Halen gave her all until they came out with the right tune, and it’s only her that knows just what songs are written about her.

Eventually, Vann and Halen tired of their father’s wisdom as they had come to know he was no more than a broken record. The moment one rebelled enough to sever a thread knotted to him, the other followed to unravel more until they were free. One tour’s last stop in Vancity became their attempt at a temporary break as proof that he needed them, but in the end, all they really needed was each other. They still had their dances with devils that cursed the best songs, from narcotics and heartache and enough dares that brought as flash of some tunnel with a bright light at its end. They even found old heroes and old enemies that crossed through the city, including the one they thought had moved beyond them. The survivor of the overdose tragedy in her youth reunited with the two of them, and their brass trio was complete as he passed through Vancity again. Halen slipped into her old habits, and for a while she dreaded to see him ago. However, he didn’t part with her completely. Just a few months later, Halen found out she was pregnant and battled with keeping the child. For a while, she used it to her advantage and as a cover for drug dealing. No one would ever suspect a young girl like her, ready for a family, to be hiding the best prices in the city in the seam of her dress and the shadow of a growing belly. There was a time she considered raising it on her own with the help of her brother and not a single whisper back to her old friend. That dream didn’t last long, though, and Halen gave the child up for adoption. She didn’t tell anyone, not even her brother, but she had seen the faces of the demons they pretended to have befriended during that time and she didn’t want to bring a child into the mess she realized she was.

The twins settled in Vancity— whatever that means for them, because surely white picket fences and peace of mind has never been in the cards for the two. Taking on a job as a housekeeper while she studies hospitality at a local college, Halen has normalcy wrapped around her finger as no more than a little ring. Every glint in it, of course, is just a small justification for trouble since she’s trying to be good. While Vann lingers in the hum of music and uses the bass to his advantage in a different light, Halen chases the feeling that she lost once they left the tour scene. Vancity is full of hope, and she plans on ripping off halos to inspect them and cash in. It started as a bad habit, a small dance of whatever she tucked under her tongue and the melt of whatever encapsulated euphoria. Now, it’s a new means of survival that she’ll share with anyone willing to meet her price.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Hotel clients with good and bad experiences, maybe your muse’s family came to visit and it was hell or they paid her to pamper them so she wouldn’t reveal any secrets

Clients she sells narcotics to

People she helps with sketchy finances

People who let her do a little money laundering for a small cut

Classmates at the local college/ university

Exes, hookups, messy messy messy

Local musicians she has most definitely been a groupie for here and there

Let her be your muse, because she will become whatever you need in order to get over that creative bloc

Enemies because she’s a particular taste, maybe she hooked up with the wrong person

Friends exclusive to a bar stool

#about.halen #vcintro

4 notes · View notes

dani-dimitrescu · 3 years ago

Text

𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆/𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁! 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲! Bold what applies; if you don’t see what applies to your muse, you may add it to the end of the section after the line. It’s a very long checklist, so feel free to put it under a read more like this!

I'm exploring Daniela's long forgotten past....

Name: Valeria Lupei

Age: 19

Height: 5'5

Birthdate: April 16 1931

Markings: scar(s) | tattoo(s) | piercing(s) | beauty mark(s) |

Posture: upright | neutral | slumped

Face Shape: round | oval | heart | square | long

Physical Needs: glasses or contacts | hearing aid(s) | braces or similar | wheelchair

IQ: 60 or less | 61-80 | 81-100 | 101-120 | over 120

Education Level: less than high school | high school | college | masters | doctorate

Housemates: family member(s) | friend(s) | landlord or landlady | none |

Grooming: lazy | stylishly unkempt | average | prettied up | meticulous

Social Life: non-existent | limited | it’s there | active | constant

Preferred Food: sweets | meats | fruits | vegetables | carbohydrates

Perceptiveness: oblivious | dull | average | sharp | mind-reader

Inclination: arts | sciences | mathematics | humanities

Moral Code: self-interest | utilitarianism | universal law | religious

Luck: witchcraft | stereotypically Irish | average | really? | historically Irish

Self-Discipline: what is that | noooooo | when they want to | decent | militant

Easily Embarrassed? shameless | pretty tolerant | average | sensitive | don’t even talk to them

Shows Affection: doesn’t | rarely | sometimes | often | at every chance

Likeability: non-existent | when they try | pretty okay | cool person | godlike

#pre cadou dani #about Valeria #the past

4 notes · View notes

bunnymcbunnister · 4 years ago

Text

SPN Season 15 Spoiler Sheet Update 10/19

I put the general spoilers at the end because it was bogging the whole thing down, so if you are looking for those, keep scrolling.

DISCLAIMER: This is gathered info from various sources. This is not confirmed information. Stuff in this WILL be wrong. Don’t take this too seriously. This is for fun. Also, if you use this info for another publication, please let me know as a courtesy. Don’t be a dick. It's all out there, but it hurts to see my same phrasing on other publications after all the work I’ve done to consolidate it…

Episode 15x16

Title: Drag Me Away (From You)

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: FLASHBACK TO A YOUNG SAM AND DEAN – Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are asked to investigate the murder of a childhood friend, calling them back to a motel from their past and perplexing the brothers with a case they thought was solved a long time ago. Amyn Kaderali directed the episode written by Meghan Fitzmartin (#1516). Original airdate 10/22/2020.

Written by: Megan Fitzmartin

Director: Amyn Kaderali

Filming Dates: 2/6-2/17

Airdate: October 22nd

Photos:https://www.thetvaddict.com/2020/10/16/supernatural-photos-s15e16-drag-me-away-from-you/

Promo: https://youtu.be/ayOy8gEr4wo

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? I’m starting to think no? Jack ? not sure either.

Guest stars: IMDB credits Lisa Berry (Billie/Death) as well as Young Sam, Young Dean and both grown and young Caitlyn

Other Spoilers/info:

Alex got a cast of his face around the filming of this- so this ep or the one after

They filmed at Rooster’s Sunrise Hotel for 3 days/nights

From TVLine- “It worked not only as a case right now, but also as something that informed the journey Sam and Dean have taken, where they started as kids, how they kind of came together and then how that has [led up] to the point that they are, emotionally, when the episode airs. So it ended up being a really good reflection of our guys now, telling a story about our guys then, which, to me, are always the best versions of those types of flashback stories.”

From EW- "We see the case that kind of brought them together as hunters," Dabb says of the episode, "the first case young Sam and young Dean worked together to a conclusion."

Episode 15x17

Title: Unity

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: ONE WAY OR ANOTHER – Dean (Jensen Ackles) hits the road with Jack (Alexander Calvert) who needs to complete a final ritual in the quest to beat Chuck (guest star Rob Benedict). A difference of opinion leaves Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Castiel (Misha Collins) behind looking for answers to questions of their own. Catriona McKenzie directed the episode written by Meredith Glynn (#1517). Original airdate 10/29/2020.

Written by: Meredith Gylnn

Director: Catrion McKenzie

Filming Dates: 2/19-2/28

Airdate: Oct 29th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? yes Jack ? yes

Guest stars: Rob benedict and Emily Sparrow IMDB credits Robert Wisdom (Uriel)

Other Spoilers/info:

Chuck and Amara trailers were seen on set when filming in a garden

Jensen was in NOLA Friday, possible Monday

“Uriel” was around for filming (Post COVID update: Misha seemed to indicate that this was because the actor was nearby filming? Not sure if this is to cover up the spoiler or the truth)

Alex and Jensen filmed in the impala

Episode 15x18

Title: Despair (it was The Truth at some point I think)

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: RICHARD SPEIGHT, JR. DIRECTS – With the plan in full motion, Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles), Castiel (Misha Collins) and Jack (Alexander Calvert) fight for the good of the common goal. Richard Speight, Jr. directed the episode written by Robert Berens (#1518). Original airdate 11/5/2020.

Written by: BOBO

Director: Speight

Filming Dates: 3/2--3/11

Airdate: Nov 5th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? yes Jack ? yes

Guest stars: IMDB credits Billie

Other Spoilers/info:

Misha and Alex filmed near the impala. J2 showed up later that night. This was the source of the “last time they all filmed on set” photo

A really emotional scene was filmed with Misha and Jensen. Jared was definitely not there, but Alex was on the flight they took with Rich, so its possible he was too. This was revealed at a con in which the four of them were on a plane that had an in-flight problem.

Filming watchers saw a bro hug

Tape Ball posted a shot of field that looks like where dean came back from hell

Misha indicated this was his “favorite episode” in a recent interview

From EW- Ackles, having recently done ADR on episode 18, says he had forgotten how "monumental" the hour is.

Episode 15x19

Title: Inherit the Earth

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: bucklelimg

Director: John Showalter

Filming Dates:: 3/12-3/23/cancelled for COVID and then 8/18-8/27

Airdate: Nov 12th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? unknown Jack ? yes

Guest stars: Jake Abel (Micheal), Mark Pelligrino (Lucifer)

Other Spoilers/info:

Production shut down as a precaution for coronavirus on 3/13, two days into filming. It is scheduled to start again on Aug 18th.

Jensen indicated there might be some re-writes for this ep to account for COVID protocols.

When they started filming, they indicated they were on day two. So maybe they could only use some of the scenes they shot? Then they added an extra day all called it day 9. COVID protocols makes things take longer

AlCal was definitely on set.

Jake Abel was definitely on set, and he posted an instagram story with his trailer and Lucifer’s (Mark Pelligrino)

Some filming was done at a gas station called Showalter’s (name of the director) with Jared, Jensen, and Alex

Jake “Spoiler King” Abel filmed a video showing chairs for Jared, Jensen, and Alex as well as Rob Benedict (Chuck/God). They were filming near a lake with a mountain view (that looked similar to where Cas died in season 13)

Rob Benedict posted it was his last day in Vancouver, indicating we won't see Chuck past this episode? Or very very briefly in 20? Jake Abel posted a similar message, also baiting fans about Misha’s whereabouts

Scene “28” took several days and seemed to go across both 19 and 20? So they might have done some combo filming?

Episode 15x20

Title: Carry On

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Written by: Dabb

Director: Bob Singer

Filming Dates: 8/28- 9/10

Airdate: November 19th

Photos:

Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Castiel ? maaaaybe? Jack ? maaaaybe?

Guest stars: Jim Beaver

Other Spoilers/info:

Jensen indicated filming would take two weeks, longer than usual (looks like a 9 day shoot, with a day off for Labor Day)

According to Superwiki, 9/3 was the last day on the bunker set, the final days are on location.

Scene “28” took several days and seemed to go across both 19 and 20? So they might have done some combo filming?

Filming locations seemed to include a barn (pic with a stunt guy showed wooden walls and straw) and a lake (not the mountain lake from 19), and a forest. Filming signs spotted at Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve.

Jim Beaver confirmed his appearance on Twitter

There was a pic of J2 with baby on a bridge. Baby had her original plates. They seem to be wearing the same clothes they were in the pilot. There may be grey (??) In their hair, but that could be lighting

Misha posted some creation videos, saying he had been on an impromptu camping trip. He was back in his house. They were posted on the last day of filming and he had pretty decent scruff. He also mentioned that it was the last day of filming and he wasn't up there.

The show officially wrapped at 6:25 on 9/10

Jared said “the last time Sam and Dean see each other is the last time Jared and Jensen film together” but seem to imply that was not the final scene? It was a confusing answer to a question about filming the final scene.

IMDB credits a vampire?

General Info (oldest to newest). This is a blend of pre-COVID and post COVID, so some might change.

Misha will be in 15 out of 20 episodes this season (he’s missed 4 so far. Unclear about 16, 19, and 20).

JaxCon/Vegas Con spoilers:

Misha said the ending was “happier than he expected” but also had some sadness. He later used “sad and redemptive”

Dean says the line “stop killing my people” (to god?)

Jensen said he doesn’t see how the story could continue past this season, but Jared said its more of “a see you later” (in more recent interviews, Dabb seems to shut that down completely)

Al Cal posted a pic of a “thrown away” call sheet that seems to indicate Micheal, Lucifer, and a character named “Betty” interacting in the bunker. Unclear as to the validity, could be from 19 based on casting

Charlie (original flavor) will return

Filming resumed on Aug 18th. Per Canadian policy, they must quarantine for two weeks. Those quarantining seemed to include:

Fairly Clear: Jared, Jensen, Jake Abel (Micheal), Rob Benedict (Chuck/God) Mark Pelligrino (Lucifer), Al Cal (didn't need to quarantine, but he is definitely on set), Jim Beaver (Bobby)

Unclear/Rumored: Misha (he is being deliberately cagey), Osric Chau (Kevin- but likely for another project, he was a week ahead of everyone else)

Reasons Unlikely: Sam Smith (chemo treatment), Kim Rhodes (working at a camp during quarantine), Ruth Connell (posted from Malibu the entire time)

No idea: Shoshannah Stern

Jensen said sp 19 is more of a season finale, while 20 is a series finale. Repeated in interviews/livestreams.

Jensen indicated that the ending did change per COVID protocols. Later interviews confirmed this, but it seemed to indicate the changes were in regards to how many people filmed at once (crowd scenes, recurring characters returning)

Misha is being very, very cagey about where he was. Some live streams seem to indicate he is not at home, but he has yet to confirm- his presence in 19/20 is hard to track. In an interview with Metaverse, he was in bed in a hotel looking space and you could see mountains in the background. He was not on set for the first week of filming, so he could be a week behind.

Misha has thrown around the words “final” and “what he <Misha> would have wanted” per Cas’ ending. “Sad/Proud” and “poignant” were also used. His latest line is “sad but satisfying”

The finale will air Nov 19th in conjunction with an hour long special.

Dabb confirmed to TV line the episode 19/20 explanation Jensen’s mentioned- For the most part, we wrap up a big chunk of our mythology in Episode 19,Episode 20 is more character-based and is more concerned with Sam, Dean and this family they’ve built around them than it is with figuring out the Case of the Week.

When talking about the lightheartedness of returning on ep 14, Dabb said deeply depressing and upsetting episodes are coming (USAToday). He also said we would see “new sides” of Jack, Cas, and Billie. A revisit of Chuck and Amara’s “sibling issues” as well is on tap. Jared said sacrifices are coming.

From TV Line- re the battle with Chuck. Allies will return, but was repeated several times in the article that is comes down to Sam and Dean. Jack will struggle with getting his soul back but will be helped by Cas.

It was confirmed there will be no appearances by mamma and papa Winchester, possible due to COVID. (TVLine).

According to ET there will be lots of “Easter Eggs” in the finale from early episodes. TV Line furthered that by Jared confirming Sam and Dean “in the way they began”

One singular interview asked about Cas and Jack (SyFy) and we got this “Cas has had a very long evolution on this show, but an evolution to an emotionally healthy place, which is generally speaking not something we do a ton. It means someone is at least emotionally healthy on this show.” Jack will be dealing with having a soul and the mistakes he made, particularly Mary.

A trailer was released on 8/27. Scenes included (taken out as shown to save space

A moving speech from Sam to Dean

A teary conversation between Dean and Cas

Injured Dean being helped by Cas in the bunker

Ghost Dean? Little Sam cutting off a hand

Some intermixed scenes from past episodes

https://youtu.be/d5AzUa5zABI

A second trailer was released on 8/31. Scenes included:

A monologue from Billie about god coming to destroy the planet plus her banging on a bunker door (with her hand all gooey) and striking someone with her scythe

Jack continuing his speech about killing god but expanding that he has a ritual to do

Chuck in the bunker/Chuck saying he doesn't believe Sam and Dean can kill him

Young Sam and not ghost Young dean

Dean angrily driving the Impala then saying “its time”

More Dean tears

A surprise appearance from Bobby

Some of the same scenes as before

https://youtu.be/mBTwCWkOFKw

A third trailer was released on 9/24. It was a rehash of the other two, but a new new scenes included: ttps://youtu.be/7oVO9BdADnQ

A Shaving People, Punting Things trailer was released on 10/2. Scenes included:

Dean in a bar with a blond woman

Sam by the mountain lake with facial wounds

Team Free Will 2.0 in a bunker corridor, Jack looking injured (?)

Sam, Dean, and Jack walking down a street/later in a church/in the Impala

Sad Dean in the dungeon/Sad Sam drinking and knocking over a book

Sad Jack and Cas leaning on the Impala

Scattered shot of Sad Sam and Dean (drinking in the bunker, learning against the Impala)

Sam/Donna hug

Dean entering a motel room

Amara looking blissful

Dean giving Sam an encouraging face pat

Billie choking Cas

Sam in Death’s library, hurting

Billie swinging a scythe

Many behind the scenes shots, including one of Felicia Day (Charlie)

https://youtu.be/yex3jbuf8Mo

#supernatural #spn spoilers #spn season 15 #spn 15x16 #spn 15x17 #spn 15x18 #spn 15x19 #spn 15x20 #supernatural spoilers #spoiler sheet

8 notes · View notes

lyselkatzfandomluvs · 5 years ago

Text

My edits - Masterpost

Making a MASTERLIST for my edits because I’m losing track of what’s done and what’s in my to-do folders.

EDIT: looks like the links aren’t working on mobile anymore. They point to results on the whole tumblr instead of just on my blog. I don’t kow how to fix this so I’m afraid the only solution is to seach for the film title on my blog.

Band of Brothers cast

They are under the tag #My BoB cast edits (outsourced content and reblogs from other content creators, mostly for those with wider fan-base, are tagged #BoB cast) and with the actor’s name or the serie/movie title.

Feel free to send me an ask if there’s anything you’d like to see from BoB and its cast

Ensemble

Band of Brothers (obviously 😝)

Ron Livingston's bootcamp video diary

Wales Comic Con 2020 twitch panel

We happy few 506 zoom panels

Doug Allen

Sherlock (BBC)

Jamie Bamber

A Christmas in New York

Hornblower

Eion Bailey

Center stage

Covert affairs

Dawson's creek

Deliver by Christmas

FBI

Fight Club

Life of the party

Mindhunters

Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Stalker

Switched for Christmas

Philip Barantini

Ned Kelly

Ben Caplan

Leap year

New blood

The coroner

The lost honour of Christopher Jefferies

Whitechapel

Michael Cudlitz

21 Jump street

A river runs through it

Dark tourist

Dragon : The Bruce Lee story

Kings of con

SouthLAnd

Standoff

Dale Dye

44 minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out

Michael Fassbender

Gunpowder, treason & plot

Dexter Fletcher

Below

Bugsy Malone

Caravaggio

Dramarama

Gentlemen in squalor

Hotel Babylon

Lock, stock and two smoking barrels

The Rachel papers

Music video - Kylie Minogue "Some kind of bliss"

Stephen Graham

Boardwalk empire

Ezra Godden

Dagon

Quarantine "Isolation" videos

Rick Gomez

Applebox

Daily Rick’s tips

Hawaii five-0

Law and order

Leave

The adventures of Pete & Pete

The millionaire Tour

The week

Three to tango

Interview - Your story interview with Christine Schneider

Scott Grimes

Critters

Colin Hanks

Parkland

Tom Hardy

Colditz

Nolan Hemmings

Black Book

Colour me Kubrick

Dive to the Bermuda Triangle

Heartbeat

Pump up the volume

Sharpe’s eagle

The Aryan couple

The Mahabharata

Frank John Hughes

Applebox

Blue lagoon: the awakening

Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family

Homicide: Life on the streets

Leave

Legends

NCIS

Players

Righteous kill

The Funeral

The Guardian

The week

Viper

Lucie Jeanne

Central nuit

Joséphine ange gardien

L’été rouge

Relic hunter

Robin Laing

Beautiful creatures

Dive to the Bermuda Triangle

Doors open

Murder room

Taggart

The coroner

The lakes

The slab boys

Waking the dead

Matthew Leitch

AKA

Below

Mile high

Renford rejects

Strike back

Damian Lewis

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker

A touch of Frost

Colditz

Life

The baker

Ron Livingston

44 minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out

Addicted to Fresno

American crude

Applebox

Beat

Boardwalk empire

Body shots

Buying the cow

Defying gravity

Dice

Digging for fire

Dinner for schmucks

Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Drinking buddies

Fort bliss

Going the distance

James White

King of the ants

Kings of con

Leave

Little black book

Loudermilk

Music within

Office Space

Parkland

Players

Queens of country (trailer)

Relative strangers

Saints and strangers

Sex and the city

Shangri-La suite

Shimmer lake

Standoff

Straight talk

Swinger

The 5th Wave

The conjuring

The cooler

The long dumb road

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot

The Romanoffs

The sidekick

Timecop

Touchy feely

Tully

Interview - Off camera with Sam Jones

Interview - Alexander Valley Film Society

Misc - Keyboard cat

James Madio

Applebox

Hook

Leave

The week

Tim Matthews

Five children and It

Heartbeat

Judge John Deed

Music video - "Taking chances”

Ross McCall

A Christmas in New York

A country Christmas story

Crash

CSI: New York

Ghost whisperer

Hex

It’s not you, it’s me

Lucifer

Nature unleashed: Fire

Pie in the sky

Quarantine : Rome

Rome in love

Snake man/The snake king

Submerged

The beautiful ones

Waterland

White collar

Neal McDonough

Boomtown

Quantum leap

Jason O'Mara

Sons of liberty

The Agency

Peter O'Meara

Leap year

Strike back

Bart Ruspoli

Devil’s playground

David Schwimmer

Uprising

Matthew Settle

Beneath

Blue smoke

Criminal minds- Beyond borders

Divine secrets of the Ya-Ya sisterhood

I still know what you did last summer

Love, sick love

Marshall’s miracle

Ouija

So undercover

The Celestine prophecy

The in crowd

The mystery of Natalie Wood

U-571

Valentine

Douglas Spain

44 minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out

Richard Speight Jr

3 Blind saints

American crude

Applebox

Driven

J.A.G.

Jericho

Kings of con

Life

Matlock

The agency

The sidekick

The week

Shane Taylor

Agriculture

Aura/The exorcism of Karen Walker

Devil’s playground

Hunter killer

Quirke

Sons of liberty

Strike Back

The day of the Triffids

Walking with the enemy

Music video - Stalker Miller "Jenny"

Donnie Wahlberg

Boomtown

Dead silence

Righteous kill

The sixth sense

Rick Warden

Shackleton

Marc Warren

Colour me Kubrick

Peter Youngblood Hills

AKA

Michel Vaillant

Submerged

The beach

The marksman

********

MISC EDITS

James Badge Dale

Parkland

Scott Bakula

Quantum leap

Rob Benedict

Kings of con

The sidekick

Misha Collins

Dave Franco

interview GQ 2014

Misc - LG, It's all possible

Lena Headey

Waterland

Ilia Kulik

Center stage

Alessandra Mastronardi

Quarantine : Rome

Helen McCrory

Life

Ewan McGregor

Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker

Joe Mazzello

Wooly boys

Piper Perabo

Covert affairs

Norman Reduus

Beat

Zoe Saldana

Center stage

Michael Sheen

Music within

Brian J. Smith

World on Fire (BBC)

Sebastian Stan

Misc - Save with stories

Tom Wisdom

Mile high

#band of brothers #band of brothers cast #my edits #masterpost #can't edit with a cut on the phone #and tumblr won't let me keep my gifset layout on laptop #so I chose to put one simgle gif instead #i love this place but it's always a nightmare if I need editing my posts #my BoB edits #my BoB cast edits #my gifs

42 notes · View notes

dopescotlandwarrior · 5 years ago

Text

Bluegrass-Chapter Fourteen

Thank you @statell for all your help and wisdom

Previous chapter at AO3

Chapter Fourteen

Claire turned her back on the chaos around the stalls at Churchill Downs as she studied the stats of the horses she would race against. She had tremendous anxiety and Runner was crashing into her consciousness pestering her to race him, telling her he was the winner, asking where Sham was. Something in Claire broke;

“Goddammit Runner, stop it, I need to concentrate!”

Every head on her team turned to look at the woman who never raises her voice. It was an oddity and registered in their minds as only that, an oddity. Jason looked from Runner to Claire and wondered what he was supposed to stop doing to her since they were ten feet apart.

Jamie ran his hand down her back and looked closely at her, “are ye alright lass?”

“I’m okay, sorry Jamie, I am so tense like I’m having an anxiety attack.”

“Will ye walk wi’ me?” He took the program from her and pulled her off the corral bars. I think ye need to see this lass.”

She was still trying to read the program as Jamie pulled her outside where the sun blinded her. She saw nothing but a black blob in front of her eyes, but she could hear the crowd calling her name, yelling Midnight Runner. As her vision cleared, she saw so many fans. There had to be hundreds of them, waving to her and trying to get her to autograph something. One fan stuck a magazine into her hands and held out a pen, pointing to the pictures of her last race and many others before that. She signed as many as she could, noticing the picture of her and Runner in Florida with the ray of sun coming out of the cloud lighting up her embrace. She was stunned at the signs and banners for Midnight Runner. She looked up at Jamie with astonishment and he smiled at her.

Jason came out with Runner looking fancy in his matching Fuchsia checked hood and the crowd went crazy seeing the superstar horse. Jamie gave her a leg into the saddle and waited for that smile. This was the end of the prep races. If she won today, she was a contender for the Triple Crown nomination but more importantly to Jamie, one race away from quitting.

Claire watched Jamie fade into the crowd feeling a strange disconnection from his expression. She wondered what he was thinking about to look that way.

Runner was the last horse to load and was coming out next to the rail, a coveted starting position. He reared coming up to the gate and tried to buck as well. He refused to load, and the deafening crowd was starting to unravel Claire. The handler forced him in and now he was pissed off. Claire tried to get his attention, but he ignored her banging into the sides of the gate and trying to rear. Claire grabbed a handful of mane and suggested he use that energy beating the other horses.

When the gate slammed open Runner jumped out, ahead of the other horses surprising Claire. He turned on the speed right from the start and Claire tried to hold him back fearing he would have nothing left as the race went on. She felt him accelerate about every quarter mile running alone, several lengths ahead of the next horse. Claire tucked in and remained quiet with an empty mind. This was Runner's decision and she felt him accelerate again on the home stretch. He won easily staying ahead of the other horses who never caught him.

“Good job Runner.”

The rest of their time at the track was like walking through a fog. After the winner’s circle picture, Michael ran up behind her and threw her back up in the saddle telling her to ride up and down the home stretch, remove her helmet and wave to the crowd. She did as he said with a plastered-on smile. When she finally was led into the stall area she dismounted again, Jason took Runner, and Jamie steered her to a bench and made her sit.

He looked closely at her face, dirt-covered every inch except where her goggles were pressed against her head. With her elbows on her knees, it looked like she might fall over. Jamie flagged Michael down and talked a bit before taking her hand and pulling her to Michael’s car.

Claire said nothing during the drive. Jamie kept his hand on her knee and kept talking about the remarkable race feeling more and more worried about her. She didn’t seem to comprehend everything he was saying. When they stopped at a traffic light Jamie noticed her hands were shaking quite hard. He pulled a U-turn right there and took her to emergency. People aren’t used to seeing a female jockey in silks, looking like she just stepped off the track. They got a lot of looks from those in the hospital waiting room.

A woman passed by on her way out and stopped to talk to Claire asking if she raced today. Claire had a vague smile but otherwise did not respond or comprehend that a question had been asked.

Jamie was frantic now and ran to the nurse's station describing her symptoms. A wheelchair was brought out and Claire was taken directly to an examination room. The soft-spoken doctor asked Claire a dozen questions to which she answered none.

“Excuse me for stating the obvious Claire, but you are a jockey and you raced today, is that right?”

Claire looked at him with wide eyes and then she tried to lay down. Jamie was ready to lose his mind as he stood next to her and spoke softly reminding her that she won today. He looked at the doctor with complete helplessness.

“She has some mental confusion that will clear up quickly if I’m right about blood sugar being the cause. Someone will be in soon to take blood and then we’ll give her some juice.” He pulled a pamphlet out of the wall holder and handed it to Jamie and then left them alone.

“Whatever’s made ye sick lass, we’re gonna fix it, I promise.”

It seemed like an eternity that Jamie waited for the return of the doctor. Claire slept quietly and Jamie paced until he thought he would explode into a million pieces. The pamphlet described a condition where blood sugar dips below the level where the body can function normally. Easily treated with high sugar foods like juice followed by complex carbohydrates like pasta. On his third reading, the doctor came and woke Claire. She sat up and Jamie noticed her color was better and she seemed more alert. The doctor asked her several questions like her name, age, where she was born, looking to Jamie for confirmation now and then.

“Tell me about the race today.”

“We won, easily.”

“I am releasing you to a big pasta dinner eaten as soon as possible and before you are released, another juice box, please. Going forward you must eat throughout the day, small meals every two hours and always have something in your purse to eat or drink that will raise your blood sugar quickly. A nurse will go over all of this before you leave.”

Jamie dropped into a chair feeling relieved. The instructions for Claire’s condition sounded easy, she just had to include juice boxes when she was away from home. It was possible this was an isolated episode and it was possible there were underlying reasons for her blood sugar to crash. They would wait and see.

Jamie turned on his cell phone and there were numerous messages from Michael and Jason. Something must have happened to Runner! Jamie excused himself to run outside to call.

“Jamie, thank God. We are stuck at the racetrack. Something is wrong with Runner. When we loaded him in the trailer he freaked out and we barely got him out before he bashed his brain from rearing. He trashed the trailer, but I think it will get him home.

“I will see if I can speed up Claire’s release and we’ll get there right away.”

Jamie talked to the front desk about an emergency and Claire was released in twenty minutes. Jaime filled her in as they left and watched for cops on the road while he sped back to Churchill Downs.

They could hear Michael yelling at Runner when they walked into the stall area. He sounded stressed. They could hear vicious kicks to the walls on the stall and Claire started running.

“Runner!”

The colt stopped in his tracks and whinnied low in his throat. He walked to Claire as she opened the stall door and entered. He dropped his head for a scratch before he smelled her all over. He was sending images of him running with an empty saddle and then the same with her in the saddle. She cradled his head and hummed to him.

“Now I’ve seen everything.” Michael shook his head side to side with a scowl on his face. “What the hell Claire? He travels without you all the time so why turn into Diablo today?”

“I wasn’t feeling well during the race, he must have sensed it. Maybe that’s why he broke out early and ran for his life. Maybe he ran for mine. Let’s get you home to your girlfriend big guy.”

Claire snapped a lead on the colt and walked him outside and then into the trailer without incident. She snapped him into the cross ties and hugged him, “thank you for worrying about me Runner.”

Jamie looked at the dents in the trailer from one huge pissed off horse. He could do the work himself especially with three months of rest coming up. When he looked inside the trailer, he saw a very passive stallion ready for transport. He shook his head.

Jason went over the colt's legs inch by inch looking for cuts or welts from kicking just about everything in sight. He thought about how different his race was today, busting out ahead of the other horses and ran lengths ahead for the whole race. Claire didn’t stand in her stirrups when they won, she didn’t point at them with her crop and she was irritable all morning like Jason had never seen her. He looked at Runner, now docile in his stall. It happened the moment he saw her..the kicking and rearing stopped that second and he put his head in her arms. Jason shook his head and snapped out of it reminding himself that horses don’t talk or listen, and they certainly can’t diagnose health problems.

“Goodnight Runner.”

Jamie left Runner in Jason’s capable hands for his post-race routine and feeding. He was anxious to get Claire home and make pasta for her while she scrubbed off the hours-old dirt from the race. He was trying to relax about hypoglycemia but the change in her was so profound it was difficult. He poured the pasta into bubbling water and took out a jar of sauce to warm in the microwave. Things would get better now with a long break ahead and if she had another episode, he would pull Runner from the super-six and retire him to stud, letting Claire go back to her life as a veterinarian.

Claire peered at the pot and smiled at Jamie. She looked fresh and clean and smelled like heaven. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him and was scooped up into his arms and laid on the couch where he devoured her in kisses. When he finally stopped, Claire was breathless and her eyes asked for more.

“It’s time to eat Sassenach. It’s what the doctor ordered and will most likely taste like garbage because I canna cook. You be a good lass and eat as much as you can, aye?”

They ate in silence for a while, made small talk, and discussed the race while Jamie did the dishes.

“It’s still early, would you give me a tour of your customization's? And start with how you found the time.”

Jamie was thrilled she was interested as he took great pride in his work and Isobel always hated it.

“In the beginning, it was a shell of a house really. Someplace to sleep and get out of the rain while I worked on the compound and buying stock. The broodmares and the stallions were young when I bought them, I had one mare of breeding age but that didn’t require a lot of my time. So I worked on the house. I hired local artisans to create the mantel and second banister up to the office. I bought wood for the office furniture, the steps, and the sun on the ceiling. Another artist for the shower in the guest bathroom upstairs. She set all the tiles out, painted the picture on them, and then cured them somehow to stand up to water. I love that picture of the Kentucky sunrise.

Jamie kissed her, “bored yet?”

“The chess table in the living room is Black Walnut inlay, how did you find a piece to fit so perfectly with your wood?”

“I made it, and my desk upstairs.”

Claire watched him while he talked and fantasized about his wide soft mouth on her. The kissing before dinner had a lingering effect.

“Sassenach?”

When she looked up her eyes were smoldering and her cheeks were flushed. Jamie picked her up and carried her upstairs where he kissed her with a purpose that thrilled both of them. Claire was starving for him and tried to remember the last time they had sex. She couldn’t remember and stopped trying. She lavished her love on him so sweetly at first, but her arousal was making her needy and she clutched at Jamie pulling him to cover her.

“I’m afraid I am a bit far gone for dalliance at the moment.”

Claire lifted her knees at Jamie’s side and made it clear she wanted him inside her. He watched her eyes as he moved slowly deeper into the wet warmth of her body. Each stroke pulled long, low moans from them both. Jamie flipped his body under hers without separating and he pushed Claire’s upper body against his raised thighs and spread her knees wide. When she found her rhythm, he touched her bud and stroked it lightly until she was ready to explode. She pitched forward with hands on his chest and let him drill her before sending her into orbit.

Jamie pulled Claire to his side and covered her face with kisses. Before he left to lock up the house, he pulled the quilt up. By the time he returned she was fast asleep. It had been a long and trying day.

Later in the week, Jamie made two trips to the airport, one for Michael and one for Jason. Both were excited to go home for the holidays. The following day, he was going stir crazy from the silence of his missing team. He was amazed he was done with his work by mid-afternoon. He thought about what mischief he could talk Claire into as he sifted quickly through the mail. He opened a large manila envelope from Nosh, a name he didn’t remember and out came three volumes of Sports Illustrated magazine and a handwritten note from the reporter to enjoy. Jamie thumbed through until he found the articles and pictures of Runner, the Superstar.

He grabbed the magazines intending to run up to the house and show Claire when he saw an official envelope from the Eclipse Award. He opened the letter and started reading as his smile creased his cheeks and his feet started running.

Claire was overjoyed to see him home, especially when he picked her up and spun her around before dropping her into a chair at the breakfast bar. He spread the magazines out and helped her find the pages of pictures and articles about Runner’s races and wins. She was over the moon until Jamie dropped the letter in front of her.

“Runner has won the Eclipse award mo chridhe, its the highest honor in horse racing and he is the second two-year-old in history to win! He is Horse of The Year! And it's all your fault.”

Jamie kissed her passionately and pressed his forehead to hers.

“Thank ye Claire. What ye’ve done has placed yer names in annals of racing history. I am grateful to ye both.”

He kissed her again and invited her for an early walk with the horses to enjoy a peaceful end to this amazing day.

“You never told me about how you fell in love with me. I would like to hear it.”

Jamie looked at his boots and smiled at the memory. “It started the day of the poisoning when ye fell into me and cried yer eyes out. In the middle of a huge chaotic effort to save horses ye just collapsed against me and sobbed. Ye were so small when I held ye to me. Ye were such a miracle to me. I decided right then if my whole life purpose was to be in that spot, at that time, so ye could cry into me I was okay with that.”

“The next incident I canna forget was watching ye set up a race against Runner. So patient ye were cause he kept trampling your line in the dirt. Watchin ye run and him dashing off to pass ye was so funny! I can’t remember how many days or weeks I had to hide when ye came to work with the colt but most of the time I was watchin ye not him.”

“We talked a bit at the rail one night with no one else around. I knew ye were different from other lasses I had known because ye were so calm, comfortable in yer own skin, my equal. There is nothin like a confident, beautiful woman. Once ye started ridin Runner I would help you with his bath and we would walk the fields and talk, remember? Ye knocked my socks off lass.”

“That’s the clean version but I’d be happy to share the fantasies I had while I was fallin for ye. C’mon Sassenach, let me tell ye in detail what we did in my head.”

Jamie was mauling her while he talked making Claire giggle uncontrollably and push him away. She reached for Runners halter and unsnapped the lead Jamie was holding, then did the same to Porcelain, slapping them both on the rump to get the party started.

It was like watching poetry in motion, the two of them galloping through the bluegrass. They sat on the fence and watched them as the sun was setting. When they walked toward the fence to leave the pasture two galloping horses stopped dead a few feet from them and gladly accepted the leads snapped to their halters again. It was dinner time.

Claire asked Jamie if he put up a tree for Christmas and he looked quite confused for a moment. He had been nearly isolated with Isobel for four years and she did not celebrate Christmas, at least not the decorating part. She would give him socks and a tie each year, unwrapped, and he would give her a gift certificate to her favorite store in town. It was all very sterile and emotionless. He would have stood on his head and spit nickels if she asked him to, so it wasn’t hard to convince him. The next night they picked out a twelve-foot, beauty of a tree. Claire seemed so happy with it and the next day she went into town and bought lights, ornaments, and a variety of other special things to put on the tree.

Claire had purchased a small living tree for Runner and Porcelain as well. She filled it with colored sugar cubes and candy canes and placed it on the shelf directly across from their stalls. Runner was stretching his neck to reach it and started kicking his corral bars in protest.

“You can’t eat it Runner. It’s a holiday decoration. You can stop trying, you can’t eat it.”

Claire pulled several sugar cubes for each horse and moved the tree to Jamie’s office.

“Sassenach, what is the purpose of the tree?”

“It’s for putting presents around underneath. When you wake up Christmas morning you open them.”

Jamie seemed completely unimpressed with such a tradition and went back to his work. Inside, he was delighted to watch the Sassenach’s joy. She was childlike in her Christmas happiness and it was infectious as he could feel it seeping into him. Life with this girl was an adventure every day and the kaleidoscope of emotions, love, joy, pride, anticipation, concern, were always with him. Not to mention crazy hot sex. He watched her move about his office making the tree look pretty and was overcome with a need to hold onto her, just for a minute.

Ten minutes of hot kissing later Claire called a time-out and escaped so Jamie could finish working. She laughed at his pout and went back to her project of hanging lights on the tree at home.

Through the next two weeks, Claire hunted for the right gifts for Jamie, Molly, and Lulu. She decided an engraved stethoscope for Dustin would be perfect and as she wrote it on her list, she suddenly scratched it out and spent the next several hours in a funk. How could she give a present to someone that wouldn’t speak to her?

On Christmas eve she made a delicious smelling roast with roasted vegetables and tiny lobster crackers to keep Jamie fed during her surprise. She filled the bathtub and set about creating a treat just for him.

Jamie could smell the roast from outside and smiled with delight. When he walked into the house, he blinked several times to adjust to the candlelight all over the lower floor. Then he saw Claire with a tiny flared skirt, tight sweater that revealed an inch of skin, amazing white stockings, and high heels. He was speechless watching her approach him. She kissed him warmly and handed him a whisky. He was trying to talk but the words were getting twisted in his mouth, so he just smiled and looked at every inch of her.

“I was hoping you would make a blazing fire.”

“Done. Then a shower so I don’t accidentally rub this horse smell on those clothes. God lass, yer beautiful.”

Claire busied herself with setting out the whisky and lobster crackers and Jamie was back with fresh clothes and the permanent smile. He could not remember a single time in his life when someone troubled themselves to make him happy like this. He felt very important to this spit of a girl and that filled him with love for her. They talked as Claire passed him crackers and whisky. When he declined another cracker, she sat on his lap and kissed him from collar bone to mouth and lingered there. Jamie’s hand ran up her leg loving the feel of the silk stockings. When he reached the lace band that held them up, he ran his fingers around it and under it while he kissed her passionately.

The fire was so gorgeous Claire didn’t want to leave the living room, ablaze with tiny lights on the tree, a dozen candles lit, and the roaring fire.

“I want room to move around this incredible body. Can we take this to the floor?”

Jamie looked like he was in a trance and jumped to lay the couch pillows on the floor and pour more whisky.

“Come here Sassenach. I want to show you how grateful I am for what you’ve done.”

Claire laid next to him and waited for him to find her surprise. It didn’t take long for his big warm hand to find its way under her skirt and his fingers played with the tiny beaded thong. When he ran his fingers underneath, he gasped with wide eyes.

“Sassenach.”

She pulled him back to her mouth as Jamie tried to compose himself. He wanted only one thing at that moment, to look under her skirt.

“We dinna want to ruin yer new skirt mo chridhe. Here, I’ll help ye take it off.”

Claire allowed him to remove her skirt and sweater before pulling his own shirt off. His mind had practically shut down except for his need to see under her thong. He kissed and sucked her breasts kissing down her stomach and abdomen until he could lick inside the thong driving Claire out of her mind. He pulled the thong slowly off her and stared at the sexiest image he had ever seen. She was bare except for a racing stripe that stopped right above her bud. He licked it and tried to pull back and look again but Claire pulled him to her begging for her release. Jamie pulled her legs over his shoulders and sent her to erotic oblivion. While she was gone, he looked at her until she opened her eyes again.

“If you get out of those pants, I have another surprise for you, if it works.” She giggled with her heavy speech and received his now naked kisses that we very intense.

During Claire’s shopping, she purchased a Cosmopolitan magazine that promised to heighten sexual pleasure and tone up on the inside at the same time. She bought it feeling adventurous and practiced all afternoon.

Jamie pushed into her slowly and let out a squeaky moan holding perfectly still. The next stroke was even better, and he growled with the sensation he was feeling. Continuing slowly was not an option and Claire’s body sent him reeling as he pounded into her.

When he could breathe again, he gathered Claire up in his arms feeling like he just went ten rounds with a sex goddess.

“I love ye, lassie.”

Claire was quite happy with her surprises for Jamie. The Kegel flexing seemed to add a new dimension to his feeling inside of her, just like the magazine promised. She heard him dozing behind her and slipped out to dress and finish dinner. She was very happy.

She looked at him sleeping, naked on the floor and admired his body for a few minutes. There were many times she would see him walk by or watch him with the horses and he took her breath away. His warm hand on her leg pulled her from her thoughts and she smiled down at him.

“Are you hungry handsome?”

Claire bounded down the stairs the next morning enjoying the scent of the tree with all the sparkling ornaments. She decided at that moment her life couldn’t get any better and bounced into the kitchen where Jamie was reading the paper.

“Merry Christmas Jamie!”

She pounded her coffee down and looked at him with a big smile.

“Are you ready to open presents? C’mon!”

She handed him her present and waited for him to open it.

“A fishing pole lass?”

“Yes, you will teach me to fish and we’ll rent a rowboat and hang out in the middle of the lake while we catch them. And this one is a tackle box! Oh, probably shouldn’t have told you.”

He stared at her for a moment too long making her nervous it was the wrong gift. She looked around the room and her stomach twisted in knots. What if he didn’t get me a present she thought? Well, this is awkward.

“Ye came out of nowhere and dropped into my life like a sparkler that never ends Sassenach.” His voice was reverent and his eyes studied her for several minutes.

“I have a present for ye lass.” Jamie stood up and walked her to the couch, but he couldn’t sit still so he paced.

“I hope I’m not wrong about what’s in yer heart mo chridhe. My heart is full of love for ye, more than I’ve ever felt in my life. I want to keep you with me forever and grow old with ye. I canna be happy with anything less mo chridhe.”

With that he bent one knee and opened a tiny box in front of her.

“Will ye marry me Claire?”

Jamie was very pleased with how wide her eyes got, then a little nervous because she hadn’t said anything. When the silence got uncomfortable Jamie dropped his head and prepared to fix this tragic mess.

“Stop!” Big tears were rolling down her cheeks and her eyes sparkled at him. “Are you kidding me, Jamie? I can’t live without you anymore, of course, I will marry you.”

She dropped into his arms and kissed him at least one hundred times as he slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her with earnest.

Jamie lit a fire to chase the cold off the morning and pulled Claire onto his lap. They talked about belonging to each other, heart, body, and soul. He had put much thought into what he said next and the magnitude of the offer made her tears start again.

“I’ll not start the only marriage I’ll ever have hedging my bet. No contracts about what is mine and what is yours Sassenach. We come to the marriage devoted to each other for life, equal partners in everything. Do you agree?”

Claire was too emotional to speak so she nodded her head yes as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Do ye like the ring love?”

“I love the ring Jamie, it’s what I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. Having the man I love ask me to marry him. It was just perfect.”

Wrapped in towels after a shower, Claire looked at her ring and felt ready to burst with happiness. She could hardly take her eyes off it to start cooking for their guests. She remembered thinking she was as happy as she could ever be walking downstairs this morning. Then Jamie pushed the bar so high it would never be touched.

49 notes · View notes

kittenfemme27 · 4 years ago

Text

Genshin Impact

Breath of the Wild was a game I wanted to love. I love the Zelda games, always have, and I eat up open world games like candy. Yet, BoTW has sat on my digital shelf collecting digital dust for ages. Why is that? Well, to put it simply, I don't want to play as Link. BoTW has a beautiful world, rich combat and game play puzzles, tons to see and do and experience, it's a sandbox for the ages. But it's hampered so heavily for me by the fact that I have to play this very boring and to be honest kind of forgettable boy named Link during the game play. That may sound petty, but if I'm in an open world game I want to fully immerse myself into that and video games are where we all go to escape anyway. If I wanted to be misgendered, I'd simply forget to shave and go outside.

I don't mind playing other Zelda games because in those, Link is a self contained character in the world and they're relatively short and self contained games. But BoTW is a sandbox. And for a large majority of it, you're not going to be doing the story or being addressed as link. The size of the world and the sheer amount of hours you're going to put into it mean that for almost all intents and purposes, Link isn't Link, he's a faceless avatar that you're supposed to put yourself into. The game offers so much freedom in so many avenues and yet, in your choice of how to explore the world as someone you'd actually like to be, you're not allowed. You have to be a skinny blonde twink.

So, in late 2019, in comes a trailer for Genshin Impact. It's making its rounds on the Internet as a "PC Free to Play Gacha Breath of the Wild Clone" which, while a mouthful, was something I initially wrote off. Didn't see a point in checking it out, as I really don't like Gacha games very much. But in late September 2020, MiHoYo the developers released the public 1.0 build of the game to everyone. Multi-platform, too. iOS/Android, PC, PS4, and even a switch release down the line. And maybe its the pandemic, or maybe the Internet was simply too lured in by the cute anime girls, but it took the many by storm. It took me personally over 12+ hours to download the 11 gigs of the game because the servers were so swamped with people.

Now I do want to be clear: Genshin Impact borrows many things from BoTW, but it isn't a clone. It's not a sandbox in the same way BoTW is and aside from some general game play things such as gliders, stamina/wall climbing system, and general aesthetic, the games are massively different. Still, though, playing it has highlighted to me why I never felt quite right playing BoTW, and its that lack of freedom. That lack of ability to play the game on my own terms and explore the beautiful handcrafted world the way I want to.

Despite appearances, Genshin Impact is a lot more like a single player MMO than it is anything else. Requiring tons of farming and grinding to create high level powerful characters in a world that gets increasingly more powerful and hostile as you do. The core game play loop of Genshin Impact is pretty phenomenal, essentially giving you a massive world to explore with literally thousands upon thousands of chests and rewards to find. Either by clearing out enemies, doing random in world puzzles, or even just sitting around. Being inside of and exploring the world of Teyvat is as rewarding as it is beautiful. The art and animation design of the game are stellar and do a lot to make you forget how much time has passed since you booted up the game in the first place. There's tons of different lore books to find, NPC's to talk to, quests to complete, the world is chock-full of lore and world building even down to simple weapon and material descriptions. Teyvat is a wonderful place to be and the developers MiHoYo deserve a pat on the back for how good the world of Genshin Impact is. The other side of game play is a simple system of Character Progression where you farm materials to make your characters/weapons/abilities better so that you can farm even more materials from harder enemies, much like an MMO, and you also acquire gear called Artifacts with randomly rolled stats much like an ARPG. In that regard, Genshin Impact is highly addictive. There are a myriad of weapons, talents, artifacts, and characters all to level up and build up over the course of your play, and every character can be made viable very very easily. The game also lets you keep a party of 4 characters that you can swap between at any point, as well as each character being attuned to a specific Elemental Type that reacts to other Elements. This causes the end-game to be centered around doing some of the hardest dungeons the game has to offer by theory crafting incredibly powerful teams that work off of each other and cause Elemental Reactions in enemies. It’s some of the most fun i’ve had in a game in ages.

All of that is fantastic but unfortunately its all also held back by one simple, huge problem: Original Resin. The game uses a currency called Original Resin that you use to challenge the harder content in the game. Dungeons, World Bosses, Elite Weekly Bosses, you name it and if its end-game content, it likely costs Resin. And not in insignificant amounts either. Dungeons are 20, Bosses are 40, and Weekly Bosses are 60. So, how do you obtain this material? Time. You start with, and are capped, at 120(Later 160 in patch 1.1). 1 resin takes 8 minutes to get back. If you spend it all, it takes 16 hours to get back. Given the rates you spend it, you can go from 120 to 0 in roughly 10-15 minutes. With no way to increase the resin cap, and the incredibly slow acquisition rate, that frequently means you only have about that much playtime a day of the game in the endgame. And that's, needless to say, incredibly frustrating. Thankfully its not an entire stamina system that means you can't play the game at all when you're out of resin, but it does mean that character progression itself is gated as all upgrade/progression materials are locked behind these dungeons and bosses that you must use Original Resin to face. Effecitvely, this means single characters will become weeks and weeks of work, with weapons and artifacts being only slightly less time consuming. I can only hope MiHoYo is looking to change this system in a way that isn't just increasing the cap as the feedback they've received has been very negative regarding it, but only time will tell.

Unfortunately, this isn't the games only problem with its players either. The game is a Gacha, there is no getting around that, but despite the fact that pretty much any character can become massively overpowered and viable in the endgame, people are going to want the rarest characters that exist. This is by design and unfortunately is more or less a glorified gambling system. And while the game is quite nice with its premium currency and how often it gives it, what isn't nice is that the rarest “5-star”characters cost a minimum of 200$ to get through money. With no guarantee you're getting the one you want.

Worse still, outside of a guaranteed 5-star drop at 90 rolls on the gacha wheel, the chance for a 5-star weapon or character is 0.6%. Not even a whole rounded up 1%. This is frankly ridiculous, as is the cost of real money to premium currency. For reference, most other popular Gacha’s doing well offer their rarest characters at anywhere between a 1-6% rate. In general, gacha's aren't known to be kind in their rates. That’s the point, they want you to gamble with real money. Genshin Impact, however, is so unkind and unfair that even other regular players of gacha gamers are very, very vocally upset. If it wasn't for the game play loop and the world, I'm not sure this would fly. And its certainly not flying in the west with the crowd that doesn't play Gacha's nearly as much. Neither is the resin system, as gamers in the west typically want to play for hours and hours at a time.

I’d be remiss if i didn’t bring up the story in Genshin Impact, as it’s genuinely fantastic. As previously stated, the world has a metric tonne of hidden lore in books, weapon/item/artifact descriptions, character stories you unlock as you use a playable character, etc. But the main story you can currently play from start to finish in the 1.0 release is the prologue.

This prologue stars very simply: Your character, the “Traveler” is an alien from another world. Not much is known about them so far, other than that the Traveler and their sibling were people with the ability to hop between worlds at will. In the opening moments of the game this power, along with your sibling, are stolen from you by an unnamed assailant. Thus trapping you in Teyvat and leaving you to begin a journey to find the Seven Gods of Teyvat, simply known as “The Seven” and seek their power and wisdom to find your sibling and potentially leave. This journey is how you meet Venti, one of the Seven in disguise as a simple human bard, and his best friend Dvalin. The events that follow have you help this strange bard, as well as the people of Mondstat, defeat the dragon Dvalin. Previously, he protected the lands of Mondstat for hundreds of years. However, as you meet both Dvalin and Venti, he has had his mind corrupted and been lied to by an order of evil mages known as the Abyss Order, and its caused him to go on the offensive against Mondstat and her people.

It's a fair bit emotional, humorous at times thanks to Venti, and overall very engaging. Mondstat is a city built on freedom, to the point that its own god Barbatos(Venti) refuses to rule over it and allows himself to be the weakest of the seven gods, as that would take away some of the cities freedom. Within this prologue, there is a huge focus on Mondstat being a city of Freedom, the prologue quite literally ends with Venti telling Dvalin after you have saved him from the corruption that even though he is "meant" to be the protector of Mondstat, he hopes Dvalin chooses whatever life he wants, even if that's not Mondstats protector, and that Venti simply wants him to be happy. Venti's own personal story quest goes further in depth about the foundation of Mondstat and its origins as a rebel city founded after the citizens overthrew the oppressive rule of an awful tyrant God and killed him. In a very pretty hand drawn "cathedral window" style cutscene, you get to see the end of this war and why Barbatos chose the form he currently inhabits and took up being a bard, which was to honor a dead friend from this very same war. This explains why Mondstat and Barbatos value its freedom so highly. I cried at this moment both times I played it.

For a free game, the storytelling here is off the charts. As i said before, Venti and many other characters have personal stories that both introduce you to a trial version of the playable character, thus letting you see how they work and play, and also giving you either more info on the world or an introduction to the character in question, or both. They're fantastic little stories and are up there with the main story in quality. One of my favorite parts of the game and something that will only be expanded with time. Each one takes you on a journey of discovery or even simple fun with a character and it all feels very personal and touching, as all of the main stories and character quests are very well voice acted.

The prologue being so focused on freedom makes it all the more awkward, then, that MiHoYo is a game developer based out of China, and as such has to follow China's censorship rules. Taiwan and Hong Kong both are censored in-game chat and if you're reported for saying them, you'll be banned for daring to speak the words. These aren't the only censorship decisions in the game, but they're by far the ones that struck me the most. I understand that the company is based out of China and thus has to follow the censorship rules, as they are the actual law of the land and they could be fined or even shut down if they refused. But the disconnect of knowing there are actual human rights atrocities being committed in China with the Uygher Genocide and Re-Education camps, the human rights violations in Hong Kong, the breakdown of democracy and the treatment of Taiwan, while this game that comes out of China boasts on and on about Freedom and the Human right to self actualize and choose their future is... troubling. It's one that I don't really know how to reconcile, if it can be reconciled at all. I'd like to believe that the developers really believe in their own story and secretly oppose those sorts of atrocities. But at the same time, banning players who mention Hong Kong or Taiwan isn't in the law. That’s a decision MiHoYo is making. Right now, China doesn’t have the freedom that Venti and Mondstat and Genshin Impact try to instill in you so hard as important and a human right. And knowing that and knowing the censorship is in the game make it very difficult to get a read on what the game actually wants you to feel.

Overall,i think Genshin Impact is a fantastic game. Its updates plan to bring in not only more story, as there are meant to be 7 Acts and currently the game features the Prologue and half of Act 1, but in those acts it plans to explain the playable areas and bring in new Events, Characters, Weapons, etc. And that makes me excited for the future of Genshin Impact! It’s a beautiful game of genuinely Triple AAA quality completely for free. But. Its also a Gacha game and by far one of the least rewarding Gachas you could play right now. Maybe that will change with time. I certainly hope it does. But it feels hard to recommend something that, once you beat it, disrespects your time so much and so badly. I hope Genshin Impact has a bright future, I really do, and I’m definitely going to continue playing it. But right now, I can’t say for certain that I feel confident in the developers to make it the game it clearly wants to be if it wasn’t shackled down by its Gacha.

#Genshin Impact #Review #Played on: PC #Played on: iOS

3 notes · View notes

notxjustxstories · 4 years ago

Note

who’s lunas fc?

Abigail Cowen- she’s been in Wisdom of the Crowd and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but her intro shot is from Netflix’s new winx club series trailer (the trailer itself is uh... yikes)

#luna strange #squirrel answers #luna strange asks

1 note · View note

crazyscotsmanthe1st · 4 years ago

Text

The Crown

You know me, I’m not a monarchist or a Royal-watcher. I view the Royals with a healthy dose of cynical apathy. I’m not necessarily in favour of getting rid of them, but I’m not necessarily completely against it. I’d have to be persuaded of the alternative - who would be our head of state, how would it be decided, how would our constitution be arranged going forward? Only when these questions are satisfactorily answered would I consider voting in favour of a Republican agenda. But I wouldn’t rule it out.

So I’m perhaps not someone you’d expect to be glued to Netflix’s glossy high-profile drama series, The Crown. But there I was, enthusing about the trailers for season 4, keeping an eye on the release date, and binge-watching it over a couple of evenings. For all the world like one of the muppets you see in the crowd at any Royal appearance, minus the union flag and the shrieking sycophancy.

When I first became vaguely aware of the series shortly after the release of season 1, I wasn’t much interested. I assumed it would be an exercise in jingoistic hero-worship, porn for Pimm’s drinkers. I turned my cynical, lefty nationalist nose up at it. Not for me, yer maj.

But then I saw a clip on YouTube with Winston Churchill, played by John Lithgow, making a scene at the wedding of the then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, i.e. the future Queen and Prince Philip. It piqued my interest sufficiently to watch a few more clips, then eventually to commit to actually watching the series.

The fact that an actor of Lithgow’s status had been lured, and was featuring so prominently, was a good sign. The role of the Queen’s first Prime Minister was not going to be a bit-part or a cameo. A lot of focus was clearly going to be on constitutional politics, and the social context in which the Queen’s early reign took place.

This was indeed the case, as we saw a young monarch, played superbly by Claire Foy, navigating her first steps with the help of a wily and experienced, but elderly and often truculent Churchill in his second period in office. She is beginning her reign just as he is approaching the end of his, and we see the dynamic change between them as she goes from relying on the wisdom of a grandfatherly mentor, to putting up with a silly old duffer who can’t accept his time is up. The story of season 1, aside from all the personal stuff between Elizabeth and Philip, is that transfer of energy as Elizabeth grows and Churchill recedes.

There’s also a lot of effort put into establishing background. Clothes, vehicles, aircraft, music, news articles... It’s all very 50s. For people who remember the decade, it’s probably very nostalgic. For the rest of us, it’s educational on the fringes. It gives us a good feel for the times.

Seasons 2 and 3 are also very strong in these departments, taking us through the political turmoils and social changes of the 60s and into the 70s. The cast change between seasons 2 and 3, when Olivia Colman replaces Claire Foy as the Queen, and a host of other older actors step in, is done as smoothly as was probably possible. You soon get used to the new faces, and any bumps in continuity are barely noticeable.

Special mention should go to the episode handling the Aberfan disaster in season 3. It’s powerful, moving television and I’d encourage anyone to watch it, regardless of whether they’ve seen the rest of the series. It stands alone as a poignant comment on the tragedy. The actor Jason Watkins gives a brilliant performance as Harold Wilson throughout season 3, and in the Aberfan episode in particular. Wilson’s exit in the last episode of the season, when he resigns because of deteriorating mental health, is another touching human moment.

You’ll notice I’m focussing more on the social-political events rather than the lives of the Royals, and of course that reflects my own interest. The personal and family dramas of the Royals play out alongside the bigger events, and indeed sometimes take up full episodes. But the makers of The Crown are very clever at including something for everyone. Royal worshippers and history/political geeks alike will be satisfied, and willing to put up with the “filler” to get to the good stuff.

Season 4 was built up to be the biggest yet, and the publicity was turned up to the max. We were given tantalising glimpses of Gillian Anderson as the devil Thatcher, and a young Diana played by Emma Corrin. For people of my generation, the show is finally dealing with events that took place during my lifetime, albeit that I was too young to care at the time.

Having watched season 4, I can report that it did not disappoint. Gillian Anderson was... spooky. She nailed the devil Thatcher’s rigidness, toughness and inability to compromise. The callous insistance that her policies were for the greater good, even in the face of immense opposition and human suffering, her social awkwardness at Balmoral, her bitterness and disbelief when her cabinet finally ousted her - all beautifully portrayed.

But even Anderson was eclipsed by the true star of this season. Even though I was more interested in the political stuff and usually don’t care much for the personal drama, Emma Corrin’s vulnerable, endearing and captivating performance as Diana completely stole the show. Even cynical old me was utterly swept up in the Shakespearian drama of a naive young lady who thinks she’s marrying a handsome prince from a fairytale, only to find very quickly that she’s become a prisoner in a loveless marriage, and is doomed to forever play second fiddle to her husband’s mistress. The joy turning to ashes. The fragile hope of youth giving way to bitter frustration and disappointment. Emma Corrin plays an absolute blinder.

There’s been a lot of discussion about “accuracy” in the press, to which the actors and production team have rightly responded that the show is a work of fiction, albeit heavily inspired by real events. Since a lot of the “accuracy” they’re discussing is to do with details of the Royals’ personal lives, most of it is hearsay anyway. And I don’t care.

I see the show not so much as a drama about the Royals, but more a social commentary on the last half century - told through the eyes of one posh family.

So if you haven’t watched any of it yet, I recommend you get stuck in. One won’t regret it.

1 note · View note

angrylizardjacket · 5 years ago

Text

and everything that goes with it; i thank you all

A/N: So........ ash v. social media v. borhap cast i guess??? no-one asked for this, but i love them.

[aydtd]

It definitely starts as a joke.

“Hey, Ma Rocket?” Joe’s filming on his phone during a costume trial. With her arms crossed, Ash is partially hidden by Rami who’s spinning, the frills of his shirt fanning out around him. She’s frowning, thoughtful and pensive, but when Joe calls, she turns to him, eyebrows raised and expectant.

“Aye?” She’s not smiling, mind obviously still pondering over the fit of Rami’s costume, but it’s a clear enough acknowledgement that Joe’s response is clearly spoken through a smile.

“You responded; you’re the on-set mom now.” He declares. Ben laughs from somewhere off camera. “No takebacks.” Joe follows it up with, but Ash is already wearing a longsuffering look of resignation. The video cuts off before she can flip him off, but her movements are too deliberate to be misconstrued as anything else. The video is released almost a full year later, once the NDA has been lifted on the movie and Behind the Scenes pictures and videos start flooding out, but at that point the joke had moved beyond being just that.

Ash is not hard won; kindness and respect win her loyalty easily, it’s just that those traits are sometimes hard to come by in this industry, and she’s often dismissed because of her age, especially by younger performers. Bohemian Rhapsody is different, of course in part because they all know who she is by virtue of who they’re playing,

Joe’s not her favourite, not officially, and neither is Ben, much to his quiet disappointment; officially her favourite is Karen, and everyone else is tied second, but each of them holds a very special place in her heart and soon that begins to bleed into her social media, as well as some of theirs. Ash gets Instagram at Joe’s behest, only a month before the world premiere of Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s not as if she’s lived her life in obscurity, but come the turn of the millennium, her time at the edge of the spotlight had mostly come to an end, and she had been able to continue her work behind the curtain of pop culture for almost twenty years. This was all new, and unexpected, but she tried to take it in stride.

So she follows the cast, of course, follows Roger and Brian and the Official Queen page, as well as any of her friends or former clients she can find, and much to their horror, her children. Okay so her son isn’t horrified since he’s a public figure and he doesn’t use it for personal photos, but both her daughters have posted pictures of themselves in bikinis, and they thought they’d be safe since Roger followed them after the photos were posted, and at least he never went back and liked any of their old photos. Ash likes every single photoeach of her children has even posted, and all three are a little horrified.

That’s a cute one of us at Bonfire Night!! Is one of the many comments she leaves across the entire timeline of Astrid’s Instagram history, this particular one being from a 2014 photo, and so Astrid herself posts a screenshot of her mother blowing up her notification on her story.

@joemazzello what have you done

Joe subsequently posts a screenshot of a set of DMs between himself and Astrid on his own story.

Yesterday @ 3:47am

@astro_winnie: then tell him to change his oil

@astro_winnie: what a heathen

Today @ 1:21pm

@astro_winnie has mentioned you in her story

@joemazzello: What exactly are you accusing me of here?

@astro_winnie: mum didn’t have an Instagram yesterday 🤔🤔

@astro_winnie: I don’t know how but this is your fault

@joemazzello: she’s just having fun 😂😂

@astro_winnie: SHE LIKED MY BIKINI PIC FROM 2 YEARS AGO IM DYINg

The whole conversation is captioned ’Well anyways, go follow Ma Rocket @rockettaylor49’. The following picture on his story, posted ten minutes later, is a clarification that he isn’t actually Ash’s son, that it’s just a nickname. Even so, Ash’s actual son gets a photo with him at the premiere and caption it ‘brother from another mother (probably) @joemazzello’ and it goes viral on both Tumblr and Twitter.

Ash’s first official post is a picture of herself and Freddie, a Polaroid of the two of them aged beyond belief, taken in 1969. It’s the only photo she had when she was still in uni, and even she seems surprised to see it. Roger finds her staring at it, expression blank as she looks at where they keep it, pride of place, over the mantle. Without even asking, he understands, and he presses a kiss to her temple.

’@rockettaylor49: My favourite client helped me with this caption, he said I should remind you all that you can have more than one love of your life, and that that love isn’t necessarily romantic. To me, Freddie was family from the moment I met him, and I love and miss him every day. Freddie & Me. 1969.’

The post is flooded with love and support and more heart emojis than you can shake a stick at, and it’s not long before she’s amassed a large following. The only outlier in the initial comments comes from her second daughter, Cate.

@cate.astrophy: @rogertaylorofficial got upgraded to favourite client. nice.

The entire rest of the family, as well as a few random unknowns, like the comment.

Ash’s aesthetic is surprisingly clean; old photos from back in the day, old initial costume designs in sketchbooks, the paper gold with age and colours faded, but still with her initial notes scribbled neatly around the edges. The only modern things she posts are photos of shopping bags filled with fabric she’s just purchased, and photos of her friends and family.

There’s only one selfie on her page. Its Ash, poorly framed if only to keep Joe in focus behind her where he’s leaning against the door to a trailer and double over with laughter, with Ben glaring through the window at both of them.

’@rockettaylor49: Trixie gave me a selfie stick and Ben tried to confiscate it when he heard me say 'selfie’ so he was locked out. Usually I was with Roger on the other side of the door back when Deaky was locking us out of places… What a terrible influence he was!! But anyways here you all go, my first selfie. Me & Trixie featuring My Disrespectful Boy, Ben. 2018.’

The way the cast call her ‘Ma’ definitely started out as a joke, mostly between Joe, Ben, and Ash, but it slowly spreads to the others.

“Where’s The Golden Boy?” Ash calls on set, holding a cap for Rami, who was warming up. It’s rather endearing, the way he jogs to her wearing a smile.

“Here, Ma, what do you need from me?”

“Hat.” Is all she says, presenting it to him. They’ve always had a soft spot for each other, having worked together on Night At the Museum and it’s sequels for several years. He was one of the last to pick up the habit of calling her ‘ma’, after spending so long calling her Rocket, but he’s grown into it, they all have. Even some of the crew have taken to using the nickname, or some variation.

And maybe she leans into it, leans into her age and her wisdom, and they know they’re sort of telling her story too, but there’s a disconnect when they look at her, at her greying hair and the deep laugh lines around her mouth, and they forget who exactly she is. Though sometimes, rarely, they’re given sharp reminders.

There’s a video on Gwil’s phone that he later puts on Instagram once he has her permission, and the NDA has come to an end, of Ash on the set of Live Aid. She’s sitting on the edge of the stage, legs hanging over the edge, and Roger’s in front of her, at the perfect height to rest his chin on her knees.

“Do you think you can still do that impression of yours?” Roger’s voice is barely audible, but he’s grinning, and Ash cards a hand through his short, white hair.

“Which- oh, the Freddie- oh Christ,” she laughs, “this’d be the place for it, aye?” And she starts clearing her throat, about the time that Roger spots Gwil and his curious camera.

“Sorry, was just trying to catch a video of the empty stadium,” Gwil’s voice can be heard, and Roger laughs, which causes Ash to turn. Seeing Gwil, she smiles, and nods at the camera.

“You’re gonna wanna get a video of this,” Roger grins, nudging Ash’s knee, and she turns an amusing shade of pink, struggling to her feet. Gwil rushes forward to help her up, but Ash brushes him off.

“I used to do this with Freds to help him warm up, and whenever I was side of stage,” she says, a strangely fond smile on her face as she reminisces, “I’m no singer, never have been, this is probably as close as I’ll get,” she warned, looking straight at the camera.

Taking a deep breath, she clears her throat, and belts out ‘ay-oh’. As if being summoned by a siren, everyone who can hear her, responds in kind. Smiling, pleased, she continues with the bit, as does everyone else, slowly gathering around her. It sounds uncannily like Freddie, and she holds an arm out to Rami to join her in leading the gathered crowd, which he agrees to with a bright grin, which ends with him yelling ‘hey, hey, hey, Hammer to Fall!’ and Ash, as well as the rest of the crew, bursts out into laughter.

The video’s posted with the caption ‘Ash Mercury in her prime’. All three of Ash and Roger’s kids comment about how they hadn’t heard her do that in so long, and not for the first time, Gwilym finds himself marveling at what it would be like to have Ash and Roger as actual parents.

Once the camera’s off, Ash talks quietly about how she and Freddie used to practice it, because he couldn’t teach Ash to sing to save his life, but he’d be damned if he couldn’t teach her this.

“He was like, an actual brother to her,” Ben says quietly when he and the other three boys are gathered together, checking in before they finally started filming.

“Yeah, it’s crazy to think some times; she took his last name for a full fifteen years," Rami muses, and there’s something that warms in his heart whenever he catches Ash’s wistful gaze as she watches them perform, quietly grateful.

There’s a few videos here and there from set from Ash, little moments she finds endearing, usually set to music;

She catches her son, Barney, and his partner dancing to Seaside Rendezvous alone in the makeup truck, joyful and bright, they sway together to the beat as her son sings along, and his partner laughs fondly, pressing their smile against his chest as he tries to make kazoo noises.

When Cate, her middle daughter, comes to set, she takes a seat by the piano and plays the opening for Seven Seas of Rhye.

“That’s the one he wrote for you, isn’t it?” She turns, beaming, and Ash sits beside her. Again, Cate plays the opening, and Ash hums along, out of key, and Cate swallows her own gentle laughter, instead singing along.

Karen Gillan has a perm in order to play Ash, but unlike Joe, she appears to have no trouble in it, actually takes great pride in it. Ash has caught the rest of the cast, on several different occasions, using it to take photos of themselves with a stunning, ginger beard, which amuses her to no end, as it was something Roger was want to do on occasion when he got bored back in the day.

On the night of the Oscars, at the afterparty, Ash uploads two videos in the same post, one from set, and one from that night. They’re simply captioned ‘Me & The Champions. 2018/19′.

The video from on set is from the final day; Ash’s hands are shaking the camera slightly, but her voice is loud and clear, ringing throughout the set;

“Where are my kids?” And like clockwork, Ben, Gwilym, Rami, and Joe all come out from various places, followed by Lucy and Karen, all giving her fond looks.

“Oh man, I’m gonna miss my set-mom,” Joe looks like the thought genuinely pains his heart, and as the realization dawns on the others, there’s a fond and faintly forlorn expression mirrored on all their faces. Joe’s the first to go in for the hug, despite Ash’s faint ‘oh Jesus Christ, Trixie’, but they all soon join.

The second video is from right after the Oscars awards ceremony, when most of the cast and crew who’d been attending are doing photo opportunities, and while Brian and Roger are already with them, Ash had hung back.

“It’s so good to see all my kids in the one place!” She calls, and Joe’s expression lights up as he hears her voice.

“Ma, we won!” Rami holds up his Oscar with delight, already a little tipsy, as were the rest of them as they crowd Ash, all wrapping her up in a group hug. Someone’s humming We Are The Champions. Ash suspects Joe. But she takes delight in the moment anyways, pride flaring bright in her chest.

#roger taylor #BoRhap #BoRhap cast #borhap imagine #joe mazzello #ben hardy #gwilym lee #rami malek #Lucy Boynton #karen gillan #borhap cast imagine #Queen #queen imagine #Brian May #roger taylor imagine #roger taylor x oc #the angry lizard writes

34 notes · View notes

bensakindofmagic · 5 years ago

Text

Chapter Two

A/N: the response to the first chapter has been insane, i’m blown away thank you. no warnings for this one - just enjoy!

w/c: 3.1k+

(gif creds to @.mrbenhardys)

A couple of weeks into the project and you were still in the rehearsal stage for Live Aid. You were grateful for the later mornings, as you didn’t have to make sure the boys were in hair and makeup by 6am just yet. The shoot stared in less than two weeks and everyone felt the pressure ramping up. It wasn’t helped by the fact that Brian May and Roger Taylor were coming to set that day to see how it was all going and offer up a little of their considerable wisdom. It wasn’t the first time they’d been, and you had briefly spoken to them before, but did little more than introduce yourself before they were called away to more important business. It had still given you nervous jitters that morning to think you’d be within a few feet of them.

Rehearsals seemed to be going well; the guys had bonded a lot over the past weeks which filtered into their performance. When they are all jamming together they really felt like a band. You allowed yourself a smug smile, knowing that you had a small hand in that. You’d been hanging out together most evenings since your game, going to a local pub, chilling in someone’s trailer watching Queen documentaries that you’d all seen a hundred times before, or just chatting, getting to know each other better. All four of them were sweet and charming and funny, and you felt yourself getting more and more comfortable around them. You felt relaxed, which in turn led to you opening up to them, perhaps a little too much; you had a tendency to overshare sometimes. But it didn’t seem to bother them much, apart from maybe Ben who seemed to tense up and shift in his seat when you said anything too personal. He’d just have to get used to you.

You contemplated him as he played. You watched the way he frowned when he concentrated, lips silently counting the beats. You watched him bounce on his seat between run throughs, and twirl the drumsticks lazily between his fingers.

“He’s good isn’t he?” Brian said with a knowing smile. When he saw confusion flash across your face he clarified, “Ben. He’s very good.”

“Oh, uh yeah, I think so.”

“Attractive, too. I can see why Roger was so chuffed with the casting,” he chuckled.

You surrendered to the smile that tugged at the corners of your mouth. “Oh I’m sure.”

“I heard that,” Roger said little grumpily.

“What, he’s much better looking than you ever were.”

“Unbelievable! Do you agree with this?” Roger asked, turning to you.

“Uh” you said with a giggle, “can I plead the fifth?”

He grumbled and you and Brian laughed. You had to stop and take a breath to make yourself realise that you had just shared a joke with two members of Queen.

Watching everyone work was kind of mind-boggling. Everyone was so focused that they didn’t stop to look at where they were, but the scene in front of you was incredible. People everywhere were fussing over something, making sure every wire and prop was in place. Joe and Gwil were jamming quietly together, probably going over some riff, Ben and Roger were unsurprisingly tinkering with the drum kit as Brian chatted animatedly with one of the ADs. The whole stage seemed to be in motion, oscillating with potential. As you watched it all pass before your eyes, allowing yourself a moment to bask in the absolute insanity of your job, a feeling of satisfaction and excitement welled up inside you. You could feel the anticipation of what this job would bring, how it would affect your life and how you would be changed by it. You couldn’t say why, but you knew in your soul how important this job would be.

It went in a blur — the rest of the day, the week, the whole rehearsal period — and before you knew it you were due to start filming. Everyday felt like a joy. It was hard work, and every night you fell into bed, exhausted, but not before spending an hour or two with your favourite boys. You’d all become close, you was starting to feel like a little family. You and Ben in particular were getting close, the constant teasing between you becoming second nature. On this particular evening, just a few days out from starting the shoot, you were all crammed Rami’s trailer (his was the biggest), relaxing after a long day.

“You know I really think we nailed it today guys,” Joe said enthusiastically.

“Yeah except when Gwil tripped over his own guitar cable,” you giggled.

“Oh come on guys,” he groaned, “we all had a big laugh about this earlier, can we move on please?”

“It was look on your face though mate. Priceless.”

“I’ve never seen such raw panic is someone’s eyes,” you teased.

“What about the day you met me?” Ben shot at you, all confidence. “I think I got you pretty flustered.”

“Oh babe, that wasn’t panic in my eyes,” you retorted with a wink, leaving the rest to his imagination. You were disinclined to let on that you had been wandering what he looked like naked the first time you met.

The five of you joked around aimlessly, only interrupted by Gwil’s phone ringing. He explained that it was his girlfriend and stepped outside to take the call. You noticed a sadness flash across Ben’s eyes, one that had infused their bright green with a hint of grey a few times over the last week. You figured it must have made him think of his own girlfriend, and he was probably missing her. You had made the decision weeks ago that you were objectively not allowed to fancy Ben, so any flare of acidic jealousy in your stomach at that thought was steadfastly ignored.

Thinking you’d give him the opportunity to talk about it if he wanted to, you lightly asked, “How’s your girlfriend Ben? Must be tough on you both, doing such long shoots.”

An awkward hush fell over the room, and Joe and Rami looked at you with shock and horror painted across their features. You had clearly said something wrong.

After a long, tense moment, Ben quietly said, “Actually we broke up.”

A longing kind of melancholy set over him; he hunched his shoulders and kept his eyes fixed on the floor. He looked wretched and you felt awful.

“Oh my god Ben, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” It dawned on you then that the others clearly knew, and no one had told you.

“It’s okay, it’s for the best, you know. I broke up with her.”

A plethora of questions and concerns raced through your brain. You resolutely battered away the ones that had anything to do with him now being available.

You settled with, “What happened?” quickly mitigated with, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine. It’d been coming for a while I think, our lives just didn’t fit together anymore.”

Joe scoffed, “Oh come on, it’s because you have feelings for someone else.”

His eyes instantly Ben wide and you thought you saw him glance at you for a second. He quickly hissed, “What the fuck, Joe?”

Joe looked sheepish and went quiet. You looked back and forth between them, confused and a little hurt. How had they not told you about any of this?

Ben gave a throaty sigh and explained, “Things were falling apart before. We’ve been talking less, we lost the spark. I thought it was just time, you know, we got so used to each other. But then I met this girl…” his voice got so deep his words were half whispered, “I instantly felt it again - that spark. She’s smart and funny and she has such a presence. I just want to watch her, all the time.”

Thinking of Ben feeling that way about someone sent a pang of yearning through you; he looked so soft, all curves. The evening sun cast a glow over him, bathing him in gold. A lone strand of hair fell down over his forehead that you were desperate to push back. The gentle curve of his jaw, soft but defined, was illuminated. His teeth clenched behind pouted lips.

He looked deep into your eyes, so far he could have been looking through you. “It reminded what love should feel like. I guess I realised that it wasn’t right to keep fighting anymore. It was time to move on.”

A heavy silence settled in the room that you couldn’t bring yourself to break. You had to remind yourself that the urge to stroke his cheek and hold him tight to your chest was entirely unprofessional. You opened your mouth to speak, but had no idea what to say. Luckily, Gwil walked back in at that moment.

“Sorry about that, she was just checking i- is everything okay?” he said noticing the tone of the room.

Rami twisted him mouth into an awkward grin, “Ben just told Y/N about the breakup.”

Gwil nodded slowly, “Oh right.” He raised an eyebrow to Ben in a silent question: if he got an answer you weren’t aware of it. “Are you okay Y/N?”

“Me?” The question confused you; what did Ben’s breakup have to do with you? “I’m fine. I guess I’m a little upset that you clearly all knew and I’m only finding out now.”

The guilt in Ben’s eyes tore at your heart. With so much tension in the air you decided that everyone needed to let off some steam.

“Let’s go out,” you said abruptly.

All four pairs of eyes converged on you.

“We have to work tomorrow,” Gwil said, ever the responsible parent.

“Come on,” you sighed, exasperated, “It’s what people do when they’re going through a breakup. Anyway, filming starts soon and then dealing with the hangovers will be even worse. Why not go while we can?”

Joe grinned, “I think it’s a great idea.”

“Of course you do,” Rami muttered. “What do you think, Ben?”

You looked at him hopefully, and when a smile tugged at the corner of his lips you beamed.

“Why not?”

You found a small bar, with a decent crowd for a weeknight, and bagged a booth. You got the first round in, despite the protests from the guys, and gave a sweet smile to the barman who helped you carry five pints to the table. You didn’t notice the glare that Ben shot at him.

“It’s busy for a Thursday, wonder why there so many people here,” Gwil mused.

“Come on, it’s London, it must be busy all the time,” Joe reasoned.

You just shook your head and motioned with your chin to the sign above the bar that read:

 KARAOKE NIGHT, EVERY THURSDAY, FREE DRINKS FOR THE BRAVE

“You feeling brave, Joe?” you smirked. His eyes were wide with glee.

Ben sniggered, “Of course you’re the kind of guy who loves karaoke.”

“Don’t knock it Ben, or I might just dedicate a song to you. There’s no way you’ll pull a girl then.”

“Are you looking to pull tonight?” You asked, just a little too fast.

He simpered, “Wouldn’t you like to know.” It turned the groove at the corner of his mouth into a chasm, and his eyes smouldered a rich emerald green in the dim light. Like he would have any trouble pulling.

“Well I make an excellent wing woman, just to let you know,” you smirked a little sassily and took a sip of your drink.

“Role play,” he responded without missing a beat. You had to concentrate on not choking when your mind wondered to the connotations of those two words.

“I’m not going to give it all away.”

“Signature move, then.”

You bit the inside of your bottom lip a little, hiding a smirk, and said, “Well, I’d talk you up to her a bit, then send you off to get us a round, and while you’re gone I’d very subtly allude to some sexual past between us and imply that you were the best I ever had.” You could barely make eye contact with him, but as you spoke those final few words you couldn’t tear your eyes away from his self-satisfied grin. “Works a charm,” you finished.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys,’ Joe interrupted before you could fall too deep into that particular rabbit hole, “but I want a free drink.”

“What, now?” you said with incredulity.

“No time like the present,” he said as he downed what was left of his pint.

“Are you seriously going to be the first person to sing?”

“Well someone’s gotta kick this bad boy off,” and with that he was marching over to the DJ.

“God, you’re so bloody American,” you laughed breathily.

Joe proceeded to annihilate a Rick Astley classic. There was a lot of cheesy two-stepping and emphatic pointing (mostly towards Ben), and he was given a loud cheer as he finished. The barman even gave him a free shot on top of his pint, just because he was so enthusiastic.

You greeted him with a chorus of ‘wow’s as he sat back down.

“That was pretty amazing mate,” said Ben.

“I was good, right,” Joe smiled, panting lightly.

“It was engaging, for sure,” you laughed.

Rami piped up, “That’s code for ‘you were horrendous but I couldn’t look away.’ Like seeing a cat in human clothes.”

“Well that’s just rude, and the crowd seemed to like it. Anyway, who’s next?”

“I vote Y/N,” Ben winked and you snorted.

“Um, no thank you. I’m no singer.”

“Well that’s just a dirty lie, isn’t it? I heard you singing from inside your trailer this morning. It was a rather lovely rendition of Crazy Little Thing Called Love, I believe.”

You eyes went wide and you blushed, remembering how you had danced around as you sang, thinking no one else was awake yet. You desperately hoped he hadn’t seen you through the window, but the twinkle in his eye made you suspect otherwise.

“Look, I’m perfectly happy sitting right here with a drink that I paid for.”

“No way,” Gwil beamed, “it was your idea to come out, I think it’s only right that you sing.”

You pursed you lips, “I’m really fine.”

Ben licked the corner of his mouth, his eyes locked with yours, and said, “We won’t force you if you don’t think you can pull it off. We wouldn’t want you to embarrass yourself now, would we?”

You crossed your arms over your chest and ran your tongue over your teeth. He knew exactly what to say to get you riled up. You were desperate to prove yourself to him, but also didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had you wrapped around his little finger. The tension around the table was palpable as you brooded over what to do. A group of women, far too drunk for the time of the evening, had just finished screeching their way through Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, so it was now or never.

You stood without a word, grabbed a shot from the bar, and went to the microphone. You told the DJ what you were singing — Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin, which you had pre-picked for exactly a situation like this — and waited for the guitar to kick in. You took a steadying breath and stole a glance at the guys. Joe, Gwil, and Rami were smiling encouragingly, but Ben just cocked an eyebrow at you in a silent challenge.

Needless to say, you crushed it.

You let the music fill you up, ignoring the rest of room, and pretended you were in your bedroom singing into a hairbrush. You swayed your hips, just sexily enough to show how comfortable you were up there, and belted out the high notes as best you could. It was liberating, and you felt galvanised by the whoops and cheers coming from your table - Joe’s voice was unmistakable as he cheered you on. You tried to steal a glance at Ben through the lights, but couldn’t make out the expression on his face.

“Dude, you brought this on yourself,” Joe quipped, noticing the awe and the hunger on Ben’s face.

“You were the one that told her I had feelings for someone,” he sassed back.

“I didn’t tell her who!”

“Oh right, ‘cause you’re always Mr Subtle.”

“Well I’m not going to sit around forever and watch you pine over her and do absolutely nothing about it.”

You were making your way back to the table, still followed by the cheers of the crowd, and grinned at the guys, oblivious to the conversation that preceded you. Ben shot Joe a warning glare as you sat down, free drink in hand.

“I think we can safely say I did not embarrass myself,” you said, smug.

“You were amazing up there, Y/N,” Rami smiled kindly.

You looked to Ben, waiting for whatever snarky remark he was bound to make, but nothing came.

“Nothing to say Ben?”

He blinked slowly, and replied with a shrug, “I eat my words.”

You were shocked into silence, and only vaguely aware of Joe rolling his eyes. You would have wondered what it meant had you not been so distracted by the way Ben’s body seemed to clench and sigh. The muscles in his arm rippled as he tightened his fingers around his drink.

You gave your head an indiscernible shake to dislodge the image from your mind and turned to Rami to distract yourself. “It’ll be your turn next Mr Mercury,” you said, raising your eyebrows.

“No no. If this was lip sync then I could crush it, but I’m not singing.”

You spent the rest of the evening chatting, cheering on those who braved the karaoke and trying to ignore the less tuneful among them. Amidst all the joking about and teasing you were completely ignorant to the way Ben looked at you, watching your lips as you talked animatedly and the breadth of emotions dancing in your eyes. He smiled at the annoyance with which you kept tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear that kept breaking free to fall across you face. It briefly occurred to him that he was staring, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat and try to focus on other things, but his thoughts inevitably drifted back to you. He contributed little to the conversation, as lost as he was in his pining after you, and it had shocked him when you asked him if any girls had caught his eye. He wasn’t looking at anyone but you.

tags:

@anikatcmh @queen-turtle-boiii @orchideax

(let me know if you want to be tagged and i’ll add you!)

#kind of magic series #ben hardy #ben hardy fanfiction #ben hardy fan fiction #ben hardy x reader #bohemian rhapsody #borhap #gwilym lee #joe mazzello #rami malek #queen #roger taylor

155 notes · View notes