#abby the greyhound

[goldenslumbersketchbook]

Sketchbook Log: ROTG Halloween 2024 - Day 7 Howl

@rotg-halloween

[angelictroublemaker]

In December, my dog Abbie turned 11 years old. I've had her for about 8 years. Here she is resting her chin on her plush sheep toy while lying on a memory foam dog bed. She is a black greyhound with white hair (from age) on her face and she is looking at the camera.

[ave-aria]

Day 1: Slipper

ROTG Halloween 2020 Day 1: Slipper

—

"She hates me," Bunnymund groaned, dragging his feet all the way  through the tunnel that led to Burgess. "Crikey, Jack, just face the facts. This is never gonna work."

"Abby doesn't hate you, Bun-Bun," Jack argued without looking up from the stolen dog-training manual he'd buried his nose in. He followed Bunny down the tunnel, trying to sound reasonable. "She's just… overenthusiastic, that's all." Which did nothing but earn a groan in return.

It was mid October, months after the battle with Pitch. Jack had spent a lot of time with his first, and favorite, believer, and had been trying to coax the other Guardians to do so as well. They'd all been reluctant, citing tradition and avoiding favoritism and whatnot, but most eventually warmed to the idea of having at least a few believers who they visited on a frequent basis.

Bunny had been the toughest nut of the bunch to crack—not because he didn't have a favorite kid (Sophie. Duh.)—but because his favorite kid had a dog.

"I tried to make peace with the pup, I really did," Bunnymund insisted. "But nothing works. Treats, squeaky toys—"

Jack snorted. "Bribery. Should've known." He touted his book. "Listen, one of the methods in here is bound to work. If I can get Cupcake's cat to stop hissing at Tooth, getting Abby to tolerate you should be a breeze."

"If I end up with a chunk taken outta my hide, you're gonna eat those words," Bunny warned.

The tunnel opened up ahead of them, and Jack, riding on the brisk October wind, swept out onto the Bennett's lawn. Bunny followed reluctantly after. It was the perfect picture of Autumn, red- and yellow- maples bright against the clear blue sky. Jamie and Sophie's voices drifted from the backyard, and on the front porch—

"Speak o' the devil," Bunny muttered, turning to see Abby the Greyhound perched on the steps of the front deck.

Abby was busy gnawing on something, but perked up the moment the two spirits arrived. Her ears pricked up, eyes watching Bunny intently for a long, drawn moment.

Then, she went back to her toy.

Jack smiled, gesturing. "See? She didn't growl, didn't snarl—didn't even try to attack you on sight. I'd call this a win."

"…what's she doing?" Bunny asked, squinting at her toy.

Jack turned to look. Abby'd turned back to gnawing on her toy, ripping at it with her teeth with a renewed viciousness. And - after watching her tear into it with glee - he noticed what Bunny'd figured out already: that it wasn't a toy at all.

"Bunny slippers," Jack said, almost numbly.

As they watched, Abby continued to eviscerate her prey. Sharp teeth sank into pliant gray fur, tearing and shaking her captive until wads of stuffing bled out of its wounds. Its twin, already disembowled, lay mangled and near-unrecognizable on the stairs below. The first, bit by bit, slowly joined it.

At last, with a final shake, the bunny slipper's head ripped off. It bounced down the stairs, rolling to a stop at their feet. Abby, satisfied, let the mutilated slipper drop to the deck with a plop, and turned to blink up at them, licking her nose.

Bunny nudged the severed head with his hindpaw. Then he sent a dry look to Jack.

"…Okay," Jack said slowly. "…So maybe she does hate you."

Abby bared her teeth and quietly began to growl.

Bunnymund put his face in his paws and sighed.

—

for the prompt week by @rotg-halloween

[sylphidine]

I did a writing experiment earlier in the week where, instead of trying to bang out one chapter on one work, I wrote a few snippets on several works.

It seems to help with writer’s block.

Here’s a couple of sneak peeks.

=======================================

The trees whispered their secrets above him.  

Flat on his back under the oaks, Pitch Black brooded; the shadowy edges of his robe rippled and blended in with the dark leaf loam.  Animals and insects sensed something about him and avoided feeding near him or crawling over his prone body.

But at least the animals and insects saw him. Here in Epping Forest, some of the most ancient spirits of the earth still dwelt. Thanks to the predations of humanity, many had become so diffuse and weak that they were nearly transparent.

The irony that he needed humanity as much as most elementals needed to avoid humanity was a frequent thought that crossed the Boogeyman’s mind.

Today that thought did not amuse him, darkly or otherwise.

---from AND FEAR AS MY COMPANION

=====================================

A whoosh of wind and an animal whine prodded Pitch to open his eyes, but he did not dare move anything else at the moment.  He was awkwardly sprawled on a tiled floor in shades of terracotta and gray.  Above his head, several voices vied to outdo one another in volume and emphasis.

"What's he doing down here?"

"Crikey! Sophie, can you grab that dog before she makes a new window out of that door?"

"Emmy, are you all right?"

That last voice gave Pitch's heart a pang that he could not suppress.  Jack Frost.  The chilly urchin had apparently found a family of his own, while Pitch...

He ruthlessly strangled that thought before it could be completed, and concentrated on the hope that his head would stop spinning.

Something warm and furred made itself felt on Pitch's back.

"Easy, mate," came the oddly reassuring tones of Bunny in his ear. "Had a spill, did ya?"

Pitch gingerly maneuvered himself to a sitting position; there had to be a way to maintain some semblance of dignity and control in this situation.  He decided against trying to come up with a suitably biting retort. 

---from A CITIZEN OF THE UNIVERSE AND A GENTLEMAN TO BOOT

[queenvladislaus]

Abby took Gemma to the vet due to a glowing red nose. After an expensive treatment they were sent on their way.

First | Last | Next

[no-mercy-bby]

Hi, Abby! 😁 So you take requests? 🤭 I was wondering… is there any way you might could maybe write a soft!ledger!joker piece?🥺 I hope you have a great day💙

Hey Allie!! :) and at the moment I did take requests lol- sorry this took so long- I really couldn't think of a good idea, but I currently have a lil headache so:

[Very soft!J, he's not wearing his makeup in this btw, possibly ooc, not proofread, and I couldn't find a good gif💀]

Just A Headache

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were laying back on the cushy old couch, arm tossed over your eyes as the sunlight from the sunset snuck past the blinds you pulled shut. You just had a headache, and it probably was from sinuses, but that didn't ease the throbbing pain in your head.

If it wasn't for J calling you and saying he would be back in Metropolis tonight, you absolutely would already be snug in your bed after popping a couple pain pills. However, he had called, and he would come over soon. You try to will yourself to get up, to maybe cook or order something in, but you end up flopping back further into the cozy embrace of the couch. You nuzzle your face against the soft fabric of the couch cushion, assuring yourself after a little nap that you'd get up, and get ready for J to come home.

You only wake up once your apartment door shuts, and tiredly- oh so very tiredly- you glance up. There J stands, the gray flat cap on his head hiding his fading green waves, his suit coat and pants were also matching gray as he fiddles with the keys on his key ring. From where you were watching him from the couch, you couldn't quite see the pattern on his shirt, but you assumed it would be something unusually normal for him. J always seemed to get a kick out of hiding in plain sight. He'd probably just sat for a couple of hours in the back of a Greyhound bus in too normal attire simply to get here. Home to yo-

"-Whatcha staring at, honey?" J chimes, his hand coming up to unconsciously scratch at his face, and unknowingly shielding his scars from your view.

"You, J." You murmur sleepily, still tired despite just waking up.

"Oh, is that right?" A grin spreads across his bare lips, and gosh, it only makes you want to kiss him. That boyish, cheeky, flirty grin. He's as handsome as he is smart.

"Mhmmm."

"Did ya just wake up, sugar?"

You don't even get to answer, as he comes to kneel before you on the couch. His hand moves to cradle the side of your face that wasn't pressed into the couch, and to say you melted into his gentle touch would be an understatement.

"How'd you know?" You mumble the question, as his fingers rub circles into your neck below your ear.

"Your eyes are all squinty, it's real cute," J chuckles, before ducking down and softly pecking a kiss to your temple," Although you've got to tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, J." You try to assure him.

"Nuh-uh, not buying it sweetheart, try again."

"It's really nothing; it's just a headache."

"Just a headache," J copies you in a too high pitched tone," You didn't even wake up until I shut the door. You were out cold, suga'."

"I was tired," You breathe out, as his fingers wander to the back of your head, and carefully rub circles there now. His deep, dark eyes simply blink and you sigh, "Okay, I'm still tired, happy?"

"That your noggin's aching? No, I'm no monster. Happy I get to take care of you? Absolutely, sweetheart."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Goodnight, I love y'all <3

[disneyanddisneyships]

Chapter 40! @gyubby99

The group paraded through the town by the rooftops. North hollered with joy as he jumped from chimney to chimney. Jack and bunny raced together. "Hop to it rabbit!" Jack exclaimed as he flew. "I'd tell you to stay out of my way but what's the point? Cause you won't be able to keep up anyway!" Bunny replied as he hopped. "Is that a challenge, cottontail?" Jack asked. "Oh you don't wanna race a rabbit mate," Bunny muttered before moving from rooftop to rooftop faster than Jack could even see. Tooth flew around excitedly, naming all the different types of teeth she could see. "They're everywhere!" She shouted excitedly before running into a billboard. "You okay?" Jack asked. "I'm fine! Sorry! It's been a really long time since I've been out in the field!" Tooth replied as she spun around excitedly, almost like a hummingbird. "How long is a long time?" Jack asked. "440 years give or take!" She replied before pointing to a house and flying there. Jack looked at baby tooth with a concerned face. Baby tooth just shrugged.

Jack was just about to enter a house when he saw bunny, already there, holding up the tooth and laughing at Jack. Jack wasn't amused and shot ice at bunny, freezing him where he stood. Jack flew into a house, but when he landed, went through one of bunny's tunnels instead.

In a different country, as bunny admired a tooth he got, Jack created ice, making bunny slip so Jack could get the tooth. "Yes!" Jack shouted before the tooth was taken by sandy. "No!" Jack shouted as sandy floated away, waving a goodbye.

The group settled and held up all of the teeth in their own bags for tooth to see. "Wow! You guys collect teeth and leave gifts as fast as my fairies!" Tooth exclaimed. The group visually shrunk. Gifts? "You guys have been leaving gifts right?" Tooth asked. Sandy nodded his head before shaking it to say no. The group waited as they had to get quarters from a dispenser. Once they had enough, they all flew back to where they got the teeth to leave gifts. And through another portal they went.

The group stopped in another house. One where Jack knew the kid. Jamie. "Lost in a sledding accident," tooth spoke as she held a quarter and put it under his pillow. "Kids!" Jack replied, trying to brush off what he accidentally did earlier that day. He and Elsa and talked about having kids. Of course they never got the chance, but at the time it was midnight talks when the two couldn't sleep. Normally things along the line of "would I be a good parent? What if our kids don't see me?" Stuff like that. The other Guardians made their way into the room. They all started bragging about how many teeth they collected before North threw down his bag and started to do a loud happy dance. A light went on. A flashlight. "Santa Clause," Jamie gasped. "The Easter bunny? Sandman... the tooth fairy! I knew you'd come!" He exclaimed. "Suprise! We came!" Tooth shouted in response. "He can see us?" Jack asked with a glimmer of hope. "Most of us," Bunny replied looking at Jack. From Jamie's perspective, Jack wasn't there. "Guys he's still awake!" Tooth stated. "Sandy, knock him out!" Bunny stated. Sandy punched his hand as if he was about to hit the kid. "With the dream sand you gumby!" Bunny exclaimed. That's when a dog started growling at bunny. "No stop that's the Easter bunny! What are you doing Abby? Down!" Jamie shouted. "Alright, nobody panic," Bunny stated calmly. Jack smiled. "But that's a um... that's a greyhound. Do you know what greyhounds do to rabbits?" Jack asked. "Well.. he's never met a rabbit like me," Bunny replied. Sandy held up dreamsand to knock both the dog and jamie out. "6'1 nerves of steel, master of Tai chi," Bunny stated. Jack rolled his eyes and set off the clock alarm. The dog began to chase bunny all around the room as sandy held up the dream sand, trying trying aim it at the dog. Sandy threw it, and it hit tooth, then bunny, then the dog, and then North. They all fell down into a deep slumber as Jamie ended up falling into Sandy's arms. Sandy put Jamie to sleep. Finally. "Whoops..." Jack muttered as he looked akrund at the sleeping guardians.

[cinemalerta]

93rd Academy Awards Nominees

BEST PICTURE

The Father – David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi, and Philippe Carcassonne

Judas and the Black Messiah – Shaka King, Charles D. King, and Ryan Coogler

Mank – Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth, and Douglas Urbanski

Minari – Christina Oh

Nomadland – Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Javey, and Chloé Zhao

Promising Young Woman – Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell, and Josey McNamara

Sound of Metal – Bert Hamelinick and Sacha Ben Harroche

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Marc Platt and Stuart Besser

BEST DIRECTOR

Lee Isaac Chung – Minari

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

David Fincher – Mank

Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland

BEST ACTOR

Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal as Ruben Stone

Chadwick Boseman (posthumous nominee) – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Levee Green

Anthony Hopkins – The Father as Anthony

Gary Oldman – Mank as Herman J. Mankiewicz

Steven Yeun – Minari as Jacob Yi

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Ma Rainey

Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday as Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman as Martha Weiss

Frances McDormand – Nomadland as Fern

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman as Cassandra “Cassie” Thomas

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7 as Abbie Hoffman

Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah as Fred Hampton

Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami... as Sam Cooke

Paul Raci – Sound of Metal as Joe

Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah as William "Bill" O'Neal

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan as Tutar Sagdiyev

Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy as Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance

Olivia Colman – The Father as Anne

Amanda Seyfried – Mank as Marion Davies

Youn Yuh-jung – Minari as Soon-ja

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Judas and the Black Messiah – Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas, and Kenny Lucas

Minari – Lee Isaac Chung

Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell

Sound of Metal – Screenplay by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan – Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, and Lee Kern; Story by Baron Cohen, Hines, Swimer, and Nina Pedrad; Based on the character Borat Sagdiyev by Baron Cohen

The Father – Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller, based on the play by Zeller

Nomadland – Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder

One Night in Miami... – Kemp Powers, based on his play

The White Tiger – Ramin Bahrani, based on the novel by Aravind Adiga

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Another Round (Denmark) in Danish – directed by Thomas Vinterberg

Better Days (Hong Kong) in Mandarin – directed by Derek Tsang

Collective (Romania) in Romanian – directed by Alexander Nanau

The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) in Arabic – directed by Kaouther Ben Hania

Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in Bosnian – directed by Jasmila Žbanić

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Onward – Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae

Over the Moon – Glen Keane, Gennie Rin, and Peilin Chou

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon – Richard Phelan, Will Becher, and Paul Kewley

Soul – Pete Docter and Dana Murray

Wolfwalkers – Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young, and Stéphan Roelants

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Collective – Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

Crip Camp – Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed, and Craig Foster

Time – Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino, and Kellen Quinn

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Judas and the Black Messiah – Sean Bobbitt

Mank – Erik Messerschmidt

News of the World – Dariusz Wolski

Nomadland – Joshua James Richards

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Phedon Papamichael

BEST FILM EDITING

The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos

Nomadland – Chloé Zhao

Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval

Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Father – Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara and Diana Sroughton

Mank – Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale

News of the World – Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

Tenet – Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Emma – Alexandra Byrne

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth

Mank – Trish Summerville

Mulan – Bina Daigeler

Pinocchio – Massimo Cantini Parrini

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Emma – Marese Langan, Laura Allen, and Claudia Stolze

Hillbilly Elegy – Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, and Matthew Mungle

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal, and Larry M. Cherry

Mank – Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams

Pinocchio – Dalia Colli, Mark Coulier, and Francesco Pegoretti

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Love and Monsters – Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camailleri, Matt Everitt, and Brian Cox

The Midnight Sky – Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawren, Max Solomon, and David Watkins

Mulan – Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury, and Steven Ingram

The One and Only Ivan – Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones, and Santiago Colomo Martinez

Tenet – Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Da 5 Bloods – Terence Blanchard

Mank – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Minari – Emile Mosseri

News of the World – James Newton Howard

Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Fight for You" from Judas and the Black Messiah – Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas

"Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

"Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus, and Rickard Göransson

"Io Sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead – Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami... – Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ashworth

BEST SOUND

Greyhound – Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders, and David Wyman

Mank – Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance, and Drew Kunin

News of the World – Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller, and John Pritchett

Soul – Ren Klyce, Coya Elliot, and David Parker

Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortes, and Philip Bladh

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Feeling Through – Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski

The Letter Room – Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan

The Present – Farah Nabulsi

Two Distant Strangers – Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe

White Eye – Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Burrow – Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat

Genius Loci – Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise

If Anything Happens I Love You – Will McCormack and Michael Govier

Opera – Eric Oh

Yes-People – Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Colette – Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard

A Concerto Is a Conversation – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Do Not Split – Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook

Hunger Ward – Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Shueuerman

A Love Song for Latasha – Sophia Nahali Allison and Janice Duncan

[throneshq]

welcome  to  king’s  landing  calla  ryswell  nee  reed  &  analyse  lannister,  the  king  has  been  expecting  you  !  please  send  in  your  account  within  the  next  twenty  four  hours  !  thalissa  teixeira  &  holliday  grainger  are  now  taken  .

*     ──     [   thalissa  teixeira  ,   demi  woman  ,   she  /  they  .   ]   :   in  the  frays  of  king  aerys  iii’s   reign  ,  therein  remains  calla  ryswell  nee  reed,  the  thirty  year  old  ruling  lady  of  the  rills  .   rumor  has  it  that  their  loyalties  lie  with  house  stark  +  ryswell  and  they  are  against  the  targaryen  reign  .   they’re  so  resourceful  +  gregarious  that  it  makes  sense  ,   but  most  seem  to  look  past  their meek  +  judgmental  nature  .   when  they  come  up  in  conversation  ,   i’m  always  reminded  of  tired  smiles  that  don't  reach  the  eyes,  a  cascade  of  brown  curls,  and  a  soothing  lullaby  in  the  night  .   [   m  ,  21+  ,   gmt+1  ,  she/her  ,   &   redacted  .   ] * cedrick ryswell’s wife wc.

*     ──     [   holliday  grainger  ,   cis  woman  ,   she  /  her  .   ]   :   in  the  frays  of  king  aerys  iii's   reign  ,  therein  remains  analyse  lannister,  the  twenty  five  year  old  lady  of  lannisport  .   rumor  has  it  that  their  loyalties  lie  with  house  lannister  and  they  are  neutral  to  the  targaryen  reign  .   they're  so  observant  +  good  humored  that  it  makes  sense  ,   but  most  seem  to  look  past  their  short  tempered  +  judgmental  nature  .   when  they  come  up  in  conversation  ,   i'm  always  reminded  of  golden  stallions ,  warm  summer  days  in  a  country  home ,  +  greyhounds  .   [   abbie  ,  18  ,   est  ,   she / they  ,   &   no  triggers  .   ]

[vampirefunkmetal]

I can't draw dogs but i tried it just for this joke

[goldenslumbersketchbook]

Day 11: Fetch

Jack lends Jamie his staff for Halloween… what could go wrong

Prompt by: @rotg-halloween

[alphabet-blues]

For @volantium and @parkner-keenker

Read on Ao3

Title: ‘tis the season

Pairing: Harley Keener/Peter Parker

Fandom: Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and MCU

Chapters: 1/1

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 4,699

Content Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Fic, Holiday Party, Light Angst, Angst and Fluff, Kissing, Childhood Trauma

Summary:

To Harley, Christmas had only ever been a series of disappointments.

To Harley, Christmas had only ever been a series of disappointments. 

It was hard for him to remember any Christmases before his Dad left. His whole childhood was split into two categories: a section of Before his Dad left, and then all of the After. He had vague memories of a tree in their living room, a real tree, one that smelled like pine and left needles on the floor that Harley had to be cautious of. Occasionally there were flashes of Abbie crawling on the floor in a bright pink onesie, delighted by all of the commotion Harley had caused by opening his presents. 

Those were some of the good ones. 

When Harley was 7, and Abbie was 4, they had to take the Greyhound by themselves. Their Dad had left the beginning of the year. They hadn’t seen him since that day in February when he had up and left. Harley hadn’t gotten his hopes up, but when their Dad had arranged tickets for them to ride the bus up to his new place in Ohio, Harley let himself wonder what it would be like to have the back and forth. To have elusive summers at their Dad’s, instead of staying where they were. 

That was the last time Harley fooled himself into believing that their Dad cared. 

Their Mom hadn’t wanted them to go, especially alone, but she couldn’t miss a shift at the diner, and so it went. Harley and Abbie were both loaded up with backpacks of their own, filled with snacks and drinks, and a couple of dollars tucked into the zipper pocket at the front of Harley’s bag. Harley had held Abbie’s hand in a vice grip nearly the entire time, not wanting to lose her for an instant, even if they were sitting next to each other on the bus. 

The 6-hour ride on the bus was uneventful. Abbie was mostly entertained by her LeapFrog, until it died a few hours in. After that, she had fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth, and her head resting on Harley’s shoulder. The bus eventually rolled to a stop once they got to their station. Abbie was tired and groggy, so Harley had carried her the best he could manage with his tiny arms. He stepped into the station and they waited. 

Two hours in, Harley got a sinking feeling.

It was the night of Christmas Eve, and it was only getting later, and closer to Christmas morning. Their Dad was supposed to have met them there and picked them up at the station. By the time three hours had passed, and Abbie had blinked herself into a more alert state, Harley knew that their Dad wasn’t coming. 

“Come with me. Hold my hand.” Harley had instructed, tugging Abbie close. Abbie had nodded dutifully, and held out her hand for Harley to take in a bone-crushing grip. She followed him as he went up to a lady at the ticket counter. He pulled out a crumpled dollar bill from his bag and held it out to her. 

When he asked if she had a phone he could use, she pointed him in the direction of the payphone outside. She gave him change for his dollar and told him to come back inside and ask for help if he needed it. Harley had said, “Yes ma’am, thank you, ma’am,” which made her smile. 

The payphone was a little ways away from the station and in the parking lot. It was cold; cold enough that Harley shivered in his coat. Abbie was bundled in a giant puffer jacket that threatened to consume her whole. Harley still frowned, and ushered her in close, shielding her from the wind, while he dialed the number he had memorized ever since he went into Kindergarten. His teeth chattered as he waited for it to connect.  

Their Mom picked up after a few rings. There hadn’t been a point up until that moment that Harley had wanted to cry. But, when he told his Mom over the phone that their Dad hadn’t showed, he had to bite his lip to keep it from wobbling. His Mom was nearly hysterical almost immediately, and Harley and Abbie were going to have to wait for her to drive up to get them, which meant six more hours, at least, at the station. It would be well into Christmas morning by the time their Mom would get there. 

That set the tone, really. 

Once Harley had put the payphone back onto its hinge, he had trudged back into the station, with Abbie in tow, mostly tucked under his arm. The lady at the front desk immediately took pity, and made sure to supply them with water and snacks. She even at one point in the night/morning procured a deck of cards, and taught Harley how to play War, while Abbie watched on with glee. After they had gotten their fill of that game, the lady at the desk taught them how to play Blackjack and Poker, the latter Abbie took to like a sponge, even if she didn’t grasp everything completely. It was fun, but-

It still didn’t alleviate the burn of knowing that their father had abandoned them, again. 

As the night waned on into morning, Abbie and Harley both fell asleep, by a bench in the corner, half on top of each other, using their backpacks as makeshift pillows. Harley had woken up a bit later and saw his Mom, frenzied and talking to the lady at the desk in hushed voices. 

“Mama?” Harley had called out, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. The action caused Abbie to stir next to him. Almost as soon as she processed that their Mom was there she started to cry. Their Mom rushed over to her, and scooped her up into her arms, while Harley held onto her one outstretched hand. 

They said goodbye to the front desk lady, and their Mom buckled them into her car, which was idled out front. It was old, and beat up, and in no condition to be doing a long drive, but she had made it there nonetheless. Their Mom was too tired to do the drive back, so they rented a nearby motel room to get some sleep. They all slept together in the same bed until it was close to evening on Christmas Day. 

The drive home was mostly silent. Harley didn’t have any idea why their Dad hadn’t shown up for them, but he knew that he shouldn’t ask. Every once in a while on the drive their Mom would start crying. When she did, Harley would look out the window. He couldn’t stand seeing his Mom cry. 

When they got home it was late, and they were all exhausted. Regardless, their Mom had insisted that they open presents under the tree. Abbie and Harley both opened their couple of presents, and did their best not to act glum. It wasn’t even Christmas anymore. 

Harley spent most of the night thinking about Ohio, and what was so great there that their Dad didn’t want them anymore. 

*

The following Christmas, it was like walking on eggshells. They never discussed the events of the previous year, but they still hung in the air. Their Dad leaving was fresh, even if it had been over a year since he had walked out the front door and never came back. But even when he had walked out the door that day in February and never looked back, Harley never felt abandoned until him and Abbie were sitting alone at that bus station.

*

The Christmas after that, Tony Stark of all people showed up. It gave Harley hope, for once. Maybe this Christmas wouldn’t be so bad. Then, Harley watched a girl burn alive, her skin turning into a molten orangey-glow that made him sick to his core. Tony was different from what Harley had seen on TV, and he looked tired, like his Mom after a long shift. 

Harley had just started to give Christmas a chance - then Tony left, too. Just like everyone else.

*

All of the Christmases after that held nothing of note. By the time Abbie and Harley were teenagers, Christmas was barely a holiday in the Keener house. It wasn’t a thing, but rather an unspoken agreement. Christmas couldn’t become a disappointment if there were no expectations to begin with. 

Everything, of course, changed when Harley met Peter. 

*

Falling for Peter had kind of been like staring at the sun. When Harley focused on him for too long his retinas singed, but he couldn’t look away. Peter was kind, and smart, and funny, and so much all the time that Harley had to pinch himself whenever Peter trained all of his brightness onto him. He was beautiful. He was a nuclear fusion of hydrogen; a swirl of helium that took up so much more than every star Harley could ever make out in the sky. As far as Harley was concerned, Peter was the milky way, and he was sitting on the grass tracing constellations. 

*

They had been dating for six months by the time Christmas season rolled around. What Harley hadn’t accounted for was how much Peter loved Christmas. He was bundled up in sweaters almost as soon as the calendar passed into December. His apartment had a tree, and was filled to the brim with decorations, and lights. He wanted to watch a slew of Christmas movies, and never failed to hum along with whatever Christmas song was playing in a store they were at, all while still always holding Harley’s hand. 

Harley did his best to tune it out. He wasn’t a grinch, but, he was never going to have anywhere near the same level of enthusiasm that Peter did about the holiday. He wanted Peter to enjoy himself, and it was nice, seeing him so happy and excited. Harley couldn’t risk him losing the little gleam in his eyes that he had grown accustomed to.

But then, Christmas Day had came, along with the same loneliness that caught up with him like clockwork every year. He was invited over to May’s by Peter. He had initially planned on going, for Peter’s sake, but backed out last minute, much to Peter’s disappointment. He just didn’t think that he could bear it. 

Somehow though, Harley had lucked out and managed to find the most perfect boyfriend in all of existence. When Peter wrapped up with Aunt May he came back to Harley’s apartment. It was late, late enough that Harley was already in bed and he was pretty sure it had passed into Boxing Day. Peter had shucked off his jacket and shoes noisily, then climbed right into bed with him, lining himself up along Harley’s back. Harley squawked at his frozen fingers and toes.

“Missed you,” Peter said into his neck, which made Harley snort. They had just seen each other that morning. 

Harley kissed him, then pulled back, grimacing. “You taste like eggnog.” 

Peter frowned, and Harley could see it even in the dark. Then he asked tentatively, his voice small, “Why don’t you like Christmas, Harls?” 

Harley didn’t say anything at first, and let out a breath. He ran his fingers up Peter’s torso and counted each one of his ribs. “I don’t…” Harley trailed off, not sure of what to say, or where to even begin. “It’s okay.” 

“I wanted you to have a good Christmas,” Peter said, and he sounded so morose, like it personally saddened him that Harley hadn’t had fun. 

“Christmases have never been good,” Harley eventually settled on, keeping his tone neutral. “They just - haven’t.” 

Peter tucked his face into Harley’s chest, then blinked up at him with those brown eyes of his, the ones that he knew were Harley’s weakness. “What happened?” He whispered, like if he asked too loud Harley might shut down and not tell him. He knew him well, well enough to wait him out. 

It was a few minutes later, when Peter’s breath had evened out, that Harley found himself saying, “When Abbie and I were little, our Dad left us at a bus station on Christmas.” 

It was quiet, only for a moment, long enough for Harley to wonder if Peter had heard him at all. But then, Peter said, his voice cracking, “Oh, Harley, that’s awful.” 

Harley laughed, despite himself. He couldn’t help it. Peter sounded so heartbroken, he had to let it roll off. If he internalized it, and really let Peter in deep he didn’t know if he could ever tug him back out. “It happens,” he said, with a breeziness he didn’t really feel, and did an awkward half-shrug from under Peter’s weight. “But I like that you like Christmas,” He said, wanting to get to the important part, because that’s what mattered. It was okay that Harley would get down on Christmas, because Peter loved it enough for the both of them. 

Or really, that’s the conclusion that Harley had come to. 

So, cue his bafflement when another year passed with him and Peter still together. They moved in together over the summer, and it was easy. It was easy in a way that nothing else in Harley’s life ever had been. It was almost the middle of December when Harley realized that Peter hadn’t so much said a word about Christmas, which was-

Concerning.

Harley thought about it for nearly the entire time it took him to get home from work. When he did, Peter was still out. He looked over their apartment with a new eye and made note that not a single decoration had been put up. He hadn’t even seen Peter pull out a single one of his Christmas sweaters. A bad taste grew in Harley’s mouth as his brain provided him with a theory.

You ruined Christmas for him, the voice in the back of his head supplied. 

And yeah, Peter hadn’t been as smiley lately, or as cheerful as Harley remembered him being the previous year. He had also been spending a lot of late nights out, ones that Harley never questioned, but now sat at the forefront of his mind. 

He had confided in him about his worst Christmas. He had even told him about the lady who had played cards with them and gave them food while their Mom was on her way. He had told him all about it because he had asked, but now, it felt like a mistake. 

He waited up for Peter to get home. He fucked around on Instagram, watching the door. Eventually, Peter came through it. He was swathed in layers from head to toe, his frame swallowed by a big puffy jacket, boots, a hat, and a scarf. His cheeks were bright red, and he gave Harley a delighted grin once he saw him. “Hey, babe,” he said cheerily, before swooping down for a kiss.

He went over to hang his jacket up when Harley prodded, “Where were you tonight?” 

“Just hanging out with MJ,” Peter said casually, not looking at him.

That would have been fine, except, Harley had seen MJ’s most recent story posted about an hour ago, and she had most definitely not been hanging out with Peter. 

Harley let it sit in the air for a few moments, enough to debate if he was going to call him on it. Though, he could never leave well enough alone. He sucked in a breath. “Where were you, really?” 

He watched Peter freeze, and then look at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I know you weren’t with MJ,” He said, and hated how the words sounded as they spilled out of his mouth.

“Harley, I-”

“I don’t care,” he said, feeling exasperated. “Just...where were you?”

Peter slumped, shifting his eyes guiltily, and sunk his shoulders until he deflated. “I was wrapping presents,” he muttered, low enough that Harley could just barely make it out.

“What?” He said, going numb.

“I was wrapping presents, with May,” Peter said a little louder, but looked just as guilty.

Harley was heartbroken.

“Jesus,” Harley breathed, and tugged his hands through his hair, turning away so he wasn’t facing him.

“Harley-”

Harley cut him off, his voice raised, “You never put up a tree!”

“What?” Peter said, his brows knitting together in confusion.

“You haven’t said anything about Christmas this year, and now you feel like you have to sneak away to wrap presents with Aunt May?” 

Peter’s eyes widened, and he started wringing his hands together. “I don’t- I just-” he bit his lip. “I thought that maybe you couldn’t have a bad Christmas if we didn’t have Christmas.”

Harley closed his eyes. “That’s not what I want at all.” When he finally opened his eyes Peter was looking at him so dejectedly that Harley’s heart broke all over again. Harley motioned for Peter to come over to where he was on the couch. “C’mere, baby.”

Peter only hesitated for a moment before he melted against Harley, and let Harley manhandle him into his lap. “You were so sad last year,” Peter said quietly against his neck. “I didn’t want to make you sad.” 

Harley sighed. “I like that you like Christmas, okay? I do.” 

Peter seemed dubious. “You really mean that?” 

Harley nodded. “I like seeing you all excited, and happy. I hate that I ruined that.” 

“You didn’t ruin anything!” Peter insisted, even though Harley didn’t believe him.

*

They talked it through, but Harley still felt like he had ruined Christmas. It lingered above them, unresolved. Peter had yet to fully relax and indulge, at least not to the full extent that he had the previous year, when he was completely unguarded. He would broach the topic of Christmas ever since their talk, but would always glance shiftily at Harley afterwards, like he was waiting for him to be put-off. Harley couldn’t stand it, but he also couldn’t figure out how to fix it either. 

He resigned himself to calling Abbie. If there was one person on planet Earth who understood his fucked up feelings on Christmas - it was her. 

And of course, like the little genius she was, her solution had been simple:

“Why don’t you and Peter make a good memory together on Christmas?”

Which, huh. Harley had never given that a thought, but suddenly it made sense. All Peter had ever wanted was for Harley to have a good Christmas, but he had been too caught up in his own misery and angst to give that to him. 

“Christmas isn’t all bad,” Abbie said, seeing right through Harley, like always. “I know it kind of sucked growing up, but I went to Jen’s house for Christmas last year and it was so nice. Why don’t you and Peter just do something together?” 

“Fuck,” Harley said intelligently, and leaned back in his chair. He then gave Abbie his most charming smile over their video call. “Do you think you could make it up to New York this year?”

“To save your sorry ass, you bet,” She said, rolling her eyes, but gave Harley a smile at the end anyway. 

Harley wrapped up the phone call pretty quickly after that. He had a plan that he had to see through.

*

Getting everything lined up and everyone on board was a lot easier than Harley had initially anticipated. He had called May first, who immediately  insisted that if there was a holiday party of any kind that it should be held at the Tower, she also was sworn to secrecy from Peter. Next, Harley called Pepper. She was warm to the idea of having a slap-dash Avengers holiday party hosted at the Tower, and went into full cutthroat planning mode almost instantly, it was enough to make Harley sweat. 

Things sort of just fell into place after that. Roping their makeshift crew and everyone adjacent into accepting invitations went smoothly, and nobody let it slip to Peter what was going on. 

*

By the time Christmas Eve arrived, Harley was nervous. 

Getting Peter dressed and into an Uber was a little more precarious. He had made a few inquiring confused faces when Harley said he wanted to go somewhere, but otherwise didn’t question him. During the ride Harley did his best to distract him so he wouldn’t pay attention to where they were headed. Harley had a few texts on his phone letting him know that the party was in full-swing. Abbie had even sent him a few excited selfies she had taken from inside the Tower.

When the car slowed to a stop only a few blocks from the Tower entrance Peter abruptly quieted his idle chatter and furrowed his brows, looking at Harley. 

“Harley? What are we doing here?” Peter glanced back and forth between the car window and Harley, like he was trying to slot things together but they weren’t clicking just right, it was hopelessly endearing. 

“C’mon,” Harley said, his palms sweaty. “We don’t want to be late.” 

He dragged a dazed and confused Peter down the street, through the lobby, and eventually into the elevators in the Tower. 

“What’s going on!” Peter demanded as soon as the elevator door closed, and Harley had to hold back a smile at Peter crowding into his space and being all faux-threatening. “If you don’t tell me what we’re doing here I swear I’m gonna-” 

He was cut off by the doors parting on the top floor, and revealing a festive scene. Harley had to admit that Pepper had outdone herself. There were decorations and twinkle lights spread all around the room, casting everything in a warm glow. Various Avengers were scattered around, mingling, and laughing. And a giant, ostentatious Christmas tree sat in the corner, nearly reaching the ceiling, with mounds of presents piled underneath. 

“You-” Peter started, his eyes wide, before he whirled around to look at him. “Oh my god!”

Harley ducked his head, smiling sheepishly. His hands itched to stuff them inside of his pocket. “Surprise,” He mumbled.

Peter’s eyes went shiny. “You did this for me?”

Harley shrugged, he was sure the tips of his ears were probably pink. Yeah, he wanted to say, of course I did this for you, everything I ever do is for you. “You love Christmas,” is what he settled on instead. “Abbie said we just needed some good memories...so…”

Peter softened, and Harley only had half a second to brace himself before Peter launched at him, and he got an armful of messy brown curls. “I love you,” Peter told him, his voice full of wonder before he tugged him in for a messy kiss. “I can’t believe you kept this from me!” Peter breathed out before giving Harley a giggle of pure delight.

“I had some help,” Harley said, not wanting to take all of the credit. But Peter just gave him one of his small secret smiles, like he could see right through every word that came out of his mouth. It was intoxicating. 

“Gross!” A voice that Harley would recognize anywhere piped up from only a few feet away. “I thought we banned mistletoe for a reason!”

“Abbs!” Harley grinned, and broke away from Peter to give his little sister a hug, almost swooping her feet off the ground in the process. He pulled away enough to grab onto her shoulders. “You givin’ Stark a hard time?” 

“I’m on my worst behavior,” She declared with glee. “Tony won’t let me around Morgan, but I think it’s because he’s scared of the power we both possess.” 

“Atta’girl,” Harley laughed, and watched her head over to where Pepper was. 

Peter tsked. “You Keeners, nothing but trouble.” 

Harley’s grin widened as he brought a hand to Peter’s hip. “Yeah, but I seem to remember you likin’ some trouble.”

Peter’s eyes glinted dangerously, like he was about to spout off at the mouth, but then his eyes trained on someone over Harley’s shoulder. 

“May!” He yelled excitedly, and suddenly dragged Harley over to where she was. 

They bantered with May for a while until Wanda and Vision entered with their new set of twins and stole the show. Abbie immediately cooed over them, which Harley observed fondly. The Tower was packed with Avengers, and friends alike. Natasha and May tucked themselves into a corner, both with glasses of wine, and seemed to be getting on like a house on fire. 

Peter appeared to take in the scene with a mixture of admiration, and awe. He shot Harley these looks that said, “Can you believe this?” And a little part of Harley couldn’t. He was actually having fun. For the first time in his life he got it, he understood why Peter saw Christmas as something special. This time, Harley wasn’t just enduring Christmas.

A little later, once everyone was properly tipsy, Morgan had been ushered into bed, and Vision had fastened the sleeping babies into their carrier - the Poker game started. 

It had been Tony’s idea, and Harley had to hold back his snicker. Tony was cocky, already trash-talking everyone at the table. Harley initially wasn’t going to play, but Peter had goaded him into it. He said, “Please, Harley?” in just the right way to have Harley sighing and saying, “Deal me in.” 

“They don’t even know you’re going to win,” Peter whispered to him, and Harley decided not to tell him how wrong he was, he didn’t want to spoil the show he no doubt was going to get. It was cute. Harley was a damn good Poker player, and Peter knew it, too, but, he had also never had the joy of seeing Abbie Keener at full velocity. 

Harley met eyes with Abbie from across the table, and he could tell just by their sparkle that they were all in for it. 

It was safe to say that Abbie wiped the floor with Tony. 

She kicked his ass so hard that Tony had crowed in complete outrage, demanding a rematch. Abbie’s grin was downright devious when she beat them all again, and scooped up her chips (which were m&ms), collecting her loot. At this point, the whole table was shaking with laughter. Peter had buried his face into Harley’s shoulder halfway through the second game, so Harley could feel it vibrate through his collarbone every time he laughed. Harley had his arm flung back along the back of Peter’s chair, and he couldn’t help his manic, joyful grin whenever Tony shouted. 

“Where did you learn to play like that!” Tony interrogated, cutting through the teetering of the table. 

Abbie shot Harley a secret glance. “A lady at a bus station taught me, and Harleen over there, of course.” 

Harley could feel Peter going stock still next to him. But it was okay. It was good to joke about it, in a way. He was too busy laughing over the whole display to get down. “When are you gonna learn, old man, you never play Poker against the Keeners.” Harley teased. Peter’s choked snort from next to him was enough to coat him like a victory. 

Harley felt good. He felt warm, and satisfied as he peered around at everyone at the table. He wondered if this is what Christmas felt like for everyone else - a celebration, and excuse for a showcase of love. He could see the appeal.

Then later, much later, when most of the activities for that night had been cleared away and it had officially crossed into actual Christmas, Harley sat on the couch in the center of the penthouse. Peter was curled up next to him, a pile of sleepy goo in his lap. Harley idly carded his fingers through Peter’s hair while he periodically purred in content. 

Harley whispered, quiet enough that only Peter could hear, “Merry Christmas, baby.” 

Peter hummed. “Merry Christmas, Harls,” he mumbled back.

As Harley looked at the Christmas tree in the corner, with Peter’s warm breath on his leg, he couldn’t help but think that maybe Christmas wasn’t so much of a perpetual disappointment after all. 

[rotg-halloween]

Rise Of The Guardians Halloween Challenge 2020!

IMPORTANT!  Please be sure to include @rotg-halloween​ in your entries.  Tumblr’s tagging system is very wonky. 

Caption: Rise of the Guardians Halloween Event, October 19, 2020 through October 31, 2020

THE CHARACTERS:

JACK FROST * KATHERINE SHALAZAR * NIGHTLIGHT * TOOTHIANA * NICHOLAS ST. NORTH * E. ASTER BUNNYMUND * SANDERSON MANSNOOZIE * OMBRIC SHALAZAR * PITCH BLACK * SERAPHINA PITCHINER * ONYX THE NIGHTMARE * THE MAN IN THE MOON * PHIL THE YETI * TSAR & TSARINA LUNANOFF * DINGLE THE ELF * LADY PITCHINER CUPCAKE * KOZMOTIS PITCHINER * JAMIE BENNETT * CLAUDE * MRS. BENNETT * ABBY THE GREYHOUND * SOPHIE BENNETT * PIPPA * MONTY * CALEB * EMMA OVERLAND * ANY AND ALL ROTG OR GOC ORIGINAL CHARACTERS OF YOUR CHOOSING

The Prompts:

DAY ONE - SLIPPER

DAY TWO - STRANDED

DAY THREE - CIRCUS

DAY FOUR - MAGPIES

DAY FIVE - BLOOM

DAY SIX - SHOP

DAY SEVEN - DISMANTLED

DAY EIGHT - SNOWBOUND

DAY NINE - RED

DAY TEN - INERTIA

DAY ELEVEN - BOOKCASES

DAY TWELVE - GATES

DAY THIRTEEN - MESSAGES

Formats welcome:

Fanfiction, fan art, cosplay, sculpture, textilia, podfic, moodboards… your imagination is the only limit.

[bongaboi]

93rd Academy Awards: The List.

Best Picture

· Nomadland – Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears and Chloé Zhao

o The Father – Philippe Carcassonne, Jean-Louis Livi and David Parfitt

o Judas and the Black Messiah – Ryan Coogler, Charles D. King and Shaka King

o Mank – Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski

o Minari – Christina Oh

o Promising Young Woman – Ben Browning, Emerald Fennell, Ashley Fox and Josey McNamara

o Sound of Metal – Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche

o The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Stuart M. Besser and Marc Platt

Best Director

· Chloé Zhao – Nomadland

o Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round

o David Fincher – Mank

o Lee Isaac Chung – Minari

o Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Best Actor

· Anthony Hopkins – The Father as Anthony

· Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal as Ruben Stone

· Chadwick Boseman (posthumous) – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Levee Green

Gary Oldman – Mank as Herman J. Mankiewicz

· Steven Yeun – Minari as Jacob Yi

Best Actress

· Frances McDormand – Nomadland as Fern

o Viola Davis – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as Ma Rainey

o Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday as Billie Holiday

o Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman as Martha Weiss

o Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman as Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas

Best Supporting Actor

· Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah as Fred Hampton

o Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7 as Abbie Hoffman

o Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami... as Sam Cooke

o Paul Raci – Sound of Metal as Joe

o Lakeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah as William "Bill" O'Neal

Best Supporting Actress

· Youn Yuh-jung – Minari as Soon-ja

o Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm as Tutar Sagdiyev

o Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy as Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance

o Olivia Colman – The Father as Anne

o Amanda Seyfried – Mank as Marion Davies

Best Original Screenplay

· Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell

o Judas and the Black Messiah – Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King; Story by Berson, King, Keith Lucas and Kenny Lucas

o Minari – Lee Isaac Chung

o Sound of Metal – Screenplay by Abraham Marder and Darius Marder; Story by Derek Cianfrance and D. Marder

o The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin

Best Adapted Screenplay

· The Father – Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, based on the play by Zeller

o Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Jena Friedman, Anthony Hines, Lee Kern, Dan Mazer, Erica Rivinoja and Dan Swimer; Story by Baron Cohen, Hines, Nina Pedrad and Swimer; Based on the character by Baron Cohen

o Nomadland – Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder

o One Night in Miami... – Kemp Powers, based on his play

o The White Tiger – Ramin Bahrani, based on the novel by Aravind Adiga

Best Animated Feature Film

· Soul – Pete Docter and Dana Murray

o Onward – Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae

o Over the Moon – Peilin Chou, Glen Keane, and Gennie Rin

o A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon – Will Becher, Paul Kewley, and Richard Phelan

o Wolfwalkers – Tomm Moore, Stéphan Roelants, Ross Stewart and Paul Young

Best International Feature Film

· Another Round (Denmark) in Danish – directed by Thomas Vinterberg

o Better Days (Hong Kong) in Mandarin – directed by Derek Tsang

o Collective (Romania) in Romanian – directed by Alexander Nanau

o The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia) in Arabic – directed by Kaouther Ben Hania

o Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in Bosnian – directed by Jasmila Žbanić

Best Documentary Feature

· My Octopus Teacher – Pippa Ehrlich, Craig Foster and James Reed

o Collective – Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

o Crip Camp – Sara Bolder, Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham

o The Mole Agent – Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

o Time – Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Subject

· Colette – Alice Doyard and Anthony Giacchino

o A Concerto Is a Conversation – Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot

o Do Not Split – Charlotte Cook and Anders Hammer

o Hunger Ward – Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Shueuerman

o A Love Song for Latasha – Sophia Nahali Allison and Janice Duncan

Best Live Action Short Film

· Two Distant Strangers – Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe

o Feeling Through – Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski

o The Letter Room – Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan

o The Present – Ossama Bawardi and Farah Nabulsi

o White Eye – Shira Hochman and Tomer Shushan

Best Animated Short Film

· If Anything Happens I Love You – Michael Govier and Will McCormack

o Burrow – Michael Capbarat and Madeline Sharafian

o Genius Loci – Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise

o Opera – Erick Oh

o Yes-People – Arnar Gunnarsson and Gísli Darri Halldórsson

Best Original Score

· Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste

o Da 5 Bloods – Terence Blanchard

o Mank – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

o Minari – Emile Mosseri

o News of the World – James Newton Howard

Best Original Song

· "Fight for You" from Judas and the Black Messiah – Music by D'Mile and H.E.R.; lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas

o "Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Music by Daniel Pemberton; lyric by Celeste and Pemberton

o "Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – Music and lyric by Rickard Göransson, Fat Max Gsus and Savan Kotecha

o "Io sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead – Music by Diane Warren; lyric by Laura Pausini and Warren

o "Speak Now" from One Night in Miami... – Music and lyric by Sam Ashworth and Leslie Odom Jr.

Best Sound

· Sound of Metal – Jaime Baksht, Nicolas Becker, Philip Bladh, Carlos Cortés and Michelle Couttolenc

o Greyhound – Beau Borders, Michael Minkler, Warren Shaw and David Wyman

o Mank – Ren Klyce, Drew Kunin, Jeremy Molod, Nathan Nance and David Parker

o News of the World – William Miller, John Pritchett, Mike Prestwood Smith and Oliver Tarney

o Soul – Coya Elliot, Ren Klyce and David Parker

Best Production Design

· Mank – Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale

o The Father – Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

o Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton

o News of the World – Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

o Tenet – Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

Best Cinematography

· Mank – Erik Messerschmidt

o Judas and the Black Messiah – Sean Bobbitt

o News of the World – Dariusz Wolski

o Nomadland – Joshua James Richards

o The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Phedon Papamichael

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

· Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson

o Emma. – Laura Allen, Marese Langan and Claudia Stolze

o Hillbilly Elegy – Patricia Dehaney, Eryn Krueger Mekash and Matthew W. Mungle

o Mank – Colleen LaBaff, Kimberley Spiteri and Gigi Williams

o Pinocchio – Dalia Colli, Mark Coulier and Francesco Pegoretti

Best Costume Design

· Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Ann Roth

o Emma. – Alexandra Byrne

o Mank – Trish Summerville

o Mulan – Bina Daigeler

o Pinocchio – Massimo Cantini Parrini

Best Film Editing

· Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

o The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos

o Nomadland – Chloé Zhao

o Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval

o The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten

Best Visual Effects

· Tenet – Scott R. Fisher, Andrew Jackson, David Lee and Andrew Lockley

o Love and Monsters – Genevieve Camailleri, Brian Cox, Matt Everitt and Matt Sloan

o The Midnight Sky – Matthew Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

o Mulan – Sean Andrew Faden, Steve Ingram, Anders Langlands and Seth Maury

o The One and Only Ivan – Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

[queenvladislaus]

Abby adopted a new puppy for the house, Peanut. She is an Akita (not really sure what that is). Peanut seems to be getting along nicely. She’s smol and adorable, but could never replace Gemma.

First | Last | Next

[iknowwhoyouaredamianos]

Chapters: 18/20 Fandom: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Andrew Minyard/Neil Josten, Matt Boyd/Dan Wilds, Aaron Minyard/Katelyn, Renee Walker/Allison Reynolds, Kevin Day/Jean Moreau/Jeremy Knox, David Wymack/Abby Windfield, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose, Andrew Minyard & Aaron Minyard, Andrew Minyard & Kevin Day Characters: Betsy Dobson, OC Connor Josten, OC Josh Boyd, Robin (mentioned), OC Aubrey (mentioned), Mary Hatford (mentioned), Nathan Wesninski (mentioned), Stuart Hatford (mentioned) Additional Tags: Dad!Neil, diner au, trucker AU, slowburn, Fluff, Angst, mentions of scars, Mentions of Violence, mentions of abuse, mentions of child abuse, Canon-Typical Warnings, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Rape, Graphic descriptions of violence, single dad, Andrew is the baby whisperer, Kevin is a wreck, Demisexual Characters, Non-binary character, Andrew and Kevin are friends, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut Summary:

Nathaniel Wesninski had never thought he’d ever end up on a greyhound bus to Palmetto with a toddler cradled to his chest, trying to process the end of his mobster life and starting all over as a 20 year-old single dad. Creating a new life as trucker Neil Josten, he finds a new home and family in his colleagues and quirky small town inhabitants, especially growing fond of the Foxhole Diner’s grumpy owner Andrew Minyard. But what happens if Andrew finds out about his past? Will Andrew really commit his life to the son of a serial killer with a toddler?

Andrew Minyard never expected much of his life and found much more in David Wymack and his lot in Palmetto. His diner means working all day and meeting all kinds of people, but it’s his and he wouldn’t want it any different. Not as long as he can pay for his twin’s study. As one day Neil Josten stumbles into his diner for an interview for a job at Wymack’s transportation company, Andrew senses that his life will change in ways he’s never anticipated.

It’s here guys - waaaa. I just love this chapter and writing it and Kevin Day is a darling as well as one Aaron Minyard who’s the best brother in this one.

Love <3