#anita gray

[lemonlimestar]

she needs to fight!!! here’s my redesign for anita :)

i felt like something was lacking in her costume and i wanted to take a stab at redesigning her so! here she is!

explanation will be under the cut :]

when i started this redesign, i knew i wanted to incorporate her cultural background a lot more. she is implied (i don���t believe they outright specify it) to practice specifically haitian voodou & both of my parents practice african traditional religions. so, i talked to my dad about different ways to connect that to her costume and he brought up west african masquerades.

i was sent many, many videos (thank u dad 🫡) of masquerades as well as celebrations of junkanoo, which is a festival that started in north america rooted in west african festival traditions & they both have bright colors & masks that i felt really lent itself to the empress costume

i knew i wanted to keep her general silhouette, but i tweaked it to better suit the masquerade & festival costumes e.g. her glove and boot cuffs being flipped.

the stripes were a common aspect, and i based the masks more on junkanoo than masquerades just because of the important meanings behind masquerading that i am not qualified to apply to a dc comics characters ajhdjsja. i also made her under armor a lot more yellow to have less people confuse it as her skin? which i’ve seen a few times.

speaking of, now onto her actual appearance. i think anita has a very cute design, but like many non-white comic characters , it is a bit of a struggle. but! that’s an easy fix.

first, i gave her knotless french curl braids, bc all the black vigilantes i draw have to have protective hairstyles apparently lmao. but also it’s a nice mix of the braids she wears in yj sometimes and her usual hair. yippee

(+ i just made her empress hair a wig, bc it’s very much more convenient & plays into the festival costume aspect)

and, finally, i made her skin tone a lot deeper bc, especially compared to her white teammates, her skin is super gray 😭 which is common for a lot of brown comic characters unfortunately. i could’ve just made her og skintone more saturated but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it’s a free country.

and that’s a wrap :^) ty to anyone who actually sat through my rambling! if anything came off unclear i’ve open to questions about it. bring back anita fite 2k24

[psychony]

[multifandomwriter56]

His Little Spy: The Fight

Series Summary: Anita Edwards is a spy who works for Tommy Shelby. She is an orphan and longs for a family. Will Tommy ever realize she is his daughter, despite them not being blood? Or will he lose her forever?

Chapter 4 Summary: Anita meets someone she thought she would never get the chance to. Tommy isn't happy about it.

Characters: Tommy Shelby, OC, Polly Gray, some other PB characters

Warnings: language, violence, mentions child abuse

Word Count: 3,199

"I fucking hate this hellhole, don't you?"

Anita jumps, barely stopping herself from screaming. She turns to the owner of the voice that just scared the shit out of her; pulling out her knife. "What the fuck? Who are you?"

Alfie chuckles. "Feisty little thing, ain't ya?"

The eleven year old glances behind her, wondering if she should make a run for it.

"There's no need to be frightened, dove. Ol' Alfie isn't going to hurt ya."

"Alfie?" She lowers her arm that's holding the knife. “Alfie Solomons?”

Alfie grins. "The child knows my name."

"I thought Mr Shelby killed you."

Alfie leans down, pointing to the scar on his face. "Well he fucking tried, didn't he?"

The two stared at each other in complete silence. Eventually Anita holds out her hand. 

"I'm Anita. Nice to meet you."

Alfie shakes the girl's hand. "So you're the famous Anita Edwards Ollie has told me so much about." He gestures to the man hidden in the shadows. 

Anita frowns. Okay, maybe this was a bad idea. She steps back, gripping her knife tightly in her fist. He might kill her to get revenge on Tommy.

"I'm not going to hurt you, dove. I already told you I wouldn't. I need you to do me a favor, right; I need you to give this to Tommy."

Anita stares at the envelope in his outstretched hand. "Why can't you?"

"I'm dead, remember?"

"If you give this to Mr Shelby, everyone will know that's not true." Ollie argues. 

Anita can tell by Ollie's voice that they've had this conversation before. 

"He already knows, Ollie boy! When I was fucked up on all those meds, I asked Tommy about Cyril."

"Cyril is your dog?"

Alfie smiles. "Yes. How is my boy?"

Anita grins, putting her knife away. "Fat and lazy." Her grin turns into a full smile when the man laughs. "He loves to cuddle."

Remembering what they were first talking about, Anita's smile falls. "How do you know who I am?"

"Ollie's been keeping an eye on Tommy, you see; making sure that little gypsy man doesn't get into too much trouble. He's noticed you around." He pauses dramatically as he stares her down. "He noticed you were digging up information about me, right; and I wanted to know why."

Anita winces at the mention of her little investigation on the man. "You didn't happen to put that in the letter, did you?"

The grin’s back. "Tommy told you to leave ‘dead’ me be?" The young girl nods. "No, I didn't mention the nosy girl, right; thought it was fun having an admirer."

Anita crinkles her nose. "Who said anything about an admirer?" 

"Well, I just did, didn't I?"

Anita decides she's not even going to answer that. "None of your men ever told anyone you were alive." She doesn't admit it out loud, but she is impressed no one blabbered. 

"My men fucking love me." He holds out the envelope once again. "So will you do poor ol' Alfie this favor?"

Anita smiles. He is nothing like she imagined; but he's endearing in an annoying, yet amusing way. 

So she takes the envelope. 

"Ollie, I think it's time we get out of hell. Goodbye, my little dove. It was a fucking pleasure to meet you." 

Anita giggles. Tommy at least tries not to curse in front of her as much as he does in front of others; but this man doesn't hold back. "Bye Mr Solomons."

"Fucking hell." He mutters. "It's Alfie. No need to be formal."

Anita resists the urge to roll her eyes. "Bye Alfie."

The man smiles softly before following Ollie into an alley where their car is probably hidden. 

Anita knows Tommy hasn't gone home yet so she decides to give him the letter now.

She tries to get into the shop, but the door is locked. She checks the windows, smiling when she finds one unlocked. She slips in, trying to be as quiet as possible. 

She only takes about three steps when she hears a gun cock. "Hi, Mr Shelby."

"Anita?" Tommy uncocks the gun, setting it on a table. He takes two large strides until he's standing in front of the girl. He grabs her chin, a little more roughly than he meant to. "What the fuck are you doing, young lady?"

Anita's eyes widened. "I-I knew you were still here." She tells him lamely; not really knowing what to say. Why is he so mad?

"You can't just sneak in whenever you want to. I could've shot you, Anita." He scolds, releasing his hold on her chin. "Why didn't you knock?" 

The young girl shrugs her shoulders. She sneaks into all kinds of places to get information for him. 

How the hell does he think she gets that information? 

She holds out the envelope. "I have a letter for you." She says sheepishly; refusing to look him in the eye. 

Tommy frowns at the girl; debating on whether or not to scold her some more.  He eventually decides against it, taking the envelope from her. "Who's it from?"

Anita subconsciously takes a few steps back. "Alfie Solomons." She mumbles.

Tommy's hand freezes and his head snaps up. "What was that?" He growls; his eyes hardening when Anita stays quiet. "Answer me, young lady." The fear of her learning the truth rises and even though he shouldn't be as angry as he's acting, he lets the anger take over.

Anita draws a circle on the floor with her shoe-covered toes. Two 'young lady's' in one night is not a good sign. "Alfie Solomons." She tells him a little louder this time.

Tommy leans against the table, a hand covering his eyes. He takes a deep breath. It's not her fault, he reminds himself before focusing back on the letter. 

Anita watches him read the letter, her body twitching with anticipation. Even back when she asked who Alfie Solomons was; Tommy lost his temper. He forbade her from talking about him again and she doesn’t understand why he wants to avoid the subject so much.

And does he not understand that telling her no, makes her want to do it so much more?

Once Tommy finishes reading it, he slips the folded paper in his suit pocket.

"What did he want?" 

Tommy raises his eyebrows; surprised by her gall to even ask such a question. "That is not your concern. Now-" He bends forward until his eyes are leveled with hers. "What do I have to do to make sure you never crawl through another fucking window?"

"N-Nothing. I won't do it a-again." Anita lies; cursing herself for stuttering. 

Tommy doesn't believe her one bit; but if she's really to risk upsetting him by lying, then she must believe she has a good reason for defying him. So he lets it be, for now. He'll have to think on it before he brings it up again.

When he straightens, Anita decides to ask a question of her own. "Why did you tell me Alfie was dead?"

Tommy reaches in his pocket, pulling out his lighter and cigarette case. "At the time, I thought he was."

"Why didn't you tell me when he sent you that letter that he is alive?"

"You spoke to him." Tommy states; wondering why the fuck Alfie came all the way to Birmingham to give him a letter when last time he fucking used the postal. "I don't give you information. That's your job." He reminds her, pointing the lit cigarette at her.

Anita scoffs. "Why is that such a terrible thing? He was nice."

"Go home, Anita." Tommy orders, his voice back to his usual monotone intonation. 

That tone hits a nerve that she can't hide. not tonight. "I don't have a home." She snaps. "But don't worry, I'm going." She heads for the window, ignoring Tommy calling her name. 

Once she's outside, she turns to face him. "This is how I get your information. I sneak around in places where I shouldn't be. So you better get used to the idea that I do this quite often. How else am I supposed to get inside the orphanage without getting into trouble, eh?" She doesn't wait for a response; her courage draining with each second as his glare darkens. 

She hates disappointing him and she hates being upset with him. But dammit! She hates it even more when he uses that bored, monotone voice with her. 

It makes her feel like she's just like everyone else. That she means nothing to him.

"I think it's time you took a break."

And with those words with that same damn monotone, her hate shifts. "You know what? I think you're fucking right!" She shouts, slamming the window shut. 

Her eyes widen in slight fear when Tommy bolts to the front door. She has no idea what would happen if he caught her, but she's not staying around to find out. 

She runs.

Anita stirs as she feels the train come to a halt and a man yells 'London!' 

She heads for the door, sighing in relief when she doesn't see a Shelby or a Peaky in sight. 

Ten minutes into her walk through town, she spots three men coming straight for her.

"You're the Shelby's little snitch, aren't ya?"

Anita tries to bolt but one of the men stops her; grabbing both her arms. "Let me go!" She tries to sound like Polly when she's telling off the Shelby men, but she knows she failed.

The men laugh at her attempts to escape. "Oh, this is her. You ratted us out to Thomas Shelby and almost got us killed. We only took what was owed to us."

Anita remembers the men and scoffs at his words. "If you're stupid enough to steal from the Shelby's, than you're lucky to be alive. Be grateful I knew where your stash was or else I don't think Mr Shelby would have spared your miserable lives."

The punch to her gut knocks the breath out of her. She gasps for air as the man holding her lets her drop to the ground. 

"The little bitch has a mouth on her."

She cries out when one of their boots connects with her side. Knowing that wasn't the end, she clamps her mouth shut and curls into herself to protect her organs; just like how Arthur taught her in case she was ever caught.

When she hears the click of a loaded gun, Anita squeezes her eyes shut in anticipation of her death. 

She flinches with each gunshot, counting a total of three. The silence is so loud, her curiosity gets the better of her and she slowly peels her eyes open.

To her surprise, not only are the men gone, but she sees a familiar man standing in front of her.

"Alfie?"

"The fuck you doing in London, Dove?"

She opens her mouth to answer him, but her body gives in to the pain; her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

The last thing she hears, is "Fuck!"

The Shelby family never thought the day would come where there would be tension between Thomas Shelby and Anita Edwards. And they definitely didn't think it would affect the whole family or the business for that matter. 

Anita only comes around when she has information or when she's needed. 

Tommy tries to avoid being alone with her as much as possible. She doesn't try to stay in his office with him anymore. She doesn't beg to be more involved in the business. And she only comes to the Arrow House when he's not there. 

"You need to fix this, Thomas." Polly scolds him one day.

"I'm not the one who needs to do the fixing."

"Oh, stop being a child. You're the adult; fucking act like it."

Tommy focuses on the papers on his desk, letting his aunt know he's done listening to her. 

Polly storms out, but her anger drains away when she sees a laughing Anita sitting at one of the betting tables. She's not sure what story Arthur is telling the eleven year old, but it must be funny. 

"Anita, love; he's ready to see you."

The smile drops at her words. "Can't I just tell you the information and you can tell him?"

Polly shakes her head, a small smile gracing her lips. "He wants to see you." At least she hopes her nephew does; to make things right.

"I don't know why; he barely says a fucking word." Anita mumbles as she stands to her feet.

As the girl starts to pass by her, Polly gently grabs her chin; her eyebrows raised.

Anita can only keep eye contact for a few moments before looking down. "Sorry."

Polly leans down to kiss the top of her head. "It'll get better; I promise."

Anita wants to believe her, but it's been two months since she gave Tommy Alfie's letter. It was tense afterwards, but when Anita let it slip that her and Alfie started writing to one another; he's been cold. 

She doesn't understand why he hates the idea of her and Alfie being pen pals. Even though she saw no reason for him to, she let him read some of their letters. They never talk about business. Mostly about Cyril and ships. Aflie likes to describe some of the ships he sees. Anita did mention that her and Tommy are not on good terms, but she didn't show that letter to the leader. 

She softly knocks on the door, but doesn't wait for an invitation. If he's expecting her then there's no point of her waiting for a response. 

“Anita?”

The young girl takes her normal seat across from the man. “Polly said you were ready to see me.”

Tommy internally rolls his eyes; but on the outside he has his normal, bored expression plastered on his face. “Yes, what do you have for me?”

“Nothing.” This is why she wanted to just tell Polly. She’s not in a mood for a lecture. 

Tommy frowns, opening the box of cigarettes. “Nothing?”

“Nothing.” She repeats. “So-” She stands to her feet. “Am I free to go or are going to lecture me about how I need to do my job?”

Tommy freezes at her words; the small flame only centimeters away from the unlit cigarette. It’s like something just clicked in his brain. She’s a ten year old kid wondering about a man, who is not even her family, is going to lecture her about a job. A very dangerous job.

“Anita, wait.”

Anita stops. She looks up at the door to his office. “So close.” She mutters to herself. 

She turns around, hoping he isn’t really going to lecture her. “Yes, Mr Shelby?”

Tommy stands from his chair, the cigarette forgotten. He gestures to the chair she was just occupying. “Please sit.” He leans back against the front of his desk, right in front of the chair, her chair.

Anita frowns. Did he just say please? Her eyes scan his, trying to see any hidden meaning behind his words; but all she sees is vulnerability. She sees a softness in his stare that she’s only seen pointed at Charlie. So she heads back to the chair; hoping this isn't some kind of trap.

Tommy stares straight ahead while Y/n stares down at her lap. They stay like this for a few minutes.

“I’m sorry for the way I’ve been handling things. And I’m sorry for the way I reacted to you and Alfie’s… friendship. I could have handled that better.” Did Alfie tell her the truth? Does she know?

Anita stares at him, her mouth wide open and her eyes as big as they can go. “You’re what?”

Tommy lets himself roll his eyes this time. “I’m fucking sorry, alright?” 

‘I was fucking jealous.’ 

He can’t say those words aloud; but that doesn't mean they're any less true. He keeps playing her words over and over in one of the letters she wrote to Alfie. 

'I'm grateful to have someone like you to talk to. Someone I can see as a father figure or an uncle.'

 “I see it in your eyes. Just like I did in Michael's .”

Anita never properly met Polly’s son, but she’s heard of him. “And what did you see?” She cautiously asks.

“Intelligence… cunning. You’re a very bright young lady, Anita. I took advantage of that. I keep forgetting you’re only fucking ten. I need someone with your kind of mind, your loyalty. I just need them to be-”

“A man?” She interrupts with a raised eyebrow.

“Of age.” Tommy corrects, but he doesn’t deny her words. 

“Polly says you were acting like a toddler who had to share their toy.” She’s starting to forgive him, but a simple apology isn’t enough.

Tommy closes his eyes. His aunt is going to be the death of him. “I don’t consider you a toy, Anita.” He tries not to think about how wrong that sounds. “So-” He’s ready to move this along. “Am I forgiven?”

She stays quiet for a moment. “Take me horse riding and I’ll say yes.” Anita knew there would be a day she would forgive him. She just figured it would sorta just happen; not when he, The Thomas Shelby, apologizes to her. 

“You want me to fucking what?”

“I haven't been on a horse for over a month. Lizzie found out I’ve been going by myself since you sent Johnny Dogs wherever and she won’t let me go anywhere near the stables. So I want you to take me.”

“Johnny has been doing what?” Tommy has never felt so confused in his life. How many times has Y/n been to his house and he hasn’t known? When did Johnny start taking her horse riding with HIS horses?

Anita smiles; proud of herself for making Tommy so flabbergasted. “Aw, don’t be mad at Johnny. We always bring the horses back.” She thinks she has the right to tease him some; with what he put her these last two months.

“How do you even get to my house?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “It’s not that far from the orphanage and Johnny showed me some shortcuts. I’m used to walking.”

“How did no one know?”

She smirks, her confidence rising. A side of the young girl that hardly ever surfaces. A side of her that trauma, abuse, and being unloved shoved down inside her. A side she's only shown to two people, rising with the side of her lips.

“Mr Shelby, it’s simple, I’m a fucking great spy.”

Anita didn’t feel like a great anything as she pukes for the fifth time since Alfie helped her into his car. She has the upper half of her body hanging outside of the car as Alfie once again brings the car to a stop. 

She groans as her body yells in pain with each movement. “How much farther to Margate?”

“Just another hour, dove.”

“Should you even be driving?”

Alfie grins. “I fucking doubt it.”

She groans again. If the pain doesn’t kill her, Alfie and his one eye will. 

Forevers: @desiredposion @theseakrakence @simonsbluee @elenavampire21 @kmc1989

Peaky Blinders: @psychkunox @theshelbyclan @lilymurphy03 @findinghisredrighthand @zablife

His Little Spy Series: @smcc212 @peakascum @auggie2000 @ajwantstohavefun @bloomskater @play-morezeppelin @venomsvl @the-horror-and-the-wild-simp @lovemissyhoneybee @theshelbyslimited @bethabear12 @ohshititsfenharel @babayaga67

[aurorawest]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Is it February of 2024? Yes! Am I still going to post my favorite books that I read in 2023? Also yes!

Ginn Hale's Cadeleonian Series, the second half of which I read in 2023: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book Two; Master of Restless Shadows, Book One; and Master of Restless Shadows, Book Two

This series begins with Lord of the White Hell and continues with Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, then concludes with Master of Restless Shadows. Each duology follows a different set of characters, but it's a true series so you need to read them in order. It's a toss-up for me whether I preferred Champion of the Scarlet Wolf or Master of Restless Shadows. Both are fantastic duologies. I particularly loved getting Atreau's story in Master because he's sort of an unlikable playboy-esque character in the preceding books...but wait! Turns out there's more to him after all.

After Francesco by Brian Malloy

Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author).

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Folklorist meets the Green Man and they fall in love. This is the first half of a duology, the second being Drowned Country, which I just finished today so can't included it on my 2023 wrap-up. All the dark and violent whimsy of the mythic past and the most brutal versions of fairy tales, plus a lovely romance.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in (the author has cited Ender's Game as a huge influence). I don't want to say anything more than that, because I feel strongly that you need to go into this book knowing nothing. The twists and turns are so good, the main trio are wonderful, complicated characters, and the world is super cool.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

In some ways the most heartbreaking of Pulley's novels. Also probably her most dreamy and magical. It's my least favorite of her books, but my least favorite Natasha Pulley book still ended up on my best of 2023 reading list.

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

This book awakened in me a latent love of Soviet queers. You'll see this book filed under sci-fi by booksellers, but it isn't really—it's historical fiction about a very real nuclear disaster in the USSR that was covered up for decades. Like all of Pulley's books, the characters are deeply complicated and flawed. The pleasure is really in reading the way she tells a story and her beautiful use of language, so even if you're not interested in Soviet nuclear disasters, I absolutely recommend you read this. Also, you'll probably be interested in Soviet nuclear disasters when you're done.

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

Haha, you thought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street punched you in the chest with feels? Get ready for the sequel, which will have you Curled Into A Sobbing Ball On The Floor™. Join Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, and their adopted Waifish Victorian Orphan, Six, as they go to Japan, where things are weird, there are ghosts, and Thaniel and Mori still somehow don't understand what they mean to each other.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

"What if France won the Napoleonic Wars because of time travelers" shouldn't have shattered me the way this book did, but of course it's a Natasha Pulley novel so it absolutely did. Missouri Kite is the most Gay Little Man™. And Joe, poor Joe. The PINING. The YEARNING. When the reveal happens, I had to go back and read prior sections of the book and good god do they hit different. Different and SADDER. This book is my favorite of Natasha Pulley's novels.

Tommy Cabot Was Here and Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian

The first two books in Cat Sebastian's The Cabots series. The books are historical fiction that follow various queer men in the Cabot family. The Cabots are one of those old money, liberal New England families—think Kennedys. Both books are about Sad Gay Men™ finding love in soft, tiptoeing Cat Sebastian fashion. Peter Cabot is a road trip romance and a bit longer, so the characters have some time to breathe.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

This was probably a Stucky fic at one point, right? I mean. No shade though, truly! This was my favorite romcom that I read in 2023. It was also a comp for Strangers to Husbands, haha. I love the setting—hiking the Pacific Crest Trail—and I love the main characters, Alexei and Ben. Alexei came out to his family recently and got rejected, while Ben is from a big, accepting Portuguese family. Funny, touching, and an excellent love story.

Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver

Looks like a romcom but will stab you in the heart repeatedly. Kit Oliver has a gorgeous way with words and captures the dynamic between two people who have no idea how to talk to each other so well. I'm also a sucker for farm settings.

The Sugared Game and Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures)

I've read almost all of KJ Charles's books at this point, but the Will Darling Adventures are my favorites (I read the first book in the series in 2022). I love the combination of romance and action/adventure. I've never met a m/m book set in the interwar period that I haven't loved. Will and Kim are wonderful characters, and sometimes I think about what other adventures they had after book three ended.

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. There's a road trip, a family dinner, and FEELS. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. Remember how I said I love Soviet queers? Here's another example.

Wranglestone and Timberdark by Darren Charlton

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life? I don't know if I've ever read a YA series that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I know I've never read a zombie book that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I don't think these books have even been published in the US (only in the UK), but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth it. Really beautifully written in a style that evokes the emptiness of the great national parks of the American west.

Honorable mentions:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

[crossyourheartspreparetodie]

I should write a random chapter fic where Cross, Anita, child!Allen and child!Lavi go on a long car trip...

I would enjoy seeing the antics the two brats would pull like-

30 minutes into driving

Allen: *squirming around in his seat* Daaadddd?

Cross: Yes my personal blackhole what plagues you?

Allen: I need to pee.

Cross: 😤 Excuse me!? Did I not tell you all to go before we set off?

Allen: Well I didn't have to go then!

Or

1 hour into the car ride

Lavi: I'm borrreeeddddd

Allen: I'm hungryyyyyyy

Lavi: Daaaaaaddddd

Allen: Daaaaadddd

Cross: Nah go ask mom I'm not fucking with this shit my shift is over.

Allen and Lavi: .....

Allen: Moooommmm

Lavi: Moooommm

[who-canceled-roger-rabbit]

I'm too lazy to write this fic, but I'm picturing Jennifer and Needy in English class as partners on a presentation comparing Carmilla and The Picture of Dorian Gray. They chose the topic of queer gothic literature by Victorian Irish authors, largely as an excuse to curl up together and read gay shit.

[chriscdcase95]

The following is a skit I had in mind for Still Here Breathing, but unlikely to include because song fic rules on AO3.

----

(Ginger Fitzgerald and Jennifer Check hijack a car from Colin Gray's friends after tricking them with a fake séance.)

(Beside them, Colin's ghost shakes his head at his friends in disappointment.)

Ginger: "Posers! Fucking posers!"

Jennifer: "What are you looking at me for ? It wasn't my idea-"

Ginger: "Your friend, Needy-"

Jennifer: "I don't care for the company she keeps."

Ginger: "Yeah, but she's the company you keep."

Jennifer: "What's that got to do with anything ?"

(Ginger eyes Jennifer, and shrugs)

Ginger: "Fuck it, we can run it by Nancy."

Jennifer: (shakes her head) "Nah, I don't want to spook their kid."

Ginger: "You going soft on me, Check ?"

Jennifer: (scoffs) "Me ? Soft ? The hippo calls the rhino fat."

Ginger: "What's that supposed to mean ?"

Jennifer: "You called their gir-" (in a teasing cutesy voice) - Little Lilly Bean!"

Ginger: (indignant) "I did not!"

Jennifer: "You did it while we're tucking her in!"

Ginger: "You were fucking spying on me ?!"

Jennifer: "No! I just going down the hall, when I saw the door open and-!"

(Flustered and frustrated, Jennifer puts a hand on her face, and inhales deeply)

Jennifer: (muffled) Can we- can we just listen to some tunes."

Ginger: (shrugs) "Whatever you say."

(Jennifer opens the glove compartment, picking out this casette tape from a small box. On it there is pair of Jack Skellington like eyes and mouth, and a piece of tape drawn in black marker; "Voices of the Underworld")

Ginger: "Ah, it's just gonna be more of that edgy poser shit!"

Jennifer: "Eh, I had an earworm for Disturbed."

Ginger: (narrowing her eyes at Jennifer) "There's no way you listen to Disturbed."

Jennifer: (grinning coyly) "Like there's no way B listens to Britney ?"

Ginger: (pinching the bridge of her nose) "Oh for crying out-"

(Ginger takes the tap, before putting it in)

Ginger: "It's probably some poser shit any-"

(Big Time Rush, starts playing on the radio)

BTR: "Uh, oh, oh-oh, oooh..."

(Ginger and Jennifer perk up in surprise)

Kendall and James: (on the radio) "Make it count, play it straight/Don't look back, don't hesitate-"

Logan and Carlos: (chiming in) When you go big time!"

(Taken aback, Ginger and Jennifer glance at eachother, unsure of what to make of this)

Kendall and James: (on the radio) "What you want/What you feel/Never quit/and make it real-"

Logan and Carlos: (chiming in): "When you roll big time!"

(Jennifer and Ginger share a laugh)

BTR: (on the radio) "Hey, hey!-"

Carlos: (on the radio) "Listen to your heart now!-"

BTR: (on the radio) "Hey, hey!

James: (on the radio) "Don't you feel the rush ?-"

Ginger: (half laughing and jabs a thumb over her shoulders, at the punks they leave in the dust) "Fucking! Poser! Shit!"

(Jennifer laughs even harder)

----

(We cut a while later. Ginger and Jennifer are further down the highway, another song is playing.)

(Jennifer is looking out the window, lightly drumming her fingers along the window to the beat. Ginger glances at Jennifer, who notices and stops. The two stare ahead in silence )

Hillary Duff: (on the radio) "Then I see you smile as I go/Oh oh oh/Yesterday my life was duller/Now everything's tech-ni-color-"

(As the song plays, Ginger notices Jennifer has this nostalgic but sober look on her face.)

Hillary Duff: (on the radio) "Hey now, hey now!/This is what dreams are made of!/Hey now, hey now/This is what dreams are made of!/I've got somewhere I belong/I got somebody to love-"

(Jennifer notices and fakes a cough to save face)

Jennifer: "Paolo was a fucking cad!"

(Ginger nods in agreement)

----

(Further down the highway. A new song is playing. Jennifer looks half asleep.)

Miley: (on the radio) "But I-I-I/I gotta keep try-y-y-ying/Gotta keep my head held hi-i-i-i-igh…

(Jennifer looks up, and glances at Ginger. To her amusement, Ginger is lip syncing in a subtle mutter.)

Ginger: (lip synching to Miley) "There's always gonna be another mountain/I'm always gonna wanna make it move/Always gonna be an uphill battle/Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose-"

(Ginger notices Jennifer is looking at her, and looks forward with an embarrassed blush.)

Ginger: (to Jennifer) "Shut up."

Miley: (on the radio): "Ain't about how fast I get there/Ain't about what's waiting on the other side-"

----

(Moments later, a new song is playing.)

Demi Lovato: (on the radio) "This is real, this is me/I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now/Gonna let the light/Shine on meeee-"

(Ginger is subconsciously drumming her fingers along the steering wheel to the beat, while Jennifer is lip synching)

Jennifer: (lip synching to Demi) "Now I've found who I am/There's no way to hold it in/No more hiding who I want to beeee/This is meeee!"

(Along with Ginger, Jennifer drums her own fingers along the dashboard the beat)

Jennifer: (her singing voice increasingly raises) "You're the voice I hear inside my head/The reason that I'm singing/I need to find you, I gotta find you-"

Ginger: (lip synching, but her voice also increasingly raises) "You're the missing piece I need/The song inside of me/I need to find-"

Jennifer and Ginger: (singing out loud) "-I gotta find youuuu!"

Ginger: (singing) "This is real!"

Jennifer: (singing) "This is me!"

Ginger and Jennifer: (singing together) "I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now/Gonna let the light shine on meeee!"

(The two lean in for a near kiss)

Jennifer and Ginger: (singing together) "Now I've found who I am/There's no way to hold it in/No more hiding who I want to beeeee!"

Jennifer: (singing) "This is meeee!"

Ginger: (singing) "You're the missing piece I need/The song inside of me!"

Ginger and Jennifer: (singing together) "This is me!"

Jennifer: (singing) "You're the voice I hear inside my head/The reason that I'm singing-"

Jennifer and Ginger: (singing together) "Now I've found who I am!/There's no way to hold it in!/No more hiding who I want to beeee/This is meeeee..."

(The two stare at eachother for a moment with this loving smirk...before their eyes widen at the realization of what they just did.)

(They both defensively look ahead.)

Ginger: "Not a word."

Jennifer: "This didn't happen!"

Ginger and Jennifer: (at pointing at eachother, speaking in the exact same tone) "This leaves the car, you're tongue leaves your mouth!"

(After a pause, the two find themselves staring again, before leaning in, softly kissing on the lips.)

(After another pause, they lean in again, before Jennifer's eyes widen.)

Jennifer: (flinching back) "Fuck me!"

Ginger: (softly as she keeps leaning in) "Don't kill the mode..."

(Jennifer takes Ginger by the chin and directs her gaze out the window.)

(They see they are parked in Sarah and Nancy's driveway. Sarah and Nancy are standing outside their window, giving these knowing smirks)

Ginger: (unusually uneasy) "How long were we here ?"

Nancy: "You woke up Lily."

Sarah: "You also have lovely singing voices."

----

I would have included "Take a Hint", but this story is going to be set in 2010.

[jennifercheck]

ii.

[sucker-for-shifters]

I wanted to do this with just my borrowers at first, but I decided to include my borrower-adjacent characters, Gray and Cen.

Anita [Borrower]

Peanut butter (Great source of protein for her. Also just tastes great.)

Berries (Just in general. She often snatches them to eat later, since they’re pretty messy.)

Arden [Borrower]

Blueberries (They’re his favorite berry, and he knows that Anita saves some for him.)

Cheese (He doesn’t scavenge it often, but he savors every bite when he does.)

Spruce [Borrower]

Gummies (Not only do they find them delicious, they also just idly squish them when they’re thinking.)

Strawberries (The couple whose house they hide in have a strawberry bush alongside a few other crops in their garden, so while he helps keep pests away from their crops, he tends to snatch one or two berries for himself as a snack.)

Gray [Brownie spirit]

Scones (Particularly Arthur's homemade ones; Loves them with fruit preserves, and will eat one whole despite it being as big as him)

Dairy (Really doesn’t matter what kind, but he tends to have a taste for milk and cheese.)

Cen [Fairy]

Strawberries (He used to live right next to a strawberry bush, so he’s developed a taste for them.)

Apples (Usually splits one with Wynn, even if Wynn doesn’t need to eat.)

What foods do your borrowers canonically go apeshit for?

I'll start

- berries

- jams

- chocolate chips

- sourpatch kids

[hotvintagepoll]

THE TOURNAMENT IS OVER! Eartha Kitt lounges in her deck chair in the sun, dipping her toes in the pool with Toshiro Mifune and sipping a brightly colored fruity something with an umbrella in it.

Far below in the shadow realm, however, the fallen hotties dance in the dark—let's take a minute to look back at them under the cut.

PRELIM PRETTIES:

Claude Gensac, Silvia Pinal, Ewa Aulin, Rita Tushingham, Annette Funicello, Norma Bengell, Catherine Spaak, Brigitte Auber, Micheline Presle, Nanette Fabray, Libertad Lamarque, Vera Miles, Martha Raye, Catherine McLeod, Virginia Mayo, Elizabeth Allan, Belle Bennet, Virginia Cherill, Mary Brian, Ruth Chatterton, Agnes Ayres, Merna Kennedy, Marie Prevost, Corinne Griffith, May Allison, Virginia Brown Faire, Alice Brady, and Jetta Goudal

ROUND ONE WONDERS:

Angie Dickinson, Thelma Ritter, Geraldine Chaplin, Evelyn Preer, Vanessa Brown, Betty Blythe, Susan Hayward, Mae Clarke, Sally Ann Howes, Ossi Oswalda, Adrienne La Russa, Hermione Gingold, Barbara Bouchet, Melina Mercouri, Anna Karina, Edwige Fenech, Charmian Carr, Pina Pellicer, Marlène Jobert, Tsuru Aoki, Alice Roberts, Leila Hyams, Lady Tsen Mei, Geneviève Bujold, Dolores Hart, Anita Berber, Bonita Granville, Vonetta McGee, Claire Windsor, Zizi Jeanmaire, Tuesday Weld, Grace Darmond, Carol Channing, Deanna Durbin, Laraine Day, Mariette Hartey, Wendy Hiller, Candy Darling, Hermione Baddely, Valeria Creti, Ella Raines, Ann Miller, Dana Wynter, Dalida, Martine Beswick, Gale Storm, Simone Signoret, Cristina Gaioni, Mabel Normand, Stéphane Audran, Ruth Weyher, Anna Wiazemsky, Ann Sheridan, Sandhya Shantaram, Alice White, Anne Francis, Gena Rowlands, Lyda Borelli, May Whitty, Cathleen Nesbitt, Jessica Walter, Virna Lisi, Barbara Shelley, Iris Hall, Heather Angel, Anne Shirley, Joanna Pettet, Virginia O'Brien, Joan Collins, Greer Garson, Gracie Allen, Peggy Ryan, Frances Dee, Shirley Maclaine, Geraldine Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Margaret Hamilton, Eva Gabor, Francesca Bertini, Julie Adams, Olga Baclanova, Misa Uehara, Yvette Vickers, Milena Dravić, Jenny Jugo, Madeleine Carroll, Benita Hume, Olive Borden, Shirley Jones, Miyoshi Umeki, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard, Mary Anderson, Charlotte Greenwood, Sybil Seely, Mona Barrie, Kathryn Grayson, Katharine Ross, Madge Bellamy, Rhonda Fleming, Sally Gray, Jana Brejchová, Debra Paget, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Evelyn Brent, Zelma O'Neal, Marie Laforêt, Türkan Şoray, Beatriz Costa, Irene Zazians, Eleanor Powell, Susan Luckey, Patsy Kelly, Lil Dagover, Norma Talmadge, Dorothy Mackaill, Madge Evans, Virginia McKenna, Amália Rodrigues, Mamie Van Doren, Valerie Hobson, Isabel Jeans, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Claire Luce, Aleksandra Khokhlova, Nieves Navarro Garcia, Janet Leigh, Carmen Miranda, Jean Harlow, Aud Egedge-Nissen, Nina Foch, Jean Simmons, Piper Laurie, Katy Jurado, Jayne Mansfield, Anita Garvin, Frances Farmer, Lizabeth Scott, Joan Greenwood, Una Merkel, Arlene Francis, Ethel Merman, Doris Day, Suzanne Pleshette, Ruta Lee, Carolyn Jones, June Richmond, Eva Nil, Diana Dors, Anna Chang, Colleen Moore, Alexis Smith, Yvette Mimieux, Ruby Keeler, Viola Dana, Dolores Grey, Marie Windsor, Danielle Darieux, Jean Parker, Julie Christie, Acquanetta, Leatrice Joy, Ghita Nørby, Julie Newmar, Joanne Woodward, Sandra Dee, Eva Marie Saint, Simone Simon, Katherine Dunham, Birgitte Price, Lee Grant, Anita Page, Flora Robson, Martha Sleeper, Elsie Ames, Isabel "Coca" Sarli, Glenda Farrell, Kathleen Burke, Linden Travers, Diane Baker, Joan Davis, Joan Leslie, Sylvia Sidney, Marie Dressler, June Lockhart, Emmanuelle Riva, Libertad Leblanc, Susannah Foster, Susan Fleming, Dolores Costello, Ann Smyrner, Luise Rainer, Anna Massey, Evelyn Ankers, Ruth Gordon, Eva Dahlbeck, Ansa Ikonen, Diana Wynyard, Patricia Neal, Etta Lee, Gloria Stuart, Arletty, Dorothy McGuire, Mitzi Gaynor, Gwen Verdon, Maria Schell, Lili Damita, Ethel Moses, Gloria Holden, Kay Thompson, Jeanne Crain, Edna May Oliver, Lili Liliana, Ruth Chatterton, Giulietta Masina, Claire Bloom, Dinah Sheridan, Carroll Baker, Brenda de Banzie, Milú, Hertha Thiele, Hanka Ordonówna, Lillian Roth, Jane Powell, Carol Ohmart, Betty Garrett, Kalina Jędrusik, Edana Romney, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Kay Kendall, Ruth Hussey, Véra Clouzot, Jadwiga Smosarska, Marge Champion, Mary Astor, Ann Harding, María Casares, Maureen O'Sullivan, Mildred Natwick, Michèle Morgan, Romy Schneider, Elisabeth Bergner, Celeste Holm, Betty Hutton, Susan Peters, Mehtab, Leslie Caron, Anna Sten, Janet Munro, Nataša Gollová, Eve Arden, Ida Lupino, Regina Linnanheimo, Sonja Henie, and Terry (what a good girl)

ROUND TWO BEAUTIES:

Evelyn Nesbit, Thelma Todd, Tura Satana, Helen Gibson, Maureen O'Hara, Rocío Dúrcal, Mary Nolan, Lois Maxwell, Maggie Smith, Zulma Faiad, Ursula Andress, Musidora, Delphine Seyrig, Marian Marsh, Leatrice Joy, Sharon Tate, Pina Menichelli, Teresa Wright, Shelley Winters, Lee Remick, Jane Wyman, Martita Hunt, Barbara Bates, Susan Strasberg, Marie Bryant, Diana Rigg, Jane Birkin, Rosalind Russell, Vanessa Redgrave, Brigitte Helm, Gloria Grahame, Rosemary Clooney, Bebe Daniels, Constance Bennett, Lilian Bond, Ann Dvorak, Jeanette Macdonald, Pouri Banayi, Raquel Welch, Vilma Bánky, Dorothy Malone, Olive Thomas, Celia Johnson, Moira Shearer, Priscilla Lane, Dolores del Río, Ann Sothern, Françoise Rosay, June Allyson, Carole Lombard, Jeni Le Gon, Takako Irie, Barbara Steele, Claudette Colbert, Lalita Pawar, Asta Nielsen, Sandra Milo, Maria Montez, Mae West, Alma Rose Aguirre, Bibi Andersson, Joan Blondell, Anne Bancroft, Elsa Lanchester, Nita Naldi, Suchitra Sen, Dorothy Van Engle, Elisabeth Welch, Esther Williams, Loretta Young, Margueritte De La Motte, Ita Rina, Constance Talmadge, Margaret Lockwood, Barbara Bedford, Josette Day, Stefania Sandrelli, Jane Russell, Doris Dowling, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Donna Reed, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands, Billie Burke, Kyōko Kagawa, Françoise Dorléac, Hend Rostom, Monica Vitti, Lilian Harvey, Marjorie Main, Jeanne Moreau, Lola Flores, Ann Blyth, Janet Gaynor, Jennifer Jones, Margaret Sullavan, Sadhana, Ruby Myers, Lotus Long, Honor Blackman, Marsha Hunt, Debbie Reynolds, Michèle Mercier, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Judy Holliday, Tippi Hedren, Susse Wold, Vera-Ellen, Carmelita González, Nargis Dutt, Purnima, Harriet Andersson, Yvonne De Carlo, Miroslava Stern, Sheila Guyse, Helen, Margaret Dumont, Betty Grable, Joan Bennett, Jane Greer, Judith Anderson, Liv Ullman, Vera Zorina, Joan Fontaine, Silvana Mangano, and Lee Ya-Ching

ROUND THREE ELECTRIFIERS:

Jean Hagen, Sumiko Mizukubo, Mary Philbin, Ann-Margret, Margaret Rutherford, Claudia Cardinale, Eleanor Parker, Jessie Matthews, Theresa Harris, Brigitte Bardot, Alla Nazimova, Faye Dunaway, Marion Davies, Anna Magnani, Theda Bara, Myrna Loy, Kay Francis, Fay Wray, Barbra Streisand, Bette Davis, Hideko Takamine, France Nuyen, Claudine Auger, Miriam Hopkins, Maylia Fong, Samia Gamal, Maude Fealy, Machiko Kyō, Sharmila Tagore, Lucille Ball, Ginger Rogers, Juanita Moore, Anna Fougez, Waheeda Rehman, Ruan Lingyu, Nina Mae McKinney, Ethel Waters, Nadira, Olivia de Havilland, Abbey Lincoln, Louise Beavers, Agnes Moorehead, Lana Turner, Norma Shearer, Maria Falconetti, Reiko Sato, Marie Doro, Clara Bow, Margaret Lindsay, Catherine Denueve, Madhabi Mukherjee, Rosaura Revueltas, Hu Die, Mary Pickford, Fredi Washington, Louise Brooks, Leonor Maia, Merle Oberon, Paulette Goddard, Vivien Leigh, Francine Everett, Savitri, Tita Merello, and Meena Kumari

ROUND FOUR STUNNERS:

Judy Garland, Dorothy Dandridge, Yoshiko Yamaguchi, Marilyn Monroe, Irene Papas, Lupe Vélez, Pola Negri, Gene Tierney, Barbara Stanwyck, Gina Lollobrigida, Lena Horne, Nutan, Jean Seberg, Kim Novak, Gladys Cooper, Tallulah Bankhead, Linda Darnell, Julie Andrews, Carmen Sevilla, Gloria Swanson, Glynis Johns, Anne Baxter, Angela Lansbury, Anita Ekberg, Toshia Mori, Deborah Kerr, Hazel Scott, Chelo Alonso, Cyd Charisse, Nancy Kwan, Devika Rani, Shima Iwashita, and Anouk Aimée

ROUND FIVE SMOKESHOWS:

Setsuko Hara, Pearl Bailey, Joan Crawford, Madhubala, Marpessa Dawn, Keiko Awaji, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Xia Meng, Suraiya, Natalie Wood, María Félix, and Mbissine Thérèse Diop

ROUND SIX SEXY LADIES:

Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Vyjyanthimala, Jane Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Josephine Baker, Elizabeth Taylor, and Ingrid Bergman

QUARTER FINALIST GLAMAZONS:

Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Lauren Bacall

SEMIFINALIST ICONS:

Rita Moreno, Diahann Carroll

FINALIST FABULOSITY:

Hedy Lamarr

ULTIMATE CHAMPION OF THE HOT & VINTAGE MOVIE WOMAN TOURNAMENT:

Eartha Kitt

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Can I lick your candy, sensei?

Roger and Anita cameo? :0c

If he doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.

Crewel’s mouth lifted into a smirk, a quiet scoff escaping from the corner of it. He stopped stirring his tea and lifted his stick, pointedly jabbing it in your direction. A glob of something sweet, gray, and half melted glistened at the end of that utensil.

“I don’t know. Can you?” There was a taunting lilt on the one word. “I thought I had drilled better manners into you than that, pup.”

“May I, sensei?” you corrected yourself.

“How obedient of you. Could it be that you’re desperate to receive my praise?”

“Well, you gave Grim a piece of candy for studying the other day, so… I want one too.”

Crewel chuckled as he set his stirring stick on his saucer and next to a spotted tea cup. “Very well. Because you’ve requested it so politely—and, moreover, performed well on our last exam—I will reward you with a treat.”

He reached for a drawer and, pulling it open, produced a lollipop wrapped in cellophane. The sugar had been colored gray and was shaped into the head and neck of a Dalmatian, complete with dark detailing for a nose, collar, its ears, and spotted fur.

You blinked as he deposited the sweet in your hands. “I didn’t realize you kept so many candies on hand.”

“Not many consistently earned,” he replied, his tone slightly sarcastic. “No, I initially stocked up on these thanks to my meddlesome neighbors back in the Queendom.”

“Your neighbors? How do they fit into this?”

“They’re a couple, the overly loving sort. I believe the husband is a songwriter. The wife is an old colleague of mine from my days in the fashion industry.”

Crewel shook his head disapprovingly. “I keep telling them to not gift me things, but it’s in the ear and out the other. The latest item I received was a silicone candy mold. They said the shape of it reminded them of me.”

You held the lollipop up. At this angle, you could better appreciate the details in the design or the dog, and how the sunlight looked when filtered through tinted sugar.

I can definitely see why they thought that. Crewel-sensei loves dogs.

“I hadn’t intended to seriously use it,” Crewel continued with a sigh, “until I realized a ‘candy’-like form is good to take with tea.

“Sugar is loose and grainy, honey is sticky. Both can be deleterious for one’s clothes—but suppose you prepare a sugar syrup and let it to harden with a stick. It results in a lollipop, but it also doubles as a mess-free and reusable method to sweeten one’s tea.”

So that’s what he was doing.

“I guess you owe your neighbors a thank you,” you teased, this time pointing at Crewel with your own sugar-topped stick.

“Perhaps I do.” He reclined in his chair, lips thoughtfully hovering at the rim of his tea cup. “Hmph, now if only they would listen to me for once…”

“No such thing as a dog that can’t learn new tricks,” you joked with a shrug. Off came the cellophane wrapping, and you popped the lollipop in your mouth. “And if anyone can do it, it’s you, Crewel-sensei.”

“Hah. Glad to know that I have your faith, pup.”

He lifted his cup to you—a toast. Then he drank heartily, the tea tasting like triumph.

[multifandomwriter56]

His Little Spy Series Masterlist

Series Summary: Anita Edwards is a spy who works for Tommy Shelby. She is an orphan and longs for a family. Will Tommy ever realize she is his daughter, despite them not being blood? Or will he lose her forever?

Warnings: language, angst, talks about suicide, talks about death, talks about racism, talks about children being physically abused, short scenes of child abuse

Chapter 1: A New Start

Chapter 2: The Painful Truth

Chapter 3: Reminiscing

Chapter 4: The Fight

Chapter 5:

[yeagrave]

Hey Gray 🤗

Lil' request for you! ♥

I'd love to see the Roger & Anita's intertwined meet-cute (from 101 Dalmatians) with Hangster ft Brisket & Bugsy... 👀

Hope you can overcome the block asap!!! 😘

the cutest meet-cute to ever meet-cute

[crossyourheartspreparetodie]

Me: *just sits and stares off into space*

My brain: what if you wrote a chapter of Cross having a poly relationship with Anita and that one buff woman that was her right hand man on the ship (I remember her name but not how to spell it and I don't want to disrespect such a buff and powerful woman as she may crush me between her thighs).

Me: O.O I can't believe I forgot about her

[who-canceled-roger-rabbit]

The only way to make this better would be if they got Chip (or Colin?) to come onstage and holler "OKAY YOU BABES OF JAZZ, LET'S PICK UP THE PACE! Let's make the parties longer, let's make the skirts shorter, let's all go to hell in a fast car and keep it hot!"

For your consideration: Jennifer and Needy at the school talent show performing "Nowadays" from Chicago in character as Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, respectively

[reccyls]

a couple of things about Tanzanite:

Silver hair is only found in the royal family of Tanzanite. Emma notes that Licht's hair mostly seems gray, but it looks silver in the moonlight of Tanzanite

There are currently 254 princes and princesses with royal blood

The royal family is polygamous. It is considered customary to have a lot of wives; the ruler of Tanzanite expresses surprise when Licht only brings Emma with him to Tanzanite, asking whether Emma is his favored partner. When Licht clarifies that he has no other partners, the ruler offers to introduce Licht to other women as well.

It is somewhat common for princes or princesses to run away from the country. As Tanzanite is famous for its dancers and singers, there is a strong possibility that Licht's and Nokto's mother Anita was one such runaway princess