#ask bess

[lady-bess]

Hiii!!! I just wanted to quickly hop into your asks to say that I totally binged your Jack Daniels/Agent Whisky (not anymore ig, lol) series, "Fallout" and holy shit, it's so SO GOOD.

I really liked those first chapters of sort of world building, trying to establish where we were in comparison to canon. I loved the way you wrote Ginger, there are very few moments of her and Whisky interacting in the film, and you took that and expanded it a billion times more. There are hints of a loving relationship between them in the movie, but you made it so evident, and it absolutely broke my heart how worried and involved she was in getting Jack back.

Your Tequila is another character that I love immensely, he's so funny and his southern charm jumps out of the words. I cannot stress enough how good of a job you've done in taking an already existing world and adapting it into this wonderful story that you've made. Every choice, every OC fits perfectly in the crazy world that is that of Kingsman, and it is amazing to witness as a reader. (#1 Eve fan, right here)

Don't even get me started on Jack. Dude. Seriously. I love him. You destroyed him and build him back up again, without losing his essence. It's been so interesting to see him change and evolve throughout the story. Mimosa (or Whisky, now ig) is absolutely incredible too, she's funny and strong and smart, but also stubborn and hot headed, that's what makes her so cool to read, and what makes her fit with our wonderful Jack (tho tbh that also has the potential to blow things up).

Sorry if this got too long or if it makes no sense, there are just a lot of thoughts in my head rn and needed to scream into your ask box!!!!!

Anyway, tl;dr I've loved your fic so so much and I cannot wait to see where it goes next 🫶🏼🫶🏼.

Oh, and PD: I will reblog every chapter with my thoughts soon enough.

I hope you have the most wonderful day!! 💗💗

My dear, sweet, reader...🥰

It's been a couple of weeks since you sent this beautiful ask in, and I won't lie it's taken me a while to put into words just how touched I've been by your words. I won't lie, it made me tear up a little bit the first time I read it! 💖

So first of all, THANK YOU for not only supporting this series, but for taking the time to leave such wonderful feedback ✨ I've seen your reblogs too, and it makes me smile immensely to watch a reader piece things together and ask questions as a plot unfolds!

Secondly, I am SO glad that you are enjoying Fallout! It's been a little brain worm of mine since September 2023 and it took a long time for me to get pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, I guess...), BUT I am so glad I did and that it's a story people resonate with 🥳

I'm so touched that you think I've done justice by this existing world. It is through hours of watching Kingsman that I had hoped I nailed it, haha! But I am so glad that this comes across. I've always said I write for myself, and while this is true it is so heartwarming when someone takes time out their day to say "hey, you. I see what you wrote. Good job!". ❤

And lastly, the OCs! I'm glad you're loving them, but I can't take all the credit for Eve - she has been generously donated by my dear friend @avastrasposts! I fell in love with her Eve, and we joked saying that her and my reader would get along well, especially in a Kingsman universe. So, she's hopped across into this fic for now 🤭💖 Thanks again Mel for letting me nab her!

It's been a while since my last chapter, but I'm hoping to have something out soon - the goal is a couple more chapters before the New Year, so stay tuned for updates!

Thank you again for leaving such wonderful comments, which have had me smiling any time I remembered them 💕

Much love,

Bess xxx

[splinterclan]

Hey Cedarheart do you know where you are?

He's... somewhere

[aliengirl]

meanwhile Vince was spending time with his dad, which also means he got to meet his new little sister

[rom-e-o]

Bess and Wolf going to a business dinner with Bob and Ethel and a couple other associates and their spouses. (I imagine this is sometime after Starry is born and the Sunflares opted out for family time.). The dinner is going well; everyone is talking friendly business and such, even Ethel, impressing the hoity-toity associates with her knowledge and savvy (because Ethel is a business badass). At least, almost everyone is talking; Bess is the most quiet one. She engages when she can, but... she doesn't understand the topics like the others. Her business savvy really only extends to a farmer's market stall, after all--nothing at all on the level this group is speaking of.

She suddenly has a call and excuses herself to take it. Once she's finished there, she heads to the ladies room where she hears the voices of the other women from their party, sans Ethel, speaking. About her. Not in the most kind way:

"Well, they've certainly made it longer than I believed they would; I had my money on them splitting after three months."

"You don't think they'll actually wed, do you? A man like Ben Scrooge with a little floozy like her? For a spell of fun and excitement, yes, but to marry? I thought he had more sense."

"Sense does not factor in for any man when young cunt is so easily and willingly at the ready."

"True, but Ben's never seemed the type to throw all intelligence to the wind indefinitely, even for such things. Neither Twin has: Look at Ebenezer. True, he also married a younger and American woman, but at least she is closer to his age and has proven to be quite an asset to the business. She turned out to be a suitable if still questionable choice. Ms. Sullivan--what could Ben possibly see in her?"

"Mmm, I agree. For all the claims of her being a nurse, she seems quite lacking in the field of mental capacity. She's hardly contributed to the conversation all evening, and any contribution she has made thus far has been positively insipid and uninspired."

"You know she only has a job as a nurse of her aunt. And even then, Euphemia was only able to get her into the worst hospital in the city. If that doesn't speak to the girl's lack of intellect, I don't know what does."

"Clearly, tonight has proven that breeding means nothing, as a farmer's daughter is able to speak with more intelligence and insight of the business world than a woman with a pedigree. No wonder Gerald and Effie never speak of her. Mr. Marley must me rolling in his grave at his daughter's lack."

"I can only imagine how disappointed Ben must be with her. He hides it well, but doubtless he's ashamed."

"Mmm. We can only hope that Shane brings him round on her before it's too late."

When the women leave the restroom, Bess hides in the curtains to keep from being noticed. The rest of the night, she's particularly quiet, though she manages to hide the pain of what she overheard well enough that no one is suspicious. But she can't help but wonder.

The next day, she stops by the Sunflares' at an hour she's sure she'll catch them both and asks them if she can get their opinions on something. She explains to them the evening prior. It's much easier to recount than she thought it would be, as long as she has an adorable baby snuggling into her arms and happily suckling away at a bottle. But her vision is still swimming by the time she finally gets around to it: "Be honest with me: Is Wolf... ashamed of me? Or even just disappointed? On some level? I know I'm not exactly... the ideal catch. Or much of a catch at all, all things considered. I definitely leave a lot to be desired."

Secretly, or not-so-secretly, Adonis and Connie are plotting a way to find out the identities of whoever they were dinner guests with. Bob and Ethel will be good informants~ There will be dirt dug up, that's for sure. In the meantime, they both listen to Bess' story. They could tell when she first rang at their flat that something was amiss. Holding Starry obviously helps, but they can see that she's still troubled.

As Bess retells the story, both listen calmly, but Adonis' brow furrows with every words, and Connie's shoulders have hiked up to her ears by the end.

And they have a nice, long chat.

"I-I beg your kindest pardon, but did you just say you're NOT a catch?" Adonis huffed in disbelief. His eyes were wide as saucers, but his brows still pinched and framing deep lines that formed on his forehead.

Bess nodded quickly, almost embarrassed, and he was on his feet a mere second later. "Elizabeth! Now, I will NOT entertain such nonsense!"

"I must agree," Constance said. She stood in tandem with her husband, but opted to drift over to the sofa and sink into the vacant spot beside Bess, her hands going to the younger woman's shoulders and giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You think Wolf would be ashamed of you? Whatever for? You're easily the most brilliant woman he's ever been with!"

"Gods, I'll toast to that," Adonis said, his voice deepening as memories of his brother's older partners drifted through his mind. "Drink to it, as well. Heartily."

Bess blinked back tears before managing a weak reply of, "I-I'm not good enough for him." Like those ladies said.

Starla let out a light burble as a warm tear from above landed upon her tiny fist.

"Love, I've seen the women who aren't good enough for him," Adonis said, lofting a hand to the sky in exclamation. "Years after years - for literal decades, I watched Charlie fall in and out of love. I watched ladies that swooned one moment then turn on a heel and leave him, insulting him and all but kicking dirt in his face on their way out the door." Connie reached over the arm of the sofa to procure a tissue packet from her nearby purse. While Bess cradled Starla as if she was a cooing teddy bear (to be fair, she filled played the role quite perfectly), Connie dabbed her eyes gently. Bess murmured a soft 'thanks', but did not make eye-contact, fearing another incriminating tear would fall.

"Not only are you beyond good enough - you're EXACTLY the kind of woman Charlie needs," Adonis continued. With his long legs, he walked to the flat's panoramic window and gazed out, his lips drawn into a thin line. Constance recognized the nervous movements. He was getting animated, and if left unchecked, it wouldn't be long before he started to raise his voice. "Anybody who can't see that has their head so far up their own arse, they see their own failings as those of others!"

"Their own failings?" Bess repeated, glancing between the two. "On me?"

"They're projecting their insecurities on you," Connie supplied softly. It was treatment that Constance had endured as well, though to a far lesser degree. London's elite ladies had taken to gossiping about the Scrooge twins and the 'Yankee fleshpots' that had ensnared their hearts. Constance had many years of experience as a socialite in New York's most stuffy and yuppie-stocked inner circles, and the metaphorical battlefield had trained her aptly in the arts of parrying crude remarks and humbling perpetrators appropriately. The last time one had dared to imply her lack of intelligence because of her nationality, Constance had engaged her in amicable discussion of recent scientific discoveries. The chat resulted in the other woman leaving in a humiliated huff with the realization that perhaps she wasn't the second coming of glory that she had thought she was, and that her well-bred British sensibilities had failed in a pathetically one-sided match with some orphan from Manhattan.

It was hard, but whatever Constance had experienced was nothing compared to the scrutiny that fell upon Bess. The trust-fund ladies and other members of gentry took joy in looking down their noses at good people like her, all while using them as a merry distraction from the troubling facts that they did not possess any practical skills of any sensible merit. Bess had knowledge of medicine and practical business dealings - whereas the ladies that mocked her couldn't get into their Swiss boarding schools without their fathers pulling strings.

"But ..."

"I venture to say that those showboating harpies have very much in common with the other ladies who tried to woo my brother," Adonis mutters, his voice more terse than it had been before. Then, when his eyes flashed to Bess, they softened again. "All bluster, and no substance. They're jealous."

"Jealous? T-That can't be right."

"I'm quite serious. Whether they'll admit it or not, you are exactly the type of lady they want to be. They want their money, but your life experience. Your stories. Your intrigue."

Constance nodded, giving her soul-sister's shoulders a firm caress.

"When a man’s brother vouches for you like that, dear, that’s a powerful endorsement. He’s seen the women that have come and gone from Charlie’s life … the ones who never connected with him. Not like you. You and him have been magnetized to each other from the day you first reconnected and locked eyes. You are a woman who possesses a key understanding for the important things in life. You are kind, charitable, gentle-hearted and wonderful with children. Plus, you're a dark-haired beauty that is often described in romance novels - long, black hair and rosy cheeks. Blue eyes. A beautiful voice that draws crowds from all across London and beyond."

Bess shook her head softly. "I just ... I feel I leave so much left to be desired. Wouldn't a man like him prefer someone more ... I don't know. And that's the problem. I don't know. I can't even find the words, whereas I'm sure those ladies in the powder room would have n-ooo trouble."

Starla stared up at Bess' tear-streaked face with wide, opaque blue eyes. She reached up and toward her visage, as if if trying to wipe away the tears that were just barely out of reach.

Adonis sighed softly. "My dear, you have been wronged by too many when it comes to understanding your worth and beauty. You respect my brother's heart and soul. You've nurtured him and have helped him heal. Before you came along, he was a mere shell of the lively, albeit maddeningly sarcastic--"

Bess chortled at that.

"--Happy man he is when he's by your side. You don't shun his emotions - you encourage him to feel them. You respond to his romantic gestures and thank him graciously. You ...and correct me if I'm wrong, but you love him HIM for WHO he is, not for what he can give you."

After a moment, Bess nodded softly. "I do."

As the words left her lips, her lips formed a soft, crescent smile. "I do love him. Very, very much."

Adonis smiled. "I know."

Unlike the others, he could see she was truthful. His brother's heart was safe with her, and her heart was safe with him in return.

Constance laid her head on her soul-sister's shoulder. "What a wonderful thing, isn't it? To possess such an enduring affection for another, and to have that affection returned?"

Bess sighed, as if a weight had been lifted. "It ... is quite wonderful, yes."

A little cry came from her lap, and she looked down to see Starla fussing with the tip of an empty bottle.

"Oh, sorry, little one," Bess said, one hand lofting to wipe away a swatch of beaded mascara. "A-All done."

Such was also true for her tears, which had mostly dried by that point.

By the time Wolf rang the doorbell an hour later to pick her up, any suspicious puffiness had long-since vanished.

After paying a quick tribute to Starla, he returned faithfully to Bess' side and looped a casual arm around her waist. He wasn't lewd about his contact, but did pull her close to him, a twinkle in his eye while he did so. "Well, while last night's dinner was perfectly decent, I think I'm ready for us to enjoy a slightly more private evening," Wolf husked softly. "How about it? I made reservations for just the two of us tonight. Dinner and dancing at that new jazz club, Leuna."

"R-Really? T-That place is exclusive. I didn't know they were taking reservations."

"I have my ways," he quipped confidently. Then, by the next breath, the timbre of his voice quieted to a tone more befitting of speaking a private vow. "I hope you'll join me."

Sincere excitement shimmered in his eyes as he issued the inquiry. Behind his masculine bravado was an air of boyish sheepishness. Despite his age and status, at the end of the day, he was a smitten man of flesh and blood laying his heart bare for his woman.

Bess, in all her eternal gentleness, handled it with care and love.

"Nothing would make me happier."

[quill-pen]

What pictures of Bess on Wolf’s phone are his favorite? I imagine he has many, haha. Also, is a picture of her his phone wallpaper?

Ooh, this is such a good question.🤔 There are so many pictures of her/them on his phone, how is he supposed to pick?

I think he does have a particular fondness for the more candid shots. They display her natural beauty and loveliness so wonderfully. Not that other pics where she is posing and smiling for the camera don't, but she's being intentional in them and trying to look as nice as possible.

His lock screen is probably the picture Harry snapped of them at a party and posted to his Instagram. They were just friends at the time when it was taken (the caption on insta was/is "Do you think they know they're in love yet?") and are seated side-by-side, gazing into each other's eyes and grinning as they discuss... Wolf doesn't remember. It's a bad habit he has, forgetting things entirely because he was too busy getting hopelessly lost in those entrancing eyes of hers at the time.

He also really enjoys the silly pictures of her, whether she's making funny faces or doing those optical illusion pics. At the moment, his wallpaper is from their latest trip to Italy. Bess appears to be blowing the leaning tower of Pisa over. It's hokey and cliché, but that's never stopped Bess from doing something. And Wolf adores it.💕

[dcdreamblog]

So, hey, I apologize for poking at the definitions of your field, but.

Like, you mentioned that while Crimson Avenger is "officially" the first superhero, some in your field argue that legendary gunfighters such as Jonah hex also qualify.

But, like...why stop there? What about people like Jon Valor or Tomahawk?

What about the Knights of the Round Table? I mean, Shining Knight has been confirmed to be a member of that group, hasn't he?

Oh boy, well have you got a week and the ability to film a bunch of scholars getting into fist fights?

The definition of "superhero" is porous at best, and its a rather new term. We only call them "superheroes" in regular conversation BECAUSE of the appearance of Superman acting as the representative for the movement.

Famously, back in the "Golden Age' of WWII they were most often known as "Mystery Men".

Before then, America famously had a rash of "cowboy" heroes who are usually referred to academically as "Gunslingers" or "Lawmen"

(A mural of many famous western heroes painted on the wall of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City)

Many of them, even those who weren't masked would fit the modern definitions of superheroes because they fought injustice using specific names and motifs. Bat Lash, El Diablo, Pow Wow Smith, etc.

I already did a little write up on the Black Pirate but you mentioned Tom Hawk, AKA Tomahawk, a famous frontiersman who served both during and after the Revolutionary War alongside who is probably the first MASKED hero in American history. Bess Lynn AKA Miss Liberty

(A mural of Miss Liberty, the original is hung up at the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia but others versions are commonly copied. We have one here at the Perisphere)

The Knights of the Round would certainly have been considered the superheroes of their day! And in the case of Sir Justin, ours! Really to dig into the question that you're driving at, the reason the Lee Travis is considered the "shot heard round the world" for the superheroes that exist now is because the chain of legacy he started is still unbroken. He took to the streets in 1938 because he saw people suffering and decided he wouldn't stand by for it.

He was joined by the Sandman, unveiling themselves to the world. Both men joined wartime superhero groups, the Justice Society eventually serving as moral and inspiration foundation for our modern Justice League. Said League still uses the original cloak, hat and mask of the Crimson Avenger to swear in its new members.

The wave that Lee Travis started has not ended. There is no end of the old west, there is no fall of camelot. He broke the ribbon on the new world and we are still living in it.

[abyssleaves]

POV: Austin is too busy mocking their infodumping session to notice all the tripping hazards on Jacob's walkway.

(Shame bonus for my own amusement and nobody else's: )

[beastingblack]

i need to know what audrey would be doing on the train if everything had gone as planned and bess had left for new eden to warn them.

[missaudreystiara]

Would you rather meet Bess Till at a boxing match or at the grocery store?

I’ve just finished a Bridgerton re-watch, so I’m envisaging meeting a regency era, underdog Till unexpectedly winning a fight against the favourite. She’s dressed as a man in order to allow her to enter the match in the first place, and I run into her while she’s de dragging in private, I’ve walked into the wrong room. We now share a secret and a bond.

Much more exciting than running into her in Tesco, don’t you think?

[punkshort]

Alright, I've seen the challenge, and I'm intrigued! I would love to participate 🥰

Yay! Thank you so much!

Had I known you were the Mrs. Daniels I would have saved one of his for you! Next up is Blind Date Javier Peña (but if you prefer to write it for Jack I won't stop you 😉)

[sesamestreep]

okay sorry one last one: 50, dealer's choice

50. rudely barging in on a white veil occasion (from this list) you say dealer’s choice, I say DREW CREW! 🔎✨ set several years in the future so all these characters can legally drink and technically not be child brides, basically 🥂💍

After breaking several traffic laws to get there in record time, Nick and Ace barge in to the fitting area of Delia’s Bridal Shop in Augusta to find burn marks on the plush beige carpet as well as the remnants of several broken champagne glasses scattered on the floor. Nancy is standing center stage, as it were, grasping George by the arms but they both turn in surprise when the boys enter.

“Nancy, don’t!” Nick calls, first to act as always.

“Whatever you’re feeling right now,” Ace tries to say while still catching his breath after the sprint from the parking lot, “it’s not you. It’s the—!”

“Earrings,” Nancy replies flatly. “The ones Ryan gave me to wear, from the Hudson estate.”

“Yeah,” Nick says, cautiously, throwing a baffled look in Ace’s direction. “It turns out they belonged to one of the Women in White, and she—”

“Went crazy at her own wedding and killed a bunch of the guests,” George finishes for him, with a grim smile. “So, now they’re infused with her rage.”

“Yeah,” Ace responds, feeling his heart rate hesitantly returning to normal, “and it looks like Temperance held onto them and they got passed down through the Hudsons because…”

“She’s a nightmare person from Hell,” Bess says, nodding from an overstuffed chaise nearby, somehow managing to look both exhausted and blasé at the same time.

“Wait,” Nick says, gesturing at Nancy and George, “if you’re not in the midst of some bridal meltdown, how did you know about the earrings? And what’s with this mess?”

George gives Nancy an arch look. “Someone decided it might be nice to let the salesgirl try on her spooky family heirloom jewelry because she’s just sooo friendly and accommodating.”

At Nick and Ace’s mutual confused looks, Bess gestures to the corner, where a disheveled salesgirl is tied up in dressing room curtains and snoring gently as she presumably sleeps off the side effects of the curse, then holds up what Ace recognizes as her kit of spell components that she keeps in her purse.

“Magical first aid kit,” she announces proudly before taking a swig out of the last intact champagne flute, “never leave home without it!”

“How was I supposed to know the earrings were cursed?” Nancy asks, helplessly.

“Well, they are from the Hudsons,” Nick offers, getting a universal murmur of agreement from everyone else.

“Yeah, no more gifts or relics from that side of the family, please,” Ace says, moving to put his arm around her shoulders soothingly.

“Nothing older than twenty years, I promise,” she replies, leaning into his side. “Though, Bess did break the curse on the earrings, so…”

“Nancy!” Bess yells.

“Absolutely not,” Nick puts in.

“Not happening,” Ace objects.

“Ryan is rich. He can buy you new earrings,” George says, shaking her head and going to stand with Nick.

“Fine,” Nancy grumbles. “I guess we don’t need the risk of any extra bad luck for our wedding anyway.”

“Extra bad luck?” Ace asks. “Without the earrings, what do we have to worry about?”

Nancy bites her lip and looks uncomfortably at George and Bess. “Well, I know it’s old-fashioned, but it is considered bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the ceremony and…you’re, well…”

When she gestures down at her body, Ace notices her dress for the first time. It’s…big, with a lot of layers of tulle and…a lot more rhinestones around the neckline than he could have anticipated. The minute he spots the enormous bows down the back, he catches up and slaps a hand over his eyes.

“Oh, no! I’m sorry, I didn’t even think! I was so worried about the cursed earrings that I…”

“Goddammit,” George says.

Ace looks over at her, in case something else has suddenly gone wrong, only to find Nick trying desperately not to laugh while she glares at Nancy.

“Pay up, baby!” Nancy says, with a triumphant grin.

“What,” Ace says, not even bothering to make it a question.

“George bet me 20 bucks that I wouldn’t put this dress on and be able to convince you I was going to buy it,” Nancy says, patting his chest with her palm. “I was just going to text you a photo but you made it a lot easier by showing up. You should’ve seen your face.”

“That’s so mean,” Ace says, even as relief floods through him.

“As if I’d ever choose this dress of all things.”

“I’m still coming down from a panicked adrenaline high and I feel that I should be graded on a curve as a result.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to give Nancy twenty dollars?” George asks, as she fishes a bill out of her bra.

“Hell no,” Nancy replies, snatching it out of her hands. “Weddings are expensive.”

Ace nods at the damage around them. “Yeah, and I have a feeling these guys aren’t going to give us a discount.”

“Maybe there’s a matching wedding dress in the Hudson House of Horrors you could borrow,” Nick suggests.

“Don’t even joke about that,” Nancy says, darkly, curling even further into Ace’s side.

[lady-bess]

Hi Mrs Daniels!

I'm back with my Ask games again!

This time we have a spring based prompts theme. You get a spring prompt and a character and I'd like to know your head canon/immediate thoughts on the combination.

Character: Jack Daniels (of course)

Prompt: petals

With love,

El

Petals

Jack Daniels x F!OC General/Teen+ Content W/C: 913 Notable tags: Spring, Spring Prompt, Retired Jack, Domestic Jack, Fluff.

A/N: Finally getting round to this ask! Thank you my dear El for sending this in - I now sufficiently have an image of retired Jack swirling round my head 🫠🫠 (Is anyone surprised?)

Enjoy!

LadyBess xox

A03 Link | Tumblr Masterlist

Life was slower for Jack now, but he couldn’t be more thankful for it. For too long he’d lived his life swept away in the hustle and bustle of working for Statesman. But now, he took every day one hour at a time, and he enjoyed every moment.

Retirement was treating him well. After nearly thirty years serving with Statesman, he’d done his time, and decided to hang up his lasso for good. No more did he want to be running around, putting his life at risk, chasing down some of the world’s most nefarious criminals - not after he met her, either.

She’d come into his life at a time he’d least expected it, but now five years on he couldn’t imagine his life being any different. It was almost hard to imagine that there had been a time without her. They’d met by sheer chance one afternoon in May when his flight to the New York office got delayed, and they’d just been at the right place at the right time. With a few hours to kill, they started chatting just to pass the time, but when it came to boarding the plane Jack knew he wanted to make her all his.

Six months later, he did.

They’d lived together ever since, out in the depths of the Kentucky countryside. Jack had always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and have a home like what he had now - simple, functional, and picturesque. Situated on a few acres of land, it wasn’t like the old ranch he’d grown up on, but it was close enough. He had a few horses, and a few hens; that more than sufficed.

He had a simple life now, and took enjoyment in the small pleasures. Today was no exception. The sky had been clear this morning when he rose, a crispness to the air and a fine dew on the grass. Spring was well and truly here, and the garden they both meticulously maintained reflected this. Flowers of every colour started to bloom, a small rainbow in the beds littering the land.

Jack smiled to himself, fully content, as he relaxed back into the wooden swing bench which he’d installed under an oak tree just behind the main house. It had become his favourite place to be, especially on early mornings like these. A gentle breeze swayed past him, carrying a few loose petals across the green grass, and he watched as they danced away into the distance.

And that’s when he saw her.

Jack always woke up early - it was a habit he’d got into from his time with Statesman. He always slept light, his body finding it difficult even in retirement to not have to worry about being constantly alert. As such, once he woke up in the mornings, he found it hard to drift back off to sleep. Usually he’d just get up, and be by himself for a couple of hours. But just occasionally, she’d be up too.

Today was one of those mornings.

He smiled at her from across the garden, watching her come towards him with two mugs of tea in her hands. She was still dressed in last night’s pyjamas, a navy blue knee-length nightdress, with slippers to match, but she’d also thrown on one of Jack’s flannel shirts over the top. The gentle wind whipped at the hem of her nightdress, and she giggled as the silk dappled across her thighs. Jack grinned at her as she got closer, refraining himself from making an inappropriate joke.

“Morning, sugar,” he drawled, his voice still thick with sleep. She smiled down at him, handing him one of the piping hot mugs, then settled down next to him on the seat.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she said. Sunshine had been her nickname for Jack, the irony coming from the fact he was usually the complete opposite to a ray of sunlight. At least, he was. Retirement had changed that. But still, the nickname had stuck.

Jack took the mug from her, chuckling to himself, but then thanking her. He took a sip, sighing in contentment as the drink warmed him from the inside. It might be spring time now, but this early in the morning it was still a little on the colder side.

“What’s got you up so early, my love?” he asked. He set the drink down on his knee, stabilising it with one hand on the handle, and then he slipped his other arm across her shoulders. She smiled, leaning into his hold.

“Needed the bathroom, but noticed you’d already got up. Saw you out here and thought I’d keep you company for a little while,” she said. Jack smiled, turning his head to plant a kiss in her hair.

“You’re too sweet, you know that right?” he said, and she giggled.

“So is that why you call me sugar?” she asked, making Jack laugh.

“Maybe. Got a problem with that?” he teased. She turned her head to look at him, smiling warmly as the breeze began to mess up her hair, half in a messy bun from overnight.

“Never, Jack. I love you,” she said, leaning up to kiss Jack softly. He smiled against her lips, applying pressure to hers in return, drinking in the sensation. His body went warm throughout, the contentment and happiness of being with her as clear to him as the sky above. And in that moment, he realised.

He had never been happier.

Tumblr Masterlist | A03 Profile

[splinterclan]

could we getta grey ref? their my favorite mischievous kitty

Yeah here they are!!

Plus bonus Bess bc I wanna make sure it is known she is also Orange

[natequarter]

it's a bit hard to identify name trends as such in the past, but the first half of the 1500s definitely had a thomas surge, right? there were so many fucking thomases

[rom-e-o]

Okay, I gotta know. How much does Connie hear from the boys talk at the office concerning Bess and Wolf's feelings for her and how hard is it for her to not just blab because it's all evidence that Bess just needs to go for it? Girl has got to be fit to explode from the needless tension between these two dunderheads.😅

Oh, I imagine it’s DAILY. 😂

Every day, she hears Wolf and Adonis pecking away at each other, back-and-forth, about Wolf and his feelings.

Of course, Connie has insider knowledge on how Bess feels, and knows Bess has been hesitant to show her true feelings to Wolf because she doesn’t want to ruin his reputation, doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, etc.

Now, Connie goes to the office and hears Wolf talk about the SAME EXACT hang-ups (with slight modifications.

“I’m too old for her, Sammy! If I shackled her to me, I’d drag her down. She deserves a man closer to her age. Someone she can actually grow old with in tandem.”

“You remember how I once was. A miserly, dishonorable man. What if I slip back into those ways? Bess doesn’t deserve a love like that.”

“She wants a family, Sam. It would be irresponsible for me to become a father, and you know it.”

“What could I give her? A life of being hounded by paparazzi and appearing in tabloids? How alluring. She doesn’t want that life. I know she doesn’t.”

Of course, Adonis refutes each claim. He’s seen Bess tolerate the company of these other horrible boys - she wants a mature man.

Dragging her down? In what way? He wants to give her the world. “You’re making an excuse.”

Becoming a father is scary. So is becoming a mother. It a burble that’s meant to be jumped as a couple. Plus, that would be a future discussion.

And it takes ALL of Connie’s energy to not just burst into that meeting room and blab. She wants to, some days, just fling open the doors, grab Wolf by the scruff, and haul him back to the cottage. 😂

She would never do something under-handed, like recording their convos to play for Bess. No, she deserves a confession from this man. They deserve to come naturally into their feelings and realize their shared interest. After all, that’s the way of classic wooing and courtship.

That being said, watching these two hold themselves back from happiness for the SAME reasons is maddening.

She tells this to Bess, that he is SO interested (not going tomorrow detail, again, she doesn’t want to rob the glory of a full confession) but she does reassure Bess often.

“He talked about you again, today. Came in skipping and whistling after your lunch. Bess, he is SO enamored with you. He might think he’s not good enough for you. One of you needs to break that ice! Honey, you should go for it!”

She wouldn’t be so insistent if she didn’t know it was going to go over splendidly well.

And every time Bess and Wolf are at the office? Oh, she watches them with BATED breath. “This is it,” she thinks, “One of them has to crack!”

And they never do, and she if left rubbing her face and sighing.

[quill-pen]

I’m watching some 1950s beauty/cleaning routine vids, and an idea came to me:

Imagine the wifeys thrifting, and they find some true, vintage, 1950s rayon dresses? Fit and flare, adorable patterns and everything!

Instead of immediately showing the hubbies, they buy them, go to their respective homes, and slip them on while prepping a simple dinner? Then, when hubbies return, they get the delightful surprise? 🥰 I imagine Bess finding a perfect, 1950s hair scarf to match.

Not that the men only see their wife as a housewife (FAR from it, they’re their own women and both hubbies would be worries sick if all they did was cook and clean all day) but something about the whole image, especially as older gents, I imagine is … very nice. 😏

A) I love this.

B) This is just so on brand for these two! Bess already loves these kinds of dresses, first of all, so she'd probably actually make these dresses a staple in her wardrobe. And Connie would look GORGEOUS. Have her do some luxurious waves and curls in her hair too? She'd be a knockout!

I can just see their hubbies' expressions. The looks of delighted surprise at first followed by playful appraisal and then heated mischief. As if these ladies already didn't have an entire armory of things to use on their men to get them going. lol

Some choice picks to consider for each lady:

Bess:

Connie: