#cash mackenzie

[marrrow]

Talking about vampires somewhere, so I drew my OC who IS an actual vampire. Technically a tragic vamp, but he's being a good sport about it

Meant to draw more character demonstration sketches, but I got tired. Imagine one of them is him using vampire strength to make an unruly guest simmer down

[ereardon]

Homecoming [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter 3

Summary: Returning home to California after six years abroad in England, you found everything has changed. Jake Seresin, your father's former college roommate and lifelong best friend, is now a widower and has purchased a new vineyard in Montecito, only a few miles from your childhood home. Your parents’ marriage is on the rocks, your brother is struggling with what to do with his life, and you’ve grown up and are starting your own counseling practice. So what happens when you find yourself falling for the man your father calls his best friend? And worse, what happens when your parents find out he’s falling for you, too? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader

Warnings: Age gap, eventual smut, cursing, alcohol

Word count: 2K

Chapter overview: Y/N settles into her job at Jake's vineyard, and has a revelation about their relationship

Author's note: This fic references a significant age gap, as reader is the child of Jake's best friend. However, she's in her mid-twenties, and he's been only a small part of her life to this point as he spent the majority of his time traveling with his late wife. This fic does not depict grooming, but if you are concerned with any of the themes please read at your own risk.

Masterlist here

On your second week on the job, a drunken bachelorette smashed fifteen bottles of wine by toppling over a display case. Just as you were about to curse them out, Jake swooped in, one hand on your arm, a reassurance blanket. 

“On the house,” he said with a grin and the girls swooned at him, forking over a 400% tip to try and cover the cost of the bottles. Jake let you keep it all. 

“For the practice,” he said, holding a hand up, stopping you from pressing the cash into his palm. 

“Jake, I can’t.” 

“Take it,” he replied, insistent. “Please.” 

By the time your one-month anniversary at the vineyard rolled around, Jake was letting you help plan weddings and events. The vineyard had a handful of different event packages, and you were up to your ears in paperwork. 

“Knock knock.” Jake hovered in the doorway of your office. He had cleared out a spare room next to his office and made it yours. It fit a small desk and chair, and you relished the ability to go into your office and shut the door and close out the world. 

“Hey. What’s up?” 

“You’re working late.” 

“Oh you know, my boss, he’s a real hard ass.” 

Jake grinned, lowering his arms and folding them across his broad chest. “Yeah, heard of him, they say he’s a huge asshole.” 

“And super ugly,” you replied. 

Jake chuckled. “Just wanted to check in on the Mackenzie wedding. How’s that going?” 

You sighed. “Remind me never to get married.”

He frowned. “Why is that?” 

“Marriage seems OK, but weddings are the worst. It brings out everyone’s bad side.” You tilted your head. “What was your wedding like?” 

“We didn’t have one.” 

“What?” 

He shrugged. “We were young, we wanted to save our money and travel. So we went to the San Francisco courthouse and eloped.” 

“Do you regret it?” 

“Not for a second.” He smiled. “You’re right, Sparky. Weddings aren’t for the bride and groom. They’re for family and friends. Sometimes it’s nice to keep it just about you.” 

There was something in Jake’s gaze that you couldn’t read. Was he thinking about Jenny? 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N,” Jake said softly. “Don’t stay too late, OK? If it’s too late to drive home, call me and I’ll pick you up.” 

“I live fifteen minutes away,” you reminded him. 

“Just call me, alright.” 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, boss.” 

He chuckled and shook his head. You found yourself watching him walk away. 

***

“Let’s make quesadillas.” 

You peeled your eyes open. Colin was standing in the corner of your room wearing a pair of swim trunks and no shirt. You sat up, rubbing your eyes. “You’re shitting me, right?” 

“Come on.” He smirked. “Night swim and Mexican food. It’s tradition.” 

“We’re not seventeen anymore, Colin,” you groaned. “I have work in the morning.” 

“Jake will understand.” 

“Doesn’t matter,” you replied. “I’m responsible now.” 

He ripped the blanket off the bed and you shot up to seated, furious. 

“Seriously?” 

Colin grinned. “Come on. Live a little, sis.” 

Ten minutes later, the two of you were eating quesadillas in the hot tub. You tipped your head back against the tile rim. “What are we doing out here?” 

“Eating quesadillas.” 

You rolled your eyes. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. We’ve barely talked since I got home. It’s been six weeks.” 

“I’m busy. You’re busy.” 

“I have a job. You work at the crab shack.” Colin, after nearly failing out of college twice, had taken an almost permanent job on the boardwalk. This time he was a fry cook at a seafood joint frequented by tourists. 

“Don’t be such a snob, it doesn’t suit you.” 

“Just like being an idiot doesn’t suit you.” 

He shoved the rest of his quesadilla in his mouth and reached for yours. You were too slow – he grabbed it and forced it into his stuffed face. “Thanks.” It came out garbled and you watched a fleck of dried cheese land in the swirling water. 

“Disgusting,” you said with a laugh. “I’m serious though. What are you doing? You can’t live with mom and dad forever.” 

“You live with mom and dad.” 

“For now.” 

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Same.” 

You sighed. “Fine. New subject.” 

“So when do I get to see my little sis at her big grown up job?” 

“The vineyard?” He nodded. “Whenever. Come any time, I’m always there.” 

“With Jake.” 

You frowned. “Yeah, with Jake.” 

“Y/N.” He tipped his head. “He’s like, old. You know that, right?” 

“What?” You were aghast. “I mean, yeah I know that. I’m not stupid.” 

“He’s too old for you.” 

“He’s Jake!” you countered. “He’s dad’s friend. He’s my boss.” 

“Not once did you say you don’t want to date him.” 

The truth in Colin’s words prickled your brain. He was right. You couldn’t say that and be telling the truth. Because the truth was, as the days went by, you were starting to see Jake differently, despite your best efforts. He was kind and he was generous and he had an affable attitude that charmed everyone, old and young, man or woman. He was easy to be with. He made things fun. 

You shook your head. “Shut up, Colin.” 

He laughed. There was something buried in that laugh. How many times had the two of you snuck out in the middle of the night for a swim? How many times had you heard his laugh, and known that he was going to unearth your secrets? Colin knew everything you did before you even did it. 

***

“We need more sauvignon blanc on table three,” you said to the head waiter. He scampered toward the bar in the back, emerging a moment later with a frosty bottle of white, carefully cutting the metal wrapper tableside and popping the cork seamlessly. 

“Relax.” Jake appeared from behind, looking relaxed in a suit in the way only a confident man in his forties could. 

“I can’t,” you replied, eyes watching the bride and groom flit from table to table speaking with their guests. So far, nothing had gone wrong. At least, not in the front of the house. In the back, you had stopped three rounds of appetizers from being burned, and had to deal with a last minute rosé crisis. 

“I hired you because I knew you’d do the job well,” he said. “But I want you to have fun, too.” 

You shot him a glare and he smirked. “Fun? You think trying not to ruin someone’s wedding is fun?” 

“Honey, once they get down the aisle, nothing could ruin it. I could go over there and puke on her dress and it would still be the best day of her life.” 

“Don’t you dare.” 

He chuckled. “Do me a favor, Sparky?” 

“I’m not going to spill red wine on the mother of the groom just so you can have the last laugh.” 

“Have a drink,” Jake replied. “And save me a dance.” 

By the end of the night, you had eaten approximately fifteen balls of fried mac n cheese and had four glasses of champagne. As the last guests departed – the bride and groom had driven off in an antique Jaguar an hour earlier – you let out a sigh of relief. 

“Great job guys,” you said to the crew as they filed out of the kitchen, backs sore, white servers aprons splattered with wine. Your neck was aching and so were your feet. All you wanted to do was go home, take off your wrap dress and take a hot shower before stumbling into a fluffy pile of white bed linens. 

You had been surprised to learn that all of the vendors – the florist and the linen delivery and the chair rentals – would arrive the next morning to pack everything up. Somehow you had it in your mind that a wedding was ripped down the instant it was over. As if it was never there. But the reality was, the ghost of the wedding lived on through the night. In the quiet and the dark, the skeleton of everything remained. 

As you turned, heading for the stairs, Jake emerged at the top of the stairs. “Clocking out?” 

You nodded. “I need to sleep for one hundred years and quite possibly take the longest shower known to mankind.” 

Jake carefully stepped down the marble stairway before landing at the bottom, only a foot from you. “Well if you do that, I’d have to fire you.” 

Your face fell. “What?” 

“You promised me a dance,” he added. 

You frowned. “The musicians are gone. The wedding is over, Jake. And besides, my feet feel like they’re dying.” 

“Take off your shoes.” There was something authoritative about how he said it. And despite your bed calling your name, you followed his orders, slipping off the tall heels, bare feet hitting the cold marble floor and you almost moaned in relief. Jake held out one hand and you took it, letting him lead you out onto the empty dance floor. He pulled out his phone, hitting a few buttons before music filled the air around you. “One dance,” he whispered. 

“Yes, Jefe,” you replied and he smirked. Naturally, your fingertips reached for his, one hand tangled with his fingers, the other wound around his neck. Jake held your waist softly, pulling you in closer, until you could feel the heat of him on you. 

“I couldn’t do this without you, Y/N.” You knew it was serious when he didn’t call you Sparky, the heinous nickname that had come from that one summer as a child when you had been determined to teach the dogs how to do tricks like the seals at the zoo, balancing balls on their noses and doing flips in the water. It ended horribly, and there went your dream of being a zoo performer. 

“Yes you could,” you replied. “You did it before I came home. You’ll do it after.” 

Jake’s grip tightened microscopically, but you felt it. Like he was grounding himself as the two of you swayed in the open space. “What would you say if I begged you not to leave?” 

You looked up at him. The slight stubble across his jaw, the way his collar was pulled apart, a small tuft of chest hair peering through the top of the white shirt. “Jake, I—”

“I want the best for you, Y/N,” he interrupted. “I always have. But selfishly, I want you to myself, too. You make everything easier. You make everything better. And it’s been a long time since I felt like I could depend on anyone other than myself.” 

“The clinic isn’t anywhere near done,” you replied. “I still have months of construction and paperwork and hiring people.” 

“Just the thought of losing you.” He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m being selfish. I’m the adult here, I shouldn’t be putting so much pressure on you.” 

You stopped dancing, dropping Jake’s hand and lifting it to his neck so that your fingertips closed behind his collar. Jake’s hands fell dutifully to your waist, large fingertips digging into the sides beneath your ribs. “I’m not a kid anymore,” you whispered. “I’m twenty five.” 

Something passed between the two of you. You found yourself staring up at Jake, his algae green eyes, the way his lips were puckered slightly. The way he felt, hot, pressed against you. 

And then it was over. Jake’s hands fell from your waist as he took a step back. “It’s late,” he said softly. “Can I drive you home?” 

You frowned. “I drove myself. I’ll be fine.” 

He turned toward the stairs, the music in his pocket shutting off abruptly. “Goodnight, Y/N.” 

You watched his shoulders sag as he disappeared up the stairs. The thundering of your heart in your chest threatened to knock you over. 

Tag list:

@lyn-js @seresinhangmanjake @bobfloydsbabe @blue-aconite @clancycucumber230 @dempy @allbark-no-bite @teacupsandtopgun @na-ta-sh-aa @katiedid-3 @bradshawburner @xomrsalliej4787xo @xoxabs88xox @kmc1989 @shanimallina87 @rosiahills22 2 @emo @horseshoegirl @eminyourjeans

[rockyapboa]

WIREFRAME BODY AU / LORE

Little Mac's body has a special anomaly nobody has ever seen before, nor can explain to anybody who asks.

ABILITY EXPLAINATION:

Mac has the ability to turn off his outer skin (or the outer skin break due to fragility and punches) and reveal underneath a very strongly binded wireframe that is relatively difficult to break, even tanking in punches of Nick Bruiser and Mr. Sandman.

The outer skin can be pretty finicky since it can even turn off on how Mac feels (ex. half face became wireframe whenever he's nervous).

The wireframe, when damaged horrendously, broken or overused, can leave grid-shaped bruises on the outer skin.

This ability can be energy draining since Mac is focusing all his strength on the wiremesh. When low on energy, the wireframe can be weaker and easy to break.

☆

Going to the 90's, the first mentions to this ability is from Little Mac's uncle, Peter Mackenzie, known by his ring name, Peter Punch. His ability was used as a cash grab for the WVBA since the wireframe can be such an awe to the crowd's eyes.

Due to this, Peter is burnt out. The overuse, mixed with the weak frame and the amount of punches he has to tank in, it's too much for Peter.

To escape from this, he gave up the championship title to his friend, Mr. Sandman after a single K.O.

Since Peter doesn't want to be known for his ability again, he hid his grid bruises with long sleeves or a turtleneck. And hopefully...nobody can notice.

Jumpcut to 2009, in The Bronx, NYC, comes to the upcoming young boxer, known in the ring as Little Mac, for his tiny height yet big strength.

His body has something special, to turn his body in to a green grid that is pretty strong! His father, Houston Mackenzie, told Mac that his brother (or, in Mac's perspective, his uncle) has this ability too, but never shown it or flaunt it for personal reasons.

Mac always used the grid body as a last ditch attempt to survive the subsequent matches, though as a price the press asks so many, and I mean many questions regards to his body. And Mac could only answer "I don't know. I was just born with it!"

Little (ha, punny) does Mac knows, someone in the crowd, who is exactly like him, has been carefully spectating the matches, making sure Mac does not end up like him. A cash machine for WVBA. Making sure he just using the grid not for the fame.

Though, Peter does make Mac use it for scaring his boxer friends.

[justagalwhowrites]

Holly Jolly - Ch. 2: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

You and Joel get the girls together for a playdate. A continuation of Holly Jolly, a modern no-outbreak TLOU fic found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: None really!

Length: 4.1k

AO3 | Main Master List | First Chapter | Next Chapter

Sarah, it seemed, had become president of the Sharon fan club. 

She talked about her the whole ride home. She talked about her as Joel got Sarah ready for school the next morning. She talked about her all through dinner. 

“Hey Dad,” she said as he read her a story and tucked her into bed. “Can I play with Sharon tomorrow maybe?” 

Joel sighed. 

“Wouldn’t you rather go play with Mackenzie?” He asked. “Or maybe we can watch a movie, just you and me?” 

“But I like Sharon,” she said, whining a little. “Please?” 

He sighed again. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “But you have to go to sleep, OK?” 

“OK!” She said quickly, snapping her eyes shut. Joel laughed a little. She opened one eye ever so slightly to make sure Joel was watching and closed it again. 

“Alright, Kiddo,” he laughed again. “Sleep tight.” 

“I’m trying to, Daddy, but you keep talking,” she scrunched her nose. 

“Sorry,” he smiled and kissed her forehead before turning out her lamp. “Goodnight, Baby Girl.” 

“Night, Dad!” 

He closed the door quietly behind him and went to the living room, all but collapsing on the couch and pinching the bridge of his nose. 

Joel really didn’t want to text you. He wasn’t exactly eager to talk to you just after meeting you let alone after you saw his card get declined and decided to take pity on him to buy the fucking picture. And then he was a bit of a dick about it. Something else he wasn’t exactly proud of. 

But he didn’t want to disappoint Sarah more. So he gritted his teeth, found your text from yesterday, and typed out a message. 

Hey, it’s Joel, Sarah’s dad. She’s been talking about Sharon non-stop, would you like to try to get them together this weekend? 

He almost hoped you didn’t respond. If you didn’t, it wouldn’t be Joel’s fault that Sarah didn’t get to see Sharon again. She’d be disappointed but she’d understand and Joel could feel like he’d done his job as her dad. 

But you responded almost immediately. Because of course you did. 

Hey Joel! Sharon’s been talking about Sarah a ton, too! Does tomorrow work? There’s a playground at our apartment complex and I can make lunch. 

Joel gritted his teeth. Were you trying to feed them because you didn’t think he could feed his kid? Or were you just being nice? He sighed. Sarah liked Sharon. He had to at least try to be nice.

Sounds great. What time?

Again, an almost instant reply. 

Noon OK? 

You added your address. 

Sure. See you then. 

Sarah was damn near giddy when he told her the plan the next morning. He’d never seen her run to brush her teeth quite that fast and she immediately went to her toy box to start trying to find things she wanted to bring over. 

“You can pick three things,” Joel said. “And it has to be stuff you want to share, OK?” 

She nodded seriously. Joel put her curls into springy pigtails and let her pick her clothes for the day - Sarah carefully selecting pink pants and a purple shirt with a lot of glitter before insisting on adding the ponytail holders with the pink, plastic balls to her hair. 

Joel stopped at the HEB on the way to your place and picked up some juice boxes and some cookies so he wasn’t showing up empty handed. The check and finally cleared so he pulled out cash to give you, too. There was a bright green wreath on your door and a doormat with a snowman and Joel tried to not cringe as he knocked. 

You answered quickly, smiling like you had been before but not completely covered in Christmas shit this time, at least. 

“Hi,” you said. “It’s good…” 

Sharon careened around the corner and almost fell into Sarah, eyes wide and excited. 

“You’re here!” She said, giddy, before grabbing Sarah’s hand. “Come on, I want to show you this sticker…” 

The two girls tore into the apartment and you laughed a little before stepping to the side and holding your arm out, welcoming Joel in. 

“Come on in!” You laughed a little. “Lunch is almost done. I decided to do something pretty basic, I hope that’s OK…” 

“Sure it’s great,” Joel said, holding out the juice boxes and cookies like an offering. “Thought we could contribute.” 

“Thank you,” you took them and headed inside, Joel trailing behind you. 

“Also, here,” he held out the money. “For the picture.” 

“Oh,” you looked at the cash for a second and then back up at him. “Really, don’t worry about it. Lord knows people have helped me out enough over the years. Just pick up the tab for someone next year or something.” 

He wanted to fight you on it but you were already headed to the kitchen, putting the juice boxes in the fridge. 

While you weren’t covered in Christmas stuff, your house sure as shit was. Paper chains hung from every doorway he could see, a Christmas tree in the corner twinkling with a small pile of gifts below it, a collection of wooden snowmen on your coffee table. It definitely made the four foot tree that was older than Sarah with nothing below it seem lacking. He tried not to resent that, too. 

You pulled something out of the oven as Joel hovered awkwardly in the entry to your small kitchen. 

“Oh, you can have a seat if you want,” you nodded to the breakfast bar. “We’ll give them a few minutes to check out the new stickers. Sharon’s school holiday party was yesterday and the kids all got goodie bags and she traded like everything in hers for as many stickers as she could get her little hands on. I don’t know what the obsession is…” 

“Thanks for havin’ us over,” Joel said, watching as you cut up the bread you’d just pulled out of the oven and he realized that you’d made little sandwiches. “I appreciate it, especially since I wasn’t exactly the friendliest the other day.” 

You looked up at him from the pan and he realized he could see your cleavage down the v-neck of your impossibly soft looking sweater, a sweater that looked like it was made to play off the color of your hair and skin and eyes. 

“Oh, it’s fine,” you waved him off and went for the fridge. “I’m sure you just had a long day. Why else would you be in line to see Santa at 8:30 on a Thursday night?” 

Joel laughed a little. You weren’t wrong.

“Yeah,” he said. “Fair enough. Still. You were being nice and I should’ve been nice back.” 

You shrugged and pulled some cut up vegetables and fruit out of the fridge and put them on the counter. 

“The holidays are hard,” you said. “Really, it’s OK.” 

“Don’t look like they’re hard for you,” he said, looking around. 

Your eyes looked a little wide. 

“Really?” You asked. “Oh, thank God. This is the first Christmas I’ve had a kid in my house, I keep worrying I’m not doing it right…” 

“Looks like you’re doin’ good to me,” Joel said. 

“Thank you,” you said. “Really, that means a lot.” 

Joel looked at a picture on a nearby wall, you with Sharon and a woman who looked a little like you. 

“Is that Sharon’s mom?” He asked, nodding at the photo. You leaned over the breakfast bar to see where he was looking and he resisted the uncomfortable urge to get a better look below your sweater. 

“Yeah,” you nodded with a sigh. “My sister. She was a single mom and she died in February.”

“Shit,” Joel said. “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s hard.” 

“It really is,” you said, eyes a little wide. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Sharon. That kid is my whole world. But I was only ever supposed to be the cool aunt who took her to Europe when she turned 16 and went with her for her first tattoo because her mom would hate it and she wanted support. I’m not supposed to be a mom.” 

“Is it just you?” Joel asked on impulse before he realized that he was prying into the life of a virtual stranger. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer…” 

“It’s fine,” you waved him off. “And yeah, just me. Before wild child in there I wasn’t really interested in much tying me down so I haven’t had a real boyfriend or anything in years. Our parents died a few years ago and we didn’t have any other siblings so it’s just me and Sharon. She’s a great kid, though. So much like her mom, it’s all so worth it. I just hope I’m doing right by her, you know? 

“Her mom would go all out at Christmas,” you continued. “Like that house looked like Buddy the Elf went to town on it every year. Meanwhile, I had like three ornaments I’d gotten as gifts before this year. I always went to her place for the holidays, it seemed silly to decorate mine.” 

“Looks like you’ve got it down already,” Joel said. “Just bought a house a few months ago, haven’t had the chance to really decorate anything yet. I just keep hoping she doesn’t really notice.” 

“Seems like you’re the kind of dad who spends a lot of time with her,” you said. “That’s the important part.” 

You called the girls over for lunch and you and Joel just watched as the two of the chattered about Frozen between bites of carrot sticks and sandwich. 

At one point you made eye contact with Joel when Sharon talked about trading for all the stickers yesterday at school and Joel had to fight not to laugh when he realized that he actually liked you. When he wasn’t in a shit mood and having his card declined by the mall Santa, you were just a kind person who, for some reason, wanted to be kind to him. Even after he’d been rude to you. He hadn’t thought you’d be his kind of person but he liked you.

“So ladies,” you said as plates were cleaned and leftovers put in the fridge. “Playground?” 

Sarah’s face lit up and the two of you got the girls into their jackets before walking over to the park, the kids immediately running for the slide, giggling manically. You sat on a bench and Joel joined you, the two of you silently watching them play for a moment before you glanced over at him. 

“So,” you said. “When you’re not shepherding a five-year-old girl through the mall Santa line, what do you do?” 

“I’m a contractor,” Joel said. “Mostly small to mid-sized jobs, just wrapped up one and I’ve got something small to run through the holidays before the next bigger one starts… You?” 

“I’m a teacher,” you said. “Physics, at the high school down the road.”

Joel smiled a little. 

“I went to that school.” 

“Really?” Your face lit up. “It’s a small world!”

“Or I just never made it far from where I finished school,” Joel said, looking back at the girls. “You like it there?” 

“I guess,” you shrugged. “I’m still getting the hang of it. I never planned to be a teacher, I was an architect before but I needed something that would work better for Sharon schedule wise so I got my teaching certification.” 

Joel frowned. 

“That’s a hell of a sacrifice.” 

You shrugged again. 

“She’s worth it. Besides, the kids are really fun. I have juniors and seniors and they’re so dramatic at that age, it’s like every little thing is the end of the world, and they care so passionately about things. It’s like living as an extra in a soap opera. That’s actually why I was dressed so crazy on Thursday, we had our holiday parties for the a-block classes but one of my kids was having some issues so I just stayed late and the next thing I knew I was late getting Sharon from daycare and everything was a mess… Anyway…” 

“You’re doin’ a good job,” Joel said, watching you, and you looked at him. Actually looked at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” he said. “Trust me. Been doin’ this on my own since Sarah was four months old. You’re doin’ a good job.” 

The girls played for almost two hours before they wore themselves out and you all walked back to your apartment. 

“So, I hope I’m not overstepping by asking but… where are you at with Christmas shopping?” You asked. Joel just blinked at you for a moment but you kept going. “I’m only asking because there’s a thing some of the other teachers do where we take turns watching each other’s kids so we can run errands or go Christmas shopping and I’m dropping Sharon off tomorrow afternoon. They’re cool if I add another kid to the mix so if you need to get out for a few hours and cross some things off the to do list…” 

You looked worried and Joel, for a moment, wondered just how much of an asshole he’d been to you that you thought doing him a favor would piss him off. 

“That would be great, actually,” he said. “You’re sure they don’t mind?” 

“Not at all,” you smiled. “I’ve covered for some of the others a few times when stuff comes up with their other kids like sports tournaments and things, it’s really no problem. Besides, something tells me that Sarah’s a good kid. Don’t think she’s going to give them much trouble. If you text me your address, I can pick you up around 10 tomorrow morning? Drop the kids?” 

“Uh… sure,” Joel said, surprised that he was actually looking forward to it. “Thanks.” 

When he tucked Sarah in that night, he told her that she was going to see Sharon again the next day. She was giddy, kicking her little feet under her blankets. 

“I really like her, Daddy,” she smiled, that gap in her teeth one of the cutest damn things Joel had ever seen. “And her aunt is really nice.” 

“Yeah,” Joel said, tucking the blankets around her. “Yeah, she is.” 

***

“But can we ask them over to make cookies?” Sharon asked as you French braided her hair. 

“Maybe,” you said. “But it’s the holidays, girlie pop, they might already have plans. It would be very rude to try to monopolize their time.” 

“But I really like Sarah!” She said. “And she said they only do the cut out cookies and I told her about the peanut butter ones I made with you and mom last year and…” 

You still got a little choked up at the thought of your sister. You didn’t know it was going to be her last Christmas at the time but, in hindsight, it was like part of her had known she was going to be gone a few months later. 

It had been a picture perfect Christmas, filled with movie marathons and cookie baking and a Christmas light drive with a thermos of hot cocoa and extra marshmallows. You’d loved every second of it, loved that it felt like the three of you against the world. 

And now it was just you and Sharon and you were trying desperately to fill the massive shoes your sister had left behind while not replacing her. 

“We can make the peanut butter ones again,” you said, swallowing the tears that tightened in your throat. “And it will still be fun if it’s just you and me and not you and me and Joel and Sarah. Right?” 

“Yeah,” she sighed dramatically. 

“I know,” you tied off her braid and kissed the crown of her head. “I’m such a let down.” 

You made a face at her in the mirror and she giggled. 

“Come on,” you said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “Let’s go get our new friends.” 

You tried to not be nervous about spending at least part of the day with Joel without the girls. You were pretty sure he didn’t like you much. You’d been positive about that at the mall. You knew you tended to come on a little strong and you’d been so flustered when you’d met him that you were sure it was worse than usual. You hadn’t expected him to actually reach out and you certainly weren’t going to text him unless Sharon was particularly eager to see Sarah and you felt like you had to. 

And then he texted you. 

Yesterday had gone better, at least. He was kinder than he’d been before and you’d enjoyed talking with him while the kids played. He was clearly such a dedicated father. Sarah fell off the play structure at one point with a small shriek and he jumped to his feet with a look of sheer panic on his face. But he stayed by the bench, giving her a second to get herself up before Dad rushed in. She did just that, brushing wood chips off her knees before immediately climbing the ladder to the slide again. 

It wasn’t something you were used to seeing from men. Sharon’s father hadn’t been anything like that. He’d stuck around for a few months after he’d proposed to your sister when he knocked her up. But by the time the baby shower rolled around, you could tell he was getting cold feet. Sharon wasn’t even a day old yet when he pulled you aside at the hospital and asked you to tell your sister to leave him off the birth certificate. You didn’t even get a chance to respond before he turned and left and that was the last time you’d seen him. 

Joel, clearly, had done the opposite. 

When you rang the door bell at the small house with peeling paint on the trim, it took almost a minute for Joel to answer the door. 

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “Come in, we’re havin’ a bit of a morning… Sarah didn’t sleep great so she didn’t want to eat breakfast and now we’re behind and…” 

“It’s fine,” you smiled. “We’ve got time.” 

You nudged Sharon in ahead of you and followed behind Joel, his dark curls wet. You sat down in the living room and peered around. There was a small artificial tree in the corner that looked a little threadbare and stockings held by push pins by the fireplace. A chunk of drywall had been cut out near the back door and there were some tools in slightly organized disarray on the floor nearby. 

“What’s that?” Sharon frowned, looking at the exposed pipe. 

“That is the current project,” Joel said, guiding Sarah into the room. “Some stuff in the house doesn’t work quite right…” 

“Hi Sharon!” Sarah waved frantically and Sharon’s face lit up. 

“Hi Sarah!” She waved back. “Sarah, I brought my favorite Barbie! The one with the red hair, it’s in the car!” 

“Cool!” Sarah said. “I asked Santa for a Barbie Dream House for Christmas! When I get it, you’ll have to bring your dolls over and they can be friends, too!” 

You caught a glimpse of Joel’s face at the mention of Barbie Dream House, almost like a wince. 

“You promised to sit still if you got to sit in the living room while I did your hair,” Joel said. “Sooner we do that, sooner you can go see that Barbie, let’s go.” 

Sarah sighed dramatically and flopped on the loveseat. Joel stood behind her and quickly gathered her hair into several small buns while Sarah did her best to hold still while talking animatedly to Sharon. 

It didn’t take long and soon, the four of you were piling in your SUV, Joel putting Sarah’s carseat in the back alongside Sharon’s. 

“I really appreciate this,” he said after you dropped the girls off and headed to the Target in town with the biggest toy selection. “I had no damn clue when I was going to try to get any Christmas shopping done…”

“Tell me about it,” you said. “If it wasn’t for this whole kid watching exchange, I was going to have to take a day off work. I’ve never had to try to do this before, it’s her first Christmas without her mom and I really can’t mess it up, you know?” 

“Can I ask what happened?” Joel asked after a moment. 

“Car accident,” you said. “On her way to get Sharon from daycare in February. Thank God she wasn’t in the car, too, or they’d both be gone…” 

“Jesus,” Joel said. “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s hard. Seems like you’re handling it well, though. Sharon seems to adore ya.” 

You shrugged. 

“I think I’m still just the cool aunt in a lot of ways,” you said. “Part of me thinks she still expects her mom to come back eventually. I don’t know. This isn’t how life was supposed to go for either of us.” 

Joel just nods slowly. 

“I get that. S’not what I expected for mine, either. It’s all worth it for Sarah but if you’d asked me what I was gonna be doing at 27 years old, shopping for a fuckin’ Barbie Dream House wouldn’t be it. Oh shit… crap, sorry. I try not to swear in front of Sarah or people I don’t really know, I don’t…” 

You laughed a little. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m a big girl. Think I can handle a little adult language.” 

You parked at Target and the two of you headed inside, each grabbing a cart. 

“Did you want to split up or…” Joel asked. 

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind me tagging along?” You asked, a little sheepish. “This is the first Christmas and her birthday was just before her mom died, I’ve never done a big gift day with her. I could use some help. If you’re up for it, I don’t want to impose, it’s totally fine if you just don’t want…” 

“It’s fine,” Joel smiled just a little. “At this point, know a lot more about little girls’ toys than I have any right to. May as well put it to use.” 

The two of you started in the girls’ clothes section before heading on to the toys. Joel went straight for the Barbie aisle and he stopped in front of the Dream House, just staring at the box. You picked a Barbie for Sharon and stood next to him. 

“That thing is huge,” you said after a moment, glancing his way. “No way there’s room for it in my place. No one has room for something that big…” 

You chewed the inside of your cheek a bit, hoping that giving Joel some kind of out wasn’t too awkward. 

He didn’t take it, though. 

“It’s just outta my price range this year,” he sighed. “Keep tryin’ to do the math and I want to get it for her. I want to get everything for her. But shit, I’ve got maybe that much for all of Christmas. Can’t spend that on one toy.” 

You saw him tense his jaw for a moment when you had a thought. 

“What if you made her one?” You asked, looking up at him. He took his eyes off the box for the first time in more than a minute to frown at you. 

“Make a Barbie Dream House,” he said, skeptical. 

“Yeah,” you shrugged. “I mean, it wouldn’t look just like that but… I’m an architect. Or I was. You’re a contractor. I bet, between the two of us, we could come up with something that would cost like $50 in materials. I’ll design it for you and then you can build it and…” 

“You’d do that?” He asked, brows raised. “Just plan out a toy for my kid?” 

“Sure,” you shrugged and smiled. “I mean… it’s Christmas. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to practice at drawing up plans again. I could use the excuse, I miss it.” 

Joel looked at you for a moment and you thought - not for the first time - that he was one of the most beautiful people you’d ever seen. You’d thought it when you first saw him in line for Santa, you’d thought it when he’d showed up at your door the day before, you’d even thought it as you watched him style is daughter’s hair earlier that day. 

You looked at the box for something else to focus on. 

“We can do that,” you said. “Piece of cake.”

Next Chapter

[estercity]

okay and now here's the rest of them (meisters on the left, weapons on the right)

val moon & cooper d. grayson

n. rydan & yumiko tsukino

morgan grue & jasper

charlotte cash & nathaniel lumin

penny foster & margot and bianca vega

dante vampiro & eva thorne

chelsea hansen

karen koski & emilie dahl

al cingolani & jimmy sullivan

claire morris & bree reed

micky & mackenzie wood

claus nordskov & odette lakeman

dannika & zorah

nina abarca & ines ortega

prem puri & devi joshi

[kwebtv]

Character Actor

Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum; August 28, 1897 – September 2, 1964) Radio, television, and film character actor.

He had an extensive film career beginning in the 1930′s but by the end of 1958 Ankrum's film career had essentially ended, though he continued taking television roles. In the syndicated series Stories of the Century Ankrum played outlaw Chris Evans, who with his young associate John Sontag, played by John Smith, turned to crime to thwart the Southern Pacific Railroad, which Evans and Sontag held in contempt. Ankrum made 22 appearances on CBS's Perry Mason as one of several judges who regularly presided over the murder trials of Mason's clients from the show's first season in 1957 until his death in 1964. The show ended two years later.  Ankrum appeared in western series such as The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Bronco, Maverick, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Cimarron City, Rawhide and The Rifleman.

Ankrum appeared in a number of ABC/Warner Brothers westerns. On October 15, 1957, he had a major part in the episode "Strange Land" of the series Sugarfoot, starring Will Hutchins. Ankrum played an embittered rancher named Cash Billings, who allows hired gunman Burr Fulton ( Rhodes Reason) to take over his spread, but Sugarfoot arrives to bring law and justice to the situation. Ankrum appeared again, as John Savage, in 1959 in the Sugarfoot episode "The Wild Bunch". The same year, he portrayed a zealot who abused his daughter, played by Sherry Jackson, in the episode "The Naked Gallows" of the western Maverick with Jack Kelly and Mike Connors. In 1961, he again played embittered, and this time paralyzed, rancher Cyrus Dawson in the episode "Incident at Dawson Flats" of the western series Cheyenne.

In the 1958–59 season Ankrum appeared 12 times in Richard Carlson's syndicated western series Mackenzie's Raiders. In the series set on the Rio Grande border, Carlson plays Col. Ranald Mackenzie, who faces troubles from assorted border outlaws.

At the time of his death, he was still involved with Raymond Burr's Perry Mason TV series. His final appearance on Perry Mason, in the episode "The Case of the Sleepy Slayer".  (Wikipedia)

[angeldcgs]

closed: @silencedmoths who: mackenzie "mac" mcdermott, she/her, 24, petty criminal

her heart racing a mile a minute, mac felt as though she had tunnel vision once she exited the small convenience store with a tote bag full of cash, the owner bellowing at her to, "get back here before i shoot your fuckin' ass!" quite the mixed messaging, if she did say so herself. divine timing— a car just so happened to be pulling up right as she was running out, her body carrying her to the passenger seat on instinct before she wrenched the door open and hopped inside. "fuck are you starin' at?" she spat, looking to the bewildered woman in the passenger seat as if she was the crazy one. "you tryna' spend th' night in county jail? fuckin' drive!"

[dannymillerfansite]

Emmerdale 07.11.24 Part 5

As Aaron remains prone on the ground the paramedics arrive. John in paramedic mode himself explains the diagnoses & procedure he's just performed and the attending paramedic congratulates John on what he's just done & tells him he's saved Aaron's life.

As Aaron is carted off to hospital in the ambulance, Mackenzie praises John as he is reassured Aaron is going to be OK thanks to John's heroics, it's decided John should go with Aaron while he'll stay here.

Chas is getting an update on Belle from Cain, when she recieves a phone call informing her Aaron's been taken to hospital after being injured in a fight at Butlers. Cain instantly blames Ross vowing to kill him. Chas tells Cain she'll get there by herself.

Chas in a panic & couldn't face the journey to the hospital alone after all so turns to Liam who's been having Ella related dramas. She was told her son has a collapsed lung and is fretting how serious it is & so he takes her straight there without delay.

Mackenzie plays the role of bewildered bystander to the police as they have now finished with the barn, as the police depart the scene, he's delighted to see they didn't find the bag he tossed & can now claim it's contents a huge amount of cash, he's thrilled.

[ohtobeleah]

First concept that came to mind that would be fluffy is Mickey and Hyde on first of school with Logan and baby girl. But that feels out of season so my second thought was a spring break family vacation with Logan! (My brain is definitely already on spring break haha)

I just feel like Mickey and Hyde (Reader) are so chilled. I mean, after they get their shit sorted. You just have a flow that’s so easy to follow that everything seems to work out in the end. Even if things get a little derailed from time to time.

“Mum said you were in lunch box duty thismorning?” Logan’s nine and looking at his empty lunch box on the counter while Mickey is just barely dressed himself.

They both stare at one another, the two boys that make your world spin. Mickey looks at his wallet, then back to his son.

“What your mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Mickey knows you’ll find out, but fed is best and right now he doesn’t know his ass from his head. “Take some cash—“

“Mum said you were going to drop me and Mackenzie off at school?” *Fuck* where was Mackenzie? Mickey hasn’t seen her all morning. “We’re already late.”

“You and me both kid,” Mickey groans. He’s usually not this unorganised, but you had an early flight to catch for a work event with Penny that just happened to fall on the first day of school. Mickey may have fallen asleep once you’d left….and slept through his alarms. “Go wake your sister, I’ll call the school and explain that you’ll be five minutes late and then I’ll call Poppy to tell Uncle Bob to tell Cyclone that I’m on my way in.”

“I wanted peanut butter and—“

“Logan—just take the damn cash kid.”

You find out a few days later what went down. It’s all water off a ducks back for you. Fed is best and Mickey got the kids where they needed to be.

Send me a concept

[scotianostra]

On December 30th 1969 two police officers died of bullet wounds during a raid on a house in Allison Street, Glasgow; a third was wounded.

Police in Glasgow still remember the murder of two officers, when one of their ex colleagues was spotted with a suspicious package after robbing a bank in Linwood. The horrifying case was led by an ex police officer, who was in jail until 2002.

Shortly after 4pm two officers were shot dead by a man seen acting suspiciously outside a flat in Govanhill on the south side of the city. Their suspect had just taken part in an armed robbery and was carrying the proceeds into the Allison Street tenement in suitcases.

When the two cops followed their man into the ground floor apartment, unaware of the earlier hold-up, he pulled out a gun and shot them dead. The double murder was all the more shocking because it was carried out by a former police officer and colleagu

A few hours later Howard Wilson, married with a young family, was sitting in his police cell in nearby Craigie Street Police Office confessing both murders to his bewildered lawyer Joe Beltrami.

Nineteen years later in his memoir Tales of the Suspected, Beltrami wrote: “As I listened to him. I kept asking myself what could have possessed him.

“He looked more like a businessman than a criminal.”

Wilson had quit the City of Glasgow police in 1968 after 10 years’ service when he failed to get promotion to sergeant.

Instead he opened a greengrocers, The Orchard in nearby Mount Florida. But the outlet, along with another shop he’d bought, was losing money.

His two best friends former prison officer Ian Donaldson, 31, and ex-cop John Sim, 21, both had young families and were also strapped for cash. During one late evening drinking session they joked about robbing a bank to solve all their financial worries. However, the morning after the night before it began to sound like a plan.

Who would suspect two former cops and a prison officer? They had no criminal records and their fingerprints were not on file. The money would also be used to pay off debts so it would disappear as quickly as it had been stolen.

Thus the pieces of a jigsaw were put in place that would result in a cold blooded double execution almost six months later.

The trio recruited a fourth man – Archibald McGeachie – to be their getaway driver, and bought a Russian pistol from the president of the Bearsden Shooting Club, of which all three were members. On July 16, dressed in smart suits and carrying briefcases they walked into the British Linen Bank in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, and escaped with £20,876 (£270,000 now).

All three, however, were broke again by Christmas and, having got away with it once, planned another heist – this time a branch of the Clydesdale in Linwood, Renfrewshire on December 30.

However, McGeachie took cold feet and declined the job of getaway driver, leaving his three pals to do the job on their own.

On December 23, a week before, the second hold up, he disappeared from his home and was never been seen again.

His fellow robbers escaped this time with £14,000 – much of it in silver coins – which later proved significant when they were all spotted by a suspicious Inspector Andrew Hyslop transporting the suitcases. He recognised Wilson who he had once trained in the use of firearms.

Inspector Hyslop also suspected the trio were carrying stolen whisky, as he didn’t know about the bank robbery. He confronted all three in Wilson’s ground floor flat, having called in reinforcements from Craigie Street.

When the inspector bent down to open one of the cases, his former colleague shot him in the face. Detective Constable Angus MacKenzie and PC Edward Barnett, were then both shot in the head when they tried to arrest him.

As they fell, Wilson calmly stepped up to DC MacKenzie and shot him again, killing him outright.

His accomplice Donaldson had fled the flat, while Sim watched in horror. Wilson turned his attention to another former colleague PC John Sellars, who had taken refuge in the bathroom to radio for help but he couldn’t get through the door. Wilson then noticed Inspector Hyslop beginning to move on the floor, and went to finish him off.

A fifth officer, Detective Constable John Campbell flung himself across the hall at Wilson before he could fire again, saving his colleagues’ life.

DC Campbell managed to wrestle the gun from Wilson just as his fellow officers alerted by the sound of gunfire rushed into the flat.

There they found a scene of unimaginable horror. DC MacKenzie had been killed outright while PC Barnett would die five days later in hospital.

Wilson only seemed to regret only what he had done to DC MacKenzie, whose wife June he knew personally. As he was led away, he asked the arresting officers if they would apologise to her on his behalf.

When the three appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on February 6, 1970, Wilson admitted the murders of Detective Constable McKenzie and Constable Barnett, attempting to murder Inspector Hyslop, threatening to shoot Constable Sellars, and to the bank robberies at Giffnock and Linwood. A week later, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Wilson was sentenced to life, with a recommendation that he should serve a minimum of 25 years. Donaldson and Sim were given 12 years each for their parts in the robberies.

Later that year it was announced that the Queen had approved awards of the George Medal to Inspector Hyslop and Detective Constable Campbell. Awards of the Queen’s Police Medal for Gallantry were posthumously awarded to Detective Constable McKenzie and Constable Barnett. In 1971, PC Sellars was awarded the Glasgow Corporation medal for bravery by the Lord Provost.

Detective Constable McKenzie left a widow, June, and Constable Barnett a widow, Margaret, and two children.

Of the three officers who survived, Inspector Hyslop suffered most as bullet parts had been left deeply embedded in his neck. After many months on sick leave Inspector Hyslop returned to duty. But the shock of his terrible experience had left him unfit to carry on and in June, 1971, he had to resign from the force and died on the island of Islay in 2000, aged 74.

In December 2009, on the 40th anniversary of the murders, Alastair organised a memorial service at Linn Crematorium in Castlemilk where the two officers are buried side by side, attended by their widows.

In September 2002, Wilson was finally freed after almost 33 years behind bars despite strenuous objections from the Scottish Police Federation.

At the time its chairman Norman Flowers, said: “We feel that anyone who murders a police officer should never be released. Life should mean life.”

More facts about this brutal crime can be found here http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/the-allison-street-police.../

[jackstanleyroberts]

The Cast of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise Part 2

Aloha everybody, sorry for the delay because i was starting part 2 of the storyline of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise, but i'll be starting part 2 of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise. What if Neve Campbell is shown up the 6th installment without pay dispute? But if you liked part 1, here's part 2 of the cast of the Extended Cut of the Scream franchise.

Synopsis: The four survivors of the Ghostface attacks & their new friends leave Woodsboro & headed to New York for a fresh start. Soon they're all about finding themselves in the fight of their lives when a another killer starts a bloody rampage & the other survivors also find themselves in a plot where nobody is safe & beyond suspicion.

Scream VI (Extended Cut) Cast:

Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter

Jenna Ortega as Tara Carpenter

Mason Gooding as Chad Meeks-Martin

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin

Jack Roberts (me) as Terrence William "Terry" Watkins

Chosen Jacobs as Lawrence James "Larry" Watkins

Meg Donnelly as Lexi Hicks

Olivia Scott Welch as Wendy Hicks

Jacob Bertrand as William "Will" Hicks

Jackson Brundage as Frederick "Fred" Hicks

Emily Rudd as Carrie Tatum Riley-Weathers

Isabelle Fuhrman as Rebecca "Becca" Bishop

Braeden Lemasters as Matthew Bishop

Deja Monique Cruz as Laura "Lori" Sanchez

Ysa Penarejo as Miranda Rodriguez

Joshua Bassett as Connor "Cash" Conway

Joey King as Yvonne Conway

Ross Lynch as Ronald "Rory" Williams

Jade Pettyjohn as Graceland "Grace" Prescott

Emily Meade as Elena Connors

Sophia Lillis as Grace-Lynn "Gracie" Moore

Kathryn Newton as Kathleen "Kathy" Williamson

Julia Rehwald as Katherine "Katie" Jones

Melissa Collazo as Isabella "Izzy" Yales

Hayden Byerly as Damien "Dame" Yales

Akiel Julien as Malik Hubar

Karan Brar as Craig Karbar

Odessa A'zion as Susan Winters

Violett Beane as Eleanor "Ellie" Winters

Madison Davenport as Gabrielle "Gabby" Stafford

Talitha Eliana Bateman as Yolanda Preston

Gabriel Bateman as Philip "Phil" Preston

Megan Stott as Kimberly "Kim" Watson

Charlie Plummer as Samuel Johnathan "Sam" Kincaid

Katherine Langford as Jennifer Annie "Jenny" Kincaid

Rachel Zegler as Emily Jones

Annalise Basso as Andrea Lewis

Jodelle Ferland as Joanna Thompson

Rachel Fox as Angela Stewart

Mackenzie Foy as Luna Stewart

Jimmy Bennett as Andrew "Andy" Anderson

Mickeey Nguyen as Sylvester Bradford

Brandon Soo Hoo as Takahashi Bradford

Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers

Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed

Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott

Joe Keery as Johnny Landry

Jack Champion as Ethan Landry

Dermot Mulroney as Wayne Bailey

Liana Liberato as Quinn Bailey

Logan Lerman as Quentin Bailey

Judah Lewis as Derek Shepherd

Brec Bassinger as Lillian "Lilly" Davis

Jessica Stroup as Riley Davis

Michael Rainey Jr. as Anthony "Anton" Mercer

Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Susie Kayoko

Havana Rose Liu as Hannah Kayoko

Devyn Nekoda as Anika Kayoko

Josh Segarra as Danny Brackett

Kiernan Shipka as Danielle "Dani" Brackett

Anthony Ramos as Nicholas "Nick" Rodriguez

Rachel Sennott as Theresa "Tree" Hicks

Ed Speleers as Alexander "Alex" Miller

Madison Iseman as Alexandra "Allie" Miller

Spencer Locke as Ellen Hoffman

Brianne Tju as June Dawson

Denyse Tontz as Laura Morris

Holland Roden as Gloria Smith

Addison Rae as Natalie Foster

Emily Alyn Lind as Audrey Owens

Sarah Bolger as Simone Martin

Elizabeth McLaughlin as Jessie Crane

Finn Wolfhard as Stanley Lance "Stan" Williams

Natalie Alyn Lind as Natasha Longwood

Taylor Russell as Holly McDaniel

Paige Hurd as Hayley McDaniel

Logan Miller as Lincoln Jefferson

Emily Tennant as Cynthia Cooper

Tequan Richmond as Maurice Lakewood

Zac Godspeed as Tyler Ferguson

Daniel Sharman as Kurt Parker

Jordan Elsass as Taylor Ferguson

Emma Roberts as Jillian "Jill" Roberts

Samantha Boscarino as Elaine Williams

India Eisley as Alivia Williams

Milo Manheim as Zackary "Zack" Feldman

Stefanie Scott as Caroline "Carol" Feldman

Anna Sawai as Alexis Williams

Haley Lu Richardson as Bethany "Beth-Ann" Lewis

Mekai Curtis as Reginald "Reggie" Stark

Kaia Gerber as Taylor Swanson

Jeremy Ray Taylor as Maurice Thompson

Wyatt Oleff as Wyatt Matthews

Jaz Sinclair as Jordan Harris

Jaeden Martell as Landon Andrews

Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis

Benjamin Flores Jr. as Edward Baker

Fred Henchinger as Darren Blake

Tony Revolori as Jason Carvey

Samara Weaving as Laura Crane

Henry Czerny as Dr. Christopher Stone

Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface

The storyline of this (The Extended Cut of Scream VI) is coming soon after this.

Stay Tuned!

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Investment in railroads helped more than anything else to open up northern resources to southern capital and entrepreneurship. On railroads, the province spent prodigously, George Ross often boasted that under Liberal governments railroad mileage in New Ontario had risen from a mere 12 miles in 1881 to almost 1,750 in 1904. The impulse was so strong and the Liberal commitments so binding that even under reduced assistance from the subsequent Conservative governments new construction proceeded with abated enthusiasm at a rate of 300 miles per year. Rare indeed a line was built without a provincial subsidy, bond guarantee. and grant; some obtained all three! Between 1867 and 1914 the province aided the construction of 2,783 miles of track the extent of $7,969,406 and pledged at least that much s credit again in support of various railroad bond issues. her and above their cash subsidies, Mackenzie and Mann floated a $5 million bond guarantee from the province and owned more than three million acres of crown land in support of the Canadian Northern. An equally persuasive F. H. Clergue convinced the Ross government to increase the usual 5,000 acre per mile grant to 7,400 acres for his Algoma Central line and to throw in the timber and mineral rights which usually remained vested in the crown. Clearly the provincial government could assume no responsibility for the transcontinentals, but it could claim the initiative for three north-south lines (the Northern, the Algoma Central and the Temiskaming and Northern) which, as it turned out, were much more important factors in the industrialization of the north.

These "development roads," and especially the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario, exposed the north both physically and psychologically to the energies of the Toronto business community. By the end of the nineteenth century Toronto had firmly established itself as the pre-eminent regional metropolis of southern Ontario, organizing and financing the trade and commerce of a prosperous, agricultural hinterland. Rail penetration of the Canadian Shield necessarily expanded that hinterland and changed its character. At first the railroads were driven northward simply to tap new agricultural areas to the north and west, but the incredibly rich silver and gold deposits unearthed by railroad construction redirected attention to the much greater opportunities presented by the natural resources of the Shield. Railroads thus brought the Shield under the dominance of Toronto, which developed in response the techniques, facilities and in a sense the energies to finance resource industries, especially mining, with a vigour that Montreal, for some reason, seemed to lack. Toronto's initial advantages of transportation and experience on the Canadian Shield imparted a powerful thrust to its rise from regional to national metropolitan stature. Indeed, as Professor Careless has observed in this connection, the "successive opulent suburbs of Toronto spell out a veritable progression of northern mining booms." 

Much of the credit for initiating this mutually profitable relationship must rest with Ontario governments of this time, which in addition to extending the normal generous subsidies to private railroad companies, intervened even more positively to build and operate as a state enterprise the strategically important Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. Without a transcontinental of its own, the Toronto business community seized upon a railroad to Hudson Bay as a cheap and ready, if not entirely rational, substitute. En route to tidewater, so it was argued, the railroad would necessarily expand the city's agricultural hinterland, and by offering a third outlet to Europe, the northern seaport would reduce Toronto's dependence upon Montreal and New York. One promoter actually proposed that a Hudson Bay railroad in conjunction with northwest passage shipping company would make Toronto the headquarters for the Klondike. In due course Hudson Bay became a self-justifying symbol of Ontario manifest destiny and metropolitan commercial ambition. Although several such themes were projected with the usual civic éclat, each failed considerably in accomplishment; the James Bay Railroad managed reach only as far as Parry Sound, and the Toronto and Hudson Bay, among others, remained gloriously stillborn.

Eventually both Toronto businessmen and northern resource promoters turned to the provincial government for help. Taking an "average business man's point of view with no axe to grind," John Bertram told the Toronto Board of Trade 1901 that it was both necessary and sensible that the state should build the northern railways. "The chief thing to be considered was transportation," he said, "and the government would be lacking (land grants) in its duty, to give away such a rich inheritance to any railroad corporation." On January 15,1902, just on the eve of an important provincial election, the  Ross government introduced a bill to build a railway from North Bay into the Temiskaming district which, it hoped, would give access to the vast arable lands of the Clay Belt discovered only two years earlier, extend the operations of the lumbering industry and expose, in the Minister of Public Works' prophetic words, "deposits of ores and minerals which are likely upon development to add greatly to the wealth of the province Announcement of the planned intersection of the Ontario go ernment line with the National Transcontinental gave Toronto at long last, its national connections. "I believe it [the T. & N. O.] will prove of inestimable value," J. F. Ellis remarked in his presidential address to the Toronto Board of Trade "in developing and settling the fertile wheat lands of New Ontario and the West-lands that are now practically valueless because of the want of railway facilities. Ontario and particularly Toronto, will be the great gainers." But on their way to Hudson Bay and the West, Toronto businessmen suddenly discovered the Canadian Shield. The T. & N. O. and Cobalt taught Toronto to see its new northern hinterland in its own terms."

- H. V. Nelles, The Politics of Development: Forests, Mines & Hydro-Electric Power in Ontario, 1849-1941. Second Edition. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005 (1974), p. 117-120

[singdreamchild]

Octopi, Vampires, & Zombies, Oh My! || Cassius & Mack

Location: Wicked’s Rest Zoo

Timing: July 10th, evening

Parties: Mack (@realmackross ) and Cassius (@singdreamchild )

Summary: Cassius and Mack meet up during one of the evening zoo events of the summer. Things go great until vampirism almost ruins it.

Content warning: None

Llama, as she wholeheartedly believed her name to be after Beau had stolen her real name, hadn’t been to the zoo in such a long time. Of course, usually when she went it was with friends or family. She remembered going to the San Diego Zoo with her cousins not too long before leaving to shoot Haunted. It had been ridiculously hot that day, until a random rainstorm had popped up forcing them inside the monkey exhibit with a few other people. It had been fun, until the monkeys had started going wild and screaming at Llama as if they knew what she had become. It didn’t help that it drew attention to her and her family who were soon trying to get videos and pictures with her. And without being able to wait out the rain, she immediately fled on the verge of a panic attack from all the noise and cameras flashing leaving her cousins disappointed. But that had been almost a lifetime ago, and tonight, she had hoped it would be much better.

“One ticket please. Thanks.” Pulling out some cash, she passed the exact amount over to the person working the ticket window. Taking the ticket in return and her small gift bag in hand, Llama walked inside and found a bench towards the entrance to wait for the man she was supposed to meet. If he had stood her up and chickened out, at least she could still enjoy the exhibits for herself, especially the llamas. Maybe that’s why her parents had named her Llama. They were her favorite. And a nighttime exhibit at the zoo just sounded fun in itself. A “treat yourself” kind of night. If it was one thing Llama had been lacking in lately, it was self-care.

Cassius hadn’t been to the zoo in years. While he appreciated the wildlife that they had on display, he’d just seen so many zoos over the years and felt an overwhelming sense of sadness for most of them, these animals were no longer able to roam free in their natural habitats. Moreover, he had a harder time when they would feed the carnivorous animals and being at a zoo in the daytime. Being a vampire made it hard to enjoy the little things he’d taken for granted while alive in another lifetime. He made his way up to the ticket booth and paid for his admission, nodding his thanks to the worker before making his way inside.

As he had said in his message to the girl, (who Cassius learned was named Mackenzie after looking through her profile online) he wore a long black frock coat with silver button details, black skinny jeans and combat boots. His eyes were lined with black eyeliner and smoked out as well as a multitude of piercings in his face, the only thing that didn’t match was his natural blonde hair amongst all the black. He stood around for a moment, Standing at the entrance, he looked around, hoping that she would recognize him based off of the description he had given her.

Letting her eyes scan the area near the entrance, Llama looked for the man. He had claimed it wouldn’t be hard to spot him, and when she saw someone dressed in black from head-to-toe with blonde hair, just as he had described, she smiled. He hadn’t stood her up, and with that bit of a rush knowing she wouldn’t be spending another evening alone, she scooped up the small bag she had brought with her and moved towards him.

“Hey, I think you’re who I’m looking for? We met online. I’m Llama.” The name was enough alone to make anyone question her sanity considering Llama was a well known actress who went by the name Mackenzie Ross. She might have been lying about her name (even though she didn’t think she was), but there was no denying her face absolutely belonged to the name plastered all over the internet, in tv shows, and movie credits. Even her IMDB page read Mackenzie Ross, but the girl swore up and down that her name was Llama, which was apparent in her innocent expression.

As the girl strode up to him, Cassius gave her a polite smile. When she introduced herself, he faltered. She had been saying her name was Mackenzie up until recently. Llama. Right. Was she going through a phase? He had worked with teenagers for long enough to not judge anyone and what they were going through, but he found this a little odd. “Cassius.” He responded with a slight bow of his head. “A pleasure.” He decided not to mention the oddness of her name, coming to the conclusion that he was simply too old to keep up with trends these days.

He walked over to the side so they didn’t block anyone’s way, then began to rifle through his pocket. “You told me you wanted to see the llamas,” Cassius mentioned with a raise of his brow. “Should we go see that first or would you rather save that for the grand finale?” He had never been to the zoo before, despite the fact that he had lived in the town for a good ten years. After a beat of silence before the girl could answer him, he began to dig through his pocket, pulling out a single lilac-colored octopus and holding it out on the palm of his hand. “Before I forget, I believe this is for you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Cassius.” She smiled warmly in his direction, before following suit and moving off to the side. “And you’re right. I definitely do want to see the llamas. I think if it’s okay with you, I’d like to save them for the grand finale. Were there any particular animals you were looking forward to seeing?” The zoo was such a fun place, and she was glad to be sharing this moment with someone else, even if they had just met. However, before she could ask him anything else, Llama watched as he pulled the small octopus out of his pocket; the whole reason she had come to meet him in the first place. The llamas were just a bonus.

It was adorable and looked even better than the picture she had seen online. It was going to have a special spot in her home on the mantle over the fireplace next to her Emmy awards, “Okay, that is the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time.” She gently took the creature from his hand and held it close, “Thank you. I’ve already got a place picked out for him at home.” She looked down at the small crocheted octopus one more time, before remembering her own gift. “And this is for you.” Llama raised her hand up containing a small gift bag. The contents inside, a book of new animal crochet patterns and some nice crochet needles, weren’t much, but she had hoped he would enjoy it.

Cassius looked down at the bag she had given him, full of crochet supplies and patterns. It was enough to melt his long stopped heart. “This is amazing.” He spoke, looking over to her with wide eyes. “You didn’t need to do this.” He then said shaking his head. He was never given things, and the fact that she had gone out of her way to get supplies specific to the new hobby he had picked up meant a lot to him. A stranger that had paid attention, it was sweet. “Thank you.” He then said, nodding his head enthusiastically. After they had exchanged their gifts, he gave a soft smile as he looked around. “So what should we go look at first?” He asked as he began to walk past the zoo’s entrance and into the main square, as it seemed to be. 

There were signs pointing toward big cats, another pointing in the direction of the birds, and a bigger sign that explained the zoological mission toward conservation and animals that were close to extinction in the wild that they had at the zoo. It made him change his mind a little about zoos, if only for this one specifically. “Honestly, I’ve always felt bad for the animals that are stuck in enclosures.” He admitted to her after reading the sign. “But I also suppose I don’t know nearly enough about what goes into a zoo that truly cares about its animals.”

Llama was so grateful that he liked his gifts. Now, he could make all kinds of animals, including llamas! “Hey, I wanted to. I practically begged for one these little guys,” she held the small octopus up, “So I had to do something in return. And besides, now you can make llamas!” She winked at him. Maybe crocheting was something she could try. But upon second thought, she didn’t have the patience for it. She had always admired people who did though.

Following along, she took in the sights around her including the signs explaining where they were at and the zoo’s mission statement, “You know, I think since llamas are the grand finale, you should pick first.” It was all a little overwhelming, but nice. And it being dark out made things even better, because it was going to take more than just a glance to really see who Llama was, “That’s not a horrible way to feel. You want to picture all these animals free and running around in their homelands, but I guess when they’re being threatened, it’s a totally different story. At least here, people aren’t trying to hurt them. I mean that’s the way I look at it, I guess.” She sent a soft smile in Cassius’ direction hoping that eased his mind a little.

Thinking for a moment, Cassius stood up a little straighter. “I am a fan of lions,” he admitted with a smile. “There’s something about big cats that just get me.” He admitted with a gentle shrug of his shoulder. He shouldered his bag of crochet goodies, then pointed to the sign that mentioned big cats. “Shall we then?” He spoke, pointing in its direction. Once Llama was in agreement, they set off in the direction of the lion exhibit. “So how long have you been in town?” He asked with a raise of his eyebrow. “I’ve been here too long, personally.” He then added, walking slowly so they could take in the other animals as they walked. A cloud leopard, a cheetah, then the lions. 

Upon reaching the exhibit, Cassius’s heart sank. They were feeding the lion. Raw meat. Blood. Hoping it wasn’t seen, Cassius’s eyes turned a bright red and his fangs came out. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips together. He hoped that she hadn’t seen. He gripped the rail, holding his breath so the feeding response to the smell would calm down. He peeked open a red eye, looking over to her. “I guess I should explain myself.” He spoke, staring at the ground. 

Llama loved seeing the big cats. While she definitely was more of a dog person, there was just something about lions and other huge felines that seemed so majestic, “Lions it is! And maybe it’s because they’re so graceful, yet still so powerful?” She looked over to the sign he was pointing at, “We shall!”

As Llama moved forward, she let her eyes scan the enclosures looking at some exhibits that seemed to be closed. She couldn’t help but wonder if those animals were asleep or if it was some other reason that they weren’t on display. She knew the zoo had well trained and certified vets and other people working there, but she couldn’t help but worry, even though just moments earlier she had reassured Cassius that everything was okay. However, his question seemed to pull her mind away from the thoughts, “Huh, um, a little over two months. What brought you here?” Finally she had caught sight of the other big cats on display including leopards and cheetahs. They were much more beautiful in person than the pictures she had seen on the website.

But when they finally made it to the lions, her eyes grew with excitement. Moving closer to the glass barricade, she watched as the caretaker pulled out fresh meat to feed to the lion, “Looks like we got here at the right time, Cass-” Llama’s words hung in her throat as she caught sight of his eyes changing and fangs appearing. Backstepping slightly, her eyes grew wider than they were watching the lion be fed, “Uh…yeah, that’d be nice. Should I be worried…” Her mind was screaming vampire, but vampires couldn’t be real, could they? This wasn’t Twilight.

Feeling foolish for being unable to predict something as simple as feeding the animals, Cassius shook his head, eyes still closed as he waited for the smell to leave his system. He was terrible at feeding himself, so being able to control his hunger wasn’t as easy as it looked. He wondered if vampires who fed regularly on any creature had as hard a time with this as he did. 

Once the lion had taken the food further away toward its den, Cassius opened his eyes, they were back to their normal blue. “Apologies, I didn’t mean for you to see that.” He admitted, leaning forward on the barricade, glad that they were the only ones watching the lions at that moment. “I will not harm you,” he began, gaze turning to one of worry. He looked around, noting that there was no one present. “I am a vampire.” He explained with a defeated look. “I try to live as normal a life as I can, but it has its limits.” He frowned, feeling silly. 

He looked to the lion eating its food, holding his breath so he appeared unnaturally still, watching the creature with an awed gaze. “I’ve always envied animals. They have no sense of right or wrong, only survival.” Cassius found himself saying, hands pressed against the glass. “I understand if you want to leave.” He then said, finally looking over to the girl.

A wave of relief washed over Llama’s dead form, when she saw his eyes turn back to their normal blue hue. She honestly wasn’t sure why she had been so afraid. She was dead after all. If he tried to suck her blood, he probably wouldn’t get anything, but a little bit of rot and decay. Which speaking of? Didn’t that mean he was dead too? And why was he telling her all of this? It seemed that most people would have lied, much like she had been doing, but seeing someone being open and honest with who they were gave Mackenzie a brief sense of peace, “I trust you. I…I guess I didn’t realize that vampires were actually a real thing, you know? Do you sparkle? Like in the daytime, do you sparkle?” What the fuck, Mackenzie? It was the only thing she could think to say.

Turning her attention back to the animals, Llama looked down at the ground embarrassed, “I’m sorry. I don’t know why that question came out. I’m sure you get that a lot.” She glanced back over at him, not fully paying attention to him, until he spoke again. “Look, you made it clear, you’re not gonna hurt me, and honestly, you probably can’t. Not much can anymore…” She wasn’t sure why or if it was the smartest idea, but maybe having one more person on her side would be nice, “I’m already dead.”

Cassius stared at her for a moment. Sparkling. He had just revealed himself to be a bloodsucking creature of the night and she wanted to know if he sparkled. “Vampires, much to popular media’s dismay, do not sparkle in sunlight. We burn. Sunlight physically hurts, it burns.” He explained, waving a hand in the air as he leaned against the fence, staring at the tiger eating in its sanctuary.

He looked to the girl who called herself Llama, exhaling through his nose loudly. “You too?” Cassius questioned with a quirked brow. “There’s more of us around here than I thought.” He muttered, brows furrowing as he thought back to how many supernatural folk he’d managed to meet in a relatively short period of time. He readjusted the bag of goodies that the young woman had given him, tilting his head from side to side as he found himself lost in his own thoughts. “It’s weird.” He then said, a slight frown across his lips. “To know that that I’m capable of hurting someone just so I can stay alive.” 

He moved his tongue across his teeth, furrowed brows finally relaxing. “I appreciate that you didn’t run off. And for trusting me with your own secret.” He gave a soft smile, one of understanding and acceptance. “So, you still want to see those llamas?” He then asked with an amused glint in his eyes. 

Of course they burned. It was more of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer bit rather than a Twilight bit. “Sorry. I’m still new to all of this “there’s actually vampires in the world” thing.” Llama had hoped she hadn’t offended him, and felt bad if she did. But she knew there were probably assumptions about zombies that weren’t true. She just didn’t know which ones were and weren’t. 

“Yeah, not a vampire though. A zombie. The brain eaters of the living dead.” She did know that much. Llama lived off of brains. Once a week, and she was good to go. It still didn’t make it any easier though knowing that she had to survive off of another human being's misfortune. Thankfully she didn’t do the killing, but it didn’t mean she didn’t still feel guilty. “Do you not have a supplier?” She looked at him curiously. Her assistant, Taylor, had been the one to find someone that dealt in brains surprisingly leaving Llama out of all of it. At this point she had forgotten about the animals. Being so engrossed in their conversation had pulled her mind into a direction she really didn’t want it to go, so it was a relief when he had eased up the moment, “It’s nothing, really. I would be a hypocrite if I ran off screaming. I’m just as capable of doing immoral things as you are, and besides, I figure it can’t hurt to have another friend in this town who knows my secret.” At the word llamas, Llama perked up, “Of course I do. llamas are what make this undead life worth living.” With a warm smile, she grabbed his hand, ready to head to the llama enclosure when he was ready, grateful to have a new friend at her side.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Recently, GMcT has teamed up his bourbon 🥃 with “War Chief” aura. It appears Uncle Dougal MacKenzie is using Outlander as a business strategic. Now is President Graham McTavish 🙄

It's hard to believe, in this activity that he wants to do as a subject that he likes to dedicate time to. I didn't know Graham was a whisky connoisseur 🥃 He showed little knowledge of whiskies in interviews. Although both Scotch and bourbon are whisky (e)y, there are significant differences between them. I don't see him with this new passion, "bourbon", but he has turned this interest into a business, seeking "cash in".

That is one thing he does, draw attention to his style, or to a region that otherwise would not be known for him, with a bourbon made and distilled in Kentucky, United States, that he promotes and advertises from Scotland dressed in character next to the American flag.

Now he invites you to "An Evening With McTavish Spirits" a tasting at St Andrew’s clubhouse in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 £96.85 - £180. The home of golf but he doesn’t play golf 😳 and the home of the Old St. Andrews whisky brand that brings together the best that Scotland has given to the world, golf and whisky, hence the idea of ​​Old St. Andrews Clubhouse whisky.

If they like adding water to his bourbon, Scottish water is surprisingly good straight from the tap, better than bottled “mineral water.”

Friday, 3 November 2023

[cafeiity]

F/O recommendations, because I'm desperate for mutuals who'd like V/eronica Mars 😭🙏🙏

Slight spoiler warning, but also,,, this show is pretty old, it originally ended in like 2008, so it's like I'm spoiling the movie 'Psycho' at this point😭😭

Also, just warning, I won't suggest the two characters I personally self ship with, because I'm very possessive (embarrassed to say that, but I must be honest). Also, I'm only including some of the characters, because I don't want to promote the horrible ones, who are straight up predators or stuff like that. Also, all of these characters are confirmed to be over 18 in season 3 and forward, because I ain't suggesting any minors as 'F/O material', except as familial and platonic F/O material.

PROSHIPPERS/"ANTI-ANTIS"/NEUTRAL ON PROSHIPPING, GTFO

... Ahem, let's start shall we?

Our first candidate for F/O-ship is Keith Mars, the ex-sheriff, now-turned private investigator in the town of Neptune, California. Father of Veronica Mars herself, and a very good father at that! He also comes with Backup, an adorable pitbull (that was a bulldog at first), so if you want a furry and loyal pet along with a potential significant other, Keith is a double-deal!

Our runner-up candidate is Eli "Weevil" Navarro, the leader of the local biker gang. He's been a trouble maker since he was 12, but deep down he cares about his grandma Leticia, and his friend Felix, and he could even care about you!

A sweet, athletic and hilarious guy, with an interest in mechanical engineering and basketball. Wallace Fennel is perfect for anyone who loves a funny, charming guy! He's also had a pretty decent history with romance, and he definitely would treat you right, because his mom raised him right!

Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie, aka one of the best girls ever, is Neptune's best computer genius. And no, that's not why her nickname is Mac, before you assume that. Not to mention, if you ever need a little quick cash, Mac is definitely one of the people to hit up, as she can set you up with a great pay walled website rich Neptune residents are sure to pay for.

Stosh "Piz" Piznarski runs his own radio show at Hearst College, and is Wallace's roommate! He's a good guy with a good sense of humor! What's not to like?

Parker Lee, she becomes a recurring character in season 3! She's a Capricorn, she's from Denver, Colorado, and she's Mac's roommate at college. She's kinda your typical peppy girl! She likes any show from America's Next Top Model, Grey's Anatomy, and her favorite author is Jane Austen.

Leo D'Amato, who starts off the show as a new deputy in town, then getting a job as a security guard or whatever he was briefly in season 2, who ends up later working as detective at the San Diego Police Department, and by season 4 (which we will not talk about other than now), he's even in the FBI! If you love a man with an exciting career history, and who cares about his family, and would even go as steal and sell evidence to pay for something for his disabled sister, so if you ask me, he'd clearly do that for you if you F/O'd him!