#complain to Miss Karen Carpenter
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transmutationisms · 9 months ago
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Do u have any thoughts to share about May December? 💭
hm i mean. it was good, not great, perfectly entertaining way to spend 2 hours. if you had to complain i think the obvious point would be that between the three leads, joe gets a bit shortchanged in terms of the balance of narrative focus, and it is a bit frustrating that his confrontation of gracie comes after so much prompting from elizabeth—melton's performance is standout, but the script isn't quite committed to letting his character earn that arc on his own terms. i remember a lot of reviews when it came out saying that the film wasn't moralising or wasn't passing judgment on gracie—i really thoroughly disagree lol and i'm not really sure why people think that. moments like the high school boy trying to show off for elizabeth, and her just laughing it off because he's a kid, or joe getting high and crying in his son's arms, seem p clear and even didactic to me. which, like, yeah it's a moral position i agree with but i think as a piece of cinema, the film is more interesting where it's sketching out the psychologies of its characters, and there are some missed opportunities imo with the way joe is written: we don't so much get him speaking on his own terms, like gracie and elizabeth, because ultimately the film itself is convinced that the only way someone could be in his position is by lying to themselves ("people see me as some kind of victim") and the only progression or arc presented for him is to, essentially, follow elizabeth's suggestion.
i do actually think there's some thematic continuity here with todd haynes's karen carpenter movie 'superstar', insofar as 'may december' is also interested in interrogating fame and infamy, and what drives us to make a tabloid story out of someone's abject misery. with carpenter too a lot of the coverage did take a specifically very moralistic tone, and was simultaneously so clearly motived by and capitalising off of people's desire to gawk. and whereas in 'superstar' haynes resists that sort of payoff by using the barbie dolls in place of emaciated bodies, in 'may december' there's a somewhat similar effect achieved by keeping the story so focussed away from the actual details of what happened—and by making elizabeth, who's often an audience proxy to ask these questions, pretty uncomfortably intrusive and self-serving at points. nothing about it, like, blew my mind, but yeah it was generally solid, and particularly anchored by three really strong lead performances imo.
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kitschke · 11 months ago
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ok here's my reason to believe rankings:
1. I love Karen how could I not put them first. This was the first version I heard of this song so obviously I'm biased for that reason (and my love of the artist) but I do like the instrumentation and rhythm. it's corny but in a way that works for me. and lush harmony to boot
2. the best of the folky versions imo, bc of her distinctive voice. it adds such emotion to the song that really is missing from most other versions tbh
3. just listened to this one for the first time today and damn they went hard on that arrangement. such a bop, features every 60s pop instrument ever. also this obviously dates the song intensely but it works for me as a fan of very 60s sounding 60s songs. plus ofc Lee's sultry vocals are the cherry on top
4. kind of surprised myself with how high I ranked this one. ofc it's a classic but listening to them all in succession made me appreciate the arrangement of this more. even tho I'm not a Stewarthead I like the organ, and his raspy style brings out its tenderness ironically. it's a little long in the tooth, idk if the acapella section was necessary but it's also pleasant so I can't complain 🤷
5. just a good solid folk song, nothing in particular really catches my ear but I feel it deserves a top 5 spot for being the original and all. thanks tim 👍
6. sigh. I wanted to rank this higher and in fact initially had it above stewart and hardin, but on re-listen I just can't say the arrangement is as good as any of the top 5. I do love them as a group and their voices + harmonies are what got them this spot, but I think I would have liked it better had they stuck to a more simple folk setup. the plodding piano just feels like a children's song and sadly even the twangy guitar feels brings too much cheese (and I am usually a fan of the twang). i'd rather listen to puff tbh
7. this feels like they wanted the big 60s sound like peggy lees version but tried to make it as sentimental as possible. im fine with ol glen and a wistful melody (who doesn't weep to wichita lineman) but just kinda falls flat here to me. yeah yeah there's strings but. shrug. It still is the best to me out of the boring arrangements
8. tbh these next three are all equally forgettable to me so they're all kinda ranked the same in my mind. +1 for harmonies but the arrangement is kinda blah otherwise
9. this is like the youngbloods version but slightly more performative country. so minus 0.5
10. worst of the folk arrangements, sounds the same as tim hardin with the only addition being a fun lil drum on occasion. the drum is nice but that's all I remember. and no harmonies so -8
youtube
11. apparently there's audio link limits?? but I'm just not as into 80s soft rock style sorry gals. love ur outfits and poses tho. and I respect the attempt to revitalize this song that everyone in their parent's generation covered it's something I'd do
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pandoraimperatrix · 3 years ago
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caught between goodbye and I love you
DickKory | Pining | Eventual smut | Two shots | Post season 3 AU
Chapter 1: My heart is a sad affair
Nobody could say he didn't have been trying. Well, they could but it wouldn't be true.
Even though Bruce had made sure Dick knew how to attract the female attention, nobody told him what to do when it didn’t work as planned. Or how to stanch the wound.
Hell, Bruce made sure he could seduce anyone that could be seduced. "It is a very useful skill to have in your utility belt, Chum" he said then. But it didn't mean Dick didn’t pray for the sweet release of death back then when he was being forced to have seduction lessons under Alfred's or worse, Selina's tutelage.
He should have payed more attention to when they broke up, not that he’d have learnt something useful. They always got back together. He and Kory on other hand…
Well, been taught how to seduce someone for ulterior motives didn’t mean he knew what to do when his goal was not mission oriented. Usually in a mission, after the seduction part was over, even if he had to date the person for more than one night, he had a script and a clear goal. But what if there was no mission? What if he had hopes instead of goals? What to do without no script to follow? No set of rules to guide him?
And he was especially bad when he genuinely cared, never being able to judge if he was trying too hard or too little, usually finding himself overcome with anxiety which resulted into pushing the object of his affections away in the long run. That happened to Dawn, to Babs, hell, despite being a completely different kind of relationship it almost happened with Rachel and Gar too. Thank goodness his children were way more forgiving.
Since Dawn was gone for good and he and Babs had broke up again after deluding themselves for a whole five minutes that their childhood trauma bonded romance could have a last hurrah. He was back to reality. The depressing reality that he, to his absolute despair, cared for Kory, so much, too much, more than he had thought that he ever could for anyone.
Read on AO3
Despite all his overthinking tendencies, all his overplanning, all his precautions, he really didn’t see that coming. Of course, he was aware he was attracted to her from day one, it was nothing alarming back then, at least in the beginning. It hurt when she told him she needed to find out who she was before it got too serious, but he understood, and it was fine. They had time. And time they had, after their reunion, raising a household together, his physical attraction to her remained, and new set of feelings started breeding from their partnership. Something way more aggravating than the constant desire to fuck her brains off every time she entered the room, something deeper.
It took a while, because he was known for being stubborn as fuck, but he knew that a good detective can’t cherry pick evidences, and eventually, he admitted to himself that he wanted to be with her forever. Which not only was a scary thought by itself, considering how much time he spent running from everything serious and true, but it made his insides twist in fear.
Because nothing that good could last. When the love of you life quite literally fell from heaven, heaven can take her back whenever. And the thought of losing her at any moment pushed his anxieties to the roof. Her behaviour haven’t been exactly helping. Despite of not having anything substantial of proof, Dick could feel something was wrong with her, something that she wouldn't talk about no matter how many times he tried to approach her.
Maybe it was his fault, maybe he put himself in a position in which she felt responsible for his wellbeing but not trustworthy to be relied upon after the mess he had made with Slade and with Jason.
Besides, what claim did he have to demand any clarification from her? They weren't together.
But it still hurt. That feeling of uselessness, of having nothing to offer when she gave so much just being by his side.
They lived in the same house and were currently raising super powered teenagers together, everybody outside their tight circle assumed they were a couple, married even, hell, her sister thought they were together. And Kory hardly flinched when they dined out and the waiter called her “Mrs Grayson”, she joked about it, that also hurt, because it wasn’t true. Yes they used to have sex, and yes he was trying to make his grimaces of pain to look like smiles on regular basis to hide how much he wanted her, but they are not together.
But it wasn't by Dick's choice.
It was Kory's.
And the rejection hurt, especially when he didn’t expect it.
From all his many faults, Dick wasn't that kind of guy, it wasn’t as if he didn’t think that her rejection was impossible or insulting due to some high opinion of himself. But it just didn’t make sense. He wasn't deluding himself, although he sometimes had no choice but doubt, wanting to believe and respect her choice, but when it had such dissonance with her actions…
Because, as much as he sometimes wanted to take the easy way out that his internal self-hatred provided – that he was crazy, pathetic and there was no way in heaven or hell such woman would have feelings for him – Dick had also been trained in reading body language and micro expressions.
Everything about how Kory interacted with him felt like an invitation. Unless he had been suffering from a very serious case of psychosis (again), he couldn’t have been imagining the longing in her gaze. Sometimes, even when he thought she wasn’t in the room, he could feel her eyes in him. And it wasn’t just the hot looks he was used to get from people that only thought he was attractive – even though Kory would give him plenty of those too, his skin had been reaping the benefits of all his ice cold showers. But, sometimes, especially when he was giving attention to their children, or just doing something mundane like reading or meditating, he could feel her watching. A gentle smile on her face, eyes like pools of warmth and endearment. Nobody ever looked at him like that, with such unadulterated fondness.
Or the way she found excuses to touch him. He always loved the feeling of falling, doing unnecessary stunts so he could only feel that special kind of rush. With Kory around to catch him whenever he needed, he had been doing that even more often so he could feel her strong arms around him, and she never denied him.
When they fought enemies, or trained, she always found a way to make skin contact, throwing him at their mark to give him an extra boost, instead of shouting for him to clear away from danger, she’d physically pull him away in very unnecessary and unfortunately fast hugs.
She’d lean on his shoulder for no reason at all, even after her powers returned and she told everyone she was not feeling tired all the time anymore. In the mornings, while they washed the dishes together – since Gar banned them both from cooking – she’d bump him with her hip to make him move out of her way, and her hands always lingered when handing him an utensil.
Kory was always pressing away invisible wrinkles on his clothing, and picking things from his hair, so much he could hear muffled giggles from the children every time she did that.
And how could he have been imagining the way her face lit every time he entered the room, or when someone mentioned his name? He couldn't have made anything like that up. Didn't have the self-esteem necessary, or the self-hatred necessary to imagine such torture.
Dick did wonder, though, if living with a woman that looked like what poets sang about, that had the personality correspondent of the most golden of summer’s day, and flirted with him mercilessly, but yet dismissed every attempt he made to turn their relationship into something romantic was just karma. In the past, he had abused his own good looks and knowledge. Hearts had been broken because of his folly, and now the universe was punishing him or something.
Yeah, right, as if the universe cared that much.
But then, when his bitterness and confusion were not settled at all, and he was getting ready for another night of delicious horrible dreams about the woman that did not want him, something weird happened.
Kory Anders, knocking on his door, with a bottle of tequila, just a few days after he finally asked her out and she destroyed his heart and made a mess of his head by saying no. Not only no, she said she didn’t like him like that. That she loved him as a friend, and didn’t want to make things more complicated.
What a bunch of garbage.
For a fraction of second he wondered what she'd do if he closed the door on her face. But he'd never be able to do that, so, wordlessly, he gave away the space she needed to enter his room.
“Can I help you?” he said when she just stood there, looking everywhere but him, as if his room were a great novelty.
Kory bit her lip and he wanted to die. He didn’t want to believe she did those things out of malice, but sometimes one cannot help but being angry over such carelessness.
“Kory?” he asked in that bitchy impatient way of his.
“I lied,” she finally said in a puff of breath.
“What you mean?” His heart was racing, it couldn’t be. Was he asleep? Most of his dreams began with some sort of flashback of their first night. Terrible, terrible dreams that always ended too soon.
She looked away, searching for something, his heart shrank when swayed her body aside, thinking she was about to leave, but Kory placed the bottle and the cups on his dresser and turned back to him, the look she gave him making his throat feel raw. In two powerful strides she was all over him, firm elegant palms cradling his head as she tilted his face to the angle she wanted for their kiss. It was like if time went back.
He pulled her closer carefully, afraid she’d disappear in the smoke of his lust filled memory if he went too hard or too fast, but even when she remained solid, warm under his touch, her teeth pulling his bottom lip mercilessly, then spreading licks and soothing kisses, her perfume making him dizzy, he let her lead. It was easier, which considering his tendency for always taking the most tortuous path, added a layer of pleasure in a luxury hardly ever taken.
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Notes:
I started writing this before season 3, because I wanted to write a fic in which Dick was pining, and also I wanted it to be steamy and smutty. But since the smut part is taking forever to finish and the pining part became bigger than what I planned, you get a two shot.
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Preview:
“Please don’t this. I don’t want to pretend. I’m so tired of lying to you and I’ll have to pretend to the rest of my life. This might be the last night I will ever have to be myself, to be with you. I need this to be real.”
Kory took one of the hands off his hair, bending her arm backwards so she could rub him trough his trousers. Dick let out a moan and she used the opportunity to make a wet path of kisses across his cheekbones, until she reached his ear. She whispered something in her native language and licked his earlobe.
What else could he do? She wanted real. He’d give her real.
Dick pulled her up as his lips claimed hers again, her powerful legs crossed around his hips. He held her up like that for a while, just enjoying the feel of her body pressed flush against his. His hands giving her support by moulding her round butt with his palms.
Dick he walked backwards until his chins hit the bed and he fell sitting with Kory on his lap. She stopped her ministrations to pull her hair from her face and look down at him.
“Hey,” she said, her eyelashes were still wet, but her tears had stopped falling, she looked so… No wonder she belonged to the heavens, no being in the planet could be so perfect.
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harknesswife · 4 years ago
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It was you all along (AgathaHarknessxFemale Reader)
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Summary: This is a sweet self-insert love story between Agatha and a Westview citizen. Everything that happens follows the original events of "Wandavision" and MCU, like a parallel.
Chapter: 03/10
Word count: 752
My curtains were shut so I wouldn’t be tempted to wait for her to pass by. I soon realized that Agnes had nothing to do with all those mixed feelings. She was known for being friendly and I just misunderstood her. I’d get over it. Lights off, Carpenters playing on the radio, a bathtub filled with hot water waiting for me… how I needed that.
I was on my way to the bathroom when Karen Carpenter’s voice faded. I tried the light switch, but nothing happened. Out of power. Great. Usually, when something like that happens, all the neighbors gather around and complain about it until someone comes to fix it, but there was no one else outside. I got out to check and there was a small commotion way ahead, kinda far from where I was. I decided to knock on some doors nearby, looking for help or maybe a little bit of information about what was going on. I didn’t actually know anyone, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
My first attempt was at the house right in front of mine. I could see a man and a woman, both sitting in front of the tv, focused. I waved, but they didn’t seem to notice. So I turned around, trying to find another angle to get some attention when I glanced at their tv. It was off, just like mine. But why would they keep looking at an empty screen? I felt weird, staring at that scene as if I knew something was wrong.
Suddenly I heard a really loud noise, and lots of pipes imploded, watering everything around. Those two sitting on the couch didn’t seem to realize what was happening. Even while getting all soaked, they stood still, like blinking statues. I felt the urge to run.
I opened my door and, even knowing what I could find, it scared the hell out of me. My kitchen was all wet, so were my living room and the bathroom upstairs. I felt my hair glued to my face while I fought to close the water supply, and after I did, it looked like I had gone for a swim. I sat on the floor, exhausted. Too much for a “me-time”, I guess.
I have no idea of how much time I just sat there, on the wet floor, thinking how crazy all of that was and how would I clean that up, before I heard the sound of a bell right in my front door. It was Agnes. And, of course, she looked like out of a magazine, with her bicycle and flowers in a tiny basket.
"How are you all dry and perfect?" I said, leaning my head on the door jamb, smiling a little.
"I wasn’t at home," she said, getting off her bike. "I came to check on you. Are you okay?"
I looked down so she wouldn’t see me blush like an idiot, and nodded. I wasn’t hurt, at least. But I had that pain inside my head again, trying to make some sense out of those last minutes. Some neighbors finally got out of their houses, also wet, holding brooms squeegees. Maybe a little late for that, huh?
Agnes was looking above my shoulder, maybe trying to get a peek of the mess inside, when what seemed a flash of red lightning came across us. One of those “if you blink, you’ll miss it” situations. Only I didn’t blink.
"Have you seen that?" I glanced at Agnes and then at the end of the street, trying to find any clue of what the hell was that.
She looked up, and then at me again, confusion in her eyes.
"This light! This red light that just happened!"
"Oh, you mean the fireworks?" she asked, looking so deep in my eyes that I forgot for a second what I was talking about. I shook my head a little.
"Those were not… were they? Fireworks?"
Like magic, we heard some more blastings right behind us, and beautiful sparks of fire burned in the sky. I took a deep breath. Maybe I just needed to lay down. Agnes looked at me with a pitty semblance, clearly, she thought the same.
"What was that about?" I shivered, feeling cold.
"Well, maybe they’re checking if everything is settled", she said, getting back on her bicycle.
"Settled for what?"
"Halloween is coming, babe."
She looked back at me, smiling. I trembled again, but the cold had nothing to do with it.
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ringa-starr · 5 years ago
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What You Mean To Me CH 1
A/N: Hey everybody! Welcome to the first part of my very first story! I am so excited to share this with you guys and I hope you enjoy it! Please message me with any ideas you have because that would be a big, big help. Even though I know where I want this fic to go, your input would just be amazing and please let me know if you want to be on my fic tag list that way you’ll never miss a new chapter. :) 
There is one thing I would like to mention as well: I’m changing things up a little bit. There will be cell phones in this story even though this takes place in the 80′s.
Please let me know what you think and comments would be most appreciated.
Stay excellent and breathtaking and as always, be excellent to each other!
I love you all and I will see you guys for chapter 2!
-Love Deidra
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Deidra Goldberg smiled and rolled her eyes as she watched her best friends and band mates Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted “Theodore” Logan jam out on their guitars after introducing themselves as the ‘Wild Staylions”; just like they always did at every band practice.
It was after school on a Thursday afternoon and Deidra and the guys were holding their weekly band practice in Bill’s garage.
Deidra was the third and only girl, member in the band playing the drums and Bill and Ted always teased her that she was going to be the next Karen Carpenter, especially after watching her play as well as she did.
On this day, Deidra was glad Bill’s dad and stepmom Missy were out of town for the week because if they had been home, Bill’s dad would already be downstairs complaining about the noise.
The house always vibrated and shook when Bill and Ted played their guitars and Deidra could have sworn that she heard several things break from inside the house.
She couldn’t even tell if what she felt was just the house vibrating or her phone in her jeans pocket.
Pulling out her phone, Deidra saw a text from her best girlfriend Emily asking what she was doing. With a grin and a shake of her head, Deidra texted back:
‘Watching as Bill and Ted cause an earthquake. What about you?”
A few moments later Emily texted back: “Lol Working on history homework 🤮”
Deidra texted back: “You poor soul. Practice will be over in another half hour. You want me to come over and help you?”
“Yes plz!” Emily texted back. “You’re a lifesaver!”
Deidra grinned and texted back a kiss emoji, telling Emily she’d see her then.
She was just about to put her phone back in her pocket when she noticed the guitars and vibrating had stopped.
“Who’re you talking to?” Bill asked Deidra, a grin on his face with Ted looking as well with his own signature cute, goofy grin.
Deidra almost jumped a mile at the sound of her friend’s voice, a blush creeping up on her face as she put her phone away.
“Emily”, she replied as she stood up, walking over to her drum set she kept in Bill’s garage and sitting down on the small, wooden stool.
She took her drumsticks in her hands before playing a small drum riff. “She wanted to see what I was up to.”
Ted noticed the soft blush on his best friend’s cheeks and gave him a teasing grin.
“Did she ask about Bill?” he asked Deidra in a teasing voice.
“Shut, up Ted”, Bill said through clenched teeth, his face getting redder as he put his guitar strap back on.
Ted smiled at Deidra and she smiled back, laughing a little.
They both knew Bill had a big crush on Emily only he was too shy to say much of anything to her.
Whenever the trio were at school and Emily came over to talk to Deidra, Bill would almost immediately start blushing and sweating while fumbling on his words as Emily said hi to him.
As a result, Bill would wave goodbye before running off.
~~~
“Bill”, Deidra said after practice had ended for the day.
The trio were now sitting outside Bill’s open garage having a snack of barbecue chips and Coke, Metallica’s Enter Sandman playing quietly on the large stereo inside the garage.
“Why don’t you just talk to Emily?” she smiled softly and took a small sip of her drink, a thought crossing her mind. “What do you think she’s gonna do?” Deidra teased. “Bite you?”
“No!” Bill replied, circling his finger around the rim of his Coke can nervously as he thought about Emily. “It’s just that…well, s-she’s just…so-so pretty.”
A small smile crossed his features as he pictured Emily’s long blonde hair and beautiful smile as she walked down the hall in between classes.
He thought about the way her blue eyes shined and in Bill’s opinion, her eyes put the stars in San Dimas to shame at night.
“Really…. really pretty”, Bill added dreamily as he found himself drifting off into space.
“Well, Deidra’s pretty!” Ted spoke up, causing Deidra’s heart to skip a beat, her own face growing hot. “And you can talk to her just fine, Dude!”
Deidra felt herself sweating as she rubbed the back of her neck nervously, her heart beating faster.
When it came to crushes, Deidra knew exactly what Bill was feeling.
She herself harvested a secret crush on Ted that she had been keeping to herself ever since the trio had started at San Dimas High a couple years ago.
The trio have known each other since first grade and became the best of friends ever since, but it wasn’t until their freshman year of high school that Deidra began to think of Ted as more than just a best friend.
At times all she wanted to do was tell Ted how she felt: how cute she thought he looked when his long, dark hair fell in his face, how his chocolate brown eyes lit up whenever he was excited about something, and how he was so kind, so loving…so…so-
Deidra was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of the volume of Metallica’s hit song intensifying.
Bill and Ted were now in the pathway of the garage, Ted’s hand on the volume dial.
“Here comes my favorite part!” Ted cried as he made eye contact with Bill who had an equally excited smile on his face.
“Excellent!” the boys cried out in perfect unison before doing their signature air guitar move.
 (A/N: I recommended listening to 2:42-3:57 as you read the next bit 🥰 )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxRxd8aNd6I
Deidra watched with a smile as Bill and Ted ran back out to the front of the garage, Coke cans in hand as the ground beneath them began to vibrate due to the heavy bass of Metallica’s guitar and drum riffs.
The boys mimicked the guitar’s long instrumental break, sliding on the pavement as if they were preforming an actual concert.
Deidra smiled and slightly shook her head.
They were dorks all right, but they were her dorks and she wouldn’t trade her friendship with them for anything in the world.
When the guitar break ended,  being replaced by the sound of drums, Bill and Ted jumped back on their feet, striking dramatic poses as well as serious, dark expressions as the drums in the song increased and the guitar riffs grew darker, Ted tapping his foot to the beat as his and Bill’s heads hung low.
“Now I lay me down to sleep”, Ted recited, matching James Hetfield’s tone of voice perfectly, using his Coke can as a microphone.
“Now I lay me down to sleep”, Bill repeated in his normal voice, doing the same with his can.
“I pray the Lord my soul to keep”, Ted continued, slowly making eye contact with his best friend though each passing line of the prayer.
“I pray the Lord my soul to keep”, Bill echoed.
“If I die before I wake…”
“If I die before I wake…”
“I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
“I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
“Hush little baby don’t say a word!” Ted sang after striking another quick pose.
He whipped his head to match the two beats in between, his dark hair flying before landing in his face, making him look mysterious and his eyes shining didn’t help matters much.
Deidra gulped and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
Sure, it was hot out here…but when did it suddenly get hotter?
“And never mind that noise you heard!”
Ted whipped his head a couple more times before Bill took the next line, striking another pose as well. “It’s just the beasts under your bed!” he sang before moving closer to Ted so they could share the same Coke can.
“In your closet in your head!” the boys belted out in perfect unison before downing their drinks and tossing them into the open trashcan, the cans landing inside with ease.
Bill and Ted threw their heads back as the song’s chorus played on before looking at each other and busting out laughing, returning to their fold-out chairs.
“You guys are crazy”, Deidra laughed with a smile before finishing her soda.
“Oh, yeah?” Bill asked giving her a teasing smirk before tackling her in a headlock, causing Deidra to laugh even harder.
“You’re the crazy one for hanging out with a couple crazies like us, Dudette.”
“Dog pile!” Ted cried happily as he tackled his friends.
Ted quickly scrambled beside Bill and started giving Deidra a noogie.
Now, you might be thinking to yourself: what girl would allow herself to wrestle around with her two best guy friends as if she were one of the boys?
A girl who has an older twin brother and a younger brother, that’s who.
Yup, Deidra was a middle child between her older twin brother Barry, older sister Erica, and little brother Adam so she was pretty used to rolling around in the dirt or wrestling with her friends.
She watched her brothers do it all the time.
Ted pulled Deidra a bit closer against him in order to give her a harder noogie and it was then that Deidra had to stop for a moment and notice the strong, wonderful scent of Ted’s cologne that was lingering off his clothes.
God, he smelled so good!
‘We’re off the Never-Neverland’ came the song from inside the garage, and as if on cue, the trio started laughing harder as they fell backwards, losing their balances as the song came to an end.
“Oh, man!” Deidra laughed as she struggled to catch her breath, her head under Bill and Ted’s chins. “Y-You guys are a couple of nut-jobs!”
“That’s us!” Ted agreed with a goofy smile, Bill nodding in agreement.
“Yup!” Bill added. “That’s us, nut-jobs!”
He gave Ted a high-five.
As they all tried to catch their breaths, Deidra blushed at the sound of Ted’s fast-paced heartbeat in her ears.
Oh, how she wanted so badly to kiss his neck and lovingly caress his chest…to tell him she loved him.
She could have laid right there forever.
To her, the sound of Ted’s heart beating was like a beautiful, romantic harp song that only she could understand.
“Hey, Dee”, Ted spoke up, his voice tearing into her thoughts. She was noticing his heart rate slowing back to normal. “Weren’t you supposed to help Emily with something?”
Deidra’s eyes popped open, her fantasies vanishing like a puff of smoke as the beautiful harp song scratched to a stop.
“Shit!” she cried. “You’re right!”
Hurrying to her feet, Deidra noticed that the afternoon sun was starting to set.
Quickly pulling out her phone, she saw that it was 6:26 p.m. which means that Emily had called her three hours ago!
“Oh, man!” Deidra cried. “Emily’s never gonna let me hear the end of this!”
“Tell her I said hey!” Ted called good-naturally as Deidra started running down Bill’s driveway.
“Oh, sure!” Deidra called back as she came to a halt. “If she lets me get a word in anyhow!”
Bill gave Deidra a smile.
“Are you and Emily coming to my party tomorrow night?” he called.
Ever since Bill got word that his dad and Missy were going out of town, only one thought came to his mind: throwing the best party San Dimas has ever seen!
The teen had been planning this party since the end of the trio’s last year of junior high and now that it was finally going to become a reality, Bill was totally prepared and ready for anything.
The party was all Bill talked about ever since his dad and Missy shut the front door last Saturday afternoon.
‘I don’t have time for this, Bill!’ Deidra thought to herself.
“I’ll double check with Emily and she if wants to come!” Deidra called, “but I know I’ll be there for sure! See you guys in school tomorrow! Stay excellent, guys!”
And with that she was off.
As she ran off to her best friend’s house, Deidra smiled as she thought about Bill and Ted and how fun they were to be around.
She wouldn’t trade their friendship for anything in the world and she was confident nothing could ever ruin that, but at the funny feeling in her stomach as she thought about Ted, Deidra wasn’t so sure.
‘Oh, c’mon now!” Deidra told herself. “You guys have been friends for so long, nothing can break that.”
She smiled as she turned a corner, closer to Emily’s street and for the first time since she developed feelings for Ted, Deidra was feeling pretty good about the bond she had with Bill and Ted.
They have seen each other through all kinds of fights as well as good times and bad.
It felt as if they had been through everything together and when you’ve been through what you feel like are the hardest times in your life with your closest friends by your side, nothing’s impossible.
Well, that’s exactly what Deidra was feeling and thinking as she knocked on Emily’s front door.
However, if those feelings would remain the same in the next 24-hours’ time, Deidra was about to find out.
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lowkeyenvy · 7 years ago
Text
Just Like This - Prom ‘59
Synopsis:  Inspired by David Harbour's tweets: "Hawkins class of '60. She and Lonnie went to Prom winter of '59 and Hopper sat outside in his steel blue GTO smoking' camels." And "Joyce and I never slow danced. Lucille by Little Richard. On the dance floor we tore it up. We'd go somewhere else to do things slow."
Over 8,000 words of my take on the events that led up to why Joyce went to prom with Lonnie, along with the after effects, including Joyce and Hopper taking things slow. Pre-series fic.
Author: Lowkeyenvy Characters: Joyce Byers x Jim Hopper Chapters: 1/1 Words: 8,128 Rating: Explicit Warnings: NSFW, Smut Tags: @strangerthingsfics Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All rights and credits are to the Duffer Brothers and Netflix. 
Author’s Note: This one shot is based loosely on David's tweets and does not follow exactly how he envisioned it, but I think it gets pretty close. 
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Hawkins 1959
“C’mon Hopper, if I’m late for Homeroom one more time, Cooper will write me a Saturday detention,” Benny complained from the passenger seat of Jim’s Oldsmobile.
“It’s Homeroom Benny,” Jim responded, “it’s not even considered a class. Cooper’s being a hardass and you know it.”
Benny glared at him, “I don’t care if he’s being a hardass or not, if I get Saturday detention because you want to spy on your girlfriend—“
Jim held up a hand and Benny instantly quieted. “There’s Karen’s car.” He tipped his head in the direction across the parking lot as a light blue Thunderbird pulled in.
Slowly, he slid his oversized aviators down his nose so he could peer overtop of them. He placed both of his hands on the steering wheel and leaned forward, squinting as he tried to get a better line of vision. As bad as it sounded, he wished he had a pair of binoculars in the car. He heaved a sigh, “Where are they?”
The car was parked, but no one had emerged just yet.
Jim blinked, internally speculating how this morning was about to go. He was either going to see Joyce emerge from the passenger side of that Thunderbird with Karen and all would be well. Or this morning was about to turn upside down if she didn’t. He reached in his pocket for his pack of Camels. Without averting his heavy gaze, he lit the tip of a cigarette and inhaled deeply. If this morning was going to go sour, he might as well prepare for it.
As if reading his mind, Benny asked, “Do you really think this is a good idea? Homeroom starts in six minutes Hopper. Six. Minutes.”
Jim ignored his question and simply inquired, “Do you really wanna miss witnessing me knock Byers’ teeth in if she doesn’t get out of that car?”
Benny chuckled. “Trust me, everyone would want to witness that. But aren’t you and Joyce over now? I thought you guys broke up last weekend.” He was treading lightly. “ Look Hop, it’s been almost a week now. She didn’t even show up to the drive-in last night and it was half off Wednesday!”
Jim shook his head obstinately, pressing his fingertips into the steering wheel. He was gripping it so tightly that it left his knuckles a shade of ghost white. If he pressed any harder he was sure he’d leave indentations. “We did not break up. It was just a fight.”
Benny frowned. “You haven’t spoken to her since. We’ve all heard the rumors Hop… sounds like Byers couldn’t wait to swoop in and snatch her up.”
Jim grimaced. He focused back in on Karen’s car, watching intently as he tried to keep his temper under control. Byers hadn’t shown yet either. If Joyce didn’t get out of Karen’s car, then there was a very likely chance that she would get out of Lonnie’s. If that happened… well he meant what he said. He’d knock Byers’ teeth in.
The driver’s side door to the blue Thunderbird finally opened. Jim watched as Karen stepped out into the parking lot. She threw her bag over one shoulder before pushing the door shut. Jim found himself holding his breath as his eyes narrowed in on the passenger’s side. “C’mon,” he whispered. Karen smoothed out her sweater dress before heading towards the high school. She was officially alone.
“Son of a bitch!” Jim hit the steering wheel with such force that Benny flinched.
“Hop, I know you’re pissed, but I have to be in Homeroom in two minutes.” Benny threw open the passenger door. Before getting out, he placed a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “I’ll catch up with you after third period.” He got out of the car and leaned down, one hand on the car’s top while the other rested on the door. “Try not to kill him.” He said before shutting the door and heading towards the school.
Jim brushed Benny’s comment off. There would be no trying of anything. He was going to sit in that car until he got eyes on Byers. Then he was going to drag him out of his own car and beat the shit out of him. Something he’d wanted to do for months now. Ever since he entered the picture, he and Joyce fought often, which wasn’t out of the norm to begin with. But it was a lot more often so to speak, since Lonnie decided to act on the thing he had for Joyce.
He slumped back in his seat as the school bell rang signaling that Homeroom was starting. He reached in his jacket once more to pull out his pack of cigarettes. He figured he was going to be here a while. God only knows what Joyce and Lonnie were up to. He wondered if they skipped together. The thought made his blood boil with rage that was threatening to overflow. After flicking his lighter on and lighting the end of his cigarette, he tossed the lighter onto the dashboard.
Staring straight ahead, he kept his eyes on the entrance to the student parking lot.
It wasn’t until he heard the sound of heels click-clacking on the pavement behind his car that he peeled his eyes away. His gaze flickered up to the rear view mirror.
His view was blocked by a small petite figure. She was wearing an oversized grey sweater with a pair of light wash jeans. Her arms were crossed against her chest. Even though the mirror cut off the upper area of her body, Jim knew exactly who it was. Especially since he looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of a black Buick speeding out of the back lot, which undoubtedly belonged to her father. He felt like a jackass.
Huffing out a deep breath, he pulled on his door handle and nudged the door open with his foot.
Before he could get out however, she had strode over and slammed the door shut once more. He was barely able to pull his foot away from being squashed, but it did still end up pinching his pinky toe. “OW! What the fuck, Joyce!”
He hurled the door open this time, swinging it with such force that she had to dodge out of the way to avoid being knocked over by it.
“Were you trying to spy on me?!”
“No,” he lied, through gritted teeth. “I just pulled up.”
Joyce crossed her arms across her chest once more and tilted her head to the side to glare at him. “Oh really? Then why isn’t Benny with you? I know you picked him up this morning. The bell rang three minutes ago and I also know he had to be in Homeroom this morning or he’d get Saturday detention.”
Jim cursed under his breath. He really wasn’t helping his case. “Yeah well, maybe I wasn’t spying on you at all, maybe I was waiting for Chrissy Carpenter so we could skip.” He didn’t mean it. He just wanted to hurt her and make her feel the way he had only minutes ago when he thought she’d show up with Lonnie.
“I’m sure you were,” she muttered.
He glanced down at her and looked at her, truly looked at her, for the first time that morning. She was really, really beautiful, he thought angrily. Her dark brown hair that reached her shoulders was messy, but not in a bad way. Her oversized sweater clung to her skin along with her light wash jeans. She had a pair of black leather combat boots on that laced up in the front, with just enough heel to allow her to reach his shoulders, rather than his chest on most days. Her cheeks were a light shade of pink and her forehead was covered by two wavy strands from where her bangs had fallen loosely.
The most beautiful woman in the world was standing before him and he hated her for it. He hated how beautiful she was to not just him, but everyone else. He was selfish. He didn’t want anyone else to relish in her beauty or realize how wonderful she was. He wanted her to himself. It was her fault Lonnie was coming between them. If she wasn’t so beautiful then maybe Lonnie wouldn’t have paid her any mind.
His mind flashed back to what she initially had muttered under her breath. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Joyce snorted. “Seriously Hop? Do you not remember why we broke up in the first place? Aside from your arrogance, your obsessiveness, and your ability to ruin everything!”
“It was a fight! Since when did we break up?!” He asked, incredulously.
She rolled her eyes, “Oh I don’t know, maybe when I said; I’M BREAKING UP WITH YOU!”
“For what?!” He yelled.
“You are unbelievable Jim Hopper!” She yelled, scowling at him. “You cheated on me with Chrissy Carpenter!”
“NO I DIDN’T!”
“YES YOU DID! I SAW YOU!”
Jim’s blood was positively boiling at this point. He merely leaned back against the Oldsmobile and asked mockingly, “If that’s the case then who’s really spying on who Joyce?”
“I wasn’t,” she said, more calmly this time, however her voice had become grave, “I was invited to Earl’s party too so anything I saw there is not considered spying.”
He shrugged, “Fine, but this is school property so if I want to sit in my car and observe my surroundings then that’s not considered spying either.”
“Fine,” she said gently, her voice soft.
“Fine.” He retorted.
Joyce hugged her arms to her chest. She was so angry with him, but the energy to fight was draining her dry. Her eyes were rimmed with a deep purple shade from dark circles. She hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since her and Hopper broke up. Nervously, she began switching her balance from one foot to the other as she stared down at the pavement. She could feel his gaze scrutinizing her. She sucked in a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to say was going to send him flying off the handle once more. “I’m not going to prom with you.”
Jim tossed a cigarette butt off to the side.
“I’m going with Lonnie.”
“What?” he said disbelievingly. He resisted the urge snap at her, trying his absolute best to maintain a calm demeanor. Maybe he had heard her wrong.
“You heard me.” She replied, her tone was stern.
The silence that followed between them was deafening. He and Joyce fought all the time. All the time. They’d been together for two years now and they argued at least every other day but it had never come to this.
Jim’s voice was monotonous, “I’m going to kill him.” He pushed past her, nudging her shoulder and making her stumble sideways.
Joyce’s eyes widened and she hurried after him. “Hop, wait—no!” She matched his quick pace, breathing heavily next to him. “Stop!” She reached out for his arm, but he shook her off. “JIM! STOP!”
He rounded on her instantly, making her already tiny frame, shrink even further into herself. His usual crystal blue eyes were now clouded grey with rage. She’d never seen them this dark before. The grey admist the blue looked like rocks against the shore that destroyed ships. They were torturous and above all… dangerous.
“You did this, not me,” she said breathlessly, her annoyance with him sounding diluted.
He placed his hands on his chest, mimicking a ‘me’ motion. “I did this? You broke up with me Joyce! For no goddamn reason other than—”
“Because you kissed Chrissy!” She interjected defensively, not allowing him to finish.
“SHE KISSED ME!”
“I SAW HER ON YOUR LAP!”
Jim threw his arms over his head in frustration. He pointed a finger at her, nearly jabbing her shoulder. “I’m going to tell you one last time Joyce. I did not kiss Chrissy. We were at Earl’s party, there were some drinks involved--not on my part. Chrissy was drunk out of her mind. You know she’s always been sweet on me. I’m assuming she took you not being there and her newfound confidence through alcohol to climb on my lap and kiss me. I. DID. NOT. KISS. HER. BACK. I pushed her off of me! But I guess you didn’t stick around long enough to see that.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Why not? Because your new boyfriend told you a different story?” He paused, shaking his head with a slight chuckle. “Yeah that mother-fucking asshole probably couldn’t wait to tell you that made up bullshit.”
Joyce cringed at his choice of word usage.
He slowly leaned forward invading her personal space. Their noses were merely inches apart when she felt his hot breath against her face, “Enjoy your prom Joyce.”
Pushing past her, he left her standing there with a frown on her face. She could feel her eyes watering, blurring her vision as she looked over her shoulder to watch him walk away. It wasn’t until he reached the school’s main doors and was out of sight that she allowed the tears to spill over.
(XxXxXxXxXxX)
Joyce sighed and buried her face into a pillow. “Oh my God, Karen. How am I going to get through tonight?”
“What?” Karen replied hoarsely, “Your voice is muffled.”
Joyce picked her head up and gazed bleakly at her. “What if Hopper shows up? What if he and Lonnie see each other? What if tonight is disastrous? I mean, this is my life we’re talking about.”
Karen shrugged. “That’s too many what ifs.”
Joyce rolled over so that her back was lying on Karen’s bed. She stared up at the ceiling as she waited for her best friend to finish getting ready. The Winter Prom was tonight and she was dreading it. It’d been two days since her latest fight with Hopper. She hadn’t heard from him and she made no attempt to contact him herself either, at first. However, yesterday she did go outside between fifth and sixth period to their usual spot for smoking, but he wasn’t there. The thought of how empty she felt when she went under the steps to find him not there was agonizing.
“Almost done,” Karen chirped from the corner of the room. She was curling the last few strands of her hair. She looked at Joyce in the mirror. “Are you sure that’s what you want to wear?”
Joyce lifted her head up so that she could glare at her. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Karen yawned. “I’m just asking, okay? This is our junior winter prom! Your dress isn’t exactly…”
“What’s wrong with my dress?!”
“Nothing! I thought you’d want to have a dress that’s more prom-like that’s all.”
Joyce looked down at her dress. She was wearing a short, long sleeved, skater black dress that was tight around her chest and waist area, but flowed out at her hips. She had on a pair of black tights to match along with black heels. She also had a black leather jacket that she planned to wear overtop. Sure it was simple, but it was her. She’d never been into the fancy outfits that Karen always wore. In fact, she got this dress on sale and used at the local community aid store.
“Do you at least want to put some make-up on before we leave? I have red lipstick.” Karen held up a black tube and dangled it between her fingers.
“No.”
Karen shrugged her shoulders, “Suit yourself.” She fluffed her curls up with her hands and stood from her vanity. Her pale pink dress was over the top. It had ruffles and flowed effortless as she did a few twirls in front of the mirror. She stopped suddenly and turned around slowly to face Joyce.
Joyce spotted her uneasiness right away. “Karen. What is it?”
Karen gave a nervous sort of laugh. “It’s nothing, really Joyce. I just… I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to be upset.”
Joyce arched an eyebrow. “Didn’t want me to get upset about what?”
“Promise that you won’t get mad at me!” She paused, waiting for Joyce to promise. When she stayed silent, staring at her intently, Karen continued, “I thought it’d be better to just let you see for yourself but now that I’m thinking about it, I think it’d be better if you could prepare yourself.”
Joyce sat up fully on the bed and was leaning so far forward that if she moved any further, even by just an inch, she would fall off the bed. “Prepare. Myself. For. What.”
“HopperaskedChrissyCarpentertopromandshesaidyes!” She blurted out suddenly.
Joyce’s eyes widened.
“They’ll be there tonight, together.” Karen finished softly.
Of course. That was just the icing on the cake to this week for Joyce. She wasn’t sure if she was hurt or angry. Or both. Hopper swore up and down that he didn’t cheat on her with Chrissy and that she was the one who kissed him. That it meant nothing to him and he had pushed her off of him. But here he was asking her to prom. She scowled. She knew he was only doing this to get back at her for going with Lonnie.
Seeing her change in demeanor, Karen eyed Joyce critically, “Look Joyce, like I said, I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to be upset. But I also didn’t know if I should tell you because I wasn’t sure you’d even care. You’re the one who broke up with Hop. I thought it was pretty clear that you chose Lonnie over him.”
Joyce shook her head obstinately, digging her fingernails into the bedsheets. “I didn’t choose Lonnie over Hopper! I was mad at him because I thought he cheated on me with Chrissy! So I started hanging out with Lonnie more to make him jealous.”
“But I thought you like Lonnie now?” Karen questioned.
“I do!”
“But you still love Hopper?”
“Yes,” Joyce responded, sounding faintly annoyed. She really did like Lonnie. He had a crush on her since middle school. He was sweet, nice, and funny. They got along so well and she actually grew to like him since they started spending more time together. But he wasn’t Hopper.
Karen flipped her hair over her shoulder. She moved to stand in front of Joyce and placed her hands firmly on her hips. She held one hand up so that it hovered just in front of Joyce’s face. She was holding the tube of red lipstick. Smirking, she raised her eyebrows and whispered, “Then let’s go get your man.”
(XxXxXxXxXxX)
Prom wasn’t as horrible or disastrous as Joyce imagined it would be. And although her dress and makeup wasn’t as extravagant as the other girls, she felt beautiful. The cruella red lipstick on her lips popped against her all black outfit and pale features. She would never admit it, but she was glad Karen talked her into wearing it.
Her and Lonnie had spent about forty minutes on the dance floor tearing it up with a group of friends. She was thoroughly enjoying herself, but the thought of Hopper in the back of her mind kept her on edge. She found herself looking towards the gymnasium doors every five minutes or so to see if he’d show with Chrissy.
“Joyce?” Lonnie’s loud voice rang in her ears as he tried to be heard over the music, and pull her from her thoughts.
She turned to face him, “Yeah?”
“What’s going on, are you okay? You keep looking at the doors like you’re going to make a run for it.”
Joyce laughed, “No, no, I’m fine! I’m going to go to the restroom, I’ll be right back!”
She hurried out of the gymnasium and slipped through a side door into one of the school hallways. She didn’t even really have to use the restroom, she just needed to get out of there. She was practically suffocating from everyone’s warm bodies surrounding her, and her mind wondering in different directions with more thoughts of ‘what if.’
Still, she found her way to the restroom and thankfully it was empty. She stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments, her eyes narrowing in on every blemish. Shaking her head, she sighed and moved to leave, but she heard voices on the other side of the door.
Quickly, she went into a stall and locked it just as a group of girls entered the room.
“Chrissy you’re forty-five minutes late! What took you so long to get here?!” A voice asked, echoing off the walls.
Joyce cursed under breath. Of course it was Chrissy and her friends.
“She was probably getting down to business in the back of Hopper’s car!” Another voice chimed in.
“Girls!” Chrissy’s voice interrupted, scolding them. “Jimmy and I were late because he was late picking me up. He said he stopped to get me flowers.”
Joyce rolled her eyes. She hated hearing her call him “Jimmy.” It made her want to gag.
“Awe! He got you flowers! How sweet!”
“How sweet,” Joyce mocked in a whisper.
“That’s not all he got me,” Chrissy beamed. “He said that after the dance we could get a room down the street.”
The girls all let out a resounding gasp. They immediately started giggling and whispering but Joyce was too stunned to hear what they were saying. Her vision was blurring and she had to put her hand on one of the walls of the stall to steady herself.
“What about Joyce?” Someone asked.
This brought Joyce back to reality. She held her breath as she waited for someone else to speak.
“What about her?” Chrissy’s tone was ice cold.
“Yeah what about her?” Another girl followed.
“Jimmy dumped her last weekend,” Chrissy said matter-of-factly. “Besides, after tonight, after I’m finished giving him the time of his life… he won’t even remember who Joyce is.”
The girls all giggled again. “Let’s go get some punch! I heard some of the boys saying they were going to spike it!” The group retreated out of the bathroom.
Joyce emerged from her hiding place.
Shock.
It was not a word powerful enough to describe quite how she was feeling in that moment. Her jaw hung open and she gazed absently around the room, looking for confirmation that she wasn’t dreaming. That simply could not have truly just happened.
Joyce had only been in there to find a moment to relax in peace and quiet and get away from everyone. Of course Chrissy and her band of mean girls had to enter at the exact same time.
He said that after the dance we could get a room down the street.
Joyce ran to the nearest sink and braced her hands on either side of it. She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water onto her face. Her lipstick was still perfectly in place as she looked at herself in the mirror once more. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her night. She patted her face dry with a paper towel and then left the bathroom.
Keeping her head low, she headed in the direction that lead back towards the gymnasium.
“Joyce?”
She halted at the sound of his voice. Slowly, she spun around on her heels to face him. She swore she stopped breathing in that exact moment. He was wearing a black suit with a white button up under shirt and a black tie. His hair was trimmed and combed back. He looked very dashing and Joyce couldn’t remember the last time she saw him like this--if ever. The look he was giving back to her, told her that their thoughts weren’t very different.
“Hi…” she finally mustered before turning to walk away.
“Joyce, wait!” Jim called out to her.
But she did not slow her pace. She did not turn to look at him. Instead, she kept going in the direction of the gymnasium, but instead of going there, she cut down to the mathematics hallway.
Jim hurried after her, eventually closing the gap between them and when he did, he took hold of her arm. He froze in shock when Joyce wretched her arm out of his grasp and threw him an icy glare.
“Joyce, what’s wrong?” Jim asked, frankly taken aback by her behavior. It seemed like all his question did was worsen her mood.
“You better get out there Hop,” she spat back at him, “there’s a woman awaiting your attention.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Joyce flung her hands up in frustration, “Chrissy? Ringing any bells? You’re getting a room for the two of you!”
Jim stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her incredulously. He could not have heard the words that just came out of her mouth correctly. She was already walking away from him again, but he took hold of her hand. Joyce spun around and met his eye, though there was still anger in her gaze, there was also hurt. She did not pull away from him as resolutely as she had the first time. Instead, she averted her gaze, not at all wanting to look at him.
“Look Hopper, I’m sorry, okay?!” She blurted out. “I only agreed to come here with Lonnie to make you jealous. And I only broke up with you because I was mad at you!”
Jim watched her, his eyes softening. A horrible feeling churned in his stomach. He hated seeing her distressed, and he hated being the cause of it. But really, the idea of the past week’s events seemed almost laughable to him now. Joyce knew he loved her and he knew that she loved him. They spent the last week desperately trying to get back at each other over something so silly.
“I only brought Chrissy here to make you jealous too.” He admitted.
“And that’s the reason you’re getting a room?” She shot back with a scoff.
“Don’t be ridiculous baby, I’m not getting a room with her. You know she means nothing to me.” He tried to speak gently.
“Then why is she telling everyone that you are?”
Jim moved towards her, ducking his head closer to hers as he tried to cup her cheek. He just wanted to calm her. “Joyce listen to me, I’m not getting a room with Chrissy. I’m sorry I brought her here tonight. I’m sorry that all of this started over something so stupid. I never wanted her. It’s always been you Joyce. And it always will be.”
Joyce closed her eyes and leaned into his touch as he held her face in his hands. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I’m tired of fighting.” She whispered.
“So am I,” Jim took Joyce’s hand in his, caressing her open palm gently with his thumb. “Joyce…” he said softly and met her gaze, “I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you.”
The words rung out around them and then there was silence. The truth can be a heavy thing, and in that moment, both of them alike felt its weight. They knew if they kept fighting in this way that it would only lead them down a road of destruction and heartbreak. One where they would both lose each other. Neither one of them could bear to think of that.
“You won’t,” she promised.
Jim smiled at her response.
“Do you want to go back to the dance? They’re playing one of your favorite songs.” Joyce offered.
They both listened as the lyrics to Little Richard’s Lucille played off in the distance.
“Lucille , please, come back where you belong. I been good to you, baby, please, don’t leave me alone.”
“It’s a slow one,” Joyce teased.
Jim smiled at her and moved to wrap his arms around her waist. “I was actually thinking we could go somewhere else to take things slow,” He pulled her towards him so that her body was flush against his. He could feel Joyce’s heart beating at a rapid pace. “You know my favorite part about us fighting all the time?” He asked with a chuckle.
Joyce found herself holding her breath, waiting for him to answer his own question, although she was pretty certain she already knew the answer. “Hmm?” She hummed.
He gave her a sly smile. His face moved closer, his lips nearly touching hers as he whispered, “Making up.”
Joyce grinned and before she could respond, his lips were on hers. He was gentle at first, nibbling at her bottom lip before they got more demanding, firmly massaging hers. Moaning, Joyce curled her hands around his neck as she kissed him back, moving her lips against his, shivering as heat flushed through her body.
He lifted her easily off the ground and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. Her arms were still hooked tightly around his neck and she pressed her body against his, as his lips continued to kiss hers. Jim ran his tongue along her bottom lip before biting it gently. She let out a small gasp at the gesture.
Hardly able to control himself any longer, Jim stumbled forward, pressing Joyce’s back against the nearest classroom door. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue continued to dance with hers. Unhooking her arms from his neck, she gripped his shoulder for support with one hand and used the other to reach around and turn the door’s knob.
Jim stepped inside the classroom and kicked the door shut with his foot. He pulled away from her suddenly, both of them out of breath. They looked around the dark classroom, both of them taking a few minutes for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. “Oh my God, we’re in Cooper’s classroom.” Joyce said, throwing her head back as she laughed.
“Well I hope he doesn’t mind if we borrow it,” Jim said with a smile. He held her up with one arm and used the other to clear off a section of the desk at the front of the room.
“Hopper,” Joyce breathed against his lips as he pressed her down onto Cooper’s desk.
His mouth attacked her throat, his stubble scratching against her skin as his teeth scraped just above her collarbone. Exhaling a trembling breath, Joyce surrendered to his touch and let him pull her up into a sitting position so he could pull her dress over her head. Jim tossed it to the floor as he reached an arm around to unclasp her bra, pressing hot kisses along her shoulder blade as he did so. She shrugged out of her bra and he tossed that away alongside her dress.
The chilled air in the room had already hardened her nipples and Jim’s intense stare made them peek up, begging earnestly for attention.
Jim smiled as he pushed her back down onto the desk once more and Joyce smiled back, gasping as he flicked his tongue over her nipple. He sucked it between his lips, his teeth nibbling on the sensitive flesh.
“Hop…” Joyce moaned, her hands gripping his head when his mouth started to kiss dangerously slow down over her belly, resting right above the hem of her tights.
Jim peered up at her with a devious look in his eyes, “I told you we’re going to take things slow tonight.” With that, he hooked his fingers around the waistband of her tights and panties and slowly pulled them down. His fingers slid steadily down from her waist, to her hips, and then all the way down her legs to her toes.
From there, Jim started at her toes and worked his way back up her body, intent on giving her more pleasure than she had ever felt before. His teeth grazed against her smooth, silken skin as his tongue licked and sucked in various spots.
“Please,” Joyce tossed her head back, her body arched almost completely off the desk as she begged him to end the sweet torment he was performing on her body. “C’mon Hop! I want you.”
Jim scraped his teeth across her hip before he raised his head to look at her. His blue eyes met her brown ones, both of their gazes heavy with lust. “You have me, baby.”
A groaning sound was ripped from her throat, “You know what I mean.”
With a grin on his lips, Jim shook his head. “Slow, Joyce. We’re taking things slow.” After a week of not being able to touch her, to worship her and love her, he was intent on taking his sweet time in reacquainting himself with her body. He wanted to drive her absolutely insane with need.
A whimper escaped her mouth as he lowered his head once more to trail hot, open mouthed kisses along her inner thighs. She wanted him desperately. She didn’t know how much more she was going to be able to take and they only just started. She was all for taking things slow--but this was agonizingly slow.
He pushed her legs further apart and kneeled before her. He licked at his lips at the sight of her and with anticipation. Joyce shuddered as she felt his hot breath blow against her.
Slowly, she felt Jim’s fingers move her lower lips apart, exposing all of her to him. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out as his tongue found her wet center. Slowly, his tongue traced circles on her clit, over and over. He began to flick his tongue against her wetness, touching her just enough to make her squirm. He grazed his teeth over her clit and Joyce’s fingers tangled into his hair.
Jim slid a single digit inside her all at once, making her moan aloud. He pumped it in and out at a steady pace, plunging deeper each time as he continued. He added his middle finger, now pumping both into her slow and steady. His eyes were on her the entire time, watching as Joyce turned her head to the side, closing her eyes tight, and moaning sweet music to his ears.
Joyce writhed in pleasure as he went deeper, and she wrapped her legs around him to push him even closer to her quivering sex. She could feel the start of her climax build up as his fingers curled inside her into a ‘come hither’ motion. His mouth was back on her center at once, sucking on her clit between his lips and his tongue swirling. This, added with his fingers still thrusting into her, and the feel of his stubble brushing against her thighs from time to time, made the warmth that was pooling in the pit of Joyce’s stomach grow deeper and deeper. She could feel herself getting so close to the edge.
She sat up using her elbows as support, her eyes barely open enough to see his features--to see his hair against her skin, this man that she loved, worshipping her between her legs, so focused on her pleasure--on fulfilling her desire, as well as his own. Her eyes fluttered closed once again and she squeezed them tighter. Her back arched and she dipped her head back, her fingers reaching out to clutch onto his hair tightly. Subconsciously she moved closer to him, pushing her desire into his face more.
“Fuck, Jim,” she moaned. Her breathing became short, and continued to grow shorter as it hitched in her throat. She could feel herself pushing past the edge of no control.
“Cum Joyce,” He says and it’s all she needs to bring her undone.
“Oh my God,” she mumbled in a barely audible voice. Her entire body shuddered all at once. She could feel her walls clench and tighten around his fingers that were still thrusting relentlessly into her. Her muscles of her inner thighs tightened as well. All of the burning warmth that was pooled into her belly spread itself slowly throughout her entire body. Her hands, which were holding onto his hair tightly, began to slowly loosen their grip as she came down from her high.
His fingers slipped out of her and he maneuvered himself so that he was now hovering over top of her.
Joyce smiled as she reached up to hook her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a deep kiss. Their tongues swirled together and she could taste how sweet she was, with just a hint of bitterness. The product of her own want for him. The pleasure caused only by him.
As she continued to kiss him, her lips being bruised in the process, she gripped the collar of his suit jacket and stripped it off. Jim opened his arms to help her shrug it off. Her hands toyed with the buttons of his dress shirt, unbuttoning each as quickly as she could. Fuck going slow when she was in control. She stripped that off of him as well, tossing it to the side with the pile of clothes that was beginning to build up on the floor.  
She pulled away from his kisses long enough for her eyes to drink in the sight of him. Ever since joining the football team, his usual lean frame had toned out. She raked her fingernails down his chest as he sucked and nipped at various spots on her neck, being sure to leave marks. He wanted everyone to know what they did here tonight, to know that she was still his.
Joyce’s lips mimicked his own, against his neck, planting kisses as her hands moved to unbuckle his belt. She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants eagerly, pulling away from his neck so she could completely take his pants off. She pulled them down with both hands, Jim shifting to help her. He kicked them off in one swift motion. Joyce licked her lips, seeing him in his navy briefs, and slipped her fingers in the waistband. She pulled them down his legs, taking them off as well and tossing them aside. She watched as his cock sprung out, hard and throbbing for her, precum already oozing from the tip.
She took his cock in one hand, holding him at the base to guide him inside her.
Jim halted her movements suddenly, gently gripping her wrist to move her hand away.
“Joyce.” He warned.
She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and whimpered. She positioned herself below him and began to move beneath him, thrusting her hips up to meet his as she ground against him.
“Slow. Damn it, Joyce. Go slow.”
“I can’t.”
Jim wrapped an arm around her torso, pulling her impossibly further against him. Giving in, and not wanting to torture her any longer, he thrust his entire self into her, filling her up entirely.
Joyce cried out loudly, causing Jim to clasp a hand down on her mouth. “Shhhh, baby, don’t want anyone to hear us.”
She could feel him fill her all the way up to the hilt. She moaned loudly against his mouth, pleasure shooting through her as she tightened around him. He groaned in return, pulling out entirely from her.
She whimpered again in response, causing Jim to chuckle softly. He once again thrust himself into her.
Joyce moaned again, stretching her arms out around her in response, knocking various classroom instruments off of Cooper’s desk.
Seeing the effect he was having on her, Jim stopped playing his game of taking things slow entirely. Instead, he now thrust himself into her fast and hard. He didn’t even give her a chance to steadily adjust to his pace.
He replaced his hand with his mouth, kissing her with a fiery passion mixed with want, need, and possessiveness.
Joyce groaned and dug her fingernails into his back as he plunged in and out of her at an unforgiving and relentless pace. Once more the feeling of warmth pooling up in the pit of her belly. She knew that her inevitable release was beginning to build up.
Jim grunted as he gripped her hips tightly, leaving bruises. He groaned loudly, burying his face in her neck, allowing the pleasure that her tight cunt was giving him to course through him entirely.
“Jim,” Joyce moaned his name into his ear. In return, she felt Jim’s hands tighten on her hips, making her back arch for him. She let out another loud moan as he kept going--and going, and going. Her entire body felt hot.
Her breath hitched in her throat once more and she felt him let go of his tight grip on her hips. He moved his arms up to cup her face in his hands, pressing kisses all over her face. She reached out an arm, her hand clutching onto the edge of the desk as tight as possible, her knuckles white.
“Fuck, Hopper, please,” She begged.
Jim groaned loudly after she spoke. “I’m so fucking close baby.”
The room was filled entirely with the sound of their pleasures.
Then it finally came, where Joyce finally fell over the edge once more. She moaned his name loudly as the feel of the familiar warmth spread through her. Her toes tingled as she clenched around him, soaking his hard cock with her juices, dripping down her thighs and all over him.
And then Jim followed soon after her. She could feel his cock twitch inside of her, his hot cum filling her up, as he let out one last groan of satisfaction. He threw his head back in pleasure. His thrusts slowed, sighing heavily as he finally felt his own release. Once he finished, he pulled out of her slowly, his eyes looking at their intwined bodies.
He placed one last soft kiss against her lips. When he pulled away to look down at her, they were both smiling at each other. “I love you,” she whispered.
Jim closed his eyes, the words were like music to his ears. He pressed his lips to her forehead, “And I you,” he replied.
He climbed off of her so that he was now standing. Reaching his hands out, he took her own into his and gently helped her up from the desk.
Quickly, they hurried to put their clothes back on. Jim finished dressing first. He bent over to pick up the various objects that Joyce had knocked off the desk. He held up a plastic pencil sharpener that was cracked along with a broken tape dispenser.
Once she was fully clothed, Joyce looked up. She laughed with a shrug at the broken objects. “Oops.”
Jim laughed with her, “Fuck it.” He tossed the objects back on the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement at one of the classroom windows. Looking in that direction, he breathed her name out, “Joyce.”
She looked up at him as she placed other various objects from the floor back onto the desk. She followed his gaze to the window to see flakes of snow shimmering under a street light. A cheerful demeanor lit up her face and she smiled a smile that reached her eyes. She held out an outstretched arm towards Jim, offering him her hand. He took it and allowed her to lead him out of the classroom. She hurried, nearly dragging him behind her through the high school’s halls. They finally reached the main doors and Joyce let go of Jim’s hand to push them open.
The cold, crisp air hit her skin instantly and she relished in it. Joyce ran to the middle of the parking lot and looked up at the sky as the snowflakes continued to fall. She spun around in a circles a few times, laughing. She held up a hand and caught a few snowflakes on her palm, watching as they melted away into tiny droplets. “Look at them Hopper! Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It sure is,” he admitted, but he wasn’t talking about the snow. He moved to stand next to her, staring down at her as she continued to stare at the sky.
Joyce averted her gaze to him. They were standing so close that Jim could see each crystal of snow that stuck to her eyelashes. She reached up and trailed her fingertips over his cheeks and down his jaw. She pulled him down towards her mouth.
The gentle touch of her lips to his made his heart stir. When she pulled away her eyes fluttered open to look into his blue ones. He reached an arm into his back pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He held the pack up between them and Joyce smiled.
They found Jim’s car in the parking lot and leaned back against it. Jim took out his lighter and flicked the flame up, lighting a cigarette. He took one short inhale before passing it over to her. She was looking at him carefully. “What?” He asked.
“Hop…” She spoke softly and averted her eyes down to the ground. “What do you think we’ll be like twenty, twenty-five years from now?”
Jim raised an eyebrow at her question. He wasn’t expecting it and he could tell it was something she had been wanting to ask him for a while now. He let out a sigh and moved to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close against him. He held her close as she wrapped her arms around his waist, returning his embrace. He ran a hand through her hair and placed a kiss on top of her head before answering,“Just like this.”
(XxXxXxXxXxX)
Hawkins 1983
Joyce stood in the parking lot of Hawkin’s Middle School, leaning against her 76’ Ford Pinto. She looked at the ground, her mind plagued with thoughts of everything that had happened. It had been one month since Eleven closed the gate, but her nightmares never stopped. Even now, as she stood outside the gymnasium, listening to the music from the Snow Ball, she wondered if her life would ever go back to some sense of normalcy.
Her thoughts were interrupted and she felt his presence before he spoke, “Hey.”
Looking up, she smiled as Jim walked towards her, “Hey.”
“Thought I might find you out here.”
She shifted nervously the closer he got. “Will wanted me to give him some space,” she shrugged a shoulder, “so I’m giving him a few feet.”
Jim smiled and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. He tapped on the box twice, “What do you say? I’m pretty sure that Mr. Cooper retired in the 70s so we might be okay.” He joined her against the car, their legs brushing against each other.
He took out his lighter and lit a cigarette between his fingers.
Joyce placed a trembling hand over her arm and gazed up at him. She couldn’t help but smile at how the two of them had come full circle. It seemed that only yesterday they were at their own winter dance, sharing a cigarette out in the parking lot. She watched as he inhaled a hit, before passing it over to her. “Gimme that,” she said as their fingers brushed together.
She took one hit and had to stifle a cough. He really was smoking the strong ones these days. But she supposed he needed them with how their lives had been in just the past year. She handed it back to him and her gaze fell back to the ground.
“How are you holding up?” His voice broke their silence.
Her hand came to her lips and she fought the urge to bite her nails—a nervous habit she had taken up recently. “You know.”
“Yeah, that feeling never goes away.” Jim took another hit, blowing the smoke out before continuing, “It is true what they say, you know. Every day it does get a little easier.” He passed her the cigarette once more.
She breathed in another hit, but didn’t meet his eye. She glanced up at him, wanting to believe him, that one day this she would wake up and this nightmare would be over forever.
Sensing her distress, Jim wrapped an arm around her, hugging her against his side. Holding his hand on her shoulder, he pulled her close. She placed her hand overtop of his, intertwining their fingers together as his thumb traced comforting circles on her arm.
Joyce closed her eyes and allowed herself to fully submit. She snuggled into his chest, wishing that she could freeze this moment in time. Where her and Jim could stay forever. Just like this.
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biblioncollection · 5 years ago
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Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare | Comedy | Audiobook full unabridged | English | 1/2 Content of the video and Sections beginning time (clickable) - Chapters of the audiobook: please see First comments under this video. Magic, fairies, young lovers chasing each other through a forest, a man with a donkey's head, and impish Puck wreaking havoc right and left. What's going on here? It's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare at his most fanciful. The play opens with Theseus, Duke of Athens, preparing for his wedding. Egeus complains to Theseus that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius. When Hermia is given the choice between marriage to Demetrius or life as a nun, she and her true love Lysander flee into the forest. Demetrius follows them; and Helena, who loves Demetrius, follows him. Also in the forest are Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, at odds with one another. At Oberon's behest, Puck causes Demetrius to fall in love with Helena -- oops, he missed, that was Lysander instead. Mayhem ensues. In the meantime, a group of bumbling craftsmen rehearses a play. Puck gives one of them, Bottom, the head of an ass and makes Titania fall in love with him. Further hilarity results as Bottom sees nothing at all odd about this. Eventually everything is straightened out, Bottom and the rest "perform" their play, there is a triple wedding, and Puck assures us the whole thing has been a dream. Number of quotes you know: 5 (what fools these mortals be). Useful insults: 19. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden) Cast: Theseus, Duke of Athens – Mark F. Smith Egeus, father to Hermia; and Snout, a tinker – John Lieder Lysander, in love with Hermia – mb Demetrius, in love with Hermia – David O'Connell Philostrate, master of the revels – Philippa Quince, a carpenter – Brian Edwards Snug, a joiner – Elizabeth Klett Bottom, a weaver – Simon Taylor Flute, a bellows-mender – David Nicol Starveling, a tailor – Jessica Miller Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons – Cori Samuel Hermia, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander – Laurie Anne Walden Helena, in love with Demetrius – Rosalind Wills Oberon, king of the fairies – Fr. Richard Zeile of Detroit Titania, queen of the fairies – Deborah Irving Puck, or Robin Goodfellow – Karen Savage Peaseblossom – Larysa Jaworski Cobweb – Charlene V. Smith Moth – Alana Jordan Mustardseed – Jamie Ash Young Stage directions – Paul Williams Fairy song composed and performed by Rosalind Wills; performed by Rosalind Wills and Larysa Jaworski Audio edited by Cori Samuel and Laurie Anne Walden This is a Librivox recording. If you want to volunteer please visit https://librivox.org/ by Priceless Audiobooks
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platypusinplaid · 8 years ago
Text
I was tagged by @vulcanmindtrick. 
Rules: Answer questions. Get nothing in return.
1: Are you named after someone? named after my future self, because my parents knew how cool future Audrey is 2: When was the last time you cried? Literally less than 2 hours ago, after watching the play “The Mountaintop.” Then I cried more because my tears were stinging my chronically dry eyes. 3: Do you like your handwriting? It’s terrible because my kindergarten teacher never corrected my writing grip so now I hold a pencil like an absolute fool. I blame her for most of my problems.  4: What is your favourite lunch meat? I refuse to tell such secrets to anyone who spells “favorite” with a U.  5: Do you have kids? Me, with my arms full of baby goats: Well... 6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? I would hate that bitch. 7: Do you use sarcasm? Sar... casm? What is that? It sounds interesting! I will have to try it sometime. I love learning new things here on tumblr dot com. 8: Do you still have your tonsils? Out of all the organs I’ve had removed from my body, tonsils have not been among them.  9: Would you bungee jump? For a price. 10: What is your favourite kind of cereal? Again with the U.  11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Listen. It’s a busy world. We all have things we want to accomplish. We have a limited time here on this Earth, and no one knows exactly when it ends, so god help me if I’m going to spend even a second of it untying a shoelace.  12: Do you think you’re a strong person? I’m the strongest person I know. I don’t know that many people.  13: What is your favourite ice cream flavour? Double U. 14: What is the first thing you notice about people? Whatever they are yelling at me for.  15: Red or pink? Wait, let me ask you a question: “Color, or slightly lighter version of that color?” Sounds dumb, doesn’t it?  16: What is the least favourite physical thing you like about yourself? Being naturally beautiful is a blessing, but also a curse, because it means I can never answer questions like this.  17: What colour pants and shoes are you wearing now? I don’t think anyone cares about this.  18: What was the last thing you ate? Russel Stover chocolates left over from Christmas, because we destroy our bodies like true warriors in this household. 19: What are you listening to right now? I’m hearing, but am I really listening? 20: If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Ultraviolet 21: Favourite smell? Yeah, I don’t have a “favourite.” I have a favorite, though.  22: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? A representative from the t-shirt company I ordered improv team shirts from, after being on hold for an hour, getting kicked off the line, and then being told the offices were closed even though it was during business hours. It’s a good thing I’m not a passive-aggressive person, otherwise I would be bitter! 23: Favourite sport to watch? If I wanted to watch a thing chase a ball, I would buy a dog.  [There is apparently no #24. Trust is waning fast.] 25: Eye colour? I don’t know. I’ve never seen them.  26: Do you wear contacts? No contacts, we accept our poor vision like men 27: Favourite food to eat? To eat? As opposed to doing what with? What else does one regularly do with food? 28: Scary movies or comedy? Comedy IS the scariest thing.  29: Last movie you watched? Thanks, Michelle, for letting the honor of this distinction go to: Avatar the Last Airbender, a film by M. Night Shyamalan  30: What colour of shirt are you wearing? I think this question is being presumptuous by assuming I am wearing a shirt. 31: Summer or winter? At least in winter I have an excuse to complain, drink hot chocolate, and never leave the house. 32: Hugs or kisses? Fistfights 33: What book are you currently reading? Experiments in Ethics. I can’t wait to perform them on my friends. 34: Who do you miss right now? My cat. He’s in the other room right now. I still miss him.  35: What is on your mouse pad? Remember mouse pads? 36: What is the last TV program you watched?  Accidentally got invested in Brooklyn 99. I promised I would never love again, and then I turned around and my heart was stolen.  37: What is the best sound? PIZZA’S HERE 38: Rolling Stones or The Beatles? I wouldn’t know. I haven’t listened to anything besides Karen Carpenter for the past 21 years 39: What is the furthest you have ever travelled? Belgium, both in physical distance and emotional distance. 40: Do you have a special talent? Metabolizing oxygen into carbon dioxide.  41: Where were you born? Rhode Island, America’s Swollen Appendix 42: People you expect to participate in this survey? I expect nothing. That way I can be either right, or pleasantly surprised.
Here are some tags: @deceivingelf @jasjabberwocky @cutie-tabootie @milliezone @beauxoiseaux @bonesmakenoise @[insert your url here I can’t be expected to remember all of them I am a mere mortal]
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meanwhileinoz · 7 years ago
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‘This Isn’t Goodbye, I’ll Talk To You Every Day’
Chase Clarke arrived at his wife’s funeral wearing her wedding ring on his left little finger and an Armani watch she gave him the day they married on his wrist.
He left with his wife’s coffin resting on his left shoulder.
There were just six months between the carpenter marrying the nurse in Sydney and her death in Fiji earlier this month.
Kelly, 24, died of severe bilateral pneumonia on October 7 less than two days after falling ill.
Her husband, 28, led hundreds of mourners at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church at Forestville, in Sydney’s north, at a service on Tuesday afternoon.
Outside the church before the funeral began Clarke practised the eulogy he would deliver for his departed bride.
‘To my beautiful wife, things shouldn’t be this way,’ he said.
‘(You were) everything that I wanted in a woman.
‘You would have been the best mother for our kids. That didn’t come to be.’
Mr Clarke remembered a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman with whom he shared a short but normal married life.
‘I’m sorry for all the pain and fights,’ he said. ‘But I can’t remember them.
‘I know this isn’t goodbye. I will talk to you every day and think of you.
‘I know I will see you again. I just don’t know when.’
Kelly had been a well-regarded nurse who was a ballerina as a child.
Mr Clarke’s lasting memory of her would be perched like a dancer on the edge of a pool in Fiji.
The couple had been in Sigatoka celebrating their honeymoon while they attended a friend’s wedding.
They had conquered fears together on the trip, kayaking from one island to another just to find a cheaper meal.
But before the end of their holiday Kelly fell seriously ill.
She died in Lautoka Hospital, north of Nadi less than two days after first complaining of stomach pains.
She went into cardiac arrest five times in her final hour.
Doctors originally suspected she was suffering from typhoid and she had been put into an induced coma.
Mr Clarke’s last conversation with his wife was by telephone shortly before she lost consciousness.
‘I just told her I loved her, stay strong, we’re going to get out of this,’ Mr Clarke previously said.
‘She just told me she was scared she was going to die.
‘She was panting through her breath. I never spoke to her again.’
Mr Clarke was later forced to identify Kelly in a refrigerated shipping container containing other bodies.
He then had to dress his wife’s body for her return to Australia.
Mr Clarke has since spoken of the poor medical facilities in Fiji.
‘It’s not something I’d want anyone to experience,’ he has said. ‘It’s just gut-wrenching.’
Mr Clarke was still thinking of others on Tuesday as he warned travellers to be aware of the dangers of falling ill in countries like Fiji.
‘Just remember you’re just a number to them,’ he said.
Tuesday’s service began with Ed Sheeran’s Perfect and also included eulogies by Mr Clarke’s mother Linda, Kelly’s father Ian Shaw and her best friends Tam Brown and Imogen Payter.
The service ended with Secret Garden’s You Raise Me Up.
Mr Clarke was unsure if better treatment could have saved his wife’s life.
‘There are a lot of possibilities that we don’t really understand at the moment,’ Mr Clarke said.
The couple, who married in April, had been planning on having children.
‘We were moving forward as a couple. It’s just one step at a time now.’
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead where Kelly worked issued a statement after her death.
‘Kelly was a dedicated nurse who loved working with children and will be greatly missed by her colleagues and patients,’ it read.
A haka after the service recognised Mr Clarke’s father Doug’s New Zealand heritage.
Mr Clarke, his father, mother Linda and Kelly’s parents Ian and Karen Shaw walked ahead of the hearse.
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biblioncollection · 5 years ago
Video
youtube
Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare | Comedy | Audiobook full unabridged | English | 2/2 Content of the video and Sections beginning time (clickable) - Chapters of the audiobook: please see First comments under this video. Magic, fairies, young lovers chasing each other through a forest, a man with a donkey's head, and impish Puck wreaking havoc right and left. What's going on here? It's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare at his most fanciful. The play opens with Theseus, Duke of Athens, preparing for his wedding. Egeus complains to Theseus that his daughter Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius. When Hermia is given the choice between marriage to Demetrius or life as a nun, she and her true love Lysander flee into the forest. Demetrius follows them; and Helena, who loves Demetrius, follows him. Also in the forest are Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, at odds with one another. At Oberon's behest, Puck causes Demetrius to fall in love with Helena -- oops, he missed, that was Lysander instead. Mayhem ensues. In the meantime, a group of bumbling craftsmen rehearses a play. Puck gives one of them, Bottom, the head of an ass and makes Titania fall in love with him. Further hilarity results as Bottom sees nothing at all odd about this. Eventually everything is straightened out, Bottom and the rest "perform" their play, there is a triple wedding, and Puck assures us the whole thing has been a dream. Number of quotes you know: 5 (what fools these mortals be). Useful insults: 19. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden) Cast: Theseus, Duke of Athens – Mark F. Smith Egeus, father to Hermia; and Snout, a tinker – John Lieder Lysander, in love with Hermia – mb Demetrius, in love with Hermia – David O'Connell Philostrate, master of the revels – Philippa Quince, a carpenter – Brian Edwards Snug, a joiner – Elizabeth Klett Bottom, a weaver – Simon Taylor Flute, a bellows-mender – David Nicol Starveling, a tailor – Jessica Miller Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons – Cori Samuel Hermia, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander – Laurie Anne Walden Helena, in love with Demetrius – Rosalind Wills Oberon, king of the fairies – Fr. Richard Zeile of Detroit Titania, queen of the fairies – Deborah Irving Puck, or Robin Goodfellow – Karen Savage Peaseblossom – Larysa Jaworski Cobweb – Charlene V. Smith Moth – Alana Jordan Mustardseed – Jamie Ash Young Stage directions – Paul Williams Fairy song composed and performed by Rosalind Wills; performed by Rosalind Wills and Larysa Jaworski Audio edited by Cori Samuel and Laurie Anne Walden This is a Librivox recording. If you want to volunteer please visit https://librivox.org/ by Priceless Audiobooks
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