#gave my burt new hair :]

[jaedoesart]

boy <3

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Deborah Kerr (Bonjour Tristesse, An Affair to Remember, The King and I)— For several decades she held the record for most Oscar nominations without a win (6 in total), and she was a prolific leading lady throughout the 40s and 50s. She's best known today for the romance An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant, and as the governess in The King and I. Many people have this erroneous perception of her as extremely prim, proper, and virginal, but this could not be further from the truth. When she first came to Hollywood under MGM she was typecast into boring decorative roles, but broke sexual boundaries for herself and Hollywood generally in From Here to Eternity, when she made out (horizontally!) with Burt Lancaster (on top of him!) in the famous Beach Scene. She went on to play many sexually conflicted women, a character type that would define most of her post- Eternity work. She continued to break Hays Code boundaries with Tea and Sympathy, which addresses homosexuality/homophobia head-on, and even did a topless scene in The Gypsy Moths 1969!! One of the only classic stars to do so. She deserves a more nuanced and frankly a hotter legacy than she currently has!!!

Devika Rani (Achhut Kanya)—She was grandniece of Rabindranath Tagore (laureate). She was sent to boarding school in England at age nine and grew up there. After completing her schooling, she joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the Royal Academy of Music to study acting and music, at a time when aristocratic women did not enter showbiz. She studied filmmaking in Berlin. It is well known that she underwent training at the UFA Studios in the art and technique of acting under Eric Pommer, and other aspects of film production including costume and set designing and make-up, under eminent directors like GW Pabst, Fritz Lang, Emil Jannings and Josef von Sternberg. She is also reported to have worked with Marlene Dietrich. She had a multi-faceted personality and took on many responsibilities of film production at Bombay Talkies, a studio that she co-founded with Himanshu Rai in Mumbai in 1934. She often took care of hair and make up, supervised set design and editing, scouted for new talent and mentored them. She was the face of Bombay Talkies, and also the reason behind the political and financial backing the studio received, at a time when even women from red light districts refused to work as actresses. She was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, when it was instituted in 1970.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Deborah Kerr:

I think she was one of my first crushes before I realised I was bi in The King and I when I watched it as a kid honestly. The kissing scene in From Here to Eternity is iconic for a reason. Actually tried to learn the accents for the characters she was playing if they weren't English which is more than pretty much anyone else was doing then. Played very restrained characters who frequently seemed to be desperate not to be so restrained. Did horror movies without venturing into hagsploitation tropes. Gave Marni Nixon the credit she deserved for her share of the singing in The King and I.

Anne Larsen is a peak late 1950s bisexual with big MILF energy. Have you seen the behind the scenes pics of her wearing a suit?? Have you????? Vote Deb as Anne Larsen.

Nominated for an Oscar six (6) times and never won, but besides her having actual talent (hot), and besides her looking Like That (very hot, also beautiful), she was always playing women who are, like, crazy repressed. Which makes it fun and easy for me to read these characters as queer. Icon!!!! You know what's hot? Playing ambiguously gay in vintage Hollywood.

Her face and talent and body, yes, ofc, duh. But also!!! Her HANDS!!!! I may be but a simple lesbian, but she is the best hactor (hand actor) that ever lived and that's HOT! For propriety's sake I feel I must redact a large portion of my commentary on this subject. Anyway. She's hot in her most famous roles (mentioned above), and also some of her sexiest hacting is on display in An Affair to Remember (her hand on the bannister when Cary Grant kisses her off-screen??? HELLO???), Tea and Sympathy (when she's trying to persuade Tom not to go out and she keeps flexing her hands like she wants to reach out to him but can't??? ALLY BEHAVIOR! WE STAN!), and The Innocents (which opens and closes with extended shots of her hands bc director Jack Clayton was also an ally and he did that for ME). Much of her appeal also lies in the fact that she often played deeply repressed characters and you know what's hot? When those uptight characters finally unravel. It's sexy. It's cathartic. It's erotic. Plus, she's beautiful to look at in both black & white and technicolor, and the more of her films you see, the more you can't help but fall in love!

Literally is in thee most famously sexy scene of all time (or maybe just during the hays code era which is what we're talking about HELLO), which is the beach scene with Burt Lancaster in from here to eternity. To quote a tumblr post of a screen capture of a tweet of a video of joy behar on the view: "y'know, there used to be movies where they were kissing on the beach... From Here to Eternity. They're kissing-- Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr are Kissing on the Beach and then the WAVES crash!! You know exactly what they did!"

She might have a reputation of being chaste and virginal or whatever, but we all know it's the quiet ones who are certifiable FREAKS

Devika Rani:

Achhut Kanya (1936) is the only one of hers I've seen but hot DAMN

[peppermintquartz]

Eddie/Josh? Maybe.

*

"I almost didn't recognize you," Josh Russo says as he slides onto the bar stool next to Eddie, and motions to the bartender. "Gin and tonic, thanks." Turning back to Eddie, he asks, "What's with the moustache?"

"Hello to you too," Eddie drawls, sipping at his beer. It's a new one that Tommy's got him hooked on, damn the man. "I just wanted a change."

Josh grins and squints at it, making a show of examining the facial hair. "It suits you," he declares. His drink arrives. "A touch of Burt Reynolds, almost. Maybe a little Raul Julia also."

Eddie chuckles. "I'm not gonna be a Gomez Addams anytime soon." He dabs at his moustache with a napkin, aware of the foam caught on it. "And why are you here? This doesn't seem like your usual hangout spot." He gestures around at the faux rustic decor, replete with steer horns and riding gear on the walls. It reminds Eddie a little of Texas.

"Well, I was gonna go to a club with go-go boy dancers, but I left my feather boa on my ride over," Josh says, deadpan. The corner of his lips twitch. "My date suggested this place and no-showed."

"That sucks." Eddie leans forward on the bar counter and tells the bartender, "Put this guy's drink on my tab."

Josh makes a rude sound. "I don't need your pity, Diaz."

"Hey, you got stood up. I can comfort a guy who's down on his dating luck."

Josh goes quiet for a moment, letting the sounds of the other patrons swirl around them for a beat. "Still, not the worst date."

Eddie cocks his head, beer to his lips.

Perhaps it's the fact they haven't really spent time together outside of their contentious collaboration during Eddie's stint at Dispatch, but Eddie finds that Josh is softer and nicer outside of work. He guesses that's out of necessarity. Working at the dispatch center requires focus, empathy, and the ruthless ability to shut away feelings after each incident is handled, for good or for ill. And Eddie knows it's easier to be on-site to try to help, than to be on the other end being unable to do anything except wait for a response.

"One of the guys I went out on a date with jumped me, with his friend," Josh says suddenly, his fingers wrapped about his drink. Drops of condensation drips onto the coaster under the glass. "Beat me up and took my wallet, my security pass. You know the rest."

Eddie goes still. He does know the rest from Buck and Chimney. He had not known about Josh being baited and then beaten. "I'm sorry about that," he says, sincere and apologetic. He pats Josh's knee. "You'll find someone nice." Seeing Josh's surprise, Eddie adds, "Nicer than you were to me."

"I was pretty nice to you. Could've bitched you out in front of everyone for not following protocol, but I didn't."

Eddie laughs and shakes his head. "You're a good supervisor. And a territorial bastard."

"Yeah? What's your story, being here all alone? Where's your usual partner-in-crime? Or girlfriend?"

"Mm. No girlfriend now. I screwed that up. As for Buck, well, he's all loved up right now, so I am not asking him to hang with a pathetic schmuck on a Saturday night."

"Ooh, storytime? What happened with the girlfriend?" Josh wiggles closer, an eyebrow raised inquisitively.

Eddie tilts his head and raises his beer. "My fault. I wasn't ready to commit, and I, uh, cheated on her. Emotionally. It wasn't like I slept around while I was dating her." He winces. "Still, it was my fault."

Josh makes a thoughtful face. "Maybe you should just sleep around a bit instead then. If you aren't really ready to commit, then don't commit. Just go out and have fun."

"Have fun? The last time I just 'had fun', I ended up with a pregnant girlfriend who, okay, gave me the best kid in the world, and then after I married her I ran away from the family, and then she ran away from her son, and then she came back, and then she wanted a divorce, and then she died. And then I cheated on my girlfriend with a woman who looks like her, and traumatized my kid, and hence, I'm here alone at the bar, feeling sorry for my scumbag self, and therefore I will never have fun again. Ever. In my life."

At the end of his rant, he catches sight of Josh's stunned expression and sighs.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to dump all that on you."

Josh reaches over to hold Eddie's hand. His fingers are cold. "Better me than some stranger, right?"

Eddie wants to laugh, but for some reason Josh's hand on his stirs a funny sensation in the base of his spine. He manages a smile. "I guess. Really sorry though. Have another drink. You deserve something nice after listening to that."

"I've heard worse," Josh says. He hasn't removed his hand. "Just this week, I've heard, like, four stories worse than what you said. You'll have to fuck things up a lot worse to land you on the scumbag list."

Eddie stares at Josh, at the nonjudgmental expression, at the slightly teasing smile, and thinks, Why not?

He leans forward before he can think any further and presses his mouth to Josh's lips. They're soft, and Josh smells pretty nice, and he's pulling away before he can really sink into the kiss.

Josh's fingers flutter to his mouth. "What was that for?"

"Being nice," Eddie says, grinning. "Positive reinforcement of a behavior, all that stuff. Maybe that will get you to be nice to me whenever you see me."

Rolling his eyes, Josh says, "That was hardly good enough a kiss to change my attitude, Diaz. You want me nicer, you gonna have to earn it."

But there's a slight flush to his cheeks and he can't look at Eddie at all. Eddie thinks it'll be fun to try and see if he can make Josh turn pink again.

[imonawholedifferentlevel]

𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝘁.𝟮 - 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗹

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ʏ/ɴ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ꜱᴍɪʟᴇ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ, ꜱʟɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ, ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍ��ᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ, ꜰʟɪʀᴛɪɴɢ, ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜʏ, ꜱʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴀɴɢꜱᴛ, ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ (ꜰʀɪᴇᴅᴀ ᴏʙᴠɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ), ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢꜱ: ᴄᴀʀᴏʟ x ꜰᴇᴍ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ: ɴᴏʙ��ᴅʏ

ᴀ/ɴ: ɪ ʙᴀꜱᴇᴅ ʏ/ɴ ��ꜰ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴀ ᴀɴɪᴍᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ʟᴀɴ ᴡᴀɴɢᴊɪ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

It's been a while since Carol and Y/N started dating, and it turned out to be better than expected.

But it was also new for Y/N since she wasn't so used to being around someone so bright other than her father before he passed.

When the whole block found out about them, they were surprised because they were polar opposites—well, they were opposites when Carol wasn't acting all tough.

Every time you see Y/N, don't be surprised to see Carol right after or, better yet, next to her.

Y/N ended up joining in on Carol and Frieda's drug shop since she had some very good experience selling herself.

And that's how she ended up in the hidey hole with her girlfriend eating a bag of chips as she watched her girlfriend's toy with Frieda's picture on the wall.

After some moments, Frieda walks in and stops in her tracks, seeing what Carol was doing.

"Hey Frieda, your dad's hot and all, but I have other plans. I hope you don't mind now. That is human perfection, right, Frieda," she giggled out, replacing her picture with a poster of Burt Reynolds.

Y/N gave Carol a hard side eye. Y/N hated Burt Reynolds because he took away Carol's attention, even if he was on a piece of printer paper.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she said.

"Ok, don't be long," Carol said, kissing her girlfriend's cheek.

Y/N got up and turned the corner away from view.

Not long after she left, Barbra turned the corner with her girls, and they started arguing back and forth, and it looked like a scuffle would go down between them.

"Look at you, Carol; you're a child amateur like you have no business selling horses," Barbra said.

"Who's amateur?" A cold voice said from behind Barbra and her goons jumped and whipped around to see Y/N standing there like a statue, her face still and cold as normal, her tall frame basically towering over them.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Barbra exclaimed, looking at the tall woman in shock. Y/N said nothing and pushed past the older sister, walking straight towards Carol.

"Y/n!" Carol squealed in excitement and instantly latched onto her girlfriend like a leech, while Y/N gave her a very faint smile and just allowed her to do whatever.

"Um, excuse me, I was talking to..."

"Shut up," Y/N interrupted the older sister with a cold glare.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" Barbra sneered, stepping into Y/N's personal space, which upset Carol tremendously.

"Fuck off!" She sneered, pushing her sister with excessive force and making her stumble back.

Y/N quickly pushed Carol behind her, ready to defend her if Barbra tried to attack when she recovered from the push, but she did nothing but dust herself off and chuckle.

"Oh, I see what this is," she chuckled, smiling with her pearly white teeth showing.

"My little sister finally let her dyke flag fly." Barbra and her girls cackled while Carol gripped onto Y/N's uniform, her fist clenched and shaking with anger.

Y/n stepped closer to Barbra when she wasn't looking, grabbed the collar of the raven's hair jumper, and pulled her eye level so that she was looking dead into Y/n's cold golden eyes.

"Talk about her like that one more time, and I'll split you into two," she sneered, her eyes growing wider with each word.

Barbra leaned her face away from the very disturbing and uncomfortable eye contact, but she didn't have to much longer because Y/N pushed her right into her girl's, making them all fall to the ground.

Carol tried to hold in her laughter as she watched her sister and her workers scramble onto their feet and run out of the hidey hole.

"Are you ok?" Y/N asked about checking Carol over for any very invisible injuries.

"Of course, and that was fucking amazing!" She said she was happily wrapping her arms around Y/N.

Y/N's ears turned red as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

Y/N felt a small sweat drop down her forehead while watching her soulmate lose her temper.

They were down by one full base, and D-block was in the lead for the first time.

"Carol," she said, grabbing Carol's elbow in a firm grip and stopping her movement all together. Carol took a deep breath and dropped her cigarette before stomping it out of the ground.

She turned away from her minions and faced her lover: "I refuse to lose to Barbie! But all of our good players were released, and Frieda is sick," she grumbled, stomping her foot like a little child.

"I'll go"

"Huh?!" Carol asked, bewildered.

"If it makes you happy, I'll go," Y/N said.

"But you don't even know how to play," Carol said, and Y/N shrugged.

"Kick the ball and walk the field; it sounds easy to me. I just want you to be happy," she said with a small smile.

Carol's frown turned into a bright smile as she clung onto her girlfriend.

"I don't know what I would do without you," she said, happily kissing Y/N's cheek a bunch of times. Y/N said nothing; her red ears told Carol everything.

When Y/N was able to release herself from Carol's hold, she walked towards the field, eyeing the older Denning sister intensely.

She kept her hands in her jumper pockets the entire time as the ball was rolled to her.

Everyone's faces turned into shock as they watched Y/N, with minimum effort in her stance, kick the ball so hard that it flew right past Barbra's head, nearly taking it off her shoulders and making her fall over onto the field.

The ball flew past the trees in front, and nobody moved a muscle as Y/N started to calmly walk the entire field, touching each goal until she made it back to the first one.

"Score" was all she said before the entire C-block erupted into cheers; they won once again.

Y/N could see in the corner of her eye a small silhouette barreling towards her before a body collided with hers, but she just stood her ground, taking the weight of the person completely.

Carol gave her a long kiss on the lips before pulling away. Y/N's heart fluttered when she saw the brightest, happiest, closed-eyed smile on her girlfriend's face. It reminded her of her other father every time he smiled at her or her dad.

And it felt good to see something that resembled her father, even if it wasn't him.

"You're the best!" She exclaimed.

Y/N loved seeing her smile.

[spaceorphan18]

Scenes from December 2/24

Written for Klaine Advent 2022. Day Two: Cork

***

December, 1999

“Burt, you’re being crazy.” 

“I’m not crazy, Liz.  I’m being practical.” 

“Yes, practically crazy.” 

Six-year-old Kurt sat on the floor of his living room, warm and comfortable in his Sesame Street pajamas, his Barbie and Ken dolls in a nice row in front of him, with all of their accessories spread out in a protective radius around them.  It was important to little Kurt to make sure each doll wore what best fit their personality - he had so many stories for them in his head, and everything had to be just perfect.  But it was hard to concentrate - he didn’t get to stay up past his bedtime very often, and the fatigue from a very long day was beginning to set in.   

It was exciting to see what his parents were up to after he went to bed.  Sometimes he would pretend to be asleep, and crawl to the edge of his bed and peer out - just to listen, but most of the time the TV was on too loud to really hear anything.  Tonight was different though.  Tonight was a special night.  Tonight he could stay up with them as long as he wanted.  

They sure were acting weird though.  

Dad had been unusually antsy all day - checking the house over, making sure the windows were sealed shut and that the furnace was working accurately.  There hadn’t been a storm - it had been a nice, sunny day even if it had been too cold to go to the playground.  He and Mom had had hot chocolate and colored in his coloring books and watched Wizard of Oz redone in color.  All the while, Dad was stockpiling cans and blankets and flashlights and batteries onto the kitchen table.  They had to eat dinner in the living room.  

Mom watched him silently, a smirk on her lips as Dad ran around the house.  Now that it was evening, she sat in her usual spot on the couch, near the lamp, a book in her lap while she uncorked another green bottle, pouring a white fizzy liquid into one of her fancy glasses.  She had let Kurt play on his own but she had watched Dad more than she read her stories.  

Dad, finally, seemed to finish his tasking, coming to the living room, hands on hips as he remained deep in thought.  “Look, if anything is going to happen tonight, I just want to make sure my family is safe.” 

“Safe from what?” Mom asked, her question was gentle, as she took a sip from her glass.  “I’m pretty sure absolutely nothing is going to happen at midnight.  The computers aren’t going to explode or come to life or whatever it is you are afraid of.  We’ll just roll into the new year - and it’ll be just as boring and routine as last year.” 

Dad let out an unsatisfied grunt.  “Well - not nothing.  We will be rolling into a new millennium.”  

“That’s next year.” Mom grinned.  “There wasn’t a year zero, so technically, we’re still stuck in the old millennium for another year.”  

Dad let out another grunt, and waited a long time before speaking again.  “But all the numbers are changing.” 

Mom shook her head at him.  “Kurt, c’mere,” she said, patting her lap.  Kurt stumbled to his feet.  Mom seemed to know that he was getting sleepy, which was really unfortunate because he had just figured out which Ken doll deserved the very lovely three-piece suit.  “Would you like some of Mommy’s fancy drink tonight?” 

Dad scrunched his nose at her.  “You’re not really going to give him that, are you?” 

“It’s sparkling grape juice, Burt, do you have any objections to that?” 

Kurt would be lying if he said he wasn’t thrilled to be drinking the bubbly juice, but the gruff look on Dad’s face made him hesitant.  “It’s fine, baby,” Mom assured him - handing him her glass.  Kurt took a tiny sip.  It was sweet and fuzzy and had the same tingling feeling soda gave him.  He wished he had his own glass, so he could hold it like Mom and feel like he was at a fancy party.  Mom kissed his forehead and he relaxed into her, allowing himself to take another drink.  

Dad came over to sit next to them, his calloused fingers brushing some hair out of Kurt’s eyes.  “I hope you get your mother's sensibility, kiddo.”  Kurt didn’t really understand the statement but it made Mom smile.  

“Well, I hope you get your dad’s big heart.”  

The two of them shared a sweet, lingering look.  It seemed to Kurt as if they were having some kind of conversation with their eyes - but what was being said, Kurt didn’t yet understand.  Mom then shuffled Kurt to her side, settling him in-between them, then gave Dad a quick kiss before getting to her feet.  

“Kurt, stay here with Daddy for a moment.  I’m going to get more glasses, and we’ll make a toast to the end of the world.”

“You think you’re funny - but when the power goes out, don’t come crying to me.  Also, grab a couple of those flashlights on your way back in here.” 

[eljeebee]

For lunch, they invited an old friend...

Roxanne Burt!

"Roxie!" Sophia hugged her friend tight. "How are you!!"

"Sophia," Roxanne chuckled. "I'm doing well!"

"Love the hair! Going natural?"

"You bet I am!"

"Hello Miss Roxie!" Louie piped in. Roxanne looked down.

"Well, I could see you've been doing well too, Sophia," Roxanne smiled. "Your boys are big! Look at you! Aren't you just a toddler the last time I saw you?!"

Sophia laughed.

"Howdy Miss Roxie, I'm Mason Davis!"

Roxanne looked at her right.

Mason gave him a toothy smile, despite the gap between his teeth.

Roxanne gasped, "Is that him?"

Sophia nodded, "Yes. Last time you saw him, he was still in my tummy."

"Time goes fast," Jason chimed in, finishing up his dishes.

"Hello, Jason," Roxanne nodded. "Hope you didn't give Sophia trouble, huh?"

Jason laughed, "I think she's the trouble."

The Davises, with Roxanne, had a hearty lunch. Conversations kept flowing with the boys catching up with their godmother.

After their meal, they did some dancing!

Godmother Roxie won't let her godkids down! (And Mason won't stop talking about his teeth, loosening and pulling it out.)

Before Roxanne leaves, the family invited her to join their family picture!

"Alright, ready?" Jason called. "3 seconds!"

"3, 2, 1, say eeeeve!!!"

"Eeeve!"

"Here's your copy, Roxie," Sophia handed her a box.

"That was fast!" Roxanne chuckled.

Roxanne retrieved the gift, tucking it under her arm as she retrieves her bag.

Sophia led her out the door. Roxanne opened her umbrella, the children and Jason waved goodbye.

"Take care, Roxie!" Sophia waved, as Roxanne stepped down their porch. "Happy new year!"

"Happy new year!"

[wyn-n-tonic]

Some things to consider if you are donating hygiene products to shelters/food banks (if you have the means):

Unscented soap for sensitive skin. (Dove and Ivory are so good for this but I know there are store brands).

Unscented lotion! Lotion isn't a very highly donated product and, when it is, it tends to be very fragrant. This is a problem because fragrant lotions contain a lot of alcohol in them which in turn dries the skin out and is not very good for people with sensitive skin or skin issues and is definitely an issue for houseless people who are more exposed to the elements outside.

Body/deodorant wipes.

Deodorant sticks and sprays.

Regular chapstick. Burt's Bees contains beeswax and Carmex/Blistex are medicated, all can make chapped lips worse and you can actually develop an allergy to their ingredients.

Adult diapers. People donate baby diapers and they donate feminine hygiene products but donations of adult diapers are few and far between and shelters/food banks see a lot of traffic from new, healing mothers or older children with developmental disabilities or elderly members of our population.

First aid kits.

Activities for kids (cheap coloring books and some crayon packs, fidget toys, little puzzles). It may seem silly to some but I once got to tell a mom that I included some little age appropriate toys for her kiddos and I will think about her reaction and the hug she gave me for the rest of my life.

Blankets. Little fleecey throw blankets are so important and are, unfortunately, the difference between life and death during these colder months.

Underwear and socks. I have had people tell me that they don't want to donate underwear because they feel like it's creepy. It's not creepy. These are basic necessities and they are often times hardly donated and asking for help at all is hard but asking for more personal items like underwear can be downright embarrassing. Especially when it's not available. People are less likely to ask in the future when that happens (especially if treated or looked at judgmentally when they ask).

Hair products for different hair types. A lot of these organizations serve minority populations in our communities because the system has been set up to keep non-white people down and in poverty (anybody can experience poverty but, please remember that systemic racism plays a huge role in why these services are desperately needed and horribly underfunded). Hair products like shampoo and conditioner are donated but it's 99.9% of the time going to be very cheap products that aren't good for any hair type but definitely are not good for people with coarse hair or curly/kinky hair. If you have the means, please consider donating some products specifically formulated for Black hair. I am not somebody who needs those products so I don't have much knowledge into the brands that are actually good. So I do encourage anybody who can help with a list of products they'd recommend to reblog this and add those items on.

And if all of that is just too overwhelming of a list but you would like to do something, call around to some local schools and ask if they have some lunch debt you can pay off for some babies. If you want to go further, ask if you can put some money on the books for some of the kids so that they can have a hot meal because, unfortunately, school lunches are often times the only time some of these babies have a hot meal. And having to do that at all is a failure of our society and government that desperately needs to be fixed but if we can help ease the burden of struggling parents on the road to that goal, then I think we should do that because it really does take a village but the extreme individualism mindset of this country has left so many people behind.

[heresathreebee]

The One Where She Got A Dog

Yelena Belova X Reader

Summary: how Yelena became a dog mom Masterlist Part 2

Tags: E | 1.8k words | scary movie, winter, secret pasts, sapphic

AN: Black Widow movie really got me in my feelings about those characters, Yelena in particular. I havent watched The Thing in almost a year please look the other way if movie events are out of order.

Pretty Russian girls are not usually your type, but fuck if you weren't absolutely obsessed with this one. You laughed when she told you she was from Ohio.  She laughed when you said you were too. 

Aquavit and your grandma's biscuit recipe brought her into your cabin on the edge of the world where she admitted to you she had never seen John Carpenter's The Thing before. You turned it on just as the snow storm set in and wrapped up in your thickest blankets with her. You're trying not to get your hopes too high but she's not shy about asking you to scoot closer. 

"Skäl," you cheer just as the ominous opening credits end and they find the mysterious ship in the frozen wasteland of antarctica. 

"Have you ever been?," Yelena asked. 

You grimace at the strong taste of aquavit. It's like vodka but with caraway for 'flavor'. You look at her from the side and poor yourself a second shot. "Been…?" 

"There." She points at the screen. 

"I have actually," you admit in a way you hope is flat and uninteresting, "have you?" 

Yelena shook her head. It's possible she might think you're being sarcastic (you cross your fingers under the blanket and hope she does). She's smiling at you, thinking something (but still watching the screen with interest). 

She drops the subject until you have to pause the movie to pee. You unwrap yourself from the cocoon of blankets and as you stand she asks you another question. 

"What were you doing there? in Antarctica, I mean." 

You sigh and pretend to brush something off of your pants. "Science trip with my parents. Shitty vacation for me I'd rather be in the Bahamas." 

You resist the urge to look at her. After taking care of business, you come back just in time to put the biscuits in the oven. You hear Yelena lean into the kitchen archway as the floors creak immensely here. 

"No timer?," she asked. 

"No timer," you confirm. "I use the timer of my heart." 

Yelena scoffs. "Please don't burn them, I'm curious about these… what are they– pastries?" 

"Something like that." 

The two of you went back to the movie just as the gang on screen is trying to decipher who is human and who is not. You feel like something between you has changed and sadly not for the better. 

But she can't know. 

"I hate this part," you say, making absolutely no move to avert your gaze. 

Yelena is startled when the doctor's arms become trapped in the bear trap belly mouth of the "man" on the table. She quickly covers her eyes and giggles manically, slapping your chest for the vague and unhelpful warning. You realize she's not as close to you as before…

There's 20 minutes left of this movie and you haven't seen a single thing on screen. Yelena stopped asking you questions when you stopped being coherent with your answers. All you can think about is telling her. 

But you can't tell her. She would never understand. You barely understand and it's about you. 

"I lied." Your heart beats in your throat as you see her face you but you can't look at her directly for fear of losing your nerve. "About the science expedition? That's not why I was in Antarctica…" 

Yelena seems to wait for you to continue but… 

"Eh, no offense but, " you gesture with your hand, "I don't really know you like that." 

Yelena gave your reply a single nod. "I suppose that's fair." 

You can't help but fidget in your seat. "Idliketo" 

"What was that?" 

You cleared your throat. "I said… I said I'd like to. Know you like that, I mean…" 

Yelena gives you a smile. "I would like to know you like that, too." 

The movie ends, the biscuits are not burnt but buttery soft and golden brown, and the blizzard outside has subsided some. It's still going but at least it's not buffering the doors and windows like before. 

"How can you watch that film in a place like this?" Yelena cannot get enough of those biscuits, stuffing them in her mouth 2 at a time. "Does it make you paranoid?" 

"Yes it does," you say, putting your coat on, "I think that's what makes it so much scarier–  looking outside and being scared every person you come across ain't who they say they are. Sometimes its not a bad thing though... I think it is rather… poetic, too." 

Yelena's eyebrows furrow. "Where are you going?" 

You put on your boots and hope the duct tape stays on the hole you covered earlier. "Dogs are out in the shed. It's heated and they have food, but not for days and I'd rather have 'em in the house where I can take care of them." 

As you finished your sentence you reached for the door,  but stopped when you noticed Yelena getting dressed too. She gives you a nod as soon as her hood comes up, and you give this brave thing an appreciative once over. 

The snow that nearly all melted before is up to your knees now. Fresh, white, and fluffy. It muffles sound like the world's sidelong turning. The odd snowflake wafts lazily from the sky, but for the most part it's died down. You teach back and take Yelena's gloved hand to keep from staying too far apart. 

"You know I always wanted a dog," she said. She could have said it in a whisper from 100 yards away and you still would have heard her–  that is how eerily quiet it is. 

Yelena squeezes your hand and you squeeze back. She's probably remembering the movie. You try to distract her by saying, "Oh yeah? You can have one of mine then." 

Yelena laughs, then stops. "You serious?" 

"As a heart attack." You finally reach the door to the shed and unlatch the door. A chorus of barks begin and you charge forward to nudge them back to give Yelena space to come in as well. "I do some breeding up here–  just a side job. They're usually working dogs but they can be pets too." 

Buck licks your face from chin to forehead and you push him back. "Down, boy! Show some respect!" 

Yelena has two of the mongrels circling her, sniffing all her clothes and demanding to be pet. "That's Burt, Barney, and Bella. Buck's my stud, but these heathens are going to a farm. They've got sheep to watch." 

Yelena chuckles as her hands get covered in slobber. "I love them." 

They're almost grown, three quarters the height of their father. Buck didn't even look in Yelena's direction because he knows you give him treats. You take your scarf off as the heat of the shed threatens to smother you and search your pockets for jerky.  

"She's in there with the new puppies." You point to a darkened closet. "Don't get too close now, she's still a little protective." 

Yelena creeps closer. You see her look at you from the corner of her eye. Probably terrified by the morphing dog scene from the movie. You give her an encouraging smile and tell her where to find the light. It's a pull cord and it bathes the room in a warm golden yellow light. 

Yelena's heavy, controlled breathing turns into a coo. Mama dog is laying on her side watching the newcomer closely. There's a pup asleep in the nest of her legs, another chewing on the hay that litters the ground, and the last one is biting their mother's ear. Yelena looks back at you with an adorable pout on her lip. 

"So cute…" 

You chuckle and put your arm around her. Buck knows to steer clear of mama dog and slinks off. You make your guest walk closer with you to show mama she's got your confidence. 

"Yelena, this is Beyonce." Mama dog's ears perk at the sound of her name. "Beyonce, this is Yelena. Be nice." 

You reach down and scoop up the hay eating puppy at your feet. "This one's always hungry." 

You put the pup in her arms and scoop up the biter. "This one likes to play. All the time. Got more energy than the blue Energizer bunny actually." 

The pup in question is literally trying to wriggle out of your hands in its eagerness to climb you and eat your hair. 

"And that one sleeps a lot?" Yelena nodded her head at the last pup. 

"Pretty much." You put the writhing excited puppy down before it hurts itself and look up into the rafters. "And then there's the climber…" 

You both turn your heads when you hear a tiny bark. A cute little face stares down at you from the rafters and there's a feather stuck to its nose. You shake your head knowing this pup got it from ripping up pillows in another part of the dog house. 

"Better go get her," you said, not moving an inch to do so.  

Yelena sees your challenge and rises to it. As if trained to do exactly so, she assesses the wooden interior for foot and hand holds. You can see the wheels turning in her head as she calculates what will and won't support her weight. In the sweep of a single moment, she rises from the door and swings herself into the rafters using a build up a momentum to propel her fast in an upperward direction. She completes the climb and balances with ease, reaching out to collect the happy wagging miscreant from her mountain top, tucks her in her jacket and climbs a different way down. 

You stare at her. "Were you raised by trapeze artists?" 

Yelena laughs. "I thought everybody was." 

The pup is safe and happy and eager to explore its new friend. Yelena lets her lick, sniff, and scratch at her skin, her clothes, her hair. The pup catches Yelena with a tiny lick right on the tip of her nose and Yelena looks back at you with adoring eyes. 

You smile. "Got a name for her already don't you?" 

"Yes," Yelena whines, "no, are you sure about this? I should probably tell you I've never had a dog before…" 

"I can tell your good people," you reply. "And smart as a whip. You'll adapt, just call me if you ever need anything." 

~

Three weeks later you get a phone call from an unknown number. It's Yelena giving you an address and making you swear never to tell anybody about it. You don't have any friends so it's an easy secret to keep. 

You drive a few miles south and stumble upon a stationary trailer in the middle of nowhere, nothing but clearings and trees and sky. Actually very similar to your own home. 

The door opens and Yelena greets you with a beer and the pup under her arm, already almost a foot bigger than she was before. 

"Her name is Fanny." You both laugh yourselves hoarse and pile into the trailer to puppy proof the place. 

[nautiscarader]

Wendy and Dipper getting naked or even making love in some public place like a national park would definitely be one of Wendy's kinks. If they were in a woodland area for camping/hiking Dipper would be super nervous that they would get caught. And Wendy would use that as an excuse to tease him. "What's the matter, Dipper? Afraid you will make me cum so hard my moans will alert the rangers? Then you should gag me." She pulls a ballgag from her pack. "First rule of camping: Always come prepared!"

It wasn't the first time Wendy has given Dipper a challenge, but her dedication to it was what drove Dipper wild. Park ranger Wendy spreading her legs, lying on a smooth, mossy rock on a top of of a mountain was a skght to behold, burt the fact thet there were people and other rangers underneath them on the track, added a new level of danger.

But her sly smile made Dipper push forward, but not with the ball gag. He gave her a kiss and whiospered "What if i wamt them to hear us?" and knelt between her legs, placing first, lustful kiss on her wet lips.

Suddenly, Wendy realised that tab;es has been turned on her, as her boyfriend continued to worship her on the altar of nature, her soft whimpering gently reverberating across the mountain, as his tongue dived deeper and deeper.

She realised she wouldn't not be able to hold it back anymore and was about to scream, surely alerting everyone nearby but when she did so, her voice was drowned in Dipper's mouth at the same time as he sheathed himse;f inside her. And for the next minuite he absorbed her voice as he rutted her, her legs slowly locking behind his back, until his seed was spilling into her sex as much as her voice into his moith.

When he let go of her Dipper was rewarded with sight of tried, breathless freckled red-haired beauty, leaking his seed frm her twitching pussy against the mountainous view,, but her blissful smile faded away quickly when she heard noises coming from the clearing.

And when minute later some tourists arrived at the peak, they only noticed one damp mossy rock and a weird round ball lying underneath it...

[flamingredanon]

Right Hand Green AU plot where the government has Reginald, it appears it's all over, but just as Reg and Green meet face to face... He starts singing. Let's say Reg and Right had a special song between them, think like Remember Me from Coco(the song I'm specifically thinking of with this idea) and the memory trigger plus the power of true love causes the brainwashing to break and Right to come back. Galeforce has lost his weapon, and justice is due.

General Galeforce couldn't of been any happier. The Toppat Space Station was brought down to Earth thanks to Henry, most of the Toppats are either dead, arrested or about to be captured. And standing infront of him, captured, bruised and bleeding, was Reginald Copperbottom.

Reginald wasn't paying any attention to the General's gloating or the sound of the helicopter they were in taking off. Reginald could only stare at his husband who went missing almost a year ago, dressed up in a Government's uniform, cybernetic eye glowing green and just staring ahead, not recognizing Reginald or any other of the captured Toppats there.

Reginald couldn't imagine the torture and hell they put his husband through, to warp someone's mind into being a Government puppet. Reginald felt the tears falling down his face, was Right even in there anymore?

Reginald knew that he had one chance, one moment to try to break through to Right. Reginald took a deep breath, and then kicked that General as fast and hard as he could into the helicopter's cockpit, slamming the door and kicking the handle so it would jam.

Green quickly grabbed Reginald and before he could do anything else, Reginald started singing.

"My dear shining knight, as I give you my vow.

I will always love you my dear, forever and now.

As the sun and the moon, rises and fall.

I give you my hand, I give you my all.

No matter what happens, just know this to be true.

My dear Right, I will always love you."

Reginald was dropped to the ground as Green had tears coming down his right eye. The green cybernetic eye started flickering between green and red as Green looked around at the other Toppats.

There was the young talkative Sven Svensson, that fiery red head that escaped The Wall named Ellie, the not so talkative but ever so brutally honest Burt Curtis and one of the strongest Elites with a foul mouth, Carol Cross.

Green hit the floor in pain, clutching his head as the memories started flooding back. Everyone ignored the gun shot heard in the cockpit as Reginald knelt down next to Right.

Soon Right stopped screaming and looked up, cybernetic eye glowing red again, and spoke "I don't remember who I am, and I don't remember you, but I remember Sven, Ellie, Carol and almost everyone else in the Toppat Clan. And while I don't remember us, I strangely remember our wedding day, and that vow you sang to me."

Reginald hugged Right as best he could, tears cascading down his face as he spoke "It is ok Right, even if you don't remember yourself and I, you remembered your family, you remembered our wedding vows. I'm just glad you come back to us."

After a few minutes of crying, Right got to work breaking everybody's cuffs as the helicopter cockpit door tore open, startling everyone. But it wasn't that damn General, it was the helicopter pilot, Charles Calvin, who took one look at Right and gave a sigh of relief.

"So I know where alot of your clan was taken to, so after Right gets the cuffs off everyone, I can give you all the coordinates and we can start helping your friends." Charles saw Reginald was giving him an odd look before Right spoke up "My husband probably wants to know where that bastard he kicked into your cockpit went."

Charles just rubbed the back of his head while awkwardly laughing "So I may of accidentally shot Galeforce in the chest and then accidentally kicked him out of the helicopter. There may of been just some pent up frustrations I had with him." Right let out a hardy snort as Reginald was still confused, but atleast thankful the helicopter pilot was on their side.

---

Dr V was angry. She told that General that even though Right and Reginald's memories were erased from Green, it was too risky to have them meet face to face. But he didn't listen, and now most of those Toppats were freed and Green was no more, having broke through the control.

But it wasn't a complete loss. Galeforce's body was recovered, alongside the remote to control Green. She would simply make new weapons to match Green's strength... no to surpass Green and his strength. Now that Galeforce wasn't here, she could do things her way.

With Galeforce, that boy who caused Right's injuries in the first place and Galeforce's little puffy haired kiss ass, being prepped for a very lengthy surgery session. Dr V couldn't wait to adorn a new title. General Vinschpinsilstien.

[himilce-persephoniea]

What's your favorite movies and why would you recommend them? :)

Dear Anon, I’ve been crying over this post for days 🫠 seriously, how I’m going to answer this question? I took my list of movies (I’m not going to say how many movies I have but it's long, very long) and I had a break down. Do I chose my current preferred? The ones I’ve seen more than 20 times? The ones I love because “potatoes”? I chose a pattern like “my favorite in anime, in thriller, in action”? Do you see the dilemma???

So here is a list of a bunch of movies I really love. Favorites? Not sure. Recommend? Oh, absolutely!!

The Godfather (1972) I just love everything about this movie. The music, the characters, the ambiantation, the plot (it's the raising of a new mob boss!). Al Pacino does an amazing acting work! Frankly if you having seen it, give a try. And did you know that they were really helped by real mobsters? At the beginning, the scene where we see one of the subordinates rehearsal what he was going to say to Vito Corleone, was one of the people who gave advice on the real mafia. He was practicing his lines. When you see this movie, tell me who do you think is the “Goodfather” of the title? 🤗 I would love the read your opinion.

Ahmed, prince of the Alhambra (Ahmed, príncipe de la Alhambra) (1998). I think it's only available in Spanish (it's a Spanish production), but if you can see it, it's totally worth it. It's based in a tale from the American writer Washington Irvin’s Tales of the Alhambra (1832). It's the story of an Muslim prince who falls in love of a Christian princess in the medieval Spain. Ahmed was inclosed in the Alhambra all his life because it was predicted he will suffer because of love, so his father dictated he will never knew such thing. But he falls in love though poetry. Blanca, the princess, has to be married by a tournament and she despite violence, that's why she loves Ahmed lovable poetry. The story is how they fought for their love to succeed against everything. (P.S: the poem I took inspiration for “The light of your beloved eyes” I knew it in this movie. Is the poem they “write” together.)

Tangled (2010) I just love this movie. Where are you going to find a Disney Princess that goes to dive bars, sings with its regulars, fights with a pan, the male co-protagonist freaks out because her hair glows but has arguments with the horse that wants to capture him, both the parents are still alive at the end of the movie (🥹), is the father who cries and the mother who looks strong, has Blade Runner reference?? Seriously this movie great!

Clueless (1995) this is one of my feelgood movies. It's one the best adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. Cher is a lawyer’s daughter in Beverly Hills. She does what every teenager does (goes to parties and have fun with friends). She doesn't gossip or is mean to anyone. In fact, through all the movie, every time there is a new student in the school, she welcomes them. It's a romantic movie you always end with a smile. And come on! The co-protagonist is Paul Rudd!

Seven days in May (1963). A political thriller. I just adore this movie. With Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. It's explain the story of the head of the American military who wants to do a coup because the president sign a pact of disarmament with the Russian. It's amazing how almost 60 years later this movie continue to teach so much!

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) directed by Georges Lucas, with Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. The father/son duo in this movie is absolutely hilarious. The action never stops. I don't really want to spoil the movie if you haven't see it, but just “he didn't have a ticket”, “don't call me Junior” and “this is how your spend your days?” are my favorites. And no, you don't find any Dr. Jones in Archeological departments. I searched in four universities. And he’s right, the X doesn't mark the place 🤣

Jurassic Park (1993) I saw this movie in theaters being a little kid (if that doesn't set up my age 🥲). I wanted to see the movie with dinosaurs and I went out even more excited. Today, thirty years later, I’m just thrilled to see the original trio again together in Dominion. There is so many amazing moments. As an historian, I would have reacted just like Sam Neil’s character (Dr. Alan Grant) seeing a brachiosaurus. I love the idea that asks Jeff Goldbloom’s character, they were centred if they could do it (created dinosaurs from old DNA) that they didn't stopped to ask themselves if they had the moral right to do it. It's a question I’m not sure actual scientists would ask themselves doing researches...

Revenge of the Sith (2005). I had to put a Star Wars movie here. But hey, my favorite is “The Empire Strikes Back”. RotS is here because I’m talking about the 4h long version (is up there on Internet, you can easily find it). Why do I live it so much? First, ROTS is already a cinematic beauty. Have you seen how the colors disappear little by little as the movie pass and you can see Anakin falling to the Dark Side until we see a little hope with the twin suns of Tatooine (Luke and Leia)? Is just (chef kiss). But this version has the Mandalore arc (I could ramble for hours about Ahsoka, and Maul and my baby Clones 🥺) and the creation of the Rebellion by not other than Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and kriffing Padmé Amidala!! Freaking Georges Lucas decided it was more important to centre in the fall of Anakin and no the creation of a new hope?! Seriously?! Well, this 4h long version gives you all ☺️

Ulysses (1954) another with Kirk Douglas (did I love that actor? Yes sir). I’m a specialist in Greek mythology, in fact my art and history master degree was about the Hades (the place) in athenian vases of the 6th and 5th century B.C. Do you know how many movies or TV shows are good adaptation to the Iliad and the Odyssey? This one! And this one alone, and it's 60 years old! (please, don't make me talk about Troy, or the last one of the BBC...). It's amazing how good the portrayal of done. They have done an amazing research work. Nausicaa wears dresses that we see in paintings from Crete! And Ulysses fights like the firsts pugilats: with underwear. It's really accurate. The Odyssey is cut, and you don't see any God, but it's a movie pals. All the majors acts, all the majors adventures are there and well done explained. Telling again, a movie from 1954 hasn’t been dethroned as the best Illiad and Odyssey adaptation... And the Eneid’s case is even worse.

Twelve angry men (1957) with Henry Fonda. I think it comes from a theatrical version (it looks like). There has been an murder, the son as been accused, 12 men of a jury have to decide if that son is guilty without any reasonable doubt (if he's guilty, it's capital death). Eleven are completely sure at the beginning of it, only Henry Fonda wants to discuss because he has doubts and it's capital death... I just love legal movies 🥰 and this one is really good. Henry Fonda does an amazing job.

I gave you ten movies but I could continue for a long while 😭 Argo (2012), Beauty and the Beast (1992), Speed (1994), Miss Congeniality (2000), 2012 (2012), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge (2001), The Great Escape (1963), Tora Tora Tora (1970), Midway (2019), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw (2019), Princess Mononoke (1998)... Gosh!!! This is no end

And mention of honor. Movie I can’t see no matter how old I’m: The Land Before Time (1988) Thank you Don Bluth for given us a real masterpiece of animation... And a trauma! To this date, I’m still unable to see this movie without crying like a baby!!

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

Klaine it up! 2, 7, 12, 21, 50

Okay...I got this. PROMPTS FOUND HERE

2 - you accidentally sprayed them with yogurt when you open the lid the wrong way. 

This was not Kurt Hummel’s first time opening yogurt but it might’ve well have been. He was sitting at a picnic table in Central Park on his lunch break from Vogue.com having just picked up a BLT, sweeten iced tea, and strawberry yogurt from his newfound favorite sandwich shop. It just happened to be two blocks down from the Vogue offices too. 

After eating half a sandwich, he found himself watching three young girls practicing their hula-hooping skills. Of course, while entranced by the colorful swirls of plastic, Kurt grabbed his low-fat yogurt and pulled at the lid, and the minute he did another man was being dragged by his golden retriever over to Kurt’s table. 

Before he could stop it, a splash of light pink yogurt was splattered across the front of a bright blue polo. 

“Shit, I am so sorry,” they both said. 

Kurt had a lap full of puppy and the man covered in yogurt. 

“She’s really friendly and has a fondness for bacon,” the man said, gesturing to the sandwich. “And who can blame her.” 

With that comment, Kurt pushed his meal away slightly. Out of reach of the dog’s mouth. 

“I usually am way more careful with my food,” Kurt said. 

The handsome man only laughed, “it’s no big deal, do you happen to have a napkin?” 

“Oh yes!” Kurt reached into his bag to grab one. 

“Thanks,” he said, “come here, Lacey.” 

The puppy sat right at his side and waited. Kurt stood up to wipe the yogurt away while the man kept Lacey still. 

“I can...” he started to say but Kurt was already pulling away having cleaned it up the best he could. 

“Lacey and I also share a fondness for cute boys but I don’t suppose...” he trailed off, blushing. 

Kurt still wasn’t used to being flirted with but this wasn’t small town, Ohio. 

“And who can blame you,” Kurt replied, already grabbing a pen and paper from his bag to write on. 

THE REST OF THE PROMPTS CAN BE FOUND BELOW THE CUT

7 - you both do the side-to-side dance when you try to pass them in the grocery store aisle

Kurt told his dad to pick up an extra heavy whipping cream three days ago when Burt asked if Kurt needed any other ingredients for Thanksgiving dessert. He told him. 

“I only need 3 things: dark chocolate, heavy whipping cream, and almond extract.” 

Burt had gotten everything but Kurt needed whipping cream for both the chocolate mousse itself and the whipped topping he planned to make. Now he was at the crowded grocery store one day prior to Thanksgiving. Exactly where he didn’t want to be. 

 Of course, every grocery store made you walk all the way to the back of the store for dairy products. I’ll just grab milk and eggs real quick, you think, then suddenly you have a cart full of snacks you didn’t need. 

Kurt found the red and white carton fairly quick. He backed up and started to make his way to the self-checkout. Before he could think about the temptation of potato chips, he was stopped by another body. 

They both stopped and shifted their feet to make way for the other. From right to left and back again for several seconds before both falling into pits of laughter. Kurt looked into deep hazel eyes that twinkled at him. He wondered how long he could do this dance just to stare at them some more. 

“That’s my fault, I came around the corner too quick,” he said. 

Not quick enough, Kurt thought, we could’ve fallen to the floor. You on top of me would be quite nice. 

“No, it’s all me,” Kurt replied, “I should’ve been watching where I was going.” 

He fumbles into his pocket for a business card. Isabel’s one-month anniversary gift. 

“If you’re in town longer than tomorrow, I’d love to buy you some coffee as an apology,” Kurt said, handing the card over. 

“Oh.” Kurt watched him scan the card, flipping it over in his hands. “I’d love to, Kurt.” 

A shiver ran down his spine. Maybe he should thank his dad for forgetting the cream. 

12 - you kick a ball and your shoe flies off, hitting them in the back of your head

Blaine used to hate having an older brother. Growing up, he felt constantly in competition with Cooper’s larger-than-life personality. Now that Cooper had settled down in LA with Lisa, his wife, and had two wonderful kids, having an older sibling didn’t seem too bad.

It was summer break, Blaine was free to leave the confines of his NYU dorm room. He was trying to get lost in the sunshine of California to forget he was about to start his final year of college. Time with his niece and nephew was sure to put any nervousness out of his head. 

They were playing soccer in the park when it happened. It was bound to. Everyone in LA was hot. It was like the law. 

Cute boys and Blaine’s non-existence coordination weren’t a good mix. 

Blaine went to kick the ball and caught sight of a bicep. An unusually pale bicep. A rare sight in sunny Los Angles. Arms, Blaine fantasized, he’d love to see wrapped around him or possibly pushing his legs apart. 

He was sure he tighten his laces. This is why Blaine Anderson didn’t wear sneakers. Missed the ball by an inch but the force of his kick sent something flying through the air directly towards the cute guy: a sneaker. 

It happened so fast, Blaine heard the yell of surprise before realizing his sock was exposed. Once he realized what happened, he rushed over to the man. 

“Fuck, I am so sorry,” Blaine said. “Can I do anything?” 

“Well, an aspirin would be great,” the man teased. 

Blaine sat in the grass and chuckled. Still extremely embarrassed. 

“Not exactly the fairytale I always dreamed of.” 

“Fairytale?” Blaine asked, scrunching up his nose in confusion. 

“Cinderella,” he said, like it was obvious, “a lost shoe as it were.” 

“I’m not Cinderella,” Blaine told him, “sorry to say. I’m more of a Blaine.” 

“Kurt.” 

“It’s nice to meet you.” 

“I do believe this is yours,” Kurt said, handing over the shoe. 

21 - Almost spilling a drink because you met their eyes and got distracted thinking how cute they are. 

His dad always said pour your drinks yourself. Blaine became that friend who grabbed drinks for everyone for this reason exactly. He wasn’t sure what the occasion was exactly but his study buddy from his songwriting workshop invited him. It was at some loft in Bushwick but Blaine didn’t mind the adventure. 

Until tonight he had no reason to venture to this part of the city. 

“Blaine!” Elliott exclaimed, pushing a solo cup into his hand, “Drink up, karaoke at eleven!” 

Then he disappeared into the crowd. Blaine headed straight for the kitchen and poured the toxic mixture down the sink. He found a new cup and started reading the labels of the bottles spread out across the counter. Mixers and any alcohol of your choice seemed to be available. 

Rum and coke sounded good. He went into the fridge for a cold soda first. Blaine was happy the kitchen was empty he wasn’t quite ready to start making friends. As far as he knew, Elliott was the only friendly face here tonight. 

He poured the rum in for some semblance of tracking his alcohol intake. The last time he got drunk, he dialed the professor he TA-ed for, who thankfully overlooked that incident. Blaine cracked open the coke and while he poured surveying the living room. 

People were dancing to an upbeat pop song that Blaine strangely didn’t recognize and others were mingling in doorways or sat on scattered sofas and chairs chatting. He caught a pair of blue eyes in the crowd. 

The man they were attached to was stunning. If he hadn’t blinked, Blaine could’ve mistaken him for a marble statue carved by the gods. They didn’t lose eye contact as he walked towards the kitchen. It wasn’t until the man stood on the other side of the counter that Blaine noticed his hand was covered in soda. 

“Papers towels are behind you,” the man offers. 

Blaine set the now empty can down and spun around for paper towels to clean up his mess. 

Just great, he thought, make a fool out of yourself. That’ll score you some points. 

He cleans up his hand before wiping down the puddle of bubbling coke on the counter. 

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he continues, “and this is my party so I like to know all my guests.” 

“Your party?” Blaine stutters. 

“It’s my birthday.” 

“I’m Blaine,” he introduces. “Elliott invited me. We have a class together.” 

“Oh, you’re Blaine. From songwriting workshop.” 

“That’s me.” 

Elliott’s obviously talked about him before to this man. This gorgeous, completely out of Blaine’s league man. 

“God, he’s relentless,” he says. “I’m going to kill him.” 

“Um, might I ask why? I can leave if there’s an issue.” Blaine knows when he isn’t welcome. 

“No, no,” he replies, “don’t go. It’s just he’s been trying to set us up for months now.” 

It all clicks.

“Oh god, you’re Kurt.” 

“That’s me, the birthday boy. and you are Elliott’s idea of the best gift ever.”

Blaine blushes. “I don’t know if I can I've up to that but if I can have the next dance I can try.” 

Kurt nods. “I’d like that, Blaine. A lot.” 

50 - getting paired up on an amusement park ride that requires even-numbered riders

All of Kurt’s friends hated rollercoasters. Rachel didn’t like heights, Elliott refused to do anything with loops, and Santana, well, she was too caught up in her new girlfriend to be bothered. 

“I only wanna hear screaming tonight,” she told him. 

So, Kurt waited in line himself. Some fun day at Coney Island this was turning out to be. He was so glad he was spending the day with friends. Kurt rolled his eyes. 

The woman directing the ride gave Kurt his row number and moved down the line. Behind him someone tapped on his shoulder, Kurt turned around and found himself looking at a curly-haired man around his age. 

“Guess we’re both odd men out then, I’m the single rider in my group today.” 

“Oh, um, no, my friends were too chicken to even ride,” Kurt said. 

“I’m really surprised Wes and David are good to go. They both hate being upside-down.” 

Kurt smiled.

“I'm Blaine, by the way.”

“Kurt.” 

The ride emptied out and Kurt crawled over to the far seat. They buckled themselves in and listened to the instructions to keep all body parts inside at all times. Then, the bar came down and the ride launched. 

After the ride ended, Blaine and Kurt were chatting all the way down. Wes and David trailing behind them.

“That second loop really threw me,” Blaine was saying. 

“I saw,” Kurt exclaimed, “I thought you were going to fall out of your seat.” 

“Downfalls of being short and compact.”

When three more people joined their day at the park, no one questioned it. 

[vcg73]

FIC: Kurt Birthday Drabbles

Earlier this week @elledelajoie left a comment on something I wrote all the way back in 2014.  I had genuinely forgotten I ever started it, but the original idea was to write 21 Kurt Hummel birthday drabbles. I had written just 7 of them, but after we chatted about it, I decided to go ahead and finish.  

If you’re not familiar, a drabble is a scene of exactly 100 words, not counting title headers. Since Chris Colfer and Kurt Hummel’s co-birthday (May 27) is coming up this Thursday, here they are. This goes definite AU at Birthday #19. Because you know I would never sentence my beloved Kurt to a life of being a doormat to people who did not appreciate and value him.

Never underestimate the power of feedback!

~*~*~*~*~

Birthday #1

Kurt’s blue eyes went wide as a frosted cupcake was set upon his high-chair tray, a single candle ablaze on its surface.  

When Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Andy, Grandpa Curtis and Grandma Eileen started singing to him, he smiled and clapped both hands hard around the tempting pile of frosting.

Kurt laughed when the sugary topping went flying and a big splatter of white abruptly decorated Daddy’s surprised face.

Everyone else started laughed too, including the startled father, who retaliated by giving his birthday boy a sticky peck on the cheek and then helped him to blow out a new candle.

Birthday #2

Kurt looked between his presents, confused.

Mommy had given him the pretty dolly he had begged for at the store. Daddy had given him a truck, not big enough to ride but too big to live with the little cars Daddy gave him at Christmas.

His parents seemed to be mad at each other.

Kurt looked at the doll, then at the truck. He smiled and placed Dolly inside the truck and began to drive her around the carpet.

Mommy and Daddy seemed surprised by his actions, but then they laughed, and Kurt knew he had figured out the puzzle.

 Birthday #3

His shoes were black and shiny, buckles on the sides and 1-inch heels on the base. He clomped over the hardwood floors, listening to the click-tap-click-tap in delight. They went perfectly with his dove gray coveralls with “Kurt” sewn on the pocket in black sequins. Mommy had made the outfit for him.

Spotting Daddy watching him, Kurt threw himself into waiting arms. Daddy’s smile looked like he had an owie but was trying to be a big boy and not cry.

Kurt hugged him. “It’s okay, Daddy.”

Burt looked surprised but hugged him back. “Yeah, buddy. I think it is.”

 Birthday #4

Ballet girls were nice. When they heard it was his birthday today, they threw him a party. Kurt puffed up with pleasure when presented with cookies, a sparkly wand and a tiara that read ‘Happy Birthday’ in shiny letters. He was not as fond of the kisses they gave, but four was very grown up, so he screwed up his face and allowed it. The teacher even let him wear the special puffy pink tutu over his little black leotard! 

 He saw Mommy and Daddy up in the gallery taking pictures, so he waved.

Kurt hoped today would last forever.

  Birthday #5

“Can I have cupcakes?”

Kurt’s mother looked up from her book. “I don’t think we have any, sweetheart.”

“Can we have some Thursday?  My birthday is the last day of preschool.”

“It is?” she said, looking surprised. “Is it your birthday already?”

He nodded seriously. “Don’t you remember, Mommy? You were there.”

She laughed. “Well, you have me there.  What kind of cupcakes would you like, sweetie? And don’t say cheesecake. Those are two completely different kinds of dessert.”

Kurt’s hopeful expression fell. “Oh,” he said, clearly disappointed. Then his face brightened again. “Chocolate?”

She nodded. “That we can do.”

   Birthday #6

“Daddy!”

Burt sat up just in time to catch the little body that launched at him. “What’s wrong, slugger?”

“It’s my birthday!”

Grinning despite the way his heart was hammering at the abrupt awakening, Burt asked, “Yeah? I like birthdays. Do I get a present?”

“No,” the boy scoffed. “I get presents!”

 Burt squinted at the clock. 3:15am. “Not until morning, you don’t.”

Kurt pouted and tried, “It’s almost morning.”

“Not close enough, kid. C’mere,” Burt pulled him into the warm bed between himself and his wife.

Kurt snuggled down and went right back to sleep.  

Burt was less lucky.

 Birthday #7

Kids had started treating him funny this year. He was too fancy, too girly, holding hands was weird.

Nobody was coming.

“I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“Am I too late?”

They jumped as a little black girl with pom-pom hair popped out of nowhere.

“I’m Mercedes,” she greeted. “We just moved here. Mom said you would have invited me if you’d known.”

“I’m Kurt.” He smiled. “Do you like tea parties?”

“Is there cake?”

Mrs. Hummel beamed. “Cake, ice cream, and Kool-Aid.”

Kurt shrugged. “Nobody else came.”

She grabbed his hand like she’d known him forever. “More for us!  Happy Birthday, Kurt.”

 Birthday #8

Kurt took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and carefully blew out the candles. All but the extra one that his parents always put on his cake.

“Aren’t you gonna finish, bud?”

He looked from Daddy over to his mother, home again, but so frail he was sometimes afraid to hug her, worried she might pop like a fragile soap bubble. He offered her the candle. “Here, Mommy. Blow it out. Maybe you’ll get another year to grow on.”

The eyes of the two adults met, then Mommy nodded. The three of them blew out the final candle together.

 Birthday #9

Barely daring to hope, Kurt came down the stairs.  Birthday cakes and presents had been Mommy’s specialty.  Daddy had forgotten his own birthday and had nearly forgotten Christmas.

Kurt gasped when he saw it, waiting, shining and spectacular against the front door.

“A bike!”

Bright green, sissy bars with foil streamers, and a banana seat. Perfect!

Burt smiled. He had scoffed a such a “girly” bike when Kurt spotted it at the toy store. But now, looking at the all-too-rare joy in his son’s eyes and feeling the approving smile his wife would have given, he nodded. It was perfect.

 Birthday #10

Buying gifts was tough when your kid always clammed up on you. A dad had to be observant.

Ten years old. A landmark like that needed something special, but the only thing Kurt seemed into was clothes. He had enough of those for ten kids.  

He’d probably like a Barbie he could change in and out of different outfits, but Burt cringed at the thought.

He did doodle pretty good though. Sure, it was mostly pictures of clothes, but that was a start.

A fancy sketchpad with a case and a hundred different colored pencils. Yeah, that was the ticket.

 Birthday #11

“Dad, where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

Kurt sighed with exaggerated impatience. He had come home from school to find Dad waiting at the truck, ordering him to get in, then not saying another word. The suspense was killing him.

“Ta-Dahhhh!”

They had pulled up in front of a nondescript brick building. “Columbus Culinary Arts?”

“You like to cook right?  Well, we’re gonna fix your birthday dinner this year with the help of a real chef. Lessons are once a week for the next couple months.”

Gourmet cooking lessons!

“Oh wow. Dad, this is amazing!”

Burt grinned. “Happy Birthday, kid.”

 Birthday #12

Last year’s surprise had gone so well that Burt had decided on a repeat. But when he saw the excitement on Kurt’s face at finding a pair of tickets inside his birthday card turn to disappointment and horror, quickly masked with a fake smile, he knew he’d goofed.

“I know baseball isn’t your thing,” he said, almost pleading. “But you’ve never seen a live game before. It’s a whole different experience. It’s a home game. We can yell and scream, and cheer our team on with thousands of other fans.”

The stiff not-smile never wavered. “Sounds . . . fun.”

 Birthday #13

Dad had bought out one of the partners at the garage this spring and now owned a majority share of the renamed “Hummel Tires & Lube”. Kurt wanted to snicker at that name, but he was proud too.

His birthday this year coincided with Friday Night Dinner. Dad had invited all the mechanics over for a potluck. They’d had Mary’s special fried chicken, Cassius’s homemade cornbread, and Davy’s mac’n’cheese. Now Dad brought out the cake.

Kurt laughed. A sheet-cake with a tow-truck and two little plastic mechanics for decoration.

“You and me kid. Partners.”

The mechanics cheered and everybody dug in.

  Birthday #14

Kurt froze when he saw tickets peeping out of his card. Not again. Noise, sunburn, unhealthy food, tacky uniforms, and Dad trying so hard to make a boring sport seem like fun.

He sighed and pasted on a smile, which quickly transformed into shock.

“Wicked?” he squeaked, staring hard at the little papers as if the printing might change if he dared to look away.

“Embassy Theater is giving regional business owners a discount this year,” Burt said apologetically. “It’s just a traveling production, not real Broadway, but I …”

His apology was cut off by a joyful teenaged hug.

 Birthday #15

“Don’t worry, son, you got this.  Just remember everything I taught you.  You got a whole year to get ready for the practical test.”

“I know.”

“And it’s okay if you don’t get it right the first time. Not everybody does.”

“I’m fine, Dad.”

“I’ll be right here waiting for you when you’re through.”

“I know that, Dad. I’ll be okay, really.”

At that moment, Kurt’s name was called and he sprang from his hard green plastic chair. His dad’s repeated reassurances were making him jumpy.

Twenty minutes later, a brightly grinning Kurt was waving his freshly minted driver’s permit.

 Birthday #16

Burt patted the giant blue bow the dealership had provided over the hood of the shining black Lincoln Navigator.  

Kurt was gonna flip! He’d passed his DMV test with flying colors and was no doubt showing off his shiny new license to all his friends at school.  

He paused. Did Kurt have any friends to share this accomplishment with? He always seemed so alone.

Maybe that’s why he had decided to spoil his son with a huge birthday gift.

It wasn’t right for such a good kid to be all alone. Maybe having his own ride would help change that.

  Birthday #17

A dozen teens gathered in Kurt’s basement to celebrate the end-of-school, non-disbanding of Glee, and Kurt’s birthday, all in one.

“Not like ten years ago,” Mercedes said to Kurt, as they watched Mike and Brittany dance.

“Ten years?”

“Your seventh? It was just you, me, your mom, and lots of chocolate cake.”

Kurt was astounded. “That was you?”

“You forgot?”

“I remember a little girl who showed up and invited herself to my party.”

“And I remember a little boy who needed a friend as much as I did.”

He squeezed her hand. “Thanks for coming.”

She squeezed back. “Always.”

 Birthday #18

Kurt stared at his birthday cake, unable to think of anything to wish for.

He was 18-years-old today, a legal adult. He had new family in Carole and Finn, his dad was on the mend, he would be back at McKinley for senior year, he had made his first visit to New York City, and he had a boyfriend! One who had just told Kurt that he loved him for the very first time.

‘I wish for next year to be as good as this,” he thought, taking a deep breath and blowing.

The flames flickered out, all except one.

 Birthday #19

Senior year had been a disaster, and now he had not gotten into NYADA, despite his well-praised audition.

“Blaine wants me to spend another year here,” he whispered. “I just can’t.”

Burt’s callused hand squeezed his neck. “Then don’t. You’re 19 now, a man. You got talents galore, work experience from the garage, enough drive for ten kids, and your mom’s life insurance money to give you a start.”

“But…”

“No buts,” Burt said firmly. “You go on to New York and grab life by the balls.”

Kurt felt his optimism rise. “Help me look for apartments?”

“You got it.”

 Birthday #20

What a difference a year made.

He’d dumped Blaine after being cheated on less than a month after leaving Lima.  He was enrolled at FIT and sharing a shoebox apartment with a fellow design student and a Broadway hopeful, but both were young gay men from small towns, and they had a lot in common.

“Happy Birthday!” Elliott shouted, tossing a handful of glittery sequins at him.

Adam came in playing the birthday song on a kazoo he had gotten from who-knows-where. “Ready for Callbacks? $20 on who gets the first hot guy’s number!”

“I already have yours. I win!”

 Birthday #21

“I have the honor of presenting your first official grown-up drink,” Adam said, smiling lovingly at his grinning boyfriend of nearly a year. He set down a martini glass with a cherry floating on top. “A Manhattan seemed appropriate.”

Kurt beamed and gave him a kiss, then took an experimental sip. “I’ve had alcohol before,” he admitted. “Mostly wine, though.  Mm, this is good!”

“I thought you’d like it. Happy Birthday, my love.  May the future bring every good thing you wish for, and never more heartache than you can handle.”

Kurt could not have asked for a better sentiment.

THE END

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020) was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamorous actresses of her day, nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor" because she photographed so well in that medium.

Fleming was born Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, California, to Harold Cheverton Louis, an insurance salesman, and Effie Graham, a stage actress who had appeared opposite Al Jolson in the musical Dancing Around at New York's Winter Garden Theatre from 1914 to 1915. Fleming's maternal grandfather was John C. Graham, an actor, theater owner, and newspaper editor in Utah.

She began working as a film actress while attending Beverly Hills High School, from which she graduated in 1941. She was discovered by the well-known Hollywood agent Henry Willson, who changed her name to "Rhonda Fleming".

"It's so weird", Fleming said later. "He stopped me crossing the street. It kinda scared me a little bit -- I was only 16 or 17. He signed me to a seven-year contract without a screen test. It was a Cinderella story, but those could happen in those days."

Fleming's agent Willson went to work for David O. Selznick, who put her under contract.[5][6] She had bit parts in In Old Oklahoma (1943), Since You Went Away (1944) for Selznick, and in When Strangers Marry (1944).

She received her first substantial role in the thriller, Spellbound (1945), produced by Selznick and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. "Hitch told me I was going to play a nymphomaniac", Fleming said later. "I remember rushing home to look it up in the dictionary and being quite shocked." The film was a success and Selznick gave her another good role in the thriller The Spiral Staircase (1946), directed by Robert Siodmak.

Selznick lent her out to appear in supporting parts in the Randolph Scott Western Abilene Town (1946) at United Artists and the film noir classic Out of the Past (1947) with Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas, at RKO, where she played a harried secretary.

Fleming's first leading role came in Adventure Island (1947), a low-budget action film made for Pine-Thomas Productions at Paramount Pictures in the two-color Cinecolor process and co-starring fellow Selznick contractee Rory Calhoun.

Fleming then auditioned for the female lead in a Bing Crosby film, a part Deanna Durbin turned down at Paramount in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949), a musical loosely based on the story by Mark Twain. Fleming exhibited her singing ability, dueting with Crosby on "Once and For Always" and soloing with "When Is Sometime". They recorded the songs for a three-disc, 78-rpm Decca album, conducted by Victor Young, who wrote the film's orchestral score. Her vocal coach in Hollywood, Harriet Lee, praised her "lovely voice", saying, "she could be a musical comedy queen". The movie was Fleming's first Technicolor film. Her fair complexion and flaming red hair photographed exceptionally well and she was nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor", a moniker not worth much to her as she would have preferred to be known for her acting. Actress Maureen O'Hara expressed a similar sentiment when the same nickname was given to her around this time.

She then played another leading role opposite a comedian, in this case Bob Hope, in the The Great Lover (1949). It was a big hit and Fleming was established. "After that, I wasn't fortunate enough to get good directors", said Fleming. "I made the mistake of doing lesser films for good money. I was hot – they all wanted me – but I didn't have the guidance or background to judge for myself."

In February 1949, Selznick sold his contract players to Warner Bros, but he kept Fleming.

In 1950 she portrayed John Payne's love interest in The Eagle and the Hawk, a Western.

Fleming was lent to RKO to play a femme fatale opposite Dick Powell in Cry Danger (1951), a film noir. Back at Paramount, she played the title role in a Western with Glenn Ford, The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951).

In 1950, she ended her association with Selznick after eight years, though her contract with him had another five years to run.

Fleming signed a three-picture deal with Paramount. Pine-Thomas used her as Ronald Reagan's leading lady in a Western, The Last Outpost (1951), John Payne's leading lady in the adventure film Crosswinds (1951), and with Reagan again in Hong Kong (1951).

She sang on NBC's Colgate Comedy Hour during the same live telecast that featured Errol Flynn, on September 30, 1951, from the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood.

Fleming was top-billed for Sam Katzman's The Golden Hawk (1952) with Sterling Hayden, then was reunited with Reagan for Tropic Zone (1953) at Pine-Thomas. In 1953, Fleming portrayed Cleopatra in Katzman's Serpent of the Nile for Columbia. That same year, she filmed a western with Charlton Heston at Paramount, Pony Express (1953), and two films shot in three dimensions (3-D), Inferno with Robert Ryan at Fox, and the musical Those Redheads From Seattle with Gene Barry, for Pine-Thomas. The following year, she starred with Fernando Lamas in Jivaro, her third 3-D release, at Pine-Thomas. She went to Universal for Yankee Pasha (1954) with Jeff Chandler. Fleming also traveled to Italy to play Semiramis in Queen of Babylon (1954).

Fleming was part of a gospel singing quartet with Jane Russell, Connie Haines, and Beryl Davis.

Much of the location work for Fleming's 1955 Western Tennessee's Partner, in which she played Duchess opposite John Payne as Tennessee and Ronald Reagan as Cowpoke, was filmed at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, (known as the most heavily filmed outdoor location in the history of film and television). A distinctive monolithic sandstone feature behind which Fleming (as Duchess) hid during an action sequence, later became known as the Rhonda Fleming Rock. The rock is part of a section of the former movie ranch known as "Garden of the Gods", which has been preserved as public parkland.

Fleming was reunited with Payne and fellow redhead Arlene Dahl in a noir at RKO, Slightly Scarlet (1956). She did other thrillers that year; The Killer Is Loose (1956) with Joseph Cotten and Fritz Lang's While the City Sleeps (1956), co-starring Dana Andrews, at RKO. Fleming was top billed in an adventure movie for Warwick Films, Odongo (1956).

Fleming had the female lead in John Sturges's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) co-starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, a big hit. She supported Donald O'Connor in The Buster Keaton Story (1957) and Stewart Granger in Gun Glory (1957) at MGM.

In May 1957, Fleming launched a nightclub act at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. It was a tremendous success. "I just wanted to know if I could get out on that stage – if I could do it. And I did! ... My heart was to do more stage work, but I had a son, so I really couldn't, but that was in my heart."

Fleming was Guy Madison's co star in Bullwhip (1958) for Allied Artists, and supported Jean Simmons in Home Before Dark (1958), which she later called her favorite role ("It was a marvellous stretch", she said).

Fleming was reunited with Bob Hope in Alias Jesse James (1959) and did an episode of Wagon Train.

She was in the Irwin Allen/Joseph M. Newman production of The Big Circus (1959), co-starring Victor Mature and Vincent Price. This was made for Allied Artists, whom Fleming later sued for unpaid profits.

Fleming travelled to Italy again to make The Revolt of the Slaves (1959) and was second billed in The Crowded Sky (1960).

In 1960, she described herself as "semi-retired", having made money in real estate investments. That year she toured her nightclub act in Las Vegas and Palm Springs.

During the 1950s, 1960s, and into the 1970s, Fleming frequently appeared on television with guest-starring roles on The Red Skelton Show, The Best of Broadway, The Investigators, Shower of Stars, The Dick Powell Show, Wagon Train, Burke's Law, The Virginian, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, Kung Fu, Ellery Queen, and The Love Boat.

In 1958, Fleming again displayed her singing talent when she recorded her only LP, entitled simply Rhonda (reissued in 2008 on CD as Rhonda Fleming Sings Just For You). In this album, which was released by Columbia Records, she blended then-current songs like "Around The World" with standards such as "Love Me or Leave Me" and "I've Got You Under My Skin". Conductor-arranger Frank Comstock provided the musical direction.

On March 4, 1962, Fleming appeared in one of the last segments of ABC's Follow the Sun in a role opposite Gary Lockwood. She played a Marine in the episode, "Marine of the Month".

In December 1962, Fleming was cast as the glamorous Kitty Bolton in the episode, "Loss of Faith", on the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. In the story line, Kitty pits Joe Phy (Jim Davis) and Peter Gabriel (Don Collier) to run against each other for sheriff of Pima County, Arizona. Violence results from the rivalry.

In the 1960s, Fleming branched out into other businesses and began performing regularly on stage and in Las Vegas.

One of her final film appearances was in a bit-part as Edith von Secondburg in the comedy The Nude Bomb (1980) starring Don Adams. She also appeared in Waiting for the Wind (1990).

Fleming has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.

Fleming worked for several charities, especially in the field of cancer care, and served on the committees of many related organizations. In 1991, her fifth husband, Ted Mann, and she established the Rhonda Fleming Mann Clinic for Women's Comprehensive Care at the UCLA Medical Center.

In 1964, Fleming spoke at the "Project Prayer" rally attended by 2,500 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The gathering, which was hosted by Anthony Eisley, a star of ABC's Hawaiian Eye series, sought to flood the United States Congress with letters in support of mandatory school prayer, following two decisions in 1962 and 1963 of the United States Supreme Court, which struck down mandatory school prayer as conflicting with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Joining Fleming and Eisley at the rally were Walter Brennan, Lloyd Nolan, Dale Evans, Pat Boone, and Gloria Swanson. Fleming declared, "Project Prayer is hoping to clarify the First Amendment to the Constitution and reverse this present trend away from God." Eisley and Fleming added that John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Roy Rogers, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Pat Buttram would also have attended the rally had their schedules not been in conflict.

Fleming married six times:

Thomas Wade Lane, interior decorator, (1940–1942; divorced), one son

Dr. Lewis V. Morrill, Hollywood physician, (July 11, 1952 – 1954; divorced)

Lang Jeffries, actor, (April 3, 1960 – January 11, 1962; divorced)

Hall Bartlett, producer (March 27, 1966 – 1972; divorced)

Ted Mann, producer, (March 11, 1977 – January 15, 2001; his death)

Darol Wayne Carlson (2003 – October 31, 2017; his death)

Through her son Kent Lane (b. 1941), Rhonda also had two granddaughters (Kimberly and Kelly), four great-grandchildren (Wagner, Page, Lane, and Cole), and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was a Presbyterian and a Republican who supported Dwight Eisenhower during the 1952 presidential election.

Fleming died on October 14, 2020, in Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, California, at the age of 97. She is interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.

[lilyvandersteen]

The Christmas Guest Chapter 7

Author’s Note: Apparently, when I’m suffering from insomnia, I write very sleepy chapters, where Klaine take naps and drift off at a moment’s notice. Wishful thinking on my part, but I’m glad Klaine at least are getting all the sleep they need. So, enjoy some pillow talk and sleepy cuddles, I guess :-)

Read Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, the Interlude and Chapter 6 here on Tumblr, or read the story on AO3 or FF.net.

Chapter 7: Nothing Better than the Real Thing

Kurt felt a soft warm hand caress his face and trace the contour of his body, and slowly stirred awake.

It was Blaine. Of course it was Blaine, they had been talking, but why was it so dark outside?

His muddled brain refused to work properly, but he did realize they’d have to get downstairs as soon as possible or his dad would think… Ugh, he didn’t want him to think anything like that ever.

He had meant to help Carole make dinner, but it was already done. His stepmom didn’t seem to mind, though, telling him a snowball fight and a nap after would cure that cold of his in a jiffy. And yes, he hadn’t been coughing or sniffling half as much as the day before, that was definitely true. But he’d been exhausted from the emotion more than the exercise that came before.

Kurt glanced at Blaine, who gave him a look that felt like a hug. A look that said, “Your secrets are safe with me”, and Kurt believed that was true.

As soon as they were all seated at the table, Blaine slipped his hand in Kurt’s and squeezed it lightly, the message of support more than clear, and Kurt sent him a grateful smile.

He didn’t fully cheer up until after dinner, when he got an invitation to Rachel’s New Year’s Eve party, but Finn nipped his joy about seeing his friends again in the bud by pointing out they’d all want to know everything about Blaine and how he and Kurt met.

Well. That was certainly true.

He saw Blaine’s eyes widen, his hands tremble and his color fade.

Oh, sweetie… I’ll make sure to keep you close at the party. I can bluff myself out of this. I’m good at improv. You have nothing to worry about.

But Blaine was truly rattled, and insisted on getting their story straight, so though it was still early, they both pleaded exhaustion and announced they were going to bed.

Burt fixed them with a stare. “If I let you sleep in the same bed, can I count on you behaving yourselves? No shenanigans!”

Blaine swallowed and nodded. “You have my word, sir… uhm, Burt.”

“Kurt?”

“Ugh, you’re embarrassing, Dad. But yes, I promise.”

Carole squeezed Kurt’s shoulder affectionately. “You do look beat. And no wonder, you’re still fighting against a cold. Yes, go to bed, and I’ll tell Finn to let you sleep in tomorrow. Do you need more lozenges for your throat?”

“No, I just drank about a gallon of chamomile tea, and my throat feels okay. Thanks, though. And goodnight.”

They escaped without any more comments from Burt, and Kurt slipped into his en-suite to shower and change into his pajamas, telling Blaine he could use the main bathroom in the meantime.

Sure enough, when he emerged in his bedroom again after his skincare regimen, Blaine was sitting on the bed, wearing neatly pressed pajamas and smelling like raspberries and aftershave. He was also on the verge of a panic attack, it seemed, so Kurt hastened to hug him and whisper “It will be okay.”

“Finn said…”

“I know what he said, and I’m sorry he got you so wound up. My friends are nosy, yes, but I can deal with them. We can deal with them. You’ll be fine. I’ll stay with you the whole night through, and when they’re too annoying, I’ll tell them to back off.”

Blaine didn’t look reassured. “I’d feel better if… If we had a story to tell them. About how we met.”

“All right, honey. Do you mind if I get under the duvet? I’m a bit cold.”

They both got under the covers, and Blaine wriggled until he was back in Kurt’s arms, which made Kurt smile and his heart beat a bit faster.

“So… We met at the coffee shop where you work?” Kurt suggested. “And I liked the bowtie you were wearing and complimented you on it. Oh, that is… If you… Do you wear bowties while working?”

“Sometimes, yes.”

“There you go! And you smiled at me, and I was smitten at once. You have such a lovely smile.”

“Thank you.”

Kurt continued, “So I kept coming back to your coffeeshop… Where is it, in fact? Somewhere near my school or where I live, I hope.”

“Oh, it’s near the Washington Square Park. It’s called Stumptown Coffee Roasters.”

Kurt perked up. “I’ve been there! They have the best chai lattes, I love those.”

“It’s the spices,” Blaine explained. “We make our own blend.”

“Well, brilliant. I’ve raved to Rachel about those chai lattes, so now I can tell her it wasn’t just for the drinks I went to that coffeeshop.”

“Okay. So then… what happened?”

“Hmm… We ran into each other somewhere outside the coffeeshop, and… You saved me and my quiff from a sudden rain squall by letting me shelter under your umbrella. I was so grateful I asked you out on the spot, and you said yes.”

“Oh, I like that,” said Blaine. “You’re really good at this.”

“Hours and hours of practice daydreaming. Might as well put it to good use for once.”

“So… when did this happen, exactly?” Blaine wanted to know.

“Oh, just a few weeks ago. We’ve only gone on one date so far, because you’re busy, and I’m busy. But then I went to the coffeeshop one last time before I’d be heading home to Ohio, and we got talking, as we always do, and you mentioned being all alone for Christmas, and I invited you home with me. It was a spur of the moment decision.”

Blaine laughed. “Well, that’s true enough!”

Kurt hummed in assent, and carded his fingers through Blaine’s curls, gently massaging his head. “I can be impulsive, yes. But inviting you is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I don’t regret it one bit.”

“Me neither.”

“Do you think we could…?”

“Keep in touch once we’re back in New York? Yes. Yes, please.”

Kurt was a bit taken aback by Blaine’s quick reaction. He’d meant to ask Blaine out on a date, but this sounded like he was being friend-zoned.

Oh. Not quite on the same wavelength, then.

Kurt took his hands away from Blaine’s hair, fake yawned and announced that he was about to fall asleep. He turned onto his side, said “Goodnight” and focused on making his breathing soft and slow and regular.

Next to him, he heard Blaine whisper “Goodnight, Kurt” and turn onto his side as well, taking away his body heat and making Kurt shiver a bit.

“Are you still cold?” Blaine asked.

“Mmm-hmm.”

Blaine shuffled closer and spooned Kurt, his presence warm and comforting, and at once Kurt felt a million times sleepier.

“Much better than a boyfriend pillow,” Kurt mumbled, tugging Blaine’s arm snugly around him.

Blaine laughed. “Nothing better than the real thing, right?”

Kurt didn’t answer. Seeing as they were only fake dating, there was no real thing. Or was there? Ugh, why had he made such a mess of things and allowed himself to catch feelings?

Behind him, he heard Blaine say “Sweet dreams”, and he felt a slight fleeting pressure on his neck. Had Blaine just kissed him?

Kurt suppressed a sigh. This was getting more and more confusing, but he hoped it would sort itself out in the end. In the meantime, he was going to imagine this was really his boyfriend spooning him in bed and keeping him toasty warm. It felt like heaven, and he was going to enjoy the experience to the fullest.

I could get used to this…

[tibby]

hello dearest tubular tibby. this is a big question but when do you think glee went wrong? like, what was the point of no return? and what would glee have been like if it was written by you? i would pay a lot of money to see glee: a tibby production and i dont have a lot of money. Sending you lots of love!

a year ago, i probably would have told you that it went downhill after season one, but revisiting season two has made me a lot of fonder of it than i was ten years ago. i still prefer s1, but i do think s2 - for the most part - does manage to keep the campy charm of season one, while balancing it out nicely with more serious topics. most of the musical numbers are good (rocky horror is one of their best, if not THE best theme episode they did), it has some of the standout episodes of the show (the substitute, furt, the sue sylvester shuffle, silly love songs, blame it on the alcohol, sexy), the cast were solid all around, and ryan murphy’s favouritism towards lea and darren had yet to impact the show too much. i think some plots weren’t handled as well as they should have (as a quinn stan, i have a lot of feelings about how all of her storylines could have been written so much better, but the lucy stuff would have been such a good way to delve more into her insecurities/body issues/obsession with perfection - instead, it was just a weird fatphobic mess), but i think stuff like santana’s sexuality and burt’s heart attack were pretty decent for glee. like, yeah, burt’s near death is intercut with finn singing losing my religion over a sandwich, but the weird mix of heart and humour is what made glee work, and you can’t expect more from a show that often covered hot topics with all the subtlety of a hand grenade.

and i’m an unapologetic riverdale stan, i love that show because it’s ridiculous and dramatic and over the top and illogical. because riverdale is self aware about that. and glee, for all its many flaws, was pretty self aware about that too in the beginning.

the problem started when the show got too caught up in its own fame.

season three continued to bring us ridiculous plots mixed in with serious ways, but it was no longer a perfect balancing act. it no longer felt as if it was fun but also touching, it just felt....messy. i’m not sure if i could pinpoint the exact moment it fell apart, because s3 was just a disaster that i erased from my memory as much as i could...but, i don’t know, maybe on my way? shoving regionals, karofsky’s suicide attempt (intercut with blaine singing cough syrup), finn and rachel’s near wedding, and quinn getting hit by a truck into 42 minutes was just...Bad. and it’s the kind of thing glee s1 might have just managed to pull off, but in s3, it just meant all the plots fell flat and lacked the emotional punch they could have otherwise delivered. no longer did glee have that spark that made us willing to overlook stupid plots and contrived relationships. it suddenly just became an overly complicated disaster that tried to shove as many social issues as it could into every episode to get people talking. also, if you didn’t care much for blaine/klaine and rachel, then every episode started to feel like a marathon. characters who had been there since the start were pushed aside, and boring/tacky/underdeveloped characters like sugar, the irish guy, and the christian guy were shoved in.

but i STILL think glee would be looked back on fondly had s3 been it. it absolutely was beginning to fall apart, and a lot of us fell out of love around this time, but their final few episodes made us love it again. paradise by the dashboard light is hands down the best new directions performance, and their overall nationals performance gave everyone a chance to shine. plots were wrapped up, the glee club won, and we were treated to an adorable montage set to tongue tied by grouplove. everyone was happy, they had their futures ahead of them, and people were teary eyed at the thought of saying goodbye to our kids. curtain call, fade to black, play them out. a ridiculous teen drama that existed in the only years were it really could have to make the kind of impact it made and get away with the stuff they did. nothing else like it, let us cherish the memories we made.

but then it continued. and nearly every new character felt like cheap replacements of the original cast, and plots were handled with less care than ever before but things were more serious, they ran out of songs to cover, there were constant and needless guest stars...it was no longer a show about a group of underdogs triumphing over adversity by singing avril lavigne songs. it was a shoddily stuck together mess of recycled storylines, unhealthy relationships, increasingly bad song choices, and matthew morrison’s greasy hair. glee, put simply, was no longer fun. and it didn’t have enough heart to redeem the lack of entertainment. we stopped tuning in, and those who kept up only did because of characters they had fallen in love with during season one. it had become exhausting, and we decided to cut our losses from one of our first big show betrayals and leave.

(sidebar: i do think that the quarterback might be the best episode of the entire show, but i think it’s an outlier and really...can’t be counted with the rest. it exists solely because of a real life tragedy, and real life emotions were going to make it entire something else entirely. it can’t really be included in the chart of “good glee” and “bad glee,” because it wasn’t about the show. it was about cory, and i don’t think it should be included in my overall opinion of when the show jumped the shark.)

i’ve tried watching some of the “better” episodes of the later seasons to see how i felt, but that charm was long gone. no matter which characters they brought back, or what plots took place, there was just no more enjoyment in glee. the spark that made season one shine despite everything had completely gone out. it had dimmed a bit over season two and three, but could still shine through sometimes. not anymore.

all that said, i don’t think i could ever write a show like glee, let alone glee itself. glee was not a show that could have been made before 2009, and it isn’t a show that could be made now. RIB’s insanity and jackassery might have brought about the show’s eventual downfall, but it’s also what made it work at the start. too much of a good thing - or rather, just enough of a bad thing. glee influenced riverdale and riverdale influences me (SPRINGFIELD, coming soon!) but that show was one of a kind. if i were in charge, but the general tone and vibes of the show got to remain the same, i guess my biggest thing would be less of blaine and rachel and brittany and kurt, more of quinn and mercedes and tina and santana. both as characters and their various dynamics. but that’s also just my personal character/ship preferences at work, as opposed to anything constructive. glee: a tibby production, would just be a lot of quinn character study (because she will always be my number one) in which her family, body image, religious guilt, relationship to motherhood both as a mother and child, sexuality, view of sex, etc were all properly explored.

but that’s a whole other thing.