#he met his wife mary when he made this movie

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price - Up in Central Park (1947)

[coffeecat1983]

Mario Bros: Matchmaker (fluff piece)

Taking place shortly after the main events of the movie, and before the Bros move to the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario invites Peach to a family outing, prompting the others to talk.

@bberetd @peaches2217 @vulpixfairy1985 @stripetkattelalala54-gf et al Enjoy!

   Mario was quiet as he and Peach took a leisurely stroll. He had invited the princess to join the family as they gathered for a picnic, all wanting to get out of the apartments and enjoy the spring weather. The older twin had been nervous about inviting her.      "You've seen movies, Lu!" he paced. "You take somebody from another world and show em yours and things go crazy!"    His brother stared at him, raising his eyebrow in a perfect mimic of their Uncle Tony. "Bro, this is Peach we're talkin' about. When has she ever gone crazy?" he chuckled. "Ya know, aside from tossing you to the floor and then geeking out over you being human?"    Mario groaned. "Why did I ever tell you that story?" he muttered. It had sent his brother into a fit of giggles as he and Peach explained how they met, and Peach's teasing  offer to re-enact the meeting had only furthered the laughter.

   Now they were in Brooklyn and it was officially Peach's first real time out and about in the city. As they walked, Mario pointed out buildings, explaining what they were. Peach, dressed in white pants and a soft pink shirt with matching tennis shoes, listened intently, only asking questions when he took a break in speaking. As they made their way down the path the sound of children's laughter could be heard and Peach's eyes sparkled as the playground came into view.      "I've never seen anything like this." she breathed. "Is it your version of a training ground?"    He couldn't help it, he laughed only to cringe at himself in the fear of making her uncomfortable.      "Not exactly, they're just places for kids to play and get some exercise."      "It looks wonderful. Oh!" she gasped in delight. "You have swings! Are adults allowed to use them here?" He felt a tug in his chest. "Y-Yeah," the blush was rising fast to his cheeks. "I, I could push you, if you want."    With a joyful laugh she grabbed his hand. "C'mon Mustache!" she cheered as they took off. He laughed with her, feeling like a kid again.

   Nearby, Tony shook his head as he leaned against a tree. "Yeesh, he's got it bad. Haven't seen someone that head over heels since you asked Marie to go steady."    Arthur laughed, putting an arm around his wife. "Ah leave em alone, Tony, he needs this, I think."      "He driving you nuts, kiddo?" Tony looked to Luigi.      "You have NO idea!" Luigi groaned. "Ma's gonna have royal grandkids, I swear." More laughter from the others.      "I think it's so sweet." Marianna spoke up. "And I think Peach is a perfect match for him."    The others fell quiet, all thinking about this until a voice started singing quietly. The song sent Tony and Arthur into fits of laughter.    Giovanni was quietly singing 'Matchmaker' from Fiddler on the Roof.

END By "CC"

[meraki-yao]

RWRB Movie Thoughts: Philip

Honestly I might be the only one, but I wanna know more about Philip in the movie. And at the very least, I am begging for a redemption arc in the sequel.

Because they fucking cut the Kensington Breakfast scene, we barely get any of Philip in the movie. And the consequence is while we know that just like the book, Philip is an antagonistic character, we're not sure about his stance on the matter.

So the thing is Philip in the book isn't homophobic. And by that I mean that in the most generous sense: Queen Mary straight up says it's unnatural, which is the textbook definition of homophobia, but Philip says, and I quote from Henry "Essentially, I gathered that he was not surprised to discover I am not the heterosexual heir I'm supposed to be, but rather surprised that I do not intend to keep pretending to be the heterosexual heir I'm supposed to be" and from the man himself "I don't care if you're gay, I care that you've made this choice with him, someone with a fucking target on his back, to be so stupid and naive and selfish as to think it wouldn't completely fuck us all!"

Philip isn't necessarily against the concept of homosexuality, he's against bringing that into their family, and is worried about the conservatives turning their backs on them because of that. In a way, his stance is closer to the King in the movie than the Queen in the book.

Other stuff we can learn about Philip from the book:

he's...kind of racist, but in the form of microaggressions (his comments on Pez during Wimbleton)

He is genuinely in love with Martha, and he's kind of a hen-pucked husband (his retelling of his and Martha's suitor photos)

He started off a people pleaser, then the Queen took that and made him an asshole (explanation of why the change of attitude after Alex and Henry's photoshoot)

He wanted Arthur's approval but never got it, and resents Arthur a bit because of that (his argument with Henry before they met with the queen)

He wants to get along with his siblings, he just kept doing it the wrong way

My point is, even though a relatively minor character, Philip's motivations and character is actually painted out pretty logically if you take a closer look. His redemption in the book, his change of attitude, it makes sense if you looks back on it.

And while I can't fault the movie for cutting down details like these, this is just the way adaptation works and Matthew did an excellent job of picking and choosing, it does leave space for questions and curiosity.

The only thing I can get out of movie Philip is 1, he also loves his wife, since they're childhood sweethearts 2, the King dismisses him 3, he didn't know Henry was gay at all.

From the deleted Breakfast scene bts from Taylor and Thomas, we know that Philip is in that scene, and that Philip sees something, and is in shock.

Bur from the bts of the Thanksgiving scene, he and Martha are at the Brownstone: he's forgiven.

So here are my questions:

Is Philip homophobic in this one? Or is he also more mad about the family aspect?

Does he, at any point in the 65 deleted scenes, act like he wants to be a brother? Like he genuinely cares about his siblings

What is he reacting to during the Breakfast scene? In the book, when Henry came out to him it was just him, Henry and later Shaan, but the Breakfast has all of the Super Five there. Is he really gonna make a scene in front of all five of them?

Why is he forgiven? What is his change of heart?

I don't know, I think it's probably just me who's wondering about him of all people. But I would really like to see more of Thomas in this role (the photobooth shoots he did with Nick and Ellie, peak sibling energy) and I'm just really interested in Henry's family dynamic in the movie-verse, given that I feel like it's less black-and-white and more... realistic? than the book? There's also part of me that's somewhat sympathetic towards Philip despite being a Henry-coded girl because I feel like if I was a less feeling person, I might have ended up just like him.

Anyway, yeah. Philip redemption arc in the sequel please!!!

[charliehoennam]

Jarhead

Chapter 1 - The Set Up

A/N: this is a little series based on Jake Gyllenhaal's character Anthony Swofford in the movie Jarhead. Jake is just too cute in the movie to ignore and I just wanna give him a happy ending with lots of angst on the way there. Shoutout to @juniebugg for the idea!

Pairing: Anthony Swofford x f!reader

Warnings: mentions of bad break-ups, flirtation, language, no smut....yet

Word count: 3,185

SHARING IS CARING, SO REBLOG!

You walked into the salon, greeting your lady co-workers as you strutted to your station. Doing hair was definitely not putting your degree in practice, but it got your bills paid. And you found it rather pleasing helping other regain their confidence. The salon belonged to your aunt and you had worked there since high school. It helped get you through high school and college, though it wasn’t quite enough to keep you from applying for student loans.

Despite not being in your area, you liked the salon. You liked the people you met, the elderly regulars that stopped by once a week for a perm or a manicure, the neighborhood gossip that they were always eager to share, the co-workers that always had your back.

One of them was Maria. She was a beautiful woman with long dark hair and tan skin that made even gold envious. She was admirable in so many ways. With her husband, Juan, away on deployment, she was quickly thrust into the role of a single parent to their 3-year-old son. She never complained about it. She might have complained about Juan and his habits, but never that he had to be away. In some ways, she was very thankful. The Marines had provided many benefits for them to compensate for his absence like providing stable housing, health-care and education for their family. Granted there were flaws in the system and his absence was at times unbearable, she understood and supported his decision to enlist. Aside from being a great wife and mother, she was also your great friend.

“Buenos, chica” she smiled hugging you. “How was your date last night?”

“Total dud. Just didn’t really click, you know?”

“Yeah, I know why too. You still hung up on that fool.”

“I’m not hung up on anyone.”

“Yes, you are. That puto lost the best thing that ever happened to him, but you know what? Good for you. You’re better without him and you deserve better than his broke ass.”

“Can we please not talk about him?” You sighed, eager to leave your ex in the past.

“As you wish, chica. Besides, I got someone I want you to meet.” She smirked widely prepping her hair brushes and combs to make sure they’re clean for a new day.

“He cute?”

“Don’t tell Juan, but he is fine, chica. I love my man, but I know fine when I see it” she laughed nudging you with her elbow. “His name is Tony, he’s gonna be at the barbeque we’re having for this weekend for Daniel’s birthday. You’re coming, right? Danny’s gonna be so sad if you don’t.”

“I’ll be there, don’t worry” you chuckled as you reassured her. “I already got his present and everything. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. You know how I adore that little man.”

And you really did. You often babysat him when Juan was on leave and needed some alone time with his wife.

“Good, because I already told Tony I’ll be introducing you to him.”

“Are you serious? You know how I feel about that, Mari.”

“Girl, don’t worry. I showed him a picture and he’s interested. I think you guys are a great match and Juan agrees.”

“Juan agrees with everything you say, he’s your husband” you laughed.

“Well, just come out and meet him. You don’t have to do anything and if you’re not interested, I’ll forget it. But trust me, you’re gonna wanna meet him” she chuckled with a smirk.

"Fine. I'll meet him, but I'm not promising anything."

From everything she described about Tony, you couldn't deny the butterflies forming in your stomach as the days went by. As the hours crept closer, they quickly began to swarm in your belly and you couldn't remember the last time you felt this way.

You decided to look extra nice that day. It was more than just a casual birthday party, but you also didn't want to go over the top. Settling on a new figure flattering skirt and cute top, you accessorized strategically with a cute necklace that hung just above your fairly modest cleavage. You weren't hoping to end up married by the end of the day, but Lord knows you needed some physical action.

The party was already in full swing by the time you arrived with your renowned dish of crispy and perfectly seasoned panko fried vegetables. Knowing they were a popular favorite among the adults, you'd made more than plenty in two large aluminum foil pans.

Walking into the backyard through the side gate, you immediately recognized the song playing from inside the house. Love Like This by Faith Evans was a personal favorite of Maria's and you had sung to that exactly CD mix in the car plenty of times driving home from your girls night out.

The kids were happily playing on the bounce house Juan had rented for the day. Some played in the pool, stopping only to find their parents for a drink of water. Most of the women were sat by the picnic table setting out the food, so you quickly made your way over to greet them. You knew everyone pretty well having been a family friend for years. Some were Maria's aunts and cousins. A few were your own co-workers and you greeted everyone, with a warm, bright smile and a gentle embrace.

Looking over at the grilling area that had been Juan's third pride and joy - second to the pool he had been finally able to afford and his very own family- you couldn't help but scan over the men gathered there. You couldn't make out what they were talking about, but you knew that Tony had to be one of them. Your heart raced at the thought.

Your eyes landed on a tall man stood beside Juan, helping him man the grill. His hair was short as if he'd been growing it out after a buzz cut. His features strongly resembled Maria's description. His smile stretched from ear to ear as he patted Juan on his shoulder, possibly complimenting him on something. You couldn't tell what he said; the distance and music didn't quite favor that. His long thick eyebrows intensified the bright blue orbs that shone even from a distance and sent goosebumps down your arms the second he caught you staring.

You blushed and quickly looked back down at your dish as you removed the aluminum foil to reveal the fried tasty side dish, secretly praying he hadn't noticed. But unknowingly to you, he had.

Just as you knew who he was, he knew exactly who you were as well. Juan told him all about you the day after he'd agreed with Maria to hook you two up. And Tony couldn't be more thankful. He was starstruck the minute he saw you arrived. Juan nodded at you with a smirk as he laid another steak on the grill.

"That's her, man. What do you think huh?"

"I think she's fucking beautiful, that's what I think" he chuckled excitedly as he patted his friend’s shoulder.  "What’s her name again?” he joked.

"Dude, I know your brain is small and can only process shit at a slow pace, but please don't fuck up her name" Juan joked.

"I got it covered, man. Relax. Y/N will be in good hands soon enough" Tony chuckles back at him.

After sharing a couple smiles and glances, you decided to make the first move and walked over to grilling area as the guys began served the perfectly charred meats.

"Think you fellas could spare me a steak?" You smirked glancing between them.

"You can have your pick, sweetheart" Tony smiled back. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Tony" he stated holding his hand out.

"Pleasure to meet you. If you're Tony, then I guess we hardly need an introduction. Maria's told me a bit about you already" you smirked shaking his hand.

"Has she?" You nodded with a smirk.

"Good things though. She said you're a real gentleman."

"I try to be, at least" he smiled.

Seeing him up close now, you couldn't help but take in all his details. His long brown eyelashes only embellished his blue doe eyes. Small brown freckles adorned his skin. His beard was grown out just enough to notice he had nice potential of beautifully growing it out to its full extent, but not long enough to hide the skin, dimples and freckles underneath it. He was a sight for sore eyes.

The attraction between you and Tony was undeniable. You invited him to sit with you at one of the fold-out tables to eat. The conversation flowed naturally as you savored your meal and watched the children play while the hours passed.  It might have been due to the fact that you had a bit in common like similar musical taste or interest in movies and books.

Not everything was in mutual interest and Tony liked that you were willing to debate and defend your beliefs. He admired that about you, that you stuck to your guns. He also liked that you didn't shy away from teasing and joking. It had felt like you'd known each other for years before. Like two old friends reunited after years apart, almost as if time had no effect. Tony had craved for that: the instant connection and not only attraction. He'd met plenty of girls before, but it had been a while since he felt a connection with someone. Due to the way his last relationship with his ex, Kristina, had ended, Tony hadn’t allowed himself to get too comfortable with girls. He had his flings and they stayed just that: flings with no emotional attachment. Until now. Until he met you. And his favorite thing about meeting you? How easily you made him forget about the world surrounding you both.

You two seemed to be inseparable the whole day until Daniel raced over to you, excitedly asking about the present you had promised. It was only then that you realized you forgot it in the car.

You made your way to the gate and left the backyard to walk out to your car. It had barely shut behind you when you heard it open back up. Turning around, you found Tony stepping out.

"Tony." You smiled curiously. "You forget something too?"

"Uh, no. Not exactly."

His lips curled into a smirk as he tenderly cradled the side of your neck. Guiding your lips to his, he pressed a sweet kiss. You could feel him smile into it as he relished the wet warmth of your lips slowly melting into his.

"I'm sorry. I probably should've asked first, but I've been dying to do that all day."

You could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks as you beamed up at him.

"N-no, don't apologize." You stuttered, still stunned at the very pleasant surprise. "I'm definitely not sorry about it at all."

"Neither am I really." He smirked and returned to the backyard with the widest grin on his face.

Juan was quick to notice the smile and seemed to read Tony’s mind when he walked back to continue his help, slicing and distributing the steaks, sausages and chicken wings.

“Oh, you went for it, didn’t you? Cabron! I knew you would. You’re a dog” Juan laughed, nudging his friend.

Soon after everyone had had a couple slices of the delicious chocolate cake, the party had come to its end and you offered to stay and help the small family clean up. Tony stuck around as well since you promised him a ride home, but he was more than quick to help out. So, you got ahold of a large garbage bag and went around the backyard, collecting the disposal plates, cups and forks that some guests had forgotten to throw out. Tony was further down the yard, helping Juan scrub the grill down.

Daniel sat up on the porch, opening his brand-new presents. You smiled as you watched his excited reaction to the new water gun you'd gotten him. It was more like a rifle and the size of it made the little boy even more eager to try it out. You were quick to offer to help him fill it up. Once it was full, his little legs quickly ran across the yard toward Tony and his father. His first victim was Juan. Tony was right after.

"Oh, no! Man down! Man down!" Tony exclaimed, holding the wet spot on his chest as he fell to one knee.

"Please, Danny. I thought we were friends. I let you have a cupcake before the cake." His voice was strained as if in pain.

You had to admit, Tony was a pretty good actor. The way he fell to his side when Daniel sprayed him again was pretty realistic. He played dead until Daniel was close enough. Suddenly shooting up, he grabbed the child careful enough to not hurt him and wrapped his arms around him. Daniel's laughs filled the air as he dropped the toy gun.

"Get his weapon, Cortez!"

Juan smirked and quickly picked it up to spray his son.

You chuckled as you watched the wholesome scene. Tony clearly had a way with kids due to his playful nature. It made you wonder if he would be the same with his own kids. It made you think about having your own kids and you wondered if that could happen with Tony, but it was far too early to even think about that.

"So, what do you think, chica?" Maria asked coming into the kitchen and snapping you out of your daze.

"Huh? Oh, sorry" you chuckled blushing. "About?"

"About Tony, duh!"

"He's uh definitely cuter than you described." You smirked, replying in the most modest way possible.

"I told you he was fine" she laughed. "You know he likes you too?"

"Does he?" You smiled thinking about the kiss.

"Yeah, but I think you knew that already."

Damn right, you did.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Maria handed you a couple of containers full of leftover food and cake. She'd always separate some for you to take home after get-togethers. It was her way of thanking you for all the help you gave them when they needed it.

“You sure you don’t mind that I’m kinda wet?” Tony asked slightly worried that he’d ruin your passenger seat as he fidgeted with the containers in his lap as you drove to his home.

“Don’t worry. This car has seen a lot worse” you chuckled. It wasn’t the fanciest car, but it served enough to get you from point A to point B.

“You got a pretty nice way with kids. You got any of your own?”

You wanted to be as subtle as possible about your curiosity in his past relationships and his opinion on having kids.

“I don’t, no. But who knows one day? I do have a sister though. Rini… She’s younger than me. Guess that’s how I got my way with ‘em.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I didn’t know you had a sister. She nice?”

“She’s great. Real sweetheart. I love her to death.”

“I take you’re very close?”

“Yeah. We try to be, at least. My folks aren’t exactly the Brady Bunch, so we try to be there for each other.”

The way he didn’t delve into too many details made you think it might have been a sensitive subject to touch on, at least for a first date. Despite being curious about his family history, you simply nodded and glanced at him with a smile.

“Family can be tough. Wouldn’t be family if they weren’t” you chuckled.

To diffuse the hidden discomfort, you reached out and turned on the radio. Skimming through the channels, he grinned when he caught the sound of one of his favorites, Hip Hop Hooray by Naughty By Nature.

“N-no, no, leave it there. This is a great song, one of my favorites.”

He quickly jumped into the middle of the first verse, rapping along to the song perfectly knowing every lyric by heart. You smiled widely listening to him before joining him in the chorus, waving a hand side to side to the beat of the song. He was surprised when you joined in on the second verse, proving you knew just as much as he did.

You sang along together the rest of the way. If there had been a worry in mind, neither of you could think about them now. It was a perfect ending the day you had. Neither of you wanted it to end just yet.

Pulling to the front of his humble townhouse, you parked and shut the car off.

“You know somethin’?” He started as he leaned back against the headrest, rolling his head over to gaze at you longingly. “I had a really great day, thanks to you. I was nervous when Juan said you’d be there today. I didn’t really know what to expect. But I’m really glad I met you.”

You smiled as you unconsciously mimicked his movement and leaned back into your seat.

“Don’t sweat it. I was nervous as shit too” you chuckled. “But I have no regrets. I had a great time too.”

“It doesn’t have to end if you don’t want it to.”

“You trying to say something, Tony?” you smirked.

“Maybe. I’m just saying” he shrugged with a sly smile. “Maybe you could come in and I dunno. Maybe have some wine with me.”

“I’m driving tonight though.”

“You could sleep it off at my place. Drive home in the morning.”

You wanted to say yes. You wanted nothing more than to mount him like a horse and ride him all night. You were eager to get laid at first. You hadn’t expected to really like Tony. The fear of coming off desperate must have been radiating off of you. You could’ve sworn he was reading your mind when he reached over to hold your hand as you began nervously picking at your nails.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. I really mean that, sweetheart” he said with a soft comforting tone, looking down at your hands aa he thought about how perfectly they would fit together with his. “I just really like talking to you. And it’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to just talk, you know? You can crash on the couch if you want. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

His concern for your sense of security was genuine. He wasn’t going to come onto you if you don’t want him to. It was everything you needed to hear to silence the doubt in your head.

“Yeah” you smiled from ear to ear. “I’d love some wine. And just you know, you don’t have to keep your hands to yourself.”

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Markle's Folly by u/C-La-Canth

Markle's Folly Today, I watched a movie based on the show Downton Abbey. For those who don't know, it's a British series set at a beautiful English manor in the early 20th century which depicts the lives of the aristocrats who live there and their domestic staff. The movie I saw takes place in 1927, and the plot revolves around a visit to the estate by King George V and his wife, Queen Mary. King George was Queen Elizabeth's grandfather, and the movie (although fictitious) takes place when Elizabeth would have been a baby. As I watched this sumptuous show (which won more Emmys than any other international program ever), all I could think about was how profoundly stupid and shallow MM is. Of course, the show's story happened a century ago, and some of the customs and formality have fallen out of fashion. Just the same, the excitement and respect that the citizens had for their King and Queen, and the dedication and loyalty they exhibited is similar to what people still feel. I remember seeing the Queen years ago at the Highland Games at Braemar. Her carriage made a loop around the field, and to see her sweet smile and royal wave was absolutely thrilling. Anyway, every time I think about how Meghan, that loathsome, festering pustule of a human being, had a one-in-eight-billion chance to meet HLMTQ, chat with her, live amongst the priceless treasures of those amazing properties, participate in one of the world's most historically rich environments, to listen and learn from a gracious and wise woman who'd met the most prominent leaders of the 20th and 21st century......I literally feel nauseated. I don't think there is anyone else in history who has squandered more privilege and opportunity. Harry forfeited it, but at least he knew what he was losing. But I don't think for even one nanosecond could Meghan stop feeding that insatiable ego of hers. She was so intoxicated with her own sense of importance and value (I am talking lunatic level here) that she was incapable of appreciating the potential treasure she was gifted. I don't know of any human who has fallen as far as Meghan Markle has for such petty reasons. I am also convinced that she is the worst kind of coward: when faced with the relatively minor task of adjusting to a new lifestyle, she fled (with her insipid dolt of a husband), and she tried her best to punish everyone else for her own weakness and failures. I don't know how a normal person can operate knowing how much damage they've done like she has, but then again---I don't think she is normal. post link: https://ift.tt/40lfBU2 author: C-La-Canth submitted: May 01, 2024 at 05:04AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[meetinginsamarra]

mayprompts2024, #22 night

White Pony Tattoo - Part Three (Night)

A loud metallic bang ringing behind John’s back made him startle. His heartbeat sped up and he instinctively ducked, looking for cover to avoid being shot again.

The sound of hushed voices and the clatter of high-heeled shoes on cobblestones had John realize that it had been the door of car banging shut. Also, John was remembered that suffering from PTSD might give him a break but will not go away even after a multitude of sessions with his therapist and more than two years after the original traumatizing event.

Embarrassed about his behaviour that had made him look like a nutjob, John feigned to have ducked in order to tie a loose shoelace.

Peeking up from under his fringe that had fallen over his forehead, John saw Calais Reno disappearing in the White Pony tattoo shop. He could not believe his eyes. Standing up, close to the shop’s window, John watched as the expensive limousine turned around a street corner, feeling slightly dazed.

The internationally acclaimed movie star and recent Oscar-nominee who currently dominated the news of London’s yellow press had vanished in Sherlock’s shop to get tattooed. Dear God!

Knuckles tapping on glass made John turn around and look straight into Sherlock’s grinning face on the other side of the window pane. Sherlock winked and then pressed the suction cups of a second metal sign against the glass, and disappeared behind the purple curtain. The sign simply read “closed, don’t disturb”.

It was still early in the afternoon and the sun was shining, so John took the opportunity to take a stroll through Regent’s Park nearby. He sat down on a bench, sipping the take-away coffee he had bought on the way and remembered how he had met his old friend Mike Stamford on a very similar bench in this park two years ago.

They had talked about their training time at Bart’s Hospital. Mike had taken on a carreer in educating medical students while John took an army engagement. In the end, it had been Mike’s pointer that helped John to get hold of his current job as a clinic doctor.

Shortly after, Mary Morstan had come around and quickly won over John’s heart with her open, charming and uncomplicated nature and her dark sense of humour that matched John’s own very well.

It had been a day like this when they had got married. Seven months of happiness followed, at least for John. As it turned out, Mary had not been happy but instead became bored of John and started to have an affair. With their mutual dentist of all possible men. Who was also married and bored apparently.

John had only found out by accident. Coming home early from an obligatory three-day refresher course in emergency medicine, he had literally caught them in the act on the sofa in their sitting-room. Not in their marital bed, thankfully. Small mercies.

John might even have forgiven her, had it been a one-time misstep. But it hadn’t. Mary confessed quickly in the following tumultuous row that the affair had lasted for two months and that Randy Bernard, the dentist, was about to divorce his wife for her and therefore, Mary wanted to divorce John.

Too hurt and betrayed to argue, John agreed. He spent the night alone in their bed, having banned his adulterous soon-to-be ex-wife to sleep on the sofa. The next morning, Mary had left John’s flat to move in with Randy.

Albeit John scorned his wife for her unfaithfulness, he also missed her at home and in the bed. Everything was too quiet, too cold, too empty, too lonely. The nightmares of Afghanistan and getting shot in the shoulder, bleeding out in the hot desert sand returned in all of their gory glory and terror.

This had been going on for nearly four weeks, every night and it wore John down.

Mary had long taken her things and moved out, not leaving a scrap of hers in the flat. Not that John would have wanted. The only thing that stayed with John, irremovable, was the damned tattoo of the Virgin Mary with Mary’s face on his upper arm.

Once, John had loved it. It was a very well-done tattoo and the artist had captured Mary’s face in ink beautifully. But now, it reminded John every time he saw it of all the hurt that Mary had unapologetically caused and John hated it. Therefore, it had to go.

Drinking the last sip of his coffee, John took out his mobile phone and began to search for images of tattoos that had been done by Sherlock. The artist himself did not boast with his work apparently because all the photos John could find had been posted by the people who had managed to get one.

Quite a number of the lucky persons who had been deemed worthy of Sherlock’s attention were famous.

There was the lauded crime writer couple who only went by their pseudonyms “Solarmama” and “Plantsareneat” and never showed their faces in public. They had posted a photograph of their backs standing beside each other and the tattoo was a stunningly intricate diptych of flowers on a sunny meadow.

Another very impressive tattoo was a full arm sleeve of a majestic grizzly bear in a mountain landscape. It looked so realistic as if the bear might jump right off Peanitbear’s skin. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter beamed on the photo and proudly held the tattooed arm close into the camera.

This evening back home in his flat, when John fell asleep in the empty bed after stalking White Pony Tattoo and Sherlock Holmes – which apparently was his real name - on the internet for hours, he did not dream of Afghanistan.

John dreamt of getting tattooed by Sherlock Holmes lying naked on a sunny mountain meadow while a large group of faceless but famous people watched and applauded. John had never been so happy before in his life.

+++++

I hope you like your cameos as famous people @solarmama-plantsareneat @calaisreno @peanitbear

tagging some people @totallysilvergirl @peageetibbs @lisbeth-kk  @raina-at

[moonlessmondays]

Sailing Close to the Wind|| One: Chasing Rainbows and Spinning Dreams

*takes a deep breath* *opens laptop* *blows ever so softly*

*coughs*

Hello everyone, I bet you didn't think I would ever come back to write more Downton stuff. Maybe an update from me isn't in your 2024 bingo card. Not gonna lie, I'm just as surprised as you are. I've been gone for far longer than I ever was here, but I guess, prodigal children always find their way home.

YES. This is an update. I know.

In light of the new movie announcement, I made a trip down memory lane, and was inspired by one of my old fics. Not that my writing from five years ago was ever inspiring, really. Anyway, it was supposed to be a one shot, and so I felt like I was in under no obligation to add more, but add more, I shall do.

*steadfastly ignores the 300 other cobert fanfics I am supposed to update*

To my surprise as well as yours, this one had an interesting and very polite demand for more, and honestly, if I wasn't so neck deep in law school, I would have given this a go earlier. Of course, I chose the most inopportune time -- when I'm in over my head, drowning, in bar review and prep -- to finish this piece. But whatever. It was therapeutic. I do suggest you read the prologue first, again -- here or here-- because I doubt any of you still remember this. This one's a long one that I just had to get out of my system, because studying about my country's system is the equivalent of pouring bleach all over my brain.

I would like to say as early as now however, that as I have already mentioned earlier, I am in the middle of bar prep, so the updates are probably going to be few and far in between, if at all, towards the middle of this year. Not that it's anything new where I'm concerned. But I shall endeavor to finish before the end of year or the end of the world, at least, whichever comes first.

.::.

One

Chasing rainbows and Spinning Dreams

"Can it possibly beThe future for me is you…Wait until I can tell you all my schemesChasing rainbows spinning dreamsTell me please your name”  - Tell me your name, Jose Mari Chan

The silence in the room was so loud that one could hear a pin drop – as the old adage went, anyway, – and for one brief second, Cora found herself questioning if her boss was all right in the head. Maybe she had lost her mind after all the stress and was now clinically insane. 

That, after all, was the only logical explanation to her even remotely suggesting this.

Cora looked away from her boss, wondering what she should do or say next, when her gaze met the eyes of the man on the other side of the room. Robert, that’s what Rosamund said, but Cora already knew that. There was nary a soul in this entire company who didn’t. He rarely made any appearance, but he’s never missed one company party and his name was always on everybody’s lips. 

Cora could still – though she would never say it out loud or admit it – remember the first time she had seen the esteemed Mr. Robert Crawley. It had been during her first company Christmas party. She was new, a new hire fresh from her internship, and she’d been so young and so infatuated by the piercing blue eyes that barely looked her way even once in the party. He’d been caught up, talking to the big wigs, to his sister, and their other colleagues and didn’t have time for the little Miss Americana that was Cora. Not that Cora had minded very much, she was content with sipping her wine and admiring Mr. Crawley from afar. 

He was handsome and his laugh was loud and boisterous, although hardly offensive. He spoke to Mr. Carson and his wife, Mrs. Elsie Hughes-Carson, who both worked with them at the company, like they were old friends – with respect and authority, but with clear affection. Cora could have only hoped, at that time, to be treated the same.

Now, here she was, sitting in the office of her boss, having been just told that she should marry the CEO of the company she’s working for so she can stay in London. She felt like she needed more ruminating about the “brilliant idea” of the boss in question, but she figured there wasn’t really even enough time to ruminate that. It was insane. That, in her mind, should count as a red flag right? That her boss was insane?

“Well?” Rosamund started to speak, though she looked just a little bit nervous, or anxious, or maybe it was self-realization – Cora could only hope for the last. “It’s such an unmusical way of putting things, brother.” She cleared her throat and nodded anyway. Clearly, any hopes of sanity were dashed at this point. “I was suggesting a convenient marriage with a deadline…if you’re amenable, of course.”

More here or here.

[justforbooks]

By the mid-1950s, the singer Harry Belafonte had taken the lead role in an Oscar-nominated film, Carmen Jones; reached No 1 with his album Calypso, which helped find a mainstream audience for that musical style and became the first album ever to sell more than 1m copies; and headlined major venues around the US.

However, Belafonte found himself unable to use the main entrance to the Las Vegas hotels where he regularly performed – nor could he eat, stay or gamble in them. On tour in the south, he faced an evening curfew because of his skin colour. When he starred with Joan Fontaine in the then controversial film about an interracial relationship, Island in the Sun (1957), he was advised not to mention Fontaine in press interviews for fear of suggesting a romance between them. He learned that the power and respect that usually accompany fame and fortune could be largely illusory as far as black entertainers were concerned.

The enduringly handsome Belafonte, who has died aged 96, had great success not just as a honey-voiced singer and a compelling actor, but also as a passionate and erudite campaigner for civil rights.

The seeds of his ambition and his social conscience were sown by his tough childhood. Harold Bellanfanti was born in Harlem, New York, and raised in a cramped apartment. His parents came from the Caribbean. His father, also called Harold, had been born in Martinique and was an itinerant ship’s cook; his mother, Melvine, born in Jamaica, worked as a domestic servant.

When Harry was six, his father left the family.

The boy was sent by his mother to study in Jamaica, where his American accent made him feel like an outsider at school. In Jamaica, he loved visiting the banana markets; many years later, after his international success with The Banana Boat Song (Day-O), he observed: “Not by chance did that song become my signature. I knew of what I was singing.”

After a few years, Belafonte returned to New York, dropped out of high school and entered the navy. It was 1944 and he was 17. Two strokes of good fortune changed his life. First, he met Marguerite Byrd, a young teacher from a black middle-class family, who four years later became his wife. He abandoned the menial jobs he had been doing and, thanks to the GI Bill of Rights, became a student and enrolled at Erwin Piscator’s drama school, where his peers included Marlon Brando and Sidney Poitier. With the latter, Belafonte trained at the studio theatre of the pioneering American Negro theatre in Harlem.

Except for some off-Broadway shows, he found little work as an actor and began singing, mainly in jazz clubs, such as the Village Vanguard and the Royal Roost in New York, earning a reasonable living for a couple of years. He also began recording, including some of his own songs. Tiring of the routine, in 1950 he opened a small restaurant, the Sage, in Greenwich Village, entertaining customers with folk songs. This, and his attachment to calypsos (he became known as “the Calypso King”), changed his style, and he was soon performing in more prestigious venues. He had signed a deal with Jubilee Records in 1949, and his records began to sell. Throughout his career, he recorded dozens of albums, including live concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York.

Belafonte won a Tony award in 1954 for his performance in the musical revue John Murray Anderson’s Almanac. By then, his film career was under way. After playing a headteacher in Bright Road (1953), he was cast in Otto Preminger’s 1954 movie version of the Broadway hit Carmen Jones, opposite Dorothy Dandridge. This all-black adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen, in which both his and Dandridge’s voices were dubbed, was a considerable success.

In 1957, Belafonte had top 10 hits in the UK with The Banana Boat Song and the title track from Island in the Sun, before achieving his biggest recording success with Mary’s Boy Child, which spent seven weeks at No 1 in 1957 and was re-released for the following two Christmases.

He began to appear on television, toured successfully in Europe and recorded several programmes for BBC television, working for a fraction of his normal fee because he enjoyed the extended nature of the shows, which gave him time to develop his performance. He became one of the first major artists to tour with a multiracial band and he integrated black performers into orchestras in prestige venues where the musicians had been exclusively white.

Belafonte and Byrd divorced in 1957, and he married Julie Robinson, the first white dancer to work with the Katherine Dunham company. The breakdown of his marriage had led Belafonte to seek psychiatric treatment, and his psychiatrist’s husband, a stockbroker, subsequently became Belafonte’s agent and manager, replacing Jack Rollins, the man responsible for masterminding Belafonte’s early career.

The 1950s was a period of considerable civil rights activism for Belafonte, who cited his friend Martin Luther King as the dominant influence on his life. When they first met, in 1954, they were in their mid-20s. “His courage was really quite remarkable,” Belafonte recalled. He embraced King’s message of nonviolence and lent his support to protest movements. With King, Belafonte was one of those who planned the 1963 march on Washington.

In the following year, he helped to raise and then personally delivered, with the assistance of Poitier, $70,000 in cash to support the work of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Greenwood, Mississippi. Facing hostility from the Ku Klux Klan, the SNCC was striving to register black voters in the region. “In Mississippi’s vicious climate,” Poitier wrote, “the chances of a Klansman taking a potshot at me were actually pretty high.”

A television show, Tonight With Harry Belafonte (1959), brought Belafonte an Emmy, making him the first African American man to win the award. He returned to the screen in The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959); the story of racial conflict within the science-fiction genre worked effectively. In the same year he made a thriller, Odds Against Tomorrow, with a racial subtext behind the animosity between two criminals.

Belafonte won a Grammy for best folk performance in 1960 for a powerful album of chain gang songs, Swing Dat Hammer. In 1965 he won another Grammy for best folk recording for an album he made with Miriam Makeba, the anti-apartheid activist. But another musical collaboration, with Petula Clark on her TV special in 1968, raised Belafonte’s profile further. During their performance of the song On the Path of Glory, Clark held Belafonte’s arm – much to the objection of an executive from the show’s sponsor, who feared that this show of intimacy between a white woman and a black man would enrage southern audiences. Clark refused to cut the performance from the programme, which had a warm reception when it was broadcast.

Returning to acting in 1970, he played a black angel, sent to earth to help Zero Mostel, in The Angel Levine, which he co-produced. He fared better producing Buck and the Preacher (1972), directed by his co-star, Poitier. The pair’s subsequent film, Uptown Saturday Night (1974), proved less successful.

In the mid-1980s, inspired by the success of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?, Belafonte helped to organise the charity single We Are the World, written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson and recorded by an all-star lineup of musicians including Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Diana Ross. The song reached No 1 in the US and the UK and won a Grammy. In 1987 Belafonte replaced Danny Kaye as UNICEF's goodwill ambassador; that year he chaired an International Symposium of Artists and Intellectuals for African Children in Senegal.

Having played himself in the satires The Player (1992) and Prêt-à-Porter (1994), Belafonte made a third film for the director Robert Altman, who cast him as Seldom Seen, a gang boss and club owner, in Kansas City (1996), for which Belafonte received the New York Critics Circle award for best supporting actor. Although he had not taken a leading role in a feature film for nearly 20 years, he was sufficiently tempted by the part of the bigoted Thaddeus Thomas in White Man’s Burden (1995), opposite John Travolta. He also joined the cast of Bobby (2006), Emilio Estevez’s film about Bobby Kennedy, whom Belafonte knew in the 60s.

Belafonte belatedly considered entering full-time politics in the Democratic party, but work, social commitments and family took precedence. Among his ongoing social concerns over the years were the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; a school for emotionally disturbed boys; the prevention of gang violence; and his own Belafonte Foundation of Music and Arts.

He remained a force to be reckoned with, in 2002 likening the then US secretary of state Colin Powell to a slave who “got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master, exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him”. He lent his support to the Occupy movement in 2011, and when asked in a Guardian interview the following year which living person he most despised, he replied: “George W Bush, for his betrayal of America.”

His autobiography, My Song (2011), was followed by a documentary about his life, Sing Your Song. His final film role was a cameo as a veteran activist in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman (2018).

In 2008, following divorce from his second wife, he married Pamela Frank. She survives him, along with the two daughters of his first marriage, and the son and daughter from his second.

Harry Belafonte was one of the most important and influential campaigning black musicians in American history, though for the public at large he was better known for most of his career for the relaxed, middle-of-the-road image that he projected through his calypsos.

His true character was very different, for in the 60s he used his wealth, fame and organisational skills to bolster the civil rights campaign in the US and bring American attention to the apartheid regime in South Africa, playing a crucial role in promoting the careers of the South African musicians Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela.

He was always a smartly dressed figure with a powerful physical presence and a glorious husky growl, but was also a man of considerable bravery. He took part in such major events as the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery – where he made speeches, but had to leave town lying on the floor of a car, along with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, to escape the Klansmen.

But the suave crooner of calypsos was regarded with suspicion by black power leaders because of his links with the white establishment. Belafonte had his own campaign for bringing change, and was quite happy to talk to white politicians, though in 1986 he turned down a request from governor Mario Cuomo to stand for the Democrats as senator in New York.

His agenda included forging links between black Americans and Africa, and in the 60s he helped to organise a trip to several African countries for SNCC activists, because he felt they needed to know more about the continent. But his most important role in Africa was in the anti-apartheid campaign, and his help for exiled South African musicians.

Belafonte first learned about Makeba after being approached in the lobby of the Dorchester Hotel in London by Trevor Huddleston, the priest (and later bishop) who helped found the anti-apartheid movement. Belafonte helped her to obtain a visa to the US and then guided her to becoming an international celebrity. They often performed and toured together, with Makeba calling him “my big brother”, and it was with Belafonte that she performed in 1962 at President John F Kennedy’s birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. Belafonte helped Masekela, also an exile in the US, by arranging a scholarship for him.

In 1988 Belafonte released the South African-influenced album Paradise in Gazankulu, which included the political songs Capetown and We Are the Wave, and in the same year he gave a powerful speech at the Nelson Mandela 70th birthday tribute at Wembley Stadium, watched by a television audience of hundreds of millions across the world. In 2003 he was reunited with Makeba, when they recorded an album together.

Throughout his career he always matched his genial persona with political commitment – and sometimes anger. A passionate campaigner for gun control in the US, he chastised fellow black Americans in 2013 for failing to speak up on the issue. The easy-going calypso singer and actor was also a major political force.

🔔 Harry Belafonte (Harold George Bellanfanti), singer, actor and activist, born 1 March 1927; died 25 April 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[kakusu-shipping]

A bunch of Mario Family headcanons:

Because I think a very normal amount about the larger Mario family and very very very much want The Super Mario Brothers Super Show Reboot all about them

G-Poppy and his wife moved to American from Italy in their 20′s, making Mario and Luigi third generation immigrants

G-Poppy’s dream was to own and run an authentic Italian a Restaurant in America, but after the birth of his oldest son, Pio, the need for quick cash to pay rent was more pressing, thus why he got into Boxing

Papa Mario’s full name is Pio Mario Jr, he’s named after G-Poppy

Pio is a good 5-6 years older than his younger brothers, Arthur and Tony, who are only a year apart at most

Sense bills were tight, Pio spent a lot of his childhood being another income to the house hold, working hard labor work like construction to keep the family afloat while his brothers were young

Eventually G-Poppy got too old for wrestling and finally realized his dream of opening a Restaurant; Punch-Out Pizza. This put the family in more financial struggle, forcing Pio to take up more work while Arthur and Tony helped in the Restaurant

Now that G-Poppy is retired Arthur and Tony run the business together. Arthur’s the finance guy, where Tony runs deliveries and hands on manages other employees

It was actually their Grandmother who made Mario and Luigi’s caps for them, she’s also made G-Poppy’s. She passed before Louisiana was born, thus why she couldn’t make her a cap as well

Tony’s a huge horror movie buff, he loves old classics and has a huge VHS collection. Part of the reason Luigi is so scared of the paranormal is from catching glimpses or watching whole movies with Uncle Tony growing up

Another big part of Luigi’s fear though may just come from Uncle Tony loving to scare him. A big pass time for Tony was waiting around corners in Halloween masks to jump scare Luigi, or telling him ghost stories any change he got

Mario also got a bad fear from Uncle Tony’s movies; Pianos. He’d just happened to catch a pretty nasty scene of the lid of a Grand Piano crushing someone when he was younger and it stuck with him pretty hard

Louisiana is about 11-12 years younger than Mario and Luigi, so despite being cousins the three have a hard time relating to one another from the large age gap

Louisiana prefers to go by Louise, though only Mario and Luigi call her that. She was also the first one in the family to use the “Lou” nickname for Luigi, which Mario quickly also picked up

Arthur loves baseball, the Mets especially, but really he’ll watch any team play. He regrets not being on his school’s baseball team when he was younger, due to having to help at the restaurant, thus why he signed his daughter Louisiana up as soon as she was old enough. She’s stuck with it to keep her dad happy

Mia makes 90% of the meals in the Mario household, with the occasional help from Arthur. She learned most her dishes from her own mom, and a good deal more from Pio’s mother after marrying into the family

Marie is absolute rubbish in the kitchen. Mia’s given her multiple lessons and had her help with dinner many times around when she was expecting Louisiana, but she rarely made anything edible. The only one who ate her meals was Arthur, who just wanted to support his wife with all he had, even if it made him ill (which it did. Many times. Tony made fun of him for it)

Tony loves to work on machinery, mostly motorcycles, and has bounced around working part time as a mechanic here and there before his duties at the restaurant drag him back

Pio, Tony, and Mario are the only ones in the Mario family with a drivers license, though Tony was the only one who drove regularly until Mario bought the van

The Mario family owns 4 gaming devices; The Brother’s NES that they bought with their saved up chore money in Middle School, a Wii Marie and Mia do Wii Fit on in the living room, Uncle Tony’s PS2 that’s mostly collecting dust, and the Home Computer that Louise plays Roblox and Minecraft on

The Mario family apartment has 3 bedrooms; Pio and Mia’s, Arthur Marie and Louise’s, and Mario and Luigi’s. G-Poppy sleeps on a chair in the living room, and Tony sleeps on the couch

Louise has already called dibs on Mario and Luigi’s room when they move out, Tony says he prefers the couch anyway so he doesn’t mind

Pio pushes a lot of his own raising onto Mario, as the oldest he thinks Mario should be responsible, a support for the family, not chasing his own crazy dream that could crash down onto them into debt

On the flip side, Arthur puts a lot of what he wanted for himself onto Louisiana, pushing her to do new things and plays sports and do after school activities like he never got to do having to work in the Restaurant growing up

Tony’s the only one he sees this happening, and thus has stayed the fun uncle who’ll get you out of that thing you don’t want to do if asked. He’s listened to a lot of vents from the kids as he drives them from one activity to the next, and tries to remind them their parents are doing their best, and love them a lot. For everyone but Luigi that reminder fell on deaf ears

[sunflowergem]

9 and 13 for the oc asks!!

9 Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

It took me 2 hours to remember this but I knew there was like an actual quote that I think of for her and I want to include it somewhere in the story! So it's actually when I think about a lot when I write like richer characters. I think because I'm not from a super affluent background and I'd like to think I would be a generous person if I became rich.

noblesse oblige

And I'm having a hell of a weird moment right now because I thought this was said sometime in the National Treasure movie and that's where I picked it up. But I'm looking into it to try and find the original quote and I'm not finding it at all! I don't have the DVD anymore nor a DVD player in my apartment so I can't like fully check, but I think I might have made this up in my brain somehow??? In my head Nicholas Cage says"noblesse oblige" and then goes on to explain what that concept means in like a more modern term in combination with some patriotism so the next part of it would be "It means if there's something something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action" But apparently only that second part is from the actual movie???

Apparently it's originally a A French concept and it still fits with her character because it is about nobles doing what they can to help those less fortunate but I am so confused how I ended up Mandela affecting myself to think this came from National Treasure at some point???

According to the Wikipedia article,

The Dictionnaire de l'Académie française defines it thus:

Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly.

(Figuratively) One must act in a fashion that conforms to one's position and privileges with which one has been born, bestowed and/or has earned.

I am also more confused how I messed this up because I'm reading more on the Wikipedia article and apparently it was used in something I definitely saw in my childhood that would have made a hell of an impact. But it's Mary Poppins, not National Treasure!

Also from the Wikipedia page:

In the song "The Life I Lead" from the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins, the character Mr. Banks (played by David Tomlinson) uses the phrase: "I'm the lord of my castle! The sovereign! The liege! I treat my subjects, servants, children, wife, with a firm but gentle hand—noblesse oblige."

I don't think I ever fully internalized what he was saying at the end of that, but like I can hear this in his voice in my head! I have been on a ride with this question. Thank you for this experience 🤣

13 If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

Considering she's pretty similar to me I think so? Although sometimes if people are too close to how you act then it kind of gets annoying. Also people pleasers meeting people-pleasers is kind of a recipe for hurt feelings over time because people start repressing shit. So maybe limited contact would be best. We could definitely work easily together I think like maybe favorite co-worker kind of status.

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price - Up in Central Park (1947)

[moonflower91]

I recently read The Devil All The Time and I have many thoughts about Sandy and Carl Henderson.

From the movie, we know it was Carl who lured Sandy into that life and it’s assumed Carl was always a sick fuck but the book explores their beginning more.

After they married, after a month of knowing one another, they decided to move to California because Carl had big dreams of being a real photographer. Instead they went broke and hungry and Carl then met guys who wanted to shoot a porno, using Sandy. So Carl got her drunk and agreed to let them use Sandy for $200. Sandy changed her mind and Carl kinda tried to get her out but the 7 or so men who were there shoved him back in his car and kept Sandy there, raping her for 2 hours and then paid Carl $20 because Sandy “wasn’t worth it”.

Carl’s who was more hurt than anything and he went out and bought a gun with the $20, and told Sandy he was going to kill the people who had done this to her. Instead he sat on a park bench and thought about killing himself because his dreams of being a big shot photographer were shattered.

They then start heading back home where they came from, and they pick up a hitchhiker who was apparently a “sex fiend”. The sex friend was friendly but asked Carl to have sex with Sandy. Sandy traumatized from the rape, stopped the car and almost made both of the men get out, but Carl flashed Sandy the gun and she started moving again.

Little else is elaborated but they killed the sex fiend and robbed him after Sandy had sex with him, all while Carl took pictures. And, according to Carl, Sandy had an orgasm while having sex with him which “hurt” him, even years later looking at the pictures.

Later, Carl mentions the picture where Sandy is holding a dead my like a baby in her arms and compares it to Mary holding baby Jesus, saying there’s a sweet look of innocence about her that he never saw again after that and that’s why it’s his favorite picture.

Arvin saw that same picture and said Sandy had a look of sorrow on her face.

Also, towards the end of their story, carl starts visiting a diner and starts chatting up the waitress the way he chatted up Sandy. Sandy catches wind of it and starts fearing he was going to replace her with a younger, prettier girl

Since the time they started killing, Sandy had resorted to prostitution, Carl didn’t let her use condoms with their victims so she’s caught a couple of STDs (the doctor told her one more time and she’ll never be able to have children), Carl had kept her hungry for days while they were hunting, and her teeth began to rot because all she could eat on those days was candy and smoke cigarettes.

But, carl mentioned at one point even if he could snag another girl to be his bait, no one would ever be as good as Sandy. Carl also never thinks of Sandy as anything but beautiful, even when describing her flaws. Her teeth were rotted, she had a bad vaginal infection that stunk out their car, and she was too skinny.

I have a lot of thoughts about these characters and I have to point out that as Carl lay dying after being shot in the gut, he thinks that he wanted to promise Sandy that he was done with killing. He started clawing at the grass because he could feel himself sink into the ground.

I think Carl cared for Sandy but not because she was his wife or the love of his life. She was a means to an end, and she held all her value to Carl as his bait.

Put simply, Sandy deserved way way wayyyyyy better than the life she led.

[isara0408]

Kaga x Megami - Actors AU

I have a lot of AU ideas for these two. I can't stop myself. I AM SORRY- 😭✋️

They both started their acting careers at a very young age.

Megami is known to be the daughter of the best actors in Japan. (Saikou Corp doesn't exist in this universe) Her brother is an actor as well. Ichirou began his acting career at the age of 5, so he's been in a lot of movies that came out during the 1980s along with his wife. They both met when they got the role of a movie. The Saikou family is quite known all over Japan.

Kaga and Megami haven't met, but they know each other's existence.

The first time they met was when they were both casted to the mad scientist, and the "Mary Sue" for a series named ' LoveSick'. They were both love interest to each other, and partners( like working together) in the series.

Every character in Yandere Simulator is an actor in this universe. Ayano is an actor. Taro is an actor, and so on. During the time it has been aired, it has gotten a lot of attention and fans that caused this series to have more than one season.

Megami was known for her famous parents, but she's known for being the main female character in some shows, movies, and novels. She had the perfect looks, the perfect acting, the passion for her career, etc. She has millions of fans.

Kencho and Megami get along in this universe. Kencho has a lot of fans as well, but he is quite spoiled (still) They both practice their lines with each other whenever they get a new role in some kind of film, show, etc.

Kaga's parents are not actors. The only actor is Kaga. His parents made sure to put him in the best school for his career and have been by his side once they noticed his potential.

Kaga has worked hard during his youth, and now, for his fame, his acting, and his money. He is determined to show the world how determined and talented he is. Because of this, he is always up, practicing his acting, and always trying to get more roles in different types of movies, shows, novels,etc. Even if he's fatigued, his determination is very high, and he's not giving up.

People call Kaga a "Genius." The main reason why they call him a Genius is because whenever he's been casted to play a character, he makes his research. He goes online to research the character( for example, a character from a famous anime/ manga or a famous actor who has passed.) He is always in his room researching the background of the character, the body language, the personality, the events the character has been through, disorders, etc. He has many papers hung on his wall about the character and puts himself in their shoes. Once he is in front of the camera, people say around the lines of:

"Kaga Kusha is a very talented young man. A talent that is one of a kind. It's quite rare to meet a person with his talent nowadays. A few actors have this amazing skill, and I'm glad I'm able to witness it with my own eyes. He is quite interesting. This young man is very determined and takes his career seriously. Once he is in front of a camera, he immediately perfects the character as if he is the character himself. It feels like the person he is playing is here with us at this moment and room. No wonder people call him a genius."

Kaga is also known to play the villains of shows, movies, novels, etc. His crazy eyes and evil laugh are perfect for the role, even for the broken villains. He does do good guys too, don't worry, lol. (This is also a reason why he was cast as the mad scientist in "LoveSick")

He is also seen in telenovelas cuz he does speak Spanish 👀

Once he heard he was cast as the role of a mad scientist in the series, he was excited. Since he was a mad scientist, he had to wear a wig (the gray-blue-ish color hair. The one in the game), and had to wear those scientist clothing. He has black hair in this universe. ( the whole experiment gone wrong/hair change, and stuff that he made (inventions and experiments) doesn't exist here).

Kaga did have some traumatizing roles. ( Playing the role of real life serial killers)

Megami and Kaga began to work together once they got their roles for "LoveSick." They spent a lot of time together to practice their scenes, lines, and their characters. That's how their friendship formed.

Megami did research on Kaga to know more about him. She read about how people saw him and his amazing skill of perfecting a character he got cast as in his past works. She felt quite honored to be in the presence of a genius. Kaga admired Megami very much for her work and talent and how famous her family was. After all, Megami was more famous than he was,so it was an honor to work with her.

They have been in a lot of scenes together during the shooting of "LoveSick.". They have been doing a lot of romantic scenes, intense scenes, wholesome scenes, and some +18 scenes with each other during the series.

They have kissed before many times and have made two +18 sexual scene in the series of "LoveSick."

After and before shooting their scenes, they would always eat together to talk about the series and get to know each other.

Kaga would take Megami to places she hasn't been to before and try new foods that she hasn't tasted before, or simply go in a stroll around the city. They sometimes bump into fans and stuff. They're famous. They can't help it.

They have many fans shipping their characters (👀). A lot of fans also love when these two are together in huge events. They always found them cute together, especially from how different their personalities are. Megami doesn't care much. She's already used to it with other male and female actors. Kaga is an addition to the list. Kaga doesn't mind. All actors experienced this. It's nothing new.

With their time together, the closer they became to the point of sometimes witnessing the dark times each one of them go through.

Megami is always trying her hardest to be perfect, just like her parents. She is seen as the perfect actor and daughter in the eyes of her parents. She wants to keep up that expectation, even if she is fatigued or needs a break. She is pushing herself as much as possible to make her parents proud of her. No failure or mistake is allowed in the family. Sometimes, when it is too much for her, she breaks down. She forgets that she's human. Not a robot.

Many of her fans admire her for being a strong woman even though Megami, deep down, isn't. Some of her fans see her as an object, not a human.

Kaga doesn't suffer the same problem. His parents don't mind that their son makes mistakes. They know he's not perfect. That's something they know and know that no human can be perfect even if they tried. It's impossible. His parents always remind him of that.

However, since he is known as the genius and who can perfectly act out a character, a lot of people believe that Kaga is quite weird for how perfect he can act out a character. Many people say it's for attention, others say he's a stalker, or a creep, others say that he wants to be on top of other famous actors that are way better than he is, and some say that Kaga is losing himself in perfecting the characters he gets casted as. Kaga would always ignore those comments, but some words do hurt him. Some words do hurt him to the point of him feeling down or sheding a few tears when he's alone.

The main reason why he acts out the character so perfectly is because it's what his fans want. That is the way he got his fans and fame. By acting out a character perfectly without any mistake, and that's what he learned to do during his youth. Its something he can't change.

Kaga has caught Megami having mental break downs a few times during them working together, and he has been there for her during it. He always kept it a secret. Megami did catch Kaga during his dark moments, too. Kaga never fully sobbed but only shed a few tears that she witnessed a few times before. She stayed by his side during it. With these two knowing their secrets, this caused them to become closer than before.

With their closeness and trusting each other, the two eventually developed feelings for each other without even realizing it at first.

They never focused on romance because of how busy they were with their careers. They never knew how it feels to be in love with someone romantically until the two actually developed feelings for one another.

They didn't get together immediately. They started slow by trying to understand their feelings and figure out if they actually fell for each other, or it was just a phase of some kind.

Once they realize they actually fell in love with one another, Megami is the first to confess. She goes straight to the point that caught Kaga off guard, but he does confess as well after.

Once they became a couple, their fans were overjoyed for the couple while some were against it. Some believed these two were perfect for one another, some believed Megami could have done better, and some believed that Kaga deserved someone who acted more human than a robot, but the couple would ignore the hate comments.

The actors themselves are surprised by the news, but they are happy for them both.

Power Duo! <3

They don't get jealous whenever one of them has to play the part of being a lover with another actor. It's part of their job. They love each other, and they're loyal to one another.

They always go out on dates when they have a break from filming. They always enjoy each other's company.

Whenever one of them is not playing any character of any show, movies, etc, and they're pretty much free, they go out and cheer for the other one who currently shooting a film, or show, or novel. It's a way to show each other support.

Whenever they are in interviews, together or separately, they always get questions about their relationship, but they don't answer it or change the subject as soon as possible. They would rather talk to each other on what to tell their fans and what information should be in public.

They do work together in other films, shows, etc. They're either lovers, friends or enemies. They find it quite fun when they two are cast as enemies.

Megami sometimes gets taken back by how perfect Kaga can go and act as his character. It's unsettling for her, but she's intrigued and would love to know how Kaga does it.

They do experience long-distance relationships once one of them has to leave Japan and go somewhere else for a film, show, novel, etc. Both of them try to call each other as much as possible or send a text. Kaga mostly sends Megami heart emoji whenever he can't fully type a sentence because he's busy with filming.

[izzysarchivedblogs]

What was Clint’s initial thoughts when he started getting playfully involved with a guy who has a kid, compared to his thoughts when he started realizing things were getting more serious?

Clint knew that flirting with Peter was dangerous. The thing was that they've been friends for years. He's known Peter's secret identity and met Mary Jane here and there. Clint was one of the hero buddies that Peter came to all excited about him having a baby with MJ.

He's on of the guys that had all the advice in the world for getting through a divorce and ending up friends with the ex-wife. Clint knows about their divorce and he was the guy; the friend. He knew getting playful with Peter was going to be big trouble for him.

At the playful beginning did he think about getting serious or where things could be headed? No, but he knew that he was screwed when he was getting playful, with late nights with Peter, and when Mayday started to collide into his path because he was quickly getting attached.

'Cause see when he started dropping by when he knew Peter had Mayday, that's when he knew he had to be delicate with this situation. That he had either had to keep being playful with him and chase after was feeling good, see Clint may not say it but he knew early on that he had to be serious about this because that's a ready-made family right in front of him; and well. . . .

He realized he was gonna let it go wherever it was going, and he definitely had one big thought when Peter was brining Mayday for a homecooked meal made by Clint and they ended up watching Disney movies for May, that it was serious.

His thoughts when he started was I COULD SCREW THIS UP to I AM SCREWED from that first moment to when he had Peter asleep on the couch after disney movies and there was little Bug crawling over to him and hanging out until she got her to crash; that this was gonna be serious and he's gotta tread lightly and by Clint treading lightly, he means he's going full force making sure that Peter is in fact his boyfriend and that it's cool with MJ that he's dating Peter, and most importantly cool with Mayday.

[eileen-crys]

It WAS possible to make an endearing and rather accurate story about Queen's growth and struggles up to Live Aid, keep it Freddie-centric at will, and make a ton of success anyway. They put all their efforts to focus only on Mary and Freddie's impossible and tragic love threatened by gayness, while he has barely any dialogue with his bandmates because "we assume everyone got that it's implied they're friends". 🙄🙄🙄

You know what would have made for a better story, keep the Kensington days - have those 3 meet first, show them being college students, then forming a band, have John's audition and then take it from there. They wanted drama ? It's there in real life, their label was sucking all their money they were struggling money wise even though they were becoming famous. These mfs were celebrating their #1 so hard they got stuck in the elevator that's as movie-ish as it gets.

The actual Queen story is way more interesting that it makes the movie look boring. The movie is just the typical cliche rockstar story. They could have shown more of the ridge farm.

The freddie- mary stuff just pisses me off because they weren't even in contact for a while after their break-up because Freddie was in the US most of the time when not working while he was with Joe Fenalli. He wasn't hung up over her. If they wanted to focus on his relationship I would rather have more of Jim 🙄 who he met at a gay bar and Jim had absolutely no clue who Freddie was lol, tell me that song make for a good romantic plot.

The actual life of Freddie and the Queen is wayyyy more interesting than the movie script.

Yes yesssss 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Having them actually FIGHT with the manager (that was basically an OC but it's good) for their money would've been a great one, more than "lol we go away because he thinks BoRhap is too long and will fail"... dude was literally EXPLOITING them!!! Not just mocking the lenght of their songs!!! Freddie couldn't buy a piano, Brian lived in a rotting basement, Roger couldn't afford DRUMSTICKS and -hell- John needed a house for his wife and son!!! 😩 Imagine them teaming up to find out how to break the contract, bonding on-screen over that.

Also imagine a Phoebe/Joe/Thor inspired character (even make him an OC like the manager idk seriously) to be a positive gay counterpart to Prenter and support Freddie even before Jim would've been honestly great representation, instead of waiting to the end of the movie to show that "hey here's Jim he is a positive gay character that Freddie likes".

Freddie should've been heartbroken by the "I'm gay but finding a stable partner in the 70s/80s is so hard and most people want to exploit me, or have a one night stand, or just be gay friends and I don't know what to do" instead of "I'm gay but I feel guilty for Mary"

[the-jellicle-duelist]

random movie every week

week 5/1498 - Merrily We Roll Along (2013)

hello, i have a lot of movies and i have not seen that many of them. so every week i will watch a movie at random, and then wright a little blog about it and give it a rating out of 5 stars Previous Posts, Chronologically: google doc link THE RULES

i can skip any marvel movie i want (because i have seen them and i don't want to watch them again)

i can skip any movie i have seen more than twice (the goal is to watch movies that are new to me, but could be interesting to return to a movie i have only seen once, hence the rule)

ratings are out of 5 stars, with NO HALF STARS. half stars are for babies

If a film is part of a series, i reserve the right to start the film series from the beginning HERE WE GO

Merrily We Roll Along (2013)

Merrily We Roll Along is a MUSICAL i watched the 2013 pro shot filmed at the Menier Theater. i am hoping you know which one i mean when i say that

Merrily is a musical that follows a group of characters, where the events unfold in reverse chronological order; starting with the end, and going backwards until you begin where they began.

the BRIEF synopsis: Frank is a successful hollywood movie producer, and he has a famous broadway wife, the money, and the mistress, and all of those things. He hates his life, and the people around him hate how they ended up, too. then we start to follow Frank's life backwards. we see him have a falling out with his best friend Charley, and how that happened, and how they thrived, and how they met. We see him with their other friend Mary who is an alcoholic, who has always loved Frank, and how their dynamic changes as Frank chooses women other than her, and how they met and how she thought she met a decent man. We see Gussie, the woman who marries Frank, but breaks up Frank's first marriage, and how she pulled Frank into her life with the promise of fame and fortune. We see Frank's first wife, Beth, who leaves him when she finds out about Gussie, and they met when Frank and Charley were going to perform one of their first shows. and it begins, with Frank freshly coming out of the army, showing his friend Charley that he is a profound composer. And Charley, showing Frank that he can write great lyrics. And they meet Mary, who hears them on the roof, and they all look at the shining light of Sputnik in the night's sky, hammering home the notion that the future looks brightest when it's in the distance.

Merrily really did it for me, i think. using the framing device of showing the events in reverse, seeing all of the events of their lives unfold, and you see all of the promise they had, the belief in a common dream that seemed achievable, the friendship that was. And you see all of these things, knowing that in a few short years how they end up.

i found it to be quite sad, it was deeply effective at making me think of relationships and friendships that are in the past, how things have changed for the worse. merrily makes you feel nostalgic for your youth in a way i have not felt yet in my 33ish years on the planet earth.

i think you can watch Merrily one thousand times, and it will change with you as you age. i think merrily is going to work or not work for you on different levels depending on how you relate to the various characters, and the points in their lives you have experienced, and how that relates to the characters on the stage.

the actual film was well made; the plays sets are simple, so it translates to film quite well. and the songs are pretty good all around. this is a musical to me where the songs are more natural and part of the environment, and those are good but i find the songs don't stick with me in isolation as other musicals. like if i tried to remember every line of a play rather than the melodies

i gave Merrily We Roll Along a 4/5. i think for most people you should watch it.