#if elle woods went to medical school

[pucksandpower]

This Barbie is a medical student 💕

[ivebeenghosting]

love the idea of civilian!bruce wayne who is still like a bimbo playboy but also like went to harved medical school ajdkdjaha living his best Elle woods life lol

[myheartrevealedocs]

Untouchable Ch 9- The Boogeyman (S2E6)

Warnings: murder of young children, swearing, generally just some people dealing with some painful stuff badly

Ch 8 | Ch 10

~ ~ ~

Lydia had been right about one thing: after Strauss cleared her to take Hotch’s job offer, she didn’t end up going on a case for months. She went through what was, essentially, the FBI Academy, making sure she was prepared for any sort of field work that fell upon her while she was on a case.

Upon graduation, she made Hotch promise that she’d never have to go through anything like that again. It was brutal. But on the bright side, by her 23rd birthday, if she so chose, she could become an agent. That was quite the accomplishment for her.

The summer was finishing up and Lydia was preparing for her 3rd semester of her graduate program, with Spencer’s help, of course. He’d been an angel for the past three months. And somehow, no one seemed to have caught on to their secret relationship.

It was so nice. What she felt with Spencer was unlike anything she’d been a part of before. He was sweet and made her laugh and kept her engaged. And he understood her. He allowed her to speak openly about her mother and father, though she hardly did. When she explained to him that her and her sister ended up in a foster care system, he didn’t pressure her to talk about why her father had lost custody. Instead, he asked her about Beck, a topic she was far more comfortable with.

He was her support system. And her best friend.

Which was why he was the first to greet her upon her entrance to the BAU.

“Hey, do we have a case?” he asked bluntly, meeting her halfway to her desk and following her there.

“I wouldn’t be here if we didn’t,” she admitted, setting her go bag down, finally having one to keep in the office. “Gideon?”

“Round table room,” he replied, shortly. Then he leaned in, almost secretively. “Welcome back.”

She opened her mouth to tease him, but was cut off by Morgan.

“Lydia! Bring it in, kiddo!” He entered the bullpen, arms extended for a hug, which she graciously accepted.

“Derek! I’ve missed you guys. How have things been without me?”

“Eh…” he squeeked. “Tense?”

She knew what he was referring to. Apparently, on their last case, Elle had shot an unsub outside of his house with no witnesses around. She was claiming it was self defense, but the circumstances were fishy and Hotch didn’t believe her. Or at least, Spencer thought Hotch didn’t believe her.

“Morgan, Reid, Ambers,” JJ called, sternly. “Let’s go.”

The three of them sheepishly made their way to the conference room, where JJ and Gideon were waiting for them.

“Nicholas Faye, of Ozona, Texas, was beaten to death roughly 13 hours ago” JJ began, a picture of a young kid with a bloody head wound appearing on screen. “Blunt force trauma to the head. He’s the second young boy in Ozona to die the same death in the last 2 months. Local hunters found his body in the woods. The first victim’s name, Robbie Davis.”

Lydia picked up one of the case files and sat down with the team, looking over the crime scene photos. She didn’t want to, but couldn’t help herself from glancing at Nicholas’s file. He was eight. Who took out their psychotic desires on such small children?

“Are these boys connected somehow?” Morgan asked.

“Ozona’s population’s roughly 2,500,” JJ explained. “Everyone has some kind of connection.”

“Well, if they weren’t linked before, they most certainly are now,” he murmured.

~ ~ ~

Lydia didn’t fail to notice the lack of Hotch and Elle as they boarded the jet. No wonder Gideon asked her to come along, they were severely understaffed.

Lydia sat down beside JJ on the flight, the two of them looking over the medical report together.

“Did you guys hear Elle was cleared?” Spencer asked, sitting across from them, with Morgan. He had a fresh cup of coffee in his hands.

JJ nodded, looking to Derek, who simply said, “Self-defense.”

“So it was a good shoot,” Spencer continued.

“She hit what she was aimin’ for,” JJ mumbled, harshly.

“That’s not what I meant,” Spencer tried to defend himself, but the can of worms had been opened.

“I know.”

“If they cleared her, how come she’s not here with us?” Morgan demanded. “Or Hotch?”

Gideon was quick to put an end to the speculating. “Focus on the case.”

They had just started to discuss the chances of these kids being surrogates for a past bully when JJ got a call from the sheriff, letting them know a new victim had just been discovered. An 11-year-old girl.

“Why would the victimology just… suddenly change?” Reid asked.

“Maybe the girl wasn’t the target?” Morgan suggested. “Maybe she just got in the way.”

“Or the sex of his victim isn’t significant,” Gideon reasoned. “The pace he’s killing certainly indicates a velocity of change.”

“We can’t surveil every kid in Ozona,” JJ sighed. “How are we supposed to keep them all safe?”

“Enforce a curfew?” Reid offered.

Morgan didn’t seem to disagree with him, but still shook his head as if frustrated. “Children shouldn’t have to worry about something like that.”

“Tell me about it,” JJ mumbled. “The woods were the only thing I was afraid of when I was a kid.”

“Seriously?” he asked, startled. “I thought you grew up in a small town?”

She chuckled. “Yeah. Surrounded by woods.”

“Bummer for you.”

“Yeah.”

“The only I was afraid of was the dark,” he explained.

Reid raised an eyebrow. “Some of us still are.”

The whole group glanced up questioningly and Lydia was sure Morgan was going to tease him about it, but Gideon was already back on topic.

“When we land, Lydia and Reid, go to the new crime scene. The little girl,” he ordered. “Morgan and I will look at the scene where Nicholas Faye was found.”

They nodded, settling into silence.

~ ~ ~

“This is just a quarter mile from where the two boys were killed,” a deputy told them as Lydia and Reid walked onto the scene. “Bludgeoned to death the same way.”

The medic who was wheeling off her body shook his head. “Not entirely true. I found some markings on her scalp that indicated that that psycho beat her postmortem.”

Lydia raised an eyebrow at Reid, before walking around the scene to look for anything the deputies might have missed. “So much for Morgan’s theory on her getting in the way.”

“Suggests the unsub’s getting more brazen,” he agreed.

“He’s getting brazen all right,” the medic grumbled. “I’ve bagged three children in the last month.”

Lydia glanced at a sign nailed into a nearby tree, which designated the surrounding area as hunting grounds. “Deputy, do you get a lot of hunters around here?”

He shrugged. “There are only a few avid hunters in town. The forest goes on for miles and miles, so despite our patrols it’s possible to miss a few.”

Reid stepped around the stretcher and joined her. “What are you thinking?”

“Just trying to get a feel for who would know these woods. If the unsub kept beating her after death, he had to know he was in a spot no one would pass through accidentally.”

“It doesn’t really fit the MO of a hunter to beat someone to death,” he explained.

“Maybe not, but who else is out here regularly? The patrols?”

He contemplated this for a minute. “I’ll bring it up later. Did you look for evidence?”

“Well, I can’t exactly dust the dirt for fingerprints,” she argued. “And I’m sure he took the weapon with him. He’d want to stash it in a separate sight for his next victim. Since I can’t search the whole woods, I’m pretty much useless.”

“You’re not useless,” he assured her. “Looking into the patrols was a good suggestion. Gideon wouldn’t have brought you along if he didn’t think you could help.”

She gave him a halfhearted smile, before continuing around the closed off area and kicking up leaves. She wanted to believe him, but this was a crime scene for a profiler. And she wasn’t a profiler.

~ ~ ~

Lydia was left to twiddling her thumbs in the station as they gave a profile to the deputies. They’d spent the day telling children and parents alike about how to best take care of themselves and make sure no one else got grabbed. But there really wasn’t anything for her to analyze. She was, frankly, quite bored.

“Excuse me.”

Lydia looked up to find a very pregnant woman walking in, a young boy holding her hand.

“Chief,” the deputy they’d met before said. “You’re gonna want to hear this.”

The entire room went quiet as she spoke. “My son, Matthew, never came home today.”

“When was he last seen?” Gideon started and the rest of the team made their way to the evidence board.

The only things on the board were a map of the town and the pictures of the killed kids, which Lydia was sure wasn’t helping ease the mother.

“His teacher saw him in the parking lot after school.”

“Search team,” the sheriff demanded and everyone began to disperse, talking amongst themselves.

“Ok, Reid,” Morgan said, stepping up to the map. “The school is on Willow Rd.”

Reid began to explain the secluded areas nearby and Morgan reasoned out where the deputies should start their search. Across the room, JJ was helping the mother into a chair and Gideon was joining them to ask more questions.

And Lydia was still… doing nothing. No help at all.

“Honey, is that true?” the mother asked, catching the attention of most of the room. She spoke to her youngest son. “Are you hidin’ something?”

“You want to protect him, right?” Gideon prompted The boy glanced nervously at all the adults now fixed on him. “It’s what a brother’s for.”

“Matty said he was just going to ring the doorbell,” he defended. “At the haunted house… on the hill.”

Lydia’s ears pricked up. Haunted house? That was something to keep her busy.

“The Finnegan’s place,” a man named James Charles answered. He was the guidance counselor at the local school, so he knew the kids well and had been involved in the case since day one.

“Who’s Finnegan?” Gideon demanded.

“This old guy who lives in that house,” the kid responded.

The sheriff was the next to explain. “Kind of a local legend. Ghost story.”

“About?” Reid asked.

“Supposedly he watches the kids from his window. Hunts ‘em. Skins ‘em. Eats ‘em.” He shrugged. “Standard.”

“Folks have been tellin’ that story since I was a kid,” Charles explained.

Morgan was clearly pissed. “Why haven’t we heard about this? Fables are often sparked by an ounce of truth. We should exhaust every possibility.”

“Nevermind that, Morgan,” Gideon told him. “Grab your things. Lydia, too. We’re going on a raid.”

~ ~ ~

After Morgan and the sheriff swept the house and found it to be empty, Lydia went in to look for potential evidence. The power had been cut, which would indicate it had been empty for a few weeks, at least, but inside was a copy of the day’s paper.

Gideon and Spencer searched the shed out back and found the boy, Matthew. Poor kid had run off when he thought he heard Finnegan and hid in the shed for most of the day. While the rest of the team was figuring out how to get him home, Lydia and Spencer began their search of the house.

She scanned the shelves in his study while Reid went through his desk. They were looking for any indication that he killed kids in his free time, but it looked pretty normal.

“Hm… I’m gonna search the next room. Will you be alright here?” she asked him, turning away from the books and trinkets.

He nodded, still rumbling through drawers. “I’ll call Garcia to see if she found anything on Finnegan.”

Lydia smiled, stepping out the door. “Holler if you hear anything interesting.”

He agreed, watching her walk off, fondly, before a sense of dread overcame him with the realization he was now all alone in the dark. He dialed Garcia as fast as he could, trying to focus on the files in front of him and forget about the ominous room behind him.

Meanwhile, Lydia walked into an open living space with some scary decorations. A full wall was lined with hunting knives and a cabinet of shotguns. Given the creepy stuffed animal heads around the rest of the house, Lydia wasn’t surprised to find that he was a hunter, but even so, the amount of weapons he owned seemed extensive.

A hunter, especially one who lived basically in the woods himself, would know the trails well. But she remembered what Reid had said about how strange it would be for a hunter to kill someone with blunt force trauma. And clearly Finnegan was proud of his kills. Beating up kids and leaving them in the woods didn’t line up with the guy who organized his knives by size and preserved his kills on frames in his house.

But just in time to throw a wrench in her assumption, she came across a few items hastily stuffed underneath the coffee table in the adjacent room. She knelt down and picked up a blue lunchbox and a pink and white backpack.

“Ah!” Reid’s squeal echoed through the house, followed by laughter from Morgan.

Lydia picked up her findings and started to make her way back towards them.

“You really are afraid of the dark,” Morgan teased.

“I’m working on that.”

“You should work a little harder.”

She stepped into the main hallway and almost walked directly into her boyfriend. “Woah. Hey. You alright?” She couldn’t stop herself from smiling at his flustered demeanor.

“What are you holding?” he deflected, noticing her awkward grip on her flashlight with her full hands.

“My deputy got the boy home safe,” the sheriff announced, entering the house with Gideon. “Turns out the poor kid got spooked by a tree branch.”

Morgan sighed. “This whole town’s on edge.”

“And rightfully so,” Lydia argued, holding up the lunchbox for them to see. “Robbie Davis,” she said, pointing to the name in sharpie on the bottom, then doing the same to the backpack. “Sarah Peterson.”

“I guess Finnegan brought the kids back here first before baiting ‘em into the woods,” Morgan reasoned. “But why wouldn’t he get rid of the evidence?”

Gideon looked somewhat baffled.

“He considers them trophies,” Reid offered.

“When this is all said and done I’d like to hang his head on my wall,” Morgan finished, before walking further into the house.

~ ~ ~

The house was huge. It was going to take hours to search, but it was better than the jackshit she’d been doing earlier. The team had spread out pretty evenly across the house, looking for any indication of where Finnegan had run off to.

“Lydia! Morgan!” Gideon called up the stairs.

The two of them met on the stairwell and found Gideon, Reid, and the sheriff all headed out the door.

“One of the search teams just found Finnegan’s body in the woods,” Gideon continued to explain.

“No shit…” Lydia whispered.

“I need you to keep searching the house. And what did I say about looking fascinated?” he warned her, being the last to walk out the door. “It’ll creep the locals out.”

She nodded, though he was already gone, and looked to Morgan for instruction.

“Do you wanna search down here and I’ll go back upstairs?” he asked, not comfortable with ordering Lydia around despite being the superior agent (in fact, the only agent) in the house.

“Sure,” she responded and lifted up her flashlight to navigate the ground floor once more.

She wasn’t sure what Reid and Gideon had gone through before they left, so she headed towards the back end of the house and started there. The bathroom was fairly standard and she moved through it quickly, then wound up in the kitchen.

Across an island in the middle of the room were many empty food containers. They’d been delivered and eaten within the past few days. Lydia continued, thinking nothing of it and searched through some drawers, when her phone went off.

“Lydia? Finnegan’s been dead for two weeks, at least,” Gideon informed her. “Looks like his heart gave out when he was setting an animal trap.”

“Interesting,” she mumbled, turning back on the plastic containers. “It looks like I’ve got some prints to lift, then.”

“His body had been covered up. Someone’s trying to take advantage of the fact that no one knows he’s dead.”

“I noticed. We’ve got food containers here that were delivered today and they’ve been eaten. Someone hasn’t just been bringing in his papers, Gideon. They’ve been basically living here.”

“And leaving trophies from their kills there. We’re on our way back. Dust those containers and look for any other evidence of our unsub. He clearly didn’t think we’d find Finnegan. He didn’t think to hide anything he left in the house.”

“You got it.”

She hung up and went to grab some print dust from her bag. But she held off on using it, searching for anything else she could dust and dropping it on the counter as well.

“What have you got?” Gideon asked as he stormed into the house and all the way back to the kitchen.

“Provisions. The church delivers them to elders in town,” she explained, not looking up from her search through the cabinets. “Unsub has been eating all the ones dropped off in the past few days.”

“Did he eat everything?” Morgan inquired, walking in behind them.

She shook her head and lifted the trash can in the corner of the room, opening it up for the boys to see inside. “He doesn’t like creamed spinach it seems.” Inside there were cups of spinach, all duct taped shut. She dropped the can roughly and knelt down to grab the cups of uneaten food and set them up with the other things she’d collected.

“Grab those prints quickly,” Gideon instructed, his phone going off in his pocket. “Have Garcia run them for a match.” Looking at his screen, he mumbled, “Hotch,” before stepping out of the room.

Reid watched him go, then began talking to Morgan. “It’s about Elle, isn’t it?”

Lydia raised an eyebrow, but went back to work, finding pristine prints almost immediately.

“I don’t know,” the agent replied.

“You know, I- I talked to her in Ohio,” Spencer admitted.

“Reid, we all talked to her.”

“No, I- I- I talked to her before. I went to her room one night, and she was drinking.”

“She almost died. I’d be drinking, too.” Morgan sounded exhausted, leaving the conversation at that.

Lydia waited until she was certain he was gone to look up at Reid. “Don’t worry about Elle, Spencer. Hotch is working on that. When we’ve finished this case, then you can talk to her, call her, whatever you need to do to make sure she’s okay.”

He nodded, his teeth pulling at his lips in concentration. “Thanks, Lydia.”

She shot him a small smile, the dark finally lifting with the morning light. “If you just want to talk, you know I’ll listen.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but Gideon was already on his way back in, not looking too happy.

Text, she mouthed to Spencer, not wanting him to give up so easily on talking to her.

Later, he mouthed back.

~ ~ ~

They got back to the station late that morning and Gideon instructed the three of them to settle down until Garcia got back to them with the prints Lydia had sent her.

That’s how she ended up sitting around with JJ, Reid, and Morgan, clutching her morning coffee like it was her life and vaguely listening to them talk about the case. She didn’t even realize the topic had changed until she was in the middle of it.

“Why the woods, JJ?” Morgan started to her left. Lydia glanced up, curious where the conversation had ended up.

“Hm?”

“Your fear. You said it was of the woods.”

She glanced down, her brow creased in concentration. “Uh, I used to be a camp counselor when I was a teenager in the woods up in Vermont. I had the night shift-- tuck the girls in, turn off the lights, you know, the typical drill. Everything seemed fine, all the kids were asleep. You know… nothing out of the ordinary… Until I noticed that there was some blood on the hallway floor…”

Both the boys’ eyebrows shot up, glancing at each other curiously. Lydia’s face was one more of confusion. The way she set up the story sounded more like a ghost story than a personal tragedy. And it would turn out she was right, because while the boys were distracted, JJ sent Lydia a wink. Oh… she was totally playing them.

“...so I followed the blood trail out to the camp director’s cabin, walked up to his bed, and he was just lying there underneath his covers… Dead. Someone stabbed him. I ran out of there so fast. Out the door, down the hall. I just remember it being really dark. Once I got to the door, there was another counselor there. I guess she heard me scream.

“They caught the caretaker on his way to town. Guess he had still had the knife on him. Anyway, I guess that’s probably when I decided I didn’t like the woods.”

She took a long sip from her coffee and Lydia could tell almost immediately that she was trying to hide her smile at the dumbstruck faces the boys were making.

“You’re serious?” Morgan asked, glancing at Lydia who was holding a hand over her mouth to also mask her smile, though it wasn’t very convincing.

JJ gave Morgan a long look, before finally saying, “No.”

Lydia snickered at their change in posture. “Come on guys, that was total bullshit.”

“You fell for that?” JJ teased. “Come on. I don’t know why I’m afraid of the woods. I just… I am. Why is he still afraid of the dark?” she demanded, turning on Spencer.

“Yeah, Reid,” Morgan joined. “Why are you still afraid of the dark?”

“Because of the inherent absence of light,” he replied.

“Oh,” JJ said, sarcastically.

“JJ, that was pretty good,” Morgan complimented. “I can’t believe you were in on it, Lydia. Just know that paybacks are a bitch.”

“I’m shaking,” JJ mocked.

Suddenly, Morgan flipped onto Lydia. “So, out with it. What was your childhood fear?”

Lydia stammered for a moment. “Oh! I hadn’t even thought about it. I guess… getting kicked out of school was one of the big ones for me.”

“You getting kicked out?” he laughed. “Come on, kiddo. You can do better.”

“I got into a couple of fights,” she defended and he shook his head.

“No way. You can’t play me like JJ did.”

“I’m not!” She was laughing now, too. “I was an angry child until I went away to college! But I knew how difficult it would be for my family if I got expelled so every time I got sent to the principal I was terrified of getting kicked out.”

“I don’t believe you!” he argued, leaning forward to grab his ringing phone. “You’re a total liar!”

Lydia rolled her eyes dramatically at the other two. She knew Spencer believed her, but she wasn’t sure with JJ. She couldn’t blame Morgan for dismissing it. She had changed a lot since then. Even when they first met, when she was still grieving Jenna, she hadn’t been as physical or offstandish as she’d been in high school, so he really hadn’t seen her in action.

“Yeah… Hey girl, you got something good for me?... Two?... Okay, but which one of the victims? Why don’t you coordinate with the Ozona coroner’s office for a match?...” Morgan’s eyebrows knit together as he listened to Garcia. “Yeah, he’s a local guidance counselor helping us on this case… I know exactly how to find him, Garcia. Thanks.”

“Don’t tell me-,” Lydia began, but Morgan was already hopping up and ready to go.

“James Charles’s fingerprints were on those food containers.”

~ ~ ~

They drove out, leaving Lydia to search his house while they brought him into custody. She did a glancing sweep of all the rooms but nothing stood out to her. The profile claimed the guy was meticulous. And the Charles household did not reflect that.

She found the cleanest room was his son’s bedroom. Jeffrey Charles. His mom had left him and his dad 6 months ago. And now all his classmates were dying horribly. That must be scary.

Oh no… and JJ had to pull him out of school now that his dad was in custody. Even scarier.

She wandered a moment more, building herself up to inevitably tear this house apart. And then, Spencer called her.

“What’s up?”

“Is Jeffrey there? At the house?”

“What?” she exclaimed. “No. I would have called you if I was babysitting a child.”

“He’s not at school either.”

“You guys thinking Charles killed his own kid?”

“It’s suspect. JJ and I are going to meet up with you.”

“Got it.”

And after a few minutes they did. JJ looked around upstairs and Lydia started a more thorough search around the kitchen. Turns out, there was a lot to learn from kitchens on this case. She opened the fridge and was very startled to find many of the products inside sealed with duct tape. Similar to the duct tape on all the creamed spinach at the Finnegan place.

“Weird,” Spencer mumbled behind her.

“What is it?” she asked, not even turning around. “I bet mine’s weirder.”

“Epi pen,” he muttered, walking into the kitchen and looking over her shoulder. He stared at the fridge for a moment, eyebrows scrunching together. “I… guess I’ll call Gideon.”

Lydia shut the refrigerator door, listening to him explain to Gideon what they’d found.

“Do you think the kid could have done this?” she asked, quietly. It was a protective measure. No adult would cover things they were allergic to. The duct tape was to stop a kid from doing something harmful. And if Jeffrey was the one with the allergy, he’s the one who’s been hiding in the Finnegan house.

“Gideon will figure it out,” Spencer assured her, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Let’s just keep searching.”

~ ~ ~

Little Jeffrey Charles was bitter that his dad could help all these kids at school with their problems and couldn’t sit down and talk to him about his mom. So, once the baseball season was up and he was still craving the physical release, he walked into the woods with his friend Robbie Davis and beat him to death.

Maybe Robbie was teasing him or making him angry. Maybe he hadn’t meant to hit him the first time. Maybe there was more to it that they didn’t understand…

But Lydia had to go home knowing that she’d never get more answers for that. Little Jeffrey Charles was going to be sent away for a long time. That was it.

The jet was silent, JJ sleeping across the couch, Gideon looking over one file or another, and Morgan listening to something in earbuds. Lydia and Spencer were sitting beside one another, looking off distantly, lost in their own heads. That was until Lydia’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she saw Spencer glancing at her in her peripheral vision.

Spencer: You said I could text?

It took her a moment to remember what he was talking about. When Gideon had interrupted them earlier, she told him to text her if he wanted to talk about Elle. She smiled slightly and nodded at him, knowing no one would notice the strange interaction between the two.

Spencer: I should have said something.

Spencer: I talked to Elle that night, and I knew she wasn’t right, but I didn’t tell anyone.

He thought he hadn’t been enough of a friend. He was the only person to notice that Elle was unhappy and to talk to her about it and he’s putting her reaction on himself. Because he didn’t tell anyone. Lydia was quick to respond before he could continue to beat himself up about it.

Don’t do that to yourself. You were helping a friend. Elle’s decisions, whether justified or not, are on her.

Spencer: Maybe Hotch could have talked to her.

Maybe she could have talked to Hotch, she fired back. Maybe I’m not the best person to tell you this, but when someone’s standing on a ledge, your ability to talk them down depends on them, not you. Sometimes people make themselves so closed off, that not even holding them up yourself can save them.

Spencer: Elle wasn’t unreachable.

She still isn’t. But perhaps one day she will be. I’m not saying don’t keep reaching. I’m telling you that if she gets to that point, she made the step. You didn’t push her.

Lydia hadn’t expected a response to that. Especially not a real one. Spencer was so careful about their relationship. Months later, and he was still scared of the team being a part of it.

She could respect that, of course. Although this had been their first case together as a couple, she was relieved to find it completely professional. No weird teasing from the team. No worried eyes from Hotch and Gideon. They were perfectly normal.

But a couple beats after sending that message, Spencer’s eyes scanned the room to make sure no one was looking, then reached out and squeezed her hand appreciatively.

And she really wished they could stay like that for the rest of the flight.

~ ~ ~

Tags: @kris-stuff​ @wooya1224

[thelifeoftuan]

Fit

I don’t really like to show my body, but I’ve been feeling pretty good, so here. 😁

So ever since I graduated from residency and moved out of Oklahoma to New York, I’ve been attempting to stick to a healthier lifestyle. I really wanted to do something good for myself and help myself feel better. I feel like there’s this horrible expectation that guys (especially gay guys) have to fit into this mold of constant gym time and flexing their muscles to prove their attractiveness, and I honestly think that’s kinda been a blight to the community. I’ve never been a superficial person and never felt obligated to fit into such a--dare I say it--stereotype. I will be honest, though, seeing pictures after pictures of all these--admittedly, hot, haha!--shirtless dudes everywhere, especially since moving to New York City, I’ve tricked myself into feeling pretty inadequate a few times. But that’s the thing. Who’s the judge of our worth and adequacy? I’d like to think the true judge is ourselves, not other people. We’re the ones who have to power to figure out where we fit, and we shouldn’t let other people take that away from us. And so I tell myself that whatever I journey I choose, it’s by my own accord and for my own benefit. Everyone is different. Everyone has their different priorities and aspects that are important to them. Nonetheless, everyone should love their body, regardless of size, shape, or color. Forcing ourselves to fit into some unrealistic expectation leads us to not love our bodies. But if we love our body enough to know we can make improvements so that we can be a better fit for ourselves, that’s really where the true power is. That’s always been my belief, and I stick to it. During medical school and residency, I definitely felt like my health could have been better. Sitting in class and studying all day, skipping meals due to stress, losing sleep due to stress, and a constant sedentary lifestyle did not make me feel all that great. I was depressed a lot (granted my low activity level was not the main culprit, but it did not help), I felt sluggish a lot of the time, and I felt like I aged pretty quickly during those years of training as result of my mismanagement of my health. But I made it through. Still alive and kicking. And now I’m living pretty a pretty good life here in a new city that I love. And when I landed here, I told myself that my health and happiness were going to be the top priorities. So I made a plan for myself and vowed to stick to it to the best of my ability, while also giving myself a bit of wiggle room, ‘cause that’s just the nature of my job to be unpredictable at times and put crimps in my plans. But I gotta say, I’ve stuck to my plan pretty well so far. I went to the gym four times a week, even when I was exhausted after work or when I got home pretty late in the evening. Even when I got home at around 10:45 p.m., I’d rush my ass to the gym before they locked the doors at 11:00 p.m. Haha! I’ve been sticking to a pretty healthy diet, which is completely out of the norm for me, as I’ve never really done that before. Greek yogurt for breakfast, turkey sandwich for lunch, granola bar for a mid-day snack, and chicken, rice, and broccoli for dinner. Those are now my staple meals, and I actually don’t mind them at all. I thought I would, but I actually kinda like the constant routine. It makes cooking pretty simple. And I’ve been drinking water over anything else, and if you know me, that’s hella abnormal. Hahaha! I can’t even remember the last time I drank Dr Pepper (gasp). These days, I only treat myself to a soda (Dr Pepper is rare to find at restaurants in New York City) on the occasion I go out. And even then, I find myself really sticking to water, which honestly, I’m pretty proud of, ‘cause ya boy loves his carbonated sugary beverages. Haha! I stick to this healthy diet during the week, and then on the weekends, I treat myself to the wonderful New York City eats, because what the hell is the damn point of living here if I’m not going to enjoy all the delicious food, right? I don’t worry about macros or counting calories (Buddha forbid I ever start, ‘cause I feel like that’s just asking for unintentional weight loss, knowing my track record with math). I don’t have cheat days. If there are days during the week where I’ve had a rough day and want to indulge in some ice cream or order fast food or take-out, I’ll do it. My goal was never really to restrict myself or adhere to a stringent program. My goal was just to feel healthier, better, and happier. And sometimes, ya boy needs a pint of ice cream to make those things happen. Haha! Then the pandemic hit and the gym in my building closed down and has yet to open. And for a good number of weeks, my ass was handed to me by the pandemic with having to work constantly and trying to save as many sick people as I could during the peak of the pandemic in New York. And during that time, I definitely let my health and wellness fall to the wayside and ended up focusing all my energy on taking care of my patients. And I definitely felt like I had backtracked a little bit during that time. But then after things calmed down in New York City, I told myself that I would get back to it and refocus my energy on my health, because that was what was important to me. I didn’t wanna spend money on any gym equipment, ‘cause ya boy’s still very, very poor. And with the hope that, eventually, it would be safe to go back to the gym again some time in the near future, I didn’t wanna make any sort of unnecessary investment. So I got myself a yoga mat, downloaded this HIIT/body-weight training app that did not require any equipment, and allotted a little 4x4 space between my bed and dresser where I would work out four times a week. And after 6 months of lots of sweat (like, my god, I’ve never sweat so much before!), all sorts of different types of push-ups, ab exercises, supermans, and effing burpee-squat-jumps (whoever invented these should be tried for crimes against humanity), I’m still sticking with it and I’m pretty proud of myself with how far I’ve gotten. I definitely have been feeling so much better these days. Working out actually has become one of the things I look forward to. Elle Woods was right about them endorphins. Haha! And the incremental improvements I’ve been seeing are always a plus. I mean, I’m not at thirsty thot twunk physique level (😂🤦🏻‍♂️) by any means, but that was never really the goal. Regardless, I’m pretty proud of myself. My chest isn’t completely flat anymore, my arms are starting to show some definition, and I see some abs coming in, hahaha! Most importantly, though, I’m happy with the way I feel, and I think that alone speaks volumes more than any physical gains can. And I think that’s what I really want to say with this post. Forget societal expectations and pressures. Forget the magazines and posters and instagram peeps. Forget the stereotypes and stigmas. This year has been hard enough, and we shouldn’t subject ourselves to forcing our bodies to fit into these spots where we’re not comfortable. I don’t think that’s where our happiness lies. We ourselves need to discover where we fit, and that’s part of the journey. So here’s to all of us sticking to our own individual journeys and finding our own individual wellness! Be fit. Be healthy. Be happy. And be free.

[questionablygourmet]

Concept: Jodie Comer as a young Bedelia in University.

Oh man.  You know… that’s actually kind of hard for me to picture, even though I’m sure she’d be great?  I saw her first in The White Princess (where she played Elizabeth of York), and then in Killing Eve (and then I guess in The Rise of Skywalker, haha, but she’s barely in that), so I’ve seen her be resentful and effusive and manic, but never anything like Bedelia’s incredibly aloof, thoughtful deliberation.  (That’s not to say I don’t think she could do it!  But it’s not easy for me to actually imagine.)

Then again, that raises the question - what was Bedelia like in her early adulthood?  I have definitely never met someone that age who felt like Bedelia; Bedelia utterly embodies a sort of self-assured maturity that just doesn’t happen in the first two decades of someone’s life.  (It is easier for me to imagine quite literally any other character in the show as a twenty-year-old than Bedelia!)

She’s got a cruel streak that might not be a mile wide, but is at least a mile deep, and that’s something I think must have been present in her earlier years.  I think she probably didn’t start her studies with the intention of being a psychiatrist.  Maybe she majored in STEM and then went to medical school, and only later decided to go into psychiatry, like Hannibal.  (We see in Dolce that she’s still at least reasonably competent at minor surgical procedures.)  Heck, maybe they bonded over that.  

If we’re assuming the characters are more or less the same ages as the actors, she’d have been in uni the same time as Hannibal, or right after, which if she was in STEM means she was in a very small minority on account of being female.  I’m kind of equally enamoured of the idea of her going through a “one of the guys” period before she discovered BGE (Big Galadriel Energy - “All shall love me, and despair”) and the idea of her pulling an Elle Woods from the get-go, either of which I could see Jodie Comer pulling off well.

Anyway, thanks for the interesting thought and the unexpected fucking puzzle of “what was Bedelia like in her college years, actually?” - I might end up writing more about that some other time!

[secretagentfan]

Belly of the Beast

The Seventh Chapter of Lure of the Damned a Xillia 2 zombie AU fic

On Archive! Warning: GORE 

      When Ludger was sixteen he’d grazed Julius’s car on the concrete base of a streetlight in the grocery store parking lot two minutes from their apartment complex. The metal had made the worst sound imaginable: crunchy and shrill. Definite.

     He’d somehow managed to drive the car home, but when he pulled (sloppily) into their parking space and tried the door, it wouldn't budge. It was jammed— the crash must have warped it. Ludger should have used the other door, gotten out of the car, and inspected the damage, but he didn’t.

     In that moment, Ludger sat there.

     Left hand still clutching the broken door handle, he just sat there, staring at nothing in particular. His gut churned in a mixture of guilt and pure nerves. A bird chirped in a tree outside the car window, hopped up a branch, and flew away. Ludger watched it, wished it luck. He was breathing, simple, mechanical breaths. The air conditioning had shut off, which was unpleasant, especially since the car was emitting a rather wretched burnt-rubber smell. The inside of the car was heating up, and so was Ludger, but he couldn’t bring himself to lift his hand from the broken door. He couldn’t move.

     Ludger would never forget that feeling of vacant, regretful, stasis.

     The feeling revived years later, no less potent than it was in his childhood, fitting to his body like an itchy moth-eaten sweater as he sat, perfectly still, on the massive canopy bed inside Erston’s ridiculous orchard mansion.

     The bedroom door was shut. Ludger looked at it, hands on his knees.

     Wander around, see what happens, Agria had said. Staring at that door, overtaken by all the horrific possibilities, Ludger was 100% certain he did not want to take her advice. He was also 100% certain he had to.

     Elle was napping beside him, arms and legs spread out wide. Each limb was wrapped in a different blanket. She looked like the cutest, comfiest octopus in the world.

     Ludger looked at her instead, lifting a blanket that had been shoved to the foot of the bed so that it covered her stomach. Jude was fussing around nearby, putting on his worn, fingerless gloves and organizing their bags by the door in case they had to make a quick exit. He had the right idea.

     Something was going on here. It was probably bad, definitely dangerous, and they had walked right into it—or at least selected it over a potentially more dangerous option. They needed to be ready to confront what they agreed to, whatever it was.

     The bedroom was safe. The shower was great. But eventually, they were going to have to leave this room and deal with the damage. Ludger needed to stand up. Julius wasn’t going to tap on the window and coax him out this time.

     He took a deep breath, crossed the room to his bag, and pulled out the small-but-mighty sledgehammer he had looted from a home goods store. He set it by octo-Elle, the corner of his mouth quirking downward when he noticed the mattress sink a little with the weight.

     “Hammer’s next to you, Elle.”

     “Yeah ‘kay,” she mumbled, still half asleep.

     “You have your whistle?” he checked, hand on her shoulder. Elle groaned pushing his hand off. She reached under her shirt, producing the large metal whistle Julius had stolen for her on her sixth birthday. It was loud, awful sounding. Elle loved it, but after a week of no sleep for either of them, and lots of regrets, Julius and Ludger had to lay down the law and say it was for emergencies only.

     “Yeah, got it, go away,” Elle grumbled, turning on her side. Ludger smiled, brushing her hair back once, for courage, before looking to Jude.

     “Want to take a look around?” he asked.

     Jude’s eyes were wide. Ludger blinked, confused for a moment, before realizing that handing an 8-year-old a sledgehammer was probably a bit eccentric. He shrugged.

     Jude was not deterred. “Has she ever used that?”

     “Seeing it is enough, usually.”

     Jude’s shoulders relaxed, as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll admit, it does make me feel a little more at ease to know that she can defend herself.”

     Ludger nodded, glancing at Elle one more time. He hated leaving her, but it wouldn’t be the first time. Elle was capable and independent when she needed to be. She would be fine. He had to keep telling himself that. He picked up his metal pipe and went to the door.

     “I’m right behind you,” Jude offered. Ludger felt a small spark of courage at the optimism in his voice, or maybe it was the surprisingly sturdy golf club he was holding. Whatever magic it was, it gave Ludger the ability to close his hand firmly around the door handle.

     With a deep breath, he let in the rest of the world.

     The mansion was massive, absurd. Their room was situated at the end of a long hallway. Following the hall to its natural conclusion seemed to be as good of a path as any. They took turns jiggling the handles on ornate doors, shrugging at each other when they were revealed to be locked.

     Ludger wasn’t sure why he expected anything in this place to be easy. They pressed on, navigating farther and farther away from Elle. The sound of the whistle would carry. Ludger knew it would, but he couldn’t help but fear.

     A large, dilapidated mural of four horses running through the orchard on the wall between the two master staircases pulled him from his thoughts. It screamed wealthy excess in loud capital letters. He was reminded of his brief stint as a window painter in high school. Never again— just looking at the size of this thing made his arms hurt.

     He made long suffering eye contact with the horse on the left: it was mid-gallop, neck tilted down just a little more the others, like it was questioning why it was running in the first place. Someone had chipped the paint on its muzzle in the shape of a moustache. He pointed at it, and Jude laughed.

     “It looks like Erston’s group isn’t so focused on maintaining the original interior design here,” Jude said. “At least, not the usual kind—have you noticed how clean everything else is? How long do you think that took them?”

     “Depends on how long it took for survivors to come back here,” Ludger replied, watching as the smile on Jude’s face faded into something more knowing, tired.

     In the early days most people had yielded to the rules set out by the authorities and abandoned vast regions that had been labeled “infected.” Anything to stop the spread. People lost their homes, livelihoods, in order to run to the next safe area. Of course, that safe area would quickly turn unsafe, and they would have to run again. It was untenable.

     Ludger had spent those days barricading in the break room at the hospital with Julius and Elle. Stealing baby formula and looting vending machines, just biding time, praying for aid.

     Instead of aid, the rules changed. Fences and walls were built, not to protect, but to contain. Entire countries were determined lost causes and cut off like a rotten limb. Anyone who was counting on assistance, Ludger, Elle, and Julius included—learned a painful lesson.

     Time marched on, even through the rot. Cracked windows, layers of dust.

     “Ludger,” Jude said, interrupting his thoughts. He was pointing to a door nestled to the far right of the mural. It had been painted to look like it was part of the base of one of the orchard’s trees, the steel doorknob molded in the shape of a cute cartoon apple.

     “I think I saw Presa carrying the bodies through there. I’d like to check that out, if that’s alright with you.”

     Jude really was just going to tackle the worst possible place as fast as he could, wasn’t he? Stomach sinking, Ludger nodded.

     The apple door gave way to a descending staircase, leading to a short hallway, and crusty cellar door. There were brown bloodstains on the wood stairs and white walls. Some looked like handprints.

     Ah, so they went with a murder basement, Ludger thought. He wished he could have been more surprised. He sighed, stepping forward, when Jude’s hand hit his chest.

     There were voices coming from behind the door. A man’s voice, too high to be Erston’s, was arguing loudly with an airy voice that could only belong to Muzét.

     Whatever they were discussing, it was heated, at least on the man’s end. Ludger hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with Jude. He nodded, and they quietly advanced.

     “—telling you they just need to be disposed of.”

     “But we carried them all this way.”

     A scream, high-pitched, agonizing. The sort of sound made only when someone emptied out their lungs completely.

     “Muzét’s in trouble!” Jude cried.

     Without thinking, Ludger’s hand flew to the doorknob, twisting it ineffectively. Locked. Jude caught his wrist, pressing the golf club in his hand.

     “Hold this please and get back!”

     “Huh?”

     Cluelessly, Ludger pressed himself to the wall, armed with Jude’s golf club and his own metal pipe, and watched as Jude took a few steps back, exhaled, and ran toward the door with all the intensity of a football player about to tackle.

     Shit, was he going to break the door down?

     “Jude, hold on!”

     “We don’t have time!”

     He crashed into the door, right shoulder first. The door made a loud cracking sound, splintering at the lock, partially cracking open wide enough for Ludger to kick it out fully, as Jude stumbled back, clutching his shoulder.

     Opening the door was a mistake; the smell of rot was intense enough to make Ludger’s eyes water.

     “What the—”

     A man in a white lab coat was staring at them, wide-eyed. He was wearing a too-loose medical mask, secured to his face with a pair of dirty spectacles.

     “Oh,” Muzét said, from where she was sitting on the floor, pristine and uninjured. “There were a couple of cute boys under all that blood and grime.”

     “You’re not hurt,” Jude said, breathless. He was wincing a bit, holding his shoulder.

     “My door!” the man in the lab coat exclaimed. “Why would you just break it open like that? Are you animals?”

     “We heard screaming—” Ludger explained.

     “So you break down a door to head toward the scream? Altruism is well and good until you’re bitten for it. How on earth have you managed to survive this long?”

     Ludger flushed. His body had just reacted without thinking, but the man made a point. What was he going to do? He had a metal pipe, and a golf club. Still…he couldn’t have just ignored the scream. He glanced toward Jude for back-up and felt his stomach drop.

     Jude was ghostly pale. He was staring in straight ahead at the right side of the room which had previously been hidden by the doorframe. Steeling himself, Ludger followed his gaze.

     Bodies. A good amount. They weren’t piled, exactly; they were resting in organized lines on old, deteriorated mattresses. Some were tied down with rope and wire, others were just lying there, still. Isla and her husband were in the still category. Their crushed skulls and shotgun wounds were on full display, just two more corpses in the room, but corpses Ludger knew, recognized— assisted in. Somehow seeing their bodies again, like this, made guilt pierce through his stomach more forcefully than killing them had.

     At least they were quiet. A woman, heavily decomposed, was tied to one of the mattresses in the center. A tube in her wrist was connected to an IV drip, and an incision had been made in the base of her neck, all the way down to the lower border of her ribcage. Her skin had been peeled back and held in place with metal pins; rusty brown organs were pulsing, shifting in her chest as she writhed, jaw opening and closing.

     Ludger made the mistake of meeting her eyes, wild, bloodshot and desperate. She was making high, cooing sounds, spittle trailing down her chin. The image of Elle as an infant flashed in Ludger’s head; the sounds she made as a baby, teething, adorable— fuck.

     The involuntary comparison made something harsh lurch in his stomach, wretched, awful; his whole body recoiled, rejecting the sight in front of him, emotionally, physically, whatever it took— as long as it was away from him.

     Reflex pushed his hand to cover his nose and mouth, as he hunched forward, shutting his eyes, silently willing himself not to get sick. Not here. Not now.

     The woman yelled, and Ludger realized she was the scream they heard. She was who they came to help. This was worse than he could have imagined. Why did they leave the room, no, why did Ludger ever leave the car?

     “Ah, Balan, they don’t look so well,” Muzét announced. “A little green.”

     “They weren’t supposed to come down here…” the man in the lab coat mumbled. “Oh, this is a fine mess. Erston is going to levitate.”

     “Oh boy, I hope so,” Muzet said. “I think he’s more likely to freeze over though. Destroy you with a single stare, how wonderful.”

     “You and I have very different definitions of wonderful.”

     “What are you doing to them?”

     Jude’s usually quiet voice rose over Muzét and Balan’s chatter with ease.

     The scientist’s voice was calm, as if trying to calm a wild animal. “I know how the mattresses look, but I assure you what is happening here is purely scientific—"

     “—What, no! I don’t care how “scientific” it is,” Jude burst out, all sincere anger. “This is inhumane!”

     “Pardon? Look here,” Balan said. He seemed genuinely taken aback. “These corpses are infected. They stopped being human a long time ago.”

     For a moment, Ludger thought Jude was going to take a swing at him. His gloved fists were clenched, eyes blazing, but they hung still at his side. Ludger opened his mouth to try and say something, anything calming, but Jude pivoted, changing direction and booking it toward the infected woman.

     “Jude—!” Ludger called out, reaching to grab his elbow a second too late. Jude didn’t notice. He walked past the dead bodies, stepping over some of the still-moving infected to investigate the woman’s IV.

     His voice was calm, confident. “If this is legitimate research, I want to look at it for myself, not hear about it secondhand. I won’t touch I prom—…"

     Jude trailed off. He blinked, once, twice, frozen in place, as he read whatever was written on the IV bag. His whole posture changed. His composed confidence from seconds earlier flipped into animalistic desperation. He reached up, roughly tugged the bag from the hanger. The whole thing shook.

     “Hey! Hey, hey! Do not touch that!” Balan yelled, clearing the corpses with practiced ease. Jude dropped the bag, hardly seeming to see it. It hit the floor with a wet squelching sound. His hands were shaking. Ludger was already running toward him, dropping the pipe and golf club. Something was wrong, something was definitely, definitely, wrong.

     “What the hell are you doing, man!?” Balan shouted, crouching to pick up the blood bag, when Jude punched him, hard across the face. He toppled at the force of the impact, slamming onto the infected woman, who screeched, arms and legs struggling against the restraints, mouth opening and closing, going for Balan’s head.

     “What on earth!? Balan!” Muzét cried, frantically attempting to untangle Balan from the infected woman. Ludger had his hands full, arms locked around Jude’s midsection.

     “Ludger, let go of me!” he yelled, but his voice sounded shattered, fragile. Unfortunately, his struggling was anything but.

     “You have to calm down first!” Ludger commanded, but Jude only struggled harder. His elbow slid against the bandages on Ludger’s arm purposefully, and Ludger sucked in a pained gasp, grip loosening enough for Jude to scramble out of his hold.

     “Sorry,” Jude said. Regret flashed on his face for a fraction of a second, but it melted into something else, something stronger. He lunged for Balan again, who Muzét had managed to get upright, away from the infected woman.

     “Jude!”

     Whatever Jude was trying to do wasn’t going to help him; Ludger knew the look in his eyes. Pure, unadulterated, despair. Whatever he wanted to fight; he had already lost. Ludger grit his teeth, knowing what he had to do, but hating the idea of it.

     Sorry, Jude, he thought. But you’re not giving me much of a choice here.

     Ludger leapt forward, hand flying to Jude’s injured shoulder. Jude’s eyes widened as Ludger’s fingers closed around it, squeezing. The sound Jude made— a sharp, pained intake of breath— made Ludger's heart ache. Dislocating it from this angle would be easy, but Ludger wasn’t looking to do that.

     “Listen to me—” Ludger whispered, pulling Jude down, other hand pinning his left wrist to his back. “What you’re trying to do— you’re going to regret it when you can think clearly. Stop attacking and breathe.”

     Jude continued to struggle for a few painful seconds, before his eyes shut, and he went limp. Ludger released him immediately.

     They were both breathing hard. Muzét and Balan were staring at them with baffled expressions. Ludger swallowed, returning his focus to Jude, who was curled in on himself. His breath left him in quiet, choked sobs. Ludger rubbed his back.

     “Can someone please explain what’s going on here? I’m so confused,” Muzét said, finally breaking the silence. Balan and Ludger both shook their heads at her, but evidently, her words were all it took to get Jude to start talking.

      "My name is Jude Mathis,” he said, voice pure fury. This clearly meant something to Balan, as his entire face seemed to go slack with shock.

     “That’s…” Balan said, “Oh, god.”

     “I think I see it now…” Muzét mumbled, finger to her chin, held tilted just so.

     “Then you should understand why—you should know!” Ludger’s heart pulled at the agony in Jude’s voice. His fists were clenched hard against the floor.

     “That blood bag of yours says Ellen Mathis.”

     He looked small, furious, lost.

     “What the hell have you done to my mom?”

[marymosley]

The 25 Best Lawyer Movies of All Time

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you’ve had a wonderful 2019 and are looking forward to paying off debt, building wealth and achieving financial independence in 2020.

Today’s post is totally for fun – and I hope you have as much fun with it as I had creating it. Below are the 25 best lawyer movies of all times (in my opinion), complete with clips from some of the best scenes. Did I leave anything out? If so, let me know in the comments.

Enjoy the downtime during the holidays (assuming you got it) and enjoy the cheap entertainment below, some of which can be streamed on Netflix and all of which can probably be obtained for less than $10.

1. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Dale Launer, My Cousin Vinny follows two young New Yorkers, Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein, who are arrested and put on trial for murder while traveling in rural Alabama. The fate of these men rests in the hands of Vincent Gambini (Vinny) a cousin of Bill’s and a lawyer who’s just barely passed the bar exam. 

Gambini, played by Joe Pesci, does his best to defend his cousin and his cousin’s friend but makes a number of missteps along the way. Gambini’s fiancee, Mona Lisa, who is played by Marisa Tomei, is instrumental in helping him with his defense.

Trivia: Marisa Tomei received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role.

2. 12 Angry Men (1957)

This classic courtroom drama was directed by Sidney Lumet and details the deliberations of 12 men, all of whom are part of the jury deciding the fate of a poor young man who’s been accused of murder. If found guilty, he will face the death penalty.

The film begins with all jurors except for Juror 8 agreeing that the young man is guilty. Juror 8, played by Henry Fonda, encourages his fellow jurors to discuss the defendant’s case before sentencing him to death. Throughout the discussions, many of the jurors go back and forth, changing their votes as their forced to confront certain aspects of the case that they initially dismissed.

Trivia: The film was shot in less than three weeks.

3. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Deemed one of the greatest courtroom dramas of all time and based on the novel with the same title, Anatomy of a Murder follows Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler (played by James Stewart), who has his work cut out for him after agreeing to defend Lt. Manion (played by Ben Gazzarra), who murdered a local bar owner after learning he’s been accused of rape.

Biegler, who is encouraged to take the case by his mentor, Parnell McCarthy, played by Arthur O’Connell, must go up against big-city prosecutor Claude Dancer (played by George C. Scott) in order to help his client.

Trivia: The novel upon which the film is based was written by John D. Voelker (under the pseudonym Robert Traver), a Michigan Supreme Court justice.

4. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Directed by Brad Furman, The Lincoln Lawyer stars Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller, a defense attorney who runs his law practice out of a Lincoln Continental. Mick’s clientele is comprised mainly of petty criminals, but he’s surprisingly presented with an opportunity to defend a wealthy Beverly Hills playboy by the name of Louis Ross Roulet, played by Ryan Phillippe, who’s been accused of attempted murder.

At first, Mick assumes that the case will be an easy, open-and-shut affair. He soon learns, though, that there’s more to it than meets the eye and that it’s connected with a previous case of his.

Trivia: After starring in the film, McConaughey went on to become a spokesman for the Lincoln brand in 2014.

5. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

In this film, Tyrone Power plays Leonard Vole, who has been accused of murdering a wealthy woman. Vole is represented by the legendary Sir Wilfrid Robarts (played by Charles Laughton) and, in order to win his case, must have his alibi corroborated by his wife, Christine (played by Marlene Dietrich).

In a shocking turn of events, Christine decides to appear in court and testify against him. Several other twists and turns occur throughout the award-winning film as Sir Wilfrid does his best to defend his client and close the case.

Trivia: Witness for the Prosecution was the last film that Power completed before he died of a heart attack in November of 1958.

6. Legally Blonde (2001)

Based on the novel by Amanda Brown, Legally Blonde is a courtroom comedy that stars Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods, a sorority girl from California. Elle follows her ex, Warner Huntington III (played by Matthew Davis), to Harvard law school after he breaks up with her on the night when she expects him to propose.

While her initial goal is to win back Warner, Elle soon falls in love with the legal profession as she works to overcome the challenges of being a first-year law student. She goes on to realize that she has the potential to become a great lawyer in her own right.

Trivia: Reese Witherspoon’s contract allowed her to keep all of the costumes she wore in the movie after filming ended.

7. Philadelphia (1993)

Directed by Jonathan Demme, Philadelphia tells the story of lawyer Andrew Beckett, who struggles to hide his homosexuality, as well as his HIV status, for fear that they will have a negative impact on his career at a prestigious Philadelphia law firm. Eventually, his secrets are exposed by a colleague.

After losing his job at the firm, Beckett decides he must sue on the grounds of discrimination. The only lawyer who will help him with his case is Joe Miller, played by Denzel Washington. The two men work together as they face down Belinda Conine, one of the firm’s top litigators, who is played by Mary Steenburgen.

Trivia: Initially, Demme planned to cast a comedic actor in the role of Joe Miller, but he changed his mind after Washington showed an interest in the part.

8. Erin Brockovich (2000)

Erin Brockovich tells the true story of a woman who fought hard against the giant energy corporation Pacific Gas and Electric after learning about a cover-up that was exposing a local community to contaminated water and contributing to serious illnesses.

In the film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, Brockovich is played by Julia Roberts. Her attorney, Ed Masry, who eventually hires her at his firm, is played by Albert Finney. It is when she starts working at Masry’s firm that Brockovich discovers medical records related to the case and kicks off her investigation.

Trivia: Julia Roberts’ salary for her role as Erin Brockovich made her the first actress in Hollywood to earn more than $20 million.

9. The Verdict (1982)

The Verdict follows Frank Galvin, played by Paul Newman, a once-promising attorney who’s down on his luck after being fired from a Boston law firm for accusations of jury tampering. At the beginning of the film, directed by Sidney Lumet, as a favor to his friend Mickey (played by Jack Warden), Galvin agrees to take on a medical malpractice case.

Galvin initially plans to settle the case, but declines the offer from the hospital and decides to take it to trial instead, much to the surprise of the judge and the relatives of the victim.

Trivia: Two of the film’s cast members, Jack Warden and Edward Binns, starred in 12 Angry Men, which Lumet also directed.

10. Presumed Innocent (1990)

Directed by Alan J. Pakula, Presumed Innocent tells the story of Rusty Sabich, a chief deputy played by Harrison Ford, who is assigned by prosecuting attorney Raymond Horgan (played by Brian Dennehy) to investigate the rape and murder of his colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (played by Greta Scacchi).

At the time of the assignment, Horgan doesn’t know that Polhemus and Sabich are involved in an affair. Eventually, though, evidence implicates Sabich and causes Horgan’s enemies to demand his arrest. Sabich must call on defense attorney Sandy Stern (played by Raul Julia) to help him with his defense.

Trivia: Before Harrison Ford was cast as Rusty Sabich, both Robert Redford and Kevin Costner turned down the role.

11. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Set in the late 1940s post-World War II, this political drama follows nazis who are tried in an American court in Germany. In the film, directed by Stanley Kramer, these individuals must face a military tribunal and address charges of crimes against humanity.

Chief Justice Haywood, played by Spencer Tracy, must hear from the lead defendant Ernst Janning (played by Burt Lancaster) as well as his defense attorney (played by Maximillian Schell), the widow of a Nazi general, a US army captain (played by William Shatner), and a witness named Irene Wallner (played by Judy Garland).

Trivia: Maximillian Schell’s Academy Award for Best Actor made him the lowest-billed winner in history (he was billed fifth on the film’s cast list).

12. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

Directed by Fred Zinnemann, A Man for All Seasons is set in 16th Century England and tells the story of Sir Thomas More, played by Paul Scofield.

More is known for standing up to King Henry VIII (played by Robert Shaw) and refusing to pressure the Pope into allowing the king to have his marriage annulled so he could remarry. More, who was a devout Catholic, stood by his convictions to not allow the king to divorce, despite intense pressure to do otherwise. The king and his loyalists responded by charging More with treason.

Trivia: Fred Zinneman describes A Man for All Seasons as the easiest film he’s ever made, thanks to the talent and cooperation of the cast and crew.

13. A Few Good Men (1992)

Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin, A Few Good Men tells the story of military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) as he defends two Marines who have been charged with killing another Marine at Guantanamo Bay.

Kaffee is convinced by another lawyer, played by Demi Moore, that he should not seek a plea bargain for these Marines. Instead, she convinces him that they were acting on the orders of a commanding officer, Col. Nathan Jessep, who is played by Jack Nicholson.

Trivia: The American Film Association named the film’s famous line “You can’t handle the truth!” as one of the top movie quotes of all time (it ranks #29 on the list).

14. The Rainmaker (1997)

The Rainmaker, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, follows a new attorney by the name of Rudy Baylor, who, struggling to find work, is forced to take a job under another lawyer of questionable morals, played by Mickey Rourke.

While working for this lawyer, Baylor meets Deck Shifflet, a paralegal played by Danny DeVito and Dot Black (played by Mary Kay Place), whose insurance provider will not provide coverage for her dying son. When he learns of this information, Baylor decides to team up with Shifflet to take on Black’s insurance company and its formidable attorney (played by Jon Voight).

Trivia: Danny DeVito wore fake teeth for his role in the film.

15. Kramer vs Kramer (1979)

Written and directed by Robert Benton, Kramer vs Kramer follows advertising executive Ted Kramer (played by Dustin Hoffman) after he finds out that his wife (played by Meryl Streep) is abandoning him and his young son.

Despite losing his advertising job, Ted goes on to develop a much stronger relationship with his son, helped along by a fellow single parent named Margaret, played by Jane Alexander. This causes problems later when his wife returns to try and win back custody. An arduous courtroom battle ensues as a result and has serious implications for all who are involved in the case.

Trivia: Meryl Streep wrote her own courtroom speech when she was unhappy with the original speech she was given.

16. The Paper Chase (1973)

In The Paper Chase, written and directed by James Bridges, a first-year Harvard law student named James Hart (played by Timothy Bottoms) who faces a series of academic challenges. His load becomes even heavier, though, when he has a run-in with an intimidating contracts professor, Charles W. Kingsfield (played by John Houseman).

Despite Kingsfield’s intensity in the classroom and the harsh demands he places upon his students, which cause many to abandon their pursuits and drop out altogether, James perseveres and even begins to date his professor’s daughter, Susan, who is played by Lindsay Wagner.

Trivia: The film received three Academy Award nominations and received one for Best Supporting Actor.

17. The Firm (1993)

In The Firm, directed by Sydney Pollack and based on the legal thriller by John Grisham, a young lawyer by the name of Mitch McDeere (played by Tom Cruise) joins the ranks of a small and prestigious firm. Although at first honored to be part of the firm, McDeere soon learns, with the help of a receptionist played by Holly Hunter, that there’s more than meets the eye and that the firm is involved in laundering money for the mob.

McDeere finds himself in a jam when the FBI contacts him to gather evidence about the actions of his colleagues. As a result, he must decide between doing what’s best in the eyes of the law and making the decision that will keep him alive.

Trivia: Holly Hunter’s performance lasts five minutes and 59 seconds, making it one of the shortest Oscar-nominated performances of all time.

18. Compulsion (1959)

This crime drama, directed by Richard Fleischer, tells the story of two sociopathic students, Artie Straus (played by Bradford Dillman) and Judd Steiner (played by Dean Stockwell). Artie and Judd find themselves in serious trouble after they commit a murder in an attempt to pull off a flawless crime. They leave behind a crucial piece of evidence and end up arrested for what they’ve done.

Their lawyer, played by Orson Welles, must then work hard to defend the two young men and save them from execution. The film is based on the well-known and often-cited Leopold and Loeb case of 1924.

Trivia: Despite his top-billed status, Welles does not appear in the film until an hour and five minutes in.

19. And Justice for All (1979)

Directed by Norman Jewison, follows Arthur Kirkland, a Baltimore defense attorney played by Al Pacino, who finds himself in jail after punching Judge Henry T. Fleming (played by John Forsythe) while arguing in defense of his client, Jeff McCullaugh (played by Thomas G. Waites). McCullaugh, after being stopped for a minor traffic defense, was mistaken for a murderer with the same name.

Kirkland eventually gets out of jail and later finds himself hired to defend Judge Fleming, who has been accused of the brutal assault and rape of a young woman. Fleming wants Kirkland as his lawyer because he believes it will work in his favor to have someone who openly hates him defending him.

Trivia: And Justice for All marks the theatrical film debut of acclaimed actor Jeffrey Tambor.

20. A Time to Kill (1996)

In this film, directed by Joel Schumacher, Samuel L. Jackson Carl Lee Hailey, a man who shoots the bigoted men who brutally raped his daughter when they are on their way to being tried for their crime. Hailey must then rely on the help of defense lawyer Jake Brigance, played by Matthew McConaughey, to help him get acquitted.

Brigance feels that the chances of an acquittal are slim, due in part to the fact that Hailey resides in a small and segregated town in the South, but he takes on the man’s case regardless when he shows unshakable faith in his abilities.

Trivia: Woody Harrelson had an interest in playing Jake Brigance, but John Grisham objected.

21. A Civil Action (1998)

In this film, written and directed by Steven Zaillian and based on a true story, John Travolta stars as personal injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann. Schlichtmann finds himself involved in a case that, while seemingly straightforward at first, ends up being incredibly difficult and appears to have the potential to be his undoing.

The case involves a major company responsible for contaminating a town’s water supply and causing several of its residents to develop leukemia. At the risk of bankrupting his firm and ending his career, Schlichtmann goes up against a powerhouse attorney played by Robert Duval in an attempt to make things right and hold the company accountable.

Trivia: This was the only non-Best Picture nominee for the year to receive a nomination for Best Cinematography.

22. The Conspirator (2010)

Directed by Robert Redford, The Conspirator tells the story of the aftermath of the assassination of President Lincoln. After the President is assassinated, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to murder him, the vice president, and the secretary of state.

The lone woman, Mary Surratt (played by Robin Wright), is represented by the reluctant lawyer Frederick Aiken (played by James McAvoy). Surratt owns the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and the other men planned their crimes. Convinced that Surratt may be innocent, Aiken works hard to defend her throughout the film and prove that she’s being used to try and capture her son, another suspect who is still at large.

Trivia: This was the American Film Association’s first film.

23. Amistad (1997)

Set in 1839, Amistad tells the story of a slave ship sailing from Cuba to the United States. In the film, directed by Steven Spielberg, Cinque (played by Djimon Hounsou) leads the slaves in an uprising, which results in them being held as prisoners in Connecticut.

Theodore Joadson, a freed slave played by Morgan Freeman, learns of the plight of these individuals and recruits the help of property lawyer Roger Baldwin (played by Matthew McCaughnehey) to defend and exonerate them. Their pursuit later wins the support of John Quincy Adams, who is played by Anthony Hopkins.

Trivia: This was the theatrical film debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor.

24. The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Keanu Reeves stars in the film as Kevin Lomax, a Florida defense attorney who takes a position at a New York law firm headed by John Milton (played by Al Pacino).

As Kevin moves up the ranks within the firm, his mentally ill wife, Mary Ann (played by Charlize Theron), has a series of progressively more severe frightening and mystical experiences that alter her perception of reality. While dealing with the strain of his wife’s illness, Kevin also learns that his boss is involved in some nefarious activities and is not who he claims to be.

Trivia: Charlize Theron spent an hour per day working with a psychotherapist to learn how to play a schizophrenic in an accurate way.

25. RBG (2018)

RBG chronicles the career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which spans several decades, and how she developed a legal legacy while becoming a pop culture icon.

After frankly answering questions about abortion and discrimination at her Senate confirmation hearings, Ginsburg was confirmed by a vote of 96 to 3, which President Clinton notes was astounding given the partisan political environment of the 1990s.

Trivia: The nickname is inspired by the “Notorious” honorific from the name of rap artist Notorious B.I.G. Ginsburg shows a good-natured embrace of her nickname, noting that she and the rapper have much in common: they were both born in Brooklyn.

Originally posted on The 25 Best Lawyer Movies of All Time

Biglaw Investor - Personal finances for the aspiring millionaire lawyer

The 25 Best Lawyer Movies of All Time published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

[omgselinabeckendorf]

OC: Dawn Bright-Cabrera

TW: CUTTING AND DEPRESSION

Name: Dawn Bright-Cabrera Age: A month older than Fenton Gender: Female Date of Birth: March 15th, around the year 1991?? Place of Birth: Duckburg, Calisota Race: Duck Occupation: Lawyer Current place of residence: The Cabrera House in Duckburg, Calisota Voice Actor: Naomi Scott Quirks, strange mannerisms, and/or annoying habits: Muttering to herself Education level: University Hierarchy/social standing: Lower Middle Class (Taking into account her home) Hair color and type: Blonde and Type 2A Eye color: Black Skin Tone: White feathers Scars or physical deformities: Scars on her inner wrist

Mental illnesses: Depression and Anxiety Height: 3′2″ Weight: 160 Ibs Body type: Rectangle Favorite color: Green, black and blue Favorite food: Anything really Likes: Her job, her family, musicals, kicking ass (both in the courtroom and physically kicking ass), Disney, helping Fenton with a new invention and supporting him, and drawing Dislikes: Bullshit from anyone, anyone hurting her friends or family in any way shape or form, feeling/being helpless, and being apathetic  Religious Preference: Aeithist Strengths: The law, hand to hand combat along with a couple of weapons, and logic  Weaknesses: Severe Arachnophobia, temper issues, and depression Family: Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera, and Officer Cabrera Pets: None Role model: Elle Woods Fears: Spiders and feeling like she can’t do anything Goals: To stop her depression from kicking her ass and to become the best goddamn lawyer the world has ever seen Sexuality: Bisexual Relationships/Love interests: Gyro Gearloose Allies: Emily, Fenton, Gandra, Gyro, Huey, Launchpad, Lil’ Bulb, Manny, M’ma Cabrera Enemies: Mark Beaks Sexual partners: None Hobbies and interests: Drawing Bio:  Dawn was born Dawn Danger Bright (Yes, Danger is her legitimate middle name) to Clarissa and Jeffrey Bright. Clarissa and Jeffery were both spies for S.H.U.S.H, and they retired once they found out they were going to be parents so they could focus on raising their child. When Dawn was a year old, they got called for another mission of utmost importance. They would never make it back. They went missing and are assumed to be dead. Officer Cabrera, who was a good friend of Clarissa’s in school, found baby Dawn crying for her parents, and decided to take her in and raise her alongside her own son, who was a month younger than her.

Dawn first wanted to become a lawyer when she saw the movie Legally Blonde on t.v one day. She had her heart set on it and started studying and did everything she could to get into the Harvard Law School to make Elle Woods proud. When she found out there was a musical of the movie, she immediately found it and listened to it, and that sparked her love of musicals.

Over time, her mental health wasn’t doing so good and she found herself waiting for death and not enjoying the things she used to. Even musicals lost its charm. Her anxiety got worse and she found out she had depression and then didn’t tell anyone until M’ma walked in on her cutting herself. She got a therapist and regularly takes medication for her depression, but she still gets depressive episodes. She’s getting through it though.

[moon-rivcr-s]

&&. —(selena leon)? yes, (she) does look a lot like (summer bishil), but (she) is/are just a (33) year old (witch) and last i heard, they were (a lawyer for the o’haras) . around east end, people say (she) is/are known to be quite (callous), but can also be (tenacious). maybe that’s why (selena)’s theme song is (team - lorde)? 

hi hi this is my second babe! like and ill come bother u for plots 

The Moon - illusion, fear, anxiety

The moon, you sometimes wonder, could be your mother. He never speaks of her, only of the two of you. He is all you need, your father says, and he teaches you what it is to be powerful and proud. The freedom promised is an illusion as he has pledged your life to another. You grow up trailing the O’Hara boys, learning to use your fear like a weapon, a sharp smile dipped in venom. Your father has no time for your anxieties or the silly concerns of a young girl, and you learn to wear the mask better than anyone. Princesa, when you are good, a disapproving glare when you are not. You go to school and do well, the boys are sent overseas to get an education. Homework is done at the end of the bar and you study for the SAT in the back office, headphones in to cover the sounds of the fights and the crowd. By the time you’re ready to take the LSAT, you could work in any sort of conditions thrown at you. Anxiety is your constant companion but you’ve mastered the art of illusion.

The Lovers - harmony, balance, choice

Somewhere in the intervening years between lost child and master of illusion you find yourself falling into place with the twins. Particularly the older one. No one is quite sure exactly how it happens, but one day you are more than just you. He smiles that grin, and your mask seems to almost melt. You write letters and emails and stay up late or wake up early for a few minutes on the phone. When he comes home for the summer he sneaks a bottle from behind his father’s bar and the two of you get drunk for the first time. He knows your fear and anxiety and you know his heart and soul. Before he starts college you ink your love on each other’s skin. A moon stands at the top of his spine, and a sun warms your rib cage. You aren’t sure when the break happens, likely around when you start looking at Law Schools. And then you’re balancing classes and clerkships and haven’t been back home in years. Maybe you hear that he’s gotten married, maybe you tossed the invitation. The big city calls and eighty hour work weeks leave little time for anything or anyone else. But this is the choice you made, and you can’t let yourself feel any pangs of regret. Your father calls you home after three years away. Time to pay the debt of a bargain made on your behalf long before you were old enough to consent. And now you think, did you ever really have a choice? Or was everything pushing you to this point, the life you cannot escape and the love you always wished you could? But he is yours again, and you are able to slip back into the carefree love of teenagers with bodies who have felt and minds who have seen more. Loving him is easy, you and he are harmony.

The High Priestess - intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine

He whispers his confessions into your skin and you wear his mother’s ring. Your magic, intuition, and small ferocity make you invaluable to the gang. He is the golden prince, trained to rule and you are the princesa who was always meant to be at his side. And suddenly your love story is a tragedy, you’re curled up in a chair by his hospital bed and his brother tells you both his father didn’t make it. You don’t sleep. You hold his hand at the funeral and look beautiful doing so, a face made for sorrow your father said. You wake to an empty bed and an even emptier note.

“Gone, but not far. Please don’t look for me. Will check in soon.”

His brother is just as lost as you are, and you both spend the whole day lying to everyone. The cards you lay out on his desk offer no guidance except for her. The High Priestess, appearing again and again, staring up at you with her serene wisdom - asking again and again with sacred patience

Are you stronger than a mountain?

And so you do the only thing you can - lead. He has gone, you tell everyone, to find those who have hurt us. You lie and say he’s left you in charge (your father smiles from the back of the room). You lie and say you’re in contact with him (his brother looks at you quickly, but doesn’t ask). And you fight like hell until you are not a princess, you’re a goddamn king. It’s not enough (it never is) and the whispers and glares grow sharper and more pronounced. Sometimes you fear you’re growing paranoid, sometimes you fear closing your eyes lest some unknown sneak up and reveal your falsehoods. They want him, they need you. So you go find him yourself, drag him back from the self induced pity party and try not to resent how much they all love him, how easily he slips into the throne you fought tooth and nail to keep for him.

Are you stronger than a mountain?

TL/DR - 

Spanish pronunciation of the name Selena. Se-len-a - len like Lenin, not Se-lean-a - lean like leaning 

margo hanson meets elle woods with a little bit of kay corleone (thx Rey for that one).

 A tough bitch who will get the job done, went to duke undergrad and Harvard law school - what like its hard? Will def tell you about it. 

Small but will destroy you verbally and emotionally. hates violence, yet spent two years running her��fiancé’s fight ring/gang (she made sure there were lots of medics around for the fighters, but they were far less lenient with gambling debts- those people were responsible for their own medical care). 

people hate a strong women and also she wasn’t an O’Hara so she went and dragged his ass back from Paris. Wore the ring the entire time he was gone and still loves him even though she knows it hurts her. Not a nice girl, but loyal as all hell to those she loves and cares for. 

wanted plots/connections: give us papa Leon!!! selena needs gal pals, ride or dies, old flames from school or college or NYC. basically just come love my babes

[bionerdpharmtech]

Hello, all!

I've been seeing a lot of studyblr introduction posts so I decided to make my own.

About me

I'm a Hufflepuff (former Ravenclaw), chronic procrastinator, and book lover.

My greatest inspirations are fictional ladies like Elle Woods, Rory Gilmore, Blair Waldorf, Moana, and Hermione Granger. Brace, strong, beautiful, and a little scary in their determination.

There is nothing quite as interesting to me as the human body. As a child I would watch all the medical shows on TV, and now as an adult I still spend some afternoons watching autopsy shows on YouTube. I remember being in biolab in highschool and feeling more at home than I ever have at school. Biology is my passion.

My current path

I'm in community college getting my prerequisites done so I can get into the nursing program. My achademic journey this far has been full of ups and downs, I originally went to a small school on a full ride straight out if high school. I had a mental breakdown and dropped out only one semester in. After a few years in pharmacy retail hell I decided to start fresh and now I'm working full time and in school part time.

This semester I am only taking two classes:

Anatomy and physiology (with a lab)

Advanced English Composition

I will be studying for the nln-pax entrance exam this semester as well.

Why I'm here

I'm here mostly for the motivation, if I see others studying then I will too (I hope).

I don't have any irl friends in nursing school, so anyone on the same path shoot me a message and maybe we can help keep each other on track.

Also, if anyone is where I've been struggling with school and finding your path I'll try to give the best advice I can.

You can expect lots of motivational posts from me along with updates documenting my achademic triumps and fails. I'll also let you all know what tips and tricks work for my study sessions.

New year, new semester, may it be a productive one for all of us!

[kingsterracerp-blog]

Thank you for applying, JUSTINE. You have been accepted as ELEANOR MATTHEWS. Just don’t forget to check out our CHECKLIST and send in your account within 24 HOURS. If you have any questions then let us know!

OUT OF CHARACTER.

NAME: justine. AGE: 18. TIMEZONE: gmt+1 ACTIVITY LEVEL: 8/10. Daily, I’m usually going to be around during the evenings, from around 5pm onwards, really. Weekends are obviously going to have more activity throughout the day. PRONOUNS: she/her SHIPS: chemistry. ANTI-SHIPS: /no chemistry. TRIGGERS: Removed. PASSWORD: Removed. ANYTHING ELSE: Removed.

IN CHARACTER.

DESIRED CHARACTER: Eleanor Louise Matthews. NICKNAMES: El/Ellie. AGE/BIRTH ORDER: 20, oldest. FACECLAIM: Nina Dobrev. GENDER IDENTITY/PRONOUNS: female, she/her. SEXUAL/ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: bi-curious. HOMETOWN: Manhattan, New York. OCCUPATION/EDUCATION: Eleanor goes to college at Harvard Medical School, funded by her parents. She has a part-time job at a local diner.

(MORE) IN CHARACTER.

POSITIVES: Hard-working, passionate, loyal. NEGATIVES: Stubborn, Impatient, Irritable.

@elmatthews: being late for work because some kids wanted to have a protest? so not worth the hassle. #gohome @elmatthews: if there’s anyone who can make 2 hours of sleep and a hangover look sexy, c'est moi @elmatthews: some days i feel like a brunette, medical version of elle woods without an obsession with boys and 10x smarter.

BIOGRAPHY.

It was by no means the perfect childhood, but Eleanor Matthews knew there could have been damn well worse. Being born into the Upper East Side of New York meant that Eleanor’s upbringing was surrounded by pretentious, high-class families and the reassurance that - “you, my darling, are one of the luckier girls” purely as a result of the amount of wealth her parents possessed. There was a certain emphasis on grace, morality and reputation; it was crucial to ensure the outside world saw you as unstoppable, almost like a force to be reckoned with. Weaknesses were non-existent and there was an expectation to make something of yourself - the family was dominated with businessmen, lawyers, bankers, so the pressure placed upon the children was large. Education was vital; hence why Eleanor spent her time at a private, confined, all-girls school, where she worked tirelessly in order to make her parents proud, finishing her studies with near-perfect grades and an outstanding report. Her parents, while their eyes glossed over the report, gave a stiff, small nod, one after the other - before telling Eleanor “make sure you get better next time”. There was soon the expectation to constantly achieve more, something Eleanor soon realized was easier said than done. Her parents were her own worst critics; often ignoring any positives of her work, and instead pointing out every single thing that went wrong.

It soon became like a game to Eleanor as she grew up; work yourself harder, and harder, until you finally grasp the attention of your parents and make them proud. Yet as the years passed, Eleanor’s grades rose, without a single utter of praise coming from either her Mother, or her Father - something she had grown to yearn after. She remained optimistic, focusing her attentions instead on sport - basketball, in particular. To the surprise of her family members, Eleanor joined the local basketball team in a desperate attempt to grab her parents attention - which, of course, failed, but it did allow Eleanor to surprise herself in her sudden love for the sport. She found herself warming to the teamwork involved within it; while the competitive side allowed her to channel her competitive streak and release her inner passion to win the match. It was almost as if by the time she was on the pitch, she was an entirely different person; playing the game purely to win. Who cared about the 2nd place, anyway?

By the time Eleanor had turned eighteen, she had already received her acceptance letter into Harvard Medical School, where her parents had not-so-subtly persuaded her to consider - as well as winning several Championships and being promoted to the Basketball Team Leader as a result. Her ruthlessness and passion combined led to her maintaining high levels of respect from her fellow teammates, especially as she packed up her bags for college and got begged to stay - with them claiming they were “nothing” without “her contribution not just to the team, but to us”. Boston was an entirely different world to New York.

Being exposed suddenly to Boston, without her parents or any family members nearby, was a sudden shock; and Eleanor found it difficult at first to fit in. She was snarky, bitchy - qualities she did, admittedly, have - but even more so under the nervousness of her new peers. Under the influence of alcohol, however, Eleanor found herself opening up a whole lot more; letting down the tough exterior she has for herself and allowing herself to form some friendships. She’s a social butterfly, both making friends and enemies as she dots between crowds of people; her brutal honesty and sharp wit irritating several people along her pathway.

Her ambition, ultimately, will always be her downfall. She’s constantly being accused of pushing people away, or shoving them to the side in attempt to broaden her opportunities or future goals. She’s the definition a Slytherin, but her heart has qualities of a Hufflepuff; she’s like a rose, surrounded by thorns, sharp and reading to hurt if you try and get close to what’s really underneath.

IN CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? HOW DOES IT COME IN HANDY?

“A strength of mine? I mean, if we’re talking partying, I’m the total Queen of taking shots without being sick. Maybe it’s the amount of times I’ve practiced, but it definitely comes in handy when everyone else is puking their guts out over at the nearest Ladies Room and I’m still able to walk in a straight line. It’s advantageous."

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS? HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?

"Weaknesses aren’t something I’m just going to just admit, you realize? Do you think I’m that idiotic? I’ll admit, grudgingly, one weakness - commitment isn’t my thing at all. The idea of settling down and giving yourself to one person entirely sounds boring. And a little lame. Why would you want to cross out all of the other opportunities for one person? It makes zero sense.”

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

“Honestly, I’m hoping to become a General Practice Doctor in the long-term. It’s a career I’ve wanted to pursue ever since I began my degree in Medicine, so I figured it would make sense to have a career that links directly to that. Then again, I could just flunk ‘outta college and marry a rich old Sugar Daddy. The possibilities are endless."

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO KING’S TERRACE?

"Certainly not my parents. They suggested buying an apartment for my time at college would be the easier option, but I wanted to live somewhere normal for once. Being surrounded by servants, and waiters as a child is great, and anything, but it meant that I was really isolated growing up. This was a chance to finally broaden my social opportunities and meet some new people; which, thankfully, I did."

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

” - Nothing? My younger self was an asset to her present-self. Sure, her haircut wasn’t all that great, and she sometimes spoke a little too much - but her attitude and spunk hasn’t changed at all. She knew what she wanted, and she achieved it; I’m proud of my younger self, in that respect. The ambition I had was almost admirable. I’m honestly jealous of how much energy I seemed to have. Maybe I should try and ask her for some tips on how to survive a three hour class after having zero hours of sleep.“

[newagesispage]

                                                              FEBRUARY          2020

PAGE  RIB

 *****

Just as we said good bye to 2019, 75 of The Rolling Stones outtakes and such were released for a minute on You tube.  The thinking seems to be that the tracks which could be found under 69RSTRAX were ‘released’ before public domain sets in.

*****

Check out Somebody up there likes me, a doc about the life of Ronnie Wood.

*****

Bill Wyman has a new book out set for release on Feb, 29 called Stones: From the Inside

*****

The film, The Burnt Orange Heresy looks great and will open on March 6.

*****

Steve Martin has been talking about next year’s Hulu series he did with Martin Short, Only murders in the building. I thought it was a bit but apparently it is real and I can’t wait!!

*****

I loved Samantha Bee’s take on ghost sex: Spook softly and carry a big dick. Too funny!

*****

Bill Maher just bought a new place in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island for a mil. The area boasts hardly any cars as most people get around on foot or by golf cart.

*****

Stephen Colbert’s executive producer Tom Purcell came up with the idea years ago for a home makeover show that does a re-do on murder houses. Someone else came along and thought it again because now we have Murder House Flip.

*****

Abby Huntsman has left the View.

*****

The Oscar noms are out with Joker leading the pack. There is Leo and Joaquin for actor and Hanks, Hopkins, Pacino, Pesci and Pitt for supporting. That is the TOUGH category. For actress there is Cynthia Erivo and Renee Z. Kathy Bates is up for supporting. Johansson is up for 2. For films, they love Ford V Ferrari, The Irishman, Jo Jo Rabbit, Marriage Story, Joker, Little Women, 1017, Parasite and Once upon a time in Hollywood.

*****

Dave Chappelle, Marianne Williamson and Donald Glover are helping to raise $ for Andrew Yang.

*****

The last season of Criminal Minds is officially underway and I was so fucking glad that Dorian Harewood was there for the final shows. Woo Hoo!!

*****

Neil Young and John Oliver are now American citizens

*****

Interrogation is a new tv series that looks promising.

*****

Wes Anderson’s new film, French Dispatch that he wrote with Hugo Guinness, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola will be out on July 24. The production features Benecio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and Bill Murray.

*****

The Russell Simmons doc about his incidents with women has lost its executive producer, Oprah.

*****

John Stewart has written and directed a new film, Irresistible starring Steve Carell and Chris Cooper.

*****

I am so sick of the multiple pens it takes to sign the documents when they sign something into law etc. You are wasting our money signing a letter at a time, politicians just so U can give some crap as a keepsake. Let’s have a real signature! I don’t think the average person would be allowed to sign official papers that way.

*****

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has decided on their new inductees: Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, T Rex, Whitney Houston, Notorious B.I.G., Nine inch nails and the Ahmet Ertegun award will go to manager Irving Azoff along with journalist and manager Jon Landau.

*****

Julian Castro is out, Marianne Williamson is out, Cory Booker is out.** Sanders got the endorsement of Nevada’s largest teacher’s union and the black caucus.** Bloomberg says he will use his $ for whoever is the democratic candidate. He is also running an anti-gun ad during the Super Bowl.

*****

I wish Rep. Doug Collins would stop talking.

*****

Ken Jennings was the big Jeopardy winner in the showdown.

*****

Diego the tortoise has had so much sex that he saved his species. There were only a few of them left and now there are about 2,000.

*****

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be here July 24.

*****

Warren and Bernie got into it after the January debate. They sort of called each other liars.

*****

Hillary Clinton is the first female chancellor of Queens University.** The Justice department inquiry into Hillary has finally ended. They found nothing.

*****

The Golden Globes had some very deserving winners like Succession, Brian Cox, Laura Dern, Olivia Coleman, Patricia Arquette and Joaquin Phoenix. Tarantino was honored for his writing. I think the best dressed were numerous this year. There was hardly a wrong choice except for J Lo, Thomasin Mckenzie, Ryan Seacrest and Beyonce. I loved Joey King, Michelle Pfeifer, Kaitlin Deaver, Rose Leslie, Cate Blanchett, Ellen and Portia, Phoebe Waller- Bridge, Cynthia Erivo, Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher, Brad and Leo, Zoe Kravitz, Helen Mirren, Annabelle Wallis, Lisa Lu, Bill Hader, Kerry Washington, Lisa Bonet, Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson, Patricia Arquette and Nicole Ansari-Cox.

*****

The SAG award also had some very well dressed which included Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Williams, Lupita Nyongo, Zoey Kravitz, Millie Bobbie Brown the Schitts Creek cast and Patricia Arquette. Christina Applegate was a bit too old school but she rocked it. The people on the SAG carpet were very chatty.  Parasite was named best cast. Other winners included Zellweger, Joaquin, Sam Rockwell, The Crown, Laura Dern and Dinklage. I have not seen The Morning Show but I was a bit shocked to see Jennifer Aniston win over Jody Comer, Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Coleman or Elizabeth Moss. This was an award from her fellow actors so I suppose they wanted to send her some love. Her ex Brad Pitt won as well and went on and on about himself.

*****

The Grammys were pretty somber with a lot of ballads and the sadness of the death of Kobe Bryant that day. Aerosmith refused to let drummer Joey Kramer play with them and many found the performance a mess. A wonderful moment was Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile with their song that went on to win best country song. Tanya Tucker won best country album. Other winners included Billir Eilish, Lizzo, Elvis Costello and the imposters, Gary Clark Jr., Nipsey Hussle and John Legend, Willie Nelson, Michelle Obama and Dave Chappelle. I had no love for the fashion of Ariana Grande or Rosalia. My best dressed were Lizzo, Camila Cabello, Elle Mai, Jameela Jamill, Billy Porter, Bebe Rexha and Alessandria Ambrosia.

*****

Roman Polanski’s An Officer and a spy captured the most noms at France’s Cesar awards.

*****

What IS Iran’s cyber capability? Give us details when it comes to Trump’s act of aggression against Iran. Wasn’t he supposed to get us out of the Middle East?** Our own government has concluded that withholding aid to Ukraine was illegal even though half the Senate does not seem to care.

*****

Dori Miller is the first person who was not a President to have an aircraft carrier named after him. The African American hero was at first not recognized for his bravery but FDR changed that. Construction will be completed in about 8 years.

*****

Gustav Klempt’s missing Portrait of a Lady was found in a hole in the wall of a house. It had not been seen since 1997.

*****

Kathy Griffin got married on New Year’s Eve to her long time love, Randy Bick with Lily Tomlin officiating.

*****

Venture capitalist Imaad Zuberi pled guilty to obstruction of justice for impeding a Federal investigation into the inaugural fraud.

*****

Eric Swalwell has said that everybody will want the Trump trial in the future wherein the person on trial gets to make the rules. It will be a thing. Who needs witnesses?

*****

So there is a story that many Puerto Rican’s have had to move to the continental U.S. (mostly Fla.) because of the lack of help they have received from the current administration. Now, they can only vote in primaries in Puerto Rico but when they settle in other places they can actually VOTE for President. Lesson: Help Others!

*****

A Federal court just affirmed an injunction preventing the Trump administration from discharging air force members living with HIV. It is hard to keep up on all the despicable things this administration is doing.** Scary Clown 45 thinks he is responsible for low cancer rates. They have been steadily going down anyway. He wants a 4.9 bil cut in medical research, 897 mil cut in National cancer institute and a 763 mil cut for the CDC. Luckily it didn’t happen.

*****

Apparently before the impeachment trial began, Trump’s legal team gave thousands of dollars in contributions to Moscow Mitch, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz. What a sad time for this country. KEEP INVESTIGATING ANYWAY.

*****

A new immigrant prison just opened in Baldwin, Michigan, run by GEO, a for profit prison company.

*****

The wall is costing about 20 mil a mile and the 100 miles or so completed have mostly been repairs to existing structure. When G W Bush was in office the cost was about 4 mil a mile.** About 30 feet of the wall feel into Mexico due to high winds.

*****

Season 7 of Grace and Frankie will be the last.

*****

The White House streamed a sermon from the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Memphis. The event that VP Pence attended for the MLK holiday was led by a pastor who claimed that our gay friends were possessed by demons.

*****

Days alert: Loved Kristen’s call back to Rosemary’s baby again when talking about little Andy or Jenny. I can’t believe that in those same flashbacks we learned what a horrible Mother’s Day they had.  How could so much go wrong in 1 day? ** Hooray, More Tony and Anna!! ** The heartbreak of John and Marlena and the evil of the brainwashed really harkens back to the heyday of Days.** I wish that the baby mix up story would bring Tate and Theresa back to town! It is time for she and Brady to get back together!

*****

Rudy has started a podcast.

*****

I am often not a fan of tradition (royal, religious or otherwise) but I admit it gave me great comfort to see the articles of impeachment walked carefully to the Senate chamber. We still have a little bit of order amidst all the chaos of the Trump era.

*****

The Astros are cheaters.

*****

The super bowl will be upon us on Feb.2 with Kansas City V San Francisco.

*****

6139 military vets committed suicide in 2019. R.I.P.

*****

R.I.P. victims of the Australian fires, Chris Tolkein, Neil Peart, David Olney , Terry Jones, Mr. Peanut , Jim Lehrer , victims of the Calabasas helicopter crash and Buck Henry.

[kingsterracerp-blog]

MEET ELEANOR MATTHEWS.

NAME: Eleanor Louise Matthews.

NICKNAMES: El, Ellie.

BIRTH ORDER: Oldest.

AGE: Twenty-two.

HOMETOWN: Manhattan, New York.

GENDER IDENTITY/PRONOUNS: Female, she/her.

ORIENTATION: Bi-curious.

OCCUPATION/EDUCATION: Eleanor goes to college at Harvard Medical School, funded by her parents. She has a part-time job at a local diner.

FACECLAIM: Nina Dobrev.

ELEANOR’S LIFE SO FAR.

POSITIVE: Hard-working, passionate, loyal.

NEGATIVE: Stubborn, impatient, irritable.

It was by no means the perfect childhood, but Eleanor Matthews knew there could have been damn well worse. Being born into the Upper East Side of New York meant that Eleanor’s upbringing was surrounded by pretentious, high-class families and the reassurance that - “you, my darling, are one of the luckier girls” purely as a result of the amount of wealth her parents possessed. There was a certain emphasis on grace, morality and reputation; it was crucial to ensure the outside world saw you as unstoppable, almost like a force to be reckoned with. Weaknesses were non-existent and there was an expectation to make something of yourself - the family was dominated with businessmen, lawyers, bankers, so the pressure placed upon the children was large. Education was vital; hence why Eleanor spent her time at a private, confined, all-girls school, where she worked tirelessly in order to make her parents proud, finishing her studies with near-perfect grades and an outstanding report. Her parents, while their eyes glossed over the report, gave a stiff, small nod, one after the other - before telling Eleanor “make sure you get better next time”. There was soon the expectation to constantly achieve more, something Eleanor soon realized was easier said than done. Her parents were her own worst critics; often ignoring any positives of her work, and instead pointing out every single thing that went wrong.

It soon became like a game to Eleanor as she grew up; work yourself harder, and harder, until you finally grasp the attention of your parents and make them proud. Yet as the years passed, Eleanor’s grades rose, without a single utter of praise coming from either her Mother, or her Father - something she had grown to yearn after. She remained optimistic, focusing her attentions instead on sport - basketball, in particular. To the surprise of her family members, Eleanor joined the local basketball team in a desperate attempt to grab her parents attention - which, of course, failed, but it did allow Eleanor to surprise herself in her sudden love for the sport. She found herself warming to the teamwork involved within it; while the competitive side allowed her to channel her competitive streak and release her inner passion to win the match. It was almost as if by the time she was on the pitch, she was an entirely different person; playing the game purely to win. Who cared about the 2nd place, anyway?

As she grew older, she began to think more critically about her future; in particular, what she wanted to do. After hours pored over her laptop screen, Eleanor finally figured it out - Medical School. There was something exciting about the challenge it presented; only 5% of applicants were successful at Harvard, and she was damn well determined to be part of that 5%. She began undertaking various forms of work experience; taking part in both clinical and volunteer experience from the age of 16, shocking those around her by her ambition and determination to make something of herself. Her Summers were spent at various different Medical Summer Programs, constantly trying to build up as much of a pathway to Medical School as she possibly could.

With a GPA of 3.9, by the time Eleanor had turned eighteen, she had already received her acceptance letter into Harvard to study Biomedical Engineering, where her parents had not-so-subtly persuaded her to consider - as well as winning several Championships and being promoted to the Basketball Team Leader as a result. Her ruthlessness and passion combined led to her maintaining high levels of respect from her fellow teammates, especially as she packed up her bags for college and got begged to stay - with them claiming they were “nothing” without “her contribution not just to the team, but to us”. Being in Boston, without the instant comfort and familiarity of her family by her side, Eleanor began to work hard. Dismissing all and any potential friendships, she kept her head done, working her way through the four grueling years until she had finally graduated by the age of twenty two - proudly presenting, by this point, an acceptance letter in Harvard Medical School, much to her own disbelief and shock. Deciding to live off campus and start to explore Massachusetts was a major decision, since for the past four years, Eleanor had found herself confined in a bubble of campus security and only interacting with her fellow classmates. It was only when she decided to live at Kings Terrace that she threw herself out of her comfort zone entirely.

Being exposed suddenly to Boston, without her parents or any family members nearby, was a sudden shock; and Eleanor found it difficult at first to fit in. She was snarky, bitchy - qualities she did, admittedly, have - but even more so under the nervousness of her new peers. Under the influence of alcohol, however, Eleanor found herself opening up a whole lot more; letting down the tough exterior she has for herself and allowing herself to form some friendships. She’s a social butterfly, both making friends and enemies as she dots between crowds of people; her brutal honesty and sharp wit irritating several people along her pathway.

Her ambition, ultimately, will always be her downfall. She’s constantly being accused of pushing people away, or shoving them to the side in attempt to broaden her opportunities or future goals. She’s the definition a Slytherin, but her heart has qualities of a Hufflepuff; she’s like a rose, surrounded by thorns, sharp and reading to hurt if you try and get close to what’s really underneath. While she’s only a first year in Medical School, Eleanor’s ambition hasn’t faltered in the slightest; she’s determined to make something of herself. She’s come this far, right?

SOCIAL NETWORKING.

@elmatthews: being late for work because some kids wanted to have a protest? so not worth the hassle. #gohome

@elmatthews: if there’s anyone who can make 2 hours of sleep and a hangover look sexy, c'est moi

@elmatthews: some days i feel like a brunette, medical version of elle woods without an obsession with boys and 10x smarter.

OUT OF CHARACTER.

OOC: Justine, 18, GMT+1, she/her.

SHIPS: /Chemistry.

ANTI-SHIPS: /No chemistry.