#irish ray of sunshine

[margareth-lv]

🎢 It was just, you know, up and down all the time 🎢

This fandom is like an emotional roller coaster ride.

It is well known that sunshine follows rain: Although in this fandom every ray of sunshine is usually followed by a thunderstorm. A very simple example of this was Caitríona's appearance at the parish church in Ireland, following Sam's well-publicised attendance at his father-in-law's funeral. Despite repeatedly declaring herself a non-believer, she even took Holy Communion (with, of course, her PA sitting next to her, impassive and stiff as a log). And a few months later we had this publication in the Irish Daily Star, with poor Little Soul (face uncovered but obviously Photoshopped) being carried barefoot into a cold church. And a picture of PA in his usual sombre mood. Manipulation tactic: Don't look up.

With that in mind, it is hardly surprising that after the Taylor Swift concert videos were released, I froze in fear of what kind of bullshit we were going to be fed.

[To be honest, I had a life to live over the weekend, after all, I'm not the one sitting in front of the computer updating Caitríona and Sam's status all the time. But 'I froze in fear' sounds nice.] *** *** ***

You know, I imagined with horror that instead of publishing a post about testicular cancer on Father's Day, as she did last year, Caitríona would publish a photo of her 'loving husband' tenderly cuddling her pregnant belly.

You know what I mean.

😉

Something like that, but someone else instead of Sam. Except, of course, there are no pictures like that, haha. *** *** ***

Or that she would post a photo of her 'amazing partner' tenderly holding their newborn baby. Something with a vibe like these photos ⬇️⬇️⬇️

🫠🫠🫠

Season after season, for many years now ------

Fiction mixes with reality. Reality is fiction.

And the real father of the children and Caitríona's partner really does know how to take care of a child bigger than an infant too. He knows well how to hold a toddler, which he proves at every turn.

🫠🫠🫠

On a film set, in real life. Always.

You get the impression that the children actually adore him.

And he can relate to them, he can talk to them.

*** *** ***

Well, we are all living in a reality that has been artificially created.

People who supposedly have no children in 2020 are called 'parents'.

*** *** ***

A man who supposedly has no children in 2024 is called a 'Dad'.

*** *** ***

I freeze in fear, afraid of the rollercoaster ride that awaits us in the near future. My greatest wish is that the truth is in store for us.

[Gif courtesy of @sleepwakerepeat3. Thanks!]

[17 June, 2024]

[latibvles]

WHEN DOES A WAR END?

A collection of stories surrounding an all-female bomber crew, primarily derived from @hboww2rewatch ’s weekly prompt list + individual prompt requests. a special thanks to @basilone for letting me take inspiration from their masterpost for their own stories: the earth is run by mothers.

[Read all the works in chronological order on Archive of Our Own]

And click the Read More to meet the crew.

THE MAIN PROMPTS

Friends ( March, 1943 )

Crews ( May, 1943 )

Kinship ( May, 1943 )

Recuperation ( June, 1943 )

Injured ( October, 1943 )

Reunion ( October, 1943 )

Typewriter ( October, 1943 )

Wedding ( August, 1946 )

Bonding ( February, 1943 )

Dress Uniform ( December, 1942 )

Vivian “Viv” Savorre | Pilot, 26, Detroit, MI

Responds primarily to Viv — magazines love her, as do most reporters. Has an easy smile and a certain allure that leads people to believe that she was maybe a socialite or some type of high society girl before she joined the Army. Gives very little of herself, somehow manages to make you feel like her best friend regardless. Can throw a mean punch when prompted.

Wilhelmina “Willie” Neumann | Co-Pilot, 25, Stroudsburg, PA

Never introduces herself as anything but Willie. The “mouse” living in the bomber, a woman of very few words. Has good eyes and is very diligent about writing letters home to mom. Only ever speaks when she has something to say, a bit cold if you don’t know her well enough.

Inez Eckley | Navigator, 21, Nashville, TN

Too humble to function. Refuses to admit that she is in fact near-sighted. Her brother’s a minor league baseball player (do not ask her about it) and her mom just had another kid. First in her family to get a college degree — does not brag about this.

Fern Carmine | Radio Operator, 21, Racine, WI

Silver-spoon baby, part-time swindler. Will occasionally save the 100th from Bucky’s impromptu performances with a song of her own — unless they duet, which is tolerable. Don’t play her in darts unless you plan to lose. Loves to dance and loves when she can get the girls dancing with her.

Lena Connolly | Flight Engineer, 23, The Bronx, NY

Accepting any and all stupid nicknames derived from the fact that she is very Irish. Prides herself on being a fixer and being damn good at it. Strongly opinionated. Pretty much down for anything. Good at getting people out of trouble before the fists start flying.

Josephine “Jo” Alden | Tail Gunner, 24, Boston, MA

Also responds to Josie, Josie-Posie, and whatever other rhymes can be surmised from that. The Mom Friend. Suffers from middle kid syndrome and lived to tell the tale. Carries around a library in her footlocker and will hold your hair back when you throw up (after a mission or after a night at the bar).

Harriet “Harrie” Morgan | Ball Turret Gunner, 22, Montgomery, AL

A quintessential ray of pure sunshine. Loves a good sweet treat and lacks a knack for picking up lot of social cues. Very loud, very optimistic, undeniably and admirably fearless. Will scrunch her nose if you call her Harriet.

Carrie Hughes | Waist Gunner, 18, Denver, CO

Baby of the group. Nervous energy personified. A little bit naive and maybe not the bravest of the bunch but she’s getting there. Likes feeling pretty and getting compliments from the people she looks up to. Still finding her own bite.

Lorraine Ivanova | Waist Gunner, 20, Brooklyn, NY

Likes winning and being number one. Does not indulge in the antics unless hard-pressed to do so. Gonna get shit done no matter the cost. Doesn’t talk about herself all that much, makes it hard to know her.

June Cielinski | Bombadier, 21, Chicago, IL

Angry more often than not. Throws a mean punch. Doesn’t look like she can in fact throw that mean punch. Has two older brothers and it shows. Mouthy, opinionated, and downright degrading when you get on her bad side. An overly protective girls’ girl first and foremost.

[meeks-just-wants-to-scroll]

hi 🐊 me again

i figured id ask soneone who actually gives a rats ass about colm since most of my pals dont lol ^-^ last ask posted gave me the push to ask

i think a lot about kieran describing colms happiness as "a ray of sunshine" when speaking about him at the campfire. of course it could just mean that kieran isnt being treated horribly, and thats a ray of sunshine to the him, but i like to think his standards are a little higher even if they never get met.

ive always liked to imagine it as actually meaning something, at least to kieran. its lead me to believe that in an ideal world, kieran was moreso colms personal errand boy rather than just the gangs as a whole, that would make all of the o'driscolls recognizing him make sense. and that would also make the "sunshine" line make more sense too, if kieran was colms own little whipping boy, they would probably have a slightly closer relationship than most. after all, during the camp raid in chapter 1, we do see kieran directly grabbed snd hit by colm.

but im mostly curious about your thoughts on it all, especially as someone whos colm brained (i am trying to get myself there honestly ^-^). id looooove to know your interpretation of that line and what it says about the o'driscoll leader !! its always stuck out to me considering how little they try to humanize colm elsewhere for most of the game, and kieran says it with so much energy that youre stuck believing him.

Oh man, I am glad to get this ask because I love colm discussions. I kind of lagged on answering this because I wasn’t sure if I could actually bring a lot of interesting stuff up to talk about. Colm had so little screen time that it’s hard for me to get a grasp.

Okay. So… sunshine… ☀️

When Kieran said this it immediately made me think of cyclical abuse tactics where there is a period of good treatment followed by destruction.

I believe Colm is much the same as Dutch with having the ability to draw people in and stick with a commonality + a common goal. The O’D are drawn together by the commonality of being Irish heritage (despite Colm being American but has an Irish name). Their common goal is money and the outlaw freedom to do bad and feel invincible in numbers.

Colm doesn’t put a lot of 1:1 time with his gang so I can’t assert how he treats the rest of the gang (likely like a distant boss). But I can make a guess how he treats his close circle of people based off of Kieran’s dialogue.

Why is Kieran selected to stick with the gang? That deserves its own post, but let’s pretend Colm took a liking to Kieran and let him be the personal whipping boy; Someone who showed he was malleable enough to not put up a fight when bossed around (and disposable).

As for the sunshine, I think that could be Kieran recalling the times Colm had treated him well. Not just “he didn’t punch me today. Yay!” But 1:1 personal attention that is so far from what Colm usually does for the rest that it makes Kieran feel on top of the world. Of course he isn’t actually treated well, but it is that friendly talking and ease of laughter that makes Kieran almost forget it’s not sincere.

I think Kieran would be touch starved, and Colm knows this, so he uses brief kind gestures of touch to persuade Kieran. This is me being me but I rlly like Colm touching people’s hair. It is such an invasive and personal thing to do but also 🗣️♥️head scratches and getting your hair played with feels nice‼️♥️. It’s that dissonance between “this is creepy but also I haven’t been shown kindness since my parents died.”

It’s compared to sunshine because Colm’s nice attention is like being singled out by the sun in a cold mountain. It is a spotlight.

The flip side of “when he’s angry, it’s like the devil is upon you” is harder for me to define. I sometimes struggle with media analysis when it comes to imagining things I don’t get to clearly see in the media. Leaving stuff to the imagination is powerful, but I need something of substance to bite into for me to analyze.

I feel like Colm’s anger can be unpredictable. He has the men power and persistence to extend his anger not just to you when he is before you, but to you at all times. I don’t think Kieran was only paranoid, I think he had good reason to fear every moment he was being watched. The one time he let down his guard, he was snatched. There are also letters across the game written by O’Driscolls where they make threats and allude to them stalking people.

Colm’s anger in person is hard to read. I don’t think he yells except in a few cases, he always whispers and talks in such an eerie way. Pardon me as I copy and paste what I told some friends on the topic of his voice…

“He talks in a way that fries my brain because I know I shouldn’t trust him and he DOES sound untrust worthy but I can’t get my claws into what specifically is setting off my radar.

[in blessed are the peacemaker] After the threatening “I liked Annabell” line, Colm is so ominously silent, drawing out the tension moments longer before he just???? Smiles and almost laughs. It’s so playful and harmless sounding (without the context of the situation). Such a fucking 180 and unseriousness. He also says ‘you’ve always liked the ladies,’ as if Colm knows how shallow and fast Dutch likes and falls out with women.

And then the ‘I like that about you,’ whisper is just… Colm. Very colmy. Just whispering something as if it’s some secret or to emphasize it.

Colm is incapable of going one sentence without changing his tone/delivery/pacing/breathiness all to throw off how to read him.

He talks like he is a three headed snake-rat-vulture chimera.”

He turns on a dime when talking to Kieran in Chapter 1 (mission Old Friend? I forgot the name). He holds an amicable conversation for a few moments before something suddenly cues Colm to grab Kieran and give him two quick slaps across the face, then shove him and yell at him. It’s brief, but Colm has been shown to have the capacity to get his hands directly on people, not just use his gang as an extension of his hands. I also want to mention the intentions detail of Colm being atop his horse and leaning down to talk to Kieran. Visual story telling/signifying rank and dynamic. Even when speaking amicably, Colm is in command.

I wish I had more research in my brain of manipulation tactics that would lead to this, but I do think Colm either keeps easy to influence people or already morally corrupt people in his ranks so they’ll easily align with him when he is angry. Hence Kieran mentioning how “he’s mad. And you’re upset and you don’t know why… as long as it isn’t directed at you, you don’t care!”

^ I believe what I am talking about are “Flying Monkeys” in the context of psychology and narcissists. Brief rehashing of what TheraminTrees taught me but it’s when people knowingly or unknowingly are recruited by narcissists to extend their influence / control beyond direct interactions.

I don’t think just anyone could be slotted into Colm’s gang and especially not his close ring of people. That man had an eye for picking people who will easily follow and carry out his bidding.

I don’t think the game could have humanized him a whole lot outside of one of his abuse victims briefly mentioning how colm had moments of good treatment. As the audience (extra: as the audience looking through Arthur’s eyes), there is no good way the game could have made ups sympathize or respect Colm because we ourselves aren’t the kind of people who would believe the sickly sweet lies Colm drip feeds to keep his men by his side.

I do like how they managed to at least briefly allude to a “kind” side to Colm. It would have been so easy to paint Colm as a black and white bad man with no redeeming traits (and I am sure that’s how some fans see him if they missed or ignored Kieran’s camp interaction). But that tiny mention makes him so interesting to me.

As much as I hate how little screen time he got, that’s in character for him. He is elusive, he is hard to read, he is contradictory in how he talks (sounding so humored one minute and deathly silent the next). He is… so. God damn. Slimy.

I love Colm as a character so much it is actually driving me ballistics.

SIGHHHH LONG ANALYSIS BUT ANYWAYS thank you for sending this ask this was a good use of like…. Two hours.

[bethiebunnie]

[Status report]

After the QSMP olympics, a volcano erupted along the archipelago from Quesadilla Island to Egg Island and beyond.

The disturbance caused an underwater train to be trapped with new arrivals under the island, and the islanders had to fight water creatures and reroute the train to rescue them. On the train were Irish, Welsh, and Scottish vacationers.

After getting a tour of the island and a few days of establishing their own homes and bases, 3 eggs were found, explaining they had been scared away from Egg Island due to the aftermath of the volcano. (Inform investigative team of the possibility of significant ash build up on Egg Island)

Each egg presented a certificate to the new islanders, who find they speak their respective languages and that they've chosen to be adopted by them. They spend their first day taking part in egg quests and getting to know their parents and other eggs.

[The Irish egg]

Saoirse is an energetic and enthusiastic egg, described by islanders as "funny" and "a ray of sunshine, when she's not being competitive".

She shows her love for Irish dancing, music, and culture while also teaching others the Irish language.

She gets along well with the majority of the other eggs - particularly Chunsik, Lullah, and Leonarda - but can butt heads and fight with the others when they out preform her. (Refer to recent behavioural assessment report)

Saoirse's favourite place is the throne room in Jack's castle, which they built together, claiming he needed help making it historically accurate and not because she wanted to, despite it seeming otherwise.

He built a throne for her as a gift, and they sit together on their chairs when sharing gossip - or doing granny talk, as she refered to it.

Most of her parents tend to "treat her like a princess", however, Jim / Kevin (?) apparently tells her to be more independent, leaving her to fend for herself on their first day together.

But he eventually came back, likely becoming fond of her, and they decided from then on to always into trouble together. Also, he claims to have given birth to the egg, which is not the first time an islander has said this. (Report this to respective office)

She enjoys spending time with RT and CakeJumper, opting to take part in more relaxed activities together like playing video games and baking, and only taking part on dungeon trips on occasion. Although she denys this, it appears she puts in a lot of effort and takes great pride in making them laugh.

Like many eggs, Saoirse also seems to enjoy playing "cupid" or "matchmaker", encouraging Guqqie to propose to Aimsey on multiple occasions.

In our assessment she stated, "everyone loves weddings!! I love weddings! It would make them both really happy, so that would make me really happy!! It'd be very fun to draw their outfits and sort their flowers, and we get to eat a cake I made at the end!"

When it was suggested Chayanne could bake the cake, her tone shifted and refused to answer anymore of our questions, despite being pressured to do so.

(Note: this disrespectful behaviour towards federation employees could prove as an issue if continuely encouraged)

[End of report]

[adorastarot]

The FS' as coffee - Mini Reading

As a coffee lover myself - I couldn't help but make this my first-ever post! Enjoy!

What would you like to see next?

Jin' FS - Affogato

Jin’s FS has the most elegant energy I have ever seen and/or had the pleasure of working with. This is someone who reminds me of a poppy because they are fragile and strong at once. Naturally when it comes to coffee - it has to be affogato! A classic Italian coffee/dessert that is both rich and creamy all at once leaving you wanting more as soon as you finish. Elegant but somehow approachable and at times a little bit goofy as the affogato when you add a splash of alcohol or pair it with a biscotto for that extra crunch.

Suga's FS - Espresso

Hot-headed and at times stubborn but extremely compassionate and nurturing. As the espresso, this person is classical in their own way but can at times get lost in their own mind as it spirals. The espresso can be sweeter or bitter depending on the coffee beans used and so that this person. They use words in a way that can calm you down and feel better but if pressured and upset they know what to say to hurt you.

Namjoon's FS - Cappuccino

Who doesn’t like a cappuccino? A world favourite when it comes to coffee. This is someone who is very loved by those around her and who brings a sense of comfort to everyone. Bold and robust but at the same time earthy. Has a lot of knowledge about the world around them. Definitely beautiful and appreciated like a cup of cappuccino being served on the island of Capri with a beautiful view of the sea. This is someone who warms up everyone’s soul. I heard worldly but feels like home.

Jhope's fs - Americano

A ray of sunshine in person that brings a sense of comfort and warmth. This is the type of coffee that you would order when you’re about to go on shopping with your friends, or when you’re about to go on a trip to somewhere exciting. Jhope’s fs is just like an Americano. The distinction between the Americano and other black coffee is the espresso- whilst it wakes you up gently when excited this person can be very energetic and they are always doing something or making plans to do something. Very relatable.

Jimin's FS - Mocha

A bit silly and loveable like the mocha. Understands the fact that at times everyone needs a little bit of sweetness in their life and is willing to take the time to nurture those around them. May stick with Jimin the way that the chocolate sticks with the coffee inside a mocha, this couple is never apart. I wanted this post to be more about the FS’ themselves but these two just love spending time together. They understand that although they are different, together they are the perfect team.

Taehyung's FS - Flat White

Smooth and velvety just like the micro-foam milk in the flat white. This is someone who is different but traditional all at once. They are confident in their own strength against the world and are well-loved by some people. V’s fs might at first encounter a little bit of backlash from the public or even V’s close friends, but they will win them over with the same intensity of the flat white as it wakes people up in the morning. 

Jungkook's FS - Irish Coffee

Irish coffee…isn’t what it seems at first glance. If you simply look you may not realise the intensity and creaminess that awaits those who drink it. This person has a femme fatale feel to them at times, and at the same time, they can make themselves look cosy. The Irish coffee can sit with you at a bar as well as the Christmas table when it’s snowing outside. One thing is for sure - it’s vigour will leave you wanting more. 

[aspergirl2022]

Cynophobia

Whumpee once loved dogs, they were their favorite pets and they had the wish of owning one some day.

Until Whumper turned it at their advantage.

Until Whumper used their dogs as a way to snatch Whumpee.

Until Whumper's dogs made a mess of Whumpee

Now Whumpee is terrified of dogs, they have cynophobia. They thought it would be like this their entire life but one day they meet Caretaker or more exactly Caretaker's dog.

Caretaker's dog is literally a ray of sunshine and they unilaterally decide Whumpee is their new best friend. Maybe Caretaker's dog is not a breed you usually see around (like a Xolo dog or an uncropped Doberman) or just a HUGE dog (a Irish Wolfhound or a Newfoundland dog for example). So Whumpee will be pretty uncomfortable at first before they remember the fact the bigger dogs are often the nicest dogs, because like master like dogs isn’t it?

[aissa-snapped]

The Heathen and the Christian

Ivar the boneless x reader ( OC)

Word count: 3401

SUMMARY:When a young anglo-saxon meets Ivar in the woods, she thinks he is a nice innocent boy, only to be shocked when she finds out who he REALLY is and what he is capable of.

A/N:This is my 2nd time writing with Vikings. I hope yall like it. I am also apologizing for (possible) mistranslations of irish and icelandic. I might do a part two to this series cuz i like how its going. Also not readproof

1-Oh Cernunnos god of the forest bless me and guide me.

2- WAIT

3-That one is mine

4- Do that again and you`re dead

Wandering the woods at this time of the year, gave any passer-by a spectacular and magical scenery. The rays of sunshine were breaking through the branches, illuminating the forest in the most wonderful ways. Summer was without a doubt the best time of the year. The weather was finally favorable for farmers, crops were flourishing and nature was thriving. But there was a downside to it. This season naturally brought along raiding parties coming from the north, with the intention of pillaging and eradicating every village in sight of any gold or treasure.

Villagers were adivsed to be extremely wary of their surroundings, and in case of any suspicious sighting to report to the guards.

Walking out of the small one-room cottage, Frigyth took her woven basket, hanging it on her left arm and took steady steps towards the neighboring woods that surrounded her village. She was a young maiden, '' ready to be married'' according to her parents, who took her tasks very lightly. She came from a typical peasant family, with three other sisters and one brother. She was at that age where she cared more about enjoying life than actually being helpful around the house.

She begged her mother days in a row to let her go harvest some berries from the woods, seeing as that was her only opportunity to explore nature and relax a tad bit. She took her already forming path that led her into a meadow, hidden from view by some on-growing bushes. She found a larger boulder, and took a seat in a dent, placing her basket next to her. She had plenty of time to finish her task, she thought, so for now she could enjoy a little bit of warmth.

Clasping her hands in a prayer-way, she took a glance around her, making sure she was alone, and started chanting an old prayer she used to hear as a child from her grandmother.

Ó Cernunnos Dia na foraoise

beannaigh dom agus treoraigh

mé tríd an bhforaois...

From a small distance, the prayer spoken by the girl was heard by a trespasser, that was lurking around in the woods seeking some alone time. Instead, the stranger took a detour and followed the voice, leading him into the hidden meadow. upon his arrival, he analyzed the young lady up closely, noticing how she had her eyes closed, and was in a vulnerable state. It would`ve been very easy for the young Viking leader to take his dagger out and kill her on the spot, which was what he should be doing, otherwise he risked getting noticed by the saxon girl, who in return would alert the whole village of the presence of Vikings.

Or perhaps he could kidnap her, get any valuable information out of her and THEN kill her. That seemed like a better idea.

The warrior got lost in his thoughts for a few moments that only when he heard the girl gasp did he snap back to the current situation he was in. The young woman that was not so long ago sat in a peaceful position was now standing up, grabbing her basket in front of her, as if she thought it would protect her from the unknown boy. You did not need to be a schooled noble to notice that the stranger`s attire was different from the regular anglo-saxon clothing, and the weapons well secured around the belt hugging his waist were a big tell-tale sign that she had just ran face to face with a Viking.

Frigyth was not sure what she could possibly do to escape this situation. If she ran, would she meet other Vikings? Or perhaps if she yelled for help, the barbarians would much faster come in to the aid of the mysterious boy and do her in. Her mind along with her heart were racing, blood pulsing through her whole body, as if it was preparing for whatever would happen next. Feeling a giddy feeling in her stomach, she spotted her way out, then she got into a running position, one leg in front of the other, slightly leaning on it and being ready to sprint at any given time.

The Viking however, seemed too lost in his tracks to think of what he should do to her. He was observing her. Long, curly hair, with a vibrant color that glimmered in the sun. He felt sort of... entranced by her?

Before he let her go, he wolf whistled at her, gaining her attention. '' I am Ivar.'' He spoke in a very thick anglo-saxon accent. Frigyth did a double-take, not being sure she actually heard him speaking in HER language. While on the outside she remained frozen, her mind was filled with multiple questions. Probably because she has never heard foreigners speak her language- or because she has never faced a norman before.

'' What is your name?'' Asked the Viking in an iritated tone. The young girl was not sure it was a good idea to tell divulge her full identity. But realizing she had no other choice, she defeteadly answered.

'' Frigyth.'' It was a simple and short answer, for which she hoped it would suffice. But by the looks on the warrior, he smirked slowly at her, watching with predator eyes as she was shifting uncomfortably her weight from one foot to the other.

'' What was that prayer you were saying earlier? It did not sound like your language.'' The maiden`s heart started beating at an alarming rate. Deep down she knew, that the prayer she was chanting earlier was considered heresy and it was forbidden among the christians. But it`s not like him, a Viking, would go and tell on her to a guard. After all, weren`t they pagans as well?

'' It`s an ancient language. I was praying to Cernunnos, the god of the forest, fertility. I- It`s forbidden to pray to any other god other than the One True God. But my grandmother used to tell me that the old Gods never left and are ever present.'' She finished, admitting what has been laying in her heart for many years, sighing in happiness when she mentioned her grandmother.

To say Ivar was shocked at the newfound information was an understatement. In all his life, he had never encountered a christian praying to a different deity. He was getting more and more intrigued by the girl, and the logical part of his brain that was constantly nudging him to kill her was shutting down completely.

The young leader-who had previously found a good sitting spot on the grass- nudged his head towards the empty place next to him, indicating to her to take a seat. With careful, calculated steps, she approached him, leaving a few centimetres between them, just in case he was going to strangle her, or who knows what else.

'' So... tell me...'' He trailed off, in hopes that the girl would tell him something about herself.

With frowning brows, she kept silent, waiting for him to continue with a question. Ivar rolled his eyes, and asked her about her family.

'' We`re but a family humble peasants .'' The Viking could tell she loved cutting straight to the chase, not giving out any other detail unless asked.

Gaining all the courage she could muster, she turned slightly towards him, asking the dreaded question.

'' Where did you come from?''

Raising his eyebrows, Ivar chuckled darkly, shaking his head softly.

'' I don`t think you want to know.'' He admitted cynically.

'' Will that get me in trouble?'' She asked shyly.

'' You could say that.'' Smiling softly, Frigyth directioned her eyes to the ground, trying to ignore the burning stares of the curious Viking whose hand was slowly reaching up to her face, pausing for a second and taking a hold of a piece of her hair, and twirling it around his finger -almost lovingly so- which made her flinch for a second, before relaxing back and letting him play with strands of her hair.

The atmosphere between the two was peaceful, even though there was silence, but it was a welcoming one, in which neither felt the need to interrupt it. It was as if an unspoken rule was set. Both simply wanted to sit down and get lost between the thousands of trees and take a break from their societal obligations. Ivar leaned back on his elbows, straightening his legs in front of him, to give them a stretch, which gave the girl a full view of his crippled legs. She widened her eyes in surprise, but quickly gained her composure when she noticed Ivar clenching his jaw in anger, averting her eyes elsewhere.

It felt like they were there for an hour or two, when Frigyth sighed sadly and stood up, clenching the handle of the backet in her left fist and started taking small steps towards the hidden entrance marked by two bushes with a beaten track in between them. Ivar frowned, his eyes following her figure sharply, similar to a wolf following his prey.

'' I should go.'' Looking at her feet, she was swinging the basket slowly in her hand, as if waiting for the boy to stop her from going, although, deep down, she knew she was running behind with her tasks and she was bound to return home eventually, and her mother would not be happy if she came back empty handed.

Ivar nodded stoically, breaking his eyes from the girl and with a loud groan, he rolled onto his back, and began crawling towards the girl, ignoring her stares of bewilderment at his methods of traveling.

'' I should probably go too.'' He responded and begudgingly so.

'' It was nice meeting you.'' Frigyth complimented, with a small voice.

'' We will meet again, christian.'' He winked at her, which caused the maiden to let out a nervous laugh, having no idea what he could have possibly meant by that, and on that note, they both departed their own ways.

Upon her arrival back home, she was welcome by her worried mother, who seemed to have a look of concern mixed with irritation displaying across her face.

'' Where have you been?! It`s almost dark outside. And what is this? This is all you gathered in all this time you were gone?!'' She pointed at her basket, which was barely filled with any berries.

Frigyth shrugged off the hand her mother had placed on her shoulder, sprinting inside the cottage. The one-room hut was warm and all her family was gathered round at the table, chatting lively amongst eachother. Her presence was sensed by her father, and one by one her siblings all paused mid-conversation, to look at the newcomer. Her father smiled warmly at her, motioning with his hand to take a seat next to him.

'' We were wondering when you would come back Frig. Your mother was worrying terribly.'' He laughed, patting her back twice.

'' And I had all the reasons to. You know what they tell us, the priests. The woods are no longer safe.'' Her mother huffed angrily, stepping into the cottage and slamming the door shut, checking the small window incorporated in it for any intruders that might be lurking outside their homes. She took her seat, next to her husband and continued eating her freshly cooked pottage.

Frigyth`s father let out a breath of air, rubbing his face with his face. The rebel daughter rolled her eyes, pretending to be oblivious to what her mother was saying. Should she tell anyone that today she has met and spoken to a possible Viking? If she did, then she would reveal to everyone that she had been slacking rather than actually gathering food for the family, and she risked losing the task she was given, and probably forced to return to her old duties, which were mostly around the cottage. So she took the smarted option, and never mentioned the encounter with the stranger.

'' I know. Aelflead and the other blacksmiths think that we are to prepare for an attack.'' The father confessed sadly.

'' What makes you think that, dad?'' The youngest sibling asked, with her curious natured eyes.

'' Because sweetie, we have been ordered by the king to forge as many swords and shields as fast as we can manage. But when we tried asking the guards why, he refused to tell us. They were all acting suspicious.'' He shrugged, ripping a piece of the wholemeal bread and dipping it in the stew.

Frigyth was starting to get nervous. What if they are about to be attacked? But again, Ivar did not look dangerous. Evenmore, he was crippled. Surely that meant he was maybe thrown out of his tribe and forced to die alone. And even if she decided to tell her family about her encounter, in what way would that help them escape the fury of a Viking raid?

The contact she had with the mysterious boy was what kept her awake most of the night, and by the time her body was exhausted and allowed her to fall asleep, the rooster was already crowing, alerting the family that it was dawn and that meant time to go back to work. However, something felt odd. While Frigyth`s family members were grumbingly getting out of bed, the young maiden heard screams and clanks of swords outside. When realization hit her, she alerted her family to be silent for a second in order for them to pay attention to what might have been going outside.

''Haeddi, take the girls and hide in the barn. Wilfred and I are going outside to see what is happening.'' The father instructed his wife. ''Here, grab this.'' He threw a newly forged seax to his son, and he took an old rusty looking blade for himself, gesturing with his head towards the door. '' Let`s go.'' With one solemn look, Frigyth`s father glanced at his girls, holding a strong and loving eye contact with his wife, silently reassuring her that everything was going to be all right.

When the girls were left alone, Haeddi looked at her daughters, trying to contain the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. '' We`re going outside. Stick close to each other. Once we reach the barn, find a hiding spot. Underneath the hay, behind it. I don`t` know. But do it as fast as you can. We don`t know what awaits us out there.'' The four girls looked at her mother, nodding shakily and following closely behind her towards the door. The mother was counting with her fingers how many seconds they had left before she would open the door and the chaos would start. Frigyth could hear the faint screams of terror coming from the villagers and once the door was open and they started running, everything went in slow motion. The action outside became more vivid. The shrieks and cries of pain were amplified and all of those made the girls run faster than they had ever done so in their entire lives.

Once they safely reached the barn, her mother grabbed the youngest offspring and she chucked them both behind some haystacks. The other two sisters went off climbing on a ladder and finding a safe space to bury in.

Frigyth was looking around, trying to find the first hidin place and duck under it, but to her terror, she was forcefully grabbed by her arm by a very muscular man, that looked like he could eat her alive. She gulped, eyes wide open and heart drumming against her chest, almost as if it was ready to jump out of her chest. He gave her an animalistic smile, that sent shivers down to her spine. Her sisters and mom were watching terrified from the hiding spots how poor Frigyth was going to get killed...or worse.

With an unmatchable force, he turned her around with her back facing him, and raising his axe and readied himself to cut her thin linen dress open, ignoring her pleas and screams to stop, but a powerful voice made him pause mid-action.

''BÍÐA!'' Both the cruel man and Frigyth turned their heads to look at whoever just stopped the brutal Viking. The girl couln`t believe her eyes. Sitting in a single seated strange looking carriage pulled by a beautiful white stallion, sat the very guy that around this time the other day she was enjoying her time with in the meadow.

''ÞESSI ER MINN!!'' Ivar approached the enormous barbarian and pulled him away from his victim by his hair, holding his dagger against his throat.

''Gerðu þetta aftur og þú ert dauður!!'' He spat with venom, letting go of him. When he looked at the shaken lady, he softened his eyes, offering a friendly hand for her to take. She shakily shook her head no, losing any trust she had in him.

Seeing how reluctant she was, Ivar huffed annoyed. '' If you come with me, you`ll be safe.'' He promised. She glanced back at her mother and sisters-who were terrifyingly and confusingly observing the interaction between the two-, looking back and forth between them and him. He instantly put two and two together, and rolled his eyes playfully. '' They will not be harmed IF... you come with me.''

But before she had any chance to speak, her father and brother came rushing to her aid. Wilfred, her brother, seemed unharmed, except for a few cuts here and there and some blood staining his blade, but her father seemed to have a pretty deep cut on his side, that was bleeding alarmingly.

'' STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!'' Her father yelled, pointing his old and chipped sword at the Viking.

Ivar mockingly raised both his arms in surrender, faking a terrified expression. After a few moments, he then grabbed his trusty dagger, swirling it smoothly around his finger and pointing behind him at the army that was currently ravaging the village.

''See that? I am the leader of all of them. I can order them to stop anytime if I want to. That is why I am asking YOU again.'' He pointed his dagger in Frigyth`s direction. '' Are.You.Coming.With.Me?'' He asked slowly, putting an emphasis on each word, to ensure he was being understood.

The curly haired girl looked with saddening eyes at her dad, who was still clutching his sword with all his being, as if believing THAT could actually help her, then at her brother, who was copying his father`s movements, but with less confidence and then at her mother and sisters, who were all shaking their heads no and crying silently, not knowing what the outcome of this woul be.

There was no backing out of this. She had two simple but impactful choices. She either went with him, probably ending up a slave, but at least her family was safe, or so she hoped. Or she could refuse, and get killed by the previous Viking.

With determined steps, she approached Ivar, making him smirk in victory. Her father yelled at her angrily to get back there behind him, but she was already climbing Ivar`s carriage. The young ruler grabbed her hand softly, guiding her to sit on his knees, that she now got to observe, were covered in some sort of metallic braces.

Once she took her seat in his lap, he stroked her hair with one hand, while whispering in her ear. ''Good girl.'' She sat frozen in his lap, letting him wrap a strong arm around her waist to keep her steady.

She took a one last glance at her family, waving sadly at them and struggling to keep her composure.

'' They will be safe, right?! You promised!'' She asked desperately, glacing back at her house, which was now growing to be more and more far away.

'' On my arm ring.'' He pledged, placing his palm over his bracelet for a moment, showing her that he was serious about his oath. Grabbing with one arm the reins and with the other gripping her tightly against him, he yelled something in Old-Norse to the other men, fleeing the village afterwards towards an unknown location to the girl, from where a new life was about to start for her. She could only hope it was going to be good.

[cherrybombfangirl]

Hey you! Yeah you! Interested in my in progress Marvel OC Fanfic?

Ao3 Link: Only Human (7244 words) by cherrybombfangirl)/

Wanna read a Marvel fanfic that’s mainly an OC insert but also fixing everything that’s wrong with the MCU? It includes fixing what needs fixing, and my OC and all the small OCs that come with her.

Yeah you wanna read it!

The fic includes:

My OC Stacy who is the daughter of Steve and Bucky, a chaotic bisexual ADHDer, a maliciously compliant little shit, a gremlin but also a sweet ray of sunshine, coming from a mixed faith family, and just being the bane of the US government/Tony Stark’s existence in general

Fixing the erasure of representation issue- not just the whitewashing! Especially Steve’s disability and being an irish immigrant, also aggressively queer as he should be

^^^ and Stucky Supremacy :D 

Autistic, Trans, Asexual, Bisexual, and Jewish Peter Parker! (also he actually acts like a teenager and not a fucking child, the fuck writers and fans)

In fact, all of the characters that should be Jewish are actually Jewish (Wanda and Peitro, Kate Bishop, Bucky, Moon Knight, etc etc), because we all know how terrible the MCU is at respecting the source material

No romanticizing Tony’s shitty behavior and getting called out on said behavior multiple times

Civil War is actually about Steve Rogers and not just Iron Man 4 :) (also Tony being proven very very wrong)

Actually addressing how bad the Sokovia Accords are and how awfully they treat people with superpowers (and how it’s really just the US gov. trying to have their own little superhero army and how that’s fucked up)

Fixing this issue the MCU has where they reduce characters to a few traits and take away what’s at the core (especially with newly introduced characters)

Fixing Age of Ultron and Endgame (because AoU was a trash fire and Endgame was a good concept but terrible execution)

Did you know Peggy’s character was based on a character from the comics named Cynthia Glass who was a Nazi Spy? “Based on” as in the writers took Cynthia’s character and just slapped Peggy’s name on her? Yeah so, Peggy’s actually gonna be a Nazi spy in this fic and her sus behavior (shooting at Cap, Operation Paperclip, etc) won’t be ignored or brushed off

^^^ in fact she manipulates Steve into letting her have his and Bucky’s daughter so that HYDRA could have their own little supersoldier lab rat and also Peggy not being a good mom and handing Stacy over to HYDRA like it’s nothing

The ending to Endgame actually makes sense (and no Steve undoing his entire arc because WTF WAS THAT-)

More time saying fuck you to the US government because we hate them in this house, and we stan Stacy for doing everything she can to be the bane of it’s existence. Everyone but Tony is right behind her :) 

All the Young Avengers are closer in age because they should be, also they’re all younger than 20 because that should be happening they’re not supposed to be adults

Lots of trauma and mental health issues for everyone, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety and more!

More time with Nat and Yelena BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T GET ENOUGH T-T

[lunamagicablu]

Benedizione irlandese Possa la fortuna essere tua e possano le tue gioie non avere mai fine. Possa la strada venirti incontro, il vento essere sempre alle tue spalle il sole riscaldarti il viso e la pioggia cadere dolcemente sui tuoi campi e fino a quando ci rincontreremo possa Dio tenerti nel palmo della sua mano. Possano le gocce di pioggia cadere dolcemente sulla tua fronte i dolci venti rinfrescarti l’animo il sole illuminare il tuo cuore i pesi della giornata essere leggeri su di te e possa Dio circondarti con il mantello del suo amore. Che ci sia sempre lavoro da fare per le tue mani possa il tuo borsellino contenere sempre una o due monete il sole risplendere sempre sul vetro della tua finestra un arcobaleno seguire sempre ogni pioggia la mano di un amico essere sempre vicino a te possa Dio colmarti il cuore di gioia per rallegrarti. Possa tu sempre avere… un raggio di sole per riscaldarti buona fortuna per deliziarti un angelo protettore così che niente ti possa far male riso per rallegrarti e amici fedeli accanto a te e, ogni volta che pregherai, possa il cielo ascoltarti. by BrandwayArt ************************** Irish Blessing May luck be yours and may your joys never end. May the road meet you, the wind always be at your back the sun will warm your face and the rain falls softly on your fields and until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand. May the raindrops fall softly on your forehead the sweet winds refresh your soul the sun illuminate your heart the burdens of the day be light on you and may God surround you with the cloak of his love for him. May there always be work for your hands to do may your purse always contain a coin or two the sun will always shine on the glass of your window a rainbow always follows every rain the hand of a friend always be near you May God fill your heart with joy to cheer you up. May you always have… a ray of sunshine to warm you good luck in delighting you a protecting angel so that nothing can hurt you rice to cheer you up and faithful friends next to you and, every time you pray, may heaven hear you. by BrandwayArt 

[monopoly-mountain-requests]

Names for a Red Son fictive with themes of found family and queer platonic chimera shipping for @purpleprinceblood

Rory - an Irish name that means red king! Very royal and regal!

Hestia - the name of the goddess of home and family and Greek mythology! She was also the goddess of the hearth, so there’s a relation to fire

Nikko - a Japanese name meaning sunlight, which reminds me of how MK and Mei are both rays of sunshine!

Sorin - Another name connected to the sun and to warmth!

Argus - A name meaning both “bright” and “protector”, like a fire protecting your family!

Jasper - Both the name of a red stone and a name meaning “keeper of precious things”!

[crochetandcrying]

I hope Wendell doesn't do a Tamlin

I don't want this precious all-powerful ray of springtime Irish sunshine to turn into a dick. I want him to forever adore Emily and stay optimistic.

[marinerainbow]

//So it could just be me but I headcanon that Smartass knows a little bit of Italian. Whether he was drawn with it or learned it, I feel like he's based on those type of characters from old movies focusing on New York or Chicago gangs (mostly Cagney I would say but he was Irish-American) and there were plenty where the Brooklyn accents had this Italian-American twang. I don't know I like the idea of him conversing with Italian toons or toons drawn in Italy and being able to hold basic conversation. Maybe he even picked up some Spanish too from working with his associate.

Do with this for Smarty Pop what you will I guess 😂

Ooh I love this headcannon! I can see it being canon ^^

Oh... Omg Smartass using Italian on Poppy!!! I- Ok. No. Here are some italian petnames I put through Google translate that would fit Smarty-Pop.

Il mio raggio di sole = My ray of sunshine

Papavero = Poppy

Fiore = Flower

Bambola = Doll

Ok this is all I got for now since I need to sleep now XD but I gotta experiment with this more and figure out more Italian names!

[thenexusofsouls]

{i am the caretaker of souls} TFW you really want to make an OC inspired by a minor sprite character in a dancing show from 1995 who doesn't speak, but you know you’re not that great at being descriptive without dialogue and she’s too pure to be subjected to rp on his hellsite.....

I’ve been reliving some things that were staples growing up in my American-Irish household, and I forgot how much I loved the music from some of these shows. I saw this show live when I was a teenager, we had really good seats too. I still remember seeing this scene play out up close. They broke her damn flute and roughed her up and I lost my shit, heh, but getting it fixed was the best scene in the whole show for me. The full scene is here if you want to watch from start to finish. My idealistic, happy-ending-loving, teenage self ate it all up, haha. I still tear up when I watch it. Here she is doing her happy thing (there’s a time delay for the sound unfortunately but you get the idea), though I’m not sure what that is exactly. Raising the dead? But in a good way? Anyhoo, she’s very inspiring...

But now there’s an OC brewing and I’m like nooooo moooore muuuuses..... I could easily make her a Hellboy II muse though. A sprite, fairy... or even a half-elf... An adoptive daughter of Nuada, perhaps? Rejected by humans and elves alike and yet he takes care of her? He feels protective of her, and she likes/trusts him for some reason even though he’s grumpy. I’m imagining a nonverbal, neurodivergent, curious, playful character who communicates mostly through facial expressions, music, and dancing, is adept with healing/life-creating magic, and is just an absolute ray of sunshine to be around... NO! HELP ME! I CAN’T MAKE ANY MORE MUSES! AAAHHHHHH!!

Eh-hem. Anyhoo I’m here to do a few things before bed, heh... to the best of my limited ability since my T key just broke. *sigh*

[catastrophicblueess]

'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•' meet iris estelle doyle '•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'

ALL DETAILS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE PLOT OF THE ROLEPLAY!!!

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

.·:¨༺ ༻¨:·. About me .·:¨༺ ༻¨:·.

✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉‧ ♡.✧ Basic Info ✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉‧ ♡.✧

FACECLAIM IS ALEXANDRA DADDARIO

Full name: Iris Estelle Doyle

Age: 24

Gender: female

Pronouns: she/her

Race/ethnicity: Caucasian/Irish

Date of birth: 8/18/98

Zodiac sign: leo

Sexual orientation: straight

Job occupation: daycare teacher

Hidden talents: can Hoola hoop and tap dance (from her younger days)

Secrets: she is a fairly open book

·͙̩̩˚̩̥̩　✩　̩̩̥˚̩̥̩‧͙ Family Life·͙̩̩˚̩̥̩　✩　̩̩̥˚̩̥̩‧͙

Mom: Laura: her mom is a public defender and has always shown her how important it is to be hard-working.

Dad: Sean; her dad is a mechanic and inspires her carefree attitude toward life

Her parents have a beautiful marriage and have shown her what true love looks like

Brother: Patrick; two years older than her, one of her best friends

'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•' personality '•.¸♡ ♡¸.•' ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

She is a ray of sunshine and has a happy-go-lucky attitude. She is loyal, almost to a fault, and is always afraid to disappoint the people she cares about. She is overly optimistic which can come across as naive to most people. She loves to be the life of the party but also has moments where she needs to be alone with her thoughts. Some may call her scatterbrained or forgetful but she just can’t make herself keep track of most things.

disorders/addictions/habits︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Habits: she is a bit of a neat freak and is always cleaning up after herself and others, biting her nails, leaving the lights on when she leaves a room, waking up early, and ready for the day

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °Likes and Dislikes ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °┆

Likes: Fishing with her dad and brother, pickles, picture, word, or number puzzles, forest green, rainstorms, & cats

Dislikes: Mushrooms, wearing socks to sleep, Star Wars, loud chewing, winter, grape-flavored things

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶Appearance➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

Hair color: Brown

Hair type: naturally straight but she is always curling it or putting waves in it

Skin tone: pale, with the slightest tan due to the sun

Eye color: blue

Accessories: always wears a locket necklace that her grandmother gave her, and simple silver stud earrings

Height: 5’5

Clothing style: Classy dresses when she gets dolled up, but typically in the summer at home you can find her in a baseball cap, jean shorts, and a sports bra or tank top. Very into the beach hair look. Messy buns, aviator sunglasses

✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉‧backstory✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉‧

Iris was born in Ireland, where her father is from, and moved to Seattle, Washington with her family when she was 6. Whenever she has strong emotions (ie. overly excited, angry, etc.) her Irish accent comes out but she tries to hide it as best as she can due to embarrassment. She grew up in a middle-class family that spent a lot of time outside and exploring. She and her brother were always getting into some sort of trouble. When she graduated high school, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life so she applied to a daycare. She has been doing that ever since and she loves her job.

[cocktailsfairytales]

🥀𝙂𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙮 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚

🥀𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿!𝙚

🥀𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙈𝘾

🥀𝙈𝙖𝙛𝙞𝙖

🥀𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮

🥀𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙈𝘾

𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘! I am so excited to share the cover for Dust to Dust, Book Two in The Irish Rogues Series by Author Katie Ashley, releasing August 19th!

𝗣𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 ↳ https://amzn.to/4cLTari

𝗔𝗗𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 #𝗧𝗕𝗥 ↳ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210128301-poison-and-wine

𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥/𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗨𝗣 ↳ https://bit.ly/DustToDustReleasePromo

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢:

Title: Dust to Dust

Series: The Irish Rogues Series, Book Two

Author: Katie Ashley

Genre: Dark Mafia Romance

Release Day: August 19, 2024

Cover Designer: Harsha Dhananjaya

Tropes: Grumpy Sunshine, Touch Her and D!e, Stalker MMC, Mafia, Found Family, Scarred MMC

··· 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 ···

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗻

After barely dodging death from a car bomb, I shut out everyone but my mafia brothers. With a scarred face and body, I became an even more ruthless enforcer, cruelty and darkness radiating from my ravaged soul. Until a petite goddess with an innocent spirit swayed her hips on my stage, forcing me to let her audition for a dancer at my club. Though I expected her to balk at my marred appearance, I'm shocked to find her eager to touch and seduce me, willing to indulge my monster's cravings if it secures the job.

Isla is everything I'm not—sweet, fragile, and loving. A blinding ray of light in my dark and desolate world. When she is kidnapped from my club, I could demolish anything in my path to hunt down the animal who took her and to reclaim the only brightness left in my world. But even if I rescue her, can a broken enforcer with anger issues be what she needs?

𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮

After losing my parents, I clung to the light inside, determined not to succumb to darkness. But with a sister to support and education to pay for, I’m forced to parlay my years of competitive dance for a controversial career as an exotic dancer. At the club owned by the ruthless Irish mafia, I cross paths with the physically imposing owner. Though his hardened edges and dangerous aura should have frightened me, I found myself instantly magnetized, helplessly enthralled by his raw, rugged power. Against my better judgment, attraction simmered under my skin, a craving I knew would spell trouble.

Quinn is everything I'm not—brave, courageous, and strong. Every day I try to chisel away at his hardened veneer—to crumble the walls around him, dust to dust. Deep down, I know he is capable of giving love. When I'm abducted from the shadows of the club's parking lot, I pray nightly for Quinn to rescue me. But even if he storms the gates of hell to bring me back, how can I ever survive in his world?

𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘥-𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Top Three Best-Selling author of both Indie and Traditionally published books. She's written rockers, bikers, billionaires, manwhores with hearts of gold, New Adult, and Young Adult. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, her rescue mutts, Belle and Nova, and her cats, Mama Kitty, Joe, and Jake. She has a slight obsession with The Golden Girls, Shakespeare, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

She holds a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education and spent fourteen years teaching both middle and high school English, as well as a few adjunct college English classes.

Although she is a life-long Georgia peach, she loves traveling the country and world meeting readers.

CONNECT WITH LINKS

Website: https://katieashleybooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katieashleybooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katieashleyluv

IG: https://www.instagram.com/katieashleyluv/ @katieashleyluv

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6546441.Katie_Ashley

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Katie-Ashley/

Newsletter: https://app.mailerlite.com/forms/view/1150540

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katie-ashley

Personal Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/katieashleysangels

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorkatieashley

#KADustToDustCoverBlast #KatieAshley #ComingSoon #DarkMafiaRomance #TheIrishRoguesSeries #GrumpySunshine #BookTwo #TouchHerAndD!e #StalkerMMC #FoundFamily #ScarredMMC #TheNextStepPR

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[lunarhobbits]

i understand bc it's Myrna Loy but my GIRL Gracie Allen is losing so badly 😭😭😭 i need yall to see her in action!!! she was so fun to watch and just a complete ray of sunshine every time she was onscreen/on the air.

this is her screen debut, a short subject from 1929 starring her and her husband/comedy partner George Burns:

she always played this sort of character, confident and unshakably faithful to her own "illogical logic" - she could always back her statements up in ways that made perfect sense, at least to her.

she had such a natural, earnest way of delivering lines - every time i watch her work i always feel like i want to be her friend. apparently audiences felt similar - when they were first starting out as an act, George was delivering the funny lines, and Gracie the straight ones. He noticed that her lines were getting more laughs (despite him giving the punchlines), so they switched roles - him now the straight man, her delivering the funny lines - and it stayed that way for decades to much success.

because the act relied on her lines for the jokes to land, you can imagine how much pressure that would be. despite that, every moment feels so effortless and real (probably helped that she was basically never out of character in public interviews - her and George always seemed to use these as platforms for performance). her longtime radio and television costar Bea Benaderet once called her "one of the greatest actresses of our time," which, despite being a surprising statement when I first read it, I'm actually inclined to agree with: watching Gracie, everything felt real. you believed every outlandish word.

she was also a talented dancer - she started out performing doing Irish folk dances with her three sisters as a child. she also costarred alongside Fred Astaire (as did George) in A Damsel in Distress - and danced alongside him too!

finally, a bunch of pics and a video that i also shared as propaganda for eleanor powell:

@hotvintagepoll

Propaganda

Myrna Loy (The Thin Man, Manhattan Melodrama, Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House)—Started out a slinky silent screen vamp. Became a screwball lead who had a blast drinking, being married to William Powell, solving mysteries, and taking her dog everywhere in the Thin Man Movies. Broke our hearts in The Best Years of Our Lives and played a string of dream wives. Remained hot the entire time. Decades of hotness.

Gracie Allen (A Damsel in Distress, Honolulu)— The funniest woman who ever lived, she was the brains behind an absolutely brilliant radio show that she did with her husband George Burns. The radio show was later turned into a television show (which you can find on Youtube) but during the radio days, it was announced that Gracie would be running for President of the United States for the year of 1940. She was running for the Surprise Party, and refused a Vice President as, according to her, there would be no room for vice in her white house. Her slogan was "Down with common sense -Vote for Gracie Allen." [more about this beneath the cut]

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Myrna Loy:

Myrna Loy excelled at playing coy women, so common in screwball comedies in the 40s. She batted her lashes, and shrugged with grace, and made her costars look like foolish heels next to her. She charmed with sneaky elegance, well-placed pouting, and repartee. Besides, she was sultry AF.

While Myrna certainly looked hot in some her earlier vampy exotic bad girl roles, I think shes hottest when her comedic chops got to be displayed. Her dry wit, comedic timing, and subtle facial expressions make her the queen of deadpan snark.

She's just very Mother

So beautiful and popular she was crowned Queen of the Movies in 1936, Myrna Loy was also an amazing actress. She's best remembered for The Thin Man and sequels, where she gets to show off her comedy skills, adding irresistible impish charm to her classic beauty and dancer's figure.

THE SASS

One of the few actresses who managed to successfully transition from silent to talkies, never won an Oscar but was at one time the highest paid woman in Hollywood. Advocated for better roles and pay for Black actors in the 1930s, so passionately anti-Nazi in the 40s she made Hitler's blacklist, spoke out against Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare, and advocated for fair housing in the 1950s and 1960s, all while being hot as fuck opposite William Powell, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy and a whole galaxy of the Hot Vintage Men Poll all-stars.

Cute as a button with so much RIZZ! She and whatsisname in The Thin Man are relationship goals.

She was literally called the Queen of Hollywood! She is so sassy and funny in the whole Thin Man series. Absolutely hot in those, and who doesn’t love a woman who can laugh? She had the sultriest gaze and that style! Also before she was a star she sat as the model for an iconic statue for a school (representing “Fountain of Education”).

the glamour!! the banter!! the comedy!!

She's got this cute kinda scrunched up face AND shes funny AND shes got a bangin body.

Gracie Allen:

Continued from previous propaganda: "We don't want to get rid of men entirely," Allen said, according to a story in the April 22, 1940, Indianapolis Star. "All we want to do is make them unconstitutional and keep them out of circulation, but have them handy when there's no place else to go."

On the Neutrality Bill pending in Congress: "If we owe it, let's pay it." On recognizing Russia: "I don't know. I meet so many people." On which political party she was affiliated with: "I may take a drink now and then, but I never get affiliated.""

She did have to drop out eventually, with World War 2 being on and all, but thousands of people still wrote her in anyway, even if the FDR won the popular vote in the end.  (https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2016/03/31/that-time-a-comedian-won-the-wisconsin-presidential-primary/84944806/)