#is pickpocketing really a con?

[aardvaark]

im so glad that we never get a clear picture of sophie’s background in leverage & i hope we never do. however i also really like making up various, often conflicting backstories for her in my head. perhaps they’re all backstories for an alias of hers, ones she laid to rest back in season two.

[lovelybucky1]

Dirty Money- Tommy Shelby x Reader

masterlist

warnings: very mild dub-con, guns, canon-typical violence, dom/sub dynamics, humiliation, degradation, clothed sex, office sex, semi-public sex, name-calling, unprotected sex, mentions of prostitution, rough sex

The chatter from the party room (if this occasion could even be called a party) lessened as you made your way down the halls of the Shelby house. The Peaky Blinders were having a celebration- another shady business practice gone in their favor, earning them a large sum of money. You are just a pretty face to the Blinders. You get in close with the arrogant, sleazy men who the Shelbys often have dealings with, get information, and maybe pickpocket occasionally, but that is the extent of your duties.

Your position means you don’t get any of the money they earn from deals; all they provide you is free drinks at the Garrison. The Blinders are just a stepping stone along your path. You knew they had money, and if you could get an in with them, then you could have access to some of that money. And really, who would notice if a small fraction of that money was taken?

Your dress flows at your feet as you creep down the hallway towards the boss’ study. When you reach the door, you press your ear to hear any voices; when you deem it safe, you twist the handle and push it open.

Thanking God the hinges don’t squeak, you shut it behind you and take in your surroundings. The room is dark, the light filtering through the windows from the street is barely enough to see by. You approach the solid oak desk that likely took the whole family to move into the office. Atop the desk are a few letters, a pen, a set of lamps, and a figurine of a horse. The rest of the office is similar; sparse with decoration, but bits of Thomas’ personality shine through.

You don’t know much about your boss, despite interacting with him frequently. You’ve been his date on various occasions, all with ulterior motives, of course. Even when he is acting vulnerable, you know it’s a farce. Everyone knows Tommy Shelby is all about business, and he never takes a day off.

You walk around to the other side of the desk and pull at the top drawer. Inside, only stationary, so you close it and try the second drawer, which is locked. You take a pin from your hair and bend it before inserting it into the keyhole. It’s been a while since you’ve picked a lock, but you eventually get it open without too much difficulty. When you open the drawer, you find two stacks of money sitting next to a gun and a pack of smokes.

You pick up one of the stacks and flip through it. Two stacks, each one thousand pounds. You’d be set for life with this amount of money. You could get out of this shit, smog-filled city, buy yourself a nice house in the countryside, a car. You could have everything you’ve ever wanted and more, and it was all in your hands at this very moment.

You were jolted from your fantasy about your future life by the lamp near the door clicking on. You whip around, money still in hand, to face the door. Illuminated by the golden light stood your personal grim reaper, the very man you were stealing from.

Tommy has his hands on his hips, eyebrow raised, and his weight leaned onto one leg. His stance screams what the fuck do you think you’re doing? Your stomach drops when you meet his piercing blue eyes, and a wave of fear washes over you. Tommy stares at you until the weight of his gaze makes you tremble, and only then does he speak.

“I’ve had many people try to get close to me for their own gain,” Tommy pauses just to make you sweat. “But none of them have ever been stupid enough to steal from me in my own home.”

“It’s not what it looks like,” you say as if there weren’t stacks of money in your hand.

Your voice cracks when you speak and you’d curse yourself for your lack of composure, but it’s hard to remain calm when you’ve just gotten on the bad side of a man who wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.

“No?” Tommy asks. “That’s a good thing then, because if you were stealin’ my money, then we’d have some problems.” Tommy stalks forward toward you, eyes never leaving yours as he crosses the room. He takes the money from your pliant fingers; you have enough sense of self-preservation to not put up a fight right now. He places the money back in the drawer and when you look down, you see his fingertips brush against the gun- a reminder. When you look back up, his face is inches from yours and he is looking down the bride of his nose at you like you’re nothing but a pathetic animal. “So why don’t you tell me what you’re doin’ in here, eh?”

You inhale shakily as you try to come up with a convincing lie. You figure that he will see through any of the bullshit you say, but it’s better than admitting your crime. “I lost my ring and I thought I might have left it in here.”

“You might have lost your ring… in my locked drawer?” He asks, tone suggesting he is simply humoring you.

“If you found it and thought it was valuable, I thought you would put it in a safe place,” you explain, trying your best to look innocent.

“I see,” Tommy says, putting his hand on the desk next to your hip and leaning on it. “Now, if you’re done lying, I’d like to hear the truth.”

You swallow thickly as you resign yourself to the fact that you were caught. “I was taking money from your desk.”

“I’m not fuckin’ blind, am I? What’s the money for?” Tommy asks, voice even and steady, though you know he must be simmering with anger.

“For me.”

“Two thousand pounds, all for you? You have no affiliations?” you shake your head. “You’re not working for anyone?”

“No, sir. I wanted all of this for myself,” you confess.

“Hm,” he considers your words. “I’m surprised you were able to put together this little plan, so I doubt you’d be able to pull off bein’ a double agent all this time.” The way he talks down to you makes you want to hide your face in shame, but in the position he has you in, you have nowhere to go. “What were you going to do with all this money?”

“Move out of the city. Find a place for myself. Start a new life. A good life,” you say. Your tone must have been sincere enough for Tommy to believe you because he seems to relax a little.

Tommy shifts on his feet and he looks distantly over your shoulder as if he is lost in thought. You stare at his face, waiting for the other shoe to drop. You wouldn’t be surprised if he killed you, he’s killed others for much less.

“So,” he starts, “You’re not working for anyone else, but you’re still a thief and a traitor.” His intense gaze is back on you and your skin crawls with anxiety. “I don’t think I have to remind you what we do to thieves and traitors.”

You shake your head, knowing full well the fate that all who have wronged the Blinders have met. They’re not deserving of a quick death; they beg until they are too swollen to beg, they pray until God has been beaten out of them, they break until there is nothing left whole, they bleed until they’re dry. A traitor to the family suffers. They’re a spectacle to keep all others in line.

“But that would be such a waste of a pretty face,” Tommy says, the unexpected compliment makes your heart stutter in your chest. “You always did do good work for me. The races, the parties I went to with you on my arm. Sometimes I wished they were for leisure rather than business.”

You furrow your brow slightly at the admission. “What do you mean, Mr. Shelby?”

“I quite fancied you,” he says with a slight smile. “But then I caught you in my study with my money, and I came to my senses.”

He stands up straight and reaches into the drawer, taking out the gun. You take a step back, frightened once again. He doesn’t point the gun at you, only holds it, but you are still no less threatened.

With a sigh, he speaks again. “I don’t trust you not to bring down the rest of us if I turn you in to the coppers. So because I held such a soft spot for you, I’ll let you pick. I could cut your hand off to make sure you won’t steal again, I can send you far away without a single penny to your name, or I could give you over to the Italians as a peace offering.”

Your stomach drops when he lists off your options. For some reason, you thought he was going to let you get away. But seemingly despite his soft spot, business comes first, as usual.

“Please, Mr. Shelby, there has to be something else,” you say, voice watery with held-back emotion.

“What kind of businessman would I be if I let my employees steal from me?” He asks eyebrow raised mockingly.

Feeling desperation cloud your mind, you take a step forward, despite the gun. You reach out and place your hand on his shoulder, the rough material of his suit jacket rubbing against your skin. He looks down at you, his face a mixture of shock and amusement.

“I will do anything, sir,” you say, voice vulnerable and weak, hoping that will appeal to his baser urges. You know it’s a bold and risky move, but you don’t have many other options.

A laugh escapes Tommy’s throat, a rare and usually pleasant sound when it’s not being directed at you. “Are you looking to add prostitution to your list of crimes?” he chuckles.

“No, sir. I am not a whore.”

“You’re offering yourself up to me like one,” he smirks. “Why don’t we make a deal, then?”

“What are the terms?” you ask, trying to add strength to your voice that you’ve lacked since you saw him in the doorway.

“You let me fuck you like the whore you claim not to be, and you get to keep your job with us,” he says casually like he’s talking about the weather.

“That’s it?”

“Well now, don’t sound so ungrateful. If you’d prefer, I could give you away to those animals out here,” he gestures towards the door. “I’m giving you a chance to keep that pretty smile of yours.”

“No, no,” you shake your head. “I am grateful, sir. Thank you.”

Tommy puts the gun down on the top of his desk and closes the space between you. His hard chest presses against yours as he brings his hand up to gently stroke your cheek.

“Greedy little thing,” he says, his eyes drinking in the sight of you. Your lips are parted just so, looking soft and pliant, just the way he loves. Tommy’s hand trails from your face down to your throat, where he plays with the simple goal pendant that rests against your skin.

Tommy leans in and brushes his lips to yours, making your heart stutter and your breath catch in your throat. You can feel a slight smile on his lips before he presses them together in a claiming kiss. He smothers you, stealing the breath from your lungs.

When you part, his lips are pink and glistening with a mix of your saliva. His light eyes are blown with lust and you feel small in his arms.

“Are you clean or am I going to have to fuck your mouth?” he asks, the dirty words a sharp contrast to his gentle hands on you.

“I’m clean,” you say, voice no more than a whisper.

The only response you get from him is a shark-like grin. He grabs your hips and pulls you flush to him. Even through the layers of your dress, you can feel the hardness in his pants.

It’s almost hard to believe that right now, Thomas Shelby is hard for you. You’ve imagined this countless times; when you were his arm candy, when he’d drink with you at the pub, and even sometimes in your own home. You never thought you’d actually get to have him in such a way, especially not when it wasn’t for business.

“What are you waiting for, dear?” he asks, looking into your eyes and then down at his trousers.

You lean back, putting enough space between the two of you to undo his belt and unbutton his pants. You take out his cock and give it a few dry strokes. The size makes you nervous; you’re no virgin, but you’ve been so caught up with work that you haven’t been seeing anyone.

Tommy shrugs off his jacket and tosses it haphazardly onto his desk chair, clearly unconcerned that he is wrinkling a very expensive suit. Taking his undressing as a hint, you ask “Should I take off my dress?”

“It’s not our fucking wedding night,” he huffs. He grabs your waist and pushes you towards the desk, You brace your hands on the surface and look back at him while he hikes up the skirt of your dress. He piles the bunched-up fabric on your lower back and bends down to admire the view. “Though these knickers suggest otherwise,” he chuckles, slipping his finger under them.

It’s humiliating to be bent over your boss’ desk while he looks at you like you’re a piece of meat, As much as you wish you were more upstanding, that this whole situation repulsed you, the burn in your abdomen is undeniable. You’re getting off on whoring yourself out to your boss.

Tommy grabs the waist of your knickers and pulls them down, letting the white satin pool at your feet. Now bare to him, Tommy inhales deeply, taking in the scent of your arousal. He swipes his thumb through your folds, gathering your wetness and smearing it on your thigh.

“Mr. Shelby, please,” you whimper.

“What’s the matter? You don’t like me teasing?” he chuckles.

He rubs his hand over your pussy, his cold fingertips burning from the heat of you. You wiggle your hips a bit, silently begging him for more, and in return, he gives a sharp slap to your cunt.

“You forget this is a punishment. I could leave you here desperately and wet for hours and there’s nothin’ you can do ‘bout it.”

You let your head hang between your shoulders with a sigh. You don’t doubt his threat; Tommy can be a cruel man and you wouldn’t put it past him to torture you in such a way. No matter what, though, this is better than the alternative.

You feel a long, thin finger prodding at your entrance and you force yourself to relax. Tommy slowly pushes his middle finger into you, and from behind you, a quiet groan can be heard. He pulls his finger out only to quickly replace it, along with a second digit. The fingers inside of you slowly work back and forth to loosen you. Despite Tommy’s rough exterior and degrading words, when it comes to the act, he’s more caring than you anticipated.

The slow drag of his fingers makes you dizzy, desperate for more to fill you as you open up. Seemingly have read your mind, Tommy pulls out his fingers and places his wet hand on your ass.

For a long moment, nothing happens. Tommy stands behind you, both hands on you, but unmoving. You look back to see him watching you expectantly.

“Do you think I’m just going to give it to you?” he asks. You furrow your brow, not understanding what he’s getting at. “Clearly you’ve never been properly fucked,” he huffs. “Beg me for it.”

Of course, how could you be so stupid? A man like Tommy Shelby loves power and control. He wants to own everything and everyone, especially his conquests. You’ve already submitted yourself to him, but he wants you to relinquish the rest of your pride for him.

“Please, sir, I want it,” you try, the idea of begging for sex unfamiliar to you.

“Surely you could do better than that, eh? I’ve heard the things you’ve told our associates. I know your mouth is dirtier than your pretty white knickers let on.” The smirk is evident in his voice and it makes you burn with shame. The things you tell whatever man you were ordered to seduce were all acting. You separated yourself from it, from them, but now you were doing to be deep in it.

“Please fuck me like the whore I am, Mr. Shelby. I’m yours to do whatever you want with. I want you to forgive me.”

The words feel foreign on your tongue and Tommy seems to recognize that. The grin on his face tells you the begging was more for your embarrassment than his enjoyment.

“That’s better, my little whore,” he says as he grabs ahold of his cock and rubs it through your folds. He pushes in slowly but steadily, easing you into it but not hiding his desire until the head is inside. Like a gentleman, he lets you accommodate the stretch before seating himself fully inside of you.

You lay atop the desk limp and pliant, like you’re a toy for Tommy. He grabs your hips tightly, possessively, before he starts to rock his hips against you. The friction of your ass against his hips doesn’t do too much to satisfy your sexual need, but the feeling of his skin makes you burn from within.

“When you first joined,” Tommy speaks up, “I had to make a rule. Don’t fuck the other members. Never had that problem before, but I knew the boys would tear you apart the second they got the chance.”

Tommy’s fingers press into your skin as he begins to slowly thrust into you. As he did with his fingers, he makes the drag of his cock slow, ensuring you feel every inch of his length. Your pussy gripped him like your body knew you were made for him.

You let out a small, involuntary hum when he reaches the spot inside of you that makes your toes curl. You had fantasized that Tommy would be a good lover, but you never imagined that he’d light all of your nerves on fire.

“Fuck, Tommy,” you moan as his steady pace builds up the pressure in your abdomen.

“It’s Tommy now, eh? Where’d those manners go?”

“I’m sorry! Fuck, I’m sorry, Mr. Shelby.”

You’re certain Tommy is going to kill you, despite your deal after you disrespected him. Maybe he’d be merciful since you let him have you… or maybe that would make torturing you even better.

“Say it again,” he says, voice gruff with lust.

“What?”

“My name. Say it again.”

“Tommy,” you whisper, hesitant.

His blunt nails dig into your skin, leaving crescent-shaped indents behind. The speed of his hips increases slightly, but he doesn’t slam into you like some previous partners have. He seems to understand your body; to be rough in some ways but caring in others.

“If I punished every thief like this, I’d have far fewer enemies,” he muses as he slides his right hand up your back, then rests it on the base of your neck. “But you’re lucky.”

The hand on the back of your neck moves to the side of your head, where Tommy presses down. There’s not much force behind it, but your head is pinned to the desk. It’s degrading to have him hold you down, preventing you from seeing what’s to come. His fingers twist in your hair and his trusts become increasingly irregular.

“Tommy,” you whine.

“This cunt’s divine,” he says, and for the first time, his voice has an edge of desperation to it.

“Tommy,” you say again.

“What?” he breathes.

“Fuck me.”

With an airy chuckle, Tommy pulls you closer to him by the hips so you can meet each of his thrusts. Your body jolts each time his thighs slap against yours, completely at his mercy while he fucks into you. You feel him shift behind you and suddenly there is a weight resting on your back. Tommy is leaning over you, holding you impossibly close with his mouth next to your ear.

“You’re my fuckin’ whore,” he says, his hot breath and gravelly voice making your skin break out in goosebumps. “You understand me?”

All you can do is nod, but that answer seems to satisfy him because he is standing back up and fucking you sloppily, a stark contrast to his steady pace from earlier. After a handful of strokes, he pulls out and you’re left cold and gaping on the desk, brain lagging to catch up with reality.

You hear a strangled moan from behind you, and then you feel drops of scorching liquid hit your thighs. You squirm on the desk once you realize what has happened. Tommy Shelby has just come on you, effectively claiming you as his own.

He rests his hand on your back as he catches his breath, chest heaving with exertion. He steps back, out from between your legs, and wipes the sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve. You look back at him with lustful, half-lidded eyes and he gives you a soft smile. You push yourself up so you can stand, and when you turn to face Tommy again, he looks confused.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“We’re done, aren’t we?”

Tommy chuckles and steps forward again, picking your skirt back up and pushing the bunched fabric into your hands to hold.

“You poor thing,” he says. “You haven’t gotten yours.”

His words surprise you. You wouldn’t say Tommy is a selfish man; self-interested is a better term. You expected this to be over once he was finished, but it seems that equal satisfaction is of importance to him.

He reaches between your legs and slips two fingers into your cunt, then rests his thumb on your clit. You gasp when he touches your bud, which is extra sensitive from the lack of attention. Tommy’s other arm wraps around your waist to hold you close, his lips brushing against your temple.

“Tommy,” you whimper when he curls his fingers inside you.

“So fuckin’ good for me. Guess all it took was a cock to keep you in line. God knows I would’ve done this ages ago if I knew. Think about all the times I could’ve had this sweet cunt when I settled for some whore,” he says, voice thick and sweet. “But now you’re mine.”

His possessiveness, combined with the perfectly placed touches under your dress, makes your head spin with pleasure. You let your head drop forward to rest on his shoulder and he pushes his face into your hair. You reach up to grab at his vest, needing something to ground yourself, lest you collapse into a puddle of pleasure on the office floor.

“I-I’m close, sir,” you struggle to get out between moans.

“What do good girls say?” he asks.

“Please.”

“Cum for me, dear,” he whispers.

As if he pulled a trigger, your release washed over you. Your muscles tighten and relax as the waves of pleasure rock you. Tommy rides you through it, not giving up his assault on your soaked pussy until you are squirming and pushing his hand away.

You lean back to rest on the desk as you find your breath and let your skirt drop down to the floor, covering up the mix of cum that wets your thighs. You watch as Tommy straightens out his clothes and fastens his belt, feeling slightly disappointed that you didn’t get to see more of him.

He joins you by the desk, reaching into the formerly-locked drawer and taking out the pack of smokes, as well as a matchbook from his pocket. He lights the cigarette and tosses the burnt match into his ashtray. He holds it with the two fingers that were inside of you and takes a drag, exhaling a plume of white smoke that swirls in the air in front of you. Tommy offers the cigarette to you but you decline with a shake of your head, and he doesn’t press.

“Do you smell that?” Tommy asks, breaking the silence. You sniff the air, mainly smelling smoke but there is the underlying musk of sex, as well as the intoxicating scent that Tommy wears. “That’s business,” he says, answering his own question.

“What do you mean?” you ask, turning to face him.

“We had a deal. I fuck you and you get to stay here, all your limbs intact.” You nod slowly, not quite understanding what he’s getting at. “I’d like to offer you a promotion.”

You perk up at that. Not an hour ago you were certain Tommy was going to shoot you where you stood, but now he’s offering you a higher-ranking position within the Blinders.

“I want you to be my personal assistant,” he says, a slight smirk on his lips. “No dirty work, no men. It’s an easy job, making my breakfast and bringin’ me whiskey, sorting my mail, writing my letters. Making appointments for me, keeping track of my calendar, making small talk with incredibly dull people I can’t be bothered with.”

“So I’d be your maid?”

“If maids get the added benefit of fuckin’ their bosses, then yes, you’ll be my maid,” he grins. “And you know what the best part is?” You shake your head. “You don’t get to lay a finger on my money.”

You look away from him, embarrassed. Tommy grabs ahold of your chin and makes you look back at him, his blue eyes boring into you once again.

“You can live in my house, I’ll buy you fancy things or whatever the fuck you wanted to do with two thousand pounds, and the only thing you’ll have to worry about is cleanin’ the blood from my shirts.”

You pretend to think over his offer, but really, there’s no question. This is better than any life you could attempt to start on your own, and you have the added bonus of being in the boss’ favor.

“I accept your offer,” you say with a smile.

“Good. Now let’s get out of here before you find another thing to steal,” he says, placing his hand on your lower back and leading you towards the door.

[johnpriceslamb]

I feel like having a hyper fem!reader would be really useful when it comes to cons and scams. Charm = Money

The image of going to any town and just absolutely leaving peoples pockets dry just by being a pretty doll they think they can play with when in truth you’re the one playing them. Arthur Morgan in the corner making sure nothing goes south yet getting a bit jealous of the men getting robbed.

caution !! mini babble , hyper-fem reader as usual -.- arthur being a bit jealous is a bit of an understatement ;3 , > 100 wordiez

⊹₊ ⋆ you were pretty .

too pretty, in fact— it makes Arthur’s blood boil .

How could Dutch ever think that this was a good idea to scheme money ? Sure, it was working — and sure, this was the most money they’ve gotten in a day, but … the way you looked at those bastards was similar to the way you look at him is making a vein pop in his head.

Long, dewy lashes tipped with puppy-like eyes — hot damn you were too pretty, it’s making his irritation very evident. He narrows his eyes at the way you presented yourself to those pigs, a soft click to the tongue which quietly drowns out immediately because of the constant chattering amongst the bar. He has to force himself to look away, otherwise he’ll end up dragging a man by the ear for even looking your way. Damnit he’s looking your way again and-

Ah. There she was. pixie-like hands ever so sneakily coming from behind and dragging that delicious looking wallet out of the man’s pockets and into hers. Though you looked innocent with all those laces ‘n bows, you were a bit too sneaky for his liking sometimes. Reason being is the amount of shirts borrowed (stolen) off of him and into your hand.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad of an idea but still.

“— I really must be going.. ‘m afraid the bow in my hair is about to fall ! Give me a minute to adjust this silly thing now, will you ?” Feigning panic of a girl wanting to keep their appearance pristine and delicate, your attempts are futile as the man whom you’ve pickpocketed unconsciously grabs your hand from behind at a painful grip, “But sugar, your hair looks fine—”

You shoot Arthur the look.

You dont dare mention to the man in front of you the way Arthur is striding towards him at a quick pace with his hand curled into a tight fist.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Miriam Hopkins (Design For Living, Trouble in Paradise)—miriam hopkins had great range as an actresses, truly a woman who could play a passionate outburst for either dramatic or comedic effect and sell the ever-loving hell out of it. she's wonderful in the witty and sophisticated comedies she made with ernst lubitsch, great examples of movies that could never have been made after the hays code; the frothy musical comedy the smiling lieutenant where she plays a naive princess who accidentally gets betrothed to maurice chevalier, the polyamory classic design for living where she gary cooper and hot vintage shadow king fredric march are a throuple, and the ineffably exquisite comedic masterpiece trouble in paradise in which she and hubert marshall are sexy jewel thieves trying to con sexy rich lady kay francis, but will emotional complications ensue???? watch to find out!!

Dorothy Dandridge (Carmen Jones, Porgy and Bess, Island in the Sun)— The first Black actress to ever be nominated for best actress, Dorothy Dandridge was a groundbreaking actress who deserved better. She started her career as a singer, being put in a song-and-dance duo with her sister by their stage mother, and singing in soundies (I highly recommend cow cow boogie, it's adorable), proto-music videos. She started appearing as a featured singer in films. Her star was on the rise and she soon became a star solo performer. She continued acting, but had limited options because she refused to do stereotypical roles. She finally landed a starring role in Bright Road in 1953, but it was the movie Carmen Jones that truly cemented her as a star and sex symbol. Not to sound cheesy, but she literally sizzles on screen. You can't help but understand how poor Harry Belafonte gets caught in her trap, just look at her. This is the role that got her that Oscar nom. She didn't win cause I mean #OscarsSoWhite, but she was a sensation and continued starring in films, despite troubles in her life (including a shitty director bf who fucked with her career and a traumatizing pregnancy/delivery). Outside of her filmwork, she was also an activist, fighting against racism. She left behind an amazing legacy, and continues to inspire many actresses to this day (including also very hot first (and only) black woman to win best actress, Halle Berry).

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

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Miriam Hopkins:

64.media.tumblr.com

She is an incredibly charismatic and versatile actress who brings a certain captivating je ne sais quois to each and every one of her roles that makes her impossible to ignore. Her pre-code films were considered quite risqué, with her part in a thrupple in Design For Living, and some saucy scenes they had to cut from Jekyll and Hyde. She also had a strong career in early television, so good that this queen literally has TWO Hollywood Stars, TWO!! One for TV and one for Film

Also she is Gorgeous, capable of being the girl nextdoor and also a stunning blonde bombshell. She's not as well known as some golden-age Hollywood stars but she's really incredible and I recommend everyone watch her films

In Trouble in Paradise she plays a pickpocket who flirts by stealing from her criminal boyfriend and I fell in love

Linked gifset

She's got this sly slouchy confidence that just draws you in. Almost no one wore 30s fashion as well as her

queen of the pre-code era. often her roles were of carefree, flirty and lighthearted but intelligent women. famously in the movie where she was part of a fredrich march/gary cooper throuple.

We all know that Design for Living is THE pre-code movie and she is so iconic in it. Her eyes are everythingggg. Also everyone look at her in a suit in She Loves Me Not please

A Frequent collaborator of Ernst Lubistch, Miriam Hopkins like up the screen in her comic roles, as is especially sexy in her pre-code performance in Design for Living; probably one of the first movies to showcase a coded polyamorous relationship. She toes the line between adorable and sexy, and had the acting chops to back it all up.

Dorothy Dandridge propaganda:

Beautiful actress and hand-working and talented singer, she's especially notable for the number of firsts she accomplished such as the first African-American woman to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the first African-American woman to appear on the cover of Life magazine.

Dorothy Dandridge was a classic Hollywood triple threat, singing, dancing, and acting with the best of them. She was the first African American nominated for an academy award for Best Actress for her role in Carmen Jones and she was just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

this og of black film needs no introduction (star on the hollywood walk of fame anyone?), voice of an angel, heavenly features, just an overall stunning lady :)

Look at her!!! She is so unbelievably charismatic in Carmen, it’s insane. Her chemistry with Harry Belafonte is off the charts, and every time she puts another outdoor [sic] on it’s like ‘oh god this is a whole new level of stunning’ 🥵. She was so so talented, when she’s on screen I genuinely dare you to tear your eyes away from her. Deserves to be known so much better but due to Hollywood racism and a tough personal life she didn’t make it as big as she should have done. She’s incredible.

First Black actress to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress! Was the first choice for the role of Cleopatra that went to Elizabeth Taylor (we were ROBBED).

[weirdmageddon]

some thoughts on dave lalonde

so note this isn’t a kidswap au, just a strilonde guardian swap au; a plausible au wherein dave’s meteor(s) are set to land in upstate new york and rose’s in houston tx where they are discovered by mom lalonde and bro strider respectively. so it’s not even really an “alternative universe” so much as “alternative circumstance” because that’s literally all that changes

their interests aren’t swapped; their interests are a natural result of a mix of what they were always predisposed towards (we can look at their post-scratch versions for constants) combined with their living environment. rose strider is still gothy and writes, knits, and has an interest in the zoologically dubious. perhaps rose might handcraft some delirious puppets for her brother-slash-ectofather’s enterprise as a “gift” in one-upmanship. probably has good rapport with the crows that fly into her ironic knockoff disney-princess themed bedroom (see the post i linked above) and get them to fuck with bro passively in exchange for peanuts. she also keeps all the things the crows gift her, pickpocketed shiny things and whatnot

dave lalonde is still the knight of time, still makes sbahj, likes photography, still loves cooking up unbelievably ill jams, still into post-ironic expression, however he’s not irony-poisoned by bro so he’s more comfortable being genuine. his interest in dead things and paleontology comes more to a forefront because of mom’s predilection towards science and genuine encouragement from her. after all she’s made many a mutant kitten herself

i feel like since dave fell to earth with maplehoof, crushing the pony instantly on impact, instead of using its hide to make a bib like a fucking weirdo, mom would paradox clone maplehoof. so dave has a pet pony with a ribbon and little pink heart on it. a knight needs a loyal steed. and hes been attached to maplehoof since his literal first few minutes of existing. so maplehoof wouldnt be bought anywhere, it would originate from itself

i mean he’s seen with the pony at his side in the post-scratch universe so…..

would make sense if the pony mom gifted to rose in canon was more of an involved thing with dave in this circumstance

the only issue is maplehoof cant become his sprite, otherwise that would break the timeloop (they need to come unaltered to earth with dave on the meteor in the first place during the reckoning). also [S] Ride with dave and the scarf would absolutely be a thing at some point

i was thinking maybe instead of a crow, since they aren’t as “everywhere” in upstate new york as they are in that high rise in texas, dave has something more prehistoric put into a sprite. like a parave theropod. can you imagine parave davesprite. maybe an archaeopteryx or something

i guess mom would indulge in a living museum/zoo for “domesticated” ancient organisms all jurassic parked like a weird ongoing experiment but the ectobiology wouldnt be perfect especially because the dna wouldnt be able to be fully read from fossils and specimens. i feel like jurassic park should be dave lalonde’s sort of in-universe media reference the way con air was with john and putting the bunny back in the box. like his friends would just rip on him for living out jurassic park in an imperfect domestic way

and he accidentally kills it through some fetch modus shenanigans. dave still has the bladekind strife specibus but not because he does rooftop battles but because swords are unironically cool, and flings it out the window by accident and it strikes one of the parave theropods in the enclosed zoo below outside his window and dave feels kinda bad

when jade sees it as his server player shes like “oh nooooo :(“ and dave is like “oh god no dont put that in the seizure kernel while i take a piss in one of the many fancy bathrooms this household has”

[the-modern-typewriter]

hii I was wondering if you wanted to do a snippet about a thief stealing from assassin/vigilante and then getting cornered later when they think they’ve gotten away

thank you sm I’ve always loved your writing <3

"Did you know," the voice said, "that they used to chop the hands off thieves?"

The thief whirled with a yelp.

Their mark caught their wrists, snake-quick, in an unyielding grip and smiled.

The thief's heart jumped into their throat.

"Did someone tell you to steal from me, little thief." Their not-so-victim swaggered a looming step closer, towering over them. "Or was it all your own idea? Think carefully."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They raised their brows. Their grip tightened.

The thief yanked at their hands, a gasp of pain on their lips.

Of course, they'd been caught before. Especially in the early days of their heisting career there had been moments when they'd ended up hurtling down the streets, zig-zagging, shouts rising behind them. But more and more...

Well, for one, they'd quickly stopped pickpocketing. Most of the people truly worth robbing weren't the sort casually strolling down the street with cash in the pockets. They lived in their own exclusive world, chaperoned from moment to moment in sleek cars. Being a proper thief, one that really made gold, was about fitting in. It was about persuading rich folk to hand over their money. It was a sleight of hand of confidence and hacking.

"I'd start with your little finger," their mark murmured, almost reverent. "Then start cutting the rest of those quick, clever digits."

The thief's mouth went sick-dry. Hangover, just-thrown-up, scorched.

"I'll give it back," the thief said.

"Better," their mark said, and brought the thief's hands up to their lips to press a kiss of thanks. "But not what I asked."

The thief thought they might pass out on the spot. Still. They squared their shoulders. They tried to look cool, and roguish, and like they could double-wield daggers. They couldn't.

"How did you find me? Who are you?"

"Not," the other sing-songed, "what I asked."

"My idea," the thief bit out. "Because you're a rich jerk."

Their mark didn't laugh, but the laugh tucked into the corners of their lips as they smiled.

"I'm Marauder."

The colour drained from the thief's face. Their hands went slack in the vigilante's hold. "No - but you -"

"You didn't know?" the vigilante asked. They clicked their tongue. "You should have deep-dived your research. Sloppy." Their gaze flicked over the thief. "Cute, but sloppy."

The thief gave a fervent shake of the head. In hindsight, it made a horrible amount of sense. A screwed up, non-parental Bruce Wayne sort of sense.

"See, when I steal from people," the vigilante said, "I steal from the bad guys. A Robin Hood act, if you like. But you...tut, tut."

"I said I'd give it back. I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry you got caught."

"No shit." It came out slightly hysterical. The thief felt a little hysterical. "I thought you were another rich asshole."

"Oh," the vigilante purred, "I'm definitely a rich asshole. Just not the worst out there."

The thief eyed them, warily. They knew, intellectually, that was true. In practice, news stories of violence and wrath and cut-throat justice flashed through their head. The vigilante was merciless in the pursuit of what they thought was right.

They wanted to say that stealing probably wasn't the worst thing ever, and the vigilante probably had way bigger priorities, but it wouldn't quite come out. Their hands felt very fragile.

"Which is why," the vigilante said, "I'm here instead of the police. I think I can use you. Your skills. We could make this city better."

"I don't think I want to rob the kind of people you fight. But thanks."

"Tough."

The thief swallowed. "You really should just send me to jail. Thanks."

The vigilante smiled again. "Is that really want you want?"

"You don't need me."

"No, but I want you. You're good. With me on your side, you could be the best. Consider it community service."

"I'm giving you your stuff back."

"Too late." The vigilante finally let go of their hands. "You steal from me, and I'll steal you back. We're going to have so much fun together, little thief."

[were-wolverine]

pjo x batkids

DICK & JAY

neither of them know they’re demigods, dick thought john grayson was his bio dad and jason thought catherine was his bio mom.

hermes met dick’s mom while she was traveling with the circus. he stayed with marie for about two years after dick was born (taking care of him while she performed) before leaving. a few years later she met john grayson and fell in love. she would often read dick greek myths but never told him about his parentage.

after dick’s parents die in gotham, he (10) is sent to juvie and then an orphanage, which he runs away from.

he survives on the streets for a few months by busking (performing tricks for money) and living in abandoned buildings that no one else can reach. he then meets 8 year old jason todd who is living with catherine and willis todd. they bond pretty much immediately and dick visits him every day. they do cons and steal tires together, plus dick is an expert pickpocket. he is there for jason when catherine and then willis die, and they live in willis’ shitty apartment together.

about a year later they are found by a satyr who explains that they are demigods and that there’s a summer camp for kids like them. they are VERY distrustful at first because that sounds crazy but also it’s a satyr so maybe they’re not lying. eventually they decide they might as well go, gotham is a shithole anyway.

they get to CHB without incident bc neither of them really attract monsters and the Gotham Stench hides their scents anyway. they are the first of the batkids to arrive at camp.

dick (11) is claimed by hermes about three weeks after arriving. him and jason (9) live at camp year-round. when he’s 16 dick becomes head counselor of hermes cabin.

JASON

son of athena. father unknown. was left on the streets and found by catherine todd, who convinced willis to take him in. he was living with them when he met dick. they immediately bonded and after jason is orphaned they live together, until a year later when a satyr finds them.

he’s not claimed for a while after arriving, but doesn’t really mind bc it means he gets to stay with dick. eventually claimed years later but still eats lunch with the hermes cabin cuz dick is his family.

CASS

hades/bruce meets lady shiva and falls in love with her deadliness. they have a child together but he has to abandon her bc the ‘no more kids’ pact the big 3 have.

sandra wu-san meets david cain while pregnant and tasks him with training her daughter. he agrees and lady shiva leaves soon after giving birth. cain does not know she’s a demigod. he trains her to be the perfect weapon and hades/bruce can do nothing about it without alerting his brothers to her existence.

her powers manifest after the first time she kills someone (at 8), and she runs away. she travels across the world for years until a satyr finds her and brings her to CHB. she (10) is claimed soon after, and enjoys living alone in the hades cabin. chiron and babs teach her how to read and speak, even tho she’s learned a bit over the years. she arrives a year after dick (12) & jason (10)

TIM

athena met jack and janet drake at one of their archeological digs, and admired their intellect. she gave them tim as a gift. jack and janet spent the first few years of his life at home with him, until they decided he was old enough to join them on their travels. he was an incredibly smart child and was very self-sufficient, so it didn’t cause them any trouble. he didn’t go to school, but had a tutor that accompanied them on their trips.

when he is 10 his parents die in a plane crash that he survives. after their funeral, he ditches NYC (where they were buried) and athena sends an owl to guide him to camp. he arrives at CHB about a year after cass (11) and 2 years after dick (13) & jason (11). he is jay’s favorite bio sibling.

STEPH

daughter of hermes. raised by crystal brown in gotham until a satyr finds her (11) and brings her to camp. frequently exchanges letters with her mom. arrives a year after tim (11), two years after cass (12), and three years after dick (14) and jason (12)

claimed few months after arriving at camp. she is dick’s favorite bio sibling

DUKE

son of apollo. one of the rare apollo children that can control light. raised by his mom in newark until they were attacked by a monster and his mom was injured.

he left in order to keep her safe, and went to CHB (which apollo had told her about, and she told duke about). he keeps in contact with her through letters and iris messages. he is claimed about a month after arriving at camp. he (11) arrives two years after steph (13), three years after tim (13), four years after cass (14) and five years after dick (16) and jason (14)

DAMIAN

similar to lady shiva, bruce/hades is captivated by talia’s deadliness. they have a child together, which she tries to hide from ra’s, but he soon finds out and learns he is a demigod. to him, this makes him even more fit to ascend the demon throne (the LoA is a cult, and the lazarus pit is magic).

damian is trained to defeat monsters and humans alike, and is gifted a stygian iron sword for his fifth birthday. bruce/hades had told talia about CHB, and she is finally able to send damian there when he is 10.

he arrives three years after duke (14), five years after steph (16), six years after tim (16), seven years after cass (17), and eight years after dick (19) and jason (17)

BABS

has been at CHB since she was 13, the same year dick & jason arrived. she is the new oracle of delphi. basically rachel elizabeth dare. is 21 when damian arrives. was paralyzed at 16 when she tried to interfere with a prophecy, and has been in a wheelchair since

HELENA

daughter of ares, became a Hunter of Artemis at 16 (the year duke arrived at CHB)

[ruushes]

1, 22 and 24 for the dark urge questions!!

thank you for so much to consider these are great questions >:)c

24. they start the game with literally nothing but their clothes but they're a lifelong magpie and quickly develop a collection! they keep most of the jewelry they find (urchin background holdover) as well as objects with memories attached and things they just enjoy, here's some of what they've acquired through act 1

other two under the cut!

Class/subclass - rogue assassin. rather than being taken in by the cult right after killing their foster family i hc that they grew up as an outer city orphan, having to provide for themself, which meant a lot of stealing, pickpocketing, not getting caught, running simple cons, sneaking into places for shelter. they joined the Guild in their late teens and did Professional Rogue Shit for a couple years, starting w smaller stuff and then finding a niche in assassination and interrogations. this was their backstory before i made them also a Bhaalspawn so they have no excuse really they’re just good at killing and do it for fun and profit 😂

first impression - im pretty sure that Bhaalspawn have canonically bad vibes and i think especially in the early game, being dissociated from their identity and in constant pain and relearning how to be a person, they unnerve most of the people they meet at first. they’re actually pretty good at putting people at ease after that - friendly, casual, curious - but they’re pretty intimidating at first glance

[redfurrycat]

🏃❄️⚡💎Coldflash Fic Recs 💎⚡❄️🏃

🏃⚡Coldflash Goodies to Read❄️💎

Ao3 Authors: A_once_and_future_love, Alexis_Tenshi, Anonymous, AriesOfBlue, Avengersincamphalfbloodstardis, Barrylen, Blueelvewithwings, CallMeHopeless, Canthelpmyselves, Captain_Giggles, ColdSerenity, Crestfaller, Crimson1, Crystalblinks, Enina, Exasperatedmoron, Flye, Grimmfairy, ImaKaraTabiHe, Indiepjones46, Lutavero, MissSugarPlum, Mistvalkyrie, Mockingbird_22, Niennavalier, Nirejseki, NoelleAngelFyre, QLaLa, RedHead, Relenafanel, Saruma_aki, Simplicity, StarlightDreamer16, StillNotGinger10, Sugarybowl, Swing Set in December, Thundersnow.

The Seduction of Leonard Snart by saruma_aki {T}

Barry decided that using pick-up lines on one Leonard "What Is A Relationship" "What Is Flirting" Snart was a good way to pass the time.

The Honeypot by StillNotGinger10 {G}

Lisa laughed, a chiming, delicate sound that she’d once needed to practice for hours before it sounded right. “That’s no problem. I’d love to hear about your crush, as long as it isn’t Cisco.” She finished by sending a coy look Cisco’s way and ducking her head. He and Barry shared another look. He was eating up her act hook, line, and sinker. Barry gave an awkward laugh of his own. “Ha no, no. It’s—I’m not—really, I’m not crushing on anyone.” “Only Captain Cold,” Caitlin said before sipping her drink with a smirk still on her lips. Lisa goes to the bar planning on conning The Flash's friend, Cisco. As the night goes on, she learns a lot more than she bargained for.

Shovel Talk by nirejseki {_}

Barry warned him that people might try to give Len the shovel talk, now that Barry had decided to bring his and Len's year-old relationship into the light. Len never said he was going to be nice about letting them.

Chocolate, Roses and New Running Shoes by blueelvewithwings {T}

Barry has a secret admirer that leaves gifts for him to find every single day. The more this goes on, the more Barry falls for whoever is trying to woo him. The closer to Valentine's Day it gets, the more nervous Barry becomes: Will his admirer reveal themselves on that day?

Everybody else is second best by barrylen {T}

Barry couldn't stop sneaking glances at Leo and Ray. Leo had a plan, of course.

Hero Worship by canthelpmyselves {M}

When it appears that Barry may be flirting with one of his hostages, Len's jealousy gets the better of him.

You're A Criminal (As Long As You're Mine) by NoelleAngelFyre {T}

By the third visit, they've officially established a pattern. Following the death of Lewis Snart and his son's incarceration, Barry copes with the feeling of injustice by paying his nemesis a visit behind bars. Before long, a couple random visits has turned into something more. Something much more than either probably expected.

The Thought of You by StillNotGinger10 {G}

Growing up with the words ‘The red leather looks hot. Too bad I'll have to cool him off.’ scrawled across his arm was the most embarrassing thing Barry could think of. Yet that’s what his soulmate’s first thought would be when they finally came face to face. Everyone was born with their soulmate’s first thought when meeting them written somewhere on their body, and Barry’s words were certainly the most embarrassing soul words that he’d ever seen.

I think I love You by Aquafolie, Thundersnow {T}

When struck by a metahuman’s abilities, Barry suddenly, and uncontrollably, can only speak in songs. To save him the embarrassment, everyone agrees that he should be left alone for a while… at least until the effects have worn off. Captain Cold, however, didn’t get the memo. . Or the time when Barry accidentally serenades Len.

Lullabies for Little Criminals by crestfaller {T}

Leonard Snart: Pickpocket Extraordinaire. Robber of ATM’s. Destroyer of the Oculus. Best thief Central City has or will ever see. Then, due to tampering with his own timeline, Rip Hunter informs Len that he’s become a father back in 2016. Now it’s Leonard Snart: Owner of Minivan. Keeper of a fleet of what seems like an ever-expanding amount of toy soldiers. Father to four-year-old son that’s so enamored by the Flash that he can’t decide if it’s not funny or absolutely hysterical. And he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.

You Are The One And Only by CallMeHopeless {T}

Five times Len gets called 'Lenny' and hates it. One time he actually kind of likes it. Warning: Leonard Snart is in serious danger. He might need a bite guard.

Out Cold by Crimson1 {M}

Captain Cold's plan for a bit of fun with his nemesis results in more than he bargained for when a head wound from dashing to Flash's rescue leaves him without any memories of who he or The Flash is. As Barry nurses Len back to health, both of them quickly start to hope that he never remembers being Captain Cold as the attraction they feel for each other turns into something more without the pitfalls of being enemies to stand in their way. AU with everything having happened up to the Season 1 finale, except Eddie shot Eobard instead of himself, killing him, and the singularity didn’t happen.

Love Me by sinplicity {M}

A meta-human with Cupid-like powers whammies Barry to fall in love with the first person he sees. Just his luck it happened to be Captain Cold. (“He hasn’t let go of me for almost an hour,” says Len, focusing his steel on Cisco, who shrinks considerably. “’Cause I love you,” says Barry beside him, his teeth gleaming as he grins. He tries to kiss Len again—god, the seventh time?)

Green tea and cranberry scones by grimmfairy {_}

Another coffee shop AU. Len is waiting in line for his coffee when he witnesses a rude customer get taken down a peg by the owner. A take on "I want to speak with the manager!" "I am the manager."

Seeking Comfort by ColdSerenity {E}

Barry's life is changing as he finally starts college, but he still continues to harbor feelings for Iris. After meeting senior Leonard Snart who is in a similar situation, they begin to use one another for comfort. Unfortunately, things quickly turn very serious for Barry, and he is left to wonder where Len stands in this 'make believe' relationship.

The Frozen Heart of the Sea by Mistvalkyrie {E}

Captain Cold’s idyllic pirate life will get threatened when his cursed frozen heart gets stolen by a mysterious hazel-eyed prisoner during a voyage to raid the legendary and lost city of Atlantis.

Realm of Darkness by Mistvalkyrie {E}

Barry was a young god craving chaos and Leonard was the deadly king of the Underworld seeking peace. A Hades/Persephone AU with powers/Greek Mythology

Tumbling Together by RedHead {M}

When Barry and Len discover that they’ve accidentally become neighbors, they learn to navigate their new living situation amongst misunderstandings and a surprising amount of common ground. AKA the fun-as-it-comes Neighbors!AU which turns into a Pretend Relationship!AU filled with tropes, hijinks, and some vague notion of a plot.

Got A Melancholic Temperament (that's what they said to me) by RedHead {E}

A new meta with a strange ability has public opinion divided on whether she’s a menace or a miracle-worker. The jury’s still out on the matter when the Snart siblings get caught in her crosshairs. Or: Leonard and Lisa end up temporarily de-aged. It’ll wear off, but in the meantime, Team Flash has to figure out what the heck to do with them and how to keep them safe. Inviting them to live at the West house seems like a natural, if terrible, solution.

Commander Cold by Thundersnow {T}

Cisco was sitting in front of the computers with his back to Len, as usual, as Barry hovered around in front of the engineer. Except, right now Barry currently had dark blond hair and was dressed in a blue parka with a version of the cold gun attached to his thigh. The younger man looked over at Len in the doorway and his big eyes went wide. "Are you mocking me, Barry?" Len drawled, raising an eyebrow in question and trying not to laugh at the image of the Flash dressed as a supervillain. The team are surprised to find a time traveller from the future that shares a striking resemblance to one Barry Allen. But… if he is the Flash’s son… then why is he wearing Captain Cold’s gear?

what the future holds by  avengersincamphalfbloodstardis {T}

While Barry is helping out on a mission aboard the Waverider, he and Len are shown a glimpse into their future.

rumor has it by QLaLa {T}

Leonard knew that a surprise visit from Henry Allen’s son was going to open him up to all kinds of unwanted questions from the other denizens of Iron Heights. In hindsight, he should’ve expected some of those questions to come from Henry Allen himself.

Social Call by Captain_Giggles {T}

The Waverider is busted again, leaving the Legends temporarily stranded in another time. Len is not happy. Gideon to the rescue!

Cold Communication by crystalblinks {G}

If there was Len hated more than being called a hero, it was Rip Hunter. Len knew real heroes, ones that had sacrificed so much to help out others. Rip wasn’t a hero, he was selfish. So Len made it his mission to annoy the fuck out of him as long as they were on the Waverider.

Cleaner Cold by AriesOfBlue {T}

“So let me get this straight.” Cisco said, waving a spoon at him from his computer chair. “Snart is your cleaner, has been for a month, and it’s fine?” “Actually, yeah.” Barry shrugged while answering Cisco. His nonchalance would be concerning, except it really was fine. Surprisingly fine. “The place was spotless on the first day. I had no idea my windows could let in so much light.” “A: that’s what windows are supposed to do. B: that’s what cleaners do, make things clean and shiny.” “Clean and Smart.” Cisco rolled his eyes. It was impressive how he put his whole body into it. OR Barry is not a manchild despite what Iris says, Len is a cleaner at Clean and Smart and Barry has a point to prove about Jitters coffee (and Len uses eco friendly cleaning products!)

Of Time Travel and Other Disasters by Enina {M}

Rip Hunter wants to use time travel to save the world. Barry wants to punch him for it.

Barry + Lisa = Best Friends by exasperatedmoron {G}

To everyone in Barry and Lisa's lives, the two were nemesis (or more specifically, a hero and his nemesis's sister). To each other, they were best friends. A pair of superhero/supervillain best friends with a penchant for makeup, dress up and gossiping about their cold-themed villain/brother.

The Prince and the Ice King by Crimson1 {E}

For 200 years, the Emerald Kingdom has sent the dreaded Ice King a sacrifice each Winter Solstice. A corrupt soul is chosen, whether a criminal, a deviant who lusts sinfully, or someone touched by magic. Prince Barry has always loathed this tradition, partly because he lusts in sin himself, dreaming of love with another man instead of a future queen, but he can handle the sacrifices no longer when his best friend, Cisco, is chosen, called a witch for seeing visions. If necessary, Barry will kill the Ice King himself to rescue his friend, but while he hopes for a peaceful resolution, he is not prepared for what he finds in the Frozen Kingdom.

I'll Believe in Anything by Swing Set in December {G}

High school is stressful for Barry Allen. Especially if Leonard Snart insists on carrying your books.

Flight Risk by nirejseki {_}

When Henry Allen is brought into Iron Heights for the first time, Leonard Snart is twenty-two years old, sick of his cellmate, and bored half to death.

Rich Man's World by nirejseki {_}

Everyone knows that money makes the world go round - and Leonard Snart, full-time thief and part-time accountant, is going to personally kill the guy who just inherited STAR Labs if he doesn't sign his goddamn tax returns already.

Spousal Privileges (and other such secrets) by StarlightDreamer16 {T}

“My apologies, Captain Hunter, but that information is–” “Above my clearance level. Yes, Gideon, I am quite aware.” Rip pressed his forehead against the screen for a moment. “If you tell me that one more time, I swear I’ll shut you off.” “You are not authorised to access my main power controls in that way. -- Turns out, whoever created Gideon made some unexpected choices regarding who can and cannot override direct orders from Captain Hunter.

Green is not Len's color. by canthelpmyselves {M}

Len knows his Scarlet Speedster. Intelligent? Yes. Handsome? Undoubtedly. Heroic? Absolutely. Straight? Of cour... um wait! Is that Barry on a date with a guy???

Come on be my baby by lutavero {G}

Earth2!Len is the Mayor of CC who tries to woo Earth2!Barry during political fundraisers to no avail.

Putting Things in Perspective by niennavalier {T}

The one time Leonard Snart didn't mean to steal something, and the five people who witnessed the crime. Or, alternatively: The five people who witness Leonard Snart and Barry Allen finding out they're Soulmates in the middle of the Precinct, and the one person stuck in interrogation trying to pretend none of it had happened.

Face Blind by nirejseki {_}

Barry's just a regular CSI. Totally 100% boring, normal, and standard. Except for the fact that he's dating a supervillain. (Prompt: Barry's just a regular CSI, and he takes his super villain fiance to his high school reunion. Maybe Len scaring the crap outta Woodward?)

Hokey Religions and Ancient Weapons by A_once_and_future_love {T}

May the Speed Force be with you.

I Smell You, Too by CallMeHopeless {T}

Draco is happy with his job as potions master. He likes the day when he gets to teach his students the Amortentia potion best. Trust a handful of Slytherins and Gryffindors make him overthink his choices.

2016 by StillNotGinger10 {G}

“Too bad you can’t call a phone in 2016, Gideon,” Len mused aloud. “Then, you’d be perfect.” “I may not be able to connect to a phone, Mr. Snart, but I can contact anyone with access to the version of my software that resides in that time period,” came Gideon’s even tones over the speakers, making Len straighten up in interest. “Are you telling me,” he asked, “that there is a Gideon in 2016?” Was that possible? Wasn’t the AI an invention of the future? Why didn’t he know about this? Why hadn’t he stolen it yet? He knew about everything worth stealing in his time. “A time traveler brought his version of the Gideon AI interface with him to the early 2000s. Although he is no longer in that time period, the computer program he brought with him remains active in STAR Laboratories in your time.” Len took a moment to process that before speaking. When he did, he drawled, “The Flash has his own Gideon.” Of course, if anyone were to have an AI from the future it would be the do-gooders of Team Flash and not someone like Len, who would actually use it to its full potential. He snorted. “That’s fitting.”

A Friendly Kidnapping by StillNotGinger10 {G}

After Flashpoint, the Time Bureau decides the timeline is safer without The Flash in it. Now, it's up to The Legends to take Barry out of the timeline so that the Bureau can't wipe him from existence while Team Flash finds a solution. Between babysitting and dealing with bureaucrats, The Legends think they have the easier job. How hard could watching a teenaged Barry Allen be anyway?

Sweet Mistakes by ImaKaraTabiHe, Nixie_DeAngel {T}

Working in a chocolate shop around Valentine's Day is insanely exhausting. Luckily Barry has his favorite customer to cheer him up. Or does he...?

Time in a Bottle by indiepjones46  {E}

AU where Barry saves Len's life from the Oculus explosion and they fall in love.

[keep us together] by Anonymous  {M} {T}  {G}

Barry Allen discovers he’s the proud parent of a ten year old, but between work and his responsibilities as the Flash, there’s only so many people he can trust to watch her in his absence. He doesn’t expect Leonard Snart to be one of them and he certainly doesn’t expect more.

Timeless by Crimson1 {E}

A voice in the Speed Force reaches Barry in his Timeless state to convince him to come home. Barry misses that voice once he’s back in real-time, but he has to set things right and save as many lives as he can. While that means Iris will be with Eddie instead of him, he can’t mourn her. She’ll always be dear to him, but he wants her to be happy above all, and he has seen every timeline and knows the life and love he will get to have instead. He just needs to keep fighting to finish his calculations in time to defeat Eobard and return to his loved ones for good. Thankfully, a certain thief brings clarity like no one else can. AU season 1 with Barry from pre-season 4.1 returning from the Speed Force to the moment he woke up from his original coma.

You Stole My Heart by Thundersnow {E}

There is a new thief in Central City, someone who can move at extraordinary speeds, and Len can’t help but be intrigued by his new competition . “The name’s Captain Cold. And I’d love to stay and catch up,” Len drawled, stepping away. “But I really have to run. See you around, Kid.” “What? I don’t get a codename?” The speedster muttered and Len noticed a smile on his face. Good. This would be more fun if they were both enjoying the game. “If you want a cool nickname, then you’ve got to earn it, Kid.” Len, knowing he only had another 53 seconds until the ice-like substance around the speedster’s feet became pliable enough for him to break free, turned on his heel and strode out of the building with the diamond necklace in his gloved hand.

Absolute Matchmaker by Crimson1 {M}

Len has been reconnecting with the son he never knew existed ever since Christmas. He doesn’t plan to turn a new leaf but wants to be a good father, the main rule being that Michael stay far away from anything related to Captain Cold. Which would have worked out perfectly if they hadn’t run into Barry Allen. Turns out Barry used to tutor Michael in college and considers him a friend, but the only excuse Len can think of for why he and Barry know each other is that they dated—which on its own would be bad enough, but now Michael is set on getting Barry and Len back together when they were never together in the first place. Meanwhile, a mystery thief is after Michael’s research on absolute zero. The theft might be the perfect excuse to get Len and Barry together, but it also introduces Michael to dangers Len hoped he’d never know firsthand. OR the fake dating, Michael Snart matchmaker AU.

Puns and Plumage: a Tale of a Tail by Alexis_Tenshi {E}

All things considered, Len thinks, getting whammied and ending up sprouting an actual peacock tail isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to him. He’s otherwise fine and everything else seems normal. Though if Mick doesn’t stop laughing at him, Len is going to punch him in the face. And the way Barry is staring at Len is a little odd. Then Barry touches Len’s tail, and oh. Oh.

The Winter Lightning by Mistvalkyrie {E}

A new threat was coming to Central Kingdom and Prince Bartholomew Henry Allen was in need of new alliances to defeat Zoom, so when his most trusted advisors propose an arranged marriage with the coldhearted King Leonard Snart of the Winter Realm he agrees feeling it was his responsibility if he wanted to protect his country and family. Coldflash/Medieval AU with Powers

Cold Reunion by Alexis_Tenshi {E}

After Barry’s mother was killed and father arrested, Barry was placed in an orphanage for metahuman children. Len, another young meta there, befriended him and helped him survive. Once Joe’s application to adopt Barry finally went through, Barry and Len lost contact. But Barry never forgot Len. Years later, Barry became a CSI and Leonard Snart was a powerful mob boss. Barry thought he’d never see Len again, much less become close to him. But then Barry found himself framed for a horrible crime he didn’t commit. Barry didn’t know if Len would remember him, or have any reason to help him. But Barry had no one else to turn to.

Detective Hot (to Trot) by relenafanel {T}

Iris gets a minor crush on Detective Leonard Snart. Joe gets overprotective and points out that the Detective's type is more BARRY than her. Barry's dick emotions take interest.

The Tales of Michael Snart's Kidnappings by Mockingbird_22  {T}

Michael Snart, son of the notorious Leonard Snart AKA Captain Cold, gets kidnapped on five separate occasions by Central City's criminals. It's up to The Flash to save him, but Barry might just end up getting more than he bargained for.

in the tired hands of dusk by sugarybowl {M}

The last thing Barry needs on top of all this drama is a hot dad.

An All Too Jagged Snowflake by RedHead {E}

When Leonard and Barry discover that they're Soulmates, they struggle with the many, many issues this causes. It might be easier without the collective difficulties of the Rogues, a meta-gorilla, and the military, but life has never been simple for either of them.

Dirty Little Secret by CallMeHopeless {T}

Leonard Snart loves the television show Doctor Who. Enough that he goes looking for like-minded people on the internet. He finds one person in particular, that he likes and they e-Mail each other.

A Thief and a Prince by ColdSerenity {M}

A thief makes a deal with the king to care for his son, the only problem... That said prince may have stolen the thief's heart.

Dandelion by ColdSerenity {T}

Len has been in love since he was six with Barry, who has no idea he exists... or does he?

Scars and Sweets by Alexis_Tenshi {M}

Barry didn’t believe the ‘survivors with scars’ support group would help, not really. But he went because his mom wanted him to. If his going made her worry about him less, even a little, then it was worth it. If he made a friend or two that could understand some of what he was going through, that was just an unexpected bonus. In the end, he got much more than he had dared hope for.

Hailstorm by Crimson1 {T}

A freak accident caused by a mysterious speedster in blue ignites an explosion of the speed force and Captain Cold's gun, changing The Flash's nemesis and their perspectives on each other forever.

he's my latest accessory (wanna carry him 'round all over town) by RedHead, Swing Set in December {T}

Having a dual identity has never been so frustrating.

A Model Escort by Crimson1 {M}

Barry Allen just got out of a long-term relationship he wants to forget. Lucky for him, his new career in Star City allows him to start over hundreds of miles from his ex. The only problem is...he's lonely and terrible at starting new relationships. He just wishes that part of his life could be easier. Leonard Snart is an escort for Nick of Time Escort Service. He is especially picky about the clients he takes on, but lately, he's felt like something is missing from his life. He doesn't usually take on regulars looking for companionship more than sex, but the right client might be able to change his mind. OR Len is an escort and Barry needs someone to hold him - no powers AU.

"Freeze!" And Other Temperature-Related Puns by flye {G}

The one where Barry and Leonard can't stop pulling cold puns in their banter and before they know it they're full-on flirting with eachother. Who knew the way to a man's heart was cold hard cash puns?

The Dragon Temple by ColdSerenity {M}

Being a Keeper sounds amazing to Barry. You get to care and play with dragons all day. The only risk is if one bonds with you... but he is pretty sure that won't happen. Too bad there is a certain blue-eyed dragon that thinks otherwise.

A/B/O Werewolf Triads by Alexis_Tenshi {E}

Wolves were most content in a triad relationship. The balance between Alpha, Beta, and Omega created mutual happiness for the mated three. But that didn't mean it was easy to find the right people to bond with.

[irresistible] by MissSugarPlum {T}

just to keep me out of trouble

“And you stole his wallet,” Simmons huffs, throwing his hands into the air exasperatedly. “Why am I even surprised?” “I really have no idea,” Len replies absently, drinking in the man’s grinning face in the tiny picture, committing every detail to memory.  Bartholomew Allen. What a name, Len thinks wryly to himself.

so you got relationship goals

“So you had enough time to ask some random hot guy out on a date, but not enough to actually get his name?” “...Yes?” Iris looks equal parts impressed and unimpressed. “What am I going to do with you, Barry Allen,” she mutters.

[the-mcyt-crackships-brackets]

i really like clownscar and part of it is because clown has a Thing for guys who seem pathetic. note that i said SEEM -- branzy is hardly incompetent, and crucially neither is scar.

clown thinks he's going to have just some guy, just some wet cat. another trophy builder or what have you. what he GETS is someone roughly twice as unhinged as he is who will con the shit out of you if you let your guard down for all of five seconds. scar pickpockets clown when they kiss and it's obvious the first time. clown threatens him about it. he never catches scar pickpocketing him again but his wallet is still missing two days later.

i cannot stress enough how important it is to me that these two get in an "in love and also there's no escape from each other and the hole they dug" situationship IMMEDIATELY. i would say cubfan tried to warn clown but let's be real he absolutely did not.

the odds on whether clown gets eaten or recruited by the vex are like 60/40.

Yep👍

Vote clownscar!

[ssk374]

Spoilers for White Collar...

Lol...so I had an argument with someone on reddit comment section...now i don't blame that person to an extent because the post made might have been a bit triggering as it was a typical "I am annoyed by season 5 peter ....blah blah blah and called out his hypocrisy and stuff" and I can understand this person as a peter fan wanted to defend him...also I myself don't hate peter season 5 peter...was annoyed? Yes, I was super annoyed despite it being the most compelling (to me) character arch peter had as compared to other seasons...i mean he has a similar arch in every season (it's complicated...i'm saying it in the sense that it was tragic and hurtful but also very beautiful...I'll make another separate post explaining what could've been peter's thought process during the whole time and why he reacted the way he did...

But the disgusting part is the way they tried to pull down Neal, blame him for things that weren't even his fault and dehumanize him. I hope they said whatever they said just for the sake of the argument and didn't really mean that in real. Also Peter is a very nice guy and friend, also one of the few people who actually cares about Neal...but in season 5, he was being a hypocrite until Diana called him out about it...

This post wouldn't contain that part of the argument that involves James ...cause that was way more horrible...post it separately

This is where it started...it's how they phrased and twisted things which pissed me off... Neal "got" El kidnaped...Neal "let" James get away...also comparing a fight/fallout between two friends to why neal didn't fight james...Neal "uses" Peter...(and i'll discuss the james part later)

As much as it pissed me off...I was like okayyy calm down, this person is just trying to defend Peter.

But as you can guess few of us were quick to point out certain things,

Then they responded with this...

Did peter do stuff for Neal beyond the deal, yes but, the whole peter did more for neal is stupid...peter did everything he could for neal and so did neal do for peter...peter cares about neal and so does neal care about peter... it is very dehumanizing to reduce or diminish everything Neal did as "he was supposed to do it", "that's the deal" ...one because Neal did stuff beyond the deal for Peter too, Neal's deal did not include, i'll give up my full share of oxygen for you during a case, I will run like a manic through a shower of bullets to distract the gun men because peter needs back up...and two he isn't solving cases just because he is supposed to but puts his heart and soul for it every single time.

It's how everything Neal did for Peter is forgotten and suddenly he is just a random criminal...certain audiences and peter.

Yet when I pointed this out they ignored it and started to argue about other stuff (cause they knew they didn't have any logical response to it...lol)...they responded with i was stretching everything neal did...some shit like that...again did we watch the same show??

Also I don't know if we even watched the same show cause it was more than just pickpocketing and conning for cases, lol...they did so much more than that...and then twist the cases to catch the criminals...

There is this scene in season 5 where neal acts cheerful and childish around david siegel and tells peter that things are nice with siegel and he actually likes him, peter tells neal to be careful and neal suddenly changes his mood and says he knows what people are doing to him when they act nice to him...I'm saying this cause neal knows what people talk and think about him...he knows how certain other people dehumanize him while his life is already a tragedy...(though i wish siegel hadn't been killed off to soon...)

I mean if people who've watched the whole show, have these kind of opinions especially when the a part of the show was about not dehumanizing neal... again i'm not saying this person in completely wrong (because everything peter did for neal should be acknowledged), but certain things just seemed to go over their head...like why do you have to dehumanize neal?? I can only imagine what other agents and people in the show must've thought about neal and neal would have been hurting a lot from the inside unable to express it. (I'm mature enough to understand he is a fictional character but still)

But also this is a good content for fanfics (because this is pushing me to complete my fanfics)...lol like this is a typical antagonist or side agent from another division of FBI??

I'll upload the james part of the argument soon...

[sakebytheriver]

I just love that the spectrum of main character introductions in Stargate goes from Jonas Quinn to Vala Mal Doran, really going from cinnamon roll to sinnamon roll.

SG1 adopted a golden retriever puppy from a reputable genius wizkid breeder and then picked up a feral cat in a back alleyway that tried to kill them multiple times, it is a crime the two of them never met, Vala would have adored Jonas mostly because he would be so much fun to mess with and the fact that there is no way in hell Jonas wouldn't hang on that woman's every word, like she'd launch into a longwinded story about a heist or a con she pulled off and everyone else in the room would roll their eyes and sigh meanwhile Jonas has big bright puppy dog eyes listening to her wax poetic about stealing some powerful ancient artifact even asking her questions about the heist and taking notes, breaking out one of her pickpocketing moves in the middle of a mission and then revealing what he stole from the enemy to be met with great pride from Vala and much chagrin from the rest of the team as she corrupts their ingénue even if it was exactly what they needed to get out of the jam they found themselves in and anyways what I'm saying is Jonas would appreciate Vala's skills on the same level as he appreciated everyone else's because he recognized the amount of years she put into becoming an expert in conartistry the same way Sam became an expert in astrophysics and Daniel became an expert in archeology and also the dynamic between Vala and Jonas would be "someone will die" "of fun!" and I don't honestly know who would be who in that scenario, but I know it would be the two of them and the rest of the team beleagueredly dealing with their overgrown genius child and the corrupting vodka aunt energy of their resident conartist

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Miriam Hopkins (Design For Living, Trouble in Paradise)—miriam hopkins had great range as an actresses, truly a woman who could play a passionate outburst for either dramatic or comedic effect and sell the ever-loving hell out of it. she's wonderful in the witty and sophisticated comedies she made with ernst lubitsch, great examples of movies that could never have been made after the hays code; the frothy musical comedy the smiling lieutenant where she plays a naive princess who accidentally gets betrothed to maurice chevalier, the polyamory classic design for living where she gary cooper and hot vintage shadow king fredric march are a throuple, and the ineffably exquisite comedic masterpiece trouble in paradise in which she and hubert marshall are sexy jewel thieves trying to con sexy rich lady kay francis, but will emotional complications ensue???? watch to find out!!

Joan Fontaine (Rebecca, Suspicion, Ivanhoe)— Check out the screen tests of other actresses for Rebecca to fully grasp how subtly and effectively she plays the role. Competence porn! Good acting before the method!

This is round 2 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]

Miriam Hopkins:

She is an incredibly charismatic and versatile actress who brings a certain captivating je ne sais quois to each and every one of her roles that makes her impossible to ignore. Her pre-code films were considered quite risqué, with her part in a thrupple in Design For Living, and some saucy scenes they had to cut from Jekyll and Hyde. She also had a strong career in early television, so good that this queen literally has TWO Hollywood Stars, TWO!! One for TV and one for Film

Also she is Gorgeous, capable of being the girl nextdoor and also a stunning blonde bombshell. She's not as well known as some golden-age Hollywood stars but she's really incredible and I recommend everyone watch her films

In Trouble in Paradise she plays a pickpocket who flirts by stealing from her criminal boyfriend and I fell in love

queen of the pre-code era. often her roles were of carefree, flirty and lighthearted but intelligent women. famously in the movie where she was part of a fredrich march/gary cooper throuple.

Linked gifset

She's got this sly slouchy confidence that just draws you in. Almost no one wore 30s fashion as well as her

We all know that Design for Living is THE pre-code movie and she is so iconic in it. Her eyes are everythingggg. Also everyone look at her in a suit in She Loves Me Not please

A Frequent collaborator of Ernst Lubistch, Miriam Hopkins like up the screen in her comic roles, as is especially sexy in her pre-code performance in Design for Living; probably one of the first movies to showcase a coded polyamorous relationship. She toes the line between adorable and sexy, and had the acting chops to back it all up.

Joan Fontaine:

ABSOLUTELY too hot to have played Jane Eyre like what were they thinking.

[avionvadion]

For as unhinged and brutal as October is going to be, January to... (looks at my notes)... Early Febuary is going to be so very chaotic and fun.

Reason being? Skully (depending on how the event ends) and Fellow/Gidel are going to be in Ramshackle. Everyone has to live with them. Eleanora has to figure out how to handle them. All immediately after returning from the Glorious Masquerade at Noble Bell College.

And it's mostly going to pertain of Fellow pestering her constantly to help him understand what on earth the textbooks are trying to teach him, answer various questions about how to read a specific word, and overall helping him with study guides- which actually helps her in the end, too, since she's not from that world- and teaching Gidel the alphabet, which she actually enjoys because he's a really sweet kid, and when she's not helping Gidel then Skully probably is per request of Eleanora.

Also Eleanora just acting as Fellow's "conscience" because he falls back into his habit of conning people and pickpocketing them and every time she has to be like, "Do you want to pass the test? Do you want me to teach you how to read the thing? Stop it." And he's like, "You drive a hard bargain, lil' lady," because Fellow is older than her but she's the "dorm leader" of Ramshackle and the official big sister/mother figure of NRC because damn it this school needs therapists but here she is doing it all unpaid anyways.

But back to the point! VDC.

El ends up being appointed by Vil to be the group "Manager". She mostly just takes pictures and offers advice here and there, because please give Epel boots that raise his height closer to Kalim's, it's so distracting since he's not the main center and also the choreography you hired did this based on YOUR ability, Vil, not THEIRS. They can not learn BALLET in such a short time. You are a boy band, not TRAINED BALLERINAS. Meanwhile Skully and Fellow will be carrying water bottles and packs of gatorade, while Gidel sits at a little table in the corner practicing his alphabet with a little bag of gummy bears, trailmix that has those little m&ms, and a bottle of apple juice- courtesy of Epel. Skully helps Fellow and Gidel with their homework since there isn't much else for them to do since they brought the drinks.

And it's like, just a whole month and a quarter of pure CHAOS as Eleanora adjusts to having a conman, his adorable mute little brother, and a lowkey psychopath all a part of her dorm, while also having to deal with Rook 24/7 and sneaking around trying to teach Kalim how to cook because he got curious, and having to ask Rook for aloe in the middle of the night because Kalim accidentally burned his pinky finger putting cheese on an omelette because they don't want Jamil to find out.

Also Vil having the biggest guilt over cursing the Trey snacks without telling Eleanora even though he knows having a curse overlap her curse WILL kill her because of the events of Playful Land, and him being so confused because he doesn't know why he didn't speak to her about it first before cursing them since he knows about her unique condition and it is her dorm and he did give explicit permission that she's allowed to snack while the boys aren't, and he's just really baffled by his own behavior, but there's a specific reason for it that if you've figured it out then you know I think I've been making it obvious but it's really just another hint showing Vil is reaching his breaking point and Rook is giving him the suspicious concerned bombastic side eye the whole time because he knows the stress is getting to him.

And Jamil. Eleanora hates Jamil with a passion. Vil is gonna call her out on being cold to him and she's just going to be like, "He fucking tried to kill me. He almost did kill me. If not for Azul having a potion on hand, I'd be fucking dead again. Me being "cold" and "ignoring" him? Is me being civil. Do not order me around in my own dorm."

Vil: "...You know what, understood. BACK TO FACIAL CARE EXPLANATIONS. Ahem! Kalim, come here, will you?"

Eleanora adores Kalim. Adeuce are her besties. Epel is a sweetie who's always helping Eleanora out when Adeuce aren't available; it makes Epel happy to help her, since he's usually carrying heavy things for her which, to him, is a "manly" thing to do, as she's still cleaning up the dorm a bit and prepping the guest room. Rook is still kinda weird and it's a little creepy how he seems to know certain things and always shows up right when they need him with the exact thing they need (the aloe, for example, why did he have that?) but she's decided not to think about it. It's rocky with Vil, because of the curse thing, but he's genuinely trying to make up for it so while she's accepted his apology but hasn't forgiven him for it she is trying to soften up towards him because he's clearly regretting what he did.

Absolutely spoils Gidel. Fellow and Skully are both rocky, but she's still friendly with them unless Fellow is conning people or stirring up trouble. The ghosts, Moe, Larry, and Curly, are enjoying the liveliness of the house, and everyone is always surprised when some of the cafeteria ghosts stop by with prune juice or spinach puffs and just snacks and drinks filled with lots of iron for El because she's always often so "anemic".

October is gonna be dramatic and brutal, but January to early February is gonna be HILARIOUS chaos.

[tenaciouschronicler]

August 2 and 3 2024 2009

I fear I really will need to put all my posts into a word doc.

Lets work through the lore shall we.

So, back on page 251 when the Kernel divided it 'hatched' upon arrival to The Medium. These Kernels, one light and one dark, upon situating themselves in their respective Orbs activate the Imps present giving them characteristics from the prototyping, in this case harlequin clothing.

Im gonna put the rest under the cut, this post got away from me.

Again working from top to bottom, These Orbs are situated upon one of Four Spires which make up the throne of either sides Sovereign Power; the Dark throne is purple while the Light throne is gold. The first Kernels arrival is the catalyst that starts the 'true game', increasing the board to a 12x12, adding more pieces and actually placing the kings on opposite corners. Light is also always destined to lose. Im curious if each game can only be played by four players or if only the first four are placed in the spires and subsequesnt players dont have any effect on the Sovereign Powers? Could you play with less than four players and how would that game play out?

John and WV both wonder what the point is then if Light always loses and Nanna says that is The Ultimate Riddle they have to solve.

This part made me remember way back on page 82 when the narrator said:

The game presently eluding you is only the latest sleight of hand in the repertoire of an unseen riddler, one to engender a sense not of mirth, but of lack. His coarse schemes are those less of a prankster than a common pickpocket.

His riddle is Absence itself. It is a mystery dispersing altogether, like the moon's faint reflection, with even one pebble of inquiry dropped in its black well. It is the most diabolical riddle of all.

At the time I wrote, "Googling Absence gives us "the state of being away from a place or person". So his riddle is a state of being away from others... I feel like the following statement gives more but I cant discern what." Could this be The Ultimate Riddle Nanna is refering to? I still cant tell what the riddle is, maybe after I put all the Lore together I can at least try to add more to this. (After stepping back and re-reading it I figured out the 'diabolical riddle'; the nature of Absence is transitory and evanescent, here one moment gone the next. Looking for answers only serves to hasten its absence, obscuring itself with more questions.)

For now, John has to climb towards Skia by passing through the gates utilizing the games building funtion to reach. In that way he can save Dad! And what about Earth?

Nanna drops the bombshell that Earth is done for, regardless of how well they do in this game.

Finally done with her duty, Nanna heads off to bake John cookies! For the first time we see her phase through the walls leaving blue goo on the Con Air poster. We didnt see her doing that earlier but maybe theres more goo around the house.

WV is All About them cookies and pushes John to pursue. We learn John hates any and all baked goods "totally abjur[ing] the hell out of that idea."

Roses Pesterchum image is annoyed now, having tried to get Johns attention this whole time and is now trying to use a box to the head.

Unfortunately for her I think this is Johns last straw and hes having a well deserved scream. After everything hes gone through and learned, I think he needs it.

In the meantime and probably against better judgement, theres still a fire raging Rose, shes gonna update the GameFAQ. And apparently get sassed by a dead cat. It's pretty much all his fault you're in this mess in the first place, so he can just button it.

Whatever you say Rose.

[maryellencarter]

Letters from Watson (the Sherlock Holmes book-club Substack) started reading the short story "The Stockbroker's Clerk" today, and the titular clerk is a young cockney who uses a fair amount of (Doyle's approximation of) then-current slang, so I wrote up some approximations in the LfW discord (which is a very fun place). @jabbage asked if I was going to put the information on Tumblr for reference, so I guess here it is? Cleaned up a little bit and with help from other people in the discord.

* St Vitus's dance: A disease that makes you twitchy and shaky. It was a general term for conditions like Parkinson's or the twitching that can be a side effect of rheumatic fever.

* Cockney: The technical definition is a Londoner born within the radius where you can hear the bells of St Mary le Bow, "within the sound of Bow Bells" for short. The implication is that Mr Hall Pycroft, our stockbroker's clerk, comes from a lower or working class, and the stereotype would be that he's somewhat irreverent and not very bright, although ACD takes care to give us a little essay about how we should actually consider him hard-working and professional.

* Outré: French for outlandish or surprising. Holmes really likes this word, so we've probably discussed it before.

* Lost my crib: We've heard "crib" as meaning a bank or business before, in The Red-Headed League, when John Clay would "crack a crib". Pycroft is using it to mean job, with an implication that it's what we might now call a cubicle job, done at a desk in narrow indoor quarters.

* Soft Johnnie: A soft touch or soft Johnnie is someone who is easily scammed, often in reference to being an unquestioning mark for a con artist.

* Billet: In this context, a job. StephenHunterUK in the Discord mentioned it's likely from the French word for "ticket".

* Were let in: Were damaged or injured. I'm not sure of the etymology.

* Venezuelan loan: StephenHunterUK pointed out there was a Venezuelan sovereign debt default in 1892. Stockbroker's Clerk was published in March 1893, so it would have been topical at that time, but of course it has to take place not later than 1889, so this reference screws up the chronology even more than it already was. At any rate, the implication is that Mr Pycroft's old employer made a bad investment in Venezuelan securities and had to close down.

* Came a nasty cropper: This can mean anything from falling downstairs to having to shut up shop, but often indicates either death or something similarly final.

* Ripping good: Very good. Slang term Doyle is using to make Mr Pycroft sound less formal, more cockney and enthusiastic, also possibly a bit like a schoolboy.

* The smash: When the old job was ruined and had to close. I usually hear this in reference to investments or stock market crashes.

* On the same lay: Looking for the same type of work. Can also be criminal slang meaning people who work at the same type of crime, such as pickpockets.

* E.C.: StephenHunterUK provided the information that this is the postcode for the "City of London" area -- not the London metro area, but the one-square-mile area in downtown London known as the City, mostly associated with banking and law work. Hall Pycroft is saying that he's not sure how familiar Holmes and Watson are with the City of London area.

* It was my innings: Cricket reference. Means that Mr Pycroft feels he has had a lucky win.

* The screw was a pound a week rise: The pay was a pound a week more than Mr Pycroft was making at his previous job, so £4 a week or roughly £200 a year. You can see that the sketchy pottery company's offer of £500 a year more than doubles what he'd make at the reliable firm Mawson's.

* In diggings: Renting a room.

* A touch of the sheeny about his nose: A "Sheeny" is a derogatory term for an ethnically Jewish person, especially male. Pycroft is saying that Pinner had a somewhat hooked nose. The stereotype is also that Pinner might be either very financially shrewd or a con artist. (I don't know if this phrase made it into the warnings document.)

* A little sporting flutter: A bet.

* The mentions of Brussels (in Belgium, north of France) and San Remo (in Italy, southeast of France) are implying that the Franco-Midland pottery company is a big deal, with offices all across France and spilling out the corners.

* In the swim: In the thick of things.

* Deal chairs: Cheap wooden chairs. Geoharee in the Discord brought up that "deal" here refers to pine wood specifically -- pine is very soft, easily dented and stained, and is a fast-growing tree, so it was used for cheap low-quality furniture that wasn't intended to be long-lasting or durable, the sort of furniture we'd make out of fiberboard these days.

* Very badly stuffed with gold: Pinner has a badly-done gold filling in one tooth.