#linda totally matched his freak

[lenetaylor]

Paul/Linda/Denny confirmed?

A fan's review of a Wings show in October 1975. Apparently Ringo was at the afterparty so maybe Paul/Linda/Denny/Ringo?

Suddenly my friend Kathy nudges me in the ribs and points at Denny and Linda who are over to the left of the stage right in front of us. He pulls away from kissing her and runs his hands all up and down her back – ahem! I’m shocked at how blatant they were – right in front of the audience where everyone can see and probably did, and there’s Paul singing his heart out on her right unaware of what’s going on.

"unaware of what's going on" lol

[bambi-kinos]

I am not a native English speaker, but I want to express my love for you. I think your understanding of Paul Mccartney is the closest to the truth (at least in my opinion) on this website. Please share your opinions, i'd love to read them!

In addition, I couldn't agree with you more about John and Paul's relationship. I have a very unpopular opinion. I always thought John Lennon was the love of Paul Mccartney's life, paul loved John with a passion that went against his own nature, and has not yet fully reconciled himself with this violent love.

Oh my god I'm gonna cryyyyyyyy holy shit ya'll you're too nice to me

John Lennon was the love of Paul Mccartney's life, paul loved John with a passion that went against his own nature, and has not yet fully reconciled himself with this violent love.

Man I think it goes even further than that. For Paul McCartney John Lennon is simply The Answer. That's the other reason he brings up John so much, everything in Paul's life eventually comes back to him and Paul's great life challenge has been accepting this.

Paul wants to be a fully rounded person like we all do and I think part of his struggle with his Shadow Self (in addition to the absolute multitudes Paul contains) is that wherever Paul goes, John is there. Even Paul's marriage to Linda could not fully escape this, one of his most devoted Linda ballads "My Love" cannot escape the ghost of John and his beautiful hands.

Very astute of you to note that it goes against Paul's own nature; someone I used to know made that observation to me around two years ago now. The thing with Paul is that he is a control freak. One of the reasons that Linda appealed to him is that she was willing to take a backseat for the sake of Paul's public image. Check it out:

With modern eyes we can see that Paul and Linda's relationship was on a much more even footing than Paul wants us to believe, hence all those jokes about Linda pegging him. However that is not necessarily the construct Paul wants The Public(tm) to see. Linda often takes subservient poses in her PR photos with Paul and this combined with Paul's babbling about his trad fetish and that he "likes" the set up of a woman handling all the domestic chores communicates a very clear and intentional message.

These poses and photos are simple and innocent enough but they are a specific genre that communicates the message of 1) Paul's heterosexuality 2) his status as the dominant partner in the Paul&Linda relationship 3) the fact that Linda is supposedly accepting Paul's directives and leadership. The fact that we are having to argue with deniers about Paul's bisexuality is due to Linda Eastman's sacrifice: Paul's public image is Linda's greatest creation, even surpassing the birth of her children. She realized that Paul's preoccupation with what other people think of him is simply a part of himself that cannot be excised or gotten rid of. By being married to Paul she chose to help him achieve his goal of a having an unassailable image as a heterosexual family man that was done with his tomcatting days; an image that I would guess did not match reality in any way but still was essential to Paul's nature. And that nature is indeed a controlling one.

John himself is totally antithetical to that. He does like his measure of control for sure, but John himself lived by the ethos that life is an endless nonsensical carnival and that the universe is too chaotic and unpredictable. I think that's part of why John tended to go along with whatever was happening to him at the time (which makes his rebellion against Mimi an interesting outlier in John's behavior IMO. I'll try to develop that later.) John fully believed in the random chaotica of life and I think his conflict with Paul ultimately boiled down to John not wanting to hand Paul that level of control because John believed it was pointless and insulting. John instead handed it off to Yoko because he would be less curtailed with her whereas maybe being with Paul would have meant giving up a certain amount of freedom to do what John wanted, whatever that may have been. (And really the possibilities are endless on that score, it's almost pointless to speculate.)

Paul enjoys being loved but his specific breed of control freak finds the idea of being in love absolutely terrifying. John in many ways created Paul McCartney; he remade Paul's fashion sense, his haircut, his sensibilities, even successfully made Paul into a sexy little housefrau:

And check out this bit from Phil Norman' George biography:

George and Ringo then took up residence in a second-floor flat at Whaddon House, a modern block in William Mews, Knightsbridge, where Brian himself lived on the top floor. To this point both had been looked after by doting mothers, so they possessed no domestic skills -- another reason why the highly domesticated Paul had jumped ship.

There's only one useless bum Paul will cook and clean for, and it's not George and Ringo. (And keep in mind all of that was happening against the backdrop of Cynthia and the new baby.)

I think the truth of the matter is that Paul is a great deal more submissive and wifeable than he wants to let on, hence that weird comment to the apple scruffs about how he didn't want to be some queer that never got married. Paul is always very concerned about what people think of him and finds it genuinely threatening. It's an open question if he ever has or will open himself to reconciling himself to it as you said; though I'm hoping that he's made some strides in that direction. John Lennon was totally antithetical to that and disrupted Paul's attempts at creating a normal heterosexual life.

And look I'm focusing on the domestic roleplay aspect of McLennon here but I think what it really indicates is that Paul was telling the truth when he described himself as a second in command and that he doesn't like being the leader. Due to the heteronormativity of the time Paul couldn't really conceive of himself as not being insulted by being a man stuffed into a woman's traditional role and he may have even been negatively effected by how much he enjoyed being dominated and lead. As well as how much he enjoyed being overpowered by John in such matters which I'm sure extended to their musical, professional, emotional, and sexual relationship.

That was one of the qualities that John seeded and grew in Paul, unwittingly, which went against everything Paul had been taught to believe and what he was supposed to value. I think that the latter half of the 1960s and then Paul growing into his own talent as a musical leader, also turned over the apple cart because suddenly Paul outgrew the Work Wife role he had with John and was becoming something much bigger. John in the meantime couldn't keep up due to his drug abuse and also due to how stifled he felt by the Beatles machine and that he couldn't record or publish the music that he wanted to, being forced to endlessly compromise with three other guys. One of which was supposed to be more submissive to him but then suddenly stopped being so easy to keep at John's side.

And yes, you're right there is a "violence" to what they felt for each other. John stirred up incredibly powerful feelings in Paul. He did it from the very beginning when Paul saw John on the bus and fell in love with him. Can you imagine being a control freak that's terrified of Being Seen for what you really are by the general public, when all it took for you to fall madly in love with another man...was to look at him during a fucking bus ride?

I would probably freak the fuck out and shack up with a Yankee too.

[featherymalignancy]

This is totally up to you if you want to answer this ask: What were Nesta's parents like? Their names, personalities, jobs, where they came from etc. Also curious about Nesta's aunt and uncle too :)

Okay, I SWEAR, I was gonna try and keep this brief. I literally whisper-screamed said to myself, “Keep it brief, Cara.”

Nesta, Elain, and Feyre’s Parents: Tim and Ines (neé Afonso) Archeron. Tim was a third-generation native Californian, Ines was, as we know, from Portugal 🇵🇹

Archeron Grandparents:

Tim’s dad Rick was an attorney (and an antisemtic prick, see Nesta’s mention of him in Fucking Lawyers for an example).

His mom Marie was a housewife.

Rick was a functional alcoholic “big drinker” and died when Nesta was 14, Marie died while she was in college.

Afonso Grandparents:

Ines’s father Sebastião was a professor of Antiquities at The Univeristy of Coimbra

Her mother Heloísa worked in her father’s butcher shop until she had Ines (she a dope cook, y’all).

Sebastião died two years before In Vino Veritas starts. Heloísa is the only of the four grandparents still alive.

(SIDENOTE: can we fucking TALK about what she’s gonna say when she meets tall dark and gorgeous Portuguese-speaking wine expert Cassian??)

Heloísa: *in Portuguese* Amorzinho, why have you not married this man yet?

Nesta: Avó, stop!

Heloísa: *still in Portuguese and well within earshot of Cash* If I was forty years younger I would marry him myself!

Tim & Ines (background):

They were both lawyers, they met in law school at Stanford (high achieving runs in the family).

Tim was worked as an M&A (mergers and acquisitions) attorney (can be boring shit but a lotta moneyyy). Ines was a special prosecutor trying drug companies for malpractice and fraud (social justice warrior FTW)

They both worked a LOT, especially when the girls were really little, so the girls were raised by a nanny named Benigna (Beni). Ines had insisted on a nanny who spoke Portuguese, and Beni was from Brazil.

Beni got unexpectedly sick when Nesta was 10, and she died after a too-brief battle with breast cancer.

It was Nesta’s first real experience with loss and she was inconsolably heartbroken, making Tim and Ines realize that they’d allowed their children to be almost completely raised by someone else, and that the girls had basically just suffered the loss of a parent.

At that point Ines decided to cut back to working half time to spend time with the girls, who were 10, 6, and 4.

Between losing Beni and her parents having been gone so much when she was little, Nesta was incredibly anxious to please her parents and make them proud. She was involved in a lot of activities and was very hard on herself, especially for a child. She was serious and dedicated, and though Ines tried to calm the best of Nesta’s outward fretting, she didn’t know how to cope with the more deeply-routed issues of Nesta’s compulsion to be the best. Instead she wrote it off as Nesta being incredibly bright and kept signing Nesta up for activities and paying for any private lessons, competitions, workshops etc. that Nesta expressed interest in. (Look, Nesta had to have something to tell her therapist about)

Starting the year Beni died, they began to take trips to Portugal every summer to see Nesta’s avô and avozinha.

before that, they’d only gone a handful of times, and Sebastiâo and Heloísa were thrilled.

Tim wasn’t close to his parents because of his dad was verbally abusive and his mother was permissive and enabling, so Nesta and the girls were much closer to her avô and avozinha.

Her grandfather spoke English but her grandmother didn’t really, so they spoke almost exclusively Portuguese when they were there (Tim was just sorta...j chilling with his incredibly mediocre Portuguese—he only usually stayed a week anyways, and he worked the whole time).

At home they spoke a mixture, Ines often spoke to the girls in Portuguese and they replied in English unless she insisted otherwise.

Family Ties...

Tim’s closest friend from law school (and the best man at his f*cking wedding) was Beron Vanserra.

Ines was not really a fan but she just sort of tolerated Beron for Tim’s sake, and Beron was clever enough to mostly behave when she was around, though he was definitely the friend who was always trying to coax Tim on a coke-filled bender to Vegas every time her back was turned

Whereas Tim and Ines had children later in life (Ines had Nesta at 35, Elain at 39, and Feyre at 41), Beron married his college sweetheart right out of law school, popped out two boys—August and Adrian—and fucked off for a younger wife. They got divorced without kids after like...a year

His third wife, Flavia, became good friends with Ines. She had her first boy, Eris, three years before Ines had Nesta. They were both pregnant around the same time with their seconds, Lucien and Elain.

The two couples were close and they took vacations together etc. AKA...the kids played together a lot as kids.

Tween/teen Nesta had an ENORMOUS crush on Eris. A senior in HS when she was a freshman, he...did not give a shit. When they ran into each other three years later (Nesta: 18 and two years into raising her two tween sisters and Eris: 21 and a swaggering senior prick at USC) and he hit on her that she was decided she hated him, lol

When Nesta was 14 (Eris: 17, Elain/Lucien: 10, Feyre: 8), it came out that Flavia had been having a longgggg term on-again, off-again affair with her college sweetheart. Screaming matches and paternity tests ensued...and it came out that Lucien was not Beron’s

Ines supported Flavia when Beron filed for divorce and came after Flavia with a VENGEANCE. Ines got Flavia a sick-ass divorce attorney, and sis cleaned up in the divorce 🧹 🧼 🧽 💵 . She and Beron had a very strained custody agreement, where Lucien mostly lived with his mom and saw his “dad” (Beron) only occasionally. Eris, who was about to go to college and was mad at his mom for this embarrassing secret, lived with Beron.

Tim, put off by how Beron handled Lucien’s paternity, distanced himself from Beron, and they were never close after that.

When Tim and Ines died, Flavia was one of the people who stepped up the most to help. Nesta was fiercely independent about the whole thing, but Flavia did babysit for Nesta when she had her own activities, and sometimes she would fill the Archeron fridge with groceries or do the mountain of laundry or take the younger girls back-to-school clothes shopping. Still, she was quiet about it knowing that Nesta considered herself a failure for any little thing she couldn’t do for her sisters.

Tim and Ines (personalities):

Tim

Tim was easy-going and fairly mild.

Of the three girls, Elain is most like him in temperament.

Like his dad, Tim was a total workaholic. He loved his daughters a lot, always bragging about them to colleagues and friends, but he wasn’t really around enough to really show them.

As a result, his main role as a parent was spoiling them with things.

Tim’s dad had been the diciplinarian, so Tim hated “being the bad guy” and was thus incredibly permissive. On the rare occasions that he was in charge of the girls alone for a weekend, there were...literally no rules.

Had he been alive, Tim would have strongly encouraged Nesta’s decision to pursue law school. He likely would have been more skeptical of Feyre’s choice to pursue fine art.

Ines

Ines was more type-A in her personality

Of the three, Nesta is most like her

As the daughter of a classics professor, she had a great love of classical art and music. She would have been pleased that Elain planned to be an academic like her Avô. She also highly encouraged Nesta’s pursuit of opera even though HS Nesta secretly would have rather done musical theatr (like literally any other teenager?)

Ines had been very close to her parents growing up and had planned to return to Portugal when she graduated law school; even though she loved Tim, she was sad when that didn’t happen

She was very nurturing with her girls, but less tolerant of them acting out. Appearances were important to her, and she expected her girls to be well-behaved.

Nesta, always desperate to please, was praised by every adult who ever met her for being perfectly well-behaved

Elain, easy-going and somewhat shy, was quiet and complaint by nature. She never caused problems and rarely even cried

Feyre, a fiercely independent spirit from day one, did not give a FUCK about making a scene if the need arose. Oh, it’s Christmas and Mamã bought Feyre a pretty dress to wear in the Christmas photos? Who cares; not Feyre! She wants to wear her Jasmine costume from Halloween, and if Mamã says she can’t, Feyre is PERFECTLY happy to make a good huge scene in the middle of the bougee photography studio...

OKAY FUCK THIS IS WAY TOO LONG BUT REAL QUICK THE AUNT AND UNCLE

Ines was an only child, Tim just had the one younger brother named Mike. Mike was the “disappointment” according to Rick, because he chose to major in communications and had no interest in law school.

Mike is incredibly unassuming and lived in Tim’s popular, affable shadow. Not lame but definitely unremarkable

The Archerons grew up in the affluent Beach town of Santa Barbara, but Mike was so vexed by his parents he move 385 miles away to Sacramento (if you know California, WEIRD flex on Sacramento of all places, but you do you Mikey)

He married a very sweet middle class girl named Linda and got a job in Insurance

They never had kids of their own, and though he and Tim were friendly, they didn’t really get together much because they just had vastly different lives/lifestyles

Mike and Linda were shocked and sort of bewildered when Tim and Ines died and they were awarded custody of the girls (literally do you not really know what it is to agree to be someone’s legal guardian, Michael ???) and they sort of started haphazardly making plans to move the girls up to Sacramento, even though every time Nesta called they weren’t much farther on arrangements.

Elain and Feyre FREAKED out when they were told they’d be leaving home and their friends and moving to Sacramento with Uncle Mike and Aunt Linda (10 yo Feyre: I HATE Sacramento, it’s a shithole!) and when Mike and Linda still didn’t really have any helpful insights on schools, etc (the Archeron girls all attended private school) Nesta decided the move made no sense.

She basically announced that they weren’t gonna move and that she was just going to handle the girls. Mike and LInda sort of (vaguely) protested before being like “yeah you right, we suck at this”. They still controlled Tim and Ines’s estate and helped Nesta deal with all that, but she took it over the MINUTE she turned 18 and they didn’t really have any part after that besides sheepishly calling like “so...hows everything going? Are you liking school okay?” 🤦‍♀️

Nesta tried to make an effort to be closer with them when they were all younger but like...as adults the Archeron girls have sort of tacitly agreed that Mike and Linda are sweet and they’re family but like...they aren’t that much fun to be around. They’d much rather go to sushi and get drunk on Christmas Eve rather than go to Sacramento and force polite conversation with their aunt and uncle

Okay so yeah! There is a far too detailed thing about her parents, hope you enjoy!

[backtothestart02]

Fallen Star - 9/?

A/N: Last chap till after my hiatus. I hope you enjoy!

*Many thanks to @valeriemperez for beta’ing.

Chapter 9 -

Caitlin found him brooding in the cortex at three a.m. Stifling a sigh, she approached him. He didn’t look up at her, but she knew he knew she was there. She was impossible to miss, even without the sound of clacking heels to announce her entrance.

She stood patiently in front of him and waited.

He didn’t say anything; just continued to pout and move his fingers up and down the pencil his hands held in mid-air. His eyes were dead set on something in the distance, but nothing was there.

Finally, she rounded the table and took a seat beside him, crossing one knee over the other.

It was another full minute before he opened his mouth to speak.

“It’s late.”

She pursed her lips. “Mhmm.”

“You should be at home sleeping.”

“Some people are still out celebrating.”

He glanced over at her, half-confused, half-exasperated, and entirely unamused.

“The holiday?” she reminded.

“Right. The holiday.” Not a dawning revelation; a painful reminder. “Another holiday completely destroyed because Barry and Iris’ break-up was at the center of it.”

He whipped the pencil across the room and stood to his feet, clenching his hands in his hair.

She sighed. “Cisco…”

“I had it,” he continued, still tense. “I thought I had it, at least.” His hands fell to his sides as his voice lowered sadly. “Get them in the same space, have them dressed all snazzy, neither expecting the other …” He turned to face her. “It always seems to work so well in the movies.”

She smiled sadly. “But this isn’t the movies, Cisco.” She walked to his side and rubbed her hand up and down his arm. “This is real life. Barry and Iris are real people.”

“You think I should’ve left well enough alone? That I just should’ve been grateful Barry decided to come back to STAR Labs?”

She shrugged. “You meant well. And hey, it was good that for one night they weren’t avoiding each other. They were facing each other.”

“Facing each other in a screaming match,” he grumbled.

“I wouldn’t call it a screaming match,” she said delicately.

“Cait, we could hear from the stairwell a floor down from the roof,” he spat, frustrated. Caitlin held her tongue. “At Joe’s Christmas party, Barry was missing and Iris was sad as hell. I try to play matchmaker on the next big holiday, and it blows up in our face. Why can’t I just-”

“Hey, hey.” She came to stand in front of him, locking her hands on his wrists that were swinging up in his rejuvenated frustration. “I was in on this too, don’t forget. We’re a team, Cisco. Sure, you wanted to get Barry and Iris back together, but I signed up to it. I helped you formulate a plan. I stood by you. And how they reacted tonight? That is not your fault. If they were here, they’d be telling you the exact same thing.”

“But they’re not here, are they?” he fumed.

She sighed and pulled him in for a hug. He didn’t resist.

“Oh, Cisco…”

He deflated and relaxed into her hold, eventually wrapping his arms around her the same she was around him.

“I couldn’t even keep the party going,” he mumbled.

“It was just you, me  and HR, Cisco. Wally and Joe hadn’t shown up yet, and HR was being…”

“-HR,” they both said simultaneously. Caitlin smiled a little.

“We tried, but-”

“I guess we got lucky that Jesse showed up wanting to take Wally to her earth for New Year’s…”

“And that Joe wasn’t in the partying mood with none of his kids present.”

She met his eyes, a dead-set glare in her direction. Her shoulders slumped.

“It’s not your fault, Cisco.”

He nodded and walked back to the chair he’d vacated.

“Maybe…maybe not.”

She looked down at him, wishing she could cheer him up somehow.

“What do we do now?” He looked up at her hopefully. “I mean…is Barry going to come back during the week? Will Iris? Ever? I feel like…” He looked down at his hands, absently playing with each other.

She came to sit beside him again.

“I don’t know, Cisco,” she said. “But it’s only been a few hours. Why don’t you give it a full twenty-four before you drown yourself in despair, huh?”

He looked up at her, his lips twitching but still not able to form a smile.

“I have wine at my place if you want to sleep over,” she teased.

He laughed. “We have champagne here.”

“Bring it!” She jumped to her feet. “We can use all the alcohol we can get.”

His brows furrowed, amused, as he joined her.

“Why? So we can have a massive hangover in the morning?”

“Nooo.” She grabbed his hand, snatched the full champagne bottle sitting all by its lonesome across the room and dragged him out of the room towards the elevator. “So we can forget this disastrous night even happened and remember better times.”

He followed her into the elevator. “Times when Barry and Iris were together?” he ventured.

“Times when it was just you and I,” she corrected. “When Ronnie couldn’t hang out for whatever reason, it was just us two and we stayed out at the bar, then grabbed ice cream before I got too drunk and wound up at my place playing Monopoly some movie neither of us were paying attention to because we were laughing too hard.”

“I laughed so I wouldn’t cry,” he informed her.

She chuckled. “Why would you cry?”

“Because you cheated at every board game we played and always mocked my favorite lines in the movies.”

She blinked. “Why’d you keep going out with me if I frustrated you so much then?” she asked, playing it off as curiously incredulous as she stifled the slight hurt cropping up.

He shrugged, pretending he didn’t notice.

“Because I liked you.”

She blinked, unsure how to take that.

He bumped her shoulder with his and then pressed the elevator button to go down.

“I still like you.”

Warmth spread through her, the prickle of ice receding into the depths of her body, and she smiled.

“Even though I cheated?”

“Only when you’re drunk,” he informed her. “When you’re sober you’re a stickler for the rules. It’s kinda funny actually.”

She smacked him lightly but couldn’t help but smile.

“I take it we’re not playing a board game tonight then?”

“Or watching a movie,” he assured.

She laughed. “What are we doing then?”

“Drinking and sleeping. Period.”

“What about popcorn?”

His eyes lit up and then fixed on hers. “You still have some?”

“I always keep an extra stash for you, Cisco,” she said, walking out of the elevator when the doors opened.

“Aww, Cait, I’m touched.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I have to buy extra because you eat it all before I get to it.”

He was quiet for a beat, then, “Yes to popcorn.”

She smiled, then stopped at her car and looked over at him.

“Why don’t you go grab some clothes from your place and meet me? I’ll have the alcohol and popcorn all ready for you.” She winked.

He grinned and then his parted lips slowly lessened.

“Hey, Caitlin.”

“Yeah, Cisco?” she asked, halting before she closed the car door.

“Thanks. The night doesn’t feel like a total waste anymore.”

She smiled softly. “You’re my best friend. It’s my job to make you feel awesome.”

He laughed, nodded, and saluted before she started her car and drove off.

“Mission accomplished.”

…

 Iris went straight to her office and shut the door as soon as she had deposited the doctor’s slip on Scott’s desk and assured him she had a clean bill of health. He’d eyed the slip of paper skeptically, and she’d been half-tempted to tell him it’d all been a scam to get out of work. But he was her boss, and he probably wouldn’t take kindly to that – or getting freaked out that she might be contagious when she actually wasn’t. Regardless, her very healthy – if tired – appearance must’ve convinced him. He nodded his thanks, gave her first choice of the assignments for the week and then waved her out.

She did absolutely nothing for the next two hours. Well, she drank coffee. And she stared at her empty computer screen. But no brain activity happened, and no physical movement except for turning on her computer and slipping out of her heels. She sighed a few times, propped her chin on her hand and lost herself in the designs on her pen and the many empty lines on her notepad.

Truly, the only reason she didn’t call in sick another day was because at home she’d sleep the whole day away. At least here at some point she would have to be forced to work.

Apparently though, she would be forced to talk first.

A light knock on the door. She didn’t look up.

“I’m busy,” she drawled, twirling the unused pen between her fingers.

The door opened slowly, and she repressed a sigh.

“I come in peace,” the voice said hesitantly.

Iris looked up and forced a thin smile.

“Hey, Linda.”

“Hey, I-” She halted when she saw the three empty coffee cups littering her desk. “You look really tired for someone who should be jacked up on caffeine.” She set the fourth cup in front of her.

“I got decaf.”

Linda’s eyes widened.

“I know. It’s like I’m trying not to be alert.” She took a sip of the new beverage and smiled contentedly as the warm liquid traveled down her throat.

“Good?”

“Great.” She sat down the cup. “As was your doctor’s note for Scott. Thanks for that, by the way.” She threw the empty cups in the tiny trash bin under her desk.

“Any time.” Linda pulled a chair over and sat down in it. She licked her lips, trying to think of the perfect words to say as she watched her best friend idly play with the pen in her hand again before quietly sipping her drink. “Iris, I just wanted to say I am so-”

“It’s not your fault, Lin. You were trying to help, and I was on board with it. You did nothing wrong.”

“But if I hadn’t called-”

“We would’ve woken up together the next morning, got into a fight over breakfast, and he likely would’ve stormed out. At least this way we were open and honest with each other and ended things peacefully.”

“After he came by last night, you mean?”

She nodded and took another sip of her caffeinated drink.

“Yeah, after that.”

Linda sank back in her chair, thinking.

“So, what now?”

Iris shrugged. “Now I get back to work.”

“I mean, with-”

“I know what you meant, Lin.” She sighed. “Truthfully, I don’t know. It hasn’t even been a day. Maybe I’ll go back to STAR Labs eventually. Maybe I won’t. As much as I like Cisco and Caitlin…heck, even HR sometimes, they’re more Barry’s friends than they are mine. If I just focus on work and stick to you like glue, maybe I can get through this.”

“Well, you definitely have me,” she assured. “And not just for getting drunk on the weekends.”

Iris laughed. “Or after work every day too, right?”

Linda rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just exaggerating.”

Iris waited.

“Okay, I happen to like my alcohol, so sue me. I don’t overdo it.”

“You don’t,” she allowed. “So maybe you wouldn’t mind if we did pot brownies tonight instead.”

Linda’s jaw dropped, and she laughed.

“Iris Ann West, I didn’t know you ate pot brownies.”

She leaned forward.

“It’s the most dangerous I’ll ever get, so enjoy it while you can.”

Linda’s laugh was frozen in place for a beat too long, which luckily Iris didn’t notice. All the times Iris had risked her neck, dodging Linda’s questions regarding the safety precautions, she took came into view. She was very sure pot brownies weren’t the most dangerous thing Iris had done. But she didn’t want to bring that up right now, especially in light of recent events.

“And where shall we get the key ingredient?” she asked, forcing herself out of her thoughts enough to be amused by Iris’ suggestion.

“My dad arrested a guy this morning who had pot on him. I’m sure snagging a tiny bit of it for brownies won’t be a problem.”

Linda’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that…I don’t know…tampering with evidence?”

Iris winked and took a long swig of the coffee, successfully draining the cup. Then she wiped her mouth with her hand and not so subtly wiped it on her black dress pants, momentarily stunning Linda.

“Like I said, the most dangerous.”

…

 Awake at six a.m. after a long restless night of sleep, Barry got the text while he was making himself some coffee.

Are you okay?

From Joe.

Julian comes back today.

The second text came before he could respond.

He groaned and texted back.

Thanks for the heads up.

Joe probably knew how he was doing. Even if he told him now, he would ask him again later. So, he settled for just addressing the most recent text. His heart was still aching from the events of the night before. He didn’t have the strength to get into it right now, even with his strongest support.

He arrived at CCPD miraculously before Julian did. Taking it two steps at a time, he made it to the lab and speed-cleaned his desk, so his critical co-worker couldn’t comment on it. Probably still will. He rolled his eyes at the thought. He had to at least try to avoid confrontation or becoming overly irritable in front of his annoying co-worker.

For the next ten minutes, he sat at his desk trying to focus on something – anything. None of the files on his desk were meta-related, and no news of current crime on the streets was coming in. Not from Cisco and not anything he could overhear from downstairs when he passed by. It was a quiet day in Central City, which should have relieved him, but only served to stress him out further.

“Oh, I forgot how annoying you could be.”

Barry glanced up, saw the irritated look on Julian’s face and realized he’d been rapidly tapping his foot underneath his desk and his fingers on top of it. He stopped.

Julian rolled his eyes and set his bag on his desk, opening it and going through the contents.

“I had a great time at the conference by the way,” he said after a while. “Met some very influential people who were very impressed by my title.” He paused shuffling through his papers and looked across the room at him. “I took the liberty of saying I was mentoring a new recruit.”

Barry’s eyes narrowed faintly. “That’s me, I’m guessing.”

“Fresh out of college and eager to take on the world of forensic science under the reassuring guidance of esteemed head CSI of the CCPD.” He beamed, but the sarcasm was dripping from his voice.

“Glad you had a good time,” Barry said dryly, starting to flip through his own paper stack.

Suddenly a normal case sounded unbelievably pleasant when compared with hearing about Julian’s euphoric week away.

“It’s an annual event, so I’ll probably go back next year.”

Barry held his tongue. He’d been glad for Julian’s absence, but in his memory he’d been working for the CCPD for far longer than Julian. Joe had meant well, but it was a blow to his ego. If he ever went himself, he would forever be known as the ‘college kid’ who was thrilled to have Julian Albert mentoring him.

Just as Julian was opening his mouth to no doubt rub this fact in his face again, Barry heard footsteps coming down the hall and turned his head in that direction. Julian followed suit when he realized he’d lost his co-worker’s attention.

“Joe-”

“Detective West,” Julian interjected. “What can I do for you?”

We, Barry thought, disgruntled again from the brief interception of pleasant surprise and relief on seeing Joe materialize in the doorway.

“I’m…actually here for Barry,” Joe said, pointedly looking in his direction after making the statement clear to Julian. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah, of course,” Barry said, rounding his desk and walking probably too fast to the hallway outside the lab.

They traveled a short distance until they could hear Julian shuffling papers around again, no longer interested on what was going on between them.

“What’s up?” Barry asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“How are you doing?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“How am I-” He blinked. “Joe, did you really pull me out of there just to ask-”

Joe raised an eyebrow.

“Which I am very thankful for,” Barry amended. He was.

“So?” Joe prodded.

Barry shrugged.

“I don’t know, Joe. Iris and I are broken up for real now. We’re done.”

“Is that what you want?” he asked.

“It’s the right thing,” he said. “Neither of us is willing to budge. It’s just not going to work between us.”

“Right now? Or ever?”

“Ever is a long time.”

He didn’t say anything for a beat, then –

“I’m just saying…it’s not as if you and Iris have only ever been a couple. And it’s not as if you fell in love with her yesterday. You’ve been best friends since you were kids and in love with her just as long. I’m not judging, but…how is it that you’ve never run into a problem before now that was enough to sever your relationship?”

Barry shrugged helplessly, no answers coming to him.

“I refuse to believe your relationship weakened when you started dating.”

“It didn’t,” he assured. “It was just different. Now it’s different again.” He took a breath. “Look, Joe, I appreciate your concern, for both of us. But I just…I’m okay. I’m okay enough to be at work, and I’m still going to go back to STAR Labs. I think I can do that. But talking about Iris and everything that’s happened…? I need a break from that.”

Joe nodded. “Understood.”

Barry forced a smile. “Thanks.”

“I’ll see you later?”

“Sure.”

Later came at about 2:15 p.m. when Joe pulled him out of the lab again to ask him about tampering of evidence.

“We arrested a guy around nine a.m. this morning for having pot on him on top of speeding on the side streets; almost knocked a couple kids off the sidewalk. But I just went to check on the bag we took off him, and-”

“It’s missing?”

Joe nodded.

“All of it?”

“About half.”

*Also posted on AO3 and FFnet.

[gadgetgirl71]

Book Blitz: The Secrets That We Keep by Linda Kage

Secrets That We Keep Linda Kage Publication date: January 28th 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Gracen Lowe has a new life theory: What you don’t know can’t hurt you.

Which is exactly why he decides not to tell his twin sister, Bella, that he’s accidentally falling for the woman she hates most, the very woman who allegedly cheated with Bella’s last boyfriend and broke them apart.

Bella might be his best friend and ultimate confidante, but she’d legit cut off his favorite body part if she knew which woman he’d been craving. So even if his theory’s totally whack, staying quiet will definitely keep him safer.

Except he feels so guilty about it all.

Meanwhile, Bella’s heating up the sheets with one of Gracen’s best friends, and she can’t seem to reveal that little detail to her brother either, due to—you know—reasons.

When the truth is exposed, all bets are off. Shattered secrets will either set everyone free or wreck their relationships forever.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Pointing, I growled, “You…” and I stepped into her house, slamming the door behind me. “Liar.”

Eyebrows lifting, she set her hands on her hips and glared back. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I charged. “I called you a liar.”

“I –”

“You said you wouldn’t freak out and start avoiding me. Well, where were you tonight?”

“I didn’t feel like—”

“Bullahit!”

“Oh my God. Will you stop interrupting me.”

“Sure. When you stop avoiding me.”

“I’m not—” This time, she cut herself off to glance skyward for assistance as she mumbled curses about me. Once she was calmer, she looked me in the eye. “I’m not avoiding you. The reason I didn’t go tonight had nothing to do with you whatsoever.”

I stepped closer to her, my eyes flaring. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”

She gulped unsteadily—totally freaked out by my proximity—and then she jerked a step back.

I think that broke something inside me. She should never be too scared of getting close to me. It felt like the beginning of the end. I was going to lose her.

But once she had her space, she shot fire at me with her eyes, totally not intimidated at all. “Prove what?” she cried with a disbelieving snort. “That I didn’t go tonight because of—”

“Prove that you aren’t avoiding me,” I clarified.

She gurgled out an incredulous laugh. “How the hell does someone prove something like that?”

I shrugged. “Not my problem. Just get it done. Right now.”

Her eyes widened. “Right—” “Now. Yes.”

“Right now?” she repeated, blinking at me as if I’d lost my mind.

I put my hand to my ear. “Is there an echo in here?” Then I glanced at the face of my watch. “Time’s ticking, baby doll.”

“Oh my God,” she exploded. She gave another dubious laugh. I couldn’t tell if she was getting a kick out of my stubbornness or if she was seriously annoyed by it. “You are such a pain in the ass.”

“Yeah,” I countered. “A pain in the ass that you’re avoiding.”

Her eyes narrowed. “This is getting ridiculous.” Darting her gaze around the room, probably looking for something heavy to hit me with, she groused, “I can’t believe you’re really making me do this.”

I yawned and reported, “Not convinced yet.”

“Oh, that’s it,” she snarled, fed up with my antics. Stepping close, she grabbed the front of my shirt. “You want to be convinced that I liked being with you, fine! I’ll convince you.”

I opened my mouth to tell her, no, I hadn’t mentioned anything about needing performance feedback. I just didn’t want her to hate me now. But she pulled me into her before I could say anything, and she plastered her mouth to mine.

Author Bio:

Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact. Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children's literature from The Institute of Children's Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.

Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.

Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can't decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.

Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Readers Group

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#Adult, #Bookblitz, #BookBlogger, #BookNerd, #BooksofInstagram, #BookStagrammer, #bookworm, #Contemporary, #GoodReads, #instabook, #instagood, #Romance, #XpressoBookTours, #XpressoTours

[mantra4ia]

“Deceptive Little Parasite” Lucifer 2x15 Reaction’d *spoilers* [aired 5/8/17]

Non spoilers: In my humble opinion, much MUCH better than 2x14. I’d rate it 8.5/10 “Detectives!” which could have been  9/10 if all the humor hit the marks. The fan service is really strong in this episode, and it’s hammy but more eloquently funny than 2x14, with enough emotional contrast particularly with Lucifer & Amenadiel and Lucifer & Trixie to be interesting. Last, and probably best, TRIXSTAR IS SUPER STRONG in this ep. Spoilers Ahead:

“[Shall I] Dip [the blade] in whiskey and light a match?” That’s what I would do, except what should probably happen is dip in whiskey > drink whiskey > light match.

“[The blade’s] Not a groovy mood ring” I beg to differ, it’s a kick ass mood ring.

Lucifer and Amenadiel - Classic brotherly qualms. I really missed this. 

Lucifer to Linda: “That my dad is Morgan Freeman? Focus doctor.” This has to be the best one liner of the episode. Sidenote: It would be great, I think, if Lucifer’s dad came back as Father Frank or in the image of Father Frank. I mean, I’ve been dreaming of that FOREVER!

How much has Lucifer been paying Linda per session? She should be a billionaire by now.

The breakfast scene with Maze and Chloe didn’t hit the comedy notes for me. Great on the page but something didn’t play.

“Tall nonfat almond milk latte with sugar free caramel drizzle and no vodka this time“ No wonder this show is so lively. #AllAbouttheFood

“Crime solving divorcees...cracking a joke you don’t like check back to normal in no time” / “not until you’re whining about how boring the case is”/ “Lucifer’s projecting his personal issues onto the case, guess we’re back to normal.” Way to twist the metaphorical knofe with witty repartee.

“I just can’t believe it“ ™ phone-it-in line about someone being killed.

Tree of Knowledge -esque logo for the school - suspicious or just a nice little ironic insert?

“Triple Decker“ okay now I’m laughing, 2nd best one liner of the episode.

LUCIFER TAKING TRIXIE TO SCHOOL! All my dreams are one by one coming true! Fan service! “For my partner I can sacrifice”

I said I would drive you to school, I never said which one - CLASSIC MORNINGSTAR IS BACK, totally brought me back to “I said I’d let you go alone, I never said anything about following.”

Trixie “Morningstar” holding Lucifer’s hand hostage = Blessing

Trixie gets all the gold stars, she runs this episode

It’s Official ™ , Lucifer and Trixie have their own club. The world is good!

“This is a picture of my mommy stabbing Debbie” FACEPALM. I take it back, the world is a ridiculous place. 

OH MY GOD, I knew it, Trixie bargained for driving lessons! It was just wishful thinking, but now it actually exists in canon!

Don’t throw me into the Corvette (so I guess we’re just gonna breeze through the fact that mum withheld / lied about her super strength, no biggie, not yet another deception) 

The second scene between Chloe and Maze works 1000% better than the first one “Trixie will slash them with her words, and then I will teach her the knives” PUT THAT ON MY TV ASAP!

I have died, I have died and gone to heaven. The two mommies bit it pure gold.

Mazikeen: [about Chloe] “Real pistol in the sack, too.” I SCREAMED WITH JOY at a pitch so fierce that my dog freaked out, and then I danced. 

For once, I really wish Chloe wasn’t wearing an oversized coat that she’s swimming in because I want to see that backside slap in full detail. Maze is queen.

Illegal duplicate of the Detective’s car keys, can’t decide #stalker or #married

Mazikeen would be a fantastic rugby player

I LOVE the CHLOE & TRIXIE talk. “We never have to pretend with each other.” More, please more! 

I can’t decide who takes the lead in this episode more, Trix or Mazikeen, but I love it. 

The way Amenadiel looks at Lucifer when he is in pain holding Azrael’s blade is enough to break anyone and everyone. Him standing up for his little brother is everything I never knew I wanted yet desperately needed. For heaven’s sake stop breaking my heart!

Methinks Charlotte has just discovered Karma.

[valeriemperez]

Tati, do you think it's possible that Abra Kadabra and The Rogues could be the big bad next season? The EP's tend to mix and match several canon stories. Since Barry and Iris will probably get married S4 and the show seems to be using a lot of Wally's arcs. What if for the crossover everyone's present for the wedding. Everything runs as plannned and then Barry puts the ring on her finger and Kadabra wipes her memory from everyone like he did Linda in Dark Flash?

It’s totally possible that Abra & the Rogues will be back in a big way next season, though they don’t necessarily have to choose the Dark Flash storyline. It would be interesting, though!

EVEN MORE SPOILERS below the cut, I’ll try to answer as many as I can under there.

There’s a new clip in the Flash tag on Twitter. It looks like Barry is saying goodbye to the team and going to “heaven” to be with his Mom… They’re dressed in funeral attire. Barry kisses a distraught Iris. Do you think S3 will be a dream sequence of sorts?

I don’t think it’ll be a dream sequence. I think Barry is sacrificing himself to the speedforce for whatever reason in order to keep everyone he loves safe. Obviously he’ll get out, just a matter of it being the end of the episode or the beginning of next season.

How is Caitlin still kf and attending a funeral? Does that mean she’s in her kf wig but just not evil? So Caitlin is permanently dead 😱

I think we are meant to believe that Caitlin died in 3.18, yes. Whether she’s evil or good, KF is the one who lives now.

There’s a video of them filming last night and Barry’s saying goodbye to everyone before he follows his mom into a bright light. So I’m gonna guess that’s him sacrificing himself to the speedforce. I’m already emotional.

ME TOO.

Apparently you were right and they’re doing a sacrifice for Barry of some sort. I really really didn’t want it and I just hope they resolve it quickly.

Either they’re incredibly predictable or I’m a savant with one very useless skill. I’m sure it’ll be resolved by the end of the S4 premiere, if not by the end of the S3 finale. Remember we don’t know how far into the episode this is.

Tati, I’m freaking out. It looks like Barry is going into the speed force with Nora Allen. He says good bye to the team. Caitlin is missing. WTF?

I think Cait/KF said her goodbyes at the funeral, although she may pop up at the end of the episode to fight with or against Savitar. Barry is probably sacrificing himself, or maybe going into the speedforce to face Savitar, like @amuzed1 suggested.

@notyetbulletproof said:

**I HOPE YOU SAW THE SPOILERS** if you didn’t, please stop reading. If you have- quick spec- what if the season ends with him coming back. Only they realise that what was hours for them was centuries for Barry or something? And it ends on that. Like Iris says something about Barry coming home and Barry says he told her he always would and she wants to tell everyone and he just wants to be with her and the convo naturally gets to the place where Barry reveals that the speed force doesn’t have time or that what is mere hours for them could be centuries to him or something? I mean that would be a cool interesting no body dies or does dumb stuff way to end the season?

I am expecting/hoping that Barry makes it back by the end of the finale, so I love the idea that he reveals that it’s been decades or centuries for him. Just wondering what it would lead to for season 4…

The other day, you (I think it was you) theorized that because Victory Square is such a public place to film, the Savitar’s identity/reveal must have another twist. Do you think it could be the same with that scene from the video? My thought is that it happens in the beginning of the episode, and it gets resolved(ish) by the end. I just feel like if it was the final scene, they wouldn’t want to risk it getting spoiled, so they’d shoot it in studio.

You read my mind! I do think this is very likely the beginning or middle of the episode, and Barry could get out by the end. Granted, that’s what I want to believe, because a hiatus of us crying over Barry’s “death” would be incredibly displeasing. But I think it’s possible because A) that’s what happens in Terminal Velocity, and B) it sets the stage for a lighter S4, which the producers should want to promote if they have brain cells.

[ordinaryhouseholdtoaster]

Spooky Maidment’s Top 25 Favourite Actresses

I had intended to write and publish this list (originally entitled “Spooky Maidment’s Top Ten Favourite Actresses) in time for International Woman’s Day, but it quickly became a far grander undertaking than I had first imagined. I love films and, as such, I love actresses and, boy, are there a lot of actresses that I love.

The first draft of this list, which was compiled over three days, contained a shortlist of 57 thespians, all of whom seemed just as worthy of making the list as the 56 other ladies that their name had been scribbled alongside. And so, for a while, I trifled with the idea of making it a list of 50 actresses that I loved - but that, of course, would mean five times more writing than I had originally intended on doing, and I’m nothing if not lazy and really, really good at procrastinating.

And so, almost a month later, I’ve finally manged to whittle my list down to twenty-five. Twenty-five wonderful and talented ladies, some of which are, in the eye of this beholder, also stunningly beautiful.

And there it is - the obvious flaw in my attempt to celebrate women by composing a list of women that I like to look at. 

I am, as I have noted in the past, a straight man. I am attracted to women. Hollywood, very much aware of this dynamic, has been casting symmetrical and visually pleasing women in their motion pictures since the dawn of motion pictures and using their sex appeal to get me to watch said motion pictures. Sex sells, after all, and, with that in mind, I have tried my utmost not to allow my penis too much sway in the forming of this list (which is why Kristen Stewart is rightfully absent). 

That said, at this point, having hit puberty approximately 17 years ago, it is rather difficult for me to know just what part of my brain is steering this dilapidated ship at any given moment, and I am sure that sexual attraction plays a much larger role in the forming of my tastes and opinions than I would be willing to admit.

With that in mind, I have actively tried to keep the objectification to an absolute minimum.

And on that cheerful note, here’s my fluffy list, which I’m now worried might be considered degrading, and which, I’ve just now noticed, features a complete and utter lack of ethic diversity. Well, there you go. I’m sexist and racist, apparently.

#25: Robin Tunney

Coming in at number 25, and repping every badass ‘90s chick who didn’t quite make the list (Including, but not limited to, Joey Lauren Adams, Neve Campbell, Clea DuVall, Shannen Doherty and Samatha Mathis), Robin Tunney will always be Deb from Empire Records in my heart, although her leading performance in The Craft (pictured) and her scene stealing brilliance in Encino Man are worth watching over and over and over again. 

24: Mia Farrow

The Rosemary in Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (pictured) and the Hannah in Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters, Mia Farrow is probably best known these days for being one of the major players at the center of her ex-husband’s various child abuse scandals, which is a damn shame because she was also in twelve of his movies, with her best performance being as Cecilia in the magical and often overlooked The Purple Rose of Cairo. If you can separate the art from the artists, you should watch any Farrow/Allen collaboration that you can lock your eyes on.   

#23: Sigourney Weaver

As if any justification were needed for her being on this list beyond stating the fact that she plays Ellen mother-fucking Ripley in the Alien films, Sigourney Weaver also stars opposite Bill Murray in my two favorite movies of all time, Ghostbusters (pictured) and Ghostbusters II, as well as having roles in Galaxy Guest, The Ice Storm and the criminally under-rated M. Night Shyamalan thriller The Village.

#22: Sissy Spacek

The original Carrie, Sissy Spacek’s almost otherworldly face, pale complexion, abundance of freckles and excellent acting chops are best admired in Robert Altman’s 3 Women and Terrence Malick’s Badlands.

#21: Juliette Lewis

There’s a stretch in the early to mid ‘90s where it feels like every cool film has a beautiful performance from Juliette Lewis in it. Cape Fear (pictured), Kalifornia, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Natural Born Killers, From Dust ‘Til Dawn... she’s smack bang in the middle of all of ‘em, playing a whole mess of innocent, crazy and broken young women. How can you not love Juliette Lewis?

#20:  Mira Sorvino

I love Mimic (pictured) and if you don’t like Mimic, we can’t be friends. Mira Sorvino is great in Mimic and she’s also great in Mighty Aphrodite, Romy And Michelle’s High School Reunion and Summer Of Sam. Fuck you, Del Toro is a genius and Mimic is great, and one of the main reason’s that Mimic is great is Mira Sorvino and you don’t know what you’re talking about... la, la, la, la, la...

#19: Ally Sheedy

The first of two brat pack members to make my list, Ally Sheedy may not be as iconic as the starlet at #16 but, boy, does she ever show up in a lot of my favourite ‘80s flicks - with starring roles in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, WarGames (pictured) and a little masterpiece called Short Circuit. Cute as a button, charming, hilarious, a fantastic actress... and did I mention that she’s in both The Breakfast Club and Short freaking Circuit?

#18: Kirsten Dunst

I’m pretty sure I could watch Kirsten Dunst eating soup for two hours, I love her so, but luckily she’s Lux in The Virgin Suicides (pictured), the lead in my number one guilty pleasure Bring It On, the cute and adorable child star of Little Women, Interview With A Vampire and Jumanji, Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and the star of countless other films, so, as of yet, I haven’t had to resort to setting up a camera in her dining room. 

#17: Linda Cardellini

In much the same way that Bob Hoskins would make his way onto a (as of yet) hypothetical list of my “Top 25 Favourite Actors” based solely on just two roles - in his case Mario Mario from Super Mario Brothers and Eddie Valiant from Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Linda Cardellini makes this list based solely on just two roles. The first is her portrayal of Velma Dinkley in the colossally under-rated Scooby-Doo films, and the second, and far more important, is her turn as Lindsay Weir in the cult classic TV show Freaks And Geeks (pictured), the cancellation of which still breaks my heart to this day.

#16: Molly Ringwald

The second brat pack member to make my list, John Hughes described Molly Ringwald as his muse, casting her in leading roles in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club (pictured) and Pretty In Pink. Although her career fizzled out shortly after that, Ringwald remains the face of the ‘80s for myself and countless others and although her star shined briefly, man, did it ever shine brightly. 

#15: Nicole Kidman

I watched Stoker the other day and whilst Mia Wasikowska was excellent in it, Nicole Kidman was absolutely mesmorising. Why do I keep forgetting how much I love Nicole Kidman? She’s great in Dogville (pictured), The Others, Margot At The Wedding, Cold Mountain and Birthday Girl... and she made me feel “all funny inside” whenever I watched Batman Forever as a child. I really should watch more films with Nicole Kidman in them. Is Days Of Thunder any good?

#14: Uma Thurman

Standing tall at the center of the Tarantino universe, Uma Thurman’s roles in Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol.1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2 (pictured) are probably the reason she’s on this list, but her endearing and beautiful turns in Jennifer 8, Beautiful Girls, Gattaca, Mad Dog and Glory and the 1998 version of Les Misérables are the reason she sits at the number 14 spot.

#13: Reese Witherspoon

From cool and angsty flicks like Election, Cruel Intentions, Freeway, Best Laid Plans, Pleasantville and S.F.W in the mid to late ‘90s, to Oscar-winning fare like Walk The Line (pictured) and Wild as she perfected her craft, Reese Witherspoon is always on form and always a treat to watch, whether she’s giving an Academy Award winning performance or goofing off in the likes of Legally Blonde. Also, just look how the light dances on her pointy little face!

#12: Amy Adams

I can’t remember if I first saw Amy Adams in Doubt (pictured) or in Sunshine Cleaning, but I do remember thinking, “Holy shit, this woman is amazing. She might even be the next [see number one on this list]”. Nine years later, Adams is one of the biggest names in Hollywood with an impressive five Academy Award nominations to her name and I’d happily unsee all of those performances to have Adams revise her role as Mary from The Muppets.

#11: Christina Ricci

I’m going to be perfectly honest with you right now, Christina Ricci is on this list (and at number 11, no less) because when I was child, I was totally in love with Kat Harvey from Casper (pictured). Ricci is also great as Wednesday Addams in both The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values, as well as in The Ice Storm and Black Snake Moan, but I’d be lying if I told you that this was anything more than eight year old me making demands of thirty year old me.

#10: Patricia Arquette

When Patricia Arquette won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, I wasn’t in the least bit surprised - even though, at that point, I hadn’t even seen the film yet. Criminally under-rated and not in nearly enough films for my liking, Particia Arquette is absolutely brilliant in True Romance (pictured), Lost Highway and as Kissing Kate in Holes. 

#9: Chloë Sevigny

Last year, I was watching the excellent David Fincher thriller Zodiac for the first time and when Chloë Sevigny arrived on screen, at what must have been at least the 60 minute mark, I cheered out loud as if I were watching a football match and my favourite player had finally been brought onto the field. Kids, Gummo, Boys Don’t Cry (pictured), American Psycho, Dogville, Broken Flowers, Antibirth... Chloë Sevigny has an utterly amazing screen presence and the ability to subtly elevate any film, regardless of how big or small a role she has to play in it.

#8: Sally Field

Sometimes I fantasize about Sally Field being my mother - à la Forrest Gump or the excellent ABC TV show Brothers and Sisters - and sometimes I dream about marrying Norma Rae (pictured) or running away with Carrie from Smokey And The Bandit. Either way, Sally Field is a treasure and 8th place almost seems like blasphemy.

#7: Winona Ryder

Beetlejuice, Heathers, Night On Earth (pictured), Reality Bites... no actress has ever been as cool as Winona Ryder was in the late eighties and early nineties. Little Women, The Crucible, Bram Stoker’s Dracula... no actress has ever tried so hard and failed so spectacularly to speak with an accent as Winona Ryder did in the mid-nineties. And then, I saw Girl, Interrupted and I realised that, unlike Johnny Depp’s very real tattoo, the tattoo in my heart would always read Winona Forever. 

#6: Scarlett Johansson

In much the same way that any list of ice cream flavours would be incomplete without vanilla, my list of favourite actresses would be incomplete without the totally obvious and predictable inclusion of America’s current sweetheart Scarlett Johansson. Forever in my heart for being the onscreen personification of Sofia Coppola in Lost In Translation (pictured), Scar Jo has since blown me away using only her voice in Her, by saying hardly anything at all in Under The Skin and by somehow beating out Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner to make Natasha Romanoff my favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

#5: Jodie Foster 

Bugsy Malone, The Little Girl Who Lived Down The Lane, Taxi Driver... in 1976, at the age of 13, Jodie Foster had a role in each of these films, each time playing overly sexualized children in adult situations and earning an Oscar nomination for Taxi Driver. Twelve years later, she picked up her first Academy Award for her portrayal of a rape victim in The Accused, before picking up her second Oscar in 1991 for playing Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (pictured), probably the best thriller ever made (with the possible exception of Se7en). In 1994, she would go on to make audiences laugh in Maverick and cry in Nell, the latter of which earned her her fourth and final Academy Award nomination. If you love cinema (which I do), it’s impossible not to love Jodie Foster (which I do). 

#4: Shirley MacLaine

Audrey Hepburn this, Audrey Hepburn that. Women wanted to be her and men wanted to be with her. Well, not me... of the two leading ladies in the 1961 drama The Children’s Hour, I was captivated by Shirley MacLaine. And what’s more, her comedic timing was (probably still is) second to none, making her the perfect lady to star opposite the late, great Jack Lemmon in The Apartment (pictured) and Irma La Douce. Throw in her beautifully fragile and oddly arousing performance as Eve Rand in Being There, and MacLaine is motherfucking Hollywood royalty, son. Long live the queen of the silver screen!

#3: Laura Linney

Primal Fear, The Truman Show, You Can Count On Me (pictured), Mystic River, Love Actually, Frasier, The Squid And The Whale... chances are, you’ve seen Laura Linney and thought, “Hey, I know that lady from x, y or z”. Me, I love Laura Linney. I can’t remember when that love began... or which film it was that suddenly made me realise that I loved her... or why exactly I love her as much as I do... or whether or not it’s a sexual thing... but I love her and I’ll watch anything she’s in, from now until the day one of the two of us dies.

#2: Melanie Lynskey

Although probably best known for her debut in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures - for which she was nominated for an Academy Award at just sixteen years old - or for her stint as Rose on the CBS sit-com Two And A Half Men, for me (and the peeps at Sundance, apparently), Melanie Lynskey is the queen of the indie scene, having ignited my passion for quiet, character-driven cinema with her roles in Hello I Must Be Going, The Intervention, Rainbow Time and, most recently, I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore.

#1: Julianne Moore

As hard as it was to whittle this list down to just 25 actresses, and as difficult as it was to then put those lovely ladies into something akin to a ranking order, the top spot was secure throughout, ‘cause ain’t nobody taking the crown from Julianne Moore. For me, growing up in the ‘90s, Moore was Sarah Harding, the apex-predator expert in Steven Spielberg’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the rough and ready redhead who refused to be eaten by dinosaurs and who stirred feelings within my ten year old self that I didn’t then fully understand. Throw in her turns in Short Cuts, The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, Evolution and her hilarious yet heartbreaking performance as Jules in The Kids Are Alright (pictured) - to name just my personal highlights - and Julianne Moore has made me laugh, cry and beam from ear to ear on more occasions than I can recall. Also, I’m pretty sure she’s the reason I have a predilection for redheads. I know, I know... I said I’d keep the objectification to a minimum, but, c’mon, I am but a man. 

So, number one with a bullet is Julianne Moore. Agree? Disagree? Don’t be daft, this is a list of my favourite actresses. Who are you to say I can’t rank Molly Ringwald higher than Ally Sheedy? 

Anyway, suck it, internet. I’ve got films to watch and other lists to spend months pouring over.

Spooky, out! 

SpookyMaidment has written many lists, some of them available to view, for free, in truck-stop restrooms up and down the Eastern Seaboard. He’s also a man - a goddamn, hairy-ass man and how dare he put a bunch of women in order of how much he likes them! What a fucking pig! 

[loxare]

Harm

Chapter 5 - Run In 2 and Invading Eggplant

More than a thousand miles from Bludhaven, Wally West was doing dishes. Linda was out doing a report on the new rail system, Jai and Iris were at a friend's and Wally had the day off. So he put on the news for background noise and made supper, a nice lasagna that was currently in the oven. (Well, three lasagnas.) He mostly focused on getting cheese off of the grater, only catching snippets from the TV.

“...and the mayor had this to say...”

“...a minor fire that could have been...��

“...still standing thanks to the Flash...”

“...other news, it appears Red Hood is back in...”

Wait, what was that?

“...more than two months of silence, criminals have started dying in Bludhaven, in methods matching some of Red Hood's previous victims. Red Hood, for our viewers who are unaware, is a vigilante of the worst kind, killing criminals instead of leaving them to the judicial system. It is unlikely he will leave Bludhaven, but it has happened once before.”

“Kind of makes you grateful to the Flash, doesn't it Karen?”

“It sure does Al.” The segment ended, but Wally had already left the kitchen.

He was halfway across the country when his phone alarm went off. Making a quick dash home, he pulled the lasagna out, left a note for Linda and the kids, then ran out again. Then ran back in to grab his costume.

Wally ran around Bludhaven for an hour before stopping to rest. He'd already refueled several times, at that hot dog vendor Iris had gone to last time she'd been here, but now his legs were tired. So he sat on a bench for a few minutes. He was just about to get up and start his search when his phone rang.

Iris's exuberant voice greeted him when he picked up the phone. “Hi Dad! I saw your note and I think I can help.”

“You're not allowed to run to Bludhaven.” She had tried, several times while Red Hood had been missing, but he'd always caught up to her. Wally knew his daughter was worried, but Bludhaven was dangerous and he didn't want her anywhere near it.

“I wasn't going to,” she said in that tone of voice she used that said she had totally been thinking about it, “but I'm in contact with a bunch of kids in Bludhaven, and they keep track of Red Hood. But first you need to tell me what you need to find him for.”

Wally shifted, uncomfortable. “I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it.”

“Are you going to punch him or throw him in jail or leave him tied up for the cops?”

“No!” As bad a criminal as Red Hood was, he had saved Wally's daughter. And while he would take anyone else in regardless, there was something about Red Hood that made Wally feel like it wouldn't be worth it. “No, sweetie, I just wanted to talk to him.”

“Mmkay. I trust you. But if the other kids start freaking out, I'm not talking to you for a month.” Wally would take that threat seriously if he thought she could actually go through with it. There was a minute or two of silence, followed by keys clicking, followed by more silence.“The kids say he was last seen heading west on Blue Line North. Probably heading for the rail yards. He's going by rooftop, like the Bats do, so you'll find him up there.”

“Thanks Irey.” Wally smiled as his daughter signed off. He'd bring home some chili dogs for her.

He zipped off, running up a wall. At his speed, jumping the gaps between buildings was no sweat, and the roofs were almost as good a track as the street. He just had to be careful not to make too much noise. It wouldn't be good to startle the people trying to sleep in the rooms below him.

Wally had just passed the Littleneck bridge when he saw the distinctive red helmet, attached to the much less distinctive jacket and jeans. Red Hood was headed for the edge of a roof, jumping with a familiar flip and landing in a roll, using that momentum to get back on his feet and keep running. “Like the Bats do” indeed. Wally hadn't seen anyone outside the Gotham heroes who could do that so smoothly.

Racing ahead, he slowed down so Red Hood could see his approach. And see he did. He landed on another roof and came up in a defensive position, low to the ground with one fist raised in front of him, the other dropping to his thigh holster. Not touching it, Wally was pleased to see, but close enough to have the gun out in half a second if needed.

Not that it would ever come out fast enough if things got dicey. But Wally was really hoping that they wouldn't.

“I come in peace.” Coming to a stop with his hands raised and open was the best he could do to diffuse the tensions right now. “Seriously, I promise, I'm not here to take you to jail or anything. I just wanted to thank you.”

Red Hood twitched in surprise, but it was minuscule, controlled. “Thank me?” His voice was more than a little surprised.

“Yeah, for helping my daughter out that one time.” By this point, Wally was four steps away and Red Hood had nearly relaxed out of his crouch. Not fully relaxed; he would still be able to react if Wally pulled anything. “You bolted before I could thank you properly, so I'm doing it now.”

He let out a snort, which sounded weird through the voice modulation on his helmet. “What, and me being a mass murderer doesn't bother you?”

Wally crossed his arms, thinking. “It does, and next time I see you, I'll definitely take you in. But I promised my daughter I wouldn't, so today I'm not going to. I mean, I wasn't going to anyways. I really did track you down so I could thank you.”

“Huh.” With a quick shift in balance, Red Hood moved into a stance that looked completely at ease, but one Wally knew would still allow him to react fairly quickly. “Well, you're welcome. Gotta say though, you're the first person over the age of eighteen to thank me for anything in the past few years and it's really weirding me out.”

With a laugh, Wally leaned on an air conditioner. “Yeah, Iris said you didn't have many adult fans, even in Bludhaven.” Wally had been following that story, kind of. The months that Red Hood was gone – probably in the hospital – following Superman's uncharacteristic beat down, the violent crime rate had gone way up. The theories went flying, the crime rate was only up because Red Hood brought more trouble with him, like most capes did, that crooks were taking advantage of his absence to rule the Bludhaven underground, that the gang war that had started in the Projects had only happened because Red Hood killed the top brass in both and blamed the other. Which... that last one was probably true.

Red Hood snorted again. “Nope. They liked me for about a day and a half, and only to use as fodder against your Justice League.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. That particular media fallout had been brutal. “Sorry about that by the way. The media ripped you apart putting us back in the public's good books.”

“No problem. Not the first time I've been tossed under the bus. Oh, and by the way, you told me your daughter's name a minute ago. Isn't that supposed to be secret?”

Wally laughed again. “It would be, if she hadn't told you already. If I hadn't told you mine over the phone. I suppose I owe you another thank you.” For not spreading it around.

A careless shrug from Red Hood. “No reason to give you hero types more reason to come after me.” He didn't mention that if he did get arrested, he could use the information to bargain for his release, or get special treatment from other inmates. And if he did get arrested, but still kept quiet, jail would be hell on Earth. Every inmate would be gunning for that information. Wally didn't know what Red Hood would choose, but he would have to make sure the League had precautions put in place for both.

Because someday, someone would arrest Red Hood. Some hero would decide enough was enough and take him out. Or fail, bringing more heroes to Bludhaven to avenge his or her defeat. Honestly, Wally was surprised it hadn't happened already. “True. You're probably walking on thin enough ice in the community as is.”

Red Hood nodded, then gestured in the direction he'd been heading before Wally had stopped him. “Nice chat and all, but I was headed for something.” Wally gave him a look, which Red Hood noticed, of course. “Nothing lethal, probably, so don't get your tights in a bunch. There's a bunch of people in a warehouse planning on robbing a charity, so I'm going to break all their arms.”

Wally grumbled. “That's not much better.”

“Better than the charity getting robbed. The money from that goes to helping women in abusive situations, and it's one of the few clean ones in the city.” Red Hood shoved one hand in his pocket, the other lifting to wave goodbye. “If you're not going to stop me now, better take off. Some media dog might paint you as complicit otherwise.”

It was tempting, to run up and stop him. But he had promised Iris. And Red Hood said he wasn't going to kill anyone. Still. “Maybe only break one arm each?”

“We'll see Flash. Run along home before your daughter comes looking for you.”

Two days later, when Wally caved and looked up the arrest report, he spit out his coffee. Half of the potential charity robbers had both of their arms broken. The other half, one each.

Jason's night had been going pretty good. Right up until he saw some kid try and stop a mugging. With any other age group, he would be applauding the citizen for taking initiative. Good for them! But for whatever reason, the kids in this city thought it was a good idea to copy him and try and bust drug rings. He really needed to have a talk with them about that. And if that talk made him a hypocrite, well, at least he wasn’t a hypocrite with a bunch of dead kids on his hands.

For now though, he needed to stop this blonde kid from getting stabbed. Again.

He landed on one of the thugs, eliciting a startled “Shit! Fuck!” from the blonde girl. The man who had been getting mugged was busy cowering in the corner and probably couldn't be startled if Jason tried. He had to admit though, the girl was pretty good. Even with a deep cut in her shoulder, she was taking out thugs like it was her job. But her fighting style was more city dojo and less Bat-trained, so she was probably just some kid.

Finally, all of the thugs were lying on the floor groaning. The mugging victim had scarpered a while ago, so it was just the two of them standing. Jason was looking through his belt, and the girl was holding her arm and looking awkward. “Well. This was fun. I should probably g-”

“Crap.” Jason looked up at the girl. “Sorry, I forgot to restock my first aid stuff.” He crossed his arms as he thought. He'd been planning on taking the girl to a well lit rooftop somewhere, but without his first aid, that was not an option.

“No, really, I could just go.” She was from Gotham. Lower Gotham, judging from her accent. It was nice to hear again.

Jason frowned and walked a bit closer. “You have a hole in your shoulder. And trust me, those bleed a lot.” He sighed. “Look, if I take you back to my place to patch you up, are you going to rat me out to the cops? Because I just moved in and I like it.”

She snorted. “Pft. No. But really, I'm fine.”

Jason pulled off his helmet so she could see him raise an eyebrow at her. “The nearest hospital is a half hour walk, and trust me, you'll bleed out long before then. It's a five minute swing to my place, so come on. I promise I won't assault you if that's what you're worried about.” It was a legitimate concern, and if he thought that was the problem, he would just go to his apartment and bring stuff back. But she hadn't reacted when he'd moved closer, so he'd rather not risk her bleeding out while she waited. Still, he held out his hand and waited for her to take it. When she did, he pulled her in close and told her to hold on tight.

Five minutes later, they were at his apartment. He dropped her on the sofa – leather and black, so blood wiped off and didn't stain – then went to the fridge for juice. “Drink that, you'll need the fluids,” he said as he grabbed his medkit from behind the couch. Not a good idea to keep it too far away, especially when he couldn't find the energy to walk to the bathroom and back. The girl had already peeled off her coat. Luckily, she was wearing a tank top, so she didn't have to take off her shirt as well.

“So,” he ventured as he injected some pain killers into her arm, “what's your name?”

She seemed a little reluctant to answer, but eventually she said, “Steph. Stephanie Brown. What's yours?” Something about the name sounded familiar.

Jason just smiled, wrinkling his nose at the smell of the antiseptic. “Red Hood. But you can call me Red.”

Steph sat quietly for a few minutes while Jason worked. And while he worked, he started thinking up all the fun ways he was going to utterly destroy whoever had hurt this girl. She had almost as many scars as he did, and it looked like they were the result of torture. Recent too. Not much more than a year, year and a half.

“Is it true you were the second Robin?” She asked finally, breaking into his plans. “I mean, it's cool if you don't want to tell me.”

Jason tugged the last stitch through and tied off. “Yup. In the flesh.” He grabbed some bandages from his kit and started wrapping her injury.

“Hm.” She waited while he secured the bandages, using the excess as a sling. “I'm not here for long, just visiting for the weekend. Not really how I planned to spend it.”

“Yeah, getting stabbed will normally knock out your weekend plans.” He sat back, pulling her coat back on and buttoning it over top of her arm. “That's what happens when you try and fight crime without being ready though. I really need to sit you kids down and have a chat with you.” Jason sighed. The Red Kids, the ones who tried to copy him, do what he did, normally scattered when he jumped down. They knew he didn't want them fighting, but they refused to listen to his reasons why. “Oh well. Problems for another day. Do you have my number?”

She shook her head, so he grabbed a card from his belt and handed it over. Then she grabbed a pencil and his note paper from the coffee table and wrote her number down on it as well. “So you can call me. And make sure you do call me. I'm from Gotham, I know how you people work.”

Jason snorted. “Sure thing.” If it was an emergency.

Steph just rolled her eyes and stood up, pulling on her coat as she did. “Are you going to take me back down, or do I have to take the stairs?”

“No, the stairs are being renovated. I'll take you down.”

He put her down on the ground and then followed from the rooftops to make sure she got home safe. And then he went home and plugged in his flash drive for the first time since the hospital.

AN: Sorry this took so long! For more Flashes in Bludhaven, this chapter is your friend.

Oh hey, it’s that flash drive again. Weird. I wonder what he’s looking up on there? Mystery.

Read and enjoy you wonderful people! Loxie out!

[coaldustcanary]

2016 Fanfic Masterpost

I’ve seen some posts from folks I follow in a number of different fandoms doing a bit of an end-of-the-year writing roundup, and I really like that idea, so here we are. 

I’ve been fannish for a long time now - over 20 years at this point, which is more than a little terrifying to consider, let me tell you. But my fannish writing has been very intermittent over those years for the most part, and my participation in fandom was relatively narrow, particularly when I was working on my PhD. Through 2014 I wrote, on average, one fanwork a year for the previous 5 years, as usually I could be counted upon to participate in at least one A Song of Ice and Fire and/or Game of Thrones fanfic exchange, but not much beyond that. I also wrote a smattering of fic prior to 2009, much of it lost to the ages besides some random pieces I managed to get up on AO3. (I really need to take some time to go back and properly back-date those older works, oof. And dig up a few more on LJ communities that I couldn’t find when I did my original looking, if I can.)

But in the past year and a half or so I’ve come back to fandom in a much more enthusiastic way than I have since I was a teenager, thanks to falling hard for the Dragon Age games and then faceplanting into Once Upon a Time fandom. And in the past seven months I’ve written if not a lot of fic, definitely more than I have in a long, long time. It’s been a trip, in both good and bad ways, but I’m glad to be doing it.

The master list in chronological order with brief commentary:

Always Already (Dragon Age: Inquisition) Incomplete Planned eventual M rating, nothing above T in the current chapter tumblr link, AO3 link, 6025 words The Academic Conference AU that started it all this summer. I just could not let this headcanon go until I wrote this first chapter. I haven’t touched it since then for a variety of reasons, but even if I never get back to it I’m pleased with the chapter that exists and it got me back writing. It’s meant to be a massive DA:I ensemble AU, with this particular multi-chapter story involving some eventual Female Trevelyan/Cullen Rutherford, but mostly I just want to finish this particular arc so I can just write snippets in the AU every time I need to say something cathartic about working at a university.

Hunger (Dragon Age: Origins) Rated G, Gen, Alistair & Female Brosca friendship tumblr link, AO3 link, 1835 words A short, introspective piece about one of my Dragon Age OCs. When you grow up without enough food, hungry all the time, what happens when the effects of blood magic make you even hungrier? Natia thinks about her life and her choices and finds common ground with her fellow Grey Warden.

Before a Fall (Game of Thrones) Mature, Yara Greyjoy/Daenerys Targaryen, GoT 6x09 post-ep scene tumblr link, AO3 link, 2698 words Written for the Game of Ships Seven Hells Challenge based off of the prompt “Pride”. I watched 6x09 on the Sunday night when it aired and swooned over Yara and Dany’s interaction. I wrote this intimate encounter the following Monday evening in one sitting. I ship Iron Dragon so very, very much. This fic took only about a month to become my most commented and kudosed fic ever on AO3, and I’m pretty happy with it.

Savior Fair - Princess (Once Upon a Time) Rated T, Captain Swan tumblr link, AO3 link, 2501 words My first OUAT fic, based on the August 2016 OUAT positivity challenge that tlynnwords put together. (I put all my pieces for this in a single work on AO3 called Savior Fair, since they’re Emma-centric.) Fluffy CS pillow talk set post-S5 before I’d much looked at S6 spoilers. I like this fic’s premise and flow, but I totally missed the mark with Emma’s voice in it. Her voice is tough for me, but I think I’m getting better.

Savior Fair - Smile (Once Upon a Time) Rated T, SwanFire tumblr link, AO3 link, 938 words My goal with the OUAT positivity fics was to focus on the best parts of Emma’s relationships with other characters. I think Neal is a fascinating character (and though I don’t ship SF, I’ve been a fan of Michael Raymond-James for a long time and I think he brings a lot of interesting nuance to the guy) and I think a lot about the time they spent together and what it would have meant to 17 year old Emma to have someone smile at her and mean it.

Savior Fair - Heart (Once Upon a Time) Rated T, Captain Swan, 4x12 missing scene tumblr link, AO3 link, 1274 words I needed a scene to bridge the gap between the conclusion to the showdown in the clock tower and Emma replacing Killian’s heart in his chest. Just a little feels-laden ficlet. (Apparently the original script had a line in the latter scene with Emma saying she felt strange holding his heart, and Killian replying that she’s already held it for ages, though I didn’t know that until after I wrote this bit, and it tends in a similar direction.)

Savior Fair - Trust (Once Upon a Time) Rated T, Emma & Milah, 5x14 missing scene tumblr link, AO3 link, 1647 words The last of the positivity prompts I got to (August is a tough time with the semester beginning, so much for my ambitions) and the one of which I’m the most proud. I have A Lot of Feelings about Milah and the way she’s treated in a many corners of OUAT fandom, and I’m still really mad about 5x14. Emma and Milah needed more time to talk. So they mostly talk about what they have in common. (And, honestly, Killian is only a small part of their similarities.) I am certain they would be friends, given the chance.

Steadfast (A Song of Ice and Fire) Rated T, Stannis Baratheon/Davos Seaworth, canon divergence/future fic AO3 link, 4071 words I did three fanfiction exchanges due in September this year, and I wrote this fic for thedevilchicken for the Game of Thrones exchange. Despite the name, this one is open to both book-verse and show-verse fics, and this one is an AU of the former. For some reason I seem to really like writing Stannis-as-king future AUs with a Davos POV, and nothing says Stannis/Davos loyalty than a retelling of a shockingly sad Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a broken toy that is loyal to his distant and unattainable love until he’s melted into scrap. (Spoiler alert: This version has a happier ending.)

Distracted (Dragon Age) Explicit, Anders/Karl Thekla AO3 link, 3094 words Smutty roleplaying with spanking written for green_sphynx for The Black Emporium, a Dragon Age rarepair exchange. Playful and porny PWP set sometime well before everything was terrible in Dragon Age 2.

Starstruck (Agent Carter/Doctor Who) Rated G, Gen, Tenth Doctor & Donna Noble, Peggy Carter & Angie Martinelli tumblr link, AO3 link,  3425 words Written for Grey_Cardinal for the Crossovering exchange. Ten and Donna cause a bit of a scene at the restaurant where Angie works. I quite like the premise of this fic and it was fun to write, though I really ought to have come up with more for Peggy to do in it.

Spectator Sport (Once Upon a Time) Rated G, Gen, Hooked Queen friendship, future fic tumblr link, AO3 link, 1063 words After having a really crummy day a few months back, I asked for some fic prompts (pairings and a word/idea) to take my mind off it and my lovely friends delivered. This is just a little vague future fic based on mryddinwilt’s prompt for Hooked Queen + parenting. However much they viciously snark at one another, I think they understand one another pretty well, too. And the mental image of them enduring discomfort to watch Henry’s high school soccer game was too good to pass up.

Wrapping (Game of Thrones) Rated T,  Yara Greyjoy/Daenerys Targaryen, University AU tumblr link, AO3 link, 1379 words Written for the Game of Ships “Until Hell Freezes Over” holiday/winter-themed event. I’m actually the advisor for a service learning club at my university, and those valiant students get run ragged as they try to finish up the term and also do good for their communities. Somehow I imagine that Dany would be that kind of overachiever, and Yara would just as clearly be her dubious but devoted girlfriend. I’ve been leery before of writing student AUs because I’m a teacher and it feels a bit odd, but I liked this AU a lot and might come back to it for writing more Iron Dragon because I’m sure canon is going to be a shit-show next season.

Clarity (Lucifer) Rated T, Gen, Linda Martin & Mazikeen friendship, 2x07 missing scene AO3 link, 2785 words I participated in Yuletide for the first time this year (yes, I know, I’ve somehow been in fandom for-freaking-ever and never done it before) and I matched on one of my newish fandom delights, Lucifer. Though this fandom is growing and probably won’t be eligible next year, sign-ups were before most of the season had aired, and my recipient, Lenore, requested Linda and Maze having a conversation about Heaven and Hell. Well, without getting too deep in to spoiler territory, canon pretty definitively implied that such a conversation occurred sometime between 2x07 and 2x08, so I decided it needed writing. Linda is my favorite character on Lucifer, and Maze is an utter gift. Writing this was a bit stressful (I was making last-minute edits the night before reveals from a hotel room) but I’m happy to have written it and received some lovely comments from folks, including the recipient.

So, all told, per my AO3 stats page I wrote 32,736 words of fanfic this year, which is far more than I’ve ever written in a year before. I also am starting to get a grip on what my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer, which is pretty wild but also motivating. My general approach to writing has long been “use deadlines as motivation, panic at the last minute, write frantically, throw it at the world like a grenade and take cover” and while I’m a good enough writer for that not to be as terrible as it sounds, I know I could be a lot better if I continue to change my approach to writing and write more frequently and steadily. Honestly, because I’m an academic by trade, this applies to my professional writing as well, and fanfic is good practice for me to refine my writing habits, which have vastly improved this year, even if they’re still not where I want them to be in the end. Here’s hoping I can keep it up in 2017.

[cynthiajayusa]

Screen Queens: Cuddle Content You Can Count On

Tap that Grindr cuddle buddy of yours – Valentine’s Day month is officially here, and it’s time for some Netflix and chill. Or HBO and chill. Or Blu-ray and chill. Whatever your media of choice, here’s a peek into some films and TV shows you can use to lure your lover du jour into “watching a movie.”

Mosaic, HBO

Steven Soderbergh, hetero creator of things gays want to see, like Channing Tatum stripper movies and Michael Douglas and his as-portrayed-by-Matt-Damon boytoy in Behind the Candelabra, also knows you’ve been wondering where the hell Sharon Stone has been. Sure, the actress who introduced me to lady parts thanks to Basic Instinct went brunette for 2013’s Rob Epstein- and Jeffrey Friedman-directed eponymous Deep Throat-centered feature Lovelace, as in porn star Linda Lovelace, and more recently had a brief stint as a film agent in Golden Globe winner James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, but Stone’s mesmeric presence has been sorely lacking from screens of all types. But Soderbergh’s limited six-episode tube run of Mosaic, a twisty crime procedural filtered through the filmmaker’s famous iridescent blue and mustard yellow hues, is just the canvas for Stone to paint with every dramatic shade contained within her successful socialite character, Olivia Lake, a world-famous children’s book author who, on the surface, has the TV version of what a very lonely woman needs: a picturesque compound in the ski town of Summit, Utah, and a gay confidante, who is, as if Soderbergh is trying to out-gay himself once again, played by Paul Reubens, aka Pee-wee Herman. And then there’s Mudbound star Garrett Hedlund, who portrays Joel, a budding artist Olivia offers to mentor by giving him a place to live at her lodge because a) it’s convenient b) he’s hot and young, and she wants to feel both again. Stone still gets too-little screen time, and the series eventually dissolves into a patience-testing and ultimately frustrating game of whodunit – if you like closure, this isn’t the series for you – but when it comes to casting eye candy and beloved gay childhood idols, at least Steven Soderbergh was looking out for you.

Battle of the Sexes, Blu-ray/DVD

During a time when women are asserting their power, bringing the glass-ceiling-shattering victory of lesbian tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King over chauvinist Bobby Riggs to today’s still-gender-unequal world makes total sense. A #TIMESUP icon before #TIMESUP was a hashtag, King (played by an emotionally rich and captivating Emma Stone) harnessed immense anti-establishment defiance, campaigning for anti-gender discrimination law Title IX and, the next year in 1973, crushing Riggs (Steve Carell) during their iconic, televised match – a win for King, and an even bigger win for women’s rights, female athletes and queer acceptance. The match was coined the “Battle of the Sexes.” Also, a great name for a film, as Little Miss Sunshine filmmaking-duo Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton realized – especially when Battle of the Sexes coincidentally encapsulates the gender wars of the 2016 presidential election. But here’s the great thing: Faris and Dayton have also made one of the queerest films of 2017. Fully acknowledging that King’s stifled relationship with a woman, hairdresser-turned-lover Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough), weighed heavily on her, it’s also evident that their intensely sensual relationship was a crucial personal victory for King, as she’d come to see her own body as more than just a tennis-playing machine. “Billie Jean King: In Her Own Words,” wherein King reflects on her social justice work, her Riggs-winning strategy and her forecast for gender equity, stands out among a modest set of special features.

End of the F***ing World, Netflix

Boy meets girl, boy wants to savagely kill girl. Yes, welcome to the weirdly swoon-worthy romanticism of End of the F***ing World, Netflix’s bingeable Wes Anderson-meets-Bonnie and Clyde series based on Charles Forsman’s graphic novel in which two teenage runaways flee their wrecked home lives and neglectful parents for greener pastures and the occasional bludgeoning. Impressively played by 22-year-old Alex Lawther, star of the new IFC Film Freak Show (based on James St. James’ novel and starring as gender non-conforming alongside Bette Midler and Laverne Cox), James is a 17-year-old self-proclaimed psychopath whose greatest childhood thrill involved knifing cats and hamsters. And now he’s out for blood again – human blood. Enter Alyssa (an icy-but-empathetic turn from Jessica Barden), his amusingly acerbic schoolmate. Has he found the one? Throughout the show’s charmingly breezy, venturesome and beautifully scored eight episodes – during which James has an unexpected urinal experience with an older man that has Alyssa questioning his sexuality, and a pair of everyday lesbian cops try to track them down – his plans for Alyssa unthread as their romantic and deadly kindred-spirit bond see them through to the show’s bitter, bloody good, you’re-gonna-cry end.

Mother!, Blu-ray/DVD

Behold every last glorious strand of Jennifer Lawrence’s constantly transforming hair – silky waves! French braids! – as Darren Aronofsky’s dark allegorical descent into Trumpland and man’s ravaging of Mother Nature takes you to new crazy places. Just try looking away from the director’s maddening and mysterious follow up to Black Swan as a grippingly freaked J. Law wanders her home in the same lost manner I imagine our own president does every day in his, trying to understand what’s up with the fact that her artist husband (Javier Bardem) has opened their door to strangers who are maybe, probably – OK, definitely – up to no good. Those strangers are ominously portrayed by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer, and if you need another reason to squirm through this messy rabbit hole of doom and gloom and insane plot points, it’s to watch a sketchy Pfeiffer steal scenes as the vaguely titled character “Woman” (J. Law is, you guessed it, the eponymous “Mother”). Inhabiting the role of horny housewife with a delicious mean streak, Pfeiffer sets her scenes on fire as the film blazes a dreary path of political commentary that sometimes feels like an art student’s final project gone awry. Aronofsky’s commitment to the absurd and chaotic is certainly, at the very least, commendable. But guys, that hair…

The Breakfast Club, The Criterion Collection, Blu-ray

John Hughes’ quintessential coming-of-age classic, The Breakfast Club, is as timeless as the misfit archetypes the late filmmaker sought to explore and subvert when he wrote and directed one of teen-hood’s greatest artistic depictions. Simply put, few filmmakers are as synonymous with the ’80s as Hughes. Within the depths of his everyday characters – in The Breakfast Club, specifically, that includes Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez), Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), John Bender (Judd Nelson), Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) and Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) – we could see ourselves, or the people we once were (the writer-director’s Duckie in Pretty in Pink was an early queer idol). The empathy-engendering, zeitgeist-capturing The Breakfast Club encouraged generations of fronting schoolkids – and, perhaps, the adults they eventually became – to let their true colors show. Criterion Collection’s new Blu-ray release respectfully offers the film’s most comprehensive set yet, delivering on all levels: a superb 4K restoration, along with new sit-downs featuring Sheedy and Ringwald, who acknowledges Hughes for being an early supporter of nonconformist leading ladies.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/02/07/screen-queens-cuddle-content-you-can-count-on/ from Hot Spots Magazine http://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2018/02/screen-queens-cuddle-content-you-can.html

[chadpetersondatingblog]

7 Actually Scary Couples Costume Ideas That’ll Really Freak Everyone Out

According to Cady Heron circa 2004’s Mean Girls: “In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Well, it’s 2017, slut-shaming is out, and I propose “reclaiming” Halloween as the one night a year when a girl can dress in a sinister, blood-soaked nightgown without prompting 911 calls/it being that time of month. (We’re all adults here.) If you can convince your better half to get on your level, scary couples costume ideas are doubly hair-raising.

You may not be on board with the whole “terrify everyone at a party” vibe, and that is completely fine. If your interest is piqued, however, make sure you commit to horrifying your friends all the way. A quality spooky costume takes some time and investment. I would posit that if you are already coupled up, you know that a person on the planet finds you sexy, and you have less impressing to do — plus, my own personal costume hits were clever costumes, as opposed to toothsome ones. In fact, I’m not sure if I have ever worn a “sexy” costume. (#humblebrag.)

Dressing up as a disgusting, murdery monster is underrated. Don’t pigeonhole yourself as a sexy animal this October 31. Instead, pledge to be a super gross human with your SO, and slather blood all over your cat costume from freshman year of college while bae wields an ax. Or, here are some ideas for costumes that will legitimately spook people out (especially if you hide in the bushes and pop out at them):

1. Pennywise And Georgie From It

Giphy

Stephen King’s nightmarish novel will be a go-to costume this year with the recent release of the feature film of the same title. Execution is key to making this costume work. The shorter partner should dress as Georgie. All you need is a yellow rain coat (this one is literally $5) and a red balloon. The closer-to-balding partner should dress as Pennywise, and I think investing in an actual costume is worth it. The key to beating out the three other Pennywises you will inevitably see at the party you’re headed to is the makeup. Here’s a tutorial. Don’t forget the contacts and long front teeth.

2. Slenderman And A Child

Giphy

The OG creepy pasta horror story that in fact led one sixth grader to stab another in 2014, Slenderman is f*cking creepy. On a lighter note, this is actually a very easy costume to make. Get this white bodysuit and wear a black suit over it. (Ideal for those who live in colder regions because layers.) Then, hold your hands like weird, long claws all night. Your partner can wear an old-timey dress or nightgown, and hold hands (claws) with Slender all night.

3. Trump And Bannon

Giphy

A truly terrifying duo. You probably have a clear picture of how to put Trump together: Wear an ill-fitting suit, get a spray tan, and add this wig to be Mr. MAGA. (Black contacts optional.) Bannon can wear a Breitbart shirt — though I highly recommend you make your own rather than contributing to the actual site. Wear a shaggy wig and beard, and add weird skin coloration to your face with make up. (Black contacts recommended.)

4. The Grady Twins From The Shining

Giphy

The Shining is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it is truly frightening. One of the more startling moments in Stanley Kubrick’s film features two bloodied twins who appear in a hallway. No matter you and your partner’s genders, you can make this costume work easily: Buy the actual costume dress, and add some bows, fake blood and dark under eye make up. Wigs are optional to make your hair match. Then, ask everyone to “come and play” with you “forever and ever.” (Just got the chills.)

5. Count Orlok And Ellen From Nosferatu

Giphy

This silent, expressionist German horror classic makes for a really awesome costume for one of you, and a really easy costume for the other. Count Orlok, the face of evil in the film, requires a frock coat, vampire teeth, prosthetic troll ears, and makeup for days. A spooky face is everything here, and if you’re not a pro, get a friend with artistic skills to help out to achieve this look. Ellen, his victim, can pretty much wear a white nightgown and curl her hair into super curly ringlets, and act terrified. Bonus points: Actually check this creepy movie out.

6. Regan And Father Karras From The Exorcist

Giphy

For Regan, Linda Blair’s tortured character in this terrifying film, I would take the easy route and grab a costume online and focus the most attention on the very creepy makeup and mastering how to spiderwalk backwards down the stairs. For Father Karras, the young Jesuit priest who is tortured by the demon living within Regan, just snag a priest costume online and make it work, as Tim Gunn would say. If you live in the D.C. area, make sure to take photos in Georgetown, where the movie was filmed.

7. Carrie And Tommy

Giphy

Another Stephen King-inspired duo. These costumes only work if you go with Brian DePalma’s 1976 version of the film, not the unnecessary 2013 remake. Carrie is a simple costume: Get a long, light pink silky dress (how much you want to spend is up to you, because there will be blood), a cheap tiara, and hold some roses. Then, have bae dump fake blood all over you. For Tommy, get an epic blonde wig and find a vintage ’70s tux (or ask your dad if he has something detailed with ruffles from back in the day) and be medium-sympathetic when Carrie gets blood poured all over her.

There you have it. Scary couples costumes are terrifying (as are the movies that go along with them), but they are the opposite of basic. Rather than dressing up as Beauty and the Beast, be two actual beasts and see which one of your friends freaks out the most. Halloween is a great time to get scared AF, so get freaky with your SO. Happy haunting.

Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

Subscribe to Elite Daily’s official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don’t want to miss.

7 Actually Scary Couples Costume Ideas That’ll Really Freak Everyone Out

from Meet Positives http://ift.tt/2fglo24 via IFTTT

[ashleyjacksonblog]

7 Actually Scary Couples Costume Ideas That’ll Really Freak Everyone Out

According to Cady Heron circa 2004’s Mean Girls: “In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Well, it’s 2017, slut-shaming is out, and I propose “reclaiming” Halloween as the one night a year when a girl can dress in a sinister, blood-soaked nightgown without prompting 911 calls/it being that time of month. (We’re all adults here.) If you can convince your better half to get on your level, scary couples costume ideas are doubly hair-raising.

You may not be on board with the whole “terrify everyone at a party” vibe, and that is completely fine. If your interest is piqued, however, make sure you commit to horrifying your friends all the way. A quality spooky costume takes some time and investment. I would posit that if you are already coupled up, you know that a person on the planet finds you sexy, and you have less impressing to do — plus, my own personal costume hits were clever costumes, as opposed to toothsome ones. In fact, I’m not sure if I have ever worn a “sexy” costume. (#humblebrag.)

Dressing up as a disgusting, murdery monster is underrated. Don’t pigeonhole yourself as a sexy animal this October 31. Instead, pledge to be a super gross human with your SO, and slather blood all over your cat costume from freshman year of college while bae wields an ax. Or, here are some ideas for costumes that will legitimately spook people out (especially if you hide in the bushes and pop out at them):

1. Pennywise And Georgie From It

Giphy

Stephen King’s nightmarish novel will be a go-to costume this year with the recent release of the feature film of the same title. Execution is key to making this costume work. The shorter partner should dress as Georgie. All you need is a yellow rain coat (this one is literally $5) and a red balloon. The closer-to-balding partner should dress as Pennywise, and I think investing in an actual costume is worth it. The key to beating out the three other Pennywises you will inevitably see at the party you’re headed to is the makeup. Here’s a tutorial. Don’t forget the contacts and long front teeth.

2. Slenderman And A Child

Giphy

The OG creepy pasta horror story that in fact led one sixth grader to stab another in 2014, Slenderman is f*cking creepy. On a lighter note, this is actually a very easy costume to make. Get this white bodysuit and wear a black suit over it. (Ideal for those who live in colder regions because layers.) Then, hold your hands like weird, long claws all night. Your partner can wear an old-timey dress or nightgown, and hold hands (claws) with Slender all night.

3. Trump And Bannon

Giphy

A truly terrifying duo. You probably have a clear picture of how to put Trump together: Wear an ill-fitting suit, get a spray tan, and add this wig to be Mr. MAGA. (Black contacts optional.) Bannon can wear a Breitbart shirt — though I highly recommend you make your own rather than contributing to the actual site. Wear a shaggy wig and beard, and add weird skin coloration to your face with make up. (Black contacts recommended.)

4. The Grady Twins From The Shining

Giphy

The Shining is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it is truly frightening. One of the more startling moments in Stanley Kubrick’s film features two bloodied twins who appear in a hallway. No matter you and your partner’s genders, you can make this costume work easily: Buy the actual costume dress, and add some bows, fake blood and dark under eye make up. Wigs are optional to make your hair match. Then, ask everyone to “come and play” with you “forever and ever.” (Just got the chills.)

5. Count Orlok And Ellen From Nosferatu

Giphy

This silent, expressionist German horror classic makes for a really awesome costume for one of you, and a really easy costume for the other. Count Orlok, the face of evil in the film, requires a frock coat, vampire teeth, prosthetic troll ears, and makeup for days. A spooky face is everything here, and if you’re not a pro, get a friend with artistic skills to help out to achieve this look. Ellen, his victim, can pretty much wear a white nightgown and curl her hair into super curly ringlets, and act terrified. Bonus points: Actually check this creepy movie out.

6. Regan And Father Karras From The Exorcist

Giphy

For Regan, Linda Blair’s tortured character in this terrifying film, I would take the easy route and grab a costume online and focus the most attention on the very creepy makeup and mastering how to spiderwalk backwards down the stairs. For Father Karras, the young Jesuit priest who is tortured by the demon living within Regan, just snag a priest costume online and make it work, as Tim Gunn would say. If you live in the D.C. area, make sure to take photos in Georgetown, where the movie was filmed.

7. Carrie And Tommy

Giphy

Another Stephen King-inspired duo. These costumes only work if you go with Brian DePalma’s 1976 version of the film, not the unnecessary 2013 remake. Carrie is a simple costume: Get a long, light pink silky dress (how much you want to spend is up to you, because there will be blood), a cheap tiara, and hold some roses. Then, have bae dump fake blood all over you. For Tommy, get an epic blonde wig and find a vintage ’70s tux (or ask your dad if he has something detailed with ruffles from back in the day) and be medium-sympathetic when Carrie gets blood poured all over her.

There you have it. Scary couples costumes are terrifying (as are the movies that go along with them), but they are the opposite of basic. Rather than dressing up as Beauty and the Beast, be two actual beasts and see which one of your friends freaks out the most. Halloween is a great time to get scared AF, so get freaky with your SO. Happy haunting.

Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

Subscribe to Elite Daily’s official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don’t want to miss.

7 Actually Scary Couples Costume Ideas That’ll Really Freak Everyone Out

from Meet Positives http://ift.tt/2fglo24 via IFTTT