#mary birdsong

[dirrymoir]

RENO 911!: MIAMI

"We thought it was the dumbest name for a movie that we could think of. The whole movie was reverse-engineered out of how stupid we thought that title was" - Robert Ben Garant

[undergroundrockpress]

The Supremes in 1971 (Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson, Jean Terrell)

[twixnmix]

Diana Ross & the Supremes shopping on King's Road in London, 1968.

Photos by Tony Gale

[lilacmuffins]

Assigned Character Plushies!

[oc-tober (day 10) - personality]

MORE @landlineau CHARACTERS!! cause they're silly,,

>> Landline Plushie Kids

so scott watches over these kids during the day, since penelope is his first cousin once removed or something (she just calls him her uncle) and this is her friend group! they've all got their own little plushies and stuff... nothing bad ever happens to them..... noooo.............

also this ref sheet was such a pain in the ass to put together, i didn't finish it until recently LOL

.... also i'm using different dividers for this one because the other landline related post kinda made my eyes hurt!

Juliet Rose Booker-Campbell: Juliet (Freddy Plush) is a very anxious but caring girl. She is often sheepish, and she is prone to crying at the smallest things. She tends to get overwhelmed very easily, and she looks to Caroline for comfort most of the time even if this may not seem like their dynamic at first. When she's with the group she can be playful, but she is quieter about it.

Corey Simon Bixby: Corey (Toy Bonnie Plush) puts on a more strict persona, looking up to Scott and trying to be just like how he sees him. He is the de facto leader of the group, being the oldest. He's pretty neat, keeping things as orderly as he can. Of course, he's still a kid and prone to excitement, especially about things that he enjoys. He's very aloof when you first meet him, and sometimes he may still seem distant afterwards, but if you know the signs to look for you can see when he cares.

Caroline Marie Levine-Campbell: Caroline (Chica Plush) is very talkative and she is always on the arcade machines. She's super loyal and protective underneath her energy and mischievousness, and she's calculating. She'll joke around with you and be extremely sociable upon meeting, but the whole time she will be studying you to find out if you can be truly trusted around her/her found family (with the latter being her biggest concern)...... and she is very easily distracted.

Jonah James Birdsong: Jonah (Foxy Plush) is quiet at first, sort of absent-minded. He's often in his own world, playing with Corey's fingers as he holds his hand and/or humming to himself. He's very creative! When he's next to Caroline, his energy levels will skyrocket, and it's like talking to a completely different person. He really likes reading,, he's also the "secondary leader" of the group as the second oldest, but he's much more chill with the group.

Penelope Charlotte Meyers: Penelope (Toy Foxy Plush) is shy, and seemingly stand-offish at first. She enjoys the company of her friend group, usually opting to listen instead of speaking. She used to be very excitable and friendly, but her mother slowly losing hope and working much more to support her at home has sort of drained that from her. Penelope is very caring, and when people she loves get hurt she gets extremely upset. Even though she's quiet, she's very sweet and she warms up to people she thinks she can trust very quickly.

just a little more yapping (about landline & the prompt list) under the cut!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Landline AU: These guys come from Ch. 11, which actually isn't out yet! Landline started as this big crack-fic thing; a joke with my friends about “a Phone Guy x Reader, how would that even work? he has no personality!” … and then i got way too attached and this big story has become almost my whole life. some of my best writing, even. River is technically from this universe too, with her being Scott’s daughter. It’s a little nuts, if you ask me. I work on it,, ALL the time… Y/N is basically their own character at this point.. save me.

Prompt List:

[myvinylplaylist]

Diana Ross And The Supremes With The Temptations: The Original Sound Track From TCB (1968)

*Takin' Care Of Business

This is the original sound track of the NBC-TV Special, 'TCB' starring Diana Ross and The Supremes with The Temptations sponsored by Timex, the world's largest manufacturer of watches.

Motown Records

[onegentlemansescapades]

Diana Ross and The Supremes: L-R Cindy Birdsong, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson 1967

[poptartcrush]

Diana Ross & The Supremes

[ilblogdellestorie]

The Supremes. Da sinistra Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson e Diana Ross, 1968

[marleybee]

The Supremes throughout the years

[sheilaevert]

[mitjalovse]

We have noticed with The Miracles that some bands can replace their players without many problems this sort of an event could have caused. Sure, we could say the vocal groups, such as the mentioned Miracles and The Temptations, can do this easily thanks to them basically being dependent on their collectiveness. While each of their members gets a chance to shine, they must also be good within the format they have. Thus, the Temptations' first LP after the departure of David Ruffin didn't cause them to lose any step, they actually did a collaborative album with the Supremes, which meant the departure of one of their most famous singers got buttressed by this. Still, one does think Mr. Ruffin would mesh well in here, yet the ending still sounds fine without him.

[bikerbutchbait]

SOMETHING SPECIAL ˚₊‧꒰ა ꣑ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

found this adorable butchfemme blurb in my notes and i had to share! hope u enjoy let me know if you’d like me to continue it. mdni suggestive content.

♡ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ౨ৎ ‧₊ .ᐟ

“so how’s your biker beau?” annie wraps her rosy lips around the white diner straw, eyes peering up at adelaide across the booth. she pokes her lip out. “she’s not my beau…” she sighs, slumping back into the seat. “thanks for reminding me.”

annie rolls her eyes, shaking her head and taking a fry from its home in the basket at the center of the table. she dips it into her vanilla milkshake, then pulls it out and sucks the cold cream clean off. “you’ve just gotta bite the bullet addy. take her by her leather collar and kiss her hard.”

“think i don’t want to? what i wouldn’t give…”

annie shakes her head, rapidly whispering no. “i don’t wanna hear about it until it happens. pull up your big girl britches and have sex.”

jo, the aforementioned biker beau, had been staying at the cider motel just off the highway. she wasn’t planning on being in town very long, but her buddy al met annie lou and everything changed. they started going steady and a month later they were planning the rest of their lives together. jo didn’t mind it though, she was glad to see al so happy. he deserved it.

that just left her in rough spot. they were planning on seeing the world together. two butches biking state to state, keeping warm under the comfort of one another. now jo spent her nights reading newspapers for job openings and watching the twilight zone.

a sudden knock on her motel door stirs her up. she ashes her cigarettes in an empty can of coors and rushes to the window. peering through the curtains, she slaps her hand over her mouth.

there stood adelaide, red lips and blushed up cheeks. manicured hands at the sides of her hips, dress just above her knees, and it was jo’s favorite color. sweet baby blue. sweet baby jesus, what’s she doing here all dolled up?

“just a second!” jo calls out, followed by the sound of commotion. she jumps around her room, throwing away empty beer cans and picking up her socks off the floor. then she tucks the covers of her bed in and rushes to open the door. “sorry to keep you waiting, pretty lady.”

adelaide could’ve melted right then and there. before her, a slightly sweaty and out of breath jo. comfortably in a wife pleaser and a pair of slacks. glasses pushed up into her short hair, and a toothpick hanging out of the side of her mouth. she stands there for a second soaking it all in, then realizes that she’s gawking with her mouth slightly open and stutters out a greeting.

“hi- hello. sorry. hi, i’m sorry.”

“nice to meet you sorry, i’m jo.” jo holds a hand out, letting a small laugh slip from her throat, smiling at adelaide. there’s heaven in that sweet serene sound of her laugh. birdsong and an angels chorus when she smiles. safety in the dimples of her cheeks. she looks incredible in the room’s low lamp lighting.

adelaide laughs like it’s the first time she’s ever heard a joke in her life. the kind of laugh that makes you stumble and hit your knee. grab your stomach, fall back. shimmy and shake it out of your body. the kind that squeezes tears out of your eyes, and it’s all so endearing to jo. because god this girl is cute, and it wasn’t that funny.

“wanna come in?” she moves out of the doorway. adelaide nods, carefully stepping in. one hand is in the other now, she starts to nervously fiddle with her fingers. looking down at the copper carpet, how the color contrasts with her brightly colored mary janes.

“is everything okay?” jo has closed and locked her door now. she’s standing next to adelaide, close enough to make her breath hitch and get stuck in her throat. she wants to look in her eyes, but she can’t. she’s lost in the freckles speckled all over her strong arms. addy can tell she works with her hands, and can very easily get lost in the imagination of her lifting heavy objects. getting dirty under the hoods of cars. lifting her shirt up to wipe the sweat dripping down her forehead…

“yes. yeah jo, everything’s fine. i just wanted to see you. i got you something.”

jo’s heart swells as the words leave the girl’s mouth. she watches as she pulls a wrapped gift box out of her pocket. the poor girls hands are damn near trembling. she hands it off to her, then puts her hands behind her back and bites her lip.

jo wastes no time opening it, carefully discarding the wrapping paper to unveil a small box. she pulls off the top to reveal a silver watch, something she’s been wanting to get but swears she didn’t have the “time” to do it. that she’d come around to it. she takes it out of the box and examines it further, noting that it looks incredibly expensive before flipping it around to see her name engraved on the back.

her jaw drops and her eyes grow wide as saucers. “oh fuck, addy. can i give you a hug?”

she smiles and whispers a soft “sure” before being embraced warmly. she can’t get enough of feeling jo’s body on hers. the woody scent of her cologne, the heat from her body, subtle skin to skin. it was enough to make you dizzy with desire. they’d only hugged for 10 seconds but it felt like a lifetime.

jo pulls away, putting a hand on her head and patting it forwards. “wow adelaide this is- wow. this is really something, you know?”

“it’s just a little something. i know you’ve been wanting one for a while so i-“

jo scoffs. “it’s more than a little something addy. my names engraved in the back, how’d you manage that?”

the shy girl tsks. “guy at the shop did it for me. you deserve it jo, really. you deserve something special.”

jo feels fireworks exploding inside of her and she can barely contain herself. overwhelmed at the happiness those very words gave her. she looks at adelaide with nothing but love in her eyes and steps closer to her. “i gotta tell you addy, i’ve never wanted to kiss anybody as bad as i wanna kiss you right now.”

silence and a spout of tension before adelaide closes the gap between the two of them. she took the front of jo’s shirt in her hand, twisted it, and pulled her lips onto her’s.

sweet sweet bliss. a fervor burning in the air around them. jo’s hands on addy’s waist. addys hands on the back of jo’s neck. nails scratching at her with a want. a need. deep desperation and pent up sexual frustration. one could almost ask how long has it been? a damn hot minute.

jo pulls away but there’s an obvious pain about it on her face. addys got the widest smile plastered on her very own. so big and dumb, lipstick smudged all over her lips.

“even better than i imagined.” jo wipes some lipstick off her chin. she plants a sweet kiss on the sweet girl’s nose, then pulls her closer by her waist.

“better than you imagined? how long have you been imagining this?” addy wraps her arms around jo’s neck, staring deep into her glistening eyes. “how about i show you just how long i have?” jo responds without missing a beat.

adelaide can feel the heat rushing to her core, legs growing weak at jo’s touch. her fingertips slightly grazing at her sides. the way her eyes wander all over her body, with longing. a lustrous desire spreads throughout her body and the sight alone makes addy feel like she’ll explode.

[dreamdaddydutch]

Comfort

Word Count: 4,036

Pairing: gn reader x Javier I Word Count: 4,036

Warnings: A mention of smoking, anxiety, panic attack description

Summary: Yes, this is another fic where Javier comforts the reader when they're experiencing a lot of anxiety and have a panic attack. It's a comfort fic which I wrote due to my own mental health and anxiety at the time being pretty bad. It's not a romantic fic as such, there's just a few mentions/hints of potential romance and feelings.

*******************************************************************

You hadn’t been feeling great for several days now, there was a tightening in your chest and no matter what you tried to do, your heart just didn’t seem to beat the way it was supposed to. It was erratic and all over the place, your mood too was low, panicked, worried. 

The day before you’d seen a dead Northern Cardinal at the side of the road and it had made you unfathomably sad, though you had no reason for the death of an animal to make you feel like this, especially considering you would frequently go hunting and fishing. 

The camp was alive, bustling away as usual and thankfully no one had noticed your current mood. The others would ask how you were in the morning but aside from that and a little small talk, everyone else seemed so preoccupied with their comings and goings that no one spared a second thought for you. You weren’t mad about it, perhaps it would have been nice if someone had at least noticed the change and asked if you wanted to talk, normally you’d expect that of Arthur.

But you knew he’d seen Mary again recently and had enough of his own problems to be keeping his mind busy rather than worrying about others. Mary-Beth also would enjoy chats with you especially in the evening, you trusted her more than most, but she’d been wrapped in her books and seemed so happy it was a shame to bring distress to her. The only other person in camp you could truly be honest with was Javier, the two of you shared chats in the early morning as the mist rose, or late at night round a dying fireplace. But he’d been frequently absent from camp as of late.

You decided to go for a ride by yourself to no where in particular, perhaps some time alone would do you good, look at the wildflowers, listen to the birdsong. Perhaps considering the season you’d find berries and mushrooms to forage and bring back to camp. Half hour out of camp you came across a small lake and there decided to hitch your horse, it seemed like a good place to stop for a coffee. As you poured the hot liquid from your flask you heard someone singing, curiosity getting the better of you, you decided to go and investigate. 

The real reason was because the song was familiar to you, though not in English, you wondered if it were at all possible that another from your camp had also come to the same location for some time alone. Time that you were now about to intrude on. 

Walking through the rushes, careful of your footsteps you eventually came to the person who was singing, Javier. You had been right.

“Hi there,” You said quietly, not wishing to startle him or seem over enthusiastic. You were worried when he saw you that he’d be annoyed or perhaps have wondered if you’d followed him, which you would never dream of. Instead when he saw you his face seemed to light up as he smiled and waved you over.

“Hola Y/N”

You walked over to him and sat down on the grasses. “I’m sorry Javier I didn’t mean to intrude.”

He waved his hands in front of his face, “No, no… you could never intrude, it’s nice to see you.” He smiled, it seemed genuine, could it be he was really pleased to see you? Perhaps you could open up to Javier about how you were feeling?

He always listened and was quite sensitive when you got to know him, but the problem was what you had started to feel something for him and were worried that spending too much time with him or opening up would expose you and the emotions you held close. 

You opened your mouth to speak when Javier instead said, “I am glad you are here with me.”

You looked at him and waited for him to continue, what did he mean?

“Around camp recently, you haven’t seemed yourself this past week. You’re so quiet and withdrawn, I miss our morning chats looking out at the valley, smoking, good…well passable coffee.” He let out a small laugh. 

You returned a small smile, “Yes well, about that…” You stopped in your tracks, was this a good idea?

As if reading your mind he responded, “You can tell me.”

“I don’t know Javier I haven’t been feeling myself as of late. I’m worried and anxious all the time, to be honest…” you took a deep breath wondering just how much you could tell him and whether you could trust him. His earnest expression and the way his hand had moved towards yours on the dry earth told you that you could.

“I’m feeling more alone than ever, I’m so afraid, I’m not sleeping, my chest hurts all the time. My heart…my chest it’s like it’s full of butterflies all beating their wings to escape.”

Javier put down his fishing rod and shifted a little where he was sat to look at you, he reached out to stroke the side of your face, “I am so sorry to hear that, what can I do?”

That was the question wasn’t it?

“I don’t know….listen, just be there for me,” you offered as a slightly pathetic suggestion.

He nodded, “Sí, of course I can do that.” 

You sat silently for a minute, Javier wasn’t one to lie so you you trusted what he said, trusted that you could in turn trust him. 

“Anything biting?” You asked as you lent towards Javier and looked out at the still water.

He picked up the rod, “Only tiny fish, nothing worth taking back to camp. But, I don’t always fish for the fish you know?” He looked across at you and shrugged a little.

“Oh.” You paused for a moment, “So you like to get away from the others too huh?”

He smiled and nodded, “The camp, all those personalities, all that noise. Sometimes it’s nice to just be alone.” He cocked his head to the side, “especially at the moment, the way things are.”

Thinking on his words you pulled your knees up higher into your chest and squeezed feeling a little bit guilty, “And now I’ve come along and totally ruined that silence with my presence.” You sighed, preparing to get up and leave him to it.

Javier was silent for a moment and then put the rod down again, leaning it against an empty can of beans just in case anything bit. He shuffled on the ground to turn and face you, “Why do you do that?” He asked, he appeared curious, but not angry. 

“Do what?” You had no idea what he was talking about and worried that now you had ruined the relationship the two of you had built, the friendship and companionship you’d found in him. He was one of the few in camp who appeared to understand you and now that was going to be something else from the past, something else to worry and stress about, to feel embarrassed and anxious about.

As these thoughts rushed through your head you felt your chest getting tighter, a sharp pain stabbing in the left hand side, your heart missing a beat and then beating too quickly. The regularity was gone. 

“Y/N?” Javier asked after you hadn’t answered for a while. You heard him but your vision was blurry when you tried to look at him. Focus, you told yourself. But it wasn’t working, you couldn’t focus, not on Javier, not on the serene water of the pond or the sun dipping low in the sky. You were unable to get your breathing under control, a hand went up to your chest and you clenched. 

“Y/N,” you could hear Javier’s voice and could just make out the concern on his face, but when you again tried to focus on his dark and warm eyes, so reassuring and comforting, just nothing only a blur. 

You felt Javier’s hand clasp over yours, his other reached for your knee as he scooted forwards so he was next to you. He squeezed gently in an attempt to bring you out of your current state. 

“Javier, I can’t breath…I can’t..c…” You tried speaking but this only made the situation of your breathing worse to contend with. You shook your head and bent over, your head hanging down, Javier reached up to your hair, scooping it up so it didn’t get dirty in the ground, bringing it back to your head he clasped the back of you and held you steady. Tilting your head up gently so you were inches from his face, his nose pressed against yours. 

“Just breathe, you can do it.” He said softly. “Everything will be okay, I promise. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, I am here now and will always be there for you okay? There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be embarrassed of, if you’re scared I will protect you.” His stream of words were the most comforting thing you’d experienced in months. You didn’t quite catch all of the words, but it was enough for you to get the gist of what he was saying. You were incredibly grateful that right now in this moment it was him who was sat with you. 

The hand that was over yours now squeezed, his fingers slowly interlocked with yours and he kept it there against your fast beating chest. You’d never been this close to Javier before, in fact you’d never been this close to anyone in camp before but yet this couldn’t have felt more natural. 

“Javier…” you said again, something about his name was soothing and calming to you. You could smell his aftershave, could smell the wax on his boots, whiskey on his breath. He smelt of home, he was warm and comforting. He wasn’t lying, when you were close to him you knew you would always be safe.

You felt your heart starting to slow just a little, although your breaths were coming in fast and your chest still felt as if it were full of butterflies, there was just enough of a change to suggest your body was moving in the right direction and it was thanks to Javier and his presence. 

“Breathe in through your nose, deeply, with me now.” He squeezed your hand a little tighter. 

“Breathe in,” he repeated and you followed his instruction. Your chest was fighting against you, desperate for you to take a quick, sharp breath through your mouth, however, you were determined. This time you ended up spluttering a little, but Javier didn’t withdraw, he wasn’t disgusted, he simply encouraged you to try again.

“Breathe in again, with me.” 

It took several tries but eventually you managed it, several seconds of inhaling in and then holding your breath, you thought of the calm stream and of Javier’s singing round the campfire.

“Breathe out through your mouth, low and slow now.”

Again you breathed with him, slowly, carefully, not scolding yourself if you occasionally missed a beat or got it wrong. 

It took several minutes of breathing almost in silence, just the sound of Javier’s guidance to help and starlings in the distance.

When your heartbeat had returned to normal Javier waited for you to speak, what you noticed however was that even though you had regained control of your breath he remained holding your hand, cupping your head, his nose was still pressed to yours. You inhaled deeply now and let out a sigh as you closed your eyes. Now you pressed a little further without meaning to, your lips were so close to his you could feel his breath on your skin. 

“How are you feeling now?” He asked.

You considered the question, and nodded sheepishly, “Okay…I mean a lot better than five minutes ago, thank you Javier.” As you were feeling more conscious again you became aware of how close you’d become to Javier and slowly pulled away. Javier let go of your head and your hand as you did so, you felt the colour rush up your neck and into your cheeks. You turned away tempting to hide your blush. The Javier that would joke around the campfire would have made a comment on this for sure, however, in this moment he was focused solely on looking after you.

“So, what was that about?” He asked. 

“You asked me why I kept doing something, you sounded…cross. No, wait you didn’t sound cross, I just interpreted you as cross and I worried.”

When Javier didn’t say anything else you took this as a cue to continue, avoiding eye contact you considered what to say next, “So, Javier you are one of the people i’m closest to, you’re one of the few people I can trust. The thought of disappointing you, annoying you, or you finding me embarrassing to be around just sent me into a panic.” It felt better to have it off your chest, even if you did worry about his reaction.

“Look at me,” he said softly. When you looked up at him he reached out for your hands, they were given willingly. His hands were still warm for a moment ago, he clasped yours in his. “I would never, I just want you to know that okay? I would never not want to be friends with you, not be here and looking after you.”

You felt tears well up in your eyes as you looked into his, hanging on his every word. 

“You mean it?”

“Of course, I would not say it if I didn’t mean it.”

“Javier,” you said quietly, slightly scared of the question you were going to ask and what his reaction would be, “Do you think I could have a hug?”

Javier smiled, “Of course.” He leaned in and wrapped both his arms round you, you scooted forward a little bit so you were chest to chest, wrapping your arms around him too. You leant on him, nuzzled into his neck and closed your eyes, “This is nice.” You confessed.

Javier hummed in response, “Yes it is.”

You didn’t want to let go of Javier, didn’t want to be the one to break the connection, but at the same time you didn’t want to hold on for too long. You didn’t want to overstay the welcome, but from everything he said, he never would have thought that. 

“So, whenever you feel like this, whether out on a raid, fishing, in camp…doesn’t matter, you come to me okay?” You nodded, but still didn’t let go of him.

As if sensing your thoughts Javier added, “There’s no rush, we can stay here as long as you like.”

“Thank you. Javier, earlier when you said why do I always do that, what did you mean?”

“I thought it was obvious, I meant why do you always put yourself down? Why don’t you believe in yourself more, you are not a burden, you have achieved amazing things and you’re kind, as well as brave, as well as good with a gun, which together is a hell of a lot more than the majority of those back in camp.”

It was weird to still be hugging Javier whilst having such a serious conversation, but his words meant the world to you. Your heart rate was slower than before, as a complete state of calm washed over you. 

“Thank you Javier, you have no idea how much that means to me. You are one of the few things I am grateful for right now and I couldn’t stand to lose you.”

“And you won’t, I promise.”

Finally you let go of Javier and moved away slowly, your hands returned to their previous position, in one another’s. Javier’s bangs hung over his eyes and he smiled at you. “I am so glad you found me out here today you know?”

“I thought you wanted time alone.”

“Yes and no. Time away from certain people more like,” he gave a small laugh. You knew exactly who he was referring to when he said that. 

“Perhaps, I could stay sat here with you until you’re done fishing?”

“I would like that very much.”

You let go of his hands to allow him to return to the fishing rod. Before returning to fishing he lit a cigarette, it hung idly from the corner of his mouth, he passed his flask of whiskey to you and took a swig before handing it back. Drinking from things that had been in other’s mouths wasn’t something you made a habit of in camp, but with Javier it was different. 

As the sun set, casting orange and red streaks across the sky, neither of you said much, just commented on the weather, whether fish were biting and what flowers you could see. Javier informed you he’d been picking Oleander earlier which he was fashioning into poison arrows and was more than happy to share some of his stock with you.

Occasionally he would hum a tune or sing, though he sung in Spanish and you weren’t sure what he was singing about, the sound was beautiful all the same and helped you to relax further. Normally you loved to listen to him singing, but this moment in particular felt lovely as it was just the two of you, the singing was just for you and him.

As it got dark and the stars started to appear in the sky you found yourself shivering a few times, the coolness of the night air causing goosebumps to appear on your arms.

Javier looked across at you and seeing you shake offered you his jacket. He wound in the fishing line and tidied up before placing it round your shoulders gently, “Here, I don’t want you getting cold.”

You clasped his hand as he lay it on your shoulder, “Thank you Javier, not just for this, for everything, for looking after me and letting me know you’ll be here for me. Just, thank you.” There wasn’t much more to say than that, you feared if you started to talk about it all again you’d get emotional and cry again. This was not the look you wanted to return to camp with and so you stopped yourself before the gushing began.

Javier reached out to help you to your feet, as you sprung upwards you practically fell into his chest. He let out a low chuckle, “Don’t worry I got you.”

Instinct then drove you to hug him once more, you wanted nothing further from him, not right now. But you did want to reinforce how grateful you were for his discretion and kindness. Once again he wrapped his arms around you, at first you weren’t certain but then were sure he had placed a kiss to the crown of your head, gently touching his lips to your hair.

As you climbed up onto your horse you waited for Javier to do the same with Boaz so you could ride side by side back to camp. Maybe there would be questions, but in the line of business you were in, it was easy to say you were out hunting, out fishing, raiding, looking for potential heist locations. And so what if someone did suspect something else? You hadn’t exactly committed a crime had you, well, what a ridiculous thing to think – you’d all committed many crimes, it was more what if tongues wagged about the closeness of the two of you. Again, so what? There were worse people in camp for rumours to be circulating about than Javier, worse people to be caught spending quality time with.

With that you let the thought drift out of your mind, it wasn’t worth thinking on for a moment longer.

Back at camp there were a few looks from Arthur, Molly and Karen, but nothing more than the usual when anyone returned home from being away for the day.

You went back to your tent and spent a while reflecting on the day in your diary, then regretted writing anything down just in case someone should be feeling particularly nosey and decided to have a look into it. But you shoved it underneath your pillow, no one had ever intruded before so what would cause them to do so now.

Later that evening by the light of the campfire Javier was sat round it with his guitar and was playing something that sounded like a love song, but for all you knew he was singing about death. You supposed the two weren’t all that different when all was said and done.

You listened but from a distance, not wanting to get too close to him or to give anyone in the camp the impression that was there anything happening between the two of you. But there wasn’t anything happening. You cursed yourself as you felt your cheeks blushing at the thought of him and the thought of anyone else even beginning to think that anything was transpiring between the two of you.

Just then you felt a hand clamp on your shoulder which made you jump, looking up you saw Arthur stood next to you, “Oh, hey Arthur you alright?”

“Not so bad, you?”

You smiled and nodded enthusiastically, “Oh I’m right as rain.”

He cocked his head to the side, “Really? You haven’t seemed like your usual self recently so I just wanted to check everything was okay with you. Anything going on you need to talk about?” You’d tried to keep Arthur out of your worries and here he was anyway, of course he was here, it was Arthur.

You swallowed, “Well, a bit of trouble, up here,” you pointed to your head, “In here,” pointing to your heart. “But, I talked it out today and am feeling better, not perfect, but I have things under control, I think..”

“With Javier?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, he was so kind, sharing how I felt just made me feel so much better.”

Arthur smiled, “Good, I’m glad you’ve found someone else to confide in.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke, fire reflected in his dark eyes.

You shuffled on the spot, not quite sure what he meant by that, was he annoyed by you and happy now that finally you would go to someone else with your problems? Were you that much of a burden, a thud in your chest, the feeling of your stomach dropping out from under you. You looked over at Javier and tried to recall the conversation from earlier. He was there for you and nothing else mattered.

Sensing your distress Arthur placed his hand back on your shoulder and squeezed, “Y/N please, don’t misunderstand me. I’m always happy to listen, I’m grateful for your friendship, and I know you’ll always return the favour.” You sighed letting out the tension of the past 30 seconds and suddenly remembering how to breathe.

“Sorry, I’m a bit jumpy.”

“I just meant, with all that’s going on nothing is certain. I worry is all, so I’m glad that you have someone else to trust, when,” Arthur coughed and turned his head to the side, “I mean if…anything should happen to me.”

Arthur coughed again, it was deep and guttural, he lifted a handkerchief to his lips and tried to cover it up when he lifted it away from himself but it was too late, you’d seen the blood.

Now it was your turn to reach out to him, “Arthur….” You asked softly. “What’s going on?”

“Not today, I’ll tell you, but not today.” He looked over to Javier, “Go sit by the fire, you feel cold. I’ll bring you a beer.” You were reluctant to move but Arthur reassured you, “Come on now, you don’t know how long Javier will be playing for, I’m sure you’d rather listen to him and lulled into a peaceful sleep than worrying about me.”

You looked at the ground in an attempt to hide your smile, and did exactly as Arthur had said. 

[violettesiren]

No way back then, you remember, we decided, but forward, deep into a wood

so darkly green, so deafening with birdsong I stopped my ears.

And that high chime at night, was it really the stars, or some music

running inside our heads like a dream? I think we must have been very tired.

I think it must have been a bad broken off piece at the start that left us so hungry

we turned back to a path that was gone, and lost each other, looking.

I called your name over and over again, and still you did not come.

At night, I was afraid of the black dogs and often I dreamed you next to me,

but even then, you were always turning down the thick corridor of trees.

In daylight, every tree became you. And pretending, I kissed my way through

the forest, until I stopped pretending and stumbled, finally, here.

Here too, there are step-parents, and bread rising, and so many other people

you may not find me at first. They speak your name, when I speak it.

But I remember you before you became a story. Sometimes, I feel a thorn in my foot

when there is no thorn. They tell me, not unkindly, that I should imagine nothing here.

But I believe you are still alive. I want to tell you about the size of the witch

and how beautiful she is. I want to tell you the kitchen knives only look friendly,

they have a life of their own, and that you shouldn’t be sorry,

not for the bread we ate and thought we wasted, not for turning back alone,

and that I remember how our shadows walked always before us, and how that was a clue,

and how there are other clues that seem like a dream but are not,

and that every day, I am less and less afraid.

Gretel, from a Sudden Clearing by Marie Howe

[onegentlemansescapades]

The Supremes: Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell and Mary Wilson / Ph. by Guy Webster 1971

[poptartcrush]

The Supremes/ 1970/ Cindy Birdsong/ Jean Terrell/ Mary Wilson