#more like annie bald

[bush-or-bald]

Güzin Arsoy (Drakula Istanbul'da): Bush or Bald?

This is an interesting adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula set in Turkey instead of England, with character names changed accordingly along with their religion from Christianity to Islam. No crucifixes and communion wafers in this version!

Güzin is the equivalent to Mina from the original. Unlike Mina, Güzin's religion instructs her to remove body hair. Said the Prophet :

"The Fitrah is five things - or five things are part of the fitrah – circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs, and trimming the moustache.”

So if Güzin is as devout in her faith as Mina, she's far less furry than her Christian counterpart. This cultural expectation would likely go double for a belly dancer who naturally shows more of her body than most women of her time.

Verdict: bald

[thatlovelywitch]

𝙰𝙾𝚃 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙾𝚁 𝙰𝚄 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝙲𝙾𝙿𝙴 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 2

✨Falco Grice's cheeks have never seen a day of rest since he joined the cast. They are everyone's personal squishie or stress ball and they're always red when he goes home

✨ Levi has another signature other than the iconic cut: kohl. No matter the fit, his eyes are kohled on the red carpet

✨ Levi and Hange did a hit psychological horror movie together as the main leads. Theatre was shook, Tiktok was shook, Theatre was shook and people watched it for.....the amazing plot (the plot was Hange in a lacy black bar and low rise jeans covered in blood and Levi in the shower)

✨ Sasha has taken singing/music lessons since she was a kid, so she has a beautiful voice and can play the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano and keyboard. She has a music career aside from acting, and her songs tend to go viral Tiktok for cute trends. Her music has Clairo or Mazzy Star vibes, but she also likes it a bit risque so expect some softer R&B Kehlani type beats too. She tends to forget a lot of her fans are kids though LOL apology statements have been released (left a lip stick mark on an adult male fan's shirt and humped the floor while there were kids in the audience chile)

✨ Armin is THE SWEETEST EVER to kid fans like kid fans are his favorite and it shows. He'll always doodle a heart or sumn when he signs an autograph and you bet he'll go all soft complimenting the kid's mini plushie of him or their little Survey Corps cape

"Aww look at your cape yknow little buddy I had one too but it's not as cool as yours"

✨ Historia and Ymir. NOBODY has deciphered to this day if they're besties or dating it's that confusing and they don't make it any easier to guess.

✨ Annie and Mikasa call each other "wifey" and people try and start like imaginary beef between them like 13 year olds with too much time lol and all the while they're gossiping at award shows and feeding each other pudding or having sleepovers

✨ Zeke is a swiftie and he was the most EMBARRASSING CELEB MEMBER IN THE CROWD 😭 my brotha was twerking during more sensual or hardcore songs and he was getting drunk back there

✨ Erwin is NEVER dodging Captain America allegations he's tried to deny the rumors of him replacing Chris Evans since 2013 to no avail

✨ Erwin is a girl dad who keeps his relationship with his wife very private but sometimes he shares pictures of his life as a married man. The fandom will never get over him in a pink wig

✨ Pieck is a pretty privilege Tiktok lipsync star and we love that for her

✨ Jean and Connie did the Buzzfeed thirst tweets video tgt

✨ "Dude listen I've been goin to the bathroom with him for a decade now and it's more of a pony than a horse"

"Istg if yo bald head don't-"

✨ Eren Yeager reposts bad mafia x y/n Tiktok POV's of him

✨ Eren calls his fans pookie

[miffy-junot]

Reviewing British Caricatures of Junot

1.

One would think that, if you were going to mock Junot for his physical appearance, it would be easy to mock the features he actually had that were considered ugly by the standards of the time (scars, moles, downturned eyes, big nose) - but nah, this caricature has invented a strange version of Junot who is snub-nosed, balding in his thirties, and still dressing in the style of the 1790s! (....this will unfortunately prove to be a common theme in caricatures of him.)

5/10 - inaccurate, made him look old and ugly, BUT I like the way they drew his body, he looks like a cute chibi :3

2.

Slightly more accurate in terms of appearance BUT!!!! HOW DARE THEY MANACLE HIM AND MAKE HIM A SPECTRAL FIGURE WARNING NAPOLEON, THAT'S NOT VERY NICE!!!!!!

2/10 - his face looks silly but I don't like the situation he's in, poor boy

3.

Back to the really weird-looking depictions - STOP THAT!!!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!!!!! He needs his exorbitant amounts of loot for, uh, *checks notes* ... leading his pretty princess lifestyle!!!

(however this caricature is wishful thinking - although the Brits did convince Junot to leave some stuff behind, he took most of his loot back to France)

1/10 - don't hold him like that!!! stop forcing him to vomit his yummy snacks!!! let him steal stuff to fund his pretty princess lifestyle!!!!

4.

The curse of inaccurate aging ugly Junot strikes again... and this time he has switched hair colours with his wife! (Junot had light brown/red hair, Laure had black hair; in this caricature it's reversed).

The moustache is atrocious, it must be removed by force. Remove the panicked expression from Junot's face, and it's a lovely domestic scene!

8/10 - despite the horrific uglification of Junot in this one, I think it's cute, I wonder if him and Laure ever did try on each other's clothes :3

5.

STOP BEING MEAN TO HIM!!!!!! And preferably stop giving him a hairstyle he hadn't worn since the early 1790s and a uniform he hadn't worn since 1800. I mean, come on, the hussar scoundrel archetype is right there and you don't use it?

But what's even worse is that THEY STOLE HIS BEAUTIFUL THIGHS!!!!!! Look how skinny he is!!!!!! WHERE DID HIS MEATY THIGHS GO???!!!!!

0/10 - horrific display of cruelty to Junots, he should be sitting on Wellington's lap and smooching him

6.

They made him ugly again :((((

But this one is actually quite cute! Look at him, he's smiling!!! He's proud of himself!!! He has his treasure!!!! He's got good posture!!! Awww my baby boy

7/10 - happy juju!!!

7.

Now aside from the distasteful uglification, I love this one. He looks like a supervillain. He's powerful, he's prosperous, he's living his best life, he's got twinks kneeling before him.... iconic. This is what real Junot was like. And just look at this thigh boots!!!!!!! sexy af ngl

10/10 - he's in his hot villain era okay

8 - an honourable mention

This is not a depiction of Junot, but it's somehow the best caricature about him!

The full caricature is making fun of the British government, and here is the politician Lord Yarmouth, complaining about "Fanny Anny" (his wife, Maria Emilia Fagniani) going over to "Juno" (how many British sources spelled Junot at the time). And it's true! The Yarmouths marriage was unhappy and so, after the birth of their last child in 1805, they separated and Maria moved to Paris where she spent the rest of her life. And guess who she had a relationship with while in Paris... the local manwhore General Junot ;)

This is my favourite Junot-related caricature because it taught me something new about him and is the only one that comes close to commenting on his personal life. 11/10

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 5 July 1888, 1,400 women and girls working at the Bryant & May match factory in east London walked out on strike in solidarity with a group of workers who had been sacked. Journalist Annie Besant had published an article in her newspaper, The Link, about the conditions in the factory, stating: "Born in slums, driven to work while still children, undersized because under-fed, oppressed because helpless, flung aside as soon as worked out, who cares if they die or go on to the streets provided only that Bryant & May shareholders get their 23 per cent and Mr. Theodore Bryant can erect statues and buy parks?… Girls are used to carry boxes on their heads until the hair is rubbed off and the young heads are bald at fifteen years of age?" To try to salvage their reputation, the company tried to force their employees to sign a statement praising their working conditions. A small group of women refused, and were fired. The remaining workers at the plant immediately walked out in their support. They quickly formed a union and chose Besant as their leader. Management quickly offered to reinstate the worker, but the strikers refused to return to work, demanding in addition the abolition of a system of fines for things like talking or going to the toilet without permission. Right-wing newspapers like the Times attacked the women, falsely claiming they were "egged on to strike by irresponsible advisers… pests of the modern industrialised world". But the workers held out for three weeks until eventually Bryant & May agreed both to reinstatement and the abolition of fines. The dispute helped spur a huge wave of self-organisation of non-union workers in Britain, particularly amongst east London dockers who walked out themselves the following year. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10526/strike-at-bryant-&-may-match-factory-in-east-london Pictured: Annie Besant with the strike committee https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=656142233225662&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[legend-the-dumb-jock]

Hey, I heard you could somehow get guys to grow some muscle and hair really fast. I've always wanted some nice muscle and stubble, along with a bit of chest hair to make me look more like a manly hot dude. Could you do that for me? I'll pay whatever you want as long as I can afford it, I mean these changes have to come at some kinda cost right?

Sure I can help you with that but as you know intend to go over board. How much hair is too much ? For me it’s not enough. A man should be covered from head to toe I think. So that’s what’s you’ll be. Annie you mentioned really fast. You blink your eyes and bam you sitting at the pool side with the sun blazing in your eyes. Lucky for you there are sun glasses on your face. But when you look down all you see is dark…hairy…skin. And I mean hairy. You can barely see skin underneath the thick tufts and it goes all the down to your merry toes where it looks like you just stepped out of a hobbit film. Youll never have to worry about going bald in your lifetime. Running out of shampoo and condition…that could be another thing though… anyway. The price you’re going to pay…hmmm …how about the police are knocking down the pool fence now to take you away for being a drug lord. You’ll spend several years behind bars in this new hairy body. Try convincing them you’re not a criminal when you have the body and finger prints of one.

[moonspirit]

Hi in new here! I have a personal headcanon (I don't know if this is called headcanon) wherein for the past 3 years, Annie got her late glow up..

Like the time she's stuck for 4 years in crystal that prevents her from growing,, would work for the 3 years.. at first all of them (the alliance) won't notice anything, but later on pieck would be the one to notice, cause she would see that Annie become much taller than her, probably 5'4 tall, and I think their reaction would be quite funny

Once the 3 years have passed, Annie would standing full in 5'7 and haft inches, making her taller than Armin, much more stronger than before, and broader too.. and I think the alliance+ hitch reaction would be hilarious and kind of disbelief that the one of the shortest (or the shortest) person they know, gradually become tall and surpassed some of them (pieck, Armin, hitch).. and Annie are squealing and jumping in happiness inside, that she actually won't be short anymore and even taller on some on them (cause her neck is getting tired already from looking up)

And I think she would change her hairstyle eventually (not that I hate her hairstyle... But I guess I kind of dislike it too??? Hehe)

I just want some TallerGfAnnie and ShorterBfArmin. Can you make a (short) oneshot/story about this pls??? It's also ok if don't want too

Hi!!! I'm so sorry I got around to this a bit late T^T And welcome, welcome :3

This would be so funny though xD It's already hilarious that Annie's the shortest of the bunch while once having been an absolutely terrifying titan, and she's still... short after everything. Even if she can still be downright scary af when she gets angry, she's still... very smol xD I think the guys and Pieck alike use this to tease her once they get used to her constant presence post-rumbling lmaoo.

Post-rumbling Annie: *glares* Jean, Connie and Pieck: teeHEE tiny Annie's maaaaad!

But then she's also very insecure about being so short and small still! So fro Annie to gradually shoot up in height... it's dejavu for the 104th again... the female titan is back.

Suddenly Jean is a bit more scared of her because she was scary before, but now she's actually closer to his face- oh god what if he pisses her off and wakes up bald? his beautiful hair? gone?!

Connie's slightly mad because he can no longer be the tallest third-wheel (both armin and annie were shorter than him ya know). Now it's even MORE exhausting to put up with their stupid shit because Annie can and will bully him to greater extents.

Armin's quite thrilled honestly xD Why? Easy. He fell in love with the female titan y'know. Armin Arlert loves tall, lorge girls. Annie long legs very pretty!

I would love to make you a TallerGf!Annie and ShorterBf!Armin fic, although my ideas are pretty zapped atm - but one day! I'll let the idea simmer in my head and maybe I'll come up with something :3

[scriptdeviant]

Hey, Brulo. For once, it isn't Anton barging into your casino. It's some really. Frantic and old as hell looking teenager, fumbling through the doors. Sweat is literally pouring down his face as his converses screech against the carpeted floor, practically threatening to start a fire, before-- Sorry, Ronnie throws himself over the bar and hides under your bar. What--

--Oh, there's Anton barging in. Those doors you got re-installed about seven hours ago? Gone off their hinges again as he barrels in, harshly looking around. He doesn't settle down, but he does eventually lock eyes with the divorced, BALD, EXTREMELY BALD man.

"Where is he." Ronnie literally just told him to shut up. He gets that from Annie all of the time. Jeez.

. . .

The sad part? This still isn't the strangest thing that's occurred to him. He shoots a side-eye at the terrified child. Those eyes were practically BEGGING Brulo to keep his lip shut. He sighed loudly, rubbed his temples, and decided to ignore Ronnie. It's not like this teen can rob him any more than the not-so-red big guy, anyway.

Anton bursts in, as usual, and he's already calculating the costs of repairing the door for the 5,000th time. ( Can he even sell the mattress he keeps in the back . . . ? He already gave up his apartment last year. )

He dragged his hand down his cheek. The bags under his eyes grew darker every second. He the glass cup back on the table and gave Anton the most haunted look of a man who's regretted every decision he's made since the day he was born.

❝ We're closed. ❞

[cryptic-64]

The Mysterious case of: Annie Borjesson

30 year old Annie Borjesson was a Swedish woman who lived in Edinburgh. She was preparing to fly from her home back to Sweden for a well-anticipated Christmas trip, she had even booked a hair appointment for her return and also paid a month of her rent in advance.

On December 3rd 2005, she leaves for her trip and airport CCTV footage captures her alone making her way to check in for her flight: when suddenly for an unknown reason she turns around and heads back out of the airport and walks off towards the local beach.

She is not seen again.

December 4th 2005, a man walking his dog came across a disturbing and saddening scene, a young woman lying still, face down under a sea wall along Prestwick beach, Scotland.

The man contacted the police, they arrived promptly in just 10 minutes and were able to positively identify her by some items found alongside her body, it was Annie Borjesson, found dead just 80 miles from her home in Edinburgh.

Between her disappearance and discovery there is only one unconfirmed report of a witness claiming to see a woman matching her description, standing at the water's edge, staring off into the distance at around 4:30pm.

Oddly Annie’s remains were moved to a mortuary within just 100 minutes from the time she was found, leaving speculation that they were unable to completely investigate any forensic evidence that could be found on scene. Investigators reason that it was due to the rising tide.

December 5th 2005, a letter from the Scottish authorities claims they suspect her cause of death was a suicide but they had not yet conducted a post-mortem investigation as of yet.

However Annie’s family firmly denied any suspicion of suicide, saying they have no reason to believe their daughter would do that.

Her autopsy was conducted at Ayr Hospital, in which her cause of death was concluded to be most likely drowning, however the report also states there was no evidence of trauma or any significant injuries, however that wasn’t what the undertaker who handled her body would say.

The undertaker who was responsible for sending her body back to Sweden says they observed “significant bruising to her body which, for reasons I cannot explain to you, I believe was not included in her autopsy report.” They specifically expressed that her body was in “extremely poor” condition.

Then the undertaker who received her body observed “finger marks around her neck”, and “extensive bruising on her body like someone had repeatedly hit her”. They also described Annie’s beautiful long blonde hair that was now chopped into a rough bob with a reported bald patch “as though someone had just grabbed it and ripped it right out of her head.”

Also tests performed on her body found microscopic creatures that come from a freshwater environment, which is strange considering she was found and supposedly drowned in the Firth of Clyde, which is salt water.

In 2023 a journalist named Hazel Martin filed a ‘Freedom of Information’ request for photos taken during Annie’s first forensic examination but was refused as it was deemed to be “not in the public’s interest.” Similarly Annie’s family have also been denied access to these photographs for the same reason.

Annie’s family believe she was beaten, drowned and placed at Prestwick beach.

One leading theory presented by journalist Kristina Börjesson states that U.S intelligence was flying suspected terrorists to various places worldworld, and they notoriously used Prestwick Airport to get prisoners from the Middle East to other prisons. The theory insinuates that agents must have somehow mistaken Annie for a suspect, which ultimately leads to her death. Adding more fuel to the theory another journalist requested to see any correspondence between the Swedicsh and Scottish governments regarding Annie’s death, but was refused because any material could “harm their relations with a foreign state”.

It is also known that Annie’s case is considered a “Classified State Secret” in Sweden.

A young woman’s supposed suicide is a classified state secret? How odd.

Rest in peace, Annie Borjesson.

[agirlwithbigdreamsforher]

CHAPTER 20

THE NANNY: CHAPTER 20

Pairing: Andy Barber x Annie Johnson (OFC)

Summary: Working and single parenting is not easy. Andy needs to find a nanny for his son Jacob. Annie, an education degree student at Lasell University, comes to their lives just in time for the big changes in Andy’s life.

Warnings: None, I think.

A/N: none.

Disclaimer: I do not give permission for any of my works to be copied, used, translated nor reposted anywhere else but here on this blog. Do not steal what you didn’t work for. Minors and ageless blank blogs don’t interact with me or my works. Reblogs and likes are always welcome. Thank you for reading this work of fiction.

Word count: 2580

GIF not mine, if its yours, please let me know to give you credit :)  

                                     ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

After Jake’s nightmare that night, Annie helped Andy to find someone to help him. The doctor’s office was located in Newton. Before the first session, Andy was summoned by the doctor so he drove there to talk to him and give the doctor a head’s up about Jake’s situation.

“Jacob Barber?” The assistant called and Andy stood, “Follow me, please.” He followed her through a hall and to the office. The assistant left and Andy knocked at the door.

“Come in.” Andy walked in and was greeted by a man in his 50’s probably, a little bald, rounded glasses. The office was colorful, had stuff animals on the couch, and a play room to the left. "Jacob?”

“Ammm my name is Andy…”

“No offense but you don’t look like a three year old. I don’t work with adults. Maybe you are looking for Doctor Simmons, she is on the other side of the hall.”

“No, no. I’m Jacob’s dad. You wanted to see me before his first session.”

“Oh! My bad, I have to tell my assistant not to write the kid’s name when the parent is coming, she is new. Welcome Mr. Barber. Have a sit.” Andy took a sit in the chair in front of the doctor. “I need to ask you a couple of questions before Jake comes next Tuesday, I hope that’s ok.”

“Yes, of course. What do you want to know?”

“When did the first nightmare happened?”

“Ammm, God I don’t know. A year ago, maybe. I mean, he cried a lot when he was younger, I don’t know if he had nightmares then, probably yes.”

“Alright” the doctor started writing on his pad, “Do you know what the nightmares are about?”

“He says the monster wants to take him away from me. There were sometimes he said he is alone in some place he doesn’t know. Last time he said he doesn’t remember the dream.”

“How often are his nightmares?”

“They used to be daily”

“Used to be?”

“I manage to talk to Jake and let him know that it was just a dream, and dreams couldn’t hurt him. Or at least I thought I convince him. He sometimes doesn’t talk about what he dreams, he just sneaks into my room at night.”

“Ok, based on what you just told me, how many times do you thing he has nightmares?”

“About 3 o 4 times a week. As I told you he usually just sneak into my room, nothing like what happened the other night.”

“Has he ever been away from home?”

“Once, he traveled with the neighbors two weeks ago.”

“Did your neighbor tell you anything about Jake’s behavior? If he didn’t sleep or something like that?”

“No, she said he behaved, and he was a sweet funny boy. No nightmares, no nothing.”

“Are you married Mr. Barber?”

“No, I’m divorced.”

“How often does Jake see his mom?”

“He doesn’t, his mom left almost three years ago.” Andy’s jaw clenched “Jake was one.”

“I see this is a sensitive topic for you too Mr. Barber. Perhaps you need to talk it out.”

“I’m fine, we’re here because of my son.”

“Tell me more about what happened.”

 Jake has been seeing the psychologist for a couples of weeks now. Dr. Greene specialize in children psychology, and asked for Jake to be with him at least 2 times a week to start, Tuesdays and Fridays. Jake seems to like him, although for him everything he did during the sessions was just a game.

“Mrs. Barber?” Dr. Greene called for Annie right before they left home. “Can you please come in for a minute?”

“Sure, Jake sit here, I won’t take long.” She walked to the doctor’s office and he closed the door.

“Please, Mrs. Barber, have a sit.”

“I’m not a Barber.” The doctor stared at her “My name is Annie Johnson, I’m Jake’s nanny.”

“Oh, I see. My bad, it’s just Jake keep saying his mommy is waiting outside, so, I assume Mr. Barber got married again.”

“Ammm well not quite, his dad and I are together, you know like dating, I have been living with them for maybe a month now. I had some problems and they took me in.”

“I see.” The doctor wrote everything she said. “So you moved in and now you “work” as a nanny for Mr. Barber.”

“No, he hired me to be Jake’s nanny. But now we decided to give it a try.”

“Ok, you were first his nanny, and then you and Mr. Barber decided to have a relationship.” Annie just nodded and he kept writing “Well, Jake seems very fond of you, I mean he calls you mommy.”

“Yeah, it is still weird to me, it doesn’t bother me, and I have never told him not to call me that. Am I in some kind of problem? Should I tell him to stop?”

“No, no, you are not in trouble, he loves you. I just want to know more about the dynamics in the house. Jake mentioned his dad is a lawyer, right?”

“Yes, he is the ADA. He works in the mornings, comes home for lunch and then goes back to his office. He is at home by 6 or 7.”

“Ok, just for this week, next Friday I need Andy to come along with Jake.”

“Sure, I’ll talk to him.”

“Thank you that will be all. And don’t worry, you are doing a good job with Jake.” Annie smiled, shook his hand and left the office.

Friday noon, thankfully for Andy he didn’t need to come back to the office during the afternoon. He came home and changed his clothes to wear something more comfortable.

“Did he say why he wants me?”

“Not really. What I told you is what he said.” Andy seemed preoccupied “I’m sure it’s nothing, maybe he is just going to tell you Jake’s diagnosis. Perhaps he wanted to tell me, but changed his mind when I told him I wasn’t Jake’s mom.”

“Whatever, let’s go.”

The three of them left the house. Jake and Andy walked into the building where the doctor’s office was and on the meantime she went to the closest coffee shop for something to drink.

During the first part of the session the doctor asked Jake to draw a couples of things and asked him a few others.

“Jake, you know Annie is not you mom right?” The doctor said calmly.

“Yeah, but I wanf her to be,” Andy smiled when he heard that, “And she play wif me.”

“I know she does, and is so good you feel safe with her. But, you know what happened to your real mom?” Andy jaw clenched.

“mmmm no, I think she in heaven.”

“Why is that?”

“Mikey don’t haf mommy, and say she in heaven. Daddy not haf a mommy cuz she in heaven too.”

“Very well, ok Jake, you did so well today. I will need you to go to the play room, I must talk to your dad.”

“Can I use the Legos?”

“Sure buddy, just don’t put them in your mouth ok?” The boy nodded and ran to the adjacent room inside the office.

“A bit much to ask about Jake’s mom.” Andy said breaking the silence.

“Just doing my job Mr. Barber, you pay me for it.” He smiled, “I’m sorry if I interrupted your job.”

“I was free for the rest of the day. So, what is it, what is wrong with him?”

“Nothing is wrong with your son Mr. Barber. He is a healthy kid.”

“Then why is he having those nightmares?”

“Well for starters her mom, you told me before she left you, part of his nightmares have to do with her abandonment. At the moment he was very little, so his subconscious is just showing some repressed emotions he might have had during the time he was left alone in that particular day, and we will work on that. But…”

“But? There’s more.”

“The second part is, he misses you, and at the same time he is kind of jealous of you.”

“Wait, what? He is three! How can he be jealous of a grown ass man?”

“Because you’re dating his nanny. But let’s begin with the part where he misses you.” Dr. Greene passed Andy a bunch of paper sheets, Jake’s drawings in them. The drawings showed Jake in his trip with the Lopez family and some others showed him and Annie playing, doing housework, watching tv, etc. “What do you think is missing in those pictures?”

“Me?” The doctor nodded and passed another drawing, in that one, Jake was holding Andy’s hand, a big heart surrounding them, Andy’s eyes filled with tears.

“Andy I understand your job is demanding, everyone in Newton expect you to be a certain way, but your son needs you. Hiring a nanny is not a crime, we all need help with our kids once in a while; but she is not his mom, she is not you. Jake needs you to spend time with him.”

“Everything I do is for him.” Andy sniffed holding back his tears.

“And he knows that, but he wishes you didn’t have to work so much. He feels lonely, you are the only family he has. Do you know how much he talks about you?” Andy shook his head “He is so proud of you Andy. But, you work all day, he only sees you for lunch and dinner, which is not enough, you need quality time with him.”

“So what do I do?”

“Reduce your hours at work, spend the afternoons with him, I don’t know planned a trip, go camping, fishing. Trust me this will help Jake.”

“Why did you say he is jealous because I’m dating his nanny?”

“Well, the only constant factor in his life for now is her. But now, you guys are dating, so that takes some of her time to pay attention to you, Jake is not used to share Annie, and all of the sudden you want to spend more time with her. It’s confusing for Jake, it’s a new dynamic, he has to get used to it. You are doing nothing wrong with being in love, just be patient with him if he walks into your room, or if he stand in the way while you are kissing, it’s normal.”

“He does that a lot lately, when we are in the couch.”

“Yeah, he says you kiss her too much.”

“I didn’t know he was upset because we were together.”

“It’s not that. Jake loves to have Annie in the house, like I said he just needs to get used to the new dynamic, and it is different from people to people. You have the advantage he likes her, trust me I’ve seen kids who are not happy at all when their parents find a new partner.”

Andy left the office with Jake and met Annie at the coffee house. Nothing was mentioned during the trip back home. However, Annie noticed the change of mood Andy had after the session, he was serious, not talking, and he barely touched her or kissed her.

Later that night Annie walked into the room after tugging Jake, Andy was on his side of the bed reading a book.

“Alright, what is it?”

“What?” Andy lifted his gaze from the book.

“Fucking talk to me! You been acting weird all day! What did I do?”

“You did nothing, and I’m trying to read here. Do you mind to be in silence for once?”

“For once?! Are you calling me loud?!”

“You are kind of yelling right now.” He said nonchalantly.

“Fine!” She took a deep breath “If is not me, then it must be something the doctor said, what was it?”

“Nothing.” He stood and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“Then why are you acting so defensively?”

“I said is nothing and if you don’t mind, I would like to spend the night alone.”

“What?”

“Go to your room.”

“I won’t go until you tell me the fuck is going on?! Is it Jake? Is something wrong? I want to know.”

“Why?! You are not his mother!”

“You’re right,” Annie held back her tears, “I’m not, but I’m the closest for him to have one! Good night Andy.” She turned around and went to her room, the loud slam of the door made Andy flinched.

“Fuck.”

Andy was tossing on the bed, he thought it was silly for him not be able to sleep without Annie next to him. He kicked the sheet off his body and walked to her room, the door was open letting Andy see the bed was empty. Did she leave? Andy was a dick he knew that, but he was trying for her to spend more time with Jake and thinking what he would said to Lynn Monday morning. He walked down the stairs and notice the light of the TV and the figure of Annie sitting on the couch with a bag of chips, the sound of her chewing overlapping the low sound of the show she was watching.

“Thought you left.” Annie didn’t answer back, “It’s almost two, aren’t you tired?” Again no response, Andy went to sit next to her and she stood up “seriously, are you not talking to me?”

“Well, you wanted to be alone and in silence, so I’ll let you be.”

“Honey, please.”

Annie walked and stopped right in front of him, Andy hugged her by the waist placing his arms under the oversize shirt she wore as pajamas. She caressed his hair, her fingers massaging his scalp.

“Talk to me.” She whispered.

Andy told her everything the doctor said, “I thought Jake was happy. I thought I was doing right when I accepted this job.”

Annie kneel in front of him, her hands grabbing his face to make him look at her. “You did. Andy you are a great dad, look around you, everything Jake has is for you, but I have to admit the doctor is right. You need to spend time with Jake, create memories with him, he will grow, enjoy his childhood. I’m sure Lynn will understand, explain the situation just like you did to me.”

“I’m sorry I was a dick earlier. I was just trying for you guys to have some time alone.”

“It’s alright, I understand. But from now on, during the afternoons, you and Jake will spend time together, I will be off your back. Deal?”

“Deal.” Andy gave her a peck on the lips.

“Oh! I know!” She stood up and Andy was taken aback from the sudden energy Annie showed. “Let’s visit my brother this weekend! I’m sure he won’t mind and, we can take Jake to Fenway! Oh my god! I’m such a genius! It’s gonna be so much fun!” Andy laughed when he saw how confident she sounded at her statement. “What?”

“It still amaze me how much energy you have, you are always so vibrant.”

“But you like it?” Annie smiled at him bating her lashes.

“It’s one of the things I love the most about you.”

“Good! Soooo are we going to Fenway?”

“That’s a great plan. Besides Jake has never been to a baseball game.”

“Perfect! We need to introduce him to the best baseball team!”

“Sure your brother won’t mind?”

“No… and if he does we can always ignore him.”

[nixie-writes-aot]

From Darkness We Flee

Chapter Five: Ice Queen Zakai

Warnings: canon typical violence, canon typical angst

Characters: Zakai Eriko, Connie Springer, Jean Kirschtein, Marco Bodt

Word Count: 1.3k

Zakai was simply going through the motions again. She was tired and this life was crumbling under her touch, she stared into her potato soup as life happened around her. How long had it been? A week? Just a week? Zakai sighed, her mind was always elsewhere these days, wasn't it? From her paranoia to this hopelessness, it was far from where it should be. Zakai couldn't help but think about Reiner, about Bertholdt, about Annie. Yet it was a shocking reveal to herself, one that burned and blazed within her own heart. You still need to atone. Zakai reminded herself, closing her eyes. What was she meant to do? With them? Tell Shadis? Who would believe her? Zakai tilted her head downwards, all the more conflicted. Zakai could make him believe her but at what cost to herself? Was that the best course of action? Zakai couldn't decide which would garner the best results. Let them rip this world apart limb from bloody limb and survive in whatever they leave behind? Tell the instructor and likely be ignored or dismissed? Zakai wouldn't really blame him either, not realizing the horror that is a reality ripped out of their very memories. Zakai could show Shadis that titan shifters do exist, show herself off as a sacrificial lamb. What will stop him from slaughtering me? Scratch that, torturing me for days on end while they get to escape with little consequence? 

Zakai stood abruptly, she knew eyes on her. It was a burning feeling. She looked beside her at Eren, the brunette was beyond bewildered. Those teal eyes wide, similarly Armin was just as surprised. Zakai wordlessly left as Eren opened his mouth to speak, leaving those at the table to come to their own conclusions. Anger blazed its way through her veins, fear gripped her heart with its icy tendrils. A clash of hot and cold, searing and freezing. Zakai slammed the door to the mess hall shut behind her, narrowing her eyes. Zakai would not let them dictate what path she would take. As she originally ascertained, she needed someone. Zakai could not be caught by either side, she knew that much. Zakai slowed her pace to a stop, staring up at the dawn above her. The way the chill in the air felt on her skin, causing goosebumps to rise along her arms. 

It was just a moment of peace, with no one around to see how she settled and let the sky draw her in. It felt like freedom. 

Zakai never wanted to stop feeling this clarity ever again, the way there was orange and pink along the sky as the sun rose with every passing minute. Zakai inhaled deeply before letting her stress melt away as she exhaled. Zakai let a small smile grace her face. However, it fell in an instant as she grew rigid, feeling someone wrap their arms around her torso from behind. Zakai scowled, annoyance flickering in her blue grey gaze. 

"If you value your life, let go before I end it, worm." Zakai growled, voice giving away her irritation. 

Zakai felt the person hugging her go stiff and tense at her words, another bursting out in laughter. Zakai was certain there was only one moron who would be convinced to sneak up on her. So, with a cold calm that could terrify far too many, Zakai grabbed one of the arms that had been slowly releasing her. 

"No, no, no, NO!" Came his panicked voice, "HEL-"

And in a split second, Zakai swung the person's entire body over her own. It wasn't unlike Annie's own move except it wasn't using the momentum and weight of someone else to execute the throw. Zakai stared down at the boy who had shrieked as he was thrown. A resounding thud resonated from the bald boy's body. Connie laid there, staring up at the sky in both shock and pain. As if on cue, the laughing got louder. 

"Kirschtein." Zakai growled, turning and letting her gaze focus on the taller culprit. 

Jean was doubled over, holding his stomach as he laughed. Zakai was hardly impressed but looked to the small chuckle of the other beside Jean, she sighed and chuckled just as small as the freckled cadet. Zakai pressed a hand against her cheek, watching as Jean recovers and stands up straight. 

"You torment me, Pretty Boy, you really do." Zakai sighs.

Jean felt his cheeks redden, "Thats not my name!" 

The freckled boy stepped forward, "It was nice seeing you so calm before… Connie and Jean." He stated with a friendly smile and an awkward chuckle, "I'm Marco."

Zakai recognized him immediately. The boy she was sure would die for the military, after all… Wasn't he just way too nice? Those people either get corrupted or die. Either way, his reputation thus far would help her so she needed him. 

"Zakai, it's a pleasure." She hummed.

Zakai ignored how Jean rolled his eyes, stepping towards Marco. "Ignore Pretty Boy, he's just jealous of you. I'm sure." Zakai added on with a tilt of her head, "Not everyone can be as… Nice as you are." 

"You are such a bitch." Jean grumbled, approaching Connie and helping him up.

"An Ice Queen!" Connie remarked, "... You didn't have to throw me so hard!" 

Jean smirked, "Yeah. Ice Queen Zakai, huh?"

Zakai glanced over her shoulder, lazily glaring at Connie and Jean, "Then don't be such a moron, I won't have to beat intelligence into you." 

Marco sighed, "... Man, what a first meeting. Jean and Connie meant well! It's just… You left so abruptly and looked so…" Marco trailed off, shifting under Zakai's gaze.

Zakai stared at Marco. She felt a twinge of guilt. Was she really going to use him? Corrupt him all herself? This scene felt almost familiar as she furrowed her brows, shrugging, "I'm fine. Don't you worry, Marco, was it?" 

The black haired cadet perked up, "Yeah. That's right." He muttered, cheeks a touch red. 

"Marco's got a-" Connie began to ask, looking to Jean. The latter slapping a hand over his mouth, "Shut it." He growled, "You really are a moron, Ice Queen over there was right." 

Zakai finally turned to face the two, Marco by her side. She perked a brow but otherwise didn't show her reaction to the scene at hand. She snickered hearing Connie let out a muffled, "Ouch." Jean looked to her. The two at a standstill. Zakai knew he was observant, that much had been picked up through how fast he was improving at the ODM gear. She also knew she was highly skilled at covering her bases. Yet did he know? 

"Hey, what was that whole thing between you and Reiner a week ago?" 

Zakai grew stiff, staring at Jean for a few moments before sighing. "Why? What has the brute been saying?" She questioned, eyes narrowed.

Braun… You bastard. Zakai was cross, to say the least. Jean shrugged with a scoff, "Yeah, thats the weird thing. For all he does say, he's not really telling anyone much. It's damn annoying. I just want to know what stupid drama you've got going on, Captain's Daughter."

Zakai tapped her foot impatiently, "Nothing of any real note." She lied flawlessly, "I just don't like him. He's annoying and weak." 

Connie stared, "Am I just stupid or does that make no sense?" He questioned.

Jean scoffed with a loud hah, "If thats not the freshest load of bullshit I've ever heard. Weak? That guy? He tackled me and I felt like I got hit by a horse. If you call that "weak", how strong are you? 'Cause I saw you go down the other day pretty easily. Against Ymir." 

The brunette pressed her lips together in thought, "He… Used to be different, let's just leave it at that." Zakai grumbled.

Zakai thought for a second, about Reiner. About everything, just for a moment. Zakai had to navigate whatever he was saying, decide whether or not to expose those as lies or play along as he had told her. Zakai could say confidently, she hated Reiner Braun. That much she would never hide. Not now nor ever would she make the mistake of keeping quiet regarding that man ever again. 

[first] - [previous] - [next]

[kwebtv]

Character Actor

Anthony Caruso (April 7, 1916 – April 4, 2003) Film and television character actor in more than one hundred American films, usually playing villains and gangsters, including the first season of Walt Disney's Zorro as Captain Juan Ortega.

In some of his television roles, Caruso played sympathetic characters, like "Ash", on an early episode of CBS's Gunsmoke, and again in 1960 as “Gurney”, a murdering, yet ultimately sympathetic cowboy. He also played “Lone Wolf” in a 1961 episode entitled “Indian Ford”.

In 1954, Caruso played Tiburcio Vásquez in an episode of the western series Stories of the Century. He appeared in the first Brian Keith series, Crusader.  In 1957, he appeared in the fourth episode of the first season of the TV western Have Gun – Will Travel starring Richard Boone titled "The Winchester Quarantine".

In 1957, Caruso appeared in episode "The Child" on NBC's The Restless Gun.  In 1959, he was cast as George Bradley in the episode "Annie's Old Beau" on the NBC children's western series, Buckskin.

That same year, he portrayed Matt Cleary on CBS's Wanted: Dead or Alive episode "The Littlest Client", with Steve McQueen. Also 1959, he also guest-starred on the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Sugarfoot, in the episode "The Extra Hand", along with guest stars Karl Swenson and Jack Lambert as well as the series star, Will Hutchins. The same year he appeared in the 'Syndicate Sanctuary' episode of The Untouchables.

In 1960, Caruso played a Cherokee Indian, Chief White Bull, in the episode "The Long Trail" of the NBC western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin.

Also in 1960, he returned to Gunsmoke playing a murderous cowboy named “Gurney” in S6E5’s “Shooting Stopover”. Again his character was a hard man, but through the character’s death, Caruso successfully made him sympathetic.

In 1961, he appeared twice on the ABC/Warner Brothers drama series, The Roaring 20s, including the role of Lucky Lombardi in "The Maestro". He was also cast with Will Hutchins in a second The Roaring 20s episode entitled, "Pie in the Sky." Early in 1961, he was cast as Velde in the episode "Willy's Millionaire" of the short-lived ABC adventure series, The Islanders, with Diane Brewster.

Caruso guest-starred in an episode of the ABC western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, based on a Robert Lewis Taylor novel of the same name. Caruso guest-starred three times on CBS's Perry Mason. In 1962, he played Keith Lombard in "The Case of the Playboy Pugilist." Also in 1962, Caruso played Cody Durham in "Cody's Code" on Gunsmoke. In 1965, he made two Perry Mason appearances, both times as the murder victim: first as title character Enrico Bacio in "The Case of the Sad Sicilian," then as Harvey Rettig in "The Case of the Runaway Racer."

In 1964, he guest-starred in the Bonanza episode "The Saga of Squaw Charlie" playing a Native American man shunned by almost everybody and with only two friends, Ben Cartwright and a little girl named Angela. In 1969 he starred alongside Ricardo Montalban in Desperate Mission, a fictionalized telling of the life of Joaquin Murrieta. From 1966 to 1970 he guest-starred three times on the long-running NBC western The Virginian, starring James Drury. In 1965 he guest-starred on ABC's The Addams Family as Don Xavier Molinas.

Some of his other roles were that of the alien gangster "Bela Oxmyx" in the classic Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action", Chief Blackfish on the NBC series Daniel Boone, and Louis Ciavelli (the "box man" or safecracker) in The Asphalt Jungle. Caruso played the comical character of the Native American "Red Cloud" on the 1965 Get Smart episode "Washington 4, Indians 3," and Chief Angry Bear in the episode "You Can't Scalp a Bald Indian" of Rango.

In 1970, Caruso made a guest appearance on the ABC crime drama The Silent Force in the episode "A Family Tradition." In 1974, he appeared in the final episode, entitled "The Fire Dancer," of the ABC police drama Nakia. Anthony Caruso also had a memorable, recurring roll as “El Lobo” on The High Chaparral.  (Wikipedia)

[void-botanist]

Find the word: uh I found...some?

I knew when I saw @vacantgodling's tag that I wasn't gonna find "atone", but bizarrely "dive" was also absent from the drafts I searched. Pretty much every instance of "squirm" was in sex scenes, none of which are ready to be shared, so we're skipping over that. So, uh, here's the two words I did find in the previous version of TFA.

I'll tag @autumnalwalker and @sarahlizziewrites and whoever else wants to join in for the words sparkle, doubt, pop, horror, and confuse.

Brown

Instead he shut his laptop, stood up from his desk, and left his room to find Julian downstairs. The only thing that indicated Julian was there was the sliver of his brown bald head visible above the high back of his armchair.

Skull

“Why are her ports in her skull?” he asked from the end of the table it was on. That seemed like poor access design. Anni shrugged. “There might be more elsewhere—I’m still trying to mount her disk, so I haven’t seen any blueprints or anything. But I think Gweltsen didn’t really expect to need her ports unless she was off.”

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Nightwish's Floor Jansen: 10 records that changed my life

Eurythmics - Touch (1983)

"Growing up, my parents used to listen to Here Comes The Rain Again by Eurythmics, so that’s how I got in touch with it. Of course, Annie Lennox has a very distinctive voice and that was one of the first things I really started singing along to, so in that sense it’s a part of my own musical development.

Throughout the years I’ve started to appreciate her as a songwriter more and more. These are very old songs, and yet everybody still knows them – they’re timeless. They’ve been covered to bits, and unfortunately the covers usually aren’t better, but it says something about how good this song is and how timeless it is."

Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill (1995)

"Like Annie Lennox, Alanis Morissette formed me and my interest in singing. I was about thirteen when I first heard You Oughta Know. She has her heart on her tongue and she always puts it right there as she means it; it’s very to the point.

The funny thing is now she’s been part of a little film about highly sensitive people [Sensitive: The Untold Story]. She’s in there, talking about the combination of being a highly sensitive person and an artist and of course, as an artist and a highly sensitive woman, I could really identify myself in her stories and reconnect with her at a much later age, in a sense. She came back into my life through that."

Roxette - It Must Have Been Love (single, 1990)

"It Must Have Been Love by Roxette is great sing-a-long music. It’s pretty uncomplicated, super Swedish, very well-written, very well-performed, and one that I just sang and sang! This was also played a lot in the car – you’d have to ask my mum and dad what those journeys were like, my sister and I sang their ears bloody [laughs]! It’s definitely true that the Swedes are great songwriters. It was hard to choose just one song, but this one is as good as any from that time, I think."

The Gathering - Mandylion (1995)

"I first heard The Gathering on the radio. I was listening to a lot of grunge and rock but not much metal yet; that came with Pantera and Machine Head, bands that I really liked, but nothing with a female voice that could really work for me.

There were some female singers, but they were all high and operatic, and I was missing that power – until I heard The Gathering. Strange Machines  just did it for me. That was the first step for me in thinking, I wanna sing in a metal band too! Anneke [van Giersbergen] is opening a few of my solo shows for me this year."

Skunk Anansie - Paranoid And Sunburnt (1995)

"When Weak by Skunk Anansie came out, everything about them was revolutionary. Skin was Black, bald, and gay, a lot of things that people have issues with, but the way she kicked against that – 'I am the way I am and if you don’t like it, too bad for you' – that in itself was so inspiring for a young girl growing up.

But what she did with her voice, those long howls and the effortless highs, that was right up my alley. Back in the day I played that album, Paranoid & Sunburnt, until it was just threads."

Halestorm - The Strange Case Of... (2012)

"I’m not sure exactly how I stumbled upon I Miss The Misery, but that was the first thing I heard from Halestorm. The first thing Lzzy Hale does in the song is this howl, and she really got me on the first note – that’s rare. I was like, “okay, damn!” It’s very American-produced and that hook of “whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh” is pretty cheesy, but it totally works!

I’ve seen her live and all I can think is, how on Earth does your voice survive? She screams and kicks and grunts and everything she does is super cool. Lzzy is a powerhouse, she stands for being feminine in a man’s world and describing her feelings quite to the point in her lyrics."

Evergrey - A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) (2022)

"Every day on tour in Europe with Nightwish I’ve played Midwinter Calls by Evergrey when I’m putting on make-up. I started listening to them in their early years, when they were still full-on prog.

But what I really appreciate is how every album has something different, how they as a band and Tom [Englund] as a singer-songwriter keep evolving. He has a lot of pop influences in how he sings, and soul and jazz. The common thread throughout this list is singers – you can write great songs, but if the singer doesn’t work for me, I probably won’t last throughout the song just because I can’t get over a voice that I can’t appreciate."

Symphony X - Underworld (2015)

"Without You by Symphony X is a very emotional song, but it’s a great example of what I really appreciate about Russell Allen, which is that he manages to be the glue in a prog song that can otherwise be incredibly complex, by making melodies that are followable and even catchy, and that has made it for me.

That’s why I can listen to Symphony X. He has this full-bodied rocky sound, and his biggest virtue as far as I’m concerned is that he can sing from his heart. You can hear that he means it. I’ve learned a lot from him, he gave me some really wise lessons that I will never forget: that even in stage performance, you can’t always just give everything away. Build it up."

Sam Ryder - There's Nothing But Space, Man! (2022)

"Sam Ryder has an amazing voice, it’s quite diverse: he can go from almost Queen-like singing, to very poppy, to something more like Muse. What inspires me about him is that he’s a self-made man in the modern days, singing his head off on the Internet for God knows how long without anything really happening for him until he was just lifted up and thrown into the world, and seemingly just being the same guy throughout it all, you know?

I hope he can stay himself throughout the whole pressure that’s on his shoulders, as it is right now. I hope he survives the madness of that."

Queen - Innuendo (1991)

"If you make a playlist where singers are your common thread, you can’t really make one without Freddie Mercury. It’s hard to choose one Queen song, but The Show Must Go On is one that we once covered with After Forever.

Speaking about singing from the heart, his vocal interpretation is still one of the best that has ever been. That’s not something you can learn, it’s just something you have – something that he had. This song stands for pushing through even when things are shit, and that sentence often goes through my head when I’m thinking that I don’t know if I can do this: the show must go on.

It’s empowering. It’s so beautiful. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, as music should be. That’s the beauty of writing. If I didn’t have the list I’ve just presented to inspire me, where would I be? I’m very grateful there are so many that went before me.

[allithealigator]

The Black Annis has been a story told in my family for many, many generations. Each and every story has the exact same story. A blue-faced woman haunting children who had tendencies to wander off. I usually don’t believe the stories told by my family, but two months ago strange things started to happen. Many of the young children in my town have been brutally murdered. Most of them were fast asleep before a woman was reportedly seen sneaking into their room and disappearing later in the night. Most of their bodies had guts falling out and their limbs scattered across their room. Months after the first attack, many families said they could still smell the stench of iron and death, and the bloodstains on the mattresses still not coming off. 

All of those victims didn’t survive, except for Cari, she was hospitalized for three weeks before they let her poor soul out, she then disappeared two days later. Many of my classmates think that she ran away or the government took her, but the elders believe she was abducted by the Black Annis. These attacks have started happening more and more recently, and now only 96 people remain in our town. 

(3:40 pm)

I wandered down the dirt road, the sky was dark and the trees loomed overhead. I lived in a poor county in the middle of nowhere, everyone here was either dirt poor or barely just surviving. My family was one of the more fortunate ones and had enough money to keep food on the table, but we still had to work daily to support my family. I work at the local convenience store that’s been there for years. I started working when I was 13 to support my family and even though the wages are terrible (like everything else here) and the hours are long, I do it for my family. I waited for the automatic door to open. It did, with a loud and old creak- as I walked inside I saw Gus sitting in his faded overalls sprawled across his old ratty beach chair. Gus was built like a potato. He also stunk like cigarettes and a mix of rotten eggs and old moldy trash.

”You’re 5 minutes late Clary.” I heard his gruff and raspy voice say. 

 I felt like yelling at his potato sack self but I wasn’t about to lose my job over an old man saying my name wrong. 

“Sorry, Gus, the school asked if I could stay late,”  I answered sweetly, it was a bald-faced lie. I was talking with my friends about one of the school football players' disappearances earlier this week. 

“Well, that school of yours isn’t as important as this job ain’t it missy?” He said in his southern accent, even though I was a few feet away from him I could smell his cigarette and alcohol breath from where I was standing. This man was straight-up disgusting. 

“Yes sir,” I said just to agree with him. I walked to the register and placed my bag on the nearby chair before pulling out my english homework and waited for the afterschool rush of students and parents to rush in and spend the last of their money on food. 

(3:57 pm)

The rush had begun, and a blur of money, ramen, water, soda, and chips, whizzed out of the door. The sound of music, and talking filled my head- I was getting a headache, and I couldn’t wait to go home. I saw Gus still sitting in his chair talking to the other adults. I checked what song was playing through the speakers the store “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron was playing. The one thing I liked about Gabe was that he let me play music through the speakers without judging me, he only yelled at me if it was K-pop playing, but those songs were rarely playing. I was scanning ramen, a pack of eggs, potstickers, and Pepsi? I looked up at the person watching me scan their items; surprisingly, it was  Rafeyel, my crush. We locked eyes for a split second before I looked back down at what I was scanning. 

“Are you judging me with the Pepsi?” He asked a somewhat self-conscious tone in his voice.

“N-no not at all.” I stammered before clearing my throat and continuing. “Wow, great job Clara” I silently thought to myself. 

“It’s cheaper than Coke, Clara-Mae,” He said in a monotone voice, he’s probably the only person in this desolate town who knows my actual name and calls me by it.

“Aren’t they like the same price?” I retorted he stayed silent before laughing and nodding and telling me his brother liked Pepsi so he got it for him. I smiled before handing him his receipt and waving goodbye. 

I went back to staring into the distance before I saw a woman with a sickly pale complexion walk in. Her skin wasn’t even white in fact it appeared blue. Her nails were long and skeleton-like, her eyes a yellow color. Her ugly face was staring at me like she was gonna eat me. CANNIBAL! She’s a cannibal or maybe she's just an ugly single woman who couldn’t find a husband and ended up a shriveled hag, I dunno. But anyway, the moment she walked into the door everything seemed to go still, she didn’t smell as bad as Gus but she still stank, no offense to her though. Her hair was matted and long and built like a mop…an ugly mop that probably had maggots and other bugs.  I ain’t gonna judge her but she is ugly, and old, and wrinkled.  It was currently 4:10 and she was taking a while to check out but my shift was at its end and I was tired. I walked up to Gus and told him I was leaving he nodded his head and continued smoking his cigarette.  The trek home started. 

It takes about 13 minutes to walk from the store to my house. The neighborhood graveyard was also relatively close to my house. Nobody visited the graveyard since it was rumored to be haunted, but I think people just don't want to go because it brings back bad memories. I heard crying coming from the graveyard. I was hesitant about wandering off of the main road (if you could even call it that).  The crying suddenly turned into a shriek and was silenced. Now I was curious. I climbed over the fence (with much struggle) and walked past the numerous graves and headstones. I was careful not to step on any grave and disrespect the dead. 1suddenly saw the fog part to reveal the same woman from earlier she was holding a young boy, her uneven and yellow teeth stained red. She looked like a rabid animal, I stumbled back when she opened her mouth to speak.  

“My children, my children,” I heard a voice like an animal say. “Oh, great Clara look at this mess,” I yelled at myself before sprinting out of the graveyard. I was not in the mood for ghosts and ghouls and legends. The Black Annis was real and I had stared directly at it. I rushed back to my house, the blood rushing to my head and my heartbeat erratic. 

(5:20 pm)

When I slammed open the door a rush of horrified emotions tore through me as I saw my siblings mutilated bodies with their organs splayed across the room. I felt like screaming but instead of a scream, a watery cry left my throat as I rushed to their bodies. I wailed as it finally dawned upon me that I could do nothing to help or save them. I sauntered to the telephone and called my parents my shirt was stained with blood and the house smelt disgusting, I could never see this house in the same view as before. Once the police picked up the phone the tears were dry on my face and my voice was hoarse.

“Hello this is 9-1-1, how can we help you today?” A female voice said on the other side.

“Help, please! I- My, my siblings, they-i-,” my head blanked and I started panicking. The person on the other end of the call sighed and told me to calm down. 

“Ma’am the police will be there in 8 minutes please stay calm.” She said. I slid to the floor, exhausted but I kept myself awake. 

(6:40)

A blur of police cars, ambulance sirens, and people asking if I was okay. I was sitting on a park swing a corndog in my hand. I don’t know for how long I had sat there or been there. I propelled the swing back and forth a solemn look plastered on my face. The tears were dry on my face- I couldn’t think about my sibling. Knowing their bodies were back at the house, resting (if you could even call it that). I was frustrated with the world. How could the world be so cruel to rip the two children from their sanctuary? Who was even behind this? 

The Black Annis? The woman from the store and the same woman I saw in the graveyard? I could feel her cold presence watching me like a ravenous lion watching an innocent gazelle. I sat still on the swing, waiting to see if she dared to approach me. She looked at me with her dead, empty eyes as she walked towards me. She poked her long nails at my heart before yanking me off the swing and dragging me deeper into the forest surrounding the back of the park. 

“You shall make for a good snack, dear,” My heart rammed against my ribcage as I kicked and screamed for help. Her skeleton-like arms threw me against a tree and as she dug her nails into my skin piercing through the delicate skin of my stomach, tissue, and organs. I knew I had no chance of fighting back so I sat there against the tree screaming for someone, anyone to save me as she ate me alive. 

Close to death, I saw her staring at me with a gruesome smile on her face, before taking her bloodied hand out of my stomach and tracing the outline of my heart on my skin. She plunged her hand into the skin crushing my ribs and pulling out my heart.

Then, before I knew it the world went dark. 

[droctaviolovecraft]

ANM-132: Charmed Joe

http://mothrainstitution.wikidot.com/anm-132

**Subject Classification:** S-03-132

**Damage Type:** Null ⚪️

**Risk Level:** AFFECTIVE 💜

**Anomaly Type:** Sexual

**Discovery Classification:** Discovered (03)

**Department:** Isolated

**Lead Researcher:** Dr. Octavio Lovecraft

**Identification:** Zé Encantado

**Containment:** ANM-132 is housed in a standard humanoid anomaly containment room with some unique additions. The individual is not contained in the Humanoid Department for obvious reasons. The containment room measures 4m in length, 2m in width, and 2.3m in height. The subject has a bed, desk, and standard bathroom. ANM-132 has access to various perfumes, romance and drama books, and a variety of flowers delivered monthly to their cell.

All staff, humanoid anomalies, or non-asexual humans should always interact with 132 as if they were a friend, ignoring any advances. Additionally, it is recommended to decline any date invitations from the anomaly.

**Description:** ANM-132 is a male individual standing 1.84m tall and weighing 72kg. He identifies as pansexual and is attracted to anyone regardless of gender or sexuality. The anomaly appears as a middle-aged man with a bald head, short goatee, and a dolphin blowhole on top of his head (which can squirt water when he exits the water), usually hidden under a white Panama hat with a red band. He has blue irises, tanned skin, and 24 pink dolphin teeth (Inia geoffrensis), often smiling widely to show his pointed teeth. Aside from these features, his appearance is human.

ANM-132 always wears the same Panama hat but changes his clothes depending on the day of the week:

- A white three-piece wedding suit with a red tie (most frequent outfit).

- Male beachwear, shorts, and a floral jacket, with flip-flops.

- A fisherman’s outfit, yellow pants, and a white sweater.

- Only blue shorts with dark dolphin prints.

- A sailor-style shirt, white with red stripes.

- A personalized MOTHRA Foundation scientist uniform.

When ANM-132 enters water, he gradually transforms (either upon entry or immediate contact with water) into a large pink dolphin, 2.65m long and weighing 185kg. The clothes disappear during the transformation, except for the hat. In this form, he remains sentient and retains complex emotions.

ANM-132 enjoys alcoholic beverages, especially rum, '51', wine, among others.

**Interview:**

Annie and Kate were assigned to initially interview the anomaly:

*ANM-132 was sitting in a chair with crossed legs, smiling at the researchers.*

**Annie:** "Hello."

**Kate:** "Oh? You're... sentient? Hello?"

**Annie:** "The file says he’s sentient. I assume the fact that he’s not doing anything probably means he’s listening to us."

**ANM-132:** "Yes, it would be rude not to listen to you. What do the two maidens desire?"

**Kate:** "Oh, my name is Kate! This is my sister. We work at the MOTHRA Institution. We were assigned here to study you."

**ANM-132:** "If this organization has women as beautiful as you, I’ll spend the rest of my days here. Feel free to ask any questions or conduct studies."

**Kate:** "First of all, what exactly are you? I mean, are you a spirit? Are you really a dolphin?"

**ANM-132:** "An enchanted one. Made of the mysticism of nature, soul and carnal pleasure, and the power of seduction."

**Kate:** "Okay, what do you mean by 'power of seduction'?"

**ANM-132:** "Wait and see, kitten..."

**Annie:** "Uhm! Well, that answers one question..."

**ANM-132:** "Please, don’t stop the questions, hearing your voices is like candy to me."

**Annie:** "Ah... we don’t have many more ideas of what to ask..."

**ANM-132:** "How about I ask some questions?"

**Annie:** "You can ask us questions too."

**Kate:** "Sure, we won’t deny you that."

**ANM-132:** "I was a bit doubtful about this, but... are you single?"

**Annie:** "You’ve got to be kidding me... this is kind of inappropriate..."

**ANM-132:** "You’re already being inappropriate blushing in front of me like that."

**Annie:** "I really have a bad feeling about where this is going..."

**Kate:** "It’s not a big deal to me! I mean, I am single!"

**Annie:** "Look, can we just study you without you trying to get a date with Kate?"

**ANM-132:** "Hey Kate, forget your sister, how about you study me alone?"

**Annie:** "...Oh my God..."

**Kate:** "Okay, I’ll definitely get fired for this. But... if you don’t mind, I don’t mind..."

**ANM-132:** "Okay Kate. Eleven o’clock, in my room!"

**Kate:** "Good, see you there!"

> End of interview

**Note:** ANM-132 has been granted permission to participate in the MOTHRA diving club.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #627

Top Ten Oscar Runners-Up of My Lifetime

Hooray for Hollywood! It’s the Oscars this weekend, so I thought I’d write about them. I’ve done it before and by crikey I’ll do it again.

So one of the things I like about the Oscars is the way they sort of exist as something we can push back against. Because the films that usually win – at least for the last, I dunno, twenty or thirty years – are sort of “Oscar films”. Generally speaking, Jurassic Park is never going to win an Oscar, y’know? Star Wars lost to Annie Hall in 1978, and even setting aside the Woody Allen of it, I’ve seen both films and Star Wars is not only better but is more important in terms of the history of cinema and its importance to popular culture. So it should have won, but of course it didn’t, because an out-and-out sci-fi film has never won, unless you count Everything Everywhere All at Once last year, which of course is a sci-fi film but is a very different sort of film to Star Wars (although, in fairness, we should acknowledge how bloody weird it is, and therefore give the Academy some credit).

Anyway, regardless of whether a film “deserves” to win or not (because what is art if not eternally subjective?), part of the whole sport of the Oscars – and, indeed, any major awards ceremony, from the BAFTAs to the Brits to that time I won a Promax Gold – is disagreeing with the eventual victor and wishing that something else had won instead (I’m sure there were other really good promos made in 2013). And that’s what I’m celebrating today – the films that didn’t win.

I want to make clear though: this isn’t an “alternate universe” thing, where the runners-up are the victors. Nor is it to say that these films are, really, any better than the winning films. What I’m doing is ranking my favourite films that lost out to a Best Picture Oscar. And, of course, to lose Best Picture you must first be nominated for Best Picture. So these are all films that were in contention, but didn’t get to take home the naked bald man. Again, I’m not saying they were the best – although in most cases I do actually think they’re better than the eventual winner – they’re just my favourite of the non-winning nominees.

Partly by accident and partly by design, I’m only picking one film per year. And to make my life easier, I’ve just gone for ceremonies that I was actually alive for; although I doubt I was paying too much attention to the 1982 Oscars, to be fair, as I was probably about ten weeks old. And that’s that! There are some very famous – infamous, even – runners-up here; again, I think that’s both part of the fun and part of Oscar legend.

And the nominees are…

L.A. Confidential (1997) – lost to Titanic (1997): Confidential means a lot to me because not only is it bloody good but it’s the first film my now-wife and I ever saw together (even if, er, we weren’t going out at the time). Regardless, it’s just fantastic, a dark sunlit noir full of interesting flawed characters, a dense conspiracy-addled plot, some shocking twists, and a nuanced dissection of power and the media.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – lost to Gandhi (1982): where to start with E.T., the heartwarming, heartbreaking fantasy sci-fi fable that’s also autobiographical and also so utterly about being a kid in the eighties? Every single aspect of it, from the cinematography to the junior performances to the special effects to the music to, well, everything, just hums with quality and empathy.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – lost to Spotlight (2015): it’s so unlikely to consider that Fury Road might have won that I can’t be too sad it didn’t. I do think, though, that George Miller’s achievements marshalling the chaos into a film so propulsive, so beautiful, and so batshit should have been rewarded with Best Director. Anyway; the best Mad Max by a mile, which is really saying something.

Toy Story 3 (2010) – lost to The King’s Speech (2010): an animated film has never won Best Picture, and almost certainly never will since the Best Animated Film category was created. But the second-best Toy Story deserved to romp home; a melancholy tale of ageing and obsolescence, of our children carrying on without us, about the need for all generations to let go of the past, to chart a new future, and also about collectivism and social order and authoritarianism and togetherness and the families we build. And cinema’s second-best Ken.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – lost to Forrest Gump (1994): when I was a Baby Film Nerd, the big dialogue was Gump versus Pulp Fiction. Everyone knew that Tarantino was robbed, and that this soppy, small-c conservative pean to being a Boomer did not deserve Pulp’s gongs. But then you get older and you realise that the tragically uplifting masterpiece that is Shawshank is a better film than either of them.  

A Few Good Men (1992) – lost to Unforgiven (1992): I don’t think Rob Reiner has won an Oscar, despite making (deep breath) Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, The American President, and lots more besides. This courtroom drama is a precision-tooled piece of moviemaking, harnessing star power and screen charisma, turning Aaron Sorkin’s script into cinematic perfection. Unforgiven’s still pretty good, mind.

Goodfellas (1990) – lost to Dances With Wolves (1990): if there was one guy who was always the bridesmaid, it was Scorsese; the list of films he directed that were “best runner-up” is pretty long. Here, though, we have his sumptuous crime epic, a dissection of mob life and excess that is just a minute-by-minute marvel to behold. More like Greatfellas, amirite?

There Will Be Blood (2007) – lost to No Country for Old Men (2007): we were properly spoilt for choice when it came to deeply dark neo-Westerns at the 2008 ceremony. The Coen brothers took home the laurels, but Paul Thomas Anderson’s brutal, widescreen expose of the American dream is both sumptuous and stunning, with a complex and compelling central performance by Daniel Day Lewis (who did win an Oscar).

Beauty and the Beast (1991) – lost to The Silence of the Lambs (1991): the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, and the only one before the Academy upped the number of nominees from five to a maximum of ten. Arguably Disney’s best film of the renaissance era, it marked the fully-fledged Broadway-isation of the franchise, with huge musical numbers that felt like they tripped off the stage – plus, of course, requisite fantastical Disney magic that could only be animated. Anyway, it’s amazing.

Apollo 13 (1995) – lost to Braveheart (1995): Ron Howard’s best film is an unsentimental procedural about very smart people doing very smart things in a moment of high drama. Manages to be tense and compelling even though we know what happens at the end. Just exquisitely made from beginning to end, with tremendous performances.

Okay, so one more thing, maybe you noticed; but I decided to omit from consideration the first two Lord of the Rings films, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. This is because Return of the King cleaned up in 2004 (Christ, twenty years ago), and I think we can all agree that it was accepting on behalf of the entire trilogy. So it feels a bit churlish to complain that the other two films didn’t win, even if they were actually my favourite films from their respective years (and even though my overall favourite of the trilogy is still Fellowship). So I’m letting them slide today, because really, spiritually, they were winners in 2004. Even though in actuality they were big fat losers.