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bubblyani · 4 years ago

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‘Just For Show’

(Ronnie Kray x Reader)

A Ronnie Kray One Shot

Movie: Legend (2015)

Word Count: 6253

Rating: Mature

Requested by: @97freaknik

Summary: Upon his brother’s persuasion, Ronnie Kray dates, and marries a ‘nice’ girl, in order to cover up unsavory rumors about his sexuality. All just for show. Until feelings come knocking.

Author’s Note: Loved this story idea so much I couldn’t resist. Thank you for this. Hopefully everyone will love this! Enjoy y’all!

Light or Dark?

Staring at your reflection in the mirror, you were at a sheer dilemma as you held on to two lipstick shades, comprising of light pink and dark red. Whatever color that would be painted on your lips tonight, must indeed leave an impression, deemed 'perfect and memorable’.

“You think he is taking the mick?”

A concerned voice inquired. With your eyes still in the mirror, the inquiry urged you to recall the sole reason you had difficulty deciding a simple lipstick shade in the first place.

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(A few days ago)

Regardless of the years of baking experience you had under your belt, the simplest task of carrying a cake dressed with heavy icing on a cake stand, yet proved to be your most challenging task, ever. Finally placing the stand in the countertop display, you sighed silently with relief. As you gazed at the delicious treat, along with the others next to it, you could not wait to see the lineup of customers ,eager to satisfy their sweet tooth.

“Psst! He’s here!”

You turned upon the whispers of Ethan, your cousin, who stood next to you. Being the same age as you, Ethan had been working in your family’s Bakery for years, receiving the required training until he would be ready to start his very own elsewhere.

With your eyebrows raised, you shot him a glance.

“Who’s here?”

You whispered back, quickly standing straight. He motioned his head towards the door that opened with the ring of the bell, finally revealing a figure.

A figure responsible for your heart to skip a beat every single time : Ronald Kray.

You caught your breath, attempting to suppress a smile. Your cousin sniggered in response. “What?” You hissed under your breath, giving a nudge. “How can I not? When you’re all lovestruck!” He replied, in mid-snigger. “Well, Stop it!” “Shhh!” Ethan's shushing finally made you look back front, all to see Ron walk towards the counter. You involuntarily dusted your hands off the apron. It was something you could not help but do, every time he walked in, to be exact. “Morning, Ron...”

You greeted, offering a soft smile to the well dressed man. Looking around, he merely replied with a low grunt of acknowledgment. Silence afterwards was not of any surprise. And with no further question, you quickly found yourself packing the usual order for him. Only to realize he had come alone today. What could be the reason?

The famous Kray Twins always preferred to fulfill their sweet cravings from your Bakery. And their preference had tempted the rest of the Firm to be fanatics as well. Though he was the silent one between the two, Ron certainly succeeded in capturing your attention with the least of intentions.

And with the fullest of intentions, you found yourself falling for him, deeply. In secret, of course.

Smiling, you placed the neatly wrapped treat on the counter before him.

“Lemon Drizzle Cake...just the way you like it” You said, certain those will be only words you will need to spare for him that day. “Hmm...” Ron grunted, his gloved hand grabbing it slowly. And just as always, you expected him to turn.You expected to indulge the view of his broad back as he slowly walked away. As always, you expected to be grateful for even seeing him again for a mere few seconds.

Except, he defied all your expectations.

"Y/N?" “Y-yes?” You stuttered, surprised by the timbre of his deep voice when he uttered your name. You watched him take a deep breath, his eyes still on the cake.

“Would you like to…" he began, looking at you, "....go out with me?"

You swore no trace of breath was left in your body.

That query seemed completely ludicrous, exiting the lips of someone such as Ron Kray. Yet for you, it was heavenly music to your ears.

And when heavenly music played, who would not want to sing with joy?

“Yes…” You replied mindlessly, all to your cousin's surprise.

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(Present)

“Oi!” The snap of Ethan’s fingers forced you to return to the present. “Where were you off to?” He asked, with raised eyebrows. With the lipstick pressed against your lips, you smirked. “I’m sorry…” you replied, “….you were saying?” “I was saying…” Giving you a quizzical look, Ethan continued, “Do you think he was taking the mick?” Concern still evident in his tone.

After the entire recollection, all you could do was smile to yourself. And given the dark red shade that ended up on your lips, your heart seemed to have already decided.

“Honestly, I don’t know…” you said, “Only one way to find out, hmm?”

‘Cool and unaffected’ may have been your exterior. But only you were the witness to your excited self who jumped up and down on the inside.

A man you adored finally wanted to take you out.

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The last long note of the jazz trumpeter was responsible for the storm of applause that emerged in the club, and you certainly were a willing contributor. Though your hands had turned red from the the chaos of the claps, the smile on your face did not seem to fade away. Offering a standing ovation to the musicians on stage, your response seemed to attract the attention of the other customers as well.

“Jazz tickles your fancy, innit?”   Ron Kray asked, causing you to sit down shyly. “I admit, it does” smiling, you replied with honesty. “What about boxing?” He continued, “Do you like boxing?”

What was this? A questionnaire, a survey? Was he ticking off certain invisible criteria that you had not laid eyes on? Regardless, you found it all so amusing. Chuckling, you crossed your leg over the other.

“Thanks to me Dad, I do…” You said, straightening your back, “Although he won’t let me attend any games…” you added, looking around with wonder. Esmeralda’s Barn was as amazing as you had imagined it to be, and more. Your eyes did not fail to sparkle from the moment you set foot in this venue, for all that existed, really seemed to posses a touch of glitter.

“This is a really nice club…” You said, looking over to Ron with a smile. With no words in reply, he raised his glass of champagne to you. Inviting you to raise yours in turn. Though conversation was not of the expected frequency, you were enjoying the night with him.

“Well...Hello Hello! What have we here?”

Reggie Kray was full of smiles and cheers, making his way over to your table with a few from the Firm. You were certainly surprised to see how all of them were quite joyous to find you there with Ron. As the chairs were dragged with screeches, a mini party was suddenly held at the comfort of your own table.

Time flew by gloriously. In the midst of sipping champagne, you eagerly listened to stories told by the Krays, and even some others from the Firm. Stories, that were mostly unfiltered. Nevertheless, they all caused you to laugh so wholeheartedly, even the sides of your stomach began to ache. The jazz music, the stories, the company, all the bare necessities to fill you with happiness. Seeing Ron smile with his mates was definitely a highlight of the evening. If only you could have been responsible for a feat as amazing as that was. If only.

When the Firm finally left the two of you alone, you were in the midst of laughter, hitting the table hard with your eyes closed, upon remembering the dirty joke Reggie uttered a few seconds beforehand.

“Oh!…” you breathed, recovering from the laughter, “I am having such a blast” you said with all honesty, waving to the others before turning to Ron, “Thank you…” you told him, presenting the most genuine smile you could ever portray, as you calmed down to watch the performance on stage.

It was certainly an evening you hoped to remember. Granted, you would have preferred more intimacy with the man sitting next to you. But you did not wish to complain. Not about Ronnie Kray. Being at his presence was a gift itself. The sound of the empty glass landing on the table firmly made you look back at the Kray Twin.Why would he gulp down such a fine brand of champagne in one setting?

“Y/N…” “Yes?” You replied, as you indulged in your own champagne.

 “Will you marry me?”

Spitting out the alcohol in a flash, you looked at him with wide eyes, and a dropped jaw.

“W-WHAT?”

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With the Kray Twins claiming the title of Royalty in East End, a scandalous story about them hitting the papers was certainly a stain that was hard to wash off.

Ever since the story of the sex party scandal came to light, featuring popular figures such as Lord Boothby, the curiousity about the sexuality of Ronald Kray had garnered more attention. Along with that, Business with the current clients, found itself to be difficult to be built up, or even being carried on. Awfully desperate to wipe this slate clean, Reggie Kray and Leslie Payne had but one solution.

“Are you out of your FUCKING minds?”  Ron Kray’s reaction was simply justified, especially when their solution, was for him to marry a ‘nice girl’. Marry? And to a woman? Rubbing his chin, Reggie looked at his brother.

“Just think about it, Ron…” he said, his hands resting on his hips, “Or else people are going to talk…” “Business ain’t going to be good for us, Ronnie” Leslie added coolly, blowing smoke as he held on to his his cigarette. Looking around at the only two occupants in the pub, E.Pellicci on a Tuesday afternoon, Ron pointed his fork at his twin. “Reg, you’re my brother…” he muttered deeply, “You know better that I never hide my preference…”

“And as your brother…” Reggie said, sitting in front of him, “I know better to have your back before things go fuckin south…yeah?” He added, “Come on! It’s not like you have to fall in love with her…” he smiled, patting Ron’s shoulder “It’s all just for show…”

Looking at one another, a silent conversation had suddenly begun, a silent negotiation more like. Or perhaps was it an eager salesman trying to make a sell to the difficult customer?

Finally, Ron sighed, grunting in acknowledgement. He seemed to have given up. Feeling victorious, Reggie and Leslie nodded at each other with relief.

“You have someone in mind?” Ron asked casually, resuming to pick at his Eggs Benedict with his fork.

Looking at his brother proudly, Reggie smirked. For he was eager to share his grand plan.

The grand plan that involved their favorite Bakery.

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Relieved you were to have saved your best nightgown for a night such as this one. Your wedding night, to be exact.

Tracing the material with your fingers, you permitted the silk to caress your skin whilst you brushed your loose hair. With Ron still in the bathroom, you had some time to reflect on the whirlwind adventure you had experienced. All in just one week.

Just when the idea of a date seemed ludicrous, a proposal from Ronald Kray was simply unimaginable. He made some fair points, you would admit. How he 'loved you’, and how he ‘wanted no one else but you’. Truthfully, his tone may have seemed monotonous, it could have easily been a tad bit insincere, yet you were certain that was only because he was not like everyone else. For a different aura existed within him, and that being one of the primary reasons you adored him. Some attractions in life could never be explained.

Besides, with you hopelessly in love with him for almost a year, there was no trace of hesitation when you accepted it. Your family did not seem to mind whatsoever. With the Krays and the Firm showing their loyalty to the Bakery, your parents never felt safer and more proud. No wonder you had no difficulty loving Ron Kray all this time. For everything seemed to make complete sense. He may not be the most expressive man on the planet. But that did not bother you, not even the slightest. Confident you were to pull out something new from him. You had never been this certain about anything in your entire life.

The wedding, it was simple yet lovely, including all that you ever hoped for. There was music, there was laughter and there was company at its warmest. The Firm may intimidate the others, but in your eyes, they were the epitome of sincere friendship and family.Just married for a few hours and yet all of them felt like brethren to you.

You jumped out of your thoughts the moment Ron cleared his throat. Coming out of the bathroom, he managed to look robust even in his pajamas.

“Sorry about that…” He said, embarrassingly. Being inside the bathroom for quite a long time, the apology did not seem shocking. You shook your head slowly.

“It’s fine…” You said, as you watched him sit on the edge of the bed. Slowly walking over, you joined right next to him. You felt giddy, empathizing with a teenager hoping to catch the attention of her senior classmate.

Silence took center stage for brief moment. Almost to the point it grew awkward. You felt your breath quicken in silence as your heartbeat increased along with it. You found it difficult to gain control. But fortunately, Ron began to speak.

“Many people think Reggie is the more beautiful one …” He said, “Do you agree?” He asked, turning his head to face you. With his glasses still on and his hair slicked back, Ron certainly looked too formal for bed. With your eyes on him, you took a deep breath, finally calming down thanks to his inquiry. A proper distraction.

“Well, I won’t lie…” you began, “Reggie is beautiful…” Ron sighed, “Eh…” as if this was no surprise. “And so are you…” You added, with an extra dose of affection. Which made him look back at you with shock.

“Yeah?You think so?” His query was sincere, to which you nodded, chuckling.  “Of course…” you giggled, “Why else would I say yes to you?”

Your heart sang when you heard him chuckle in return. It was very rare, his chuckle. A chuckle only heard when the others in the Firm jested. Only then did he chuckle. Until now.

Feeling the softness of the bed on your fingers, you were even more convinced he was not really ready for bed. You wanted him to loosen up. Inching closer, the distance between the two of you finally closed. Suddenly, you felt so brave. Brave enough to make an impression on the feared Kray Twin: your now-husband.

Ron did not flinch when you took his glasses off, for you were as delicate as you could be with it. Neither did he move an inch when your fingers began to affectionately stroke his head, stealthily digging into his hair, pulling his locks out of the constraints of his hair wax. Tonight and for always, he was to be yours, and you were overjoyed.

With his hair falling on the sides of his face, it came to your realization as to how handsome he really was. He was quite underrated, to be honest.

Your eyes quickly fell on to his lips. Ever since you first laid eyes on him, those lips had driven you mad. Lips that could enslave a thousand if needed. You knew for certain of their softness, you had an inkling they were luscious. All you needed was proof.   Frustration came over you when he kissed you at the ceremony for the first time. Being in the presence of many, the kiss was short. Too short, to be exact. You wondered if he was just shy. Many a doubts came to mind, yet you were too quick to dismiss them. Why would he marry you if not for love? You had no wealth nor mafia connections. So indeed for love, yes?  Staring at his lips for too long, you felt your heartbeat increase with urgency. You were hungry. With your hands still in his hair, you leaned forward for a taste. Until you felt him grab you by the shoulders, pushing you into bed. With grunts and growls that exited his lips, you realized his preference for lovemaking: Rough.

You gasped when he surprised by climbing on top of you. Pulling down his pajama bottoms in a flash, he rubbed his manhood with intensity whilst spreading your legs wide open, causing your eyes to widen as well. No, not yet! Not this ways!  “Ronnie Wait!" you cried, " I’m still a virg-”

Your own words were cut off by a loud cry of surprise, feeling your inner lining break with a sharp pain as his shaft finally entered you, for the first time, ever. With your eyes closed, you tried to handle the pain, that disappeared soon afterwards.  “You’re a…?” Ron croaked, finally realizing the depth of his actions. You nodded slowly. To your surprise, you found the tone of his eyes change. It grew into something that could even be considered sad. Or regretful. That was when you felt your heart melt. What you thought you would get cross, you could not, you did not. All because you loved him too much.   Cupping his face so delicately, there were so much you longed to say. Certainly, this was not the best way for a virgin to experience sex. Yet, this was life. But when you cupped his face, you had other agendas at heart. What could those lips offer you?

With his attention tightly held on to, you moved close, finally kissing him the proper way.

You cherished it, every second. At first, it was a peck, innocent and sweet. With the longer peck, followed increased affection that was motivated with every touch. Being braver, you proceeded to lick his lips, only to place your lips over his once again, kissing him with added pressure, longer than before. Only then, only then did you feel his own lips kiss you back. With his equal reciprocation, it was possibly the best kiss you ever experienced. Moving your hands over to his head, you encouraged the kiss to deepen, moaning into his mouth, as he began to rhythmically move inside you once again.

No clothes were in need of disrobing. Not tonight. For the priority was met. Vulnerabilities were disrobed instead of clothes. Intimacy was displayed instead of the bare frame. You moved along with him, and he was wonderful, fitting so well within you. Pleasure was felt to the core. And to your relief, the kisses did not end so soon. Stealing long, expressive kisses here and there, Ron Kray made love to you until finally the release was met. Groaning, he fell on to the bed right to you.

As you brought your legs together, you felt a sense of wetness in between your thighs. With a swift stroke, your eyes widened by the sight of blood on your fingers.

“Where are you off to?” Ron asked, as you slowly attempted to get off the bed. “Uh….” you struggled, looking at him shyly, ‘The blood…” you said, motioning to the bottom part of the bedsheet stained with red, “Need to clean ‘em off…I-Ah!” But you were far from it, especially when you were pulled back into it by Ron. Ending up in his arms that wrapped your frame, you rested on you elbows, looking at him confusingly, only to be met with his long kiss.   “No rush…” He grunted coolly, bringing you to his chest, “No rush…”

Pleased by your husband's wishes, you complied, savoring the softness and warmth he had surprisingly brought to you.

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“So?..Did you get it over with?”

Reggie asked, the very next morning when Ron made his visit to the E.Pellicci. Sipping on his tea, Ron merely grunted in acknowledgement. Little did he know of the growing curiosity of Reggie Kray and Leslie Payne in regards to the juicy details of the wedding night. Given his usual displeasure in women, they were indeed quite curious about this particular woman.   “And...How was it?” Reggie was persistent. Looking up from his cup, Ron found himself staring into the distance. “You know what?" he said, " It wasn’t half bad…She…" he paused, bringing his hand up , "....she is an interesting one”   “Is she now?” Leslie asked, chuckling with amusement, "So will there be more that interesting one then?" "Fuck off!" Albert Donoghue’s sudden appearance in the pub caused the trio to quieten with concern. “Reg, Ron…Heads up!” he muttered, as the pub doors swung open dramatically. Along with its dramatic swing, came in a group of men, wielding nothing but iron pipes and shameless grins.

“Congratulations Ron Kray!” One of them called out loudly, “The Richardsons would like to give a little…wedding present…”

Gang wars. What’s there to be said?

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You sighed, sitting comfortably on the sofa, as you continued to apply the medicine over Ronnie’s hand. Just a small brawl, Reggie said, when he brought his brother back home to you. One day after the wedding and you already were forced to face this. Helping you realize all that you were to anticipate in the near future. All as the wife of Ronnie Kray.   “So…will this be something usual?” You asked, making him throw you a look, “Just for future reference…” you added defensively. Ronnie looked back at his bruised knuckles.

“Every job has its challenges, yeah?” He began, as you nodded, “I suppose these are mine…” he added, “…and more…” You chuckled. It was clear when you married him, you married everything about him. So who were you to judge? “Well said, Mr. Kray” you smirked as you were quite impressed, “There! All done…” you said, staring at his cleaned bruises as you slowly got up, “I’ll just… make you some tea and-Ah!”

He was always the surprise, pulling you back to him. Ever so comfortably, you ended up on his lap. Wrapping one arm around your waist, he brought you closer, making you blush.

“Would you mind just…staying like this?” Ron asked, his tone filled with shyness, all the while looking at you. His words made your eyes warm. And also your heart.

“I would love to…” you said, blushing harder when he took your chin to kiss you. Long and quiet, the kiss was proficient enough to convey enough to your heart and soul.  “Y/N?” “Hmm?” you hummed, still drunk by his kiss. Pressing his lips together, he inhaled softly. “Do you like…poetry?” Ron asked all the sudden. You could reply with nothing but your bright smile.

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“Oh darling, these are just wonderful…” Violet Kray, mother of the Kray Twins cried with joy as she accepted the basket, filled with warm Loaves of French Baguettes. All from her daughter-in-law.  “Straight from the oven, Mrs. Kray” She said with pride. Violet scoffed.

“Don’t you dare be so formal, love. Call me Mum…” The matriarch replied, bringing the young woman to an embrace.

“I will, Mum”

All this Ronnie Kray watched, with a surprising sense of satisfaction. The fact that his wife won his mother's heart was definitely a good sign. And as days and weeks went by, Ronnie Kray was coming to terms with what an amazing woman he was forced to marry into.With the fascination of a woman and a man combined, her interests were beyond incredible, fit to make conversation with simply anyone in the Firm. He certainly had judged her too fast before. Just because she worked at a baker, did not mean she was not interesting or amazing.

Apart from conversation, she was sexually surprising as well. Never did Ronnie imagine to feel a sense of pleasure that was never experienced before. And besides the pleasure, he felt love. Although he had more preference to men earlier, the aura she had given out in the bedroom was what he could not get enough of. Sex with her was just as exciting as sex with a man. With a colorful imagination, she made sure every time to be as unforgettable as the one before.

Watching a somber or serious news telecast would never be boring with her sitting on his lap. Especially when his erect and hungry shaft was buried inside her as she moved in steady rhythm. Holding his head securely, with his face pressed against her neck, he watched her moan, all the while she made her way up and down on his shaft. Impressed he was with her eagerness to be so open minded, even urging his hands to roam around her frame as she unbuttoned her dress from the front. All so that his hands could touch, pull, pinch, tickle and caress every inch of her skin as he pleased while she moved.

“Never knew you had this side to you…” Ron breathed, to which she looked at him.  “Well, you never asked, Mr. Kray…” she purred, crying out in pleasure soon after, as he tugged her erect nipples.

And before knew it, Ronnie Kray had more appreciation for the female anatomy than ever before. Ever since then, he would spontaneously show off his appreciation with his lips more than ever. The simple favor of undoing an apron may have gone further, merely triggered by the sight of her bare neck, forcing him to unzip her dress, only to let it fall to the floor. All the while he held her, as he took his sweet time, kissing, licking and sucking every inch of her skin that his eyes could trace. And with her gratuitous moans and cries filling his ears, he had never felt so proud.

Ever since the wedding, Ron visited the E.Pellicci less. But whenever he did, the pub was filled with cheer.

"We hardly see you anymore, Ron!" “Probably too busy getting hands on with his new Missus!” “Or maybe even busy training her to stay out of his way…” “No! No! He really seems to like her…” "Bugger off, you cheeky fuckers!" Ron would say, with a cigar between his teeth, laughing alongside the mates. All the mates who laughed. All except Teddy Smith.

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You watched the Firm gather around Teddy, all with champagne glasses in hand. "Happy Birthday, Mad Teddy!" Ronnie cried out on behalf of all at Esmeralda's Barn, "May you be as mad as ever!" "To TEDDY!" All cried with cheers.

Teddy Smith flashed his brightest smile. You clapped your hardest, watching the Firm sing their songs of camaraderie. This really should have been just the boys. Why on earth would Ron bring you here?

"I would just ruin the whole mood" you remembered telling him, whilst putting on the earrings a few hours ago. "Fucking nonsense!" he said, as you turned to fix his tie, "The Firm loves you..." he stated as you finished, “Besides… who doesn't want to show you off?" he teased, forcing you to playfully smack his shoulder.

Smiling to oneself at that recollection, you headed towards the restroom while your ears were enlightened by jazz musicians who played on stage. Too much champagne had you running off to the loo even before 11pm. But before you could enter the ladies room, you felt someone stand behind you.   “Enjoying the party?”

Teddy asked, making you turn to him. You smiled widely. “Oh yes, very much…" you said, "Happy Birthday again Teddy!” you clasped your hands together with a sincere wish. He was the adorable brother you never had.

Except he merely scoffed with disgust.   “You think you have all of us figured out, aye?” He asked, displeasure very evident in his tone. Confused, your eyebrows furrowed.

“What do you mean?” you asked. Taking one more step towards you, he folded his arms.

“Do you really think the great Ronnie Kray…married you, for love?”

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With your pulse running high, you quickly turned on the sink tap in the ladies washroom, letting the water run as you moistened the mouth with some. You hoped it would calm you down, but it did not.

Looking at yourself in the mirror, you watched yourself take deep breaths. Each breath in a dire need to to help you take in the information you just received from Teddy.

Also known as the truth.

He disclosed it all, Reggie’s desperate plan to save his brother's reputation, and how that plan mainly included marrying you. Rumors of his bisexuality you were familiar with, yet you never expected that to be true. Not after everything you had experienced with him. And you did not expect to hear all of that from Teddy, the man who claimed to be Ronnie's former lover.   “You’re nothing but a bloody cover up…” You remembered him saying. Chuckling with pride, he continued to taunt you: “How do you know where on earth he fuckin ends up, after you fall asleep?” he continued, “Face it, love! You’re nothing but a public please-”

“Stop it!” You cried out, covering your ears with an innocent plea, storming into the Ladies Room. Bringing you back to where you were now.

A fool, You felt like a fool. How could you have been so blind? You should have not come here. You should not have said yes to anything Ronnie had asked of you. More importantly, You should not have loved him in the first place.

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He always had her in his sights, no matter how busy he was with the Firm in the party. With her been in the loo for too long, Ronnie was getting impatient.

The moment she was within his sights he felt relief, except that was robbed from him once again when he watched her leave the club with a possible look of dejection.

It worried him, infuriatingly. He followed her, tried to at least through the crowds in the club. And Teddy Smith was the biggest hurdle of all, bumping into him as he came from the same corner as she did.   “Why is she leaving?” Ron asked him. Teddy however, was silent, enraging Ronnie even further, “Answer my fuckin question!”,he said, pulling him by the collar. Teddy however looked far from upset.

“Cause she doesn’t belong here…" he said, "...she never belonged with us, Ronnie…” he added with dedication, “Forget about her…” his breath felt seductive, running his hands over his clothed chest. Ron was immune to it surprisingly. He was far from aroused.

“You fucking bastard!” He yelled, pushing him away, “I’ll get you next time!” pointing at him, “Wankers!” Ronnie cried out, leaving the club. Passing him by, Reggie appeared quite confused.  “Ron…what’s going on?” He called out to his brother, who clearly ignored him. Reggie turned to Teddy, finally sensing the reason for this contradiction. Shaking his head, Reggie Kray sighed. “Teddy, …the fuck did you do, mate?”

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“Come on! Come on!” You prayed, turning the dial of the numbers frantically as you stood inside the telephone box. You hoped someone would answer your call, you hoped someone would come to pick you up. But your hopes were in no luck for consideration. “FUCK!” You yelled at the phone frustratingly. Clearly, it was not like you to swear like this in the open. Has his habits rubbed off on you?

“Y/N!”

And just like that, you turned to find Ronnie standing outside the booth. “No!" you shook your head immediately, "Go! Leave me alone!” you cried out, putting the phone down. “Y/N…” Ronnie began, “What the bloody hell you doing?” “Avoiding you, that’s what!” You snapped.  “Let me in…” he demanded. “No! “Let…me…in” his demands were repeated, through gritted teeth, leaving pause with each word, which truthfully scared you. Left with no choice, you opened the door, allowing him to enter, and lock it right behind him.

With such little space between the two, you felt uncomfortable for the very first time. If it were a mere few days ago, you would be finding any excuse to be wrapped around him, just to listen to him grunt, to listen to him moan, to listen to him chuckle.

“What did Teddy tell you?” He inquired in seriousness. Averting your gaze, you kept silent for a few seconds before you finally answered: “The truth…the whole truth and nothing but the truth…” “Never knew you could be snarky” “Well, you never asked…”

Your banter with him, it was such a lovely surprise. Which made this even more disappointing.

“I’m not even angry…I’m..." you paused, "I'm hurt” you said, feeling your nose grow sour, “I may not be smart as any of you. But I'm no fool…” you added, involuntarily sniffing, “I’m not foolish enough to stand by when someone plays with my emotions” with your hands on your hips, you tried to gather your self, “I don’t…I don’t think anyone has ever loved you the way I did" you said, making Ronnie open his mouth slowly, “It was silent, but it was strong. For many years. I never cared that you were a gangster, I never even cared of the other foul things they said about you.” you continued, “But if you were to tell me, this was all just for show and nothing…was ever…real-I…I don’t understand” you struggled, taking a step closer to him, his cigar smell strong in his coat, “Was none of it real?” you asked, “Our conversations? Our kisses?" you paused, taking a deep breath, "... Every single time we made love…Were they not real?”

A single tear trickled down your cheek by the end of that question. And with your question, you expected a well deserved answer. You think you earned it after all this. Yet, Ronnie did not answer. Staring at you, he merely stood there pondering. Disappointed, you did not know how to cope with this. Sighing symbolized your surrender, and you turned to leave with a heavy heart.

Until he grabbed your wrist with a grip hard as iron.   “If you know me well.…" he began slowly, "You would know very well that I am a difficult man to deal with” he said softly, yet he remained feared. You gulped, not knowing what to anticipate. However, his grip loosened soon after. Instead he held your hand gently.   “You're right..." He began, “It was just for show, yes. In the beginning. At the bakery, at the jazz club…” he said, making your stomach clench, “I had to, it was the plan…”

So that was it, It was the truth. You were being strung along all just for show. Your feelings felt used, like a wet cloth being wrung so tight there was no water left.

“But not anymore…” Your eyes widened upon hearing his words. Looking up, he looked at you. His hold on you tightened, yet not with pain. But warmth instead.

“I…” he paused, “...I think I love you" he gulped, "And I don’t want to lose you…ever” he said, tracing his tone to comprise of softness and vulnerability. A thick liquid of warmth began to pour down on to your heart. You wanted to accept it wholeheartedly, except it was blocked by a lid of doubt.   “What about Teddy?" you asked coldly.  “Oh! He’s a jealous faggot! But he means well…” Ronnie said in a matter of fact tone, forcing you laugh out loud. He certainly could make you smile always. That Ronnie Kray.   “He loves you, I can tell…” you said, feeling envious to the core.  “Well, it’s a pity now…” Ronnie said, driving that jealousy away. Yet you were still not convinced. "How can I believe you?" You inquired, still realizing your hand was being held, "How can I sure absolutely sur-“

Your words were cut off when Ronnie Kray pulled you to him for a passionate kiss. And your lips did not hesitate to hold back at all. Though your mind was the provider of that lid of doubt, your heart was the one pouring that warmth, and it seemed like it was stronger. Lips were happy to be reunited once again, opening to each other so that the tongues could play their usual dance. You moaned involuntarily as you felt his hands grab you by the buttocks, pulling them up whilst you both kissed. But your mind was not impressed, not yet. This was just too easy.  "Ronnie..." you said, pulling away, “..that's just cheap-”

"This! This is what I want...for the rest of my fucking life..." he snarled, but with meaning, "I may get arrested, I may even go to fucking jail..” he said, "But this…” he paused, “I don't want this to change. Ever" Positively moved, you chuckled. “Well said, Mr. Kray”

You admitted, lips not holding back when Ronnie fully kissed you once again. Never did you expect a man like Ronnie Kray to be this way.

As he kept kissing you with all his heart, you wondered. Did you really pull something out of him to change? Would a better version of himself be a possibility because of you? For the moment, none of that really mattered.

For all you needed to remember was your love for him. And from tonight onwards, his love for you.

——————————————————

Tagged: @starlightmornings @rogerfxckingtaylor @daydreamerinadazedworld @courtney-thevixeniris @kimmietea @shigarakitomuraxxxdabi @tealaquinn @rach5ive @thebeckyjolene

Check My MASTERLIST here :)

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cielsosinfel · 2 years ago

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reading log attempt 2.0 where i don’t go off on essay-long rants

In The Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado: absolutely one of my all-time favorite ever books now, beautifully, amazing written, truly cathartic to read as Machado puts down all of the ugliest feelings of an abuse victim and survivor that society at large tries to shame people out of expressing. So much more than a memoir. I want to shove it into everyone’s hands.

Drag King Dreams by Leslie Feinberg: Love Feinberg, love her non-fiction, love her politics, love what she did for early trans literature, HATE THIS BOOK SO GODDAMN FUCKING MUCH. I deleted the huge essay I wrote about it but i have so many (negative) thoughts lmao. I can imagine there are people out in the world who could really, really use this book in their life, but I am definitely not one of them. Couldn’t actually finish it, dropped 85% of the way of the through and skipped to the end was just :| Women Make Horror: Filmmaking, Feminism, Genre, edited by Alison Peirse: I enjoyed this for the most part, but I went into it expecting something other than what it was, I guess more general film theory about the genre as a whole and how society reacts to it and women creating/partaking in it. A lot of the essays are about very specific movies, and so if you have not watched those moves (which I mostly haven’t, because film-media is hard to me due to attention span issues and hearing issues), then it’s kind of hard to get into it? Which is to say, this is an amazing book but I need to do a lot of studies (watch more horror) to truly appreciate it lmao. (Also I wish the line-up of films explored was more... diverse? In terms of creators, because it’s focused largely on white women, but.)

I will say I enjoy how many of the essays are concerned with exploring trauma via horror and taboo themes that are not sugar-coated! And may even be eroticized without a blaring “this is morally repugnant!” statement (because we should all know these things are morally repugnant but that survivors can have complicated relationships to them anyway.)

Essays I really appreciated:

Stephanie Rothman and Vampiric Film Histories by Alicia Kozma

Personal Trauma Cinema and the Experimental Videos of Cecelia Condit and Ellen Cantor by Katia Houde

Self-Reflexivity and Feminist Camp in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare by Tosha R. Taylor

Gender, Genre, and Authorship in Ginger Snaps by Katarzyna Paszkiewics

Women-made Horror in Korean Cinema by Molly Kim

The Transnational Gaze in A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night by Lindsey Decker

Gigi Saul Guerrero and her Latin American Female Monsters by Valeria Villegas Lindvall

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever: I hate this book so much lmao I am all down for unlikable protagonists but jesus fucking christ at least make their horrible internal monologuing fun to read. I REALLY want more pro lit fiction with both LGBT leads and this kind of unhealthy, fucked up, obsessive dynamic that ends in horrible things committed by this horrible couple (and things like noncon, incest, etc but i digress.) That are not YA or focused on teenagers. The opening pages that show the end point of the story really grabbed me! But then you find out the protags are both these... prodigy 17 year olds who feel special and superior and like no one can understand them because they’re too smart and see through society’s lies. Which is understandable for teenagers, and also for teenagers who are gay and Jewish and have to navigate living in a society that’s unwelcoming. But lord. The author tried really hard to make everything out of Julian’s mouth witty and scathing and intelligent but it never landed for me. The witty repartee between him and Paul never sounded like more than non-sequiturs or just lines that fell flat, disconnected, like they’re not really talking at each other. I gave up 30% of the way in.

Currently reading The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate (enjoying a lot! exactly what i’m looking for!) and Boys, Beasts & Men by Sam J. Miller (short story collection that isn’t really grabbing me at all)

#reading log #i also read a lot of poetry but idk how to share my thoughts on poetry lmao #mine poste

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mysteriouspercentage · 3 years ago

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so when is everyone gonna stop pretending that l*n m*nuel m*randa's nonsense self-aggrandizing self-inserts don't completely ruin any chance of his musicals potentially being actually good or interesting

bc im decently certain that a good chunk of the problems w his work, both musically and thematically, could actually be solved if he just stopped choking on his own dick for like, one second.

like, not only does he clearly lack capacity for self-reflection in the v classic liberal sense, but on even an interpersonal level, he is absurdly obsessed w making every musical he writes abt jerking himself off. he's even willing to literally rewrite history to do it. al*xander h*milton's real life as a poor immigrant who worked his way up to slave owner by marrying rich, going on to literally create a branch of the colonial government and all of the implications of his story therein, are completely disregarded so that lmm can write a story abt being an underdog nerd who becomes a war hero that everyone's in love w bc he's so well-spoken and charming 🙄🙄🙄 and we're still like...... pretending that that's interesting ??

cuz like tbh, he's actually an excellent composer. like, from a technical standpoint, the man can write a fucking song. but he honest to GOD can't sing a lick, and, again, from a technical standpoint, his decisions to center so many songs around himself consistently ruins them. they're not as good for a. being almost entirely focused around his character and their arc and/or b. being sung by him. it's ridiculous. "satisfied" and "wait for it" and "burn" and "congratulations" and the first half of "dear theodosia" and "breathe" (im not as familiar w ith) all literally prove that his musicals would be at least 50% better if he just like. made them abt anyone other than himself. hell, "the room where it happens" has leslie odom fucking jr as the lead singer, and it still sucks bc the song itself is OBSESSED w lmm and his character. it's repetitive and boring vocally, and we get almost no sense of agency from the actual character singing it. leslie's character, at times, behaves more like a narrator than an actual lead character in the story of h*milton's life and death. and i truly don't think it's a coincidence that the lead roles that he cast Black actors for are a. rival and narrator whose life becomes so driven by h*milton's decisions that he lacks any meaningful agency in the story; b. secondary love interest whose only solo is focused on h*milton, whose primary motivations are derived almost entirely from her drive to care for her sisters/family, and whose only real moment of agency (marrying someone else and moving away) happens offstage; and c. a one-dimensional mentor figure who is put on a pedestal throughout the musical while also somehow having little to no importance to the story outside of guiding h*milton's hand. i mean, sure, every character exists for the purpose of jacking lmm off when it comes down to it, but at the v least eliza gets a key moment where she makes a decision for herself, that benefits herself primarily, and that happens ONSTAGE, w her and her motivations at the center. it's still propelled by h*milton, ofc, bc the musical is character-driven in the worst possible way. and ith, as far as i can tell bc i genuinely couldn't sit thru it at all, has exactly the same issues. there are good moments, EXCELLENT moments, even, when lmm is nowhere to be seen, but that only happens maybe once an hour.

idk. im mostly ranting at this point. tldr lmm fucking sucks and i'd like us all, mostly nonblack ppl, to stop pretending like he doesn't lmaoo 🤚🏼

#do i dare put this in the lmm tag 🤔#.. yes i do dare #lin manuel miranda #hamilton #text #original

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duketectivecomics · 4 years ago

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Hey I was wondering if you know the official order of bruce gaining all the kids including harper, Barbara, and stephanie? I know its Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian but where does the other 3 and duke and cass fall in? Tia!!

So I’m gonna assume that you mean the order in which they get adopted, since finding First Appearances is one of the easier things to google for any character. (Getting First Appearance issues afterall is part of the reason some comics retain their value, so it’s usually well documented when a character first shows up. Side note: DCUguide is an excellent resource if you’re looking to comb through appearances for characters, although I’d also recommend asking for reading lists from other fans, since usually those have been curated down to essential storylines only)

I tried to provide actual issue #s where I could, but a lot of the time in comics, it’s usually something that’s dropped or hinted around or casually mentioned rather than outright boldly stated.

Also some of these characters span DECADES and their histories change depending on continuity. So I tried to account for that where I could.

But also canon is fake and everyone in fandom cherry-picks anyways so yknow. Keep THAT in mind too.

Before we dive into this, I wanna have a quick convo on what Legal Guardianship vs Adoption is.

While guardianship includes some of the same responsibilities as adoption, it also comes with a few key differences, such as allowing any living parents (also possibly any living relatives) to contest the guardianship. Adoption would make the child fully and solely the potential parent’s responsibility, and would nullify any legal ‘say’ that the biological parents may have. Also of note, is that guardianship does not allow the child in question a claim to inheritance unless the guardian specifically wills it to them, as there is again, a bit more of distance that is placed between the child and guardian, as more of a mentorship is expected to take hold. One way to look at it is that adoption is permanent (& usually a longer drawn out process bc of that), while guardianship can be more legally flexible.

With that out of the way, let’s start~

Dick: pre-flashpoint/52, it’s stated often that Dick was actually Bruce’s ward, that Bruce has legal guardianship over Dick. I know this is a nitpick and doesn’t matter bc it’s usually retconned/ignored in favor of Dick being adopted. But I think it’s a fascinating point of potential contention nonetheless. especially given the historical reason, that it was absolutely unheard of at the time for a single man to adopt a child, but no one would bat at eye if he was taking Dick in out of a sense of altruism & duty. Contract this with decades later, when he DOES appear to adopt Jason outright, which puts some friction in place between Dick & Bruce. and well, you’ve got a whole story & conflict to explore right there.

Barbara: Usually dons the Batgirl cowl after Dick becomes Robin (the only exception to that was The Batman (2004) cartoon and it was absolutely galaxy brain of them honestly) She has her own Dad though (idk if y’all know him? Jim Gordon? Yknow? The Commissioner?) so she doesn’t get adopted. She’s considered a core batfam member mostly in the sense that she’s been there so long and esp as she makes herself absolutely essential when she becomes Oracle. She has never, and will likely never be adopted by Bruce (bc again. W h e n is that gonna come up? When Jim dies? L m f a o)

Jason: pre-crisis it’s assumed from the go I guess? I could only find slight confirmation and ended up finding more info that there was a custody battle and that Bruce would won Jason back officially in Detective Comics #548. post-crisis, Jason’s history is redone, though & I remember his adoption being touched on, but could not for the life of me find a particular issue. N52/Rebirth it’s simply assumed from the go as far as I’m aware.

Tim: Batman #654. This was after his father died, though he’d been Robin at this point for at least a decade. For n52/Rebirth as far as I can tell he’s also been outright adopted by Bruce (though I think he’s parents were still alive but in Witness Protection? Idk. I haven’t read at all for Tim’s history there so take that with a heavy grain of salt)

Steph: another one who is not adopted (Crystal Brown is very much alive and taking care of Steph (barring the time Leslie Thompkins squirreled her away after faking Stephs death BUT)) She does show up pretty soon on Tim’s tail when he starts as Robin. Again, she’s considered a staple of the family because of how long she’s been involved with them. I like to think of her like Kimmy in Full House. She’s a Good Friend who’s Constantly Showing Up and is one of the family through mutual agreement on everyone’s part.

Cass: Batgirl (2008) #6, though like Tim, Cass had been Batgirl for nearly a decade at that point in continuity. She’s shown and stated many times that she considers Bruce a father/father figure and likewise that Babs, who had been mentoring her, was the closest she has to a mother. In n52/Rebirth, I have yet to see or hear about official adoption for her, but again. We usually ignore canon on that part anyways. I mean they made her into Orphan so uhhhh. Not super great yknow?

Damian: since he is biologically Bruce’s, it’s never really addressed as far as I’m aware (I have yet to read Damian’s appearances Altho he’s next on my Robin list). I personally think it’d be interesting to explore the fact that he was likely born outside of the country and what that means for Bruce gaining legal custody & whether or not Talia would contest that? I’m sure there’s probably SOME thinkpieces about it out there, but I’ll search for them on my own time eventually

And now we’re getting to *drum roll* Harper and Duke!

Harper: her appearances are mostly kept to the n52 runs, though with Tynion returning to Detective, it’s likely she’s coming back into Rebirth soon. She’s a unique case where, due to her abusive home life, she emancipated herself and took her brother, Cullen, with her. Neither she nor her brother were adopted by Bruce, and as far as I’m aware/understand, they’re fine with it that way. I know Stephanie was living with them at some point (it’s dropped in Batman & Robin: Eternal at least?), so I certainly think it would have been nice if DC also brought them into the fold like Steph. Just a couple of kids who are Really Good Friends with the family and continue to insert themselves in batfam business lmao

Duke: I actually addressed this fairly recently here! Duke’s guardianship (bc like Dick, Duke is not outright adopted by Bruce, likely to afford Duke’s parents the opportunity to regain custody should they recover from Joker’s toxin) its a little more up in the air at this point in Batman & The Outsiders. Since Bruce is very clearly taking both him and Cass away on globetrotting adventures. It would make things EASIER ofc if he is under Bruce’s guardianship. But given that it’s not really addressed, it’s led most of fandom to simply assume it instead. And really? Considering that DC themselves probably doesn’t realize that they’ve written themselves into this corner, it probably won’t be fully addressed or recognized anyways.

So to answer your first question actually: Babs, Steph, and Harper? Not adopted, likely never will be, but they ARE interspersed fairly regularly in the line-up. Everyone else? Varying degrees of being under Bruce’s guardianship if not outright adopted.

We’re all happy that they’re here, though!!! And we love and appreciate them ALL.

#batfamily #fandom stuff #asked and answered #silencespeaks10 #randywrites #today on: randy googles it!#ive read quite a bit of batfam stuff but there were some things i did have to google again to confirm #and as always i highly recommend reading for urself when you can!#but here's the best tl;dr that i can give for the time being!#long post #<- for mobile users OOOOF its long

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goldkirk · 5 years ago

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⭐!! id love to hear more abt any of ur stories :D

come into my ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. or send in a ⭐star⭐ to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

omg I am so SO bad at picking, hang on, I’m going to go read some of Blackbird and come back in a hot sec--

Oooh okay here, take this. Some of this is going to come up in the Steph-centric fic I’d like to write sometime--I don’t know that it’d be as long as Latchkey, and def nowhere near Blackbird, but I want to do some exploring of Steph’s life leading up to the events of Blackbird. She’s got a lot of Backstory and I’ve got a lot of Feelings About It and she’s an interesting contrast to both Tim AND Jason and I want to show more about a lot of things I HINTED at in Blackbird with her. Lots of throwaway comments, little details, etc.

One of those things is the prescription Leslie writes for her when they’re chatting in the storeroom at the clinic in Crime Alley. A couple people have brought that up, and I figure it’s a detail that wouldn’t be bad to tackle here.

In that chapter, there’s this exchange:

“I hope I can be,” Steph says. “And, uh, on that note, sorry I’m late.”

“Everything okay at home?” Dr. Thompkins asks. She drops into the procedure room’s worn-out spinning chair as Steph takes up her usual perch on the counter.

“Dad wanted me to bake a cake,” Steph sighs. “I don’t know why he can’t just order buffalo wings for his buddies like a normal person.”

“Mm. And on that note, do you need a refill, Steph?”

Stephanie looks down for a second before meeting Dr. Thompkin’s eyes.

“Yeah,” she says quietly. “I’m almost out and I don’t want to risk anything. Thanks, Leslie.”

“It’s literally no trouble,” Dr. Thompkins says, with a wave of her hand. She scribbles on a notepad and folds the paper into a little football before tossing it at Steph, who laughs as she snatches it out of the air. “That should get you another month. Make sure you give it to Louis, during the night shifts. He’ll give you the discount as long as I’m around.”

“Thanks,” Steph says again.

Steph doesn’t have any secret underlying condition here--I’m not THAT good at planning, and I don’t plan on hurting all the kids in the story lol. It’s birth control.

My reasoning here was that 1) Steph’s mom is Clocked Out as a parent, and definitely wouldn’t be available to handle Steph’s medical needs or even ask about them most of the time, 2) Steph’s dad is a terrible person and father and would literally never allow her to be on it bc of his views and also money, and wouldn’t listen to anything about financial help or Steph paying for it herself or w/ever, 3) Steph has probably been burned by a couple of boyfriends at this point and had to weasel her way out of very pressuring situations, which made her just swear off dating for the moment, but most importantly--

4) Steph’s dad keeps very unsavory company, and Steph has absolutely no adult looking out for her safety in this current situation at all. Her mom is either not around or usually high, and her dad is usually drunk and the one who’s causing these people (mostly men) to be around the house in the first place. And when her dad and a lot of the others are really drunk, or passed out, Steph doesn’t have anything she can do except hide and make herself scarce or try to sneak out of the house for the night after her dad has stopped using her as basically a cook and pretty face and BEFORE anyone gets any ideas.

She doesn’t always succeed. SO, (tw here for childhood sexual assault, etc.) Steph has been pressured by boyfriends, cornered here and there over the past few years walking to and from school (but she’s also Very Good at being a rabid little fighter and screaming at the top of her lungs at the first sign of danger--that’s actually going to be used at some point and be a funny and painful scene that Bruce swoops in on sorta--so nothing has HAPPENED there). She’s been eyed up and down by grown ups semi-regularly every period that her dad’s been out of jail since she hit middle school and they moved into that little house, and she’s had several attempt things. One got pretty damn far, and Steph finally, FINALLY got away and straight up smashed the bathroom window to get out.

Long story short, she was pretty messed up that night, and she definitely couldn’t go back, and she was pretty panicked, so she went to the only place her brain supplied from its depths, which was Dr. Thompkins’ clinic. Luckily Leslie keeps someone staffing it around the clock, and she had actually only left a few minutes earlier, so she came back in and walked Steph through that night and took her home to her own place until Steph was sure it was safe to go back home. Then Dr. Thompkins and Steph had a LOT of logistics conversations, reported things to police, and set up several contingency plans, because this is Gotham and the prisons are a revolving door.

But anyway. Yeah. That’s the story behind the prescription, and why Steph isn’t a super big fan of talking about it. But it’s a just-in-case that both of them wish she didn’t need, and it’s definitely something, along with the self harm, etc., that Leslie and Bruce will be getting on the same page about and that BOTH will be working with Steph’s mom to keep a close eye on in the future.

(tw for self harm) I’m considering writing a fic to deal with Steph’s self harm while she’s living with the Waynes, because there’s no way Dr. Thompkins wouldn’t give Bruce a heads up about it if Bruce was getting temporary custody. She’d have to. And Bruce would absolutely sit Steph down for a conversation about it, and Steph would be super likely to have urges while there for SEVERAL reasons, so. Hm. That’s something I might tackle too, but I really wanted to show in the scene with Leslie and Steph talking about it that there ARE adults in the world who understand self harm and won’t flip out over it, and will handle it in the healthiest, safest manner possible and not push too much or overreact or underreact. That scene was important to me, and I hope it helps at least someone, somewhere. It took me a long time to learn that, but I’m glad I did. That kind of thing matters.

#SORRY THIS GOT KINDA DARK #I hope you like it sorry #shutterbug series #anonymous #katie answers asks #Anonymous

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hms-chill · 5 years ago

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RWRB Study Guide: Chapter 7

Hi y’all! I’m going through Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue and defining/explaining references! Feel free to follow along, or block the tag #rwrbStudyGuide if you’re not interested!

Crêpe-eating tourists (157): Crepes are a thin, flat pancake traditionally filled with sugar, but commonly filled with other toppings. They are an iconic French dish and are popular with tourists both for this reason and because they are typically inexpensive.

Place du Tertre (157): A square in Paris, it is in the Montmarte district, which is known for its art history.

Crusty baguettes (157): Baguettes are a French bread that is meant to be crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

Le Monde (158): The most popular French newspaper.

Fromagerie Nicole Barthélémy (158): A famously wonderful cheese shop in Paris.

Parisian cheese shop (158): French cheese are known for being fancy and especially good.

Pisces (159): A zodiac sign known for being compassionate, artistic, and intuitive. (more)

NYU (159): New York University.

The Met (159): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a famous art museum in New York.

Joanne (160): JK Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter books, and has been pretty consistently homophobic and transphobic on twitter.

Freddie Mercury (161): Lead singer of the band Queen, Mercury never officially came out, but he had long-term relationships with both men and women and was known for his camp performances, and there are claims that he was “openly gay”. His flamboyance and camp performances, as well as his relationship with partner Jim Hutton, essentially demanded that people simply take him as he was. He died of complications from AIDS in 1991, one day after admitting openly that he had been diagnosed four years earlier. (More)

For context within the book, he wrote “Don’t Stop Me Now”

Elton John (161): A famous British musician. He came out as bisexual in 1976, then as gay in 1992. He and his husband, David Furnish, became civil partners in 2005, the day they became legal in the UK. They were officially married on the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership, the year that gay marriage was legalized within the UK. (More)

Bowie (161): David Bowie, who was a bi British musician and actor who, in 1976, described his bisexuality as “the best thing that ever happened to me”. His wife (who was also bi, and with whom he often shared partners) claimed that he had a relationship with Mick Jagger, though his bisexuality has been consistently erased, both during his life and since his death. (More)

Again for book context, Henry’s dog is named for David Bowie

Jagger (161): Mick Jagger, an English singer/songwriter and member of the Rolling Stones, known for his promiscuity. As mentioned above, he and Bowie pretty clearly had a relationship, though his Wikipedia makes no mention of queerness. (More)

Oakley Street (161): A street that runs through an affluent borough of London.

Stonewall (161): The Stonewall Inn in New York City is a gay bar. The riots against police brutality there in July of 1969 are heralded as the beginning of the gay rights movement.

SCOTUS decision in 2015 (161): The Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage across the US.

Walt Whitman (161): An American poet who wanted to become The American Poet and saw himself as the quintessential American. His poetry often deals with his queerness, and he absolutely slept with Oscar Wilde in the late 1800s.

Fun fact; he is celebrated in the movie The Dead Poets Society, which is incredibly popular with Sad Gay English Majors and which Henry would definitely have seen.

Laws of Illinois 1961 (161): In 1961, Illinois became the first state in the US to repeal its sodomy laws.

White Night Riot (161): A series of riots in San Francisco protesting the lenient sentencing of the man who killed Harvey Milk, the first openly queer politician. The riots were the most violent queer uprising since the events at the Stonewall.

Paris is Burning (161): A 1990s movie celebrating drag ball culture in New York. It celebrates in particular queer communities of color in the late 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic was at its peak.

“If I die of AIDS...” (161): This is a real photo; you can find it here. The man’s jacket could refer to a form of protest called “die-ins”, where people with AIDS would go to a homophobic politician’s office or another public place where they were refused treatment and simply not leave until after they died. (see it here)

Chop my own tit off (162): Fun mythology fact; the Amazons (warrior women from Greek mythology) actually did this to make themselves better archers.

H fucking W (162): George HW Bush, a former US president.

George (163): George Villers was the boyfriend of King James the I/VI, and Prince George, Duke of Kent, was rumored to be in a polyamorous relationship in the 1920s.

Edward (162): Edward II was a famously gay king. He was may have been "wedded brothers" with Piers Gaveston and may have also had a relationship with Hugh le Despenser the younger following Gaveston's death. (More)

James (162): The British king known for translating the Bible and being just... indescribably gay and very deeply horny. He promoted his boyfriend, George Villers, to the highest non-royal position in the UK within a few years of starting to date him. James’s friends actively tried to set him up with hot guys for their own political gain.

Alexander (163): Alexander Hamilton was an incredibly bi founding father. He’s remembered for founding our current national banking system, having the first ever American sex scandal, and for literally never shutting up or knowing how to stop being A Lot All The Time.

Catalina (164): Catalina is an island near Los Angeles. On a more meta level, St. Catalina was a respected writer.

June (164): June Carter Cash was an American singer/songwriter/director/comedian.

Tricky Dick (164): Richard Nixon, a president remembered for wiretapping his opponent.

Taft (165): 27th president of the United States.

Eisenhower (165): 34th president of the US.

Baby (166): this is what Henry’s mom calls him; I wrote a thing about it here.

Daily Mail (166): A trashy British tabloid.

Lollapalooza (167): A music festival in Chicago known for setting fashion trends and having lots of drugs.

Joni Mitchell (167): A singer/songwriter known for her innovative use of the guitar, including unique tunings, chords, and a unique fingerpicking/strumming style. (Listen here)

Cocaine (168): A highly addictive drug. It is snorted, smoked, or injected, and while it makes people feel more confident or forget their problems, the highs from it last only up to about 30 minutes, which often drives people to take it more frequently. Side effects (aside from addiction) include a loss of appetite, irritability, and increased mental health issues.

Spitfire (168): Someone with a quick temper or willingness to fight.

High as a kite (169): Someone who’s “high as a kite” is on a lot of drugs and is still enjoying the high.

Clean (169): Drug/alcohol free.

Stiff upper lip (170): Ability to seem determined or hold it together in the face of hard times.

A levels (170): A UK test taken for admittance to college, similar to the ACT/SAT in the US

Henry V at RSC (171): Henry V is a Shakespearean history play about the life of Henry V, especially focused on the events of the Hundred Years’ War. RSC, or the Royal Shakespeare Company, is a Shakespeare theater company in London.

Travis County (171): The Texan county where Austin is located.

Surfside (171): A beach in Texas.

Adderall (172): A prescription drug taken for ADHD but commonly abused by students to help them stay awake for all-nighters or focused for unhealthily long study sessions. However, given McQuinston’s claim that Alex has undiagnosed ADHD, it likely helped him to be able to focus and helped his brain work the way it was expected to.

Almond milk (vs. dairy) (173): Texas has a huge dairy industry, and almond milk is not great for the environment.

The Gun File (173): American gun law is so deeply broken.

WASPy Hunter’s Harvard pencil cup (175): Harvard is a prestigious college in Boston; it has a reputation for being mostly rich white folks.

Iron curtains of gerrymandering (175): Gerrymandering is a form of drawing lines for voting districts to disenfranchise marginalized voters. It is a form of skewing elections to keep power in the hands of the powerful that divides marginalized votes, making people of color or poor folks the minority in their districts, therefore erasing their votes on a broader scale.

Vision-boarding his funeral (175): a vision board is typically made to inspire someone to pursue a goal.

Parks & Recreation (175): A popular American sit-com focused on the parks and recreation department in a small town in Indiana.

Leslie Knope (176): a Parks & Rec character. One of her defining traits is an aggressive, overwhelming love for the people in her life.

Mid-century rug (177): Mid-century furniture and style is characterized by lots of color and playful patterns (following the more reserved WWII period in the 1940s); it is rising in popularity again as a classy yet fashionable look.

J14 (178): A teen fashion/celebrity magazine.

Sacramento Bee (178): The largest newspaper in Sacramento, CA.

Southerness (180): In positive lights, the American South is known for its genuine, warm, unselfish hospitality.

Jane Austen my life (180): Jane Austen is a British author whose novels star lower/middle class women who fall in love with rich men. They typically try to avoid these men for large portions of the book, or at least have rather negative feelings about them due to a misunderstanding or other failure to communicate.

LSAT (181): the test taken for admittance to law school.

Carmarthenshire (183): A largely agricultural county in South Wales. As a tourist destination, it is known for its wide range of outdoor activities.

Llwynywermod (184): A royal estate in Carmarthenshire, the biggest building of which is a renovated three-bedroom farmhouse. It is surrounded by the rolling green hills common to south Wales.

Finals (in the US) (185): At US colleges, a semester’s final tests (typically worth up to 30-40% of a final grade) take place the week after classes end.

Stamp on his forehead at The Tombs (185): Tombs is a bar near Georgetown. According to reviews, and “Tombs Night” parties, where students celebrate their 21st birthday and get their foreheads stamped at the end of the night, are a Georgetown tradition.

Jumped in Dalhgren Fountain (185): Dalhgren Fountain is in the center of Georgetown’s campus. Swimming in it is a Georgetown tradition.

Summa cum laude (186): “with greatest honor”.

Ceviche (186): A seafood dish native to Peru that spread to Mexico, where it contains lime, avocado, chili peppers, onions, and cilantro.

Palm Room (187): The gateway to the West Wing, the area of the White House where most politics happen.

Hoe Dameron (190): A reference to Star Wars character Poe Dameron, a rebel pilot and the first Latino main character in the series.

Prince Buttercup (190): Princess Buttercup is the heroine/love interest in The Princess Bride,

West Hollywood (190): One of the most prominent gay neighborhoods in the US.

“Call Me” (191): The most popular song of 1980; it was originally written for the film American Gigolo and inspired by the film’s opening sequence of a character driving along the coast of California. (Listen here)

“So Emotional” (191): An absolute bop about enjoying being in love. (Listen here)

“Don’t Stop Me Now” (193): A Queen song where Mercury sings to both a man and a woman; it’s a huge bop. (Listen here)

In-N-Out (194): A fast food restaurant/burger chain native to California and unavailable in other states.

Animal style (195): Animal style burgers are an In-N-Out staple; it includes the typical burger toppings, along with mustard fried into the patty, pickles, onions, and extra spread.

French-fries-dipped-in-milkshake (195): a truly god-tier American dessert tradition.

“O captain, my captain” (196): A reference both to the idea of a lacrosse team captain and to Whitman’s poem, “O Captain, My Captain” (as mentioned above, Whitman was a deeply gay American poet).

Burberry (200): A posh British brand of clothing known for its classy, traditional pieces.

Cats that caught the canaries (200): A cat that caught a canary is a person who looks smug or satisfied.

Mother hen (201): A “mom friend” or someone who will do everything they can to look out for people they care about, sometimes to the point of it being annoying.

—-

If there’s anything I missed or that you’d like more on, please let me know! And if you’d like to/are able, please consider buying me a ko-fi? I know not everyone can, and that’s fine, but these things take a lot of time/work and I’d really appreciate it!

—–

Chapter 1 // Chapter 6 // Chapter 8

#rwrb study guide #rwrb #red white and royal blue #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor x alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #bea fox mountchristen windsor #june claremont diaz #nora holleran #pez okonjo #English Major Brain™#English Major Brain™️#rwrb analysis #red white and royal blue analysis #rwarb #rwarb analysis #rwrb fic ref #rwrb reference

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scphiroth · 5 years ago

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so i’ve finally finished ffvii remake and here are my thoughts. mostly positive

if you’re going in expecting it to be fully like the original 100% then you’re probably going to be disappointed. but overall, this is one of the FEW games that i actually completed which is goOD

> battle system wise. It’s quite intuitive and wasn’t as difficult as i thought it would be. then again, i played it on easy mode too so hahaha it was rly fun tho > the story really brings your emotions to places gods.... jessie’s death felt so mUCH harder bc she was supposed to die. it wasn’t something that happened bc the enemy’s aim is good or anything but... it hurts knowing that it could’ve been avoided bUT SHE MUST DIE. IM CRYING. I DONT WANT HER TO DIE.

> love the wall street market. love the corneo trio and love leslie. leslie’s backstory is so good and i just love the whole wall street market sidequests and errand runs !! and madam m.... andrea and sam...... they have a special place in my heart as my parents. they helped us even tho they didn’t have to. does that mean that have taken a liking to us ?? they make me feel like i wanna make them proud idk why. > i love how barret looks back at midgar, to marlene and promising that he will be back except for a lot longer than he thought when he made her that promise and it just ..... tears my heart out ;w; > shinra’s building is FUCKING beautiful. im not going to lie. the common area, the lobby, the virtual reality and even the fucking toilet is more beautiful than my country is goddamn. BUT what i also love is how hojo’s labs are a stark contrast to it. it’s creepy, it’s horrifying - and it clearly has a room for dissecting and u can imagine the terror you would have in one of those chairs. AND THEY ARE ALL IN THE SAME BUILDING......... love this !! > domino’s role is a lot more integrated too. i dont remember if he was part of avalanche group in the og series (altho i doubt so) but i love that idea.. i love the idea of avalanche having different cells and helping each other at times even tho they dislike what barret’s cell is doing. it’s amazing and it’s a good setting for a vs shinra scenario. you have more people interested in protecting the planet, which is ... sort of something we’re seeing in the real world too. more ppl are just not ignorant anymore, more people are being aware of the effects of the current system on the environment. good job there !! > the ending is also gorgeous too. defying fate, walking into the portal and the scenes that make up all of it are so dynamic. you get a sense of courage there in the face of something so uncertain and scary. > and also i love how this remake has some changes but overall implemented all the parts i love about the og. it makes us think about the og series as we go along, reminding us that the original ffvii exist and still important to the overall ffvii series. it isn’t just brushing the original series to the side and bringing in something rather new. i love the connectedness and reminding us where this came from and not something that’s an ‘improved’ version or w/e > i died 3 times at the last bike boss battle. but then again i suck at fighting so lmao > and... they did a great job with their expressions, their individual quirks and body language. they really brought them to life and show us how they are feeling without the characters explicitly stating out themselves. ;w; it’s gorgeous, i love how expressive they are. > I WILL PROTECT CHADLEY WITH MY L I F E > also i think sephiroth is going into the point that he isn’t human anymore? that emotions just roll off his back and he can’t hear the voices of despair which is kinda... sad itself. but ah .. slaps him a bit anyway > tseng commenting on how the destruction of s7 can be thought in a way that they are giving back the people to the lifestream for what midgar has taken from them with sucking up mako is so dARK LIKE YO, SIR............. i see ur point bUT THAT’S RLY DARK > how tf old is tseng anyway. he looks the same in aerith’s flashback AND now. like.... are u even human, tseng?? do u secretly have jenova’s anti-aging cells?? +w+ > BIGGS LIVED SO YAY. AND DAMN I HOPE WEDGE DIDN’T DIE IN SHINRA BUILDING OR ELSE IM GONNA- > also hi kunsel > and lastly, i love the whispers idea. it’s a really cool and daring element to implement, considering the controversy that’s going to come from it. it really brings the different timelines into perspectives and how it represents a certain part of the fanbase. i love how barret thanked it for saving his life too and then theirs after the fight mini-game. it’s like,,, while u hate it for causing the fall of the plate, u can rly also feel grateful for their help ?? i love that we get a glimpse of what could potentially happen differently tho, even if some major scenes still stuck the same

#( out of character. )#( ORGASM: ACHIEVED. )#( then again im also the type who is easily entertained by anything )#( but this one entertained me a lot and im going to replay it for the fun of it. )#( when is part 2 coming out.......... )#ffvii remake spoilers #ffviir spoilers

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rocklandhistoryblog · 4 years ago

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Motel on the Mountain, 1977 Memory

CLIPPED FROM The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 06 Oct 1977

‘GAYLA OPENING’ OF UNIQUE MOTEL

By Richard Ben Cramer Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

HILLBURN, N.Y. - It was, on the whole, not the standard world premiere. The men in the crowd, for example, tended less to black tie and more to gold lame with high-heeled pumps.

Still, it was quite a partying night, and Beth and Frank Cavallo were feeling great. They had left their two-year-old daughter at home and had traveled with two of their friends, Jay Young and Bill Hiller, to the Gayla Opening of Motel on the Mountain, a homosexual resort in Rockland County, N.Y. on the way to the Catskills.

Now, in the wee hours, with everybody loose, Frank celebrated by giving Bill a big kiss.

Beth, bemused, looked on. She is straight but tolerant. She learned to adjust when Frank "came out" shortly before the birth of their child, Jennifer.

Anyway, Frank still likes "fish," as gay men call women, and to prove it, he pulled his wife toward him, and soon she was entangled in his arms and Bill's with everybody trading kisses around.

On the dance floor at the front of the disco room, one of four rooms provided for the opening-night crowd, a man and a man who looked like a woman were dancing belly to belly while strobes revealed their-movement in a series of dramatic stills.

Another mannish form, attracted by the dance, leaped into the light and danced up behind the womanish form until the sandwich was moving through the crowd in perfect synchronization.

From the end of the bar, in a straight three-piece suit, Tommy Esposito squinted through the smoke and flashing lights at the crowd near the stage and smiled a small smile of private satisfaction.

Tommy is straight. ("I'm not gay, I'm Italian," he says.) And until this weekend, he was the proprietor of a hotel and resort property that seemed headed for collapse.

The Motel on the Mountain built 22 years ago overlooking the New York State Thruway, was at the time the wonder of this small community, about 45 minutes from mid-Manhattan by car.

Its clever landscaping in the Japanese style and engineering that gave every room a view of the large wooded valley below won the motel several architectural awards.

But the motel has been going downhill, so to speak, since Esposito acquired control four years ago. Twice during those years, preliminary bankruptcy papers were filed. The complex looks a little down at the heels.

That is all past now, according to Esposito, who expects the Motel on the Mountain to be a trend-setter for other resort properties, a crucial breakthrough in the social liberation of homosexuals in America and, most important, a tremendous commercial success.

He paused in the task of erecting new signs ("Gay Life at Its Peak," they proclaim) at the bottom of the winding road up the mountain, to put the event in proper historical perspective.

"Hey, we're living history now," he said. "A place as famous as Motel on the Mountain? A gay resort? This is a sociological breakthrough."

His own motivation was not sociological.

"Well, put it this way," he said. "Summer of 74, I called the Summer of American Graffiti good name, huh? The movie was just out, you know, and I had all the biggest oldie names in the business the Drifters, the Orlons, everybody . . . Didn't work.

"In 1975, I open up with a dinner theater, the Roar of the Greasepaint. ...Didn't work.

"In 1976 . . . Variety Showcase . . . ventriloquists, magicians, comedians, everything. . .. Didn't work.

"So, I said, 'Hey, -why not?' You know?"

On the main street of Hillburn, an inconspicuous valley town of inconspicuous charms, W. S. Jones, 62, was remarking in front of the fire hall that he sure to heck knew why not and he just didn't know why it had to happen to Hillburn.

“Tell you the truth, I think they're all sick," said Jones, a retired postal worker. "That's just my opinion, but I know one thing. If it'd happened back a few years ago, when all the big people were here, the big church people, it never would've even got a foothold."

Jones' opinion was echoed by most in a joint town meeting for the residents of Hillburn and Sloatsburg, a neighboring village.

"If we don't stop these people from getting a foothold right now, it will be too late," said Sloatsburg resident Robert Latke. "They'll be running up and down the streets of our village, flaunting it."

Hillburn's Mayor Brian Miele, who runs the 1,100-person town's business after teaching his school classes for the day, said that he did not know if a law existed to prevent the motel's conversion.

But he and about 25 other Hillburn and Sloatsburg residents showed up at the Gayla Opening last weekend with picket signs that read "Queers Go Home" and the like, in an effort to decrease the turnout for the night.

About 25 gay patrons came down from the lounge to stage a counterdemonstration at the bottom of the motel's entrance road, and for a while it looked as if the situation might get ugly. A plea from Esposito to his customers and the arrival of the Rockland County Sheriff's Department avoided trouble.

Now the residents of the town say that they want to bring in Anita Bryant, the singer and orange-juice peddler who helped defeat a local Florida ordinance preventing discrimination against homosexuals.

"Let her come, oh yes," said" Allan Ross, the motel's new consultant on gay affairs.

Ross, who was talent scout and master of ceremonies for the Gayla Opening, thought that the first night was "fabulous, oh definitely fabulous."

In his red ruffled shirt, red pants and red high-heeled shoes, he looked rather fabulous himself. From the back of the stage, he introduced a series of female impersonator acts mimicking Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Pearl Bailey and Diana Ross.

The crowd around the stage, dressed in a lot of satin and leather, capes and hats, mostly colorful and mostly quite tight, cheered and called out unprintable remarks. Most stayed until 3 or 4 a.m., and most said that they would be back.

At the end of his act, the Sophisticated Silhouette of Diana Ross - Leslie London dressed in high heels and a divine scarlet sequined see-through gown, said that he would definitely be back.

After seven years in the business, he knew he would rarely see a crowd of 1,500, and so sympathetic!

"Oh, I've played sweet sixteens," he said, wrapping himself around a young Manhattan boy, "rock 'n' roll revivals, bar mitzvahs . . ."

Bar mitzvahs?

"On Long Island, darling, of course."

_____

We are pleased to share this piece of 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ History in honor and recognition of PRIDE month.

_____

This event was the subject of a chapter in Joe Kennedy’s book “SUMMER OF '77: Last Hurrah of the Gay Activists Alliance.”

#rockland history #local history #rockland county #rocklandhistory #nyshistory #hillburn #motel on the mountain #1977 #pride #lgbtq history

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saleintothe90s · 5 years ago

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399. The “Cats” round up

This week was Halloween, and this year I went as Jemima from Cats. Why did I decide on this costume? Well, seeing the trailer (and H3H3′s reaction to it) for the scary 2019 movie with those basic b’s Taylor and James made me want to see the original Cats, the good Cats.

You can watch most of the direct to VHS 1998 edition on YouTube in parts. So far, its the only musical that doesn’t bore me to tears, even if the scenes where they perform a play for Old Deuteronomy makes no sense.

You know what Cats sorta reminds me of, that old PBS show Zoobilee Zoo, especially Victoria the white cat, she reminds me of the pink kangaroo lady.

Cats came to New York City in October of 1982 after beginning a successful run in London. It was announced at the end of 1981 that the musical would be coming to New York:

Anticipation was so great that copies of T.S. Eliot’s original work was selling out:

(I’m mad I can’t find this commercial)

Tickets for the show were sold months in advance, with many bulk orders:

More than six months before opening night, the Fresh Air Fund had already bought 500 seats. The Arthritis Foundation purchased 300 tickets, the Archives of American Art bought 300, and the American Red Cross bought 500 seats. Then there was the Burden Center for Aging with 300, University Settlement with 200 and the Social Service Big Sister League with 500 seats. Those are just a handful among many, but by the time ''Cats'' opened on Broadway last week such orders added up to $6.2 million in advance ticket sales. Of that sum, $4.5 million had already been collected, with only $1.7 million in contracts still to be paid in full. This could be the largest advance sale in Broadway history, according to many theater analysts. Orders began to come in more than a year before ''Cats'' - a big hit in London - finally arrived in New York, and tickets are now being sold as far in advance as next May. 2

The musical debut was also supposed to be a cover story in Newsweek, but the Tylenol murders prevailed. 2

Someone defaced the copy at archive.org.

I somehow found the cover though. I wonder if this was for Canada? There are people on sketchy websites selling this as a print? The library bound Newsweek from archive.org has the Tylenol cover. I believe the woman on the bottom row, right is Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv the first on Fresh Prince. In Cats, she played Tantomile in the first Broadway cast.

(I made screencaps of the Newsweek article and uploaded the screencaps to the mirror site on wordpress)

As you may have noticed these Cats from the early 80s are kind of scary looking. There are several videos on YouTube of the cast performing at the 1983 Tony Awards, and there is this cat that is absolutely terrifying:

It’s the one who sings “can you see in the dark?!”. I think its Demeter, and Marlene Danielle is playing her? Marlene was an originally an understudy in 1982 and eventually played Bombularina until the end of Cats’ run on Broadway in 2000.

Here she is on Today in 1999 discussing the role and she also performs “Macavity”.

The cats of Cats became so popular in the 1980s that they were even in a No Smoking commercial.

And a seat buckle/child seat PSA! This one is really dark, I mean Memory plays at the end.

In 1984, Rum Tum Tugger became the star of his own music video. 3 I don’t know how often MTV played this--maybe it played more overseas. I remember my choir teacher in high school, Ms. Forrest showing us a VHS once of music videos from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, and she said that they were popular in the UK and shown on MTV over there. All I remember is a Phantom of the Opera remix and Requiem sung by his ex-wife.

By 1987, Celine Dion (who was still a music star in Canada, but not yet America, and sung mostly in French) sang Memory on TV.

In this clip from the short lived America’s Talking channel (later to become MSNBC) a reporter asks the cats what they did on their snow day during the 1996 blizzard. I can’t confirm this, but he says that it was the first time the show had ever been canceled. This reporter is peak 1996 in mens clothes with his bomber jacket and tie.

By June of 1997, Cats broke the record previously held by A Chorus Line of longest running show on Broadway:

Along the way to its longevity record, which applies just to Broadway shows, ''Cats'' has piled up some big numbers. It has provided employment to 231 actors, two of whom, Marlene Danielle and Susan Powers, have been with the musical since it opened. (Nineteen cast members have died.) The magical tire that carries Grizabella heavenward has clocked more than 114 miles in its nightly voyage to the Heaviside Layer. ''Memory,'' the show-stopping song that ends the first act, has been recorded by more than 180 artists. The New York production has used more than 1.5 million pounds of dry ice and 2,706 pounds of yak hair for wigs. It has sold 390,000 T-shirts, 130,000 sweat shirts, 147,000 lapel pins and 1.14 million souvenir books. 1

Also, in 1997 an audience member because she thought Rum Tum Tugger was too aggressive with her.

Original review from The New York Times

Reading Rainbow segment on Cats

Another Reading Rainbow segment on Cats, similar to the first.

Stars of the Original Cats Share Their Favorite Memories

Los Angeles news segment series on the L.A. Production of Cats.

Almost every time our boy David Letterman brought up Cats.

The Cast of CATS (2016) Meets Shelter Cats | Cats the Musical

1, Grimes, William, “ With 6,138 Lives, 'Cats' Sets Broadway Mark,” New York Times, June 19, 1997. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/19/theater/with-6138-lives-cats-sets-broadway-mark.html

2. Bennetts, Leslie, “ HOW TICKETS TO 'CATS' BECAME A 'MUST',” New York Times, October 13, 1982. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/13/theater/how-tickets-to-cats-became-a-must.html

3. Kaplan, Peter W., “TV NOTES; BROADWAY FIRST: 'CATS' DOES ROCK VIDEO TURN,” New York Times, November 10, 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/10/theater/tv-notes-broadway-first-cats-does-rock-video-turn.html

#cats #cats musical #cats broadway #broadway #1982 #andrew lloyd webber #jemima #sillibub #old deuteronomy #anti smoking psas #psa #1980s #1990s #grumpy cat #grizabella

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actualkomodo · 5 years ago

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Get to Know Me

Rules: Always post the rules. Tag 11 new people you’d like to know better.

1. Dogs or Cats?

Dogs for sure. I grew up with dogs and never really knew any cats so I don’t know how to read cats at all--but I do still enjoy their company.

2. YouTube celebrities or normal celebrities?

Neither but normal celebrities.

3. If you could live anywhere where would that be?

I’m pretty happy where I am (BC, Canada), to be honest. The downside is it’s expensive and I got lucky enough to be able to stay. I used to think maybe I could move to Montreal but I actually went there and it felt a lot like Vancouver but French.

4. Disney or DreamWorks?

I never differentiated between the two. When I watched a lot of movies, I used to think Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar were the same company so that’s really muddled my perception of them and their work. I’m leaning DW though.

5. Favourite childhood TV show?

Uhh it was probably... DBZ. I watched a lot of stuff but DBZ was the only series I watched from beginning to end multiple times and religiously every Friday evening. I also loved Reboot and Beasties/Beast Wars.

6. The movie you’re looking forward to most in 2020

I don’t even know what came out in the last five years let alone what’s out next year. I rarely watch movies. Let me look...

Perhaps The King’s Man, as I really liked Kingsman. Maybe Venom 2, because... I liked the first movie. Will I see them? Probably not.

7. Favorite book you read in 2019?

I haven’t read any books through this year, I don’t think. I believe I went to the library a grand total of once, whereas I used to go every week. I did borrow three books last week, so maybe one of these will count?

How to Knit by Leslie Ann Bestor

Japanese Paper Flowers by Hiromi Yamazaki

Chinese Mythology A to Z by Jeremy Roberts

8. Marvel or DC?

Literally the only character I think of for DC is Green Lantern and I didn’t even watch those movies. So, Marvel.

9. If you choose Marvel favorite member of the X-Men? If you choose DC favourite Justice League member?

THIS GAME IS HARD. Nightcrawler was my favourite when I watched the animated series that aired Saturday mornings--not sure which one that was. I used to like Cyclops in the first few movies because I liked James Marsden’s style. I really liked Quicksilver’s intro in X-men. Uhm... Deadpool? :D

10. Night or Day?

Night, though I prefer light and chirping birds.

11. Favourite Pokemon?

I have agonised over this for years. I used to love Charmander but I've drifted away and don’t have a favourite anymore. I kinda want to say Mawile.

12. Top 5 bands:

My first instinct is to say Celldweller, Blue Stahli, Linkin Park, Florence + the Machine, and Yuki Kajiura (assuming “bands” also means “artists”). I think that still holds true-ish but nowadays I just listen to whatever I find that I enjoy, so it’s a lot of liking one song each from various artists.

13. Top 10 books.

I haven’t read much lately and don’t generally have favourites so these are mostly books I loved when I was a lot younger. In no particular order and probably missing some, ones I read multiple times:

Switchers series by Kate Thompson

White Fox Chronicles by Gary Paulsen

Animorphs and Everworld series by K. A. Applegate

Dragonback series by Timothy Zahn

Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

Redwall series by Brian Jacques

Space Wolf saga by William King

Gaunt’s Ghosts series by Dan Abnett

Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

The Dragon Takes a Wife by Walter Dean Myers (art by Fiona French)

14. Top 4 movies

Same as with any “top”/favourite things... I have no idea. How about some movies I liked and would recommend?

Legend of LuoXiaoHei (Legend of Hei is what you’ll probably find it under) - I recently watched the series (unfinished?) and the movie and they were both great but the movie takes the cake. If you have time to watch either, go for the movie. It has a Ghibli vibe, ATLA action and animation, and Chinese themes.

Into the Spiderverse

Kingsman

Summer Wars

I’m sure there are plenty I’ll kick myself for forgetting but here are four.

15. America or Europe?

I’ve never been to Europe but I think I’ll say Europe.

16. Tumblr or Twitter?

I’m between both about equally and infrequently. Fdsfjlskjfldksg Tumblr?

17. Pro-choice or Pro-life?

Pro-choice.

18. Favorite YouTuber?

None; I don’t follow people on YT. Props to people who upload entire themed series of music though.

19. Favorite author ?

Hard to say since, again, I haven’t read anyone in a while. W. B. Yeats. Charles de Lint.

20. Tea or Coffee?

Tea. I’ve never had coffee. I tried to eat a coffee bean though because I thought it was chocolate. Does that count?

21. OTP?

Uh. CloudxTifa, ZackxAerith, and EstinienxYsayle? :D? Wait, CuinnxAzena and Cuinn/Dalai LFKAJKLF (them ships with @pearlescent-scales)

22. Do you play an instrument/sing ?

Used to! I started on a recorder and xylophone (FORCED TO), moved to flute of my own volition, tried out trumpet and trombone, picked up a little acoustic guitar (I suck though, don’t ask me anything about guitars), and finished up my band career with a baritone. The only instrument I still have is my flute but I don’t live in a place that I can really practise. I left my guitar with my dad but I could pick it up again if I really wanted to.

Thank you for the tag, @niomemizune! I did it!!

TAGGING (and don’t feel you need to do it): @pearlescent-scales @refulgents @grumpy-limsan-customs-cat @elegant-etienne @ahumblewoodcarver @daintycure @eggplant-xaela @cockiestmageeorzea @thaneratelesia @ayeun @untaintedtea HHHH I think that’s 11!

#|memed #|meme: get to know me #|mun #ooc #long post #SORRY #I feel like it'd be weird to put this under the cut

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dcarhcarts · 6 years ago

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This.....is the 1000th post on this blog, and I definitely waited until that could be true to post it, and that’s honestly? Very fitting. Seriously, you guys are a m a z i n g and I have literally never done a milestone before so I can’t tell you what it’s supposed to look like?? But we’ve somehow Miraculously (tm) managed to reach 100 followers and - anyway, this is going to be me very unprofessionally gushing about everyone because....I love you all and you’re all amazing aaaaaa. I’m??? Literally so blessed to have made friends and write with all of you. Y’all with multiple blogs, I’m only tagging once so I don’t spam your feed ok? And - as usual, this is going to get Long, because everything I do gets Long apparently. I tried to do it chronologically but IDK how well it worked oops.

THE LOVES OF MY LIFE, THE SUN IN MY EYES, MY MOON AND STARS

@ccrrupticn / D!!!! you are?? literally the reason I made this blog?? Without you, this thing would n o t mcfreaking exist omg!! You’re such an amazing writer (seriously, you manage so many muses and you give them all such distinct voices??? witchcraft???) and also so ???ridiculously kind! I love gushing to you about our Kids and you’re honestly A Saint (tm) for dealing with all of my blog construction/life related breakdowns, my crazy crossover headcanons and crashing into your inbox rambling about musicals <3 I miss talking to you so hmu whenever you come back if you want!!

@personnages / Lynna!! You’re like an Actual Angel. I think you were the first person!! who talked to me?? And You were So Nice and Welcoming that you literally soothed half of my fears coming into rpc like immediately?? You basically helped me figure out how diminutives work and you’re responsible for me adding at least 3 of my muses and I cannot tell you how much I love you and every time you pop onto my dash/feed/discord/etc, it just makes me happy inside <3 Definitely 100000% will follow you to every blog (if you’ll have me lmao) regardless of fandom!! i’m super excited about all of our ship/friendship roulettes and you’re just an absolute joy to talk to.

@nikolacvnas / LYDIA goodness you are a W O N D E R. Probably the best? Historically based blog I’ve ever encountered, and definitely one of my favorite parts of the Anastasia rpc!! The care and research and attention to detail that goes into your portrayals are a s t o n i s h i n g? Your Tatya is divine, your Maria is So Lovely and I Cry For Joy that you write Dima honestly. I’d been eyeing your blog for a little bit before I made my own - and I was honestly a little scared of you when we started cause you are a GODDESS and I am a potato, but then we talked??? and you’re hilarious and a ridiculously kind person and I love you? And of course, I love your dog (the cutest in the universe).

@mythostold / LESLIE~ Different blog, same story~ Man, I’ve been following you since maybe day two of this blog being active? No matter which fandom you end up in and which muse you write, you have such!! good!!! takes!!! For one, I love reading your meta posts??? Like you’re just so incredibly passionate about your muses?? And your writing style is so good aaaaaaa it’s so atmospheric. And on top of all of that - you’re??? such a sweet and incredible??? person??? And I love talking to you boo <3

@lifeawoke / NAT BBYSWEET <3 <3 <3 I have told the story of how I did a victory dance when you followed me to d e a t h probably but it’s t r u e your writing is amazing and your blog is amazing and y o u are amazing! You are the Natasha to my Sonya, and literally every time you send me a musing I’m like immediate-goofy-grin-heart-eyes???? It’s honestly a crime we don’t have more threads but like you’re an absolute joy to talk to and meme with and I adore you/your portrayal of beautiful bratty Natasha even if she drives my Sonya up the wall <3 You are Definitely the Funny Mutual lololol I crack up so much talking to you <3

@valianceearned / CARP you’re an amazing person/writer and holy h e c k am I impressed by your OCs!! They’re all so well thought out and developed? Your bios are so detailed and so much love and care is put into all of your characters. And your writing is so Lovely and it’s also very aesthetically lovely like holy heck the amount of work you put into both the content and the formatting? I am agog, I am aghast!!

@gearsandlevers / Callie!!!!! YOU ROUND ALL THE CORNERS I STRAIGHTEN THE CURVES!! love your kids so much. Your Violet is a delightfully clever and likeable kid, your Evan might have literally walked off the stage two seconds ago, and you’ve put so much thought into your cinnabon stoner Henry. Your dialogue is amazing and I love our headcanon sessions lobbing ideas back and forth with you!!

@spareisms / HEY MAGGIE GUESS WHAT YOU’RE WORTH MELTING FOR!! You’re like the sweetest person alive??? How are you an Actual Real Life Disney Princess?? Your Anna is so well characterized and multi layered and I love how she an be so flawed but so brave and just how human she is. I’m very excited for your Anne Shirley too!! You’re a great writer (and a super sweet person aaaa) and I love you!!

@gcneralvaganov / Deanna, I have just one question: How? Have we only known each other for like 2 months???? It feels like my dash would literally be incomplete without you?? You play such deeply complex and incredibly flawed muses with such a great depth of respect and humanity. I love all of our AUs (we.....probably have a dozen by now), our long fix-canon tangents, and....look the inevitable conclusion to this whole thing is that we should....basically just write Anastasia tbh??? You’re incredibly funny and kind and talented and I’m so glad I yeeted myself into your IMs that first time 2 months ago! I love you, I love your muses, (Dima and Anya love their Dumb Boyfriend), and I love writing with you!

@ncvaflows / ALEXA YOU ABSOLUTE LEGEND YOU. You??? Unlocked Ultimate AU Mode Ro and it’s like I c a n ‘ t stop?? First off, I cannot believe we literally own the same books and like the same barbie movies. How are we not literally the same person?? (Maybe w e ’ r e Anneliese and Erika lmao). Honestly from day 1 you’ve been so welcoming and lovely and I’m so glad we crashed into each other’s IMs yelling at top volume about random ya lit/movies/aus!! I adore literally all of your OCs (is everyone a b s o l u t e l y sure they’re not canon??? hmmmmm a Mystery)???? In the words of Li Shang, “You WRITE GOOD????” Anyway you’re amazing and I love you <3

WHILE IT’S DEFINITELY MY FAULT FOR BEING AN ANXIOUS BEAN WE REALLY NEED TO TALK MORE OFTEN CAUSE I LOVE YOU

@curtainrisen / Rebekah, dude, you’re a wonder. Your muses??? So diverse, and your voices for them? Super on the nose and amazing. I love your Helene and how human she is, and I really gotta toss more of my kids at you (Super excited for Duke!!). You’re real chill to meme with and I love talking/writing with you!!

@heartlosttravelers / Tor!! I love that you stan Raoul de Chagny So Hard ( the pure cinnamon roll boy deserves it honestly) and you’re super cool and great to talk to! All your muses are a m a z i n g and I always love the read when you pop up on my dash!

@damerusse / Marie!! You’re hella chill. Your memes???? 10000000% actually legendary. Meming with you cracks me The Heck Up. Lily is forever the puppy dealer, that is all, thank you, gnight. Ok for real though - your Lily is pretty Legendary too and you really got all that Spark and Fire right down. You’re amazing, and I love stalking your threads on my dash!

@lionhvrted / Fortune, my buddy my pal, we really be Out Here making Jane Austen plots even m o r e rom-com. Like. How did we manage that??? We might be literally magical lmao. We don’t have a ton of stuff going on at the moment but I love our dumb pining kids and I love the justice and humanity you give to your Caroline, and Fitzy loves his (future) wife.

@guvernantka / P R U E I already love our Exasperated Big Sis / Annoying Lil Sis / LITERALLY WHO EVEN ARE YOU YOU SMELLY DUMBASS LIL BRO IN LAW dynamic. You have the Best Sense of Humor (tm) and I’m always catching you when it’s like 12 in the morning here so I’m always cracking up silently in bed trying not to wake my roommies up.

@anastcsie / I LOVE OUR ANGRY SMOL AND DIRTY TOL YOUNG-BUT-OLD MARRIED COUPLE AND THEIR OLDEST DAUGHTER NAMED MARIA ALREADY. I love your Anya and how feisty and fiery she is (Dima, needless to say, loves his wife) and I love how chill (and hilarious!!) you are as a person. We do have a tendency to turn into angst monsters 24/7 but honestly that’s half the fun!!

@asundrop / Polly!!!! ok so I know we haven’t really done anything w/ Raps (yet muahaha) BUT b o y was I hella excited when I found someone willing to yell about CDrama with me??? Thank you for being the Eternally Stoic/Always Annoyed Ancient God to my Tiny Dumb Fox Princess?? I love them and I love you (you’re hella cool) so there!

@moretreasurewithin / KAAAATE goodness it’s only been a couple of days but I’m So Comfortable talking to you already? You’re just honestly really amazingly kind and I love screaming about Anastasia with you. We gotta get more going but I love your Dima and Maria Already (tm) and I love your sense of humor (here’s to torturing Dima with ties!!) and I can’t wait to get to know you better!

@annastrxng / AAAA somehow I managed to chat with you and then?? We never got anything going and it’s definitely mostly my fault cause of that High Anxiety (and also the fact that I got Immediately Busy) but you are literally So Nice and The Most Understanding and super great to talk to!! I hope we get something going in the future!!

@soulcrossed / ROSE we have the same name I keep forgetting this lmao BUT ANYWAY. All your muses?? Amazing. You gotta throw more of them at me. Your Sophie?? Are you Actually Diana Wynn Jones in disguise?? I love our crazy au/headcanon sessions and I love/hate that you’re The Worst Enabler and I’m inevitably going to end up with the other two Hatter sisters on this blog lmao.

I HAVEN’T TALKED TO YOU TON YET BUT HI!!! YOU SEEM CHILL!!

@alonecour / @steeledstark / @professor-of-predators / @sclskinn / @dulcettc / @volaticoux / @frxncaise / @argelfrasterr / @i-wrote-myway / @zharptiitsa / @villainsfall / @anyaromanovarp / @agoodandloyalrussian / @aliquisinter

AND EVERY ONE OF Y’ALL AMAZING PEOPLE OUT THERE I’M ADMIRING SILENTLY FROM AFAR EVEN NOW BECAUSE I CHICKENED OUT OF TAGGING YOU LAST MINUTE CAUSE WHAT IF YOU’RE LIKE “LMAO WHO IS THIS WEIRDO TAGGING ME??” (p.s. this is 100000% permission to slide into my IMs/like a plotting call/etc. I honestly think y’all are hella cool and probably love you already)

#follow forever #( milestone )#( ooc ) ✵ ~ CHANDELIERS AND CAVIAR ~ /#((................you know i made more friends than i thought i would coming into rpc as an anxious smol))#((I LOVE YOU ALL YOU'RE ALL AMAZING))#((thanks for putting up w/ me & my Super Anxious Self))#((ok i'm just gonna post this before i forget and reblog something and miss the 1000th post))

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