#motorcycle hall of fame

[mias-playground]

Bessie Stringfield (1912 – 1993), also known as the 'Motorcycle Queen of Miami'. Bessie at Wikipedia

[lisamarie-vee]

[goodoldbandit]

Doug Domokos: The Legendary “Wheelie King” of the AMA Hall of Fame

Good Old Bandit Good Old Bandit. gob.stayingalive.in Discover the thrilling legacy of Doug Domokos, the AMA Hall of Fame’s “Wheelie King,” who set an awe-inspiring world record for the longest wheelie at 145 miles. A King on One Wheel The Man Behind the Legend: Doug Domokos, famously known as The Wheelie King, redefined the world of motorcycle stunt riding with his astonishing ability to…

[vintagegeekculture]

The Hall of Amazing Men: Branscombe Richmond

A new admission to the Hall of Amazing Men, Branscombe Richmond is best known for being an actor where he played Lorenzo Lamas’s friend, the Lando Calrissian-like sharpie Dallas Sixkiller, or as Moki, the smartmouth Hawaiian friend of Magnum, P.I. But behind the camera, as a tough as nails stunt coordinator and stuntman, Branscombe Richmond created and developed nearly all the eccentric and eye catching events in the TV series American Gladiators: Atlasphere (the one where people roll around in giant balls), Powerball (done simply because they needed a sport that could be created cheaply because they ran out of money for development) and all the various ones where musclemen shoot tennis balls at people, and where you have to avoid muscular women by jumping on a bungee cord. I don’t think it would be inaccurate to say that with his development (on a really thin budget, no less) of memorable, eye catching sports and events that, with his stunt training he knew could be done safely enough so that even kinda-sporty housewives from Illinois could do them without injury, Branscombe Richmond created American Gladiators. He turned an idea into a realized, practical show that can be done – I don’t think it is inaccurate at all to call him the uncredited creator of American Gladiators.

In his career as a stuntman, Branscombe Richmond, meanwhile, is another one of those faces that shows up over and over playing evil henchmen, members of motorcycle gangs in rough biker bars the hero brawls with karate (if there’s ever a rough scummy biker bar out there, you can bet Branscomb Richmond is in it), and hordes of nunchaku wielding ninja, to the point where if you are, like me, an 80s-90s action aficionado, his face makes you go “oh, hey…it’s that guy!” Can you really call yourself an action fan if you don’t start identifying “your” evil henchman? His IMDB page is mostly roles that are named “Gunman In Jeep,” "Biker #2," and "Terrifying Clown."  

If there is a Evil Henchman Hall of Fame, Brandscomb is there alongside the great Al Leung. You can spot his face as a henchman in Never Too Young to Die (with John Stamos), Action Jackson, Batman Returns, the Hidden, Iron Eagle III: Aces High (objectively the best one as it had Ms. Olympia Rachel McLish), and Star Trek III, where he was a Klingon henchman to Christopher Lloyd who almost got disintegrated and had to feed his disgusting slimy monster dog-salamander. It's comforting to know the profession of henching is alive and well 300 years in the future.

On television, Brandscomb Richmond was on every single cool show from the 80s: Tales of the Gold Monkey, TJ Hooker, Manimal, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Baywatch, and many times attempted to kill the A-Team, especially from motorcycles. Like Chiba, another stuntman-actor, Branscombe Richmond specialized in motorcycle stunts, and he was admitted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2003. He is, to this day, the guest of honor at whatever motorcycle rally your embarrassing hick uncle attends. I have no evidence for this, but I have long suspected that the reason Richmond was hired to be Dallas Sixkiller in Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas was so they could get his unpaid advice on motorcycle stunts (much like how I have always suspected Warner Brothers hired Ben Affleck as Batman as a "backdoor" way to ask him to direct).

He also played the older brother of the Rock in the Scorpion King, which is an interesting choice because despite getting roles as American Indians (and being beloved in the American Indian community, who, as a whole, deeply love characters who are smartmouth, wiseass sharpies/scammers who get one over on everyone), Brandscome Richmond is in fact, like the Rock, of Hawaiian origin. His first major role in television, that of Moki in Magnum PI, was in fact Hawaiian.

Why are there so many Pacific Islanders in stuntman careers, MMA, and professional wrestling? The answer is surprisingly pedestrian. It’s because Pacific Islanders are a sizable ethnic population in Los Angeles, where movies and television are made, so if you need someone in L.A. that are tough as nails and can take a hit, a Samoan or Hawaiian is a good choice.

Happily, Branscombe Richmond is alive and well, mostly retired as a traditionally large Hawaiian family patriarch. He does occasional voice work, as Gibraltar in Apex Legends, a character physically based on him as well. I imagine he is relieved to be working in showbiz and no longer risking brain damage to do it.

[mimi-0007]

Bessie Stringfield (born Betsy Beatrice White; 1911 or 1912 – February 16, 1993), also known as the "Motorcycle Queen of Miami", was an American motorcyclist who was the first African-American woman to ride across the United States solo, and was one of the few civilian motorcycle dispatch riders for the US Army during World War II. Credited with breaking down barriers for both women and African-American motorcyclists, Stringfield was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The award bestowed by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) for "Superior Achievement by a Female Motorcyclist" is named in her honor.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Welcome to Villa Del Leone, designed by Robert Marx in 1962, the son of Gummo Marx, (I've heard of the Marx Bros., but never Gummo- who the hell is Gummo?), of the famed Marx Brothers, in Palm Springs, CA. You can tell that the son of old Hollywood money lives here b/c of the cool stuff inside. The Hollywood Regency style home has 4bds, 3ba, & is listed for $4.995M. Since we can't afford it, let's look at it for inspirational purposes.

This is an odd way to design an entrance hall, but it seems meant to be a gallery, judging by the spotlights and photos on the walls.

Movie memorabilia.

A framed Paramount Studios logo has the place of honor on the fireplace. Love the pink sofas and the huge classic John Lennon portrait. Funky sign in front of the fireplace, too.

That's unusual, a huge poster hung sideways.

Cool English themed sitting room decorated with real motorcycles.

This serves as a dining room/library. Beautifully done, the purple carpet really makes it pop.

The kitchen's wild quartz counters would make the HGTV designers clutch their throats gasping in horror.

Elegantly dated bedroom has sliders to the pool.

The all-white en-suite has Grecian columns.

And, look at the vast closet. The clothing looks as bright and colorful as the decor.

Nice secondary bedroom. Very calming colors and I'm a toile fan.

Looks like a woman's office.

I wonder if that's an original Beatles drum set. Beautiful guitar collection display wall.

Outside, a the lovely pool. I love the zebra.

This is very nice. So manicured. I like a more natural looking garden.

Very cheerful home and it looks so inviting warmly lit up at night.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/466-Camino-Sur-Palm-Springs-CA-92262/18023638_zpid/

[brainstirfry]

im making a thread of things that happened in the wolverine's canonical lifespan. Cause they had movie that was supposed to be his ORIGIN story, but it gave 5 minutes to one experience in his childhood and 45 cumulative seconds to like THREE major wars he was in. So just to highlight how rich this character COULD be with culture across actual CENTURIES here's some shit that Logan Howlett lived through since he was born in the year of our lord, 1832. (By the way, as of earlier this month, that makes him 192 years old cause I think some people just wanted him to have the same birthday as hugh jackman which is great and I support it but I also can't find any evidence that it's actually true.) the last note I will make is that 1832 is neither the date supported by the comics and I've heard that it's not even true for Origins, but it's the most commonly cited and I think it will all be okay. it will all be okay in time. Oh yeah, and spoilers for x men origins Wolverine.

- For historical background, 1801 in America saw the election of Thomas Jefferson, who was the THIRD ever president of the US, so just for context the revolutionary war was just under 30 years prior and the events of Hamilton the musical will shake out within 3 years.

- Anyways in Canada after the American revolution the British split the territory in half, upper and lower Canada and all the British loyalists in the North American colonies went up there. 20 years after the split was the war of 1812.

- Washington Irving was alive during what would be Logan's parents? Time? which I mention because I think Beast would quote him and it would send Logan into a flashback that's the only reason

FROM HERE OUT Logan was probably alive for these things:

- Charles Darwin visits the Galápagos Islands in 1835 but it's hard to say how that really fits in with there being 'evolved' mutants but it's an interesting thought.

- Telegraphs were being widely used by the 1840s. Cool

- there's the Great famine in Ireland late 1840s which kicks off a lot of immigration to the US, in time for the gold rush starting around 1848. Also during this period Edgar Allan Poe hits national fame

- Ok finally getting to the First fucking thing we even see in Origins after the initial opening scene. This is being shown WHILE credits are rolling: the civil war. (1861-65) (Idk if him and Victor are still living in Canada at this point or if they've emigrated to the US after being on the run(?) but it doesn't really matter since Canadians did fight in the war regardless, mostly on the union side, obviously. By this time, they're both certifiably adults. Also Abraham Lincoln is assassinated.

- the late 1870s had graham bell's telephone and Edison's lightbulb. And wax cylinders for music on phonographs. Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana in the summer of 1876

- 1886 I wrote "statue of liberty put up. damn."

- 1890's: Wounded Knee, Carnegie hall OPENS, Sherlock Holmes first appears in a newspaper. kinda thought that was interesting. 93 there's a depression in America that foreshadows the Great Depression, then oh this one is important,

- 1894 has the first motorcycle production in the US! wow.. later Logan will buy his favorite '48 panhead "new off the line"

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Ian Anderson, born 10th August 1947 in Dunfermline. After attending primary school in Edinburgh, his family relocated to Blackpool in 1959. Following a traditional Grammar school education, he moved on to Art college to study fine art before deciding on an attempt at a musical career. He was influenced by his father’s big band and jazz records and the emergence of rock music, but was disenchanted with the “show biz” style of early American rock and roll stars like Elvis Presley. In 1963 with some school friends he formed his first band The Blades, a soul and blues outfit. In 1965 they regrouped into The John Evan Band with major lineup changes. They disband two years later when Anderson moved to Luton. In his new surroundings, Ian meets the drummer Clive Bunker and the guitarist Mick Abrahams and with Glenn Cornick, a bassist - of The John Evan Band-, Anderson creates the seed of the group that would become the legendary Jethro Tull. Still enjoying a lengthy if intermittent ongoing career, Jethro Tull has released 30 studio and live albums, selling more than 60 million copies since the band first performed at London’s famous Marquee club. After undertaking more than 3000 concerts in forty-something countries throughout four decades, Tull has played typically 100 concerts each year to longstanding, as well as new fans worldwide. Widely recognized as the man who introduced the flute to rock music, Ian Anderson remains the crowned exponent of the popular and rock genres of flute playing. So far, no pretender to the throne has stepped forward. Ian also plays ethnic flutes and whistles together with acoustic guitar and the mandolin bouzouki, balalaika, saxophone, harmonica, and a variety of whistles. I briefly met Ian on Skye in 1987 on my way back from Benbecula where he had an estate and ran a Fish farm, well 11 fish farms as my research has unearthed, he also employed over 400 people before selling it in the 90’s. Anderson recalled in an interview how he started as a flautist… “ once owned a 1960s Fender Stratocaster, which had previously belonged to Lemmy Kilminster before he found fame with Motorhead. But when it dawned on me I was never going to catch up with the growing band of hotshot British guitarists at that time – Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton – I traded it in for a Selma Goldfield student flute worth £30. I knew Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton didn’t play the flute, so I thought I would be in with a chance. A lot of people told me it was a ridiculous trade because the Strat was worth at least £150. But in fact it was a great buy because learning to play it was the start of Jethro Tull.” Anderson lives on a farm in the southwest of England where he has a recording studio and office. He has been married for 37 years to Shona who is also an active director of their music and other companies. They have two children. In 2006 and 2010, he was awarded Doctorates in Literature from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and the Abertay University of Dundee. He received the Ivor Award for International Achievement in Music. Ian admits he owns no fast car, never yet having taken a driving test, and has a wardrobe of singularly uninspiring and drab leisurewear varying from light grey to black in colour. He still keeps a couple of off-road competition motorcycles, and a saxophone which he promises never to play again.

Our birthday boy likes to play more intinate venues rather than grand halls, I noticed in the past he has played in religious buildings like cathedrals, he said in an interview ‘Playing in a cathedral gives you a sense of history, responsibility, and humility’ He seems a man after my own heart, while I am not a religious man I do get this same feeling when visiting these sites.. It's not about profits for Jethro Tull, again I have posted that he doesn't charge over the top prices for his tickets, and when he plays in historical places he gives back….The profits from the sales of tickets for my Christmas concert in Bristol Cathedral will go to the upkeep of these sacred buildings, and, perhaps, also in support of the musical liturgy of the church.

Ian admits that he is responsible for an enormous carbon footprint over the years —" I’m a climate sinner — but I’ve planted over 50,000 mixed deciduous trees on our farm. Its heavy clay isn’t not capable of producing arable crops. At best, it grows grass for grazing, but some margins aren’t suitable; so we’ve extended our ancient woodlands with many oak trees. They are an emblem of the Anderson-family clan, whose legend is “Stand sure”.

Jethro Tull are playing Bristol Cathedral on December 11th, tickets are £25-45 snd Salisbury Cathedral next day. These dates are sandwiched between a European tour.

The video features the song, Dun Ringill, from the group's 1979 album Stormwatch, it is an ode to the Iron Age-era fort of the same name. The fort, located on the coast of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, was occupied by the Clan Mackinnon for centuries.[1] The ruins of Castle Ringill, located near Loch Slapin, were located on Anderson's Scottish property, thus inspiring him to write the song. Anderson explained: " Dun Ringill" [is] about the ruins of an old hillside in the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland, where Nordic invaders would have landed to pillage and plunder and the local folk would have hidden the women and children and the sheep under fortifications.

It's a cool video, pity it was filmed at Dover rather than on Skye though!

[justforbooks]

Dickey Betts

Guitarist, singer and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band best known for writing their 1973 hit Ramblin’ Man

Dickey Betts, who has died aged 80, was a founder member of the Allman Brothers Band, one of the most influential US “southern rock” groups of the 1970s. The hard-living outfit blazed out of Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 with a mix of rock, blues, country and jazz that defined the genre, also influencing artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, the Black Crowes and Kid Rock. They scored several platinum and gold albums and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Although the six-piece band was ostensibly led by the blond- haired Allman brothers, Duane and Gregg (guitar and keyboards/vocals respectively), as joint lead guitarist, singer and main songwriter Betts played a crucial role. A larger than life character with his cowboy hats, long moustache and gunslinger good looks, Betts wrote many of the band’s best loved songs, including Jessica, Blue Sky and the 1973 US No 2 smash Ramblin’ Man, inspired by life on the road.

The signature duelling of Betts’s and Duane Allman’s lead guitars rewrote the rule book of how twin guitarists play together - previously one had played lead and the other rhythm. The band’s huge fanbase included President Jimmy Carter, and in 2020 Betts even received the rare accolade of a mention in a Bob Dylan song, when Murder Most Foul contained the line “Play Oscar Peterson, play Stan Getz/Play Blue Sky, play Dickey Betts.”

He was also the inspiration for the rock star character played by Billy Crudup in the former rock journalist Cameron Crowe’s film Almost Famous (2000), the director having been drawn to Betts’s aura of “possible danger and playful recklessness behind his eyes”.

Betts was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, one of the three children of Harold, a carpenter, and his wife, Sarah (nee Brinson), who wrote poetry and played the cornet in a Salvation Army band. Although his father was also a keen fiddler, Dickey’s first instrument was the ukelele, which he started playing aged five, later graduating to the mandolin and the banjo.

He was at West Gate elementary school when he wrote his first song, Seven Years With Pamela, about his sister. He then attended various West Palm Beach schools until seventh grade, dropping out of high school when he was 16, by which time his pursuits included carpentry, hunting and listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the family radio.

Hearing Chuck Berry’s Maybellene in his mid-teens prompted another switch of instrument, as he “started realising that girls like guitars”. He dropped out of high school aged 16 to tour the US with a travelling circus in his first band, the Swinging Saints, but was playing in Second Coming with the bassist Berry Oakley when Duane Allman invited both men to join his new group.

The lineup was completed by the drummer Butch Trucks and – unusually in white-dominated 60s southern rock - a black second drummer, James Lee Johnson, who had previously played with Otis Redding and Percy Sledge.

Although sales of their first two albums were sluggish, Duane Allman’s appearance on Eric Clapton’s 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – which included the classic hit Layla – boosted the heavy-touring Allman Brothers Band’s rising profile. Their 1971 live album At Fillmore East sold 1m copies.

After Duane Allman and Oakley were killed in motorcycle accidents in 1971 and 1972 respectively, Betts led a rejigged lineup. The 1973 album Brothers and Sisters – featuring Ramblin’ Man and the instrumental Jessica, later the theme to the television motoring show Top Gear – topped the US charts for five weeks, while 1975’s Win, Lose Or Draw went into the Top five. By then the band were succumbing to a familiar music industry cocktail of success, drugs, alcohol and feuding.

Betts and Gregg Allman both made solo albums, before Betts felt betrayed when the latter testified against the band’s road manager in a 1976 drugs case and refused to work with him again. Nevertheless, they regrouped in 1978, splitting again in 1982.

A second comeback in 1989 proved more enduring, although in 2000 Betts was fired over his drinking. That third spell in the band had been dogged by alcohol and drug abuse, lawsuits and arrests, and in 1996 he was charged with aggravated domestic assault after pointing a handgun at his fifth wife, Donna (nee Stearns), whom he had married in 1989. The charges were dropped after Betts agreed to enter rehab.

In his later years he returned with his own Dickey Betts Band and played in the band Great Southern with his son Duane. True to his ramblin’ man credentials, he remained on the road to the last, even after brain surgery following a 2018 fall at home, and he released live albums well into his 70s.

He is survived by Donna and his children, Kimberly, Christy, Jessica and Duane.

🔔 Forrest Richard Betts, musician, singer and songwriter, born 12 December 1943; died 18 April 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[negrowhat]

Finally Miss Tiffy has another motorcycle baddie to sit beside her in the Moto Baddie Hall of Fame. Welcome Vadfah.

[guitarhappyman]

Dorothy “Dot” Smith on her 1939 Harley-Davidson EL 1940. Known as “The First Lady of Motorcycling,” Dorothy “Dot” Robinson was also the first woman to win an American Motorcycle Association sponsored event.

As co-founder of the Motor Maid Club, and by being such a big part of organized racing events, she was able to pave the way for women to be a part of motorcycle competition, especially those sponsored by larger motorcycle organizations like the

American Motorcycle Association. She was entered into the American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Sturgis Hall of Fame in 1991.

[lisamarie-vee]

[lboogie1906]

Dewey Gatson, known as Rajo Jack or his pseudonym Jack DeSoto, (July 28, 1905 – February 27, 1956) was a racecar driver. He is known as one of the first African American racers in America. He won races up and down the West Coast in stock cars, midgets, big cars, and motorcycles. He was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2003 and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2007.

He was hired by the Doc Marcell Medicine Show as a roustabout general laborer at 16 years old. He quickly became known among his peers for his talent with mechanical devices, especially anything with wheels and an engine. He modified a truck into a house car for the Marcell family. He was put in charge of the show’s fleet of twenty cars in St. Johns, Oregon. He began racing with moderate success in the early 1920s at the fairs that the Marcell family followed across the country. He raced under the name “Jack DeSoto”. He moved down to Pasadena and worked for the Marcells until their company failed during the Great Depression. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[adventuressclubamericas]

Adventuresses Like Phryne

Last month, we talked about the Van Buren sisters and their legendary transcontinental motorcycle trip in 1916. As impressive as their feat was, they weren’t the first women to cross the US by motorcycle. 

That distinction belongs to Adventuresses Effie and Avis Hotchkiss, who did it in 1915. 

Effie Hotchkiss was a young woman ahead of her time. She learned to ride and fix motorcycles when she was 16. At 18, she was working on Wall Street, something almost unheard of at the time. 

But she still craved adventure – she wanted to be the first woman to cross the US on a bike. The 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco gave her that chance. On May 2, 1915, she set off from Brooklyn on her Harley-Davidson 11-F with her mother, Avis, in the sidecar. 

“We merely wanted to see America and considered that the three-speed Harley-Davidson for myself, and sidecar for mother and the luggage best suited for the job.” Effie said. 

The roads were challenging, to say the least, often little more than dirt paths – until the rain came, and they became mud pits. The roads took their toll on the duo’s tires. They would eventually run out of replacement inner-tubes and had to resort to cutting and rolling up a blanket to repair a flat. 

In spite of the conditions, Avis never lost confidence in her daughter. "I do not fear breakdowns. For Effie, being a most careful driver, is a good mechanic and does her own repairing with her own tools." 

She was also a good shot, which proved necessary for their less than friendly encounters with coyotes and rattlesnakes. 

The pair reached San Francisco and the Fair in August 1915. They made their way to the beach and poured the jar of Atlantic seawater they’d carried from New York into the Pacific Ocean. Then, they turned around and drove home.

They completed their 9,000-mile adventure in October 1915. In 2022, 107 years after the trip, Effie Hotchkiss was inducted into the American Motorcycle Association’s Hall of Fame.

#adventuress #adventuresses #AdventuressesWeLove #motorcycle #harley #harley-davidson

[mavcancees]

The history of latex related kinks.. what moment do you like the most from that whole thing? Or i guess how did it come up to be??

well, i originally started here

i went really deep into this guy's art, and i kind of lingered with the thought of him being one of the first to include the idea of "shiny black fabrics" as a kink concept. this landed me in the "leather hall of fame" and by proxy

the atomage magazine of modern leather couture from 1970 !!! some of the looks still stand today they are amazing. and this rolled me back two decades to gay motorcycle clubs, connecting back to tom of finland and his illustrations of people from those clubs

you can go everywhere from there, the heavy anti-fascist imagery and inspiration that the looks have, the somewhat parodying of nazi germany a lot of european leather clubs took, how women turned the misogyny in pin up, removed it, and built latex looks with the same shapes as self empowerment, the Satyrs, the term leathersex, and the eventual VERY CLEAR burning of alexandria AIDS did to the culture

there's so much to learn, i particularly like this article posted in 2019 by the rider's digest and the ending comment

In 2011, David M. Gross, author of the semi-autobiographical Fast Company, A Memoir of Love, Life and Motorcycles in Italy, wrote an op-ed piece for Motorcyclist, in which he hopes no one will “forget the pride we once had for the rebel in ourselves”. Noting that “any time a biker…puts on a crash helmet and lowers his visor, he starts to dream…to break out of society’s expectations of the bourgeois self”, he concludes, “If only more motorcycle enthusiasts today had the courage of dykes on bikes and fags on Vespas”.

fascinating little niche to get into

[anmylica]

The City of Lights

Part II

For @jrob64 as the completion of the CS Gift Exchange 2022! I hope you have a wonderful New Year, and that this fic was all you had hoped it would be!

Tagging the Usual Crew: @sotangledupinit @kmomof4 @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @zaharadessert @snowbellewells Want to be added? Ask me!

Read on AO3. Catch up Here: 01

Friday proved to be a busy day for the couple. After enjoying breakfast at a local cafe, they decided on perusing the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, spending several hours together reading about all the various athletes that made up the history in Louisiana athletics, and once they finished there, moved into the exhibits that made up the Northwest Louisiana History Museum that was attached. They learned a little more of the area’s history.

Once lunchtime arrived, they went to another restaurant called Merci Beaucoup, where Killian had their fried catfish and Emma had a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo. Both agreed that all the food they had eaten so far had been very good. After their meal, they returned to their hotel room and rested for a while before they had to begin getting ready. Their tickets to the NSU Christmas Gala were for tonight, and they had dinner plans before the show.

Killian took his shower first and changed into a pair of black coated jeans, a blue button down, and his favorite leather waistcoat under his leather motorcycle jacket. He tucked his boots under his jeans and then told Emma that he was going to go downstairs to the bar in the hotel so she could have the space to get ready. Emma agreed, and she proceeded to gather her things for her shower.

Killian walked out, making sure he had his room key, his wallet, and the ring that he had been carrying in his inner jacket pocket pretty much nonstop since they had left Boston. When he stepped out of the elevator he made his way to the bar, idly watching some of the other patrons who were there. He ordered a glass of rum and sat idly, people watching, waiting for his Swan to finish her preparations for the evening.

He didn’t have to wait for very long. Emma was very well practiced in being able to get ready for honey traps with very little time available for preparation, and she definitely had used all the tricks she had in her arsenal tonight. All Killian could do was stare at the vision she made.

Emma had on a pair of black tights that lead to a black leather dress that was very tight-fitting and very short. To make up for the skirt length, the neckline was very high, running across her collarbone. She had on a pair of sky high red heels and a red pea coat instead of her usual red leather jacket. Her jewelry was minimal; she tended not to wear much more on a normal day than a pair of earrings and the swan and anchor necklace he had given her for their first year dating anniversary. Killian knew that that necklace, along with a circlet necklace given to her by her parents, was hidden under her dress.

What really drew his eye to her more than any of those details, however, was the golden halo of hair she had curled and loose around her shoulders and her knowing smile.

“Swan,” Killian began once she was close enough to hear him, “you look absolutely stunning tonight.”

Emma gave a sly smirk and replied with a simple, “I know.”

Killian knocked back the very last of his drink and stood. “Shall we?” he asked and held his arm out for her to take.

“Let’s go,” she said as she slipped her pea coat over her shoulders. It was just cold enough in the Louisiana nights to warrant the jacket but not so cold that it was uncomfortable.

They both decided to walk to dinner at a restaurant called Merci Beaucoup that was situated just a ways down from their hotel and discreetly tucked into a corner. The Christmas lights added an ambiance to the date that Killian hoped would continue throughout the evening. Once at the restaurant, their conversation continued much as it always had: easily and with very little effort to propel it forward. It had always been like that between them, though, Killian reflected idly as they waited for dessert. They had always been so in sync with one another that awkward silences had very rarely happened for them.

After finishing their meal, they got into their rental car and drove to the Christmas Gala, a show that Northwestern State University’s theater programs put on every year. Killian had done some minor research on previous shows, and it seemed as if they always put on a different show. While he and Emma weren’t necessarily theater enthusiasts, he thought it would be a good idea for an outing while they were on this trip. Judging from Emma’s expression throughout the musical numbers, he had been right.

After finishing the show, they decided to meander around by the river and view the lights and people watch. There were a lot of families there, and Killian couldn’t quite suppress a soft smile at the thought of his and Emma’s future family. He wanted that future with all his heart, and looking at Emma’s face, illuminated by the lights and flushed from the cold, he just knew with an absolute certainty that that future was about to be possible. He just needed to set the scene.

He looked at Emma and gave her a mischievous grin, which she returned a bit quizzically.

“What are you planning?” she asked him, suspicious of intentions.

“How about we do something thoroughly touristy to end the evening?” Killian returned, not wanting to reveal his plan just yet.

Emma laughed. “Like what?”

Killian turned and pointed to a horse-drawn carriage that had just pulled to a stop. “What say you, Swan? Fancy a romantic carriage ride with me?”

Emma grinned. “Romantic, huh?”

Killian rolled his eyes. “You should know well enough by now that I know how to plan a date.”

Emma shook her head in amusement, but simply replied, “Okay.” They quickly moved to claim the next ride, pausing to avoid what looked like a group of upset kids and a chaperone of some sort. Killian paid the requisite fee and then climbed into the carriage, turning to offer his hand to help Emma climb up next to him. They tucked an included blanket around them and leaned back to enjoy both the ride and the view.

Killian felt a deep sense of contentment even as the butterflies rose up in his stomach at the thought of the simple question he was about to ask. This was the only place he ever wanted to be. He moved to wrap his arm around her, and Emma snuggled into his side in return. Neither said anything for a long moment, choosing to take in the sights and festivities around them.

Finally, Killian broke the silence. “Are you happy, love?”

Emma nodded her head. “I am.”

Killian smiled, but hesitated. Something in her voice didn’t sound quite right. “What’s on your mind?”

Emma looked over at him and smiled. “It’s nothing, really. I was just thinking.”

“About?” Killian prompted gently. Whatever it was must have been important enough for her to seem bothered by it when just moments ago she had been blissfully happy.

Emma shifted in his embrace, seemingly struggling with how to say what she was feeling. Killian let her have her moment, long since used to Emma’s need for space while she tried to confront some emotion. She sighed after a long moment.

“Did you notice those kids right there by us just before we got on the carriage?” She asked.

Killian nodded, waiting to see what her point was before saying anything in response.

“They were a group of foster kids,” she told him. “I used to be one of them before I was adopted by Ruth and Robert Nolan. I was sixteen when they finally adopted me.”

“Yes, I knew that, love. Your brother has told me the story many times.” Killian smiled in fondness at the memory of David telling him how Emma and David’s twin brother, James, hadn’t gotten along at first, and of how Emma had managed to get him to come around after putting hundreds of fake frogs all around his room (James hated frogs with the passion of a thousand burning suns). That was probably David’s favorite story to tell, especially since James had been killed several years before during a deployment in the Middle East.

David had often said that remembering the good times helped to ease the pain of the loss. Killian didn’t really agree, as he had also lost his brother, Liam, in the line of duty while in the navy; sometimes the hole left behind was too great even for the happy memories. He appreciated the sentiment behind David’s words all the same, and he made sure to tell David often how much he treasured the other man’s friendship often. Both of them had become as close as the other had to a brother during their years of acquaintanceship. Killian’s marrying Emma would only help to solidify that bond further.

Emma smiled as Killian pondered the story, knowing what it was that David had told him before. She continued, “I couldn’t help but overhear how one of the kids, the one that was upset, was crying for her mom. The foster mother, I guess she was the foster mother,” Emma amended hastily, “was trying to explain that her mom couldn’t come get her.” Emma trailed off, searching for the words to explain. She bit her lip in frustration.

Killian nodded slowly. “You were reminded of a similar experience,” he gently asserted. Emma nodded and hummed her agreement.

“This time of year… it just reminds me of how much the earlier years of my life sucked before Mom and Dad came into my life. And the holidays… they were the worst time of all.” Emma blinked away a tear that had come up.

Killian hugged her closer to him. “I often felt the same. After my mother died and my father left, Liam and I didn’t have much else but each other until our uncle, Dakkar Nemo, came along. Having him take us in made things better.”

“Yeah,” Emma agreed softly. The lighted scenes along the Cane River passed by without her really seeing them as they fell to silence. “Anyway,” she continued after a moment, “it just reminded me that Christmases up until I was seventeen always sucked because I didn’t have a family.”

“And you’re still affected by the loneliness because the scars made when we are younger tend to linger, no matter if they’ve finally healed,” Killian murmured from where she left off.

“Exactly,” Emma replied softly. They watched the scenes continue as each realized how lucky they were to have someone who truly understood. She turned to look at Killian and smiled. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, which he returned.

When she pulled away, tears from the years of hurt and rejection lingering in her eyes, he knew that this wasn’t the moment he would present to her the hope of their future together. No, this was a moment for support and healing, for tending to the wounds of the past and helping them to become something more than just a reminder of a past they’d rather forget. He vowed that he would ask her to marry him on Christmas Day as the first of many happy Christmases they would share in the future. Killian could give her the happiest of memories to commemorate what they were building together.

But he could perform a gesture that would help her to understand his place in her life. He could give her a physical piece that represented his heart. He could give her a different kind of ring. Killian reached into his shirt and pulled out the long chain which held Liam’s ring. It had been given to him by Liam just before his brother had deployed. That had been the last time he had seen his brother alive.

He held it out to Emma for her take. She took it from him, looking at the ring in surprise. Before she could say anything or ask him why he was giving her the ring, he pressed a kiss to her cheek before giving her the explanation he knew she was dying to ask for.

“That ring was the very last thing Liam gave me before his deployment. It was supposed to symbolize us as a family, that we would never lose each other. He gave it to me because I was worried about his deployment, that it would be too dangerous.” He shrugged off the unspoken, “It turned out I was right,” statement that seemed to echo after it regardless. Emma already knew the ending of that story. “Anyway, I want you to have it.”

Emma protested, but Killian waved her off. “I’m serious, Swan. I want you to know that you’ll always have me, that we will always be there for each other. We are each other’s family.”

Emma looked at him in amazement. “But it’s the only thing left of your brother.”

“Aye, and I’ll know it’s safe around your neck.” He scratched behind his ear. “At the very least, it can serve as a reminder that you’ve got a piercing-eyed, smoldering police officer here who loves you.”

Emma laughed and Killian smiled at her response, which was the one he was going for when he said it. He pulled her in close and hugged her tighter, making sure to lace his fingers in between hers. She put the necklace around her neck and held the ring in the grasp of her other hand.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice soft as a bruise, and he kissed her in the only reply that he knew she needed.

They finished their carriage ride in silence, hands joined together in a silent gesture of solidarity and jointedness. Killian felt comforted by Emma’s presence, and Emma felt supported by this steadfast man who had been by her side for longer than just about anyone else. Their evening was likewise finished in the same way as the carriage ride, clinging to one another as a reminder that neither was alone anymore.

Their final day dawned bright and sunny, a stark contrast to the stormy waters of emotion they traversed the night before. Killian and Emma awoke early, determined to get in every moment of the Steel Magnolias film tour that they could. They decided to start in the order the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau suggested online. Their first stop was the St. Augustine Catholic Church, and from there, they proceeded to every other film location, ending a very long, exhausting day at the Odalie Lambre-Gwinn House.

Emma took pictures along the way, trying her best to catch Killian in awkward moments as a way of poking fun at his “dashing good looks” (Killian’s words). They had a lot of fun and were very tired by the end, but the bleakness of the evening before seemed to have been left behind. Emma was smiling the entire day, which was all that Killian wanted to see.

They enjoyed another dinner, this time at a place called Lasyone’s, and then crawled into bed early, knowing they had a flight to catch out of Dallas early to head back to Boston. After a day of nonstop traveling, they made it back home safe and sound. Both had to work early the next day, and they were going to be busy with the upcoming holiday season, but they were grateful for the chance to do something together.

The next day, Killian was back on patrol with David. When David saw him in the station, he collapsed into a chair at his desk and stared at Killian, who simply ignored him.

“So how did it go?” David asked.

Killian glanced up briefly before turning back to the paperwork he was finishing up. “Fine.”

“Fine,” David echoed. He swiveled in his chair for a bit before saying anything else. “So have you guys set a date yet?”

Killian shook his head. “I didn’t ask her,” he said in a faux absentminded voice.

David stared at him in amazement. “You didn’t ask her? You mean you haven’t put a ring on my sister’s finger yet? Why the hell not?”

Killian rolled his eyes. “Because the moment never presented itself.”

“The moment never presented itself?” David repeated.

Killian gave him a droll look. “Does Polly want a cracker, too, while he’s at it?”

David kicked Killian’s chair in retaliation for his sarcasm. “Only if it has peanut butter,” he replied. “Seriously, Jones, what do you mean? I thought you had that dinner and concert date planned? Didn’t you go on that?”

“Yes, we did,” Killian sighed, giving into his best friend’s proddings. “We finished the evening off with a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, as well. I was going to propose while on the ride, but Emma saw a faster group just as we got on and it upset her.”

David’s eyes cleared as he realized just what had happened to prevent Killian from enacting his plan.

“So I decided that I would wait until Christmas morning. We talked a bit about how Christmas had always been a let down for her, and I came to the realization that waiting until then would mean starting our joint lives off with a happy memory. I liked the symbolism, so I’m going to wait.”

David nodded his head slowly. That definitely did seem like something his sister would appreciate. “Well, make sure you get a few other gifts for her so she doesn’t suspect.”

Killian laughed. “I plan to, mate.” They both let the conversation fall off into work-related issues as their shift went on, though neither had forgotten the conversation and its implications.

Before anyone had noticed, two weeks had passed, and Christmas was only a week away. Killian had finished his shopping a few days before, but Emma still had a few things left to buy for her family. She and Mary Margaret agreed to meet up for a late lunch and finish their shopping together. Over the course of their meal, Emma described all that they had done over the course of the holiday away, and Mary Nargaret oohed and aahed at all the appropriate times. Something in Emma’s expression must have given her inner thoughts away, though, because before she knew it Mary Margaret was giving her a hard, no-nonsense look.

“Alright, spill,” Mary Margaret commanded.

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“Spill what’s got you so upset.”

Emma scoffed. “I’m not upset.”

“Yes, you are. Is it because he didn’t propose like you had hoped?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m not upset about that,” she lied. Mary Margaret just gave her an unimpressed look.

Emma sighed. “Alright, fine! I’m a little upset about it.” Damn her sister-in-law for being able to read her so well.

Mary Margaret took a drink of her beverage. “So why don’t you do something about it then?”

Emma furrowed her brow in confusion. “Like what? He obviously has no intention of asking me, so why even bother putting us through that heartache?”

“Emma. How many times has he told you that he’s in this for the long haul? Of course he wants to ask you! He’s probably just nervous, or waiting for the right time.”

Emma returned Mary Margaret’s pointed look with an exasperated one of her own. “I’m pretty sure a romantic Christmas trip to the middle of nowhere Louisiana was the right time.”

“ Well, did anything happen that might have put him off asking?”

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but then she hesitated. “Hmm. We did go on a carriage ride after the concert, but I had just seen a group of foster kids, and it-” she broke off as Mart Margaret finished her sentence.

“It reminded you of the loneliness of the season, and you were upset.” Mary Margaret made eye contact with Emma after the statement. Emma’s face screwed into an anguished expression.

“Dammit!” Emma exclaimed as she cradled her head in her hands. “How could I be so stupid? He was probably going to ask then and I blew it!”

Mary Margaret patted her shoulder in a consoling manner. “He always did give you what you needed from him first.”

Emma merely groaned in response.

“Besides,” Mary Margaret continued, “you can just ask him instead.”

Emma looked up at her sister-in-law. “What?” she demanded.

“Well, why not? Women can do big romantic gestures too!”

Emma stared at her. Mary Margaret stared back for a moment before shrugging as if to say, “What?”

Emma leaned back in her chair and studied the brunette. Neither said a word as the waiter brought them a refill on their drinks. Emma continued to study her with a vaguely suspicious look on her face. Mary Margaret simply resumed eating, knowing that Emma would need to work through the scenario on her own first

“I guess that could work,” Emma said slowly, rolling the idea around in her head.

Mary Margaret looked up from her food briefly and nodded, not pausing in eating her salad otherwise.

“But I would need a ring.”

“That’s an easy thing to fix. We can go get one after we finish here.”

Emma took a few bites of her soup, contemplating that problem. “I actually…” she began before cutting off.

Mary Margaret looked up at her through her lashes. “What?”

Emma tilted her head consideringly and reached up to take the ring on the chain Killian had given her in hand. “I think I may already have one.”

Mary Margaret’s brow furrowed for a moment. “Really? What does it look like?”

Emma took the chain off her neck and handed it to her. Mary Margaret studied it for a moment before gasping. “Is this Liam’s ring?”

Emma nodded.

“Well, that’s the only sign you need! You have to do it!” Mary Margaret grinned in excitement for Emma, who smiled softly back.

“When should I ask him?”

Mary Margaret thought. “How about Christmas Eve?”

Emma considered the suggestion. “I think we’re both off that night.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “Then there you go! It’s fate!”

Emma smiled widely back, feeling more confident in the plan now that she had gotten her friend’s opinion. Though she still had reservations about being the one to ask, she knew without a doubt that she was tired of waiting. Killian’s attentiveness to her mood on that carriage ride just cemented it for Emma that she didn’t want to wait a moment longer for the rest of their lives together to start. Even as her and Mary Margaret’s attention turned to other topics, Emma was formulating a plan for their date on Christmas Eve.

Their schedules finally aligned a week later for their date as planned, and this time allowed Killian and Emma a rare joint day off on Christmas Eve with plenty of time to take a short walk down by the Boston Harbor just after sunset after they had eaten at a Chinese restaurant that both enjoyed. Emma knew the perfect setting for her to ask her question; she just had to get them there.

After a time, Killian noticed that they were nearing his favorite tall ship, the USS Constitution. The sight of it in the harbor was one of the things that Killian most loved about Boston. Once they reached it, Emma pulled them to a stop.

Killian looked at Emma curiously, wondering why she had stopped them here. She seemed to be struggling for something to say, looking very nervous, and Killian wondered what it was that had her so riled up.

“Swan?” He asked, hoping that the prompting would help ground her and let her get out what she was going to say.

Emma shook her head slightly before launching into a speech. “So I’ve been hoping you’ll propose for I don’t even know how long,” she began, not wanting to beat around the bush. Killian’s eyes grew large, but before he could say anything, she continued. ”But I’ve recently realized just how wrong I’ve been for waiting for you to do it. I don’t have to wait for you to do it because I can make a big romantic gesture myself. So.”

She shrugged slightly before glancing around and then going down on one knee. She took the necklace with the ring on it that he had given her in Natchitoches (that had once been his brother’s) and took it off the chain. She held it up to him as he stared at her, dumbfounded that she would be the one to take this step.

“Will you marry me?” Emma asked, her heart on her sleeve and her emotions written all over her face.

Killian grinned and looked shyly at his feet. He reached into his pocket and took out the black ring box that he had had in his possession for far longer than he cared to admit. Emma stared at him in trepidation, wondering what it was that he was doing when he didn’t answer her right away. He knelt down beside her as she watched him, confusion in her eyes, and opened it. She looked in the box and gasped, looking back up into his face.

“I’ve been waiting a very long time for the right moment to ask you the same question, my love,” he responded gently to her.

“What?” Emma stammered, caught completely off guard by this new development that she never foresaw.

Killian smiled. “I had planned on asking you that night we took that carriage ride, but we were talking and you told me about how awful Christmas had always been growing up in the system, and that’s how I knew I had to wait until Christmas to ask you. I wanted to give you the best Christmas memory at the start of a lifetime of them. If there’s one thing I want you to know, to be absolutely sure of, it’s that I will always, always be by your side. So Emma Swan, I want to ask you the exact same question. Will you marry me?”

Emma’s eyes welled with tears. Blinking them out of her way, they spilled over onto her cheeks as she smiled the most radiant smile Killian had ever seen from her. He was struck that, though it wasn’t how he had planned it, there wasn’t a more perfect moment than now.

Emma breathed out a shaky, “Yes!” as she fell into his arms. He held her tightly in his embrace, finally parting from her just long enough to slip the ring onto her finger and help her come to standing.

They stood together, locked in an embrace so tight there wasn’t any telling where one ended and the other began. Neither wanted to let go of this moment, and their lips met in a kiss borne of devotion, love, and forever. As their kiss went on, snow began to fall softly around them, though they neither noticed nor cared. In the distance, a refrain from “All I Want for Christmas Is You” could be heard playing from a restaurant as Christmas lights began to light up in various storefront windows, casting the entire area in a warm light.

It wasn’t a Steel Magnolias tear jerker. It wasn’t a tale of loss and loneliness (not anymore). It was real, true, all-consuming love that Killian knew was the start of their own story and the start of their very own happily ever after. And he couldn’t wait to start it with her.