#oc: judy perry

[fatecanberewritten-writer]

Bewitched | Chapter One: Problems

Stars Series | Bewitched

“Grunnings Drills, what can I do for you today?”

She clenched her teeth as she noticed the three men in suits walking through the lobby. One of them, she knew, was her boss. Mr. Taylor was about the strictest it got, and one too many times already in the month she had been working here, he had caught her answering the phone ‘improperly’. She kicked herself now, praying Mr. Taylor was too busy to take notice.

Mr. Taylor, the tallest of the three men, stopped, turning to look at the desk. The other two soon followed. The only ones in the large room, all was quiet aside from the receptionist’s short phone conversation. A rather pudgy man in the back shuffled his feet, looking at the woman in pity. He watched as her eyes froze on them all for a moment, before turning away quickly, her face flushing red.

“That would be Mr. Martin in Accounting, would you like me to transfer you?” From the corner of her eye, she could see him approaching, almost slowly, like a predator hunting its prey. “I’ll transfer you now, have a great day.” Her hands were shaking as she pressed the buttons to transfer the call, then quickly put the phone back to the receiver. Nearly as soon as she did, there was a slapping sound so loud that she jumped and let out a small squeak. She looked over to see Mr. Taylor’s hands flat against her desk, his face and bald head reddening, just slightly, in anger.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Evans,” he said, his northern accent coming out strong. “There is only one way we answer the phone around here. Tell me what it is.”

The pudgy man behind Mr. Taylor frowned, feeling guilty as he looked at the woman’s wide, blue eyes. She hesitated, then closed her eyes for a brief moment, shaking thoughts back into her head. “Grunnings Drills, this is Petunia,” answered the woman in her best customer service voice, despite the nerves that wracked her. 

Mr. Taylor gave her a wicked smile. “Good,” he said, “you’re not completely incompetent.” The silence in the room continued, and as Petunia’s jaw slacked, the pudgy man and his companion shared a look of slight shock themselves. “A pretty face doesn’t get you too far answering phones, Evans, remember that,” he continued, beginning to walk away from her desk. “You’re easy to replace. You should be grateful I even hired you in the first place.” 

Through gritted teeth, Petunia replied, “Thank you, Mr. Taylor.” He returned to the other two men, and, looking down at her desk, she heard them leave. 

Thinking she was alone, Petunia brought her head to her hands, and let out a shaky breath. Nearly every day had been like this one, and she didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She thought of where she might be if she had taken that market job in Southwark, even though she would only be making half of what she was making now. She wondered if it was worth it, if the extra money was worth putting up with this. She wondered if it was worth leaving home at all.

She was startled when she looked up to find the pudgy man who had been with Mr. Taylor approaching her desk. Quickly, she forced a smile. “How can I help you, sir?”

“I wanted to apologize on behalf of Taylor,” he started, taking her off guard. She’d seen him in passing before, and the man had always seemed to be quite fond of her boss, so his actions now confused her. “He’s been like this to every receptionist we’ve hired in the past six months.” The man leaned his arm against Petunia’s desk, and spoke lowly. “You’ve lasted the longest of them all, you know. Longest they’ve lasted before you was two weeks. It’s admirable, really.”

“Maybe it’s not a problem of the receptionists you’ve been hiring, then,” answered Petunia.

The man’s sympathetic face slowly broke into a smile, and the smile spread to Petunia. “You know, I think you might be right. What was your name again?”

“Petunia,” she answered, sitting up a little straighter.

“Well, you might just have solved all our problems, Petunia. I’m Vernon,” He reached his hand over to her, and after looking at it for a moment, she took it.

Despite meeting the first decent person since she had arrived in London, Petunia counted today as yet another loss. Hand held tightly to the metro handle in the center of the train car, she rested her head against her fist, almost finding pleasure as her knuckles pressed into her temple, relieving some of the pressure in her head. She wondered if this was what a migraine felt like - if, maybe, her pain tolerance was higher than her mother’s, and she could simply stand it more than her. She quickly dismissed it. Her mother had a higher tolerance in everything.

She shut her eyes for a moment, but opened them again as she felt the train car slowing. There was a muttering over the com system, but she didn’t need to hear it to know it was her stop. After getting seriously lost the first time she had used the London metro on her own during her first week, Petunia had taken the time to memorize and master the metro system. The last thing she wanted to do was end up on the clear other side of town in the middle of the night again.

Readjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder, Petunia moved toward the doors, exiting with a total of maybe ten people. She paused towards the top of the stairs, sighing at the sound of pouring rain. There hadn’t been a cloud in the sky when she had left for work that morning. She straightened her posture, placed her purse over her head, and continued, the clicking of her heels being lost to the rain and traffic.

After half a mile of trotting through the rain, Petunia finally reached her flat. The last block was nearly a sprint up the hill, so her breathing was labored as she closed the door behind her. She turned to find a pair of snobbish looking women, looking at her incredulously. Standing up straighter, she nodded to them, and began to walk past them.

“What, did she go for a swim?” one quietly said to the other, causing the both of them to break out in giggles as they opened their umbrellas and stepped out. Petunia felt her face reddening, and paused for a moment on the stairs. She felt a welling in her chest, and looked up at the ceiling to try to hold back the tears. It was right about now she wished she still believed in a God.

Though she knew it wouldn’t help anything, she slammed her door behind her as she reached her flat. She ripped off her drenched overcoat, threw it onto the floor beside the door, and let it lay in a soaking heap. Soon after, Petunia followed it, her back sliding against the door until she met the cold hardwood floor. 

She didn’t even cry. She just sat there in her loneliness.

“I should just go home,” she whispered to the empty room. It wouldn’t even be that difficult. Nearly everything she owned was still in boxes.

Yet, with a tap on her fourth-story window, she remembered why she couldn’t go home.

[jinxsbombs]

NO WAY THE VA OF ROUGE AND CYBERPUNK LIKED AND REPLIED BACK TO ME TODAY IS A GOOD DAY. 😭🤞🏽

[best-character-named-x-poll]

Best Character Named X Poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM GMT everyday.

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count. Official characters in canon only, please do not submit OCs.

Round 387: Calvin

Round 388: Fern

Round 389: Jackson

Round 390: Juliet

Round 391: Ike

Round 392: Summer

Round 393: Duke

Past Polls

Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Diana, Andy, Angel, Judy, Jo, Miranda, Pearl, Jamie, Tam, Luna, Delilah, Celia, Katya, Minerva, Ebony, Miriam, Percy, Bianca, Amara, Cleo, August, Matilda, Jared, Kendra, Fitz, Aurora, Ramona, Orion, Kala, Madeline, Anastasia, Kit, Marian, Lena, Polly, Cora, Leah, Irene, Hilda, Valentine, Joe, Skye, Walter, Marissa, Hope, Oberon, Lorna, Ace, Bridget, Stella, Lenore, Wanda, Winona, Hannibal, Newt, Dorian, Dorothy, Una, Marnie, Mirabel, Olympia, Toby, Chip, Axel, Gil, Bo, Rue, Leslie, Agnes, Luther, Sally, Delia, Richter, Scarlet, Ray, Nigel, Selina, Harley, Blue, Perry, Tao, Cornelius, Wendy, Apollo, Celeste, Esther, Cole, Kieran, Melody, Haley, Prudence, Azrael, Lauren, Pauline, Darcy, Lee, Red, Octavia, Tsukasa, Ella, Riley, Pyrrha, Rupert, Orlando, Blair, Yukari, Tanya, Briar, Amber, Akira, Irma, Marlene, Trixie, Harriet, Letitia, Koichi, Katrina, Echo, Annette, Dale, Nina, Carina, Lance, Yuki, Donatello, Puck, Callie, Moe, Hunter, Poppy, Titania, Melinda, Sunny, Dee, Freya, Caeser, Sasha, Zain, Edith, Candy, Raiden, Richter

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Yasmin, Chase, Tina, Rudolf, Melvin, Melissa, Adele, Adeline, Jem, Dolores, Jude, Ginger, Bellamy, Jacob, Reese, Nemo, Addison, Adelaide, Candace, Abraham, Ragnar, Destiny, Hero, Drew, Wallace, Jean (feminine), Cheryl, Shane, Tegan, Matthias, Liam, Ellis, Dennis, Josie, Mike, Bailey, Eden, Giselle, Suki, Keith, Wilfred, Blaine, Pam, Brianna, Sabine, Roman, Kalina, Mindy, Monet, Zara, Marcus, Elias, Mira, Glen, Farah, Faith, Enid, Ross, Antoinette, Elodie, Mallory, Kay, Renee, Willow, Albert, Howard, Oswald, Clem, Jace, Howell, Rowan, José, Christian, Ravi, Dev, Valerie, Norma, Tristan, Jolene, Yumi, Sakura, Carol, Carrie, Casper, Septimus, Rosalind, Rosamund, Rosie, Rosa, Gerald, Geraldine, Gerard, Ariel, Ariadne, Anya, Ida, Rocky, Mal, Solomon, Sol, Vera, Vincent, Nolan, Sage, Jojo, Calliope, Roxy, Roxanne, Silver, Noel, Noelle, Stacy, Lloyd, Alba, Virginia, Eva, Amos, Petra, Marla, Dante, Gretchen, Rhydian, Russ, Tate, Tatum, Morris, Ambrose, Doug, Grant, Graham, Aaron, Ivan, Paris, Doris, Rain, Sora, Wayne, Helga, Garth, Constantine, Sonny, Courtney, Jamal, Niall, Cecil, Cecilia, Cat, Katherine, Ophelia, Laurie, Lori, Bernadette

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.

[sergeant-spoons]

C, F, H and T 🥰😘

Ask game linked here (it won’t show up on my blog, for some reason, and a chance to link to @mercurygray’s wonderful profile is always a plus - go read her work!).

C: What member do you identify with most?

Hmmm—that’s a hard one! I think, in a way, that my OCs all derive from a part of my own personality. Their core traits tend to be the traits I wish I could amplify in myself. So I suppose it’s fair to say that I identify with Phyllis Dotson’s love of baking and want for a family just as much as I identify with Verity Rich’s mom-friend instincts and introvertedness. The same goes for Harley Gibbs’ independence, Judy Hartmann’s love of writing (no surprises there, I bet), Leslie Sheppard’s die-hard loyalty; the list goes on.

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

This one took me a while to figure out. I think my favorite dialogue scenes are from this one shot—From May to June—this other one shot—There’s A Fine, Fine Line—and this scene in In Defense of Chicanery—Chapter 36.

For From May to June and There’s A Fine, Fine Line: I think these two pieces are some of the best characterizations I’ve done with George Luz and Bill Guarnere respectively. 

Ex (From May to June):

“I love that laugh.”

“Mine?”

He snorts.

“No, General Taylor’s.”

and (There’s A Fine, Fine Line)

Powler seems about to correct him, then decides it's not worth it.

"No. You're not sleeping there."

"Ain't ya choice, Miss-"

"If it's too small for me it's much too small for you," she argues before he can think of an applicable epitaph other than 'Gorgeous'.

"Are you callin' me fat?" He knows she isn't, but he thinks it will make her squirm, and he's right.

And from IDOC:

“Huh!” Skip waved, smirking with his usual cheer and charm. “Consider us blessed. Hey, Victor Rich, over there, huddlin’ up to Doc- not so lucky. Got knicked in the ear by a bullet from the heavens above.” 

Skip cupped his hands around his mouth as if Verity could no longer hear him quite so well. 

“How’s that old thing healin’ up, you poor martyr?”

She mustered an empty chuckle for his sake, consoled just enough by Gene’s distant warmth pressed against her side.

“Well, I can still hear, so not as hole-y as you think.”

For this ^^ excerpt, it was (and remains) one of my favorite scenes to write. This is the wounded list scene with Skip, Lipton, Popeye, Liebgott, Guarnere, and the rest of Easy in Bastogne right after Joe Toye returns from the aid station. The scene in the show is a breath of fresh air in the middle of a very difficult and damaging situation—writing it in IDOC felt very much the same.

Also, I love this bit, a little earlier in the scene...

“Perry Bloom over there,” he [Skip] announced, “got his fingers nipped at by the winter, but he’s got a mean left hook, so he fended off the freeze alright.”

“I taught him that,” Toye cut in, and Perry nodded along gladly, sharing a glance with Toye that made Verity shrink slightly into her scarf. They were being a bit bold, weren’t they? Then again, what she wouldn’t give for the chance to express warmth and seek comfort without having to hide it all the damn time.

...because it is one of very few moments in which we get to see Toye and Perry’s blossoming relationship.

H: How would you describe your style?

I think the biggest thing I would identify with my style is the habit I have of using actions between dialogue more often than dialogue tags (or, similarly, using a dialogue tag with an action attached). My ADHD leads me to pay attention to whatever a person is doing while they are speaking (if I am physically present with them) and something I have noticed is that there is very rarely stagnancy in a natural conversation/situation. Life is full of motion. Even the most minute actions—like the tapping of a foot, a glance at a passing butterfly, or the flickering of a smile—can add that pinch of realism I’m always looking to put into my writing.

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

None that I can think of off the top of my head in the Band of Brothers fandom, but in The Hobbit fandom, there is a shocking number of (quick trigger warning) incest fics with the Durins (Thorin, Fili, and Kili), a ‘trope’ which makes me very uncomfy.

Thank you so much for this ask, Francy! ILY, my dear. 🥰💕