#our son's first solo shoot that's crazy

[wannabemobwife]

Guns, Glamour, and Goodfellas - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

Dad!Mob!Tom Holland x Mom!Mob!Reader

-Pairings: Tom Holland x reader, Parker Holland x Charlotte Owens

-Warnings: Language, Blood, Death, Fighting

-Words: 3.6K

Author note: I really love this chapter. I love all the comments and would appreciate nice constructive criticism (please don't butcher my work lol) if you want. Feel free to leave in the comments or message me directly your feelings while reading the chapter :))

Chapter 3: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

Word: 3.6K

“Haz are you okay mate?” Tom asked, seeing Haz freak out, they were about to land at Heathrow, on their way back from Dublin.

“No, I just heard from my neighbor that Henry never came home last night. With everything that happened yesterday, I’m just worried. I hope he is not lying in a ditch somewhere.” Harrison explained.

“He probably crashed at ours, everything will be ok.” You said as you comforted Haz. Oh boy, were you wrong.

Back at home, Parker awoke to his impending death once you and Tom, his parents’, find out what happened to their beautiful mansion. One party did all this damage. The curtains were torn down, there was red party cups everywhere and all the liquor bottles were displayed on the table. One amazingly epic party did all that.

“Bloody hell! That’s it I’m dead. I’m dead. I will never be allowed to leave this house ever again.” Parker said to himself. Picking up his phone he noticed 4 missed calls from you. Each one had a message and if there was one thing he knew about you is that you only left more harsh and frantic voice messages the more you called.

He only played the most recent one, you sounded really peeved “PARKER JACKSON HOLLAND! Please call me, I’m worried about you. I can’t get in touch with the staff either. I will be home in 20 mins, you better have a good fucking explanation for everything.” Parker’s eyes nearly flew out of his head when he saw that was sent 15 mins ago. Any moment now he would hear the Rolls pulling into the driveway.

The poor kid could only move so fast, he quickly gathered the liquor bottles and threw them into a plastic trash bag along with all the red solo cups that seem to be multiplying. All the meanwhile corralling all the squatters, from last night, who crashed there. He found some people by the pool and others passed out in the dining room. Running like a madman through the house, he caught a glimpse of what would be the reason for his demise. The door to Tom’s office was open. He swore to god he locked it, someone must’ve broken in. They could’ve taken anything, all the information about the mob was stored in that one tastefully decorated room. Parker quickly shut the door and hoped nothing would happen, he couldn’t live with himself if this one stupid party cost his family their livelihood.

“Rosie? Henry? Where are you guys? Mum and dad will be home any minute, I need your help.” Parker called out throughout the house. He didn’t expect Rosie to show up because of their fight last night, but where the fuck was Henry.

You and Tom pulled up along with Harrison in the black Rolls Royce, coming to a screeching halt. You all walked along the cobble stone path to the two large, intimidating front doors. You all simultaneously freaked out when you saw the door was ajar. Tom and Haz pulled out their guns and made it a priority to keep you safe by shoving you behind them. You all had no idea what you could be walking into.

Tom whispered to Haz to split up, Haz took the East Wing while Tom checked the main rooms. Rounding the corner he could her footsteps.

“Darling, stay behind me. I don’t want you getting hurt,” Tom whispered and you nodded in response.

“On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3,” Tom screamed as he jumped out, holding his gun straight ahead. He found his son disheveled, carrying grocery bags filled with empty beer cans and liquor bottles.

“DON’T SHOOT! DON’T SHOOT! Holy fuck! Dad is that you?” Parker screamed, dropping the bags to the ground, glass shattering and raising his hand up in innocence. Scared for his life her quickly caught his breath when he realized who it was.

“Parker, what the hell? Why the fuck was the door opened…. wait? Did you have a party!?!” Tom thundered as he realized what his son did. His voice gradually growing more furious. Parker just stood there with a shameful look on his face.

“Mum, dad. How was Dublin?” Parker sneaked to quickly change the subject.

“Don’t try to get out this, explain now!” You scolded, just as furious as Tom

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did it, I just needed to blow off steam.” “What the fuck do you think a sorry is going to do? I run a fucking mob, Parker. Are you a fucking idiot? Parker, for fucks sake, anyone could have stolen some information from my office or gotten into the gun room. What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I’m not that much of a div, I locked your office and I don’t know,” Parker explained.

“You’re not as dumb as I thought. Hope you were smart enough to lock the liquor cellar too,” Tom concluded.

“Yeah…about that,” Parker mumbled as Tom ran off to his liquor room. A loud clash and curse sounded throughout the house when he laid his eyes on his ransacked priceless collection.

“Mum, say something?” Parker pleaded with you as you just stood there in silence.

“2 months. You’re grounded for 2 months. No dates or parties, just school and home. I don’t think you understand how lucky you are that nothing serious happened here.” You said, your voice drenched with disappointment. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been thinking about what dad and you asked me and —” Parker whispered as he was soon cut off by Haz walking in.

“Did you find Henry?” Haz interrupted.

“No, I’m going to check upstairs. Will you check on Tom?” Harrison nodded as you ascended the staircase. Making your way through the halls, coming upon Rosie’s room.

“Roo, honey you awake?” You said walking into Rosie’s room

“AHHHH! Oh my fucking god! Rosie!” You screamed at the sight in front of you. Your sweet, slightly bad tempered daughter asleep with a boy in her bed.

“Darling? You alright?” Tom yelled from downstairs after hearing your scream.

“Mum, what are you doing here?” Rosie exclaimed frantically.

“Hi, Y/N.” Henry whispered, praying he wasn’t going to be berated. You were a mother figure to him after his own mother left his father and never looked back. “This is my house and hi Henry. What the fuck is Henry doing here in you bed? What the fuck are you doing here?” You questioned bouncing between the two of them to get some answers.

“I can explain. But, firstly are you gonna tell dad?” Rosie inquired.

“The fact that he is already fuming downstairs, no. Not right now. And please explain, you have 5 seconds, but first you need to get Henry out of here.”

“Thank you mom, I just don’t —.“

“Ehh, eh, eh! Shut it, I’ll deal with you later,” you barked.

“Henry, I suggest you take the window and your dad is looking for you,” you said.

“Shit! Thanks Y/N… I mean Mrs. Holland” Henry said as you shot him a glare.

The moment Henry was in the clear, Tom barged in with his gun in hand. Someone needs to tell this man to put it down. All morning he has been traumatically scarring his kids for life, first with Parker and now Rosie.

“What? Is everyone all right? I heard a scream.” Tom exclaimed out of breath.

“Umm, yeah. I just saw a spider.” You stuttered.

“Oh love, you can kill a man in cold blood but can’t handle an itty bitty spider,” Tom joked as he pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead.

“You're afraid of them too, Thomas.” You quipped with a side eye. If looks could kill, yours definitely would.

“And for you missy, you’re grounded along with your brother.” Tom said, looking down on Rosie. “Me? What did I do?” Rosie asked in a high pitched voice. “You attended this party correct? And since this is also your house, you threw it by association. Am I right?” Tom inquired.

“I guess so,” Rosie huffed.

The twin’s exile was worse than they prepared for. Not only were they responsible for cleaning up the entire mess but they were given a list of chores to complete. This was no ordinary list. It was devised by you and Tom along with inputs from the maids and capos.

On it read:

Wash the Rolls

Clean the guns

Reorganize the pantry

Mow the lawn

Re-order all stolen liquor and stock the liquor room

Drain the pool, clean the pool, fill the pool back up again…

The list was never-ending. Each task more pointless than the next. It went on forever. The household staff was happy for their load was to be lessen for a couple weeks, unlike the kids. Harrison even forced Henry to partake in the chores.

The kids were only a couple days into their quarantine and were already going stir crazy. Parker was having withdrawals from Charlotte, missing her even more. The boy was whipped for her, really smitten. They would talk the night away. Some nights never getting any shut eye as their conversations would prolong hours.

Parker couldn’t believe this was where he was now. One night of unadulterated juvenile fun equated to 2 months of misery. Today was Charlotte’s birthday and he was supposed to take her to the London Eye on a surprise birthday trip, but all his plans were ruined the moment his parents came home and grounded his sorry ass.

“I can’t believe your parents grounded you. Assholes.” Charlotte said over the phone, fuming he couldn’t celebrate with her.

“I can’t go babe. I really wish I could but I’m grounded for life remember.” Parker said, the cold shoulder Tom and you had been giving him was killing him.

“Parker its my birthday. You have to come,” Charlotte pleaded

“There’s no chance in hell I’m allowed to leave.”

“Geez you just threw a party, it’s not like you killed someone,” Charlotte added. He might as well have. If he killed someone he wouldn’t be burdened with this punishment, probably praised instead, carrying on the family tradition.

“Just sneak out. Come on, we are all going to this nightclub downtown. It’s gonna be awesome. And I’m such a good girlfriend, I can’t let you miss it.” Charlotte pleaded.

“Alright, Char you wore me down.”

“I knew it. Pick you up at 11 tonight.”

“Park around the block, I’m going to have to climb out my window. Remember my house is like a fortress.” Parker said. He wasn’t lying.

Meanwhile, Tom was in and out of meetings in his office all day. He received one odd phone call in particular from his dad, Dominic Holland. “Hi dad, how are you” Tom said as he picked up the phone.

“I’m fine son, so how did the talk with Parker go. I’m excited to teach him all my mobster tricks,” Dom exclaimed. “Actually dad, he reacted like I did.”

“Oh well, he will come around just like you did” Dom said encouragingly.

“I don’t know if he will. Anyway it wouldn’t be so bad if he had his own path in life.” Tom murmured trying to stick up for his son’s decision.

“Tom, you know what will happen to this family if that happens,” Dom yelled.

“I know dad. I just don’t want him to feel trapped, like you did to me,” Tom exclaimed growing more annoyed by the minute.

“What I did to you got you to where you are today. Your life is thanks to me son and don’t you forget it,” Dom said with a stern, menacing voice.

“Understood sir,” Tom quipped. “Maybe Parker needs a push, in the right direction.” “Dad, I swear to god, don’t fucking do anything. Y/N and I are handling this” Tom yelled. “We’ll see how that turns out” Dom ended the phone call. Leaving Tom frustrated that his father sees him as his own puppet.

The night soon fell and Parker’s plan had been put into motion. He bribed a few of the Tom’s men with his allowance to let him sneak past. He jumped out the window, carefully walked on the roof as to not slip and make any noise. Finally on the ground, he scaled the iron fence to be met with Charlotte’s ice blue eyes. She was dressed in a pink party dress that hugged her figure perfectly.

“Wow princess, you look *chef’s kiss. Happy birthday baby,” Parker said while making his way back to the ground.

“Thanks doll. Now come on, before someone catches us,” she yelled whilst hopping into her silver Mercedes.

Arriving at the nightclub, everything was in full swing for 11 o’clock at night. Parker, Charlotte and her other friends were treated like royalty the moment Parker let his name slip.

“Right this way Mr. Holland and I will have someone bring you a bottle of champagne, on the house of course,” the hostess said as she sat them at their table.

“Oooo fancy, you should drop your name more often,” Charlotte whispered in Parker’s ear.

“Oh it was nothing, love.” Parker said while pouring himself and Charlotte a glass of bubbly. “Seriously Parker, how’d you do this? If I didn’t know any better I’d say your dad owned the club or something,” Charlotte said dumbfounded, causing Parker to choke on his champagne at her remark.

It was amazing what power could do. Having enough power to make your enemies disappear was unimaginable. Parker knew what turning down his father meant. He would have the name and the look of a Holland, but he wouldn’t be one anymore.

How could he give all that up. He enjoyed his cushy lifestyle. Sure it was day after day of worrying about your image but, he felt as though he belonged in that world. How could he go on being a kid for two more years knowing there was a metaphorical expiration date on his life.

He desperately wanted to want to be like them, his family. You, his mother, are the strongest person he knows. Having you in his life keeps him grounded, literally at the moment. Also his dad, Tom is a very loving and amazing father. He was there at all the football games (English football) cheering him on and at the spelling bees, also when he felt his first heartbreak, Tom was there.

Family has been the one constant in his life. Now it was being eclipsed by power, a power that could ruin lives or affect change. Turning his back on his family means they would never get see his future.

No one would be there at his graduation from college or when he first child was born, only Charlotte would be there. The girl he hoped to marry and have his kids. He couldn’t give up his future with her, no way. Parker eyes glanced at her, mesmerized by her beauty. He thought to himself, “This was it. This, she is all I’ll ever need, my princess.”

Most of Parker’s pet names for Charlotte were derived from Tom. He had heard his dad refer to his mother as: princess, queen, doll, darling, love. The list goes on. As long as Parker had his princess he knew he would be ok.

They danced the night away. Song after song. Feeling like the only two people in the room. Getting more drunk as the night progressed and other guests started to fizzle out. Leaving Charlotte and Parker alone on the dance floor.

“Char, I think it’s about time we head home. We are the only people left,”

Parker chuckled.

“Just two more songs please,” she muttered with her head nuzzled by his neck.

“It’s two hours til sunrise!” Parker exclaimed.

“Just a little while longer, I don’t want this moment to end.” “Me neither baby, I want to stay in your arms forever” Parker said. In a moment of love, coupled with champagne and a few tequila shots, Parker whispered, “We should get married.”

“What? Are you serious? Do you mean now or in like 5 years?” Charlotte asked as her voice slowly diminished

“Umm… yes and now. I love you,” Parker murmured. “YES! I will marry you!” Charlotte exclaimed pulling her boyfriend into a deep, passionate kiss. Parker’s dream was coming true and all he had to do was leave his family.

Just then a group of tall, stocky men, all dressed in black, funneled through the door of the club. They didn’t bother with sitting down, they just stood there blocking the only exit.

One of the men spoke up, “Parker Holland? I have a message for you.”

“Can’t it wait til morning, just tell him I’m sorry and he can ground me even longer,” Parker replied thinking the message was from Tom.

“It’s not that kind of message,” all the noise drifted away as the other man drew his gun. Both Charlotte and Parker grew tense at the sight of his pistol.

“Charlotte, get behind me,” Parker whispered, scared for both their lives.

“Boy, it’s not from your daddy,” said the leader of the men. “Do you know who my father is? He will have all of your heads if you so as much lay a finger on me,” Parker responded

“So the girl is up for grabs?” “Charlotte, RUN!” Parker Screamed

“Eh, not so fast. I’m going to enjoy this one.” The guy said, seizing Charlotte in his grip and motioning for this associates to grab Parker. Two arms holding Parker back from protecting Charlotte.

“LET GO OF ME! CHARLOTTE!”

“Why you hanging out this rift raft? I’m sorry but he needs to atone for his mistakes.” “Parker..” Charlotte whimpered.

“Such a pretty girl and such a waste” the man snickered as he pressed the gun into her abdomen. Tears slipped down her face as she felt the cool metal against her.

BANG

It was the shot heard round the room. Everything stood quiet as Charlotte collapsed to the floor. The leader of the men shouted he need a drink. “NOOOOO! ” Parker screamed as he was let go and raced to Charlotte’s side

“Hey, hey, baby look at me. Look at me,” Parker said as tears flooded down his face.

“I’m sorry, we should’ve left.” Charlotte whispered with labored breaths while blood poured out of her wound. “Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Parker cried while rubbing his thumb on her cheek. Blood pooled around them and he could only be focused on one thing, the love of his life dying in his arms. “Parker, it hurts so much,” Charlotte cried. The pain was mind-numbing. Threatening the life inside her.

“I know, love. Just keep your eyes on me love, keep’em open”

“I’m so tired Parker… I want my last words to you to be I love you. I love you ok? So much.” she whispered, then broke into a coughing fit. Blood filling her mouth and running down her chin, scaring Parker.

“Don’t, don’t fucking start that now you, hear me. You’re gonna be fine, we’re gonna get married and have kids and grow old together,” Parker exclaimed as her eyes threatened to shut.

“You said yes, Char. You have to be okay. You said yes. I asked you to marry me and you said yes.” Parker cried as tears refused to stop coming. Charlotte’s eyes growing more and more to a close.

“Please, don’t leave me baby. Charlotte don’t leave me. Don’t fucking close your eyes. You hear me. Don’t.” And with that, the hand Parker held so close to his heart was limp. Her eyes had closed and heart stopped beating. She was gone.

“No! No, no no, hey hey hey, come on, come on baby stay with me. Stay with me please.”

“Wake up, darling. Please. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Just come back to me baby. , I need you,” Parker whimpered. He burst into a fit of sobs and hugged her close to his body, not wanting to let her go because then it all became real.

The woman who changed his life, no longer walked this earth. The love of his life was gone. All the bubbling life inside of her, vanished like it had never existed in the first place. Parker’s demeanor flipped like a switch. His sadness became infused with anger, he was out for blood.

“You bastards! Why did you do that? She had nothing to do with this?” Parker thundered as blood coated his knuckles. “I’m sorry kid, but it had to be done” The leader spoke.

In a fit of rage, Parker grabbed the empty champagne bottle and smashed it over one of the guy’s heads, knocking the muscular guy unconscious.

“Big mistake, kid. Thought you were smarter than that.” The leader said as he stood in front of Parker and delivered him a swift punch to the jaw, flooring Parker.

“She really wasn’t enough of a message? Want her death to be in vain?” He spat as he kicked Parker in the stomach.

Several kicks followed, two more to the stomach, one to the groin and one final blow to the head, demobilizing Parker. He laid on the ground coughing up blood, trying to gather enough strength to get home.

He looked once more over to the girl he had loved, lifeless with a whole in stomach, knowing if it weren’t for him she would still be alive. Charlotte was the only thing on his mind as he succumbed to all the pain and everything faded to darkness.

Guns, Glamour, and Goodfellas Series Masterlist

Taglist: @thenoddingbunny-blog @adriannauni @dummiesshort

[berrynarrybanana]

take it out on me - honeybee extra

A/N: I don’t know if anyone has seen the video of those girls throwing water at Harry’s car but first of all fuck them and second that’s so not chill. I got a little upset but then I started thinking about going home with H and having him take it out on you. And then I started writing this piece which was supposed to be for BFHarry’s fic challenge and then it turned into husband and soon to be dad H with Beatrice and Harry! I am forewarning you that this is filthy and I hope you enjoy. 

Word Count: 3k+

Warnings: Cursing, Crying, Evil “fans��, pregnancy sex, mild choking king, dominant aspects, and cockwarming

Sometime in the fall of 2022

Friday, 6:00 PM, London

Being home in London felt good.

As a little girl, I always dreamed of living in the land of the Queen. I perfected my English accent by the time I was ten, whipping it out at parties and sometimes school plays. When I was 15, a freshman in high school, I auditioned for our school play that would take place in Kent, England. Our sister school would accept us in their homes for six months of the year while we rehearsed and learned together. I was crushed when I didn’t get the part and I was utterly terrified that I would never get the chance to see London or Brighton. But after meeting Harry, it was one of the first serious conversations we had. The third night of our relationship, we were cuddled up in his Malibu home, talking about forever. He mentioned going home to see his Mum after his first solo world tour and though I was upset that he would be so far, I was happy for him. 

“I’m gonna tell her about you, you know?” He kissed over my wet cheeks as I sniffled. “Gonna tell my Mum about the girl I met in L.A and how she’s gonna be my wife someday.” 

Three days. 

That’s how long we had known each other when he said that. 

And he wasn’t wrong about it. 

I stepped out of my London car with my purse and to go coffee mug in hand. The car was far too expensive for my taste, but Harry insisted on having me drive the safest car on the market. Wanda, my very first Audi SUV, was big enough to fit myself, Harry, and the car seat he had installed for our future son. I dropped a free hand to my stomach, softly caressing my baby bump with a smile on my face. Ellis was kicking up a storm as he normally did around this time. I was done with work and the sun was setting which meant that a talk with Daddy would only be moments away. 

“It’s alright little love,” I winced at a particularly hard kick. “Daddy's home, just give me a moment to get inside.” 

I let out a heavy sigh, walking up the few steps to our newest home. 

It still wasn’t quite ready yet, walls unpainted and furniture askew, but it was home. 

I was still working in Milan with Vogue for at least three more weeks and Harry was on his European leg of the tour. I was in town for my doctor’s appointment scheduled for Saturday, and Harry was free of any shows or interview obligations for the weekend. In three weeks, I would officially be home in London and on maternity leave. I would be working from home, skyping with Anna and talking with the board about the new London office, but it would be nice to enjoy some time with Ellis and Harry without any work obligations getting in the way. 

“Darling,” I called out, shutting the door behind me with a smile. “Are you home?” 

“Just in the kitchen, honeybee!” Harry called out. 

I dropped my purse on the table by the front door, dropping my keys inside so they wouldn’t get lost before tomorrow. Next, I slipped off my shoes and then peeled myself out of my jacket. It was by no means freezing in London, but the fall chill was starting to set in. I made my way towards our kitchen, my hands pressed into my bump as my nose picked out the scent of oregano and tomato. Harry’s back was towards me, his hands working on something on the countertop. He looked delectable, as always, his back covered by a black t-shirt and a pair of highwaisted trousers settled on his tiny little hips. With a happy hum, I moved around the kitchen island. 

“Hiya squid.” I pressed my lips over his shoulder, pressing my hands to his hips. 

“There’s my girl.” He peered over his shoulder, dropping the knife he had been using before reaching for a tea towel. “Gimme a kiss.” 

He turned around as I puckered my lips out, kissing him a few times before his hands took over resting on my bump. For a split second, we had a moment to ourselves. But it was over the moment Ellis started kicking around again, angry that he wasn’t greeted by his Daddy before me. 

“Ellis, little man, you’ve gotta stop that.” I frowned, glancing down at my belly. “Mummy and Daddy are trying to say hello.” 

“Is someone being a little bugger today?” Harry hummed, crouching down until he was at eye level with my belly. “That’s not very nice, Ellie, is it?” 

Our son calmed down seconds after hearing Harry’s voice. 

“I think he needs you to fall asleep.” I whispered, brushing my fingers through Harry’s hair as he looked up at me. “He’s been kicking around all day so I know he’s tired.”

“S’alright little one.” Harry kissed over my belly a few times before standing up. “Why don’t you get changed into something more comfortable and then settle in on the couch. Dinner is nearly done and I’ll be right there.” 

“Alright.” I smiled, humming happily when Harry pressed his lips to mine again. “I love you.” 

“Love you too, honey.”

Saturday, 10:00 AM; London 

Harry and I’s pregnancy wasn’t news to anyone. 

Working for Vogue and being Harry Styles’ wife meant that a lot of eyes were on me constantly. Anna suggested biting the bullet and doing a spread for the magazine would be our best option. A few months ago, we agreed. There was a maternity shoot done in our L.A home with me barefoot and pregnant and Harry doting on me as he always did. We did a quick interview on paper, a quick photo shoot, and a small video tour of our home before Anna called it quits. The world went crazy when it all came out, the official announcement on my Instagram promoting the video. Since then, it had been quiet. There wasn’t a lot of fuss over me and Harry was still getting his usual amount of fans at the airport and other places when he traveled, but other than that we were fine. 

Until today. 

“Mr. Styles,” The receptionist at our OBGYN’s office in London looked nervous. “There’s quite a large crowd of people outside of our building.”

“Bloody hell.” He grumbled under his breath, letting out a heavy sigh. “I’ll have it taken care of. I’m very sorry about that, love.” 

“S’alright.” She said quickly. “We’ve locked the doors so no one is permitted in and our other patience won’t be her until after lunch. It should be fine.” 

“Thank you.” She nodded before retreating from our exam room. “I need to let Jeff know. We need someone to have the car pulled around when we leave.” 

“You can go talk to them while we wait, Harry.” I said softly, reaching for his hand. “Or after, even, I don’t mind.”

“M’not really in the mood today.” He mumbled, reaching for his phone. “I want you in the car, untouched and safe more than anything.” 

I didn’t argue with him, nodding along as Ellis moved around in my belly. 

Harry spent most of the wait typing on his phone, no doubt talking with Jeff. I sat there anxiously, twiddling with my fingers while I waited for our doctor to come in. Another ultrasound would be happening today and we would be going over the final steps of my pregnancy and birth plan. When Dr. Hillcrest stepped inside, my heart rate increased. Harry put his phone away, reaching for my hand as she greeted us. 

“So, how have you been feeling Mummy?” She asked, sitting down on her stool with her clipboard in hand. “Any braxton hicks?”

“Once or twice.” I nodded. “First time I thought I was in labor, scared the hell out of me.”

“It is quite scary when you’re not used to it.” She chuckled. “As we’re nearing the end of your third trimester, there are some things we need to go over. We’re doing tests for Glaucoma, Anemia, Hep B, and a few other things. We’ll be going over the final steps of your birth plan today as well. Have you toured any of the hospital’s in Milan?” 

“Yes, I did a few last week.” I nodded. “I’ve decided on Mangiagalli.”

“Perfect.” She said. “I’ll get in contact with the head of the Maternity Ward today and I’ll make sure they have all of the information.” 

“We’re really hoping he’s not born in Milan.” Harry chuckled softly. “It would be a bit odd to have him there while Beatrice is trying to close out the office.” 

“Odd is a very nice way to say it.” I laughed. “But I’m glad we’re prepared.” 

“Babies wait for no one.” Dr. Hillcrest let out a soft chuckle. “I hope you don’t deliver there either, I would love to be there with you when you deliver.” 

It took another hour or two before we were finished in the office. 

I was told that in about four weeks, I would need to stop flying. 

That gave me plenty of time to get things finished up in Milan before making it home to London. Harry had plenty of questions for Dr. Hillcrest and I was thankful that he remembered all the ones I wanted to ask as well. When we were done with the testing and the ultrasound, Harry helped me slip back into my comfortable clothes before lacing his fingers with mine. The nervous smile he gave me meant there was still a crowd outside that we had to deal with. I squeezed his finger, reassuring him that no matter what happened, we would be fine.

“The car is up front.” He said softly. “We’re getting you in first and then me. No stopping, no talking, just get in the car.” 

“Alright.” I said softly. “We’ll be fine.” 

“I know.” He kissed me quickly before leading me outside. 

The cheering increased, loud screams and Harry’s name being chanted nearly shocked me. I hadn’t seen a crowd this big outside of a building before. I glanced over at Harry, my heart rate picking up a little as he talked to a man dressed in all black. Harry glanced back at me, pulling me closer to his side before ushering me to the car. He opened the passenger side door for me, shielding my body from the crowd as my hands started to shake. He reached for my seat belt, his eyes full of worry and anxiety. 

“I’m sorry, honey.” He cooed, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. “S’gonna be alright. Just give me a minute, yeah?” 

“I love you.” I said, reluctant to let his hand go.

“I know, honey.” His lips pressed into mine. “You’ve gotta let go so I can get in, okay?” 

I nodded weakly, loosening my grip up. 

Harry shut the door and I tried to avoid looking out the window, but there was a crowd of girls moving in closer and closer. I was afraid that they would get to the door before I did, but I couldn’t lock Harry out. I gasped when the drivers side door opened, snapping my head around to see Harry. He locked the doors before flipping the car in drive. Seconds after we started moving, I heard thudding against the side of the car door. My anxiety was washed away by anger, water splashing against the side of the car as they continued to throw their bottles at us. 

“Fucking hell.” I snapped, my fingers balling up into fists. “That’s just ridiculous.” 

Harry didn’t say a word, peeling out of the lot and onto the streets of London. 

He was careful not to speed the entire way home, but I could tell that he wanted to. 

At some point, his hand landed on my thigh, squeezing firmly as his jaw clenched. I watched the profile of his face, worried more about how he was taking it than myself. These were his fans that had pissed him off. They had come to close for comfort and they had crossed a line when they started throwing things at us. When we made it home, he slammed the car into the park before getting out. Gently, he helped me out of the car, his hand landing right on my bump as my feet hit the ground. The small action sparked something in me, a pool of wetness beginning to form between my thighs. When we made it in the house, Harry started to move away from me. 

“Wait,” I said, holding his hand tightly. “Where are you going?” 

“Gonna go blow off some steam.” He said. “I’m fucking livid.” 

“I know.” I nodded. “Take it out on me.” 

“What?” He said, his wild eyes growing wider as he let out a bitter laugh.  “I’m not gonna do that, Beatrice.” 

“I want you to take it out on me, Harry.” I stepped forward, reaching for his other hand. “Fuck me.” 

“Beatrice, no.” He said. “What happens if I’m too rough? What happens if I lose-” 

“As if I would let you do anything to harm me seriously, Harry.” I scoffed. “You’ll be fine and I promise to tell you if it’s too much. But please, fuck me.” 

His chest was heaving as he looked down at me, his lips shiny from licking and biting over them nervously in the car. He let out a soft curse before lunging forward, his hands grabbing my face firmly. I whimpered in relief when he pressed his lips into mine, his tongue showing no mercy as it explored my mouth. It had been weeks since we made love and months since we’d had a proper fuck. Things were more tender for us in the bedroom, Harry’s fear of harming me or Ellis ever present at the front of his mind. When my bum collided with the couch, I knew I was going to get what I wanted from him. Harry pulled his lips from mine, tugging my shirt over my head quickly. 

My leggings were next to go, my hands pressed into his shoulders as I clumsily stepped out of them. I didn’t bother with a bra or panties, knowing that our only stop would be the doctor's office today. When Harry’s head disappeared past my bump, I whined. Seconds later, I felt his teeth scraping over my thigh before lightly biting down. I welcomed the sting, a rush of warmth flooding over me as my pussy began to throb before him. Harry pulled back when I started to move my hips closer to his face, wanting to feel his tongue caressing my clit. 

“Not now.” He growled out, standing up. “Upstairs, on the bed.” 

“What?” I squeaked out, sure that I would get my proper fucking right here. “What’s wrong with the floor?” 

“Now, Beatrice.” He gripped my chin with his thumb and forefinger, his voice stern. “On all fours.” 

When I turned around reluctantly, pouting at the missed opportunity for floor sex, I felt a sharp smack on my ass. I cried out, glancing back at Harry as I pressed my hand over my bum. Harry smirked at me, crossing his arms as I waddled away with narrowed eyes. I had asked for it and I was definitely going to get what I wanted. I climbed up the stairs slowly, waddling towards our bedroom. When I made it to our bed, I did as I was told. My hands and knees pressed into the plush mattress, our duvet soft on the skin of my knees. Maybe this was better than the floor. 

After a few moments, Harry was pushing into the room behind me. He wasted no time stripping himself down before kneeling on the bed behind me. I opened my mouth, prepared to make a smart comment about him being eager, but I was cut off before I could even speak. The head of his cock pushed into me first and then the rest followed. I gasped, dropping my head forward as his hips collided with mine. I clenched my eyes shut, welcoming the feeling of Harry’s length. 

“Always squeeze me so good.” Harry moaned out behind me and I could imagine he’d dropped his head back in bliss. “Hold tight for me, yeah? Tell me if it’s too much, Beatrice. Promise me you will.” 

“I promise,” I gasped out as he pulled away, his cock leaving my walls vacant and begging for more. It didn’t last long before was fucking into me again, harder this time as his fingers dug into the flesh of my hips. “Oh!” 

Harry’s soft grunts and the force of his thrusts had me sitting on cloud nine. I was enjoying the pounding I was getting, his hips slapping against mine as he gave me everything he had. I was a babbling mess below him, begging for more, harder, faster, please! Harry met my every need, angling his hips perfectly so that he was hitting every spot within me that I needed to be satisfied. It didn’t take long for me to cum around him, my walls fluttering without warning as my arms started to grow weak. Harry was quick to mold his chest to my back, pulling me up until my head was dropped back on his shoulder. He had no problem fucking me just as hard as I came around his cock. 

“V’got you honey,” He nipped at my ear. “I’ve got you. Gonna make you cum again for me, okay? Can you do one more for me?” 

I nodded, but that wasn’t enough.

“Say it.” He grunted, sliding the hand that was holding my  belly up to my throat. “Use your words.” 

“Please, Harry.” I whimpered as his fingers rested over my throat. “Make me cum again.” 

“Good girl.” His teeth raked over the skin of my shoulder before he bit down on me, a loud moan tearing from my throat. “There’s my girl, so fucking good for me all the time.” 

“Yes, yes.” I cried out as he delivered a few thrusts that were harder than the others. “M’gonna cum, M’gonna-” 

“Do it.” He said. “Cum on my cock honey. Give me a good one.” 

A flash of white took over my senses as I tightened around his cock. 

I wasn’t sure if I had moaned, my mouth dropped open as I reached out for Harry’s hand on my hips. My body jerked against his as he stilled inside of me, grunting loudly in my ear as his hips flexed forward. He pushed his cum inside of me, almost as if he was trying to put another baby in me. When I finally came back to my senses, Harry was slipping out of my walls and I was crying. 

“No, no.” I sniffled, reaching back for his hips. “Stay.” 

“Honey, I’m...I can’t.” 

A soft sob ripped out of my throat and seconds later, Harry was guiding my body to the bed. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” His hands were flying all over my body, pressing into my skin to make sure I was fine. He settled his palm on my belly, his eyes wide with fear. “What hurts?” 

“I just wanted you to stay in me.” I sniffled, reaching up to wipe under my eyes. “I’m so empty now.” 

“Oh, honey.” He collapsed on the bed next to me, kissing over my face. “It’s alright, it’s gonna be alright.” 

I curled myself into his chest, digging my fingers into his sides as he covered our naked bodies with the throw at the end of our bed. He pressed gentle kisses over my forehead, brushing his hand up and down my back in soothing circles to try and calm me down. Rationally, I knew it was pregnancy hormones, but I still felt empty without his cock in me. 

“Turn around fo’ me.” He whispered, patting my thigh. I did as he said, turning on my side as another sob pulled from my throat. “It’s alright, honey. Lift your leg up and put it on the pillow.” 

He guided one under my leg, brushing his hand softly over my thigh as he moved his front closer to my back. Seconds later, I felt the head of his cock at my entrance. 

“Hold on, sweet girl.” He whispered. “You ready?” 

I nodded my head, reaching back to hold onto his hip as he slipped inside of me, harder than he had been earlier when we started our little escapade. 

“So fucking tight, honey.” He whimpered into my ear. “S’that what you wanted?” 

“Yes.” I gasped out wetly, nodding my head. “S’full.” 

“Love you so much, Beatrice.” He whispered as I started to drift off. “Close your eyes for me honey, go to sleep. 

“Love you, too.”

[thekillerssluts]

Will Butler explains how his Harvard degree developed into his second solo album

“Yeah, it’s terrifying,” Will Butler says, pondering how it feels to be releasing music away from the umbrella of Arcade Fire.

“It’s the classic thing about all writers,” he continues. “The creative process makes them wanna puke the whole time they’re writing something, then they read something back and it makes them feel worse, then a year later they read it and think ‘yeah, it’s okay’. It’s a glorious experience, but it really makes your stomach hurt.”

On the one hand Will Butler is well accustomed to this writing process, being a multi-instrumentalist in the Canadian indie-rock band fronted by brother Win - Arcade Fire. But on his own terms, it’s an entirely new process. Butler’s second solo album Generations arrives five years after his debut Policy, a collection that rattled with a ramshackle charm and what he describes now as a ‘consciously very unproduced’ sound. Arcade Fire wound down from their Everything Now tour in September 2018, leaving Butler with the last two years of playtime. Most musicians, particularly those accustomed to big album cycles, set aside their downtime for family or other musical projects. Somehow Butler’s managed to do both while also completing a masters degree in Public Policy at Harvard.

“I went to school for a variety of reasons but there was an artistic side to it too,” he says. “I have always tried to let music and lyrics emerge from the world that I’m in; you fertilise the soil and see what grows. It was a way to better understand where we are, how we got here and what's going on. You know, ‘where am I from? What's going to happen?’” Both of these questions explored in his degree are used as fuel for Generations.

It’s easy to imagine an album by somebody who’s just pursued a Public Policy MSt to form in reams of political commentary, probably set to an acoustic guitar. However, Butler instead engages character portraits soundtracked by a broad range of thrilling sonics. Opener “Outta Here” is shrouded by a monstrous bass that lurks beneath the depths of the instrumentation before bursting out midway through. “Got enough things on my plate without you talking about my salvation,” he screams.

While the cage-rattling “Bethlehem” is mania underpinned by a thrashing guitar and bubbling synths that help lift the track to boiling point.While there’s no current world leaders namechecked or any on-the-nose political commentary across the LP, the angst of its contents is instantly tangible, backed by the intellect of somebody who’s spent the past few years studying the ins and outs of government processes. A perfect combination, you could say.

This fuel was partly discovered through Butler reconnecting with the music that defined his teenage years: namely Bjork, The Clash and Eurythmics. While these influences certainly slip into frame across Generations, they were paired with something of an unlikely muse: “I got into this habit of listening to every single song on the Spotify Top 50 every six weeks,” Butler explains. “So many of them are horrible, terrifying and just awful but there’s something inspiring about how god damn avant garde the shittiest pop music is now. Just completely divorced from any sense of reality - it’s just layers upon layers upon layers - it’s amazing. It’s like Marcel Duchamp making a pop hit every single song.”

We turn from current music to current events. Navigating Covid-19 with his wife and three kids in their home of Brooklyn, a majority of 2020 has been caught up in family time for Butler. “The summer’s been easier because everybody’s outside, whereas in spring it was like ‘it’s family time because we have to lock our doors as there's a plague outside.’” While being surrounded by the trappings of lockdown since his second solo album Generations was completed in March, the album itself wriggles with the spirit of live instrumentation, which at this point seems like some sort of relic from a bygone era."I think eventually rediscovering this album back in the live setting would be amazing - we’re a really great live band, it’s a shame to not be in front of people."

The source of this energy can be traced back to the way the songs came together; they were forged and finessed at a series of shows in the early stages of the project. “It just raises the stakes. You can tell how good or how dumb a lyric is when you sing it in front of a hundred people,” he reflects. “It’s like ‘are you embarrassed because what you’re saying is true?’ or ‘is it just embarrassing?’ It’s a good refiner for that stuff. I think eventually rediscovering this album back in the live setting would be amazing - we’re a really great live band, it’s a shame to not be in front of people.”

Like his day job in Arcade Fire, Butler’s solo live group is something of a family affair - both his wife and sister-in-law feature in the band, alongside Broadway's West Side Story star, and the student of the legendary Fela Kuti drummer, Tony Allen. Together this eclectic mix of musicians conjures an infectious spirit through the raw combination of thundering synths and pedal-to-the-metal instrumentation; an apt concoction indeed for lyrics that are attempting to unhatch the bamboozling questions that surround our current times.

The timing for Butler’s decision to study Public Policy couldn’t have been more perfect, with his course starting in the Fall of 2016. “I was at Harvard for the election which was a really bizarre time to be in a government school, but it was great to be in a space for unpacking questions like ‘my god, how did we get here?!’” he reflects, with a note of mockery in the bright voice.

“I had a course taught by a professor named Leah Wright Rigueur. The class was essentially on race in America but with an eye towards policy. The class explored what was going to happen in terms of race under the next president. The second to last week was about Hilary Clinton and the last week was about Donald Trump. We read riot reports - Ferguson in 2015, Baltimore in 2016, the Detroit uprisings in the ‘60s and Chicago in 1919 - it's certainly helping me understand the last 5 years, you know. Just to be in that context was very lucky.”

As we’ve seen with statues being toppled, privileges being checked and lyrics of national anthems being interrogated in recent months, history is a complex, labyrinthine subject to navigate requiring both ruthless self-scrutiny and a commitment to the long-haul in order to correct things. The concept of Generations shoots from the same hip employing character portraits to engage in the broader picture.

The writing, at times, is beamed from a place of disconnect (“had enough of bad news / had enough of your generation”), from a place of conscious disengagement (“I’m not talking because I don’t feel like lying / if you stay silent you can walk on in silence”) and from a place of honest self-assessment (“I was born rich / three quarters protestant / connections at Harvard and a wonderful work ethic”).

“I’m rooted in history to a fault,” he says. “My great grandfather was the last son of a Mormon pioneer who’d gone West after being kicked out of America by mob violence. He wanted to be a musician which was crazy - he got 6 months in a conservatory in Chicago before his first child was born. He always felt like he could have been a genius, he could of been writing operas but he was teaching music in like tiny western towns and he had all these kids and he made them be a family band and they were driving around the American west before there were roads in the deserts - literally just driving through the desert! He would go to these small towns and get arrested for trying to skip bills and just live this wild existence.”

Butler’s grandma, meanwhile, was just a child at this point. She went on to become a jazz singer with her sisters and married the guitar player Alvino Rey. “The fact that me and my brother are musicians is no coincidence,” he smiles. “It’s not like I decided to be a musician, it’s down to decisions that were made at the end of the 19th century that have very clearly impacted where I am today. The musical side of it is very beautiful, it is super uncomplicated and a total joy to have a tradition of music in our family...but also in the American context - which is the only context I know - it's also these very thorny inheritances from the 19th century and beyond that influence why my life is like it is.

“For me it’s like, ‘I made my money because my grandpa was a small business owner’ or ‘my grandpa was a boat builder and got a pretty good contract in WW2 and was able to send his kids to college’. Both of which are so unpoetic and unromantic but it is an important thing to talk about, that's a personal political thing to talk about; there's horrifying and beautiful aspects there.”

The lament of “I’m gonna die in a hospital surrounded by strangers who keep saying they’re my kids” on “Not Gonna Die” could well be croaked by somebody on the tail end of a life lived on the American Dream. At times, Butler plays the characters off against each other, like on “Surrender,” which chronicles two flawed characters going back and forth played by Butler’s lead vocals and his female backing singers that undermine his memory; “I remember we were walking” is cut up with the shrug of “I dunno” and “maybe so”. “I found having the backing voices there gave me something to play with,” he explains. “Either something threatening to the main character or something affirming to the main character, just providing another point of view.”

Elsewhere, “I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know” explores the feeling of being unsuitably equipped to unravel the complexities that surrounds us day-to-day. “The basic emotion of that song is very much ‘I don’t know what I can do’ which is an emotion we all have,” he ponders. “There’s also the notion that follows that, like ���maybe don’t even tell me what to do because it’s going to be too overwhelming to even do anything’.”

Some of these portraits materialised in the aftershows Butler began hosting while on Arcade Fire’s Everything Now tour which found him instigating conversations and talks by local councilman, politicians and activists on local issues. “On some of the good nights of the aftershow town halls, you’d feel that switch away from despair and into action,” he says smiling. “The step between despair and action is possible, that sentiment isn’t spelled out lyrically on the record but it’s definitely there spiritually.”

“I learned anew what a treasure it is to have people in a room. Getting humans in a room can be absurd. And we were having from 5,000 to 15,000 people in a room every night, most of them local. I’m very comfortable with art for art’s sake; I think art is super important and it’s great people can like music that's not political. It was sort of like ‘well we’re here and I know a lot of you are thinking about the world and you’re thinking about what a shit show everything is. You want to know what we can do and I also want to know what we can do!’ So I put on these after shows.”"The dream lineup would be to have a local activist and a local politician talking about a local issue because that’s the easiest way to make concrete change."

Butler would find a suitable location near the Arcade Fire gig through venue owners who were often connected to the local music and comedy scenes to host these events. “The dream lineup would be to have a local activist and a local politician talking about a local issue because that’s the easiest way to make concrete change. Arguably, the most important way is through the city council and state government. The New York state government is in Albany, New York. The shit that happens in Albany is all super important so I wanted to highlight that and equip people with some concrete levers to pull.

“In Tampa we had people who were organizing against felon disenfranchisement, like if you’ve been convicted of a felon you couldn’t vote in Florida, and something absurd like 22% of black men in Florida couldn’t vote and there were people organising to change that - this was in 2018 - and you could just see people being like ‘holy shit, I didn't even know this was happening!’

“These were not topics I’m an expert in - it’s like these are things that are happening. The thought was trying to engage, I’m sad to not be doing something similar this Fall, I mean what a time it would have been to go around America.”

Understandably the looming 2020 election is on Butler’s radar. “It doesn't feel good,” he sighs. “I’ve never had any ability to predict, like 2 weeks from now the world could be completely different from what it is today. There was always a one-in-a-billion chance of the apocalypse and now it's like a one-in-a-million chance which is a thousand times more likely but also unlikely. It’s going to be a real slog in the next couple of years on a policy side, like getting to a place where people don’t die for stupid reasons, I’m not even talking about the coronavirus necessarily just like policy in general. Who knows, it could be great but it seems like it's going to be a slog.”

There’s a moment on the closing track “Fine”, a stream-of-consciousness, Randy Newman-style saloon waltz, where Butler hits the nail on the head. “George [Washington], he turned to camera 3, he looked right at me and said...I know that freedom falters when it’s built with human hands”. It’s one of the many lyrical gems that surface throughout the record but one that chimes with an undeniable truth. It’s the same eloquence that breaks through as he touches on the broad ranging subjects in our conversation, always with a bright cadence despite the gloom that hangs over some of the topics.

The live show is without a doubt Arcade Fire’s bread and butter. While Butler questions how realistic the notion of getting people in packed rooms in the near future is, he reveals the group are making movements on LP6. “Arcade Fire is constantly thinking about things and demoing, it's hard to work across the internet but at some point we’ll get together. It probably won’t be much longer than our usual album cycle,” he says.

You only have to pick out one random Arcade Fire performance on YouTube to see Butler’s innate passion bursting out, whether it’s early performances that found him and Richard Reed Parry adorning motorbike helmets annihilating each other with drumsticks to the 1-2-3 beat of “Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)” or the roaring “woah-ohs” that ascend in the anthem of “Wake Up” every night on tour. It’s an energy that burns bright throughout our conversation and across Generations.

https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/arcade-fires-will-butler-new-solo-record-generations

[natromanxoff]

Queen live at Hyde Park in London, UK - September 18, 1976 (Part-1)

An interesting bit about the Hyde Park gig (thanks to Jane Palm-Gold): "The white boiler suit Fred wore coming onstage was especially chosen by him so that he could be seen from miles away (because white stands out at a distance) and even better (and this is great but you have to know this place really - a London landmark for many years) it was acquired at Lawrence Corner at Euston (!), a tatty second hand clothes /hire place where a lot of clothes /outfits were hired from for band promo shoots - for instance they had a lot of military stuff there."

(x)

After the success of A Night At The Opera (and not to mention how the weekly Sounds readers' poll elected the band #1 in the best album, best single, and best band categories), Queen wanted to pay the British fans back for back their loyalty and support over the last few years. Whilst in Japan earlier in the year, they came up with the idea to stage a massive free concert. With the help of record industry entrepreneur Richard Branson (creator of Virgin Records/megastores) they started making plans for the Hyde Park show, which turned into a mini tour along with the Edinburgh and Cardiff shows. It is estimated that between 150-200 thousand people turned up at Hyde Park, which is still a record for the venue to this day. This show cemented their position in the top bracket of rock bands. The stage used was the same stage that was constructed for the Rolling Stones concert at the Knebworth Fair a few weeks earlier. 

Queen's first huge show at home brought certain areas of London to a grinding halt, and space on public transportation was at a premium. The concert took place on the anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death. A banner hung from a tree that read "Hendrix Lives," and at one point in the show Brian May noticed it with much appreciation. The band are seen in the photos above arriving at the venue, where they were joined backstage by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters. Supercharge, Steve Hillage, Rufus, and Kiki Dee (along with a cardboard cut-out of Elton John, who couldn't make it to join her for Don't Go Breaking My Heart) played before Queen (Be-Bop Deluxe and John Miles were supposed to be on the bill as well, but were axed for some reason). A pro-shot video of Steve Hillage's performance exists as well as Queen's. There was a fight in the audience during Hillage's set, during which he played extended trippy versions of It's All Too Much by The Beatles and Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan. Also notable is Supercharge's singer Albie Donnelly parodying Freddie Mercury in a white leotard and a half mic stand. The first half of the A Day At The Races overture is aired publicly for the first time (the upcoming album had been partially recorded by this point). The usual Bohemian Rhapsody opening sequence then commences for the last time. The band make their entrance, and everybody near the stage stands up (the audience had been seated on the grass for the opening acts). This angers many fans who are further back (roughly 90% of the audience now cannot see the stage), so they start lobbing cans, bottles, or whatever else that can be thrown. After a few songs, Freddie asks everyone simply to calm down: "I have been requested by the constabulary for you not to throw little things around, tin cans or whatever. So make this a peaceful event, ok? Sit on your arses and listen." Brian, after his solo spot in Brighton Rock (he stutters a bit, revealing that he's still nervous): “From one piece of nonsense to another, I’ve said it before. This is something we wanted to do with the London Philharmonic but they didn’t show up, so we will do the ethnic version of a song called '39." He is seen in a dazzling new outfit tonight, which he'd wear every night through Japan 1979. It would become the outfit he'd change into during the opera section of Bohemian Rhapsody. "Clap along and stuff," he urges the audience, as he plays the intro of what he'd later describe as the first song about Einstein's general theory of relativity. After '39, Freddie audaciously performs the as-of-yet unreleased You Take My Breath Away alone on the piano, even hitting many of the falsetto notes that he'd excise in 1977 versions. He then gets cheeky and introduces The Prophet's Song as "a little shorter number from our album A Night At The Opera." Perhaps he still had You Take My Breath Away in his head, as he begins the a cappella section with what would become the first line of the A Day At The Races ballad instead of the usual "oh, people can you hear me?" bit. He also references Death On Two Legs, as he had done a few times earlier in the year. After Stone Cold Crazy, the band play Keep Yourself Alive and Liar, having dropped Doing All Right and Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon from the set. The combination of these three heavy numbers would prove to be very effective, and they would stick with it for their following North American tour. Liar is a great version, with many great Mercuryisms throughout. Before the last song, Brian coyly says, "This is In The Lap Of The Gods, or something like that." The band play a similar set to the ones they did in Edinburgh and Cardiff, except they drop Doing All Right, Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon and Tie Your Mother Down. They intended to perform their usual encore of Big Spender and Jailhouse Rock, but the show had run a half hour past its scheduled ending time (a curfew strictly enforced by the authorities). The police threatened to arrest the band if they went back on stage, and Freddie was later quoted saying how he would prefer not to be stuck in a jail cell in his leotard. And so, Bob Harris was left with the unenviable task of announcing to the crowd that the show was over. He later recalled how difficult and nerve-wracking it was to tell an audience of this size who had waited for about ten hours that there would be no encore. Now I'm Here was the first encore every night around this time, making this the one time between 1974 and 1986 where the song is not performed. The liner notes of Live Killers suggest that Now I'm Here was dropped from the set for a while, but that is patently untrue. People in one section of the audience chanted "Why are we waiting," all in good fun, knowing full well the show was over. The police soon turned off the main power feed to the park, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to make their way out in sheer darkness. Their reasoning was that it was the only way to "control" such a large number of people who had been rowdy throughout the day. In a 1977 interview with Capital Radio, Brian recalls the day: "It had a great sunny day for it, and everyone had a good time. There were still altercations on the day, and there was a big thing with the powers that be because they wouldn't let us go on and do the encore, about which we were very upset, having worked up for months and prepared for all that. They got very frightened because there were 150,000 people in Hyde Park in the dark, and they thought they were going to get out of hand. But in fact, there was no possible danger happening at all. Everyone was peaceful and having a good time."

This show is what epitomized their popularity in Britain, and when they felt they "had really made it," as Brian would later recall. On another occasion he said, "I think that Hyde Park was one of the most significant gigs in our career. There was a great affection because we'd kind of made it in a lot of countries by that time, but England was still, you know, we weren't really sure if we were really acceptable here. So it was a wonderful feeling to come back and see that crowd and get that response." Despite the fact that the audience had been there all day watching the various opening acts and waiting, the band delayed the show as long as possible just so it could get dark enough for their lighting and various other effects to make their full impact (as demanded by Freddie). Throughout the show, the band's nervousness and excitement for the occasion are evident. Most of the audience couldn't see a thing during Queen's set, since the stage was barely elevated. "The smell of the dry ice and the sound are the only sensory memories I have of this show," recalls Jane Palm-Gold. Here is an article from the day of the show, 

and a review from a week later (both were submitted by Boris Arkhangelsky).

Tonight would be the final performances of Flick Of The Wrist, Son And Daughter, and the (almost) full The Prophet's Song. A snippet of The March Of The Black Queen would be performed only once more in 1978, but a different part of the song.

Here is  a Virgin Records flyer.

The second pic is the famous overhead shot that appeared in the October 9, 1976 Melody Maker. Pic 5 was submitted by Janneman,  and pics 6 and 7 were submitted by Lukáš Bosík.

Fan Stories

“Well, I was 13 years old and had got into Queen through Night At The Opera and THAT video. I'd never been to a gig before and it took a lot of convincing of a sceptical mother to let me go to Hyde Park on my own. After answering the inevitable "no, I won't talk to strange men mum" questions I was allowed to go. The morning came and I was up at 6am, got my packed lunch together (can you imagine going off to a gig now with your sandwiches and orange juice!) and headed off to Hyde Park. I remember getting there so early that I was right by the crash barriers at the front and determined to try and hold my spot all day. As the day progeressed however I ended upmoving backwards slowly as people pushed in. I can remember savouring the whole build up, the support bands, everything. As dusk started to fall, the stage went dark and the dry ice started up. I broke my mums don't talk to strangers bit and a very nice bloke put me up on his shoulders so I could see them come on. I just remember the crash of light and sound as they came on as if it was yesterday (and not 27 years ago!). The rest of the gig was amazing and that was it, I was hooked on Queen and rock music. I saw Queen on every tour they ever did in England (and a few in Europe) after that but nothing compares to that first gig for me.” 

- Andy

Part-2

Part-3

[gra-sonas]

Currently airing its second season and already renewed for its third, The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico continues to push the story of alien siblings attempting to live peacefully in the town of Roswell to new places even perhaps for fans of the original Roswell. MICHAEL VLAMIS discusses working on the show, the complexities of his character, Michael Guerin, the many (MANY) other projects on his plate and more!

watchtivist: To start off, congratulations on the success of the show! How cool that you’re heading into season three now!

MICHAEL VLAMIS: It’s crazy, I remember when I got the call that I was going to be on the show in the first place. It’s the role that changed my life and it really set me up for all the other things going on in my life. I remember getting that call, crying in a public place. So jacked up! And now all of a sudden, it’s like no big deal. I watched the episode last night (episode 207) on the TV and I get reminded it’s a big deal when I talk to my parents after every episode and hear their thoughts. Just the fact that they get to see their son miles away on television once a week. I appreciate you saying that because sometimes it feels like this is something we’re doing now, but definitely taking those moments to be grateful and the fact that we have season three is amazing.

W: It’s really great, especially in this landscape where shows don’t really get to dig into things. It’s gotta be exciting!

MV: Definitely.

W: One of the questions we received from Twitter was about if this role, that of Michael Guerin, has led you to acquire any particular skill set (or sets) for it.

MV: Oh wow, that’s interesting. Season one made me pull out my guitar again. Which was actually really cool because I got like not good at guitar, but decent where I could play a few songs. In college, I borrowed someone’s guitar and later got my own and played a bunch. Then for years, I got so focused on trying to make it as an actor, writing and auditions, that I stopped playing it. The show forced me to really go out of my comfort zone and even though it was easy things like songs with four chords or strumming patterns, sometimes depending on shooting schedules and if they got switched around, I’d learn something three hours before going to set. We’d wrap super late sometimes and I’d come home and dig in with my guitar. It’s definitely helped me brush up on that. I haven’t played the guitar on season two, so I’m probably back to where I was. [Laughs]

W: With the violent circumstances making up Michael’s background, he kind of starts out with that “looking out for number one” approach to things and season two we’re seeing Michael’s growth and him realizing when it’s perfectly ok for him to let people in and reprioritize based on that. What has that been like for you in terms of tackling the role? What would you say is the next phase of the growth for him?

MV: I think number one in tackling it was that I had no idea that the character was this complex in the beginning. I knew he was hiding his sexuality and who he really is, which is an alien. I knew that something had happened to him in the foster system growing up and he didn’t have the best upbringing. As the seasons have developed, everything has made a lot of sense. I’m sure Carina (Adly MacKenzie) knew from the moment she got the opportunity to do the new Roswell , so the way that it was written in the beginning, I was never surprised where it led me. And even with not being surprised, it’s been really cool to just see what they’ve given me to jump into. It’s kind of helped me deal with some of my trauma as a kid, and my trauma is not near what Michael Guerin’s was. I definitely had my moments, just as we all do with our families. Not feeling good enough or just hiding certain things about you because you’re afraid of who you are and people wouldn’t understand you. The complexities of the character have really helped me also look into who I am. Because I need to figure out a way into every script, every scene and the character. It helps me strip things away and boil down to ��Ok, who was thirteen-year-old, chubby, Michael Vlamis and now I’m this way. What was that growth like?” Figuring out my own personal growth helps me elevate that character, Michael Guerin.

With where we’re going next, I can’t say too much because he already has some changes coming towards the end of the season. It’s very interesting to see everyone’s theories online, some are correct and some are way off.

I saw in last night’s episode they finally revealed the junkyard owner, Walt, was the little boy from the flashbacks and people were speculating that really early on! That was really cool to see people getting validation in their theories because I love seeing those online. When it comes down to it, I want the dude to be happy with one of these lovers. I don’t know who that’s going to be. Everyone always asks who I’d rather be with and I can’t really even say that, even if I had one, because they’re both so different. I think Maria (Heather Hemmens) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) are both good for Michael at different times in his life. I know Tyler is going around telling people that that’s what he wants in season three and I let him run his mouth and hope that his new love interest in the show crashes and burns. [Laughs] I would like him to be in a good relationship, a happy relationship, but at the same time, I’m so excited to do the work on the days where my mother is dying, my brother is in a coma or I’m getting my heart ripped out. I love those scenes so much, as happy as I want and think Guerin deserves to be, I love the drama on the show. So, a little bit of heartbreak won’t hurt me.

W: Right, that makes sense. The question was going to be what would you want to see for Guerin in season three and beyond but you basically answered that! You want him happy. [Laughs]

MV: I’d love to see that. I would like to further expand his journey of putting that spaceship back together. I would love to see where that goes. I don’t even know if The CW has the budget to do that and take us to outer space or something but I think that’d be so cool. To find out about that and their home planet.

W: I mean, The CW has The 100 and DC Comics shows! Space isn’t a new place for The CW.

MV: That’s true! So maybe right now we’re willing it into existence. We’re manifesting it.

W: Actually, bringing up spaceships. Given that we live in the craziest of times and the Pentagon officially released videos of UFOs - Has that been something you’ve talked about with any cast or crew members?

MV: I haven’t talked to any of the cast or crew members about it but I’m pretty sure we’re all feeling the same way about it, we’re all excited for any new information. I’ve been interested in aliens since I found out Tom Delonge from Blink 182 was a major conspiracy theorist and loves everything about UFOs and alien artifacts, that search for if there’s life outside of our own. I always thought that was so cool, going back to fourth grade listening to “Aliens Exist” by Blink 182. I want that to be the case, I want that to be real. I think life would be far more interesting and I’m always trying to believe in the most interesting things because it just furthers the imagination. I haven’t talked about it with them but now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ll shoot off a text.

W: The show hasn’t shied away from increasingly difficult topics like the foster system, immigration, citizen’s rights, abortion, etc. Is there an area you’re hoping the show either continues to explore or adds going forward?

MV: I would’ve answered this question so differently two years ago but now I would say something with the LGBTQ community really responding well to the show has really furthered me as a human being and opened up my mind to what people who are made to feel “outside of the norm” go through. I personally don’t think or feel that they are. I think it’s ridiculous the taboo that society has placed on sexualities over the years. The fact that we give marginalized voices a platform to come forward and see that what they’re going through, other people are going through. That it’s ok, it’s love and that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. It’s so special to me. The more that we can tackle that, it really comes down to my character and Tyler’s character having a great relationship. That might mean that Lily Cowles’ character, Isobel, is still going to Planet 7 and seeing what’s out there. I think it’s cool how we normalize that, it’s not a big deal. I live in LA right now, and people, they experiment, they’re fluid. They’re interested and the more you find out about yourself, the more you know, the more comfortable you are with yourself. I think that’s a really important topic that I want to further.

I think we’ve done a really good job with the idea of what an immigrant is and what an immigrant looks like. I think we tackled the abortion scenes, I would’ve never thought that was something on our show. It’s very hard because the writers find a way to interweave everything in. I haven’t had the time to sit back and think “what else?” because every week has been something new.

W: That’s a great answer, it’s true. The show has covered a lot of topics and it’s doing very well.

MV: The abortion episode was insane, Carina fought for those shots of Lily’s legs bloody and she didn’t want to shy away from the graphicness of the scene. And I think that was important, to be really truthful to that.

W: Incredibly. This season resurrected Rosa (Amber Midthunder) from a pod years later, which is similar in a way to Captain America or Han Solo being unfrozen. With time having gone on, she’s having to adjust and in her own way, catch up to 2020. Let’s say you were able to suggest 1-2 things that someone should undoubtedly know about in 2020, what would it be? Is it a book, movie, show, certain type of food? What’s something you’d for sure put on that “must haves/dos” list of things or experiences?

MV: Oh wow, you’re really making me think about this! I can’t help but think about it as if it was me in that scenario and I would say something that I was really fortunate enough to do ten years ago, which was scuba dive The Great Barrier Reef. I think it’s so sad that it’s deteriorating at such a rapid rate because of pollution. I’m sure some natural causes. A lot of people fighting climate change will say natural causes and I can understand and see both sides to that, but I know that we definitely contribute to that. That was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen. And if someone wasn’t able to see it the way I saw it, I haven’t been down there since so I don’t actually know what it looks or feels like now. But that was one of the first moments in my life where what I was experiencing…the world felt so big. Not in a way it felt just traveling. In a way it felt magical, that something like this can just exist and has existed much longer than we’ve ever been around. I’ve had that with hiking the second largest glacier in the world. All these feelings with nature have really expanded my mind and my horizon of the potential and possibilities. Realizing we’re very small, we’re here for a short amount of time. Let’s cherish it.

Traveling to these places that have just been so affected, I think that’s very important because of what it did to my mindset.

W: I loved that answer, you made it ecofriendly and everything. That was wonderful!

MV: My sister studied environmental science at the University of Illinois, so I gotta keep her mind. But I really do believe that. Maybe that’s something I want to see in the show too! Go into some climate change.  I don’t think we’ve touched that really, have we? Each side has arguments.

W: Each episode of Roswell, NM is titled after a famous ‘90s song. What’s your favorite or what would you consider the most iconic ‘90s song or band/musician?

MV: For me, it was Blink 182! In the ‘90s that was me. I’m a big Conor Oberst fan, the lead singer of Bright Eyes. The fact I’m in a scene, now multiple scenes that play that song. They did it in season one and in season two, they play “First Day of My Life,” that has been so surreal to me because music has been so important to me as a kid. I haven’t told many people this. As a kid I’d make short films with my friends, a lot of people know that, but what they don’t know is that I would rip so much music from all these platforms. As a little 11 year old kid, I’d get as much music as I could to have thousands of songs on my iTunes and iPod. Not that I was going to listen to them, but that one day when I was making my own big movies, I’d have this database of music to select from. Back then there wasn’t Spotify and it wasn’t as readily available, and also I was a kid and that was my thinking! Music has such an influence on my life, but Blink 182 specially. All that angst I was feeling at the time as a kid, it’s really in Guerin and me, even though I handle it in different ways in real life. Feeling a little different or not understood, that was that music that would give me a release without being too intense or too Screamo. If a Blink 182 song is ever in a scene that I’m in, I can die a happy man.

W: [Laughs] Amazing. Alongside acting, you’re also a talented writer, director and producer. A screenplay that you co-wrote earned a spot on the Black List which was one of the coolest things I’ve ever read. Congratulations! Are there other projects you’re currently working on or maybe topics you’re considering for future screenplays?

MV: Thank you! Yeah, definitely! The new Nicolas Cage/Tiger King series, the creator of that is actually the showrunner of a TV show my writing partner and I created as well. So, we’re all really stoked about that. Dan Lagana, showrunner of American Vandal is making such a splash with this Nicolas Cage project that it’s helping our TV show get put together too. We’ve got the Black List/Mac Miller script, we have a “Halloween comedy” feature film that’s set up at Seth MacFarlane’s company right now. Hopefully that gets made. We have an “old lady comedy” that’s being read, taking a lot of good meetings on that. We’re writing our next movie right now, we’re probably going to finish the beat sheet. We do a very detailed, intense outline of the movie, scene by scene as if we were actually writing the script. Exterior, interior, every single scene in order, everything we want out of characters in the scene, what we expect to happen, some dialogue that maybe came to mind as we’re banging out the outline. Once we get to writing, we could bang out eight pages in a day. We finish scripts very quickly, so we’re writing a “mob action comedy” right now. So yes, I became a writer out of desperation and found some success with writing. It’s been really good. As a kid making short films, it wasn’t actually in script form.

The last four years I’ve been writing a ton and now it’s starting to pop off a bit. I love it. I produce my own movies too and it looks like we’re about to lock down distribution for the first feature film I produced and starred in called Five Years Apart, it’s got a pretty cool cast in it and I’m really pumped for people to see it, we have a really cool distributor, I’m 99% sure that’ll be our distributor but I don’t want to jinx it. We’ll see if that’s going to be Hulu, Netflix, small theatrical release, I’m not sure yet. As a first time producer I’m learning all that. We’re gearing up on producing our next feature too, we were planning on filming in Wisconsin this summer but things have changed with the conditions of the world.

Acting, producing, writing, directing and releasing another merch line. I’ve been staying busy during the quarantine!

W: Seems so! I saw the line and love the pops of color!

MV: Thank you! It’s been really good, honestly the feedback, I was very surprised with how it’s done. Compared to last year and the multiple drops, this year, we’re nearing a certain point in orders and products that we’ll have to produce within three days of being out. It’s been really cool. Last year we gave 100% of profits to a charity called Random Acts started by Misha Collins of Supernatural. And this year, I unfortunately can’t do 100% again, I made the point but learned the lesson in that we had no money for this next launch. [Laughs] I had to dig into my own pockets, which was fun and it’s all good, it’s a big creative project. This year Carina created this thing called The Little Alien, a Roswell fund for the Roswell crew that’s out of work right now. She’s been raising money through t-shirts and I’m going to donate some of our proceeds to them as well. They’re the heartbeat of the show, they’re the reason we get to be there every day and things go smoothly. We’re trying to take care of them at this time.

W: Amazing, intentions matter so that’s really cool to hear. Lastly, anything you’d like to say to those reading and watching?

MV: To those reading and watching, thank you from the bottom of my heart that you’re tuning in and giving me a platform to do what I love the most. And what I set out to do felt like such a dream that from the age of 12 to 20, I wasn’t acting and making movies. Dreams are just dreams until you realize that they are very plausible, and most dreams, I think, can be achieved given the right circumstances, opportunities and work ethic. Thank you for allowing me follow my dreams and I hope that I’m able to inspire you to follow yours.

~ WatchTivist

[acoolchickouthere13]

August 11, 2015 Taylor does GQ

“Swift whips out her phone and starts showing me images from the video shoot for “Wildest Dreams,” including a clip of a giraffe licking her face. ‘I wanted this video to be about the making of a 1950s movie being filmed on location in Africa,’ she explains. Swift came up with the concept after reading a book by Ava Gardner and Peter Evans, The Secret Conversations. Her premise for the video (co-starring Clint Eastwood’s son) is that—since social media did not exist in the ’50s—it would be impossible for actors not to fall in love if they were isolated together in Africa, since there would be no one else to talk to….[Justin Timberlake calls her in the middle of the interview.] Eventually JT tells her the reason he’s calling is because he wants to perform the song “Mirrors” with her on the last night of her upcoming five-date stand at Staples Center…. ‘I knew some people would hear ‘Blank Space’ and say, See, we were right about her. And at that point, I just figure if you don’t get the joke, you don’t deserve to get the joke.’ “I went through a few years where I just never went online and never looked at blogs,” she recalls. “This was around 2013, when the only thing anyone wanted to write about me was about me and some guy. It was really damaging. You’re thinking, ‘Everybody goes on dates when they’re 22. It’s fine, right?’ Nope. Not when you’re in this situation, and everything you do is blown out of proportion and expanded upon. And all of a sudden, there’s an overriding opinion that doesn’t accurately reflect how you actually live your life. So I didn’t go online for a year and a half. I actually forgot my Instagram password. But now I check in and see what’s happening. In 2015, that stuff does matter. Because if enough people say the same thing about me, it becomes fact in the general public’s mind. So I monitor what people say about me, and if I see a theme, I know what that means. I’ve had it happen twice before. In 2010, it was She’s too young to get all these awards. Look how annoying she is when she wins. Is she even good? And then in 2013, it was She just writes songs about guys to get revenge. She’s boy-crazy. She’s a problematic person. It will probably be something else again this year.” Swift is allowed to make whatever record she wants, based on the reasonable argument that she understands her specific space in the culture more deeply than anyone around her. The making of 1989 is a prime example: She claims everyone at her label (the Nashville-based Big Machine) tried to persuade her not to make a straightforward pop album. She recounts a litany of arguments with various label executives over every possible detail, from how much of her face would appear on the cover to how co-writer Max Martin would be credited in the liner notes.

As far as I can tell, Swift won every one of these debates.

“Even calling this record 1989 was a risk,” she says. “I had so many intense conversations where my label really tried to step in. I could tell they’d all gotten together and decided, ‘We gotta talk some sense into her. She’s had an established, astronomically successful career in country music. To shake that up would be the biggest mistake she ever makes.’ But to me, the safest thing I could do was take the biggest risk. I know how to write a song. I’m not confident about a lot of other aspects of my life, but I know how to write a song. I’d read a review of [2012’s] Red that said it wasn’t sonically cohesive. So that was what I wanted on 1989: an umbrella that would go over all of these songs, so that they all belonged on the same album. But then I’d go into the label office, and they were like, ‘Can we talk about putting a fiddle and a steel-guitar solo on ‘Shake It Off’ to service country radio?’ I was trying to make the most honest record I could possibly make, and they were kind of asking me to be a little disingenuous about it: ‘Let’s capitalize on both markets.’ No, let’s not. Let’s choose a lane.” a former acquaintance of Swift’s who offhandedly described her as “calculating.” This is the only moment during our interview when Swift appears remotely flustered. She really, really hates the word calculating. She despises how it has become tethered to her iconography and believes the person I met has been the singular voice regurgitating this categorization. As she explains these things, her speech does not oscillate from the second mode. “Am I shooting from the hip?” she asks rhetorically. “Would any of this have happened if I was? In that sense, I do think about things before they happen. But here was someone taking a positive thing—the fact that I think about things and that I care about my work—and trying to make that into an insinuation about my personal life. Highly offensive. You can be accidentally successful for three or four years. Accidents happen. But careers take hard work.’... ‘You might think a meet-and-greet with 150 people sounds sad, because maybe you think I’m forced to do it. But you would be surprised. A meaningful conversation doesn’t mean that conversation has to last an hour. A meet-and-greet might sound weird to someone who’s never done one, but after ten years, you learn to appreciate happiness when it happens, and that happiness is rare and fleeting, and that you’re not entitled to it. You know, during the first few years of your career, the only thing anyone says to you is ‘Enjoy this. Just enjoy this.’ That’s all they ever tell you. And I finally know how to do that.’

Taylor Swift is 25. But she’s older than you.”

[yeet-or-be-hawed]

“My Last Confession” Arthur Morgan x Reader

Fluff

When a bank robbery takes an unexpected turn, Arthur is faced with a haunting truth.

“Go, go, go! Get the money in the bags quickly!” You yelled over your shoulder. Your plan for this bank robbery was flawless, you had hand picked Arthur, Lenny, and Karen for the job and everything was going fine until the law showed up suspiciously fast.

“Got it!” Arthur said as he came out of the vault.

You nodded. “The law has already started blockading from front, I spotted a window in the manager’s office on the back side of the building, let’s go!”

Your small group followed your lead. The window took some persuasion, but with Lenny’s help, it slid up. You pushed Lenny through the window first, “get to the horses, quickly!” You shout as Karen squeezes through. There’s a moment where Arthur hesitates, “you go first.” He said.

You shook your head and pushed him to the window, “we don’t have time for you to be a gentleman, now go!”

By the time your sentence left your mouth, you heard the doors to the bank slam open and heard the footsteps of multiple lawmen enter the building. Arthur didn’t have time to argue, so he slipped through. As he left, you locked the door, slid out the window, and shut it behind you. They would figure it out eventually, but this would hopefully buy you more time. You ran between the buildings, just as you turned out of sight from the building, you heard shouting behind you. “They’re gone! Search the town, quickly!”

“Shit,” you say between gritted teeth. “Didnt save us as much time as I thought.”

You turned down an alleyway, and there your horse was. You mounted quickly and made your way to the others. They had already taken off, but it didn’t take long for you to catch up.

“There she is!” Lenny called as you pulled up the flanks.

You barked out a laugh, “you think those fools would get me? Ha, don’t be ridiculous!”

Unfortunately, life was a fickle bitch who loved to play games. A bullet wizzed by your face, and behind you a large group of lawmen were gaining on you. “Okay boys,” you yell as you pull out your pistols. “Scatter!”

In perfect unison, all four horses split into different directions.

“Damn, they’re breaking formation!” You hard a man day behind you. “Split up boys, they’re wanted dead or alive, so don’t hold back!”

The large group broke into four groups and you felt the sweat start to roll down your temple. You turned and behind you three riders were hot on your trail. It’s like time slowed, you lined up your pistol and shot with deadly accuracy. Two of the men fell, the last pushed forward, unleashing shots wildly. You brought your horses to a sudden stop and as he blew past you, your bullet found the back of his head; you sped off like a bullet to help your comrades. Karen was the closest, shooting wildly in a panic. You rolled your eyes, something told you she wouldn’t be good for the job, she always loses nerve when things go bad, but you knew she was ready to get out of camp again. Next time I’m asking Sadie, you thought to yourself as the bullets flew from your gun. You were able to take out three of the men chasing her, and your help seemed to steel her nerves as she was able to take down the other two. She nodded to you in appreciation as you turned down the trail to help Lenny and Arthur.

Lenny finished off the last man on his tail as you spotted him in the distance, so you kept moving.

You rolled your eyes as you saw Arthur up the road, of course he’s going to have the most fire on his tail.

You dug in your spurs and your horse sped up as you closed the distance between you and large group of lawmen trailing Arthur. Bullets zoomed by you as you unloaded fire into their ranks. “One behind us,” one of them called out.

You closed the gap quickly then passed them quickly, dodging bullets left and right as you rode next to Arthur. “What’s the plan?” He yelled?

“The plan is we run together. Between our deadly eyes and quick triggers we’ll make mince meat of these fools!”

Arthur smiled and nodded. He reloaded his gun and the two of you decimated their ranks. With just three tagging you now, you and Arthur met eyes, nodded, and put away your guns as you pushed your horses to go faster. The lawmen we’re slowly fading into the distance. “Ha! We did it!” You yelled triumphantly.

Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by your cry in pain. You had spoken too soon, another five lawmen tore out of the woods around you, one of their bullets making contact with your arm. “Go!” You yelled and the two of you took off again.

“You okay?” He called back to you. His voice swam with concern.

“If we escape this I’ll be fine.” You responded, trying to keep your voice as level as possible.

Arthur nodded back to you and kept pushing forward. They were fast, but your horses were faster. Just as you were about to lose sight of them, you felt a glimmer of hope but it was no time for celebration. You had to keep moving if you were gonna make it out.

Unfortunately, life decided it was time for another cruel joke, as a fly away bullet struck Arthur’s horse. And it crumpled down in front of you. Your horse reacted quickly and jumped over the now still horse. “Arthur!”

You grabbed your shotgun from your horse and ran to him. He was on the ground, thrown hard. You grabbed his hand and pulled him up quickly. You could already hear the heavy clomping of the horses behind you and panic started kicking in. He was a little dazed from being thrown. When you brought him to his feet you gripped his hand “Go.”

“Are you crazy?” I ain’t leavin’ you!” Arthur argued. You pushed him toward your horse. “The two of us will weigh the horse down. I’ll stay back and hold them off.”

“No let me-“

“Arthur!” You cut him off quickly. “Go now, before it’s too late. You know me I can handle myself.” You knew it was a lie. You were low on ammo, but Arthur didn’t know that. This would be your last stand.

You could hear their shouts now, they were very close. Arthur looked over the horizon and turned towards your horse. “Come back safely.”

“I will.” You lied. Every emotion you had was bubbling up now. Every lost look, every flirtatious smile, every moment you fell for Arthur ran through your mind. If you were going out, you had to go out with no regrets. You grabbed his shoulder as he began to mount your horse and pulled him down. Before he could speak, you kissed him hard. Before he could respond, you broke the kiss and placed a hand on his cheek. “I love you.” The lawmen turned the corner now and bullets started flying past your head. Arthur had one foot in the stir up and on hand clutching the pommel and stared down at you in shock. “Now go.” You said, and gave the horse a swift slap to its hindquarters and it took off. You felt relief wash over you as you lined up your shot. He was gone now, you didn’t have to worry about keeping him safe. The large group of lawmen was closing up on you now. You stood at death’s door with a shotgun in your hand and readied yourself for the opening of the black gates. You put up a valiant effort, taking down half their battalion before running out of bullets. You felt like you could welcome death at the this point, but even after emptying your shells you still felt the will to live pumping through you. You dipped and dodged bullets quickly as you approached the closest lawman and knocked him across the head with your shot gun. He fell limply, and you grabbed the repeater from his hands. Maybe I’ll make it out of this one alive you thought to yourself as you unleashed rounds into the dwindling group around you. There were only three men in front of you now, and it seemed fate had smiled upon you that day. As the third man fell, the second man fired, but nothing came. You smiled smugly as you took his moment of confusion, shooting him right in the chest. You aimed quickly at the last man, but before your finger could pull the trigger, a shot was fired behind you and you felt a sharp pain between your shoulder blades. With a cry, you fell and all went black.

Arthur’s mind was reeling as he dug hard into your horse. It took him a moment to pull himself upright in the horse but when he did, he immediately turned the horse around. He could still feel the warmth of your lips on his and even though it was what he wanted for so long, he could only focus on getting back to you before he was too late. As the horse rose to the top of the hill, relief flooded him as he saw you standing in the valley, still alive and kicking. Men were falling around you as he pushed down the hill towards you. He watched you proudly as you decimated their numbers, leaving only one more man. He allowed hope to flow through him, a smile tugging at his lips. All he could think about was grabbing you by the waist, pulling you onto the horse, and kissing you one more time. He was almost to you when a shot rang out. It came from beside him and the world slowed. He watched in horror as the bullet found its target between your shoulder blades and your body slumped to the ground, his ears rang with the sound of your cry.

“No!” He yelled, agony drenching his voice. Rage engulfed him as he pulled his pistols from their holsters. The man at the edge of the wood didn’t even see Arthur coming as he riddled him with bullets. “Damn you, you sons a bitches!”

He tore down the path now, bullets from the solo lawman blowing past him. With a single shot to the forehead, the man was down. Arthur pulled the horse next to your still body and jumped down beside you. Blood was pooling fast, and Arthur moved quickly. His hands were shaky as he pulled out his matchbook and a single bullet. He poured the gunpowder in the bulletwound on your back and lit the match. “Sorry darlin’ this is gonna hurt, okay?” His voice was soft, he was holding back his tears as he put the match against the wound. Your body jerked unconsciously from the pain. “I know sweetheart, I know.” He cooed. Once the wound was properly cauterized, he gently picked you up and loaded your unconscious body onto the horse. Your breathing was low and he allowed himself one last look at your face before taking off, headed straight for camp. The moment you kissed him and told him you loved him played on repeat in his mind. How many times had he tried to do the same thing and chickened out? How many times had he fantasized about you pining for him? This wasn’t at all how he imagined it. He couldn’t hold back the tears as the image of a bullet ripping through you, your body falling to the ground face first. He pinched his nose and wiped the tears from his eyes as he turned off the trail and into the woods. “Who’s there?” Charles called beyond the trees.

Arthur jumped off his horse quickly. “Charles, come here quickly! I need help!” His voice was desperate.

Charles ran to his side quickly. “Oh no, what happened?”

Arthur sniffled and cleared his throat. “She got shot. She was tryin’ to protect me.” His voice broke and Charles looked at him. He had never seen Arthur so distraught, and if he didn’t know any better he would say he could see tears beginning to well up in Arthur’s eyes. He kept his face towards the ground so his hat hid his eyes. Charles helped Arthur gently lift you off the horse. “She has a couple of bullet wounds. I cauterized the one in his back it she’s still losing blood from her arm.” Charles nodded and a small crowd formed around the two of them as they hauled you into camp. Everyone was asking Arthur a million questions he couldn’t seem to find the words to answer them with. All he could focus on was your face. Charles noticed Arthur’s quiet concern and answered questions as best he could. All Arthur could do was either shake his head yes or no to questions. As the two men made it back to your tent, they laid you down gently. Arthur’s gaze was stuck on your face, pale from loss of blood but still peaceful. You were the most beautiful thing Arthur had ever seen and the thought of putting that pretty face six feet under shook him with terror. He knelt by your bed and took your hand, clenching it tightly.

“I’ll go get some help. You stay here with her.” Charles put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “We’ll make sure she pulls through this.”

Arthur nodded slowly but didn’t look at Charles. He was afraid that if he took his eyes off you for a second your chest would stop rising and falling and your skin would turn cold. Arthur had lost so many loved ones, but he couldn’t bear to lose you. His whole body was shaking as he pulled your small hand to his lips and kissed it. “You’ll be okay, darlin’. Everything is gonna be okay.” He whispered. This was more for him than it was for you.

The sun rose and fell, days passed and Arthur never left your side. After the first night of sleeping with back against your cot, hand still tightly gripping yours, Hosea woke him early that morning, holding a chair. “Here son, I know you’re concerned but you’re gonna ruin your back like that.”

Arthur stretched as he stood, positioned the chair as close to your bedside as possible, and sat down, eyes never leaving your face. Hosea cleared his throat, “Pearson just got done with breakfast, you should really take a break to get a bite to eat.”

Arthur shook his head, “not hungry.”

“Don’t lie to me Arthur.” Hosea said sternly as he crossed his arms. Arthur didn’t even look at him. With that, he rolled his eyes and walked over the the stew pot and collected two bowls. He sat one bowl in Arthur’s lap when he returned. “She wouldn’t want you mistreating yourself like this and you know it.” Hosea said plainly.

Arthur sighed. He knew Hosea was right. He released your hand and grabbed the spoon from his bowl. His hand ached when he moved it, sore from holding yours all night. Arthur and Hosea ate in silence. When Arthur finally pulled his gaze from you, he found Hosea looking at him inquisitively. “What happened out there, Arthur?”

He looked at the ground. “Law showed up quicker than we expected. She got us outta there. We split when the law was hot on our trail. I thought I was done for, most of them ridin’ after me. She came out of no where and thinned ‘em down. We thought we had made it when Cecil took a bullet.” Arthur cleared his throat and felt his cheeks turn pink. He looked at Hosea. “She told me she loved me, Hosea. Then she kissed me. Kissed me! How long had I been waitin’ on that?” He said in frustration.

Hosea chuckled. “A long time, I know. I remember when she first started ridin’ with us. You couldn’t talk to her for a month without turning into a flustered mess, if I recall correctly.”

Arthur rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, I remember. She sacrificed herself for me. Loaded me up on her horse like some kinda damsel in distress and sent me on my way.” Arthur let out a small laugh the his face turned solemn. “As soon as I got my bearings on her horse, I turned around. She had most of them taken down by the time I got there. Then,” His voice broke. “Then I watched was that bastard shot her.” His voice seethed with hatred.

Hosea sighed and pulled his fingers through his hair. “Sounds like you got yourself one hell of a woman.”

Arthur smiled down at you, “yeah, guess I do.”

You came to slowly. The first thing you felt was the dull throbbing pain in your back. Your hearing came next and an even snoring was emitting from somewhere beside you. Your eyes were the most challenging, you fought to open them, and when you did it was mostly dark. You could see the dim light of the fires around camp, most of the tents closed for the night. The camp was quiet, even the night owls seemed to be in bed for the night. You felt a tight grip on your hand and looked beside you. Arthur was loosely clutching your hand and his head was hunched forward, heavy snoring escaping his chest. Was this heaven? You thought to yourself as you began to stretch. No, you told yourself as you winced in pain. I don’t believe there’s pain in heaven.

You felt Arthur’s grip on your hand tighten as you tried to pull it away and his snoring came to a sudden halt. He jolted awake, his eyes immediately going to your face. You saw relief and happiness soften his face as his eyes focused on you. “You’re awake.” He whispered.

“Yeah,” you responded in a low voice. “Guess I’m not so easy to get rid of after all.”

Arthur moved quickly, and before you had time to process his hand took your cheek and he kissed you softly. You wrapped your arms around his neck and moved your lips with his. When he pulled away, he felt you leaving light headed. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” He said. “I don’t think my heart can take losing you twice.”

You blushed. “I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

He pressed his forehead against yours. “Good, I love you too much to let you go just yet.”

You moved your arms to his waist and pulled him down onto your cot. It was just barely big enough for the two of you, but you held each other close. He wrapped his arms around you and rested his head on top of yours. You buried your face into his chest and closed your eyes. You never thought you would make it out of that valley today, nor did you even imagine you would be blessed enough to look upon his face again after your confession of love to him today. But hey, life can be a fickle bitch sometimes and if you’re lucky enough, she’ll smile upon you and give you more than you ever dreamed you deserved.

So this was a good bit shorter than my other fics, but it was inspired by a dream I had and I immediately began working on this. The dream actually ended when I gave myself up for Arthur, but that isn’t quite as good as some good old fashioned fluff is it? I hope you guys enjoy!

[unfriendlyreminders]

This mess based upon this post.

Transcription begins in media res:

“...that people can sing along to. None of that’s gonna happen. The song is about five minutes long and I’m really sorry and I can’t let you sing along because you’re gonna mess me up because I rewrote all the words to The Black Parade. And I rewrote all the words to The Black Parade because there was a tweet that went semi-viral not too long ago by a man named ronaldravegan, and the tweet was ‘When I was a young boy, my father had what he called the bean jar. It was full of brown and black beans, and every time we misbehaved, he took one out. And he told us when the jar was empty, the world would end.’ So someone on Tumblr [barreboy] noticed that the first line of that works perfectly with The Black Parade. So someone ELSE on Tumblr [allieinarden via iridescentoracle] wrote the entire beginning. I wrote everything else. So, this is gonna happen, and I’m sorry.”

“When I was, a young boy My father had what he called the bean jar It was a jar of beans He said “Son when you remove all of them, the world will end in fire That’s what the bean jar means.”He said “Will you incite me To hasten the pace of Armageddon And catalyze our doom? Because one day you’ll drive me So crazy, I’ll reach into the bean jar Purloin the last legume.”

[Guitar solo]

When I was, a young boy My father had what he called the bean jar It was a jar of beans He said “Son when you remove all of them, the world will end in fire That’s what the bean jar means.”

[Rock begins]

Some days I’d get the feeling My father’s jar was fake And other times I thought it was all true And every time I’d misbehave he’d stare me in the eye Take out a single bean or even two

The world will end The world will end And though there are a lot of beans now One day I’ll take the last my friend The world will end Don’t call my bluff you little pipsqueak One day you’ll cause the world to end.

One time my brother almost Lit the house on fire He tried to shoot a rocket while indoors My father caught Him in the act And forced the boy to take Six entire beans Out while he swore

The world will end The world will end And though there are a lot of beans now One day I’ll take the last my friend The world will end I can’t believe you’d be this stupid One day you’ll cause the world to 

End, the end, you bring it faster now Oh, oh, oh End times your behavior will allow Oh, oh, oh Straighten up your act Or you’ll be- the- Earth’s- downfall-

Double check I hope you’re counting remaining beans So you know what’s between Now and then The days and endless Night of flames When Satan’s forces rise It’s too late To make amends son Then you’ll wish You’d behaved better and Listened to My dire warning I told of beans Who’s numbers saved us all

Now here’s your chance Improve behavior Don’t force me To take another bean Here’s your chance Improve behavior Save-us-all

The world will end The world will end And though there are a lot of beans now One day I’ll take the last my friend The world will end You’ve got to stop being a shit stain or One day you’ll cause the world to end

Double check I hope you’re counting remaining beans So you know what’s between Now and then The days and endless Night of flames When Satan’s forces rise Double check I hope you’re counting remaining beans So you know what’s between Now and then The days and endless Night of flames The world will end”

[believingispowerfulmagic]

“An Undying Connection” Part 1: Roni and Archer

This is a gift for @outlawqueenies for Love from OQ! Enjoy!

“Okay, closing time!” Roni emerged from behind the bar, moving the last remaining patrons from their seats toward her door. They groaned and protested as they did so, causing her to scowl. “I need sleep too, you know. So you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. You can come back when I open in a few hours.”

The last patron stumbled out of her door and she went to close when she spotted a familiar form walking down the street. She leaned out, motioning for him to come inside. “You look like you can use a drink, Rogers,” she said.

He ran his gloved hand over his hair, shaking his head. “You know I don’t drink.”

“Not even water?” she teased him. She motioned again for him to come inside. “I got a club soda with lime that’s calling your name.”

“Do you have any coffee?” he asked as he followed her into the bar.

She paused, tilting her head. “This is a bar, not a diner. But I do have coffee upstairs in my apartment if you really need it. I can run up there and make you a cup.”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to inconvenience you. The club soda should be fine until I get back to my own place.”

“One club soda with lime coming up.” She headed behind the bar, scooping up some ice into a glass and picking up the dispenser to spray the club soda into it. “So how’s Weaver?”

“A bit grumpier than usual but otherwise, doing well for someone who was shot at almost point blank range. It’s actually a bloody miracle that he didn’t die. The doctors wouldn’t tell me much but I overheard them telling the chief that they can’t explain how he survived when anyone else would’ve died from his injuries.”

Roni placed a lime in his drink before setting the glass on a coaster before him. She shrugged. “Weaver is one lucky son of a bitch.”

“Yeah,” Rogers agreed, wrapping his fingers around the glass but not picking it up to drink.

“So,” she continued, several questions running around her mind. “What’s going to happen to Tilly?”

“Nothing. Weaver’s official statement is that he was shot by a masked assailant who ran off after shooting him,” he replied. “He’s protecting Tilly.”

She nodded. While she didn’t completely trust Weaver and he always seemed up to something, there were times he showed he was capable of compassion and being almost likeable. His relationship with Tilly and how he was now protecting added to that. “Good. She doesn’t need prison.”

“No, she doesn’t,” he agreed. “And she’s promised to keep taking her medicine, so I don’t think we’ll have another episode like that.”

“Good.” As he took a sip of his soda, she poured herself a shot of tequila. Downing it, she decided to ask another of the many questions in her mind. “So how long is Weaver out of commission?”

Rogers set his glass down again. “The doctors want to keep him in the hospital for a few more days though he’s fighting that. After that, he’ll need a few weeks to heal and even then he’ll probably be riding a desk until the New Year.”

“He definitely won’t like that. Weaver not struck me as the paper-pusher type,” she said, pouring herself another shot. “What about you? You riding solo until then?”

He shook his head. “Chief talked me before I left the hospital. I’m supposed to get a temporary partner, a transfer from across town. He’ll be here in the morning.”

She poured herself another shot. “An outsider, huh?”

“Yep,” he said after taking another sip. “Haven’t decided if that’s a good thing or not.”

“Might be interesting to get an outsider’s take on Hyperion Heights,” she said. “Henry certainly shook up the place a bit.”

He nodded. “And being from across town means Belfrey may not have her claws in him.”

“It is more likely. Victoria’s obsessed with the Heights for some reason,” Roni said, washing some glasses now. “But she does have properties all over. There’s still a chance she has other cops in her pocket. Tread carefully.”

“Don’t worry. I will. I may not have been a detective long, but it’s definitely already made me question everything,” he said, standing up as he pushed his empty glass toward her. He then reached into his pocket, no doubt going for his wallet.

She shook her head. “On the house.”

He paused, frowning. “I feel bad. You can’t keep giving me free drinks.”

“You’re not drinking my top shelf stuff,” she told him. “It’s just club soda. I can afford it.”

Rogers relaxed as his hand fell to his side. “Thanks, Roni.”

“You’re a friend, Rogers,” she told him, cleaning his glass. She then looked him right in the eyes. “I take care of my friends.”

“Good. I feel the same.” He smiled at her and she understood his message. She had a friend in him and he would help her should she need it.

He glanced at her register. “You need me to walk you anywhere?”

She bit her lip, thinking about it. Weaver usually was the one who showed up around mid-morning to walk her to the bank so she could make her daily deposit. As long as he was laid up, she was going to need a replacement. “Not now but maybe in the morning,” she told him.

“Of course,” he replied. “Ten-thirty good?”

“Sounds perfect.” She then waved him away. “Now go home and get some rest. You’ve had a long day too.”

He chuckled. “Good night, Roni.”

“Good night, Rogers.” She watched him leave before heading over to lock the door. Rubbing the back of her neck, she took in her bar.

Most of her employees had prepared the bar for the night. It meant all she had to do was close out the night and put the money in her safe. Then she could head upstairs and finally climb into bed. She was still tired from the craziness of Halloween so a good night’s sleep would be a god’s send.

As she shut off the lights and headed to her office in the back, she wondered what changes Rogers’ new partner would bright to the Heights. Though she was cautious about strangers, part of her felt a brand new adventure now awaited them all.

Rogers showed up on time to walk her to the bank. She carried the money in her bag and held it close as she talked with Rogers, trying not to look like she was carrying a large sum of money. “So how is Weaver doing?” she asked.

“He’s healing well enough,” Rogers replied, “and he’s back to his grumpy self. Maybe even grumpier than usual. He’s snapping at everyone, me included.”

“Well, I imagine I would be too if I was stuck eating hospital food,” she said. “Any idea when he’ll be released?”

Rogers shrugged. “I overheard the doctor talking with the chief. Apparently they are concerned about the fact that there’s no one to take care of Weaver should they release him. No family and no friends outside of the force.”

She frowned, somewhat surprised. Weaver wasn’t the most social person but she figured he would have to have someone special in his life, whether family or friend. “He really has no one?”

“Ryce, our desk sergeant, swore he once heard Weaver mention something about a son but there’s nothing in his file. We all figure he just misheard,” Rogers replied. “It appears Weaver is married to the job and doesn’t have much of a life outside it.”

They arrived at the bank and Rogers held the door open for her. She made her deposits and did a few other things before they started the walk back to her bar, picking up their conversion where they left off.

“So are they just going to keep him in the hospital?” she asked.

Rogers shrugged. “I think the department is trying to arrange for an aide for at least the first few weeks. Then we’ll all probably take turns checking in on him. He’s not happy about any of that.”

“Weaver does value his privacy.”

“He just wants to come back to work. It’s clearly his whole world,” he replied, opening the door to her bar and letting her enter first.

Henry looked up from the far booth Roni had given him to use, his laptop set up and papers spread out over the table. He smiled at them. “Hey, Remy let me in. I thought I would get a head start on today’s work.”

“Fine,” she said, heading toward the bar. “Just as long as you stay out of our way.”

“Of course,” he replied as Rogers joined him. The two got lost in their own little world and she focused on getting everything ready behind the bars before she opened up for the day.

Her mind wandered back to Weaver’s situation. No one to assume caring for him. Married to the job. No real life outside of work. All those statements struck a little too close to home for her comfort.

Who would be called if she were in the hospital? She was pretty certain Kelly was still listed as her emergency contact but given the state of their relationship, Roni doubted her sister would do anything if called. Her next of kin then would be Margot, but her niece was off traveling the world and often unreachable. While she had good relationships with her employees, none rose to the level that they would even visit her in the hospital let alone be there when she was discharged. She hadn’t gone on a date in years and didn’t really have any close friends.

Henry might come get her, she figured. Maybe even Rogers. She glanced over to where the two had their heads bowed together, pouring over something shady dealing of Victoria’s. They were her friends, she realized. Maybe even her family…

Her bell rang, drawing her attention from her rather morose thoughts to her door. She scowled, wondering who had ignored her “closed” sign, and looked toward it, ready to give them a piece of her mind.

A tall man stood by the door, his hands in the pockets of his black coat. He didn’t appear to be extremely well-built nor lanky, rather falling somewhere in between. She decided he was fit as she sized him up but not necessarily an athlete or health nut. A pair of sunglasses sat on top of his blond hair as he scanned the bar. When his eyes landed on her, he smiled and revealed a dimples on either cheek.

Ignoring how they made her stomach flip, Roni called out: “We’re closed!”

“Apologies, milady,” he replied, revealing a British accent. He approached the bar. “I went to the station but was informed I’d most likely find my new partner here. Name’s Archer.”

He pulled his hands from his pockets, leaning against the bar as he showed her his gold shield. She glanced at it before her attention returned to his eyes. They were a beautiful shade of blue, reminding her of the ocean. Up close, she could see he had blond scruff covering his cheeks and chin, surrounding his rather attractive mouth. It was flecked with brown while his temples had gray hairs mixed in with the blond, giving him a distinguished look.

Roni felt as if her mind had short-circuited and she found herself unable to speak. All she could do was stand there and stare at him as Rogers came over to introduce himself. They conversed as she continued to marvel at how handsome this Detective Archer was and deal with the overwhelming sense of familiarity that had washed over her from the moment he called her “milady.”

If anyone else had addressed her as “milady,” she would’ve jumped over the bar and kicked their ass. However, she felt frozen to the spot as the first wave of familiarity had washed over her. It was as if she had heard it before, like in a dream or another life. She felt both unnerved yet excited by it.

She also had the distinct feeling she had met him before but couldn’t place where. He had never stepped into her bar before that day, she was certain. Roni West never forgot a patron and she was usually going with faces. It drove her crazy that she couldn’t figure out why he seemed so familiar.

Rogers and Archer turned to her, causing her focus to snap from inside her own mind in time for her to hear Rogers introduce her. “Every town needs a no-sense, badass bar owner and Roni is ours,” he said.

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she said before reaching out to Archer. “Nice to meet you.”

He shook her hand and she took a sharp intake of breath. Electricity coursed from his hand to hers, traveling up her arm and and to her mind. The feel she knew him grew stronger as a blurry picture started to form but never getting clear enough for her to figure out how she knew him.

“Have...Have we met before?” she asked in a hushed tone, staring at him in awe.

Archer shook his head, grinning at her. “I doubt I’d ever forget meeting you.”

Disappointment flooded her before she realized she was still holding his hand. Feeling heat in her cheeks, she let go of his hand and cleared her throat. “Sorry. You just seem so familiar. I thought we had…”

“Well, we better report to the precinct, see what’s waiting for us.” Rogers clapped his hand on Archer’s shoulder and nodded to her. “See you later, Roni.”

Archer gave her a little nod. “It was an honor to meet you, Roni.”

“You too,” she said softly. She then smirked as she said: “Remember, let’s be careful out there?”

They stared at her blankly before thanking her. As they headed out, she muttered under her breath: “You think they would know Hill Street Blues.”

“Hill Street what?” Henry asked, sitting at the bar now.

She scowled. He knew nearly everything there was to know about 80’s pop culture but he didn’t know about that particular show. “Hill Street Blues, a police drama from the Eighties. The forerunner to NYPD Blues and Law and Order. One of the characters always told the others to be careful out there after they got their assignments,” she told him.

“Oh,” he replied before shrugging. “Rogers and Archer are both British. Probably never heard of it.”

“True. The Seattle PD has an unusually high amount of British cops,” she noted, thinking of Weaver as well.

He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe we’ve met the only ones on the force.”

“And they all end up here in Hyperion Heights?” she asked incredulously. “That sounds like one hell of a coincidence.”

“Maybe Lucy is right and we’ve all been cursed to end up here in Hyperion Heights, not knowing who we are to each other,” he mused, his eyes dancing with mirth.

She laughed at that. “Yes. Maybe he’s really the Sheriff of Nottingham or William Tell.”

“I don’t recall writing about William Tell,” he said, thinking it over. “But I did write about the Sheriff of Nottingham. And Robin Hood, but that ended tragically.”

She realized how serious they were getting about Lucy’s silly daydream and shook her head. “Your book isn’t real. Archer is just another cop about to be in over his head here in the Heights. Nothing more.”

“Do you want him to be something?” Henry asked, smirking as he leaned against the bar.

“What do you mean by that?” She tried to play it cool even as her heart hammered in her chest. Had he seen how weird she had acted around Archer.

Of course he head. Nothing gets past Henry Mills, except the fact his feelings for a certain single mother are reciprocated...

“Come on, Roni. He called you ‘milady’ and you nearly swooned,” he replied, sounding both surprised and amused.

She bristled at that, scowling. “I did not swoon.”

He rolled his eyes before taking on a dopey expression. “Have...Have we met before?” he asked, pitching his voice higher and giving it a breathless quality.

“I did not sound like that!” she protested, snapping her towel at him.

“You did!” he replied, laughing as he threw up his hand to block his face. “If I wrote romance novels, I couldn’t have written it better!”

Her stomach did flips at that and she shook her head. “This is not some romance.”

“Oh, come on, Roni. You clearly felt something,” he argued.

“He’s attractive, I can say that,” she replied. “I have eyes. Doesn’t mean I want a relationship. Relationships and I don’t mix.”

Roni bowed her head, cursing herself. She had gotten more vulnerable than she wanted to be, even if it was only just Henry. All her past relationships had ended badly and at least one tragically. As she had stood in the cemetery, she believed she had finally gotten the universe’s message--she was meant to be alone.

She had made her peace with that. At least she felt she had most days. Unfortunately, today was no longer one of those days after Detective Archer had walked into her bar.

A warm hand covered hers and she looked up to find Henry staring at her with concern in his eyes. His voice was soft when he started talking again. “You remember what you told me a few days ago? On Halloween?”

“Henry,” she replied, annoyed he was about to turn her own words on her. He didn’t understand her past or why she knew there was no one else for her waiting out there.

He shook his head. “I don’t know who you’ve loved and lost. You don’t have to tell me. Just...take your own words to heart. It’s okay to move on, to love again. Don’t miss your chance to be happy.”

She cupped Henry’s face. “My chance at that kind of happiness passed long ago. I have found other ways to be happy though. So don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself and Jacinda. How is that going?”

“It’s not,” he said with a sigh. As he explained how he ended up chickening out when Jacinda invited him to trick or treat with her and Lucy, Roni began to relax. She didn’t know why Archer felt so familiar but she doubted it would mean anything in the long run. After all, he was only a temporary replacement. Once Weaver was better, he would leave the Heights and her life. She knew better than to get attached to anyone, especially someone with an expiration date.

Continue reading on AO3.

[cookiedoughmeagain]

Haven DVD Commentaries: 3.13 - Thanks for the Memories.

Commentary with Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn, Co-creators.

[I gotta say, this one is full of interesting stuff imo]

SE: “This episode in many way finally pays off on the first episode of the series” in terms of who the Colorado Kid is and what happened to him JD: “There were so many questions that we raised in the first two seasons that we were having trouble getting to,” because it’s hard to explain everything that’s going on in an episode with the case of the week and also to “find room to explain what brought Audrey here and what’s gone on in her past and all of that.” So we thought it “would be very satisfying if we could find a way to bring all that together” in terms of answering the questions about who the Colorado Kid is - questions that go back to the Stephen King novella - and bring that together with who Audrey is and “find a way to make a full season out of that.” SE: “And it’s interesting how far the show has come because in the beginning, the powers that be were a little reluctant for us to talk too much about the Colorado Kid, because they didn’t want to confuse the viewers. But then of course eventually it worked out that the viewers wanted to know what was happening” and so that became more important.

As Nathan and Duke are in Audrey’s apartment realising she’s gone, Sam talks about how he was on set for this, and some of it is on location and some on the set and watching it back he can never tell which is which. SE: “We actually re-wrote this scene on set;” where Duke hits Nathan. “That was a great moment that we came up with on set because it fixed all the logic.”

As Duke and Nathan talk on Audrey’s balcony, the red house on the hill in the background is the house from episode 3.03 - The Farmer.

JD: [Talks about how there are a lot of questions raised about Howard, but we don’t really know much about him yet.] “We were really dedicated to the idea of bringing Howard back in this episode, as the fairy man - the guy who stands between Audrey and her various lives, and shepherds that transition.” SE: At the start of this scene when he’s looking through the binoculars “talking about the birds is one of my favourite Howard moments and it’s really an element of Howard that we’ve been trying to do and it always seems to fall away” or it doesn’t work out. But it made it in here and [he jokes that] “what really pisses me off is that it was written by Matt McGuinness. He wrote it and I was like, ‘That’s genius” That’s exactly what we’ve been trying to do with this character for three seasons!’” JD: “It is good. And it’s good because we want him to be enigmatic; who knows what he is or what he does - but it’s very easy to take that to some kind of really arch, bad 60s sci-fi kind of place.” SE: “Morris, who plays Howard, is just like him; very calm and matter of fact. And it’s funny; Emily was pregnant when we were shooting this, but no one knew. The great thing about shooting in Nova Scotia is even when you’ve got this scene with two people just talking, you’ve got this crazy awesome barn in the background and the fire and everything - can you imagine if we shot that here in Los Angeles?” JD: “We’d probably need some kind of special air pollution permit just to have the fire. And it’s one of those things; the show does feel timeless and placeless in a way. It doesn’t feel like the modern, urban, consumed-by-electronics world.” SE: “Right. Even though every one of those actors goes right back” to their phones between takes.

JD: “There were so many details to figure out for this; we spent a lot of time working on this episode, there were a lot of drafts. And perhaps more importantly, even before we got to the stage of drafting scripts, there was a lot of time spent trying to make sure we found the right ideas to make all this work. Because it’s very complex; we’re trying to convey a lot of things that have been kicking around - either me and Sam in our heads or in the whole writers room - over the past several years. And, how do we get it on screen in a way that’s going to make sense to people and as part of a story that you want to watch on TV.” SE: “And I will say that whether or not we were successful in that is up to each viewer to decide.” JD: “I vote yes.” SE: “And for me, - Oh there goes another lighthouse. There is no more dangerous place than a lighthouse in Haven. Except maybe next to the drummer in Spinal Tap. - but, this is the 39th episode, so this is a big arc, and it worked. It ultimately paid off what I wanted and I think what you wanted …” JD: “Yep.” SE: “... it to pay off in the beginning. We didn’t know exactly how we were going to pay it off.” JD: “There’s new elements; things we never really predicted. But that’s part of the fun, rolling with the changes, and absorbing all the good ideas that come out of the writers room and the other people who collaborate on the show. It expanded the world in ways we never anticipated.”

[As we see Dwight walk up to Vince by his car (where Dave is in the trunk)]: SE: “This scene originally was a lot longer and really funny. Richard Donat is so funny and Adam Copeland was a great straight man. And then you have John Dunsworth in the trunk and when he pops out, originally it was longer and funnier. And behind this here was Adam’s girlfriend, Beth Phoenix, who is also a wrestler, and the thing with those two is it’s a contest not of who’s stronger (that’s close, but Adam’s got her in height), but who is nicer. They both beat people up for a living, or used to, and yet they’re both so nice; I don’t know how that works.” [As we see Audrey and Nathan talking to the waiter outside Haven Joe’s Bakery] “Oh there’s me!”

[As we see Arla looking after James in bed] SE: “Now this we shot on a practical set, meaning it actually exists, immediately behind the Haven Herald.” JD: “I was wondering if that was the back room of the Herald; it’s been various things over the years.” SE: “It has been in a lot of things. And this is the last scene we shot of the season. And it is just so satisfying that we managed in these episodes to take the Colorado Kid which was a mystery in the original novella that we read, and we took that and spun this entire series off of that guy.” JD: “Yep. Because we knew from the outset that he was Audrey’s son. And it was just a question of when we were going to reveal it and how it was going to come out. And it kept getting pushed further and further down the road.” SE: “The fact that Nathan was the father, that was a change. That was something that came out of the time travel episode.” JD: “Shall we reveal the original father?” SE: “No I don’t think we should.” JD: “Maybe we should keep that hidden.” SE: “Yeah, because that’s part of the larger mythology and that stays the same.” JD: “As satisfying as this is, 39 epsiodes to get here, there’s more to come.” SE: “With the mythology it is amazing how much we’ve revealed and it’s also amazing how much there is left to go.” SE: “Nick Parker, our writers assistant, has to remember all the drafts of the scripts; I don’t know how he does it. I can barely remember what happened in the final versions, especially the ones I write. My nephew was telling me about an episode he really liked and he had a question about it, and I actually said; ‘Let me get back to you; I’ll call the writer and find out if that was their intention in the scene.’ But - not only had I written it, but I wrote it solo, so it wasn’t even something I had written with Jim. But he was asking in the middle of the third season and I had written it in the middle of the first season” and I didn’t remember the details by then. JD: “Well and it’s funny because I would say there are scores if not hundreds of pages of potential episodes for every episode. There are so many ideas and plot lines and concepts and there are things that get set aside because they don’t work for us or for someone else, or because we can’t produce them or there’s some other obstacle to it working out. And by the time you’re done; how exactly it worked out and what exactly ended up on screen gets awfully fuzzy.” [in terms of remembering the details] JD: “And even when you have the final shooting draft [of the script]; just because it’s there doesn’t mean you’re going to get every moment. Or you get extra moments that just happen on the set; improvs or whatever. And then you get to the end and you’re editing and it changes again; you’ll drop things, or imply things that weren’t in the script.” SE: “Right; you can manufacture moments out of looks, or throw a line over someone’s back and suddenly, it’s a different scene.” JD: “If you were really responsible, you’d sit down and watch the final cut of every epsiode, to focus on it and lock it in your memory. The problem is that by the time it gets to the screen, I’m so tired of looking at it, and there are so many other episodes that are happening, that it’s hard to force myself to do it. And even then I’m not sure I’d remember. I think you just have to have good script co-ordinators, production assistants, writers assistants, to tell us exactly what’s happened.”

SE: “So Laura Vandervoort was great, and the thing that’s so great is; she’s obviously a beautiful woman, someone who has played beautiful women because that’s all she can play because she’s beautiful. I don’t mean to imply - I’m saying that any role she plays she will be beautiful in. But we scarred up her face and made her look terrible and she was totally into it and wanted it made worse. Those are the kind of actors you want; someone who’s game for anything.”

[Talking about the inside of the barn] SE: “That was great. And that really looked that way, it just wasn’t that long. We just extended the length of it digitally, but otherwise it looked exactly like that. It’s an old military barracks that is on the peninsula that the Grey Gull is on. And the production team decided it should be all white and they just spraypainted the crap out of it. And that’s one of the joys of shooting up there is we just have access to so many cool things.”

[As we see the flash of light that takes Audrey and Nathan from inside the barn to Sarah’s 1955 memory] SE: “That was a good effect right there. This moment, we always had; we always knew we were going to do this. Not from the very beginning when we conceived the series, but when we sat down in the room for this epsiode we knew that we were going to go back in time becasue that’s what the barn was about; it was about her identity.” JD: “We had a lot of ideas that we kicked around about exactly how to do this and what to see.” SE: “Well the one that we lost that I thought was cool was in the West, or the late 1800s, and Audrey Parker, or whatever her name would have been back then, screams up on a horse and she’s being chased. But that didn’t make the script.” JD: “And Emily is a big horse rider, so she was excited about that.” But it didn’t make it because of the production challenges of getting a horse up on set etc.

Both agree that the actors playing the young Vince and Dave look amazing; it was hard to cast for but in the end they look great.

SE: “Emily is so different when she’s playing Sarah. The energy off of her is just completely different.”

[As Howard comes out of the 1955 barn] SE: “I remember we had some discussions about his uniform. Of course we were just trying to duplicate the uniform that we saw in that era. And [once we’re back inside the barn] they wanted to put him in uniform here and we had to argue strongly for his suit, because that’s what he was in in the pilot and that’s what we wanted it to go back to. I’m not sure if it’s the same tie from the pilot but I wish it was. I think it probably is.”

[As Audrey and Nathan flashback to the 1955 beach] SE: “This scene we shot and it was one of those incredibly perfect Nova Scotian days in August or September.” JD: “Is that the Colorado Kid beach? Where the body was?” SE: “No, it’s not. It’s not far from where the inside of the barn was shot, not far from the Grey Gull.” SE: “And there’s Lucas and Emily, and they’re kissing, and I gotta tell you, just between you me and everyone who’s listening, I was very awkward during this part because these two are friends, and they had to go for it and it was really good, but these guys are good friends, they’re both married … they’re professionals, it’s more me being awkward than anything. And then we had major conversations in the room about this because I am a proponent of saying that Nathan is taking advantage of Sarah - he had superior knowledge coming into the situation and he took advantage of that. It’s manipulative and wierd.” JD: “I was on the other side of it because I felt like it was OK because he didn’t know if he was ever going to come back. So it’s, ‘Can I love this version of Audrey? Well she wants to love me and it’s still the same woman in there somewhere.’ And you could argue this stuff forever.” SE: “And we did. And while we’re arguing, we’re like ‘If we’re arguing this hard about it then it’s good.’ Because it’s grey and you can make your own decision. I mean of course, it’s Nathan, so everyone’s going to be like ‘No, he loved her and it was real, and she approached him’ because Sarah, it turns out, is a real vixen.”

[As Nathan meets James] SE: “This is a hugely powerful scene. This I think is one of my favourite moments of Lucas’s in the series. … the moment where he introduces himself, he just nailed the perfect blend of awkwardness that is Nathan but he’s also forthright; there are so many colours to Lucas Bryant. He’s not a ‘big’ actor - he can be, but in this role, he minds all the shades and I think it’s amazing.” JD: “Yeah, Lucas squeezes so much out of a role that was designed to be constrained. We wrote this very compressed, repressed character who didn’t even want to admit that what he had was a Trouble.”

SE: “I love these two [Audrey and Nathan] and they could tell each other, ‘A blue elephant just flew out of my nose and went out that window’, and they’d be like, ‘Really, which window?’” JD: “And it was so gratifying in the first season when we first started getting feedback from the fans, that our instinct was to do that with them. Instead of having the Mulder and Scully relationship of the constant sceptic and the deep believer and all that. I mean there is definitely an X-Files element to the show, but we felt like it’s ridiculous in this setting; if you’re going to live in this town, you very quickly have to know that there’s something going on. And if you’re not recognising that, you’re out of your flipping mind.” SE: “Exactly.” JD: “And it sort of opened up the next level of it, in terms of, how do you live with that, how do you live with the repurcussions of that stuff?”

[Outside the barn as the Guard have their guns trained on Duke] SE: “In this moment, I was on set and saw them getting ready and the guys pulled out these guns, and they were all like assault weapons. And I was like, ‘Woah where did these guys get assault weapons?’ Now, I’m sure they could get assault weapons pretty easily (it is America) but I was just like, these guys are not mercenaries; they’re not those guys. These guys are gonna pull out hunting rifles, pistols maybe.” JD: “More of a genuine militia.” SE: “Yeah. They’re not the guys who are planning for world war three. I mean you could argue it; it’s not a question of logic, for me it was just a question of tone.”

[As we are back with Nathan and Audrey inside the barn] SE: “This episode has so much plot stuff but it also has so much character stuff; it’s really a nice balance between the two.”

SE: “And what I liked about this and I thought worked well is that Howard is in control, but not completely in control because Audrey has to choose to go into the barn.” JD: “Yes; putting that limitation on it made him [Howard] not-God. And bringing in that aspect of free will and the questions of why does Audrey go away, why does she come back.”

SE: “Steve Lund who played the Colorado Kid did an amazing job. Because it was like ‘Hey Steve, we’d like you to show up and become the title character of the book this is based on, and it’s just going to be a few episodes but you’re hugely important.’ And by the way, we hired him for episode 3.04 I think where he’s on the beach, dead, and he has no lines. We flew him in all the way from Toronto; no lines. We had auditioned him and knew he could act of course, because we knew we were going to bring him back at the end of the season. And I thought he just nailed the role. And there are actors we’ve had on the show who did not nail the role, so it’s not true for everybody.”

SE: “Vince and Dave are characters that people have always asked us, what’s going on with them. And it’s an important question and we’ve definitely peeled back more and more.”

[As Audrey takes Arla into the barn] SE: “This is a great moment and we came up with this moment very early on” where the Troubles don’t work inside the barn. “And the make up was so good, we had a special guy we brought in just to do this make up on Laura, and he was really meticulous about it.” JD: “I hope everyone enjoyed this as the culmination because we worked so long and so hard in the room to make all these storylines come together for this.” SE: “We had pictures of the big grid that plotted all the plot lines coming together; I would love to post that except I’m afraid there’s something in there that’s still hidden” that we can’t reveal yet. [And then apparently in response to something said away from the microphones] “Oh it’ll be on the DVD set? Oh well there you go.”

[As Arla’s knife ends up in James] SE: “Considering how short this moment is, we shot it like 19 times. All the choreography where they fall on each other. And Emily’s doing all this stuff while pregnant, though it was very gentle.” JD: “Yeah, it looks rougher in the finished cut than when you’re shooting it.”

[As Nathan carries Arla’s body out of the barn] SE: And here is the part where one of my favourite moments that didn’t make it into the final edit. “Audrey is with her son, and it’s really their first moment together. Where they’re actually together and there’s no chase or conflict. And he’s dying. And she has this moment, and the thing Emily is just crazy-good at is putting all the emotion right on her face” and it still looks natural. “And after this moment, James is dead or dying, and she starts singing to him. I was on set and Emily improvised it; she just started singing to him and it was so beautiful and the whole crew were so quiet. I was completely moved; it was wonderful. But the episode ran really long so it didn’t make it in.”

SE: “So here’s the moment where Audrey has to make her decision and it’s good because it shows that she’s not going to let that [James’ death] happen to any of the men that are outside right now.” JD: “We spent days walking through the logic of which choices to make, and why. And you can argue for so many different reasons why she should stay or go, or favour Nathan or Duke or - everyone can take so many different positions about the things that are happening here.” SE: “Right. Well and we knew fairly quickly that Duke was going to say ‘You need to go’. But I remember we flipped it back and forth between these guys because you can make an argument that the selfish side of Duke could say ‘Screw everybody; do what’s best for yourself’. And so that’s why it’s almost better that he doesn’t.” JD: “And that’s why we went there, right? To have Duke saying ‘serve the greater good’.” SE: “Right. And it’s Nathan - who is always trying to serve the greater good - saying, ‘No, don’t go, screw everybody else.’ And why is he doing that? Because he loves her.” JD: “And I think that was our starting position and we walked through 20 evolutions of it how it could be different ways before getting back around to that, because of the character simplicity of that.” SE: “Knowing where we’re going to first see Audrey Parker in the first epsiode of season four, and coming out of this scene, it’s awesome I think. I’m very excited.” JD: “Yeah. I love playing the tradegy of this. This is the tragedy of her character; making this choice as different women, over and over again. For different reasons sometimes.” SE: “Right, but always coming to the same conclusion of: I have to go.”

JD: “I don’t remember when we settled on the idea of Howard being the barn, as a way to change the equation, but I really like that idea. It preserved a lot of very interesting things, by making them part of the same thing. And gave Nathan a way to make a second-order change to the situation that no one had every thought of before.” SE: “Yep. Look at that, the backlighting is perfect [as Audrey is saying goodbye to Duke]. This was a wonderful day. And of course here, we’re chasing the sun. Because everything looks fantastic, but the sun is going away and we had a lot to do. This day ended at night; we didn’t mean to but there was a lot to do.

[As Audrey is handing her gun to Duke] SE: “Now this is probably the hardest buy here; the idea that Duke was actually going to fire on Nathan. It was the best answer we could come up with as to why Nathan doesn’t go into the barn, but it’s like - come on; he’s not going to shoot him.” And “we call them frenemies but it is a real friendship; it’s a real love affair.” JD: “It’s very complicated.” SE: “It is complicated.” JD: “They’re more like brothers than friends.” SE: “Yeah.” JD: “They’re bound together somehow.” SE: “And that’s not a secret signal that they are brothers. We do know the history, just so you know. We understand - we have the origin story and how these two came to be doing what they’re doing. But we’re hopefully not going to reveal that until season seven. That would be my preferred time to do that.” JD: “I still have the secret master mythology file, that we sent to Stephen King to get approval.”

[As we see Nathan turn his gun on Howard] SE: “Now this is great. And we argued about this for about a minute, about whether Nathan would pull the trigger. Of course he would.”

[As the barn collapses] SE: This effect is great. “And it’s white, did everyone notice that it’s white just like the inside of the barn? Totally not planned.”

[About Nathan] JD: “The man who feels nothing is feeling everything right now.” SE: “Yeah. And that was night time as we filmed that; that was a digital cheat.”

[ewh111]

2018 Annual List of Favorite Film Experiences

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope you’ve been having a great holiday season. It’s been another fun year in film, television, and streaming. It felt like a particularly good year for diverse voices, visions, casts, and storytelling. While I still feel like I’m catching up on year-end releases, here’s my annual list of the ones that have entertained, moved me, provoked thoughts, or just plain stuck with me the most with their story-telling and artistry (In no particular order).

All the best for a wonderful 2019!

Cheers, Ed

Indelible (But VERY Different) Cinematic Experiences

Roma—I wasn’t sure what the hype was about for the first hour which leisurely unfolds before you, but it’s just the build-up as Alfonso Cuaron’s beautiful and powerful film slowly draws you in, and then suddenly grabs you with unexpected emotional impact. An intimate, yet sweeping story of a maid who holds together a crumbling family as her own life combusts. Based on the director’s own life and the woman who raised him, Roma is a complex multi-layered domestic/social/political drama with some truly haunting and indelible sequences. Some may be challenged by the pacing and seeming lack of narrative. Be patient and stick with it; it’s worth it.

Sorry to Bother You—Audacious, original first film and new vision from rapper/hip hop musician Boots Riley starring a terrific Lakeith Stanfield as down on his luck young man who gets a job as a telemarketer and advised by veteran caller Danny Glover to use his “white voice” to become a power caller. The story then takes a twisted wackadoodle turn that truly defies description. This bold and outrageous absurdist social satire/surreal anti-capitalist black comedy also stars an excellent Armie Hammer in a bizzaro role.

A Full House of Documentaries: A Pair of Giants of Our Time and Three of a Kind

Won’t You Be My Neighbor—Celebrating a true hero, it’s a warm and loving look at this pioneer of children’s television who became a role model of kindness and compassion for generations. Little did I realize when watching him as a child the bold and courageous manner in which he addressed the social issues of the day. And it is worthwhile to see the full six-minute video of Fred Rogers Senate testimony that saved funding for public television: https://youtu.be/fKy7ljRr0AA.

RBG—An inspirational telling of the brilliant legal mind who shaped America’s legal landscape on gender equality and women’s rights and became a pop culture icon. 

Three Identical Strangers—Fascinating documentary that starts as a “can’t believe it’s true” tale of separated-at-birth triplets who miraculously find each other as young adults, and then takes a very dark turn as the layers of the story are revealed, raising some real ethical questions about research and the debate about nature vs. nurture.

Additional Docu-series to watch: The Staircase (a gripping and powerful docu-series that is an intimate and detailed look at our criminal justice system as seen through the eyes of a man accused of murder who claims the death of his wife was an accident); The Fourth Estate (a fascinating behind the scenes look at the NY Times and their reporters as they cover the beginning of the Trump administration).

Historical Dramedies

The Death of Stalin—Dark and bitingly funny, this relevant political satire by Armando Iannucci of Veep portrays the intrigue surrounding the flock of sycophantic bureaucrats who vie to become the next Soviet leader after the sudden stroke and death of Stalin. A masterful historical farce with a great cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, and Jason Isaacs. And it’s worth noting that the most absurd moments actually did take place (e.g., a rerun concert just to make a recording for Stalin; the alcoholic and meglomaniacal son of Stalin who lost the entire national hockey team by ordering their flight into a snowstorm and then replacing the dead players in hopes his dad wouldn’t notice).

The Favourite—While I decidedly did not care for filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’s much acclaimed The Lobster, this is a much more accessible outing. A highly original period/costume piece with an amazing trio of performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, The Favourite is a dark and wickedly humorous look at the conniving palace intrigue, love triangles, and back-stabbing world of Queen Anne’s court, complete with fops, duck races, pigeon shooting, and rabbits that rule the roost. 

Vice—Not your typical biopic. From the man who brought you The Big Short, Adam McKay delivers an entertaining dark dramedy. Christian Bale wholly transforms into the enigmatic Dick Cheney in this boldly told tale (including a faux Shakespearean pillow talk bit and a mid-film happily-ever-after credit sequence) of a ne'er do well who becomes the most powerful man in the world, all “in the service of the people.” With a very strong supporting cast of Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld.

BlacKkKlansman—Director Spke Lee and the producers of Get Out deliver the unbelievably true buddy-cop tale from the 1970s of a black man who goes undercover to infiltrate the KKK by phone while his white Jewish partner stands in for him in face-to-face meetings. Told in a funny and entertaining manner, it’s one of Spike Lee’s best film in years, though it’s unfortunate how little the racial issues have changed over time.

Odes to Stan Lee and the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Black Panther—This is not just another Marvel superhero movie. This is what every origin story should be: a totally immersive world is created with a sophisticated and impressively well-told story, balancing big themes, character development, action, mythology, and strong messaging, including female empowerment. Black Panther is perhaps the best (and most political without being heavy-handed) entry in the MCU while leaving a very large cultural footprint on Hollywood.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse—I really didn’t think we needed another entry into the Spidey world, but this one was truly fantastic, perhaps the best of the bunch. With visually stunning animation unlike anything I’ve seen before, it’s the most trippy, inclusive, and soulful Spider-Man ever, and the one most true to its comic book roots.

More Fantastic Animation, Stop Motion, and CGI

Isle of Dogs–I am an unabashed fan of Wes Anderson, and here he creates a masterful stop motion universe, much more sophisticated and intricate than his last one, the wonderful Fantastic Mr. Fox. Taking place in a fictional dystopian Japan, he creates yet another Andersonian obsessively detailed world, infused with Japanese culture and canines. On the surface, it’s a simple story of a boy seeking his pet dog in a world where dogs have been banished to a trash-filled island, but it works on so many other levels, existential and political. A great cast of voices infuse each character with individuality and nuanced personalities, including Brian Cranston, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray. 

Ready Player One—An unexpectedly wild and entertaining journey, this Spielberg film that takes place in a dystopian future steeped in the nostalgia of the 1980s (video games, movies, music) where its citizens find salvation and escape in a virtual world called the OASIS. The central story of a teen in a whirlwind contest seeking control of the OASIS is a visually stunning and thrilling ride combining live action and CGI that is thoroughly satisfying (though I feel I need to go back to take in all the pop culture references that whirl by).  

Incredibles 2–Well worth the wait after 14 years. Just what you would hope for in summer film. Well-developed characters, action, and story with amazing animation and a terrifically snazzy Michael Giacchino soundtrack.

Other Enjoyable Film Experiences Worth Mentioning

22 July, A Quiet Place, Beautiful Boy, Boy Erased, Crazy Rich Asians, Eighth Grade, Green Book, Love, Simon, Mary Poppins Returns, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Paddington 2, The Price of Everything, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Science Fair, Searching, The Hate U Give, Tully, Victoria & Abdul

In the Queue

A Star Is Born, Burning, Cold War, First Man, First Reformed, Free Solo, The Frontrunner, If Beale Street Could Talk, Shoplifters

Binge-Worthy Television

The Americans, Barry, Succession

For the Foodie Set

Fat Salt Acid Heat, Ugly Delicious

Favorite Theater Experience

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child--if you’re a HP fan, it’s like being reunited with old friends. Great story and incredible stagecraft. 

Trailers

Black Panther: https://youtu.be/xjDjIWPwcPU

BlacKkKlansman: https://youtu.be/0vWHEuhEuno

Incredibles 2: https://youtu.be/i5qOzqD9Rms

Isle of Dogs: https://youtu.be/dt__kig8PVU

RBG: https://youtu.be/biIRlcQqmOc

Ready Player One: https://youtu.be/cSp1dM2Vj48

Roma: https://youtu.be/6BS27ngZtxg

Sorry to Bother You: https://youtu.be/PQKiRpiVRQM

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: https://youtu.be/g4Hbz2jLxvQ

The Death of Stalin: https://youtu.be/kPpXFnHoC-0

The Favourite: https://youtu.be/SYb-wkehT1g

Three Identical Strangers: https://youtu.be/c-OF0OaK3o0

Vice: https://youtu.be/jO3GsRQO0dM

Won’t You Be My Neighbor: https://youtu.be/FhwktRDG_aQ

[classic-rock-roller]

1. You and Kevin come home one day to see Bonham lying on the couch with her eyes closed, a saxophone sound coming from the speaker on the table. It sounds somewhat familiar but  you can’t place it. “What are you listening to?” Kevin asks. “Jazz Mario,” Bonham responds without opening her eyes. Kevin wrinkles his nose, “That’s the dumbest shit I ever heard of.” How do you and Bonham respond?

Bons shoots straight up off the couch and goes, “It is not!”

Me: I do my homework to it. It’s great study music. 

2. Bonham is playing the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack for you and Kevin and Rudy when the ‘Galaxy Birth’ song. Rudy says, “This is cute.” Bonham says, “I don’t know, it kinda makes me think about death.” What do you and Kevin think of it (song available on request or on youtube) and what do you say?

Me: It does kind of remind me of death. But it’s also putting me to sleep. 

I close my eyes and rest my head on Kevin. 

Kevin: Can we change the song please? I really don’t want her drooling on my shoulder at two o’clock in the afternoon.

3. You’re hanging out with Kevin and Bonham one day when Vince calls you out of nowhere. No hello or anything, the first thing out of his mouth is, “I know marriage is for better or worse but how much worse is it gonna get?” You’ve got him on speakerphone, so how do the three of you answer him?

Bonham: Much worse. Much, much, much worse

Kevin: It’s not so bad..as long as you find the right person. 

And then he looks over at me which makes Bons gag. 

Me: I mean you’ve already been married one time before you married Sharise so shouldn’t you already know?

4. Bonham’s showing you, Kevin, and Rudy a jazz record, and it’s pretty good. A nice bari sax solo comes on and Bonham kinda moans a little and says, “I’d marry a bari sax.” “A player?” Rudy asks. “No, the actual instrument.” She says, and she sounds serious. How do the three of you respond?

Rudy: I mean you could. 

Kevin: Whatever floats your boat. 

Me: As long as you don’t want to marry pizza. I don’t want to see oral sex with pizza again. *shudders* 

5. Rudy asks Kevin what his favorite song is one day, and Kevin totally blanks. “How can you forget your favorite song?” Bonham asks. “Shut up, I have jamnesia.” Kevin says. How do you and Rudy respond?

I roll my eyes, “Jamnesia isn’t a real thing, Kevin.” 

Rudy: Actually it’s a surf camp.

6. You’re sitting with Kevin and Bonham one day when she cringes at a news article. “Some guy got arrested for going around to hotels and filming himself jerking off when the housekeeping staff came in. OH SHIT and get this, one of the guys that caught him gave him a blowjob. Do people just blow each other nonchalantly, like, what the fuck?” How do you and Kevin respond?

Me: When they’re high and drunk enough they do. 

I look pointedly at Kevin. 

Kevin: WHAT?! I never did that!

Me: Uh-huh 

7. You’re at a small get-together with Bonham, Kevin, Rudy, Carlos, and Crue. At one point when you’re sitting with Bonham and Nikki, Kevin comes up to you and says in a deep British voice, “I fancy you.” Before you can say anything, Bonham asks him, “How much have you had to drink?” How do you and Nikki respond?

Me: Too much. He always gets the British accent that sounds kind of like Ozzy when he’s had one too many. And the he usually throws up in. Three...Two...One

Nikki: Aww, seriously dude. These were brand new shoes too.

8. You and Kevin are walking down the street one day when a stranger shouts, “Oh my God! You’re Kevin DuBrow!” Kevin smiles a little and says, “Yep, that’s me. Always glad to meet a fan.” The stranger looks completely awestruck and shouts, “YOU ARE A GOD.” Kevin recoils a little bit and says, “I’m not, I’m just a guy.” How do you respond and what does the stranger do?

The stranger tries to hug Kevin which makes him recoil more and then I get between them. 

Me: Ok, buddy. You’re being very rude. Take social cues and realize Kevin doesn’t want you touching him. We’ll be happy to sign something as long as you don’t act crazy.”

9. You’re at a party with Kevin, Rudy, Bonham, Carlos, and Crue. When it’s time to go, you and Bonham are collecting the boys when you come across Tommy. He’s standing in the only path through the house, dancing. “Move,” Bonham says. Tommy doesn’t even turn around and cheers, “Fuck youuuuu.” Bonham slaps him on the ass to get him to move. He turns around and just leans over, towering over her, and you can’t tell if he’s pissed or turned on. What does he do and how do you and Bonham respond?

After a bit, I realize his pupils are dilated which means he’s really turned on. Since he’s way taller than both of us and extremely drunk we don’t have odds in our favor. Bons is trying to slip past him but he won’t let her. I quickly say, “Hey Tommy, Pamela is waiting for you out by our car. Why don’t you go get her?” “Pamela! Where?!” And he sprints out to the car. 

Bonham: Quick thinking. Now let’s round up the others. Mick’s getting Nikki and Vince. 

Me: And once we get back, we’re locking Tommy in his room. 

10. You’re doing tequila shots with Bonham, Kevin, and Rudy one day. After you’ve all had a few, you’re getting playful. You lick your hand, lick off the salt, and take your shot. You’re cringing, and you say, “Where’s the lime!?” (if you want I can explain how you take a tequila shot, if you don’t already know). Kevin giggles, and sticks it out of his mouth on his tongue. “You want it, take it.” He says around the lime. What do you do and how do Rudy and Bonham respond?

Well of course I’d take it. I pull him in and kiss him to get the lime and since we’re both drunk we end up making out. 

Rudy, who’s has had the least to drink, pulls the bottle off the table and caps it before saying, “Ok, that’s enough for you guys.” 

Bons gags and goes, “At least wait till Rudy and I aren’t in the room before having sex. Christ.” 

11. Bonham gets back from work one day before a show and it’s cold. She brings her sax in from the car and says, “Bertha needs to warm up, so I brought her in while I get ready.” You don’t think anything of it, and Kevin comes downstairs as Bonham goes up. He goes into the kitchen and then comes back out and sits with you. Bonham comes rushing down the stairs and stops into the kitchen before leaving, but when she gets in there she screams. “Who put my saxophone in the oven!?” Kevin shrinks into the couch a little bit as she storms out of the kitchen. “Who put my antique saxophone in the oven and melted her!?” Kevin mumbles, “I thought that would warm it up faster.” How does Bonham respond, and what do you say? Do you defend Kevin?

Bonham: How can you be so fucking stupid?! It can’t go in the oven. It’s like if I threw your stupid iron man toy in the oven

Kevin springs up and goes, “No! Don’t throw him in the oven! I’ve had him since I was a kid! That’s genocide!

I don’t like that the two most important people in my life are fighting so I get between them and calmly go, “I’m not siding with anyone but Bons, Kevin was only trying to be helpful. And you know how stupid he can be. And Kevin, try to use the brain that god gave you.” Before I slap him upside the head. “Also you will be paying for Bertha to be fixed or you will be buying Bons a new Sax.” 

____________________

1) You come home from work one day to find your singer laying underneath the Christmas tree. You drop your stuff and go, “What are you doing?” She doesn’t even look at you and says, “I’m thinking.” You join her underneath the tree and go, “I don’t know how you find this relaxing.” She’s about to say something when you hear Kevin go, “What the fuck are you two doing?” What do you and your singer say and how do Kevin and Randy respond?

2) Your band is on tour with Crüe promoting the joint album that had just released. Baby Mal is with you because QR is on their own tour and your singer and Kevin didn’t have anyone to watch him. One night, your singer is putting Mal to bed when you get a call from Kevin. You step outside of you and your singer’s hotel room to answer and the first thing you hear is, “I’m going to kill him! How can he take my wife and child away from me like that? I’m flying to your next venue so I can beat his ass!” You pull the phone away from your ear and go, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you talking about?” “Didn’t you see the article in the latest gossip magazine?” “No, I didn’t. Hold on.” You hang up and go down to the nearest convenence store to pick up the latest gossip magazine. Sure enough, you find your singer and Tommy on the front with your singer holding Mal. The headline reads, “Breaking news! War Angel’s singer has left Kevin DuBrow to raise their son with Tommy Lee!” What do you say when you call Kevin back, do you tell your singer, and what does Kevin do when he shows up at your next concert?

3) Your band is in a slump for your new album. Your band, Kevin, and Randy are in the studio trying to figure out what to do. You all take a break to go get lunch, although your singer stays behind. When you come back, your band, Randy, and Kevin find your singer in the recording booth singing along to The Wild and the Young. She doesn’t notice you guys at first until Erik says into the mic, “Hey, that’s pretty good. Why don’t we cover that?” How does your singer respond and what do you, Daryl, Linus, Randy, and Kevin say?

4) Daryl has recently been getting on your nerves a lot more and he is being really creepy towards your singer while working on your next album. One day, You, Kevin, Linus, and Erik come back from getting lunch to find your singer pinned against the wall trying to get Daryl off her. He didn’t do anything but he was close to it. Once he’s off her, she goes, “I don’t care what we do, but I want him out. I don’t feel safe. If you don’t want him out, I’ll leave. But right now...I need to get air.” You can tell she’s holding back tears. Once she leaves the room, what do you, Kevin, Erik, and Linus say to Daryl?

5) Your singer and her and Kevin’s kids have been staying with you and Randy since Kevin hit her when he was drunk. She says she won’t move back into their house until he gets help or goes into a program for his alcohol and drug use, “I’m not raising my kids around a raging addict.” One day, you’re watching the kids while your singer is at work. You hear the doorbell and you pick up Roxanne to get the door. When you open it, you find Kevin, he looks at you and then to Roxanne. He tries to grab her from you but you pull her closer to your chest. “Please just let me see my kids and my wife. I miss them so much. Please. Can you just tell her to move back home? I need them.” How do you respond?

6) It is the day of your singer and Kevin’s wedding. You’re helping her get ready (since you’re the maid of honor) and the other bridesmaids, her sister, Ash, and Christina, are helping as well. She’s just put her veil on and she turns around to look in the mirror. The four of you gush over how beautiful she looks, but she looks nervous. She sits on a chair and goes, “I don’t know if I can do this. I love Kevin so much, but I don’t know if I can go through with this.” She’s getting cold feet. What do you, her sister, Ash, and Christina say?

7) You come home from work one day to find your singer curled up in a ball on the couch with a box of tissues. You ask her what’s wrong and she goes, “Kevin just broke up with me because he and Randy have to go on tour for the first time.” How do you respond and what do you do about Kevin?

8) You band has decided to fire Daryl after he almost raped your singer and are now trying to find a drummer to replace him before going on tour. You and your singer have been auditioning people for weeks. She’s almost give up hope finding a good replacement when a young kid comes in to audition. He’s about eight years younger than you and the rest of the band, so you and your singer are a bit skeptical. He auditions and he’s phenomenal. Once he’s finished, you go, “What’s your name?” and your singer says, “That was amazing!” He smiles sheepishly and goes, “I’m Sean. I have always been a huge fan of you guys and modeled my playing after Daryl.” Sean has just turned twenty while the rest of your band is twenty-eight and older. Do you decide to hire him as the new drummer or do you decide against it because of his age?

9) You band has been around for about eight years and on the cusp of 1990 (it’s 1989) you go on tour. You bring along a burgeoning young act from Seattle called Nirvana. When your band and Nirvana meet for the first time, your singer goes to Kurt and says, “It’s so great to meet you, Kurt,” before sticking out her hand. He takes it, but while he does he says, “War Angel is an over-bloated, over-produced band that is just in it for the money. You only make music for the money.” How do you, your singer, Linus, Erik, and new drummer Sean respond?

10) You, Kevin, and Randy are sitting at the kitchen table when your singer comes bursting through the front door. Her hands are full but she drops her bag in the living room and is having a conversation wither her mother on the phone. The three of you are staring at her and when she gets off the phone, she goes, “What?” Kevin goes, “Where did the kid come from?” “Oh, this is my cousin Weston. Bons and I have to watch him this weekend. Did I forget to mention that?” She then hands you the baby, “Here Bons, can you hold him while I go get the rest of his stuff out of the car?” How do you, Kevin, and Randy respond and how does you weekend with Weston go?

11) Since Kevin broke up with your singer several months ago, she has moved on to date Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses. You’re still dating Randy so you and your singer still see Kevin a lot. Your singer most of the time just ignores him because she’s still very hurt at what he did to her. You, Randy, your singer, Duff, and the rest of QR (Kevin included) are hanging out at a bar. Your singer and Duff are being really cute. She’s sitting on his lap and he has his head resting on her shoulder and he occasionally kisses her neck or cheek. Kevin has been quiet and will glance over at the two of them occasionally. Your singer soon stands up and goes to you, “I’ll see you back home. Duff and I are going to a movie.” Before she grabs his hand and they walk out of the bar. What does Kevin say after they leave and how do you and Randy respond?

12) You got into a bad car accident and had to go into surgery. When you come to in the hospital bed, you feel someone holding your hand and murmuring. You open your eyes to find your singer at your bedside. She’s kneeling and holding your hand in hers and she looks like she’s praying. Just then Kevin comes in and goes, “You know praying won’t help, right?” How does your singer respond and what do you say? How do your singer and Kevin react once they realize you’re awake?

@osbournebemydaddy your move, Bons :)

[spotifypremiumapks]

Who was Alex Murdaugh? Wiki, Bio, Age, Family, Cause of Death, Investigation

Alex Murdaugh Wiki  -Alex Murdaugh Biography

Alex Murdaugh, the patriarch of a mighty South Carolina Legal family whose wife and son was mysteriously murdered in June has now been shot. Murdaugh, a lawyer and descendant of a prominent and wealthy family, found the bodies of his murdered son and wife in June 2021, murders that remain unsolved. Murdaugh himself was now shot in a separate incident along a country road, adding to the mysterious sequence of events involving the well-known family, according to the Charlotte Observer. Murdaugh was shot in the head but survived, the newspaper reported. Murdaugh, whose full name is R. Alexander Murdaugh Sr., discovered Paul, 22, and Maggie Murdaugh, 52, shot to death at the "Moselle" family hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. Alex Murdaugh was previously called a "person of interest" in the deaths of his son and daughter, who were members of such a prominent and accomplished family that some in South Carolina are likening the double homicide to a John Grisham novel. according to FITS News. No one has been arrested or charged in the deaths of Paul and Maggie. The state newspaper described the family as representative of "power, justice and a lot of money" for almost a century. Heavy emailed Alex Murdaugh through his law firm asking if he wanted to comment first. He made no comment. Now, he too has been shot.

Murdaugh, who has an alibi in the murders of his wife and son, was shot by a person in a truck, says his lawyer

According to the Charlotte Observer, the 53-year-old attorney was found shot on the afternoon of Saturday, September 4, 2021, on "a country road in Hampton County." His attorney said he was recovering in hospital, the Observer reported, and police confirmed that Murdaugh was shot. Jim Griffin, Murdaugh's attorney, told the Observer that Murdaugh had trouble with the car on his way to Charleston and was stopped on the highway when a truck that had passed him turned around and was shot by the person inside. . Griffin told the newspaper that he obtained that information from Murdaugh's brother, Randy. FITSNews has made some of the best local reports on the mysterious murder case. They reported through sources that Alex Murdaugh has a "strong alibi" in the death of his wife and son. However, Alex Murdaugh is "a central focus of the investigation," the site reported. Alex Murdaugh has not been arrested, charged or publicly charged with anything related to the killings; nor have registered sources confirmed the FITSNews account. The site said it has an alibi, but cited a source who said there are "credible concerns" about when the shooting occurred and said authorities are investigating "possible tampering with the crime scene." The Post and Courier reported that Maggie was found a few feet from Paul.

The mother and son were shot "execution-style" near a kennel, reports say; the family asked for privacy after Alex was shot

The family is asking for privacy after the latest shooting, telling the Observer in a statement: “The Murdaugh family has suffered more than any family can imagine. We hope Alex recovers and asks for his privacy while he recovers. " Paul and Maggie were shot "execution style" in a premeditated "very ugly" scene, FITSNews reported. According to The Augusta Chronicle, the bodies were found "outside the residence, near a kennel," and the coroner confirmed that they died from "multiple gunshot wounds." The suspect or suspects are unclear; neither is the motive, authorities said, though they said "there is no danger to the public," according to FITSNews. Authorities have not released many details. Nevertheless, FITSNews reportedThrough law enforcement sources, the Murdaughs died from "multiple gunshot wounds." The site reported that Maggie's husband and Paul's father, Richard Alexander Murdaugh Sr., discovered the bodies outside one of the two houses on their 1,700-acre property around 10 p.m. on Monday, June 7, 2021. Paul is the younger brother in the family photos; the other brother is Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr., known as "Buster", who was not harmed. There is no indication that he was present. He works at the family's law firm, according to his Facebook page. The Island Packet reported, also through sources, that the victims were shot with different weapons: a shotgun and an assault rifle. According to the outlet, Alex Murdaugh said he was not home at the time of the shootings. South Carolina law enforcement has only confirmed that they are "conducting an investigation into a double homicide that took place last night in Colleton County," reported FITSNews. Heavy has contacted the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division for more details.

Alex Murdaugh, a personal injury attorney who works as a part-time prosecutor, is 'alert and talking', reports say

Alex Murdaugh, despite the shooting, is "alert and talking" according to WLTX.com. Murdaugh was shot on Salkehatchie Road, the television station reported. R. Alexander Murdaugh, or Alex Murdaugh, is a lawyer for the Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick Law Firm. “The Murdaugh family and PMPED would like to thank everyone for the many calls and condolences following the deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. We ask for your patience and continued prayers during this tragic time. Please contact the police if you have any information that may be important, ”the law firm said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. His company bio says he graduated from Hampton High School and received a BA in political science from the University of South Carolina in 1990, "a Juris Doctorate in May 1994 from the University of Carolina School of Law. South and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in November 1994. " “Alex represents injured individuals in all areas of personal injury law, including trucking, product liability, and wrongful death cases. He also serves as a part-time Prosecutor for the 14th Judicial Circuit, ”says the biography. That resulted in many convictions and also in people sent to death row. They run a Hampton family law firm that "has won millions of dollars in civil lawsuits," the newspaper reported, including "relentlessly pursuing those guilty of fatal collisions." Once attended his lawyer father Randolph Murdaugh in a shooting death case. Campaign finance records prove Alex Murdaugh is a Biden donor. According to The State, "three generations of Murdaughs have been state prosecutors," solidifying the power of the family in legal circles. Alex is mentioned in this court case like interviewing an accused of involuntary manslaughter. He was previously president from a state association of plaintiff attorneys. Alexander, a former Rho No. II, is an attorney from Hampton, SC and serves as an Assistant Attorney General for the 14th Judicial Circuit. He completed his term as president of the South Carolina Association for Justice in 2016. Brother Murdaugh now sits on the Arnold Fields Community Foundation Board and was chairman of the Hampton County Democratic Party from 1996 to 2006. ” says a short biography on the Kappa Alpha Order page. According to Greenville Journal, once helped create a website for motorists to pay for potholes, saying, “In the long run, we hope legislators can put aside their political differences to pass a bill with a stable source of funding that will fix our roads once and for all. everybody. Until that happens, the 'Pothole Pay' web portal will temporarily ease the burden on drivers at no cost to them. "

Alex Murdaugh is being sued in connection with a fatal boating accident involving Paul Murdaugh

Paul Murdaugh faced pending felony charges in the 19-year-old Mallory Beach boating death. The Beach family issued this statement. to WJCL through an attorney: The Beach Family extends its deepest and warmest condolences to the Murdaugh family during this terrible time. Having suffered the devastating loss of their own daughter, the family prays that the Murdaughs can find some level of peace in this tragic loss. They would like the family and community to know that their continued thoughts and prayers are with the Murdaughs. It is their sincere hope that someone will come forward and cooperate with the authorities so that the perpetrator of these senseless crimes can be brought to justice. Beach died in a boating accident near Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2019, and according to the state, two teenagers were "suspected of driving the boat while intoxicated." One of them was Paul Murdaugh. At the time of his death, he was facing three felonies of boating, according to The Island Packet. According to The State, the Triton boat owned by Alex Murdaugh collided with a bridge, expelling six passengers aged 19 and 20. Solo Beach was killed. Read Also: Who is Fuquan Johnson? Wiki, Bio, Age, Wife, Cause of Death Police alleged that the survivors were "seriously intoxicated," the state reported. According to The Island Packet, Renee Beach, Mallory's mother, filed a lawsuit against former attorney Randolph Murdaugh III, her son Richard Alexander Murdaugh, and her grandson Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr., Paul's older brother, Buster. The lawsuit alleged that Buster Murdaugh allowed Paul Murdaugh, who, according to the outlet, was not identified in the lawsuit, to use his identification to purchase alcohol. According to WSAV-TV, the statements in that case alleged that Paul Murdaugh was "drunk and belligerent", even acting "like he was drugged", and rejected people's attempts to get him to stop driving the boat. He was described as a "crazy drunk," and his girlfriend, another woman (not Beach), alleged that he "slapped her and spat on her while she sat on a cooler," the television station reported. Paul Murdaugh's case was pending at the time of his death and had not changed since "his link was changed to allow him to travel" in July 2019, The Island Packet reported.

Maggie Murdaugh called Alex 'the best everyone loves'

On her Facebook page, Maggie Murdaugh posted several photos showing her with her husband and two children. In 2020, he wrote a tribute to Alex for Father's Day: “Happy Happy Father's Day to the best that everyone loves ❤️ Thank you for everything you do for our family. You work so hard for your family and our children. How lucky! Dad, coach, teacher and best friend😘 " He also posted photos from previous family trips to "Moselle", including quail hunting excursions. Alex Murdaugh's Facebook page contains only a few visible posts from his sons. On Linkedin, he just says he's an attorney from Hampton, South Carolina. He wrote on Facebook after the murders: “My account has been hacked. Don't accept any new friend requests from me. " Paul Murdaugh's Facebook page shows photos of him hunting and with his family, but the last publicly visible post is from 2013. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Read the full article

[mckenzierossistory]

Solo

Miami, FL

Russian Mob

The Boss

Part Four

The families are coming together for a meeting. “Isabella Mastroddi and her granddaughter McKenzie Grace and your son Donavon are here, Boss” Granny has been in touch with my father’s father for years. He only saw me once when we meet before l went to the Police Academy, Granny didn’t want to tell my Daddy, but l have been sending him pictures of Ashley Lynn and Angel Savannah since l had both of the girls. They have a nice size trust fund because of my grandfather. Granny didn’t want to lose me because of Lane Knight playing games with the girl's lives and mine. She had enough of this nonsense. Now it’s time for my Grandfather to get involved with this, along with the families. I am a granddaughter of an Italian Mafia boss not a lot of people know it either. This is the meeting l never wanted to have with him unless necessary to come to him; now it's time to meet my Granny’s, first only love. My nerves are going crazy; Granny place her hand into mine looks at me. “It will be fine; Your Granddaddy is an amazing man.” She put her lips against my forehead whisper to me. “Te Amo McKenzie Grace. Your Daddy is also here to ask for help” Daddy place his hand on my shoulder; I lean my head on his right shoulder. “Daddy, I’m so sorry you don’t want to do this” He kissed my head wiped my tears away with this left thumb. “McKenzie, l will do anything for my sweet girls and protect you” Trooper, Nick, and Matteo are behind us and, of course, invited by my grandfather. “What do l call him” Granny looks at my father. “Nonno” (Grandfather) he said very firmly to me; I nodded at Daddy. Nonno's right hand came in. “It’s a pleasure meeting you again, Miss Isabella; Boss is waiting for you along with your son and granddaughter.” Granny walks in with Daddy first. They are greeting my Nonno.

Then Daddy comes back to me, taking my hand walking in a room full of men, important men of the Mafia families. “Please let me introduce you to your granddaughter Papa. This is McKenzie Grace Rossi Caelan” Nonno nodded at my Daddy as he took a seat next to my Granny as my Nonno, looks at me. “She reminds me of you, Isabella, that feistiness, she had burned like you did when l met you, my sweet Isabella” Granny smirked at him. “Darlin, your granddaughter has a mouth on her also. She is truly a Mastroddi and Carboni” Nonno had the biggest smile on his face and was very proud of Nick. Nonoo sees that Nick and l are friends and trying not to kill each other “Well l see you meet Master Gunnery Sergeant Nick Carboni, he is a good boy for /OUR/ granddaughter this will be the only way we can protect our granddaughter and great-granddaughters” I see that very sexy smug smirk on Nick; he knew that l was going to have to marry him one way or another. “Fuck that; I’m calling this shit off” I start to head to the door; daddy stops me whispers to me. “McKenzie, I’m going to tell you this there are rules that he will have to follow with your Nonoo” I shake my head, can’t believe l am getting into this with the devil. I thought l meeting my match. I turn around, looking at Nick. “Fucker” Nick smirked at me. “I’m good at it McKenzie, how come your future husband makes him happy.” I pulled out my .44 and shoot (BANG) Nick in his shoulder, not playing with his games” My Nonno knows I’m not the one to fuck with when it comes to my love life and my girls. Nick is taken into another room. I took off out of the building. Nick knew that l could go deep undercover he wanted to protect me from Lane Knight; Nick sends a song to meet him https://youtu.be/THfc1R09Te8 #TBC

[nhupdates]

Niall Horan Kicks Off His Modeling Career

The former One Direction star—now with a No. 1 album—has signed with Wilhelmina Models.

Niall Horan—formerly known as “The Blonde One,” or perhaps “The Irish One,” in extremely popular boy-band One Direction—is now a genuine star in his own right. Even as several of his previous bandmates have pursued a more traditionally “pop” sound with their solo endeavors following the group’s breakup, Horan, 24, has traveled in a more folksy direction, his songs more Mumford & Sons or John Mayer in vibe than might have been expected.

And audiences seem to be liking what they are hearing from Horan. Two singles from his first album—“Slow Hands” and “This Town”—hit the top 20 on the U.S. charts, and his album, Flicker, debuted at No. 1 after its release on October 20. Horan—who will soon tour the record—is also enjoying other benefits of solo pop stardom: Wilhelmina Models has signed Horan as a client, adding the singer to their list of other artists who now double as models (including Nicki Minaj, Shawn Mendes, Maren Morris, and more).

Vanity Fair spoke to Horan about the new demographic of his fan base, which celebrities he sees as his personal style icons, and how he handles the incessant gossip items written about him.

Vanity Fair: What did it feel like when the album hit No. 1? How did you find out, and what was your first reaction?

Niall Horan: Yeah, I was a bit nervous because Future and Young Thug, I think it was, they dropped a surprise album [the same week]. You know, when you get all these plans together for months and months, myself, and the label, and my management, and all of that, we come up with all these plans, and then [there is a surprise album] . . . I started freaking out. I was a little bit worried about it. But, [the sales] got off to a really good start. Then when I saw the mid-week [numbers] were flying ahead . . . but I was a bit nervous all week. Then, yeah, I found out officially on the Sunday, I think it was. I was in Philadelphia, and my manager come over and shook my hand, and just said, “It’s official.” So it was a bit of a sense of relief, and it’s a little bit a sense of pride in myself having written all those songs, you know, myself. And to have them go No. 1 as a collective in the most powerful music market on the planet is a very, very nice feeling.

Did you get a chance to celebrate at all?

Yeah, I got all of my crew together in New York. There’s 20 of us on the road right now including all of my techs and production people and my band. I just took everyone out for dinner. I’m not one to go crazy celebrating. I’m on a bit of a tour right now, and after I got the No. 1 I nearly wanted to go and write the next [album]. I got a goal right here. So, I don’t know, I just kinda keep my head down. It’s my first album. Everyone was a bit excited, you know. Everyone’s excited about it and stuff like that, so I’ll try and do my best on the next one.

Do you like checking in to see what people, and your fans, are saying on Twitter, Instagram, social media? Do you take time to look at the comments?

Yeah, I’ll have a little look initially. I don’t get too deep into it, but I do like to see if people are liking what they’re seeing or hearing, but I don’t overthink stuff. I’m not gonna change the way I post stuff or whatever. Yeah, I just kinda go about being my normal self, and hopefully people like it.

What kind of reaction have you gotten since the album’s out? Have you been surprised with how people have responded to things?

Yeah, I think it’s quite an old-school sound. I noticed at the gigs that it’s a different kind of demographic in a way. There’s a lot of dudes my age—you know, older guys as well and older ladies. It’s not all just what you might expect from the typical show of mine. I think it’s kinda changed up a little bit with the style of music that I’ve been making, but that’s exactly what you want. You want to open it up to all different types of people and invite everyone down. So it’s nice to have newer fans as well.

When you were working on putting Flicker together did you have inspirations or albums in mind?

Yeah, well obviously I have my inspirations, and if I’m stuck somewhere writing a song, and I’ll think back, what would Don Henley do? Or, what would Dylan do? Or, what would Billy Joel do? Or Stevie Nicks? I kind of look to that for inspiration, but yeah, I wanted to make an album that came as natural as possible to me, and the kind of stuff that comes natural as possible to me is from my old-school references and inspirations.

Are there other songs or artists that are out right now that you are really loving?

Sam Smith’s new album. I’d obviously heard a couple of bits and pieces [before it came out]. We’re on the same label. But, hearing it as a collective, hearing his story, and just hearing his voice, and how talented the guy is. He’s just unbelievable. He’s kinda one of those people who can’t put a foot wrong really. But, yeah, he’s doing great.

Do you ever feel competitive with other artists out there?

I think it would have been very easy for me to go and make a straight pop record. I think that’s what people probably would have expected, but I wanted to make an album that came the most naturally to me. I was kind of hoping, fingers crossed, that with how competitive today’s music market is, and the types of music that are in the charts, that my stuff would hopefully stand out in a good way. But, yeah, I’m not really competitive with other artists because we’re all making different types of music. It’s just depending on what people are into at the time. I think that’s why songs like “Slow Hands,” for instance, did so well. I think it’s because they stand out in the crowd amongst all the other stuff that’s going on. So it’s been an amazing year for me.

Had you been wanting to explore modeling?

Well, to be honest, no, not really. Obviously, I’m into the fashion side of things. I think it’s part of our culture, and what we do, and my job. I just kind of like fashion in general. I wouldn’t say I was a model. I’m far from that, but obviously Wilhelmina thinks different. It’s gonna be fun to see what happens. Now that it’s been put in front of me I’m just really excited about it to be honest.

What’s your personal approach to fashion?

I’ve got a couple of different styles that I like. If it was possible to transport easily I would wear a suit every single day I think. I love getting into a suit. I like a slick suit. Any chance that I get, not often, but any chance that I get to go to a red carpet, I kinda relish the fact that I might have to wear a suit or whatever, and get into the design of things. I would say I was pretty casual, but with a bit of a twist to it, and I sometimes can be quite folky and rootsy in what I wear. A lot of boots, and hats, and shirts. Yeah, quite basic, simple but effective type stuff.

Are there other artists or actors that you have kind of looked up to in thinking they always look really great?

I suppose David Beckham gets it right pretty often. He’s pretty cool looking. Yeah. You know, I’ve seen shoots with Ryan Gosling’s looks and stuff, some acting shoots and stuff like that, and he’s always looked pretty rootsy. I’ve always kinda looked up to him. I like Bruce Springsteen. It’s cool and simple. Obviously Bruce is a lot more ripped than I am. He’s, what, 68 years old or whatever, but he’s holding it together very well. I mean he looks great. I’ve seen him in Broadway recently. He just looks shredded still, and he pulls off the most simple stuff really well. James Dean, people like that are quite cool.

Could you ever see yourself getting into acting as well at some point?

To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it. I am quite impatient so a lot of that waiting around between takes would absolutely kill me. But still, you know, I never thought that I’d be signing to a modeling agency, so I don’t know. Obviously if the right thing came around I’d give it a look, but I doubt that they’ll be coming and knocking at my door. I’d probably have to go looking for them.

Having people writing about your personal life, and the gossip items, is that something that you’ve gotten more used to over time?

Yes, I guess it does come with the territory. I’m quite carefree. I know what I’m like. I know who I am. I would say I was a pretty decent fella. They can write what they want, to be honest. I don’t really care. I never have been one to worry about things too much. You can’t walk down the street with a female without it being written about. I’ve just kinda given up caring. If they ask me [personal] questions, you know, it’s a bit silly. So yeah, they kinda can write what they want. That’s their job I suppose. They’ve got a job to do. I’ve gotten past the point of caring.

[julmar123]

Spn convention

Summery: I decided to make this imagine after I was binge watching a ton of panels with the cast of supernatural so this imagine is about SPN conventions and panels where the reader is a cast member and is an actress in supernatural and their character is a young hunter. Also mentions of stranger things. Y/n is for your name and y/cu/n is your cousin name and y/c/n is for your character’s name in supernatural

You and your cousin where rolling down the airport in Vancouver towards Las Vegas. You usually carried her around. She was like your assistant but not really she was just there so you didn’t have to be alone all the time. The both of you where sitting down waiting to board the plane. The rest of the cast had left to the convention together but you had misplaced your passport which is why it was just the two of you. “Hey y/n you look so nervous is this your first convention?” Your cousin asked you. You look up from your phone and smile “yes it’s my first supernatural convention, if it wasn’t for me forgetting my passport we would already be on our way.” You say making her laugh lightly. “It’s alright I’m sure you’ll be fine” she says trying to make you feel better. “Yeah I’m just nervous because the fans are very dedicated and well I’m new to the show” you start to say but she interrupts you. “Stop it! You are great on the show and that must be a reason why your on the show on the first place” she tells you taking her arm and pulling you close. You two sit there and until you board the private jet.

Once you arrive at the Las Vegas airport you take a picture with your cousin and post it on Snapchat and Instagram. With the caption “we out here Vegas” you are taken to the hotel by a shuttle bus. You and your cousin head into the hotel room and decide to get some room service and have a relaxing night in since the con didn’t start til the next day. When you get a face time call from Misha. You answer it

“Hola Mish what’s up” you say confused by the call. “Hola y/n hey so a bunch of us are down to go to a karaoke bar do you two wanna tag along?” He asks you smile at him as you see the group of familiar faces all sat around the hotel room. “Actually guys I just got in, and I wanna get some sleep before tomorrow morning “ you start to say but you can see some very disappointed faces. “I knew she would say no” you hear Jensen’s voice. “Oh come on y/n just for a little while” says Rob. You look up at your cousin who is nodding and smiling at the idea. “Alright you losers we’ll be down in a bit.” You say joking around with the group. They all cheer in unison. You change from your airport outfit which consisted of jogger sweats and a T-shirt. You put on a pair of high waisted jeans and a white lace crop top with a pair of boots. You decide to put some make up on and leave your hair in a braid. You and your cousin go to Misha’s rooms where everyone is pregaming. You knock and the door Jared opens the door. “Hey come on in” he says engulfing you in hug. One by one you hug the people in the room. “Alright ladies and gents we’re all here now let’s roll” says Richard. After a couple of drinks and songs you and your cousin decide to take an Uber back to the hotel and rest up for the convention.

The next morning you wake up take a shower and get ready for the convention it was going to be a rather busy day. You blow dry your hair and decide to get some beachy waves. And some natural all day full coverage makeup with a nude lipstick. You put on another pair of high waisted jeans and a navy blue crop top with black beads and a pair of thigh high black swaid boots with a chunky heel. You look at yourself in the full length mirror. “You look great y/n I really like your blouse” says your cousin as she is finishing her make up. “You really think so you don’t think it’s too much?” You ask her as you continue to look at yourself. “Nope you look good “ she says. Once she is done you both follow a volunteer and head downstairs to the lobby where a shuttle bus was waiting to take the crew out to the convention area. You smile as you see Brianna and Kim waiting for everyone else. “Wow y/n looking hot babe” says Brianna taking you in a hug. “Good morning ladies” You say as you hug keep Kim. “Do you want some coffee?” Ask Kim handing you a cup and another for your cousin. “Thanks” You say in unison. “So where is everyone else?” You ask confused before you take a sip. “I’m not sure all I heard is that some of us actually got some sleep while others had a crazy night “ says Brianna. “Let me guess all the boys stayed up and partied didn’t they?” You ask as both of them nodded yes. “Ah not me I actually got sleep”you turn and see Alex he smiled at all of you and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “You wrap another around his waist. The four of you take a picture on your Snapchat and post it to your story. Most of the fans shipped your character with jack on the show because your character had a huge crush on him. So you and Alex spent a lot of time together in order to build that chemistry, that sometimes the fans would ship you too in real life, although it was all platonic of course. As you waited for the rest of the cast you dranked on your coffee and talked with the castes they arrived. Once everyone had arrived you take the bus to the convention center and head towards your photo booth. You grab your phone to make sure you looked photo ready and you can hear a crowd of people who are in line. You walk up and wave at everyone who is in line. One by one you take pictures with ur fans some holding hands others making funny faces. It always made you happy to take pictures with all of your fans.

“Alright y/n you have a panel right after Misha and Jensen. And it’s just you and Alex then it’s your solo panel across the convention center and thenfinally you have a signing session” Says your cousin reading off a list. She takes you towards the main panel room where you can hear Misha and Jensen. You spot Alex and hug him from behind. Wrapping your arms around his waist. “Hey y/n you ready for this?” He asks you as he turns around. You let go and smile. Just then the music starts and you see Jensen and MIsha walk out of the velvet curtains. They hug you as you and Alex pass by. You wait until Richard announces you and Alex. “Now please give a warm welcome to the beautifully amazingly multitalented y/n y/l/n and the equally as esthetically pleasing and also quite talented Alex Calvert” says Richard through the microphone and you hear the crowd go wild. He puts his hand on the small of your back and guilds you into the stage where a ton of flashing lights go off. You smile and walk taking a set next to Alex on a chair. “Alright spn family!” Says Alex super excited and the crowd starts up again. “So this is y/n’s first panel, so let’s be nice” he adds making you smile. “Alright so for those of you with questions there are two microphones on each side of the room” you says pointing to them. “Let’s get started. “ says Alex.

Fan: “my question is for Alex do you think Jack also has feelings for y/n’s character?”

You turn to look at Alex and wait for his answer

He looks at you winks and smiles making the crowd scream. You smile back at him and blush

Alex: “I think that to an extent he does have mutual feelings for her but he still doesn’t know what thoes feelings are so he’s trying to figure them out. All he knows is that she was nice to him even after she found out that he was the son of Lucifer” he says. “Thank you for your question” he add before turning to the other side of the room.

Fan: “I just want to say that I love your characters on the show and my question is for both of you...what is the best part about being on a show like supernatural?”

Alex point at you to start the first.

You: “well to me... I’ve always been a huge fan of the show way before I was ever a part of the show I was a part of the fandom. I think that being on a show that I admire so much is a huge blessing and also a dream come true, not many people get to say that they are on a tv show that they love to watch. And just being able to work with a bunch of genuinely nice people is a pretty good time except when Jared decides it’s time for a prank on set” You say and the crowd laughs at the last part of your answer.

Alex: “yeah I agree with that I think that the show has such a good crew behind the scenes made up of great people and an even better fan base” he adds to you answer. “Thanks for the question” he says before turning to the other side.

Fan: “hello, my question is for y/n I was wondering if you could tell us about any pranks that j2 have pulled on you?”

You look to Alex who is laughing.

You: “well I don’t get pranked much anymore because I like to prank back and it gets a little to intense on set but there was one time where I was supposed to be in a scene with Jensen and Jared and it was supposedly be this really emotional scene for my character and Jared was supposed to stand behind me and he kept distracting me by trying to braid my hair but I didn’t brake character” you start to say and Alex jumps in. “He tangled her hair up so bad “ he says making the crowd laugh. You laugh with them. “Yeah it was awful I had to sit in a makeup chair for about an hour just to get the stupid braid off and then another 30 minutes just to get the hair to look decent for the shoot. I was soo mad at him” You say. Before thanking the fan for the question and turning to the other side.

Fan: “my question is “what has been the craziest thing a fan has said or given you?”

Alex: “hmm I’m not sure I don’t think I’ve gotten anything too crazy” he says looking at you.

You: “I don’t think I have either like I will occasionally get stopped to take pictures but nothing weird for the most part you guys are really nice and respectful “ you add with a smile thank the fan and turn again.

Fan: “hello I just want to say thank you for being here this is so cool. My question is for y/n, it was just announced that you would be in the newest season of stranger things, does that mean that you will no longer be involved with supernatural?”

You: “hmm okay yeah so the thing is that stranger things doesn’t start filming until mid May and we stop filming in about two weeks so with that being said I will still be a part of supernatural it’s just that I’ll be working on stranger things in Atlant when our last half of the season airs on tv and then come right back in the summer to film the new season of supernatural.” You say

Alex: “are you allowed to tell us anything about stranger things?” He asks you making the crowd loud again.

You: “nope.. not yet All I know is that I got a part in the show and that I’ll be wearing some crazy 80’s wardrobe “ You say.

Alex:”cool next question?” He asks

Fan: “what do u think Sam and Dean would say if jack and y/c/n got together as a couple?” She asks making the crowd cheer again.

Alex: “I’ll take this question” he says looking at you. “I think Sam would be happy for the Jack and Dean would be angry why because sams like the really nice cool big brother who will give his support while Dean is the overprotective older brother, I also think he would be confused about Y/c/n liking Jack, because she is also a hunter and acknowledges that Jack could be dangerous” he says and you add “hey y/c/n likes danger” you add making everyone laugh. “Oh of course she does she’s a hunter whose in love with the spawn of Satan” he says making everyone laugh before turning around again

Fan: “how often do you two hang out outside of the set?”

You : look at Alex and smile “we hang out a ton actually, when I first got cast I knew that my character was going to be head over heels for Jack so I made it my mission to become Alex’s best friend I wanted the onscreen romance to be as organic as possible and I wanted him to be comfortable around me and vice verse. Also it helps that we have so much in common so it was easy to become close friends so yes moral of the story we do hang out a lot” you say.

Alex: “ yeah we do hang out a lot but I think that’s what makes Jack and y/c/n so unique as a couple or potential couple because they are so different but because you and I are so alike it doesn’t pull the audience away from the story or the romance aspect, it makes it much more believable” he adds.

Same fan: “would you guys ever date each other?”

The audience oh’s and awe’s

Alex looks at you and says: “I thought we already where” With a cheeky smile. Making the crowd cheer

You: giggle “no I’m dating, Osric” you say clearly joking and pointing out the fact that some fans ship you with Osric as well. He shakes his head “next question” you add clearly trying to avoid the question.

Fan: “hi I think you two are really great my question is for y/n I know you really like music but what type of music do you hear before going to set? Like what music gets you in the filming mood?”

You: “hmm I listen to many different genres of music so it all depends on how I am feeling at that exact moment but this past week I have been blasting some AC/DC” the crowd cheers. “Yeah I just feel like it brings back the general feeling of the first season. And it helps me get into y/c/n’s mind set.” Next question

This went on for a while and after the panel you and Alex walked down. He followed you. “Dude what’s on your schedule for today?” He asks you . “Lots of stuff I gotta go to my panel right about now “ You say pointing to a golf cart that had a staff member and your cousin inside. “Ah alright what about lunch?” He asks you. “Um not sure haven’t thought it through yet what are you doing for lunch?” You ask him. “Not much you wanna see what everyone else is doing maybe we can plan something “ he says. “Yeah yeah txt me let me know what the plan is I gotta get going” You say before giving him a hug and running towards the golf cart.

“Alright let’s roll” you say once you get inside the cart. You drive through the convention center and see fans screaming and waving at you. “Hi!! Hello!! “ you scream back as you wave. People take their phones out and record you and you do the same putting the fans on your Snapchat story was your favorite thing to do. You get to your panel room and stand behind the curtain as the staff was allowing the fans inside you take your phone again and record a couple fans. You hear a staff member address the crowd. “Hello everyone we are so excited for you all to get your questions answered today by the lovely y/n” at that you walk out into the stage and the fans cheer once they quite down you take the mic from the staff member. “Hello everyone thank you for being here this is an amazing turnout. Wow I was actually worried that I wouldn’t have an audience here “ You say making the crowd laugh. “Alright do we have any 1st timers?” You say raising your hand and looking through the audience at a couple of hands “Alright so a couple of you that’s good so I’m not alone here, so for those of you who where dragged in here by your friends or your children I’m y/n and I’m y/c/n from supernatural I will be answering any questions that you may have about the show about myself about anything actually so we have a mic up here in the middle let’s get this started shall we?” You say

Fan: “hi this is so cool okay so most of us know that you where a part of the spn fandom before you where on the show, has there been a specific moment when you fan girled.”

You smile at the fan. “I love this question, yes I am a huge part of the fandom and the moment I saw Jensen it made my heart go crazy. So I met Jensen before I met anyone else on the show, hes a total teddy bear by the way, so anyways It was my first day on set and I was so nervous because this is something I have wanted for a really long time and I was walking into a soundstage and I see Jensen sitting in his chair alone and looking through his script and I almost ran out of the sound stage I ligit turned around and was ready to walk but somehow I was able to talk myself out of my anxiety and turned back around I was sooo nervous because you know this is the Jensen Ackles and he looks up with this super gentle smile and waves me over. He was so sweet” you say “but you know it’s like that on set still anything new about my character or anyone else’s character makes me fan girl I love this show I’ve invested so many hours and years into these characters that I feel like they are a part of me so I fan girl a lot on set” you add thanking the fan and going to the next person

Fan: “so you are going to be in the new season of stranger Things have you met anyone in the cast yet?”

You nod “ yeah I have I met Finn Wolfhard who plays Mike at a show in Vancouver not to long ago I went with my cousin and he was there with his band, he was so nice and his band can get down, I have also met Joe Kerry before auditioning for the role I met him at an award show but he might not remember me It was a while ago” you say

Fan: “are u aware that some fans have created fan art with you and Alex as (y/c/n) and jack being intament? If so what do u think about the shippers out there?”

You smile at her. “Well I had some idea about fan art but I do not think I’ve seen any with my face on there and thank goodness I haven’t been exposed to that yet I think it be a bit strange although I’m not against it or the shippers, I think that people are allowed to ship whoever they want and should not redicule others for shipping anything else. So that’s what I think. And I ship (y/c/n) and jack too and I love fan art you are all so talented that if u make fan art I’d love to see it”

The crowd goes wild after a couple of more questions from fans and lots of laughs you finish the panel. “Thank you soo much for being a part of this journey with me and for the generous amounts of support that you all bring to the fandom it’s really amazing how united you all are so thank you again I hope to see you all at my signing “ you wave good bye to the crowd and walk off stage.