#probably the only man i could fancast

[starfall-spirit]

Fourteen Years

This man has been my celebrity crush since I watched Narnia.

And look at him now

He could totally play Rhys if the ACOTAR show happens

@velidewrites you're an enabler and feeding my fantasies with Daddy Darkling Rhys

If you haven't checked out this queen's fic, You and I Are Going to Change the World, go check it out! Ao3 link here

Pairings: Feysand, Elucien, Neris

[longagoitwastuesday]

Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie as Heathcliff and Cathy seems like out of The Onion

[hobis-hope95]

Blessed by the Gods

fancast!Benjicot Blackwood x Bracken!fem!reader

Summary: You, the only daughter of Amos Bracken, had just been offered away in marriage to a man much older than you, and in the hopes of having some peace and quiet for you to express your anguish towards the Gods that allowed this, you go to a place you found a couple months ago - a beautiful clearing with flowers scattered around and a weirwood tree in the middle. You knew it was risky, as you'd seen him there before, but in a moment of distraction Benjicot Blackwood found you and now you must suffer the consequences.

Warnings: 18+, enemies to lovers, a little fluf (veeery little), kinda dom x sub, swearing, hunting (it's basicaly it but I don't know if there's another term for it, when you read you'll know), smut, porn with (very) little plot, fingering, p in v, unprotected sex, rough sex, breeding kink, praising kink.

Authors note: Heyy, so this is my very first time posting something I wrote (I do write a lot but mostly I get stuck and end up not finishing it) because I'm OBCESSED with Kieran Burton since I saw him in the goddamn teaser, plus I've been reading plenty of fanfics of him and two of them particularly inspired me for this (I'm sorry, I don't remember the names or the authors to tag them). Last but not least, English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

You should hate him. You should’ve never been in that place, for you knew it was Blackwood territory, and should’ve heard him getting closer before. But you didn’t. You knew he went there frequently and if he saw you in the golden dress you wore in that particular place, he would definitely tell you to go back to your lands, but not without some provocation first. But that weirwood tree was so beautiful even if hidden in the middle of the woods, the flowers that bloom around it were so unique that you had to go there and admire them in a way to flee from the confinements of Stone Hedge. Or you told yourself that this was the reason you went there.

You found it the first time by accident. You had got lost in the woods, no track of a clearing nearby for you to situate yourself, when you saw the red leaves and decided to get near, for you knew that the weirwood roots extended long through the floor – making itself exclusive for a few yards in its radium – and you would be able to see the sky without the treetops being on your way. When you got there, though, the place was so gorgeous you could not leave right away.

After that, you tried to memorize as much of the path you could and return to that same place for moments of peace. That was until one day you heard footsteps – of one person it seemed – and you hushed to hide away. Moments later, hidden behind some bushes, you saw when no other than Benjicot Blackwood appeared through another end of the clearing where, you didn’t notice before, had a small trail that probably led straight to Raventree Hall.

Bloody Ben. Lord Blackwood. Lord of the house you were supposed to hate, and yet you found him so extremely gorgeous. You’d saw him only a few times. On Riverrun where your families sometimes were called by their Paramount Lord or near the stream that divided their lands, often arguing with your cousin in the company of a few others of his House and a few times you ended up being the victim, getting back home after slapping him across his face with his obscene remarks or just leaving after outsmarting the man – for the second you took much pride in.

On some of the times you’d been on the clearing you ended up having to hide when hearing his footsteps and waiting for him to leave before you could move. He’d mostly sit in one of the roots of the old tree and do whatever he felt like doing at the moment. You’d seen him reading, cleaning his sword, crafting some arrows and doing nothing at all, but he always stayed for about two hours before finally leaving.

Today however, probably because you were stressed with the news of your arranged marriage, you didn’t hear him getting close. When he saw your dress, the colour of your house shining through the rays of sunshine, a smirk crept in his face with the ideas he had in mind.

He knew it was wrong, hideous, the idea of wanting anything that came with the red stallion in a golden shield, your House’s coat of arms. He knew that from any woman he could want, you should not be a possibility. But with your hair that finished around your hips and a face that looked like a gift from the Gods, allied with your wits and challenging manner, he could not lie to himself that more than once he woke up in the middle of the night hot and bothered after a much-detailed dream about you – and eventually would handle his hardness with the thought of defiling you and making you his.

What he didn’t know, and you tried to deny it as much as you could, was that you also had conflicting thoughts about him. Since the first time you’d saw him in Riverrun, his face showing a mischievous glow with a smirk on his lips as your family entered the room, you fought with your own body as your heart raced and your cheeks burned in his presence. You hated the way he mocked your cousin and told you the lousiest of things, his lascivious expression making you hot and bothered as well, and you hated that every time you saw him, you knew that at the end of the day you would toss and turn for hours trying to erase his face from your mind.

You told yourself it was just because he was the only one who didn't walk on eggshells when talking to you – or anyone for that matter – and because you liked the challenge, but deep down you knew that your feelings for him were far from hatred, and the idea of trying to find out the true meaning of them scared you.

“Gods, have I done anything to anger you so that I’m faded to marry Forrester Frey? I would do anything, please!” You asked to the faced weirwood tree, knowing you’d have no answer but desperate enough to look like a crazy woman who talks to a tree by yourself. What you did not know was that someone did hear you.

Benjicot took his blade from his waist, taking extra care to not be heard, and when he got close enough to you, he acted quickly, one arm holding your body – your arms entrapped – and the one with the blade stopping on your neck.

“My, my, look what we have in here, a lost Bracken broodmare, far away from home” Her breath got caught up on her throat with the feeling of the cold blade on her skin and her heart jumped on her chest with his body pressed against her back and his voice so close to her ear “Good thing that I found you before any other predator did, huh?”

“Let me go, please!!” You pleaded, pure panic spilling from your voice, and Benji almost moaned – he had no idea that having you pressed against his body in panic would arouse him that much “Oh no, my darling, I could not do such a thing. You just committed a crime, you see, for you are far away from your father’s lands and what fair lord would I be if I do not punish criminals like you?”

“Please, I’ll vanish from your sight in less than a minute and no one will know about this, okay? Just please, let me go!!” Your eyes were burning with unshed tears with the thought of the possible punishment he had in mind, and you didn’t stay still, moving your body in an attempt to free yourself from him even if useless, as he was taller and way stronger.

“No, no, no, my darling, I could not possibly do that, your Bracken lord can play blind on your actions, but I am a serious ruler and punish all criminals as their crimes demand” He tightened his grip on your body, his fingers pressing harder against the clothed skin of your waist, and as he continually pressed on you, a warm feeling cursed through you until it reached in between your thighs “But what punishment would be enough? Thieves, who take things that don't belong to them, have their hands cut off. Murderers, who take lives that do not belong to them, pay with their own lives. Now you, who committed invasion of lands that don’t belong to you, what could I possibly do to punish you correctly?”

Once again you pleaded, ‘please’ sounding like a repeated prayer on your lips as he inhaled the sweet smell of your hair “I could not invade your father’s lands, or I would be committing a crime of my own” He stated as if he did not listen to your pleads and when he spoke again, his voice was huskier and low like a whisper “But I could invade your territory myself”

You hated yourself for how your body reacted to his words, your thighs squeezing together when you felt the heat on your lower belly grow, and hated even more that a side of you wanted him to go ahead with his threat full of mischievous intentions. Him, on the other hand, was more than pleased to hold you that way, his front fully in contact against your behind and his groin pressed against your back.

“Please, Benjicot, lord Blackwood, please” You repeated and started struggling even more when you felt his hard cock pressed against your back, trying to move away “Please, please! What, my lady, do you want me to do?” He mocked, repeating what you said in a higher pitch, as his hand with the knife left your throat and went to your hip “You want me to be gentle?”

Another wave of heat made you close your eyes for a second, a hard sigh leaving your lips and you didn’t answer. He laughed when he heard you “This is supposed to be a punishment, but I’ll make an exception if you behave” He said, his breath hot against your ear as the hand on your hip went further down and grabbed the skirt of your dress, pulling it up.

Your neck now free from the threat of his blade, an idea came to your mind. You were not sure if it would work, but it was your only hope, so you took it. Bending your head forward to gain some impulse, you took a deep breath – bracing yourself for the upcoming pain – and shook your head back with all your strength, hitting his head on the side.

Benjicot, surprised with what had just happened and with his head pulsating, faltered his grip on you long enough for you to get rid of his arm around you and start running, your head spinning and your vision still blurry from the blow. You felt and heard when the skirt of your dress ripped, before the other man’s hand lost its grip on the fabric, but you didn’t turn around to check the damage.

With your vision still recovering and the pulsing pain in your head, you headed to the woods, still not sure if you followed the right path, only caring about getting as far of him as possible. Benjicot, on the other hand, quickly recovered from the dizziness, the pain easily subsiding, and he growled before following you, euphoric and feeling his blood rush through his body straight to his cock with the expectation of hunting you down.

You ran as fast as you could, your breathing burning in your lungs and your legs aching, and tried to dodge the trees and bushes in your way. Even with all your efforts, you heard his steps and breathing not that far away, and fear crept inside you, being the one thing that prevented you from collapsing in that moment.

He knew those woods like his own chambers – losing track of how many times he went there to hunt, explore, have a moment of peace or take out his anger on the trees – and he had the advantage of being taller than you, his muscles trained for endurance in the battlefields, so even if you ran with all your strength, it would still be easy enough for him to reach you.

“Bracken!! Do not think you can run away from your punishment, you’re still on my lands” Your step became unsteady when his voice seemed closer than you imagined and after tripping over a tree root, you couldn't keep your balance, ending up falling with your body and arms protecting you from ending face first into the grass.

As you were turning to place your hands on the ground and help you stand, you heard a twig cracking right behind you and soon enough his voice made you turn your head “Poor mare, doesn’t know her way home, but don’t worry, I’ll show you when I finish your punishment if you want”

You tried to turn yourself so you could stand back up, but before you could do anything, he caught your ankle and pulled you closer, turning you to face him “No, no my darling, you’re not escaping me again, now come here, the quicker it starts, the quicker it finishes, if you want... or you could just enjoy it”

“No, no, no!!” You repeated like a prayer and when he positioned himself between your legs, you started to punch and scratch at his chest, face and arms “Calm down, I think I was mistaken, for you are not a mare but a kitten, but no need to show your claws. I know I said that I would be gentle if you behaved and you didn’t, but I do have a soft spot for beautiful girls like you”

Quickly enough, as if your efforts meant nothing, Benjicot grabbed both your wrists and held them above your head, leaning his body closer to yours – his groin pressing against the middle of your thighs and his mouth just a few inches away, his breath hitting your face.

“You know what surprised me about your behaviour just now?” He asked, looking at your eyes, before he kissed your jaw and a hand went to your ankle “Because every time I see you, be in the Tully’s assize or the boundary, you are always looking at me so needy that makes me want to fuck you right there”

He left open-mouthed kisses through your neck as you felt the hairs on your nape stand and his hand began to move up your leg through the fabric of your dress “So why now are you pretending you do not want this?” He moved his hips forward, his hardness pressing against your clothed folds, and you didn’t have the strength to hold a moan.

“Be-because I don’t! You Blackwoods are just so ugly that I’m surprised to see something like that in the middle of a crowd” You spat, trying to regain some of your pride, but he chuckled, lifting his head with a smirk.

“Act all you can, kitten, but that moan just annulled everything you said, you know” His hand now was in your inner thigh and as he stopped talking, his calloused fingers went straight to your folds. You bit the inside of your cheeks to hold your voice and furrowed your brows, but he still looked almost amused at your efforts.

“Fuck you” You twisted in his grip but could not move enough to escape his touch and he took the chance to move his index finger through your folds, watching as you closed your eyes and your hips grounded into his touch “Oh, my lady, deny it as much as you want, but your body will remain true to its desires”

His smirk grew wider, his tongue sliding through his teeth, as his thumb found your clit and he watched in pleasure as you clenched your jaw and your legs opened wider for him. He circled your bundle of nerves with his thumb while his middle finger slid down your folds, reaching your entrance, and didn’t waste the opportunity to shove his finger inside you to the point where only his last knuckle was visible outside.

You moaned loudly, having been caught off guard, and your walls tightened around his finger “Fuck, you’re so tight, it’ll feel delicious around my cock” Benjicot started moving his finger, almost completely withdrawing before plunging it back inside, while still rubbing his thumb through your clit, and soon enough you were a mess, your thoughts fogged with the pleasure his hand was giving you.

You didn’t even notice when his hand let go of your wrists, too caught up on the feeling of his finger inside you and his pace growing faster by the second, as you fought against the undeniable pleasure you were feeling, and when he curled up his digit inside you, the thin string of pride you hung yourself by collapsed, giving in to the urge of your feelings and enjoy as he claimed you.

“M-more, please” You whispered, completely giving in to the ache of your heart. That was why you could not stray your eyes from him at every assize, that was why you would walk too close to the boundary and why you would come all the way from Stone Hedge to that specific clearing with that specific weirwood tree.

Your heart wanted him and there was no denying it, not anymore, not when his middle finger curled inside you so deliciously that made you see stars through your eyelids and not when you caught a glimpse of him and he looked at you like a starved man “Say again, kitten? I didn’t hear you” He teased, thinking you had yet again tried to deny your wishes.

“More, please, Benjicot” You said before you moaned again, your eyes fully opening now with your brows furrowed in pleasure, and for a second he wished he had a portrait painted of you like this. He pushed another finger inside, his pace now relentless with his cock throbbing through his breeches, and with his free hand he grasped the front of your dress, tearing the fabric to expose your full breasts.

“Stopped putting up a fight now, kitten? But this is not a treat, this is a punishment” He said as he curled both his fingers inside you once again before completely withdrawing from your wet cunt. He lifted the fingers that were on you seconds ago and looked at them, making a disapproving sound with his tongue “Just look at that, look at the mess you made on my fingers, huh?”

He tapped at your lower lip with his wet fingers, the smell of yourself arousing you even more “Now be a good girl and open up” And you did as he said. You closed your lips around his fingers as you felt them press at your tongue and moaned as you tasted yourself “Clean them”

You ignored the smug smirk on his lips, knowing he was enjoying bossing you around more than anything, and hollowed your cheeks sucking on his calloused digits. Now it was his turn to let out a pleased groan and when you looked at his eyes his pupils were blown, his irises darker, what almost made you moan on his fingers again.

“I’ve heard you back there by the weirwood tree, your cunt of a father wants to sell you to that old Frey?” Benjicot retreated his fingers from your mouth and ran them down your chin, your saliva running through your skin as he slowly traced a way through your neck and collarbones until he reached one of your breasts, both his digits circling your already pointy nipple as he watched your velvety skin under his touch, his smirk had gone away from his face “That old dog deserves not even a piece of you”

You felt your heart skip a beat with his words, trying not to conclude anything for he had not confirmed yet “But soon enough he won’t be a problem, don’t worry kitten” He twisted your nipple between his index and thumb, trying to calm down his anger with the thought of Forrester Frey being anywhere near you, before you asked “How?”

“Because after I finish with your punishment, no man will take you as their wife” He pinched your nipple and you moaned again, the threat mixed with his ministrations and the dark expression in his face being almost too much.

The Blackwood lord moved his other hand to the laces of his breeches, undoing them while still stimulating your breast, and your breath hitched on your throat as you looked down, fixed on his slender fingers dealing with the strings, seeing as it became loose around his hips before he had to let go of your breast to get rid of the fabric that covered his lower part.

As he took off his breeches he came back to his position between your legs, your thighs on top of his, and his smirk placed itself back on his face as he watched your eyes widen with the sight of his bare hard cock.

“You’re- this is-, you are so big” You let out, shock and want on your face as he pushed your dress up, revealing your glistening cunt to him “I know, kitten, but do not worry, it will fit” You lifted your gaze from his hips to his eyes, finding him already staring back at you, and all you could think was that you wanted him more than anything in the world.

He placed both hands on your hips, bringing you closer, and grabbed him in his hand to slide through your folds, collecting as much of your juices as he could. He wanted you, desperately, he wanted to completely fill you with his length and fuck you mercilessly until all he heard was your screams of pleasure, he wanted to ruin you to any other man and to have only you for the rest of his fucking life.

And so, with the promise of punishing you in his head, he shoved his cock all the way inside you in one thrust, leaving you gasping, your mouth opened and your eyes closed, the stretch and pain of your first time almost bringing you to tears. He had never experienced something like this before – as his previous experiences had been with whores – and didn’t even dare to move, your cunt gripping him so tightly he thought that if he moved at that moment he would cum on the spot.

As he noticed your eyes closed, he pinched your nipple “Open your eyes, kitten, I want to look at your beautiful eyes” You sighed before opening them and when you did, he noticed the tears you tried not to spill. That made something snap inside him, breaking all the will he had to hurt and punish you, and he bended down to meet your face, his breath on your face and his eyes on your lips.

“As soon as I saw you there, next to the weirwood tree, all I wanted to do was to hurt you, make you regret stepping on Blackwood territory on that golden dress of yours, but it’s rather difficult to focus with that pretty face” One of his forearms was keeping him steady as his free hand came to your breasts, the feeling of your soft skin on his calloused fingers almost making him moan “Go on, tell me how you hate me, fight me, tell me how you are disgusted by me, so I can focus on punishing you”

A moan. You opened your mouth to say something, anything, but all you could do was moan and it went straight to his cock, throbbing inside your warm and tight walls, still not moving. As he glanced up, he met your teary eyes and opened mouth in an erotic portrait, he growled as he let go of the rest of his resistance and crashed his lips against yours in a desperate kiss. As your mouth was already agape when he did it, his tongue easily slipped inside and found yours, and you reached for the back of his head, your fingers curling on his black hair.

As he kissed you hungrily, he started moving, his cock almost leaving you entirely before pushing himself back inside, and the sensation of being full of him was so good that you could not control your moans. As he felt the vibrations coming from your mouth, Benjicot squeezed your breast hard and you were sure that would leave a mark – but you couldn’t care less.

As his pace grew a little faster, the pure pleasure replacing the pain of the stretch each time his hips met yours, he let go of your lips, glaring at your face with the squirms and sighs you let out. Even if his dreams were vivid, nothing would compare to having you like this – a mess of fabric, hair and red bruised lips – at the moment, the feeling of your walls always so tight around him and your soft skin on his hand made him grunt.

Your eyes went to his on that exact moment and you could swear that your walls squeezed around him at the sound. He placed his face on the crook of your neck as he started biting and placing kisses to the skin as a way to mark you, and started going down through your collarbone to the front of your chest before placing his lips to the nipple that wasn’t being stimulated.

The wet noises of skin slapping against skin and the feeling of both your nipples being teased made your eyes roll back in pleasure and now you didn’t even try to muffle your sounds anymore “Such a noisy kitten, taking me so well” He praised, lifting his head from your chest, and held your hips with both his hands, so strong that you now worried that you’d get bruises all over your body “You should be mine and not that Frey cunt”

With his firm grip on your hips, he pressed deeper into you, your back arching from the ground and trying to keep up with his movements “Please... Benji” Two of the only three words that you could pronounce at the moment – the third one being more – too caught up with pleasure to form a coherent phrase, and Benji laughed at that, full of pride for making the so beautiful and correct daughter of Amos Bracken look like a common whore “Do you want to be mine, kitten? Mine to fuck and use as I please?”

His words aroused you even more, his hoarse voice sending waves of heat straight to your cunt, and you tried to nod your head in affirmation, because that seemed like the only thing you could do at the moment “Use your words, kitten, I know you can do it” He moved one of his hands so he could brush past your clit and that made you gasp.

“Y-yes please, I want you, I want you Benji” As she nearly screamed, the man felt satisfied, his hunger for you only getting bigger with the way you moved your hips in time with his, your face making the most erotic expressions as your moans and repeated words sounded like an exclusive prayer for him.

“I’m going to fuck a baby in you, fill you with my seed so much you’ll be leaking for days, so your bloody father won’t have an excuse but to marry you to me” He grunted in between his words, moving faster and deeper as he assaulted your clit, and you started feeling a knot form inside of you, the pleasure becoming almost too much “Please, please” You didn’t even know what you were begging for, but only wanting this to never end.

“Yeah? Do you want to be my wife? To have your Bracken womb filled with Blackwood children? Your cunt to be used by a Blackwood cock? Is that what you want?” He leaned in, one of his hand still giving you pleasure, his head once again going to the crook of your neck as he grasped at your thigh, squeezing the flesh as he moved you so you could wrap your leg around his waist, and he heard you when you weakly repeated “Yesyesyes”

“So I’ll make sure you get until the last drop of my seed to, soon enough, you be swelling with my babe” He whispered into your ear as he pressed further to your clit and his pace soon enough was so fast you thought he would break you. Your moans got louder as you wrapped both your legs around his waist, the knot on your lower abdomen about to snap, and he looked at you before whispering “Go on, cum for me, kitten”

And that’s when it happened. The knot snapped within you as you flooded with pleasure, your whole body spasming as your walls grew impossibly tighter around him, milking him, and with just a few more thrusts he shoved himself as deep as he could inside you before he shot his load straight to your core, coating your womb. As he started coming down from his high, he captured your lips in a sloppy kiss and let most of his weight on top of you, which you didn’t care as his warmth and his skin on yours was all you wanted at the moment.

You let out a dissatisfied grunt as he removed his softening cock from your cunt, some of his seed spilling from you, and lied to your side, pulling you to his embrace “Did you really mean it? Marrying me?”

“Yes” You said, the warmth spreading across your face “Well, you filled me with your seed and the possibility of me getting pregnant is almost certain now. Marrying you is the right thing to do” You tried to be cautious with your words, but for the love of the Gods, he had just fucked you in the middle of the woods, caution was one thing you had abandoned long ago “Okay, I admit that since I first saw you in the assize I haven’t been able to remove you from my thoughts and I dreaded the day that the news of your possible engagement would come.”

You took a breath before finishing “We have nothing to do with each other, our families fucking hate one another, but every time I got inside Riverrun fortress, I hoped you’d be there” You said, absently moving your fingers through the skin of his chest, but did not dare to meet his gaze, for you were now as embarrassed as you could be.

“I am glad to hear that, for I have almost the exact same feelings as you. I ached for being able to get closer to you at the assize and to kiss you when I saw you standing next to the boundary. I almost went to Kermit Tully to ask him to propose a betrothal between us” He answered, his hand on the back of your head caressing through your hair. You lifted your head from his chest, his words making your heart flutter, and he leaned his head to capture your lips in a soft kiss, both your and his feelings pouring down into each other.

“But I must stop you from going straight to my father, for he would kill you before you would be able to ask to see him” One of your hands went to his cheek as you parted to breathe, only now noticing you left nail marks there, and stroke his skin.

“Oh, I do know that, for I would never take you back to Stone Hedge with your dress like this” He laughed when he saw your eyes widen at his words, remembering now of the tore skirt and bust of your dress, and quickly added “I’ll give you my cloak and we’ll go to Raventree Hall for you to change, after that we’ll go straight to Riverrun and ask Lord Tully to bless our union, for your father would never go against an order of his Lord Paramount”

“That sounds like a solid plan, not that bad for a Blackwood” You teased and he smirked “And you were not that bad for a Bracken” You gasped in false shock at his words, lightly slapping his shoulder, and he laughed “It will surely be good to have you as my wife, a good way to keep things interesting”

“I hope so, you Blackwoods are not usually that fun though” You bit your lower lip as you’d seen him arch his brows “Well, it depends on what fun you’re talking about, because at least in one kind of ‘fun’ I exceed expectations and you just proved it right”

"Shut up!" You exclaimed and he turned you again before kissing you.

“Don’t need to ask twice, my lady” He said and you kissed him again.

It could have not been the way you expected it to go, but one thing you could say: the Gods did grant you a way to free yourself from a marriage with someone twice your age, still uniting two people together, in hopes of a prosperous – and maybe more peaceful – future ahead.

So that's it! As I wrote it mainly for the smut part (oh god, what a good first impression) the plot part may be a little off, I'm sorry. Please, feel free to leave a note if you guys liked it and maybe soon I post another, a series this time.

[wheresmymilliondollarman]

pls ANYTHING with Aaron Warner. I'm literally living for him and I love your writing.

never go out of style

aaron warner x fem! reader

after a bit of convincing, you decide to let aaron join you and juliette shopping. maybe you should've thought twice on that.

(no specific timeline, but kind of hinted towards after the series ends)

a/n: dw bff i understand ur obsession 🫶ik you guys are waiting for pt 2 of my other aaron work but i'm having some issues with it so i wanted to whip up a quick lil fic for you guys and it also helps with my writing blocks. also in this they all kinda of live together in a base like location still. shorter than my other stuff but hope you enjoy and tysm for supporting my work !!! again i envision hayden as aaron but fancast who u like !!

word count: 3.1k

warnings: clingy aaron, suggestive content, aaron and juliette banter, some grammar errors probably

the sun peaked from the window of your room, shining a light directly toward where you slept peacefully on the bed.

your peace was disrupted by a loud ringing sound coming from your clock on the night stand.

you groaned as you began regaining consciousness from your deep slumber. with your still bleary vision you glanced at the clock, 9 am. you rubbed your eyes and let out a yawn, knowing it was time to get up for the day.

you pulled yourself up into a sitting position, only to be brought back down by a strong arm next to you – face pulled forward into a broad bare chest. for a moment you’d forgotten about your sleeping boyfriend next to you.

“mm, no.” mumbles the man next to you. to make his point cleaer, he slid you closer and nuzzled his face into your neck and naked shoulder comfortably.

both you and aaron rarely ever slept with shirts on. it wasn’t always due to inherently sexual reasons, more-so it’s for aaron’s sake because he’d always make a huge fuss about the fabrics getting in the way of your skins touching directly. aaron is a huge fan of touch, well only your touch. anyone else’s he’d be disgusted by.

much to your bewilderment, he originally wanted to the both of you to slumber bare. much protest came from you for various reasons, including in the case of an emergency everyone needed to evacuate swiftly, the two of you could potentially land in a horribly embarrassing situation.

so, you both settled for a tops off only kind of deal. you were lucky he even let you sleep with your bra on. although, when he was needy or wanted to be a cheeky bastard, he’d take it off in your sleep.

“aaron…” you said in a knowing tone. he was like this almost every morning where you attempted to get out of bed with him. it was really cute, but also really annoying when you had to be somewhere, like right now.

“sorry can’t hear you, very tired. maybe try again in an hour or two.” aaron was very obviously not asleep; but he’s avoiding your pleas of freedom.

you rolled your eyes at his behavior. you couldn’t wait any longer or you’d be late to meet with juliette. so you begun to try and push a hand against aaron’s chest to free yourself of his cuddle prison.

aaron in reaction only squeezed you impossibly tighter. you weren’t weak in strength in any means, but if it’s a competition between you and him; he’ll win everytime.

“c’mon baby, i got places to go.” you tried to coo him into releasing you with a pet name. aaron absolutely loved when you used pet names for him.

“shhh… teddy bears don’t speak.” aaron responds, and puts a finger over your lips for emphasis. man, he was really stubborn this morning.

with the way you are being held hostage, you thought being called a teddy bear wasn’t far off.

that leaves you to your last resort — puppy dog eyes.

you look up at aaron and give him your best pleading eyes, “you know i’d love nothing more than to just stay in bed with you, but please aaron, i really do have to leave.” you plant a quick peck on his lips for extra effect.

aarons eyes soften, you could see he was almost cracking and close into relinquishing his hold on you. so close.

but then the tables turn, he gives you a sad look before saying, “you’re always gone these days doing something with juliette or kenji, is it so bad that i just wish to spend some time with you even if it’s just sleeping in our bed.”

crap, he did a reserve and now pulled puppy dog eyes on you. and worst part is it was working, especially with the sad little voice he was giving.

although, his statement wasn’t all that true, you spend more than enough time with aaron, and barely enough with your friends. but of course in his dramatic mind, any few hours that aren’t spent together felt like a week to him. but you doubt you could even properly compute this argument back to aaron, not while he was looking at you like an injured animal.

juliette was going to kill you for your next words, “how about you come along with me today then.”

aaron face changes tune immediately — a big grin makes it way onto his face. he pulls your face to his and plants various pecks all over your face, making you giggle at his excitement.

it was really hard for you to deny warner at times, he could be really convincing. or maybe you were just easily susceptible to his puppy dog antics.

“well, what are you waiting for, let’s get ready.”

aaron finally releases you and moves to get up from the bed. not even giving you a moment to stretch, he goes on to your side of the mattress and in one movement scoops you you in his arms and walks in the direction to the bathroom.

aaron made quick work of putting you on the counter and getting the water facet to the shower head turned on. he was obviously very eager to join you on whatever you and juliette were going to do.

the two of you showered together. aaron being the clingy man he is, loves when you bith shower together. he likes to wash and scrub your hair for you, lathering it in soap and shampoo. you admit that’s your favorite part because it tends to feel like a nice head massage.

however, showering together can be inconvenient at times because you are sometimes in a rush or just rather be alone. but then he gives you a sad face and you feel bad. even when you try to do it alone while he’s busy, he will manage to worm his way into your space.

aaron helped dry you both off and, ever the fashionista he is, even picked out an outfit for you to wear. he has a habit of doing that, and you can’t deny the pieces he chooses are fabulous.

if you both happen to subtly match, like right now, he’ll claim it was a coincidence — which you do not believe there is any coincidence with that man.

you left to meet up with juliette while aaron finished getting ready, so you could tell her the slight change in your plans for the day.

juliette was longing on her phone in the common place when you saw her. once she noticed you she git up and approached you.

“hey, you ready to go?” julietted asked you as she got her purse from the place she was sitting before.

you chuckled nervously, “uh, you see, about that-“

“so where are we headed off to?” a voice intercepted, wrapping an arm around your shoulder .

your boyfriend had perfect timing as usual.

juliette didn’t let the ‘we’ go unnoticed.

she furrowed her brows, “im, sorry did you just say we?” giving you a quick glance in confirmation.

“oh, y/n didnt tell you i was joining you ladies on whatever it is your doing?” aaron questioned with fame in innocence laced in his voice.

the smug jerk definitely knew you hadn’t got to that yet.

juliette turned her gaze toward you, making a discontented face, “no. it seems she hadn’t informed me of this.”

you winced and gave her a sheepish shrug, trying to say ‘sorry i’m taking my boyfriend along and im springing it up on you right now cus he didn’t even give me a chance to tell you.’

juliette rolled her eyes, "does he even know what we're doing?" she raised a brow in a questioning manner.

aaron once again decided to butt in, looking down in your direction, "yeah, i'd also like to know what it is the three of us are out to do today." putting extra emphasis on the three, likely to annoy juliette further.

oh god. it just dawned on you what juliette and yourself had planned to do today. you realized how much a catastrophe this was a bout to be.

you glanced at juliette, who you deemed also had come to this conclusion.

you turned to face aaron, "we're going shopping."

an hour later.

"nope. absolutely not, change."

you rolled your eyes, you were so close to strangling the beautiful man that was aaron warner. if he spewed out one more opinion on your fashion choices, you were gonna lose your mind.

just as you expected. disaster. you really should've known better than to bring bring along your very honest boyfriend who happens to be obsessed with fashion himself.

in theory, it sounded cute, trying on clothes and showing your best friend and boyfriend all the cute outfits. the avergae boyfriend would say you look great in anything, making you all giddy and happy.

but you didn't have the average boyfriend, you had aaron warner.

to his credit, he had behaved himself on the car ride over (only after stubbornly refusing to drive anything that wasn't his BMW.) he even kept his comments to himself when you entered the store.

the moment you picked up an item of clothing, it was as if the crack in the dam of his mind had finally broken. he started spewing every possible critique that he thought of.

"no, that color will wash you out."

"it's cute you think i'll let you go out like that."

"put that horrendous looking shirt down down and walk away."

"im saying this as a loving boyfriend, are you blind, or do you actually think that's wearable."

juliette was in no way spared from his fashion "advice."

"i'm shooting myself if you pick up another pair of denim blue-jeans."

"i hope your horrible sense of fashion isn't contagious."

both you and juliette ignored him to an extent, she occasionally snarkily replied and then picked something he would hate purposely. aaron eventually gave up on as he put "salvaging the one good percent of juliette's closet" and focused all his attention toward you, much to your misfortune.

you loved aaron's sense of fashion, you really did, but you didn't find it very enjoyable everytime you picked up an item you thought was cute, just for him to snatch it from your grasp

another thing, when it was time to try on your items - aaron refused to wait outside the dressing room, he was very persistent on getting in the dressing rooms with yo he even told the worked in charge of the fitting rooms 'it was nothing he hadn't seen before.'

you gave him smack on the arm for that suggestive remark.

so, now the two of you were cramped into a small dressing room, not that aaron minded - the closer the two of you were, the better.

you did enjoy how he doted on you - zipping up your dressing, helping you put on and remove clothes, planting a small kiss on the top of your shoulder whenever you were dressed.

he would sit down on the small chair in the dressing room and take in your attire, "now give me a little twirl." he teasingly commanded manner.

you shook your head with a grin, then spun around in the flowy fabric of the light pink sundress you were trying on, adorned with small flower embrodiery - it was an "aaron approved" dress on the rack of course.

when you met with his eyes again, he looked as if he were in a trance, hypnotized by your entire being. he was enticed by the clothing that draped you, examining it thoroughly. your face flamed up under his loving gaze.

"well, what do you think?" you asked a bit anxiously, since he hadn't uttered a word since the clothing was put on you.

it was ridiculous to be nervous about your boyfriend's approval, but alas, you couldn't help it when the boyfriend in question is aaron warner.

he was brought back by your soft voice and stared up to you, putting a hand on your hip - bringing you closer to him.

"i think..." he paused, standing up from the small cushion, and cupping your face with his hands, "we should buy it in every color they have."

aaron then started sloppily covering your face in kisses, each one after the next. you attempt to weakly push him away, not putting much force into it.

"aaron you're going to smudge my makeup!" you cooly scolded.

aaron looks down to you, leaning his face closer to yours, "my love, if i always cared about smudging your makeup, i'd never be able to kiss you." he replies smoothly.

little moments like this truly made all of the mayhem of the day worth it. mostly.

"now, love, hurry up and try the next one on. i chose that one myself."

"but juliette hasn't even seen this one yet." you brought up your best friend, who was trying on her on choices a few doors down.

"who cares what juliette's opinion is, her fashion taste is a worn out t-shirt and jeans." aaron sassily retorted.

"i heard that you asshole!" juliette bellowed over to aaron from the inside of her dressing room.

aaron remains unfazed by her disruption, "ignore her, put on the next one."

you give aaron a glare at his behavior to juliette, but comply go to the door in your room to get the piece he keeps referring to.

you gape at the fabric hung before you, doing a double-take to ensure you had seen it correctly. oh you're boyfriend was sly.

you hold the clothing in your hand and turn to face him, "aaron, this is lingerie."

he smirks, "i suppose it is."

heat was beginning to rise from your neck to your cheeks, you played it off with a scoff, "i'm not changing into this unless you turn around."

aaron gives you a disapproving look, as if to say 'seriously?' - "nothing i haven't seen before."

"just turn!" you scolded at him.

"alright love, no need to get so feisty." he teased then finally turn his back to you. you hated when he teased you terribly. you almost gave him a smack on his back for that, but decided against it.

you started removing the clothing on your body, reminding yourself to show juliette the dress later. you grabbed the lingerie aaron picked, it was green colored lace two piece set - the top had lace on the cups, a corset like style for the waist with 3 light green ribbons going down, and a mesh fabric with lace trimming the edges draped from the bottom of your rib area and covered your butt almost fully. the underwear was a simple lace thong the same color as the top.

it was beautiful, and you shouldn't have expected any less since your loving fashion expert boyfriend chose it.

once the lingerie was on, you looked at yourself in the long vertical mirror placed in the center of the room.

you admit you thought you look pretty good in the set. you had a few nightwear pieces, but those looked plain in comparison to the on you had on.

your noticed aaron's back in the mirror and suddenly remembered he was waiting for you to put on the lingerie.

your smooths down the top with your hands, then turned to aaron's direction, "ok, you can turn around now."

aaron mutter a small 'finally' before twisting to see you. the first thing he did was stare at you, his jaw slacking and eyes widening.

he was silent for so long, you started to get insecure if he thought it looked bad on you. you nervously laugh, "do you like it or-"

the question went unfinished because in an instant aaron took one large step towards you, pushed you against the mirror and passionately kissed you. you were thrown so off guard, you stumbled with your feet, stabilizing yourself by placing you hands on aaron's shoulders.

aaron's hands started wandering down your body, leaving goosebumps on your skin. aaron's lips were almost devouring yourself, kissing you with need and eagerness.

you were the first to pull away for air with a grin, aaron's lips followed yours, not ready to end the kiss. you had to gently put a hand on the side of his face to pull him back enough to let you breathe.

the haze that was clouding you for a moment cleared - reminding yourself you still were in the dressing room.

the first thing you did was laugh, then ask, "so i'm gonna assume you like it?"

aaron leans his face towards your, pressing your foreheads together and whispers, "love, if we don't pack up and go pay soon, i'm going to commit some horrible acts to you right here in this dressing room."

later

"well, i can say with full confidence this was the worst shopping trip, in the history of shopping trips to ever exist." juliette announced to the entire car as she drove back to the base.

"maybe next time you shouldn't come along then." aaron retorted from the backseat where the both of you were seated. (aaron was insistent on both of you in the back instead of one in the passenger seat and one in the back seat.)

"you're the one who wasn't even suppose to come! y/n only brought you along because you're a clingy boyfriend."

"i don't know what you mean by that, i'm not clingy." aaron defended, crossing his arms over his chest, like a stubborn child would.

you couldn't help, but let out a small laugh, you tried covering up with a cough. aaron snapped his head in your direction, furrowing his brow, "do you think i'm clingy?"

"no- well, maybe a little.. but it's not a bad thing." you tried to reassure him. your boyfriend's clinginess could be a little much, but honestly the feeling of being loved so much by someone was worth any small inconveniences.

aaron tugs you closer to his seat, wrapping an arm around you. "well, it's not my fault i love you so much" he tells you, giving a small peck on your lips, "if anything i'm reeling in at least half of my clinginess."

you raise a brow at this, not quite believing that, "i can't imagine how you could possibly top your regular behavior."

"oh, i can always be much worse, love" he cockily says leaning his head down closer to yours.

juliette interrupted your shared moment with a comment, reminding you both of her presence in the front seat, "i'm gonna throw up from all this sappiness."

aaron as always was quick to come up with a cynical reply,"not our fault you and kent have the emotional connection of a brick."

"hey!"

[moseslikellamas]

♱𖣂 Redfork Menace ♱𖣂 pt.24

Benjicot Blackwood x Bracken!OC

Summary - The aftermath of Shanda’s wedding, the beginning of the rest of them.

Warnings - fem!reader, suspense, adult language, period typical misogyny, condescension, adult language, feelings of shame, feelings of guilt, manipulation, benjicot brainrot, Kieran Burton fancast.

Word count - 2.5k

Benjicot had carried Shanda all the way from the godswood back to her room, up several sets of stairs and the winding halls of River Run. Then he had unceremoniously dumped her on her bed. She had rolled over as quickly as she could with the massive folds of her gown, and stood back up. She was across the room in another instance, staring at the heir like he was a lion waiting to pounce. Her heart was hammering in her ears, the sound drowning out all of her more rational thoughts. He just watched her, staring curiously. But she could tell he was going to humor her.

It seemed to her he’d gotten everything from this deal he wanted and had been rather lucky in evading the opposition. Beyond that she still hadn’t forgotten the humiliation he’d made her suffer through during questioning. She had smiled and looked nice for the ceremony, as it wasn’t just her who would be looking back on it. One day she’d have to share the story with her children as well and it wouldn’t be a mess of a story to tell now, granted she only talked of the wedding. The rest was of course ludicrous beyond absurdity. But now, alone in her room, she was not beholden to the ink of history or the wandering eyes of the riverlanders. And she was not about to make this easy for him.

“What did you see when you touched the weirwood tree?”

If anything would kill the mood it was bringing up the gods. Arms crossed, Benjicot leaned back against the wall. He was sizing her up and probably pretty accurately too. Now was her chance to start figuring out how to counteract him. She’d made the first move and now, the dance was beginning.

“Don’t you think it’s a strange time to discuss visions from the gods?”

His eyes were shining and he pushed off of the wall, taking two steps towards her. Shanda frowned, taking a step back but taking care not to bump the wall. She wasn’t going to give him the opportunity to rush her. Instead, she took her shoes off one by one. Flinging them to the side, she nearly hissed at the cold stone floor touching her bare feet. But she wouldn’t stand a chance against him if she didn’t ditch the shoes, she hadn’t forgotten how fast the man was.

She shrugged at him, keeping her eyes on him as she mapped out which way she would move when he lunged. And he would lunge, he was coiled so tightly she was surprised he was still breathing. She knew this room better than him and it was a fairly large room. Her best bet was probably to get around the dining table off to her left but she had a feeling he was expecting that.

“It’s as good a time as any. Besides, don’t you want to know what I saw?”

When he lunged she threw herself to the right side of the room and just as she had assumed, he moved to the left. They came to rest, both still on opposite sides of the room. Her heart sounded akin to the rapidly flapping wings of a hummingbird, so fast it was nearly buzzing. She labored to keep her breathing steady and even, determined that she not let him know how nervous she was. He stood across from her unaffected, looking just as he always did. Like he was up to no good and had already won in that endeavor.

“Of course I want to know.” He began to move as he spoke, she moved in kind.

They were both circling the room now. The sun was blinding as it poured into the row of windows diagonal to her position. She moved with haste to leave from that position, unhappy that she had to throw a hand up to block the light.

“But?” She prompted when he didn’t continue.

“But you’re stalling and you’re trying to distract me. I’m not sure why you want to wind me up but it’s working.”

He was closer now, forcing her to move around the room faster. She almost laughed, he was impatient. She had finally found a button of his to push at last.

“Me? Wind you up? Don’t make me laugh.”

She yelped when he lunged in the right direction now, nearly grabbing her before she moved away. He had figured out she was anticipating how he thought she would move and then changing course. The amount of mental gymnastics they were doing would be funny if it weren’t so exhilarating. She was panting now, her heart was beating too fast to regulate her breath. And Benjicot remained as calm as he had been when he walked in the room. It dawned on her then that he was just wearing her out, letting her waste all of her energy before he pounced.

“You definitely wind me up. You’re so stupidly stubborn and you never admit when you’re wrong.”

She scoffed at that, when was she ever wrong? Did she sometimes miscalculate risk? Yes, but who didn’t? She wasn’t an all seeing witch. It didn’t make her wrong, she was just ill informed at times.

“You want me but you’re scared. So you’re doing what you do best, causing chaos.”

Her face was stained red and she couldn’t tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. She didn’t like being called out.

“Shut up, Blackwood. This entire mess is and has been your fault. Now I’m stuck with you forever. So tell me what the fuck the tree showed you.”

This time when he lunged he caught her by the arm. He swung her around, her back hitting his chest as he grabbed the other arm as well. She swung her head back, intending to crack his open but he was ready for her. He tsk’d at her when she missed his face and her head hit his shoulder instead. He wrapped both of his arms around her, holding her snug against him. His face was buried in her neck and she shuddered when he exhaled softly.

“You aren’t stuck with me.” The sound of his voice made her knees weak in a blissful way. “I’m helping you out, like I always do. Your plan to cause trouble is still intact and you’ve already caused enough. But who am I to stand in the way of my beautiful little wife?”

Electricity shot through her at the affectionate title, and she was so warm under the layers of fabric piled on top of her.

“You snuck into our land.” His voice was a deadly whisper while he stroked her collarbone, his fingers feather light. “You tried to leave me for dead. The wolves did come, you know, chased me halfway to Raventree before they lost interest.”

She would’ve laughed any other time hearing the news, she might’ve gloated as well, finally victorious. But right now she was focusing all of her energy into being still. He’d pounced all right and now she was in between the beast's teeth, waiting for the inevitable chomp that would come.

“And then you came back.” His hand slithered up her neck, holding her softly.

She knew she could break out of his one armed hold if she really wanted to. He was strong but she was clever when she needed to be. She didn’t try to escape though. She listened to him speak a truth she was just beginning to accept despite her heavy reservations.

“You came back after I named you specifically. I told you what would happen but you couldn’t resist. Tired of being a golden statue at home, well don’t worry baby, I would never put you up on a shelf.”

His lips were trailing up her neck and she hardly had to think before she had twisted around to push her own lips against his. The two were an inferno, melted together and whirling as she began ripping layers of the dress off of herself. When she grew tangled in the fabric due to her own impatience she could hear Benji laughing before he helped her pull it off. She stared at him, her whole body flushed a perfect shade of cherry in the morning sunlight. He looked like the god of happiness and warmth, she wanted to be under his skin basking in that glow.

“I did come back.” She grabbed his hand and placed it on her naked hip. “Because you were so odd, so utterly out of place. The heir playing around with borderland guards, it seemed absurd.”

Her hands were busy unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

“You knew I was a lady and you didn’t care. Such a brute, grabbing me all the time.”

Her words had lost all bite, replaced by the smile on her face. There was time enough to learn how to live with such a bothersome man later. For now, she wanted to admire the view in front of her. The two of them stood unclothed and half stupid with joy on the last good day of summer.

***

Something was wrong, Martyn had decided. His sister had not come down for breakfast and she had not been in her room when he’d come by to collect her. His father had been gone as well which he considered suspicious. What was the old man doing up and out so early? And why had he refused to talk about where he had been? The whole thing felt like bad news to him. His betrothed, and soon to be wife, had come to him last night and asked a favor.

“Cause a scene. Preferably a really big one but I suppose a small one will do.”

Martyn stared at the woman, her dark curls looked wild in the humid air.

“At some point Lord Elmo is going to figure out Royce and I keep starting these fights.”

That seemed inevitable even barring the one she was asking for. Alysanne had only smirked at him and pushed him harder than necessary.

“Don’t worry about Elmo. He’ll be much more concerned about the girls than he will be the boys tomorrow.”

That had only made Martyn more nervous. She didn’t elaborate any further and had left him to do whatever it was he was supposed to. A distraction, get Lord Elmo occupied. And he had, Royce had made friends with a few of the Tully staff, as he always did anywhere they went, who had graciously shown them a few hidden passageways. From there it had taken little time to start a ruckus around the castle but centered in the main hall where they’d been holding court. It was a predictable spot for people to be gathering and it was a good distance from Lord Elmo’s study.

Martyn shuddered to think of the look the man had given them at the end of it all. They’d started maybe a tiny bit of hysteria at the idea of River Run being haunted. But in his defense he had been trying to be seen, he’d lingered in hallways and didn’t hide in the main entrance either. But no one seemed to notice him breaking glasses or shooting light fixtures with his slingshot. He was a perfect shot though and perhaps that made a difference. He still wasn’t sure why no one had thought it was him. Well that was until Elmo plucked the sling from his hands. His soul had briefly left his body then but he’d definitely caused a stir. It took Elmo half the night to get everyone settled and assured the castle wasn’t haunted.

“It’s just full of young stupid fools who never stop to think for a moment.” He’d said to many of them, staring at Martyn with venom the entire time.

Then he’d endured an intense but brief interrogation in which he gave away nothing. He hadn’t suffered through that for nothing. He’d slept fitfully thinking of his impending marriage to a woman he hardly knew. She seemed well enough, a bit abrasive at times but smart. She was kind to his sister and that was definitely a plus. But he was also worried about his sister's marriage. It would be odd and strained for both families. He didn’t want it to be though, he wanted to see his sister regularly. He’d hoped whatever the two ladies were planning it wouldn’t pull the two houses apart anymore than they already were.

Now he was sitting anxiously in the Great Hall waiting his turn for the Sept ceremony. He kept glancing at the door and hoping for Shanda to walk through it. There was plenty of time for her to show up and explain where she’d disappeared to. Then maybe she could explain what her plan was to him. The minutes ticked by in a bothersome way, sweat dripping down his back and soaking his shirt. It was nearly afternoon and the sun was high in the sky. The air was heavy and hot. He wanted to take a dip in the gorgeous water down below, he could see out the window. Shining brightly, reflecting the sun back at him.

Around him other couples sat, some were talking. Others sat quietly, staring like Martyn. Anxious for someone familiar to walk through the door or gazing out the windows hoping for a cool breeze. He was starting to think neither would happen on this cursed day. Beside him Alysanne was quiet, she’d braided her hair in a pretty updo. He thought it was smart, all that hair had to be miserable in this heat. He was wishing for a cut of his own right now which neared his collar. She hadn’t said a word since she’d arrived and neither had he. He didn’t have anything to say and couldn’t find it in him to make up something.

What did you say to a stranger who was now your wife? Hello, lovely to meet you. Sorry our families have been killing each other for years, now fancy a meeting in the sheets? The entire thing was doomed from the start. He was loath to let the thought slip into his mind but he was looking forward to simple guard duty. Something that was normal, predictable and easy to navigate. He could see a mile out, he could shoot anything. Whatever all of this was? It did not suit him at all.

“Martyn?”

She spoke at last, looking at him conspiratorially and he wished she had stayed quiet. What could she possibly be up to now?

“If you’re going to ask me to cause a scene, the answer is no. Lord Elmo is still pissed at me, I’ll have you know.”

Martyn hadn’t seen his sister but he had seen Elmo. The man had not been happy to see him but thankfully hasn't spoken to him.

“Hmm. Are you sure? These people seem awful glum, don’t you think? Wouldn’t it be nice if we told them some stories to take their minds off of it?”

He regarded her suspiciously, not for one second buying the innocent look in her eyes. It was an incredibly convincing look but he’d seen the mischief this woman got up to first hand. He also knew his sister had a hand in whatever this was and they seemed a devious pair to team up together.

“What kind of stories?”

Alysanne smiled at him. “Myths of course!”

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Hello. I watched the show the haunting of hill house on Netflix recently. And I am really impressed with Oliver Jackson-cohen and then I remember he was a popular fancast for moonknight. he lowkey looks like Smallwood's MK and he's a great actor and he's Jewish. What are your thoughts on him as Moon knight?do you think he can do better than Oscar Isaac? Most of comic mk fans who doesn't like the mk show prefers him than Oscar isaac.

So I have not watched Haunting of Hill House and know nothing of Oliver Jackson-Cohen except what I just looked up. He looks alright. I'm sure he's amazing.

When they announced Oscar Isaac, I was skeptical because I only knew him from Star Wars as Poe, which I enjoyed very much, but I didn't know the man's range.

I've mentioned many times that I am always skeptical of any Moon Knight media until I can take it in for myself (Marvel has hurt me far too many times).

I think for the story they told, Oscar did an outstanding job and his need to do his own research and advocate for certain groups was amazing.

I am… Mildly... miffed that Marvel has put Oscar in other roles. (Don't get me wrong. I adore him as Spider-man 2099 Miguel. And he was in that role first before he was Moon Knight). What annoys me about it is that the re-use of an actor is taking away from someone else of that culture to get exposure, work, and representation.

Oscar Isaac is of mixed Latino descent and fits the Latino Miguel role nicely. He can use his accent and his Spanish! Full love!

Now, here's the problem. Was Marvel going to cast someone Jewish to play Moon Knight?

Did they cast someone Jewish to play Magneto? What about Billy Maximoff?

What about upcoming Ben Grimm? Arguably THE most Jewish Marvel character they have?

Ebon Moss-Bachrach is an American Jewish actor from New York (I am not going to get into any patrial lineal arguments). Baruch Hashem! It can be done!

They gave a Jewish role to a Jewish actor. THE most Jewish character they have (I'm not going to argue about Magneto here but I feel like Ben Grimm and Magneto are their own different sides to the same coin. ask me more about that later).

I feel like Marvel bit off a lot of attempted representation with Moon Knight and jumped in half cocked.

Grief stricken, Traumatized, PTSD former soldier, D.I.D,, Jewish, Avatar to an Egyptian Moon God, Autistic, anger management problem… I'm sure I'm missing a few…

If they gave this role to a Jewish Actor, it would have been purely by accident.

Moon Knight was SO underrated in the Marvel universe I just about had a heart attack when they said they were going to give him a live action series!

So now they had to take a VERY unknown character who has a history of being seen as "The Crazy face ripping off Egptian God Worshiping guy" and make people want to watch the show. People who probably didn't even read the comics as well as die hard comic fans.

How do you do that? You give them a well known and well liked Actor who will draw people in just to see that actor.

And it worked.

The number of people that started watching the show who had never done ANYTHING Marvel before SPIKED thanks to Oscar. It was a VERY smart play.

What I am VERY happy they didn't do? Cast some white guy.

Oscar Isaac's casting opened up the possibility of Sephardic Moon Knight. Comic Moon Knight is VERY Ashkenazi jewish Orthodox. Up until this point, there were people who had no idea that there were other types of Jews! Hispanic Jews? Whhhhaaaaat?!

I think that is an amazing conversation to have! And man I wish they had explored THAT prospect! Make my Moon Knight Sephardic! Heck yeah! See my boys getting down to Ladino music! A little Salsa in the club and a little gefilte fish veracruzana on Friday night!

So, yes... we could have had more comic accurate Moon Knight... But is it more important to get a guy that looks like the character or someone that can play the character and open new doors?

I would love to see Ladino Jake. The sass. The attitude. The swears.

But back to the original question: Moon Knight played by an actual Jewish Actor. I'd love to see it. Again, I don't know anything about Oliver, but I'm not a comic purist and don't need the characters to LOOK like the characters. As long as they can show up and make me believe they are the character, I'm happy.

Did you know they invented Marvel Ultimate because of Sam Jackson? White Nick Fury was so ingrained and popular in 616 that when Sam Jackson got the role, and was GOOD at it, they immediately went "How do we marry the comics with MCU so we can have Sam Jackson comics without going "Ignore all that white guy stuff"?!? And now we have Marvel Ultimate Universe.

I plan to watch the Haunting series someday (I started the other one but had to stop because life happened and I never got back to it), so maybe I'll be sad they didn't cast Oliver. But I'm not sure his role would have fit in with the style of what the show was trying to do. Maybe if they had put out a Moon Knight movie, it would have needed a different guy.

[witchthewriter]

Probably a weird question, but which HP characters do you imagine as LGBTQIA or/and POC? (Because let’s make Joke Rollling/She Who Must Not Be Named… ANGRY!! 😏)

I would LOVE TO! J.K.Rowling is Rita Skeeter to me. Also you should look up 'The Worst Witch,' because it's basically Harry Potter.

𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑴𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑬

Most definitely black, or what if she came from an Indian family who wanted her to marry and the Wizarding World was her escape? She studies hard because this new world is a second chance for freedom!

I also wish Hermione was bisexual/pansexual. She and Ginny, or even she and Cho would make such a gorgeous couple!

𝑳𝑼𝑵𝑨

I think it would have been cool if she was an albino (I am so sorry if that's not the right way to say it. I don't want to offend anyone). Her long white hair, pale skin, translucent lashes and brows. With beautiful purple eyes (this is actually how I imagined the Targaryens to look, not just having white hair).

She is definitely demisexual; only feeling attraction after developing a friendship first. I can also see Luna as trans!

𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑹𝒀

I've seen some fancasts and fanart of Harry with his ethnicity being Indian, or Pakistani. Which I'm completely okay with. Maybe even James is half black, and that makes Harry a quarter, so it's still noticeable - and another thing that the Dursley's are horrible to him about.

I think Harry is Bi/Pan - I have this headcanon that he had a crush on Oliver Wood, and Katie Bell when he was in first year.

𝑹𝑶𝑵

I honestly just see Ron as a normal hetero male. Honestly, there's nothing queer about him at all. But he is very supportive of his friends and family as well as the LGBTQIA+ community. He would always be at Pride with whoever asked him, and have anyone's back who needed it.

And the Weasley's are known for their red hair, so I think I would keep their heritage/ethnicity the same!

𝑫𝑼𝑴𝑩𝑬𝑳𝑫𝑶𝑹𝑬

YES, THIS MAN IS A GAY MAN. But I feel as though he's very monogamous; he will love one person, even if they do not love him back, for the rest of his life. Like with Grindelwald, Dumbledore couldn't stop the feelings he had - even though the man was turning into a pretty evil one.

𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑷𝑬

His sexuality always confused him. Because he was in love with Lily, truly in love with her. But sometimes he found James attractive, and he hated himself for it.

Shows himself as straight, but I think he's bisexual or at least bi-curious.

I think for his ethnicity, it can be the same. Pasty white skin, black hair, hooked nose. Maybe his family distantly came from a Mediterranean island?

𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑶

Oh, I think keeping Draco white ... and maybe all the Death Eaters white would be saying a lot. They're basically Nazi's. So that wouldn't change.

Draco is most definitely bisexual. He was so in love with Harry, feigning it as hate. Knowing everything about him, staring at him from across the room. When he was younger, it was easier to see it as hate. But then when he turned 16, he felt a pang of desire for the Potter boy and the self-loathing began.

𝑮𝑬𝑶𝑹𝑮𝑬

Falls in love very easily, but usually with a woman. Not to say he's completely hetero, I think he would be bi-curious, but I think he wants a wife with a big family.

𝑭𝑹𝑬𝑫

I actually think Fred would be polyamorous. The kind where the girlfriend is allowed another boyfriend, not like Sisterwives. No, no. Fred would be totally cool with having a wife who has a boyfriend, and they all live together. Fred's a little fruity as well. I think he's one of those people that 'don't like to put a label on things.'

𝑺𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑼𝑺

Pansexual. Pansexual. Pansexual. Doesn't care if you're trans, he loves a person for who they are, what they believe in, rather than what their bits are. One of the reasons why he ran away from home. He hates tradition.

I think the Black family could be from Sicily, I know that's not necessarily POC, I think with their darker features, they would easily reign from there. And Sicilians are known for always distinguishing themselves from any other Mediterranean culture.

𝑹𝑬𝑴𝑼𝑺

He always thought of himself as straight. But that was until he met Sirius and he developed such a big crush on him. I think Remus would be Biromantic towards women but Bisexual towards men.

𝑪𝑯𝑶

WHY THE HELL DID ROWLING CALL AN ASIAN PERSON, "CHO CHANG," PUT THEM IN THE "SMARTEST HOUSE". It's racism. That's how I see it. She does this with many characters, and it's ridiculous.

Anyway, I have no problem with Asian representation. But what if Cho was Native American? (I know Rowling made that whole other school but it was really problematic so to me, it doesn't exist).

Or have Cho as Chinese (maybe give her a proper Chinese name), and we can have another main character...like Hermione, or Katie Bell as Native American. I just think it would be interesting to see an exchange student from another country as well.

𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑵𝒀

Lesbian. Poly lesbian. All those boys she went out with in Hogwarts were actually just beards. And she was having a secret relationship with another girl in her year. However, the polyamory doesn't come out until she's in her 20s.

𝑩𝑰𝑳𝑳

Polysexual; sexual or romantic attraction to people with varying genders. Polysexual orientations include bisexuality, pansexuality, omnisexuality, and queer, among many others. Basically, he can be attracted to anyone. But Fleur was the one who captured his heart fully and wholely.

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑳𝑰𝑬

Asexual; I know he isn't in the movies (WHY?!) but he spends all his time with Dragons, and I think that will always be his main love and passion.

[sideprince]

Harry Potter Fancasting - Worst Edition

Dreamcast this, ideal for the role that, yeah yeah. What about the worst possible Harry Potter fancast you can think of? I mean worst. "Who in their right mind????" worst. "I’m burning my books and moving to the moon" levels bad. Ready? No? Too bad.

The Golden Trio

Harry Potter:

Josh Gad. He's got a youthful charm and uhhhhh can pull off a pair of glasses. Plus, he's done children's movies before.

Hermione Granger:

Leslie Jones. She's smart, she takes no shit, she can pass for an 11 year old if you squint. This is Hollywood.

Ron Weasley:

Ed Sheeran. He can act. Probably. Only one way to find out.

Hogwarts Teachers:

Dumbledore:

Al Pacino. He's old, he's grey, he's uhhhh *checks notes* "quirky." Think about it. De Niro could play Grindelwald. You'd pay to see that. You wouldn't like it, but you'd still pay.

McGonagall:

Oh please, you'd love it (I refuse to admit she's no longer with us).

Alastor Moody:

Tracy Morgan. He's unpredictable, he's unhinged, he gives zero fucks. Sounds like Moody to me.

Severus Snape:

Dan Savage. Throw on a wig and some black contacts I guess. Or don't. This is casting, I don't work in wardrobe. (Am I throwing shade at Fabio Snape art? How dare you accuse me of such a thing.)

Marauders generation

James Potter:

So there's a resemblance to Josh Gad.

Lily Evans/Potter:

Lindsay Lohan. She has red hair ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Remus Lupin:

Bryan Cranston. Because Lupin has a dark side I guess. But give it another ten years so he ages even more.

Sirius Black:

Gene Simmons. He's badass, he's got long dark hair, he looks like he could ride a motorcycle. He and Ed Sheeran can take acting lessons together (which we could film and sell as a side project/spin-off TV show... hmmmmm).

Peter Pettigrew:

Manny Jacinto. Plot twist! You'd never see it coming. A man that pretty could do no wrong!

And finally:

Voldemort

Ben Stiller. He'd have no nose but would be all ears.

[ilikestuff69]

On the topic of Haymitch fancastings

So, I am finding a lot of the discussions around who should play young Haymitch to be rather perplexing and infuriating because everyone seems to forget one crucial detail. During his games, Haymitch Abernathy was SIXTEEN. YEARS. OLD.

We need to stop fancasting actors who are in their late 20s/early 30s to play teenagers. There are incredibly talented child actors who will be able to play those roles and I personally think it’s important to have actors who look the right age in stories and with this story, the tributes being children shows how the Capital will take anything innocent and harmless and twist and corrupt it just to either kill it or break it and they do this so they can insert their control over everybody.

And that’s not the only problem I have with people forgetting Haymitch is 16 during his game. I saw a tiktok where the person in the tiktok states, and I quote, “Katniss describes Haymitch as "a looker", woody Harrelson is pretty good looking (imo) so young haymitch has to be as well. Pls don't do what we did for Jace in City of Bones. He was supposed to be beautiful, like he was described in the books” Now I can’t speak on the whole Shadow and Bones aspect of this post as I am not a fan of that series (nothing against it, just never got into it) but even if they do cast an actor in their 20s to play Haymitch that is still an actor playing a character who is SIXTEEN! That’s supposed to be A CHILD! Why does the child HAVE to be good looking for you?! I’m sorry but that’s kinda fucking weird. If we were to ever get a Finnick book/movie these same people would probably say they should just recast Sam Claflin even tho Finnick was fucking 14 during his games, and they’d only say that because they want to thirst over Finnick again.

Also, and this really doesn’t have anything to do with this post because I think we all can agree this is dumb, I saw someone state that they should just recast Woody Harrelson and de-age him because no one will be able to be Haymitch like him and like… c’mon guys. 1. Woody was a great Haymitch but let’s not act like no actor could give a performance on the same caliber as his. 2. Haymitch’s personality in the new book/movie will probably be very different to how he is in the first book seeing as the events in this new book/movie are the events that make him become the man he is later in life.

Long story short, I think Haymitch should be played be an actor closer tho the age he was in the books rather than have an adult play a child. But that’s just me.

Also, while we’re on the subject casting, if President Snow is to appear in the new book/movie, he should absolutely be played by Kiefer Sutherland. If there was ever a reason for nepobabies to exist, it’s for moments like this. It be like when Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell played the same guy at different ages in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

[gunkshoes]

HL2VR:AI ideas and theories????

I wanted to share my theories for the potential characters for HL2-VRAI after the finale of HLAGE came out. Some fancasting too :P (Sorry if it’s messy)

These are fan theories and for fun! Don’t take anything here as official from the RTVS crew :)

I will update this post to include any developments made!

Most of this is based on references to what the original HL2 characters' roles were! Obviously I have no idea how RTVS is going to play all the characters (it’s improv) or who, but I'm gonna try my best.

SPOILERS of course

Gordon/Wayne

As the primary protagonist of the series, Wayne would return to his role as Gordon! or also Wayne! (Why wouldn’t he?)

I’m curious to see if HL2:VRAI is going to lean more into Wayne being the protagonist (like in HLA:GE) or rather his in-game character Gordon? (more in HL:VRAI) 

Also, What motive would a character Wayne have for playing HL2 VR? Especially after the events of HLA:GE, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to put himself in danger without a secondary motive!! maybe hes just a silly streamer though 

G-Man

Like Gordon, G-Man is a key character that doesn’t make sense to recast. Mike will most likely resume the role of G-Man. 

In HLA:GE, Peppa pig talks about her new friends, and it's very likely “the man clothed all in blue” is G-Man, as he is a definite returning character for HL2. 

I’d like to see G-Man be a more prominent character, but I don’t know what his motivation in the sequel could be.

Alyx

As a new character, Alyx has many potential actors:

Lauren, the previous actor of Sunkist, has said she regretted not participating in a larger role, making her a strong candidate for playing Alyx. 

Mira, while not an actor in HL:VRAI, participated as part of the Gnome and Blue Gnome in HLAGE. She is a very good candidate, although it’s unknown(?) if she would seek a large solo role. 

Holly, as the previous actor of Dr. Coomer would be a great candidate. However, because of how big a role Coomer had in HL:VRAI, it is possible she would rather return to a smaller role as Dr. Coomer will most probably not be returning for the sequel.

In the ending of HLA:GE, the three friends mentioned by Peppa could be the series antagonists. 

“The man clothed all in blue” as G-Man or Benrey, “the little man with white beard and red hat” as Gnome and “Someone else, you will meet her very soon.”

Note the use of pronouns (only two key characters in HL2 use she/her,) as well as the shadow of Alyx in the theatre hallway, and her fate (“Tis a shame what befell that girl,”) It’s quite likely Alyx is foreshadowed to be the primary antagonist of HL2:VRAI.

Also, Alyx is never referenced by name, only by Wayne when playing HLA:GE to the Gnome about how he wouldn’t be called “Gordon,” based on the game. The character using the Alyx model could very much be named something else.

Kleiner/Bubby

With Kleiner as the direct HL2 upgrade to Bubby’s model, it is likely that Bubby could return in HL2:VRAI with his actor Gir resuming the role. 

Similarly, it is possible that Kleiner could be used to introduce a new character in reference to the Bubby Prototypes in HL:VRAI. It is equally possible the Kleiner model could be used for an entirely new character unrelated to Bubby, or even not at all.

Barney/Benrey/Skeleton/Emmet Calhoun????

(God, there is a LOT to this one huh…)

Barney being the HL2 update to Benrey’s model and a key character in HL2, it’s possible Benrey could return with Scorpy as his VA. Being the primary antagonist of HL:VRAI, it’s most likely his role would not be as significant.

In HLA:GE, it could be Benrey being referenced as “The Man Clothed all in Blue,” they could return as an unlikely confidant or minor antagonist.

The Skeleton is also possible to return, maybe in place of Benrey, as in the ending of HLVR:AI Benrey’s credits are shown alongside the Skeleton, who is shown to still “haunt” Gordon. 

Having an updated model, it’s very likely the Skeleton could return, either as a separate entity, or in connection with Benrey. 

Additionally, the Barney model could be used for Emmet Calhoun. Emmet is a joke character referenced in the HLVR:AI ACAB (AI Crushes All Banks) stream, as JohnWicklover1994, who Benrey said to be his brother(?) playing on his account. Emmet is also mentioned in HLA:GE by the Gnome. The appearance of Emmet is extremely far-fetched though, as both times he is mentioned he is meant as a gag. 

The Barney model, similarly, could be used for an entirely new character unrelated to Benrey at all, although I’m sure a gag or two would be referenced to their appearance. It might not be used at all too, as Benrey is such a notorious character it would be easier overall to use another model. 

Father Grigori

As a personal casting, I would love to see Bauulp assume Father Grigori and have a similar voice as his original in HL2. As Tommy is assumed to not be returning, I think this would be a great choice as his new role.

other characters we dunno about yet

Character models under this category are quite likely to appear, however, they have not been referenced or have a previous model used in the series.

Dog & Lamarr

As silent characters in HL2, Dog and Lamarr are good candidates for RTVS members or friends of members who do not wish to have a voiced role while still participating in the story.

Gnome

Unfortunately, Gnome’s voice is pronounced dead. Being who he was in HLA:GE, I'm sure he’ll be referenced, and possibly a cameo, even without a voice.

Bauulp

I would love to see Bauulp return as himself, that would be very funny. Not super likely, as HLA:GE was to cement the Gnome being chalked up to a mod but it would be funny. I would laugh.

Wallace Breen

I would love to see Breen played by Erarg. No thoughts behind that I just think Erarg playing a betrayer to humanity would be epic.

Eli Vance

Fuck if i know! This model is probably gonna be used tho

Judith Mossman

This model is very likely to be used. HLVRAI does not pass the bechdel test.

Combine Soldier Character(s)

With lots of models to choose from, a Combine AI could be a fun addition.

Vortigaunt

Same with the Combine! I don’t think this is happening though, might look weird with Garry’s Mod animations.

CHARACTERS that probably wont come back idk man

As Half-Life: 2 does not have HD models of previous characters, it’s very unlikely these characters will be in the sequel unless RTVS has models made specifically for their return. I find doing that highly improbable though, so anything in lieu of these characters will likely just be a reference.

Sunkist

While not a Half-Life model, and still possible within Garry’s Mod, Sunkist’s heavy association with Tommy means there isn’t much use for their return at all. But, with G-Man (Tommy’s father!!) returning, Sunkist has a slim chance to make a cameo.

Dr. Coomer

Tommy Coolatta

Forzen

Darnold

honestly the only character i sorta want to return would be Darnold, mostly because i wanted to see more of Log's performance of the character. Log could also just play a new character too so eh.

I would love to hear stuff about other theories too if y'all have any i'd like to hear (and maybe add to the list :P! ) but thats all for now folks!!!

[velvetring08]

Adaptation of my dark vanessa pt2.

Soooo, for Vanessa, I’ve often seen her fancast as Elle Fanning in Ginger & Rosa, where she has red hair and was just 14 years old at the time of filming, so she looks really young there with her baby face.

And I think she would’ve been so perfect if it wasn’t for the fact that she is so pretty. It’s just that Vanessa she is an ordinary, plain teenage girl, she’s not really beautiful, though with makeup, she could look pretty.

And she even says that at 22 she still looks like she is 15, which is like disturbing cause this is probably why ephebophile Strane was still able to (barely) get it up for her.

Another popular fancast is Sadie Sink in All Too Well (Taylor Swift’s short film), where she plays a redheaded girl in a relationship with an older man, so of course I get why this one is popular, but in reality Vanessa probably looked more like Sadie’s character Max in season 2 of Stranger things cause Sadie was 14 when she was playing that role.

And this is what she looked like in 2017 when she was 15.

Like thats literally Vanessa, you cannot convince me otherwize.

And i think i need to clarify that im talking about how characters look like and what i imagine them to be, not who would probably play Vanessa if there really would be an adaptation, cause both Sadie and Elle are in their twenties now and if they want to really show how fucked up this whole relationship is in reality, they need an actress who looks 15 with the baby face.

And i know Sadie isnt plain in any means, its just that shes also natural redhead with the feckles on her face something that Vanessa also has.

So im more inclined towards her.

And also another thing about Vanessa that a lot of people tend to get wrong is that she’s not skinny. Like how I said in my previous post about Strane’s casting, my shock when I found out he weighs 127 kg, the same thing happened with Vanessa—I was surprised to learn she weighs 65 kg, like I’m 5’5” and weigh 53 kg, but I wouldn’t consider myself skinny because I have a fat stomach. So, I imagined the whole book thinking Vanessa is this skinny redhead, but she weighs more than me.

And I estimated her height cause she mentions a handful of times that her head barely reaches Stranes shoulder:

Strane is 6’4”, so with a height visualizer, I estimated that Vanessa is probably 5’3” or 5’4”:

Then, using a body visualizer, I looked up how a girl who’s 5’3”–5’4” and 145 pounds might look, and while I wouldn’t call her fat, she isn’t skinny. I think this is such a great detail because usually when we think of teenage girls who are being preyed upon we imagine them as skinny cause it relates to the whole you know them looking like children. And this kind of thinking is evident in this question that a reader asked KER on her tumblr:

Like she assumed that Vanessa is thin, maybe her trying to be as small as possible for Strane, but KER answered:

As she said “you either get it or you don't”, cause as someone who's been on the fuller side my whole life I understand that people have a harder time believing victims who are fat or plus size cause they think why would they go after you and not someone prettier meaning also skinnier. So I'm really glad that Vanessa is also on the fuller side because predators don't go after the prettiest one, they go after the weakest one. 

Another thing that i found about this on k.e.rs tumblr blog is that in her mood board for the book, she chose this picture of the girl in strawberry pajamas:

She could’ve chosen any picture of a usually skinny girl in strawberry pajamas for this detail, but she specifically chose one where the girl isn’t thin. So, this is what Vanessa would’ve looked like in her strawberry pajamas:

Cause otherwise, in the book Vanessa describes her figure only once, when she tries on the black nightgown that she wears for her first sleepover at Strane’s:

She could’ve easily been the body type that K.E.R. chose for her here.

The next thing that I’m going to mention about this topic might be a bit of a stretch, but KER for her post on tumblr used this random picture of a girl:

Her name is Tess McMillan, she's a model and influencer. Please tell me you see what I see, this girl looks so much like what Vanessa would've looked like or at least the Vanessa that K.E.R. imagined.

Cause If you look at the other pictures in the same post, they all directly relate to K.E.R.’s life and the book My Dark Vanessa. But this picture of Tess feels so random—it doesn’t seem like a coincidence. This girl could easily be what Vanessa would’ve looked like, with her accurate weight and body type.

So, if there’s ever an adaptation of My Dark Vanessa, I hope they go after someone like her because it would be so much more faithful to the book.

[skyfallscotland]

Hi! Hope all is well and you're having a good day! I'm here for the ask game :

💭 👓 🎬

(and to gush how much I love BRV 😩😭 I started reading books beginning of this year and I came across FW everywhere. I finally caved and read it but Violet felt lacking as an fmc to me. I knew how popular fw is so I knew there was gonna be fics about it and I came across F&F when I searched for Xaden x OC and godsss I read it in one sitting and DD came out for a Xaden POV and I fucking lost it 😂😂 I've been rereading them since they came out and even though I already know what's happening it still feels like it's my first time reading it. I just love how you structured Remi and how real she feels and the communication between every character is just 🤌🏻✨️ I swear you put some crack in it because of how addicting they are. Also everytime I read a V x X fic, it always feels so wrong now, like back off Vi that's Remi's man 👀🤺 hahaha

I've been holding off reading T&T because I like to read completed fics and my heart probably won't be able to take any cliffhangers you give lol (also haven't read IF). But I like to go to your page sometimes and read the snippets and ficlets you put out. But yeah I just wanted to let you know how much I love BRV and I appreciate the hard work and dedication you put in it and that you even put it out in the world to share 🥰🤗)

Hi! Thank you so much, but also, wow I love your self-restraint. I'd love to say I could wait for a fic to be finished before reading it, but we all know I could not, I have zero chill. T&T definitely is going to take a hot minute to finish, I'm only almost halfway as it stands 😂

I'm writing riorgail at the moment and it feels so weird not to be writing Remi, I have to constantly remind myself Violet would react differently to things 🥹

💭 What inspires you and your writing?

Usually it's music and the outdoors. Whenever I'm stuck, I'll put my ipod on some music on (wow, showing my age) and my mind will plot out little scenarios. Usually it's Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, things like that 😌

👓 What helps you focus when you write?

I usually need a darker room, glasses on, noise-cancelling headphones on. When I was a kid I used to write with music playing—now I don't know how I did that, I need absolute silence 🥹

🎬 If a movie or show were based on your fic, which fic would you choose and who would you fancast?

Oh my god this is so hard haha. I would absolutely choose Remi's Version, but I have no clue who I'd fancast. The only fic where I've ever had "real people" kind of faces in my mind was Fury and even then I pictured them...altered. Basically, I'd never be happy with anyone 😂 I'd want it to be animated! Basgiath (Remi's Version): The Animated Series.

[annabawritersdream]

NEW OCs I CAME UP WITH DURING MY TUMBLR HIATUS

(I'll include them in my character profiles when I actually fix them and rearrange things)

Aldaron

Human.

Close friend to Elphirion. A kind of boyfriend. They basically experimented stuff with one another before they realized they'd be besties forever. They're both kind of bi. Sort of. Anyway, he's godfather to Anárion and supports Enna in trying times.

Fancast: Kit Harington

Alcarinquë

Maia.

First general of the Maiarin Army since the Breaking of the World until the War of Wrath. He was extremely close to Eönwë to the point that they were rumored to be lovers. Although they never were, they had indeed feelings for one another that went beyond simple trust, admiration and friendship. They simply never acted on them because...they were at war most of the time. And yes, he died saving Eönwë from a Balrog during the War of Wrath.

Fancast: Peter Mooney

They did look good together...but Enna will always be the love of his life. According to my last brain update, Eönwë had a total of five meaningful relationship throughout his very, very, very long life:

Elemmírë (check my Elven OCs list- she was the closest thing he had to a wife. Ended up dead during the First Kinslaying); Arien (she broke his heart); Alcarinquë (was burned to a crisp by the aforementioned Balrog and Eönwë actually stabbed him in the heart to put an end to his agony), one of Ilmarë's maids (a close friendship that could have developed into something more had Ilmarë not interfered) and Enna the wifey (ends up dead and her death leads to his).

This guy's love life is worse than mine.

Aragorn's Sisters + Nieces (Arnor OCs)

Yep, Aragorn now has three younger sisters.

Bereneth

Born TA 2932. She and Aragorn don't really get along. He would love to have more of a relationship with her, but she is very critical of him and just as fierce as she is. She primarily can't stand the fact that he basically abandoned Gilraen (their mom) and went off with Elrond's twins. That's what she thinks at least. She's a widow and can't have kids. He'll probably fall in love with a Haradrim official.

Fancast: Vildan Atasever (Gilraen was played by a blonde actress in Born of Hope, so Bereneth takes after her)

Araneth and Bereniel

Twins, born in TA 2933 (either shortly before or a few days after Arathorn's death).

Araneth is the middle sister. She minds her own business, is married to a high-ranking official of the Grey Company who is stationed in Arnor and has a daughter, Annuineth. She'll shuttle between Minas Tirith and Arnor (she wants her daughter to have a connection with her uncle and her cousins, but she thinks Minas Tirith is no place to raise a child and wants to protect her from the people at court)

Fancast for Araneth: Bergüzar Korel

Bereniel

Araneth's twin. My unlucky princess. She is sickly and depressed. She married the man she loved only to find out that he didn't really give a f about her and was often rude and borderline abusive to her. Her only consolation was her son, who, unfortunately, died at a young age in a riding accident. Her husband blamed her for his death (he eventually left) and she blamed herself too. Her health sucks and the sisters actually show up in Minas Tirith because Bereniel has chronic bronchitis (or some other malady of the lungs) and they hope the warmer climate will do her some good. She's extremely kind, nice to everyone and loves her brother to the moon and back. Out of the tree sisters, she's the closest to Aragorn (though they're both past 100, Aragorn still sees her as his baby sister and adores her). She's the only one who doesn't treat Eldarion as a hopeless case and, even when the truth about him comes out, she has compassion and kind words for him. Instead of maligning and slandering him like most people do, she encourages him to learn from his past and to be better. She chides him, but she's never angry at him. The two of them become really close and Eldarion often spends time with her, trying to make her feel better. Unfortunately, she'll never get over her depression and will most likely die in FoA 25. Her death will be a major trauma both for Aragorn and for Eldarion and they'll both be better people because of her. Her personality mirrors Enna's (the two of them frequently exchange letters and talk to one another) and Aragorn becomes genuinely worried Enna will meet the same end as his sister. I mean, he's not wrong. Bereniel will have some sort of a love story with someone (possibly a guy from Harad), but not even love will save her. She just misses her son, wants to be with him, she feels guilty and she's basically constantly sick. She'll decide to take her life and that's the end of the road for her. Before she dies she apologizes to Aragorn (her beloved big bro), tells him that he's a good king and her last words are "ú-chebin estel anim" ("I kept no hope for myself" in Sindarin). She looks at Aragorn, asks for his forgiveness (she poisons herself so she doesn't die right away) and then later dies.

Fancast: Tulin Özen

Annuineth

Daughter of Araneth, born on FoA 8 in Arnor. Niece of Aragorn and Arwen and cousin of Eldarion, Gilraen, Lóthuil, Lóthriel and Meleril. Aragorn adores her and treats her better than his own daughters. Eldarion is also very protective of her and threatens to kill whoever looks at her in the wrong way (he basically protects his little cousin from other versions of himself. It's a bit hypocritical, but I sort of admire the effort?)

Fancasts: (here posting the photoset I made since it's much quicker than downloading pics again)=> Madelynne Mills (child), Paloma Boyd (teenage years, early adulthood), Emily Bader (adulthood- late 40s onward).

I also have two unnamed Harad OCs (love interests of Bereneth and Bereniel) a new Maia OC and a Variag OC. Will be adding them here once I come up with names.

Aranel

Daughter of Bereniel and Halboron (captain of the Grey Company in Gondor). Born in FoA 20, she loses her mom when she's five years old and is then raised by Aragorn as his own daughter and bestowed the title of Princess. Aragorn offers the official title of Princess to Annuineth as well (he adores his nieces), but Araneth refuses and they go back to Arnor.

Fancast: Ecem Çalik

Also...Faralas will have one more daughter; a daughter everyone better be careful about.

Eleniel

She's named after Enna and she's named that way also because Faramir is obsessed with stars in my AU. She's not really into the whole "Enna-worshipping" thing. She is extremely blunt and doesn't really know what diplomacy means. What you see is what you get with her. She's born in FoA 21 and is great friends with Aranel. They're the babies of their respective houses, so they're bound to get along.

Fancast: Aslihan Malbora

I honestly already love her.

[thesilverlady]

I hope that one day you will do book!rhaegon edits + who you think will be good as fancast for book!Rhaegon

I actually really want to anon!

I've been thinking about this for ages because I did all I could to make some show rhaegon content with whatever clips I could combine.

My dilemma is whether people would be okay with kinda going AU with book rhaegon? Because their only canon interaction from the book is 1) Alicent and Otto a tempting to push them for marriage, 2) declaring they'll end each other when the war is starting and 3) their last metring when Aegon murders Rhaenyra

so I'd love to go with AU or recreate some of my headcanons perhaps? I've been going back and forth with this. But if you and anyone else have any suggestion pls know you're more than welcome to drop them in my dms or in anon asks ♥

as for fancast, I'll go controversial again but:

for Rhaenyra, there's no doubt that Holliday Grainger is the one. Her looks are just exactly how Rhaenyra is early described and her portrayal ad Lucrezia fits so well for the childish, prideful emotional and romantic targaryen princess

For Aegon, you might have seen at some point I recently mentioned how Freddie Fox (who has actually been casted in hotd s2) has a very nice facecard and his portrayal as the King of Sweden in The Great was good enough that I could easily imagine him playing the character.

However my og fancast and one that will probably piss off people is Jamie Campbell Bower. I've watched so many of his shows and he has played the loser, the drunkard, the angry prince, the sleezy seductor, every side of Aegon that I can imagine he fits. So while I know lots of people prefer him as another (and better) targaryen prince, i can't deny that he's my book Aegon through and through (ps: not to mention he's the only man who can serve the canon mustache book Aegon has without looking stupid)

[moseslikellamas]

♱𖣂 Redfork Menace ♱𖣂 pt.10

Benjicot Blackwood x Bracken!OC

Summary - Martyn begins to suspect his family is using his sister disappearance to further a senseless war. Shanda buckles under pressure while awaiting the trip to riverrun

Warnings - fem!reader, suspense, mentions of violence, depictions of choking, adult language, period typical misogyny, advanced misogyny, condescension, adult language, complicated family dynamics, feud behavior, misplaced rage, feelings of guilt, manipulation, benjicot brainrot, Kieran Burton fancast.

Word count - 2.5k

Shanda in the gold gown the Blackwoods lend her. Listen all I’m gonna say is the advanced misogyny tag is there for a reason. And we stan Martyn, the only character with a good head on his shoulders. If you hear maniacal laughter throughout while reading, thats me I apologize.

“It was her!” Royce insisted. “She was climbing the bank of the river back to the Blackwood side!”

There were murmurs around the room and Martyn had heard enough.

“How do we know you didn’t set the fire? I didn’t see you when it started, nor to help get anyone out.” He felt a prickle of pride when Royce’s face screwed up in an expression of anger.

“That’s ridiculous.” Royce huffed.

“No more ridiculous than you accusing our sister of conspiring to burn our own people!”

“You didn’t see her! Bloody Ben was right beside her, what more proof do you need brother?”

A whole hell of a lot more, Martyn thought.

“Yeah and he’s the same man that just had her sentenced to death Royce. She was probably trying to run away!”

“Enough, both of you.”

Martyn sat at his father’s voice, his brother hesitated a moment before following suit.

“Your loyalty is touching Martyn. But we can’t so easily dispute what your brother mentions. After all, she never told me of any plan to gather Blackwood secrets.”

Martyn groaned internally, he was surrounded by idiots.

“Harold, surely you know our sister wouldn’t conspire this way.”

Harold, another of their brothers, was in his thirties but had spent many days hanging with Martyn and Shanda when they were children.

“I agree with Martyn. Shanda wouldn’t do this.”

“We should wait and judge her behavior in Riverrun.” Responded Gerolt, who was a few years older than Harold and decently liked by Martyn.

Another murmur went through the room at the suggestion.

“Has anyone heard from Normon?” His father asked.

Normon was a brother of theirs who spent his time sailing. Last Martyn heard he was in Oldtown, bothering the citadel. Normon was barred entrance since books had a tendency to go missing in his presence. Shanda had every missing tome hidden in their family library. Silence followed his father’s question.

“That’s too bad. We could use him at Riverrun.” Amos had replied at last.

“What will our defense be?” Gerolt asked the question they were all wondering about.

“We deny it of course.” Their father responded. “We’ll say Shanda is only a woman. She can’t be held responsible for this. The heat got to her fragile mind.”

Martyn knew his father did not really believe this but his hand twitched towards his sword at the words regardless. It was this backwards rhetoric that had made Shanda feel the need to leave in the first place. It made his blood boil. He knew his sister was twice as smart as more than half of this room full of blithering idiots. Said idiots all nodded at his fathers words, lapping it up.

“Then we’ll talk about the Blackwood scum sulling her. Twisting her mind.”

Martyn was wound so tightly he was likely to shatter into a million pieces listening to his father talk about his sister this way.

“Maybe we could work in what you saw Royce. Use it as proof of Blackwood influence.”

That was enough for Martyn who stood harshly shoving his chair back and leaving the room, slamming the large wooden door on his way out. How his own family could sit there scheming ways to pin the blame on Shanda was beyond him. It made him sick. He would make his own petition at the trial separately from his father and brothers. Stalking off to a guard tower, Martyn vowed not to let his sister's name go down without a fight.

***

Shanda never heard any word from her family. If they were writing to her, the Blackwoods were holding the letters back. She missed Martyn horribly and wondered tirelessly why Royce had been so upset the other night. No answers ever came to her though. Benjicot had made it his mission to try and fill the familial hole in her heart. He never left her side, she’d tried everything to get rid of him. Bringing up his responsibilities, cursing him, trying to physically remove him from the premises. But each plan failed and eventually she had just let him be.

He would sit quietly and play with the long strands of her hair while she stared listlessly out the window most of the time. The date had been set for the trial in Riverrun but it was weeks from now. The Tully’s had invited damn near the entire Riverlands to bear witness and as such wanted to give everyone a chance to arrive. Raventree hall and Stone hedge were both only a stone’s throw from Riverrun, so she just had to wait. When she grew desperate to escape his presence she would go find Alysanne. Who seemed perfectly capable of driving her nephew away with only a harsh look. He would raise his hands in surrender and blessedly leave her alone for a few hours.

It was on one of these occasions that she had a peculiar conversation with the heirs aunt.

“He doesn’t like strong women.” She’d stated, frustrated with Benjicot’s attempts to steamroll her into going on a hunt with him.

“He’s always so condescending, talking to me like I’m some stupid child! I don’t know how you can stand to be around him.”

“Benjicot doesn’t dislike strong women. He reacts well to a strong hand. You’ve seen that.” Alysanne had responded, utterly amused by her rising anger.

That had only made her angrier. Did any of the Blackwoods take anything seriously? They were always laughing, as if life were one big joke. It made Shanda yearn for a conversation with Martyn.

“He doesn’t respect them then! Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” She had stormed out of the room her and Alysanne were in and had a guard guide her back to her room.

That was two days ago and luck was on her side. As the annoying heir was still out on the hunt he’d tried to get her to accompany him on. Shanda had no patience for hunting with people she loved, she wasn’t going to have any with her enemies. While he was gone she prayed to the gods that he would snap his leg while out. Or that his horse would throw him, he’d get an arrow to the eye. It couldn’t hurt to merely suggest to the gods that he meet a terrible fate. She knew it was unlikely to happen but it made her feel better for a while. She imagined herself being freed of the growing attraction she had to him. It left a bad taste in her mouth, to imagine going back to her boring life in the library tower. If she did get out of here, she would start seriously trying to leave Stone Hedge. She would miss Martyn but maybe he could come visit her, wherever she ended up. It would get him off of guard duty at the very least.

She had made up her mind to ignore Benjicot when he returned. No matter what he did, she had to remain calm and neutral. It was obvious he enjoyed riling her up, so she needed to be unaffected. That was easier said than done but regardless of how she really felt, she had to reflect nothing on the outside. She just had to wait for the trial and then she could get her life back.

***

Benjicot had abandoned the hunt after the fourth day. He had bagged several animals, including a wolf and decided he was done. Mostly he couldn’t stop thinking about the pretty Bracken stuck inside waiting on him. She would be so bored and lonely without him and it was his job to keep her entertained. Alysanne had sent him a raven yesterday, telling him about the amusing argument she’d had with Shanda. “She thinks you’re a woman hater, nephew. Are you mistreating her? She specifically mentioned condescension, maybe try not being yourself so much.” He’d snorted at that. Then he left after sunset on the fourth day, riding back to join her. He was a wreck of dirt and grass, so he had gone to bathe first when he arrived back. It was late, the ride had taken him well over an hour. She was probably asleep by now. The thought didn’t do anything to discourage him from looking in on her.

He dressed in a loose white shirt, he left the top untied in his rush to get out. His pants were loose and breezy in the humid air. He had dismissed the guard outside first before he slid her door open carefully. He did not want to wake her if she was asleep. Entering her saw her passed out on the bed and he left the door cracked open. He picked one of the wooden chairs from the table and quietly set it beside her bed.

Her chest was rising and falling steadily, her mouth was slightly open, relaxed in the grip of sleep.

He watched her for a tender moment before he decided to wake her up. He knew he shouldn’t but who was going to stop him? Half of the castle was still out in the wilderness, drunk camped around fires under the night sky. He stroked her head, smoothing her hair back from her face. Then he smirked before placing his hand over her mouth and using his thumb and index finger pinched her nose closed, cutting off her air supply.

It didn’t take long for her crystalline eyes to fly open, darting frantically around while she flopped like a fish out of water. He let go of her nose, allowing her to suck air in but didn’t remove his hand right away.

“Shhh. Calm down, it's just me darling.” He calmly stroked her hair while he repeated soothing words to her. When her shoulders relaxed, he removed his hand from her mouth.

“Hello,” he smiled at her. “Did you miss me?” He didn’t stop petting her head and she sleepily rubbed her eyes blinking up at him.

“What are you doing back?” She asked in a small hoarse voice that sent all of the blood rushing away from his brain. Using his free hand he wove their fingers together and rubbed circles with his thumb. He needed to keep his hands busy, to stop himself from doing what he really wanted to. Which was to pull her into his lap and kiss her until she was bright red and panting against him.

“I wanted to see you.” He said simply, staring into her pretty eyes. She turned a dusty shade of pink at his words and he relished in the sight. She was less on guard here, still sleepy and cozy in bed. He tried not to think about how easy it would be to climb in there with her. Instead he turned the question back on her.

“You didn’t answer my question.” He unwound their entwined hands, bringing his hand up to gently cradle her neck. He could feel her pulse pounding under his fingertips. “Did you miss me?” He felt her heart skip a beat at his words and he’d nearly moaned out loud. The old gods had blessed him and now they were testing his resolve. How long could he wait to have her?

She answered so softly he almost hadn’t heard her.

***

Benjicots hand was around her neck, lightly holding her still while he stroked the top of her head. It was ecstasy, she was vibrating on the inside. His was the vision of an angel, decked out in white. His chest was exposed from where he had forgotten to tie his shirt closed and it had sent her spiraling. She wanted to sink her teeth into his exposed skin. She’d been secretly delighted to be woken by him, even if she was momentarily scared out of her mind. When he said he’d wanted to see her as his reason for early return, she couldn’t help the blush that spread across her face.

“Hello, are you paying attention baby? I said, ‘Did you miss me?’” He very lightly squeezed at her pulse point.

In a few minutes he’d managed to make all of the resolve she had built over the last few days crumble. It was pathetic. So pathetically she whispered her answer. “Yes, I did.”

And she had missed him. Alysanne was fine company but Shanda knew she was keeping her from her normal duties. Alysanne seemed to run the entirety of Raventree, barking orders day and night at an army of men. It was admirable, but made their hangouts a bit strained. And she could only stare out the window for so long without going insane. She’d been trapped at home but here she was a prisoner. Unable to freely go wherever she wanted.

“You’re so perfect. Bracken or not, the gods hand made you for me.”

She felt lightheaded at his words. Why couldn’t he have died out in the field? She knew scores of Bracken ancestors were cursing her through the sands of time. But they were dead and she was so, so alive.

“My aunt mentioned that you think I don’t respect women.”

She’d looked at him with her face showing the shadow of betrayal she felt at Alysanne exposing her behind her back. That was on her for trusting a Blackwood though.

“I said you don’t like strong women.” She corrected him, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Oh I like strong women fine enough. You just aren’t one.”

Her stomach dropped into her feet at his words. He squeezed her neck harder, forcing her eyes up to meet his. “You want to be. Desperately trying to fill your mother’s too big shoes.”

She would’ve slapped him if she weren’t running out of oxygen.

“But you’re just a soft, pretty, weak woman.” He eased up on her neck, letting her gasp in some air before he cut it off again. She stared into his eyes, feeling her insides coated in flames. “You need someone to take care of you, tell you what to do.”

He took his hand off of her neck, letting her breathe properly and she sucked in air greedily.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, his hand holding her by the jaw.

“You can’t admit it to yourself, embarrassed that you aren’t up to the task. But I’m not judging you baby, I like my women soft.”

She felt humiliated and aroused. And she opened and closed her mouth, trying to think of anything to say back to him. To deny the horrible truth he’d laid bare at her feet. But her mind was blank, still reeling. He filled the silence when she failed to answer.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know it's true and so do you. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

He pulled back from where he was whispering in her ear and she knew her face would be washed blood red. She was trembling, overwhelmed. He looked at her with a soft pitying expression, like she was a wet cat who’d accidentally fallen in the pond.

“It’s late, you should go to sleep.” He didn’t rise to leave though, just went back to stroking her hair. Then he began to hum and slowly her heart stopped trying to escape her chest. She didn’t bother to remind him, he had been the one to wake her up. Instead she drifted off to sleep, her last thought being of how utterly screwed she was.

[jellicle-chants]

@ride-a-dromedary Since you asked, here's my beef with Hugh Jackman Meredith Willson's The Music Man Sutton Foster. (No really, that's what the soundtrack album cover looks like.) Basically, I think the revival did a terrible job of capturing the soul and energy of the original show. If you want to read my protracted rant about it, then by all means, continue below.

(Note: I'm mostly going off of the movie adaptation to count for the "original" since it's the version I'm used to, but I also listened to the OBC recording occasionally to see what was shortened for the movie.)

I think the first big thing I should mention is that Hugh Jackman is simply a terrible choice to play Harold Hill. No offense to him, but in my eyes he's always been better at playing a character who seems very charismatic but is actually a bumbling fool (i.e. PT Barnum). Harold Hill might be a conman, but his whole livelihood revolves around getting people to believe that he means what he says and then believe that, too. You need an actor with an incredible amount of charisma and presence to be able to pull that off, and IMO, Jackman is not that actor.

He's also (again IMO) really just snoozing his way through this recording, especially on 76 Trombones! He's dropping R's left and right (to the point where it almost sounds like he's making the effort to sound Southern) and they had to add in a trombone sound behind his mimicking one because it sounds SO dull. Then he mispronounces "Creatore" somehow?? I know that's the littlest thing to get upset over but it also just shows how little this show's creatives know or care about what this musical is all about (more on that later).

And then: they do the MMM thing from Cats 2019. AKA, where they drop out all of the orchestra and sing the biggest song, probably the song that the most people in the audience will know, in a really annoying, slow build-up that entirely kills the flow of the piece. Speaking of killing the mood, the dance break in the middle of the song really does that as well. "76 Trombones" is about the farthest you can get from broke, so I have no clue why they tried to "fix" it in this way.

My least favorite Hugh Jackman song from this soundtrack, however, is not 76 Trombones, but Marian the Librarian. Just from the off, this is one of my favorite musical theatre vamps ever and they absolutely ruined it by playing it at like twice the normal speed. It also starts in the wrong key and then keys up again (???) before he starts singing, and from there it only gets worse. He basically gets every single vowel he possibly could wrong (my favorite being the classic Brit-as-American "Watt can I do") and just trips and falls through the entire song extremely uncharismatically. He says "li-berry" at one point, for goodness' sake! Please, if you haven't listened to the original Robert Preston version of this song (either from the movie or the show), go do it now and then listen to the mockery Hugh Jackman makes of it. It's so obvious that Preston has such a better command over his voice and sound that it makes Jackman sound like he has no clue what he's doing.

Sutton Foster is not nearly as bad as her co-star, although I think she's also miscast. Obviously a Shirley Jones-style voice is really hard to recreate these days, but she's just got such a bright singing and speaking voice that if you had told me in 2021 that she was going to be playing Marian I would've thought you were bad at fancasting. I think she still does a fine job with the poor directing choices she was given — a true professional.

OK, some quick things before I get to the most infuriating part of this revival.

It was also very bold of the creatives to not only keep My White Knight, which is one of my always-skips of the original, but to also add another one in in "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean".

Why the hell is Pick-A-Little so slow??? It's a patter song, folks, it's supposed to be peppy.

I guess they directed the poor kid playing Winthrop to exaggerate the lisp as much as possible (could they have considered maybe just hiring an actor with a lisp instead?) because it straight up sounds like he's putting it on as a joke most of the time. 😬

I think the new lyrics to "Shipoopi" are cringe. Is it that hard to suspend your disbelief that people in 1912 had antiquated views on relationships? Is "hussy" really even that bad of an insult anymore? This song also gets the slowed down + long-ass dance break treatment, God save me.

So, if you're familiar with The Music Man, you might have noticed that I haven't yet mentioned a few key songs/moments. This is genuinely the part of the story of this revival that makes my blood boil. If you're unaware, 4 side characters in The Music Man make up a barbershop quartet, played in the original Broadway production and movie by the Buffalo Bills, a pre-existing quartet who Willson had become friends with even before writing the show. The Bills get multiple songs in the show, all sung in the barbershop style, and they all show off the iconic barbershop effect known as ringing chords, created from the quartet's just tuning. (I don't know enough about music theory to get into the weeds about this, but suffice it to say that barbershop singing and musical theatre singing are not interchangeable).

Apparently, when the revival was first being produced before the pandemic, a barbershop quartet called Category 4 was approached to play the quartet members. Great! Then, allegedly, post-pandemic, it was, to quote a spokesperson for the revival, "in the best interest of the show" for them to suddenly cut ties with Category 4, which would have broken contracts Category 4 said they signed. Less great. Instead, the 4 men credited as playing the quartet are Phillip Boykin, Eddie Korbich, Daniel Torres, and Nicholas Ward. I say "credited," but keep in mind that the OFFICIAL cast recording on Spotify does not credit Nicholas for "Sincere" AND "Lida Rose" (where Phillip's name is also misspelled), and on the two songs he is credited for, Spotify seems to have him confused with a violinist/conductor of the same name.

I bring this up to say that I don't blame these men for the situation Category 4 was put in — it seems the producers or someone else behind this production is extremely sloppy and willing to cut corners, including casting four musical theatre singers as a barbershop quartet. Because of this mindset, the songs are distinctly missing those ringing tones that are present in the Bills' versions, replaced with what I can only describe as "tricks" to make it seem like the harmonies are ringing, like a heavy overuse of dynamic changes, especially sforzandos. There's also at least one moment where one member (I think it's the tenor?) straight up sings the wrong note and completely changes the chord. Obviously I don't blame him for not being good at a singing style he literally isn't a professional at, but if there were at least one person in the booth familiar with barbershop or the original song, it hopefully would've been re-recorded.

And that's what hurts me the most — Meredith Willson was a huge fan of barbershop music and the Buffalo Bills especially, and now the music he wrote for them is being butchered by people 60 years later who want to make a quick buck. This revival has "cash-in" written all over it, from stunt casting the leads regardless of how well they fit the roles to not bothering to get actual professional barbershop singers to play a barbershop quartet. It's a soulless attempt to resurrect a great musical that didn't need to and shouldn't have happened.