#roo stewart

[cowboybuckleys]

[toobelieverperson]

[hale-raiser]

Lucy Hale To Star As An Antarctica Scientist Battling An Evil Entity In ‘White Mars’; XYZ Launches For AFM With Filming This Month At Cinecittà

EXCLUSIVE: Truth Or Dare and Scream 4 star Lucy Hale is set to channel Alien‘s Ellen Ripley and The Thing‘s R. J MacReady in sci-fi-thriller White Mars.

Set in an isolated Aquila Research Facility in Antarctica, White Mars follows microbiologist Sammie (Hale), as she fights to save her fellow crew members from a malevolent entity whose sole intention is to extinguish them all.

Martin Owen (Above The Below) is directing from a script by Matt Mitchell, Vicki Sargent, and Roo Berry. The film is set to start principal photography on November 11, 2024, at Cinecittà Studios in Rome and will be shot entirely in a virtual production environment.

White Mars is the first feature to be announced for Singularity, an entertainment company “specializing in virtual production and streamlined processes for independent films”.

Pretty Little Liars actress Hale most recently starred in Hulu’s #1 hit movie Which Brings Me To You and the romantic comedy Puppy Love. Previously she starred in The Hating Game based on the hit novel and the AMC crime series, Ragdoll.

Owen is in post-production on Above The Below, starring Idris Elba, which he co-directed with Elba.

Lucy Hale said: “White Mars is an absolute psychological thrill ride, and I’m so excited to film this at the Cinecittà film stages in Rome. At the heart of this story is Sammie, a character I truly admire for her resilience and strength. I can’t wait to collaborate with Martin Owen, our incredible cast, and the entire team to bring this story to life.”

Matt Williams added: “I am excited for this to be the first of a multi-slate of films with the team at XYZ and Singularity. Together we will be bringing technologically advanced movie making to the independent market to compete visually with high end studio films. We are thrilled that Lucy is joining us on this action-packed sci-fi adventure as her character battles the sinister forces that threaten us all.”

XYZ’s recent sales slate includes Flesh of the Gods starring Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac, He Bled Neon with Joe Cole and Rita Ora, Kill Me with Allison Williams and Charlie Day, and Free Fall starring Zachary Levi.

[scotianostra]

On 22nd March 1421, Scottish and French troops under the Earl of Buchan defeated English forces at Bauge in Anjou, France.

This was during the 100 year war between France and England, Scots troops were there as part of the Auld Alliance.

  Henry V’s of England’s brother, Thomas the Duke of Clarence led 10,000 men south towards the Loire. They set about besieging the castle at Bauge when a Scottish army of 6,000 men commanded by the Earl of Buchan, they made contact with them the day before Good Friday. A truce was reached, lasting until Monday, so that the combatants could properly observe the religious occasion of Easter. 

The English lifted their siege and withdrew to nearby Beaufort, while the Scots camped at La Lude. However, early in the afternoon of Saturday Scottish scouts reported that the English had broken the truce and were advancing upon the Scots, hoping to take them by surprise. The Scots rallied hastily and battle was joined at a bridge which the Duke of Clarence, with banner unfurled for battle, sought to cross. A detachment of a few hundred men under Sir Robert Stewart of Ralston, reinforced by the retinue of Hugh Kennedy, held the bridge and prevented passage long enough for the Earl of Buchan to rally the rest of his army, whereupon they made a fighting retreat to the town where the English archers would be ineffective.

Both armies now joined in a bitter melee that lasted until nightfall. During the melee Sir John Carmichael of Douglasdale broke his lance unhorsing the Duke of Clarence; since that day the Carmichael coat of arms displays an armoured hand holding aloft a broken lance in commemoration of the victory. Once on the ground, the Duke was killed by Sir Alexander Buchanan. The English dead included the Lord Roos, Sir John Grey and Gilbert de Umfraville, whose death directly led to the extinction of the male line of that illustrious family, well known to the Scots since the Wars of Independence. The Earl of Somerset and his brother were captured by Laurence Vernon (later elevated to the rank of knight for his conduct), the Earl of Huntingdon was captured by Sir John Sibbald, and Lord Fitz Walter was taken by Henry Cunningham.

  On hearing of the Scottish victory, Pope Martin V passed comment by reiterating a common mediaeval saying, that the Scots are well-known as an antidote to the English.

[skwtches]

A snippet of the Kanga and Baby Roo story as told by James Stewart, because I can’t get enough of Rabbit’s old man voice 😭

[byneddiedingo]

Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass (Elia Kazan, 1961)

Cast: Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood, Pat Hingle, Audrey Christie, Barbara Loden, Sohra Lampert, Fred Stewart, Joanna Roos, John McGovern, Sandy Dennis, Phyllis Diller. Screenplay: William Inge. Cinematography: Boris Kaufman. Production design: Richard Sylbert. Film editing: Gene Milford. Music: David Amram. 

This overheated melodrama, released the year after the introduction of the Pill, could almost be a valedictory to the 1950s. Deanie Loomis (Natalie Wood) and Bud Stamper (Warren Beatty) are two hormone-drenched Kansas teenagers in 1928 -- though the attitudes toward sex were still prevalent thirty years later -- unable to find an outlet for the passions they are told they should repress. He is under the sway of a bullying, motormouthed father (Pat Hingle in an over-the-top performance that's alternately frightening and ludicrous), while she has a frigid, convention-ridden mother (Audrey Christie). She goes mad and is sent to a mental hospital. He goes to Yale and flunks out. Such are the consequences of not having sex. The truth is, Splendor in the Grass is not quite as silly as this summary makes it sound. Kazan's direction is, as so often, actor-centered rather than cinematic: The performances of the four actors mentioned give it a lot of energy that at least momentarily overrides any reservations you might have about the psychological plausibility of William Inge's screenplay, which won an Oscar. There's also Barbara Loden as Bud's wild flapper sister, and Zohra Lampert as the earthy Italian woman Bud winds up marrying. In the end, the movie becomes almost a documentary of a moment in American filmmaking, when censorship was beginning to lose ground, and things previously unmentionable, like abortion, became at least somewhat tolerated. The film itself could almost serve as an indictment of the attitudes that produced the Production Code, which hamstrung American movies from 1934 to 1968. What distinction the movie has other than as a showcase for performances comes from Boris Kaufman's cinematography, Richard Sylbert's production design, and Gene Milford's editing.

[booksandwords]

Ned Kelly by Douglas Alexander Stewart

Read time: <1 Day Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: Ned: Maybe there's power in the name of Kelly As there was in Clark's name, Ben Hall's and Gardiner's, To make a coachman listen, a trap sweat And a banker do his duty by the poor and deserving. He is Ned Kelly; he's the brains I plan with, And Dan and Hart, with their guns out there in the pub, Are the boots and fists I fight with.

Warnings: period-appropriate racism

I would love to hear or see this performed. This is an acting version so it is a script designed for staging, not an audio production. Stewart gives an idea of what the barmaids look like (ie they are buxom but have different hair colours), what the stage should look like (how it should be split) and how the characters should be speaking. This could be used as the basic guide for a group wanting to stage Ned Kelly (it does have stage directions) or it can just be read for pleasure.

I really like enjoy this as a way to show some of Ned Kelly's story. But it is only a very small part of their story, Jerilderie and Glenrowan. Roo and the references to Kate are great. I always like the powerful women in this time period. As for the Kelly Gang themselves, they are given distinct personalities. Ned is Ned, a strong personality, with the ability to switch between amicable and forceful with ease. His oration is on point. Joe Byrne is a wildcard, flirtatious or irritated at any one point. Steve Hart is shown in a way I've never seen any of them before, he's almost reticent despite his loyalty. Dan is the only one I can't get a read on, he is an amusing drunk though. I do like their characterisations. I like the Glenrowan Hotel scene, that communal loyalty that is not denied by anyone.

The cast included is that of the Australian Elizabethian Theatre Trust at the Elizabethan Theatre in Sydney, on October 3rd 1956. This did have sets by Sydney Nolan, known by many for his iconic Ned Kelly art pieces. I found a digital copy of the program online through the Elizabethian Theatre Trust website, where they keep copies of quite a few of their productions from the mid to late 50s. Is it particularly relevant to the book? No, but I still want to include it.

[titanfan8]

For the month of April i have chosen offensive linemen as the Titans position group to look back on….

While the team has had really good luck at some positions through the years they really haven’t had a lot of talent come in at the QB spot but the two surefire positions the Titans have always had a lot of talent is at the RB and OL offensive linemen spots

Since their inaugural season of 1999 the Titans have been blessed to only have three long term players at the left tackle spot and those players are Brad Hopkins,Michael Roos and Taylor Lewan.

Brad Hopkins played from 1993 through 2005 playing in 194 games and making 2 Pro Bowls

In Hopkins final season they were prepared drafting Michael Roos in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft

Michael Roos played left tackle for ten seasons from 2005 through 2014 making first team all pro and Pro Bowl in 2008.

In Roos final season again the Titans were prepared drafting Taylor Lewan in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft

Taylor Lewan held down the left tackle spot for nine season from 2014 through 2022 for the Titans starting 100 games and making three Pro Bowls.

Early on in the Titans first decade in the league there was one person who was a huge influence in who to bring in and who to draft and that was offensive line coach Mike Munchak who was also a Hall of Fame offensive lineman in his career with the Oilers from 1982 through 1993 a 9 time Pro Bowler 2 time first team All Pro.

Another huge influence would be Bruce Matthews who played 19 years 1983-2001 in the NFL at several positions on the offensive line mostly guard and center.

Just like Munchak, Matthews was also an NFL Hall of Famer who played in 14 Pro Bowls and was voted 7 time first team All Pro.

Munchak really worked his magic in the 2005 NFL Draft when he came away with LT Michael Roos in the second round and RT David Stewart in the fourth round.

Stewart who was nicknamed ‘Big Country’ had a nine year career from 2005 through 2013.

Benji Olson started 140 games for the Titans and held down the right guard position for a solid decade until 2007.

Olson was a fifth rounder a late pick but there again was where Munchak knew what he was looking for.

Zach Piller was drafted in the third round in 1999 by Tennessee

Piller held down the left guard position for eight solid years.

In 2004 the Titans struck in the late rounds once again drafting Jacob Bell in the 5th round and Eugene Amano in the 7th round.

Bell played the next four years for Titans as a guard.

Amano would play the next eight years with the Titans at the guard and center positions.

Amano played in 124 games for Tennessee until 2011.

One of the best free agent signings in Titans history was Kevin Mawae.

Mawae was drafted by Seattle in 1994 NFL Draft.

Mawae spent the bulk of his career which was eight seasons with the New York Jets.

Mawae spent his last four seasons playing for the Titans.

Mawae is a Hall of Famer who played 16 seasons making 8 Pro Bowls and was voted 3 time first team All Pro.

Mawae was a key player on the 2009 Titans offensive line that blocked for Chris Johnson when he rushed for 2000 yards.

The others were Michael Roos,David Stewart,Eugene Amano,Jake Scott,Ahmard Hall,Algae Crumpler.

Mike Munchak was elevated to head coach in 2011 and was let go in 2013 but his influence was huge while he was there coaching.

In 2013 the Titans drafted Chance Warmack and Brian Schwenke.

In my opinion Warmack was drafted way too high at #10 and didn’t last past his first contract as guard.

In 2014 Taylor Lewan was drafted as left tackle drafted in first round.

Jack Conklin was a right tackle drafted by the Titans in first round 2016

Conklin wasn’t given a long term deal after his first contract so he went to a team that could pay him Cleveland.

I think he was good enough to be signed to a long term deal.

Guard Roger Saffold signed a free agent deal with Tennessee in 2019.

Nate Davis was drafted in 2019 at the guard position and just like Conklin before him he wasn’t given a long term deal once his contract was up so he went to Chicago who paid him.

In 2020 Derrick Henry became the second RB in Titans history to run for over 2,000 yards in a season.

The Titans are the only team in the NFL that has had two different running backs rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

[digital-arts-etc]

Animated GIFs ‘Reconstruct’ Famous Ancient Ruins Around the World By Jessica Stewart on March 26, 2018

incredible ancient wonders like The Parthenon in Athens and Egypt's Luxor Temple are reminders of the glories of past cultures. But often, it can be difficult to imagine how these architectural masterpieces looked in their heyday. Now, thanks to a collaboration with Expedia, NeoMam and This is Render take us from ruins to finished structures with a stunning—and educational—set of GIFs.

Looking across these formidable architectural styles, from Pre-Columbian and Egyptian to Roman, it's a reminder of the incredible amount of work that went into building these ancient monuments. Acting as animated flip books, we're able to see the vibrant colors that once adorned the facade of the Parthenon, as well as the large statues that guarded the entrance to the Luxor Temple in Egypt.

Whether you've visited these sites previously or have them on your bucket list, the GIFs are a fantastic way to pay homage to the skills and ingenuity of historical societies.

Nohoch Mul Pyramid (Coba). Quintana Roo, Mexico. 100 BC-100 AD. Temple of Jupiter. Pompeii, Italy. 200 BC Temple in the Largo Argentina Area Sacra. Rome, Italy. 101 BC Hadrian's Wall. Northumberland, England. 100 AD. Pyramid of the Sun. Teotihuacán, Mexico. 200 CE Luxor Temple. Luxor, Egypt. 1380 BC Parthenon. Athens, Greece. 432 BC

[espritu2com]

#u2 #bono #surrendermemoir 📸Roos Andrew Stewart (à O2 Apollo Manchester) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClMXJQxIa8w/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cowboybuckleys]

[thatwasntlikeridingabikeuasshole]

yall i just finished writing the first (very short) chapter of my tdm fantasy au ft. pirates and its on ao3 now! please read it but like also please dont idk i have mixed feelings abt sharing my writing okay?? do whatever u want i would be equally excited for you to read it and ignore it lmfao but um https://archiveofourown.org/works/33334828/chapters/82783756 here *shoves it into your hands and then runs away*

[vintagesoaparchives]

TV By Day - September 1973 - Video East - Soap Opera News 

[izayoizuki]

Mine To Keep Ch. 2

GIF by thorinsbeard

Pairing: Hangman x F!Mitchell!Reader

In which there is talking. So much talking.

Wordcount: ~3.8K

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || Masterlist || AO3 || The Receipts Universe

Chapter 2: Going To The Mattresses

You shouldered open the storm door, calling out to your Godmother.

"Roro!"

"In here, honey!" You heard her distinctive voice, and that in itself was enough to make you feel like everything was going to be ok. Carole was excellent at doing that.

You walked into the kitchen, sniffing appreciatively at the smell of cookies in the air. Your Godmother wasn't exactly domestic- oh, she and your godfather managed the house better than alright, but she wasn't going to be any threat to Martha Stewart anytime soon- but what she lacked in domesticity she made up for in vigour and determination. Everything she did she gave it her all, and her all was often wonderful; so whenever she got a baking bee in her bonnet, your whole family was highly appreciative.

"You're here!" Carole exclaimed as you walked into her line of sight, and gave a squeal at the flowers you held out to her with a grin. "For me? Oh, you shouldn't have! They're wonderful!" She sunk her face into the blooms and inhaled appreciatively, as if she didn't know they were from the little mart on the way home. "They're gorgeous! Honestly baby, if you were a guy, I'd leave Goose for you." She hugged you as your body shook with giggles; you knew better than to believe her. All the gold in the world wouldn't entice her to leave your godfather.

"C'mon, come up here," she hiked herself on the kitchen island and patted for you to sit on the other side of the L, a tray of still warm cookies between you. "I heard you slam the door, and drive away on that terrible beast of yours, and I knew something wasn't normal." She picked up a cookie and handed it to you before picking up one herself. "Actually I knew when I woke up this morning. The clouds hung all still in this weird way, and I just knew." She got straight to the point in that precisely roundabout way of hers. "Tell me everything!" Her tone was light, but you recognised it for what it was, a command.

And you were super good at obeying hers. So you promptly spilled your guts, breaking into tears now and again even though you tried really hard to stay level. Carole pulled you into her shoulder, rubbing your back. "My poor baby. Pete shouldn't have said those things. He means well, but that wasn't the way to talk." It felt so good to have her taking your side that you just cried harder; you were sure you were soaking her t-shirt but you couldn't bring yourself to neither care nor stop. Your stuttered inhales took in the comforting scent of her, of garden flowers and clean cotton and soft shampoo, and it helped you calm down. You must have been loud enough though, because Bradley ambled in, scratching his tummy absentmindedly.

"You know what your problem is?" He looked you in the little bit of eye peeking from Carole's shoulder, and you shook your head slightly. He opened the fridge and took out a jug. "You're having those cookies without milk." That got a chuckle out of you, and a guffaw out of his mom.

"Go with Bradley, sweetheart. You can sleep in your room if you like, it's all set up." She made shooing motions with her hands. "I'll talk to Pete, don't worry. And take these away from me, I shouldn't be eating so many of them so late." She handed you the tray. You wanted to be a big girl, but you couldn't bring yourself to even protest her stepping in. Carole had a way of making your dad see when very little else could. Your mom had that gift too, you thought sadly, but you shoved that thought away before it got any bigger. Instead you hopped off the counter, carrying the tray while Roo carried the milk glasses, heading to the rocking chairs on the back porch.

You set the tray on the little table between the chairs, easing into the chair and staring out; you could see glimpses of the beach from here, and you tried to find exactly where the sky and sea met, only to get distracted by the stars. The silence was comfortable, and Roo was being considerate, matching his pace to your rock.

Finally he broke the silence. "You know Unca means well, right?" 

"Roo, I don't wanna-" 

"I know, I know, believe me, I know." He waved a hand and let his head drop back, watching motes of air wander in front of the little porch light. "I'm saying that I know it may seem like everything really is like what he's saying, but it's not. Or well, it is, but it's also the way you see it." He huffed before trying to figure out the words he was going for, determined to make sense. "It's like, ok, you ever know how in class we had to write those book report things after we all read the book together?" You hummed to let him know you were following him; you and Bradley had been in the same English lit class for one year because you were "ahead of your grade level" and "under-stimulated" and "disruptive"- or so quoth your report card anyway. "Ok, you remember how we would think something, and sometimes the other kids would have a completely different opinion? And their opinion kinda makes sense right? But at the same time it doesn't make it the only right idea, right?" Bradley gestured wildly with his hands, and you cocked your head to watch him. "Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that, I've got your back ok? Like even if you wanna become a stinky old ornery lady, I've got your back." You teared up. Bradley was clumsy, and there had been a time in your teenagehood where you’d really seen where Cain had been coming from, but age had helped him out a lot, and to give credit, he always made an effort. He reached over and tugged your earlobe, making you smile, and you reached over to ruffle his hair. "Makes you laugh, doesn't it?"

You looked at him, cocking an eyebrow in question. "You know, between us, we tried both routes, navy and non-navy, and both made our dads unhappy." That got a giggle out of you. 

You raised your glass and clinked his, "To our dumb dads." Bradley clinked and toasted back, and you both grabbed a cookie and settled back. A wash of calm settled over you. Yeah, the past couple of years had been absolutely terrible, but you had your family at your back. You didn't know how long after, but Bradley was nudging your foot with his. 

"Hey, you asleep? Oh no no no, you're not falling asleep here." He grabbed the back of your collar with one hand, grabbing the cookie sheet with the other, before frog-marching you to the guest bedroom, which was for all intents and purposes yours, depositing the cookies on the coffee table as you both passed it by. He shoved you under the covers, waiting for a moment to make sure you were fully in. 

He started to walk away, but turned around, grasping your upper arm. "You're not allowed to do anything stupid, ok? You're the only little sister I got." He gave you a slight shake.

"Love ya too bud." You mumbled as a reply. Satisfied, he walked away.

*******************

Carole sat on the front porch with her first, most magical, most precious coffee of the day, glad that she was a morning person, especially when she thought about how her two kids weren’t, nor were her husband or brother-in-law. It was blissful to sit in the day before it truly came into its own, to watch fate decide the way it would shape destiny and see it manifest in every ray of dawn that broke across the dark night.

Today she wasn’t going to be as left alone as usual though; she could almost feel the ground thunder before she saw them riding up the little crest of the hill to their house. They parked, dismounted, and the early morning glow bathing them sent Carole back; it was as if time had faded away, and she was looking at the boys they had been decades ago, the boyish grins, the effortless banter, the sheer exuberance as they bounded up the steps to her. Nick kissed her, an I’m home kiss, a kiss he continued to perfect every day of their marriage, before tiptoeing through the storm door, and Pete bent to her cheek. She quickly clipped the edge of his jacket as he straightened, eyes pointing to the rocker beside her.

Maverick raised an eyebrow but slid easily into the rocker.

“You remember how she used to get Bradley to put her in a duvet case and swing her around?” Carole started, apropos of just about absolutely nothing, in a way that meant it was absolutely about something, and it made all the short little hairs on the back of Mav’s head stand up even as slouched himself into a comfortable position.

“Don’t even remind me. Then she got Bradley to climb into the duvet case and tried to swing him. He had a good fifteen pounds on her, at least.”

“And then she got Bradley to do that whole dance with her? On the roof?”

“To Christy Spears?”

“Britney Spears.”

“Didn’t they steal your halter tops for that?”

“And that time in English Lit where they got their class to have a protest coup?” Carole smiled indulgently, dreamily. This was a path of memories well trod on. “We used to tag team the kids’ parent teacher meetings something fierce back then.”

“I recall you did a lot of the heavy lifting in that arena, yeah.” Mav quietly reached a hand out for the coffee cup.

“Give yourself some credit,” Carole passed it along to him, watching as he took a sip and grimaced at how cold it was by now, “you and Goose came as often as possible. Not to mention the number of times you bailed out the two of them.” the smile came through in her voice.

“Oh God. I practically had to grovel. Four star admirals haven’t worked me over that hard. And that time in eighth grade…” Maverick trailed off, scrubbing a hand over his eyes.

“Yeah, and you remember the comments?” 

“Oh yeah…” He adopted the nasally tone of the principal, “Ms. Mitchell shows great promise, but is not living up to her potential. Ms. Mitchell makes careless mistakes.” He shifted to make eye contact with Carole as they both intoned, “Ms. Mitchell does not test well.” they both cracked up over the memory, trying to keep their cackles quiet.

“Damn near had a heart attack when they called me in about her IEP. I thought it was something terminal.” Maverick's smile remained on as the laughter petered out, but his eyes had that look in them, no matter how much he insisted that he only had one look.

“It was all so different, especially after our experience with Bradley. I swear that boy has elevator music playing in his head sometimes.”

“You should see him fly, Ro. He’s like a sleeper agent that comes alive when he’s in that cockpit.” He looked down into the now-iced coffee cup. “She’d have been a great pilot. I’ve seen her in my ‘stang, she’s good, she has the instincts. That overthinking brain of hers was made for it.”

“I’ve no doubt. But Pete, do you think she’d have survived to get to that point? Hell, do you think you’d leave anyone alive if anyone treated her the way you were treated? Not to mention how she would have done emotionally. She puts earthworms back into the grass, Mav.” Carole placed her hand on Maverick’s cuff. “She doesn’t test well, Pete.” her voice was soft, reminding rather than accusing. “She’s got principles she’s trying to live by, and we have to be the ones who have her back.” She unknowingly echoed her son from just a few hours ago. 

“I know, it’s just-” Pete broke off, head in his hands as he tried to vent his frustration. “My job is all I know- it’s all I can do for her- and it’s only a matter of time- and it’s just me…” every one of his fears and worries came bubbling up, fighting for priority and prominence and he couldn't voice a single one of them to completion, partly because there was just so much and partly because he was terrified, not so deep down, that by saying them out loud he would somehow speak them into existence. 

Carole gathered his head to her shoulder with an easy arm. “Well, I hate to be the one to break it to ya, Pete, but you’re wrong on all counts there. We’ve been through a lot, and we’ll go through a lot more if we have to.” She gave him a squeeze. “Although, gawd, I hope we don’t have to.”

**********

Your body stirred as you felt the edge of the bed dip, before a soft voice spoke up. 

“Hey, kid.” You had to hand it to your dad- even though you were upset with him at the moment- he had a good dad voice. It was nice and soft, good for bedtime stories and corny jokes-

Your train of thought cut off as you felt and heard the curtains being ripped open, letting the full glare of the California sun pounce on you. You gave a wordless scream of rage and tried to bury yourself in the pillow. You took it back, your dad was an as-

You felt the bed dip again, this time Mav lay alongside you on top of the covers, hands behind his head. He spoke up to the ceiling. “I said a lot of things last night, didn’t I?”

You weren’t going to answer him. 

“Well, here’s the thing. I’m sorry about the way I spoke. And I said a lot of unnecessary shit too. But I’m not mad about what I did.”

“It’s called nepotism, dad.” Shit, you weren’t going to speak to him. And was that what he called an apology? The nerve of this man…

“First of all, there’s no more nepotism to this than through any recruitment drive. I didn’t lean on anyone. I didn’t talk to anyone. I didn’t mention it to anyone at all. They wanted someone who matched your skillset, and I simply slipped in your resume. The biggest clue is the fact that we share the same last name, and it’s not like we have a rare one. It’s not my fault they decided on you.”

“But it’s the navy-”

“It’s a diplomatic tour, sweetheart. Isn’t this what you’re always talking about? Keeping lines of communications open? Resolving international situations with tact rather than force? So what if we have a big stick with us as insurance?”

“That’s a mighty big stick.” you muttered darkly.

“I’ll give you that. But think of this as the start. If we all do our jobs real well, maybe someday there won’t be a need for any stick at all.”

You didn’t have a reply to that, so you kept your silence. 

“How about this: you come on as a contracted specialist. After this is done, it’s done. You choose what you want to do next. And I will never do something like this again. Just one shot kid. For your dad. For your granddad.”

You groaned. Your dad never trotted out the granddad thing, which made the whole request that much more potent. You knew how your dad felt about your granddad, about the circumstances of his death. Just as you knew you now had to take the job.

“Fine.” you sighed. “Now get off my blanket so I can shower.”

“That’s my girl.” He kissed your forehead before jackknifing up and off. “Oh, wear something you can move around in, I wanna get more plane parts from that nice Korean guy and I need you to translate.” you couldn’t help but let out a grumble, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “How about we get some breakfast first?”

*******

You’d showered, worn jeans and an old old old teenage mutant ninja turtles t-shirt that was so soft it could have been a baby blanket, shared brunch- his a whole diner breakfast, yours cheese fries and pancakes (you still have the diet of a five year old/ wow gee thanks mr. fourth-cup-of-coffee/ isn’t that your third cup, ms. pot?)- with your dad, and translated back and forth as your dad got the part for the mustang p-51 he was constantly repairing or upgrading. Their conversation, which had devolved into something completely tangential (you’d somehow started translating on autopilot, and you were sure the words Alan Alda had left your mouth at some point) had gone on long enough that you didn’t have time to work on the plane itself. Instead, you were being dropped off at the mall to help Goose.

“What am I helping him with again?”

“I don’t know, he’s not really saying anything, but he’s pretty worked up, whatever it is.” He stopped in front of a cafe. “He’s gonna meet you here. He insisted it was you, whatever it was.” 

"Ok, now you're making me anxious."

"Just...Be good.” He reached out his hand to pinch your cheek.

“I always am.”

**********

You sat at a cute little table with a piece of tiramisu and a deep, rich espresso which you definitely weren't going to tell your dad about. Your godfather wasn't the most punctual- it wasn't that he didn't want to be, but he has the attention span of a goldfish and a desire to help everyone whose path he crossed, and so he frequently got waylaid.

"We have got to stop meeting like this." It was Sugarpie in August, and just like last time, your head whipped round, suppressing the urge to reach for your aviators as he speared you with his golden smile, coming to stand behind you, giving you an ache in your pre-aged neck.

"Sit, you're giving me a crick." you pushed out the other chair with your foot, and he trotted over obediently with a quietly smug little "Yes'm" that did something odd to your heart.

"The navy's trained you well." You teased him. 

"Yeah? Come with me and I'll show you roll over too." He grinned unrepentantly as if he could see the way your heart fluttered at his words, and you found it contagious, your lips curving up to match his even as your brain told you to get out of the whole thing. You’d been able to not pay attention to it last night between the fight with your dad, Bradley’s return, and everything else in the middle, but the fact of the matter was, guys like Sugarpie and girls like you didn’t mix. Or to be more accurate, they mixed, but it always ended up belonging to a dumpster fire.

"So what is it you do…" you were fairly certain whom you were speaking to, but you didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Hangman," he supplied easily.

"Yowch," you pretended to be surprised, "your parents hate you or something?"

His grin got wider, which you hadn't thought was possible, and smugger, which was even more of a feat, as he replied. "Nope, it's my callsign, I'm a naval aviator." Then he flicked his gaze to the sweet cloud of cream and coffee in front of you. “That any good?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, flyboy.”

“Wanna share?” 

“Wanna be maimed?”

“Listen, I’m just saying,” Since when had he had that toothpick in his mouth? And why was he that adept at manoeuvering it around? “If we share it, and we like it, we can get more. And if we don’t like it, we’ll’ve cut our losses.” 

Apparently he was really good at both, crimes against the English language via contracting words, and making persuasive arguments, because you heard yourself say “Fine,” even as you felt your soul leave your body. “But you’re getting your own fork, and your own drink.” a boundary, that’s what you were establishing, a healthy boundary. 

Healthy boundary your ass. 

"Fair enough. So which turtle is your favourite?" he gestured to your shirt with his fork as he pulled the plate towards him. 

You looked down to your torso and then back at him. Where had he gotten that fork from? You snapped back into focus "Go on three?"

He put up three fingers.

Three.

Two. 

One.

"Mikey!" You both chorused.

"Why?" He was grinning that terrible, horrible, no good grin of his as he stabbed through the pristine pastry.

"He’s sassy and adorable and dual wielding. And fast. So fast." you were fully aware that you sounded like a 4 year old explaining their top 3 favourite dinosaurs but you were thankful that you didn’t come off even more incoherent in light of the human equivalent of the full blast of the sun. Small mercies. Very small mercies. You oneshotted your espresso.

"You have a thing for speed, huh? What's the fastest thing you've ever seen?" He licked his fork. Confident he could steer the conversation to his impressive exploits one way or another no matter how contrived the shoehorning was. But you were entranced by the very pink, very nice- were tongues nice? Was that a thing?- tongue that had played hide-and-seek with the fork, and you followed the utensil’s path down, down-

And realised that the ratfink was well on his way to eating most of your dessert, and that snapped you back like nothing else ever, possibly, could.

"I could tell you,” you pulled the plate back to yourself, “but I'd have to kill you." Hangman threw his head back and laughed.

Perhaps not strictly true, but judging by the number of NDAs you'd had to sign before witnessing your dad become the fastest man alive (or so Hondo had said, but you had questions; what about astronauts for instance?), death would be the more merciful option. So you just stared at Hangman, unperturbed.

“Good one.” He caught the look on your face. “Wait, what?”

Just then you heard a goose honk and looked outside to your godfather sitting in his boat of a car, waving.

"Who’s that?"

You shoved the remaining portion of the tiramisu into your mouth as you grabbed your bag, rushing out, and answered his final question over your shoulder. "My godfather."

taglist: @therebeccaw @imjess-themess @blue-aconite @dempy

[thesehauntedhills]

FRAU PERCHTA, THE TERRIFYING CHRISTMAS WITCH!

Frau Perchta isn’t as well known as Krampus these days, which is a shame, because this Christmas-time goddess/witch/all-around-terrifying-gal deserves a lot more press. She’s a staple in the Alpine regions of southern Germany and Austria, but relatively under-the-radar in North America.

Frau Perchta was also known as Berchta, or Bertha, and has also been called “Spinnstubenfrau” or “Spinning Room Lady.” She is often depicted with a beaked nose made of iron, dressed in rags, perhaps carrying a cane, and generally resembles a decrepit old crone. But this old crone packs a mighty wallop…. and carries a long knife hidden under her skirt.

She also bears a resemblance to the Scandinavian goddess Frigga, and both of them share one obsession in common: spinning, specifically, and domestic neatness generally. Frankly, she’s pretty judge-y about the state of your home for a woman who dresses all in rags. Legend has it that you’d better get all your flax spun by Twelfth Night (January 6th), “for when the Christmas season was over, it would be time to set up the big upright loom, at which time you must have enough thread to warp it and start your weaving.” And what’s Frau Perchta’s punishment for those lazy ladies who haven’t finished all their weaving? “In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, there were numerous tales of Frau Perchta trampling and even settling fire to the half-spun fibers.” And if should you really irritate her? Like, say, not only is your flax not spun, but your house is a total mess (this domestic goddess/witch hates a messy house) and you’ve even failed to leave out a traditional bowl of porridge for her? Well, then her rampaging will extend far beyond your slovenly spinning room. She’ll do nothing less than steal into your bedroom, disembowel you and replace your guts with rocks and straw.

But Perchta does more than just check up on your spinning. Other legends equate Frau Perchta with the legend of the Wild Hunt, and say that she flies through the night sky attended by an army of lost souls, including the demonic-looking Perchten, her army of servants who are visually nearly indistinguishable from Krampus. The only way to know for sure is context; Krampus rides abroad at St. Nicholas Eve while the Perchten tend more toward Epiphany, and the last three Thursdays before Christmas, also known as Berchtl nights or Knocking nights. Also among her army of the night are the souls of unbaptized children. Legend has it if you hear the wind and thunder roaring and rumbling through the mountains on the Berchtl nights, you’re really hearing the sounds of Perchta leading the Wild Hunt.

Another one of Frau Perchta’s names is Holle, a winter goddess who’s name means “shining” or “bright” — hence her association with Epiphany, the “Shining Night” on which the star of Bethlehem shone down. Her dual nature is expressed in the fact that there are both “Evil” or “Ugly” Perchten and “Pretty” Perchten, both of whom you might find in a typical “Perchtenlauf” or Perchten run in the Alpine regions of Europe. The Pretty Perchten are all well and good, but honestly, I’m a bigger fan of the Evil Perchta, and she’s the one I love to fear in these days leading up to Christmas. With every passing moment my anxiety mounts as I try to finish, if not all my spinning, all my housework and cleaning in time for the Christmas season. As I sweep and mop and clean and dust, I visualize the old crone sneaking into my kitchen late at night, running her withered, clawlike fingers over the baseboards and tops of the cupboards checking for dust. She creeps through the house like a mad Martha Stewart crossed with the Grinch Who Stole Christmas… and if I should fail in my housekeeping…. well!

Let’s just say it really motivates me to pick up around the house.

So this January 6th, instead of bemoaning the fact that Christmas is over, why not celebrate “Perchtentag” by telling your kids they’d better clean up their rooms or Frau Perchta will come and disembowel them in the night. Kids love that sort of thing.

Happy holidays! May Frau Perchta smile upon you!

Via Boroughs of the Dead.

[percervall]

I just love you

Player: Andy Robertson Words: 1822 Warnings: Fluff, teasing teammates A/N: I thoroughly enjoyed writing about Andy and Nora and couldn't stop wondering about what would happen when they make their relationship public. Please let me know what you think!

---

It's a simple truth It's the little things you do It's the smile on your lips When you walk into a room It's the birthday card you drew That make me love you Roo Panes // I Just Love You

The atmosphere was electric. The season hadn’t even officially started yet, but the fans were buzzing. So was Nora. It had been a while since she’d last been at a match, and although this wasn’t Anfield, it still brought back memories of attending games with her dad and grandad. She couldn’t remember ever being this close to the pitch for a game. Her family had been season ticket holders for as long as she could remember, but they were usually a lot higher in the stands. Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a message from Andy, pulling her back from her memories. 

Hope you found your seat okay? 

I did. Pretty sure I can count Neville’s wrinkles from here, she texted back with a photo attached from her spot in the stands.

Now I know where to look when we score, Andy texted back. Nora smiled and put her phone away.

+

The match had been a nail-biter. There was a moment towards the end of the second half where she was convinced it would come down to penalties. Thankfully both Mo and Darwin managed to score making the final score 3-1. The fans went absolutely wild the moment that final whistle came and Nora couldn’t help but laugh. She sang along at the top of her lungs when the Dua Lipa song started playing and watched the team celebrate together. It took a while for the fans to leave the stadium, but Andy had told her to stay in her seat and that someone would come to take her down and onto the pitch. 

“Miss Edwards?” a stewart asked her. Nora nodded, showing him her ticket before following the man. She thanked him as they walked through the tunnel and onto the pitch. Nora stayed there, just watching her childhood team celebrating, feeling so proud of them. It wasn’t long before Andy spotted her.

“Nora!” he shouted and jogged over. She chuckled and walked towards him. He took her hand and pulled her closer.

“Congratulations!” she shouted over the music, squeezing his hand. 

“Thanks,” Andy replied, a smile still on his lips, his hair sticking to his forehead with a combination of sweat and champagne, “I hope you’re okay with meeting the others?” 

“I’ve already met James and Virgil, I’m sure I’ll live,” Nora replied. Andy chuckled and they walked to the rest of the team.

“Hey Nora, good to see you again,” James said when he spotted her.

“You too, James,” Nora said and accepted his hug.

“I see you’re officially his now,” Virgil joked as he made his way over. Nora laughed and nodded. 

“Got me his jersey the day after you came to the school. Pretty sure he bribed one of the kitmen,” she said.

“Stop telling them all my secrets,” Andy said in mock-annoyance. James and Virgil laughed and walked off to find their own families. Andy pulled her into his chest, hands resting on her lower back, above the waistband of her floral print skirt. 

“I am glad to see you in red though, not gonna lie. My name looks good on you,” he murmured. Nora smiled, her cheeks heating up and gave him a quick kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They could hear his teammates wolf-whistling at them. Andy flipped them off and kissed her back.

+

“Mama, why is Andy kissing Miss Edwards?” Her daughter interrupted her conversation with Jürgen and Joel. Liesa looked over to where Isa was pointing.

“I don’t know liebling,” she replied, pushing her daughter’s hair from her eyes. Thiago came to join them with Leo on his shoulders. 

“Apparently Andy found himself a girlfriend,” he said, nodding his head towards the two.

“No papa, he found Miss Edwards!” Isa corrected him, causing the adults to laugh. The seven-year-old broke free of her mother’s hand and ran over to where Nora and Andy were talking to Jordan and Trent.

“Hi Miss Edwards!” the girl shouted. Nora’s eyes lit up and she knelt down to allow the girl to give her a hug. “Hey sweet pea, what are you doing here?” 

“Papa works here, so mama took Leo and me to come watch,” Isa explained and pointed to her parents who waved back. Nora rose to stand, shifting Isa to her hip. “Why are you here Miss Edwards?” Isa then asked.

“Because Andy asked me to be here.” 

“Is he your boyfriend? Papa said that Andy found a girlfriend. Did he find you, Miss Edwards?” 

Nora chuckled, and felt her cheeks heat up. She heard Jordan and Trent laugh at Isa’s question and was pretty sure that Andy was blushing as well. 

“That he did Isa, that he did. How about you go back to your mum and dad and I’ll come over to say hi in a bit, okay?” she said and put the girl down. Isa nodded and ran off again. Nora turned back to Andy and his teammates. 

“I love watching you interact with your pupils,” Andy said, a soft smile on his lips. Nora smiled back, taking hold of his hand again. 

“Ugh, you two give me a toothache,” Trent said, causing everyone to laugh.

“I better go say hi to her parents. And Klopp. I am more nervous about that than anything..” Nora said, “Kinda feels like I’m meeting your parents.” 

 Andy took her hand and pulled her along. 

“If you can win over Milly, Klopp will be a piece of cake. He looks scarier than he is.” They crossed the field to where the manager was chatting with Isa’s parents.

“Nora, this is Jürgen, Thiago and his wife Liesa,” Andy said.

“Hi, it’s nice to finally meet you,” Nora said, “Andy has told me so much about you.” 

“Only good things I hope?” Jürgen said with a chuckle. 

“Of course,” Nora replied.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Nora,” Thiago said, “I’m assuming you were Isa’s teacher this year?” 

“I was, yes. It’s lovely to see you again Mrs Baumgarter.”

“Oh please, call me Liesa. You’re one of us now,” Liesa said.

“How did you meet?” Thiago asked, putting their son down so he could run around.

“I bumped into him in the staffroom at work and a few weeks later again at the foodbank where I volunteer.”

“But that was back in November?” Klopp said. Nora nodded. 

“We hung out as friends first before we both realised we had fallen for one another. We’ve been dating for seven months now,” she explained, fidgeting with the hem of her jersey as she felt her cheeks burn. 

“Loud-mouth Robbo manages to keep a secret, who would’ve thought?” Thiago joked. 

“If it were up to him, he would’ve told everyone from the start. I was hesitant about going public because of my job. Didn’t think parents would be thrilled by seeing tabloids hanging around the school,” Nora said. 

“Milly and Virg figured it out when we went to her school after winning the premier league, and so did Nora’s colleague. The headteacher was very supportive and assured both of us that her dating me wasn’t a risk to the safety of the pupils,” Andy added. 

“That makes sense,” Liesa said, “I’m lucky that being married to a footballer generates income for me. Everytime a new player joins, Thiago recommends my company to help them decorate their new house.”

“You are one of the only people in interior design this side of the river Mersey who speaks both English, Spanish and German. It would be foolish not to.”

“Who needs an advertisement strategy when your husband does it for you?” Liesa joked.

“I hope she pays you for that,” Andy said to Thiago.

“Oh she pays very well,” Thiago said with a sly grin, causing everyone to laugh. 

Andy watched as Nora chatted animatedly with his teammates and manager. He loved seeing her joke and laugh. A hand landed heavy on his shoulder before Virgil used him as a crutch to lean on. 

“You should see your face, man. On the field you’re usually a thorn on the opponents’ side, but right now you’re as dangerous as pie.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Andy grumbled. Virgil laughed at that. 

“I’m just saying, you look absolutely smitten with her. Got that lovestruck look in your eyes, even more so than in May,” he said, referencing the school visit they had done at Nora’s school. They were quiet for a moment.

“I just love her,” Andy admitted, “and I guess I’m kinda thrown by how hard I’ve fallen for her. I think-..” Andy stopped himself from admitting to the feeling that had grown over the last couple of months. 

“You thinking is always dangerous, Robbo,” James said as he joined them. 

“Ha ha,” Andy replied deadpan. During his break in the weeks before pre-season started, they had spent a lot of time together. They’d gone for runs in the morning and often ended up staying in to cook dinner together and watch a film. The two of them had also joined Hannah and her partner for drinks a couple of times. Nora had spent so much time at his place that it had almost felt as if they were living together. During that time, Andy had allowed himself to dream about what it would be like if she were to live at his place full time, and even beyond that. 

“I can hear your gears turning from over here, Robbo,” Virgil said, breaking his train of thought. 

“When do you know you’ve found the one?” Andy blurted out, ignoring what Virgil had said.

“I knew when I couldn’t imagine doing life without her by my side,” James said. Virgil nodded in agreement. Andy was quiet for a moment. They had only been dating for seven months, was that truly long enough to figure that out? Andy bit the inside of his cheek as he mulled that over in his head.

“I feel the same way about Nora and I’m kinda freaked out by that? We’ve not been together that long and what if it all goes to shit?” 

“There’s no need to rush into things. You’ve only recently made your relationship public. Just keep talking to each other and make sure you make time for one another during the season. When the Champions League starts, it’s gonna get hectic,” James said. Andy nodded and watched as Nora gave Thiago and Liesa a hug goodbye. Their eyes met and Nora smiled at him. Seeing how comfortable she seemed to be around his teammates eased some of his worries. 

“What are you staring at me for?” she asked as she made her way over, a twinkle in her eyes. Andy held out his hand for her to take and shook Virgil off his shoulder.

“No reason. Just that I love you,” he said, pulling her closer.

“Love you, too,” Nora murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck once more. 

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