#so i decided to go back to my roots with a photo set but still has the cool stylings of the gif sets i've seen for this tag game!

[normasshearer]

THIRTEEN HORROR FILMS THAT SCARED TF OUT OF ME

tag rules: select 13 horror films that at one point in time terrified the hell out of you (gifs optional)

i was tagged by @slayerbuffy thank you so much charlie!! <3

tagging @genes-tierney @stardewsvalley @rachmcadams @anthonysperkins if you want to! also tagging anyone who wants to do this!

[sturnsdarling]

save a horse...

you and Matt go to a ranch for your anniversary and end up finding an old abandoned barn, taking the perfect opportunity to live your true wild west fantasy.

vibe check: smutty fluff, cowgirl position (obvi), public (kind of) sex

3k words

A/N: it hurts to write my dreams instead of living them. anyways the idea of cowboy!matt makes me feel a bit wobbly in the knees so this is my version of that, this fic is dedicated to the one and only cas (@sturnioz) because she, and I quote, 'loves this shit'

love and cigs, merc

It was yours and Matts year anniversary, you were driving through the South West, Matts hand on your thigh as you drove towards the ranch you had found as a surprise for him.

It was huge, an old family run ranch in the middle of nowhere. Recently, Matt had been on a kick about reconnecting with nature so, with your anniversary coming up you thought a long weekend in a ranch would be perfect for him to live out his cowboy dreams.

When you got there,

the family that rented it out was welcoming and lovely, showing you both the little house you'd be staying in for the weekend. It was an old converted barn, all the old wood work still intact and the furnishings being very on theme for yours and Matts 'wild west' weekend.

It was perfect, and the look on Matts face when he saw the cracks of light seeping through the cracking wood walls made everything worth it.

Once you guys had dropped off your stuff,

you and Matt decided to wander around the grounds and find a nice spot to have a picnic. After a while of walking about and taking photos of the beautiful scenery, you noticed a large tree a little ways walk from where you were, telling Matt it was the perfect spot and he agreed, looping his arm over your shoulder and leading you both to the tree.

When you sat down,

Matt laid down your picnic blanket and told you to sit down, saying he'd get everything ready and that you didn't have to do anything. You complied, watching as he unpacked everything, the bright orange sun illuminating his beautiful face perfectly.

"I can feel you starin' at me, you know" Matt smirked, pulling to plastic wine glasses out the basket followed by a bottle of root beer.

"i'm not staring, i'm admiring" you corrected him.

Matt chuckled, shaking his head and turning to face you, hooking a soft finger under your chin and pulling your head up to him. He pressed a tender kiss on your glossy lips, slotting his mouth between yours perfectly. You let out a satisfied hum into the kiss, relishing in the feeling of his lips on yours.

Matt pulled away and opened the bottle of soda, he held it out to you like a waiter holding wine and made a fancy, silly face, "will this do, your highness" he spoke in a posh English accent.

you giggled, nodding and trying to pull a serious face, "yes, that will do nicely" you mimicked his tone.

Matt chuckled and poured you a cup of soda before pouring his own, holding it out to you to cheers before sitting down next to you on the blanket.

You were facing the horizon, watching as the sun began to set, leaving the sky a hazy orange and pink swirl of colours. You rested your head on Matts shoulder and he turned to place a soft kiss on your hair.

"happy anniversary, beautiful" Matt said, softly.

You lifted your head, resting your chin on his shoulder as he looked down at you, batting your lashes at him as you gazed at him, "happy anniversary, my love"

He smiled, placing a soft kiss on your lips before turning back to face the sunset.

You stayed there for a while, eating, laughing and enjoying each others company. The sun was still setting, and you were laying on Matts chest, peppering soft kisses all over his face as he chuckled beneath you. You were giggling the whole time, loving how he let you shower him with love like you so desperately wanted to twenty four seven. Matt placed his large hands on your hips, flipping you both over so he was on top of you. You giggled at the swift movement, and Matt hovered over you, watching in awe at the way your face lit up when you laughed.

Your giggles subsided, and you looked up to Matt, who's eyes were flitting between yours and your lips. You looked to his plump lips, and bit down on your bottom lip at the sight of him looking at you as if you were the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Matt craned his head down, pressing his lips against yours with a firm hand on your jaw. You wrapped your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss with a swipe of your tongue against his lip. He accepted your invitation and pressed his warm tongue against yours, absentmindedly grinding his hips down into yours as you hooked one leg around his waist.

Everything was perfect, you were in a beautiful place, with a beautiful boy, making out on a picnic blanket like sneaky teenagers trying to get some alone time in the wild west.

Once the sun had begun to slip under the horizon, you decided to do some more exploring before heading back to where you were staying.

On your adventure, you guys had spotted an old barn, it was falling apart at the seams and looked as if no one had touched it in years.

"we have to go see inside" you said, pulling Matt towards the old barn with your hand in his.

He followed you, letting you lead him town the dry hill towards the large old structure.

You reached the doors, pulling on the old lock slightly as it basically crumbled in your hand. Matt reached above your head, pulling the door open and letting you walk in.

It was like a time capsule, bails of old hay everywhere, old horse riding equipment and a beat up tractor in the middle.

"this is so cool" Matt said, looking around in awe.

You were just looking at him, watching his face light up with every new thing he noticed. You did a full lap of the barn, and didn't take your eyes off him once, just letting him guide you about with his fingers locked between yours.

"y'staring again, baby" He chuckled, turning to face you, placing his hands round your waist and pulling you into him.

you looped your hands around his neck, "admiring" you corrected him again, brushing your lips over his.

Matt pulled you into him, capturing your lips in a kiss that was quick to become desperate. His warm tongue pressed and pushed against yours as your hands found the tangled curls at the back of his head. His hand snuck down to your ass, gripping and squeezing at the flesh over your flowery sundress. Matt walked you backwards towards the bails of hay, laying you down gently on top of them without breaking the kiss.

He laid you down, one hand on your face and the other on your thigh as he looped your leg around his waist. Matt ground his hips down onto yours, pressing his growing cock against your pussy as your dress fell bunched around your waist. You whimpered into the kiss, tugging at Matts hair and pulling him closer into you with your leg.

Matts hand wandered up your leg, pushing your dress further up with his soft hands as his hand edged impossibly close to where the two of you connected. He pressed and kneaded at your skin as he ground his hips down into your core, hard and slowly, chasing his own friction just as much as he was trying to help you chase yours.

You whined into Matts mouth once more, biting down on his lip and bucking your hips into his. Matt chuckled, breaking the kiss and pulling away from you slightly.

"so needy" He muttered, lips still brushing yours.

"you like it when I'm needy" you pretended to sulk, earning a smile from Matt

Matt nodded, quickly pressing his lips to yours once more, "I love it, baby, y'so sexy when you're all desperate f'me" Matt smirked.

You let out a satisfied hum and kissed him again, this time, just after kissing you back for a moment, Matt began to trail is lips down your neck and along your chest, pulling at the bust of your dress with delicate fingers to expose your hard nipple to him. He locked his mouth around it, sucking down before biting it between his teeth, toothing the sting with another warm press of his tongue.

Your back arched into him, your head falling back onto the hay with a small moan. Matt made his way down your body, watching as you arched into his touch, bunching your dress around your hips and coming to eye level with your already soaked folds. Matt groaned at the sight when he saw you weren't wearing any underwear, his mind reeling at the thought of you not wearing any all day.

Your folds glistened for him, and he swiped a gentle finger over your core, earning a soft moan from your lips as you bucked your hips, chasing the feeling.

"so pretty and perfect" Matt uttered, his breath hot over your pussy as he edged impossibly close.

He wanted to tease you, he really did, but the sight of you like this for him, in a pretty sundress, spread open in an old barn with cowgirl boots on and no underwear, Matt was desperate to taste you.

Matt pressed a soft kiss against your slick folds, brushing his thumb over your puffy clit as his tongue dipped into your sopping hole. Your hands found his hair, pressing gentle fingers into his scalp as he began to lap at your pussy.

A soft, breathy moan left your lips, your legs coming to hang over his shoulders, boots wrapped behind his head as he groaned at the taste of you on his tongue.

"fuck, Matt, that feels so good" you moaned, head rolling on its hinge as your eyes fluttered shut.

Matt hummed in response, the vibrations making you clench around nothing as he continued to lap and kiss at your pussy, his nose brushing against your clit periodically, sending bouts of shivers up your spine every time.

It was blissful, his slow pace making your whole body tingle as you moaned his name, unable to stop the noises that left your mouth. He was bringing you to eye watering orgasm with just his mouth, working you so slow and tenderly, his steady pace making your stomach tense and your legs tighten around his head. You were a whimpering mess, moaning his name over and over again as you approached your high on his tongue.

it was as if Matt had a sixth sense that was tuned into your body, knowing exactly when you were going to cum without having to be told. He kept his pace, lapping softly at your pussy, driving you to a piercing orgasm. You were seeing stars, releasing your cum all over his mouth as you ground your hips against his face desperately.

Matt continued his pressure against your pussy, helping you ride out your orgasm. Your hands found his jaw, and you pulled at him, dragging him away from your pussy and whimpering as you pulled him upwards to you. Matt chuckled, crawling up your body and following your request as you pulled him down into you, kissing him with feverish need.

"see how good you taste, baby?" Matt spoke into your mouth.

You whined into the kiss, and Matt flipped you both over, so you were on top of him, sopping pussy pressed against the rough material of his jeans. He toyed with the fabric of your dress, pushing his hands under the material and pressing bruises into your skin as you ground down onto him, kissing him like he was oxygen and you were struggling to breathe.

You moved your kisses down his neck, inching your hands down the buttons of his shirt. You expertly unbuttoned his flannel, his bare chest exposed to you as you pushed it open, leaving it loose on his arms. You arched into him as you peppered wet kisses down his stubble ridden jaw, down his neck and across his chest. You were crawling down his body, your tongue inching closer and closer to the little trail of hair that led to your favourite thing.

You paused as you reached his bulge, palming him through his jeans as you looked up at him through your lashes. You fiddled with his belt, Matt helping you remove his jeans and boxers in one swift movement. His leaking cock slapped against his stomach, the sight of it making your mouth water as Matts gentle hand found your jaw, moving to the back of your head to take a handful of your hair.

You took Matts length in your hand, pumping him slowly as you hovered your mouth over his leaking tip. His head hung back, jaw slack as a soft moan left his lips.

You wrapped your lips around him, lowering your head down his length with a flat tongue against his stiff length. Matts grip on your hair tightened, him fighting every muscle in his body not to fuck into your mouth, wanting to let you do your thing that you did so well. You began to bob your head up and down against him, hollowing your cheeks out as you let him bottom out in your throat.

Matt gently guided your head down onto him, pressing his hips against your lips as you gagged around him.

"fuck, baby, your mouth feels s'good" Matt said breathlessly, letting you continue to bob up and down on him.

You hummed around him, the vibration sending a jolt up his spine as he softly bucked his hips into your mouth. Your hand came up to his balls, cupping him with a tender pressure, a throaty moan escaped his lips at the sensation, his eyes fluttering closed as he let you work your mouth over him.

Pools of saliva gathered at the corners of your mouth, your throat opening to take his whole length as you flattened your tongue against him, the thick vein running up his cock tickling your taste buds as you lost yourself in the motion.

Matts stomach began to tighten, legs twitching periodically and you knew his was close. Before he could unload in your mouth, you pulled off him completely with a pop, earning a desperate whine from Matt who's head shot up at the feeling of your mouth no longer around him.

"why'd you stop?" he whined, eyes trained on your glistening mouth.

you chuckled, rising to straddle him, pumping his wet and sticky cock from behind you as you lined yourself up with his tip.

"I wanna ride you, cowboy" you said seductively, swiping his cock through your puffy folds.

Matt groaned at you taking control, loving when you rode him and loving it even more when you called him silly nicknames like that. He attempted to muster up a witty reply, but his train of thought was cut off by your gummy walls clenching around him as you lowered yourself onto his cock.

Matt let out a blissful sigh, eyes closing at the sensation of being nestled in your warm pussy. You bit down on your lip as he entered you, bringing your hands to rest on his chest as small whimpers left your throat, instinctively grinding your clit down against the small scattering of hair at the base of his cock.

Matts eyes fluttered open, locking with yours as he took in the sight above him, one hand finding your hip as the other tucked behind his head. He loved you like this, needy and desperate to make him feel good, and the sight of you, tits hanging out your dress as it laid bunched up around your hips, steadily bouncing up and down his hard cock, made his head spin.

You leaned forward slightly, pressing your body weight against Matts chest though your palms and you began to shift your ass up and down, dragging your tight walls over his cock as you milked him.

Matts grip on your hip was bruising, him holding you steady as you rode him. His lip was tucked between his perfect teeth, relishing in the sight of you fucking him. Your eyes were closed in pure pleasure, the stretch of your pussy around his cock making you feel lightheaded. His hand came to your ass, kneading at the flesh under your dress, he smacked the fleshy fat, soothing the sting with a massaging touch before repeating his action, spanking you as you bounced on him.

His spanks egged you on, making you feel all the more confident. You opened your eyes and smiled down at him, lip tight between your teeth.

"you look so good like this, pretty girl" He cheesed at you, shaking his head in disbelief that you were his.

You smiled at him, blushing slightly at the compliment as you picked up your pace, causing Matt to moan, his eyes closing as his head craned back into the hay.

"cum inside me, Matt, please, cum for me whilst I ride you" you muttered, your words coming out accompanied by moans, his dick hitting your gummy g-spot as you fucked down onto him harder.

Matt let out a guttural groan, pulling his hand from behind his head and palming your tit, his fingers pressing bruises into your flesh as he maintained heavy eye contact with you though his low hanging lashes.

You picked up your pace, shifting so you were rested on the bottoms of your feet, knees tight against your chest as you fucked him at a relentless pace. Matt couldn't control the noises that left his throat at the new position, the angle letting him hit a deeper spot inside you, your walls tight around his cock as he began to fuck up into you, matching your pace.

The moan that left you was throaty, eyes rolling to the back of your head as Matts balls slapped against your ass with every thrust of his hips, meeting you in the middle as you rode him.

Matts movements began to falter, breathy moans leaving his lips as he kneaded at any exposed flesh of yours he could. You were clenching hard around him, moaning his name, begging him to cum.

He didn't need to be told twice, his hand moved up to cup your jaw, pulling you own into a sloppy kiss as he pressed his cock base deep inside of you, his hips stuttering as he released spurts of white, warm cup into your perfect pussy, filling you up just like you asked. He bit down on your lip as the last remnants of his cum left his tip, coating his dick as you continued to fuck down onto him.

"I love you" he breathed into your open mouth, his whole body relaxing back into the hay.

You followed suit, letting your body weight drop down onto him as the ache of your thighs became instantly prominent, "I love you too" you muttered.

You were both spent, Matt pulling out of you with a hiss as you slumped down onto him, one leg by his side and the other over his hips. He pressed a long kiss into your hair, trailing soft tickles over your arm as you nestled into him, catching your breath on his chest.

The sun was fully set, and the light of the moon was creeping through the cracks in the battered barn walls. Crickets began to chirp outside, the night time wild life coming alive outside the barn doors.

It was a perfect end to a perfect day, and without meaning to, you both fell asleep on the hay, tangled up in one another in the warm embrace of the warm western air.

taglist: @sturniozalt@mattslolita@shaquilles-0atmeal@blahbel668@sleepysturniolo@le4hsblog @sarosfilms @joemamaaa42069 @2muchofaslvt @seluky10 @cherib3lla @jetaimevous

[wileys-russo]

love is blind II l.williamson x reader

based around this request here but changed it up a little! love is blind II l.williamson x reader

entering the stadium and making your way down court side your eyes lit up in wonder, raking the thousands of cheering fans clad in their favorite teams colors, chatter bouncing off the walls backed by the upbeat pump of the music in the background as both teams warmed up for the game.

you'd been in new york working for six months now, subletting a room from one of your childhood pen pals which had somehow stood the tests of time, a unique friendship you treasured dearly even if she was an absolute hurricane on her best days.

working as a freelance photographer had lead you to live a colorful life to say the least. you'd been travelling the world from the moment you'd decided to drop out of your rational business degree, deciding much to your parents worry that sort of career just wasn't for you.

but though you'd hopped from one city to the next you'd never really existed in one place long enough to set down solid roots as a large part of your heart always remained back home with your loved ones.

photography far from the most steady income flow it would be an understatement to say at times your situation had been stretched, and you'd learned to become quite the adaptable and creative chef when living from dollar to dollar in some remote corners of the worlds.

but new york had been providing job after job, an endless list of up and coming talents forever wanting headshots, subbing in last minutes as an assitant on shoots for the experience and even shooting for a few magazines along the way had kept you here longer than intended.

but as you grew older and your family expanded, a whole horde of nieces and nephews you hardly saw compiling back home, you found your heart for once longing to settle, to find a reason to set down some roots and maybe a full time job to go with it.

but for now your brother had somehow swung you these courtside tickets for you and your roommate, though with a raging hangover she'd refused to leave the bed, only returning home around nine this morning in a different dress she'd left home in and without shoes you'd known from that very moment you'd likely be venturing to the game tonight alone.

but well traveled on your own that wasn't anything that scared you, you were anyone but someone who dismissed a new experience even if it was a solo one.

which is exactly how you found yourself subtly counting the seats as you made your way down the very front row, making a mental note to smack your brother the next time you saw him for how much he'd likely splashed on these seats which were an early birthday present.

finally finding your seat you were surprised to find it already occupied, a blonde head of hair in jorts and a white button up lazing about comfortably with a drink in her hand.

even without speaking a word you could sense the strong personality oozing from her, loud laughter echoing about as she conversed with a couple of men in the row behind her, an aura of confidence hanging in the air which had your stomach twisting at needing to interrupt her.

"hi i'm so sorry but i think you're in my seat." leah glanced up at the new voice breaking away from her conversation she was previously occupied in, breath catching at the eyes she found herself looking up into.

"i'm 7a, sorry." you winced showing her your ticket on your phone, never having been one for confrontation but the court side seats had been a gift and if the sender didn't see you utilizing them on the tv you'd be getting your ear chewed off without a doubt.

"oh shit no i'm sorry! i didn't even think to check the number i just sat down in the right row." leah apologized sincerely glancing around for jason who had her ticket and lanyard still in his pocket, finding him on the other side of the court taking photos with a group of players.

the seat next to her free leah shuffled over one, allowing you to take your seat as you placed your bag under you and crossed one leg over the other.

"i'm leah." the blonde introduced herself with a smile as you settled a little seeing she wasn't upset like you'd feared but rather seeming quite friendly.

introducing yourself you shook her hand with a laugh as she stuck it out toward you. "how very formal of you." you teased, surprisingly at ease with the english woman finding comfort in the familiar accent in the vast sea of americans you'd been swimming in these last few months.

"well you'd know first and foremost how charming the english are. thought you might want a taste of home! which would be..." leah trailed off with a raised eyebrow.

"i was brought up not to share my home address with strangers. weren't you taught about stranger danger as a child!" you smiled playfully as leah turned herself a little more to face you.

"leah williamson. england captain, european champion, newly appointed basketball fan, first time in new york. i have a younger brother, my grandma is my best mate and i kick a ball round for a living. i spoke at the united nations earlier today and i'm drinking away the nerves i said something terrible because i practically blacked out and can't remember anything!" leah held her drink up in a silent cheers, downing the rest of what appeared to be a gin and tonic with a wink.

"go on stranger, your turn." the blonde encouraged with a flick of her hand as you smiled, finally clocking where she looked familiar. you weren't a massive sports fan, which was ironic given your current location, but you'd have to be completely blind not to recognize the captain of the lionesses after their huge euros win.

"freelance photographer and business school drop out, lived in this fine urban jungle in a shoebox for about six months now. sorry to hit your ego miss euros but i've never sat through a single football match without falling asleep! my dog is my best friend and i'm the youngest of six, the final perfect creation one might say." you grinned, leah rolling her eyes playfully.

"a humble one too it would seem. now look! no longer strangers are we? thank god danger averted." the blonde exhaled wiping at her brow in mock relief before bumping her knee into yours with a grin.

as the announcer started to call out the lineups and the crowd erupted in volume leah shuffled just a tiny bit closer and leant in so she could continue to talk to you, basketball now really the last thing on her mind.

by the final buzzer you couldn't care less who'd won or lost having spent almost the entire game chattering away to leah who seemed more than content to fill in the gaps of your sports knowledge, taking any opportunity she could to slip in a teasing remark about your lack thereof.

"well leah it was lovely to spend some time with such a charming brit! even if you are from milton keynes." you sent leah a dazzling smile and a wink which flipped her stomach, the blonde waving off jason who tried to capture her attention on her other side.

"you may not share my bursting pride and joy for the greatest place on gods green earth but without my ongoing commentary and extensive sports knowledge i'm sure you'd have been bored out of your mind. and now you can tell your brother you sat court side and share his appreciation of this fine game!" leah grinned back, fingers drumming against the lip of her cup.

"mm and imagine his shock when i tell him it was all thanks to an arsenal player, i'll be disowned mind you!" you smacked her knee with a roll of her eyes only causing her grin to widen.

"god i almost forgot you come from a chelsea loving family, disgraceful behaviour that mate." leah grimaced with visible disgust, covering her mouth as she spoke the c word making you laugh and smack her knee again, your hand lingering there for a moment.

as you pulled away leah found herself missing the touch, trying to shake herself out of it and putting it down to the alcohol buzzing through her head.

"i should really get going i'm meeting someone for dinner, but it was lovely sitting and speaking with you." you started sincerely, standing to your feet as leah did the same.

"me too, it was a pleasure to provide you with an in depth basketball crash course." leah joked as you laughed, the sound sending a strange feeling coursing through her stomach.

"i really would have been bored out of my mind without you here, enjoy the rest of your trip. i'll be sure to look out for your UN speech online i'm sure you smashed it!" leahs cheek flushed pink as you leant in and pressed a soft kiss to it, sending her a kind smile and before she could utter another single syllable you were gone.

~

"beth! i am telling you she's a no show. i've waited here for thirty minutes man i'm not wasting the rest of my night!" leah huffed, whisper yelling down the phone to her supposed expert match making friend, slumping down further in her seat.

meanwhile on the opposite side of the restaurant your eyebrows furrowed as you sent your tinder date yet another message which was left on delivered, rolling your eyes and locking your phone with a defeated huff.

"yeah? well your friends name must be casper." leah rolled her eyes unimpressed with beths attempts to make excuse for the mystery woman she'd insisted on setting leah up with, an old family friend who'd lived in new york the last few years who leah just had to meet.

"christ beth i know thats not her name for fuck sakes. i meant because it would appear she's a ghost you numpty!" leah groaned, flashing an apologetic smile toward the couple the table over who gave her an odd look.

"no she's a no show of course just my luck. are you still up for a drink? i can meet you literally anywhere that isn't here. see i told you tinder wasn't for me!" you sighed over the phone, abandoning your half finished drink and grabbing your bag off the counter.

"no i am not going to give it a few more minutes mccabe. now beth call your mate and tell her to lose my number, i told the two of you a blind date was an awful idea but did you listen? no!" leah sternly told off the women on the other end of the phone before hanging up with a frustrated huff and declining the incoming call which followed.

standing from her chair the defender sent the waitress an awkward smile who'd been sending her pitiful glances from the moment she sat down alone at the table clearly set for two.

"oh you're already out? yeah send me the address and i'll get a taxi to soho, and i will be deleting tinder on my way over!" you warned, wincing a little as your friend returned inside and you could clearly hear the music blasting in the background of wherever she was.

not having ordered anything bar a drink she'd already paid for leah bypassed the hostess as she made a hurried beeline for the exit. but too focused on not being seen by the prying woman she knew would ask questions, leah didn't watch where she was walking and suddenly her body collided with another as she stepped outside.

"christ! do you not have eyes?" that voice.

leah sat up from her place on the floor as you did the same, angry features softening at the familar face staring back at you guiltily. "i do in fact have eyes, just forget to use them sometimes." leah winced with a sheepish smile as your own lips curled up in amusement.

"i thought athletes were supposed to be coordinated." you mocked as she hurried to her feet and offered you her hands which you took gratefully, the taller girl hauling you up and steadying you as you nearly slipped again.

"whats whitney houstons favorite form of coordination?" leah blurted out randomly as you gave her a curious look. "hand eyee!" leah sung, loudly, proudly and a little off key as you couldn't help but burst out with a surprised laugh, leahs face lighting up at the sound.

"you really are the perfect combination of charming and strange." you teased, the two of you making your way down the steps out front of the restaurant. "well the world would be incredibly dull if everyone was ill mannered and normal now wouldn't it?" leah countered with a wink as you playfully rolled your eyes.

"so your dinner-" "after the game i-"

you both blushed slightly in the crisp autumn evening as you spoke at the same time. "your dinner, that was fast. is this a normal new york dine and dash?" leah smiled, the two of you starting to walk aimlessly down the street.

"well normally when you meet someone for dinner they show up, so more of a dash without the dine!" you admitted with an annoyed huff, phone still clear of any notifications from your so called date.

"if it makes you feel any better you're singin to the choir. normally when you're set up on a blind date the date in question shows up." leah countered with an empathetic smile as you frowned, unable to understand how the tall charming admittedly quite gorgeous blonde in front of you could have possibly been stood up.

it wasn't as if you hadn't noticed her beauty at the game, but you were far too busy being swept up by her witty one liners, passionate commentary, teasing remarks and sharp sense of humor to really focus all too much on the physicality of it all.

but now you were you found yourself rather enamored with and maybe starting to harbor a slightly juvenile crush on the tall footballer walking by your side.

"dates huh? the worst part of being single." you sighed with an understanding shake of your head, leah humming her agreement and jolting as you suddenly stopped in your tracks. "where are we actually going?" you asked with a laugh, realizing the two of you were truly just wandering without a destination.

"how about for a drink? normally when i try to sweep a girl off her feet thats how i'd start to go about it, not actually taking her down off her feet." leah quipped with a charming smile, pearly white teeth flashing at you cheekily.

"well its the least you can do, think i might have uh tore a quad or a hammy maybe on that fall? oh ref! ref! book her for it!" you faked an injury, bending down to grab at your leg as leah withheld the urge to smile and shook her head at you.

"very funny. you know we could get you on the pitch with diving skills like that! not for arsenal though, we frown upon that sort of reckless, illegitimate and downright unprofessional behavior." leah puffed her chest out with a wave of her hand as you shoved her playfully.

"you know i could get you some acting classes as a gift if you'd like? after all we're only a few streets away from broadway. might win the league with some polished poor tackles, grunts of pain and strategic pens." you teased, leah scoffing at your words.

"well firstly i am utterly offended at that. but secretly i'm quite proud you retained that much football lingo in only a couple of hours, by the time i'm done with you you'll be wearing red, chanting my name and screaming north london forever!" leah smirked, stepping closer to you with a twinkle in her eye.

"and by the time i'm done with you football might just be the very last thing on your mind." you quipped back with a flirty smile, the burst of sudden confidence catching leah a little off guard as she tilted her head, looking down at you as you caught her gaze flicker toward your lips which curled up victoriously.

"so, about that drink?" "i think i know a place."

~

"-and you're sure about this? i don't want you to feel rushed baby." you frowned down at your girlfriend, absentmindedly playing with her hair as her head lay in your lap.

"never been more certain my girl. as much as i love having you all to myself with the move back now i'd love to have you finally meet the girls." leah assured, reaching a hand up to squish your cheeks with a soft smile.

it was safe to say that night in new york and the promise of one drink had wound up as many more with leah stumbling into your shoebox of an apartment with your hand over her mouth desperately trying to stiffle the drunken giggles she couldn't seem to hold back as to not wake your roommate.

it didn't work, your roommate leaping out of the shadows with a baseball bat scaring the two of you half to death as leah pushed you behind her and chucked her fists up, barely able to stand on her own feet as she swayed to and fro.

quickly ushering leah to your bedroom you guiltily sent your friend a smile and promised to explain in the morning, the girl sending you a knowing look of amusement and a hum before retreating back to her own bed.

that night you and leah stayed up talking for hours and hours about everything and nothing, your hand consistently smacking over her mouth as she was unable to control the volume of her boisterous laugh, her tongue licking your palm each time making you squeal and slap her before she'd use the moment to steal a kiss with a cheeky grin.

beyond a few lazy drunken kisses not much more happened, leah waking up still a little tipsy only mere hours later with her phone filled with missed calls and a pounding headache.

feeling her stir and shuffle around looking for her phone you'd woken not long afterward, an anxiety that she was going to leave without another word simmering at the surface of your partially conscious state as she slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

disappointment flooded you momentarily before you shook it off best you could, reminding that one night stands were more than normal and just because you weren't accustomed to them didn't mean leah owed you anything more.

but to your surprise she returned quickly having sent the messages she needed to in order to free up her day, sliding back into bed with you with a smile and a tired sigh.

"good morning." the blonde rasped out, voice cracked and clearly struggling as you offered her the bottle of water from your nightstand which she accepted gratefully.

an old t-shirt of yours hanging off of her taller form it amused you the way it almost looked like a crop top with the height difference, a gentle teasing remark about it falling from your lips as leah playfully flicked your nose and laid back down.

her arms wrapping around you was a foreign yet comforting feeling, a sense of safety that was unknown to you encompassing where you both lay beneath the duvet tangled up together, not another word uttered as within a few minutes you felt her grip relax slightly and her breathing even out.

sleeping away most of the day you'd later asked her out to dinner with the promise of helping her refuel the energy you'd stole from her with the two of you talking well into the early morning, leah eagerly agreeing.

parting after dinner with a lengthy kiss you'd exchanged numbers with a sense of uncertainty of where this could go, leah flying back to london the following morning and you with jobs lined up for the following month.

but with both of you clearly curious and seemingly eager, messages turned into calls which grew to facetimes, and suddenly leah was jetting over to visit you for a few days and you were secretly sneaking off to london to see her, hiding from your family the knowledge you were back.

on the third time you'd met up again leah laid it out for you, admitting she wasn't one for a long distance relationship and hadn't expected to fall for you the way she had, but with the two of you rapidly growing feelings which seemed to be reciprocated you agreed to give it a go.

two months down together and you'd made the decision to return permanently back to england. promising leah over and over it wasn't solely for her and you already had some work lined up, as well as informing of the fact your mum was a few days away from putting your face on a milk carton claiming her daughter had been missing in action for far too long.

you'd intended to get your own place but staying with leah for the first couple of weeks while you looked around the two of you fell into a routine. then out for dinner one night the blonde had offered you a key and asked if you'd move in for good, and with her ever dazzling smile reeling you in how could you say no.

the two of you had kept your blossoming relationship quite quiet, really only meeting one anothers immediate family once you were ready and staying wrapped up in your little love bubble the last few weeks.

the honeymoon phase as leahs mum amanda had dubbed it with an amused smile, only seemed to grow as you and leah finally embraced being able to be together in the way you'd both craved from the very first moment she'd asked you to be her girlfriend.

you'd been having the ongoing conversation the last few days about starting to meet one anothers friends, that seeming the next step in your relationship which was what lead to the current conversation.

true to leahs words that very first night you met, she'd had her way and every weekend now had you bundled in her jersey and sat with her family watching her play, chanting along and proudly singing the angel before every match.

you'd obviously met a few of her close friends and teammates before, hardly able to hide the fact you were living together, but not officially as leahs girlfriend and most nights she had her own friends over you'd be out catching up with your own.

"i really want you to come out after the game and meet all the girls as my girl, officially." leah promised, interlacing her fingers with yours and bringing your knuckles to her mouth, kissing softly as you melted like putty in her hands.

"my pretty pretty lovely gorgeous girl." leah pushed herself to sit up, now hovering over you as her lips ghosted yours and she pulled away with a smirk as you chased them for a kiss, pouting when you didn't get your way.

"so needy." leah teased with a smile as you pinched her for the comment and captured her lips in a kiss, sighing happily as her mouth moved against yours perfectly, butterflies erupting and head spinning as it did every time leah was in your immediate vicinity.

"so. you'll come out tonight then?" leah pulled away and asked hopefully, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear and pecking your lips a few times.

"mmm haven't decided yet baby, might need a few more of these to really seal the deal." you stroked your chin thoughtfully before tapping your lips with a smile and a wiggle of your eyebrows making your girlfriend hide a laugh.

"cheeky girl. well baby i guess i can accommodate these heinous demands!" leah sighed dramatically with a roll of her eyes, leaning back in and pressing her lips to yours with a smile.

~

"how are you feeling gorgous?" leah questioned softly as she parked the car, flicking off the engine and glancing toward you sat in the passenger seat. "nervous." you answered honestly as her hand sat on your thigh squeezed gently.

"i understand my love but i promise the girls are so excited to finally meet you, and i've never met someone as easy to get along with as you. they're all gonna love you and i'm gonna have to fight them for your attention all night!" leah pouted making you crack a smile.

"well you know i'm going home with you at the end of the night babe, and we both know once you have a couple drinks you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself anyway." you teased, leaning over the console to bridge the gap and press your lips to hers.

a few more sweet assurances and kisses later and you were walking into the bar where the girls and some of their loved ones were, leah taking your hand once you were inside and leading you down the back to where they all were, having booked it out for some privacy for them all post game.

a symphony of cheers sounding as the pair of you arrived you felt yourself become a little flustered as suddenly you were rushed by a small crowd of girls who leah shooed away.

instead taking you around to everyone one by one and introducing you, her hand never leaving your waist the entire time as her thumb traced gentle circles into your hip.

finally rounding to the final little group, most of whom you'd met in passing once or twice but again never officially as leahs girlfriend like she announced you now, the title still giving you the warm and fuzzies as you were pulled into a few hugs.

leah stopped the introductions for a moment when her eyes fell on an unfamiliar girl, beth quickly taking over and introducing her friend with an unreadable look flashed leahs way.

leah quickly realized why she was unfamiliar, this was beths friend from new york who to be fair beth had been discussing coming to visit her at training for the last few weeks but leah had only half tuned in, mind as always wandering to you most times it wasn't occupied by football.

hearing the name your chest tightened as you were now able to put two and two together, a gentle squeeze of leahs arm around your waist all you needed to settle again.

"i'm really sorry about what happened, i wasn't in the right space for dates but it was a dick move to just ghost you." the girl addressed leah with a wince who waved it off.

"don't be, if you hadn't we'd never have wound up together." leah was surprised to hear you speak up as your arm hugged her torso and you sent the girl a smile, leahs own lips curling into amusement as she pressed a kiss to the side of your head.

"you two are adorable, i'm really glad things worked out an you found one another." the girl spoke sincerely and gave the pair of you a slightly awkward smile before she stepped away.

"sorry." beth winced guiltily at the defender before pulling you into another hug and warning leah she'd be stealing you a little later as your girlfriend pulled your back into her front protectively with a playful glare.

"i think...is that, you're looking a bit green babe? maybe with envy?" leahs hands fell either side of your face as she looked you over and you smacked her chest withholding a smile.

"you know its quite hot when you get a little possessive baby girl." leah gave you a wolfish grin. "well i only take after you my love, jealousy should be your middle name. need i bring up last weekend for example?" you smiled knowingly, fingers tracing her collarbone.

"he was all over you! i had every right." leah scowled instantly at the mention of the incident which had her dragging you away from a party you'd attended together for one of your siblings birthdays, leah spending the entire night afterwards showing you just how much you really were hers, worshiping your body for hours on end in every which way.

"you doin alright though babe?" leah murmured seriously, taking you aside into a more secluded corner as her eyes roamed over your face for any sign of discomfort.

"i'm good. might need a little help with everyones names for the first couple of hours but i'm good i promise, i'm glad we're finally doing this baby. i love you!" you puckered your lips as leah grinned and gave you what you want, echoing those three words back in between.

lost in the feeling of leahs lips on yours you didn't realise you'd gathered an audience, most of the girls watching on happily seeing how loved up the two of you were, others whispering teasing remarks about the blonde and just how smitten she was.

"oi lovebirds! your turn at pool, you can lock lips after we've kicked your asses."

[herejusttosufferalong]

i got this train of thought and i wanted to share it somewhere before i explodeeee. i am seated at the WH vibing and I think they're endgame for sure. but i am not doubting that L and A have a relationship. now is this relationship going to last? ijbol anyways this is going to be looong message

i have a theory that during the HBS, since L was spiraling and did all that on SM, he might have went to R about advice on what to do with his break up with J and his possible feelings for N. R prob told him terrible advice (given his current relationship) and was like try finding a casual gf and maybe it will help you figure it out! since we don't know how they met (right?) i wouldn't be surprised if she was a friend of a friend of a friend type situation or maybe they did meet on raya and R was supportive lol

what if the pap walk was L's team because they wanted him to have a spotlight moment since N was very much so catching everyone's eye and have A lingering in the bg as a way to like slowly break away from lukola? i wouldn't be surprised if L is still unsure of his feelings and is trying to wrap his head around his feelings about N. in my head, i'd think he would want to try to detach himself publicly from bridgerton/nic/the world just for a little while because all of them have been pushing the lukola agenda and he hasn't been able to wrap his head around realizing that he does like someone who has been there for him for 5 years, been through a seemingly devastating break up, his HBS and is still willing to support him through everything else. the proximity of the tour most likely didn't help either because i don't think they have ever spend this much time with one another since they stop holding back their chemistry. he's said before that it is hard for him to picture friends to lovers since he never experienced it and so i wouldn't be surprised if his feelings for N threw him in for a whirlwind of emotions. the timing of it all seems like it would easily overwhelm him and he just needed a breather and a break which is where A comes in while he sorts what the hell is going on with his feelings.

but then A decided to take it upon herself to try to hold his hand to speed up the "launching" which completely backfired and blew up in their faces. i wouldn't be surprised if she had used the excuse to L that she wasn't aware they were still getting their photo taken which is why she tried to hold his hand entering the hotel and L had bought that or was too tired/stressed to even question. i wouldn't be surprised too if R had gotten involved and been like telling him to not get angry at A for acting that way since L has been so uninvolved with their relationship/launch publicly. maybe L even felt a feeling of guilt? that he wasn't as invested so he can't find it in him to fault her for doing her games.

i think L is being pulled back and forth between N and A. because i'd assume the bton cast is 1000% rooting for LN since they are able to see how they are behind the scenes esp after how they've been during s3. then there's his friend group (or i guess R specifically) who clearly does not like N and would obviously favor A. then there's his family who just wants to support him and probably is too supportive enough to give an opinion and just wants the best for him since he was clearly hurting after J. i feel like he's seeing and hearing all these sides which is frustrating him because it probably isn't helping him process his emotions by himself.

i do think L is starting to pick up on what is happening around him and is starting to realize this shit ain't worth it anymore. imho i think he has been trying to ignore the shitshow everyone (staring at his friend group intensely) is throwing at him because he's not ready to face his feelings yet and wants more time. shooting for s4 is coming up soon and i would like to think he really wants to figure out how he feels by then before he's forced back into the bubble and sets back all the struggle he has been going through for the past few months. i think it is important for L to also be in this relationship with A (just gagged irl) because it able to help him figure out his feelings. i am sure L cares for A to an extent because why would he be putting up with her bullshit for this long (guilt?) and is using this relationship as a rebound from J and N.

also i saw some people mention that L's family follows her on SM and interacts with her and i honestly wouldn't think much of it lol. L seems very close to his family so i wouldn't be surprised if he told them that he had a (biding) relationship with A and his family went to follow and interact with her esp since she was seen with his sister. i know people who do not hesitate to introduce their partners to their family and friends like one week into dating so like it doesn't strike odd to me that they're just supporting them lol. and if you think about it: they were the ones who was able to see the full effect of L and J's break up, why wouldn't they want to support him possibly moving on?

anyways sorry for the super long message. i have been keeping a lot of my thoughts in since i am trying not to just publicly theorize anything and i needed to just let it out somewhere! also sorry if these theories?? were already discussed i'm still fairly new to this and only hopped on because genuinely thought LN were another tomdaya situation and wanted to support their show. riddle me surprised when i found out everythingg

lol i really enjoy your blog and you're really funny! thank you this great little bubble :') i feel very seen to know that there's other people as delulu and invested as me lolol can't wait for the endgame content to start rollin out

💜🥃

Thank you for sharing anon!

[thatbanditqueen]

No One Walks Out Ch 6

My boy my boy... it's been a long time, Becky. This is a response to the writing game prompt "You will love it." "I will hate it." "Nah, you won't."

Thanks to @whositmcwhatsit and @be-my-ally and @vintageshanny and @ellie-24 and @missmaywemeetagain and @from-memphis-with-love and @arrolyn1114 and for playing this game and supporting me as I write, thanks too to @ab4eva for just being an all around mensch....

Summary: Elvis calls Becky, or rather, watches as Charlie calls and asks her to come on tour. She doesn't realize this tour is not going well. But once she is there, she decides to just roll up her sleeves and jump right in. Because Elvis.

WC: 7.3K

Warnings: Swearing, implied drug use, oral sex. This could have been very angsty but it is actually a big ball of unpolished, fantastical, indulgent fluff. I wrote this today and didn't have anyone read it. So beyond typos, expect historical inaccuracies and probably mischaracterization of everyone, including my OC.....

If you need to catch up.... Chapter 5: Salty Lips

Chapter 6: Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

6 pm Sunday, July 20, 1975

Geiler’s Hardware Store, Jackson, MS

Harriet’s key clicked into the back lock of her parent’s hardware store, and she pulled the handle to double-check that the door was, indeed, locked, before turning to look at her cousin. Becky’s mind was elsewhere and she stared down at her Chuck Taylor sneakers, raising her head only after Harriet coughed, and the two women made their way to Harriet’s small, yellow AMC Pacer. Becky looked out the window, playing with her hair, purposefully avoiding Harriet’s curious stare.

Keep reading

“Earth to Becky, where are you? You haven’t said anything about the date Ida set you up on Thursday.”

Becky pulled on the ring she wore on her right hand, a band of platinum with a diamond flower at the center. It was the ring Elvis had given her, and she could still almost feel the caress of his hand as he slid it on her and told her how beautiful she was, how she deserved beautiful things. That had been a month ago, but it could have been yesterday when Charlie, Billy and Jo had all been rounded up to drive her home to Jackson after a whirlwind week at Graceland.

Becky tilted the ring back and forth, then looked up to watch the businesses in the Fondren go by as Harriet drove her home. Why did it feel like cheating on Elvis to go one blind date. An innocent blind date. An innocent blind date that had fizzled out and ended with a very platonic hug.

“Ugh, he was nice enough. I don’t know.”

Harriet looked over, then back at road.  “It’s Elvis. Ida says he calls you every few days.”

“Yeah, he does. He asked me to come with him for his show in New York. Then well, when I said no I guess he went down the list.”

Becky sighed, thinking of the photos in the newspaper of Elvis with a very thin, very blonde woman who definitely was not Linda. The thought made her frown, and Harriet looked at Becky with sympathy as she turned the car on to her parent’s street.

“I thought you said that you left things on good terms, and that he wanted you to move up there? I can’t believe you would rather be here in Jackson than in Memphis.”

“Yeah. I mean no. I like, him, I mean, I cannot help it. I used to day dream of dating this man. But look at me, Harriet.”

Becky grabbed her purse and got out of the car,  sweeping her hand over her body to showcase her tee shirt and jeans as she stood.

“I’m not groupie material. And I can’t up root my kid and move to a new city just so I can join Elvis’ harem for a few months. We left things on good terms, but I don’t even know if I am cut out to be a harem member.”

“You are a knock out, Becky. You are totally groupie material. No, wait. You're better than groupie. You are at least favorite girlfriend number two or three material. I cannot believe you aren’t on your way to Memphis. Or New York. You only live once!”

Harriet grinned as Becky shook her head and sent her off with a bang to the yellow hood, before turning to walk into the house.

She was a greeted with a yell from Ruth, who was coloring with Ida at the dining room table. Becky could smell Saul’s pot roast wafting from the kitchen as she crossed the room and kissed Ruth on head, checking out her drawing of what looked like a dressed up mushroom in a pile of rocks standing next to Father Christmas.

“What do you think?”

She looked at Ida, whispering as she tried to decipher the words her aunt was mouthing.

“The mob-bit? The Hobbit! Yes, of course, it's The Hobbit. There’s Bilbo. Wow, Ruth, you really captured what I thought he looks like.”

“I’ve been practicing my hobbit form. And see, he’s talking to Gandalf.”

“Ah, yes, I can tell from the beard.” She had to stop herself from giggling at Ida’s wink. “SO amazing, you have become a very talented artiste!”

“Well, she learned from the best.”

Becky smiled at her aunt as she went to grab a beer. “I think the student has surpassed the teacher, I can’t wait to hang this one the fridge.”

 The phone rang while Becky was at the fridge, and she watched Ruth run to get it as she slumped into the chair next to Ida, who reached over to rub her forearm.

“Oy, Rebecca, was the restocking that bad today? You should have stopped Saulie from leaving. He is only 60, he could have helped finish -”

“Oh, no, Ida. Unless Saul has an in-depth knowledge of waterbed installation, his presence wouldn’t have made a difference.”

 “Why do people want to sleep in those things? What if they leak. Or break? I get sea sick just thinking about it.”

“I’ve heard they can be really relaxing. I don’t know, but there is a new waterbed store two doors down. The owner spent an hour trying to figure out what materials he needs us to order, so I guess business is keeping him pretty busy.”

“Can you imagine getting busy in a water bed?”

“Ida!”

Ida grinned, fluffing up her short, silver bob. ”I’m just saying, I couldn’t make whoopee on top of a big bag of water, oy vey, I’d be so nervous, what with the sound of the sloshing - “

“Wait, hold that thought, although you know I love hearing about your sex life.” Becky held up her finger for her aunt to stop talking, pausing to hear what Ruth was saying on the phone.

“How do I know you are really a friend of Elvis’? Well can you ask him to come over again? The  kids next door don’t believe he is my mom’s boy friend. And he promised to take me for ice cream again.”

Becky strode over to the phone. “Ruthie, who is it?”

Ruth covered the receiver with her hand, a mischievous look crept up her little face. “He says his name is Charlie, and when I asked how he knew you, he said -”

Becky held out her hand, taking the phone from her daughter. “Uh huh, ok, that’s enough from you , chatty Kathy, go help Ida clear up the art studio and set the table for dinner.” She paused, smoothing her hair, as if Charlie could see her from the other side of the phone.

“Hi Charlie. What’s up?”

She heard a single nervous “ha” on the other side of the phone, and took a deep breath. “Well, a, heya there Becky.”

It seemed to Becky like there was a more anxious desperation behind Charlie’s perfunctory niceties.

“Hiiiii? What’s up?”

“Look, um, Elvis asked me to call and see if you might reconsider coming out on tour? You know he misses ya somethin’ awful, ain’t stopped talking bout that cute chick back in Jackson.”

Becky took a deep breath, thinking of the photos in the paper of Elvis and that model.

“Hmmm. I’m sure. You know I want to, but I have a kid, Charlie - and it’s her  last little bit of summer, I don’t wanna leave her  twiddling her thumbs while I go traipsing around the country-”

“So bring her. Priscilla brings Lisa all the time, you know, they make it work,  Elvis is a family man, hon- I mean Becky, tour is not some wild orgy. You’ve been there. The guys, the band, were all like a big happy family.”

“One big happy family, huh? I don’t know.”

“I can hear it in your voice, Becky girl, I can tell ya wanna come.”

Becky sighed, looking as Ruth paused her place setting to look up and grin at her mother. Ida was behind her, eye brow arched up as Becky motioned her over, whispering with her hand over the mouth piece if it would be ok to take off for a few days. It was disconcerting how much Ida nodded and how quickly an excited gleam grew in her eyes. Becky shoed her off and carried the phone to wonder down the hallway so no one could hear her.

“Maybe. You really think I could bring Ruthie? How long would it be for ?”

She heard Charlie breathe a sigh of relief, and then there was a kerfuffle and the bang of the phone handle dropping on the floor.

“Hey Becky Butt.” Elvis’ deep voice filled Becky’s ears and she realized he must have been sitting there watching Charlie ask her. “Honey, I ain’t stopped thinkin' bout you since you left me. I need you, need you bad."

Becky started to blush, just at the needy, low tenor of his voice. "I have been thinking about you to."

"That's good baby, real good. Let's get you out here, see if I'm still the same as you remember. Can’t wait to see you, baby. Tonight ain’t soon enough.”

“Tonight? Uh - Elvis, I - Charlie said I should bring Ruth? Is that really ok? Is it safe?”

“Honey, I’m a black belt with a gun. Ain’t no safer place on earth. Hell, probably the safest place for your baby. You know how crime is getting in our cities. Bring her along. Charlie can babysit too, he’s basically a child himself. Got the brains a one, any how.”

Becky stood there, tapping her toe as her mind raced. Every bit of sense screamed at her not to meet Elvis on tour. She had just told Ida last week she was ready for her aunt fix her up with any nice single guys her age, in a conscious effort to try and get Elvis out of her system. Be a normal, responsible adult. Having, normal, responsible relationships. But now, talking to Elvis, all she wanted to do was give in and rush to be near him.

“Ok.” She whispered out.

“Good, good girl. I’m having Charlie run get Joe, fly ya out tonight. Go get ya self packed up.”

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

The Norfolk airport was pitch black when they landed, and if it weren’t for the lights along the landing strip, Becky may not have been able to make out Jerry’s scowl from across the tarmac.

“You shouldn’t have come.” His voice was clipped and terse as he grabbed her traveling bag, looking her up and down as she wobbled behind him in the high heel suede boots Elvis had bought her.

“Hello to you, too.”

“He said you were bringing your daughter, so at least you have some sense.”

Becky gulped as Jerry opened her door, and she flipped the sun visor down to fix her make up.

“Yeah, I guess… I um, changed my mind. I thought she would have a good time, but then, I don’t know,  I thought the schedule would throw her off. And I guess I don’t want her to get too attached to him. Or the idea of me and him. This is all just a little fun.”

Jerry looked over at her, his shoulders seemed to clench with his jaw as he drove

 “Fun. Ha. Well get ready, I think you’re in for more fun than you bargained for.”

Then Jerry pulled over, and his voice went from sarcastic to earnest as he turned off the car. “Or you can just say the word right now, and I’ll turn around, take you back, and you can catch a flight home. I’ll tell him you never showed.”

Jerry’s hopeful expression gave Becky a strange sense of foreboding and all the excited, giddy anticipation drained from her body.

“But Jerry - there are no direct flights to Jackson, and it’s midnight.” Her lip quivered as she pushed her lipstick back into its case.

“And I - I can’t afford to pay for a hotel and then all the connections I would have to make to get back home. Why are you acting like this? What happened?”

The drove under a streetlight, and Becky saw the bags under Jerry’s eyes more fully as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“Elvis has been getting into it with the band all week. Kathy and two of the Sweet Inspirations stormed off the stage mid-show tonight cuz he was talking shit at them sideways.” Jerry looked over at Becky. “The big man can dish it out, but he cain’t take it. No sireee.”

He drew out his “sireeee” as he pulled the white Lincoln into a parking spot at the back of a hotel. Becky shifted back and forth during the elevator ride up, arms crossed in front of the white floral dress she had excitedly wiggled into with glee three hours ago, as Ida kissed her good luck, and Ruth had glowered,  asking again why she couldn’t come. Now she felt ridiculous. Ugh, why couldn’t she ever listen to the voice of reason in her head that told her something was a bad idea. Leaning against the cool metal of the elevator, Becky kicked Jerry’s shin and tried to keep her voice light, positive.

“Ok, so level with me. Why is he fighting with the band, he seemed fine when he called me earlier.”

Jerry stepped away, grimacing at her familiarity. “That is because he is the master manipulator, and he wants you to come keep him company. But the last few days he has been stoned out of his gourd. More than usual. Cuz he’s in pain from all the performances, cuz he’s tired, cuz he’s bored. And he does not want to be on tour.”

“Then why is he?”

Jerry sucked in his breath and held up his hand, and a look of sharp contempt framed his smile as he rubbed his thumb and his forefinger together.

“Money money money, Becky! Linda needs a bigger apartment in LA! Dr. Nick needs a new house! Joe’s swindled him into starting a racquetball club! And of course he needs a different, gold plated plane.”

Becky swiveled in front of Jerry, looking him square in the eye as they hit the twenty first floor and she stepped backwards into the hallway.

“And what about you, Jerry, are your needs being taken care of?”

Jerry shook his head, and a sharp chuckle escaped his lips while he hung back and threw Becky’s blue travel case at her feet.

“Hmmm. I reckon you gotta from here, Becky. He’s in the Presidential Suite. Just down the hall.” He looked away, stating in a matter of fact tone. “Have fun.”

Becky’s mouth dropped as she watched Jerry tilt his head to the side through the closing doors, his eyebrows arched in a challenge. The elevator clanged shut, and Becky steadied herself, then opened her purse, as if all of life's problems could be solved with a tissue or some lipstick. There was the paperback copy of The Hobbit at the bottom, the one she’d been reading to Ruth. The one Ruth had shoved in her hands at the last minute, demanding that she call home and read to her while she was away. Becky smiled, thinking of Ruth’s big brown eyes as her small, stubborn mouth announced that she would be telling the neighbor kids all about how her mom was going to meet Elvis at his concert, even as Becky begged her not to.

“I guess if one good thing comes out of this, it should be Ruthie one upping those Ledbetter brats.”

Becky dug around in her purse, and decided to pop a tic tac in her mouth, the mint was refreshing, it washed away the bad taste her conversation with Jerry had left in her mouth. Then Becky took a moment to look herself over in the mirror. Ida had helped her pin her hair half up in the front, and her floral, cotton dress hung down in a flattering way from the embroidered empire chest to hang loosely over her hips before stopping at her knees. The suede boots gave her some height, and she liked the fringe along the side, she liked the way she could feel it dangle as she walked. She just had to keep her balance and everything would be fine. Looking at herself in the mirror, she blew herself a kiss and took a deep breath. In a moment of inspiration, she broken off one of the yellow roses from the vase on the table, and pinned it into the side of her hair, then strode down the hall.

She pulled on the ring Elvis had given her, once more finding reassurance from rubbing the metal over her finger again and again. But her confidence faltered for a moment outside the suite when she heard the smash of something being flung and breaking against the wall, followed by stomping and shouting. Elvis-like shouting.

“Fired, they’re all FUCKING fired. ‘Cept Myrna, she’s the only one with any sense a loyalty or professionalism. I don’ care if them other bitches come back here, begging, BEGGING, on their knees for their jobs back. They revealed their true colors here tonight. It’ll be a cold day in HELL before I take ‘em back.”

The shouting paused, and Becky leaned into the door to try and hear what the chorus of male voices muttering indecipherably were saying, before a loud voice, deeper than the Mississippi delta, bellowed back.

“Nah. Nope. I ain’t apologizing for shit. They need to ‘apologize to me, Felton, for not bein’ able to take a  GODDAMN joke. There’s a hundred back up singers out there  starving fo’ work. Who’d slit their momma’s throats for a chance to sing with us. Why don’t you do YA job and go find me some a them? What the hell I pay ya for? ‘Sposed to be producin’ this show, go produce some back up singers.”

Becky’s excitement at seeing Elvis again had now been replaced by a tense ball of nerves shifting in her stomach. Suddenly the sound of footsteps came towards her, and she jumped back from the door just in time before three or four men pushed by where she stood back, sucking in her stomach and gripping the wall as she watched them trudge down the hallway. Then she turned to find Charlie at the door, looking at her as his face scrunched from unease into a wide grin.

“Why if it isn’t Becky from Birmingham. Whatcha doin’ hugging  the wall out here, Becky? Git in here, girl.”

Charlie stood back, and Becky braced herself as she entered the hotel room.

It was a mess, plates of half eaten food lined the table and bar, several of which had been flung against the wall, where mashed potatoes and gravy now dripped down the wallpaper onto pieces of broken porcelain on the carpet. Becky shivered, and then tried to compose herself as she looked around. There was Joe, smoking and pacing on the other side of the room, he turned when he saw her, unable to hide the disdain that grew on his face. She recognized Red and Lamar on the couch, Sonny hunched against the wall, but didn’t know the younger, skinnier guy with long brown hair.

Becky suddenly felt very awkward and out of place and brought her blue, vinyl travel bag up to her stomach where she could hug it for comfort. She smiled at Lamar as Charlie patted her back.

“You know the fellas, aintcha Becky?” She nodded, her walk stilted as she came further into the pent house. “The big guy just went to his room, but man are you a sight for sore eyes, he sure is gonna be glad to see you.”

Sonny let out a laugh, then stood up and walked towards her.

“I thought Jerry was picking you up?”

“He was, I mean he did, but I guess he - um - had other stuff to go do.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. By now I bet he’s kissed Myrna’s ass so hard his lips are glued to it.” Sonny rubbed his hands together, looking Becky up and down, and she hugged her bag harder at the resentment in his eyes as he went to pour himself a drink.

“Don’t pay him no mind, Becky, he woked up on the wrong side of the bed is all. For the last ten years.” Charlie laughed loudly at his own joke, as he guided Becky through the tense, silence of the living room towards the master bed room, where he knocked on the door to the old “Shave and a hair cut, two bits” pattern.

“I said to FUCK OFF.” Was the response, and Becky looked at Charlie imploringly.

“He seems - out of sorts. Maybe I shouldn't be here.”

Red snorted behind them, muttering under his breath that was one way to put it.  But Charlie shook his head, whispering.

“Nah, it’s jus been a rough night with some a the personnel.” This elicited another snort from Red, but Charlie continued, undeterred. “He wanted to know the second you got here, trust me.” Then Charlie cleared his throat, calling out.

“Hey boss, guess who is here? It’s lil ol Becky! Just in from Miss’ppi.”

“Well why the didn’t ya say that in the first place.”

The door flung open with a bang to reveal Elvis, still wearing the blue jumpsuit with the silver zebra pattern rising on either side of his chest. A matching zebra patterned belt was at his waist and his hands held an old fashioned looking quilt in patriotic red, white and blue around his shoulders, like the comfort blanky Ruth still slept with sometimes.

 Becky immediately dropped her bag and went to him, cupping his face with her hands as she looked up into his eyes. In spite of all the shouting, the gruff stance, he looked like a wounded puppy. She would whatever she could to take all the pain out of his eyes and hold him until he knew that everything was alright.

The side of her pinky crested against a taut choker, as she shook her head at the dark make-up smudged around his eyes. His lips pursed together at the center as he looked down sheepishly, like a little boy, biting his lip as his hands let the quilt drop to the floor and found her waist.

“Are you cold, Elvis?” She asked, looking at the quilt.

“What, oh that? Nah honey, someone gave it to me at the show and I like." He exhaled slowly through his nose. "Aww Becky, is it good to see you.”

Elvis picked her up and swung her around, bouncing her against his slight belly. His face lit up, and Becky could almost swear he wiped a tear from his eye as he placed her down and drew her into his side, walking her out to the living room.

“Now, this is what a good gal looks like, a loyal gal. Drop ev’ry thin when her man needs her. Man ‘o man, baby. You look like an angel, sent from heaven. How’d I get so lucky, have an angel come visit me, huh?” He grinned, looked at the others before kissing the top of her hair with gusto, so much so that his chin knocked the rose out of it, and then he accidentally stepped on it when he moved to pick it up. Elvis bent at his knees, wobbling as he tried to gathered up all the petals, his voice was high and babyish.

“Aw, no no no no. I’m sorry baby, I trampled all ova ya pretty flower.”

Then he dropped it an octave yelling forcefully.

“Charlie - boy, where’d that dumb ass go.” Before he had even finished uttering the words dumb ass, Charlie was there, chuckling as if Elvis and he were two frat boys yanking each other’s chain. Instead of master and trained dog, Becky mused, then pushed the thought from her mind.

“Charlie, run out and get Becky some fresh roses -”

Becky bent down next to Elvis on the carpet and stilled his hand to pull him back up, notching herself under Elvis shoulder as she turned to Charlie.

“Don’t you dare, Charlie. I just stole it on my way in, I can always go get another one.” Then she leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed Elvis’ cheek. “It’s a sweet thought, though. You’re sweet a sweet boy. Thanks for inviting me to join you, wished I hadn’t missed the show.”

Then she ran her fingers through the sweaty matted hair at his temple, stroked out the sticky hairspray that had kept his coiffed, high pompadour in place. Elvis’ blue eyes locked with hers and his whole body softened.

“S’ok, honey, probably all for the best. Was a sorry ass excuse for a show anyway.”

Becky trailed her fingers lower, over his chin and down along his chest hair.

“Impossible.” She whispered into the crease at his armpit, nuzzling her nose against the edge of his shoulder.

He didn’t even break eye contact as she looked back into his face as he lifted his right hand out and waved the guys off.

“Alright, boys, dismissed.”

Becky smooshed her face back into his armpit, rather than watch the parade of angry, middle aged men depart. Just before he left, she heard Charlie start to say good night and how nice it was to see her, when Elvis yelled for him to stop making eyes at Becky and go find his own gal.

Then they were alone. In a sea of dirty dishes, broken plates, rose petals and one coffee table that looked like it had been turned upside down. Unless it was some sort of new modern design, where you placed your coffee on the marble slab face down on ground.

Looking back up at Elvis, Becky didn’t know what  to say.  The screaming she had heard through the door had terrified her., yet looking at him now it seemed so clear how tired and how much pressure he felt. Jerry’s words rang in her ears, and they summoned all of Becky’s stupid, nurturing instincts. She began to pull off his scarf, peppering his chest with a few soft kisses to sooth the heart beat she heard, running as fast as a loose rail car thundering down a mountain.

Looking back up at his face, she licked her thumb, without consciously realizing what she was doing, and started to clean up his eye make-up, and he started to babble about the whole world going to hell. But he quieted as she shook her head, and gripped her hand tightly, shakily. Feeling him tremble, she remembered how exhausted he must be. So she paused and led him through the master suite and into bathroom, when she sat him on the toilet, stopped him again from protesting that he was fine, with a finger to his lips. Then she took a wet washcloth, and straddled his lap to clean his face.

Elvis grinned up at her, and when was done, he clasped both her hands in his and brought them forward to kiss her knuckles, his eyes level with her breasts. She let out a gasp at the way he sucked at her knuckles, before she shook herself free so she could reclaim her hand and undo his choker.

“What’s the matter, baby boy, hmmm? What’s all the fuss bout tonight, huh?”

She soothed his forehead with her fingers, cracking her neck as she steadied herself on his lap. The texture of his blue, gaberdine suit was soft underneath her bare thighs.

“Ah, nothing honey, jus the doggone back up singers can’t take a joke. Walked off in the middle of the set, make me look like a damn clown.”

Becky steadied herself.

“I find that hard to believe. Don’t look like a clown to me. If anything,” she begun to unzip his jumpsuit, her hands smoothing over the cool sweaty, hair she found there as she pushed against his belly. “If anything, they’re the ones who look foolish. Walking off like that.”

Elvis' lip hung down, just the slight hint of a double chin grew there, before they widened into a smile, pushing the apples of his cheeks up towards her.

“Ya sweet honey, ya know that? Wait, whatcha doin’ woman?”

Becky giggled as she pulled off his belt, and leaned into smell his chest.

“I am undressing you, Elvis Presley. Shower time.”

He tried to dismiss this idea with a wave of his hand.

“Honey, I don’t need a shower.”

“Oh yes you do.” Becky rubbed her hands under Elvis’ jumpsuit, trying to push it off his shoulders. “When was the last time you took a shower, you stinky boy.”

He pursed his lips, shaking his head. “Uh, uh, uh -”

“Ha, if it is taking that long to answer, it has been tooo long.” She jumped up, and went to start the water. Elvis stood, bringing her back against the bathroom wall.

“Think you can come in here, and order me around, huh?” He smirked. “I like how I smell. Smell like a man. S'natural, s'way God made me.”

“Good little boys.” Becky worked her hands back under his suit. “Who take good little showers.” She got the fabric off the side of his shoulders. “Get good little rewards.”

He stilled her hands, enveloping her with his scent, a staunch mix of sweaty musk doused with a bottle or two of brut. Becky wrinkled her nose.

“And what about bad little boys who do what they want, huh?”

She threw her arms around his neck. “They get loved on until they learn to behave.” And she began to kiss his chest and neck with a swift barrage of pecks.

“Alright, alright crazy woman. What’s my reward, then, huh?”

Becky pulled her dress off with a speed that made Elvis' head spin, but before he could make a snarky remark, she bent over to take off her boots, and all he could do was stare at her bottom as she motioned for him to unclasp her bra.

“Your reward is me. In the shower. Washing you.”

Becky giggled self consciously as she took Elvis’ hands and drew him into the shower. She didn’t know where her chutzpah had come from, all she knew was that when she was with him, she was a woman transformed. Her walls came down, and she wanted to be as close as possible to him, do whatever she could to put him at ease. Being around Elvis had warped her entire way of thinking.

The way his smirk rippled across his cheeks as he watched her lather up a wash cloth and start scrubbing over his hair chest made her tummy feel funny. Like she was about to jump off a diving board. She watched the soap drizzled down over his waist and down his happy trail. Becky swallowed hard, unable to stop herself from rubbing over it with her hand and wiping the soap into different shapes around his belly button. A triangle, a circle, a heart.

Elvis chuckled as he squeezed his eyes shut under the water, letting it rinse everything off as he muttered that she was a weirdo. Then he took the wash cloth from her hands and spread the lather over the top of her breasts. Back and forth, as if mesmerized. His attentive gaze made her vibrate, and Becky’s nipples became hard nubs. She pushed his hand aside, stepping close to rub the soap from her bosom against him, playfully.

“I think they’re clean.”

“Never can be too sure.” He pulled her closer, nudging his nose over hers as he took the washcloth back and began to caress her butt. “Just bein’ thorough. Wanna a get all my reward.”

“Your reward was me washing you, not the other way around.”

Elvis winked. “I’m renegotiatin’.” And he carefully turned Becky around so that she was leaning into the shower wall, while he slowly moved the washcloth over her shoulder blades, the small of her back, her bottom cheeks and the backs of her legs. His movements were so soft and tender, that they made all the thoughts drain from Becky’s head with the water. Her knees turned into jelly.  And all she knew was the warm sensation vibrating up her spine and tingling between her legs.

It was 3:45 am when they finally collapsed into the master suite’s large, king bed in matching pajamas. Becky could rest assured that every part of her body was clean, and while she hadn’t scrubbed him behind his ears, she had done her best with Elvis.

He had taken the cute, sexy pink fluffy negligee she had brought to sleep in from her hands, and thrown it in the trash, reiterating that just because they were on the road, they were never safe from commie drug dealers. Arsonists. Assassins. Any number of dangerous threats that could result in an instant need to evacuate the hotel.

“Trust me, Becky, you’ll be greatful ya wearing something decent if that happens.”

Becky rolled her eyes, saying to herself that Elvis was worse than her grandmother. But she obliged and reasoned that Elvis’ pajamas were probably more comfortable than the gauzy peignoir she had brought. The she settled back, watching him take his medication from the black, doctor’s bag, before folding her arms around him when he snuggled up and lay his head on her breasts,  murmuring to her in a low, babying tone.

“Aw Becky, don’t know what I’d do if you hadn’t come.”

She stroked his soft, dyed hair, shhhing him as she smiled to her self at the hint of grey she saw at the peak of his right side burn.

“You’d be fine, you always are.”

“Nah, honey, none a these fools love me for who I really am. None of them would be here if it weren’t for the money.”

“That’s not true, your friends love you. They’ve known you all your life.”

“Nah uh, they don’t, baby. No one loves me. You might be the only one in the whole world who doesn’t want anything from me. Won’t take my goddamn money, even when I mean it as a gift. Because I do love givin’ gifts.”

Becky trailed her fingers across Elvis’ forehead, enjoying the way his warm skin felt under her knuckles. “I know you do. You really do.”

“But no one appreciates it, they just want more. Won’t be happy til they suck me dry. Ugh, I don’t know if I can even sleep, so keyed up about the band.”

Becky kissed his forehead, as an idea percolated, and she rose from the bed to grab The Hobbit from her purse.

“Here, why don’t I read to you, take your mind off things?”

Elvis’ took the book ins hand. “This the book Spock was singing about?”

Becky giggled, thinking of Leonard Nimoy’s record few years back. “I believe the song you are referring to is ‘The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.’ And yes, it was inspired by this book. But I know you've heard of The Hobbit, Elvis. Have you ever read it?”

Elvis shook his head, but before he could protest that he didn’t read children's books, she brought his head back to her bosom and began reading it, doing the voices the same way she did with Ruth. They passed out at some point in the “Roast Mutton” chapter,  after pausing from time to time debating what their hobbit names would be.

“I think you are probably too tall to be a hobbit, Elvis, probably more an elf. Your name is practically the same as their language.”

“Well, that don’t make sense, no one names their kid after a language. English. Spanish. This is ma son, German. So then, what do you ’spose my elf name would be?”

Becky yawned. “I guess that will be our proooooject over the next few days, figure out what our hobbit and elf names are.”

“Guesss sooooooo.” Elvis yawned back.

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

Becky found her paperback copy of The Hobbit open and smashed between them where Elvis had fallen asleep with his head on top of her chest. Several pages were bent back, and she tried to get them straight by bending them the other way, before deciding to put the lamp on top of it with the hope it would weigh them back into place. The room was still so dark, it surprised her to see that the clock read one p.m. It had been five or six when they passed out, and Becky could hardly believe how quickly she adapted back to Elvis’ schedule.

Looking down at him, she returned to cuddle into him, thinking how sweet he looked with his mouth wide open, asleep, completely unperturbed about the weight of the world that he carried on his shoulders. Then, as she shimmied her legs next to his, she felt the distinct, outline of an erect penis. I guess he slept well, she thought, and suddenly felt an aching tingle light up between her legs and a naughty thought enter her mind. Becky bit her lip, wondering how to wake him up without making it obvious. She began to nestle her knee into his cock, then blow air over his eyelids, faintly at first as she watched his long eyelashes flutter and waited to see if it woke him. When he remained asleep, she blew harder, emptying her lungs, until she saw his eyelids move and he opened one eye, with a blank, confused, slightly drugged out stare. This prompted her to plop back, not so stealthily, and pretend to be asleep herself. She also stopped moving her knee over his penis. Sleeping people don’t do that.

“Ha, now watcha think ya doin, Becky Butt?”

Elvis narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. A chuckled escaped Becky’s mouth, and her hand replaced her knee to slowly sweep over the outline of Elvis’ length, teasing his tip with the swirl of her thumb. Elvis seemed to instinctively move back up against the pillows, while also trying half-heartedly to swat away her hands from his pajama bottoms as she moved her head to his crotch.

“Now, honey, you’re a good girl, good girls don’t do that.”

Becky pulled at his waist, leaning down to nuzzle against the silk over his thigh, looking up and batting her lashes.

“Baby, you’ve been so stressed out, this tour got you all worked up. I’m just trying to help you relax and clear your head, so you can figure out what you want to do about your band.”

Elvis released her hands from where he had stopped them at his pants, and flopped back against the head board, resigned and moaning as her hand feathered over him. He closed his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling and muttered, “Lord have mercy. What am I gonna do with you, huh?”

Becky did a wiggly, little triumphant dance as Elvis shook his head, grinning as she pulled his pants down and very slowly and reverently bent down to kiss the tip, savoring the way his breath became heavier as she did. He bit his lip watching her look at him as she swirled her tongue around his foreskin where it now crested back above the head. In a leisurely, affectionate way, she moved her tongue hesitantly around him, using one hand to loosely palm up and down his shaft as she sucked the tip once more. Kissing it delicately, relishing how sensitive he was, how even just moving her mouth down an inch made his leg jolt. She laughed onto his cock when his knee knocked her head, and she looked up to see a warm, boyish smile beaming back down at her.

“Hey now, be gentle with him. He's, uh, he's, ughhhh, he's shy.”

Becky smiled as best she could up at him with a penis in her mouth, and worked to just move along the end of the foreskin to the top of the head, waiting as he moved her hair to guide her forward. His gasps sent a sharp ping to her core and Becky realized that the sound of Elvis’ hushed pleasure was like an aphrodisiac that she wanted to chase. And chase it she did, hollowing her cheeks to bob further down, seeing how far she could go with out gagging, seeing what happened when his tip hit the back of her throat, savoring the feeling of how it almost choked her.

His mouth now hung open, and he let out a loud moan as she delved deeper with the next thrust. Looking, she saw that his eyes were squeezed shut  and his mouth hung open, the bottom lip shaking tremulously as she began to speed up her tempo, following her mouth with her hand and breathing through her nose as she tried not to gag when she plunged downward. Then she felt Elvis grip her hair with a tight fist.

“Ah honey, oh Becky, oh honey, Imma about to burst!”

She watched his face contort as she nodded her acquiescence and continued to move her mouth over him, possessing him and at the same time giving herself to him as he arched his back up into her and came with a loud, breathy, high pitched cry. He was tangy, and salty, and she looked at him with a seductive wink as she flipped her hair and tried to swallow it all, before gagging and coughing most of it out of the side of her mouth and onto the duvet. This performance was followed by loud belly laughs from both parties as Becky rolled over in a fit of giggles at her clumsy attempt to be sexy. She hid under the pillows and blushed when Elvis moved over, threw the pillow away, and pulled her onto him with a goofy smile.

“Ya sure are sumpthin', Becky Butt. Man ‘o’ man." He sighed, stroking her shoulder. "Haven’t done anything like that in a while. Prolly since last time I saw you.”

“Elvis, you don’t have to lie to me, I see the photos of you with your other girlfriends on tour.”

He sucked in a deep breath, taking her chin to look up at him.

“You mean that girl I invited on tour after you turned me down? Honey, she don’t mean a thing, just someone to keep the bed warm. Wasn’t getting busy with her, tell you that.”

Becky arched her eye. “Really?”

“Mmmmhmmm. She is pretty, but she don't turn me on, not like you, baby. You’re my little snake charmer, member? And man, honey, every time too. Something special bout you. Gonna need you to come on the rest of the tour with me." His arm dropped, and his eyebrows furrowed and Becky realized he must be thinking about the tour. "Fuck, man, gotta figure out what to do bout these singers, goddammit. I don really wanna train new gals to sing, with only a few nights left.”

Becky patted his arm. “So don’t. Just apologize.”

A nervous squeak escaped her throat when she saw his lips purse and his eyes narrow in disbelief at her suggestion.

“You don’t have to mean it! I believe you were right, they are being bitches. Baby, trust me, you know how singers can be, premadonnas. And they are women. You can’t win with us. But you can know in your heart that you were joking, and also do what needs to be done to keep the show going by mending fences. S’easier to catch more flies with honey, E.”

Becky felt like a traitor to her fellow womankind, as she felt fairly certain that whatever had happened, the back up singers probably had every right to be upset. But the end justified the means, right? Her reasoning seemed to have some effect, as Elvis' pinched lips released and he grunted.

She watched as he looked at her, and repeated "easier to catch more flies with honey" in a high, mocking voice, while he rolled over and picked up the phone, asking the operator for Joe’s room. “Get Lowell on a plane, tell him to bring everything in the store. I don’t care, jack, do you work for my daddy? No, that’s what I thought, huh. Yeah, Imma have Felton take it all over to the girls, to everyone, tell them I know things got outta hand this week, let’s leave it in the past. Oh, and I wanna get Myrna a new Caddy, so she knows what loyalty means to me.”

Elvis was patting Becky’s thigh as he did this, his fingers playing a rhythm only he knew. But it made Becky feel special, needed, close to him, and she found a strange contentment just being there, receiving the song his body was tapping out. After he hung up, he called room service and asked them to send two of everything from the breakfast menu, explaining he didn’t care if it was 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

“Ever been Asheville, ha, honey?”

“MMmhmmm. No, can't say I have. Guess we'll have a few days there to figure out what our hobbitses names are.”

“Already know what your’s is. Becky Bobbit.” He grinned wide at her quizzical face. “Cuz you bobbit so good on my nobbit.”

Becky hit him as he burst into a fit of giggles. “Dirty, nasty, mean man.”

“Awww, honey, s’compliment. Wanna keep you round with me always, my lil bobbit hobbit.”

“Ha.”

“Comin’ to Memphis after the tour?”

“Elvis - I -”

“I thought we were talkin’ bout getting you moved up there. You will love it."           

“I will hate it.”

“Nah, you won’t.”

“Hmmm, you might be sick of me after the next few days.”

Elvis squeezed his arm around her tighter, looking down at the stain on the duvet, and then back at her with a silly smile.

“Nah, I won’t.”

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

For fun...

Thanks for reading.... argh. Let me know if you want to be tagged or untagged. Comments, reblogs and feedback are very much loved and appreciated.

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[chubsonthemoon]

GUESS WHOSE BOOK ARRIVED TODAYYYYYY SO NOW I GET TO POST PICS!!!!

This is To Hell and Back Again, by dear dear @perexcri. Cover design by @byierficrecs (thank you SO much for letting me use your design!). Binding by me!

I'm not in ST fandom, but I had the pleasure of skimming this fic while I was typesetting, and can I just say? I'm rooting for these kids SO hard. I'd go to hell and back again for them--[GUNSHOT]

But in all seriousness, Leah's writing is whip-smart, sincere, and funny as hell. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who is a fan of these crazy kids. Her ao3 is a veritable treasure trove of excellent byler stories, which you should absolutely check out right now go do it!!!

As usual, process chatter and more pics, under the cut! <3

WORD COUNT: 144k

FONTS:

Title: Hellprint

Heading/Chapter Headings/Spine Titling: Norwester

C4 Summary: Roboto Condensed

Main Body Text: Garamond

COVER MATERIAL: Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte, printed on my Epson Ecotank (more on that later baha)

HEADBANDS: Trebizond silk thread in the colors Garnet and Black

EDGE PAINTING: Acrylic paint in Crimson and Black

TITLING: Red iron-on foil for the text and white HTV for my maker's mark. Cut by Charlotte, my Cricut!

BINDING:

This was my first go at a German Bradel binding! I've seen lots of Renegade folks use this method and am so psyched I got around to trying it myself. I modified DAS's approach a bit and tipped on endpapers instead of sewing them in (there were a lot of new things to learn so I decided to shelve sewn endpapers for the next binding XD). I also only had 2.0 mm bookboard instead of 1.0 mm, so instead of layering two of the same boards like DAS did, I instead used one 2.0 mm board and one very thin piece of cardboard to create the groove for the hinge. The original article that DAS bases his video on actually uses boards of two different sizes too--a "thick" board and a "thin" board--but I still want to experiment with DAS's way of doing it, especially since I think it'll be easier to do cutouts on thinner board.

As far as matching the groove with the hinge, I think I did pretty okay for my first try! One board is definitely better fitting than the other though baha. There's always room for improvement, but hey that's where half the fun is anyway (and also you can't tell after the case-in whew), so I'm not stressed about it :D

COLOR SCHEME:

Nearly all of my design decisions for the color scheme were based off of @byierficrecs's gorgeous cover design! They were so generous in letting me use their cover and answering my questions about fonts, for which I can't thank them enough. And with so many wonderful elements to work with, it was so much fun to tease out the elements I loved from their work!

I decided to keep with the theme of red/black, which I also thought was fitting for a ST fic set largely in the Upside Down. Thus, black painted edges with red vines, as a kind of inverted, "upside down" continuation of the cover:

Even the thread I used to sew the signatures is red/black! :3 (please also ignore how the picture of the textblock is not focused on the actual textblock ajsldkfjs it was very late when I took that photo)

COVER PRINTING:

This was my first time printing a cover on my new printer (!!!), and BOY oh boy was it an adventure. Figuring out the dimensions took a second, but not as long as it took me to figure out what settings produced something I was happy with. Behold, all my test prints:

Very long story short, let's just say now I understand why being a prepress color specialist is literally a career you can have in publishing LOL.

Also, for some reason I could only sometimes get the bleed to work? Basically what I ended up doing was painting over the parts where the design didn't quite extend over the turn-ins, using with the same black acrylic paint I used for the edges. You can see this more clearly in the photos I took of the groove, and the endpapers covered the messy bits when I cased in:

THE MAIN INGREDIENT: LOVE

Finally!! The most important part of the process!!! HI LEAH ILY!!!! This fic is special for a lot of personal reasons, but chief among them is LOVE!!!! Your A/N's made me tear up when I first read it, because AH! You read my words of love!!! And went and wrote hundreds of thousands of your own words of love!!! And now I hope I've given that love back once again :3 And on and on we go, ad infinitum, until we are relieved of the curse of literacy and greet whatever comes after all this, thanks be to Todd. But until then, I'm so glad I get to shoot holes out of bagels and scream about radioactive tumblr posts and cry over fake people with you, friend :] Truly, peace and love on FUCKING Planet Earth. We are making it and we will all go together when we--[ANOTHER GUNSHOT]

I'm so excited to see where we're going, and what other stories we have to tell. But for now: EEEEEEEE YOU WROTE A BOOK!!!!!!!

<33333!!!

[snugglebug-92]

Ethan Edward x Reader

NSFW content ahead 18+

It’s Sunday night which means everyone is packed into the sophomore house to watch a movie. You walk into the room handing Dylan and Luke water before taking your spot on Ethan's lap in the recliner. You sit down and he wraps his arms around your waist pulling you into his lap. He tucks his chin into your shoulder as he tries to blow his bangs out of his face.

“Baby you need some help?” you question as you turn to face him.

“Maybe. I shouldn’t have gotten these dumb bangs,” he says, shaking his head.

“You look, cute baby. Really embracing your Albertan roots with the mullet,” you say cupping his face. You brush his bangs out of his eyes and smile at him.

“I think you are the only one of the girlfriends who actually likes one of the boy's mullets,” he says, bopping his nose against yours. You smile at him before turning back to the movie. About halfway through you feel Ethan start to place kisses on your neck. At first, it is innocent but then he gets to your sweet spot and starts sucking. You lean into him and look around to see if any of the boys are paying attention. 

“Eddy, I think we should go upstairs,” you whisper trying not to moan.

“Baby they are all way too into the movie to pay attention to us,” he says. Fine, he wants to tease me. I'll tease him. I slowly roll my hips back into his lap before shifting a few more times to get comfortable again. He moves me on his lap and I can tell my plan is working. Every few seconds he has to shift to prevent me from putting my full weight on his hard-on. He continues to suck a hickey in my neck while I grind against him. Eventually, he has enough and he stops sucking at your neck.

“Hey, guys we are gonna head upstairs. I’m getting pretty tired and I know both Y/N and I were up late last night partying after the win. See you tomorrow,” Ethan says as he pushes you up off his lap but still in front of him to hide the damage. The guys give you various versions of goodnight before the two of you head upstairs to his room.

“So you couldn’t take a little teasing huh?” Ethan looks at you shaking his head. 

“It’s not like you could either,” you say as he backs you into his door. He plants his lips against yours as he locks the door. He takes his shirt off before planting his lips back on yours. He places his hands around your waist moving one lower to grab your ass. You gasp and he takes the chance to slip his tongue into your mouth. You put both of your hands in his hair and gently tug at the locks eliciting a log groan from him as he pulls away from you. He moves his other hand around your thighs pulling you up. You wrap your legs around his waist as the two of you make out on your way to his bed. He sets you down and takes your shirt off only to stare at the lace on your chest.

“Take a picture, it will last longer,” you smirk at the boy.

“Wait really?” he questions shocked.

“If that's what you want baby,” you smile looking up at him. He fishes his phone out of his pocket while you decide to take your pants off to reveal the matching set you were thankful you decided to wear tonight. You lean up and he takes a photo before you repose pushing your boobs together. You reach behind to take off your bra and he drops his phone.

“I feel like I’m wearing too many layers,” he says, taking his sweatpants off. You move to straddle his hips and slowly start grinding down on him. You place your lips on his and slowly start to kiss him. You press down to create more friction which causes the both of you to moan. He takes the chance to slip his tongue back into your mouth. The two of you continue to grind and make out just happy to finally be alone with each other. You are so caught up in the moment that you barely notice Ethan suddenly pull off you.

“I’m gonna cum if you keep this up baby,” he says sheepishly.

“It’s okay handsome. I’ll grab a condom and then I’ll ride you okay,” you question as you reach over to his nightstand.

“Yeah, baby that’s fine. Shit wait don’t,” he starts but you already have them in your hand.

“Are these handcuffs?” you question even though it’s quite obvious what they are.

“Um yeah. Bords kinda jokingly gave them to me last year. I just put them in there because I didn’t know how to bring it up,” he says scratching the back of his neck.

“It’s okay. I just didn’t think you were really into that type of stuff so I never said anything either,” you shrug.

“So would you want to maybe,” he asks, unsure what to even say. All you do is nod and stick your hands out in front of you. He grabs the key before unlocking the cuff and placing it around your left wrist. He unlocks the right cuff before threading it through his headboard and closing it on your right wrist.

“Is this okay?” he questions cupping your face.

“Yes, this is okay now please fuck me E,” you moan out as he leaves open-mouthed kisses down your jaw and neck. He leaves a trail of hickeys from your collarbone to your belly button. He then pulls your panties down before running a finger through your folds to spread out your wetness.

“Fuck Ethan,” you moan out arching your back.

“That feels good huh baby,” he says as he takes off his boxers before rolling the condom on. He slides his tips between your folds causing both of you to moan. He searches your face for any sign of discomfort before slowly sliding in. Once he’s all the way in he waits a few seconds for you to adjust to his size before pulling out only to thrust right back in. He starts to slowly thrust in and out while you continue to adjust. Once he knows you are fully adjusted he picks up the pace causing both of you to moan. He wraps a hand around your throat while the other is placed on your hip. Your wrists strain against the cuffs as you yearn to dig your nails into Ethan's arms and back. As Ethan continuously pounds into you your eyes roll into the back of your eyes. You feel yourself start to get close.

“Fuck Eth I’m close,” you moan out.

“Yeah baby me too.” he grits out as he drops his hand from your throat to your clit. He circles the nub which causes you to moan out. He places his lips on yours to help drown out your moaning as he continues to pound into you. Soon your whole body is shaking as you come down from your high. Ethan pulls out before taking off the condom and throwing it away. He slips his boxers and sweats on before going to grab you a washcloth. You blackout for a few seconds while Ethan is gone but wake up when you feel something warm between your legs.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he smiles at you.

“Hi. Do you think you could unlock these?” you ask, shaking your wrists.

“Shit baby I forgot,” he says as he unlocks them, “there you go.”

“Thank you, ” you say as he gently grabs your wrists, placing a kiss on each one before giving you one of his shirts to sleep in. He crawls into bed beside you wrapping an arm around your waist before the both of you fall asleep for the night.

[tiffyfoundsomething]

Lady Doolli

I’ve mentioned before that I like blind box toys and ball jointed dolls and now I’m in trouble because there are blind box ball jointed dolls out there.

Lady Doolli is blind boxed but is NOT a BJD though she’s in a similar style. I’d seen these on Amazon for a while and was curious but only recently decided to give one a try.

There is 1 skintone, 6 different hair styles/colors, and it looks like maybe 2 eye colors.

There are also 6 possible outfits.

The dolls and clothing are separate, but are each $26 and both are in the same listing here: https://amzn.to/3OrhHsk

The box is small and cute with a lot of pictures and writing on it, especially making a point to let you know there’s no second outfit in here and they must be bought separately.

The outfits are packed in a little paperboard box shaped like a garment bag. It says 2022 Spring, so I wonder if there are many other outfit sets that have been released.

To be honest, I don’t care for any of these outfits, really. Figured I should get one to review, at least.

Both the doll and outfit are packed in these silver foil bags inside the boxes. There’s no plastic shell or anything to hold their position in the packaging. They’re just loose in there.

I got dark, long hair with a side part with blue and purple eyes, and almost missed the tiny little bag of extra hands inside the silver bag. She does come already dressed in the pajamas.

I tried to get a good photo of the face screening but my phone is a potato. There’s a good amount of detail with a simple layout. She has eyeshadow, blush on the cheeks, chin, nose, and brows, a little lip line to separate her lips... It’s a cute face, but I do prefer my dolls to not look sad or startled.

She does have rooted hair which is silky and smooth. It’s a little stiffer than Kiwi nylon (Rainbow High) while still being soft.

She also has a couple paint spots on her face that look to be from the eyebrow paint.

The rooting isn’t super dense in some areas.

Her head is harder than a Barbie’s head but is squishable to a degree so her eyes could be removed and replaced with some heat and her hair could be rerooted if you wanted.

Hair drop on a new doll head is normal. This looks like a plug or two which didn’t get anchored.

I’m impressed with the posing. The joints are stiff enough to hold a pose but easy to move other than her hips which take a little bit more pressure, and have a high range of motion.

The torso joints aren’t as mobile as the arms and legs, though.

Her head can look up and down or tilt left and right depending on how you turn the neck joint which is a simple hinged ball.

The backs of the knees...

All of the jointing reminds me of Figmas.

Honestly I feel like the body alone is worth the $26 price tag, AND you get a rooted head with quality hair and inset eyes, a pair of pajamas, and an extra pair of hands.

-

Neither outfit that I have has any sort of closures or openings so you do need to remove the head and hands to dress her.

Getting the hands on and off is difficult

Turns out there’s a LOT of flash on her wrist pegs. I did go in and clean that off. There was a good sized bit on her neck ball, too.

Heat up the hands, though, and they go on and off pretty easily.

-

As for the outfit.

Silver bag again.

I couldn’t get this headband to stay on her hair because it’s satin and her hair is satiny smooth, but it does have a wire in the “ears” so you can pose it as you wish.

......

LOOK AT THESE TINY LITTLE SHOES!

They have stitches, laces, tongues, glued on rubbery soles with IN SCALE texture on the bottom...

They went on a lot more easily than I expected them to OVER her socks. I did need to get a little stick to pull the back of the heel out and over the doll’s heels. Other than that, easy-easy.

I also didn’t even try to extract and tie the laces. They looked really short and I have poor motor control, so I opted to just shove her feet in there with the laces tucked inside.

The outfit came with shorts, a one-piece sweater and shirt combo, and some long socks. The socks aren’t hemmed but everything else is. Again, no closures, not even an elastic waistband on the shorts. The shorts were a little difficult to put on.

All of the fabrics are soft and despite the sweater having a feelable texture, it’s not rough or scratchy so it’s not kicking off my texture-BAD senses.

Action pose! FWIP!

She can’t quite pull of Sailor Moon’s signature pose.

Here she is next to some other blind box BJD (the others really are BJD). They all could certainly share clothes despite Doolli’s longer, thinner body.

From left to right:

Penny’s Box Antu Natural Wonderland - https://amzn.to/3IqKfOz

SimonToy Teenar Campus Series - https://amzn.to/3IlnGLl

Lady Doolli and outfit pack - https://amzn.to/3MiOflA

Come4Free Bonnie Journey of Streets - https://amzn.to/42QlMKG

-

While I do feel that the quality of Lady Doolli is in line with the price (all together she costs $52), and am impressed with, basically, everything about her, I don’t feel a need to buy another. Out of all of the blind box BJD I’ve tried (not pictured here is the Penny’s Box centaurs), the only one I’ve wanted more than one of was Bonnie. I have three.

[nancypullen]

Snip Snip

Well, that's done. Just after noon I drove to Glam Salon in Easton (I think "glam" and Easton cancel each other out) and got rid of a lot of hair. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. As far as my hair is concerned, that's a win. My appointment was for a cut and highlights on the crown to lighten it up a bit and allow my white to grow in. That's always ridiculously expensive, and quite frankly, I don't see a big difference. First she chopped off a ton of hair, then painted in the highlights and wrapped me in foil. By this time I was questioning my choices.

I love that this pic is a little out of focus because it makes me look like I don't have a bunch of wrinkles. Spoiler alert: I do. Anyway, the end result is fine, and I'll probably keep my hair short and eschew any color. Easier and cheaper, two of my favorite things. I took a selfie before I left for my appointment. I went in with frizz, floppy layers, and a stripe of white roots. The middle shot was taken when i got home. The profile after I had changed into jammies and rubbed my eyes. Don't judge me.

I love the woman who cuts my hair and she is the one who kept me from going even shorter. She told me to try this for a while and see how I feel. She's probably right. I feel that this is a crone-worthy cut and I can live with it. So there are the photos I promised, don't expect to see my mug on this blog again any time soon. Moving on to more important matters - I haven't applied a single swipe of paint to that gorgeous desk/cupboard set. It's just too dang hot. We are still under all sorts of heat advisories, I think our high today was 97 with a "real feel" of 100-something. Totally unnecessary. The humidity is high and absolutely draining. I dragged the hose around and watered a few things and filled the bird bath, and just that little bit of activity felt like swimming in hot water in a wool sweater. Gross. Since I don't have a deadline for painting that piece I do believe I'll wait until the garage doesn't feel like a sauna. That might be a while. Because it's hot and I'm rattling around the house alone, I am not cooking. I've been polishing off dibs and dabs of leftovers in the frig - a bit of rotisserie chicken, a little tuna on crackers, fruits and veggies, I'm like one of those sucker fish that cleans your aquarium. I don't mind it. Keeps the house cool and my tummy full. Win-win. I think we should declare a moratorium on cooking until the high temp for the day is 75. Nothing that takes longer than microwave popcorn allowed.

That's enough from me today. The sun is sinking toward the horizon and the sky is a hazy lavender. That's my cue to roll the trash can to the curb and call it a night. In an hour I'll probably be reading in bed, surrounded by cats. Look at that, another win!

I'll leave you here and try to think of something to write about tomorrow. Perhaps the fact that I refuse to give up on my stunted gardens and have decided that I'll try pumpkins again. Ever the optimist, a glutton for punishment, and a firm believer since 1963.

I'm going to pop seeds into the front bed as well as the garden on the side of the house. I used to grow lovely pumpkins in TN, I refuse to believe that my pumpkin farming days are over. Now is the time to plant for a Halloween harvest. Send me some good vibes, light a candle, rub some beads, sacrifice a chocolate bar, whatever it takes. I'm full of hope. I'll meet you back here tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay well, keep COOL.

XOXO, Nancy

[dollsorwhatever]

Merliah dump lol

This is such a random-ass fixation but here we go lol While I was looking for older Mattel Ariel dolls for my collection on Facebook marketplace a few months back, I somehow managed to stumble across a used Mermaid Tale 2 Mini Merliah doll-one of my most random doll grails- for the very very low price of 5$ which began a renewed interest in Barbie in a Mermaid Tale dolls lol

I've always been a huge fan of the Mini Kingdom line but dissatisfied with the body they used (and the massive balloon hobbit-era head sculpt they switched to in 2008-ish), so I was pretty excited when the Mermaid Tale 2 mini dolls came out with not only a teeny tiny Belly Button body, but also a new miniaturized GG head sculpt! Sadly they were Wal-mart exclusive dolls and were sold in very limited quantities so I never had a chance to get them when they came out, and they have been nearly impossible to find secondhand since then so I have been searching for them for years to no avail lol

(photos from google, pls let me know if they belong to you) this is also my obligatory plea for anyone to let me know if they have these for sale or find them anywhere because I still desperately want the Kylie doll and an NIB set of both lol After getting the mini doll, I thought it would be a good time to repurchase the deluxe Transforming Merliah doll I had when I was a teenager- one of my favorite dolls back in the OG doll Flickr days! I've always loved her face and the general aesthetic of the line (but not necessarily the construction..we'll get to that later) so she's always been a favorite of mine.

(the time stamp is killing me lmao)

At first I decided to just get my hands on a singular used Merliah doll to reroot and a collection of all of her outfits from previous movies, but upon her arrival I was pretty shocked to open up the padded envelope and discover a completely squishy head with no glue!

(I also rooted extra hair into her head for thickness but that's beside the point lol) Turns out the earliest batches of the original Merliah doll (Including international versions) are glue-free, while later ones have gluehead. This is probably a result of Mattel not fully integrating the glue-head method for every single doll until about the middle of Monster High's original run, which is why certain batches of Mattel dolls from between 2008-2012 still have squishy heads despite glue head already being a thing. At this point I decided to start hunting for more glue-free Merliah dolls (going by vibes and prayers alone to figure out which ones had no glue) one for each outfit. Next up was an NIB Merliah that came in the international package (luckily also with no glue, especially because I paid an egregious amount of money to get her NRFB):

I also started working on a set of two Merliah mermaid dolls, using multiple parts combined together and a set of rerooted Merliah dolls with solid pink streaks (instead of the color change ones that she comes with). The original deluxe Merliah dolls are pretty infamous for having some of the worst looking tail construction, so if I wanted a set of good mermaid dolls I would have to get creative lol

(Mermaid Tale 1's tail turns into a beach coverup and MT2's tail turns into a literal surfboard...bye) They also made a set of 'budget' mermaid dolls with more traditional fabric tails, which serve as the primary base parts for my versions:

MUCH nicer tails, but their fins are really dinky and flimsy and they could both use some more details, and the dolls are ofc way too basic lol

Mermaid Tale 2 Merliah was the first to get going because I found the pieces I needed at a lower price than the ones I need for the original Merliah, but she's also still unfinished while I wait for her rerooted head to come lol First I made a mockup, using the budget tail with the deluxe doll fin just to make sure the parts would fit together :

Then my finished tail, with some added detail around the fin to look a bit more deluxe lol:

Gorg! And very headless (for now) I also switched out her legs with the standard hollow plastic beach feet legs that the budget Merliah dolls have, because I hate the legs she came with lol Original Merliah is definitely my favorite though, and the one who cost the most for me to put together (and also got the most love lol) and also got finished the soonest. My mockup for her:

Originally I planned to add a Fountain Mermaid Barbie fin to her tail in order to make it larger, but eventually decided on Secret Door Romy's fins for the bottom layer instead, because they look more cohesive to the rest of her tail/fin and look more 'official' instead of looking like...well a 1993 tail slapped on a 2009 doll lol Ofc she needed a reroot to start with (commissioned from 292millimeters on Instagram!):

And then I (very reluctantly, because it was like 80$ lol) purchased the budget mermaid Merliah doll, a used Secret Door Romy outfit for the fabric fins and a bag of fuschia hotfix gemstones and put her together!

I also switched the tiaras between the Original and MT2 doll because the pink tiara matches her better, and I think it makes more sense for the original mermaid form to be more muted and for the "upgraded" sequel form to be more colorful. The extra fin on the bottom really gives the tail that little bit of extra length it needed to look like an actual, legitimate Deluxe Merliah doll tail imo, as does the longer hair and the gem on her top! And if you don't think this is a vast improvement from the original Deluxe doll's outfit....well

It was lowkey a little painful to put my stock Merliah back into her mermaid form for this comparison but it had to be done, it's just so ugly!!! This was a really random project resulting from a very spur of the moment purchase of a 5$ doll, but I really love these dolls and this line, and it felt good to fulfill the wishes of 15-year old me-and all of the other collectors on Flickr bitd who were absolutely livid about Merliah's original tail being so incredibly bad lol I've been having a lot of fun with these "what if" projects I've been doing recently, it's only further proven to me that I am a much happier collector when I actually take my own time working on whatever interests me in that moment and put everything I have into fully realizing my vision to the smallest detail (even if it's for something as niche as this, and even if it costs more money than it should) instead of putting so much emphasis on dealing with the hell that is trying to keep up with and purchase every new doll, even at the expensive of my financial and mental health and even if it personally does absolutely nothing to enrich my collection or my creativity to be constantly worried about missing out on whatever new RH doll is out lol

[kayleigh-83]

Downloads Folder Organization

I'd been meaning to write something up about this for a loong time, I have been asked about it before, but also just find it interesting.

Once upon a time (aka less than two years ago) I'd spent most of my Sims 2 career with an entirely unorganized downloads folder. As in, everything was just thrown willy nilly into the folder and that was it.

I finally decided I was going to completely rebuild my downloads folder, and I spent almost a month working on it. A big part of it was setting up proper folders in a way that made sense for me.

My biggest priorities for downloads folder organization were knowing what I have in my downloads already, in order to be able to easily remove things I no longer wanted, and to track custom vs. default replacement things easily.

First off, the Build & Buy section. In here I sort by creator. I do also have a Misc folder for creators who I only have a few items from. Once I have more than 50 files or so, they get their own folder. Beddings, custom foods and OMSP's go into their own (maybe foods should be in mods???).

Clothing has subfolders for each mesh, with the creator's name first, then the specific item that it is.

I always keep a preview image in the clothing folders - this may take up a bit of space, but it's still essential for me so I can know what's what and easily prune, including when I can remove a custom item because I've downloaded a default version of it.

Inside the hair folder I subdivide by male and female.

Within each, I prefix each file and a corresponding preview image with a number. So all the files starting with "1_" belong to each other. Again, this is so I can easily add and remove things and see what I have in my game. If I want to remove a certain hair, I know I'm getting all the files associated, and I don't need a subfolder for every single hair. So I can easily scroll through the images to see what I have.

My defaults are divided like so - the default root folder has things like replacements for dishes, books from the bookshelf, food etc (non buyable or wearable things).

All my default folders for clothing and hair follow the same system as my custom hairs do - they're numbered, with a corresponding photo. I can't say enough about how much easier this makes it to swap out defaults when you find something you prefer, or when you can replace a custom item with a default one. So much easier!!

Mods have some subfolders for larger mod setups (like ACR or Turn On/Off replacements) or for ones that fit under a certain umbrella (things relating to hobbies and skilling, or relating to kids and toddlers specifically) and the rest just hang out in the general mods folder, uncategorized.

Looking again at my root downloads folder, you can see I also have some other categories I didn't go into, but they're fairly self explanatory overall! Posing contains all my poseboxes and back drops. Sims is for any Sims I download from other creators. My Traits Mods have their own entire folder here, since there were so many subfolders in it to keep it straight, I didn't want to bury it another level inside the mods folder.

Hope this helps someone who might be looking for inspiration or ideas to organize their own folders!

[strandnreyes]

more from the post-war fic

“I need a job,” TK declares as he greets Carlos in the kitchen. 

The other man is already dressed in his overalls for work and TK immediately wants to get him out of them, but he refrains, focusing on the thoughts that have been rattling around his mind for a while now. 

If he’s going to stay here, he wants to contribute, and even then he needs an income for expenses beyond groceries and bills. TK is still living off of the few items he brought from New York and eventually he’s going to want more clothes and a new toothbrush. He wants to feel like he’s physically building a life here, putting down roots.  

Carlos sets his cup of coffee down, swallowing his sip before laughing slightly in amusement at TK’s entrance. 

“Good morning to you, too,” he smiles.

TK’s shoulders slump, a sheepish smile creeping onto his face as he crosses the distance and kisses Carlos. “Good morning,” he greets, cupping Carlos’ face and looking him in the eye before repeating, “I need a job.”

TK lets Carlos go when reaches for a mug, giving him time to think over potential options as he pours another cup of coffee. He slides it on the counter to TK before moving to the fridge to get the milk. 

“You used to do work for magazines, right?” Carlos asks. 

“I did,” TK confirms, cradling the mug in his hands as Carlos adds just the right amount of milk. “No offense to Texas, but there was a bit more of a market for that in New York.”

“Fair,” Carlos laughs, “but what about working for a newspaper instead?”

TK considers the suggestion, finding he isn’t all that opposed to it. There likely would be something different to capture every day, keeping him from getting restless, and it would help him explore the new city he now calls home. He might even get perks, he thinks, smiling at the thought of possibly taking Carlos to a baseball game instead of watching him read the stats the next morning.

“That’s not a bad idea,” he smiles and then clears his throat, a little more solemnly adding, “I was at Austin American-Statesman last week actually.”

Carlos’ brow furrows. “For what?”

TK taps the counter and then looks up at Carlos with a sad smile. “Looking for your obituary.”

“What?” Carlos asks, his face contorting into a distressed frown 

TK takes a breath and then whispers, “I had to be sure.” He swallows hard. “After I found out about the fire I— I had to be sure that you...”

Carlos abandons his coffee and then carefully plucks TK’s from his hands too before pulling him into a tight hug. “Baby,” he exhales. “I’m sorry you had to do that. Even if you didn’t find anything, the thought alone is awful.”

TK hums, pressing his nose harder into Carlos’ neck, right over his pulse. “Not my favorite day.”

Carlos kisses his temple and then holds him for a second longer before slowly letting him go. He doesn’t let him get far though, smiling softly and steering the conversation back to the present. “Do you have any of your work with you?”

TK nods. “I have a few of my shots from before the war. Some photos from out west and then a couple that were published in Time.”

“Time?” Carlos asks, clearly impressed.

“Mh hm,” TK shrugs, but it’s hard not to smile when Carlos is looking at him in admiration. 

“You could take a few with you,” he suggests. 

“Like a portfolio,” TK says and Carlos nods. 

“The Austin newspaper is no Time magazine, they’d be stupid to pass up a talent like yours,” he says easily and TK bites his lip, a smile breaking free a second later.

“Okay,” TK decides. “I think I should.” 

“I think so, too.” Carlos smiles back and then tilts his head in consideration. “Actually… I have something you could borrow. Stay right here,” he says, planting a kiss on TK’s cheek before ducking out of the room. 

When he returns, it’s with a brown, leather briefcase in his hands. He sets in on the counter in front of TK. “I got it for my interview with Paul,” he explains, laughing slightly. “I was completely overdressed.”

TK smiles at the endearing thought and then looks away from Carlos, picking up the briefcase and testing the feel of the leather strap in his hand. “Thank you,” he says earnestly.

“Of course,” Carlos responds effortlessly. He waits while TK undoes the latch, peering inside at the different pockets, and when the briefcase is shut again, he says, “You’ve been holding out on me. Show me these photos that landed you in one of the most famous magazines.”

[museum-spaces]

1500 follower 'special'

Hello Nerds,

Like I said a few days ago, we have broken 1500 followers on here. Which is baffling. However, it did make me want to reach back into my roots from 2019 when I made this blog; accessible museum reviews.

This is still a major challenge in my life because... I run the only museum in town and it would NOT pass any of my criteria for access - working on it but multi-year project to just get ramps in.

On the 17th, though, I had a work lunch in Vancouver. Ianto and I were engaged with the do or a training session until a little after 3pm, then we had our own time until about 5pm when our friend and ride picked us up. So I decided to do some googling on duckduckgo to find an exhibition that we could attend in the area. Unfortunately before I did that googling I saw a sign advertising 'National Geographic's Beyond King Tut' at the Canada Place convention centre which was practically across the street from where we left our trainer. So we went there.

Firstly, I assumed there would be some artifacts and/or replicas on display. There was not. This is the way it was set up; 1. walk into a 'theatre' with a short intro video, then a door opens up and you enter a corridor that takes you through 3 'stories'. 1; finding the tomb, 2. the life of Tut, and 3; Tut today. Then you get to the pop up gift shop and then you're done.

Going just of the name of the thing 'beyond tut' I was excited to learn new things about the Boy King. So Ianto and I went into the theatre and watched the intro thing. Already the soundscaping sucked balls. Everything was too loud. I put my NCHs on without playing any media. First red flag; the video introducing King Tut and his tomb showed many many shots of the Pyramids. For those of you who aren't aware King Tut was entombed at the Valley of the Kings just outside of Luxor, or ancient Thebes. The Giza plateau is a whopping 634 KM away or 7 and a half hours by car. So... not looking great on the accuracy of information or the deepness of exploration. But... moving on.

Inside the corridor I was greeted with digital screens and even more bad soundscaping. I honestly couldn't understand a word of the audio and only remember it as a 'noise' I don't know if it was music or words or sound effects to go along with the information in each corridor. The corridors were also incredibly dark. The only source of light were the screens and the floor/walls were black. If not for Ianto I would have lost my balance.

Story 1; your very basic rundown of events; carter running out of money, practically stumbling across Tut, finding a new financial backer and that's about it. That was spread across 3 or 4 screens and in between them were screens displaying historic photos, and modern images of Tut's gravegoods. But they weren't static photos. Instead they were covered in digital rocks that would crumble away to reveal a hidden treasure. Which is a neat idea... but these ones had Noise of Crumbling amidst the rest of the Noise and were on a very short loop.

The only new information I left that story with is that Tutankamun was the first example of modern egyptological finds that remained in Egypt's control. Up until that point all found items left the control of the Egyptian government. These days Egypt has very tight control on their national past - visitors and archaeologists can't even share unauthorized photos from digs.

Story 2; the life and death of Tut. By this point I knew I already knew all the stuff already so I focused on blocking out the Noise and training Ianto with the steps our trainer gave us less than an hour before. There was one 'cool' space - they marked out on the floor the size of each of Tut's sarcophagi and on the 4 walls they projected the story of his journey into the afterlife. However, the soundscape of that room was so bad that Ianto asked to leave. After that I remember walking through hanging 'bandages' with depictions of a few of the amulets found wrapped in with Tut.

Story 3; I have no idea what this story was about. I retained nothing. Except right at the end before the shop there was a huge room with a river boat replica in the middle, a bunch of benches, and all the walls - and the sail of the boat - were projected storytelling with lots of beautiful areal shots of Luxor and the surrounding area. When we walked in all the benches were full but noone was interacting with the Obviously a Replica Boat. So Ianto and I walked over and sat on it. immediately everyone else who was standing sat on the boat too. I thought 'they need a sign for this thing' because the sale being a literal projector screen wasn't enough for the others to figure it out. Ianto and I watched the photos for a bit. The Noise was still there. And eventually the swooping nature of the video was too much for my brain. We went to the shop.

The Shop; typical. There were 2 things I thought of getting; a button up tee covered in hieroglyphs and a bracelet with a cartouche that said 'love' on it. In the end I got neither because I paid for a ticket to enter, the shirt was a poly blend and cost 80CAD, and the bracelet was poor quality and cost 25CAD. I would have bought an insulated cup as mine recently broke but the seal on them wasn't what I wanted.

We left after that, caught the seabus across the water and met up with our friend for dinner before driving home.

So; getting there; pretty easy. lots of parking and at least 2 proper terminals for city transit within 2 blocks of the place. Navigating in Canada Place is very simple.

Price; as expected. I paid just under 40CAD with tax which is what I expected for a Canadian show. BUT it is not financially accessible.

Mobility; it was 100 per cent level from start to finish. The only seating available was at the theatre start and the boat finish. If you can navigate steadily for the time in between which is self paced... you're good. I didn't have a measuring tape so the angles might not be right for people of shorter stature or who use chairs to get around but the font was large enough to read at a distance. In the shop I was pretty zonked but I noticed a few items such as clothing and bags set on hooks too high up, but I think the rest of the shop was okay. I am concerned about the light distribution throughout the corridors. Someone with low vision, depth perception issues, or migraine disorders might struggle there.

Auditory; I wore my very expensive noise cancelling headphones over top of my Flare Audio Calmer-tm- ear plugs and it was still too much for me. I am relatively able to just deal with noise for the most part so I would not recommend this to anyone who struggles with street noises or movie theatres. It is also very hard on auditory processing. Mine is generally pretty good except when tired or stressed. But like I said above; this was just Noise as far as I could tell.

scent; fine. there was packed incense in the store but other than People Smell there was nothing in the corridors.

Washrooms; located outside the actual display area in the halls of the convention centre. there are many gendered washrooms - 3+ stalls per room with multiple rooms - but only a single gender neutral accessible washroom for each set of gendered ones. Ianto and I tried to use one of those because... dog... but it was occupied and I needed to pee so we went into the ladies. The stalls were very very small. We made it work because Ianto is 50lb and I didn't have a bag or bulky coat but... it was very tight.

That said, there are a lot of washrooms and we might have been able to walk for 2 minutes to an empty accessible stall.

I give this display a 2/10 for interesting museum experience... but for access;

It was not truly accessible for me, so for autism and related 3/10 - the shop was nice if expensive but for overall accessibility 5/10 because it is quite mobility friendly and they didn't make a fuss at all about my service dog.

[venice0the0menace]

Story time (this might become a series)

Long post alert! Sorry!

I have this little chicken named Mousey. She is mostly blind (yes she's names after the 3 blind mice) due to an attack a few months ago from our turkey (he's a dumb dick).

She decided today she wanted to go for a walk when we let all of our birds out of their pen for some roam time. She and her lack of eyesight and her sweet dumb little brain wandered straight for the road, stopping only to explore the garden for a second.

Every time I turned her around she just went right back for the road, I babysat her for an hour, carrying her to the back of my 1 acre property and following her to the front and doing that a few times.

She also kept running into things and then just pecking them so i learned that if i tapped stuff she was walking towards she would hear the sound and stop. Shout out to my physics teacher/class for voting that we should learn about sound these past few weeks instead of other stuff.

She then proceeded to wander into the woods between our house and our neighbor and scratch around in some leaves. Keep in mind she can only eat from the grain bin because she pecks about 1-2 inches off the ground. She still pecks though, she just doesn't get anything and looks confused afterwards.

She then got stuck in a pile of branches. She got herself out and then wandered towards the very back of our property. She walks fast and was very determined. Its now been 40 minutes and my parents are out there with me watching this little hen march around the driveway.

She wanders around the lawn mower and crawls her way over it and sets off for behind our shop. She's not allowed there so i have to chase her down this narrow gap between a trailer and a fence. Its an empty flatbed though so idk why I didn't just walk on it. anyway i get her headed back and she decides she wants to jump up on the trailer. She can't jump. She crouches down and I'm just standing there, rooting for her. She sticks one foot out as far as she can and....

She falls down a little rut under the trailer. I catch her and I'm like "ok that's enough for today" so my mom gets her and puts her over by her feed box and she just munches away.

She later decided that she wanted to venture under our shed so that was another "nope your getting put back home" and now she's chillin.

I'll post a photo of her tomorrow :)

[slowlystupendousdelusion]

So recently on a bit of a whim I went to see Player Kings

So I'd got a ticket for the cheap seats with restricted view up in the sky. But excitingly, I got upgraded to the stalls on the day of!

First things first, this play was long. Like check the run time on this before you go because I did not. "It's abridged, it will be fine!" ... I was in the theatre for almost 4 hours. Luckily I had been to pee before I went in because that would have been a horrific wait for the interval. Prepare your mind and bladder is all I'm saying.

[Side note about the toilets: the women's toilets are off the main foyer, are really narrow and there are only about 6 of them? Insanity. There will be a queue.]

I haven't watched Ted Lasso at all so this was the first thing I've seen Toheeb Jimoh in and he was great. I imagine it must be intimidating to act Shakespeare with Ian McKellen but he really shone and they had great chemistry. It was sort of nice to root for a more serious character without there being a tragic downfall at the end? Also he starts the play topless if that's your kinda thing.

So I decided to go see this in spite of my dismal knowledge of Shakespeare's histories as I thought this would be a good opportunity to see Ian McKellen do Shakespeare and I was at a bit of a loose end that day. I did look up the synopsis of Henry IV parts one and two beforehand and that was pretty much sufficient to be able to follow the plot successfully. I know it was an abridged version but I was surprised by how little Henry IV shows up in it. (Obviously I haven't seen any other productions to compare it to, so this could be the same in the full plays too for all I know!)

Obv Ian McKellen was great, and he was on stage for the majority of the play. I'm not being funny but I went to the matinee and we only exited the theatre at around 18:20, and the evening performance was due to start at 18:30? I cannot imagine how intense that turn around is - that's like an 8 hour shift of being almost constantly on stage? He's what, 85 odd? I emerged from the theatre essentially staggering and half blind after being in the dark for so long where I had done nothing more taxing than sit down, and they had to go and do it all again? Incredible.

I think Falstaff is generally supposed to be a bit younger, but him being older didn't really bother me any; the body padding took longer to get used to because you are so familiar with McKellen's normal frame. I guess the real challenge for this is that he is so recognisable and has such a recognisable voice (and let's face it, I imagine the vast majority of the audience are there to see him) so at the beginning your brain does waste a bit of time going "omg that's Ian McKellen" before you sink into the play properly.

The promo photos were bizarre in comparison to the actual set design, so I'm not quite sure why they chose to do that. The posters were of the cast in an American Diner/ Greasy Spoon type set up, but this had no connection to the direction/ set design of this production. They were still in the Boar's Head tavern; it hadn't been replaced by a cafe and the red and white colour scheme of the posters bared no resemblance to the actual set. (Which was essentially a fancy brick wall back drop). I did hear people comment that they were expecting something quite different based on the posters as they were leaving.

It was quite cinematic in places and particularly the battle scenes were impressive. (I am easily swayed by fancy pyrotechnics). I liked how the opening and closing scenes mirrored each other with the same staging for both coronations.

The music choices were interesting - they had some really loud sections where it was blasted through the speakers at a volume which made me jump at least once. But most of the music was sung onstage as a solo at certain points. This was quite powerful but did leave me a little confused (are the other characters aware of this guy who just turns up and sings? Or is he just for the audience?)

I thought the first half (which basically covered Henry IV part 1) was more cohesive than the second half, although I guess that could just be personal preference of the two plays. I do feel like I need to look up some film versions now to get a better idea of the choices made in the abridgement and production. My other take away from this (don't @ me) was that my assumption that Shakespeare histories were dry crusty old things that are so boring that they daren't even attempt to teach them in school was probably incorrect and maybe I should try some others.

Basically this was a cool production to see especially with affordable tickets still being available, but definitely be aware of the run time because I was not prepared and that is now my overriding memory of the play. 😅

[gardengobbo]

June 4th 2023

Nature adventures part II

I really should have brought my camera, oe at least my smaller digital camera, with me during this walk. I was really kicking my self for not doing do when I realized the wonky sound we were hearing was a baby deer. So I'm sorry in advance, my stupid phone camera has a horrific digital zoom and the photo is awful. But trust me there's a sweet little deer in this photo lmao.

Prior to the deer spotting though, someone had spotted a turtle off the side of the pre-woodland area. Closer to the main pond. She didn't know what kind of turtle it was, and I'm not an expert on turtlea bit I'd guessed it was a painted turtle. Looking it up, the markings on the edge of the shell seem to match up with that so I guess I know more about turtles than I thought lol. No photo to share of this one though!

Continuing along we'd come across the Red-Osier Dogwood and as I was identifying that, I noticed a little caterpillar munching away.

Well munching and scurrying away from my bothersome phone.

Following the trails we eventually came to a partly fenced off tree. It was huge and marked as a heritage tree. It certainly was impressive looking and honestly quite beautiful. Turns out it's an over 250 year old white oak tree. Which I suppose is probably the reason the general area that these trails are in is called White Oaks. I imagine 200+ years ago there were plenty of white oak tree in the area, only to have been chopped down for city expansion.

Again, I wish I had brought my camera. Next time.

Another nifty sight is the sort of natural steps that form from various tree roots. This isn't the best looking spot of them, but I wasnt willing to go back down the cooler looking set ti photograph it and climb back up. I may be getting out and being more active that I've been for a whe, but I'm still an out-of-shape goblin and doing it once was enough to get me outta breath 😅

Last thing to share from this trip photograph wis is this interesting mutation? or something, on this leaf. Not sure why but a couple of them almost seem to have decided half way through forming that they no longer wanted to be one type of leaf and just changed course.

It's definitely all one leave, just looked really funky!

We also saw a pretty decently sized garter snake, maybe a bit over a foot long? I don't think I've ever actually seen one that large but to be fair I've only ever seen one before that and it was just a baby.

Overall it was a beautiful day, and lovely walk, and just really nice to enjoy the ambient sounds of nature for a while.

I look forward to doing it again. Maybe next time we'll bring along Oy too. He's just not good at meeting people, so I worry that on sort of close quarters like the walking paths he's going to be uncomfortable. We'll see!

On that note, him not doing well meeting people is why I don't take him with me on my solo plant ID'ing walks. If I'm busy flipping through my book and someone bikes or jogs by, he'll get spooked and try to take off after 'em. When we go for walks, it's all about him so I can keep an eye out for his triggers and such. Just in case anyone was wondering. Not that I mention my pets much here!

I'm now gonna head outside and give the garden a once over, so maybe we'll have some more garden pictures for layer too.

Much love!