#tamerlane/beverly

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Show Me Your Teeth Babe - Beverly Keane/Tamerlane Usher

A/N: Day 4 for @sapphic-september

Beverly is quiet when she comes to Tamerlane. They had been friends once, before… before she had willingly turned herself, before the island died, before she was alone. She had sought out the sole Usher survivor carefully, aware Verna had left Tamerlane alone only for her. The woman had died, technically, for several moments. Tamerlane looks at her silently, then, almost shyly, smiles, unbuttoning her shirt and letting it slide off her shoulder, beckoning Beverly closer, her touch soft in the woman’s copper hair when Beverly whimpers slightly, hesitant to let her teeth sink into Tamerlane’s skin. “It’s okay, little bat… go ahead.” Beverly’s bite hurts, teeth bury into her skin, drawing blood sharply even as Tamerlane sighs softly. It hurts, but it feels right. They were always close, friendship turning to so much more when Beverly saves her life, allowing Tamerlane the space to love her, openly and truly.

[evesfallen]

BOT LIST

directory — listed below are some of my bots on character ai!

requests — any requests for bots can be made through my ask! i’ll just need the character name, fandom, and a scenario!

FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

𖤐 tamerlane usher — GOLDBUG

𖤐 tamerlane usher — MOTHER DEAREST

MIDNIGHT MASS

𖤐 beverly ‘bev’ keane — MOURNING LAMB

AMERICAN MARY

𖤐 mary mason — CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

THE SUBSTANCE

𖤐 sue — CAUGHT

HAPPIEST SEASON

𖤐 riley johnson — BUTTERFLIES

[ao3feed-midnightmass]

Show Me Your Teeth Babe

by TheMultitudesOfMe (theonlyoneshetrulyloved) Beverly feeds from Tamerlane. Words: 150, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 4 of Sapphic September 2024 Fandoms: Midnight Mass (TV), The Fall of the House of Usher (TV 2023) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F Characters: Beverly Keane, Tamerlane Usher Relationships: Beverly Keane/Tamerlane Usher Additional Tags: Crossover September 04, 2024 at 03:02PM Read it on Ao3 » https://archiveofourown.org/works/58701814 ✞ Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments to let the author know you enjoyed their work ✞

[flotsam-gazette]

What she didn’t say

December 21, 1985

MICHELLE PHILLIPS REVEALS WHAT SHE LEFT OUT OF BOOK

Marilyn Beck, Special to the News/Sun-SentinelSUN-SENTINEL

'Never in my wildest dreams would I ever consider it."

That is what Michelle Phillips has to say about writing an autobiography.

True, the dusty-rose blonde who sang her way to fame with the Mamas and the Papas in the '60s has California Dreamin' due to be published by Warner Books next May. But the tome is about the famed folk-rock group and that's all. It concludes in 1968.

We won't be reading any heart-stopping revelations, she says - although she does cover such subjects as the group's drug use. "We came in about the time the psychedelics were introduced ...

"I tried to tell a very '60s story with, hopefully, a very '60s backdrop. I tried to tell how it was then: the way people felt and the way they thought and the way they voted; where they lived and who they hung out with and what they wore. I tried to paint a picture," says Phillips, who worked out her story with the aid of writer and ex-Beatles publicist Derek Taylor.

As for the past 16 years, "writing about that is just not something any of the people in my life would want. I don't think it's really important for any reasons to tell stories about boyfriends. It's unfortunate," she says, laughing, "because I have some great stories. But it's bad taste - declasse."

There's no question that Phillips' life after '68 has been chock-full of the kind of drama that makes publishers drool.

Her various romances have made for plenty of tabloid fodder. Married thrice - to 

John Phillips, 

Robert Burch [radio exec], 

Dennis Hopper - for eight days

her celebrated liaisons have included Jack Nicholson as well as the  actor Grainger Hines, the father of her 3-year-old son.

PARTNERS:

Grainger Hines (1981–1984)

Geoffrey Tozer (1987–1996)

Steven Zax (1999–2017; his death)

(wedding to Robert Burch 1978)

1983, Grainger Hines & Michelle

Austin Hines, b 1982, son of Grainger & Michelle (Married to Lois Kessel, Film Crew — 2 kids)

Geoffrey Tozer (Actorb 1951: dated Michelle 1987 to 1996)

Steven Zax, as was.

Steven Zax (1938 - 2017, plastic surgeon, who in his youth was a music producer) — Lived with Michelle Phillips from 1999 until his death in 2017. They never married.  De-facto stepfather of Chynna Phillips, Austin Hines and Aron Wilson.

There have also been traumatic times.

Six years ago, Phillips was trying to obtain legal custody of Tamerlane Phillips, the son of her ex-husband, John, and his (now ex) third wife, Genevieve Waite - and Michelle was accusing them of child-stealing. 

But she refused to say at the time why she was going to such extremes. John Phillips' drug-dependency problems were later made quite public by John himself, after he (and his daughter, Mackenzie) joined a rehabilitation program.

Now, "that's resolved, water under the bridge." Tamerlane, 15, "is at boarding school. He's a great kid.

"And John and I are -" She stops. "Genevieve and I are actually friends. She lives here in Beverly Hills."

A moment later, Phillips adds: "I would like to heal up any bad feelings that might still be harbored between any of us. It's just that it takes a long time to get over things."

John, Mackenzie, Denny Doherty and Spanky McFarlane are still touring clubs as the new Mamas and the Papas.

"Initially, I didn't like it at all," says Phillips of the group. "But then I went to see them in '83 in Las Vegas, and I was very impressed. I got up onstage and sang with them, and it was a very heartwarming experience.

"The music is still good."

(In fact, Phillips reports, "I still make fine royalties from the albums. If you had told me in 1968 that 20 years later I'd be receiving wonderful royalty checks for those three years still, I wouldn't have believed you.")

Phillips is about as far away from '60s psychedelia this day as one could get. Dressed in an elegant soft pink designer slacks ensemble, she sits in the cool, rich atmosphere of Beverly Hills' Trumps restaurant enjoying afternoon tea.

The singer-cum-actress recently returned from Arizona and American Anthem production. Anthem - due for release next Fourth of July - marks the movie debut of Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Mitch Gaylord. Gymnastics competition serves as the vehicle through which is told a story of relationships, according to Phillips. It'll have the look and feel of rock videos, which is no surprise; American Anthem also marks filmmaker Albert Magnoli's follow-up to Prince's Purple Rain.

Phillips plays Gaylord's mother in the movie.

"Mitch is 24 years old," she notes. "But that's all right. I'm 41. If I'd had a child when I was 17, he'd be 24. It works for me."

She laughs. "And I couldn't have a cuter kid.

"You know, I am a proud mother," she adds, referring to her own progeny: 3-year-old Austin Hines and his 17-year-old half-sister, Chynna Phillips. Note: Grainger Hines has three sons Aron Hines, and Austin Hines, and Gray Hines. Aron and Austin's mother is Michelle Phillips.

Aron WILSON: Adopted son of Michelle Phillips & Geoffrey Tozer.

Followers of the saga of Michelle Phillips have become well-acquainted with her daughter by John Phillips over the years - despite Phillips' insistence that Chynna remain out of show business until reaching adulthood. 

Chynna auditioned for the '70s-updated edition of The Mickey Mouse Club before her mother put a stop to it.

Later, Chynna lined herself up with a top agent before Phillips heard of the goings-on. "I want her to have a normal childhood," Phillips said - and she promised Chynna she'd "make it up to her. I'm putting together a project for her to do when she's old enough."

Michelle with her grand-daughter & mini-me, Brooke (Chynna’s daughter)

Phillips grins when asked about casting of the her role should her California Dreamin' book be made into a movie. (Indeed, Phillips' plans to make a movie about the Mamas and the Papas predated writing of the text.)

"Isn't it obvious? Of course, I'd at least like my daughter to read for it. She's done a lot of acting. She's been in workshops since she was 12."

Chynna will be 18 in February. She's making plans to head to Japan to do some modeling.

Chynna’s husband Billy and their 3 kids

Mama Phillips is already gearing up for the next chapters of her life. She's plotting her book tour. Young Austin, she reports, will be staying home with her friend and nanny of 16 years, Rosa Garcia.

She also has rounded up celebrity women friends for a calendar to be published by Warner Books, the proceeds of which will go to charity.

She's building a getaway log house in Idlewild, Calif.

And there is a whirl of other projects, friends, ideas.

"I'm starting to amaze myself," she says, in one unguarded moment. "I'm looking at myself and thinking, 'Auntie Mame. Oh, no.' "

Copyright © 2018,  Sun Sentinel

[djgblogger-blog]

Who will bury Charles Manson?

http://bit.ly/2jfAsP9

A tangle of rules govern what to do when a California inmate dies. AP Photo

Charles Manson, the wild-eyed cult leader who claimed inspiration for an apocalyptic race war from the Beatles’ “White Album,” died in Kern County, California, on Nov. 19 at the age of 83.

Journalist Joan Didion wrote that for many of her friends in Los Angeles, “the 60s ended abruptly on Aug. 9, 1969,” the day of the Tate-LaBianca murders, in which Manson and his “family” killed seven people, including pregnant actor Sharon Tate.

While the cultural impact of Charles Manson’s life and horrific actions will not soon be forgotten, the pressing concern right now is how we’ll choose to acknowledge his death. More specifically, what will happen to his remains?

It’s a question that often comes up when a notorious criminal dies. Osama bin Laden, for example, was buried at sea, reportedly in part so that a grave wouldn’t become a shrine for terrorists.

It turns out, however, that the answer is more complicated that it would appear at first glance, particularly when the death happens in a prison in California. I study funeral and cemetery law and also happen to be a licensed funeral director in California, yet I’m still surprised by the inconsistency in the state’s law governing death.

The body of actress Sharon Tate is taken from her rented house on Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Aug. 9, 1969. Tate, who was eight months pregnant, was among those found murdered by Manson and his followers. AP Photo

When a person dies in California

When a person dies in California – regardless of where he or she lived – the state’s health and safety code determines who has “the right to control the disposition of the remains of a deceased person, the location and conditions of interment and arrangements for funeral goods and services to be provided.”

California law grants that right to the following persons, in order of priority: a person appointed by the decedent, spouse, adult children, parents, adult siblings and other adults in the “next degrees of kinship.”

If a family member steps up, then the expense of the funeral and burial or cremation will be paid for by the decedent’s estate, if he or she left property. If the decedent died without property, then the family member bears the cost or could apply for an indigent assistance program like the one offered in Kern County, where Manson died.

It’s possible that Manson’s body will end up on a hard, cold slab in a medical school. AP Photo/Martha Irvine

Calling all cadavers

When a person dies in the state without any assets, which is almost certainly true of Manson, another law kicks in.

In those case, the state has the right to send them to a medical school, chiropractic school or a mortuary science program to be used for scientific or educational purposes.

The majority of states have statutes similar to this one. When medical schools began using cadavers to teach future doctors in the 1700s, they had difficulty obtaining a sufficient supply of dead bodies from willing donors. As a result, grave robbery became a significant problem in both the United States and Europe. Medical students were often tasked with obtaining cadavers on their own and would dig up fresh graves.

In response, the states began creating statutes in the mid-1800s that gave bodies that would otherwise be buried at public expense to medical schools. The idea was that supplying cadavers legally would destroy the incentive to commit grave robbery. That turned out to be correct, but as a result most states still have laws like the one in California, which can come as a shock.

When inmates like those at Corcoran State Prison die, conflicting laws kick in that govern what happens to their remains. AP Photo/Ben Margot

When inmates die

Manson died in a hospital while in the custody of the California Department of Corrections. A couple of specific laws apply to inmate deaths, and surprisingly those laws contradict each other and the general rules.

A Department of Corrections regulation states that every inmate must annually identify his or her next of kin on a form called “Notification in Case of Inmate Death.”

Assuming that Manson had one or more living family members and identified them on the notification form, then the department must attempt to notify the listed individual(s) in person, if practical, and, if not, by telephone and offer “consolation.” After 10 days, a body is deemed “unclaimed.”

The rule, however, is inconsistent with the law regarding the rights of the next of kin to make decisions about disposition because it suggests that only the kin named on the notification form has rights.

The Department of Corrections has not indicated whether Manson actually completed this form or who his next of kin may be.

According to The New York Times, Manson was married twice. Both marriages ended in divorce. He was believed to have fathered at least two children, but The New York Times describes the subject of his descendants as one “which rumor and urban legend have long coalesced.”

The New York Daily News reported that the only self-identified descendant of Manson is 41-year-old Jason Freeman, the son of Charles Manson Jr., who committed suicide in 1993. Freeman told the newspaper that he was “going to move towards having a proper burial.”

It’s not clear, however, whether Manson, who had never met Freeman in person, listed him on his notification form. They reportedly had some telephone contact.

If Manson’s remains are not claimed by Freeman or another family member, then what will happen to his body? Although California law and the Department of Corrections regulation state that it should be made available for scientific study, a different California statute requires unclaimed inmate remains to be buried or cremated.

Because of all this inconsistency, it’s unclear whether the law intended to give the family members of deceased inmates fewer rights than everyone else.

Anonymous grave or anatomy lab

Manson’s remains were last known to be in the possession of the Kern County coroner, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Even if Freeman was named in Manson’s notification form and claims him in a timely manner, he may still encounter some difficulty in obtaining a typical funeral and burial for his notorious grandfather.

After Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the two brothers believed to have committed the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, was killed by police, his uncle managed to locate a funeral home willing to handle the remains – amid picketing by the families of his victims – but had a very difficult time finding a cemetery willing to bury the remains. Eventually, Tsarnaev’s remains were removed from Massachusetts in the middle of the night and interred in a Muslim cemetery in Virginia.

So what does this all mean for Charles Manson? If Freeman can claim possession of the body, it’ll be up to him to find a funeral home willing to handle the mass murderer’s remains and potentially a graveyard or crematory willing to take them. If no other kin comes to light, an anonymous box of Manson’s remains may find a home at the communal crypt at Union Cemetery in Bakersfield.

Alternatively, it’s very possible that medical students in California may find a familiar-looking cadaver in gross anatomy lab next semester.

Tanya D. Marsh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

The Burning Flames Of Desire - Tamerlane Usher/Beverly Keane

A/N: Day 16, part 4 for @fluffbruary

“Please… please…” The words are whispered, Tamerlane’s body pressed close enough to Beverly’s own that they might as well be one. Beverly, much like herself, is innocent, virginal as ever, but desire, the bright, painful burning need to be held and touched and touch and hold in return lead them here. “Shh, shh.” Beverly’s whisper is tender, her lips against Tamerlane’s own, instinct and raw desire leading her movements. They will not be so innocent again, but the desire to love and be loved is more than enough. Happiness, love, comfort. They both have desired the feelings for years, now, finally, they have it. Together.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Heartsong - Tamerlane Usher/Beverly Keane

A/N: Day 30 aka 10 for @domaystic

Tamerlane Usher has never really felt peace the way she does watching Beverly Keane prepare for her day. She is home, at last, with Beverly and as she watches the woman prepare for work with the church and the families that she supports, she can also hear Beverly singing, the woman’s voice soft and warm, the song a promise of love, no matter what.     Peace comes to her as she sleeps and Tamerlane knows, deep down, that finding Beverly was well worth it. She’s aware also of Beverly watching her as she tries to rest, knowing that Beverly will be home when she’s truly awake and less exhausted. 

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Heaven Have Her In Its Sacred Keep – Beverly Keane/Tamerlane Usher

A/N: Day 10 for @fluffyfebruary , Title from Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Sleeper'

Care. Care is so hard for Tamerlane to take from anyone. She’s still healing from the past, from the world she had grown up in. She’s learning to adapt, slowly, learning that perhaps, just perhaps, she is worthy of love, perhaps she can truly rest. Beverly, her caring beloved, is just as timid in her way. Sure of her faith, sure she deserves love, achingly nervous when it comes to touch. They are both new to this, to love, to being held and treasured and wanted. Cared for. Care, for them, comes naturally between them. Tamerlane slips into bed, rests her head on the softest pillow she’s felt in years, her eyes closing even as Beverly settles beside her, silent, unsure, nervous and caringly warm. Soft lips brush a soft cheek and she sighs, relaxing as Beverly’s arm inches around her waist, slow and shy and nervous. Care comes easily, but slowly. Tamerlane’s own arm curls around Beverly, fingers tangling sweetly into soft hair, loose only for her, freed from it’s usual plait. Home, Tamerlane thinks, never felt so good. Home, Beverly thinks, is heavenly. The peace they come home to now sooths both hearts, the care promised and provided and given is free, easy and tender. Sleep comes, at last, peaceful as ever.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

The lady sleeps! Oh, may her sleep,//Which is enduring, so be deep! – Tamerlane Usher/Beverly Keane, Verna

A/N: Day 13 for @febuwhump

“You weren’t supposed to get hurt…” Verna’s voice is soft, her arms gentle around the trembling girl. Tamerlane is sobbing, almost folded into herself. She’s been listless all day, the near-miss of shattered screens and mirrors enough that Tamerlane crumbles, scared witless. She’s not yet ready, Verna thinks, not yet. “I should have died…” The words are a whisper, broken, trembling and yet sure. Tamerlane’s eyes close and Verna steps away as she senses the girl’s approach. Beverly Keane had answered her whispered plea, seeking out the Usher family when Leo died. Now, it seemed, Beverly was ready. “Tamerlane?” Soft words are rewarded with a gasp, a shudder and Beverly steps quickly closer when Tamerlane’s legs give way, catching her when she collapses, running a soft hand through silky hair, her sigh soft. “Oh, my poor Angel…” “Hold me… please.” Verna smiles, slipping away even as she watches Beverly kiss Tamerlane’s hairline, stroking her hair again as she promises to stay. Tamerlane will be okay, Beverly will take the girl home, bury the truth. Tamerlane sleeps that night in Beverly’s hotel, wrapped tight in Beverly’s arms. Verna slips in just once, pressing a soft kiss to two pairs of soft lips, smoothing the girl’s fears one last time, leaving her to sleep even as she makes it seem as though the girl is dead. Tamerlane had, finally, turned her back on her father, choosing life and love at last. She is safe, no more an Usher, now a Keane in her heart. The bloodline will end, giving Tamerlane her grace would be a risk, but one taken with great care.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Thy soul shall find itself alone//‘Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone – Tamerlane Usher/Beverly Keane

A/N: Day 12 of @fluffyfebruary

Discipline. Nothing but discipline held her together, even when she felt like she might fall apart. Tamerlane Usher, now Tamerlane Keane in the eyes of god, was alone but for the life she had built with her wife. Beverly Keane. Beverly had been a salve for a breaking heart, a warm place to curl up and finally, finally rest. Now though, as she found Beverly scrubbing her arm, skin raw as ever, she knew. She was not the only one discipline had hurt. It’s easy to take the rag, rough as ever, from Beverly, to wash away the blood breaking the surface of her skin, smoothing soft cream over the wounded skin, soothing it before wrapping it and pressing a soft kiss to the bandage over the skin, her voice gently soft. “Discipline shouldn’t hurt us. Love… love shouldn’t hurt. Not his, not gods… not the love our parents withheld. None of it should hurt.” Tears, Beverly thinks. She hasn’t shed them in years, her eyes close even as she leans into Tamerlane’s arms, their lips meeting in the softest of kisses. Discipline, at last, falls away into love, into passion. Tamerlane takes her, a month later, to see the graves. Five lined side by side, then three. Her parent, her aunt, her family. She’s silent as she looks at them, arm in arm with Beverly… then she speaks. “Fuck your fucking discipline, Daddy. I’m happy.”

[baubeautyandthegeek]

But when within thy wave she looks-//Which glistens then, and trembles-//Why, then, the prettiest of brooks//Her worshipper resembles; - Beverly Keane/Tamerlane Usher

A/N: Day 11 part 3 for @fluffbruary

“I haven’t ever… really liked water.” The admittance is slow, shy, tentative and Beverly smiles, taking Tamerlane’s hand and leading her into the water, holding her hand as gently and supportively as she can. Soft lips brush her knuckles, a move Tamerlane uses often, a sweet gesture that is theirs alone. “How about now?” Beverly asks softly. She is still wearing her usual uniform of a simple dress and a sweater, choosing lightness that she won’t use for time at church. Tamerlane’s smile is quick, warm, tender. “Now… my love… I love the water, it lets me see your kindness true.” Tamerlane’s voice dips as she steps closer. “Now, the water washes away all fears, with you by my side.”

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Once Bitten - Tamerlane Usher/Beverly Keane, Verna

A/N: Day 16 for @febuwhump

Sharp teeth sink into her neck and Tamerlane almost, almost moans at the sensation. She’s near death, cut to ribbons and bones broken by her fall into the mountains of glass and mirror. Beverly, her beloved Bev, the woman a true believer in God and Angels, has saved her. Still, when she wakes she is changed, sharper, angrier, more at peace but more than content to bite and feed and choose her chances. Verna comes back, seeking to finish the job, Tamerlane pounces, pulls her close, sharp teeth tearing a chunk of flesh at Verna’s neck, the wet sounds of bites and sucking making Beverly aware what is happening. She’s silent, watching Tamerlane feeding. Later, as she cleans Tamerlane’s face of blood, she watches Verna with careful eyes. Tamerlane may have ‘come back wrong’ for her family, but Beverly can’t help appreciating the sharpness of Tamerlane’s wit and will. She knows, finally, what she wants. She sleeps well, comfortable and happy. Verna’s eyes snap open, her body rigid when she sits up, a near wail of frustration breaking from her even as Tamerlane moves closer, running a hand into tangled hair. “Don’t like it so much when the prey bites back, do you, little Raven?” Later, just before dawn, Verna settles with them both, folded into herself, her eyes closing slowly when Beverly and Tamerlane settle against her, keeping her close, safe, held. It’s wrong, so wrong, but it feels right.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Defensive Qualities - Beverly Keane/Tamerlane Usher

A/N: Day 10 for @febuwhump

Beverly Keane had always believed God Provides. It’s her biggest belief, but when she’s here, pinned, in danger in ways she has yet to truly understand, her eyes close. She’s gripping the knife she had been about to use to make dinner for her congregation… but the man is too close, too strong. Blood splatters across her face, warm, sticky, wet. She’s still reluctant to open her eyes. Then she hears it, the soft click, click, click of heels, a damp cloth cleans her face even as the woman sets down the knife. Beverly can smell her, roses, roses and lavender and camomile. Safety, warmth, care, tenderness. All the things the last survivor of the Usher family needs. She has yet to understand how she was returned to simple humanity when the Angel burnt, but as Tamerlane’s touch finds her cheek, she finds her eyes open at last, taking in copper hair, pale skin, gentle dark brown eyes. Tamerlane’s frown lifts and she breaths out the softest of sighs. “Are you alright?” “I am… are you?” Beverly’s question brings a smile, a shrug. “If I hadn’t… stopped him. If he’d had his fun… he’d have come for me next… it was… it was self-defence… I… I’m not… I’m not damn…” Before she can finish the word, finish her stammering sentence, Beverly cups her face in both hands and kisses her silent, her words soft when she finally speaks. “You did right… Tamerlane. You saved me… you saved… us.”

[baubeautyandthegeek]

The Key To Happiness – Shasta/Georgina Stanton, Beverly Keane/Erin Greene, Tamerlane Usher/Candy (Verna), Shirley Crain/Leigh Crain, Sarah/Maggie.

A/N: Part 4/4 for @fluffbruary day 22. Last gif made for me by @whoreofthecottage

Keys, the key to a home can mean many things to many people. For many it means hope. The twist of Sarah’s key in the door lights a lamp in Maggie’s view, the woman is quiet even now, setting her book down and letting the door closed before flipping the lock closed, checking everything is safely locked down before moving to settle beside Maggie and welcome the woman into her lap, the two content to sit in silence, comfortable in one another’s arms. Shirley Crain’s key unlocking the door means Leigh will be treated to tales of sweet kids and sad people who need help. All things that Leigh loves to listen to, she’s content here, loved and happy to look after the children whilst Shirley works. The offer of a key for Shasta means everything. She is welcomed, finally, home. Home to Georgina Stanton, home to love and care and a chance to really, truly live. She is quiet the first time she uses it, slipping into the hospice, then the elevator, making her way up alone to Stanton’s rooms, letting herself in and locking the door behind her, curling into Stanton’s lap when the woman beckons her, content to sit, sharing a small roll of weed, the two settling into one another’s orbit like it’s natural. Erin’s key, gifted in a moment of fear by Beverly Keane, rarely touches the door. This time, when the storms are due, she lets herself in, the key clicking in the lock even as she locks it shut, moving closer and pulling a trembling Beverly into her arms, kissing her silent, promising she’s safe. Tamerlane’s fingers close around the key as she paces, waiting for Candy, her Candy, the woman she loves most, to come home. People have always thought Candy was still just a hooker, but that hasn’t been true since Bill left. She never pays anymore and spends most nights sleeping in Candy’s arms. Candy is quiet when she lets herself in, locking them in and smiling softly when she turns to see Tamerlane still twisting the key in her hands, then Tamerlane’s hands move, unfurling to reveal the key, her voice soft, hopeful. “I’d like you to stay…” Candy’s smile, quick, bright, warm is reward enough even as the woman’s lips cover her own. “I’ll stay Darling, as long as you want me.”

[baubeautyandthegeek]

The World Moves In Mysterious Ways – Beverly Keane/Shasta/Tamerlane Usher

A/N: Day 15 part 3 for @fluffbruary

They meet by chance. Beverly Keane, servant of a church and monsignor that didn’t care for her kind is the first to arrive, she’s always wanted to try the bakery on the mainland and now, free of church and home, she plans to. Shasta is next, drawn by the offering of tea and pastries. Simple, pure pleasure. Tamerlane Usher comes last, walking to the bakery near her holiday home, needing space to think, coffee to drink and pastries to keep her warm. They meet by chance, but Beverly sees the flicker of pain in Tamerlane’s eyes, the blood dripping from a cut cheek had dried but she seems haunted by something. Shasta senses when Tamerlane’s eyes close, moving to catch her and lift the woman to her arms to bring her to a seat. Later, much later, Tamerlane wakes to fresh coffee, herbal teas and pastries from the bakery. She had been brought home with Shasta, Beverly joining them, sensing a call to protect the fragile woman. There, they talk. Tamerlane admits her faults, her inability to sleep, to be cared for, to trust herself. There, they talk. Shasta speaks softly, whispering care to Tamerlane that she can and does accept. There they talk. Beverly admits her past, her pains, her hopes. There, they talk and as they talk, they love, they love so true they bond and bind and share lives. There they talk and as they talk they find their future, in one another.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

Honeyed Words - Shasta/Beverly Keane/Tamerlane Usher

A/N: Day 15, part 2 for @fluffbruary

“Honey…” Shasta’s voice is soft, gently warm and loving. Her touch is light, stroking a soft hand through Tamerlane’s lightly tangled hair, smoothing it one more time. She can see the tears stinging Tamerlane’s eyes. “Poor, sweet girl.” “Still sleepless, little Dove?” Beverly speaks softly, moving to join her lovers, cupping Tamerlane’s heart-shaped face in tender hands, brushing away the tracking tears from Tamerlane’s cheeks. She can see the pain there in Tamerlane’s eyes. “Oh, Honey… what are we to do with you?” The words are softly affectionate and Shasta smiles at the way Tamerlane shrugs, then sips the tea Beverly had handed her on coming into the room. Honey, softly sweet, then camomile and lavender, mint too. She’s quiet, of course, sleeplessness has been painful and Beverly smiles softly when Tamerlane drains the drink, accepting the cup back. “Sleep, little Dove, we have you now, it’s alright.” Tamerlane sleeps, slowly, Beverly pressed to her back, soft lips touching her shoulder, Shasta allowing her to curl close, soft lips touching her forehead. She’s fast asleep, safe at last, loved. It is enough.