#tom jenkins romance

[wornoutspines]

One True Loves | Trailer

#OneTrueLoves was already on my radar but this trailer #DaisyJonesAndTheSix makes me think I should gives #TaylorJenkinsReid's books a try she has rannnnnnge

Writer: Taylor Jenkins Reid, Alex J. Reid Director: Andy Fickman Stars: Phillipa Soo, Luke Bracey, Simu Liu, Oceana Matsumoto, Michaela Conlin, Tom Everett Scott If you’re interested in the source material, help us by getting them from the links below:

[best-overplayed-song]

fun facts

MCR's album The Black Parade tells the story of a man who is dying, and his journey through death and beyond. About "Welcome to The Black Parade", Gerard Way said: "I’d like to think that when you die death comes for you however you want, and I feel that it’s your strongest memory—either from childhood or adulthood... For this particular character called ‘The Patient,’ his strongest memory is of being a child and his father is taking him to this parade. So when death comes to him, it comes in the form of a Black Parade"

Tom DeLonge wrote "All The Small Things" about his then-girlfriend and eventual wife, Jenna Jenkins. His anecdotes-- like the one about her leaving flowers on the stairs-- actually happened. band member Mark Hoppus said: "Tom is totally, 100 percent faithful to his girlfriend. He’s pretty straightforward: He hangs out with his girlfriend, and he believes in aliens"

[brokehorrorfan]

Crimson Peak will be released on 4K Ultra HD on May 21 via Arrow Video. Guy Davis, the film’s concept artist, designed the packaging for the 2015 Gothic horror/romance.

Master of horror Guillermo del Toro directs from a script he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Matthew Robbins (Mimic, Pinocchio). Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver star.

The limited edition set comes with a double-sided fold-out poster, four double-sided postcards, and an 80-page book featuring writings by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an interview with Guillermo del Toro, and conceptual illustrations by Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni, all housed in a slipcase.

Crimson Peak is presented in 4K with Dolby Vision, approved by del Toro, and original DTS:X Master Audio sound. Special features are listed below, where you can also see the full packaging.

Special features:

Audio commentary by director/co-writer Guillermo Del Toro

The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak - Feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage

Spanish-language interview with Guillermo Del Toro

The Gothic Corridor; The Scullery; The Red Clay Mines; The Limbo Fog Set - Four featurettes on Allerdale Hall

A Primer on Gothic Romance featurette

The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak featurette

Hand Tailored Gothic featurette

A Living Thing featurette

Crimson Phantoms featurette

Beware of Crimson Peak - Walking tour of Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston

Interview with film historian Kim Newman

Violence and Beauty in Guillermo Del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films - Video essay by the film historian Kat Ellinger

Deleted scenes

Original trailers and TV spots

Also included:

Double-sided foldout poster

Four double-sided postcards

80-page, hard-bound book with writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an interview with Guillermo del Toro, and conceptual illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni

Beginning in Buffalo, New York, during the 1880s, Crimson Peak follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer who is haunted by the death of her mother. Edith’s falls in love with seductive stranger Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who whisks her off to Allerdale Hall, his baronial, yet dilapidated English mansion built upon a mountain of blood-red clay. Here Edith meets Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Thomas’s sister who at times seems hostile and jealous. As Edith struggles to feel at home in the imposing residence, she gradually uncovers a horrendous family secret and encounters supernatural forces that will help her discover the terrible truth behind Crimson Peak.

Pre-order Crimson Peak.

[sleepynegress]

So, I'm Watching Dollar Tree The Gilded Age: The Buccaneers (I apologize that this is a long one folks because of ADHD Romantic Period Drama w/ ~Color~ tangents)...

Okay... So, I have to preface this by admitting that Bridgerton never has been my great big thing. It's a cake sculpted from cotton candy.

Pretty and sweet, but not much substance. And very much leaning on the "fantasy" so everyone can enjoy the costume romance fun (but it does please me to see my marginalized players, playing well...). -Using an author's works as a base, who not only started with an all-white palette but was flippant and insulting in response to the idea of inclusion... And yet...

I'm just saying, it is something that the woman who walked away from ABC because an exec didn't respect her enough to get a Disney pass for her family, went on to make that lucrative author's uplift deal with, instead of say, Beverly Jenkins. I love underdog romances that aren't the typical het white bread. Give me the canon gays (I never got slash...but I love when it's canon, especially with color), the big girls, the dark brown skin girls, the Black couples, and the interracials, especially when both are BIPOC and there's no lag in charm/looks in the lighter half in some expertly lit, dressed, confection that makes everyone look as gorgeous as they actually are and there's all kinds of soft plotting and chemistry. Bridgerton for all its lazy ways of handling color, gave that. Everybody is hot. And the people that studios have typically just pretended either weren't "invented" yet or were all living horrible tortured lives of enslavement got to get the sweet costumed wooing, will-they-won't-they, ~romance~ treatment. But... being an obscure Black history nerd... I'm neurodivergent, so I have some deep-dive GEMS that I'll mention here that I NEED TO SEE DONE WELL, before I die. FYI I called Dido Elizabeth Belle a good 8 years before that was actually made. It is frustrating to see some of the ACTUAL interesting capacities in which some actual existing Black folks in history who did live interesting, not tragic lives, not given the big glossy budget, well-written renderings they deserve... In lieu of what has now, firmly taken hold as a trend, colorblind casting in known white works. See recent adaptations of David Copperfield, Persuasion, Tom Jones, & Great Expectations,

and now, this The Buccaneers (which like I said, is Dollar Tree, and *worse* the colorblind cast sister Conchita is using her regular-eggular Cali accent and...is not a compelling actress & her man is a jar of mayo) and baby...them costumes are Reign-levels of anachronistic/bad. It's the lazy jump onto the trend Shonda exploded, and Mr. Malcolm's List started (yeah, that short film was put on YouTube a full year before Bridgerton debuted). So, my point... Instead of *just* doing colorblind casting in old classic white period works... I need to see these ACTUAL GREAT stories of and/or written by or about the colorful people who lived in those societies. And this is where it could get long... but I'll do my best to keep it short... EXAMPLES that were gotten right and those *I need to see adapted*: ____

Interview With The Vampire is inclusive color-AWARE casting... The showrunner went beyond and actually rewrote the narrative to make sure the inclusion wasn't lazily done, but actually improved the depth of the source IMO. And I believe the showrunner is a queer white man. It just takes empathy and effort.

Passing... is a moody slow-burn horror based upon an actual work written by a Black woman in that period, and adapted by a white-passing WOC who not only lived the theme, but rendered it expertly.

Belle is often pointed to as a good example, but my nerd-ass knows Gugu's beyond AMAZING handling of the material elevated it.

Too much was changed from the reality of her life (IMO), still...Most period dramas are about as "true" and yall know I was not a fan of Sam Reid's over-dramatic ass in this... (yelling in that damn carriage for what?!) but he is PERFECT in IWTV. Sanditon being made, despite the typical side-character Black character issues...really was a reset because Miss Austen had already envisioned, in her day and above her class(!) a Black heiress as a character getting the Austen treatment, w/o any modifications the salty and ignorant would prefer to think is beyond "true history". ----- I have a little hopeful part in my brain that wishes it had the power to will capable adaptions of the lives of Carlotta Stewart Lai - middle-class educated Black woman who became a teacher & lived an "Anne of Green Gables" type of Edwardian life (more interesting really) surfing, having "bathing parties," and teaching Hawaiians with her Black family, Portuguese, Hawaiian and Chinese friends on the big island... Her life was w/o the stereotypes people assume all Black Americans lived in Victorian/Edwardian "America".

Gustav Badin, a Black man who was "Chessmaster" of the Swedish Royal Court in the 1700's...was in charge of the Royal family's secrets after the Queen's passing, really gives me intelligent queer Black man energy in his portrait and lived out a non-tragic life in a VERY white space many don't know we occupied.

And The Hunters... Who already have a short film and I've posted about it here... but I would LOVE to see an actual rendering of their lives in the Klondike, with their gold and silver prospects and son grandson Buster and daughter Teslin in Edwardian Canada.

(that is Teslin at the highest point in the photo, named after the lake she was born at)

(and the Hunters' grandson Buster ice-fishing)

All this to say... Now, that I've thoroughly veered away from my review of a middling show... I WISH THESE DAMN SHOWRUNNERS used a little effort in research and imagination and gave us more "true to life" renderings of Black life (and life of color, in these romanticized spaces) that isn't tragic nor the patronizin inclusive "fantasy"... That feels like it's smirking at me while saying "we know you weren't ~really~ here, but here! have a cookie!!" These people existed.

You don't have to *just* make inclusive versions of white works with the lie that you have to do that because thee above people ~didn't exist~. Nor do you have to be lazy when you do!! (see: IWTV) Right now, for me... It feels like for the most part we're in a period of very shallow "advancement" in period rep. And I'm saying if little old me can find the actual stories that could make AMAZING true history-based media. Why can't the more powerful people do the same?? P.S.

You already know I'm fresh off being mad about that shitty Bass Reeves show...but I'm even madder because I can't even say, "just make sure its made by Black people," because Jeymes Samuel (AKA Bullitts) gave us skinny biracial StageCoach Mary!!!

---NO!! I will never stop being mad about it!!

DO BETTER!! Have the empathy and care for the material, regardless, and don't rest on "I know what I'm doing because I'm Black" That male gaze won out over truth in The Harder They Fall *smh*

P.P.S I get the feeling the lazy adaptions are about cash-grabbing, what they see as a trend, and being all the ready to jump back into the whitewashed business as usual, that ain't true to *all* actual histories nor (as Austen proved) fictions of those eras or spaces.

P.P.P.S. On The Glided Age!! I do love that the Fellowes drama has Erica Armstrong Dunbar (known for her book and research on Ona Judge -another figure whose story needs to be adapted!!!- the Black woman who successfully escaped enslavement from George Washington's household and was doggedly pursued by him throughout her life) and Salli Richardson-Whitfield as producers... so, Denee Benton's Peggy is authentic... but as much as I like The Gilded Age, I want to combine Fellowes comfort drama... with a CENTRALIZED Black character... Why can't someone do all of it correctly?? WHY??!!!

[lovelytsunoda]

misc. masterlist

instagram au masterlist

f1

violent delights have violent ends (mick schumacher, daniel ricciardo, pierre gasly, nico hulkenberg) 🌹

mick, danny and pierre knew they would need to fight for seats in 2023. they just didn't know that otmar szafnauer was going to take it literally.

the motorsports fiction recommendation list (part two)

the cedric diggory f1 driver au that nobody asked for but i wrote anyways

f1 drivers as characters from the magic mike franchise

tokyo drift

the day you kissed a writer in the dark ,, han lue 🌹🍑🌩

she's stood by his side for years. his loyal mechanic, the brains behind his brawn. but she'd be lying if she said that it didn't hurt to watch him flirt with those other women in his club, when he came home to her every night in secret.

see also: proud mary ( han lue ) from tina!: the series

the night agent

take one down ,, francisco jenkins 🌩

the fix-it fic we all deserve, and the ending that cisco should have had.

top gun (1986)

tell me something girl (are you happy in this modern world) ,, tom kazansky 🌹🌩

after thirty years of marriage, heather kazansky reflects on the time she spent and the love she shared with tom as she prepares to write her eulogy and say goodbye to her husband.

take my breath away ,, tom kazansky 🌹

temporarily stationed in nevada, tom and heather decide to take a weekend in las vegas to see their favourite new wave band. all the while, all tom can think about when to ask heather to be his wife.

top gun (2022)

sunday in heaven ,, jake seresin 🌹

jake’s favourite afternoons were spent with his fiancée and his dog, with hot drinks and a good book. nice and calm, different from his every day. but tell anybody that and he’d have to kill you.

uptown girl ,, mickey garcia🌹

she would do anything for her nerd boy. except maybe meet his friends in a crowded bar with a pool table where she can make a fool of herself in front of all of her boyfriend's friends. it's a good thing that mickey is a good teacher.

the sixth sense ,, jake seresin (cosy collection 2024)🌹

after a car accident totals her car and leaves her with the ability to see ghosts, an anxious police desk sergeant learns to live with the ghosts haunting her home, and the crush she has on the hot pilot who lives next door

beautiful girl (stay with me) ,, jake seresin (kinktober 2024)🌹🍑

the three lit jack-o-lanterns in their bay window shouldn't have been the lightscape to their sweetest, purest intimate moments, but hey, what happens on halloween stays on halloween.

love, actually ,, robert floyd (the christmas collection 2024)🌹

recently appointed admiral robert floyd feels overwhelmed in his new position, and unprepared to fill the shoes of the late admiral thomas kazansky. when he inherts the job, he also inherits tom's old secretary. cue the romance. inspired by hugh grant's storyline in love, actually

marvel

you've got me under your spell ,, eddie brock (the cozy collection 2024) 🌹

the then's and now's of halloween in the brock household.

[rjschoicesstuff]

RJ's mc and oc masterlist

Thought it might be nice to make one lol, so people can find their tags easily and stuff, one day I'll work on proper profiles.. + I'm still adding characters.

I'm marking the books/mc's I've posted a bit more about purple and the ones I have yet to post about pink.

Immortal Desires

Ripley Reese (she/her) - mc

LI's: m!Cas and f!Gabe

Tag

David (he/him) - mc

LI: m!Cas

Tag

Terri Reese (she/her) - oc (sort of)

Tag

Miguel (he/him) - oc

LI's: m!Cas, F!Gabe and F!Ripley

Tag

Joy (she/her) - oc

Tag

Sabine (she/her) - oc

Tag

Blades Of Light And Shadow

Rex Nagoni (She/her + he/him)

-mc

LI's: Imtura and Tyril

Tag

Brenin Nightbloom (he/him) -MC

LI: probably gonna settle on Valax + maybe Nia

Tag

Ruby (Rex' future daughter) - oc

Tag

Queen B

Billie Hughes (she/her)

LI: Zoey (+ some secret more toxic evil thing with Poppy)

Tag

Bitten

Jasper (she/her)

LI's: Alexandra and m!Skyler probably

It Lives Series

ILITW: Devon (he/him)

LI: Andy

Tag

ILB: Oli Vance (he/him)

LI: Tom

Terror Fest

Noah Carpenter (She/her)

LI: Lucky

Tag

Crimes of Passion

Cameron Rose (They/them)

LI: f!Trystan

Tag

America's Most Eligible

Mollie Lee (she/her)

In game LI: Mackenzie

LI in mi heart: Teagan

Tag

The Cursed Heart

Eli (he/him)

LI: f!Kieran

Tag

Alpha

Kai (he/him and she/her)

LI: f!Channing

Tag

Kindred

Thistle Morrigan (she/her)

LI: F!Kaine

Tag

Wake The Dead

Luke Asher (he/him)

LI's: Shannon, Troy and Angel

Open Heart

Mateo Valentine (he/him)

LI: Rafael

Tag

Platinum

Ollie Jackson (she/her)

LI: f!Avery

High School Story series

Jake Lee (he/him)

LI: Michael

Tag

Class Act: Bailey Jenkins (he/him)

LI: Skye

The Royal Romance

Riley Morgan (She/her)

LI: Liam

BloodBound

June (She/her)

LI: Lily

Nightbound

Alexander (He/him)

LI: Cal

A Courtesan Of Rome

Loucita (She/her)

LI: Sabina

Desire & Decorum

Clarissa Mills (she/her)

LI: Annabelle Parsons

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

Elvis & Addison

Fandom: Elvis Presley, RPF, American Actor

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Original Female Character

Characters: Elvis Presley, Addison Goodwin, Original Female Characters, Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, Jess Goodwin, Colonel Tom Parker, Vernon Presley, Gladys Presley, Marci Cunningham, Jerry Schilling, Red West, Sonny West, Marty Lacker, Joe Esposito, Charlie Hodge, Lamar Fike, Alan Fortas, George Klein, Memphis Mafia, Minnie May ‘Dodger’ Presley, Gene Smith, Billy Smith, Steve Cunningham, Mary Jenkins, Alan Fortas, Original Male Characters, Mona Goodwin, Joe Goodwin

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Word Count: TBC

Summary: Elvis Presley is a star. A star that burns bright and warm enough to illuminate everyone around him. But to Addison Goodwin none of that matters. To her, he's just that boy from Memphis and yet he's everything. The father of her child. Her best friend. Her love. Her Elvis.

Tags: Angst, Fluff, Graceland, Las Vegas, The International Hotel, Elvis In Vegas, 1970s, 1970s Elvis, Friends To Lovers, Rekindled Romance, Parenting, Time Line is Sketchy, Guilt, Betrayal, Teenage Pregnancy, Hawaii, Hidden Pregnancy, Jealousy, Sex, Absence of Parent, Single Motherhood, Trauma, Sex, Tension, Poverty, Friends to Lovers, 1950s Elvis, Bad Parenting, Surprise Surprise the Colonel Is a Colossal Prick, Parental Loss, Grief, Fun Fairs, Kissing, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Movie Nights, Arguing, Tension, Denial of Feelings, Age Gap Romance, Underage, Addison is 17 Elvis is 22, Extortion, Blackmail, Army Elvis, American Draft, US Army, Lying, Time Shift with Elvis moving to Memphis, Caught, Birthdays, Implied Death, Flashbacks, Love, Established Relationship, Cuddles, Hugging, Arguing, Parents, Implied Death, Implied Sickness, Family Arguments

Notes: I have absolutely loved writing this lil Elvis universe and though my second part of the series is done I intend to keep writing for Addie and Elvis as there's more to this story I wanna explore. So if there's anything you want to see at any part of the timeline feel free to ask me!

Fics are posted in order of the timeline xx

Fics

The Girl He Left Behind

Fractured

Here You Come Again

Top of the List

Our Little Secret

Closure

Little Bird

Untethered

Link To AO3

More to come ⚡️

Aesthetics

Character Inspo

The Girl He Left Behind Pinterest

Here You Come Again Pinterest

Elvis and Addison Aesthetic

Addison Aesthetic

Jess Aesthetic

Marci Aesthetic

Presley Family Aesthetic

Jessie Jo & Lisa Marie Aesthetic

[topoeiaz]

Chapter 14: It's High Time I'd Love to See Me From Your Point of View (HP) Tom Riddle x OC

18+ blog • minors dni

word count: 3.2k

hp masterlist • pov masterlist • ao3

“Morning, Grace!”

“Oh- Morning, Gideon!” Thea quickly reciprocated Gideon’s friendly smile as the latter walked past Thea’s section of the dining table. Once her fellow sixth-year had gone far enough away, she turned to her friends at the table. “Is it just me, or am I receiving more greetings from the Slytherins than usual?”

As if on cue, Thea was greeted once again by another passerby in green-lined robes.

Rosier wiggled his eyebrows and crooned, “an overnight celebrity within Slytherin, aye?”

“Hear, hear,” remarked Avery, “next thing you know, they’ll be lining up for autographs.”

“Merchandise next!”

Another croon, “great idea! How about…”

Druella and Walburga sighed in exasperation and shook their heads at the boys’ teasing. The older girl took pity on Thea’s perplexion and clarified, “what they mean is: you’re quite officially an honorary snake now.” When that earned her a raised eyebrow from Thea, she continued, “they’ve seen the way you’ve allied yourself with the purebloods yesterday and I reckon they’ve connected two and two and have made you out to be Riddle’s equal, in romance and in the plan to revolutionise Wizarding Britain.”

Druella nodded along and added in, “not to mention, your relationship with Devon. Colour me unsurprised if the second-years now regard you as an almighty saint.”

“…Oh,” flustered, Thea’s hands began fiddling with each other when she suddenly felt Tom’s hand envelop hers. Her fingers switched focus onto Tom’s hand instead and fidgeted with it absentmindedly. “That’s nice of them. I certainly wasn’t expecting that!”

“I hear they’re interested to attend more of your research showcases.”

Thea blinked, taken aback by Mulciber’s exposé of the final consensus of the snakes that he had heard in other people’s conversation last night. “More?”

Then, Lestrange perked up in remembrance. “Yeah! Didn’t you mention offhandedly about something to do with: purity of the blood does not equate to magical prowess?”

“Jenkins was especially interested to hear more about that; said he wanted to debate you if you ever come around to doing it.”

To hear from Nott that his yearmate also wanted more… just how many people…

Thea hummed as she gave it a thought. “I don’t suppose it’s a bad idea. I’ve yet to collate preliminary research on it as I had already done with inbreeding, though. It will take a while until that’s ready, especially as classes have started to assign more tasks.”

“Not an issue at all, Grace,” Avery shrugged, “just let us know when you’re ready and we’ll post it up on our noticeboard.”

“The noticeboard-” Thea nearly choked on air. The noticeboard, for something as trifling as her?! How could that be justified?! “Why would you post it up on the noticeboard?! Surely, there’s not that many people who would show up!”

When the others averted their eyes as they muttered incomprehensibly to dodge her accusations, her lips parted in shock. A chuckle sounded from her right and she turned to Tom. “You underestimate just how much word has spread of your presentation yesterday. The previous audience would be keen to attend again while those who hadn’t been there for your first one would be curious to see why you’ve become a sensation in the house.”

“A sensation…”

“A sensation, indeed!” Druella chirped when Thea had trailed off.

Her friends eventually managed to snap her out of her speechless state and moved on to other topics. As if today had somehow become ‘Thea Appreciation Day’, however, Thea found herself subjected to another talk with an admirer of her other works after breakfast.

The group of friends had gone to potions class early and it seemed that Slughorn had the same idea too, for he was already there when they had shown up. They kept chatter to a minimal volume while Thea and Tom went quiet when the professor had decided to approach the pair sat in the front row.

“Ah, Tom! So glad to see you bright and early to class today! Say, is it alright if I borrow your time for a moment?”

An affable smile on his face, Tom replied, “of course, sir. How can I help you?”

“Seeing as it has been a few weeks now since the term has started, I thought it might be time to host another Slugclub meeting! The students must have settled in by now so I figured we could all catch up sometime soon; let’s say, dinner this Friday at half past six. I’ll go around inviting the new members but- if I may ask for a favour, could you let the existing members in your house know?”

“Certainly, professor. We’ll be there.”

“Ah, much thanks, Tom!” Thea startled when Slughorn turned his glinting eyes to her next, quickly putting on a naïve smile. “And how about you, Miss Grace? Have you finally changed your mind about joining? I’m sure that you will have a marvellous time there! It’s only right that a student as talented as you should show up!”

Thea hesitated. She spared a brief glance to Tom and took in his patient smile. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if Tom would be there with her? “I suppose… I might?”

Slughorn brightened up and grinned in satisfaction. “Wonderful! I’m glad to hear that, Miss Grace! I won’t bother you now, then. I’ll see you both at the meeting this Friday!” He then proceeded to aim his course directly onto the unsuspecting Ravenclaw prefect who had come in a while ago, presumably to extend the same favour as he had with Tom.

Thea took Tom’s hand when he offered it on the desk, giving him her complete attention as he spoke, “will you join me for the meeting? It would be a better time with you there.”

The dread of wondering just how the gathering might go if she was to attend dissipated with Tom’s confession. She gave the back of his hand a small kiss and met her doe eyes with his. “If you’ll be there, I suppose I wouldn’t mind attending.”

His countenance softened and he squeezed her hand lightly. “I’ll make sure you’ll have a pleasant time there.”

They exchanged a brief look of compassion before Tom turned and casted a cool glance to the boys sat in the row behind; Avery and Mulciber had taken the table behind Tom and Thea’s, while Rosier was with Druella to the other boys’ left. “You boys in?” Having heard Slughorn’s invitation echoing in the quiet room, the boys understood Tom’s reference and gave their affirmative replies. When he returned his gaze to Thea, she had her bottom lip between her teeth and there was a tinge of heat in the darkness of her eyes as she stared into his. He gave a questioning hum and she refocussed into reality. “What’s up?”

Thea shook her head with a smitten grin on her face. “Was just thinking…” After a moment of hesitation, she decided to lay her thoughts bare for Tom. “I’ve noticed it very vaguely in the first meeting I had with the boys, but you really do look good when you’re in charge of something.”

“Oh?” Amusement curled his lips up further.

“Mhm,” her eyes almost visibly glazed over as her memories pulled her deeper and deeper into a chasm of want. “Merlin knows, I might just faint when you take the reins over the country.”

His eyes were now sporting the same glint. It was taking the both of them an excruciating amount of effort to not whisk one another away into a private space. Tom settled, instead, for a lingering kiss on Thea’s inner wrist. As innocent as the act had been, she was rendered nearly lightheaded when her blood rushed south. She only snapped back into her senses when he spoke again, “you flatter me, love.”

Thea had to remind herself of her own previous words, mind too occupied with Tom to remember immediately. “Just telling the truth, dear.”

The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully. By the next morning, Thea had learned a couple more names of those in Slytherin and had gotten more familiar with the idea of being perceived as an honorary member of the house. The same went for the rest of the school population; they had gotten used to the fact that Thea tended to hang out with the snakes. That was why she frowned when Dumbledore announced a new seating chart at the next transfiguration class.

“I’ve observed the dynamics amongst the previous arrangement and have created a new one with the belief that it will improve the efficiency of the class,” Dumbledore had said when a student had questioned his motives.

As he recited the new pairings for the indefinite future, Thea shared a doubtful expression with Tom. Inter-house unity seemed not to be of the professor’s care because most of the students had been paired with their housemates, Thea and Tom included. Besides that, it was suspicious that Dumbledore had chosen to rearrange the class when it had been weeks into the semester; those usually happen earlier.

With a bitter smile, Thea gave a final peck to Tom’s cheek before joining the rest of the class in moving around for their new seats once Dumbledore had told them to. She found herself subjected to Reagan Diggory’s cheery greeting and quickly pulled up a friendly smile to return the sentiment. Guilt formed in her gut when she could only manage short responses to Diggory’s insistent attempts in getting to know her, her thoughts overly riddled with apprehension of Dumbledore’s true objective and dejection at losing the safety bubble that Tom brought with his presence. As it turned out, it was right for Thea to remain wary of the professor when, after class, he had approached her table and had asked to speak with her.

“How can I help you, professor?”

Her scepticism only grew when Dumbledore waited for the last person to leave the room, leaving her alone with the scheming man. Once the door had shut behind the final lagging person, he turned and regarded her with his iconic twinkling eyes. “If you may entertain an old man’s mindless worries, Miss Grace, I simply wished to make sure that you aren’t in any trouble.”

Careful to fake naivete in her composure as best she could, as if she was one of his impressionable admirers, she queried, “what kind of trouble do you mean, sir?”

“It is of the staffs’ unanimous agreement that you are particularly gifted in magic – charms, especially – and that makes you a valuable student, Miss Grace. Many others strive to achieve grades as outstanding as yours, and it seems that some are in the path of doing so – such as Mister Rosier, if I were to name one; his report has been particularly impressive lately. Powerful family, the Rosiers, very prone to suppress those weaker. You see, Miss Grace, Hogwarts tolerates no such power play and I only strive to ensure that it remains the case.”

Was he suggesting that Rosier had intimidated Thea into doing his schoolwork?! That was laughable! She had seen the boy deep in conversation with Tom before about school subjects and she had even, at one point, helped the boy with his charms essay when he had complained about it for a solid five minutes during lunch! For all the cheekiness that Rosier was capable of, he was an honest student who aimed to improve himself in academics. It was frankly disrespectful for Dumbledore to even imply otherwise!

Thea had to disguise her sharp intake of furious breath as a sigh and forced her features to ease up at Dumbledore’s expectant look. She cocked her head lightly to the side, modelling a perfect example of a calm and collected person, as she kept her tone level. “I can assure you, professor, that I have not seen Rosier act in such a way. It has only reminded me, however, of a recent bullying incident; I do hope that Lowe has received an appropriate punishment for tormenting Devon, sir.”

Dumbledore blinked twice, caught off-guard. That was as much of his true self that he was willing to show and his smile stiffened. “Ah, that is relieving to hear, Miss Grace. Do fret not, Mister Lowe has served his retribution as he deserved. Alas, it pains me that a student from my house has shown such behaviour and it has taught me, once again, that we should see the best in people-” Thea had to swiftly bite her tongue from retorting with his hypocrisy, and fumed when he continued with, “-unless, of course, they are beyond saving.”

Plastering on an ignorant look, Thea asked, “and how do we know if they are beyond saving, sir?”

At this, Dumbledore gave a sorrowful smile as if pitying her. “When they are incapable of remorse and kindness, my dear. As wonderful as the world is, there are those who choose to view their surroundings in shades of grey. They cannot love – nor will they try – and it is best to not associate with them lest they corrupt your vision too. It is regretful, but a necessary sacrifice to not grace them with our hearts. They will only cut it up and burn it to ashes without regret.”

“I see.” As much as she had tried to not let his condescendence get to her, her voice had let slip of the fact that his words had affected her. She hastily rectified it with a faux understanding smile and thanked him for his advice. “It is always delightful to be guided by a wise figure.”

Seemingly pleased, he gave a hearty laugh. “Perhaps my age has caught up with me, Miss Grace! I see that the time has come for me to accept my fate as a wise old man.” Thea hoped that her attempt in resembling amusement didn’t make her look too stupid. “I won’t hold you back any longer, Miss Grace. Although, just as a final… acumen, I suppose; do rely on your housemates when you need to. You’ve been with them for years now, they’re quite like your family here.”

“Of course, professor. Thank you, once again, for your worthwhile insights. I will see you again in the next class.”

He nodded. “Take care, my dear.”

Her eyebrows furrowed the moment her back had turned towards Dumbledore and she took care to not sprint out of the class instantly. Upon exiting the room, her eyes immediately fell onto Tom, back against the wall and sporting a worried expression, and the transfiguration professor’s comments reverbed in her head mockingly.

…incapable of remorse and kindness… cannot love – nor will they try… a necessary sacrifice… will only cut… burn…

Frustration filled her bones at Dumbledore’s impudence towards Tom- who deserved so much more.

Tom, who took initiatives to ensure her comfort; who had promised her a beautiful future with him; who had taught her romantic love by loving her. He wasn’t some robot programmed to act human, he had feelings just as much as the next person and had shown to be unafraid to express them to her. Time and time again, he had proven himself as someone who loved and cared. Helga- she was proud to love him with all her heart.

Thea barely fathomed a voice off to her side asking her if she was alright as she stalked straight for Tom. Her sights narrowed on the boy who had given her so much and she didn’t register anyone else in the vicinity. His worry only intensified upon seeing her unresponsive and serious – and fierce – and he straightened up at once, reaching for her as she approached closer. “Love-”

He was promptly cut off when her hands flew towards him and held him by the juncture of his head and neck, pulling him forwards to meet her halfway as she tiptoed to collide his lips with hers strongly. There was only a split second of hesitation from Tom before he matched her eagerness and kissed her back, pulling her body closer by her waist and tilting his head to the side slightly. The feel of his lips and caress as he reciprocated her feelings only strengthened her idea of him as a man who could – and will – love with passion, and she felt her tempestuous nerves soothed by him, gradually grounding herself back into the physical world and regaining control over herself.

Thea pulled back and planted her forehead with his, taking a deep, shaky breath in. Tom’s left arm went to wrap itself around her waist while his right brushed against her cheek softly. The air was silent as she took the time to recollect herself, releasing a heavy sigh out as she opened her eyes and retreated further to meet his eyes properly. The concern written clearly in his countenance had yet to be assuaged and she gave a lopsided smile, volume low as she spoke. “Sorry, that came out of nowhere. I’m just- frustrated!” Her frown took over her lips again.

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Tom’s mind had been wrought with mental images of all the terrible things that could’ve possibly happened, anxiety only worsening the longer she had been in that room.

Thea shook her head. “He was just being stupidly ridiculous. Advised me against giving you a chance and convinced that I’m around your lot only because Rosier’s taking advantage of me.”

A strangled choke sounded behind her and she turned to see the aforementioned boy looking at her incredulously. “Taking- what!”

It was then that Thea realised that Tom hadn’t been alone, waiting for her to come out unscathed. Judging by Druella’s teasing – and worried, still – grin and the fact that none of the boys – bar Rosier – could look her in the eyes, she was safe to assume that they had been there all along. She cleared her throat and fought against averting her sights. “I know! It’s baffling, really.”

“But you’re alright?”

She turned back to Tom and covered his hand on her waist with hers reassuringly. “Yeah, just beyond miffed.”

As they headed to lunch, Thea told them all about Dumbledore’s warning. In response, she had received their aggressive support.

“Just saying, if you ever need to hide a body…”

“I’ve got bleach.”

“My jinxes could always do with some practice.”

They prided themselves in Thea’s laugh as she thanked them. The same reaction came from the seventh-years when they regaled the story again upon meeting them in the Slytherin table. It was with great sorrow that she had to disappoint them all. “Unfortunately, he’s needed to defeat Grindelwald. I don’t know for certain how he would do it and where it would take place, so I can’t manipulate the circumstances.”

That reminded the boys of her nature as a clairvoyant, and only proved to Druella and Walburga that their suspicions based on the boys’ hint were right. Grumbles were shared upon her admission and they glared at the blasé Dumbledore who had just walked into the hall.

“Can’t wait for you all to win over the ministry. Oh, the spectacle it would be to watch you overthrow him.”

Walburga muttered in agreement to Druella’s words. Thea stabbed her plate with her fork, her acute dislike for the man getting to the best of her as words left her venomously.

“Mark my words; he will go down.”

ao3 🌱 topaz 🌱 masterlist

don’t steal my work, claim it as your own, upload it to another site, or use it to train AI

dividers by: @strangergraphics-archive & @saradika-graphics

[thewingedwolf]

We do agree then. Most of my timeline is filled with black women so that is what I'm most exposed to. My main gripe is that black women are always used as the rage bait in these shows. I'm truly tired of the racism and wish that new stories are created for us without the need to replace them for us to get representation. Sorry if I offended you for the 'black' comment.

sorry if i sounded suuuper annoyed lmao, i Am annoyed but at twitter not u aksksk. (also, was working children’s and there were just so many screaming kids today 😭). and that's definitely fair! i know The Interwebs in general is feeling very upset right now because of that romeo and juliet production that tom holland was in, because not only did they not really stand up for that poor actress, or turn off comments, they were just being sooo weird about her on social media. it's really nasty to just cast a black actress, especially one who is dark skinned, knowing she's going to get a shit storm of racism hurled at her and then not defend her and even actively make it worse by refusing to take basic precautions so she's not having people call her slurs in every damn post. and this show itself obviously also has a bad track record with that - not just with all the main black characters of color excluding agatha being light skinned and/or Mixed With White specifically (where's the blasian rep!!! where's the afrolatino rep!!!! why are mixed characters always mixed with white!!!!!!! also i love the sharma’s but not letting anthony and kate have their own fucking wedding OR a sex montage and then giving colin a bunch of annoying sex scenes is so!!!!!!) but also the way marina's storyline was handled was nauseating and pen never makes up to marina for doing something so egregiously awful, and on top of that poor ruby barker had a hard ass time on the set and on the internet. it sucked!!! i hope i didn't sound too mad lol, but my whole tl was either white women having a MELTDOWN over the show "ruining" michael (this is a paper thin character, there is nothing to ruin!!!) or other people (largely black women but also a lot of queer women in general) being like "sucks to suck anywayyyy hope francesca and michaela scissor on screen just to spite you personally" alkjdf and it hasn't even been 24 hours, i'm so over it 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

and yeah, that's something an author i like (i like her as a person, i don't love her romances haha) has mentioned - there are plenty of romances that are explicitly about black characters or indian characters or caribbean characters or jewish characters or whatever you fancy that take place in the regency/georgian/victorian era that could have been adapted but instead they went with julia quinn, who has explicitly talked about how she doesn't write characters of color because they ~don't get happy endings in this time period. and mind you, this is a woman who writes a duke living on every corner in london getting a love match!!! not to mention if they really just wanted to do some funky color blind/racebending, there are so many authors out there who have written longstanding romance series' with all white characters who are just better writers than julia!!! i mean, i have a lot of beef with tessa dare for what i feel is performative allyship (though i don't want to discount the way she has privately been a rock for a lot of authors of color, especially after the rwa blowup, she's still annoying to me tho haha), but she's just leaps and bounds better of a writer and also hasn't gone on record saying she would never write a black main character the way julia quinn has! it's unendingly annoying!!! courtney milan and diana quincy and beverly jenkins are right there!!!!

[365days365movies]

Romance February: Omnibus

As I prepare for the future of this blog (and there is a future, if anybody's wondering), I find myself looking back at the good times, when I had the time to watch a movie a day and write a blog about it, which...yeah, wasn't even sustainable for me in 2021, so make of that what you will. ANYWAY, I decided that I would bring all of these posts together in an omnibus of sorts, so anybody that wanted to read these posts could find them all easily in one place. This, alongside other archives, are going to be pinned to the top of my page, and will serve as a long index of the films in the appropriate genres. The goal? To extend these archives as I go along, and have this running index for my blog. And again...there will be additions...

SO! With that, feel free to check out these films in the romance genre, which is somewhat...difficult to define, honestly. Romance overlaps with a bunch of other genres, so even films that put the love story at the center of the narrative have more to them by necessity. So, just figure these as films whose narrative is driven primarily by romantic tension and motivation. Any films you'd like to see in this list? Comment, reblog, message me, whatever! I'm always open to suggestions to add to my ever-building master list of romance films. And check out the other indices to come!

Dirty Dancing (1987; dir. Emile Ardolino) (Recap | Review) Pretty Woman (1990; dir. Garry Marshall) (Recap | Review) Sleepless in Seattle (1993; dir. Nora Ephron) (Recap | Review) You’ve Got Mail (1998; dir. Nora Ephron) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) The Notebook (2004; dir. Nick Cassavetes) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Romeo + Juliet (1996; dir. Baz Luhrmann) (Recap | Review) Emma. (2020; dir. Autumn de Wilde) (Recap | Review) The English Patient (1996; dir. Anthony Minghella) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review)

Doctor Zhivago (1965; dir. David Lean) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Review) In the Mood for Love (2000; dir. Wong Kar-wai) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) The Bridges of Madison County (1995; dir. Clint Eastwood) (Part 1 | Part 2) If Beale Street Could Talk (2018; dir. Barry Jenkins) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Before Sunrise (1995; dir. Richard Linklater) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Brokeback Mountain (2005; dir. Ang Lee) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Call Me By Your Name (2017; dir. Luca Guadagnino) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Carol (2015; dir. Todd Haynes) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Desert Hearts (1985; dir. Donna Dietch) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) The Danish Girl (2015; dir. Tom Hooper) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review)

The Phantom of the Opera (2004; dir. Joel Schumacher) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) An Affair to Remember (1957; dir. Leo McCarey) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) The African Queen (1951; dir. John Huston) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Pillow Talk (1959; dir. Michael Gordon) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) My Girl Friday (1940; dir. Howard Hawks) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Annie Hall (1977; dir. Woody Allen) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review)Amélie (2001; dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet) (Part 1 | Part 2 | Review) Love Story (1970; dir. Arthur Hiller) (Part 1 | Part 2) Love, Actually (2003; dir. Richard Curtis) (Part 1 | Part 2) West Side Story (1961; dir. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins) (Part 1 | Part 2)

Omnibus: Film Reviews

[viscountessevie]

Bridgerton had me going from "omg I hope more of my favorite HR books are adapted!!" To "oh lord stay away from my favorite books" I would be so excited if anyone actuslly adapts a book by an author of color because the history in itself is so interesting but now I'm scared theyll f it up. And seeing only white people profit off of stories of people of color(whom they seem to not even respect!) is sickening

Ask Dated: 19th Feb 2023

You totally get it anon!! I remember after S1 dropped and then I started exploring the books, genre and movies/shows similar to it, it was like a whole world was opened up to me. I was SUPER excited for how this show would change the landscape of including more people of colour into period dramas as well as ushering a new era of making original (and adapting more) HR stories.

Only for Bton itself to turn around and completely treat its Indian characters like utter trash in S2 and not to mention butchering the source material. The way only the main actors saved the season SIGH.

That being said, 10 months after you've sent this, we have had various new shows like Tom Jones and The Buccaneers (which has been renewed woo hoo)! So while Bton did open up the media landscape for this new trend and hopefully it stays so actors of colour can stay booked and busy, I think the genre on its own is gonna thrive in its on way and even move away from the mess that is Bton now. Fingers crossed for them going for the quality of Mr. Malcolm's List with the sexiness we get from HR novels themselves!

One of my favourite mutuals/friends Caro @mermaidsirennikita actually just answered an ask talking about the future of this genre in tv/films so you can read it here if you'd like more insight on this topic! [She's also a great go to for romance recs so feel free to browse her blog!!]

To finish off, I have GREAT news: Stacy Reid's Sinful Wallflowers series is being adapted into a TV show!! So we will be getting an author of colour behind the scenes and fingers crossed she can be an executive producer and call the shots to make sure its a very faithful adaptation. I definitely also wanna see authors like Beverly Jenkins, Adrianna Herrera, Diana Quincy etc to get adaptations if they want to venture into that. Or better yet we can just start making original HR shows or films; that would be very interesting to watch when its made specifically for the visual medium.

[papermoonloveslucy]

FANTASY TV GUIDE ADS

Sequels, Spinoffs, and Reboots We Never Saw - But Wish We Had!

Ads and listings from a Papermoon Loves Lucy fantasy issue of TV Guide!

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” ~ Before Andy Cohen there was Don Loper - TV’s first gay man with a doting bevy of housewives at his command. At press time, Mrs. Alan Ladd was replaced by Mrs. Ricky Ricardo. In the premiere, Loper stages a benefit for Share and Mrs. Ricardo gets a sunburn. Sponsored by Unguentine. 

"American Picker” ~ In this episode, Dan picks over some old furniture at a run-down brownstone in New York City. Mid-century modern is Jenkins’ specialty and tonight he strikes gold.

"Hot Bench” ~ Today: “The Case of the Damaged Television & Fractured Friendship”. Judge Moroni Olsen and Bailiff Bobby serve justice at 4 ET / 3 CT. 

“Desi’s Desert Island Discs” ~ Premiere!  Desi’s first guest is Ricky Ricardo. Viewers are treated to excerpts from his top ten. Special appearance by Lucy Ricardo singing “Sally Sweet”. 

“Bent Fork R.F.D.” ~ This week the Sheriff (Will Wright) arrests a Pontiac full of Yankees headed for Hollywood. Guest star Ernie Ford tries to pawn off Teensy and Weensy (the Borden Sisters) on the westbound travelers, but they get all tied up. 

“My Big Fat Fabulous Life” ~ Premiere!  In this musical docuseries, Teensy and Weensy are profiled at their mobiel home in Tennessee. It’s a “Ricochet Romance” when the girls become obsessed with the Bent Fork BBQ Buffet - and it goes bankrupt. 

“The Walking Fred” ~ Fred turns into a walker after losing $500 to Al Hergesheimer (Milton Berle), an undead used car salesman from Brooklyn. Sponsored by Pontiac. 

“Hoarding: Buried Alive” ~ In the season premiere: a woman is buried alive by two sides of beef; two urban couples are presumed lost in a collection of cardboard boxes; and old newspapers take over the lives of several desperate homeonwers. 

“Lucy’s Neighborhood” ~ Beppe de Vries stars in this all-new spin-off to “East 68th Street”.  In this episode, Mrs. de Vries sees a wacky neighbor on the ledge and goes to great lengths to get her psychiatric help. Guest star Joseph Kearns as Doctor Toim Robinson. 

“Freddie Filmore’s Drag Race: Females are Fabulous!” ~ Season 15 of the long-running show welcomes Carson Kresley and Michelle Visage in their first appearances since “Rupaul’s Drage Race Season 87″. This year’s guest judges include Phil Spitalny, Countess Blublitzki, and Fredrika. 

“Trailer Park” ~ Lucy and Ethel move into a trailer park outside West Jamestown. There they keep an eye on the comings and goings of the flirty Flamingo Sisters (Gloria and Joan Blondell). Tonight: Mrs. Trumbull’s cat gets sick from an out-of-date can of All Pet.  

“Ugly Betty Loves Wreck-It Ralph” ~ In this all-new teaming of two popular CBS sitcoms, the Ramseys (Mary Jane Croft and Frank Nelson) find a litter of kittens hidden in the chicken coop. Meanwhile, Little Bruce (Ray Ferrell) discovers hundreds of baby chickens in the litter box. 

“Night of the Living Fred” ~ A television adaptation of the popular zombie film. In the new series, a landlord / zombie (Fred Mertz) eats the tenants of his New York City brownstone, until he is unmasked by Sergeant Nelson (Frank Nelson). 

“I Spy: The O’Briens” ~ Hayden Rorke and K.T. Stevens play international spies masquerading as actors playing international spies on a television series about actors playing international spies. Tonight: Tom breaks a lamp and neighbor Lucy (Lucille Ball) impersonates a chair.

“Big Brother: The Twins Twist” ~ This season welcomes Teensy and Weensy, Timmy and Jimmy Hudson, the Harpo Twins, and special guests Patty and Cathy Lane - all competing to be the last houseguests in the brownstone. Julie Chen Moonves McGillicuddy hosts. 

“Jamestown” ~ From the producers of “Downton Abbey,” this dramatic series follows courageous performers who leave their dark pasts behind in England for a new life in 17th-century America. Tallulah Bankhead plays Elizabeth, the Quinn of Jamestown. Friar Quinn is played by William Frawley. Tonight’s episode “The Quinn’s Lament” was written by Quinn and Madelyn Martin. 

“The Taylors in 3D” ~ The first spinoff from Desilu’s impossibly successful “I Love Lucy” starring Gene Reynolds and Mary Ellen Kay as young newlyweds who move into a Manhattan brownstone haunted by hilarious ghosts. Elizabeth Patterson plays Matilda, the new landlady and part-time medium, Reya. 

“The Carmichael Show” ~ In this reboot of “The Lucy Show”, Viv and Sherman have moved out, leaving the Carmichaels to make it on their own. In the pilot episode, Lucy cancels plans to move to Los Angeles and Jerry’s Military School rejects his application. Chris becomes a waitress to pay the tuition. 

Based on the hit series, “Iron Man Carmichael”, this all new TV movie marks the return of fearless stunt performer and housewife Lucy Carmichael as she takes on the Marvel Multiverse. 

In the tradition of “Fosse Verdon” FX brings us “Lucy Desi”. Follow the tumultuous romance and career of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they climb the ladder of showbusiness success.  

“Feud: Lucy and Joan” ~ A docudrama television series created by Ryan Murphy in the footsteps of “Bette and Joan”.  Based on the legendary real-life feud between Lucille Ball and Joan Crawford. 8 episodes of nail-biting drama and shouting. 

[mediaevalmusereads]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up: the Good, the Bad, and the Meh

Below is a list of books that I read in 2023. I’ve sorted them into 3 categories: the good (books I loved), the bad (books I didn’t like), and the meh (books I thought were just ok). Other than these categories, the books aren’t listed in any special order or ranking.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

The Good

The Beautifu Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Civilizations by Laurent Binet

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis

Powers of Darkness by Valdimar Asmundsson

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare

The Square of Sevens by Laura Robinson-Shepherd

Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn

Unlocked by Courtney Milan

Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

If We Were Villains by ML Rio

Under the Eye of Power by Colin Dickey

Proof By Seduction by Courtney Milan

Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill

Bea Wulf by Zach Weinersmith

Hen Fever by Olivia Waite

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by KJ Charles

Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Affective Medievalism by Thomas Prendergast and Stephanie Trigg

A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

Kent State by Derf Backderf

Anti-Christ by Mernard McGinn

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The Meh

The Nothing Man by Katherine Ryan Howard

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

A Christmas Bride by Mary Balogh

A True Account by Katherine Howe

The Disenchantment by Celia Bell

Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

Penguin's Poems for Love by Laura Barber

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Trial By Desire by Courtney Milan

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Weyward by Emilia Hart

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio de Maria

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sara MacLean

How the Wallflower Was Won by Eva Leigh

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

Erotic Medievalisms by Elan Justice Pavlinich

Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

Prize for the Fire by Rilla Askew

Bisclavret by KL Noone

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

A Natural History of the Romance Novel by Pamela Regis

The Bad

A Love By Design by Elizabeth Everett

Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Finding Meaning by David Kessler

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare

The Prince of Prohibition by Marilyn Marks

The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

[thealienofbooks]

B O O K S R E A D I N 2 0 2 3

1. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir

2. The Cruel Prince, Holly Black

3. The Wicked King, Holly Black

4. The Queen of Nothing, Holly Black

5. The Duke and I, Julia Quinn

6. The Viscount who loved me, Julia Quinn

7. An Offer From a Gentleman, Julia Quinn

8. Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Julia Quinn

9. Die Trying, Lee Child

10. The Murder Game, Tom Hindle

11. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

[leighlim]

Now I want to look though the filmography of Ed Begley.

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(Hopefully by this point you’ve finished all 98 minutes of 'Plus One’, the kind of person who isn’t bothered by spoilers, or are just deciding if you still want to keep watching.)

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When the credits were rolling...I decided I wouldn’t include the film in my Tumblr feed...mainly because I thought Alice‘s behaviour towards Ben was quite insulting (Maybe more caustic than insulting).

Then...after rewatching half of the film...I realised that Ben was the one insulting, and it’s likely Alice using that tone during conversation because that’s how they built their friendship.

Some instances:

Ben letting Alice know that he would like some privacy with Jess.

Ben waking Alice up by rolling down the window while she was still leaning on it. Not to mention not helping her out to the front door with her things after a night of excessive alcohol consumption

(I wonder if I had been more forgiving towards Ben rather than Alice in the beginning)

Even if the film initially didn’t WOW me after viewing it...I still would have been thankful that Netflix added it to its roster. Because...haven’t I been looking for a film that this one exactly fills? Rated M, It’s fresh, and the actors have done their jobs well.

PS: Is this right? The cumulative earnings of the film....is $44,112? Is that because it had a limited release at the cinemas...and....various streaming platforms have acquired it?

--------

HIGHLIGHT:

INT. BEN'S CAR - NIGHT

BEN is driving and CHUCK is shotgun.

CHUCK Whew.

CHUCK unbuckles his seat-belt.

CHUCK I need to lie down.

CHUCK twists his way towards the back seat.

BEN Dad. Dad, I'm driving.

CHUCK That energy...

BEN Okay, just--just--

He gives his father a push so he could squeeze between the seats, while keeping an eye on the road.

CHUCK I got to get...

BEN Can you tuck--tuck back there?

CHUCK gets himself comfortable. His bum up in the air.

CHUCK Ben, I'm so glad you're my best man.

BEN I'm not your best man, Dad.

CHUCK (OS) You're so cool. You are the best, man.

He sits up.

CHUCK Best man. Now I get why it's called that. Whew.

He taps his son on the shoulder.

CHUCK I can't wait for your wife.

BEN Here we go.

CHUCK leans forward.

CHUCK Do you think it's going to be Alice?

BEN No, Dad.

CHUCK Why? She's so wacky.

BEN We broke up.

CHUCK Oh no, that's too bad.

CHUCK incessantly taps BEN's shoulder.

CHUCK Hey. Hey, Ben.

BEN Yeah?

CHUCK Ben.

BEN Yeah, Dad?

CHUCK Do you hate Gina?

BEN No. No, Dad.

CHUCK Tell me the ------- truth! Do you hate Gina!?

BEN I don't hate Gina!

CHUCK Then why are you so mad about us?

BEN is tongue tied for a moment.

BEN I'm not mad, Dad. I just---Dad, you're a little bit hard to root for sometimes.

BEN collects his thoughts.

BEN When you a Mom split, it really messed me up. And I just decided I didn't want to be like you guys. I just wanted to find the one and---and hang on to her forever.

He lets it hang there.

BEN Now I'm completely alone. So...And you're just moving on to your next family.

CHUCK Ben. I'm sorry that your mother and I splitting up hurt you so much. What she and I had was great. I'd be nothing if I hadn't met her, and I wouldn't have you. And, buddy...

He clamps his hand on BEN's shoulder.

CHUCK ...as long as I'm alive...

He gives the shoulder a couple of pats.

CHUCK ...you will never be alone.

CHUCK lays down and sighs.

BEN keeps his eyes on the road as he absorbs his father's words.

CHUCK (OS) Hey, Ben?

BEN Yeah, Dad?

CHUCK Can we do drive-through?

BEN squints. A bit odd...but okay.

BEN Sure. Is there somewhere you want to go?

CHUCK (OS) Zapburger.

BEN Where is---What---What is Zapburger?

CHUCK (OS) They get a patty made with organic soy meat, and they cook it with lasers.

BEN smiles and nods.

CHUCK (OS) It's the perfect burger.

--------

My verdict of the film: 7/10 (it got an extra point because there was surprisingly so much more to it...when I rewatched it. I’ll probably have a think about why I didn’t feel much satisfaction in the end to give it an 8 or a 9.).

Link to the timestamp commentary: None (There wasn’t a specific reason that compelled me to note down my reactions...real time.)

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

The Girl He Left Behind [Part Twenty Four]

Fandom: American Actor, RPF, Elvis Presley, Elvis Movie 2022

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Original Female Character

Characters: Elvis Presley, Addison Goodwin, Gladys Presley, Vernon Presley, Minnie May ‘Dodger’ Presley, Red West, Sonny West, Gene Smith, Billy Smith, Original Female Characters, Colonel Tom Parker, Billy Smith, Marci Cunningham, Steve Cunningham, Jerry Schilling, Mary Jenkins, Alan Fortas, Marty Lacker, Original Male Characters, Mona Goodwin, Joe Goodwin

Word Count: 5452 // Rating: Mature

Summary: When Elvis returns home to Graceland from the Army he’s followed by the headlines ‘The Girl He Left Behind’ but what the media don’t know is that Priscilla wasn’t the first. No, that title belongs to someone Elvis will never forget.

Tags/ Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Graceland, Poverty, Friends to Lovers, 1950s Elvis, Bad Parenting, Surprise Surprise the Colonel Is a Colossal Prick, Parental Loss, Grief, Fun Fairs, Kissing, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Movie Nights, Arguing, Tension, Denial of Feelings, Age Gap Romance, Underage, Addison is 17 Elvis is 22, Guilt, Betrayal, Extortion, Blackmail, Jealous, Army Elvis, American Draft, US Army, Lying, Time Shift with Elvis moving to Memphis, Flashbacks, Caught

Notes: Second to last chapter but this is where all the good stuff happens! Dont say I didn't warn ya about it being sad x

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‘You don’t have to do this you know. If you don’t want to,’ Marci said biting her lip as she watched Addison finish running comb through her hair. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ Addison said, ‘it’s not like I’ve got anything better to be doing.’

Marci watched her friend closely trying to see if any flicker of emotion passed her face but it didn’t which concerned her. Ever since Elvis had been drafted she had seen the change in her friend and though it was gradual it worried her all the same. She was pulling away. Trying hard to protect herself from the inevitable crash that was coming. It had happened when Joe had died - she had retreated into herself, refusing to lean on anyone for anything. She hadn’t even told Marci about it until after the funeral and by then there wasn’t much she could say to her grief-stricken friend. After all, Marci couldn’t even fathom what it must have been like to lose a parent at just sixteen not when she’d already practically lost her mother as it was. And now she was losing someone else. But not just someone. Addison was losing the person she needed the most. The person who had helped her heal more than anyone had ever been able to. Marci longed to be able to fix it but as she watched Addison pretend to be okay she realised nothing she could do would help how she was feeling now. All she could do was wait for the dust to settle and try and help her through it.   ‘We could hang around. I mean I know Elvis has the press conference but as soon as it’s over-’ ‘The Colonel will whisk him away to do something else no doubt,’ Addison said grimly. ‘There can’t be much more he can have him doing,’ Marci said. ‘I don’t think getting him ready to leave is the goal here,’ Addison said pointedly looking at her friend in the mirror. Before Marci could question what she meant there was a knock at the door.   ‘Come in,’ Addison said. The door opened revealing Elvis which made Addison’s breath hitch in her chest as she spotted he was in his uniform for the first time ever. He smoothed it out as he ducked inside feeling a tad self-conscious as both girls’ eyes roved his frame from top to bottom. ‘You look handsome,’ Marci blurted out without thinking. ‘Thanks,’ he said making her blush as she noticed his lip pull up in a small smirk. ‘Yeah, really handsome,’ Addison said though there was a sorrow behind it that no one could ignore. Feeling awkward Marci shifted uncomfortably and said, ‘so did you need something?’ ‘Uh, yeah, Addison actually,’ Elvis said. ‘What do you need?’ Addison asked cautiously. ‘The Colonel needs to speak to us both,’ he said as upbeat as he could muster though he knew it was pointless. At any mention of the Colonel Addison’s face went into a scowl. ‘What about?’ she said coolly. ‘He just said it was important,’ Elvis said shifting nervously. He watched her think about it for a beat, no doubt trying to hide whatever sarcastic thought had bubbled in her mind before she nodded and followed him out smiling at Marci apologetically as she went.   As Elvis walked through the house he expected her to fall into step beside him yet she didn’t, keeping just behind him as she followed him upstairs. She was watching him though. Marci was right. He looked handsome, infuriatingly so, and if it didn’t make her so sad she was sure she would have no issue enjoying the swagger that it seemed to bring to him.   The Colonel was standing by the desk when they entered the office and he looked up as they came inside a smile on his face, ‘ah, there you are. Come in.’   Elvis moved to sit on the couch, Addison following quickly behind him but as she sat down she folded her arms making his plan of reaching for her hand fall flat though he refused to let her ignore him completely. He missed her, so as the Colonel moved to perch himself on the edge of the desk Elvis placed a hand on Addison’s knee not daring to look at her, unsure of what her reaction would be.   ‘Now we don’t have long as the press is nearly all set up downstairs but I thought now was a good a time as any to talk about the plan,’ the Colonel said. ‘Plan?’ Addison asked. ‘For tomorrow of course and what’s going to happen going forward,’ the Colonel said, pausing for a moment as if he expected one of them to interject but when they didn’t he continued, ‘now, Elvis needs to be there at 9 am sharp therefore we need to leave at no later than 6 am.’ ‘That’s not a problem. Hell, Addie’s always up before me anyway I bet she’ll be the one to drag me out of bed,’ Elvis chuckled, squeezing her leg reassuringly. ‘Actually…’ the Colonel said tentatively but Addison spoke over him. ‘I’m not coming, am I?’ Addison said flatly making Elvis look at her. She didn’t turn to meet his gaze though, instead, her eyes remained fixed on the Colonel who shifted uncomfortably as Elvis looked at him before he answered. ‘No,’ the Colonel said. ‘What she can’t even come and say goodbye?’ Elvis asked. ‘Given the number of cameras and reporters that will be following your journey I don’t think that’s wise, do you? Considering why we’re doing this in the first place after all,’ the Colonel said throwing a sympathetic look their way as Elvis’ face fell, ‘that’s why I wanted to tell you now, that way whatever goodbyes can be said in private.’ ‘Right, sure,’ Elvis said though he couldn’t help but feel a little forlorn about their time being cut short even more. He had wanted to spend every minute he could with her but since new year everything had gone into overdrive as they prepared for his departure. Physicals, uniform fittings, meetings upon meetings he longed to get out of. Most of which he was sure none of the other boys he would be joining would have to go through. So much for being treated as a normal soldier.   ‘Is that everything?’ Addison said coolly making both men look at her. ‘Actually, there is something else but before I ask this I need you to agree that you’ll think about it carefully,’ the Colonel said making nerves bubble inside Addison.

‘Go on,’ Elvis said curiously. ‘Once you are inducted I think it would be prudent for the both of you to limit the amount of contact you have with one another,’ the Colonel said. ‘We’re already going to be five thousand miles apart is that not enough?’ Addison said bitterly. ‘Addies right. I mean how much limited can you get?’ Elvis asked. ‘None,’ the Colonel said. ‘What?!’ Elvis baulked. ‘Just for a little while, six months-’ ‘Six months?!’ Elvis gaped, ‘you want us to go without speaking to one another for six months are you out of your damn mind?!’ ‘I am just anticipating the way forward. You are going to be a very busy man and until you are fully settled into army life we need to be sure nothing will go awry. You’re no longer going to be surrounded by your own people. Until you know who you can and can’t trust I must insist you take precautions,’ the Colonel said trying to explain as Elvis shook his head angrily his jaw clenched in anger, ‘it only takes one fame-hungry solider to overhear a phone call or spy a letter and the entire reason we’re going through with this will be ruined.’   At those words, Elvis’s face softened. The Colonel had a point. Hell, the only reason he was going through with this entire charade was because he was trying to pave the way for their future but as Elvis looked at Addison, an ache in his chest at the sight of her, six months of no contact didn’t seem feasible. To not hear her voice or be able to tell her how much he was missing her it seemed impossible. Still, he could only imagine what scandal would come if some nosy private got his hands on a love letter. Or God forbid overheard him on the phone, he didn’t dare think about what might come out of his mouth after a few lonely nights in an army barracks. It was no use, so with a sigh, he said, ‘fine but once Addie turns eighteen all bets are off.’ ‘Sure, sure,’ the Colonel said though it was noncommittal. Addison watched a glint of smugness flicker in his eye before it disappeared shrouded by sympathy. Though it made her blood boil she didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction and it wasn’t as though there was much point to it anyway since Elvis had agreed. She didn’t have time to dwell on it though because there was a knock on the door before Tom Diskin popped his head around it with an apologetic look on his face.   ‘What?’ the Colonel asked tersely. ‘Sorry boss,’ Tom said, ‘but folks are getting antsy. It is nearly time.’ ‘We’re coming,’ the Colonel said gesturing for Elvis to come along with him which he stood up to do though he hesitated as he noticed Addison didn’t move. She was sitting perfectly still staring away from him, the mask still in place. Elvis stopped in his tracks which made the Colonel pause, an irritated look on his face.   ‘Uh, give us a minute,’ Elvis said. ‘Not too long,’ the Colonel said curtly. Elvis nodded walking him out and shutting the door behind him. Once he was sure it was firmly shut Elvis turned only to find that Addison had moved away from him, going to the window. She could see the crowd of people gathered around the office building, various reporters lugging equipment inside their faces ruddy from the cold.  

‘Addie,’ he said, sighing as she didn’t turn around. He moved to stand behind her, slipping his hand into hers and pulling her away from the window until she stood reluctantly in front of him. The mask was gone now, silent tears having made their way down her face making that ache inside him worsen. He didn’t know which was worse, her pretending she was okay or seeing how heartbroken she really was.   ‘Hey, hey now,’ he said wiping the salty tear tracks away with a swipe of his thumb, ‘don’t cry.’ ‘I can’t help it,’ she said. ‘I know and I know it’s not ideal,’ he said making her scoff though he continued, ‘but the Colonel is right until I’m sure there are people I can trust we can’t be risking anything. You get that right?’   Addison paused for a moment, chewing on the inside of her lip as she looked up into his pleading blue eyes. Protestations whizzed around in her head and though she longed to tell him every single one she couldn’t bring herself to. He looked so innocent. So willing to believe everything was as simple as it seemed. So instead of saying anything she simply nodded.     ‘I mean that’s what all this is for and I’ll be damned if I let it be ruined by some eavesdropper listening in on a dirty phone call,’ he joked, getting a flicker of a smile on her face. It wasn’t enough to make him feel entirely okay but the fact he had soothed her at least a little made him feel better. ‘Hey I’m a lady,’ she giggled sadly. ‘I could tell stories that contradict that but sure,’ he said, falling silent for a beat before he pressed his head to hers, ‘I’m not saying it’s going to be easy but we’ll get through it. Together. Okay?’   She didn’t contradict him though she did offer the slightest nod of recognition that caused him to pull back and wrap his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. The material was scratchy against her tearstained face but she leaned into him all the same, the comfort the embrace bought being worth the itchiness. She allowed him to hold her, clinging to her body as he clung to the idea that everything was going to be okay. She didn’t tell him that she doubted that was true, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Because he still had hope. He could still see the light at the end of the tunnel but for her, it was snuffed out. She hadn’t wanted to believe it but in her heart of hearts she knew from the look on the Colonel’s face, she could tell that there was nothing more they could do.   The same look that appeared a minute later as the Colonel came back through the door forcing them to break apart more prematurely than either of them wanted or needed.

‘They’re waiting,’ the Colonel said as Elvis let go of her. ‘Coming,’ he said but before he headed to follow him out the door he leaned down and kissed her gently.

‘As soon as I’m done we’ll do something okay?’ he said. Addison nodded. Satisfied with her answer he straightened up, smoothing out his uniform as he looked at the Colonel waiting impatiently by the door. ‘Let’s get this show on the road then,’ he said and then he disappeared out of the office. Once he was gone Addison moved back to the window, watching and waiting for him to emerge from the back of the house so he could head towards the office as tears started to roll down her cheeks once more.

 ✵✵✵ 

Addison was sitting on the toilet seat staring at the door handle as she willed herself to get up and go back in into the bedroom. Though Elvis had stuck to his guns and they had managed to spend the whole day together after the press conference she couldn’t get rid of that knot inside her. It hadn’t disappeared when he’d kissed every inch of her making her melt with each touch. It hadn’t disappeared when he had told her how much he loved her and that he always would. It hadn’t disappeared when they’d made love, his every move slow and adoring as they both tried to savour every part of it to memory. And it still hadn’t gone as she tried to work up the nerve to leave the little sanctuary she had made for herself. At least in here Elvis couldn’t see her cry. That was why she couldn’t bring herself to go and get into bed beside him, to kiss him, have him hold her because that knot wouldn’t go. It wouldn’t go because all of it felt as though it was the last time they would ever do it.   She didn’t know that on the other side of the door Elvis was loitering, wondering what he should do. At first, he had thought she was just preparing for bed but the longer she stayed in there the more worried he became that he had done something wrong. That in his desperation to commit every inch of her to memory for those long nights on base he’d freaked her out. He was just about to knock on the door when he heard it unlatch and, in a panic, he dove back into bed making the distance in a couple of leaps. Whether she noticed or not he couldn’t tell because she walked into the room silently and slipped into bed beside him, facing away from him much to his disappointment. He couldn’t do the same though so instead he slipped down into the bed and nuzzled up behind her, his arms wrapping around her as he held her as close as possible.   Neither of them said a word. Whether it was because they were just trying to take in the moment or because neither of them knew what to say it was unclear but the silence lasted until both of them drifted off into an uneasy sleep.   When they awoke it was Addison who was up first, scowling at the alarm clock as it blared out its mocking ring reminding her that it was nearly time to go. She was still in Elvis’ arms though he disturbed as she reached onto the nightstand to shut the noise off. When she moved back he’d flopped onto his back, sleepily reaching for her and pulling her into his chest as he mumbled, ‘morning.’ ‘Morning,’ she said quietly, resting her hand on his chest as her fingers traced shapes on the bare skin there. She could hear people below moving around no doubt panicking as they frantically tried to make sure everything was in place for when he was supposed to depart but she was too content to even care about getting him up and ready for leaving.   After a moment Elvis stirred, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he looked down at her blearily, a small smile on his lips. Without warning he rolled her onto her side, watching her with his baby blue eyes as his hand caressed the side of her face. Then he leaned in and kissed her pouring everything he had into that one moment. As her arms looped around his neck he pushed her backwards kissing her deeply before his mouth migrated down her neck to the sweet spot he knew made her squirm. It was foolish to even contemplate in a situation like this. He didn’t have time to mess around but as her breath hitched in her chest he couldn’t stop himself. He was going to carry on until she pushed him back with an apologetic look on her face as she glanced towards the clock on the nightstand that was now further along than both of them had anticipated.  Elvis sighed and sat up pulling her with him until they were sitting in the middle of his bed a mess of sheets and blankets around them. He watched her closely. The way her small hands played with his nervously. The way her flowing light brown locks fell around her face. The way her large hazel eyes watched him sadly.   ‘I love you, you know,’ Elvis said after a moment leaning in until they were mere inches apart. ‘I know,’ she said ‘More than anything,’ he said earnestly. ‘I know,’ she said with a sad smile. He leaned in to kiss her once more but it was disrupted as there was a rapt on the door that made him pull back suddenly. When no one came in he leapt out of bed and yanked the door open where he found a nervous-looking Marty standing on the other side.   ‘What?’ Elvis said leaning on the door frame as he watched his friend angrily. ‘The Colonel sent me to see if you were awake,’ Marty said. ‘Well I am now,’ Elvis said angrily. He didn’t know why he was so abrupt with him after all it wasn’t Marty’s fault he had to leave but as he glanced back to the bed he spotted Addison quietly moving towards the bathroom meaning that their moment was well and truly over. ‘I’ll go and tell him,’ Marty said. ‘You do that,’ Elvis said. As Marty scurried away he shut the door behind him, resting his head against it with a sigh as he heard Addison lock the bathroom door.   Neither of them said much as they got ready. He didn’t really know what he should say and Addison didn’t seem in an all that chatty mood either though he supposed when women had waved their husbands off to war there hadn’t been much chit-chat then either. When he came out of the bathroom, now dressed in his freshly pressed uniform, she was sitting on the bed waiting for him but she stood as he entered the room.   ‘Marty came back up again. Said we’ve not got long,’ she said heading towards the door but she stopped as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. ‘We can go down in a minute,’ he said, ‘there’s something I want to do first.’   Addison watched as he moved to his bedside drawer and fished something out before he returned to stand in front of her. In his hand was a small black box which when he opened it revealed a white gold ring housing the biggest diamond she’d ever seen in her life. Her eyes went wide making him chuckle.   ‘Don’t worry I ain’t gonna ask you to marry me,’ he smirked, ‘not yet at least.’ ‘I don’t understand,’ she said puzzled. ‘I just…I want you to know that this, all of this is for us. So one day I can put this ring on your hand like it’s meant to be,’ he said. ‘Oh Elvis,’ she said feeling tears sting at her eyes. ‘I love you Addison Goodwin and I ain’t gonna stop not for a minute until we’re back here together.’ ‘I love you too,’ she said her breath shaky in her throat. As he kissed her once again she let that seed of doubt melt away, desperate to believe that what he was saying would come true.   That feeling didn’t last long though as they were brought back to reality by another knock at the door. As Addison went to open it Elvis moved to put the ring box back in his nightstand. This time it was Red mumbling an apology as he told them that this time they really did need to head downstairs which they did reluctantly.   Waiting at the bottom was Vernon, Gladys, Dodger and a couple of the boys who would be helping get him to his destination safely as well as the Colonel who watched them come downstairs with a look of irritation on his face. Addison shrunk back out of the way as everyone started prepping for their departure. She would be the only one left behind.   Whilst Alan and Marty took the last of Elvis’ things out to the car Red checked his watch and said, ‘ready to go man?’ ‘Yeah, just give me a sec,’ Elvis said moving over to where Addison was sitting on the stairs watching them all quietly. She stood up as he reached her. ‘We really gotta go son,’ Vernon said though he backtracked as Elvis scowled at him, ‘but I’m sure a minute won’t hurt.’ ‘We’ll go and get in the car,’ Dodger said rolling her eyes at her son as she took gestured for Gladys and Vernon to follow her. Red and the Colonel remained inside, loitering by the open door which was blowing a furiously icy wind inside making Addison shiver though she was warmed as Elvis pulled her to him, out of earshot of the others.   ‘I don’t even know what to say,’ Elvis said with a sad chuckle. ‘Me either,’ she said quietly, ‘I think you said everything upstairs.’ ‘Yeah probably,’ he said leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead. Addison closed her eyes feeling the familiar sting of tears flood over her once more as he did so though she managed to blink them away as he pulled back. ‘We really have to go boss,’ Red said sympathetically, just loud enough for the pair to hear. ‘I’m comin’,’ Elvis said over his shoulder before he looked back at Addison. She nodded and pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself as he straightened up, his finger tilting her chin up to look at him as he said, ‘remember I’ll be back before ya know it.’ ‘Hope so,’ she said. Elvis smiled at her sadly and then moved away heading out the door with Red on his heels. As it shut behind them she moved forward to the window where she watched them jog down the path to where the cars were waiting. The last thing she saw of him was the back of his head disappearing inside the backseat of the Cadillac before it took off down the long driveway followed by the Lincoln. She didn’t even realise she wasn’t alone until she noticed another car move into the space the other had vacated, idling by the steps with Alan inside.   That was when she felt the Colonel enter the hallway bringing with him that seed of doubt. Except now it wasn’t a doubt. As she realised he hadn’t gone with them it became a realisation, everything slotting into place like a puzzle she never wanted to complete. He stood watching her, his hand on his cane as she watched out the window determined not to look at him for fear she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from crying.   ‘I’m not staying here, am I?’ she asked flatly. He didn’t speak at first which forced her to look at him watching her with mock sympathy. ‘No,’ he said. Addison took a shaky breath. ‘Where?’ she said looking at him in the eye. ‘A boarding school in Alabama,’ he said, ‘a good school by all accounts. Had to pull a few strings of course but they specialise in… troubled girls.’   Addison shook her head, her tongue in her cheek as she tried to will herself not to cry, ‘so that’s it? You ship me off and what? Elvis forgets I ever existed. That it? You know that’s not going to happen.’ ‘It’s amazing what a couple of years can do,’ the Colonel said cockily. ‘He’s not just going to forget about me,’ she scoffed. ‘Not at first no,’ the Colonel sighed, ‘but a few months of no contact, a couple of pretty Fräuleins. I’ve seen his head get turned for less.’ ‘He wouldn’t do that. He loves me,’ she said trying to convince herself that what the Colonel was saying wasn’t true. Elvis loved her. She knew that. ‘Why wouldn’t he? I mean, everyone else in your life has either left or betrayed you. Why would he be any different,’ the Colonels said. His words pierced her heart like a dagger and she could no longer keep herself from crying though it wasn’t tears of sadness but anger.   ‘Even if he does. Say he goes away and forgets all about me do you really think you can just erase me from his life? I have a home here. A family. Vernon and Gladys care about me. They’re not just going to let you ship me off to some boarding school like I never existed,’ she shouted getting close to his face. She was at least half a foot shorter than him but she refused to back down. The Colonel didn’t even seem phased by her shouting though, instead, he leant closer to her and said in almost a whisper, ‘who do you think signed off on it?’   He moved passed her then, leaving her standing in shock as she tried to process his words. They weren’t sinking in. None of it was. Even though she had suspected it for days if not weeks that something was coming, something bad, she had never anticipated it would have come from them. That her family, the people she had come to think of as her own would be okay with casting her aside like she was nothing. Like her mother would.   ‘They wouldn’t do that,’ she said in a small heartbroken voice after a moment. ‘You’re the girl who cost them their son,’ the Colonel said as she turned around to look at him. ‘You’re lying,’ she said, ‘whatever you’ve told them it’s lies.’ ‘Oh Miss Goodwin,’ he said with a smirk, ‘haven’t you learned by now? It’s never about the truth, it’s about what you can make them believe.’   He moved towards the door then and opened it allowing a cool rush of air to flow in that would have made her shiver if she wasn’t so shellshocked. He looked at her for a second, pity in his eyes at the devastation on her face if only for a moment.   ‘Tom Diskin will be here in thirty minutes to take you so you better pack a bag,’ he said grabbing his hat off the sideboard as he headed towards the door before he got to it though he turned back to add, ‘oh and your tuition is paid till graduation. After that, I don’t really care what you do.’ ‘Just as long as I don’t come back here huh?’ she said through a clenched jaw. ‘Precisely,’ he said placing the hat on his head.   And then he was gone leaving Addison alone in the middle of the room with only her thoughts. She didn’t know how long she stood there, her eyes on the door where he had left before she found her feet moving, heading towards her bedroom without her brain even realising.   She was in shock.   In the last year she had lost everything twice over. First her dad which had broken her. Then her mom, though admittedly she was less heartbroken about that one. Her home, not only the one she had shared with her dad but the one she was standing in now, the one that felt just as much of a home as any. Then the family she had come to think of as her own was gone now too. Was the Colonel right? Did they really hate her? Blame her for the reason Elvis had no choice but to leave. Elvis.   As he popped into her head her heart clenched in her chest. Of all the things to lose, losing him was the worst. He had been the one to rebuild her. The one who had brought her back to life, saved her life even, and now he was gone. She wanted to believe that their love would survive that no matter what vitriol the Colonel pumped into his ear whilst he was away. That no matter what he would never stop loving her but she doubted that was true. He’d thought of every inch of it so there was no doubt in her mind he’d have a plan for when Elvis asked questions. Even she had to admit as a snowman the Colonel had played a blinder. They had been no match for him.   So what choice did she have?   Fight or flight.   She could try and fight him but would anyone listen? How many people had he convinced that she was the reason Elvis had to go? If he had Gladys and Vernon on board surely everyone else would follow. Would she be fighting a losing battle? Not to mention she didn’t know how much fight she had left in her. Hell, she had spent the majority of her life fighting to do so now seemed exhausting. After all, she’d been running on empty when Elvis had first seen her at that fairground and that was months ago. A whole heartache ago. Whatever fight she had in her was gone.   She supposed she could run away. Forget the Colonel, forget everything and start over though she knew straight away that wasn’t an option. Not right now at least. If she ran away now she’d have nothing but the clothes on her back. At least if she did follow his offer she’d get an education out of it. It wasn’t any sort of consolation but it was better than nothing.

As she stuffed the last of her things into her suitcase she heard the rumble of a car pulling up the driveway which she suspected was Tom. She glanced at her clock and found that she was almost out of time but there was still one more thing she needed to do.   After a quick check to make sure everything was inside her suitcase she closed it, dumping it by the stairs as she raced upstairs to Elvis’ bedroom immediately going to his nightstand. There was a stack of books on top of it, ones he read almost every night, each one of them bookmarked by a picture of them. She rifled through each one, searching for the one she wanted. It was the one that had been in his wallet. The one of them at the party he had thrown for her. The one that had made her realise he loved her.   She knew he wouldn’t one day. That the Colonel would get his wish and he’d forget, fall out of love or find another pretty face to turn his head but that picture would prove it forever. That at one moment in time Elvis Presley loved her.   The world would never know it. But she would. And that would have to be enough.