#yes robert surprise andy lies

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Here’s that fic I mentioned that I started. The one where Sarah escaped the fire and ended up in hospital with trauma based amnesia and then shows up in January 2015 as Robert and Chrissie’s wedding planner right in the middle of affair era. Someone read the beginning and make me finish it at some point. Haha. I did have it mostly planned out. I just got lazy. 

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It’s Monday morning and Robert’s in the office, tapping his pen against the desk. He’s the first one in, hoping that shows his initiative. Tap, tap, tap turns into Aaron, Aaron, Aaron in his mind. Aaron’s all he can ever think about these days. And right now, Aaron’s mad with him, which grates on him, makes him itch for another touch, another taste that he can’t have until he gets Aaron to change his opinion of him again. He’d managed before, at Andy’s wedding. He can get him on side again. Aaron’s a challenge but he’s a people person. He can do this. And it’s not like Lachlan isn’t perfectly alright again, home from the hospital and back to being a pain and stressing Chrissie out. 

Tap, tap, tap. He should be calling a client back about a shoot they want to book next month but his mind can only focus on Aaron, Aaron, Aaron. 

He pulls out his phone and the taps become a text. ‘Kiss and make up?’ He writes, chuckling to himself. 

It’s Aaron’s birthday today, he knows. Vic had mentioned something the other day and he’d filed away the information in his head. He hopes Aaron doesn’t have big plans. Besides, what better present than Robert shagging him senseless? He doesn’t add that to the message, just smiles and hits send. Now he has to wait. 

The papers on his desk flutter as Chrissie blows into the room, wedding binder clutched in her arms. He doesn’t even think she sees him there as she starts rummaging through every stack of papers she can get her hands on, lines of frustration growing deeper on her forehead. 

“Have you seen the sample that the printer sent over for the order of service?” She asks. So she did see him. He takes too long to respond, so she stops her whirlwind and stares at him. “Robert?”

He makes a show of looking around his desk before shaking his head. “No,” he tells her. “Wasn’t that the whole point of hiring a new wedding planner in the first place? So they can keep all of this stuff straight?”

She huffs at him, looking irritated, which feels like her default with him at this point. He really should do something about that, so he gets up and starts helping her look for the sample which seems to please her. 

She’d fired their first wedding planner, Leyla, after the suit measuring incident. Chrissie just didn’t feel comfortable having her work so closely with her husband to be. It was ironic then that that incident had given him the motivation to seek out Aaron in the first place. He didn’t think much more on that, shifting papers around for a distraction. After that, Chrissie had taken over the wedding planning herself, which was worse, because it meant she checked in with him on everything. He knew more about floral arrangements and place cards and the food allergies of her friends than he ever wanted or needed to know. Still, it had been going alright and Aaron had often given him a much needed reprieve. Then Lachlan had gone and decided to end up in the hospital full of drugs, which was somehow his fault by all accounts and it had all become too much for her. Seating charts and dresses and first dance songs, none of it had been important when poor little Lucky had gotten himself into a mess. Still, there was a wedding to plan because despite being furious with him, he’d managed to make amends enough that she still wanted to marry him and he needed to make sure it stayed that way. All he’d worked for depended on it. 

He’d suggested hiring Leyla back but she wouldn’t hear of it, especially not since Katie had been in her ear again. Instead, she’d hired someone from Hotten and he’d encouraged it. Anything that got him out of being on hand for every decision. Except maybe cake tasting, he thinks he could do that. 

“I still have to show her what I’ve done so far,” Chrissie tells him, looking around frantically. “She’s coming here in half and hour. I need that sample.”

“Then we’ll find it,” he placates her as his phone buzzes in his pocket.

He pulls it out to see ‘A’ pop up on his screen. It makes him smile. He can’t help it but he quickly forces the corners of his mouth down before Chrissie sees. 

‘You think that’s all it’s going to take?’ reads the reply when he opens it. 

His fingers are tapping out a response before his brain can even tell him not to, ‘oh I think you know I can do so much more than that.’ 

His body is singing with nerves as he waits for a reply. 

“I expect you to be here when she arrives,” Chrissie says pointedly once she’s noticed he’s stopped going through the motions of looking for the sample. 

Robert sighs. He really hadn’t planned on sticking around for her meeting, hadn’t even remembered it was happening until right now. “I uh-“ he stalls, trying to think of an excuse. 

His phone buzzes in his hand again. ‘Fine. Barn in an hour. But ur not off the hook yet,’ he reads, picturing Aaron typing with that frown of his that’s not a frown. 

“I’ve got a meeting,” he tells Chrissie. “I can’t.” The amount of meetings he’s lied about in the last month are getting a bit out of hand but what can he do? 

“Surely this is more important,” she sounds cross with him. “Can’t Dad go?”

Lawrence can definitely not take this meeting for him. Still, he needs to keep on her good side or they won’t need this wedding planner at all. Abandoning the search, he sidles up to her, takes her hands in his and flashes that charming smile he’s perfected so well. “This is important,” he tells her, “you know it is. And I promise, I’ll make the next one and you can fill me in on every detail when I get back.” He can’t think of anything more tedious. 

She purses her lips in a pout, making them look so kissable so he leans in and captures them with his. It takes her a second or two of defiance before she’s kissing him back, wrapping her hands around his waist. He loves Chrissie, he reminds himself. For a second, he thinks maybe Aaron can wait. No one is around. He could just push all of the papers off of his desk and...he moves his lips across her cheek and down into her neck, reaching out toward the desk with his hand when he opens his eyes and sees it, the sample, tucked under a file folder that he swears he looked under before. 

“Here it is,” he says, pulling back. “Your print sample!”

Chrissie’s eyes light up. “Perfect!” She accepts it greedily and shoves it into her binder. “You don’t have to go right now do you? To this meeting?”

No, he thinks, licking his lips as he moves closer again, ready for more but she pushes him off. 

“Robert!” She scolds him with a laugh. “She’ll be here soon, the wedding planner. You can at least meet her before you go.”

He sighs, disappointed at being denied. Sex, he’s always been good at that part. It’s the rest of making a relationship work that he’s sometimes rubbish at. “Yes, I’ll meet her,” he says quickly as another text comes through for him. 

‘Well?’ Aaron asks him and he pictures him looking annoyed, glaring at the phone, a crease in his forehead between his eyebrows, but biting at his lip which always makes Robert weak for him. 

“Briefly,” he tells Chrissie, giving her a hug so he can text behind her back. ‘I’ll be there,’ he tells Aaron. To Chrissie, he says, “I really can’t be late to this meeting.”

—-

By the time the wedding planner is due to arrive he’s pacing, back and forth across the living room floor much to Chrissie’s annoyance. He can’t help it though. He knows how stroppy Aaron gets when he’s late. Although, part of him enjoys the grumpiness, the part of Aaron that doesn’t just fall at his feet, that makes him work for it. He must be mad. 

There’s a knock on the door and he’s hot on Chrissie’s heels as she goes to answer it, phone in his hand and ready to text Aaron and say he’s on his way. He’s already trying to think up an excuse if he’s late. Something that’s not ‘I had to meet with our wedding planner’. Nothing kills the mood more than reminding Aaron that he’s not the only one in his life. 

The door swings open and Robert looks up, his phone slipping from suddenly sweaty hands and crashing to the floor. He’s sure his screen’s cracked but that doesn’t matter, his eyes are locked on the ghost in the doorway. 

There’s concern in her eyes as she looks at him, concern he recognizes, remembers, has wished for, for years. It can’t be though. She’s older, but she would be. Her hair’s different, more modern, a bob with a bit of grey in it. Grey like she means for it to be there, like she’s proud of it. There’s still some of her old color too, though he’s sure it’s not real anymore. He doesn’t know if she’s real either. There’s crows feet around her eyes, that are still watching him curiously. Those are new. And then she smiles at him, maybe at Chrissie, but that smile is one he’s longed to see again, filled with the warmth of a home he’s been away from for too long. 

All so familiar but what makes him certain, what makes him blurt out the word as she introduces herself, Vicky Roberts, the wedding planner, is what he sees under the scarf around her neck. It’s there for warmth, he knows, the scarf. It is January in Yorkshire after all. Underneath though, creeping along her skin up toward her jaw is the puckered skin of a scar, a burn. On the hand she extends toward Chrissie there’s another, reaching back under the sleeve of her jumper and coat. 

“Mum?” The word feels heavy on his tongue and it lands like lead in the room as both women turn to gawp at him. 

—-

“Robert!” Chrissie’s voice is sharp, half with surprise and half scolding him like a child for making a scene. She scoops up his phone and if he had any of his wits about him at the moment he’d be glad for the cracked screen. “What are you-?” She starts but then whispers, “Don’t be rude.” 

He feels insane but it’s her, he’s so sure of it. Still, it can’t be. She’s been dead for so long. Surely he’s just seeing things. 

It’s the woman in the doorway herself who makes it feel like he’s not completely lost it. “You-you know me?” She asks, her voice small and tentative. 

“Well of course not,” Chrissie decides for the both of them. “Robert, darling, are you alright?” 

She thinks he’s gone mad. Maybe he has but his mum is standing there in front of him, looking desperate for him to speak again. 

“You’re my-“ It feels ridiculous for him to even say it again. “I think-“ he amends, “I think you’re my mum.” 

—-

She’s sitting in their living room now, his mum, Sarah, Vicky Roberts, and she can’t stop staring at him and he can’t stop looking at her. Chrissie’s moving around their little bubble, bringing them tea, asking how she likes it. 

“One sugar and a dash of milk,” Robert answers for her, the phrase coming back to him. 

“How did you-?” his mum questions through a smile. Chrissie’s waiting, not believing him. “He’s exactly right,” she confirms. 

He watches her sip at her tea and he feels like he’s gone back in time. She doesn’t remember the past though she’d told him. Amnesia from trauma from the fire she was in. She didn’t know anymore than that. Just that she’d been found on the side of the road just outside Hotten with no idea how she’d gotten there. A head wound and burns across her body had left her in a coma for months and when she’d come out of it her mind was blank and she’d been scrabbling around for some kind of familiarity ever since. 

“It was a barn fire,” Robert tells her, twitching at the words as they still bring him pain. He wants to tell her everything, spew out his entire life story and hers all at once, but he doesn’t want to overwhelm her, doesn’t want to ruin this before it really begins. It feels like at any moment she could just blink out of existence and he’ll wake up somewhere, drunk and maudlin about what he could have had. What else could this be but a dream?

She’s listening intently, hanging onto his every word. He’s a link to a past she thought lost forever. “I don’t remember,” she says, her frustration clear and then, “Sarah Sugden.” She’s said it a few times now, trying see how it feels. 

“You must remember something,” he says. “Where did Vicky Roberts come from?” He’s trying desperately to get her to grasp onto something too. What kind of cruel twist of fate to give him his mum back but without any of her left?

“I had to choose a name for myself and those just seemed right somehow,” she tells him. “And you’re...Robert.” She says the name with a thoughtful look and a slight grin on her face, happy that she held onto something. 

He smiles back at her, beaming at the knowledge that some part of him stayed with her. “You have a daughter, my sister. Her name is Victoria,” he explains further, his voice shaking with nerves. 

“A daughter,” she smiles again, working over the concept in her head. There’s sadness there too, he thinks. Sadness that she can’t remember, sadness that she’s missed out perhaps. He feels the same. 

“And...An-Andy,” he trips over his brother’s name, the two syllables stinging his tongue as he thinks about having to tell her it was Andy who started the fire. He can do that himself, Robert decides. Andy owes that to her, to him. 

Chrissie sits down next to him and he realizes he’d almost forgotten she was even here. She takes his hand in hers and squeezes, trying to be a comfort to him but he just feels suffocated all of a sudden. Next to her, in this house. Since he’d been back they’d been things to show off but now he feels almost embarrassed, even if his mum didn’t remember. He wonders what she makes of him, if she’s happy that he’s her son. He was always a disappointment to Jack, but never to her. He hopes that holds true now, deep down. 

—-

An hour later and he’s sitting beside her on the sofa, flipping through the faded, sticky pages of an old photo album, one she had put together once. It’s surreal sitting next to her, leaning over her shoulder and pointing out memories that she doesn’t have. Chrissie sits opposite them, trying get a look at the photos. He realizes he’s never even shown this to her. Trying to get ahead, it wasn’t the best idea to show off his more humble roots. 

“That’s Ollie,” Robert points at the owl in his arms. “I helped nurse him back to health and then I got so attached I didn’t want to set him free again,” he laughs, remembering.

His mum smiles again but nothing connects. 

“And that’s you holding Victoria just after she was born,” he says, running his finger over the plastic page and the photo underneath. 

“It’s so strange,” she stares at the picture, “seeing yourself doing things you don’t remember doing with people you feel like you’ve never met.” She pauses and does what he did, running her hand over the page before looking over at him. “Sorry,” she tells him. “These are all your memories and I can’t share them the way you want me to.”

Robert wants to hug her, tell her to take her time. Even if none of it comes back, she’s still here and alive and he’ll take that right now. He restrains himself though, not sure what she would make of him lunging at her. “Don’t be sorry,” he rushes to say instead. “It’s alright.”

“It’s not,” she sighs in frustration. “All I’ve wanted for fourteen years is to fill this hole in my brain.” She flips to the next page and stops, staring at a photo of her and Jack. Pointing at him, she turns to him again.

“That’s Dad,” he says, feeling uncomfortable when he thinks about what happened between them, what led her to be in that barn in the first place. 

She stares a moment longer, lines on her forehead deepening as she concentrates on the face of the man she married once. “Jack,” she pulls the name out of thin air and Robert gasps, never so happy to hear his father’s name. 

“You-you remember?” he blurts out. 

She seems surprised herself, sitting up, eyebrows raised. Her mouth opens again, forming the name silently. “I screamed it,” she says, sinking back into the sofa again, closing her eyes around a memory. “I can feel it, the heat closing in, strangling my voice but I screamed his name.” Her body shudders and she reaches up to kneed her forehead between two fingers. 

Again he wants to hug her, wrap her up in his arms and protect her the way he couldn’t back then. He settles on the squeeze of her shoulder, just to let her know that someone is here for her. Her eyes flutter open, startled and he’s afraid he’s made a mistake but then she settles again and leans into his touch. He feels his heart swell in his chest. 

“When I hired you, Robert, I did expect you to actually do some work,” Lawrence’s smug voice shatters the moment as he sweeps into the room, an intruder. 

“Dad!” Chrissie scolds him and shoots Robert an apologetic look as she flies up off of the chair and leads Lawrence back out again. 

A moment and a few whispered words later and he’s poking his head back in, wide eyed yet mistrustful. Robert’s only hated him more when he was faking that heart attack and interrupting his speech at the cemetery. It takes all his self control not to go off on him as he pops back out again. 

“My soon to be father in law who hates me,” he says by way of explanation. 

“Oh Robert, I’m sure he doesn’t hate you,” his mum tells him and he melts. She sounds so like how she used to and he wants to drown himself in that feeling. 

She seems to feel it too, some connection between them and she looks bewildered by it. He can’t imagine how she must be feeling about all of this. An hour or so ago she was Vicky Roberts, a woman with a blank past and now she finds out she has all of this family she’d forgotten. Her fingers press into her forehead again, right between her eyes, making small circles there and he squeezes her shoulder again, the only thing he can think to do. 

“Are you okay?” he asks. 

Bringing her hand back down to the page of the album, she shakes off whatever had come over her. “I’ll be fine,” she assures him, still staring at the photo. When she turns back to him she asks, “Jack...your dad, is-”

Robert swallows hard, doesn’t know if she remembers that they weren’t exactly together at the time. He doesn’t know how much this is going to hurt but he can’t lie to her. “He...died a few years ago,” he tells her. 

“Oh,” she sighs, and there seems not to be sadness so much as frustration at a potential connection lost. “And Victoria and...uh...Andy?”

That doesn’t hurt as much to answer. “They’re both still in the village,” he says. “Vic works at the pub. She’s a chef. And Andy...he’s a farmer. Like Dad.”

She looks at him carefully, like she’s studying him. “You didn’t want to be a farmer.” It’s not a question. 

His heart is in his throat. “You remember?” he nearly begs for the answer. 

“It’s all so hazy,” she says, massaging her forehead again. “Like putting together a puzzle in the dark without all of the pieces. This, this is more than I’ve ever remembered before though. Being here, with you, seeing all of these pictures, it’s helping. I-I don’t-I don’t want the memories to stop.” 

Robert smiles at her, his eyes tearing up. He never cries, not anymore, but having her here means more to him than anything else ever could. “I don’t either,” he agrees. “I can take you to the village, to the pub. Vic has a shift today. Maybe it’ll help.” 

“I’d like that very much,” she says, her smile matching his along with the glistening tears in her eyes. 

Chrissie appears in the doorway again, looking like a bit of a spare part and hating it. “Well that’s Dad sorted. Can I get anyone anything else?” 

Robert stands, helping his mum up from the sofa and grabbing her coat from where it was laid over the back. “I was going to take her to the pub actually.” 

“Oh right, of course,” Chrissie spits out quickly. 

Reluctantly, Robert leaves his mum’s side and rounds the coffee table and the chairs and takes Chrissie’s arms in his. “You don’t mind do you? Only-”

“Of course I don’t mind,” she tells him. “Robert this is your mum. If I could have my mum back-”

“I know,” he whispers and kisses her cheek. “And thank you.” 

His mum is by his side again, reaching out towards Chrissie, a hand on her arm above his own. “I’m so sorry. I came here with a job to do and I’ve-well we’ve gotten a bit side-tracked haven’t we?” 

“Don’t be silly,” Chrissie assures her, a warm smile on her face. “This is more important.” 

“And so is my son’s wedding,” she beams back and Robert feels his heart beat just a bit faster at hearing her call him her son. “We will reschedule. I promise.” 

Chrissie nods, tears in her eyes as well as she takes in the moment, mother and son reunited, before shooing them towards the door. With a returned kiss on his cheek, she hands him his coat and wishes him luck.

—-

“I can’t believe it,” Vic just keeps saying over and over again, clutching her blue chef’s hat in tight, shaking hands. “I can’t actually- can I hug you?”

She doesn’t even let her answer before she’s flinging arms around their mum, burying her tear stained face into the folds of her jumper and scarf. For a moment Sarah freezes, unsure, but then something kicks in and she’s wrapping his little sister up in a warm embrace. Jealousy washes over him for a second before he pushes it down, feeling the acute absence of her arms around him. He wishes he had asked for a hug. 

“Let her breathe Victoria,” Diane warns her off with a good natured laugh when the hug lasts a bit too long. 

“Sorry, sorry,” she apologizes as she backs off, straightening Sarah’s scarf for her. “I just-“

“Can’t believe it?” Sarah finishes for her. “Neither can I. Certainly not what I expected when I took this job.”

“Job?” Vic asks. He didn’t really get a chance to explain the whole thing yet. 

“She’s our new wedding planner,” Robert tells her. “If we haven’t scared her off.” He adds the last bit in, in some desperate need to gauge the situation all of a sudden. 

“Oh that’s perfect, Rob!” Vic’s eyes light up. “Hey does that mean you’re actually going to give me the cake job then? Cause I’ve got ideas-“

“Vic!” He rolls his eyes. She’s been at him for a month now asking about it. 

“I’d love to hear about them,” Sarah tells her, both in wedding planner and mum mode at the same time. “And of course you haven’t scared me off.” 

There’s quiet voices behind them at the door that cease the moment they spot Sarah. Robert turns to see Andy there and the relaxed, warmth he’d been feeling immediately runs cold and his body stiffens. Katie’s on his arm, looking frosty. She still hasn’t forgiven him for the rings and ruining the wedding and normally when he’s reminded of it, he feels mostly smug about even if he wishes he hadn’t done it. Anything to wind her up. Now, he just feels ashamed, standing next to his mum. She’d probably have been furious along with the rest of them if she’d been here.

She could have been here, he thinks, looking at Andy. His brother might not have killed her in the end but he took her from him all the same. All the hatred he had for him back then comes bubbling back to the surface, all compressed and forced into a single withering stare. Andy has the decency to look guilty when he looks at Sarah but he hardly even bothers to glance his way, which only makes Robert all the more furious. 

All these years, he could have had his mum. When Andy and Jack were united against him, he could have had her on his side. He might have done better in school, on his exams, if he’d had her there to encourage him, rather than just his dad’s disappointment hanging over him. He might not have ended up on that road near Wilson’s field, playing chicken and ready to kill his brother. He might never have been sent away, from his home, his family. So many what ifs swirl around in his head, making him dizzy. 

“Hi,” he barely hears Andy say sheepishly even though he’s right in front of him. 

“And you’re Andy,” she replies kindly but her expression looks a bit blank and it makes Robert a bit smug to know he has more of a connection with her than him. 

“It’s so-I can’t believe-I-“ Andy stutters as he studies her. Robert sees the exact moment he notices the burn scars on her neck because his face goes white as a sheet and he blurts out an, “I’m so sorry.” 

There’s tears in his eyes now and Robert’s too although his burn with hatred. Sarah looks taken aback by the display of emotion. She doesn’t have a clue and despite his anger, Robert doesn’t want to be the one to explain it to her. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to. 

“I did it,” Andy blurts again, Katie hanging on his arm, trying to calm him down. The early pub goers are staring now, no one else is really there who knows the tale though. 

“Did what?” Sarah asks, her face contorted in her confusion. The creases in her forehead deepen more as she tries to work out something she feels like she should remember. This isn’t one of those memories she should have though. 

“I’m sorry,” Andy sobs and now Vic’s crying and Diane’s coming around the bar to comfort him and Robert just wants to roll his eyes. Andy’s trying to admit he almost burned his mum alive and they’re still falling all over themselves to be there for him. And what does he ever get? Nothing. 

“Oh Andy,” Diane tries to soothe him. 

Vic chimes in with an “Andy no.”

Robert doesn’t understand why his sister isn’t more upset with Andy for taking her mum away like he is. It only angers him more, his hands balled into fists at his sides, fingernails digging into his palms. 

“I-I-I did it, I started the fire,” he finally gets out. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“You didn’t mean it?” Sarah’s tone is harsh and Robert feels vindicated for a moment. 

“I didn’t know anyone was in there,” he tries to explain frantically. “It was-it was for the insurance. It was stupid, I know, but the farm was failing and I wanted to help Dad and-“ 

Sarah backs up against the bar, using it to support her weight as she sags against it. It’s too much for her, Robert can see that, trying to process it all. Andy takes a step forward, still sobbing out apology after apology but Robert puts himself between them, a stern look on his face, hoping Andy gets the message. 

“I shouldn’t have come,” Andy sighs. “I’m so sorry. Please believe that.” 

He pulls free of Vic’s and Diane’s and Katie’s grasps and hurries out of the pub amongst the whispers of the punters. Before she runs after him, Katie shoots him a dagger filled glare that promises him death if he makes this worse. He only shrugs at her. Let Andy feel bad for what he did. He should. 

Turning back to his mum, he helps her up onto one of the bar stools and Chas who’s joined them, briefed on the situation by Diane, gets her a glass of water. She’s got her eyes closed again and he wonders if she’s reliving the fire. Abandoning some of his earlier restraint, he pulls her into a one armed embrace and she lays her head on his shoulder. He couldn’t save her back then, but he can be here for her now. 

—-

“Here you are,” Marlon says brightly, as he sets out their food in front of them. He doesn’t go though, just stands there with his hands on his hips, staring. “I just, wow,” he gasps. “Oh! You probably don’t remember me!”

“No,” she replies politely, but again, Robert can see the frustration simmering underneath. “I take it I should.”

“Marlon,” he introduces himself, “Marlon Dingle. We used to work together once! Like mother like daughter I guess, but well-“

“Marlon,” Robert cuts off his rambling before he sits down and recounts their whole history. There’ll be time for that later if she wants. 

“Oh, right, sorry. I’ll just let you get on,” the gangly chef apologizes and heads back to the kitchen. 

Sarah hangs her head as he goes, looking a bit defeated, a bit angry at herself. Over her head, Robert shares a worried look with Vic, both of them out of their depth with this. Fingertips pinch at her forehead again, like if she massages it enough, all of her memories will come back to her. He wishes that were the case. 

“I should remember,” Sarah chastises herself, staring blankly at her meal. Robert hates seeing her like this, empty. He wants to see the quick witted fire back in her he remembers from his youth. “And I should...I should go after...after-”

“Andy?” Vic provides the name for her with a gentle smile. “Katie’s with him. She’ll sort him.” 

“Katie,” she says the name to herself like she’s trying to hold onto it. 

“His wife,” Vic fills in the blank. “It just, it took him a long time to get over what he’d done. Seeing you, it’s just brought it all back up.” She pauses, eyes full of sympathy, letting Sarah process the information and Robert keeps his mouth shut, or tries to, managing to only let out a quiet grunt of derision for his brother. “It really was an accident though.” 

An accident that changed everything, Robert curses Andy to himself as he pushes his food around his plate. He’s not hungry even though it’s lunchtime now. He should just be enjoying having his mum back but instead he can’t stop his mind from working on overdrive. There’s others in the pub now too, gawking at them. Zak and Lisa are there and Paddy and they’ve got matching bewildered looks on their faces, mouths hanging open and closing so as to not draw attention. Robert sees them though, sees another familiar face wander into the bar as well. He’d forgotten about Aaron, about their barn meeting, his useless phone still smashed up back at Home Farm. Catching his eye, Aaron fixes him with an irritated glare and one of his frowns, this one saying ‘I don’t care about you’. Robert feels his heart sink at that but even as it does, he can feel shame prickling up his spine as he sits next to his mum. He tries to focus on her, on the conversation she’s having with Vic beside him. 

“-out of the barn?” he catches Vic saying. 

“I’ve tried so hard to piece it together over the years,” Sarah tells her, “but I’ve blocked so much out. I barely even remembered the fire beyond the feeling of burning before today.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Victoria cringe at the words and an apologetic expression wash over his mum’s face. But with his divided attention, he’s still watching Aaron at the bar, greeting Zak and Lisa, having an awkward exchange with Paddy who gives him some kind of envelope. A card. His birthday, Robert remembers suddenly, remembers all the plans he had for Aaron that morning. 

“Sorry love,” he hears Chas tell him, nodding in the direction of their table, “You’ve been a bit upstaged today,” 

Aaron shrugs and follows her gaze and they lock eyes again briefly but he doesn’t linger on him long before moving onto Sarah. “Who is that then?” 

“Sarah Sugden back from the dead apparently,” Chas says it so flippantly, barely scratching the surface on what a monumental moment this is for him. “I never knew her but it’s knocked Vic and Diane for six.” Robert doesn’t miss that she leaves him out. 

Aaron doesn’t ignore him though, eyes flitting back to his, widening in disbelief and Robert can only nod to confirm it’s real. For a moment, he’s caught, transfixed in Aaron’s gaze, lost in the concern for him he sees there, and then suddenly he’s back to spiraling, the what ifs assaulting his brain again. 

Beside him, Sarah notices a picture hanging on the wall. “Is that Jack?” he hears her ask. 

Vic’s on hand with an answer, “Yes! You remember Dad?” Her excitement pours out of her but it does nothing to penetrate the constant barrage of thoughts swimming around in his head. 

What if Andy had never lit that match? What if his mum had come home that night?

“Only bits and pieces,” Sarah tells Vic. 

He hears Vic’s sigh of disappointment humming underneath more questions.

What if his mum and dad had worked things out? What if she had moved back in? 

At the bar the Dingles are talking, Paddy stuttering through a story about Sarah to Chas, Chas mostly ignoring him and focusing on Aaron, asking him if he wants a birthday pint. 

What if they had become a proper family again? 

“-on the wall?” Sarah asks and he missed the first half. “Did he own this place?”

“Oh,” Vic goes quiet for a moment in time for another question as Aaron ignores Chas’s question about the pint to keep focusing on him. 

What if his mum had been there that that summer? When Tom had been helping on the farm? 

“He uh-” Vic pauses again and he can see her looking at him for help but he has none to offer. 

“It’s alright Victoria,” Sarah tells her, gives her hand a squeeze, her other hand still massaging her forehead. “I want to know as much as possible. Good or bad.” 

What if she had found him in his room-

“After,” Vic starts, “after you-well he married Diane.” He sees her point to the woman in question, serving another punter behind the bar. “She put his picture up after he...after he died. To honor his memory.” 

-when he kissed- Aaron’s name flashes in his mind before he corrects himself - Tom? 

“He was with her before,” he hears Sarah say. “Wasn’t he?” 

“I don’t-” Vic stops, unsure of herself. 

What if he had told her about Tom in the first place? That he liked him? What if- 

“Are you okay?” Vic asks.

It’s too much, he thinks. 

“It’s too much,” Sarah says his words out loud, making him swing his head back towards his mum, angry at himself for getting distracted. 

She’s got her head in her hands, her face gone pale and she’s shaking ever so slightly. 

“Mum!” he shouts over his own thoughts, his voice too loud. He startles her and she turns toward him looking rattled, panicked. 

“Mum,” Vic echoes him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, being a damn sight more useful than him at the moment. “Let’s get you to the back room. You can have a lie down.” She gets her up and looks toward the bar. “Diane?” 

“Of course, pet,” Diane tells her, moving Dingles out of the way so she can let them through easier. 

Robert abandons their lunches, trailing after them in a daze still himself. It was all too much, the thoughts swirling around in his head, all the pieces of memories flooding back into hers. Maybe the pub hadn’t been such a good idea but she’d wanted to come. She’d wanted more, he tells himself to assuage the guilt. On his way through, he brushes by Aaron, exchanging another glance, Aaron’s eyes full of worry, not for his mum but for him. Their arms brush, shoulder to fingertips and he can’t help but wish it lasted longer before he’s following Vic and his mum and Diane into the back, watching his little sister pull it together to settle Sarah down on the sofa. Diane’s getting her a glass of water and he’s just standing there like a spare part. He should be doing something, offering to call her doctor, something practical. That’s how he usually operates but all he can do is stare, thinking. 

After another moment, frozen, Aaron comes through, Chas on his heels, offering help if needed. Robert can’t help thinking that Aaron should be furious with him for missing their barn meeting, should be telling him he’s blown it, that he should pull his investment from their non existent business or something, but instead, he’s just standing there, wanting to help in any way he can. And Robert wants him to.

What if she had known that he liked-what if she’d been alright with it? 

“I need some air,” he says suddenly, the words barely a whisper. 

“Robert!” he hears Vic shout after him but he doesn’t stop, needs to get out of there for just a minute or two. 

---

He’s found himself a spot on the picnic benches, head resting in his hands, body shivering because like an idiot, he’d gone out without a coat on. It doesn’t matter though; he can’t go back in yet. Not until he clears his mind. He shouldn’t be thinking like this. He has her here now and he should be in there helping her. Chrissie should be with him but he’d left her behind and Aaron-

The bench dips underneath his thighs as extra weight is added to it, a pair of black jeans appearing next to his blue ones. Reluctantly, he looks up to find Aaron watching him. His cheeks are flushed from the cold and his gelled hair is being blown free from its hold by the wind, but his eyes are kind and Robert knows he doesn’t deserve them. 

“What was all that about then?” Aaron asks him. “They’re all worried.” 

“Doubtful,” Robert defaults. 

“Your mum is,” Aaron says softly and yeah, maybe just maybe that’s true. He’d forgotten what that was like. “Guess now I know why you stood me up.” 

There’s that frown that’s not a frown again and it both settles something in him and flips it on its head all over again. “I didn’t-I meant-” he’s stuttering like Paddy now. “I was coming and then Chrissie-she wanted me to meet the wedding planner.”

“Wedding planner?” 

“My mum was the wedding planner,” he explains. 

Aaron laughs, covers it quickly, but laughs all the same and yeah, if he wasn’t all twisted up inside, it probably would be funny. He can’t laugh though so instead he watches the little puffs of breath from Aaron’s laugh dance in the cold air in front of his lips before they disappear. 

“Wow,” Aaron sighs, shaking his head, before he turns more serious. “What ya doing out here then, eh? I know how much she means to you.” 

He does know, Robert thinks. He’s the only one that listened to him when he was upset about Lawrence ruining his speech at her memorial and they barely even knew each other then. Aaron’s always ready to listen, just like now. 

“I just-” Only he doesn’t know quite what to say. “Andy was here.”

“Oh?”

“You know what he did,” Robert says. “He told her. I didn’t think he’d have the balls but he told her.” 

“Shit,” Aaron assesses the gravity of the situation succinctly. 

“And all I could think was what if-” he stops himself. He can’t tell Aaron all of this. There has to be some shortened version, something he can say to make it all make sense. “I could be-if he-never mind.” 

Flustered, he pushes himself up from the table and stalks off, hands tucked into his armpits for warmth, getting further and further away from where he should be. His mum is here, she’s here and she’s struggling and he’s running around the village like an idiot because-he can’t finish that thought. 

---

Aaron finds him on the bridge, leaning over the railing, half wishing the river was deeper so he could just jump in and let it carry him away for a while. Quietly, gently, Aaron takes the place beside him, mirroring his pose, elbows up on the railing, a small gap between their bodies that Robert dares himself to close. He doesn’t and neither does Aaron. They just stand there in silence for a while, watching the cold water below. 

Eventually, Aaron speaks. “I use to play a game with myself,” he says softly. “What if my mum had never left me as a kid? What if she had taken me with her when she went? What if I’d grown up surrounded by my mad family instead of isolated with my dad?”

The word ‘isolated’ strikes him as odd but Aaron rarely talks this much so he listens. 

“Would my life have been different?” he continues. “Would it have been better? Would I have been better? Less of the screwed up mess that I am?”

“You’re not,” Robert can’t help himself but say. 

Aaron huffs. “Yeah well you don’t know me that well, but you’ve seen-” he pauses, curls in on himself a bit, “my scars.” 

Robert thinks back to that night in that - gay bar - what he’d said before he stormed out. He hadn’t regretted it enough then but he does now, seeing the way Aaron looks when he says the words. It was just, being in that place, it put him on edge. That wasn’t him, no matter what box Aaron wanted to put him in. That was one time Aaron wasn’t listening, not properly, not about Andy and the ring. He didn’t get it but maybe now-

“What if Andy hadn’t started that fire?” Robert says. “Maybe he didn’t kill her but I lost her all the same. What if I hadn’t? She always-she always understood me you know?” “Suppose someone had to,” Aaron quips, knocking shoulders with him to lighten the seriousness of the mood. He’s grateful, despite being teased. 

“My dad never did,” he admits. “Everything changed when I lost her. My relationship with Andy, Dad. I set out on this path trying to prove- what do you do when you feel like you could have been a whole different person with a whole different life if you’d just-”

“You accept the way things are,” Aaron tells him plainly. “I’ve got my mum back in my life now and we’re in a good place. You could have the same.” 

“I’ve missed her,” he blurts out. “So much.” 

“I know,” Aaron says, a hand patting his shoulder and pulling him towards him. “Come here.” 

A hug. They haven’t done this before and it shows, Aaron’s arms awkwardly wrapping around him, one over his shoulder and one under his arm. They don’t fit at first. Aaron’s on his toes and Robert’s just standing there, too stunned to make an effort. And then, warm, Aaron’s warm and his fingers are clutching at the back of his jumper, bunching up the fabric and tugging him in and finally, Robert allows himself to let go. He buries his face into the folds of Aaron’s worn purple hoodie, hands stretching across his back and meeting in the middle as they press closer to one another. They’ve seen each other without clothes but this is the most naked he’s ever felt with him. It’s too much and not enough all at the same time. 

What if his mum had known back then he’d liked Tom? What if she’d known he’d liked boys as well as girls? What if she’d accepted him? What if this could be-no-no-Aaron told him to accept the way things are. He’s with Chrissie. He loves her. They’re getting married. His mum showed up as his wedding planner. She’s there at the pub, back in his life after all this time and he’s here, wasting his time on some fling, something that’s not even real. He can’t do this. 

“I can’t,” he sputters, pushing Aaron away. 

He tries to ignore it, but he can’t miss the hurt on Aaron’s face. It’s better this way though, to break it off now before either of them get in too deep. And yet-he lies to himself like he has before. He’s got Chrissie and that’s enough. It’s time to go. 

“Sorry,” he manages at least before he’s taking off across the bridge and back towards the Woolpack.

“Robert!” Aaron’s call follows him for a time but he just pushes onward, trying not to listen.

[newagesispage]

                                                                JULY                                   2021

 THE RIB PAGE

 *****

They are still uncovering statues on Easter Island.

*****

Everyone is talking about ‘Exterminate all the Brutes” from Raoul Peck.

*****

Vampire bats, prevalent in Latin America may be on the way to the U.S.

*****

What they call faith, I call strength.

*****

Criss angel will open CABLP, a restaurant in Overton, Nevada. The letters stand for breakfast, lunch and pizza and will include a free meal outreach program to help under privileged and pediatric cancer families.

*****

A fifth ocean in Antartica??** There have also found 4 new ocean species: Apolemia, Tegula Kusairo, Leptarma Biju and Duobrachium Sparksae.

*****

In China they have found a possible new species in a skull that is 140,000 years old.

*****

Why would Jeffrey Toobin be back at CNN?? Surely there are more young deserving talking heads around.

*****

The Keystone pipeline is dead.

*****

5,000 pounds of explosives were discovered in a home in South LA. LAPD seems to have detonated the fireworks in a truck right there in the neighborhood. They were too dangerous to transport but not enough to blow them up??? How stupid are these people??

*****

Days alert : So glad to see Clyde again even if it is only for a moment!! **BTW, I do not understand the Daytime Emmy noms this year as they relate to Days. I really was pulling for Victoria Koneful (Ciara) and she won but George DelHoya (Orpheus), Tamara Braun (Ava) and Cady McClain (Jennifer)??? I was shocked when Cady McClain won. I mean, she was so whiny. I question my own ability to judge a performance. In most categories, the winner was usually the one I thought was the worst option. I was happy for Max Gail and CBS Sunday Morning.  Some performances were sure overlooked. What about James Read (Clyde), Paul Telfer (Xander), Bryan Dattilo (Lucas), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Daniel Kerr (Eli) and Lindsay Arnold (Allie) ?? As annoying as the Kristen character is and as long as it took me to get used to Stacy Haiduk in the role, she kicked ass this year. Did they even submit clips?? And,  they are not often on but Tony and Anna forever!!!!!!** And how wonderful is it to see the Dimera boys all together and recounting the whole fam for the votes? **And one more thing, Days was not even nominated for writing while Bold and the Beautiful spends every other show with the Liam character standing in front of the fireplace making excuses for the same shit! Just push repeat, C,mon!!**Philip had a great line for Brady about following Kristen like a zombie.** Dis Eli really say, “Peacock and chill??’ Are these the things they will have to do to do to stay on the air? It took me right out of the show. It was the same day the ads for Days on Peacock started. OMG

*****

Texas Gov. Abbott vetoed a bill that would make it illegal to chain up dogs without water.**ATexas churches have lost their 501(c) (3) status because it actively ‘educates’ its members on electing specific Republican politicians. –Pete West* This should have been happening long ago. Many churches I know of do this and should not be allowed to have it both ways. #tax the church

*****

Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, Christopher Lloyd, James Caan, French Stewart and Ann-Margaret in Queen Bees and directed by Michael Lembeck?? Yes please!!

*****

NY has suspended Giuliani’s law license.

*****

Miracle Workers: The Oregon Trail is coming to TBS, this will be season 3 in the series.

*****

What is this about Bowen Yang?? A podcast about a sperm bank heist?? Yeow!!

*****

David Geffen has given $150,000,000 to Yale drama school: Every student will be tuition- free in perpetuity.

*****

Allison Mack was sentenced to 3 years.

*****

The latest in sexual assault news: James Franco has agreed to 2.2 mil settlement in sexual misconduct case.** Kyle Massey was charged with immoral communication with a minor.**Bill Cosby is out and here are some reactions: A terrible wrong is being righted.: a miscarriage of justice is corrected. I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward.- Phylicia Rashad*I really don’t ever want to hear again as to why many survivors don’t report their rape or assault.- Charlotte Clymer* Women are showing great restraint in not burning everything to the ground right now and I don’t know how they do it.-Jeff Tiedrich

*****

Amazon is making a series of A League of Their Own with Nick Offerman as the coach.

*****

Does anyone else have family members that are rich, transient, know it all snobs??

*****

It looks like New York’s ranked choice voting is leaning toward Eric Adams for Mayor.

*****

Michigan republicans investigating voter fraud found 2 incidents. One is for a lady who voted by mail and then died, the other was confusion over a man who had the same name as his Father. That was it!

*****

Jamie Lee Curtis will get the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 78th Venice International Film Fest in September.

*****

Jerry Seinfeld will star in and direct ‘Unfrosted’ about Pop-Tarts.

*****

Why is Airbnb still listing properties in illegal settlements and outposts in Palestinian occupied territories? –James J. Zogby

*****

Merrick Garland has announced that the Justice department sued Georgia over the voting rights.

*****

The NFL says that it will halt the use of “race norming” which assumed black players started out with lower cognitive functioning in a $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims. The practice had made it harder for black players to qualify. –The Associated Press.

*****

Scary Clown 45 ended his ‘From the desk of Donald J. Trump’ blog after 29 days. Word is that he felt he was being mocked in the media.

*****

Religious leadership keeps engaging in partisan politics on behalf of politicians that are particularly unpopular with younger people and they wonder why younger people are disenchanted with the church. – Schooley ** Give young people credit as well for seeing through the hype and lies of these religious hypocrites who use God only as a weapon and a threat. –Larry Charles

*****

Amazon will stop drug testing for employment. Can every other company jump on this bandwagon? Let’s judge employees on the work they give.

*****

The Backstreet Boys and NSync are going to work together??!!

*****

Showtime is bringing back American Gigolo with Jon Bernthal.

*****

If Biden can carry out air strikes without proper authorization, the Senate can raise the minimum wage without the Parliamentarian.  –Alexandra M. Hunt

Reality Winner is out!!

*****

Judy Woodruff has been given the Peabody award for journalistic integrity.

*****

Donald Glover is bringing us Hive. Malia Obama will be a writer.

*****

Nicholas Cage has married Riko Shibata.

*****

Catch and Kill: The podcast tapes, is here on HBO.

*****

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening will star in Jerry and Marge go large.

*****

Amblin Partners and Netflix are partners.

*****

Fall 2022 will bring the Roybal School of film and television production for underserved communities. They are looking to help 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Among others, the program was cofounded by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling and Eva Longoria.

*****

Will there be a Wedding Crashers2??

*****

The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Tony Hale.** I would love to see he and Danny Pudi in something together.

*****

Actor Stephen Amell from Arrow was removed from a plane after getting into it with his wife.  A source said he was drunk and screaming. An official source said that they removed “an unruly customer.”** Andy Dick was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, allegedly assaulting his partner, Lucas with a metal chair.

*****

So.. Fox news was digitally altering the faces of people they did not care for??? Is there no end to their bullshit????

*****

Mark Ronson is set to marry Grace Gummer.

*****

Crime shows seem to be in the cycle of prisoners and the women who get a thrill from helping them escape.

*****

Wolfgang Van Halen has released a debut album: Mammoth

*****

Everyone seems to love Danny Trejo’s memoir and its honesty.

*****

David Spade will take over as host of Bachelor in Paradise.

*****

I am sickened when I see the first question that pops up on an online search is the net worth of a person. Oh this twisted world.

*****

Life is a short pause between 2 great mysteries. –Jung

*****

Prince Harry and Meghan had a daughter that they named Lilibet ‘Lili” Diana.

*****

Michael Flynn’s brother Charles (who withheld help from the capitol on Jan. 6), leads the U.S. Army Pacific and commands 90,000 troops.

*****

I am so excited to read ‘The Boys’ from Clint and Ron Howard, due out in October.

*****

Dave Chappelle closed out the Tribeca film fest with a surprise concert. This was the first in person film fest since Covid. Look for This time, this place which premiered there.

*****

Ron Wood will release the album Mr. Luck: A tribute to Jimmy Reed on Sept. 3

*****

Howard Stern signed a new $500 mil contract with Sirius XM. He is taking the whole summer off and many fans say they will cancel their subscription because they don’t want to pay for a summer of reruns.

*****

Acorn will bring Jane Seymour back to a series. Seymour will be co -executive produce on Harry Wild. Her character will be a retired University professor who loves her whiskey and solves crimes.

*****

Annie Murphy  stasr in ‘Kevin can f*** himself about a sitcom wife which airs on AMC.

*****

I still do not understand why Rep. Mike Nearman hasn’t been arrested for letting insurrectionists into the Capitol.

*****

There is a wing shortage??

*****

The Pulitzer prizes have been announced. The list includes Ben Faub, Barry Blitt, Katori Hall, Emilio Morenatti, AP photographers Marcio Jose Sanchez, Alex Brandon, David Goldman, Julio Cortez, John Minchillo, Frank Franklin II, Ringo H.W. Chiu, Evan Vucci, Mike Stewart and Noah Berger. There was a special citation for Darnella Frazier who filmed the death of George Floyd.

*****

Conan’s last TBS guests were Martin Short, Jack Black, Bill Hader, Mila Kunis, Dana Carvey, Patton Oswalt and JB Smoove. There were some surprises.  The big musical number never happened when Jack Black hurt himself. It was all funny and sweet but Conan never mentioned the band in the last show WTF????????????????????????????????????????? Music is so important to him and he does not thank the band? ** Colbert and Brian Stack gave Conan a cute send after4, 368 shows on CBS calling him a ‘Slenderman Ron Weasly’.  Kimmel wished Conn well also.** Hope his HBO MAX variety show goes well.** BTW, the Duvall interview with Colbert was great to see but why does nobody ever mention ‘Get Low?’ What a performance!!

*****

Tattoos are on the rise.

*****

Fast food drive thru’s sometime close with fake excuses like the equipment is down or something because they don’t feel like working. Good people can’t find work and so many waste the opportunities they have. AAAAGHH!!

*****

Valerie Bertinelli and Demi Lovato will star in ‘Hungry’ on NBC.

*****

Hulu will bring us David E. Kelley’s Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale and Melissa McCarthy.

*****

R.I.P. Gavin Macleod, Frank Bonner, Joy Vogelsang, Benigno Aquino, Champ Biden, victims of the Miami building collapse, Robert Sacchi, Stuart Damon, Johnny Solinger  and Clarence Williams III.

[originalhybridloverfics]

Why Can’t We Be Like That - Ch17

A/N: I'm sure this has mistakes but I've been up since 6:30 in the morning and it is now after one in the morning. I just finished a 14-hour shift. Honestly, I am exhausted but I promise one of my loyal readers I would get this out, it a little late but it's still here.

Felicity looked at her phone as it buzzed. She had spent the last few hours at her desk, going over some proposals for work. 

Seeing Tommy’s name flashing across her phone was a bit of surprise. She had spoken to him a few times since he stopped by her place, but it was always in person. Not over the phone.  

Felicity reached for her cell, her fingers grazing the edge. 

“Felicity,” Her assistant came rushing inside the room, hair tousled. “We have a major problem. You’re needed down in the IT department. ASAP.” 

Felicity sighed and forgot about answering her phone, getting up from her desk, she followed her assistant out to see what disaster had struck her former department today. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Tommy clenched his jaw in frustration as his call went to Felicity’s voicemail for the fourth time. “Felicity, I didn’t really want to leave this on your message machine, but I feel I should warn you that Sara and Laurel or planning to corner you into talking about Oliver and what they believe is going on with you. Call me when you get this.”

Tommy slipped his phone back in his pocket, walking into his club, he needed to check inventory and work on the work schedule for this week. 

He had been trying to get a hold of Felicity all day but couldn’t see to get her on the phone, and he had too many things to do today so he couldn’t just drop by Queen Consolidated to talk to her in person. 

He wanted to warn her. He overheard Laurel and Sara earlier. Laurel had utterly ignored him a couple of days before about leaving Felicity alone, and now she and Sara were planning some kind intervention for Felicity that was completely unnecessary. 

Laurel and Sara were so high up on their high horse, believing they were right, that they were on the higher moral ground, and Felicity wasn’t that neither of them could see what they were planning was wrong. That they were wrong. 

And Tommy knew none of this was going to help the situation. If anything, it was going to just make things worse. 

Everyone, including himself, had insisted they weren’t picking a side, but by doing this, Sara and Laurel were doing precisely that, and he wanted no part in it. 

Oliver was his best friend, his brother, and he couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose a child. However, Felicity was his friend, too, and he thought he could understand a little of what she went through when Oliver took off on her. His father had taken off on him after his mother’s death, so he thought he knew a little bit about being abandoned by someone you loved when you needed them most.  

He hadn’t pick a side, however, and he wasn’t going to. Tommy firmly believed he could be there for both of them, and maybe he could help them see it from both their perspectives. Maybe he could bridge the miscommunication that has been between Oliver and Felicity for years now. Maybe all they needed was someone who has been on the outside watching, seeing it from both their views. 

However, as much as he wanted to be there for both of his friends and wanted them to be happy, whether that was with each other or not, he knew it wasn’t his business. 

Still, if Felicity needed a friend, someone to just talk to, he wanted her to know he was here to be the friend both she and Oliver needed. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Felicity had just pulled up outside of Sara’s apartment after having received a text from Sara asking her to meet with her. Felicity didn’t really think anything of it. They hadn’t really talked since their lunch with Thea. 

Admittedly Felicity had not tried to reach out to Sarah or Thea; however, Sara was supposed to be her best friend, but she sure wasn’t acting like it, and Felicity just did not want to deal with either of them and their pro-Oliver attitude. 

Was it too much to ask for her best friend to be on her side for once? Apparently, yes, it was, and that only made Felicity more frustrated than she already was with everything since Oliver’s return. 

Still, Felicity agreed to meet her friend at her place. Sara had said it was important, and despite the current strain in their friendship, Felicity didn’t want to just blow her off.  

Felicity exited her car and walked up the steps to the apartment complex that Sara and Nyssa lived, making her way to Sara’s apartment, her phone buzzed again with another call from Tommy, and she sent him a quick text that she would call him back later. 

Felicity raised her hand and rapped her fist on Sara and Nyssa’s door. It was opened almost immediately by Sara, who ushered her inside with a smile. “Good, you’re here.”

Felicity brow furrowed, Sara certainly seemed to be happy that she was there. Too happy with how they left things if you asked her. 

Felicity followed Sara into her home and was surprised to see everyone there. Laurel and Tommy, Sara and Nyssa, John and Lyla, Robert and Moira, Roy and Thea, Andy and Carly, her mother Donna, and even Detective Lance. 

Then there was Oliver. 

A bad feeling settled in Felicity’s gut, she stood taller, straighter feeling the need to protect herself because with everyone gathered around, their gazes seeming focused on her, it felt like she was facing down a firing squad without an inch of body armor to protect herself. 

“What’s going on? Why is everyone here?” Felicity looked around at everyone warily. 

Laurel stood from where she was seated on the couch next to Moira and Thea. “Sara and I were talking, and we thought it best if we all got together and talked about what is bothering you because your behavior to us, to your friends and family, and to Oliver is wrong.”

“My behavior?” Felicity repeated a surge of anger, filling her at Laurel’s words. “I’m sorry, is this an intervention?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say intervention?” Laurel hedged. 

“Yes, it is.” Roy cut in bluntly. “That’s exactly what this is.” 

“I tried to call you to warn you.” Tommy stepped forward, looking at Felicity apologetically. 

“You did what?!” Laurel shot Tommy a betrayed glare. 

“Okay, what is going on?” Donna looked around the room, confused. “My baby does not need an intervention?” her eyes narrowed as she looked at Laurel. “You said we were all meeting to work details out about your wedding.”

Laurel nodded. “Yes, I did say that.”

“She lied,” Tommy said bluntly. 

“Tommy, I am trying to help Felicity, here.” Laural insisted. 

“I do not need help.” Felicity snapped. “And I definitely don’t need an intervention.” 

“We all will have to disagree with you, Felicity.” Moira cut in. “The people who don’t ask for help are the ones who need it the most.” 

Felicity pursed her lips, Moira’s words ringing in her ears. 

The People who don’t ask for help are the ones who need it the most. 

In any other situation, the words might seem sympathetic, insightful even, but to Felicity, they came across as condescending. 

“Because you’re so helpful, huh, Moira?” Felicity threw back at her. “Where was your help when Oliver left?”

“That’s not fair, Felicity.” Oliver stepped forward. 

“No. You know what’s not fair is you coming back here and screwing up my life. I was doing better.” 

“No, you weren’t.” 

Felicity’s eyes shot to John in betrayal. “Excuse me?” 

“Felicity, you haven’t been doing better. You’ve only been going through the motions of living without actually trying to live.”

“Why don’t you try talking to her when you lose a child and then see how well you’re doing.” Roy’s bluntness cut through the room like a sharp knife. 

“Don’t,” Lyla said, her hand moving protectively to her stomach. 

“Roy!” Thea exclaimed in shock. “You can’t just say something like that.”

“But it’s okay for everyone to gain up on Felicity?” he demanded. 

“No, it’s not,” Tommy said, frowning in anger but not with Roy, 

“That is not what we are doing.” Sara protested. “Laurel and I thought if we all just got together and clear the air, then maybe Felicity could really start healing.” 

Felicity shook her head with a scoff. “Please, this isn’t about me. It’s about all of you. I make you uncomfortable. The loss I have suffered makes you uncomfortable because you don’t know what to say, and you can’t begin to understand.” 

“You’re twisting this around,” Laurel argued. “Felicity, you can’t keep attacking everyone around you, so you’re not the only one who is hurting. Trying to make the people who care about you suffer with you is selfish.” 

“Laurel!” Lance said, appalled. 

“That is enough!” Donna was suddenly standing directly in front of Laurel. “You do not get to talk to my daughter that way.”

“Mom, I don’t need you to fight my battles,” Felicity said, though she really appreciated her mother coming to her defense. “I can speak for myself.”

“I know that baby, but the people who love you should stand by you.” Donna moved to her side. “And that is what I am doing.” 

Donna turned to the room. “Not a single one of you have any right to judge my daughter. You can’t know what she and Oliver went through and to pretend to is crap.”

“Donna,-”

“Don’t Donna me,” Donna whirled on Oliver. “You claim to love my daughter, but you stand there, and you say nothing. You haven’t even tried to take responsibility for the role you played in all of this.” 

“The role I played in this?” Oliver asked, astonished. “I left because Felicity-” 

“Yes, you left!” Donna snapped. “You just left my daughter behind and forgot about-” 

“That is enough!” Moira’s voice cut through the air as she moved to stand protectively in front of her son. “Not everything is my son’s fault. He has suffered just as much as Felicity has.” 

“Really? Last I check Robert was still alive.” Donna looked at the man in question. “Oh, look he’s right there.”

“Donna, I don’t think that was necessary,” Andy spoke up. 

“No, she’s right,” said Carly. 

“Can we stop with all the blame being thrown around.” John held his hands out as if he was trying to calm the rising tempers in the room. “We are all here because we want to help Felicity.” 

“Help?” A brittle laugh left Tommy. “This is an ambush. This is in no way about helping her.”

Felicity felt a headache forming as somehow everyone started bickering with each other right in front of her. 

She looked at Oliver, and he looked utterly lost with what to do or say, and she couldn’t find it in her to feel enough empathy for him. 

The more everyone argued, mentioning her again and again like she wasn’t even there just made Felicity’s blood boil in her veins until she couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Can everyone just shut the hell up!” Felicity finally snapped, her loud voice coming into play and silencing everyone. “Stop talking about me like I’m not even here!”

“We just want to help you, Felicity,” Lyla said. 

“If this is your brand of help, I don’t want it. I’ve been silent, and I tried to be understanding of your loyalty to Oliver, but I can’t do it anymore. How is what I’ve been through lesser than Oliver?” Felicity moved her hands through the air in a show of agitation. “You say you want to help me, but it feels like you’re placing the blame all on me, and for what? Because of the death of my father and son, threw a wrench into your otherize perfect lives. How do you think I felt? My world came crashing down around me in one single moment!” 

Felicity’s chest rose and fell as she got everything off her chest. “I have tried really hard not to let it affect me, but I am done. I’m done, pretending it doesn’t hurt when it feels like the people in my life have turned their back on me because they can’t handle what I’ve been through. I am done pretending everything is okay when it is so far from okay.”

“Felicity-”

“Don’t!” Felicity held her hand out to Oliver for him to stop. “Just don’t.” 

The room felt like it was closing in on her, and she needed it to stop, and she felt the only way that was going to happen was if she cut out the problems in her life. Or in this instance, the people who weren’t good for emotion and mental well being. 

“I am tired of making excuses for all of you.” she cast a look around the room. “And I won’t do it anymore.” 

“What are you saying, Felicity?” Robert asked. He had remained quiet to this point, but he had a feeling he knew what she was about to say, and he honestly surprised it took her this long to stand up to everyone and protect herself. 

“I’m saying I am not a member of the Queen family. I will not be attending anymore of your family dinners. Robert, I appreciate how you have never once let what is going on with your son, and I affect our business relationship.” 

Robert nodded slowly, respecting her decision even if he didn’t agree with her. In his eyes, she was a Queen. It didn’t matter to him that she did not carry the family name. 

Felicity turned to Moira. “You can think of me how you want. You can think that Oliver did nothing wrong.” She looked at Thea. “Both of you can. I don’t care anymore.”

Moira’s eyes thinned, and Thea’s hardened over. 

Felicity didn’t give them a chance to respond before turning to Laurel and Tommy. “Tommy, I appreciate that you tried to warn me beforehand. I should have taken your call.” she gave a sad smile. “This last week, you reminded me that just because you’re closer to Oliver doesn’t mean that we can’t still be friends. However, I will not be going to your wedding.” she looked at Laurel. “I feel like I need to distance myself from you.” she turned her eyes to Sara. “And from you.”  

“From me?” Sara was genuinely surprised. 

“I’ve had strangers be more of a friend than you have since Oliver’s return, and that is not the kind of friend I need in my life right now. For now, I think it’s best.” 

Felicity turned to John. “John, I really don’t know what to say to you.” 

John looked at her, confused. “What did I do?”

“You encouraged Oliver to leave. You encouraged him to abandon me. Yes, Oliver is a grown man, and he makes his own damn choices, but you helped him.” She shook her head. 

“I didn’t-”

“I was not done.” Felicity cut him off. “You’re my family, you’re my brother, but you’ve been more of a brother to Oliver than you have to me. You have no idea how much that hurts.”

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” Digg said, his voice low with regret. 

“But you did.” Said Felicity. “And you weren’t the only one.” Felicity’s eyes landed on Oliver, who seemed to have shrunk back his shoulders, a look of quilt taking over his features. “I am done giving anyone that power over me.”

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, and she was surprised to see Quintin looking at her with the most fatherly look she’d seen since the loss of her father. He nodded at her supportively. 

Felicity felt warmth in her chest at his silent support. She forced a smile before focusing back on the room and noticed her mom had stepped back to her side, showing her own support. 

“I am done taking everyone’s crap. If what I’ve been through makes you feel uncomfortable. That is not my problem. It’s yours. I am trying to get better, and I can’t do that when all of you are placing the blame on me. I didn’t ask to lose my dad. I did not ask to lose my baby, and I sure as hell didn’t ask for all the blame to be laid at my feet.” 

“Felicity.” Oliver stepped forward, but Felicity just shook her head, turning on her heel she walked out of Sara’s apartment the door slamming shut behind her. 

The room fell silent until it was finally broken by Donna. “What the hell is wrong with all of you? My baby has been through enough without having all of you attack her.” 

“We weren’t attacking her.” Sara defended. “We were trying to help.”

“Well don’t, if you are going to cause my daughter more pain, then stay the hell away from her!” Donna snapped her voice rising, showing where Felicity had gotten her own loud voice. 

“Donna-”

Donna whirled around on Oliver. “Especially you! All you have done is cause her pain. At this point, you are the worst thing to ever happen to my baby girl.” 

“Now just wait one minute,” Moira said, offended on behalf of her son. 

“No!” Donna snapped. “Oliver, if even one small part of you ever loved my daughter for once, you will put her best interest first and not your own.” 

Donna didn’t wait for anyone to say something in their defense and whirled on her heels, exiting Sara’s apartment. 

Lance looked at Laurel and Sara. “Later, the three of us are going to have a talk.” he followed after Donna. 

“Felicity just needs some time to work through her anger,” Thea said after a moment. 

Roy looked at her in disbelief. “Felicity was not the one in the wrong here.” 

“I need to go check on her,” Carly said suddenly, turning to Andy. “Can you pick AJ up from school in half an hour.” 

Andy nodded. “Yeah, I got him.” 

Carly nodded and headed out in the hopes she could find Felicity. 

Roy shook his head angrily and left behind her. 

“Roy,” Thea called after him, before shaking her head, chasing after her boyfriend. 

“What just happened?” Laurel demanded. 

“Sides are being chosen.” Moira told her. 

“This isn’t about sides.” Tommy said, looking at both women disappointed. “It shouldn’t be.” he looked at his fiance. “I told you I was against this. I told you it wasn’t a good idea, but you had to believe what you thought is what’s best for everyone evolved, but it wasn’t.”

Tommy shook his head again. “How you can treat a friend this way is beyond me.” 

“Tommy is right. This should not be about sides, but it is.” Robert said, the look of his face making his disappointment evident. “And because of that, this family is falling apart.”

“Felicity is the one causing this family to fall into disintegration-”

“Moira,” Robert said calmly. “She lost her child, she lost her father, and now she has lost her family and friends by their choice. She doesn’t deserve any of this. She deserves our support.”

“How long does she get to play the dead baby card before it gets old?” Laurel demanded suddenly. 

Tommy looked at her, shocked. “You did not just say that?”

Laurel said nothing but glare. 

“I need to get out of here.” Tommy wasn’t sure the woman standing in front of him at the moment was the same woman he asked to marry him. 

Laurel made no move to stop him as he left. 

“How did this spiral so out of control.” Sara’s quiet tone spoke up. “I only wanted to help Felicity move forward with her life.”

“Yes, but were you doing it for her or for you?” Nyssa asked, speaking for the first time. 

“What?” Sara turned to her girlfriend. “What do you mean by that?”

“I think Felicity had a point when she said her pain made you uncomfortable, and I think it’s because it complicates the picture-perfect life everyone had going.”

Sara opened and closed her mouth, having no idea what to say to that. 

“I need to go,” John said. 

“Johnny?” Lyla questioned. 

“I have to go somewhere.” he insisted. All John could think about was that he had hurt his sister, and maybe he knew that but ignored that fact for his own sake but to hear her say it.. It was almost more than he could handle. 

He needed to see the one person who never failed Felicity. 

Oliver watched John leave, a pit forming in his stomach, realizing the damage he had wrecked on Felicity’s life by just coming home when it was becoming abundantly clear to him he was no longer wanted by her. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Felicity was surprised when not long after she had gotten home to find Roy knocking on her door with a bottle of Vodka in his hand, declaring after something like that she needed to drink and curse Oliver’s name and that he really wanted to kick his ass. 

Felicity had let him in, and the two ended up drinking together, while Felicity did exactly that cursing everything about Oliver and everyone else who had been giving her a hard time since his return. 

When a second knock sounded on her door, she wasn’t surprised to find Carly with a carton of ice cream and invited her in as well. Nor was she surprised when she received text after text from Tommy apologizing profusing for what happened today. 

And Felicity was not surprised when her mother started calling her. She assured her mother she was okay, she just needed some time, and she told Tommy, he didn’t need to apologize. None of what happened today was his fault. She didn’t blame him, now Laurel was a whole other matter. 

Felicity was still upset, but it was nice to know that she wasn’t completely on her own. She had her mother and Tommy’s support and even Detective Lance. Surprisingly she had Roy, and she had Carly. 

She was doing as okay as could be even if she couldn’t stop cursing Oliver in her head or his family or Laurel and Sara for that matter. 

Roy, Carly, and Felicity were halfway into the bottle of Vodka and through the carton of Felicity’s favorite ice cream when another knock sounded on the door. 

“I got it,” Felicity said, getting up from her couch before either Roy or Carly could. She wondered who else could be showing up at her door after the day she had. She didn’t exactly leave on good terms with most people in her life. 

Felicity pulled the door open, and her eyes narrowed, she squared her jaw glaring. “I don’t want you here. You need to go. Now.” 

A/N: Thanks for reading! Until next time. 

Tags: @mariestark

[chiccywood]

Why “Black Panther” Is The Best Comic Book Character Intro Since “Iron Man”

There is no doubt that the cultural significance of “Black Panther”, the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is at a higher level than the seventeen before it. This Marvel’s first with a predominantly black cast and creative team while focusing on a character that is potentially the most popular black comic book character of all time (sorry, Luke Cage, it’s true). All of those factors make this an important landmark in an insane business that spends upwards of $200 million on making a movie.

With all that being said…is it any good? Much like nearly every Marvel movie, the answer lies between “yes and no.” “Black Panther” does have more character development (particularly Michael B. Jordan’s fantastic villain, more on that later) and emotion than most comic book movies can offer, but it suffers from the same types of issues that plague the genre. It’s a bit long due to a slightly talky and slow midsection and there are moments of CGI that just look far too cartoonish.

“Black Panther” picks up after the introduction of T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) in “Captain America: Civil War.” In that film, T’Challa’s father was killed and now, he is returning home to be named the new King. His home, Wakanda (a 100% fictional African country), is the most technologically advanced country on Earth due to their mass deposit of Vibranium (a 100% fictional…umm…metal?), but they keep these advancements secret in an effort to protect their way of life. 
While T’Challa is becoming the new King, Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis, last seen in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) has been stealing vibranium disguised as Wakandan artifacts to sell on the black market. He’s aided by Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Jordan), a dreadlocked, smooth talking, trained solider who has a serious vendetta against all things Wakandan.

Director Ryan Coogler, who wrote the “Black Panther” script with Joe Robert Cole, and Jordan have created one of the most layered and sympathetic villains possible. The surprises that come with his character aren’t all that shocking, but Jordan is so invested in becoming an evil, yet sympathetic maniac that it makes you wish he was in the film more than he is. Basically, you will love to hate Jordan in this movie.

If Jordan’s Killmonger is a cynical, calculated sociopath then Boseman’s T’Challa is an earnest, eager, and wholly honorable hero. Boseman, an extremely talented actor, is finally given an original character to create as opposed to portraying historical figures. Luckily, “Black Panther” isn’t a full out origin story, which usually leads to an actor having to go through the motions, and Boseman’s superhero has as much to do with his mind as he does physically.

Boseman and Jordan are formidable stars, but the ladies absolutely steal “Black Panther” away from them. Laetitia Wright is T’Challa’s younger sister and tech expert, Shuri, and her snappy comebacks provide the movie’s only comic relief. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia is not only T’Challa’s former girlfriend, she’s a spy that travels the world collecting intelligence. Finally, Danai Gurira is Okoye, the head of the all female warrior group called the Dora Milaje. Okoye is a tough as nails and it would be a blast to watch Gurira punch and kick for hours.

Some of the greatest moments in “Black Panther” are the aerial views of the gorgeous “country” Wakanda when accompanied with a fantastic score by Ludwig Goransson. It appears just as futuristic as the cities in “Blade Runner 2049”, but shown with beaming optimism as opposed to dreary, nonstop rain. After nothing but low budget indies, Coogler definitely proves he’s capable of working with and getting the most out of a truly massive budget.

Any beefs with “Black Panther” are typical super hero movie problems. These movies are released with such rapid fire pace that it’s nearly impossible for them to be unique. “Black Panther” does heavily benefit from its excellent cast and obvious care put into an important character. In fact, “Black Panther” is potentially the best proper introduction to a super hero since “Iron Man” and leaves plenty of room for sequels loaded with character development. If left in the hands of a clearly invested Coogler, it should be a fun ride.

[shorthaircutsmodels]

Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles - https://shorthaircutsmodels.com/zoe-kravitzs-short-haircuts-and-hairstyles/ - Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, You can probably remember many different short routes in the past but this particular fairy looks more modern with a little baby boom. Kravitz often debuts a chop between locs or even platinum blonde do in his long braids. There's nothing he can't really accomplish. Friends and family accept him. Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, Stepfather Jason Momoa commented with the multi-heart eye emoji very cute model designer who used his own heart eyes with Emily Ratajkowski posted a bunch of yes and Naomi Campbell fire emojis. When I get a haircut I don't have that kind of comment on my Instagram from real supermodels. Zoe Kravitz's Short Haircuts Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, returns to her old loot at the Thanksgiving table. The actress shared a photo of a new pixie cut on Instagram with the caption Just hair . A classic Kravitz look when he returns just in time for the holiday season. Kravitz often weathered short hair in the past, often between braids locs or platinum blonde dye work. Even hair deserves to be relaxed during the holidays, right. Zoe Kravitz's Short Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, The new old look is a close-cropped cut that is just shy of a full buzz cut. A layered and wavy piece of hair is Kravitz's signature carefree-cool-chick vibe with the smallest hint of bursting touching her forehead. Big Little Lies star Zoë Kravitz underwent a major hair transformation, swapping her signature long braids for a super short crop of fairies. Zoe Kravitz's Haircuts and Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, The actress took to Instagram to reveal her new look after it was revealed last month. Robert Pattinson will star as Catwoman alongside Batman. She first rocked a pixie cut that Kravitz went for a bleached crop in April 2017 and then wore in a slightly longer brunette style. Zoe Kravitz's Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, You can always count on Zoë Kravitz to inspire your next attempt at effortless cool girl style and her latest hair makeover will no doubt be itching to book a salon appointment stat. But maybe it might take a few days to think about copying that, because it's pretty dramatic and there's absolutely no going back after this cut. Wearing her signature long braids for so long, the actress looked almost unrecognisable in her latest Instagram picture. Zoe Kravitz's Short Hair You may have seen these new box braids on celebrities such as Zoë Kravitz Eva Marcille and Jhené Aiko, but unless you thought of the style as a fabulous weave between goddess locs and box braids. If you want the bohemian look to be shorter than the traditional goddess locs that require braid hair, wrap each braid first with a spinning goddess box of braids may be your answer. It's the shortest thing the Fantastic Beasts star has worn her hair for quite some time but she's no stranger to fairy life. Zoe Kravitz's Hair And yes, in case you're wondering if the Big Little Lies actor is celebrating with a 'new' celebratory selfie. When you have the combined genetics of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, unwavering self-expression is rooted deep in your DNA. Plus you know the whole amazing thing. Yet Zoë Kravitz admits she has a rocky road when it comes to locking in her own personal appearance. The daughter of legendary singer Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, this gorgeous beauty is not only a style icon for many but continues to make headlines with her unusual hair choices. What hairstyle does Zoe Kravitz have? This Naturalista loves to experiment with his tresses and play forever to try something eccentric and daring. From box knitting to fairy brunette Zoe has her own thing and looks to own it all the way! The struggle that the YSL Beauty brand ambassador told us has always been real for me and my hair. When you have a Kinkier texture, the options may seem limited. Note that the operative word has emerged. Zoe Kravitz natural hair Since starting to switch to ordinary natural hair in 2014, the Lolawolf frontwoman and Big Little Lies actress has managed to experiment with an impressive number of styles with box braids. For him, it's a labor of love. She says I really prefer my hair to be natural. Celebrity hairdresser Nikki Nelms, who has worked with Kravitz since 2013, has also noticed a rise in confidence. He's very open to change and doesn't depend on anything Nelms says. Darkening or bleaching to turn length or cut. How do you get your hair like Zoe Kravitz? The same goes for makeup. It shouldn't be something you use to cover up. And I feel like YSL Beauty doesn't want me to cover myself up or be something Kravitz doesn't say. Make-up should highlight your individuality. While Kravitz's philosophy of beauty is good, he can even admit that there was a blast trying that line of reps. the basics are great, he says, and Touche Éclat is like sleeping 24 hours in a pen you can put in your pocket. Zoe Kravitz blonde hair His experiment turned out to be part of a lifelong course. You just have to find out what works for you and what doesn't. Understood. The main difference with Boho box braids is that, unlike traditional box braiding technique, boho braids have a less uniform appearance with wavy hair added to certain points for a finer carefree vibe. From parts to the end the look is deliberately less polished. Kravitz wore accessories with decorations such as hair jewelry and also played with color which spice up this hair. What kind of braiding hair does Zoe Kravitz use? Pulling box braids into a top bun like Zoe usually gives this an added boho edge look. It is well known that box braids and other knitting techniques originated in ancient Africa, where the braids were decorated with Shell feathers jewels and beads. Today boho braids are another reincarnation of our creativity and history. Zoe Kravitz curly hair On Wednesday evening, she revealed she was going for a surprise transformation, returning to her old classic look with a new super short pixie cut. The daughter of the Lenny Kravitz singer and star of the hit series Big Little Lies We are now obsessed with dolls, Zoe Kravitz. One thing we particularly love about her is her attitude towards beauty. She always fascinates us with her constant gaze to try something new with her hair or make-up. Check out his coolest moments here. How do you get Zoe Kravitz box braids? The Big Little Lies actress frequently changes her hairstyles, experimenting with everything from short plants to platinum blonde hair. Tuesday's Instagram however Zoe has long uploaded a photo showing her rocking her brunette braid and posing with her fresh pixie cut. Hair she captioned the snap by adding a scissor emoji. Zoe Kravitz hair cut Zoe did not add further details, but her likely transformation is Matt Reeves's Robert Pattinson with Paul Dano Jeffrey Wright with John Turturro and Andy Serkis in the role of Selina Kyle Catwoman in Batman. The film is scheduled for release in June 2021. Zoe " s post caught the attention of her celebrity followers by adding Charlize Theron looks so good that she's so beautiful Abbie Cornish and Emily Ratajkowski adding Yes with a heart-eye emoji. Summer may be winding down but a protective style is just warming up. What is a goddess braid? Boho box weaves also known as Gypsy or goddess box weaves are officially here and posed to take over if you missed it. While she looks great with literally any haircut, Zoë Kravitz was made for short hair. Or should I say that these trendy short haircuts are just meant for her. Kravitz showed off a new pixie haircut on instagram Part new and part og Zoë got a wavy look. This time, Kravitz has become a close product, with tons of texture on top and a carefree vibe waving forward. They're Baby Bang's baby and she looks beautiful. Zoe Kravitz white hair A question for beauty fans: is there anything more universal than a post-salon selfie? Then a haircut ritual unites hair care aficionados everywhere, if we stop with less light, or a big chop of La Zoe Kravitz's new pixie cut. The Pixie cut continued its reign as the hairstyle of the moment on Sunday night at the 2017 Emmy Awards thanks to Zoë Kravitz, who paired her short-Shagged hairstyle with a fantastic Dior dress. Do you dip Goddess Braids? The Big Little Lies star was one of the best looks of the night. So what's the perfect fairy secret? Hairdresser Nikki Nelms, who has worked with stars such as Janelle Monáe Beyoncé and Kravitz, explains that it all started with a great cut. It really started with a textured cut because it says it's there no matter how the wind blows its texture. Here Nelms talks about the trend and offers her top tips and tricks for designing a fairy cut for a night out. Zoe Kravitz hair braids Zoë Kravitz is a million style icons. Her fearless choices on and off the red carpet encourage black women in particular to take risks with our beauty style and hair. So I was elated when the new brunette shared a photo of pixie cut on Instagram. There is a very narrow definition of beauty for black actresses, who often have long flowing hair. Kravitz often tries new things with his hair and shows the world that there are a Million Ways Black women can look inspiring. Here are 16 of his most iconic hair looks of all time.

[jezfletcher]

1000 Albums, 2019: The Top Tracks

As always, I’m going to present my list of top tracks here without commentary. I find there’s less to talk about in individual tracks, and also I’ve run out of energy after writing up my top albums. But the order is well thought out here—in fact, I probably put more effort into ordering these correctly than I did my albums.

I’m really just cataloguing these here for my own purposes, and so that Sam and I can compare lists, but there’s a playlist at the bottom if you want to check these out.

Anyway, here we go: the countdown from #10 to #1 of the year:

150. Polkadot Stingray - Ichidaiji (Japanese pop rock)

149. Perry Farrell - Let’s All Pray For This World (post punk)

148. Jesse Palter - TMI (Wouldn’t You Like To Know) (soul)

147. 3 One Oh - Eyes On You (pop rock)

146. Emily Reo - Phosphenes (dreampop)

145. Sigrid - Don't Feel Like Crying (dance pop)

144. Plastic Mermaid - Floating in a Vacuum (dreampop)

143. Big Data - See Through (electro industrial)

142. MIYAVI - No Sleep Til Tokyo (dance punk)

141. The East Pointers - Wintergreen (trad folk)

140. Palehound - Urban Drip (indie rock)

139. Ronnie Tibbs - Sunlight (electropop)

138. Lindsey Stirling feat. Elle King  - The Upside (classical crossover)

137. Montaigne - CHANGE (pop)

136. Friendly Fires - Can’t Wait Forever (nu disco)

135. Black Violin - A Way Home (RnB)

134. harumakigohan - Aster (Japanese vocaloid chip pop)

133. Cassadee Pope - One More Red Light (pop country)

132. Calliope Musicals - Cosmic Poison Arrow (circus carnival psychedelia)

131. Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey - Buzzkill Caterwaul (glam rock)

130. The Infamous Stringdusters - Planets (bluegrass)

129. Mika - The Sound of an Orchestra (pop)

128. Flor - White Noise (indie pop)

127. Versengold - Der Tag, an dem die Götter sich betranken (Pagan folk)

126. The Head and the Heart - Brenda (indie folk rock)

125. Ra Ra Riot - Bitter Conversation (pop rock)

124. Mindy Gledhill - Boo Hoo! (folk pop)

123. Mika - Stay High (pop)

122. I Know Leopard - Evergreen (dreampop)

121. Tredici Bacci - Felicity Grows (Bacharach-channelling art pop)

120. !!! - Serbia Drums (dance punk)

119. Small Talks - Honeydew (indie rock)

118. Royal Teeth - Rivalry (indie pop)

117. Sound of Ceres - Fire Lily (dreampop)

116. Robert Ellis - When You’re Away (trad rock)

115. Sleepwalkers - I Can’t Wait (indie pop)

114. Bleached - Hard To Kill (garage rock)

113. Keane - Stupid Things (soft rock)

112. LukHash - Cassette (chip pop)

111. Stealing Sheep - Girl (experimental pop)

110. PinocchioP - Mei Mei (Japanese vocaloid chip pop)

109. Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band - Caberfae Peaks (jazz fusion)

108. Overcoats - The Fool (indie pop)

107. Rvby My Dear - 10:17 (dreampop)

106. BABYMETAL - Shanti Shanti Shanti (J-pop metal)

105. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies (boogie rock)

104. Slayyyter - E-Boy (experimental pop)

103. Holy Ghost! - Slow Burn (nu disco)

102. AURORA - Animal (dreampop)

101. MM9 - When It Kills You (electro industrial)

100. CHAI - THIS IS CHAI (Japanese psych punk)

99. Mono Mind - Sugar Rush (indie pop)

98. The Rocket Summer - Peace Signs (indie rock)

97. MisterWives - Find My Way Home (indie pop)

96. Bruce Hornsby - Take You There (Misty) (orchestral rock)

95. Lana Del Rey - Doin’ Time (psychedelic pop)

94. The Soft Cavalry - The Ever Turning Wheel (dreampop)

93. Andy Black - Westwood Road (pop rock)

92. The Cat Empire - Adelphia (Latin rock)

91. Maps - New Star (dreampop)

90. Kim Petras feat. SOPHIE - 1,2,3 Dayz Up (experimental pop)

89. The Avett Brothers - New Woman’s World (alt country)

88. Of Monsters And Men - Róróró (folk pop)

87. Jade Bird - I Get No Joy (pop rock)

86. Big Wreck - Give Us A Smile (alt rock)

85. Caravan Palace - Supersonics (electroswing)

84. The Western Den - Company (experimental folk)

83. Marika Hackman - Come Undone (alt folk-rock)

82. Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey - She’s Lily Riptide (glam rock)

81. Galactic feat. Boyfriend - Dance At My Funeral (jam rock)

80. BAILEN - Bottle It Up (pop rock)

79. Joyero - Steepest Stairs (experimental pop)

78. Runaway June - The Trouble With This Town (pop country)

77. Vesper Wood - Descend (dark folk)

76. Jadu Heart - Forgotten Ghosts (dreampop)

75. Attaboy - Giving Up The Fight (electropop)

74. AURORA - The Seed (dreampop)

73. AJR - Birthday Party (indie pop)

72. Lady Antebellum - Alright (pop country)

71. Bossy Love - Up All Over Me (bouncestep)

70. The Twang - Went Walking (alt rock)

69. Vampire Weekend - Stranger (indie rock)

68. Biffy Clyro - The Modern Leper (A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit) (indie rock)

67. Blanck Mass - Hush Money (electro industrial)

66. ヨルシカ - だから僕は音楽を辞めた (日本オの インディーロック)

65. Chris Farren - Domain Lapse (indie pop)

64. Polkadot Stingray - Uchoten (Japanese jazz rock)

63. Jade Bird - Love Has All Been Done Before (pop rock)

62. The Faint - Life’s A Joke (electropop)

61. The New Pornographers - The Surprise Knock (indie rock)

60. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - This Is The Place (pop rock)

59. Boy & Bear - Suck On Light (indie folk rock)

58. Warmland - Sweet & Sour (indie pop)

57. Salvatore Ganacci - Cake (electro house)

56. Bang Bang Romeo - Over My Dead Body (rock and/or roll)

55. Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer - Looking Forward To Leaving (chap hop)

54. Bleached - Somebody Dial 911 (garage rock)

53. Telekinesis - Suburban Streetlight Drunk (power pop)

52. Gaby Moreno & Van Dyke Parks - The Immigrants (baroque pop)

51. The LaFontaines - Anything At All (Scottish hiphop)

50. La Casa Azul - Podría Ser Peor (Spanish nu disco)

49. Geowulf - Lonely (pop rock)

48. IDER - Mirror (folk pop)

47. Cold Water Company - Brothers (trad folk)

46. Kishi Bashi - Summer of ‘42 (psychedelic pop)

45. Little Big - I’m OK (funeral rave)

44. Keane - Love Too Much (pop rock)

43. Cage The Elephant - Skin & Bone (indie rock)

42. Biffy Clyro - All Singing And All Dancing (indie pop rock)

41. Holly Herndon - Eternal (experimental electronica)

40. MISSIO - Rad Drugz (electro rock)

39. Royal Republic - Can’t Fight The Disco (dance rock)

38. Thomas Rhett - Up (pop country)

37. dodie - She (indie folk)

36. Bang Bang Romeo - Cemetery (rock and/or roll)

35. New Found Glory - This Is Me (pop punk cover of yes that song from The Greatest Showman, trust me it works)

34. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Such a Remarkable Day (electro chanson)

33. Liam Gallagher - One of Us (alt rock)

32. Broods - Peach (indie pop)

31. NEEDSHES - Truth Power (Uzbek art rock)

30. Vampire Weekend - This Life (indie rock)

29. Marshmello feat. Chvrches - Here With Me (EDM pop)

28. The Magpie Salute - In Here (blues rock)

27. AURORA - The River (dreampop)

26. Lana Del Rey - Venice Bitch (psychedelic pop)

25. White Reaper - Real Long Time (post punk)

24. Altın Gün - Leyla (Turkish psychedelic rock)

23. Wylder - Ready To Break (folk pop)

22. Joseph - Revolving Door (indie folk)

21. Montaigne - Losing My Mind (indie pop)

20. Dear Boy - Anything At All (shoegaze)

19. Denzel Curry & slowthai - Psycho (experimental hiphop)

18. ViVii - Siv (You & I) (dreampop)

17. Weezer - High As A Kite (indie rock)

16. Sundara Karma - Little Smart Houses (art pop)

15. Sleepwalkers - American Nights (pop rock)

14. Walk Off The Earth - Under A Tree (indie pop)

13. The Pernice Brothers - The Devil & The Jinn (indie folk rock)

12. White Lies - Tokyo (post punk)

11. GIRLI - Friday Night Big Screen (electropop)

10. Warren Dunes - Crosstown Villain (psychedelic pop)

9. Dave - Lesley (UK rap)

8. Barrie - Chinatown (dreampop)

7. whenyoung - In My Dreams (shoegaze)

6. Andrew Bird - Sisyphus (indie folk rock)

5. Moon Taxi - Now’s The Time (indie pop)

4. Half Moon Run - Favourite Boy (indie rock)

3. Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall (indie pop)

2. ViVii - Suckerpunch (dreampop)

1. Dear Boy - Limelight (new wave)

And there we have it. Sam and my combined #1 of the year would be Harmony Hall from Vampire Weekend (my #3, his #2 of the year). Go see what other crossover we have if you want.

If you want to check them out, and have GPM available to you (e.g. you have a GPM account, or YouTube premium), you can take a look at the playlist here.

Until next year, then, for you. For me, the 2020 music project starts again in 5 days’ time. This is the fifth year in a row of 1000 Albums. I feel confident now that we’ll make it.

[shaledirectory]

You’re Not Great at All, Governor Cuomo. In Fact, You’re Pretty Awful.

Victor Furman Upstate New York Landowner Shale Gas Activist

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Vic Furman reacts to Governor Cuomo’s “America was never that great” comment and explains how Andy has systematically destroyed hope for Upstate New York.

“As for making America great, America was never that great!”

So says the great divider who serves as our New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo; the man-child raised with a silver spoon in his mouth and a ticket to political office in his rear pocket.

You have to live in Upstate New York to fully appreciate the nastiness of Cuomo’s statement. You have to be a struggling farmer, a land owner or a home owner to truly take in the full breadth of Cuomo’s latest insult to Upstate citizens.

This is the same man who previously said there was no place in New York for those with pro-life or other moral positions contrary to his own. He’s is out to destroy the state and is well on his way to doing it. He is not a real governor by any definition of the word. No, he’s a profiteer, a tyrant and a hard core socialist.

Governor Cuomo also plays with the lives of his constituents and picks winners and losers based on what appear to be kickbacks and political donations. He has advanced only himself and done so on the backs of those he has blinded with vague promises of equality and opportunity while passing out favors to big-time real estate developers. He has destroyed all future economic hope for Upstate New York, leaving a multitude of scenes such as this:

How has Governor Cuomo destroyed that economic hope?

Lets jump right to it. When he was elected Governor of NY in 2010, Upstate New Yorkers were already waiting for a decision on gas drilling due to the lack of one from the Patterson administration. Governor Cuomo stated “we must wait for the science” effectively admitting his biggest fear was not being reelected if he really did go by the science. Disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, he delayed his decision until after the end of his first term.

It was delay, delay, and more delay. With every delay there seemed to be an administration policy change. For a time he even suggested there was a path to allowing drilling on our land, although it was later to be obstructed by one of Cuomo’s “yes men.” I’m talking about a DEC Commissioner taken from a well funded environmental group associated with the NRDC who would later resign after an extended moratorium was put in place. in case you forgot, it was Joe Martens who, in 2011, stated his newfound support for High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing (HVHF) by stating “we believe HVHF can be undertaken safely, along with strong and aggressive oversight.” (Later, of course, he changed his tune at the direction of his NRDC masters and bossman Cuomo).

Drilling was safely and successfully taking place in dozens of other states and Cuomo had what he needed from Martens to proceed but he was under pressure from the NRDC and his own former brother-in-law Robert Kennedy Jr. (a man whose personal problems should have left him out of New York politics but I won’t go there). Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Mark Ruffalo and other Hollywood actors, who were very likely important to his political aspirations piled on.

We all know what happened as Cuomo was guided by the fear of ruining his Presidential ambitions and deciding fracking was the issue on which to build support by appealing to the radical left. State Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah resigned, just days before his report on HVHF was to be released and many people thought it would be a drilling favorable report. There were numerous excuses offered, but none were convincing. It was obvious, to those of us watching closely at least, that Shah knew he was a being abused and misused by his boss on the fracking issue and decided he’d had enough.

His replacement, Dr. Howard Zucker had no such qualms. He was happy to be Cuomo’s puppet and fall guy. Who can forget his infamous speech about his imaginary children and how he feared for them? It was a disgusting Cuomo orchestrated event with Martens reversing course, Zucker spinning yarns and Cuomo pretending he was just listening to them when, in fact, he was the one calling all the shots. Few greater lies have been told.

Andrew Cuomo let down hundreds of thousands of upstate landowners and farmers, job seekers, factories and small businesses, as he and his puppets shut down drilling in our dying upstate because he was told it would be good for him politically. He continues with a war on fossil fuels and pipelines to this day, probably as he sips cognac with Elon Musk and passes out favors at taxpayer expense.

What trips my trigger and that of half a nation at the very least, is that this tyrant stood at a women’s convention in New York and had the nerve to state “America was never that great.” These women could have been mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers of men who died in defense of this nation, lost limbs and vision.

He has also antagonized and degraded those who don’t share his values, engaged in blatant corruption and shamelessly exploited crises such as the one in Puerto Rico after the hurricane. I firmly believe his actions on the last score were to get the votes of Puerto Ricans in the state for a third term and for a presidential run, not really caring at all about their plight. As a veteran of two conflicts, I am appalled that our governor would sink so low as to degrade this great country, but it doesn’t surprise me.

We need to get the vote out and return this horrible man to the private sector, perhaps selling Russian gas to the Northeast since that’s where his sympathies seek to be.

The post You’re Not Great at All, Governor Cuomo. In Fact, You’re Pretty Awful. appeared first on Natural Gas Now.

https://www.shaledirectories.com/blog/youre-not-great-at-all-governor-cuomo-in-fact-youre-pretty-awful/

[shorthaircutsmodels]

Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles - 18+ - https://shorthaircutsmodels.com/zoe-kravitzs-short-haircuts-and-hairstyles/ - Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, You can probably remember many different short routes in the past but this particular fairy looks more modern with a little baby boom. Kravitz often debuts a chop between locs or even platinum blonde do in his long braids. There's nothing he can't really accomplish. Friends and family accept him. Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, Stepfather Jason Momoa commented with the multi-heart eye emoji very cute model designer who used his own heart eyes with Emily Ratajkowski posted a bunch of yes and Naomi Campbell fire emojis. When I get a haircut I don't have that kind of comment on my Instagram from real supermodels. Zoe Kravitz's Short Haircuts Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, returns to her old loot at the Thanksgiving table. The actress shared a photo of a new pixie cut on Instagram with the caption Just hair . A classic Kravitz look when he returns just in time for the holiday season. Kravitz often weathered short hair in the past, often between braids locs or platinum blonde dye work. Even hair deserves to be relaxed during the holidays, right. Zoe Kravitz's Short Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, The new old look is a close-cropped cut that is just shy of a full buzz cut. A layered and wavy piece of hair is Kravitz's signature carefree-cool-chick vibe with the smallest hint of bursting touching her forehead. Big Little Lies star Zoë Kravitz underwent a major hair transformation, swapping her signature long braids for a super short crop of fairies. Zoe Kravitz's Haircuts and Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, The actress took to Instagram to reveal her new look after it was revealed last month. Robert Pattinson will star as Catwoman alongside Batman. She first rocked a pixie cut that Kravitz went for a bleached crop in April 2017 and then wore in a slightly longer brunette style. Zoe Kravitz's Hairstyles Zoë Kravitz's Short Haircuts and Hairstyles, You can always count on Zoë Kravitz to inspire your next attempt at effortless cool girl style and her latest hair makeover will no doubt be itching to book a salon appointment stat. But maybe it might take a few days to think about copying that, because it's pretty dramatic and there's absolutely no going back after this cut. Wearing her signature long braids for so long, the actress looked almost unrecognisable in her latest Instagram picture. Zoe Kravitz's Short Hair You may have seen these new box braids on celebrities such as Zoë Kravitz Eva Marcille and Jhené Aiko, but unless you thought of the style as a fabulous weave between goddess locs and box braids. If you want the bohemian look to be shorter than the traditional goddess locs that require braid hair, wrap each braid first with a spinning goddess box of braids may be your answer. It's the shortest thing the Fantastic Beasts star has worn her hair for quite some time but she's no stranger to fairy life. Zoe Kravitz's Hair And yes, in case you're wondering if the Big Little Lies actor is celebrating with a 'new' celebratory selfie. When you have the combined genetics of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, unwavering self-expression is rooted deep in your DNA. Plus you know the whole amazing thing. Yet Zoë Kravitz admits she has a rocky road when it comes to locking in her own personal appearance. The daughter of legendary singer Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, this gorgeous beauty is not only a style icon for many but continues to make headlines with her unusual hair choices. What hairstyle does Zoe Kravitz have? This Naturalista loves to experiment with his tresses and play forever to try something eccentric and daring. From box knitting to fairy brunette Zoe has her own thing and looks to own it all the way! The struggle that the YSL Beauty brand ambassador told us has always been real for me and my hair. When you have a Kinkier texture, the options may seem limited. Note that the operative word has emerged. Zoe Kravitz natural hair Since starting to switch to ordinary natural hair in 2014, the Lolawolf frontwoman and Big Little Lies actress has managed to experiment with an impressive number of styles with box braids. For him, it's a labor of love. She says I really prefer my hair to be natural. Celebrity hairdresser Nikki Nelms, who has worked with Kravitz since 2013, has also noticed a rise in confidence. He's very open to change and doesn't depend on anything Nelms says. Darkening or bleaching to turn length or cut. How do you get your hair like Zoe Kravitz? The same goes for makeup. It shouldn't be something you use to cover up. And I feel like YSL Beauty doesn't want me to cover myself up or be something Kravitz doesn't say. Make-up should highlight your individuality. While Kravitz's philosophy of beauty is good, he can even admit that there was a blast trying that line of reps. the basics are great, he says, and Touche Éclat is like sleeping 24 hours in a pen you can put in your pocket. Zoe Kravitz blonde hair His experiment turned out to be part of a lifelong course. You just have to find out what works for you and what doesn't. Understood. The main difference with Boho box braids is that, unlike traditional box braiding technique, boho braids have a less uniform appearance with wavy hair added to certain points for a finer carefree vibe. From parts to the end the look is deliberately less polished. Kravitz wore accessories with decorations such as hair jewelry and also played with color which spice up this hair. What kind of braiding hair does Zoe Kravitz use? Pulling box braids into a top bun like Zoe usually gives this an added boho edge look. It is well known that box braids and other knitting techniques originated in ancient Africa, where the braids were decorated with Shell feathers jewels and beads. Today boho braids are another reincarnation of our creativity and history. Zoe Kravitz curly hair On Wednesday evening, she revealed she was going for a surprise transformation, returning to her old classic look with a new super short pixie cut. The daughter of the Lenny Kravitz singer and star of the hit series Big Little Lies We are now obsessed with dolls, Zoe Kravitz. One thing we particularly love about her is her attitude towards beauty. She always fascinates us with her constant gaze to try something new with her hair or make-up. Check out his coolest moments here. How do you get Zoe Kravitz box braids? The Big Little Lies actress frequently changes her hairstyles, experimenting with everything from short plants to platinum blonde hair. Tuesday's Instagram however Zoe has long uploaded a photo showing her rocking her brunette braid and posing with her fresh pixie cut. Hair she captioned the snap by adding a scissor emoji. Zoe Kravitz hair cut Zoe did not add further details, but her likely transformation is Matt Reeves's Robert Pattinson with Paul Dano Jeffrey Wright with John Turturro and Andy Serkis in the role of Selina Kyle Catwoman in Batman. The film is scheduled for release in June 2021. Zoe " s post caught the attention of her celebrity followers by adding Charlize Theron looks so good that she's so beautiful Abbie Cornish and Emily Ratajkowski adding Yes with a heart-eye emoji. Summer may be winding down but a protective style is just warming up. What is a goddess braid? Boho box weaves also known as Gypsy or goddess box weaves are officially here and posed to take over if you missed it. While she looks great with literally any haircut, Zoë Kravitz was made for short hair. Or should I say that these trendy short haircuts are just meant for her. Kravitz showed off a new pixie haircut on instagram Part new and part og Zoë got a wavy look. This time, Kravitz has become a close product, with tons of texture on top and a carefree vibe waving forward. They're Baby Bang's baby and she looks beautiful. Zoe Kravitz white hair A question for beauty fans: is there anything more universal than a post-salon selfie? Then a haircut ritual unites hair care aficionados everywhere, if we stop with less light, or a big chop of La Zoe Kravitz's new pixie cut. The Pixie cut continued its reign as the hairstyle of the moment on Sunday night at the 2017 Emmy Awards thanks to Zoë Kravitz, who paired her short-Shagged hairstyle with a fantastic Dior dress. Do you dip Goddess Braids? The Big Little Lies star was one of the best looks of the night. So what's the perfect fairy secret? Hairdresser Nikki Nelms, who has worked with stars such as Janelle Monáe Beyoncé and Kravitz, explains that it all started with a great cut. It really started with a textured cut because it says it's there no matter how the wind blows its texture. Here Nelms talks about the trend and offers her top tips and tricks for designing a fairy cut for a night out. Zoe Kravitz hair braids Zoë Kravitz is a million style icons. Her fearless choices on and off the red carpet encourage black women in particular to take risks with our beauty style and hair. So I was elated when the new brunette shared a photo of pixie cut on Instagram. There is a very narrow definition of beauty for black actresses, who often have long flowing hair. Kravitz often tries new things with his hair and shows the world that there are a Million Ways Black women can look inspiring. Here are 16 of his most iconic hair looks of all time.