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#Chase Williamson imagine
awfcspencer · 3 months
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Wish Upon A Star || leah williamson x reader
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leah williamson x pregnant!reader
prompt: your and leah’s journey to becoming parents.
warnings: pregnancy
Part 2
From the moment you saw your wife interacting with your nieces and nephews at your family’s Christmas party, you had a sudden yearn to start a family with Leah, knowing she would be the best mother. The kids laughed like no other as Leah ran around the yard with them, chasing them with tiny snowballs, ending in a massive dog pile where Leah tickled the energetic children. Your heart was warm and fuzzy, imagining your future children running around the yard. With Leah’s hair and your eyes, your kids were going to be the absolute cutest.
You and Leah had had several conversations about children before, but never including a time estimate, just an understanding that you both saw kids in your future. It was important for you both to always plan, especially with Leah’s sometimes crazy schedule. You wanted to bring it up to Leah soon, but only after she had finished rehab for her ACL. Leah had made a full recovery back and was playing some of her best football. The time had come and you were ready to tell Leah how you were feeling, desperately hoping she was feeling the same way.
Of course, Leah was a full time professional athlete, so you knew you had two options, adopting or IVF. It’s not that Leah was opposed to the idea of carrying, it is just that she had just made her return, and not being on the pitch was incredibly hard for her. Both of the options had pros and cons, but if it was up to you, you wanted to try IVF first. Growing a tiny baby with your own body felt like true womanhood for you, a milestone complete.
After a successful game and win against Man United, you decided to talk to Leah over dinner. You cooked Leah’s favorite meal and she definitely knew something was on your mind, she could read you like a book. You practiced what you were going to say in the mirror over and over, hoping to say the right words. But also accepting that timing mattered, and if it wasn’t the time, it wasn’t the time.
“Hey Lee, I’ve been thinking..” you start, looking over towards her as she was finishing up her last few bites.
“Oh that is never good.” Leah joked out before you could finish your sentence. You simply just let out a sarcastic chuckle and roll your eyes at her, but inside you were a bundle of nerves.
“As I was saying, I think I am…. maybe… ready to start a family” you blurt out, so fast that Leah almost did not understand you, words mumbling a bit together. Leah took a few seconds to full process what you had said. In your mind, you took this as she was about to break the news that she wasn’t ready. You start to quickly track back, feeling defeated.
“I mean we don’t have to of course. It was just a thought.”
Leah completely silenced your quick movings lips with a kiss. The kiss was slow and her lips were warm. The kiss lasted a few moments, only pulling away when you both needed air.
“I would love to baby.” she said as she removed her lips from yours, a smile from ear to ear.
Jumping in the air and doing a little celebratory dance, you were now excited. Pulling Leah in for another deep, long kiss. The rest of the night was spent on the couch using the internet to figure out small details and such. You found a good source of information and looked up where to begin your journey of starting a family. You had also read the tough journey of IVF, a few short articles on the dangers and risks, and how it can have many ups and downs, but with Leah alongside you, you two could battle anything together. The benefits would outweigh everything.
A few short weeks later, you both were walking into a fertility clinic for a consultation and to plan your journey. This was supposed to be the best clinic in all of London, Leah wanted to find the best location as this was important for the both of you, willing to spend top dollar to make your dream of starting a little family a reality
“Are you nervous baby?” Leah asked you, squeezing your hand slightly as she could sense your tense feelings. You had been completely silent in the car, not even Leah’s hand resting on your thigh drawing small circles could calm you down.
“Just a little bit maybe yeah. I just want it so bad but the process is long and a little scary.” you explained your thoughts to her, sort of trying to calm your own overwhelming feelings inside your own brain.
“Together” is all Leah needed to say as you repeat it with her.
“Together” you said back, pushing through the doors of the facility. This was not just a you thing, you were doing it together, you and your wife.
The doctors at the clinic spoke fast and used big words that confused you a lot. Leah was able to see the confusion written all over your face and started to ask questions and she even took detailed notes to refer back to later. At the end of the long consultation and exam, the doctor prescribed you a fertility drug to begin stimulation and to produce egg production.
You and Leah set up the next appointment. You realized that Leah was beginning to get busy during the football season so you understood if Leah had to miss a few appointments here and there, that was surely a downside to dating a worldwide professional athlete. But Leah expressed in great detail how important this was to her and how she really wanted to be by your side throughout the whole thing, so you planned appointments where both of you could attend.
The next few short weeks, you continue to take the medication and go in routinely for ultrasounds and blood tests to check on your ovaries and hormone levels. You knew that your hormone levels had substantially increased as you would snap at Leah but she would quickly forgive you, understanding the large amount of hormones coursing through your body. One day, you found yourself crying at a old man in the cafe that was sitting alone, thinking his wife had died and he was now inherently lonely for the rest of his life. Sobbing, Leah tried to console you as the entire coffee shop had began to look at you. Leah tried to point to his wife that had walked out of the washroom, indicating she was simply just using the bathroom. Coming to your senses, you simply just say, “Hormones” and quickly left the shop.
Next appointment was focused on egg retrieval, but beforehand, you and Leah began the dreaded IVF shots. They were specifically timed and had to be done everyday on the dot. On most days, you and Leah would do the shots together in the comfort of your own home. She would help you insert the needle and you tried to focus on anything but the needle in your skin. Leah would always finish the shot by placing a small kiss on the injection location and then a small kiss on your lips. There were a few times where you and Leah would have to leave a social function and run to the bathroom to insert the shot. You both were keeping the process under wraps until you had gotten pregnant, understanding that this process was long and could ultimately result in no baby. It was easier to keep it a secret than do the later explaining of the failure. It was also nice to keep the process just the two of you, the both of you in your own little bubble. Each night before bed, you would silently wish for you to be pregnant, for you and Leah to become parents. Little did you know, Leah would do the same each night.
Today was the day of your tiny operation to remove the eggs. The doctor explained the procedure and assured you both that it was a simple surgery and only a little painful. After the removal, Leah drove you home and showered you with love and kisses. You experienced some cramping over the course of the next few days so you spent a good amount of time in bed or on the couch, watching reruns of your favorite movies. Leah was absolutely wonderful through the days though, completely the extra chores and even trying to cook while also juggling training and matches. It was almost a glimpse of what life would be like if you were to be pregnant. Leah was an absolute sweetheart the whole way and you could imagine just how sweeter she would become when and if your baby arrived.
Once the fertilization had taken place, the transfer of embryos was next. After that, the waiting game began, waiting to see if the transfusion was successful, waiting to see if you two were going to be parents. This was the moment where the stress and anxiety had set in. If the process was a failure, you would have restart at the beginning, all the work done before would be erased.
You tried to be patient and wait until it was appropriate to take a pregnancy test, but the nerves were eating you alive. Leah was always there to help calm you down and convince you that everything was okay and if it was meant to happen, it would happen. Assuring you to let time take its course.
You felt as if your body was changing but you couldn’t depict if it was in your head or there were actual changes occurring. You had missed your next period but the doctors had stated that this was possible with the influx of hormones. Your emotions were everywhere and it was hard to keep yourself in check sometimes. You only felt the desperate need to take a test when you woke up back to back days with nausea and an overwhelming need to throw up in the morning.
The tests were stored in the cabinet and as Leah soothed you over the toilet after you had thrown up that morning, she grabbed you one, looking at your eyes and slightly nodded as she handed you the test. You sent her a nod back and began to take the test, it was now or never.
The next minutes, stood in the bathroom, felt hours long. Silence filled the air, and you and Leah waited impatiently. You simply flipped the test over, to not see the results, and set a 10 minute timer as the box said, interlocking each other in each’s arms. The room was tense, the weight of what this test could mean, both if it were to be positive or negative. The timer went off and it was now time to know. You hold hands and flip the test together at the same time.
“Positive”
“Positive” you both say at the same time. Tears filled both of your eyes. You both were going to be parents, there was a small bean growing in your stomach. Embracing Leah in your arms as you both cried, tears of excitement. Leah bent down to rub gentle circles on your stomach and whisper small affirmations to your now growing baby.
“Hi little one, I am your mom, Leah. I am so excited and happy for you to grow and arrive.” she said, only barely loud enough for you to hear. Your wish had finally come true.
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smushystrawbabies · 9 months
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✨ art under ramble ✨
It’s my dream that when (NOT IF, WHEN) Red Dead Redemption 3 releases it’ll be a prequel to the second game. I’d love if you’d play as a new character who is part of Dutch’s gang in the early days and you are part of the VDL gang vs O’ Driscoll feud, witnessing the death of Colm’s brother and Annabelle and all other crazy moments mentioned in passing in RDR2. But mainly what I want to see is Dutch, Hosea, Arthur and John in the early days. I want to see the curious couple and their unruly sons in their purest form! I want to see Dutch and Hosea hold hands again, sweet Bessie doing sweet things and John’s horrendous reading lessons, Miss Grimshaw whacking everyone into shape AND ARTHUR WITH COPPER AND BOADICEA!!!
ANYWAYS
I had these really stupid ideas about how camp would work with so many characters, camp interactions and chores and tents. Maybe one day you are awoken by Miss Grimshaw shoving hungover Arthur’s head in a troth of cold water after a long night out and Hosea and Bessie chuckling by the fire. And by night you'll find new recruit Bill Williamson arguing with anyone he can find and Dutch teaching John slights of hands at the poker table. And what about all the new characters!!!!!?????
I get the impression that all the camp chores and tasks were dumped on baby John. You’ll find him dragging hay bales across camp, washing shirts, chasing chickens and half-ass-ly doing whatever jobs Arthur has convinced him to do by giving him an old penny after telling him it’s an ancient Roman coin that is worth a thousand dollars (lots of stuff like this happened you cannot convince he otherwise). While John peels potatoes in camp he dreams of getting his own gun, riding into town and robbing a bank just like a real outlaw! Then everyone would finally appreciate him as the awesomest and bestest gunslinger in all of history! Everyone knows that if John got his greasy hands on a pistol all hell would break loose. So he is cursed to camp indefinitely, at the expense of everyone around him. This absolutely led to him being a crazy teenager. Dutch's parenting is shit, we all know it.
Branching off the chore idea; if you called your horse in game, a little rat boy John would lead your horse to you. Come on just IMAGINE calling for your horse in camp and hearing faint steps approach you and when you look down you see a flea infested child holding your horse by a lead and spitting bizarre threats at you in an attempt to escape camp and rob some people.
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sorry for the john posting :3c
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gallifreyriver · 24 days
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Why you NEED to vote!!
This is so serious. Do not withhold your vote. It's not going to send the message you think it is.
It never will. It will not be the 'devastating blow' or 'learning lesson' to the Democratic party as a whole- they won't learn a thing by you withholding your vote. It won't help Palestine- if anything it will make you complicit in whatever further harm comes to Palestinians when your "protest" results in Trump/the Republican Party winning the election, because they've already stated that they will back Israel no matter what.
Know what sends a better message than not voting? Voting for the other candidate, or voting "Uncommitted," in the primary.
So many of you are forgetting about the Primary!!
Currently there are two other notable* Democratic candidates (Dean Phillips & Marianne Williamson) and four notable* Third Party candidates (Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Chase Oliver, Jill Stein, & Cornel West). People have also been writing in Claudia De La Cruz. *In this context, notable means that a candidate appears on enough ballots to stand a chance to win a majority of the Electoral College, as according to Ballotpedia.
And let me tell you, even though only a few Democratic primaries have passed as of the writing of this post, their results already seem to be having the desired effect, because Biden started pushing harder for a ceasefire right after he lost 13% of the vote in the Michigan Primary to "Uncommitted."
Of course it's not perfect, but if 13% in one state could have even that much sway, imagine what could be accomplished on Super Tuesday* if everyone went out and did the same in their states? That's what could actually stand a chance at getting the Biden administration (and rest of the Democratic party) to scramble towards doing what we want. Withholding your vote won't do shit, I'm sorry. They only notice/care where the cast votes go- not votes that are absent. And unfun fact, Trump was elected by only about 25% of eligible voters. We got Trump because so many people (43%) DIDN'T vote in 2016. This is why turnout is such a big deal- your vote absolutely does matter. *Super Tuesday [March 5th] is the day where several [15] US states hold their primary election.
Need another reason? There are 468 seats up for election. All 435 seats in the House, and 33 seats in the Senate. That is huge.
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Currently Republicans hold majority in the House. This is a chance to change that- to flip seats! We have the chance to tip the scales further away from fascism instead of further toward it- But we can only do that if people get out and VOTE. Vote in the primary to choose your candidate, and then vote again in November to try and secure a blue majority and actually get shit done.
Do not withhold your vote!
Withholding your vote isn't a rebellion, it's silencing your own voice. It's complicity in whatever bad thing happens when the bad people win. It's an active sabotage of the things you supposedly want.
And to those who think "Oh who cares if things get worse for us! People in Palestine are already suffering in unimaginably worse ways!" I need you to reflect, and realize that trying to punish yourself because you feel guilty that you're not suffering with them will not help them. It's not "solidarity." It's not heroic. I'm having trouble finding the right words, but to think it comes anywhere close is a slap in the face to those actually suffering. If anything it will only make their situation even worse if Trump wins. Again, the Republican party has already stated it's intentions to back Israel no matter what.
You need to make sure that your actions aren't just you trying to assuage your own guilt because you feel bad that you can't help more. And you need to make sure that you aren't holding these guilty feelings over the actual needs of Palestinians and that you're not speaking over them in your "activism."
I'll say again, Do not withhold your vote. Do not silence your voice.
We have a chance to make this better, but we can only do it if we all do the work- and voting is the bare minimum of said work.
So make sure to get out and vote in your primary!
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pascaloverx · 4 months
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Hit The Road
Chapter Five
previous chapter next chapter
Summary: You are a hunter of supernatural beings who is forced to experience a new reality: being a vampire. The only thing stronger than your thirst for blood is your thirst for revenge.
Author's note: the characters mentioned here were created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name by author L. J. Smith. They don't belong to me. That said, this fanfic will be short. This fanfic may address scenes of violence, inappropriate language and adult content. Minors should not interact with this story.
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Something inside you said that finding Elena wouldn't be a completely good experience. You glanced at Damon, wondering whether you should go down to talk to her.
"Shouldn't you go down to see who arrived, or are you afraid your girlfriend will find out what you do when she's not at home?" You say teasing Damon, who at that moment seems to be thinking about what to do.
"Damon, are you there?" A feminine voice asks, seeming to come towards Damon's room. You feel something strange, a sense of déjà vu. And then, another vision fills you.
You're walking quickly, leaving this place in the middle of a forest that resembles a hunting cabin. You seem to be crying when Damon appears in front of you.
"Damon, stop chasing me. Go back to your perfect life with Elena and hope the clan doesn't find out you're in Mystic Falls. As for the rest, our matters are done." You speak hurriedly, as if escaping from Damon.
"It's strange that someone loves you and tells you to choose to be with someone else." Damon speaks somewhat confusedly.
"Who said I love you?" You say, still angry with Damon.
"Tell me why else wouldn't you kill a being that is basically your mortal enemy?" Damon says holding you, you then point to the crossbow that was in your hands. You want him to fear dying by your hands, but both that you don't plan to kill him using the crossbow. If you wanted to kill him, you would have done it already.
"Maybe I feel sorry for you. In love with the same woman for centuries, idolizing her image like someone idolizing a god. Don't try to interpret my compassion Damon, I have no interest in loving you." You lie, you know damn well you're lying but seeing Damon doubt his feelings is the only thing that will keep you two both sane.
You regain consciousness in Damon's arms, it feels like you must have fainted while having yet another vision. There's a woman with long brown hair looking at you like you're very complicated math question. You imagine she must be Elena. You then silently get up from Damon's arms.
"Are you well?" The woman asks with an almost relieved expression, maybe she thought I was dead or maybe she's relieved that I'm out of the man's arms that she loves.
"I'd be better off with a good glass of whiskey in my hand but I'm fine." You answer and she seems surprised by the answer, so you watch Damon smile after your answer.
"Damon never mentioned about having a visit so I came in without knocking. My name is Elena by the way." Elena says as she approaches Damon, you notice that she must be a little afraid to find a woman in his room. Something about you makes you sad to notice that Elena and Damon still care for each other.
"My name is Y/N. I'm an old friend of Damon and Stefan. And sorry for the sudden fainting, I've been going through the transition to vampire life recently." You compose yourself completely and feel uncomfortable being in Damon's room.
"And no one is helping you adapt to your new life?" Elena asks.
"The Salvatore brothers rightly offered to help. That's why I'm here." You respond looking at Damon who seems to like the excuse arranged for your presence in the house.
"If you need wise advice or tips, you can talk to me. My transition wasn't easy either. Even though I didn't I don't remember having blackouts and fainting but it could be a different one for each one." Elena says smiling, you then understand why Damon keeps her around. She seems like a good person.
"I appreciate your offer. I'll leave you two alone." You say leaving Damon's room as quickly as possible. You don't want to imagine what they have to talk about or what they will do inside. But you realize there's nothing you can do. And you do not get bored. You then decide to go after Stefan. You knock on his bedroom door once and he answers. He's shirtless, which makes you a little shy.
"Did you come here to watch me?" Stefan asks giving you a mischievous smile.
"You didn't invite me in then..." You respond trying to compose yourself. He approaches, his face just inches away from yours. You then wonder what you should do. Stefan, brings his lips closer to yours, giving you a long kiss. You return the kiss as if you needed it to distract your mind. But unfortunately another vision takes over you.
You're walking in the same forest as before, this time alone. You hear someone following you, so you run towards the cabin where would have weapons to defend yourself. Your heart, still human, beats strongly and your breath almost disappears. You end up falling, almost hurting your foot. Then something throws you against a tree close to where you were.
"I thought we had a deal, you stay out of harm's way and I don't have to get involved in your relationship with Damon." Stefan says while holding your neck tightly.
"Be careful, sweetheart, if you continue like this I'll think you've fallen in love with me." You respond smiling a little, Stefan doesn't seem to like it very much.
"I should never have gotten involved with you. Now I have to keep wondering when my brother will find out that his girlfriend and I fucked like rabbits before he met her." Stefan speaks with trepidation, and you smile.
"I'm not the first woman you and your brother have been interested in. Not to mention that I'm not his girlfriend. Elena or Katherine or anyone who looks like her is. Now either you take off your clothes or get out of my sight." You say and then you and Stefan start kissing intensely.
You wake up from this vision without fainting but you abruptly move away from Stefan who looks at you in surprise. You then quickly run away from him.
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httplilyyy · 2 years
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𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐋 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 || 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐇 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍
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pairing: leah williamson x reader, engwnt x reader
summary: you and leah have been friends with benefits for quite some time but what happens when you both win the euros and spend an eventful night with each other?
warnings: smut, swearing, suggestive themes, fingering (r giving), oral (r giving) | minors dni
words: 5905
a/n: this has been in my drafts for a long time and i completely forgot to post it so sorry about that. i was listening hotel by montell fish and meddle about by chase atlantic and this fic was the outcome. this is also my first time writing anything to do with woso so bear with me as I learn the ropes of it all. 
woso masterlist
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You and Leah had a complicated relationship. The two of you both playing for Arsenal and being a part of the England team meant the two of you spent a lot of time together. In more ways than one.
You had met Leah when you first joined Arsenal. Being transferred from Man City meant you had to move across the country. You felt a little out of place at first but once you stepped foot onto the pitch and felt a ball at your feet you became unstoppable.
Your position as a striker meant that many of your drills were against Leah. The two of you soon grew your friendship over the simplest of things till one day it became something more.
It wasn’t planned and it was very out of the blue but after one of the girls invited everyone out after the season ended, everything changed.
After many drinks and karaoke songs later you found yourself waking up the next morning in a random hotel room with Leah fast asleep beside you. You would've thought everything was platonic till you noticed the lack of clothes.
Remembering the night before, dancing, singing and a whole lot of alcohol. Trying to pick bits and pieces apart to figure out how you got in this situation.
Drunken kisses, impatient touches, fogged minds. The two of you didn't care about the aftermath, only the present. The feeling of your skin on one other, bringing you both to an ultimate high.
Watching the realisation cross Leah's mind as she remembered all what happened the night before left you dreading what was to come. Having a sinking feeling that Leah would want nothing to do with you, it came as a shock that she wanted a different arrangement.
Friends with benefits. The three words circling your mind. Heart racing at the thought.
Dumbly agreeing, you had no idea what was to come for the up and coming years.
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“You ready?” You asked as you sat beside Leah on the coach.
“As I can be.” She smiled, turning her focus away from her phone and solely onto you.
The two of you were sitting on the coach with the rest of the England team as you waited to be driven to Wembley for the Euros final.
“I never really imagined I'd be here.” You confessed.
“Why's that?”
“It all feels a bit surreal to be honest.” You shrugged. “I feel like someone else should be in my place.”
“You deserve to be here, you were chosen for a reason.” Leah said comfortingly.
“Enough with the soppy shit.” You chuckled.
“Alright, alright.” Leah chuckled as she held up her hands in defence leaning away a little.
“Ask me something random, this is going to be a long journey and I’m already bored.”
“Ouch, you wound me y/l/n.”
“You’re not boring me, just the journey.”
“Mhm, okay.”
“Promise.” You said as you gave Leah a silly smile.
“You want a question?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Okay, what would you say is your favourite food?”
“You know this!”
“You told me to ask you a question.”
“I thought it’d be more exciting than that.”
“Alright, favourite sex position?”
“Ooh, kinky.”
“Oh my god.” Leah groaned.
“You know that one too.” You said giving Leah a wink.
“I give up.”
“Let me ask you questions.”
“No.”
“Please.” You said dragging out the ‘e’ at the end.
“Fine.”
“Have you ever had a sex dream about me?”
“Are all the questions going to be sexual?”
You paused for a moment. “Yes.”
“Perhaps.”
“That’s a yes? Right?”
“Yes, I’ve had one.”
“Wow, I thought you’d be more reluctant than that.”
“We’ve had sex, I don’t think it really matters.”
“Fair point.”
“Next question.”
“Ever thought of being called captain in the bedroom?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Just for the pitch?” You laughed.
“That’s just wrong.” Leah laughed along.
“Any plans for after the game?”
“I've got a surprise for you.”
Seeing Leah give you a flirtatious wink and a cheeky grin, you knew what she had in mind. Immediately wanting to be in that hotel room already.
“I like the sound of that.”
“Of course you do.” Leah chuckled, causing you to break out into a smile.
“What does the surprise entail?”
“That's for me to know and you to find out.”
“You love messing with me, don't you?”
Leah didn't say anything, just shrugging her shoulders, biting back a laugh threatening to escape from her lips.
“Maybe.”
“Alright, you just wait till later.”
“Can’t wait.”
As you made your way to Wembley you and Leah conversed about all different types of game plays and anything that could make you european champions even if it did mean that you’d get sent off. You were willing to do anything and everything for your team.
“I mean, if it comes to it I’m willing to get a red.” You said.
“No way, we need you up front.”
“You don't, there's Russo, Beth, Ellen and Miss England herself.”
“You're not getting yourself sent off.” Leah said in an authoritative tone.
“Fine. No promises though.”
“Don't be difficult. I’ll just get Sarina to bench you.”
“Hey! You can't do that.” You whisper-shouted.
“I’m captain, remember?”
“Still-”
“No, y/n.”
“You're no fun.”
“You're a little shit.” Leah joked.
“I’m taller and older than you.”
“Only by a couple months.”
“Mhm, you have to respect the elders.”
“Just don't get yourself sent off.”
“I won't. I want to be on the pitch for the final whistle.”
“And help me lift the trophy?”
“One hundred percent.”
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Stepping out of the coach, walking past mass amounts of paparazzi, you made your way into the locker room. Seeing your name and number on the back of an England jersey will never get old and you feel a sense of pride every time you look at it.
Looking to your left you see Leah looking at hers, the captain's armband standing proudly on top of it. Sensing someone was looking at her, Leah looked around the room till her eyes landed on yours.
Nothing needed to be said so the two of you smiled at each other. Walking over to the blonde you placed your hand to the small of her back and leaned your chin on her shoulder.
“You should be proud of yourself.” You said, smiling softly as Leah leaned back into you.
“I’m scared.” Leah admitted quietly.
“There's nothing to be scared of. No matter the outcome, you led us here, we are here because of you and we’re going to win because of you.”
“But what if we don’t.”
“Then we’ll figure it out, but if you want my honest opinion, I don't think Germany stands a chance with you as our captain.”
“I hope you're right.”
“When am I not?”
You and the rest of the girls were soon called out for the warm ups and that's when it started to become more real, the pressure, the game and what was at stake.
Fans started to fill the stadium, the seats flooded with white and red, each and every one of them giving you that extra confidence boost fueling you up for the game.
Heading back to the locker room you and the rest of the girls put on your kits with pride and waited for the match to begin. Slipping on your boots, you made sure your shin-pads were in the right place, your socks at the right height, your shorts tightened and your top proudly showing off your number on the back.
Shaking off the nerves, you follow the rest of your teammates out to the tunnel. Rolling your shoulders back you put your game face on before you walked onto the pitch. Standing side by side with your teammates singing the national anthem proudly, all you needed to do now was win.
Easier said than done.
When the ref blew her whistle you kicked off the game. Straight away you could tell that both teams were on the offensive. Ellen had an early chance but it unfortunately went over the bar.
Each team going back and forth, you put your maximum effort in to help out in any way possible. After your shot was blocked by the German keeper she threw the ball to Hendrich. Wanting the ball back you sprinted after the defender in hopes of regaining possession.
You knew it was risky, you being a little rough a slide tackle would most likely end with a yellow or even a red but you did it anyway. Your foot tapped the ball out of the Germans way and off the pitch.
The woman tumbling over the top of you, led to a foot to the head and a very angry defender pushing you before you could have a chance of getting up.
Sitting on the floor you looked up at Hendrich who was going off at you. She was yelling in German so you couldn't understand a word she was saying. Standing up, you wobbled slightly before you squared up to the defender.
The two of you went back and forth, pushing and shoving each other before your teammates arrived to split the two of you apart. Lucy managed to pull you away and calm you down before you did something you’d regret.
Lucy led you towards Leah who gave you a disapproving look before she took you to the side lines and to a medic. You soon found out why when you looked at the monitor in the stands showing the tackle.
As your head was knocked by Hendrich’s boot her studs caught the side of your face causing a cut to form. They cleaned up your face before applying some cream then sending you back onto the pitch.
You managed to not receive a card, god knows how, but you didn’t question it. You gave one last look at Leah before moving back into position. The game continued on and half time hit not long after.
It was still 0-0 at half time and your determination only grew stronger. The medics gave you a check over to make sure you were all okay and you sat down to listen to Sarina give her talk and impression of the first half.
You hadn’t spoken to Leah since your little accident and it looked like she didn't want to talk or even look at you. You had a little over four minutes left before the second half started so you went and sat beside her.
“What's up?” You asked. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
“I haven’t, just concentrating on the game.” Leah said, brushing you off.
“You seem pissed.”
“I’m not.”
“Alright then, I’ll see you on the pitch.” You muttered as you stood up but before you could walk away, Leah grabbed ahold of your wrist and stood up herself.
She ran her finger gently over the cut on the side of your face before looking you in the eyes.
“You can be so stupid sometimes.”
“It's all a part of my charm.”
“Please be more careful next time, my heart can't take it.”
“You falling for me Williamson?” You joke.
“In your dreams, y/l/n.”
“I’ll be more careful or at least try to.”
“Remember what's at stake.”
“That feels like it has a double meaning.” You said. “Does it have a double meaning?”
“You tell me.” Leah smirked before she walked out of the locker rooms with a couple of girls, ready to start the second half.
Once the second half started you began to notice a theme. Whenever you got a hold of the ball or even if you didn’t have the ball you were being targeted.
Maybe it was payback for the slide tackle but this was starting to piss you off. You let it go, after seeing the look on Leah’s face and what she had told you in the locker room you didn’t want to upset her.
There was a bigger game to be playing.
At the 62nd minute Keira sent a lovely through ball to Tooney and she scored an absolute worldy. The whole stadium was practically shaking. Running straight to Ella you jump on her back screaming in her ear before the rest of the girls bundled ontop of each other.
Just a minute later Beth was subbed off for an injury and Chloe came onto the pitch. It was going well until the 79th minute when Germany equalised. This however, made you more determined to get the win and finally be able to say ‘it's coming home’.
There were no more goals leading the match to extra time at 1-1. As extra time continued the abuse from the German players didn't falter and you were slowly getting to your breaking point. With one nasty tackle from Huth you finally lost it. Milking it a little you rolled on the floor earning England a free kick.
The free kick led to nothing unfortunately but you aren't backing down now, each tackle you made was harder than the last, each pass was more precise, each shot coming closer to goal.
Germany receives a throw-in and Rauch passes it to Oberdorf who then passes it to Waßmuth. Big mistake. The German forward was closest to you so took it upon yourself to get the ball back.
Coming from her side, you hit the German with a hard slide tackle that immediately sent her rolling on the floor. You knew you were in the wrong, it was very unsportsmanlike but you had enough of being targeted.
The ref ran over to you two, Waßmuth still on the floor, smacking the grass repeatedly. Quickly checking on the German, the ref waved the medics over. Taking a step away from the woman, the ref made her way towards you.
“I let you get away with the first one but this cannot happen again. Got it?”
“I got the ball.” You said back. “It was clean, she’s just taking the piss.”
“I’m not going to argue with you, from my angle it didn't.”
“Alright but this is bullshit, I've been targeted this whole time and you’ve done nothing.”
“Stop with the swearing, and what do you want me to do? It's football, you're going to be targeted every once in a while.”
“So when I tackle a player it's classed as a foul but when they clearly foul me it's not? How does that work?”
“Look, just get on with the game, you're on your final warning.” The ref stepped back a little and reached into her pocket to pull out a yellow card. You couldn't really argue any more, the tackle was a clear yellow.
It was soon enough the end of the first half of extra time. You all took a quick breather, Sarina having a word with you telling you to calm down and not let them get into your head.
The game started up again and it was like the gods had answered all your prayers in the 110th minute we got a corner. Hemp sent in the cross, the ball bounced off Lucy and Chloe managed to tap it in.
You couldn't believe it, watching Chloe run around the pitch waving her top in hand before being huddled by all the girls. A thought crossed your mind. England might actually win the Euros.
From then on your main goal was to keep the ball out of your half. You passed the ball back and forth with Lucy when a player came from behind and took you off your feet. You hit the deck and grabbed onto your ankle for dear life. The ref immediately blew her whistle and ushered the medics onto the pitch. A couple of teammates were surrounding you as you rocked back and forth.
Everyone asks questions about how you were feeling only for you to not pay attention to them, your soul focus is on the clock, 2 minutes left. You knew you were completely fine, but what's wrong with a little time-wasting masterclass?
Jumping back up, you assured everyone that you were completely fine and fit to continue. After a bit more shit housery, the final whistle blew and you fell to the floor. England had done it. You had just won the Euros.
You soon felt someone sitting beside you, patting your stomach gently. You took your hands off your face to see Leah looking at you with tears in her eyes but with one of the biggest smiles you have ever seen.
“We did it.” She smiled as she pulled you up to hug you.
“That we did, captain.” You grinned.
Keeping her as close as possible you soon felt your shoulder get wet. Smiling softly you pull Leah back to look at her properly.
You used the pads of your thumbs to wipe away the tears that had fallen down her face before you held her face in your hands.
“I think you owe me a surprise.” You said.
“Just you wait.”
“Lets go lift that trophy.”
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A party was in full swing and all the girls were
singing their lungs off. Bealting ‘three lions’ over and over again. Dancing on top of tables, spraying drinks everywhere and just overall having an amazing time, finally being able to bring back the trophy.
You were currently watching the girls from afar, trying not to get too involved knowing there will be a killer hangover the next morning. You’ve had a couple of drinks but deciding you have had enough, sticking to a water or a coke from now on.
Whilst you talked with Lucy and Keira you tried to keep your focus on what they were saying however it kept being drawn to a certain blonde defender, who consequently wasn't anywhere to be seen.
“She's up in her room.” Keria said, her voice just being heard over the loud music.
“What?” You questioned.
“Leah, she's in our room.”
“Is she okay?”
“Not sure. She hasn't really told me anything.” You knew Keira was lying, you could tell by the corner of her lip fighting back a smile.
“I’m going to check on her.” You said as you downed your drink and placed the glass to the side.
“Just to let you know, I'm rooming with Lucy.” You said into her ear and out of shot from the defender next to her.
“So?”
“Have fun.” You smirked, sending her a wink.
“I don't understand?”
“How about we swap rooms for tonight? I know you both want some time together.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, just promise not to have sex on my bed.”
“Y/n!”
“I’m joking, a little, not really. I’m going now. Bye!”
It didn't take long for you to get to Leah's room and before you knew it you were standing outside her door, trying to figure a way to knock.
“Leah?” You questioned as you knocked gently on the door. “You okay?”
The door opened a tad and you heard Leah's voice telling you to come in. Entering the room you close the door behind you before you walk further into the room and to where Leah was.
“You alright?” You asked once you turned a corner and you were met by the most beautiful sight known to mankind.
Leah was laying down on her bed in nothing but her red underwear. A smirk plastered on her face, the setting sun hitting her skin perfectly giving her a glow that made you want her even more.
“Surprise.” Leah said, her smirk cracking into a full blown smile.
"Wha- um- For me?” You asked dumbly.
“Yeah.”
“God.” You whispered under your breath as you made your way to the edge of the bed where you waited as Leah got up and crawled her way towards you, kneeling on the bed in front of you.
“I’m going to make you come as many times as I can.” Leah said in a sultry tone.
“No.”
“No?”
“I am going to make you come as many times as I can. Captain.”
“You’re so annoying.” Leah chuckled.
“You love it.” You smiled as you pulled Leah closer to you by her waist.
“Just don't call me that again.”
“I won't.” You laughed caressing your hands up and down Leah's sides. You brought her into a kiss at first it was slow and passionate but it soon turned heated and messy.
Tongues battling against each other, teeth clashing. But you both didn't care, only wanting to feel more of each other. As the kiss continued, you pushed Leah back gently and she made her way backwards on the bed so her head hit the pillows and you were towering over her. Wrapping her legs around your middle and her arms around your shoulders she brought you closer.
"Y/n." Leah whispered between kisses, sounding breathless.
You leaned forward to kiss her neck and she groaned slightly, her grip on your shoulders tightening. You smirked when you felt her shiver under your touch when you nipped at her pulse point.
You pressed your lips to the side of her neck, one arm holding you up while the other ran up and down Leah's sides, along her ribs and to the tops of her thighs. She grins, a soft hum falling from her lips at the touch.
The defender craned her neck so you could continue to kiss Leah's warm, smooth skin, making her sigh in content. Your fingers made their way over her abdomen, lower than she expected, and her breath hitches.
Chuckling softly, you rest your lips on her jaw to whisper to her, "You need something?"
Leah pauses, you can practically hear her thinking out loud. She could beg, and have you take her right now, or she could play along and let you take your time for something a little lengthier. Her fingers squeeze around your shoulders before she moves one hand taking ahold of yours and tugs it south.
"Lower. I need you lower."
"Oh?" You smirked. "Drop your hands, baby. I'll do all the work."
She nods, a soft, quiet whimper escaping as she lets her arms rest by her side. "Okay."
"Good girl," You mumbled, gentle and just about audible. It makes her buck her hips, hands grabbing onto the sheets to keep herself calm. Moving onto your knees you look down at the women in front of you.
Your hands move, teasing at the waistline of her panties and moving to graze at the lining around the top of her thighs. She moans, a shove of her hips into your hand, and you grip her a little harder with the free hand on her waist.
"Please stop teasing me."
"I'm gonna take care of you, I promise." You whispered, fingers brushing over her panties, giving you only a mere taste of how wet she is.
"Please."
You slip one hand into her panties and she shifts, spreading her legs a little wider and creating a gap for you to touch her more accurately. You fingers brush her clit and she releases a filthy groan, accompanied with a whimper of your name.
You breathe deep, breath hitching once you feel how wet she is when you move your fingers lower.
"Y/n, please."
"Alright, sweetheart, I got you." You whisper, pressing your lips to the lobe of her ear. "I've got you."
You continued your ministrations on her clit for a few more moments before you pulled your hand out of her panties and rested it beside her head, propping you up.
Before Leah could speak you kissed her again, running your hand up and over Leah’s rib cage towards her breasts, cupping them with a gentle squeeze. Leah was unable to stop the groan that slipped past her lips.
You broke the kiss and attached your lips to her jaw. Leah’s breathing was laboured, soft whimpers tumbling from her lips as your lips travelled down to her neck.
You rolled her nipples between your thumb and forefinger through the fabric of her bra as you sucked on Leah’s pulse point. Even though Leah was loving every second of what you were doing she still needed more, she bucked her hips up trying to gain some sort of friction but the attempt was stopped when you removed your hand from her breast and placed it on her waist.
"So needy." You chuckled in her ear. "So impatient."
"Y/n, please. I need you."
You didn't say anything but you used one of your hands to spread Leah’s legs apart but you didn't touch her. Instead you brought your leg up so your thigh came in contact with Leah’s core. Letting out a loud moan, Leah threw her head back at the sudden contact that she was finally receiving.
"Show me how much you need me." You said as you continued your assault on Leah’s neck.
She wasted no time and began to rock her body against your leg relieving the pressure that had started to build. But it wasn't enough and the pressure started to disappear when you moved your leg away from her centre.
"Please. I need you so bad. Please."
"You look so sexy when you beg." You said as your lips trailed further down Leah’s body. They softly grazed her hardened nipple underneath the fabric of her bra and she shuddered at the attention that they were getting.
Arching her back slightly, one of your hands snaked around to her back and unclasped her bra. Throwing the article of clothing somewhere in the room, you took one of her nipples into your mouth whilst your hand went to the other. Alternating between the two as you left hickeys across her chest.
You propped yourself up on your elbow, whilst your other hand travelled to the top of Leah’s inner thigh. Watching Leah intently as your hand finally reached its destination. How her chest was littered with dark hickeys, how her breathing was ragged, how her eyes were clenched shut. Leah let out a gasp when your hand finally came up and cupped her centre.
"God, you're soaked." You whispered as you easily slid two fingers inside of her. A ripple of pleasure soared through Leah’s body, making her tilt her head back into the pillow. The moan that she released was long and loud and she couldn't have stopped it even if she tried.
You curled your fingers and they hit a spot causing Leah to let out an almost pornographic moan. You pulled them out and repeated the action again, continuously getting the same reaction.
"Fuck that feels so good." Leha said to the best of her ability.
She threw her head back harder when she felt your fingers push harder into her and your palm dressed against her clit. With every curl of your fingers Leah thrusted her hips forward to meet you, wanting nothing more than for you to give it to her as hard and as fast as you possibly could.
Leah felt incredible and the added sensation of your palm pressing against her clit was heavenly, causing her stomach muscles to contract and her legs begin to shake. Leah’s breaths began to become more uneven and shaky with each passing second. Her muscles tightening around your fingers as you push them into her over and over again.
Moans and curse words were falling from Leah’s lips as she was begging you not to stop. One hand gripped your shoulder and her fingernails dug harshly into your back through your t-shirt whilst the other gripped the bed sheet beside her.
Leah was so close to her climax and once she was about to come tumbling down you removed your hand completely making Leah open her eyes and let out a whimper.
"Wh- why did you stop? I was so close." She panted.
"I didn't say you could cum yet." You said as you got up and off of the bed to your clothes before going back on top of Leah.
Slowly pulling off Leah’s panties you could finally see just how wet she was, clenching around nothing.
“You’re so beautiful.” You smirked as you felt Leah shudder and squirm underneath you.
Slowly, you re-entered a finger at an antagonising pace. You took in her appearance, noticing her eyes were dilated, her cheeks coated pink and her lips were swollen. You distributed kisses along her neck and collarbone before you picked up the pace of your finger inside her.
Pulling your face up, Leah kept her hands on your cheeks as you two kissed fervently. Biting on your lower lip, the blonde pulled away slightly, just so your noses were touching.
"Don’t stop."
You chuckled as Leah kissed you, trying to conceal her moan. You added a second finger into her and she bucked her hips up into your hand. Leah’s breathing quickly picked up in pace as the stimulation became greater.
Moving your lips down and away from Leah’s mouth, you trailed kisses along her jaw to her neck, between the valley of her breasts and along her stomach. Stopping just before you reach her clit.
Placing one kiss on the sensitive nub you feel Leah's body immediately react with pleasure. You let out a little chuckle whilst shaking your head before diving in, licking a long stripe up her pussy.
Your tongue flicked her clit making her squeeze your head between her legs from the sudden rush of pleasure.
"Oh fuck." Leah muttered as one of her hands gripped onto your hair and the other gripped the sheets under her. Her eyes fluttered shut as she succumbed to the pleasure she was feeling.
You angled your head up towards her and went further under her to lick more of her lower lips. You moved her legs so they were over your shoulders, allowing yourself more access. You held her firmly in place, inserting your tongue into her, licking every inch of her walls that you could.
It got to the point where Leah couldn't hold back anymore, and told you she was about to climax.
“Y/n- fuck- I’m gonna come.” Leah moaned.
“Hold it.” You said as you continued your onslaught.
“I can’t. Please. God! I’m gonna come.”
You moved your head away from Leah and replaced your mouth with your fingers once again. You easily slid back into her and continued to pleasure her in the best way possible. Leah's head was thrown back and her hair was stuck to her forehead. Sweat was dripping down her neck as she tried to chase after her high.
One hand went to grip the pillow and the other was tightened around your wrist as you fingered her.
“You look so beautiful like this.” You whispered.
You could feel her beginning to clamp around your fingers, her legs tightening either side of your hand and a noticeable tremble to her body.
It was obvious she was close and you wanted nothing more than to feel her cry out in a pure state of euphoria and come around your fingers.
“You can come, go on, I wanna see you come for me.”
Your encouragement seemed to be the only thing she needed to tip her over the edge as with a final curl of your fingers and a firm press of your thumb against her clit, she arched her back off the bed with her eyes screwed shut and her body shuddered as her orgasm washed over her.
You continued what you were doing, letting Leah ride out her high and waited for her breathing to regulate before you pulled your fingers out of her. Leah let out a small whine but let a smile take over her features. You brought your fingers to your mouth and sucked on them whilst keeping your eyes locked on hers.
Leah bit her lip at the sight and pulled your hand away from your mouth so she could pull you into a kiss. You both moaned as you could taste her present in the kiss.
Pulling away, your face was inches away from hers. Your hooded eyes both met, both of your mouths parted eliciting pants trying to regulate your heartbeats.
“That was amazing.” Leah smiled.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” You said and you couldn’t help the grin appearing on your face. “Ready for round two?”
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It was a couple of hours later and Leah had fallen asleep since your little rendezvous but you couldn’t find yourself able to settle. Checking your phone it was around 5:34 in the morning.
Huffing to yourself, you carefully pull yourself out from Leah’s grip, placing a pillow as a makeshift you. You made sure that Leah was covered with the duvet before you walked out onto the balcony.
Your fingers grasped the cold railing, causing a shiver to be sent down your spine. Closing your eyes you took a deep breath in, trying to ignore the multiple thoughts running around your brain.
After a deep breath out, you re-opened your eyes and took in your surroundings.
“You alright?” Leah’s voice was heard from behind you.
Turning around slowly you saw the defender wrapped up in the duvet still, her hair sticking up in all different directions, eyes so close to closing from the serious lack of energy but to you she still looked like the most beautiful person to ever walk the planet.
“Yeah, everything is fine. Go back to bed, I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Somethings bothering you, y/n. I can tell.” Leah said as she took a step closer to you.
Sighing to yourself you turned around to look back at the scenery, feeling Leah stand beside you, placing a comforting hand on your back.
“How are you feeling?” You asked.
“Don't change the subject. Tell me whats up.”
“Nothing, it’s stupid.”
“Please, I’m your best friend, you can tell me anything.”
“That's the problem.”
“What?”
“I don't want you to be my best friend.”
“Y/n?” Leah asked, her voice cracking slightly. “What are you trying to say?”
You took a quick cleansing breath before you spoke again knowing this can go one of two ways.
“I want you to be more than that.”
“More?”
“I really like you, Leah. So much, but I can't keep doing what we’re doing.”  
“You want to stop having sex with me?”
“No, well yes. But I don't want to be friends with benefits. It hurts too much.”
“Why?”
“Because I know I'm not actually yours.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You know what I am trying to say.”
“No, no, I want to hear you say it.”
“I want you to be my girlfriend.” You said, picking the skin on your hands as a nervous habit.
Placing her hands on top of yours, Leah smiled to herself before replying. “I’d love to be your girlfriend.”
Snapping your head to the side, you hadn’t thought Leah would say that. “Really?”
“Yeah. i’ve liked you for a while now, i was just worried that because of our ‘friends with benefits’ situation you wouldn't want anything more than that.”
“God! We’re so stupid.”
“Hey! Not me, just you.”
“I’ll take the blame, I don't care. I just want to kiss you.” You said, turning to face the defender.
“No ones stopping you.”
“I really like you.” You whispered as you felt Leah's breath on your lips.
“I really like you too.” Leah smiled. “So much.”
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davidmann95 · 3 years
Note
Comics this week?
pretenderoftheeast asked: Comics this week (9/1/2021)?
Anonymous asked: This week's comics (08/30/2021)?
Anonymous asked: Comics this week?
comics-and-videogames asked: Comics this week?
Anonymous asked: Comics (9-1-21)?
Aquaman 80th Anniversary: This was nice! Obviously a number of creators I was happy to see here, though for me Watters' (lol) story with Mendonca/Henriques/Fajardo/Leigh easily walked away with the gold medal.
Batman/Superman 2021 Annual: This felt above all else like Yang making a plea for the Worlds of Tomorrow and Knight to remain as going concerns, and I don't think that's going to happen but god I wish.
Midnighter 2021 Annual: This feature definitely improved as it went along, though for all the buildup I'm kind of disappointed it didn't end up tying into Authority at all.
Batman: Fear State Alpha: A really nice little primer - maybe it's brainrot from decades of reading these, but I'm always genuinely impressed when a 'here's the lay of the land for the current lineup and/or the next event crossover' comic manages to feel coherent and enjoyable. Given the typical batting average for it I believe there is an underappreciated sort of storytelling artistry to doing that properly.
Infinite Frontier #5: This is the comic I alluded to on Twitter as having described to some friends as "imagine Countdown: Arena was the comic that made someone want to grow up to write comics, and then they sucked as bad in the effort of chasing that dragon as most do with Watchmen". Not merely shameless but proud '2007-2008 crossover build-up/tie-in min' energy, and while I was thinking I'd get the Justice League Incarnate book even if my dad wasn't interested I'm now having serious second thoughts about extending Williamson that much trust.
Avengers #48: I hope Avengers Forever being an ongoing means Aaron is leaving Avengers proper, so that there can be one Avengers book that anyone in the whole entire world other than me could possibly enjoy and then there can be another book.
The Last Annihilation: Wiccan and Hulkling #1: How is Anthony Olivera a thing again? That's not a suggestion that he shouldn't be a thing, I like everything I've seen of his writing definitely including here and I even follow him on Twitter, but my knowledge of him tops out at 'he's a Twitter personality thanks to ??? who's getting some Marvel gigs off the strength of that and is good at them'. He just sort of osmosed into the circle of people I pay attention to without my really knowing how.
We Only Find Them When They're Dead #8: I'm definitely lost and will be until reread but of course this still rules.
Commanders in Crisis #12: Ended strong! I really hope Orlando builds up more clout and is able to come back to this world in a big way someday.
Second Coming: Only Begotten Son #4: This is an Ennis Punisher MAX commitment to formula. Good chance this and Fantastic Four: Life Story are the last comics I'll be getting from Russell as his schtick wears thin, but there's an almost cozy vibe to this I continue to enjoy.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #5: I'm gonna need to really sit down with this at some point now that it's done, but this absolutely deserves to get at least the same kind of attention and praise as Daytripper in the 'airy, comfy, laid-back yet emotional look at the breadth of a single human life with a genre premise hooking everything together' category of Fancy, Prestige Comic-Booking.
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elizacornwall · 3 years
Text
Vengeance is an Idiot’s Game  - Chapter 5 - Rabbit Ears
Read all the published chapters here. --------------------------------------------------   Eliza had counted five days now since Mr. van der Linde visited her, and she wondered how long the postal service usually took to deliver letters. How would they go about getting mail to a hidden outlaw camp in the middle of nowhere in the first place? She’d been keeping busy reading the never-ending flow of books Hosea provided and sketching in the journal, with the occasional visit of a member of the camp to bring her food or drink. On the third day of her imprisonment the girl of whom she thought was a servant had eventually introduced herself as Tilly Jackson, and asked if she could bring the other girls to meet her. Eliza had not had much female company since her mother died and she came to America, but seeing as there was little else to do for her, she agreed. Tilly had returned with two friends, Mary-Beth and Karen, and Eliza got along well enough with them. They had visited her a handful of times when they could steal away from their chores, and she welcomed the little bits of information about this group she would learn from them.
It turned out there weren't any servants in this camp and the girls were treated with respect by the male members of the gang, or a certain Miss Grimshaw would intervene. She sounded like a terrifying woman, and Eliza wasn't too keen to meet her herself. But the girls seemed thankful for the protection, that Micah guy and another, Bill, seemed to be regular trouble makers for them. They had gossiped about the gang members, and she had learned quite a bit about the rest of the people that stayed invisible, but not inaudible around her. Apart from themselves and Miss Grimshaw, there were two more women in the camp. Molly, who was chasing Mr. van der Linde's attention as his on-off bedwarmer, and Abigail, who had a son with one of the long standing members and seemed to be his girlfriend or wife, the three hadn't been able to agree on that. They had told her about how protective she was over her son Jack, and Eliza had once again been lost in bewilderment. A young kid, running with a gang of dangerous outlaws? It didn't fit the picture she’d always had of these sorts of groups. She had also learned the names of the rest of the crew, and even though she couldn't remember all of them, the five of the men who abducted her, stayed in her mind. Dutch van der Linde was the head of operations of course, his name still rang familiar in her ear but she couldn’t place it. Apart from him there was Javier Escuella, the man who stole her out of her bed so swiftly, Arthur Morgan, who's horses back end she was transported on and who brought her the journal, and the supporting lookout was made up of  Bill Williamson and Lenny Summers. She didn't have a face to three of them and only barely caught a glimpse of Mr. Morgan, but she imagined them all to look hideous in broad daylight, with grim scars and even worse eyes, and Bill being a reported sleazebag would look the worst of them. The girls had lent her some of their own books, Karen had brought her a couple of titles that made her cheeks flush hot with embarrassment at the sight of them and had laughed about her obvious flustering, calling her an innocent little girl. Eliza had laughed it off and acted not very interested in them, but when they left Karen's books were the first she'd opened and devoured, with a wicked curiosity. The never-ending noises of the camp felt familiar by now, and her despair at the situation had eased up a little. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be given back to her father, or if escaping this in a different way would be preferable. He would surely blame her for this, despite all sense and evidence. But on the other hand, where else would she go? She didn't have any useful skills, and the only jobs unskilled women could take on weren't really to her liking. She might as well have taken one of the rich men as her husband and provided him pleasure at his command. Eliza didn't know what to do.
The sound of Tilly’s giggle neared and she looked up from her journal where she had been sketching, lost in thought. Karen and Tilly entered, beaming from ear to ear. “Miss Cornwall, I believe you'll find it of interest that Dutch has taken a liking to your – how did he put it?” Karen looked at Tilly, who stepped in. “To your remarkably pleasant face, he said. We overheard him and Hosea talking!” “Ooooh Molly won't be too pleased with this, Miss O'Shea thought she just about had him reeled back in before they went to get you!” They both laughed and Eliza hoped her face didn't betray her. She wasn't keen on his admiration, frankly she'd have preferred if he found her hideous. The girls didn't seem to dislike him though, so she didn't want to be rude and smiled with them. “Well, he hasn't spoken to me much, but he was very polite in our last conversation.” She thanked the gods that her voice sounded light hearted. Before they could reply, someone called their names from nearby. “Karen, Tilly! Miss Grimshaw is on the hunt for you, and she ain't seem in too happy a mood! You better get to her as quick as you can.” They both cursed and shot Eliza an apologetic look, before stumbling, still giggling, out of the tent. Mr. Morgan entered just moments later, a flask in his hands. He pushed it through the bars towards her, barely looking in her direction. “ 'ere, got you some more water, Miss. Sorry to disturb your chat with them girls, they often forget they got chores to do.” His eyes fell on the journal in her lap, and the corners of his mouth twitched. He lifted his head and looked at Eliza directly for the first time, she had to pull herself together to not flinch. He didn't have the unkind, mean look she was expecting from a kidnapper, but his face was hard, weathered and unshaven. He smiled a half smile. “You like it then? To draw in?” His voice was a touch clearer than before and she gave her best to relax a bit. There were steel bars between the two of them and he didn't seem to want to do her any harm. “Y-yes, thank you. I'm not much of a writer, but drawing reminds me of sitting outside my home and looking over the valley.” “Mmh, sounds lovely. Shame we can't let you sit out here, there's a spot where the view over the river is beautiful, real nice to sketch there.” Eliza wasn't sure how to respond, so she just nodded politely and smiled back. He was looking at the journal again, tilting his head as if he was curious see what she’d been drawing, then quickly averted his gaze and lowered his head, as if caught. “Sorry, didn't mean to pry. I'll leave you to it now, one of 'em girls will bring you some dinner.” He turned around and left in something of a hurry. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the swaying canvas, then returned to her lap. The rabbit she had sketched there didn't look quite right, the ears weren't in the right place. She sighed and closed the journal. She yearned to sit outside, the sunlight caressing her skin, and wondered what the view he was talking about would look like.
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the--blackdahlia · 4 years
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Edge of Seventeen Chapter 1 (Izzy x OFC)
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Title: Edge of Seventeen
Summary:  When the boy Karen Williamson loved left home when she was seventeen, she figured it was just a childhood crush. She had her own plans to get out of Indiana. But when those plans fell through and now she’s trapped in Lafayette with a degree that’s getting her nowhere. That is, until Jeffrey Isbell came home.
Warnings: Language for now
AN:  This is just something I'm playing around with. I'm not sure how much I'll do on it, or if anyone will even like it. Thanks to @callme-kaz2y5-baby​ for the help!
The alarm clock was blaring. The room was still dark, and not due to the curtains Karen used to cover her small window. It was November in Indiana, and the sun didn’t carry the same amount of shine that it did in July. Well, that and it was also 5:30 in the morning. Karen groaned as she ran a hand down her face. It was Saturday. She didn’t really want to get her ass out of bed, but this was her Saturday to open the library and stay until at least noon, and she did have a lot of things to do after she got off work.
And if she was going to actually make it there, she had to get up and get in the shower now. Groaning, she finally pulled herself out of bed, letting the coffee start up while she got in the shower. After waking herself up with that, she got out, smelling the coffee and smiling. If someone would’ve told her ten years or so ago that coffee would be her blood, she would’ve laughed at them.
She made her first cup and popped some toast in the toaster. As she waited on the toast, she started to figure out something to do with her hair, deciding after fussing with it for longer than she felt necessary, that she was just going to run a brush through it and call it a day. The rest of her routine flew by; eat her toast, get dressed, put on some quick makeup, and water her plants before she headed out the door.
Six years of college left her driving a 1987 Firebird with a few too many miles, driving around a town she had always vowed to get out of but never quite made it.
“You’re listening to the Bob & Tom Show,” Karen was greeted as she turned on the car. “We’re getting some word from the Guns n’ Roses camp. It seems that it was announced that original guitarist Izzy Stradlin has had enough of Axl Rose and called it quits.”
Karen froze as she got ready to put her car in gear. She had to have misheard it.
“Rumors are swirling that Mr. Stradlin is returning to his hometown for a big project, but the fact that he had the balls to tell off Rose is astounding to me.” There was laughter and some jokes thrown around before they started playing a Guns n’ Roses songs in honor of the great hero, Izzy Stradlin.
Karen headed to work at the Lafayette Public Library. Kids from Purdue would be there, doing some studying off of campus or the ones that lived off campus would be there at least. But her mind kept drifting as she headed the ten minutes to her job.
Izzy had finally quit. She had been following the band ever since Jeffrey left Indiana. The night after he graduated with a D average, which honestly was thanks more to Karen and less to that fucking Bill Bailey. She gave him his graduation present with a smile on her face. He handed her a mixtape, kissed her, then left her behind.
She still had that mixtape somewhere at home. No matter how many boyfriends she had had in the eleven years since her last kiss with Jeffrey Isbell, she couldn’t throw it away. She’d bring it out once in a while when she missed him, but then she’d remember that he probably didn’t remember her, especially after all these years.
She pulled into her spot and opened up the library. She went through her morning routine as she waited for her assistant to show up. Empty the drop box, check them in, put them on the cart to reshelf, all the boring things that came with her job. It seemed like it was the same thing everyday that she was the in charge librarian. She broke up her routine by going to see a movies about once a week, and sometimes she’d splurge and head to Indy for a concert, but that wasn’t a common occurrence. She had accepted a long time ago that she wasn’t going to have the glamorous, rock star life that her friends had gotten when they broke free from the cornfields.
After the afternoon girl took over, Karen went to gather up the things that she had on her list. She drove towards the other side of town, where the older homes were. She smiled as she pulled into a driveway that she knew very well. Gathering up the couple books and VHS that were on her list, she knocked.
“Come in!” A woman inside called out. Karen made her way in to see Linda Isbell sitting on the couch, crocheting and watching a game show. Linda’s eyes brightened and she smiled as Karen made her way in. “Oh Karen, sweetie! How are you?”
“I’m good mama Isbell,” She kissed Linda’s cheek. “The book you wanted came in. And I got you An Officer and a Gentleman.” She sat the handful of things on her coffee table. There was a yapping noise then as Linda’s little dog, Astair, came running towards Karen. “Hey there little guy.”
“He loves when you come over,” Linda smiled at her. “He likes the car rides and walks.”
“I love those too, don’t I baby boy,” She scratched his ears and played with him for a minute. “I’ll get your grocery list after I walk him, okay?”
“Oh honey, you don’t have to do that,” Linda told her. “One of my boys went shopping for me earlier in the week. I’m set for now.”
“Oh really?” Karen asked. She figured that Joe had come to see his mom, finally. Because she figured if it was Jeff, Linda would’ve told her. But then again, she knew about how Karen’s heart had been broken by her eldest, and she was pretty good about not talking about him too much to her.
“Well, then Astaire and I will go on an extra long walk. Maybe a nice drive too,” Karen smiled as the dog yapped and ran around in circles. Linda laughed.
“He loves you Karen,” She told her, making Karen’s heart swell. After talking for a few more minutes, Karen got Astaire’s leash and took him for a nice, long walk around Lafayette. The dog was so happy, especially when she parked her car and they walked out through some of the abandoned fields around and he could chase the birds that were still there.
She looked out across the fields and noticed the large house that set among them had a moving truck in front of it. No one had lived there in years, and Jeff and Bill used to argue about who was going to live there someday. Karen highly doubted if Izzy ever moved back to Indiana, that he would come back to Lafayette, not when the Carmel area was flourishing, and attracted more of the wealthy that lived in Indiana.
“Come on Astaire, let’s go home,” Karen told the dog. He barked once more at a bird before running off with her.
****
Izzy stepped out on the front porch of his new home. Back in the day, when he was dreaming of being a huge star, him and Axl would argue over who was going to live in this house. He honestly never thought it would be up for sale, and he wasn’t sure what compelled him to buy it when it went on the market. Maybe it was a chance to say fuck you to Axl. Izzy adjusted the hat on his head as he looked at all the space he had. He was honestly glad to be back home, and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
He was pulled from his thoughts then by a dog barking. Looking out across the fields, he watched as a small dog chased some birds and a woman stood there, watching. She looked over his way, and even though Izzy couldn’t make out her face, he felt something as he watched her. They didn’t stay much longer, but Izzy couldn’t stop watching as she left.
“Maybe I’ll see her around,” Izzy grumbled to himself before he headed inside to pay the movers so he could get settled into his new home.
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aion-rsa · 4 years
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The United States of TV High Schools
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The 2020 back-to-school season is a particularly complicated and emotionally fraught one. Students, teachers, and parents across the country and the world have to alter their usual education routines in the interest of social distancing and public health. It’s certainly a difficult, stressful time for many. But thankfully, that’s why the pop culture gods created television.
American high schools on television are much more consistent, comfortable places that the real ones, even when they’re being terrorized by monsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Satan himself (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), or worst of all: Samuel “Screech” Powers (Saved by the Bell). The landscape of fictional TV high schools is a rich and diverse one. But there are quite a few of them. And that raises the question: where are all these places anyway?
Here we have researched and gathered the location of every notable TV high school we can find. Some are set in real cities in real states, some are set in fictional cities in real states, and some are just off the grid entirely. So without further ado, here are the high school settings of some of TV’s most popular young adult shows. 
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Sunnydale California
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale is a peaceful California town. It has all your usual features – nice people, great restaurants, a gateway known as the Hellmouth that connects our dimension to demons. Buffy and the rest of her Scooby gang attended Sunnydale High before moving on to University of California at Sunnydale. Sunnydale is fictional but is very likely analogous to the real-life Sunnyvale, California.
Saved by the Bell – Pacific Palisades, California
Bayside High School
Bayside High School is one of the most enduring concepts from Saved by the Bell’s four seasons. Some TV shows take place in high schools. Saved by the Bell is a high school show. The city in which Bayside resides is never revealed but filming occurred in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The O.C. – Newport Beach, California
Harbor High School
The grandiose Harbor High School was enough to give many a young millennial in the mid-2000s supreme high school envy. Imagine walking around in the beautiful Orange County weather as Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) and Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) reminisce about that morning’s perfect bagel breakfast. Newport Beach is a real city in California. Harbor High School is semi-fictional in that the new high school in Newport Beach is known as Newport Harbor High School. Private Catholic college Mount Saint Mary’s stands in for Harbor High on the show. 
Teen Wolf – Beacon Hills, California
Beacon Hills High School
The fictional town of Beacon Hills, California is the main setting of MTV’s beloved 2011 Teen Wolf reboot. The town is supposedly named as such due to its “beacon” effect in attracting supernatural creatures. Many of those teenage supernatural creatures prowl the halls of Beacon Hills High School. 
Veronica Mars – Neptune, California
Neptune High School
Neptune, California is one of the most well thought-out fictional cities in the high school drama canon. It has some detailed geographical features, a thriving local government, and even its own 90909 zip code! Neptune High has a similarly lived-in feel. Don’t forget to get those Pirate points, everyone! The real city of Oceanside, California stood in for much of Neptune and Neptune High. 
13 Reasons Why – Crestmont, California
Liberty High School 
Due to ease of filming, many fictional California high schools reside in the southern part of the state. Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why switches things up a bit by taking place in NoCal. Crestmont is the town named in the books the TV series is based on. In the show, the characters hail from the Evergreen County that surrounds it. Liberty High School is where the youth of 13 Reasons Why go to learn…and also learn devastating truths about one another. 
Community – Greendale, Colorado
Greendale Community College
Greendale Community College isn’t technically a high school, but many within the show’s universe would argue that a degree from Greendale is basically on par with a high school education. Greendale has a rich fictional history dating back to the 1970s and including real life actor Luis Guzman as an alum. Community creator Dan Harmon based Greendale on his own experiences at Glendale Community College in California. 
Gilmore Girls – Stars Hollow, Connecticut
Stars Hollow High School
Stars Hollow is crucial to the mythology and success of Gilmore Girls. The town is a fictional hamlet 30 miles outside of Hartford, Connecticut and was loosely based on the real life towns of Washington Depot, West Hartford, and New Millford. Series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino is originally from Los Angeles and was inspired to set her new series in Connecticut following a vacation to the Mayflower Grace hotel in Washington, Connecticut. Stars Hollow High is where Rory Gilmore gets her education. The school’s sports teams are the Minutemen. 
Stranger Things – Hawkins, Indiana
Hawkins High School
The Internet is flooded with queries as to whether Hawkins, Indiana of Stranger Things is a real place. It is not, and that is certainly for the best otherwise our own world would be teeming with monsters from the Upside-Down. Hawkins High School is the location of some truly traumatic events in Stranger Things from the Demogorgon’s destruction to the Snowball Dance.
Dawson’s Creek – Capeside, Massachusetts
Capeside High School
Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson intended for this ‘90s teen show to take place in his native North Carolina. WB executives had other plans, however, and wanted the show set in Boston. Williamson came up with a compromise by creating the fictional Cape Cod hamlet, Capeside, Massachusetts. The show was mostly filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Capeside High School is where Dawson, Pacey, Joey, Jen, and the rest of the crew got their education…when they weren’t hanging out at that darn creek. 
Freaks and Geeks – Chippewa, Michigan
William McKinley High School
Though many things in Michigan are named after the Chippewa tribe, including Chippewa County, there actually isn’t a city bearing that name. That makes this Detroit suburb on Freaks and Geeks entirely fictional. Chippewa is named after Chippewa Valley High School that creator Paul Feig attended. The school is named after 25th U.S. President William McKinley. For some reason, he’s a pretty popular choice for fictional school names…perhaps because his tenure in office was short and he doesn’t have a lot of real high schools named after him.
Gossip Girl – New York, New York
Constance Billard School for Girls
Well, this is a first for our list. Gossip Girl is set on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and its depiction of a gaudy all-girls high school is in keeping with that community’s ostentatious displays of wealth. Serena van der Wooden, Blair Waldorf and friends all attend Constance Billard School for Girls where many alumni go on to attend prestigious colleges. Constance Billard’s “sister” school is St. Jude’s School for Boys.
Roswell – Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell High School
This one is a bit of a layup as The WB’s (later CW’s) supernatural teenage series Roswell is adapted from the Roswell High book series. Of course, Roswell High School was always going to play a big role in this one. The 2018 reboot continues to take place in Roswell High School in Roswell, New Mexico.
One Tree Hill – Tree Hill, North Carolina
Tree Hill High School
One Tree Hill takes its name from a U2 song off of Joshua Tree…and also from the fact that it’s set in Tree Hill, North Carolina. Tree Hill is fictional but the show was chiefly filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Tree Hill High School is a big factor on One Tree Hill, especially since the town is so fond of the Tree Hill Ravens boys basketball team.
Glee – Lima, Ohio
William McKinley High School
For many of the kids on Glee, their biggest fear in life is never amounting to anything after high school and becoming a “Lima Loser.” This is because Glee is set in the (real) Ohio city, Lima, which is about 80 miles south of Toledo. Of course, as Glee went on, the Lima setting came to be quite ridiculous as more and more famous people just happened to be traipsing through town but that’s a topic for another time. The high school from which the titular glee club operates out of is once again William McKinley High School (like Freaks and Geeks and The Wonder Years).
A.P. Bio – Toledo, Ohio
Whitlock High School
Northwest Ohio turns out to be surprisingly fertile territory for fictional high schools. A.P. Bio is set in Toledo (which is a real place obviously) as a nod from the show’s creator Mike O’Brien to his hometown. It’s unclear why the high school that Jack Griffin teaches at is known as Whitlock but it’s got a pretty strong color scheme with gold and blue and a cool Ram mascot. 
My So-Called Life – Three Rivers, Pennsylvania
Liberty High School
Three Rivers is a fictional suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And that’s fitting given that Pittsburgh sits on three rivers – the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. “Three Rivers” is often used in many brands from the city. Within Three Rivers is Liberty High School, which was attended by Angela Chase and friends. The My So-Called Life Wiki actually has a class schedule for each character if that’s something you might be interested in. Exterior shots of the school are of University High School in Los Angeles. 
Pretty Little Liars – Rosewood, Pennsylvania
Rosewood High School
From one side of Pennsylvania to the other. Freeform’s pulpy teenage mystery series is set in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, which is a fictional suburb of Philadelphia. The setting might be loosely based on the real Rosemont, Pennsylvania. The Liars spend much of their time at Rosewood High School before matriculating to nearby Hollis College.
Boy Meets World – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
John Adams High School
Boy Meets World takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its suburbs. The characters don’t frequently make mention of their surroundings and current city, but the show does confirm it…as if all the Flyers, Phillies, ‘76ers, and Eagles paraphernalia didn’t make it obvious. Boy Meets World starts with Cory Matthews in Jefferson Elementary before moving onto John Adams High School and eventually Pennbrook University.
Friday Night Lights – Dillon, Texas
Dillon High School
Once more with feeling: Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. Friday Night Lights, both the brilliant NBC series and multimedia franchise around it, has deep ties to Texas. The show is set in the fictional western Texas town of Dillon (and eventually East Dillon). But Buzz Bissinger’s original book and the movie it was adapted into take place in the real western Texas town of Odessa. Both Odessa and Dillon’s respective football teams are known as the Panthers. Friday Night Lights, the show, did the majority of its filming in and around Austin, Texas for all five seasons. It’s a miracle the actors were able to stay in shape with all that barbecue floating around. 
The Vampire Diaries – Mystic Falls, Virginia
Mystic Falls High School
A lot of these small towns have a “dark secret,” huh? Mystic Falls, Virginia’s dark secret is that it has a long history of vampires, werewolves, and witches dating back to its founding in the 1800s. Mystic Falls High School is where many of those attractive young vampires, werewolves, and witches get their education. Mystic Falls is a fictional town in Virginia located between Lynchburg and Charlottesville. It’s name in the Vampire Diaries book series was “Fell’s Church” but the TV show had to change that due to it being too similar to the real city of Fall’s Church, Virginia.
That ‘70s Show – Point Place, Wisconsin
Point Place High School
Point Place, Wisconsin and its accompanying Point Place High School are both fictional locations where Eric Foreman, Jackie Burkhart, Michael Kelso, Steven Hyde, Donna Pinciotti, and Fez all live and attend school. What’s interesting about Point Place, Wisconsin is that it does not seem to have a consistent location within the state. At times it is described as a suburb of Green Bay in the north. Other times, however, the characters are able to make it to Kenosha in the south in no time at all. Point Place High School is located at 2120 South Michigan Ave., which is a reference to a Rolling Stones instrumental track recorded at the same address in Chicago.
Riverdale – Riverdale, ???
Riverdale High School
Where is gritty Archieverse teen drama, Riverdale, set? Uh…well, Riverdale. Where is Riverdale? Your guess is as good as ours. Many fans have selected New York state as the most likely location. The series describes Riverdale as being in Rockland County. The only Rockland County in the U.S. is in New York, close to Archie Comics’ headquarters in Pelham, New York. Wherever Riverdale may be, the school that Archie and friends attend is Riverdale High School. Its colors are blue and gold and its teams are called the Bulldogs. 
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – Greendale, ???
Baxter High School
In the Archieverse canon that contains Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Greendale is a neighboring town to Riverdale, on the opposite side of the Sweetwater River. Greendale, like a shocking amount of fictional U.S. towns, is built over a mouth to hell. Baxter High School is Greendale’s local public high school, attended by Sabrina Spellman and her friends. Its sports teams are known as the Ravens and they are Riverdale’s archrivals. 
Daria – Lawndale, ???
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Lawndale High School
What name could better capture the bland suburban ennui of MTV’s Daria than “Lawndale?” Lawndale is not a real place and Daria’s co-creator, Glenn Eichler, won’t even commit to setting it in a particular state, noting only that it is probably a mid-Atlantic suburb of a city like Baltimore. Lawndale High School is one of the most frequently occurring settings within Lawndale and where Daria and Jane go to stand around lockers and be cynical.
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knifewields · 5 years
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one  or  two  .  both  boys  are  present  at  the  first  murder  in  the  film  ,  which  i  think  is  and  excellent  kick  -  off  to  the  anniversary  murders  of  maureen’s  killing  that  had  been  executed  a  year  prior  .  it’s  almost  like  a  bonding  sort  of  ritual  ,  tag  -  teaming  casey  in  the  same  fashion  they  did  maureen  .  and  it’s  very  evident  in  the  cinematography  of  this  scene  to  allude  to  both  boys  being  present  for  both  steve  and  casey’s  murders  .
the  phonecall  .  stu  is  the  one  orchestrating  the  phone  call  for  casey  .  while  most  people  think  it’s  billy  ,  there’s  tell  -  tale  signs  of  stu  actually  being  the  ghost  face  on  the  other  end  of  the  line  .  the  most  obvious  reason being  the  length  of  the  phone  call  .  lets  be  real  ,  stu  is  a  chatterbox  and  only  he  would  precursor  a  murder  with  a   ten  -  minute  phone  call  .  billy  would  get  straight  to  the  point  ,  as  seen  when  he  calls  sidney  during  the  second  attack  in  the  film  .  furthermore  ,  the  ghost  face  on  the  other  end  of  the  line  is  extremely  playful  ,  even  giving  casey  the  nickname  of  blondie  at  one  point  .  then  ,  of  course  ,  there  is  also  the  backstory  to  keep  in  mind  .   the  fact  that  it’s  stu’s  ex  -  girlfriend  who  dumped  him  for  another  guy  ,  there’s  a  lot  of  vendetta  there  .  i  just  can’t  see  billy  taking  the  reigns  on  a  call  that  would  be so  personal  for  stu  ,  just  like  killing  sidney  would  be  for  billy  .  not  to  mention  ,  its  a  way  to  rope  stu  into  a  plan  that  he  really  has  nothing  tied  to  up  until  this  point  .
front  door  back  door  .  since  stu  is  on  the  phone  with  casey  ,  he’s  clearly  making  his  way  around  the  house  in  order  to  both  occupy  and  confuse  her  while  billy  is  handling  steve  . the  front  door  bell  is  rung  by  stu  as  a  diversion  to  get  casey  to  the  front  of  the  house  so  billy  can  pull  steve  out  from  where  they  had  him  bound  .  ie.  stu  is  in  the  front  /  side  of  the  house  while  billy  remains  out  back  .  this  also  gives  casey  no  right  answer  during  the  ‘  which  door  am  i  at  ?  ’  question posed  by  ghost  face  .  she  couldn’t  win  ,  seeing  as  no  matter  what  door  she  chose  ,  it  would  still  be  wrong  since  they  were  located  at  both  .
the  killing  of  steve  orth  .  since  billy  is  in  the  back  with  steve  ,  it’s  he  who  guts  him  .  which  ,  in  true  billy  fashion  ,  is  gorey  as  all  hell  .  i  did  debate  this  being  stu  ,  you  know  ,  considering  the  whole  revenge  thing  .  but  it  just  screams  billy  to  me  with  how  brutal  and  unforgiving  the  whole  thing  is  .  then  there’s  the  fact  that  ghost  face  is  on  the  phone  the  entire  time  steve  gets  gutted  ,  and  there’s  no  sounds  of  the  action  coming  through  the  phone  .
blink  and  you’ll  miss  it  .  my  favorite  part  of  this  entire  scene  is  when  you  first  see  ghost face  enter  the  house  .  any  normal  killer  would  go  right  after  their  victim  ,  but  instead  you  see  him  immediately  go  to  the  front  of  the  house  to  the  front  door  instead  .  why  ,  you  may  ask  ?  well  ,  to  let  our  other  ghost  face  in  ,  of  course  .  now  we  all  know  stu  knows  this  house  like  the  back  of  his  hand  ,  and  i  always  imagine  he  and  billy  splitting  up  to  search  the  main  floor  before  ultimately  finding  casey  in  the  back  yard  .
casey’s  escape .  the  ghost face  that  finds  her  first  is  billy  .  the  noises  that  come  from  ghost face  as  he  breaks  through  the  window  and  grabs  her are  characteristically  billy  ,  and  he’s  also  the  one  that  gets  knocked  out  by  the  phone  .  which  ,  i  suppose  ,  it’s  good  thing  that  they both  were  there  so  stu  could  burst  out  through  the  side  window  and  chase  her  down  .  
the  final  chase .  this  ghost  face  is  most  definitely  stu  ,  not  only  did  kevin  williamson  confirm  it  ,  but  you  can  also  tell  just  by  the  sheer  size  of  the  ghost face  chasing  her  .  that  goofy  run  paired  with  the  long  lanky  limbs  could  only  belong  to  one  of  the  two  .  but  also�� the  groan  given  when  she  kicks  him  in the  groin  when  he  attacks  her  are  so  clearly  stu’s  voice  that  it  is  undoubtedly  him  .  he  also  chooses  to  choke  her  ,  which  is  a  stu  -  move  that's  repeated  later  .  (  the  boys  definitely  both  have  stylistic  choices  during  each  kill  which  alludes  to  who  is  doing  what  ,  which  will  be  discussed  in  a  later  post  )  . 
the  revelation  .  since  it’s  stu  who  chases  her  down  in  her  yard  ,  it’s  his  face  that  she  sees  once  she  unmasks  ghost  face  in  that  final  part  of  the  scene  .  which  ,  i  think  ,  holds  more  power  with  the  killer  being  stu  .  i  mean  ,  imagine  breaking  up  with  a  guy  and  then  seeing  he’s  the  one  who’s  bringing  about  your  untimely  death  .  it’s  brutal  .  its  horrifying  .  and  it  packs  so  much  punch  to  that  look  she  gives  him  before  he  stabs  her  again  .
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bellakitse · 5 years
Text
when you smiled and said to me (are you gonna kiss me or not)
 alex manes week 2019- Day 2: Alternate Universe (AU)
College AU Meeting
Alex Manes is sitting on one of the benches outside the Arts and Science building waiting for his friend Liz to come out. Holding on to a cup of coffee but he doesn’t drink it. Instead, Alex lets the cup warm his hands and hopes that warmth will chase away the cold his last lecture left inside him.
When he decided to go into Family and Child studies, he knew that eventually, he’d have to sit through a course on child abuse and neglect. He’d thought he was ready for it, but the three-hour lecture had left him feeling raw, every example his professor spoke of felt like a retelling of Alex’s childhood. As he sat there, his whole body tense, he’d felt like all eyes where on him, like everyone in the lecture hall could see the cracks and breaks he works so hard to hide.
“My biochemistry partner asked about you again.”
Alex looks up and finds his friend smiling down at him as she comes to stand in front of him. Alex blinks rapidly in hopes that it will clear his sudden cloudy vision. The way Liz frowns tells him he isn’t successful.
“What’s wrong?” Liz asks as she takes a seat next to him.
“Nothing,” Alex smiles at her or he tries to at least, but it feels tight and fake on his face so he can only imagine what it looks like.
Liz raises an eyebrow at that. “Alex Manes,” she starts, lets his name hang between them like a warning. “Tell me what’s wrong, or I’m calling Maria, putting her on speaker phone, and we’ll both get it out of you.”
Alex lets out a tired chuckle at the threat or promise since he’s sure she will call Maria and between the two of them there nothing they can’t get out of him. His two best friends are relentless like that, it doesn’t even matter that Maria is still back in Roswell while Liz and him at in Albuquerque at UNM. They always get what they want.
“We started child abuse and neglect in my Child Advocacy course today,” he says with a casual shrug when Liz’s face tightens. “It hit a little too close to home, you know.”
Liz nods softly because of course, she knows. More than once growing up she helped clean him up after one of his father’s ‘discipline’ sessions, more than once he slept in her bed when he couldn’t bear to go home. Liz circles her slim arms around him, and Alex goes willingly, smiling more sincerely at the warmth and affection he finds there.
Pulling back, her hands go to his face holding him in place as she looks straight into his eyes. “You are special, you are exactly who you are supposed to be, there is nothing wrong with you, you are loved,” she tells him. Alex lets out a calming breath as she says the mantra his therapist had gotten him to repeat to himself when his past trauma gets the best of him. Grateful for the reminder, he nods at her.
Where life had fucked him over in the family department, it had made amends in the friendship department.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” He says softly as he leans his forehead to rest against hers, smiling back when she gives him a bright smile of her own. “What were you saying about your partner?”
“Oh!” Liz exclaims her eyes lighting up as she remembers. “My biochemistry partner was asking about you!”
Alex frowns confused a bit, he wasn’t part of the science crowd at all. So who the hell knew who Liz’s biochemistry partner was. “Okay?”
Liz rolls her eyes at him, letting out a huff.
“Alex,” She starts off slowly, earning herself a small glare in return at the condescending tone. “My very good looking -dresses like a cowboy- genius science partner asked me about the hot guy in the leather jacket who always walks me to class is and if said hot guy is single.” Liz finishes in a rush, her smile bigger if possible.
“Liz,” he warns, already knowing where this is going.
“He’s hot, Alex,” Liz proclaims, her eyes widening for effect. “Not my type but totally yours and he thinks you’re hot.”
“I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
Liz rolls her eyes at him again. “Sure you do, the guy is hard to miss, cowboy hat, tight jeans that look painted on, curls, he told me he shares a music course with you, his name is Michael Guerin.”
Alex startles at the name, because yeah, he does know who she’s talking about now, Michael Guerin is in his music composition course. A total cowboy like Liz said, from the hat to the boots and the large belt buckle in between that should be ridiculous and instead always leaves Alex feeling hot and flushed around his neck. More than that Michael has honey-colored curls and eyes that remind Alex of liquid amber, always warm when they lock with Alex’s, lingering.
“Music composition,” he gruffs out, coughing to clear his suddenly dry throat. Michael has been asking about him? He thinks he’s hot?
“What did he say?” he asks unable to help himself, blushing when Liz smirks at him.
“Interested, are you,” she says knowingly.
“Liz,” he whines, his face feeling hotter by the second.
Liz laughs, as she leans in to give him another hug in an apology of her gentle teasing. “Sorry, just messing with you a little. He said that you share a class and that he likes how you play guitar, that he’s wanted to talk to you but that you always run out of class.”
“I have psych across campus. I either run, or I don’t get there on time, and the professor locks the door,” he explains, still rosy cheek at the lasts information.
“Professor Williamson right?” Liz asks, wrinkling her nose. “The guy’s an ass.”
“Yeah.”
“Anyway,” Liz continues easily. “I guess he’s seen us together, because well we’re attached to the hip.”
“You’re needy,” Alex teases, laughing when she lets out a dramatic gasp.
“I am your best friend, the light of your life, your sunshine on a cloudy day!” Liz proclaims loudly, drawing the eyes of more than one of their peers as they walk by them.
“You’re loud, is what you are,” Alex answers, laughing as she gives him a pout. “And everything else you said too, best friend, the light of my life, sunshine.”
“The wind beneath your wings,” Liz grins, wiggling her eyebrows.
Alex snorts at that, nodding at her. “Sure, you can be my Bette Midler.”
Liz grins. “I’ve officially peaked then, life doesn’t get better if I’m Bette.”
Alex shakes his head. “Anything else about the cowboy?”
“Interested,” Liz repeats, singsong, laughing when Alex just shoots her another look. “I told him we’re just friends and that yes you are single, he smiled, and then he mentioned that bar in town, the one you were talking about with the open mic?”
“Lizard tail brewing,” Alex answers for her, nodding in agreement when Liz wrinkles her nose at the name.
“Well there is an open mic tonight, and he said he’d be there. Hint hint,” she finishes, poking at his side with her index finger.
“Hmm,” Alex hums quietly and say nothing else for a moment, curbing his smirk, as Liz gets more and more restless the longer he stays quiet.
“Oh my god, Alex Manes,” she finally exclaims, letting out a deep breath as if she had been holding it in, waiting for him to make a decision. “Don’t make me drag you there, because I will!”
“Geez, Liz, relax,” he says, raising his hands in a mocking gesture, chuckling when she gives him a dirty look. “You need to unwind, we should get a beer tonight.”
“Brat,” Liz murmurs but smiles when Alex throws his arms around her, pulling her in for another hug. “Lucky for you, I love you, so let’s go get you a cowboy.”
Alex shakes his head. “I said beer, I said nothing about a getting a cowboy.”
Liz shrugs as she stands and pulls him along. “We can do both, it’s call multitasking, come along Manes we only have a few hours to get you into your tightest emo rock jeans.”
***
They get to the bar around 8 p.m. there’s already a decent crowd, but they manage to get a small high table near the small stage on the left corner of the bar.
Liz places her jacket over the back of her seat. “You watch our table while I go get our drinks, the first fleet is on me.”
Alex nods as he takes off his own jacket, revealing a snug maroon sweater that he’d paired with the skinniest jeans he and Liz found in his closet, they felt painted on but made his ass look great according to Liz.
Liz looks him over with a smirk, taking in the outfit and his lightly lined eyes. “You’re sex on legs Manes, I almost feel sorry for Michael.”
Alex blushes but laughs at her comment. “Go get the alcohol, Liz.”
Liz nods, laughing as she walks away.
Alex sits down and looks around the place, the place is a dive, but it reminds him of the wild pony, making him comfortable. He sees a few people look his way in interest and it relaxes him some more.
Surveying the room some more he finds what he came looking for, a few feet away, closer to the bar Michael Guerin sits with his guitar case next to him, a beer in his hand and his focus entirely on Alex.
Alex stares back, he looks the way he always looks at Michael, only now with the knowledge that Michael has been watching him too, it’s heady to know that the guy he’s been crushing on for months is interested back. He tilts his head and gives the boy a soft smile as he signals him to come closer, his smile widening when Michael stands and starts walking towards him.
Still sitting Alex smiles up at him when Michael stands right in front of him, closer than they should for two people who have never really spoken before. Alex isn’t bothered by it though, the tension feels electric between them, and it just increases as Alex gives Michael a once over, approving once more of the other boy’s styles. Licking his lips, he looks up at him, grinning when Michael’s eyes focus on his mouth.
“Hey, cowboy,” he starts with a grin. “I heard you’ve been asking about me.”
Michael shrugged as he takes a step closer and Alex spreads his legs so Michael can step between them, swallowing hard when he does just that. “You always run out of class. As nice as your backside is, I figured it was time to get to know other parts of you.”
Alex laughs at the bold comment, flustered but impressed by the direct approach. “You going to sing for me?” he asks pointing at the guitar case.
Michael looks down at the case and then back at Alex, grinning. “I’m going to charm the pants off you.”
“Who says you haven’t already?” Alex asks as he places a finger on Michael’s belt and tugs it gently to see if Michael will come.
Michael goes more than willingly, their fronts all but pressed together.
“Yeah?” Michael breathes as he places his hands on Alex’s shoulder.
Alex’s places his own hands at Michael’s waist. “I’ve heard you play before Michael, I always watch you, I just didn’t know until today, until Liz told me, that you were watching me too.”
“I can’t look away, Alex,” Michael says softly, gently as he moves his hands from Alex’s shoulders to his neck, tilting his head a bit. They stay that way, just looking at each other, Alex can feel his heart squeeze at the tenderness he finds in Michael’s whiskey-colored eyes.
“Are you gonna kiss me or not,” he says after a moment, enjoying the way Michael’s eyes widen, continuing before Michael can react. “By Thompson Square, it’s a good song, you should play that if you know it.”
Michael blinks at him, once, twice, and by the time the words sink in, Alex is grinning so hard his face hurts.
Michael stares at him some more, before letting out a loud laugh. “You’re kind of an ass,” he says still chuckling. “We’re going to be great together.”
Alex laughs too, letting go of him. “Go serenade me, cowboy, and charm the pants off me.”
Michael nods picking up his case and leans in close. “When I finish I’m coming back for that kiss you just teased me with,” he says with a smile that grows as Alex stares at his mouth.
Alex bites down on his smile, his stomach flipping with excitement. “Can’t wait.”
Michael gives him one last smile, before heading for the stage just as Liz comes back to their table.
“The sexual tension,” Liz starts as she places a fleet of beer in front of him. “I stayed by the bar while you guys were talking and I could feel it from there, so what happened?” She asks as she sits.
“Nothing,” Alex says smiling as Michael takes the stage and the crowd lets out a cheer. “He’s going to sing and then,” he trails off as Michael strums the first chords of his request, flashing Alex another grin when their eyes lock.
“And then?” Liz prompts as she looks at the boy on the stage and then back at him.
Alex shrugs happily, grinning. “And then I’m going to kiss me a cowboy.”
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Note
could you do headcanons for bill with an s/o that loves to shower him with praise? (i just really want to be nice to ne bill ;w;)
You and me both, Anon. You and me both. Our favourite grumpy bear needs a lot of love! Sorry that this ended up being longer than I first intended. Apparently I have a lot to say about Mr Williamson. 
Bill w/ an affectionate S/O
It takes Bill a while to accept that you’re being serious when you say nice things to him. The poor guy is so used to being the brunt of the camp’s jokes, it’s difficult for him to imagine it being any other way.
So, expect lots of deflection at first. And a bit of aggression. 
“I love that shirt on you, Bill.” 
“Eat shit, Y/N!”
“...”
“...wait, what did you say?” 
You start making a point of praising him every now and then too, telling him how flawlessly he fires his gun, or how cleverly he maneuvered his horse when robbing that last stage coach. 
After a few days, he actually starts to accept your compliments. And when you kiss him for the first time one evening, sweetly, softly? That’s a whole other can of worms. Surely someone like you couldn’t really be attracted to him?
The morning after that first kiss he avoids you completely. You’re hurt at this point - who wouldn’t be? - but in a way you can understand his doubt. 
It takes you literally chasing him across the camp to get him alone. “Do not run away from me, Williamson!”
You both agree to go for a walk together. After a while, he mumbles an apology. “I just ain’t used to it, that’s all. ‘Specially not from...from someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” you smile.
“You know what I mean.” he growls. You take his arm. 
“Bill, are you complimenting me? Is that what’s happening right now?”
When you both return to camp, hand in hand, Bill is beside himself. He holds onto you at dinner and during the evening’s usual revelries, placing ticklish kisses across your collarbones. 
When you curl up together in the middle of the night he spoons you tightly, covering your hands with his. “You’re wonderful.” you say softly, before yawning. 
Bill doesn’t reply, but he smiles into your hair. Maybe one day, he’ll let himself believe it. Until then, he trusts that you believe it for him. 
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rosecorcoranwrites · 5 years
Text
True Crime Reading List
All synopses are taken from either the Flagstaff Public Library catalog, Novelist.com, or my own fevered imagination.
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi
Arguably the first True Crime book ever written, the prosecuting attorney of the Charles Manson trial gives an inside look at the infamous case.
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
A portrait of the Edwardian era recounts two parallel stories—that of the murderous Dr. Crippen, and Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless communication--as the new technology is used to capture a killer.
Law & Disorder: The Legendary FBI Profiler's Relentless Pursuit of Justice by John Douglas
False confessions, Satanic panic, and decades lived on death row: renowned FBI profiler John E. Douglas details cases of injustice in American and European courts.
Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist by Alston Chase
Chase examines the role that the Cold War and psychological experimentation played in the formation of America’s most famous serial bomber.
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
In his only nonfiction book, Grisham presents the case of Ron Williamson, a mentally ill former baseball player who was wrongfully sentenced to death for the murder of a 21-year-old woman in his Oklahoma hometown.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Truman Capote’s account of the senseless murder of a Kansas farm family and the search for the killers. Though technically a novelization, In Cold Blood is believed to have been the genesis of the True Crime genre.
The Father of Forensics: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury, and the Beginnings of Modern CSI by Colin Evans
This is the fascinating story of Bernard Spilsbury—known as something of a real-life Sherlock Holmes—whose forensic work at the turn of the century laid the groundwork for the modern science of criminal investigation.
The Unknown Darkness: Profiling the Predators Among Us by Gregg McCrary
Former FBI profiler McCrary takes us inside his process on fascinating cases of homicide, serial murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: the Deadly Seducer by Ann Rule
From America's most celebrated true-crime writer comes the heartbreaking real-life drama of a doomed young woman hopelessly trapped in a web of sexual intrigue, political manipulation, and emotional deception by her charming and successful—but ultimately deadly—lover.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil : A Savannah Story by John Berendt
Based in Savannah, Georgia in the 1980s, the story follows a colorful cast of local characters—faded beauty queens, con men, eccentric socialites—as they live their daily life during a nationally infamous murder trial.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark : One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
The haunting true story of the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—and of the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.
City of Light, City of Poison : Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris by Holly Tucker
King Louis XIV tasked Nicolas de La Reynie with investigating the Paris’s underbelly, where La Reynie discovers poisoners, witches, and renegade priests as well as evidence that the king’s mistress may have a hand in these unsavory criminal enterprises.
Mindhunter by John Douglas
Now a Netflix original series, discover the behind-the-scenes chronicle of John E. Douglas' career in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to delve into the minds of the country's most notorious serial killers and criminals.
True Crime: An American Anthology by Harold Schechter
Schechter offers a comprehensive look at the many ways in which American writers have explored crime in a multitude of aspects: the dark motives that spur it, the shock of its impact on society, the effort to make sense of the violent extremes of human behavior.
Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History by Tori Telfer
Inspired by author Tori Telfer's Jezebel column "Lady Killers," this thrilling and entertaining compendium investigates female serial killers and their crimes through the ages.​
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johnnymundano · 5 years
Text
Hamlet (1969)
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Directed by Tony Richardson
Written by William Shakespeare with an assist from Tony Richardson
Music by Patrick Gowers
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Running Time: 117 mins
CAST
Nicol Williamson as Hamlet
Judy Parfitt as Gertrude
Anthony Hopkins as Claudius
Marianne Faithfull as Ophelia
Mark Dignam as Polonius
Michael Pennington as Laertes
Gordon Jackson as Horatio
Ben Aris as Rosencrantz
Clive Graham as Guildenstern
Peter Gale as Osric
Roger Livesey as First Player / Gravedigger
John J. Carney as Player King (as John Carney)
Richard Everett as Player Queen
Robin Chadwick as Francisco
Ian Collier as Priest
Michael Elphick as Captain
David Griffith as Messenger (as Mark Griffith)
Anjelica Huston as Court Lady
Bill Jarvis as Courtier
Roger Lloyd Pack as Reynaldo (as Roger Lloyd-Pack)
John Railton as 1st Sailor
John Trenaman as Barnardo
Jennifer Tudor as Court lady
(All images taken from the Internet. Sorry about that.)
Like many English I have happily accepted every plaudit thrown at the work of William Shakespeare as though I myself had a hand in writing it, while never actually bothering to expose myself to any of it, outside of school anyway. It’s all a bit too much like hard work, you know, got other things to do. This nose won’t pick itself. But in the interests of satiating a mid-life crisis hunger for self-improvement I girded my withered loins and prepared to chuck myself unto the breech of the Bard of Avon’s oeuvre. Being a hesitant creature by nature, I decided to afford myself of the water wings provided by onscreen Shakespeare performed by actors I like. I really like Nicol Williamson (Excalibur (1981), The Reckoning (1969), The Seven Per-Cent Solution (1976) etc) So, here we are then with someone (moi) who is far too late to the party rocking up to tell you about Nicol Williamson’s Hamlet (1969). It’s actually Tony Richardson’s Hamlet starring Nicol Williamson, but in the theatre (darling) to get bums on seats the star gets top billing. In movies this would result in Mark Hamill’s Star Wars, so they don’t do that. And I can see their point because although I know who both Tony Richardson and Nicol Williamson are, I did only come for Nicol Williamson.
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No offense to Tony Richardson, mind. Prior to Hamlet he had directed many movies including the cinematic landmarks (deep breath, now) Look Back in Anger (1959), The Entertainer (1960), A Taste of Honey (1961), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Tom Jones (1963) and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968). (phew!) Other movies exist in between those, but those are the career makers; most people get one career maker, Richardson had a fistful. Back then though, people obviously had a lot of time on their hands for as well as being a movie director, Richardson co-founded the influential English Stage Company and directed Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. Crucially though, he also found time to co-found Woodfall Film Productions. Hamlet is of course written by Shakespeare and this movie is a Woodfall Films production. So a Hamlet movie is well within Richardson’s comfort zone. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard work and it doesn’t mean that the fact it works should be taken for granted. Nothing should ever be taken for granted in the world of film. After all Ridley Scott directed Alien (1979) but Ridley Scott also directed Prometheus (2012). And Alien: Covenant (2017). (Could someone please take the Alien franchise off Ridley Scott? Thanks awfully.)
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Basically, Hamlet is a good film, well, actually it’s more precisely a really good filmed performance of Hamlet rather than a good film. It’s pretty obvious the budget was what a generous person might term, um, constrained. There’s a lot of stone arches in heavy shadow standing in for Elsinore castle. A lot. Other than this, uh, minimalism it's a pretty meat and potatoes production; with just a soupçon of suggested incest between Ophelia and Laertes and emphasis on generational conflict to add some '60s spice. It's basically Hamlet as written; it's not set on a Glasgow sink estate or in a cupboard in Hitler's bunker. Fret not though, Richardson knows what he’s doing, because the big difference between a performance of Hamlet and a filmed performance of Hamlet is you can get right in there with the camera. And that’s cheap as chips, whereas building Elsinore castle and showing the ghost are not an option. Brilliantly and counter intuitively Richardson takes the opportunity of filming Shakespeare to go not large, not cinematically widescreen in scope, but instead to go small.
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Yes! Nicol Williamson can look you right in the eye as he moodily wonders whether he should off himself. No matter how much your seat cost in the theatre you can’t get that. And every seat in the cinema (or your house) costs the same, so it’s also a great leveller; everyone gets the same view. A ruddy good view at that. You can practically see the pleased gleam in the actors’ eyes as they launch into some riff that has (quite rightly) become part of the linguistic furniture of the world entire. “Oh, sure, you know this one” they seem to say “but you’ve never had it spoken directly to you, and for you alone. Tuck in! fill your boots” Imagine Elvis singing Suspicious Minds to you and you alone. Imagine is all you can do, because he died on the toilet in 1977. But you can actually have Nicol Wiliamson look you in the face and do that one about slings and arrows, even though he died in 2011 of oesophageal cancer.
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But Hamlet isn’t just a one-hander, people other than Nicol Williamson are in it. And as fierily magnificent as Nicol Williamson certainly is as the truculent vengeance seeker, everyone else is great. Because, I imagine, if Tony Richardson says he’s filming Hamlet only a berk would turn him down. For there are no berks in sight in this one. One of the fun things about watching old movies of Shakespeare plays turns out to be the familiar delights secreted within the cast. Gordon Jackson, mostly familiar to me as CI5’s George Cowley in TV’s The Professionals (1977-1983) is here as Horatio, Roger Lloyd-Pack AKA Trigger from Only Fools and Horses is here as Reynaldo, Marianne Faithful is, much to my surprise here as Ophelia, and to my even greater surprise, she’s really very, very good (which will teach me to be so presumptuous), Michael Elphick of Boon (1986-1992) pops up and, hey nonny no, who is this playing Claudius, the King usurping uncle? Why, ‘tis none other than Anthony Hopkins, who has been in a couple of things I can’t quite recall right now.
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Basically there isn’t a single face onscreen who doesn’t know what they are doing. And that’s why it works as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare. They know what they are doing so while you may not catch all the language (it being somewhat less than modern) you will always catch the gist and the intent of the speech. I’d bet you’d be very surprised by how much you do actually get; you should give yourself more credit. This Shakespeare stuff was never meant for just the toffs, it was meant for you and me; people who want to wind down after work.  Don’t let the buggers keep all the good stuff to themselves, yeah?
Now, obviously, the preceding was a) awful and b) not a review of Hamlet itself. I’m not entirely sure who would possess the temerity to critique Shakespeare’s Hamlet (“Shakespeare’s foreshadowing is far too blunt and the whole exercise in adolescent angst is in dire need of a car chase or some boobs to lighten things up.”) What I am saying is, if you feel the need to attempt Shakespeare then you could hardly be in better hands than those of Nicol Williamson, Tony Richardson and ITV’s Boon. Go on, give Hamlet a go. It’s what Old Bill would have wanted.
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littleredinmotion · 6 years
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live through this and you won’t look back by royalklaroline
(ff) (ao3)
Caroline left Rousseau’s determined to keep it together. Determined not to cry because if she did she’s afraid she’d never stop.
It wasn’t until the frantic drive down to New Orleans a few hours before that she realized that the reason Klaus dying affected her this much was because somewhere deep down she always knew that they’d end up together. Like fate.
But apparently, she was wrong.
Now it seems that fate is ripping them apart before they’d barely begun.
She’d lost a loved one before. Quite a few times actually. But this time was different. She thought losing Stefan, her newlywed husband, on their wedding day was as bad as it could get. But Stefan was human. Part of her knew that someday he would leave her, she just hadn’t expected it so soon.
Losing Klaus was different. She always imagined that once all her loved ones were gone, she’d always have Klaus. But now…
She felt like she’d lost her future. Her forever.
Klaus was the one who’d helped her embrace the joys of being immortal. Now the thought of a future without him felt empty and uncertain and scary.
In an attempt to keep from falling apart and to keep any last bit of him that she could, she turned and headed back to find the street painter they’d admired together earlier. She found him sitting in the exact spot with the now finished painting at his side while he started on a new one.
“I’ll pay you however much you want for that painting,” she inquired to the man.
“Sorry miss. It’s already been sold.”
“Please. I’ll pay double whatever they paid. I’m begging you,” she pleaded now on the verge of tears.
“I wish I could help you but the owner was very specific that it had to be this painting. I can paint you one like it, if you wish.”
Defeated, Caroline thanked the man but declined. She was once again reminded of how much she regretted shredding the drawing he once gave her.
She took her time making her way back to her car before leaving New Orleans with nothing but the fading sensation of the man that promised her the world on her lips.
Two weeks had passed since she had gotten back to Mystic Falls. Two weeks since Klaus had successfully sacrificed himself for his daughter. She had hoped that returning home to her girls would help her fall back into the same routine that she’d had for the past 7 years. She’d gone 16 years without seeing Klaus up until a few months ago, so she thought that going through life without him now would feel like normal.
She was wrong. Being back at the boarding school now made her feel like she was just going through the motions. A school filled with history of the Salvatore’s also meant a school filled with the history of the big bad Klaus Mikaelson.
Everywhere she turned, something reminded her of him. The snowflake painting hanging in the dining hall. A hummingbird outside the window. The British accent of one of the new werewolves she’d recruited to come the school.
With each day, she felt a rising panic that time was going by too fast. To her, it felt like only yesterday that he was chasing her all over town, but now she is the mother of two teenage girls. What happens when they grow up and she doesn’t? When Alaric, the girls, Elena, Bonnie, and all her other friends die?
Even after his death, she began to understand how loneliness had been his biggest enemy.
“Mom, there’s a package here for you!” Josie yelled from the front door downstairs, jolting Caroline out of her racing thoughts.
When she reached the door to find a large package, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. “This isn’t…” she whispered.
But it was.
She ripped the paper away to find the painting from New Orleans. The last memory she has of him. A piece of artwork to remind her of the man who introduced her to the beauty of it.
But that wasn’t all.
Stuck to the back was an envelope. Sealed with the all too familiar Mikaelson crest and penned with the handwriting she’d know anywhere that only said “Caroline”
Her breath caught. The little voice in the back of her head said “Maybe he’s still out there…” but she knew that couldn’t be the case.
With shaking hands, she opened the letter and read.
My Dearest Caroline,
         For almost eight centuries, whenever I defeated an enemy all I would take from them were their love letters. I guess somehow, I thought stealing the love from their letters would help me to find some of my own. It never worked. Yet after a thousand years on this earth, I find that the tables have turned. Now I am the one writing the letter with death waiting on my doorstep.
         When you came into my life, I was a shell. Fueled by greed and anger with no care for life other than my own. Until I met you. A mere eighteen years old and you spoke to me with more honesty and strength than I’d experienced in centuries. You never cowered in fear of my darkness because your light turned it to shadows.
         I know that I once told you that I intended to be your last love, alas fate had other plans for us. But know this. I always intended for you to be my last as well. I find comfort knowing that you were. And you being here for me today, just as you have been for the past few months, means more than you could ever know. Your presence somehow makes everything I do easier and harder in equal measure.
         My biggest regret is that I never got the chance to show you the world like I told you I would someday. Rome. Paris. Tokyo. But I keep my promises. Included in this envelope are four tickets to London Heathrow. For you, Josie, Lizzie, and, if I may add, Hope. Caroline, I beg that you be the one to bring her to these places. Though I know my family could very well take her, I’d like her to experience it with you. And don’t worry about hotels or any other requirements of the sort, it’s all been taken care of my love.
Also attached, I would like to include a list of a few tips for your travels abroad.
There’s a small pub in Blackfriars called Williamson’s Tavern where Elijah and I lost quite a bit of money once while gambling after a few pints. Still I’d do it all again. Though I hear they’ve cleaned up the place and it’s more family appropriate now.
Located on a far wall on the second floor of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg you’ll find a landscape I did of the view outside our home in southern Italy in 1475 titled “Landscape of Fallen Leaves”
In Berlin, look up a man named Alexander Schütze near the East Side Gallery. Tell him I sent you and I’m sure he will show you the best of the best. He owes me a favor.
San Miniato al Monte has one of the best views in Florence. Though I did sire one of the nuns for fun, so if you meet a woman named Silvia tell her that I finally got what I deserved.
The only way to explore Rome is on a Vespa.
The best flavor of gelato is pistachio. Trust me.
At the Louvre, the painting across from the Mona Lisa titled “The Wedding Feast at Cana” is an incredible piece by an old friend of mine Paolo Caliari. I visited him often as he was painting it.
Be sure to rent a bike to ride around Luxembourg Gardens.
When at Versailles, go as deep into the gardens that you can. Spend the whole day if you must. Get lost. That’s the fun part, love.
Lastly, once back in London visit the Tate Britain and go find the painting entitled “The Hummingbird.”  I think you may find it quite amusing.
There are a million more things I would have liked to show you but I don’t have enough time left to write them all down. So, I’ll leave the exploring to you in hopes that you find everything that I did and more.
         If you were anyone else, I’d end this by saying I wish to see you again someday, somewhere, somehow in whatever there is after all this. But alas, I won’t. More than anything I want you to live your life to the fullest. I hope you have a thousand more birthdays and that you get everything you ever wanted out of life. I pray that my daughter learns as much from you as she ever learned from me. Please look after her as you always did for me. May your lifespan far outnumber mine and that they tell great stories of the mythical Caroline Forbes who loved with her whole heart to everyone she encountered, even those who did not deserve it.  
         Forever yours,
                  Klaus Mikaelson
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She spent that summer exploring all that Europe had to offer. She’d brought her girls and Hope with her just as Klaus had wanted. They had ticked off numbers 1 through 9 on Klaus’s list and added much more to it over the past few months. On their last day in back in London where they started their trip, they were set to finally visit the Tate and knock off the last sight on the list.
She wasn’t sure if she was ready to finish the list and head back home. Being in Europe had made her feel closer to him in a way that she didn’t know was possible and he wasn’t even here.
Over the past couple of months, she had become quite an art enthusiast. She thought he’d be proud. She finally understood how art had this ability to transport the viewer somewhere else and fill them with emotion with just a glance. Now she knew that’s why he loved art so much. It was his escape.
They’d been exploring for just over an hour, hoping to stumble upon “The Hummingbird” on their own. The looking was always the fun part.
“Oh my God. Mom. Over here,” she heard Lizzie say from around the corner.
She’d expected just some picture of a hummingbird. She should have known better.
Wide eyed, she gasped because there, in the middle of the Tate, was her.
Blonde hair. Blue dress. It was the night of the Mikaelson Ball. The portrait of her wasn’t looking at the viewer. She looked calm, collected, and confident. Surrounded by other party goers that blurred in the background. She was the only focus.
It was then that everything clicked into place for Caroline. She’d finally gotten the thing that she’d always wanted. 
She was finally the one.
The one for Klaus.
Now that Klaus was gone, she was surprised that she didn’t feel sad at this revelation. She felt thankful. Thankful to have known him and that he’d given her everything she’d ever wanted. Culture. Art. Beauty. The world. He’d given her the world. But most of all, she felt thankful that he was intelligent enough to know that she loved him too. Even if she never had the guts to say it to him aloud. He had to of known.
She walked over and read the description.
The Hummingbird (2011) by Niklaus Mikaelson
“This portrait is for a woman much like a hummingbird. Small and beautiful yet fierce.  She showed me how satisfying life can be every day with her. I’ll wait for her to fly back to me someday. However long it takes.”
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brokehorrorfan · 5 years
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New Release Review: All the Creatures Were Stirring
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All the Creatures Were Stirring marks the feature debut of husband-and-wife duo David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry (longtime horror journalist and co-host of the Shock Waves podcast). They co-wrote and co-directed the holiday horror anthology, with each segment set on Christmas eve and loaded with indie horror favorites. It was shot in Los Angeles, which means there's nary a snowflake, but it still embodies the Christmas spirit.
The six segments that comprise the film are diverse in both style and tone. The McKendrys, along with cinematographer Cameron Cannon (The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu), push themselves to explore different aesthetics, which may make the film feel slightly less cohesive as a whole, but it’s a lot more interesting that way. The picture is also well paced, with its 80 minutes traveling faster than Santa on Christmas.
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The wraparound story finds Jenna (Ashley Clements, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries) and Max (Graham Skipper, Beyond the Gates) on a Christmas eve date to see a show at a small, local theater. The director (Maria Olsen, Starry Eyes) silently introduces each segment via cue card, after which a troupe of three performers take the stage to begin acting them out - in the the tradition of awkward, experimental theater - before transitioning into each film segment.
The first tale plays out like The Office meets Saw. White collar employees - including Jocelin Donahue (The House of the Devil), Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End), Matt Mercer (Contracted), and Jesse Merlin (Beyond the Gates) - trapped in a conference room during an office holiday party are forced to play a dangerous game of Yankee Swap in which some of the gifts are deadly, while others will help save them.
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The second segment finds Eric (Matt Long, Ghost Rider) finishing his last-minute Christmas shopping only to get locked out of his car without his phone. The only other vehicle in the parking lot is a creepy van whose owners, Sasha (Catherine Parker, Absentia) and Frankie (Makeda Declet, House of Payne), are hiding something sinister behind their hospitality.
The next installment is a modern take on A Christmas Carol, complete with direct references to the classic Charles Dickens work. Chet (Jonathan Kite, 2 Broke Girls) is the holiday-hating Scrooge who’s visited by three ghosts, while his neighbor (Peter Cilella, Resolution) and his friend with benefits (Amanda Fuller, Starry Eyes) attempt to get him in the Christmas spirit.
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The fourth piece is the shortest of the bunch. It concerns a man (Mark Kelly, Fear the Walking Dead) who accidentally hits a reindeer with his car, and Santa's little helper is out for revenge. Its Italian giallo-inspired style, bathed in colorful lighting, is a stark contrast to the fifth and final segment, which utilizes black-and-white picture in a full-screen aspect ratio that evokes The Twilight Zone. In it, a dinner party turns into a science fiction nightmare for Gabby (Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians) and Steve (Morgan Peter Brown, Absentia).
All the Creatures Were Stirring arrives on DVD in time for Christmas from RLJ Entertainment. The lack of a Blu-ray is unfortunate, considering the varied visual styles explored in the film, but it can be seen in high-definition on VOD. The physical release includes an audio commentary with the McKendrys, Brown (who also produced), and producer Joe Wicker. Their chat is as enthusiastic as the movie, filled with anecdotes, references, and laughs.
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It's easy to imagine All the Creatures Were Stirring entering many genre fans' regular December viewing rotation. It would make for a fine double feature with A Christmas Horror Story, another hidden gem of a holiday horror anthology. After making such a spirited feature debut - while nine months pregnant, no less - I look forward to seeing what Rebekah McKendry does with her sophomore directorial effort, Granny’s Home, which is already in post-production.
All the Creatures Were Stirring will be released DVD on December 4 via RLJ Entertainment.
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