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#I don't think Catherine is making that look work for her
krazieka2 · 10 months
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FE3H outfit swap!
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blackbird-brewster · 18 days
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Highlights from Catherine Tate's Q&A Panel at Armageddon Expo 2024 (NZ) :
[I took notes best I could during the panel but some may be paraphrased]
Q: What's your favourite Doctor Who alien?
CT: The wonderful Ood!
Q: Who's your favourite Doctor? (Crowd gasps in anticipation)
CT: Well, I get asked this a lot, and obviously it's David (Tennant). I don't know what number he is, he keeps coming back. But definitely, David. Although, someone recently pointed out that I was technically the first ever female Doctor. So you know what? Me, I'm my favourite Doctor.
Q: What's your favourite episode you were in of Doctor Who?
CT:The Runaway Bride, because that's where it all began.
Q: What's a favourite memory of working with David Tennant on Doctor Who?
CT: The scene in 'Partners in Crime', the one with the Adipose, there's the scene where Donna and the Doctor see each other from across a room. But they're both behind glass and they have the whole mime scene with the windows. Well, I remember it was about 3am when we were filming that - - Russel really likes to film at night if the story is taking place at night - so it was 3am, and I said to the director 'Uh, right here it just says Donna Mimes' and he said 'Yeah do whatever'.
So that whole scene was ad-lib during shooting and David and I were so in sync with it, we did that first take and the director said cut and print!
Q: How emotional were you filming your final scene in Journey's End?
CT: So, we didn't always film in order. And I'm not really a sentimental person, but I will say I thought Donna's ending was absolutely perfect. When she meets the Doctor she was always yelling at the world, and she was so different than what she was by the end, she had so much growth with the Doctor and she changed so much in her time with him, but then, she forgets the him and all those memories. And that final scene, what really got me was how he says 'Donna, I'm off' and she's just, I think she's on the phone, and she just waves dismissively. She doesn't know him anymore. Russell, the way he ties things together, he's brilliant, that man.
Q: What was it like working with Bernard (Cribbins)?
CT: Oh, Bernard. God, I love him. He was so funny and talented. He always had stories and voices and sound effects. He loved making people laugh. But we had a gag where every single time I called him I'd say (Donna Voice) 'GRANDAD!'
He'd say, "Who is this?"
"It's Catherine."
"Catherine who?"
"Catherine Tate"
"Never heard of her."
We did this every time I called him and I loved it.
Q: Is there anything annoying about working with David Tennant?
CT: No, absolutely not. He's perfect. He's the best person to work with. I will say though, I was annoying him a lot. When we did the 60th Anniversary specials, our trailers looked exactly the same and I never knew where my trailer was. I'd walk into his all the time!
Sometimes I'd walk in and see his shoes in the trailer and instead of thinking 'Oops, wrong trailer', my brain went 'What's he gone and left his shoes in my trailer for?'
It got so bad, sometimes I'd walk up the stairs and from inside I'd hear 'NO.'
Q: Was it weird coming back to play Donna after all these years? Especially when it was along side David Tennant?
CT: It was a bit weird, more in the 'Oh I hope i still know how to do this' way than anything. But I did think it would be hilarious if David and I arrived on set and every take we just did completely wrong voices. Just thought it'd be hilarious for him to go (in an airy upper-crust British accent) 'Ohhhh, hellloooo. I'm the Doctor'
Q: If you could take any prop from set, what would you take?
CT: Ohhhh, I'd have very large pockets and see what I could fit. But mostly I think it'd be a sonic screwdriver. It's gotta be a sonic screwdriver, doesn't it? It's small and mobile... Easy to steal. Plus, it'd fetch a great price on Ebay!
Q: Best show you've ever worked on?
CT: The Office, they paid me tons of money.
Q: My mum loves David Tennant, is there something you can say to dissuade her?
CT: Hm, something to convince her he's not.... Oh, he doesn't believe in astrology! I'll say 'It's Mercury Retrograde' and he'll say 'NO, NO, NO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT'.
Other Highlights:
As soon as she came out, she saw the stage had no steps to the audience, so she stayed on mic and went the long way round to go into the audience and interview people, trying to find who had traveled the furthest to be here. She was sorely disappointed everyone was just from Aotearoa 🤣
Donna Lines She Performed:
"Oi Spaceman! You're not mating with me sunshine!" (Crowd went wild for that)
"Binary. Binary. Binary." (🥺)
She did some of her characters: Lauren Cooper mostly, but also wished someone Happy birthday as Nan
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wileys-russo · 1 month
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hihi idk if youre taking requests but i had an idea for leah kinda inspired by sockgate (💀)
so basically r plays for arsenal and theyre having kit photoshoots but the kit person accidentally forgot r’s (obviously the photoshoot isnt in colney) so she has to wear leah’s kit because r’s number is 5 and leah’s is 6 so it would be easier to edit and change the number like on the shorts (just say they didnt take any photos of her back because it would be too hard to change the name or something) ANYWAY leah is eating it up seeing r in her kit (especially if it’s like kind of big on her)
and then idk how you want to end it but maybe after the edited pictures are posted, leah cant help herself and also posts the original ones where you can see it’s her kit or something
love your writing <3
the sockgate trauma...never again the new number 6 II l.williamson
"leah catherine if you make us late again you're sleeping on the sofa tonight!" you yelled out impatiently, checking the time and rolling your eyes. "two minutes babe!" your girlfriend called back as you groaned in disbelief.
"they're dressing us and doing hair and makeup there leah, what is taking you so long?" you dropped your bag to the ground and stomped off to the bedroom. "no don't come in i'm-" you pushed open the door and your eyes widened at the sight in front of you.
"tell me that you are not doing a soduku right now." you spoke deathly calm, eyes locked with hers and narrowing. "would that make you feel better?" leah questioned with a charming smile, sat on the corner of the bed.
but the tinkling of her game gave it away as your eye twitched slightly and leah laughed nervously. "leah, i will be waiting in the car. if you do not join me in exactly two minutes, that thing you've been wanting to do?" you stated as leah nodded along.
"you can do it to yourself and this-" you gestured to your body. "-will be off limits, for a week." you warned seriously as leah scoffed and went to speak.
"a whole week williamson, shift it!" you cut her off sternly, turning on heel and marching out of the bedroom hearing your girlfriend trip over with a curse in her haste to hurry.
"ah fuck." you heard a thump and before you could even open the car door leah was skidding to your side, grabbing it for you. "after you darling." she grinned as you hummed and slid inside, tossing your bag in the back as she hurried around to her side.
~
"babe why aren't you dressed?" leah frowned as she returned to the change rooms, having finished with her own media promotion and asked to let you know they were ready for you now.
"they didn't bring my kit. there was a typo on the schedule and they thought less was coming so they've got 23 and not 5." you sighed in explanation as your girlfriend took a seat beside you.
"they just told me to wear your kit, 6 is easier to photoshop to 5 since its one number and not two like 23 is." you shrugged as leahs eyebrows shot upward. "leah." you sighed tiredly at the familiar look which settled on her face as she sat down beside you.
"be an adult and go change, now please." you ducked away from her arm which attempted to slip over your shoulders, standing up and crossing your arms across your chest. "have i ever told you just how sexy you look when you're pissed with me?" leah sighed with a dopey smile.
"yes. you make a point to remind me every time you grovel after you've pissed me off!" you threw a towel at her head and sat back down at your cubby. "no, go change baby." your foot shot up to press against her as she stood and attempted to get closer.
"reminds me of a different position baby, one i quite like." leah grinned wolfishly as she pulled your leg to sit on top of her shoulder and kissed your ankle with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"you already made me late once this morning and you're doing it again. go and change leah please!" you groaned pulling your leg back and sending her a stern look.
"i know you think this is going to work but this whole annoyed look-" leah wiggled her fingers at you "-is just making it all the more harder to leave you." leah smirked as you rolled your eyes and exhaled deeply.
"alright alright! i'm going. a girl knows where she isn't wanted!" leah spoke dramatically clutching at her chest, ducking down and stealing a kiss. "unless you'd like me to just change here and we can-" leah started to suggest but a dead panned glare had her grabbing her bag and hurrying away toward the showers.
"here you go then sunshine." a bundle of clothes hit you square in the face as you'd started to daydream only a few moments later, leah changed back into the clothes she'd arrived in.
"you are so-" you stopped yourself, leah sending you a smirk and sitting down on the bench. "eyes and hands inside the ride at all times williamson, i'm on a schedule." you warned as you started to strip off and change, feeling your girlfriends gaze locked onto you.
"leah!" you huffed as you pulled her shirt down over your head and her hand smacked against your ass. "what? it slipped babe." leah shrugged with an innocent smile as you rolled your eyes and pulled on her shorts having to roll the waistband a little so they didn't hang so low, already having your boots and socks on.
"wait! you're missing something." leah shot to her feet as you fixed your hair and turned to leave, pausing with a raised eyebrow. your lips couldn't help but curl into a small smile as leahs own pressed sweetly against them.
"sap." you teased, pecking her lips a few more times before heading out of the change rooms hearing her follow after you. "behave leah." you warned seriously as she held up her hands with a wink and you pushed your way into the media room.
"well well well if it isn't our newest number six!" beth teased as she finished up and immediately noticed that you weren't in your own number. "call me vice captain." you grinned, hugging her as you swapped positions and she spoke briefly with your girlfriend before leaving the room.
"so we're mostly shooting graphics for the screens and the lineups today, some celebrations, some serious shots. we'll do everything forward facing since there was some...issues, sorry about that again." jessica the marketing and media admin smiled apologetically.
"you're just lucky i was around to save the day jess." leah chimed in as jess shot her a playful glare and stepped back, calling out a few poses as the photographer snapped away and you moved between the different backdrops.
much as you tried your hardest to stay focused there was no avoiding the shit eating grin plastered on your girlfriends face as she sat back with arms crossed, eyes laser focused on your every move.
leah wasn't shy about how much she adored you, that was given by the constant teasings of the pining looks she threw your way during trainings or the not to subtle kisses she stole what felt like every few minutes.
leah was even less shy about how much she adored the sight of you in her clothes. early on in the relationship she did find it somewhat frustrating how you'd sneak off with her hoodies or shirts or pants hidden away in your overnight bag.
but seeing you wander around colney with what leah knew was her nike hoodie covering your top half had something stirring in her stomach she couldn't ignore.
your girlfriend by nature could be possessive, though most times it never came from jealousy knowing you were just as much as infatuated with her as she was with you, but rather that solidifying assurance that you were hers.
so as she sat there seeing you take picture after picture wearing her name, number and jersey leah was grinning ear to ear and there wasn't much which could be said to wipe it off.
"all good?" you questioned once it seemed things were wrapped up, sending both him and jess a thumbs up and stepping away, boots clacking against the hard cement floor and shaking your head at the look on leahs face.
"don't say it." you warned, snatching your jacket out of her hands and making a beeline out of the room as she hurried to follow you. "leah!" you laughed as she caught up and grabbed your hand, pushing you against a wall.
"you're like a horny teenager." you chuckled against her lips which immediately ravaged yours, her hands gripping your hips as you cupped her face and deepened the kiss.
"baby girl you know what it does to me to see you in my clothes, let alone wearing my last name on your back." leah pulled away and shook her head, making a mind blown gesture with her hands causing you to laugh again and shove her.
"we're at work miss williamson, be professional." you booped her nose and darted away as leahs kiss met thin air and she watched you dissapear into the change rooms.
"oh but miss williamson all my thoughts right now are strictly unprofessional." leah sang out happily with a cheeky grin as you shook your head. "no ring, no wife." you patted her cheek and held up your empty hand causing leah to now shake her head.
"oh no no no, no need to change my girl." leah swiftly grabbed your bag, stuffing your clothes back in and slinging it over her shoulder, holding out her hand for you to take with a sly smile.
"its time for me to make our new number six feel very very very welcome."
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lizzy-bonnet · 11 months
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I love Jane Austen's work and I love podcasts, so naturally I follow several JA podcasts (please drop recs in the tags). I'm enjoying Live from Pemberley from Hot and Bothered, but a comment from literally the first episode of the series has been circulating in my brain since I listened to it several months ago: one of the hosts expressed surprise (and disappointment?) in the fact that when we first meet Lizzy, she is "employed in trimming a hat". This comment literally comes right after a conversation about how Austen tells us so much in the very short space of Chapter 1; without wasting any words, we know exactly who Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are (lightly toxic relationship), understand their family situation (need to marry well), meet the main driver of the first act (rich man in the neighbourhood), and understand a social dilemma (girls can't meet him if Mr. Bennet does not make the first overture). So what is Austen telling us when we meet Lizzy in the employment of trimming a hat?
We so often read a sort of modern girlboss feminism into Lizzy because she is smart and stands up for herself, but I think that's something that really gets embroidered on to the text. Lizzy trimming a bonnet is telling us several things about her:
She is frugal - new hats and bonnets are really expensive (my casual hobby is shopping for reproduction bonnets and this remains true), because the straw is braided by hand, the bonnet shape is assembled and blocked by hand, feathers have to be gathered from real (living or dead) birds, ribbons and flowers are hand-finished, the whole situation is fuck expensive. Lizzy is most likely putting new trim on a straw or wool bonnet she already owns to make it work better for this season's fashions, or a new dress, and possibly recycling trimmings from other hats. Contrast this with Lydia's spending all her pocket money on an ugly hat in Chapter 39, just so she can reduce it to parts, even though she acknowledges she'll also have to buy some extra satin too, to finish the project.
She cares about fashion - we don't get a lot of information on sartorial choices in Austen's work, and when characters are discussing fashion, it tends to be a framework for explaining something about their characters; Miss Steele's need to know how much Marianne's dresses cost (rude, crass); Mrs. Bennet's loving description of the lace on Mrs. Hurst's gown (shallow); Catherine Moreland's agonizing over what to wear to the Assembly (young, a bit flighty); Bingley wears a blue coat (has probably read The Sorrows of Young Werther, is fashionable). The fact that Lizzy is trimming a hat tells us she is fashionable, but paired with the fact that she will get a petticoat muddy in order to see her sister, and does not spend a lot of time worrying after fashion like Lydia tells us that she does not live and die on fashion.
She is creative - I've trimmed various hats and bonnets over my years of interest in historical fashion and honestly it's not easy. It's quite fiddly to get a nice ribbon edge, a ruched lining takes forever, and getting sprays of florals and feathers to be nicely shaped and all in a complementary palette is quite fussy. Getting a nice looking bonnet requires some thinking and planning. But it's also great fun! The Regency era is, in my opinion, a particularly good period for hats.
She is normal - I think Austen wants the reader to understand that Lizzy is a young woman with normal cares and concerns. She doesn't have cash for a new bonnet, she wants to look nice, she knows how to put an outfit together, she's not frivolous like her sisters, and she engages in the typical pursuits of someone who is not yet one and twenty who does not have a specific occupation.
A lot of modern readers are expecting Lizzy to be striding around the countryside unconcerned with "girly" things, or reading a clever book because we have come to think of her as proto-feminist in a way that suggests she might be a bra (corset) burner, but I think that comes from an outdated feminist lens that still wants to tell us that girly things are bad, or at least, a bit weak, and I don't see that in the text at all (I think some of this trickles over from the adaptations). Lizzy walks enthusiastically, she enjoys reading (but not to the exclusion of other employments), she dances very well and plays with mediocrity, she cares deeply about her friends and family, she has excellent manners, and dammit, she trims hats.
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bethanydelleman · 8 days
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If the Austen heroines lived today (and had to work outside of the home), what jobs do you think they would have?
If we look at the heroine's relative incomes, it's likely that Catherine Morland, Fanny Price, and the Dashwoods would require professions, as clergyman and naval marine don't pay that well today and the Dashwoods lost their inheritance. Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Woodhouse, and Anne Elliot are all trust fund babies, though Elizabeth and Anne would likely get jobs since their families are blowing all their money and they're not idiots. Emma is the only one who genuinely would not need to work, even in a modern context. I am not going to assign her a profession, I suspect if she existed in a similar context today she would manage her father's affairs, run the family company, and a charity, much like she does in the novel.
Catherine Morland - in university, is in a very general program and has no idea what to do with her life. Ends up in some sort of childcare career because she knows she's good at it but still scrolls through job pages imagining what else she could do. Writes very bad novels on the side.
Elinor Dashwood - public school art teacher, secure career path with a solid pay cheque, never even considered becoming an artist
Marianne Dashwood - concert pianist/piano instructor reluctantly, because piano playing doesn't pay well, failed lyricist. Has a very popular YouTube channel
Elizabeth Bennet - I see lawyer SO OFTEN in fan fiction, but I disagree. This observer of human nature is getting sucked into psychology and becoming a researcher. She'll realize how bad of a judge of character she can be pre-Darcy because now she has evidence. May become a therapist as well.
Anne Elliot - Anne is so intelligent, she can be whatever she wants. She's so good with kids too, maybe a pediatrician? She threw herself into education after the Wentworth thing.
Fanny Price - the Bertrams paid for her university education and she chose the most guaranteed source of income: accounting. Companies will always need accountants and she can help support her family.
Jane Bennet - I can see her also choosing a very practical career but then dropping out of the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom. Charles has enough money to make that work.
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femmeslash · 6 months
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various advice tidbits on writing limbus company fic
from my own personal notes 👍 i will likely add on more to this later. this is all based on the official english translation.
Vergilius seems to refer to everyone by their full name. He calls Faust "Ms. Faust" in the prologue and "Miss Faust" in the Dante's Notes mini episodes. He calls Dante just "Dante" most of the time, but sometimes uses "Manager Dante" to make a point. I don't speak Korean so please correct me if this is wrong, but I think Faust is the only one he uses an honorific for.
Charon calls Vergilius "Verg" and the bus "Mephi". It stands to reason that she would similarly shorten others' names if she were addressing them directly.
Regarding Don: "Don Quixote" is her full name. "Don" is a title in Spanish, but seems to be part of her name here. She is never referred to as "Don" or "Quixote", only "Don Quixote". Hong Lu and Yi Sang are similar in that both parts are the full name.
Meursault is pronounced "mer-SO". There's two u's in his name, just like in the word vacuum.
Heathcliff most likely does not have a surname. In Wuthering Heights, he is raised alongside the Earnshaw children but is notably not considered an Earnshaw. He has one name, like Cher and Michelangelo. This can be seen in Limbus in his icon, which reads CE ❤️ HC (Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff).
Rodya's name in her source material is Rodion Raskolnikov. Since she is female in Limbus, her surname becomes Raskolnikova.
Gregor is Jewish; this shouldn't need to be said but it does bear repeating. Please do not have him celebrating Christian holidays. He would not fucking say that.
Sinclair canonically said the word "legit" to Kromer which is something I think of often when trying to figure out if a word seems too informal for him to say. He's well-educated and polite most of the time, but he did still call her a bitch too. Sinclair can say rude words.
Ryoushuu's SANGRIA usually spell out a word. She sometimes uses two- or three-letter ones that don't spell anything on their own (like RB, EC, CIH), but four or more letters will spell a word (SYNC, TRANCHES, NOUN, etc). She will not say HMFTDIHTST or anything of that nature. Rule of thumb: if it's more than three letters, it spells something. (The one exception I have found is her W Corp ID, which has a skill called DDEDR.)
Reading the character's source material can give you incredible insight into why they act the way they do, even if we've already been through their Canto. I strongly recommend looking into the source works as part of a well-rounded analysis.
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celticcrossanon · 6 days
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BRF Reading - 25th of April, 2024
This is speculation only
Cards drawn on the 25th of April, 2024
Question: What does King Charles think about Catherine, The Princess of Wales?
Note: I asked for three cards, one for her as a person, one for her popularity, and one for her as the wife of his son.
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What Does King Charles think of Catherine as a person?
Card One: Justice reversed
This card tells me that The King thinks Catherine is unjust towards him and towards other people and that she judges them unfairly.
The energy of this card is about what The King thinks of as part of diplomacy - little (to him) concessions that make everything smoother, and that Catherine will not make these concessions. An example that comes to mind is Catherine doing something just for PR/optics. We know from reports from her staff that she will not do this. The King thinks this is unfair and that she should do something just for PR if it makes him/the monarchy look better, He also feels, rightly or wrongly, that she judges people for making those "concessions".
I think that Princess Catherine's strong moral stance on this issue and other issues makes The King feel uncomfortable, and so he thinks she is judging him (and his wife), when all Princess Catherine is doing is staying true to her values.
What does King Charles think about the popularity of Princess Catherine?
Card Two: The Star
The Star can be a card of dreams coming true, and her popularity is a dream come true for The King. It is what he wanted for himself and never achieved, and now he sees that dream being achieved by another person. He would revel in said popularity and I think he suspects Princess Catherine of doing the same, even when she clearly does not do so, as he is applying his own behaviour to her.
He is very aware that Princess Catherine is a star of the BRF and I don't think he altogether likes this. The picture on the card is of Pandora opening the box and unleashing all the evils upon the world, and I think that The King feels that the popularity of Princess Catherine has created a lot of evils for the BRF.
The energy of this card is not of someone delighting in the success of another person. There is nothing of that coming from the card. The energy I am getting is more of an "Oh dear. Well, I can work with this, but it creates issues and I would rather it had not happened" energy.
How does King Charles feel about Princess Catherine as the wife of his son, Prince William?
Card Three: The Four of Wands
This is a card of home, weddings, and celebration. The energy from this card is 100% approval and support. The King approves of Princess Catherine as the wife of his son. He likes how she has made a home for his son and he likes how she is bringing up his grandsons. He approves of their marriage and he approves of her role as wife/mother/homemaker. I get the feeling that he would be happier if she confined her role to that of wife and mother and did not do any of her other work and only appeared as a wife on the big occasions (Trooping the Colour, Christmas Walk etc). I think that The King feels that being a mother and supporting her husband is an appropriate role for Princess Catherine. There is an "if only she would stick to this" energy about this card.
Underlying Energy: The Nine of Cups
This is the energy that underlies the three cups above. It is a card of emotional satisfaction and luxury, success, recognition, and pleasure. The energy from this card is that King Charles thinks that Princess Catherine hit the jackpot by marrying his son. He thinks she should be very happy with her position and content with what is offered to her by the blood royals, whatever that might be.
Bonus Question: Does King Charles like Princess Catherine?
Card Four: Judgement in reverse
After I had pulled the cards for this reading, I shuffled again and asked if The King liked Princess Catherine as a person overall. Judgement reversed tells me that he does not like her as a person. Judgement is the card of Pluto, the ruling planet of Scorpio, so it can represent King Charles as he is a sun sign Scorpio, and in the reverse it says No in answer to my question. He does not like her.
This card can represent second chances and in the reverse it says that The King is not prepared to give her a second chance. I think that in the past she may have done something to upset him or made him feel bad by her moral standards, and he decided then that he did not like her and he is not going to change his mind.
This card in reverse can also represent blaming someone else for your mistakes, and I think that The King might blame Princess Catherine (and Prince William) for things that have happened to him in the past. The energy I am getting is that they said something that the late Queen listened to and approved, and as a result The King did not get his own way with respect to the issue at hand.
Conclusion:
The King might enjoy talking to Princess Catherine, and he certainly approves of her as a wife and mother, but if you asked him if he liked her the honest answer would be No. The energy I am getting is that he resents her and her popularity, her firm stance on certain things (like doing things just for the optics) makes him feel uncomfortable and makes him feel judged, and that he blames her for things that have happened to him and/or for him not getting his own way over some past issues.
EDIT: I want to add in here that I don't think that The King hates Princess Catherine or anything like that. In fact, I think he quite enjoys her company. I do think that her firm values make him uncomfortable at times, that he envies her popularity (even if he won't admit that to himself), and that he would be happier if she remained at home and was only trotted out for the big occasions. I also think that she may have refused to go along with something 'for optics' in the past, and that has upset The King. I do think that the King is classist towards her? - thinks he is better than her because he is royal and so she should gratefully accept whatever attention/honours/anything else he gives her - but I think The King is like that with everyone except other royals as well.
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whoeveniswren · 6 months
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my friend: hey, so how come Hannibal likes Clarice so much?
my other friend: i don't know probably because-
me:
*AHEM* You see, Hannibal respects Clarice because she is different from all of the money-hungry, insatiable male police officers who are after glory- Who get a rise out of saying they spoke to the great Hannibal Lecter while not being actually brave enough to converse with him authentically. They think of him as less than human, and only care about advancement. Because of this, Hannibal has come to know the FBI as a corrupt field full of corrupt officers, therefore he feels no need to give them any respect since they can't even look him in the eye. But then Clarice comes along. Instantly, she gives him respect, calling him "Doctor Lecter," being "courteous and receptive to courtesy". Hannibal is surprised she does not back down, especially since she is a woman in a very masculine career, something he already admires her for. He expects that, after he insults her, she will not come back, just like all the other cops. But she does come back, in the pouring rain, and suddenly his opinion of her soars. Nobody has ever exuded such passion for saving these victims like Clarice before. He offers her his towel, likely one of his only possessions, because he sees her goodness, her intelligence, her drive. He revels in her remarkable frankness and honesty, two things he values very highly. In the very last scene, in Memphis, is when he is truly moved by her person. In the Memphis scene, is when he truly becomes not only interested in her, but admires her deeply. Her emotional retelling of her childhood trauma about saving the lambs is what allows him to understand the goodness of her- She is truly a selfless, caring person in a world so cold and unforgiving. He changes him, and makes him believe in the goodness of humanity. THAT is what he respects about her the most, above her intelligence and respect: That she has a good heart. These lambs are the girls in a metaphorical sense, which is why he asks if saving Catherine will "make the lambs stop screaming." In the last scene, when he says goodbye to her, you can see tears welling up in his eyes. He cries because he sees her goodness, and knows therefore that she will never make it in the corrupt world of the FBI because of her refusal to stoop to unethical means in order to achieve power. This is proven true in the sequels, when Clarice’s career is tarnished because she rejects a sexual advancement made to her by her boss- Paul Krendler. Krendler makes sure after this she always gets the worst assignments and never advances because she refuses to sleep with him. He also believes Starling “robbed him” of the glory of catching Buffalo bill and is jealous that a woman, and a rookie at that, beat him to the punch. In that moment in Memphis, it’s as if Hannibal is able to see into the future, and predict her self-destruction at the hands of the FBI. He cries because he believes this is the last time he will ever see her again. He cries because he knows she is too good for the FBI, and for the patriarchal, corrupt system, yet he knows she will always blame herself for her imminent failure. (Clarice wanted to save Catherine Martin, but the FBI wanted to catch Buffalo Bill.) Her purity is a tragedy in a world so vile. For me, these two quotes from the screenwriter and director put all the underlying messages and dynamic rapport of TSOTL into an fascinating perspective:
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“These are two extraordinarily gifted thinkers engaged in a tremendously important conversation. At last, a mind came into his field that was worthy of verbal and mental intercourse. I don’t know that sex has any place in any of this. I mean, yes he’s a man and yes she’s a woman; he’s very handsome and she’s very beautiful, but so what? These are minds at work here. There’s an eroticism in the thought process that transcends any kind of physical eroticism that might be between the two.” - Jonathan Demme (Director)
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“The scenes between Lecter and Clarice are basically seduction scenes. They play, oddly enough, as if they were lovers. They only touch one time in the entire movie, in their last scene when he says goodbye to her- when as he hands her back her notes, he touches her finger. And it's almost a shock to the audience, when they touch. But these scenes, you would approach almost as if you were writing a sort of courtship between two lovers." - Ted Tally, Screenwriter.”
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brf-rumortrackinganon · 2 months
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I think your analysis of the current BRF situation is SPOT ON.
However, as a Brit, I would like to add one further caveat. Whether the Sussexes become working royals is not down to the Sussexes, Charles, the Palace or anyone. It is down to the British public. The ENTIRE job of the British royal family is to bring a sprinkle of royal fairy dust and magic to an event or cause in a neutral, apolitical way that everyone can support. Be it the Duke of Gloucester popping into a local school initiative which is subsequently then reported in the local paper, or a glittering State banquet with many royals and tiaras garnering international headlines, that is what they do. In addition, a very few royals (currently William and Catherine, Charles and Camilla) have enough star power and magic (some combination of their titles and personal charisma - William has enough of both that he can bring people together on a global basis) that they can bring people together and CREATE events and initiatives (Earthshot, the Prince's Trust, the Early Years work, Queen Camilla's Lit Fest etc. etc.) but still it is the event, cause or initiative that is the important thing. Harry used to be in the latter camp, with his involvement and name being vital to creating things like Invictus or Sentebale but he has now thrown most of that goodwill away. Meghan has NEVER understood that she was supposed to be casting a spotlight on others, instead of making things all about her own celebrity (as is happening now with Invictus). Together they have created a Sussex brand that is so damaged and polarising that, rightly or wrongly, they would only bring negative publicity to whatever cause or event they were sent to support and people wouldn't want them there. The royal job only works if most people involved agree that royal attendance is a plus. These two have pissed off at least 75% of the British public. There is no way they can do the job, even if H&M, Charles, William and the Govt wanted them to, until their support is round 40-50% at least. That's why these polls happen. Yes, maybe they could embark on a long term rehabilitation process as has happened with Camilla and to a lesser extent the Edinburghs, but as you rightly point out, they a) don't have the patience b) would hate doing all the boring, small, bread & butter events that would entail c) are not getting any younger or more glamorous d) are being rapidly overtaken by the immense star power of the Wales kids. In fifteen years who would you rather attends your event? Bald Uncle Harry and his ageing sex kitten wife? Or young, beautiful Charlotte, Princess Royal?
Yep. It's the one thing universally understood: people in positions of power are only there by popular support. Doesn't matter whether it's soft power (eg celebrities, royal families, influencers, athletes) or hard power (eg governments, corporations, media).
There are also two ways to get popular support: by public consent (eg votes, likes, follower counts) or by leadership force (eg invasion, coups, control).
It looks like Harry and Meghan understand this, but they actually don't. They see Charles and William blocking their ascent to power via consent of the public, which leaves them no choice but to force their way to the top. It's is exactly what they've done: they're controlling press and media coverage (tell-alls about the horrors of the royal family while making sure there's only positive coverage of them), they've established a rival court, and they're securing allies (WME, Tyler Perry, Jamaica, veterans). All the signs are there: the Sussexes are launching a hostile takeover of the royal family. But where they keep fucking up is by not accounting for the British public.
They think if they just get rid of Charles and William, the public will love them. That's why all previous attempts of hostile takeovers (Oprah, Netflix, Spare) have failed; they don't realize that the British public is completely separate from the royal family.
Which is ironic because that's literally the lesson from Diana - the British public will support the people they like irrespective of what the royal family/monarchy tells them to do.
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Gotham being a fuck up City once more
Gotham is a City with a lot of problems, Jason Todd knows it very well. And this is not about the pollution, corruption or the villains but the city itself is like that. The City is vile, dirty and knows how to make your old wounds bleed.
And sometimes Jason really hates Gotham because of this, the City plays with everyone and anyone. Oracle sent some messages to everyone, saying something about weird supernatural shit happens and everyone should be careful that night while Batman is working... Well Jason don't care.
Jason Todd is having a shit week and he is fucking tired! He just wants to go home and sleep - and maybe some beer and shower. Be the whatever shit is batman doing now it's definitely not his problem.
And Jason actually did it! He manages to avoid his siblings the whole way to the safe house. but before entering he sees a woman sitting against the door, his whole body freezes and he regrets not having paid attention to the warning because Jason knows that woman. And she definitely doesn't should be there.
"Jason" the woman got up and smiled at him, "look at you... You become so tall"
Jason's first instinct is run, but his body doesn't move, he barely can think
"look at your hands" Catharine keeps smiling and holds her son's hands, there's so much sweetie in her voice "I remember when you were a baby, your hands were so tiny, both of your hands fit in one of mine... look at you now... this time I'm the one who has to use two hands to hold one of yours"
Jason doesn't want to believe in it! She was dead! He knows it! She died years ago... But...but...
Catherine lets go of Jason's hand when she notices that her son is silent
"I understand, you must be angry with me... I'm sorry..." she starts to walk away, after all, what kind of mother was she?
That was enough for Jason to panic, whatever that was in front of him, he wasn't going to let it go that easily. He didn't understand why his parents always abandoned him, but whatever it was, he wanted to keep her there a little more
"I... I... I hurt people, mom..I hurt so many people" Jason doesn't know what makes him say that, at all the things he should say he chose. Why can't he do nothing right?
Catherine looks for her son again, She brings her hand to his face, wiping away the soft tears that have started to fall.
When did Jason start crying?
"You were trying to protect someone, weren't you? I know who you are Jason, you are my son, I raised you... you must have become such a smart man, do you still like books? I remember you loved going to the public library to read, it was a free trip so we walked there every weekend"
Jason hates it. Why Gotham keep tutoring him like that? Why Gotham keep doing this?
and the rest of the night the boy and his mom are just talking with each other in the same way they did before the drugs... She asked about the books he was reading at that time, his friends, if he had someone in his life...
They talked for hours but not enough... And then she disappears before the sun rises followed by the Oracle message "situation over control now, everything will be normal for now on"
And Jason starts sobbing on the floor again. He definitely hates how Gotham plays with everyone
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mypoisonedvine · 11 months
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buhhh jd you had me THINKING with that prince paul drabble. would love to see more of him being stern with reader, like, maybe she makes a little joke at his expense in front catherine (which catherine thinks is so funny) while they're at dinner and just has to set her straight. something about a warning looks or words and knowing what's coming later is -- truly doing something for me.
ugh yes I relate I want him to wreck me
warnings: smut (18+ only), oral m receiving, choking, dom/sub dynamics, degradation
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"You found that amusing, did you?" Paul growled in your ear, tightening his grip on your arms until you whimpered slightly. "Need I remind you how insubordination is dealt with in this regime?"
You had to hide your small smile from him, worried that if he knew you'd wanted him to punish you for your comment all along, that he might not.
You'd been waiting for it since you said it-- since he gave you that icy stare, hiding it with a half-smile as he pretended to take the joke well. But just the way he'd met your gaze from across the table, his fist clenching around his salad fork for a second, made your thighs clench together in anticipation. You wanted that hand tightening around your throat, those smirking lips against your ear as he warned you that he didn't have the patience to be gentle.
And, for the most part, it worked-- you were in his bedchambers now, bracing for your punishment. The only thing was, just when you expected him to bend you over his bed, he turned you around and pushed you onto your knees.
You looked up at him expectantly as he worked to get his trousers out of the way-- why did fancy royal clothes have to be so complicated?-- and pull out his cock for you. It wasn't fully hard yet, but considering it was in your mouth a second later, it didn't take too long before he was erect and throbbing against your lips; Paul moaned, tangling his fingers into your hair as he guided your movements. "I like this mouth better when it's pleasing me, instead of insulting me," Paul cooed at you as he pet your swollen bottom lip with his thumb. "This is what these pretty lips ought to be doing-- getting stretched out around your prince's cock, yes?"
You hummed and nodded in agreement, though you whined when he yanked your head back by your hair, gripping his cock tightly as he stared down at you.
"I'd like to hear you say it," he demanded.
"M-my lips should be pleasing you, my liege, serving your cock-- not insulting you," you promised.
"And this throat," he continued, making you swallow nervously as he ran his fingers over your neck. "You always come the hardest when I choke you with my hands, but there are other ways. Why don't you show me how good of a whore you can be, and choke for me?"
Choke you did; he only gave you breaks when you absolutely needed them, smirking down at you when you gasped and spluttered, and then got right back to fucking your throat recklessly. You tolerated the discomfort because, for one, it turned you on for some unknowable reason, being used like this; and two, the way he loudly moaned and bit his lip as he slid his cock deeper in your mouth was simply too addictive to stop.
Only when his come was spilling from your abused lips did he seem satisfied, sweetly asking you if you'd learned your lesson as he watched you try to swallow down all the seed he'd given you. First, you thanked him for his come-- something you never forgot to do after that one punishment that left you limping for a week-- and then you agreed that, yes, you'd learned your lesson not to embarrass him especially in front of his mother.
"All right," he nodded, "now get on the bed."
You raised your eyebrows. "My prince, but--"
"That was just to teach you your place, whore," he explained with a frown. "Now I'll have my real fun with you."
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americanbrffan · 5 months
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Can't believe I woke up to the news that Catherine...KATE...is the second person named. They really went there.
Let's put this in perspective, shall we:
They named the person most people relate to, the one children adore, the one who's always surrounded by smiles of those she meets. No one (in their right mind) will believe Kate meant anything malicious about an innocent baby.
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Now that she's been named, though, people will be able to defend her. We'll hear from no-name people from obscure places who speak to Kate's kindness, her empathy and her (cough) authenticity (cough). This will blow back on M, mark my words.
2. This shows exactly how ugly these people are. We don't have to be Scotland Yard detectives to know this "mistake" was on purpose.
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M is so transparent and vindictive; she thinks she's going to ruin Kate but Catherine will weather this with the grace she had when those photos violating her privacy were published. And this time, Kate has her work with the public to prove exactly who she is and what she stands for. But good luck to M on trying to rebrand herself as domestic and family oriented. I wish WME luck. They're gonna need it.
3. They'll never be allowed to return. Never, ever, ever.
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Forget about burning bridges. There's now an ocean-sized moat filled with piranha and William, Camilla, Anne and Sophie dragons guarding Catherine and Charles. If Harry returns for court next week, I hope he wears fireproof armor.
Like every other attempt to malign and discredit Harry's family, this will only backfire and make The Sussexes and their mouthpiece look worse than before. I plan to fully enjoy it.
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blingblong55 · 6 months
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Masquerade -Call of Duty
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This is a collection of quotes from a radio show called 'Dangerously Yours' from Ep titled 'Masquerade'. (none of these quotes or ideas of how the story develops are mine.)
---- GN!Reader, enemy!Reader, enemy!COD character, enemies to lovers? ----
You are a spy for your country, you were sent to kill the target so you made him/her fall in love and you also fell into your own trap. Neither of you can be with the other for if you are, you'll both get killed. So, you tell him/her what your plans were and he/she tells you they knew all along. You are in denial of your feelings for him/her and in the end, you end up killing him/her. His/her last words were, 'I love you R/N." And as his/her people asked if he/she needed help, all they said was basically no, that they want you to find your own path in life and that with hope, someday, you would believe that they were truly in love with you which is very much true.
This next part is of the characters in COD that I think would be the ones playing Rudolph Estefan and you of course play Catherine. These quotes are taken from the comment section...and from what i listened to as I wrote them down
[Italic for the COD character]
----
(Vladimir Makarov)
“Look, [R/N], a shooting star! Did you wish?”
“Oh, I didn’t have time.”
“Then there is something you wish for.”
“Yes…”
“What did you wish?”
“I was wishing that… we were two other people. Two people who need not say goodbye.”
“Perhaps it can be that way.”
----
(Valeria Garza)
[Orange is a third character]
“Oh, I wish you wouldn’t go to see that woman/man tonight, [ma'am]-“
“how could I stay away? Elvear, for the first time in my life, I am completely, head-over-heels in love!”
“but countess Garza-“
“I know what you’re thinking, ‘I have a mission to perform and I have no right to fall in love', but… things don’t always work out the way we’d like to have them work out, hey Elvear?”
“oh, I don’t know what’s to come of all this, sir.”
“no, Elvear, neither do I. Neither do I, but perhaps we shall find out tonight.”
----
(Alejandro Vargas) "[R/N], I offer you the three things most dear to me, my heart, my country and my dreams."
"You are too generous."
"[R/N], you must listen to me. Since that first hour we met, I've been completely yours. There's never been anyone else for me, there never will."
"Oh please, please don't say anymore. There are worlds between us, worlds that can't be crossed with words."----
(Alex Keller)
"I'm going to tell you something [R/N], something that will put my life in your hands."
"your life..."
"It would mean my life were the news to get to certain circles yes."
"Then don't tell me, how do you know you can trust me?"
"I love you...and I believe you love me."
----
(John Price)
“you may as well take my heart, [R/N], it’s already full of you. You walked into it the day we met.”
“You’re a fool, John Price.”
“but isn’t any man who falls in love?”
----
(Simon 'Ghost' Riley)
"Do you know what you are to me? You are something to believe in again. You're a type of person that had ceased to exist for me. A fine honest woman/man."
----
(Rodolfo Parra)
“Oh, my darling, you’re such a child. take your foolish little dream in your heart and go, please go!”
“what is it, what’s wrong my dear?”
“you know nothing about me- you’ve known me only three weeks!”
“three weeks…? [R/N], I’ve known you all my life.”
“all your life.”
“it’s true! I’ve seen you in a thousand plays, and read you in as many books. when I’ve heard beautiful music I’ve thought, ‘[She’d/He'd] like that.’ I’ve looked at flowers and known that one day I’d give them to you-“
“Oh, stop, stop! you must listen to me. I am not that woman/man! Perhaps I was once, but I am not now! You see… you were wrong. you can’t trust me.”
----
(Logan Walker)
"I had Elvear look you up the day you arrived."
"And it...it didn't make any difference?"
"It didn't make any difference. You see, I trust you. You came here to betray me and to betray my country, that is your mission countess/count [R/N]. And yet I'm so sure of your love that I will trust you with my life and what is far more valuable the life of my country."
----
(John 'Soap' MacTavish)
“if I betray you…I betray myself. If I betray him, I betray my country. My country is very dear to me.”
“dearer than I?”
“no…no, not dearer than you.”
----
(John Price)
“You’re very clever, aren’t you? I can read you like a book now. You thought I was young, and easily swayed, that you could make me love you, and I would throw over my country—my duty for you—!”
“That's not the way to look at it, [R/N].”
“You weren’t so wise after all! Because you’ve lost you hear me?! Lost! You’ve guessed wrong in our little duel of wits! You forgot how close hate is to love!”
“You don’t know what you’re saying [R/N].”
“You never loved me—! You knew that I loved you, and you used that!”
“[R/N] stop talking like a child—we’re playing for countries now!”
“Yes we are, aren’t we!”
----
(Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick)
“This is a gun in my hand, Kyle…I’d advise you to be careful what you say.”
“Well, rather melodramatic, aren’t you? tell me, will I be the seventh notch on the gun or the eighth? haha. do you mind if I smoke?”
“…smoke?”
“I always smoke at the theatre. somehow it enhances the performance.”
“You can do anything you please, Kyle, but you have very little time to do it in.”
----
(Keegan P. Russ)
“…You mean you’re actually going to kill me...?”
“I mean just that.”
“Well…go ahead.”
“…I’ll do this my own way…Look…you already know my purpose in being here. Now you will either give me my information, or I will kill you. You have until 9 o’clock.”
“You won’t do it. You can’t pull the trigger. You can’t pull it because you love me. It takes a very brave and a very cold woman/man to do that [R/N], I don’t think you can…Isn’t that true? Isn’t that why you’re waiting…?”
“That's not true!”
----
(Simon 'Ghost' Riley)
“Or is it that you want to watch your victim? You want my heart to constrict with agony, my hands to shake! You want me to plead for my life so you can make a generous gesture and spare me…Sorry [R/N], I don’t seem to be in the mood for prayers tonight.”
“You don’t think I’ll do it? That's why you’re so brave…You don’t think I’ll do it…You wouldn’t be so brave otherwise…! You’re a coward at heart! You lied to me, you deceived me—“
“You lied to me…you deceived me!”
“You tried to deceive me.”
“I’m tired of listening to you!”
“You gave me your heart, you know. You’d like me to hand it back, whole again, but I won’t. You’ll live a long time yet, [R/N], an eternity without me. You will look into the faces of passers-by, hoping for something that will, for an instant, bring me back to you. You will find moonlit nights strangely empty because when you call my name through them there will be no answer. Always your heart will be aching for me and your mind will give you the doubtful consolation that you did a brave thing.”
“you dare to talk of bravery.”
“what else do we have to talk about, [R/N]? For me, there will never be another woman/man but you. But for my heart, there is another love that must come before you, my country.”
----
(König)
“you’re so still… your face is like ice. what are you thinking, [R/N]?”
“…what does anything you can say matter? You betrayed me with words. What good are words… when your heart is breaking? if I fail now, I should deserve to die. You tricked me into loving you.”
“Aren’t you forgetting that you came here for the same purpose?”
“I couldn’t have betrayed you, I tried to tell you- you said you already knew. I was as honest as I knew how to be.”
“Do you think I wanted to love you, knowing where you came from and what your mission was? Don’t you suppose that every hour we were together I was thinking, ‘[She’s/He's] just pretending’?”
“I wasn’t! I loved you!”
“and I loved you so much I let you pretend! Because you brought something to my days I couldn’t stand the thought of losing. Listen to your heart [R/N]. Feel it pounding.”
----
(All of the COD characters...for sure)
“Your time is up.”
“Then, my last words, I love you, [R/N].”
“You’re determined to die with a lie on your lips?!”
*gunshot*
“I…love you, [R/N]…”
“Oh, god.”
----
(All of the COD characters...for sure)
“Tell her/him the truth? Tell her the truth so that she/he will watch the stars through tears instead of following the one cold star that is her/his destiny? No, no, Elvear, let her/him think I never loved her/him. One day, she/he will follow a flag to the same fate as mine. We must…leave her/him the strength for that hour.”
A/N: Anyway...hope you liked it?
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sissylittlefeather · 9 months
Text
A/N: Ha HA! Another one done! This is the 68 Special one that I promised y'all after the poll. It goes with my series that is currently unnamed, but includes Baby, What's Your Name, Goodnight, Sweetheart and Always, Honey. There are references to all three in here. It takes place before What Kind of Question is That? and Feels Like Forever. This is angstyyy, but the way the story is in my brain, the mid section is that way and the whole story is kind of tragic, in a way. It's very Catherine/Heathcliff (they should be together but can't be for some reason). I didn't set out to write a tragic story, but there ya go. It is what it is. I hope y'all like it anyway!
Also, don't be shy. Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you 😁
Warnings: 18+ minors DNI, smut, unprotected sex, p in v sex, kissing, ANGST
Also, I'm using Elvis gifs for this one because I like actual EP here, but if it makes you happy to imagine Austin!Elvis, do you boo-boo.
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I Missed You
It's been over 3 years since you last saw Elvis. This is the longest you've been apart since you met all those years ago. You haven't seen him since he got married or became a father. He did all of those things without you and it nearly broke you. Still, you'd had your own marriage happen and fall apart, too. You wondered if you'd ever tell him that it was because of him and the fact that you never could seem to stop loving him.
The year is 1968 and you just got off the phone with a friend of yours who works in Hollywood. According to her, Elvis is going to be recording a new show soon and they're looking for audience members. She called to see if you might be interested in seeing an old friend.
No one really knows what you had with Elvis. Well, no one but your old roommate. Still, despite your long history, he never made you public like his other girlfriends. Maybe it's because keeping you a secret made the romance hotter. Or maybe it's because keeping you a secret meant he could keep you all to himself. Either way, your love affair had always been something that only the two of you really knew about.
But an opportunity to see Elvis again is hard to turn down, even with everything that's happened between you. Perhaps seeing him one last time will give you the closure you need to move on. You decide to call your friend back and see what you need to do to be in that audience.
******
Now that you're here, you start to wonder if this was a good idea. You're sitting in the audience in your new mod-style pink gingham dress with white boots and a white headband. You wonder if he will even see you in the crowd. Will he notice the pink gingham?
Your hands are starting to sweat and you wipe them on your skirt, pulling on it to try to get it to cover more of your thighs. You're not a teenager anymore and this dress is starting to feel a bit ridiculous.
One of the producers of the show comes out to explain to the audience how to react to the "applause" signs. Elvis is coming out soon and you're starting to feel a little sick at the prospect of seeing him. You don't remember the last time you were this nervous.
And then he's there. On the small square stage, right in front of you, in black leather. Your heart jumps and your warm center gets a little warmer. He looks good. Not that you expected him not to, but he looks better than you could've imagined. He breaks into That's Alright Mama and you're instantly transported back to that first show where you threw your panties on the stage to get his attention. You start to laugh a little thinking about what might happen if you did the same thing right now. You'd probably get carried out by a security guard.
He sings 4 songs and then they do a set change to him sitting down with his old band mates for a kind of casual jam session. You're still waiting for him to notice that you're there. Part of you is starting to hope that he'll never notice and you can just slink back onto a plane and go home. Seeing him has enlivened every feeling you've ever had for him and you can't help but have flashbacks to every time he's ever touched you. You long to feel his strong hands on your body, his lips on yours, his fingers and tongue doing unspeakable things between your legs. You squeeze your legs together and pray that you're not going to leave a puddle on your seat.
And then it happens. He's walking around the stage singing again and he kneels just feet from you. You're in the second row, far enough back to be out of reach, but close enough to be visible. He looks out into the audience and your eyes meet. Ever the professional performer, he only freezes for a second when he sees you. You feel like someone dumped ice water down your back and it's suddenly hard to breathe. You want to get up and run out, but you can't. And just when you think he's completely unaffected by you, he closes his eyes and shakes his head. Then he stands up, turns away from you, and keeps singing.
But he comes back.
He walks around the stage like he's supposed to, but he always comes back to you and keeps his eyes locked onto yours for as long as possible before he has to move. Every time it happens, your heart skips a beat and you start to wonder how much more you can take. Just when you think you might melt from the intensity of his gaze, he leaves the stage and the producer comes back and says that filming is done for the day.
You sit there for a while and let the other people around you file out. Eventually you get up and head for the exit. You're one of the last people in the room as you head for the door. And then you hear someone behind you. You turn, expecting someone to tell you that you need to leave, but no.
It's him.
You stand and stare at each other for a good minute before he speaks. He asks a single question.
"Where can I find you later?"
You want to tell him to go to hell. Instead, you hear yourself say, "Hollywood Hilton, room 647."
He nods, turns, and jogs away from you back to wherever he came from. A man comes and ushers you out the exit door. You head back to your hotel in disbelief. You're not sure what you expected, but it wasn't that.
******
You're trying really hard to stop pacing in your hotel room. The clock on the night stand says 12:24am. You're still wearing the pink and white dress, mainly because you're too nervous to change into anything else, but you're barefooted now, your boots in a pile by the door. You tell yourself you are giving him until 1am and then you're going to bed. That's when you hear the knock on your door.
Your stomach tenses up and your heart jumps into your throat. You walk to the door and open it carefully. Elvis walks in quickly and closes it behind himself. You're reminded of the time he did that when you lived in the dorm and you almost laugh out loud.
"Who are you hiding from?"
"Everyone." He looks at you like no time has passed since the last time you were alone like this. He puts his hand on the side of your face and for a moment you let him. Then you move away from him.
"Don't."
"Honey, why--"
"You have a wife."
"And you have a husband. Never stopped us before."
"I don't have a husband anymore."
"All the more reason--"
"You married her, Elvis." He looks down at the floor.
"She has your baby. You're somebody's father."
"I know that."
"Then why did you come here?" He picks up your hand and kisses the inside of your palm, just like he did so many years before.
"I missed you." You want to take that hand and slap him with it. For a second, you really consider it. Instead, you pull it away from him and turn to face the window. If you look at him, you might give in.
He comes up behind you and touches your dress on your shoulder.
"You know I've always loved you in pink."
"It matches--"
"--the dress you wore on the first night. I remember."
That almost convinces you to turn around, but instead you shake his hand off your shoulder. You can't turn around. Not yet.
"Elvis, we said this was over."
"We've said that before."
"Yeah, but last time I thought we meant it."
He walks around in front of you and faces you. He seems afraid to touch you again.
"Baby, you know I could never mean it."
You cross your arms over your chest and look up at him. He looks different now, grown up and fully himself, but he's still the same boy from Memphis who said he would always be yours.
"No. Go home to your wife, Elvis."
You can see in his eyes that that stung. You immediately wish you hadn't said it, but you did and it wasn't untrue. He does have a wife to go home to and you have what? No one because you can't seem to move on from him. He's as much a part of you as you are of him.
"You know what you mean to me." You do know. But sometimes you just wish he would say the words.
You walk past him to the hotel room window and look out at the street below. They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but this town could give it a run for its money. There seems to be people everywhere. He speaks again, ripping you out of your reverie.
"You know, I could ask you the same question. Why did you come to my show?" You step back from the window and look up at the ceiling. That, you don't have an answer for. You're not even sure why you came. It's no use lying to him or yourself anymore. You turn to face him with tears in your eyes.
"I missed you."
It only takes him three steps to walk across the room and pull you into a deep and passionate kiss, his arms around you to keep you from pulling away. You know you should pull away, but you don't even try. You melt into him like snow in the rain, your mouths picking up a rhythm easily. Kissing him is familiar and satisfying and you begin to wonder why you ever stopped. You wrap your arms around his neck and let yourself get lost in him. He walks you backwards to the dresser and then lifts you up so that you're sitting on it. He runs both hands up your thighs and then grabs your hips, pulling them into his own. You break the kiss and moan softly into his mouth as you feel his hardness press into you. In a second, he has the dress up, over your head, and off. Your fingers shake as you undo the rest of the buttons on his shirt and push it off of his shoulders with his jacket, letting them both fall to the floor. The whole time, he's kissing you on the neck, on your chest, and shoulder, and jawline, and lips. It almost feels like he's trying to devour you whole. In fact, he bites the skin next to your collarbone at one point hard enough that you let out a small yelp. He knows you well enough to know that's a good sound. You grab the back of his hair and pull his head backward, diving into a deep kiss with heavy tongue. He almost breaks your bra, trying to rip it off of you and your panties don't stand a chance as he tears at them and throws them to the side. The button pops off of his pants as you feverishly try to get them off of him. He slides them off his hips and to the floor, letting his erection free to land against your thigh. The sight and feel of it there elicits a moan from your mouth and a good deal of wetness from between your legs. He pulls you to the edge of the dresser and pushes himself inside you. He slams into you heatedly and you both start to sweat. You can feel your climax building around him as he pumps. He's still kissing you all over your face and neck, dipping his tongue into your mouth periodically. Your hands grip his back as your fingernails dig into his skin. As many times as you've been together, it's never felt like this before. There's a desperation and need in both of you that's completely new. You wrap your legs around him and he carries you to the bed, still inside of you. You fuck for a while with him on top of you, until you push him into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Then, you turn away from him and lower yourself onto him, holding onto his thighs for support. While you slide up and down on him, he reaches forward and makes circles with his finger on the spot between your legs that makes you cry out his name.
"Elvis, fuck!" You scream as your climax pounds into you from every angle, rushing through you from your center to your edges and back again. You turn around and push him back onto the bed. He moves himself backwards until he's fully on the bed and you can ride him easily. You're grinding your hips against him, so that he is so deep inside of you. Nothing seems to be deep enough to satisfy you tonight. You want to swallow him up and keep him there inside you. He moans and grunts while you work, obviously approaching his climax. He flips you over one last time and thrusts into you a few times before he shudders and cusses and fills you with his warmth. You're both dripping wet with sweat and covered in marks from the other's teeth and fingernails. He rolls over off of you and lays next to you, both of you breathing heavily. He picks up your hand and kisses your fingers.
"Oh, honey, I have missed you so much." He smiles at you and holds your hand on his chest. You get up and go to the bathroom, trying to forget that you just committed adultery with him. Again. When you come back, you get some panties out of your suitcase and put them on. Then, you climb back into bed, where he's arranged himself as if he's going to sleep there.
"Don't you... have to... go?" You ask tentatively. You think of his wife, probably pacing her room waiting for him to come home.
"No." He doesn't give any more detail and you don't ask. He puts his arm around you and pulls you close to him. "I'm staying here." He kisses the side of your head.
It feels so good to have him wrapped around you again. This won't be the last time you're together.
He waits until he thinks you're asleep, and you almost are, when he whispers,
"I love you, baby."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Taglist: @itlover8000 @deniseinmn @elvisalltheway101
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To be honest I haven't liked the things Catherine has been saying about mental health lately. First that talking therapy doesn't help everyone, now this. For a royal to say a short sentence or two about mental health... it can easily come across the wrong way & doesn't show nuance. Yes, talking therapy doesn't help everyone, but her saying this could discourage people from trying it out. Not everyone who feels anxious has a medical condition and needs medication, but some of us do!
Let's look at what she said (and buckle up, it's a long one):
Quote number 1: At an art therapy charity. Someone said writing music had been an easier way to get their feelings out than talking in a clinical space. Kate responded: "Talking therapies don’t work for some people, they’re not for everybody. It’s so important to have a range of therapies." She then followed it up by talking about how many people won't respond to talking therapies because of their own preconceptions about clinical spaces and so it's important to let those people know that there are safe alternative spaces like this charity where they can come for help in a way that works for them.
Unless you're asserting talking therapy does work for everyone and alternative therapies shouldn't be offered, I can't see what the issue is. It's 100% truthful. An analysis by the Child Outcomes Research Consortium found that only a third of children had recovered (i.e. they were no longer above the clinical threshold) by the end of therapy. About 40% responded they'd experienced no change at all. For adults it's slightly better but NHS Digital report only 50% of adults who access therapy have recovered by the time it's over. That's before we even get into the fact that talking therapies were built by and for predominantly white westerners and so large chunks of the population find them completely unhelpful, even actively damaging. There's an article here on that. So it's accurate to state that they don't work for everyone - for a variety of reasons - and alternatives need to be accessible for those who have reason to not trust professional services, or who had therapy and haven't recovered. In fact, this is a big problem in therapy because people often go into it thinking it'll fix things and then ending treatment without being "cured" is extremely difficult for them. And that issue is caused by precisely this unwillingness from the public and some professionals to be honest and acknowledge that talking therapies won't work for everyone.
Quote number 2: I can't find the full quote but essentially she said that normal anxieties should not be over-medicalised.
I wrote a whole thing about this, read that. I'm going to illustrate with an example from Drag Race. A few years ago there was a contestant who wasn't popular, I can't really remember why, but in their sob story episode they opened up about their clinical depression. And the reaction all over social media was "who cares? Everyone has depression!" But the thing is... they don't. In the US, where it was filmed, 2/3 of people don't have depression in their lifetime. We have created an environment where instead of normalising mental illness so those who have it feel accepted, we've overcorrected. And now it's cool and trendy to make stress into Anxiety Disorder, to making lying into gaslighting, to make your dick of an ex boyfriend's behaviour a Personality Disorder. All of which means that people who genuinely do have mental illnesses are taken less seriously and for conditions like mine (I have BPD) stigma is worse than it's been at any point since I was diagnosed 8 ish years ago. And that's not to mention medications for mental illnesses can be heavy duty. She was at an event for children and it's perfectly reasonable to question whether a doctor giving a child meds after a five minute appointment because the child said they were anxious is a sensible and healthy choice. It's there in the name - over medicalising. It's like any medical procedure. No one is saying you shouldn't cut someone's arm off if they have a serious infection and it's needed. But you shouldn't cut their arm off just because they got a paper cut. PS something slightly outside the scope of this because Kate can't be partisan but we talk about this a lot at work, the link between over-medicalising and poverty. A good article on that here.
I understand what you're saying about the fact that sometimes quotes are clipped out of context and royals need to think about what the headline will be but even taken out of context, all of her statements are accurate. And actually in my view it's the first time I've ever seen her be nuanced! I've always found her mental health work patchy because I feel like she unintentionally contributed to a lot of the issues I've outlined above but she's finally talking about things that are not talked about as much, even amongst professionals. I get your perspective because I was there a few years ago. When someone first mentioned the concept of over-medicalising to me I thought it was denying mental illness is real etc. But then I realised that knee jerk reaction was coming from my insecurities about my illness and my past experiences of struggling to get care, it wasn't actually about the concept itself.
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bethanydelleman · 6 months
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I haven't gone very deep into the Austen fandom or JAFF world yet, so I'd like to ask a question out of curiosity. Is it common for Austen fans to view Elizabeth as being more like Jo in "Little Women" than she really is? I've seen a few posts comparing them, with a comment on one of them saying "Everyone loves to compare them." But while they do have some things in common, for the most part I'd say they're very different characters (and from entirely different genres of book too, a comedy of manners vs. a Bildungsroman).
Short answer: Yes, absolutely they are conflated. Though @thatscarletflycatcher might be able to better answer about Jo.
I haven't read Little Women in forever, but according to Wikiepdia, "The principal character, Jo, 15 years old at the beginning of the book, is a strong and willful young woman, struggling to subdue her fiery temper and stubborn personality." It also describes her as a tomboy.
I do see Elizabeth Bennet characterized like this a lot in Jane Austen Fan Fiction, despite that not really being her personality. I don't know if we have P&P 2005 to blame for this or if the misconception began earlier, but Elizabeth never displays tomboy tendencies in the novel, unlike Catherine Morland who is described that way in Northanger Abbey. JAFF with child versions of Elizabeth often have her climbing trees and coming home dirty every day; I would guess this is taken from her walk to Netherfield.
Elizabeth also doesn't have temper problems. She stays calm through the entire Collins proposal even though he won't listen to her refusal. At one point she just gives up on saying no and decides to get her father. A person with a temper would have yelled by then, in my humble opinion. She's even pretty calm during Darcy's proposal, as insulting as it is.
Elizabeth never rejected the idea of marriage, she was looking around and hoping to find someone. She doesn't write or want to work... she is very intelligent...
I think part of it is that Elizabeth often becomes the vehicle through which authors point out the problems with the Regency era, which Book!Elizabeth never does. If any Austen hero is radical, it's Anne Elliot of Persuasion, but as most JAFF is about P&P... They don't want her to be a passive delicate female, so they give her a job. They don't want her to be blind to the class system of her era, so they make her a advocate for the poor. It's about the author's sensibilities, not the true nature of Elizabeth as a character. Which is fine if you want to do self-insert, but don't tell me that is Elizabeth Bennet!
So yeah, they love Elizabeth's wit, but they want her to be Jo March.
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