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#chance woodward
violetren · 10 months
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Aether Chapter 27
This is the official start of my "Give Chance Rights, and also all their stuff back!" 2k23 campaign.
Of fucking course the government would lock away all their assets under the context of "we don't know if they count as a person" but that doesn't mean I'm not furious about it.
I am curious if Focus made the holo projector based on old knowledge, or if she just had one lying around as a remnant of her world/her travels.
Emilia might give her wife shit but she broke the mood perfectly after the "time at a different scale leaves us impossibly lonely" convo. It's nice for Maggie and Chance that they have each other to discuss that feeling with even if its not exactly a one to one comparison, they are the closest each other has got.
Also another instance of Varsha being a sweetheart.
Eurion is a total softie when she wants to be huh? Ordering ahead for Varsha and Maggie because she knows Varsha's metabolism, and because Maggie has been working hard and jumping on board with Jia Li's suggestion of teaching some special dragon meditation techniques the second the topic came up.
If Maggie and Varsha ever do dip a toe into polyamory they'd be far better off with Eurion than Sierra. And Eurion has been through a lot surrounded by all these hot unavailable lesbians, she deserves a little extra love.
I am ecstatic that Chance has jumped aboard Focus's peanut butter obsession train.
Oh that's what Bitch Boy Ragusa needs. Ties to a shady international cabal of criminals. He wasn't annoying enough already. Follow up book where Danny and Ayanda kick his ass into obscurity when? (mostly joking)
Also I fucking called the Unitarium funding Garrett theory! Nomi will be PISSED.
"How the fuck do you miss a whole ass fucking moon?" made me laugh because I can imagine the distress threaded into the annoyance at the levels of incompetency being shown.
I can't believe we got Chance, Stupidhead and Maggie in a room together and we didn't even get to see Chance snark at Stupidhead for how she's been treating Maggie the past couple of days because plot was happening.
Don't get me wrong, it's good plot. It's a fantastically comic-booky superhero plot and exactly the kind of story I expect and want to be happening as a vehicle to carry my messy lesbian romances. I just really want to see Sierra go from grumpy to speechless to defensively furious while Maggie puts her face in her hands and internally debates just teleporting to the other side of the planet instead of peace keeping, after Chance calls her Stupidhead to her face.
Using Emilia's origin story to explain what the potential threat was in a way that makes it clear and yet limits what we know another characters limited knowledge and perspective was a very cool way of going about this section. It expands on what we know of Airheart, it gives us an idea of the potential threat levels, and it just helps unfold more world building all in one go. Just a very clever use available writing resources, I like it.
I was so ready to just start laughing at the idea of later down the line Maggie purposefully trying to arrive to brunch after all the dragons so she doesn't accidentally get thrown into the aether when the assorted dragons roar their way in, and circumstances just never quite letting it work out. Just every other brunch Maggie's got some french toast, or a mimosa half way to her mouth and "Roar"*pop*"dammit"
But then she had some kind of revelation and now I have to balance the fact that I need to be up early to run the shop with my desire to read the next chapter rn immediately.
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internetgirlworld · 2 months
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the things i would do for dina 🙈
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distantsonata · 16 days
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wearevillaneve · 2 years
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Indie Watch: The State of the Race
Allow us to momentarily be as brutal as the shows we’re talking about, and say right off that bat that there probably is no chance Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, or Reese Witherspoon will win this year. Comer did win before, and Oh has long been due for an award herself, but that series finale did not go over well with the viewers that stuck with “Killing Eve.”
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A few years ago, predictions like this would have left me disappointed. Now? Not so much.
I blame Laura and Sally for it.
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Some thoughts while I'm watching Nerdy Prudes Must Die for the first time:
After the Big Game, something that's been itching my brain for a while came back- Clivesdale. Hatchet Town is reinforcing this, but since Black Friday and Honey Queen the Clivesdale hate has really started to stand out to me. Yes it's a funny gag, but the Hatchetfield disdain for Clivesdale is straight-up cultish. Laura Cunningham (I think was her name?) had lived in Hatchetfield for 15 years, but was entirely excommunicated when it came out that she was from Clivesdale. Keep in mind, she was well-liked enough to be a Honey Queen candidate. Two teenagers are brutally murdered and everyone is more focused on the loss against the Chemists. Even people who hate Hatchetfield like Emma and Ziggy hate Clivesdale more. The general population of Hatchetfield is so feverish. I know that the Wiggly doll riots happened all over the world, but holy SHIT it didn't take any time at all for Hatchetfield to totally cave in on itself!
Here's the other thing that gets me- has anyone ever really left Hatchetfield? Anyone who wanted to?
•Emma Perkins has exactly one life goal- not to die in Hatchetfield. Her entire life had been, up until Jane's death, about getting away from Hatchetfield. She is officially pronounced dead after the explosion at Starlight Theatre, though she survived in Clivesdale Hospital. She only lived for a couple weeks after "dying" in Hatchetfield. She also dies almost immediately after returning to her hometown in the events of Forever and Always. She does not die after the fire at her weed farm, but she is arrested and presumably imprisoned in Hatchetfield.
•Frank Pricely is imprisoned by Sherman Young after his attempted escape.
•Alice Woodward dies in The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals before she can leave for college. In fact, she dies after skipping the bus to Clivesdale
•Lex and Hannah Foster (along with Ethan Greene) have plans to escape Hatchetfield and head to California. All of them die before they can even get past Nantucket bridge.
•Zoey Chambers wants to win Honey Queen for the funds to get out of Hatchetfield. In both Honey Queen and The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals she dies before she has the chance to leave.
•Jonathan Brisby attempts to retrieve Lucy Stockworth from Hatchetfield. Brisby dies in the woods, Lucy disappears in the same woods with the Woolyfoot.
•Jenny and Andy planned to move to Clivesdale, but Jenny dies before she can leave, and by the time Andy becomes Andrew Killgore he's back at CCRP in Hatchetfield. Obviously this is wobbly because of timeline shenanigans, but it's implied that Ted didn't actually cross timelines during the events of Time Bastard, just fucked around in his own a lot.
There's just something. There's something about Hatchetfield. It's like a black hole. If it wants you there, and it does, you always end up there, and it's not likely you'll leave a second time.
Something about the ambient affects of the town absolutely fascinates me, I've been thinking about this stuff for like 5 years and it's not gotten old to me yet
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beforeimdeceased · 4 months
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A GIRL IS MISSING: SMALL TOWN, BIG PROBLEMS 🪰🔎🚬
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synopsis: what happens when a young girl goes missing and you volunteer yourself to help find her?
a/n: this is like…i’m trying something new okay! let me know if you want a part 2 i hope you like my experimental mystery/thriller. please give feedback it’s highly appreciated! 🙏🏽
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everyone had gathered at the church on joneston, down the road from the chicken shack. you can’t miss it. everyone had been gathering there for days in the sharp cold of the winter. runny noses and swollen eyes. some crying, some from lack of sleep.
a young girl was missing. that was the headline of the town newspaper for the past 48 hours. missing poster plastered on the front. sweetest smile you’d ever seen.
dina woodward was witty, quick on her feet and excelled in all her classes. graduated from high school and went on to work at the local bakery for her gap year. just saving up for a car. she was in plays, never missed a festival, and lit up every room she walked into. that’s what everybody said. that’s what you wished you could say.
the truth is, you didn’t know her very well. you’d gone to elementary school together but she was bit off and hung out with a different crowd. all the way up till senior year. her friends were the ones with the tear swollen eyes.
ellie williams, her neighbor and girlfriend, had chosen the picture for the missing poster. you talked to her once and the conversation went like, “hey, do you know what time it is?” “2:30.” “thanks.” lined lips, freckled face, smelled like car oil and the cigarettes she pretended not to smoke in the stairwell.
abby anderson, her enemy turned friend, couldn’t even look up. her face was in her hands as she hid her wails. they had gotten into a fight about some miscommunication during lunch one day. threw the whole middle school into a ruckus. team dina and team abby. the brunch moms talked about it on weekends, you’d heard them while you sat off to the side as your mom waited tables. drunk ladies blabbering on about who should apologize first. they ended up settling it after a game of volleyball. real dramatic handshake. some people clapped.
jesse, last name unknown due to you never being awarded the chance of knowing it, was her ex boyfriend and right hand. as an outsider you predicted that it would’ve been messy. the way they’d broken up and she was seen slipping off into dark corners with ellie a few weeks after, but there was no war. no bloodshed. only whispers of drama from bored admirers and jealous bitches.
your eyes were sunken on account of your lack of sleep. days at the post office, mixed with nights at the police station, molded with mornings in the church for the search party meeting was a recipe for disaster on your sleep schedule. not that you could sleep anyway, too busy dreaming about finding her dead in a ditch somewhere. waking up sweating like a whore in church-
“alrighty! thank you all for coming again today. looks like the crowd is a bit smaller than it was yesterday, but let’s not fret. we’re all going to work together to find her.” maria, leader of the search party, wavers her gaze to the three close friends of dina. face falling into a sympathetic gaze. “we’re going to find her.”
that second sentence sounded far less convincing than the first one. you knew, and they knew, that with this shit weather there was no way she could have disappeared for a week and survived out there on her own. she could’ve been kidnapped, oh god that’s worse. let’s stop thinking.
since the crowd had gotten smaller, the groups maria had configured were forced to shrink. too many lone soldiers and people without partners. she had to start being strategic. playing on the strengths of each individual, hoping they’d all make well rounded teams. then she pointed her finger at you, then at the blonde, then at lips in a line, then at sweet jesse and she smiled in your face.
“and you guys will be team 4.”
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brackishkittie · 8 months
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crazy in love, dina woodward
— dina woodward x black!reader
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synopsis: dina as a gf whose literally infatuated with you.
c/n: pretty suggestive, but mostly just fluff!
a/n: was so excited to finally write smth for my bby dina I love her sm!!!
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☆゚— gf!dina who loves physical touch and quality time. she loves just laying next to you and admiring all of the features on your face while caressing your face with a big smile on hers.
☆゚— gf!dina who helps you get ready when you guys are going out anywhere, like on a date.
“baby can you help me please?” you ask her while struggling to put on your earrings because you two were kinda late. “was waiting for you to ask me.” she giggles and quickly helps you put your earrings on. “you look beautiful..” she says as she stares at you through the vanity mirror, she adores her gf so much.
☆゚— gf!dina who lovessssss kissing you to wake you up, kissing you before bed, and kissing you even when you’re wide awake and focused on something.
“are you done yettttt?..” she whines, she’s been trying to get your attention for awhile but you were too busy doing whatever you were doing. “almost done baby..just give me like five more minutes.” you say to her but she no longer wanted to wait and just started kissing all over your face which made you two erupt into laughter. “hey stop! that tickles! diiii get off of meeee!!!” “try to stop me then!”
☆゚— gf!dina who loves playing with your hair. she loves playing with your braids, your twists, locs, etc. she oils your scalp for you and even learned how to do cornrows for you anytime you felt like wearing a wig. she’s always ready and willing to do something for her girl.
☆゚— gf!dina who rewatches your story every single time you post yourself. she just be cheesin at her damn phone, watchin her gf look good. ( she don’t even care abt the music startin over, it doesn’t even bother her. all she cares about is her beautiful gf on the screen. )
“dina it’s been ten minutes take ts off now.” “ok fine one more time…OUUUUU look at my baby! I gotta watch it again just hold on.” “DINAAAAAA!!”
☆゚— gf!dina who sets you as her lock and home screen wallpaper so EVERYBODY and I mean EVERYBODYYYYY knows that you’re her girl and if they don’t get it by then, then they’ll be sure to know by the way she CONSTANTLY brings you up in every single conversation she has with anybody even if it has nothing to do with what they’re talking about.
“so I’ve been deciding on whether I should surprise my-” “omg my girlfriend loves surprises!” “???..what?..”
☆゚— gf!dina who loves baking and cooking with you. you guys made cinnamon rolls one time and all you two cared about was just the smell of cinnamon and love in the air. the faint noise of summer walker playing in the back from the tv and you two laughing.
“yk what this icing reminds me of baby?” “dina you are absolutely insane…” “OH COME ON!” “YOU ARE A NASTY NASTYYYY WOMAN DINA.” “you love me though.” “shut up.”
☆゚— gf!dina who gets jealous when she feels as if someone is gettin a little bit too friendly with you…if they compliment you on your hair in a way she thinks was flirting, she’ll take matters into her own hands and start mean muggin them, palming your ass, grabbin your waist..she would do anything to make it known that you were hers.
☆゚— gf!dina who I personally believe is a switch, she loves taking control most of the time but when you’re in control? GODDDDDD THAT WOMAN TURNS FERAL. she turns into putty in your hands, like she’s literally in love with you. you can just touch her in the slightest and she’ll already have goosebumps trailing up her skin.
☆゚— gf!dina who has you as her gorgeous passenger princess. she keeps her hand rested on your thigh or when at a red light, takes it as a chance to just admire you and take in your beautiful features once again. ( sometimes she doesn’t even realize the light is green and snaps out of it once she hears the loud honk of another driver behind you two. 😭😭 )
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tags: @mariefilms @machetegirl109 🫧
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hatosaur · 3 months
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i realized that i hadn't said anything here so this is a bit belated but i'm super unhappy with the casting choices of tlou hbo, and just the general direction it's going toward.
in abby's case, it's been well-pointed out at this point her body type is a narrative device, a catalyst for showing just how her dedication and obsession with tracking joel down and killing him. i don't doubt that kaitlyn dever will be working out for this role but i can only imagine she'll end with a sort of lean muscular physique that will hardly illustrate the point of the body type, rather than one that takes fat into consideration. dever is far too small to achieve it, and what's more is, i think it's super unethical to bank on someone working out in order to fit a role. the announcement of the casting came about a month after the trailer for that new kristen stewart movie, the one where she falls for a bodybuilder, came out. there are fully actresses who lift and bodybuilder and have similar body types, and yet their choice leaves us wanting.
dina's case feels a lot more sacrilegious. isabel merced isn't jewish, nor has any of dina's defining features. granted, i'm well-aware that neither cascina caradonna, her face model, nor shannon woodward, her voice actor, are jewish, but i feel like this is what made the casting choice matter all the more. dina's a character whose heritage matters to her character, and there was such a clear chance to have her be portrayed by a jewish actor.
like a lot of people, i think that they chose the more palatable route, considering the massive backlash against both abby's body type and dina's more prominent features, which is both incredibly sad to see but also infuriating. particularly with the issue of neil druckmann's batting for jewish rep under the veil of his allegiance with israel. i obviously can't speak for the feelings of jewish fans but i imagine to pull the rug out from underneath us on a character that he has said is a connection to his jewish like this would be like spit in the face.
the whole thing has just made me disinterested with season 2 of tlou hbo. there are already issues with the games' representation of people of color, and seeing as i could tell there was a small (i cannot stress how miniscule) attempt to "fix it, i'd held out hope prior to this but...no.
IN ALL HONESTY, i'd already been content to not engage with s2. i was skeptical enough from the get-go when it was announced, but truth be told, too many red flags are cropping up. obviously, there's the zionist stuff that i think, right now especially, literally everyone can do without (though i'm sure neil and craig are rubbing their hands together over how the people NEED a great "both sides are bad, completely and totally biased view of the conflict in palestine" story), but even to like pirate is a no-go for me.
all of this to say, since i've already gotten some people asking, you shouldn't expect me to draw or indulge in any of the content from it.
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thatsdemko · 11 months
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Woodward avenue - p. o’ward
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pairing: pato o’ward x fem!reader
warnings: talks of Detroit(but I’m from here) + minor anxious thoughts + implications of the future
a/n: I was the target audience for this fic 😅 so enjoy my self indulged fic! xx
the automotive business wouldn’t be what it was without Detroit. pato knows that, it’s why he’s wandered the streets of downtown Detroit, to pay his respect to those workers who created the business they have today. without Detroit, there couldn’t have been an Indy car, nascar, or even formula one. the automative business bloomed here, and now Indy car will race it’s straights and turns once again.
he’s not one to wander too far from the track, but the graffiti on the buildings and the smell of chili brewing grew his curiosity. he wandered the streets, and now began to wish he didn’t go alone. it wasn’t a scary city, he’s seen far worse, he’s now lost looking up at the Woodward street sign.
not a helpful soul roams the streets, just the drunk homeless man who mutters words to himself that are completely useless with directions. he’s lost hope, as he knows he’s got to be at the track in thirty minutes.
“let me guess, you wandered too far down Woodward?” your voice startled him. he turns around to see you standing there, an annoyed look on your face. you didn’t hate that indy car was back in Detroit, but you did hate the obnoxious sounds of the engines that interrupted your morning and afternoon.
“something like that.” he shoves his phone into his back pocket following you down the street. you weren’t too inviting to him, but he needed a way back to his motorhome, and he was sure by now people were beginning to be suspicious of his whereabouts.
“you a fan?” you point to the mclaren shirt, an automotive company you were well familiar with seeing. the cars were too expensive to be outsourced from Detroit, but your fathers dedication and passion to the fancy cars, helped you single him out on the street.
“a driver actually. and I need to be on the grid in thirty minutes.” he checks his watch nervously hoping you’re not leading him to a sketchy parking lot or a white van, but he somehow knew he could trust you. maybe it was the fans and the news casts that made him believe all Detroit native were good people, but he could certainly say he was weary about you.
“oh, a driver? my dad would be so jealous right now, he loves Indy 500– or whatever is filling up these streets.” you gesture to Woodward, closed down until the Grand Prix was done. it pissed more than half a dozen people, but you got a good view from your apartment of the circuit.
“Indy cars, actually, but you get the gist.” he heaves out a chuckle under his breath.
you take the chance to glance over at the man you were helping. your morning walk to get coffee was interrupted by a strangers confusion in his eyes, you were instantly drawn to help him.
two pieces of the mop of brown hair fall just above his eyes, the ones that lured you in. you look back over to the street when his eyes flicker to meet yours. you smell the burnt rubber, tires burning against the shitty pavement of Detroit.
“so first time here?” you ask, out of the corner of your eyes you see him nod, “yeah, actually. I was just trying to take in the city and got a little too lost.” he replies, rubbing the nape of his neck with his fingers.
he takes a look at you now, lips formed in a soft smile as the cool breeze lifts your hair off your back. you love this city, and he can tell by the wave you give to the local drivers who stop.
“who’s this? a new boyfriend?” an elder man pulls to the side of the street pointing out pato. the man knows your kindness runs too far, but seeing the McLaren shirt he knows why you’ve helped him in the first place.
“he drives, and he’s not my boyfriend.”
“I’m pato.” the man waves from behind you to the driver in the car, your dads best friend who nods, smile widening on his face.
“indeed you are my friend. good luck out there!”
you watch his car drive away, before you turn to man beside you, “pato? I like that name.” you gesture for him to continue to follow and he does, allowing you to take the lead like the last time.
“it’s short for patricio, but I don’t know your name, you know?” he looks over at you, brown eyes glimmering in the sun that begins to increase in temperature as you continue to walk.
“y/n.” you stop pointing to the barriers that begin to line the sidewalks, “and I’m afraid this is where we part ways. if you follow the path you’ll find the entrance. good luck today and tomorrow.” you point to the barriers that line the sidewalks and the stands that you see in the distance.
“what would you say to me inviting you and your dad tomorrow? you said he’s a big fan, I’d love to have him in my garage.” his offer excites you, but you know what your father would say. offering a strange man a walk throughout the city, and then an invite to the McLaren garage? he’d think you’d gotten drop kicked on the sidewalk.
“I don’t know, he’ll question why you aren’t my boyfriend—“
“then tell him I am. what’s he got to know?” he smirks watching you open and close your mouth a couple of times.
“he knows you’re pato o’ward and if I was dating pato o’ward and didn’t tell him I’d be the worst daughter ever.”
“then you’re not dating pato o’ward. you’re dating just pato. the guy you met on Woodward.”
“dad, this is pato. I met him on Woodward yesterday—“
your dad scoff cuts you off, and he happily shakes the drivers hand, “pato o’ward, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m impressed with your work.” he beams with excitement, a thrill that runs through the drivers body knowing he’s made somebody proud today despite his finish.
“thank you, sir. your daughter helped me out a lot yesterday.” he flashes you a wink, one that your dad doesn’t catch because he’s too busy taking in all the mechanics, cars, and other sights in the garage. you couldn’t believe pato did this for you, matter of fact, for your dad. the man who got you into racing in the first place.
“you know, you come here again I can show you around all the auto factories? y/n can show you downtown Detroit— you know what you didn’t see.”
you laugh at your dads excitement reminding him pato has better things to do. he’s got a busy schedule, and racing came first. you spent a couple of hours last night doing your research on the Indy car driver, he wasn’t interested in much else beside racing.
“dad, he wouldn’t want to come back here I’m sure—“
“there you go again, assuming you know me.” pato tsks you shaking his head, that same smirk that drove you insane all last night forms on his lips, “sir, when can I come back? I’d love to join you and y/n.”
“I like you, pato. have you ever thought about dating anyone? my y/n is perfect for you.” you watch your dad pull pato aside, arm wrapped around his shoulders as he talks highly of you.
you just roll your eyes in embarrassment watching pato look over his shoulders and send you a wink. the universe works in mysterious ways, and you can’t believe it led you to pato o’ward on Woodward, the man you can now call your boyfriend.
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roarriita · 1 year
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roommates - ellie williams (1)
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femreader!xelliewilliams!
// summary: the day after you officially moved into your new college dorm, you decide to take a look around the school, getting familiar to the clubs they have to offer as well as the libraries, classes and cafeteria. around 2pm, you come back to your dorm in hopes of taking a shower and sitting in quiet solitude, but your plans are disrupted by your new roommate moving in… ellie williams. //
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your feet tiredly walked up the steps to your dormitory building. you've been up since 9 in the morning, exploring your new campus and all its unique clubs and afterschool activities it has to offer. before today, you never knew a club dedicated to saving oysters lives existed. although, the members of said club were able to make you feel bad for killing the little defenseless creatures, you can't deny how good they taste when seasoned correctly. you crossed the clubs name off your list as you got on the elevator.
"(y/n) (y/l/n)" the girl beside you, asked as the elevator began to move. you turned to her; eyebrows drawn in.
"uh, yeah?" you awkwardly answered. "and you are?"
the brunette smiled as she held her hand out. "dina woodward. i'm a resident assistant for your dormitories."
the worried look on your face quickly washed away as you shook her hand. "oh, hi. it's nice to meet you. i met one of you yesterday, when i moved in. i think her name was carlie?"
"yeah, she's head r.a." dina said. "she was the one who actually sent me to help get your new roommate adjusted."
"my roommate? my roommate's here?" you felt your anxiety come back as quickly as it left.
"yeah, she got here a few hours ago but i think her dad and sister just left." she answered. well, that's at least two less people you won't have to worry about meeting right now. as the elevator came to dina's stop, you thanked her for the heads up. "no problem and if you need anything or have any questions, call me! my phone numbers posted on the wall."
"will do." you smiled. once the doors shut, your easy-going expression fell as your worried one came back. you knew your roommate was coming today but just hoped it'd be later, when you had the chance to take a shower and put on a pair of clean clothes. you took a quick sniff of your armpit and cringed when you realized how stupid you must've looked doing that.
once the elevator came to a stop on your floor, you readied yourself to see who you’d be spending the rest of the school year with. once the doors to the elevator opened, the sounds of enthused students and loud music overtook the whole floor. you immediately took note on all the new arrivals as you walked down the narrow hall. the sounds of excited girls finding out they were roommates made you more anxious. what if your new roommate hated you? what would you do if she took one look at you and called dina to get reassigned to a different dorm? that would possibly be the most painful and embarrassing thing to ever happened to you.
you tried shushing the thoughts crowding your mind as you inched closer to your room. you could've sworn the distance from the elevator to your dorm wasn't as long yesterday as it was today. you flinched as you walked past a room with a group of guys cheering, no... more like growling at their tv. by the sounds of it they were watching a game. you almost regretted filling out the 'both' bubble on your dormitory application when asked your preferences for co-ed or single-sex dormitories.
you sighed as you finally got to your dorm. feeling like you were about to puke, you reached for the doorknob and carefully pushed it open. your stomach turned as you stepped inside. there the girl stood, in front of the side of her bed, putting her belongings on her shelf. her auburn hair glistened perfectly in the sunlight as freckles danced around her nose and cheeks. when the two of you made eye contact, her unbothered demeanor was replaced with a nervous one. "hey." she said, softly.
"hi." you responded, feeling overtaken by her presence. her eyes were a beautiful green and though you've seen a hundred other people, in your 18 years of breathing with those same-colored eyes, you couldn’t help but acknowledge the air that dared to escape your lungs at the sight of hers.
"i'm ellie." she mustered out.
"(y/n)" you almost murmured but coughed when you realized how low you were speaking. the cough seemed to have pulled you both out of whatever trance you were in as you turned around to shut the door. "god, it's so loud out there. i'm really hoping it won't be like this for the rest of the year." you said as you walked over to your dresser.
ellie stared at the wall in front of her, questioning what the hell just happened. she can't recall a single moment in her life in which, she could feel her heart pounding against every corners of her chest, begging to be let out from its small confinement. ellie tried blinking away her anxious thoughts before responding. "it probably will. i'm guessing people are just excited to finally be on their own."
you rummaged through your dresser, trying to find a towel and some clean clothes. "are you excited... to finally be on your own?"
ellie let out a nervous laugh. "i think? honestly, i'm not sure. ask me again in a couple of days." you chuckled as you took a glance at the back of her head. "how about you? are you excited?"
"let's just both ask each other again in a couple of days." you dodged her question.
ellie chuckled. "alright."
once you were done picking out your towel and belongings, you got back up on your feet and walked towards the 'jack and jill' bathroom. "i'm going to take a shower. do you need to-"
ellie immediately cut you off. "no, i'm okay for now, thanks though."
you gave her a quick smile before heading inside and locking both doors. once you were in the shower, you let your shoulders fall back as the warm water paddled against your scalp and skin. "fuck." you muttered once you realized how long you had been holding your breath in since walking in the room.
"fuck." ellie also cursed under her breath as she came upon the same realization.
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part two, here
// authors note: i really wanted to write an ellie au story since there's not enough out there!! i hope you guys are having an amazing day and if not, i am sending wishes to you for that to change immediately! //
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violetren · 10 months
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Aether Chapter 21
Well now I'm screaming for three shiny brand new reasons.
Reason 1. Maggie has been seriously fucked up by this kissing attempt. She's so wound up by it that she has sped straight past the idea that Sierra was using her because she was a point of consistency with no real romantic feelings coming into play, and directly to Sierra genuinely wants her but only because she isn't scarred to fuck anymore. Neither of those options are good ones, Sierra seriously fucked up, but one of them (the one Maggie is focused on) is significantly worse for her self esteem.
Reason 2. CHANCE MY BELOVED!!!
Honestly this one has a number of sub details.
The raunchy joking that skews hard into outright flirting.
The fact that they still call Sierra Stupidhead but also float the idea of polyamory because it MIGHT lead to Maggie being happy
The extended pause after Maggie asks if they have a facebook which was almost definitely spent making a facebook account that looked appropriately used for someone as old as Chance presents.
CHANCE APOLOGISING OVER MAGGIE NOT GETTING THE EXPERIMENTAL NANITE TREATMENT AND MAGGIE WAVING IT OFF AS HER FRIEND BEING NICE BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW CHANCE ONCE WAS THE EXPERIMENTAL NANITE TREATMENT!
Chance on video call. I am very up in the air over whether or not I think it was Chance digitally manipulating the screen to look like they were there or if they were like "my internet friend is in crisis I need to drive the body for a bit" and the silver hair is just what Chance and Naomi have been rocking lately. Both feel like good and valid options. I'm leaning towards Chance being all "gimme the wheel for a bit" because it could also fit as a possible reason for that pause before they answered the facebook question.
Reason 3. Maggie showing off her new body on a video call, leading to them sitting there with Maggie just on call in her undies for like a decent chunk while Chance affirmed that what Sierra done was a dick move, that Maggie was hot even before the change, and that Maggie should call "rescue girl" for help.
I am also laughing at the idea of Chance going away and furiously texting Ashley and Eurion after this call being like "hey I might need you to punch a stupidhead for me in the near future kthxbye ♥"
I fucking love that Maggie blew chance a kiss before hanging up and teleporting back to the Shiro for whatever clusterfuck has kicked off while she has been busy coming to terms with her desire to be a hero. Their friendship was such a wonderful surprise and I adore it.
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jben073 · 4 months
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Grace Chasity headcanon rambles!
Some silly Grace hcs for @nighthaterfrfr!! I tried to mostly avoid any of mine that you mentioned something similar to in yours bc we had a good deal of overlap! :D
(Just to preface, one of my biggest headcanons is that Grace is autistic so there’s a good chance that some of these may be influenced by that! I did try to pick ones that are more applicable to canon though! [But if anyone wants any of those, I have about a million :3])
When Grace was a young child in elementary school (or Sunday school), she very innocently kissed Alice Woodward and felt something™. (She entirely represses this memory for YEARS.)
^ During her eventual sexuality crisis, despite not having talked to Alice for years outside of polite conversation if they ran into one another, Grace reaches out to her for support/to ask questions because she was the only out queer person that Grace knew and trusted enough not to out her. (Alice big sister mode activated.) 
^ (They’re so silly, they’ve literally never interacted outside of a throwaway line about them knowing and possibly disliking each other but to me they're friends who fell apart and eventually find each other again when they're both more grown as people.)
^ Also, ignore me indulging my other biggest hc which is that Grace is a lesbian.
Grace took piano lessons as a child and is actually quite good because she wanted to be the pianist for her church’s masses when she got older! She stopped taking lessons in high school, but she keeps up with playing in her free time to maintain the skill and occasionally help out with music at her church.
^ Richie constantly tries to convince her to learn anime openings and music from games that he plays for him (he begged her to learn Megalovania for weeks until she finally gave in).
She has never celebrated Halloween because her parents think it’s satanic so Ruth and Richie (who definitely still go trick-or-treating in high school) make a point to bring her some of their candy on the following school day.
^ She definitely doesn’t cry about this gesture later when she goes home!!
She is an absolute monster while playing board games, like she gets REALLY aggressive about them.
^ (definitely influenced by Angela's chaos on smosh games, especially the “be a little more gentle!! >:(” clip)
She can’t go to sleep (intentionally) without getting a kiss goodnight. At home, her parents kiss her on the forehead before bed and if she’s at camp, she has to get a kiss on the head from Girl Jeri if she wants to sleep well.
^ It disrupts her routine which makes it harder for her to wind down!!
^ I like to think that before the events of Abstinence Camp, she thought of Boy Jerry and Girl Jeri as older sibling figures.
She has never been to a sleepover because she’s never had good enough friends to be invited to one :(
^ The nerds + Steph very quickly remedy this!!
^ (quick ramble related to the last hc) During the first group sleepover, Steph wakes up in the middle of the night to get a drink, realizes Grace is still up, and after Grace sheepishly admits her dilemma following Steph’s prompting for an explanation, Steph very casually plants a kiss on her forehead and then goes back to sleep. Grace’s face is beet red after this and now she can’t sleep for an entirely different reason.
^ They're in love to me!!!
LIB related
(Based almost entirely on Blinky’s line about watching Grace and the nightmare about Max/Richie that implies she has the gift.) 
^ Grace has been connected to the Lords in Black since long before we see her, Steph, and Pete summon them in NPMD.
^ Much like Lex was friends with Webby as a child and forgot, Grace was friends with the LIB when she was young but grew out of it.
^ (I have a whole little overanalysis/hc set of things for this hc if anyone wants to hear :3)
After she starts using the Black Book, her appearance starts to very slightly change so that she always looks just a tiny bit off.
^ Her teeth are just a touch too sharp, her ears have the slightest point to them, and her eyes almost seem to shift in colour (depending on which LIB is influencing her).
^ But hey, it must just be a trick of the light!! She's so normal!! Dw about it!!!
She will occasionally feel the sudden compulsion to bite others (Nibbly is feeling silly!!)
^ She does not act on this… most of the time :3
One more silly one to end on
She once owned a Tamagotchi and became so deeply stressed over the state of this virtual creature that she made herself sick from anxiety. 
^ Karen and Mark confiscated the toy very shortly after this.
Anyway ramble's over now but my 45 page google doc of Grace hcs continues to grow every day bc I am fixated hard on this silly little show :3
edit: had to add the '^' thing because the bullets didn't indent properly for some reason!! every one that has that is attached to the previous one without it!
also idk why on mobile the sleepover hc and the Alice hc got cut short?? The sleepover one is supposed to say that now she can't sleep for an entirely different reason and the end of the second bullet says (Alice big sister mode activated).
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asteroidzzzn · 9 months
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more than just a dream - spark, 004
pairing: college!ellie x reader
synopsis: you transfer to a new school where you only know one person; your childhood best friend. he invited you to a beginning of the year party to meet some new people, but one person, in particular, catches your eye... his other best friend.
a/n: dina bonding time!
genre: social media au, fluff
series masterlist -- previous chapter -- next chapter
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bria 🧚
hey!
dina 💋
hi whats up? :)
bria 🧚
im bored and everyone else went out but i dont feel like drinking rn..
can i come over?
i know the two of us arent super close but this could be our chance to bond outside the group 🤞🤞
dina 💋
omg ofc!! i was feeling the same i just wanted to chill and stay in today 😭 but ya come over whenever
bria 🧚 ❤️ a message
we can watch mission impossible if ur into that!
only if u bring snacks...
bria 🧚
U HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IVE BEEN WANTING TO SEE THATTTT OK im omw now ill put the best i have in a bag 🙏 cya!!
dina 💋 ❤️ a message
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bria 🧚
hey dina, sorry i had to leave right away
i have to study for the first unit test later today
wish i didn't, this is so boring
how are u?
dina 💋
im fine
good
im good im great actually
but i really think we should talk about it
what happened last night
bria 🧚
later, ok?
sorry
i need to go right now stepping into class
dina 💋
oh ok, bye :)
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dina woodward
hi y/n im literally going insane r u free to talk
y/n
omfg 😭 whats going on
dina woodward
you'll never believe what happened last night
y/n
ughhh i wish i was there! sorry i wanted to stay in to get some sleep, i have a test next period
dina woodward
oh no worries i actually stayed in too so this isnt ab the outing
do u know who bria volentas is?
y/n
yeah i do!
shes really nice ill sit next to her in history in a few minutes actually
dina woodward
oh 😭😭😭 i wanted to talk to u ab this bc i thought u were the only one in the group that didnt really know her
can u keep a secret? just need to get this off my chest
y/n
u can trust me :)
dina woodward
sooo... ive had a crush on her since the dawn of time
y/n !! a message
and we hung out last night alone!!
y/n
!!AWEEE yall will be so cute together i can see it now
dina woodward ❤️ a message
also im so glad u said that bc i wasnt ab to be the one to com eout first 😭😭
dina woodward !! a message
dina woodward
YOUW AHT?!?!?!?!?!?
i didnt wanna assume but i secretly knew.........
y/n haha a message
y/n
🤝🤝🤝
OKOK GET ON W UR STORY
dina woodward
we were watching mission impossible bc ellie ditched me (i wont forget) and she goes 'im cold' so bc shes the actual loml i let her under my blanket
y/n
awwww
dina woodward
then our feet kinda touched then our hands kinda touched and we were getting rlly close... then we fucked
y/n
AHH????
that went from 0 to 100 sO FAST
dina woodward
I KNOW LIKE IMS TILL SO IN SHOCK RN
y/n
SO YGS ARENT TOGETHER YET THO?? HAVE U TALKED AB IT ALL??? FYB? ONE TIME THING?
dina woodward
IDKK I HAVE NO IDEA
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this is the average wlw experience i say while dry heaving and crawling onto the roof and howling
y/n ❤️ a message
y/n
LMFAOOO it literally is tho we have it so difficult
dina woodward
HELPPP ME AND BRIA ARE IN CHAT RN BUT WE'RE NOT SAYING ANYTHING
SPEAK UP WOMANNN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
i said i wanted to talk ab last night and she was so avoidant so she BETTER say something rn
y/n
yall rn
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lurking in chat.....
dina woodward
😭😭😭
i need to be distracted rn
eye starts twitching
tell me smth thats going on w u
y/n
ok u trusted me w ur crush so i can trust u w mine right..
dina woodward
ofc ofc
y/n
so u know her actually like really well from what i know
BLEEEH I HATE TELLING PPL I LIKE THEIR FRIENDS
is ellie williams gay..
dina woodward
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take a look at her what do u think
yes she is gay! AND U LEIWFAGJEDFANJ YOU LIKE HER??
y/n ❤️ a message
y/n
angels harmonize and descend from heaven
BLESSS 🙏🙏
yes i like her... i think. its been hard to like anyone since my last relationship but im feeling rlly hopeful about us
im heavily delusional tho she was prob just being friendly when we hung out
dina woodward
she recently broke up w her ex too, and shes been kinda staying away from relationships :(
ur amazing tho youd be so good for her
if she acts like a bitch to u ONCE run
y/n
damn jesse warned me ab her too 😭 what happened with her and her ex? if u know or if ur ok with telling me
i know its not really my business
i just wanna know what lines i cant cross
dina woodward ❤️ a message
dina woodward
yeah i totally get it
i actually dont know all the details
i think she only told jesse bc theyre way closer than me and her
if u want to know everything, id ask him or get it from ellie herself
just get closer with her and she'll tell u everything, and u can decide what to do from there
y/n
ok , thats a good idea
ill just use my amazing charm and incredible beauty to captivate her in chemistry
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dina woodward ❤️ a message
dina woodward
HEHEHEHE
speaking of,, she sucks at chemistry. u could get closer to her by tutoring her if youd be up for that?? shed appreciate it sooo much
y/n
#1 wingman award is presented toooooo dina woodward!
dina woodward ❤️ a message
ill def talk to her ab that ill be like heyyy u need help 💋
shit gtg now, test time!
dina woodward
good luck!! with the test and ellie🙏
y/n ❤️ a message
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a/n: a lot longer than the last chapter!! but i had a lot to say in this one :D love in the future for my girl dina!!! love to see it
hope u enjoyed as always (✿◠‿◠)
taglist: @ximtiredx @gold-dustwomxn @elliesinterlude @fireflyels @trulygnomed @deluluwh-0-re @toesorhoes @elliewilliamsmissingfingerss @emluvselandabs @ariianelle @jokerpokimoon @lonelyfooryouonly @lil-elliesgf @yuaaa05 @ourautumn86
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lostloveletters · 3 days
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Crimson and Clover (Bucky Egan x OC)
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Summary: Bucky expects a lot of things when he arrives at Thorpe Abbotts, but Holly Dean isn't one of them. He's not complaining, though.
Word count: 5.1k
Note: I wrote most of this in a notebook over the past 3 days so my hand hates me, but I hope y’all like this! This fic covers pretty much from when Holly and Bucky meet to about Damn Yankees (mid-May to mid-June). Title comes from the song (Joan Jett version, we're bisexuals here). Do not interact if you’re under 18, terf or radfem, or post thinspo/ED content.
Warnings: Inevitable historical and technical inaccuracies (I’m playing a little fast and loose with who was at Thorpe Abbotts early with Bucky). Depictions of grief and depression. Period typical attitudes.
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“Wait, what’s going on?” Bucky asked.
“Some of the Air Exec girls are having another typing contest,” Dye said.
“Who’s the favorite to win?”
“Dean’s won the past two, but Spinelli’s pretty good.”
He was glad to have caught Lieutenant Glenn Dye when he did. The guy had been making a beeline to the Air Exec office when Bucky joined him. His first night there, and already some kind of action—socially, at least. No one had been able to tell him when exactly he’d actually get to join McDaniels’ crew on a mission, but he was itching to get up there, even despite the weariness McDaniels carried with him.
He looked a lot more relaxed in the Air Exec office, standing toward the front of the bustling chaos with Duvall, his navigator. Bucky and Dye pushed their way through the people packed in like sardines to witness the typing contest. Dread fell over Bucky for a split second. What if that was the most exciting thing going on at Thorpe Abbotts?
A shout carried over the conversations. “Last chance to place your bets, ladies and gents!”
“Over here!” Duvall fished a quarter from his pocket. “I’m in on Pinkowsky.”
“You’re throwing your money away,” McDaniels said.
Bucky pulled a crumpled dollar bill out of his pocket and placed it in the outstretched hat next to Duvall. “Put a dollar on Dean for me.”
A young woman with blonde hair in messy twin braids and oil-stained coveralls rushed over, nearly knocking into Duvall. “Hey, did I miss it?”
“Just about to start. Hey Major, have you met Woody yet?” Duvall asked.
Bucky shook his head. “Don’t believe I have.”
“Private Woodward—Woody,” she said. “I’d shake your hand, Major, but I’d probably stain it.” She held up her right hand, covered in black grime that she made some effort to scrub out before arriving.
“Major John Egan, but everyone calls me Bucky,” he said, before gesturing to the women sitting around the office. “So who’s who in this thing?”
Of the Air Exec typists, three were competing in the typing contest that night. Nancy Pinkowsky, a Floridian, sat a little toward the back of the room, as she applied red lipstick in a small compact mirror. Leona Spinelli of Newark, New Jersey, had her heels—sleek black pumps, not regulation—kicked up on the desk of one Holly Dean, straight from the nation’s capital with the brightest smile and sparkling brown eyes Bucky had ever seen in his life.
“He bet a buck on Holly to win,” Dye said.
“You bet on Holly, and you haven’t even met her yet?” Woody asked.
Bucky grinned. “Intuition. I got a good feeling about her.”
“You’re right about that.” Woody smiled. “She’s my best friend.”
His eyes scanned the room as he tried to commit faces to memory, but his gaze kept drifting back to Holly until she caught him staring and responded with a smile that he couldn’t help but return. He moved to make his way over and say something to her, but his introduction was interrupted by the announcement for the competing Air Exec girls to get to their desks, and all spectators to shut the hell up.
Holly’s eyes met his again, only to fall to the blank page in front of her when he blinked. From the sound of just three typewriters clicking away incessantly, Bucky could tell he’d end up with a headache if he stayed stuck as Air Exec, and that would be on top of the inevitable hangovers. 
Her fingers moved fluidly across the keys, her face calm and focused, no evidence of her smile to be seen. 
He finally tore his gaze from her to glance at Woody at his side, the mechanic silently bouncing back and forth on her feet, bottom lip between her teeth. Her focus was fixed on Holly, too.
“Finished!” Holly shouted to a cacophony of cheers and groans.
Two guys walked over, one of whom had been collecting everyone's bets. Scanned the paper and muttered between themselves for an agonizing minute before one of them announced Holly had, in fact, won with no mistakes and an impressive word per minute count.
Woody bounced back and forth on her feet, excitedly grabbing Bucky’s arm. “Beat her own record!”
“Attagirl, Holly!” Bucky shouted.
Just as soon as the chaos began, it promptly ended with Holly’s win. No reason to stick around after hours any more. Don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here, as Bucky had heard many a bartender say at last call. People slowly filtered out of the office.
A few bills and some change were shoved into his hand. “Here’s your cut. $4.50.”
He raised his eyebrows, slipping the money into his pocket. Not bad for his first night in East Anglia.
Holly didn’t recognize the man standing next to Woody, but something about him seemed familiar, comforting without the ache that usually accompanied thoughts of home, of…she figured it best not to spoil the rush of her win before she even reached Woody and met the man smiling her way. 
Woody threw her arms around Holly in congratulations, their embrace lasting a few seconds before remembering they weren’t alone.
“Oh, Holly! This is Major John Egan. Just landed a few hours ago,” Woody said, her arm around Holly. “Major, this is Sergeant Holly Dean, typing queen.”
“Quit it!” Holly laughed. “You’re the new Air Exec officer, aren’t you?” She extended her hand. “Good to meet you, Major.”
Bucky shook her hand. “Looks like you’re batting 300, Sarge. I gotta keep you on my roster.”
“Starting lineup?” she asked.
“You bet,” he said. “You’re from DC, aren’t you? You must be a Nats fan.”
“Sure am,” she said, with all the foolhardy pride of someone devoted to an ever-struggling team. “How about you?”
“Yankees.”
“So you’re from New York!”
He shook his head. “Manitowoc, Wisconsin.”
“How does a man from Wisconsin end up a Yankees fan, Major?”
“I know winners when I see ‘em,” he said with a wink. “And call me Bucky.”
“Alright, Bucky.”
The two women leaned into each other, sharing an expression Bucky couldn’t quite read. Their closeness palpable, he found himself missing Buck. Probably would’ve had something to say about his betting on a typing contest, and Bucky would astutely point out typing wasn’t a sport, receiving an eye roll accompanied by a movie star smile of amusement in return.
“I hate to be that person,” Woody said apologetically, “but we should be heading back now.” 
He nodded. "Right, well it was nice meeting you, Woody. I’ll see you tomorrow, Holly.”
“Bright and early, Bucky.”
——
Despite being in East Anglia for less than 24 hours, Bucky knew Thorpe Abbotts wasn’t anything to write home about, even if he had someone to write home to. The Rip Van Winkle village was only woken up from its slumber by the arrival of the United States Army Air Force and Red Cross. Local farmers were forced to trade a rooster’s morning crow for the roar of bomber planes as their alarm clocks. The English and Irish laborers who worked around the base considered their American compatriots novel and exotic—or a nuisance, depending on who he was talking to.
Found out there was a pub in town. Headed over with some of the other pilots and local laborers the night before. Good drinks, fun company, and a pretty barmaid. At least he wouldn’t have to rely on typing contests and the officers’ club exclusively to get his kicks. Though, if the typing contests happened regularly enough, he’d be looking at a decent payday if he kept betting on Holly to win. A guy the previous night had argued that Spinelli would win often enough, but Bucky, in all of his misguided superstition, figured there must have been something to going into the damn thing blind and making the best bet.
When Bucky got to the office, he almost couldn’t believe it was the same place that had been bursting at the seams the night before. Nancy Pinkowsky’s lips bore no trace of the bold red she painted on them. Leona Spinelli wore WAAC-issued heels, clacking across the floor as she walked over to a file cabinet. And Holly Dean’s brown eyes were dull, framed by light purple crescents below them.
Bucky frowned, making his way over to her.
“Morning, Sergeant,” he said.
“Good morning, Major.”
“Rough night?”
She gave him a tired smile. “Something like that. Did you get a chance to meet Corporal Pinkowsky or Sergeant Spinelli last night, sir?”
“Afraid I didn’t,” he said, a charming smile spreading across his face. “I’m sure we’ll all get to know each other pretty well. Major John Egan, but you can call me Bucky.”
They all seemed more controlled, stifled in contrast to the night before as they introduced themselves. Women always had personas to shift in and out of, social chameleons depending on the situation. Bucky had gotten along just fine without watering himself down for anybody, but as an old paramour of his had pointed out to him, he had the distinct advantage of being a man, and the world was far more forgiving to men with character than women, who had to shrink themselves to fit into perfume bottles, lipstick tubes, or in the cases of Holly, Nancy, and Leona, ribbons of typewriter ink.
“Looking forward to working with you, Major,” Nancy said, her long, dark eyelashes fluttering. She desperately wanted to be a flirt, but lacked the nerve to follow through. 
Always sharp, Leona hardly missed a thing. Her attention could be unsettling, too intimidating for some people unless they knew her well enough. “Nice to meet you, sir.” 
Bucky shifted his weight on his feet, looking away from Leona. 
“Oh, Colonel Huglin’s looking for you,” Holly said.
He sighed. “That sounds about right. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck, Major.”
As soon as the door to Huglin’s office shut behind him, Nancy and Leona’s focus turned squarely to Holly, their attention weighing her down. She knew exactly what they were going to ask, anticipating their disappointment at her answer that no, she didn’t know if the handsome Major was taken. She would have been surprised if he were.
“So, what’s his deal?” Nancy asked.
Leona leaned over her desk. “Yeah, I saw you talking with him last night.”
“Well, he’s from Wisconsin, but he’s a Yankees fan.”
Nancy groaned. “You know what baseball team he likes, but you didn’t find out if he has a girlfriend?”
“What, you wanna make your move after flopping last night?” Leona teased, her cat-like gaze drifting over to Holly. “Besides, he’s got his sights set on you, Holly Dean.”
Holly shook her head. “I’m not ready to even consider anything romantic. You know that. I’ll never say ‘no’ to making a friend, though.”
“He might,” Nancy said.
“Well then you ask him if he’s getting his dick wet, if you’re so curious,” Leona said, snickering at the way Nancy’s face paled. “See, you need someone more your speed. Hey Holly, he say when the other flyboys were getting in?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t mention it.”
“Geez, maybe Nancy’s got a point. Is baseball all you talked about with the guy?” Leona asked.
The women’s chattering fell to whispers when Bucky stepped out of Huglin’s office a few minutes later. Perhaps Holly hadn’t noticed it sooner, caught up in the throes of her own exhaustion following a near sleepless night, but Bucky was quite clearly hungover. He certainly hadn’t kept his aviators on inside for style, that much became abundantly clear as he rubbed his forehead. The three typists shared wordless side glances at the state of him. First day on the job and probably got chewed out already.
“Any of you know where a guy can get aspirin?” he asked. 
“There’s a first aid kit in the cabinet over there. Should be some,” Holly said.
“Thanks.”
“Of course, sir.”
They went back to typing, silently, slowly, glancing up every now and then to watch Bucky rifle through the first aid kit and promptly dry swallow two aspirin pills. He haphazardly shoved the contents back inside the box and closed it, shoving the first aid kit back into the cabinet. He retreated into his own office, presumably to sleep off whatever ailed him.
“Forget him,” Nancy whispered, only loud enough for her compatriots to hear. “He hasn’t even been here a day and he’s hungover. That’s sick.”
Holly gave her a pointed look. “Don’t be rude, Nance.”
“And he made a mess of the first aid kit.”
“I got it,” Leona huffed, getting up from her desk. “You’re such a baby sometimes.”
Nancy stuck her tongue out at Leona as soon as her back was to them. 
Holly liked them both well enough, at least more than some of the other women in the Air Exec office. Considered them friends, close enough to go out with, share some drinks and laughs, but she never quite clicked with them on the same level she did Woody. Some kind of disconnect emotionally, never quite able to meet her energy the way she needed.
The two had met in San Francisco a little over a year prior, the weekend Stan was being sent off to the Pacific. Holly went with him, glad she had in hindsight, and among the mischief they got up to their last weekend together, one of Stan’s Navy buddies, Frank, invited them to a party. Woody had been Frank’s date, and in a city bustling with women who'd signed up to help Navy or Marines, the two WAAC women bonded right away. Like the stars aligned. The best weekend of their lives. Nothing short of a relief when they were both stationed at Thorpe Abbotts.
She wasn’t quite sure how to describe her relationship with Woody. Friends didn’t encapsulate the complexity of how deeply she felt for her, the certainty with which she knew she could rely on her. She found herself hard pressed to find anyone who understood her the way Woody did.
Holly didn’t see Bucky for a few more hours, and wondered how he could possibly get shut-eye with all of the commotion. If it wasn’t the combined clicking of half a dozen typewriters, it was the talking, a whirlwind of new reports and telegrams and projects to be started and those subsequently scrapped near completion because something had changed, which then affected everything else and brought everyone back to square one.
Quite different from the law firm she worked for as a typist prior to the war. Typically kept up case files and typed up minutes and summaries for various meetings. Sometimes, the lawyers would bring her with them on the cases that went to trial instead of being settled out of court, needing a typist to sit in and record testimonies. While her knowledge of shorthand helped back then, learning the United States Army Air Force acronyms and jargon was like learning another language, not to mention the plethora of accents she had to interpret on top of that.
At least it was interesting work, important work. Kept her on her toes, like she figured Bucky would, as around noon, when she made her leave to get lunch, he emerged from his office and rushed over to her just as she was walking out the door.
“Mind if I join you? I’m still learning my way around,” he said.
“Isn’t half your job knowing where you’re going, Major?” she joked.
He grinned. “That’s the navigator’s job. I’m a pilot, doll.”
“Well, I’m no navigator, but I think I can get us to mess in one piece, as long as you don’t mind walking.”
“Not at all.”
“You won’t be saying that for long, believe me. It rains so much here, you’d think you’d need a rowboat to get around.”
“Know where I can find one of those?”
She shook her head. “What you need is a bike. They’re hard to get a hold of, but since you’re a Major and all, you can probably get your hands on one easier than most.”
“See? I’m learning from you already.”
On their walk over, it became clear Bucky’s fanaticism for the Yankees rivaled Holly’s feverish devotion to the Nationals, and when he made a joke at their expense, he almost thought she took it as a personal offense. She also made a passing remark about how if she had any doubts about city life, it had been snuffed out after a mere two weeks in Thorpe Abbotts, the countryside charm wearing off rather quickly for her. Bucky agreed, neglecting to mention he hadn’t experienced much of fast-paced, city living himself, but he knew he’d thrive in it given the opportunity. 
“So, you writing to anyone back home?” he asked when they found a table to sit at.
“Just my parents and a few friends.”
“No boyfriend?”
Her lips pressed together in a thin line. “No.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. I mean, I don’t have a girlfriend or anything.”
“It’s not that. I was engaged but…he died.”
“Was he a pilot?”
She shook her head. “Navy. Was killed at Midway last year. His name was Stan.”
“Shit, yeah,” he said softly, “I remember watching the newsreels from that.”
“I could never bring myself to watch ‘em.”
Biggest naval battle in history. The headlines screamed it. Boisterous radio and newsreel announcers regaled the public on the heroic exploits of the members of the Navy and Marines who took on and triumphed over their formidable Japanese enemies. He remembered the restless envy that tore through his gut with each newspaper article, each newsreel—not over the coverage or accolades, but of the action. Lucky bastards got to give the enemy a taste of their own medicine while the 100th was still running practice missions. He hadn’t considered the losses very much. Didn’t have reason to until then.
“Jesus, I’m sorry, Holly. I feel like a real jerk.”
She shrugged, a weak smile spreading across her lips. “Don’t apologize, you couldn’t have known. Just make sure you hit ‘em where it hurts when you’re up there. Doesn’t matter what continent. It’s all the same.”
He nodded. “You got it, Sarge. I’m goin’ up in two days. We’ll give ‘em hell.”
“Good,” she said. Cleared her throat, tried to shake off the sadness that slithered through her like a snake. “So, where’s the rest of the 100th?”
“Got lost coming over here,” Bucky said, laughing when her eyes widened. “Hey, I’m kidding! They’re still training stateside. They’ll be here in a few weeks. June, probably.”
“Anyone single?” Holly asked, quickly adding, “Leona and Nancy wanted me to ask.”
“Off the top of my head? Crank, Douglass, Brady, DeMarco…” He grinned. “Hey, maybe you can type up a list for me.”
She laughed. “Sure I can.”
“You gotta meet Buck. I think you’d really like him.”
His best buddy. Second best pilot in the 100th, only following him, of course. The one of the greatest storytellers she would ever meet. Pretty much inseparable since they met at basic. Didn’t mention how being the focus of Buck’s attention felt like being on top of the world, could send him even higher than any of the forts did. Couldn’t think of a time he felt that way about anyone else.
“He sounds terrific.”
“Pretty square, though—“
“Square?”
“The guy doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t like sports, including baseball, and he’s been dating the same dame since high school.”
“You make the last one sound like a bad thing.”
“Well, it will be for Nancy and Leona’s list.”
“Are we seriously going to make one?”
Bucky snickered, increasingly amused with the idea the more he thought about it. “Why not?”
——
If Holly minded Bucky’s company, she never said anything about it. Didn’t bat an eye when he’d tag along to wherever she was headed to every now and then. Sometimes on her own, but she spent a lot of time with Woody, and the more he was around the two of them, the more he was itching for Buck to finally make it over.
The Wilhelmshaven mission rattled Bucky. His first. Poor Duvall caught the bad end of flak and was covered in blood and barely hanging on when the fort landed back at the air base. Woody’s voice wavered when she told Holly about it, the state of the navigator. Woody was friends or friendly enough with most of the bomber boys by virtue of working on their forts, their babies, really. Being ground crew meant she also had the unfortunate burden of witnessing firsthand the aftermath of the brutality the bomber crews faced in the skies.
Suddenly, Bucky carried the same weariness Holly had seen the other men wrestle with in their own ways. She was hardly surprised when Bucky drowned his in alcohol at the village pub, inviting her and Woody along to join him and some of his fellow pilots for a nightcap, a celebration of Bucky’s first mission.
“Mark my words, Holly,” Bucky said, well into his fourth beer. “If there’s gonna be two pilots left in the sky by the end of this war, it’s gonna be Buck and me. I’d bet anything on it.”
His certainty caught in his throat when her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. 
“That’s hopeful.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing.”
“It’s not,” she said softly. “Sometimes I think too much about what could go wrong. I’m sorry, Bucky.”
A stormy melancholy hung above Holly once in a while, and though it never poured, she withdrew within herself. Some mornings, she greeted him with a shadow of the smile he always looked for as soon as he walked into the office. On those days especially, he reached out, tried to bridge the gap between them with whatever story or one-sided conversation he could think of.
He had asked Woody about it, knowing she’d be able to explain it to him better than anyone else. Only started after Stan died. Unnerved some people, annoyed others who thought she was being too dramatic, moping for so long over the man. Her behavior could be erratic, mostly self-isolating, occasionally self-destructive, but that aspect hadn’t reared its ugly head for some time. 
“I wish you knew her before,” Woody had told him quietly. “She wasn’t always like this.”
“I like her just fine now,” he’d answered, almost defensively.
“Good. She thinks the world of you, Bucky.”
His heart had jumped. Stopped himself from saying the same. 
Now, however, sitting with Holly in the small pub, He smiled, smacking his palm against the table, a mischievous gleam in his eye. “I know what’ll cheer you up. How about a song?”
“You can sing?”
“Nope.”
But he did anyway. Blue Skies. Enthusiastic. Off-key. Loud. Ran around the place like someone lit a fire under his ass while the pub erupted in cheers and heckling at his performance. 
“What the hell is he doing?” Woody asked, sitting down next to Holly, half-drunk glass of beer in hand.
“Trying to cheer me up."
Singing certainly wasn’t his forte, and adding dancing to the mix only served to make the performance worse. He crashed into a nearby table, sending glasses to the ground with shrill shatters that cut through his song. Holly’s hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter at the mess and the fact that he kept going. Pulled the exasperated barmaid in for a twirl, and she nearly hit him with her tray.
“He’s nuts,” Woody laughed.
Holly grinned, clapping enthusiastically when Bucky concluded the song, half out of breath, perspiration on his forehead. “Yeah, he is.”
“How about another round and an encore?” he asked when he returned to the table, pleased with himself at how big Holly’s smile was.
“Yes to another round!” Woody exclaimed. “Hold the encore.”
——
June didn’t offer a reprieve from the incessant English rain, but by the second week of the month, it brought Buck Cleven, and as far as Bucky was concerned, things were as right with the world as they could be, all things considered.
He tried not to think about the possibility of Buck not liking Holly. Knew he wouldn’t show it even if he somehow weren’t all that fond of her, ever the gentleman, good ol’ Buck. But Bucky had heard one too many guys make some snide remark about Holly and her odd behavior, her grief, to leave him with more than a few healthy grudges. Still, he wasn’t shocked at Buck’s incredulous attitude when he brought up Holly.
“Where are we going?” Buck asked from the passenger seat of the jeep.
“Quick pit stop to the Air Exec office,” Bucky said. “You gotta meet her—Sergeant Holly Dean, best typist you’ll ever see in your life.”
“Bucky—“
“C’mon, I talked you up to her! She’s keen to meet you.”
Buck shook his head. “You want me to humor your little girlfriend?”
“It’s not—Buck, come on.” Bucky scoffed. “What, I can’t have friends now?”
Buck hummed. “Sure. Friends.”
“She’s great, Buck. We should all go out sometime. You’ll see.”
“You know, Marge went to the trouble of introducing you to Peggy—”
“Holly’s fun! She makes the desk job less boring.”
“Whatever you say,” Buck said as the office came into view.
Holly swore she heard Nancy whisper “oh my god” when Bucky walked into the Air Exec office with whom she could only assume was Buck Cleven. She took in a deep breath in an attempt to even out her palpitating heartbeat. He almost looked like he walked off of a movie set. 
Then he took off his cap and smiled at them, introduced himself to Nancy first, who managed a quiet “Hello Major,” and then to Leona, whose deep eyes almost bore a hole through the pilot. Holly swallowed roughly when he made his way over to her.
“You must be Holly, then,” he said. “Buck Cleven, it's nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too," she said, glancing between him and Bucky. "I already know I’m gonna get your names mixed up, so I’m sorry in advance, sir.”
Buck smiled. “My first name is Gale, if that helps.”
“Gale’s a great name. Why go by Buck?”
“On account of this one,” Buck said, gesturing to Bucky. “He doesn’t have any manners, if you haven’t noticed.”
“He’s swell,” Holly said. “Best Air Exec we’ve had yet.”
“Heard you’ve been keeping an eye on him for me.”
“Trying my best, sir.”
“Well, he’s in one piece, so you’re doin’ a pretty good job.”
Kind and handsome—and woefully taken. But not perfect. Didn’t like booze or baseball, pretty much non-negotiables as far as she was concerned. Nancy and Leona didn’t know that, though. Neither of them had Bucky’s insider knowledge the way she did. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered to them all that much, anyway. Most importantly, she wasn’t ready to date again. Ignored who came to mind when she thought of where she’d like to start, though. Probably ruin a damn good thing if she did.
“It was nice meeting you ladies. I’m sure we’ll see each other around,” Buck said kindly.
“Don’t be a stranger, Major,” Leona said.
Nancy nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
“You girls behave while I’m gone,” Bucky joked.
As soon as the door closed behind them, the three typists shared dazed expressions.
“Was he on that list you gave us?” Nancy asked.
“Not a chance,” Holly said. “Bucky says Buck is hopelessly devoted to his girl back home.”
Leona groaned. “That was the most gorgeously unavailable man I’ve ever seen in my life. I need to have a drink or four over it tonight.”
——
The day of Buck’s first mission, Bucky clung to Holly the way a child would a blanket during a bad thunderstorm. He felt ridiculous making the comparison between himself and her, but he knew she’d understand the uncertainty, the waiting. Didn’t say anything when he found lame excuses to keep her working in his office, unsure of how else to express that he didn’t want to be alone with himself, with his thoughts.
The practice missions were just that—practice. Though Buck took them on with all of the focus and skill of real missions, there wasn’t much risk involved. Death couldn’t reach out its cold hands and touch them quite yet, but on his first mission, Bucky swore he felt its frigid grip on his shoulder, trying to pull him away with it somehow. Learned how to ignore it by his second mission, not to see its face behind his eyes every time he blinked or hear it calling for him with each burst of flak. But he couldn’t tell Buck, no way for him to understand until he was up there and experienced it for himself. Maybe that was why Holly sometimes retreated into silence when it came to Stan.
Wondered how she felt before she got the news about Stan. Was she expecting it? Had a gut feeling that she hoped was indigestion? Blindsided and crushed? He couldn’t bring himself to ask. Wasn’t sure he could handle knowing her answer. 
Instead, they talked baseball, as she’d given him a Lou Gehrig card she got from an old pack of Big League Chewing Gum, having inexplicably brought her modest collection of baseball cards over to England with her. Had a Yankee among her more treasured cards and didn’t think twice about giving it to him. So Lou found his home among Bucky’s two rosaries and various homegrown talismans that carried his hope and superstition. Took the place of his lucky deuce which he’d given to Buck that morning, not that he’d dream of biting a corner off of it.
He scratched the bridge of his nose, avoiding eye contact with her as he said, “Thanks for putting up with me.”
“What do you mean ‘putting up with you’?” she asked. “I like being with you.”
“Yeah, me too.”
He almost couldn’t believe how close they’d become in the weeks since they met. So close that every so often, they’d be asked if they were a couple, brushing off the assumptions with laughter and the answer that no, they weren’t. Hell, even Buck assumed it before he met Holly. But really, he couldn’t think of how much would change between them if they were. Didn’t matter. He knew things would be okay if he had Holly around, no matter how that looked.
“Hey, shouldn’t they be getting back soon?”
“Shit, you’re right. I’ll see you later, Holly.”
“See you, Bucky,” she said, taking his hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze before releasing it. “Take care.”
He nodded silently, slipping the hand she held into his jacket pocket when he turned to leave, wanting the warm, comforting feeling to last until he could see ‘Our Baby’ approaching and finally relax. A smile spread across his face, but there was no way for her to have seen it.
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zombholic · 6 months
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BLOWIN’ THIS STEAM — dina woodward
summary — asking your friend to help you find a dealer turned into a little more.
description — poc fem!reader, masc dealer!dina, mentions of drugs, drug usage, sexual themes, smau, modern au.
authors note — guys im like a weed enthusiast so this series might actually have the chance to be finished, creds 2 @kimjiho1 for the cherry divider!!
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kemetic-dreams · 9 months
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Carol Diann Johnson was born in the Bronx, New York City, on July 17, 1935, to John Johnson, a subway conductor, and Mabel (Faulk), a nurse. While Carroll was still an infant, the family moved to Harlem, where she grew up except for a brief period in which her parents had left her with an aunt in North Carolina. She attended Music and Art High School, and was a classmate of Billy Dee Williams. In many interviews about her childhood, Carroll recalls her parents' support, and their enrolling her in dance, singing, and modeling classes. By the time Carroll was 15, she was modeling for Ebony. "She also began entering television contests, including Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, under the name Diahann Carroll." After graduating from high school, she attended New York University, where she majored in sociology, "but she left before graduating to pursue a show-business career, promising her family that if the career did not materialize after two years, she would return to college.
Carroll's big break came at the age of 18, when she appeared as a contestant on the DuMont Television Network program, Chance of a Lifetime, hosted by Dennis James. On the show, which aired January 8, 1954, she took the $1,000 top prize for a rendition of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein song, "Why Was I Born?" She went on to win the following four weeks. Engagements at Manhattan's Café Society and Latin Quarter, nightclubs soon followed.
Carroll's film debut was a supporting role in Carmen Jones (1954), as a friend to the sultry lead character played by Dorothy Dandridge. That same year, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway musical, House of Flowers. A few years later, she played Clara in the film version of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (1959), but her character's singing parts were dubbed by opera singer Loulie Jean Norman. The following year, Carroll made a guest appearance in the series Peter Gunn, in the episode "Sing a Song of Murder" (1960). In the next two years, she starred with Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, and Joanne Woodward in the film Paris Blues (1961) and won the 1962 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (the first time for a Black woman) for portraying Barbara Woodruff in the Samuel A. Taylor and Richard Rodgers musical No Strings. Twelve years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role alongside James Earl Jones in the film Claudine (1974), which part had been written specifically for actress Diana Sands (who had made guest appearances on Julia as Carroll's cousin Sara), but shortly before filming was to begin, Sands learned she was terminally ill with cancer. Sands attempted to carry on with the role, but as filming began, she became too ill to continue and recommended her friend Carroll take over the role. Sands died in September 1973, before the film's release in April 1974.
Carroll is known for her titular role in the television series Julia (1968-71), which made her the first African-American actress to star in her own television series who did not play a domestic worker. That role won her the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Female for its first year, and a nomination for an Primetime Emmy Award in 1969. Some of Carroll's earlier work also included appearances on shows hosted by Johnny Carson, Judy Garland, Merv Griffin, Jack Paar, and Ed Sullivan, and on The Hollywood Palace variety show. In 1984, Carroll joined the nighttime soap opera Dynasty at the end of its fourth season as the mixed-race jet set diva Dominique Deveraux, Blake Carrington's half-sister. Her high-profile role on Dynasty also reunited her with her schoolmate Billy Dee Williams, who briefly played her onscreen husband Brady Lloyd. Carroll remained on the show and made several appearances on its short-lived spin-off, The Colbys until she departed at the end of the seventh season in 1987. In 1989, she began the recurring role of Marion Gilbert in A Different World, for which she received her third Emmy nomination that same year.
In 1991, Carroll portrayed Eleanor Potter, the doting, concerned, and protective wife of Jimmy Potter (portrayed by Chuck Patterson), in the musical drama film The Five Heartbeats (1991), also featuring actor and musician Robert Townsend and Michael Wright. She reunited with Billy Dee Williams again in 1995, portraying his character's wife Mrs. Greyson in Lonesome Dove: The Series. The following year, Carroll starred as the self-loving and deluded silent movie star Norma Desmond in the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of the film Sunset Boulevard. In 2001, Carroll made her animation debut in The Legend of Tarzan, in which she voiced Queen La, ruler of the ancient city of Opar.
In 2006, Carroll appeared in several episodes the television medical drama Grey's Anatomy as Jane Burke, the demanding mother of Dr. Preston Burke. From 2008 to 2014, she appeared on USA Network's series White Collar in the recurring role of June, the savvy widow who rents out her guest room to Neal Caffrey. In 2010, Carroll was featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docudrama titled 1 a Minute and appeared as Nana in two Lifetime movie adaptations of Patricia Cornwell’s novels: At Risk and The Front.
In 2013, Carroll was present on stage at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards to briefly speak about being the first African-American nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She was quoted as saying about Kerry Washington, nominated for Scandal, "She better get this award."
Carroll was a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council, a volunteer group of celebrity women who served the women's outreach of the Los Angeles Mission, working with women in rehabilitation from problems with alcohol, drugs, or prostitution. She helped to form the group along with other female television personalities including Mary Frann, Linda Gray, Donna Mills, and Joan Van Ark.
Carroll was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. She said the diagnosis "stunned" her, because there was no family history of breast cancer, and she had always led a healthy lifestyle. She underwent nine weeks of radiation therapy and had been clear for years after the diagnosis. She frequently spoke of the need for early detection and prevention of the disease. She died from cancer at her home in West Hollywood, California, on October 4, 2019, at the age of 84. Carroll also had dementia at the time of her death, though actor Marc Copage, who played her character's son on Julia, said that she did not appear to show serious signs of cognitive decline as late as 2017. A memorial service was held in November 24, 2019, at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York City.
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