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dysfunctionalmaki · 4 months

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Say My Name

Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader

Chapter 03/?

Summary: You work all around at the local country club, to your advantage you flirted and used your beauty to get what you want, though with this certain woman your own way can't seem to work.

Warning: This work contains smut and foul language, minors DNI!!

A/N: This update came too long but with the holidays going on, I was occupied but I assure this work could be smooth sailing from now on.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.───

You were nervous, that's the simplest way you can describe what you're feeling, the table by the window was occupied by Wanda who was having her lunch alone, you were too sure that your eyes would always meet with hers whenever you'd look her way. Yelena even noticed the way you're fiddling with the pen you're holding, Bucky had to steal it away from you since he can't stand the constant clicking sound that came from the object. “Well, what the hell are you doing here? Go do your pretty girl things that you always do, Y/N.” Barnes teased and you can't help but roll your eyes.

“What? No! Y/N, you're not pulling that shit with a married woman.” Yelena retorted, trying to play with your conscience until she chuckled. “Just kidding, go do your thing, her husband's an ass.” she snorted which made you laugh nervously, looking around the room you looked eyes with the redhead once more. Slightly raising her hand to get your attention, you went to be at her service after all you’re still her waitress. “What time are you heading out?” She asked casually which made you widen your eyes a little but you looked at your watch. “In four hours… I'm sure you won't push around your salad for that long.” You say which made the older woman smile. “I have some errands to do but I think it'll be nice to tell Yelena that you won't be going home with her.” Wanda says as she took her designer handbag, taking out her purse so she could get her credit card to pay for her meal.

Doing your job, you went to take it and bring it over to the counter. You weren't sure why you're so nervous, you've done this before… you've hooked up with people way shadier than Wanda, in fact… she's probably the most normal one you're about to go after. When they're finished with her card, you went back to Wanda to return the item to her. She smiled as you returned and took back her card, placing it back in her purse before putting on her sunglasses that made her look even hotter considering how well it matched her outfit. “I’ll pick you up, make sure those two keep their mouths shut about us.” she softly says before getting up from her seat, clearly talking about Yelena and Bucky who were basically watching from their stations.

Placing a hand on your forearm, gently squeezing on it and letting go of you almost immediately, then you watched her walk out of the restaurant with such elegance and style, she didn't have to wear the most obvious designer clothing to scream out that she's loaded, the way she carries herself and her aura was enough to tell that she's that kind of person. Getting inside of her luxury car that the valet got for her, that kind of vehicle was enough to tell you that she is surely a powerful woman. Making your way back to your station, the two gave a certain look and you're immediately reminded of what Wanda told you to do. “So… I hope you two can shut your mouth about this.” You say then Bucky shrugged. “I can keep my mouth shut, I don't know about this one.” Barnes teased while using his thumb to point at Yelena who's waiting on the drink he's making. “Just be careful with what you're doing, you're playing with fire here, Y/N.” she warned you, shrugging with what your friend said, you just went on to do your job.

Hours went by and you were exhausted, you've told Yelena that Wanda’s most probably picking you up, and you think that the older woman was… well, ‘man’ of her words. Heading into the restroom so you could freshen up after your shift, finally you've let your hair down, spray on perfume that has worn off hours ago, and finally you clock out. Heading to walk outside the country club, you see the familiar car that has picked you up once. Making your way towards there, you hear someone call your name and it's coming from a car that just pulled up. “Y/N, how are you darling?” The familiar voice called to you which surprised you, Wanda was about to open the door for you from the inside but confused by what made you stop.

“Diana? Hi! How are you home so soon?” You greeted the other woman who just exited her car, Diana wrapped her arms around you the moment she got close to you, you went to look at Wanda’s car and you're sure as hell that she's watching all this happening. “The meeting went well, everything goes to my approval hence why I'm back here early, didn't tell you ‘cause I'm planning to surprise you… seems like I did.” she says as she batted an eye towards the redhead’s car. “Well, yeah- I'm actually surprised.” you say then you looked at Diana before gently pulling away from her arms. “Mhmm, are you coming with me or not?” she asked so casually. Meanwhile, Wanda can't really hear what you and this woman was talking about, though she could sense there's something between you and this stranger but she didn't want to pry much instead she just waited.

“I- I'm afraid I can't, I made a commitment and I really stick by my words… you know that.” you say which made Diana roll her eyes. “Sure, but you know where to find me and you'd have to promise that you're going to make it up to me.” She says which made you bite the inside of your cheek. “Of course, you know I always do.” You say and finally you bid your goodbyes to her, and Wanda unlocked the door for you… now, you awkwardly get inside her car. “She looks familiar.” Wanda commented the moment she finally drove off. “Oh, she's also a member of the club so you probably ran into her a couple of times if you went here back then.” you say while the redhead nod in response.

“So, I'm going to ask the same question that I asked you last night in our texts… You're aware that I am a married woman, right?” she asked then you simply answer with a yes. “You like trouble don't you? The way that woman held you? There's something there isn't it?” she softly chuckled then you took a moment to think what to answer. “Well, it's no secret that Diana and I do go out… completely casual and no strings attached.” you say causing Wanda to raise a brow. “I hope you're not expecting the same thing with me, Y/N.” the redhead softly spoke. “I don't like sharing at all.” she added with the most innocent smile that she could put on.

“But I think you and I both know what I want.” you say honestly and Maximoff looked at you for a moment. “Oh, you're getting straight to it?” she chuckled before biting her lower lip. “Well, this is how it usually is, right? The married woman goes for the girl she wants to experiment with and once it's done… it's done.” you say, causing the older woman to laugh softly. “Marrying a man is more like the experiment.” Wanda scoffed, she went to drive a little longer and finally you both arrived at some motel out of town, well, she probably chose this one so no one could recognize the both of you and especially her.

Getting out of the car, you went after her just tailing behind her, heading into the motel the older woman asked you to do most of the talking so you did, you chose a decent room for the both of you. While you two were in the elevator, you went to move a little closer to Wanda’s side. “It's Diana Prince… I think she works for Wayne's company.” Wanda says all of a sudden. “Yes, that's her. Do you know her?” She shook her head at your question then you nodded yours. “Well, it's probably just I've seen her whenever I have to do some errands when I do business meetings with their company.” she added. “And you're aware that I'm married to a man who's somehow related to Stark too, right?” you nodded your head once more.

The moment the elevator, Wanda went ahead first and you followed after her, though you had to go first eventually since you're the one holding the key card. The moment you two were inside, Wanda went to look around the room for a moment, while you placed your bag on the chair by the desk near the bed. “What do you mean you don't like to share?” you ask her and tracing back to what she said earlier. “If you want to get me and have me, I want you to have me and only me.” Wanda says and she turns to face you. “Come on, I'm sure you're aware how much of a pretty face you are.” she added which made you even more confused.

“You really want me to put it into simpler terms?” Wanda says with a sigh before composing herself, walking closer to you. “I want to be the only one kissing this lips of yours, be the only one who gets to mark you up… take you whenever I want and whenever I need.” the more the redhead talked about her whims for you, you can't help but feel your body warm up. Eventually, you felt her hand resting on your waist. “You're going to have an affair with a powerful woman, Y/N, are you sure you're ready to take the heat?” she asked as she pulled you closer to her, fingers slowly digging into your skin. “I- uh- You mean I have to drop every possible connection that I have?” That was the question you could ask, sure it does sound stupid but your mind stop working when this woman had you under her spell.

“Well, you're quite greedy if you want to keep me around and still have other people, don't you think?” she asked then finally your face was only a couple of inches apart from hers. “I mean… I know I'm a catch, sweetheart.” she confidently says. Unsure of what to say at this point, all you know is that the both of you were staring at each other's lips, you didn't know how it occurred and who made the move first all you know is that the both of you started kissing… It was needy, hot, and desperate. To your surprise, it was Wanda taking the control here, you were always the one in control… they always have the hots for you and not vice versa, but this woman certainly has her way for you.

Eventually, you found yourself going at Wanda’s flow, you could feel the warmth of her tongue against yours, her wet muscle just swirling against yours. You walked backwards, trying to get a feel whether you're near the bed or not and as the back of your leg hit it, you slowly sank to your knees and sat on the mattress. This time your hands were around the older woman's waist, you were trying to take control this time… your hand was hiking up the blouse that she was wearing, yet you were stopped when she held your wrist. “Who said that you could touch?” Wanda purred as she parted her lips from yours just so she could speak. “I've got to have you first before you get me, malysh…” she spoke in her thick sokovian accent that caused butterflies all over your stomach.

“I- uh- I'm yours…” you stuttered which made Wanda chuckle. “We both know you're not there yet, sweetheart.” she says and you know damn well that she's not wrong. “But, we'll get there.” she whispered against your lips, now she crashed her lips against yours once again. The redhead straddles your lap, her lips moving perfectly with yours, you never felt this desperate… desperate for someone's touch, lips, and warmth. “Give me a chance tonight…” you mumbled against her lips which made her smirk. “No, I want you to crave for me… to the point you'll have no choice but to submit yourself to me.” she answered.

For a couple of hours the both of you didn't do anything but make out, and you've never felt so frustrated, neither of you took your clothes off. Here you are facing the mirror by the sink at the mirror, and what's worse? You're alone, the older woman had to leave since she had to be home when her husband unexpectedly came home. Taking your phone from your bag, you went to call someone.

“Hey, I know it's late and you're probably tired but I was wondering… if you can pick me up?” you hear a soft laugh from the other end. “You didn't score? You're not in your game, darling?” Diana teased which made you chuckle. “I guess you can say that.” You went to tell her where the motel was, this woman actually drove this late so she could get to you, she asked what your room number is and not even an hour later she was knocking on your door. “Should have come with me.” she says before leaning instantly for a kiss and you made sure to give her that satisfaction.

Spending the rest of the night with Diana instead of Wanda whom you came here with, lavishing on Prince’s warmth and taste on the same bed where you made out with the redhead you had earlier. You really are playing with fire after all, it's either you burn brighter than the fire you caused or be burnt, and you know you're never one to back out from a challenge.

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Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta @reginassweetheart @lvinhs @alexawynters @mfd-101 @dorabledewdroop

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iffoundreturntotheasylum · 1 year

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I Hate You

Quill Kipps x (f)reader

Enemies to lovers

No one asked for this but I just think Kipps is such a fun character for enemies/rivals to lovers, definitely the type of guy to catch feelings and be mad about it. I didn't get anywhere near them being lovers so I guess this is a series now? (I'm envisioning 3 parts but I guess we'll find out)

Word count ~3000

Content warning: angst, death, minor injury (no blood), teenagers being idiots

Hope you enjoy :)

You were the latest addition to Lockwood and co, gifted with a talent for touch and a knack for the rapier. Kipps hated you. You'd applied at Fittes, Rotwells, and all of the major agencies, being accepted by most of them but instead chose to work for Lockwood. He hated that you had so many options and instead chose to squander your talents at the smallest and shabbiest agency in London when you clearly had the skills to have ended up on the top team at the top agency in the country. It was ridiculous.

You, however, were pleased with your decision, ending up at an agency that perhaps wasn't all that prestigious but seemed to value the right things. Lockwood, George and Lucy had all been very welcoming and friendly and it had just felt like the right decision. The four of you were sat in the kitchen now, all with cups of tea, discussing an upcoming job.

"Deprac have offered us this job specifically, as a one off, because apparently Barnes liked our style with Anabel Ward's case and they want to know what actually happened. Supposedly this is going to be quite high profile so if we can pull it off, we'll have no trouble finding cases," Lockwood announced, though the look on his face was contradicting the supposed perfection of the offer, "however, they want us to work with Kipps' crew."

The bombshell dropped, blowing the perfect case to pieces in front of them. George groaned while Lucy frowned. You just let out a heavy sigh before speaking up, "If the case is as good as you say it is Lockwood, surely we can set aside our feelings for a few nights and work with them. Sure Kipps is a knob but if we can prove ourselves then it'll be worth it right?"

With matching resigned looks, Lucy and George nodded their agreement. "I'm gonna need so much tea to put up with Bobby," Muttered George.

Lockwood grinned, "Excellent, I'll call Kipps and get him to meet us at the archives, George, Luce can you get the kit bags together, and (y/n) I need you to get a large box of doughnuts from Arifs as a peace offering; we're not blowing this case before it even starts." He then sprang from his chair, the meeting clearly at an end.

—

About an hour later the four agents were sat in the British archives alongside Kipps' crew, an awkward silence over the whole table. You sat between George and Kat and across from Kipps himself. He kept giving you looks like you were something on the bottom of his shoe. You just tried to ignore him.

"I don't see much point in all of this," said Bobby Vernon, cutting the silence, "the Fittes database already told us that the house has had one violent death associated with it, a young actress was pushed through a bannister, murdered by her husband there in the fifties. He was never convicted but everyone thought it was him. Surely that plus the descriptions of the ghost are enough to make a plan?"

George smirked at that, "Well what the database hasn't told you, because it doesn't go back that far, is that according to this record of land ownership for London, before the House was even built, the land was used for a school what was burned down in the great fire of London. The school was rebuilt at a different location and the land was converted into a public park before it was sold to a private developer in the early nineteenth century, when the house was built. Why does all of this matter? Well according to this book on missing people in seventeenth century London, there was a teacher working late on the night of the fire, whose body was never recovered. That death sounds pretty violent to me, Bobby." He finished with a sip of tea, earning disgruntled looks from Kipps' lot and a down right murderous glare from Bobby himself. You had to stifle a grin by the end of his lecture.

Kipps had recovered from the slight embarrassment enough to speak, "That's all well and good Karim, but how do we know that it has anything to do with the case? What makes that story more credible than the couple in the fifties?"

"Maybe nothing," you contributed, earning a sour look from Kipps, "but it would be terrible to go into things without all the relevant information, or does that only apply when it's not your team making the mistakes?"

At that, things seemed just about ready to blow. Kipps stood up, his hand shifting towards his rapier and his gaze fixed on your sly smile. It was Lucy however who spoke next. "It doesn't even matter who made what mistakes, what matters is we have the information now. So why don't we all start acting like grown ups," she shot a pointed look at you and Kipps who both had the gall to look shocked, "and get on with the case. Unless anyone has any more information, I think we're done here and we should meet at the house before sunset tonight."

When no one else spoke she nodded in confirmation before starting to pack things away, the others following suit. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Lockward punch George lightly in the arm and thought you heard the words 'bloody brilliant', earning an eye roll but also a smile nonetheless.

—

It was about six o'clock when both teams gathered again, this time outside the large, detached house. You noticed the slight peachy tone to the west, indicating the very beginning of sunset. There wouldn't be much time to set things up before ghosts started appearing. Lockwood stepped forward and announced "My team will take the upstairs and Kipps and your lot can take the downstairs." He said it with such certainty and began to walk towards the house.

"Hold on a second, Tony," said Kipps, "the whole point of my team being here is to make sure your rabble do things by the book. I'm not letting you run off and do things on your own. We'll split the teams evenly. You and Lucy take Bobby and Ned, Kat and I will take Karim and (y/n)."

"Fine, but we're still taking the upstairs." Spat lockwood and you rolled your eyes at his childishness before grabbing your kit bag and following Kipps into the house.

You set up an iron circle in the entryway and each of the rooms downstairs while the rest of your team took temperature readings at various points. It seemed that the house was coldest towards the back, though not as cold as would be expected if the source were in that room. You suspected that it was in the back room of the house but upstairs. You surveyed the downstairs room anyway, a kitchen-dining room, clearly renovated recently, the sleek, modern design not at all matching with the exterior of the house.

The sun was setting in earnest now. "Why don't you make use of that talent of yours (y/n)," said Kipps, frowning at you before muttering, "If you insist on wasting it on Lockwood you can at least make use of it now."

You shot him a glare but replied simply "fine, George will you watch my back while I'm under?" The boy nods with a smile and moves to stand beside you. Kipps looks on curiously, not having fully seen your talent in action and Kat looked positively bewildered. You reached out to touch the back wall of the house, closing your eyes and opening your other senses.

And suddenly I'm feeling with hands that aren't mine, fragments of images seen with someone else's eyes flash through my mind. I am kneeling, crawling along the floor and the stones beneath my palms that should be cold to the touch aren't. I shuffle along, my muscles protesting with every move and my lungs burning with every breath. The smoke clouds my eyes and my mind but the sharp pain of my burns keep me focused. I must get out. I must get out. I must get out. The mantra repeats in my mind and I am shaking now because I know that I won't. The crack of the ceiling above me is my only warning before it collapses, a whole new agony flashing across my body as I'm pinned beneath beams and buried.

You jolt as your eyes fly open, gasping for air like you've just broken the surface of the ocean. Your mind is still half in its depths as you look around to ground yourself in the present. Kat is looking at you with a frown, not understanding what just happened. George has a hand on your shoulder to steady you, a fact that you're grateful for because you're always a little wobbly and disoriented after visions. Kipps looks at you as though you're a lab animal to be studied, an analytical gase examining every part of you.

"What did you feel, (y/n)?" Asked George.

"I was the teacher, in the great fire. He was trying to crawl out of the building, that way," you gesture towards the garden, "but he was badly burned and moved too slowly to get out. He was buried when the building collapsed." You shuddered slightly at the memory but shook it off.

George was smirking slightly at the news, clearly pleased that he was right and by the sour look on Kipps' face, he knew it too. "Well there's nothing left of the school," said George," so the source must be his bones, and since the blueprints of both buildings show that the school extended further back into what is now the garden so I'm guessing that's where we'll find him."

He received no resistance so the four of you opened the garden door and trudged out onto the grass. Kat set up another iron circle out there while you, George and Kipps surveyed the area.

"Can you tell where he died, (y/n)? Do you recognise anything?" Asked Kipps.

"Not really, sorry. When I use my talent I don't see or hear much, just fragments that are a bit distorted. I mainly feel; emotions and physical sensations." You answer.

Kipps looked frustrated at this and was about to speak up when he was cut off. "So you felt..." Said Kat, trailing off before she could finish her question, but it was obvious what she was asking.

"Him die? Yeah," you say softly, "it was a nasty one too, he knew it was coming."

Kat looked horrified, "That's awful!"

"Not as bad as witnessing a murder from the killer's perspective," you say and the disturbed look on Kat's face somehow gets worse, "I refused to use my talent for nearly a month after that happened the first time."

George, in an attempt to lighten the mood, said "She threw up all over Lockwood. Looking back on it now, it's a little funny."

"Alright enough fangirling over (y/n) and her powers, although I do applaud the vomiting on Lockwood part. We need to focus and find the source. It's getting fully dark now so the visitor should appear soon and that will help with finding the bones." Said Kipps. It was as if the spirit had heard him because no sooner had he finished speaking, before a faint other light started glowing and a charred and mangled body formed in front of the group; a wraith.

Kipps took the lead, "Kat, Karim, you're going to dig in the spot where it formed, (y/n) and I are going to distract it." He drew his rapier, catching the wraith's attention and stepped out of the iron circle. You followed suit and together you walked round, drawing the visitor away from where it formed. As soon as Kat and George crossed to the spot, shovels in hand, you circled back placing yourself defensively between them and the ghost. It was clearly growing more agitated and as the night got later and the sky got darker, it was inevitably growing in strength too.

You planted your feet, rapier raised and cut patterns in the air to ward the ghost off. You could feel your limbs grow heavy and your movements slow as ghost lock began to take hold, the teacher clearly not pleased with you. You shook the fog from your mind though and continued your defensive maneuver.

Kipps slashed at the wraith, drawing its attention and relieving you of the visitor's heavy ghost lock. "How's it going back there guys?" You called to the others.

"We're working on it, there's a lot of earth to dig." Replied George, sounding a little out of breath.

Just then the wraith snapped, once again focused on you, launching itself in your direction. You lobbed a salt bomb as you stumbled back, your ankle folding as you did so. The salt had slowed the ghost enough for Kipps to jump between you and slash at the wraith with his rapier, holding it back further. You let out a small cry at the sharp pain in your ankle.

"You okay there, (y/n)?" Asked Kipps, his attention not wavering from the wraith.

"I think I sprained my ankle, but I'll be okay," You answered, steeling yourself for a moment before pushing yourself back to your feet. You hissed as you tentatively put weight on your ankle. It hurt like a bitch but held your weight, "Yep, definitely sprained."

You pushed forward, limping a little and joined Kipps, slashing your rapier at the visitor. It was only getting angrier, which you hoped meant that George and Kat were getting closer to the source.

As if he had heard your thoughts, George exclaimed "found it!" There was a moment of rustling and then the wraith disappeared. You turned to see both George and Kat, waist deep in a pit, covered in mud, and a large silver net over what you assumed was the teacher's bones. They both looked exhausted.

Kipps reached in and pulled both of them out with a grunt before turning back to you. "How's that ankle?" He asked.

"Hurts like hell and is definitely swelling up right now. It's gonna be a nightmare to get my boot off later, but I'll live," You answered with a small smile, "might have to take some time out of the field though. Looks like you've got a new research buddy George!"

You limped towards your kit bag, the adrenaline wearing off and making the pain in your ankle more noticeable. You went to pick it up but Kipps beat you to it, clearly taking pity on you. The four of you reentered the house and heard voices upstairs.

"Nice of you to help us, Lockwood!" Kipps called up bitterly and was answered only by footsteps on the stairs. The rest of your team appeared looking as disheveled as you probably did.

"We were a little bit busy with the ghost upstairs. How about you? Had a nice little chat in the kitchen, try to poach my agent?" Said Lockwood with a glare at Kipps before he saw the state of George and Kat and frowned.

"Oh shut up the pair of you!" You snapped, "I can't be arsed to deal with your bullshit right now, there were clearly two ghosts so everyone was fucking busy. Now get over yourselves because right now I just want to go home and get some ice on this sprain and my patience is wearing thin!" You grabbed your kit bag off Kipps and stormed past Lockwood who had the decency to look embarrassed.

Lucy joined you and took the bag back off you, rubbing a hand comfortingly over your back. You smiled at her and blocked out the voices behind you.

—

Later, back at Portland row, you were sat with your foot on a cushioned chair, a bag of frozen peas on your ankle and a cup of tea in hand. "So while you and Kipps were fighting me and Bobby compared notes and we're pretty sure that the renovations disturbed your murder victim and the presence of that ghost got our teacher all riled up which is how we ended up with two seemingly unrelated hauntings at once." Said George. You frowned at the mention of Lockwood and Kipps' argument, it had made it take almost twice as long to get home from the case. You weren't really mad at Lockwood, after all it was Kipps who started it, but you were tired and stupid teenage boys didn't help with that.

Lockwood added, "But however the visitors got there, Lucy got us the real story for the case Deprac were interested in and as a bonus we found the bones of a missing person from the seventeenth century. It's a publicity dream!"

"And your ankle is really okay (y/n)? Because I will break Kipps' leg for you if you want." Chimed Lucy, earning a small grin.

"I definitely appreciate the offer, Luce, but breaking his leg sounds a bit harsh considering I'll be fully healed in a few weeks, besides it wasn't really his fault anyway," You smile, finishing your tea before continuing, "but on that note I think I'm going to bed."

#lockwood and co #lockwood and co season 2 #quill kipps x reader #quill kipps #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #enemies to lovers #rivals to lovers #my writing

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galvanizedfriend · 7 months

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List your nine most favorite books

Tagged by @jinxedwood

It was so hard to keep this to nine. I feel like this is a list that changes a lot, depending on my mood (with a few exceptions). Like jinxedwood, I feel I must add a disclaimer: some of these books are great, some of these books are great to me. I like what I like.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I've lost count of how many times I've read this. It's totally nonsensical and hilarious and I absolutely love it. I collect Alice in Wonderland editions, and I have read every single one of them at least once. Don't feel the same way about Through the Looking Glass though. Wonderland is very uniquely insane, which is what makes it great.

1984 by George Orwell. I fully realize this book is much more impressive when you're 18 and reading it for the first time, but I will absolutely fight anyone who trashes it. It stands the test of time to an eerie (and somewhat depressing) degree. I remember getting to the end of this and being so completely disheartened by the way it ends that I was upset for a week. I was 18, but still. It's a great book.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I am OBSESSED with Jurassic Park, ok? It's my favorite movie ever. And precisely because of that, I postponed reading this book forever because I was fully convinced it would suck and I didn’t want to live with the source material of my favorite movie letting me down. But then these really really beautiful editions of the series came out and I just had to buy them, and so eventually I had to read them as well. AND LO AND BEHOLD! The book is actually great! Not better than the movies, mind you, but really good. It's different enough that it's surprising even to someone who's seen the movies 30 times like me. And it's also very philosophical, whereas the movie focuses more on the adventure and the T-rex (for obvious reasons, to great success). 10/10.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. First time I read this I was 13 and it was this 1936 edition written in Portugal Portuguese, maybe even the first translation of this work into the language, and I hated it. Then many years later I found this stunning Barnes and Noble edition in English and decided to give it a second try. Instantly obsessed. It's a huge exposition in vanity, hedonism, ego and the human nature, monologues can last for pages and pages, but it's so interesting, so insightful and the dialogues are so good.

Epitaph of a Small Winner (Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas), by Machado de Assis. This is a masterpiece of Brazilian literature and probably my favorite thing I've read by Machado de Assis, who's one of, if not the most revered writer of all time in my country. Brás Cubas is a wealthy 19th century dead man and the narrator of this book, in which he makes reflections and digresses on many chapters of his life - after his death. It's a basically a fictional autobiography written by someone by a dead man. I just googled to see what the first paragraph was like in English, because it's one of my favorites ever, and it's still great. "I am a deceased writer not in the sense of one who has written and is now deceased, but in the sense of one who has died and is now writing." He dedicates the book to the first worm to eat his flesh. Brilliant.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab. I love Victoria Schwab so much, have read almost everything she's ever written. If writing talent was something you could buy at a supermarket, I’d get myself doses of hers. I love her style. Even the things that I objectively don't like, I still enjoy for the writing alone. This is probably my favorite thing she's ever written. I love the duality between Eli and Victor, I love their rivalry, I love the ideological war between and how ruthless they are, how far they are both willing to go just to prove a point. Neither of them is a good guy or a hero, and I love that about this story. It's not really that original, you can see where she drew inspiration from, but still. I love it.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The moment I finished reading this, years ago, I wondered how the hell this hadn't been turned into a movie yet. Thank you, Martin Scorsese, for listening to me. Please, don’t fuck this up. It's not fiction, which is not something I read very often because I’m easily bored, but this is amazingly written. And the story is so crazy. Maybe Americans are more familiar with it, but I wasn't, and it stunned me from start to finish. If you don’t know what it’s about, at some point in the history of the USA, the members of the Osage Nation were the richest people in the country, and then they started dying, one by one. The investigation into those murders was crappy because of racism, but it also led to the foundation of the FBI as it is known today. David Grann is a genius. I've read other books by him, all of them non-fiction, and it's always an unbelievable true story that's just shocking. His investigation into the topics is fantastic. He has one about the lost city of Z that is WILD. I’ve told everyone I know about that book.

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I know John Boyne has some controversial books (which I have tried to stay away from), but this is so good. His writing is amazing. It's such a heartbreaking story, but the way it's narrated is so light that instead of being depressive, it just made me so hopeful. The main character is probably one of the most naturally likable MC I've ever read, too. Every other character in the story is either insane or absurd, sometimes both. Probably the best dialogues I’ve ever read in a book.

The Conqueror's Wife by Stephanie Thornton. Listen, this is one of those books that I'm sure not everyone will like. But it's almost like it was written for me. It's a historical romance, it has multiple narrators, it’s based in real people that existed and it's about Alexander the Great. I have an inexplicable obsession with Alexander the Great, don't ask. I’ve read tons of stuff on him, so the fact this draws a lot from the real stuff makes it even better. The title is a little misleading, makes you believe it's about Alexander's wife (or one of them anyway), but it's not. The four narrators are two of his wives, his younger sister and Hephaestion. It paints a very gruesome and realistic picture of Alexander, beyond the myth. 10/10 for me.

Honorable mentions: The Song of Aquiles by Madelline Miller, Battle Royale by Koushun Takani.

Tagging: @definedareasofuncertainty, @misssophiachase, @amandakc, @austennerdita2533, @purplesigebert, @sekretny and anyone else who might want to do this. :) Tag me back so I can see your book list, I love that!

#tag game #book recs

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sebastianstansqueen · 10 months

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Hi can you please please PLEASE do a Bucky Barnes x chubby reader where he doesn’t deny you’re a bit thicker but he admits he loves it or a Bucky Barnes x country girl reader. Thank ya so much hun! Love your work! Keep it up 💗

Title: Bucky Loves

A/n: Thank you for the request! I did it in like a head canon and a one-shot style, I’m gonna be a hundred percent honest, usually when I write I don’t try and give too much description to the reader so anyone could imagine them as the reader, so this is my first time trying to sort of wright Bucky Barnes x chubby reader, so I’m sorry if it’s not great, also sorry it’s short, I hope you like it though. Also it's Bucky x Chubby Country!Reader.

Wordcount: 327

Warnings:Fluff, little hints of SMUT but nothing actualy going on.

Masterlist // Tagglists

Taglist: @cherryblossomsky - @babylooneytoonz - @wonderlandfandomkingdom - @miraclesoflove - @amelia-song-pond - @leyannrae - @avengerlex - @pineprincess -@nik2writes - @dorothea-hwldr - @rosie-posie08 - @scxrletrecsmarvel

Since high school Bucky loved taking walks around your family’s farm, as both of you talked about little things going on in life.

He worked as a farm hand to your family, he got paid well, and he loved being able to spend time with you.

Bucky loved that late night when both of you snuck out to the highest point in the small town, where both of you were in his truck, both your bodies covered in goosebumps, and feeling so electric as his hand brushed softly across your inner thigh littered with little stretch marks.

Bucky loved you so much, when you left for college it ruined him, Steve convinced him to take a trip to New York, to see you, he still looked a mess.

You had been going to class with your new friend Natasha, when you saw Bucky, well Bucky with much longer hair and a beard. “Give me a second.” You tell the redhead as you make your way towards Bucky. “Bucky, what are you doing here?” You asked, smiling as you hugged him.

“Y/n.” He looked you over with a smile playing on his lips. “I love you, I love you little stretch marks across your soft stomach, you're naturally easy to love not to mention, I love your eyes, your lips everything about you I love.” The admission for his love was in a whisper as he held you close to him with his head resting on your shoulder as he breathed in your scent.

“I love you too Bucky.” You whisper.

Bucky soon moved to New York in a tiny box for an apartment, but it worked.

Bucky didn't care that you had a little bit of a tummy and thicker thighs he just loved you.

Now Bucky Loves taking walks around central park holding you close to him, love follows both of you everywhere.

Bucky loved sneaking into your dorm room, as he slowly undressed you, your body flushed with lust as both of you took in each other. In his eyes all you saw was love.

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x you #marvel #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan

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those-little-sheep · 2 years

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I've seen several people say Chrissy Cunningham has horse girl energy, and as a life long, card carrying, currently professionally employed horse girl ...I kinda want to write the AU. Featuring thing such as...

The Cunninghams own a fancy fancy hunter-jumper barn, the kind full of high five to six figure show horses that winter in Florida. Chrissy's mom trains the hunters and equitation riders and her dad does the jumpers.

Chrissy as the Hunter/Big-Eq Princess. Hunters and Equitation are disciplines that have a not entirely undeserved reputation for being toxic af at the upper levels. Both are centered around a kinda subjective ideal of how a horse (hunters) and rider (equitation) should look/move. There are plenty of genuinely good riders in both disciplines, but there’s also a reputation of “the thinnest girl with the longest legs on the most expensive horse” ends up sweeping every class. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of coaches being straight up verbally and emotionally abusive to their students, a lot of eating disorders, and (especially when male coaches are involved) SA is not unheard of either. So it seems like an environment rife for Chrissy to end up in a similar mental state as she does in canon.

Jason the Jumper. Jumpers are a bit more rough and tumble, focusing less on perfection and style, and more on getting over the biggest jumps as fast as you damn can without knocking down any rails. Agility, power, and speed are the name of the game. Big jock energy. He’s a bit of a reactive prick when he rides though and is too heavy handed with his horses.

Wayne takes a job working as the general handyman on the Cunningham’s farm and Eddie and him move into the cabin on the property. They used to live in Indianapolis but Eddie crossed the wrong people in his drug dealing, so Wayne (who grew up in the country) quit his factory job to move them out to the farm in hopes of helping Eddie start over fresh. They move in during the winter when a lot of the horses are still down in Florida and he fucking hates it. There’s nothing to do, he doesn’t know shit about horses, they’re big and scary, and he has to muck stalls which he thinks sucks.

Spring comes, the show horses and rides who have been gone in Florida come back, and he sees Chrissy for the first time. This itty bitty slip of a thing sailing around on a 17hh horse over three and a half foot jumps like it’s absolute nothing and he is entranced. Suddenly (and Wayne fucking knows) he’s asking to do more chores, spend more time around the barn, just so he can watch Chrissy ride...and in the process realizes Jason’s a dick (both to Chrissy and to his horses) and sees how brutal Chrissy’s mom can be to her during her lessons. He starts to really think this whole horse riding thing in general might be bullshit.

It starts getting hot and Eddie does not know how to cope at first. Chrissy sees him about to die of heat exhaustion with his long ass hair and gives him her scrunchy to put his hair up in a man bun. He keeps it. Also a lot of sweaty Eddie in tank tops with tattoos on full display doing manual labor.

Eddie has a motorcycle cause why not? Hell yeah Chrissy’s gonna ride behind him like a little back pack.

Chrissy’s childhood pony colics (potentially deadly tummy ache for horses) and Eddie stays up with her all night taking turns walking the pony and offering it water, he lets her sleep and spends hours just going up and down the barn aisle with this damn pony.

Eddie turns out to be a natural with horses on the ground once he starts warming up to them. He’s a naturally empathetic and sensitive dude, I could see him picking up on how to read horses’ body language and how to work with them pretty quickly. He’s able to calm down one of Jason’s upset, panicky horses when Jason’s temper is only making things worse, which pisses Jason off to no end.

Chrissy teaches Eddie to ride. He eventually is...sufficiently competent. Maybe one day she gets him his own scruffy ass horse to ride around on the farm with her. Chrissy starts enjoying riding for riding again without feeling all the pressure from her mom and competing.

Eddie is really really into Chrissy wearing her riding clothes. Tight ass pants for the win.

Eddie helps Chrissy change her discipline over to Jumpers. He sees how stifling the Hunter/Eq world is for Chrissy and encourages her to either quit or try something different. Her mom will flip if Chrissy tries to do something else, so Eddie helps her sneak around to practice for switching to the Jumpers and she eventually goes head to head with Jason.

Chrissy has a nasty fall at a big horse show. Hurt/comfort feelings ensue.

Chrissy starts teaching some beginner lessons. Eddie encourages her since he hasn’t died yet and she taught him, and turns out to be really good at it/enjoys working with the kids and helping them learn to love something she’s so passionate about. It helps her as she’s recovering from her fall.

Eddie’s past catches up with him?

#hellcheer #eddissy #hellcheer fanfiction #eddissy fanfiction #hellcheer fanfic #edissy fanfic #hellcheer au #hellcheer au ideas #the issue is that the last time I tried to do a horse based AU #I had to have a fucking glossary at the end of every chapter #it's like #heartland meets hellcheer #but with less cowboys and natural horsemanship #and more bitchy hunter/jumpers

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grandmaster-anne · 1 year

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The King’s cousin David Linley on his new career

The Times article by Lisa Grainger | Published 25 January 2023

The Earl of Snowdon talks to Lisa Grainger about his book on English crafts, and mentoring future creators at his furniture-making college at Highgrove

There aren’t many people who’ll admit that crafts can reduce them to tears. The Earl of Snowdon is one of them. At one event, he recalls, musicians including Jeff Beck, Mike Rutherford and the Clash were invited to meet and interact with “incredible luthiers, who make violins and guitars and cellos”. It was “just magical”, he says. “It really did bring a tear to the eye . . .”

Since David Linley, King Charles III’s cousin, became the first royal to follow a vocation — producing handmade furniture — and set up an eponymous business, he has been one of Britain’s most vocal champions of crafts. Which is why he wrote a book, Craft Britain: Why Making Matters, co-authored by Helen Chislett, to bring attention to extraordinary craftspeople around the country.

The glossy tome, with an erudite introduction by the design writer Stephen Bayley, is not only a directory of all the key crafts organisations from Cornwall to the Hebrides but a compendium of some of our nation’s most remarkable makers. It takes in embroiderers based in Hampton Court Palace and chair craftsmen from Orkney, leather sculptors and cobblers, marquetry specialists and even a whip-maker.

Sadly, Chislett says, some crafts were left out of the book because the skills have died out. For instance, England no longer has a cricket ball manufacturer even though the game was invented here, “and we probably won’t make bats for much longer”. Hand-stitched kilt-making is on the Heritage Crafts Association Red List of Endangered Crafts, as is neon sign-making; even bell-making is on its way out, with churchgoing declining.

On the other hand, there are crafts that are growing. Ceramic-makers, for instance, have sprung up in the southwest of the country. In Newcastle metalworkers whose families previously might have made ships are constructing metal furniture. Chislett adds that crafts fairs are becoming increasingly popular, particularly with the younger generation. “They’re a lot more into sustainability . . . and you are less likely to throw something away if you know who made it.”

There’s a growing appreciation of bespoke objects at the very high end of the market, Linley says. At his furniture company (from which he resigned in November) clients loved coming in to commission bespoke pieces with little quirks: a secret drawer with a martini shaker in it, or an inkwell filled with a specific colour of ink. “You can fantasise about what you like and get someone to bring it to life,” he says.

His own London home — “a little flat, which I am very lucky to have” — is filled with handcrafted items that have meaning: a pair of candlesticks that belonged to his theatre-designer uncle Oliver Messel; cushions embroidered by British seamstresses; tables turned by fellow carpenters; a pair of bespoke British shoes made “in precisely the colour and style and shape I like”. Each of them feels special, because “there is something rather lovely about a piece that’s come from the hand of a human”, he says. “It resonates with the human spirit.”

The next part of Linley’s professional journey, he says, will be nurturing others who want to work with their hands. At Street Farm at Highgrove, the Gloucestershire home of the King, an old barn has been converted into the Snowdon School of Furniture, where Linley is going to help to mentor the next generation of furniture-makers. “I am 61 now,” he says, “and it’s time to step back and allow the young people at Linley do things how they want. I have worked all my life creating a brand. And I can now do things for the Prince’s Foundation that are enjoyable and freeing.”

Having made furniture for almost 40 years, Linley says he’s relishing the fact that crafts are becoming more mainstream. “Today you’ll hear Tracey Emin talk about craft, and even sportsmen. This morning on Radio 4 a commentator was talking about a footballer as a craftsman and comparing him to Picasso. That might have been a comparison too far — but there is now far more recognition of the skills needed to do something well. And that can only be a good thing.”

#david armstrong jones #earl of snowdon #2nd earl of snowdon #article #the times

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flesh-into--gear · 3 months

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@rozecrest this was just easier but im so glad you liked it!

honestly you can't go wrong with any of his albums.

Purgatory is hilariously strong from start to finish and has these tracks which i love (i love the whole album but, in order)

I Swear (To God)

Feathered Indians

Tattoos

Purgatory

Universal Sound

Lady May

Live at Red Barn Radio I & II in absolute entirety tbh but the usual standouts are here

Shake the Frost

Deadman's Curve

Charleston Girl

Rock Salt and Nails

Follow You To Virgie (oof, about his mom, its a hard listen some days but FUCK its good.)

Bottles and Bibles

Country Squire was a mild style change-up, a little more honky-tonk. it's got some great tracks on it but it was also a mild writing departure for him as well, focusing a little more on country tropes and a LOT more tongue in cheek (the song Ever Lovin' Hand is a masturbation joke wrapped in a song about missing the person you love a lot). probably his weakest album? but:

Creeker

House Fire

Peace of Mind

All Your'n

Long Violent History is a kinda cool album, it's all instrumentals, old school holler jams and stuff. kinda hard to get into unless you're from that kinda thing i would assume? just reminds me of when i was a kid at thanksgiving and christmas back when we still spoke to my dad's side, and he and my uncles and one of my aunts would all get together and jam on some old gospel and bluegrass tunes. everybody brought instruments.... ah well. but i digress. you can take me out of the country but ill always be a big tomboy butch who gets a little too excited around jacked up trucks of a specific set of years, or the smell of gas and oil in the morning.

Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven i admittedly completely checked out on because i was deep in covid depression throes so i can't and won't comment because it won't be an accurate representation so.

Rustin' In The Rain I still haven't taken time to fully check out, as im working through a music backlog, but.

In Your Love is an incredible song and go watch the video because it cut me deep as fuck. i know a lot of people still stuck in those mines and i have friends with family members dying today because of coal companies. and im a trans woman from backwoods VA with all my roots in Appalachia from both sides (we had a handful of bootleggers in the family, explains a lot tbh). song hit me hard, in a good way.

anyway! im sorry! thank you for listening to me ramble about an artist i really enjoy! one of these days i should really just start a podcast called "Nobody Asked" and it's just me screaming into a microphone about stuff like this!

like dave matthews! like yeah i get it "ha ha dad rock" but come on!

Live at Radio City with Tim Reynolds is a fucking MONSTER album! and dave is a good guy! or at minimum is actually worthy of supporting because the dude has been doing activist things quietly and loudly for longer than ive been alive! and their music spans so many genres!

Eh Hee

Bartender

Still Water / Don't Drink The Water (back to back! they must be listened to together! please listen to this and Bartender off Live at Radio City)

#41

Two Step

Satellite

Some Devil

Grace Is Gone

and thats not even touching a fraction of this man's catalogue, he's been making music for forty something years

ahain im sorry i just really really love music and GAH theres so many artists from my chilhood and teen years and stuff that get so undeservedly swept under a rug because... i really don't know why. i feel like a lot of artists immediately get written off because of styles or genres or whatever and thats just so unfair and upsets ke geeatly.

that's not directed at you whatsoever rozecrest to be clear lmao sorry it may have come off that way

also anyone who has an interest in bluegrass/gospel go listen to The Seldom Scene's "Old Train" and "Live at the Cellar Door" in their entirety

#music

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jpbjazz · 1 month

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LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

HERB ELLIS, LA GUITARE SWING À SON MEILLEUR

"If you're not swinging, he's going to make you swing."

- Les Paul

Né le 4 août 1921 à Farmersville, près de Dallas, au Texas, Mitchell Herbert Ellis était le fils du cultivateur de coton Clifford Ellis et de Martha Kennedy. Ellis avait commencé à se passionner pour la guitare électrique après avoir entendu le musicien country George Barnes à la radio.

Après avoir commencé à jouer de l’harmonica et du banjo, Ellis avait adopté la guitare à l’âge de huit ou neuf ans. Son frère aîné jouait également de la guitare.

Après s’être inscrit à une majeure en musique au North Texas State College en 1939, Ellis avait commencé à être influencé par le prodige de la guitare électrique Charlie Christian. Ellis avait également été influencé par Django Reinhardt. Parmi les camarades de classe d’Ellis à North Texas State College à l’époque, on retrouvait le saxophoniste et arrangeur Jimmy Giuffre (avec qui il avait partagé une chambre), le compositeur et trompettiste Gene Roland et le contrebassiste Harry Babasin. Ellis avait étudié la contrebasse à l’université, car il n’existait pas encore de programme de guitare à l’époque. Faute d’argent, Ellis avait dû abandonner ses études au collège en 1941.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Après avoir quitté le collège en 1941, Ellis était parti en tournée durant six mois avec un groupe de l’Université du Kansas. Ellis s’était par la suite installé à Kansas City, au Missouri, afin de perfectionner son style. Rejeté par l’armée en raison d’un souffle au coeur, Ellis s’était joint au big band de Charlie Fisk. Il s’était aussi produit dans différents clubs, collaborant notamment avec Charlie Parker (celui-ci n’avait pas encore découvert le bebop à l’époque).

En 1943, Ellis s’était joint au groupe Glen Gray and the Casa Lorna Orchestra. C’est dans le cadre de sa collaboration avec le groupe qu’Ellis avait rencontré le pianiste Lou Carter avec qui il s’était joint en 1944 à l’orchestre de Jimmy Dorsey. Le contrebassiste et violoniste Johnny Frigo avait rejoint Ellis et Carter un peu plus tard. C’est avec le groupe de Dorsey qu’Ellis avait enregistré ses premiers solos.

Ellis était demeuré avec l’orchestre de Dorsey jusqu’en 1947. Dans le cadre de sa collaboration avec le groupe, Ellis avait fait de nombreux enregistrements et tournées et s’était produit dans les salles de danse et les cinémas.

C’est alors que s’était produit un tournant capital qui avait changé la carrière d’Ellis à jamais. À l’époque, le groupe de Dorsey avait un trou de six semaines dans son calendrier. John Frigo, qui avait déjà quitté le groupe à ce moment-là, connaissait le propriétaire du Peter Stuyvesant Hotel à Buffalo. Ellis, Frigo et Carter avaient alors formé un trio appelé les Soft Winds. Largement inspiré du trio de Nat King Cole, le groupe avait joué à l’Hôtel durant six mois. Le son du groupe était souvent comparé à un groupe très populaire à l’époque, le Page Cavanaugh Trio. Même si es Soft Winds avaient poursuivi leurs activités jusqu’en 1953, ils n’avaient jamais remporté le succès auxquels ils auraient pu s’attendre. "We played six nights a week and practiced five days a week", avait commenté Carter. Commentant le travail du groupe, Ellis avait expliqué au cours d’une entrevue qu’il avait accordée en 1993: “We didn’t hear things in terms of having a drummer, but it worked well.”

Un des spectateurs assidus des concerts du trio était le pianiste Oscar Peterson. Ce dernier se produisait habituellement à l’hôtel les dimanches soirs. Lorsque Frigo avait quitté le groupe, Peterson avait approché Ellis, car il se cherchait un guitariste pour remplacer Barney Kessel. Décrivant la réaction de Peterson lorsqu’il l’avait entendu jouer avec le trio, Ellis avait précisé: “He liked it. So he and I went out later that night and jammed at some place in Buffalo. I didn’t see him again until 1953 when [guitarist] Barney Kessel left his group. That’s when he called me for the job.”

Ellis avait fait partie du trio de Peterson de 1953 à 1958. Avec le contrebassiste Ray Brown, le trio était devenu le groupe le plus enregistré de l’époque. Comme Scott Yanow l’écrivait dans le All-Music Guide to Jazz, le groupe était éventuellement devenu un des plus grands trios avec piano de tous les temps. Yanow avait ajouté: ‘’It was never so much a matter of Peterson having two other musicians accompany him as it was that they could meet the pianist as near- equals and consistently inspire him. And unlike most trios, O.P.'s had many arranged sections that constantly needed rehearsals and were often quite dazzling." Ironiquement, comme seul musicien blanc du groupe, Ellis avait été placé dans une position plutôt délicate à une époque où le racisme était encore dominant.

Grâce à leur grande complicité, les trois membres du trio s’inspiraient constamment l’un l’autre, contribuant ainsi à garder leur musique toujours aussi fraîche et entraînante. Ellis avait déclaré au sujet de cette période:

"It was probably the highlight of my career to play with those guys--they're the best on their respective instruments. We had a lot of really difficult arrangements. Oscar wrote really hard for us. We'd have to memorize everything. Oscar's a mental giant, you know, and he never forgot anything. He'd give me stuff to play and I'd say, 'I can't play this, Oscar.' He'd say, 'Yes, you can; I know how much you can play.' I'd go practice and, sure enough, he'd be right every time."

En plus de leurs enregistrements en studio et en concert, le trio de Peterson avait également servi de section rythmique maison pour les disques Verve de Norman Granz, notamment dans le cadre de collaborations avec des saxophonistes comme Ben Webster et Stan Getz, et des trompettistes comme Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, et Harry ‘’Sweets’’ Edison. Même si Ellis était membre à part entière de la section rythmique dans le cadre de ces enregistrements, il ne jouait pas en solo sur toutes les pièces. Avec le batteur, Buddy Rich, Ellis avait aussi participé à un album en duo mettant en vedette Ella Fitzgerald et Louis Armstrong.

Le trio avait également servi de noyau aux tournées de Jazz at the Philarmonic qui se produisaient régulièrement aux États-Unis et en Europe. Lassé de faire des tournées, Ellis avait quitté le trio de Peterson en novembre 1958. Peterson étant convaincu qu’il ne trouverait aucun guitariste capable d’arriver à la cheville d’Ellis, il l’avait remplacé par un batteur, Ed Thigpen. Lorsque le trio de Peterson s’était réuni plusieurs années plus tard, l’atmosphère était devenue beaucoup plus détendue. Comme l’avait souligné le fils d’Ellis, Mitch, “That time was very special to all of them. He and Ray roomed together; they were really best friends. When they got back together in the ‘80s it was a lot more fun, a lot more relaxed.”

Après avoir quitté le trio de Peterson, Ellis était parti en tournée avec la chanteuse Ella Fitzgerald de 1957 à 1960. Il avait aussi brièvement accompagné la chanteuse Julie London. Également actrice, London avait remporté un grand succès avec la chanson "Cry Me A River."

Ellis, qui en avait assez de la vie de musicien de tournée, avait par la suite amorcé une longue carrière comme musicien de studio pour la télévision et le cinéma. Parmi les émissions de télévision auxquelles Ellis avaient participé, on remarquait les talk shows de Steve Allen, de Regis Philbin, de Danny Kaye, de Red Skelton, de Joey Bishop, de Della Reese et de Merv Griffin. Dans un article publié dans le magazine Down Beat, le critique Leonard Feather avait commenté: "Philbin had the most jazz-oriented house group..., Terry Gibbs'. In fact it was composed entirely of jazz musicians, [including] guitarist Ellis, the only holdover from the Allen show and still one of the great swingers of any decade." Dans le cadre de l’émission d’Allen, Ellis était membre du Donn Trenner Orchestra aux côtés de virtuoses comme le joueur de trombone Frank Rosolino.

Ellis a aussi joué sur plusieurs musiques de films au cours de la même décennie. À la fin des années 1960, Ellis avait éventuellement abandonné le travail de musicien de studio pour mieux se concentrer sur sa carrière musicale.

Dans les années 1970, Ellis avait fait équipe avec des guitaristes de jazz dominants, d’abord en duo avec Joe Pass et Barney Kessel, puis en trio. Le trio d’Ellis avec Barney Kessel et Charlie Byrd avait éventuellement donné naissance au groupe Great Guitars, dont avait également fait partie plus tard le guitariste Tal Farlow. Continuant d’enregistrer et de se produire en concert régulièrement, Ellis avait d’abord enregistré le premier d’une série de trois albums pour les disques Concord. Par la suite, Ellis avait fait équipe avec les guitaristes Freddie Green, un des piliers de l’orchestre de Count Basie, et Laurindo Almeida, un ancien membre de l’orchestre de Stan Kenton. Au cours de cette période, Ellis avait également enregistré avec le contrebassiste Ray Brown, les saxophonistes Jimmy Giuffre et Coleman Hawkins et le violoniste Stuff Smith. Ellis avait aussi rendu hommage à son idole Charlie Christian sur un album intitulé "Hello, Charlie Christian." Ellis avait également enregistré des manuels d’instruction sur vidéo.

Ellis avait également continué de se produire dans les festivals. Dans les années 1970, Ellis avait été en vedette dans un épisode de la série ‘’Sanford and Son’’ dans lequel il avait accompagné le chanteur Fred Sanford. Ellis avait également donné des cours de guitare au dessinateur Gary Larson. En échange, Larson avait réalisé l’illustration de la pochette de l’album ‘’Doggin’ Around’’ qu’Ellis avait enregistré avec le conrebassite Red Mitchell en 1988.

Ellis jouait avec des guitares Gibson depuis trente-sept ans lorsque la compagnie Gibson avait lancé une guitare à son nom, la Gibson Herb Ellis Model, aussi connue sous le nom d’ES165.

En 1982, Ellis avait formé le groupe Triple Threat avec Monty Alexander et Ray Brown.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Ellis, qui adorait se produire en public, réunissait souvent certains de ses amis dans le cadre de certains événements spéciaux. Lors d’une croisière de jazz tenue en novembre 1995, Ellis avait réuni son ancien groupe Soft Winds. Cette fois, John Frigo avait joué exclusivement du violon. Keter Betts était à la contrebasse et Lou Carter au piano. Commentant l’événement, le pianiste Lou Carter avait déclaré: "None of us had played together for forty years, We got up on the bandstand of the Norway without any rehearsal and swung our butts off!" À la fin des années 1940, le groupe avait remporté un certain succès avec deux pièces qu’il avait reprises lors de la croisière: I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out!" et "Detour Ahead." Cette dernière pièce, qui était devenue un standard du jazz, avait été reprise par de grands noms du jazz comme Billie Holiday, Bill Evans et Jane Monheit.

En 1998, le JVC jazz festival de New York avait commémoré la carrière d’Ellis dans le cadre de la présentation d’une série de concerts-hommage.

Ellis a été intronisé au sein du Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame en 1994. Le 15 novembre 1997, l’University of North Texas College of Music avait décerné à Ellis un doctorat honorifique en musique. Ellis a aussi remporté un prix Grammy pour sa participation à l’album "The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note" en 1990. Admirateur de longue date de la guitariste de jazz Emily Remler, Ellis avait d’ailleurs participé à un album à sa mémoire.

Ellis avait enregistré plusieurs albums comme leader au cours de sa carrière, dont ‘’Nothing But the Blues’’, qui avait été enregistré en 1957 avec Roy Eldridge et Stan Getz, et qui est considéré comme un des meilleurs de sa carrière. Même si plusieurs des premiers albums d’Ellis sont aujourd’hui épuisés, ses disques ‘’Ellis in Wonderland’’ (1956), ‘’Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre’’ (1959) et ‘’Thank You, Charlie Christian’’ (1960) sont considérés comme des modèles d’enregistrements pour de petites formations avec guitare.

Au cours de sa carrière, Ellis avait collaboré avec de grands noms du jazz comme Joe Pass (son successeur avec le trio d’Oscar Peterson), les saxophonistes Art Pepper, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Giuffre et Stan Getz, le guitariste brésilien Laurindo Almeida, les trompettistes Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong et Harry ‘’Sweets’’ Edison, le violoniste Stuff Smith, la chanteuse Ella Fitzgerald, les pianistes Monty Alexander et George Duke et le batteur Buddy Rich.

Lors d’un test à l’aveugle réalisé en 1992 pour le magazine Down Beat, le guitariste Les Paul avait commenté un album d’Ellis avec Joe Pass en ces termes: "You get Joe Pass all by himself and he can pretty well stun ya....And the same thing with Herb Ellis. If you're not swinging, he's gonna make you swing. Of that whole bunch of guys who play hollow-body guitar on the front pickup, I think Herb Ellis has got the most drive." Ellis avait particulièrement apprécié de collaborer avec Pass. Comme l’avait expliqué le fils d’Ellis, Mitch: “It meant a great deal to him . . . they formed this real connection.��

Ellis était particulièrement reconnu pour l’emploi d’une technique qu’il avait probablement apprise du guitariste Ray Crawford, et qui lui permettait de frapper ses cordes un peu à la manière d’un instrument de percussion.

Herb Ellis est décédé le 28 mars 2010 à sa résidence de Los Angeles des suites de la maladie d’Alzheimer. Il était âgé de quatre-vingt-huit ans. Ont survécu à Ellis son épouse Patti Gahagan (qu’il avait épousée en 1957), son fils Mitch, sa fille Kari et trois petits-enfants.

Faisant le bilan de l’évolution du jazz, Ellis avait commenté en 1996: “There have been changes in jazz and new styles come along. I play straight ahead, what you might call mainstream, jazz. That’s what I played when I started and that’s what I still play. I wish everyone else good luck and God bless, but I’ve found mine and I’m going to stick with it.”

Dans son ouvrage intitulé The Jazz Guitarists, Stan Britt avait salué ainsi la contribution d’Ellis au monde du jazz: "Throughout all his musical ventures-- on-record or otherwise--Ellis evidences the kind of strong consistency and lasting commitment that has made him something of a legend amongst guitarists."

SOURCES:

COLE, Tom. ‘’Great Guitarist Herb Ellis Dies.’’ NPR, 30 mars 2010.

FORDHAM, John. ‘’Herb Ellis obituary.’’ The Guardian, 2 février 2010.

‘’Herb Ellis.’’ Wikipedia, 2023.

‘’Herb Ellis.’’ All About Jazz, 2023.

‘’Herb Ellis Biography.’’ Net Industries, 2023.

THURSBY, Keith. ‘’Herb Ellis dies at 88; jazz guitarist.’’ Los Angeles Times, 31 mars 2010.

#jazz

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dollarbin · 2 months

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Shakey Sundays #11:

Ragged Glory Part 2: Smell the Horse

Judging by the impending release of Fu##in' Up (a live version of Ragged Glory recorded live last November by Neil and Crazy Horse) it seems likely that Young will focus on songs from that much storied LP when I see him and the boys play live next month in San Diego.

That sounds pretty damn good to me. I'm more than ready to hear Neil rip through everything from Over and Over to Country Home (I see that, in true Shakey style, every song has been needlessly retitled for the new record by cherry picking lyrics from the songs; Country Home is hopefully now called Pickin' Someone Else's Potatoes; Over and Over should hereafter be named Ha! Ha! Ha! after the background vocals that follow the line "time was just a joke").

But if I had my druthers... well, that would be weird. What the heck are druthers? Where would I keep them if I had them?

Anyway, says I, Neil should shelve both Love and Only Love and Love to Burn for those upcoming shows; he should keep them safe at home with his own druthers while on tour. What he should bring is his giant wind machines. I want to see those things at full blast.

As I wrote a few weeks back in my first post about Ragged Glory, Young's epics on the attributes and flammability of love are great, sure, but compared with everything else from that era I find them a tad dull and definitely overplayed. Stephen Stills is probably planning reggaelishious versions of each track for his next record, the working title for which is I Suck Up The Dollar Bin. What's more, Neil has an entirely alternative version of Ragged Glory to consider for his set list: the aptly titled Smell the Horse.

Neil puts out about 16 new things a month, all of them on 480.6 kilogram clear audiofile vinyl, or whatever, so you are forgiven if you missed this one. Smell the Horse is an extended version of Ragged Glory which features four additional tracks. That doesn't sound too impressive, but I'm here to argue that it's a pretty big deal: hear about Smell the Horse is definitely worth a few minutes of your fine Sunday and I'd love to see it take up a healthy chunk of Neil's upcoming tour.

Let's start with the song that serves as inspiration for the extended version's title, a song which I think should been chosen to end the original record instead of the plodding and overly earnest Mother Earth.

We're talking about about Don't Spook the Horse:

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I love how slow everyone plays here, holding onto their sonic and vocal notes alike for as long as they damn well please. Neil, Frank, Pancho and Lefty (that would be Billy Talbot) had plenty of reasons to slow down and savor everything at that point: Neil's wacko 80's were finally over, they already had a great album in the can and everyone was clearly stoned out of their minds in Neil's barn.

Saying "barn" here isn't quite right; we should say "one of Neil's barns." Apparently he had a bunch of them. On was filled head to toe with about 65 million dollars worth of toy trains. Seriously. Neil had employees dedicated to maintaining those trains, and he'd invented cordless and accessibly adapted remotes for running them all with his wheelchair bound son. Neil was clearly the richest, best and wackiest dad on the planet. I've got kids of my own and a shed behind my house too. Guess what I keep in it? Rusted and broken nonsense, of course, plus a few remaining battered and original Hoth-era plastic Star Wars toys that I simply can't justify throwing away; suffice to say that my kids would prefer Neil Young as a dad when it comes to finding pleasures in a barn.

Anyway, Neil and the boys play this song at a glacial pace because where the hell else have they got to be? "Let's play it even slower next time," I picture Neil telling them. "This one's never gonna be on the record anyway. Plus, if we play it slow enough, I can make up some lyrics as we go."

And how about the collage Neil assembles of those throw away lyrics at 3:20 mark. He's already introduced the characters and repeated their attributes for us: there's a horse who spooks, a dog who tends to roll in its own feces and a pretty little girl worth courting. But then Neil puts all of them in his homebrew lyric blender:

If you're gonna mess around with that chick,

Be sure to close the barn door;

Try to not spook the horse,

Make sure she ain't rolled in shit.

Just who exactly are we concerned about the smell of here Neil, your dog, your horse or the pretty little girl? I sincerely hope he means the little girl, 'cuz that's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

Next up in the song, Neil references "the valley of hearts", a rather boring image he plucks nonsensically from the aforementioned Love to Burn. If not for that song's somber, dull lyrics and the preachy Mother Earth, we'd include the word preface the word"gnarly" with "hilariously" when describing Ragged Glory. After all this album opens with Neil telling us that his car only starts if it's pointed downhill and then he goes on to make this song the record's only cover:

youtube

I had no idea until this moment that there was yet another silly, never seen by anyone at the time, video for this song. This one's even dumber and more ridiculous than the other videos from the record Neil made, which we spent time with a few weeks back. The visuals here, including Pancho's pants, basically prove my argument that this whole album can easily be taken as a joyful joke. Is that lady dancing with corn on the cob? And watch for when Farmer John himself shows up, first with a pitchfork, then with a shotgun. Neil was clearly cracking himself up.

And how about the fact that Neil passed over every song in the Western popular catalog from Sister Ray to Respect and chose instead to cover what is perhaps the least poetic and simplest song in history, a song which asks the Horse to hold down the beat and go "Whoa-o-o" over and over again while Young makes the least compelling case anyone has ever made for dating another human being and freaks out on his guitar. (So it's in writing: Neil, if you ever want to date one of my daughters, or, for that matter have one of them appear in one of his videos, the answer is hell no.)

But back to the whole "valley of hearts" thing: by referencing that dull valley in the delightfully sloppy Don't Spook the Horse, Neil effectively makes fun of his overly earnest writing at spots on the record and puts us even more at ease. Somebody, we think, ought to get me some of that stuff they're smoking while I check my dog for suspicious scents.

So are you with me? Isn't this whole thing a big, wonderful joke if you set aside Love to Bun, Mother Earth and Love and Only Love? I'm telling you, Neil could have completed the record's fantastically silly leap to unbridled joy by including Don't Spook the Horse from the get go.

But Smell the Horse does a lot more than add levity to the original record. It also adds some big deal beauty. Check out one of the most tender, spacious and shimmering album outtakes from Shakey's entire 60 year career:

youtube

Man, I just love this. Name another song that makes such loud and lovely use of the squeak fingers can make across the fretboard; name another song where Neil sings with this much care.

Interstate shows the vast breath of what Young was doing during the Ragged Glory sessions. Sure he could have made a comedy record. But if Interstate were on the original record instead of Farmer John we might call the whole thing introspectively soulful. Bob Dylan, it turns out, isn't the only genius who tended to cut the very best songs off his records in this era.

It initially makes sense that Young recorded Interstate a few weeks after the brilliant, hillbilly toss-off that is Don't Speak the Horse. Surely, he couldn't have achieved such disparate tones on the same day, right?

Well, don't be so sure about that: after all, 15 years earlier Young recorded one of the most hopeless songs of his entire career, Borrowed Tune, on the very same day he recorded one of his most hopeful, Traces.

That's Neil Young: from heartbreak to hope in sixty seconds flat.

The third outtake featured on Smell the Horse is Boxcar, a bouncy, strident track with some pretty questionable lyrics about Young's skin color (he says he's like a white man, which is a pretty obvious metaphor. Hey Neil, I'm a lot like a white man too. That because I'm a white male. But then Young goes on to tell us he's like a black man too, and a red man, whatever that is. Um, okay Neil...) that he wrestled with on and off for 20+ years before finally releasing on Chrome Dreams 2. The song could have added a much needed tasty note to the nothing-burger that is Old Ways; but it has no real business on the plate of swordfish, greens and hominy that is Ragged Glory. Sometimes Neil leaves the right songs off his records.

And finally, there's one of the weirdest songs in Young's entire, wonderfully weird catalog: Born to Run. No, this isn't Neil covering the Springsteen track. Young wrote his song first, supposedly, and initially recorded it in the summer of 1975 during the Zuma sessions, which just so happens to be the same summer Bruuuuuce released his own anthem by that name.

This all reminds me of my own summer of 89. I was 13 year old and about to get world famous through a song I'd just penned and recorded with my band, The Thurmanistic Paul Barrs, entitled Freefallin'. But then, bad luck came my way: Tom Petty beat me to it and put out his own, vastly worse, song with that very same name. My own Freefallin' was a stirring account of the time I fell off my bike and straight into the arms of a stunning middle school lady, but it remains on the shelf to this day because I didn't want to deal with persistent questions from the press about the possibly Pettyish origins of my own hit record; I'd seen my good friend, the incomparably talented Vanilla Ice, get unfairly pummeled by that very same media for the bass line he most certainly did not steal from Under Pressure in any way whatsoever, and I did not want to go through all that myself.

(Okay, you got me. Obviously, none of that is true. But I really was in a middle school band with that name. I sang lead.)

Anyway, I'm not accusing Neil of any plagiarism here; his song and the Boss's have nothing in common beyond their title, and Young surely would have left his own Born To Run off Zuma regardless because, well, it's a bit of a mess. Here, take a listen:

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Don't get me wrong, this song still rocks. There's a fun, boneheaded hook, and everything recorded for Zuma is freakin' awesome. But I think we all get why, in addition to the Springsteen issue, the song went unheard until Archives 2.

But just listen to where Neil and the boys take that same song on Smell the Horse. The riff has new texture and less clunk. Plus there are about 16 different tempo shifts and about 48 different instrumental sections, and Neil breaks out some serious wailing in the vocal department during the chorus alongside his trademark snarl in the verses.

youtube

This track is a total and glorious mess. Clearly the plan was to have Neil's coked-up genius of a producer, David Briggs, edit the hell out of this, patching together the best 5-7 minutes of their 12 minutes of wandering through variations of the chorus and primary verse. Briggs would have definitely used the guitar work in the 7th and 8th minutes as the song's centerpiece: listen to Neil discover sounds in the neck of his Les Paul that he, and everyone else on the planet, has never heard before or since, while Billy Talbot thumps away (12345, 12345 goes the bass...) doggedly underneath him; my guess is someone had to punch Billy in the arm and tell him to stop already long after Neil was ready to wrap things up.

I'd argue that Neil made the right call again here: this song doesn't belong on Ragged Glory. Its tempo and mood swings are too symphonic, too complex and bizarre. Rather, Neil should have figured out how to play Born to Run with this much energy and ambition for either of his 80's Crazy Horse records, Re-ac-tor or Life, instead. Both of those records are filled with equally complex, ambitious and boneheaded songs, most of which somehow fail to miss their mark. Had Neil told us that he was born to run during either of those records Ragged Glory might not be viewed today as the renaissance for the band that it truly was.

So start running, or get out on the interstate, or, better yet, mess around with someone you love in your barn on this Shakey Sunday. Just remember to check the dog, or the person your fooling around with, for foul odors.

#Youtube #neil young #and crazy horse #ragged glory #smell the horse #shakey sundays #stephen stills sucks

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thewriterowl · 2 years

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Hi! I love ur stuff and wanted to know ur thoughts on Farmer Din and City boy Luke? Could be fun-mostly for Din in overalls :D

I am honestly more fond of Farm-boy Luke and City DILF Din who moves to the country so his son can have a better life. Buuuut, if you like city-boy Luke, I could work with that

I still see Luke as being a bit more "new city boy". He was raised on a farm for many years with his aunt and uncle and only when they died did he move into the city to be close to his very city-life sister. He's been there for nearly a decade and decides he wants to get back to the life-style he was raised in, or at least visit it.

Maybe he comes back to the town he used to live in and discover that the land was sold to Din. It is a little awkward but he does approach and ask if he could visit because he is a bit homesick (and a part of him had hoped to buy the land back to live on himself, but now sees he won't be able to, which hurts him a little).

Din, who is a distrustful grump to outsiders and not super into city folk, does agree. Luke quickly proves that he was from there by pointing things out (cause I am also full of Luke angst, his aunt and uncle died in a barn fire and he tried to help them but it damaged his right arm, making him need a prosthetic and has scars from it) and then Din realizes, "wait...you're the kid who survived???"

So, Din offers to let him stay since the nearest motel is about an hour away, letting him use a guest room (since Grogu has Luke's old room) and Din comes to check on Luke later but stops at his door when he hears him crying.

Din isn't the best with emotions with strangers, but he has this thing about spoiling and pampering people because he wants them to be happy, so he makes Luke a big country meal (because Luke does look far too small anyway) which makes Luke super happy.

They talk throughout the night, over bitter coffee (Din) and sugary hot chocolate (Luke) by the fire and then, whoops, blizzard! Well it is that time of the year...guess Luke will need to stay cooped up with Din and Grogu for a whole week. What a shame.

Oh there is a draft in the guest room because Din hasn't had company in a while'??? Guess they need to share a bed!! Oh look at them, staring at each other as they share their past and tragedies and getting closer and Din rolls Luke onto his back and they kiss and everything is just amazing and Luke never ever leaves.

#owl inbox #dinluke

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ragnars-tooth · 1 year

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okay here are the ratings of chris dlaceys casting :D!! but only david zanna liz and tam because thats as far as i got and i dont have my book on me to check the rest of the casting 👍

okay so first up! ben barnes as david (thankfully not young johnny depp): i see it but i just dont think he really works for david, a little too chiselled imo

i think that they should just time travel and get young chris dlacey to play david honestly 😎 like ben barnes is very davidcoded in these pictures i’ll admit but somethings kinda just off?? anyway he could play david but there could be better actors for him anyway I DIGRESS. ONTO ZANNA!

alright so for zanna he chose either gemma arterton or gemima rooper! and what can i say i disagree. but also agree. like they both have some of the general zanna feel but theyre just kinda off like

sort of like if you put zanna thru a pressure washer?? anyway they both work pretty well ig but honestly its hard to tell without zannas typical style (goth and stuff) to really hammer in the zanna feel so i remain neutral

NEXT UP- emma thompson as liz! honestly a pretty good choice overall but her features feel a little idk. sharper than i see liz with

also i think shes skinnier than liz would be, she’d be chubby at LEAST in my opinion,, i also feel like she would have a lot of freckles but i mean thats flexible

last up for now is a quick review of tams casting! my opinion has changed since when i first did this im now a colin farrell tam truther

so tam was cast as colin farrell, who im guessing his appearance was based off of a lot because,,, same last name and they look very similar. colins a bit more idk square? than i picture tam but honestly he fits quite well i mean look at this 👇

like he doesnt necessarily look quite how i imagine tam but i think he has enough of the vibes that he could definitely play him and also there are a lot of silly pictures of him that i think its funny to imagine tam in lol

AND THATS ALL because i cant check for the other casting since im in class </3 and also should probably get back to my work fghjgfdghjgfdsfgh

hope you enjoyed my review 😎 please feel free to say your own opinions on the cast >:) (also iirc this casting was from the back of fire world or fire eternal? cant rllly remember tbh)

HELLO! I got stuck in corporate hell for a bit there soz but I made notes and realised I had more opinions about this than I thought lmao

(Disclaimer off the top: I’m quite faceblind so characters are mostly disembodied vibes to me but I Tried to find actors to fit my points)

Ok so:

David – Ben Barnes (I am so glad I was wrong about the Johnny Depp thing you have no idea)

I wrote exactly one thing about this and it is as follows: ‘he looks like he knows too many things’. I’m a Ben Barnes boy at the best of times but fr he looks too put together and like he could name more than five countries. I think I’m a bit too used to him playing badass characters too and sorry but david just isn’t </3

Zanna – Gemma Arterton/Gemima Rooper

Both of these women look like they would host bake off (this does not disqualify someone from playing zanna) It’s so hard to tell when they’re not all gothed up, zanna through a pressure washer fr 😭😭

Gemma Arterton feels closeish for me I think! She needs grunging up though. Zanna is a henry cavil kinda thing where whatever actress plays her needs to get hotter when fucked up (affectionate) yknow? The opposite of ‘she polishes up nice’

In googling her though I did realise why d’lacey thought of her for sure:

Him and his one goth girl reference fr

Liz – Emma Thompson

I think personality-wise she would be soo good as liz but fr there’s probably someone out there who would be a better visual match

Weirdly enough my first proper exposure to Emma Thompson was when she was Mrs Lovett in sweeney todd so initially I was thinking maybe she’s a good Gwillanna?? But now I just think she’d be a funny cameo as like… Agatha Bacon, or Mrs Gee or something?

Tam – Collin Farrell

This is literally hilarious to me. I am losing my mind. Tidy him up a little and whack some glasses on him and I’ll take it.

(I am now legally obligated to draw tam as obscure collin farrell images)

#rangnar rambles #tldc #i have other character suggestions but ill add in a rb 👍

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skyler10fic · 1 year

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To Have and to Hold: Ch. 2 Venue Adventures

Carol and Daisy have three available locations in mind for their wedding. Join them as they find the one that is just right for them!

Read on Ao3

---------------

The first thing to decide on was the location, which would determine the exact weekend around “early June” as their timeframe. Unfortunately, they discovered, four months was cutting it close for most venues. Three spots on their list, however, still had openings, so Carol and Daisy rearranged their schedules to visit them as soon as possible on the last Saturday in February. At least it was a sunny, comparatively warm one for the season.

First up was a barn-style venue at a country club. The manager picked them up from the front office in a golf cart and drove them around the property for what seemed like ages. Despite the warmth of the sun when they were standing still, the biting wind made the ride seem longer.

“We’re so glad y’all could come out here!” the manager shouted over the noise of the motor and wind in a thick Tennesee accent. “It’s been busy busy busy. We are filling up with events left and right.”

They finally arrived at the end of the winding trail to a little walking path. Golfers in sweaters taking advantage of the rare sunny winter day waved as they walked passed, and gorgeous huge trees lined the green.

“This is nice,” Daisy said optimistically. “I like the landscaping and everyone seems friendly.”

“Oh yes,” the manager confirmed. “We all watch out for each other too.” She waved at some golfers who waited until they had passed to tee off. “It’s just around here now.”

She led them around a curve in the path and through some trees to reveal a rustic-chic barn and open lawn area.

“This is where we put the buffet area,” she said gesturing to a concrete slab with poles to support hanging lanterns. “And this is great for a photo booth!”

Carol wandered away a bit, drawn by the sound of a nearby creek.

“Oh no!” the manager shouted. “Honey, come back on this side of the fencing.” She frantically waved to the whitewashed wood, unfortunately missing a few sections, that lined the wedding area as a golf ball whizzed past Carol’s head.

Carol’s heart raced as she quickly and carefully made her way back to the manager and to Daisy’s side.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” Daisy concluded. “What if one of our guests got hit by a ball?”

The manager pasted on a customer service smile. “We do have a teensy waver for them to sign, but we can always add some decorations or signage to help keep them in the reception area. Before you make any decisions, let’s see the inside!”

Carol and Daisy exchanged silent looks behind her back as she led them into the barn. They would be hypocritical to be disappointed, as it was exactly what it said on the tin. Artistically arranged horseshoes, branding iron marks, and taxidermied cattle heads decorated the painted gray walls, with knotted, uneven reclaimed wood flooring and a white wagon wheel table at the entrance “for the guest book!” as the manager explained in delight.

“The website was less…” Carol faltered. “Western?”

The manager tsked and waved dismissively. “Oh we haven’t updated that yet to reflect the redesign, but themed weddings are so popular these days, and did you know we’re the only Western aesthetic venue in the region?! Of course, you can always tone it down if cowgirl isn’t your style. The longhorns are removable, for an extra fee for labor, and we have some nice floral paintings or some ironwork light fixtures with electric candles, whatever your taste. The space is very adaptable.”

The tension hung in the air as they tried to find a way to politely refuse. Daisy walked around the barn to give it full consideration. They only had three choices, so if the others turned out to be worse, she wanted to make sure they could make this one work.

Unfortunately, she was distracted in this thought process by wall decor with “Live, Laugh, Love” underscored by hunting rifles under each word, and she tripped over a knot in the wood, knocking over a three-foot-tall metal silhouette of a cowboy and cowgirl in a romantic embrace.

“Sorry! Sorry.” She tried to right the artwork and noticed she’d chipped the paint on the cowboy’s hat where it hit the ground. She grimaced and whirled back around to rush to Carol’s side. “You know, we’d really better be going.”

Carol took the hint and looked at her watch. “Oh, yes, we have another appointment, and with the ride back, we better go now to not be late. This looks, it’s very… aesthetic, as you said!”

Daisy pressed her lips into a smile and nodded and hummed in agreement. The manager surrendered in disappointment and led them back to the golf cart.

“Oh, watch out!” She stopped them just in time as a golf ball flew overhead. “Clive’s been losing his sight, poor man, but we can’t tell him not to come. His father was one of the founders of the club! So we just have to be extra careful on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”

Carol and Daisy sent each other another silent message with raised eyebrows. A Saturday wedding was their goal, assuming it would allow more guests to make it.

Back at their car after a long walk and golf cart ride, Daisy and Carol closed their doors and exhaled.

“So.” Daisy put the key in the ignition and started the car. “Safety seemed like a concern.”

“Right. And, as hot as cowgirls are, maybe not our ideal wedding aesthetic,” Carol emphasized and they both let out a giggle they’d been holding in.

“Okay, so we’re agreed. Not our scene.” Daisy backed out of the parking spot and drove on to the main road. “Though I will take note of the hot cowgirl comment for other activities.”

She glanced briefly over to Carol, who bit her lip as her imagination filled in the blanks.

“Yes, please. But next up is…” Carol announced as she programmed the address into her phone’s GPS app, “The Church of Love, a remodeled cathedral-style venue that doubles as a popular neighborhood bar, with live music, food, and drinks, drinks, drinks.” She paused, amused. “It says it three times like that. Drinks drinks drinks. There’s more information about the types of alcohol they offer than the space itself or the pricing or what’s included.”

Daisy sighed. “Yeah, I’m hoping they have more details in person. I mean, obviously, they are a bar, so that’s their business, but it would be good to know what ballpark we’re talking here budget-wise.”

Carol shrugged. “Probably standard to not have it on their website. Most places didn’t either. But like, do they work with caterers, do they provide a sound system…”

“It didn’t have many pictures either. Most of them were of the stained glass windows so I didn’t get a good sense of the space.”

They drove up to the steepled building with neon signs out front and beer ad banners flapping in the wind. It was only 2 p.m., so the parking lot was empty, save one car at the far end. They got out and knocked on the huge wooden doors, trying to avoid the judgmental gaze of the gargoyles and other creatures above and around them.

“Hey!” called a man with spiky white hair wearing a Hawaiian shirt in 40-degree weather. “That’s just for show. Entrance is over here.” He pointed to a normal-sized metal door on the side of the church and walked inside, so they followed. The entryway and lobby were dark, but the man flipped on lights and unlocked doors as he went, clearly in charge of the facility.

“Hi, hey,” Daisy greeted as they caught up with him. “We have an appointment to talk about having a wedding here? Are you Jack?”

“Jackie,” the man corrected, “Jack was my dad. And he’d be rolling over in his grave if he knew what I’d done to his church and hosting marriages between…” Jackie looked back at them, stopped himself, and had a wheezing coughing fit. “Sorry, nothing contagious, just believe ‘em when they say smoking’s bad for ya, kids.” He coughed again and Carol and Daisy tried not to visibly recoil.

He opened a final door and swept his arm around. “Here it is!” The first thing they noticed was the pride he took in it. The second as they stepped into the former sanctuary was the giant stained glass rose windows above with rows and rows of narrow panes of stained glass just below, throwing light all around them.

“Whoa,” Daisy smiled. “Okay, that’s cool.”

“Oh!” Carol lowered her gaze to see an equally huge bar counter under one of the windows. Neon lights lined the shelves full of tequila and vodka and beers of every variety and more. “Right here in the space.”

“Convenient, right?” Jackie waggled his eyebrows. “Wait ‘til you see this.” He pressed a remote and a disco ball descended from one of the archways. Then another. And another.

Daisy scrunched her nose in the way she did when she was trying not to be rude. “So, we were thinking the reception and the ceremony would be in different rooms. Is there anything like that?”

Jackie raised his hands in peace, “Okay, okay, I see where you’re coming from. We have these partitions built in for this.” He walked to one of the walls at the narrow midsection of the sanctuary and folded out hinged room dividers, and the other on the other side. “Back when this was a fancy church, they’d’ve had the choir up here, see, and the people in the back in what’s now the reception space.”

“Party in the back, got it,” Daisy confirmed. She followed Carol to the front where the altar still stood.

Jackie’s phone rang and he walked away for a moment.

Standing before the altar, Daisy followed Carol’s gaze up to the massive crucifix, complete with with Christ’s dying body carved in marble. Carol shivered. Daisy soothed her back. “You okay?”

Carol huffed out a half-laugh and turned to face the sanctuary. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s weird, though. I can’t decide if it’s too holy or not enough.”

Daisy noticed below the stained glass but above the party scene, another row of gargoyles and angels stared down at them. “On paper, it sounds so cool. But in reality, it just doesn’t feel right, does it?”

They noted the way Jackie’s voice carried as he ranted to someone on the phone, echoing throughout the sanctuary even though he was far on the other side.

Carol shrugged and gestured loosely to the marble bar counter with over a dozen marble stools and a whole wall of bottles. “It does seem like a cool bar concept. But maybe not for our wedding?”

“Nah.” Daisy waved to Jackie, who waved back. She wasn’t entirely sure if he understood that they were leaving, but it didn’t matter anyway. “On to lucky number three!”

The third venue had said to call first, so Carol talked to the receptionist who told them to come and reassured them that they would love the space, but that the venue’s manager was out dealing with an urgent situation and would meet them there as soon as she was available.

“Sounds like we have some time,” Carol said to Daisy after hanging up. “Wanna get coffee first?”

“God, yes.” Daisy pulled into a Starbucks and they went in for a rest stop and refreshments in their long afternoon.

Carol nibbled her thumbnail as they waited for their drinks. “What if this next one is another bust? What’s after that?”

Daisy blew out her lips. “We go back to the drawing board, I guess. Maybe some of the ones that said they were full have cancellations or a waiting list? Wedding venues must have cancellations all the time, right, with people changing their dates or whatever?”

The barista called Carol’s name and she stepped up to take her drink, thank them, and wait for Daisy’s. Then she had an idea. “We could get creative, maybe somewhere we’re not thinking of? Somewhere not on the usual lists.”

The barista called out a drink for Tracey. Carol made sure they didn’t accidentally mean Daisy, but no, a Tracey stepped up to get an iced coffee.

“Sorry, that’s mine,” Tracey said as Carol moved out of the way.

“Iced coffee in February,” Daisy remarked, “that’s something I would do.”

Tracey gave a little smile in response, then asked, “Hey, were you talking about wedding venues? I didn’t mean to overhear, just my wife and I got married last spring at a great place.”

With that sentence, Tracey had their attention. “We’d love any recommendations at this point,” Daisy confessed. “We’re aiming for June, and most places are booked already.”

Tracey searched in her phone for the information for the venue and showed them her screen. “Here, try this one. Gorgeous landscaping, right on this pond, there’s a wedding chapel and then an outdoor space and a reception hall with a kitchen. It’s owned by the city parks department, but as long as you bring in all your own people—photography, catering, deejay, whatever—and clean up when you’re done, it’s a good place to look into. We loved it.”

“Thank you!” Carol typed the name of the venue and the city parks website came up with a page for the park it was in.

“Good luck, and congratulations!” Tracey called as she left. Daisy's drink came just in time.

Carol saw Daisy was holding in a smile.

“What is it?” Carol asked as they walked out of the coffee shop and back to the car.

“Look at the next address on the list.”

“What?”

“Just do it!” Daisy urged with a laugh, getting out the keys as they reached the car.

“Wait. No.” Carol looked up over the car at her.

“Yup.” Daisy grinned and got in. When they were ready to go, she waited for Carol’s phone to bring up directions to the park. “Sounds like this is the one. Let’s go.”

“How did I not realize that I was calling the parks department earlier?” Carol asked herself. “She just answered with her name, I guess, and I assumed it was a business.”

Daisy stopped at a light and took a drink of her coffee. “I just showed you photos of this one, not the site, because honestly the web page sucked. City websites always suck, and I didn’t want you to hate it because of that or think it was run down or cheap or something just because it was a parks department venue.”

“Fair,” Carol replied, scrolling through the scant information on the park web page. It was poorly adapted for the mobile browser, so she had to scroll horizontally as well as vertically.

They arrived at the park just as a car with the parks department logo pulled in.

A woman in a maroon peacoat with a clipboard got out and rushed over to them at a speed her pumps would allow. “So sorry! I was running late because there was a raccoon at the playground…”

“Oh, that’s okay.” Daisy cringed that they had stopped for coffee after saying they were coming right over. “No rush. We just arrived.”

“Ah! Perfect timing then. I’m Anne.” She shook both of their hands and led the way up a wooden ramp to the wedding chapel. “Let’s see here.”

She pulled out a truly impressive ring of keys of every shape and variety and unlocked the door. An entryway with restrooms and a bulletin board of parks department activities opened up into a lobby area with a table, a few chairs, and carpet to prevent echoing. There was a simple wood stand for a guest book and a few windows for natural lighting.

“It was renovated a few years ago, so while it looks new, it has a long history,” Anne explained.

She opened the chapel doors to reveal a modern but simple chapel. One round stained glass window above the altar showed a rose surrounded by a rainbow of colors. Large plain glass panes in the front gave them a stunning view of the pond, surrounded by willows, oaks, and evergreens.

Anne apologized again, “It’s not the best view now but by June, I promise everything will be in bloom.” She pointed out which plants grew on which sides of the pond and the center where a fountain would be sparkling come spring but was off for the winter.

They turned to the inside. A wood podium stood at the front with various cables and plugs for the sound system. There was nothing particularly religious about the room, nor any other clear “aesthetic” or “theme.” Daisy did notice built-in hooks for floral arrangements or other decorations, and Carol pointed out the seating was movable pews, if they needed more or fewer.

“Yes,” Anne confirmed. “This is our standard spacing, but we have two more rows if needed or we can space them out a bit more to make the room look less empty for fewer guests. Or add a chair or two from the lobby.”

For every question and concern, Anne seemed to have an answer. She then walked them over to the outdoor and indoor reception area options, showed them the typical places buffet tables and gift tables and cake tables could go in each, the spots for speakers whether they decided to hire musicians or a deejay or a simple sound system, and a basic but functional kitchen.

Daisy’s heart raced. This was it. She looked to Carol, who took her hand and squeezed.

“Well,” Anne turned to them, checking off the last item on her clipboard. “That’s all I have, any more questions for me?”

“Just to confirm,” Daisy asked, trying not to get her hopes up too high yet, “you said this is available in June?”

Anne checked her clipboard as they waited with bated breath. “Mmhm. I have down that you want Saturday, June 4, is that correct? We put a temporary hold on that date for you, but I’m afraid if you don’t put down a deposit today, we’ll have to open it up again and we can’t guarantee it will stay open.”

Misinterpreting Carol and Daisy’s excited shared look as apprehension, she stepped back, “I’ll give you two a moment to talk it over. I’ll be out here.” She stepped outside and walked around the side of the building to remove some litter from a dormant flowerbed.

Carol’s smile bloomed as she saw Daisy’s. “Yes,” they both said at once. Daisy squealed. “I can’t believe it. We’re getting married. Here.”

“C’mon. Let’s test it out.” Carol led her back to the chapel. They hurried to the front and looked out at the pond, beginning to change color as the sun neared the horizon, just out of view. They stood facing each other, holding each other’s hands just as they would in the ceremony.

“I do,” Daisy teased.

“I do too,” Carol replied and winked. They kissed just as Anne found them. She waited politely until they noticed her.

“We’ll take it,” Carol confirmed.

“Please,” Daisy added.

She was tempted to add more pleases, but it was unnecessary as Anne replied, “Perfect! Let’s get the boring part over with, shall we?” She raised her clipboard to indicate she meant the paperwork.

She led them out into the lobby where there was a table to sit at, turned on a light as it was starting to get dark, pulled out the forms, and clarified the amount for the deposit.

As Daisy ran to the car for her checkbook, Anne confessed to Carol, “I’m glad it is a good fit for you two. Some people think it’s too plain or too small, but I’ve always loved this place.”

“It’s perfect for us,” Carol said, reading over the paperwork and signing where indicated.

“My parents were married here,” Anne said quietly, then put back on her cheerier parks department tone. “Of course, it’s been through two renovations since then. Wi-Fi, new appliances in the kitchen, and ADA accessible now.”

Carol finished her part of the paperwork as Daisy arrived back inside and sat down with them. She wrote the check and filled out her part of the paperwork as Carol asked Anne more about the park’s history, which Anne was all too happy to provide.

When they were done, they stood out front as Anne locked up, remarking on how it had gotten cold while they were inside. Carol and Daisy got out their gloves from their coat pockets, wrapped their scarves tighter, and took in the surrounding park.

“Call me if you have any questions,” Anne called out to them and waved goodbye. They waved and then turned back to the pond to watch the last of the sunset fade into twilight and the stars begin to appear. Daisy slipped her arm around Carol’s waist, and Carol laid her head against Daisy’s.

“June can’t come fast enough,” Carol sighed happily.

“I know what you mean, but, uh, we have a lot to do before then, missy.” Daisy pulled her away and back to the car as they started shivering in the February air. “Invitations, guest list, cake, food, drinks, a wedding website, registry, music, decorations, what we’re going to wear, what color we want so we know what to ask the wedding party to wear, honeymoon destination…”

“Okay, okay,” Carol laughed as Daisy started up the car. “I just meant, I’m excited to marry you right in there.” She pointed to the chapel.

“In our adorable wedding chapel! Aw, look at it.” They exhaled happily together, which made them laugh at their own cheesiness, and then Daisy drove them home where they could at least check off the biggest item on their list.

Who would come and what they would see and do and eat while at their wedding, well, that could wait for another day.

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