#unfortunately. which is why he didn’t come earlier (not with blair and their mother i mean earlier in general)

[hsslilly-blog]

when does blair’s real father move to the states so they can go back to normal

[sylvie-writes]

Bad: The Unfortunate Ending

Inspired by this song ➳ Bad by Lennon Stella

(Ransom Drysdale x wife reader)

A/n: this is my first attempt at angst so here we go... 

Disclaimer: not part of my fall writing, this is just a lil something bc I needed to write, it makes me happier after days as today. 

Warnings: Cheating, mild profanity, shitty angst & writing. Ransom being an asshole (rip all the soft Ransom stories I’ve written)

Series Masterlist

Never in a thousand years would you have seen yourself sitting in Boston’s most expensive and high end restaurant, a steak simmering at 500 degrees laying out in front of you, and the Ransom Drysdale sweetly smiling at you.

“Wait, before you start eating, I have something to ask you, love.” 

Was he gonna break up with you?

Ransom reached over his plate to reach your hand gently bringing it to his lips while maintaining eye contact with your shocked expression, soon calming.

Oh whew.

The man then set down your hand, and folded up the napkin in his lap before rounding the table, getting down on one knee. Your eyes were already welling up with tears, making it impossible to see all the people staring at you and Ransom.

“(y/n) (l/n)...

… … ...

Will you marry me?” 

After his adoring speech, the four little words came out and the man on his knee was staring up at you like you were a goddess. Overwhelmed, you happily spewed out the words of acknowledgement while Ransom slipped the lavish diamond onto your ring finger, kissing the now ringed finger before scooping you up from your chair, the two of you in a deep kiss amidst the cheers.

A few months later the two of you got married, and everything was a dream. You had a lovely house, and a husband who was practically your closest friend. The two of you spent all your time together, told every joke, talked all the time. Believe or not but Mr. Fancy Pants had preferred that you got married sooner rather than having an extravagant wedding ceremony. 

So that's what you did. One lovely Monday morning, you and Ransom drove to the courthouse, in the beamer, as if it were just any other day. 

You thought then and there, that this was it. Life was finally playing in your favor...

 All the little gifts you gave

I call it over compensating

Feeling just like a princess

Every answer was always yes

You had me living in a dream

 “Oh Ransom!” You played with the little puppy down at your feet, a red ribbon adoring it’s small, yet fluffy neck.The little thing jumped into your arms, causing you to lift off the floor, walking closer to Ransom. 

“Why did you get me a puppy, Hugh?” 

He just cheekily smiled and shrugged, walking by to kiss your cheek. “No reason!” 

You just laughed it off before going outside to play fetch with the energetic fur baby. 

Ransom always treated you for no reason, at times you really hated him for it, but not once would he ever let up.

About four months into your marriage, Harlan had invited you and Ransom to some writer’s charity gala, a black and white party, meaning Ransom was gonna rent a tux and you’d find an overly priced yet attractive dress. 

So, one Saturday afternoon, you and Ransom went to the mall, getting fitted for your clothes. You weren’t about the name brands like Ransom was, but today, Ransom now had full advantage to shower you in expensive clothing having already picked his tux yesterday. His sneaky little plan to go dress shopping with you.

“What about this one?” Your husband held up a black slip dress designed by Prada. Curiously you walked up to him, checking the tag to see its $1,000 price. In all honesty, from the looks of the dress, you had assumed Ransom picked up a simple dress. Sure, it was pretty but you weren’t about to pay that much just for the name. For what it is worth, you could sew and tailor the damn thing yourself. 

“That’s ridiculous, Ransom. I’m not about to pay that much.” 

You went to go walk off before you felt Ransom’s hot breath in your ear.

“Who said you were paying?”

Turning around, you playfully pushed him in the chest to which he laughed and peppered kisses all over your face.

“Ransom! Stop, you’re making a scene!”

He pulled away for a minute, your giggles ceasing.

“Let me treat you and I will stop.”

Quickly, the man resumed his attack, your pleas soon becoming words of compliance.

“Fine!”

His signature smirk danced across his lips, while his free arm snaked around your waist ushering you to the tailor’s stand. 

 What's forever long to you

Did you say that to her too

Making sure that I'd never know

Callin her while the shower goes

 It was a little after midnight and Ransom wasn’t home yet, today he had been out with some friends, not inviting you. Your only company for the day was your precious little puppy, who was curled up against your stomach. The endless worry had kept you up all night as you mindlessly stroked the puppy’s back, trying to calm your own nerves.

Eventually, an hour later, the hallway light shone under the door, Ransom coming in. He was met with your worried look and came to rush over to your side.

“You scared me to death, Ransom. Two hours ago, you were supposed to be back!” 

“I know. I know. I’m so sorry baby. Now, get some sleep, I love you. Forever, my love.”

Ransom gently pulled the blanket over you, kissing you goodnight, then heading off to shower.

Turning on the shower, Ransom pulled the phone out of his pocket, scrolling to the bottom of his contacts and dialing, Blair❤️. 

“Hey baby, today was amazing Ranny!”

A deep chuckle left Ransom’s throat, the woman on the phone giggling.

“I know, angel. You are the best, love ya forever, Sweetheart.” 

Blair continued to gush over the phone, recalling the earlier events of the day at her house where Ransom had spent the whole day. (leaving that sentence to the eye of the beholder.)

Shower, and you, long forgotten, Ransom spent the rest of the night talking to the woman, leaving the bedroom to go downstairs, assuming you were already asleep.

Ironically, that night, you dreamt of all the times you and Ransom would stay up just talking and laughing...

Then crawl back in bed, it's a shame

I probably should've known better

I probably should've known better

 It was 4 am, and Blair had fallen asleep on the phone, leaving Ransom to bid her goodbye and get some shut eye himself. 

It was like sleeping next to a stranger, the warmth of the bed now gone. Coldness, replacing the loving embrace.

About two months ago, your work gave its employees a week off for the holidays. It was once in a blue moon that you got to see your family, so you seized this opportunity. You wished your husband could have come, but Ransom had to stay behind to help Harlan with an upcoming novel. In truth, Ransom never saw himself reverting back to his bad ways, but who knows what entices people to change.

One night, Ransom went out for a drink, a young lady, about twenty-seven years old, came up to the sulking man. He was drowning his sorrows in a couple of beers, wishing he were there with you. Oh how he missed you!

“Hey stranger.”

The sultry voice hit too close to home for Ransom, a voice he knew all too well.

And let’s just say a few drinks later, he came to remember his old fling as Blair.

 I wish that you would've treated me bad

The truth is you couldn't have loved me better

Now I'm left feeling twice as sad

I wish you would've treated me bad bad bad

It felt like you were living a hallmark movie, and never would you have thought any different.

Your feet were propped on the Ransom’s lap as the two of you laid down Uno cards on the coffee table. 

“Ransom?”

“Yes, darling?”

You set the Uno cards in your lap, adjusting on the couch so that you’d be straddling Ransom. The man brightly smiling at you, enveloping you with his muscular arms. In complete bliss, you leaned forward and kissed him, a slow and intimate kiss. Time completely stopped as you were just in your own little world. 

He treated you so well, you’d never be prepared for the heartbreak that’d ensue. 

 I wasn't catching on to you

Blinded by your lips so smooth

Excusing all of your gotta goes

Leaving me to be all alone

 “Do you really have to go, Ransom?” 

Your arms were wrapped around the man’s neck, pleading for him to stay. A small frown made a way onto his lips before he leaned in to kiss you deeply, pulling away from your lips while you were still trying to catch up. 

“I gotta go.”

With that, he rushed out. A business meeting was it? Or was it Harlan? You couldn’t remember. For the past two months, you’ve been accepting all of his excuses, soon all of them blending, yet in the end you were always left standing in the house, alone with your dog.

It's okay, you told yourself. Sure he forgot your birthday last month. It’s fine.

As long as he didn't forget your wedding anniversary next month, everything would be fine…

Right?

 Then you took my heart just the same

I probably should've known better

I probably should've known better

 No it wasn’t fine. He forgot your anniversary. He forgot you. In the mornings, he’d no longer stay with you, instead finding an excuse to rush out, no kisses, not even hugs, Rarely did the two of you talk and soon, it became your new normal.

You should’ve known better.

 Every word you said you was sweet but you was lying

Everything you covered making up just to keep to me from crying

Another late night, Ransom had gone to help his mother at some dinner party for her business, or so he said. He left early this morning, claiming he was gonna help set up and that he’d be home by 8. Yet, here you are, watching the 11 o’clock news, waiting for your husband’s arrival since he had left you with radio silence all day.

Suddenly, the door flew open, a sloppily dressed Ransom, stumbling in, clearly piss-ass drunk.

“Oh you're awake!”

You walked over to help him sit on the couch, just as you were about to turn off the lamp beside the couch, you noticed a tint of red lipstick on Ransom’s lips. You hadn’t worn any lipstick today, right?

Tenderly, you traced your thumb over his lips, as his eyes gazed into yours.

“Ransom, what’s on your lips?”

In a poor attempt, Ransom went to grab your hand, missing and instead grabbing your shoulder, leaning in to kiss you, instead getting your ear. 

“It’s nothing, (y/n).” 

His head was laying on your shoulder, as he was about to fall asleep, his energy suddenly gone.

“Really? It seems like something, you have a woman’s lipstick on your lips for god sake!”

Ransom then perked up and hugged you tightly, whispering reassuring words to you. Drunkenly, his words mashed together, causing you to barely understand his “comforting” speech. 

“I love you so much, sweetheart, I’d never do that to you.”

Sweetheart, a name once reserved for you, now unknowingly shared with another woman.

Believing his lies, because why not? He had never given you a reason not to trust him, not yet anyway.

 I wish that you would've treated me bad

The truth is you couldn't have loved me better

Now I'm left feeling twice as sad

I wish you would've treated me bad bad bad

 That very next week, Ransom had to leave once again, this time a boys’ trip to the club. You thought nothing of it, now used to his absence, keeping to yourself with the dog and some friends.

Later that afternoon, you were enjoying a sandwich and lemonade out on the front porch when a Maseratti pulled into the driveway, a familiar man stepping out.

“(y/n)! Is Ransom home?”

The man pulled you into an embrace, leaving you confused at his presence.

“Why are you here Oliver? Ransom said he was out with you and James.”

Oliver just shrugged his shoulders, he too jumping to the same conclusion. At this point you were just seeing red, storming into the house, Oliver following. You practically were stomping holes into the hallway for your footsteps were as heavy as your heart. Maybe all along you had been suspicious deep inside, maybe you just never wanted to believe it.

Then finding Ransom’s phone in his nightstand, you came back into the doorway to meet Oliver. If your suspicions were true, you’d like to at least embarrass the dumbass in front of his friend. They all knew he was a playboy at heart, but after you, every one had assumed he’d matured somewhat. 

Clearly, they were all wrong.

Your husband was the biggest idiot in the world, making his password your anniversary date, for he was so forgetful. You found this hilarious, because he forgot your first wedding anniversary, god you were so naive. 

Was this wrong? Sleuthing through his phone?

Sure. But it could never equal up to what you were about to find. 

Opening text messages, 50 unread, all from you, your messages definitely ignored as a woman named Blair was at the top of his messages. 

You gagged at the heart by her name, one that used to be by yours. Scrolling through the texts, you found yourself growing angrier by the minute, finally, you just lost it. With great vehemence, you slammed the phone against the floor, making it shatter everywhere, Oliver and your dog, slightly jumping.

It was then that it hit you.

You crashed to the floor, crying hysterically, as the world came crashing down with you. Oliver, crouching down on the floor, trying to calm your sobs.

Tonight you were gonna confront that backstabbing, no good, cheating son of a bitch.

 Tell me the truth

Was it worth it was I worth it for you

'Cause we were perfect we working til you

Forgot to tell me you been seeing someone else for six years

It was 9 pm and you hadn’t expected Ransom’s arrival for another hour or two, so you spent the time packing your bags and drinking some coffee, preparing yourself to tear the man a new one. 

This time, there wasn’t a slammed door signaling Ransom’s presence, rather soft footsteps and his low voice, like the old days.

Ha, the one time he gets home early. Ehh you were ready anyway

“Hey babe! Oooh can I have some?”

Before you could answer, Ransom took your mug and a few swigs of coffee, handing it back to you, placing a kiss on your head. In utter surprise, you looked up at the man who just smiled down at you.

“You look I haven’t kissed you in weeks, my love.”

And with that he pecked your lips quickly, walking to the counter, you still trying to process what had just happened. 

It was true. He hadn’t kissed you in weeks.

No, you weren’t gonna let him win this time.

“It’s because you haven’t.”

Confusion swirled around on Ransom’s face, allowing you to continue.

“You haven’t kissed me in weeks. But you have kissed Blair, I'm sure.” 

The coffee mug in his hand dropped onto his foot, shattering, leaving you smirking at the small victory.

Heartbreak can make one go insane. Afterall, you are losing the one person you loved most, losing yourself along with them. 

“For months I have put up with your bullshit…” 

A good ten minutes passed of you yelling at Ransom, the man unexpectedly letting you finish.

“You’re a cheating, son of a bitch.”

Angrily, you ripped off the wedding ring, now noticing Ransom wasn’t even wearing his, for god knows how long too. Once upon a time, he’d proudly wear it all the time.

“(y/n) wait--”

Ransom grabbed your arm before you slapped him, the man slightly stunned.

“No. I’m tired of your excuses, I’m tired of letting you win. You and Brittany, should have an amazing life together, that is if you can even commit to her like you told me.”

A whisper of defeat left his mouth.

“It’s Blair…”

“The hell with it! You broke my heart Ransom! I knew it was too fucking good to be true. DAMN IT, I LOVED YOU.”

Hysterically laughing, you looked like a mad woman, lowering your voice just a bit.

“You know what makes this hurt 2x worse? I thought you had actually loved me too, because it seemed like it.”

You broke into tears, your heart in a thousand pieces, rushing away to grab your bags, Ransom not even trying to fight, knowing you're too strong this time. He let the best thing that ever happened to him slip away. 

Ages ago you could remember the lovely times with the man you once would die for, yet...

Your love was just an illusion. 

 I wish that you would've treated me bad

The truth is you couldn't have loved me better

Now I'm left feeling twice as sad

I wish you would've treated me bad bad bad

I wish that you would've treated me bad

Truth is you couldn't have loved me better

Now I'm left feeling twice as sad

I wish you would've treated me bad bad bad

a/n: maybe i should stay away from angst bc this sucked.

Updated a/n: this is gonna be a series! If you’d like to be on the taglist lemme know!!

[mischiefmanaged1993]

Perfect - Prologue

Hey! So, I’ve been inspired lately and decided to write a Harry Potter fanfiction. I’ll be posting it on tumblr and Archieve of our Own. I’ve proofed read it like 5 times, I hope there’s no mistakes, if there is I’m terribly sorry! This is the first time posting a story on tumblr. I hope you enjoy reading it! 

October 25, 1981

Gone. In a blink of an eye, they were all gone. Taken from this world, taken from her, from them.

Jenna Blair was sitting on the pavement, her back facing the now empty house that use to hold so much life. So much warmth. Tears racing down her cheeks, an involuntary whimper escaped her lips. A baby girl sleeping soundlessly, cradled safely in her arms. While a young boy, held onto the only family he had left. His face buried in her sweater, crying silently. The world around her was moving in slow motion. The distant sounds of a few Auror’s entering the house to investigate did not comfort her, but only serve as a reminder of what took place only a half-hour ago. The images of what she witnessed tonight. Her sister, her brother, her brother-in-law. Dead. Gone; taken from her, from their children. A choked sob escaped her mouth.

Rustling from her right caught the attention of the eldest child, he held onto his aunt tightly. Terrified that whoever attacked his parents were coming back. Instead, a man with shoulder length dark hair and worried grey eyes showed up. Kneeling in front of the small group. Her vision was blurry from the tears, but she recognized the voice immediately. It was the man she loved; Sirius Black “Jenna...”

“They’re gone!” She cried, breaking down “Elizabeth… Alaric… Christian… they’re gone!”

Sirius looked at her, his eyes soft and sadden. It pained him to see the woman he loved in so much despair. He wanted nothing more than to hug her tight; tell her that everything will be alright, but he knew better. He saw the Dark mark above the house behind them. Knew of the meaning. She didn’t have to tell him. The Death Eaters had attack and killed. That was the reason he was here, knowing that she’d be visiting her sister. Oddly, they failed to finish off the children, which he suspected was because Jenna had arrived just in time.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered, closing his eyes tightly when she cried harder.

“What am I going to do? The children... I can’t… I can’t watch over them! I’m 21! They need… They need their parents…” Jenna sobbed unceasingly, holding the sleeping toddler closer. Scared that she’d lose her as well if she’d let go. “I’m terrified… I can’t raise two young children. I can’t financially. I’m not even sure I can be a good mother-figure.” Breathing heavily, gulping for breath. This was too much.

Taking her face with both his large hands, starring into her beautiful green eyes “Jennifer Blair, listen to me, you can do this. They need their aunt more than anything right now. I know you can do this, I believe in you. You’re a Gryffindor, you’re the bravest woman I know.” Using his thumb to wipe away her tears “I’ll help you any way I can.” Noticing the young boy trembling, curled up next to his aunt, an attempt to get some warmth no doubt.

“My dear, we should get all three of you home.” He tried softly. “It’s freezing, and the children are shivering.” Coaxing her to stand up from the cold floor. She felt the pain weighing her down, having trouble to speak from the grief, the guilt of not having been there sooner, maybe she could have prevented this. The fear and unknown of having to raise two young children so suddenly. The toddler moved a little, having been woken up from the commotion around her. The first thing Sirius saw when she looked up at him, were those bright chestnut brown eyes. The same ones as her father’s, Christian O’Connor. Jenna trembled, taking a huge breath of frosty air, she had to be strong, Sirius was right, they needed her more than anything “Damon… Come.” She whimpered.

“Let me bring her.” Sirius soft voice touched her ears. Nodding, she let him hold her niece. Taking another deep breath, Jenna straighten herself and took hold of her nephew’s little hand. Taking her wand out, both adults nodding and apparated to her house.

 4 years later…

“Aunt Jenna! I got my Hogwarts letter!”

This was the reason why on a warm summer day, Jenna had taken her nephew and niece to Diagon Alley for the first time. Earlier this morning, her nephew had gotten his Hogwarts letter. Unable to stop herself from chuckling, seeing their amazed expressions when they walked down the alley was adorable. So much to see, so many different shops with all their unique products. Once the initial shock had worn off, Damon looked over his school list, but glanced in every window as they passed, and Naomi just looked around, trying to take in everything. The first stop they had to make was at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Coming out an hour later with the required money and a very pale looking Damon “I don’t like carts. I hate carts.” He mumbled, trying very hard to not vomit on the stone path. Naomi, on the other hand, wanted to go for a second ride.

“Aunt Jenna, I need school uniforms, I can get those here?” Damon asked, looking up with a frown. Still looking quite pale.

His aunt chuckled and nodded “Yes, at Madam Malkin’s Robes.”

They arrived at the shop and were in luck, she had just finished with another Hogwarts student. While Damon stood on the stand, Madam Malkin’s was fixing up his uniform robe. Jenna smiled fondly at her nephew, he had grown so much. It’s been four years since the lost of their parents, it hadn’t been easy on any of them, including herself. She wished Elizabeth could be here right now to see her son, to see him off to Hogwarts. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her nephew ask, “Aunt Jenna, where is Naomi?”

.  . .  .  . .  .  . .  .

Curious chestnut brown eyes glanced around, staying at the robes shop had become too boring for little Naomi. A wizard passing by the shop with an owl in a cage had caught her attention, wanting to see it closer she had left without anyone noticing her. At first it was fun exploring this new place, it felt like she was on some big adventure. Unfortunately, as time passed, she couldn’t find her way back to her aunt and brothers. Panic started to rise within the small seven years old. There were too many wizards and witches, no one she recognized. Tears streamed down her cheeks, sitting down in front of some store, scared and alone.

“Why are you crying?” Naomi looked up at the sound of a young boy’s voice. Standing in front of her, two identical twins with fiery flaming hair, brown eyes and freckles. Additionally, they seemed to be the same age as her. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes, telling them that she was lost and wanted her mum. One of the twins bent down to her level and smiled “Don’t cry, we’ll help you find your mum, I’m Fred, that’s my brother George, and you are?”

“I think she knows we’re brothers Fred! We’re twins!” George replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Naomi giggled and both twins smiled ���My name is Naomi.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Naomi!” Both twins said in unison. The twin named George extended his hand for her to take. Helping the young little girl off the ground, they were almost the same height, the twins slightly taller than she “We’ll bring you to our mum. She can help you find your mum.”

They didn’t have to go looking very far, a short, plump woman with the same flaming fiery red hair, was rushing towards them. Two boys following her closely, one looked to be about four years old while the other looked older than the twins, possibly eight years old? The woman had a look of anger, yet relieved when she saw the twins “Fred! George! There you are! I’ve been looking- What have you two done this time?!” The twin’s mum exclaimed upon seeing the little girl. Molly Weasley starred down at her two sons, then at the girl, her eyes softening.

“We didn’t do anything!” Both twins defended themselves.

Their mother looked at them suspiciously before kneeling to the little girl’s height. Giving her a motherly, gentle smile. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” Even her voice was much kinder than when she spoke to her boys. More tears fell from Naomi’s eyes.

“I’m lost, I want my mummy.”

Molly gave her a tender smile, extending her free hand, which the little girl took without hesitation. “Then let’s go find your mummy. What’s your name, sweetie?”

“N-Naomi.”

“Naomi, what a lovely name. Percy, you keep an eye on the twins. Don’t leave them out of your sight.” She turned to her eldest son, to which he nodded reluctantly. Eyeing both his younger brothers suspiciously while they grinned back at him. All six of them walked down the alley, looking for Naomi’s family. To help with the search, Molly had asked what her mother looked like, and was confused when the little girl told her she didn’t remember. So, they looked around the crowded alley, hoping to spot them.

“Naomi!”

Jenna, with a relieved cry, rushed towards the group with Damon at her sides. Taking Naomi into her arms, hugging her tightly “Thank Merlin you’re safe! Naomi, don’t you ever scare me like that ever again young lady.” Staring with all the seriousness she could muster into the little girl’s eyes. Once she got a nod from her niece, she smiled at the little one.

“Jennifer Blair?” Jenna looked at the older woman and gasped softly. Molly was staring at the younger witch, so many questions, worries, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice them all. They hadn’t seen each other since the funeral of Christian and Elizabeth. She had sent owl after owl, wondering how she was doing. The few that she got back, weren’t very detailed.  

Molly had been her sister’s closest friend since Hogwarts. The guilt over took her, she could have written back more often. Could have even visited her. She knew how much Molly adored Elizabeth’s children, which only made her feel worse. Mrs. Weasley looked down at the two young children and tears gathered in her eyes. Why hadn’t she noticed how much the little girl looked like her mother? The little boy, so much like his father, but with his mother’s kind eyes “I should have known. She looks so much like her mother. They’ve grown so much since last time I saw them.”

“Mrs. Weasley, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean… I should have… I’m sorry.” Jenna apologized. She didn’t need to say more; the older woman gave her an understanding smile. She knew the struggle the young witch was going through, having lost her brothers in the war as well. It was challenging times and Molly would never dare hold it against her.

“Don’t sweetie, I understand.” Placing a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder in a comforting way “Need to continue shopping for Bill’s and Charlie’s school books. Please come over for tea some time, and I won’t be taking no for an answer.” Adding quickly when the young woman was about to say she didn’t want to be a burden. After agreeing, Molly smiled at the little family before walking away with her sons. The twins waving goodbye to Naomi, which she returned.

 4 years later…

“You behave yourself, got it? I want you to send an owl once you’ve been sorted telling me which house you’re in, tell me how your first week went, I want to know everything.” Jenna fussed over her niece. Straightening her jacket, her nephew standing next to her, rolling his eyes at their aunt in amusement. It was like this every year. “You have everything? Not missing anything?”

“Aunt Jenna, I’m sure I’ve got everything, I will send you an owl after my first week, and I promise to not get into trouble.” Naomi said, beaming. Today was her first day at Hogwarts, she was finally going to the school her brother had kept talking about for years. The school her parents attended. Jenna smiled, trying very hard not to cry.

“Alright, watch over your sister. Damon, I’m warning you, no owls and please, please stop getting into detention.” She begged her nephew.

“Not my fault! Its that greasy hair git that keeps giving me detention for no reason!”

“The train is about to leave, come on, give me a hug.” After hugging each one, they embarked onto the Hogwarts Express. Opening the windows and waving at their aunt as the train began to move away from King’s Cross Station. Once the train station was out of eyesight, Damon went to find his friends, Naomi following, looking inside compartments to see if there were any empty ones. She didn’t get far until something cold and slimy fell on her head. The sound of a bucket hitting the floor right behind her rang in her ears.

Her brother turned when hearing the commotion, seeing his sister wipe slime from her face. Damon’s mouth was slightly opened in stun silence. Two identical heads popped out of a compartment, their brown eyes opened wide when they noticed that the victim of their prank wasn’t the one they were hoping.

“We’re terribly sorry, you have to believe us, that prank wasn’t meant for you.” George walked up, trying to explain.

“That prank was for our older brother, Percy.” Fred explained, slightly disappointed it didn’t work. Both twins backed away when she glared at them.

“You did this?!” The sounds of other students snickering and laughing only fueled her anger. She felt humiliated and they haven’t even arrived at Hogwarts. Wonderful way to start her first year.

“It wasn’t meant for you!”

Damon cleared his throat, walked passed the twins, giving them a glance before smiling a little at his sister “Its okay, Nao, let me fix this.” Waving his wand, muttering a spell, and the goo was all gone. Yet it didn’t take away the embarrassment she felt. Her eyes had never left Fred and George, muttering a thanks to her brother, Naomi turned and stormed opposite from the twins, promising herself to get them back.

 2 months later…

After arriving at Hogwarts, during the sorting ceremony Naomi and the Weasley twins were sorted into Gryffindor. The next morning at breakfast, Fred and George, unknowingly, had their cereal bewitched. When they both went to put their spoons in the bowl, milk and cereal blew up in their face. Naomi was grinning, trying hard to hide her giggles, both twins quickly figured out that she was behind it. From then on, an all-out prank war began between the three. Which was the reason why they were in detention tonight. During potions, the three of them thought it would be funny to prank the other. Sadly, neither pranks went as planned. The prank that was meant for Naomi had, unfortunately, hit Professor Snape. While advancing intimidatingly towards the twins, who he figured were at the base of this prank, he got hit with another prank, which was meant for Fred and George.

Naomi apologized repeatedly, taking the entire blame. Fred and George starred at her in complete amazement, she was ready to get punish for both pranks. The brother’s looked at each other, deciding that they weren’t going to let her take all the blame.

“Professor, it was us!” George said.

“Naomi had nothing to do with those.” Fred added, motioning to the pranks. Naomi looked at both twins, her eyes wide when they in turn took responsibility. Denying her involvement of any kind.

“Detention. All three of you.” Snape said through gritted teeth, glaring at the trio “And 30 points from Gryffindor!”

Which was the reason why all three were now polishing the trophy room, without using magic, very much passed curfew. Filch, who was monitoring the detention, had rushed out when the school’s poltergeist, Peeves, had caused some ruckus down the hall. It was silent between the trio for some time until one of the twins, Fred, spoke “You know, that was a pretty good prank.”

“It was brilliant.” George grinned.

Naomi giggled, “Thank you. May I add, yours was hilarious. Professor Snape’s face was priceless.”

All three looked at each other before breaking into a fit of laughter. Fred and George mimicking the faces that Snape had made in Potions, causing Naomi to howl with laughter. The rest of their detention was spent talking about the days event and cleaning. After that night, the twins and Naomi became very good friends.

[sassywritergurl]

OLTL Fantasy Script #9

(Flash over to Llanfair..Viki is distraught and overwhelmed with a mix of rage, hurt and disappointment while looking at the newscast of Todd's arrest on the television. Dani, Jack and Natalie are with her.)

 Viki: “I can not BELIEVE that Todd has been arrested for murdering our brother!” (She rises to pace the floor, and her relatives all look on, waiting for their cue to help her if she needs them to.)

 Jack: “I CAN! I told all of you that Scarface killed our father!”

 Viki: “Jack, will you please go upstairs and check on your little brother, please?”

 Jack: “Why? Aunt Viki, I want to see....”

 Natalie and Dani: “JACK!”

 Natalie: “Go check on Sam, now!”

 (Natalie scowls to prove she's serious. Jack rolls his eyes and storms off defiantly. Dani groans and shakes her head.)

 Dani: “Grrrr! He's IMPOSSIBLE!”

 Natalie: “He's just being a bratty teen. Are you okay, honey? This has to be hard on you, too.”

 Dani: “I'm mostly worried about my mom right now, but...I don't believe that Todd did it. I don't know him very well, but something is very weird about this.”

 Natalie: “Yeah, it is strange, but John wouldn't have arrested him if he didn't believe that there was enough evidence to do so.”

 Dani: “Cousin Natalie, I know that Lieutenant McBain is a fair officer, but evidence or not, I don't believe Todd would kill my dad..I mean, my uncle after waiting so long to come back to his family.”

 Natalie: “Well, so far he's just been arrested. They still have to question him and all that. Hey, why don't you call YOUR mom, while I go check on mine.”

 Dani: “Good idea. Oh, and I have to call Starr, too. I don't want her to hear about this on the news. I think I left my purse in the kitchen.”

 (She races to the kitchen. Natalie pulls out her own cell phone and dials John's number. His voicemail picks up.)

 Natalie: “John, it's me. Give me a call when you can and let me know what's going on with Todd's arrest? I love you. ”

 (The door opens as she hangs up. Enter Clint and Jessica.)

 Clint:”Hi, sweetheart.” (He kisses her forehead). “Where's your mother? I just heard the news.”

 Natalie: “She's in there.” (Clint joins Viki.)

 Jessica: (kisses her sister) “Yeah, I just heard, too. Do you believe he did it?”

 Natalie: “I don't want to speculate, but he WAS arrested, and this is Uncle Todd we're talking about.”

 Jessica: “Yeah, I know, but this is too crazy, even for Todd, Natalie.”

 Natalie: “Well, there must be some real evidence stacked against him, because John wouldn't act unless there was.”

 Jessica: “I'm sure he did, but none of this makes any sense. Evidence has been known to be wrong.”

 Natalie: “Well, I hope so, but the odds are not favorable, Jess. I mean, Todd has a history of crimes the size of Texas. He was acting funny since his return from the dead, and how do you explain Tomas Delgado?”

 Jessica: “Natalie, you sound like you've already tried and convicted him. No one knows what kind of evidence has been collected yet, and Mom is already freaking out, so let's just deal with the news at hand first.”

 Natalie: “Well, I tried calling John to get some details, but his voicemail picked up.”

 Jessica: “I'm sure he is busy trying to get the details himself.”

 (Flash back Viki and Clint. Viki is crying, not knowing what to make of what's going on. Clint is consoling her.)

 Viki: “Oh, Clint! How could this be HAPPENING? I just find out that I now have two brothers, my former best friend wasn't dead after all, and then I lose one brother, only to now discover that my other brother is being arrested for the crime? How could Todd have lied to me and all of us who love him for so long? More importantly, why would he risk losing the family that he was forced to give up for eight years when he JUST got them back?”

 Clint: “Shh, shh...Viki, honey. Hold on for a minute. It's no secret that I am not a fan of your siblings, honey. But this is too crazy, even for Todd, and even for Todd in an impulsive moment. All we know is that the police felt they have enough evidence to make an arrest.”

 Viki: “What kind of evidence could they have, Clint?”

 Clint: “That's the million-dolllar question, sweetheart, but that's why I want you to try and calm down until we get to the bottom of this. Just know that I will be with you every step of the way, Victoria.”

 Viki: “Thank you, Clint. I'm gonna hold you to that.”

 (Fade over to Agent Baker. He is furious that he's lost Victor, but realizes that Victor must still be on the road just before Llanview based on the time that has lapsed since his escape from Allison's hideout. He calls out to his driver.)

 Baker: “Step on it! And stay on this path. The ketamine is still with him, so he wouldn't be able to move too quickly. If he's hiding, we'll be able to detect any strange movements out here. You won't get far, Victor. You won't get far at all.”

 (He laughs diabolically, as the camera zooms in on him.)

 (Flash back to the precinct. Todd is calmer, but he's still not making any progress in shedding his delirium. Téa keeps her distance, and she is really beginning to doubt the validity of the evidence against Todd for Victor's murder.

John has decided to allow Blair some time alone with Todd, but instructs his officers to stand guard at the outer exit. He gestures for Téa to give Blair some privacy, and as Téa turns to leave, she is surprised to see that her brother is gone. John realizes it, too, and they both rush outside.)

 Téa: “John, did you notice when Tomás left?”

 John: “No, but I saw that he got a phone call earlier, and he seemed edgy. A few minutes later, he got another call, but then I was distracted by Manning. He must have slipped out during the confusion.”

 Téa: “I realize that. I guess the question is,why did he need a distraction to slip away and take a phone call?”

 (Back inside the cell, Blair has taken a seat on the cell floor next to Todd. Todd is sweaty, but his breathing has regulated. He is now aware of his surroundings.)

 Blair: “Todd? Are you okay?”

 Todd: (chuckles sarcastically) “Depends on who you're asking. I certainly can't answer that question.”

 Blair: “Well maybe I should ask you what just happened here.”

 (Todd pauses. He doesn't know where to start.)

 Todd: “There are many complicated things going on all at once. I don't know how to make sense of it.”

 Blair: “Okay....let's start with something simple. What were you screaming about just now? Do you remember anything?”

 Todd: “I remember everything, but it was a whole bunch of pieces. They were like movie clips from different movies that were thrown together.”

 Blair: “Okay, then tell me what you remember from those clips.”

 Todd: “My mother holding me captive in her mad scientist lab, chanting commands in my ear. I couldn't make out everything, but...”

(Téa clears her throat to get their attention.)

 Téa: “Um..Blair? I recommended to McBain that Todd be moved to St. Ann's for evaluation.”

 Blair: “To St. Ann's? What wou...”

 Téa: “...Because it would better for Todd to talk there.”

 (She makes direct eye contact with Blair to get her hint across. Blair catches on.)

 Blair: “You know what, Todd? Téa's right. You may be able to think more clearly without the stress of prison personnel.”

 (Todd seems sincerely relieved. Téa turns to let McBain know that Todd is ready for transport).

 (Flash to Tomas. He has met with Baker in the playground. Baker is furious because he hasn't gotten to Victor.)

 Tomas: “What the hell am I doing here, Baker?”

 Baker: “You don't get to ask any questions here, Mr. Delgado. You belong to us. You just do as you're told.”

 Tomas: “I don't belong to anybody, Baker. What do you want?”

 Baker: “Victor Lord, Jr. has escaped from Ms. Perkins. Unfortunately, I underestimated how far he would get based on the amount of time had elapsed since his escape. My guess is that he's operating on emotion and is heading straight to your sister, Delgado. I need you to get rid of him.”

 Tomas: “Are you out of your mind? You want me to kill my sister's husband, after all that she's gone through...no, all that she's GOING through, thinking he's dead?”

 Baker: (laughs loudly and sarcastically) “OH, WOW! You almost sounded sincere! Or are you telling me that you feel bad for your sister's pain when you helped stage her husband's death in the first place? That's rich, Mr. Delgado!”

Tomas: “I recall that I really didn't have much of a choice in the matter.”

 Baker: (laughing harder) “Oh, are we practicing our alibi already? You can spin your involvement any which way you'd like, Delgado. You may not have pulled that trigger, but you were certainly willing to join the game of 'Keep Away' with your sister's husband. What will your sister think when she finds out that you wanted her to be away from her husband so badly that you helped us keep him locked away after he was shot and presumed dead?”

 Tomas: “I certainly enough to atone for with what I've done, but you made sure that I CAN'T leave now, haven't you?”

 Baker: “Oh come on, Delgado. All you have to do is follow orders, and everything will be fine. I am not a monster.”

 Tomas: “I'm sure the rest of the world wouldn't agree.”

 Baker: “After what you've done, I think we're cut from the same cloth.”

 Tomas: “NEVER! I wouldn't threaten the life of a child. That is something Irene Manning would do. You're certainly her finest creation.”

 Baker: “Oh, I guess robbing a child of its father and a sister of her husband is not right up Irene's alley, hm? That's exactly why she recruited you eight years ago. We're cut from the same cloth, Mr. Delgado. And now, you're simply being instructed to do a job that highlights your best talents, and finish what you helped to start. Get rid of Victor Lord, Jr., or else.”

 Tomas: “Or else what, Baker? Hm? You'll expose my secrets?”

 Baker: “Tisk, tisk, Tomas. I don't indulge in such childish games. No, I have a much more reliable ace in the hole to ensure your cooperation. Or did you forget?”

 Tomas: “No, I didn't forget.”

 Baker: “Then let's put the games aside and stay focused. Things have gotten quite critical, Mr. Delgado, and we can't afford any more loose ends. Just in case you need a little encouragement to help keep you focused, then by all means , feel free to take a peek in the bushes behind you.”

(Tomas stares at Baker for a good while, then slowly heads in the direction of the cluster of bushes. He walks cautiously, keeping sight of Baker with frequent glances back. After a few more steps forward, he trips over a pile of leaves. A good amount of leaves blow away in the wind, and he sees the dead body of Allison Perkins covered in blood.)

[weekendwarriorblog]

56th New York Film Festival Preview Part 1

This year’s 56th New York Film Festival will be my 15th time covering the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual festival if I’m doing my math correctly, and it’s certainly gone through a lot of changes in that time with the departure of Richard Peña as its director a few years back and lots of personnel changes behind the scenes. The selections tend to be geared towards the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s older clientele, rich Upper West Siders who want to make themselves feel more special at dinner parties by saying they’ve seen the latest movie from this foreign director or another that most Americans a.) Do not know and b.) Do not give a flying fuck about. Sorry to be so blunt about it, but this is my blog and as long as I’m not getting paid to write it, I will do and say whatever the fuck I want. Got it?

Anyway, the festival offers enough variety and diversity and movies that haven’t played at previous film festivals like Toronto (TIFF), which I missed for the first time in over 13 years sadly.

The 56th New York Film Festival kicks off on Friday, Sept. 28, with The Favourite, the latest film from Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, whose early film Dogtoothwas nominated for an Oscar in the foreign language category, followed by The Lobster, which received an Oscar nomination for screenplay. I didn’t like the former and didn’t much care for the latter either. Lanthimos’ last movie, 2017’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer I walked out of it at TIFF because I was hating the fact that everyone was talking like a robot. I haven’t seen The Favourite yet – see my note above about missing TIFF – but this one is getting even more raves. It’s a period comedy starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, three actors who I absolutely love, and I’m happy to see Colman, who will take over as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 3, getting lots of attention for her performance, which is either lead (going by the credits) or supporting (depending on who you’re talking to).  I’ll be seeing this early Friday morning and hope to have some thoughts in the second part next week.

I’m even more excited about seeing Roma, the latest film from Alfonso Cuarón, which was selected as this year’s Centerpiece and has also been getting raves out of Venice, Telluride and Toronto. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere near a premiere of any kind for the NYFF. What’s exciting about Roma is that it’s Cuarón’s return to his native Mexico (at least on camera) for the first time since 2001’s Y Tu Mama Tambien, which for many was their introduction to Cuaron. It’s also his follow-up to 2013’s Gravity, for which he won an Oscar, and it’s likely to be another visual spectacle that few others could master.

This year’s Closing Night film is the North American premiere of New York artist Julian Schnabel’s new film At Eternity’s Gate, which reunites him with Willem Dafoe as well as with making films about artists, this time being about Vincent Van Gogh. I loved The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which was nominated for four Oscars but not Best Picture, sadly, and many people I know still love his first film Basquiat, so maybe this will be Schnabel’s return to greatness after the disappointing Miral. The movie skipped TIFF and Telluride, so it will indeed be the first time many will be able to see it.

I’m also looking forward to the Coen Brothers’ Netflix series-turned-movieThe Ballad of Buster Skruggs, which will play during the festival’s second and third week; that’s also a North American premiere. Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight follow-up If Beale Street Could Talk is also playing later in the festival, and I hope to get to that review sometime later in Part 2. I’ve also heard good things about Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey into Night and Claire Denis’ High Life, the former I’m not sure I’ll have a chance to catch before its theatrical release by Kino Lorber. Other returning filmmakers represented are Jafar Panahi with 3 Faces, Oscar winner Pawel Pawlikowski with Cold War, Korea’s prolific Hong Sangsoo’s Grass and Hotel by the River, Louis Garrel with A Faithful Man and more. (I can’t even THINK about making the time to see Mariano Llina’s 13 ¾ hour – yes, you read that right -- Argentine film La Flor, which will be shown in three parts or eight parts depending on your patience and free time, neither which

I tend to focus on the Main Slate films and documentaries, but the festival has grown rich with revivals and even a VR Arcade as part of its Convergence slate. If I only had time….

So let’s get to a couple mini-reviews of films I’ve seen so far…

Her Smell

Director: Alex Ross Perry

I’ve long had a strange love-hate relationship with the indie filmmaker who continually makes inroads into the mainstream (like writing Disney’s Christopher Robin, for instance). He’s a regular at my local theater, the Metrograph, and I’ve interviewed him a few times, and I just find him to be a fascinating filmmaker and interesting guy in general. What got me excited about this one is that Elisabeth Moss (who starred in his earlier films Listen Up Phillip and Queen of Earth) plays punk rocker Becky Something making a comeback with her girl group Something She, which is set for disaster due to her self-destructive behavior. Perry really takes a different approach to this than his last film Golden Exits, making a movie a bit like Birdman where the camera flows smoothly from one room to another in the various locations. The film begins in a club where Something She are playing their comeback gig, then follows them into the studio a little later and then to a club where Becky is trying to play with a bunch of younger female musicians. It’s not gonna be for everyone, and to be honest, I’ve worked with musicians/rock stars as nutty as Becky gets at her worst, so it was hard to watch sometimes. Moss is amazing but the rest of the cast around her is also amazing including Dan Stevens as her ex-husband, plus Eric Stolz as her manager, Virginia Madsen as her mother and all the unrecognizable women as various musicians in Becky’s circle, including Amber Heard, Cara Delevigne but particularly Gayle Rankin from Glow as Becky’s put-upon drummer Ali.

The Other Side of the Wind

Director: Orson Welles (kind of)

There’s been a lot of ballyhoo about this film which Welles was working on up until his death in 1985, and the fact that Netflix will be releasing it after it was finished by others is kind of a big deal, I guess. Honestly, I’m really not sure why stuff like this is done with filmmakers’ work even thirty years after their death. The plot involves a filmmaker played by the late John Huston who is throwing a party to show a rough cut of his latest film and all of the drama that surrounds the movie and the filmmaker’s entourage. My biggest problem with the “movie” was that it’s clearly edited together from stuff filmed at different dates, possibly even different years, and it uses the pretense of being a “found footage” movie cut together from various video cameras around the filmmaker documenting this party and the movie’s release. It certainly sounds like something Welles might do, putting him well ahead of The Blair Witch Project when it comes to “found footage.” Because of that, I had the same problems with The Other Side of the Wind, which could have used some color correction to make the editing between characters in the party scene not quite as jarring. The actual film within a film (also called “The Other Side of the Wind”) was much more interesting as an artsy and trippy film with two very attractive and frequently naked actors. (The NYFF is also screening Morgan Neville’s related doc They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, which documents the 15-year history Welles spent trying to make and finish this movie. Both will play as a Special Event at the NYFF before Streaming on Netflix on Nov. 2)

American Dharma

Director: Errol Morris

Having just seen Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 the day before, I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to sit through Morris’ new movie about Steve Bannon. I mean, I don’t have the hatred some of my colleagues do for Bannon, since I literally have no opinion of Breitbart and what goes on there. I certainly would never go to a right-wing site for any reason, let alone one that promotes the alt-right’s racism. As I expected, the movie is a lot of Bannon bragging about himself, but Morris comes into this story in an interesting way, since Bannon has respect for the filmmaker due to his Oscar-winning film The Fog of War. Maybe it’s that respect that gets Bannon to open up about what was involved with getting Trump elected as well as his involvement with Breitbart’s exposing of Anthony Weiner (sorry for the pun) and other endeavors. What I like about the film is that Morris is a true artist, accompanying Bannon’s boasting with clips from classic films (many which Bannon references) but also some beautiful visuals including the set which was based on the airplane hangar in Twelve O’Clock High, one of Bannon’s favorite films. This is playing as part of the festivals’ “Spotlight on Documentary” which includes fourteen films, but not all of them will have press screenings, sadly. I hope to catch at least Carmine Street Guitars, Ruth Beckerman’sThe Waldheim Waltz (Austria’s Oscar selection!) and Charles Ferguson’s Watergate in this section.

Non-Fiction

Director: Olivier Assayas

I’ve long been a fan of the French filmmaker since seeing Irma Vep many, many moons ago. While not all of his efforts have been masterpieces, he has enough great films under his belt that I’ll always give his movies a chance. This one worried me because it looked like another movie about French people talking about movies, books, relationships ala Summer Hours and just about every other French film made in the last couple decades. Surprisingly, the movie about an author (Vincent Macaigne) who tends to base his fiction on real life and his off-and-on publisher (Guillaume Canet) ended up being far funnier than I was expecting. It’s Assayas’ third film with Juliet Binoche, although her role is more of an ensemble one and more of the focus is on the two men. She plays the wife of the publisher who has an affair with the author, and if that seems like standard French fare, then not the way Assayas handled it. The entire cast is good but Macaigne is particularly funny, since he’s the perfect caricature of a schlubby and unapologetic writer. I guess in some ways, this is Assayas’ first official comedy even though he’s often played with satire and dark humor in his past films, and ultimately, this ended up being quite enjoyable for one of his talkier films.

Ash is Purest White

Director: Jia Zhangke

China’s Zhangke is another filmmaker whose work I’ve heard praised so much over the years, but I haven’t been able to get into either of the previous films of his I’ve seen (Still Lifeand Mountains May Depart). Not sure why I haven’t been able to get into his work, especially with the osmosis that comes with living in Chinatown for 26 years, but Ash is Purest Whitedeals with things I’ve liked in other Asian films. It starts out a bit like a Johnny To film with its look at the jianghu gangs of a small mainland mining town run by the beloved Brother Bin (Lao Fin) and his girlfriend Qiao (Zhao Tao). Things are going well until something happens that gets Qiao thrown into jail trying to protect Bin. When she’s released, things have changed, and she has to find her own way, but then Bin eventually needs Qiao’s help and she puts their differences in the past. Even though there’s definite genre aspects to the film including a section that reminded me a bit of Park Chanwook’s Lady Vengeance, this is still very much a character piece in the vein of Zhangke’s other work, but I think this one works better than some of his other efforts, mainly since the director has two fantastic actors in the leading roles, particularly Zhao Tao, who goes through such a transformation from one section of the film to the next and then into the final act, as the film covers a good ten to twelve years in their lives. Ash is Purest Whitewill be released by the Cohen Media Group, although I’m not quite sure when.

Burning

Director: Lee Chang-dong

It’s hard to call the latest film from the Korean director of Poetry and Secret Sunshine a “genre” film even though it has genre elements, because it’s more of a strange character drama involving three people. Mind you, I wasn’t a fan of Secret Sunshine even though many of my critical colleagues had raved about it, but Burning is a much stronger film even if it’s tougher to explain what it’s about (mainly due to possible spoilers). A young man named Jong-su Lee (Ah-In Yoo) runs into Hae-mi (Jong-seo Jeon), a girl from his old farmland hometown in the middle of Seoul and she convinces him to feed her mysterious cat while she’s travelling to Africa. Jong-su thinks that he might have a new girlfriend until Hae-mi returns with a rich and charming guy named Ben (Steven Yeun from The Walking Dead). Jong-su continues to hang with the duo even though he feels like a third wheel, although both men are clearly enamored with the strange girl. And that’s pretty much all that I can say about the movie. It’s a fairly long 2 ½ hour film where Jong-su gets more and more suspicious of Ben’s intentions, and there’s an odd exchange when Ben tells him that he likes burning down greenhouses. I think the film might be somewhat frustrating to those always looking for clear answers to all the questions the film raises, but it’s still a strong film from Director Lee that’s going to be South Korea’s selection for the Oscars. I’ll be curious to see if it’s too weird for the Oscar foreign language nominating committee. Well Go USA will be releasing Burning.

That’s it for Week 1 of press screenings, and I hope to get to some of the other movies. Here’s the official trailer for this year’s festival: