#63 acting credits

[cheriladycl01]

I cant do this anymore - George Russell x Wolff! Reader Part 4

Plot: You are the daughter of Toto Wolff team principle of Mercedes-AMG Petronas, you've worked your whole life to become an engineer. However, your dad has other ideas for you and doesn't want you to become a race engineer. You start to confide more in the Red Bull Racing Team Principle to help you get an engineering job, and see him as your present father figure.

Credit to russellius for the GIF

"Who was that?" Max asks having seen the Mercedes ahead of him, no longer racing.

"I can confirm that is George Russell" you say calmly looking at the on-board seeing that the number 63 had stopped movement on the map.

"What happened?" Max asks.

"Focus on the race Max, Norris is closing that gap" you sigh, checking the tires and the breaks which looked like Max was wearing them out a little more than anticipated.

"If Norris pits, we will pit, if he stays out we stay out. Protect the tires and bring it home" you advise there wasn't many laps left and you were starting to sweat from the sun that had moved so it was now on your back in the box.

"Okay, copy" he says, he took the corners softer while keeping that gap with Norris.

"Okay, it looks like Norris isn't going to pit, Christian is debating to come in for tires" you explain to him, you look over at Christian who is analysisng the data.

"What do you think?" he asks you.

"I advised we stay out if Norris stays out, Norris is on fresher tires by 3 laps, but we are the faster car. The tires will hold until the end" you suggest and he nods.

"Okay, no pit. 12 laps to go, Norris is 2 seconds behind. Push Mode Push" you say, nodding at Horner as you both watch the on-board of Max, he's having an amazing drive today.

12 laps later and Max crosses the checkered flag. You and Christian cheer and hug each other.

"That's P1 Max, P1 in Brazil" you say into the radio, a grin on your face. You hear his cheer and thanks before your running with the rest of the team to go congratulate Max. You get crushed by the Pit Crew as the gather around you and Max squeezing all of you.

The podium was amazing and you were filming the whole thing while talking to Geri next to you. You couldn't be prouder of this moment. You see the cameras on you, making you wave and smile excitedly before frowning and pointing for them to look at Max and his podium rather than film you.

"Well done Max" you smile as he hops down off the stage and towards you both.

"George has been watching you this whole time, just so you know" Max offers leaning in and whispering to you so that no-one else could here. You look over his shoulder, seeing he was in fact right and that George was glaring at the back of his head, watching the interaction between the both of you.

"I'm not ready to talk to him yet, I know i said I'd talk to him here, but its too soon. Is that childish of me?" you ask, not sure if this was right.

"No, after how he acted, he deserves more than the cold shoulder. I have an interview and you have a piece with Netflix I believe. I'll tell him that after Abu Dhabi you'll review your situation, how is that?" Max asks looking at you, you nod pulling him back into a hug before nodding and looking away.

"Thank you Max, really!" You smile turning back round to catch his gaze before finding the Netflix crew and where you'd sit to start your piece.

You walk in, and they make sure you hair and makeup is looking good before they explain to you what they want you to do.

"So you want me to walk in, sit down and smile at you guys before saying something funny?" you ask unsure of how this would even work.

"Yeah, we want this to be as natural as possible. It's going to cut from Max's old engineer walking off... which we filmed last week to you walking in" the director smiles.

You walk into the line of the camera, before turning round and taking your seat, smiling at the camera.

"Get a load of that guy am I right?" you laugh, and everyone in the room joins in laughing.

"Hi, I'm Y/N Wolff and I am Max Verstappen's race engineer for Red Bull Racing" you smile into the camera again.

"So you came into the season quite late... but you haven't disappointed" the interviewer says.

"I guess you could say that"

"And, it's an interesting last name you have there. One that's already known in the F1 media very well..." they push.

"The team principle of Mercedes Amg Petronas is my dad, yes" you say.

"And now you are working for a rival... which came out of the blue may i say"

"Yes"

"And do you have any regrets"

"One"

"And what is that?"

"That I didn't go to Horner sooner" you say with a blank face and they all clap.

You go onto to be questioned about the whole ordeal with George and your dad, you knew the fans would eat all of this up.

They offer you to stay around while Will Buxton comes in to do his first bit about the new Mercedes V Red Bull drama that Netflix were of course eating up.

It was sad really, because you'd genuinely been hurt by George's and your fathers actions and there were people monopolizing off it.

"Y/N has always been a character in the Mercedes garage from when she was really young at age 11 up until she was a teen studying in the garage... and there's something really quite endearing about her when you talk to her" he starts and you smile, Will used to baby sit you around the paddock in his free time when Toto was busy during the races.

"I've known Y/N for 10 years now, as long as her dad's been in the sport and she a bright girl"

"There was no surprise when she came and told me she'd enrolled into university to do engineering. I would also remember Toto shaking his head, asking what she would even use it for"

"I think when she got that degree, she would have asked him for a job and he's declined, which is where Red Bull and Christian Horner come into things"

"Thanks Will, just pause there for a second! Okay so when we edit this, we need Christian Horner straight after nodding and saying Hello" the script writer says and his assistant nods writing it down on the paper she was holding.

You eventually left, seeing what goes into the creativity behind the episodes before getting bored and wanting to go back to the hotel.

Max agreed he'd fly you on his Jett wherever you wanted, and in all honestly you didn't know where to go. It wasn't like you wanted to go home to your dad. And you were fresh out of university so you didn't exactly have your own place.

Lewis, you knew would take you in a heart beat but he was going to LA for the week before the Las Vegas GP and you wanted to go to the UK, your home.

You pick up your phone scrolling through your contacts before finding the one you wanted to call. It rings a few times before a bubbly and energetic voice answers.

"Hello Darling, are you all okay?" Geri says to you, you could practically here her smile through the phone.

"Hi, Geri..." you say a little timidly.

"What's wrong, do you need me and Christian to come get you?" she asks.

"No, no. I just I dont really have anywhere to go until Vegas and I w-" you start but don't need to say anymore before Geri interrupts.

"Oh honey, our home is always open to you. Your a great help around the house too, especially with the kids. Call that garden view rooms yours from now on okay! In fact when we get back I'll have a key made for you, Christian can we do that?" she explains before her voice gets more distant as if she's pulled the phone away from herself.

"Do what?" you hear Christians voice ask muffled from the distance.

"Get Y/N a spare key, when we are back obviously" Geri asks.

"She doesn't have one already. I thought I gave her the spare..." Christian offer's and then mumbles about how he must have forget.

"Anyway darling that room is yours okay. Don't worry" Geri says making tears come into your eyes.

"Thank you Geri, really. I" you say and immediately the older woman can tell that your getting upset.

"Oh no sweetheart, don't get upset. It's okay" she tells you.

"I'm just really thankful"

"I know, hunny. But i've got to go Max is needing an escape route from an interview. But I'm sending him straight to you and he's gonna drive us to the hotel to get our stuff" Geri says and you hang up after thanking her a few more times.

You hung up, sighing happily before looking around you. You lock eyes with someone across the paddock.

George, of course it was George. You braced yourself for him to come up to you, trying to apologize and grovel.

But to your surprise he stayed where he was with Alex and Lando who was talking to the pair of them rather animatedly. He gave you a nod and a small smile, stopping walking making Alex and Lando also stop and continue that conversation stationary.

That told you everything. From the nod to the smile, he finally accepted that you'd come to him when you were ready.

Now you could concentrate on Vegas and Abu Dhabi and getting those points to finalize Max's year.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog

[janaispunk]

inspired by @the-blind-assassin-12 i joined her march fic madness 2024 challenge, with the goal to read and reblog 63 fics in 31 days.

i’ve read waaaayyyy more than that, but i’ll keep going until march is over and add every new fic to this list later :) i’m also thinking about starting a weekly rec list of fics that i’ve read, i’ll obviously still reblog them individually but i think it would be nice to have them in one place, since things can easily get lost on the dash.

in an attempt to keep this somewhat organized, i’ll sort this list by character. i love every fic on here, but i do read some dark shit, so please pay attention to the tags/warnings and decide for yourself if something might not be for you <3

part 1 because this is how i found out that you can’t tag more than 50 people lol • find part 2 here!

joel miller

when i move you move & company assets by @ghotifishreads

dancing with a ghost & texas reznikoff by @huntingingoodwill

daddy next door by @cavillscurls

seasons don’t, no quiet on this earth, no loyalty in the apocalypse, save your tears & better run by @corazondebeskar-reads

homemade by @gutsby

a day beyond this night by @quinnnfabrgay-writes

between two lungs & knuckles deep by @ozarkthedog

woman by @dancingtotuyo

him. he. joel. by @undercoverpena

late bloomer by @gasolinerainbowpuddles

smother by @beardedjoel

declined by @alltheirdamn

nylon lust by @decembermidnight

for you, for me by @swiftispunk

creature comforts & kiss it better by @galactic-basic

amateur by @ezrasbirdie

into the woods by @sugarcoated-lame

new perspective by @thetriumphantpanda

garnish by @penvisions

hanging on the telephone by @macfrog

some nights by @pedroacrossthestreet

helen by @kiwisbell

the duke’s illicit affair by @hellishjoel

javier peña

scathed by @dancingtotuyo

the hounds of hell by @aurorawritestoescape & @milla-frenchy

tres besos by @mrsmando

bend over by @endlessthxxghts

dave york

extra credit by @mothandpidgeon

din djarin

live to rise, nobody is coming to save you by @corazondebeskar-reads

dieter bravo

personal shopping by @huntingingoodwill

uninhibited by @ozarkthedog

frankie morales

do me yourself, midnight strikes, where is my prince? & a debt to pay by @undercoverpena

home by @dancingtotuyo

object of my affection & sweet treat by @mrsmando

life is but a… by @wordywarriorwrites

acts of service by @swiftispunk

marcus pike

headshots by @secretelephanttattoo

jack daniels

sundress season by @kewwrites

marcus moreno

if it wasn’t for the nights by @simpingcowboy

the secret by @frannyzooey

tim rockford

moss by @5oh5

lucien flores

hungry eyes by @missredherring

two-pack habit & a motel tan by @trulybetty

like a moth to a flame by @ozarkthedog

precious by @jksprincess10

the party by @aurorawritestoescape

moaning, panting by @iamasaddie

boba fett (i don’t know how that happened, blame ang lol)

toys don’t talk by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin

if you read any of these, please remember to show the writers some love! <3

[precious-little-scoundrel]

Hop to it Tink

Pairing: Thumper & Tink

Summary: As the mid 60’s consume Elvis with his ever more arduous film schedule and immersive hobby pursuits, Elaine crafts a friend out of a rival. For either spouse it’s not the ideal of way to cope with a lost child and estrangement, but the confusion that can occur from dumping any old thing into a wound to close it up is enough to bewilder the most grounded person. Much less a young girl like Elaine Presley who finds herself scrambling for a hint of girlhood as her five children and husband rely on her to keep it all afloat. Just as she’s going under, a pretty painted hand lifts her up.

Dedicated: to Ashley and Christi who both begged for this to be written and added so many details themselves that enriched it. Credit is also due to @prompted-wordsmith for the wicked suggestion of Benetint being used herein.

Warnings: sensuality, 18+, no outright smut but many mentioned offscreen acts, suggestiveness, this can be read as two girl friends or a little more, I tried to keep it nebulous as I imagine it would feel for Elaine herself in her exploration. a rather alarming emphasis on feet, pampering and painting toes and Elvis being overly into that, phone teasing, Larry being a little too psycho analytical over why Elvis and Elaine are having trouble after Jo, mentions of a stillborn, mentions of marital dissatisfaction, hinted male infidelity, hinted Polaroids and homemade spicy films, Elvis turning shit into being erotic that isn’t? That’s men for ya. And then just fun fluffy stuff with the kids but that’s no warning. I didn’t edit this really, I’m too tired, my apologies for any errors.

Requested: yes ✔️

Circa: 63-67

“Hey Tink?” Ann’s voice, always enviously soft even while sounding mischievous, asks abruptly in the middle of an hour long chat.

“Oh what now?” Elaine giggles into the gold phone Elvis has stashed on his nightstand, feeling silly to be sat on her bed in the middle of the afternoon, frittering it away with chatting and giggling to a friend.

That’s rather proof that Elaine needs it. Too much ‘strictly business’ in her life these days and Elaine knows if Elvis were here he’d be poking her forehead and making her fall back and put her feet up. She taps them on the floor instead, tap tap tapping her heeled boudoir slippers on the bed frame in a giddy tick as she waits for her friend to spring whatever wickedness is behind that tone of voice.

Her friend.

Elaine had hoped Ann would like her, be willing to be a buddy to THE Mrs. Presley but what they’ve got now is something she didn’t even think girls could have. It makes her view Elvis and his buddies more tolerantly, the stupid and goofy comradery she was starved for without even knowing it has slowly had its way with her in the form of Thumper and bike riding with Thumper and chatting with Thumper and kissing Thumper while Elvis writhed beneath them…so maybe it’s not like his mafia boys at all, but somehow it’s deeper despite the unorthodox beginnings and carnal undertones that seep in and out of it at whim.

“Whatcha got going on tomorrow night?” Ann asks at last, sounding altogether too nonchalant.

Elaine's heart pounds and she purses her lips, sensing a game here. She’s so like Elvis, this friend of hers, maybe that’s why Elaine gets butterflies in her belly at the chance to see and enjoy Ann, or when the telephone rings and it’s her sweet self sounding like she’s actually had to pace herself from calling Graceland when she knows full well Elvis isn’t home. She calls for Elaine, and something about that makes Elaine bite her nails and kick her feet.

“Oh not much, Jack and Jesse are trying the scuba gear in the pool right now,” Elaine sighs, “and if they don’t die tonight I suppose I’ll be here tomorrow making sure they’re still breathing and fixing sandwiches and seeing to it that Ella’s got her puppy ready for the show.” she waits a beat and adds, “You know full well he isn’t gonna be home.”

“Who?” Ann asks with overacted ditziness.

“Him.” Elaine rolls her eyes, “At least another five days away, stupid Arizonan weather has decided to rain and there has to be reshoots.”

She can hear Thumper humm on the other line with something that’s more contemplative than compassionate for Elaine’s empty bed. “How’re your toes?” she asks.

Elaine peers over the fluffy slipper tops and the profusion of lime green feathers adorning the slippers, “Decent, but they’ll need to be redone before he gets back.”

“Red?”

“French tip.”

“Hmm, Pink next, I think?” Thumper says.

“Yeah alright.” Elaine bites her lip and makes herself stop or else they’ll start peeling and need more Vaseline.

“I have to be in LA day after tomorrow. And I have a flight tomorrow morning. It stops in Memphis.”

“How nice.” Elaine murmurs, pulling on her lip now, slightly better than biting, she supposes, and it hides her grin from the gal a thousand miles away in New York.

“Yes, I thought so.” Ann agrees.

“And it’s such a long flight, New York to LA.” Elaine coos, “You’d get cramp if you didn’t break it up, can’t have you holed up like that, unable to walk out the shakes.”

“No, you wouldn’t want it for me, would you?” Ann babifies her tone and Elaine does fall back into the covers grinning stupidly up at Elvis’ ugly harem lamp above her.

“No, no I wouldn’t dream of it.” Elaine swears, “You just come by Graceland, stay the night, stretch your legs a bit, fill your belly, let me curl your hair.”

“And we can talk about boys.” Thumper agrees, like that’s her return currency for good southern hospitality…and it sorta is.

These nights when she stays, they’re something sweet and young and silly like Elaine hasn’t had in years. Never once herself in full since she married, losing all friends who knew her before Elvis, collecting folks who knew Elvis long before her, and a snazzy supply of darling children whose most stimulating conversations are about tricycles and losing a new tooth -Elaine is a little starved.

And Elvis -well, as Tink, she's his best friend, without doubt, and he is hers. But she’s also his wife, his woman and his home and his ballast and his doll and his lover and his mama and his ideal. So many roles. What she can’t talk to Elvis about is only relegated to one topic.

Elvis himself.

And such a man, a force more than a man at times, oh it needs an outlet and somehow the Mafia wives and even Betsy Blue Eyes Harrison with her discreet goodness and friendship can’t speak of what Elaine wants to speak about. A body can only go so long without bragging a little about what they’ve got, and when what you’ve got is a national heartthrob and the most famous man on earth -secrets about earth shaking ardor that rivals cataclysmic tempers, well, sometimes Elaine wants to speak of it. Or, rather, about the parts that make her love it, look forward to another day full of it. The little things that she can’t trust anyone else to know or love or see kindly.

Except for Thumper. Thumper -who has already admitted to loving him the same way, seeing him the same, living for him similarly. It’s the oddest consolation, and stranger still that his wandering eye gave it to her, but Elaine will take it.

“Yes, we could talk about boys.” Elaine agrees with Thumper, both knowing that when they say boys, they mean boys such as Naughty, Widdle Fella, Elvis Presley and The Memphis Flash.

Tomorrow comes and her sons are alive and hardly stripped out of their swimsuits to sleep before getting back in them and plunging to the depths of the swimming pool with metal tanks on their back and masks on their faces. She can’t bear to watch, looks like a perfect way to die at home, and so she stays inside and helps Ella groom her puppy for the pageant and Rosalee has an embroidered collar that needs help with fastening the buckle -she did the stitching herself- and although she hasn’t seen Daisy in hours, that wasn’t unusual.

In the afternoon she sends a car to the airport, Marty grins at her wildly and she gives him the old eyebrow before taking herself to her bedroom as the hour nears and going through a rather worn routine that still pleases her like when it was new.

The sound of the big door suctioning through the house can be heard upstairs, as can the chorus of children screaming “Aunt Tamale!” and Elaine knows it’s time to make an appearance.

Ann braces to a squat with her bag dropped beside her as a tidal wave of Presley children launch themselves at her over the foyer floor, tackling and clinging and squeezing vehemently with grinning, beautiful faces. Three are wiry, chlorinated and shirtless. It takes a moment for Ann to realize one is Daisy and that no, they’ve not made a third son since she saw them last. Jack’s golden hair has gotten darker and that’s heartbreaking but at least his dimples are deeper than ever and Jesse is just as sweet and courteously loving as always with Ella tagged behind with a wet doggie that Ann takes in her arms and let’s lick her face and Rosalee had a sketch to show her of what looked like a deformed couch but was most likely intended to be her beloved daddy’s profile and -

Oh Elaine.

Always one to make an entrance, to set the tone of a good game. She looks perfectly at home leaning against an upper bannister while observing the hubbub from above, with sheer navy cascading around her like a thundercloud and her hair tousled to perfection. Young Elvis’ portrait yearns behind her on the wall and Ann smiles at the rightness of it.

She waits till her children loosen the gambit just a little before wafting down the stairs in a tulle blur of long limbs and soft focused curves and she throws her arms around Ann and her sensible, tweed traveling suit.

“Thumper, I’ve missed you!” She’s no icy Madame in her own home, sweet Elaine, her porcelain face and macabre loungewear aside, she is warm and glowing in the rays of a waning day’s sun and Ann clings a little longer, arms around her neck and giving flesh beneath her hands, feeling oddly at home in this foyer.

“Missed you, too.”

The sleepovers always start with evenings like this. There’s playing with the kids and dinner, they may end up in the pool, they may end up watching home movies to show her what she’s missed since last visit. Perhaps there’s a new golf cart to try to flip on its top. But when bedtime comes, Thumper is a loving taskmaster, insisting everyone get to their respective rooms, starting the process thirty minutes early so that there can be as much dithering and “one more chapter” as can be and still get the kids conked out at a decent hour. Rosalee is allowed to stay and use the phone to talk to Elvis till 10:30 and in the meantime Thumper conducts tooth brushing competitions and Elaine sorts out breakfast plans with Mary.

And then it’s time for bedtime, and where Elaine might waiver about being so selfish as to deny her kids the little tiny bit of girlhood she’s carved for herself this evening, Ann has no qualms guarding that for her and summarily cleans out the big king bed of progeny.

Only little Jack is occasionally allowed to stay.

Weaned, or so Elaine swears but Anna has doubts, the kid is golden and soft and lanky like all little five year olds should be, and blessed with an unerring accuracy in beaming and scowling at the right times to get exactly what he wants. In short, he is Elvis come again in a tiny, button nosed, rosebud lipped cherub with sweaty curls begging to be pushed off his forehead by a loving hand and of course it’s half the delight to let the little fella stay and camp on the bed when they read their tabloids to each other, watching him laughing maniacally along with them at rumors about themselves that Jack doesn’t even understand.

Jack is also excellently skilled at wedging the foam pads between their toes when it’s pedicure time, allowing Elaine and Ann to bask back in matching boudoir chairs with their feet propped up on the matching stools Elvis got. Pink stain pouring over little round stools for when he wants to haul one up and chat to his wife while she applies her lashes. Jack insists on wedging the foam between their toes himself and sometimes tries his hand at painting with varying catastrophic results.

“Heyar, i’s wight heyer.” Jack’s little drawl still butchers Elaine’s diligent elocution lessons but both women fawn over him regardless when he passes them a roller they had planned on using later -not anymore- they drop the sectioned hair in process and start again with the one he gives them.

“He’s really precious, isn’t he?” Ann sighs once, staring down at him where he finally passed out between them, soft, chubby knees he got from his daddy bent askew and long fingered hands for a child tucked beneath a milk fat cheek.

“I don’t think I’d have made it without him.” Elaine admitted once and when Thumper gave her a searching look she went on, “Before there was you, there was just him. And when everyone else was ready to be happy again after Jo, he never minded when I’d take him to a room to nurse him and -“ she trail off, face lit warm by the harem lamp’s multi gemmed glow and the golden bedding around them, dark hair pinned up in rollers to show how young her face really is without paint and artifice, “-I even remember once being in Elvis’ trailer on set, right after and it was like every kid who cried around me-my body would respond and let down more and I-I didn’t have a baby for it. Except for baby Jack, and I remember sitting in that hot trailer on the lot while all the kids were out with Elvis touring the set and I was…crying.”

“Of course you were.” Ann snuggles closer, reaches over Jack’s little form to squeeze Elaine’s arm.

“I was sobbing my eyes out, actually.” Elaine admits with a shy turn of her head towards the padded headboard, “While he nursed. And then I felt his chubby little hand, all clumsy and sweaty, wiping them off without ever breaking his latch on the nipple. Wiping the tears off my cheeks.” She clarifies, “I didn’t know a baby could be so loving in the way I needed, and I’ve been close before, Jesse was my world I swear, and Ella is like watching myself again. But -his dimples pop when he gives that crooked grin and he won’t even let go of the latch, just a little…” she mimics his grin with her thumb in her mouth Ann laughs at the sight.

She laughs at the things Elaine finds funny and and she gets why Elaine loves what she loves. And night after sleepover night, Elaine finds herself admitting more and more and gets back an earful in return. It makes her giddy and makes her kick her feet when she picks up the ringing phone and hears her friend on the other line.

“I think I need to freshen up my hair.” Elaine will sigh into the receiver.

“I like how you’re growing it out, less structured, it’s younger!” Ann will agree before adding just as emphatically, “Just needs a little trim and some styling. I can come Thursday.”

One such Thursday in ‘64 Tink came out of the bathroom with tin foil in her hair and scared giddiness in her smile.

“I’ve got a surprise for ya,when you get back, Naughty.” Elaine told Elvis on the phone, forcing herself not to bite her nail in anticipation and ruin the new coat of polish.

The surprise had been an auburn haired wife.

Elvis noticed the effects of the sleepovers himself, beyond the wild sight of auburn hair, even as he looked at them askew and with a confused belligerence about fun being had without him, and many a demand regarding “what sorta fun are ya having? You’re my wife, dammit!”

His logic that ‘it don’t count if its two girls’ when excusing a night of the three of them rolling in Ann's rough cotton sheets as soon as Viva Las Vegas wrapped, didn’t hold up now. Now it very much did count that they were two little girls. Two unsupervised little girls and he was relieved when Jack stayed with them, but less so when he heard from Jack that they painted their piggies and arm wrestled in their nighties.

Elaine legitimately enjoyed grappling on the fluffy white carpet of the music room floor after ice cream had been served and wiped from childrens’ chins. It was something she tried with Elvis and never managed to win except by clinging to his back like a limpet, and even then he’d win by crushing her into the pile with his weight.

But with Ann she could tussle and strain and keep up some of that old verve that had once had her nailing softball practice in high school and currently crushing Vernon at tennis. No one in the Memphis mafia was allowed to tackle her or ought else when games were played on the lawn and no amount of flattery convinced Elaine of competency she had not exercised in years. Thumper provided just such a foil and Elaine found herself winning and losing with a clean conscience and sore body time after time, children applauding at either result.

She felt a little wild, like she had when Elvis brought the three of them together that first night, pacifying her qualms about the rightness of it as only he and his unfailing logic could do. But these days she was less and less burdened by rules or even expectation, it was her own house, her own life and if Elvis Presley had cracked open the door on hotel sheets, then Elaine saw little blame to be garnered from stepping over the threshold and creating a little world for herself that made her feel more than used up and unsellable. A “fact” Colonel Parker and the family Enterprise winced over daily. She could shut herself up in Graceland or Palm Springs and see to it that her children got an education, her husband's favored meals were served when he deigned to come home and her sanity was somewhat in place for it all by any means possible.

Elvis, for his own part, knew damn well he’d invited in whatever wild spirit of independent merrymaking Elaine now partook of. He also trusted her implicitly to keep it under wraps within the halls of their house, to indulge respectably and set a good example for his children.

It was undeniable, since her friendship with Ann began, she was looking younger, happier and more content than he’d seen her since before the tragedy, before Jo.

And Elvis cared mostly about that.

And in the way of those who do not know how to comfort others regarding a tragedy that they themselves have not recovered from, he found himself making concessions and negotiations, a bit of “so long as I can keep this, you can have that” sort of bargaining.

The ‘this’ and ‘that’ were never quite verbalized, but it was understood in that miserable harmony of married couples that he’d keep his women and his crowd of unedifying friends and employees so long as she might have household stability and a certain license to be a nutcase. Perhaps it would buy him and Larry time to figure out whatever fucked up Retrograde or inner chakra was keeping him from being able to bodily make love to his wife in the traditional way.

Larry swore he was only scared to make another child and lose it, hence why his wife remained hypothetically attractive but he could not complete his attraction carnally.

Elvis thought Larry should stick his head in the wood chipper for such a simple answer, there’s no way in hell that’s all there is to it and yet it likely was and Elvis couldn’t quite manage to accept that. Accept that he was still grieving. It wasn’t an option really. Not with everything else going on, all the different ways he was needed and wanted elsewhere, and not with the way Elaine swore she was fine until he could figure it out, so long as he loved her and was there for their kids.

Which he is. And when he’s not, Ann’s there. And Dodger. Or Marlon -on Daisy’s insistence. Or the whole damn nation.

So, much as the current order of things rankled Elvis, perhaps out of some suppressed awareness of his own role in it, ultimately having his Happy Tink back was his greatest wish.

And if it made Thumper happy as well? -goodness, it was a better end than most dalliances could boast.

But it was hard being a little sidelined, and when Charlie pointed out that Elaine must feel similarly about his flings and his fellas, Elvis wasn’t sure what the hell he was on about as Elaine was very much incorporated in both, as much as she liked to be. She just liked to be less and less and that was on her. Charlie still suggested he tell her how he felt about it.

But then Tink beat him to it.

He was laying there in bed, at Graceland, at some pitch black early morning hour one time, with five sleeping children scattered in their bed, when she told him she didn’t mean to make him feel lonely. It was all Elvis needed to hear. That she knew she was doing that, and if she knew it, then he knew that before long she’d find a remedy. He just needed to be a little more patient.

Which wasn’t his forte but Tink was quick and ingenious and once she’d come up with how to help, he just about wished she never had. The cure was as cruel as it was mouthwatering.

Elvis was in his trailer one day, on a movie set as Elvis was most days this year, and had spared some time from shooting due to another department needing to sort something out. The something didn’t matter, what did matter was that he got to sit in his trailer with his friends earlier than usual for an evening, put on his helmet and watch the game. And then his team won. Which, in the raucous, bottle clinking, cigar lighting jubilation of celebrating such a win, had him almost missing the ringing of the telephone he had wired in.

Only the Colonel and Graceland and little blonde Shirley from last movie set had his number and so Elvis scrambled over his red sofa cushions, threw off his helmet and leaned over to pick the phone up, hollering, “H’allo?” into the receiver while chopping at his throat with his hand in a demand for silence from his boys.

“Naughty?”

“Why, if it ain’t my pwecious baby wife.” he cooed with a sappy grin on his face, happily flipping on his back in the cushions, all being right with the world with his girl’s voice in his ear and his team in the playoffs.

“How’re you doin’ baby?” she asked him sweetly, and he could hear her settling into the sheets, the rustle couldn’t be from the kitchen.

He kicked his feet up above his head and propped them against the wall, “Pretty damn good, you watch the game?”

“Jesse and Thumper gave me a play by play.” she informed him.

“What were you cookin’?”

“Dumplings. Couldn’t step away.”

“Aww.” he knew it had to be something precious and easily burned to keep her from watching. “And now?”

“Now I’m petting Whiskers.” she informed him.

Their cat. “I trust Annie ain’t pettin’ any kitties of mine, is she?” he mumbled in a discreet little growl, cupping the phone to his mouth.

Joe glanced over anyway. Elvis found the toe of his boot tapping a jittery rhythm against the trailer wall and as annoying as he found it himself, he couldn’t stop. He felt nervous, oddly, like when he used to call Elaine from Germany, way back when before she’d joined him. Back when he wasn’t sure he knew her fully. She kept him on his toes and he liked that, it made his blood rush and satiated his natural eagerness for newness -but oh how he wondered sometimes how she always dredged up this newness. If he knew her, really knew her would -would she keep being so surprising?

Fuck. Maybe Larry was right, maybe he needed to pop a pill like an old fart and get it on with her, get it outta his system.

Where were they? Oh, cats. And Ann.

“Elvis, c’mon, really.” Elaine chided with a giggle, “Ann is setting up the pedicures.”

“Oh.” Elvis sucked in a breath at the way such a reassurance sent the blood from his panicked brain to his jealous heart and then melting down like molten desire right between his legs. He flexed his belly and gnawed on his thumbnail. “Oh yeah?” he tried again and sounded so damn wrecked that every friend in the place looked at him as if he’d just put on a porno. “Y’all paintin’ your piggies? Mmm? Pink, yeah? Fuck’meee.”

“Mhmm, well, she hasn’t gotten to painting yet.” Elaine expounded with a sigh, “She’s oiling them up, I’ve had to endure a fifteen minute sermon on dry cuticles, Elvis, and now she’s squeezing and rubbing my poor piggies till they’re tingly-“

“Laney!“ he hollered as if she dropped a 2x4 on his own toes and the guys crowded in, a mixture of mockery and interest on their faces. Elvis spread a hand out on his chest to regulate his breathing and cursed at the realization that his wife wasn’t the slightest bit clueless as to what she was doing. “Oh Laney, what -what’s she usin’ to oil ya?” he begged to know, his nose breathing deeply as if he could guess it a thousand miles away.

“Baby oil, Elvis,” Elaine sounds so earnest in his ear, “I told her you don��t let me use nothin’ else on them.”

“Good girl.” he growled after realizing she couldn’t see his decisive nod of approval at her obedience.

“Oooh” he hears her breathe in his ear and startles up from the couch in a little flail that has no destination save that he heard his wife moan and it requires some expenditure of energy from him or he’ll go nuts laying here imagining her in her babydoll nighty, her pretty little bare toes getting oiled up by Annie.

“Tink, what she doin’ to yous, Tink?” he demands urgently, and the guys crowd closer, Elvis tugs at his pant leg and knows it’s futile, his rock hard dick is trapped in Edith’s well tailored trousers and all he can do is bring his feet off the wall and spread as much as he can.

“S-she’s rubbing my arch.” Elaine tells him, “I was wearing those pretty little white heels all days, the white ones you got me.” she reminds him and he smiles at the visual of her clicking through their home.

“She makin’ ya feel good?” he prompts his eyes glossy and far away from his gaudy trailer and the smell of cigar smoke. “Rubbin’ the sore right out?”

“Yeah, yeah feels good.” She slurs.

He can just picture her all puddled and lax and slippery- “Hers all gooey?” he hopes, running a hand over his belly that keeps flexing and quivering like little Elvis is deep in cunt.

Elaine on the other end of the line smirks at the shift in his tone, gone entirely from jealousy to fanciful imaginings that are far, far beyond anything she’s indulging in but somehow it’s terribly exciting to know what he’s thinking, to lure him in and have only his own, nasty, boyish mind to blame for the misfire. She winks down at Thumper who truly is doing a remarkable job on those sore arches and gives another little moan. “Yeah, yeah I could fall outta bed I’m so gooey.”

She hears the shuddering breath he takes and can imagine him, crisp slacks and ruffled pompadour, laying on his back against velvet red cushions, legs splayed in a pantomime of dying and his lackeys gathered around like a sleazy last supper.

“I think we’ve really got his motor thrumming, Thumper.” she feels safe enough to giggle and hears Elvis give only a heart rending:

“Goddamn, whyyyy!” over the phone in reply.

“Need a defibrillator, boss?” she can hear Marty ask him and hears only petulant moaning about needing a wife in reply.

It did the trick, or at least, part of the trick. The trick of making the Presley’s feel connected to each other again and Larry agreed that it was good, a good step towards normality even if it was a little polyamorous and crowded for a typical marriage. Such phone calls made Elvis feel included and Elaine nearly re-besotted with a man who, when on the other end of a phone line and thousands of miles away, sounded desperate and devoted, something her wifely self hadn't felt from him in a little while.

Elvis brought home amongst his many gifts a couple of new cameras, and having taught Jesse how to use the still one, paid his son five dollars for each documented arm wrestle and diving contest. How he paid his wife for each documented lingerie try-on and manicure session was never revealed but her shoe box of pastel gauzy Polaroids suggested the compensation was ample incentive. How Tink paid Thumper was anyone's guess and no one’s knowledge. Maybe it was that Cartier diamond set she wore to a premiere the following week.

It was a natural graduation of events that Elvis should, being at home during one of Thumper’s convenient memphian layovers, be a camera wielding witness to one of these night time pamperings. They politely ignored him and his bright lights that beamed on their little haven in front of the dresser, pink satin chairs aglow and their faces almost angelically washed out on the film. That night, Elaine’s hair was restored to a deep chocolate color, Ann’s outfit for her next premiere was chosen and the silk pajama’s Elvis donned for the evening had to be discarded.

The camera wielding didn’t stop there, when Thumper was brought down to Circle G Ranch, an entire production was made, the only picture film Elvis Presley ever fully produced and directed and costumed in the 1960’s -and it was full of subtext, straw, piglets, bare skin and harmed vegetables. But it occurred over an slippery, sweaty, pungent afternoon and was not a sleepover and so has no place being detailed in this chapter.

What does deserve a place here is the great Tink and Thumper adventure with Benetint that happened about a year into this charming, girlish, sleepover habit.

They’d bought matching nighties you see, sheer with a gingham print. Yet, when going to photograph their charming selves in them, they found the rosiness lacking -or at least, Thumper thought it could be improved. The printed fabric was to blame for the faded-nipple effect but was too adorably bucolic to be abandoned entirely. So, after a foray into the smokey backstages of some Vegas showrooms, Ann arrived one day in Palm Springs with her sundry gifts for the children, and tucked into her purse, was an uninspiring little bottle of something that could easily have been mistaken for nail polish.

Sitting cross legged on the vanity, Elaine soon learned it was anything but.

It was too quiet in the bathroom, just their huffed breaths and the squeak of the lid unscrewing. Even before the icy chill flicked over her skin she felt her arms break out in gooseflesh and she sucked in a breath, bracing for the tickle. Elvis had done this, to her belly, that first time she’d grown his children and her belly rent apart with a lightning bolt down its middle.

It had felt loving then, kindhearted and boyish.

Ann crouching to bosom level, flicking the little brush with its smelly mixture across her pert nipples, breath ghosting against the red blush of Elaine’s breast, silk pooling useless off her shoulders -this was different, oddly so. Somehow more intimate than when a man, or what Elaine knew of men, did it. Here was no pleasurable usage to brace for, only girlish admiration and a charming lack of regard for ought else but this, this single, charged, shivering moment.

Elaine could see Ann’s dark roots from up above. She wanted to pull that thin bottom lip of hers and snap it back against her teeth. Feeling useless sitting getting adorned so soberly, Elaine swiped the hair falling into her friend’s eyes, up and off her brow and into the buoyant coif that chasing the children had already half dismantled.

It made Ann drop her brush. “I wasn’t expecting-“ she fumbled.

She went back to it, such warmth so close and Elaine watched with a confused heart as Ann swirled the icy slick once more over the outer ring of a babe abused areola, taking her bleeding little rosebuds and making them into dark cherries.

“How do they look?” Elaine asked Thumper as Ann stood at a little distance in the large bathroom, eyeing up her art with her absurd little brush raised, a consummate artist and a distracted friend.

“You look like I imagined.” Ann replied as if without thinking before her face colored the shade of the pink rug and she must roll her eyes in an effort to sabotage the escaped sentiment.

“Imagined when?” Elaine asked, leaning forward on the counter, not bothering to cover up as it would only smear, perhaps some part of her knew without consulting the mirror the image that she made.

A dark haired vixen with the body of an ivory cello, leaning forward with those creamy mounds topped like Shirley Temples with their little ornaments.

-knowing yet curious, hungry yet soft.

Ann swallowed hard and thought about the end of all this that Elaine had once predicted in the beginning, an end that was all wedding veils and bouquets and everlasting vows with some fella Ann was supposed to find and love since Elvis wasn’t available. Elaine swore it would come and Ann had hoped she’d been right. The idea sickens her lately, thinking of somehow there being some other best friend, someone else to flick bath water at and ogle in their silk pajamas, someone else to have her heart lurch over when the children crawl atop them and the motorbikes thrum beneath them. The more successful she got the more she wanted this.

Just this.

“When he used to talk about you.” she admits her imaginings had been detailed and flattering for the wife of the man she once lay beside. Not even in dreams of wildest jealousy and unfair slight could Elaine be anything but something Ann craved to know and be known by. “I-I dreamed of being stabbed by you.”

Ann had woken up flaming with desire from those nightmares. Pretty Elaine Presley coming alive from the front of a newspapers and screaming “traitor!” hacking at Ann’s broken little heart with a pie server. Only for Elaine to end up being kind, lonely and a bit of a tease.

“Why’re you crying?” Elaine asked softly, finally slipping off her marble perch and taking Ann’s chin in her hand firmly.

“I’m going to miss this.” she muttered miserably in realization of the overseas tours next year and the boys she entertained but didn’t like enough to trust with a single secret and the way Marlon was around here too often lately. “And you know too much of me.” she hit Elaine’s arm playfully.

The grip on her chin jerked in retaliation. “I’ve been worried. You’re getting famous.” Elaine admitted, and the way she referenced fame was if it was a cancer.

“But I can come here, right?”

“Always.”

“Even if I’m married?”

Elaine looked a little surprised and questioning and when Ann shook her head in the negative to being currently engaged she lightened again, “Especially if you’re married. Married women go mad without some woman to talk to about being married.”

“You’re some woman.” Ann purred because Elaine Presley was stood too near with her pale soft breasts brushing Ann’s arm.

“You could be too, if you’d let me paint you.” Elaine dug the bottle out of Ann’s chilled fingers and went back to the sink, her reflection showing the heightened color crawling down her neck. “Get over here Thumper.” she snapped her fingers and Ann slinked up on the counter like a condescending house cat. “Am I to paint over chiffon?” Elaine stared at the still tied nightdress unimpressed until Ann was forced to fling it open - to her credit, not without adding much pizzaz to the whole thing with a high kick that only barely missed Elaine's face and a haughty toss of her head.

Her act petered out with a shy chuckle that faded into fully nothing.

“You’re very pretty.” Elaine whispered as she stood frozen in front of her in a ready stance, bottle clutched and tiny brush brandished, looking like a juvenile boy trying to recall his father’s tips on how to flatter. “But, then - you know that, I suppose.”

“I’m cold.” Ann whispered, her eyes darting to the side.

“Oh, yes,” Elaine was suddenly in motion, stepping nearer with clear eyes, “this makes it worse. Trust me. I’ll be fast, I swear.”

“It’s fine.” Ann breathed and then promptly forgot how.

As if in slow motion she watched Elaine crouching to better see her work, and her pretty hand burdened with all of Elvis’ shiny spherical gifts descended until it made contact on her bare nipple.

“Oh Elaine.” Ann enunciated through a gasp, her hands that had been listlessly sitting on the countertop curled over the edge of the marble, gripping tight.

“Cold isn’t it?” Elaine murmured again, her hand coming to rest beside her work in direct opposition to the cold paint. Firm, steadying, warm flesh on her sternum made Ann tremble, she watched Elaine‘s eyes flick up to meet hers, an odd sort of edge and command in them she’d never seen before.

Or. Rather, she had, but only ever with Elvis, only ever directing that look to him.

“He did this to me once.” Elaine told her, voice gone deep and then another stroke of the brush. “Not my nipples -it was my belly.”

“Captain Marvel.” Ann huffed a laugh, recalling the way he’d made her trace the bolt on his wife their first night, eager as a boy who’d discovered magic.

“Captain Marvel is telling you to hold still, missy.” Elaine chided her wiggling friend and Ann felt a flush all over.

“I’m just breathing.”

“Hard.” Elaine snarked, staring down at Ann’s heaving chest with a sardonic brow.

The intensity of that gaze was too much.

“It’s too much.” Ann said it in defense and Elaine’s eyes fluttered up to meet hers, her whole body straightening.

“For you too?” Elaine begged tremulously and Ann felt a rush of connection at her vulnerability.

“For me too.” she nodded.

“Gosh.” Elaine exclaimed, startled but making no move to flee, she just stayed there, hemming Ann in on the countertop and studying her face like it was the dearest thing.

“This isn’t making it better.” Ann whined as she felt that beautiful face near hers -the thunk of Elaine’s forehead against her own soon followed.

She felt her hands hold her waist gently like a dozen lovers had before and none felt as tender as this.

“You know the thing about fame is,” spearmint wafted over Ann’s face and she closed her eyes to listen to Elaine’s soft, pondering drawl, “it's held up all those years as the thing that’ll make everything all right. When the only thing that makes things even slightly bearable is a friend who knows what you're talking about. If you ever get tired, Annie, of being known for all the wrong reasons, you just come on back. We’ll always find something of us here, I know it.”

Elaine’s thumbs played across freckled skin like dainty wipers on Ann’s cheeks, swiping off one tear after another into her dyed hairline and one mere jut of Ann’s set chin brought the lower half of their faces together.

plush, warm, minty, sticky, glossy, brushing, lilting

-turn aside.

“Do you wanna -the camera, Tink?”

“No.” Mrs. Presley answered honestly as she stepped back, a little tremble in her voice, “Not tonight. I think -perhaps I, perhaps we, should call Elvis.” Elaine stared off into the adjoining bedroom with swimming eyes, their little project once undertaken for his gaze had suddenly become too intimate to be shared, even with him, even as dried ink on a glossy Polaroid weeks from now, “And maybe bring in Jack, he looked restless.”

“Oh yes.” Ann cheered and it was weak, snotty, hoarse little lie. But it was for Elaine. Anything for Elaine. “Let’s.” she agreed.

—Yes. Bring in Jack, why don’t you? And Elvis and Marlon and your charities and your causes and when it gets too crowded with just us two, bring in the whole nation!—

Ann willed the puddling tears away from the rim of her eyes, it wasn’t fair how a woman so immune to jealousy as Elaine Presley could spark so much in others.

“I bet Jack will be up to my shoulder by the time I get back from tour.” Ann joked as they crept down the hall to their boy’s bedroom, “And Jesse will break my heart with your face on a teenager's runty little body.”

It was a promise. To be back.

And come back in good spirits and with good intent. To take as much as was offered, be happy with it. Just as she knew if she herself showed up tomorrow with a husband, Elaine would be as ecstatic as if it were her own dream come true.

Some friends really do just love you enough that way. And that had to be enough.

Tags, if you’d like to be added just drop a comment to that effect below. I don’t bite and I do adore feedback, I run off of even the slightest scream from you. I appreciate you all and hope you enjoyed this. Xoxo marina

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[crepesuzette2023]

Do you have an opinion on what actually happened in Barcelona and John's motivations?

No strong, line-in-the-sand, until-here-and-no-further opinion, and not prepared to die on any hills, but here is a blurry snapshot of my current thoughts on the quote unquote matter. (And thank you for asking!)

I think the question of "what happened in Barcelona" has too long been mixed up with speculations along the lines of "was John gay" or "did they have sex." While I relate to the curiosity, I think these questions, due to the bigotry of the times, led to simplistic, un-gay alternative theories (alternative to 'it was a Lennon-Epstein sex vacation', that is), which further confused the matter.

I do not think going to Barcelona was a power move on John's part to vet Brian and establish himself as the leader of the group. By the time of the trip (April '63), Brian had been the Beatles' manager for a while. He'd changed their act, found them a recording contract, had a separate contract with John and Paul as songwriters. He was in. Similarly, at this point, Brian would have been familiar with the power structure within the band, including John's leader/founder status and the equality that was the basis of the group and Lennon—McCartney. They were not a front man and a backing band, and Paul and John were not competing for the status of leader/main decision maker. It was them, together. There was no motive at the time for John to get alone-time with Brian to defend or regain his leadership status.

In addition to that, I don't think it's likely the vacation was related to the order of the Lennon-McCartney writing credit. Did John go to Barcelona with Brian to gain leverage that would allow him to demand his name would always go first, going against his previous agreement with Paul and Brian (which stated the main songwriter's name would come first, and all royalties would be shared 50/50)? Hmm. To me, this doesn't fit with Lennon-McCartney presenting themselves as a team of equal partners during the Beatle years, and with John emphasizing the roots of the partnership as reaching back to their romantic teenage pact. Neither of them tried to hide that writing was something they shared. There was no overt struggle for dominance, or even a clear division of tasks (as in, you do the lyrics, I do the music; or: you do the ballads, I do the rockers). And they planned to keep writing after the Beatles were done. Given all this, I feel it's unlikely John would scheme and try to get Brian alone in order to get his name put first, with Paul then just accepting it, because Brian and John forced him to.

It's so important to remember that much of the Beatles story is told in retrospect, after a bitter break-up, and in response to sometimes deliberately dumb or salacious questions. Yes, Paul framed Barcelona as a power-play on John's part, but that was after he and John had been through their own history of struggles of a decade or more, all of it amplified by the press and biographers of all stripes. And yes, John claimed Paul overpowered his artistic vision and fucked with his songs, but that, too, was in a later, more bitter time. In April '63, though? Were Paul and John really fighting for dominance? For leadership? For being the star?

I'm not denying that power played a role in John going to Barcelona with Brian, but I think it was something subtle—something related to being different...to John being the one to spend time with Brian, John separating himself from the band; John being the one Brian wanted to take along. And John agreeing to go.

{side bar on how every Beatle splitting from the main Beatle blob to travel down his own path with someone or something else functioned like a battle cry or warning signal to the others cut for brevity reasons!!!}

And yes, I think sex played a role in that decision. John made the choice to spend time alone—not a weekend, but twelve days—with a gay man who openly fancied him, and had tried to take him on solo trips before. Now, after refusing earlier, John agreed to go along. Trying to put myself in John's place, I have to believe that he knew the issue of sex and attraction would surface and have to be dealt with in some way, and that it must have felt exciting, and a little scary, but also: that it was time to do it, instead of always wondering what if.

But, judging from the events at Paul's (and Ivan Vaughan's!) 21st birthday party, I think it's fair to say John felt conflicted about it as well.

What actually happened in Barcelona? I'd be surprised if they didn't have sex. Judging from Brian's apparent blushing and walking-on-air happiness after the trip, I hope it was good.

Where this all fits with John and Paul, God—I've no idea.

The truth is rarely pure, and never simple. — Oscar Wilde.

Here is a lovely picture of John and Brian.

photo: Harry Benson

[howardhawkshollywoodannex]

Jackie Earle Haley as Ronnie McGorvey and Phyllis Somerville as his mother May in Little Children (2006). Jack was born in Northridge, southern California, and has 63 acting credits from a 1972 episode of The Carol Burnett Show to two 2023 films. Little Children was his first acting credit since 1993.

His other notable credits include a voice on 11 episodes of Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972), episodes of The Partridge Family, Marcus Welby MD and The Waltons, The Day of the Locust, The Bad News Bears, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, Breaking Away, The Love Boat (two episodes), All the Kings Men, Shutter Island, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Lincoln, The Tick (12 episodes), and Narcos: Mexico (2).

[platinumaspiration]

I posted 1,021 times in 2022

That's 656 more posts than 2021!

645 posts created (63%)

376 posts reblogged (37%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@microscotch

@goatskickin

@platinumaspiration

@amberdefault

@rascalcurious

I tagged 961 of my posts in 2022

Only 6% of my posts had no tags

#s2cc - 269 posts

#sims 2 cc - 265 posts

#ts2cc - 256 posts

#sims 2 download - 254 posts

#ts2 download - 230 posts

#the sims 2 cc - 175 posts

#plataspask - 160 posts

#4t2cc - 145 posts

#4t2 - 144 posts

#download - 143 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#i have a few more items like this so don't want to confuse anyone

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Brandi's Top (2022 Edition)

EP12 Polo Cropped comin' in hot! TF version is acting up, but why make you wait because of teen angst? 😅 No longer wait, the teenager decided to come out of her room!

AF/TF, all appropriate morphs, 12 recolors, 2k poly

Download AF - SFS / MF TF REPO (requires AF) - SFS / MF TF STANDALONE - SFS / MF

693 notes - Posted July 28, 2022

#4

I hope you enjoy, please let me know of any issues! All recolors are compressed to one file (excluding custom colors)

requests by anon, @daydreamingdrawerette, @tete-sims, @moyokeansimblr @yalasims

Download All - SFS / MF Pick n Choose - SFS / MF

notes: Mabel was also converted by minicule and it's awesome and has had a default + recolors done already! I had mine completed around the same time and decided to upload anyway with a different EA color palette + a few custom colors

credit: @aharris00britney @aladdin-the-simmer @arethabee @boonstoww @buzzardly28 @daylifesims @isjao @johnnysims @marsosims @simsontherope (original) @simandy @simomo-cc @simstrouble

Aharrisbritney Brie: 3.8k, TF-EF Aharrisbritney Lizzie: 3k, UF Aharrisbritney Teri: 3.3, UU AladdintheSimmer Lucas: 4.7k, UM Arethabee Anne V2: 8.1k, CF-EF Arethabee Shelley: 4.9k, CF-EF Boonstow Jasmine: 8.4k, CF-EF Boonstow Rosemary: 7k, CF-EF Buzzard Adelaide: 11.1k, CF-EF Daylifesims Born to Die: 10.1k, CF-EF Daylifesims Cassie Party: 15.2k, CF-EF Daylifesims Cassie Pigtails: 15.1k, CF-EF Daylifesims Liv: 15.3k, UF IsJao's Emma: 12.4k, TF-EF JohnnySims Darwin: 6.1k, UM Marsosims Sabel: 4k, UF Rope Short & Curly: 1.8k, UM Simandy Wind: 10.2k, CF-EF Simomo Shinra: 10.3k, CM-EM Simstrouble Jazz Riff: 7k, UM Simstrouble Stevie: 12.4, CU-EU Simstrouble Vasia: 15.6, CF-EF Veve Adonis V2: 9.2k, UU

☕

763 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

#3

This is peak late 80s/ early 90s I've ever seen haha. Shoes are the Moonlight Chic platforms by trillyke! You can choose between repo or standalone versions. Enjoy, please let me know if any issues!

TF/AF, appropriate morphs, 11 recolors, 6.5k poly

REPO - SFS / MF STANDALONE - SFS / MF

credit: @trillyke

827 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

#2

Here is anon's request for Simandy's Yuna! It comes in 2 flavors: full body (paired with lace up boots) and top only. As with any short skirt, there's bound to be clipping. Hope you all enjoy!

Comes in 30 colors (swatch included), all morphs, 2.7k - 3.4k poly

Top Only - SFS / MF Full Body - SFS / MF

credits: @simandy

831 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

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857 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[justthornsnorose]

5,7,8,9,10,11,23,27,28,29,30,31,35,36,37,41,45,49,50,52,53,60,62,63,67,73,76,77,79,83,84,96,97,99.

Also RED.

5. What’s the best orgasm you’ve had in the past few months? Hm, one where I was realllly good about not touching myself while I watched some things on tumblr, etc. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I used my favorite toys to fuck myself as hard as I could.

7. What’s the soonest after meeting someone that you’ve slept with them?  Same day--it was a hookup.

8.What position or angle or specific technique never fails to make you cum? I loooooove doggy but basically I'm hard to make cum. No one else has ever been able to reliably do it. :/ Using the rose toy and getting fucked at the same time is what works for me.

9. When was the last time you watched porn? Last night. >///>

10. What is the hottest thing someone has ever done with you in bed?  Hmm, beyond just being sweet? (I'm a sucker for kindness.) Manhandled me and fucked me like the lil bitch that I am. :3 11. Do you prefer tongue or fingers?  Fingers because I can't get out of my head lol.

23. Have you ever watched people having sex? Not like in person, no. (I'm assuming porn does not count here)

27.When was the last time you had sex? Hooked up with someone who was way too proud of being a YT streamer. They wanted to be fwb but once was enough for me lol. A few months ago? It's been a while T_T

28.Have you ever masturbated to any of your friends? Do you think any of your friends have ever masturbated to you? Yes and yes.

29. Describe a typical masturbation session. I scroll on tumblr and keep my hands OFF myself until I'm squirming, and when I need more I switch to porn. I start with a clit toy and move on to a dildo once I'm aching for it, and then I use both until I've cum or can't take any more.

30. How do you feel about threesomes? Have you ever had one, and if not, would you ever have one? They're hot in theory, but I'm not sure I've ever had the confidence. I wouldn't want to lose my person... but I've definitely considered & fantasized about it. So, maybe with the right people. 31. What’s something that turns you on, but you’re a bit embarrassed by? UGH lol ummmmm. Fucking myself while someone watches. 35. Which one of your holes do you most want to be filled right now? Cunt and/or mouth please.

36. Are you loud or quiet when you masturbate? Well, I'm vocal when no one is around, but I'm usually quietly whiny when I have to be. That, or I'm burying my face in the pillow to muffle what I can't hide.

37. Do you own any toys? What’s your favourite? Yes, and my "demon" and "rose" toys.

41. Do you like being called a slut or whore in bed? Only when someone calls me THEIR slut/whore, and I know they don't really mean it as like.. a bad thing? Idk. It can be hot but it can also trigger me if it's said/meant a certain way.

45. What’s the kinkiest thing you’ve ever asked someone to do while sexting? Oh jeez. I don't know, probably cnc stuff.

49. What’s a sex act you think is overrated? What’s a sex act you think is underrated? Overrated-eating me out? I've just never really been able to get past the embarrassment of it. Underrated-doggy and choking and blowjobs all need more credit.

50. When did you last have an orgasm? How did it happen? Last time I was HORNY DUHH. Lol. The other day, and I pleased myself. :*

52. How often do you masturbate? When I lived on my own it was a lotttttt, but sometimes I go through phases where I don't much at all. Depends if I'm taken or not, too. Or if someone's been teasing me.

53. Where’s the most unusual place you’ve masturbated? Oh boy. Mmm, in the middle of the woods lol.

60. Have you tasted yourself? If so what did you think?

Only off someone else’s hand. Not really much of a taste.

62. How long do you masturbate before you cum?

Usually about 45 min - an hr.

63. What’s the weirdest category you have ever searched for?

Furry LOL.

67. If you had 5 minutes to get yourself with porn right now, what would you type in the search bar? Throat fucking or overwatch. ;P

73. Would you do a cum walk? Idk what that is tbh.

76.Have you ever worn lingerie? Let's be clear I LOVE that shit. 77. If you could fuck anyone at all right now, who would it be? Do you know them in real life? Do they know you like them? Well.. ANYONE? Lol.. They know I like them, but they have someone :(

79. What’s the last object you put into your own body for sexual reasons? Dildo.

83. What’s your dirtiest secret? Honestly I'm not sure.

83.What’s the most embarrassing porn you like to watch? Probably cnc stuff, or free use.. or idk lol.

86. What’s the kinkiest thing you’ve ever asked someone to do in real life? I asked someone to choke me once and they knocked me out lol... they also used to leave bruises... they did not know their own strength..

97. What was your most shame-filled orgasm? Why? I was on skype masturbating while they watched. And because it's embarassing!! Idk, I was taught to never be online/on film etc so it was really embarassing lol.

99. Admit something sexual that you’ve never told anyone else before. Hm, I've definitely fantasized about being used*/fucking more than one person at a time. *i mean used in like.. a nontriggering way lol

@the-blue-rose-of-the-sea

[jayhoang-the-astral-idiot]

Secret Santa

This is for the Protocol Secret Santa! I got @opilius 's character, Thespian! There are some guest appearances from other peeps OCs, too. Hope you enjoy, my dude!

Thespian woke up to a chilly room and faint music playing from a couple rooms away. “Oh right, it’s Christmas. I wonder what the others are up to!” He jumped out of his bed with a flourish and quickly got ready for the day, quietly humming My Shot as he walked out his room.

As he opened the door, he was hit with the scent of warm milk, chocolate, and liquor. “Ah, Vexx must be mixing something up for the occasion!” he said, walking down the hall and into the main living room. “He-llo everyone!”

“‘Sup Thespian!” Phoenix greeted him with a nod. “Ready for the secret santa?”

“‘Course! Wouldn’t miss it for anything!”

Phoenix laughed. “Alright, see ya then!”

Thespian quickly headed into the kitchen, where some other B-Team members were hanging out. The smell of chocolate was intense, and he quickly turned towards where it was coming from.

“Heya, Thespian!” Vexx calls out from the stove, wearing an apron splattered with chocolate. “Want some cocoa?”

“Sure!” Thespian cheerfully said, “but why do I smell alcohol? It’s-“ Thespian swirled around to check the clock “-only 9:00.”

“Hahaha, those are for later. Don’t worry about it.”

“Alright!”

Vexx poured a mug of cocoa and handed it to Thespian. “Here you go. There’s some grub in the dining room, too”, if you’re hungry.”

Thespian did a small bow as he said thanks, which Vexx chuckled at, before heading to the dining room. 

After sitting down and grabbing some food, he suddenly felt someone tap at his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Breach standing there. “Hey!”

“Oh, hello Breach! What’s up?”

“I wanted to ask you if you wanted to have a little competition at the shooting range? Winner gets 50 credits!”

Thespian nodded. “Sure! After I’m done eating, of course.”

“Alright, see you then!”

Thespian nodded with maybe a little too much energy, accidentally bumping his hand into his plate. “Ouch!”

After quickly digging into his food, he got up and jogged over to the shooting range, where Breach was waiting. “Hey!”

Breach turned around and waved. “Hey! You ready?”

“Haha, as I’ll ever be.”

“Alright, grab a rifle and I’ll start it up. Some bots will start popping up and running around, trying to run from us. Let’s see who can knock out the most bots!”

“Would I be able to use my gear?”

“As long as I can use my arms!”

Thespian acted as if he was thinking it over, complete with stroking his chin and humming, before breaking character and chuckling. “Haha, yeah, of course!”

“Alright, LET’S GO!” Breach shot the button to start, causing walls to pop up and bots to begin appearing around the range.

Some time later…

Thespian heard the distinct sound of Breach’s Aftershock breaking down bots from across the range.

“Shit! Time’s almost up! I better act fast…”

Thespian planted a mic on the wall and put up a curtain, hiding behind it. The mic began picking up footsteps and he burst through the curtain, finding an unsuspecting bot.

“Haha, I think that’s the last one!” Thespian chuckled with a grin on his face, as the bot fell to the ground and a buzzer rang throughout the arena.

“Good job!” He heard a voice call from behind him.

“Alright Breach, how many did you take out?” Thespian asked, turning to Breach.

“60. You?”

Thespian took a bow. “63!”

Breach laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, causing Thespian to jolt from the force. “Great job!”

Thespian chuckled, before realizing something. “Hmm… I remember you saying something about the winner getting some creds?”

Breach sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a chip of credits. “Fine. As promised…”

“Haha, thanks a lot, buddy.”

“Now, how about we get something to drink? I can smell cocoa!”

“Eh, I’ll save it for dinner later.”

“Suit yourself! I’m getting shitfaced!” Breach laughed and walked off.

Thespian laughed and checked the time. 12:30. “Hm. I should ask some of the other B-Team agents if they want lunch!”

He got cleaned up and headed to the main living room, where Arcade, Overture, and Afanc were hanging out.

“Hello, folks!” Thespian bowed as he approached.

The group turned to him. “Oh, hey! What’s up?” Arcade asked.

“Eh, nothing much. I wanted to ask, would you all like to hang out for lunch?”

“Sure!” Arcade chirped. “You guys want to, too?”

The others nodded enthusiastically, to which Thespian said “Great! Let’s grab some food and hang out…” He stroked his chin.

“On the balcony next to the garden?” Overture suggested.

“Yeah!” Afanc nodded.

“Alright then! We should have some food in the fridge, let’s get it ready and let’s go!”

The others got up and headed to the kitchen, where they all grabbed something to eat, before heading out to the balcony.

Some time later…

The group was laughing as Thespian regaled them with a funny story, having long finished their food. 

Thespian checked his phone. 3:30. He hopped out of his chair and turned to the others. “Alright guys, this was fun. Wanna do it again some time soon?”

The others nodded as they all got up, and soon the group disbanded to go to their rooms.

Thespian crashed on his bed, scrolling through his phone, and the time passed by, until eventually it was nearly time for the Secret Santa.

He heard a knock at his door, and went over to open it up, revealing Brimstone. “Hello, boss!”

“Hello, Thespian. You ready?”

“Almost! Let me change real quick and I’ll be on my way!”

“Alright.”

Brimstone closed the door, and Thespian grabbed a thick, classic ugly Christmas sweater. He put it on and walked over to his closet, where a large present was waiting, picking up and heading for the door. “It’s go time!”

Thespian opened the door and walked over to the main living room, where the agents of the protocol were all sitting. 

A-Team and B-Team members were all hanging out in the light of the fireplace, sitting near a large stack of presents, with Vexx walking around handing out cups of cocoa. Thespian added his present to the mix, grabbed a cup, and sat down next to some of the other B-Team members, getting ready for Brimstone’s Secret Santa speech.

“Alright team!” Brimstone called, tapping a glass of wine in his hand. “This year’s been a hectic one, with blackmail, interdimensional missions, and new agents, but we’ve become better for it. Here’s to a new year of success and happiness!” He raised his glass as a toast, and the rest of the protocol raised their drinks with a resounding “Cheers!”

Thespian looked around to all his friends having a good time, and smiled, taking a big sip of his cocoa. “Ooh, Vexx is using a stronger whiskey, huh?” He said with a chuckle, looking at his drink.

Soon enough, gifts started being given. Jett got a cute shirt from Neon, Arcade got a stack of new games from Silicon, and soon enough, it was Thespian’s turn.

“Alright, Thespian, bruv, your’s is from me!” Phoenix said, pointing to a red box. Thespian grabbed it and opened it up, revealing a… smaller box.

Phoenix laughed. “Haha, you should see your face!” Thespian rolled his eyes, begrudgingly smiling, and opened up the next box, revealing the actual gift.

“T-these are Swiss chocolates! They’re so expensive! Holy shit, thank you so much, Phoenix!”

“Haha, no problem, bruv! And take another look in the box!”

“HOLY SHIT! These are Hamilton tickets! Thank you so much!”

“Yeah, yeah. Now what did you get for who?”

Thespian pointed to his box. “Skye, your’s is from me! Hope you enjoy!”

Skye happily walked over and tore it open. “Oh! A new set of wood carving tools! These look really nice!”

“Mhm! I got them custom made! They should be really easy and comfortable to use!” Thespian said, a bit proudly.

“Thanks, mate!” Skye walked over and clapped him on the shoulder, causing him to jolt for the second time that day. “I’ll be using these plenty!”

Soon enough, the rest of the protocol got their presents, and they all headed to the dining room to enjoy some dinner, provided by various agents. Thespian grabbed a bit of everything, sat with his friends, and laughed as time flew by.

Eventually, it was time to head to bed, and Thespian went to sleep with a massive smile, ecstatic to have friends like these.

[kp777]

By Juan Cole

Common Dreams Opinion

Nov. 11, 2022

One of the issues that drove America's youth to vote in unusual numbers in the midterm elections, and to tilt heavily Democratic, is the climate emergency. It was up there with reproductive rights and gun safety as a key issue. A recent Harvard youth poll found that among these young people, "Democrats are moved by abortion (20%), protecting democracy (20%), inflation (19%), and climate change (16%). More than 7-in-10 young Americans (72%) believe that the rights of others are under attack, and 59% believe that their own rights are under attack."

According to a recent Blue Shield poll, some 75% of youth in America report that they have had panic attacks, depression, anxiety, stress and/or feelings of being overwhelmed when considering the issue of climate change.

Their feelings on the issues proved crucial, since many observers credit Gen Z with halting any red wave and with helping Biden emerge as the most successful president in the midterms in over 20 years.

Further, 63% of youth voted for Democrats, whereas only 35% voted Republican. Further, in one poll, 75% of youth said they are more likely to support a candidate for Congress who is "addressing climate change."

Where the climate implications of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which promotes green energy and green transportation, were explained to them 69% of younger voters said they would be more likely to vote for a congressman who voted for the IRA. They know of Biden's green energy commitments, but they apparently do not think they go far enough. The youth seem to like Biden's policies and those of the Democratic Party even though they don't particularly care for Biden himself (or only 44% do).

The catastrophe of the human-caused climate emergency is going to fall more heavily on Gen Z or the "Zoomers"– people born between 1997 and 2012. Even if we can get to zero carbon emissions by 2050, some changes are already in train that likely cannot be ameliorated for a very long time. These young people's lives will be harder and more challenging than those of their predecessors.

And they know it. According to a recent Blue Shield poll, some 75% of youth in America report that they have had panic attacks, depression, anxiety, stress and/or feelings of being overwhelmed when considering the issue of climate change. Globally, many of these young people are even afraid to bring children into the world that is being produced by our high-carbon styles of life.

A small Green 2.0 poll found that 89% of youth say that climate change has already had an impact on their lives and 44% said that it has had a major impact on their lives.

It will be hot in 2050, and some very large glaciers may melt under those conditions, causing the sea level to rise even more than the projected 4-5 feet. We are already seeing mega-droughts, heat waves, wildfires and massive flooding, so imagine how chaotic the climate will be in 30 years if we go on putting billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually for the next two decades.

The good news is that temperatures would immediately stop rising if we went to zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, according to climate models, and then over time the oceans would absorb most of the extra CO2 we have spewed into the atmosphere in the past century and a half. If we do this right, the earth will be on the road to less severe climate impacts a century from now. But as John Maynard Keynes pointed out, "in the long run" we are all dead. A century from now is too far off to do the Zoomers much good.

Still, this is an area of life where early action will produce better outcomes sooner than later action. So, Gen Z is impatient to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions.

The Blue Shield poll found that 45% of US youth say that they have tried to reduce electricity use. Most electricity in the US is still produced by burning coal or fossil gas, with only 25% of our electricity being generated by sustainable sources. Hence, the less electricity used, the fewer greenhouse gases are generated.

They know, however, that such individual actions are not enough and that government must act. 81% of youth in the Blue Shield poll said that global leaders are not doing enough to combat climate change.

Imagine how furious they are when they hear Republican politicians deny that humans burning fossil fuels is radically altering our climate! Moreover, they know exactly how to express their displeasure. They helped turn a lot of the rascals out of office.

Juan Cole

Juan Cole teaches Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan. His newest book, "Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires" was published in 2020. He is also the author of  "The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation Is Changing the Middle East" (2015) and "Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East" (2008).  He has appeared widely on television, radio, and on op-ed pages as a commentator on Middle East affairs, and has a regular column at Salon.com. He has written, edited, or translated 14 books and has authored 60 journal articles. 

[inglourious-imagines]

PROMPT LIST

Hello people! This is my own prompt list! Feel free to send requests! I’m really excited to do this haha

Also, this really took me some time to put it all together so please, if you reblog/use it/etc. give me credit. Thanks!

Update: If you have your own prompt that is not listed, quote or whatever else and you think it’s great, you can send it to me and we’ll see what comes out of it.

1. I fucking hate everyone. But you, you’re the only person I don’t hate.

2. And he looked at me, like there was something in me worth looking at. 

3. Anger makes you stupid. Stupid gets you killed.

4. I’m here. You can talk to me or not talk to me but I’m here.

5. Goddamn right you should be scared of me! 

6. And suddenly, life wasn’t about living. It was about surviving.

7. "-but you’ll die!“ "I don’t care." 

8. I said I’m fucking fine.

9. Don’t you touch her.

10. We sat there smoking cigarettes at 5 in the morning. 

11. Oh! The girl/boy I’ve heard so much about. 

12. No one would hurt you again, or I’d kill them.

13. A cigarette for a thousand problems.

14. I could keep you save. They’re all afraid of me.

15. You look so proud standing there with a frown and a cigarette. 

16. Thank you for loving me when I still tasted of heartache and war.

17. His eyes had more darkness than any other eyes I had ever seen before.

18. You don’t know shit about what happened to me. 

19. This is who we are, a product of war.

20. Looking half a corpse and half a god.

21. I wanna see how you lose control.

22. I look at you and I just love you and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you. 

23. "You can’t protect everyone.” “I have to try." 

24. He’s a badass with a good heart.

25. You are losing my interest, and that is very dangerous. 

26. In a fight, they’re lethal. Around each other, they melt. 

27. I wonder which will get you killed faster, your loyalty or your stubbornness.

28. You collect scars because you want proof that you are paying for whatever sins you’ve comitted. 

29. With this smile, I can get away with everything. 

30. I was so stupid to make the mistake of falling in love with my best friend. 

31. Come over here and make me.

32. Oh my god! You’re in love with him!

33. Oh, do you ever shut up? 

34. Can you two please get a room? 

35. I have a name and it’s not sweetheart. 

36. If I ever see you anywhere near her, you’ll have to deal with me. 

37. Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy. 

38. Such dirty words from such a pretty little mouth. 

39. Kiss me. 

40. Are you flirting or starting a fight? 

41. You stay awake do you hear me?! Don’t you dare close your eyes! Please! Come on! 

42. Honestly, I only asked you for help because it’s so cute when you try.  

43. You’re standing a little close to me..

44. You’re evil. It’s hot. 

45. If you bite your lip one more time, I swear I’m going to do it for you. 

46. By the Gods! You love her, don’t you? 

47. It’s blood, not nuclear waste. Chill out. 

48. A knife? Are you flirting with me? 

49. "Hear me out.” “Why the fuck should i listen to you?" 

50. I’ve been wanting to kick your ass all week. 

51. Rumour has it, I make you nervous. 

52. Leave, leave right now.

53. Can you just fuck off already?

54. "I- I trusted you!” “Sweet naive girl, trust is for children. You are a soldier." 

55. Alcohol’s the only instant in my life.

56. You gotta stop saying things that make me want to kiss you. 

57. Please don’t do this. Don’t act like you care. 

58. Is everything supposed to go dark?

59. Why can’t you see what you’re doing to me. 

60. Fuck, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my whole life.

61. It’s 2 in the morning. Why are you still up?

62. I want an answer, goddammit! 

63. You make me want things I can’t have. 

64. Cut the crap and tell me what happened. 

65. Hear my heartbeat? Just focus on that.

66. It’s nice to see someone who can appreciate my humour.

67. We’re more than just friends and you know it. 

68. It’s pitch black in here and I can see you’re blushing.

69. Yes asshole, I do care about you.

70. They’re both stubborn and it’s complicated. 

71. For you, I would.

72. I like you more than I planned.

73. I need you, idiot.

74. Golden eyes and a smile made for war.

75. Take that, fuckers!

76. I licked it so it’s mine!

77. We’re in this together. 

78. Can I have this dance? 

79. Look, I know you’re a hardass but can you play with my hair? It would really help. 

80. No! Stay away from me! Stay back! 

81. Maybe if you actually stop staring at her and talk to her, you might have a chance. 

82. You have to promise you won’t fall in love with me.

83. I know that face. That’s your I’m-upset-with-you face. 

84. I think we’d make this a fair fight if we each had a gun. Don’t you think, boys? 

85. He loves you, you know? He’s just afraid of admitting it.

86. Dear Lord, please have mercy on my soul. This woman/man will be the death of me. 

87. There are other things than Germans that can kill you. 

88. What the hell? You are supposed to hate me!

89. Why do you like me?

90. "You’re annoying.” “You love me.”

91. Wanna go to hell together? 

92. I lack the vocabulary to describe you.

93. You make me feel… you make me feel.“ 

94. What the fuck…?

95. So that’s you, the girl/boy who destroyed armies. 

96. You’re my regret.

97. You better not die on me! 

98. Can you stop shouting at me?!

99. Why are you making this so damn hard? 

100. But that’s the problem, (name). I don’t think I’m able to stop loving him/her. Ever. 

! UPDATE !

101. There is no way you’re going anywhere with him, not on my watch.

102. “You know you’re in love with her right?” “Since when?” “Since always.” 

103. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t do this.

104. I love you, I do, but you’re a real pain in the ass.

105. Is that my shirt?

106. Neither one of us is drunk enough for this conversation.

107. I think I might be falling in love with you.

108. What are you talking about? You’re married!

109. I saw that. You just checked me out.

110. Quick, pretend you’re talking to me.

111. I just wanted to hear your voice.

112. That was, by far, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.

113. No. The moment you saw me as a bet was the moment you fucked up.

114. "It could be worse.” “You aren’t the one bleeding.” “Look, you’re still alive. Stop whining.”

115. Are you naked under that thing?

116. “Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?”

117. What the hell were you thinking?! 

18. You’ve been drinking tonight, haven’t you?

119. Well, if I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret.

120. Is it weird that was a total turn on?

121. That was the worst joke I’ve ever heard.

122. If I kiss you right now, I won’t be able to stop.

123. What did you just say?

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Monday, October 31, 2022

october 31_october 18

THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST LUKE (1st.c)

The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, was a native of Syrian Antioch, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul (Phil.1:24, 2 Tim. 4:10-11), and a physician enlightened in the Greek medical arts. Hearing about Christ, Luke arrived in Palestine and fervently accepted the preaching of salvation from the Lord Himself. As one of the Seventy Apostles, Saint Luke was sent by the Lord with the others to preach the Kingdom of Heaven during the Savior’s earthly life (Luke 10:1-3). After the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saints Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus.

Luke accompanied Saint Paul on his second missionary journey, and from that time they were inseparable. When Paul’s coworkers had forsaken him, only Luke remained to assist him in his ministry (2 Tim. 4:10-11). After the martyric death of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Luke left Rome to preach in Achaia, Libya, Egypt and the Thebaid. He ended his life by suffering martyrdom in the city of Thebes.

Tradition credits Saint Luke with painting the first icons of the Mother of God. “Let the grace of Him Who was born of Me and My mercy be with these Icons,” said the All-Pure Virgin after seeing the icons. Saint Luke also painted icons of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul. Saint Luke’s Gospel was written in the years 62-63 at Rome, under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. In the preliminary verses (1:1-3), Saint Luke precisely sets forth the purpose of his work. He proposes to record, in chronological order, everything known by Christians about Jesus Christ and His teachings. By doing this, he provided a firmer historical basis for Christian teaching (1:4). He carefully investigated the facts, and made generous use of the oral tradition of the Church and of what the All-Pure Virgin Mary Herself had told him (2:19, 51).

In Saint Luke’s Gospel, the message of the salvation made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the preaching of the Gospel, are of primary importance.

Saint Luke also wrote the Acts of the Holy Apostles at Rome around 62-63 A.D. The Book of Acts, which is a continuation of the four Gospels, speaks about the works and the fruits of the holy Apostles after the Ascension of the Savior. At the center of the narrative is the Council of the holy Apostles at Jerusalem in the year 51, a Church event of great significance, which resulted in the separation of Christianity from Judaism and its independent dissemination into the world (Acts 15:6-29). The theological focus of the Book of Acts is the coming of the Holy Spirit, Who will guide the Church “into all truth” (John 16:13) until the Second Coming of Christ.

The holy relics of Saint Luke were taken from Constantinople and brought to Padua, Italy at some point in history. Perhaps this was during the infamous Crusade of 1204. In 1992, Metropolitan Hieronymus (Jerome) of Thebes requested the Roman Catholic bishop in Thebes to obtain a portion of Saint Luke’s relics for the saint’s empty sepulchre in the Orthodox cathedral in Thebes.

The Roman Catholic bishop Antonio Mattiazzo of Padua, noting that Orthodox pilgrims came to Padua to venerate the relics while many Catholics did not even know that the relics were there, appointed a committee to investigate the relics in Padua, and the skull of Saint Luke in the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Vico in Prague.

The skeleton was determined to be that of an elderly man of strong build. In 2001, a tooth found in the coffin was judged to be consistent with the DNA of Syrians living near the area of Antioch dating from 72-416 A.D. The skull in Prague perfectly fit the neck bone of the skelton. The tooth found in the coffin in Padua was also found to fit the jawbone of the skull.

Bishop Mattiazzo sent a rib from the relics to Metropolitan Hieronymus to be venerated in Saint Luke’s original tomb in the Orthodox cathedral at Thebes.

Saint Luke is also commemorated on April 22.

NEW MARTYR JOSE MUNOZ-CORTEZ (1997)

Who was he - the chosen one of the Mother of God that carried Her icon for 15 years, the one whom everyone would call Brother, even to this day? Brother Joseph Muñoz-Cortez, the keeper of the Iveron Montreal Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Mother of God, is known to the Orthodox world as the Guardian, the Chosen One. He was brutally tortured and murdered after 15 years of selfless service to the Mother of God, who gave him Her unique image for the blessing, anointing, healing, and pacifying of the world in the face of believers. How and why did a simple Spaniard from Santiago, Chili, a convert to the Orthodox faith from Catholicism, end up on such a Divine path that performed miracles manifested in the Russian Church Abroad at the end of the 20th century? There are many questions about Brother José, and the answers are hidden from us for a reason. We can contemplate these unanswered questions and feel awe and inspiration; we can write poems and icons, all without waiting for his glorification, yet much of the Chosen One of the Mother of God's life still remains a mystery. There are testimonies, memories, and photographs which touch us with a wave of heavenly aroma, fanning the entire spiritual history of Brother Joseph. His life exceeds rational comprehension like a mystery you feel and understand but have no words to describe. Yet, many of those who met and knew him spoke of him as "an ordinary person," "the same as everyone else." The Apostle Paul is recalled: "For all I became all things, that I might save at least some" (1 Cor. 9:22). And yet, was he really "like everyone else"? Joseph descended from the ancient Spanish family of Cortes, in which the Virgin Mary was especially revered, and all the firstborns were named after Joseph the Betrothed. But his family lineage was not what defined him: it was his humility, extreme simplicity, compliance in everyday communication, complete absence of egoism, genuine sense of his own insignificance and firmness in matters of spiritual responsibility. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these are the traits of holiness that distinguished many of whom we call God's saints: servants of love, who have shown love with their whole lives. It was the noble spirit of Brother Jose's personality that does not allow us to comprehend his spiritual feat rationally. It is impossible to conform his life story into the standard polishing that most saints receive during their canonization, which kills them a second time by removing their unique qualities until their stories sound like the same person in the end. Who really is Brother Joseph, who was "like everyone else" to so many that met him? He was an approachable, warm, gentle, compassionate, and unusually kind person who consciously disappeared into the shadows in the presence of the One Who was praised by his "every breath." By carrying Her Icon, he brought into the world Her radiance, Her fragrance, Her healing power: he gave his own life in complete attention to the will of the Mother of God. He listened with spiritual ears: his life was illuminated by the mystical fire of unceasing communication with the heavenly world. He was also simple for "those who have no ears to hear," and to them, he was an ordinary person who, for some reason, a unique mission just "fell into his lap." Jose Muñoz-Cortes was born on May 13, 1948. Since childhood, he was distinguished by an artistic feeling, craving for beauty in everything. He graduated from the Academy of Arts in Santiago, and after being drawn to Orthodoxy, he was especially interested in icon painting. How did Jose, who grew up in a strictly Catholic family, find himself in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia? The story of the circumstances of the arrival of the Spanish boy in the Russian Church of the Holy Trinity is similar to that of a fairy tale.

Brother Jose recalled: "We first lived in a city on the seashore and then moved to the capital. We went to church regularly every Sunday. On the day of our move, my mother told me: 'Go to church yourself, I'm very busy because of the move, I'll come back later. The church is at the end of the street.' I went. In the middle of the street, I stopped when I heard the singing. I saw a small church and entered it. There were many icons: Christ, the Mother of God, and various saints. Seeing the icons, I thought that this is not a Protestant church, but also not a Catholic one. Soon Vladyka appeared with a miter on his head. I had a feeling that this was a dream…. Finally, he spoke to me in Spanish: 'Come and kiss the cross.' I replied: 'Sorry, I was mistaken, I came here by accident.' Then he affectionately told me: 'No, my boy, you were not mistaken. God brought you here.'… What touched me especially was the poor environment and his love. I thought, 'If the bishop is so poor and there is so much love in him, then this is the true Church.' And I started going there." Gradually, his whole life changed completely, and a few years later, in 1964, Jose would become Joseph in baptism. Beauty called him to Orthodoxy - the aroma, wonderful singing, the light of vigil lamps, warm hues of icons, and the loving gaze of Vladyka. In a modest church where pious Russian exiles prayed, Jose found a spiritual mentor in the Russian bishop-confessor, Archbishop Leonty of Chile, a great friend of St. John of Shanghai and San Fransisco.

Vladyka Leonty, who faced unimaginable trials during the years of persecution in Soviet Russia and miraculously survived, conveyed to Joseph his wavering, agitated, and passionate love for Russia.

What entered into the compassionate heart of young Joseph was the knowledge about the unprecedented torments of the people, its shepherds, monks, laity, peasants, and intellectuals; the mass martyrdom of Orthodox Christians marked the Russian history of the twentieth century with a true Golgotha Cross. Joseph fell in love with this land soaked in martyr's blood, and he associated the future acquisition of the icon, which happened exactly one year after the glorification of the New Martyrs of Russia, with this event.

During the years of communion with Vladyka, the angelic icon of the martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth came into his life, and he honored and loved her from that moment. St. Elizabeth, one could say, is the most spiritually akin to Brother Joseph. Thus began his path to those days on the Holy Mount Athos, when all his searching and prayers would unite him with the Higher, unearthly Beauty - the miraculous image of the Iveron Mother of God. The event of acquiring the Icon in November 1982 was described many times by Joseph. He lacked a teacher, his studies at Shelekhov were not exhaustive, and for years he dreamed of traveling to Mount Athos to find a place where monastic iconographers work. His long and ardent desire for monasticism also pointed him to the Holy Mountain. The Nativity of the Theotokos Skete of Katounakia, a place renowned for its icon painting, is where he met Her Icon, which from one glance, "the heart seemed to turn over in the chest," as he himself would say later. Requests, prayers, the abbot's firm refusal to sell the Holy Image of the Virgin, and an inexplicable feeling that the icon would go with him to Montreal...to be continued at the Iveron mother of God monastery

LUKE 9:18-22

18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"19 So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again." 20 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." 21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."

PHILIPPIANS 4:10-23

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

[quotes121sworld]

Gladiator sequel starring May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi and others alongside Paul Mescal

The main actors for the highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator is taking shape following recent rounds of hiring by famed director Ridley Scott and his casting team.meeting reports that May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah and Matt Lucas are among the actors recently cast to star in the as yet untitled film, which stars Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix some 30 years after the original storyline should.Also, Fred Hechinger could be coming on board soon, as he and his team are currently in talks for the role of Emperor Geta after Barry Keoghan had to drop out of the race for the unspecified role due to scheduling conflicts.The new cast joins a cast that already included Irish actor Paul Mescal, 27, in the lead role of Lucius, son of Lucilla, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the original 2000 film.Like Jacobi, who is reprising his role as Gracchus, Nielson is believed to be one of the few veteran actors returning to the cast, alongside other previously announced actors such as Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn.Considered one of the best films of the 2000s, Gladiator was a smash hit with fans. On a budget of $103 million, it grossed more than $503 million at the worldwide box office.Most critics praised the production, particularly the acting of Crowe and Phoenix, which led to twelve Oscar nominations and eventually won five, including the coveted Best Picture Oscar and Best Actress Oscar for Crowe.In the wake of the success of Gladiator, Crowe saw his star rise to the top of almost everyone's A-list in Hollywood and beyond.Last year, news broke of a sequel starring Ridley Scott, which in turn caught the attention of male actors around the world who fit the profile.Scott is producing and directing from a script by David Scarpa, who is credited with writing The Last Castle (2001), The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) and All The Money In The World (2017) is known for the upcoming historical drama Napoleon (2023) produced and directed by Scott, due for release in November. Calamawy wanted to do a thorough search for the most important main characters and finally landed her role after several auditions.She got her big break last year in Marvel Studios' Moon Knight series, starring alongside Oscar Isaac in the Disney+ series.The Bahraini native, 36, is also known for her ongoing role in the Hulu comedy-drama series Ramy, which also stars Ramy Youssef, Hiam Abbass, Amr Waked, Dave Merheje and Mohammed Amer.

BACK ON BOARD: Ridley Scott, 85, returns as producer and director of the as yet untitled Gladiator sequel; He is pictured on the set of the original 1999 film

Starring: The new cast joins a cast that already includes Irish actor Paul Mescal, 27, in the lead role of Lucius, son of Lucilla, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the original 2000 filmAs for the other hires, 51-year-old Raz is better known to his fans in his native Israel for his roles in the political thriller series Fauda (since 2015) and Hit & Run (2021).Jacobi, 84, is an English actor with a long and distinguished career in film, television and theater dating back to 1959. He has received numerous awards over the decades including a BAFTA, two Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Tony Award.Mensah, 63, is a Ghanaian-English actor with films such as Tears Of The Sun (2003), Hildago (2004), 300 (2006) and The Incredible Hulk (2008). And Lucas, 49, has achieved acting fame with his roles in the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain (2003-2006) and Come Fly With Me (2010-2011) and the films Alice in Wonderland. (2010) and "Bridesmaids" (2010) fame as an actor. 2011).Best known for his breakthrough role in the first season of HBO's The White Lotus, 24-year-old Hechinger made his film debut in and starred in the coming-of-age dramedy Eighth Grade (2018). Drama “Human Capital” (2019) with.

Epic hit: In January, after Russell Crowe revealed he would not be appearing in the sequel, he revealed on a podcast that the storyline takes place some 30 years after the original film; Both Crowe and his co-star Joaquin Phoenix were praised for their performances in the hit 2000 film, which also included a Best Actor Oscar for CroweEarlier this year, Russell Crowe confirmed he wouldn't be appearing in the long-awaited Gladiator sequel, but offered a few plot pointers after chatting with Scott over dinner.Although he didn't reveal much, during an appearance on the series he revealed that the story revolves around Mescal's character, Lucius Fitzy and Wippa Podcast."If you remember, there was a little boy who wanted to defeat the gladiator, which leads to the 'My name is' speech," he said of the original film, adding, "So this little boy grew up, and that he is also now.' the Emperor.' He then summed things up by declaring: “So it's not a remake. And it's not a direct sequel. It's not like the day after, you know, 30 years later or something. And then the situation arises, you know? So far, there's no official word on when filming for the Gladiator sequel will begin. Read the full article

[abookishweasel]

Saints'Quarter has Updated!

We had to take a bit of a break while I got used to being in the public-facing work environment again, but it’s BACK! 

Saints’Quarter continues with page 63 of “Club Jude.” Roe’s off with Jasper doing something or other to try and remove the Lance. Lucas and Robin are… having a Time… but first? Returning to the Shoppe, David waits for Leila up with the Circle as they learn about the coming moon…

Enjoying the story so far? Don’t forget to give it a boost by voting on TopWebComics! Or join us on Patreon for cool community perks!

$2 per month pledges… Get access to more of my general shenaniganery through access to regular sketchbook posts, patron-only Discord roles, first access to bonus art, and listing in comic credits.

$5 per month pledges… Early pages, behind-the-scenes materials, and bonus illustration downloads.

$10 per month pledges… PDF collections of each act/issue of the series, bonus snippets of scripts and other projects.

Saints’Quarter also has a page on TVTropes.org. If you’re that kind of nerdy (like I am), feel free to go check it out. Maybe even add a few tropes of your own you think could apply!

Read the comic: https://saintsquarter.com

Get the Books: https://minxthings.storenvy.com

[laylaylamode]

I posted 409 times in 2022

208 posts created (51%)

201 posts reblogged (49%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kururu418

@thepaladincosplays

@princesscallyie

@thereallordgrape

@onelastfic

I tagged 401 of my posts in 2022

Only 2% of my posts had no tags

#callyieverse - 241 posts

#ask - 111 posts

#fanfiction - 82 posts

#future au - 66 posts

#tales of mewni - 63 posts

#cindy masters - 56 posts

#dai tai - 45 posts

#smells like teen spirit - 39 posts

#bruce masters - 31 posts

#dylan masters - 31 posts

Longest Tag: 122 characters

#the reason why is because in chinese mythos there are eight or more mountains and each with it's own ruler and environment

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Friendly Neighborhood Reaper 💀

"Need a hand? Leave the heavy lifting to me."

The repentant hero is well known for his swift justice and generous heart when dark outcomes need light shed upon them. Bruce Masters calls upon the dead through necromancy to carry out his bidding and hones his power as a god into martial arts. In combat he is resilient with multiple fighting styles and will have the opponent down and out within seconds.

Artwork by the talented @harchibudytgorichi !

15 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

#4

Did Cindy ever vister Legerdomain?

Depends! From what I recall Charmcaster had a security system where changing the name of the realm every few seconds kept people locked out of it but I'm not sure if that stayed true or not. So probably not, but she would if she could.

16 notes - Posted February 21, 2022

#3

Since it's almost the month of love, I got a beautiful commission from the amazing @harchibudytgorichi ! ✨✨ I really like how the characters look here and they did a great job!

I'm excited to get to the post-return stories and the relationship with these two has given me a lot of ideas! Bruce is determined to apologize to Shu and regain her trust (and her heart). He'll do anything to repair the damage and Shu is about to receive a lot of courting attempts lol. One rose may lead to a hundred more.

Shu Chan belongs to @kururu418 !

19 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

#2

Time's Visionary 👻

"I'm here to help! Let's finish this!"

The dedicated scholar is well known for her resourcefulness and quick thinking to turn the odds in her favor. Cindy Masters is adept at time manipulation while also training as a spell-caster and pushing her supernatural limits to a cosmic level. In combat she uses the battlefield as a chessboard and will strategize attacks to ensure the opponent's defeat.

Artwork by the incredible @harchibudytgorichi !

20 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The Stacie's are an elite quartet who seem to act as a hive mind but surprisingly are more individual than most believe. Why they wanted to join the Townsville High School volleyball team is a mystery even to those that share the court with them. In order of appearance from left to right:

🔵Stacie Quinlan, 🟡Stacie Boulet, 🔴Stacie Armbuster, and 🟢Stacie Tomassian.

Art by @harchibudytgorichi , who came through with these amazing designs as usual! Credit to them for making the girls look so stylish and unique! 😁

23 notes - Posted February 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[howardhawkshollywoodannex]

Nicole Sullivan as Patricia Nixon, Michael Jai White, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Gloria in Black Dynamite (2009).

Nicole was born in New York City and has 144 acting credits from a 1991 tv episode to seven 2022 tv episodes. Her other notable credits include voices on 61 episodes of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, 83 episodes of The King of Queens, voices on 45 episodes of Kim Possible, 40 episodes of Rita Rocks, 31 episodes of The Secret Saturdays, 63 episodes as a voice on The Penguins of Madagascar, 151 episodes of Mad TV, 60 episodes as voices on DC Super Hero Girls, 36 episodes as voices on Family Guy, and 28 episoders of Blackish.

[meret118]

Excerpt:

From its perch at the heart of the nation’s capital, the FRC has pushed for legislation banning gender-affirming surgery; filed amicus briefs supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade; and advocated for religious exemptions to civil rights laws. Its longtime head, a former state lawmaker and ordained minister named Tony Perkins, claims credit for pushing the Republican platform rightward over the past two decades.

What is the FRC? Its website sums up the answer to this question in 63 words: “A nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to articulating and advancing a family-centered philosophy of public life. In addition to providing policy research and analysis for the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government, FRC seeks to inform the news media, the academic community, business leaders, and the general public about family issues that affect the nation from a biblical worldview.”

In the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, though, it is also a church, with Perkins as its religious leader.

According to documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act and given to ProPublica, the FRC filed an application to change its status to an “association of churches,” a designation commonly used by groups with member churches like the Southern Baptist Convention, in March 2020. The agency approved the change a few months later.

The FRC is one of a growing list of activist groups to seek church status, a designation that comes with the ability for an organization to shield itself from financial scrutiny. Once the IRS blessed it as an association of churches, the FRC was no longer required to file a public tax return, known as a Form 990, revealing key staffer salaries, the names of board members and related organizations, large payments to independent contractors and grants the organization has made. Unlike with other charities, IRS investigators can’t initiate an audit on a church unless a high-level Treasury Department official has approved the investigation.