#Avery and Molly have been doing this for years

[rhysintherain]

The 20th century vampires are pretending to be hundreds of years old again, and the actual 200-year-old vampire is mad about it:

She reached the bottom of the stairs and threw her arms around Avery. “Love, I missed you! You’ve barely paid me any attention since I’ve been in town!” she admonished. Avery returned the hug briefly, then stepped back. Molly kept her hands on Avery’s shoulders. “Nice to see you too, Moll.” “Is it? After you neglected me all this time?” Avery smiled. “Well you know, I’ve been busy.” “Too busy for me? After all we’ve been through? “Remember Paris, love? It was 1836, and the lights of the city shone over the Seine like stars!” “You were acting at Du Pantheon,” Avery replied. “You played Sanchette -” “Ahem, Constance,” Molly corrected, putting on her best offended expression. “Of course, Constance in La Princesse de Navarre," she corrected. "You wore that stunning crimson gown.” “I still miss that gown. You were working on the docks, scandalising everyone by wearing trousers.” “Somebody had to show the men what a decent day’s work looked like.” Footsteps on the balcony above the stairs marked Bastion’s arrival. Avery looked up to see him leaning on the railing and watching them. “Everyone raise your hand if you were born before 1950.” He raised his hand, then feigned surprise. “Oh right, it’s just me.” He descended the stairs unhurriedly, with none of Molly’s grace. “You two know Du Pantheon was a cinema, right? It was built after the invention of film. If you’re going to pretend to be old and sophisticated, at least do your research first.” “I would, but it might raise the nerd vibes around here to dangerous levels,” Avery countered. Molly pulled back, crossing the vestibule to drape an arm around Bastion’s shoulders. “I have no idea why you two always want to pretend you were around back then. It stank. Literally, it smelled awful. And good luck finding blood that didn’t taste like tuberculosis or syphilis in 1830s Paris.” “Spoilsport,” Molly pouted.

[sofoulandfairaday]

I actually do tend to put most of the Order we see in the photos around the same years, but my headcanon is that there were other older members but they all died by the time that photo was taken because they were trying to protect the younger kids. I like to imagine that Moody is the only surviving older Order member and he had to watch his peers die one by one and then had to watch as so many of those kids they died trying to protect were killed themselves

Soooo. I can see this working if well justified. There is a line that does justify it in canon, actually- "[...] look, I can’t promise no one’s going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we’re much better off than we were last time, you weren’t in the Order then, you don’t understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one...”

Voldemort would most likely send his Death Eaters after the best and strongest Order members first, even though they were more likely to take down many of his followers- it's not like he didn't have the numbers. BUT I'm afraid it's a little unrealistic. The weakest fighters in a fight to the death are those who get killed first even with protection.

Just for funsies, though, I'll give you my personal headcanon of the Order members' rough ages. I'm usually flexible if they're changed by a couple of years, but the generations should be kept.

This is the list of confirmed Order of the Phoenix members in the First Wizarding War:

Albus Dumbledore

Aberforth Dumbledore

Alastor Moody

Arabella Figg

Dedalus Diggle

Elphias Doge

Emmeline Vance

Mundungus Fletcher

Rubeus Hagrid

Sturgis Podmore

Severus Snape

Sirius Black

Remus Lupin

Peter Pettigrew (who turns spy for the Death Eaters in 1980)

All these people survive the war. Then we also have:

James Potter

Lily Evans Potter

Fabian Prewett

Gideon Prewett

Frank Longbottom

Alice Longbottom

Edgar Bones

Benji Fenwick

Caradoc Dearborn

Dorcas Meadowes

Marlene McKinnon

Now. The only girl confirmed to be one of Lily's classmates is Mary McDonald and she's not part of the Order (and I choose to believe that she wasn't; she sympathised, maybe, but I like the headcanon that she's so scarred by Mulciber and Avery's bullying - and that the event that Lily references to Severus is not the only time they use Dark Magic on her - that she wants nothing to do with the fight). I am maybe one of the two (2) people with a mild appreciation for BlackKinnon, and I don't mind Marlene as someone in the same age bracket as them (but I can also see her being older). She is murdered along her entire family, though, and it's unclear whether she was a mother, a sister, or a daughter. I will say that some of their Hogwarts years overlapped.

Dorcas I find way less likely. She was killed by Voldemort himself - the man wouldn't have bothered if she wasn't an Amelia Bones-level witch at least, which means she was mighty, which means she most likely wasn't twenty-one. I like to think that she was an Auror, or a Ministry high-ranking employee with sound principles that just would not bend to the infiltration of the DEs in the Ministry or to Barty Crouch Snr's ruthlessness.

Frank and Alice Longbottom are the same, to me. They're older than the Marauders, I would make them (just like Dorcas) around Bellatrix's age, maybe even older. That makes them around 30yrs old in 1981. Which means they would have had a full decade or more to become the most respected Aurors in the Wizarding World, so well known that what happened to them sparked major outrage, the kind that led to a manhunt for their torturers, and the sentencing of a pleading nineteen-year-old boy. (Of course, Barty jr was guilty, but they didn't know that, didn't know just how loyal to Voldemort he truly was. The Lestranges sentencing - an old wizarding family, a Lestrange had even been Minister for Magic - was clearly one sparked by public outrage. People were crying out for their blood.)

The Prewetts were Molly's older brothers, so they were way older than the Marauders. They were also killed by a group of Death Eaters led by Antonin Dolohov after what appears to have been a truly brutal fight, so nope. They weren't the Fred and George types of the Marauders Era (also. the Marauders were that!)

Edgar Bones had a wife and children and was considered to be one of the best of the era, so I doubt he was as young as the Fantastic Four. We really don't know enough about Caradoc Dearborn or Benji Fenwick to say, but I somehow doubt it.

Of those who survived.

We know that Albus, Aberforth, Moody, Elphias Doge, Mundungus, and Arabella Figg are all way older than the Marauders, and I've always pictured Dedalus Diggle as a middle aged man (but we only know he's tiny and excitable, so it could go either way). Sturgis Podmore's description fits someone that could have been in the Marauder's year or maybe slightly older, but still one of their peers.

So, really, the green-faced youths that fought with the Order were: the four Marauders, Lily, maybe Marlene and Emmeline Vance (who isn't even listed as fighting with them in the First War, only the second), and maybe Sturgis Podmore. On the side of the Death Eaters: Avery, Mulciber, Barty Crouch jr (who was two/three years younger than the Marauders!!!), Regulus Black and of course Severus Snape.

And, no. Evan Rosier's age is never disclosed, and since he brutally maims fucking Alastor Moody - possibly the greatest Auror ever - I'm inclined to believe that he was at least Bellatrix's age (so 8-9 years older than the Marauders). In my personal headcanon he's even a tad older - but no less cuntier for it. My boy serves as much cunt at 27 as he did at 17 (<3).

[marauders-untouchedshadows]

Dear Student,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

It's September 1, 1977, and a new term is starting at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Marauders are going into their sixth year, and are all quite excited to see eachother again. The new term will bring more challenges and new secrets to the corridors of Hogwarts. Will they end the year without anyone figuring out what they're hiding or will the gossip spread fast?

Gryffindor

5th year -

Fabian Prewett OPEN

Gideon Prewett OPEN

6th year -

James Potter OPEN

Sirius Black OPEN

Remus Lupin OPEN

Peter Pettigrew OPEN

Molly Prewett OPEN

Lily Evans OPEN

Marlene McKinnon OPEN

Mary MacDonald OPEN

7th year -

Frank Longbottom OPEN

Alice Fortescue OPEN

Arthur Weasley OPEN

Hufflepuff

5th year -

Benjy Fenwick OPEN

6th year -

Amelia Bones OPEN

Edgar Bones OPEN

7th year -

Charity Burbage OPEN

Ravenclaw

5th year -

Pandora Rosier TAKEN

Kingsley Shacklebolt OPEN

Barty Crouch Jr. OPEN

6th year -

Rita Skeeter OPEN

Emmeline Vance OPEN

Aurora Sinistra OPEN

Sybill Trelawney OPEN

Emmeline Vance OPEN

7th year -

Caradoc Dearborn OPEN

Slytherin

5th year -

Regulus Black OPEN

Evan Rosier OPEN

Wilhelm Wilkes OPEN

Alecto Carrow OPEN

Narcissa Black OPEN

6th year -

Lucius Malfoy OPEN

Bruce Mulciber OPEN

Edmund Avery Jr. OPEN

Bellatrix Black OPEN

Severus Snape OPEN

7th year -

Rabastan Lestrange OPEN

Andromeda Black OPEN

Amycus Carrow OPEN

To appy for a character, send your name, age, and pronouns along with the character and at least two paragraphs. When submitting an oc, do the same, but add your characters' age and their backstory.

[domorebemore]

that sims family was so intricate to the point i could write a legit series of novels about them. i made them in like 2018? i think. and it started with just a normal married couple and they were boring but they gave birth to two kids and then the daughter became a painter and the son justin became a struggling standup comedian who married his high school sweetheart. his wife chelsea was a workaholic programmer and provided for the family while he went to open mics and tried to make a living. meanwhile they gave birth to a son and a daughter. eventually he had his big break and became a successful standup comedian. he was also constantly struggling with unmedicated bipolar disorder.

but then he OBVIOUSLY became an alcoholic and couldn't do shows without getting trashed beforehand and he'd come home and drink. but he was so successful (alongside his wife who was making a killing as a programmer at a thriving startup/doing her own projects on the side) they got to move into a big house. but the whole time justin was just getting trashed. and eventually his son travis (yes i know what their names are LMAO fuck off it was my bad) was in high school and started hanging out with the Wrong Crowd. so he started selling weed and eventually coke.

justin found out his son was selling drugs and got upset but then they made a deal where his son would provide him with free cocaine in exchange for his silence. chelsea was too busy being obsessed with her job to notice.

meanwhile their daughter norma inherited her dad's bipolar disorder but channeled it into her creative pursuits.

travis eventually grew up and moved out to be roommates with his childhood best friend rowan? i think was his name. the green hat guy. and anyway even though his dad was a famous standup comedian he chose to live in squalor in a really shitty rundown trashed apartment. rowan sold drugs alongside travis in this shitty apartment and they'd always have girls over and have threesomes with them. travis had no desire to follow in his dad's footsteps or take advantage of his family's wealth and just wanted to be a bartender with sleeves who got high all day.

norma also grew up and moved to the city but started acting and struggled for a bit but eventually her nepotism got her ahead and she became so super famous that she got to move to a giant mansion in the hills with her boyfriend who she met on set. her boyfriend was much less successful than she was. she eventually won the sims equivalent of an oscar (i forget what it was called lmao) and they had a child but never got married.

MEANWHILE. travis accidentally knocked up one of the girls he'd been casually seeing on and off since high school who was working as a barista/camgirl. she claimed to not know whose baby it was but everyone knew it was his. she said she was too poor to take care of the baby (avery) and moved in with travis and rowan. but then one day she said she couldn't do it anymore and RAN OFF leaving travis and his roommate to raise a TODDLER in what was essentially a drug den where they sold weed, coke and molly.

finally after months of struggling travis broke down and asked his dad for the money he'd been turning down for so many years which his ailing alcoholic father obviously gave to him with no questions asked and travis moved out to the desert in a big house with his toddler daughter to start a new life. he still worked as a bartender but at a fancier place and he finally accepted his father's help.

i think i covered all the basics there.

[dearamleo]

The Sinner’s Feast New Chapter!

Chapter 6: The Art of Distraction

The sterile white of St. Mungo's hospital hallways always made Sirius wrinkle his nose in distaste. He had spent several years visiting Alphard in a place just like this, doing everything in his power to stave off the clinical feel for his uncle, to make him feel at home. Now the sight and scent of it all just reminded Sirius of the end, of seeing his father figure and idol reduced down to someone who couldn’t even remember himself.

As they walked through the halls, making it to the main floor, Sirius had waved off James and Peter off. “You guys go find Avery, I’ve got something else I need to take care of really quick.”

Peter looked at him baffled, but James just winked at him and nudged the paper bag in his hand that he had picked up along the way. “Sure thing, Pads. Wormy and I got this one. You go and… get checked out.”

“Checked out,” Peter echoed, looking confused between the two. “What the fuck happened to you?”

“Ah,” James said, taking Peter around the shoulder and leading him off. “Our boy Padfoot has quite the affliction, Petey. Might be no saving him from it.”

Rolling his eyes, Sirius turned to look at the direction board, searching for the floor he knew Remus worked. Thankfully he had a general idea of where he was heading, having been to the emergency trauma floor more times than likely anyone else in this town.

As he walked towards the nurses' station on the fourth floor, he spotted Remus talking to a colleague, Molly Weasley if his memory served him correctly, his expression focused and attentive. Sirius leaned against the counter several feet away, watching him for a moment. There was something incredibly endearing about the way Remus's eyes lit up as he spoke about medicine and patient care. It was a side of Remus that was very different from the one Sirius had encountered in his house, the one that blushed at his son's chatty enthusiasm.

When Remus finally noticed the way Molly’s disapproving eyes kept flicking in Sirius’s direction, he turned towards him. His expression shifted quickly from professional to confused and then dissolved into a soft surprise.

"Sirius, hey."

"Hey," Sirius replied, pushing away from the counter and offering the takeout bag to Remus. "I brought you lunch. Figured you might've missed it this morning in all the chaos."

Remus's eyes blinked as he took the bag. "You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

"It's no big deal," Sirius said with a nonchalant shrug, though his heart was hammering in his chest. He was acutely aware of how close they were standing, the air between them charged with something he couldn't quite define.

They found an empty break room, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead as they sat at a small table. Remus opened the takeout container and looked at the muffuletta sandwich inside with something akin to delight. "This is my favorite. How did you know?"

"Pure luck, I promise," Sirius replied with a grin, though he couldn't deny the satisfaction of having picked correctly. Truthfully he had only chosen it because the deli menu had boasted it to be authentic Louisiana style and he knew Remus was from New Orleans.

As always, conversation fell between them with ease. Sirius asked about Teddy, a topic that Remus absolutely lit up to talk about. He told Sirius about the surgery he had performed that morning. Sirius regaled him with his conspiracy that Pandora was actually some sort of strange ethereal being masquerading as a human with her dreamy tone and terrifyingly deceptive insight. At one point Remus had pushed half the sandwich to Sirius, demanding he needed to try it before launching into a full five minute lament about how much he missed southern food.

In the midst of their laughter, Sirius's attention was drawn to the entrance of the break room, where James and Peter were standing, smirks on their faces as they caught his eye. Sirius's heart stuttered, a mixture of embarrassment and amusement flooding him. He gave them a playful glare, a silent warning not to interrupt. Taking the hint, they disappeared from view, leaving Sirius and Remus to their conversation.

After they finished eating, Remus leaned back in his chair, looking at Sirius with a thoughtful expression. "You know, I don't usually have lunch dates with... people I've just met."

Sirius chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I can't say I make a habit of it either."

They shared a moment of silence, the air between them heavy with unspoken words. Remus looked like he wanted to say something, his gaze searching Sirius's eyes for an answer he couldn't find.

Sirius cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "I should probably get going. I know you're busy, and I don't want to distract you from your important doctor stuff."

Remus smiled, a hint of regret in his eyes. "Right, of course. Thank you for lunch, Sirius. It was... unexpected, but really nice."

Sirius stood up, his heart thudding in his chest. He took a step closer to Remus, unable to resist the magnetic pull between them. "Remus..."

Before he could say anything else, he leaned down and pressed a slow, soft kiss against Remus's lips. It wasn't rushed or desperate like the peck Remus gave him this morning, but a lingering connection that spoke of something deeper- of more intention. Remus responded, his fingers tangling in the fabric of Sirius's shirt as he deepened the kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, their breaths mingling, Sirius pressed his forehead against Remus's. "I'll see you around?"

Remus's smile was warm, his eyes filled with a mixture of uncertainty and hope. "Yeah, definitely."

Read from the beginning here!

[deafblindshorty]

Hogwarts Years For Various Characters

So, I'm getting a lot of mixed opinions on who went to Hogwarts when. Like all (and I do mean all) the adult characters going to Hogwarts with the Marauders, etc. So, I decided to do some extensive investigative work based on where the characters are in the books and what JKR said about them and their ages. If there's no information, I just looked up the actors who played them, and their ages at the time the movie was released (and when the movie is set). And yes, I will be including Hogwarts Mystery characters. Deal with it.

A few more notes, I find it extremely unlikely that half the OG Order of the Phoenix was made up of newly graduated Hogwarts students. Frank and Alice Longbottom have already made names for themselves as famous aurors by 1981, and it takes 3 years of training to become an auror. Same with Dorcas Meadows (I don't think she was an auror, but she was badass enough to be killed by Voldy personally).

As for Marlene McKinnon, Emmeline Vance, Amelia Bones, Hestia Jones, and Dedulus Diggle...

If Marlene was Lily's best friend and Sirius' lover (or even ex-lover), wouldn't Lily be more emotional about her death and say something like "I'm so sorry about Marlene. I know how much she meant to you."? And wouldn't she have mentioned her by name? "Marlene and her family" instead of "the McKinnons"?

If Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and Dedulus Diggle were friends with Lily and James, wouldn't they (or Remus or Sirius) mention that to Harry? You would think that with all these "friends" of Harry's parents, going to Grimmauld Place would be like "coming home" to him.

Amelia Bones is described as having "grey hair" in OOTP, and the actress who portrayed her was 57 when Deathly Hallows part 1 was released, so she's almost 20 years older than the Marauders.

Here we go:

1930s:

Cornelius Fudge (1934-1941)

Augusta Longbottom (1935-1942)

Walburga, Lucrieta, and Alphard Black and Abraxas Malfoy (1936-1943)

Tom Riddle (1938-1945)

1940s

(NOTE: Slughorn had been teaching since at least Riddle's 6th or 7th year)

Myrtle "Moaning Myrtle" Warren (1940-1943) (died)

Rubeus Hagrid (1940-1943) (Expelled)

Poppy Pomfrey and Orion Black (1940-1947)

Eileen Prince (1941-1948)

Ignatius Prewett, Arimentia Black, and Druella Rosier (DOBs unknown, but they're in the same generation as Sirius' parents)

Pomona Sprout (1943-1950)

Alastor Moody and Barty Crouch Sr. (1945-1952)

Minerva McGonagall (1946-1953)

Rufus Scrimgeor (1947-1954)

Cygnus Black (1949-1956)

1950s:

(NOTE: McGonagall had been teaching since 1956)

Irma Black, Septima Vector, and Mr. Crabbes (XD I'm sorry...) (1950-1957)

(The Goyles, probably the same years)

Perengrine (Hogwarts Mystery) (1954-1961)

Dolores Umbridge (1955-1962)

Xeno and Pandora Lovegood (1956-1963)

Corban Yaxley (1957-1964)

Amelia Bones (1959-1966)

1960s:

(NOTE: Dumbledore became Headmaster, and the curse of the yearly DADA teacher started in 1964)

Molly Prewett, Amos Diggory, Mrs. Diggory, Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom, Charity Burbage, and Dedulas Diggle (1961-1968)

Arthur Weasley and Mundungus Fletcher (1962-1969)

Bellatrix Black, Edward Tonks, Marlene and Mr. McKinnon, Irma Pince, and Madame Rosemerta (1963-1970)

Rudolphus and Rebastian Lestrange, probably the same years as Bellatrix

Andromeda Black and Filius Flitwick (1965-1972)

Patricia Rakepick and Ludo Bagman (1966-1973)

Lucius Malfoy, Dawlish, Sybill Trelawny, and Narcissa Black (1967-1974)

1970s:

(NOTE: Flitwick had been teaching since at least 1975, and Filch became caretaker in 1973)

Reginald Cattermole, Mulciber, Avery, and Macnair (1970-1977)

Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Lily Evans, Augustus Rookwood, Mary McDonald, and Severus Snape (1971-1978)

Jacob, Duncan Ashe, Olivia Green, and Annelena Murk (Hogwarts Mystery) (1974-1981)

Regulus Black (1972-1979)

Barty Crouch Jr. (1973-1980)

Kingsley Shacklebolt and Gilderoy Lockhart (1975-1982)

Emmeline Vance and Quirius Quirrel (1976-1983)

Chester Davies (1979-1986)

1980s:

(NOTE: Both Snape and Trelawny began teaching at Hogwarts in 1981)

Bill Weasley (1982-1989)

Stan Shunpike (1983-1990)

Percy Weasley, Oliver Wood, Marcus Flint, and Penelope Clearwater (1987-1994)

Hogwarts Mystery MC, Charlie Weasley, Penny Haywood, Nymphadora Tonks, Merula Snyde, Ismelda Murk, Barnaby Lee, Corey Hayden, Alanza Alves, Murphy McNully, Badea Ali, Liz Tuttle, Tulip Karasu, Skye Parkin, Erika Rath, Diego Caplan, Andre Egwu, Talbott Winger, Levi Kidd, Jae Kim, Ben Copper, and Chiara Lobasca (1984-1991)

Beatrice Haywood (1988-1995)

Fred and George Weasley, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Roger Davies, and Cedric Diggory (1989-1996)

1990s

(NOTE: Fudge became Minister of Magic in 1990)

Katie Bell and Cho Chang (1990-1997)

Harry Potter and everyone else in his year (1991-1998)

Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Cormac McClaggin, and Romilda Vane (1992-1999)

Dennis Creevey (1994-2001)

[buzzdixonwriter]

Bill Danch’s Finest Hour And Five Minutes

One of the first people I met when I started working for Filmation Studios in 1978 was an irascible old reprobate named Bill Danch.

And I say that with the greatest affection possible.

Bill wrote for radio in the 1940s, most notably on the old Fibber McGee And Molly show.  The way they wrote weekly radio sit-coms back in the day was to come up with a central theme or plot for an episode, then assign different writers different characters the star/s would interact with (the head writer / story editor / producer would then do the final pass over the script to smooth out all the bumps).

Bill handled the character Tini, a perpetually precocious 6-year old neighbor who periodically dropped in to contribute to the silliness.

I forget how he got involved in writing for radio, but I seem to recall he also wrote a few big-little books in the 1930s for paltry fees.

Before that he worked a number of hard scrabble jobs, including stripping the paint off Pullman cars with buckets of turpentine during the Depression.  Corporations then and now showed the same concern over the health and safety of their employees and Danch’s crew needed to work without gloves.

The constant exposure to turpentine on his bare skin destroyed the oil glands in his hands and forearms, so for the rest of his life he needed to constantly massage moisturizers into his gnarly, claw-like hands.

He was born in Hammond, IN in 1910 and died in Ojai, CA in 2004.  He may have acquired a wife or two along the way (I seem to recall mention of a son but may be misremembering) but when I met him he was unmarried and living alone.

He would have been 68 when I met him at Filmation Studios, but he looked a lot older, bent and balding but full of piss and vinegar.  He told me he began writing for animation during the 1940s, contributing stories and gags to Tex Avery cartoons until Tex remade one of his cartoons without paying him.

His first noted animation writing was for the legendary UPA studios but he also wrote episodes on a number of early TV shows, of which The Real McCoys probably marks his high water mark in live action.

Bill seemed to bounce around from gig to gig, not really getting a solid footing under himself until the 1960s when he became a staff writer on The Jim Backus Show and a couple of animated series.

He washed up -- er, landed at Filmation in 1970 when signed on to write for Archie And His New Pals.  He stayed at the studio through to 1982, writing primarily for Fat Albert and the various Archie shows.

He ran a side hustle self-publishing a book on how to win mail-in contests and store drawings.*

I lost track of him around 1980 when I left Filmation and wound up at Ruby-Spears.

Believe me, two years was a lifetime’s worth of exposure to him (and again, I write that with affection).

A couple of Bill Danch stories pop to mind:

Bill was drafted during WWII and assigned to the glider corps.  As he and his squad lined up for a practice flight, he noticed the glider pilot wore a parachute.

“Why do you get a parachute and we don’t?” he asked.

“They need me,” the pilot said.

Bill immediately called in as many favors as he could and before his unti shipped out for D-Day managed to get reassigned to the Army’s public affairs office.

In Hollywood.

A lot of Hollywood types pulled strings to get assigned in and around Los Angeles during the war.  Bill and the rest of the office -- all radio and screenwriters in civilian life -- pounded out Army press releases during the day and scripts for studios at night.

They were located near Hollywood and Vine, operating out of a rented house in the neighborhood bordering Hollywood Boulevard.

Their neighbor was an angry lady -- what we’d call a Karen today -- who resented them because her son was actually serving overseas.

When the lease ran out on the house, the Army relocated them to the Westwood / UCLA area, about 8 miles west of Hollywood and Vine.

As they were loading their office equipment on a truck for their move, their bitter neighbor came over to smirk.

“I see they finally caught up with you goldbricks,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Bill answered.  “They’re moving us closer to the Pacific front:  Westwood.”

Bill could be a righteous bastard when he put his mind to it.

The main story I want to write about is Bill’s 1954 magnum opus:  Monster From The Ocean Floor.

Bill had written a spec script called It Stalked The Ocean Floor and showed it to a young assistant agent he knew, Roger Corman.

Monster… was Roger Corman’s second feature film, his first solo effort as a producer. 

According to Bill, his original script was more expansive than the final film, and that may be true.  The non-monster parts don’t seem badly done for the era, but aren’t the epitome of the motion picture art.

The most interesting thing about it is that the heroine, instead of being army candy and / or a helpless victim, takes the lead in trying to catch the monster.  She’s rescued in the end by the hero ramming his mini-sub into the monster’s cyclopedian eye, but that’s because she donned scuba gear to go confront the beast in its own lair.

Corman financed the film with money off his first feature, Highway Dragnet, and getting Bill and director / co-star Wyatt Ordung to accept deferred payments.

Exactly how much Corman spent on the film varies with who’s telling the story, but the low ball figure of $12,000 certainly seems plausible / bordering generous when one actually sees the movie.

It clocked in at 65-minutes, making it perfect fodder for a drive-in double-bill, literally a B-movie.

According to Bill, it played for years on the drive-in circuits, often being teamed up with older A-movies such as Ben-Hur.

The way distributors broke down revenues from double-bills was to split the revenue evenly between the two films.

It’s safe to assume very, very few people came to the Ben-Hur / Monster From The Ocean Floor double-bill to see Bill’s movie, but nonetheless Corman got half the take.

However…

Hollywood distributors -- being even more ruthless and less ethical than Medellin cartel drug lords -- typically expected an under the table kickback from the B-movie producers if the B-movie producers wanted their next film to get distribution.

Bill and Wyatt Ordung waited and waited and waited for their deferred payments but never received them (Ordung was in even deeper than Bill; he invested his life insurance in the film).

They eventually sued Corman in the late 1950s / early 1960s, demanding to see his accounting books to determine how much they were owed.

Corman said sure and in the discovery phase of the trial told them to go to the local Bekins warehouse.

There Bill and Ordung found three china barrels filled with loose papers, all the paperwork associated with every film Corman made in the 1950s.

Corman mixed the papers up and divided them among the three barrels, meaning Bill and Ordung would need to pay for very expensive legal and accounting time to make heads and tails of it.

Realizing they’d never make enough to recoup what they’d spend, Bill and Ordung dropped the suit.

. . .

I stated Monster From The Ocean Floor was Bill’s magnum opus, but he did work on another produced live action screenplay.

I’m not sure what Bill contributed to the Mary Tyler Moore / George Peppard movie What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? but having seen that movie, I can attest Monster From The Ocean Floor is the more respectable credit.

 © Buzz Dixon

 *  His system actually worked!  Not every time, of course, but often enough to dramatically improve one’s chances.  He researched how mail in contests selected winners and gave viable tips on how to make one’s envelope more likely to be picked.  And his hack for winning random drawings was simple:  Crumple up then unfold your entry slip and the bumps and crinkles will migrate to the middle of the entries, greatly increasing one’s chances of being drawn when somebody reached in to grab one at random.

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

⁺˚⋆｡°✩ NOW AVAILABLE IN KU ✩°｡⋆˚⁺

Fighting the Forbidden, Repairing the Wreckage, Bullets and Bonfires, and Renegade Path from USA Today bestselling author Autumn Jones Lake are now available in Kindle Unlimited! 

Start reading today!

Fighting the Forbidden → https://amzn.to/3XOe1Wj 

Repairing the Wreckage → https://amzn.to/4ev7xRJ 

Bullets and Bonfires → https://amzn.to/3KWVGON 

Renegade Path → https://amzn.to/3VxE40Z 

About Fighting the Forbidden: 

My best friend’s little sister is the ultimate forbidden fruit.

I’m the bad boy. She’s the good girl.

I’ve fought for survival all my life. My best friend and I have built an empire with our fists, sweat, and blood.

There's nothing I won't do to protect her, no matter the sacrifice – even my own heart.

I should know better than to want her. She’s got big dreams that don’t involve me.

I need to set her free so she can escape our small town. Not just for her sake–if her brother finds out about us, it’s more than my heart that could be broken.

But one kiss from her soft lips, I know I’ll never let her go.

About Repairing the Wreckage: 

From day one, I’ve been fighting to survive.

I should have known better.

Nothing in life comes easy.

In the end I might leave a champion.

But victory has a price.

And losing Molly is more than I’m willing to pay.

About Bullets and Bonfires: 

The one man she's always wanted is now the sexy sheriff of their hometown.

Battered but not broken, grad student Brianna Avery returns to the childhood home she abandoned four years ago. With her abusive ex behind bars, Bree needs the summer to relax and recover before returning to school. But her overprotective brother decides she needs someone to babysit her in his absence, and he picks the one person guaranteed to drive her nuts.

She's the one woman he can't have.

Telling Bree no has never been easy. Four years ago, Liam Hollister did it to preserve his friendship with his best friend--Brianna's brother. Now, no matter how she tempts him, he's determined to do the right thing. As deputy sheriff of their rural area, Liam is torn between protecting Brianna and wanting her for himself.

Take a risk or lose the chance.

Spending so much time alone together challenges them both. Old feelings and hurts resurface immediately. With each hot, sweaty day, it's harder to deny their attraction.

It's going to be a long, hot summer…

About Renegade Path: 

At seventeen, we fell in love for the first—and last—time.

ROMAN

From the minute I met Juliet, I wanted to shield her from the world’s ugliness. We’d both already suffered more heartache than anyone should experience in a lifetime. I didn’t have anything of value to offer—just my jaded heart, broken soul, and undying love.But for her,I’d sacrifice my pride, my hostility, and my heart. Anything to see her smile.Consequences meant nothing. I would’ve given up anything, even my life, to keep her safe.

JULIET

Both our lives were soaked in tragedy from day one. That’s why we were drawn to each other the moment we met. I ignored the people who warned me he was dead inside.The truth was,he was as broken as I was. Together, we’d heal our hearts and stitch together our souls.

[promenadewithme]

First of all, I want to thank all of you so much for the follows, likes, comments, reblogs and support in general! I can't believe I hit 50 followers so soon! I know it’s not much, but I actually didn’t expect any at all so I’m so happy!! Thank you ❤️

Now, this is how the celebration is going to work: first you chose a song and a character. Then send it to my requests with your pronoun of choice, along with any other specifications and I'll write you a fic based on the song! You can either send the song or specific quotes as prompts

To find the fics I will write, use the #Anastasia's 50 followers celebration

This event starts today (May 20th) and ends June 10th

Support Me on Ko-Fi - if you’re feeling generous 💕

Songs:

Fluff (Romantic)

Paper Rings - Taylor Swift

London Boy - Taylor Swift

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Lover - Taylor Swift

King of My Heart - Taylor Swift

Willow - Taylor Swift

Crazier - Taylor Swift

New Year’s Day - Taylor Swift

Daylight - Taylor Swift

Jump Then Fall - Taylor Swift

How You Get The Girl - Taylor Swift

You Are In Love - Taylor Swift

It’s Nice To Have A Friend - Taylor Swift

Today Was A Fairytale - Taylor Swift

State Of Grace - Taylor Swift

Mine - Taylor Swift

Delicate - Taylor Swift

Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur

Naked - James Arthur

Rewrite The Stars - James Arthur + Anne-Marie

I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran

How Would You Feel (Paean) - Ed Sheeran

Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran

Afterglow - Ed Sheeran

Lego House - Ed Sheeran

Dive - Ed Sheeran

Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran

Everything Has Changed - Ed Sheeran + Taylor Swift

I Was Made For Loving You - Tori Kelly + Ed Sheeran

Make You Feel My Love -Adele

One Call Away - Charlie Puth

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars

Count On Me - Bruno Mars

Little Things - One Direction

Night Changes - One Direction

Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley

Andante, Andante - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

All Of Me - John Legend

Ocean Eyes - Billie Eilish

Snowman - Sia

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

Arms - Christina Perri

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

Halo - Beyoncé

The Only Exception - Paramore

Dandelions - Ruth B

Someone To You - BANNERS

Would You Be So Kind - Dodie

Someone You Like - The Girl and The Dreamcatcher

If I Could Tell Her - Ben Platt 

Absolutely Smitten - Dodie

How Long Will I Love - Ellie Goulding

Angst (Romantic)

Good 4 u - Olivia Rodrigo

Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo

Deja Vu - Olivia Rodrigo

Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo

Traitor - Olivia Rodrigo

Enough For You - Olivia Rodrigo

1 step forward, 3 steps back - Olivia Rodrigo

Happier - Olivia Rodrigo

Jealousy, Jealousy- Olivia Rodrigo

Favourite Crime - Olivia Rodrigo

Hope Ur Ok - Olivia Rodrigo

Betty - Taylor Swift

Exile - Taylor Swift

Teardrops On My Guitar - Taylor Swift

Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift

Tolerate It - Taylor Swift

You’re Not Sorry - Taylor Swift

Should’ve Said No - Taylor Swift

White Horse - Taylor Swift

You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift

Back to December - Taylor Swift

Breathe - Taylor Swift

The 1 - Taylor Swift

All Too Well - Taylor Swift

Invisible String - Taylor Swift

Evermore - Taylor Swift

Lose You To Love Me - Selena Gomez

The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez

When I Was Your Man -Bruno Mars

Someone Like You - Adele

Hello - Adele

All I Ask - Adele

Let Her Go - Passenger

Say Something - A Great Big World

Stay With Me - Sam Smith

California King Bed - Rihanna

Take a Bow - Rihanna

Broken Hearted Girl - Beyoncé

Tonight I Wanna Cry - Keith Urban

The Winner Takes It All - ABBA

SOS - ABBA

One Of Us - ABBA

Half a Heart - One Direction

Yesterday - The Beatles

If The World Was Ending - Julia Michaels

Colors - Halsey

Happier - Ed Sheeran

One Last Time - Ariana Grande

Why’d You Only Call Me When You High - Artic Monkeys

Play Date - Melanie Martinez

Just a Friend to You - Meghan Trainor

All I Want - Kodaline

Love You From A Distance - Ashley Kutcher

Potential Breakup Song - Aly & AJ

I Don’t Wanna See You With Her - Maria Mena

Let Her Go - Passenger

All My Tears - Ane Brun

Always On My Mind - Elvis Presley

Someone to you - Lewis Capaldi 

Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi

Others

Sit Still, Look Pretty - Daya

How To Be A Heartbreaker - MARINA

No Body, No Crime - Taylor Swift

Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

Blank Space - Taylor Swift

You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift

Getaway Car -Taylor Swift

Gorgeous - Taylor Swift

Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

The Man - Taylor Swift

22 - Taylor Swift

Dorothea - Taylor Swift

Marjorie - Taylor Swift

The Best Day - Taylor Swift

Mirrorball - Taylor Swift

I Forgot That You Existed - Taylor Swift

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Taylor Swift

The Lakes - Taylor Swift

The Last Great American Dynasty - Taylor Swift

Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson

When I Kissed The Teacher - ABBA

I Have A Dream - ABBA

I've Been Waiting For You - ABBA

You'll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins

Titanium - David Guetta (feat. Sia)

F**ckin' Perfect - P!nk

New Rules - Dua Lipa

IDGAF - Dua Lipa

Bad Guy - Billie Eilish

You Should See Me in A Crown - Billie Eilish

COPYCAT - Billie Eilish

Count On Me - Bruno Mars

Stand By You - Rachel Platten

Firework - Katy Perry

Because You Loved Me - Céline Dion

See You Again - Wiz Khalifa + Charlie Puth

NO - Meghan Trainor

Skyfall - Adele

Gasoline - Halsey

Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran

Save Myself - Ed Sheeran

Supermarket Flowers - Ed Sheeran

Small Bump - Ed Sheeran

Growing Up - Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Ed Sheeran

7 Rings - Ariana Grande

Bad Liar - Selena Gomez

Rare - Selena Gomez

Who Says - Selena Gomez

I Turn To You - Christina Aguilera

Till There Was You - The Beatles

Sweetest Devotion - Adele

ps: sorry, I'm a Swiftie and a Sheerio <3

Characters

Character x fem! or GN! reader (ROMANTIC)

ACOTAR: Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Lucien, Helion, Tarquin, kallias and Tamlin.

BRIDGERTON: Anthony Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton and Simon Basset.

GRISHAVERSE: Nikolai, Mal, The Darkling, Kaz, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan and David.

THRONE OF GLASS: Dorian Havilliard and Chaol Westfall.

HARRY POTTER: Harry, Ron, Neville, Draco, George, Fred, Oliver, Cedric, Young Sirius, Young James and Young Remus.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley.

MARVEL: Steve, Bucky, Sam, Pietro, Loki, Thor, Peter Parker, Ned, Tony, Bruce, Vision, Clint, T'Challa, Scott Lang, James Rhodes, Peter Quill and Stephen Strange.

THE HUNGER GAMES: Peeta, Gale and Finnick.

GREY'S ANATOMY: Derek Shepherd, Andrew DeLuca, Alex Karev, Jackson Avery, Mark Sloan, George O'Malley, Link, Koracick and Ben Warren.

TEEN WOLF: Scott, Stiles, Derek, Isaac, Liam and Jackson.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: Damon, Stefan, Matt, Klaus, Elijah and Kai.

NARNIA: Peter, Edmund and Caspian.

STAR WARS: Anakin, Obi Wan, Kylo, Han, Luke, Poe, Finn and Din Djarin.

Character x platonic!/sis!/bro!/enemy!/daughter!/son!/mentor!/or anything else platonic Reader

ACOTAR: Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Feure, Nesta, Elain, Mor, Amren, Nyx, Lucien, Tarquin, Helion, Kallias, Tamlin, Ianthe, Suriel and Bone Carver.

GRISHAVERSE: Nikolai, Mal, Darkling, David, Alina, Bahgra, Zoya, Tamar, Tolya, Apparat, Kaz, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Inej, Tantee Heleen and Pekka Rollins.

THRONE OF GLASS: Dorian, Chaol and Aelin.

BRIDGERTON: Anthony, Benedict, Colin; Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, Hyacinth, Lady Violet, Simon, Lady Danbury, Penelope, Lady Portia Featherington, Marina, Sienna, Genevieve, Cressida and Queen Charlotte.

HARRY POTTER: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Draco, George, Fred, Oliver, Cedric, Cho, Seamus, Fleur, Pansy, Myrtle, Sirius (old or young), James (old or young), Remus (old or young), Lily (old or young), Molly, Arthur, Bill, Percy, Charlie, Xenophilus Lovegood, Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, Moody, Flitwick, Umbridge, Bellatrix, Voldemort, Lucius, Narcissa, Peter Pettigrew, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Dobby and Nearly Headless Nick.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Mr Darcy, Georgiana Darcy, Mr Bingley, Caroline Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Bennet, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Catherine Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Wickam, Mr Collins, Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet.

MARVEL: Steve, Peggy, Sharon, Natasha, Bucky, Sam, Carol, Monica Rambeau, Pietro, Wanda, Agatha Harkness, Loki, Frigga, Odin, Hela, Thor, Heimdall, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Valkyrie, Peter Parker, Ned, MJ, Tony, Pepper, Morgan, Happy, Howard, Bruce, Vision, Clint, T'Challa, Shuri, Scott, Hope, Hank, Cassie, James Rhodes, Peter Quill, Gamora, Mantis, Nebula, Groot, Rocket, Drax, Stephen Strange, Wong, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, Thanos, Ancient One, Red Skull, Ultron, John Walker and Zemo.

THE HUNGER GAMES: Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Haymitch, Rue, President Snow, Primrose, Effie, Cinna and Johanna.

GREY'S ANATOMY: Meredith, Derek, Andrew, Alex, Jackson, Mark, Lexie, Cristina, April, Izzie, George, Callie, Owen, Addison, Arizona, Miranda, Amelia, Link, Burke, Teddy, Maggie, Richard, Carina, Ben Warren, Megan Hunt, Ellis Grey, Catherine Avery and Tom Koracick.

TEEN WOLF: Scott, Stiles, Malia, Lydia, Allison, Derek, Isaac, Liam, Jackson, Peter Hale, Chris Argent, Sheriff Stilinski, Kira, Melissa McCall and Noshiko Yukimura.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: Damon, Elena, Katherine, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Jenna, Klaus, Elijah, Rebeka, Sheriff Forbes, Kai and Lexi.

NARNIA: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Caspian and Aslan.

STAR WARS: Anakin, Padme, Yoda, Jarjar, Obi Wan, Kylo, Rey, Han, Leia, Luke, Poe, Finn and Din Djarin and Grogu.

No pressure tags: @venuswritesfanfic @for-bebbanburg @maggiescarborough @multifandomfix @sweetnspicysimp @lazypeachsoul @magravenwrites

[neeswords]

JAY HALSTEAD IMAGINE

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader

Requested?: yes

Word count: 2794

Authors notes: I hope you enjoy it. If you would like a personalised one please do ask! have fun reading! I have also a promt list :)

Trigger warning(s): mention of death, swearing, violence 

Summary: jay seems to always take Hailey's side one everything. Hailey always seems to come first. A trauma takes place and jay realises the reality.

Prompt: request.

————————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------

Since Hailey had received a job offer from the FBI Jay had become really close with her, so close then he was pushing away his own actual girlfriend. It wasn't just y/n who noticed this though Atwater asked y/n one evening at molly's if her and Jay had broken up. 

Y/n loved Hailey and she thought she was so good to Jay. Maybe too good to him. When Jay got shot one time y/n was sat in the waiting room and Hailey and Vanessa were there and she heard a convocation she wish she could unhear. 

'you love him' Vanessa said to Hailey.

'Of course I love him he's my partner' was the response. 

This broke Y/n heart a little as she knew at that point that if she wasn't in the equation Jay would be in absolute awe of Hailey. Who was y/n anyways? Everyone would prefer a beautiful blonde greek badass cop. 

Y/n worked with a law firm, in fact that's how she met Jay. She was a criminal defence attorney she met Jay in an interrogation room whilst defending her client. Jay later asked for her number and one thing led to another. 

At some points she wishes she never picked up that phone call.

'Y/n if your gonna start then leave, Hailey would be so fine wi-' Jay yet again started comparing y/n to Hailey. Y/n was pissed off that Jay kept staying out late with Hailey. 

Thats all it took. Y/n lost it. "GET THE FUCK OUT AND GO BE WITH HER THEN" Y/n was fuming she was so tired of being compared to Hailey. Her own boyfriend who was meant to love her and only her was clearly in love with another woman.

"y/n come on what's going on with you? Since I've been shot you've been so different around me. Talk to me baby" Jay was so soothing. He gently approached y/n and gently placed some hair behind her ear. 

Y/n refused to even look at him. I guess you could say that she reached her breaking point. She had given up on him. Jay went to kiss her as a way of saying 'I love you' but she turned her head before he had the chance. As much as it hurt her, y/n had to leave. She made her way to the bedroom completely avoiding all eye contact with Jay. She grabbed a duffle and started showing clothes into it. Jay just stood there entirely confused on what to say or do. 

"I'll come get the rest when you're out" a few tears were brimming in her eyes but she sure as hell wasn't going to let them fall. 

Jay went to grab her hand y/n ignored him and walked out the door. 

*BANG BANG BANG 

"Derek what do you want" y/n was at her firm and her associate, Derek was wanting her. 

"you need to go to the 21st district, Mr Maxwell got caught up again" y/n rolled her eyes. Mr Maxwell was a frequent flyer he was homeless, y/n always felt bad for him so she took his case pro-bono. However, Rossi Maxwell always seemed to find trouble. 

"Tell him i'll be there in twenty" and with that y/n left to go to the district. 

"Hey Trudy, looking as beautiful as ever" y/n cheekily said with a smirk. 

Trudy rolled her eyes and responded with a blunt "upstairs" 

Going up these stairs was a familiar feeling for y/n whether she was going to support a client or going to see her boyfriend, well now ex-boyfriend. Y/n hadn't seen Jay in a week she still hasn't been by the house to collect her stuff. She loved Jay but just couldn't face him. 

Ruzek greeted y/n with a hug as soon as he saw her "girl I thought you were dead where have you been?" 

y/n just laughed and said "Maxwell? what's he been up to this time?"

Ruzek chuckled slightly 'what hasn't that man done? He got caught with some dope but if I tell you anymore I'm pretty sure you'll get him released and we will lose our best shot of catching our guy."

Y/n raised her brows at him. "Ruzek, you do realise i'm his lawyer and that's my job right?" 

Ruzek clicked his finger and led her to the interrogation room. 

"Adam who's in there with him?" y/n asked nervously. 

"Jay and Hailey" Ruzek said barely above a whisper. It was clear that everyone seemed to know about this love triangle between y/n, jay and Hailey. 

Y/n being the badass she is walked in with her head held up. "Rossi what have you gotten yourself into this time?" 

Rossi gave her his compelling cheeky smirk "oh nothing new, I just wanted to see your pretty face" 

Y/n smiled at him then looked towards Hailey who was sat next to jay directly in-front of Mr Maxwell. "My client has nothing further to say to you, we are leaving." 

Mr Maxwell stood up. "no he's not, he's being charged with the handling of a class a drug as well as distribution, hell I could hold him as an accessory to murder" Hailey stated with a stern voice. 

"accessory. Hailey come on he's a harmless old man who can hardly look after himself how the hell would he be able to help with murder?" y/n stated somewhat pissed off. 

"y/n he's staying. End of." Hailey said slightly raising her tone. Jay sat there silently not knowing where to look. He saw that Hailey was getting annoyed and placed his hand on her lower back. Y/n saw this and it made her blood boil. How could he have moved on in a week? They had been together for 3 years and he goes to his partner in a week! It was really clear how much he cared for y/n. 

"My client has rights and IM NOT SEEING ANY PROOF OF THIS ACCESSORY TO MURDER. MY client denies all charged and without any admissible evidence we will be walking out of here now." y/n leaned over the table to she was in Hailey's face "end of" she whispered to her. Y/n was true to her word she told Mr Maxwell to leave the interrogation room and to go outside, where Derek, the associate, was waiting. Y/n wanted to speak to Voight about how the whole situation was handled. 

"y/n can we-" jay began.  

"no" y/n simply stated and carried on walking. However, she was stopped when Jay grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her into him. 

"baby please. I love you" y/n could have sworn she saw tears threatening to spill form his eyes. This made her soften but she was still mad. 

"I won't be second place" she stated and with that she walked off to Voight's office.

"you need to get your detectives in place before this unit has a pending court trial" y/n said entering Voight's office. 

"y/n I know she was out of place bu-" Voight began. 

"no Voight I'm tired of making excuses for this unit sort it out" as y/n was leaving she saw Hailey comforting Jay. Y/n chucked and murmured a "point proven, case closed" and made her way back outside to meet with her client and Derek. 

Normally, Derek would be waiting outside the car but this time he wasn't. Y/n just predicted that he was in the car; the windows were tinted so she couldn't see. Y/n got in and saw Derek in the back seat, he was coated in blood. "oh my - DEREK WAKE UP" she started to shake him. Maxwell was sat next to Derek looking at his hand with a sore excuse of a smirk. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" she screamed at him. This got his attention, he looked up at her and reached for a knife. Y/n knew what was about to come so she reached for the door handle of the car. Maxwell grabbed some rope and put it around y/n neck. She found it strange with how he didn't say a word, this wasn't him. She didn't know this person, she knew a sweet old man who just got caught up in the wrong crowd. Y/n fought hard trying not to be choked to death, tears were falling and fear was taking over her, she could barely breathe. "Rossi please" y/n said softly as she was somewhat loosing conciseness due to the lack of oxygen. This made him stop. He got out the car and left. y/n couldn't move, when she finally pulled herself together she went to check on Derek. "hey, hey" she said tears falling rapidly. She couldn't find a pulse and knew she needed help. She could barely catch her breathe so she had to leave the car. She got out and looked around, Maxwell was no where to be seen. 

She started speed walking back towards the district. She was stopped by a sharp pain in her upper ribs. She turned around, it was Maxwell. She had been stabbed. He continued plunging the knife into her, she didn't have any energy to fight him off. "Rossi please stop" y/n managed to get out. She wasn't sure if he heard so she said it again with everything she had "Rossi stop p-please." This time he looked at her. He froze and dropped the knife. y/n kicked it out the way. Yn fell to her knees she was blacking out. Maxwell snapped out of his trance and saw her in front of him covered in blood. 

"Y/L/N! HELPPPP" Maxwell picked her up and ran into the district with her in his arms. 

Trudy saw them and instantly shouted "HELP CITIZEN DOWN" she froze, that's when she recognised her. "AVERY GET YOUR ASS UP TO INTELLIGENCE AND TELL THEM Y/N Y/L/N IS DOWN HERE AND IS IN BAD SHAPE" Trudy put pressure on her wounds "come on y/n stay with me". 

JAYS POV. 

One of the officers came running up the stairs, something had to be wrong. 

"sergeant platt said you need to come down stairs she said something about a 'y/n y/l/n' she's in real bad shape" he started rambling. My heart dropped. There was no way it was her. How could it be her. 

I ran downstairs in less than a second and I saw her. She looked completely lifeless. 

"baby, come on oh my god, baby wake up" I cried. I couldn't hold myself together. I grabbed her hand whilst Trudy was doing CPR. 

END OF POV. 

Jay was frantically pacing around the hospital waiting room. How could he have let this happen? Who the hell would do this to her?

Dr Halstead entered the room. 

"Will, tell me she's fine. Will please" Will placed a hand on his brothers shoulder and took a deep breath. 

"Jay she lost a lot of blood. She's in the ICU at the moment its a hit and miss she's just gotta make it though the night" Jay fell to the floor sobbing loudly. Will comforted him. They were like this for a while until Jay finally spoke. 

"Can I see her?" Will responded with a nod, not knowing what else to say. 

Will walked Jay to y/n's room. Jay walked in and Will left them alone. 

JAYS POV. 

She looked ghost-like, yet perfect. Why didn't I go after her? why didn't I try to get her to stay? This is my fault. 

I went and sat next to her. I grabbed her hand and placed a light kiss on it. 

"Hey honey, its me." I was hoping she would wake up and answer me, she didn't. 

I didn't know what to do. what could I do? 

END OF POV

Y/n made it though the night but she still had no woken up. Two weeks had passed and nothing seemed to be improving. 

"Jay go home, take a shower and get some sleep I will call you if anything changes I promise." Will told Jay sternly. 

"promise" Jay said mid-yawn. 

"yes let me drive you" and with that both the Halstead brothers drove back to Jay's apartment, previously his and y/n's. 

Jay went straight to the bathroom when he remembered what was in the cabinet. He smiled at the thought of what he could have had. He never understood why y/n was always so mad at him he really never noticed how close he was getting with Hailey. He was furious at himself. 

"Jay you good?" Will interrupted his thoughts. Jay opened the bathroom door and showed Will what was making him smile. "do you think this was her style?"

Will laughed. "brother, she's a lawyer. Believe me they make it clear what they want. That is perfect" Jay also laughed. It was a noise Will missed hearing. 

Jay had a nap whilst Will went back to the ER. 

*BEEP BEEP BEEP

*BEEP BEEP BEEP

Jay didn't hear. 

*BEEP BEEP BEEP

He finally heard. Jay answered the phone as quick as he possibly could. 

"what's happened?" jay asked frantically 

"get here now" was all Will had to say. 

Jay rushed out the door and sped to the ER with sirens on. He ran up to y/n's room. He went to the door and he rushed over to her. 

"you're awake, Will had me thinking you were dead" Jay chucked 

Y/n didn't say anything she still was somewhat mad at Jay. 

"Y/n I didn't realise what I did when you left, I really confused me. I love you and I thought you loved me too. I have never missed someone so much, you make me the happiest man. These past 3 years have been the best. You put up with me through my sleepless nights, through the hospital visits and all the times I tried arguing with you in the interrogation rooms. y/n/n you are my everything. You are the reason why I smile in the morning and the reason why I can peacefully and happily close my eyes at night. Atwater made me realise about Hailey, I've only been with her so much lately because she's leaving y/n. She accepting the FBI offer and I wanted to give a good goodbye, spent time with her you know. She's one hell of a cop. She wanted me to go with her. I said no because everything I could ever want is right her. My life is perfect. Well, it was until you left and got yourself stabbed" Jay lightly chuckled. Y/n was tearing up and smiled. Until realisation hit her about being stabbed. 

"Maxwell-" 

"Is in a mental asylum. He has a 2 personality disorder, he will get better he just needs some support" Jay said softly going to kiss her forehead. 

"Derek?" y/n asked not really wanting to know the answer. 

Jay shook his head "i'm sorry" 

Y/n moved over in the uncomfortable hospital bed. "whoa what are you doing, you'll hurt yourself?" jay said sternly. 

"shut up and come cuddle me" y/n said back to him sternly. Jay did as he was told being careful not to hurt her. 

"i'm an idiot" she said. 

Jay laughed "my idiot" 

Will came in and ruined the moment "hey lovers not naughty business in the room thank youuu" They all laughed as Jay smacked his brother lightly on the head. Will placed something in Jay's hands making sure y/n wouldn't see he winked at him then left.  

"What was that" y/n asked as Jay got comfy next to her. 

"Look at me" Jay said. She did as she was told. "I love you. I don't want to lose you or wake up without you for another day. You are the one I want and I've been planning this for a while"

Jay got down from the bed and got on one knee. 

"y/n will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

y/n didn't know what to say so she just nodded and let the tears flow from her eyes. Jay placed the ring on her finger. 

"I love you Jay Halstead however I'm not letting that my idiot comment slide. I think your forgetting i'm the one with the law degree" y/n smirked. 

Jay laughed. 

"I love you too" and that's when Will came in. 

"WELCOME TO THE SEXY FAMILY Y/N!" 

The three of them laughed as Jay kissed y/n

[ducktracy]

187. daffy duck & egghead (1938)

release date: january 1st, 1938

series: merrie melodies

director: tex avery

starring: mel blanc (daffy, turtle, duck), danny webb (egghead)

starting off the new year with a bang—the first cartoon of 1938 is one of my favorites! two tex avery creations, daffy and egghead, make their second appearances paired together.

both characters have gotten a makeover, though egghead’s is more drastic: he now has hair and talks in a dopey drawl courtesy of danny webb. daffy, on the other hand, now has blue irises and a matching ring around his neck—this design would be exclusive to this short only. but, it IS the first cartoon to pen him as daffy duck! he’d appear in a number of looney tunes shorts with porky as the year would go on.

like so many other “hunter vs prey” shorts, egghead is determined to hunt daffy. daffy, however, is prepared to do everything in his power to make egghead miserable.

ben hardaway, who would have been directing his own cartoons at the time of this cartoon’s release, is the writer, and it shows throughout. ben is notable for his more hayseed sense of humor, relying on puns so corny you’ll be flossing your teeth for a week to remove the kernels. his punny touch is noticeable right at the start, with daffy and egghead bursting out of literal nutshells in an odd little introductory sequence. irv spence does some nice animation here: daffy shakes his fists in the glory, soon to be interrupted by the fire of egghead’s gun. egghead chases after a HOOHOOing daffy, the smoke from the gun spelling out to the audience “DUCK SEASON STARTS TODAY”.

the scene is odd, but more so out of uniqueness rather than perplexity. one wonders how tex really would have prefaced the cartoon if he were paired with another writer instead.

in a tradition that would carry out into tex’s MGM days, one of our first impressions of the short is a facetious disclaimer:

a sense of tranquility is established through a soft, sweeping rendition of “morning song” from the william tell overture. various gorgeously painted backgrounds fade into each other to convey the passage of time and rise of the sun, each background absolutely stunning in its own right. in a tex avery cartoon, such peace and harmony can only mean one thing: chaos is soon to follow.

our eponymous hunter creeps onto the screen, remarking aloud on the eerie stillness of his surroundings. “i wonder if there are any more hunters out here this morning.” right on cue, a swarm of hunters pop out of the reeds, reciting a popular catchphrase from the ken murray show reused in many a ‘30s WB cartoon: “whoooooooooa, yeaaaaah!”

the sound of quacks ring out from the recesses of the reeds, turning egghead on the alert. just as he prepares to hunt his prey, a signature avery gag of epic proportions interrupts the scene... literally. 

tedd pierce’s silhouette darkens the screen as he makes his way to his movie seat--a latecomer. egghead spots him and urges him to sit down and not scare away his prey. the latecomer does so, only to rise up again and change seats. our frustrated sportsman urges the silhouette to sit down again, which he does so. the silhouette never utters a word, and that’s the best part. the matter of fact delivery of the gag, the control of it all is what makes the gag so funny. such even temperament from the silhouette juxtaposes starkly with the wild nature of avery cartoons. the normal is now the ridiculous. 

when the silhouette snoops around for a better seat once more, egghead loses all patience and fires his gun straight at the silhouette. tedd pierce’s theatrics are hilarious--he twirls around, clutching his heart, hamming up his injury to the last drop. the anticipatory drum-roll as egghead looks on brings the entire act together. finally, pierce collapses, much to the contentment of egghead. he merely rubs the dust off his hands in a job well done and continues where he left off.

cartoon characters shooting audience members isn’t an alien move in warner bros. cartoons (bugs in rhapsody rabbit, daffy in the ducksters), yet the inclusion of the silhouette and its subsequent dramatics brings a new level of inclusion with the audience. imagine what an uproar this would get in a packed house! it’s a great way to break the barrier between cartoon characters and the audience. WB did a great job of making the audience feel included. hell, a majority of daffy’s character throughout the ‘40s hinges on this! but that’s an analysis for another time.

speaking of daffy, he’s the perpetrator of those quacking sounds in the reeds. egghead parts the plants to see if his prey is still there. he is—daffy gives him a viscious bite on egghead’s bulbous nose before going back into hiding.

“that duck’s craaaa-zy!” daffy pops his head out of the reeds again, shrieking a reply of “you tellin’ me? WOO WOO WOOHOO!”

daffy’s voice is significantly more shrill than his dopey guffaws in porky’s duck hunt. in fact, it’s so shrill that this could easily be considered one of his most annoying cartoons. though his 100% screwy, totally out of his mind personality isn’t my favorite personality for him, it’s still pretty damn great! so if you like obnoxious daffy (like me), this is a short for you. if you can’t stand him being a lunatic, stay away!

with that, daffy takes an exit, whooping and shrieking all the way in a direct throwback to his ecstatic exit in porky’s duck hunt. this is a game-changer for the merrie melodies series—the screwy, lunatic antics were typically reserved for the black and white looney tunes shorts. and here we have daffy, splitting the ears of his patrons and being a royal nuisance in the more expensive, esteemed merrie melodies, typically reserved for song and dance numbers! this ain’t your mother’s merry melody.

when daffy takes refuge within a cluster of reeds positioned in the middle of the lake, egghead uses this as an opportunity to lure out his prey with a decoy. specifically, ONE LOVE-LURE DUCK DECOY.

egghead sends the obnoxiously feminine duck decoy out into the water, quacking in time to the beat of stalling’s “the lady in red” underscore. the decoy disappears into the reeds, and there’s a pause.

a flurry of aggravated, warbled quacking cues us in that daffy is pissed off. the action is all hidden behind the plants, leaving details of their altercation is up to the audience’s interpretation. what we do see is daffy’s physical anger: he pops out of the water at the bank of the lake, throwing the decoy down at egghead’s feet. a makeshift sign cleverly held up by a cattail echoes a beloved catchphrase from the radio show fibber mcgee and molly:

bubbles rippling on the surface indicate daffy’s presence. he pokes his head out to heave a teasing quack at the befuddled hunter before dipping back down again, prompting egghead to stick his rifle in the lake. cue a tried and true gag that was likely much funnier then than now: the ol’ tie-the-gun-into-a-bow trick. 

the next gag is one that tex avery would refurbish in his MGM debut, the early bird dood it!: egghead physically lifts the lake up like a blanket, where daffy appears just in time to give his nose another honk for good measure. cue crazed laughter and intricate water aerobics. daffy halts, addressing the audience directly with a flimsy reassurance: “i’m not crazy, i just don’t give a darn!”

irv spence takes the next showdown between hunter and duck. look at how much more appealing egghead is in his hands! egghead leans down to retrieve his gun he tosses aside, when daffy zooms into frame and fights him for it. daffy’s consistent smile as he and egghead battle for dominance, both trying to reach higher and higher on the gun, is hysterical—he’s absolutely getting a kick out of egghead’s frustration. though it was clear he was reveling in porky’s own anger in porky’s duck hunt, here his enjoyment is much more blatant. he loves being a pest.

daffy slides the rifle beneath his legs and out of sight, bopping egghead on the fist and causing him to slug a haymaker against his own head. signature irv spence grawlixes add a nice level of two dimensional graphic design, like something straight from a comic.

out of nowhere, a random turtle disrupts the altercation. the turtle is a parody of parkykarkus from the chase & sanborn hour, speaking in a thick accent and slightly butchered grammar. he opts to settle daffy and egghead’s fight once and for all, posing as a referee. “just a minute, chums. just a minute!” he supplies the two with pistols, both fitted for their respective sizes. to daffy, “turn around.” to egghead: “now you turn around.”

i love how daffy’s curiosity with the turtle’s interruption is noticeable. so noticeable, in fact, that the turtle grows hostile, getting up in his face and shouting “KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF OTHER PEOPLES BUSINESS, AIN’T IT!” it’s rare to see daffy lacking control of the situation, even this early on. 

the two put their backs together per the turtle’s command, walking ten paces backwards in time to the turtle’s countdown. just as the turtle reaches ten, daffy jumps behind egghead, who fires. a potentially gruesome conclusion is avoided as the bullet hits the turtle’s chest instead, causing his head to rocket upward, hit a branch, and shrink back into his shell. in a hardawayian touch, daffy hands egghead a cigar, walking off screen, satisfied.

random as the scene is (hardaway’s influence seems to be particularly strong throughout this whole middle section), irv spence’s timing and appealing animation makes up for it. the switch to another animator entails an inevitable downgrade in draftsmanship.

after egghead realizes he’s been duped, he retrieves his rifle and prepares to shoot daffy. though initially startled, daffy thinks on his feet, and eagerly places an apple on his head for egghead to aim at instead. stalling’s fitting accompaniment of “william tell overture” raises in key each time egghead fires (and subsequently misses), a pattern that sounds almost identical to scott bradley’s scores under the direction of tex at MGM. 

egghead shoots a tree, the lake, a barn, and even straight past daffy, who grows increasingly irritated at the hunter’s incompetence, moving closer to him with each effort. hardaway’s influence is strong with the next gag, matched with tex’s fast pace to prevent it from overstaying its welcome: daffy thrusts pencils, sunglasses, and a sign that says BLIND on it before turning to the audience and tssking. “too bad. too bad!” harsh indeed. i imagine this gag would have been prolonged had hardaway directed this cartoon or wrote it under another director.

if anything, this cartoon certainly displays the importance of the relationship between director and writer. writers have a much bigger influence on the cartoon than one might believe! there’s a reason as to why chuck jones and mike maltese are touted around as a dynamic duo. i wouldn’t call hardaway a bad writer by any means, but his influence is certainly potent. tex is a strong director, and thankfully he could cushion the blows of hardaway’s corniness as much as he could, but it’s also evident that certain decisions were made that tex wouldn’t have made in other circumstances.

decisions such as daffy singing an entire ode to his lunacy as the cartoon’s song number. this is definitely a hardawayian insert--a prototype, hayseed, screwball bugs bunny sings his own nutty anthem in hardaway’s hare-um scare-um just a year later. full song numbers have been making their way out the door in avery’s cartoons, and by either this year or next they’d be absent in total from the merrie melodies series. it’s unlike avery to write a whole song about characters explaining their nuttiness.

that is why i have qualms with the scene. at his zenith, daffy never attempts to explain or justify his screwiness. even in the mid-’40s, when he’s able to think and speak coherently and isn’t a mere caricature of his name, he showed no self awareness for his condition. the “look at me, ain’t i a crazy one?” jokes with him were out the door by 1939. half the fun with him is how unaware he is of his daffiness--he lives in it constantly, always zipping from emotional extremes, but never stops to tell the audience just how crazy and fun he is. here, his self-awareness seems ingenuine and prideful. daffy is my favorite character for his humanity and relatability (even--if not more so--when he’s a total loon). here, he lacks that dynamism. he’s merely a stock reflection of his namesake.

with that said, daffy’s rendition of “the merry go round broke down” is my favorite merrie melody song number, period. i’m certainly biased due to my undying affinity with daffy, but irv spence’s animation is genuinely fun to watch, and mel blanc does a wonderful performance. i know all of the words by heart! essentially, daffy’s justification for his daffiness is because the dizzy pace of the merry go round went to his head and made him nuts. while this sense of bragging is relatively out of character for him, it makes for a contagiously fun song, and also, this is his second film ever. they still had much to explore. 

the scene concludes with daffy shaking hands with his reflection in the water and diving back in. fade out and in to egghead, still furiously attempting to pursue his prey. cue a fun little avery gag where our hunter nonchalantly opens the reeds he’s hiding behind like a pair of blinds. daffy’s carefree quacking and swimming in the lake almost seems to mock him. in a gag that would be reused in avery’s lucky ducky over at MGM to a greater extent, daffy puts on a mask to scare away the oncoming bullets. indeed, the bullets retreat into egghead’s gun, prompting befuddled stares at both the gun and the audience.

daffy engages in another round of spastic water aerobics, HOOHOOing all the way. he only pauses to cling to a cattail, echoing an averyian daffy catchphrase that he would also shriek in daffy duck in hollywood, “ain’t i some cutie? ahah! i think i’ll do it again! HAHAHA!”

a nice, jazzy score of “bob white (whatcha gonna swing tonight?)” accompanies yet another endeavor by egghead. he’s either stupidly bold or boldly stupid to keep up such a tiring charade--or both! egghead loads a pair of gloves tied to a string into the barrel of the rifle, cleverly using a cattail as a bore brush. and, despite the absurdity of his makeshift fishing pole, it works: one gloved hand grabs daffy by the neck, the other konking him on the head and knocking him unconscious. egghead reels in his prize, dumping daffy into a net and letting out a handful of gleeful “WHOOPEE!”s.

avery’s timing is succinct--immediately after egghead snags his duck, the sound of a siren drowns out his celebration. a duck nearly identical to daffy approaches the scene in an “asylum ambulance”. “gee, t’anks a lot for catchin’ dis goof!” duck confiscates his fellow duck comrade. the decision to turn the conversation confidential, complete with the lowering of the voice and shifty-eyed glances is great. “y’know, we been after dis guy for months!”

despite everything that egghead has endured, he seems genuinely shocked at the duck’s claim that daffy is “100% nuts”. “oh YEAH?” he echoes, daring to believe it. duck nods. “yeeeeah!” with that, he gives egghead a honk right on the nose.

daffy, completely unscathed, wastes little time in joining the festivities as both ducks beat the tar out of egghead from both ends, literally kicking him in the arse and honking him on the nose. both ducks head to the lake, HOOHOOing in shrill unison as they bound off into the horizon. egghead only has one more option... to join them. thus, we iris out on our brave hunter HOOHOOing into the horizon himself.

as i said at the beginning of this review, this cartoon is one of my favorites--for this era, anyway. despite its imperfections, it’s still a rather fun and rousing cartoon. it’s exciting to see daffy becoming more recognizable, in terms of voice,  demeanor, and appearance. the same can be said for egghead as well, though i doubt anyone has the same attachment to him as they do other characters. i certainly don’t.

admittedly, porky’s duck hunt is a more solid cartoon. this cartoon feels much more like a string of gags than anything, though i suppose that could be said for many a tex avery cartoon. he wasn’t known for his moving stories. hardaway’s corny, hayseed sense of humor serves as the biggest detriment to the cartoon, but luckily tex is a strong enough director to try and work around those weaknesses as best he could. and even though i disagree with the reasoning behind the song number, the song number will always be my favorite merry melody song. 

i didn’t mention the backgrounds very often, but they’re STELLAR. the colorful, whimsical palette brings a lot of energy and vitality to the table. if you were to describe the cartoon in one word, “energetic” would certainly be it.

so, with that said, go watch it! this is a really fun cartoon that serves as an interesting look into early daffy’s character, obnoxious as he may be.

link!

[hopevalley]

Season 8, Episode 1: Open Season

Work was busier than expected on Monday, but the deep dive into the first episode of S8 begins now!

Scene 1: Narration, Elizabeth and Nathan, Lucas

The awkwardness between Elizabeth and Nathan was...palpable at first lol.The best part about the non-narrated part of the scene is twofold: Nathan interacting with Jack is a well-needed and very nice touch, and of course it’s always nice to see that Nathan is patient concerning Elizabeth’s situation and reassures her that she can let him know when she’s ready to go to dinner with him.

My problem with the whole thing is that...if she hasn’t spoken up about wanting that dinner date yet, and she’s not saying yes she’d like to get dinner with you now, it’s like...any sane person would assume at this point in the story that Elizabeth isn’t interested in Nathan. Worse, Nathan isn’t the kind of man who wouldn’t take a hint. I’m pretty sure this is why the opening scene felt just a little bit off. I think they ought to have let Elizabeth be a little more enthusiastic about the idea while still failing to commit to it. 

To be fair to the writers, I can’t imagine it was easy for them to figure out how to open this season after such a long time gap. They let a whole winter elapse between last season and this one. How do you explain literally no major development with the love triangle in that amount of time? Especially after the way the last season ended?

Random consideration: the camera focuses on Elizabeth’s face a lot and makes her wedding ring clearly visible.

Boom, the flashback with Lucas. I think having him leave out of jealousy was a better idea than having his mother fall ill (we’ve certainly seen that enough at this point), and maybe we should also consider the fact that while Lucas was gone, Nathan didn’t really jump on the opportunity to woo Elizabeth himself.

I wonder if we’ll get an explanation for that or not. What makes Lucas so sure that after 4+ months, Elizabeth hasn’t started courting Nathan? Maybe he kept in touch with someone in town? Or he just knows Elizabeth well enough to know she wouldn’t feel quite ready to commit in that time frame anyway?

I did really like Lucas’s opening scene with Elizabeth. Honestly, he was quite likable, here: admitting he was wrong, admitting his shortcomings, apologizing. All good things. “I’m ashamed I let my jealousy get the best of me... The worst of me.” That’s such a good line.

It didn’t feel equal in enthusiasm to the Nathan scene, but I’ll have more thoughts on that later. I do believe it was on purpose.

--

Scene 2: Clara and Jesse’s Fight, The Café

I like the concept of some marital discord for Clara and Jesse. Marriage is easier said than done and like any serious relationship, it’s a lot of consistent maintenance. It starts out pretty well, with Jesse sleeping in the other bedroom. At this point I fully expected to find out Clara kicks in her sleep or she snores a lot or something that’s funny to hear about but really difficult to actually deal with in real life. Color me disappointed later, but I’ll get to it.

--

Scene 3: The Mercantile, Ned, Florence, Carson

This just set up things with Faith’s situation so there’s not much to say, but as always I do love Florence. I hope she gets some good scenes this season. And I love Ned so I hope the same for him.

Henry coming in to mail a letter was interesting, though. I’m not sure it’ll mean anything in particular later, but...it’s possible.  Then again, maybe he’s just here to set our expectations regarding Faith’s return (of course it’s a long trip from Chicago) or Carson’s worry (a bit unreasonable unless he expected to hear from her at a specific stop).

--

Scene 4: Nathan, Dylan

Dylan is such an incredible scumbag. The spurs were a nice touch. He says things almost fondly (“She’s growing up... My little girl.”) and then wants nothing to actually do with Allie. 

The guy’s actually a pretty good actor. The way he segues into being glad for Allie’s sake that Nathan wasn’t the one killed. If the next words out of his mouth weren’t a demand for go-away money you’d almost feel those words were genuine!

--

Scene 5: Lee and Rosemary’s Return + Faith’s Return + Dylan Part Two

Lots of energy in this scene, both good and bad. I always appreciate what Lee and Rosemary bring to the show. I genuinely just don’t care that much about Faith. I’m ready to ship her with Cowboy Brett Brewer. He gets a name, which makes me wonder if he’s gonna show up again. :3

Lol at Carson’s jelly face:

I MEAN...

Not a fan of Faith’s outfit...but to be fair we’ve never really seen Faith outside of uniform. That just doesn’t strike me as something she would wear to travel in...?

Dylan approaching Jack and Jack speaking to him was so hilarious to me. “A puppy!” It’s extra funny after he looked afraid of Rosemary. Nathan intervening was undoubtedly for the best, but I can’t imagine why he would have approached Elizabeth or Jack. He doesn’t know who they are, or their connection to Nathan. Maybe too convenient. Might have been better to have him approach someone else entirely--like Opal.

--

Scene 6: Nathan and Allie

It’s great Nathan’s officializing the adoption but he had literal years to do this and only chooses now, when there’s a threat? Legally Dylan doesn’t have a leg to stand on even in that day and age (he did the abandoning in the first place + Nathan is a lawman)... It kind of ruined the cute moment for me, and I think it will come back in a bad way later.

I don’t mind Nathan’s inability to confide in Elizabeth in this situation. At this point, she doesn’t need to know, and the situation is just weird enough that he probably doesn’t think he needs to dump his own problems on her.

--

Scene 7: Carson and Faith

I’m the jerk who just chanted “BREAK UP BREAK UP BREAK UP” during this scene in my head. I just...don’t care about Faith and Carson.

--

Scene 8: Bill and The Gals

I hate that they keep retconning Bill’s ability to cook well with every passing season. In season 2 and 3 he was more than satisfactory. In S4 he made dinner for Dottie and it was really nice. Now he’s godawful and doesn’t taste his own shit before letting other people try it? Come on.

This is the kind of stuff the writing team needs to cut out of the story. It’s not funny. 

Worse, outspoken Fiona lying to Bill? I just don’t see it. At least Molly told him the truth...but I still am just SO tired of seeing this shit. It makes me think new writers only watched the last couple of seasons instead of all of them.

Also, if Bill is literally running the cafe most of the time, if he was bad at cooking, then...the place would have shut down ages ago. What they should lean into if they wanna do a cooking joke is that Bill isn’t good at creating recipes from scratch. Maybe he doesn’t have a strong sense of taste (my husband has this issue so it’s the first thing that comes to mind) so he’s likely to over-do things like spice or sugar or salt on accident. There’s also a lot of room for jokes about his “taste” in things that can come of it (women, clothes, et cetera).

--

Scene 9: Lee’s Pants

Good scene, 10/10, wouldn’t change a thing. I hope this pants thing becomes a running gag. This is the good kind of humor I want in my life. And I like that Jesse wants to emulate Lee. It’s wholesome. 

--

Scene 10: Rosemary and Clara

The ribbon as a tissue was funny, but it was just SLIGHTLY too over the top for me.

--

Scene 11: Faith and Carson Again...............

“Were you jealous of that cowboy?” I think he should be. The cowboy is better. I don’t give a damn about these characters. And I genuinely hate that the strumming is Carson’s Thing Now. At the very least we should get some Carson and Bill doing a duet together which would be cool.

It just felt like it was shilling Paul and had nothing to do with the characters.

--

Scene 12: Mmm Money

This is arguably the most interesting scene in the episode. Lucas nodded at Nathan. Nathan went to Lucas for money. Lucas didn’t need to get the scoop to find out why Nathan needed it to loan it to him. Elizabeth is officially the least interesting part of the love triangle.

They treat her like she’s such a prize to be won, but I’m starting to worry that she’s become the new Lorigail on the show.

Anyway this scene had some gay vibes and I liked them.

--

Scene 13: Rosemary and Elizabeth Catch Up

YES. GOOD SCENE. It starts off fun and it gets serious, and the transition feels really natural. “Did he have reason to be [jealous]?” I’m genuinely glad this is in the episode. It needed to be. I hope Rosemary continues to ask the hard questions.

Elizabeth needs to face either dating one of them, or dating neither of them so that everybody can get on with their lives. If you’re not that enthusiastic about either of them I’d say...maybe don’t date either of them idk.

--

Scene 14: Nathan and Bill Talk

"If he sees you with me, then...” The problem with this scene is uh...twofold, let’s say.

Issue 1: ThEN HE WILL WHAT, NATHAN? WHAT HAS HE EVER DONE BEFORE THAT WAS SO BAD if he’s not a hard criminal? Maybe an example would be useful here...?

Issue 2: The old Bill Avery would have heard “if he SEES YOU with ME” and mentally been like, “all right so it’s only bad if he SEES ME” and spied on Nathan.

Nathan wanting Bill to stay behind in case Dylan doubles back isn’t a terrible idea, but it almost comes across more like...the writers just want Nathan alone.

--

Scene 15: Oil

I like the discussion and that Hickam gets to do something. I feel like Henry is low-key advising against shooting the well, and that Lucas and Hickam will end up doing it and causing an issue. It’s just setting up for the future and it’s nice to see those kinds of scenes in the series again!

--

Scene 16: Jesse and Lee

I’d like this scene more if I felt it gave us ANY insight into the problem Jesse and Clara are having. It mostly comes across like Jesse gets home and does nothing at all until bedtime and Clara is lonely. Could have been a better scene. It’s mostly just repetitive right now.

--

Scene 17: Nathan Cancels the Date

“Tomorrow’s Saturday.” Nathan’s like uhhhhh. This actually works really well to do what it’s supposed to do. By that I mean, he seems “off” so Elizabeth realizes he’s a bit stressed and leaving town = mountie business = dangerous.

I kind of wish Rosemary and Elizabeth would talk more about this, but maybe that’s coming in an episode soon...?

--

Scene 18: The Barbershop

Just a cute nice scene that shows a good friendship between Fiona, Clara, and Faith. I like this stuff. Keep it coming, Hallmark!

--

(Skipping Scene 19 because it’s just Nathan riding around...)

--

Scene 20: Lee and Rosemary Scheme

I really enjoyed this little bit where they decide to buy something for Clara and Jesse and we don’t get to see what it is. Super wholesome and very fun!

--

Scene 21: Nathan gets Ambushed

This scene was absolutely wild. Probably one of the best scenes like this that they’ve ever done. Dylan taking Nathan’s hat, “Take care of my little girl” after he takes the money and Nathan’s gun. It was super good.

Also, not too fake that Nathan was on the ground that long. If you got roped off of your horse you’d have the wind knocked out of you super hard lmao.

--

Scene 22: Bill & The Girls

Clara and Fiona are so cute. Bill playing the “Dad” figure to them both is really nice and it’s good for him. “I’m a lawman. I get to sneak.” What a Bill response. 

--

(Skipping Scene 23 since it’s just Nathan finding his horse.)

--

Scene 24: Lucas visits with Elizabeth

Lucas and Elizabeth are flirting via a nursery rhyme. I...don’t like that LOL. But Lucas’s “Helen Bouchard taught me to read and after that I was on my own.” She really sounds unloving. This was a pretty decent scene, though.

Also, Grand Isle Louisiana had a major hurricane in 1909 and 1915.

They also seem to have been hit by more mild hurricanes in 1916 and 1917, but the 1915 one was a Cat4, so...the most notable.

--

Scene 25: Rosemary and Lee in the Dress Shop

This tries to solve the issue of Clara and Jesse’s marital problems, but it doesn’t actually do that. “Let Jesse read when he gets home.” “I’ll talk to Jesse.” Meh.

--

Scene 26: Barbershop

“Why do this when you’re so good with women’s hair?” I fully expected Fiona to say, “That’s where all the hot gossip is, of course.” I do like  her gumption, though!

--

Scene 27: Nathan Finds Dylan

“I had to let you ambush me, so I had grounds to put you away.” COLD BUT EFFECTIVE. I appreciate this.

Imagine getting to be this smug. I wish it were me.

Anyway, long-term thoughts on this are mostly that...there is just no reasonable way Dylan’s story is over yet. It’s too juicy of a storyline to let go this easily. Allie is going to find out what Nathan did and she’s going to struggle to come to terms with it, especially after her grandfather really did try to turn his life around. Why couldn’t it be the same for her father? Why couldn’t she get lucky like that?

I hope it feels satisfying, whatever they choose to do. Otherwise this was just wrapped up too neatly/too quickly.

--

Scene 28: Nathan Returns

Very good scene. Nathan’s in a good mood and he does my favorite trope of all time when one person in the relationship has a child: “Why don’t we all go?” You already all know each other, so why not? It’s wholesome and good, and it shows he doesn’t care how he gets to spend time with Elizabeth, as long as he does.

Also, it takes a lot of the pressure off of her for the duration of the date and at its conclusion. This was a cute and good scene, one of the better they’ve had, I think.

--

Scene 29: Jesse and Lee Talk

This was a nice attempt at a talk, but it really comes off like Jesse has stopped loving Clara for no reason. That his romantic interest in her is what is causing the failure in their relationship.

The problem is: WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING IT. NOBODY EVER SAID. 

I agree that love isn’t “just” a feeling or “just” an emotion. It’s ALSO a choice. Marriage is a commitment you choose to continue every day. That is all good.

“Choose love. Then you feel it.” is probably some of the worst dialogue they’ve put in the show, though. Yuck. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like it’s shaming people who legitimately fall out of love or who are in bad relationships. “If only you chose to work harder.”

I don’t think that was their intention at all, but it really soured the scene. I would have MUCH rather have had Lee get Jesse to talk about what’s wrong and then offer him pointers on how he could do better. Maybe he’s stressed out and losing himself in books, or he wishes Clara would sit and read with him because that’s something he always wanted. Or maybe Clara would be down for reading time if he read to her while she did her sewing.

There’s so much they could have done here to really send this home, but it didn’t work very well. At the very least Lee could have said, instead of ‘choose love’: CHOOSE COMMUNICATION. Make sure she knows you still feel that way about her.

The biggest thing is like, Lee could also be very encouraging in saying like, the honeymoon phase doesn’t last forever but just because things settle down doesn’t mean the love is less.

THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD STUFF THEY COULD HAVE WRITTEN FOR THIS but they chose “Choose love. Then you feel it.” WTF. That’s awful advice.

--

Scene 30: Jesse and Clara

Him bringing her flowers was a nice touch, and her getting him the book was also nice. The tandem bike was SO unexpected to me and I loved it. It’s just goofy enough that it works. The best part is that they know it’s not going to fix anything, but it’s still a fun and nice thing to do, and that’s wonderful for Rosemary and Lee. They both like to make the people they care about happy.

--

Scene 31: Mama Bouchard

MILF ALERT.

Elizabeth is just so shook at all of this she doesn’t say a damn thing for so long it made my palms feel sweaty.

“Someone ought to take an interest in your writing, don’t you think?” I rewatched the episode to understand the tone, and it’s a little hoity-toity/uppity, but she actually doesn’t sound condescending. It’s good for an editor to meet the author, after all, and meet to talk about their writing/book. This has always been custom, even in the early 1900s. Authors didn’t usually get their work published by an editor they’d never met (though of course, you will find some exceptions). 

From the little we saw, Helen seems fine. The preview for the next episode tells us she’s UH, AN EDITOR DOING HER JOB, so I’m not looking forward to the editor being the bad guy, but I guess I’ll have to deal with that when it arrives. (To be clear, Elizabeth has never proved to the audience that she’s a Good Writer, let alone a Great Writer. She’s also not experienced which means her work probably NEEDS SOME WORK.)

Anyway, Elizabeth is immediately rude as HELL. Nobody can make an excuse for this. Helen isn’t THAT big of a deal. There are other publishers. Your father is filthy rich. If she changes her mind about your book you can pub to someone via your father if you have to. Like...Helen wouldn’t have taken you on if she didn’t see any potential in you. 

Even if it was a big deal, Elizabeth has NEVER been a flake. EVER. 

This is a classic case of a writer forcing the character to go out of character in order to bend to what the plot dictates. 

If I were Nathan, I’d drop Elizabeth like a brick.

How to fix this scene? I’ll honestly have to think about that for a while. This was the first hint of truly bad writing this season. The bit with Lee and “choose love” was careless writing, but this scene with Nathan is just Bad.

The thing is, I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I know they put this in there so that it looks like she’ll choose Lucas because she never even goes out with Nathan, and then BOOM. I know it’s meant to be this big thing about how she’s scared to feel anything for Nathan because Lucas is the safer option and also a good man (so why would she fall for the more frightening option?).

But this was not the right way to do this type of scene. I hope to God in the next episode someone says something about it. Allie could tell her it was rude and it hurt Nathan’s feelings/you shouldn’t have said yes if you didn’t want to. It’d be fully in character for her. Rosemary could also say something similar. If they do, I might be able to forgive this...but if it’s not called attention to by the other characters, then it’s a massive failure as a scene to me.

--

Did I miss anything? Do you want my thoughts on something in particular? Shoot me a message HERE and I’ll do my best to answer! 

[just-a-writer23]

Carried away. Fred Weasley imagine.

Journey Elizabeth Avery,  was part of one of the Sacred twenty eight families that had the awful traditional thinking about blood purity. Most of her family members were Slytherins and some even became Death Eaters; following you know who. However,  Journey never believed in the blood purity or hated muggles, muggleborn and halfblood. In fact, she believed in moving on from the past and make amends with them to make a brighter future. Therefore, her family members disliked, dishonored and kicked her out of their house when she was twelve years old. 

At Hogwarts she got sorted into Ravenclaw and made friends with the same ideals that she had. Although she was a Ravenclaw, Journey befriended people from the other houses; including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from Gryffindor. During the first two years of studies at Hogwarts she constantly got pranked and annoyed by the Weasley twins.However, at the end of her second year, he asked her out  and they began dating. They clicked when she learned that his family was pureblood but that didn’t controlled or blinded their hearts and actions. 

Throughout their relationship, she would help the twins come up with clever ideas for pranks and even artifacts that they could create in order to execute them. Fred and Journey would have dates every Saturday and sometimes they would use the secret passages to go on dates during days in which they were not allowed to go out. Surprisingly, they never got caught and Journey like the feeling of being rushed and do things out of impulse; living in the moment. Sometimes Journey would analyze what could happen if they were caught and Fred would somehow convince her to do it anyway.

There was a moment in which they broke up do to the fact that Journey risked her life in her third year without Fred knowing. That took place during the time that Buckbeak was going to be murdered because of the coward Draco Malfoy and his father. Journey had decided to be with the trio during that night; after the murder took place, Ron was taken by a giant dog. All in all, it was discovered that it was Sirius Black and that he was innocent; they one that betrayed his parents was Peter Pettigrew. Lets just say that there was some craziness going that night that really put the golden trio, Journey and Sirius’ lives in danger.

Actually, Journey got hurt badly at some point and then woke up in the hospital wing realizing that Fred was next to her. She told him what had happened and they started arguing about the fact that she didn’t tell him; saying that it was reckless of her to do. During that argument they said hurtful things to one another and eventually both took the decision to break up. That was really hard on both of them since they practically lived under the same roof in both Hogwarts and the burrow. Yes, Molly Weasley heard about what happened to the young girl and took her in deciding to be the family that Journey deserved.

When it came for the reconciliation, well, it took quite a long time for they were both very stubborn. Fred had started “dating” Angelina Johnson, a Gryffindor girl that was in the quidditch team. He would give a show with Angelina when Journey was around which made her hurt but was good at hiding it. This carried on until the yule ball came around, Fred had asked his current girlfriend to it and Journey was asked by one of the Durmstrang student. Oh, things took a turn when she played the same game that he had been playing for months. 

At some point, the Durmstrang student that was dancing with Journey started making certain approaches that she wasn’t comfortable with. During a slow dance he began touching her in areas of her body that she would only allow Fred to touch. Although she kept taking his hands off of those areas, he would not stop making the advances. Journey began getting angry at him but before she could slap him, someone pulled her away and punched the man that was dancing with her. Subsequently, Fred started making out with Journey in front of all the people that were in there; kissing and biting her neck to leave a mark that said “She’s mine”.

Afterwards, they had to run off from Professor Snape who was set on catching them and probably take points from their houses. Thankfully, Fred knew many secret passages which helped in this particular situation. Later that night, well...Journey’s favorite Weasley twin made sure to show her that she only belongs to him. That is how she found out that the whole thing with Angelina was an act that they decided to do in order to get her jealous. Journey teased him saying “That didn’t turn out well for you, did it?” and he rolled his eyes knowing that ignoring him was an act of hers.

Things had gotten better with the couple as they were communicating better as time passed. When it came to studying and living at Hogwarts, well, it became a bloody hell with Umbridge around. Everything changed so drastically and everyone was bloody unhappy with all the rules she had given. Journey had become quite angry at the fact that they didn’t have a proper defense against the dark arts when Voldemort was back. Thankfully, Harry created Dumbledore’s army in order to practice and learn defensive spells that were going to be needed in the near future. 

In order to celebrate the beginning of Dumbledore’s army, the group went to the three broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Hermione decided that it would be a fun idea to play certain muggle games and that was when it was decided to play seven minutes in heaven. Its this muggle game in which two people go to a closet or private area to do whatever they wanted in seven minutes. Fred started whispering in Journey’s ear things that he wanted to do to her during those seven minutes while he was touching some sensitive areas of her body; knowing it would turn her on. On the other hand, while Journey was trying to act normal so nobody would suspect anything, she was also teasing Fred by touching him as well. 

Once it was their turn Fred picked Journey up and took her to a secret room that not many knew of. Needless is to say that they made love and seven minutes were not enough for the young couple. Both of them got carried away as they were just focused on one another as they showed how much they love every single aspect of each other; forgetting to use protection as Molly always told them to do (always use protection). When both of them fell of the cliff at the same time making them scream each other’s names, Fred’s body fell on top of hers. He said as he chuckled “I think that seven minutes will never be enough for us love” after saying that he looked at her with love as she laughed at his comment. 

_____________________________________________________________

Everything was going well for Dumbledore’s army and everybody was thankful to Harry as they were learning so many things from him. Three weeks after they had that celebration for the beginning of the group, they were all learning about the spell to fight dementors “Expecto Patronum”. When Journey was finally able to cast it, it turned out that her Patronus was an Abraxan Winged Horse; a rare patronus which she was amazed by. Ginny’s patronus was a horse and she joked saying “Seems like you and I have more in common than you and Freddie”  and then she asked what memory she used to conjure it. 

Journey laughed at her comment and then said that the memory she chose was when Molly and Arthur took her in by giving her a family and a house that loved her. After the practice had finished they all went to eat in the Great Hall, the twins were talking about their patronus and the memories they used. Fred’s had being the moment in which he reconciled with Journey and he made sure she knew about it. She smiled at him and then he gave her a plate with her favorite foods. As she looked at it, she began to get nauseous by their smells little by little the nausea got worse then she stormed off and ran to the nearest bathroom; Fred was ran after her and helped her with her hair. 

When Journey had finished “puking”, Fred asked her if she was okay and she she nodded saying that the smell was too intense for her to handle. Subsequently, Luna got out of one of the stalls and washed her hands then look at her housemate and friend with concern. “Are you sick again Jo?” she asked to which Journey just nodded and Luna said “Make sure you drink the tea I gave you. It will make you feel better but you should go to madam Pomfrey because you have been sick throughout the whole week”. After saying that she looked at Fred and said “You better get out of the girls bathroom before you get caught” and with that she left. 

Fred and Journey left the bathroom and went to a private area to talk about Jo’s sickness. As they were having this conversation Journey revealed that she had indeed being sick for a whole week. Then proceeded to tell him that she had not gotten her period and that it was late for two weeks. At that point, Fred’s face became pale as a ghost and she said “I think I am pregnant Freddie”. He looked at her while being frozen as he didn’t know what to do or say, however, when her eyes got watery he hugged her saying that everything was going to be okay. 

During the next day, both of them went to the hospital week and explained the situation to Madam Pomfrey who gave them a judgemental look. Then she proceeding in verifying whether or not the fifteen year old was pregnant or not. As they were waiting for the results she said “Both of you should have been more careful. Do you know how hard it is to raise a child as an adult? imagine as teenagers. Also, now that Umbridge is around things will be hard for the two of you but...I will help you the best I can if you are indeed pregnant”.

The results were ready... 

Journey Elizabeth Avery was indeed...pregnant. 

Oh the journey they were about to encounter (Pun intended). 

____________________________________________________________

Tag: @bl597​

[dreamsculptor]

hi i feel like talking about 76 avery so *infodumps*

under the cut bc its soooo much. head full thoughts many i love my oc

uhhh. content warnings for mention of cannibalism and descriptions of violence (specifically how avery received the various scars on his face). violence also includes loose description of burned injuries as well as almost-eye gore.

this is like 10 paragraphs <3

okay so. probably a bit of this is going to be repeated from her page on the avatie carrd but anyways:

avery was actually born and raised in vault 76, two years after the door first closed. they have little to no idea what the world was actually like before the war, and didn’t actually know anything about what the nearby world was like. he grew up in the same walls for her whole life and couldn’t completely believe the things people said about the world outside. needless to say they were kind of overwhelmed when he actually went outside and saw how massive everything was - the trees, the mountains, everything.

in her time in the vault, he actually worked under and with the overseer diplomatically to keep the peace inside the vault. people get kinda antsy when they’re stuck in the same rooms with the same people for 25 years! so avery’s job growing up was to help mediate high-strung situations to prevent people from going totally batshit on each other.

he got some minimal training to prepare for the world outside when she was in the vault, but it really didn’t do a good enough job foretelling what the world would actually be like. when she first left he was actually pretty weak and wasn’t all that great at aiming and shooting. over the first few months in the wasteland, they did eventually get stronger from lugging around tons of junk and huge weapons - not to mention the hefty armor she wore for protection.

i know i go “haha funny comic” with the ‘never have i ever eaten human flesh’ but the way i imagine it actually played out was along the lines of avery sitting down at her camp one night and realizing, “oh shit, i dont have any food,” before looking around and realizing. well. there’s a dead body nearby. and subsequently going “fuck it, YOU live in a society, i live in a post-nuclear wasteland” and. well. eating at least part of it. its definitely not something he’s happy about or does constantly, but you gotta do what you gotta do to stay alive.

over time, probably a year or two, avery has become very ... dead inside from dealing with the horrors of the wasteland and the incessant violence. at just about every turn there was someone or something ready to string him up, whether out of pure unjustified violence or for whatever they had on her. he does still try to help people when they can, but she’s a lot more cautious than when they first emerged!

some notable Horrifying Experiences she’s had, aka the stories of his scars, are:

the rashy-looking scars on the right side of his face are from his responders initiation, having to dive into the eternally-burning mine of belching betty. they had to go into the cave to join the firebreathers, and while he was trying to find her way down to where the last crew died, they came across an entry that was full of fire. he couldn’t find any way around it, so she had to barge through the flames to reach their destination. it was an unpleasant experience, and they dislike having to spend time around the ash heap following it.

the scar that goes from their hairline across her right eye was received from a fight with a deathclaw. they were sidelined out of seemingly nowhere by a furious deathclaw that he wasn’t even aware of, and it ended up attacking her and getting a huge swipe across his face. it nearly took their eye with it, but thankfully it was still intact. avery ended up winning that fight if just out of pure unadulterated fury at having their eye nearly taken out.

that eye ended up mostly healing, but she has very poor sight in it now, and subsequently suffers from severe photophobia and has terrible perception in it. prior to the fight, he had been trying to practice and train learning how to aim and shoot better than what they were taught in the vault. needless to say those goals were kind of thrown in the dumpster after the fight happened. after that, they decided to opt for melee weapons, so she could have an at least somewhat better look at whatever he was fighting.

a while after that, he ended up in a close fight with three scorched. they were doing okay fending them off until her weapon broke and had to resort to fisticuffs to try to fight their way out of it. she ended up getting overwhelmed and gouged by the scorched, with plenty of scratches and scars across the left side of his face from it. they managed to take out one of the scorched, but had to scramble out of the fight before they got completely destroyed by the creatures.

the people of the appalachian wasteland that avery is closest with are the settler wanderer, duchess and mort, and sofia daguerre. they have a preference for the settlers over the raiders, but enjoys the company of a few people from crater, like molly, munch, and ra-ra and gail. he particularly dislikes johnny weston and axel. she is partial to jen and penelope hornwright in foundation, but tries to avoid samuel.

the settler wanderer - who i’ve named eva - was the first person that avery met that wanted to actually stick around him for the long run. avery appreciates her presence in their camp, and enjoys listening to her play the guitar. they’re also very fond of duchess and mort from the wayward, and enjoys stopping in there to see how they’re doing and having a couple drinks. he has a bit of a crush on both of them, and has (in her own eyes) embarrassingly admitted to it while he was drunk. they also met and took care of commander sofia daguerre, who they are frankly head over heels for. he’s delighted to help her whenever she needs, and loves to listen to her talk on and on about the unstoppables. she actively tries to find magazines - especially issues of the unstoppables - for sofia. after shutting down athena and helping sofia recover from it, they both admitted to how they felt and are happily together. avery is wary of and has a strong disliking for emerson hale, holding him angrily accountable for the pain that sofia went through. she tolerates his presence because sofia lets him come around with supplies for them.

[chaoswillfallrpg]

ARTHUR WEASLEY is TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OLD a SENIOR RESEARCHER in THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT at THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC. He looks remarkably like GEORGE MACKAY and considers himself aligned with THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. He is currently TAKEN.

→ OVERVIEW:

Arthur Weasley had the sort of childhood Muggle children would dream about as they fell asleep or read about in storybooks. A large country cottage that sat upon the hill, the Weasley home was built many years before their family had come to inhabit it and was a welcomed refuge when the Weasley family declined in the estimations of those around them. Arthur’s family home was by no means small, though it was considerably smaller than the great manor houses owned by other families within The Sacred Twenty-Eight. To Arthur it was simply home where dishes washed themselves, kettles were charmed to sing songs until they were read to be poured and cupboards revealed whole corridors where his mother had attempted to house the last of her worldly possessions within the cottage. Arthur’s mother, CEDRELLA WEASLEY had come from grander things than Weasley Cottage. A member of the Black family, she had married his father SEPTIMUS out of love after a long and beautiful secret relationship which resulted in her becoming estranged from The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. Once a family name which was as upheld and well known as the Black family, the Weasley family had gone down in the estimations of many illustrious families and having not secured a dowry for many years due to their branding as blood traitors. They were a comfortable but by no means very wealthy family by the time Arthur and his older brothers BILLIUS and FREDRICK WEASLEY were born. 

Arthur rarely spent any time in the house as a child, preferring to run through fields and forests with his best friend AMOS DIGGORY. The Diggory family lived very closely to the Weasley family and whilst in age Amos was more suited to Arthur’s older brothers, the two quickly became thick as thieves. Both Arthur and Amos were surrounded by their rather serious siblings. It was just the two of them, arm and arm, making discoveries and running amuck with their other best friend AYA FAWCETT who was the same age as Arthur and lived down the lane. Ottery St Catchpole was always filled with noise and laughter, especially when Arthur’s cousins came to stay. Although he was told repeatedly never to have favourites by his mother, Arthur shamelessly would declare DAISY HOOKUM was his favourite family member and would have been a top contender for his childhood best friend had the position not been filled so well by Amos and Aya. Daisy understood him in a way none of Arthur’s other family ever did. Daisy liked to live in worlds she created in her head and Arthur was happy to reside in them alongside her if it meant an afternoon of adventure away from the cottage. It was on his adventures with Daisy, Amos and Aya that Arthur discovered an interest that would span years and spark great friendships and a career he would love with all his heart. 

It was a large metal coil sticking out of the ground that captured Arthur’s attention and something he would later come to know, thanks to his friend LAUREL LINWOOD as a slinky which began his obsession with Muggle artefacts. Whilst most children were absorbed in The Tales of Beedle The Bard, Arthur’s thoughts would be consumed in why someone would need a metal spring, how it had been made and the function it had. They were questions which required answers and when none of his family, or fellow Pure-Blood friends could provide any answers they were one he gladly put to his fellow students at Hogwarts when he finally began to attend school there. Sorted into Gryffindor, his bright and bubbly personality quickly caught the attention of like minded individuals. Arthur became firm friends with TRYSTAN WARRINGTON on his very first day, the two forging a close friendship across the years. Although Arthur knew it was wrong to rank amongst his friends, he did also have a favourite of them too. Laurel Linwood was a Muggle-Born student, with all the answers to any questions Arthur could think of. Laurel taught him how to use a slinky, though he still didn’t understand why you’d need one and introduced him to Muggle games such as Monopoly which she told him they weren’t allowed to play at home because it caused too many arguments. 

Laurel was the life and soul of any party, but to Arthur she was simply his best friend who was never shy of an odd fact and never failed to put a smile on his face when he was feeling down. It was mostly through Laurel, that Arthur got into activism and the trouble started between himself and his older brothers. Advocates for Sorcerers for Equality, Laurel, Trystan, Aya and their friend CONSTANCE SONG often got into trouble for duelling in the corridors and calling out bullying, alongside his younger cousin POPPY HOOKUM and their friends who were also regulars in detention. With his brothers planning careers in the Ministry and at The Daily Prophet in the hopes of elevating their family reputation once again, or so Arthur believed, their younger brother spending a lot of time writing lines and getting into heated arguments with LUCIUS MALFOY didn’t sit to well with them, though they breathed a sigh of relief when Arthur began being frequently seen with fellow member of The Sacred Twenty-Eight, MOLLY PREWETT. When Arthur met Molly he was captivated. She had such strength about her that Arthur admired greatly and it warmed his heart how much she cared for her friends and family with little thought about herself. 

Arthur had two primary aims whilst at Hogwarts, to pass Muggle Studies with flying colours and to make Molly Prewett his girlfriend, which along with winning Laurel in a game of Monopoly one time by accident, he holds as his greatest achievements. After graduating, Arthur quickly began working at The Ministry for Magic as a research assistant in The Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Billius, had pulled some strings to get Arthur into the department and had designs on Arthur elevating himself as he and Fredrick had done. Arthur had no desire to elevate himself to anywhere he wasn’t happy and whilst he enjoyed duelling and standing up for the most downtrodden members of their society, Arthur had another passion which he quickly began researching in his role. Muggle artefacts were often tampered with by dark wizards with wicked agendas and handed back to unsuspecting Muggles with the intent to cause harm. Many of them were left pilied in a back office near the Auror’s Office until one day Arthur decided to go through them. The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office was just Arthur and the cupboard but that was how he liked it. He worked close to Amos, he saw Molly regularly around the Ministry and although he knew he was laughed at by Lucius and other purists around the Ministry, Arthur didn’t pay it any mind. 

He loved his work and frequently enjoyed seeking the assistance of junior researcher LILY EVANS to help him work out tricky charms and offer advice. Currently, Arthur is working closely with the order to investigate into a series of cursed Muggle objects which have caused fatalities around London amongst Muggles. Arthur’s work hadn’t been very highly thought of until the string of deaths ended up on ALICIA AVERY-JONES’ desk, causing her to take it more seriously as the exposure of wizards to the Muggle world became a threat. Working with KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, Arthur has been attempting to track and reverse the curses on the objects which despite the high stakes has been a joy to do. Arthur’s love for the job and his abilities caused Kingsley to introduce Arthur into The Order of The Phoenix, which was where everything changed for Arthur. His discovery of what the group unearthed in part prompted Arthur to pop the question to Molly last spring. She was shocked, but had bought into his craziness and had accepted anyway. Arthur was overjoyed. He had a woman he loved, a job he was passionate about. Everything was falling into place, until Molly’s family cut her off. Arthur was devastated for her, though he was flattered she would choose him over her parents. Although he always felt like he owed Molly as his partner in crime, her sacrifice really signalled to him that Molly was his soul mate and he would do anything in his power to protect her.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Blood Status → Pure-Blood

Pronouns → He/Him

Identification → Cis Male

Sexuality  → Up to Roleplayer

Relationship Status → Engaged to Molly Prewett

Previous Education →  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Gryffindor)

Societies → Sorcerers for Equality 

Family → Billius Weasley (brother), Fredrick Weasley (brother), Primrose Jorkins (cousin), Daisy Hookum (cousin), Poppy Hookum (cousin)

Connections  → Molly Prewett (best friend/fiancée), Amos Diggory (best friend), Aya Fawcett (best friend), Laurel Linwood (best friend), Trystan Warrington (close friend), Natan Diggory (close friend), Jennifer Vane (close friend), Constance Song (friend), Mafalda Hopkirk (friend), Keira Grey (friend), Kingsley Shacklebolt (friend/colleague), Lily Evans (friend/colleague), Lucius Malfoy (adversary) 

Future Information → Husband of Molly Prewett, Father of William, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ronald and Ginevera Weasley

ARTHUR WEASLEY IS A LEVEL 6 WIZARD.

[leviiackrman]

The Encyclopaedia of a Design Students Imagination

Part 5: Jess Carter-Drake (Uncharted)

Part 1: Ophelia | Part 2: Spectre | Part 3: Una | Part 4: Isaac

Notes: there was wayyyy too much to include in her bio, so if anyone is ever interested in a longer writing of her story I can look into it!! anyway this one is long haha (she has been 4 years in the making...)

Words: 1,774

Tags: @chuckhansen​ @simonxriley​ @ciriofcintras​ @noonvvraith​ @ginadotjpg​ @ayrennaranaaldmeri​ @missdictatorme​ @callumtvrner​ @emuzeek​ @tommymillers​

Having been born to a family of adventure, Jess was raised in Britain with the knowledge of treasure hunting; the lifelong profession of her father. With her sister Molly and Brother Aaron, the siblings had an average childhood – but with their fathers interest in history and travel, it soon became apparent where Jess’ attention really was focussed.

Over the coming years, she had followed her mother’s advice of keeping safe as best she could by choosing to study History at university; rather than pursuing her dream career alongside her father. At the age of 19 – while travelling home at night with her father – the two were struck by a truck, resulting in a terrible crash that unfortunately took the life of her father. Out of fear of being his distraction, Jess was terrified to go home, and so fled the UK where she lived on the run for a year or so.

---

Before long, she had made her way to Panama with the little money she had earnt from ‘trading’ goods – a thief’s term for stealing and selling on. Upon finding a decent venue to next smuggle from, Jess planned her approach carefully, but was caught by another shady figure attempting to rob the same Museum. Caught off guard by his presence, she failed to notice his gun before he shot the approaching night guard; fleeing out the window and creating the perfect sabotage for the young girl.

She was arrested shortly after and was thrown into the local prison. Surrounded by crooked smiles and wandering eyes, Jess found herself alone in her prison cell, the only place available being in the male quarters. But after all she was a murderer, so why shouldn’t she be with the worst of the worst – right?

With her new reputation on her belt and the guards not wanting another incident, they kept her separate for a while, until one day she overheard the guards complaining of a broken radio and offered her assistance. It took little persuading to be allowed inside their office – much to her disliking – before showing how the device could be fixed. Deciding she had more use than a treat for the eyes, the guards ordered her to work more around the prison, fixing light switches and other devices.

Within a year she had found herself comfortably wandering around the prison, tool kit in hand onto her next job. A set of lights in B wing had blown during the night, and while fixing one set, the guards ordered a search and sweep of the cell block. Those who refused to move were beaten – horrifically. When the man to her side refused to move, she made her best effort to avoid watching what was about to transpire. Seeing he was clearly in pain rather than being stubborn, she jumped down from her ladder as the guards left to get the man in charge, pulling him to his feet and returning to her station before they returned.

It didn’t take long for this mysterious man to find her, questioning her relentlessly on why she was even there. With the agreement to keep their personal lives and motives to themselves, the pair formed a close bond within the next year, sneaking many moments together without raising the guards suspicions.

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2 years into her encapsulation, Jess was discovered within the prison and bailed out by none other than Rob; her father’s best friend and professional partner. Concerned for where she had disappeared to, he tracked her down, releasing her from prison and taking her back to the UK. Although relived to be free once more, Jess was adamant she didn’t wish to return home; begging Rob to take her elsewhere so she didn’t have to face the grief of her mourning family.

He agreed to take her somewhere private – somewhere she could be trained to fulfil the career laid out before her. Not knowing where she was going, Jess arrived at Croft Manor where she was introduced to the one and only Lara Croft. With their fathers having been close affiliates in earlier years, Rob was keen to see the 2 work together and learn from one another. Within the next several years – when Jess was now 24 – she had learnt a lot from her new friend (and lover, for a time), but wished to begin travelling again, missing the thrill of causing trouble.

With some solid contacts up her sleeve, Jess was able to make a name for herself within the business, becoming noteworthy to those around her. Aspiring to complete the works her father could not, she was approached by Elena Fisher – and inquisitive reporter keen to learn more of her travels. Over time the two became extremely close, their friendship lasting for years after. Introduced to other notable faces in Elena’s circle, Jess continued to work independently until she was unexpectedly recruited to help discover the location of one Henry Avery’s forgotten treasure.

With a hefty price laid out in front of her by her new employer Rafe Adler, she successfully acquired an old St. Dismas Cross, only to later discover it was worth a lot more than he was paying. Determined to earn a fair wage for her efforts, she donated the artifact to the Rossi estate, where she could witness the auction herself. While searching the venue as any good pick pocket would, she ran into Victor Sullivan – another acquaintance of her father’s she had met many years prior. Knowing of his shady business, his appearance piqued her interest and she soon discovered his plan alongside the infamous Drake Brothers.

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Locking herself in an office to capture the thief who stole her cross, she could hear the commotion in the main hall of all the attendants being escorted out. Thankfully, she wasn’t the only one who chose this hiding place. Appearing from the shadows was a taller gentleman, almost definitely in communication with Sullivan, but didn’t resemble that of Nathan. Not wishing to waste time, she carefully staged the scene – a frightened guest wishing to escape the havoc outside and was graciously saved by the incredibly handsome stranger, blah blah blah.

With his interest now focussed on her, she swiped the cross and began to run; only to end up having a full blown brawl with this stranger to win the cross. The playful flirtation expired and her patience diminishing, she instinctively threw them both through the office doors and out into the hall where the rest of the shooting was taking place. Not wishing to die for nothing, she took her chance to run; leaving the cross behind but carefully watching the exterior so she could follow the boys on their way out.

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It took a lot of persuasion, but as she explained her situation when approaching them at their hotel, her connection to Elena soon had her welcomed into the group. Sam on the other hand, not so much. Not knowing one another’s names, the years since they had met had faded their memories of one another without them knowing, and in doing so created a tension that lasted a good while into their adventure. Through-out their countless travels and endeavours, the group grew closer, taking each hit in stride and instinctively defending one another. The tension between the eldest Drake and the young explorer soon faded, this forgotten connection arising once more the longer they worked together.

With countless lies revealed along the way, Jess and Sam’s past was soon revealed to them when Rafe held them captive – finding humour in the fact the pair had no clue. Determined to leave Libertalia alive, Jess tried hard to persuade Sam to leave with them, promising more fruitful adventures in the future. Although sustaining a good few new scars along the way, the events of the past few months drove Sam and Jess increasingly closer to one another, keeping in close contact thereafter.

Aware of their past and the position Sam was now in, Jess helped him as much as she could to rebuild his life outside of prison. Over time they spent more time together, soon developing a secret relationship they thought would be fun to keep from the others, until eventually all their close friends knew. Within the first year of being together, a rift surfaced between them in the form of Jess’ ex colleague – Abigail. Successfully snatching Sam away, Jess left sam when she heard of him cheating, feeling empty for months after. Despite this, the two of them were able to work past it, her heart always slightly fragile around him even years into their relationship.

When things became more stable again, the mysterious stranger from Jess’ past in Panama returned, unveiling himself when he kidnapped both of them. Oscar – the man then revealed as the one who murdered her father – wanted to finish his business with the Carter family for good by employing Jess and Sam to find the missing relics of The Fountain of Youth – her father’s most precious job he could never complete. While not wanting to cause more troubles, they followed their orders while held captive, until at the last minute they saw an opening to escape, fighting off their attackers and trying to flee the area. In doing so, Jess was stabbed in the lower abdomen with her own blade, slowly dying in Sam’s arms as he struggled to get her back to a hospital.

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Recovering from her injuries, they both returned home to live out their lives together, settled in their own apartment together close to Nathan and Elena. Although not certain that marriage was for them, when a sudden job was presented to Sam that he just couldn’t turn down, the 2 committed to marrying, having a small gathering with their closest friends and family.

With many obstacles in their lives, their individual lives work completed and having been successful enough to worry no more, the couple settled further into their lives together when surprisingly Jess became pregnant. Unsure of how to handle the situation and both nervous of what was to come next, they worked to have the birth of their son Tobin not upset the comfortable lifestyle they had built for themselves. As her grew older, they became more comfortable in their new world of parenting, leading to them having another but this time a little girl by the name of Natalie.

Suspense, danger, and tragedy; all ending in a fulfilled and peaceful life spent by the coast as their children grew older, their fears behind them and the comfort of each other guiding them through the final chapters of their lives together.