#Richard L. Armitage

[thranduilofsmirkwood]

[greeneyed-thestral]

[laderniereseancedecedrique]

STAR WARS ÉPISODE 1 : LA MENACE FANTÔME (1999)

Le chancelier suprême Valorum envoie le Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn et son apprenti Obi-Wan Kenobi sur le vaisseau de la Fédération qui commande le blocus de la planète Naboo. Ils ont ordre de résoudre rapidement le litige et d'entamer des négociations. Ce qu'ils ne savent pas c'est que Nute Gunray et Sidious ont un autre objectif que la suppression de la taxe commerciale. Des droïdes de combat essaient alors d'éliminer les Jedi, mais sans succès. Les deux chevaliers prennent donc la route du centre de commandement du vaisseau et tentent de mettre la main sur Gunray. Mais les Jedi, dépassés par les forces de l'ennemi, décident de fuir et se cachent dans des transports de troupes. Ils découvrent alors que la Fédération veut en réalité conquérir Naboo.

Une fois sur la planète, Qui-Gon et Obi-Wan font la connaissance d'un autochtone, le Gungan Jar Jar Binks qui a été banni par les siens. Il propose alors à Qui-Gon et Obi-Wan de les mener à Otoh Gunga, la ville subaquatique capitale de son peuple. Là-bas, les Jedi négocient un moyen de transport avec le dirigeant d'Otoh Gunga, Boss Nass. Qui-Gon utilise une manipulation mentale afin de convaincre le dirigeant, qui finit par accepter en leur donnant un vaisseau sous-marin Gungan. Et, en espérant se débarrasser à jamais de Binks, Boss Nass accepte de le laisser partir comme guide aux Jedi.

Le trio s'en va en passant par le noyau de la planète vers Theed, la capitale des humains de Naboo. Arrivés à bon port, les deux Jedi parviennent à libérer la reine des Naboos Padmé Amidala. Ils la convainquent de quitter sa planète envahie pour aider le sénateur Palpatine à plaider sa cause au Sénat galactique sur Coruscant.

Lors de la fuite, leur vaisseau est endommagé et doit se poser d'urgence sur la planète voisine de Tatooine. Alors qu'il est à la recherche de pièces de rechange dans la ville de Mos Espa, Qui-Gon rencontre un jeune humain du nom d'Anakin Skywalker. Il découvre que ce dernier est l'esclave de Watto, le principal ferrailleur de la ville, mais aussi que le garçon est peut-être l'élu d'une ancienne prophétie. Anakin conseille à Qui-Gon de parier avec Watto sur la prochaine course de module qu'il va courir. Watto et le Jedi arrivent à un accord : si Anakin gagne, Qui-Gon remporte les pièces de rechange et Watto garde les gains de la victoire. En cas de défaite, Watto gardera le vaisseau de Qui-Gon. Le matin de la course, le Jedi fait un nouveau pari avec le ferrailleur. Si le jeune coureur gagne, il retrouve sa liberté, s'il perd, son module de course deviendra la propriété de Watto. Après une course acharnée et très disputée, Anakin parvient à remporter la victoire.

Qui-Gon quitte alors Mos Espa avec ses pièces en compagnie d'Anakin dont il veut faire un Jedi. Mais en arrivant au vaisseau, Qui-Gon est attaqué par l'apprenti de Sidious, le Sith Dark Maul. Le Jedi parvient à le repousser pour l’empêcher d'entrer dans le vaisseau. Arrivé sur Coruscant, Qui-Gon fait part au conseil des maîtres Jedi de son agression sur Tatooine. Il leur indique que son opposant pourrait être un Sith. Le maître Jedi Ki-Adi-Mundi a du mal à y croire car les Sith ont disparu depuis fort longtemps. Qui-Gon présente ensuite le jeune Anakin au Conseil, indiquant qu'il semble être l'élu. Ki-Adi-Mundi remarque que le lien d'Anakin avec la Force est titanesque, mais les maîtres Windu et Yoda refusent de le former, pensant qu'il est trop âgé pour se lancer dans une formation de Jedi.

Désormais à l'abri sur Coruscant, la reine Amidala plaide la cause de sa planète au Sénat galactique sans grand succès. Frustrée par la corruption et l'incapacité du Sénat à résoudre le conflit, elle propose une motion de censure à l'encontre du chancelier suprême Valorum. Ce dernier est alors destitué et les sénateurs nomment à sa place Palpatine, qui a profité de la sympathie engendrée par la situation dans laquelle se trouve Naboo. Malgré cette victoire, la reine, qui n'en peut plus d'attendre l'aide du Sénat, décide de repartir sur sa planète accompagnée par Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan et Anakin. Sur place, elle conclut une alliance avec les Gungans de Boss Nass. Elle dévoile alors à ses alliés son plan : les Gungans devront se battre contre toute l'armée de la Fédération pour faire diversion pendant que les pilotes Naboos tenteront de détruire le vaisseau amiral de la Fédération et que la reine essayera de capturer Nute Gunray.

Alors que le plan de la reine Amidala se déroule comme prévu, le seigneur Sith Dark Maul entre à nouveau en scène. Les Jedi Obi-Wan et Qui-Gon décident de l'affronter au sabre laser pour laisser le champ libre à la reine. Quant à Anakin, il se retrouve involontairement aux commandes d'un vaisseau spatial et participe donc à l'attaque contre la flotte de la Fédération. La reine réussit à s'emparer de Nute Gunray tandis qu'Anakin détruit le vaisseau amiral. Tous les droïdes qui s'opposaient aux Gungans se retrouvent alors déconnectés. Mais Obi-Wan et Qui-Gon continuent quant à eux de se battre contre Maul. Après plusieurs minutes de lutte, Obi-Wan se retrouve coincé derrière une barrière énergétique et, impuissant, voit son maître défait et mortellement blessé. La barrière désactivée, Obi-Wan se bat avec rage et finit par vaincre Maul en le tranchant en deux.

Quelque temps plus tard, les maîtres Jedi arrivent sur Naboo pour assister aux funérailles de Qui-Gon, et en profitent pour nommer Obi-Wan au rang de Chevalier Jedi. Pour satisfaire les dernières volontés de Qui-Gon, ils acceptent que le jeune Anakin devienne son apprenti, malgré les mises en garde de Yoda, qui craint un danger dans l'initiation du jeune garçon. Windu confirme ensuite à Yoda que l'assassin de Qui-Gon était bien un Sith. Yoda rappelle alors que les Sith sont toujours deux : un maître et un apprenti. L'un a été tué, mais le survivant reste un danger pour les Jedi et la République.

[camyfilms]

THE FIRST AVENGER 2011

Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are; not a perfect soldier, but a good man.

[emeraldvssilver]

Just realised I have a type

And my husband follows the pattern

[mistresskayla-blog1]

Reclaiming Purity

Lyn's Writing Event Day 8

May 8th: Week 2: Andromeda  (plant – Lily of the Valley – white bell shaped flowers in spring)

Characters: AU - Dr Mikhel Astrov x OC Cassandra   (18+)

Fandom: Richard Armitage – Plays – Dr. Astrov (Uncle Vanya)

Dr Mikhel Astrov character was created by Anton Chekhov in a play called Uncle Vanya

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: age play, angst, kissing, natural decay, smut,  

A young woman, with wavy brown hair is laying in a field, lily of the valley surrounding her in the warmth of the sunny spring. She ties up her hair from her face with a scrap of string from her bound books. Her journal lay open in the grasses, pencil holding its place among the pages. The breeze was warm and it smelled of flowers and blooming grasses.

Cassandra rolled back to her book, and started sketching again, the blooms of the flowers she was drawing blowing in the breeze. She sipped some water from a travel jug, and set the stopper back into the hole, making a suction sound. Birds chirped and flew overhead, playing in the afternoon breezes busy with their chores. Cassandra smiled up at the sun kissing her cheeks. When she brought this back to the Doctor, she knew he would be pleased. But would he be so pleased that he entertained more with her?

----

              Gripped by anguish Dr Astrov sits at his desk and weeps openly. The trees in his forest are dying, dying from some organism he cannot control. Mushrooms are creeping up all over the forest, bright red and shelf like at the base, indicating a rash of what the dendrologist called, “heart rot”.

He couldn’t believe it. He had worked months tirelessly with his assistant Cassandra replanting the fields and protecting the larger deciduous trees from this plight. Dr Astrov felt helpless and utterly broken. He pulled the cork out of the bottle on his table, and poured it into a glass, nearly overfilling it, then just gulped down the fruit bearing liquid directly, putting his lips to the bottle. He took a gasp as the brandy burned down his throat. And coughed a bit, rambling as Cassandra came into his study.

She moved the bottle as he went to grab it again, “mm No, that’s mine” Astrov slurred. Cassandra shook her head and took it across the room, “No, that’s enough. We cannot fix this issue with drinking. You know that doctor”. He smirked at her, “well then can we fix it with something more fun than drinking”. Cassandra smiled coyly, “Not, -- look what you have been doing to my notes, its all” she acted disgusted, as she cleaned off the desk and removed her journal from the desk. Dr Astrov turned to her as she wiped her journal off with her skirt.

“I was reading that”, Astrov said, growing slightly annoyed, “And I think you may be onto something”. Cassandra looked amused, “Oh, do you? Is that the brandy talking?” Astrov burped and stood up, “No, no, no look, look,” he snatched the book from her hand, “Its all in here, the way you drew the bells on this plant, if we let them grow around the bottom of the tree like a girdle, than maybe we can prevent the rot from even touching the root of the tree”.

Cassandra looked at him, with endearing grace, “I know that, I wrote it”.

Astrov looked at her, smiling broadly, “Its brilliant!” he grabbed her face between his hands, squishing her cheeks and placing a triumphant kiss on her pursed lips.

He dropped his hands straight away, and stepped clear of her, “I,… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that” he walked back over the desk, trying to busy himself with his papers, running his hand through his fallen brown locks.

Cassandra still a bit stunned, leaned against a bench and looked down a moment, “Its, fine, really” she tried to hold back a grin. She had wanted him to kiss her for a long time now. Cassandra had worked with the doctor, training under him for about 18 months now and this was the first time he had seriously touched her.  

Astrov turned back towards Cassandra, leaning against the desk, “I, just wanted to say, (looking at his feet, than back up to meet her gaze) I have really appreciated your help this past year, and all the work you are doing, trying to sort me out (he scratched the back of his neck, looking back at his desk)”. Cassandra nodded, “Of course, yes. I am honored to do it, Doctor. Really”.

Astrov looked at her, moving towards her again, “But, its not appropriate for me to take advantage of your; virtue and grace, when, I”  he trailed off, and held himself back from touching her, while Cassandra stood in suspense desperate for him to touch her.

“Doctor” Cassandra, “Mikhel?” 

Astrov looked at her, “my name on your lips sounds, (smiles) beautiful, Can I kiss you?”

Cassandra nodded.

Astrov moved towards her again, taking her face in his hands more gently, and when there lips met, the lightest brush of skin and heat to skin. They both held their breaths, then sighed gratefully into each other’s mouths. Astrov pulled her close with his hands around her waist. Cassandra’s hands moved into Astrov’s hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Astrov deepened the kiss in response, and then lead her back to the desk. He pivoted his body, carrying her against his chest, and boosting her into the desk. He swept things off of it with a crash of papers and tools, and leaned over the desk, kissing her neck and moving towards her skirts, her knees rising up.

---

Cassandra was panting and excited. After waiting so long, he was finally going to touch her, in the way she had been fantasizing about, been writing about (thankfully in a separate journal). Her head was swimming with thoughts and anticipation. Astrov continued his kisses, moving down her throat, and reaching for the buttons on her blouse, muffled he groaned into her breast, “You smell like those flowers”. Cassandra smiled, holding his head against her breast, “I’ve wanted you for so long,” she breathed.

Astrov came up from her cleavage, her blouse opening further, her belly exposed to the open air of his breath, “You… wanted me?” his voice was a question in between his heart thundering in his ears. Astrov looked over Cassandra, “The first day I saw you, I was hooked, and then you shared with me your mind, and your comfort, I… I never thought, I”. He kissed her passionately again, and Cassandra ran her fingers through his soft hair.

Cassandra spoke through her kisses, “I.. never.. thought.. you would..” Her hands digging into his hair deeper, as they kissed. Astrov kissed down her neck again, and into her soft and inviting cleavage. His beard tickled her soft sun kissed skin and she giggled. His lips trailed down her belly then, moving lower. Cassandra’s need was palpable, her core throbbed at his every touch.

“yes” she bid him, as he looked up at her again, heat in his eyes, as he moved to her skirts and moved them up against her thighs, his hands slowly moving in season with his lips. He started at her ankles and up the slope of her calf, and he nibbled behind her knee, and she let out a gasp, looking over the billow of her work skirt. He chuckled, “you liked that?”  She sighed a ‘yes’. And he continued onto her inner thigh, Cassandra’s breath gulped in a nervousness, and Astrov felt her tense. He paused, “I can stop, if your not,” he trailed off, resting his head against her thigh, seeing the curls damp against her knickers.

Cassandra whimpered, “I want you to,”

Astrov groaned under his breath, and licked the inside of her thigh, all the way up to her knickers. He scooped his hands under her bum and slid them down, discarding them casually on the floor, as he shifted onto his knees, and buried his face in her nubile curls. His breath toned husky, as he took in her scent and kissed her folds softly. Cassandra cried out at the delicateness of it. Astrov’s hands caressed her ass, and her thighs, moving in to touch her, but for now, he wanted to just taste her. Drink in her essence, his cock twitched in his trousers as her scent hit his sharp nose. He nudged his nose against her sensitive clit, and she moaned beautifully.

There she was spreadeagled on the desk, her skirt billowing over the Doctor, on his knees before her, in total submission to his cause. He moaned against her sex and licked playfully parting her sweet folds with his tongue. It played at her entrance, and pushed his way in a little, feeling her tightly wound around his tongue. His cock strained against fabric even more. He pulled her closer, deepening his kiss and his tongue into her core. Cassandra moaned a little louder, grinding against his face with her burning need. Her core was swimming in this sensation, wanting to build this over and over again. Cassandra was so excited she barely noticed the wave overcoming her. Astrov moved his tongue faster, and rubbed her clit with his thumb, strumming her along, knowing exactly how to make her complete her ascent into madness and relief, his breath against her mound, “Tell me..” he panted. Cassandra sat up on her elbows, pushing her skirt out of her way to look at him, “Please doctor, I want you inside me”. He smiled broadly and sucked on her clit, pushing his finger inside her, as he stood up, hunched over her and worked at getting his trousers off. She climaxed against his finger and he groaned in acceptance, pulling out slowly as she shuddered, her cunt wet and creamy now, ready for him.

Astrov teased at her entrance, stroking his cock in his hand, making it slick, at the tip. Cassandra mewed at him, her legs gripping at his hips, drawing him closer, “Easy, easy my dear,” he cooed back at her in his deeper voice. Astrov leaned down between her legs and kissed her mouth again, her flavor mixed with the brandy on his breath was intoxicating and she caressed his hair again, keeping him close. Astrov moved and pushed into her entrance, Cassandra gasped as the stretching of her flesh against his intrusion, had her seeing stars. Her pussy gripped his cock so tight, Astrov shuddered and gaffawed, sliding deeper, Cassandra’s tongue entered his mouth and danced with his. They were joined now, and their hearts thumped in unison. Astrov began to stroke into her slowly and shallowly, easing it in and out, she adjusted well and still she clung to him with limbs and cunt. His arousal was at its peak and he wanted to thrust faster and harder, but he steeled himself to continue to go slow, for her benefit.

Cassandra, panted against his ear, as he held steady, letting her pussy throb around his shaft,

“Please, please,” she begged, “Please more”.

Astrov did not hesitate, he sunk all the way in and she cried out her legs gripping him harder, her hands digging into his shoulders and hair. He shuddered again, “God, you feel so good,”

Cassandra smiled playfully, as she whispered against his beard, “harder”.

That pushed him over the edge and Astrov started to pump against her pressure, building them both to the summit, to the wave that would inevitably crash against both of them in bliss. The heat inside his loins was growing and growing. And inside her core, Cassandra was overwhelmed by all the sensations, her body simply reacting to his, and in righteous chorus of expletive joy.  Astrov kept at it, moving faster and faster, a little harder, and a little faster. Sweat was gathering at his brow, he tore his shirt open, and she clawed at his chest. He looked at her, deeply as he came close to his edge. Cassandra’s walls clamped down on him and he seized, pulling out quickly and spilling himself onto the floor. She clamped against the emptiness, for mere seconds, as his fingers slid into her and he pumped again and again as she shuddered over him.

Astrov dropped to his knees again and feasted on her, licking her clit and making her scream against her sleeve, biting down, as his fingers and tongue and lips just suspended her in utter pleasure. She shook on the desk, as he held her legs over his shoulders. His tongue quieted to languid licks against her folds, and peppered her thighs with kisses, before he replaced her skirts, and helped her up to a stand. He stood, above her, and kissed her sweetly on the mouth, his hands cradling her face again. Cassandra looked up at him with sleepy eyes. He smiled as he looked at her, “Such a treasure, I’m so glad to have the wonder of all of you, thank you, Cassandra”. Cassandra was still swimming in her waves, but she was stable in his arms, and that is what mattered. He picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, lying down next to her, still half dressed, there limbs lying softly with each other. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her cheek, and finally her mouth. Her eyelids drooped heavier, and he whispered against her forehead, “Rest now”, in his soft and sultry voice.

Raspy and confused Cassandra mumbled up at him, “What.. what happens now?”

Astrov looked at her, “you mean with the trees?” 

Cassandra burbled up a giggle,

 Astrov smirked, “oh you mean with us,”

Cassandra nodded,

“Let’s just learn to grow together” Astrov smiled and kissed her again, gently. And held her close to him all night.

END?

Tag list:

@legolasbadass @middleearthpixie @riepu10 @evenstaredits

@scariusaquarius @sweetestgbye @lathalea

[caribbean1989]

GIF masterlist

Basically just what the title says: a masterlist of the GIF's/GIF sets I've made 😇. Fandoms / actors listed in alphabetical order (actors by first name). New fandoms / actors will be added to the list as soon as it applies.

0-9 911

A: The A-Team (movie) Aaron Taylor-Johnson Aidan Turner Antony Starr Anyone But You Aquaman Austin Butler

B: Baby Lasagna The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Barbie (movie) The Batman (2022) Being Human (UK) Ben Wishaw Benedict Cumberbatch Bill Skarsgard Bodyguard (series) The Boys Bullet Train

C: Charlie Hunnam Chris Hemsworth Criminal Minds The Crow (2024) Cursed

D: The Dark Knight movies Dominic Sherwood Dylan O'Brien Dune movies

E: Eddie Redmayne Elvis (movie) Elysium

F: Fantastic Beasts movies Freddy Carter

G: Game of Thrones Glen Powell

H: Hannibal (TV series) The Hobbit movies House of the Dragon Hugh Jackman

I: Inception It (movie)

J: James Bond movies James McAvoy Jared Padalecki Jesse Eisenberg John Wick movies Johnny Depp Joseph Gordon-Levitt Jude Law Jurassic World movies Justified

K: Käärijä Keanu Reeves Kit Harington Kit Young Kong: Skull Island

L: Logan Loki (series) Lucifer

M: Maneskin Matthew Daddario The Meg Michael Fassbender Miles Teller Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Muse (band)

N: Nicholas Hoult Nothing But Thieves (band) Now You See Me

O: Oscar Isaac Our Flag Means Death

P: Pedro Pascal Pirates of the Caribbean

R: Rami Malek Richard Armitage Richard Madden Robert Pattinson Ryan Reynolds

S: Sandman Shadow and Bone Shadowhunters Sharlto Copley Star Wars Stranger Things Supernatural

T: Taika Waititi Thor movies Timothee Chalamet Tom Cruise Tom Hiddleston Tomer Capone Top Gun: Maverick Tropic Thunder Twisters

W: The Walking Dead Wednesday Wonka The World's End

X: X-Men movies

[ozu-teapot]

February 2023 / The Months in Teapots

Der Bucklige von Soho | Alfred Vohrer | 1966

Johnny Nobody | Nigel Patrick | 1961

Der Gorilla von Soho | Alfred Vohrer | 1968

Kuuma kissa?  | Erkko Kivikoski | 1968

Die seltsame Gräfin  | Josef von Báky / Jürgen Roland / Ottokar Runze | 1961

Wicked, Wicked | Richard L. Bare | 1973

Mary, Queen of Scots | Charles Jarrott | 1971

Resurrected | Paul Greengrass | 1989

Miami Blues | George Armitage | 1990

[photogirl894]

15 questions…10 mutuals

Thanks for the tag, @techs-stitches !! 🥰

1. Were you named after anyone?

Nope, sadly

2. When was the last time you cried?

Earlier today when watching an episode of "Fairy Tail". I love this show so much, but my gosh, I swear it makes me cry every other episode in some way! It makes me so emotional 🥺

3. Do you have kids?

Not yet...it's not for lack of trying, though

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not at all 😉

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I tend to notice facial features first, like eyes, smiles, whatever expression a person has and then followed by personality

6. What's your eye color?

Amber brown

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings, 100%. I can't do scary movies

8. Any special talents?

Singing, dancing, writing, photography, accents, being a walking Lord of the Rings and Star Wars encyclopedia, being a kind and loyal friend

9. Where were you born?

Idaho, born and raised 🥰

10. What are your hobbies?

Writing, singing, listening to music, watching TV, playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing card games, spending time with my friends and family, chatting with my online friends

11. How many pets?

We don't have any pets cuz our property management doesn't allow pets, but my parents have a mini Australian labradoodle puppy named Amaya who's just the cutest and she's my little sissy 🥰🥰

12. What sports do/have you played?

Dancing and softball. I also count musical theater cuz that's dancing as well as being plenty active on stage

13. How tall are you?

I am 5'2". I am basically the same size as a taller Dwarf in Middle-Earth 😁 (I know this because Richard Armitage, who played Thorin Oakenshield in "The Hobbit", said Thorin was 5'2" and that he was on the taller side for a Dwarf and that made me perfectly happy 😆)

14. Favorite subject at school?

Choir, musical theater, photography and English

15. Dream job?

Successful traveling photographer or a published author

No pressure tags! @darthzero22 , @l-lend , @scarlettrose9901 , @tech-deck , @nimata-beroya , @dragonrider9905 , @rosechi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @fantasyproductions , @nahoney22 and anyone else who wants to!

[brassandblue]

the M A N  f r o m  t h e  R A I L R O A D // INTEREST TRACKER

MUSE STATUS: PRIMARY

(By liking this post, you are indicating interest in plotting with this character, and are OK with me sending memes/prompts to your inbox!)

NAME: The Man from the Railroad

ALT NAMES: The Railroad Man

OCCUPATION: ????

SEX/GENDER/PRONOUNS: Male(??), He/him

SEXUALITY: ????

FACECLAIM: Richard Armitage

AGE: Appears as a man in his mid-late 40s

HEIGHT: 6′5″

BUILD/BODY TYPE: Tall, long, solid, elegant, eerily ‘perfect’

HAIR: Black, salt-and-pepper

EYES: Dark charcoal grey

PINTEREST BOARD

ALL ABOUT ̸̧̬̖̼̦̾ ̸̧̳̒͒ ̷̠̑̽̕ ̴̮̗͍͈̈́͊̉͜ ̸̨͙̞̱͙̊̉̈́̈̓ ̷̢͓̤̪̞̋͘͝͠ ̴̢̛̣̭̃̐͘ ̵̦̭̤̰͗̍̂ ̵̻̫̀̄ ̴̯̻͒͝ͅ ̴̨̨̣̼̍͆̾̚ ̷̡̮̱͔̜̒̉ ̸̻͇̟͕̜̂̕͠ ̸̡̥̳̆͐ ̶̠̭͂̒ ̷̯̳̠̈́̍̿̍̔ ̶̛̺̐̉̿͘ ̵̰̉͂̀͂͝ ̸̧̥̭̓̾͗̒͝ ̶̺̤́͒̉ ̶̬͘ ̷̨͂̍ ̵͈̺͇̆̑̐̐ ̸̹̩͈̟̆̏ͅ ̷͉̿̃͒̈ ̴̲̳̂ ̶̧́͊̀̆ ̵̳̜͋̈́͂͛ ̶̡̪̓̒ ̶͙͙̝͈̆̄̚ ̵͈͖̼͚̄̌ ̸̞͆̏ ̶̗͔̳̩̇̿̈́͗ͅ ̴̨̺̯̱̞̊ ̴̣͈̂ ̴̖̜̃̇̓ ̷̦͐́͠ ̶͇̟̥̣̿̓̌͌ ̴̹̼̭̃̌͐͝ ̴̙̀̐ ̵̧̞͆͘͜ ̴̡̳̟͔̳̒̃̍͘ ̸̦̬̪́͊ͅ ̴̭̝͂͒͋ͅ :

Wouldn’t YOU like to know?

The Man-from-the-Railroad is an enigmatic, impeccably tailored, charcoal-suited figure, black hair dusted with salt-and-pepper, and a gleaming white tiger-like smile.

His origins are unknown, his true purpose and motives are unknown.

What is known, however, is that he is charming, cunning, from the Railroad, and while some might consder it up for debate is certainly not the Devil. He is something else; which is to say, worse, and real.

-

For RP purposes, here is a rundown of his character and powers so you can know what to expect. All of this applies to his canon (aka DEFAULT) setting, and can/may be tweaked for AUs on a case-by-case basis.

NOTE: Most things I have pulled either from canonical instances or “word of God” per the writer(s) of the podcast. Some things I have extrapolated, due to his brief appearances, and others I have inserted from my own bullshit. I still try to stick to the core aspects of his character as seen in canon; and he is subject to change should more material become available on new episodes of the podcast.

PERSONALITY:

The Railroad Man is, above all, charming, seemingly affable, effortlessly confident, and stopping him from doing what he wants is about as easy as stopping a speeding train. He has the air and appearance of unnerving perfection, as though he was manifested into being clad in his signature pinstripe suit; but it’s every part of his appearance, from his perfectly-coifed hair, to his perfectly cut thin beard, to his unnervingly straight, bright teeth, down to his polished leather shoes--the sort of which you could never afford. Something about him is just... not quite human... it is cold, bright, unbearably real.

He delights in style and class and has a flair for the dramatic. However, he is a stickler for rules--that is, the Old Rules of magic and honor and deals: If you bring harm upon him and his own, you owe him; if he does you a favor, you owe him, and he will come to collect at a time of his choosing. 

He also revels in death and blood as it pertains to the railroad (worldwide), and since at least the 1880s (though very likely earlier than that) he has contributed to pr*son pipelines that provided hard labor to build hundreds of thousands of miles of tracks worldwide (over 100,000 miles in the United States alone). 

They saw the land split by iron tongues. They saw men work to pull up driving spikes and laying rail. they saw the avarice and greed and the ever-growing power of the railroad in this man's eyes.

-- Old Gods of Appalachia, Episode 23 (Season 2), A Bad Night for Hollow Men

Blood, as it turns out, and the lives given in his name and/or the name of the Railroad, allows him to travel as he pleases, and the more bodies worked to death, the better. To say he has a cheerfully callous disregard for human life is a vast understatement. He is decidedly not human, and considers himself better, superior, to them--even to the point that this can become a blind spot where he underestimates human opponents, though fighting against him will always come at a great cost.

His only redeeming qualities are his apparent ambivalence on things when he can get his way, his charm (although smug), and his adherence to rules. He is not unwilling to work out a deal, and in fact, would prefer to do so even if he has the power to get what he wants by sheer force alone. 

He is a man of class and taste, with an airy arrogance that shows itself when his patience wears thin. Just don’t inconvenience him too much--he is not afraid to massacre hundreds to get what he wants, or to shed blood as he turns to smiling anger.

POWERS/ABILITIES/WEAKNESSES:

- Rapid, near instant healing of his body and clothes (blood-based) even from catastrophic injury. He can be killed if cut off from his healing source, provided the blow is a fatal one

- Immense strength/stamina-- can rip out a person’s throat with his bare hand, can also withstand a shotgun blast from close range and remain on his feet

- Teleportation over vast distances, provided he is within a dozen miles of a working railway; he uses working rails as ‘tunnels’ through utter darkness from place to place

- Shapeshifting-- Per Steve, he could be The Railroad Ma’am if he wanted; I have decided he could be pretty much any shape and has such control over his physical form (clothes included)

- Shapeshifting/Illusiory magic-- This passage from episode 25, Siege of Pleasant Evenings, explains it best:

And then as if to answer her unspoken query, the Railroad Man’s body flickered and changed. He seemed to grow taller, and then shorter, he seemed to distort into impossible forms and faces, and collapsed back into the well-dressed fiend in the charcoal suit. In one flickering moment, and dark-skinned, wrought with muscles, his back misshapen by a slab of scars; in his hand hung a heavy hammer. Another shift, and he was a woman cradling her dead husband’s head in her lap, his body crushed by stones. another flicker and he was a burning town, billowing black smoke into the trees, the heat and burning stench of men dying ripe on the air, for but a moment before he flickered again, and he was a salt and pepper playboy in a fine hand-tailored suit. 

Other visions flickered across the eyes of those who saw him there, each one a custom-made image of pain and loss and violation. 

He grinned up at her, stark and feral, like a wolf with a mouth full of your firstborn. “Do not mourn these poor souls, Miss Walker, for they have all fallen short of the glory of their god—be it the one who takes their tithe or the one who signs their paycheck. They look to both for salvation and find naught but throats like sepulchers and feet quick to shed blood.”

- Blood magic-- His blood and blood shed for the railroad are the/a source of his power. However, like other creatures of the Dark, he can be cut off from his exposed healing source (a pool of blood) if he has already been injured and ONLY if he has been sufficiently caught off guard. Blood shed in his name can cover wards, spells, sigils, and the more blood, the more control he will have

- Creation of Hollow thralls-- By getting folks to agree to work for the Railroad, and giving them his black business card, he can call upon them--through some corrupting magic, their minds will empty and he can command them to do as he wishes. Sometimes that will distort their bodies, sometimes not, but it will always lead to their eventual mindless and monstrous death

- Compulsion of obedience/mild hypnosis-- through the sound of his voice, the touch of his hand, through the act of truly looking into his eyes and Seeing who and what he really is

- Heightened senses-- He can smell the air and taste the earth; he is attuned to the ground in which rails have been staked and to the lives affected, changed. He can sense power and life and death and the stories and names of the people there. He can and will kneel and taste dirt, and he can and will sniff the air like a hound to find the threads of the stories he wishes to learn

- Names and Property Lines-- It is important that he is apparently nameless, as names in Alt Appalachia have power; his being without a name means power cannot be claimed over him in this way. Additionally, ownership of property is particularly important in this world-- wards, charms, barriers on a person’s land can be weakened or rendered void if that ownership changes. The more blood shed by TRM on the Walkers’ land, for instance, and spilled over their protective wards, meant the land would slowly but surely become his. It would follow, then, that a stand could be made against him with sufficient magical defense if you had your own little plot and a legal deed with your name on it--as long as you can keep him from sending waves of dying bodies over the property line

MISC:

- When he dies, a bright light bursts through his eyes and mouth and the terrifying sound of a train will rumble past before he and any carnage vanish. Death for him is not at all permanent

- He likes making stupid train pun jokes on occasion but they are subtle... ish

- He is probably around 100 years old or more by the 1930s

- While rather fae-like in the way he operates, he is familiar with human culture and language and all that sort of thing

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(The following images are screenshots from official Old Gods transcripts which you can find on their website. If you want to know a little bit more about him, these snippets are the way to go.)

((WARNING: They contain descriptions of blood, injury, and MINOR, out of context spoilers for the podcast.))

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WARNINGS: RPing with this character will involve sensitive topics from various eras throughout American history, as well as topics on mental illness/depression/PTSD, sexuality/sexual themes, drug addiction/substance abuse, war/violence/gore/injuries, racism/colonialism/imperialism/nationalism, socio-economic issues past & present, homophobia past & present. 

By liking this post and indicating your interest to engage in RP with this character, you are accepting the above warnings and have read the rules posted here on this blog.

[spynorth]

R O L E P L A Y   C H A R A C T E R   S T A T S   S H E E T

Repost, replacing the old information with your muse’s information.

Hover underlined ‘links’ for better explanations, should you need them.

Pass it on to your mutuals for a better understanding of their muses.

stole it from @piraticalarchive

▍ Face claim: Richard Armitage ▍ Name:  “Lucas North” (John Bateman) ▍ Age: 39  ▍ Gender: Male ▍ Nationality: British ▍ Birthday:  June 14, 1983 (November 3rd, 1983) ▍ Sun Sign: Gemini (Scorpio) ▍ Residence: London, UK ▍ Marital Status: Divorced ▍ Alignment: true neutral

L I K E S

▍ Drink: non alcoholic: coffee or peppermint tea, alchoholic: he tends towards non alcoholic beers because getting drunk holds the risk of a loose tongue, but for mild drinking he prefers rum and cokes. ▍ Food: banana sandwiches, ikea meatballs ▍ Day or Night: night  ▍ Snacks: raisins, jelly babies ▍ Song: The Wall by pink floyd ▍ Quote:  “From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached.” - Franz Kafka, The Trial. ▍ Historical Character: Agent 355. Also, Bridget Driscoll. Her story (which he shares with connie) reminds him of his own fate should his truth ever be known. ▍ Pet: currently none, but he’s winning over aurora’s cat.

▍ Book: The Trial by Franz Kafka. Also, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake and Paradise Lost by John Milton ▍ Colour: Navy blue, gray. black. Sometimes off set with a pastel color now and then. ▍ Flower(s):   purple hyacinth. for reasons. as far as in his flat, etc ... catcus. ▍ Sexuality: He claims he is heterosexual in an effort to fully embrace his role and deny anything that opens him up to nostalgia for his past life, however, John Bateman had a particularly significant relationship with a man. 

L O O K S

▍ Body type: He’s 6′3 in height and very lanky. He’s got the broad shoulders etc of every single one of richard’s other rules, but he never quite gets over the knobbiness that appears while imprisoned in russia. While he does gain some weight and build up muscle, he remains more sinewy in appearance. ▍ Eye colour:  Grayish Blue. 

▍ Hair colour: brown so dark that is almost appears black.

▍ Body reference:

Tagging: @twistedwit​, @northliights, @balaryen​ / @sinfyre​, @daemaryen​ / @northsrose​  + whoever!! steal it and tag me!

[greeneyed-thestral]

[theimpalatales]

Reading Review 2023

"We are only as good as the world we create around us."

This series is one of the first I've read solely as audiobooks. Impostor and Hysteria, the first two books in Ross' Alexander Gregory series, are narrated by Hugh Dancy, who is a fantastic narrator and made my audiobook experiences highly enjoyable. The next few books in the series are narrated by Richard Armitage, which I'm very much looking forward to.

Impostor was a fun thriller story that perfectly introduced the protagonist Alexander Gregory and set the tone for the rest of the series. Hysteria does a good job, for the most part, in following on from this, although it doesn't develop Alexander's character far further than its predecessor. Both plots are similar in theme and tone which can be reassuring; it's nice to have an idea what kind of book you're picking up. I have hopes that the next instalments will further develop Alexander and throw some curveballs his way (and I'm excited for Richard Armitage to pick up where Hugh Dancy left off).

I'll occasionally pick up a good thriller novel, although the main draws for this series were the narration by Hugh Dancy (he has a wonderfully soothing voice and his acting prowess makes the story shine) and my interest in L J Ross as a self-published author. She's one of the most successful self-published authors, achieving international bestseller status and accumulating a plethora of accolades, praise and, crucially, loyal readers. Certainly an interesting case study for authors hoping to follow in her footsteps.

Buy the books (If you use my links, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org whose fees support independent bookshops.)

Read the reviews || 5/15

[candy--heart]

By  Emily Price

So I decided to do a little research into the $750/day figure I’d heard a private company was charging the US government per each detained migrant child. I wanted to, with my own eyes and brain, 1. verify this figure was accurate; 2. verify it was indeed a private company instead of a non-profit charging this, if true, as both have managed these detention centers (not that it really matters, ultimately, but stay with me); 3. try to figure out where this per diem sum — more than my monthly mortgage — was going, if not to even buy these tortured children toothbrushes and soap, which are about the cheapest basic necessities on the market, and which no individual has to replace every day.

$750/person A DAY should cover a lot of necessities, right? Right. So where the hell is all this money going? This can’t be true...

Well here’s what I found:

1. Yes, it’s a private company called Comprehensive Health Services (a subsidiary of Caliburn International). CHS operates the largest child migrant detention center, which is in FL and was already getting horrible press — especially from local FL papers — last year. But that didn’t matter, because CHS recently opened up a few more child prisons in TX, as it snagged a new government contract, despite many documented concerns about conditions there.

2. $750/day per child is an accurate sum of CHS’s CLAIMED operating costs, and what our federal tax dollars are paying for. A sum that was agreed to upon award of the contract. In fact, it was actually on the record as $775 last summer.

3. So where is this money going, you wonder, if not to soap and toothbrushes? Yeah, I did too, and it was quite easy to dig up. CHS, via Caliburn, is controlled by the private equity firm DC Capital Partners. For those of you who don’t know how private equity firms work, look it up, or ask me in the comments.

4. While I would not be able to find out vested shareholders in the DCCP portfolio, we do not have to assume they’re making some nice returns on these CHS operations and government contracts that line their pockets instead of covering even basic human needs for children. That’s clear, because why would a private company keep their costs down so low that they completely disregard humanity, even though they say they’re experts in “healthcare?”

PROFIT. FOR THEIR PRIVATE INVESTORS.

5. While I can’t name for you the private investors getting rich off of this humanitarian crisis, I can name for you members of the advisory board of DCCP, which approves everything in the portfolio.

First up: Trump’s former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, who was named to the board LAST MONTH, and photographed riding a golf cart into a CHS child prison. So with his own eyes, he saw the conditions there. And he was cool with it all, because hey, there’s money to be made for his rich investor friends, and maybe even himself! Who knows! Can’t say for sure, so feel free to reasonably assume what you wish. I’m just stating facts here.

Coincidentally, prior to joining Trump in the WH, he was also a paid lobbyist for DCCP. Hmmmm...

6. So next up on the DCCP board: Richard L. Armitage, former U.S. deputy secretary of state; Michael Corbin; former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates; Michael V. Hayden, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and of the National Security Agency; Donald M. Kerr Jr., former deputy director of science and technology at the CIA; Anthony C. Zinni, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command and former U.S. Envoy to the Middle East; and Stephen F. Loftus, former director of the Office of the Budget for the United States Navy.

Are y’all seeing any patterns here?

7. Michael Hayden, last June, said on the record he sees “commonality” between Nazi Germany’s separation of children at concentration camps and the Trump administration policy that is forcing children to be separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I know we’re not Nazi Germany, alright. But there is a commonality there, and a fear on my part ... We have standards we have to live up to,” Hayden told CNN’s “New Day.”

It appears he left those standards at the boardroom door, along with many other individuals that dance with greed and corruption on the line of the private and public sectors COMPLETELY UNCHECKED.

8. Last month, the same month Kelly got his new gig, the government awarded CHS a brand new, hush-hush contract worth $341 million, even though there had been tons of pressure to close it due to its conditions.

THERE WAS NO COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR THE CONTRACT, and it happened under the radar.

9. Just two months before this, in March, CHS/Caliburn cancelled its IPO after registering with the SEC to sell $100m public shares. The CEO cited “market forces,” yet made it clear the company was thriving and growing.

——————

I’ll leave you to come to your own conclusions about all of this, or do more research. And I’ll post a ton of sources in the comments for those who actually think this administration is “draining the swamp,” or who want to debate the semantics of whether these ”centers” can reasonably be called child concentration camps or not without offending some non-brown people.

And for those of you who think children don’t deserve the most basic human rights because they’re not American: There’s a special place in hell for you, and I imagine hell to be a whole lot like this situation.

For those of you who are cool lining the pockets of private citizens in DC with YOUR tax dollars while dirty, hungry, sick children live imprisoned and stacked in cages without even a dime of your money going to pay for soap and toothbrushes for these kids like it was supposed to: I’m ashamed to share this country with you as legal citizens, and I think you’re disgustingly dumb. We failed you, too, but at least you got to go to school when you were a kid, and didn’t spend childhood dying in a cage.

America, NONE OF THIS IS OK. WAKE UP.

——————

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE (!!)

1. As mentioned upon writing this, I originally posted my sources at the beginning of the comments thread at time of publishing -- before it became a large discussion. For your convenience and further reading, I am now moving my sources here + some extra homework for everyone to do (no particular order):

https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/CLBR:US https://www.miamiherald.com/…/immigra…/article229744049.html https://www.cbsnews.com/…/john-kelly-joins-board-of-calibu…/ https://news.littlesis.org/…/wall-street-banks-former-def…/… https://thehill.com/…/392727-hayden-sees-commonality-betwee… https://www.npr.org/…/florida-shelter-is-scrutinized-for-th… https://www.nytimes.com/…/migrant-shelters-border-crossing.… https://heavy.com/news/2019/05/caliburn-international/… https://www.thedailybeast.com/doj-is-investigating-whether-… https://thebaffler.com/…/retirement-brought-to-you-by-priso… https://www.floridatoday.com/…/cape-canaveral-de…/717375002/ https://www.chsmedical.com/compliance

The people have spoken, so hope that helps you all wrap your minds around this in a more complete and credible way. Thank you to all who have participated in civil dialogue and shared this post. Let's keep it constructive, as we do not need to be even more destructive than the current situation.

2. THE POST IS ALREADY PUBLIC + SHAREABLE. Please do not ask me if you can share it -- I made it public, which is why you can see it. You should be able to share the original version. If you can't, refresh your app, run your updates or make sure you aren't still viewing a friend's protected share of the original itself. There is no possible way I can instruct all individuals on how to share it -- but I appreciate all of you who are moved by these words, and want to raise awareness about this distressing situation.

3. Your concern has given me hope. Do your homework. Look into your group investment portfolios, pensions, etc. Know where your money is invested. Call your legislators. Do anything but freak out to the point of being unproductive and histrionic. DO ANYTHING BUT BE AWFUL TO EACH OTHER.

Thank you. We are in this together..

By  Emily Price

[richardarmitagefanpage]

[mariansteamcastle]

“The Master At Arms” Chapter Three

It’s a fandom celebration today and I’m very proud and happy to participate in it for the first time. As the 26th of April marks the outlawing of Robin, the new chapter of “The Master At Arms” narrates exactly that, along with the first appearances of Lambert and Annie!

The “Master At Arms” is a BBC Robin Hood fanfiction, set from the beginning of the series to its end, entirely canon-based BUT the main protagonist is Sir Guy of Gisborne and we get to see ever single event from his point of view.