#about : rosalind bishop

[nepoupdates]

let's talk about hookups! who do you reeeeeally think should hookup in this trip? going by vibes only, ofc.

part  of  me  wants  to  say  let's  not  because  i  really  could  care  less  but  i'm  feeling  a  little  ...  chaotic  tonight  so  here  are  some  pairings  based  purely  on  vibes  and  nothing  else:  

josie/laurie  ,  teagan/jia  ,  rory/julien  ,  percy/lorenzo  ,  benny/miyeon  ,  charlotte/rina  ,  harlowe/ace  ,  trix/lulu  ,  sasha/james  ,  paige/giorgia  ,  lari/juliette  ,  roman/elias  ,  rosalind/jaeha  .

no  i  will  not  be  elaborating  (  @delicatlueur  ,  @stclaires  ,  @teagvns  ,  @roaries  ,  @concertaes  ,  @wcrstbehaviior  ,  @rainforum  ,  @lovesues  ,  @hcerin  ,  @harlcwes  ,  @bcatrixs  ,  @racingfm  ,  @jamesluvsria  ,  @dearpaige  ,  @gicrgiia  ,  @lcrissas  ,  @fairjuliette  ,  @rosbella  ,  @lcvesickboy  )

[darkesttiimelines]

Throughout history, women have left an undeniable impact on society with their hard work, creativity, and dedication to progress. Unfortunately, their accomplishments have often gone unnoticed, been undervalued, or even stolen. Despite these challenges, brave women of today continue to push boundaries, break barriers, and pave the way for a more fair and equal world. It's our duty to keep going, so that future generations of women can inherit a kinder, more just, and supportive world. By following in the footsteps of the incredible women who came before us, we can create a world where every woman can flourish and succeed, and where their contributions are recognized and celebrated.

Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming to be acting under divine guidance, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men's clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen.

Rani Lakshmibai was the Maharani consort of the princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853. She was one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 became a symbol of resistance to the British rule in India for Indian nationalists. When the Maharaja died in 1853, the British East India Company under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie refused to recognize the claim of his adpoted heir and annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse. She rode into battle with her infant son strapped to her back, and died in June 1858 after being mortally wounded during the British counterattack at Gwalior.

Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was instrumental in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Her contributions were largely overlooked by her male colleagues, James Watson and Francis Crick, who used her data without her permission or acknowledgement. This theft of her intellectual property and erasure of her contributions is a prime example of the systemic sexism that has historically plagued the scientific community.

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who co-invented a frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology during World War II that was used to guide torpedoes. However, her contributions were largely ignored and dismissed by male engineers and the military at the time. It was only later in life that she received recognition for her scientific achievements.

Emma Weyant is an American competitive swimmer. She was the US national champion at the individual medley. She qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in the 400m individual medley and won the silver medal in this event. Weyant finished second in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. She was beaten by William (Lia) Thomas, a fetishist, who when competing as a member of the Penn men's team, which was 2018-19, ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle. Weyant is the fastest swimmer in the 500-yard freestyle and had her position stolen by a man.

Maryna Viazovska is a Ukrainian mathematician who made a breakthrough in sphere packing, solving the centuries-old mathematical problem known as the densest packing of spheres in dimensions 8 and 24. She was awarded the Fields Medal in July 2022, making her the second woman (after Maryam Mirzakhani), the second person born in the Ukrainian SSR and the first with a degree from a Ukrainian university to ever receive it.

Hannie Schaft was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II who played a crucial role in the resistance movement against Nazi occupation. Schaft was a former university student who dropped out because she refused to sign a pledge of loyalty to Germany. Nazis arrested and killed her in 1945, just three weeks before the war ended in Europe. According to lore, Schaft’s last words were, “I’m a better shot,” after initially only being wounded by her executioner.

Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mathematician and mental calculator who was known as the "Human Computer" for her exceptional ability to perform complex mathematical calculations in her head. Her extraordinary abilities earned her a place in the 1982 Guinness Book of Records. Her lesser known achievement is that in 1977 she wrote what is considered to be the first book in India on homosexuality titled “The World of Homosexuals.”  

J. K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. Known for her philanthropy, she was doxxed and harassed after coming out with support for women's and gay rights in 2020. Rowling secretly donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to save 100 female lawyers and their families facing murder in Afghanistan. In 2022, she funded a women's only rape shelter in Edinburgh.

[chiefdirector]

Beginning | Tim Bradford | The Rookie

Act One | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24

Despite being in this room for what felt like a thousand times, (Y/N) couldn't help but feel uneasy. The put in the bottom of her stomach grew and grew until it felt like a black hole of nervousness. It took all of her might to stay still in her seat, trying to look composed. Now was not the time to show weakness.

Seemingly reading her mind, Tim leaned across, taking one of her hands in his, stopping her from fiddling with her wedding band once more. It was a habit she had meant to break a thousand times but she had never seemed to crack it.

The conversation from the night before spun through her mind. She had lost so much to this, something priceless, (Y/N) didn't know if she could lose any more. She had gotten her life back, she fought like hell to get some semblance of peace for the last two years. Her karma had come, and now it could leave her again.

Those two years she spent longing for her life back, for her husband back, she hadn't realised just how much she missed everything else. Angela and her awful jokes, the way Grey always knew what to say to her. She missed her neighbours and the cookies they brought over when they baked too much. She got it all back.

There were things that were lost forever. Her rapport with Captain Anderson, the woman who inspired her more than anything; she never got to say goodbye to her. If she ever saw Bishop again she wouldn't know what to say, (Y/N) didn't even know if Talia was aware that she was alive.

But there were also things she had gained that she never had before. Harper, Nolan, Chen. The three of them had bonded quickly over various topics. Harper knew what it was like to come back from undercover work, how hard the adjustment was. Nolan's empathy and understanding provided comfort she struggled to get anywhere else.

And with Chen, the two talked about Tim; it was nice to know that he was okay when she was gone. He never really opened up about their time apart but Lucy had provided him with support. (Y/N) was forever grateful. But she was also determined; determined to never lose again.

Her thoughts were so consumed with what she had and what she was putting up at stake, she barely noticed that Grey had begun to give out the initial assignments. Lopez and West were going to go over the initial case file, to see if there was anymore influence from Rosalind that could have been missed. Harper and Nolan were going to go to the Central California Women's Correctional Facility to question the Warden about Dyer's communications and habits. She just about caught Grey giving out her own assignment "...and Detective Bradford is going to go see Kade Sullivan. If our theory is correct, and Sullivan is involved somehow, he will want to seek her out. Tim, you go with her as a lookout only."

"What? No!" Tim protested, horrified at the idea of leaving (Y/N) alone with someone who could have potentially caused her so much grief and torment. "I'm going with her."

"Be happy I've put you on surveillance. I can easily have you and Harper switch assignments." Grey rebutted. "You are not to get involved unless Detectie Bradford explicitly asks for it. Is that understood?"

Tim pursed his lips in frustration. He trusted (Y/N) with every fibre of his being but he couldn't stand the idea of this going wrong. The thing is, he didn't trust himself not to get involved if he saw things going downhill. Gritting his teeth, he responded. "Send Harper."

----------

Where there once stood a dingy and rundown house, stood a home that had received thousands of dollars of TLC. Rotting wood had been replaced, foundations rebuilt, dead plants now blossoming. There was no indication that this house had been in disrepair, bordering on inhabitable.

(Y/N) turned her head, eyes settling on the car Harper was in down the street, reassuring herself that she was no longer alone in this game. Her heart rushed at the realisation truly settled in, seeing Sullivan again would fully put her as well as every other officer at the Mid-Wilshire precinct into a battle of survival, one where there could only be one winner.

She knocked three times before taking a step back. She stood tall, hoping that her stance showed confidence and unwavering determination, things she was definitely not feeling right now. Still she took a deep breath, unclenched her jaw and waited.

She did not have to wait for long though, it was less than a minute before the door swung open on, showing her former case worker staring at her, unmoving, unblinking. His jaw was slightly lowered, the only movement he had was a slight twitch in his right hand.

(Y/N) swallowed her nervousness down, "Sullivan, can I come in?"

"You were missing." Sullivan seemingly snapped back to life. He stuck his head out of the house, looking up and down the street for any visible observers before moving to let (Y/N) into the house as he continued to speak. "Come in, come in."

"I'm not here for a social call."

He moved into the kitchen, offering (Y/N) a cup of tea. He pottered around, trying not to seem as shaken as his initial reaction. "You were never the type anyway. But what are you doing here, last I heard was that you had fallen off the grid. No trace, nothing. Did you not think how worried I would be, and what about that husband of yours?"

"He's not important." (Y/N) lied, going over the story her and Harper had agreed for her to tell. She knew that Harper was listening in over her wire but she still hated the way it felt to lie about Tim. "He's moved on. Probably staying with me out of pity; I made my peace with that."

"Then why are you here," Sullivan passed (Y/N) a cup of tea, "I mean, don't get me wrong I'm thrilled that you are okay. I was so worried but you wouldn't be here if you thought that everything was going fine."

She placed the mug down without a sip, her hand slipping over the edge of the counter as she did so. "I recently got Regina Diaz arrested. She's awaiting trial; no way she's getting off easy. I just came by to say I was okay, I'm no longer in danger."

"That's good, I'm glad."

"Me too." (Y/N) looked round the room. There wasn't a single inkling that someone lived here full time, the only mess was from the drinks Sullivan just made, the rest was immaculate. Nothing was out of place, as was what she had seen of the rest of the house. "I best be off. I don't need to keep you only longer. It was good to see you."

Sullivan held his hand out for (Y/N) to shake. "You too. Let me see you out."

----------

(Y/N) looked at the road ahead as Nyla drove back to the station. With the bug (Y/N) planted in the kitchen, the transmission would already be recording, they just had to hope that it would pick up any conversations Sullivan had, enough for a warrant.

As the city passed her by, she could feel Nyla passing a glance at her every so often. Her gaze was heavy, she could feel it pressing down on her. Eventually, (Y/N) had had enough of the silence. "You know you can just say it."

"It isn't true." Nyla softly said, considering each word as she spoke. "What you said before. He didn't stay out of pity. I hope you know that."

"Yeah, I do, but..." (Y/N) shook her head, stopping herself.

Nyla pulled the car over, parking at before turning to look at (Y/N), giving the detective her full attention. "But what?"

"Sometimes I think it would just be easier if he had moved on. I've dragged you all into my mess."

"This isn't your fault. And I can't speak for everyone else, but you didn't drag me into anything." Nyla sighed, she didn't often provide comfort, it wasn't something she excelled at but she could relate. She knew how (Y/N) felt. "Look, I haven't known you as long as some of the others, but you aren't but you aren't a lost cause, and you gotta stop this self-doubt thing you got going on. You're stuck in the past and I get that but you have a family at that station a family willing to fight this with you. Let them, let us help."

(Y/N) closed her eyes, blinking away the small tears that had formed at Nyla's words. Silently, she nodded at the woman, letting her know that she was okay. "Thank you."

"Now, I mean this in the nicest way possible. Get a grip, we have a job to do."

(Y/N) hummed. "Let's go."

Chapter 24 | Chapter 26

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Tags: @xceafh  @kmc1989  @buba424 @salty0cracker @iamasimpingh0e @malindacath @hufflepuffwhore13 @agentred27 @tessalynni @anaferreira-4 @starstruckchopshoptyphoon

Tags are open :)

24 | 26

[vintagestagehotties]

Hot Vintage Stage Actress Round 1

Sandy Dennis: Millicent Bishop in Face of a Hero (1960 Broadway); Sandra Markowitz in A Thousand Clowns (1963 Broadway); Ellen Gordon in Any Wednesday (1964 Broadway)

Rosalind Russell: Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town (1953 Broadway); Auntie Mame in Auntie Mame (1956 Broadway)

Propaganda under the cut

Sandy Dennis:

she had more than twenty cats which makes me think about what our life would be like as gay cat lady wives. also such soft floofy hair i want to nuzzle my face in it

Rosalind Russell:

She makes me Unwell(tm) (in a swooning fanning myself kinda way)

[faytalepsy]

Hi Fay! I was admiring some of your drawings yesterday and this little thing popped into my head 😊 i'm a great fan of your work (not just your drawings but your fics too) so i thought i'd share how they inspire me. It's not much but since it's the first time i write anything at all i'm trying to not be too hard on myself (apologies for any mistakes and formatting, english is not my first language)

you're a gift to this fandom ❤💫

Farah had never bothered to learn how to play chess; truth be told she didn't have the patience for it nor did she care much about strategy (luckily for her and the rest of the batallion, Saul had a natural talent for it).

At first, Rosalind had tried to encourage her to learn by using analogies (that Farah barely understood) and explaining pieces and rules and tactics and other things that Farah didn't pay much attention to. At the end of the day she couldn't remember any of it but to her relief (and surprise) her mentor didn't press it. So Farah never learnt.

Sometimes she felt guilty about it but why should she waste time with that? Her strength was her magic. She was training to become a soldier, to fight in the war. All she had to do was follow Rosalind, she'd train her and lead her into battle. She'd lead all of them to victory.

When she was young Farah used to try to work out which chess piece each member of the batallion represented, even though she only had a vague idea of their value and how they moved: were the specialists meant to be the pawns? Rosalind probably thought so, but surely Saul and Andreas were worth more than an average pawn... and what about the fairies? Would Rosalind consider the less powerful ones in the same regard as the specialists? A fairy like Ben had to be a rook at the very least; he might even become a knight or a bishop one day.

As for the king, Farah decided early on that it represented the inhabitants of the Otherworld. The queen was the most powerful piece in the board which meant it could only be Rosalind. So what was Farah supposed to be?

When she was feeling confident, Farah even dared consider herself as the queen, which left Rosalind in the place of the king. It made sense, she'd tell herself, her mentor didn't take much part in the actual fighting anymore but she remained the most important member of their army. She was the head, their leader, the only piece they couldn't afford to lose.

How stupid she'd been. How blind and ignorant. Pawns and rooks and knights, even the king and queen, they were all just pieces in a game. Rosalind had been the player all along.

Hi my wonderful amazing anon!! I'm incredibly sorry it took me this long to respond but I wanted to do it right and not just type a quick answer crammed in between lectures or other assignments!

First, thank you so so much for your message. I am truly honoured that you shared this with me and everytime I hear one of my works inspires people I could jump with joy! I feel like inspiring others is one of the most beautiful things art can do and it doesn't happen often to me that I'm on the inspiring end!💕

And of course I'm also beyond happy you like ny drawings and fics, thank you for the support!!!💕

As a chess lover (although quite the amateur I fear) I always love chess analogies!! But I have to admit I found it hard to apply them to fate characters because in my mind they only work for specific situations because everyone switches places in my head depending on situation and relationship. That's why I love love love how you had Farah deliberating the pieces and her place on the board from her perspective as a soldier in the war! And the king as the inhabitants of the otherworld would make so much sense! But also Farah deliberating both herself and Rosalind as Queen, comparing how she would measure up to her mentor just to realise that Rosalind was the player all along because she absolutely was.

Again you so much for sharing this and I hope you write more whenever inspiration hits!!

Also can I just say that this message made me happy everytime I opened my inbox for the past week?? because it absolutely has been brightening my day!💕

[rainydayhues]

I enjoyed this episode! Listen, we're never going to get a full on Chenford episode on an ensemble show but what they DID give us - the subtlety is so good!! Tim looking proud of Lucy, the wistful/angsty looks and Tim being the one to notice Lucy went radio silent? Okay show, I see you! We're playing the long game and I'm excited about this!

I also am loving how the show continues to show us how smart and capable Lucy is! She's the one to constantly connect the dots that others aren't seeing. And it sounds like her career is something they're thinking about this season and I love that for her. Also thank you hair department for the ponytail look - it's giving season 2 vibes!

As to the rest, I actually really enjoyed the Nolan/Celina dynamic - she's not going to be an easy rookie and he's struggling too! Considering the issues he caused for Bishop/Harper, I think it's fun to see him have to work hard at being a TO!

Also smart of them to do a Feds crossover with Rosalind so quick into the season - I am intrigued!

All in all, I'm glad I went into the episode spoiler/noise free - enjoyed it!

[lilacrespite]

status : closed / ( @rosalindisms ) location : a close family/friends celebration of sorts at arlo's childhood home .

rosalind  bishop  had  once  been  as  familiar  as  the  home  he  grew  up  in;  now,  she  was  more  of  an  apparition  haunting  the  halls  of  his  childhood  and  leaving  small  echos  of  the  person  she  was  (  the  person  he  wanted  back  ).  after  they  graduated  high  school,  it  was  easy  for  arlo  to  escape  the  breadcrumbs  of  their  relationships  and  the  remnants  of  the  future  they  once  talked  about.  she  went  off  to  juilliard  and  he  built  a  community  he  could  keep  at  a  distance.  the  kind  of  relationship  that  wouldn't  change  on  him.  safe,  in  the  way  he  knew  he  wouldn't  be  left  wondering  what  about  him  wasn't  enough.  as  she  lived  her  shiny  new  life,  he  was  left  to  wall  off  the  unanswered  questions  promises  with  no  one  left  to  keep  them.  he'd  smile  and  shrug  his  shoulders  when  his  mother  asked  about  her.  nodded  along  like  he  wasn't  listening  when  his  father  would  tell  him  about  all  of  her  accomplishments  and  future  endeavors.  tried  not  to  feel  bitter  that  she  was  so  much  happier  without  him  around. it  was  hard  to  see  her  again.  their  standoff  had  lasted  for  years;  the  chill  from  the  icy  tension  between  them  shooting  down  his  spine  the  second  she  walked  through  the  door.  famously  bad  at  games,  this  was  one  arlo  couldn't  stand  to  lose.  somewhere  along  the  line  the  objective  got  lost,  what  they  were  fighting  for  seemed  inconsequential,  but  the  cold  stares  and  forced  smiles  persisted.  if  she  was  in  a  room  he  didn't  want  to  be,  and  if  he  had  to  enter  a  conversation  she  would  find  the  nearest  exit.  at  some  point  throughout  the  night,  his  poker  face  had  gotten  too  heavy  to  hold  so  he  retired  to  the  attic  to  hide.  ever  since  he  was  a  child,  it  was  his  hiding  spot  of  choice;  with  so  much  of  his  father's  discarded  costumes  and  half  finished  props,  he  could  easily  camouflage  himself  in  the  cacophony  of  half-finished  designs.  he  didn't  expect  someone  to  find  him  there,  so  sounds  of  the  later  creaking  down  and  someone  stepping  up  came  as  a  shock.  he  peeped  over  from  his  place  in  the  corner  to  rosalind  ascending  inside.  ❝  i  was  here  first.  ❞  he  blurted,  slumping  back  in  his  seat  as  childish  as  he  felt.  he  looked  down  to  the  switch  in  his  hands  but  the  gameplay  was  less  alluring  to  him  now.  ❝  i  just  meant,  i'm  not  leaving  so.  best  to  go  find  someone  you  think  is  worthy  of  your  oh-so-expensive  time.  ❞

[fairchildisms]

jessica  alexander.   she/her.     cis  female. › spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   alexandra  fairchild   ,   most   likely   listening   to   levitating   by   dua  lipa   with   their   airpods   pro   .   the   twenty-three  gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be   -bratty   yet   +cunning   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you'll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   blonde  hair  flicking  over  her  shoulder,  sparkly  eyeshadow,  &  sharing  an  instagram  live  of  her  morning  routine   ,   followed   by   no1  feminine  by  clive  christian   .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about   rumors  of  a  leaked  sex  tape   ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation .   (   muse   j   for  subplot   #4   .   )

PINTEREST HERE!

ALEXANDRA FAIRCHILD, A STUDY:

NAME: Alexandra Rebecca Fairchild

KNOWN AS: Alex

BIRTHDATE:  August 19, 1999

STAR CHART:  Leo sun / Sagittarius moon / Sagittarius rising

HOMETOWN: New York, NY

GENDER:  Cis female  ( her/she)

SEXUAL ORIENTATION:  Bisexual

HEIGHT:  5'6"

HAIR COLOR:  Blonde

EYE COLOR:  Blue

OCCUPATION: Content Creator

THE FAIRCHILD FAMILY: 

FATHER: William Fairchild, 62, CEO of Fairchild Media 

MOTHER: Lydia Walker, 55, philanthropist 

SIBLINGS: Nathan Fairchild, 35, Head of Publishing (and future CEO) at Fairchild Media; Lucy Fairchild, 32, Editor-in-Chief at Fairchild Media; Meredith Fairchild, 30, philanthropist 

COUSIN: Rosalind Bishop, 26, Actress

BIOGRAPHY:

As the youngest child of four, daughter of Fairchild Media (an international brand that owns and operates about two dozen magazines, four newspapers, and owns a stake in a primetime cable network) and wine-guzzling philanthropist, Alexandra Fairchild had learned early on the importance of gaining people’s attention. It was hard to come by in her household (excluding the nannies, of course), but she knew even at a young age that it was as valuable as currency in the world of the UES elite. And as she got older, nothing really seemed to change. She watched her parents get praised in the magazines and newspapers they own, her siblings grace Page Six headlines, and watched the rise of social media itself, quick to turn somebody from a nobody to a somebody.

Her parents had her as a last resort to keep their marriage together, which would wind up ending in divorce before Alex’s second birthday anyway. She’s always had a disconnect from her family, with her three older siblings being years older than her and more or less a spitting image of her parents: serious and diligent Nathan, intelligent and clever Lucy, kind-hearted and sweet Meredith. A lesser woman would shrink in their shadows, but there was a rebellious streak in Alex that none of her other siblings had, enough to give her a title of her own. She wasn’t completely unlike her parents, anyway; she had learned from watching her father conduct business how to underhand someone to get her way, and she was clever like her mother, knowing exactly what needed to be done to get there. 

The only problem? Unlike her family and their squeaky-clean reputation, Alex had never minded getting her hands dirty when it came to the public’s opinion. In fact, she knew that’s what separated her from the rest of the herd. There’s no such thing as bad publicity, one would say, and Alex took that to heart when she started a Twitter account at thirteen years old, purely for posting her scathing opinions on everyone and everything. A few years ago it had been taken down by her father, refusing for his daughter to get roped into the cancel culture that seemed to overtake the media, but the damage was done; by then, Alex had already gotten a taste of the attention that comes with social media, and she wanted more of it.

One would think every high school in America had a type like her: the cool, bitchy girl who spoke her mind and was somehow still flocked with friends. But Alex took that stereotype and made it fun, the girl people genuinely wanted to be around — until they didn’t. Always known for her unpredictability, one minute she could be braiding your hair and making you friendship bracelets, and the next minute she’s making fake Instagram accounts to troll you in the comments. Most people think it’s just a feral nature about her, but in reality it’s a game of ten-dimensional chess between Alex and everyone around her — they just don’t know it yet.

The name of her game is social media, having started Instagram seriously a few years ago, when the age of influencers had first taken off. Now she has over a million followers, that number growing by the week, and that number being the only map to figuring out how exactly Alex is feeling at the moment. She doesn’t care what she has to do to get followers – get caught hooking up with an Italian prince, get arrested for a DUI, flash the paparazzi outside of 1Oak – as long as people continue to subscribe and give her the attention she craves. When it comes to her reputation, she’s not afraid to do anything or screw anyone over to get in the way. 

TL;DR: alex is a messy bitch that lives for drama & making headlines and will do just about anything to keep the spotlight

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

give me muse i for subplot #4, fun lil enemies thing <3

other upper east siders she grew up with as a kid

friends, best friends, fake friends, frenemies, family friends, anything platonic

butttt because it's alex also plenty of rivals, enemies, people who barely know her but already don't like her bc of her reputation

exes! either ex-relationships that had been more for the clout than anything else, ex-hookups that went poorly and they're now on bad terms, or anything in the middle tbh

people she partners with on social media for the gram

someone who will worship her like she wants to be worship

someone she can use to get what she wants, or someone using her without her knowing

these are just off the top of my head, i'll def come up with more, but the messier the better pls <3

[callmebrycelee]

THE ROOKIE REACTION

Today's reaction is to the season 5, season opening episode titled "Double Down" which originally aired on September 25, 2022. The episode was written by Alexi Hawley and directed by Tori Garrett. Spoilers ahead!

The Rookie is one of those shows I was introduced to during the height of the pandemic. I've always been a huge fan of Nathan Fillion. I find him very charming and an unconventional leading man. As our titular rookie, John Nolan, Nathan has never been more charming. Or unconventional. I got hooked immediately and have stuck around for the last four seasons - even though they got rid of two of my favorite characters. Justice for Talia Bishop and Jackson West!

Anywho, it's September which means all of my favorite shows are back! In our season opener, we pick up where we left off at the end of the previous season. I do wish I'd watched the final episode of season four just so I was better prepared for this episode but allow me to catch you all up. In the season four closer "Day in the Hole", Nolan is sent to a border town called Frontera where he comes into conflict with a violent gang. Tim Bradford goes undercover as Jake Butler who just so happens to look exactly like him. Chen gets roped into being Jake's girlfriend during the mission and let me tell you, the sexual chemistry between the two of them is so THICC. They share a kiss and, ladies and gentleman, we officially have Chenford!

Fast-forward back to Sunday's season five premiere, Nolan was reinstated to his old department by the Chief and is given a golden ticket which means he gets to choose any assignment in the LAPD. His main squeeze, Bailey (ugh, she's still here) suggests he can go work with the K-9 unit because he would get the job but Nolan is clearly not about to abandon his ultimate goal which is to become a training officer. Meanwhile, to put a damper on things, Nolan and the rest of the squad are informed that infamous serial killer, Rosalind Dyer, is due in court for a new trial and needs to be transferred from her prison to the courtroom. The entire area surrounding the courthouse is placed on lockdown and everyone in law enforcement is enlisted to aid with the transfer, including Nolan. 

I'm not going to lie - even though 9-1-1 did something similar for their season five premiere last year (exchange a serial rapist for a serial killer and you pretty much have the same plot), I found the scene where Rosalind is led out of her cell and the process of getting her to the courthouse so thrilling. I knew something bad was about to happen but admittedly I didn't see her lawyer being in on her escape. What frustrated me most about Rosalind getting away is that it felt like everyone involved in the transfer dropped the ball. Rosalind Dyer is playing chess and the entire LAPD is playing Connect Four. 

With Rosalind on the loose in Los Angeles and three people (a cop and the parents of the crazy lawyer accomplice), everyone, with the exception of Brandford and Chen (more on them later) meet up at the station for safety reasons. Even Bailey, Sergeant Gray's wife, Tamara, and Wesley are there. I kept thinking that Rosalind would come after Tamara because she is the closest to Chen who is one of Rosaliind's victims, by proxy, but the flip is script when at the end of the episode we see that she has gotten to Chen's current boyfriend, Chris. When we last see Chris, both his wrists appear to be slit and he is breathing profusely. However, it is confirmed he is still alive. Will Chris survive? Hopefully we find out next episode. 

Now let's talk about our newly-minted The Rookie pairing. This show has been teasing Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen hooking up for seasons and now that we finally have it, I'm still in somewhat disbelief. With everything going to shit back in Los Angeles, Bradford and Chen go back undercover as Jake Butler and his girlfriend to infiltrate a drug lord named Madras who is rumored to be hiding out in Las Vegas. Thorsen helps them charter a plane so that they and some hired guns can make the trip to Sin City. Chen learns of Rosalind Dyer's escape while in the air and Bradford takes her to the plane's lavatory so they can talk it out. They pretend to hook up and to make it convincing to the others, Chen kisses Bradford.

When they arrive in Vegas, they head to a casino where Bradford is immediately recognized by Jake's former girlfriend. Chen deescalates the situation before their cover is blown and the two rendezvous with Lopez and Thorsen to get more intel on Madras. When Bradford and Chen arrive at their shared hotel room, Bradford gets a call from Lopez and learns that the operation to extract Madras has been initiated and that he and Chen can return to LA. As the phone call ends, there is a knock at the door. Bradford sees that it's Jake's ex-girlfriend and when he opens the door he is bombrushed by the three men whom he and Chen are working with. They easily dispatch Bradford and tie him up but Quickdraw McGraw Chen manages to take down all three men and save her man.

The two return to Los Angeles and everyone, including the FBI, seem convinced that Rosalind has headed for the border. Chen and Bradford feel conflicted about their feelings for each other, mostly because they are currently in relationships with other people, but when Chen invites him inside, Bradford cannot resist. Yes, these two are finally making moves to get together. And just when I was starting to also feel conflicted about them cheating on their respective partners, Chen discovers her lawyer boyfriend, Chris, sitting in her apartment with his wrists slit. I feel so bad for writing this but when I saw him, I assumed he was dead and my first thought was, well, that's one way to break him up with Lucy. But, alas, he is not dead so perhaps we will get to see Lucy breakup with him after he almost died. 

So, that was our first episode of season five and I'm so ready to see what happens next. Admittedly, of all the shows I currently watch - 9-1-1, Abbott Elementary, New Amsterdam - this season premier was the one I was least excited about. Don't get me wrong, I do still love the show but I've felt that over the last few seasons the show has forgotten its thesis statement. I miss the days of seeing John Nolan make it as a rookie and now every episode is like a mini-action movie. I do want to stress that the show is still entertaining. It's just ... different. With that said, I'm all for Rosalind being on the loose and wreaking havoc for our crew. I just hope they don't drag out the storyline for too long. Oh, and she definitely needs to die after they apprehend her. Especially since she's prone to creating followers. I'm also here for the Chenford romance. Of all the couples on the show, they have the most chemistry. No shade to Nathan and Jenna Dewan, but every time I see them interact as a couple, it makes me want to throw up in my mouth. 

What did you think about the new episode? Are you here for the Chenford romance? How do you feel about Rosalind Dyer being on the loose? Do you think Chris is dead? What do you think Rosalind will do next? Until next time!

[nepofm]

spotted      at      met      steps   , wearing      last      season’s      jimmy      choo     ?    i’d      leave      the      steps      in      the      next      24     hours   before      nepoupdates      catches      them      &      if      it      were      me     ,     i’d      definitely      go      back      to      the     checklist    of      golden      rules     .

rosalind   bishop   anya  taylor  joy  ,  muse  r   ,   josette  seong’s  co-stars  wc

tomas   gonzales   froy  gutierrez  ,  muse  o   

nika   siriphon   chaiyakan   lalisa  manoban  ,  muse  m  

anya taylor joy.     she/her.     ciswoman.      ›spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   rosalind bishop   ,   most   likely   listening   to   champagne problems   by   taylor swift  with   their   airpods   pro   .   the   twenty six  gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be  -judgemental  yet   +passionate   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you'll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   a touch of vintage nostalgia placed on all her mannerisms, a fluttering of eyes as she says thank you,  a short smile for the cameras before moving on to her next appointment that day, and red lipstick that’s always slightly smeared  ,   followed   by   l'interdit by givenchy   .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about   how all rosalind had to do for her part in anastasia was ask her grandfather to get her the role  ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation   .  

froy gutierrez.     he/him.     cis male.      ›spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   tomas   gonzales   ,   most   likely   listening   to   bad   life   by   omar   apollo   with   their   airpods   pro   .   the  twenty-five   yearold   gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be   -elitist   yet   +thoughtful   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you’ll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   silicon   valley   tech-bros   ,     private   ramblings   about   the   future   during     parties     &   expensive     yet     mismatched     clothing   followed   by   carolina   herrera   ch   prive   .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about   the     ongoing     fraud   investigation     into     his     father’s     tech     company    ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation   .   

lalisa   manoban.     she/her.     cis woman.      ›   spotted   at   the   met   steps   ,   nika   siriphon   chaiyakan   ,   most   likely   listening   to   earth   by   sleeping   at   last   with   their   airpods   pro   .   the   twenty   four   year   old   gained   quite   a   reputation   ,   known   to   be   -capricious   yet   +enterprising   to   anyone   who   knows   them   .   you'll   easily   spot   them   when   you   hear   about   errantly   playing   with   tangled   earbud   wires  while   waiting   for  the  subway   car   to   arrive   ,   morning   glories   blooming  from  a   worn   windowsill   ,   tiredly   exchanging   paper   bills   for   packs   of   snacks   from   a   brightly   lit   bodega   at   midnight   ,   scraps   of   colourful   fabric   errantly   strewn   across   a   desk   overflowing   with   scribbled   drawings   ,   followed   by   poison   by   dior   .   latest   nepoupdates   article   talks   about   up   &   coming   designer   nika   feuding   with   creative   director   of   prominent   fashion   house   ,   alleging   her   designs   were   stolen   ,   but   i   guess   any   reputation   is   good   reputation   .    

[nepoupdates]

spotted // teagan and rosalind dancing intimately at citi field

is  dancing  intimately  code  for  something  else  ?  this  isn't  news  .  i  guess  the  real  question  is  ,  where  was  miss  josette  when  all  of  this  was  going  down  ?  it's  usually  the  three  of  them  (  @teagvns  ,  @rosbella  ,  @delicatlueur  )

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

My Personal Ranking of Cary Grant’s movies.

A while ago, I did a post ranking Audrey Hepburn’s movies...I decided to do some for a few other actors!

During the pandemic, I started working my way through Cary Grant’s filmography, and brought the number of his films I’ve seen up to 17.  I won’t be discussing them all in lots of detail, because that would make this post waaay too long, but I’ll be ranking them from least favorite to God-Tier.

And I’m ranking these movies based on how much I enjoy them, not just based on performances.  

17. The Bishop’s Wife

A bit too preachy and overly sentimental for me...

16. None but the Lonely Heart

I honestly don’t remember much of this movie at all, sadly...other than he was nominated for Best Actor.

15. Monkey Business

I wish Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers had made more movies together, because they have great chemistry.  

14. Suspicion

I need to re-visit this one...I remember being sort of ‘meh’ about it...and kind of wishing that they were allowed to keep the original ending.

13. My Favorite Wife

Only seen this one once, but it’s not my favorite Irene Dunne/Cary Grant pairing.

12. The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer

A pretty fun movie, and I wish that Cary Grant had done more movies with Myrna Loy...because again, great chemistry...this seems to be a theme...

11. To Catch a Thief

Gorgeous scenery and costumes...and that’s kind of it...a good background movie.

10. Arsenic and Old Lace

So.  Much.  Mugging.  A good choice for when you want some over-the-top comedy.

9. The Awful Truth

I definitely prefer this one to My Favorite Wife.  He and Irene Dunne worked really well together and the bits with the dog were really cute!

8. Bringing up Baby

I know this is a comedy classic, but I was surprised how much I didn’t love this one...not because of the story or performances...but honestly, the character of Susan really annoyed me...lady, just listen to what the man is saying!!  So, I identified with David a lot, because I’ve dealt with people like that...but my annoyance does go down a bit as the story goes on, but it makes it a challenge to get into when I start the movie.  

But Cary Grant’s physical comedy is so on point.

7. His Girl Friday

I love the dialogue in this movie.  It’s not a movie that I put on a lot, but it’s a ton of fun when I do.  And Rosalind Russell is amazing.

6. North by Northwest

This is such an interesting movie.  It’s another of his that I’ve only seen once or twice, but it’s such a well-made “wrong man” movie with a great story.  And I love the interactions between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. 

5. Indiscreet

I watched this movie for the first time in 2020 and it has quickly become a new favorite!  Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman have such wonderful chemistry (carried over from their work in Notorious) in this fun romantic comedy and Cary Grant looks like he’s having so much fun...particularly in the scene below.

4. Holiday

This is a newer-to-me Cray Grant film...I received for Christmas back in 2020 and it’s such a fun movie!  Of the four films he did with Katharine Hepburn, this feels like the most “traditional” romantic comedy, and I love the development of the character’s romance...it feels very natural.  And I love that Grant gets to show off his acrobatic training...it’s always fun for me to see an actor show off their special skills.  And I think if someone wanted to start watching Cary Grant’s movies, this would be one of the films I’d recommend they start with.

3. Charade

Time for my favorite Audrey Hepburn movie and one of my favorite Cary Grant movies!  This movie is so much fun and it really allows Cary Grant to do a little bit of everything he was good at...comedy (both broad and subtle), drama and romance!  And he and Audrey Hepburn have amazing chemistry!  This is such a great movie no matter what genres you’re into...it’s a romance, a mystery, a comedy, a thriller...another great recommendation for someone looking for classic films to watch!

2. Notorious

My favorite Hitchcock movie!!  I would probably consider this to be Cary Grant’s best performance.  I know he was nominated for two different performances throughout his career, but I think he was excellent in this movie...though he was probably overshadowed by Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains.  He is so restrained and understated...and even though Dev is a bit of a dick, he does have a really nice character arc.  And as I said earlier, he and Ingrid Bergman have unbelievable chemistry.

1. The Philadelphia Story

The Philadelphia Story ranks as one of my all-time favorite comedies.  Cary Grant may have the less showy role, but I absolutely adore him in this movie!  It’s really fun watching him be the “straight man”, something I feel like he didn’t have a lot of opportunities to do.  But that doesn’t mean he won’t make you laugh...while everyone else does all this wild stuff around him, he can just sit there and give a look and be just as funny.  It’s too bad he doesn’t get to use his physical comedy chops, but the role doesn’t need it.  

I could ramble and ramble on about this movie, but this post is long enough so I’ll just say that it’s a damn near perfect film with perfect casting.

And there seems to be one consistent thread throughout Cary Grant’s career: he had great chemistry with nearly everyone he worked with!

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

Today we were introduced to yet another wood engraver we were unfamiliar with, English painter and printmaker Freda Tremlett (1909-1997), four engravings of whose we are showing here. They were originally cut in the 1930s and were reprinted as an insert in Exeter City Museum research officer Hal Bishop’s article “Freda Tremlett, the Ruskin School, and Farrago” published in Matrix 20, Winter 2000, pp. 202-215. Unlike Thomas W. Nason, who we learned about for the first time in the last couple of weeks, there are some good reasons we have not encountered Tremlett’s work before.

Tremlett learned wood engraving from John Nash and Eric Ravilious at the Ruskin School of Drawing from 1928-1932, and showed with members of the Society of Wood Engravers in the early 1930s, and may also have been a member, although there is some dispute about that. This time from 1930-1935 appears to be her only period of artistic output in wood engraving, after which “her post-war engraved work amounted to little more than designs for cards and labels,” although she remained active as a watercolorist. Bishop writes:

As an artist, the circumstances of illness, gender, family, and the war certainly conspired to prevent Freda realising her potential; one senses that a talent which had briefly and dramatically flowered slowly and simply withered.

The engravings shown here are:

Fishing, 1931 Breakfast Table, 1931 Interior, 1930 Sinodun Hills, 1931

Matrix 20 was printed in an edition of 825 copies by John and Rosalind Randle at the Whittington Press in England, and is a donation from our friend Jerry Buff.

View more posts from Matrix.

View other posts relating to the Whittington Press.

View more posts with wood engravings!

[sunjaesol]

love, between the shadow and the soul

chenford | drabble | post-canon | title: sonnet xvii - pablo neruda

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Look, Tim Bradford did not get attracted to rookies, okay? In all the years he had been a TO, none had grabbed his attention. Not when he and Isabelle were dating, or married, or when she disappeared into the night with a trail of illicit affairs and a shot of heartache for him. Dozens of young women had sat in that car beside him and never ever had he let their femininity distract him. He served his country. He fought wars overseas. He looked Death right in the eye every single day and never blinked.

But then came officer Lucy Chen. He instantly knew the type of cop she’d be the second she turned in her seat, meeting his gaze for the first time, and nervously smiled at him. Nerves were normal, he was aware, but the doe-eyed look and the hopeful grin sold her out. No mystery. Just another young cop that would either slip through the cracks by the exam by tanking their grade due to stress, or she’d become a desk duty cop — one that stayed far from danger, that handled life with a perpetual softer touch ‘cause of her shrink parents.

Nothing wrong with that, Bishop would chastise him. Every cop had its use, she’d add. Sure, that might be true, but Tim didn’t want to babysit an armed toddler waiting for it to cry and call for mom. With just a couple well-placed Tim-tests, she’d be out of his hair in no time and then he could cross his fingers for a better recruit in the following weeks.

Life had the ability to change in a snap though — their funny, yet stern reminder that the universe called the shots, not the gun in his holster, or the rulebook. He got shot. Officer Chen backed him up. Her stubborn, yet brazen, yet honest attitude reeled him in just enough to ignore her little quirks she always joyfully displayed in the shop. Whenever he didn’t nip her ramblings in the bud fast enough, she babbled on and on about her personal life, her personal issues and relationships, like they were best friends (They weren’t! Boots and him never befriended!), like their relationship was anything more than a transactional training period. They got each other’s six. That was it.

But fuck, man. She got under his skin, too.

Lucy wore this… really nice perfume. A lot of female officers had make-up and perfume on, allowed a small sliver of self-expression, and he and Lopez had spend countless hours in a shop together. He was used to it. But somehow, Lucy’s stuck in his nose and didn’t leave. He felt like a creep, thinking about the blend of cardamom and oranges and cherry blossoms mixing with her warm skin, uncontrollable while also wanted. He wanted to fantasise about that fucking perfume of hers, a realisation that took a long time to come to terms with.

That didn’t mean he liked her though — he quickly corrected himself the first time he caught the pattern of behaviour — all it meant was that Lucy had good taste in perfume. Case closed.

So why did he linger whenever her shimmery eyes flicked up at him, why did his breath catch in his throat when her voice dropped to that infuriating sincerity as she uttered words of appraisal? Why his heart go haywire when she recorded all those audio books for him; an out of line gesture and overzealous task for a boot, which would normally result in him laughing their face.

Tim never thought he’d get over Isabelle, nor did he ever believe he’d have his happily ever after with Rachel, but with Lucy he foolishly hoped for more. A more that came from such a stupid and deluded place, probably fostered through months of loneliness and the Pavlovian response to her perfume, but one he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop it. The man was always in control about everything, ran his own tests and went over every possible outcome every day, every hour — and yet he didn’t see her coming. Lucy Chen had been right under his nose and he hadn’t been prepared for the ground to disappear beneath his feet; something that should honestly get him fired. The callousness of his emotions while entertaining the idea of a relationship with his own boot sentenced him straight to P2 or desk duty, or whatever.

Lucy deserved someone better, anyway.

Someone that understood her love for sage and cleansing homes. Someone that liked veggie burgers, chai lattes, karaoke nights and social media lurking. Someone that wouldn’t hesitate for one second to open her door for a teenage girl in need of safety and a little bit of that Chen-love. Someone that wasn’t any of those firemen assholes, but wasn’t Tim either.

He never let his insecurities get the best of him, but after seeing her thrive as a P2 without him, handling undercover stints like a pro, conquering her trauma of being buried alive, it only showcased that she had more bravery in her index finger than some army members had in their entire body, all while staying innately kind. Of course Tim lost his mind over her. Of course he tried shaping officer Barnes to be more like Lucy — more sun and bite and charisma, less army BS. Of course, of course, of course. Even Rosalind, the person he hated most besides Caleb, had him figured out in seconds. He was obvious as hell.

Which was why he had to move stations. Away from the Mid-Wilshire Division and to another. He couldn’t be around her anymore and risk compromising missions or attacks. He didn’t tell Angela the details, though her knowing look said enough, and simply replied that she’d miss him and that she was sure the chief would happily reinstate him any time.

He should’ve known that information leaked through like a wildfire.

The morning of his resignment, uniform neatly folded in his locker, Lucy stopped him in the hallway with the most befuddled expression he’d ever seen.

“What?” he said.

“What the hell,” she exclaimed. “You’re leaving and I have to hear it from Angela? Why’re you…? You love this division. Is everything okay?”

Shouldering past her, he drawled over his shoulder: “Everything’s fine, officer Chen. I’d advise you to put on your uniform and get to roll call.”

“Don’t pull this crap with me,” she bit back, latching onto his arm before he was out of reach. His feet reflexively stopped in place, stupidly waiting on her to finish her train of thought. “Tim, you can tell me if something’s wrong. We’ve been through… way too much for you to act this cold with me.”

He scoffed, feigning mockery, and put his hands on his hips. “We? Chen, I was your TO. That’s it. Get it out of your head it was more.”

Lucy blinked, once, twice, a hurt expression crossing her features, followed by disbelief and a quiet contempt he had become awfully familiar with. Swallowing back the regret, he watched as she pursed her lips and took a step back. “Wow. Okay.”

“Don’t take it personally.”

“Hard not to, officer Bradford,” she muttered. Turning to the locker rooms, she added, “Talk to me when you’re ready to not be an asshole.”

That should’ve been his cue to let her go and resume his trek to sergeant Grey, but a whiff of her fragrance wafted in his face from her dancing curls and any sensical thought was knocked out his head. He wanted to embrace her and burrow his face in her hair, he wanted to hold her with intent, he wanted to kiss the scent off her skin. His feet followed her instead, both fully aware and totally impulsive at once. He chose the excuse of loving a good argument with her to then utter: “I’m not an asshole, Chen. I’m honest.”

“If you’re honest, you’d admit that we’ve been very close friends these past months,” she exhaled, refusing to look him in the eye. He supposed he deserved that. Stopping in front of her locker, she continued with, “Distorting your own reality to fit your macho narrative isn’t healthy. Also, this is the women’s locker room. Out. Now.”

Tim sputtered out a laugh and crossed his arms. “Macho narrative? Please.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed, all air sucked out the room at the intensity of her stare, and Tim felt himself flailing, suddenly wondering why the hell he wanted to turn in his badge when the only place he could have moments with lucy was, well, here. Why was he giving up on this, how silly it might be?

With a resolute voice, she said, “Tim, why are you resigning?”

Nothing in his entire career prepared him for this. Tim Bradford had survived Iraq and Afghanistan, twelve years of the LAPD and counting, a deadly virus, hundreds of bullets taken by the vest and felt the power of death on the blue lips of Lucy in the quiet countryside. Fear got pushed aside. Pride pulled him forward, onwards. But right now, he had to take a leap of faith — the sole thing he never relied on, but Lucy did — and trust she’d be there after the fall.

(He wanted to be that amazing someone for her.)

“Because of you,” he whispered. His fight or flight told him to run for the first time in forever, but he kept his feet glued to the floor.

Her jaw fell slack in shock. “E-excuse me? Me?! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“Exactly,” he spit. “You… you’re…” Tim sighed. “You’re the best, Lucy.”

Faltering, her brows furrowed in utter confusion, a grain of her fury replaced with compassion. He wasn’t sure if that was warranted. All he was trying to do was get it off his chest, confess, before it escalated to insurmountable heights. “I don’t think I understand.”

“Uh…”

“You’re resigning, because I’m the best?” she tried to deduce. “No offense, any other day I’d be dancing right now, but this is just…” She gestured at him. “So weird.”

Tim let out a miserable sigh and ripped the band-aid off. Fuck it. “I’m trying to be honest about my feelings, Lucy.”

She froze. “What?”

“I like you. A lot.” Her wonderstruck expression didn’t make him feel better, so he quickly added: “Which is why I gotta decrease the risk of this exploding in our faces and go.”

“Whoa!” Lucy’s hand wrapped around his, eyes wide and searching, like any empirical data would be found within his green irises, otherwise known as fondness and unresolved tension with every quiet moment they had. “Is this… another test? Are you getting back at me for pranking you?”

He quirked a brow. “You’re a P2 now. Tests are over.”

“Right,” she quipped, catching herself. She let go of him and nervously tucked a lock behind her ear. “Yeah. Okay. And you’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. O-kay. Let me, uh…” the locker swung open “… wrap my head around this.”

“It’s a pretty easy thing to—”

“Tim.”

“Yeah, okay.” He backed off, hating how the control was out of his hands now, how he practically shoved his heart in her grip and her pretty fingers could crush it to dust if she wanted to. “I’ll let you do that.”

Walking out the locker room, he took a deep breath and straightened up his face. Alright. He royally screwed that over. If his army buddies knew, they’d all laugh in his face and tease him for the rest of his life. But at least he told her and got his answer, that a relationship was off the table but that they could save their friendship once he switched divisions and some distance mended his twisted, inside-out heart. Lucy had rocked his world and all she had to do was exist.

“Tim!”

“Wha— wow!”

Her body crashed into him the second he turned around to her beautiful voice, Lucy’s arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him down to her level ‘til all he experienced were her sweet eyes and breathless smile and a kiss. Lucy kissing him, slow and tentative, but it lit his heart aflame and urged him to hold onto her. Her perfume was all-encompassing, nose full of the fragrance and the soft slope of her neck and long, brown hair and fuck, he was kissing Lucy Chen. Except he didn’t care if the entire precinct idly watched by, or if she yanked him out the building on impulse, or anything — ‘cause he was kissing her and it was perfect. Her plump lips were better than he ever imagined.

Her hands slid from his hair to his shoulders, arms and then his hands, squeezing. His forehead pressed against hers, embarrassingly weak in the knees from that incredible kiss that he didn’t dare to stand up straight. Two silly grins broke loose on their faces. He had no clue what to do now, or not do, but he did know he wanted her. He wanted everything.

Lucy decided for him.

“Don’t go,” she whispered.

Tim smiled. “Okay.”

[sgtbradfords]

Lips like Licorice

A little drabble inspired by this post made by the amazing @inthemovingcastle. What if our favorite officer had a bit of a sweet tooth? 

If you happen to think of Candyman by Christina Aguilera and get it stuck in your head, I am not at all sorry. Any mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

At Mid-Wilshire, it was no secret that Tim Bradford had a sweet tooth. On any given day, you could always find some kind of sugary sweetness within reaching distance of the officer.

Ever since Angela and Tim were both recruits in the academy, Angela had long since kept a variety of candy in her duffle bag and soon, when they became boots at the Mid-Wilshire, there was a stash on the top shelf of her locker, making sure to keep a thorough stock of Skittles and Butterfingers (which were a favorite) for something quick and easy.

Though, he would not turn down most candies, he tends to stay away from Reese’s (eighth grade proved the cups do not taste as good the second time) and regular M&Ms (squished colorful pods of chocolate are difficult to clean out of uniform pockets in the desert).

Halloween was one of his favorite times of the year, not the 31st Day of October specifically, more so the day after. Every year, without fail, Tim could walk into the break room on November 1st and find the countertops littered with baggies of goodies that his co-workers had left from their children’s trick-or-treating festivities.

Angela keeps a small ziplock baggie of Jolly Ranchers, peppermints, Fireballs and Lemonheads stocked in Tim’s war bag. This was at first Isabel’s job, but when she went undercover it fell to Talia. Then Isabel went too far off the deep end and Bishop left. ‘Everyone deserves to be happy.’ She thought when she decisively made the task her own.

Sometimes the more challenging calls get to him, though he would never let it show on the outside, on the inside he was an emotional mess. More than once, had Tim walk back to his shop to find a small red bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms sitting in the driver’s seat, the sweet treat putting a smile on his face during the toughest of calls.

There were times when he questioned his friend’s methods, opening his locker after shift to find a full-sized Snickers bar, a sticky note attached to the top telling him “You’re not you when you’re hungry Timothy.” written in a familiar script.  He rolled his eyes, leaving the candy sitting until his next shift where he would give it to one of the officers coming in off shift. That was, until Lucy Chen came along.

It took some time since Tim was shot on her second day, but Lucy soon figured out about Tim’s sweet tooth within his first days back as her Training Officer.

Lucy covered her smile with her hand as she watched the city pass by out her passenger window, glancing out of the corner of her eye, watching as Tim fought to open the wrapper containing the Butterfinger.

“Need a utility knife sir?” She asked him with a smirk.

Tim glared at the latest thorn in his side (though he does have to give her credit, she did save his life) as the shop came to a stop at the red light in front of them. “You think this is funny boot?”

Lucy’s smirk turned into a frown as the light turned green and he signaled right, pulling the vehicle past a brick building and into an empty parking lot. Thirty burpees later, Lucy was thankful when they were dispatched to the report of an assault across the district.

Lucy had Tim’s sugar intake doubling which left Angela scrambling to keep her stashes thoroughly stocked. One night as they were getting off shift, Tim ran into Angela who pointedly handed the candy bar over, pushing it into his chest before she brushed past him, leaving a stunned Tim standing in the hallway.  

“Is that a Snickers?” Lucy asked as she stepped out of the women’s locker room. “I love those.”

Tim looked at the candy bar in his hand before looking up at his boot. “Here.” He said as he tossed the wrapped candy over, shoving a hand into his pants pocket as he walked away. From that moment on, anytime Angela felt the need to leave the caramel and nougat filled candy for Tim, the popular candy would end up in Lucy’s hands. And every time it was handed over the woman would glance around, giving a little happy dance when she thought no one was looking (she never noticed her training officer peeking around the corner) before making a detour towards the break room.

She thought no one knew about her secret stash of candy that was kept within arm’s reach (the baggie is taped to the back of the refrigerator) but the fact was, everyone knew. And after the events with Caleb and Rosalind, Lucy may have teared up when she came back to her secret stash overfilled with sweet new additions, not that she would ever tell anyone.

Though, during Lucy’s year of riding shotgun, there was one thing that she always wondered…

“You know, I don’t think I know what your favorite kind of candy is.” Lucy thought aloud during their last week of riding together. “Over the past year you’ve ate a lot of candy but never something consistently.”

Tim shook his head as he steered the shop down the busy street. “I’m not telling you, you’re going to think it’s weird and I don’t want you psychoanalyzing me Chen.”

Lucy scoffed. “It’s Candy Tim.”

The cab of the shop became quiet, save for the voices on the other end of the radio as they both watched the hustle and bustle of the city around them.  

“Caramel Apple Pops.” He said, breaking the silence.

“What?”

“My favorite candy, it’s Caramel Apple Pops.”

“Caramel Apple Pops.” She repeated back. “Are those the ones that comes in the green wrappers and are like, half brown half green? I think the last time I had one of those was in middle school.”

Tim sighed. “When I was in elementary school, I would have to stay after school for tutoring because they thought I had a learning disability. So once a week after my tutoring sessions had ended, I would walk home but not before stopping at the store across the street. My mom would give me a few dollars for helping around the house and I would use the money to buy a bag of Caramel Apple Pops.”

“You would eat a whole bag of lollipops by yourself?” She asked in amusement. “I bet your mother loved that.”

“I never said I ate them by myself Lucy,” He scoffed as the dispatcher on the other end addressed their unit, Lucy reaching for the radio. “I shared them with my sister.”

And if on her last day as his boot, she hid a bag of Caramel Apple Pops in his locker, who was she to tell?

[brian-in-finance]

SC19/2/L155a - Postcard of the Town Hall Shakespeare statue, 1931 Source

Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh to visit Stratford for statue unveiling

WILLIAM Shakespeare will be back in town this spring and his restored statue will be unveiled outside Stratford Town Hall by international stars, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh.

The statue has been taken away to be restored in London - a fundraising project called Shakespeare's Coming Home is taking place next month to help pay for the work - but will be back this April, with the two actors ready to unveil the fresh-looking William on the day before the Bard’s birthday celebrations on Saturday, 23rd April.

The restoration of the David Garrick statue will almost be a step back in time when Dame Judi and Sir Ken emulate the renowned English actor, who was the most famous actor of his day, and who donated the statue to Stratford Town Council in 1769.

Dame Judy Dench, Picture: Keith Heppell. (54990875)

In return for his extreme generosity, Garrick was bestowed with the freedom of the town and history will repeat itself on 22nd April when Judi and Ken will have the freedom of Stratford conferred to them by the current town council in gratitude to the two actors for accepting the invitation to unveil the statue of the world’s greatest playwright.

Sarah Summers, town clerk at Stratford Town Council, said: “The statue was in urgent need of repair after 250 years and will be returned to the town hall shortly before the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations take place. When the statue was removed for restoration, the contractors found three bones underneath it which we sent for analysis. They turned out to be mutton bones so we think it could have been the remains of the workman’s lunch who put the statue in the niche in the first place.”

Kenneth Branagh (54990882)

Raising money for the restoration of the statue

Tickets are on sale for the readings of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, providing the chance to hear some of the country’s finest actors in action.

David Troughton and family, Dame Harriet Walter and Dame Janet Suzman have all confirmed they will be reading as part of Shakespeare’s Coming Home, as will Sarah Douglas, Phillip Breen, Andrew French and Prof Sir Stanley Wells.

There also a chance to hear the current RSC cast of Much Ado About Nothing, the Bishop of Warwick and lots of Stratford’s theatre groups, politicians and residents.

And tickets are just £5 each.

The current line-up includes:

Twelfth Night (led by actors Malcolm McKee, Paul Greenwood, and Clare Nielson)

Othello (led by actor Andrew French)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (led by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, and the Archers actors)

Much Ado About Nothing (led by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company)

Richard II (St Andrew’s Church, Shottery, and actor John Heffernan)

Richard III (David Troughton as Richard III, and his family)

King John (The Stratford Society)

Antony and Cleopatra (led by Dame Janet Suzman as Cleopatra)

As You Like It (with Dame Harriet Walter as Rosalind and Guy Paul as Orlando)

Hamlet (led by actor Scott Handy and The Shakespeare Institute)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (led by The Music Café, and Hollywood actor Sarah Douglas)

Henry IV Part One (led by actor Robert Lister)

All is True (Henry VIII) (led by local actor, Richard Evans, and the Bishops of Coventry & Warwick)

Romeo and Juliet (Playbox Theatre)

The Comedy of Errors (led by director Phillip Breen)

All of the money raised through the readings, which take place from 1st-12th March, will help pay for the work to restore the statue of William Shakespeare which was donated to the town by David Garrick.

There are plenty of other readings to choose from; visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/shakespeares-coming-home for the full running order, dates and to buy tickets.

https://www.stratford-herald.com/news/dame-judi-dench-and-sir-kenneth-branagh-to-visit-stratford-f-9241063/

Remember… the restoration of the David Garrick statue will almost be a step back in time when Dame Judi and Sir Ken emulate the renowned English actor, who was the most famous actor of his day, and who donated the statue to Stratford Town Council in 1769.