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mthofferings2020 · 4 years

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FestiveFerret

See FestiveFerret’s existing works here.

Preferred contact methods: Email: [email protected] Tumblr: festiveferret Discord: FestiveFerret#8704

Preferred organizations: - Innocence Project - Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Planned Parenthood - The Trevor Project (See the list of approved organizations here)

Will create works that contain: Romance, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, rom com, non-power AUs (college, coffee shop etc), smut, kink, BDSM, a/b/o, dub-con, pining, tropey nonsense (soulmates etc). If you’re not sure if I’m up for something, please contact me! I may be open to doing a sequel/timestamp to one of my fics, but it’s not guaranteed (especially for collabs) so please check first if that’s what you want. My wheelhouse is tropey romance with angsty pining and Big Moment get-together at the end.

Will not create works that contain: Underage (T-rated high school AU is fine, no graphic underage or one under/one over-age situations), non-con, torture (this is fine if it’s a setup for H/C or an otherwise happy ending, but I won’t write torture porn with no resolution–writing pain, I can do!), dark/evil, unhappy endings, permanently unrequited feelings, death, fantasy/medieval AUs, OOC, CW fix-it (or anything at all about the Accords), anti-Endgame (including fix its for stuff you didn’t like about it), bathroom kinks, age play, daddy kink, pet play. Again, contact me if you’re not sure!

-- Fic or Other Writing --

Auction ID: 1266

Will create works for the following relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU, Ultimates Comics Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton - MCU Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers - MCU

Work Description: I’m offering a custom fic written to your prompt. It will be at least 10k words long, but is unlikely to be longer than 30k. I like to be involved with my prompter, so if you’re someone with a lot of ideas who likes to ramble about your favs and see those rambles included in a story, I’m your ferret! I can also work with short prompts and no input, but there’s no telling where the story will end up. I like to take tropes and flip them on themselves. I’m happy to have more than one pairing in a fic, but I won’t end any of the pairings in my relationships list in favour of another’s endgame. There are some fics of mine that I may be willing to write a sequel or timestamp for (please check first) but I’ll be less flexible about which prompts/ideas I accept for those, if any. I can do shippy AUs of movies. I don’t write gen or friendship fic, but I will write established relationship. I prefer not to write pure porn (as I’m not very good at it) so if you want something smutty, it’s going to have to be velcroed to a plot! By request, my winner will have access to my wiplist/plot bunny hutch, if you don’t have a prompt of your own, and can optionally pick one of those. If you have any questions at all about what I will or won’t write, please contact me! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about which ships I write! I have examples of all these on my AO3.

Ratings: Teen, Mature, Explicit

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

-- Craft or Merchandise --

Auction ID: 2100

Will create works for the following relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark - MCU Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers - MCU Tony Stark - MCU Steve Rogers - MCU Bucky Barnes - MCU

Work Description: This is for one pair (2 gloves) of custom Stealth Shippy fingerless gloves. Your character choices are Tony, Bucky, or Steve, and you can get a pair of stealth shippy gloves by choosing two characters, or a matching set with one character. See gallery images for examples. These gloves pronounce your love for your favourite superheroes in a secret, subtle way, so you can keep your civilian identity on the down-low. It is highly unlikely I'll be able to do characters other than Bucky, Steve, and Tony, (in colours as pictured) however, you can contact me before bidding closes if you have an idea to see if I'm willing. Gloves are made of a 50% baby alpaca/50% peruvian wool blend. Handwash in cold water only. Some slight size adjustments will be made, depending on the hand size of the person they are for. Gloves will be shipped from Canada with optional Canadian treats included. Shipping will be paid by me to anywhere in the world. I will begin knitting as soon as I hear from you. I cannot promise they will arrive before Christmas 2020, but if they are intended as a gift, I will do my best. Shipping to USA usually takes ~1-2 weeks. Further away takes longer. Australia has been over five weeks, at times. If you have any questions at all, please get in touch!

Ratings: Gen

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

The auction runs from October 18 (12 AM ET) to October 24 (11:59:59 PM ET). Visit marveltrumpshate.com during Auction Week to view all of our auctions and to place your bids!

#FestiveFerret #auction: fic #auction: craft #mth 2020

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lezbanator · 4 years

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For the past 75 years I've been 25. For some reason I stopped aging on my 25th birthday. It's not only my aging that changed but my healing. I've fallen off building's, Been stabbed, and even gotten shot a few times, to say the least, but I always heal quickly. I've heard about things like this in movies but it shouldn't happen in real life. In the movies the immortal is always portrayed as a lonely sad loser. Not me, not being able to die is great. I'm hot and super rich becuase of all my investments over the years. Everyone wants to be around me, and today is my 100th birthday celebration. This year will be big, I'm going to go out on that stage and auction myself off to the highest bidder. They get me for a whole 72 hours to do whatever they want with.

My guest start to arrive and in no time the party gets started. I had to rent out a whole football arena just to accommodate everyone, and it still wasn't enough. I'm behind stage with my entourage, waiting for whatever popular performer I hired to finish their set. Then the betting will start. My entourage is hyping me up, telling me things like, "hopefully some hotties place the highest bet." And "brah, this was such a good idea." The performer finished and with his finally words gave me the magnificent introduction that I deserve.

My guest go wild as I walk out on stage. The screaming and crying of my name makes it feel like I am floating, it makes me feel like a god. I grab the mic from the performer and speak into it. "Thank you for coming to my 100th birthday!" The screaming gets louder, it raises me bigger. "I know it's hard to believe I'm 100 already, I don't like a day over 25." As I laugh my guest laugh. I am in complete control like always. The screams and laughter finally quite down. "I am so grateful for every single on of you here today. As a thank you I have a special surprise for you all. I am auction myself off to the highest bidder." The crowd looses their minds when I say that to them. I shush them through the microphone and they are quite again. "The winner gets to have their way with me for 3 days!" Screams of I love you, and by mine came in waves all over the crowd. I handed the mic to one of my friends and walked off the stage. Making sure to smile and wave at everyone. This was such a good idea.

Everyone who wanted to place bets had to RSVP in advance, and prove that they had enough money. These people where big corporations trying to learn my secrets, loaded horny old ladies, and entitled frat brothers who just wanted to show off. I wasn't surprised. There must have been about 100 people waiting for me in a private room. When I walked in there was no screams and crys just silence. "Hello, who's ready to place some bets." I said. Only a few people clapped. I awkwardly walk down the rows of people with my entourage, then stood on a platform so everyone can see me better. I'm starting to feel like this might have been a bad idea.

A member of my entouurage grabbed a microphone that was close by and spoke into it. "The betting will start at $100,000.00. "

As the price got higher the more I felt like this was a bad idea. Who would spend this much money on one person only for a few days. I push down my anxiety by telling myself that they cant kill me. All of a sudden the betting stopped

"Sold to the lovely lady in red for $9.7million." Those words my friend spoke snapped me out of the daze I was in.

$9.7million ain't bad. And it's a lovely lady, probably some old oil heiress that just wants some sexual company for the weekend. I was wrong, I look in the direction of where my friend is pointing and I see the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Her tight red dress sticks to every curve and feature of her body like someone painted it on. How could something so beautiful spend all that money on me.

I jump down from the platform to allow the woman to see what she purchased. I bow down to kiss her hand, then look up into her deep brown eyes. "My love, I am yours to do what you wish. What mischief do you have planned for us?"

The Amazon of a woman blushed and giggled as she said. "A few of my girlfriends and I are going to take you to a forest and we are going to spend our days getting into trouble." She picks her phone up to her face pushes a few buttons the looks at my entouurage, "I just sent the payment." She grabs my hand and leads me out the room. I am hers, and all I can do is blindly follower her.

...

My sweet victor has blindfolded me and placed me in the back of what I can only assume is a limo, due to all the leg room that I have. She tells me if I talk I will be punished. I hope her friends are as kinky as she is. She takes my shoes and stocks off then my belt. I dont move, I wait to feel what she does next. She moves to my arms and rips the sleeves off. I was not expecting that, but she can do whatever she wants with me that was the deal. She rubs some kind of liquid all over my arms and underneath my shirt. It smells awful, but I'm into anything. I gag as she puts it on my face I hear her giggle. That giggle puts me at ease everytime. The limo stops, she takes her hands off me and I hear the door open. "My goddess have we arived?" There is no response. "Um.. should we get out of the limo?" Still nothing. I reach around to feel if shes around me and feel nothing but the seats. When I take off the blindfold I am alone. Light from outside brightly shines into the limo from the open door. "Goddess where did you go?" I said as I shuffled out of the door. To my surprise the winner of the auction was standing in some type of Amazonian Warrior Armor along with 5 of her friends. I lift my hands up in confusion and see that I'm covered in some sort of dark brown paint. "What is going on? what is this?" I touch my face demanding answers.

The woman who I blissfully shared the ride here with steps forward. "You were given a gift. A gift that you wasted on selfish fortunes. We are here to claim back that gift and give it to someone who is worthy. I coated you with a toxin that deprives you of your healing. If you survive it will pass through your system in a few days."

My body starts trembling, "who are you? Survive what?"

"We are The Warriors of The Mother, and we are going to hunt you."

To be continued...

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lionews · 3 years

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Yikes, hopefully it's fine for me to send this as a defense for myself, because clearly people are taking things....way out of context and out of proportion as well as making some super odd assumptions. I hardly ever stand up for myself but fuck, I feel like I need to this time.

To be clear I've purchased exactly two raffle lionesses out of "spite", both being against the same person, and it is exactly who everyone says it is. And frankly I probably would have been interested in the RLs regardless of who was going for them, people exaggerate sometimes (in this case "Oh I ONLY bought them out of spite", it wasn't solely to spite someone but that fact DID help me justify spending GB on the lions). I definitely don't try to hoard RLs from the entire community, I at the very least try to make sure a clone is kinged to keep slots alive. I DO NOT hoard markings slots. I promise you that if I've denied you a marking, it was because other active people own the slot and I know you could get it elsewhere. Most of my lions are simply not for sale but I DO try to make notes of people who have asked for slots and keep an eye on my girls passing cubs with the marking.

Regardless of WHY I purchase a RL, I absolutely adore all of mine and dote on them constantly with art and lore. They're loved and frankly that should be enough of a reason for me to do whatever I'd like with them, whether I sell heats and clones like I have with several or keep them amongst friends until I or my friends are comfortable with heat/clone sales. I absolutely do not get bored of my RLs in two weeks, that part of that conversation was relating to something ENTIRELY different, being that I tend to buy random cool lions and then get bored of owning them (that particular comment was about an Orchid based Dwarf, Dwarves are a pain in the ass and I forget that literally every time I decide I want one again).

If I wanted to "hoard" raffle lionesses, I'd be buying a lot more of them than I have. Lots of raffle lionesses are sold and I own a small portion of them (a total of 8, one of which was gifted to me, two were sold to me privately by friends, one was offered to me after I inquired about her heats, one I won in an auction, two I purchased from the winners the day they were drawn, and one I bought from the public trading center), all of which I genuinely enjoy and most of which were purchased months or even a year+ after their original draw date. I VERY RARELY actually message a winner about the raffle lioness herself, occasionally I message asking about marking slots or future heats but rarely do I attempt to purchase the lioness herself. I genuinely just enjoy raffle lionesses and BO traits, and I've been a majority BO breeder since I began playing LD. I don't really understand why it's such a big thing to just not want to sell clones/heats, the main purpose of raffle lionesses is to introduce new slots and attributes, and all of mine have done that (bar maybe my Flint, she was not very good at passing slots and did not clone). So long as the lion isn't absolutely neglected and the slots don't die I don't see the problem ^^"

My 5ksb RL was purchased off the public trading center, that's what the owner wanted for her so that's what I paid for her. I'm absolutely NOT scamming anyone out of anything, and frankly I offered more for several of them than what the winner actually decided to sell them to me for. I've definitely offered more than I should have for certain RLs, aha.

For the record, I'm not actually going for the current Soul RL and decided that literally the day after I was talking about it. I get excited abt shit and make big plans then when the excitement wears off I go "ah. huh. that's not something i actually feel like doing.", it be like that sometimes. I'm sure a lot of you do the same for things YOU enjoy.

I did not intend to "shit talk" the Temporal RL owner, I simply stated I likely wouldn't sell lots of clones/heats like they did. Everyone knows the Temp NR, it was an example. I easily could have called out one of my own RLs, the Cairn specifically. It wasn't mocking, and tone is often lost over text and I do apologize if it came off that way but that wasn't what I meant. I love the Temp NR and have owned clones of her myself, she's gorgeous. I just prefer that some lions aren't like that, if that makes sense? Like I personally don't want a few of my RLs to be "everywhere" but it isn't BAD if some are. I just don't think ALL of them should be.

"Overpricing" and "not priced to sell, priced for offers" are VERY different things. I put a higher buyout than I'm expecting to get on purpose to discourage lowballs, and it works very well! Everyone is free to offer less than buyout on my trades. I sell my Nadirs for 800 GB because that's what they've proven to sell for in auctions and offer-to-purchase trades, hence why I state now that I'm looking for 800 GB as a price. If they stop selling for that price then cool, that's how a market that's based on supply and demand works.

I have grown from my time in CLFL, I don't associate with people there any longer and I've apologized to several people I know I hurt there and am now friendly with them on their terms. I know I was an asshole but people DO change with time and become better people when they have better support systems and are around people who help them, like I've had. CLFL was not a healthy place for me to be and I removed myself from there to help myself.

This was meant to be short but unfortunately it was not, I don't know how to shut the fuck up and I apologize ^^" I likely won't be back to make another statement as frankly this blog causes me extreme amounts of stress but I've had several people come to me via Discord specifically to tell me people were talking about me here and I feel it's necessary to clear some things up, especially seeing a ton of assumptions being through around.

Also my pronouns are she/her! (And a note to that specific anon, my Nadir clone has been up for sale longer than the RL has been out, I'm very clearly not selling him for RL money. I'm just selling him for extra project funds for both of my kings, thanks!)

- Typh

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polizwrites · 4 years

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WIP Wednesday -- 25 Nov 2020

Organizing this by bingo cards - since 99% of what I’ve been writing is for these bingos.

Pepperony Bingo (wraps up 1 Dec 2020)

* NSFW: Mutual Masturbation - I was inspired to finish up this smutty @pepperonybingo fic which also ties into a prompt: from @rebelmeg “Should I go first or ... do you want to go?” and fills my @tonystarkbingo Ridiculous Amounts of Tech square. First draft comes in at 1056 words and will post Friday.

Bucky Barnes Bingo (wraps up 31 Dec 2020)

I can get a Row 3 bingo with the following squares: Strength Kink, Free Square and Steve/Bucky -- or the U column with Soul Mate and AU: a/b/o

* Steve/Bucky - I have a fun fancraft idea that would fill this, along with the TSB Captain America square and free square on the Stark Bucks bingo -- plus be surprise fanart for one of my mutuals!

* Free Square Completed & posted Two Arrows, One Target - a smutty follow-on from (It All Started With) A Night at the Nat (aka WinterIronHawk supernatural AU) It also filled my @winterhawkbingo - Little Shit Bucky Barnes and @tonystarkbingo Tony/Clint square.

* Strength Kink - I have an idea rolling around to combine this with my @winterhawkbingo Stuck in an Elevator prompt for some predicament bondage/post-battle sexytimes, but have nothing on paper yet.*

* KINK: Pornstar/RentBoy/Sexworker - this won't help with a bingo, but I have an idea for this ( Camboy!Bucky with Steve & Tony as his two favorite customers) that will also cover my @stb-bingo Camboy square and possibly TSB KINK: Sex Complusion. square as a follow-up

StarkBucks Bingo (wraps up 31 Dec 2020)

I need to fill one more corner and the Free square for a 4-corner bingo.

* Rescue Mission – planning to fill this with one of the following: – next installment of Mirror Images (Not Quite His Own) [aka Quantum Leap-ish WinterIron multiverse shenanigans) in the Avengers Assemble cartoon universe (paging any AA fans who want to brainstorm with me!) – sequel/follow on to Fated to Telling Only Lies (young!Tony with the Soldier masquerading as his bodyguard, with Bucky slowly surfacing/taking control) - I'm leaning toward using the second installment (sitting at 907 words) as the fill after all, with a potential third segment coming when/if I have time & inspiration (I already have a title) Current Last Line: “He’s not just a robot,” Tony interrupted. “Dum-E’s cutting-edge learning algorithms give him a high degree of autonomous control.

* Free Square: see fancraft idea above

Tony Stark Bingo (Wraps up 10 April 2020)

Seven squares filled with no more than 2 in a row - but I’ve got time :^)

* KINK: Sex Compulsion, -- have a draft of a drabble for this, but am still tinkering -- it's a challenge to get everything into just 100 words! That said, I may ditch this idea for the Camboy!Bucky idea above.

* Captain America/Steve Rogers -- see fancraft idea above

* WTF - an eventually smutty sequel for Try (Tri) Again with Tony and Eddie|Venom - currently at a standstill at 851 words

* Writing Format: Outsider POV - Poking at something for this featuring Maria Hill and her thoughts on Tony and Steve (tho I haven’t decided if it will go Stony or not). It’s also barely started at 122 words.

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The What2Finish Charity Auction Auction is in full swing - Check here for My Auction Page to see what I have on offer & determine if you want in!

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On other creative fronts, I'm working on a Ragnarok!Bruce Stuffed Marvel figure for one of my @marveltrumpshate charity auction winners. Am also working on more GingerVengers as holiday gifts.

You can also always check out Stuffed With Character over on Facebook for a full list of my designs. They’re mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars & Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design requests! NOTE: At this point, I can't guarantee any commissions would be complete in time for Christmas - sorry!

Feel free to send me asks regarding any of these projects (or any other WIPs I’ve got out there) – they really help feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

#writing stuff #WIP Update #wip wednesday #pepperony #winterironhawk #winteriron #winterhawk #Stuckony #StarkSpangledWinter #StarkSymbrock #Stuffed Marvels #Shameless Self Promo

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blackkudos · 4 years

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Peabo Bryson

Peabo Bryson (born Robert Peapo Bryson; April 13, 1951, given name changed from "Peapo " to Peabo c. 1965) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. He is well known for singing soul ballads (often as a duo with female singers) and has contributed to two Disney animated feature soundtracks. Bryson is a winner of two Grammy Awards.

Career

He had two sisters and a brother and spent much of his childhood on his grandfather's farm in Mauldin, South Carolina. His love for music stemmed from his mother, who often took the family to concerts of well-known African-American artists at the time.

Bryson marked his professional debut at age 14, singing backup for Al Freeman and the Upsetters, a local Greenville group. It was Freeman's difficulty in pronouncing Bryson's French West-Indian name, "Peapo", that led Bryson to change its spelling to Peabo. Two years later, he left home to tour the Chitlin' Circuit with another local band, Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display. Bryson's first break came during a recording session at Atlanta's Bang Records. Although Bang was not impressed with Dillard's band, the young backup singer caught the ear of the label's general manager, Eddie Biscoe. Biscoe signed Bryson to a contract as a writer, producer, and arranger and encouraged Bryson to perform his own songs. For several years, Bryson worked with hometown bands and wrote and produced for Bang. In 1976, he launched his own recording career with "Underground Music" on the Bang label. His first album, Peabo, followed shortly thereafter. Although only a regional success, Bryson signed to Capitol Records in 1977.

Bryson's greatest solo hits include 1977's "Feel the Fire" and "Reaching for the Sky", 1978's "I'm So Into You" and "Crosswinds", 1982's "Let the Feeling Flow", 1984's "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" (his first Top 10 pop single, at #10 in the US), 1989's "Show and Tell", and the 1991 hit "Can You Stop the Rain". In 1985, he appeared on the soap opera One Life to Live to sing a lyrical version of its theme song. Bryson's vocals were added to the regular theme song in 1987 and his voice was heard daily until 1992. He recorded the successful album of romantic love duets with Roberta Flack (Born to Love) in 1983. In partnership with Regina Belle, Bryson recorded two hit duets: "Without You", the love theme from the comedy film Leonard Part 6, recorded in 1987 and "A Whole New World", the main theme of the Disney's animated feature film Aladdin, recorded in 1992. Bryson and Belle recorded four duets over the years: "Without You" (in 1987), "I Can't Imagine" (in 1991), "A Whole New World" (in 1992) and "Total Praise" (in 2009).

Among his romantic love songs and duets are:

"Gimme Some Time", with Natalie Cole

"What You Won't Do for Love", with Natalie Cole

"Here We Go", with Minnie Riperton

"Lovers After All", with Melissa Manchester

"Tonight I Celebrate My Love", with Roberta Flack

"You're Lookin' Like Love to Me", with Roberta Flack

"I Just Came Here to Dance", with Roberta Flack

"There's Nothin' Out There", with Chaka Khan

"Without You", with Regina Belle (theme from Leonard Part 6)

"For You and I" with Angela Bofill

"Beauty and the Beast", with Celine Dion (theme from Beauty and the Beast)

"I Can't Imagine", with Regina Belle

"A Whole New World", with Regina Belle (theme from Aladdin)

"You Are My Home", with Linda Eder (theme from The Scarlet Pimpernel)

"By the Time This Night Is Over", with Kenny G

"Light the World", with Deborah Gibson

"The Gift", with Roberta Flack

"Wishes", with Kimberley Locke (for the album Disney Wishes!)

"The Best Part", with Nadia Gifford

"As Long As There's Christmas", with Roberta Flack (theme from Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas)

"I Have Dreamed", with Lea Salonga (theme from The King and I)

"Make It Til Tomorrow", with Sandi Patty

Bryson won two Grammy Awards: in 1992 for his performance of the song "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and in 1993 for "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle.

In Spring 1998, Bryson contributed his voice to Barney's Great Adventure: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, with the song "Dream (Twinken's Tune)".

Bryson performed in theater and operatic productions, most notably the tenor role of "Sportin' Life" in the Michigan Opera Theater of Detroit's version of Porgy and Bess. His tax problems caught up with him on August 21, 2003, when the U.S. Internal Revenue Service seized property from his Atlanta, Georgia, home. He is reported to owe $1.2 million in taxes dating back to 1984. The IRS auctioned many of his possessions, including both Grammy Awards, electronic equipment, his grand piano and multiple pairs of shoes including the 2 Versace pair purchased by Nashville Bassist and Florida native Justin Lowry.

In 2002, Bryson's "Beauty and the Beast" music video was included on the platinum and Blu-ray edition of Beauty and the Beast. His "A Whole New World" music video was included on the platinum edition DVD release of Aladdin. Bryson's CD, Missing You, was released on October 2, 2007 on Peak Records, a division of Concord Music Group.

September 4, 2016 was declared "Peabo Bryson Day" in Charleston, SC and North Charleston, SC during the LowCountryJazzFest. The annual jazzfest is presented by ClosingTheGapInHealthCare.org, founded by Dr. Thaddeus Bell.

In 2018, Bryson released his new album Stand For Love, which was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The project was released on Jam & Lewis' newly reactivated label, Perspective Records.

Personal life

Before marrying his present wife, former singer and member of English R&B group The 411 Tanya Boniface, Bryson was engaged several times to Juanita Leonard, the former wife of boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard. In the 1990s, he became engaged to Angela Thigpen, former Miss Virginia Teen USA and later a model/actress. Bryson and Boniface have a son, Robert, born January 1, 2018.

Bryson also has a daughter, Linda (born c. 1968), from a previous relationship, along with three grandchildren.

On April 29 2019, it was reported that Bryson had suffered a heart attack, and had been taken to Atlanta hospital where he was said to be in a stable condition. However he has since made a full recovery and is currently touring.

Discography

Peabo (1976)

Reaching for the Sky (1977)

Crosswinds (1978)

We're the Best of Friends (with Natalie Cole) (1979)

Paradise (1980)

Turn the Hands of Time (1981)

I Am Love (1981)

Don't Play with Fire (1982)

Born to Love (with Roberta Flack) (1983)

Straight from the Heart (1984)

Take No Prisoners (1985)

Quiet Storm (1986)

Positive (1988)

All My Love (1989)

Can You Stop the Rain (1991)

Through the Fire (1994)

Peace on Earth (1997)

Unconditional Love (1999)

Christmas with You (2005)

Missing You (2007)

Stand for Love (2018)

#04/13

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dsudis · 5 years

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2018 Fic Year in Review

Scope note: I am including the WIPs I’ve posted to AO3 this year, and will also include them in future Years in Review for years in which new chapters are posted. Stories posted for Yuletide 2018 are included in this post. In 2018 I posted 13 complete stories and added chapters to two ongoing WIPs, for a total of over 284,000 words of fic posted in four fandoms. That is the fewest different stories I've posted in a complete year of fic-writing, ever, but, uh, one of them was the lion's share of TINSOB, so. I actually wrote just over 211,000 words of fic in 2018 (most of TINSOB was written before this year, but otoh I wrote the remaining TINSOB chapters and most of Slavefic #6 and haven't posted them yet, so.) My worst month was March, when I wrote less than 3,000 words of fic in the entire month (and then I got on some new brain meds) and my best month was October, when I wrote over 30,000 (helloooo Venom fandom!) This year’s titles quoted from The Mountain Goats (3), T. S. Eliot, Alan Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Daft Punk, Dan Fogelberg, and Linkin Park. (Fic list and a bunch of meme questions under the cut)

Check Please! Cuir et Peluche (Bitty/Jack, Explicit, kind-to-be-cruel BDSM, 15,391 words) A Forward Takeoff (Bitty gen, T, wolfbrotherhood in the American South, 7,717 words) Marvel Cinematic Universe Between the Motion and the Act (Bucky gen, T, Infinity War - The Snap, 333 words) The Way We Are Tied In (Steve & Avengers gen, T, Post-Infinity War Part 1, Wakanda after the Snap, Grief, 8,999 words) There Is No Shortage of Blood [Ongoing WIP: Chapters 16-54] (Bucky/Steve, Explicit, post-HYDRA, rape recovery, 182,445 words) Born in the Blood [Ongoing WIP: Chapters 15-16] (Steve/Sam, Steve/Bucky, edging warily toward Bucky/Steve/Sam, Explicit, babyfic, 10,295 words) Let the Truth Spring Free (All Eternals Deck #2, Bruce/Bucky, Bucky/Hulk, awkwardness, 16,428 words) Little Bitty World Goes Around and Around (Little Bitty #4, Bucky/Steve, T, ageplay, daddy kink, no sex, 3,535 words) Venom Cold Hands, Warm Heart (Eddie/Venom, T, Winter Cuteness, 1,306 words) Aide-Memoire (Eddie/Venom, Explicit, Amnesia, Tentacle Sex, 7,166 words) Work It Harder (Make It Better) (Eddie/Venom, Explicit, Tentacle Sex, 2,260 words) The One the Battles Always Choose (Eddie/Venom, Mature, suicidal ideation, 15,614 words) For a Song (Eddie/Venom, T, Discussions of Cannibalism and Morality, 5,119 words) Venom Versus Christmas (Eddie/Venom, OT4-ish, T, Yuletide gift for Okadiah, Christmas and Anti-Christmas, 4,571 words) The Thing in the Walls Wants Your Small Change The Giant in the Cavern Brings Copper and Silver and Gold (Dragon POV gen, G, Yuletide gift for donutsweeper, 3,172 words)

My best story this year: I mean, it's not technically quite done yet, but, uh, this is probably a slam dunk for There Is No Shortage of Blood. My favorite story this year: oh man, this is hard. "Aide-Memoire" or "The One the Battles Always Choose" probably? Or "The Way We Are Tied In" because I like to suffer? My most popular story this year: There Is No Shortage of Blood is of course running away with hits and comments, even when I isolate the hits and comments received in 2018. Two of my Venom stories actually got more kudos (since October!) than TINSOB received in all of 2018: "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" (2,200) and "Aide-Memoire" (2,078). Best hits-to-kudos ratio is my tiny-fandom Yuletide story, "The Giant in the Cavern Brings Copper and Silver and Gold" which has staggeringly received 1 kudos for every 2.73 hits. Most fun story to write: "Between the Motion and the Act" in a completely evil way, or "Work It Harder (Make It Better)". Story with the single sexiest moment: I guess, uh, it depends on how you feel about tentacles? Uh. "Cuir et Peluche" is probably the safe bet here. Story with the single sweetest moment: Aw, man, There Is No Shortage of Blood manages to pull off a lot of sweetness embedded in... everything else. "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" is ridiculously nothing but sweet, as is "Venom Versus Christmas". And... wow, I wrote a lot of sweetness this year, LIKE MAYBE I NEEDED IT?? THANKS, 2018. Story with the single saddest moment: "The Way We Are Tied In" Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story: Uh... I feel like this should probably be a Venom story?? But I can't really... tell...? My weirdest/kinkiest story as demonstrated by reader response: (I updated last year's spreadsheet for this so now I can compare YEAR ON YEAR, this is GREAT.) "Work It Harder (Make It Better)" won highest percentage of bookmarks kept private on AO3 (38%, less than last year's winner), and also had the largest ratio of kudos to comments (the "I like this but I don't want to talk about it" quotient, with almost 27 kudos per comment). My most startlingly wholesome story as demonstrated by reader response: "The Giant in the Cavern Brings Copper and Silver and Gold" has ZERO private bookmarks as of this writing, and "A Forward Takeoff," strikingly, has only 6% private bookmarks--last year I didn't have a single story with less than 20% private bookmarks. Hardest story to write: Oh, God. All of them, in the first three quarters of the year. Biggest surprise: Monsterfucking! This year’s theme and the story that demonstrates it most: Monsterfucking! Uhhh... man, I don't even know. Finishing things? I finished writing a bunch of things and got very close to finishing one more, and that's the strongest impression I have, but that's not really an in-story theme. Favorite opening line: Eric had certainly never expected to be wolf-bonded. from "A Forward Takeoff." Favorite closing line: From "Between the Motion and the Act": Maybe now we can both get some rest. What fests/exchanges/etc. did you participate in this year?: I wrote "Cuir et Peluche" for my Fandom Loves Puerto Rico auction winner, mara_jade, and I wrote two Yuletide stories--"Venom Versus Christmas" for Okadiah, and "The Giant in the Cavern Brings Copper and Silver and Gold" for donutsweeper.

#year in review #2018 #my fic #bibliographic control

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guylty · 5 years

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Do you realise it is only four and a half months until the next birthday auction? Hahaha, sorry, just kidding you. It’s not as if I am really planning ahead at this stage. But I *am* assuming that there will be demand for another birthday auction this year, again??? Not least because I received two packages yesterday that made me think of the next auction. Let me tell you why.

The first parcel I unwrapped yesterday, is from KellyDS. It’s the top one in the image above. And to my surprise it contained a whole array of wonderful items that are intended for the next auction. Explains Kelly:

I was hoping you could make use of these in a future auction. The 2 audio books I listened to once each. I enjoyed but I’m just not an audio book person. The Hannibal movie was given to me by another fan. It’s not something I want to revisit regularly, too dark! The Plushie I requested after I saw it in a different auction. I displayed it proudly for a while but it’s been living in a drawer the past few years. Hopefully someone could make it “real” again.

In other words: Kelly has somewhat moved on from Richard. Impossible, I know. But well, such, apparently, is the power of the Dan… The point is: Instead of committing her once coveted and dearly loved fan art and fan items to the bin or to eBay, Kelly is passing it on so that it all can find a new home somewhere, brightening another fan’s day. That is a wonderful thought, and I just thought I’d mention it here for all those of you who may at some later stage move on. If you do, don’t throw those bits and pieces away, please. Pass them on to another fan – or to me for an auction. We’ll turn well-loved items into a charity donation. That’s three times the joy from just one item: the original owner, the auction winner/second owner, and the charity in whose aid we are auctioning off things. This is an idea that in the past has been trialled by a particular fan who prefers to remain unnamed. She has generated a large share of the donations that we have been able to pass on. She was downsizing and let go of some special items. Thank you for that. And a big thank you to Kelly for doing the same now. You are a star! 😘

Another star who sent me gorgeous items that will end up in an auction, is LoLo. She not only had Flat Richie to look after, she also put together a massive parcel for me.

Those peanut butter M&Ms were definitely for me and not for an auction. I’m afraid they are already gone, too. And then there was a whole package full of goodies for crafting and for auctions.

I loved unwrapping the items – although they are not necessarily for me. LoLo is the originator of the Zox trap craze, and she enclosed several in this package. Some are for me, but some are to be auctioned. The many small rectangles are a whole heap of mint tins. (Not quite sure whether all of them work – there are some that don’t have a hinged lid.) There are a few new designs there that I had to laugh out loud at.

Wonder Woman and Superman… And that Hangover tin 😂… We’ll see what I can come up with. And then there were a few more items that relate to LoLo’s place of residence – and which will turn up in the auctions as we get to them. In any case, it was a fabulous surprise for me – and like Kelly’s parcel, this one also holds plenty of items for future auctions. So, many many thanks to LoLo for the fantastic gifts and the great donations. You rock! 😘 But we have to put a stop to this because the postage costs ($61 😱) are daylight robbery and it really, really makes me wince when I think that you coughed up all that money.

So, anyway, the upshot is: Get ready for the Charity Auctions 2019. If you are a (ex) fan who’s moving on, consider the auctions for donations. That way, what may have been my baby initially, is a true community effort. That makes it so much more meaningful for all of us. In any case, I continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of my fellow fans – not only towards me personally, but also for our on-going auction project. Thanks to all of you.

A Note on Fan Item Recycling Do you realise it is only four and a half months until the next birthday auction? Hahaha, sorry, just kidding you.

#auctions #fandom love

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porkchop-ao3 · 6 years

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RickCon’18: Part 1/3

Part two, Part three

Thank you to @hoodoo12 and @ricksanchezbae for this idea and for encouraging other people to give it a go, I had a lot of fun writing this :)

My take on RickCon focuses mostly on two OC's, one I've written for before and one I haven't. This could be seen as sort of a sequel to my Tailor Rick fic, so I’d recommend reading that if you haven’t already just for some context :) also, I drew him here, so you can check that out if you want a visual! A couple of people wanted to see him again, so I hope you like this.

This series will be SFW, just some implied sex (not involving reader) and some Rick-like flirting :) Enjoy!

“Absolute bloody pricks.” Rick muttered, inspecting the cuff on my arm with a clear expression of distaste. “Th-that ruins the whole ensemble.”

The stylist who had been applying my eyeshadow turned away momentarily and I took the opportunity to look down at the cuff for myself. While the wristband didn't do my outfit any favors, I wouldn't go as far as to say it was ruined. I read the neon code once more; HF-002, and tried to swallow down the sensation of disbelief. I hadn't had an awful lot of time to adjust, it'd been months since I'd heard from Rick Sanchez after receiving my custom gown in the mail, and suddenly I was here. In some strange place away from earth, entirely populated by Ricks and Mortys. I hadn't been expecting to hear from Rick ever again, but when a letter slipped through my door requesting that I visit him at my earliest convenience, I'd been too curious to ignore it.

That's how I found myself at RickCon. Apparently, Rick hosted a number of events at the convention, including a charity clothing auction to raise money for… trunk people in need? I'd quickly learned that he was a very generous person, though only for his own benefit. When I first met him, he'd gifted me a one of a kind, custom made dress worth thousands, purely so that he could feel good about himself. He'd made no attempt to hide that the charity auction was no different. Anyway, he needed models, and for some reason he thought I'd be suitable. I'd laughed in his face at first, but when he explained the citadel to me; infinite realities and alternate versions of him all gathering in one place, I had to see it for myself.

“I don't understand why they can't just make an exception for me. I assume it's because they're jealous, n-not many Rick's make a name for themselves in their original dimension. There's far too much hopping around for my liking.” He continued as the stylist returned to applying my makeup.

“Almost done, sweetie.” the stylist said almost boredly. He was another Rick, dressed in pink with the sides of his head shaved, the rest of his hair swept upwards to make for a particularly striking hairstyle.

“I-I-I explained to them that this is a fashion show. I'm aware that the majority of Rick's wear the same grotty lab coat day in, day out, but surely they understand that that.” Tailor Rick pointed accusationally at the wristband. “Is the opposite of fashion!”

“Relax! It looks fine. Nobody will even care and anyway, this is for the uh, the… what are they? The trunk people.” I said, trying to move my face as little as possible as to not disrupt the stylist.

“Oh, right.” He scoffed. “Of course, the trunk people.” I didn't need to see him know he was rolling his eyes.

“All done.” The stylist said, leaning back and giving me a once over.

“Finally. W-we have about five minutes until we're starting. Cutting it a little fine, aren't we?” Rick said, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the stylist.

“I'll have you know I'm the president's personal stylist. If you want the kind of perfectionism I deliver, you need to give me more than half an hour.” The stylist quipped, turning his back on the other Rick as he bent over to gather the various brushes and makeup products on his desk. I glanced over to the tailor, raising my brows when I caught him checking out the ass on his alternate self.

“You shouldn't need more than half an hour to paint some slap on her face. The real time consumer is teaching her how to walk, since her parents clearly didn't do a very good job-”

“Oi! I can walk just fine when I'm not tottering around on stilts!” I said defensively.

“Stilts? They're mere kitten heels.” He scoffed. I very nearly growled. My initial attraction to him had quickly disappeared with prolonged contact, at this point I couldn't understand how he'd made me so wet and flustered throughout that dress fitting. I must've been hormonal… or something. “Anyway, get up, we're starting soon.”

I rose to my feet, straightening out the dress I was wearing. I had another six lined up for me to change into throughout the course of the auction, and two Ricks lined up to help me do so. The gown I was going out in first was a lovely, deep burgundy cocktail dress. I'd questioned Rick about why he thought it was a good idea to try and flog cocktail dresses to a room full of men. Initially, he'd reminded me that it was also a room full of alcoholics, and they'd pay attention to anything with the word cocktail in it. Or course, that was his idea of a joke and the real reason was that apparently there wasn't just going to be Ricks at this convention. They often brought along any significant others they had, and some just happened to be women.

Now that was a comforting concept and definitely gave me another reason to agree to being his model for the afternoon. At least if I was going to a Rick and Morty convention, there would be other people like me attending too, it'd give me some allies once my job was done and I'd have time to explore the convention while Rick hosted his panel; More than just a lab coat: Style tips for the working Rick.

“I'm going out there first to introduce the event, your Rick-sistants will send you out on cue.” He told me, taking me by the elbow and guiding me towards the entrance to the stage, where the two Rick's that'd be helping me change were standing, both of them suited up semi-formally, their hair a lot different to Tailor Rick's in that it was spiky, sticking out in all directions.

“Oh God.” I said as I caught a glimpse through the gap in the temporarily erected wall that separated the dressing area from the main stage. I could see the crowd, and although it was no Royal Albert Hall, it was more people than I was accustomed to standing in front of. “Remind me why you chose me instead of an actual, professional model?”

“For the same reason I chose you to create a dress for. Your figure is…” he trailed off, glancing down at my chest. “You will be appreciated here more than my regular ladies.” He said, and I flushed.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Well, most of the audience members ha-have no intention of buying anything.” He said, peaking out at the crowd. “Normally it's the same three Ricks buying anything, and half of the audience disappears once all the women's wear has been sold.”

“So they're just here to ogle?” I asked, and Rick turned to smirk at me.

“Of course.” He told me. “Apart from those with Sugar Babies in need of gifts.”

“I thought this was a nice thing. You know? For charity.” I frowned, crossing my arms.

“Oh, but it still is, isn't it? The charity will get their money, the Ricks will get their entertainment. Everyone's a winner.”

“Except for me.” I pointed out, he turned and looked me directly in the eye.

“Quite the contrary. Now you'll have an opportunity to seek out a Rick who's willing to satisfy your cravings.” He told me, leaving me confused.

“I'm sorry?”

“You have quite the appetite for me, correct? I-I-I seem to recall you were going to ask me on a date after your dress fitting. I'm sorry that my professional ground rules prevent me from accepting, but I'm sure many of the Ricks here will have no such qualms.” He smiled politely, and my face flushed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

“Appetite? Are you mad? Perhaps when we first met I was taken by your charisma and charm, but let me tell you, my appetite has been more than filled over the past few days of incessant complaining, rudeness and bossiness.” I scolded him, jabbing my finger into his chest. My words seemed to amuse him.

“It’s time. Carry that boldness with you out on stage, my dear.” He said, and with that, he turned the corner onto the stage, and I heard him addressing the crowd and willing them to settle down.

It was barely a minute before I was being ushered on stage. I stepped out into the open, momentarily freezing as I scanned the crowd, every face was almost identical, row after row of Ricks. I noticed a couple of other faces too, the occasional Morty, a few Summers here and there, but it was mostly Ricks. Barely a second had passed when I got ahold of myself and walked forwards. Of course, I completely forgot how to walk; well, in the way that Rick had taught me, so I simply strolled and stood at the edge of the stage with my hand clasped behind my back so nobody could see how much they were shaking. My face felt hot under all their eyes, I noticed the leering smirks from the audience members, and noticed how they whispered to each other. I made eye contact with a few of them, gaining a wink from one, and a brow wiggle from another. I found myself giggling, enjoying the attention despite the initial nerves.

Before I knew it, the dress had been sold, and I was given my cue to leave the stage and get changed. A model Rick took my place on stage, wearing a hot pink suit. I wondered about the kind of Rick that would consider buying such a loud outfit.

“Quickly, baby. Let's get you out of th-that dress.” One of the Ricks waiting for me said, coming up behind me and unzipping the garment. The other Rick held onto my hand to keep me stable as I stepped out of my shoes. One dress was stripped off of me, and just as quickly another was being shimmied up my hips. I didn't have time to feel exposed, and the two men made me feel more than at ease with their professionalism.

“Wow, you look fantastic in this one. This oughta fetch a g-good price.” The other told me as he buttoned up the front of it. The Rick behind me was tying up a bow in the back, pulling it taught. I glanced down at the dress, all black silk with white buttons going up the front of the bodice, sleeveless with a boat neck and a ribbon running around my waist. I felt very sophisticated wearing it.

And fetch a good price it did. Standing out on stage, I felt a little more confident the second time around, and turned from side to side, giving the audience a three-sixty view of the dress. The numbers called out by the auctioneer just went up and up until they were in the thousands, and even though I had no idea what currency was being used, I was surprised at how much people were willing to pay for a single item of clothing. It sold for seven and a half thousand, and Rick was right when he'd said it would be the same few Ricks bidding, I only saw about four different hands going up throughout the whole thing.

The third dress made me nervous. It was the shortest of them all, hitting at mid thigh; a lot shorter than I would usually go for. It was also practically skin tight, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination; though it had a high neckline and long sleeves, so at least I had some modesty in that department. It was navy blue with a wide white stripe going across the bust. Rick had pointed out to me that it was one of his apprentice's (coincidentally his grandson, Morty's) designs and he was only selling it to get it out of his studio; he preferred a more refined, classy style.

I noticed his blatant eye roll when I stepped out on stage, and the room roared with wolf whistles and undeniably carnal sounding cheers. He snapped something about reeling it in, you bunch of animals, to the crowd, which was mostly ignored. A Rick in the front row dressed in pastel colours, a bow-tie around his neck, stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out an ear piercing whistle, and when I looked at him he blew me a kiss and called out something that sounded Spanish, I caught the phrase bella dama in there somewhere.

“Thank you, to the gentleman in pink shirt, starting us off at six hundred!” The auctioneer called, and the Rick who'd whistled to me went pale.

“What the fuck, no! I-I-I didn't!” He quickly stammered, earning a collective howl of laughter from the entire room.

“I'm sorry, sir, all bids are final. Anyone for seven hundred?” Was the response he got. Not a single hand in the room flew up.

“Come on! Y-you fucking bunch of assholes, someone wants that! You're just- you're just-” He growled, glancing around the room, a few snickers could be heard. I'd never seen such a large group of people working together just to screw some guy over. It was actually quite impressive. A classic case of cutting one's nose off to spite the face, it was obvious by the dress’s reception that there would otherwise be a bidding war.

“No? At six hundred, then. Going once, twice…” The auctioneer announced, then the hammer came down.

“Fuck you guys!” The Rick in pink spat, crossing his arms and slamming his back against the chair.

“Lighten up, buddy. It's for the trunk people!” Some Rick from the back called through unrestrained laughter.

“And fuck you especially!” He retorted. I offered him an apologetic smile, feeling somewhat responsible, before I left.

The rest of the auction went off without a hitch, and once all of the dresses were sold I was left to change back into my own clothes as the designer gear was packaged up ready to be distributed to the buyers at the end of the auction. I was tasked with helping the assistant Ricks with the packaging; each dress was wrapped up in a garment bag inscribed with Tailor Rick's logo, then folded up neatly inside a sturdy, fancy black box with magnetic clasps on the lid, which was again decorated with the logo in silver metallic foil. Also inside the box came a certificate of authenticity and a thank you letter from the charity. Finally, the box was placed inside a gift bag and a note with the dimension number of each buyer was stuck to the side, then it was taken off to a different room ready to be collected and paid for.

I waited around until the end of the auction to see Rick, only for him to bypass me and go straight into a private dressing room. I tried not to feel irritated by this; I didn't have a private dressing room, I'd had to change out in the open with at least three Ricks standing around. When he came back out, he had changed into a more casual suit; something cooler and more stylish than the traditional black and white number he'd been wearing beforehand. This suit was covered in a Paisley pattern, and it was a deep teal colour. Underneath, his shirt was black, as were his shoes and tie. He looked very chic and handsome. He approached me, straightening out his tie and adjusting his collar.

“You did well out there, aside from the fact you walked like a baby rhinoceros.” He teased, though he was smiling.

“Bit of an exaggeration.” I pointed out, looking him up and down and feeling extremely dowdy in my jeans and t-shirt.

“Not at all.” He smirked, then plucked a piece of lint off my shoulder. “I have my other event in an hour, so I'm going to have to stay here to h-help prepare the room. Y-you're free to go, however.”

“Oh? What shall I do?” I asked stupidly and he held eye contact with me for a moment before answering.

“Well, you could always go and enjoy the convention.” He suggested with an amused tone. I rolled my eyes.

“Why didn't I think of that?” I said sarcastically. “I mean, on my own? Just… just walk around this place?”

“Yes. You're a big girl, aren't you? You're capable of independence?” He raised his brow.

“Yes, it's just…” I trailed off and chewed the inside of my mouth. “It's a little daunting.”

“You'll be fine. You can't leave without me with you, so if you're worried about some other Rick trying to snatch you away, don't be.” He said all too casually.

“I wasn't worried about that… but I am now.” I furrowed my brow and stared at him, he simply chuckled in response.

“Go, attend some of the panels, try some of the food, and if you get overwhelmed there are plenty of places for you to go and catch a breather.” He said, taking my shoulders and turning me around to push me towards the exit.

“Okay, you have your phone with you, right?”

“Yes. But don't try to contact me.” He said bluntly.

“But what if there's an emergency?” I asked, turning around to face him once he'd got me out the door.

“Then I suppose that's an exception. But you'd better be dying, otherwise I-I don't want an interruption!” He rolled his eyes again. “Meet me back here in two hours. Have fun. Oh, and I put some money in your purse, g-go wild.” He added flatly, before the door was closed in my face.

I stared at the frosted glass for a while before taking a deep breath and turning around.

“Fuck.” I breathed, staring out at the mass of people in front of me, a sea of blue white and yellow with barely anything in between.

Tbc.

#rick and morty #rick sanchez x reader #fanfiction #rickcon #oc ricks

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furby-princess · 7 years

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furby giveaway!!!!

this is my first furby giveaway (but third total giveaway overall; you can check my main blog to see a past giveaway for a blizzard gift card). i have experience with giveaways before , so this one will be run pretty much the same. i beg of you please please read this entire post before entering, nothing is worse than putting time and effort into a post and people not reading rules. i am doing this in honor of the holidays! what happened was, i wanted one furby and just bought a whole lot of four for only $30. now i have extra furbies and they all could use some loving homes!!! i will be doing them separately, one at a time. first up is this one right here!

Furby Obtained: through eBay auction

Furby Condition: clean, no odor, looks brand new but was not NIB

Status: I have no idea if it is working or not!!! eBay seller did not specify. I have not opened the compartment or attempted to put any batteries in. Basically, I haven’t handled it much. Keep this in mind, I have no idea if it works at all. Working furbies isn’t a big deal to me, but if it is to you, then keep it in consideration

⭐ you do NOT have to be following me to enter. follow count means nothing to me

⭐ you may reblog this post as much as you like, but try not to spam/annoy your followers. 1 reblog = 1 entry

⭐ likes do NOT count, but you may like this to save for later

⭐ i will ship worldwide, shipping fees are covered by me, you don’t have to worry about this in the slightest. just keep in mind, the furby will be shipped from USA (not sure if this matters or not but just letting ny’all know)

⭐ you MUST be at least 18 years, OR have parents permission if you’re not, before entering. i know that most of you are children in this fandom so please, pleaaaase, check with your family. i dont want anyone to get in trouble with parents, especially since my address will be on the package - i dont need any angry letters coming from your parent or guardian;;;

⭐ you need to be comfortable sharing your address with me if you win. how the hell else am i supposed to ship it to you lol. ive gotten gifts for some mutuals before after receiving their address, so if trust is an issue, by all means message me! you wont be offending me in the slightest, it’s good to be cautious but ill direct you to my friends for proof if necessary. just dont be afraid to ask okay?

⭐ this giveaway is for people who do not own any furbies at all, but want one. please dont enter if you already have furby. This is meant to help those who are less unfortunate and can’t afford, or obtain one, for whatever reason.

so with all that in mind, GREAT! however, before entering, please know that this giveaway is INTENDED to be for people who want a furby, but cannot obtain one for whatever reason. so basically, PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO FURBIES. ZERO. NADA. NEGATIVE FURBIES. i am trying to assist those who are less fortunate because i know how it feels when you want something but have no money to get it!!! especially when youre a kid. know how much anime shit i wanted as a 14 year old but had no money of my own or no like debit card to get it? so please, I beg of you, if you’re a person that already has furbies, DO NOT ENTER MY GIVEAWAY.

That being said, I am fine if you do have furbies, but are entering to try and get this as a gift for someone else. That’s okay! Just...be honest, yeah? Think of those who want one but don’t have anybody. I want this furby to put a smile on someone’s face, by being their first furby. Be kind and respectful, and do not enter if you’ve already got a furby. Thank you ♥

last, but not least, some final information:

Giveaway will END (as in, I will pick the winner) on December 25th, 2017. You have until then to reblog this as much as you like. However, I’m telling you straight-up that the furby will not be shipped until the first or second week of January. The only reason for this being A) I am always paranoid of mail getting lost - it’s never happened to me before, but I know around Christmas the post office gets especially busy, and I want to wait until after it dies down a bit and B) I work full time, I am super busy, and I want to give myself enough time to be able to get there. I am very communicative though, so you are more than welcome to message me any time on the status of the package (you won’t be bothering me!) and the second it’s shipped, you will be given your tracking number.

Any questions? Shoot an ask or a PM to this blog or my main! Thanks for reading, and good luck!

#sorry this is long im known to talk a lot #allfurby #safefurby

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haylanmakesstuff · 4 years

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Gagarazzi, Pt 2

Why Lady Gaga for this event? It’s an easy answer for me. Gaga is an inspiration to millions of people, not only for her out-of-the-box image and music, but the care she shows for her fans and community. She’s been crowned one of the most charitable celebrities for the past 10 years, sometimes snatching the number one spot, because of her constant activism, donations and advocacy work. Actively donating large sums to rescue efforts (Japan tsunami and earthquake relief as well as Haiti earthquake efforts), funds for homeless LGBT youth through her tours, and relief for hurricane Sandy amongst many others, she earns her reputation as a philanthropist. Her advocacy efforts have included the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, AIDS foundations, Equality marches, Black Lives Matter, and everything from The Trevor Project to the Make A Wish Foundation. In Oct 2011, she started her very own charity, the Born This Way foundation, which is committed to supporting the wellness of young people, and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world.

A lot of artists and small businesses donated goods they created, like screen printed t-shits, hand made jewelry, artisan soaps and more to our auction at the event. We were surprised at how many places, people, and businesses eagerly answered yes when we asked if they were willing to provide an item or gift card to our auction. We even had some seek us out because they loved our idea so much. Amazing! The gratitude is still something I feel today. I also pitched in some handmade items as well, for the auction and as costume contest prizes. Several of these were My Little Gaga Ponies:

(Technically this one was a gift for someone, but how could I not include it?) Original Gaga Below:

These above 2 were Gaga looks from music award shows that are definitely classics. This white one was one of the items in the winners bag of the costume contest. Original here:

This mini pony is from the Born This way music video. She was also a prize in the costume contest winners bags. Original:

I also made an assortment of Gaga inspired tea cups for fun - yes, that is a tea cup covered in hair.

Here is a parting shot of just one of the many auction tables. You’ll spot what tomorrow’s post will focus on in this photo!

Special thanks to business like Straight but not Narrow, AIDS Service of Austin, Underwear, House of Torment, Book Woman, Crystal Falls Soap Company, Strut, Homespun Horror, Leaf on the Wind designs, Christopher Cotner tattoo’s, Beanito’s, Graham's Texas Tea's, Pabst Blue Ribbon, TXRD, Vamplets, Lisa Taye Cohen’s hair, and many, many more. You guys ruled in eagerly supporting a great cause!

More from Gagarazzi soon, see you then!

#ladygaga #bornthisway #gagarazzi #gagarazzi2011 #highball #equalitytexas #foragoodcause #mylittlepony #custom ponies #straight but not narrow #homespun horror #leaf on the wind

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awkwardnessandbaseball · 6 years

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CS Countdown to Christmas

Alright y’all, I think it’s time to confess that the last few days will either be belated Christmas, or will be New Year’s themed instead... It’s Christmas Day and I’m still 4 days behind :o

But, here’s day 8!

Challenge: Matchmaker

AO3

Emma couldn’t believe she’d been roped into such a dumb idea as a blind dating game show. She should never have bet with Mary Margaret, especially on football. The woman barely understood what was going on in the game, but her instincts were out of this world.

“The Eagles are gonna kill them,” she’d claimed. “They’ll beat the Cowboys by at least three touchdowns.”

Emma had laughed.

“The birds are good this year, M’s, but the Cowboys/Eagles rivalry is no joke. I think their defense can put up a better fight than that.”

“Do you wanna bet money on it?” Mary Margaret had asked innocently, already knowing the answer.

“I don’t bet money. Too boring.”

“Then what shall we bet?” And Emma just knew Mary Margaret had some dastardly plan ready to go, that she’d planned this from the moment Emma had invited her and David over to watch Sunday football.

But she always was a sucker for a good bet.

“If I win, and the Eagles win by anything less than 21 points, or if they lose entirely, then you are never in your life allowed to try and set me up on a blind date ever again.” Emma was excited. Her chances were good – not great, but good enough to at least try to get the ever-meddling, well-meaning Mary Margaret to back off of her romantic life. Or lack thereof.

“Deal. But if they win by more than 21 points, you have to audition for that show I’ve been telling you about,” Mary Margaret’s eyes were sparkling with mischief.

“That new dating show? No way!”

“I think that’s a fair trade-off, actually. If I can’t help you anymore if you win, then you should have to do something to help yourself if I win.”

“David, tell your wife that I’m not some prize to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.”

“I’m not listening. I’m watching the game. Your bets are your business.” Classic David Nolan, never any help when Emma needed him.

Okay, that was an obvious lie, but he really wasn’t being any help right now.

“Fine, I’ll bet. But only because I know there’s no way the Eagles are gonna win by three entire touchdowns.”

37-9, Eagles. Final score.

So, a month later, a mere week before Christmas, Emma found herself in a skin-tight hot pink dress – so not her color – on a soundstage lit by insanely hot lights, with people powdering her face left and right so she wouldn’t sweat on camera. There were cheesy Christmas decorations everywhere, wreaths and fairy lights and ribbons. A Christmas tree sat in the corner of the stage with fake gifts underneath.

Great.

The premise of the game was simple. She would ask three random guys a bunch of questions, but she wouldn’t be able to see their faces. Then, at the end, based on their answers, she’d have to pick one to go on a date with.

Exactly the kind of set-up Emma hated more than anything, and Mary Margaret damn well knew it.

But she’d lost the bet, fair and square, so she had to make the best of it.

The host of the show, a nervous looking redhead with glasses, made his way over to her.

“Emma? I’m Archie, I’ll be your host this afternoon. I hope you’re excited – we’ve got some really interesting bachelors here today.”

Excited wasn’t the word, but Archie didn’t need to know that Emma was here against her will.

“I can’t wait to get started,” Emma smiled in what she hoped was good enough to look genuine. Archie seemed pleased, so she supposed it was good enough.

Twenty minutes later, Emma was situated in a comfortable chair with a huge wall next to her. She had a microphone in her hand and a stack of cards in her lap. The questions were all pre-written, and then she’d get to make up her own at the end if she wanted.

She did not want.

Emma tried to look vaguely interested as the lights got brighter and the red lights on the cameras went on, while Archie explained the rules of the game to what was supposedly a captive audience.

“Welcome to The New Dating Game!” Archie began. “The rules of the game are simple. Our bachelorette here,” he motioned towards Emma, “will ask questions of three complete strangers. She will not be able to see the men she’s speaking to, and they will not be able to see her. After Emma has asked as many questions as she so desires, she’ll choose one of the men to go on a date with. And, since this is a twist on the classic game show from many years ago, we of course have a few tricks up our sleeves!”

Emma didn’t know about any tricks. She worked hard to keep her smile on, not letting anyone know she hadn’t read the contract she’d signed, which probably explained each of the tricks in full detail.

“First, Emma is allowed to phone a friend! The gentlemen on the other side will be given noise-proof headphones so that Emma can call a friend and consult her, or him! Next, there will be a competition after the first round. Emma will be given three categories, and her bachelors will have to complete a challenge. Emma, of course, will decide the winner. The final ‘twist’, if you will, will be revealed later on in the game. Let’s get ready to play!”

The camera panned over to Emma, and she already felt a layer of sweat forming on her brow. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and vowed to ignore the cameras and just…ask questions.

“Hi, I’m Emma Swan, from Storybrooke, Maine. I’m a police detective, I’m 28, and I’ve been single for a while, so I guess I’m just trying to put myself back out there,” she recited the script Mary Margaret had put together for her. She couldn’t very well admit that she was here for a bet.

“Excellent, welcome Emma! And now, onto our bachelors!”

“Um, hi, I’m Graham. I’m 31, and I’m from Boston. I’m a police officer, so it sounds like we’ve already got something in common. I spend my free time camping, and I…I’m excited to be here.”

Graham sounded nervous, but kind. There was a bit of a hesitation at the end, as though he’d wanted to say something but had changed his mind. Emma had to admit that dating a fellow officer would be nice – they’d understand each other in a way that people who weren’t on the force didn’t really comprehend.

“I’m Walsh, I’m 34. I’m from McCreary County, Kentucky. I know that sounds far, but I’m willing to relocate for the right person,” Walsh paused, as though he’d expected a reaction there, but he was met with silence. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’m a business owner, and I don’t have a lot of time to meet people, so I thought this would be a cool, new way to try to date again.”

Walsh sounded…awkward. There was something about him Emma inherently didn’t trust, and the audience’s lack of reaction to his intent to move across the country for a stranger was very telling. She’d already crossed out his name mentally, but knew she’d still have to ask him questions.

“I’m Killian,” a third voice began. “I’m 32, from Portland, Maine. I’m a fisherman, which sounds boring, I’m sure, but I assure you, it’s anything but. I’m a bit of an adventurer, and I’m just looking for someone to be my co-pilot in life.”

Emma’s mouth moved from a forced, toothy grin, to a genuine smile. She loved adventure, was always dying for an excuse to leave the small-town life, even for just a moment.

“Excellent, welcome gentleman! Alright, let’s get started with some questions. The first round will be fairly simple, just basic ‘getting to know you’ questions. Emma, are you ready?”

“Yes, Archie.” She picked up her stack of cards. “Walsh, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” She threw him a softball question – almost any answer would be acceptable, really. Emma just wanted to get questioning him out of the way so she could ask the other two some real questions.

“Oz,” he said simply, and she pictured a faceless man crossing his arms over his chest proudly. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Australia, that’s interesting! Why?”

“Oh, I meant like…from the story. The Wizard of Oz. You didn’t say it had to be a real place,” another pause for a reaction. More silence. “I loved that book as a kid, I just think it would be really neat to go there and meet the wizard, you know? Don’t you think?”

The wizard was a total scumbag and a liar, Emma thought to herself. But sure.

Even Archie looked a bit puzzled by Walsh’s answer, but the cameras weren’t on him. They were on Emma.

So she laughed and went with it.

“Sure! Um, Graham, same question.”

“I’d go to Ireland,” he answered with no hesitation. “My parents came from Ireland just after they got married, and I always wanted to see the place they grew up.”

The response was normal, and even sentimental, the kind of thing Emma should probably be looking for. But the way Graham talked about his parents, she knew he’d had a happy childhood with them. Would he understand her trauma, her fear of abandonment?

Woah, Swan, slow down. It’s only a game, she reminded herself. No permanent decisions were coming from this.

“Okay, Killian, are you a morning person or a night owl?”

He laughed a bit, a soothing sound that Emma found herself wanting to hear more of.

“Well, my job forces me to be a morning person, but truthfully, I’m a bit of a night owl. It makes waking up in the mornings very difficult, especially in the winter when I’m chilled to the bone and it’s still dark outside for hours after my alarm goes off. But I love what I do, so I make it work.”

The sincerity in his voice was obvious. He’d taken such a small thing and made it sound so important, and Emma found herself wanting to learn more.

The first round passed quickly, and she tried her best to divvy up the questions equally, but she knew she was paying more attention to Killian than anyone else.

“And that concludes the first round!” Archie exclaimed, looking relieved to have reached the end of Walsh’s diatribe about his best qualities, a question Emma hadn’t anticipated him answering so verbosely.

They took a short break, and the men were led off the stage through a side door. Emma tried to sneak a peek, knowing she shouldn’t, but all she caught was dark hair, the back of a leather jacket, and jeans that fit just right. She didn’t know which one of them it was, but she was hoping it wasn’t Walsh, because the man looked good.

She headed over to the catering table, grabbing a few cookies before the makeup team came to slap more powder on her face and the hair team came to tease her curls and the wardrobe team came to adjust her dress.

She felt like a museum exhibit, being poked and prodded to be shown off to the masses.

“Let’s get ready for round two! We’ll begin with the competition. Emma, in the envelope I’ve handed you, you’ll find a list of three challenges. You’ll choose one, and your suitors will compete in whichever competition you decide on. You’ll then choose the winner.” Archie turned to face the camera and the audience. “Emma will then be shown a photo of the winner, but only a small piece of him. It could be a hand, or an ear, it could be an entire face, or just a shirt. It’s a surprise!”

Emma really should have read the contract. She plastered on her camera-ready smile again and peeled open the envelope.

“Emma, will you please read the list of challenge options?”

“Um, okay. So first, is poetry – the bachelors will have thirty seconds to compose a poem about me. Next, singing – I’ll choose a song and they’ll each have to sing a verse of it. Finally, open-ended talent – the bachelors have each pre-chosen a talent they’d like to share, should I choose this option.”

Emma thought for a moment.

She thought about what talent Walsh could have possibly brought to the table, and decided that she didn’t want to sit through his magic tricks or whatever else he wanted to show off.

She chose singing.

“And for the song, let’s do ‘Hey There Delilah’. It’s old, but I think most people our age know it.”

Archie nodded his agreement, and they waited a moment for the song to begin. Emma could see a screen out in the audience, above their heads, showing the words to the men.

“Hey there Delilah, What’s it like in New York City? I’m a thousand miles away, But girl tonight you look so pretty, Yes you do. Times Square can’t shine as bright as you. I swear it’s true,”

Emma was pleasantly surprised by Graham’s singing voice. He continued singing and Emma found herself swaying just a little bit.

She was more disappointed than she should have been when Walsh’s turn came.

“Hey there, Emma, I know times are getting hard, But just believe me, girl, Someday I’ll pay the bills with this guitar,”

He was off-beat, as though he’d never heard the song before, and inserting her name was a bold move. If she hadn’t already been so turned off by him, she might have thought it was cute, but instead it just seemed like he was trying too hard. He sang the word guitar with a sneer in his voice, as though he were disgusted by the idea of making money with music.

A real catch, this Walsh.

Finally, his turn was over, and Emma was surprised to hear an extra guitar mixed in with the soundtrack playing throughout the studio. The audience gasped, and Emma knew Killian must have been playing right along with the music.

“A thousand miles seems pretty far, But they’ve got planes and trains and cars, I’d walk to you if I had no other way. Our friends would all make fun of us And we’ll just laugh along because we know That none of them have felt this way. Delilah, I can promise you, That by the time that we get through, The world will never ever be the same, And you’re to blame.”

By the time he finished the song, Emma was finished. She knew, right then, that she’d be picking Killian. She just had to make it through this round and then whatever the bonus round held. She just had to pretend that there was any decision-making left to do for a tiny bit longer.

The Plain White T’s were her guilty pleasure – a band no one listened to anymore, but she’d bought each new song, every album, as it came out. When she was alone in her apartment, she’d blast the whole discography, loving the strong emotions each song brought out in her. That Killian had brought out a guitar, and had known the song already…it touched her somewhere deep in her heart, in a place she hadn’t been sure existed anymore.

Mary Margaret was never going to let her live this down.

The audience cheered, some of them even standing, and Emma imagined a faceless body taking a shy bow before sitting back down. She bet he had a nervous tick – tugging his hair or scratching his ear or something of that kind.

Emma wanted to see his face.

“Alright, Emma, have you decided on a winner?”

“It’s a tough call, Archie,” she could see in his face that he knew as well as she did that it was not, in fact, all that difficult of a choice, “but I have to go with Killian.”

The audience cheered again, and Emma wished more than ever that she could just skip the rest of the show and choose Killian now.

“Excellent, and it seems the audience agrees with you! Here’s your sneak preview of your bachelor.”

Archie handed her an envelope, waiting patiently as she opened it. Emma saw the light on the screen behind her change, and she knew the audience was being shown the same photo she was: an eye.

It was, quite possibly, the bluest eye she’d ever seen, framed by thick black lashes. She could see his eyebrow as well, raised as though he wasn’t sure why the photographer had zoomed in so much on his eyeball. She saw skepticism and sass, qualities she liked in a man, as she possessed them herself.

She’d never been so attracted to an eye before.

“Wow, Killian, you’ve got a really handsome eyeball,” she laughed.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Thank you. I uh…thank you for picking me as the winner.”

Emma looked at Archie quickly.

“Can I ask a question pertaining to the challenge that isn’t from the cards?”

“Sure, Emma, that’s fine.”

“Killian, did I hear you playing guitar while you were singing?”

“Ah, um, yes. That was the talent I’d chosen, and since I knew the song we were singing, and the guitar was right here with me, I thought, why not?”

“It was very good.”

“Thank you,” and again Emma was picturing him with some sort of nervous tick. She needed to know what it was.

It was Archie’s turn to clear his throat – so much for Emma still playing along, acting as though she hadn’t picked her match after one round.

The second round passed much like the first, but Emma began avoiding questioning Walsh as much as possible, without being too obvious. It was clear that he was angry at not being chosen as the winner of the competition, and his answers were all coming out bitter.

“Walsh, what do you value in a relationship?”

“I value honesty and integrity. And I love when it’s acknowledged that I’ve done something kind for someone, even something small. I think it’s important to remember that even small romantic gestures are, you know, still romantic.”

Was he talking about inserting her name into a song he’d sang two verses of?

Emma looked to Archie for help, but he simply shrugged helplessly. They were just going to have to keep playing the game.

It was during the break before the third and final round that Emma realized she’d never even used her ‘phone a friend’ option. Normally, in real life circumstances not orchestrated by a television game show, she’d call Mary Margaret to complain about whatever moron she’d gone out with. Mostly, they were dates planned by Mary Margaret herself, so Emma was calling to scold her, but even the dates she went on of her own accord usually ended in a phone call.

She could complain about Walsh, she guessed, but she didn’t need to call Mary Margaret to help her choose her winner, which was supposed to be the point of the ‘phone a friend’ option. She’d done that on her own ages ago.

She was really never going to live this down.

“Alright, welcome back, and let’s get started on Round Three!” Archie’s excitement seemed a bit more forced this time, as though he, too, knew Emma had already chosen, and just wanted to get to the end. “But first, our final twist! Between rounds, we polled our audience and asked them who they thought Emma should choose to be her date. If Emma’s choice aligns with our audience’s choice, there’s a special Christmas surprise in it for both of them.”

Oh, God.

She remembered the audience’s reaction to Killian’s singing, to his guitar playing. All of their ‘aww’s at him and Graham, and their silence at Walsh.

She really hoped they were smart enough to know what she’d figured out two rounds ago.

The third round was short, a lightning round where Emma asked a question and the bachelors answered in order: Graham, Walsh, and then Killian, with one-word answers only.

“Why are you on the show today?”

“Love.”

“Se—love.”

“Bet.”

The audience gasped collectively, and there was murmuring as they talked about what that could possibly mean.

Emma paused, despite the clock ticking above the audience, telling her she only had thirty seconds left to finish off any more questions she had.

Killian was here because of a bet?

She shook it off, knowing she’d have to ask him about it later, and moved on. The seconds ticked by slowly, and then finally the buzzer sounded.

“That’s it! Time’s up!” Archie sounded far too relieved, and quickly turned his megawatt smile back on. “Have you made your decision, Emma? There’s still that ‘phone a friend’ option if you--,”

“Killian,” she said firmly.

Archie grinned at her.

“Very well, let’s see what the audience had to say.”

The screen behind her changed again, as did the one above the audience.

7% for Walsh, 26% for Graham, 67% for Killian.

“Looks like you two get our Christmas surprise bonus! First, let’s meet the bachelors you didn’t choose.”

It took all of Emma’s self-control to not tap her foot impatiently and cross her arms over her chest. Instead, she let her arms hang loosely by her sides, forcing her fake, camera-ready smile back on.

Graham came out first. A handsome man with a rugged look to him. Emma definitely found him attractive, but she hadn’t been blown away by him the way she had by Killian. She wished she could give him her number so they could hang out sometime – she could use a friend who worked in the same career as she did, aside from David – but she knew that would be inappropriate, and probably a little weird.

Graham politely shook her hand, and then asked if he could hug her. She nodded, and he wrapped her in a tight embrace. She found herself returning the hug, and wishing once again that they could be friends somehow.

“I have a confession to make,” he whispered. “I’m relieved you didn’t pick me. I’m sort of seeing someone, but we started dating after I auditioned. It’s still new, so I didn’t want to cancel, but I’m just…I’m really glad you didn’t pick me, even though you’re beautiful, and a total catch.”

“She’s a lucky, girl, Graham,” Emma smiled. He nodded at her, and made his exit.

Walsh was next. He was tall, and made up of all angles – skinny and sharp and angry. She wondered if, perhaps, when he smiled, he was more attractive, but she’d never get the chance to find out. He shook her hand roughly, mumbled something about your loss, and then walked away.

Good riddance.

Finally, a leather jacket and well-fitting jeans rounded the corner. Blue eyes stared at her, both eyebrows raised in surprise.

“I didn’t expect you to be so…,” he trailed off.

She looked up at him, pleasantly surprised by the amount of scruff on his face and the artfully messed up style to his hair.

“It’s nice to actually meet you,” Emma said, reaching out her right hand.

“You, as well.” He took her hand in his and, before she knew what he was doing, kissed it. He blushed a bit and scratched behind his ear with his left hand, still holding onto hers with the other.

A nervous tick.

“You mentioned a bet,” Emma said. He looked embarrassed, so she confessed first. “I’m here because I lost a bet, too.”

His eyes widened and his grip on her hand tightened just a bit.

“My friends have been ragging on me for months to put myself out there. The whole thing seemed hokey and fake, but my best friends, Robin and Will, and I were playing Texas Hold ‘Em, and I couldn’t resist when Robin said ‘let’s make this more interesting’. And I can’t resist interesting, but I lost, so here I am.”

“Some friends.”

“Indeed.” He was full-on smiling at her now, her right hand still gripped in his.

“So, are you two ready to hear about the date you’ll be going on?”

Oh, right. This whole thing ended in a date that the show planned out for them. Emma had completely forgotten that there was a point to all of this, that she wasn’t just here to stare into blue eyes and hold onto a stranger’s hand for far longer than necessary.

“Sure, Archie.”

“First, you’ll have private access to the Storybrooke skating rink tomorrow evening. The entire place will be rented out just for the two of you. From there, you’ll head to George’s Taverna for dinner, all expenses paid. Finally, we’ve got vouchers for free three-scoop sundaes at Any Given Sundae.”

“Um, what’s the Christmas surprise?” Killian asked, sounding as nervous as Emma felt.

Archie smiled and pointed up.

Freaking mistletoe above their heads. It figured that a cheesy revival of an old show from the 1960’s would have made mistletoe their Christmas bonus.

Killian looked at her helplessly, as though he wasn’t sure if she’d want to kiss him, and didn’t want to force her. So she did the work for him.

She stood up on her tiptoes and he closed the gap, and there Emma Swan was, kissing a perfect stranger – although, was he really a stranger anymore? She’d learned more about him in the past hour of filming than she’d learned about old boyfriends throughout entire relationships – in front of who knew how many cameras, in front of a live audience.

And she knew Mary Margaret was going to hold this over her head for the rest of her life, but in that moment, she really didn’t care.

#cschristmascountdown #captain swan fic #captain swan #captain hook #captain hook x emma swan #emma swan x captain hook #emma swan #killian jones x emma swan #emma swan x killian jones #killian jones

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readingontheedge · 4 years

Photo

Robin & Marian

(Adventurous Romantics #2)

By Stephanie Fowers

Adult Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 352 Pages

August 11th 2019

Robin King lives up to the legendary name of Robin Hood more than he should—a bigshot billionaire and successor of King enterprises, a Prince of Mischief and a rogue who steals hearts ... and maybe even a few kisses. He never thought he’d follow the storyline so closely, until the day he gets in trouble with the law and pays the price—all for protecting his younger sister Scarlett.

Taken in by an Outlaw

Marian is a hard-hitting reporter … or would be if the New England Chronicle would stop assigning her puff pieces. Now she has the chance to prove herself, but it could prove her undoing—since the story of a lifetime might just be Robin King, a ruthless scoundrel, who she swore would never break her heart again.

Making New England Olde again

Together, they must overcome their differences

to save their hometown from thieves and corruption. And they’d better do it before someone gets killed. As danger lurks closer, legend becomes life, and Robin’s feelings for Marian deepen as he struggles with sharing the secrets that could clear his name and ruin his sister.

Goodreads | Amazon

Excerpt

The door ripped open and she came face to face with Robin. Same laughing eyes, same devilish look under hawk-like brows. His dirty-brown hair had curled up in a stylish mess. He’d come straight from her memories—though older and more dashing, like he’d stepped through the glossy covers of those gossip magazines she despised. He was tall and strong, with broad shoulders and an athletic build—a modern day Robin Hood in black t-shirt and faded jeans. And she hated it!

His almond-shaped eyes turned appreciative when he saw her. “Are you new?”

Clearly he hadn’t recognized her. It wasn’t too surprising really—she’d hidden in the back room when the “infamous playboy” had come to visit his sister when they’d been roommates, but before she could explain, he was approaching her. “If it’s all the same to you, Mrs. Koch can’t know what we’re up to.” Marian recognized the name of their housekeeper. Clearly Robin was up to no good if he was hiding his latest mischief from her—never mind that he owned the place now. “I’m so sorry to mix you up in this,” he said, “but we need help cleaning this up.”

And then his hands were on hers. Was this how he treated his staff? Wait. The thought gave her pause. He thought she was the help? Scarlett had compared her to a little French maid. How galling. She was so caught up in her angry thoughts that she’d allowed him to pull her into the entertainment room where she saw the remains of a poker game. Smashed plates and glasses had tumbled from an immense—and broken—china cabinet.

“It’s not as bad as it looks…” Robin’s hand dropped from hers as he attempted to clean up the mess. He looked up at her under heavy lashes. “Honestly, if I’d known how pretty you were, I’d have smashed these sooner.”

She gasped as he winked at her. Robin! Was this really a case of mistaken identity or was he teasing her? “I have half a mind to get Mrs. Koch myself,” she threatened.

He smirked at that. “If you could find a broom first…”

So she could crack it over his head? Not knowing what to do, Marian caught sight of Scarlett’s fiancé. The ends of Alan’s auburn hair fell over a soulful eye as he stared down at a record he had saved from the mess. He’d recognize Marian if he saw her, but he was too caught up in reading the record label. It was a vintage Louis Armstrong vinyl. He turned it over in his sensitive hands.

“Robin, your stepmother is going to kill you,” a deeper voice boomed. “That’s her prized Russian collection.” Turning, Marian saw a giant of a man. She’d know John anywhere, even a decade later. His skin was rich brown, the color of the earth after a storm; his head was buzzed—his facial hair was different from when they were kids, of course—but he’d towered over them back then and now was no different. He was one of those who’d earned his nickname in Robin’s merry band, although no one could get away with calling him “Little John” to his face.

“My nephew is trying to teach me how to make a bull’s eye!” a young voice piped up.

Marian caught sight of a smaller boy of about five years of age. He had a bow in his hand. His small finger pointed to an ugly painting against the wall with several arrows shot through it. They’d been using this room for target practice? How little they thought of the furniture… or of money.

“This is my Uncle Midge,” Robin introduced the child. “Also my godchild.” Yes, Marian remembered hearing about him. The young boy clearly looked up to Robin; he was a miniature of him, actually, with freckles, almond-shaped eyes, and a pointed chin. Robin’s grandfather had remarried a much younger woman, and Midge was the result of their union… before she’d run off with an artist. Come to think of it, was this one of the man’s ugly paintings Scarlett had talked about? She peered at it, but the torn flaps obscured the signature.

Robin ruffled the boy’s hair. “He was not supposed to actually let the arrow go. So there’s that.”

“And who would be the one who gave him the arrow, pray tell?” The final member of Alan’s bachelor party drew forward with dark, sullen looks. He was clean-shaven with black, heavy brows, and his hair was tied up in a hipster topknot. He wore a suit jacket with matching pants and a casual knit shirt. It took Marian a little longer to name him, but then she felt a wave of recognition run through her at his British accent. “But sure,” he said in his haughty tone, “blame the child.”

Ah yes, this was Robin’s cousin, Guy. He’d grown up in England with his mother. She had refused to play along with what she dubbed Richard’s “childish obsession,” and in so doing, unknowingly named him after one of Robin Hood’s greatest villains. It was a source of great teasing amongst his cousins. Just like the others, Marian hadn’t seen him for years.

Yet when he saw her, he hurried to pick up her hand and kiss it. His brown eyes were full of meaning. “What are you doing here with us vile men, Marian? Isn’t Scarlett’s party interesting enough for you?”

Finally, someone hadn’t seen her as the servant. She felt a smile tug at her lips. Guy’s British charm had always been hard to resist. When they’d been younger, her parents had teased the two that they’d arrange their marriage. She was ashamed to admit that that kind of talk had ended after Guy’s parents had lost their fortunes in poor investments.

Looking over at Robin, she shrugged. “Robin always did try to get me into trouble.” She cast him what she hoped was a teasing glance. “Just like old times.” Robin’s shoulders stiffened as he turned to actually look at her. His beautiful hazel eyes took her all in. Marian felt too amused to be angry. His astonished expression made everything worth it.

“Marian?” Robin stretched to his feet to retrieve her hand from Guy. “Why didn’t you say anything?” His gaze swept over her again, including that hateful apron. “My own little Maid Marian?”

Other Books in the Series

In the Pursuit of Eden

(Adventurous Romantics #1)

By Stephanie Fowers

Adult Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Paperback & ebook, 390 Pages

April 1st 2019

Everyone wants to find Eden’s Paradise. Except Ivy.

Ivy is a city girl through and through. So when she follows her twin brother into the forests of the Uintas to make a documentary about looking for a treasure that’s plagued her family for generations, she’s a little out of her element. It's the same treasure that ended her father's life. Add to that her run-ins with the dashing, but infuriating Aiden Hunter. The Southern hottie has rescued her so many times that it’s getting embarrassing. Of course, she’d be more grateful if she didn’t suspect him of putting her in danger in the first place—a danger that keeps growing the closer they get to the truth.

Forced to be allies, the two are thrown into each other’s paths, and she realizes that she has more in common with him than she thought. While Ivy searches for clues in the journal of a wayward saloon girl, Eden, to discover a life that mirrors her own, Hunter fights the demons in a past that seems tangled up in hers. His secrets are hers. The only way to get at the truth is to find an uneasy truce… and maybe something more because Hunter may not be the enemy. In fact, he may be the one who needs rescuing. Now, Ivy has to figure out who she wants by her side, and what she’s willing to give up for love.

After all, Paradise was never meant to be found alone.

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author

Stephanie Fowers loves bringing stories to life, and depending on her latest madcap ideas will do it through written word, song, and/ or film. She absolutely adores Bollywood and bonnet movies; i.e., Jane Austen. Presently, she lives in Salt Lake where she's living the life of the starving artist.

Tour Schedule

(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 11th: Launch

December 12th: Julie Coulter Bellon - Truth or Dare

December 13th: Delaney Cameron - The Gift of Love

December 14th: Raneé S. Clark - Her Country Christmas Date

December 15th: Stephanie Fowers - Robin and Marian

December 16th: Aspen Hadley - Blind Dates, Bridesmaids & Other Disasters

December 17th: Maria Hoagland - Santa Cam

December 18th: Rachel John - The Christmas Bachelor Auction

December 19th: Sally Johnson - Dear Mr. Darcy

December 20th: D.E. Malone - Love Like Forever

December 21st: Melissa McClone - Mountain Rescue Romance Series

December 22nd: Brooke St. James - The Suite Life

December 23rd:

Grand Finale

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card

Open internationally (as long as winner is eligible to receive prize)

Ends December 28, 2019

ENTER HERE

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jonathanbelloblog · 5 years

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A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

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jesusvasser · 5 years

Text

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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eddiejpoplar · 5 years

Text

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

from Performance Junk Blogger 6 http://bit.ly/2IiHeDh via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6

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