#elizabeth jameson

[valewritessss]

Is it really a love triangle if one of them has a nickname?

[firawren]

[jupiter-reimagined]

messed around on picrew to design the respective families cuz i ran outta energy to draw lol

[picrew link here]

the Jamesons:

left to right there's: andrew (father), amelia (mother), elias (their kid)

and the DeAngelos:

left to right there's: marcus (eldest son), dominic (middle son), elizabeth (youngest daughter)

i came up w the names n designs on the spot, so they may change but like. yeah. its them i guess. also like... dont ask what happened to dominics parents i dont wanna talk about it

also obv, very very rough appearances due to the limitations of picrew, but still!! its all roughly as i want it to be style vise. i am gonna actually draw everyone later, so, consider this a rough draft for the characters

[creativecuquilu]

More Tom Baker and other people things I prompted on Dalle, including two nightmare fueling prompts.

Using years and types of video as attributes for your prompts will guarantee you even more cursed pictures.

Also try writing down the Doctor’s companions’ actors. I promise you’ll get worse calamities than Little Miss Calimity’s.

Hope you like them!

[cinemaquiles]

Perigo no espaço (Fire in the sky, 1978), o precursor de Impacto Profundo!

[braveclementine]

Secrets Are Out

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OCs, which consist of Penny Fury, Elizabeth Nelson, Elijah Chan, Katya Venice, Violetta Moscow, Lan Le, Josh, Trang Tien, Ahni Jallow, Mai Ito, and Ghaida Kashual as well as other OCs that will come up throughout the story.

It was a very drowsy sort of next morning. Elizabeth and Wanda sleepily made scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and sausage. There was also fruit.

Penny felt rather tired, perhaps because they had all gone to sleep so late. She was resting with her head on Natasha's shoulder.

"What are we doing today?" Elizabeth asked as she set out plates, before taking a seat in her chair, stabbing a piece of sausage violently.

"I was thinking maybe we could go out somewhere." Steve said cautiously, looking around. "I don't know. Do something fun? The zoo or something like that."

"That sounds like fun!" Elizabeth said brightly.

"Sure Stevie." Penny and Tony said together.

"Let's do the Aquarium, it's going to be cold out." Trang shivered.

"It's cold?" Elizabeth asked, looking confused and Elijah chuckled.

"For the normal people Milady." Elijah grinned, sipping his tea.

"Oh right." Elizabeth said giggling. Violetta rolled her eyes and flicked crumbs at her.

"Oh, but I also need you to test out the new suit I made you." Trang said suddenly and Penny looked around until she realized that she was looking at Elizabeth.

"Why do I have a new suit?" Elizabeth asked in confusion. "My suit was fine."

"I'm hoping that I installed coms in it that won't disrupt when you use your water powers." Trang said. "But I need you to test it with me and Tony, maybe Rhodey and Sam as well."

"Yeah, of course I'll help out." Sam said, stretching as he finished off his last piece of bacon.

Suddenly, the elevator doors could be heard opening up down the hall and angry footsteps stomped towards them. Penny leaned to look around Pietro's shoulder and saw her father storming down the hallway.

"You couldn't keep your hands to yourselves for five minutes could you!" He snapped, tossing a newspaper that he had in his hands onto the table.

Pietro, of course, was the one who snatched it up first. Penny leaned around to look over his shoulder and saw a picture of Elizabeth sitting on Bucky's lap. The two of them were lip locked, both of them still in the attire they wore to the party last night. It showed Steve and Sam just standing there. And across the top in the bold headline was the words:

FROZALINE: THE AVENGERS UNDERCOVER SLUT?

"Oh fuck." Penny whispered.

"What?" Tony asked sharply.

Pietro slid the paper across to Tony, who scanned it, tossed the paper down, and immediately started to pull up the actual news. Slowly, the paper circulated around the table, while they found a channel to listen to.

J. Jameson was on the news, with photos up while the same headline on the newspaper ran down on the border of the news. Penny glanced quickly over at Elizabeth and saw that she looked blank, like it hadn't hit her yet. Bucky on the other hand, was red in the face with anger. Elijah's face was smooth, but his eyes were smoldering.

"Leaked photos from the Avengers tower shows that the world's mightiest superheroes are crossing forbidden lines." Jameson said dramatically. "These photos contain our valiant and pure-hearted Captain America, notorious playboy Tony Stark, and of course, the winter soldier who can't remember his name, much less what a soulmate is-"

Steve and Sam shot straight up and Penny was immediately rearing in defense. Tony's teeth snapped together angrily and all of the other avengers in the room showed similar reactions of anger.

"But," Jameson continued, "At least the deviancy that takes place behind closed doors-"

And here, different footage was shown. All of it was from last night as well. Natasha with Wanda, Violetta, Vision, Katya, and Lan. A photo showing Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Elizabeth heading up to their bedroom together. Another picture showing Tony and Trang kissing in the lab. Ahni, Mai, and Hope together.

"-it seems that certain superheroes feel the need to flaunt their whore-like behavior." Jameson sneered and the picture of Elizabeth sitting on Bucky's lap kissing him came up on screen again. Elizabeth sunk down in her seat a little. "Elizabeth Nelson, also known as Frozaline, has always portrayed herself as an innocent, Christian girl. However, evidence here shows that she sluts it up with the brain-washed, should be in the raft, soldier- right in front of their soulmates! Clearly, she doesn't care-"

The TV went dead as it melted into hot metal. Elijah closed his eyes as he attempted to cool down. "I'll buy a new one Tony."

"It's fine." Tony snapped, though not upset with Elijah. "How did they get those photos?"

"My fault." Elizabeth muttered, tearing the skin around her fingernails, not looking at any of them. "I did it right out in the open."

"Yeah, well, it's actually my fault." Bucky growled, glaring at her. "I'm the one who pulled you into that kiss. You weren't going to do it. It's on me."

"We all forgot." Steve sighed, putting a tight hand on Bucky's shoulder. Him and Sam were still burning with rage at Jameson's' comments about their soulmate.

"What do we do about it?" Stephen asked calmly. "We have options, what are they?"

Fury sighed, "There's been some talk about disbanding the Avengers. Some other talk about jailing certain Avengers-"

"They're not taking her." Elijah and Loki said together in deadpanned voices. Elijah flaming up and Loki's eyes flashing green.

"It won't be able to happen." Stephen assured them. "They can't jail anyone for crossing soulmate lines."

"You could press conference." Fury sighed. "Just come clean. I'm sure there'll be some support."

"I'll do the press conference." Elijah offered, still smoldering, "Besides, some of the photos are edited. I was standing there as well when James kissed Elizabeth. Not to mention, I was with the soldiers and Elizabeth when we went up to their room. Whoever took these pictures edited me out."

"But why?" Thor rumbled angrily.

"To make her look worse, right?" Natasha pointed out. "And to smear Steve, Bucky, and Sam."

"But why the soldiers? That doesn't make any sense." Bruce looked confused.

"Because." Elizabeth said absentmindedly, like she wasn't bothered by what was going on. "Tony's a playboy. If he crosses some lines, who cares? It's nothing new. Loki is always going to be a villain in their eyes no matter what. And with Pietro and the others, some of them don't have their soulmates, so they can't be blamed for crossing lines and Wanda was with Vision in the photo so clearly they were in agreement. But Steve? He's perfect. Literally Gods-Chosen, Americas best. If they can dirt his name, they'll do it."

Steve blushed slightly at her praise.

"But I still don't understand why they didn't try to make Elijah look bad." Pietro said.

"Because," Lan cut in, "If it looks like Elizabeth's soulmate isn't there, then it looks like she- and the soldiers- are going behind his back."

"You know you're not a slut, right?" Rhodey looked over at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth actually snickered, leaning back in her seat. Penny gave a start when she said, "Sure I am. I'm your guys' slut and I quite like my position so don't get rid of it."

Penny, Katya, and Natasha all giggled into their hands as all of the men- including Penny's dad- groaned lowly.

"You know." Tony growled, pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes, looking slightly frustrated, "It is really to early in the day to be getting horny Ice Cube. So watch it."

"Okay, but on a serious note," and here she blushed darkly and stared at the ceiling, "You're not going to stop calling me those names in bed, are you? Cause I really like them."

"Of course not doll." Steve said quickly. "Whatever you want."

"Great." Elizabeth said. "Then let's stop worrying about this stupidity. We had plans today. Who cares if they don't like that we're all together? That's none of their business anyways! We all love each other and no one is going to take that away from us."

Penny smiled and loved how everyone else smiled at her as well, agreeing. Elijah wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and kissed the side of her head. It struck Penny a little funny that Elizabeth had water powers but easily got fired up, and Elijah was the fire powers, but was always as cool as a cucumber. They were literally the definition of a perfect soulmate pair.

"Still," Fury crossed his arms over his chest, "Are you prepared for the backlash that will come from this decision of going public with a press conference?"

"Yes." Elizabeth said.

"What's new?" Katya yawned.

"We get backlash on every missions we go on." Clint shrugged his shoulders. "Who cares at this point?"

"Oh!" Elizabeth said happily. "This means I can change the last names on the kids too."

"To what?" Lan asked in confusion.

"Well Mateo can take the last name 'Heimdallson.'" Elijah said slowly. "And I'm assuming Rue's last name will now be Barnes?"

"Barnes-Roger." Elizabeth corrected.

"But she's only Bucky's kid." Steve said in confusion.

"Yeah, but that's your guys last name." Elizabeth waved her hand around.

"Actually. . . " Loki said slowly. "My mother and father had an idea."

Everyone looked at him and the pale God went slightly pink. He cleared his throat and said, "There is a ceremony on Asgard that would marry all of us and we would all take an agreed last name. Now, admittedly, this would literally marry all of us, even if we don't always interact with each other. So, Elizabeth, Ghaida, Trang, you guys would be married to the other girls as well. Of course, this doesn't mean that you would suddenly be attracted to them, we would all just have the same name."

There was silence in the kitchen for a moment. Penny looked around at all of her soulmates and the others that she interacted with. Everyone looked thoughtful.

"Um, what about Shuri and I?" T'Challa, who had been very quiet so far asked. "Or Pietro and Wanda?"

"It doesn't include siblings." Thor added. "It's a very intricate spell. It will bind soulmates together first in their pairs or groups, before adding in. But it recognizes siblings. Or, pirate, daughter and father bonds."

Fury cleared his throat, looking away and Penny went pink. Clint chuckled under his breath.

"Maybe we should have some time to think about this." Lan said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Of course." Loki said. "The spell can only be done on Lunar New Years anyways, so we have time."

Penny felt a slight glow inside of her and she touched her stomach gently. The idea of them being a proper family in name gave her goosebumps.

"I should probably go ahead and address the people then." Elijah sighed, getting out of his seat.

Suddenly, Penny's fathers phone started to ring. She recognized her mother's ringtone and Fury picked it up. "Yes?"

He raised an eyebrow and eventually hung up. "Well, what do you know, Blonsky has been tracked down."

Penny froze. She felt a spike of fear, but not for herself. Shit, maybe she did have Stockholm syndrome. . . she didn't want them to go after her. She didn't want them to arrest him. Were they already going after him?

"Has a team been sent out yet?" Elizabeth asked cautiously and Penny was thankful for the ice superhero.

"Not yet." Fury said. "I'll probably make a team out of you all-"

"I'll go." Elizabeth said easily and they all looked at her.

"Um, absolutely not." T'Challa crossed his arms over his chest. "I can send the Dora Milaje after him."

Crap, they would probably kill them.

Wanda's eyes met Penny's and Penny glanced down at the table, hoping Wanda wasn't reading her mind.

"Oh come on." Elizabeth frowned, "I haven't been on a mission in what feels like forever. Besides, this will be an easy one. Besides, I know Australia like the back of my hand."

For some reason, Katya, Violetta, Ghaida, Trang, Ahni, and Elijah all flinched.

"I would feel much better if you never stepped foot in Australia ever again." Lan drawled.

Elizabeth scowled, "Nick."

Fury sighed, looking down at the ground. "Listen E, you're a brilliant Agent and-"

"Do not butter me up and then deny me this mission." Elizabeth sighed. "I'll take Penny with me. She's the one that deserves to go anyways."

Penny looked over at the girl and realized that Elizabeth knew exactly how Penny felt. Penny nodded, "Yeah, let's do it."

"I think you're both underestimating the opponent." Bruce said quickly. "He's not just a simple person, he's like me, but slightly more dangerous."

"And I can control you." Elizabeth pointed out, "We practiced before we left for Sri Lanka. We're fine! It's just another mission and I'm a superhero as much as any of you."

"Okay." Elijah said unexpectedly. "I agree."

And that seemed to be the final word.

"Very well then." Fury said, nodding once. "Then I want the two of you heading out to Australia in a few hours time."

"We'll be ready." Elizabeth nodded, standing up. "Coming Penny?"

"Yeah." Penny said quickly, and followed the ice girl out of the kitchen. The two of them headed up to Elizabeth's bedroom first and she watched as Elizabeth pulled out a black duffel bag and started to pack.

"Elizabeth, why me?"

Elizabeth smirked at her, "Oh, you'll see."

🦛👮‍♂️ ρᵒV ⓒ𝒽ά𝓃ģ€ 🎽😒

Sam walked through the hallway of the fancy apartment complex, looking for the right door. They had let him in right away when they had seen who he was. He really hoped that the man he was looking for was home.

He stopped in front of suite A34 and knocked on the door, stepping to the side so that he couldn't be seen through the eyehole.

The door opened a moment later and J. Jameson stepped out and looked around. He straightened up and narrowed his eyes when he saw Sam standing there. "Mr. Wilson."

"It's actually Barnes-Rogers." Sam corrected harshly. "I changed my name when I got married. And I think we should talk. In private."

"So you came to threaten me just because I did a news report on your deranged soulmate." Jameson scoffed.

Sam stepped closer, moving so that both of them were inside his apartment and he closed the door behind him. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching the weaselly man back away from him.

"I'll call the police on you." Jameson sneered. "For breaking and entering."

"Technically I just entered." Sam snapped. "And I'm not here to hurt you. I'm only here to warn you. Bucky is a good man who had a crap life handed to him. It's not his fault that HYDRA kidnapped him, held him against his will, and brainwashed him so that he forgot who he was and his morals. The people he killed were never his fault. I'd like to see you be brainwashed and not follow what you're told. But he's free now. He's been free for years and he's never hurt anyone since he's been free. So what you need to do, is back. The fuck. Off."

Jameson drew himself to full height, "I have a right under the first amendment to a freedom of speech-"

"And I have a right by the law that I can sue you for defamation." Sam interrupted. "Not only are you smearing my soulmates name for things he can't control, you're also bad mouthing Elizabeth-"

"She's a slut."

Sam slammed his hand against the wooden table. "You should refrain from using words like that to describe the woman I love."

"She's not your soulmate."

"You'll hear very soon on the news that we Avengers are all together. Every single one of us except the straight ones. I'm sure Elijah, who happens to be Elizabeth's soulmate just so you know, will tell you all of our plans on the news. So the next time I see you report on the screen, you better keep your nasty opinions to yourself. Am I understood?"

"I promise that I will report the news as I see it." Jameson hissed. "And if I still see Elizabeth Nelson as a slut, then I'll say it. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Sam started to nod slowly and then his fist cracked out, punching the man across the jaw. Jameson shouted in pain, a hand flying up to cup his jaw.

"You just punched me!"

"Did I?" Sam asked in faux surprise. "See, words have consequences. Especially when people offend the people I love. You get the exclusive confession. I love my soulmates. I love Steve and Penny and yes, I fucking love Bucky Barnes. And you know what else? I love Elizabeth Nelson and I love Tony Stark and Loki and Thor and Clint. So the next time you report the news, remember that you need to offend every single superhero on the Avengers team. You need to offend the King of Wakanda and the Sorcerer Supreme and the King of Asgard and the King of the Jotuns. You need to offend all the heroes that keep you safe. Remember that."

And with that, Sam jerked open the door and stormed out of the building. And as he hit the fresh air, he relaxed, feeling much better.

👛🛹 𝕡𝑜v 𝕔ⓗ𝓐ήᎶ乇 🚞🧲

"Trang?" Tony asked uncertainly. She was looking at her laptop with earbuds in her ears, watching the news. The one specifically with her and him on the screen, their eyes closed and kissing. Her shoulders shook and he realized with horror that she was crying.

"Trang?" He asked louder, coming over to sit down next to her. She clicked off the video and pulled out the earbuds. She pulled her glasses off her face, putting them down on the small table and started to sob.

"Trang, what's wrong!" He asked, alarmed, pulling her into his arms.

Trang sniffled, wiping her face and then said, "I can't have children."

"What?" He whispered softly.

"I asked Ghaida if she knew why I wasn't getting pregnant." Trang swallowed, wiping her eyes again as they continued to leak. "And it's because of the birth control that I was on. It didn't just stop me from having children then, but it's going to stop me from having children for the rest of my life!"

Tony didn't know what to say, so he just kept rubbing his hand on her back. As much as the news saddened him, there were plenty of other girls that he could have children with. And besides, it wasn't like he only loved Trang because he wanted a child with her. He loved her no matter what.

"I'm so sorry Tony." Trang sobbed. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I failed you."

"How were you supposed to know?" Tony asked softly, smoothing her face back. "How were you supposed to know that the medicine would affect you long term?"

"Elizabeth warned me." Trang hiccupped. "She told me not to go on it. She told me about studies that had been done. But I didn't want children then so I didn't care then if it affected me long term. And she always was saying things I thought were conspiracy theories so I ignored her. And now I'm paying for it!"

"Trang, look at me." Tony commanded softly, capturing her chin so that he could force her to stare into his eyes. "I never loved you because of children. I love you because of you. If you can't have kids, it doesn't change anything. Sure, am I little sad, yes, I'm not going to lie to you. But it's not the end of the world. It's not the end of our relationship. And it most certainly doesn't change my love for you."

He drew her down so that he could capture her lips with his. He made a mental note in the back of his head to ask Thor if he would be able to do anything to change Trang's status- just in case she still wanted to try if Thor could change it.

Trang relaxed against him, sniffling, and once she was alright again, she sat up.

"Hey, everything okay?" Stephen asked as he and Loki joined the two of them in the side living room.

Trang dissolved into quieter tears as Tony slowly explained what happened. Soon, Stephen and Loki were cuddling the two of them.

"It's okay princess." Loki kissed her forehead. "Everything is going to be okay."

"We love you sweets." Stephen murmured softly.

"I love you too." Trang whispered, snuggling into them, feeling the love and contentment surround her. And she felt comforted as she fell asleep. 

[fibula-rasa]

Cosplay the Classics: Elizabeth Montgomery in “Two”

“Two” first aired on 15 September 1961 and is the first episode of the third season of The Twilight Zone. Sadly, “Two” is the only episode that features Elizabeth Montgomery.

Montgomery was nearly ten years into her professional career in 1961. She had already carved out a solid resume in television, appearing prolifically on anthology and episodic shows and occasionally stretched her legs on the New York stage. Samantha Stephens was still three years away when Montgomery took her voyage through The Twilight Zone.

In its five seasons, The Twilight Zone was a crossroads of up-and-coming and well-established performers. “Two” paired the rising star Montgomery with Charles Bronson, who had a decade more acting experience in TV and film than Montgomery. Though Bronson was the more established star, “Two” is Montgomery’s showcase.

Read on below the jump!

“Two” relies on minimal dialogue throughout and notably Montgomery only has a single line spoken. The role relies almost entirely on Montgomery’s action/reaction, expression, and styling. The episode begins on Montgomery as The Woman wandering an abandoned city. The first nine minutes of the episode pass with no dialogue, with context given by visual elements and Serling’s opening narration. The entire episode takes place on a small section of city street (at the old Hal Roach studios, conveniently already in disrepair). 

We learn through newspapers and magazines that this city is in The Man’s homeland, invaded by The Woman’s nation’s army. Signs of the city’s long five-year abandonment are everywhere, including full skeletons left where they fell. (The macabre element of skeletons is used sparingly across the Twilight Zone and usually in circumstances less grounded in reality than “Two,” such as “Long Live Walter Jameson” and “Queen of the Nile.”) As The Man mulls over his first encounter with The Woman a dove flies up behind him as a symbol of his genuine desire for peace. Through a variety of posters and advertisements, we learn that The Man’s homeland had a culture heavily invested in war.

Collage of the war-related paraphernalia in “Two”

All of that is solid storytelling, but Montgomery’s acting adds an extra something. When The Woman first encounters The Man, Montgomery performs hair-trigger reactivity. Despite The Woman’s dire situation—a stranded foreigner in a decimated country with seemingly no chance to ever return home—her reluctance to trust The Man is significant. Pairing Montgomery’s wordless portrayal of these responses with the jingoistic quality of The Man’s homeland and the notable length of time that the city has been abandoned makes me feel that her feelings might not be a simple holdover of wartime hostility on her part but potentially extended trauma. Perhaps The Woman had previous awful experiences with other straggling remnants of The Man’s military, who may not have been as ready as The Man to give up wartime attitudes in spite of the war clearly being over.

The Woman is understandably acting like a cornered animal. As the episode progresses, The Man tries to be as calculated as possible in communicating to The Woman that he doesn’t want a fight through his actions, turning his back to her, and not retaliating the third time she launches an attack on him. Montgomery, in turn, does a great job of drawing out the cornered animal characterization—alternating between curiosity, hope, mistrust, and open hostility. Montgomery’s characterization gives the role the added dimension that saves the episode from feeling too much like an overly simple fable.

Unfortunately, it’s in executing the fabular aspect of the story where “Two” falters. The opening narration by Serling specifies: 

“It’s been five years since a human being walked these streets. This is the first day of the sixth year as man used to measure time.  “The time: perhaps a hundred years from now, or sooner, or perhaps it’s already happened two-million years ago. The place: The signposts are in English so that we may read them more easily, but the place is The Twilight Zone.”

It’s established here that the location is meant to be a stand-in for any city in any country, and that the use of English is merely a storytelling convenience. So, even though “Two” is intended as a Cold-War era anti-war statement, they are intentionally distancing the fiction from the contemporary real-world conflict. To create further distance from a contemporary place/time, they establish that the rifles are laser guns.

But, then, that one line that Montgomery speaks in “Two,” seventeen minutes in, is “Prekrasny” or “прекрасны,” a Russian word for beautiful or pretty. This pretty much grinds to a halt the concept that this is a cautionary fable and not a vision of a dark future where the Soviet Union and the United States moved to open warfare. While I’ll admit that the conventions used to establish “Two” as a fable are cheeky and a little on the corny side, the episode itself would have been stronger without the suggestion that The Woman is Russian.

I’m not sure who made the call to use a Russian word. I wonder if perhaps Serling wrote his introduction and he had a different read on the story than its writer, Montgomery Pittman. Maybe Pittman intended “Two” to be more of a dark premonition with a twist of optimism and Serling thought of it more as a fable and the two approaches hampered each other in the final product? This is pure speculation on my part of course, but it’s a black mark on what I think could have been an even better episode than it is.

Regardless, I think “Two” is a strong episode and a fine example of a Serling-esque story written by someone brought on to lighten the load of Serling, who worked himself to the bone on Twilight Zone. I also appreciate Pittman’s confidence to rely so heavily on visual storytelling techniques, taking into account that the high quality at which we watch the show now does not reflect the quality home viewers would have had in 1961. It reflects both Serling and the producers belief that viewers would be fully engaged in watching the show as it aired rather than just passively having it on in the family room while unwinding after dinner. 

Elizabeth Montgomery’s performance heightens the whole affair considerably. That’s no shade on Charles Bronson, in fact I think the monologuing he’s given could have come off as unbearably hokey if delivered by a lesser actor.

If you can believe it, this is my very first time cosplaying The Twilight Zone! (Though I did play Rod Serling in a set of sketches in high school. I was as weird as a teenager as I am an adult, okay?) If you didn’t already know, I run another blog called Twilight Zone in Close-ups, examining the powerful use of close-up shots on the show by testing out how much of each episode’s story can be communicated solely by its close-up shots.

☕ Buy me a coffee! ☕

[ladymacbeths]

macbeth related posts/articles/essays masterlist

hi! here's a list of almost every single anaysis Thing I've come across in like two months of being insane about the scottish play. Most are about lady macbeth/the gender theme btw.

‘He has no children’: The centring of grief in The Show Must Go Online’s Macbeth - Gemma Allred: on the misogyny that frequently surrounds conversations around Lady Macbeth

this post by @amillionmillionvoices: Same topic as the previous one, but goes more in depth, explains ladymac’s motivations as mostly coming from love not self-serving ambition.

this post by @dukeofbookingham: also explains the prior point very prettily— that ladymac is (mostly) motivated by love, but also makes the case that many of it is guilt born from not fulfilling societal expectations

On the character of Lady Macbeth - Dr. Emil Pfundheler: paper that explains the same point made in the previous post, using the text to explain. Written in 1873 so explains gender as a dichotomy, but once you take that out, its points are very good.

Characteristics of women: moral, political, and historical - Anna Jameson: aka Why Lady Macbeth is not inherently evil— same topic and the other two, but focuses a bit on the fact that she is A Woman. Not my favorite, but worth reading I suppose. Also includes analyses of many female Shakespeare characters. It does include some very bad history in the beginning— Gruoch did not orchestrate Duncan’s murder. That’s something Hector Boece made up.

Lady Macbeth: “Infirm of purpose” (from The Woman’s Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare) - Joan Larsen Klein: on how she both fits and doesn’t fit the idea of a reinassance wife— doesn’t fit because she isn’t aligned to god (this read more like a Christian analysis than a feminist one if I’m being honest), but fits them because she behaves like one, only subverts them because she’s like, the evil murder girl version of the Wife. The essay right after this one is also very good.

The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth: required reading if you wanna play her Btw not kidding. Analyzes her character thru the lens of freudian psychology. Screws up the text of the play a bit but provides an actual in-depth explanation of how sonnambulism works. Note that "hysteria" is not a current psychological diagnosis, but a symptom of other conditions. Still extremely interesting.

The Macbeths - G. K. Chesterton: analysis of their relationship, makes some interesting point on the differences of the nature of their ambition and desire to kill the king

Shakespeare’s tragic frontier; the world of his final tragedies - Willard Farnham: this one is long but oh boy does it go deep. Talks about the lore of the witches, explains historical context to find out how the real events were so screwed up, makes an interesting point about Macbeth’s conscience against Lady Macbeth’s, and lastly talks about the tragic world of Macbeth compared to other tragedies.

Women’s fantasy of manhood: a Shakespearean theme - D. W. Harding: exactly what it says on the tin, using ladymac and her skewed (and I’d call romanticized) idea of what a man is that she pushes on Macbeth. So yeah, talks about the gender theme. Also talks about Goneril from Lear, Cleopatra, and Volumnia from Coriolanus and how they fit the theme— although ladymac is the only one who goes downhill from it.

Unnatural women in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth - Elizabeth Klett: I’ll be honest I didn’t love this one a lot. Basically talks about how every woman in Macbeth defies gender roles. Doesn’t go too deep however. But the book has a ton of essays analyzing female characters in classic lit.

[artzychic27]

🏳️‍⚧️Happy Pride From the Recess Class!🏳️‍🌈

Akuma Class

Science Kids

Austin A: Legally Blonde, but Gayer

Gender nonconforming, who has time to narrow down pronouns?

Does everyone’s makeup before Pride with Kendra and Victoria

Dyes his hair pink

Gives free haircuts, paints peoples’ nails, and dyes hair using spray-on dye

They just want everyone to look fabulous, is that so wrong?!

Dresses in only flag colors

Uses his mom’s credit card to buy binders for people

This is the only time of year he makes people simp. Not the other way around

And they are going to use it to their advantage

Dresses her chinchillas in drag

They. Look. Gorgeous.

He somehow escapes the Glitter Wars unscathed

Todrick Hall is her anthem

Austin B: Gaymer Gurl

AroAce and He/Him

Wears Croc Heelys to pride

He wanders off a lot, and it terrifies his boyfriends best friends

Brings Elizabeth III to every pride and dresses her in only the finest fashions

He buys her all sorts of pride-themed cat toys because she’s worth it

When people ask him on a date, Elizabeth III hisses at them

Casually getting adopted by drag queens after he casually tells them about his home situation

He’s granted entry to any drag house when he wants to get away from his “parents”. He’s got six moms now, and he will steal jewelry for them

He met a little girl with yellow eyes like him and she hugged him

All of Marceline’s songs are his anthems

Austin Q: Secret Mom Friend with Mommy Issues

Questioning & He/?

Tempted to put a leash on everyone

Especially Austin B because he won’t stop wandering off!

Austin Q: WHERE ARE MY BABIES?! Have you seen a little bitch in yellow glitter pants?! He’s a little ho, but I love him!

He supplies the snacks Austin T doesn’t make. He’s the main apple slice supplier

He also makes sure to bring apple juice. He just likes apples. “They’re good for you, Armsy!”

Cosplays as every redhead character- Penn Zero, Vicky, Melissa Chase, Mary Test, Black Widow, and more

He joins the muscle-flexing contests and wins a couple

Can carry Austin A, B, and T on his shoulders

Once again, everyone thinks the four of them are a poly couple

Austin Quinlan, Protector of Lesbians, Wielder of the Sapphic Sword, Kicker of Protesters’ Balls

Knows how to do a badass rainbow kick

Austin T: OUT OF THE WAY! I AM VERY GAY!

Gay & He/Him

Bakes all sorts of pastries for everyone and it’s pretty much the one thing everyone looks forward to

Seriously, this boy brings like twenty containers full of cupcakes, cookies, and pancakes (For the pansexuals, of course)

Not even protesters are immune to his cupcakes. But because he’s petty, they only get plain vanilla with no toppings

That’s how disappointed he is in them. Now they feel as though they’ve disrespected every deity

The drag queens, dykes on bikes, and just lesbians in general will kill for this baby

Casually name drops his parents any time a protester screams in his face

He and Jean reenact scenes from Phantom of the Opera

DJ threw a glitter bomb at him, and no one was safe

Wears Huggycake like a boa because she loves all the people, and she scares off homophobes

He met other reptile queers and now they’re having brunch

Lotta Jameson: Kick Buttowski, Queer Daredevil

Aromantic and She/Her

Gerard tinkered with her Vespa, and now rainbow glitter shoots out the pipes

Do NOT give her sugar. Seriously

She somehow sneaks onto floats

Austin Q: Lotta! Get down from there!/ Lotta: Be gay, do crimes!

Brings a baseball bat in case of transphobes

She has a shirt that says so

She did a bike jump over the protesters and dropped bags of glitter on them

Now she’s getting called Amelia Earhart by literally everyone

She got the aviator goggles and they’re pretty sure Amelia is a queer icon… Also, she sometimes goes missing in the crowd. She’s so short!

Austin Q: WHERE’S MY OTHER BABY?! SHE’S THE LITTLE GINGER BITCH IN GOGGLES!/ Lotta: Do you call all your babies bitches?

Kendra Anne Gunderson: Casually Spider-Man Kisses People… With Consent

Polyromantic and She/Her

Kendra is a bit of an icon

Known by all as “Hand-Stand Girl” because she walked only on her hands for the entire event

She has two drag queen uncles and her cousin is a beauty influencer in the queer community

Every time Kendra breathes, a lesbian meets her perfect match

Her eyeliner is on point

DJ lowers her down from buildings so that she can kiss pretty people… With consent, of course

Those two are always getting into some sort of trouble

They spray painted some transphobe’s car and put an egg in the slightly open trunk. It stunk up the car for days

When she’s not pranking protesters, she’s on the mom friend squad with Austin Q and keeping Austin B from wandering off

DJ Detweiler: The Drag Jester

Genderfluid, Bisexual, and He/She

Owns an assortment of pun shirts for every sexuality. No one knows how they come up with them

DJ: I came out to my dad./ Mason: DJ, NO!/ DJ: He told animal control he had a bison in his house!

Always accused of starting the Glitter Wars. She ain’t denying anything

As the name implies, he’s gonna prank the protesters and TERFs

So far, he got a TERF to sit on a whoopie cushion, tricked some dick trying to force himself on an Ace girl into kissing a frog, and made some homophobe think his foot went missing

Heads to drag clubs to do standup, and is probably gonna get a Netflix show when she gets older

DJ: Do you know the difference between a government bond and a homophobe? The bond matures.

Now he’s booked for seven shows throughout the month

He’s got a laugh like Sardonyx that makes people (Especially Mason) simp

Any time DJ laughs, a trans boy gets his soup

Austin Spinelli: Sneaking Out in Ballet Flats

Achillean and He/Him

Casually flirts with any guy he comes across

And he lays the Italian accent on THICK

Dresses in pinstripe suits and says he’s the boss of the Velvet Mafia

When he’s not in suits, he’s dressed in his ballet gear and doing ribbon dances

His splits are flawless

Any time Spinelli does a pirouette, a trans girl gets her wings

Any time Spinelli does a pirouette, a transphobe gets punched

When he’s got the time, and he always does, he does chalk art with the kids, and creates a literal mural

He’s always got time

The organizers loved his work so much, they commissioned a mural for a youth center

Knits beanies for everyone

Gia Griswald: You Ask, I’ll Tell

MtF Trans and She/Her

Her dad went with her to her first pride, and none of the protesters wanted to mess with the six foot tall military general war hero

Gets into flexing contests

Wears rainbow camouflage to every event

If she sees a scuff on your combat boots, she’s gonna clean them

Helped Gerard write his queer history book

In a club with other queer history buffs and they reenact iconic poses from history, but make them gay

She attended a military funeral with her dad during June, and the soldier being burried was a lesbian

Immediately, a bunch of freaks who probably stalked them went to protest. Gia flipped some bastard over her shoulder

Roger Raincomprix, the arriving officer, didn’t see a thing

She eats a crap ton of marshmallows

Victoria LaSalle: Queers on Wheels

Asexual, Bigender, and He/They/She

Decorates her wheelchair with all sorts of pride stickers

Rocks it every year in a crop top

Starts every glitter bomb fight. No one ever sees them coming

She’s just… She’s a goddex

Everyone wants to get a selfie with him. That’s how gorgeous he is

Out of everyone’s leagues

Teaches kids in wheelchairs how to pop a wheelie

Likes to answers kids’ questions

Kid: Are you a robot?/ Victoria: … Yes. Yes, I am.

Only Gerard has the privilege of sitting in his lap as he cruises through the crowd

Gerard Grundler: The Gay Genius

FtM Trans, Pan, Polyamorous, He/Him

He’s written a mini-pride history book with Gia. They got publishers lining up and everything!

Everyone is just so pretty

He bails during the Glitter Wars and takes cover in a coffee shop

Victoria’s gotta keep him from wandering off and possibly joining a cult because the members are pretty

Probably hacked into the medical system so people can have better access to hormones

Faints any time he sees Victoria in a crop top

Dresses in a lot of pride flag sweater vests no matter how hot it is

Victoria: Gerard, it’s ninety-/ Gerard: SWEATER VESTS RULE!

He builds robots to wave pride flags in sync

He and Rochelle protect the bugs

Mindy Blumberg: Opera is Gay as Fuck

Demigirl, Panromantic, They/She

Sings “Rainbow Connection” in an operatic fashion, and leaves everyone in tears

Carries Gia on her shoulders

She carries everyone on her shoulders, but mostly Gia

Will act as a human shield during the Glitter Wars because that’s how much she cares.

But the second Austin T gets his hands on a glitter bomb, she’s out

Hayley Kiyoko is her anthem

If you ask, they’ll hug you

Mindy gives amazing hugs

Everyone will die for this girl

Also, she’s weirdly poetic. It makes everyone wanna listen to her for hours

Is a pacifist, but she’ll give it to you straight if you mess with her friends

Rochelle Weems: That one person at pride who takes pictures of the protesters screaming at queer kids and posts them online for everyone to see

Demigirl, Polysexual, Ze/Zir

Brings zir Polaroid to make a scrapbook and blackmail protesters

Ze’s a rat, but a good kind of rat. The kind who makes sure homophobes and transphobes don’t get away with yelling at queer kids

Was self conscious about zir back brace until ze saw a drag king wearing a bedazzled one

Was roped into letting Austin A, Victoria and Kendra do zir makeup

Ze looked gorgeous!

Ze and Austin B share the good gossip with drag queens

In exchange, they get tickets to shows

Will kill for Austin T’s cookies

Just don’t let zir have too much sugar, otherwise ze will go crazy and start a cult based on cookies where everyone wears Cookie Monster bathrobes

It’s happened once before, and now ze’s under surveillance

Protects the bugs from getting stepped on and then places them in protesters’ hair

Ze saw this one guy about to take a swing at a lesbian, and promptly kicked him in the balls

Now ze’s got twelve new numbers in zir phone

Mason Ewing: The Most Organized Person At Pride

Bigender, Asexual, He/She

Brings a binder filled with horrific facts about conversion therapy to throw in the faces of protesters

Will talk the ear off of any protester about why they’re wrong about everything until they just walk away

Gets carried by DJ on her shoulders

Somehow knows where everyone is at all times

He teaches Rochelle how to walk in pumps and ze teaches him how to steal thirty candy bars

Brings sarcastic coffee thermoses

Paid Gerard to make her coffee maker battery operated, and now she brings it everywhere

She just pins an asexual flag pin on her tie and calls it a day. Though, if DJ asks, she will wear a pun shirt

DJ is the only one who knows how to make her laugh, and Spinelli’s taking bets on who will ask who out first

Beck King: Cosplays As Frida Kahlo

Nonbinary, Achillean, They/Them

The responsible chaperone when M. Grotke’s out of commission

Dyes their unibrow rainbow

Silently flirts with guys using eyebrow language

Cosplays as Clone High Frida Kahlo and the original Frida Kahlo. They just like Frida

Just casually flexing their muscles in front of hot guys, nothing going on there

Then the hot guys write their phone numbers on their hockey stick

Spinelli’s mentor in ‘The Way of the Achillean’

He makes crowns for kids

Any time a protester tries to attack them, they just suddenly disappear

People swear they’ve see men in black drag protesters away from Beck

Seriously, it’s like this guy’s got a whole security detail!

Alonzo Grotke: I Went to the First Pride, and All I Got Was This Brick

FtM Trans, Gay, He/Him

A well seasoned gay

Has a shirt that says “Papa Gay”

He’s total DILF getting hit on by every silver fox. He ain’t complaining, and they sure ain’t complaining when they get a look at his abs with that crop top

Seriously, this guy is ripped

The parade paused when one of the floats got a flat, and he just… He just made a whole bunch of guys simp by changing a tire, that’s all they’ll say

He’s the one keeping people at gay bars from getting roofied by creeps

Teaches meditation at the youth center

He gets hit on by the single dads, A LOT

Back in the day, he stole a police motorcycle and painted it rainbow. He passes out autographed copies of his mugshot because it’s such a good photo

His kids went to spy on his date with M. Monlataing and he pretended he didn’t notice

He passes mini water bottles to protesters since it’s ninety degrees out and he doesn’t want them dying of thirst despite everything

But, he does it with this smirk like, “Looks like I’m the bigger person here, losers. Namaste.”

[holly-natnicole]

the Bats 'n' Birds in my 'D.C.' (1937) franchise Alternate Multiverse rewrite timeline:

transgender polyamorous homoromantic asexual female Leslie Maurin Thompkins (deadname Samuel Xolani Thompkins) is a(n ethnically mostly white) South African through Mary Thompkins (who has an ethnically black biological father) and Thomas Jameson, her vigilante name (which she uses extremely rarely since Leslie almost never commits vigilantism) being Doctor (often shortened to Doc);

cisgender monogamous panromantic pansexual fem Julia Irene Alice Pennyworth is an Englishwoman through Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth (who is ethnically white) and Irene Rivers (who is ethnically black), her vigilante name (which she extremely rarely uses since there aren’t many situations where Julia would need to wear a mask to protect her identity) being Agent J;

cis aromantic ace male Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is an (ethnically white) Englishman through Alice Pennyworth née Crane and Thaddeus Jarvis Pennyworth, his vigilante name (which he somewhat rarely uses since there aren’t many situations where Alfred would need to wear a mask to protect his identity) being Agent A;

trans mono gay homosexual male Cullen Row (deadname Holly Farrell) is a(n ethnically white) Gothamite through Miranda Farrell née Row and Marcus Farrell, his vigilante names (which he somewhat rarely uses since there aren’t many situations where Cullen would need to wear a mask to protect his identity) being Duckie & Mallard;

cis poly omniromantic omnisexual male Bruce Thomas Wayne is a Gothamite who is Jewish through Martha Wayne née Kane and ethnically white through Thomas Wayne, his vigilante name being Batman;

cis mono gay fem Katherine “Kate” Rebecca Kane is a Jewish Gothamite through Gabriela “Gabi” Kane née García and Jacob Kane, her vigilante name being Batwoman;

trans mono gay fem Mary Elizabeth “Bette” Kane (deadname Matthew Gilbert "Bert" Kane) is a(n ethnically white) Englishwoman through Matthew “Matt” Kane née Benett and Jewish through Miriam Kane, her vigilante names being Batgirl & Flamebird;

cis mono biromantic demisexual fem Barbara Joan Gordon is a(n ethnically mostly white) Gothamite through Barbara Eileen Johannes (named Barbara Eileen Gordon during her marriage to Jim) and James “Jim” Gordon (whose bio maternal grandfather was an African American), her vigilante names being Batgirl & Oracle;

cis mono gay demi male David Zavimbe is Congolese through Laura Zavimbe née Davids and Isaac Zavimbe, his vigilante name being Batwing;

trans mono bi demi fem Araunya “Anya” Grayson (deadname Richard “Rick” John Grayson) is Romani & Welsh & French through Marie Grayson née Lloyd (who was born in Wales) and Romani & an (ethnically white) Englishwoman through John Grayson (who was born in England), her vigilante names being Robin & Renegade & Nightwing & Batman;

cis mono demiromantic omni fem Jade “Jay” Todd (also known as Jason “Jay” Todd, Jade “Jay” al Ghūl, & Jade “Jay” Head) is a(n ethnically mostly white) Gothamite through Sheila Haywood and Willis Peters (whose bio paternal grandmother was a Chinese American), her vigilante names being Robin & Red Hood;

cis mono gay ace fem Cassandra Wǔ-Sân (formerly Cassandra Cain, originally nameless) is Chinese through Shiva (at birth named Sandra Wǔ-Sân) and a(n ethnically white) Gothamite through David Cain, her vigilante names being Orphan & Batgirl & Black Bat & Batman (Cassandra Wǔ-Sân is written as 擦涩伞得拉 伍 莘 in Chinese);

cis mono bi fem Harper Row (formerly Harper Farrell) is a(n ethnically white) Gothamite through Miranda Farrell née Row and Marcus Farrell, her vigilante name being Bluebird;

mono bi Stephanie Brown (deadname Charles “Chuck” Brown) is a(n ethnically white) Gothamite through Crystal Brown née Bellinger and Arthur Brown plus she’s a demigal, their vigilante names being Spoiler & Robin & Batgirl;

cis poly bi male Timothy “Tim” Jackson Drake is a(n ethnically white) Gothamite through Janet Drake née Lynn and Jack Drake, his vigilante names being Robin & Raptor;

agender mono bi Duke Thomas is an African American Gothamite through Eileen Thomas (whose bio mother was also a metahuman) and an African through Gnomon (who is also a metahuman), their vigilante names being Signal & Robin;

agender aro ace Damian al Ghūl (deadname Athanasia al Ghūl, used the name Tallant al Ghūl for several months at age 8 when believing ze’s male before at the end of it realising zir lack of any gender, got often called Ībn al Ḫfāfīš [إِبن الخفافيش] & Ūṭwāṭ [وطواط] by other Shadows in the League of Assassins) is Arab, Chinese, & Pakistani through Talia al Ghūl and Jewish & ethnically white through Bruce Thomas Wayne, zir vigilante names being Robin & Heretic & Redbird (Damian al Ghūl is written as داميان ال عهوول in Arabic, 㙮面 腌乐 乌勒 in Chinese, & ڈیمین الغول in Urdu);

cis mono pan fem Helena Alfreda Kyle is Cuban, Nigerian, Italian, and Somali through Selina Kyle (who is a Gothamite, but gave birth to & for 8 years raised her bio daughter in Metropolis) and Jewish and ethnically white through Bruce Thomas Wayne, her vigilante names being Hunter & Robin;

genderfluid mono bi ace Maxine "Max" Gibson is an African American Gothamite through Sarah Gibson née Edwards and Evan Gibson, his vigilante name being Huginn;

cis mono heteroromantic heterosexual fem Dana Tan is a Chinese American Gothamite through Daiyu Tan née Zhìhuì and Paul Tan (originally named Bao Tan), her vigilante name being Muninn (Dana Tan is written as 丹娜 坛 in Chinese);

trans mono het male Terrence “Terry” McGinnis (deadname Winifred McGinnis) is a Gothamite who is a Korean American through Mary Mun (named Mary McGinnis during her marriage to Warren McGinnis) and Jewish & ethnically white through Bruce Thomas Wayne, his vigilante name being Batman (Terrence McGinnis is written as 테렌스 맥기니스 in Korean);

trans mono het fem Caroline “Carrie” Keene Kelley (deadname Jonathan “John” Keene Kelley) is a(n ethnically white) Gothamite through Lynn Keene and Frank Kelley, her vigilante names being Robin & Batwoman;

cis mono gay male Matthew “Mattie” Mun is a Gothamite who is a Korean American through Mary Mun (named Mary McGinnis during her marriage to Warren McGinnis) and Jewish & ethnically white through Bruce Thomas Wayne, his vigilante name being Robin (Matthew Mun is written as 매튜 문 in Korean).

[marcmarcmomarc]

Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse

Shameik Moore

Hailee Steinfeld

Brian Tyree Henry

Luna Lauren Vélez

Jharrel Jerome

Jason Schwartzman

Jake Johnson

John Mulaney

Kimiko Glenn

Issa Rae

Karan Soni

Amandla Stenberg

Masi Oka

Shea Whigham

Greta Lee

Lily Tomlin

Andy Samberg

Pedro Pascal

Marc Maron

Liam Neeson

Bobby Cannavale

Mark Hamill

Keanu Reeves

…with Mahershala Ali

…Nicolas Cage

…Daniel Kaluuya

…Kathryn Hahn

…Liev Schreibner

…and Oscar Isaac

Cast

Shameik Moore as Miles Morales

Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy

Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara

Mahershala Ali as Uncle Aaron

Bryan Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis

Luna Lauren Vélez as Rio Morales

Jharrel Jerome as Miles G. Morales

Jason Schwartzman as Spot

Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker

John Mulaney as Spider-Ham

Kimiko Glenn as Peni Parker

Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir

Issa Rae as Jessica Drew

Daniel Kaluuya as Hobie Brown

Karan Soni as Pavitr Prabhakar

Amandla Stenberg as Margo Kess

Masi Oka as Takuya Yamashiro

Shea Whigham as George Stacy

Greta Lee as LYLA

Lily Tomlin as Aunt May

Andy Samberg as Ben Reilly

Kathryn Hahn as Doc Ock

Liev Schreiber as Wilson Fisk

Pedro Pascal as Otto Octavius

Marc Maron as Adrian Toomes

Liam Neeson as MacDonald Gargan

Bobby Cannavale as Aleksei Sytsevich

Mark Hamill as Maxwell Dillon

Keanu Reeves as Flint Marko

Melissa Sturm as Mary Jane

Michelle Ruff as Mayday

Peter Sohn as Ganke

Rachel Dratch as Ms. Weber

Ziggy Marley as Lenny

Nathalie Morales as Miss Calleros

Erick Avari as Inspector Singh

Priyanka Chopra as Gayatri

Elizabeth Perkins as May

Atsuko Okatsuka as Yuri

Jack Quaid as Peter Parker

Freida Pinto as Maya Auntie

J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

Zoë Kravitz as Mary Jane Watson-Parker

Edwin H. Bravo as Visions Academy Guard

Lorraine Vélez as Maria

Ayo Edebiri as Glory

Nicole Delaney as MJ

Antonina Lentini as Betty

Anthony Ramos as Benny

Chris Pine as Spider-Man

Marvin Jones III as Tombstone

Joaquín Cosio as Scorpion

Jorma Taccone as Adriano Tumino / Green Goblin / ‘67

Jorge Gutierrez as Officer Gutierrez

Donald Glover as Aaron Davis

Stan Lee as Stan

Lake Bell as Vanessa Fisk

Kim Yarbough as Alchemax Scientist

Nic Novicki as LEGO Spider-Man

Sofia Barclay as Malala Windsor

Taran Killam as Web-Slinger

Danielle Perez as Charlotte Webber

Michael Rianda as Max Borne / Ezekiel Sims / Spider-Man Patient

Leland “Metro Boomin” Wayne as Metro Spider-Man

Yuri Lowenthal as Insomniac Spider-Man

Josh Keaton as Spectacular Spider-Man

Rino Romano as Spider-Man Unlimited

Grey DeLisle as Spinneret

Meg Turney as Annie-May Parker

Paola Andino as Anya Corazón

Ryan O’Flanagan as Tarantula

Lauren Ash as Cyborg Spider-Woman

Daran Norris as Spidercide

Tara Strong as Spider-Canada

Jess Harnell as Officer Parker

Robbie Daymond as Ultimate Spider-Man

Post Malone as Brooklyn Bystander

[the-forest-library]

April 2024 Reads

Just for the Summer - Abby Jimenez

Only and Forever - Chloe Liese

Say You'll Be Mine - Nana Kumar

The Governess's Guide to Passion and Peril - Manda Collins

The Lying Game - Sara Jane Woodley

The Prospects - K.T. Hoffman

The Husbands - Holly Gramazio

Begin Again - Helly Acton

One Moment - Becky Hunter

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice - Elle Cosimano

Interesting Facts About Space - Emily R. Austin

Nothing to See Here - Kevin Wilson

The Tusks of Extinction - Ray Nayler

The Reappearance of Rachel Price - Holly Jackson

Every Time You Hear That Song - Jenna Voris

Rules for Rule Breaking - Talia Tucker

Hawkeye, Volume 3: L.A. Woman - Matt Fraction

No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest - Robin Robinson

Dear Sophie, Love Sophie - Sophie Lucido Johnson

Out of Left Field - Jonah Newman

Continental Drifter - Kathy MacLeod

Fiona the Hippo - Richard Cowdrey

Woodland Dreams - Karen Jameson

Mushroom Rain - Laura K. Zimmermann

Bluets - Maggie Nelson

Sociopath - Patric Gagne

Grimoire Girl - Hilarie Burton Morgan

I Am the New Black - Tracy Morgan

The 2000s Made Me Gay - Grace Perry

The Bookseller at the End of the World - Ruth Shaw

Dear Fahrenheit 451 - Annie Spence

Why We Read - Shannon Reed

Says Who? - Anne Curzan

The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide - Abbe Greenberg, Maggie Sarachek

The Microstress Effect - Rob Cross

Overcome Anxiety - Lilly Andrew

Mindfulness Now - Jesse Sands

The Cure for Burnout - Emily Ballesteros

Grown Woman Talk - Sharon Malone

Unfiltered Enneagram - Elizabeth Orr

Dear Prudence - Daniel M. Lavery

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: 

A few standouts this month: Only and Forever brings the Bergman Brothers series to an end, and it was a worthy wrap up to these stories featuring MCs with disabilities and neurodivergence.

Just for the Summer is my new favorite Abby Jimenez book with several laugh out loud moments - especially the raccoon scene - which was hilarious on audio.

The Bookseller at the End of the World is not the cozy bookseller tale you might expect. Ruth led a varied and adventurous life filled with heartbreak and hope.

And I really enjoyed Says Who? - a super accessible and fun guide to English style and grammar.

Goodreads Goal: 150/200

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads | 

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads | 2024 Reads

[aaal-iz-well]

GUYS I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

so there's this part of my fic that I just cannot decide on, and it would be lovely if you'd be kind enough to share your thoughts on both pieces. PLEASE!!🙏🙏

Thank you, so I'm confused about which play to play in the fic, and here are pieces from both of them.

Beauty and the Beast. (I was not planning on this, but I got a suggestion and I cant stop thinking about it!

“We’re playing Beauty and the Beast,” he continued, “and you would’ve made an excellent Belle; dead somebody, vaguely tragic past, fell in love with a prince and inherited a castle.” He ended with a finger brushing hair behind my ear.

Ouch.

I swatted his hand away, narrowed my eyes. “Let me guess. You're the Beast.”

“It sounds bad when you put it like that. I prefer to think of myself as a fallen misunderstood prince turned Beast by a cruel temptress to bring out his heart of gold.” His voice got dreamier by the word.

“Of course you do,” I muttered.

 “Great.” He clapped his hands. “Now that we’re on the same page on how I should be projected, we can come up with some great costume designs.”

Wait a minute. “We?”

“Yes.” He gestured between us. Duh. “You and me, we? Not as romantic as you’d like, but still.”

It took a monumental amount of will power, honed through years of ignoring insults, to focus on the problem at hand. “But I’m doing stage design, not the costumes.” I held up a finger. “Hold up a minute, there must’ve been a mistake, I’ll talk to the director.

And then there's this:

“So,” Jameson said with a grin, chin delicately poised over his knuckles, “shall we begin? I have other work to do, after all.”

“Of course, when do you not?” I sighed, like someone whose access had been revoked. There were more than a dozen people working on the stages, no one would notice if I slipped out, instead I was stuck being the personal curator of Jameson’s stupid beast costume.

“Hey, getting into character takes a lot of time.” He knocked my shoulder, and something in me snapped.

“Yes, Jameson, I got it,” I groaned. “It takes a lot of effort to huff and brood and roam around acting all stupid beasty.” My hands clenched halfway in front of me, giving up when realising there was no use of undue displays of anger. “Try getting stuck with something you don’t know the first thing about.” 

His chair, teetering at the very edge of a head smashing fall, loudly slid back into place. There was nothing different about him per se, but when he spoke, his voice was not the silky, careless, you-had-to-lean-in-to-hear thingy I was used to. “You're saying that I don’t have to work or do anything, because, what,” he chuckled humourlessly. “I’m already all that?”

“I didn’t say that,” I said weakly, reeling my shoulders in.

His lip curled, but his voice was hurt. “You know, you might as well have. It’s apparent enough without you having to work for it.”

Then,

Pride and Prejudice.

“We’re playing Pride and Prejudice this year,” he continued, “and you would have made an excellent Elizabeth; small town girl, big dreamer, madly and irrevocably in love with a charmingly tight-lipped rich man. It’s very-” he hovered an appraising hand over me “-you.”

You're not tight lipped, are you, I thought.

I swatted his hand away, narrowed my eyes. “Let me guess. You're Wickham.”

He hit a fist against his chest. “Oh, how the lady wounds me,” he moaned. Suddenly, he straightened, and I realised just how tall he was when he wasn’t leaning or slouching or whatever. He crossed his legs and curtsied, then took my hand and brought it to his lips. “Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberly, Derbyshire,” he pronounced, words thick with a -rather impressive- posh accent.

I blinked, hand still in his, before remembering to snatch it away.

His serious face morphed into a smirk. He nudged me. “I had you for a moment, didn’t I?”

I managed a flat look. “Not even close. It’s just a sad lonely rich man.”

“It sounds bad when you put it like that. I prefer to think of myself as a misunderstood soul, lost in the complexities of high society, bogged down by the tremendous weight of position and responsibility, freed, in a sense, by love for an intelligent young woman.”

“Of course you do,” I muttered.

He clapped his hands. “Great. Now that we’re on the same page about the light I should be portrayed in, we can come up with some great costume designs.”

And its pretty much the same, bickering and what not.

So what did you guys think? Detailed and constructive criticism is VERY VERY welcome. Thank you!

[feelinghaunted]

names masterlist.

here’s a masterlist of popular names from each state in the united states. names will be separated by state and by gender, and there will be 5 of the most popular names from each state. i put all of the names on one line to avoid having this end up being too long, and i also included district of columbia. thus, there’s a total of 510 names. if you found this at all helpful, please reblog / like.

ALABAMA.

male.  /  william.  john.  james.  noah.  elijah.  female.  /   olivia.  ava.  amelia.  charlotte.  emma.

ALASKA.

male.  /   oliver.  liam.  wyatt.  lucas.  theodore. female.  /   hazel.  aurora.  eleanor.  evelyn.  isla.

ARIZONA.

male.  /   mateo.  sebastian.  benjamin.  julian.  santiago. female.  /   sophia.  camila.  isabella.  mia.  luna.

ARKANSAS.

male.  /   asher.  hudson.  grayson.  luke.  waylon. female.  /   paisley.  harper.  ella.  elizabeth.  willow.

CALIFORNIA.

male.  /   alexander.  daniel.  ethan.  ezekiel.  aiden. female.  /   gianna.  emily.  mila.  aria.  natalia.

COLORADO.

male.  /   henry.  jack.  owen.  jackson.  ezra. female.  /   avery.  abigail.  scarlett.  nora.  lily.

CONNECTICUT.

male.  /   joseph.  luca.  jacob.  logan.  mason. female.  /   madison.  grace.  penelope.  riley.  hailey.

DELAWARE.

male.  /   michael.  levi.  david.  cameron.  caleb. female.  /   layla.  leilani.  nova.  hannah.  kinsley.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

male.  /   charles.  leo.  samuel.  dylan.  miles. female.  /   maya.  zoe.  naomi.  chloe.  margaret.

FLORIDA.

male.  /   matthew.  gabriel.  jayden.  anthony.  josiah. female.  /  victoria.  valentina.  leah.  ellie.  gabriella.

GEORGIA.

male.  /   carter.  christopher.  thomas.  legend.  joshua.

female.  /  serenity.  skylar.  caroline.  autumn.  willow.

HAWAII.

male.  /   kai.  isaac.  maverick.  isaiah.  elias. female.  /   kaia.  kiana.  elena.  ayla.  leia.

IDAHO.

male.  /   lincoln.  declan.  everett.  calvin.  brooks. female.  /   violet.  oakley.  ruby.  alice.  claire.

ILLINOIS.

male.  /   nolan.  leonardo.  nathan.  ryan.  adam. female.  /   eliana.  lilian.  lucy.  addison.  delilah.

INDIANA.

male.  /   easton.  cooper.  colton.  weston.  emmett. female.  /   everleigh.  ivy.  josephine.  lydia.  stella.

IOWA.

male.  /   ryker.  bennett.  beau.  beckett.  harrison. female.  /   cora.  quinn.  clara.  hadley.  vivian.

KANSAS.

male.  /   silas.  jameson.  andrew.  rhett.  eli. female.  /   emery.  kennedy.  piper.  eloise.  sloane.

KENTUCKY.

male.  /   carson.  sawyer.  kingston.  braxton.  hunter. female.  /   raelynn.  audrey.  emersyn.  sadie.  josie.

LOUISIANA.

male.  /   christian.  wesley.  jace.  amir.  brennan. female.  /   aubree.  demi.  londyn.  remi.  mary.

MAINE.

male.  /   parker.  bentley.  river.  connor.  robert. female.  /   maeve.  magnolia.  freya.  adeline.  madelyn.

MARYLAND.

male.  /   axel.  aaron.  chase.  kayden.  austin. female.  /   genesis.  bella.  brielle.  mackenzie.  ariana.

MASSACHUSETTS.

male.  /   maxwell.  landon.  cole.  rowan.  george. female.  /   sophie.  anna.  julia.  cecilia.  eva.

MICHIGAN.

male.  /   roman.  ali.  blake.  milo.  august. female.  /   brooklyn.  peyton.  savannah.  nevaeh.  melody.

MINNESOTA.

male.  /   arlo.  graham.  louis.  archer.  otto. female.  /   amira.  elsie.  lennon.  wren.  june.

MISSISSIPPI.

male.  /   bryson.  walker.  kyrie.  dawson.  kash. female.  /   harmony.  journee.  summer.  oaklynn.  kylie.

MISSOURI.

male.  /   jeremiah.  dean.  tucker.  jasper.  xavier. female.  /   reagan.  ember.  brynlee.  iris.  amara.

MONTANA.

male.  /   bodhi.  colt.  stetson.  knox.  arthur. female.  /   finley.  aspen.  eliza.  harlow.  jane.

NEBRASKA.

male.  /   barrett.  lane.  ian.  camden.  hayes. female.  /   maria.  eden.  reese.  sutton.  jade.

NEVADA.

male.  /   gael.  emiliano.  ivan.  lorenzo.  ace. female.  /   athena.  ximena.  selena.  alaia.  allison.

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

male.  /   evan.  finnegan.  brayden.  gavin.  max. female.  /   fiona.  rose.  genevieve.  vera.  rosalie.

NEW JERSEY.

male.  /   nicholas.  dominic.  vincent.  zachary.  thiago. female.  /   esther.  sara.  miriam.  rachel.  rivka.

NEW MEXICO.

male.  /   jose.  giovanni.  damian.  angel.  diego. female.  /   ariella.  xiomara.  kaylani.  catalina.  andrea.

NEW YORK.

male.  /   moshe.  abraham.  jonathan.  chaim.  jordan. female.  /   chaya.  alaia.  chana.  sienna.  juliette.

NORTH CAROLINA.

male.  /   micah.  brantley.  tristan.  tyler.  nathaniel. female.  /   kaylee.  alexa.  taylor.  katherine.  bailey.

NORTH DAKOTA.

male.  /   bridger.  daxton.  briggs.  cohen.  paul. female.  /   sylvie.  presley.  alivia.  brynlee.  ada.

OHIO.

male.  /   kevin.  timothy.  brody.  brandon.  grant. female.  /   morgan.  paige.  jenna.  annabelle.  lyla.

OKLAHOMA.

male.  /   malachi.  ryder.  zayden.  maddox.  abel. female.  /   faith.  samantha.  jasmine.  trinity.  alexis.

OREGON.

male.  /   elliot.  jude.  leon.  atlas.  travis. female.  /   juniper.  sydney.  melanie.  charlie.  daisy.

PENNSYLVANIA.

male.  /   sean.  brady.  jason.  colin.  hayden. female.  /   callie.  molly.  teagan.  brianna.  lauren.

RHODE ISLAND.

male.  /   zion.  nico.  enzo.  amari.  theo. female.  /   vivienne.  anastasia.  melody.  valerie.  sage.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

male.  /   kyrie.  king.  ashton.  jayceon.  jaden. female.  /   kendall.  paris.  mariah.  makayla.  saylor.

SOUTH DAKOTA.

male.  /   beckham.  finn.  nash.  holden.  knox. female.  /   thea.  hattie.  octavia.  haisley.  mckenna.

TENNESSEE.

male.  /   justin.  seth.  steven.  kenneth.  mark. female.  /   arabella.  alexandria.  amber.  laura.  amanda.

TEXAS.

male.  /   andres.  matias.  adriel.  victor.  alan. female.  /   arabella.  lucia.  alina.  kimberly.  ariel.

UTAH.

male.  /   nixon.  jett.  peter.  victor.  jonah. female.  /   navy.  adelaide.  millie.  olive.  holland.

VERMONT.

male.  /   griffin.  eric.  felix.  forrest.  spencer. female.  /   aurelia.  bristol.  lila.  phoebe.  mae.

VIRGINIA.

male.  /   bryce.  patrick.  brian.  richard.  kyle. female.  /   katelyn.  cheyenne.  jessica.  aniyah.  michelle.

WASHINGTON.

male.  /   dakota.  jeremy.  derek.  garrett.  jeffrey. female.  /   georgia.  stephanie.  nicole.  alyssa.  jocelyn.

WEST VIRGINIA.

male.  /   trenton.  chandler.  drew.  clayton.  scott. female.  /   destiny.  rebecca.  angelina.  caitlyn.  chelsea.

WISCONSIN.

male.  /   jared.  mitchell.  alec.  brett.  douglas. female.  /   meghan.  christina.  marissa.  danielle.  cassandra.

WYOMING.

male.  /   odin.  zane.  agustus.  talon.  porter. female.  /   maggie.  gracelynn.  willa.  adelina.  tatum.

[honeyynymphh]

| a little nightmarish, a little maudlin (good golly go get this kid some laudanum!) |

(Dracopia) Cardinal Copia x FemReader rating: E word count: 5.4k chapter: 2 of 2 warnings: loss of virginity, drugging, vampire bites, blood drinking, google translated italiano

A storm hits while on your way home from a party and your coach breaks down. Surely the church you passed by will offer shelter until you can safely return home?

read on A03 chapter one HERE

17th September 1893 Unknown Abbey

When morning breaks, you find yourself twisted beneath the blankets and stare groggily at the velvet drapes. The first rays of sunlight are doing their best to slip through the gaps despite the rain still falling outside. A moment later the door creaks open and a girl walks in. Her movements are slow as she floats into the room carrying a tray laden with toast and another steaming cup of tea. She places it by your bed on a small table, never saying a word before she moves to the window and does her best to close the drapes and block out the weak sunlight.

“You can open them, I am awake,” you say, your voice full of sleep. 

The maid turns to you, her face blank and eyelids heavy. She looks as tired as you feel.

“The sunlight ruins the furniture.” Her words are soft and muddled as if she’s been dipping rather deep in a wine cellar. “There is also the storm.”

You let her finish her task, watching in fascination as she pokes at the fire again and tries to coax it back to life with her oddly lethargic movements. She opens a drawer and pulls out a bundle of fabric and leaves it on top of the dresser. As she moves to leave she pauses at the door, her body swaying slightly on the spot as she cast her glazed eyes back to you.

“The Sisters are in prayer for the day.” She blinks slowly at you. “Sister Agnetha says the roads have been greatly damaged by the storm. And you were injured so you should rest.” You touch your forehead, it feels bruised but you cannot feel a cut—surely there must be one? “She says you are welcome to peruse the abbey though she advises you to keep away from the Northern tower.”

With that, she opens the door and leaves. Your brow knits in puzzlement as you stare at the door before with a resigned sigh you grab the tea tray and set it on your lap. The toast is warm, if not a little burnt, and the tea again is again a strange combination of bitter and sweet.

Leaving the teacup empty and the toast half nibbled on, you get out of bed—hissing as your bare feet hit the cold flagstones. Quickly you grab your clothes from the armchair by the fireplace and try to dress. Tightening the ties of your corset was a lost cause so you give up, your sister was not going to know and besides, it was still damp. The rest of your clothes are still damp—your evening dress and cloak still dripping wet onto the floor. The only dry pieces of clothing are your chemise and stockings so you walk over to the pile of clothing the maid had taken out. It’s a teagown, parts of the fabric crumpled from being shoved so unceremoniously into the chest of drawers.

Unlike the nightgown they had given you, this gown is new and in the current fashion, which surprises you. The dusty pink wool with its silk bows along the hem and sleeve was familiar. You were quite certain Elizabeth Jameson had a tea gown just like this. She had been wearing it the last time you had seen her, all those months ago. That makes an anxious knot tighten in your chest but you try to ignore it. Possibly it hadn’t been a one-of-a-kind piece from the modiste as she had claimed. You shrug it on, tying the silk ribbons tightly at the front and trying to smooth out the creased fabric of the large gigot sleeves.

Feeling at least somewhat protected from the unrelenting chill, you slip out of the room and begin to wander aimlessly throughout the building. Despite the maid this morning, you come across not a single person. It felt so strange that such a large place would be so empty and devoid of life. The sound of your dress rustling against the ground is loud in the cavernous silence of these old halls and you can hear the rushing sound of water as it glides down the building outside, rivulets sneaking through cracks to drip down onto the stone floor. 

At least now, with the small amount of light afforded by the sun fighting against the weather outside, you can clearly take in the paintings on the walls and the intricate details on the stained glass windows as you pass by them. In one hallway you come across a small candelabra that has been lit and so take it in order to get a closer look at the artwork you pass. You were quite certain that Father Daniels had some artwork of the devil situated in the small church back home, but it was nothing compared to this place. You had yet to come across a single depiction of the Holy Father or his Son. These paintings were all debaucherous and sinful, and you cannot help but blush at the sight of some of them. The Devil with his gleaming eyes and inviting grin was not the sort of thing you had expected to see in an abbey full of nuns. 

There was no denying the old world beauty of it all, but it was still unnerving. As you walked further into the heart of the cathedral you arrive at a large antechamber. The large chandelier above creaks as you walk under it and when you pass through the large double doors you come upon an ornately carved imperial staircase where a few more candelabras are lit, the candlelight flickering in the draft. The stairs twisted up and away into a ceiling so high and dark it was impossible to tell where it ended.

Intrigued, you pick up the skirts of your gown and head up the stairs. Deciding to go up the left side, your head twisting this way and that as you try to take in all the paintings that crowded the walls. Most of them were more lewd depictions of the Devil but some were of women—nuns—their pointed veils and smug expressions unsettling. There were also portraits of men, their faces all painted in a queer fashion. They looked like skeletons with their hollowed-out eyes and painted cheeks and lips. One catches your eye, it’s a massive portrait hanging in an ornately carved frame. It must have been from the previous century if the ornately cut embroidered silk of his attire was anything to go by. You stare at his face, taking in the darkly painted eyes and the way his half-painted lips are slightly quirked. His face is framed by dark sideburns, the rest of his long hair pulled back neatly. It’s the single white eye that holds you captive though, it feels as if it is watching you. The way the painting looks at you makes you feel flushed and hot as he sits there unmoving in his gilded frame, gloved hands in his lap. The mad thought of wishing you could sit in this man’s lap enters your mind and you have to shake your head to dislodge the thought. It’s difficult, but you manage to drag your eyes away and continue up the stairs.

This place was clearly getting to you but what were you to do? Yet you were not going to turn around and go back to your room. You hadn’t had such excitement in a long time. And this? This was nothing like a ball or a charity tea. When you reach the first landing, the floor changes from cold stone to hard marble decked out with luxurious rugs. It’s a relief after the harshness of stone on your feet as despite your thick stockings your toes have gone numb from the cold. Now, your feet sink into the rich rug, swallowing the sound of your footsteps as you drift down a narrow corridor. It’s lined with doors. A few vases sit on plinths, all full of dead roses and covered in cobwebs. It’s dark here with its windowless walls and it makes you wonder if this part of the cathedral was in disuse. However, some of the sconces are lit and under one door you can see the flickering light of what must surely be a fire.

Pushing the door open, it swings with ease on well-greased hinges. The smell that hits you makes your head spin. The room is thick with heat and the smell of incense is so sickly sweet you cover your nose with your hand as you try to breathe. Walking in, you see a large fireplace, the flames twisting happily in the grate as they burn. Apart from that, the room is just like the corridor—dark and half-forgotten. Most of the furniture is covered in white sheets except for a large four-poster bed, its dark curtains closed around it.

The knot in your chest returns as you approach but it doesn’t stop you from reaching out and drawing the thick fabric back. A woman lies there, her eyes closed and her forehead glistening in sweat as she takes shallow ragged breaths. Her long dark hair is twisted around her neck and face as she struggles in her sleep. Gently you move her hair out of her face, her skin burning hot as you graze it with your fingertips. There are strange marks all over her neck and on closer inspection, you can see they are all over her arm as well. Small puncture wounds, as if she had been attacked by an animal. She stirs and opens her eyes, trying her best to focus on you.

“Are you all right?” you ask.

She blinks at you, her mouth parting but no words escaping her dry lips.

“Do you need a physician?” you ask. “Do the Sisters know you are unwell?” 

The woman shakes her head. The intense heat and the scents in the room are making your head spin. You want to just lie down and close your eyes. Why was it so warm in here?

You needed to leave, get out of this room. Find Sister Agnetha and somehow get out of this strange place. Perhaps you should try and find your driver.

You go to leave but the woman suddenly grabs your wrist, her grip much tighter than it should have been. The skin of her hand is searingly hot and you try to yank your arm free but she doesn’t release her grip.

“Sta venendo per te.”

“I do not understand.” The woman lets go of your hand, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as her back arches off the bed.

“Vostra Eminenza!” she moans the words, her body arching and twisting on the mattress as if possessed. She releases your arm and you hastily step back out of her reach as her hands begin to push the heavy blanket off her body.

She’s moaning and repeating the same words over and over again—a delirious chant of, “Vostra Eminenza, per favore prendimi ora!’—as her hands race over her skin. When they dip down between her legs you hastily turn and leave, face burning in embarrassment as you escape the hothouse of a room.

You take large gasps of breath as you lean against the wall back in the corridor, the chill a welcome relief. There was something wrong in this place. Head spinning, you try to concentrate on breathing as you stare at the rug beneath your feet. All you want is to go home. Your body feels tired and the smell of that strange room is still blanketing your senses.

“You should not be here, Miss.”

The words startle you and you look up to see Sister Amelia there, her expression blank.

“That woman is severely ill!” you say.

The nun nods slowly. “We know. That is why Sister Agnetha advised you to keep away from this tower. Our new sister is not herself just yet.”

“That room is far too warm, she is burning.” While you have no medical knowledge besides bandaging a few scrapes on your boisterous nieces and nephews you know at least enough to know that room was not helping her very evident fever.

“She needs the warmth.” The nun turns on her heel. “Please come with me, I will take you back to your room.”

You follow her on shaky legs, exhaustion having hit you after being in that sweating room. “I wish to return home. Where is my driver?”

The nun continues back down the stairs and you struggle to keep up. You rub at your face, trying to get the overpowering smell of incense out of your nose. 

“The roads are blocked.” The nun pushes through the door and you follow her as she winds her way with ease through the warren of cold hallways.

You go to open your mouth but your vision spins. You fling a hand out, trying to keep yourself from fainting by pressing it against a cold stone wall. You’re aware of Sister Amelia coming back to you and taking your unresisting arm and leading you back to your room. Your eyes are slowly closing and you let them, your breathing slowing as you try to stay upright.

It is hard to tell how much time passes when you wake. There is a clock in your room but it's broken, the small hands unmoving as you try to focus on it. Your head feels full of cotton wool and your limbs heavy. Did you drink too much at the party and were still paying for it now?

Sitting up, you see the small plate of fruit and slices of cold meat but you don’t reach for them. Instead, you grab the fresh teacup and drink down the weirdly addictive brew it contains. It warms you instantly and while it does nothing to help with your foggy mind it does make you feel pleasantly floaty.

When you’ve drained the cup, it’s then that you realise that someone has changed you back into the old nightgown. You stare at the fireplace, eyes unseeing as you try to gather your thoughts. But you are startled out of your daze when you hear a strange noise outside, like the fluttering of many wings before all sound is momentarily sucked from the world. You stand, ears straining to hear more. Nothing makes a peep until you hear it: heavy footsteps moving down the hallway until they fade into silence.

With a shake of your head, you sit back down on the bed, the mattress creaking as you then lie back on your side. Part of your mind is begging you to get up and find the driver so you can leave but the other part is so tired and feeling so pleasantly relaxed you just want to sleep. It seems to win as you must doze off again before you are suddenly woken by a bang and what had to have been a scream.

You sit up fast, the dreamy haze abruptly disappearing from your mind as the panic digs its claws into your stomach. Clutching the blanket to your chest as your heart pounds loudly, your ears strain to listen but there was silence except for the rain still falling outside. Perhaps it had been a dream? Your mind is desperately trying to rationalise it and it nearly succeeds when another scream is heard before it is abruptly cut off.

Moving as fast as you can despite the lingering malaise, you hurry to the door and open it enough to peer out. The inky darkness of the building makes it hard to discern anything and you step further out, the blanket dragging behind you. How long had you been asleep? It was once again night and you hear the thunder roll above you—the stones shaking under your bare feet. Tightening the blanket around you, you silently pad down the dark hallway as your ears strain for any hint of a sound.

When you come across a door slightly ajar, faint light spilling out through the crack, you can hear the sound of heavy breathing. Like a ghost, you drift toward it and then peek inside. Heart still racing, you spy the corner of a bed and while you know you should leave—go back to your room and lock the door—you instead are pushing the door open further.

“I am sorry to disturb but—” The words die in your throat when you are faced with the coach driver lying on the bed, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling as some sort of creature feeds from the huge wound on his neck.

Panic makes you freeze as you take in its appearance. Like everywhere else in this dilapidated building, it's dark and hard to clearly make out the huge shape that looms over the driver. Blood is dripping down the poor man’s neck and pooling onto the floor but when the creature turns its crimson soaked face towards you the surge of fear that shoots through you makes you hastily retreat. The blanket falls to the floor and your bare feet sting as you run as fast as you can down the cold hallway.

You scream for help as you run to your room and shut the door behind you, twisting the lock with shaking fingers. Limbs still feeling oddly heavy, you try to quickly find something to jam the door shut with as the unbidden tears stream down your face. Spying the armchair, you fling your ruined ball attire onto the ground and try to drag it across the room. A knock at the door makes you scream again.

“Signorina!”

The voice is male but in your panic you ignore it, still trying desperately to drag the armchair to the door. But there is a jingle of keys and then the door is opening. You leave the chair and hastily race to the door as a man enters.

“No!” Your chest feels like it is going to burst as another spear of panic shoots down your spine. “Please, shut the door!”

“What is wrong, cara mia?” he asks, voice far too calm but the tone is pleasant, making you pause in your hysterics. 

You suck in a breath. “Who are you?” you ask in a shaky voice.

The low light from the fire flickers over him. His face startles you, the one white eye catching you off guard. He looks just like the man in the painting you had seen earlier. His hair was shorter, and he looked a little older, the greying temples and lines on his face more defined. A relative?

“Please, I heard your scream. What is wrong?” His words are accented, and you recall the way the woman upstairs had spoken in what you now realise must have been Italian. He steps closer toward you, the rustle of fabric causing you to take in the rest of his appearance. His shiny black boots, black cassock and leather gloves trigger the words the Sister had spoken. He confirms it when he smiles pleasantly at you, it makes your breath hitch in a way that has nothing to do with the current fear. “I am Cardinal Copia. This is my abbey.” 

He takes your unresisting hand and brings it to his lips. The tickle of his moustache against your bare skin is nothing compared to the feel of his lips. They don’t feel warm though, but cool. It’s surprisingly pleasant and still makes you feel the burn of arousal, shocking you at the way your body was reacting.

“Please, what is wrong?” he repeats, not letting go of your hand.

Your hand tightens on his as you are reminded of what you had just witnessed. “I saw something! An animal! A—“ you suck in a breath. “I do not know what I saw but it was…feasting on the driver!”

The fear was kicking back in. In your mind's eye you could see its feral grin, sharp teeth and haunting red eyes. It had looked like a beast of some kind, though certainly not one you had ever seen in your brother-in-law's hunting books.

“What if it comes down here!” You remove your hand from his and move back to the armchair, desperately trying to drag it to the door once more. 

The Cardinal locks the door and then gently moves you aside so he can drag the chair with ease and push it up against the door, the wood groaning under the force.

“Nothing can get through now, Signorina.”

The panic eases a little and your head spins. It’s then that you suddenly realise you are alone in a room with a strange man. While a holy one, the kiss on your hand still burns and you can’t help but feel drawn to him despite the fear still licking at your heels.

Most of the clergymen you’d met were boring and dull. It must be different on the Continent. Though you did wonder about the strange crucifix emblazoned on his gloves and there was no denying how strange his eyes were. 

“The thunder can be frightening, si?” he says, coming back to you and then gently leading you to sit on the bed. He sits down next to you, the dip in the mattress making your body press up against his. Your sister would be appalled at your thoughts. “The shadows can play tricks on the mind.”

You shake your head, fingers fidgeting with the fabric of the nightgown. “I did not imagine it, Cardinal.” 

“I did not see anything, dolce.” He takes both your hands, the leather of his gloves so soft. Gloved thumb idly traced patterns over your skin. “There is nothing out there.”

With his gaze on you, you feel you can’t look away. You feel your body sway as the adrenaline from before begins to leave your body. Perhaps he was right. Maybe you had imagined it all. Months of nothing but talk of terror and this horribly cold and eerie place were just making your mind see things. Maybe you had hit your head harder than you thought. You were probably lucky he was not talking of sending you to bedlam.

“I apologise, Cardinal,” you say. “I must admit, it has been quite an ordeal.” 

He smiles at you and your eyes flicker to his lips. The only other time you’d been so close to a man before was while dancing. And most of the time you had been too busy either trying not to have your feet stepped on or trying to maintain a polite disposition as they prattled on about their latest hunting expedition. 

The scent of him comes wafting towards you then and you can’t help but lean into him. Maybe your brain is addled but for some reason, you feel calm. What had you been upset about? Your eyes are fluttering close, all reason flying out the window as press your lips against his. He tastes divine. It immediately makes you crave more, the roar of arousal spiralling through your veins in a fashion you’d never have imagined possible. Those lips are pressing back and then gently coaxing yours to part, his tongue seeking yours. The taste is far too addictive and you are nearly in his lap, his hands still holding yours when he hastily pulls back.

“Forgive me,” his words are breathless. “I should not have done such a thing.”

“No, I—“ Your head spins. He smells intoxicating. None of the men you’d danced with had smelt half as good as this one. It’s making you feel stupid. The delirium of earlier is making itself known and the dwindling part of your mind still capable of rational thought is trying to convince you to take a step back.

“Signorina?” His face is still so close, and you can’t look away from those mismatched eyes. Those lips are quirking back into a smile, though it is far less pleasant than before. The Cardinal leans in again, you can feel his nose brushing against your temple. You want to fall into him. When did the room get so warm?

“I think something is wrong with me,” you manage to say. “I would never—I never—”

“No, you are all good.” His voice sounds different. “The Sisters give you something in your tea, it helps you relax.”

He lets go of your hands so that he can pull you firmly into his lap, your hands pressing against his chest, the cold metal of his strange crucifix under one palm. It digs in but you ignore it, too busy trying to focus on his words.

“Relax?”

“Mmm.” His breath is skittering across your face and his lips are ghosting against your skin. You should tell him to stop. His face is buried against your neck now. “It is better this way.”

You feel him inhale against your skin before something wet touches your throat. You dimly realise it’s his tongue. The sound that leaves his throat makes your body burn and you feel his teeth graze against your skin, they feel far too sharp.

There is a slight prick but you don’t move, it’s a stinging pain but his tongue is soothing over it. The burn of pain and drugging pleasure is making your sex ache. But your mind is still trying to stay in control. It knows this isn’t right.

“I thought you were a man of God?” 

The words you speak are a breathless whisper and you feel him smile against your neck, his tongue flicking out again and lapping at your skin. 

“There is no God in this place, dolce.”

Leaning back you’re met with his feral grin, the pointed tips of sharp fangs peeking out above his lips. You hastily scramble off his lap, falling to the floor in a heap before trying to stand and running feebly toward the door. You try to remove the armchair out of the way but you have little strength.

Arms wrap around and pull you effortlessly back to the bed. You try to kick at him but you feel as weak as a kitten. You can hear him whispering words you don’t understand against your cheek.

“You will be well soon, cara mia.” He places you on the bed. “You welcome me in and Satanas will welcome you.”

In a daze you watch him remove his gloves before crawling toward you. The feel of a cold hand on your ankle makes you twitch as he then drags it up your leg, hiking up your nightgown until it’s bunched around your waist and exposing your throbbing sex to him.

That cool hand drifts down between your legs, dipping between your folds and drawing the most hedonistic moan from your lips. Your neck throbs and you can’t help but arch off the bed when you feel a finger slide up through your slit and circle the bud of your clit. In the past, you had tentatively explored yourself, but it had been quick and you had no idea what to do except the whispered words from married friends. It had never felt anything like this.

He hovers over you, those mismatched eyes seeming to glow before he lowers his head back to your neck as his finger slides back through your folds to finally slip inside. You are hardly aware that you’ve gripped the front of his cassock as your grind down against his hand.

“Così desideroso, dolce?” He laughs.

You should have been trying to get away from him, you should have been kicking and screaming. Instead, you are too high on the feel of his hand between your thighs and the mounting tension he is building within you. Your muscles are tense and the grip you still have on the front of his cassock is white-knuckled.

“Will you come for me?” The words are growled out as he slips a second digit within you, stretching you as you had never felt before you. “Your pleasure is mine, Signorina. It makes you taste all the more sweeter.”

His fingers press within you, grazing against a spot that has you writhing and seeing stars. The knot in your stomach tightens as those fingers continue to pump within you. Your breath hitches and you feel it, the wave of pleasure crashing down on you. The feeling makes you even more lightheaded and you barely have time to catch your breath before his mouth is on your neck again, teeth sinking into your flesh as he bites. It hurts, the pain blinding. Before he had clearly only just nicked the skin but now he is piercing it with utter abandon. The sounds he makes as he drinks are obscene. The pain slowly dulls and becomes a secondary companion to the raging desire that is burning through your veins. You feel feverish—you are feverish. Your nightgown is clinging to your damp skin and you can feel the sweat beading on your forehead.

“Il tuo sangue è divino.” The words are growled against your bleeding throat as he laps at the wounds. You can feel the skin knitting together, making it itch.

But the itch is nothing compared to the ache that is once more between your legs. Your body is singing out to his, and you’ve lost all reasonable thought as you try to keep your heavy-lidded gaze on him. The Cardinal removes himself from you, divesting himself of his cassock and shoes, leaving him bare before you. You catch sight of his wiry frame, the dark hair on his chest trailing down to his cock as it strains before you. Your legs instinctively part as he climbs back over your body with predatory smoothness. When your hands desperately reach for him, his skin no longer feels cold but warm. He doesn’t burn as hot as you do, but his skin against yours merely makes the throb of arousal burn that much harder.

“Sei pronto a lasciarti andare?” he says, hands roaming over your heated skin. His fingers graze against your breast before pinching the nipple. The sensation makes you cry out. “Hmm, dolce? Do you still want to go home?”

You feel the frustrated tears roll down your face as you shake your head. “Please.” It’s a strangled moan and you sigh in relief when you feel him settle between your legs.

Leaning over you, his mouth presses against yours as he snaps his hips forward in one fast movement. You cry in pain against his lips as he takes you for the first time. Never had you felt so full before, the sensations so new that you can't help the pleading nonsense that leaves your lips. Soon, the pain starts to ebb away, until you are left with the intensely pleasurable feeling of him stretching and filling you. When he finally moves, the sounds that leave your lips are loud and shameless.

You feel the momentum already building quickly as you begin to reach your peak. Desperately you cling to him as his lips open underneath yours and too eagerly are you letting him in, delighting in the taste of him before he bites down on his own lip. The blood spills into your mouth, the metallic taste bursting on your tongue as you swallow it down without a thought.

“Good girl,” he says, lips pulling away from yours. 

There is only a brief moment where you are able to take in his blood-soaked face and those eyes before he lunges back at your neck. The wounds reopen with ease as he sinks his fangs in, all the while never ceasing to thrust into you. The pleasure is hurtling toward you though your vision is fading fast. He is taking far too much blood and you can feel a coldness spreading up through your fingertips as they grip and claw at his back.

It happens too fast as the pleasure spills over you, making you clench around him and drawing out his own release. You ride it out, body writhing beneath him as he continues to feed.

When he finally withdraws you can barely move, your limbs feel numb and your head swims with the effort of trying to stay conscious. But you can’t fight it for long, the arms of death are drawing you in with its welcome embrace. So you succumb to it, letting it take you as take your last breath.

Later, you will wake and it will be cold. But it will not bother you, instead, you will be filled with a new ache. A hunger. And the man beside you will take you back to your driver, but neither will return back to town.

-------------- Thanks for reading. I was going to drag this out but I have a bunch of other things I want to work on so wanted to just finish this. It didn't go how I wanted it to but stories never seem to do that! If you want to know what her teagown looks like in my head, THIS is what I based it off :) It is from 1895 so close enough. Sta venendo per te - He is coming for you Vostra Eminenza, per favore, prendimi adesso! - Your Eminence, please take me now! Così desideroso - So eager, dolce? Il tuo sangue è divino - Your blood is divine Sei pronto a lasciarti andare? - Are you ready to let go?

[sodascherrycola]

Full Name: Stella Mae Erin Clapp (nee Dillard) DOB: November 21st 1972 Age: 52 years old Parents: Allen and Birdie Dillard Siblings: Georgia Lou, William Wyatt, Mary Kate, and Sarah Lynn S/O: Phillip Clapp (1986-91) (2004-) Jason Morrison (1993-96) Married: May 18th 2006 (33 years old) Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee Nicknames: Erin, Stell Best Friend(s): Alison Glover and Sophie Hines Job: Nurse Personality Traits: Helpful, Shy, Nurturing, and Charming Children: William Phillip Clapp (15, 1987) Taylor Lorraine Morrison (22, 1994) Ashton Michael Morrison (25, 1997) John Ryan Colby Clapp (30, 2002) Jameson Gage Clapp (32, 2004) Caroline Maxine Clapp (35, 2007) Jackson William & Matthew David Clapp (37, 2009) Elizabeth Cora Clapp (45, 2017)

Appearance: - Blonde - Bright Blue Eyes - Short, especially compared to her husband, about 5'3 - Full Lips and Dark Eyebrows