#i also have a lot to say about evie because i adore her almost as much as i adore jane and carlos

[pupphe-additions]

✬Evie’s Relationship With Day6✬

Evie x Sungjin

Quote: “Never stop being a good person, even to the unkind ones.” Dynamic: Father, Daughter

Sungjin’s contact in Evie’s phone is “🐻Dad Bob🐻”

Evie tends to carry Sungjin in games but he will never admit that to her.

Sungjin tends to “mom” Evie a lot and he makes sure she takes care of herself.

They always send pictures of what they eat to one another every time they eat. Sungjin asked Evie to start doing this with him when he found out she wasn’t eating as much.

Evie likes to “bully” Sungjin since he is always nagging at her.

Evie often says Sungjin is like an older brother or father-like figure to her.

Sungjin doesn’t like to do skinship with his members but he will always be sure to hug Evie when he sees her.

Evie goes to Sungjin for advice a lot when she’s too nervous to turn to anyone else.

Hudson (Evie’s brother) says that Sungjin is a lot like himself and that is probably why Evie is so comfortable around him.

Sungjin has promised Hudson to take good care of her when Hudson can’t be around. Hudson thinks Sungjin is a very kind guy because of this.

Sungjin is very protective of Evie and he doesn’t like it when she’s upset so he always checks up on her whenever he can.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Evie x Young K

Quote:  “And then she knew that you could become homesick for people too.” Dynamic: Old Married Couple

Young K’s contact in Evie’s phone is “💀Brian🤣”

Evie likes to tease the ever living crap out of Young K.

Evie has stated that she is a My Day and she adores all the members of Day6 with every fiber of her being. She has also said that she is closest to Young K, Jae, and Wonpil.

Evie says she doesn’t have a bias for Day6 anymore after getting to know all of the members.

Young K and Evie bicker like a married couple but they always quickly make up.

Evie enjoys dancing with Young K and he’s said that dancing with her is always something he looks forward to.

Young K doesn’t put up with Evie’s bs and vice versa.

Evie likes to “keep Brian in his place” and will often try to boss him around.

Evie and Young K text often and it always leads to either bickering or very long serious conversations.

Evie says Young K is one of her favorite extroverts.

Evie sometimes gets shy around Young K because he’s so tall and she likes that a lot about him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Evie x Wonpil

Quote: “Anywhere with you is everywhere I want to be.” Dynamic: Koala Duo

Wonpil’s contact in Evie’s phone is “🌠Pretty Voice🌠”

These two are very clingy when together due to both of them being naturally clingy.

Wonpil always gets Evie any plushies that he says reminds him of her due to him knowing she enjoys them.

Evie will cook for Wonpil anytime he asks her to because she knows he’s not very good at it. She has also offered to show him how to cook certain things if he wanted her to.

Evie has stated that she is very drawn to Wonpil’s voice and finds it very pretty and almost angelic.

Evie is very gentle with Wonpil and Wonpil is the same toward her. They have a very wholesome friendship.

Evie is extremely protective of Wonpil.

Wonpil tends to dote on Evie anytime he can because he has a big soft spot for her.

Evie says that Wonpil is one of her favorite people.

Evie has stated that she would love to do a song with Wonpil as she feels their voices would mesh together extremely well.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Evie x Dowoon

Quote: "Sometimes we need fantasy to survive reality.” Dynamic: Goofballs

Dowoon’s contact in Evie’s phone is “🐶CuteWoon🐶”

Evie and Dowoon aren’t the closest, surprisingly.

Evie enjoys it when Dowoon randomly sends photos of his animals to her.

Evie tends to tease Dowoon when she can because she says he makes it easy for her to do so.

Evie finds Dowoon to be very cute and charming.

Dowoon has a soft spot for Evie so he tends to let her get away with things.

Evie has said if they were closer friends that the industry wouldn’t be able to handle how cute they are.

They don’t take pictures together.

Dowoon enjoys when Evie brings Day6 food because he thinks she’s a very good cook and compliments her highly everytime she does.

Evie gets shy around Dowoon because of his voice.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Evie x Jae (Former Member)

Quote: “You’re the kind of soul anyone would be lucky to be with, and you don’t even know it. The great ones never do.” Dynamic: Platonic Soulmates/Cute Gaming Duo

Jae’s contact in Evie’s phone is “🐥My Chicken Man🐥”

Evie and Jae only speak in English when they talk to one another.

Jae and Evie play a lot of games together and Jae is another person Evie enjoys to duo with.

Jae is the reason Evie got into Valorant since that’s the game he always asks her to play.

Evie and Jae have gotten extremely close due to them playing games together so often.

Evie says Jae knows how to make her smile and laugh and will message him anytime she needs to be cheered up.

Jae thinks that Evie is really cute and she always makes him smile when she messages him.

Evie has stated before that she really likes Jae’s eyes and thinks he’s cute.

They text often, almost daily.

Evie wants to make music with Jae just because she thinks it’d be a good time.

Jae can make Evie flustered easily.

Evie said the way Jae says her name sometimes makes her heart flutter to the members of Stray Kids before.

[chika-the-terrible]

Isu AU hours again:

Because Jacob keeps hitting his face on the doorframes and because he likes taking an unconventional approach, he tries getting into the Alhambra through a window once…to which he clearly didn’t think it through because his size makes it almost impossible for him to squeeze through one. Roth makes sure all the windows are locked after that, even as he laughs at the stupid memory

Even though Jacob basically spends all his time at the Alhambra, sometimes he has bad days. Something sets him off and then he’s grumpy and miserable for the rest of the day. Roth, even though he likes a little spice in his life, knows that Jacob being unhappy is not a good thing and so tries unexpected ways to cheer Jacob up. It doesn’t always work but Roth’s trying and that’s enough to make Jacob smile again

Roth also has bad days, too, and not just from a bad meeting. Maybe he has nightmares sometimes because of his past, but he’s so used to them they don’t bother him or anyone else, they just make him lose sleep. Jacob, on the other hand, hates it. He hates how Roth gets the nightmares and loses sleep and so he takes it upon himself to help Roth when the nightmares happen. Even though Roth very much insists that he’s fine because he’s used to dealing with the nightmares, Jacob still tugs Roth to bed and lays there with him. Jacob’s too big to have half of it and so he has Roth lying on his chest and stubbornly refuses to let his friend do anything else until Roth gets some sleep. And, surprisingly, Roth does get lulled to sleep by listening to Jacob’s heartbeat. It becomes something of a routine for the nightmares long before they get closer together and Jacob doesn’t think much of it until Roth points out how it always feels like they’re flirting or something when Jacob does this for him and the Isu man is torn between friendship and love feels in an instant

I love the idea of Jacob being the little spoon to Roth when they first start sleeping together. I do like it the other way around as well but this version is more adorable, in a way. Jacob just kinda has to make sure he doesn’t roll over and crush Roth in the night is all

Jacob is also the guy who likes to stay up late and then sleep in. Roth’s not much of a morning person himself but he tends to get up before Jacob does and so he’s the one that has to get Jacob up for the day most times. And let me say, getting an Isu man to wake up that sleeps that deeply is like trying to kick a dead horse. So Roth comes up with another plan, bringing breakfast to Jacob in bed, and the smell wakes Jacob up. It becomes another little tradition for them, just like the nightmare thing, and Jacob eventually tries to turn it around once to show his appreciation to Roth. Of course, he can’t cook to save his life and so had to rely on Lewis’ help, but it’s the thought that counts

Evie watches Jacob fret and worry over Roth’s health in the aftermath of the showdown. Her brother absolutely refuses to leave Roth alone most of the time (with the exception of his testimony) and he paces around a lot with nervous energy. Briefly Jacob had floated the idea of using Isu tech to heal Roth’s injuries but Evie shot that down, reminding Jacob that humans and Isu tech didn’t tend to mix well, not even the medicinal ones (i.e. the Shroud) and so Jacob has to do the waiting game. He hates waiting, but listening to Roth helps cheer Jacob up and it makes Evie happy as well because she can see how much Roth means to Jacob. Roth’s lifespan might be far shorter than Jacob’s but they clearly cared about one another, and Evie wasn’t about to get in the middle of that

Masterlist

[joesbbqandfootmassage]

Jane and Carlos in D3:

A Thanksgiving Feast

So I have already made my obligatory Janelos defense post that every blog on this website owes them, and I will link that here.

But I kind of barely touched on just how good they are in D3. Like, insanely good.

Devie and Janelos are the God tier Descendants ships and somebody had to say it.

It figures that Disney would choose to focus on the basic dynamic that is Bal even though they have two amazing VK/AK pairings to work with.

I ain’t saying they needed to kick Ben and Mal from the series because I do still think they’re cute, I’m just saying that Devie and Janelos also deserved their own Enchanted Lake First Date Scene.

Now in D2 both ships were given roughly three major scenes to work with and then of course all of their background dance scenes in You and Me.

Both Janelos and Devie doing different variations of the hug and spin number. (Holy fluff the Devie one was fantastic)

And they both had pretty good character arcs as well.

While Bal pretty much have the same character arc every movie, Janelos and Devie approach one thing at a time. In D2 that was Evie reaffirming to Doug that she wants him, not a stereotypical prince. Strengthening their relationship.

Meanwhile Janelos was giving both Carlos and Jane the chance to step out of their bubbles and explore this new sensation called love.

And you can really believe the time that has passed between these relationships when D3 finally rolls around.

Naturally Jane and Carlos are a touchy-feely kind of couple, linking arms and wrapping arms around shoulders and a lot of background hugs that were cut from the film.

Normally this would probably annoy me, but in this case it makes sense for Carlos and Jane because of his touch starvation.

Jane is able to hold onto him like it's just something normal for her to do with him, unlike any person on the Isle ever.

So in D3 you can see how comfortable they are with one another and just with affection in general.

But that's not all D3 has to offer for them, oh no.

Because D3 is also the movie where Carlos' evolution to Hero of the Isle is the most evident.

It's something you can finally see in every little action.

I'm gonna be honest, D3 should have been Evie's movie.

My sister and I pointed this out as we read all of the VK's posters and saw that Mal's had her’s as, "The Liberator."

To which we both went, "That is a bunch of fluffing BS."

Because everybody knows that it was EVIE'S idea to start transferring kids over to the Isle.

I can't even imagine how many meetings she had to attend, presentations she had to give and trouble she had to deal with from the higher ups.

Because D3 is when they are finally able to bring Dizzy over to Auradon and they've already graduated high school at this point.

And yet, Mal gets the praise.

Mal gets the credit.

And when they encounter their first bump in the road, it's Mal who shuts down the program. Destroying all of Evie's hard work.

While it’s not an official term used, I’ve been calling Carlos, Evie and Uma all “Heroes of the Isle.” Mainly because most, if not all, of their most prominent actions in the films (when actually given any) have been for the sake of the Isle and the children they wish to protect and save.

And it can switch from Heroes of the Isle to Heroes from the Isle, mostly depending on what stance my argument has.

This stance being tilted toward Janelos, though I will probably post another rant talking about how Evie should have been the main character of D3.

Now this is the first time we see Carlos actively having someone to protect since Dude in D1, the second he returns to Auradon from the Isle he calls Jane several times. He then spends a good deal of the movie before Jane comes back being mopey. Which is something you notice if you watch a movie three times in a row and those two other times all you do is look at Carlos.

It’s an interesting thought to have in your head, Carlos - A Protector. 

While interesting, it never surprised me.

You can see a lot of his protectiveness in D2 when they return to the Isle, with him usually being the first one to charge.

And it only took me so long to notice that because I’ve had an image of Carlos built in my head.

Nothing can ruin your outlook of a character faster than the fandom’s perception of them.

If you listened to all the people going on and on about how Shaggy from Scooby-Doo is clearly coded to be a stoner, you might miss that he was a star gymnast and a pro-golfer. How many of y’all knew that Daphne was a straight A student?

The Descendants’ fandom has usually painted Carlos as the obligatory, “Smol bean, too precious for this world. Must protecc.”

Which is fine, if the character is clearly supposed to be interpreted as those things.

Carlos, while definitely too good for both the Isle and Auradon, is not a weak and helpless character. Sure he’s soft spoken and really really nice, like omg there is no way him and Cruella share the same DNA, but he also did really well in tourney and fencing.

He’s perceptive and quick to adapt.

And on top of all of that, he’s hurt.

So many years of being a doormat on the Isle, not only for his mother but every other person that looked down on him.

Despite all of that, he still cares about people.

He still has so much love to give to people he knows need it.

And in D3, Carlos seems to finally know who he is when separated from the VK or AK title.

He wants to help VKs transfer onto Auradon.

He wants a place to house lost boys and girls who were like him, no safe place to go.

He wants to be a vet.

And he wants to love Jane.

When he reunites with Jane in the second act of the movie, you can see that it’s not just Carlos that feels this way.

Once again, just like in D2, Jane fully reciprocates all of his feelings maybe even more so with the way she always renders his breathless every time.

Jane and Carlos give and receive love with no counter or limit in sight, they snuggle and hug and just... touch.

They make promises to stay safe, to keep each other safe, to stay together.

Always surprising the other with the reminder that they do indeed love each other.

Because they were two lonely kids that needed to love and be loved.

And the trilogy ends giving both of them exactly that.

And this is all just whatever I can glean from the movies.

When Amazon finally decides to send me all of the books it’s over for you hoes.

[writingtheafterglow]

hey hun i’ve got another request for littlemix member!reader x tom holland

(sorry i’m obsessed with them both as you know💀)

so basically tom is on the graham norton show with jake gyllenhall (idk how to spell his name💀) and he hasn’t seen his girlfriend for a long time since she was on tour, and graham says he has a surprise for tom, thats when little mix come on and sing their new song (you can choose whatever song you want idm which era) and after they perform y/n and tom reunite and it’s all cute, then the girls sit down and join the interview for a little bit :)

sorry this was quite specific lmao<3

(Evie you never fail to think of good little mix and tom holland ideas <3)

title: Think About This...

Song: Think About Us - Little Mix

pairing: Tom Holland x littlemixmember!Reader

warnings: fluff bitches ;) also not proof read

summary: Tom hasn't seen his girl in a while, that all changes when Graham Norton gives him a special surprise.

a/n: I would first like to preface by saying, I'm not discrediting Jesy in any way. She's just done a lot of problematic things and I'm kind of over it. So, I am using the ot3 + y/n for this. With that being said, you are going to be singing Jade's part, Jade's singing Jesy's part, and yeah that's about it. Anyways, Enjoy!

━

The crowd laughs at a joke Tom Hanks just made. He was one of the other guests on the show, along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, and finally Tom Holland. Tom was a little sleep-deprived, mostly from staying up all night with you. On the phone of course. You were currently on tour with your friends, also bandmates. Yes, Tom was dating one of the girls from Little Mix.

The hardest part was the constant time zone change. It'd be day where you are and night where he was. A good example was last night. You were actually getting on a plane, but it was still day where you were. You told him multiple times to go to sleep but, he wouldn't do it. He wanted to talk to you as long as he possibly could.

Back to the interview, Graham then turns to Tom.

"So Tom, as we all know you are dating, the gorgeous, Y/N Y/L/N. She's a part of the British girl group, Little Mix, who have recently been on tour. How has it been living without her for so long?" He asks as a picture of the two of you flashes the screen behind him. Tom chuckles little then answers.

"Yeah, um, it's been quite hard, especially with the time differences. But uh...we still talk on the phone almost every night. I do miss her very much but, I'm also extremely proud of her and the girls for doing what they're doing." the audience claps and cheers. Everyone on the couch smiles and Jake pats Tom's back.

"Aww, that's sweet. I do have another question. What is your favorite Little Mix song?" Graham asks with a huge grin. Tom, once again, chuckles.

"I do actually, although I do love all of their songs. My favorite is actually 'Think About Us'." All of the sudden, another picture of you and Tom appears on the screen. This time it was a picture of you two from the think about us music video. You were straddling his lap and trying to fix your top. Tom was staring at you, adoration filled his eyes, and his hand rested on your waist. Everyone on the couch and in the audience let out an "aww".

"I'm guessing you like it cause, you're in the video." Graham chuckles. Tom's smile grows wider looking at the picture on the screen. He remembers that day like it was yesterday. He got to hold you close and occasionally sneak a kiss onto your neck. Tom was blushing way too hard to respond so he just nods.

"Well, then I guess that's perfect because, here to perform their song 'Think About Us', Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome, Little Mix!" Graham announces. Tom's eyes widen, then his body turns to the stage part of the room. He felt butterflies erupt in his stomach as he sees four girls appear from the darkness. Soon enough, Perrie starts singing her verse. Tom's eyes, however, were glued to your figure. Your outfit hugged your curves perfectly and your skin was glowing under the spotlight.

All of the sudden you start singing.

'Cause I do, think about you When I'm up here in my hotel room Need your love, don't know what I'm gon' do My body so hot, babe, I'm missing you

You sang all of this while looking and pointing to Tom. The last part, you sang while tracing your curves. Then, soon enough, the chorus came.

Do you think about us, us? (Think about us, are you thinkin' 'bout us?) (Are you-, thinkin' 'bout us, are you thinkin' 'bout us?) Woah-oh-oh-oh Do you think about me, baby? Woah-oh-oh-oh Do you think about me, baby?

Once the song ended, Tom immediately stood up and waited for you to get to the platform where Graham greeted you. All four of you shook hands and hugged Graham before you, practically sprinted, over to Tom. He was already waiting for you, arms wide open. Once you were close enough, you immediately wrapped your arms around his neck, and his went around your waist.

"I missed you, Lover" you whispered in his ear. This sent chills down his back.

"I missed you too, Angel" He replied into your neck, giving it a peck before pulling away a little to look at your face. His hands were still on your waist, and your's on his shoulder. One of your hands came up to cup his cheek. Tom took it upon himself to peck your lips and pull away. He intertwined your fingers and then pulled you down next to him. The other three girls plopped down next to you.

Jake scooted over a little to make room, Gwyneth did the same. Tom let go of your hand then wrapped his arm around your waist.

"That was amazing ladies and Tom, a good surprise wasn't it?" Graham asked.

"It was the best surprise!" He gushed, kissing your temple. The crowd said "aww" for, probably, the billionth time today. Jade made a puking noise, which you elbowed her to.

"So Ladies, Little Mix, can you talk to us about your new album, LM5?" Graham asked you and the girls. Leigh Anne started talking and you listened. Tom picked up your right hand with his left and started playing with the promise ring he gave you a year ago. You turned and smiled at him, planting a kiss on his cheek before turning your attention back to Graham. Tom's head rested on your shoulder, trying to be as close to you as possible.

Once the interview ended, you and Tom went back to your hotel. You cuddled, watched movies, and enjoyed each other's presence. You had to go back on the road pretty soon but, Tom was glad he got to see you before you did.

━

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[thefanficmonster]

Stranger In The Crowd

Corpse Husband x Reader (Female)

Warnings: None

Genre: FLUFF, Humor, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Having recently ended the process of moving, Y/N is rightfully very tired but also very excited for the new chapter of her life. Funnily enough, this new chapter includes a newly formed long distance friendship/crush with a very special person from San Diego.

Requested by @boiled-onionrings Hi darling! Thank you so much for your wonderful request and I’m really sorry you’ve had to wait so long for it to be posted but here it finally is and I hope you enjoy the read! Love, Vy ❤

I let out a heavy sigh, relieved to finally be at home after such a long day of standing around in the Georgia heat with only a thin layer of fabric to protect my eyes and head from the scorching sun. Yeah, anyone who says that tent did well at protecting everyone under it today is nothing but a liar. I was in a short, strapless white summer dress, the fabric of which barely had any weight and consistency to provide heat of its own yet I still damn near melted. Ok, I’ll admit, some of the roasting heat probably came from the energy and force I put into singing the songs of my band’s new album ‘Starting At The End’. 

The mini concert we held in this large open field was meant as an introduction to the city of Savannah where all the band members - myself included - are actually from but we all moved to the West Coast to pursue our music career. And now that we’ve grown, and the majority of us are married, one of us is a father now as well, we’ve decided to return to our hometown. The decision was so spontaneous and was executed so quickly due to no one objecting to it that it still hasn’t me that I’m no longer in LA. The heat isn’t helping my ‘processing’ process but I’ll get to it eventually. Do I miss LA though? Not sure I do - I think I more miss the people I was closer to while I was there.

Suddenly, as if perfectly timed, my phone dings, notifying me that I’ve received a message. I don’t have to look to know it’s from - there’s only one person I actively text and his name is....

C ~ Your virtual buddy Corpse here, making sure you didn’t die of a heatstroke today. If you did indeed survive, just reply to this message, if not....don’t do anything, I guess.

I can’t help but giggle at the sight of the message. I promised Corpse I’d text him after the concert to let him know I was ok, but the even dragged out for longer than anticipated so I’m guessing he got worried.

How cute.

Me ~ Alive and well, but I do feel like a popped tire of an overloaded truck. Hope that’s a visually appealing description

Corpse and I met on the charity livestream Jacksepticeye organized and invited our band to so we could play Among Us with some of the best gamers and streamers on the internet. It was a huge honor and a ton of fun, definitely an event I’d like to repeat in the near future because I had such a good time and I know all my bandmates did too. We all got acquainted and even became official friends with the gamers that were practically our hosts, Corpse becoming the closest friends I’d earn. That livestream happened months ago and we still text just as consistently.

C ~ Oh I know EXACTLY what you mean. Anyway, as to not exhaust you further to force you into typing, how about you send me pictures to sum up your thoughts and emotions and plans for the evening

This is OUR THING trademark, mine and Corpse’s and no one can take it away from us. It’s a significant element of our friendship that enables us both to understand one another when one of us feels the way I described in my message - a popped tire or a deflated balloon. I’m usually the exhausted one - blame the many shows we do and the many meet-and-greets we organize for our lovely fans. It’s the type of exhaustion none of the band members mind at all, but we definitely need some time to recover from it.

As I go to sit down on my couch, the flower crown I’ve been wearing slips off the top of my head, falling on the floor, creating a soft noise that attracts the attention of one of my many cats - Sasha. She’s the youngest and most curious kitty in the family, always protected by the other four - Luna, Cassie, Silver and Lynn. Those four are far lazier and a lot more disinterested in comparison to Sasha who immediately runs over to see what’s fallen.

I smile to myself, taking the flower crown and undoing it to lessen it by a few stems to make it smaller, all the while being watched by the curious Sasha whose interest is rewarded in the end when I put the now adorably tiny flower crown on her head.

While she still hasn’t shaken the thing off I manage to snap a pic which I send to Corpse who opens it mere seconds after it was delivered. 

C ~ Sasha’s pulling off your aesthetic better than you. Sorry, someone had to let you know

I burst out laughing for two reasons - 1.The message itself, damn it! It’s hilarious; 2. Corpse has learnt the name of each one of my cats and never mixes them up - not even Luna and Lynn who look almost identical. That amount of attention to detail is astonishing and very meaningful to me, it genuinely warms my heart and that may or may not be dramatic but it’s definitely not exaggerated.

Me ~ You think I haven’t caught on yet? 

C ~ Well, if it makes you feel any better you pull off my aesthetic better than I do

He’s referring to the e-girl look I did for one show the band had in downtown LA one night. I was drunk and looking forward to trying new things so I improvised the hell out of my outfit but I apparently looked presentable enough to leave a good impression on Corpse despite the pic I sent him being a bit blurry and being a mirror selfie in the bathroom of the very bar we were performing in. It goes without saying that the mirror was dirty too - had a bunch of writing on it which Corpse said only added to the aesthetic. Looking back on it now I kinda agree, and luckily so did the fans in the comments of that same photo when I posted it on Instagram.

Me ~ Means a lot actually. Nowhere near enough to aid the burn of having a cat pull off cottagecore better than I do, but still helps XD

As if sensing that we’re talking about her, Sasha hops on the couch, poking her head over my phone to look down at the screen.

Now this is gonna be golden.

I take a selfie with my phone in my lap, the camera capturing both me and Sasha at a rather unflattering angle which has me losing my mind laughing when I send the picture to Corpse who immediately sends back a string of cry-laughing emojis.

C ~ I can’t tell which one of you is cuter

Me ~ If that was a compliment, I gotta say I appreciate it greatly

C ~ Just telling the truth ;)

It’s times like these that the butterflies in my stomach remind me just why I’ve started catching feelings for this man despite all the distance between us and despite barely knowing him - he knows me more than I know him but I don’t mind it, oddly enough.

I’m fond of our connection and though I sometimes dream of something more, I’m also content with what we already have considering that ‘something more’ seems rather unattainable as of now.

My phone dings again, clearing the fog of thoughts and presenting me with a new message from Corpse.

C ~ Oh, by the way, look what I got....

That message is followed up by a picture of a ticket. A plane ticket to Georgia! 

While I’m still busy stomaching this and dealing with my quickly rising excitement, he sends another message.

C ~ I hope to catch a The Silver Rays concert while I’m there. Heard they had an adorable frontwoman ;)

My breath catches in my throat as a wide grin spreads across my face. The thought of having Corpse so close to me sends those aforementioned butterflies in my stomach into a raving mood and they practically explode my insides with excitement and joy like I’ve never felt it before. I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that we’re about to go from having an entire country between us, to being just some ways away - him in the audience and me on stage without a single clue of who to look for. That’s part of the excitement though, I guess, part of the guessing game that’s gonna make our meeting all the more interesting.

He’ll be a stranger in the crowd and I’ll be a performer on a stage - seemingly two people who have no relation whatsoever. But damn does it go beyond that: No one has to know how hard I’m falling for that stranger in the crowd.

Me ~ I’ve heard so too, can’t confirm it though

If this is gonna be a guessing game, I’ll flip the tables a bit - I won’t take any guesses. I’ll let the answer come to me. I’ll give the first move over to the stranger in the crowd, let’s see what he does.

C ~ I’ll check and let you know, don’t worry

Not worried whatsoever, Corpsie. I’m not worried at all.

@maat-the-prescriptive  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @itsminniekat  @hacker-ghost  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios  @maehemscorpyus  @loraleiix  @letsloveimagines  @annshit  @i-cant-choose-a-username-help  @enigmaticmaze  @divine-artemis  @waterlilypat  @idontknowwhatthisisfam  @evi-ka  @classyandfabulous00  @redperson58  @lilysdaydreams @solowheein  @mythicalamphitrite  @axen-gers  @luckygirl144  @nj01  @buddyemily   @the-albino-lioness  @stardream14  @gdhdkfnn  @nomadicgypsyy  @preciousskye  @fluffysuicideunicornsworld  @o-kaelin  @manacharlotte  @awkward-youtube-trash  @lolalee24  @bonky-beerns  @meme-lord-and-savior-sebastian  @strawbrinkofdeath  @teenloves  @tams0527  @browneyespinkhair  @starstruckllamapuppy  @daisychains012  @y0ulooked  @tinytacosuitcaseflap @supernatural-is-my-only-life  @jula-pauline  @melodykitty  @just-that-bi-girl  @crazybutconfidentaf  @lowellshade @alphakees  @bellero  @weallneednamjesus  @starryhanji  @boiled-onionrings  @husherstan  @fockingwhore  @melaningoddessthings  @prettypastelpetals  @haleypearce  @godwhyamiawkward  @y-napotat  @daisychainyoonmin  @little-miss-rebel3  @free-wheelin-bi-sexual  @redmoon261 @darkacademic2  @wiseflamingoqueen  @into-the-end  @namikhai-i  @nastiablr  @thelittleplantlover  @mirktuan  @dont-hyuck @jjk-bunny  @vintagegothlover  @easygoingtheatre  @itsrandombooklover  @miiaivi  @emmybaybee  @befourgolden  @jjk-is-my-shit  @eternalteaaars  @spacebadgerx  @princesslunalight  @acequinn14  @samm48  @misselsbells06 @simp-lykawa  @fo-love  @marishimomura-blog  @therealglenncoco  @cinnamonbun332  @killtherandomness  @sanshinexxxsan  @fee-btheweeb  @press-lay  @cathleenpotgieter16  @jazzydoesstuff  @moonlxghtbay  @forestrain2000  @hyunjinhugs  @blood-of-fandoms  @lovellylies  @ukiyolixx  @simpforhpcharacters  @chrisdylan17  @parkerjisung  @pedernille  @theodonyous  @wineandionysus  @malfoystilinskii05  @morbid-x  @coryisagee  @jessewa26  @scoobydooluver97 @mindintheskies365  @raeanneinwonderland  @indecisive-empanada  @gluttonypalace  @loriane2503  @btsiguess-kpop  @khaoticbunny  @lucidlycactus  @smiithys  @rottenroyalebooks  @kpopgirlbtssvt  @fangirl-tc27  @fr0z3n-1  @notmesimpingfortechno  @shotarosleftpinky  @kunoi-chan  @idk-whats-wrong-with-me  @yikeroonie  @goldenstarofthunderclan  @poetry-and-tea  @ama-do-writing-stuff  @wishbonewolf  @emeraldxhope  @t0xick1tty  @kusuinko  @speakyourselfloveyourself  @sophia902103  @lo-manburg  @classsykittykat  @dmgama  @depressedpuppythatneedscoffee  @btsiguess-kpop  @akaashi-baby  @gun-jong-simp  @geschichtenfee  @yerapotato-wp  @browneyedgirl365  @thysagclub  @sparklycloudnight  @helloatomicshadow  @queentorresstuff @vtte @val-gal  @lucy-bunny17  @aaliyahh0  @katluckybear  @boyleanti  @straybids  @franchesca-791  @cosmicstorm19  @averyisbackinthetrashcan  @aomi-nabi  @xlanawriter  @allensimpsforcorpse  @sunnyrae-cessh  @ladykxxx08  @meowiemari  @renupf  @booklover76  @sra-verissimo

[jonsa101]

Yes, There’s Only 14 Episodes in Season 3 But Sharpwin is On Track and Progressing How They’re Supposed To.

There has been so much talk about this season’s writing and the lack of Sharpwin scenes that I thought I would just address everything in this post.

First, the writing this season is NOT BAD! In my honest opinion I actually think this season has some of the best writing in the series. Compared to season two, the writing is head and shoulders above what we got last year. More than ever before we are diving into these characters stories, seeing friendships form, getting a better look into their home life and seeing secondary characters shine! This is a good thing! These were the things that were so desperately needed in season 2 but we didn’t see this play out. I’ve said this before in my infamous season 2 rant and I’ll say it again, a show can’t solely depend on a ship! It has to have great storytelling and good character development for all of it’s main characters. This is what New Amsterdam failed to do in season two and they’re now making it up for it in season 3. The only area I would say the storyline suffered was the Cassian, Helen and Max “love triangle.” There was definitely more intent with that plot before the pandemic. Cassian was not only supposed to be a catalyst for Jealous Max and Sharpwin but he was also supposed to come in and challenge the way Max did things. Cassian’s whole thing was self care first=great patient care which was the complete opposite of Max and the two of them were supposed to clash. Obviously this completely changed due to the pandemic. You can’t have a storyline about a doctor prioritizing himself first for “better patient care”in the midst of thousands of doctors globally throwing themselves on the frontlines and even loosing their lives to COVID-19. It would have been a terrible look to have that storyline so they clearly scrapped it! What we saw was probably them trying to salvage whatever was left from the original plot while they still had Daniel Dae Kim in the limited amount of episodes for season 3.

Apart from that, I think the writers are doing a fantastic job in terms of character development this season. Arguably I would say that Iggy probably has the best storyline so far and that’s incredible for his character. Tyler Labine is acting his ass off and Iggy’s scenes with Lauren, Vijay and Martin were top tier!!! We are finally getting a Max and Reynolds bromance that was teased in season one but literally know where to be found in season two! It’s great seeing them bond on screen and I hope we get more moments with these two. We’re also seeing Reynold’s “life plan” blow up in his face and we finally have some closure with Bloom. They kept us in limbo for so long! We didn’t know if him and Bloom were truly over but now we finally know. Also, it seems like he and Evie are officially done as well and he might have a new love interest on the horizon. For Lauren, she’s clearly seems to be having a coming out story which is something I didn’t see coming at all. I’m really curious how they’re going to play this out for her and can’t wait to see it unfold. Last but not least, for Max and Helen they are both going through massive character development phases which leads me to my second point.

I love a good Max and Helen scene as much as the next person. To me they’re the ultimate ship and I want to see them thrive and flourish but just because we don’t see Max and Helen interact doesn’t mean that the show isn’t properly developing or investing in their relationship!!!!!!!!The relationship between Max and Helen is so nuanced that their relationship doesn’t hang in the balance because they don’t have more witty, flirtatious, or emotional dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, I adore those moments. Those scenes between them make us the passionate sharwpin shippers we are. At the same time though, we have to truly take a look at why the state of their relationship is where its at now and why from a narrative perspective their current interactions make sense. In order to do this, we have to take a look at where Max and Helen left off last year.

At the end of season 2, Max made a move on Helen and almost kissed her in her office. After this moment occurred he never addressed it and at the time he was still dating Alice. There’s no doubt in my mind that this was the catalyst for why Helen started dating Cassian in the first place. She had practically laid her feelings out there and told Max he was the reason she gave up half of her department. After this revelation and the massive, intimate moment he initiated in her office, he didn’t even have the decency to address it. He swept it under the rug and wanted to keep the same relationship that he had with her like nothing ever happened. Even though Helen was aware about Alice, we now know from season 3 that Helen felt a type away that Max never “officially” told Helen that he was dating her. This is IMPORTANT!!! Max and Helen did not end on a high note in season 2. In fact, the very last scenes we see of season 2 is Helen blowing off Max to go on a date with Cassian and Max breaking off things with Alice. I know this wasn’t intentional due to the season being cut short but it definitely contributes to where they are now. 

Fast forward a year later, and not only do we still have a massive almost kissed elephant in the room between Max and Helen but also the trauma of being on the frontlines of a pandemic and going through the biggest social justice movement the world has seen. This is something I’ve said many times over but I’m not sure the fandom recognizes how much these events have permanently altered these characters and changed the dynamics of this show. COVID-19 changed everything. The Black Live Matter Movement for the first time grabbed the attention of the world and changed everything too! Max and Helen are in the process of trying to heal and rebuild their lives the best they can as individuals after such a tumultuous year. At the same time, they are acutely aware of the feelings they have for each other and the UST between them and are carrying the weight of that as well. Naturally guys, the combination of all this is going to change most dynamics in a relationship. Things are awkward and distant  because Max and Helen are awkward and distant!! They have a lot of shit that they’re going through as individuals and subconsciously as a “couple.” They are clearly not in a healthy place to be as vulnerable as they once were to each other. And how can they be when their feelings have literally been eating at them for over year?! It’s hard to ignore that and try to force yourself to go back to the way things were. Especially when their feelings have “technically”  been out in the open since the end of season 2. They both know what it is! They were steps away from unleashing years of built up sexual tension between them and they went on with their lives like it never even happened. Max walking in on her and Cassian kissing in HER OFFICE and subsequently having that convo with Helen was not for shits and giggles. It triggered the BEAST of his feelings that he had fought so hard to suppress. There is no doubt in my mind that when he saw them in her office kissing, he was having some serious dejavu to their almost kissing affair last year. He‘s in love with her and she’s in love with him but this what happens when you continuously try and run away from those feelings and let it fester instead of trying to deal with it head on. The dynamic  were seeing between them now is a result of their unresolved issues and it absolutely plays into Sharpwin’s story. It doesn’t take away from it. It makes sense for where they are NOW! 

If we look at season three holistically, you’ll realize that a momentum for something significant happening for Sharpwin has been set through the acting and writing. I got to give it to Ryan Eggold. He has that fire and desire, Mr. Darcy type level acting down to a tee so far. It is so satisfying seeing Max so overcome with his feelings that you can tangibly see it in his body language and hear it in his voice. We have seen Max taken aback by Helen before but we have NEVER seen him like this. I keep on saying it but this is different guys. Something has shifted and it seems like Max is on the verge of exploding. His feeling are burning hot right underneath the surface and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Last night’s episode was ripe with this type of content and Ryan was in his acting bag! It wasn’t an overtly “Sharpwin” episode but the writing and the acting is so clever and methodical, it will have you thinking otherwise. At the beginning of season 3 Max told Helen that he wants to build something better for Luna and something better for her. Was last night not a beautiful reflection of that? One question asking Max if he has ever loved a black woman put him in the shoes of his patient’s husband and had Max advocating for his wife like he would advocate for Helen if it was her! If that’s not fucking romantic I don’t know what it is and if the alarm bells aren’t going off that there is something deeper at play here with a huge payoff around the corner I don’t know what to tell you! Another moment that sticks out to me like a sore thumb is when Helen was telling Cassian that her brother died. I wrote about this in a previous meta of mind but Helen at her most vulnerable telling Cassian that she feels like she’s running out of time is SO SIGNIFICANT guys!!! It’s not only tell us that she fears that she’s missing out on the windows of opportunities for the wants and needs in her life but it literally sets the pacing of how quickly Sharpwin is going to progress. It is the beautiful freudian slip that tells us exactly where things are headed for these two. To me this is equivalent to Max telling Helen “I love my doctor” and “what if I want you?” in season 1. This episode had no interaction between Max and Helen but it was a MASSIVE Sharpwin indicator through and through! These are just a couple of examples but even their respective journeys in parenting is so Sharpwin driven. So in all I’m not mad in the direction the show has taken to showcase their relationship this season because Sharpwin is deeply interwoven in the storyline this year even if it’s not overtly obvious through emotional dialogue/ interactions. 

Also, one thing you have to realize is this, season three is wrapping up a lot of loose ends from season 2 and when it comes to Max and Helen these two points will be/ have to be addressed in the next six episodes.

The Almost Kiss

Whether or Not They Want To Be Together

The showrunners know without a shadow of doubt that the resolution for these two points is owed! If Sharpwin is talking about their almost kiss, there is no way that they aren’t talking about what they mean to each other and what their future looks like together. Both solutions literally go hand in hand and I promise you they are not delaying the resolution for that till season 4. It’s not happening fam. We will see this play out within the next six episodes. So in hindsight, more Sharpwin interaction are on the horizon. 

When I was making predictions about this season I wasn’t aware that this season would only be 14 episodes. I’m sad that season 3 is so short but that still doesn’t change my mind for where I think the story is going. Call me crazy but I’m sticking to my guns. There is something about how Ryan is portraying Max that is signaling something huge. Also I just trust the context clues that i believe the show is giving. I trust it! Anyway y’all! If you have any sharpwin question just DM here or message me on Twitter! my username is @oyindaodewale. 

Love you guys! ❤️

[myshipsareendgame]

SHADOLIN BABY- A CONCEPT THREAD:

-one morning, after the war is over (basically all of our heroes survive), shallan gets a bit sick. she inhales stormlight and some of the fatigue still doesn’t go away. she recalls that she had a bit of wine the night before, but just a little, nowhere near making her get a hangover the next morning. she decides not to tell adolin anything, since she doesn’t want him to worry

-later, she goes to the doctor’s office. first, she approaches hesina so that she can schedule a meeting. “oh brightness! come in, come in! would you like something to eat or drink? i have some fruit and wine if you’d like” shallan just gestures her hand and says “actually, no. i wouldn’t want to drink anything anymore... there’s a small chance i am pregnant. it’s why i came here- to ask you to make a schedule”

-lirin is the one that helps her and promises not to tell anyone, kaladin especially, that she came here as she wanted to do so herself. they run some tests and later she comes to get the results, lirin hands her the papers along with a “congratulations!”

-that night, adolin comes back from training to find shallan sitting on the balcony, with a blanket wrapped around her. he gives her a hug from behind and kisses her temple. adolin asks her what she’s thinking of to which shallan answers with:

“we need bigger quarters.”

“what? they’re pretty big, we have enough space.”

“yeah, for the two of us, but we are gonna need a nursery in a few months” and adolin just gives her the biggest hug and kisses her whole face

-they decide to tell dalinar and navani first over dinner. they are both so so happy for them, navani cries but dalinar holds in tears. later though, when he is alone with navani, he gets very emotional and thinks of how proud and happy he is that his son would be a father

-next come renarin and kaladin who both immediately start crying and planning every big event of this child’s life. kaladin gets genuinely surprised that his parents kept the secret, since he thought they wouldn’t be able to. renarin teases adolin “you? a father? oh almighty” but he is so happy anyway

-shallan’s brothers are very happy for them, promising to be good uncles and take care of their niece or nephew

-jasnah and wit are both so proud of how far shallan has come and jasnah takes the rare opportunity and becomes the softest softie to ever soft... shallan is surprised, but nevertheless happy at jasnah’s reaction

-shallan’s pregnancy goes well, adolin starts singing to her tummy very early on and it becomes a nightly routine. he sings iriali lullabies that his mother sang to him when he was young. but he also talks to the baby everyday as well. shallan finds it endearing and eventually starts doing things like that too

-once her belly gets very big, it’s time for new clothing. since she’s often enjoying staying in and reading/drawing, she spends a lot of time in adolin’s shirts, while he goes out and designs new dresses for her that she wears during meetings and important outings during which she must appear

-gavinor likes to spend time with shallan and keep her company and she thinks its a good thing to get used to a child being around her. once they renovate the quarters and add rooms to it, she teaches him how to paint by painting the walls herself. it’s what starts gavinor’s love for art

-a month before she is due, kaladin and adolin are out in the city getting some new clothes when a messanger is sent to say that shallan is in early labor

-adolin and kaladin FUCKING SPRINT through the entire tower, and adolin is horrified outside the room because shallan is screaming and he is so worried

-both the davars and the kholins just drop everything they are doing at the time and come to see how shallan is doing at the clinic. though, the labor takes a few hours so some, like kaladin and renarin, stay with adolin in the lobby the whole time. others come and go, but everyone comes to check every once in a while

-finally, lirin comes out and offers adolin a hand to say “congratulations brightlord. your wife and daughter are in perfect health.”

-AND ADOLIN JUST FUCKING STARTS TEARING UP “I... I have a little girl? Wh-When can I see her?”

-meanwhile, shallan is holding her little girl in the bed. resting and thinking how she never loved anything so much so fast, she just wants to hold her and thinks “oh! mini me!”

-adolin comes in and just starts fucking crying, rushes over to hold and kiss shallan and thank her for bringing this child into the world

-then he turns to the baby and oh, she is the most divine creature to exist, she is a mini shallan and he just holds her by her little fingers. actually, the baby wraps their entire hand around adolin’s finger, which only makes it more adorable

-then it’s like that scene in friends when mondler get engaged and the others go “can we come in now, we’re dying out here!” and they go “come in!!!”

-the family comes in and take turns but dalinar goes first and just starts crying, EVERYONE IS CRYING. they’re crying, im crying, you’re crying. he has the same energy he had when adolin was born. he wants to buy everyone in urithiru a drink, celebrate the birth of his granddaughter.

-renarin and jasnah look at her and they have the same look on their face, they realize they’re gonna have another baby that isn’t directly theirs but they’re gonna love and cherish as their own. they’re going to spoil this little girl with math magazines, science and history books and ultimately let her know that she should grow into the best version of herself as she can be

-while navani goes to get little gav and wake him up from his nap, the davars get their turn. they are so delighted that their sister brought a new life into the world, almost being able to forget the rough past they had once they look into the child’s eyes

-navani comes in with gavinor and he is overjoyed with the baby, his little cousin that he will play with and protect

-navani is very emotional and talks about how similar she looks so much like shallan. her face is pretty pale, freckled and she has stunning blue eyes, but oh the smile. no doubt is it adolin’s smile.

-they notice kaladin is at the doorframe so they ask him why doesn’t he come in the room and our favorite grump goes:

“i just wanted to check if you are alright, but since it all is, i guess this should just be family now.”

“yeah that’s why you’re staying. i’m counting on you to take your role of an uncle very seriously”. and so kaladin takes the baby and with the first time he holds this little girl, he knows he would give it all to even try and be the best uncle to her

-then wit is the last one and shallan insists that he holds her and finally after inspecting the baby for a bit, wit says “alright. am i the only one who is going to address this baby’s hair. LOOK AT IT! BLONDE RED AND BLACK!!”. it’s a much needed moment of pure laughter in the room.

-when a nursemaid comes to ask for a name, adolin and shallan share a look, before nodding. adolin turns back and says “evi. my daughter’s name is evi.”

-later that night, shallan is resting while adolin is in the nursery and plays with the baby. playing consists of adolin sitting on a sofa and rocking her in his arms while she sleeps, but to adolin it’s the most wonderful thing. dalinar knocks and they have this very soft moment where they talk about how fatherhood changed dalinar and how adolin feels the same thing happening to him, right in that moment. but the real emotional kicker comes when dalinar says “i’m glad that’s her name.” they talk of how sorry dalinar is about everything and how he hopes that adolin knows how much he wants for them to repair their relationship. maybe it’s the emotions, maybe it’s the warmth of a newborn child pressed to his chest or the lack of sleep, but adolin accepts. dalinar somehow forces him to go and get some sleep and promises he would stay with the baby

-dalinar holds the baby and coos “welcome to the world, my little evi.” the next morning, they find dalinar on the sofa, sleeping in an uncomfortable position right next to the crib

BONUS: For all my rlainarin warrior out there, renarin would totally bring rlain to meet his niece and she would be so fascinated by his carapace. like kaladin, rlain would also feel an obligation to be an uncle to this child, further cementing the fact that rlainarin are in love with each other :)

[ithebookhoarder]

Chapter 19: In Sickness and in Health (The Gangster’s Daughter)

Description: Life for Tommy Shelby was pretty ordinary; all he ever had to worry about were his family, their business and the Blinders. Nothing more, nothing less. Well, that was until his ‘daughter’, a twelve-year-old girl called Evelyn Westmore, was thrown into his life, dredging up feelings and things from the past he’d done very well to forget.

Also available on AO3:

Warnings: Original Character(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Explicit Language, Gangsters, Period Typical Attitudes, Parent Tommy Shelby, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent.

Masterlist:

----

The next morning was when Evie finally learned the definition of a hangover. A real hangover. Like, Arthur after a night at the Garrison hangover.

She had barely been conscious a minute before she realised her head was pounding. It was as if someone was driving a hammer into her skull over and over again.

She didn’t dare open her eyes, knowing instantly the pain was going to be too much.

“Fuck,” she whined, pushing her face into her pillow, wondering if by some miracle she could go back to sleep. Of course, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. Not when she also currently felt like she was suffering from the worst case of sea sickness known to human kind. It made her stomach churn uneasily, and she could feel her whole body shaking.

Evie groaned, weakly turning over to try and sit up in bed. She knew for a fact that her hair was most likely a hell of mess, and the fact her breath felt like acid left her heavily confused.

She honestly had no idea what the hell had happened to her, or why the hell she felt the way she did. It was as if someone had scrubbed her mind so clean it was raw. There was a huge chunk of time missing from her mind from the night before.

What the hell happened?

With a sigh, she peeled back the covers and began to brave her way down to the kitchen below.

Tommy, needless to say, was waiting in the main room, a paper spread out in front of him and a cup of tea in hand. John was also in the kitchen, Arthur beside him as they scoffed their way through the food in front of them - courtesy of Polly.

The woman truly was an angel.

Her father glanced up as he heard Evie enter, only to start laughing at her miserable face. He was enjoying this; she could tell. If she’d had any strength she’d probably have tried to wipe that smile off his face. But she didn’t. She merely shuffled in, sat in the nearest chair and let out a small moan at the fresh smell of food in the air.

“Why do I have bulls stamping on my brain?”

“Because you thought it was a smart idea to challenge Johnny boy here, to a pissing contest,” Tommy remarked calmly, hiding his grin behind his paper. It was clear from his windswept hair and the smell of soot about him he’d been up sometime, already venturing out into the city. How he got the resilience, Evie could never explain.

“What?”

“Which I won, by the way,” John protested, looking unfairly healthy as he helped himself to his breakfast. The smell alone was enough to make Evie want to empty her stomach everywhere.

“But she gave an admirable attempt,” Arthur heckled. “Worthy of the Shelby name I’d say. Almost drank a bottle of her own before she keeled over. Not bad for a slip of a thing.”

Evie groaned, dropping her face down into her hands. “I hate you all.”

“So you don’t want some hot coffee then?” Polly chuckled, placing the cup down in front of her. “Drink that. It’ll help.”

Evie took her at her word, all but downing the steaming drink, praying it helped in some way. “Why do you all drink so much if this how you feel afterwards?”

“You learn your limits,” her father chided. “You build up an immunity too.”

“Clearly I didn’t inherit your Shelby skill.”

“No, but you have determination,” Tommy chuckled. “Clearly you’ve had good teachers.”

“Or bad influences,” Polly countered, turning to glare at her nephews.

“One day, she’ll look back on this and laugh.”

“Not anytime soon, by the looks of her.”

Evie groaned all over again. “I’m right here. You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not - actually, better yet, why doesn’t everyone whisper?”

“PARDON?”

Evie was half way out of her seat and ready to murder Arthur in a heartbeat. It was only Polly’s warning glare that stopped her. That, and the sudden nausea caused by moving so fast.

“Sit down,” her aunt scoffed, placing a plain piece of buttered toast in front of her. “Eat that and then go back to bed. You’ll feel better. I promise. This lot will be gone soon.”

“Sooner the better,” Evie grumbled half heartedly, even though she didn’t mean it. Still, John clearly got the hint and took that as his cue to excuse himself from the meal.

“Right,” John grinned, donning his cap. “I’m off to the garage. Be back in a bit, yeah? Meeting Lizzie so she can cook.” The others nodded, murmuring various acknowledgements as he slipped out into the street.

“I have business too,” Arthur grinned, rising from his seat and patting Evie’s shoulder as he did so. “Just sleep it off, ey? And don’t drink anything Polly gives you. You’d rather die on your own terms than have one of her miracle cures.”

“Oi!”

Arthur sniggered, leaping out of the doorway as Polly rose to slap the smile off of his face. Still, Evie took his word for it. She loved her aunt but she had a suspicion Arthur knew what he was on about. Especially judging by the slightly queazy look on her father’s face.

“The bloody cheek.”

“Leave him, Pol,” Tommy soothed. “He isn’t worth it."

“I wish I’d let Evie rip his throat out now.”

“Oh, there’s still time. Maybe later.”

Evie chuckled under breath. She’d hold him to that. For now, though, she was content to simply make her way through the plate of buttered toast and endless mugs of coffee Polly put before her. “Thank you,” she beamed, watching as Polly kissed her head before helping herself to her own breakfast.

That was how they stayed for the next half hour or so. Once they’d finished, Evie took the plates and went to wash up as a gesture of her gratitude. It also left her father and Polly alone, both of whom had been shooting odd looks at one another to the point where Evie almost wanted to call them out on it.

If they had something to say, they should just say it… unless they didn’t want her to hear?

So, she gave them space, washing dishes and listening to their soft voices echoing through the open doorway.

Evie didn’t need to hear more than the words ‘talk’ and ‘Lizzie’ to know what this was about. It had only been days since John had told her he was thinking of asking Lizzie to marry him. Evie still didn’t know how she felt about it, even though she wanted John happy and she liked Lizzie well enough. However, by the sounds of it, she didn’t have to worry about it any longer.

“Fuck,” Pol muttered. “You gonna tell him? Or am I?”

“I will.”

“Tell him what?” Evie asked slowly.

She couldn’t help it any longer. Her curiosity was greater than her fear of being scolded for eavesdropping. Besides, it was hardly like this conversation was that private. Else, they’d have taken it to the offices on the other side of the shop floor if they hadn’t want to be overheard.

She simply stepped into the doorway and waited for an answer.

Tommy sighed. He blew out a thin stream of smoke and looked at Pol. The look between them was enough for them to understand one another.

Polly blinked. “That leopards never change their spots.”

Just like that, Evie felt even sicker - something she hadn’t thought possible. It didn’t take a genius to work out what Polly was referring to. Part of her hoped she was wrong though, that her father and aunt hadn’t conspired to break John’s heart.

She watched her father go and turned back towards the stairs. All she wanted now was to crawl into bed and sleep the remainder of the headache away. “Fuck.”

It appeared she wasn’t the only one who would be suffering that day.

--------

Thankfully, after a hot bath, plenty of coffee and a long sleep, Evie felt almost as good as new. She didn’t even mind the fact her father decided to wake her the following morning, ripping open the curtains and letting the morning sunshine burst into the room.

“Rise and shine, Evelyn.”

Evie groaned, pulling the pillow over her head in a vain attempt to block his voice out. “What’s the smile for?”

“Get dressed and you’ll find out.”

As if the shock of seeing her father in her room wasn’t enough to peak her interest, his proposition definitely did the trick. Evie was alert instantly. She couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d woken her up, let alone in such an odd mood.

She tried not to laugh as he tugged the covers off of her, doing his best as she clung on for dear life. Playful Tommy was rare. She half expected a cold bucket of water over the head or for him to be banging pans together instead.

“Dad,” Evie whined, surrendering and sitting upright. “What the hell is going on?”

“As I say, get dressed and come downstairs. We’ve got somewhere to be,” her father explained, gesturing to the dresser in the corner of the room.

To her utter surprise, a dress was already laid out and waiting for her - a beautiful sky blue dress, but one she’d never seen before.

Had he bought it for her?

“Polly picked it our for you so don’t keep her waiting,” he continued, as if sensing her questions. However, he gave her no more opportunities to ask them as he turned and left her to get ready for the absurd day ahead of them.

Evie couldn’t even begin to process it all. What had just happened? Was she still dreaming?

She managed to pry herself from her bed and wander over towards the dress. A single touch of the silky fabric was enough to prove this wasn’t a dream. This was very very real… and very expensive.

“Damn it, Pol,” she sniggered, reminding herself to talk to her aunt about wasting money on her like this. Whilst she absolutely adored the garment in front of her, she also knew they couldn’t really afford it.

Nevertheless, she’d learned a long time ago when to pick a battle with the Shelby family and when to simply go along with their wishes. This was definitely one of those times to go with the latter option. So, she stripped herself of her nightclothes and began to get ready for the day, washing away the sleep from her eyes in the washbasin and tidying her hair as best she could.

A few minutes more and she was ready. One final look in the mirror confirmed as much.

She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her coat, hurrying downstairs as fast as she was able. If her father was as excited as he’d seemed about today then she knew better than to keep him waiting. Even if she was nervous about what lay ahead, Evie couldn’t help but be a little excited too. However, as she hurried into the parlour, she was surprised to see it empty.

Her father was no where to be seen.

“What the hell?” she whispered.

That was when the door opened. That was when the last two people she’d expected to come strolling through together, did just that, grinning ear to ear.

“Polly what on earth is going o-” Evie began. She stopped, however, the moment she laid eyes on the woman next to her. “Ada?”

Like that, she was upon her, hurling herself at her aunt in disbelief. The heavily pregnant woman didn’t mind though, laughing as she cradled her back, peppering kisses to her cheeks.

“Oh my god. I’m glad to see you.”

“I missed you too,” Ada whispered. “It’s been too long.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Tommy invited her,” Polly smirked, visibly touched by the scene. “Family should be together on days like this one. We have a one day truce, thank god. I love a good wedding.”

“A wedding?”

She wasn’t the only one confused. Ada looked as bewildered as she felt. However, Evie finally took a moment to properly examine the moment. It was then she realised they were all dressed impeccably, with fine dresses and coats. Polly even had a hat on, something she saved for church or special occasions. How Evie had missed it was beyond her. Clearly, she was getting rusty.

“Apparently.”

“Whose?”

“I thought it was obvious,” Polly chuckled. “So, shall we go? Otherwise we’ll miss the bloody thing… I never thought I’d see the day John Shelby re-married. To a Lee of all things.”

Wait.

John.

This was John’s wedding?

To a Lee girl?

Not Lizzie?

Evie blinked. She froze and stared at the woman in disbelief. “You’re fucking joking? Right?”

Both Ada and Polly shook their heads. “It was your father’s idea,” Polly explained, adjusting her hat in the mirror before opening the door and ushering them towards the car. “It was a deal proposed by the Lees. Tommy agreed on John’s behalf. Kill two birds with one stone.”

Evie had a suspicion someone would be killed if that really was the case. “Does John know?”

“They’ll have told him by now.”

“Fuck. Now I see why they all left together.”

It took an army to make a Shelby do something they didn’t want to do. John especially. Evie felt bad at the thought. What if he didn’t want this? Why was her family forcing him into this? Was it too late to stop it?

Then again, her father loved his family more than life itself. He wouldn’t do it if he didn’t have John’s approval or hadn’t meticulously thought this whole thing out. Had he even met the bride to be?

Evie sighed. Why were Shelby weddings always so complicated? At least this one wasn’t in secret, a fact she was grateful for as she turned to her aunt and took her hand. The fact she was here beside her already made her feel ten times better.

“Freddie not with you?”

Ada shook her head. “No, but it’s alright. I’m… I’m glad to see everyone.”

“We’re glad to see you too,” Polly hummed, kissing both Ada and Evie’s cheeks. “Now. Stop nattering and get in. We have a wedding to get to and I don’t want to miss this for the world.”

The girls didn’t need to be told twice. They knew an order when they heard it. They had a wedding to get to after all. John’s wedding… God help them all.

---------

The ceremony was brief but pleasant. Even her father and Ada seemed to be getting on, grinning and teasing one another as Jonny completed the ritual, standing in front of the crowd gathered in the shipping yard the Lees currently called home.

Evie had never been to a gypsy wedding before. Not one like this, with so much colour and excitement for what was usually quite a somber ceremony according to the church she was used to. Yes, Esme - her newest relative - was wearing white as she made her way down the aisle, but that was pretty much where the resemblance ended. After all, when had church ever involved the use of a knife before? … or real blood?

Evie had clearly been going to the wrong services.

“That’s the mingling of the two bloods. Where two families become one family,” Jonny explained, grinning ear to ear as Esme and John clasped hands together. The look on their faces said it all. “I now pronounce you, man and wife! Go on John, kiss the bride, will you?”

The cheer was instantaneous, as were the celebrations that followed.

Evie was quick to hug and congratulate John and his new bride. To her relief, he seemed happy - excited even, and who could blame him? Esme was gorgeous. After a few moments of talking, Evie had also deduced that she was wild and almost as much of a true gypsy as Polly. She was also kind, witty and clever - she had to be if Tommy had accepted her to join their family, their side of this now resolved conflict. He wouldn’t have accepted just anyone and yet again, they were all forced to have faith he knew what he was doing.

That didn’t mean Evie had to hold it against Esme. No matter how she’d joined the Shelby clan, she was a Shelby nonetheless and Evie knew better than most how daunting it was to join such a clan as this.

“Congratulations,” she smiled once more, kissing John’s cheek and nodding at his bride. “Be good to one another.”

“We will be.”

“And welcome to the family, Esme.”

“Thank you,” she nodded, grinning as John slid his arm about her waist and held her close.

Evie took that as her cue to leave the newly weds to it. As it was, one of the younger Lee boys had decided to take advantage of the fact she was currently by herself, lingering by the now raging dance floor.  

He was quick to stand beside her, taking her hand and shoot her a teasing grin. “Fancy a dance?”

Evie automatically went to decline, but changed her mind. He was handsome and the night was young. “Why not?” she shrugged. It was a night of peace and celebration after all. “Just don’t blame me if I stand on your toes.”

With that, she let him grab her other hand and spin her into the crowd. She didn’t know the steps, if there even were any, nor did she know the song the band were singing. All she knew, was that she felt weightless, skipping about with her partner.

“I’m Antony,” he grinned, bellowing to be heard over the violin and drumbeats.

“Evelyn!”

“Pleasure to meet you, Evelyn Shelby!”

Give it five more minutes, and several broken toes, and she’d see if he still felt that way after all.

------

Just because the light soon disappeared, didn’t mean the celebrations did. In fact, as candles and lanterns were lit, so too were everyones spirits; There were drinks being poured, games of cards being won, and at one point - gunshots and fireworks.

It was official, Evie loved weddings. Particularly, Shelby weddings.

She also liked dancing and was not looking to stop anytime soon. She’d danced with multiple partners, making her way around the floor before finally ending up beside her aunt. For a pregnant woman, Ada was doing rather well at keeping up.

To be honest, if Evie was having fun, then Ada was on a whole other level. It was almost hysterical watching as her aunt spun and cheered and staggered about the place. After weeks, months even, without her, she was glad to have her back and making mischief with her.

“Fuck. I missed dancing!”

“That’s not dancing!”

“It is!” she protested, snagging Evie’s arm and spinning her around and around. “I should know. I taught you, didn’t I?”

Evie erupted into laughter at the memory. “I think we broke Polly’s vase when you tried to dip me!”

“And her clock with that lift!”

Both girls erupted into further laughter, tears trickling down their cheeks. All Evie could see was the memory of her aunt Polly’s face as she’d come into the kitchen to find Ada lifting Evie over her head, surrounded by broken china and glass.

“God! I’ve missed you,” Evie whined, hugging Ada close as her emotions over took her for a second. Her aunt didn’t seem to mind though as she hugged her back tightly.

“I’ve missed you too. We should never go this long without speaking ever again.”

“Fine by me. After the baby’s born, we should go dancing together.”

“Fuck yes!”

As if proving her enthusiasm for the idea, Ada began to twirl all over again, faster and more manically than before. Apparently it was enough to worry her family. Arthur was by their side in an instant.

“Come on, Ada. Enough now. Enough,” he tried, to no avail. He went to reach for her, only for her to spin away faster. “Ada.”

Even Tommy was coming over from his seat, sighing as he approached. That was enough to knock the smile from Evie’s face, especially as she noticed Polly’s concerned expression. What did they expect? Ada had always enjoyed living vicariously and she’d been locked away for weeks.

“Ada,” her father coaxed, addressing her like some spooked animal. “Come on, have a rest. Sit down now.”

“Come and look, Esme! Look at the family you’ve joined!” Ada bellowed in reply. “Come look at the man who runs it, who picks his brother’s wives for them!”

Evie turned, an apology already on her lips as John and Esme were startled from their own celebrations. She could see John was about to say something less than nice to his drunk, pregnant sister.  

“He hunts his own sister down like a rat, and tried to kill his own brother-in-law!”

“Ada, that’s enough!” Arthur urged, as both Polly and Tommy closed in.

“Now, he won’t even let me have a fucking dance!-”

“Ada!”

“-Not even at a fucking wedding,” she seethed, glaring at Tommy whilst Polly tried to wrap her arms around her niece and guide her to a chair.

“Sit her down,” John pleaded.

Jesus. Every Shelby was involved now. Only Finn appeared to be missing and he was too busy playing with the Lee children to care. Else, he’d have found it hilarious.

“Calm down, Ada. Calm down.”

However, Ada’s face was anything but calm. In fact, it looked horrified. Polly only had to glance down to know why.

“Holy shit.” She sighed. “Water. Right.”

“Bloody hell Ada,” Arthur groaned. “You do pick your times.”

“Her water’s broke!”

“I didn’t plan this!”

“Right we need to move.”

“Get off me, Tom.”

Everyone erupted into chaos. Evie lost track of who was talking or even in charge of the scene. She simply followed, excitement and panic coursing through her as she took Ada’s hand and squeezed.

“Evie?”

“I’m right here,” she promised, helping towards the waiting car. “I swore it at the beginning and I meant it. You’ll always have me. I’m not going anywhere. Not until we have a screaming baby in your arms.”

-----------

Screaming.

So much screaming.

It was official - Evie was never having a baby.

“It hurts!”

“I know,” Polly cooed, manoeuvring the sheets about as she peered up from her position between Ada’s parted legs. “If it didn’t it wouldn’t be called labour.”

“I want Freddie!”

“Ada-”

“Please!” she sobbed, laying her sweaty head back against Evie’s chest. Despite Polly’s warning Evie had chosen to stay. She wasn’t going anywhere. Even if she knew nothing about delivering a baby, she knew all about loving and supporting her family. She and Ada had been there for each other time and time again.

Nothing had changed, just because Ada was married.

“You can do this,” Evie whispered, kissing her aunt’s damp brow. “Freddie’s on his way. You heard Polly. Dad’s given his word. Freddie can come. He’ll be here any second.”

“So will this little one,” Polly urged as Ada yelped again, a contraction cutting off the conversation.  “Keep going. That’s right. Push.”

And to her credit, she did. Ada pushed, screaming and crushing Evie’s hand in the process. Yet, Evie wouldn’t have had it any other way. Her heart was racing as within the span of mere minutes she heard the soft cries of a baby.

Ada’s baby.

“Oh my god,” she whimpered, hugging Ada tightly as she tried to catch her breath. Polly and Esme were doing their part, cleaning and tidying everything below before presenting the baby to its mother. “You did it, Ada. You did it.” “I did,” she giggled, almost deliriously. She looked like she could have slept for weeks.

“Ada. Congratulations, darling. It’s a boy.” Polly’s voice broke them from their celebration as they turned their eyes downward to the cloth wrapped bundle now being passed their way. Soft, tiny fingers poking out were all Evie could see as she gaped at her new cousin.

She wanted to cry. Damn it, Ada and Polly actually were crying, as was the baby. It was a room of crying people. All shedding happy tears though.

“A baby boy,” Ada whispered, staring at the bundle in her arms.

Then they heard it.

The door banging below.

“Ada! Come on! Open up!”

“Freddie,” Ada whimpered, exhausted eyes turning to the hall. She didn’t even have to ask. Polly was already half way down the stairs. The already perfect moment would now be complete, as would their family now that the father had arrived. Just in time too.

He would get to meet his son.

Evie couldn’t have been happier for Ada, grinning as she heard Freddie’s frantic footsteps approaching. The look on his face as he burst into the room was awestruck.

Then again, seeing his wife, beaming ear to ear, cradling their newborn in her arms tended to have that affect on a person.

“It’s a boy, Freddie,” Ada whispered.

Freddie simply blinked. His smile grew as he took the invitation, approaching slowly before perching on the stool next to them. Evie was quick to move aside, allowing him to take her place as he reached over and took the bundle for himself.

One look was all it took.

He was in love.

“It’s a beautiful baby boy,” he gaped, much to everyone’s amusement. Polly even wiped her eyes hastily, as if trying to hide her tears of joy. “There you go. Welcome to the world, son. Welcome to the world.”

His tone was of wonder and of euphoria as he stared down at the boy in his arms. Who knew what he was thinking.

Was that how her father would have looked, had he been there for her birth? Would he have stared at her like she was his entire world? Evie gulped at the thought. It was stupid to think of such things, but she couldn’t help it. A small part was jealous as she witnessed the tender tableau before her.

The truth was, her mother had probably been alone. Who had she had as a friend to hold her hand or assist with the birth? Maybe their neighbours? They were always kind to them, looking out for the small family. Still, it wouldn’t have been like this, that much Evie was sure of. Not full of love and support.

Her mother had had her reasons, Evie knew that. It just didn’t make witnessing what they could have had any less painful.

“What are you going to call him?”

“Karl,” Ada grinned, answering Esme’s question. “After Karl Marx.”

“Who?”

“Bloody hell,” Polly sniggered. “Karl’s a lovely name, Ada.”

A lovely name for a lovely boy. Evie was about to say as much when there was yet another knock at the door. Well, knock probably wasn’t the right word, not when the door rattled under the weight of their visitor’s fist.

“Police! Open up!”

Everyone froze. No one knew what to do.

The Police? The Police were here? Why? How?

“Oh god,” Evie choked, reaching instinctively for Ada and taking her hand. She also watched as Polly was quick to snatch Karl out of his father’s arms and placed him securely back with his mother.

That was all they had time for as the door burst open down below. Everything that followed for the next five minutes was pure pandemonium. Evie didn’t even know where to look. She lost track with the sudden surge of bodies in the house, all arguing and brawling, dragging Freddie outside with them.

Esme was vicious in her attempts to defend her new family. Polly too, was screaming blue murder as she tried and failed to stop them. She was also gone, storming out mere moments after the Police had left.

No one needed to ask to know where she was headed, or whom she intended to see. “I’m gonna set this right,” she’d rambled, kissing a now hysterical Ada as she left.

How? How could anyone make this right? Evie didn’t know how it could have gone wrong. No one knew Freddie was here. Her father had given his word. He wouldn’t have lied to them… not today… not even he was that callous.

Right?

Evie wished she could be sure. However, she had bigger concerns than her father’s integrity to worry about; Ada was already pushing herself up, onto her feet, and trying to reach for her forgotten coat and shoes.

“I need to go home.”

“No,” Esme pleaded, trying to force her to sit back down by the fire. “You just gave birth. You need to rest.”

“What I need is my husband,” Ada sobbed. “I need to be out of this house!”

Evie took that as her cue to intervene, before her aunt did any damage to herself or anyone else in the room. “I’ll take you home, ok?” she offered, reaching for her arm. “We’ll take the car. Save you walking.”

“But-”

Whilst well intentioned, the look Evie passed Esme told her it was hopeless. She’d soon learn Shelby women did only what they wanted, when they wanted. Everyone else could be damned. Right now, Ada cared about one thing and one thing only: keeping herself and her baby safe. That meant getting as far from Shelby territory as possible.

“Tell Polly where we’ve gone if she comes back, ok?” Evie stated, nodding at Esme.

To her credit, Esme didn’t argue. She hurried to gather Ada’s things, helping Evie to assist her aunt and new-born cousin into the back of the waiting car. She even offered to accompany them.

“I know about babies and what needs doing now,” she explained, hopping into the passenger’s seat. “I’ll be more use to you there than sitting on my ass here.”

Evie and Ada were visibly grateful for her company; They were going to need all the help they could get.

-------------

It was hours before either Evie or Esme returned. In fact, the sun was already beginning to rise as Evie rounded the corner of Watery Lane, the engine humming as it bounced across the cobbles. Whilst she much preferred riding to driving, she’d learned all the same during the war. When there hadn’t been any men to drive anywhere.

Like riding, she loved the solitude and freedom driving offered. She only wished she could turn the car around and drive away from it all… anywhere else… anywhere but here would have been good enough for her.

Her rage had been steadily building with every moment that had passed since Freddie had been taken. By now, she was shaking as she controlled the urge to march inside her house and shoot the lot of them.

Instead, she ground to a halt, slamming the car door harder than necessary and barging her way into Watery Lane.

She’d hardly made it in the door before Polly was upon her, wide eyed and panicked.

“Is she-?”

“She’s alright, Pol,” Evie soothed, glad to see the immediate relief in Polly’s eyes. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t be hurrying back to Ada the moment she could, to check on her for herself. “She’s sleeping. I made sure she ate and kept an eye on her. Esme did too. She’s there to help with feeding and stuff when the baby wakes. Ada just needs sleep.”

Her aunt’s face relaxed at the news, but her skin was still too pale. “She shouldn’t be alone. Not now.”

“She didn’t have much choice,” Evie spat, her eyes following to the guilty party. The one who had made this divide. “Isn’t that right, Dad?”

She hadn’t even acknowledged the others in the room until that point, but now her stare was ice cold as she focused on them.

She snapped.

She grabbed the nearest item - a teapot of all things - and hurled it at his head. Luckily, Tommy dodged, meaning it shattered harmlessly against the wall. But the look of disbelief on his face was accurate enough.

“Oi!” he warned, hurrying to reach her before she could throw something else. Had John not wrapped his arms around her, she probably would have. There were several teacups she had always hated in particular, lying within reach in an open invitation. “Listen to me! I didn’t do this.”

“Then who did?” Evie bellowed.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t-? Bullshit.”

Evie spat at him, breaking free of John and pushing him off of her.

“Pack it in!” he begged, rolling his eyes. “Tommy wouldn’t do this.”

Whether they believed him or not didn’t matter. Evie knew in her heart they’d been betrayed. If not by her father then who was it? Who was she supposed to believe had this kind of information, other than family?

“First you dictated John’s life. Now theirs? Is there anyone you won’t control?”

“Evie-”

“Don’t,” she seethed, panting from the exertion. “Don’t touch me. If you had anything to do with this,” she warned, “then I’ll never speak to you again. Ever.”

“It wasn’t me!”

“Promise?”

“Promise! On your mother’s life.”

A stray tear escaped Evie’s eye as she turned and stormed back across to Polly. Such an oath had to be honoured until it was proven otherwise. But that didn’t mean Evie had to like it. So, she choose to leave her father where he stood: on shaky ground.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Retrospective: The Gift and the Curse

Brendan Fraser has seen a resurgence lately and i love every bit of that. Dude has been one of my favorite actors for decades. I’m an Eighties kid who grew up during the Nineties so i was right there when he came onto the scene. I was a massive fan f all of his early work; Bedazzled, George of the Jungle, Encino Man, Airheads, Blast from the Past, and even Monkeybone. Dude hit his stride right around the Aughts and then completely disappeared. We found out later it was because of some really f*cked up sh*t but he made it through and proved he still had with Robot Man on Doom Patrol. I’m so glad this guy got another shot at this movie star sh*t but i wanted to revisit the franchise that put him on the map: The Mummy.

The Mummy

I love this campy ass flick, man. I saw this one in the theaters because, at the time, i was super into CG. It had only been a few years since Jurassic Park blew that sh*t out the water and only a few months after The Matrix made everyone sh*t the bed. The Mummy just missed that window but it was still incredibly enjoyable. This was my Indiana Jones because i didn’t care about Indy for a long time. It’s not that they were bad movies, i was just too young to appreciate them. The Mummy came out right at the time i started to really understand why i liked cinema, what a good permanence truly was, and how beautiful a film could be. The Mummy covered almost all of those bases. Fraser did an excellent job as Rick O’Connor and Rachel Weisz stunned as Evelyn Carnahan. F*cking Evie, man. I was already a fan of Fraser but this movie made me really pay attention to Weisz and she became one of my favorite actresses. It helps tremendously that she is f*cking gorgeous! Rounding out the cast is John Hannah as Evie’s brother, Johnathan and Arnold Vosloo as the titular mummy, Imhotep. Also, i can’t not mention the scummiest of scumbags, Benny, portrayed so effortlessly by Kevin J. O'Connor.

I absolutely adore this film. It’s a not the best example of Nineties cinema, how can it be, and it’s a terrible remake of the original Universal Mummy but it does what it wants to do very well. I love the ideas and the world they built with this campy clusterf*ck. It shouldn’t work, it should be terrible, but it’s one of the funnest films i have ever seen. It has it’s issues, absolutely, but they are minor compared the non-stop action, the incredible cinematography, the dated but ambitious CG effects ,and solid performances from every principal actor. They really let Fraser do his thing and that energy carried over to the rest of the cast. Evie is every bit the bad ass as Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley but is still a very girly-girl; Something that seems to be frowned upon nowadays. Imhotep id an unrelenting, vicious antagonist who controls powers from long ago, literally willing the seven plagues of Egypt into modern times. This movie is all over the f*cking place but it worse so well and every time i see it, i have as much fun as i did way back when i was a ripened fourteen years old.

The Mummy Returns

Boy, this one suffers terrible from Sequelitis. It does nothing new and is an almost exact retread of the first film but we have new characters and a new villain in the guise of... The Scorpion King! Yes, this is the first film that titular Arachno-Monarch makes his first appearance portrayed by a very young, very beefy, and later, very poorly rendered, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson! That’s right, long before he was Franchise Viagra, way before he was punching out Dom into a stalemate in them god awful Fast flicks, The Rock got his start here, in the sequel to The Mummy and he’s f*cking terrible! Oh my god, is he bad but it works. His awful, awful, performance fits right in with the utter camp of this ridiculous franchise ans, to no one’s surprise, i loved every second of it. Now, as much as i love The Rock in this thing, i have to absolutely give it to Patricia Velasquez as Meela Nais, the physical reincarnation of Imhotep’s regicide partner and f*ck-buddy, Anck-Su-Namun. I didn’t talk about her much in the entry about The Mummy but that as mostly because she was more a plot device rather than a character. She isn’t much else in this one either but at least we got to actually see her for more than ten minutes. Plus, that fight between her and Nefertiri was f*cking glorious. Sixteen year old Smokey appreciated the f*ck out of that.

The returning cast hits their points perfectly. That chemistry never falters. Fraser, Weisz, and Hannah are exceptional together and Vosloo is, somehow, both far more menacing and hilarious at the same time. There’s this scene toward the end where he is utterly defeated and it’s the funniest sh*t i have ever seen. I also really enjoy both Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay far more in this one than the last because he gets to do sh*t finally. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was also a welcome surprise as  the muscle, Lock-Nah. Dude just kinds of stands around and i think he gets into a fight with Fehr that was pretty cool but a little trite. Obviously, as a film from the early Aughts, it has it;s problems. There’s a ton of culturally insensitive sh*t that Zoomers would probably be upset about but, you know, f*ck em. It’s like a sense f humor is illegal nowadays. That said, having Rachel Weisz, as gorgeous and half-naked as she is and was, portray an Egyptian is a little much nowadays. At least Patricia Velasquez is a type of Brown? An attempt was made. This thing is a mess and i enjoy every second of it. The Mummy Returns is substantially worse that the first but, at the same time, just so batsh*t that it is equally as entertaining. But f*ck that kid, though. Every time he’s onscreen all of the good times are thrown right out the goddamn window!

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

I gave this one the hard pass for years. It looked like trash. Like straight up dog sh*t. This thing came out seven years after Returns and i just didn’t care. I was one hundred percent in my hipster film snob era and couldn’t be bothered. For a full f*cking decade and some change. Seriously, i just watched this thing the day before yesterday. For the first time. It was the inspiration for this retrospective because, after seeing this train wreck, i went back to check out the first two just to get the taste of dogsh*t out of my mouth. There are several changes made to the formula that immediately take me out of this film. First, and most egregiously, no more Rachel Weisz! She didn’t come back for the third. The reason behind her absence has run the gambit from vanity, to scheduling conflicts, to literally never getting a script. I don;t really care why, all i know is that her absence was felt. Maria Bello did her best but she isn’t MY Evie. Another “choice” was to age up that awful f*cking kid into an awful f*cking adult. That’s right, this is a “passing of the torch flick” and Luke Ford’s Alex O'Connell was supposed to take over the franchise going forward. That didn’t happen because this is Rick’s franchise. The Mummy would be nothing without Fraser and the at was proven when this thing tanked. It wasn’t all bad though. I really liked the new mummy, Han. They did some really fin things with his abilities and Jet Li never once phoned in an action scene. Unfortunately, even with the strength of the brand and outstanding lead performances, this thing still sucks.

I had a time with Tomb but it wasn’t like the time i had with it’s predecessors. I don’t know if it’s because I'm so much older and hardened by life but all i see is the flaws in this one. It doesn’t have the nostalgia goggles like the first two so i can’t enjoy it like i enjoy those. I just see plot holes instead of camp. Bad CG instead of rustic attempt. Poor set pieces instead of Nineties jank. Bad character writing instead of unfortunately hilarious dialogue. Tomb isn’t terrible but it ain’t good wither. It;s mediocre and i know the first two aren’t great but they’re better than whatever this wanted to be. It’s weird to see because there are a lot of great ideas here. I can see the vision that lays outside the margins and it’s frustrating. Fraser does is in his element as Rick and Li’s Han is a physical powerhouse but that’s not enough. As awesome as this movie gets when those two are on screen, literally everything around them is dismissible and i don’t understand how or why. I think a lot of the chemistry was lost when the focus was shifted to Alex from Rick and the recasting of Eve really didn’t do this film any favors. However, even with all of my frustrations, i can’t say i had a terrible time with this thing. It was entertaining, if a little bogus.

[bookaddict24-7]

I said at the beginning of the year that I would share my reviews more on my blog instead of just on Instagram and Goodreads. I’ve been reading a lot so far this year, so my reviews will be delayed on here. I’ll hopefully post five (mini-ish) reviews per week!

Friend me on Goodreads here to read my reviews in real-time!

Since I’ve already posted the first ten reviews on here earlier in the year, we’ll start with reviews for books 11-15. Let me know if you’d like me to re-post the earlier reviews in this format! 

___

11. The Call by Peadar O’Guilin--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I’ve had the ARC for this book on my shelves for YEARS. I’m happy that I also have an ARC of the sequel because this book was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. This is such a unique fey story. The idea that in a dystopian world, teenagers are essentially stolen for three minutes to be hunted down and tortured is something I’ve never seen before. I enjoyed the unique premise AND also the other story of our MC having to survive not just the imminent call, but her horrible classmates. My attention was captured from the very beginning and I can’t wait to read the sequel!”

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12. Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey--⭐️⭐️.5

“I remember when I first heard about this book, I was excited. I loved the concept and am a huge fan of romcoms. And then I read this book. The MC uses her love of romcoms as the base for her ideal man to a toxic level, even going as far as just being impossibly naive. Her idealization went from adoration to obsession. It was worrying and the real MVP is her best friend for calling her out on it. In this book, her best friend was the best character. She was also a massive bitch. She was just so rude for no apparent reason other than a nickname given to her by the love interest. The poor guy couldn’t even breathe without her snapping at him. Sure, it’s supposed to be this cute enemy (not enemies because she was the one that hated him) to lovers, but there’s a line between dislike and pure rudeness. Also, that conclusion. There’s a moment near the end after the big climax happens (and it wasn’t even a big event, it was pretty tame) where she is again her unreasonably rude self even though there is no reason really for his sudden turnaround. Also, hey, the spice? I KNEW it would be tame af. I just KNEW it. These books should come with a warning, aha. Anyway, I wasn’t a big fan, but others might like it—it just wasn’t for me.”

___

13. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Okay, first thing I’ll say is that this book is COOL. The concept and the action scenes are really neat—it’s like reading a super sci-fi version of Venom, aha. The second thing I’ll say is that this book was way longer than it needed to be. This could have easily been multiple books. Props to Paolini for not leaving his readers with huge cliffhangers, but this was just so long. It almost felt episodic, like each part of the book was another problem they had to solve. I did like the arc of the MC and how she had to not only learn to live her new life, but had to work through her grief. She was a powerful character who was ultimately flawed enough that it made her even better. The cast of characters around her all had so much life and loved their interactions, especially Gregorovich. I listened to the audiobook alongside the physical book (because this is a SUPER intimidating book) and the way the voice actor said his name made me smile every time. That computer, in my opinion, was the best comic relief in this book. He also made me think of AIDAN a lot (from ILLUMINAE). The last bit of the book is just 100+ pages of glossaries and timelines and I’ll be honest, by that point I was exhausted because again, LONG book. I’d recommend this to anyone who like space operas and pretty cool action scenes. Also, if you’re a fan of Marvel, this one felt like it in many aspects.”

___

14. The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2) by Lemony Snicket--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Alright, this one was better than the first book! These poor children just can’t catch a break and seeing as this is only book two, I am both nervous and excited to see what other problems they face!”

___

15. A Rogue of One’s Own (A League of Extraordinary Women #2) by Evie Dunmore--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I’m so glad this book was as fun as it was! I’m always so worried when I read a sequel or companion to a book I really enjoyed. But this book was fun, sexy, and had the beautiful trope of enemies to lovers. Much like with the first book, I thought it interesting to see what the suffragettes went through—especially while falling in love. This book raised the important question of what to do when you are fighting for something that seemingly (on the surface) opposes what you’re currently experiencing. Not only did this book have a great conclusion to that question, but the author also offered some more insight in the author’s note. This isn’t a five star read for me because the characters were so frustrating. I do love that they grew and learned from their mistakes, but sometimes I wanted to throttle them. Anyway, this is a great series if you’ve recently watched Bridgerton and want more historical romance with humour and sexy times!”

___

Have you read any of these? Would you recommend them?

___

Happy reading!

[calm-and-wine]

(I’ll give you) the best years

PART VI / EPILOGUE (masterlist)

here we are, the last part, more of an epilogue really. it’s quite short, but it also felt right, so hopefully you won’t be too disappointed.

as it is the end, i want to say the biggest thank you to everyone who has read and interacted with my little story. i’m so glad you loved and accepted Nulu, it truly means the world. also, if you’d ever wonder about anything or want to talk about this little family, please feel more than welcomed to pop into my inbox! i love you all, happy reading!

PART VI / EPILOGUE

September 2030

Lucy was tired, but content. She was probably supposed to be wiped out, sleeping for hours on end would be acceptable too. After spending over 8 hours yesterday in the car with children, a whining almost 4 years old and a fussy 6 months old, she had every reason to feel half dead. Even though Niall provided her a little break, sending her grocery shopping while he watched the kids, she was still half dead. She actually really liked going to the supermarket, might have even spent extra long roaming the aisles, just to get a bit more alone time. She loved her children, of course she did, but everyone needed a small break once in a while.

But none of that stopped her from getting up early, starting the preparations, then waking the kids before they started crying, and doing the rest of cooking with both her daughters in tow. She was in a great mood, any tiredness or lack of sleep forgotten. After all, it was Niall’s birthday. And her husband deserved all the good things, always.

“Mummy, can I decorate? I wanna make them all pretty.” Evelyn, her eldest asked, her big blue eyes pleading, just in case her mum declined. It was almost impossible to say no to her when she looked at someone like that, a power she was perfectly aware of. Sometimes Lucy could not believe she wasn’t even four yet, she was way too smart.

“Sure, Eve, but just a few, okay? We’ll put the fruits and everything else on the table, so everyone can make their own.” She put a few pancakes on a plate before placing it in front of her daughter. Evelyn was nothing if not helpful. Lucy looked to her other side, where Olivia was sitting in her high chair, playing with her teddy and a wooden spoon. Apparently there were no better toys than kitchen appliances or whatever else you could find lying around the house.

There was soft music playing in the background, the last of the pancakes sizzling in the pan, a bubble of excitement fluttering in Lucy’s stomach. Life was good, better than good. She had everything she could have ever wanted, more than she even dared to dream about. Sure, it wasn’t always perfect and it definitely wasn’t easy, but they were healthy, and most importantly, there was a lot of love to hold it all together. 

Evelyn was born on the 14th of December 2026 and neither Lucy nor Niall knew what to do with the happiness and love bursting through them for this perfect little bundle they created. In the following months, Lucy was very glad Niall was home, because no matter how peaceful she might have looked, Evelyn was no angel. And Lucy would probably lose her mind, if it weren’t for him. He worked in the studio with the boys, but it wasn’t any crazy schedule, just slowly putting songs together, always making sure not to put too much on his wife’s shoulder. She was also very glad he convinced her to go ahead with the training centre, which opened in February of 2027, because it became a source of normality for her, a reason to leave the house and clear her mind, usually for a few hours twice a week. 

One Direction released their second album since reactivating in September of 2028 and then embarked on a tour, Lucy and Evelyn joining them for most of it. It was crazy at times, but Niall said nothing would ever beat standing on stage in front of thousands of people and turning your head to see your wife and kid dancing hidden on the side stage. She found out she was pregnant again on that very tour. They weren’t really trying for another kid, but they also weren’t actively preventing anything, just letting the universe work however it wanted to. So, on the 14th of March this year, Olivia was born. She was much calmer than her sister, which Lucy took as a blessing, only hoping it wouldn’t come doubled as a toddler rebellion or something. And once again, Niall finished tour early December, spending the last couple of months of her pregnancy home, helping her and being her rock, then enjoying another newborn bliss together. The band came back to work since, once again popping into the studio every once in a while, but there was no rush. Harry welcomed his second child recently, joking that Niall should pick up his pace, because he had been married way shorter, yet they had the same number of offsprings, his kids only a year apart. 

But for Lucy and Niall, there was no rush. She loved what they had, had felt this way for years upon years, pure contentment. She couldn’t even pinpoint a moment when she wanted something more than she already had, since she started dating Niall, not really. 

She put the last pancakes on the plate, the ones Evelyn decorated were already placed at the table, so she picked Olivia up, settling her on her hip, grabbing Evie’s hand and going upstairs. Her eldest giggled excitedly, letting go of her mum’s hand as soon as she opened the door to the master bedroom and sprinting before jumping on the bed. Lucy only hoped she wouldn’t land on Niall or kick him in the ribs. There was no stopping her when she got like this, though.

“Dada! Wake up! It’s your birthday!” she screamed, jumping up and down on the bed. 

Niall hummed, scrunching his eyes for a second, which earned him a giggle from his daughter, before opening them and instantly grabbing her to bring her down on top of him, tickling her before blowing a raspberry on her stomach.

“Hello, pumpkin,” he said, planting a kiss on her cheek, her eyes glistening and a huge smile showing all of her teeth.

“We made breakfast, you have to hurry,” she said proudly, going to stand up on the bed, Niall’s hands instantly going up to secure her in case she lost balance. He sat up looking at his wife, who stood near the doorway, their other daughter tucked in her arms, hiding her face in her neck. Their daughters couldn’t have been more different, Evelyn was a natural firecracker, while Olivia seemed timid and shy, he couldn’t wait to see them grow into two amazing women. “Dada!” Evelyn pulled on his hand, rushing him. 

“Okay, okay, I’m getting up, Evie,” he laughed, standing up and helping her down from the bed. He grabbed a sweater to cover his bare chest, barely managing to pull it over his head, before Eve started pushing on his leg, trying to make him move. “Go ahead, I’m right behind you,” he said, which earned him a huff.

“Just not too fast, bub,” Lucy reminded, when Eve rushed out of the room.

Niall stopped in front of his wife, a huge smile on his face, his hair a complete mess and his eyes still sleepy. 

“Happy birthday, baby,” she said, when he wrapped an arm around her, planting a sweet kiss on his lips.

“Thank you,” Niall said, giving her another peck, before kissing the daughter in her arms on the head. “And you, what got you all shy, bug?” he asked, pinching her leg lightly. Olivia finally looked at her dad, twisting in Lucy’s arms and reaching for him. Niall laughed lightly, taking her from his wife and tickling her before she let out the most beautiful giggle and hid her face in his neck. She was too cute. Both their daughters were absolutely adorable and as much as he loved it and was a proud dad, it sometimes made it hard being a parent.

“Come on, or Evie will lose her mind and the pancakes will get cold,” Lucy said, intertwining her fingers with Niall’s free hand and leading them downstairs.

“I really don’t know where she gets her lack of patience from.”

“Oh, you don’t?” Lucy snickered, looking at him with a raised brow.

“Okay, so maybe I have a slight idea,” he chuckled, “but I’m not that bad.”

“Yeah, but you’re also not 4.”

He looked at his wife, both their eyes glistening with glee. “Point taken.”

They reached the kitchen and Niall stopped in the doorway surprised. It was more than he expected, the table was perfectly set, fresh fruit, chocolate and maple syrups, bacon and even whipped cream laid out, along with a stack of pancakes way too big for them. 

He looked at his wife incredulously. “You did all that? With two kids to look at?” he asked, forever in awe of his wife.

“They were on their best behaviour,” she assured.

“You’re an angel,” he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

“Dada! I helped! And I have a present for you!” Evelyn said, practically jumping by the kitchen table.

Niall put Olivia in her high chair, while Lucy shook her head at their eldest’s antics. They were supposed to have cake and give him presents later, but at this point she wasn’t even surprised Evelyn couldn’t wait.

“Okay, come here then,” Niall said, sitting in a chair, grabbing Eve and sitting her on his lap. “Oooh you made me a card?” he asked, his voice excited, when his daughter handed him a colorful piece of paper.

“Mumma helped with spelling,” she noted, looking up at him with the biggest smile.

“It’s beautiful, I love it. We’re gonna hang it back home. Thank you, pumpkin.” His heart was so full, he couldn’t even comprehend it. He kissed her cheek, then the other, then the crown of her head, until she giggled.

“Can we hang it here until we leave?” Evelyn asked, looking at him with her usual big eyes. They came to their house in Ireland for a few days to change the scenery. And because Lucy always tried to get him here for his birthday, knowing how much he loved his home country. He appreciated the gesture a lot, even though now his home was wherever his family was, the place didn’t matter much.

“Of course,” he assured, placing the card on the edge of the table so it wouldn’t get dirty. “Let’s eat now, yeah?”

She nodded, her blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders. She was a perfect mix of Niall and Lucy, the hair was all her mother’s, but the eyes were just like her dad’s. She made a move to get off his lap, but he secured an arm around her waist to keep her with him. 

“Don’t leave me, it’s my birthday!” he said dramatically, earning himself another chuckle. It was his favourite thing to do, trying to make his girls laugh, all three of them. 

Lucy finally moved, going to make some coffee for him, taking a minute to watch her family, while it was brewing. They were all in pajamas, Evelyn wearing a blue robe with pink hearts on it, Niall in plaid bottoms and a sweater, she was wearing cotton pants as well, with Niall’s hoodie. He was feeding Olivia, her high chair turned towards him, while making sure Evie didn't fall off his lap, completely adored by his daughters, just as much as he adored them.

“Hey, come eat,” he said, looking at her, a lopsided smile on both their faces.

She nodded, pouring the coffee and bringing it over for him, before sitting herself on the other side, so she could admire her family. 

The house was filled with chatter and giggles, Lucy and Niall’s eyes shining with emotions, the smiles constant on their faces. When they ate over half of the pancakes and their bellies were full, cheeks hurting from laughing, she got up to clean up a bit, hanging Eve’s card up on the fridge. Niall got up too, placing Evie on his chair, and came up to do the washing, ignoring Lucy’s protest that he shouldn’t do any cleaning on his birthday, while she put the leftovers into the fridge. 

When they were both done, he pulled her into his body, before they joined their kids. They should get dressed and go out for a walk, but he wanted a minute with his wife. 

“I love you so much, Lulu,” he said softly, after kissing her, their first proper kiss of the day.

“Love you, baby,” she reciprocated, raking a hand through his hair.

He stood with his arms around his wife, planting soft kisses across her face and on her neck, while watching the kids over her shoulder, their eldest daughter gabbering on and on about something she was clearly very passionate about, while their 6 months old looked at her sister with big eyes, probably not understanding a word, but giving her her full attention. Niall’s heart was so full, he was sure it must burst one of those moments. He felt that way whenever he had his three girls right with him, just like this. Not even doing anything special, just being together, being a family. He truly did not know what the hell did he do to deserve it all, the most amazing wife and two beautiful daughters. 

He drew his eyes back to Lucy and just knew she was filling similar things, one of her hands clasped on the back of his neck, while the other was travelling up and down his side. 

The way they looked at each other and were together, made her feel like they were two teenagers in love. Crazy about each other, with heart eyes and butterflies in their stomachs. It didn’t mean their love wasn’t mature, their relationship stable. But in those moments, she felt incredibly lucky. That after all these years, the spark between them didn’t dim. That her body still felt warm whenever he was near, her heart skipping a beat whenever he looked at her. It was something she was incredibly appreciative of, their love evolving, growing to new heights, but never really changing. Deep down she not only hoped, but knew that it would be like that forever. That not only this was the man she’d grow old alongside and spend the rest of her life with, but that she’d be completely in love with him for every minute of every day. And for just as long, she’d be utterly, absolutely loved by him.

taglist: @stylishmuser​ @verorax​ @georgiahoranxx​ @exoticniall​ @awomanindeniall​ @soullikestyles​ @bopbopstyles​ @nannav47​

[crackheadh0urr]

Puppy (Audrey Rose x AK/VK!Daughter of Maleficent and King Stefan)

(If you've seen the 2014 Maleficent, you'll get where I got Stefan from)

As Audrey walked throught Jane's party, Adriene couldn't help but notice how much finer she looked as a villain. She and Audrey have always had a rocky relationship. One minute, they're cool. The next, their at each other's throat. It might have had something to do with Adriene being half AK, half VK. Audrey hated it, but at the same time, she knew Adriene was a good friend to her. As Audrey was about to cast a spell, Adriene slowly walks up to her, "Whoa! Whoa." She laughs nervously, her semi deep voice catching the attention of the magenta haired girl, "Ya know, um. You think you might need a um sidekick? A companion?" Adriene says while still walking up to Audrey who just glares at her with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow, "A loyal best friend? Hell, even an errand girl?" Adriene asks with a lip bite. Audrey hums followed by an evil laugh, "Hm, maybe I do. But, why should I give that position to you?" She asks in a baby voice, batting her eyelashes. Adriene chuckles slightly, "I um... Maybe, not trying to be rude, I'm one of the ONLY people that can put up with you," She starts making Maleficent's staff gem glow, "A-And, don't want you to be lonely. I can also provide a lil extra protection." The curly afro-haired girl says. Audrey laughs, "What protection?" She asks. Adriene walks up to her and touches the staff making her eyes glow an eerie greenish yellow, "I am part Maleficent." She whispers as her lips ghosted Audrey. The shorter girl let out a shaky sigh, "You... You could be useful. Get behind me." She says plainly making Adriene nod rapidly and stand behind her.

"Happy birthday, to you..." Audrey sings as pink dust appears making a bunch of people fall asleep, "Happy birthday, to you..." More people fall. Jane looks around, desperately trying to find a place to hide, "Happy birthday... To you..." Audrey finishes. Unbeknownst to her, Jane dived into the enchanted lake as pink clouds appear to take both Audrey and Adriene away and hide them somewhere safe.

~~~

Uma flips through Audrey's diary with furrowed eyebrows, "You fucked up her life completely, Mal." She laughs out making Mal glare at Uma. The green haired girl laughs again, "But, you also made it better in a way..." She replies catching everyone's attention, "What do you mean?" Celia Facilier asks with curious eyes. Uma shakes her head, "Seems as though Ms. Goody Goody is bisexual." She replies making the group of VKs gasp, "Really?" Carlos asks. Uma nods, "She said, and I quote, Mal took everything from me. My future, my crown, my Benny-boo. But, there's someone that made me forget all of that. It's like I hate her, but I like her," Mal's eyes widened as she muttered something making Carlos and Evie shush her, "I admit, I started off disliking her when she came from the isle and when Mal took Ben from me, I started to eventually hate her because of what another VK did. Unfortunately and fortunately, she kept following me like a lost puppy. She kept trying to cheer me up. Make me understand that what her Mal did was not her fault. Her persistance and flirty nature made me unconsciously grow to like her as a good friend, considering she put up with a lot of my bullshit," Uma continues, evntually making all of the VKs sit around her as she read,

"When she hugged me, I just wanted us to stay like that. She's a little bit taller than me which I hated because she always made fun of my height. In such little time, she put so much admiration and love in my heart for her. She made me feel a lot of things Ben never made me feel. She even complimented me all the time and I would blush because she would give me a certain look when she said something about me that she loved. I hated feeling this way for a girl. My grandma would never accept it... So, I pushed her away. I picked fights with her just to get her away from me. It hurt me so bad because she was the only person who really tried to become my friend. She put up with my mood swings and constant complaining.

The only thing about my situation is that she saw right through me. She knew that I didn't want to push her away. But, she didn't know the reason. Just like that, I went from the Audrey she knew to the Audrey everyone hated. And I started to treat her as I treated everyone else." Uma finishes. Jay was in shock, "So, let me get this straight. Audrey likes a VK, but she's afraid of what her grandmother might say so she pushes her away. Who is this mysterious girl?" He asks. Uma flips back a few pages, "Right here." She says,

"I feel as if my world is crashing. Nobody but me knows that Mal gave Ben a love potion cookie. Ben and I were destined to be together... At least that's what my grandmother and parents say. Why did I let some VK take my whole life? I can't bare to take anymore mental abuse from them. Why me? There's one girl though. A VK and AK mix. I hate her with a burning passion, but she makes me oddly happy. Do I really hate her? She was there for me the exact same time Mal potioned Ben. I should know, because I sat next to her and she kept whispering sweet things into my ear. Who is she and who gave her the right to make me blush? The words she said to me were enough to block out any mental abuse my family dished out. She voice was smooth yet raspy. It was feminine with a hint of deepness.

She kept complimenting me on little things she noticed that I didn't know. I was gonna accuse her of being a stalker, but reality hit me hard before I could. Ben never really took time to notice any little details about me. But, this random girl, this VK took the time to point out stuff that I didn't notice about me. Instead of yelling at her or being bitchy like I usually was, I just smiled. A flashed a real smile and took in all of her compliments. The girl was honestly stunning. She had curly orangeish blonde hair that was black as you skimmed it. Her skin was relatively tan and she had tattoos littered all around her body which made her look a little more sexy in my eyes. What made me confused is that she looked so bad ass, but when she smiled, her face became more baby like. It was adorable. And god knows I can't forget those eyes. Her greenish eyes.

Her name is Adriene. And I think I might've made a new friend. One of my first true friends." Uma reads and gasps when she sees the picture. Mal looks at Uma, "Well, what is it?!" She asks impatiently. The dark skin girl turns the book around, "Is-... Isn't that your younger sister, Adriene?" Carlos asks,

Mal's hands slowly formed a fist, "So, you mean to tell me... Audrey has a crush on MY sister...?" She asks through gritted teeth. Uma nods while looking at the purple haired girl. Evie nods her head, "Maybe, just maybe... I have an idea..." She says softly.

~~~

Audrey sighs softly and sits down on a couch while staring Adriene down. Adriene grins, "Ya need anything, princess?" She asks. Audrey scowls, "It's Queen to you!" She snaps. Adriene raises her hands in defense, "Ight ight, My Queen." She says in a certain tone making Audrey turn red and blast her with the sceptre. Adriene clutches her arm, "OW! What the hell?!" She asks Audrey with a slight glare. The magenta hair girl glares back, "Stop being cute!" She says with an eyeroll as she sees a wide smile form on Adriene's face, "Or what?" She asks while tilting her head. Audrey glares making Adriene sulk, “Fine fine, i’ll stop.” She says, mumbling a couple of profanities afterwards. Audrey stood up and walked over to Adriene slowly. The curly haired girl tilts her head. She was about to voice her confusion until Audrey placed her head and right hand on Adriene’s chest. Something Audrey would usually do when she’s mad, upset, or needs comfort.

Adriene didn’t question Audrey. All she did was wrap her arms around Audrey’s waist, “I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, but it’s gonna be okay, Drey.” Adriene says softly. Audrey grips the taller girl’s shirt, “Promise?” She whisper asks. Adriene shook her head, “I can’t promise you that, but I can promise you this... I’m going to protect you no matter the cost. Don’t worry, lil mama.” She reassures making Audrey nod. Adriene kisses Audrey’s forehead, “I’ll be back.” She says and walks towards the front door. Audrey stops her with the sceptre, “And where are you going?” She asks. Adriene chuckles, “Calm down, queen. I’m bout to start a fire. For some reason, i’m craving smores.” She answers truthfully. Audrey furrows her eyebrows before letting her leave.

it’s been almost an hour since Adriene left and Audrey started to visibly get worried. The magenta haired girl checked her sceptre and instantly got angry,

“So, you left us to be with Audrey?!” Mal shouts in a tied up Adriene’s face. Adriene had a deep scowl present on her face, “Yeah, I did. And i’d do it over and over again, bastard child.” Adriene spat calmly earning a hard backhand against the face. Adriene’s spat out blood and a tooth as Mal hit her real hard, “IF YOU ARE LISTENING AUDREY, GIVE US THE STAFF OR ADRIENE GETS IT!” Mal shouts.

Audrey breathing became heavy and her eyes teared up “Adriene...” She whimpers,

“DON’T LISTEN TO HER, AUDREY! IT’S A FUCKING TRAP! I CAN HOLD MY OWN, BAE, KEEP THE SCEPTRE!” Adriene shouts earning another smack from Jay this time, “Shut up, bitch!” He shout. Blood ran down Adriene’s chin as she struggled to get up.

Audrey balls up her fist, “NO!” She screetches and disappears.

[thewriting-corner]

‘Renegades’ trilogy by Marissa Meyer: review

Welcome today to a post I have been waiting to do for months. I never do entire posts for book reviews, but since this was a trilogy (and one of my favorites I read this year) I decided it would deserve a little more.

Note: I will be doing a spoiler-free review first and then I’ll put a warning before talking about each individual book :)

Synopsis: The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Trilogy Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I honestly think these are the best books I’ve ever read. The description was fascinating, easy to follow and gave amazing imagery without that heaviness that a lot of fantasy books have (this is more sci-fi/dystipia-ish but still).

The characters felt real and their individual voices were clear from start to finish. I loved every single character, even the ones I hated. 

However, there is one thing that bothered me BUT it does align with their world and that is the lack of accountability certain characters recieve (but I will be talking about that in my Supernova review).

Then the PLOT OH MY GOSH. I mean, it’s superheroes. It’s nearly impossible to be original with a plot that isn’t the same as any Marvel or DC comic/movie/show. And yet Marissa Meyer that such a beautiful job of taking a common conflict (heroes vs villains, villains wanting to take over the world) and turning it into a unique plot with amazing twists. 

I mentioned the world-building before, but I’ll do it again. Third person POV is not my favorite and neither is heavy world building like the one this book needed and had. Still, it was written in such a simple way that I didn’t feel like she was trying to confuse me, it was just a story.

Overall, this series was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced, mind-blowing world building and compelling characters that will make you feel single to the core even in a relationship.

🚨Spoilers Ahead🚨

Renegades ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“We were all villains in the beginning.”

I went into this book with low expectations because I didn’t think I’d like Marissa Meyer’s style and boy was I wrong.

The first few chapters were a bit confusing but the moment Adrian fixed Nova’s bracelet I KNEW this would steer towards romance and it sold me. And then Nightmare making fun of the Sentinel for his comic book phrases and poses was my favorite thing ever. That would be me as a superhero, no doubt.

I really liked the way the plot progressed “slowly” without feeling dragged on. In fact, despite it’s slower pace of the story, the book still felt quick and that just won a million points with me.

Don’t even get me started on the Anarchists. I LOVED them. I like how they weren’t presented as villains from Nova’s POV, just enemies of a totalitarian state. Not even just in her point of view though. I genuinely didn’t think any of them were bad until Ingrid decided to show up at the library and almost killed Sketch’s crew.

And speaking of Sketch’s crew … the minor characters??? Hello??? Who writes side characters that are SO good?? Oscar is my favorite though. He wins. Danna being the only one to question Nova about Adrian’a feelings for her was hilarious, although it stressed me out that Nova put her to sleep. Counterpoint: it was very cute that the only way she could stop thinking of Adrian liking her was by putting Danna to sleep. Very on point teenage reaction. I would’ve done the same thing if only I wasn’t trying to remain anonymous in the organization that indirectly killed my parents. 

The climax, on the other hand, felt a teensy bit rushed but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy Nodrian in their not-date. It was adorable, especially when they stopped at the kid’s party and then Nova panicking over the mere thought of going on the ferris wheel with Adrian. All the carnival chapters where my favorite thing ever and I really wished they hadn’t ended with Nova killing the woman who raised her. But I did like the irony of it being Ingrid who told her she didn’t have the guts to press the trigger and then she died at the hands of Nova’s gun. 

AND THE ENDING WITH ACE BEING ALIVE. That shook me. I suspected it, of course, but it shook me to my core. 10/10 plot twist there.

Archenemies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I guess I figured you deserve to have good dreams every once in a while. Even if you never sleep.”

This one gets six stars because somehow I read it in 11 hours and I’ve never read such a large book in one day. The entire story was just fast-paced action, superhero world building and Nodrian flirting and eventually kissing. Best book ever.

I liked how in this book we got a closer look into other character relationships like Oscar and Ruby and then Danna’s suspicions over Nova. I would’ve liked to see more of Danna’s friendship with the team though, since at times it seemed she was only there to send passive aggressive comments at Nova. And the Sentinel’s “death” was amazing. Pure comic book material right there. 

There is this thing though that I mentioned in the general review that bothered me and it’s when they reveal Agent N. This weapon they created using Max’s blood is a great example of how the Renegades had obtained way too much power. It’s when we start to see that maybe Nova and the Anarchists are right. The Renegades are slowly becoming a dictatorship and it’s bothersome that nobody except Nova and Adrian notice. Especially when it was so obvious with things like them using Agent N “against every prodigy who didn’t follow the Renegades code”. Sure, they were criminals, but that wasn’t about arresting them. It was about changing the DNA of people who made one mistake and were immediately deemed enemies of the state.

Back to the good stuff, Nodrian flirting was the highlight of this book. They’re both so awkward and adorable, especially when Nova’s teaching Adrian how to shoot and then when they’re in his room later on. The whole “you want me to ignore everything?” and “you’re not allowed to have girls in your room?” quotes KILLED me. Those were peak flirting moments and I’m immensely surprised by the way that Marissa Meyer manages to write teenagers realistically as an adult and not even having teenage kids of her own. Also, Nova opening up to Adrian was just. No. It killed me. My ghost is writing this btw.

The ending, once again, amazing. I loved it. Not only did it once again show Frostbite’s true colors, show us how much hate Adrian actually held against Nightmare and the way Nova had softened by the Renegades’ influence. And Ace Anarchy’s capture goes into the good things pile.

Supernova ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“To be honest, I’m not sure there are such things as villains anymore. Maybe there never really were.”

Is it a bad review if I just insert the word “AH” for the next ten lines? Yes? Damn it. I admit that I was expecting something much different, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I have never cursed and squealed so much by reading and had I not bought the hardcover with my own money, I would’ve thrown that book against the wall. It stressed me out. First of all, getting Nova and Adrian kissing in the tunnels a few chapters before Adrian arrests her for being Nightmare was another level of messed up. Clearly, she did everything in her power to save him from her house’s explosion and he threw it out the window in blind anger. And then the whole execution thing??? That was horrifying and it’s when the Renegades’ incompetence really showed its true colors. They couldn’t bring the people back to their side - because they failed - so they sentenced a broken, dying man and an underage girl who acted under the manipulation of her entire family, to death. If Hugh had ever even attempted to find out what happened to both Artino girls, none of that mess would’ve happened, but instead Lady Indomitable died and he went “WELL, can’t do anything about her last task, can we?” I get he was preoccupied by her orphaned son and the Ace of Anarchy, but it was as simple as going back into the house and searching. In fact, this entire book was just showing how their society was crumbling and in the end they went “we were all heroes”. I’m surprised Nova forgave the entire Renegades organization for what they did because even if it was Ace who sent a hit after her and her family, the Renegades were still willing to overuse their power. 

And once again back to the good stuff before I end up bashing the Renegades even more, I never thought I would be on board with Adrian and Nova’s relationship at the end of the book. I try not to ship toxic relationships in YA because they happen a lot and I wouldn’t like younger readers to think that it’s okay, but I loved how both Nova and Adrian were willing to make a change for their relationship to work. They compromised because they loved each other so much it didn’t matter who had tried to kill the other person and their dad or who hadn’t advocated against the other’s execution, you know, the ups and downs of every relationship. While I do wish we had seen them talking about everything, I get a book can only have a certain amount of words and I was glad just the same with how it ended. Also, Leroy’s threat to Adrian is iconic, just like Oscar proclaiming his undying love for Ruby at the arena were they almost witnessed multiple murders.

The epilogue. Just. Wow. I knew it before because I’m smart and I spoiled it but I NEED another Renegades book. You can’t just end the series saying Evie Artino was Magpie and her being as angry as Nova once was. Like, no. You just can’t. That was a crime against humanity, tbh, but overall the series was amazing and I have never been more grateful to spend almost $80 in books. 

[sleepyowlwrites]

find the word tag CXIII

from ghosty, @zmlorenz are we surprised? no. we are not. also we are very pleased. minus the fact that we are hungry. wait who’s we, sleepy-

try (Youth story supplemental)

For his part, Daniel was always happy to oblige in cuddles, so he just wrapped his arms around Nyks’ middle like an additional scarf, but one that actually generated heat.

“Why do none of us having heating powers?”

“We could try and get Cal to make a very hot lamp for you to carry around.”

“So I can burn my fingers? I’d rather just cling onto somebody’s back like a turtle shell.”

tear (Anxiety story -1)

He reacted too late and Ree's thumb was deftly cleaning the tear tracks from his cheeks, not saying anything and Aiden didn't dare look up until she had finished. Ree was still silent as she held out a mug, which Aiden accepted with a bashful heat in his cheeks.

top (Rain story)

"But I almost died with I was two. And I almost died when I was fifteen. And I do a lot of random keeling over and screaming when I have nightmares about the fire completely taking over. I wake up and, well, things are on fire."

Darsh's hands were resting lightly on top of his. Jaino wasn't sure when or how they'd gotten there, but he wasn't going to question it.

tight (Youth story)

“Feelings for you?” Mark asked uncertainly, also looking like he’d rather be anywhere else just then. “I don’t feel anything for you.”

R looked at him, then spun in a tight circle before pointing an accusing finger straight at Mark’s heart. “You feel for Nyks the exact things that all of us feel, that being love and adoration, because he is amazing, and deserves the world. Don’t you?”

grasp (Blood series)

“Don’t try to talk. Save your strength.”

“There’s not much to save,” Senior Lin whispered, her hand shaking in Jingyi’s grasp.

“Don’t say that,” Sizhui scolded her.

good (Youth story)

"Since when do you not want cookies? Cal made them, so you know they're good." Evie held out the bag with both hands and even adjusted her expression so that her eyes curved more brightly. Nyks recognized the sight of contrived optimism, especially on Evie's face.

"I'm happy you brought me cookies but I still want a hug."

grow (I don’t know what this thing is that I wrote but I kind of love it)

“Mama, you should take your pearl out.”

She smiles at me, and pats me on the head, leaving a kiss on my curls. She never looks at her pearl now. It would be too bright after all these years. But I wonder about it. I love my pearl. Will I really grow old enough where I don’t need to see its glow or hear its secrets for me? That seems like a very long time away.

“Did your pearl ever stop glowing completely, Mama?”

“Mm,” she wraps her arms around me and holds me tight against her chest, so I can hear her heartbeat and it matches with mine. “It’s still glowing now. It always glows. But I came to a point when I didn’t crave its shine anymore.”

I tuck my head under her chin and whisper, “When was that?”

Her voice always sounds like its smiling, even when I can’t see it. So I know that my Mama was smiling when she says, “When I first saw you.”

gap (Anxiety story 1)

"Hey," she said again, taking steps to close the gap when Aiden didn't move. "Aren't you cold?"

Aiden simply nodded.

The girl paused before breaking out into a warm smile. "It's December and there's snow. Why aren't you wearing a coat?"

Aiden opted for shrugging his way out actually answering.

my sister is learning how to play bohemian rhapsody as I type this and talking herself through it. it’s endearing. go fetch: dear, dance, deny, drink, dare. @insomniac-dot-ink @goblingraveyard @uraniumwriting @lanawritesalittle OR ANYBODY 

[thefanficmonster]

I’m Right Here

Corpse Husband x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Mentions of a car accident (minor), Injuries

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

Summary: There is nothing scarier than those moments when every breath you take is shallow; when your heart is racing and your body is drenched in cold sweat. When you are rushing to the aid of a hurt loved one, knowing you can never be fast enough because your mind and fear are at least a mile ahead of you. Corpse has to experience these exact moments after a frightening call that informs him of his girlfriend’s car accident.

Requested by @sugiliteshadow . Hi! Thank you so much for you request, darling. Sorry to be posting it so late and I can’t thank you enough for your patience. I hope the fic itself makes up for the wait. Please enjoy! Stay safe! Love, Vy ❤

It’s been about an hour since I got off the phone with Y/N and my concern is through the roof. She called me from the parking lot of the office building where she works at, telling me she’s be home in less than half an hour and asking if I needed her to pick up anything along the way. I have been trying to brush away the worries, comforting myself with the fact that I did request a specific type of iced tea and knowing Y/N, she’s probably looking for it in multiple stores because she couldn’t find it in the convenience store that’s along her way back home. I should’ve told her not to sweat it considering I don’t need it right away or anything.  I have tried distracting myself with editing just to hinder myself from picking up my phone and debating weather to call her or not. I may be worried but I don’t wanna put her life in danger by calling her while she’s driving.

I keep my hands on my keyboard and mouse, my phone halfway across the room just in case. Another thirty minutes pass by with no sound of the door being unlocked or even a car pulling up. My fingers are beginning to drum over the buttons on my keyboard anxiously. I have had to go back and redo so many things with the video I’m editing because my mind simply isn’t present. It’s wandering around the city, looking for that one familiar car that’s always outside our house, parked in the driveway. That’s currently being driven by my girlfriend of two years Y/N.

My phone’s ringtone snaps me out of the downwards spiral of my thoughts, simultaneously picking up the speed of my heartbeat. I basically launch myself out of my chair and towards the bed where the ringing is coming from. I feel a wave of relief rush over me when I see Y/N’s name on the lit screen.

“Hey babe, where have you been?“ I ask as soon as I answer the call. It feels like my whole body shuts down when I finally pick up on the sound of blaring sirens in the background.

“Sir, I’m sorry to inform you Miss Y/L/N has been in an accident.” The words the female voice on the phone says cut through me like a knife, sending chills of paralyzing fear all over my body, “You were the last person she contacted before the accident which is why we’ve stepped in contact with you. However, if you are not able to come collect Miss Y/L/N, please contact a family member of hers.“

The calmness of her tone is freaking me out of my skin and mind, “Is she ok?! Where is she?!“

“She’s alright, sir. She’s not completely conscious yet, though. But she will be by the time you arrive. Her injuries are not in any way life-threatening. She has a few cuts and bruises and a concussion. A medical team has already taken care of her.“

Before I know it, I’m already out the door, the location the policewoman gave me in my head as I get behind the wheel of my car which I rarely use. Thankfully, the road the accident happened on is less than fifteen minutes away. Due to the late hour there is close to no traffic on the roads so I make it to the scene in no time.  Y/N’s car is surrounded by two cop cars and two ambulances. I barely even notice the black Honda Civic that is almost equally as beat up as Y/N’s Toyota. Speaking of the Toyota, its front bumper is completely obliterated - the headlights, blinkers and windshield in pieces and shards on the pavement. 

In the first ambulance there’s a guy passed out on a gurney with an ivy rip connected to his arm. In the one next to it is Y/N, sitting hunched over with her head hanging low, her hair falling over her face. 

“Y/N?“ I rush over to her, reaching out to touch her shoulder but withdrawing my arm in case she has a bruise in that spot.

She lifts her head, a look of relief and happiness flashing across her face. She lets out a sigh, a small smile appearing on her lips as her eyes fill with tears. “Corpse...” her hand reaches out for mine which is still hanging in the air. I give her my other hand and she uses me as support to slowly stand up. She lets go of my hands and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug as a quiet sob leaves her chest. “I was so scared when I woke up. I couldn’t remember anything.”

“It’s ok, you’re ok now. I’m here, I’m right here.“ I gently smooth her hair while carefully holding her in my embrace. She has a few purple bruises along her arms and cuts on her cheek and neck which are covered in white bandages with small dark red stains. The most major thing I can see is the cut on her left temple which is also covered up. I press a tender kiss to the right one. “Are you in any pain?“ I pull away to get a better look at her.

Thankfully she shakes her head, “No, I’m ok. My elbow hurts a little but that’s it.”

I nod, moving a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead. Just as I’m about to ask her what exactly happened one one of the police officers approaches us.

“A drunk driver. He ran the red light and crashed straight into her car.“ The officer says, judging by her voice it’s the same woman that called me. “You don’t remember that, do you?“

Y/N turns to her, “I just remember hearing a loud crash and then darkness. I didn’t know what had happened until you told me when I woke up.”

The policewoman gives us a sincere smile, lightly touching Y/N’s shoulder “It’s ok, sweetheart. You are alright, that’s what matters. And you have someone here by your side.”

Y/N’s eyes meet mine when she gives me the most loving glance, the one that I often catch in her eyes - the one that always melts me. “He always is.” she says, running her fingers down my arm, interlocking hers with mine when they reach my hand.

The policewoman tells us good night and walks over to the other ambulance. We stick around to see the cars get taken away and Y/N gives her info so they can contact her when the car is repaired. I know how much she loves that car - it’s the first and only car she has ever owned. She has had it for about seven years and calls it her child basically. I never thought I’d be jealous of a car in my life - just kidding. But my point has been made - she’s never been apart from it or driven another car.

Wrapping my arm around her while she watches her car being taken away, I turn her around, leading her towards my car. “Let’s get you home. You’ll be 100% under my care and no complaints will be accepted.”

She rolls her eyes playfully, snuggling up into my side, “Don’t make a big deal about this please. And, for the love of God, don’t baby me too much, ok?”

I grin down at her, “What was that, I didn’t quite catch it?“

“Corpseeee...“ She pouts, a frown on her face, making her look so childish it’s absolutely adorable.

“Save the whining, it ain’t gonna work.“ I open the door to the passenger seat, stepping aside so she can get in the my car.

Surprisingly enough, she actually doesn’t complain the rest of the way home nor when we arrive. Nor when I instruct her to stay in bed and not move unless it’s absolutely necessary. I basically bring all the snacks from the kitchen into our room while she compiles a list of movies we will be watching because no sleep will be had tonight.  “I love you.“ Y/N says through a sigh halfway through the second movie.

“I love you too. But don’t fall asleep.“ I tickle her side, causing her to giggle and squirm in an attempt to get away from me.

“Ok, ok, but you’re gonna have to help me. If I blink, I’ll be a goner.“ She yawns, shuffling back towards me. When she flashes me that hinting wide smile, I know exactly what she’s insinuating.

I sigh, giving in with ease. “When you were here before...“

“Couldn’t look you in the eye...“ she backs me up just as I knew she would

“You’re just like an angel...“

“Your skin makes me cry...“

Needless to say, we end up duetting random songs - rap songs, heavy metal, pop songs, some of my songs, some Christmas songs, Disney songs - making it one of the best movie marathons we’ve ever had, the unfortunate events of the day far behind us and completely gone from our minds.

@maat-the-prescriptive  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @itsminniekat  @hacker-ghost  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios  @maehemscorpyus  @loraleiix  @letsloveimagines  @annshit  @i-cant-choose-a-username-help  @enigmaticmaze  @divine-artemis  @waterlilypat  @idontknowwhatthisisfam  @evi-ka  @classyandfabulous00  @redperson58  @lilysdaydreams  @the-fuck-up-of-today  @chiefwombathoagiepizza  @solowheein  @mythicalamphitrite  @axen-gers  @luckygirl144  @nj01  @buddyemily   @the-albino-lioness  @stardream14  @gdhdkfnn  @nomadicgypsyy  @preciousskye  @fluffysuicideunicornsworld  @symphony-butterfly  @manacharlotte  @awkward-youtube-trash  @baby-iyania  @bonky-beerns  @meme-lord-and-savior-sebastian  @strawbrinkofdeath  @pinkhairedsapphic  @teenloves  @tams0527  @browneyespinkhair  @starstruckllamapuppy  @daisychains012  @y0ulooked  @tinytacosuitcaseflap  @maybe-im-dead-idk  @supernatural-is-my-only-life  @jula-pauline  @melodykitty  @just-that-bi-girl  @crazybutconfidentaf  @lowellshade  @chaoticgayandnerdy  @alphakees  @bellero  @weallneednamjesus  @strawberrycheesecakekenzistuff  @starryhanji  @boiled-onionrings  @husherstan  @fockingwhore  @melaningoddessthings  @prettypastelpetals  @haleypearce  @godwhyamiawkward  @y-napotat  @daisychainyoonmin  @little-miss-rebel3  @free-wheelin-bi-sexual  @redmoon261 @amysingh2512  @wiseflamingoqueen  @into-the-end  @faepetersen  @namikhai-i  @nastiablr

[marvelhero-fics]

Silent Britain

Series - Prologue

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader 

Summary: You and Tom are working as love interests in a new Scorsese film, essentially leading to be love interests in real life

A/N: Sorry, it’s been a hot minute since I've posted! Anyway, this is basically going to be a whole series. I have no idea how many parts it’ll be, and I’ll be updating at least every two weeks (but I’ll aim to update it weekly!) I thought it was kind of a fun idea so essentially in the film Tom plays a bad-boy mob members son, while the reader plays the opposing mob members daughter. Please enjoy! (This chapter is a bit of a slow-burn, but it’s essentially just setting up the plot and everything!) 

Also, all the italics in this story are the readers thoughts!

Word Count: 1,500

Silent Britain Masterlist || Full Masterlist 

Prologue

The uncomfortably loud alarm buzzed through your tired mind. A glance to your left told you it was 7:00 am. Time to get up. One arm reached out to turn your alarm off, while the other went to wipe your eyes as they opened sluggishly, adjusting to the illumination in your bedroom that crept through the blinds. Wasting no time, you moved your body from your large bed and stumbled your way to the kitchen. The house was quiet, no music playing, no TV’s on, signalling to you that your roommate/best friend, Evie, hadn’t woken up yet.

The thick script left on the dining table caught your attention. It was for an upcoming, untitled Nolan film. You’d been asked to read the script to audition, however you only made it about half-way through it last night. Looks like thats on today’s agenda.

Acting was your absolute passion. You’d been lucky enough to start your acting career about 4 years ago, acting in 2-3 bigger films, every-so-often working alongside a well known celebrity. Working alongside Robert Pattinson in dramatic indie film was pretty cool, considering you’d grown up around all the Twilight hype. Playing Brad Pitt’s daughter in another film was also a big moment in your career. Not to mention your recent role in the Emmy award winning show Big Little Lies really helping define who you were as an actress. Ever since then you’d been asked to audition for quite a few more roles. Shockingly, it actually took a bit of a turn on you. People recognised you more often, which meant it was harder to leave the house. It also meant you started comparing yourself to other actors your age, to which you never thought you’d live up too. Being rich and famous really wasn’t all it was cut out to be.

While mindlessly making breakfast, your phone began buzzing on the hard, marble bench top. It was your agent, Melissa.

“Hey, Mel.” You quickly answered,

“Morning, (Y/N), how’re you doing?” Her thick American accent sung through the phone. Melissa was from California. You weren’t, you were born and bred in England, and you’d continued living just outside of London throughout your career. It was just much easier having an agent closer to the action of Hollywood.

“Good, I’m a little tired, it’s like seven AM over here.” You responded,

“Well it’s 11 at night over here, but I’ve just received some fantastic news and I couldn’t wait to tell you.”

“You’ve got my attention.” You chuckled slightly, leaning down to rest on the kitchen bench, ready to intently listen to whatever Melissa had to say.

“You remember that Scorsese film you auditioned for a while back, Silent Britain?”

Oh my god. “Yea, of course I remember, what about it?” Your palms became clammy and your voice shook slightly.

“You’ve been offered the role! You’re playing Elizabeth Baker!”

Your head immediately fell to your hands. You were just unbelievably over-joyed, you didn’t even know what to say. This would undoubtedly be your biggest role to date. “Mel, oh my god, this is such huge news, I really didn’t think I’d get it. This is so, so, so incredible.” You stood and began pacing the kitchen.

“It gets even better, guess who else is already signed on?”

“Who?”

“Tom Hardy is playing your father, Anthony Hopkins is playing your grandfather,” Your jaw had already hit the floor at this point, “Chrisitan Bale is also signed on, and Jude Law’s set to play one of the detectives.”

“Melissa, holy fuck.” You paused, “holy fuck. This- that’s so many actors, incredible actors-”

“And there’s plenty more to be signed on. So I’m assuming you’d like the role?”

“Of course I’d like the role!”

“I’m sending through all the paper-work and details for you to flick through, I’ll also mail over a script ASAP so you can go through the whole thing. You’ll have to fly out here in about 2 weeks for the initial meet up with Martin and the cast, so I’ll book that in now, and we can work out the rest of the details when you’re here, how’s that sound?” Melissa explained quickly,

“Yea, yea that sounds perfect, when’s filming set to start?”

“It says mid-June, which is in two months, if all the actors have been accounted for by that time.”

“Okay, I’ll get all my shit sorted out and I’ll see you in two weeks! Thanks so much Mel.”

And with that, the two of you hung up. Leaving you alone with your thoughts. A fucking Gangster Scorsese film. It doesn’t get better than that. That’s peak-of-the-career shit right there. Everything you did the rest of that day was purely in order to be organised for your flight. You hadn’t been this excited since you landed the role of Reece Witherspoon’s daughter in Big Little Lies. After screaming in pure bliss with Evie about the news, you went to your nearest shopping centre to get any possible supplies you may need. Shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, toothpaste, a power board, a charging cable, new comfortable clothes, not that you really needed anymore, new nicer clothes, not that you fucking needed anymore, the list went on. Evie even came with you, as if your impulse control wasn’t already low, Evie made it plumet, suggesting you needed every second thing she laid her eyes on. You even bought a notepad with the Taxi Driver movie poster on the cover because Scorsese directed that too, and it’ll be funny incase I ever need to take notes.

You shut the boot of your car, hopping into the driver's seat next to where Evie sat comfortably in the passenger’s seat.

“So who else is in the film? Besides Venom, Hannibal Lecter, Batman, and John Watson.” Evie smirked at her own joke,

“Ha ha. Very funny.” You stated, pulling out of the car park. “That’s all I know about at the moment, here” you passed her your phone, “check my emails, I might’ve gotten an update.” Evie took the phone from your hands and held it to your face to unlock it.

“Melissa Bradd sent another email, with attached file, more details…” Evie muttered, mainly to herself as she opened the document. “Hmm, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hardy, you-” Evie gasped heavily.

“What, what is it?” You quickly interjected.

“I’m going to shit my pants, I’m gonna actually die right here, right now-”

“Evie, what the fuck!? What is it?!” You almost wanted to pull over the car.

“Timothee Chalamet is playing Joseph Baker, your brother!” She practically shrieked. Christ. Obviously you adored Timothee’s work, he was incredible and so devoted, but Evie absolutely adored him, for a long time now.

“Oh my god,” you uttered, just above a whisper. Reacting to not only Evies reaction, but also that another big name was going to be on screen beside you. “Anyone else?”

“It doesn’t even fucking matter who else is in it!” Evie sung, flailing her arms in the air.

“Evie, who else is in it!” You repeated, feeling a little on edge. Her gaze returned back to the phone screen, her excitement still clearly coursing through her veins.

“So far, Finn Wolfhard is set to play your younger brother, and Michael Fassbender and Christian bale are signed on as your uncles,” She read.

It was at this moment, your hands really started shaking. You tried gripping the wheel as tightly as you could, but it honestly felt like most of the blood in your body was vanishing, you didn’t seem to have control over much of anything, especially not your breathing. Evie looked over at you.

“Hey, (Y/N/N), you okay? You’re kind of looking a bit pale.” She spoke quietly,

“That’s a lot of big actors, Evie.” You responded, your mouth entirely dry.

“Yea, but you’re a big actor too, you know. You’ve been in some big films!” She lightly tried to reassure you.

“Eve, I’ve been a background character in like 3 big films.” You peered over to her, quickly returning your glare back to the road.

“You’re in Big Little Lies, that’s a big show.”

“I’m a daughter, I’m not a main character at all. This movie, I’m a fucking huge character in this movie. This movie practically fucking revolves around me, Tom Hardy, and Hopkins.” Your voice elevated as you spoke.

“Let’s just get home, and then we can talk it all through.” Evie said calmly, clearly not paying much mind to what you’d just said. You nodded in response. And, as if on cue, your phone chimed.

“What was it?” As you asked, Evie began scrolling through your phone.

“Another email from Melissa.”

“And?...”

“A couple more actors signed on.”

“And?...” Your head was far too close to exploding.

“Well, Rachel Weisz is playing your mum, and Daniel Craig is another uncle,” Evie was speaking softly, “Idris Elba is a detective, and- uhm- Tom Holland is your love interest…”

And there goes the explosion. “I need to pull over. I’m about to have a stroke.”