#[jones got fed an ask!] | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

infinitecyanroses · 9 months

Text

So with all the lore we've gotten lately I decided I want to organize how many player characters have been tied to or affected by the Federation. First I wanted to make a chart but I realized it would be quicker to just list everything down first. Feel free to correct me if anything is missing. I may also continue to update this

Last updated: January 30 (Prison event update)

Had a Past with The Federation Before the Island

Baghera Jones- confirmed former Federation test subject/experiment

Jaiden- confirmed to have helped Cucurucho in the past, role unknown

Aypierre- has memories of being operated on by the Federation before coming to the island

Quackity/ElQuackity- ElQuackity called Quackity his brother and since it seems that ElQ has been working with the Federation for a long time, Quackity could have a related past

Bagi- After joining the island, she discovered a tree house with two journals that were signed by her. The journal also mentioned a cat named Zeno which Cellbit found who belonged to an ex-federation worker that Cellbit had been investigating clues from

Cellbit- Bagi found more journals confirming that she had a family on the island, including a brother who went missing and a lot of details from her journal point to Cellbit potentially being that brother, Cellbit found further information confirming Bagi is his twin and he believes he was kidnapped

Antoine Daniel- see Currently Affiliated, Cucurucho (pink ears) also mention Antoine having worked on previous experiments

Polispol- is the one who directed/created the Quesadilla Island commercial that played when the first islanders arrived by train

Currently Affiliated with The Federation

Cellbit- became an official Federation employee after signing a contract, is often tasked with investigation work and information retrieval, got employee of the month

ElQuackity- seems to be an official Federation employee, status unknown but seems to be a high ranking experimenter. ElQuackity went to Egg Island/Purgatory and seemed to have a past with the cyclops who was controlling the island there. At the end of Purgatory, the cyclops asked ElQuackity to stay by his side and he agreed. When Cucurucho traveled to Egg Island and saw ElQ, he called him a traitor and told him he would stand trial. ElQ chased Cucurucho off so ElQ is no longer aligned with the Federation

Fit- currently working as the Federation's janitor

Foolish- was made an official Federation detective by Cucurucho and was tasked with investigating Mr. Mustard's disappearance. After submitting evidence to the Feds of other islanders breaking the rule, Foolish was promoted to Police Administrative Assistant and Dispatcher and also made employee of the month for September

Aypierre- is currently making wine for the Federation

Jaiden- spent two weeks helping the Cucuruchos and is currently tasked with informing new members about Cucurucho.

Forever- recently elected as president of the island to serve as the go-between for the island citizens and Federation.

Kameto- Has been helping the Federation ever since his disappearance by watching footage and recording the happenings of the island and is now working as a spy for the Feds under guise of being a former Federation prisoner

Antoine Daniel- Role unknown but he was able to get a private meeting with Cucurucho (pink ears) and criticized him for letting the 6 panel comic leak out to all the islanders, saying it was too soon. Cucurucho apologized to him, implying some sort of connection between the two

Polispol- Cucurucho hired him to create a new video for them

Has Been Kidnapped/Arrested by The Federation

Felps- agreed to sacrifice himself to the Feds in exchange for getting Richarlyson's first life back, only to be captured and iced by the Feds

Cellbit- was caught trying to warn other people about what happened to Felps while first infiltrating the Federation and was held in a Federation building with Felps

Quackity- was captured and held by the Federation and replaced with ElQuackity. Was also recently kicked from the server after playing the dice game, no clue who's responsible or what happened. Quackity came back but was captured by ElQuackity, who stole his new train ticket before the Purgatory event. Quackity later escaped after the islanders left but was shot by the black colored Cucurucho

Maximus- was arrested by the Federation for terrorizing a Federation building but was only held for one day

Pac- first arrested by Foolish under Cucurucho's orders, then later recaptured and placed in a cell at the bottom of the ocean with Federation guards

Mike- first arrested with Pac for the same reasons, has recently fallen into a trap, unknown if the Feds are also behind it, recently came back acting more paranoid and wanting to eat/kill the eggs

All of the current new members- were arrested and kept frozen until the other islanders found them

Baghera- after discovering her childhood bedroom on the island, she woke up 9 days later in a Federation hospital room and found a recent subject file about her and a book listing other federation hybrid experiments

Philza- followed a string of crow-related clues he thought would lead him to his missing kids, only to be trapped in a giant bird house by Cucurucho as payback for lava casting the Federation office building, he woke up days later in his house, unable to find proof that the bird house existed, making him question if it was real

Badboyhalo- arrested by Foolish and Cucurucho for 15 minutes for vandalizing Federation property (though BBH claims it was longer)

Aypierre- was imprisoned by Cucurucho for a full night for lashing out at Cucurucho while asking about what the Feds had done to him

Roier- was drugged and captured by Cucurucho while he was investigating Cellbit's whereabouts, taken to a dungeon cell and blindfolded for a few days before Cucurucho brought him to a lab where his missing twin brother, Doied was (continued in fed operation category)

Forever- after getting infected by dark matter due to a Fed sanctioned trip to the Nether, Forever became possessed by an entity known as @v@ who made Forever attempt to kill the eggs. Cucurucho intervened and teleported Forever/@v@ into a max security prison, keeping him chained up before downing him with a chainsaw

ALL of the active islanders and their eggs (except Baghera and Cellbit) were taken and kept in a maximum security prison by the Federation for three days in order to keep them away from the attacking eye workers while the Federation did damage control. Despite not being officially charged with crimes, they were all treated like prisoners

Was operated/experimented on by the Federation

Maximus- was treated by the Federation after the code entity attacked him but learned later that the Feds had also stuck a recording device in him so he had it removed, was operated on again after contracting a parasite only to wake up with part of his leg turning into code

Felps- after he was rescued from the Federation, he was found wearing a hospital gown and had a mark on his arm, hinting that the Feds might have experimented on him

Cellbit- was also treated by the Federation after being attacked by the code entity, suffered memory loss from the time the Feds captured him

Quackity- was seen being put through multiple tests by Cucurucho before being released with very little memory of his past, only being able to speak in Spanish, and not being able to read or write (probably a form of aphasia)

Roier- After being captured and taken to the lab to see his twin brother, Cucurucho and Doied forced Roier into a machine that would swap his brain with a rat, the operation successfully put Roier's brain in a rat's body and he ended up passing out (probably more to come)

469 notes · View notes

ducktracy · 4 months

Text

here is a smattering of some of my favorite animation anecdotes concerning the WB guys—will probably add onto this last as i remember and discover more, but the public deserves to hear them:

Corny Cole told Chuck Jones that he can "take your Daffy Duck and you can ram him up your asshole" after Jones was dissatisfied with Cole's storyboard pitch for a cartoon because it was not "my Daffy Duck".

Tedd Pierce got his ear bitten by someone's pet monkey at a bar and required both bandages and shots

the writers had to slip fake drawings of Porky in a storyboard pitch for an unrelated cartoon to trick Leon Schlesinger into giving his approval because he would be largely apathetic otherwise

Rod Scribner famously hated Art Davis and decided to play a prank on him by tipping a phone booth he was in 45 degrees, prompting Davis to fall, which then prompts Scribner to tip it back up and run away laughing

additionally, Scribner and Bill Melendez would tip bookcases over and drop loud objects on the floor to distract the Freleng and Jones unit animators below them and, in Melendez's words, "Friz's guys were great because they would fight back"

cameraman Smokey Garner asked to be paid in cash because he feared the feds would get him if they had his information via check--he was eventually talked into receiving checks... until the feds visited him a few weeks later for something else unrelated

animator Tom Ray once got so mad that he opened a window to let some fresh air in, but the glass shattered, completely desecrated his arm and he had to be rushed to the hospital by fellow animator Art Leonardi

the studio often held yearly square dances, and Chuck Jones in particular was a huge square dance junkie; Hillbilly Hare owes its existence to these square dances

lighting film nitrates, if wound tight enough, would prompt them to smolder but not combust; the studio once had to be evacuated and the fire department called because of said self-made smoke bomb

Corny Cole and Willie Ito once got so drunk at a lunch together that Ito ended up vomiting all over Chuck Jones’ office

#Corny Cole Phil Monroe and Lloyd Turner have great interviews all worth reading on Mike Barrier’s site i heartily recommend them

97 notes · View notes

strangemagicc · 7 months

Text

WADWSH | Chapter One - The Raffle

masterlist | next>

pairings: 2000s!actor!Steve x fem!Reader, 2000s!bestfriend!Eddie x fem!Reader, love triangle, (based loosely on the movie Win a Date with Tad Hamilton)

summary: Steve is rejected by a movie’s director and will go to any lengths to win the role.

author’s note: I will not reveal who steals reader's heart, we're all going on this ride together 😉 but feel free to try to persuade me 🩵

w/c: 1.8k

warnings: none, this is a slow build type of thing!

Steve paced the length of his agent’s office, agitation rippling through him in waves. He pulled at his hair, turning to Dennis with a question, and thought better than to ask. Afraid of the answer. The room smelled smoky and sweet, the clouds from Dennis’ cigar creating a haze.

“Will you sit down, kid?” The man asked, tapping the butt of the cigar against an ashtray resting on his desk, exhaling another puff of smoke. Steve looked at the man with a raised eyebrow, sitting on the leather sofa with a huff. Petulant. Eying the expanse of the room. It was small, light green walls slightly faded, the leather sofa crammed against a wall leaving just enough space for the large wooden desk Dennis sat at. The older man continued to shuffle through papers, adjusting his red tie whenever it got in the way. Steve’s aggravation was building, growing louder than the low hum of the nearby television with his face plastered in the headlines. He turned his head to the TV and back to Dennis.

“How could he pass me up? I’m perfect for that role,” Steve was annoyed, fingers tugging at his hair as he tried to ignore Ryan Seacrest bemoaning his latest antics.

“Oh I don’t know,” Dennis pointed at the television, “wonder if it has anything to do with your bad reputation.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. The man rolled his eyes, taking a drag out of his cigar as Steve shook his head.

“What am I supposed to do?” Steve shrugged, palms outstretched in front of him like a plea as he looked at his agent.

“You need to change your image. No one wants to hire you when your reputation is a self-centered playboy,” Jones sneered.

“I’m not self-centered,” Steve argued, jumping from the couch and pacing the small space in front of his agent’s desk once again.

“That’s not what they think. And I hate to break it to you kid but what they think matters. Word of mouth is Hollywood’s currency. No one wants to work with a diva. No one wants to work with a selfish main star. Not in today’s culture. Your reputation is your career.” Steve nodded at his words as they sank in. The truth of it all.

“How do I change my image?”

“You need to be Mr. Charitable. Spend some time away from the big lights, get out there with the little people, and contribute. Be the complete opposite of who you have been.” Dennis flicked the butt of his cigar above the ashtray and rested it on the glass lip. Steve moved closer to his desk resting his hands on the wood, muscles flexing as he pressed into the surface.

“I will do whatever you need me to do,” Dennis smiled, crooked and a little mean. Teeth yellowed from years of smoking.

“Leave it to me, kid.” Steve nodded, confident in his new agent. Dennis Jones was the most sought-after representation, able to get any star into any role. More than that he was able to scrub any image squeaky clean. Steve sat back on the sofa, relaxing into the cushions as he played with his phone. Thoughts on the movie role of his dreams, one that would launch his already buzzing career into the stratosphere.

“Have you heard of Feeding America?” Steve looked at the man with a confused face, eyebrows pushed together creating a line on his forehead.

“Uh, no?” Jones rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself. Of course, Steve Harrington didn’t know of any charitable causes.

“It’s a nonprofit, they have food banks around the country. Main focus is helping families stay fed. If that wasn’t obvious,” his response was pointed, a little jab at Steve.

“They’re looking to raise some money, and you’re going to help them.” Jones pointed at Steve sternly.

“What? I just fork over some cash?” Harrington rolled his eyes.

“No, kid, that would be too easy. You need to get involved, do something other than partying.” Steve scoffed, cheeks burning red at the man’s words but he couldn’t argue. He’d spent nearly a decade in the spotlight and most of it wasn’t good. Drinking, partying, dating and never settling down. Settling down seemed like a death sentence.

“So, what? I just show up at a few food banks, take a few candids, and boom I have the role?” Steve shrugged as if it were obvious but his agent laughed.

“You’re gonna have to do more than that, playboy. We’re going to raffle off time with you. Dinner. Movies. The whole nine yards.”

“Like a date?” Dennis pointed to Steve like he was finally getting it.

“Exactly! Who doesn’t want to win a date with Steve Harrington?” Steve could think of a few names.

“Great so I go on a date with some super fan and how does that help?”

“Because in the meantime you’re going to be laying low. Skipping parties, avoiding bars, no dates with this week’s cover girl. No, you’ll be volunteering. Sobering up. The next time America sees you you’ll be helping a charity out of the kindness of your heart, spending time with a devoted fan. Tinsel town will eat it up,” the man laughed, chuckles turning into a smoker’s cough.

“Like I said kid, leave it to me. All you need to do is listen.” Steve nodded, sarcastic rebuttal swallowed.

Family Video was empty. Quiet. The only sound filling the silence was the movie trailers playing on a constant loop on the TVs situated throughout the store. You sat at the checkout counter, eyes half-hooded as you watched the door. Wishing a customer to walk through. Anything to make the time pass quicker. Boredom nearly making you drift to sleep. You tapped a pencil on the counter, a groan escaping your lips as you laid your head on the cold surface. Begging the universe to please please please end your suffering. Or make it a little more entertaining. The bell above the door jingled causing your head to snap up, eyes wide with excitement.

“Welcome to Fam-“ your shoulders sagged at the site of your best friend running giddily through the door.

“Oh it’s just you,” you teased, propping yourself onto your elbows as she approached. You’d known Holly since she had the misfortune of moving to Hawkins in the second grade and you became instant friends. Going through school, graduating, and now working at the same dead-end job together. Until lightning struck or something better came along.

“I’m going to ignore that because holy shit I have exciting news!” Her blonde hair bounced with her, excitement evident in her brown eyes.

“Spill,” you shrugged. Antsy.

“So Steve Harrington-“

“Total babe,” you interrupted.

“Yes, Steve Harrington the total babe. He did a new interview and guess what?” You were already excited at the prospect of reading something new about him. He’d been out of the public eye for some time.

“What?” She bounced on her toes, excitement bubbling over.

“You can enter to win a date with him!” She squealed and your eyebrows shot up.

“What? How?”

“Apparently he’s working with a charity to raise money so he’s auctioning off a date. Well more like a raffle but every dollar raised is going to them.” Her smile was wide exposing the cute gap between her two front teeth.

“Let me see!” You grabbed the magazine from her shuffling through the pages until your eyes landed on the spread. You skimmed the article, eyes softening at his sentiments.

“God, could he be more of a dreamboat?” You swooned.

“You have to enter!” You nodded your head, eyes fixed on the new photos of Steve, and already decided that even if you didn’t win at least the money wouldn’t be wasted on another treat day at the mall.

“What’s got you girls so excited?” The familiar rasp of Eddie’s voice grew louder as he left his office.

“Hey there, Mr. Manager,” Holly poked at him and Eddie rolled his eyes. He was newly promoted, and out of the three of you, he hated the job the most.

“Yeah, yeah. Are you going to fill me in?” He rested his elbows beside yours, warm skin rubbing against your exposed arm as he leaned over to read what you were staring at. His curly brown hair tickled your cheek, the scent of his shampoo filling your space. Green apple. You turned to him, his chocolate brown eyes already fixed on you.

“I’m going to win a date with Steve Harrington,” you were speaking it into existence though the odds were small. Eddie snorted at your words.

“Okay, stalker.” He teased you and you stuck your tongue at him.

“It’s totally legit, see.” Holly pointed to the article, the details of the contest, and the grand prize.

“Why would you want to go on a date with that loser anyway?”

“You think all the guys I like are losers,” you gave him a pointed look.

“Because they are,” he insisted. Holly pushed her lips together as she watched the two of you bicker. You were the only one completely unaware that Eddie was totally and completely in love with you.

“Chuck was nice,” you insisted.

“Chuck couldn’t keep a job, and I know he used a bowl to cut his hair. Total scrub,” Eddie contested.

“Wow, this has been totally fun. I think I see some videos that need shelving,” Holly interrupted and darted to the cart with stacks of returned DVDs.

“Are you really going to waste your money to maybe win a date with some Hollywood loser?” Eddie asked, voice lower as he looked at you. You turned your body towards him and looked up into his gaze.

“Best money I’ll ever spend,” you poked his chest with each syllable. Teasing. You enjoyed getting a rise out of Eddie and had since the two of you met when you were nine. You and your grandmother had just moved into the trailer park and Eddie was the only kid your age. You became fast friends, best friends by all accounts.

“I can’t imagine that’s true,” Eddie stated, gaze searching yours.

“Just wait, I’m going to be in these papers soon. Steve Harrington’s super hot mystery date,” you raised your hand to emphasize the headline as you imagined it.

“For charity,” Eddie corrected.

“But still super hot,” you shrugged and turned to help Holly. Eddie sat there silent, cheeks a pretty pink, hand gripped on the counter as he worked through the nerves. The way your words affected him. The way you affected him.

You went home that night, paging through your own copy of the magazine reading and re-reading Steve’s words. Skimming the entry rules. For every five dollars spent you were given one ticket for the raffle and so you decided to spend fifty. Ten chances at winning what you assumed would be the most romantic night with your celebrity crush. You grabbed the phone receiver and dialed the number listed, heart beating as the line trilled until the operator picked up.

“Hi, I’d like to enter to win a date with Steve Harrington.”

tag list: @halflifejess, @allthingsjoeq, @wiltedflowersundertowers

*if you requested to be tagged but were not listed it was because: your blog did not pull up to verify your age or there was no indication that you are 18+.

click here to be added to tag list 🩵

140 notes · View notes

onceuponaoneshotfanfic · 3 months

Text

And I Know It's Sad, But This Is What I Think About

I'll Write Your Name Chapter 4

Roy Kent x Latina!Popstar!Reader

6.2k words

Warnings: Language, brief mentions of alcohol, spoilers for The Great Gatsby

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Thank you as always to @agentstarkid for being the best and reading all my silly love stories💕

After my third Richmond game, April and I found ourselves once again having dinner with the Greyhounds at Ola’s. This time, Roy Kent and I sat with some of the players, who I was pleased to watch flirt with April; my beautiful assistant and best friend deserved the attention of hot, rich athletes, I decided.

While flirting with professional soccer players seemed to come easy to April, it felt like Roy and I were still figuring out how to flirt with each other. We sat close enough that our shoulders were touching, I flashed him plenty of coy smiles, and he made a point to whisper in my ear every now and then- although it was usually something like “Can I fucking leave now?” But still, if we were going to convince people that this was real, we’d probably have to step things up soon.

I remembered something Keeley had texted me the day before- we needed another date, and soon.

“What’re you doing tomorrow?” I murmured, loud enough for only Kent to hear.

He grunted and shifted in his seat. “Why?” After I simply narrowed my eyes at him, he sighed. “Keeley texted you too, hmm?” He sighed, shoveling another bite into his mouth. “What were you thinking?”

I thought for a moment, trying to avoid something simple like dinner, where we’d have to talk to each other and act like two people who were interested in each other. “Want to go on a picnic? We could bring a couple of books. Wouldn’t have to say a word to each other.”

Roy blinked, clearly processing what I’d just said; I could practically hear gears whirring before he finally spoke. “Sounds fucking perfect.”

Satisfied that I’d done my part, I turned my attention back to my delicious meal; if I got nothing else out of this fake relationship, at least I’d be well-fed for the next few months.

“Hey there!” Keeley Jones plopped down on my other side, smiling broadly at me.

Suddenly very aware of the eyes of the team on me, the way they’d been the night I “met” Keeley the first time I visited Ola’s, I returned her smile with one of my own, going so far as to playfully bump her shoulder with mine.

“Thank you again for inviting us to sit with you and Rebecca,” I gushed, and I really meant it; if I was going to be hanging out at Nelson Road, it was nice to do so in a comfortable suite with champagne in my hand. “It was actually really fun.”

Keeley’s smile widened; it was warm and friendly and genuine, making it obvious why everyone seemed to adore her. “I’m so glad you enjoyed yourself! We’ll have to get you a Kent kit now, eh? I’ve got an old one you could have if you like.”

I swore Roy stiffened next to me. “That’s alright,” I assured her. “I think April was going to order one for me to wear to their next game.” I turned to Roy with a shrug. “Gotta look the part, right?”

Roy mumbled something about getting another beer and stood, pausing only to briefly touch my shoulder; I ignored how warm his touch was. Once he was gone, I turned my attention back to Keeley, whose eyes were following Roy with something that looked a lot like pity.

“How’re you two getting on?” she asked in a low voice, scooching closer.

The only response that felt right was a shrug. “It’s fine,” I murmured. “Definitely working on getting used to each other. Going from complete strangers to dating is… a unique way of getting to know someone.” She seemed to be waiting for me to continue, so I added, “We’re going on a picnic tomorrow. I told him we could bring a couple books, that way we don’t have to just stare at each other the whole time.”

The corner of Keeley’s mouth tugged upwards knowingly. “Now that is a perfect idea,” she said, eyes shifting back to Roy as he approached, beer in hand. “Absolutely perfect.”

“How’s here?”

Roy grunted in response and dropped the picnic basket to the ground. Ten minutes felt like far too long to look for the “perfect” picnic spot, but Keeley had been kind of specific; it needed to be a public enough spot that they would be seen, but secluded enough that it didn’t look like they were trying to be seen.

He was beginning to wish they’d just gone to the pub again; at least then he could have a pint.

Instead, he helped spread out the blanket they’d brought with them and opened up the picnic basket, the one Keeley had dropped off at his house early that morning and that his date- when the fuck would he have to start saying girlfriend?- had loaded with lunch and snacks. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of food she’d packed. Probably something trendy and vegan-y. Was she a vegan? Roy didn’t fucking know. But she was young and trendy and pretty and-

“Here.” She shoved something wrapped in white paper into his hands. “Should we eat first?”

Roy gingerly unwrapped the bundle, immediately recognizing its contents. “Is this a fucking kebab?”

She shrugged, already chomping on a bite of her own kebab. “Yeah. That a problem?”

Ignoring the annoyance in her voice, Roy took a bite; fuck, he’d know that flavor anywhere. “Where’d you get this?”

“That kebab place you like.” Her tone was casual, as if it didn’t matter. “I asked Keeley what you like, she sent me the address.” After eating another bite, she shrugged. “The owner asked me to bring in a headshot next time, said he’d give me free kebabs for life.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Roy’s grip tightened on his kebab; he ate there at least once a week and still was never given so much as a discount. But she goes in once and gets kebabs for life? Fucking hell. Well, at least he’d get to take advantage for the next few months. Maybe he would benefit from this charade after all.

Still munching on her kebab, she reached into the bag she’d brought and pulled out a book, settling herself into a comfortable position before opening it. Roy took the hint and grabbed his own book out of the picnic basket, a murder mystery his sister had given him for his birthday. He glanced up over the top of his book to get a glimpse of what she was reading.

“The Great Gatsby?” he asked, raising his thick eyebrows.

She nodded, her gaze still on her book. “It’s my favorite,” she said simply. After a moment, her eyes flickered up to meet Roy’s. “I try to read it every year.”

Not sure why he was still talking, Roy sat up a little straighter. “Every year? I mean, yeah, it’s a fucking good book, but why would you read it every fucking year?”

“It’s… familiar.” She set the book down, now fully looking at Roy. “Everyone is desperate to be at Gatsby’s parties, to be surrounded by his wealth and glamor, to drink his booze and enjoy his hospitality.” She frowned, eyes flittering back to the book. “But then only a handful of people attend his funeral. Once the party is over, no one cares about him anymore.” She looked back at Roy. “That’s going to be me, isn’t it?”

Roy was speechless. Something about the softness in her eyes was so familiar, almost like looking in a mirror. That’s going to be me, isn’t it? How many times had Roy mumbled something just as cynical and broken? How many people- reporters, women, friends, even family- had stopped calling once he slowed down? How many more once he stepped off the field for the last time? In her eyes Roy could see the same dejection and fear of loneliness that had nestled itself inside Roy’s chest these last few years. It was something hard to explain, something one could only understand if they’d felt it deep in their souls. And it seemed to be something they both shared.

But instead of admitting to understanding how she felt and allowing her to glimpse behind his scowls and hard expressions, Roy simply shifted on the blanket and bit off his lunch. “Fucking hell. Are you always some fucking tortured poet, sunshine?”

Her face faltered for only a fraction of a second, but it was long enough for Roy to want to kick himself for ruining the moment. She quickly recovered, picking her book back up and burying herself back into Jay Gatsby’s empty affluence. “Read your fucking book, Kent,” she mumbled, flipping a page absently. “There’s a photographer in those bushes.”

Sure enough, when Roy glanced around out of the corner of his eye, he could just make out the familiar sight of a camera lens.

“So, how’s it going with Roy Kent?”

Lanie looked perky as we sat in her office. My guard was immediately up; a perky publicist was never a good sign, I’d learned. It usually meant they had something rotten to tell you.

Anticipating whatever it was, I slouched into my seat, ready to narrow my eyes or scowl at a moment’s notice. “It’s fine,” I mumbled. “Keeley Jones said our picnic date got a lot of positive attention, and she said the Greyhounds’ viewership has skyrocketed since I started attending matches. So, it looks like we’re doing our jobs pretty well. Is my press looking good?”

Lanie nodded, eyes on her phone. “Good, good,” she said absently, as if she wasn’t really listening.

“Lanie?” I called.

She looked back up at me. “Well, with the Roy Kent stuff, you’ve got plenty of attention, and it looks like people are excited to see you in a new relationship, especially with someone who looks like him.” She ignored the way I wrinkled my nose. “But, uh, this morning I got wind of something that might take a little attention away from you and Roy.” She handed me her phone with a grimace.

The photo was kind of blurry, but I knew the two figures immediately. Everett- my most recent ex- nuzzling close to Cameron, the woman who had once called herself my best friend until she found out that a boyfriend of hers hit on me. Even though I had clearly rebuffed him and told Cam right away, she very publicly ended our friendship and even more publicly accused me of trying to steal her man. And now, irony of ironies, there she was, attached to my ex-boyfriend like the leech Lanie had always warned me she was.

“Lovely,” I finally snorted, gingerly handing the phone back to Lanie. “Do we think it’s real or just for attention? I know Cam’s new show starts filming soon.”

Lanie rolled her eyes. “Please, they’re not clever enough to pull off something calculated. If anything, he’s trying to make you jealous and she’s trying to get revenge on you. Idiots.” She sighed and dropped her phone onto the coffee table. “But, of course, your name’s being dragged into it. The phrase ‘love triangle’ has been trending on Twitter all morning.”

“Gross.”

“Agreed.” Lanie rolled her neck, something she often did when she was stressed. “I’ve been on the phone with Keeley this morning, and we both agree it’s time to step things up with you and Roy. Go public, make things official. Attend an event together that’s not a Richmond dinner.”

How much further could I slouch before I ended up lying down on the couch? “What event did you guys have in mind?”

“Your annual fabulous karaoke party!”

Keeley Jones strutted into the office with Roy right behind her. She greeted Lanie and I each with friendly hugs and kisses on cheeks; Roy, on the other hand, opted for short nods to each of us. Lanie stood and motioned for Roy to take her seat beside me; we shuffled awkwardly to ensure our knees wouldn’t bump.

Once we were all settled, I turned to Keeley, who now stood next to Lanie. “My karaoke party?” I echoed, feeling my stomach churn.

The “party” was the main fundraiser I threw every year for my nonprofit back home; it was near and dear to my heart, incredibly personal, and my favorite night of the year.

And now I’d have to share it with Roy Kent.

Sensing my unease, Lanie smiled at me, one of her reassuring smiles, the kind she always had for me after a bad bit of press. “It’ll be great publicity,” she pointed out. “You’ll probably raise even more than you did last year. Can you imagine how many people will register for the livestream? Especially if he sings,” she added, pointing at Roy.

“Sing?” the manager practically spat. “I have to sing at this party?”

With a sigh that even I knew was overdramatic, I turned to look at him, taking in his scowl and furrowed brow. “It’s a karaoke party,” I explained slowly, remembering how condescending he’d been the very first time we’d spoken in front of the elevator at Keeley’s office. “People pay a pretty penny for a ticket, there’s a paid livestream of all the singing, and I always release a new song, with all the proceeds going to my nonprofit. It’s… kind of a big deal.”

When Roy frowned, I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he processed this new information. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth. “You should invite some of the guys. They’d definitely fucking sing.”

Keeley bounced happily at Roy’s suggestion. “That would be perfect! And it would really show the two of you becoming part of each other’s worlds too.” She quickly tapped at her phone, somehow lighting up even brighter. “And it’s a bye week for them!” She shot me a wink. “Looks like the universe is really lining things up for us, hmm?”

All I could do was smile weakly, my mind spinning from learning about my ex-boyfriend and ex-friend becoming an item and finding out that I’d have to spend my favorite night of the year with a man who had barely glanced at me since that night we played darts together. I made up my mind to ask Lanie if my reputation really needed this much help or if she, as usual, was overreacting. Just as soon as Roy and Keeley left, I decided. Surely, with the numbers my upcoming tour sales was doing, along with the amount of people already signed up for the fundraiser’s livestream, and with all this social media attention, could dating a former soccer star turned grumpy coach really help that much?

“Oi, sunshine, your place or mine?”

Sunshine. Roy’s gruff use of the name he’d mumbled during our picnic had me snapping back to attention, out of my planned objections to my publicist. I stared at Roy blankly, trying to imagine what in the hell I’d missed that had him prompting what I thought he might be prompting- especially in front of his ex-girlfriend.

“She was zoning out,” Lanie quickly explained as she threw an M&M at me, her usual way of bringing me back to attention. “We want you two to have a sleepover,” she said loudly, as if she was repeating herself- which she probably was. “Something simple and domestic. Something you can post on your socials so continue this little soft launch. Something to help make things believable.”

Roy nodded. “Keeley says just being seen in public isn’t enough to make it seem real. We’ve got to really sell this shit.” He scowled at me. “So, your place or mine?”

Okay, so that made a lot more sense than what I’d feared he was asking me. “My place,” I said, clearing my throat. “You can come over to my place.”

Roy let out a low growl as he pulled up to the front gate of the address on his phone. He quickly punched in the gate code she’d sent him, relieved he didn’t have to call her to let him in, and drove up the short driveway.

Her house wasn’t what he’d imagined; with the money he- and the rest of the world- knew she was worth, Roy’d figured she lived in a fucking castle or some modern monstrosity. Instead, he walked in the moonlight to the door of a sweet two-story house, blinking as he read the doormat that declared “There’s no place like home”. He heaved his duffel bag over his shoulder and sharply knocked on the door, sucking his breath between his teeth. Another step in this weird, weird fucking situation he found himself in.

When the door opened, Roy instinctively took a step back, forcing himself to look her in the eye. She nodded curtly to him, gesturing for him to enter the house. “Kent,” was her simple greeting.

He returned the curt reception with a grunt of his own and followed her inside and into her sitting room, marveling at how the house did not match his expectations. He’d figured it would be something like Keeley’s place, all bright and pink and stylish with fluffy pillows everywhere. But everything was simple and cozy, and there were a lot more photos than he expected. Her family, he assumed, as his eyes lingered on a photo of her with a couple of pre-teen kids. In one corner was a piano, one he figured she used a lot, and one wall was completely covered with a bookshelf, which housed a large and clearly well-used library. It reminded Roy a bit of his own place if he was being honest. Simple, homey, and probably a refuge from a life lived in the public eye.

Before he could ask about the framed drawing that was clearly done by a child around Pheobe’s age, something brushed against Roy’s leg. “What the fuck?” he bellowed, looking down to see a cat staring back up at him.

“That’s Sydney,” his host explained, picking up the animal. “Syd, say hi to Roy.” She kissed the top of the cat’s head. “Apparently we need to get used to him,” she stage-whispered into the cat’s fur.

Roy snorted as he focused his gaze on the cat. He could almost appreciate the sarcasm in her voice- almost. Instead, he gestured to his duffel bag. “Where can I set this down? Are you sticking me in the backyard, or do I have to sleep in my car?”

With something resembling a smirk on her lips, she set the cat down and once again beckoned for Roy to follow her. “I’ve got a guest room,” she assured him as she led him down the hall. She let Roy enter the room alone, choosing to linger in the hallway and watch him drop his bag to the floor. She cleared her throat as the cat- Sydney- caught up with them. “I ordered a pizza,” she mumbled, shifting her weight. “We could, I don’t fucking know, watch a movie or something until, well...”

Right. Fucking sleepover. “Yeah, sounds fine,” Roy muttered, staring at the cat. He’d probably spend most of his night looking at the animal, he realized. “I’m just gonna… throw on some fucking sweats. If that’s alright.”

She nodded, her cool demeanor reappearing. “Do your thing,” she said airily. “Let me know if you need anything.” After giving Roy a firm, businesslike nod, she was gone.

With a shake of his head, Roy quickly threw on some sweats and a t-shirt, trying not to put too much thought into what the evening ahead held. Was this really necessary? Did the other fake couples Keeley knew- which she assured him was quite a few- have to go to such lengths? Knowing Keeley, she was probably just trying to push Roy’s buttons, see how far she could take this shit before Roy snapped.

But again, he was trying to prove to her that he was willing to go above and beyond for her. Anything for Keeley, he reminded himself as he trudged back into the sitting room.

He plopped himself down on the couch, where Sydney the Cat was already perched and watching Roy with narrowed cat eyes. Jamie had once compared Roy to a cat during a team dinner, he remembered. Not very social, easy to annoy, but incredibly loyal and affectionate once they decided to let someone in. Keeley had found the comparison hilarious and proceeded to call Roy “Fluffy” for the rest of the night. He chuckled to himself at the memory; he should send Keeley a picture of Sydney and let her know he remembered the joke. He always remembered Keeley’s jokes.

As he reached for his mobile, a voice came from the direction of what he assumed was the kitchen. “You eat pepperoni, right? I forgot to ask.”

The most glamorous popstar in the world strolled back into the sitting room holding a cardboard box in her hands with two bottles of beer balanced on top. Instead of her usual dresses or fashionable outfits Roy and the rest of the world was used to seeing her in, she wore a particularly tiny pair of sleep shorts and a Greyhounds sweatshirt- the one Roy had seen her wear to their matches lately.

Roy wasn’t blind. He knew she was a stunning woman, whether she was on an album cover or, apparently, in her pyjamas. And if he’d bothered to give the matter even two seconds of thought, he would’ve noted that he rather liked her figure, especially when she looked so comfortable and domestic. But Roy couldn’t think about that. Not when he heard Keeley’s name come out of her mouth.

“Keeley said to make sure we both post on our socials,” she was saying, either missing or ignoring the way Roy’s eyes lingered for a moment too long on her bare legs. “Why I couldn’t just send you something to post is beyond me.” She set the pizza down on the coffee table and plopped onto the couch, a respectable distance from Roy’s spot. “Like, is you coming over really, truly necessary?”

Roy snorted and made himself busy with a beer. “I was thinking the same thing,” he admitted. “But Keeley’s always got a method to her fucking madness. You learn to just fucking go with it.” Deciding he needed to look at something that wasn’t the way she was stretching out comfortably on her couch, Roy stood abruptly and meandered over to her bookshelf. “You read a lot?” he said, scanning her collection more closely now.

“When I can,” came her breezy answer. “I’d love to say I’ve read everything on that shelf, but that’s mostly a collection of books I want to read.”

“Maybe we can do more reading dates.” Roy didn’t know what the fuck made him say that; it just slipped out as he stared at a particularly worn copy of The Bell Jar. When he glanced over his shoulder, he was surprised to see a smile on her face.

She shrugged and sipped her own beer. “Sure, Kent. Sounds good.”

Ignoring whatever feeling was forming in his chest, Roy returned to the shelf, recognizing some names and finding himself curious about others. Finally, he spotted a stack of games on the bottom shelf. He noted that there were about four versions of the same game. “You like Scrabble?” he blurted out, desperate to put distance between himself and his picnic suggestion.

“Love it,” she laughed. “When my parents came to the States from Mexico, they were each pretty young and worked really hard to learn English. They wanted to make sure all of their kids were fluent in English, so in our house we were always reading and playing games like Scrabble.” Her smile became a smirk. “My youngest brother refuses to play with me anymore because I kind of win a lot.”

The competitive streak that made Roy a football legend started to bubble up in his chest. “That so?” He picked up one of the boxes and brought it over to the coffee table. “Let’s see, then.”

“You can’t put that word!” I cackled, throwing my head back when I saw the word Roy was putting on the board.

Roy smirked and put the ‘C’ down with finality. “I absolutely fucking can. And I did so…” He shrugged. “Gimme my points, sunshine.”

After updating Roy’s score, I snapped a photo of the board. “That’s going on Instagram,” I warned him with a smirk. I quickly shared the picture and put my phone down, trusting that Lanie would text me later about the post blowing up.

We finished one game, then another, and started a third. We didn’t talk much, but it didn’t feel as awkward as those first few dinners with the Greyhounds. Sydney laid close to Roy, clearly already used to him, and I couldn’t deny the warm feeling in my chest when I saw him absently stroke her fur between turns. Maybe we’ll be friends, I thought fondly as I put down the tiles for my latest turn. Real, actual friends.

“Calamitous?” Roy read, wrinkling his nose. “What the fuck is calamitous? Is that even a word?”

I smirked and sipped my beer. “It absolutely is!” I stood and strolled over to my bookshelf, returning with the Scrabble dictionary my sister had given me a couple years ago. “Look it up.”

After shooting me a suspicious look, Roy flipped through the book; his scowl told me he had indeed found calamitous.

“It’s a good word,” I said as I sat back down. “One of my favorites. I’ve just been waiting for the right time to put it in a song.”

His gaze turned thoughtful as he stared at his letter tiles. “You written anything lately?” Before I could answer, he opened his mouth again. “You said something about a song for your fundraiser thing. It’s a new one, right?”

I nodded, squirming a bit as I thought about the song, one I’d been pouring a lot of myself into. “Yeah. I always release a new song after the party.” My eyes fell so Sydney, curled up close to Roy. “Want to hear a bit?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

His almost silly answer was enough to get me to my feet and retrieving my guitar from the extra room I often worked in. When I came back, Roy sat up straight, his gaze trained on my guitar as I settled on the couch.

“It’s called ‘Nothing New’,” I explained as I began to strum my guitar. “Here’s the chorus.”

Lord, what will become of me

Once I've lost my novelty?

I've had too much to drink tonight

And I know it's sad, but this is what I think about

And I wake up in the middle of the night

It's like I can feel time moving

How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?

And will you still want me when I'm nothing new?

When I finally looked at Roy, his mouth was agape, and he was blinking rapidly.

“Fucking hell,” he whispered. “That’s good. That’s really fucking good.” He shook his head. “Reminds me of that shit you said the other day, about Gatsby and funerals and all that.” He sighed, a heavy, sad sound, and his voice was almost impossible to hear. “Fucking reminds me of me.”

I didn’t know what to say to that; I vaguely knew the story of Roy’s injury, the one that ended his career, and Dani had said something about it taking a while for Roy to find his way back to Richmond after his retirement. But I didn’t think Roy was the kind of person who liked to talk about anything, let alone what was probably the worst time in his life. So instead, I watched him stare stonily at my silent guitar, not saying a word when he stood abruptly, something I was quickly getting used to seeing.

“I should fucking sleep,” he mumbled, taking care to grab a couple of empty bottles. “Gotta be out of here early for training. Thanks for the pizza. And the beer.” He nodded to my guitar. “And the song.” After nudging Sydney gently with his foot, Roy turned on his heel and disappeared into the kitchen; I didn’t move from my spot until I heard the guest room door shut with finality.

Roy sighed as he sat down in front of the assembled reporters, all waiting to pounce on him after a hard-earned Greyhound victory. As always, Keeley stood in the back of the room, an encouraging smile on her face, the kind of smile that always gave Roy the strength to tackle what was probably his least favorite part of the job.

He answered several questions about the match- probably one of their best of the season, if he was being honest with himself- before the topic he was dreading finally reared its head.

“Coach Kent,” some wanker from a publication Roy couldn’t be bothered to remember called out, “care to say anything about the rumors concerning your latest fling?”

Instinctively, Roy bared his teeth and squared his shoulders before leaning forward, ready to growl out, “No.” However, a raised eyebrow from Keeley had him taking a deep breath; she’d trained him for this, he reminded himself. He knew what he was supposed to say. “We’re just… spending time together,” he said, trying to keep his voice light. “It’s been… nice, getting to know each other.” When he looked at Keeley, she was giving him a big thumbs up; it was enough to have him continue. “She’s different than I expected,” he added, nodding more to himself than anyone else.

“How’d you two meet?”

He coughed into his hand; he knew how to answer this, too. “She’s good friends with Dani Rojas,” he explained, wondering if it sounded as rehearsed as it felt. “So, she came to a match and then came out with the team afterwards. We danced a little, and then she gave me her phone number.” Again, Keeley smiled encouragingly. “It’s been kind of fucking cool, having her at our matches. She’s really embraced the Richmond way.” That last bit was something Keeley had come up with; normally, Roy would think it sounded incredibly lame and positively cheesy. But, since Keeley was the mastermind, he didn’t complain one bit.

Another reporter spoke up. “Will you be at her upcoming fundraiser? The karaoke party is legendary.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Roy answered with what he hoped was a good-natured smirk. “Get enough drinks in me, I might even fucking sing.” For a brief moment, the chuckles that filled the room reminded Roy of how this room sounded when Ted was there; he hadn’t realized he actually missed that sound.

“Have you heard her new song?” The voice was hopeful, as if Roy was about to give everyone a big scoop, let the sports reporters have something the gossip columnists would kill for.

For the first time since the press conference began, Roy’s smile was real. “I’ve heard a little,” he admitted. “And I won’t tell you a fucking thing, except that it’s fucking brilliant.”

Roy maneuvered around a few more questions- Would she be attending more Richmond matches? (“Hopefully.”) Would Roy be going to any of the shows during her upcoming tour. (“We’ll see.”) Who won their Scrabble tournament? (“No fucking comment.”)- before he was finally set free. He and Keeley reconvened in his office, making sure no one else was around before assessing how Roy’s first official acknowledgement of the “relationship” had gone.

“You did a great job,” Keeley assured him from her perch on the edge of his desk, a spot she’d taken countless times. “Might be the most charming I’ve ever seen you at a presser, Roy. Looks like she’s really rubbing off on you.” Her wink had Roy’s insides squirming. “Did you really hear the song already?”

“Yeah,” Roy mumbled, slouching in his seat. “She played some for me the other night, during our sleepover.” He surprised even himself by not rolling his eyes at the word sleepover. “It’s fucking sad,” he continued, completely unprompted. “But really beautiful. Nothing like the fluffy stuff you hear on the radio.”

Keeley gently tossed a stray paperclip at Roy. “Oi, I like her fluffy stuff! And so does Phoebe, I might add.” Her smile widened. “Your niece wants to know when you’re introducing her to your girlfriend, by the way. It’s all she talked about at our last Pheebs and Keels Day.”

Roy shook his head. “Oh no,” he scoffed, folding his arms. “Not fucking happening. Last thing I need is for her to get attached. Look what happened with-”

Fuck.

The smile disappeared from Keeley’s face. “Right,” she said quietly, looking down at her hands. “Yeah, might not be the best idea, eh?” After a moment, she perked up again, reigniting the energy in the room. “Have you two kissed yet?”

“What the fuck Keeley?” Roy hissed, looking around the obviously empty office; she’d sure recovered quickly from the awkward moment he’d caused.

She shrugged, clearly unfazed. “You’re officially together and are starting to go out in public as a couple. It’ll look funny if you don’t start being affectionate soon. I figured maybe you two’d gotten it out of the way already, so your first kiss isn’t in front of the cameras."

Shit. Roy hadn’t even started to think about how they’d act now that things were “official”. Had she?

“Don’t fucking worry about it,” Roy mumbled, wondering why he was blushing so furiously. “I’m a forty-year-old man, Keeley. I know how to kiss a woman.”

“Yeah, but she’s not just any woman,” Keeley pointed out as she stood. “Just something to think about.” She paused, studying Roy’s face carefully. “You really did do a good job in there, Roy. I almost believed you for a second, smiling and blushing as you gushed about that gorgeous girl.” Her smile returned, completely full of mischief. “Anything you want to share?”

Roy narrowed his eyes at his ex and threw the paper clip she’d tossed at him earlier. “Fuck off, Keeley,” was all he managed before the giggling blonde strutted out of the office. He looked down at his phone to check where the guys would be going after the match; after all, he was expected to be there with-

“Hey there!”

Roy looked up at the sound of Keeley’s cheery voice. His “girlfriend” came into view, smiling tightly at Keeley as they squeezed by each other through the doorway. The popstar saluted as she entered the office.

“Hey, Kent,” she hummed, pausing by the door and leaning against the frame. “I was thinking, want to ride to the restaurant together?”

He heard what she said. He knew he had. But the only thing he could focus on was her mouth, the same mouth that had left lipstick marks on his cheek and had formed a smile when she won two Scrabble games in a row. The same mouth he’d have to kiss soon. He’d kissed plenty of women; hell, he’d more than kissed plenty of women. And those were kisses he’d actually meant.

So why the fuck did his palms feel sweaty at the thought of fake-kissing this woman?

“Kent? Kent?”

Oh fucking hell, she’d caught him staring.

Roy cleared his throat and stood up, pocketing his mobile. “Alright, yeah. Let’s go.”

She narrowed her eyes at him as they walked out of the office. “You alright?”

“Yeah. I’m fucking fine.” Roy’s hand balled into a fist at his side as he fought the urge to clear his throat again.

“Okay then.” They walked silently down the hall, looking nothing at all like a couple in love. Finally, she bumped him with her shoulder. “Saw your press conference,” she said, her voice light and teasing.

Roy nodded, wondering if his face looked as warm as it felt. “What’d you think?”

When he glanced at her, she was staring straight ahead- and smiling. “You told them you liked the song.” Her voice could only be described as pleased.

“Well, yeah,” Roy mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s the truth. It’s… it’s really fucking good. I can’t wait to hear the rest.”

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. Finally, she looked at him, her face serious now. “Hey, there’s some reporters hanging around outside. D’you think we should hold hands or something?”

Roy’s eyes flickered down to her outstretched hand before returning to her face; she gazed at him with raised eyebrows, waiting for his answer.

“Probably a good idea,” he murmured. With that, he took her hand in his, giving it a small squeeze as they walked out of the Dog Track.

He kept her hand in his as they walked through the parking lot; while his eyes stayed trained on his giant black car, she smiled sweetly at the couple of reporters who called their names and even offered a small wave in their direction. Roy held her door open and helped her climb inside, closing the door once she was settled. Once he was in the driver’s seat, he resisted the urge to grab her hand; old habit from dating Keeley, he told himself.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder why his hand felt so cold without her fingers intertwined with his.

Taglist: @infinetlyforgotten@ladygrey03@book-of-roses@thatonedogwithablog@misshall14@wibblywobblyvampywolfystuff@akornsworld@itswhateveripromise@purecinnamonextract@oceanncurrent@dearvoidgoodnight@hopefulromances@respondingtoshowerthoughts-blog@hotleaf-juice@emmy2811@captainorbust-blog@preciousbabypeter@shion-ah@royalestrellas@eugene-emt-roe@littleesilvia@teenwolf01@sisinever@yagotgames@queen-of-the-downtown-scene @emmaallisonann @mrdsturd @confessionsofatotaldramaslut

#roy kent i'll write your name #roy kent iwyn #he's here he's there he's every fucking where #roy kent #roy kent x reader #roy kent fanfic #roy kent fic #roy kent fanfiction #roy kent imagine #ted lasso fanfiction

81 notes · View notes

crookedkryptonitebeliever · 4 months

Text

Best and Worst of Both worlds (part 34)

Tw: nothing much except mild victim blamey thing from reader

Vote belowww i will only count the first 21 people and also it's gonna be a short chapter

Part 35

You spent most of your time asleep. The medicine that the doctors hooked you on made you drowsy. Oddly enough, you didn't have nightmares about the incident. You're... indifferent about it now.

Maybe it's because you thought Evangeline was ill, in a way. She didn't have as much control over her thoughts and actions as a normal person.

Maybe you're just... tired. You didn't want to be angry or scared anymore. The emotions returned whenever you thought about the Jones family, however.

"...Sweetheart?" Your eyes opened. Why is...

Montgomery sat next to you. He seems wary, hesitant to touch your hand. In the end, he kept it to his side.

That's right. You allowed him to visit you. What were you thinking? Maybe you weren't at all. The event clouded your judgement, but you think your yearning for some kind of physical connection made you do this. You did tell Yves though, and he said wasn't as upset as you thought. Strangely enough, he seemed to trust him. However, he contacted your nurses to make sure you're never alone with him.

"Hey, how are ya doing?" He cooed, slowly getting closer to you. Halting immediately when you flinched.

You didn't answer him and you eyed him warily.

You gave the nurse a glance, she's standing there and watching over you. It makes you wonder if this is supposed to be something a security guard should do. The nurse is probably needed somewhere, but she's stuck here watching you and Montgomery.

He prepped your over-bed table with the help of your nurse.

"Here, I got you something to eat." Montgomery placed a Styrofoam box wrapped in a plastic bag onto the table. He helped you set it up.

It smelled and looked delicious, but you don't think anyone who is admitted into a hospital should eat that.

You thanked him, but didn't touch it.

He sat there in silence with you. You're grateful that he didn't want to touch you at all nor is he up to his usual antics.

You asked him again, how he got your number.

He seems taken aback by this question that came out of the blue. But in the end, he avoided your eyes and finally decided to tell you, albeit with great hesitance.

"From... that girl." He must be talking about Evangeline. His tone was careful, fearing that she might trigger any bad memories. But you don't think it would. Because you thought you got over it even though deep down you know you didn't.

Montgomery didn't say much after that. Allowing you to settle back into solitude.

"...I gotta go back to work." He tried to stroke your head on reflex, but you pulled away. Montgomery frowned and decided to back off.

"I'll see ya soon." He took out his wallet and pulled out $40, he used your phone as a paperweight for the notes.

You looked at it and wondered why he was still giving you cash. It's not like you could use them at the moment. And it's not a weekly thing, it's a daily routine for him. You guess it's because he's not living in an apartment, that's how he was able to afford to do this.

He spared you one last pitying glance over his shoulders before leaving the room, your nurse following him behind.

You began closing the Styrofoam box. You kept the meal aside and took your phone in your hands.

You have a text from Yves.

"How was your meeting with Yeller, dear?"

You replied that it was okay. He did not touch you or did anything weird. You mentioned that he left you $40 again, you lost count, but you think he must have given you around $220 now. Not to mention, he paid off your first trip to the emergency room and fed you every time he saw you. The takeouts he brings have to be at least another $40 a meal.

You expressed that you felt bad even though he was making you uncomfortable.

You were surprised when you felt wetness on your cheeks, you're crying again. All because of these conflicting feelings, Montgomery was nice to you but the attention from him wasn't wanted. Yet it didn't feel right to try and ruin his life, he's struggling to get by as it is.

You wished you never met him. Or at least, you wished he wasn't so delusional and creepy. He could have been your friend since Yves doesn't see him as a threat to the relationship.

You rubbed your eyes and grimaced at the fact that you sent Yves paragraphs upon paragraphs of your thoughts. You had to scroll down three times to get to the end.

"I see. Thank you for entrusting your thoughts with me."

That was all he replied. You didn't know what to tell him next. So you switched your phone off and set it down.

Only to pick it back up when you received another text from Yves.

"The weather has improved enough for all flights to resume. I will be with you tomorrow."

You were glad yet dreading the moment he sees you like this. Even though he has shown nothing but love and compassion for you, there is still that irritating voice at the back of your head, telling you that he is going to be disgusted and upset at you for not doing 'enough'.

You texted him if he attended his conference.

"Yes. It went well, I shared my findings and learned from the best researchers the world has to offer..." He droned on for a while.

It was nice hearing his melodious voice. Despite not understanding a lot of what he said, you appreciated that he is the speaker and you're the listener for once. Is this how your chattiness feels to Yves? You doubt so because he would insert his own interesting output no matter what the topic was. You couldn't say anything of value to him regarding... metaphysics, probabilities and statistical evidence to a study you never heard of.

Yves knows you're not interested in this. But you needed a calm distraction from your mind. He is happy to divulge information about his trip to you, however, his main goal was to make your time passage as bearable as possible.

You continued absorbing details about his adventures around the picturesque city, the luxury handbag shop, the massive mall selling all his favourite, lavish things, his appointments with the country's most sought-after, high-end manicurist and hairstylist and his frustrations at the airport.

You were in disbelief that he squeezed all that within five days. You don't know how he managed to check off his entire list and contact you regularly. It's like he never slept or ate. You did find it somewhat odd that he didn't mention much about the local eateries. Maybe he just isn't interested in food when it comes to vacations.

"...I had an enjoyable trip. But... I missed you." He remotely adjusted the angle of his hidden camera to see your face better through the screen.

"What I wouldn't give to have you here..." He whispered dreamily. Yves watched the live feed of you through half-lidded eyes. "You would have loved France."

You don't know if you would. Since the language is quite complex and you may or may not know how to speak well enough to be respected. But you kept an open mind.

His last sentence made you think about the idea of joining him in future trips.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere oc #yandere male #yandere concept #oc yves #tw yandere #yandere x you #yandere oc x reader #male yandere oc x reader #oc Montgomery #oc evangeline

42 notes · View notes

nalyra-dreaming · 2 months

Note

Hello! I’ve seen you say a couple times* that there are hints and parallels in the show that could mean they’re going to make Lestat’s rape into vampirism literal, which would be a really interesting adaptation. I’m curious what hints you saw in season one 👀 I have some vague ideas but I’d love to hear your analysis!

*i keep going back to reading your “Monstrous are what monsters be”; it’s incredible

Hey!

Glad you like the fic! It's... been very hard to write, and I bet it will be even worse to watch... :/

So for the hints.... Well, I mean, for one it is good to know (or remember, depending on if you've read it^^), that the turning scene in TVL is written as a rape with forced orgasm.

The show has added sex to it all - and they have added sexual assault.

I know Rolin Jones put his foot into his mouth a bit wrt to Claudia, but... I think there's reasons for it all (and why he did not further elaborate), especially since this show so loves both the parallels and the mirroring.

And if you listen to him in the podcast? It's very clear, imho.

Now, as for the hints etc we already got:

There's tears in Lestat's eyes when he realizes that Claudia has been hurt while she was away. He cannot read her, but he clocks in on it right away. He recognizes.

The sexual assault of Claudia we hear of in and by itself. Unfortunately all too common. It is what ultimately drives her back, and what... ultimately nourishes her hatred of her guardians/parents.

Lestat says to Louis that there is a "darkness in her that wasn't there before", again, a darkness he recognizes.

Armand reacts to Daniel's "save it for the rent boy" comment in a rather telling way, at least if you know that he was sold as a sex slave while mortal (book canonically)

Lestat mentally hunts down and tracks Bruce. Now I know the train scene is hard to stomach in the way it is told, but that detail always stuck out for me. He says Louis did not want him to ask, but he not only knows who did it, he also knows that he has a motorbike and is roaming the american hinterlands. That takes a lot of mind scanning to achieve, and speaks of a lot of empathy for what happened to her - and anger.

The way Lestat talks about his own turning. "He kept me for a week", "fed on me every night", "my eyes, my physique". The show has already extended the horror to a week. Magnus later chooses to look like Lestat (at least in parts), a very fucked-up detail Anne put into the books, he desires Lestat and the way he looks. That mixed up with sexual desire that is fused with the blood? Harrowing.

The show very poignantly made sure Louis would consent to his turning, a change from the books and even the movie. I think that in and by itself is also a direct result from making that literal, the way Lestat was/will be forced. (Btw. another parallel: Claudia did not get to have a choice either, and that is something that she comments on, too.)

The hate sex (aftermath). I have spoken about it, but the aftermath of the hate sex, this very rough sex, and the bruises, and the bites, and the scratches, and the stab wounds... and then the way Lestat holds himself there, and the way Louis looks at him.

They can see things in the blood. Louis knows, more than Claudia does, there.

So all these little things... speak a very clear language, imho.

Also - it is important for the upcoming arcs (with Armand).

Because Lestat was forced.

And Armand will try to force him as well.

Which is why they never really got together.

#Anonymous #asks #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #iwtv 2022 #interview with the vampire #iwtv meta #vc meta #interview with the vampire meta #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #loustat #armand #magnus #tw rape

27 notes · View notes

animusicnerd · 1 year

Text

Every time I read another fantasy book with faeries, I die a little inside and not in a good way.

Anyway, let’s talk about some faery lore I found and probably will incorporate into my Lilia story out of spite and because I like it and wanna see it more.

Faeries can’t lie.

I’ve only seen like two authors do this so far (Holly Black and Emily Lloyd-Jones). A lot of other fantasies authors like SJM didn’t include it which I think is a real waste in potential for how high the stakes could get. They take everything in a literal sense and one sentence can easily kill someone or destroy their if they’re not careful. You literally have to think before you speak and if you’re not used to speaking that way, it’s all the more dangerous especially if you’re a human in the faerie realm. Whenever authors talk about the dangers of the faeries, it’s usually just the creatures in the woods and deals being made which downgrade the danger for me, in my opinion.

Having Lilia and Malleus not being able to lie would just be really fun especially where I’m going with in my story 💀. More stakes, more danger is just exciting and challenging to write because I have to be careful since majority of the cast of this story are faeries.

Iron burns faeries.

Personally, I like to think that Malleus and Lilia wear gloves most of the time because NRC just has a lot of iron things and they can’t be bothered to always check twice before touching something. It becomes tedious to them so wow gloves?? Easy fix for them.

Also since faeries are immortal and not much seems to hurt them, I just think it’s neat that iron would be the go-to for hurting them for information, killing them off and the like on top of magic use.

Iron also burns Maleficient in the live-action movies so…

Faery food is dangerous to humans.

I have like one human character (not reader) so it probably won’t be present as much but I just think it would be neat. Faery food is dangerous to humans because it puts them in a trance-like state. It makes humans want to stay with the fair folk forever as long as it’s fed at regular intervals from what I assume. The magic does wear off but again, if fed at regular intervals, humans could possibly stay in that mindless state forever.

Faeries are ruthless.

Seeing as they like to mess around with humans for fun (example: leading travelers off their paths, stealing items, etc.), I don’t think people should be surprised they are.

Malleus himself already seems to have a short-temper (almost roasted magicam monsters, got irritated when Rook asked why he appeared after Vil OB) and takes pleasure in seeing some of the other students suffer. He talks about wanting to see Azul cry and wanting to see Vil’s breakdown. I’m a little fuzzy on the details but yeah. Lilia also likes scaring people so there’s that. They’re both sadistic in their own ways whether you believe it or not.

Faeries are expected to be treated with respect and if not, you will get punished in some way. In a lot of cultures that includes stealing your children or making you sick in some way. I know that for Filipinos and Chamorros, you always have to say excuse me before you do your business in the jungle or else shit happens to you so yeah. Sometimes, it seems as if they’ll straight up torture you if you piss them off enough.

They also won’t hesitate to backstab their own it seems because from reading up on a lot of lore and Fae fantasy based stories, it sure as hell seems that way.

So basically, faeries are hella petty and would get you back a hundredfold if you piss them off.

Faeries have a hard time conceiving children.

To be honest, I’m not sure if this is true??? So to speak. I say this because I mostly see it in fantasy books, not through actual lore.

However, I do like it because it gives reason why faeries would take human lovers or their children (though from what I see, it’s mostly for entertainment or to get more servants?). Also, if they have a hard time conceiving children, it means that they value their young very much.

So you know, imagine being the only heir to the throne with no other family members in sight other than your grandmothers.

Just imagine the levels of protecting that would be taken to ensure your safety 🙂

Names have power.

This is for my own entertainment mostly. Having a faerie’s true name would allow you to control them so as always, be careful with wording.

Meaning don’t say, “My name is….”

Saying, “You may call me…” or giving faeries a nickname would stop you from being under their control if you haven’t already done that somehow.

However, I do headcanons that more powerful faeries aren’t subjected to that because of sheer will and pride in themselves so it probably won’t be present as much either lmao

That’s probably most of the general lore I’m including for now. I’m no expert so most of this is just things I’ve learned from fantasy series or my own research! Also, I doubt most of these are canon in Twisted Wonderland anyway. Except maybe the iron one since that is canon in the Maleficient movies but who knows.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #lilia vanrouge x reader #Lilia x reader #hahah more lore dump #malleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #I just think they’re neat #twst

287 notes · View notes

dystopiagnome · 2 years

Note

for duos! intruality?

ALRIGHT THIS ONE EXPO CONFESSED TO SO ITS EXPO. HI EXPO.

aNyways this is my favorite one I am obsessed with them and i love them 🫣 here's my drafts for you <3 and still no bingo :(

#intruality #ask game #tss patton #tss remus #[jones got fed an ask!]#I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE BOYS #LIKE SUPER INTO THIS ONE #I THINK ITS NEAT #ITS NEAT #cw suggestive

36 notes · View notes

girl-in-the-chairs-void · 1 year

Note

Okay I got one! Sending letters back and forth while one party is deployed, with Rooster? It just seems like something he'd do. If it matters, I'd prefer female reader.

Ooohh I like this one!! Rooster is just a softie.

I miss you.

I don’t know why that was the first thing I wrote but it’s the truth. I haven’t seen you in…what? 3 months? Gosh it feels longer than that. I got your letters, by the way. Of course I got them, you are reading this letter as a consequence of me receiving those letters. Also, is it true? I thought Mr. Jones was settling in a care home or something? Please do tell Mrs. Jones that I’m sorry for her loss and that I won’t be there for the funeral.

Yeah…they are extending my stay. I know, my love, I’m sorry. I wish I could have a say in it but admiral Harris wants me to carry out another team mission here.

How are you? I’m sorry, I should have asked at the start of the letter but I’ve started this letter so many times and Bob will kill me if I steal from his stack of paper again. He has a wife…did you know that? There are so many things I don’t know about him, but we are working on it. He says hi; I’m sorry I’m rambling, well, writing rambling.

How are Millie and Lana? I hope they aren’t giving you too much trouble. They can be a little fussy when they want food but if they are fed, just let them out in the park or back yard for a bit. They’ll be fine.

I miss you, like a lot. I don’t know how to explain it. Did you know that your skin cells regenerate every 15 days? I have lost the feeling of your touch. There had been and still is a part of me that is completely foreign to your touch, the feeling of your skin; how your breath feels on my skin when you kiss me or hug me or… I can’t wait to show you how much I have missed you. I much I have craved your touch (I know it’s cheesy, but it’s the truth).

I hope I get to you see you soon. I look forward to your next letter sweetheart.

Forever yours,

Rooster Bradley

You clutched the tear stained paper in your hands. Hanging onto it for dear life as salty tears slid down your face. There was nothing in the letter that was entirely sad…true, it was a bummer that he was being held back for what would possibly be s few more months, but it wasn’t that, that was making you cry.

You had read over it multiple times in the past few days. Reading it before bed every night. Sometimes falling asleep in one of his shirts, clutching the piece of paper in your arms.

You stood at once, making your way to your desk and writing up another letter to send off.

Hey Brad Roos,

I miss you too. It’s okay though, you enjoy your job, right? And you are out there, saving lives! How exciting is that?

Sophie is doing okay. I think she kinda knew that James wasn’t doing completely fine no matter how much he made it to be. She says ‘it’s okay, tell him to come home soon’. Oh and she wants you to play something for her on the piano when you come back. One of James’ favourites, she thinks you know it.

Bob has a wife? I did not know that… sorry I fully knew that, I got a call a few days ago before I received your letter, she introduced herself. We are meeting up for lunch this weekend, actually.

I didn’t know that actually. Both of our skins have regenerated, so my skin has lost your touch too. Your shirts don’t smell like you anymore, you know? Been spraying your cologne on it every night, but even that doesn’t help.

Millie and Lana are fine. I think they enjoy my company more than yours. I’ve been taking them out for walks everyday, morning and evening; I think they enjoy it. I take them to Sophie’s every now and then. She gives them those little bone treats? I don’t know what they are called, but they like it.

Don’t sulk too much by the way. I know how you get when you don’t get your daily kisses haha. Seriously, don’t be sad or angry, it’s your job and no matter what I will be here, waiting for you, every night, no matter what.

Forever yours,

Y/n

Rooster read the letter once, twice, then once again. He read each word, syllable, over and over again. Admiring the way your writing, smooth cursive, precise writing. Imagining those sweet words being spoken out of your mouth instead.

He wanted nothing more than to leave everything and run home to you. This was the longest time he had been away from you. It felt like a lifetime.

“No matter how much you stare at that letter, it will still stay a piece of paper. It won’t turn into her.”

He snapped his head towards Bob, who was lying on the bottom of the shared bunk, admiring a small picture of his wife in his wallet.

“Same goes for you,” he smiled, a small bittersweet smile that mirrored on Bob’s face.

“We really are whipped right?”

“At least I married her. It’s about time you marry her too, Roos.”

The statement hit him like a brick. Marry her. He hadn’t thought about that. The thought has crossed his mind before but he never gave it too much thought, thinking you weren’t ready.

But now, being away for so long for the first time in your relationship, he feels as though you are the one. That maybe, just maybe, you are it for him.

A/n: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!! I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you enjoyed this and I hope I did it justice 😭😭. Let me know what you think!!

Taglist

@blue-aconite

@lemur46 @harrycherrylove

@elicheel

@fandom-life-12

@arson-tm

@fandomunite2107

@tongue-like-a-razor

@bussyslayer333

@roostersrooster

@roosterbruiser

(I’m tagging a few mutuals (you know who you are) just cause I know they are fans of Roos as much as I am)

#top gun maverick #rooster fluff #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw drabble #rooster x reader #rooster bradshaw #Pav answers #I want to have his kids #literal love of my life

163 notes · View notes

the-last-flame-au · 7 months

Text

[ The Ember That May Reignite The Fire ]

"Cassandra Jones!! You cannot be serious right now!!" April shouted. It was rare for her to truly get mad and chew someone out and even rarer for April to cuss out Casey but this was something that couldn't be left unaddressed.

"Look- I couldn't just leave a baby out there to die. You're the one who's been telling me for years to do the right thing and now that I do it, it's still wrong?! Where is the logic in that O'Neil?" Casey defended herself while holding the dirty orphan she picked up on patrol a little closer to her chest.

Somehow this little creature had awakened a new side in Casey. A caring one. Not in the way she cares for the Hamato clan or the resistance. She started to care like a mother and all the small child had to do was cry.

The situation Casey had found the orphan was dire, her squadron had just pushed back a small group of Kraang hounds and were securing the area for supply runs when the child cried out beneath some rubble.

It was a human child that Casey picked up and something about that small, dirty face made her soft inside. The moment she had picked up the human infant he stopped crying, opting out for more content coos.

"Casey you are out of your mind! We are barely scraping by already! We cannot handle a small baby here! Our resources are limited!" April chastised Casey some more. "Just- just let me try okay? Maybe this kid grows up to be strong and bright. Maybe he's gonna be the

solution to the mess outside. Let me try and raise this kid. April please."

Whenever Casey got to emotional talk April couldn't keep up her tough demeanor. It didn't help that the small child in Casey's arms was malnourished and still adorable. April understood that these two would be an incredible little family and a major pain in her ass. "Fine. He's your responsibility though. You make sure he is fed, clothed, bathed, gets his shots, trains when he's old enough and most important of all: make sure that child is loved. If you wanna be a mom, do it right" commanded April.

Casey saluted, a sign of respect yet there was softness in both women. For each other and the small child that was now snuggled up against Casey's chest and sleeping soundly.

"He shall be named CJ!" Casey proclaimed loudly. It had only been a few hours since she brought the infant into the base and introduced him to her found family, the Hamato clan.

Mikey especially loved the little boy from the second he saw him. The child gave him hope. Hope that within all this death and destruction new life could grow. It gave him hope that his brothers didn't die for nothing. That there might be peaceful days again.

Mikey missed his brothers so dearly, he lost them when they were all just children. When they were thrust into a situation so much bigger than themselves, even bigger than the Shredder.

Michelangelo hoped that this child, CJ, would be the key to making everything up to his beloved brothers.

"May I ask what CJ stands for Casey?" Splinter spoke up. He was also excited at the existence of this little boy, he missed his own so much. Feeling like a failure of a father unable to protect them from the world, from danger.

"Well it stands for Casey Junior, of course!" Casey, now senior, proclaimed proudly. "Casey… Junior..? You named the child after yourself?" Draxum questioned. "Of course! There is no greater fighter than I so this shall set my son's destiny in stone!" shouted Casey.

Casey junior seemed unshaken by his mother's loud antics. While Casey laughed at her own genius she caught unimpressed looks from April, Draxum and Splinter.

The only one not paying attention was Mikey. He was busy holding CJ in his arms, enthralled by the little life he held. CJ seemed equally curious about Mikey, reaching for his beak and trying to grab at him.

The baby babbled away, incoherently but still very headstrong in what he wanted. Mikey entertained the young boy while the other four still argued about Casey's name choice.

"I will protect you CJ, I promise no bad thing will ever happen to you." Mikey spoke, though it was little more than a hushed whisper, just loud enough that CJ might hear but no one else. Mikey failed at protecting his brothers but he would not fail in protecting this child.

That, he swore to himself.

Story written by @spacemimz Art by @noxvee6

#rottmnt #rottmnt au #rottmnt fanart #rottmnt the last flame au #the last flame au #nox art #rottmnt michelangelo #story posts

25 notes · View notes

justforbooks · 4 months

Text

The actor Ian Lavender, who has died aged 77, played the awkward, impulsive Private Frank Pike in the long-running BBC comedy Dad’s Army, and was the last surviving member of the cast who portrayed Captain Mainwaring’s Home Guard platoon.

Most of the part-time soldiers depicted in the series, which ran from 1968 to 1977, were exempted from call-up to the army during the second world war because of advanced age. Pike, their junior in most cases by several decades, had been excused because of his weak chest, and always wore the scarf insisted upon by his widowed mum, Mavis.

In spite of their foibles and foolishness, Mainwaring’s pomposity and the frequent slapstick sequences, the heroes of Dad’s Army were courageous men prepared to give their lives to protect their country, and it was this innate nobility that lifted the series, written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry, to greatness. At its peak it had more than 18 million weekly viewers, and is still regularly rerun.

There were many catchphrases – Lance Corporal Jones’s “Don’t panic!”, Private Frazer’s “We’re doomed!” and Sergeant Wilson’s languid “Do you think that’s wise, sir?” – and the best-remembered belongs to the gangster movie-fixated Pike, though he did not utter it himself: Mainwaring’s weary “You stupid boy!”

Pike was also involved in Dad’s Army’s most frequently quoted joke. “What is your name?” snarls the German U-boat commander who has been captured by the platoon. “Don’t tell him, Pike,” shouts Mainwaring. There was often great subtlety in the inter-platoon relationships, best exemplified by that of Pike and Wilson (John Le Mesurier). Wilson, whom Pike calls Uncle Arthur, is Mrs Pike’s lodger, and is forever fussing around the boy, making sure his scarf is on tight and gently steering him away from danger. It was not until the end of the final series that Lavender asked Croft if “Uncle Arthur” was actually Pike’s father. “Of course,” replied Croft.

Born in Birmingham, Ian was the son of Edward, a policeman, and Kathleen (nee Johnson), a housewife; his mother often took him to see pantomimes, variety shows and Saturday morning cinema, which gave him his first ambitions to become an actor. After performing in many school drama productions at Bournville boys’ technical school he was accepted, with the help of a grant from the city of Birmingham, by the Bristol Old Vic acting school. Clearly far from being a stupid boy, he passed 12 O-levels and four A-levels. “The only reason I don’t have a degree is because I went to drama school,” he said years later.

He made his first television appearance soon after he graduated from Bristol in 1968, playing an aspiring writer whose family want him to get a proper job, in Ted Allan’s play for the Half Hour Story series, Flowers at My Feet, with Angela Baddeley and Jane Hylton.

In the same year, he was cast as Pike, joining the seasoned veterans of comedy and the classics Le Mesurier, Arthur Lowe (Mainwaring), Clive Dunn (Jones), John Laurie (Frazer), James Beck (Private Walker), Arnold Ridley (Private Godfrey) and Bill Pertwee as Air Raid Warden Hodges. Janet Davies played Mrs Pike.

While Dad’s Army catapulted Lavender to national fame at the age of 22, the role of Pike haunted him for the rest of his long career. Not that he had any complaints.

Asked in 2014 if he got fed up with a lifetime of having “stupid boy” called out to him in the street, he replied: “I’m very proud of Dad’s Army. If you asked me ‘Would you like to be in a sitcom that was watched by 18 million people, was on screen for 10 years, and will create lots of work for you and provide not just for you but for your children for the next 40-odd years?’ – which is what happened – I’d be a fool to say ‘Bugger off.’ I’d be a fool to have regrets.”

After Dad’s Army, Lavender made further television appearances, including Mr Big (1977), with Peter Jones and Prunella Scales, and in 1983 he revived Pike for the BBC radio sitcom It Sticks Out Half a Mile, a sequel to Dad’s Army, but it was not a success and lasted only one series. In contrast, the original series, with most of the regular cast, had been rerecorded for radio from 1974 to 1976 and proved very popular.

He was also in the BBC TV series Come Back Mrs Noah (1977-78), co-written by Croft; and played Ron in a new version of The Glums (1979) for London Weekend Television, adapted from Frank Muir and Denis Norden’s original radio scripts of the 1950s. There were more smallish television parts in the 80s, such as two episodes of Yes, Minister, and bits in Keeping Up Appearances, Goodnight Sweetheart, Rising Damp and Casualty. He starred in the unsuccessful BBC series The Hello Goodbye Man in 1984 and provided the lead voice in the children’s cartoon series PC Pinkerton in 1988.

He was also in various quiz shows, including Cluedo (1990). On Celebrity Mastermind, broadcast on BBC1 on New Year’s Day 2009, when the presenter John Humphrys asked him to state his name, a fellow contestant, Rick Wakeman, shouted: “Don’t tell him, Pike!”

In addition to co-starring in the first film version of Dad’s Army (1971), he appeared in various low-level British sex farces of the 1970s, including Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975), Carry on Behind (1975), Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1976) and Adventures of a Private Eye (1976). He also starred in the thriller 31 North 62 East (2009). “I was close to getting two very big movies in the 70s,” he said without rancour in 2014, “but in the end they said: ‘We can’t get past Private Pike.’”

Lavender’s second best-known role was his delicate and sympathetic portrayal of Derek Harkinson, Pauline Fowler’s gay friend, in the BBC soap EastEnders from 2001 to 2005, and again in 2016-17.

In addition to various live Dad’s Army productions, his stage work included the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Merchant of Venice, directed by Peter Hall and with Dustin Hoffman as Shylock in 1989, touring as the Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show in 2005, Monsignor Howard in the London Palladium production of the musical Sister Act in 2009, The Shawshank Redemption at the Edinburgh fringe in 2013, and his own one-man show of reminiscences, Don’t Tell Him, Pike.

Lavender had a great admiration for Buster Keaton, and was an expert on the silent comedian’s career. In 2011 he introduced Keaton’s Sherlock Jr (1924) at the Slapstick silent comedy festival in Bristol, and commented that finding Keaton’s grave in the Fountain Lawns cemetery in Hollywood had been one of his life’s special moments.

In 2016 a new cinema version of Dad’s Army was released, with Toby Jones as Mainwaring and Bill Nighy as Wilson. Private Pike was played by Blake Harrison, and Lavender was promoted to play Brigadier Pritchard. In a touching in-joke, his younger face was also seen on an advertisement poster in a street scene.

Lavender is survived by his second wife, Miki Hardy, whom he married in 1993; by his sons, Sam and Daniel, from his first marriage, to the actor Suzanne Kershiss, which ended in divorce; and by two granddaughters.

🔔 Arthur Ian Lavender, actor, born 16 February 1946; died 2 February 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #Ian Lavender #in memoriam

11 notes · View notes

missingexaltation · 2 years

Text

Another AU Fic idea:

Some time after season 4 (where everyone's alive and whole, damn it), Eddie finally gets his own place. Nothing wrong with staying with Wayne but he's finally outta school and loves the independence. Wayne also gets to have a bedroom again, so good for him.

Only he's gotta pay for everything now. (AND a whole shitload of one off purchases that he never thought about, like forks and pots and pans, what the FUCK, capitalism??).

So naturally, during his first month as an actual grown up, in his grown up house, amongst other things his razor breaks. And money is kinda tight for a guy on minimum wage and barely any furniture, so he thinks 'fuck it'. It can wait until next payday. He can cope.

Only a couple of days later, his face itches so bad, and in all honesty he looks like a bum. The guys at work find it hilarious, he's the baby there after all, and they think he's trying to grow it on purpose to look older. He doesn't want to admit that he's fucking broke, and even considers asking Rick to let him deal again for a bit, for some easy cash. (He doesn't because he promised Wayne, but it's really fucking tempting).

His scruff is growing in patchy, some bits quicker than others and it's looks a lot of a mess. He's got a knife that's vaguely sharp so he tries that, but no. Ouch. Despite his skilled guitarist's fingers he's still a bit of a klutz and nearly slices his cheek open. Still, it's less than a week till payday. He can cope.

A couple of days later, and while the itching has subsided, he's still weirded out each time he see himself in the mirror. It's not a metal look at all, he looks WAY older than he actually is. It's less patchy though, so there's that. Once he trims it a bit, it looks a lot better. Passable. Only a few days to go.

Wayne swings by that night, bringing take out for them both. He offers to chip in some cash, after he's stopped laughing his ass off. Eddie refuses it on principle, but sulks his way through his food until Wayne apologises for bruising his ego. He doesn't mention that he looks fucking amazing compared to a couple of days ago, mollified by Wayne's apologies nonetheless.

He still has zero cash, and skips breakfast, annihilating a couple of cupcakes that his boss brought in for the team, skips dinner, and gets second helpings of Mrs Jones' pecan pie at band practise (Gawd bless Gareth's mom). He's not sure how he's gonna get through the final day as he's already a hungry hungry hippo, but then when he wakes up the greatest thing happens.

Steve is back from his awful family vacation and calls him up, desperate to be around ANYONE that he's not related to.

He promises to bring food and gossip galore with him, and Eddie's day just got a million times better. He's whistling at work, begs a couple of candy bars from his coworkers, and by the time Steve arrives at his new abode that night, Eddie's climbing the walls ready for a full meal.

He's forgotten about the razor.

When he opens the door, Steve just gapes at him, before turning bright red and blinking really hard. It takes longer than it should for Eddie to remember, but suddenly the last week or so has been totally worth it, because Steve Harrington is kissing him and losing his goddammed mind over the shitty beard.

Holy fuck.

It's not until Steve pulls back that he seems to register who he's kissing, but he just shrugs it off and hands over the food. Eddie gets fed, gets the Harrington family gossip, and...gets the Steve staying the next few nights.

(He still shaves it off at the first opportunity because holy fuck it's annoying to keep it looking decent).

#tw: unhealthy eating #So i saw an edit of Eddie with a scruffy beard and lawd i don't know what to do with myself...and i don't think Steve would either #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington #Eddie in this scenario is torn because holy fuck Stevie boy...but also he's so fucking hungry and the take out smells so good..#i can see Eddie being broke but just going without essentials 'for a while' and turning on the 🥺 eyes to anyone that will feed him #'anyone' meaning Wayne and Steve and Dustin's mom to name a few #he definitely wasn't expecting his 'shitty beard' to be the final nail in Steve's heterosexuality but he'll accept it!#stranger things fic ideas

203 notes · View notes

multific · 2 years

Text

Something New

Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley x Reader

Summary: Meeting Steven and going on that date at the stake house even if he was days late was the best decision of your life.

Having powers certainly had its disadvantages, but it also had many advantages.

You being part of the Avengers, and fighting for what's right always gave you a feeling of belonging.

But after Thanos, and what happened with Tony, you needed a change.

You moved to London where one day, you met Steven Grant. The lovely gift shop worker took you off of your feet immediately. You thought you could finally have the quiet life you knew you needed, but of course, that wasn't the case.

Because why would it be?

Steven was a sweetheart. Who called you days after your date was supposed to take place. But you ended up going.

"Sorry! I'm stuck in traffic, I'll be there in about 20 minutes." and you were, you weren't able to dress up or anything but he didn't seem to mind, he even got you chocolate and flowers.

You soon learned the truth about Steven, Marc and Jake. You met an Ancient God, who was probably the sassiest God you have met in your life.

And they all made you realize, that a quiet life is not what you wanted, you wanted them.

One day, while you were at the boys' place, you were watching TV while Steven fed the fish. He let out a sigh.

"You know, Love, sometimes I do miss working at the museum." he said as he sat down next to you. "I do not miss Donna, but the people and the fact that I could do something producive was nice."

"Nicer than defeating Arthur?"

"Well, working there didn't feel as cool, but now all we do is sit here at home, Jake is making money from the cab but... I feel like I rely on you a lot."

"Of course you don't. I like helping you and it's not like the money is mine." you probably shouldn't have said that.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Oh, I-I mean... You know that I can control people? Make them say, do or believe things?" he nodded and you noticed in his eyes, all three of them were listening. "Once I made an extremely currupt polititan believe that he should send me at least 5 million per month. I donate most of that money and only use what I really need it for."

It took them a moment to fully realize what you just said.

"So-you?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Yes. So, paying for things is no problem really. I also have some money when I worked for the Avengers."

"Okay, but we also want to provide for you, pay for dates, buy you nice things. Maybe even a nicer apartment where we can live together."

"I like this apartment but if you'd like a job I'm not going to stand in your way." you said. After that of course Steven had many questions about your powers and source of money.

But you had a plan. A plan so great, you jumped into it the next day.

You walked into the museum with confidence. Telling Marc you needed to be somewhere while he went to chase Khonshu.

"Good morning Miss, how may I help you?" asked the guy at the front, obviously implying if you wanted a ticket.

"I have a meeting with Mr. Jones this morning."

Mr Jones, the boss of them all, the manager of the museum.

The guy behind the desk didn't even ask anything.

Your magic surely worked.

"Mr Jones, I came to talk to you about Steven Grant. I think you made a terrible mistake firing him. Especially since after you reviewed the footage, it is clear that his ex-suprvisor, Donna was behind the vandalism."

"Oh yes. I'd like to offer him his job back." he nodded, eyes cloudy from your magic.

"His job? I'd assume you feel so bad for firing the wrong person, you'd instead offer him to be either a tour guide or the supervisor of the store, whichever he will take."

"Correct Ma'am."

You smiled, satisfied.

"Great, call him as soon as I leave."

And with that, you stood up and walked out of the museum.

---

Steven wasn't even sure if he should be there. He just got a call from the manager of the museum and called him in for a talk.

Did they want him to pay for the damages he caused?

But as soon as he entered the office, the air felt different, it was light and inviting.

He sat down in a chair with a cup of tea that was placed in his hand.

"Mr Grant, I'd like to apologize in the name of the entire museum. We made a terrible mistake." Mr Jones turned on the TV which showed the night when Steven was attacked, but the end was different, very different.

"We failed to recognize that Donna was the main culpit and she tried to frame you due to her jealousy."

Instead of Marc, the ending showed them walking away and then Donna sneaking back into the restroom.

Which never happened.

Steven put two and two together but Mr Jones spoke up.

"I would like to deeply apologize again and to correct this mistake I'd like to offer you a position. We are aware of your passion for Ancient Egypt and I'd like to offer you a job as a tour guide. We can never have enough and since summer is coming, we expect more groups."

"I-Oh-I-"

"Of course, I do not expect you to accept this offer right away. I do understand how insulting you must have felt when I fired you for the wrong reason, I'll give you time of course and you have my number in case you'd like to accept."

Steven took another look at the video then at Mr Jones before thanking him and he left.

"It was her. It had to be."

"Of course it was." said Marc in his head as he saw him in the reflection on the bus.

"We need to tell her that this is not okay."

"Amigo, she literally went to your boss, got Donna fired because you mentioned that you miss work. I really don't think we should mention this as a bad thing so directly."

As much as Steven didn't want to, he agreed with Jake, he knew this wasn't the right thing, but he also knew Donna had this coming.

Yet, they couldn't let this slide.

You were at his place, sitting at your usual spot.

"Hi, Babe."

"Hi, Love. Can we-Can we talk?"

"Sure. Did you get a call?"

"I-I did but you really didn't have to."

"When I went I originally just wanted to get your job back, but at the shop, there was a new guy, a new "Stevie" if you will, and she was just yelling at him, being rude, so she got what he deserved." you said as you watched Steven space out and Marc take over.

"You really are amazing, your power is something else, and I know Donna's a bitch lets face it, but-"

"No buts. She deserved it, she abused her power, end of story, you should think about the job, are you going to accept?"

Marc didn't like how you avoided the question but he let out a long sigh and looked at the mirror then back at you.

"Maybe, it would be really good for Steven."

"Then accept it. I'll miss you though, but it would be good for all of us." you said as you moved closer to him on the couch, he pulled you closer to himself.

---

A couple weeks later, you stood outside the museum, it was rather late in the afternoon.

"Love!" you turned to see Steven walking down the stairs.

"Hi." you said as you walked over and kissed him on the lips. "How was your first day?"

"Really good! They are obviously still training me, but I know the basics now. I still got a lot more to learn."

You were happy to see him so excited about his new job and that you could help him.

All night he talked about it as you two sat down in a restaurant to have some dinner. He didn't even let the others front, he was so excited, he told you things like four times. But of course, you didn't mind. Seeing the shine in his eyes told you everything you needed to know, it proved you did something right.

A/N: I actually live pretty close to the museum Moon Knight was filmed at, every day when I go to work I think about Steven. 🌙💖

Taglist: imreadinggoaway @fleursirvart @v-2bucky ehsebastiancrunch-time-sports @pxstelrainbow ablogbypeteparker liamssmilersmexylemony @greenarrowhead feelingsareharddd @thisismysecrethappyplace @sincerelyfan @theoneanna @aestheticsandmarvel @rororo06 @castellandiangelo @avengers-r-us @destynelseclipsa @spilledinkindumpster celebsimagine @capsiclesdoll snoopy3000 @firstangeldragonranch @puknow @crazzyter @alwayshave-faith @soleil-dor @alex12948 scream-kiwi79 @lxdyred @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl @liveforkarljacobs @anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek @paola-carter

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

153 notes · View notes