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the-vampire-queer · 5 months

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The Vampires Digital Media Poll: Round 2, Bracket 2

Please reblog for a bigger sample size.

Results get posted on December 20th. at 5PM CST.

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If you wish to learn more about your options, either as a refresher or an introduction, press the "Keep reading" button.

What is Being Human (US + UK) about?

Summary:

US version: ""Being Human," based on a BBC series of the same name, features three 20-something roommates who each try to keep a secret from the rest of the world -- one is a ghost, another is a vampire and the third is a werewolf. The three roomies try to help one another navigate the complexities of living double lives." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

UK version: "Deciding to turn over a new leaf, a group of friends who also happen to be vampires and werewolves move into a house together, only to find that it is haunted by ghosts of people who have been killed under mysterious circumstances. As they deal with the challenges of being supernatural creatures, their desire to be human bonds them." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: Being Human UK

Cast:

Russell Tovey - George Sands

Guy Flanagan (pilot) + Aidan Turner - John Mitchell (UK)

Andrea Riseborough (pilot) + Lenora Crichlow - Annie Sawyer (UK)

Sam Huntington - Josh Levison (US)

Sam Witwer - Aidan Waite (US)

Meaghan Rath - Sally Malik (US)

Mark Pellegrino - Bishop (US)

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: The UK version of the show came out first, airing on the BBC, dubbed Being Human (UK). Later, a new show of the same title would come out, dubbed Being Human (US).

In the UK version, two of the original three cast from the pilot would be replaced. These two would be Guy Flanagan and Andrea Riseborough, replaced by Aidan Turner and Lenora Crichlow respectively.

What is The Vampire Diaries (+ The Originals + Legacies) about?

Summary (TVD only, due to nature of spoilers when it comes to spin-offs): "This supernatural drama, based on the series of novels by L.J. Smith, details the lives of two brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore, who have been living as vampires for centuries. After years of moving from from place-to-place to hide their eternal youth (and bloodthirsty condition), the brothers return to the small Virginia town, Mystic Falls, where their lives as humans ended. Damon is snarky, handsome and charming, with a propensity for evil, while Stefan tries to remain noble -- in part to atone for bad behavior in his past." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: The Vampire Diaries

Cast:

Nina Dobrev - Elena Gilbert (TVD)

Ian Somerhalder - Damon Salvatore (TVD)

Paul Wesley - Stefan Salvatore (TVD)

Candice King - Caroline Forbes (TVD)

Kat Graham - Bonnie Bennett (TVD)

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: The Vampire Diaries show is based on the books of the same name by L. J. Smith. Lots was changed in the book-to-show transfer. Some fans prefer the show over the books.

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silkscream · 2 years

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i have a req for arvy…him admitting his feelings to you and he’s so nervous but when you reciprocate he kisses you so hard and holds you so tight argh 🫶🫶

arvin russell has never been the best at being good, despite what the elders of the town had said when he was a teenager. he was perfectly polite, always cared for his sister and went to church even though he and his family were the oddballs. though, since his “disappearance”, he’s past it all now, knows full well that anyone who used to know him from that barren town thinks he’s some urban legend gone down to hell.

not you, though.

in this new southern town, you’re the only one who arvin talks to. he figures that your kindness had been there since you were born, that it had been embedded in your veins because of the soft cadence in which you speak. you figure that he’s a lot cuter than the other boys in your town, not to mention the amount of help he’d been right after he’d moved in next door to you. lately, he’s always volunteering to give you rides, always around to help you with your garden.

he’s surprised now to find you in the dingy bar in town sipping on a beer and rejecting the advances of other men, daggers in your eyes that soften immediately when he sits on the stool next to you.

“didn’t know you drank.”

“fuck else is there to do in this shitty town?” you scoff. he snorts, eyebrows raising. you hardly ever cuss in public.

“lots, probably, if you gave any of these poor boys a chance, huh?”

“ha. none of them are worth my time.”

“why’re you still talking to me then?” arvin tries carefully.

you swallow a lump in your throat, smiling sheepishly at him. “because you are.”

it doesn’t take very much for arvin’s cheeks to heat up, roseate flush decorating his features. it’s not as noticeable to you in the low light of the bar, thank god.

“wanna go on a drive?” he asks. you nod.

it doesn’t take much convincing for you to get in the passenger seat of his car. for half an hour, he lets you talk. it feels liberating for you, so liberating that you have to ask him if it’s okay, but he chuckles and asks you more questions. you don’t remember the last time someone had asked something about you.

“you tired?” arvin asks you when the conversation is at a lull. he notices you slumped in your seat.

“no. just lookin’ at the stars.”

he looks at you for a long time until you blink back at him. his brown eyes on the road flicker with some sort of wanting, something that conveys a message you can’t quite decipher. you fiddle with the knob of his radio until it lands on something folk-y, a woman’s voice crooning about her lost lover.

“pull over.”

he listens to you. he can’t imagine not doing so — he never has when he’d help you cook dinner or garden or study.

“what’s up?”

“didn’t wanna waste your gas,” you giggle. “and it’s pretty outside. c’mon.”

arvin follows you onto the front of his car, in which the two of you hoist your bodies onto the hood and look up at the velvety black sky, scattered with stars. he’s scrounging for conversation, looking for something to fill the air so he can full the neurons firing within his body just from his closeness. right when you put your palm over his hand, he stops breathing.

“what’re you thinking about, pretty boy?” you coo.

“you’re drunk, aren’t ya?”

“’m not. what makes you think that?” you furrow your brows.

“y’just called me pretty boy.”

“i’m an honest person, arvin russell.”

an awkward beat. the car’s still running. bobby vinton sings from the car radio like a faraway ghost.

“what are you thinking about?” you ask him.

silence settles uneasily, and arvin thinks that if he were to answer your question with pure honesty, he’d ruin everything. there’s not enough beer in his system for him to make up something on the spot, so he stays quiet. he busies himself with squeezing the joints of your fingers carefully, mindlessly. he can’t look at your face.

“not much,” he asks quietly.

“that’s a lie,” you retort. “you’re very expressive, arvin, even when you think you’re bein’ stoic. i know there’s a shit ton going on in that pretty little head of yours. so tell me.”

he huffs out a breath, leaning back onto the windshield as he faces the sky. his eyelashes flutter like a hummingbird’s wings knowing that your drunken gaze is fixed on him, searing into him, waiting.

“i haven’t been able to get you off my mind for a second, y/n l/n,” he mumbles. “not since you accidentally hit me with a baseball and blamed it on little tanner wick.”

he looks at you now, finally, pupils blown out like flying saucers. or maybe it was the lack of light in the secluded hiding place you two were.

“who said i did that?” you try to hide your smirk, playing with a loose thread from the linen of your dress.

“the kid is five years old.”

“he’s a prodigy.”

he chuckles, shaking his head. “well, i looked up, and i saw you, and it felt like my whole world changed.”

“must’ve hit you too hard.”

“probably.”

the softness of his voice cracks you open and has you raw, but you’d rather die that be splayed out and vulnerable in front of arvin russell like this. hot blood pumps through your ears in anticipation.

“i think about you all the time, arvin,” you whisper.

it’s then when the knot in arvin’s chest untangles. instead, he’s wrapped up in you, freely flowing, especially when you inch closer to him so he can smell your hair. fresh picked daisies surrounds his senses.

you don’t really know how this is supposed to go. sure, boys have courted you before in high school, but in the form of childish notes and rehearsed speeches for school dances. the feel of arvin’s breath against your neck has you wired — this is different. this is unprecedented territory.

your nose twitches slightly like a rabbit’s when he pulls back to look at your face clearly, and he realizes that his emotional reaction to that tiny gesture alone means that he’s in love with you. he could never tell you that, though. but he says it silently with a kiss, pink mouth chapped against yours. there is a string between the two of you that tightens and tightens and tightens and you’re sure that you’re about to mesh into one very soon. the euphoria of it all has you spellbound.

he sucks on your bottom lip experimentally, sweetly, and there’s a dewy ache inside of you that’s all too tantalizing. he pulls away before you can do anything about it, ragged breaths falling from his mouth as he grips your thigh under your dress.

“what?” you rasp, smiling, holding his jaw.

arvin returns a grin and twirls your hair in between his rough fingers.

“think i might have to keep you, now.”

#asks #sunflowermotel #arvin russell x reader #arvin russell x you #arvin russell x y/n #arvin russell smut #arvin russell drabble #arvin russell blurb #arvin russell fluff #tom holland fluff #tom holland smut #tom holland x you

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lunarfeat21 · 9 months

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It’s four in the morning, woke up two hours ago, and I’ll never this go, I’ll think about it at the back of my mind.

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I really, REALLY, like the concept of cybertronians using sounds, whether to convey emotion, or simply scaring the living daylights out of humans (using legends to their advantage).

Look at Optimus from Animated, his engine revving in anger after learning that Prowl stole the Dinobots and put them on an island.

Then we have Strongarm (a pickup truck-like alt mode), MAKING TRAIN SOUNDS to frighten a tourist group away from a ghost town where it is a hideout to a shapeshifter. Like, holy shit, how cool is that?!

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Now cut to the chase, how often do cybertronians do it?

Maybe not often when communicating with others, based on their moods. When given the opportunity, then using sounds to give a hint of whatever they feel.

Or replicating other sounds to confuse/scare anyone, ranging from mischievous purposes or using it to their advantages (especially when in war).

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Now buckle up folks, it’s ‘my nonsensical bs headcanon’ time!

I like to headcanon that the Bee Team uses different sounds to communicate, especially useful when on missions they use to blend in the environments.

Imagine them on a highway, flanking a Decepticon in secret, using the honks of the noisy highway (in Morse code), and BLAM! Got the ‘Con!

When they’re not on missions, they also use sounds for various purposes: pranks, comedic effects, and a mood sound indicators.

Denny and Russell kinda get it in some parts, like one time they found Sideswipe and Strongarm in their alt modes face away from each other, they can hear the intense noises of their engines; giving a clear signal that they’re angry at each other.

Another time involving Grimlock and a joke he heard on tv, Dino was watching a comedy, world’s cheesiest joke came up, and Fixit found Grimlock in a laughing storm; chassis rising up and down with the stutters of a squeaky wheel.

Or when Thunderhoof is searching for Clampdown (oh boy…), the informant tried to muffled his whimpers, only for the mob boss finding him, resulting both running; one running for his life and the other ending his.

All the while Clampdown screaming in teapot, and Thunderhoof roaring like a busy farm tractor. You see what I did there ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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And with that said, thanks for reading this, even if it didn’t make sense.

(You can also share your headcanons, I would love to read them!)

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Here’s a clip :) (as a bonus treat!)

#Feat21 Speaking #bs time again lol #silly headcanons #rid2015 #I won’t think about it unless I look at this post #Then I go feral a bit #In the comfort of my room #BEWARE THE TRAIN!!! >:3 #My heart flutters again when she does that #cuteness overload #tf rid 2015 #tf rid15 #rid strongarm

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monstraduplicia · 9 months

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tagged by @geryone to post 9 book recemendations!! i think ive mentioned all these books before but theyre my current favorites <3

brother by ania ahlborn - michael is the youngest in a family of serial killers. ignored by momma, for better or for worse, and unable to please his tempestous older brother, rebel, he tries to cope in a house of horror.

any man by amber tamblyn - chronicles the aftermath for several men who share trauma: they're all victims of the same female serial rapist.

pin by andrew neiderman - orphaned, codependent siblings leon and ursula are more than willing to blur the lines between sibling and lover. bound together for life, the only weak link between them is the realistic anatomy dummy named pin that leon believes is alive.

choke by chuck palahniuk - victor is a sex addict unable to stop forcing himself to chock at restaurants just so people will save him. the fact that his mother, who was equally possessive and neglectful to victor during his childhood, has dementia and is now dying has absolutely nothing to do with it.

bath haus by pj vernon - what would you do if, when deciding to cheat on your partner, the man you meet at a bath house tries to strangle you? what would you do if your would-be murderer than begins to stalk you? do you go to cops? do you confess to your partner? or do you simply crumble under the constant fear?

lost souls by poppy z brite - several stories converge in the small town of missing mile, north carolina. steve and ghost are best friends and musicians dealing with steve's recent breakup and ghost's sudden visions of monstrous, incestuous twins. zillah, molochai, and twig are a ragtag trio of murderous vampires on a cross-country roadtrip, drunk on hedonism and death. nothing is a young, depressed teenager desperate to find family and belonging while figuring out his growing longing for blood.

drawing blood by poppy z brite - 25 years after bobby mcgee killed his wife and youngest son before committing suicide, trevor, the eldest child spared for some unknown reason, returns to the house that destroyed his family. death, however, leaves stains that can't be erased. down in louisiana, zach is a hacker on the run from the fbi, his hypersexuality, and his ptsd. but demons, personal or otherwise, have a way of catching up.

house of leaves by mark z danielewski - there is a house that is bigger on the inside, chronicled for decades by an old, blind man. his life's work is found by a young tattoo artist who in turn becomes obsessed with the writer and his tales of houses and minotaurs and ordinary people thrust into mind-bogglingly extraordinary situations.

the sparrow by mary doria russel - emilio sandoz is a priest with a group sent on a mission to follow an extraterrestrial sound wave to its origin. what happens on the far distant planet haunts the man once he returns home.

tagging: anyone that wants to say i tagged them ❤

#reading my synopsises for these books is like. huh yeah i do certainly have a type #txt

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kookaburra1701 · 9 months

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WIP Wednesday - Wives of Shor II: Kaidan Peregrine

❤️❤️❤️tagged by @mareenavee and @archangelsunited ❤️❤️❤️ tagging @gilgamish @dirty-bosmer @thana-topsy @expended-sleeper @greyborn2

Fandom: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Rating: T (entire fic is E) Category: M/M Pairing: Kaidan/Lucien Flavius Genre(s): Romance (bodice-rippers my beloveds), bildungsroman Other main characters: Inigo the Brave, she/her Breton LDB

Summary: Instead of actually working on the first fic in the series, I wrote the opening scene in the second fic bc I needed to do some snuggles. Lucien Flavius is by Joseph Russell, Kaidan is by Liv Templeton, and Inigo the Brave is by SmartBlueCat.

3rd First Seed, 4E 203 Kaidan tucked his toes around Fledge’s barrel, attempting in vain to shield them from the bitter cold. This far north there were no trees or even particularly tall shrubs to blunt the edge of the wind, and it found every gap in his fur cloak and hood, no matter how tightly Kaidan wrapped them around himself. Fledge’s head was bowed, following closely in Frost’s tracks as Inigo’s horse broke the trail in front of them. Kaidan still had no idea where on Nirn Inigo had found that horse, but Frost was well-named and seemed almost impervious to ice and snow, breaking a trail as easily as if they were on a pleasure hack in Riften.

The troll’s head behind Kaidan’s saddle was bleeding through the burlap sack, staining the white patches on Fledge’s flank and leaving a broken pink trail behind them. However, if the dark, towering clouds looming over the Sea of Ghosts was any indication it would be buried under snow in a few short hours.

Frost halted, and Fledge nearly ran into his haunches before Kaidan managed to pull him up short. He gave the horse an apologetic pat as he guided Fledge up next to Frost and leaned close to Inigo.

“This next stretch is not so deep, I think,” Inigo said, practically yelling to be heard over the howling wind and through the layers muffling both himself and Kaidan. “Take point to give Frost a rest and then we will push the rest of the way.”

Kaidan nodded in acknowledgment. He could feel Fledge heave a deep sigh as Kaidan urged him in front of Frost. Inigo was correct; for a few miles at least the road was partially protected by a finger of rock jutting out from the Anthor Range. To the North, the Statue of Azura loomed over the road, a constant landmark since midday yesterday.

Deep in his belt-pouch, Kaidan felt an insistent vibration.

Just a little longer, he thought. Lucien’s Dwemer sphere had been resonating at increasingly narrow intervals for the last few days, indicating Lucien was checking on their progress. Kaidan smiled to himself, and picked up his pace. After a weeks’ travel to Dawnstar and a week’s travel back (with a stop to take care of a particularly troublesome ice troll that had taken up residence in Wayward Pass) he was eager to be back in Winterhold.

Never thought I’d be yearning for a wizard’s town. Then again, Kaidan was not yearning for the town or mages in general - rather, a particular mage.

The dwemer sphere buzzed again, this time in three short bursts. A warmth that the cold could not touch swelled in Kaidan’s chest. Lucien was waiting and eager. Fledge snorted in protest as Kaidan pressed his heels into Fledge’s side, urging the horse into the wind, onwards to Winterhold.

Night had truly fallen by the time the College of Winterhold came into view, the queer blue light illuminating the Archmage’s tower piercing the darkness, seeming to float in mid-air over the sea, connected to land only by the string of mage lights illuminating the college bridge. Snowflakes were starting to fall, gathering on Kaidan’s eyelashes and Fledge’s mane.

The snow was cleared from the road, more likely from the howling wind driving it to pile up against the craggy faces of the mountains than by the order of Jarl Korir, but Kaidan would take it either way. He urged Fledge into an easy trot and behind him the chiming of Frost’s hoofbeats on the stone pavers told him Inigo was doing the same. Now that Fledge knew they were well and truly turned for a familiar stable, Kaidan had to hold him steady rather than let him take the bit and bolt towards a bucket of oats.

The large bulk of Masser was hidden from view by the clouds that were stooping over Winterhold when Kaidan and Inigo finally passed under what was left of the Winterhold gatehouse. A guard, unrecognizable with her face and head wrapped in furs, raised a torch to examine them, but waved them on before asking their business. Kaidan supposed he and Inigo, mounted on Fledge and Frost, bedraggled and weary from the road, were familiar to the guards by now. Despite the permission to proceed, Kaidan pulled Fledge up short. Fledge snorted in protest as Frost continued on without him.

He tugged the fur cowl away from his mouth and leaned down to where the guard was waiting expectantly, her own furs held away from her ear to hear him over the howling wind.

“I have the troll Steward Seloth put out that bounty on!” Kaidan gestured to the back of his saddle.

The guard looked at the bloody pack and nodded. “I can take that for you, sir!” She jerked her chin out to the east, into the wind. “Get you inside so you don’t have to deal with the messy thing, and mark you down for the bounty.”

Kaidan shook his head. “The college asked me to bring them as many parts as possible when I set out. Will just a hand do?”

The guard waved him off. “I’ll mark you and Inigo down for the bounty, no need for a trophy for proof. You’re known here.”

“Many thanks!” Kaidan touched his hood in a sketchy salute before turning Fledge towards the Frozen Hearth.

“We’re going to have snow taller than a spear by mid morning, mark my words!” she called after him.

Kaidan dismounted and stashed the pieces of troll in the ice shed behind the byre that was pressed up against the wall of the Frozen Hearth. If the guard’s prediction was correct, the snow would keep them well until he could bring them to Collette Marence.

The tiny stable was blessedly warm, though lit by only a small lantern. Kaidan could hear the sounds of the inn’s cows chewing their cud and grunting in the darkness. Inigo and Frost were illuminated by the small pool of light, and Inigo was just removing Frost’s saddle.

“Well?”

“The guard said she’d put us down for the bounty without any proof - that our word was good enough.”

Inigo grinned, his white teeth and yellow eyes seeming to glow in the shadows. “That is wonderful to hear, my friend! Look at us, making honorable names for ourselves!”

“It’s not something I’m quite used to,” Kaidan said as he tied Fledge to the stable wall in his usual spot. “but I think I could do.”

As he rubbed down Fledge, Kaidan tried to figure out how he felt about having stayed in one place for so long the guards accepted his word as bond when he reported fulfilling a bounty. When was the last time he’d stayed in any place long enough for the guards to know his name? It had to have been with Brynjar.

Kaidan braced himself for the twinge of pain deep in his chest whenever he thought of Brynjar, but he had to admit that the grief had been…fading. It had been all consuming when he had returned to Skyrim, everything reminding him of the stubborn old Nord. But gradually, as new memories replaced the old, a sense of peace had replaced the pain where Brynjar had been in his heart.

Inigo finished first, and brought fresh hay and water for the horses, along with their measure of oats from the feed bin, and he and Kaidan left them happily eating and snorting to themselves.

As soon as the door to the outside opened, the wind hit Kaidan like a giant’s club. It took his breath away as it blew past his face. The snow was so thick he could barely see in front of his face - the storm had well and truly arrived. Inigo placed a hand on his shoulder and they forced the byre door closed and shut the bolt fast. They exchanged no words as they made their way by feel around the outer wall of the inn, until Kaidan felt the familiar steps in front of his boots and he climbed up, finally finding the door.

A drift of snow and blast of cold air accompanied them inside, and Inigo shut the door firmly against the weather. Kaidan could tell it was warm, the central hearth was well-stoked, but his fingers and toes ached and burned with cold at the same time.

Haran looked up from where she was banking some embers around an iron cauldron.

“Welcome back, gentlemen, help yourself to the stew - Kraldar and Dagur went out and got a horker yesterday.”

“Thank you, Haran,” Inigo said, “May we trouble you for a drink as well? Today was long and cold.”

“Of course, of course - when we heard we should be expecting you Dagur pulled a bottle of that spiced wine you like. And there’s ale for you of course, Kaidan.”

“Many thanks,” Kaidan accepted the tankard a little clumsily with his gloves and bracers still on.

“How did you know we were due back today?” Inigo asked as Haran filled their bowls.

“Oh, your lad from the college stopped by. Got here with his arms full of books just before the wind really kicked up. He said you’d be arriving late tonight.”

Inigo elbowed Kaidan in the ribs and grinned impishly. Kaidan cuffed him on the shoulder.

“Ow!” Inigo rubbed his arm in mock pain. “I hope for Lucien’s sake you take your gauntlets off before-”

“And that,” Kaidan said, draining the last dregs of the stew from the bowl and handing it back to Haran, “is my cue to say goodnight.”

“Aye,” Haran had a glimmer in her eye and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a half smile. “Goodnight. I’m sure you’ll keep warm.”

Inigo sniggered, but Kaidan chose to ignore him and lit a rushlight from one of the embers in the hearth before grabbing his pack and making his way down to the cellar.

The cellar of the Frozen Hearth was almost as spacious as the ground level. In addition to a small common area, giant brewing vats, and the living area for the family, one section had been subdivided into smaller rooms meant for the servants, mercenaries, and others that often accompanied visitors to the college. Inigo and Kaidan were now semi-permanent residents of two.

Kaidan gently lifted the latch to his door - it was unlocked, and the door swung open.

In the dim glow from the rushlight Kaidan could just barely make out the hump of furs on the bed which he assumed to be Lucien. As quietly as he could he set the light on the small table, and positioned his body between it and Lucien, and tried to remove his armor as quietly as possible.

A wind gust howled outside the sturdy walls of the Frozen Hearth Inn; he and Inigo had outpaced the coming gale by mere minutes. The melting snow on his wolfskin mantle and hood lent it a faint canine smell. Kaidan cursed to himself as his numb fingers worked at the knots on the lacings of his cuirass; the Akaviri tradition of laces and knots instead of straps and buckles meant that he could fit his armor, heavy as it was, like a second skin. But now ice and snow had seized the careful knots along with his joints. It was only through sheer force of will and desire to not wake Lucien that Kaidan was able to grit his teeth and prevent them from chattering. He winced at how loud his clumsy footfalls sounded in the quiet of the room.

Finally, after seemingly endless patient work, Kaidan was able to release the hide laces and slip his armor over his head. Kaidan was aching with cold and weariness, and wanted nothing more than to slip under the furs Lucien had been warming, but he’d been a soldier for too long to neglect his gear. He carefully spread his armor out over the table and chair to drip dry, and wiped away as much of the melting snow as he could with a corner of his cloak. He could oil it in the morning: the storm that had nipped at his and Inigo’s heels all the way from Whistling Mine and would likely make travel impossible for a day or more, if he knew anything about Skyrim’s weather.

Kaidan shivered, finally removing his tunic, trews, and smallclothes - they were soaked through and icy cold.

At last Kaidan approached Lucien’s slumbering form; all that was visible above the fur coverlet was a mop of golden hair and a small sliver of forehead resting on the homespun linen of the bolster.

Holding himself back from diving into the warmth of the bed and disturbing Lucien, Kaidan extinguished the rushlight, carefully lifted up a corner of the nest Lucien had made, and slid under the furs. He meticulously avoided touching Lucien, and tried to keep his shaking under control as his fingers and toes slowly began to burn and prickle as blood returned to his extremities.

“Kaidan?” The sleepy mumble was muffled further by the layers of bedding it had to travel through, and Kaidan cursed to himself again.

“Go back to sleep, Lucien,” Kaidan answered in a whisper. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Mmm.”

Kaidan thought that was going to be Lucien’s only response before returning to sleep, but then -Mara bless him!- Lucien deliberately tangled his legs with Kaidan’s, placing his feet next to Kaidan’s and pushing back to press against what must have felt like the frost atronach that had just crawled into his bed.

Lucien’s body felt like it was burning him where skin touched skin, but Kaidan pressed eagerly into that warmth, now feeling as if there was a chance he might not be doomed to eternal chill.

As Kaidan wrapped his arms around Lucien, he could feel Lucien’s skin quiver at the shock of his cold touches, but instead of pulling away like any sensible person would do, Lucien held his arms and hands over Kaidan’s, gently guiding them to slip up under the hem of his tunic, and finally holding Kaidan’s hands close against the skin of his chest and stomach.

Kaidan tightened his embrace, burying his face into the back of Lucien’s neck and breathing deep - he could smell ink and cloves under the earthy, animal notes of the furs and woolen blankets covering them - the scent indelibly labeled Lucien in his mind.

As he placed a soft kiss into the hollow behind Lucien’s ear, the only response was an indistinct mutter and Lucien’s breathing returning to the deep, regular rhythm of sleep. Kaidan followed Lucien into slumber moments later.

#skyrim #skyrim fanfiction #tes v skyrim #kaidan 2 #kaidan skyrim #wip wednesday #fic: the wives of shor #kb writes #lucien flavius #tesblr #inigo the brave

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drifting-pieces-blog-blog · 5 months

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Breaking down the comics: Committee of Three (Issue #4)

Moon Knight, Issue #4: A Committee of 5

Written by Doug Moench and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz

I’m back! Took a little break to get caught up on some more modern Moon Knight and now I’m ready to jump back into the past!

Now this is an interesting one because “The Committee” was the original group of people that first hired Moon Knight to hunt down Jack Russell (Werewolf by Night). But back then, he and Jack took down the Committee. What could they possibly want with Moon Knight now? Let’s find out!

"Life is seldom easy for the mysterious man called Moon Knight--And it's about to get a whole lot harder! Five seasoned hit-men are out for his blood! They are a committee of:

One: Boom-Boom, explosives expert.

Two: Razor, blade freak.

Three: Ice. Sniper assassin.

Four: Dragon, karate black belt.

and Five: Bull, just plain animal!

All five are professional killers--and they enjoy their work. So it's rather simple really, either they're put out of business--fast--or the shadows will soon run red and echo with ghastly laughter."

I feel like Moon Knight faced a lot of professional assassins in the early runs. The one with them in the snow, then the one with him in Israel...

Also, LOOK AT THIS ART! I love this! Look how they put the words in his cape!

Also LOL.

We see Moon Knight landing awkwardly next to Rockefeller ice rink while a sniper lines up a shot. He takes aim and fires and we see Moon Knight fall!

He runs down to the rink to check the body. He needs proof of the kill for his bosses. But there is no body!

Moon Knight drops down behind him.

"Still alive--If you believe I have nothing worse than a bullet-hole through my cape... Or still dead--If you prefer to believe that I really AM a ghost. Take your pick, Annie Oakley."

I miss the days when Moon Knight really had a hard time convincing himself that he was alive. He played up the ghost angle so much.

He charges the gunman only to have the gun go off in his face, blinding him! Good job.

The sniper takes the opportunity to smash him in the head with the butt of his rifle. ....Moon Knight sure did take a lot of blows to the head in his early years.

Lucky for him, the gunman is still rattled by the whole ghost thing and flees in a panic, rather than finishing him off.

Recovering, Moon Knight wonders how long the assassin has been stalking him and who sent him.

On the other side of town, The Committee meets to get an update on Moon Knight's status.

Ice, the gunman, tells them that he had him but he's some sort of "spook"!

Ah! It IS the same Committee that hired him to hunt Jack Russel back in his first appearance of Werewolf by Night!!!

One of the guys was apparently on vacation and missed the memos so he asks who they're going after and why.

I love a good excuse for exposition.

"These five gentlemen have been retained to dispose of our personal Frankenstein monster. You DO recall our creation--Moon Knight-- Don't you? He nearly destroyed the original Committee. Now that we've reorganized, we owe it to the committee's honor to settle the score."

The assassins review their plans.

The dynamite guy, Boom-Boom, plans to blow up Moon Kight's vehicle. (Not the cab! Or maybe the Chopper?!) The rest just want to get up and personal.

The guy that was on vacation takes a minute to ask if going after Moon Knight is actually a good idea or not. You know... considering...

The other guy is angry at Moon Knight for taking their money and not delivering the wolf. Also because he turned on them and pretty much nearly wiped them out.

This is just a petty revenge mission.

Back at Grant Mansion!

We find Marlene working out and Moon Knight changing out.

"Well, aren't you the bundle of joy this morning, Mr. Grant? Or is it Mr. Lockley? Spector? Moon Knight--?" She takes playful jabs at him. It's...It's early in the comics so I'm not going to harp on this. Early enough where he himself really doesn't know what's going on and the others are still just him pretending to be someone else.

"Every identity has its place, Marlene, and every identity IN its place. We're in Grant Mansion--Ergo, I've just become Steven Grant." He's a bit snappy about it. He's still trying to compartmentalize and in deep denial.

"Okay, Steven. Bad night?"

"Routine. Seen Frenchie around?"

Frenchie has a place in the committee so he can keep track of their movements. This dates back to WBN.

Frenchie tells him that they've reorganized but he hasn't attended enough meetings since to know what's going on. But he has a feeling that something is going on behind closed doors.

Steven tells him that someone tried to knock off Moon Knight and they weren't an amateur.

The Committee predates Marlene. Or at least they never brought it up to her.

She asks just who these guys are that want him dead so badly.

Frenchie answers for them. "Several years back, Marlene, I learned of a group of international financiers...So I told Marc and we decided to investigate... posing as a French industrialist, I infiltrated them... I told them of a mercenary named Marc Spector who might take zee job, were he provided with anonymity and suitable weapons."

Marc approved the plan and they went back to the committee to introduce Moon Knight, who up to that point hadn't been a household name. Only Bushman had delt with the Moon Knight.

They detail about their efforts fighting the wolf.

"At first it seemed like killing two birds with one stone--Getting to zee bottom of zee committee's crimes while ridding zee world of a monster. But when he saw zee tortured humanity of a young man named Jack Russell locked behind zee horror, he freed zee werewolf and together they destroyed zee committee. This was before Marc became rich as Steven Grant, so he took zee committee's money--ANd left zee werewolf go free to find his own fate."

REALLY?! THAT'S where they got the money from!? What happened to all their money made as mercs? Did they blow it? No wonder Steven's so pissy all the time. He's worked his ass off to make their millions and Marc is just out there blowing through it.

The next day, Jake hits the streets to see if Crawley has any tips.

He does his usual 'gmorning to Gena and asks about her boys.

Then he immediately sides up to Crawley: "Any hitmen in town Crawley?"

Apparently there are five and they all hit the same nightclub in Queens. That's convenient.

He hires Gena's boys to find out the names of all the assassins and if they'll be back at the club.

He loves those kids.

He calls up Marlene and tells her to have Frenchie attend the next committee meeting. He also tells her to "practice your bump and grind, Lady."

Jake's got a way with words.

Oh no. OH NO. I know what issue this is.

The...The night club... It's an airplane. They have a theme.

Gena's sons go to the club to get info.

At the committee meeting, Frenchie busts in pretending to be pissed off not to be included in the previous sessions.

"We were concerned that you might object."

"Why shold I care? I knew zee mercenary Spector, oui, but he was hardly a FRIEND."

Up on the roof, Moon Knight listens in on the meeting as they inform Frenchie of the details.

In the club, the boys get into a bit of trouble but their manage to not only get out of it, but to also get the info they need.

Outside, Marlene is applying for a job in the club.

Yeah... It's...It's this issue.

The meeting over, Moon Knight switches to Lockley to get the info from Gena's boys.

A lot is about to happen here folks. Just…Just get ready for this.

(early Moon Knight tumblr fandom… If you know you know.)

Here we see Moon Knight startled by some firecrackers. He knows it’s a trap. But we see a cat sniffing at a box while Boom Boom waits.

IN A RARE EVENT. Moon Knight is not left fighting a random animal, but being saved by and saving that animal.

Boom Boom makes a run for it and Moon Knight stops another dynamite stick from going off with some sharp Crescent dart action! But Boom Boom manages to give him the slip and get away.

He takes defeat so gracefully.

So next day he heads out as Jake again.

He patrols the streets in his cab looking for news.

I just... I love Jake.

We see Jake come into the mansion to see Marlene heading out to her new job at the club.

Dealing with Marlene, he's instantly Steven. Then the phone rings and it's one of Jake's contacts so he's Jake again. That pose is 100% Jake.

Early issue we see them just cycle through easy peasy but still acting like it's pretend. But it's SO obvious when it's with Marlene. Jake really has no interest in Marlene as anything more than the lady his headmates care about.

It’s something I’ll contend with over and over again. Especially as the much later comics decide that Jake was really the one dating Marlene… But that’s an argument for another day.

We head over to the Madison Square Garden where Marc and Frenchie attend a boxing match.

They spot some that look like they might be the other assassins and move to follow them. Steven heads to the bathroom to change.

There's so much going on here that I love so much.

Steven changes in the bathroom. So a tuxedo man walks into the public bathroom... Probably in a stall... ANd changes into Moon Knight...

He left his tux in the bathroom. Probably on the floor or in the trash?

The jab that Grant can afford it. Poor Steven.

The champion boxer being like "Oh man. That's one fast cat. I don't want to tango with that dude."

Also him asking "Wonder if he's got any color under that white mask..." Implying that Moon Knight's so cool that he hopes he's a black man. Which I can respect. He’s got some style.

Then we have Moon Knight jumping into a typical rich person car to tail a cab.

I miss these simple Moon Knight days…

In the next panel we find that he didn't even ride IN the car, but hung onto the side as Frenchie drove.

"Twenty minutes later, North of central park, Moon Knight vaults from the Limo's running board..."

Moon Knight knows that this is another trap. It's a dark and abandoned building.

Yup. As soon as he's inside, he's ambushed by Dragon, the karate guy and the knife guy.

Karate guy pulls out his nunchak. Moon Knight also turns his truncheon into nunchak.

It's the first time we see Moon Knight's new weapon and it remains in the comics for a very long time after this. I love seeing his weapons advance in the comics!

He takes out the knife guy quick then turns to the Dragon.

He comes at Moon Knight, who doges each attack then lands a blow, taking out the blackbelt.

Which is hilarious because he's just a blackbelt in karate. We know at this point that Marc Spector had to learn a lot of different fighting styles in the Special Forces, not to mention his early street Boxing days as a young man. A simple black belt really has nothing on him.

Two down, he gets clocked in the back of the head by the Bull.

Moon Knight lands a few hits but he's still dizzy from the blow to his head. (again with the head).

Frenchie rushes in with a gun and scares off the Bull, who busts through a wall and dissapears.

"I'm getting just a little sick of this, Frenchie--That guy hits like a truck. Why didn't you stay with the limo?"

"I got Board, Marc."

I love Frenchie...

"Now there's a refreshing complaint...But taking there two to the mansion for safekeeping--Blindfolded--Oughtta keep you busy. Then get over to tonight's meeting of the committee."

Back at the club, Marlene has made it in with the head guy of the assassins, Ice, pulling her charms.

Sitting down for a private drink, they are interrupted by a phone call. It's from Bull!

Seems Bull and Boom Boom have decided Moon Knight is more than they really want to deal with.

"We're quittin'. Gonna put the squeeze on the committee instead--easier to just take the money than earn it by tacklin' Moon Knight again. You shoulda seen the way he took out Razor and Dragon!

He's too much, Ice! He's got helpers everywhere--They found Eddie tied up in the back room of Inn Flight--Coupla kids took his gun! They'll pick us off one by one! He's got spies everywhere I tell ya!"

Whoopse. Ice takes note of Marlene who is still sitting right there.

Ice tells them to do what they want. He's still got a job to do.

He tells Marlene he's got a meeting to get to, but she should stay there and wait for him.

Marlene quickly leaves to a payphone (despite a phone being right there in the office. But I guess.) She calls Jake's cab phone to tell him what she just heard.

Ice was waiting and watching the phone. He now knows Marlene is one of the spies.

Back at the main office, Boom Boom and Bull make their play against the committee by rigging the whole building to explode!

Outside, we see Ice climbing the outside of the building next to the warehouse to claim the money for himself!

On the otherside, Moon Knight starts to scale the building itself!

Boom Boom and Bull snag the money and move to make a run for it, but Ice has padlocked the exits! The building is set to explode in five minutes!

Moon Knight figures it out and notes that Frenchie is also trapped inside!

Ice makes it to the roof on the other building and spots Moon Knight on the roof, putting him back in his crosshairs.

Bull manages to bust through the door like before, but Frenchie is still deep inside the building.

Just as Ice takes his shot, the building explodes and collapses, sending the bullet right over Moon Knight's head as he falls with the building.

Gotta love that glider cape. Also gotta love Frenchie’s smarts.

Moon Knight makes a break for Bull.

As he runs, Ice opens fire again.

Moon Knight dives through the bullets, still after Bull.

Yeah he...He takes another blow to the head, knocking him to the floor of the little motor boat.

Moon Knight rolls, trying to knock Bull over. Unfortunately, this puts Bull right into Ice's bullets and he takes one to the chest.

The boat crashes, sending Moon Knight flying. He's having a good night.

Laing stunned on the dock, he's back in the crosshairs. Just before Ice can take his shot....

Marlene kicks the gun away!

And we see Moon Knight again, a sad wet cat crawling on the ground. He does this a lot.

"Like a ragged creature escaped from hell, he stands on the roof, the precious rifle clenched in granite hands..."

Moon Knight snaps the riffle in two over his knee. Then he knocks Ice out.

The cops later find all the remaining assassins on their door steps with a note "Night deposit" nailed to the door with a crescent dart.

He's got class.

Back at the mansion, Grand invites everyone over for a feast.

Which is funny considering that it's not till a later episode that he reveals himself as Jake and Steven and Marc and Moon Knight and that he's rich. But who's keeping track of continuity?

Grant reveals all the money that was supposed to go to the assassins from the committee. He divides it up among the friends, with a good amount going to charities.

I love this issue. It’s fun, it’s quirky, it’s an early issue that is still trying to establish who everyone is and how the dynamic functions, and you have a LOT of Moon Knight getting hit in the head or having the bad guys get away with him getting frustrated over it.

It’s got so much character! And maybe this is just me coming off of reading…the worst issues ever (Bemis, Aaron, Bendis)... But this was much needed. Really refreshing. Even the art style is so clean and just full of everything I love about Moon Knight.

#Moon Knight #Moon Knight comics #Analyzing the comics #Marc Spector #Jake Lockley #Steven Grant #Marlene Alraune #Jean-Paul Duchamp #This was a breath of fresh air you guys #Just a few left to review then we're out of the OG #I'mma cry you guys #I love Moench so much #Sorry this one took so long to put out

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rewritethisstxry · 9 months

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Hello and welcome to my mixed mosh little corner of tumblr. Here I write for a variety of fandoms and characters. Primarily will be featuring drabbles with the occasional longer piece. Headcanons will feature from time to time.

At the time I do NOT consent for my work to be translated or posted anywhere else.

Below you will find some more information on who and what I write.

MINORS DNI. Due to the nature of potential content, only 18 and older are allowed.

Characters || Rules || Masterlist || Slasher/horror writing blog : @slxsherwriter

What I will write:

Angst

Fluff

Smut

Platonic relationships

Alpha/Omega dynamics

What I won’t write:

Snuff

Rape, rape play, non con

Underage

Inc*st

Real person fic

Marvel: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Alexei Shostakov, Peter Parker, Victor Creed, Deacon Frost, Peter Quinn, Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, Bruce Banner, Brock Rumlow, Nathan Summers, Eddie Brock, Cletus Kasady, Otto Octavius

DC Universe: Bruce Wayne, Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Jonathan Crane, Clark Kent, Arthur Curry

Stranger Things: James Hopper, Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers

Stargate Atlantis: Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Ronan Dex, Carson Beckett

Sons of Anarchy: Jackson “Jax” Teller, Harry “Opie” Winston, Filip “Chibs” Telford, Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz, Lincoln Potter, Galen O'Shay

The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes, Shane Walsh, Negan Smith

What We Do in the Shadows: Nandor the Relentless, Guillermo de la Cruz, Laszlo Cravensworth

Resident Evil: Karl Heisenberg, Albert Wesker, Chris Redfield

Ted Lasso: Ted Lasso, Coach Beard, Jamie Tartt, Roy Kent

Good Omens: Gabriel, Aziraphale, Crowley

Video Games: Connor RK800, CaptainJonathan Price, Simon Ghost Riley, Sniper

Movies: Finn Brody (Godzilla), Raleigh Becket (Pacific Rim), Terry Malone (Black and Blue), Abe Guevara (Point Blank), Bobby O’Neill (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard), Guy Clifton (The Crash), Roy Pulver (Boss Level), Sloan (Into the Ashes) Braxton Wolff (The Accountant), Ethan Sawyer (Those Who Wish Me Dead), Bradley James (Grudge Match), Sam Rossi (Sweet Virginia), Mr. McCarthy (Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl), Grady Travis (Fury), Griff (Baby Driver), Adam Frawley (The Town), Buddy (Baby Driver), Clyde Brenek (The Posession), Patrick Sullivan (The Accidental Husband), Harvey Russell (Rampage), Jude Fisher (Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding), Luke Vaughn (Heist), Franklin Clay (The Losers), Max (The Resident), Nicomund the Red/Santa Claus (Violent Night), Doug Dennison (Sleepless), Frank Masters (The Equalizer), Hellboy (2019), Alex Baldr (Max Payne), Matt Graver (Sicario), Douglas Hunsiker (The Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Steve Emmett (Boa vs Python), Joe Braven (Braven), Lee Christmas (The Expendables), Deckard Shaw (Fast & Furious)

Musicals: Jack Kelly (Newsies), Dewey Finn (School of Rock), Hades (Hadestown)

Tv shows: Ike Evans (Magic City), Jason Crouse (The Good Wife), John Winchester (Supernatural), Mason Baldwin (Elementary), Colton Fisk (The Equalizer), Kevin Tidwell (Life), Declan Murphy (Law & Order: SVU), Eugene McGillicutty (Royal Pains), Chuck Martin (ER), Dickie Flood (Th Practice), Malcolm Bright (Prodigal Son)

Tolkien: Boromir, Faramir, Eomer

#fandom imagines #fandom writing #dc comics #marvel #sons of anarchy #lord of the rings #what we do in the shadows #pacific rim #resident evil #Ted lasso #walking dead #stranger things #good omens #obscure characters #obscure writings

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box-tunnel-survivors-group · 2 years

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Tomorrow!! Two new episodes are unleashed!

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dailyunsolvedmysteries · 1 year

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Sims Family Murder

On 22nd October 1966, most of the population of Tallahassee was attending a football game at the popular North Florida Fair. Events like this quite literally left the streets empty since entertainment was infrequent. The Sims family, namely Robert, 42, his wife Helen, 34, decided to stay back home at Muriel Court Drive with their youngest daughter, Joy, aged 12. Their 15-year-old daughter Judith Ann was out babysitting, and Norma Jeanette, 17, was at the game. Florida State beat Mississippi State 10–1 that night. While the town enjoyed the game, someone, somewhere, killed the three Sims staying home and vanished like a ghost. Norma had expected to find her family still watching the game when she returned. The TV was on, but her family was nowhere to be seen.

Dr. Robert Sims, an information technology expert with the Department of Education, was lying on the bed fighting for his life. He had been shot once in the head. It was clear that the attack had taken place not too long ago. Helen Sims, a Sunday school teacher, and church secretary was lying on the floor, also alive. She had been shot twice in the head and in the leg (some reports state she was stabbed). Joy Lynn Sims wasn’t alive; the child had been shot in the head and stabbed more than 6 times in her stomach. Her panties were pulled down to her thighs, and her cheek was bruised.

The first people to arrive on the scene were Russell Bevis and his young son, Rocky, in response to Norma’s call to Bevis Funeral Home. In an attempt to save their lives, Bevis tried to loosen their bindings, an act that compromised the crime scene. The first investigator on the scene, officer E.C. Cooper Donley remembers this horrific scene to this day. Helen Sims passed away in hospital 9 days after the attack. She didn’t regain consciousness to give information to police about the assailant, given that a bullet was buried deep into her brain and rendered her comatose.

Considering the situation, investigators were sure that the murderer was known to the family. There was no sign of a break-in; nothing had been stolen to suggest a botched robbery since money was lying around in plain sight on the scene. The attack had taken place a short while before Norma got home — coffee cups were lying half-drunk on the table, and the full ashtray remained untouched.

A neighbor corroborated this story, telling police that they had heard screams around 10:45 pm. The most compelling evidence found was the specialized Granny knots used to bind the 3 Sims with material from their own house: lingerie, socks, pantyhose, and ties. Unfortunately, the inefficacy of DNA evidence back then led to nobody being identified as being on the scene.

Old investigators later took to the internet to share their speculations that the assailant(s) had stayed back to clean up the crime scene and had been from the neighborhood. Others reject this theory, saying that Tallahassee’s unsuspecting and violent crime-free nature would have anybody opening their doors to a stranger. Yet others theorize that the murder was calculated, relying on the town being preoccupied with the football game.

Some advancements were made in 2015 and 2016 through documentaries made by FSU students; however, the case could still not be solved. Norma and Judith Sims have never spoken publicly about the murder of their family and remain under the radar to date.

#Sims Family Murder #unsolved #cold cases #unsolved mysteries #crime #true crime

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dontforgetoctober3rd · 5 months

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Spillways (Chapter 1), A Gilded Age fanfic

(The title is taken from one of my favorite Ghost songs, which is about confronting old wounds and pain in order to heal so you can move forward.)

Faceclaims for George and Randolph Stewart

Contents: Prologue

Word count: 1400

Summary: All of New York society is in a tizzy over the news: The Earl of Galloway is in town with his son, the 30 year old (bachelor) Randolph. Marriage-minded mamas are on the prowl but the Earl and his son eschew most of the lavish parties and teas they’re invited to...except to a certain tea with Agnes Van Rhijn and her niece, Marian.

Rating: Everyone (Ratings will be *by chapter*, so subsequent installments might differ in their rating.)

Author's Notes: This is a canon-divergence story beginning a few months from episode 5 of Season 2. This is obviously not going to be historically accurate, also I'm from America and I've only gleaned a cursory knowledge of the Scottish peerage from my reading and basically am just using the titles, locations and names as vehicles for these characters please just go with it lmao

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with The Gilded Age in any way beyond being a fan, I do not own the Gilded Age characters nor am I using them for any commercial purposes or making money from this, this is just basically word fanart of the show

Lovely divider is by @muchomago

“Oh, Bannister, Mrs. Russell is fit to be tied!” Jack exclaimed, coming into the house with the morning papers. He set them on the counter nearby before hastily washing his hands at the water basin and then sitting at the table, a cup of coffee waiting for him.

“Hmm, why is that?” Bannister asked, his full attention on his ham and egg breakfast. The rest of the servants and Peggy at the table, however, were now looking at John with rapt attention.

“It’s about that Earl and his son, isn’t it?” Bridget asked, fork suspended with some greenbeans skewered on it.

“They finally accepted an invitation, haven’t they?” Mrs. Bauer added in. “I knew they would! She entertained a duke, after all.”

“‘Fit to be tied’ means she’s enraged, Mrs. Bauer. Not pleased.” Peggy said kindly. “The Earl has likely declined.”

“Oh, I never know these expressions that people use here...” Mrs. Bauer lamented.

“He declined an invitation to Mrs. Fish’s Newport home, why on earth would he have accepted one from Mrs. Russell to dine in her gaudy house?” Armstrong said to Mrs. Bauer.

“He has declined an invitation from nearly everyone except Mrs. Astor. She had them for a tea ten days ago.” Bannister said, finally contributing to the conversation.

Jack looked dejected. “Well, it's no fun when you all already know the gossip!”

“Never mind,” Bannister said. “I don’t want a single one of you to mention the Earl in the presence of our mistress.”

“Why’s that? Did-”

“It’s not our business, Bridget.” Peggy said. “Trust me.”

With that, the table returned to chatter of the day’s work and other things. Bannister shared a knowing look with Peggy. They had both been there when the invitation to Mrs. Astor’s tea with the Earl and his son had arrived and Mrs. Van Rhijn had raged. Peggy had not divulged the contents of the rejection letter she’d had to write but she let Bannister know it had been…uncharacteristically angry, even for Mrs. Van Rhijn. Bannister knew it was serious, as invitations sent by Mrs. Astor were never rejected. Never. It was best the staff stay on their toes around their mistress until the Earl left New York.

The young ladies at St. Mary’s were in a bit of an uproar.

An Earl and his son were visiting today!

Not a one of them concerned themselves with the purpose of the visit: to inspect the school that they intended to donate to. Lord George Stewart was ancient, at 70 years of age. A widower, but he had shown no interest whatsoever in remarrying all these years. However, his son Randolph was the perfect age for some of the girls’ widowed mothers, and so the whole lot of them plotted and schemed ways to present them favorably to the young lord to be.

Francis Montgomery was brimming with happiness at her own father’s recent marriage. She was determined that her favorite teacher, Miss Marian Brook, should have the same happiness. How to thwart the other girls’ plots would be difficult, but not impossible. “You know better than to fear any challenge, my dear…” her own father would often say to her. Marian deserved Randolph Stewart, Francis thought to herself. If she married him, then she would one day be a countess!

“Francis, you’ve been mixing your colors for a few minutes now.” Marian chided her, snapping her out of her plans. “Please begin the assignment.”

“Yes, Miss Brook!”

Francis began to paint (the assignment today was a lovely, small arrangement of pink roses). She kept glancing to the door, for any minute now the Earl and his son would pass by their class to see the students working. She had her plan. Any minute now…

“Please continue with your work, girls!” Marian reminded them, as a flurry of chatter rose up and died down just as quick. The Earl himself had not come to this particular class, he was talking to the directors in the hallway. Randolph Stewart, however, had decided that watercolors were very interesting indeed.

Smiling at them all as he walked in, he went straight for a slightly flustered Marian.

It had been a small moment, but Marian had suddenly noticed Francis frantically glancing at her and silently motioning to look to the doorway. Apparently a man had been watching Marian teach for god knows how long and now was making to introduce himself.

“Apologies. I didn’t mean to gawk.” he said with a slight chuckle. “I am Randolph Stewart.” He quickly raised her given hand and kissed it lightly as Marian gave her name. He did not remove his gaze from hers for a few moments. “Forgive me but you…are not like the other teachers.”

“No, she isn’t!” Francis piped up. “She’s my first cousin, once removed.”

“Ah, so you are related?” Randolph responded.

“Through marriage. I mean, she herself isn’t married but-”

“That is quite enough, Francis, thank you.” Marian said stiffly. She smiled nervously at Randolph, who seemed to be trying not to laugh, digesting this new fact. He seemed to look at her in a new light.

“Thank you so much for your father’s donation to the school!” Marian said, trying to change the subject. “The private schools for boys seem to have no shortage of patrons, you’d think at least a respectable girls’ school wouldn’t have to practically beg.”

“I completely agree. Girls struggle enough as it is no matter their station in life and it’s our responsibility to help them out in any way we can.” Randolph gave the girls another smile as he continued to talk with Marian. She informed him that she lived with her Aunt Agnes and Aunt Ada, before the latter had married and moved out of the house. The talk turned to women’s suffrage.

Not a single one of the girls was truly painting now, all had their eyes on Marian and the handsome Randolph. Francis knew the opportunity to put her plan in action was fading fast…

“Miss Brook’s and my Aunt Agnes is a great patron to the school as well!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Randolph looked to Marian again, curious. “ Your Aunt is supportive of your…teaching endeavors?”

“Not in the least. She almost had a conniption when she found out.”

“Really? Surely teaching nice young ladies to paint is respectable enough for a woman of your station?”

Marian’s eyes flashed with enthusiasm before becoming serious. “I said those very words to her! She still would not budge and insisted I had dragged our family’s name through the mud.” Marian said, a slight hurt in her voice.

“The family name…Brook? I apologize but it isn’t a name I recognize from New York.”

“Nor should you.” Marian said. “My aunts were from Pennsylvania before my Aunt Agnes married Arnold Van Rhijn and moved here.”

“Hmm..my father knew a family named Brook many years ago.”

“Might they be the same as my Aunt’s family? She seemed rather… flustered at news of your father in town.”

“Oh? Perhaps. Why, however, would your Aunt be worried about a family name from Pennsylvania being ‘tarnished’ in New York?”

“My great-aunt, Aunt Agnes’s mother, was a Livingston of Livingston Manor!” Francis declared proudly. “Miss Brook belongs to Old New York, just as my own family does!”

There! Now, surely after knowing of Miss Brook’s family, Randolph Stewart would be enticed to know Miss Brook better! The peerage of Europe loved old families. “Perhaps they will have you over for a tea so you may talk of further patronage to the school?”

Randolph smiled sheepishly and shuffled his feet, staring at Marian. Marian was mortified.

“Really, Francis! It is not appropriate to interrupt others in order to strongarm them into accepting-”

“I would greatly appreciate an invitation if you are kind enough to give it.” Randolph said quickly, in a matter of fact manner. He winked quickly at Francis.

“Please do not feel obligated-”

“Not at all. In fact, I am quite…anxious to obtain a tea invite in order to meet with a member of the esteemed Livingstons. Being a Lord’s son and all, it's quite an appropriate association, don’t you think?” Randolph’s eyes were twinkling with mischief and Marian finally caught the meaning.

“I would be happy to have you call on us, Mr. Stewart-oh, um- Lord….?”

“Please. Call me Randolph.”

Francis gleefully grinned as she dutifully returned to her painting.

---Chapter 2---

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