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80s4life · 9 months

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Pawns”

Word Count: 4,522

Status: Requested!

Ask: Pleeeeeaase write more of Cal from titanic. Literally any prompt I’m so hungry😭

Ask #2: Pleasee could we have more cal hockley content, specifically more chapters for "the things I've never done" and even more short stories if you have the time, I love your work 💕 [THANK YOU SM! I WAS STARTING TO GET SELF CONSCIOUS OF MY WORK AGAIN]

Ask #3 will have an attachment to a separate Cal fic as well, so no request will be shown here until that one.

@: Three cutie pie nonnies!

Relationship: Caledon “Cal” Hockley x Female!Reader

Fandom: Titanic 1997

Summary: Thrusted into the roaring 20′s, all you wanted to be was free and outgoing as all the booming women in city. However, your father’s deal with the devil seals your fate in the hands of your advisor and boss, Caledon Hockley; a man who is haunted by memories, stubborn in his ways, and opposed to the newfound strength in the young women of America. You’re a slave at his will in his eyes, yet you’re just as free as the new reformed women in your own. You’re stuck at a standstill in this endless game of chess, but who’s the pawn?

Warnings: forbidden, early 1900′s morals and customs, Reader is a maid, Cal is the head of the house, Post-Titanic sinking, mature language, kinda spicy, PTSD, domestic violence (included in a PTSD episode ONLY), Kind of a Beauty and The Beast AU for inspiration

{gif is not mine, credit goes to @locke-writes}

It was all an act of practicality from the start: your father owed his father money and he had a set of nimble hands to rid himself of.

Nathan Hockley was a millionaire who dealt in the steel tycoon business in Pittsburgh. Your father had a habit of gambling with the wrong people, which had allegedly caused your father to have an uncomfortable run-in with the powerful man. Unable and too stubborn to do so, your father handed you off as a way of reparation for the damage the bastard had caused.

Nathan’s son, Caledon Hockley, was the exact replica of his father. He was cunning, stubborn, powerful and wealthy; a disrupting mixture of facets that could either lift or crush you with a simple snap of a finger. He was dangerous, among many of his other qualities, which made your business in the Hockley’s presence just that much harder.

With the pandemonium that followed the sinking of the Titanic in 1914, the physical and mental effects had taken ahold of Nathan’s deeply treasured and only son, practically keeping him on house arrest until he was “better”. However, to both Nathan and Caledon’s dismay, 6 years had done nothing for his declining health, the reasoning behind why Nathan had administered you into Caledon’s household in the first place.

All of these events have led you up to this point, your suitcase rolling behind you as one of the many maids in the manor lead you up to your room to unpack. You haven’t seen this young and precarious man yet, but something is telling you that you most likely don’t want to. You are soon to be given your list of instructions to follow immediately and precisely; left to your own devices to either stay afloat or drown in the fury of the Hockley men.

Maria, a young maid in her 20′s, around your age, approaches you with a pure and youthful grin, a light blush to her cheeks. Her hair is cut into a cropped bob of black hair with short but soft curls, her lean frame with modest green eyes making her endearing - intoxicating. “You must be Miss Y/L/N?” her cutesy, high pitched voice only adding to her allure and picturesque innocence.

“Yes, that’s me,” you mutter, displaying your hands as if to show yourself off in sarcasm.

“No need to be so glum!” she giggles, bowing her head to catch your eyes and raise your line of sight. “I’m Maria Espinosa, but I’d assume the least you’d want right now is formalities.”

You snort, but let her continue nonetheless.

“I’ve your instructions - written myself, of course!” she smiles brightly; any harder and she might break her face. “As you know, with your appointment into this manor, the rest of the faculty will be let off, per Nathan Hockley’s request. But, don’t fret, the list is simple, short and can last all day without having to pay too much mind. Every Tuesday and Thursday, there will be a grocer that will restock the cabinets, refrigerator, etc. and help you with the cleaning. You are not to touch the east wing and only reside within the west - this will help eliminate the messes to clean and prevent extra exertion-”

“Sorry, if I may be crude, why are we not to go in the east wing?” you ask, curiosity getting the best of you.

“It was...” Maria drifts off, choosing her words lightly, “After the accident in 1914, the east was torn by his own hands. It was once used for balls and such, but after the Titanic,” she whispers the name as if someone might hear her, “Caledon was bedridden and sick, upset, angry, any emotion in the book. He used that wing as a way to let those emotions out.”

You stay silent as you stare at her with morbid curiosity and fear, nodding once before returning your attention to the list. The rest seems easy, not like the job was ever hard to begin with, just an annoyance for better words.

Maria clears her throat, “Anyway, you must make at least two meals a day, mainly breakfast and dinner, both at 8 am and 8 pm. Caledon might decide not to have lunch some days, but if he does, make sure it is brought to him by 12 pm. He doesn’t like tardiness, so as long as you follow the rules as tightly as you can, you won’t be a target. Any questions?”

“No, no. I’d presume you’d want to be heading out?” you smirk at her mischievously and instantly watch as her taut muscles relax.

“Very much so, yes! It’s been forever since I’ve had a moment of freedom.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you, I’m sure I’ll be fine,” you shoo her off playfully. This is your family’s mess to clean, the least you can do is let her be free of the shackles that are now passed down and chained to your ankles.

Maria is halfway through the door when she turns to you from the foyer, “I’ll do a monthly checkup to make sure everything is in line, and for a little company in your lonesome, okay?”

You smile gratefully, hands coming up to play with your nails, “Thank you, you’re very kind. Though, I don’t want to be a burden.”

“A burden? You just gave me my freedom!” she exclaims, laughing as she waves a hand. “I’ll be back by the end of the month! Settle in and enjoy the quiet!”

The moment the door slams shut, your shoulders droop heavily. Your eyes scan the spacious mansion with frightening curiosity. You’ve never even remotely been near land such as this, and now that you’re inside, it feels almost too much. You let your hands glide the carved wooden banister as you walk up the huge steps to the second floor, taking a left down a hall.

Your legs carry you down the long corridor, and, as you place your key into the fob, your eyes lay onto the door across from yours: ‘Lord Hockley’ carved neatly on the door. There’s a rustling behind it and footsteps that approach the other side of the door, eliciting you to push the key one click further and dive through the door as quickly and quietly as possible.

You flop onto the bed with a huff, trying to calm the beating of your heart just enough to allow you to unpack and prepare dinner within the course of 3 hours. When your room is finished, you nod in satisfaction, taking a bath in the connected bathroom and changing into a thin, sheer dress before exiting your room and back down the steps to the kitchen.

Finally do you take the time to read the list on your own. It includes very detailed and descriptive instructions, easy nonetheless, of medication usages and what to do with each, meal plans, recipes, a map of which rooms to clean and how to clean each one, and Caledon’s nightly and morning rituals to follow precisely.

Shrugging your shoulders, you roll your neck to release the tension before opening the cookbook up to the recipe designed for today’s date. “Pork roast,” you state alloud, cringing at the echo of your voice being followed by more movement in Hockely’s room.

Your mind roams as your eyes get lost at the sight of the luscious woods out the window, hands deftly whisking away at the pork roast’s grease with the intent of making a nice gravy to coat the dry, but tender pork roast. Shaking your head, you peer down and try to busy yourself with the already settling boredom you’re consumed by.

You can hear the halls creak, the water drip from the faucet, birds chirping outside, the soft sway of the wind, random clicks, ticks, and other noises. You’re destined to go insane.

You jump unexpectedly with the sound of a crash from upstairs. The noise comes from the general direction of Caledon’s room and you all but groan at what the sound indicates - what your being here demands.

Putting the roast of low, you close the lid with a soft click before ascending up the stairs to Caledon’s room. You stand outside the door, hand on your heart, as you try to calm your rapid heartbeat and breathing. This was to come about sooner rather than later, so you should be glad it’s happening now. However, the banging continues within the room and you know that even if you had met him in a few months, the hell that follows him would never be escaped for as long as your father’s debt remains.

Knocking on the hard wooden door, you speak softly, “Lord Hockley? Is everything alright?”

You’re not given an answer, only the sound of something heavy being thrown and falling to the floor.

“Lord Hockey?” you call out again, louder this time. Unsurprised, you are followed by no answer once more. Annoyance creeps into your words a third and final time, “Lord Hockley, I will come in there myself if you do not open this door. Now,” you demand.

Shrugging when no voice calls to you form the other side of the door, your hand twists the doorknob and pushes the door open. You legs carry you only so far before they stutter to a stop just past the door frame.

Just before you, there is a disheveled, sweaty Caledon Hockley, fit from youth and some maturity in his thirties, shirtless. His eyes look crazed, like a madman, as his hands grip a chair at his desk with white knuckles. Around the room, there’s shelves torn down, broken, books in a disarray on the floor. His bedsheets are thrown about with the other chair from his desk propped against the wall in his fury.

You stare wide-eyed, but somehow, not alarmed in the slightest. You were accustomed to this sort of outburst, especially within the hard working men. You saw it in your father - even in your younger brother. “Lord Hockley,” your voice is softer again, all annoyance and anger lost at the door.

His eyes snap up to you, as if he had just noticed your arrival or presence. “What are you doing in here? You are not to barge in a man’s room, that is uncouth for a woman of your age and status. What is wrong with you?”

“Lord Hockley-” you try to start your confession.

“A woman is not to speak up to a man; are you ferel? Are you-?”

You don’t allow him to finish his slandering, “-I am mentally efficient, Lord Hockley, and very aware of my positioning here. However, I did knock, three times to be exact, with no answer. There had been a ruckus in here for about-” you peer up at the clock above his desk, “-an hour and a half now. I came to be of assistance, but if my help is unwanted, I’d happily leave you to your self-pity on your own?”

He has no other emotion present except bewilderment plastered to his face; eyes wide, mouth agape, and at a struggle for words. His fists clench and unclench as his eyes pan down to stare at the floor, appearing deep in thought.

“Lord Hockley, if I may be so bold?” you ask, scanning his body language and searching to find the meaning of this man’s crazed outburst.

“Go ahead,” he mutters, a hand going up to rub some hair from his eyes, still staring at the floor.

“You may confide in me if that means helping your mental health?” you offer. You know this could go one of two ways: either one, he’ll turn you away, suffer alone, and claim that men have no such weaknesses, or two, he’ll let his guard drop and release him from these dark episodes he’s no stranger to. The latter seems rather unlikely.

“I am not mental.”

“I did not say that. I was simply insisting that everyone has a dark place their mind goes to, which is a detriment to a person’s mental health. Let alone someone who is expected to heal quickly and pick up the family business, am I correct?”

Just as you thought you were getting somewhere, Cal’s eyes snap back up to yours with anger, the malicious anger tearing at his body again, “You know nothing of my family’s business and nothing of me. You have no audacity as to even assume or place yourself in my shoes. I should have you thrown out or hanged for your mouth alone. Get out!”

“Just trying to be of service, sir, since I’m at your will!” you smile sickeningly, bowing to him and sliding through the door just as a book is picked up and thrown.

You let out a deep breath of air on the other side of his door, now in the safety of the hallway. Your throat tightens with a soft sob, tears welling in your eyes. You truly feel as a prisoner on death row, hands and ankles encased in heavy metal cuffs; struggling to walk under the watchful gazes and heavy chains slowing you down, keeping you locked in this manor.

You weren’t the perpetrator, you know this, but you were framed to support the guilty with your own naivety and love.

You drag yourself back down to the kitchen to finish the man’s meal with dejection, but still devoted for the greater future - when you no longer have to be a maid in this manor and be free, lost in the world again.

“Lord Hockley?” you call once more at his door, only this time, you’re holding his tray of dinner. “I have your meal, are you decent?”

You hear a muffled ‘Yes’ and proceed through the door cautiously.

It seems he’s settled now, sitting at his desk with notes and papers scattering the floor and desk. He hadn’t cleaned the room, which you suspected you’d have to clean in the near future. However, you notice the bed is drenched in liquid, and when you look back at him, you notice sweat beading at his forehead, a thin sheen of sweat glistening against his skin.

“Lord Hockley?” you call again, stepping closer towards him. He chooses not t answer you, so you press further. “You’re sweating.”

“I’m very well aware of what my body is doing.”

“Are you feeling ill? I can help you if-” you are cut off by his fist meeting the solid oak of the desk.

“I do not need any assistance from the likes of you, nor do I want it,” his voice is stern, scary.

You try not to lose your temper so easily this time, so you give him a kind, tight-lipped smile. “Of course, my lord, you are a man after all. A man is able to take care of himself just fine, though he installs many maids within his manor. Maids like me,” you giggle dryly, “What shall I do instead, since you are able to clean, cook, and much more without the help of the ‘likes of me’?”

Caledon only groans, “Just leave the food here, you are dismissed. I’ll leave my tray for you to clean in the morning.”

“Oh, how kind,” you roll your eyes, scurrying to the door.

“Oh, and Miss, maybe you could find a better countenance and leave your convictions in your pillow when you arise. Wouldn’t want to explain to my father - and yours - as to why you were no longer needed and let go.”

You can hear the sinister smirk in his voice, but you choose to ignore it - for now - and head to bed briskly.

The next two weeks follow you in a similar form. You do as your told, albeit begrudgingly, and get into many of your childish arguments. Your interactions with the man are nasty and violent at times, always finding yourself dodging an object, taking threats, and coming in the next morning asking for more.

More, more, more; you ask for more because there is nothing else to be given. You have to take everything as a grain of salt. You have to because this means your father’s life and yours. If you manage to screw up, and you will, they will not only have your father’s head, but yours for Caledon’s punctured ego.

Though, somewhere within those weeks, you started to care less and less.

“Lord Hockley?” you knock at his door, tray of food in hand. He once more gives you no answer, so you push in.

Greeted by no light in the room, you walk around in the darkness, knowing this room like the back of your palm now. Placing the tray of food on the oak countertop and go to strike a match, lighting the candle on the desk. Going around the room, you light each and every one of them until the room is dimly lit enough to see.

On the bed, you find Caledon, sweat having gotten worse as you’ve noticed he never leaves his room. When you step closer, he is shivering, teeth chattering. Worried, you go to place the back of your hand to his forehead, but quickly draw your hand back when he jerks upright.

“Lord Hockley!” you jump, the ghost of his skin still lingering on the pads of your fingers. “You’re burning up, I need to help assist you now. You’re very ill and the sickness has gone on long enough-”

“No!” his voice rips through you quiet pleas, rattling off the walls.

“But, Lord Hockley-”

“I said ‘No’! I do not want assistance, I am a grown man!”

“’You can take care of yourself’, yeah, yeah, bullshit!” you scream, the frustration, fear, and hurt finally meeting your words as you are blinded by your emotions.

“What did you say?” Caledon looks at you in disbelief.

You cringe as you can guess what is about to take place in mere minutes, but you don’t hold back anymore. “Is your bigotry deafening your hearing or did you hear me call bullshit?”

Shakily, Caledon gets off his bed, his frame towering yours as he glares down at you with pale skin and dark, chocolate brown eyes.

“Your father wouldn’t want you to be sick, knowing that you would have to run his business soon.”

“My father-” Caledon cuts himself off, a hand going to wipe his face. “This has nothing to do with the business.”

“No? Well then, why else would I have to pamper you like a king? Is it because you’re defective?”

Caledon’s pacing now, trying to calm his increasing ragged breathing.

“Or is it because your useless to him? Mentally unstable?” you continue, trying to get a rise out of him.

“You know nothing of his business nor my personal life!” Caledon snaps back to you, anger finally bursting.

As his anger ensues, he takes steps close to you each time, piercing his thick index finger into you chest for emphasis. “You are nothing, you are worthless. I am a wealthy businessman. I am a strong, independent man with power. People would miss me if I were gone!”

“If you’re such a big man, you wouldn’t lock yourself away in your room like a toddler.”

That’s what finally did him in. You pressed a personal button when your short quips finally hit a nerve, testing his masculinity. Before you have time to react, a glass vase is hurled at you. It was a short throw, and was nowhere near your face, however it caught you by surprise and smashed against your hip.

You ignore the pain, though all you wanted to do was bury yourself in a hole. You came here to help him, but all you are returning is anger and hurt that is most definitely placed at you.

“You’re sick and it is my job to take care of you, so your father won’t have my ass because his baby boy isn’t okay. It’s my job to make sure you are very well satisfied. It is my job that you get your linens washed, food prepared, room cleaned, and make it my duty that your estate is fully functioning all on my own!” you jab a finger in his direction, placing more distance between your bodies until your back hits his door, his body on the other side of the room behind his desk.

He goes to say more, but you cut him off with more furious blows.

“Though, what isn’t my job is to allow you to threaten me. It isn’t my job to be belittled and yelled at by you. It isn’t my job to allow you to throw objects and whatever anger you have and hurl them at me! That is not my job, nor what I will allow any longer!”

“I never asked you to be here. I didn’t want you here. You forced yourself into my estate to protect your father. You knew what you were getting into just by the public papers alone. You knew what was to be expected and yet you came here anyway. You made a prisoner and a victim of yourself.” Caledon’s gaze does not falter and neither does yours.

“You’re correct, Lord Hockley, I may have known what I was getting myself into. What I didn’t know nor expect was the childish frustration and blatant disregard for human decency. I’ve tried over and over again to be kind, but against your better judgement, you couldn’t allow me to be the person to hold such compassion.”

Your eyes are welling up with tears now as you feel a warm liquid flow down your palm and to the tips of your fingers.

“You do not understand what is bothering me and you never will,” Caledon finally starts to calm himself, the self-pity returning as he recounts lost memories you cannot decipher.

“No, but I have made it abundantly clear that I was here to help assist you. However, you saw it as being weak, so it wasn’t in your cards to even allow me the common courtesy of being a human being. You felt as if I was lying to you.”

“God, you are so annoying,” Caledon groans.

“The feeling’s mutual.”

“You know, when you’re silent, I almost like you - wait, are you injured?”

“No!” you yell almost instantaneously.

“Did I do that? Its dripping on the floor, what happened?”

“The glass,” you almost stutter, the atmosphere changing quickly. “The glass shatter and cut some of my hand, I’m fine.”

“You’re hurt.”

“And, you’re ill.”

Caledon sighs, his shoulders slumping. Motioning for you to exit the room, Caledon says nothing as you make a silent pact to clean up.

You are suffering whiplash from the sudden change of emotion and it leaves you on edge, but with the cooling of his mood, it allows the adrenaline and some stiffness to leave you. Confusion overtakes your mind.

Guided into the kitchen, you start to take out numerous medications, searching for something to accommodate his symptoms. Caledon walks up to you quietly, almost afraid to get too close.

You do not say or look at each other, finally finding the right medicine and sliding it to him on the counter before sitting down on one of the bar stools. He sits beside you carefully, taking the medicine.

Taking some gauze and wiping away the cuts with an alcohol wipe, you struggle to wrap your hand. That is, until a warmer, larger one goes to encompass it gently, waiting for an action of opposition to its intentions.

Caledon gaze burns the side of your head before you finally acknowledge him with fear. Softly, he starts, “…Just allow me to help?”

You nod softly as the tears form in your eyes again. Some time passes before you finally work up the nerve to ask, “Why do you do this?”

Caledon looks up from you hand with confusion, which urges you on to elaborate, “Why does your mood change so swiftly, so suddenly?”

Sighing, Caledon gives you a firm look, as if he’s deciding whether to trust you or not - to tell you. “The Titanic,” he starts, “When I survived, I lost almost all of who I was. When I returned home to my father, I was constantly burdened with memories. They would consume me, control me, until I felt like a madman. The only solution was anger. When the anger takes control, there is no longer that burning sadness, guilt, and regret; no hoping I’d done something differently. I couldn’t allow myself to do that because I was no longer that man anymore.”

“It’s scary,” you croak, peering into his eyes.

“It is, but what’s worse is the life I’ve lived after the episodes. My father found me defective, worthless. I will never be able to fully recover, which is bad for business. He locked me away in this estate to stay hidden from prying eyes, bedridden to remain unseen even in this secluded property. I insist on doing the simplest actions myself because it makes me feel as if I’m showing my father I am still capable, just changed.”

You nod slowly as you take in this new information, grateful. The man has finally opened up to you, he’s no longer a stranger in his own home as it seems.

Calmly, Caledon pats your hand, signalling that the wrapping is done. A hand reaches up to tuck a strand of hair from your face, resting it on your cheek just afterwards. “I know I’ve hurt you, but please, try to understand me, I’m not asking for your forgiveness... I just wanted you to understand-”

“You don’t need to ask that, I already forgave you a long time ago,” you smile softly, placing one of your hands on his opposing cheek. “We will learn to adapt, just as you have many times before. We are no longer strangers, yeah?”

“Yes,” Caledon smiles with glossy eyes.

“We will work on this together. You are not alone anymore.”

Caledon looks at you with uncertainty.

“I am here, always. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Kissing his forehead softly, you other hand goes to be placed on his shoulder, “Repeat it.”

“I am not alone,” a tear slides down his cheek.

“Not as long as I’m alive,” you smirk, placing a kiss to each of his eyelids.

“Never again,” the both of you say together, lips finally meeting as if to seal the promise the both of you now shared deep in your hearts.

“Never alone.”

#caledon hockley #caledon hockley x reader #caledon hockley imagine #billy zane #billy zane x reader #billy zane imagine #titanic 1997 #titanic x reader #titanic imagine #titanic #cal hockley #cal hockley x reader #cal hockley imagine #1997 #rose dewitt bukater #xreader #female reader

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sidundead1013 · 4 months

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Just imagine if they ever made a cross over film of Billy Zane's The Phantom, Billy Campbell's Rocketeer, and Brandon Fraser's Rick O'Connell where they fight Nazis trying to resurrect an ancient pirate mummy.

I could definitely get behind that kind of film with classic 90's action

Btw I'm dead serious I would really like to see these actors /characters return in an action packed film

#the phantom #the rocketeer #rick o'connell #the mummy #billy zane #billy campbell #brandon fraser #crossover #just imagine

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xehanortsreport · 21 days

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i love love love ansem but a lot of it is kinda in spite of how he's written and not because of it.

now, most of this is as a consequence of the franchise simply growing far outside of kh1 and ansem being shifted to a secondary antagonist as a result, but the change in his writing is still stark.

he's always been a darkness obsessed weirdo, but pretty much every game after 1 treats him as only this, or otherwise kind of relegating him to a physical manifestation of riku's trauma. and like, that's fine, he plays the role well.

but in kh1 there's this...mystique, and regal bearing, and a distinct intellectualism around him that kind of gets lost in later depictions. billy zane's performance is equally as dramatic as richard epcar's, but a lot more toned down. (though to be fair to epcar, he seems to adjust closer to this performance from DDD onward.)

he fairly whispers at times, a lot of the power in his voice comes from the restraint and controlled use of volume rather than just kinda. yelling all the time, which he does more of later.

you can tell he was and still is a researcher. he's observant and patient and even cordial, though condescending. it comes across less as uncomplicated malice and more as him just being upset that no one else grasps his magnum opus, no one else can understand him, everyone else is just /beneath/ him.

in later games, his taunts are just centered around "succumbing to darkness" and pretty much every line circles that same drain. but in kh1, it's more like he's gloating about his own superior understanding of the universe, of which darkness is but a piece.

like, just compare his lines from KH1 with his later lines. Here's KH1:

Yes he's throwing out his Darkness Lines, but I can't imagine DDD Ansem saying "perhaps this will enlighten you" lmao. Here is DDD and KH3:

i think a lot of it is because kh1 ansem was supposed to legitimately be a fallen sage king who went mad from The Horrors and like. i will die on the hill of that being a way better character than splitting him between xehanort and ansem the wise imposter. in my ideal world that plot point was never erased. anyway - they still could've kept that cool, cruel intelligence in him a little more.

to their credit, KH3 does kinda backpedal and restore some of his KH1 personality - as previously stated, Epcar cranks back his performance, and they even allow ansem to dabble in science again with his discussion on subject x (wow!) it's not perfect, he still gets pigeonholed into Guy Yelling About Darkness for half his scenes, but it was at least nice to see him with his original personality peeking through before he got banished into the void.

idk how to end this. ansem slaps if you're kh1pilled as much as i am. he should've been the one and only ansem. mad king truther over here.

#and i really really miss billy zane #that man gave such a haunting performance. miss billy zanesem every day.

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marvelmusing · 1 year

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This is so silly but I had to tell you about it: got an email from Pinterest that was suggesting boards and pins and In the subject line of the preview one of the boards was “Billy Zane” and I was like ‘the actor?’ And it was of course Billy Russo posts and such

Anyway, not only did I think of different aliases Billy has probably used on missions but also I decided Billy probably doesn’t have middle name and will use whatever middle name out loud. Like ‘I’m Billy James Russo, I can do whatever I want.’ Also Billy trying to legally change his middle name to ‘Fucking’ so he for the joke and power trip

As a kid, Billy definitely told people a different middle name every time they asked. When he’s an adult he usually does it as a little joke that none of his friends find very funny. Whenever he makes a comment about his middle name, they sigh or roll their eyes (fondly) at the same old joke.

Imagine his delight when he finds someone who jokes back at him, coming up with even more ridiculous middle names for him until you’re both breathless from laughing at your own stupidity.

Every time you see him, you smile and say something like, “Well, if it’s isn’t Billy [random name] Russo.” He always grins when he hears you say that. He knows he’s in trouble when you refer to him as “William fucking Russo.”

Even as you begin dating, the joke doesn’t get old.

“Billy, please be careful.” His eyes are soft as he observes the concern on your face, and in an attempt at comforting you he nudges your shoulder gently and says with a small smile,

“Careful’s my middle name.”

That gains an equally small smile from you before you tease,

“I thought it was Harold.”

His smile widens.

“It’s actually Horatio.”

You laugh at that.

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #answered asks #thanks for the ask!#billy russo au #billy russo imagine #billy russo headcanons #billy russo the punisher #the punisher au

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fanfalc-616 · 2 years

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Okay so a long time ago I made this post about songs for Ninjago characters and some ships,,, but brain went brrrr apparently so uh yeah I have some for the seasons of the show. To clarify now: this is just canon stuff. I actually have playlists for hcs and fan stuff but,,, yeah this is just canon (Pilots to s7, in the order of events), even the annoying parts lol

The break is again to be nice because I know how annoying scrolling can be-

Pilots-Season 1:

(OG Four) Nights Fall by Dove Cameron

(OG Four) The Story of Tonight from Hamilton

(Lloyd) You’re Gonna Know My Name by Watt White

(Lloyd) Horrible Kids by Set It Off

(OG Four) Dance With The Devil by Breaking Benjamin

(Nya) Waiting For A Miracle from Encanto

(Lloyd) Myself by NEFFEX

(Nya) Defying Gravity by Glee Cast

(Lloyd) Good Kid by Rob Rokicki

(Cole) Anybody Have A Map? from Dear Evan Hansen

(Zane) Show Yourself from Frozen 2

(Jay) Life Afraid by Set It Off

(Cole) Surface Pressure from Encanto

(Cole) Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara

(Garmadon [@ Kai]) bad guy by Billie Eilish

(Kai) Believer by Imagine Dragons

(Kai) On My Own by Ashes Remain

(Serpentine) Monsters by Ruelle

Season 2:

(Lloyd) When I Am Older by Josh Gad

(Bizarros) Ways to Be Wicked by Dove Cameron

(Kai [@ Lloyd]) You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring

(Lloyd) Hourglass by Set It Off

(OG Four [@ Lloyd]) Hall of Fame by The Script

(Kai [@ Lloyd]) No Place Like Home by Todrick Hall

(Lloyd) This Is Me from The Greatest Showman

Season 3:

(Ninja) Eye of the Storm by The Fold

(Ninja) Spinning Out in Color by The Fold

(Jay [@ Cole]) Thank You by Simple Plan

(Lloyd) Mechanical Instinct by Aviators

(OG Four) Full Digital by The Fold

(Dark Nindroids [@ Zane]) Mangled by NateWantsToBattle

(Zane) Tokyo Ghoul by None Like Joshua

(Zane) After the Blackout by The Fold

Season 4:

(Jay & Kai & Cole) Never Really Over by Katy Perry

(Jay & Kai & Cole & Lloyd) Back to Ninjago by The Fold

(Zane) Imprisoned by Makeyla

(Kai [@ Skylor]) Freak Like Me by Hollywood Ending

(All) Enter the Tournament by The Fold

(Kai [@ Skylor]) X Games by Au/Ra

(Ninja & Elemental Alliance) Courtesy Call by Thousand Foot Krunch

(Ninja & Elemental Alliance) World’s Collide by League of Legends

Season 5:

(Morro) Queen of Mean by Sarah Jeffery

(Lloyd) Mind is a Prison by Alec Benjamin

(Morro) Empire by Beth Crowley

(Cole & Nya) Monsters by Timeflies

(Lloyd) War Over Me by Papa Roach

(Ghosts) The Finale by NateWantsToBattle

(Nya) Fight Song by Rachel Platten

Season 6:

(Jay [@ Nya]) How To Be Friends by Martin Jesper

(Ninja) Outlaws by Au/Ra

(Ninja) Bring on the Pirates by The Fold

(Jay) I Said Hi by Amy Shark

(Jay) Pity Party by Melanie Martinez

(Nadakhan [@ Ninja]) Friend Like Me/Friends on the Other Side by Scott & Ryceejo

(Jay) The Next Right Thing from Frozen 2

(Ninja) Russian Roulette by Tungevaag

(Jay) Be Careful What You Wish For by Written by Wolves

(Jay) Die Trying by Art of Dying

(Jay) Start Again by Ryan Dolan

DotD:

(Morro & Cole) Paradise by RIELL

(Cole) Ghost by Au/Ra

(Ninja) Day of the Departed by The Fold

(Cole) Close the Circle by The Fold

(Cole) Bring Me Back to Life by Ht Bristol

Season 7:

(Hands of Time & Vermillion) Rise of the Vermillion by The Fold

(Ninja) The Time is Now by The Fold

(Kai [@ Ray & Maya]) All You Had To Do Was Stay by Taylor Swift

(Kai [@ Ray & Maya]) Blood // Water by grandson

#ninjago #ninjago songs #ninjago music #music #ninjago pilots #ninjago season 1 #ninjago season 2 #ninjago season 3 #ninjago season 4 #ninjago season 5 #ninjago season 6 #ninjago season 7

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waitingforwinterwinds · 1 year

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A Clash of Kings - 30 ARYA VII (pages 413-425)

Arya adapts to life at Harrenhal, and learns she owes the Red God a debt. She makes the first payment of three.

There was always talk of Beric Dandarrion. A fat archer once said the Bloody Mummers had slain him, but the others only laughed. "Lorch killed the man at Rushing Falls, and the Mountain's slain him twice. Got me a silver stag says he don't stay dead this time neither."

For the foreseeable future, I will henceforth be picturing Beric as a man in purple with a black eye mask and striped underwear.

... now I want to rewatch the 1996 Billy Zane movie.

Beneath the standard of a black goat with bloody horns-

ngl my first thought was "The Bloody Mummers are Satanists?" (They certainly sound demonic of character)

After the hanged men had stopped kicking, Vargo Hoat and Ser Harys embraced and kissed and swore to love each other always as Lord Tywin looked on.

I'm choosing to imagine that they frenched, (I didn't actually choose it, it's just how I imagined the scene as I read it,) and that Tywin is a voyeur, and also that he is the worst relationship councilor in the history of ever.

(I think I might be a little mean today. We could cover it over and call it sassy or snarky or whatever men call it when ladies are mean but they like it, but we all know it's just mean.)

When she thought of seeing Robb's face again Arya had to bite her lip. And I want to see Jon too, and Bran and Rickon, and mother. Even Sansa... I'll kiss her and beg her pardons like a proper lady, she'll like that.

Awwww. I want to wrap her up safe, rescue her from this shit hole and take her home to be with her family.

I'm actually a little surprised that Arya hasn't had even a tiny meltdown now that she has some medium of safety, that's usually when the mental protection and disassociations begin breaking down, because mental resources start freeing up, but even though Arya has a steady food supply, hygiene and sleeping in easy reach, doesn't mean she's actually safe and she obviously knows that, she's still in as much danger as she was before, the danger just looks different now.

Oh no! Lord Cerwyn! That's Cley's dad! And Arya's down another ally that she never really had. LET ME HUG HER!!!

He'd bought a ton of silver to forge into magic swords that would slay the Stark wargs.

Well that's just the wrong show. Good to know conspiracy theorists will thrive in any world.

Arya's being really smart, keeping her ears open for gossip while she keeps her head down, alas, rumours make tabloids not news.

He laid a finger on her lips. "Three lives you shall have of me. No more, no less. Three and we are done. So a girl must ponder." He kissed her hair softly. "But not too long."

Uhhhh... bad touch? I... I feel very confused, on whether that was supposed to be familial comfort type or just creepy type? You didn't need to kiss her hair, what the hell man? (I might just be keyed to read that as creepy because GRRM does love writing shit like that which is creepy...)

...

... I need to be fucking sick, and I need so many of these men to be very fucking dead. Well, one out of many, I'll have to settle for it. For now.

"- Some are saying it was Harren's ghost, flung him down." He snorted to show what he thought of such notions. It wasn't Harren, Arya wanted to say, it was me. She had killed him with a whisper, and she would kill two more before she was through. I'm the ghost in Harrenhal, she thought. And that night, there was one less name to hate.

What I do like about this chapter is that it feels like Arya is getting her second wind, regaining her footing and sense of power. Not big power, but the power to do something, literally any thing, after so long being able to do nothing. And she's calling back her father's and Robb's words, being responsible for the lives taken, "If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look him in the face and hear his last words," but she also knows she doesn't have that kind of power and ability.

There's a blurred line here between justice and vengeance but Arya still holds the responsibility around killing another human (outside of desperate battle).

Chiswyck's last words probably would have been trash anyway.

oh gosh, draft autosave just rescued me again ^_^'

#a clash of kings #a song of ice and fire #arya stark #a chapter a day reading #acok #asoiaf

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just-my-fandom · 1 year

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Tag List ‘22-‘23 !!

Below are the tag lists for every fandom I write. You can request to be added (and/or removed) if desired

Some profiles do not show up!! (If you are highlighted white) please let me know if you have changed your name or switched profiles :).

EDIT: Writing NEW fics has been postponed until late January 2023!! Any current drafts I will try to finish and post to make up. Coming up list posted soon.

Marvel

• Thor Odinson- None yet

• Yelena Belova- @snooy245 @castortheghost @yelenabelova-wife

• Natasha Romanoff- None yet

• Wanda Maximoff- None yet

• Sam Wilson- None yet

• Bucky Barnes- None yet

• Steve Rogers- None yet

• Tony Stark- None yet

• Kate Bishop- None yet

• Peter Parker- None yet

• Michelle Jones- None yet

• Ned Leeds- None yet

• Cisco Ramon- (One After Another story) @intoomanyfandom-s @thebloodrobin @thecatemacbeth7 @badasspolygenderfriend @writeroutoftime

• Barry Allen- None yet

• Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost- None yet

• Harry Wells- None yet

• Harrison Wells- None yet

• Any Wells’ not included- None yet

Stranger Things

• Billy Hargrove- @writer-of-camelot @intheendyouwillalwayskneel @hanoil15 @meaganjm @isistersuck @sweetdayme4427 @noodlenerd101

• Steve Harrington- @irreplaceable-ecstasy @rexorangecouny @fraeppuccino @spider-boyparker @itsfangirlmendez @tellmyselfies @xkotkuu @scarletmeii @krazykatkay456 @idumpyourgrass @strangerpotternatural

• Joyce Byers- @witching-imagines @teenwolflover28 @irreplaceable-ecstasy @icgaf

• Max Mayfield- @folly-olly @chincillagirl18

• Gareth Emerson- @emersongareth @krys-orion

• Dustin Henderson- None yet

• Mike Wheeler- None yet

• Eddie Munson- None yet

• Lucas Sinclair- None yet

• El- None yet

• Jim Hopper- None yet

Criminal Minds

• Jj Jureau- None yet

• Spencer Reid- None yet

• Aaron Hotchner- None yet

• Emily Prentiss- None yet

• David Rossi- None yet

• Luke Alvez- None yet

• Penelope Garcia- None yet

• Derek Morgan- None yet

Ninjago

• Cole Brookstone- None yet

• Kai Smith- None yet

• Lloyd Garmadon- None yet

• Jay Walker- None yet

• Zane Julien- None yet

• Nya Smith- None yet

• Wu Garmadon- None yet

• Garmadon- None yet

Voltron

• Keith Kogane- @boiled-onionrings

• Hunk Garrett- None yet

• Pidge Holt- None yet

• Shiro- None yet

• Lance McClain- None yet

Outer Banks

• JJ Maybank- @sinisterspidey @parkerhale13 @thoughts-elsewhere @b-lueberryy @deamus-liv @bubs-world @bibliophilewednesday @sexualparkour @jjpouggues @poguestyle17

• John B Routledge- None yet

• Kiara- None yet

• Pope Hayward- None yet

• Topper Thornton- None yet

• Rafe Cameron- None yet

• Sarah Cameron- None yet

Encanto

• Camillo Madrigal- @afluffyboi @bandshirts-andbooks @cloudysskies @erinisrightthere @alexloveskii

• Luisa Madrigal- None yet

• Maribel Madrigal- None yet

• Isabella Mardrigal- None yet

• Bruno Madrigal- None yet

The Black Phone

• Vance Hopper- None yet

• Robin Arellano- None yet

• Finney Blake- None yet

• Billy- None yet

• Griffen- None yet

11 notes · View notes

compo67 · 1 year

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Thank you @twobrothersoneheart for tagging me! <3

15 questions 15 mutuals

Are you named after anyone?

I named myself after Caledon Hockley, otherwise known as the asshole from Titanic. I just love the way Billy Zane played him and was instantly enamored with the name Cal, which I'd never heard before.

When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday. I had a nightmare but then it turned into a dream with my doggos. My doggos passed away last summer and I miss them so much. Dreaming about them made me tear up.

Do you have kids?

Nope and I'm fairly certain I won't have any. It's tough enough to take care of myself with all my subluxations and other medical conditions. It wouldn't be fair to the kid or any potential partner. Also, lifting babies up increases the chance of me subluxing/dislocating. I know because it's happened. -_-

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Me? Use sarcasm? Perish the thought.

What's the first thing you notice about people?

The way they carry themselves and their body language. Do you have perfect posture? Do you slouch? Do you hold yourself with your arms open or closed?

What's your eye colour?

Brown, but they're gold in the sunlight.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings 100%. Maybe even a scary movie with a happy ending!

Any special talents?

I'm a watercolor artist. I can knit many scarves. I like to think that I can sing.

Where were you born?

Here in the city of hot dogs without ketchup.

Have you any pets?

Our family has Henry the Worst, our terrible no good black cat whom we love dearly. He is a precious loaf.

What are your hobbies?

Writing (well, when it happens), painting, applying pressure to myself for no good reason/making everything 10x harder than it needs to be, knitting, reading, and watching the same 10 movies over and over again.

What sports do you play/have played?

My parents made me join a soccer team when I was in elementary school. I hated every minute of it and dropped out as soon as possible. Now, what do I love to watch? HOCKEY. I live for hockey.

How tall are you?

I'm somewhere between 5'7" and 5'8".

Favorite subject in school?

I loved English, Art, Photography, and History. Basically anything that wasn't math or science.

Dream job?

You know, I have no idea. I'm not working now so it's tough to imagine any type of work. In an AU of my life, I'd be a social worker at a library, a librarian, or the owner of a bookstore/cafe.

I'm so awkward about tagging folks. If you see this, please fill it out, I'd love to see your answers. <3

#cal answers #long post

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strato-viper-raven-blog · 1 year

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I posted 446 times in 2022

That's 75 more posts than 2021!

94 posts created (21%)

352 posts reblogged (79%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@freddyfreeman

@jotaro-spengler

@miscellaneous-corner

@daydreamerdrew

@wolfsbanesparks

I tagged 427 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#fawcett comics - 201 posts

#nintendo - 59 posts

#dc comics - 45 posts

#spy smasher - 44 posts

#quality comics - 41 posts

#kirby - 38 posts

#kid eternity - 28 posts

#mr. scarlet and pinky - 25 posts

#ibis the invincible - 21 posts

#cats - 21 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#i bought the book myself back in 2021 and read it while i was also reading the hardcore gaming 101 guide to shmups vol. 2 as well

My Top Posts in 2022:

Hypnospace Outlaw Spinoffs

I've heard about Zane's Boomer Shooter spin-off Slayers X a while ago on Twitter and seeing as it is finally gonna get a spin-off makes me wonder what other type of games you could make with the rest of the cast. The Hypnospace Outlaw universe and characters are so good you could think up of just about a million game ideas with them. Heck, I can imagine a Squisherz monster raising sim with Rebekah where you have to care for the creatures while protecting them from Fundamentalist Christians that want to kill them all, or licesensed games of Gumshoe Gooper and The Chowder man.

5 notes - Posted April 9, 2022

Earth-S headcanons

Wonder if Modern-Day! Mr. Scarlet and Pinky would have to become temp workers in order to earn money after Brian loses his job as an attorney. (I wanna see him spin a sign or wear a chicken mascot suit. XD)

6 notes - Posted May 25, 2022

I'd love to see more comic book fans create awesomely crazy headcanons and AUs with Public Domain Superheroes. Heck, I love doing this with Fawcett Comics heroes and love it when people share their own ideas. :)

6 notes - Posted November 14, 2022

Just finished Kid Eternity #11 and was amazed to find out Mr. Keeper has an evil twin brother who was sent to Stygia as punishment. Now I wish that there was an origin story for Mr. Keeper because I would really love to know how he became a ghostly gatekeeper guiding souls to eternity and what his life may have been like before it.

8 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A Somewhat darker and edgier Fawcett Comics AU.

Skimmed through New Champion of Shazam #3 and they mentioned the missing people on the posters were homeless people who were trying to survive. Which made me think about a second Fawcett Comics AU where Billy stumbles upon a homeless camp where versions of the Fawcett heroes living there are trying to help everyone try to get a stable job and housing and they're nicknamed "The Squadron of Justice" for their street-level activism. (Not to mention Brian Butler did get fired from his job and had to literally travel across America searching for jobs alongside Pinky in Wow Comics.)

8 notes - Posted November 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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the-technicolor-whiscash · 1 year

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When I first started listening to the flophouse I had literally no idea what some of the actors they mentioned look like and like ik a lot more now but every so often there’s still a surprise like imagine my shock when I’m going through the IMDb cast for twin peaks and realize “THATS what fucking Billy Zane looks like????” Because I had absolutely no goddamn idea who he was or what he was in beyond Samson.

#the whiscash administration

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80s4life · 9 months

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The Things I’ve Never Done Pt.8

Word Count: 2,695

Status: Suggested!

@: @outrosins & numerous lovely Nonnies!

A/N: It;s been like a year of multiple ideas and ways to continue this book, but I’ve finally got the ending in mind. These last chapters are gonna HURT!

Fandom: Titanic 1997

Relationship: Caledon "Cal" Hockley x Brown!Female!Reader

Summary: All dreams come to an end soon enough; and that meant the end of the small vacation on the Titanic. Bonds are formed, broken, and pulled as the last, fond memories of the Titanic come to a close - before its name is encompassed by a dark pit in your heart.

Warnings: mature language, switches between past and present day Y/N, some angst, fluff, this is April 13th in April 14th, 1912 when the Titanic sinks in the early hours of the morning, dreams of the future, some nostalgia from older Y/N, uncertain future in the end

Masterlist Titanic Masterlist Part One Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt.4* Pt.5 Pt.6 Pt.7 Pt.9 Pt.10 [epilogue]

Taglist: @tangledcopperstrands @snapessecretdiary

{gif is not mine, credits go to @ofdyingdragons}

Y/N had made her bed that morning, something she didn’t do regularly or without being instructed by her mother. She cleaned her room up and left no traces of dirt behind, skipping breakfast altogether to bask in a long bath. Molly had told the women that she was feeling seasick, allowing her daughter the freedom society only allows rarely.

By lunch, Y/N was draped along a lawn chair on the side deck, reading a novel with a glass of tea. After some choice wording, her mother tore away from the wealthy folk too, and snuck away with her daughter for bonding time. She found her on the deck and played games, describing the shapes of the clouds and just embracing random conversations. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to Y/N every time they did something like this; to just bask in her companionship and bond with her mother.

And, by night, Y/N sat at the table with the rest of the people once more, claiming she’d felt better with a smile and sly glance at her partners in crime: Caledon Hockley and Molly Brown. It was the same banter, the same gossip. It felt like nothing was out of place and no one had seemed to truly admire the normalcy.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 8: All Good Things Come To A Bittersweet End

<3rd Person Perspective>

With a glass of wine in her hand, Y/N continues to rock in her chair, eyes blurred as she recounts the memories of decades past. Her eyes are trained on her hand, still holding the sharpened pencil above the drawing in her lap; another one to add to all of her special drawings in the folder on the coffee table beside her. The picture, looking back at her, simply just brings more pain. She can still remember the people she’d met, the roles that were so miniscule then, but mean so much to her now. She can still recall the content happiness, humbled hopes and dreams of the young girl she was.

That final day was spent dilly dallying and daydreaming, and for once, she recounts feeling whole - a total and complete fulfillment of what she had on her checklist. She’d found her man of her dreams, saw life for what it was, spent time into education, and was excited for her new adventure in America.

Swirling the alcohol in her glass, she takes a sip. She’d hoped that feeling would’ve lasted. Even now, she fears that feeling would never amount to feel completely and utterly the same again.

///

April 13, 1912

The next day had followed in a blur of events. The poor danced, the rich drank, and everyone talked. As for Y/N, she was found by the stern, cigarette in hand as she watches each individual plume of smoke touch the cold, night air, and disappear. She smirks as she dreams of the future ahead of her and it looks beautiful through her pink shades: a few babies running around buck naked, Cal smiling as he chases them with her placing a hand on her stomach, another to come. They’d be happy with a family of their own, comfortable in their suitable wealth with no other care other than their little bubble they would create.

“There you are,” Cal says softly, his hands going around to encase her waist, head plopping atop her head. “What are you up to?”

“Mischief, of course,” Y/N giggles, one hand going to lay atop his as she finishes off her cigarette. “I was dreaming of our future,” she smiles.

“Ah,” he smirks, “And how does it look?”

Y/N tries to sum up all her feelings into one, beautiful word, choosing them properly, “Gilded and achieved.”

Cal places a kiss on her head, not completely understanding of the choice of words, poking her side to prod her on.

“I would achieve and earn everything I wanted. We would be one, I would be loved and cared for, have a family and live up to my greatest desires. Everything I dreamed I would have as a child would finally finish off the lifelong puzzle I’ve been trying to complete - all I would need would be that final piece.”

“And, what is that final piece?” Cal asks, a look of fear crossing his features as he fears he would not have everything she needed.

“You,” Y/N smiles, turning around in his grasp to wrap her arms around his neck, hands toying with the hairs of his nape. “If I don’t have you, I wouldn’t have that future, would I? At least, not the ending I would hope to obtain without you.”

“I’m right here,” Cal pecks her forehead, “I don’t intend on going anywhere.”

“That’s g-” Y/N is cut off by the sound of boisterous laughter, soon cut off by the company of the pair.

Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater stand before Cal and Y/N, hand in hand with surprise and fear in their eyes. Rose is the first to break the silence, “Cal,” she states, standing defiantly and straight, making sure her hands in Jack’s are known.

“Rose,” Cal says indifferently.

Y/N’s gaze sets upon Cal’s features. He’s fighting an internal war. He knows that he believes Y/N is his forever, but with the sight of Rose, the woman he had been trying to make his wife and future for months, he cannot resist the urge to still fight for her.

“After all this time that I’ve tried to give you everything, to appease your mother and make you both all the more comfortable, you choose him?” Cal asks, a sickness to his tone that causes Y/N to relinquish her grasp on his hand.

She feared this would happen; she feared that she would spend all this time getting to know and love this man for nothing.

“Cal, this does not concern you,” Rose states calmly, trying not to provoke the threatening man.

“This has everything to do with me! What would your mother say? What about your misfortunes, hm? You’d rather be this rat’s whore?”

“I’d rather be his whore than your wife!” Rose yells in defiant freedom.

Y/N is unable to stand another moment. She’s simply watching the man throw everything away just so he can obtain someone he never had. He simply cannot let the past be the past, and this ruins her.

With a soft sniff, Y/N tears away from the group, running away from the area to be alone. She starts off on the starboard just as a hand grabs her wrist. “Y/N,” Jack almost questions her, “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“How could I be alright?” she almost screams at the young man. “I can’t stand there and watch my heart break for the third time! I can’t keep watching him choose her over and over and over again...There’s simply no space for me here.”

“Y/N, this will all work itself out, I’m sure of it. You can’t let a good thing go. They’ll...They’ll learn that they’re not meant for each other. You just have to keep pushing.”

Y/N sniffles as her arms wrap around herself. “They’ve already gotten into this type of issue before, and for all I know, this may be a young girl’s fling. I’ve only known the man for a short time. This could all just be nothing at all,” Y/N concludes, trying to mature herself for the first time in her young adulthood.

Jack groans, “Do you love him?”

“I don’t even know if it’s-”

“The feelings you have right now, in this moment, is it love, Y/N?”

“I-I think so. What does this even-”

“These feelings are strong, yes? And, it’s so strong that you’re willing to die for him, go poor with him, help him when he’s ill?”

“Yes.”

“That’s all that matters, Sugar,” Jack smiles, “That’s love and you better not waste it, even if it seems helpless. Everything can be fixed.”

“God, you sound like my mother. You need to stop keeping her company,” Y/N rolls her eyes playfully, turning back to Cal and Rose, “But, what about them?”

“Oh, he’ll realize he’s an ass and eventually get over his issues.”

“And, Rose?” Y/N giggles.

“She’ll be mine and waltzing off the ship with me.”

“You seem so certain for such a man of...”

“Oh, no, don’t stop there,” Jack giggles, “Continue off of ‘poor misfortunes.’”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Y/N giggles, shoving his shoulder.

“I know, and I’ll make it all up to her. Just promise we’ll meet again sometime.”

“As long as you’re still in the country, Jack Dawson.”

“Can’t make any promises. It ruins the fun.”

“Then, you’re just a hypocrite then?”

“Sounds about right,” he giggles, jogging away with a wave as Rose tears away from Cal and back around the other direction of the ship’s stern.

Y/N awaits Him with annoyed devotion, arms crossed as Cal catches her eyes. “You have your fun yet?” she asks with annoyance.

Cal simply says nothing, head bowed with stress and uneven thoughts. He starts to walk over to Y/N once more, but he fears if he gets too close, he’d be even more confused than before.

“I know it’s not love we share, Rose and I, but there’s an obligation somewhere in the wind,” Cal starts, eyes still focused on the ship’s starboard planks. “We were - I chased after her for a long time, Y/N. I went through her father, but then he passed away, so I tried to proceed on my own, but she seemed uninterested. I would’ve left her alone, Y/N, I would have, but then her mother came to me. She said everything would be fixed and she’d convince the stubborn girl.”

“So, you do love her,” Y/N tries to remain nonchalant, hands on her hips as if she’s figuring this mystery out with him. She’s trying, she really is, but she can;t help the feeling she would be discarded; that all she had just said to him and the many days prior were just something Cal needed to heal himself and move on. Y/N couldn’t - wouldn’t - be this girl for him: a rebound.

“That’s where I’m lost!” Cal chuckles stressfully, hand going to comb his hair back before he plays with the rings on his fingers. “I was so caught up in the chase, influenced by others, that I lost that spark I thought I had for her. It’s pitiful, really, but all the same painful for both ends. I didn’t mean to bring her through all of this, but I thought it was love that we shared. I just wanted to be that man for her because everyone thought I was. I don’t think I love her anymore Y/N, but I do feel there is a sense of protection and care that I still carry.”

Y/N looks at him impassively, “Well, do you love me?”

“I don’t think I know what love is, Y/N.”

“That’s not good enough, Cal. I know how I feel for you; I’ve told you a million times over, too. I’m willing to set my life down on you, but I can’t do that if you aren’t willing enough to do the same.”

“I don’t want to lose you.”

“You don’t want to keep me either, it seems.”

“I-I do, Y/N, it’s just difficult,” Cal snaps his eyes to meet hers, hand reaching for hers with a pained look. “I can’t lose you. I don’t know what I would do without you in my life.”

Y/N stares at his hand for a moment, debating on whether or not she’d be willing to follow this man with his heart in knots. She wants him, she knows this, but the question is if he wants her. She fears she might walk down this path with him and somewhere in the woods, he decides it was all a mistake.

“I think you should talk to Jack,” Y/N suggests with a small smile. “He’s very smart and a good ear. He gives very good advice, too, and it seems you need it.”

Cal tries to reach his hand out for her to grab once more, but she pulls even farther away.

“I want you to think this over, Cal, please. I need you to think this over just as much as you do. I don’t want either of use to regret this in the end and I wish for you to be happy. I’m not leaving, not yet. Just - think everything over, and don’t put your heart on me just because you know I need you. I’ll be in my room with my mother when you’ve thought it through,” Y/N smiles warmly. “Besides, even if we don’t work out, we can always be companions and have a crazy story to tell. Maybe cut the infidelity part out.”

Slowly, Y/N avoids Cal’s hands as she leans into him. His arms wrap around her waist as she stands in the embrace. His head leans into the crook of her shoulder in a bone-crushing grasp. She would give anything to hug him back, but it would make him the more confused.

Her hands come up to cup his face, her thumbs stroking the apple of his cheeks. She smiles with a sadness in her features, eyes slightly glossy. Slowly, she leans in to peck a soft kiss to his forehead, then both eyelids, and finally, his mouth with a featherlight touch.

Just as quickly as she had entered his space, she removes herself completely, the immediate chill returning to Cal’s body and heart.

“I’ll be waiting,” Y/N smirks over her shoulder, keeping face in front of the man who had broken her and filled her up multiple times in their short while being on the RMS Titanic.

Once she is finally out of view does she let her facade fall, tears brimming her eyes quickly as she makes her way to the bow of the ship, needing some air. She wishes this wouldn’t be so hard, but she knows emotions tend to get in the way of things. What may seem to be such a simple answer would be ignorant to include all the attachments and effects a decision has.

Y/N knows, for her own selfish greed, that she would want Cal to be hers fully, but she also knows that that wouldn’t come about easily. Even if Cal were to pick her tonight, he would still have to learn a life without a woman he had grand intentions for; a man who felt so strongly for a woman and her protection just a few days ago - even if the woman never wanted him.

It’s a hard decision.

Y/N continues to think and mull over her options as she sits on a bench at the front decks, basking in the cold and enjoying the view of the stars. Drawn from her thoughts, in the far distance before her, there’s a huge, dark figure.

She jolts up quickly, fearfully watching as the figure grows closer by the second. It doesn’t take long until the true size of the figure, in its everlasting glory, makes itself apparent.

“Iceberg, straight ahead!” the men yell from their posts above her.

Quickly, Y/N runs back towards the starboard of the Titanic where she had last seen Cal, but she isn’t fast enough. The ships turns sharply to the left, the iceberg coming straight for the right side. Her side. Cal’s side.

She’s forced to throw herself flush with the wall, the ice slamming onto the starboard as a hard, disastrous screech of metal is met with an unstabling shake. Falling on the deck’s wooden planks, she stares in horror as she feels the premature grief and paralyzing fear.

The Titanic has been hit.

#caledon hockley #cal hockley #caledon hcokley x reader #cal hockley x reader #caledon hockley imagine #cal hockley imagine #billy zane #billy zane x reader #billy zane imagine #Titanic 1997 #titanic x reader #titanic imagine #xreader #The Things I've Never Done

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What Skills Do Actors Need For Audio Fiction?

Quick. Name some of the greatest actors of all time. Olivier. Garbo. Streep. Nicholson. Those GOAT actors are movie actors. How about the best actors in audio fiction. You know, podcasts?

Let me toss out a name for you. Tal Minear. Tal is an Southern California-based actor, sound designer, and producer. They’re the creator of Sidequesting, What Will Be Here?, Someone Dies In This Elevator, and several other productions, and Tal can be heard in audio fiction shows such as Tales of the Echowood, Circles, Deconstructive Criticism, and more. They do sound design for Seen and Not Heard, Surreal Love, Wizard Seeking Wizard, and their own podcasts. They also write about audio drama production on Medium, The Simplecast Blog, and Discover Pods.

Podplane is a monthly newsletter from Tal Minear spotlighting podcasts by trans, nonbinary, and non-cis creators.

Tal has been called “a creative force to be reckoned with” and “one of the best sound designers currently creating.

Audio fiction is becoming big business. It’s attracting name actors who several years ago would have replied when asked to do a fiction podcast, “OMG! Is my career that bad? Doing a podcast is even lower than doing a car commercial!”

Now, not so much. Actors of note and talent — sometimes mutual exclusive categories) are leaping into audio fiction. These actors are not thespians who are desperate for work. No, these actors are well-known in the acting community.

Here’s a brief list of well-known actors now acting in audio fiction podcasts: Anthony Anderson (Black-ish, Law & Order), Alan Cumming (Instinct), Betty Gilpin (Glow), Helen Hunt (Mad About You), Justin Min (Crazy Rich Asians), Will Sasso (Mad TV), and Billy Zane (Titanic).

The questions driving this article are straightforward. Do actors in an audio fiction podcast need specific skills that they may not have learned or encountered during their non-podcast acting careers?

What specific skills does it take to succeed on audio fiction podcasts?

“It takes, like with most things, a lot of patience,” begins Tal. “Auditioning is really the job. Beyond that, I think being able to portray emotion with your voice and finding different ways to read the same lines will really help you go far! If you have the option to send multiple takes for an audition, do a read for the second one that is different, weird, or simply out there. Variety flourishes in audio fiction!”

A Sheperd to her flock

In 2019, a scripted sci-fi podcast, Cryptids, was released to strong reviews and healthy audience numbers. The podcast was developed by Wild Obscura Films (WOF) and produced and directed by Devin Sheperd and written and created by Alex Thompson.

WOF’s 2021 feature film, A Nightmare Wakes, a psychological thriller about Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, was a selected participant in IFP’s Narrative Film Lab.

“The audio medium allows the imagination to take over in ways that no visual medium can, so there was a lot of fun and tension to be mined in letting the listener fill in some of the blanks for themselves,” says Thompson, who was interviewed during the podcast’s initial release.

The podcast director, Devin Sheperd, knew it would be a challenge.

“As a director, it was definitely different,” Sheperd says. “A lot of the actors haven’t worked in the audio space before. Our actors are based in theatre so with a podcast these actors are now working in an enclosed visual space.”

Alex Thompson also acted in the Cryptids podcast, and he notes, “As an actor, I’ve done some voice-over work so I’m comfortable with the mic in front of me. The continuing challenge was to make sure that the acting came through in my voice. So in the visual medium, I can use acting mannerisms and physicality to get into the role but in the podcast that had to be channeled into my vocal chords. Even then, is the story you’re telling in the room the story the audience is hearing on the tape? It was more akin to a theatrical performance than film acting.”

As the director of a podcast, Sheperd found that she would have to turn away from her actors while they were performing to ensure that her eyes weren’t influencing what she was hearing.

“Often, I would listen to the actors with my headphones on, looking away,” continues Devin. “In the audition process, we found that the actors we loved in the audition room while watching them, we didn’t love as much when we listened to just their voice later on. Their physical performance would give us a totally different read than the audio performance. That was hard to adjust.”

Becoming an audio fiction actor

When asked, “What’s the hardest part of having to act via only your voice?” Tal Minear smiles and repsonds, “ This is going to be silly, but my answer is hitting the mic! When I act, I gesture a lot. I record standing up, and you can find me jumping, leaning, waving my hands around, you name it. Your voice changes with position and movement, and I take advantage of that a lot. The only problem is… my mic gets in the way sometimes. The worst thing is ruining a great take with a THUD.”

Tal got into audio fiction acting by first becoming an audio fiction producer.

“Which is a weird way to go about it, I admit,” begins Tal. “ I started making audio fiction, and acting in it primarily because I didn’t know how to cast voice actors at that point. It was simply the easiest thing to do, performing the words that I wrote. But in doing that I sort of fell in love with acting for audio fiction, and began auditioning for other shows. And now I’ve been in over 50 and counting!”

Tal recounts this story about audio fiction acting: “One time I was recording for a multi-hour at-home session (we were knocking out the entire show over the course of a weekend), and it was then that I learned the true cost of recording while standing up — it gets really hard on hour four! Anyway, now I bring a chair into the booth for things like that. Sometimes you learn the hard way!”

Acting doesn’t stay in Vegas

At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) students and faculty have taken the college podcast concept to a new level of theatrical drama, creating a witches’ brew of ever-shifting realities, art converging with illusion and sonic wizardry.

In June 2020, the UNLV podcast, called POD 115: Kessel Run, was released to superb reviews and impressive download numbers. The audio fiction podcast’s tagline was “Where science fiction meets real science.”

The podcast was written by Rae Binstock — a playwright and NYC-based TV write and UNLV Adjunct Professor Adam Paul.

Adam Paul is an actor, writer and director best known for playing Mitch, ‘The Naked Man’ on the CBS hit How I Met Your Mother. He is also the creator and star of the Starz original series Hollywood Residential, and has appeared in the films The Informant, One for the Money and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Paul, with his years of experience in acting observes: “As a professor of acting at UNLV, where I’m also teaching actors voice over skills and content creation and self-production skills in the podcast arena, the fundamentals are always essential. Any character an actor is playing, regardless of medium, is still a human character in a story.”

“So, the rules of conflict, change, action, verbs, relationships, objectives, obstacles, tactics — all must be readily available to the actor at all times,” says Paul. “As an actor with a long career in voice over, I’ve learned that with ‘audio-first’ productions, the advantage any actor has is their imagination. Being able to visualize and physicalize the action of an audio script with your voice is the key to bringing the material to life. Scripts will seem to be just a little expository or narration-heavy as dialogue aids the visual creation of the action of the story, and an actor needs to be able to justify that exposition.”

Paul further explians that there are subtle, quick shifts an actor needs to make in audiobook narration — from narrator to character to another character, or several other characters, in conversation with one another in real time while recording. That skill takes some time for most actors to master, but the opportunity to play all the parts is delicious for most actors.

Paul continues: “The overlap for all of these media is that the collaborators on these projects have to consider the listener in a way visual stories do not. We have heavier lifting as we ensure the audience knows who’s talking and can track the story. It’s one of the fascinating ironies of ‘audio-first’ media that it’s extraordinarily visual.”

Currently, Paul is producing season three of POD115, and it is on track for a Halloween release. Paul is proud of being a Webby Award Honoree for the second season of POD115. You can check out the podcast at POD115.com.

Paul has also been producing and co-hosting a movie review podcast with a close friend and his stepson, debating the merits of current and past favorite films. several other podcast projects. The podcast is called, Les Idiots du Cinema.

“We consider ourselves “idiots” because we’ve always followed legendary screenwriter William Goldman’s maxim ‘Nobody knows anything,’” says Paul.

Becoming an audio fiction actor

When asked, “What’s the biggest mistake experienced actors make when entering this audio fiction space?” Tal responds this way: “I think the biggest mistake actors make when entering the space is assuming it’s the same as theater, film, or TV acting. I’ve found that with most audio fiction, grounded, realistic, and intimate acting really thrives.

“There are exceptions of course, especially in comedy or children’s media — this is just a general observation! I’d recommend that folks who want to enter the audio fiction space start by listening to audio fiction shows and see for themselves how it compares to the medium they’re experienced in.”

If you listen to Tal, Devin Sheperd and Adam Paul and other successful audio fiction producers / actors, you will quickly realize that the craft is more than simply voice-over. Audio fiction acting is tasked with creating images in the listener’s mind, as opposed to creating it on a screen and presenting it directly. That task is delicate and subtle, but allows for much deeper engagement of an audience when done right.

#podcast #acting #audio fiction

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