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empressgeekt · 12 days

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Trolls - An Accidental Knight and the Brotherhood of Idiots (Field of Forgetmenots AU Part 3)

Okay, ya'll here's movie three!

Construction for Trollstopia, has begun and as such a reform of the Forest Guard. For a month all the new innovations move slowly, but productively. Perfect time for a break, and that comes in the form of Bridget and Gristle's wedding. A week before the event Poppy, Branch and Keith move into the troll tree temporally...Branch's old pod is the only one available. The old royal one having been destroyed by the bergens years ago, an Keith has no idea where his dad used to live as a kid. It brings back a bunch of memories, for Branch. Keith wastes no time digging through the very dusty closet in what was once Branch's old room. He finds Kroco, and claims him, Branch doesn't mind. He's too old for a stuffy, and originally it was a hand-me-down, technically it was Keith's by brotherly right. Poppy thinks it's the cutest thing ever.

The Wedding is being preped for, Poppy taking her role of Maid of Honor very seriously, she helps with decorations, Bridget's dress (with the twins help of course), as well as her outfit and Keith's (he was made ring bearer, Bridget and Gristle got close to him When they and poppy were making the pop troll/Bergen peace treaty, as Poppy was taking care of Keith during Branch's hospital stay post first movie). Branch is in charge of security regarding wild life, so with them came a small crew of guards, and he would be wearing his usual uniform. Ironically, once a few decades ago, Trolls would be served as dinner during a royal wedding, now though they protect the meal from sneaks and bugs. He's also in charge of a handful of Bergen guards to ensure the safety of all troll guests

It's the morning before the ceremony, Poppy left the pod early early to double check everything. Branch was dressing Keith and getting himself ready when the trolling, stumbles upon the old Brozone records. Branch plays one, Keith isn't impressed, he just hugs Branch and says, "You're better than them." Que wedding medley.

The wedding starts. Keith is standing on the ring pillow. He's standing in the middle of the rings, their big enough that he can fit in them like a kid in a tire swing. So, he just stands in the center of them to keep them from rolling away. From where Poppy and Branch are standing it looked like the rings grew a little sprout of blue hair. They try very hard not to laugh at it.

"Stop the wedding!"

With the shout of the intruder, Branch is looking to his soldiers. They look sheepish at accidently letting a stranger in. Branch pulls his mask down, hiding his face. Gristle nods to him to confront the stranger. Branch know who he is, but desperately hopes that John doesn't know who Branch is.

John is on edge in the middle of a bergen filled square, but schools his face into a relaxed one when he sees how at ease the other trolls present are. As he walks down the isle (yes, he's a drama queen), he's scanning the crowd looking for his little brother. Then a troll with dark blue hair and dressed in a bright green suit of armor approaches him. John can tell he's tense, so immediately raises his hands in a surrendering manner.

J: "Hey man"

B: Who are you? And can I ask you why you decided to interrupt a wedding? A royal wedding? A royal bergen wedding? As a troll? You're jeopardizing more then just your own safety here! Peace has just been achieved after decades of murder and cold conflict."

J: Whoa whoa, chill man. I'm not here to cause trouble.

B: then Identify yourself!

J: OKay! I'm John Dory, and Like I said I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm looking for my brothers. I need-

B: You can stop looking here then.

J: what?

B: I know all about you and your brothers John Dory, and you won't find any of them here. So, best be on you're way before you make an even bigger scene then you already have.

J: And how would you know that they aren't here? Who are you?

B: Forest Guardian. I protect every troll in this tribe, especially when they have no one to protect them. There's nothing for you here, John Dory.

John turns to leave. Dejected and scared, was his bitty B really dead all these years, how are they going to save Floyd without him? Then he sees a pink troll walking up to Forest Guardian, with a blue haired trolling in her arms. He figured it must be the knight's partner and child...until

"Branch is everything alright?"

John freezes everything at that line. He remembers the knight's blue hair, and the trolling's blue hair, connecting the dots. He screams branch's old nicked name as he wraps the younger adult in a unexpected hug. Branch struggles against the hold, and as John attempts to pick up his younger brother. Poppy and Keith jump right in to the fray, Poppy demanding that John release Branch and Keith biting the older brother on the leg. John shrieks and lets go. Branch wanders away, putting space between him and John while picking up a growling Keith. The trolling knows who the elder troll is.

Poppy recognizes John, and calls him old. The brother revelation is revealed, and surprising to Poppy Keith says he already knows about Brozone. It's a little upsetting at first, but she gets it, she and branch had only been together for a month, while Keith had been living with Branch for a while now. Of course the kid would know. John then tries to get close to whom he thinks is his Nephew, but Keith corrects John proudly calling himself Branch's brother, enjoying the color drain from the elder's face as he announces it. John goes into denial at that news because Mom and Dad were out the picture before Branch hatched and to that he's called an idiot for not considering Keith's adopted. John wants to say more, but he brushes it aside to explain why he's here. Poppy volunteers them for rescuing Floyd.

Keith ends up liking Rhonda, which makes John happy, even if he's a little conflicted about the kid. After all it did kind of feel like Branch had replaced all of them with this weird cross-eyed kid. Maybe even a little jealous, after all Keith is allow to hug and banter with Branch. While his bitty remains hostile to him. Poppy still gushes over Branch's baby photos, and John tries to show Keith but the kid is not interested, wanting to help Branch make a clue board.

Branch through out all this still wears his mask down, along with the armor and handmade weapons.

When they arrive on Vacay Island, Branch is more pissed at John for driving through the ocean, since Keith nearly drown. Both younger brothers do like John's machete though. John's worried at Keith's interest in a weapon but rights it off, and is a little more convinced that the kid won't bite him again.

During the forest trek, Poppy and Branch talk a little deeper about Branch's un ease about this whole situation. He asks her if she could leave Keith or Cooper (Making them adopted siblings in this au) for twenty years. Poppy immediately says she couldn't/wouldn't. Branch asks, if she did, would she'd think things would be exactly the same when she came back? She says no, understanding the situation a little better, then vowing to herself to protect Branch. Keith crawls into Branch's hair.

Bruce initially only recognizes John, however after seeing's branch's blue hair and the little nervous hand clenching that he's done since he was a baby, Bruce runs up to hug his baby brother...only to get shoved away and bitten on the arm by a trolling who launched himself out of Branch's hair. "You don't have the right to hug him," Keith growls. Bruce takes it in stride, especially seeing how attentive Branch was to the enraged trolling. He also mistakes Keith for Branch's son. Bruce introduces them to his family, well Brandi and a hand full of his spawn. There practice song goes oaky, Branch is a little stiff in his uniform, but he makes it work, Keith joins in on the dancing, but doesn't sing.

On the ride to find Clay, Bruce asks about the suit and Branch explains his role as Captain of the royal guard and he was on duty when John grabbed him. Keith claims one day held be in Branch's position, branch says only if he works for it. They are both offended when they don't get credit for the clueboard. After getting Rhonda to track Clay, John pulls an annoyed Keith to the dash board and points out the hustle button, he tells keith to press it. And Keith does not like the results.

Branch puts Keith in his hair, and pulls out his bow when they arrive at the putt putt course. Clay doesn't recognize Branch at first, only after Bruce points out him does Clay gets excited he tries to run up to his baby brother only for John to stop him, and point out the growling trolling sticking out of Branch's hair. Bruce shows Clay the bite mark. Clay is very confused about Keith, like when did this happen? However, their next step is escape so he doesn't have long to dwell on it.

During the dress rehearsal, Branch refuses to change his clothes, and Keith growls at John when he tries to push or asks if Keith could fill the role. When the fight breaks out, Branch pulls Keith behind him, and motions to Poppy to stop the van. Branch tries to step in to deescalate only to get worked up. He let's loose telling them that he can't believe he actually came on this mission if they were just going to abandon him again, and that he can't imagine leaving Keith behind like that and what did he do so wrong that made them hate him. Someone (probably either Clay or John) says that Keith isn't even Branch's real brother. Keith whimpers at that, and Branch looses it, "He's more my brother then any of you are!" The fight only escaltes from there, and Branch takes off his mask revealing his scar to his brothers, telling them everything that he had to got through alone, Grandma, Greyness, The chef, the Rockapocalyse with Keith being the only one who didn't leave.

Branch, Keith and Poppy leave. She's lost all respect for Brozone. She loves Keith almost as much as branch at this point and no one insults him in front of her. Still their not going to leave Floyd to die. Sneaking in is easy, and the find Floyd easily. The pink haired troll is too tired to really pay attention to the strangers only looking at the grown up version of his baby brother. Sadly they can't free floyd, and they see the other idiots got themselves captured.

Car chase ensues-and apparently Keith memorized the controls on Rhonda from watching John, so he can hold it steady while they try to use the gummy hand to free the others. Viva Bridget and Gristle show up like in canon. In the fight on the boat, Branch and Poppy use their bows to shoot at Veneer first, giving Viva the opportunity to free John and Bruce, Keith stay nestled in Branch's hair during this. They try the same tactic with Velvet plus John and Bruce attacking her feet, but they only succeed in freeing Clay.

Keith's the one who tells Branch to sing. And turning to his (former) Brothers, he tells them that if they don't want Floyd to die they have to try this, and that they can go back to despising each other after ward.

The harmony succeeds and even Keith Joins in, singing while in Branch's hair. Floyd is freed, but he's horribly weak and the twins are arrested. They decide to got straight back to Pop village after ward, because it's the only place that has a doctor for floyd and a not pinkeye infested house. Branch ends up driving most of the way home, everyone takes a nap that first day. John, Bruce and Clay's first order of business is to apologize and make up with Branch and Keith. Both of them have been really cold since they left mount ragous. Branch eventually gives in and give them one more chance, but they have to understand he and keith are a package deal and he has no problem cutting them all off if it means protecting the trolling. After that is settled, focus is back on Floyd who hasn't regained full consciousness since they left.

Floyd is in for a long hospital stay when they arrive at the village. He's dehydrated, malnourished, and they aren't really sure what the remaining crystallization is doing, but his limbs remained cold and discolored, even when feverish. One brother always stays by Floyd's side during the hospital stay. They all move in to the bunker when this happens, further working through their problems and bonding again. The older three even start to get to know Keith, the kid is staying and if they want Branch as a brother they had to accept the trolling as one as well. Bruce lets keith help him in the kitchen, John bonds with the trolling over survivalist tips, and while Clay has trouble at first, they click very well over story books, and Clay loves Keith more morbid style of writing. Though they all have to deal with Keith watching them sleep at one point...

Changes are also prepared for during this time. Poppy talks with Viva and Clay about moving the Puttputts and reuniting the families who were separated during the escape. Branch says he'll get a team together to escort them through the forest, ensuring thier safety. VIva agrees and also asks if Branch had any openings in the military, she knows a lot of the puttputts would be interest in Joining the guard. Poppy also askes clay to help organize the finances for Trollstopia, he happily agrees.

Floyd comes home after a few weeks. Bruce sadly isn't there he had to go home but this point, but he promises to visit after the month was over. And it's a major adjustment for everyone. Floyd can't walk and no one really knows the long-term effects that the bottle had on him. He's scared, frustrated, and in pain. He tries to down play it, hopefully not making anyone worry. Then the crystalization on his limbs hardens and it hurts. His body is both freezing and burning, he can't breath, or think. It's his first flare up, of many. The doctors recommend, keeping him warm, and physical therapy to regain motion, but even they are out of ideas as to what was happening. This mentally wreaks Floyd, he thinks he's never going to get better. During the middle of a night where Floyd can't sleep due to nausea, Branch opens up about his recovery after the Chef blinded him, trying to comfort Floyd with it. It just makes Floyd break down, and beg Branch for forgiveness after everything. Crying makes Floyd throw up, and that makes him cry more, branch pulls him into a hug to break this vicious cycle. Floyd just keeps apologizing, Branch finally just gives in as his brother seems determined to have this convo right now. He asks why Floyd never came back,Floyd explains that he tried but the tree was empty, he thought Branch was dead. Keith has been silently watching from the door way, at that the trolling wanders in and joins the hug. All three of them share Floyd's bed that night.

Keith starts to do the same thing he did when ever Branch had a depressive day, for Floyd. Distracting him with his stories, underneath the guise of asking Floyd to help him edit. Clay joins on this too, when he isn't busy with other work for the move of the Puttputts. Floyd doesn't realise this, and is just happy that Branch's adoptive brother doesn't hate him anymore, and grows increasingly attached.

At the end of the au, Clay and Floyd have moved into the bunker permanently with Keith and Branch. Floyd becasue he can't live alone with his condition. And Clay because he has no where else to go. Bruce visits, and John wanders, but stays close. Viva and a bunch of the Puttputts join the guard and Clay now works as official CPA for trollstopia.

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fembranch · 3 months

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animated movie au: character descriptions

part one: voice actors

poppy: started when she was a teen on a small animated project with her friends and sister that they did for fun, the snack pack, where she voiced the main character. she'd go on to land small roles on various tv shows, while also keeping up her singing channel on the side. she auditioned for jd's movie, true colors, but didn't get cast initially. when barb dropped out, viva, on the production team, suggested they reconsider her for the part. she finally got her big break when casted in a main role.

branch: started when he was a child. his first project was a kid's tv show with his brothers: brozone (they do sing). his voice would become well known, having voiced characters in multiple shows and movies. he was involved in true colors from the early stages, providing voices for characters in drafts of the script and songs before formally auditioning and landing a main role.

barb: also started when she was a child, a little younger than branch was when he started. bit of a nepo baby–thrash was a famous actor, but taught her well. she's done animated and live action projects. she also started a rock band, the barracudas. she and branch are friends; they met doing a movie together, and he was featured on one her of songs. branch suggested her for true colors and became part of the cast early on. but her band got increasingly busy working on a new album and prepping tour that she could no longer balance her time had to drop the movie.

creek: started when he was a teen alongside screen acting. he and branch do not like each other and constantly compete for roles. their rivalry started in the waiting room for an audition where creek kept harassing him to throw him off his game and branch nearly attacked him in response. (branch got the role and creek is petty). he auditioned for true colors, but didn't land a part. he did get a role for the rivaling movie, bringing back happy. he's the one to suggest the idea to velvet and veneer to attack the true colors team to make their movie the bigger success.

velvet & veneer: started not long before booking bringing back happy. they're newcomers to the va scene, deciding to try their hands at it after having a small guest role in a movie where their music was also utilized. they had drama with floyd (on the true colors team) in the past, which is a factor in them agreeing to help sabotage true colors.

delta dawn: celebrity actor. she's a country music star dipping her hooves into acting. she's done a few screen movies and true colors is her first animated project. she auditioned for the movie herself and has a supporting role.

trollex: celebrity actor. he's a techno singer and an actor, having acted on screen and stage. true colors is his first time voicing a character, auditioning and being cast in a supporting role.

#trolls #animated movie au #dreamworks trolls #trolls world tour #trolls band together #poppy trolls #branch trolls #barb trolls #creek trolls #velvet and veneer #delta dawn trolls #king trollex trolls

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witchesoz · 3 years

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What we know of Oz: Book 1, the Heart of Oz

Before speaking of the Emerald City in itself, I would like to talk a bit about the central region of Oz, the “Green Country” you could call it. Indeed, many people forget that the lands around the Emerald City as technically their own territory, noted to be a “very beautiful country” which contrasts with the dark forest of the East, the desert lands of the West and the weird locations of the South. On the Eastern side, it seems that the limit of this green land is the wide river that blocks the Yellow Brick Road into two (this same river that goes all the way to the West). If you follow along the Yellow Brick Road you find beautiful gree / We also know a bit what the East-southern part of this central region looks like – this is where our heroes drift after being carried away by the river. This east-southern part is described as a “lovely country” with plenty of flowers and fruit trees, brightly colored birds and lovely flowers that cover the ground into a thick carpet – yellows, white, blues and purples, with great clusters of scarlet poppies. The more towards the East one goes, the more the poppies, until they form one giant meadow – the famous “poppy fields” all Oz fans now. And no, the poppies aren’t supposed to be magical – in this book they are natural poppies, but in such a great number that they smell becomes insanely strong and can make people fall asleep forever. (If you don’t know, poppies are the source of opium). Beyond this field of poppies there are beautiful green fields of grass – this is where our heroes meet the Field Mice Queen and the Wildcat. Past this field is the Yellow Brick Road.

Now, going along the Yellow Brick Road, smooth and well paved, one will find quickly farms and small green houses, with green faces, in which live these central denizens – all dressed in emerald-green, and wearing peaked hats “like those of the Munchkin” (indeed in the early illustrations, what we know currently as the typical Munchkins hats, with the point and the bells, was the typical hat of all the Ozians). After these houses and farms, we arrive to the Emerald City. I will mention that again, but Dorothy identifies this central area as the “Land of Oz”, which means either she is mislead, either indeed this central region is the land of Oz proper that gave its name to the entire country. She may also be simply designating this land as the belonging of Oz, as in the Wizard. Who knows?

To the West, there are mentions of “fields of soft grass, dotted with daisies and buttercups”, and the southern part of this central region is described as “green fields and bright flowers that stretch on every side” (it seems to be the same area that is before the poppy fields), and populated by butterflies and moths. # The Emerald City, or City of Emeralds. Named as such because it is allegedly entirely made of emeralds. The most famous place of all of Oz, and yet one no one in Oz seems to go to. We know that Boq never went there, the Tin Woodman never went there either – but his father went in this city once, as a young boy – and the Quadlings also never go to the City due to the dangers on the road. Only the farmer that lives in one of the green houses around the City has more knowledge about it, claiming that he went there several times. The City is quite hard to miss, given that it glows with a green light – when one arrives in the central region, they can already see the green light in the sky, on the horizon. From the outside the City looks a “mass of towers and steeples”, with “high up above the spires and the dome of the Palace of Oz”. The City is circled by a great green wall, high and thick, bright green, with in it a big gate studded with emeralds that glitter in the sun, and next to this door a bell to ring. When one rings this bell, they enter a high and arched room where the walls glisten with countless emeralds – this is the domain of the Guardian of the Gate, or Keeper of the Keys, however you would call him, he doesn’t have a name at this point. He is described as a man, the same size as a Munchkin, clothed in green and with a greenish tint to his skin. His role is to welcome the travelers, to make sure they have a rightful business in the town, and to put them on green glasses. This is the rule – in order to not be blinded by the brightness and glory of the city, people have to put on spectacles made of green glass and gold bands locked behind the head with a key, a key only the Guardian possesses. It is forbidden to take them off when inside the City, people even have to sleep with it, and this rule was instituted during the foundation of the City. Of course, this is later revealed to be another trick of the Wizard: the City has indeed emeralds in its ornaments, and has green in it, but as the Wizard says “no more than anywhere else”, and so, to make people think everything was green and everything was made of emeralds, he invented this “green spectacles” rule. Dorothy and her friends realize this immediately upon leaving the City – the young girl sees that the green dress she was wearing is now entirely white (maybe the Wizard also tried to hide his “illegal” use of the color associated with the Witches?). It is also interesting to know that in this book, there seems to be only one door to the City, with one spectacle room and one Guardian of the Gates – while in most of modern adaptations the Emerald City has four doors, one for each cardinal direction.

Once a visitor has their glasses on, the Guardian of the Gates uses a big golden key to open the inside doors to the City proper (remember, the glasses tint everything green so in terms of colors, nothing is sure): streets lined with beautiful houses of green marble, and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds, a pavement of the same green marble where the blocks are joined by rows of emeralds, with windows of green glass. Dorothy notes that the City is quite busy, with many people, men, women and children – she also notices numerous shops, that sell either clothes and accessories (shoes, hats, clothes…) either food (pop-corn, candy and lemonade). At the center of the City is the Palace. Inside one can find big rooms with greens carpets and mats, a furniture incrusted with emeralds. The staff of the palace seems to be mostly made of soldiers (well, we meet one soldier, with a green uniform and a long “green” beard) and maids (we see a young girl with a pretty green silk gown). A typical guest room of the Palace has a bed with silk sheets and a velvet counterpane, a tiny marble fountain in which can be found perfume, flowers at the window, a wardrobe filled with (for girls) silk, satin and velvet gowns, as well as a shelf filled with books – all green, of course. As for the Throne Room of Oz, it is a big round room with a high arched roof, large emeralds covering the floor, ceiling and walls, and a great light as bright as the sun in the middle of the room, shining upon a big throne of marble shaped like a chair and decorated with gems. An interesting mention in this book is the one of the court of the Palace – in front of the Throne Room, there are “many ladies and gentlemen of the court” in rich costumes, that every morning go in front of the door hoping to see the Wizard but are never permitted to, so they spend their time standing around and talking to each other. I don’t think we see these courtiers ever again after this book.

# Two specificities of the City: One, people use money. In later books, Baum claims that money doesn’t exist in Oz, and indeed we see previously that the Ozians seem to practice ancient barter exchanges (such as the Wicked Witch of the East being paid with cattle). BUT… there is clearly mentioned here that children pay their lemonade with “green pennies”. It wouldn’t be surprising however that the Wizard is actually the one that introduced the idea of money in Oz – after all it fits very well with the teachings he gives to the heroes: “In this country, everyone must pay for everything they get”, “I never grant favors without something in return”. Second specificity, there are no horses or working animals of any kind – men carry around their belongings and packages on little green carts that they push before them.

# Now that we saw the City, what about the Wizard? First of all, let’s look at the legend he built for himself in Oz… When Dorothy asks the Witch of the North who the Wizards of Oz are, she merely answers that Oz is the “Great Wizard” – no mention of other possible smaller Wizards, no explanation that he is the last Wizard, almost as if she tried to avoid the question. The Witch informs that he is “more powerful than the rest of us” [the Witches], and that he rules over the Emerald City (not the entirety of Oz, mind you, only the Emerald City). The Good Witch also adds that she ignores if the Wizard is a “he” or a “she” for she never saw him before. However she insists that Dorothy should not be afraid of Oz, and that he will help her if she asks. Later Boq has a more nuanced message, telling Dorothy that it is better to “keep away from Oz, unless you have business with him”. When asking the farmer from the green house near the City, Dorothy learns that no one currently ever saw Oz – all those that did are now long dead. The Wizard spends his days in his great Throne Room, never leaving the palace, and if someone manages to get an interview with him, the Great Wizard will take all sorts of shapes to hide his true face. The farmer mentions that previous sighted shapes of the Wizard have been: a bird, an elephant, a cat, a beautiful fairy and a brownie (not the cake, but the little fae-impish like creatures). When each of the heroes talk about their wishes, the farmer also has very specific answers about the Wizard’s abilities, saying that he has “more brains than needed”, “a large collection of hearts of all shapes and sizes” and a “great pot of courage which he has covered with a golden plate to keep it from running over”. It is hard to know if the man is inventing these fabulous stories along or if they are real rumors the central citizens believe in. As for the Guardian of the Door’s opinion: according to him, the Wizard is powerful and terrible, and if you come on an idle or foolish errand he will be angry and destroy his visitors, but he is still a good Wizard that rules wisely, only being terrible for people who are not honest or too curious.

# Everyone remembers that the Wizard, in a memorable sequence, takes a different “shape” for each of the travelers. To Dorothy he appears as an enormous limbless and bodiless head, resting on his throne, with no hair at all, a head said to be “biggest than any giant head”. To the Scarecrow, he appears as a “lovely lady, dressed in green silk gauze and wearing upon her flowing green locks a crown of jewels. Growing from her shoulders were wings gorgeous in color and so light that they fluttered if the slightest breath of air reached them.” To the Tin Woodman, the Wizard appears as a terrible beast, big as an elephant, with a head like a rhinoceros, five eyes, five long arms growing out of his torso, five slim legs, and thick wooly hair covering all of his body. Finally, to the Lion the Wizard appears as a ball of fire, so fierce and glowing that the Lion can’t look at it and he feels his whiskers burning with the heat. Of course, all of this are just tricks – the head is a giant dummy manipulated with wires, the lady is actually a costume and a mask, the beast is a structure covered in animal skins, and the ball of fire is a cotton boil with burning oil. The main talent of Oz to fool the people is actually his ability to manipulate his voice – on one side he is a very talented ventriloquist, able to project his voice everywhere (in fact, when he pretended being invisible, he imitated the feeling of moving around by having his voice move through the room) and on the other he is a talented imitator, able for example to imitate any kind of animal sound, bird or beast. In fact he was a ventriloquist before becoming a balloonist in a circus.

# Of course, the Wizard’s backstory needs a lot of thought and look at. Why? Because the arrival of the Wizard is one of the biggest inconsistencies of the Oz books, so much that the wildest theories and explanations were created to explain the differences from book to book. In this book, the Wizard (whose real name is actually unknown) was born in the Omaha. He became at first a ventriloquist, having trained under the “best master”, but then he chose to become a balloonist – and during a balloon accident he was carried away by a current of air for a whole day and a whole night, up to the land of Oz. The local Ozians, visibly those that inhabited the Central Region at the time, believed him to be a great Wizard – that was the only explanation for him coming down the clouds – and they promised to do everything he would do, out of fear. The Wizard was very glad to become the king of these people, and his first order was to build the Emerald City – yes, build, because the Emerald City in this book was created by the Wizard. He explains that it was half to keep the people “busy”, and half because it “amused” him. This is the whole dichotomy of the Wizard – if you try to see him as a bad man, you end up realizing that most of his actions have good explanations and good effects. But if you try to see him as a good man, you keep noticing little bits of selfishness and megalomania sparkled everywhere. He is truly a neutral character, or rather as he says, “ a good man but a bad Wizard”. The City was built with many jewels and precious metals, but Oz had the idea of the green spectacles to make it look like everything was green in there, to make it even more splendid and beautiful. He also notes that the City was built when he was a young man – but in current times he is a “very old man”, small, bald and wrinkled. While he at first played the role of the Wizard to just “play” the game and use his power, he quickly did it out of fear and self-preservation, when he found about out the four Witches of Oz, who had real powers. The Wizard is terribly afraid of the Witches – at the time there were already two good Witches, the Northern and Southern one, that would “never do him harm”, so he did not care much about them (and it explains why the Northern Witch never saw him). But the two Wicked Witches in the East and the West were already there too, and he needed to make everyone believe that he was much more powerful than them to prevent the cruel witches from attacking. (We know that the Wizard actually entered in the West, and was driven out of it by the Winged Monkeys of the Witch, but we don’t know more about the actual details of this event). And so began this trickery that worked so well and for such a long time that the Wizard thought he would never be found out. Note that when called a humbug at first, the Wizard seems to be delighted by such a name, but later admits that he is tired of being one and he wants to be able to get out of the Palace and return to his old circus life.

# Despite all of that, the Wizard still tries his best to offer to our heroes what they want. To give brain to the Scarecrow, he fills his head with bran, and mixes with it pins and needles to give him a “sharp” mind. To the Tin Woodman he gives a “soft” heart, aka one made of silk and stuffed with sawdust. And for the Lion, he gives him a liquid that immediately makes him feel brave and courageous – a subtle joke, but clearly the Wizard is giving the Lion a strong alcohol.

# A final interesting note about the Wizard: the way the people will remember him. Indeed, the narration explains to us that the citizens of the Emerald City kept loving the Wizard after he left, pretendedly to visit “a great brother Wizard who lived in the clouds”, they remembered him as their “friend” and a wonderful wizard – but more than all, they remember “He built us this city”. Yep, clearly the Wizard changed people’s memory so that they would think he built the city for them, and not the other way around. But it fits very well with what the Wizard said before: “I have always been good to these people, and they love me”.

#oz #novel #the wizard of oz #emerald city #the emerald city #l frank baum #the wonderful wizard of oz #book

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sheerfreesia007 · 4 years

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Fallin’ All In You (Pt. 59)

Title: Fallin’ All In You (Pt. 59)

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x Reader

Author: @sheerfreesia007

Words: 2,549

Warnings: Fluff

Tags: @synystersilenceinblacknwhite, @two-unbeatable-beaters, @randomness501, @sevvysaurus, @paryl, @talesfromtheguild, @secretsihideinside, @agingerindenial, @mrschiltoncat

Permanent Tag List: @paintballkid711, @fioccodineveautunnale

Author Notes: I apparently like writing about cake? I googled these combos so please don’t rage at me for this, I’m not a cake person. Just a cute little piece. The next few parts are going to be more Tequila geared as we move forward towards the wedding! I don’t know about this one. Feedback is always appreciated!

Gif Credit: Pinterest

“So Tequila is going to meet us there at the bakery?” Jack asked from the driver’s seat of the Bronco. You smiled softly as you nodded to him before reaching over and taking his right hand in your left. Your thumb ghosted over the top of his hand and you sighed softly. It had been a hectic couple of weeks; Jack had been assigned more and more missions while you were busy in the lab. Not to mention you any free time you had to yourself was used up with phone calls, emails and video calls to Tequila. Who had completely stepped up as your Man of Honor, and you couldn’t be more grateful for all of his help.

Since the wedding was going to be in Kentucky and you were stationed in New York you had asked Tequila to be your go between with the caterer, baker, DJ, and others. And Tequila had shined in this new role you had stuck him in. The last video call you had with he had shown you the wedding binder he had put together so that he could keep track of all of things that needed to be handled. Suffice it to say you were thoroughly impressed.

“Yeah, he had to finish up with some trainees this morning before the appointment.” You explained softly with a warm smile. Your frowned then and looked over to Jack again. “You’re okay with him being there right? I didn’t even think to ask you that.” You said guiltily.

“Darlin’, I’m okay with whatever you want. He’s your point of contact with all of the wedding stuff so he should be there. Besides I can’t really imagine this happening without him there anyway.” Jack said warmly as he chuckled to himself. You grinned nodding your head in agreement. It did feel like this was how it was always supposed to be. With both of the guys who meant the world to you at your side every step of the way.

The baker you and Jack had decided on was local and one of your favorites. You remembered when you had first introduced Jack to the delicious pastries and cakes that the small bakery produced. It had been back when you had been a brand new field agent and Tequila was celebrating his birthday. You had offered to go out and buy him a chocolate on chocolate birthday cake from the bakery that you enjoyed in town. Jack had been there at the little birthday celebration in the office and when you had presented the cake and cut him a piece he had come back over to you asking you what bakery you had used because he thought the cake was delicious.

Just as the two of you pulled into the parking lot for the bakery you saw Tequila leaning against the side of his own truck. Smiling you leaned over and pressed a kiss to Jack’s cheek with excitement making him chuckle at your antics. You then threw open your door and slipped out of the Bronco grinning over to Tequila who chuckled over at you as he shook his head.

“She’s in rare form ain’t she?” Tequila asked teasingly as Jack walked around the truck to the two of you.

“She’s exited for cake.” Jack said knowingly and you laughed softly as you slipped your arm around his.

“He ain’t wrong.” You said with a smirk making the two men laugh at you. You watched as Tequila pulled a binder from his truck and slipped it under his arm as you all began walking to the front entrance of the bakery.

“There’s the future Mr. and Mrs. Daniels!” called out a happy voice and your grin split your face wide. The excitement was bubbling up inside of you as you looked over to Shanna the owner. “How are y’all doin’?” she asked kindly as she nodded her head to you while she walked around the counter wiping her hands on her apron.

“We’re doing just fine Shanna.” You said as you moved to give her a warm hug. “This is my fiancé Jack. And my best friend Tequila.” You introduced the men to Shanna.

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you two. She’s told me all about you.” Shanna said with a smirk as she shook first Jack’s hand and then Tequila’s.

“Hopefully only the good bits.” Tequila groused softly making everyone laugh softly and he narrowed his eyes over to you teasingly.

“Of course, of course. Well let’s get you all settled in the back and I’ll bring out the samples for you to try. How’s that sound?” she explained and you nodded along with her as your excitement began to build again.

“Sounds just fine.” Jack said warmly as he wrapped an arm low around your back his hand coming around your hip to grasp it tight. He pressed a kiss to your temple and began to usher you behind Shanna to the back room.

“So after our talk over the phone I’ve got five samples for you to try. And we can make it look however you want it to this is just to figure out the flavors and whether or not you’d like to do a traditional cake, cupcakes or both.” Shanna was explaining as the four of you came and sat around a rectangular metal table. You sat in between Jack and Tequila on one side and Shanna was on the other side where five small cakes were laid out on display. Tequila pulled out the binder he had brought in with him and you smiled softly at his attentiveness as he also pulled out a pen to begin writing things down.

“You’re really taking this whole Man of Honor thing seriously, huh?” Jack asked in an awed voice as he looked over at Tequila and his binder.

“Well yeah it’s you guys’ wedding and I’m supposed to be helping. This just makes it easier to keep track of everything.” Tequila explained easily. Jack nodded understanding Tequila’s job all too well. “Plus Cur works well when it’s all organized.” Tequila said knowingly as he smirks over at you.

“Oh don’t I know that.” Jack admitted perceptively with a shared smirk between the two men.

“Hey! There is nothing wrong with being organized.” You defended yourself easily scowling softly at both men.

“Yeah but Cur, you take it to the extreme.” Tequila teased back easily and you scoffed at him before turning back to Shanna.

“So what did you need to know Shanna?” you asked pointedly ignoring the men on either side of you.

“Well I’ve already got most of your wedding information. I’d like to know more about the look or theme of the wedding so that I can start getting some ideas on how to decorate the cake.” She said easily as she pulled out her own pad and pen. “But we can talk about that as we go through each cake.”

You watched as she slid over a chocolate covered cake and smiled nodding your head. She took out three plates and cut out three small pieces of cake for you, Jack and Tequila before handing out each plate.

“So for the first cake we’ve got dark chocolate cake with raspberry spread and a dark chocolate icing.” She explained as you all dug into the delicious tasting cake. The rich mixture of raspberry and dark chocolate burst onto your tongue and you hummed softly as you chewed. You weren’t much of a fan of dark chocolate but Shanna was a genius baker and you were thinking she might sway you over to love dark chocolate. “We can make these into cupcakes as well by doing a raspberry filling if that’s the route you’d like to go. Or just have it as a small wedding cake for you and Jack.”

“Remember though darlin’ my family has some allergies to chocolate and almonds.” Jack reminded you as he continued to eat his piece of cake. “This is delicious though.” He said nodding to Shanna.

“Why thank you. If you’re worried about allergies we could always do a mix of each different flavor combination as cupcakes.” Shanna said easily.

“I like the idea of a small wedding cake for Jack and I. And then cupcakes for the guests.” You said easily. “And that way if we like more than one cake we could have a mix of cupcakes. So that if anyone does have allergies they could have other options.” You reasoned softly as you set your fork aside feeling like you’d had enough of the dark chocolate cake. Jack looked over to you smiling tenderly with a kind look in his eye.

“You’re always thinking about others aren’t ya?” he asked softly and you blushed as his eyes turned a darker shade as he continued to gaze at you.

“Right well Shanna, why don’t we move on to the next cake before these two horn dogs go at each other.” Tequila said nodding over to Shanna. At his words you were quickly looking away from Jack with a bright blush on your cheeks and his low chuckle fluttered into your ears making you blush even more.

“So the next one is a lemon flavored cake with a cream cheese frosting. I wanted to know was what is your color theme for the wedding. Maybe we’d be able to work in some of the colors into the frosting or decorations on the cake.” Shanna said in explanation as dished up three more pieces of cake for you.

“The colors are navy blue, light gray and sunflower yellow.” You responded easily as you bit into the lemon cake. You tilted your head slightly before taking another bite. You didn’t think you’d like the lemon cake was oddly enough the combination of lemon and cream cheese worked really well together.

“And she’s going to have sunflowers as the table decorations.” Tequila supplied as he turned the binder over to show Shanna a picture of the flower arrangement that you had already picked out for the table bouquets.

“You know I think Memaw would like this one alright.” Jack said softly into your ear as he leaned close to you and continued eating his cake. You turned to look at him and thought about it silently.

“I think you’re right. It reminds me of her lemon poppy seed cake she makes.” You said agreeing with him. “So I think we should get this one as one of the cupcake options, what do you think?” you asked him softly.

“That sounds like a good idea darlin’. That way the guests can try each one and figure out which one they’d like.” He said nodding his head again as he finished his slice of cake. “I do enjoy that one though it’s really good.”

“Ok so this next one is a vanilla cake with a strawberry spread and a buttercream strawberry icing.” Shanna explained as she dished out the third cake.

“Oh I’m gonna enjoy this one.” Tequila said while he wiggled his eyebrows and you chuckled softly shaking your head.

“Didn’t pick you as a strawberry person.” Jack said thoughtfully as he took a bite of his cake and scrunched his nose up a little before setting his fork down.

“Oh yeah my parents used to have a huge strawberry garden in the backyard growing up. Would eat them off the plant before mom could come and pick them.” Tequila explained with a soft laugh. You grinned over to him as you watched him finish his whole plate.

“Ok so for the fourth option we’ve made a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.” Shanna explained as she continued to dish out the cake.

“So Shanna we’re having an outdoor wedding and evening reception on Jack’s property. Will that be a probably for the cake and cupcakes?” you asked curiously as you began to eat the red velvet cake.

“Not at all what we’ll do is about an hour before the reception we’ll drive to Jack’s place and store all of the cupcakes and cake at his ranch. We would just need to find some room in the fridge to keep them in.” Shanna explained easily.

“That’s not a problem. I’ve got a few game fridges that I can clean out before the wedding so that we have plenty of room.” Jack said easily with a shrug.

“Oh? What type of game do you store?” Shanna asked curiously.

“Mostly deer but every once in a while my dad and grandpa like to go Turkey hunting too.” Jack explained and Shanna nodded her head.

“My dad and brother like to go deer hunting too. They’ve been talking about going Moose hunting up in Canada one of these years but never manage to light a fire under their asses enough to actually get up there.” She said laughing softly. Once the three of you had finished your red velvet cakes she then took your plates and dished out the last cake to all of you. “So for the last cake we have an almond cake with an amaretto frosting.”

When you bit in the cake in front of you flavor burst on your tongue and tried to bite down the moan that crawled up your throat. Closing your eyes softly you silently savored the cake. The almond cake and amaretto frosting paired well with each other and made a delicious combination inside your mouth.

“So this is your favorite huh?” Jack asked softly in your ear as he leaned over to you and you smiled as you opened your eyes to look over to him.

“Oh yeah. This is delicious.” You gushed out and nodded your head eagerly. Shanna’s soft laughter rang through the room and she smiled proudly over at you. “What do you think of getting just a small 2 tier cake for us in the almond and amaretto. And then the lemon, strawberry and chocolate as cupcakes for the guests?” you asked Jack as you turned to watch his reaction to your proposal.

“I think that would be a good idea.” He said easily as he nodded his head at your words.

“Is that doable Shanna?” you asked turning back over to her and watched as she wrote down your choices and nodded her head.

“Of course and I’ve got your guest numbers so we’ll make it so they could have one of each if they wanted.” She said easily as she continued to write down on her pad of paper. You turned your head to look over at Tequila and saw that he was also writing down your choices in the binder. “Ok so I’ll get this all in writing in the contract and I’ll send it over to you and Tequila so that he’s got a copy. I would just need you to look it over and send me back a signed copy.” She said explained easily. You nodded your head and wrapped your arm around Jack’s arm and snuggled into his shoulder grinning.

“I can’t believe we just picked out our wedding cake.” You whispered happily to him and he looked over his shoulder at you before pressing a tender kiss to your lips.

“Better believe darlin’.” He said warmly.

#fallin' all in you #my writing #agent whiskey #agent whiskey x reader #kingsman the golden circle

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matildainmotion · 3 years

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An invitation to MWMs May Special for Non-binary/ Trans Mothers and Carers, and/or Mothers and Carers of Non-binary/ Trans Children

Image by Xavier Singer-Kingsmith for Gray, Nicky Singer’s new book.

From Matilda:

In a month in which my son’s primary focus is the forthcoming arrival of his Lord of The Rings Conquest game and my daughter has just discovered Barbie, I am glad to be able to hold space for some less cis options in between.

On Friday May 28th 10am-12pm I will be holding a MWM Special for non-binary or trans mothers and carers and/ or mothers and carers of non-binary or trans children. I am delighted to introduce the two guests for this meeting: writer and mother Nicky Singer, and director and mother P. Burton Morgan. Please read on for their invitations below:

From Nicky:

My youngest child Xavier (now 24) identifies as a trans man. He is a dancer by training, filmmaker by inclination (shorts for Channel 4 and BBC Arts) and visual artist in the spaces between. I am primarily a novelist - though I have strayed on to the stage for the National Theatre and Glyndebourne. Xavier and I have been working together on my new novel for adults ‘Gray’ – with me on words and Xavier on pictures. The novel is a story of identity, boundaries, intimacy and that ‘place beyond language’ where some trans issues invite investigation. The journey is ongoing. The unexpected is every day. It’s not always easy. There’s joy. Here (above) is one of the illustrations from the book. I am interested in the personal, the creative, the political and how to keep nuance and complexity in the debate.

From P Burton Morgan:

We’re all of us artist mothers wrestling with imposter syndrome at one time or another I’m sure. I can’t be the only one whose work has shifted a bit during the pandemic. I was previously mostly a writer and director of stage work, now increasingly embracing film. But as we all push ourselves, or are unceremoniously shoved, out of our comfort zones we have to confront those pesky inner critics questioning our right to be there, to be taking up space doing something for which we’re wildly unqualified and painfully inexperienced. And so here I am today inviting you all to join me for a session on non-binary parenting / motherhood.

I am as out of my depth here, as I am in my newfound role as a film-maker because I only came out as non-binary last year, and unlike my trans sibling who has been vocally active and activist in their writing and general change-making around trans awareness and trans support for years, I am still taking baby-steps in putting words out into the world that combine my gender politics with my own gender identity and/or gender presentation. Like many enbys I’m still struggling to feel ‘trans enough’ to take up space on trans/NB platforms (which this is of course one). I’m also at great pains to point out that my unique situation (coming out as NB in my mid… ok late… thirties, after already having two children) is going to be so very different to parents/mothers who come out much earlier. I’m also married to a cis man so on a day where I choose to present more femme, or just less androgynously, we can pass as a ‘conventional’ heteronormative couple, which makes life less challenging in the small rural village where we live.

So after that uncharacteristically hesitant opening let me ask some provocations which maybe we can explore together in the session. I sure as hell don’t have the answers, but maybe collectively we can grope our way towards something resembling solutions.

Pronouns. I prefer they/them but apart from my 8 year old who has assimilated that change wholeheartedly (perhaps because he has inherited his mother’s love of, and precision with, language) everyone else reverts to ‘she’ unless I remind them. That is perhaps just part of the deal with changing your pronouns later in life. Especially for family and folk who’ve known you for decades, it takes time to change.

I still use the word ‘mum’ and ‘mother’ to describe myself, but also sometimes simply parent. For me the term 'mum' is a role, almost independent of gender. But I know other parents use other terms. And although I do still use my birth name ‘Poppy’ I now work professionally entirely under P Burton-Morgan.

So that's one thing to discuss - embracing evolving pronouns and names.

What else… gender presentation. Since making peace with who I am, and where I feel at home, I now always identify as non-binary or gender queer but I sometimes still present in a more feminine way, sometimes because that’s how I feel that day and also, if I’m honest, to avoid conflict and micro aggressions in situations and scenarios where I know my queer identity is going to be problematised. Sigh.

Conversely both my children currently identify very happily as male but because they have been raised in a household that eschews traditional gender binaries in terms of clothing they often wear leggings, sequins, nail varnish, and one of them has long hair cut in what many would describe as a ‘feminine’ style. We obviously move in (thankfully) liberal circles but they’ve rarely been challenged on their sartorial choices, and I remember the nursery used to be wonderfully supportive when one of them would come to pre-school in a beloved pink tutu. Sarah Jessica Parker eat your heart out! Just the other day we were in the playground when a child asked my eldest if he was a girl or a boy, but with no judgement, simply trying to ascertain the facts. And he equally matter of factly answered that he was a boy and they carried on playing in the sand.

I wish my experiences were similarly straightforward. But partly that’s why I don’t bother correcting people when they slip up with my pronouns - sometimes there’s more anxiety induced by people trying to get it right and walking on eggshells around me, over emphasising the ‘they’ and then furiously fumbling to correct themselves when they say she. So I just try to be chill about it.

At the end of the day, as an NB parent, or a parent of an NB or trans child, we all want the same thing - acceptance. Queer identity will only ever be a greater or lesser part of a larger identity. For few (maybe none) of us is it our defining feature. And as well all know from inhabiting the dual roles of mother and artist - the nature of our multi-layered messy lives is that our identities may overlap or even conflict with each other, we all contain multitudes - but we are not defined by any one aspect of our complex selves…

So join me in a gentle exploration of these overlapping messy parts of ourselves and let's see how we can support each other and what wisdom we can discover.

To book your place on the meeting (places limited) please go here

And for any questions please email [email protected]

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hrhduchessoflancaster · 5 years

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Chapter Ninety: Uncharted Territory

Disclaimer: see Prologue.

A/N: I know it’s been a very long time since I posted anything but here it is.Thank you so much for all your comments!! The story is almost over. Only a few more chapter to go. xx Bea.

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The Invictus Games held in Toronto that year game Harry a purpose and a new sense of accomplishment. After all the turmoil that he and Elle had been through the last months, being able to be a part of something he was so proud of and really make a difference, shone in him a new light and perspective on what he could do now that he had more influence and power on his hands. Elle had stayed behind since Arthur was still too young to travel and needed his mother.

When he arrived in Canada, he once again met with the Trudeaus. The trio exchanged pleasantries before proceeding to the Prime Minister's home, where Harry would be a guest until they flew to Toronto on the following day.

" I'm very happy to be able to congratulate you in person on the birth of your son. We are all thrilled for you and Eleanor.", said Justin.

" Thank you. We're both very happy. Arthur really is an incredible child and truly a blessing to us both.", said Harry smiling.

"And... we've all been shocked to hear of the recent changes as well. I'm sorry if that is a sensitive topic, but I wanted to talk to you about some bilateral projects, if I may.", said Justin.

" It's somewhat delicate but I'm happy to talk about improving the relationship between the UK and Canada.", said Harry, giving a brief smile. " But for now, let's focus on the task in hand. This year's Invictus Games.", he continued and the Prime Minister nodded his head, not touching on the subject any longer.

On the following morning, Harry flew to Toronto with the Prime Minister and his wife. He was taken in a black SUV to the Air Canada Center, where the opening and closing ceremony would held. As the car approached the venue, he could hear the music and cheer growing louder and louder. Stepping out of the car, Harry waved his hand at the public gathered. He walked backstage, alongside the Justin Trudeau and waited for his queue. As the teams filled the arena one by one, Harry watched as the speeches were made, getting emotional after each story of endurance and hardships that was shared.

" Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to stand before you tonight and welcome our competitors to this year's Invictus Games. But before we can declare this games officially opened I'd like to say a few words. Your Royal Highness, thank you so much for your leadership, vision and strength in realising and guiding this project, which will allow so many of our brave veterans to keep moving forward and us, the opportunity to cheer them on.", said Justin and loud cheers and claps were heard from the audience.

"... and without further ado, here, to declare the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 opened, our patron and founder, Prince Harry.". Harry was then welcomed onstage and smiled at the audience.

" Hello Toronto! Merci beaucoup pour votre hospitalité. And thank you Prime Minister for this warm welcome. Invictus is about the dedication of the men and women who served their countries, confronted hardship, and refused to be defined by their injuries. Invictus is about the families and friends who faced the shock of learning that their loved ones had been injured or fallen ill - and then rallied to support them on their journey of recovery. And above all, Invictus is about the example to the world that all service men and women - injured or not - provide about the importance of service and duty. I wanted to find a way for veterans to be a beacon of light, and show us all that we have a role to play; that we all win when we respect our friends, neighbours, and communities. That's why we created Invictus. Not only to help veterans recover from their physical and mental wounds; but also to inspire people to follow their example of resilience, optimism, and service in their own lives.", said Harry.

" Sadly, my wife could not join us here since she's at home with our little one...", he said and cheers erupted from the crowd. "... but she too wanted to pass along the message of hope we all share today.", he continued and a video appeared on the screen behind him. In it, Elle was dressed in her Invictus Toronto 2017 shirt and had a little Arthur, napping on her arms, dressed in the Invictus baby grow they had been gifted a few months ago.

" Hello Toronto! Hello competitors! It saddens me not to be able to see you compete fiercely in these coming days and cheer you on as I did last year in Florida. But as you can see, I have a very small person that needs my full attention.", she joked and there was a sound of laughter from the crowd. " These games were created so that each an every one of you can see and experience change and teamwork. You are all winners for having reached this far. For cheating death and overcome emotional and physical challenges. I hope you embody the spirit of this games by showing courage and determination that will inspire generations to come. You are proving to the world that everything is possible, even under the most impossible situations. Good luck to you all!", said Elle. As the video ended, another cheer and applauses were heard and Harry grinned.

" Well, as my wife has said, I hope you are ready to inspire, to challenge, to work together, and to change your lives in the next coming days. You are Invictus! Let's get started!", he concluded, to a resounding cheer.

When Harry came back from Canada, he felt invigorated. He was ready to resume his public activities with full force. And so was Elle. With them both back at work, which had had some new additions to their normal workload since the singing of the Abdication document, Harry and Elle spent a lot of time on their engagements around London and the UK as well as working on their side projects. Elle had once again started writing her book, meeting every now and then with Melissa and Trevor to catch up and talk about academia. As for Harry, he was working on expanding Sentebale's work across other African countries.

A new Royal Tour was set for next year, on the Caribbean, which they hoped to bring their son along. Most of the times, if they’d be staying for more than a day, they’d bring Arthur with them. But he did spend a good deal of time with his grandparents, who, on both parts, doted on the little boy, dearly. Even though Charles and Camilla were estranged from Harry, Elle made a point to take baby Arthur to see them from time to time. As for her own parents, Victoria and Rupert adored babysitting their grandson and were completely at his mercy. Elle once caught her father bouncing the infant on his knee as he did with her when she was a child and it warmed her heart to see how much her son was loved by her family.

Not to mention the staff. The entire McClaire gang doted on the little boy. Brandon and Olivia were delighted to have a child on the home again and usually commented on how much they had missed the joy of children whenever Elle was around. Jane and Gregory took upon themselves to play with Arthur whenever they could. As for Margaret and Thomas, they’d school the little boy about everything around the kitchen and garden, respectively. Now that he was starting to eat solids, Maggie was particularly fond of cooking small portions of baby food for Elle to take home with her to see if Arthur would enjoy it. And it had never failed to please the infant, to the chef’s delight.

Once winter arrived, and Elle’s birthday came to pass, she received the best gift she could ever wish for: hearing Arthur properly say his first couple of words, such as mama, dada and lan, which, of course, translated to the three most import things in his life: his parents and Lancelot. He had also mastered his tummy time and could roll on it and then upwards again, as well as sitting without either Harry or Elle helping him. They had a good routine going on of naps, playtime and feeds, with now a few solids introduced as well. The new parents quickly discovered Arthur’s fondness for bananas but his distaste for papaya. Little by little, the three of them were entering new territories.

On the second week of November, Elle and Harry prepared for Remembrance Sunday, as many other members of the Royal Family. That’d be the first big and meaningful event without William and Catherine. They had moved back to Anglesey with the children and Elle had heard weekly from Kate. Dressed in a black dress and matching black hat, she stood beside Camilla, Anne, and Sophie on the balcony and watched as Her Majesty, Charles, Harry, Andrew and Edward all placed the red poppies wreath on the Cenotaph. A tear or two fell down her cheeks as she thought about all the suffering that still went on around the world; about the fight and the people, military and civilians alike that were caught in the numerous conflicts.

That day at the Cenotaph had been the first interaction Harry had had with his father since the Abdication. After the ceremony, once they were all inside, she saw them talking in hushed tones and Harry, although stone faced, was talking back to Charles and even gave a small, tight smile to his father when he showed his phone to him. Elle imagined they were talking about Arthur. On the mend… slowly, but surely., she thought observing father and son.

“ I’m so glad to see them taking again.”, said Camilla, coming to stand beside Elle. The young duchess nodded her head, agreeing with the older woman.

“ Indeed. There’s much work to be done, but the first steps have been taken.”, said Elle.

“ I hope he can do the same with his brother.”, commented Camilla. “… William… it’s been hard on him too. He misses Harry. They all do. Will you talk to him, Eleanor? See if he can, maybe, call him again?”, she asked.

“ I’ll try. I promise. I don’t like this situation anymore than you do, but Harry needs to be allowed to get over the anger and resentment he’s still feeling before he can forgive both his father and his brother.”, said Elle.

************

Long before the whole ordeal with the Abdication had come to pass, it had been decided that Harry, Elle, Arthur and Sir Lancelot would spend Christmas with her family that year, stopping by at Sandringham, to make a quick visit to the Queen and other members of the family, on Boxing Day. So when December came, Elle was more than happy to take all of the Christmas decorations from storage and start giving their apartment the very best of seasonal cheer.

As this was Arthur’s first Christmas, she had outdone herself by making sure he was featured every step of the way, dressing him in the cutest outfits: from little Elf to Rudolf, a Snowman and Father Christmas himself. Harry would often sneak on her and take several pictures of her and of Arthur and sometimes he too would get into them. The album Elle had given him years ago was filling up quickly. Soon another one would have to be bought so they could be cataloging their lives together.

When he went to their bedroom that evening to shower and change while Elle fed Arthur downstairs, he opened one of his drawers to look for that particular photo album when he saw the binder Elle had given him on their first anniversary, a few months ago. In it, there were the unopened letters she had written to him, each for a different occasion. Going through them, he found the one he was looking for: for when you feel lost. Carefully detaching it from the binder, Harry took the small envelope in his hands and opened it. Elle’s elegant penmanship came into view.

My love, my darling Harry,

If you’re reading this letter, then it means something horrible has happened in yours or our lives and you need to keep yourself grounded, to find a path to keep going forward. I may not know what it is since I’m writing this in the past with no hindsight whatsoever about the future. But, I do know that you’ll always find a way to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. You are one of the strongest, most kind, good-hearted and positive people I know. You’ll find a way to see past whatever is troubling you because you know, deep down, that it’s not the edge of a cliff, or the end of journey. There’s so much more to be lived! You may be at a crossroads or maybe a very big challenge is what you’re facing… and although it seems like a big deal now, it will be nothing more than a little bump on your path towards a great and happy future. You can do it, Harry. You can face whatever challenge is put in front of you and you can find your path again. I hope I’m there by your side, through thick and thin, as we have vowed to each other. I hope you don’t need to read this letter because I’m going to be there by your side telling everything that is written here. But, in the case that I’m not for whatever reason or that you need to hear it again, and again, again… You can and you will be found. You will see clearer. You will overcome the darkness and the desolation you might have been feeling. Take a deep breath, focus on the good parts of your life, on the people who love and support you no matter what, find your inner strength to battle the urge to

shut everyone out… forgiven and forget, my darling. The storm is scary but it always ends. And the result is a beautiful and clear sky. You may be lost in the middle of a storm right now, but it will end. I’m sure of it.

All my love,

Elle.

Harry eyes were glossy and unshed tears threatened to fall down his cheeks as he read the letter another time. He let her words sink in his brain and heart, reassuring him yet again, that he could do the task that was set for him and that she, his wonderful wife, his marvellous Elle, would be with him, beside him, every step of the way. Sighing, Harry folded the letter and put it on his nightstand. A hot shower was in need.

He was mid shower when he heard the bathroom door open. Harry didn’t turn his back for he knew who was it. Soon, a chilly air invaded the box and a pair of arm encircled his waist. He felt Elle’s breathe on his back, her lips gently kissing his warm skin.

“ Arthur is asleep.”, she said in between pecks. He placed his hands over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before turning his body to face her. Looking deeply into her eyes, Harry cupped her cheek and lowered his head, molding his lips against hers. They pulled each other closer, basking in the passion of the moment, as the hot water fell on their bodies. Kissing turned into touching, pressing and gasping and soon, Elle had her back against the tiles, moaning. Their love making became more and more intense, the shower long forgotten. Panting, the entangled their bodies and leaned their foreheads together, faintly smiling.

" It's been a while since we've done that, hasn't it?", said Harry, giving her his signature smirk.

" In the shower? Most definitely.", she replied chuckling. Pecking his lips, she reached for the towel and draped around her body before exiting the bathroom. Harry remained there for a few more minutes then joined an already dressed Elle in bed. He got under the covers and pulled her against him, nesting her in his arms. Gently, he began running his fingers through her hair, which earned him soft moans of content from her. In a matter of minutes, Elle was fast asleep. Harry smiled at the sight before him and placed a peck on her temple before closing his own eyes and drifting off into sleep.

************

As Christmas week came, Harry, Elle, Arthur, Lancelot, and their RPO's made their way to Woodenford Castle. Passing through the snowy fields of Wiltshire, they drove during late morning arriving at the familiar majestic site of the 13th century stone castle on early afternoon, just in time for a healthy lunch provided by Ms. Martin, the fabulous chef. As soon as they were past the gates, Elle could see her family eagerly waiting at the front door. Once the car was pulled into a stop, they jumped out of the Range Rover, took Lancelot out and pulled Arthur from his car seat, who greeted his parents with a bubbly smile. The family was soon engulfed in warm hugs and kisses on the cheek offered by Victoria, Rupert and Edward, who soon whisked his nephew away, whispering promises of fun and mischief in his ear, while Logan helped with their luggage.

" I'm so glad you're here!", said Victoria, still holding Elle's shoulders.

"We are very glad to be here.", said Elle. " Specially since it's Arthur's first Christmas. And nothing can compare to our Christmas tree...", she continued as they stepped inside. Warmth and the smell of pine and spices filled her senses, making her instantly more relaxed and happy. As they too off their coats and headed to the Drawing Room, she held her breath in excitement. And she wasn't disappointed. The 25ft Norway spruce was up, its ornaments glistening under the lights.

" Oh wow...", said Elle in wonder.

" We haven't finished decorating it yet. We know how much you love doing it.", said her father smiling. She smiled back at him and nodded her head with enthusiasm. She walked over to the with Arthur in her arms and browsed over the many different ornaments, their shapes and colours twinkling in the light, catching the infant's eyes and sparkling his curiosity. The family around them smiled lovingly at the scene and Harry even snapped a few pictures of mother and son, who seemed to be immersed in their own little bubble of Christmas cheer. They all joined in to decorated the tree. Little by little, the magnificent decor was complete. Harry snuck behind Elle and warped his arms around her, pulling her and Arthur close to him.

" Now this... is what I call a proper Christmas tree.", he said in her ear.

" Couldn't agree more.", she replied, turning her head to the side and pecking his lips. They smiled to each other then looked down at Arthur who was looking amazed at every little thing around him. Elle kissed his chubby cheeks and Harry tickled his belly, earning them both a giggle from the toddler. His smile, a toothy one now, lit up the room. It was contagious and made everyone else smile too.

For the next few days, Elle and Harry took the time away from the city to decompress and have a few dates, just the two of them. Since the snow wasn't deep and they decided to take the horses for a small walk near the river. Bundled up in puffer jackets and very warm mittens and caps, they walked over to the stables, greeting the familiar faces they saw on their way.

" Ahh Lionheart.", said Elle stepping close to her horse's stall. He neighed and threw his mane around, reaching for her hand. She chuckled and caressed his nose. "I've missed you too, buddy.", she said to him. Harry was given Percival to ride, just like on the first time he had been to Woodenford, all those years ago when they reconnected.

They saddled up their horses and slowly trotted side by side, the chilly breeze cutting through their skin, making theirs cheeks red. "Race you to the river.", he said to her and galloped past her. Elle chuckled, remembering how she was the one to do the same last time they did that. She soon caught up with him and they laughed to each other as they reached the riverbank together.

" Even with a head start, you can't seem to beat me, Major.", she said, winking and grinning at him.

" What can I say, you've always been better at it than me...", he replied. Harry then got off his horse, tying him to a nearby tree. He then helped Elle out of her horse and did the same. Elle then picked up the the small basket with water and sandwiches she had brought and hand in hand, they walked to a stone bench that overlooked the river. Sipping on their bottles and nibbling on their snacks, they quietly observed the flow of the water and the breeze on the pine trees, listening to the sounds of the nature around them. Snuggling up to him, Elle sighed happily.

" Feels so good to be here, in the peace and quiet after the months we've had, doesn't it?", she said.

" It really does.", replied Harry. " Sometimes I can't believe all that has happened to us...", he continued, holding her close, playing with her wedding ring.

" I know, darling. It's been a crazy couple of year, filled with good and bad things, and we've faced them all together.", said Elle, looking up at him.

" I have no idea what I'd have done without you by my side, Elle.", he said cupping her cheek. "You bring out the best in me. You're my saving grace and shining light at the end of a dark and rocky road.", he finished.

" Oh Harry...", she whispered, smiling gently at him, teary eyed after his declaration. Leaning in, she pulled him closer and brought his lips towards hers. They kissed slowly, savouring the moment, but eagerness and passion flowed through their mouths and soon they were feeling much hotter than before. Once they finally pulled away from each other in need of breath, they rested their foreheads together, breathing in and out, eyes closed, feeling the heat coming from one another's bodies.

************

On Christmas Eve, the family gathered in the Great Hall of the castle for the Foundation brunch. A tradition that her parents had started as a way of thanking the staff and key members of the community who are a part of the Duke and Duchess' foundation. Cassandra was there and was delighted into meeting the new addition to the family. As were a few other staff members, coordinators and representatives of the small associations connected to the Foundation. Harry was soon whisked away by some veterans that he had met before while Elle was engrossed in talking to new mothers and their children about the literacy projects she had been developing and the work that had been done in the county. At dusk, they took part in a soup kitchen, delivering food and blankets to the homeless and less fortunate of Salisbury.

" I think that doing this, helping other people, really shows what Christmas is all about.", commented Elle as they gave out blankets to the people. Harry smiled at her and placed a kiss on her temple.

When finally came time for dinner, they returned to the castle for the much anticipated festivities. Dressed in a burgundy red dress and black pumps Elle patiently fed Arthur while Harry took shower. With only a towel around his waist, he come out of the shower and gave her a peck on the lips, walking towards the closet to get dressed. Smirking, Elle bit her lips and settled Arthur on his Moses basket. She tiptoed to the closet, finding her husband wearing only his underwear. Sneakily encircled her arms around his waist, running her hands up and down his torso, leaving a trail of kisses along his back and neck. Harry groaned and she smirked to herself, nibbling his earlobe.

" Someone's in a mood...", he said huskily.

" Oh darling... you have no idea what awaits you later tonight...", she whispered back, before leaving him alone in the closet.

" Looking forward to it... you tease!", he said, catching sight of her wink and smirk towards him just as she exited the room. Shaking his head, Harry dressed quietly, feeling a little discomfort on his trousers. That little temptress..., he thought. He heard her talking to Arthur and soon he was all alone in their room, which gave him plenty of time to get her gift from his suitcase. Smiling to himself as he looked at it, he pocked it and left the room as well, rushing down the stairs to meet the rest of the family.

The McClaire family was gathered in the Hall, the Christmas tree sparkling bright and under it, a selection of different sized boxes, mostly filled with toys and clothes for Arthur no doubt. The table was set with candlelight and ornaments along its length; a selection of roasts and mashes filled them all and warmed their bodies. At the stroke of midnight, the clinked their glasses in cheerful and joyful harmony, wishing each other a very happy Christmas. Once dinner was over, they pulled crackers and in a selections of colourful paper crowns, gave each other their gifts. As predicted, Arthur was spoiled to bits by their grandparents and uncle. Her parents exchanged comical gifts such as a new pair of glasses for her father and a new crocheting kit for her mother. Her brother gave everyone gift cards to Waterstones, which pleased most of them. Elle and Harry gave them framed pictures of Arthur with each family member, which brought her mother to tears. Finally, it was their time to exchange gifts.

" Mine is a little bit late, but with everything that has been going on, I thought it was actually fitting to give it to you now.", said Harry handing Elle a small, squared package. She tore the paper and inside she found the familiar red box with the logo of the House of Garrard in golden letters. She carefully opened it, finding an eternity band ring, surrounded by tiny diamonds. Picking it up, she noticed that on the inside that was something engraved: Little Bear it read and she looked up at her husband with misty eyes.

" I wanted to give you that for a long time but...", said Harry. Elle smiled and shook her head. "No, no... it's perfect timing... oh Harry... it's beautiful. Thank you.", she said, pecking his lips. She then reached to her side to give him his present. Similar to her own, it was wrapped in a square brown paper. He, like her, tore it to pieced and found a small circular container.

Opening the lid, he chuckled and looked at her. Elle smiled and waited for his reaction. He took the silver and leather bracelet from it and payed closer attention to the marks on it:

51°31'02.0"N 0°10'23.0"W, 19.04.17. Harry instantly knew what it meant.

" It seems I'm gonna start a collection with these ones...", he joked, pointing out to the bracelet. Elle chuckled and smiled.

" Well... it's only fitting since you have one for every part place in our shared history.", said Elle.

" I love it. Thank you, my love.", he said, kissing her cheek.

That night, once everyone was asleep and Arthur was properly placed on her old bedroom which had been converted into a nursery, Elle kept her promise to Harry. She teased him, and toyed with him until he had enough of it and pushed her against the wall, on the bed, in the shower, and on the floor. They released all their bottled up tension making passionate love to each other again and again.

************

On the very early ours of Boxing Day, they made the four-hour journey from Salisbury to Sandringham. With a sleepy Arthur in the back and Ingrid beside him, they drove to the familiar red bricked estate.

" Are you ready to see them?", asked Elle.

" I am. Do I still feel hurt? Yes. Am I going to wallow in it? No. I think I should, no, need to move forward. For my own sake.", replied Harry. Nodding her head, Elle smiled and took her hand in hers, joining their fingers.

" It will be great. And we'll start mending bridges by greeting them properly, alright?", said Elle, and Harry nodded his head in agreement. They parked outside and were greeted by William, Catherine and a very sleepy looking George. Taking a step forward, Harry smiled gently and embraced his brother.

" Hi Will. Happy Christmas.", he said. William, who was a little shocked, embraced his brother back and smiled widely at him.

" Happy Christmas, Harry.", he replied then hugged Elle as well.

" Hello all. Merry Christmas!", said Kate, hugging them. " Had a pleasant trip?", she asked.

" It was pleasant enough. Not much traffic at this hour.", replied Harry.

" How was Christmas at Woodenford? I don't think I've been there since we were teenagers.", said William.

" Oh it was great. You know hoe my mother is with decorations... Arthur was delighted to see everything.", said Elle smiling at her brother-in-law.

" I wonder where Elle gets the crazy Christmas fever from...", said Harry and the adults chuckled. The light atmosphere was enough to settle the animosities and bring back, a little of he camaraderie and love that was severed between the brothers. The sleeping toddler on her arms twitched a bit and they rushed inside, to warm themselves up. Once there, they were greeted by the rest of the family who were about to get breakfast. Charles and Camilla were among the first ones to greet them. Cautiously, Charles approached Harry.

" Son... Merry Christmas.", said Charles, smiling faintly. Harry smiled back and took a step forward to hug his father. Elle could see that Charles was visibly relieved to be hugged by his younger son.

" We're delighted that you've come here.", said Camilla, greeting them with hugs and kisses. " Would you like to have breakfast with us?", she asked. Famished as they were, they joined in and Arthur was soon whisked away from Elle's arms and passed along cousins and doting family members.

" Oh he's so big!", commented Anne smiling.

" He's gonna be a tall lad!", said Edward.

" I reckon he's gonna go into the family tradition and join the military.", said Andrew.

" Now now, he's not even a year old. Let the poor baby be.", said Bea.

The banter and conversation flew joyously and Elle took the time to look around the room. Elizabeth and Philip were still absent but, considering the time, she thought they would both be changing for church. Soon enough, they appeared on the doorstep and smiled at the sight of the new arrivals.

" About time you got here, boy. Lost your way, ye?", joked Philip.

" Let us see the baby...", said Elizabeth, taking Arthur into her arms. The baby cooed and smiled at his great grandmother. "Oh he's just as adorable as I remembered.", she said., making his parents beam with pride. " Oh, that reminds me... I have something for him. Come with me you two.", she said pointing to Harry and Elle. Following her into the living room where the Christmas tree was, she handed them a rectangular box. Opening it, they found a glass bobble with Arthur's name in it, surrounded by glittering green specks.

" Now he has one too.", said the monarch. " We've hanged yours now you can put his next to them.", she continued. Smiling to the older woman, Elle took the ornament and looked around the tree to find hers and Harry's names, placing his it just under theirs.

" Now the tree is complete.", said Elizabeth.

" Indeed, it is. Family should stick together... and I'm happier than I can possibly say to have you here, my dears.", she continued looking at the small family in front of her.

#FATES INTERTWINED #royalfanficcentral #phff #prince harry fanfiction #prince harry fanfic #prince harry #duke of sussex #fanfic #fanfiction #Prince Harry x OC

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mariequitecontrarie · 6 years

Text

Marigolds

Summary: It’s Rumple and Belle’s wedding anniversary, and Rumple is celebrating another year alone. Stuck in Hyperion Heights with no way to join Belle in the afterlife, he finds an unlikely confidante in his partner, Rogers. Post 7x18 The Guardian. A/N: I have a lot of feelings about Rumbelle and the Wish Hook/Rumple friendship. There’s also some Woven Knight Rook and a Rogers/Sabine crush implied. Did I mention my feelings? Because yeah. WC: 5700 Rating: G

On AO3

“At least let me drive you home,” Rogers says.

Rumplestiltskin glances at his watch with a self-conscious sigh. His partner’s requests have turned into badgering. This marks the fifth time his partner has volunteered to escort him back to his apartment in the past 90 minutes—proof he must look as lousy as he feels.

Rogers’ pity-filled eyes stray from the chessboard to the blue vase filled with flowers on the corner of his desk. The office air is thick with unspoken questions, but his partner doesn’t ask and Rumple doesn’t offer.

The flowers are for Belle.

In every realm they called home—whether in Storybrooke, the Dark Castle, or living out Belle’s years together on the Edge of Realms—the two of them planted a huge garden filled with flowers. Roses, primarily, but also larkspur, snapdragon, bleeding hearts, and poppies. But Belle always insisted on planting marigolds adjacent to the vegetables.

Marigolds are an ugly flower in his estimation. Coarse and common, insistent on being everywhere at once, possessing a musky, pungent odor he finds repellent. Rather like himself.

“Marigolds never give up,” Belle used to say, her hands covered in dirt. “They always hold their heads up high, even in the hottest part of summer. They attract the bees and protect the vegetables.”

“They smell dreadful,” he would contend, holding his nose in a theatrical flourish.

“I think they smell like sunshine.” Belle would draw his hand away from his face and lay her head against his chest. “True beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

There was nothing he would refuse his wife, so as day followed night, marigolds they would plant. And after a time, he learned to tolerate the stubborn, garishly colored blooms, if only because their presence meant plump red tomatoes on their dinner table and radiant smiles on his wife’s face.

So to celebrate their anniversary, he assembled a bouquet of roses, marigolds, and peonies at a flower stand this morning. Crimson roses to symbolize the fragile unfurling of their love; cream peonies in honor of their wedding day; and yellow marigolds because they flourish in any and all circumstances, much the way he thrived with Belle at his side.

Rogers gives him another meaningful glance, and Tilly feigns a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. The languid motion is debunked when she leans over the chessboard to snatch Rogers’ rook with a gleeful laugh.

Rumple snorts. Two hours ago, they pulled a worn card table out of Rogers’ office and started one of their spirited chess games two feet away from his desk. Should he have the notion to move around in this crackerjack box or gods forbid—leave the room—he’d have to trip over his unwelcome guests.

Instead he’s staying planted in his desk chair. After Tilly tried to drag him to the bowling alley around the corner for some “quality time,” he decided letting her and Rogers keep him company here was the less exhausting course of action. If there’s one role he excels at, it’s pretending, but there’s no way in seven hells Rumplestiltskin will be seen wearing bowling shoes in Hyperion Heights or in any realm, even if he does have to wear jeans and fake a cockney accent. He still has some pride.

Usually, Rogers and Tilly’s easy banter and gentle ribbing puts a smile on his face. Tonight, however, all he wants is to send them home with a flick of his wrist.

But he won’t. Magic got him into this mess in the first place.

It’s been a scant twenty-four hours since the dagger went missing and he discovered it in Tilly’s backpack. One short day since he learned that here in this world, even under a curse, she is still the Guardian. Yet—with more information and resources in the palm of his hand since he began his quest to be rid of the knife for good—he’s never been farther away from Belle. Today he mourns her loss all over again, and being alone on their anniversary makes the everyday ache in his chest sharper, more acute. He presses a clenched fist against his heart, wondering if the hollow place Belle once filled with kisses and smiles and laughter will ever be whole again.

“C’mon, mate.” Rogers jiggles his car keys. “You look like hell.”

“How fortunate for us all that my ugliness doesn’t stop me from operating a car,” Rumple growls. He waves a hand over the Candy Killer paperwork littering his desk with a huff of disgust. “In case you missed it, mate, there’s work to be done.”

“You. Doing actual police work?” Rogers asks.

Both he and Tilly raise an identically-shaped eyebrow, and Rumple barks a humorless laugh. Like father like daughter.

“What’s funny?” Tilly asks, the lines of tension in her face relaxing into a sunny smile.

“Other than Rogers’ pathetic chess skills?” Rumple’s lips twitch in a small smile, swamped with a fresh wave of regret for making Tilly worry. “At my advanced age, a great many things amuse me. But you two attempting to babysit me has to be near the top of the list.”

“So you’ll let me help you wrap the case, then?” the pirate-turned-cop asks.

‘Who knew when you were assigned as my partner, I would be getting my very own Boy Scout.” Rumple twists the pinky ring Belle gave him as a gift on their fifth anniversary round on his finger. The words on the pages of paperwork blur in front of his weary eyes, but he won’t admit defeat. Not until he finds a loophole to trap Facilier. “You saved Henry and apprehended the Candy Killer. I’ll take it from here.”

After kidnapping Henry, Nick Branson, known as the Candy Killer, was brought into custody. Before they could begin questioning him, they found him dead in the interrogation room. No blood, no scratches, and the medical examiner reported that Nick was stabbed through the heart from inside his body. Only dark magic could accomplish such a task. Gothel, maybe? Or perhaps another member of her coven preempted Nick, afraid he would be released to strike again. The more likely culprit was Facilier, and the triangular pin Rumple found at the scene confirmed his suspicions.

But how can he explain what happened to Rogers, who is unaware of the double life they all lead? Should he say a powerful witch doctor used dark magic to murder Branson? He would drive him down the road to the insane asylum.

The truth is no use to him, anyway. He’s out of options and short on allies. After he stole Regina’s cure for Henry in his search for the dagger, she won’t take his calls, and he’s too ashamed to look at his grandson. Thank the gods Gideon is safe in another realm, even if he doesn’t know where his papa is.

The least he can do is take care of Rogers and Tilly, the only two living souls in all the realms who are still speaking to him, even if neither one knows what he truly is. Once a monster, always a monster.

He drums his fingers on the table and rakes a hand through his hair. He needs to spin, if only he had his wheel, and be alone. To think, to figure out this whole mess. Would Tilly and Rogers ever go home?

“We’re just worried about you, Weaver.” Tilly interprets his agitation as she licks powdered sugar off her fingertips.

Rumple rolls his eyes. With Tilly, worrying seems to involve games, books, and food.

An hour into their game, they ordered Chinese takeout and urged him to eat, but he couldn’t force a single bite past his lips. He even refused to touch the beignets Sabine dropped off at the station in a not-so-subtle bid to impress Rogers.

He tried not to smirk when he accepted Sabine’s little brown bag of sugary fried dough on Roger’s behalf, but the blush on her cheeks and the way her bright, questioning eyes darted around the office made it clear she was looking for his tall, dark partner.

Rumple is no expert in love and attraction, but he remembers Belle’s soft looks and tender smiles, and the way they never failed to turn his stomach inside out, leaving him breathless and out of his depth.

Besides, listening to Rogers stammer when he told him his sweetheart was looking for him was the best entertainment he’d had since Tilly got a job to support her marmalade habit.

If nothing else, Rogers and Tilly’s lives are a pleasant distraction from his bleak, endless existence.

“I suppose this is your idea of heroism, sweetheart, saddling me with these two.” He reaches for the vase to run his thumb over the head of a marigold, murmuring to Belle as though she is sitting next to him, just as she did every day of their seventy-year marriage. “Belle, I miss you. I wish you were here to tell me what to do next.”

“Who are you talking to?” Rogers eyes him askance, and sends Tilly concerned glance number 572. Not that he’s counting.

“Myself,” he barks, hunching over the desk filled with paperwork to hide his flushed face. He didn’t know he’d actually spoken to Belle out loud, but he’s taken to doing it more and more in the weeks since the gunshot wound Tilly inflicted woke him from the curse.

He needs Belle here to protect him from himself. Old habits are creeping back in, desperation in the driver’s seat. He fantasizes about using one of Facilier’s pin cushions against him, or hurling a stake through Gothel’s heart. It won’t put an end to this damn curse, but it will make him feel a hell of a lot better.

Tilly clears her throat. “Weaver, you want some of this lo mein before I finish it off?” She holds out a set of clean chopsticks, fingers trembling.

“I’ll pass, thanks.” He offers her another fond smile to soften the gruffness of his refusal. “You eat it. You need your nourishment.”

“‘Kay.” She shrugs and shovels a massive bite of noodles into her mouth, but since they found his dagger in her knapsack, she’s been skittish, as though she’s afraid he’s going to lose his temper again.

Black ink drips down his fingers and he realizes he’s crushed the pen in his hand. Somehow, he expected the road to redemption to be easier. When he thought the dagger had been stolen, the truth became clear: Every good deed has been done with the expectation of getting something in return.

Maybe Regina is right, and he hasn’t changed a bit.

Disgusted with himself, he wipes his hands on a pile of Mr. Wong’s carryout napkins and hurls them at the wastebasket.

“Every selfless act brings me closer to you, my love.” He repeats his mantra in a ragged whisper, but after what he did yesterday, the words no longer hold any hope.

To punish himself, he stayed up all night, torturing himself with memories of sweeter wedding anniversaries. Long walks in the sunshine and picnics in the park; Gideon toddling into his mama’s waiting arms; Belle perched at the end of a long table like a queen, surrounded by mountains of dusty, fat books; spending the entire day in bed making love just because they could.

Gods, how good life had been with his wife in the world. And what he wouldn’t give for one more hour with his head in Belle’s lap while she reads him a story and strokes his hair.

Tilly rocks back on the hind legs of her chair and squints at him, then snaps her attention back to the board. She rolls the white queen between her thumb and forefinger, considering her next move. Rogers is two moves away from checkmate, but Rumple knows he will misstep on purpose and draw the game out.

“We’ll finish up later, then?” Tilly asks Rogers. “I’ve got to get to bed ‘cause work starts bright and early. Sabine said she nearly doubled her sales the day after I passed out samples, and she wants me to do it again.”

A flush creeps up Rogers’ neck at another mention of Sabine, and Rumple grins in spite of his foul mood.

“The ones you brought into the station yesterday were gone in minutes,” he praises. “Sabine is lucky to have you. She thinks you’re a born saleswoman.”

“No surprise they were eaten so fast,” Tilly says, ducking her head in modesty. “Coppers and doughnuts, right? I tried to convince Sabine her beignets would be lovely dipped in marmalade. She liked the idea, but insisted on making some sort of rum sauce instead.”

“Rum, eh?” He wonders if Rogers still has a fondness for the stuff under the curse. Pirates and rum; as synonymous in their old world as police officers and doughnuts are in this one. Rumple smothers his laughter, the sound coming out like a wheeze.

“Now why are you laughing?” Tilly asks, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.

“You, trying to convince your boss to add marmalade to her menu.” The girl’s weakness for citrus preserves was one of her more delightful quirks. The day they met in the Enchanted Forest, he’d come through the portal, weary and heartsick from losing Belle. She’d scolded him for upsetting her search for the white rabbit, then offered him a jam sandwich from her knapsack, insisting he share her lunch because he “looked like hell.”

Some things haven’t changed.

“Weaver?” Tilly clasps her hands behind her back and tilts her head. “I know you’re missing her , especially today, but are we...okay?”

He sighs. “It’s like I told you last night by the troll, Tilly. I’m not angry with you; I’m angry with me.”

“Please let Detective Rogers take you home,” she whispers, laying a hand on his arm. “I’m afraid something else terrible will happen. You’re a good man. I don’t want you to be hurt.” Her gaze wild, she looks around the shadowed station and shivers.

“Nothing’s going to happen to me, dear.” He struggles to swallow, touched by her concern. “How about I make you a deal. You promise to go straight home and lock the door, and I’ll let Detective Rogers stay with me until I’m done working. Will that satisfy?”

“Thank you.” She nods, her eyes shiny with tears, then puts on her coat and slips out into the night. He stands at the window with Rogers and watches her until she’s out of sight.

Rogers yanks a chair over to his desk and straddles it, all business the moment Tilly disappears. “What the hell is going on with you? I’ve never seen you like this.”

Rumple doesn’t look up from the desk, still littered with ink-splashed files. “Whatever do you mean, detective?”

“Scared—same as yesterday when you bit my bloody head off. Now you’re hiding behind paperwork and skipping out to buy flowers. And since when have you worked by the book?”

“Since nothing else I’ve tried has been successful,” he admits, looking up from the piles of paper.

“Whatever’s going on, tell me. I can take it,” Rogers says. “I’m your partner. We’re supposed to help each other.”

Rogers’ concern fills him with an odd mixture of fury and affection. It’s strange, yearning to be alone in his misery, but sharing his burdens holds appeal, too. Confiding in Tilly would be his preference, but the girl is fragile, especially after last night. He won’t burden her with his pain.

“Would you care for tea?” he asks, resigned to playing host. He seems to remember Hook appreciating the beverage, or maybe that was the other version of him; the one who was back in Storybrooke and married to Emma Swan. “It’s only bags, but it’s tolerable. I don’t have any rum, but there’s whiskey if you need something stronger.”

“Rum?” Rogers wrinkles his nose. “Never touch the stuff. Funny thing, ever since I moved to the Heights, people are constantly offering it to me. You’d think I was a pirate, instead of a cop.”

“Indeed.” He holds back a smile. Oddities in a curse were inevitable. Poor Rogers was in for quite a surprise when rum-loving Captain Hook woke up.

“Tea would be grand,” Rogers says, nodding at the colorful bouquet on the corner of his desk. “Why the flowers?”

Rumple turns to the water filter to fill their teacups with hot water, grateful to occupy his hands with a menial task. “It’s our wedding anniversary.” He shrugs. “Those are her favorites.”

“Will you tell me about her?” Rogers asks. “Your wife?”

“Belle. Her name is Belle.” Settling behind the desk again, he slides a steaming mug toward Rogers, and wraps his hands around the chipped cup. He inhales the steam, taking solace in the smooth warmth of the porcelain.

Rogers smiles when he notices. “The cup you fixed. Her favorite, isn’t it?”

He nods. Repairing their teacup had been worth every squirt of glue and weeks of sticky fingers. It’s the only tangible reminder he has of Belle in this world, and he carries it between the police station and his apartment every single day.

“You mentioned you’ve been separated.” Rogers gestures at the flowers.”How? Does she live here in the Heights?”

Rumple winces. “The truth is complicated.”

“It always is with you.” Rogers sighs. “But you can trust me. I recognize when a man’s trying to atone for something. Why aren’t you together now? Was it divorce? Betrayal?”

“Nothing like that.” He thinks back on shaking Hook’s hand outside Alice’s home, the day they’d agreed to start a new story. He wonders if the offer of friendship will still stand once the veil of the curse has been pulled back. “I’m a difficult man to love, but she always saw the best in me.”

Rumplestiltskin adds a healthy dose of whiskey to both cups of tea. He misses drinking proper tea, the way Belle used to make it, but the other cops already give him strange looks for sipping out of a dainty porcelain cup with a large chip out of the rim. About once a week, someone deposits a new, oversized ceramic mug in the center of his desk, usually filled to the brim with coffee.

He dunks his teabag up and down in the hot water, then plucks the soggy bag out of the cup and sets it on a napkin on his desk, watching the brown liquid seep into the paper.

“I’m a father, too,” he confesses. “Two wonderful sons.”

Rogers gives him a blank look. “Congratulations. Where are your boys?”

“Gideon lives in another rea-...” Rumple clamps his mouth shut, saying too much for the second time in as many hours. He never figured the pirate for such a good confidante, but now that he’s started talking, the words come quick and easy. “He’s a scholar and a teacher. Moved to another country. I don’t see him nearly as often as I would like, but it’s enough to know he’s safe. Gideon is our youngest. Our first son, Baelfire, he died a hero.”

“War?” Rogers tsks in sympathy.

He inclines his head. Baelfire had spent years battling the darkness on his papa’s behalf. “Of sorts.”

Rogers takes a sip of the whiskey-laced tea. “I’m sorry. Losing a child...well, I can’t imagine carrying such a burden.”

Rumplestiltskin bites the inside of his cheek, oddly thankful once more for the ignorance of the curse. Not knowing Tilly is his daughter spares Rogers a bit of suffering. “I only wish I could have traded my life for Bae’s,” he says.

“I hope all fathers feel that way about their children,” Rogers says with a smile. “But you must have a way to reunite with your Belle. A stubborn, resourceful bastard like you.”

“I do. I did. But I’ve squandered my chances, done terrible things. Actions which can’t be undone.” With his head bowed, the truth he’s avoided saying aloud comes out in a painful rush. “I took something valuable, and it cannot be replaced. Belle would be gravely disappointed in me.”

“I've the feeling she would understand.” Rogers drains his mug and Rumple pours another three fingers of whiskey into each cup. “Wasn’t it you who told me there’s always a chance to make things right?”

“Maybe for others, but not for me,” he says, chagrined. “I’ve had more chances than anyone, and it’s my turn to pay the price.”

Rogers shakes his head. “I don’t believe that at all. You may be rough around the edges, but you’re one of the good guys. I feel it.”

“Now you sound like my wife.”

“Wise woman.” Rogers leans forward, his face etched with curiosity. “What is she like?”

Emotion overwhelms him and he fights back tears. “Like no one I’ve ever known or could hope to know again. Fearless, intelligent, beautiful inside and out. Someone whose view of the world is so much larger than her place in it.”

“Nothing like you, then.” Rogers grins and tosses back his drink.

The laugh is sorely needed. “You’re not wrong. Belle is a great deal too good for me. Much the way people ignore Tilly, nobody really saw her. They accepted what she offered: brains, extraordinary research capabilities, command of extinct languages, but they often took her for granted.” He throws back another gulp of whiskey and gives them both another refill. “I’ve lost count of the ways she helped and supported and befriended people.”

“Sounds like an extraordinary woman.”

“Yes. You would like her, I think.” Rumplestiltskin smiles sadly. Neither one of them has uttered the word dead and he’s grateful. It helps to talk about Belle in the present tense, as though she’s still among the living. “Our relationship was at times tumultuous and controversial. I hurt her in terrible ways. But she always saw the best in me and she never gave up on showing me what kind of man she saw on the inside. Loving her, living by her side, having her goodness and kindness as my example. She changed my life.”

“Anyone who loves someone the way you do Belle—you’re her legacy, mate,” Rogers says. “Even when you’re not together, wherever you go, she goes, too.”

He never figured on the pirate as a source of wisdom. “That’s a pleasant thought.”

“Do you have a photograph I can see?”

Rumple hesitates, reluctant to let go of the hard-won image even for a moment. This morning in the shower, after he over-steeped his tea and misplaced his handcuffs, he panicked because he couldn’t recall the exact shade of blue of Belle’s eyes. While the water poured over him he sobbed, hot tears flowing down the drain with the soap-tinged water. When he was supposed to be questioning a witness, he ransacked the evidence locker to find a picture of her. An object to hold onto.

With tender care he pulls out the creased, faded photograph he unearthed after three hours of searching boxes and files. It was autumn, a few days after Gideon’s birthday. In the picture, they’re sitting on the front porch of their house with suitcases packed, pots brimming with Belle’s marigolds on either side. Their arms are linked, Belle’s smile bright enough to rival the sun. “This was taken when we began our travels,” he tells Rogers.

“She’s beautiful,” Rogers says, leaning across the desk to smile down at the image. “What do you suppose it’s like, the other side?”

“Tilly once told me it’s a place where you forget about life’s troubles and get to be with the people you love forever. Knowing my Belle, she’s found herself a library.” He can picture his wife, radiant and waiting for him in a garden bursting with roses, peonies, and marigolds, her pretty nose buried in a book.

Rumple stares at Belle’s face long and hard, memorizing every nuance of her features, then pours another round of shots into the teacups. Some of the whiskey dribbles on the desk, and he frowns at the amber liquid, everything feeling hazy and dark. His eyes burn with tears. “I’ve gone on too long. I’m starting to forget her.”

Rogers switches off the desk lamp, then leans back in the chair to study his partner.

Weaver is snoring, his head cushioned by his arms, which are folded on top of the desk. Those sardonic, oddly ancient eyes are closed, the lines of his face relaxed in slumber. He didn’t come out and say his wife was dead, but Rogers is a fair hand at reading between the lines. The loss explains so much about his partner, who wears grief like a suit of armor and swings between excessive caution and recklessness.

Weaver has talked of yearning to get back to Belle, and for the first time Rogers considers whether he might be on some sort of suicide mission.

He tries to puzzle out his partner’s cryptic words and actions, but his head falls forward, his body craving sleep. He drank a good portion of whiskey and is too drunk to drive home. He reaches into his pocket for his phone tell Tilly he’s running late, but a motion from the corner of his eye stops him. He drops the phone, his fingers crawling slowly toward his holster.

Shimmering light materializes from the shadows, at first formless, then gradually taking shape. It is a petite woman, and she has eyes only for Weaver. Powerful love shines in those soft, blue depths, and Rogers catches his breath, enthralled. No woman has ever looked at him the way this vision stares at his partner, and jealousy simmers in his chest.

Dark curls cascade down her back in a radiant curtain, and she wears a long skirt, a shirtwaist and a vest, clothing from a bygone era. At once he recognizes her from the worn, faded photograph. Weaver’s wife.

She seems to float rather than walk out of the corner, coming up behind Weaver, her expression gentle and filled with the sort of adoration he has only imagined. Her arms wrap around him in a tender embrace, bathing him in the same shimmering golden light that surrounds her body.

Rogers’ eyes prick with tears. It’s an intimate moment between a husband and wife, one he shouldn’t be watching, but he can’t tear his eyes from such a precious sight. When the woman’s bright, sharp gaze settles on him, he digs his nails into his palm. The pain tells him he’s not dreaming.

“I was hoping you’d be awake,” she murmurs near Weaver’s ear.

She says the words more to herself than to her sleeping husband, but Rogers can’t resist asking the obvious. “Why didn’t you come when he was?”

Hands on her hips, she huffs in annoyance, glaring at him like an errant child. “You don’t just appear whenever you want, you know. There are schedules. Waiting lists, Captain.”

“It’s Detective. And you’re Belle,” he says, then clamps his mouth shut. What’s the protocol for talking to a ghost, anyway?

“That’s right.” Her brow wrinkles in a confused frown. “But you’re not the Guardian.” Her mouth doesn’t open, but her words lodge in his brain, the voice a cultured female accent he can’t quite place.

The look she gives him tells him he’s a terrible disappointment, and he can’t help but feel a twinge of hurt. Insulted by a ghost? Ridiculous.

“Guardian? He crosses his arms with a snort, strangely at ease considering who, or rather what, he’s talking to. “As if he’d let anyone guard him from anything? He’s a cranky, cantankerous old bastard.”

She caresses Weaver with her eyes again. “I always have loved a good puzzle.”

“You certainly married one,” he retorts.

She levels him with a look, then her shoulders shake with gentle laughter. “What, you think I haven’t heard that before? I’ll be the first to admit my husband can be difficult. It did take me a little time to get to know him. You will, too.”

“Suppose I am somewhat fond of the old man,” he admits, pleased he’d managed to make her laugh. “Forgive me for staring, but it feels as though we’ve met before.”

“Hmmm.” She slips between his chair and the desk and hoists herself on it, crossing her legs at the ankles. According to those paranormal television shows, the temperature in a room drops when a ghost enters, but the air surrounding Weaver’s Belle is warm, and smells faintly of sunshine and roses. “I knew someone like you once,” she says.

“So this other bloke, he was handsome, charming, quick on the draw?” He attempts a wicked grin.

Again she laughs, a musical, delighted sound, then picks up the chipped teacup and takes a tentative sip. She coughs and sticks out her tongue. “Rumple has forgotten how to make tea, it seems.”

Now it’s his turn to laugh. “It’s whiskey, love. Rumple? Is that what you call him?”

“Yes.” She tilts her head, studying him, and he has the distinct feeling she can peer into his soul. Her smile widens when she notices the flowers on the desk, and she plucks a marigold from the vase, then runs it up and down her cheek with a contented sigh. “Are these for me? Today is our anniversary.”

“Congratulations.” An ache forms in the region of his heart, a longing for the love and connection these two extraordinary people share, even from beyond the grave. “You must have been happy together.”

Her nod is eager. “We had many wonderful years, raised a son, traveled the world. But even with a lifetime of happiness, it’s never quite enough. Long ago we promised each other forever. Soon he’ll come home to me.”

Fear clogs his throat at the certainty in her tone. “How-how do you know?”

“When you’re awake, everything will become clear.” She flashes another dazzling, dimpled smile.

“Awake? But I’m not…” He blinks, and Belle is behind the desk once more, leaning over Weaver to press a kiss to his cheek, then another to the top of his graying head. When she pulls back, a golden tear is leaking from beneath his closed eyelid.

Belle turns to him again. ““He’s good man with a pure heart, but it’s always been so hard for him to believe in himself. His journey hasn’t been easy and his courage is faltering. But you can’t solve this mystery without my husband. You need him. All of you do.” Her eyes are narrowed toward him, as though she doubts his ability to do anything good at all. “Would you give him something for me when he wakes up?”

Without waiting for a reply, she presses something small, cool, and heavy into his hand. It’s a gold ring, topped with a large moonstone.

“I’ll see that he gets it.” He slips the ring into his jacket pocket. “Can I ask you something in return?” His question should be about the Candy Killer case, or how Hyperion Heights came to be such a strange town, or why it seems however much he longs to travel, he can’t bring himself to venture outside the city gates. Instead his thoughts are filled with Tilly and Sabine. “Will I ever have a great love? Like you?”

“You already do, Captain,” she says, then she melts into the wall and fades out of view.

“Rogers. Rogers, wake up.” Weaver is standing over him, shaking his arm.

He blinks, and the dull grey walls of Weaver’s office come into focus. The bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue on the desk is almost empty. Though his vision is still bleary, he can make out the outline of a flowing blue skirt and hear the echo of a woman’s gentle laughter. Hard as he tries to capture the memory, it evaporates, like droplets of water on the sun-drenched deck of a ship.

“Where is it you said you’re from?” he asks, wincing at the throbbing pain in his temples. His mouth tastes like plywood.

Weaver shoots him a quizzical look. “I didn’t, but before I was with Seattle PD I lived in Maine.”

He slips a cup of water under his nose, and Rogers drinks it in greedy gulps, the liquid cooling his burning throat. “And that’s where you met Belle? In Maine?”

“One of the times,” he mutters under his breath.

“Could you speak up, mate?" He pokes his ear with a finger.

“I said you should get home.” Weaver says loudly, shrugging into a worn leather jacket. “Tilly will be worried.”

"Not that loud," he grumbles. Rogers stands, the motion making him dizzy, and Weaver grabs his arm to steady him. “Seems I drank a bit too much of your whiskey,” he says in apology.

“Sneaks up on you, doesn’t it?” Weaver smiles. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

Rogers squeezes the back of his neck and sways on his feet. He could have sworn his partner imbibed twice what he did. “You must have one hell of a tolerance, mate.”

Placing one hand on the desk for balance, he fishes in his jacket pocket for his keys, but his fingers close around something hard and round. He pulls it from his pocket, holding it in his open palm. A moonstone ring.

Weaver’s face drains of color when he sees the ring. “That’s mine. Wherever did you…”

“I’ve no idea.” Unthinking, he hands over the unusual gold piece. “It was in my pocket.”

“Belle.” The smile on Weaver’s face transforms his features, and he touches his cheek. He slips the ring onto his left hand as though it was made for his finger.

Rogers doesn’t know how or why, but something inexplicable has shifted between he and Weaver tonight, as though their lives are linked in ways they have yet to discover. For the first time he feels like he understands this man he calls a partner. Somehow they’ve become more than colleagues. They are friends.

“There’s a diner round the corner from our flat,” Rogers says, as they approach the office door. “Tilly and I go there sometimes for breakfast. Excellent marmalade, naturally. Meet us there tomorrow before our shift?”

Weaver nods, his footsteps lighter and happier than they’ve been in weeks. “I’d like that.”

Rogers pats his pockets and turns around, realizing he left his keys behind. “Look,” he says, motioning toward the desk.

All the marigolds from the vase have disappeared, and only the roses and peonies remain. “Belle’s flowers. It’s...bloody magic.”

“No,” Weaver says, his voice soft and filled with awe. “It’s true love."

###

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #post ep fic #rumplestiltskin x belle #rumplestiltskin #detective weaver #detective rogers #tilly #wish hook #ouat 7x18 the guardian #ouat season 7 #mqc writes #marigolds

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originalsdaily · 6 years

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THE ORIGINALS SEASON 5 - ALL THE FACTS AS OF PREMIER DAY 18TH APRIL 2018 - All ship information, TVD character cameos, new characters, flashbacks, how the show will end and other tidbits (also 'accidental’ spoilers the writers didn’t want us to see)

DISCLAIMER:

These are compilation of spoilers issued by the writers and cast themselves through social media, SDCC and text/video interviews, also IMDB listings. Please don’t read if you don’t wish to have spoilers for the upcoming season. The ‘accidental spoilers’ for the season are going to be posted under a cut, so those who want the official spoilers and wish to stay away from the other ones can do so.

Below is a summary of everything we know so far about season five. I’ve sourced where possible, though for some things there is no available source, (such as Danielle Russells instagram live video which isn’t available in it’s entirety, though I watched live and wrote down what she said as it was airing, and a photograph from Carina Mackenzie’s instagram of a draft of 502 which was not screenshotted.) At the time of posting, all tweets are active, though tweets can be removed at any point. This is up to date at time of posting, I’ve scoured and added everything I could find. If I’ve missed something out, please link me and I will add on.

For SDCC 2017 facts, I’ve simply put “SDCC” as the source. Here are links to watch the SDCC panel - (xx)

A compilation of like 97% of the bts photos are here (x)

General Season Info

The Originals season five premiers Wednesday, April 18th at 9:00 p.m and this season is the final season of the show (x) (x) The show was originally due to premier on the 20th April, but got moved from Friday to Wednesday. The show has now been on every single weeknight. (x)

The Tagline of the season is “Family, Always and Forever” (x)

Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies and Charles Michael Davis will be directing again. Joseph is to direct episode 3 “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” Charles to direct episode 6 “What, Will, I, Have, Left” and Daniel is to direct episode 10 (SDCC) (x)(x)(x)(x)

Episode titles are as follows (followed by director, writer(s) and synopsis where possible) (x):

5x01 ‘Where You Left Your Heart’ - Directed by Lance Anderson, written by Marguerite MacIntyre (x)(x)

“Desperate to see her father Klaus after seven years, Hope resorts to drastic measures to bring her father back to New Orleans. Hayley attempts to minimize the fallout from Hope's actions, but not before news of what she's done ripples through the city. Meanwhile, Freya's guilt over not being able to reunite her family gets in the way of her happiness with Keelin, while Rebekah struggles with her inability to fully commit to Marcel. Finally, struggling without Elijah by his side, Klaus' murderous rampage throughout Europe leads to an unexpected encounter with Caroline Forbes.”

5x02 ‘One Wrong Turn On Bourbon’ - Written by Carina Mackenzie (x)(x)

“When a mysterious disappearance brings Klaus back to New Orleans, Hope looks forward to the prospect of seeing her father again. However, when the dark magic that had been keeping them apart begins to manifest in dangerous ways across the city, Vincent turns to Ivy for guidance about what it may mean. Elsewhere, Marcel returns to New Orleans amidst increased tensions between the supernatural factions, while Freya makes a decision about her future with Keelin. Finally, Roman's surprise visit to the Mikaelson compound forces Hope to reveal some dark truths about her family. Josh also appears.”

5x03 'Ne Me Quitte Pas’ (Do not leave me) - Directed by Joseph Morgan (x)(x)

“In the immediate aftermath of having his memory erased by Marcel, Elijah awakens to find himself in the middle of nowhere and without a clue as to who he is. Unable to control his instinctive vampire ways, Elijah encounters Antoinette, a beautiful and free-spirited vampire, who helps him navigate his new life. However, a run-in with Klaus threatens to destroy the peace he's finally found.”

5x04 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’

5x05 'Don’t It Just Break Your Heart’

5x06 ‘What, Will, I, Have, Left” - Written by Marguerite MacIntyre, Directed by Charles Michael Davis (x)

5x07 ‘God’s Gonna Trouble The Water’ - Written by Bianca Sams & Julie Plec (x)(x)

5x08 ‘The Kindness Of Strangers’ - Written by Carina Mackenzie (x)(x)

5x09 ‘We Have Not Long To Live’

5x10 ‘There In The Disappearing Light’ - Written by Jeffery Lieber & Eva McKenna, Directed by Daniel Gillies (x)(x)

5x11 ‘Till The Day I Die’

5x12 ‘The Tale Of Two Wolves’ - Written by Carina Mackenzie (x)

5x13 ‘When the Saints Go Marching In” - Written by Jeffery Lieber & Julie Plec (x)(x)

On returning special guests:

Nate Buzolic, Claire Holt, Danielle Campbell and Sebastian Roche are all also returning for their roles as Kol, Rebekah, Davina and Mikael respectively. (x)(x)(x)

Julie said there’s a chance Cami, Finn or Jackson will appear this season. Soon after posting this, Leah Pipes was on set for one of the final episodes (x) (x)

On the Mikaelson Family:

There are “several” Hope/Elijah scenes and “a few” Rebekah/Hope scenes (Danielle’s insta live)

"This season is about the Mikaelsons trying to find a way to bring the family back together" (x)

Danielle Russell said Hope was 15 (in her insta live) and that eight years have passed, which was originally said during SDCC by Julie also. However, Julie has stated seven years elsewhere (x) (There seems to now be a general consensus 7 years has passed)

Hayley, Klaus and Hope are ‘a family’ (Danielle’s insta live)

More sister bonding for Freya and Rebekah will be in the show. (x)

Klaus’ true ship of the season is the family (x)

We can tell that a lot has changed, but as the siblings have been alive for 1000 years, it’s almost like a blink of an eye for them. (x)

Hope and Klaus have a strained relationship, despite Hayley and Freya trying very hard to keep them all close. Klaus ignored Hope over the years and Hope isn’t thrilled about it. (x) (x)

Nobody at school knows Hope is a Mikaelson. (x)

Riley describes Freya’s first love as her family. (x)

Hayley has found happiness with her new boyfriend Declan (x)

Freya is experiencing peace for the first time in her life though struggling to put herself first, she’s in love and happy, though working to bring her family back together and has also been very active in Hope’s life, working as her mentor and support system, which causes conflict with Klaus. It has also been stated that she is in her late 30′s / early 40′s but has physically aged slowly (SDCC)(x)(x)(x)

During the time jump, Klaus has gone on a murder spree (SDCC)

Hayley and Hope have a typical chaotic mother/daughter relationship and there will be ‘many’ scenes with the two of them together. During the time jump Hayley has helped Hope with school projects, focused on her personal life, and also tried to overcome her heartbreak to be strong for Hope. (SDCC) (x) (x)

Marcel will reflect on his past and how he’s managed the quarter. (x)

We see why Rebekah makes the same mistakes over and over, going deep into who she is. (x)

Klaus hasn’t been in touch in five years (x)

Klaus visits Elijah in Manosque, France and converses with him, though Elijah has no clue who he is (x)

There’s a Freya/Elijah moment in which there’s tears of happiness (x)

Hayley is not in every episode this season. Elijah will also not be in at least one episode. However, Klaus is in all. (x) (x)

We get an episode that is Elijah from start to finish. We get to see where Elijah left off in the s4 finale, and what he’s been doing in the seven years that’s passed. Julie has said she had “Being able to write a narrative for Elijah that allowed him to live an entirely different life and imagining what that life would look like was a lot of fun,” (x) (x)

Hope is aware of the kind of man her father is and what he’s done, and is annoyed he's trying to hide it from her (x)

On new characters:

Minor characters cast for the season include Nicholas Alexander as “Henry Benoit”, Alexis Louder as “Lisina”, Katie Cook as “Poppy”, Malone Thomas as “Colette”, Jamie Thomas King as “August Muller”, Kyle Jackson as “Lookie Loo”, Jason Burkey as “David”, Shiva Kalaiselvan as “Ivy”, Bella Samman & Allison Gobuzzi as “Josie & Lizzie Saltzman” (x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Several love interests have been cast for main characters. Jaime Murray has been cast as Elijah’s new love interest Antoinette - “a beautiful, “old-school” vampire who meets Elijah shortly after he loses his memories. Her flirtatious, free-spirited nature masks dark secrets about her painful past” - who will appear in episode 3. Torrance Coombs has been cast as Declan - a flirty Irish chef completely ignorant to the supernatural until Hayley introduces him to it - and he’s to be Hayley’s new love interest. He’s been described as her ‘friend with benefits’ and Hayley has been described as ‘the woman he loves’ Jedediah Goodacre has been cast as Roman - “ a charming vampire who takes an interest in Hope after a “mysterious incident” occurs at her school” - Hope’s love interest. Another love interest for Hope includes Landon, portrayed by Aria Shahghasemi - “a thoughtful, compassionate and self-aware kid from the wrong side of the tracks who catches Hope’s attention when she witnesses him being bullied by his affluent classmates,” & “desperate to escape his broken home and the small southern town in which it stands. Despite being human, Landon apparently has a shady past, and investigating it could lead him into the dangerous world of the supernatural.” - who will appear in the penultimate episode (x) (x) (x) (x) (SDCC)

A character named Margot is set to appear, described as “a “calculating” vampire, whose glory days trace all the way back to 1920s Europe. She recently moved to New Orleans, and she has an “almost zealous devotion to her family.” (x) It’s highly likely that ‘Margot’ has been renamed to ‘Greta Sienna’ and will be played by Nadine Lewington as the character descriptions are identical (x)(x)

On TVD character appearances

Candice King is set to appear in 4 episodes, 501, 506, 512 & 513, reprising her role from The Vampire Diaries as Caroline Forbes-Salvatore, Headmistress of the school Hope attends - it was also confirmed she recorded audio for a fifth episode. Matt Davis will reprise his TVD role as Alaric Saltzman in episode 512. Demetrius Bridges will also reprise his TVD role as “Dorian Williams” 501 at least (x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Stefan Salvatore mentions are possible. And due to a bts photograph of stand ins that have hair unmistakably like that of Stefan, it’s almost certain he will appear along with his brother Damon. (x) (x) (Though in an interview, Paul has said he likely wont cameo, which means that the stand in’s may simply be filmed from the back to represent the Salvatore’s, though their faces and voices wont be appearing)

Regarding Flashbacks:

Summer Fontana will return as Hope in flashbacks as we see her struggle with her magic as she grows older. (x) (x) ( Also confirmed by Danielle Russell in her insta live when she said she met Summer on set)

There’ll be a flashback to 1x22 show how Hope got her name (x) (further evidenced by this photo of Phoebe on set wearing her 1x22 post-birth costume)

On the final episode:

In the finale there’ll be a bench scene between Elijah and Klaus similar to the one in the first episode (x)

When asked about the finale, Joseph said “The family doesn’t all sail off together into the sunset. There is hope there, there is definitely some sort of peace for everyone. It’s very emotional.” (x)

One of Julie’s regrets is that there was never a full scene on why Elijah believed Klaus had dropped the family into the ocean, though it is touched upon in the finale. (x)

Julie says there’s no character who had their ending planned from day one (x)

The show probably won’t get a happy ending and it’s possible that the final words of the show may end up being the iconic “always and forever” (SDCC) (x) (Danielle said in her insta live that she believes the finale ties a lot of things together)

On Vincent:

It’s confirmed Vincent will be given a love interest and has just been carrying on with ‘business as usual’ in New Orleans, he’s been maintaining the stability of the city. He’s comfortable but vigilant. (SDCC) (x)

He is managing the quarter, restoring peace and calm (with a little help from Freya) (x)

On Hope / Roman

Roman and Hope is described as “Complicated but really interesting” (Danielle’s insta live)

Roman appears to be the only person who knows Hope is a Mikaelson, it’s unknown if he’s always been aware or is new to the fact. (x)

On Freya / Keelin

Freya and Keelin have a love that runs deep but they’ll hit hurdles along the way (x)

Freya is ‘so in love with’ Keelin - “Keelin definitely wants her to put herself first, and it’s just really hard for Freya. But I think you’ll start to see that transition a little bit, where she starts kind of considering, you know, ‘This is what’s best, and my family understands, and that doesn’t tear us apart.’ - Riley (x)

Keelin has been spending time with Doctors Without Borders, in the Middle East (currently in Lebanon) and is often away from New Orleans; Freya astral projects to her. They spend a lot of time apart, as Freya doesn’t want to leave the city till her family are reunited, this gets to Keelin. Keelin wants to spend the rest of her life with Freya, but wants to explore their relationship when Freya isn’t as connected to her family. Freya fears she’ll lose Keelin if she doesn’t join her in Lebanon. (x)

On Hayley / Elijah -

Elijah and Hayley will have a conversation about their past, future, regrets and dreams and their relationship this season is described as “equal love and pain” in regards to them, though Julie hopes the two will find peace in eternity together (x) (x) (SDCC)

Hayley & Elijah will appear in Mystic Falls during the season (x)(x)

On Marcel / Rebekah -

Marcel and Rebekah have remained in New York over the time jump, Charles joked they were ‘catching broadway shows’ and couldn’t get tickets to see Hamilton (SDCC)

They have a penthouse in New York, and they’re doing ‘pretty good’, coping well with the Mikaelson separation, though Rebekah does get upset and it sometimes causes tension. (x)

On Kol / Davina -

Kol and Davina are married in season 5, the wedding happened in the time jump. Nate described their relationship this season as “The struggle that comes into play is now that he has this responsibility to his wife, he also has this struggle with his family. And I guess as he tries to separate from the family, his family tries to drag him back in. It becomes a bit of a struggle between wife and family.” (x)

On Klaus / Caroline -

Caroline and Klaus will have three scenes together in 501. She will be there to call Klaus out on his shit. Caroline also has at least one scene with Klaus in the season finale in New Orleans. (SDCC) (x)

Julie say’s that they don’t collide and get a happy ending - because she thinks their relationship is more mature than that. In the same interview Joseph is satisfied with how the characters leave off, and he hopes the way it’s done will pay tribute to the fans and their devotion, but warns that not everyone will be happy. (x)

According to Candice, Julie has always had a ‘clear idea’ of what she wanted from Klaus and Caroline together, and the final season of The Originals gives life to that. (x)

Misc info:

The Hollow will remain a prominent enemy in the season, but there’ll be another big bad to contend with. “The Big Bad this year is launched from an ideology more so than one singular person’s nefarious desire, It’s an ideology that was spawned almost a century ago, a movement that has been simmering and stewing over that century. It does have a personal connection to the Mikaelson family, but it also has a thematic resonance that is very timely.” (x)

Every year, Josh, Freya, Vincent and Hayley prep for Mardi Gras together (x)

Julie promises a ‘sliver’ of hope for Klaus and Cami fans (x)

Don’t expect a friendship between Caroline’s twins and Hope, it seems that the age gap isn’t workable for the three witches to become friends. (x) (x)

New Orleans has been at peace without Klaus (x) (x)

The werewolves still have their upgraded power, as Hayley and Jackson kept their vows until he died, and the werewolves will be included more this season (x)(x)

Caroline and Freya don’t have scenes together (x)

Caroline will also have a scene with Josh in 501 (SDCC)

Julie scripted a wolf!Klaus scene but it was cut (x)

UNDER THE CUT ARE THE ‘ACCIDENTAL SPOILERS’ FROM THE WRITERS ROOM. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED BEYOND WHAT THE WRITERS HAVE OFFICIALLY CLEARED

These are the ‘accidental spoilers’ - spoilers that were leaked by the writers unintentionally and the photograph which revealed them was quickly deleted. These have been put under the cut so those who do not wish to view them do not have to.

This was posted by the new showrunner Jeff Lieber, the storyboard is from episode 507 - it was promptly deleted

As the image is hard to read, I’ll decode it down here;

Hayley dies in 5x06, she burns to death. Klaus tries to save her but is unable to as someone stops him. Elijah watches her death.

Elijah’s memory returns.

Someone (possibly Margot due to the last letter of the name being ‘T’ and she is the only character with a name ending in ‘T’) knows Hope could be the ‘Ruin or Salvation’ of New Orleans.

Margot is killed to protect Hope (Which furthers the theory that she knows Hope could ruin NOLA and may have tried to stop her)

Vincent is on the outs with Klaus and Freya

Keelin is pregnant - judging by the comment “Freya/Keelin resolution” it could be assumed that Freya is unhappy about the situation

Marcel and Davina reunite, and Elijah is going to help Davina with a problem.

There’s a flashback in 507 -which is presumably the 1x22 flashback that Julie has all but confirmed is where Hope’s name is decided upon (due to the nature of the flashback and the episode in which it takes place in, one can assume that Klaus is telling Hope how she got her name in an attempt to comfort her) (also see this post here explaining how people came to the conclusion that the flashback is set in 1x22)

Hope goes missing and is searched for by Klaus and Caroline

Hayley’s funeral is in 5x07, Klaus speaks at her funeral. On the board there are several points questioning the kind of funeral Hayley will have, a second line typical of new orleans, or a crescent ceremony in the bayou -judging by info from fans who watched filming in Conyers (from videos that have now been deleted) - there was a second line funeral parade filmed meaning Hayley probably doesn’t get a Crescent ceremony.

Hope is angered by Hayley’s ‘calm funeral’ and is to make a ‘big move’ at the end of the episode.

#the originals #toedit #original groupies #the vampire diaries #to #tos5

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vinyloftheyear-blog · 6 years

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Vinyl of the Year 2017

It’s that time of year once again for a music recap! I know I’ve pretty much abandoned the “First Impressions” thing, but I realized that I prefer to let my opinions ferment for some time and serve them up all at once at the end of the year, so that’s what I’ll be doing instead from now on--and in lieu of those posts being reminders of what albums I like, I made a “Best of 2017” playlist out of selected songs from my favorite records of the year. You can listen to it here on Google Play.

I’ve done my album rankings a bit differently this year as well: I’ve compiled a Short List of every album that had at least one song I liked on it, and I’ll be going through all of them one at a time, getting a bit more descriptive the higher up the list I go.

Here’s the Short List, sorted roughly by release date:

And without any further introduction, let’s do this!

36. Joji - In Tongues EP

Joji is George Miller aka Filthy Frank aka Pink Guy’s moniker for more-serious music, and his record debut is a collection of mellow, lo-fi beats with some shallow lyrics on top. I like some of the sounds on here, especially the ukulele sampling on Worldstar Money, but overall this just sounds like any other amateur lo-fi artist on SoundCloud.

35. Electric Guest - Plural

Electric Guest’s second album features more indie-pop tunes, most of which are completely forgettable in the sea of similar music--but Oh Devil and Back For Me are a couple of rare exceptions that return with the magic and groove of their much-better first record.

34. XXXTENTACION - 17

After hearing about how X seriously abused his ex-girlfriend, I pretty much gave up on liking him and instead hope his mental health improves. The 20-minute album he released is mostly some super-low-effort “I’m depressed” music, but the one stand-out track is Jocelyn Flores, and that’s much more thanks to the potsu song it heavily samples. So at least I can thank X for introducing me to potsu before I never listen to him again.

33. Migos - CULTURE

The Atlanta trap trio climbed to the top of the game with this album, and Bad and Boujee will be remembered for a long time for popularizing their flow and production style (provided by Metro Boomin), for better or worse. T-Shirt is another catchy track with a wonderfully unique flow throughout, but the album pretty much drops off after that for me.

32. SZA - Ctrl

SZA’s debut full-length album is critically acclaimed as a soulful and personal take on modern urban romance and the role she takes in it. I can appreciate the album for that, but it’s not really a concept that I can connect with personally, so this album doesn’t stick with me like it did others. However, the songs with more blatant concepts like The Weekend and Doves in the Wind are more replayable--especially the latter, with its hilarious Kendrick Lamar feature.

31. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me

I really think this album should be labeled ‘FOR EMOTIONAL EMERGENCIES ONLY’. As the listener, you are taken through what is effectively just cathartic music-therapy for Phil Elverum after the very recent death of his wife, Genevieve. No deepy-contemplated lyrics or music here, just somber mostly-guitar ballads with very straightforward “lyrics” on top about his personal thoughts on various aspects of his life now that she is gone. It’s hardly music, but it’s not for the faint of heart--the first song, Real Death, however, is a good summary of the album’s aesthetic for those who don’t want to sob for 40 minutes.

30. Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

OME is very hit-or-miss in my opinion: he is capable of some excellent flows and lyricism, and can really knock it out of the park with the right production behind him. This album didn’t completely hit--it was mostly too slow, and I admittedly don’t like it when he sings sometimes--but Tldr (Smithing) and Brick Body Complex both had enough of a driving beat to keep me listening.

29. Pink Guy - Pink Season

I was honestly surprised when the In Tongues EP came out that it didn’t have production nearly as good as Pink Season’s: regardless of whatever offensive thing he raps on top, Pink Guy has several solid beats on this album, especially in the food-based songs where the raps are more typical and less off-the-wall raunchy. Adding a few comedic diamonds in the rough, like She’s So Nice and Small Dick, makes the album worth coming back to every so often.

28. The Shins - Heartworms

The Shins have really carved out their own bubbly-indie-rock niche in music and made themselves comfortable, and Heartworms is no departure from that in the slightest. The result is an album that’s both easy to enjoy but hard to really celebrate. A few stand-out tracks are Rubber Ballz, Name For You, and Mildenhall, which each have a slightly different tone, but belong well within the Shins’ signature aesthetic.

27. Portugal. The Man - Woodstock

It must have been one hell of a year for PTM since they’ve gone from a lesser-known indie-rock group to Top 40 hitmakers, since it’s been weird to hear Feel It Still on the radio even as a fan of theirs. Besides that song and a couple others though, Woodstock just feels like a more popped-up and watered-down version of the slightly-less popped-up and watered-down Portugal that I grew to like when Evil Friends released.

26. Alt-J - RELAXER

The indie-rock powerhouse returned this year with a woefully underwhelming third album, stuffed with nicely-composed but lullaby-worthy tracks following in the wake of the more ambient sounds from their second record. In Cold Blood is by and large the standout track, bringing back the punchy rock feel and dynamic shifts that made An Awesome Wave so catchy and groundbreaking. Deadcrush also lends to this with its tough drum beat, but beyond that, a strange and ill-fitting attempt at garage-rock, and a much gentler cover of House of the Rising Sun, this album can be missed with no regrets, even for an Alt-J fan.

25. San Fermin - Belong

The eight-piece baroque-pop outfit came to my attention when opening for Alt-J live, and their infectious stage presence and unique ensemble led me to find their studio recordings, which were good in concept but unfortunately poorly-mixed for the most part. Their newest record, however, seems to be mixed and recorded much better, with songs like Dead and Cairo bringing that live energy properly into my earphones. Many tracks are good enough but a bit poppy and smooth for my taste, like Belong, but overall this is a great album for anybody who wants more horns and violins in their pop music.

24. N.E.R.D. - NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES

N.E.R.D. finally explains their name on their latest album, which still brings the experimental genre-mixing hip-hop that got them their initial fame, but the experiments seem to be overcooked a bit: there are some interesting samples and beats here, even going so far as combining an 80s new wave style beat with a Future feature on 1000, but most of the songs drag the beats out too long for me to stay interested. Lemon is an exceptional standout track, with one of the bounciest beats of the whole year, and Rihanna with an unprecedented rap feature.

23. Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog

The New York indie-rocker popularized his own “slacker rock” genre with his excellent album Salad Days, and This Old Dog proves that Mac is still the master of his own domain. He branches out his song foundations on this record to include acoustic guitar and piano, among other things, but maintains the psychedelic guitars and wavy synths that characterize his style. His lyrics also get more somber and personal than usual, a rare side to Mac’s music that slows it down a bit too much for my liking, but not enough that this album should be ignored.

22. Gorillaz - Humanz

Pretty much all of the singles from Humanz were great examples of genre-defying instrumentals with fitting rap features on top--Vince Staples does an awesome job on Ascension, DRAM gives Andromeda a nice bit of depth, and Let Me Out is a wonderful gospel-rap-fusion track with Pusha T and Mavis Staples (and the album’s De La Soul and Danny Brown features are good too). Unfortunately, the rest of the album is overloaded with production so all-over-the-place you can never stay immersed for more than a little while before you’re either bored or confused.

21. Smino - blkswn

The underground St. Louis rapper’s debut album is full of wavy beats that have a neo-R&B feel to them, similar to Chance the Rapper or Noname’s recent work, and flows in his own slightly-off-kilter sometimes-singing-sometimes rapping style. The whole album is definitely worth a listen, but most of the tracks are a little too off-balance in their beats and rhythms to really stick; the flow overtakes the underlying rhythm and makes it sound messy. Some tracks, however, like Blkoscars, Innamission, and Spitshine, strike a much better balance--and the soulful final track Amphetamine makes a wonderful closer, especially with Noname’s feature.

20. Vallis Alps - Fable EP

The Australian electropop duo released another EP that is wonderful in every sense of the word, with the only true crime being its short length. As with their self-titled EP, Fable is loaded with glittering synths and Parissa Tosif’s beautifully-airy voice on the high end, with driving percussion in varying amounts to balance it out and change the tone. Sometimes the composition is a little samey, like the repetitive chords in East and Fading, but that doesn’t stop me from coming back.

19. Lorde - Melodrama

Lorde needs no introduction at this point, and her newest album chronicling a relationship and subsequent breakup brings more of her personal side out, which is a welcome change--but the tone of the album is much more poppy, and most of Lorde’s characteristic darkness is washed out. Tracks like Homemade Dynamite and The Louvre show how the production behind her has improved and diversified, filling in the gaps in her old minimalist music quite nicely, but it is a balance that not a lot of the album strikes.

18. Foster the People - Sacred Hearts Club

Foster the People went much more electronic for their newest installment, bringing to the front lines what was once just some background effects. In many ways the change is great for the dancey energy of the band’s music, like in Doing It For the Money and Pay the Man, but other times it just makes the songs less interesting. The rare punk-rock track Lotus Eater also brings the band’s typical energy with a welcome new style that I hope to see more of in future albums.

17. Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, James McAlister - Planetarium

Stories of eponymous Roman myths with Sufjan’s poetic twist are sung through several effects on top of grandiose and often-overwhelming production throughout this technically-huge album. The main setback of this record is its length and overindulgence in its composition, like a musical all-you-can-eat that just keeps coming (and it’s a slight thorn in my side that the track order seems meaningless). In moderate doses though, tracks like Jupiter and Mars serve up lots of beautiful soundscapes with interesting dynamic shifts throughout.

16. 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, Offset - Without Warning

The back end of 2017 saw the release of several collaboration albums between various trap artists and producers--and this surprise Halloween-themed album is the only one worth coming back to. Metro Boomin provides beats that are as spooky as they are sticky for 21 Savage to rap on, but Offset is the true star of the album, bringing crazy flows that amplify the groove of the whole record, especially on Ric Flair Drip and Ghostface Killers.

15. Tame Impala - Currents B-sides & Remixes

The remixes on this album are okay, but it mostly has this rank because of its bonus material from my 2015 Vinyl of the Year. The three tracks sound from a time between Lonerism and Currents, where real drum beats dominate the driving percussion but synth leads take over the instrumental. List of People (To Try and Forget About) and Taxi’s Here are both excellent tracks that are better than some that actually made it to the real Currents, but I’m happy they hold their own separately, too.

14. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up

Fleet Foxes continuously push the boundaries of folk music to new heights, and this album is no different, featuring an impressive amount of dynamic switches (especially in I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar), strange time signatures, and of course the characteristically-angelic harmonies and ambient guitars. Third of May / Ōdaigahara is the best blend of complexity and accessibility that Fleet Foxes has yet produced, with the rest of the album leaning a bit heavy toward the former, but I’m excited to see what they’ll do next.

13. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy

The ex-Fleet Fox brings another dose of well-composed irony to the record press, this time focusing the negative energy of Americans everywhere in 2017 into a concentrated mass of pure sarcastic cynicism. The theatrical compositions Father John is known for get even better on this record as he places it in the modern age by singing about having VR-sex with Taylor Swift and updating his status one last time before dying. The result is a wonderfully relatable and over-the-top message about the folly of man and just how funny it can all be sometimes.

12. Jaden Smith - SYRE

I still can’t take Jaden seriously after this album came out, but the production on it is so good it makes me almost wish I could. Lido’s beats and instruments, especially in the opening medley BLUE, are impressive enough that they bring up the album quality by themselves, and while Jaden’s lyrics range from platitudinous to cheesy to insane, his flow is usually a pretty good fit with the beats, so not all is lost--though he could stand to use the triplet-style a little less.

11. Richard Dawson - Peasant

If Lord of the Rings is high fantasy and Game of Thrones is gritty low fantasy, then Peasant is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Dawson’s folk songs each discuss a different story from 6th-century Britain, most dealing with brutal subjects like a child prostitute or a poor beggar losing his dog. The compositions are also period-authentic with amazingly erratic guitar work and some modern production scattered throughout, for a wonderfully unique and just-accessible-enough blend of old and new.

And now, on to the Top 10!

10. The National - Sleep Well Beast

I heard rumors that this album would be more electronic before it came out, and I was hoping for more of a 22, A Million-type situation combined with Matt Berninger’s characteristically deep and smooth vocals. That did not happen (yet) but this album is still a great addition to the National’s catalogue, bringing their downtempo slow-burners like Guilty Party alongside more traditional tracks like Day I Die--a welcome change from their slightly-too-mellow previous record. The National also had their own foray into faster rock music with Turtleneck, which gives the album a nice dynamic change.

9. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

Quick disclaimer: I have yet to listen to Vince’s earlier and more-acclaimed album Summertime ‘06, so I can’t really discuss comparisons to it--but in a vacuum, Big Fish Theory is a grimy, groovy rap record in all the right places. Dirty industrial beats carry Vince’s top-notch flow while he raps about darker perspectives on fame and his current position. A lot of tracks are repetitive--sometimes making the song catchier and increasing overall bump-ability, other times dragging it out into a monotone--but both are seemingly by design, which shows that the producers really know their stuff, though I hope that Vince branches his sound out somewhat in his next (or previous) records.

8. Sampha - Process

This album is a real masterpiece of electrosoul: lyrically founded on Sampha’s personal struggles and tragedies, and musically ranging between punchy drums and soulful piano, the one-of-a-kind compositions on this album are still seriously impressive, and vary enough that there’s something for everyone to enjoy, from the trap-head to the chorus singer. What’s more, the production fits the mood of each song to the point where you’re joining Sampha on his cathartic journey across the record--and that immersion only makes Process more memorable.

7. Rapsody - Laila’s Wisdom

Rapsody entered my radar with her features on To Pimp A Butterfly and Malibu, and I’ve been waiting for a project from her ever since--and now that it’s here, it satisfies pretty much every expectation I had. The raps are personal and candid but also inspirational and confident, showing how Rapsody lets her past strengthen her present. She also hosts a huge variety of features that all fit very well where they’re placed, including a strong verse from Kendrick Lamar, a couple of choruses from Anderson .Paak, and a slightly-discomforting love rap from Busta Rhymes. The production is also top-notch, making great use of tempo shifts, sampling, and sound effect transitions. The thing that keeps me from really bouncing to these tracks though is Rapsody’s casual, off-tempo flow--it’s enough to make the raps sound more genuine but it also throws off their rhythm. That’s a small gripe for an overall-solid project, though.

6. Everything Everything - A Fever Dream

One of my favorite indie rock bands released their fourth album this year, and it did not disappoint. Like their past records that have a loose theme, this one roughly revolves around the crazy society that seems to have developed in the past year or so (as a lot of music this year also focuses on). Unlike their past records, however, the quality seems to be more in the slow-burner tracks than the energetic ones, which are seemingly more under-written than ever. That isn’t to say I don’t like them, though--the louder songs really punch with amped-up guitars, a driving rhythm section, and the band’s characteristically choral vocals. However, the mellower tracks have much more interesting and introspective lyrics, as well as instrumentals that are unique to the group’s discography and make for a unique tone in each song.

5. Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time

There isn’t a lot about this album that really breaks any molds, or pushes any boundaries--it’s just a very, very solid rap project. The production is some of the best on any album this year, and most of it is done by Big K.R.I.T. himself, and his flows are marvelous whenever he raps. Tracks like Subenstein and Big Bank bring the hard beats on the first disc of the double-album without being overbearing, and the second disc has more melodic tracks like Miss Georgia Fornia (with some excellent vocals from Joi) and Bury Me in Gold (a wholesome wrap-up for the whole project). 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time is a mighty long album, though, so anyone listening might want to split it up into its two discs so they’re not too tired of it before it’s even finished (both are self-titled, the first his rap name, the second his real name). Oh, and the two skits are both hilarious.

4. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

The legend returned this year with an album that is equal parts evocative and enigmatic. Ignoring the lyrics/narrative for a moment, the production is very different from any prior project of Kendrick’s: he brings in instrumentals founded on guitars, ambient and/or erratic samples, and even U2, with the vocal effects varying across the album, matching Kendrick’s own vocal virtuosity. He even tries singing a few times, which is more fitting on some tracks than others. Lyrically, it feels like Kendrick is also getting more repetitive, but he uses that repetition to his supreme advantage when conveying ideas he wants to stick in your head, like his feelings of anxiety with fame and his worst fears throughout his life. The album’s narrative also takes different directions depending on how you listen, which is an amazing feature of this album that shows Kung-fu Kenny’s genius storytelling once again and reminds everyone why he’s staying on top.

3. BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION trilogy

Out of nowhere, this fourteen-person boyband collective hailing mostly from Texas saturated rap music with three full-length albums in the past six months, and they’re all insanely good. Mostly produced by Romil Hemnani, the instrumentals are incredibly eclectic and use an insanely wide variety of sounds, drums, and effects, that somehow blend really well together into a solid beat. Each of the rapping members of the group then use that beat to its maximum potential with their own characteristic style, akin to boybands of the past: Kevin Abstract gets passionate about his homosexuality and leads the group, Ameer Vann discusses his drug-dealing past to solidify his tough-guy persona, Dom McLennon brings fast, rhythmic, and candid bars, Matt Champion raps with infectious confidence and bravado, Merlyn Wood adds a not-usually-serious energy to the mix, and JOBA is a wild-card that can go from singing beautiful harmonies on one track to screaming about breaking necks on the next. I am confident that this type of prolific, eclectic, and personalized rap is where the genre is headed, especially now that this group is around, and I can’t wait for their next album--already slated for early 2018.

(The albums themselves are pretty similar, but I would rank them 2, 3, 1 (descending), which is really just based on the number of less-memorable tracks they have.)

2. Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$

Lots of musicians had their take on the current events of the past year or so, but I don’t think anybody had a political message that was as focused, thought-out, and powerful as Joey Bada$$ did on this album. For starters, the instrumentals are really immersive, with triumphant horn sections and choirs leading some of the more confident tracks and grimy samples backing the more passionate and angry beats--and it’s all mixed pretty much perfectly, leading to a combination that keeps you moving to the beat. On top of the stellar production, Joey raps about what it’s like to be a black man in modern America, taking perspectives on fear of the police, gang violence, and hatred of the current government, all with the incredible rhyme schemes and flow that he is known for, even singing a few of the choruses pretty well. The overall theme is a duality between anger and disappointment at the current system and an inspiring call to action to improve the future, which is a large chunk of why I think this album is both firmly rooted in the present and timeless in its quality.

1. Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy

Tyler has always been one of my favorite rappers in the abstract, with his lyrical schemes, unpolished production, and unconventional narratives being the driving force behind his work--but Flower Boy is a newer, more mature Tyler than the one that’s been heard before. Both his lyrics and his production have stepped up so much on this album that it’s hard to even believe it was all done by Tyler himself. The lyrics are incredibly candid and rooted in Tyler’s own anxieties about fame, friends, and relationships, with his uniquely dynamic, almost chaotic rhyme schemes adding to the fittingly-awkward aesthetic of the lyrics. The production is also butter-smooth and usually based on laid-back, jazz-like piano or psychedelic guitar chords, with soulful vocal performances from Tyler, Frank Ocean, Rex Orange County, and Estelle to name a few--all of this culminating in a sound that’s just as much chill psychedelic rock as much as it is hip-hop. Tyler’s talent and maturity have really bloomed with this album, and its message connected with me personally: in a year that was filled with worries, loneliness, and shifting friendships, I could put this on and find peace in the moment--and that is why Flower Boy is my Vinyl of the Year for 2017.

That about wraps it up! If you liked what you read and are interested in any of these albums, remember you can listen to most of the music I just talked about in my Best of 2017 playlist. I’ll see you again this time next year with another playlist, countdown, and Vinyl of the Year.

Thanks for reading, and happy listening!

#vinyloftheyear #VotY2017

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qualitytacolover · 4 years

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16 stunning bright red hair colors

New Post has been published on https://www.easypromhairstyles.com/16-stunning-bright-red-hair-colors.html

16 stunning bright red hair colors

A bright red hair color is an ultra-warm and intense red shade that is dyed on the hair in the form of highlights, an ombre, a dip dye or a full solid shade. Warning: this is not for weak hearts!

Fiery tones of red hair have seen their revival this season, as is famous on celebrity divas Christina Hendricks, Chloe Dykstra and Jennifer Morrison. All boundaries are broken when it comes to how extremely lively you can be with your curls, and everyone gets moving!

Tennessee hair artist Josh Boynton presents his hottest ruby hair creations on his lining, and there's only one thing to say: it's pure perfection. From mermaid waves to slim and straight, bobs to waist lengths, bright red tones prove that you can never be too bright with red!

But of course, with great results comes great responsibility. Use color-safe products, wash with cold water and follow the advice of your trusted colorist religiously. Do this and you will surely turn your head for a long time!

Ready to set your look on fire? Get started now by taking a look at these trendiest examples of bright red hair colors!

Light long red hair

How would you describe this look?

Every time I see this beautiful hair tip, I can only think of the iconic hibiscus flower. Fashion / vibrant color is 100% a passion of mine. I've been making this guest's hair for some time now, but the first time I dyed her hair it was a pretty vigorous color correction that went from adult to old color / blonde!

Every time I make color, whether it's a fashion or natural color, I love to add dimension and depth to the hair. If you can't tell from checking out my Instagram page, I'm a big fan of bright vivid reds. Fashion / vibrant colors will always have a special place in my heart, but I'm having fun adding a more modern and trendy twist to it.

Of course, the haircut plays a crucial role in the overall look, including the effects on the color. Having these soft long layers, but then breaking up really soft by adding texture and bringing even more dimension to what is so important to me. Everything in terms of color, cut and style should be coherent so that the beginning and the end complement each other.

Any advice for someone considering it?

Although this is my expertise, I would not recommend this service to everyone. It is definitely a lifestyle. The reality of this color is that it's high maintenance, so the first thing you should always do before making an appointment to book this type of service (if you've never had a fashion color) is for one To come in consultation with your stylist.

Once you've decided that this is something you want to go forward with (awesome!), Just keep in mind that when you leave the salon, your job is not done. It is imperative that you have professional products (shampoo, conditioner, styling products) at home that will help prolong the longevity of your color and maintain the integrity of hair health.

Do little things like washing your hair in cold water and maybe not heat styling it so much is always helpful. It's just one of those things – if you're at a point where you would have fun and exciting hair, I absolutely think that everyone should at least try. Make sure you do your research. Let me tell you it's worth it!

Light copper bob

How would you describe this look?

I love this color and cut combination. We wanted to create a dull bob look that looks good even with beach waves. I created waves with styling iron and salt spray. Dark copper roots with lighter copper teasy lights add dimension to the hair and make it look thicker than it actually is. Red copper tones also look super good with customers light skin tones.

Any advice for someone considering it?

This bright red haircut is perfect for someone struggling with thin hair. Styling with sea salt or powder spray increases the volume of the hair and makes it look fuller if you style it with waves or just keep the hair straight.

Hot copper tones look good, someone with a light skin tone. The important thing is to find the right shade of copper for customers complexion and style. Copper tones make hair look shiny and healthier. If the customer wants to be brave and turn his head, this look is great for them.

Light red violet

How would you describe this look?

For this look, I first applied a dark red base and balayaged the lighter red throughout the hair, so thin pieces of the darker base color went through the ends for a small dimension. The cut is a long layered cut with an angled front and bangs. To style, I always apply a leave-in conditioner before blow-drying and then dry the hair with a round brush. Next I sprayed a light layer of hairspray and then waved it with a 1-in curling iron. I sprayed the hair with a shine spray and used a paddle brush to gently brush through the curls.

Any advice for someone considering it?

Follow the correct follow-up instructions and be prepared for regular maintenance. Bright red is one of those colors that can fade very quickly without proper care. You should use professional color care shampoo, wash in cold water and not wash every day. I tell my customers, the longer you can walk between shampoos, the better. If you visit the beach, lake or pool frequently, this may not be a color that suits your lifestyle.

Faded bright red

Pomegranate is as sweet a fruit as a hair color! The straight locks further enhanced the dyeing technique.

How would you describe this look?

This color was a true definition of ruby. It was deep, but it was light! Of course, this customer has very fine, curly hair. This sleek, straight style was so silky compared to where it started! I would like to show the before. You will really appreciate this artwork!

My favorite was the seamless mix. I could have divided her hair into any section and there would never be a mistake!

Any advice for someone considering it?

Entertains! Every red is an obligation. Without proper take-away products, your color will never stand a chance. Red is difficult to remove and difficult to hold all at once. With every consultation I always consider my canvas before I ask my client about her lifestyle. If hair is not healthy, it can make red really stick to porous hair and process and fade differently.

Having healthy hair is an important key to vibrant colors. It can go south very quickly. The longevity of their color and fading is just as important for the day of their color. Education for customers will keep money in their pockets and smile on their faces!

Speaking of faces, I think skin tone is very important when you choose red as your color choice. I have a lot of women sitting on my chair with very red cheeks. Red hair, against red skin, can be a terrible combination.

Bright ginger pixie

With all the apparently bad things associated with orange locks, this just proves that they're all wrong. The copper with light ginger hair color is an extravagant statement for anyone who judges any ginger heads.

How would you describe this look?

This look is liberating – with a true ambience of a femme fatale. I mean, look at them! She shines in copper charm, shows her beautiful facial features and does not hide from anything or anyone!

This cut was made by me for my beautiful, evil and inspiring boss Lady Annette (@annetteluxe). She is a very daring but fabulous woman and she needed a change right now. We dared to convert them from a long platinum pixie to this shortened ginger cut.

It's so hard to name my favorite thing about this look – maybe it's the way it just looks so light and is capable of anything that really gets me. If I saw her walking on the street, I would probably be both intimidated and intrigued.

Any advice for someone considering it?

Short hair is like that at the moment. Having a pixie is both low and high waiting. Low maintenance in the sense that you just wake up, style in a little texturing paste, and go.

However, such a short haircut would require a shape at least every 4 weeks. As for the color, copper is beautiful and one of my favorites, but is also high maintenance and would require a semi-permanent shine to look refreshing no less than every 4 weeks.

Pixies are so versatile, funny, sexy and elegant. I think practically any face shape can pull it off with styling and shape of the cut because there are so many creative and courteous pixie cuts. If you've always wanted to do something bold and spicy with your hair, do it.

Light magenta

Pretty in pink just came into town! This bright red balayage has been made very tastefully to protect the roots from the color, but not that it is completely separated from all of the vibrancy.

How would you describe this look?

This beautiful magenta hair color and cut was done by Gill Kolkman, a team member at the Washington House Salon in Innisfil, Ontario Canada!

Owner and stylist Cecile Washington had this to say about this look. This look is fun, funky and fresh! Our favorite thing about this look is how brave it is. This magenta ombré can be worn straight or with a nice soft wave to accentuate the beautiful root extension and graded layering when it comes to the cut.

Any advice for someone considering it?

If you're considering a bold, vibrant color like magenta, be ready for some maintenance. We recommend refreshing the tone every 4 weeks. At home care would be washing your hair with cold water and with color protection shampoos and conditioners.

If you live a busy lifestyle and cannot commit to maintenance, this is not the choice for you. But there are definitely plenty of fun options out there for you!

Poppy red to light brown

Cherry caramel combo with highlights? Delicious! You wear in long wavy curls? Outstanding!

How would you describe this look?

This formulation went from an all over poppy red to a deeper base, with the new growth merging into a nice balayage blend. This could certainly be a strawberry and cream formula. We didn't make our foilyage too difficult. We still wanted to see all the great play of colors in contrast.

Her cut leaves the hair away from the face. Long, round layers give us bouncy, touchable movement, and it's a great cut for more petite face shapes that are long.

The best part of this formula is its wealth. As a red head you are always looking for wealth, fun, reflection!

Any advice for someone considering it?

My red-haired conversation with my guests never looks at home maintenance and care, but luckily Lanza Healing Color is known for Color Attach System Technology. Our colors hold and hold and you will never see a more vibrant redhead come in for a refreshing one!

My guests use Color Guard to protect them from fading from water before and after showering. They use color care shampoo and conditioners, and we're discussing the importance of keeping our shampoo and style going longer by being proactive with the right style products.

Being red in the head always requires some maintenance, and you'll also want to consider whether you might have a change of heart and change your color on the street. Any kind of drastic color change can be stressful for your locks.

If a feisty red suits your personality and you can get your color update formulas to work for you instead of against you when it comes to tanning your reds, you can enjoy bright reds over and over again.

Curly red hair

Have a night and paint the city red! These glorious bright red curls can be seen all over the world.

How would you describe this look?

What I love about this look is how heavy but still portable it is! This is about as real copper red as you can achieve with permanent hair color, and the cut is a separate pixie! By separating, we cut everything below, about two inches above and below the ear, shorter.

We decided to disconnect because it allows the curls to meet more organically, but gives the illusion that it's not shorter below. This is my preferred way of cutting short hair to keep the shape very feminine with one edge!

Any advice for someone considering it?

I would talk about this color first as it can be more of a maintain than a more natural tone. We would talk about home care and what kind of color care products they would need to add to their routing. I prefer Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner for home care followed by Redken One United Leave-in.

I would then ask about the haircut, how do you feel with the display, your ears, your neck? – to ensure that they are comfortable with this style. An elongated neck, oval to heart-shaped face, and confidence will best wear this cut!

Next I would ask her what her hair regime looks like at home and explain that this is actually very easy as long as you use suitable products to use the curl and keep the curl at bay. We used the Redken curve line, starting with the ringlet gel for hold and the curl refiner cream for a soft finish. This will help with all crunchy after effects from the gel. We dried with the Sam Villa artist series dryer and diffuser nozzle for curly hair. As soon as it was dry, we finished with a half inch curling iron and wrapped all the rotten curls around to define extra.

Bright red highlights in brown hair

A delicious mix of strawberry, ginger and reddish brown tones. These bright red highlights combine dimension with layered hair.

How would you describe this look?

This was an existing balayage that I had done for my guest in a previous service. She wanted something different and fun without lightening her hair or compromising it. It is also a color that we can easily adjust again.

I used Pulp Riots Faction 8 boosters in their red (-66) orange (-44) and yellow (-22). I simply took an inch of randomized cut and applied color to saturate the center and ends. Then I feathered myself to mix like in a traditional balayage.

After processing, I cut them with softly textured layers not only to lighten their thick hair, but to show all the colors when they are styled. I then styled them with smoothing cream and took one inch sections to curl with a 1 1/4 curling iron. Once done, I used a wide tooth comb to break up the curls and then sprayed it with a medium hold hairspray.

Any advice for someone considering it?

For guests who want to go the red route, keep in mind that it is one of the tougher colors you need to keep in your hair and requires a lot of maintenance at home.

You need to use professional color safe and sulfate free products such as shampoo, conditioner, etc. Also, you need to keep shampooing a maximum of twice, and if you do, use cold / cool water. Warming tools for styling must also be on low heat.

Everyone can turn red when it comes to portability! Whether it's a fire truck red to a chocolate cherry, an all-over color, or just a few pops, everyone can wear it, just do it!

Ruby red

Go for the gold, or in this case, ruby! The rose glitters so vividly and goes so well with your long, silky hair.

Shoulder length bright auburn

Maroon for autumn and also for all seasons. The bright crimson bright red hair is a sight especially with this wavy bob for a strikingly casual look.

Short, bright red hair

Red heads unite! The short inverted bob makes it look rounder, but a sleeker, straight front that gives both shape and flattery to the look. Ideal to bring a flush to your cheeks.

Red and blonde

A feathered ombre with platinum blonde to red colors! Waves swept to the side add a wind-blown effect that presents the look with even more movement and dynamism.

Light red to dark ombre

Estimate how the bright maroon colors turned into a bright rose at their ends. Even with such short, bright red hair with bangs, the colors were accentuated along with the facial makeup.

cherry

Jessica Rabbit would be jealous of how sensual these big, shiny, bright red curls are! The longer locks, the more you can play with it!

Red with blonde highlights

To make these red tones come out more, paint over a lighter shade as an accent. Neon orange and glowing red with bright blonde highlights are analog colors that go really well together so you never go wrong! This fiery red hair color is super hot now!

0 notes

easynaturalhairstyle · 4 years

Text

16 stunning bright red hair colors

A bright red hair color is an ultra-warm and intense red shade that is dyed on the hair in the form of highlights, an ombre, a dip dye or a full solid shade. Warning: this is not for weak hearts!

Ready to set your look on fire? Get started now by taking a look at these trendiest examples of bright red hair colors!

Light long red hair

How would you describe this look?

Any advice for someone considering it?

Light copper bob

How would you describe this look?

Any advice for someone considering it?

Light red violet

How would you describe this look?

Any advice for someone considering it?

Faded bright red

Pomegranate is as sweet a fruit as a hair color! The straight locks further enhanced the dyeing technique.

How would you describe this look?

My favorite was the seamless mix. I could have divided her hair into any section and there would never be a mistake!

Any advice for someone considering it?

Bright ginger pixie

How would you describe this look?

This look is liberating – with a true ambience of a femme fatale. I mean, look at them! She shines in copper charm, shows her beautiful facial features and does not hide from anything or anyone!

Any advice for someone considering it?

Short hair is like that at the moment. Having a pixie is both low and high waiting. Low maintenance in the sense that you just wake up, style in a little texturing paste, and go.

Light magenta

Pretty in pink just came into town! This bright red balayage has been made very tastefully to protect the roots from the color, but not that it is completely separated from all of the vibrancy.

How would you describe this look?

This beautiful magenta hair color and cut was done by Gill Kolkman, a team member at the Washington House Salon in Innisfil, Ontario Canada!

Any advice for someone considering it?

If you live a busy lifestyle and cannot commit to maintenance, this is not the choice for you. But there are definitely plenty of fun options out there for you!

Poppy red to light brown

Cherry caramel combo with highlights? Delicious! You wear in long wavy curls? Outstanding!

How would you describe this look?

Her cut leaves the hair away from the face. Long, round layers give us bouncy, touchable movement, and it's a great cut for more petite face shapes that are long.

The best part of this formula is its wealth. As a red head you are always looking for wealth, fun, reflection!

Any advice for someone considering it?

Curly red hair

Have a night and paint the city red! These glorious bright red curls can be seen all over the world.

How would you describe this look?

Any advice for someone considering it?

Bright red highlights in brown hair

A delicious mix of strawberry, ginger and reddish brown tones. These bright red highlights combine dimension with layered hair.

How would you describe this look?

Any advice for someone considering it?

For guests who want to go the red route, keep in mind that it is one of the tougher colors you need to keep in your hair and requires a lot of maintenance at home.

Everyone can turn red when it comes to portability! Whether it's a fire truck red to a chocolate cherry, an all-over color, or just a few pops, everyone can wear it, just do it!

Ruby red

Go for the gold, or in this case, ruby! The rose glitters so vividly and goes so well with your long, silky hair.

Shoulder length bright auburn

Maroon for autumn and also for all seasons. The bright crimson bright red hair is a sight especially with this wavy bob for a strikingly casual look.

Short, bright red hair

Red heads unite! The short inverted bob makes it look rounder, but a sleeker, straight front that gives both shape and flattery to the look. Ideal to bring a flush to your cheeks.

Red and blonde

A feathered ombre with platinum blonde to red colors! Waves swept to the side add a wind-blown effect that presents the look with even more movement and dynamism.

Light red to dark ombre

Estimate how the bright maroon colors turned into a bright rose at their ends. Even with such short, bright red hair with bangs, the colors were accentuated along with the facial makeup.

cherry

Jessica Rabbit would be jealous of how sensual these big, shiny, bright red curls are! The longer locks, the more you can play with it!

Red with blonde highlights

16 stunning bright red hair colors

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alyssiamarierenee · 7 years

Text

Love me ?

Tag

@doubtthestarsarefire @gigi256 @guardianwinchester @objectiveheartmuscle @disneykhaleesi @totheendofthelinepal @balletwarrior @paramore @parisienneballerina @thewinterroza

Set I

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Hayley Williams

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

No, absolutely not. I wouldn't mind being an admired travel writer though.

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

Yes, because i am terrified of sounding unintelligent.

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

Waking up anxiety free, taking a small adventure with my best friends, my mother and sister.

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

Just a second ago, I sang a soon full of sugar with my sister. We do this to help calm our new little puppy.

I sang lowlife- poppy to my self because its just super catchy

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

Honestly, I would chose the body of a 30 year old. Not for the vanity reasons, but I've been in

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

I don't know, I have a lot of anxiety about physical pain. So i just hope its peaceful

8. Name three things you and your partner must to have in common.

Love for music, need for peace, and yearning for understanding

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

My mother, she's my best friend my rock, my light. Love you mom

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

I would change my father, to be someone else completely.

11. Take four lines tell your life story in as much detail as possible.

Most of my life I lived in Louisiana, it was the best of times it was the worst of times. I got physically sick for about two years and was in unspeakable pain. Now I'm better and in college. I am not sure what I want to do in life, but I do know i want to be a peace.

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

I would want to be confident in my assessment of my work.

Set II

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

I would want to know what I am truly like from an unbias source.

I would want to know the end of time.

I would want complete understanding of time and space in the universe.

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

Ive dreamed of going to Paris, but sadly its very expensive.

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

my gut reaction was to say getting into a private university. I would like to change my answer, to surviving days where i wanted to die, but continuing on. I am so proud of my self for having that courage.

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

Honesty, kindness, chemistry,

17. What is your most treasured memory?

My mom, sister and me riding the tea cups at Disneyland.

Me and my sister are fighting a lot right now, and it breaks my heart. But this memory is the three of us having fun, experiencing ethereal joy during one of the hardest times in our life.

18. What is your most terrible memory?

My dad pushing my mom into a door, or him coming in drunk and me hiding in my closet.

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

I would hug people a bit longer than I do now.

20. What does friendship mean to you?

It means having someone when you are crying or laughing to go to and have support. It means giving that support in return, giving your self in return.

21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?

Major roles

22. share something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.

Considerate

Honestly

Romanic

Kind

Loyal

23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

What I consider my family, my mother and sister, is very warm and close. We are a fine knit sweater. My childhood, was rough, but it had a lot of good as well.

24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

Raquel, my mother, is everything to me. I am limited by words to express my love and her importance to the universe.

Set III

26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “

My romantic feelings with

27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

I have anxiety and depression, I'm not the “easiest” person, as society would say. I am a feminist bitch. Paramore is always turned to 100

28. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

I was sitting in front of the class, and broke the leg of a chair. This was even more embarrassing because I was the “fat”kid. I also slid down the stairs at graduation, so that was pretty embarrassing as well. I used to be a conservative.

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

Probably yesterday, in front of a person. Just a second ago I was reading something that made me cry. After 2016, I am an emotional mess, and I'm okay with it.

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

Rape, Mass murder of children, any affect against a child

33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?

Because of this thought, I have told everyone everything.

34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

A necklace my mother made for me as a baby.

36. Share a personal problem

The guy I slept with has a girlfriend. I live with my dad. I want to fuck a teacher at school.

#TAG #wellwellwell #tmioverload

0 notes

gyrlversion · 5 years

Text

Jill Dandos murder: 20 years on, fresh witness accounts

Presenter Jill Dando (pictured above outside her home in Fulham) was murdered in 1999

The time is a little before midday on Monday, April 26, 1999. Vida Saunders is enjoying tea at a neighbour’s home when another friend comes knocking at the door. The new visitor is in a state of some agitation.

‘I could tell at once from the expression on her face that something wasn’t right,’ Mrs Saunders recalled this week. ‘I didn’t know then just how wrong it would be.’

The friend asks Mrs Saunders to accompany her to a house in the next street, Gowan Avenue. She has just seen something –— something very disturbing — as she walked past the address on her way home from the shops. Now she wants someone else to see it, too.

Nothing ever happened in their suburban enclave in Fulham, West London. At least, nothing very bad.

But that morning would be different. What had just taken place on the front step of 29 Gowan Avenue would make headlines around the world for years to come. The shock reverberates to this day.

‘I don’t think I fully grasped what I was going to see and it seems odd now, with hindsight, but I took my mug of tea with me,’ Mrs Saunders said.

A step by step account of Jill Dando’s last moments as she embarked on a shopping trip in Hammersmith before driving home

Jill Dando (left) and her fiancé Alan Farthing (right). Mr Farthing said he had held Jill’s hand while she was still warm before confirming to doctors that it was the BBC presenter

In those days, much of the white-painted Victorian frontage of 29 Gowan Avenue was screened from the street by a privet hedge and a small tree. ‘But what I saw as soon as we stepped through the front gate hit me like a physical blow.’

What she saw was the dead body of BBC television presenter Jill Dando, 37, killed only minutes earlier outside her own front door by a single gunshot to the head.

‘Jill’s body was lying at such an odd angle,’ Mrs Saunders recalled. ‘She looked like she had collapsed on the spot. The back of her head was against the front door and her chest was facing towards the pavement.

‘She was in a pool of blood, and I noticed her lips were blue and there were some small drips of blood running from her nose. I think we knew immediately that she was critically injured.

Twenty years on from the death of Jill Dando (pictured above) witnesses have revealed new testimonies

Police forensic officers at Gowan Avenue, Fulham, where TV presenter Jill Dando was murdered. Ms Dando died from a single gunshot wound to the head

‘She was still clutching a set of keys in one hand, probably her door keys or possibly her car keys. The handles of her handbag were over the other arm and her mobile phone was inside, ringing constantly.

‘Normally, I think, if you saw someone collapsed like that, your instinct would be to reach out and touch them, to try to help them and see if they are all right. But it was clear Jill wasn’t [all right].’

Mrs Saunders paused. ‘That image of Jill lying there. . . I would have visions, snapshots of it in my dreams and even when I was doing my laps when I went swimming. I couldn’t get it out of my head.

‘It has given me many sleepless nights. Of course, time moves on and memories start to fade. But talking about it again now brings it all back so vividly. It was, it is, awful.’

A leaflet which was handed out on May 4 1999 which was given out to passers-by in an effort to jog their memories and uncover new information

Six distinctive marks were found on the cartridge case (pictured above) used by the gunman who killed Jill Dando

Mrs Saunders has not spoken before about her role in the tragedy, except to the police. One can sense in her account a disbelief that she should have been caught up in the case. Because even 20 years later, the murder of Jill Dando remains one of the most shocking crimes of our times.

That Britain’s ‘most celebrated and loved’ TV presenter, ‘the nation’s sweetheart’ and the face of BBC Crimewatch, could be the victim of an execution-style killing, in broad daylight in our capital city, was extraordinary enough.

That the murder was without any clear motive and remains unsolved, despite a huge reward for information and myriad theories, has only added to the fascination.

One man was charged with and convicted of the murder. Barry George, a local loner and fantasist who had already served a prison sentence for attempted rape, was found guilty of the killing at the Old Bailey in July 2001. But his life sentence was later quashed on appeal, and at the end of his 2008 retrial, George was found not guilty.

Police search Gowan Avenue, Fulham, south west London Monday April 26, 1999

By then the trail seemed to have run cold. Or has it?

Today the Daily Mail begins an exclusive three-part reassessment of the Crimewatch presenter’s cold-blooded murder and the hunt for her killer.

Our investigations have taken us to the Balkans and across the British Isles. We are able to draw on previously unavailable police and prosecution documents and other official reports, new witness testimonies — such as that of Mrs Saunders — and interviews with detectives and legal sources involved in the two Scotland Yard investigations into the murder — as well as suspects.

Jill (pictured on holiday in the Seychelles) first got her big break in broadcasting in 1988 when she started presenting the BBC’s hourly national bulletins

We will be able to reveal some key findings of a secret police cold-case review of the murder, carried out only five years ago. We will expose the mistakes investigators made, the red herrings that were pursued — and examine the possibility of a third Jill Dando murder trial taking place, albeit more than two decades after the event.

Our new assessment will also probe the evidence against Barry George, a serial stalker of women, and the High Court’s refusal to grant him ‘miscarriage of justice’ compensation after he was cleared of the killing.

But first let us return to the fateful day itself.

April 26, 1999, dawned cloudy with a forecast of showers. But the life of Jill Wendy Dando seemed to bask in perpetual sunshine.

Born in Weston-Super-Mare in November 1961, she had followed her father and brother into local newspaper journalism. Her on-screen potential was obvious. After stints in regional news broadcasting in the South-West, her big break came in 1988 when she began a job in London presenting the BBC’s hourly national bulletins.

Viewers loved her from the start. She was a friendly celebrity, the ‘girl next door’ who bore more than a passing resemblance to Princess Diana. But unlike the Princess, Jill had a down-to-earth private life that included amateur dramatics, voluntary work in hospitals and churchgoing.

The haunting last images of Jill which were captured on CCTV just 40 minutes before she was killed

This images shows Jill leaving a store in Hammersmith before getting in her car and driving home

A devout Baptist from childhood — she was head girl at her school — Jill would become a presenter on Songs Of Praise.

Until moving to Gowan Avenue, she had shared a house in a quiet South-West London neighbourhood with her cousin, Judith.

What you saw on screen was what you met in the flesh. There was no ‘front’ to Jill Dando. And for the British public, she would become a chronicler of their everyday life at its best and worst.

In 1993 she was chosen to host the prime-time travel programme Holiday. Two years later, she took on the same role at Crimewatch, which she would present 42 times before tragedy struck and she became the story rather than the storyteller. In 1997, viewers voted her BBC Personality of the Year.

A set of CCTV images from outside the Kings Mall show Jill walking down the street with her handbag

Another images shows her walking through the shopping centre with her raincoat and bag

She was also spotted outside on the main High Street where she had been out shopping for the day

Her private life was equally serene. In November 1997 she had been introduced by a mutual friend to a consultant gynaecologist called Alan Farthing.

Mr Farthing — who would later oversee the births of Prince William’s children — was separated from his first wife. He and Jill fell ‘very deeply’ in love almost at once.

Within a month they were holidaying together in Australia. That New Year they watched the fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge and vowed to be there again for the Millennium.

In January 1999, two months after Mr Farthing’s divorce was finalised, they announced their engagement. Their wedding was set for September 25, 1999.

Police pictured outside the home of Jill in 1999 after a search

The couple spent almost all their time at Mr Farthing’s home in Bedford Close, Chiswick. The Gowan Avenue house was used largely as Jill’s administrative headquarters. She had only stayed there overnight twice in the weeks before the killing.

On Saturday, April 24, she went there to collect post. She noticed her fax machine had run out of ink and decided to return on the Monday to change the cartridge.

That evening, she and Mr Farthing attended a British Legion Poppy Appeal event at the Natural History Museum, which Jill was co-presenting. On Sunday Mr Farthing played golf in Stoke Poges, west of London, with a friend and Jill later joined them for lunch.

That night the couple were at home together in Chiswick. They watched the first episode of Jill’s new show, Antiques Inspectors, for which she had spent several days of the previous week filming in Dublin. The show’s launch was promoted by Jill posing in a black leather jumpsuit next to a vintage Aston Martin on the cover of the Radio Times. It was a little more risqué than her usual image, but fun.

The couple also wrote several letters. One was to Claridge’s hotel in Mayfair, where their wedding reception was due to be held. They discussed the guest list which was written in Jill’s Filofax. The same list would be used by Mr Farthing to organise her funeral.

Alan Farthing (pictured above) at the office for the Jill Dando fund in Piccadilly, London

The next day was to be the start of a two-week period at home for Jill, after months away filming Holiday and Antiques Inspectors.

She had an appointment for the first fitting of her wedding dress and planned to visit a stationer about the invitations.

Mr Farthing had an 8am meeting. He told Jill to sleep in but, typically, his fiancée insisted on getting up and making him breakfast in bed. He then left the house at 7.25, and rain was already falling.

Before they parted, Jill told him: ‘Today I’m going to be a lady who lunches.’ She had a charity luncheon engagement at the Lanesborough Hotel on Hyde Park Corner, but she didn’t make it. He would not see her alive again.

Records on Jill’s mobile phone show she made a number of calls on the day of her death

The last four hours of Jill’s life can be pieced together through eyewitness accounts, CCTV footage, till receipts and phone records. Only the last moments remain a mystery.

Records for her mobile phone and the landline at her fiance’s home show she made and received a number of calls that morning. All the people she spoke to were traced by police. No one she was in contact with in her last few hours sensed that she was worried. At worst she sounded ‘preoccupied’, but then she had so much to do.

She left Mr Farthing’s home just after 10am in her dark blue BMW convertible. The top was up because of the weather. She stopped to get petrol and milk at a garage on the A4, before parking in Hammersmith, West London, to visit the Kings Mall shopping centre.

While in Hammersmith she visited Ryman the stationers and bought fax paper. She bought other fax material from Dixons and The Link stores. Finally, at 11.01am she walked through the shopping mall towards the exit.

At 11.04am she was driving her car west along King Street. The last sighting of the BMW on CCTV was at 11.10am, when she drove from Winslow Road into Manbre Road, a rat-run route to avoid congestion on the Fulham Palace Road. Extensive analysis of all the CCTV footage that morning shows no evidence that she was being followed.

Sarah Pusey, a Customs and Excise surveillance expert, was also out in her car. Now a 53-year-old mother of two, Ms Pusey told us how she became one of the last people to have a friendly interaction with the TV presenter.

‘I was in a queue of traffic going towards Hammersmith,’ she said. ‘She was in a soft-top car coming the other way. I’m quite nosy. But you know when you’re in traffic and stop next to someone, you look.

‘I remember thinking “that’s Jill Dando” and smiling across at her. She smiled back.’

Ms Pusey, who has not spoken before about the encounter except to the police, was so thrilled she phoned a friend. Mobile phone records show her call was made at 11.13am. By the time she got home, the television news was already reporting Jill’s death.

Jill had told her fiance she would cook dinner for them that evening. Between 11.20am and 11.25am she visited Copes fishmongers on Fulham Road, where she bought two fillets of Dover sole.

According to a member of staff, she seemed jolly but was in a hurry, remarking that her car was parked just around the corner (in Dancer Road).

Jill’s mobile phone records showed she made four calls during her shopping trip that morning. They were to a friend, her agent’s assistant, 192 directory inquiries and the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End. She also received two calls, including one from the theatre’s box office.

A booking clerk spoke to Jill, confirming her tickets to see the hit Abba musical, Mamma Mia!. Jill was said to have sounded ‘excited and bubbly’. She told the booking clerk the tickets were a present for her fiancé, whose birthday was approaching.

That last phone call she took was at 11.23am. From background noises heard by the caller, she was probably still inside the fishmongers. She had less than ten minutes to live.

The next phone call to her mobile was timed at 11.31am. This time she didn’t answer and the call went to voicemail. It is likely that this was the ringing Mrs Saunders heard when she saw Jill lying dead on her doorstep.

Having left Dancer Road, Jill had driven, via Munster Road, the 600 yards to her home in Gowan Avenue. After that, her final moments can only be guessed at from fragments of sound and glimpses of a mystery man, undoubtedly her killer.

Jill’s next-door neighbour, Richard Hughes, said he heard two characteristic bleeps from a BMW car alarm, then footsteps. He told police that after 30 seconds he heard a scream, as if Jill knew the person, as if she was surprised, ‘a startled scream’.

He did not hear a shot. But when he heard a gate clang, he went to the window and saw a man walking away briskly. Another neighbour saw a similar-looking man ‘running’ along the pavement.

Nigel Jenkins, a former session guitarist for Cliff Richard, was at home five doors from Jill’s house, practising chords. Mr Jenkins, who has not spoken before except to the police, told us he heard a ‘bizarre high-pitched noise’.

‘It was the sound of a woman crying out,’ he said. ‘It was like a bark or a yelp — an odd, disturbing noise and I immediately thought: “I don’t like the sound of that.” He heard no shot and did not investigate further until the air ambulance arrived.

Now we return to the testimony of Vida Saunders. It confirms the blunder which, we can reveal, seriously undermined the police investigation before it had even begun.

Mrs Saunders’s friend, who first saw Jill’s body, was a neighbour called Helen Doble.

‘There used to be a GPs’ surgery a few doors up (from Jill’s home) and I ran there while Helen called 999 on her mobile,’ Mrs Saunders recalled. ‘I ran back with the receptionist, who took one look and said she thought Jill was dead and we shouldn’t touch anything.

‘I just stood there staring at my cup of tea, which I had put down on top of the garden wall, and everything went into slow motion. There was suddenly so much activity around us as the first emergency services arrived.’ This was around 11.50am.

‘Shortly after, we were escorted into her neighbours’ house, where we were interviewed for what seemed like hours. I recall an air ambulance landing in the local primary school playground.

‘While we were in the house I would intermittently look out of the window to see what was going on next door. The paramedics seemed to be working hard to try to resuscitate Jill.

‘When I saw them carry her body away on a stretcher, her face seemed pink again and I remember feeling relieved because I thought that they had managed to save her.

‘Later, I realised the change in her face from blue to normal again was because they had pumped oxygen around her body in what turned out to be a futile attempt to save her.’

Jill Dando was probably dead before she hit the ground. Mrs Saunders’s recollection confirms that everyone who saw her before the emergency services arrived realised she was dead. Yet extensive efforts to revive her were made at the scene by paramedics and members of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

As a result, Jill did not reach Charing Cross Hospital — only three minutes away by road — until 12.30pm. The attempted resuscitation continued there for another half an hour before she was declared dead at 1.05pm.

The Mail can reveal that an official police report blames the resuscitation efforts for creating a major, perhaps insurmountable, obstacle to future detective work.

Jill’s clothes were ripped off to perform cardiac massage and the ground about was ‘trampled’ by those trying to save her. The body was not left in situ. Vital clues were bound to have been lost.

The unusual lack of forensic evidence at the crime scene would become a hallmark of the Dando case. And it was not absent because of the cunning of the killer, as we shall see in Part 2.

If the victim had not been ‘the nation’s sweetheart’, would so much effort have been made to rescue someone who was obviously past help?

If so, it was no help to the men tasked with catching her killer.

In 1999, Detective Chief Inspector Hamish Campbell was a senior investigating officer in the Met’s murder squad, based in Kensington, West London.

He had never met Jill Dando, though she had made an appeal on Crimewatch for one of his old murder inquiries and they had attended the same lunch at Scotland Yard, where she had spoken of her fears of a ‘hit’ being carried out on a Crimewatch presenter.

Campbell gave a detailed interview about the investigation to the Mail in the spring of 2001. Today we can draw on previously unpublished extracts from his contemporaneous recollection.

He and his team had been on call for a week but, with no murders to investigate, he had become fidgety. When he was told by a colleague that reports were coming through that a woman had been ‘stabbed’ in Fulham, Campbell decided to take a sergeant and go to see for himself. He did not even wait to hear if the stabbing was fatal.

Bad news travelled fast. As he was leaving the station, he got a call from his boss, Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Edwards. Campbell recalled: ‘He said: “Have you heard anything about this stabbing incident?”

‘I said I had and was on my way. He said: “Well, let me tell you something . . . there’s a suggestion it’s Jill Dando.”

‘I remember thinking: “Jill Dando stabbed? Who on earth would have done that?”

Campbell arrived in Gowan Avenue just as the ambulance carrying Jill’s body departed.

Within five minutes, his officers would discover a fired cartridge case on the doorstep and a single yellow bullet which had passed through the victim’s head, hit her front door and fallen to the ground.

This was no stabbing, then. Nor was it a street robbery gone wrong — Jill’s watch and jewellery had not been taken. They were dealing with something more unusual. Scenes-of-crime officers collected several exhibits including a fob and BMW key, a yellow metal earring, a Russell & Bromley bag and contents, fish in a white plastic bag, and a black leather handbag.

Then the rain began to fall again, adding to the difficulties of the murder squad.

DCI Campbell took shelter from the drizzle in the porch of a neighbouring house, having ordered his men to cover the house front, path and road nearby with plastic to stop further evidence contamination or loss. ‘I remember thinking: “How far could he [the killer) have got now?” ’

Later that day he attended the post-mortem examination. The respected forensic pathologist Dr Iain West found an entry wound behind the top of Jill’s left ear and an exit wound above the right ear. The impression of the muzzle of the murder weapon could be seen around the entry wound.

Dr West concluded that the gun had been pressed firmly against Jill’s head, acting as an effective silencer.

Jill’s right forearm had a small bruise on it, which may have been caused by her killer. However, there did not appear to be any defence injuries, nor was there any sign of a struggle at the scene — prompting police to conclude that she was taken by surprise from behind as she was about to unlock her door.

The bullet had damaged the lower part of the door, suggesting that Jill was crouched or had been pushed down when she was shot.

Her fiancé, Alan Farthing, was also at the hospital. He recalled to the Mail a few weeks after the murder how he had been called by Jill’s agent, Jon Roseman, at around 1pm: ‘The first question he asked was if Jill was with me,’ he said. ‘He had been contacted by the Press asking for his comments on reports that Jill had been attacked in her street. I asked if he’d tried her mobile.’

The terrible truth began to clarify. Mr Farthing was taken to Charing Cross Hospital: ‘They took me down what seemed like the longest corridor in the world to the casualty department and to a side room, where Jill was lying.

‘She had a towel wrapped around her head as if she had just got out of the bath, though it wasn’t covering all her hair. I could see it was Jill’s hair. She was lying in a hospital gown, looking peaceful. I held her hand, which was still warm, and confirmed to the officer it was Jill.’

The consultant in charge of the casualty department came to talk to him. ‘He explained what had been done to try to resuscitate her, but made it plain it had been impossible. She had not been clinically alive on arrival or at any stage during the attempted resuscitation.

‘As I was being taken back down this everlasting corridor, I was thinking: ‘“Why did something like this happen? How could it happen?”’

The same questions were being asked by DCI Campbell. He addressed a meeting of the Dando murder team at 11pm that night in the incident room next to Kensington police station. It did not break up until 2am.

They knew by then they were dealing with a ‘phenomenon’ and that the investigation would be the biggest of their careers. But they already faced serious problems. The crime scene had been ‘chaotic’ and the witness evidence so far was of ‘little quality’.

‘We had to ask whether she had been killed because of who she was or because of where she was,’ DCI Campbell recalled.

Perhaps only one person knew why Jill Dando had died. And that was the man seen fleeing along Gowan Avenue.

To find him, the murder squad would have to weigh a number of motives and in the end examined 1,393 potential suspects.

What made her death especially complex was the Crimewatch connection. Had she been the victim of an underworld hit?

But one of the most popular and persistent theories Operation Oxborough had to investigate was that Jill Dando had been murdered on the orders of the Serbian warlord and underworld boss Željko Ražnatović, aka Arkan.

In April 1999, British warplanes were taking part in Nato bombing of Yugoslavia in order to halt the ethnic cleansing of Albanians by Serbian forces in the province of Kosovo.

Earlier that month, Jill Dando had fronted a BBC1 broadcast appealing for funds to help the refugees. Two days before her death, the headquarters of the Serbian equivalent of the BBC was hit by a Nato missile, killing 17 staff.

On Monday we will meet the Serb ‘hitman’ who was accused of being the killer in Gowan Avenue. Tracked down by the Mail, he has spoken for the first time about his part in the Dando affair.

The post Jill Dandos murder: 20 years on, fresh witness accounts appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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thepeterssite · 6 years

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Emma Roberts Net Worth

Emma Roberts’s Net Worth

Who is Emma Roberts?

Emma Roberts, born as Emma Rose Roberts, is an American actress and singer who has an estimated net worth of $17 million US dollars. She is recognized for portraying the main character Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon’s TV series Unfabulous from 2004 to 2007. She also made her musical debut in 2005 with studio album Unfabulous and More. She has also played in various movies Nancy Drew (2007), Wild Child (2008), Hotel for Dogs (2009), Valentine’s Day (2010), etc.

Roberts was born on 10th February, 1991 in Rhinebeck, New York. Her parents are Kelly Cunningham and Eric Roberts, an actor who has played in various movies like Raggedy Man (1981), Star 80 (1983), Cecil B. Demented (2000), etc. Her paternal grandmother Betty Lou Bredemus has also remained an acting coach from 1934 to 2015 and her aunts Julia Roberts and Lisa Roberts Gillan are also actresses.

Starting of Career

Emma Roberts made debut in acting through a movie at a small age of 9. She was casted as Kristina Sunshine Jung in Ted Demme’s Blow in 2009. The same year she played as Delilah in a short film, bigLove and had a small role in film, America’s Sweethearts. Following the year, she had a role of sister in Barry Tub directed film, Grand Champion.

Emma’s small roles in different movies awarded her with the lead role of Addie Singer in Unfabulous. She did the role from 2004 to 2007 and 41 episodes. The movie helped her to grab the attention and increase her income. She was also seen in the same role of Drake & Josh’s episode “Honor Council”. In year 2006, she appeared as Amelia Muggins in Robert Vince’s Spymate and as Claire Brown in Elizabeth Allen’s Aquamarine. Besides, she had a cameo in an episode of Punk’d. She, in 2008, lent her voice for Wilma in film, The Flight Before Christmas. She also played the role of Poppy Moore in Wild Child and Adrianna Bragg in Lymelife in the same year.

Moreover, Emma appeared as Andi in Thor Freudenthal’s Hotel for Dogs and Abbie in James C. Strouse’s The Winning Season in year 2009. Following the year, she starred in films like Valentine’s Day, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, Twelve, It’s Kind of a Story, Virginia. She also played the role of Joanne in film 4.3.2.1., which paid her good salary that contributed in her net worth. Besides, she had cameo roles in TV series like Jonas and Take Two with Phineas and Ferb.

Her Works from 2011 to Present

Emma later portrayed the role of Jill Roberts in Wes Craven’s thriller film Scream 4 and Sally Howe in The Art of Getting By in 2011. She again was seen in a guest role in an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition entitled “The Brown Family”. She then did the portrayal of Nancy Michaeldes and Casey Mathis / Casey Millers in movies Empire State (2013) and We’re the Millers (2013) respectively which helped her to increase her net worth. She also voiced Amanda Barrington in Family Guy’s episode “No Country Club for Old Men”.

Emma Roberts recently starred as Jess in Matthew Newton’s drama film Who Are We Now and soon will be seen in James Cox’s Billionaire Boys Club and Little Italy. She was also seen in American Horror Story: Cult’s episode “11/9” as Serena Belinda. Besides acting, Emma is also a renowned singer who has sung songs like I Wanna Be, Dummy and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

Net Worth

Emma Roberts has done over 20 films and these films have provided her net worth of $17 million US dollars. Her singing career has also helped her in making of the net worth. She is good acting and we hope she will get more movies in upcoming days.

Must Know Facts about Emma Roberts

Real Name: Emma Rose Roberts Date of Birth: 10th February, 1991 Profession: Actress and Singer Height: 5′ 2″ Facebook: 2M Fans in Facebook Instagram: 11.5M Followers in Instagram Twitter: 3.79M Followers in Twitter Net Worth: $17 Million

The post Emma Roberts Net Worth appeared first on etcNepal.com.

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swapnagangadharan · 7 years

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I woke up in the morning from a blissful sleep after what seemed like ages.

I could see the staff at Innisfree were up and about and started their chores for the day.

This is the most beautiful thing about homestays, you see people doing their work, you see the action behind the scenes. Lovely smells emanating from the kitchen, the staff going about cleaning the place, the whole of it.

Deepta and Arjun stayed back at the homestay on Julia & Lat’s insistence, it was too late (by Hawalbagh’s standards) to drive back home. Their home as I mentioned was way out there. They were already up and about and hanging outside the house.

As usual, the moment I sat, Lat made sure I got a steaming cup of Chai, I was getting totally pampered here 🙂

Julia walked in with her million watt smile handing me another cup of Chai with cookies! I was thinking whatever little weight I lost during the trek, I will be adding on more after this!

I also got a chance to meet Harsh, Julia & lat’s son. Intelligent super active boy and well mannered. You could see his parent’s upbringing. He had this mischievous curiosity in him.

The need to learn more, know more and he was a proper Pahadi boy. Physically strong at that young age and so into what his parents were doing. He lent a helping hand in his own way, He knew what was happening and his parents instilled in him what hard work means.

He would be constantly interacting with the staff there, asking, talking and I saw Arjun was a role model for him and rightly so.

Arjun gave him some mathematical problem to solve and he was racking his brains the whole day. I was thinking what a difference from today’s city kids.

Granted, he was in an ivy league school but grounded to reality. He was seeing his parents toiling every day to make this home stay happen. Ditto with their daughter who created beautiful artwork on natural stones inside the homestay. Each one hand painted and unique.

Lat started talking about their family ancestral house away from where they currently stayed. It was a huge ancestral place that they lived in before and now they decided to sell it off.

As he said, no point in gloating over the past, one had to move on with the present. This home stay too was on a lease from the government and they got just a year lease on it. So every year they would renew it based on the government’s dictum.

I saw they invested quite a bit on it even though they said it was not really major work.

The love and passion they put in that place was unbelievable. My room and the other rooms were so beautifully furnished with that touch of home and luxury mixed in.

The old ways were gone and one had to adapt to the new ways. Julia mentioned that hunting was so prevalent among the royalty and Thakur clans those days, it was a sport even if one cringes now at the thought of it. It was a norm those days. But one had to change and they did and even the local community had to change. There was not much wildlife like before.

Hawalbagh was a small place and Lat was well connected with the community, they looked up to him and he and Julia along with Arjun and Deepta were looking out for ways and means to make the locals understand about sustainability and environment problems.

The same thing, with the kind of trash being thrown by the locals, plastic bags, bottles and no respect and going along with so called development, they were trying to seek a solution, build an awareness among them keeping the culture sensitivity in mind.

Lat would never talk negative about any person, this I observed, he saw the positive side in people. That’s a rare thing in a person.

I loved the fact that all of them were ready to work with whoever was in power. Gone were the days of protesting because in the end one has to see how to work within the system and get good output than just lamenting.

Arjun was liasoning with the locals, to know more, their livelihoods, the local issues and to see how they could contribute to the community. He built an effective WiFi network in this remote place. It was called Cowmesh – a tongue in cheek name if you know what I mean 🙂

I remembered him putting up photos of building a cost effective WiFi network at this place on Facebook, now it all made sense.

Arjun and Deepta in that process also realized that they need to get paid by organizations who had money. It was not good to be idealistic all the time. They got their first cheque for a project from an organization since their office was set up and they were pretty happy. It was a small amount but it meant a lot. It taught me a lot too. Their life was simple.

Julia brought in a fantastic breakfast of Omelettes, Buns, fresh orange marmalade, banana cake and I am drooling as I am writing this, her home made Caramel sauce!! Oh my that yummy caramel sauce I can write poems about! Fresh fruits, Toast, Chai, Caramel sauce. We were sitting out in the open and eating.

Time passed by just like that..This was heaven. Cola would keep us amused whole day as Deepta and Arjun kept a watchful eye on her and Fuchka while we chatted.

I got a chance to meet all the the dogs Julia & Lat adopted. Almost half of them were rescued from near death and brought back to life with lots of love and attention. Julia was the loving and stern mommy to them all, using her Hindi and English in good measure to toe them in line.

I always saw Julia tirelessly working, day in and out. Like she would be talking to me and pulling out weeds in that huge outdoors. I would join in sometimes, observing what she was doing and hoping I am not pulling out the good ones instead of weeds! Her mind was always on the move thinking of how to do multiple things at the homestay.

Arjun and Deepta would be pitching in ideas and together they would brainstorm. Right now, their pet project was to make a home made incarcerator that could burn all the plastic – totally environmental friendly. Harsh was on it with the staff with Julia giving in her inputs.

They believed in doing something first here, succeeding at it then implementing it to the community slowly. It was a baby step, a first step and they were trying hard.

Their lives were not a bed of roses as Julia said and I knew and understood that.

It was not dreamlike which people mostly think, running a beautiful homestay in the hills and waking up to see beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It was sheer hard work.

Living in the mountains had it’s pitfalls with it’s remoteness, isolation, water & electricity shortages and transportation.

Julia tried her best to keep her cool running the place, to make it efficient and Lat was the go- between him and the locals and the government. The kitchen from which all the great food came from required her supervision all the time. She was meticulous in almost everything.

We realized we had so much in common as we swapped stories of running a place. The same story everywhere, just the place and people were different.

I remember Arjun, Deepta and Julia were nodding when I was telling about our guests ‘grievances’ at the cafe, run ins with the government officials, bribes to police pressures, internal problems, this was a norm when one had a business.

Finally I met someone who really understood where I came from because believe me no matter how much I explain running a hospitality business, only someone in that same situation and passion mind you, can fully comprehend the horrors of it.

All of us were really not into making pots of money if you know what I mean.. This was life, this was our whole life doing what needs to be done, to follow our passion and to see guests being happy and satisfied. Julia & Lat were exactly that.

In a way, we all were connected with a common thread. An off beat path,all of us, countering mainstream in our own way.

I would be reading a book in between but more and more I would keep the book aside and listen to Lat, Julia, Deepta and Arjun talking about something or the other. It was refreshing to be a part of it, to listen, to share experiences.

That night Lat made Chicken Curry, I call it Pahadi Chicken curry but he humbly put it as Yaar maine to simple chicken curry banaya (I made simple chicken curry), it was so yum, I licked my plate.

Along with it was the local ‘Bhang ki chutney’, yup Bhang(poppy seeds) is indigenous to the region, growing wild everywhere. And for dessert there was a Khoya dessert called Singori which they wrapped in a local leaf called Maalu. They truly were spoiling us!

We sat again around the bonfire, looking at the moonlit night, drinking Rum as Lat was the perfect host refilling every time, Arjun and Deepta casually passing smokes as we looked up to see the sky in all it’s benevolence.

Maybe it was my imagination but sometimes I would hear a sound or something and I would ask Julia, what’s it? She would smile and say some wild animal, worry not.

When I think about it now, even now, more than a month since I left Innisfree and it’s people, not a day goes by when I don’t think of them. It was like family.

I knew when I go back I wouldn’t get this affection nor warmth back in my home city, certainly not like this..I was not just a guest at Innisfree anymore.

And it continues.. Part XX I woke up in the morning from a blissful sleep after what seemed like ages. I could see the staff at Innisfree were up and about and started their chores for the day.

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