#there is no fandom. we are well fucking past 'fandom is dying'

[the-force-awakens]

"fandom is dying" is it? or is it already dead? like i don't know about you but i don't see anyone making things anymore. or if they do, they quickly tire and burn out and can't have fun with it anymore and use it as an escape, because they're stuck in a place of constant comparison: there is a certain kind of "content" (a word that makes me gag) that the new wave of 'fandom' is interested in, and that's whatever is trendy the second it's trendy for gifsets, or anything explicit for fanfiction writing. and then you also have how fanartists are treated: fic writers being compared to one another, being talked down to for how their stories ended, being run off tumblr and ao3 to the point they don't write for something that was so special for them anymore. gifmakers bust their ass making things just to have their creations stolen, get no appreciation and shares, and often have to deal with a constant stream of negativity on their sets.

the new wave of fandom just cares about what's currently trending and unsexy sex and it's so so tiring.

#sorry i keep thinking about that text post. #the everyone is beautiful and no one's sexy thing <- paraphrasing. i'm tired. #that feels like the current wave of 'fandom' #nothing has any lasting impact. there aren't any communities. any that form briefly are immediately split apart by cliquey behavior #or downright harrrassment of other people #and creations have to be whatever streaming show or actor is currently trending to get a lot of notes but you have to be the first person t #gif it. and then if it isn't smut your fic gets ignored #(fuck if it IS smut but you're not well-known in the 'fandom' it gets ignored.) #there is no fandom. we are well fucking past 'fandom is dying' #nym speaks

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 1

Propaganda Under Cut

Alana Bloom

she kissed will graham in s1 and dated hannibal in s2 so you can imagine how bad the fandom is to her. fun fact she's in a canon lesbian relationship now tho <3

The show literally does the yaoi treatment of victimisation for the benefit of the male leads to her. And then the fandom mistreats her

I'm not sure if this even counts but...Literally a victim of Yaoi along with several other characters in-series, but she got it almost the worst. The entire show is just people dying because the two male leads are OBSESSED with each other and can't be normal about anything. Alana Bloom, actual PhD of psychology and consultant to the FBI, got kissed by one guy, fucked and fed people-meant by the other, and pushed out a window by the murder husbands' forced-surrogate daughter. Like. Actual victim of several crimes caused by yaoi. She's probably one of the few examples of a Yaoi Victim overcoming and evolving past her yaoi-related trauma into a stronger person/character, though: She gets an entire character overhaul and a hot, millionairess for a wife. She kills a man with an eel. She becomes head of the BSHCI, effectively putting her in complete power over her jackass cannibal ex-bf. She does quite well. Unfortunately, the rest of her screen time is spent trying not to get killed in the ongoing fallout of Hannibal and Will's fucked up courtship, but hey. Can't have everything. I don't even know if I'm saying anything valid here: the fandom loves her, but I supposed her position outside of the Hannigram relationship relegates her to a non-subject in a lot of Hannigram-focused fanwork. She's an 'obstacle' to their relationship only in the sense that Will had a crush on her once that went nowhere and Hannibal started an actual relationship with her SPECIFICALLY to piss off Will. I guess she's also a more literal obstacle as Hannibal's jailer and Will's friend who's constantly pointing out to him that Morals exist and he should try having some of those, maybe.

Gwen

She stands in the way of Merthur, by far the most popular ship in the fandom. I haven’t seen it as much in recent years, but back in the days of fanfiction.net she got slut shamed so badly for having been romantically interested in three of the male characters over the course of the show, which is just... normal straight woman behavior, meanwhile Merlin crushed on pretty much every woman who even looked at him in the early seasons of the show and got no hate for that whatsoever. I barely even read Merthur fics (not because it’s m/m, just because certain aspects of their relationship don’t appeal to me) but the “Gwen is a slut” attitude was so pervasive across the fandom, even fics that weren’t explicitly anti-Gwen would “jokingly” call her a slut. I even saw a few fics demonizing her for having an affair with Lancelot despite the fact that SHE WAS ENCHANTED when that happened, and surprise surprise, Lancelot (who was also under the influence of magic) got none of that hate, and neither did Arthur, who got enchanted to fall in love with multiple women over the course of the show.

Canonically Arthur Pendragon's love interest and an important and interesting character in the show who's completely shoved aside and ignored in favour of the medieval bbc yaoi ship. At best they put her and Morgana in Lesbian Timeout (ie make them get together and then reduce them to wingwomen at best because god forbid we focus on the medieval bbc yuri). Justice for Gwen right now!

She is prince Arthur's love interest (eventually wife). Arthur is MADLY in love with her. He tells his tyrannical father he would give up his crown to be with her (she's a servant in the series). He forgives her cheating on him with Lancelot (!), which in the show is caused by an evil enchantment, but the characters never find out about it. He chooses her time and time again. His love for Gwen is literally never put into question. Many fans insist to this day that there was no chemistry between Gwen and Arthur compared to Arthur and Merlin. Arthur isn’t even particularly nice to Merlin most of the time! The funny thing is that Merlin himself ships these two so hard and does everything he can to help them get together!! Gwen & Arthur are adorable and too many fans were drunk on the yaoi fumes to see it. ARTHUR WAS A SIMP FOR GWEN.

#poll #round 1 #alana bloom #hannibal #bbc gwen #bbc merlin #merlin

[ofstarsandvibranium]

To Have & To Hold: Part 1

Fandom: Marvel - Moon Knight (Mafia AU)

Pairing: Marc Spector x F!Reader, Steven Grant x F!Reader, Jake Lockley x F!Reader

Summary: To ensure you're always safe even after his passing, your father, a mob boss, makes you marry his right hand, Marc Spector. You don't necessarily hate Marc, but you don't get along either. Therefore, this marriage of convenience may be a bit difficult for you.

A/N: another series because idk. felt like it.

"-I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." You turn to your now husband and give him a smile. He pulls you in, pressing his lips to yours. There's hollers and whistles all around you. On the outside, you appear to be a couple so in love. On the inside, your heart is dropping to your stomach.

_____________________

6 Months Earlier

"I-I thought you said you were getting better," you look at your father in disbelief. He had just delivered some heart breaking news: he was dying.

For the past few years, he's been receiving treatment and he seemed to be getting better. Turns out, within the last year, he stopped treatment because he was getting tired.

"I was, but sunshine, I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm tired and I'm getting old. I just want to enjoy the last bit of life I have left."

Anger started building up within you. You clenched your jaw and tightened your fists, "But if you end your treatments, you don't get to enjoy life much after! Dad, please just-"

He holds up a hand and you stop talking, "I've already made up my mind, Sunny. And if you're concerned with your financial state-"

"You seriously think I'm concerned with that?" you can't help but be hurt by your father's insinuation.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I know you've never cared for this life," he gestures around to his office, "But, you should know something."

"What?" you're mentally preparing yourself for even more heartbreaking news.

"You and Marc are to be married."

Your eyes widen and your jaw drops, "Are you kidding me?!"

"He will be taking over as my successor once I'm gone and, to make sure you're well taken care of, you'll be marrying him." Your father states everything as factual, giving no room for refusal or compromise.

"But what if I'm already dating someone?"

"You're not. I know you're not. I still have my eyes on you despite you being an adult."

You scoff, "Un-fucking-believable."

There's a knock at your father's office door and he says, "Come in."

The man of the hour, Marc, enters the room. He sees your fuming expression and can't help but smirk, "I see he's told you."

"Clearly. And you're okay with this?!"

Marc shrugs, "Could be worse. Plus, we don't hate each other so this marriage won't be completely unbearable."

You scoff, "Speak for yourself!" you whip around to your father, "Dad-"

"I'm just looking out for you, sunshine."

"And if I don't go through with this?"

Your father's eyes darken, "You can say good-bye to that charity organization you've been working so hard towards."

"You wouldn't."

"Don't forget who still has the power here, sweetheart."

You look to Marc whom still has a neutral expression. You felt conflicted. You'd thought that in this day and age, you'd be able to make your own choices, be able to find someone who you love and they love you back. But the world you've grown up in isn't normal. Your dad is a well known mob boss and he has power. Marc isn't terrible, but you don't know him well. But the charity organization you've been working so hard towards helped children in the community. If your dad takes that away, they won't have anything.

"Fine," you say through gritted teeth, "I'll go through with this."

Your dad's expression changes to glee, "Wonderful! You have six months to get to know each other better before the wedding."

You look at him in surprise, "You already have the wedding date planned?"

"Yes, but the venue, dress, and all of that stuff will be left to you two, of course."

You roll your eyes, "Gee thanks."

"Congratulations you two. Let's have a drink!" you sit and watch as Marc goes to your father's liquor cabinet and pours the three of you a drink. With raised glasses, your father exclaims, "To the L/N Legacy!" the three of you clink glasses and you down the entire glass. You're going to need a lot more where that came from.

#marc spector x reader #steven grant x reader #jake lockley x reader #marvel au #mob boss au #mafia au #mob au

[mikeellee]

So @bibibbon talked about the chapter and was thinking in sit this one down but...nah, I want to say how...this chapter is another proof this is not a story where Izu will be the biggest hero, but the biggest martyr if he is lucky.

The fact Izu is now quirkless and lost an arm is...gross. really gross. I talked to @doodlegirl1998 how the trope people created in fics where "Izu loses his arm ain't cool?" Is really not cool. He loses an army for shocking value and gains nothing. Edward Elric wants to revive his mother and then save his bother...he lost his power but got something greater in return...and people think Izu and Edward's cases are the same. Not even in fics make similar.

@palesweetscherryblossom Izu lost his arm and quirk to save a lunatic. The fandom is weeping about Tenko's friends "he was so good" cricket noises to Izu as in chapter 1 we saw him doing the whole "helping misfit" but no misfit helped him.

Now .... something some people may not agree. Dfo! No. I dont think it will be canon nor I want to be. Afo has show he doesn't care for Izu (guys Inko already suck as mother...do we need to give this to Izu? What would help? I even think he wants to die now "don't have anything outside for me now")

We saw afo on a "date" with Kotaro and people may think this will lead to dfo. I think it will lead to afo being a creepy. Dude is doing everything to ruin Nana's family for....reasons we don't know. (If Nana was a man...would he have done this extreme? Not calling afo a sexist but if she was a man would the narrative treat the situation the same? Maybe, maybe not)

Afo is alive and well...inside Shig's world. We will see this asshole be his cringe self and ...Izu won't matter. We are seeing more of this joke now...afo walking around and talking to people is supposed to be scary "oooh the demon is among us" and if the writing was good this could have been a great twist....it's MHA. Afo was ausent in the story and is now a pitiful plot device.

A theory I saw...is how Yoichi may be the biggest hero and...sacrifice himself to end afo. So in a way, ending afo and ofa forever. Why he never did this before? Who cares? But this theory is still too optimist.

Izu and shig's memories don't really matter. It's an artificial way to make them seem as if they had a great relationship, they don't. Also ....have we saw any memory that matter for Izu? He has any good memory?

But yeah...afo gave shig decay...somehow. bc why not? You know, if Izu doesn't die...I do hope Eri rewind him so his arm is back.

Not sure if I'm making sense...it's just MHA is a big nothing and at the same time "fuck you Izu. Be silent" and his only theory is ...that fandom clings for some reason is "izu is the son of afo" and for what? What this would change? Afo calls Izu useless...he doesn't like him nor show any paternal love...guys, look how he treats Shig...why he would be a dad or want to be one?

I think next chapter....we will see afo's past again...more of the parasite. Seeing him planning how to ruin the Shimuras (the Shimuras as the newest chewing toy) and laughing maniacally. Why all that? Bc fuck you Nana.

Also.....Izu saw MONCHAN and Hana die. Great. He has no idea who they are but ...he saw they dying.

#hori is a bad writer #a really bad one #dude hates his mc #izuku deserves better #mha critical #anti bakugou #bnha critical #anti dfo #god I hate this theory it adds nothing aside pain #izu is dangerosuly closer to be suicidal #ofa users usually have some degree of suicide mentality #we never left chapter 1! he is told to kill himself and may do it #shig deserved better #even kotaro

[kr1osz]

I've recently finished TLOK & there for joined the fandom and... Did we even watch the same show???

(Very long & passionate rant under cut)

Like mf wdym Korra is the worst/weakest Avatar? It's physically not possible for her to be the weakest as the cycle goes on the Avatar spirt gets stronger so technically the weakest Avatar is Wan!! But I still want to point out the many reasons why Korra isn't the weakest or worst Avatar.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge vaid criticisms of Korra. Yes she constantly underestimated her opponents but in her defense she was severely inexperienced. She'd spent most of her life in that training facility in the south Pole and then once she got to republic city was almost immediately thrown into dealing with the equalits so she underestimated Amon due to lack of experience. She was then manipulated by her uncle so can you really blame her for not realizing he was evil till it was too late? THAT WAS HER FAMILY!!

Anyways, Korra has faults like every Avatar but she also has feats that you all seem to forget/over look!

My main example and my favorite to bring up in this argument is; Korra on harmonic convergence after having Raava RIPPED from her (need to emphasize the fact that Korra did not give Raava up willing like some of y'all like to think, she fought to keep Raava with her and was devastated when she lost her and the past lives. She didn't give it up willingly) meaning she didn't have the Avatar state and this fight was just her pure strength against UnaVaatu.

KORRA BEAT HIS ASS WITH NO BENDING, NO AVATAR STATE, NO PAST LIVES, NO NOTHING. KORRA FIST FOUGHT THE SPIRIT OF CHAOS AND DARKNESS AND WON!

But I have more examples of how strong she truly is (there is no order to them lol).

Korra broke out of Blood bending without the Avatar state (something Aang couldn't do).

She had control over 3/4 of the elements at like five, and the only reason it took so long to master Air bending (which still only took like a few months) was because she didn't get a teacher until she was 17!

Korra fought one of the strongest air benders WHILE DYING, like ppl forget she was slowly dying during that fight. She was weakened and still won.

Now let's talk about another one of my favorite feats of hers, REDIRECTING THE AVATAR UNIVERSE VERSION OF A FUCKING NUKE. Like it was so powerful it ripped open a whole in space & time, creating a new spirit portal and she redirected it and wasn't even fazed. Like I'm 90% sure she didn't even break a sweat!

She's the first Avatar to metal bend, ik it's likely because she's the first Avatar to exist when metal bending was more common but she was metal bending in like a week! That's not something anyone can do!!

Another reason I have is technically not about her strength but more about the strength of Korra's version of Raava. When Korra re-fused with Raava, the Raava spirit was bigger than it was when it was ripped from her and alot bigger than the version Wan fused with meaning Korra has a stronger version of Raava than previous Avatars making her inherently stronger than them. When Korra re-fused with Raava, she was big enough for Korra to ride on her but when Wan fused with her Raava fit in a tea pot.

Now time to defend Korra's loses!

・Korra lost against Amon because she was inexperienced, she'd spent most of her life away from the world and wasn't prepared to fight a master water bender.

・Korra lost Raava because it was supposed to happen. Ever Harmonic convergence Raava and Vaatu fight so it's likely that ever 10,000 year's the avatar cycle will restart, also did we not watch Korra be absolutely DEVASTATED that she lost her connect with the last Avatars? Like she spends most of the time during the 4th season wishing she could talk to Aang!

・Honestly I don't even know if Korra won or lost against Zaheer but I do know she was slowly dying during the fight. She was no where near her full strength! Also, the red lotus was actively surprised at how well Korra fought against going into the Avatar state just showing her control over it.

・Korra got her ass beat in that ring in the earth kingdom because she was rusty and GOING THROUGH IT! Like she hadn't fought in 3 year's and she was still working through her turama, it's the samething when she lost to old Toph, she was rusty, still being affected by the poison, and traumatized. There was on way she was going to win in that state

・ Korra lost in her 1v1 with Kuvira because she was rusty, she hadn't fought in 3 year's and you expect her to be as good as she was before her hiatus? Bitch please! Korra quite literally goes on to go toe to toe with Kuvira at the end of the season when she'd worked through her rust.

In conclusion, Korra isn't the wort or weakest Avatar your just over looking her feats and dumbing her down because you can't except your fav isn't as strong as you think. She was ment to restart the Avatar cycle, and she also isn't even in her prime! She's 17 in the first season, 18 in season 2 & 3, and 21 in the last season, Korra is still at the beginning of her career as an Avatar. She's only going to get stronger.

Also no, I'm not a Korra glazer. She's not even my favorite Avatar, it's Kiyoshi.

#legend of korra #avatar korra #korra #tlok korra #tlok #defending korra #i think this fandom is just blind tbh #raava #avatar the last airbender #netflix avatar #this is the longest post I've ever made #im very passionate about this #you don't understand #how important this is to me #sorry for any typos #i was being silly #then it got out of hand #sorry for any mistakes

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Our moment - Chainshipping - Saw

warning : fluff, kissing, smoking, implied/mentioned sex

Info : So this sweet short One-Shot comes from THIS beautiful picture all praise to @covencritter for posting the picture and the text. Because if not this would have not been written. So dear Saw - Fandom and dearest Chainshipper have fun reading :)

masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was peace and quiet between the couple lying calmly in the large double bed. Unaware of the life outside and oblivious to any alarm clocks they had set for themselves.

The empty wine bottle and the various objects scattered around them were just a tip of the iceberg for a night of fun.

A night to celebrate something to celebrate something they should come to. The younger one had stretched out a little like a starfish, his hand still holding the cigarette he had intended to light.

His husband, on the other hand, was lying almost like a dying man in a coffin, straight on his back with his arms loosely beside him, using his doctor's coat as a blanket that didn't quite cover his body, but that didn't seem to have bothered the doctor a few hours ago.

They were fine with the matter and wanted to sleep in if it hadn't been too long. If it wasn't already late in the afternoon and if it wasn't the day the couple were going to pick up a prize.

Until the next loud ring came not from the cell phone but from the doctor's beeper. A sound he knew more than well and had heard for almost a decade.

Knew it was an emergency and knew he had to get to work. A jolt and a murmur came from the blond who broke out of his rigor mortis and groped blindly for the device, still drowsy.

Only limited light penetrated through the drawn curtains and yet it dazzled the older man. A remnant of his past, just like the prosthetic foot next to the bed that he needed to walk.

Finally grasping the small device and holding it in front of his eyes to see something, it took him almost an eternity to understand that it was not an emergency but a memory, an exclamation and a request to get up.

,,What is it-oh no Adam!" what had started as a noisy thought process became a worry and a knowledge that in less than an hour they had to get to the town hall to collect their awards. The panic and adrenaline suddenly pumping through his body seemed to make him wide awake.

When he shook his husband awake, he found it much harder to wake up than he did. ,,Adam! Now wake the fuck up!" he shouted and pulled on his prosthesis to rip the blanket off the black-haired man and push aside the curtains.

,,Mhhh let's sleep," mumbled Adam, who had no intention of getting up for the next few hours. Instead, Lawrence decided to get ready first and take a shower to take care of Adam afterwards.

But while the rushing of the shower and the sounds from outside finally seemed to wake Adam, he was still more than beside himself. He had no idea what was going to happen today or why they had to get up late in the afternoon.

Instead, he calmly reached for his fire and lit his cigarette, which he took into the large kitchen. A glance at the pictures and articles on the wall made him smile.

Is the famous Doctor Gordon having an affair? A sugar baby or just a spontaneous date? he read one of the titles and made himself a coffee, still not thinking about what today was.

While the younger man turned to his caffeine and nicotine-rich breakfast, it was Lawrence who returned from the shower to the bedroom with a towel around his hips and grabbed his glasses before picking out a shirt and suit that would fit.

,,Morning...Doctor," he heard a murmuring voice from Adam and he jerked around. The younger man had leaned against the door to watch his partner get dressed and looked at him with a stunned expression.

,,How can you smoke now? Adam, don't you know what today is? We overslept," Gordon said hastily, slipping into the suit pants that had almost caught in his prosthesis as quickly as he could and sitting down on the bed.

He saw Adam take a moment not to be the quickest thinker in the morning and let out a ,,Fuck!" before inhaling the cigarette in one go and disappearing into the bathroom.

That's right fuck, Lawrence thought and hurried to the kitchen himself to down some caffeine to draw the tiredness out of his body.

His bright eyes behind his glasses looked tired and yet hurried, the ring on his hand with Adam's inscription jingling as he clutched the cup and drank it down in one go. Before hurrying into the bathroom to get ready and telling Adam to hurry up.

Which led to a disagreement that resulted in Gordon's actual blue tie getting water on it and him rushing into the bedroom to find a new one.

What didn't fit with what would? A question that drove him mad, but when he felt the kiss on his cheek and felt Adam next to him, he smiled slightly. ,,Here, take these to go with your glasses," the younger man said, holding out a pair that really did fit better.

Adam got dressed and Lawrence watched him more than once. ,,Your quick wit is remarkable" he said and saw the wink from Adam who reached for the walking stick and handed it to Lawrence while Lawrence held out the pack of cigarettes to Adam and the two took each other's names.

Walking out of the house together and hailing a cab, they both managed to stop at the last moment before the entrance.

Knowing that as soon as they got out there would be a flurry of flashes from the press and photographers waiting for them.

,,Ready, darling?" he asked, seeing the smile on Adam's face, who was nervous at first but now felt comfortable in the storm. With his husband's nod, Lawrence got out first and heard the cameras click. He held the door open for Adam, who stepped out after him.

He heard the shouts of his and Adam's names, heard the questions and couldn't help but smile when he saw Adam's slightly loose hair which, unlike his, suggested some other activity they had been doing. But when he put his arm around Adam's side and hugged him and they both smiled into the camera.

It reminded them both of their first appearance together at the beginning of their relationship, but the love they had felt then had become a marriage.

A marriage that would last forever between the older rich doctor Lawrence Gordon and his younger partner photographer Adam Faulkner Stanheight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@callmeklarise

#saw movies #saw 2004 #saw #chainshipping #lawrence x adam #adam x lawrence #adam faulkner stanheight #lawrence gordon #cary elwes #leigh whannell

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Venice anon here! I was at the premiere just for the beginning and the end and it was, in my colleague’s opinion, “the most awkward one we’ve ever worked”, and we probably worked more than 200 between the two of us. The cast walked in without much fanfare while guests were still being seated, which is unusual. There was an award being given to the costume designer and the side of the gallery where crew was seated was louder for that than for the film. The costume designer gave a very nice thank you speech to Olivia and it seemed like things were going to go well for her but by the time we came back the vibe in the room was very different. It was one of the shortest applause we’ve ever seen, with the fact that Florence just started to walk away about 2 minutes in being the complete kiss of death. I am flabbergasted that a room full of fans and crew was so cold when it came to the end, like that is THE most forgiving room you’ll ever screen your film for. I guess they were picking up on the awkwardness of the cast vibes which was palpable. My colleague called it the “cringe mist”.

As far as Holivia interactions go, the one where they briefly whisper behind Chris’ back was literally the only one before and after the film. I was standing where I could see her directly and my girl was trying but Harry was literally saying hello to anyone who would look his way rather than locking eyes with her. I saw them standing before the screening and they were in separate groups, I’m sure they must have interacted but it definitely was not date night lol. Some of the Italian girls working as ushers there were saying “we should try, he’s obviously single” or something like that.

Re the Nick kiss, they did that because in the opening scene the characters joke kiss in the same way. We all know he would have picked Chris, cmon. Who, btw, was high as a fucking kite.

In general, this film is the talk of the town but the old motto of Olivia’s namesake about all press being good press doesn’t really apply here. She made such a spectacle of this and the film doesn’t nearly hold up, and all everyone’s talking about is how insane this rollout have been. Her and Harry are the ones that are coming out of this worse, and I’m so happy he has My Policeman coming out soon because otherwise I fear his acting career might not have the longevity we all hoped.

Dear Venice anon,

Thanks for coming back! I love your details!

Trust me, the “cringe mist” was felt all the way over here. I was dying of second hand embarrassment for H. I think everyone with eyes and a working brain could see and feel the awkward and cringe vibes. And everyone ignoring Olivia, especially Florence and Harry, was abundantly obvious!

I just hope that whatever they're doing, this marks the start of the "are they still together?" press that inevitably ends in breakup articles everywhere when the movie drops.

Olivia's got what was coming for her. She greedily lapped up every single ounce of Harry Styles' fame for herself for the past two years, and inserted herself in every single tabloid and narrative to sell this movie. Her team must SUCK, because evidently they're a bunch of yes-people, bc no way a good team would have advised her to do this knowing full well her movie doesn't hold up. Heck, the entire fandom has been saying this for years - so that's evidence enough.

I kind of love that Harry kissed Nick after the movie was shown. Everyone in attendance obviously knew his joke - but to literally the rest of the world who hasn't seen the movie yet, to them and the press, it's Harry Styles excitedly kissing his male co-star after ignoring his alleged girlfriend during her own movie premiere. THAT speaks volumes tbh.

I agree, I am SO GLAD that H has My Policeman coming bc all the press he's gotten from DWD and his interviews, paired with the film's terrible reviews would have meant certain death to his acting career otherwise. "Just another singer who thinks they can act". I'm VERY hopeful that his name and acting career are redeemed thru My Policeman. The film, and Harry's Tom, have gotten nothing but praise so far. And the fact that the whole cast has already won an award is so telling.

I knewwwww Chris was high as kite kauhgdkasjhd he looked it. Damn he had a lot on his shoulders: promoting a movie he doesn't want to be associated with, with a director he doesn't like, for a film he knows is shit, AND he was the designated Holivia buffer all day, having to sit and stand between them or next to Olivia all day long so that H could be as far from her as possible. GOD - I too would like to not be sober for that.

I'm sad for Harry that Olivia's greed, unprofessionalism and lack of directing talent affected his performance in this movie so terribly. he got no time to rehearse, as he jumped on the project merely a few weeks before filming. Had no time to work thru things with a dialect coach, flesh out scenes or receive good direction for the final takes.

Glad your friend realizes his queerness. Sad it had to be this way tho. It does remind me of when we got those god awful holivia yacht kissing pap pics - and everyone was like "ewwww Harry Styles must be terrible in bed! He has no sex appeal or knows how to touch that woman!".......which....well....self explanatory. I hope Harry gets to redeem his acting skills in a new movie where he can show that with a proper director, professional environment and adequate time for rehearsals he too can convey sexual chemistry and passion with a woman on screen. Real life tho....better step away from the stunts for a while.

#venice anon #venice film festival 2022 #venice film festival #dwd premiere #dwd red carpet #dwd reviews #chris pine #florence pugh #nick kroll #olivia wilde #olivia wilde is a narcissistic asshole #don't worry darling #dwd #sept 6 2022 #sept 2022 #holivia september 2022 #holivia

[latenightfoxhunt]

I feel like trigun maximum just hit that perfect sweet spot of bad DID representation done right. like yes the classic small system, blackout split, with one of them being the stereotypical crazy murderer but there's more to trimax before and after their introduction thats so important. they took all of the DID villain movie tropes, put them in a dying word + a murder cult, and shouted the same thing they've been shouting at everyone for the past 80 chapters: THEY'RE STILL HUMAN, THEY DESERVE A FUTURE!! the same volume they introduce him in is the same volume they get thrown on their redemption arc, because it wasn't DID that was his problem it was their abuser and the thing he made them do. trimax just hits you over the head with all the themes with one character and they're well written and well loved in the rest of the series. they get a cowboy hat and they both purse the cowboy way! the main take away wasn't that razlo needs to be put in a cage, it was hey this protector is trying his best, he has his own emotions, be kind to him. it was really refreshing to see in media and I didn't expect it to come from this.

im afraid that trigun stampede is going to miss the mark. not in a sense that I think they're going to change the ending, but how the story is building up is different. we haven't been shown several instances of the average joe having to kill for personal gain to survive on no man's land, so it makes livio and razlo feel like an individual crazed threat looming over the horizon. it also leans into the horror of episode 6 and 7 and ends up having a demonizing way of depicting disassociation. when wolfwood is in the cell pleading for him and livios just standing there with his eye mysteriously glowing, it gives me the ick. not that there can't be a narrative where both livios and wolfwoods feelings are being recognized in a meaningful way, its more that there's too much time given to ruminate in wolfwoods pov, that the audience is going to see them as threatening longer duration. manga readers know whats coming but a majority of viewers do not. [I did absolutely enjoyed wolfwood pulling him out of disassociation with smell the smell of smoke and calmly saying wake up old friend, it melted my heart. I also thought it was funny when livio shot himself but thats just me and a whole other tangent lmao]

do I think this is going to be better when the series is finished and everyone has all of the pieces? yes, absolutely. its just that the years inbetween their redemption undos what made trimaxs good

TLDR: trimax makes you feel like a fucking idiot for even doubting for a chapter that they were going to stray from their core theme of "everyone deserves a future" just because these guys are a DID system with blood on their hands. meanwhile tristamp finds its faults in the time it takes to get livio and razlo to their redemption arcs because it paints them to be a looming threat more than 2 dudes in a lot of pain.

other systems in the trigun fandom please tell me your thoughts + we should be friends

#but thats just an opinion a systems opinion thanks for watching #we love our wonderful little cowboy tristamp if i catch you doing em dirty we're gonna have even more issues #trigun #livio the double fang #razlo the tri punisher of death #love your protectors everybody #im number 1 let studio orange cook shouter they just worry me #did system #im tagging this just cause if people have it blocked i dont want em to see it

[glitterarygetsit]

Goodbye, Fawn

My brilliant friend Fawn (@esterbrook) died on Friday.

Fawn and I met when I was about 24 and she was about 43, and at the time, foolishly, I thought I was the cool one. I very quickly realised that I was wrong, and that Fawn was who I wanted to be when I grew up. 

She was independent, funny, smart, and passionate. If there was anything she didn’t like, she would do something about it—she campaigned for abortion rights and did phone banking for US elections. She was sharp and kind and pragmatic and gave amazing advice.

Fawn loved stories and history—we met on an archaeological training dig in York, and later bonded over fic in the Sherlock fandom—and was forever turning up old letters and pens and other things that she breathed new life into. She found a pen at a flea market and tracked down its original owner; she chronicled a WWII romance from a box of photographs (https://www.tumblr.com/a-certain-party-i-love).

For the past twenty years, Fawn kept a diary that will now be donated to a women’s history library. I hope one day someone devotes as much care to her memory as she did to other people’s.

I find it hard to think of many people who are leaving as big a legacy as Fawn. Her activism, writing (also wrote the first book on surviving at work when you have depression), and (towards the end of her life) participation in a clinical trial have helped so many people directly, and will continue to reverberate. 

And she’s still not done: even before she was diagnosed with ALS, she arranged to donate her body to forensic science (and wrote about it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/well/live/my-afterlife-on-the-body-farm.html).

I’m so lucky to have been able to make wonderful memories with Fawn. We went on a road trip in Northumberland and laughed at all the dicks in Chesters Roman fort with her friend Martin, who I would eventually move to Berlin with; she visited us there and baked a derby pie full of bourbon for Friendsgiving. We went to Brittany and got emotional about the Neolithic standing stones at Carnac. We walked all over London and she showed me spots I didn’t even know about despite living there for three years.

In May, I got to visit her in her beloved San Francisco, where she introduced me to tamales, giant redwoods, and her cat Cosmo, successor of Rupert, the fluffiest and most handsome gentleman who accompanied her for most of her last ten years. 

We went over and under the Golden Gate bridge, drank many cups of coffee, roamed around the Castro and Haight-Ashbury, waved across the Pacific, browsed bookshops and made sourdough and did laundry and talked until late into the night.

She was diagnosed with ALS less than a year and a half ago, which was the cruellest fucking thing not only because she deserved so much more time on this earth, but because it made talking, eating and living independently—all things she adored—so much more difficult and eventually impossible. She chose to take advantage of California’s aid in dying law and leave on her own terms, because nobody was ever the boss of Fawn, not even death.

Fawn, I miss you already. I always imagined we would one day be old ladies cackling at dirty jokes together, and it’s a crying shame that the world has been robbed of the wicked glint in your eye at least thirty years too early. You changed my life for the better in so many ways, and I still want to be you when I grow up. I love you. Sleep well.

#esterbrook #oh fawn i miss you already #i was so wildly lucky to know her both online and off #she was absolutely brilliant #feels odd not to have written more about our fannish life but i knew her offline first #i’m realising that i may not have read all her fics yet and i now get to do that

[be-compromised]

Promptathon 2023 Masterlist

Promptathon 2023 is now over, with a grand total of 647 comments and 41 fills - which is the most fills we've had for the summer prompthon since 2014, wow. Thank you to everyone who prompted, created, beta read, commented, cheered, and took part. We hope you had fun! It's been an absolute delight to see our corner of fandom so active. We do plan to keep the momentum going, so please watch this space (or the comm dreamwidth or discord) for updates on a friending meme coming later this week, sign ups for the Secret Santa fic exchange coming soon, and a revial of All The Things Friday...

If you still have prompt fills that you’re working on, or feel inspired by prompts now or in the future from any of our community events, please do keep creating. Now that promptathon is over they won’t be included as part of the event or masterlist, but they will always be appreciated :)

Promptathon 2023 Masterlist

A Different Call | AO3 by @inkvoices (PG13; Endgame, may or may not be considered an AU) Prompt: And it's been so long But if you ever think you got it wrong I'm right where you left me

A Little Less War Torn by @poppypickle (PG-13; no warnings apply) Prompt: “You touch me and suddenly I feel a little less war torn. I'm not sure what peace is supposed to feel like but I think it may feel a lot like you” — anatomy-of-rains

A Tourist's Guide To Amsterdam by @chaed (T; some language and violence) Prompt: nothing good starts in a getaway car

Building Tensions | tumblr by @quietlyimplode (PG; swearing)  Prompt: Just because I love you doesn’t mean I’ll let you win in Mario Kart. Fuck off

Burn | AO3 by @alphaflyer (M; no warnings apply) Prompt: ‘I’m intrigued; the last three attempts on my life were much better funded and prepared.’ (Same Time, Next Hit: Part 1)

bye-bye bikinis & boxers & briefs | AO3 | tumblr by @cassiesinsanity (M; no warnings apply; OT3) Prompt: "Are we sure about this?" Clint says. "I mean, he shot you. Just putting that out there." (Probably Clint/Natasha/Bucky)

Endings and Beginnings | AO3 by ultra_fic (PG/K+; no warnings apply) Prompt: Dying Is an art, like everything else. I do it exceptionally well. Lady Lazarus - Sylvia Plath 

faking it by @quidnunc-life (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: Dying Is an art, like everything else. I do it exceptionally well. Lady Lazarus - Sylvia Plath 

Heat | AO3 by @alphaflyer (M; movie-level violence) Prompt: Doing a mission in, or coping with, excessive heat. (Bonus: mission related to doing something about the climate change problem.) (Same Time, Next Hit: Part 4)

Hold | AO3 by @alphaflyer (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: enemies with benefits (Same Time, Next Hit: Part 5)

Honorary Cat | AO3 by @firlalaith (Teen; no warnings apply) Prompt: Nat (or Nat and Bucky) owns / works at a cat cafe. Clint, being Clint, spots this place and thinks it's just a pet friendly cafe, so he goes in with Lucky. (Bonus: Clint becomes a regular it just becomes too late to explain the mistake...) AND Maybe if he was a little less fuckable we wouldn’t be in this mess. 

"It looks like someone threw a train at you." by @chaed (T; no warnings given) Prompt: "It looks like someone threw a train at you."

Just Another Saturday Night by @cassiesinsanity (PG; no warnings apply) Prompt: "Do you wanna get dinner when we're done here?"

Just Come Home | AO3 by @poppypickle (PG13; swearing, slight mentions of past violence) Prompt: "come home and shout at me. come home and fight with me. come home and break my heart, if you must. just come home." - cruel prince

Kiss Me | AO3 by ultra_fic (PG/K+; no warnings apply) Prompt: An accidental brush of lips followed by a pause and going back for another, on purpose.

Last to Know | AO3 by @cloud--atlas (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: "Bet you fifty dollars you can't get a date with the Black Widow."

Leap | AO3 by @alphaflyer (T; canon-type violence) Prompt: it IS a gun in my pocket and no I’m not pleased to see you. (Same Time, Next Hit: Part 2)

Let Me Tell You a Story About War | AO3 by @poppypickle (PG-13; no warnings apply) Prompt: Do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?

Let’s Show ‘Em | AO3 by @poppypickle (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: "All I heard was 'it will be funny' and then we were in jail."

Lightbulb Moment | AO3 by @cloud--atlas (M; various kink mentions) Prompt: Honeypot mission but Clint is the bait AND Discovering a kink at the worst possible time.

Lounge | AO3 by @alphaflyer (M; no warnings apply) Prompt: Stuck in an airport (due to delayed flight, cancelled flight, mission...). Shenanigans ensue. (Same Time, Next Hit: Part 3)

Love Means Never Having To Say ‘I Love You’ | AO3 by ultra_fic (PG/K+; no warnings apply) Prompt: via tumblr creativepromptsforwriting: "Shut up, I'm trying to confess my love to you."

Making A Different Call | tumblr by @caiti-creative-corner (T) Prompt: Hawkeye goes undercover to a Red Room auction where 'retired' Black Widows are sold.

morning, his place | AO3 by fadedwings  (PG13; no warnings apply) Prompt: morning, his place burnt toast, sunday you keep his shirt he keeps his word and for once you let go of your fears and your ghosts one step, not much but it said enough

Overture | AO3 by @alphaflyer (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: When the circus/carnival stops in Ohio, a young Clint Barton meets a young Natasha. Or met, and this is now in the future...

playing yourself | AO3 by fadedwings (PG; no warnings apply; Clint/Natasha/Bucky, Kate/America) Prompt: "Is it weird to play as yourself in a video game?"

quiet my fears with the touch of your hand | tumblr by @quietlyimplode (PG; panic attacks) Prompt: quiet my fears with the touch of your hand

Rodeo Man | tumblr by @chaed (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: When they told me what you were doing, I wanted to stay in bed. And now that I’m here, I’m thinking that maybe I should have. 

Run Away Now Part 1 & Part 2 | AO3 by @poppypickle (PG13; choose not to warn) Prompt: speak now or forever hold your peace

The Girl of His Dreams | AO3 by ltra_fic (Rated PG/K+; mentions of Natasha's canon death in Endgame) Prompt: "Didn't you hear? You're dead."

The Last Testament of Steven G Rogers by chaed (T; no warnings given) Prompt: Pick an AU and go wild - 1940s mafia AU

The Laundry Day Incident | AO3 by kiss_me_cassie (PG; no warnings apply; OT3) Prompt: The Laundry Day Incident

The Rub | AO3 by alphaflyer (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: I Dream of Jeannie AU: Clint is the Genie and Natasha is the Astronaut.

The Yelena Belova Checklist For Ensuring Your Sister Is Not Dating An Asshole | AO3 by alphaflyer (M; no warnings apply) Prompt: The Yelena Belova Checklist For Ensuring Your Sister Is Not Dating An Asshole

this is a very old story | AO3 by inkvoices (PG13; aftermath of canon character death) Prompt: Someone has to leave first. This is a very old story. There is no other version of this story.

Unlike me by quietlyimplode (PG; trauma/shower scene though non graphic) Prompt: One so traumatized that the other has to take care of them and tell them what to do.

Untitled Fill by quietlyimplode (no rating/warnings given) Prompt: Walking the city at 3 am because they can't sleep

Untitled Fill by quietlyimplode (no rating given; no warnings apply) Prompt: The bed is soft and safe and they don't want to get up

No Shelf Control | AO3 by franztastisch (T; no warnings apply) Prompt: Nottinghill (inspired) AU - Clint runs or works at a bookshop, Natasha is a famous actor.

Vormir Took My Soul | AO3 | tumblr by iriel3000 (Teen; no warnings apply) Prompt: "i spent half of my time loving her and the other half hiding how much i loved her." - the seven husbands of evelyn hugo

Whatever It Takes...to Get Her Back | AO3 by iriel3000 (T; language; fix-it fic, happy ending) Prompt:"Remember, you have to return the stones at the exact same moment we took them or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities."

#promptathon 2023 #promptathon 2023 masterlist #clintasha #clint barton #natasha romanoff #hawkeye #black widow #and friends #fanfic #fic recs #marvel fic #be_compromised

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

Closure

Fandom: Elvis Presley, American Musician

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Addison Goodwin

Characters: Elvis Presley, Addison Goodwin, Jessie Goodwin Presley, Lisa Marie Presley,

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 7145

Summary: The Class of 1980 aren't the only ones learning a few things.

Tags/Warnings: Graduation, Set in 1980, College Graduation, Angst, Fluff, Past Trauma, Arguing, Lying, Past Cheating, Mistrust, Kissing, Affection, Miscommunication, Mentions of Death/Dying, Long Term Illness,

Notes: The last one was far too fluff heavy so here’s a lil angst sandwiched between some fluff <3

Also the inspo for scott is tom cruise in looks only cos I don't fuck with that man AT ALL but as 80s heart throbs go he's a good one - I would've had rob lowe if he wasn't my inspo for young jerry

ELVIS MASTERLIST // ELVIS AND ADDISON MASTERPOST

Addison winced as she tugged on her skirt, realising too late in the day just how short it was and that it would no doubt be no defence in stopping the backs of her thighs from sticking to chair plastic in the rampant June heat. She just thanked her lucky stars it was the dry heat of California and not the swampy warmth of Memphis she’d long since become acclimatised to. As she tugged it again it gave way a little, stopping just short of her mid-thigh but making her grunt in disapproval as her mood soured a touch more. Not that her outfit choice had much to do with how she was feeling. Still, today wasn’t about her. It was about Jess and she wasn’t going to let some silly outfit or anything else ruin that. She’d done her job, she’d raised her baby to be a good person, a sweet young woman who was ready for the next chapter in her life which was entering the big wide world. She’d got her to graduation and Addison was going to be damned if she let anything stop her enjoying that.

When she walked out of the bathroom she found Elvis sitting on the bed slipping his shoes on though his movements slowed as he watched her move around the room finishing getting ready. She could feel his eyes on her but she said nothing, rubbing perfume into her pulse points as he watched on quietly.

‘Still not talking to me?’ he said after a moment of silence, his words finally getting her to turn around, a scowl on her pretty face.

‘Are you gonna accuse me of more ridiculous things?’ she asked, watching him expectantly, ‘because if the answers yes then yeah, I’m still not talking to you.’

‘Oh Addie come on you’re being ridiculous,’ he said standing up from the bed and coming towards her. He’d expected the frosty nature she’d left him with last night to have thawed by now though he should’ve known his wife well enough to know that once she was set on something she’d see it through to the end. He had just hoped the end would’ve come before they had to leave for Jess’ Graduation.

‘I’m being ridiculous?!’ she scoffed incredulously, ‘after last night?’

‘What am I supposed to think?’ he asked defensively.

‘You’re supposed to trust your wife!’ she said angrily, pushing past him and heading to the door, grabbing her purse off the dresser as she went.

‘And you’re supposed to tell the truth!’ he said hot on her tail. At his words she whipped around, trapping him inside their room as she stood on the threshold, the anger from last night back on show though he could see she was trying to stifle it, pushing it down inside herself and allowing a mask to take hold.

‘You know what?’ she said, ‘I’m not doing this.’

‘Ads,’ he sighed.

‘I’m not talking to you about this now,’ she said.

‘What are we gonna do sit in silence?’ he bit back.

‘No,’ she said firmly, ‘we’re gonna smile and be supportive of our daughter on her graduation day because she deserves her parents to be there for her and not wrapped up in their own shit.’

‘Addie,’ Elvis said feeling his anger and irritation be ripped away only to be replaced by guilt.

‘I mean it Elvis,’ she warned, ‘we are not ruining today for her got it?’

He watched her for a minute forcing whatever upset and anger she was feeling down inside herself all in the hope that Jess would have a good day. He knew it was probably wrong to do so, to force the emotions bubbling through the pair of deep inside themselves, but as he thought of Jess preparing to enjoy her special day he couldn’t help but agree with his wife. Today was about Jess. Their little tiff would have to wait and so he did the only thing he could do, nod.

‘Thank you,’ she said tersely moving away from him as she said, ‘be downstairs in five.’

And then she disappeared heading downstairs as Elvis flopped back against the door jamb, closing his eyes with a sigh. He knew it was his own fault. That this little spat they were having probably could’ve been handled a whole lot better it was just that his own doubts had gotten the better of him. He’d allowed ideas to fester, to spin out of control, until finally he’d snapped, his anger fuelling his wife’s and leaving them both unhappy in the process.

‘Oof what did you do to piss her off?’ he heard a voice say nearby and looked up to find Lisa watching him with a bemused expression.

‘Nuthin’,’ Elvis grumbled, ‘and what have I told ya about swearin’. It ain’t lady like.’

‘Well whatever it is you better fix it,’ Lisa warned, ignoring the jibe about her household etiquette like she did most of her attempts to reign her in, ‘because she’s right. Jessie don’t need you two screaming at each not today.’

✵✵✵

‘Jessie Josephine Presley,’ the dean said forcing Addison to sit a little taller in her seat as she watched her daughter emerge from the side of the stage walking towards him with a smile on her face, one that grew slightly embarrassed as she heard a distinct rise in the noise level as Elvis leapt to his feet hooting and hollering with help from his entourage as they celebrated her.

‘Dad stop embarrassing her,’ Lisa grunted, pausing her clapping to tug on his jacket as she tried to corral him back into his seat with little avail. It was only then Addison’s eyes left their daughter going instead to her husband who continued his celebrations before they landed on Lisa.

‘Leave him be,’ she said smiling as Lisa rolled her eyes and went back to her own applauding. Only once Jess was safely across the stage did he sit down, sinking back into his chair as he pretended not to notice the ogles and stares from other parents as realisation sunk in. They weren’t the only ones staring though as beside him Addison couldn’t help but glance his way her heart swelling with pride. Even in the sweltering June weather he seemed to feel the heat of her gaze, their eyes meeting for the first time since they’d sat down. Elvis smiled at her, his heart too full to even think about their current situation and though Addison returned it her mind seemed to wander back to it quicker than his as she looked self-consciously back towards the stage. Elvis held in a sigh, the guilt from before creeping in, and in order to fend it off he leaned in hoping his sentiments would be regarded in the way he intended as he murmured, ‘I know we’re not speaking but you did really good with her.’

‘We did good,’ Addison corrected, offering him a smile in return.

It wasn’t much but it was enough to ease the palpable tension they’d been sitting in just a little though as the dean continued to drone on, listing his way through the rest of the alphabet, it didn’t stop either of them from thinking about the reason they were in this mess in the first place.

Elvis was sitting in his room staring at the phone as if looking at it would change the information he'd heard come from the helpful lady at the bank not ten minutes ago. As if looking at it would vanquish the hurt inside him, hurt that only worsened as Addison appeared at the door, an apologetic smile on her face as she rushed into their room, kicking off her shoes and dropping her purse to the floor as she said, 'hey, sorry I'm late I hit traffic on the freeway.'

'Hm,' was all Elvis could mutter in return, his lacklustre response not noted as she continued in her own world, oblivious to the temperature of the room. 

'And I know we said we should go out to dinner tonight but would you mind if we skipped it? I mean we're going out tomorrow and it's only Mar and Jer,' she reasoned. 

'Mmmhmm,' Elvis said, though his jaw was so tight he wondered how he'd even managed to get the noise out, but its quietness evidently spoke volumes as she turned around, watching him curiously as she said tentatively, 'everything okay?' 

'I don’t know,' Elvis said honestly, 'why don’t you tell me?'

'Huh?' she asked, her brows knitting together in confusion that only made the hurt inside him turn to irritation. 

'I mean I thought whilst I've been spending time with our daughter you were out doing the same but apparently not,' he said, watching her closely as she started putting the pieces together. She'd seemed genuinely confused at first but as he mentioned Jess, the pawn in her lie, the realisation appeared to surface.

'Elvis,' she sighed and though her tone was gentle he knew it was still a warning. But Elvis wasn't listening, he didn't want to give her a chance to lie to him and so he continued, 'I mean you sold it well. I have to admit your actin' skills could land ya in Hollywood.' 

'What's that supposed to mean?' she said.

'No, no, Elvis you spend the week with Lisa and Cilla. Give me some one on one time with my little girl,' he said mockingly which made Addison's jaw tighten. They were teetering on the edge of a full blow row, his mocking and mentioning of her only trigger, their daughter, only adding fuel to the fire, but she was holding back. He could see it in her eyes that she was trying to calm herself but he had no interest in letting her, too heartbroken to take a minute to think.

'Let me explain,' she said.

'Why don’t you explain why you said you were spending the week with Jess when in reality she hasn't seen you at all,' he spat.

'I'm sorry okay, I didn't mean to lie to you. I just thought-'

'What that I wouldn't figure it out?' Elvis scoffed, shaking his head as he moved away from her, 'funny ain't it. I mean I always thought I'd be able to read you but I guess we're both stupid.'

'Just let me explain,’ she said indignantly.

'What so you can tell me I'm wrong? That you ain't lied to my goddamn face? Though again I guess in the scheme of things lyin' ain't the worst thing here,' he said, he was by the window now, staring out at the view of their backyard as he felt tears building inside him.

'What?' Addison asked angrily, 'what exactly are you accusing me of? Because I admit I told a lie but I told you I'm sorry-'

'And is that supposed to make up for cheatin' on me too?' Elvis said spinning around to face her in the hopes that there was still some part of him that could read his wife. That in the heat of the moment he'd know the truth.

'Wait you think I'm having an affair?' she asked the disbelief in her voice matching that on her face though it broke through to laughter. Laughter that died as she noticed he remained stony faced, ‘you're serious?'

'As a heart attack.'

'Elvis,' she said, all amusement gone from her voice as she watched him brokenheartedly, 'you really think I'd do that?' 

'Why not? It's happened before,' he reasoned. 

'You mean Cilla?' she said and though he didn't reply his silence was enough. After all he'd been down this road before. He'd lost his last wife to another man but that he could understand. That had been down to his own actions. Their marriage wasn't like his and Priscilla's which is why he didn't understand how she could do something like this, why it hurt so much more to think that she could. 

Whatever hurt Addison had been feeling however turned to anger, the tears brimming in her eyes being quickly brushed away as she said, 'well excuse me if I thought that our marriage was a bit stronger than that.'

'Don't turn this around on me!' Elvis protested.

'How could you think that after everything we've been through? How could your immediate thought be that I'd throw our marriage, our life, away and for what? Some guy? Some five minutes of nothing-'

'What am I supposed to think?' Elvis said, 'you lied to me. Told me you were hangin' out with Jess when you're hanging around seedy motels in Reno.'

'How did you-' Addison whispered, confusion bubbling inside her once more though he wasn't letting her have any time to process it.

'So come on what is it? Some old boyfriend from Vegas? I mean it's perfect distance from here, hell, you don’t have to bother goin’ all that way-'

'You were checking up on me?' she asked, the puzzle pieces slotting together as she realised the only way he could've known where she had been was by tracing her credit card.

'I got curious,' he spat, 'sue me.' 

They were both quiet for a moment, watching each other closely as the anger between them festered in the air. She knew he would be angry. She knew that he wouldn’t understand that had been why she had elected to keep it a secret in the first place, well at least until she was sure about what she was going to do. But to have him think this? To think that one little white lie could be a cover for her throwing their marriage away hurt her deeply. In fact, she couldn't even process how he could think so low of her. 

'You're unbelievable,' she said, breaking the silence as she turned to walk away from him. He could be angry if he wanted. He could shout and scream but she was angry too and she wasn't going to dignify his ludicrous accusations with a response. Not until she had calmed herself at least because she knew if she did she'd only be flinging the hurt he was feeling back at him. And that was asking for trouble.

'Don't you walk away from me,' he shouted.

'I'm walking away from you being ridiculous,' she called as she headed into the bathroom.

'I'm not being ridiculous I'm asking my wife for a fuckin' explanation,' he said, grabbing her by the arm though she wrenched it from his grasp as she whipped around to look at him.

'No! No, you don’t get to accuse me of doing something like this and then expect explanations. If you wanted an explanation you could've just fuckin' asked me but you had to assume the worst of me,' she said brokenly.

'Addie,' he said, the anger in his voice evaporating when he saw how hurt she was.

'Leave me alone Elvis,' she whispered, and before he could protest she shut the bathroom door in his face, leaving both of them standing on either side of it wondering how their night had come to this. 

✵✵✵

'Jess over here!' Elvis called gruffly as he spotted his daughter, too busy chatting to her college friends as they made their way through the stands to be actively looking for their respective families. As she looked up she broke into a smile and bid a quick goodbye to the girls around her before she hurtled towards them, breaking through the pockets of people gathered around until she was in front of her parents.

'Hi guys,' she said as he swept her up in a hug, holding her so tight she felt as though he may have squeezed all the air from her lungs, not that she minded given they hadn’t seen each other in weeks.

'Congratulations!' her mother said watching as Elvis finally let her go, allowing her to be able to hug her.

'Thanks,’ Jess smiled.

‘C’mon now let’s see it,’ Elvis said gesturing to the diploma in Jess’ hands which she unfurled so they could have a look at it causing Elvis to offer up an impressed whistle, ‘phew ain’t that sumthin’. Now that’s goin’ in the trophy room for sure.’

‘Dad it’s not that big of deal,’ Jess blushed, tucking it back under her robes and out of sight as a blush tinged her cheeks.

‘It’s a huge deal! You worked your butt off,’ Addison said with a proud smile.

‘Your moms right,’ Elvis agreed, ‘my daughter is a college graduate and that’s something worth celebrating.’

‘Yeah well I heard your celebrating all the way from the stage,’ Jess giggled.

‘That was just the start,’ Addison said, ‘plenty more to come.’

‘No party right?’ Jess asked hesitantly.

‘No, we followed your orders,’ Addison said.

‘Yeah we followed your rules,’ Elvis grumbled, ‘you guys really know how to ruin my fun ya know that.’

‘I couldn’t risk you asking everyone over to our house like my high school graduation,’ Jess said raising her eyebrow at her father who shrugged as though he didn’t recall inviting every member of Memphis Catholic High’s senior class over to Graceland despite the fact Jess only had a few close friends given that she barely spent time there due to their chaotic schedule.

‘Well we did exactly as you said and booked a table at boulevard like you wanted,’ Addison said unable to stop herself from smiling at the memory which didn’t go unnoticed by Elvis who smirked in response.

‘Thank you,’ Jess said, ‘because I just want-’

‘Hey Jess!’

At the sound of her name being called she whipped around to find a boy coming towards her a beaming smile on his face. Elvis and Addison watched as he rushed up to her her, wrapping her up in a hug as they beamed at one another.

‘Congrats!’ he said excitedly as he finally pulled back though he didn’t let her go. Addison and Elvis shared a look.

‘You too!’ she said excitedly, ‘can you believe it we actually made it.’

‘I know it doesn’t feel real,’ he said with just as much enthusiasm.

‘I know what you mean I,’ Jess said stopping mid-sentence as she seemed to come back to reality and realise her parents were still standing beside her, watching her and her friend with the same curious expression, though admittedly her father’s was a little more hostile. The boy seemed to notice they weren’t alone at the same time though his face seemed less embarrassed and more in awe as he realised just who was watching them. It was a look Addison had seen a million times before, one she’d never quite gotten used to, seeing strangers fawn over her husband but she wasn’t interested in looking at Elvis. She was eying the boy in front of her and more importantly the way Jess had looked at him.

‘Uh mom, dad, this is Scott,’ Jess said as she detached herself from the boy who placed his arms firmly near his sides, ‘Scott this is my mom and dad.’

‘Nice to meet you Mr and Mrs Presley,’ Scott said offering a hand out for Elvis to shake though he merely looked at it, scrutinising the boy as he sweated in his formal wear.

‘Mmhmm,’ Elvis grunted.

‘Nice to meet you too,’ Addison said rushing to relieve the tension by picking up the conversation though not before she subtly nudged her husband who rolled his eyes but put the boy out his misery and shook his still outstretched hand, ‘I take it you’re graduating too.’

‘What? Oh yeah,’ Scott said, ‘though I don’t know how. I wouldn’t have made it without Jess she got me through our business class for sure.’

‘Is that right?’ Elvis asked again earning himself a discreet dig in the ribs for his tone.

‘Well isn’t that nice,’ Addison smiled, ‘you know we’re having a little get together if you want to join? The more the merrier and all that.’

‘Mom,’ Jess said red glowing underneath her radiant summer tan as her blue eyes went wide.

‘Actually,’ Scott said awkwardly, ‘my folks have a party planned but uh thanks.’

‘It’s f-fine,’ Jess stammered, ‘don’t worry about it. Enjoy your party.’

‘Call you later?’ Scott asked.

‘Sure,’ Jess nodded, offering him a small smile which he returned before he disappeared into the crowd. Jess looked at her parents exasperatedly though both of merely shrugged. Before she could berate either of them though she was engulfed in a sea of people as the rest of the celebrating party descended forcing Elvis and Addison to take a step back. Elvis wasn’t really paying attention to the mob, his mind too focused on his little girl, well his not so little college graduate and the way she’d beamed at the presence of that Scott kid. He did however notice how a hand slipped into his, a head on his shoulder as his wife watched the group too, her mind on the same thing.

✵✵✵

The air was cool when Addison stepped out of the restaurant though she didn’t know if there was a chill in the air or rather that the restaurant itself had been sweltering due to the sheer amount of people Elvis had invited to join them. Jess may have gotten her wish of having a simple get together rather than a party but that hadn’t stopped him inviting every friend and family member they had. Still, Addison couldn’t complain because even with all the fuss she’d declined wanting she’d seen just how happy her daughter had been all afternoon.

‘So, how’s it feel to be a college graduate?’ Addison said sidling up beside her daughter as she left the building and diverting her away from the masses of people gathered on the sidewalk, ready to head home or continue the party dependent on the whim of the Presleys.

‘Pretty good,’ Jess smiled leaning into her mother before she pulled back.

‘It suits you,’ Addison giggled, ‘so what do you wanna do now? We could go back to the house I got a cake.’

‘Actually,’ Jess said her happy smile dimming with nerves as she murmured, ‘I’ve been invited to a party.’

‘Oh,’ Addison said trying to not sound too disappointed.

‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘that’s okay right?’

‘Of course it is. It’s your day after all,’ Addison said with a smile as she moved a strand of hair off her face as watched her. At her acceptance Jess visibly relaxed and Addison couldn’t help but smile. It never failed to make her laugh, how days like these had been something she’d used to dread, and yet now she couldn’t help but enjoy them. Sure she would’ve liked to have spent all day with her but she was just happy that Jess felt comfortable having her own life. A life that may or may not have included a handsome brunette boy. At that thought Addison smiled. She may have been able to let her little girl go but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to have some fun of her own.

‘This party wouldn’t happen to be Scott’s would it,’ Addison said quirking an eyebrow as Jess flushed deep crimson.

‘We’re just friends,’ Jess stated.

‘Okay,’ Addison giggled.

‘Mom!’ Jess chastised.

‘What?’ Addison asked feigning innocence.

‘You’re looking at me like, well, like that,’ Jess scolded.

‘Oh I’m not looking at you like anything,’ Addison said waving her off, ‘and if you wanna be just friends that’s fine.’

‘I know that,’ Jess said.

‘But your dad and I were just friends,’ Addison added watching as Jess rolled her eyes.

‘Well thanks for your input but like I said we’re just friends. Though speaking of dad thanks for coming today,’ Jess said swiftly moving the conversation on in the hopes it would get that warm fuzzy feeling to leave her stomach.

‘Like we’d have missed this,’ Addison said.

‘I mean even though you guys are fighting,’ Jess said, batting that awkward feeling back into her mother’s court.

‘How did you know that?’ Addison asked.

‘Well Lis ratted you out,’ Jess answered, ‘but I would’ve been able to tell anyway.’

‘Well don’t worry about it. Besides it’s nothing to do with you guys,’ Addison said guiltily.

‘We’re a family remember. It has everything to do with us,’ Jess said, ‘you guys good?’

‘We will be,’ Addison said firmly.

Jess looked as though she wanted to get into the semantics of it all to make sure that there was nothing to worry about but fortunately for Addison a car pulled into the parking lot before she could ask any further questions. It wasn’t that she minded how much Jess cared about her parents because she knew it only came from love. It was just that it wasn’t her place to worry about them. She had her own life. She didn’t need to parent her parents. It had been one of the reasons that Addison, though devastated, had insisted she go to college where she wanted to which just so happened to be two thousand miles away from Memphis.

‘That’s my ride,’ Jess said waving at the two girls in the front of the car which was idling in the middle of the lot.

‘Go,’ Addison said with a smile.

‘But dad,’ Jess protested, looking for her father who had still yet to emerge from inside no doubt having been collared by fans or friends.

‘I’ll tell him you said goodbye,’ Addison said leaning in to hug her before pulling back and pushing her towards the car, ‘now go! Have fun!’

‘Bye,’ Jess nodded, ‘love you.’

‘Love you honey,’ Addison said as Jess dashed towards the car, chatter immediately breaking out amongst the girls as they headed off on their journey.

Addison watched as it disappeared onto the street her mind running over the past twenty-four hours. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions, not all great, and yet on the whole she felt fine because as she felt a hand touch her waist, her husband’s handsome face coming into view as she turned to look at him, she knew that when she had told Jess everything would be okay she was telling the truth.

‘Where’s Jess?’ he asked, scanning the sidewalk but seeing his eldest nowhere amongst the crowd.

‘She had a party to get to,’ Addison replied.

‘She ditched us?’ Elvis asked incredulously.

‘Maybe we’re not the best company,’ Addison said.

‘Addie,’ Elvis sighed. Since they’d gotten to the restaurant the mood had changed and he’d hoped that their tiff had been forgotten though it appeared that was not the case.

‘Wanna go for a ride?’ Addison asked softly. Elvis paused. The tiff might not have been forgotten but he could tell from her voice this wasn’t a request for a repeat of the screaming match they’d had the night before and given he wanted to get to the bottom of it too he couldn’t deny her only request.

‘Sure,’ he said.

Even though most of the party would be headed back to the same house as them it took a while for them to get away from everyone given that they were all still in the party mood. Eventually though the pair managed to break free, climbing into the car and heading out onto city streets until they got to the coast line. Since it was still relatively early and a weekend the beaches were lined with people and Addison watched them as they whizzed past, frolicking on the shore line and sunbathing under the western sky. Elvis however wasn’t watching the scenery, he was barely watching the road, because he was too focused on watching his wife, wondering what was going on in that head of hers. Eventually he couldn’t take it any longer and so he pulled into a little parking bay overlooking the cerulean waves below. When she kept her eyes forward looking at the expanse of ocean in front of them he cleared his throat causing her hazel gaze to find him.

‘So, is this round two or a truce?’ he asked, quickly looking back out the windshield as he awaited his answer hoping it was the latter as he wasn’t sure he had another fight in him.

‘The second,’ Addison said, ‘I’m sorry about last night.’

‘Me too,’ Elvis agreed glancing at her though he couldn’t help but shift guiltily under her gaze, ‘I know I shouldn’t have said what I said.’

‘It really hurt me…that you could think that stuff about me after everything. E, I would never do that to you, to us,’ she said quietly.

‘I know, I know,’ Elvis said turning to look at her properly, ‘but you gotta understand where I was comin’ from. I mean it’s happened to me before, hell, I’ve been the one cheatin’ before Addie. It was just the sneakin’ around, the secrecy, it stirred up all this worry in me and I didn’t know what to think.’

‘Maybe…but you know me Elvis. You know me better than anyone. Even if you had a million ideas in your brain surely you knew I wouldn’t do that,’ she said.

‘I know,’ he said sadly, ‘and deep down I knew it couldn’t be true but honey you ask me to trust you and I do. But you lied to me. Anyway you slice it there was a lie there.’

‘I know,’ Addison said sadly. She knew he had a point, that she had no right to expect his trust given that she had lied to him, but it was the fact he could contemplate her betraying him like that. He was her love. Her only love. But that didn’t mean he’d understand. That didn’t mean that they always saw eye to eye and that had been what she’d been afraid of which is why she had lied.

‘Don’t ya trust me?’ Elvis asked hoping her answer wouldn’t be anything but positive.

‘Of course I do!’ Addison said, ‘El I trust you more than anyone on this planet it’s just…I didn’t know how you’d feel. I didn’t know how I felt about it so until I did I didn’t wanna tell you. Until I worked it out for myself.’

‘You’re pregnant?’ Elvis asked unsure as to what could be so daunting she couldn’t bear telling him.

‘What no!’ she said swatting him on the arm with a roll of her eyes, ‘like I wouldn’t tell you about that!’

‘Oh come on Addie it’s gotta be something big if you didn’t wanna tell me,’ he grumbled making her smile apologetically.

‘Okay, okay,’ she said turning towards him properly, ‘you were right. I wasn’t staying with Jess like I said. I wasn’t even in Stanford this week. I was in Reno…visiting my mother.’

‘Mona?!’ Elvis asked any thoughts he’d been having immediately disintegrating under the shock of her words.

‘Yeah, even after all this time she’s got a knack for getting between us huh?’ she said bitterly. Of all the things she could’ve told him he would never have thought of that and as bile started to churn in his stomach at the idea of the woman he sighed. No wonder she hadn’t told him.  

Still, questions swirled around inside him each of them fighting to get out first yet as he watched her drop her gaze guiltily he held them back and tried to remain calm. She was right, even all these years later Mona had managed to cause a rift in their relationship and though he wasn’t exactly happy about the lie she’d spun he could forgive her for it because to not would to be play further into her mother’s hands. And so he decided not to fire on all cylinders, to hold himself back in the hopes she’d explain as he said, ‘what happened?’

‘She wrote me a letter a few months go saying she wanted to see me, that there were things she needed to tell me.’

‘Yeah probably give me some cash,’ Elvis said through gritted teeth, his emotions catching hold almost immediately though he softened as she threw him a look muttering, ‘sorry.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ she said placing her hand over his large one where it rested between them on the seat, ‘believe me I fully intended on ignoring it. There was nothing I wanted from her so I threw it away and tried to forget it.’

‘But?’ Elvis said. Addison sighed.

‘She wrote again,’ she said gnawing on her lip, ‘said it was important and well I got to thinking.’

‘She got in your head,’ Elvis said.

‘No,’ Addison sighed again, ‘maybe…but I just started thinking what if it is something important? I mean what if it’s something that could affect me or Jess like some genetic thing or whatever and then I thought what if it is and I don’t find out.’

‘She got in your head,’ Elvis said knowing how all of this would’ve been swirling around inside, gnawing at her brain the way she gnawed on her lip when she was nervous.

‘Yeah,’ Addison admitted meekly.

‘So?’ he asked.

‘So I replied and asked her what she wanted. She wrote back and asked to see me, gave me an address in Reno. I didn’t do it lightly you know. I thought about for a long, long time and I only decided to go because I knew I’d always be wondering and I’d probably drive myself crazy in the process,’ she said.

‘Why didn’t you just tell me?’ Elvis asked. He didn’t like Mona but if he was being honest that wasn’t the part that hurt him. Her keeping it from him was.

‘I thought about it but I knew what you’d say. And I wanted to make this decision for myself,’ she admitted.

‘If you’d have just asked I would’ve respected your wishes,’ he said.

‘And held your tongue?’ she said raising an eyebrow which made him sheepish, ‘I just wanted to have all the information but I should’ve told you. I hated lying to you…but like you thinking I could…y’know sometimes I still think like that stupid kid all on her own.’

‘Well you’re not,’ he said moving to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

‘I know…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. If it makes you feel better all I wanted was to talk to you about it,’ she admitted.

‘Yeah?’ he asked.

‘Yeah…it was what I was going to tell you when I got home last night before well everything,’ she said fiddling with a button on his shirt.  It seemed silly now to not have told him but at the time she couldn’t bring herself to. She knew he’d try his best, to let her go through with seeing Mona if it was what she truly wanted, but he’d always be watching – threatening to cloud her judgement. Except once she had landed in Reno all she had wanted was to talk to him, to tell him everything that was happening. It had been why she hadn’t bothered Jess by telling her they were fighting. She knew it was in built in her oldest daughter to worry about them because she had spent so much of her childhood watching Addison pretending she was okay. Jess had seen how she’d held herself together thinking she was all on her own but now she had him, she always would. Her mother had just stirred up all that hurt, like she always did, and somehow she’d lost sight of that causing this whole ugly ordeal.

‘Well you can tell me now,’ he said.

‘I know,’ she said.

‘What happened?’

‘I showed up at the address she gave me, to this dingy little house on the outskirts of the city. It was awful, practically fallin down around her and she was just sitting there looking worse than ever,’ she said growing quiet for a moment before whispered, ‘she’s dying El. Six months.

‘Yeah right,’ Elvis scoffed gritting his teeth and trying to make himself look more understanding as she pulled away from him.

‘I know, I know!’ she said exasperatedly, ‘I didn’t want to believe her either but…El she looked awful. I don’t think she’s telling lies this time.’

‘So what?’ Elvis said.

‘I listened to her sob story. I let her tell me how she regretted everything, how she was only now seeing how badly she’d messed everything up and how she was sorry,’ Addison said. She wasn’t looking at him now, her gaze out the window as she stared at the bright blue of the horizon a wistful look on her face as she murmured, ‘but you wanna know something?’

‘What?’ Elvis asked.

‘In all that talk. In all the apologies and promises and begging for my forgiveness…she didn’t ask me one thing about Jess. Not one. I mean I can understand us, our whole ordeal has been plastered in enough papers by now but I had a baby less than a year after she left and she never even thought to ask about her. Not how she was. Not how I coped. Not if she could meet her…her own granddaughter,’ she said finally looking back at him except now the sadness on her face was hardened like it had been the night he’d told her she’d left town all those years ago. Every time Mona had blitzed into her life she’d always had hope, something that he’d thought had been truly stomped out at seventeen, but now at forty he could see it was. That even though she’d given her mother the benefit of the doubt by speaking to her it hadn’t been because she’d hoped for more.

‘I mean I didn’t expect her to have changed no matter what she told me but even on her death bed begging for help she couldn’t even put in enough effort to pretend. Not even for five minutes. She could spin a yarn, give me her sob story but she couldn’t even ask one question about her own granddaughter,’ she said bitterly.

‘Yeah will it Jess was probably of no use to her,’ Elvis said honestly.

‘I know,’ she said.

‘So what did you do?’ Elvis asked.

‘I heard her out. I listened to her pretend she was all torn up about being a terrible human being waiting for the other shoe to drop and what do you know it did,’ Addison said, explaining as Elvis’ brows knitted together, ‘she’s not got any money for her doctors bills or rent.’

‘That’s why you were cashing cheques,’ Elvis said connecting the dots quicker than expected and sighing as she dropped her gaze to her lap, ‘Addie.’

‘I know I shouldn’t have after all she’s done to me. I know I should’ve left; I shouldn’t have even gone. I know she’s a terrible person but I’m not. El I know you might not get it but I’d rather be thought of as a fool who gave her money out of the goodness of my heart than the bitch who refused to help someone who needed it.’

‘Oh honey,’ Elvis sighed.

‘You understand right? Please tell me you understand,’ she said.

‘Of course I understand. C’mere,’ he said pulling her into him and allowing her to be engulfed by his presence. He held her to him stroking her hair as she nestled against him.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,’ she sniffed, ‘I don’t know why I couldn’t bring myself to.’

‘Your mothers tricky business. She gets in your head, she always has, it’s not your fault,’ he said, his voice soothingly rumbling against her ear. She settled then, the pair of them falling quiet for a moment though Elvis couldn’t stop his brain from spinning yet this time there was only one question on his mind, ‘are you gonna see her again?

‘I don’t really see the point,’ she said turning so that she wasn’t completely tucked into him though she didn’t pull away, ‘I paid six months rent on a room in a care facility for her. I gave her a cheque to cover any extras she might need and told her not to blow through it because that was it. I have no illusions of her wanting to see me again not now she’s got everything she needs.’

It had always been odd to him how a woman could want nothing to do with her only child. How Addison could be centre of his entire universe and yet the woman who should’ve thought the same could only ever begin to bother with her when she needed something. He couldn’t ever contemplate doing that to either of his girls and he couldn’t picture his parents or Joe doing that either. That was why he hated her so much because of all of them she’d gotten the most time and yet she’d squandered it away. She watched him mulling it all over, concern falling on his face as an idea struck him, his bright blue eyes looking down at her as he asked, ‘do you want to?’

‘Honestly?’ she asked, Elvis nodded, ‘no. I think I needed to do this for me for closure I guess that’s why…’

‘Why what honey?’

‘On my way out of Reno I stopped by a funeral directors. I paid for a package and called the warden asking him to let me know when...when it’s over.’

‘Well that’s an honourable thing to do,’ he said moving her hair off her face as she leaned into his touch.

‘I think it was more for me. So I know that’s it,’ she said, ‘I don’t know if I would wanna go yet.’

‘Well if you do we can. Both of us. Whatever you need baby,’ he said leaning in to kiss her. She was still for a minute before she leaned into it, their lips melding together as he pulled her to him as if they were teenagers desperate for a moment alone rather than married fortysomethings.

When they pulled apart she was breathless, a thankful smile on her face, and though he knew he should probably be serious he couldn’t help himself, electing as he always did to put a smile on her face which came immediately as he smirked and said, ‘so Scott huh?’

‘They’re just friends,’ Addison giggled pulling back and sitting beside him, her head on his shoulder.

‘Is that right?’ Elvis asked.

‘Mmmhmm,’ Addison smiled.

‘Well I’m glad,’ Elvis murmured, ‘he seems nice.’

‘Elvis Presley!’ she gasped pulling back with a beaming smile, ‘are you actually conceding your little girl should actually be allowed in the big wide world of dating?’

‘She’s a college graduate now,’ he said seriously, ‘time to let her live a little.’

‘You’re still gonna put him through the wringer huh?’

‘Oh for sure,’ he smiled.

ELVIS TAGS

@girlblogger2002 @sania562 @caitlin1996 @literally-just-elvis-fics @notstefaniepresley @artlesson8892 @18lkpeters @velvetelvis @jaqueline19997 @elvispresleyxoxo @amydarcimarie @presleyenterprise @everythingelvispresley @elvispresleywife @lillypink @richardslady121 @lettersfromvenus @louisejoy86 @ccab

#my writing #elvis #elvis presley #elvis and addison #elvis presley x ofc #elvis x ofc #elvis presley fic #elvis fic #closure #Addison goodwin

[slytherinlesbians]

Whumtober 2023, Day 10: "You said you'd never leave."

fandom: criminal minds | characters: spencer reid (centric), diana reid, derek morgan, aaron hotchner, jennifer jaraeu, penelope garcia, emily prentiss | ship: past spencer reid/elle greenaway | trigger warnings: parent abandonment, depression, grief | content: spencer reflects on the people who have left him over the course of his life and grieves | word count: 1.3k.

“The five stages of grief,” Spencer says, standing in front of his geographical profile addressing officers on a case, “is a model developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and became famous after she published her book On Death and Dying in 1969. Kübler-Ross developed her model to describe people with terminal illness facing their own death, but it was soon adapted as a way of thinking about grief in general. 

“We believe this unsub is not grieving death in his life, but rather, great loss in general. The five stages are often mistaken to only be relevant to death, because of the term grief. But in fact, you can grieve many things, and you can go through the stages in any order. This unsub has been left by so many people - his mother, father, siblings, partner and only close friend because of his sociopathic tendencies, and he is grieving these losses like they’re death. We believe he is in the anger stage, hence his violent behavior.” Spencer turns to look at Rossi, who takes point from there, going on to describe what the officers should be looking for. Once they’ve dismissed the locals, Spencer excuses himself. 

Once he’s out in the fresh air, he takes a huge, shaking breath in, and raises a trembling hand to rub at his eyes. Penelope had relayed a list of people who had left this unsub to them over the phone, and Spencer had found himself growing more and more uncomfortable as each name had been read off the list. It’s only been a few weeks since Hotch left to go into witness protection, and though Spencer knows there was no other option, he can’t help but feel betrayed. It’s torn open old wounds for him: the amount of people that have left Spencer is laughable. He’s only ever had a handful of people he’s let in close see his vulnerabilities, and it feels like it always ends with them leaving. 

Spencer’s brain knows none of the people who have left him because of anything to do with him. 

Spencer’s heart aches with loneliness and grief, and always finds a way to make it his fault. 

Denial

“Spencer, what are you doing? It’s nearly midnight,” Diana Reid says, shivering and pulling her dressing gown around her tighter. She approaches her twelve year old son, who sits in the living room, staring out the window that watches over their driveway. 

“Sometimes when Dad leaves, he forgets his keys. I’m just making sure he doesn’t get locked out if he comes back,” Spencer says calmly. Diana sighs and takes a seat next to her son. 

“Sweetheart,” she says, “look at me.” 

Spencer turns to face his mother, eyes wide and tired behind his too-big glasses. 

“We’ve been over this. Your father isn’t coming back,” her voice quivers and cracks. 

“But you don’t know that,” Spencer argues gently. “You don’t know that for sure.”

“I’ve known your dad for a long time, Spencer. When he makes a decision, he sticks to it,” Diana says sadly. 

Spencer shakes his head stubbornly and turns to look back out the window. 

“You don’t know that for sure.” 

2. Anger 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Spencer says, his voice low and gruff. Morgan is taken aback by his friend's tone. He’s known Spencer for close to two years now, and he’s never heard so much anger in the young man’s voice. Spencer is by nature incredibly gentle, and he’s surprised at the sudden turn in emotions a week after Elle has left the BAU. 

“I get that. But you seem - well, really tightly wound. And I thought talking might help. I know you and Elle were… close-,”

“You can just say we were fucking,” Spencer snaps, and now Morgan is really concerned. The Spencer he knows would never use such colloquial language to describe the sort of relationship he and Elle had, let alone snap like that.

“I-,” 

“There’s nothing to talk about, Morgan,” Spencer says tightly, clenching his jaw. “I thought she trusted me enough to talk to me about what was going on, and I was wrong. She’s gone, she’s not coming back, end of story.” Spencer walks away, fists tightly balled at his sides. 

3. Depression

“I thought I might find you here,” a voice says, and Spencer looks up sharply from where he’s sitting, curled in the corner of the living room of Gideon’s cabin. He swipes at the tears on his face and sniffs, trying to pretend he hasn’t spent the last four hours sitting here, shivering and crying like a pathetic little kid. 

“S-sorry, did - do we have a case?” Spencer says, his voice shaky and hoarse. 

“No,” Hotch says, lowering himself to the ground in front of Spencer and watching him carefully. “No case. But I went to check on you at your apartment this evening, and you weren’t there.” 

“You came to check on me?” 

Hotch sighs. “I know what Gideon meant to you. And it seemed to hit you very suddenly yesterday that he isn’t coming back.” 

Even just hearing Hotch say it makes Spencer’s heart ache. His lower lip trembles, and he’s furious that he’s doing this here and now and in front of Hotch nonetheless, but he can’t help it. The tears spill down his cheeks suddenly. 

“It’s okay to be sad,” Hotch says gently, in a voice reserved only for Spencer’s lowest moments. “Allow yourself that.” 

“I feel like he took a piece of me with him,” Spencer sobs. 

Hotch reaches out and squeezes his hand. “I know. I’m sorry.” 

Spencer squeezes back. “Please don’t leave me too,” he chokes, and Hotch sighs shakily. 

“No, Spencer, I won’t. I won’t ever leave you.” 

4. Bargaining 

“But now that I know,” Spencer argues, “it’ll be easier for her to come back. She’s opened up to me and I understand why things were difficult for her, and if I just tell her that I’ll be able to help her through it, that we’re all supporting her-,” 

“Spence,” JJ sighs, “I know it’s hard, but Blake made her decision. We have to respect that.” 

“But if I just talk to her,” Spencer says, not taking in a single word JJ says, “I can help her understand. I can help her come back and feel comfortable.” 

“Spence,” JJ says again. “I know your relationship with Alex was unique. I know you trusted her quicker than  you’ve ever grown to trust anyone. She felt the same way about you, that’s why she told you about her son. But that’s all the more reason to trust that she’s made the right decision for herself.” 

Spencer is quiet for a moment. Then - 

“But if I just call her…” 

5. Acceptance 

“I miss him,” Spencer announces, entering Penelope’s office and flopping down on a chair beside her. “I miss Morgan.” 

“Me too, sweetpea,” she sighs, offering him a cookie from the tin she keeps on her desk. He shakes his head in response. She pulls one out and begins to munch on it. 

“I’m happy for him, you know? Like, really happy. I’ve said that, right? I told him I was happy for him?” 

“Only a million times,” Penelope says through a mouthful of chocolate chips. 

“But I still miss him. And I still wish he was here. Is that horrible?” 

“Oh Spencer, no,” she says, swallowing and smiling at him sadly. “You’re allowed to be sad. I’m devastated, but I’m still buzzing with joy over the fact that there’s a little baby Derek running around. It’s okay to feel both, you know.” 

“Yeah,” Spencer says, sadly. “I suppose it is.” 

6. …

Emily announces Hotch has gone into witness protection, and it’s like the wind has been knocked out of him. He knows Hotch doesn’t have a choice. He knows Hotch will do anything to protect his son, including staying in witsec however long he needs to. But emotions still flood him, overwhelm him, kick and scratch and punch him. His face burns and hot tears threaten to spill down his cheeks. He squeezes his eyes shut against the tsunami of grief. 

“You said you’d never leave,” he whispers  to the empty conference room. Everyone’s gone, and now it’s just Spencer and the ghosts of all the people who have once sat in this room and chosen to leave him. “You said you’d never leave.” 

#whumptober2023 #no.10 #“you said you'd never leave” #criminal minds #fanfiction #grief tw #parent abandonment tw #spencer reid #aaron hotchner #derek morgan #jennifer jareau #elle greenaway #spelle #reidaway #alex blake #jason gideon #penelope garcia #the bau #diana reid

[rayshippouuchiha]

For me, The Prince Of Leaves And Deep Water, because, well I've been in the Naruto fandom for a long time and I've seen so many fics demonise and push Kushina to the side while focusing on Minato who's 'cooler' and we see more of in canon, and I've also seen fics that make her a really annoying loudmouth version of Sakura which I guess has context given Minato thinks it when they meet in canon, so for me her character outside of her love for Naruto is really nebulous y'know? I've just seen so many 2dimensional takes she's kind of just there for me usually.

But the prince of leaves and deep water changed that, it impacted me significantly with its characterisation of Kushina, her desire to believe in the home she loves warring with her deeper awareness of cruelty than Minato, her trust in Minato, her fucking rage at the unfairness of the day that was supposed to be one of their happiest ending with their baby orphaned and alone. The way she can feel her people dying around her during the 9 tails attack on Konoha, the way that hits knowing how uzushio was wiped out of existence, the way she grieves uzushio in an old aching kind of way and Konoha's dead in a fresh raw wound kind of way, the way she grieves herself and the love of her life and her son, her poor son who she'll never get to know grow up. It's fucking insane. It drives me insane when I think about it! This woman made of all the grief in the world hoping and gambling and praying that the world will be kind to her child. And that, all that contrasted with the softness of the nickname "my little prince of eddies and leaves".

So yeah that's the fic that sticks with me.

Also don't intend this as backhanded or anything but sincerely, I'm especially impressed as I am personally not mad on the kakanaru pairing in the least given Kakashi's failure to tell him fuckall about his parents in canon or really train him in any tangible way beyond helping with the rasenshuriken years after Naruto's been apprenticed with Jiraiya which is really just.. plot driven and not enough to make up for things imo and also the whole sensei student thing in canon making it iffy (for me). But the writing in this fic is in fact so fucking good and reflects so much of my own feelings about Naruto's childhood I can literally enjoy it past the notp which is incredible, very few fic are good enough to keep me locked in 100% investment despite a NOtp but this fic achieves that and then some. Also just, the way it highlights these facets of characters that make sense but for some reason I'd never considered being a thing? Great. I love it. And this fic made me love Kushina again despite her shaky handling by the fandom in general inuring me to her presence a lot. And by love, I mean I adore her and I'm grateful for it.

no but this is just one big ass huge compliment in my opinion because being able to get that emotion across with Kushina and then to even make you stick with the fic through a NOTP? That means so much to me

#RayRambles #Naruto

[newwwwusername]

Awesome! I'm glad that you enjoyed it ^^

So for the request I was thinking of a little bit of an AU where, at the party, they have an argument about Sam, but James Storm's off to talk to him anyway and Isaiah doesn't see him for the rest of the night as the regular events of the episode takes place

When Isaiah, Jane and Isabella find him he's more worse for wear then he is in the show (concussion, broken arm, gonna leave it up to you ^^) and when Isaiah helps him up and out of the hole he was thrown in he admits that, with the way the two of them left off, James wasn't sure if Isaiah would even look for him

They reconcile and Isaiah takes James to get checked out at the hospital and something to eat afterwards, and that's where my ranting ends lol 😅

Author's note : Tbh I'm kinda surprised anyone even saw my other Goosebumps (Disney+) fic cause, at the time of typing this out, the fandom still hasn't been canonized on AO3 lol but I am very happy to pioneer the tag for it 💪 Hope this suffices as a request fill. Also keep in mind that, at the time of writing this, I still haven't watched episode 6, so (while I doubt any of this stuff will specifically come up in episode 6 since we're well past it by now) if anything is inaccurate due to context in that episode, just keep that in mind.

"I just don't think you should be lying to him about liking something if you're tryna get closer with him" Isaiah told the shorter boy. James scoffed and rolled his eyes. Isaiah was supposed to be proud of him for finally making a move on Sam, not scolding him for the iffy way he went about it!

"You don't get it" James replied, glad that everyone around them was drunk and not really paying attention. "I really like this guy and I don't wanna mess it up"

"And you think the best way to go about that is to start on a lie?"

"I don't get all the chances you do, Isaiah!" James said, exasperated. Isaiah leaned back, confused.

"The fuck does that mean?"

"It means that you're a conventionally attractive straight dude" James went on. "You have the entire pond of fish to pick from. I'm limited to about five dudes. Honestly it's a miracle I even like one of them"

"Look, all I'm saying is I think that-"

"I don't need your advice, Isaiah" James cut him off, annoyed. He stood up and began to walk away. "I got this. Just leave me be"

----------

James really wasn't doing well.

For one, his stomach hurt (a mixture of hunger pains and the pain that naturally comes along with eating/drinking dirt water for sustenance) really bad. His left arm had also been broken at one point by one of his duplicates, and his focus was just on not dying in that mine, though that seemed hopeless.

Isaiah wouldn't want to come look for him, not after the fight they had last time they spoke, and no one else was as close to him as Isaiah, so they wouldn't want to waste their time looking for him, if they even realized that something was wrong to begin with (it didn't take a genius to figure out that he probably had some duplicates taking his place in the real world).

Then, Isaiah did arrive and promptly smacked him in the head with a rock.

James saw stars for a moment and was sure that he had a concussion or something, but that was hardly his focus at the time. No, his main focus was that Isaiah was there. Isaiah found him. He'd be okay.

----------

After all the duplicates were killed, James was helped out of the mine and back into town.

Margot and Isabella seemed to get the hint that James wanted to talk to Isaiah one-on-one, so they walked a little bit ahead to give the two of them space, which James was quietly grateful for.

"I didn't think you would look for me" James admitted, his speech slightly slurred (something which tipped Isaiah off to the fact that the boy probably had a concussion).

"Why wouldn't I look for you?"

"Hm?"

"Why wouldn't I look for you?" Isaiah repeated.

"We got in a fight" James shrugged. Isaiah felt his heart break. Sure, that argument hadn't been fun, but something like that would never prevent him from looking for the other boy should he go missing.

"James, I care about you so much" Isaiah told him. "A little fight isn't gonna change that. Friends fight, it happens. You matter to me more than that"

"Oh"

"Now, let's get some food in your stomach, and then we're taking you to a hospital" Isaiah said, patting his friend lightly on the back. "I think you have a concussion, and also your arm is definitely broken"

"Yeah, you're probably right" James chuckled. "We can be broken arm buddies!"

"Sure, bud"

#fanfiction #fanfic #goosebumps #goosebumps disney plus #disney plus goosebumps #hulu #disney plus #this was a request #injury #concussion #james goosebumps #isaiah howard #goosebumps 2023

[jewish-vents]

(a few weeks ago or smthn i sent a vent about a couple mutuals reblogging blatant neonazi propaganda for context)

one of the mutuals did it again. it’s not as bad this time like the post isn’t saying zionists are brainwashing the tv owning population into thinking antisemitism is a problem but the post was still erasing jewish history and playing into the whole “they jews killed jesus” thing (except now it’s literally “the jews are killing jesus’s brothers and sisters”… fun)

it sucks bcz i rlly like this person, we aren’t in any of the same fandoms rn but we’ve been mutuals for well over half my time on tumblr and at one point we were eachother’s closest mutuals too

similar stuff has happened and is happening with other mutuals and people i follow on both sides of this thing (tho i’ve seen a lot more goyische mutuals become antisemitic than jewish mutuals become racist over these past few months-) but again i’ve known this person on here longer than most of my mutuals (ignoring the people i know irl) and i know they aren’t being malicious here but honestly i’m scared it’s gonna turn that way

i wish i knew how to confront them about why all this is bad but i’m really not sure how. at least with the other post it was incredibly obviously a conspiracy theory AND i send the ask to the other mutual (tho i did tag them) but really i’m not sure how to confront this person about this specific thing

i hate how i can only think of 2 or 3 people on here (or at all) i trust to not start saying insanely antisemitic or racist stuff because they got pushed too far down a political pipeline that you can’t even easily dispute on either side because people are fucking dying

idk i’m just sick of it all (sorry just realised how long this is-)

That really sucks. I think you have a couple of options here. You can ignore it, but that won't solve anything. You can trust that your friendship will make them listen to you about this issue, so you can talk to them about it. Or you can simply decide this person isn't worth your time and grieve the friendship and move on. None of these options are really easy, but sometimes we need to do hard things to keep ourselves safe and well

- 🐺

#jewish vents #antisemitism #leftist antisemitism #antisemitism on tumblr

[uhuraisgay]

fic writer meme

ty lore @megafaunatic for tagging meee :3c

How many works do you have on Ao3?

fifty three as of today. tomorrow? who knows.... (probably still fifty three)

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

518,435 words .... wrow.....

3. What fandoms do you write for?

historically its been all over the place but theres so much stuff rotting and dying in my gdrive that has never been posted so i feel like i have a broader actual ouvre than is represented on ao3. which is mdzs heavy at least in the past couple years

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. beyond all limit (wangxian i wrote for lore right after i first read the book) 4. if the story's over (moshang post-divorce get-together fic) 3. someone as good for me as you (written in 2016 for holster and ransom when i was reading check, please. LMAO) 2. at least as deep as the pacific ocean (written in 2015 in the clearest example of 'person distraught by the tragic ending of a tragedy misses the fucking point and writes a coffee shop au of achilles and patroclus after she read tsoa' ever, even bigger LMAO) 1. your name safe in their mouth (lsz gets his dad back, and other emotional adventures)

5. Do you respond to comments?

i used to try to reply to every comment i got but i stopped doing that around the same time i went to college and got more depressed. but i love reading comments and i sometimes reply if someone says something that moves me or like. asks me a question about the fic that i want to elaborate on? because i love to yap

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i'm not really good at writing straight angst i feel like it's normally like. angst with catharsis. but i wrote some explorations on grief in the past couple years that i feel like have the angst factor (what i have of you about nhs after nmj dies, and then when your beard fell out about my sweetie pie kageyama tobio in middle school after his grandpa dies)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i have a lot of silly fluffy fics... idk i try to toe the line mostly of like. the joys and sadnesses of human experience but sometimes you just gotta fluff it up. i'll set the table, you can make the fire, which is book verse aziraphale/crowley living in a cottage and being in love, comes to mind....i love that one

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i don't think i've ever really gotten hate on a fic? i have been extremely lucky in that regard. especially since my whole ouvre from like 2014 onward is on that damn site and much of it is very cringeworthy.

9. Do you write smut?

not well!

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written?

i often will do like kind of a quasi-crossover kind of thing rather than a True Crossover wherein i take characters i like from one medium and plop them into the roles and places of characters i like from another medium. i did a dragon age wangxian fic where lwj was the inquisitor from da:i called we held together the fragile sky that kind of exemplifies this dynamic

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of or that anyone has ever notified me of, but i also don't look that hard. if this has ever happened, it would hurt my feelings, so please don't do it ? lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes!!!! and i was honored

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

not as such but i have one not-intended-for-posting fic which is basically just a transcription of jokes i have with my roommate about haikyuu characters LOL which i think counts as co-writing. she's my co-writer in spirit even if i'm the one at the keyboard

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

my answer to this changes with every new fixation i have. like right now it's kagehina. if you asked me four years ago i would have said wangxian. You Know?

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

SO MANY...i think probably my fullmetal alchemist nie brothers au....i try not to post things until they are done and fully edited now, but that one was a whim-based fic that i lost all strength for as soon as i started thinking too hard about kagehina. i also had a fem nielan sci fi au that was vaguely based off beauty and the beast but nmj was like stuck in a ship and she thought she was its computer and that she was a program but she was actually a person....which i never posted any of except snippets on twitter and i think it was just too sprawling for my current skill level...i just was never able to wrangle it. but i am fond of it nonetheless

16. What are your writing strengths?

based on what other people have told me i would say the way i write sibling / family relationships, and while my prose is not always pretty i do think it can be pretty at times ...

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i feel like it's often too self-indulgent even if that's what fic is for lol, and i tend to look back on fics and think, i wrote that because i had feelings about it and wanted to say it, but i'm not necessarily sure that This Character would say/do that at this point in time....idk like i fear that when i don't think about it hard enough my characterization can be weak or guided by what eye personally would do vs. what The Character would do. but some of that is because the majority of my fics on ao3 are from years and years ago and i (hopefully) have continued to improve

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics?

i'm picky about it but when it's done well i think it's really fun and builds so much of the world/character. i think when it's bad it's really bad. when i go about it i try to think about like, a) do i know this language myself/do i know someone who does. if the answer is no i try to keep it really minimal. b) how do people who know multiple languages approach speaking those multiple languages naturally in real life. like (IN MY EXPERIENCE) ppl don't tend to switch languages for random words mid-sentence unless those words are like, mom, dad, uncle, aunt, ect...maybe swearing if they're less familiar with one of the languages and don't know slang/swearing in it...but again when it's done well it's really good and i'm not an expert. i just can kinda tell when it feels off when i read it, if that makes sense...(it's the same way i feel about grammar lol. sometimes i can just tell it's a little Off)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

probably either fma or soul eater or the sister's grimm book series when i was in middle school. or maybe doctor who? idk i had a lot of fanfic notebooks that i have since destroyed and then regretted destroying

20. Favorite fic you have written?

at the present moment it's in these coming years my kagehina love letter but again i feel like it changes constantly. like the more i write the better i get and the more the newest/most polished thing i've written sort of Becomes my favorite just by default of my satisfaction level with it. sorry if that's a bad answer

tagging @yuebings @dcyiyou @burins @cairoscene @cafecliche @perilously sorry if you've been tagged already also if you want to do this and i didn't tag you just say i did. I'll shut up now

#look at me. president of yap city #anyway here's my Distinguished Writing Thoughts.