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ukrfeminism · 2 years

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3 minute read

Women make up 77 per cent of the NHS, yet a new report reveals many are subjected to sexist discrimination and sexual harrassment. Stylist hears from the women speaking up about it.

The first time Dr Becky Cox, a 33-year-old GP from Oxford, was sexually assaulted by a colleague she wanted to report it. “I really, really thought about it,” she remembers. “But I decided it wasn’t going to be taken seriously, and if anything, it’d be detrimental to my career”.

Cox had come to that conclusion after recently finishing medical school, where a “culture of misogyny” had loomed large right from the outset. There were “casual sexist comments, inappropriate remarks, rude comments about women doctors and nurses. There’s almost this sort of lad culture and ‘banter’ that was going on amongst doctors.” She wondered if things might change as she progressed up the career ladder. But after six months in surgical training – and another sexual assault – she’d had enough. “I just thought, I can’t do this anymore. So I left.”

Many in the medical profession feel the same way. In recent weeks, the service has found itself plagued by the “greatest workforce crisis in NHS history,” according to a report from MPs. As of today, there are some 105,000 vacancies, with doctors, nurses and midwives reporting being pushed out by bullying, harassment and burnout. Women make up 77 per cent of the NHS – the UK’s biggest employer – yet many say they are subjected to sexist discrimination that dents their wellbeing, earning prospects and prospective promotions. The report also points out that “talented women are missing out on the opportunity to become surgeons because of a lack of support”.

Surgery in particular is notoriously macho, Cox, who has now switched to general practice, tells Stylist. Earlier this year, having reached a “tipping point” of tales of abuse from friends and colleagues, she set up Surviving in Scrubs - a site collecting experiences of sexism and harassment from female NHS workers. Alongside Dr Chelcie Jewitt, another doctor well aware that female staff “are scared, and want to talk about it,” the pair’s platform has been steadily amassing survivors’ tales over the past few months and is being hailed as the catalyst for medicine’s #MeToo movement.

The anonymous posts make for grim reading. One house officer reports being groped by an anaesthetist in theatre while carrying out an operation for a cancer patient. “I was so shocked I froze,” she writes – until being chastised by the surgeon for being “distracted”. Afterwards, she “went into the changing rooms and burst into tears. The nursing sister who found me begged me to report him because it’s been going on for years but ‘nobody believes the nurses’”. Another shares that no matter how loose or conservative her clothing, male staff members only “talk to my chest”. Just last week, a consultant doing her rounds reported to the website that she was grabbed by a male colleague, who began shouting “no means no, I’ve got witnesses here” – seeming to make light of the fact she had been sexually assaulted as a junior doctor.

Many of the women share experiences of trying to report what they’ve been put through only to be dismissed or met with excuses: that the male practitioner is “having a hard time at home,” or simply “making a joke”. One heard that her complaint had been taken to a tribunal only after the case had been dismissed. The culture is the problem, many reinforce: “I’m disgusted by the General Medical Council [GMC], their pointless statements and what they have enabled,” one anonymous user wrote. While Professor Colin Melville, Medical Director and Director for Education and Standards at the GMC, told Stylist that such accounts are “harrowing and appalling… There can be no place for misogyny, sexism or any form of sexual harassment in the medical profession”.

Yet it’s happening. In the past year, more stories of women’s experiences in medicine have tipped into public view. In a paper for the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), Simon Fleming and Becky Fisher wrote of an environment in which almost half of vascular trainees had seen or personally experienced bullying, undermining or harassment. Jewitt meanwhile, in a report for the British Medical Association, published results of a survey that found 90 per cent of female doctors suffered sexism at work, with almost a third experiencing unwanted physical conduct and 56 per cent receiving unwanted verbal exchanges. “Women doctors appear to be working in an environment that consistently undervalues them and doubts their capabilities,” she wrote.

Along with Survivors in Scrubs, there is Project S, which also asks female medical workers to share their experiences “to understand and demonstrate the scale of the issue and to tackle the stigma, shame and silence that often leaves victims feeling unable to report or seek help,” founder Kate Jarman explains.

For those who do speak out, the RCS paper showed that ‘reporting these incidents can lead to greater negative impact for the victim than the perpetrator, by being threatened with negative consequences for their career.’

Natalie Miles, a 27-year-old locum doctor in the East Midlands, recalls numerous examples of inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as a male colleague once offering her money “for her company”. When she mentioned this to another colleague, she was told, “wow, get you starting a little #MeToo movement. I would have just taken the money.”

She has raised concerns about this to various colleagues, and other infractions “multiple times”. “But you often find you are speaking with a man, who tiptoes around the issue rather than dealing with it,” she says. Typically, she says, this results in being palmed off on “one of the senior female consultants”. Miles has considered leaving at times, she admits, but refuses to be pushed out. “I know that I’m vocal and have always been one to shout about injustice. I worry about the women who don’t.” She is well aware that “there is not true equality” in the profession, and that until there is, it remains “harder to be a female doctor than a male doctor”.

Jewitt and Cox’s first goal for Surviving in Scrubs was to raise awareness of what really goes on behind the blue paper curtain. Cox says her next is for the GMC, the public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners, to update its Good Practice Guidelines with explicit reference to sexist behaviour and misogyny. “And going forward, we want other Royal Colleges to come out and say, ‘yes, we recognise that we’ve got an issue with this, and we are going to do something about it.’”

Jarman, the executive director of Milton Keynes hospital who set up Project S, adds that the NHS needs “clear, consistent support structures for staff who experience sexism – from HR and professional body intervention, through to police reporting and support for victims”. There is also a major need for “vocal, visible male allies – we need men to be active and invested in eradicating sexism in the NHS, and to feel able to call out sexist behaviour they witness, or indeed that they may experience”.

What of young women hoping to enter the profession? Jarman is positive that things are improving. “Gen Z is an absolute force,” she says. “But it’s down to people in positions of influence and leadership to help clear the path for them, to back them, and believe in them if they are to inherit a different future.”

Cox, too, is hopeful. “We’ve got a long way to go. It’s not going to be easy; there are going to be a lot of hurdles,” she knows. “But we’re in a position to create major change now.”

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linnamonrolls0 · 2 years

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Disarming

Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Summary:

Stealing a kiss with a gorgeous leather jacket-clad stranger in the back of a New York City bookshop sounded like something straight out of a rom-com, and, well… maybe it was.

T / no warnings / 3366 words

Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York…

Good old NYC; it was nice to be back. The city possessed its own brand of beautiful chaos, with people running in all directions and Empire State of Mind playing on every street corner. You were in the city on business, not that you could ever call the place home; but on this particular free morning, you were in Times Square, having planned to meet up with a guy you’d matched with on Tinder before you headed downtown for a conference later in the day.

That sounded like a great plan… until the asshole canceled on you ten minutes before you were supposed to meet, without even the decency to apologise.

You’d never had a great deal of luck with dating apps but you were reasonably disappointed; this one actually seemed nice. Not wanting to waste the day, you did the usual touristy things instead; took a few photos, got through some of your shopping list and took a stroll down Broadway. You followed your feet and eventually ended up outside the Drama Book Shop, which looked pretty cute. You’d seen it all over Instagram, and you figured it would be the perfect place to pick up a gift for the only theatre kid you knew.

When you entered the store, you were welcomed with the comforting scent of coffee and books. You gazed up in wonder at the cascading tower of books that stretched from the back of the store to the front; it was spectacular. You may not have been the biggest theatre fan, but your inner bibliophile was losing her mind over the aesthetics. The store was quiet, save for a few patrons sitting at the tables near the front, either reading books or sipping coffee whilst working on their laptops; a stark yet welcome contrast to the busy streets outside.

You snapped a quick picture of the stunning book display for your insta story before you began perusing the shelves for the books your sister had specifically asked for - rather, demanded. Amongst a few titles you recognised and many that you didn’t (but wished you had the time to look through), you carried on scrutinising the shelves, struggling to find the book you were looking for.

When you took a step back, you heard the dull thud of books collapsing to the carpeted floor as you collided with someone else who evidently was equally distracted.

You whirled around, fazed, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks in embarrassment. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

The stranger turned to face you, speaking at the very same time. “Sorry! Are you okay?” he asked, his warm brown eyes apologetic and concerned.

You nodded and you both laughed, shaking your heads at your mutual lack of spatial awareness.

He crouched down to collect the stack of books he’d dropped, and you followed suit - you figured the least you could do was help. You found yourself looking over at him through your lashes, distractedly gathering the tower of books that had tumbled to the ground when you collided.

The fleeting thought crossed your mind that he was… kind of hot? His eyes were a deep shade of brown, almost reminiscent of dark coffee, and coupled with his endearingly kind smile, disarming was the perfect word. Sporting short dark hair and an almost-goatee, he wore a leather jacket over a crisp blue oxford shirt and smart trousers; he was a perfect combination of put-together and chaotic. He was a little older, but there was a magnetism about him that got you. Like, you’d swipe right without a doubt, although he didn’t seem like the Tinder type.

You internally brushed off your spiralling thoughts - this was not the time.

When you reached for the last book, he did too. His hand brushed yours and you almost leapt back at the jolt of electricity that shot between you; when you looked up to see if he’d felt it too or if you’d just imagined it, his gaze met yours, those eyes searching for an answer to the same question yours asked. You slowly drew your hand back, letting him pick up the book.

Shifting his stack of books into one arm, he stood and offered you his other hand to help you up. Not wanting to risk that weird spark again, you passed him the books you’d collected instead, before standing on your own; he took them and reached over you to place the books one by one onto the shelves behind you, effectively trapping you between him and the bookcase.

“Thank you,” he smiled down at you. His smile was warm and genuine and oddly familiar, but you couldn’t place why…

“After causing that mess, it’s the least I could do,” you said, your tone light.

“Were you looking for something?” he asked, evidently taking note of your somewhat lost expression.

“Actually, yeah…” You briefly consulted your phone to confirm the title you were searching for, “Do you know where I could find the Hamilton revolutionary…thing?” you finished feebly. See, you weren’t bad with words, but there was something distracting about the way he looked at you, like you were the most important person in the world. Surely that wasn’t just good customer service. Like you thought - disarming.

“You mean Hamilton: The Revolution?” he corrected, not condescending despite your cluelessness.

“Yup. That’s the one,” you answered with an awkward little laugh, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be!” He chuckled, “It’s over here, I’ll show you.”

You were relieved he knew what you meant, and you tiptoed after him as he strode across the shop floor like he owned the place.

Well, who knew, maybe he did; this guy didn’t look like a bookstore clerk, not in the slightest. Between his badass leather jacket and a smile that could put the sun to shame, you weren’t entirely sure what his actual vibe was, but… He was the furthest thing imaginable from a drama nerd. Not that there was anything wrong with being a drama nerd, but he was just a little too sexy to fit the stereotype. You were already pretty sure those eyes would make an appearance in your dreams at some point…

He halted between a set of bookshelves towards the back, all but hidden from the rest of the store. It was so sudden that you bumped face-first into his back when he stopped. In a reflex reaction, he turned around and quickly grabbed your upper arm to steady you from falling.

“Sorry!” you squeaked, immediately jumping back to put some distance between you as he let go of your arm. Why, did he feel that spark too? Shit, the voice in your head cursed. Why were you getting so worked up over a complete stranger in a random corner of a Broadway bookstore? Calm down, you told yourself.

He looked down at you, in too close proximity between the bookcases. For a brief moment, your gaze flickered to his lips. His eyes lowered to yours. Good to know you were on the same page, you supposed. Stealing a kiss with a gorgeous leather jacket-clad stranger in the back of a New York City bookshop sounded like something straight out of a rom-com, and your cancelled Tinder date didn’t seem like such a setback now.

You wondered what would happen if you closed the gap between you…

Who were you and what did you think you were doing? He could be a creep for all you knew. If You had taught you anything, it was not to trust an attractive, attentive bookstore clerk.

But this guy… What was it about this particular stranger that made him seem trustworthy? God, maybe you were the creep, not him.

You attempted to level your breathing, but it was proving slightly difficult at that moment in time. The scent of new books and fresh coffee still surrounded you, only now it was mixed with his crisp, clean cologne and fine old leather. You took a deep breath, letting the cocktail of pleasant fragrances flood your senses. The lights were dimmer in this corner compared with the rest of the store and it was suddenly warm, a little too warm as you and him stood between those shelves, too close for comfort. You bit your bottom lip as you took a small step backward, unsure, and felt your back hit the bookcase behind you.

You weren’t entirely sure who made the first move; but what you did know was that you both simultaneously leaned in, closing the gap between you, and your eyes fluttered shut when his lips tentatively brushed yours, almost asking for permission before going any further. You parted your lips without a second thought, giving him access, all the permission he needed. He cautiously reached for you, cupping your cheek with one hand, holding your waist with the other, his touch delicate and deliberate, as though he feared you would run away if he went too far. You hesitated for a split second, fearing the same, before slipping your arms around his neck, gripping the collars of his annoyingly sexy leather jacket as you kissed him with just as much fervour.

The vague thought crossed your mind that this was far too romantic, far too intimate to be an encounter with a total stranger and yet, there you were… You had no idea what made you think this was a good idea, but that didn’t matter quite so much when his lips were on yours and you held each other like you’d been lovers since the beginning of time.

And yet, you’d only known him for a matter of mere minutes.

For heaven’s sake, you didn’t even know the man’s name - nor did he know yours.

It seemed like this realisation dawned on him at the same time as you. You both drew back, separating out of a mutual need to breathe, releasing your hold on each other - physically, at least. You looked up into his eyes and for a moment, you shared a look that said more than words ever could - attraction, longing, amusement, confusion… This evidently wasn’t a thing that ever happened to either of you.

You held that look for a few seconds, and when you finally broke the silence, you both attempted to speak at once.

“I -” he began awkwardly.

“That -” you started, “Sorry.”

“Sorry!” he apologised over you, and you both laughed lightly. “Go on.”

“No, I just…” You shook your head, “What were you saying?”

“Just that… I don’t do that. I’m not -”

“I don’t either… What?”

Unsure of what the hell else to do, he laughed and ran a nervous hand through his hair, leaving it adorably disheveled. “The book you were looking for, it’s…” He reached for the shelf conveniently just above your head and retrieved a rather heavy tome. “Here.”

You felt that spark again when his hand brushed yours as he handed you the book. He took a step back, clearly feeling it just as strongly.

“What, no leather-bound special editions?” you joked, attempting to lighten the mood. What else do you do after sharing possibly the best kiss of your life with a man you’d just met? Who does that?

“Hmm, there’s only one of those, and I’ve been told it’s priceless.” He smirked. His flirtatious tone wasn’t lost on you, and you laughed along with him.

“Well, this it is, then.”

“Awesome. Anything else you’re looking for?”

“Unless you sell spellbooks or love potions, I think I’m good for now…”

“I know a thing or two about disarming charms, but the magic of the theatre is all we got here,” he joked, leading you to the counter in the middle of the store. “And who needs love potions when you have coffee?”

You couldn’t help but smile. He was endearing to say the least… “Coffee sounds perfect, actually.”

He nodded. “Ring this up for this beautiful lady, please?” He handed the book to the young woman stood behind the counter. She nodded meekly and took the book from him as you watched on, a little baffled as you tried to fit the pieces of this puzzle together in your mind. He clearly had some authority here, but you narrowed your eyes at him when he casually hopped behind the counter and had two cups of coffee ready within a minute. He handed one to you, keeping one for himself.

“Thanks! Where do I pay for this?” you asked, practically beaming. You sipped the coffee, “Ooh, this is good.”

“It’s on the house,” he grinned, leaning over the counter.

The girl behind the counter placed the book in a bag and handed it over to you. You tapped your credit card on the reader, whilst he gave her a subtle nod and she scurried away, which only made you wonder more about him.

“Something tells me this isn’t for you,” he observed, interrupting your earlier train of thought.

You shook your head, “Nope. My little sister is our resident theatre kid, so, it’s for her. She’s obsessed, it’s insane.” You laughed dismissively.

“The kid has taste,” he nodded, sipping his coffee with the slightest smug smile.

“Yeah, well, this is her consolation prize. She screamed at me when I told her I wasn’t seeing any Broadway musicals on this trip!” you confessed.

“Damn, I mean, I’d probably agree with her,” he chuckled. His smile was… sweet. Honest, even. You found yourself thinking he could convince you of anything with that smile. He was beautiful, no doubt…

“Hmm,” you mused aloud, “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy that would.”

“And you strike me as the kind of girl that absolutely wouldn’t.” His gaze trailed appreciatively over you, and you felt that telltale blush creeping up your cheeks again. Damn those eyes. “You’re cool. Hot. Whatever. Sorry.” He suddenly sounded flustered; thankfully you weren’t the only one struggling to keep your wild thoughts in check. Disarming was definitely the word.

“You got that right, dude. And just for the record, so are you.”

“You’d be surprised,” he grinned, a little sparkle of mischief in his eyes, “I think your sister will thank you for this…” He reached below the counter and grabbed a Sharpie, gesturing to you to hand over the bag.

You obliged, but watched him, mildly confused. What was he playing at?

He opened the book to the first page and looked up at you, leaning against the counter. “What’s her name?”

You told him her first name, quickly followed by a, “Why?”

He said nothing, but scrawled something onto the first page and placed the book back in its paper bag. He handed it to you with that same sunshine smile that already had you floored.

“Did you just deface my purchase?” you asked incredulously, not sure whether to laugh or yell at him.

“Maybe?” he offered with an innocent smile. Perhaps he was a little too charming to be particularly mad at…

“Lin!” someone suddenly called from the staircase a few feet away from where you both stood.

“Oh, duty calls. See ya!” Your mysterious stranger smiled that million-watt smile one last time before he leapt back over the counter and jogged down the stairs, taking his buzzing energy and disappearing into the basement.

You quirked a curious brow at this strangely sweet specimen of a man as he left, before you retrieved the book from the bag. You flipped it open to the page he’d vandalised… only to find an autograph, addressed to your little sister. Lin-M M?

Oh, shit.

Of course this guy wasn’t an ordinary clerk, or even just some spoilt-ass pseudo-intellectual bookstore owner. He was the fucking creator of the damn show. And you had no idea.

You gaped at the page. No wonder his voice had sounded familiar - it had blasted through the speakers of your car during every family road trip when your sister hijacked the aux cord. You mentally facepalmed - trust you to commit such an idiotic folly.

During your meetings that afternoon, you found yourself distracted. Lin had occupied a large proportion of your thoughts through the afternoon… You weren’t quite so preoccupied by his status or your stupidity, but you couldn’t get his eyes and his smile out of your mind, or the memory of his lips on yours…

You needed to see him again. You asked yourself if that was because he’d told you who he was, but you quickly realised that wouldn’t have changed a thing. He was still devilishly handsome, and you knew you were only grateful your Tinder date had cancelled when he did - that guy had nothing on your bookshop beau.

You wondered what would’ve happened if you hadn’t stopped when you did. Where would things have gone? What would it be like to have him closer, to feel his touch again, to get to know him?

Well. There was only one way to find out.

Most of the lights were off, but there was still movement inside the store. You cautiously peered through the glass exterior of the shopfront. Lin was still inside, leaning on the counter as he chatted with a couple of clerks from earlier whilst they were seemingly cashing up the register.

Lin looked over in your direction, almost as if he knew you were there on the other side of the door. His gaze caught yours, holding eye contact for a moment. He nodded, beckoning you to come in. You pushed the door open and sheepishly entered the store.

“Go on home, guys. I’ll lock up,” he told the two employees, his gaze fixed on you all the while.

“Okay. See you, Lin!”

He gave them a distracted wave as they walked past you to leave the store. They looked at you curiously, but said nothing. Lin locked the door after them and turned back to you.

It was already dark outside and the lights of passing vehicles outside the window shone through the glass storefront, bathing you both in a shifting glow.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey, yourself.”

“It’s… nice to see you again.” You could tell he was resisting the urge to smile, but he couldn’t hide the surprise in those deep brown eyes, or the hint of amusement that carried through as he spoke.

“You too,” you breathed, trying to muster up the courage to say what you had planned to. You bit your lip nervously, looking up at him. “Actually, I came back because… see, there was that priceless leather-bound special edition you got me wondering about this morning, and a certain disarming charm…” You trailed your gaze over him, still in that distractingly attractive leather jacket. The double entendre wasn’t lost on either of you.

“Hm. You could stay…” he said slowly, smiling the slightest bit as he continued, “I hear the owner’s kinda into you. Or, y’know, maybe he wants to be…”

“Yeah? I couldn’t tell. Can’t see what he’s thinking, really…” you teased.

“I’m an open book. Disarm me, you can read me all you want…” He made the first move this time, striding across the store to you. At least now you knew why he walked around like he owned the place - he did.

“Is that a challenge or an invitation?”

Lin stopped in front of you, taking your hands in his. “Both,” he said, his eyes meeting yours again as he gently pressed his lips to the back of your hands. You let out a dreamy sigh; you weren’t getting over this any time soon.

You were interrupted by a knock on the glass storefront. Lin whirled around immediately, whilst you peered over his shoulder. A streetwear-clad young guy stood outside, rattling the door as though he could somehow unlock it without the keys. “Hey, are you still open? My Tinder date -”

“No way,” you laughed, “That was the asshole that ditched me this morning.”

“Thank you, Tinder asshole,” Lin grinned.

“Closed!” You and Lin shouted together, exchanging a look of amusement and bursting into laughter. Lin flicked off the last light switch, leaving the store in near-darkness, illuminated only by the streetlights outside.

“Consider me disarmed.”

#lin manuel miranda #lin manuel miranda x reader #lmm #lin manuel #hamilton #in the heights #leather jacket Lin #drama book shop #lin manuel miranda fanfic #lin sin #linnamon roll #boy you got me helpless #my fic

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autistic-alexithymic-female · 4 months

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"Playwrights are allowed to have a bit of poetic license but I think what is interesting about the play is that it very much falls in with the idea of rewriting history. [...] For French patriots Joan of Arc is someone very special. Her role was all the more heroic because she was a woman." - Frank Furedi

Furedi is right.

They ARE "rewriting history", and I'm glad to see how many people are protesting against this FEMALE ERASURE.

"We are not the first to present Joan in this way, and we will not be the last. To respond specifically to the use of pronouns, the use of 'they' to refer to a singular person has been traced by the Oxford English Dictionary to as early as 1375, years before Joan was even born. But theatres do not deal with ‘historical reality’. Theatres produce plays, and in plays, anything can be possible. History has provided countless and wonderful examples of Joan portrayed as a woman. This production is simply offering the possibility of another point of view." - Michelle Terry

Of course they had a woman say this bullshit.

Female erasure is an act of violence. Men truly despise female presence. Men abhor women having any validation. This is why men want to "rewrite history". They want to erase these aspects.

This is history of male oppression of women.

Men have always discriminated against women.

Men have always ways to make themselves look good while enacting mass violence against women.

Men have always wanted women to be passive, submissive, obedient, and hyper-feminine.

Men have always wanted women to marry men and have children with men; men have always wanted women to take a man's surname.

Men have always wanted women to be polite.

Men have always wanted women to believe they are hysterical.

Men have always wanted women to not have a say (still no female President)!

Men have always told women our anger is too aggressive. Men made women wear scold's bridles in the 1800s-1900s, and claimed this instrument of torture was to stop women from "gossiping".

There has always been some form of drag culture, womanface, and gendering. In Shakespearean times, male actors played female characters as men did not allow women to act in plays.

Men have always found ways to torture and demean women, to have women do a walk of shame; men have always forced women to walk through streets and squares to make us look as though we are dogs, we are objects of scorn, we are vessels.

Men have always found ways to berate and ridicule women. Men have always made slurs. Men have always seen women as shrill and whiny. Men have always wanted women to pretend that being in pain is somehow good for us, beneficial for us. Men have always nit-picked women.

Women need to keep in mind that incels/MRAs are everywhere.

Male extremism against women is everywhere.

Male extremism is believing that being biologically female is somehow a privilege, or an act of violence in itself.

'Women are more responsible than men'

We AREN'T, though. Men force women to deal with a ridiculous level of responsibility that we did not sign up for. Men want women to go out of their way.

Men genuinely do not believe that women feel pain -- or they DO, and they WANT us to feel this way.

Women should not have to do shit we don't want to do.

Male dominion is male extremism.

#female #man #men #radblr #radfem safe #radical feminism #woman #women #male #patriarchy #moid #radfem #radfems #radical feminist #radical feminist safe

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legolasbadass · 1 year

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Office Hours, Part 16

Summary: Lorelei Browning has just secured a job as an assistant professor at Exeter College in Oxford. Naturally, she is eager to prove herself and meet every challenge sent her way, but what she does not expect is the tall, handsome stranger who will quickly become much more than a colleague…

Relationship: Richard Armitage x OC (Professor AU)

Word Count: 4k

Rating: E

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my darling @linasofia. Thanks for all your help and support, I don’t know what I would do without you ❤️

Read on AO3

The rain drumming against the windows of Blackwell’s distorts the view of the Sheldonian Theatre and the dozens of people running or biking through the street in search of shelter. Though the cold dampness still clings to me, inside the bookshop, it’s calm and cozy. After chatting with the shop manager to plan a visit with some students for my upcoming Tolkien and C.S. Lewis in Oxford course, I make my way upstairs to the third floor for the secondhand books. Browsing through used and antique books has always been a passion of mine, and I feel at peace as I step into the quiet corner of the bookshop and run my fingers over the discoloured and sometimes cracked covers and flick through yellowed pages, some with notes and names inked into them.

I spent most of the time between Christmas and New Year’s at my parents, trying to figure out when I should call Richard, only to realize that I certainly couldn’t have such a meaningful conversation with him on the phone, so after much deliberating, I’ve resolved to go to his house tonight. Hopefully, he’ll be there, otherwise, I just have to pray that we’ll bump into each other soon. After all, Oxford is rather a small town.

With a pile of books in my arms, I step toward the next bookshelf containing more volumes on Old English. I always find very special books here, and it doesn’t take long before I spot something interesting. As soon as I reach for it, however, someone else grabs it, and I jump, having thought myself alone in this alley. To my surprise, the culprit is none other than Dave, one of the librarians working in Duke Humphrey’s Reading Room at the Bod.

“Professor Browning,” he greets me with a smirk.

“Oh, hi, Dave,” I say hesitantly. “How are you?”

“Good, good. I haven’t seen you at the Bod lately.”

“Well, it was the holidays, so you know.” I shrug. “Plus I actually finished the book I was working on, so I’m taking a short break from research.”

“Finished your book, eh? That’s great!” he says, but his mind seems elsewhere. “Hey, listen—can I call you Lorelei?”

“Er, yeah—of course,” I answer, somewhat startled by the flow of the conversation.

He smiles. “Good.”

I nod, wondering when I will be able to end this awkward small talk and return to the books all around me. “So you’re interested in the role of women in Old English literature?”

“What?”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “The book you’re holding. Woman as Hero in Old English Literature.”

“Oh.” He takes a look at the book cover, frowning. “No, that’s not really my thing. I’m more into modernism, actually.”

“Right. So can I take a look at it then?”

He smirks. “I’ll tell you what—I’ll give this book back to you if you agree to go on a date with me.”

“What?” I reply with an incredulous chuckle but quickly realize he’s serious. I suddenly recall that time Richard and I spent the afternoon at the Bod and how he had voiced his suspicion about Dave’s feelings toward me. I hadn’t believed him at the time. “Listen … I’m flattered, but I’m not interested.”

“You have a boyfriend.”

It’s not a question, but the fact that he refuses to accept my disinterest forces me to answer him. “It’s complicated. My boyfriend and I broke up recently, but I don’t want it to remain that way.”

Dave shakes his head slowly. “You know, getting back with your ex is rarely a good idea.”

This time I don’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Well, thanks for the advice, but I think I know what’s right for me.”

“What if your boyfriend doesn’t want to get back together with you? Would you consider my offer then?”

I sigh in annoyance. “Dave—”

“Come on, it’s just one date.”

“She’s not interested, mate,” a familiar, rumbling voice suddenly asserts from behind me, and my heart leaps in my chest. “She made that perfectly clear.”

“This is none of your business,” Dave retorts.

“I think you’d better leave,” Richard says, his voice calm, but the threat underlying his words doesn’t escape Dave’s notice, and soon enough, he drops the book back onto the bookshelf and tells me, “Call me if you change your mind,” before heading out toward the stairs.

Before I can say anything, Richard hastens to stand before me and asks, “Are you okay?” his voice laced with concern. It takes everything in me not to jump into his arms.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.”

An awkward silence settles between us, and I find myself watching him intently, filled with nearly overwhelming longing. The collar of his trenchcoat is raised, and combined with his damp, unruly hair, I can tell that the rain has only intensified since I took refuge in the bookshop. I know him well enough to recognize the softness in the depth of his blue eyes, and it sparks hope in me, but despite having imagined this moment hundreds of times since we broke up, I can’t seem to find the right words.

“How are you?” I begin hesitantly, my fingers fiddling with the edges of the pages in my hands.

He looks at me for a moment, then gulps. “I’m alright. You?”

“I’ve been better,” I answer with a shrug. Then, without really thinking, I add, “I finished my book.”

Richard’s face lights up, and he smiles. “You did? Lorelei, that’s amazing—I’m so proud of you.”

We share a tender smile, gazing into each other’s eyes. Then, as though suddenly realizing that such intimacy is far beyond what we should be sharing with one another given the circumstances, we both look away, and heat rises up my cheeks.

He clears his throat. “I should go.”

“No—wait!”

He halts, eyeing me curiously, and with a hint of longing, if I’m not mistaken.

“We need to talk,” I blurt out before I lose my courage again. “I want us to talk, please.”

With a sigh, he scratches his beard with one of his large hands. I suddenly realize that his beard is slightly longer and more unkempt than I remember. “I guess you wouldn’t want to talk here, though, right? Too public. Anyone could see us.”

My heart tightens in my chest at his bitter tone. I hate myself so much for hurting him.

“I don’t care if anyone sees us,” I reply, my voice trembling slightly. “I don’t care if Professor Bennett or even the Rector sees us.” Richard’s face softens as I pause, and though I don’t want to have such an important discussion in a public place, I can’t stop the words from pouring out of me. “I never should have asked you to keep our relationship a secret so long, much less lie to my parents about us being colleagues. I’m so sorry for asking that of you. The truth is I was scared! I worked practically my whole life to get to this point—to become a professor—but being at Oxford is more than I ever could have dreamed of. I don’t want to make excuses; I just mean that—I knew I had to prove myself, because I know I can lose this position. My plan was to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to my courses and my research so that I could prove I earned my place. And then I met you and you turned my whole life upside down so quickly.”

“Lorelei—”

“No please—let me say this. In just a few months, you’ve come to mean the world to me. And that was scary because suddenly I found myself daydreaming about you in class and during meetings, and spending time I should have been focusing on my research with you. And then I thought—what will people think if they find out? It might give them a reason to undermine me—they might think I’m not so dedicated to this job, and because my place at Exeter isn’t assured, I thought it would be best if no one knew about us. But what I didn’t understand is that, no, my job at Exeter isn’t assured, but I could still do everything right and not be offered a permanent position in a few years. I can do my job to the best of my abilities, but I don’t have a say in the college’s final decision. I do, however, have a say in this—in us . I can’t sacrifice my career for you, but I certainly don’t want to sacrifice what we have for my career. I want to be with you no matter what. If teaching at Oxford doesn’t work out for me in the end, there’s other jobs out there—but there’s only one of you, and nothing is worth giving you up. I’m just sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.”

My heart hammering in my chest, I hold my breath as I wait for him to say something— anything , but he merely looks back at me with a frown. A few moments go by, that gnawing silence lingering between us, and a small voice at the back of my mind begins to sow doubt in my heart.

What if he doesn’t want me back?

“Look, I know I don’t deserve a second chance. And I certainly don’t expect you to forgive me in a heartbeat. But I hope that maybe … maybe in the future, we can at least be friends if this doesn’t work out.” My voice falters over the word friends , and I have to bite my lips and look away to stop myself from crying.

Another moment of silence ensues, but then Richard takes a careful step toward me. I would only have to raise my hand to touch him; the thought makes my heart flutter, and when I take a chance and look up at him, I find him gazing back at me with such raw tenderness that I feel the whole room spinning around us, and those three words I have longed to speak come to mind. But then he kisses me. His lips are slow and somewhat hesitant against mine, reminding me of the gentleness I thought I would never feel again. I had not forgotten what it felt like to be kissed by him, but I had thought we had shared our last kiss, and to be in his arms once more and feel his beard scratching my cheeks as his tongue tangles with mine reminds me of what I almost lost.

As though sensing my thoughts, Richard pulls away and rests his forehead against mine, his deep blue eyes filling my vision. “Lorelei…” he whispers, his voice heavy with emotion as he rubs his nose against mine.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, my voice breaking.

Richard shakes his head and silences me with a kiss. “I know. And I’m sorry for what I said that night.”

“You have nothing to apologize for!” I hasten to say, recalling his tear-stained cheeks as he held onto my hand in the car. “I was totally selfish and inconsiderate!”

“Maybe, but you were also concerned about your career, and I knew from the beginning that was your priority.”

“My career is important to me, yes, but so are you,” I say earnestly, causing him to smile. Then, not knowing how else to express the myriad of emotions swirling through me, I drop the books I’m holding onto the nearest shelf and wrap my arms around his neck to pull him toward me for another kiss. We forget all about our surroundings as we lose ourselves in this embrace, our lips perfectly in sync as though not a minute passed by since we last tasted each other, but in the end, we’re forced to pull away to breathe, and that’s when I notice that we have attracted the attention of other people in the bookshop.

“We’re putting on a show,” I chuckle as he kisses the top of my head.

“I’d invite you over but I walked to get here.”

“You walked?” I asked incredulously, thinking of the unrelenting rain crashing over the city today.

“Yeah, it helps me clear my head….”

He doesn’t need to say anything more for me to understand, and another wave of guilt takes hold of me, but Richard reassures me with another kiss, this time on my cheek.

“My car is parked right around the corner,” I say in sudden realization, eager to escape the curious eyes of other customers in the bookshop.

“My place?” Richard suggests.

“Okay,” I reply shyly and let him lead me away.

***

I can hardly believe I’m standing in Richard’s house.

An awkward silence reigns over us as we take off our coats and boots, as though we have forgotten how to act around each other, but being here reminds me of all the happy memories we shared, and I feel the cracks in my heart start to heal. I’m here. Richard is here. Everything is slowly returning to how it should be.

The house is messier than I’m accustomed to; dirty dishes fill the sink, and a few bottles of wine and whiskey litter the counter. In the sitting room, cushions and throws lie haphazardly on the sofa while various glasses, books, and a half-eaten bag of crisps cover the coffee table.

“Sorry about the mess,” Richard says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head before rushing to clean up a little in a desperate attempt to cover the evidence of his heartbreak.

“It’s okay,” I reassure him with a shy smile. Messes like this stress me out, as Richard very well knows, but right now, I couldn’t care less. I only have eyes for him. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever come here again,” I admit in a low voice, my fingers digging into the flesh of my arms.

Hesitantly, he steps toward me, his eyes boring into my own as he says, “Let’s put it all behind us, okay?”

I nod and blink to chase away the tears clouding my vision. “And no more secrets.”

Richard smiles, his own eyes shining with unshed tears. “No more secrets.”

Nothing else needs to be said. With that promise, all the tension leaves our bodies, and when I smile in return, he pulls me into his arms. My body moulds itself to his, and wrapped in his most reassuring embrace, I feel at home. My eyes flutter close as I bury my head in his chest and breathe him in; I had almost forgotten what he smelled like, and now I simply can’t get enough of him. I can’t seem to be close enough to him even though no air remains between us, and I can hear his heart beating as though it’s my own. Slowly, I pull away just enough to meet his gaze, and understanding my intentions, Richard leans in to kiss me softly, his lips slowly melting with mine and his tongue lazily tangling with mine as he buries his hands in my hair. But the kiss soon becomes more heated, filled with barely contained longing and lust as neither of us can ignore our need for one another.

I clumsily move backwards, trying to pull him toward the stairs, but Richard has other plans. Without ever breaking the kiss, he stirs me toward the sitting room instead and lowers me onto the sofa, making sure that my head is comfortably propped against a cushion before he begins to explore my curves. His large hands rest on my waist, squeezing my skin through my jumper before moving higher until they rest just below my breasts, setting my skin on fire. Though we were only apart for two weeks, it feels like an eternity has passed since we were last intimate—since I last felt alive—and my body responds eagerly to his caresses. Already, I burn for him, and I can feel my arousal pooling between my thighs, begging for his attention.

After countless ardent kisses, Richard breaks the kiss to pull my cable knit jumper over my head. The cool air stains my skin with goosebumps, but the heat in his eyes warms me instantly, and when he presses a wet kiss on the exposed skin of my breasts just above my bra, I let out a desperate whimper that causes him to hold onto me more tightly. The rest of our clothes soon lie forgotten on the floor, and when he presses his naked body against mine, allowing me to feel the intensity of his desire against my upper thighs, sparks erupt along my spine.

“Oh, my darling girl,” Richard whispers hoarsely as he caresses every inch of my breasts before closing in on one tip, sending a wave of heat down to my core. “I was beginning to wonder if I had exaggerated your beauty in my mind.”

The tenderness with which he speaks these words speaks to feelings far beyond lust, and my heart swells with the depth of my love for him.

“Richard,” I whimper, but words are beyond my reach when he worships my body like this.

Burying my fingers in his hair, I hold him against me, encouraging him to continue his careful exploration of my body. He sucks on one of my beaded nipples with every hint of enjoyment and teases the other with his fingers until I can barely breathe, my longing for him reaching new heights. Then his kisses dip lower, along the inner curve of my breasts, then down my belly until he reaches my navel. He pauses to meet my gaze, and in his eyes, I see all my feelings reflected. Almost unconsciously, I reach out to hold his hand, intertwining our fingers and burying my other hand in his hair just as he scatters more kisses on my skin, and more heat spills from me.

Never tearing his eyes from mine, he spreads my legs further apart and buries his head between my thighs to press a kiss against my core. My responding moan echoes through the room, hanging in the air above us as a testament to our shared passion. Then his tongue caresses me, tracing the length of my opening before reaching my clit. His beard is already soaked with the proof of my arousal when he pulls away slightly to say, “God, I missed your taste,” his rumbling voice laced with lust, before he returns to feast on me.

Arching under him, I rock my hips to heighten the pleasure he offers me so willingly and passionately, but as delightful as his tongue is against me, I crave more. I try to tell him as such between breathless moans, but Richard doesn’t need words to know exactly what I want—what I need . With one last swirl of his tongue against the most sensitive part of my body, he crawls back up so that we are eye to eye and cradles my face. As I trail my hands across his broad chest and caress the soft curls between his pectorals, I kiss him, tasting myself on his lips. Into the kiss, I pour everything I’m feeling; my remorse, my need, and most of all, my love, desperate to offer him the reassurance I failed to give him before.

Richard continues to kiss me as he reaches between our bodies to guide himself to me, and when his hardness meets my core, we both moan in relief. But then he stills.

“Ah, shit,” he groans, and I whine in frustration. “Wait here—condoms are upstairs.”

“No, it’s fine,” I hasten to say, slightly breathless as my whole body hums in anticipation. Richard frowns in confusion, so I add, “Timing wise it’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, looking deep into my eyes.

“I’m absolutely sure,” I reassure him.

He hesitates for a moment more, but eventually, his ardent need takes over, and he meets me once more, and I wrap my legs around him as he enters me, filling me deliciously. With nothing separating us, I feel more connected to him than ever before, and by the raw, tender look in his eyes, I know he feels the same. When he is all the way in, he stills, letting me adjust to him and soak him in as he shelters me with his strong body. His lips hover over mine as we share our breath, savouring the feeling of being one once more, and only when I tentatively roll my hips does he give in to the temptation.

No more words are needed as our bodies speak for us. Richard thrusts once, twice, almost instantly finding the perfect angle, but his movements remain sensually slow, prolonging the pleasure we missed during our separation. Sighing and moaning into his neck, I follow his movements, abandoning myself to all the delicious sensations he stirs within me as I cling to him, my arms and legs wrapped around him. Nothing stands between us, and our hearts beat in unison as our bodies move as one. Our mutual sounds of passion fill the room, and as he groans my name in my ears while slamming his hips against mine, I feel overwhelmed by all the sensations filling my heart.

This is what I was afraid I had lost. Not just this blissful pleasure only he can give me, but the intimacy between us and the comfort that comes with it. In his arms, I’m home, and I know now that he is worth more to me than anything. And with that reassuring realization, I let myself go completely, my back arching as wave after wave of scalding pleasure consumes me. A few more thrusts, and he follows me over the edge, leaving us panting and clinging to each other.

After a while, our breathing slows down, but we remain wrapped in each other’s arms, savouring our closeness. No words are spoken, and now that the spontaneity of our passionate moment is over, I can sense a small uncertainty lingering between us, a certain shyness that hasn’t been there since our very first date. Richard presses a few lingering kisses on my cheeks before pulling away, then he stands to retrieve his briefs, offering me a glimpse at his muscular back and perfect bum. Desire stirs within me at the sight, but then he turns around and offers me a sweet smile.

“Do you want some tea?” he asks as he tucks my hair behind my ear, and the gentleness of his touch brings a smile to my lips.

“Sure.”

He doesn’t bother to put on the rest of his clothes before stepping into the kitchen to fill the kettle. I stay on the sofa, watching him intently, imprinting in my mind every single one of his movements; the way the muscles of his shoulders flex as he opens the cupboard to grab two cups, the way he scratches his beard as he waits for the water to boil. It’s such a simple, almost insignificant moment, yet I have never loved him as much as I do now.

Reaching for his discarded shirt, I pull it over my head and make my way toward him. He seems completely absorbed by his thoughts and doesn’t notice me until I wrap my arms around him from behind and squeeze him tight, pressing a kiss onto his spine. I hear him chuckle, then he spins around to return my embrace, one of his large hands holding the back of my head. We remain like this for a while, and I close my eyes as I listen to the steady beating of his heart. How I had missed that sound.

“Richard?”

“Hm.”

I hesitate slightly, but when I look up to meet his tender gaze, the words come to me easily. “I love you.”

Richard simply stares back at me, his mouth hanging open slightly. Then he smiles, and the look in his eyes shares his answer even before he manages to speak, his voice somewhat breathless as he cradles my face. “I love you, too.”

Our lips meet halfway in a soft kiss, and soon he lifts me into his arms and carries me to his bedroom, our tea completely forgotten on the counter as we lose ourselves in each other once more.

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natromanxoff · 1 year

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Daily Express - March 17, 2005

(x)

Can anyone ever replace Freddie?

By Cheryl Stonehouse

IT’S JUST short of 20 years since Queen left the building for the last time with the crowd still howling for more. They would have howled louder, no doubt, had they known that the British band that had garnered as huge a worldwide following as The Beatles or the Rolling Stones would never take the stage again. “We didn’t know at the time, of course, that it was the last live show but it was fantastic and I will remember it vividly,” says DJ and music author Jon Kutner, a long time Queen fan.

“I saw them live six times in all, the first time in 1976(8?), and then I was lucky enough to be at that last Wembley gig, so I never felt as though I had missed out once Freddie’s illness was announced and it was clear that they would never perform together again.”

But never is a short time in rock ‘n’ roll.

Exactly how short varies, usually in direct relation to the financial needs of those left behind after one or more key members of a fabulously successful combo have made their exit, regardless of whether that departure is caused by artistic differences or the not-to-be-ignored call of the Grim Reaper.

In the case of iconic Sixties rock band Free, whose lead singer Paul Rodgers has just won this year’s most (…) job in popular music as Queen’s new lead singer, “never” turned out to be about nine months after their first split.

That reunion was disastrous. Free’s fabulously talented Paul Kossoff was carried off by an overdose and so it was that, as an embryonic Queen supported Mott the Hoople at the New Oxford Theatre, Paul Rodgers was already collecting gold records with his second iconic band, Bad Company.

But for Queen, “never” has turned out to be the passing of a full 19 years. However, even for one of the most staggeringly well-heeled bands in the world, once possessed of the most irreplaceable lead singer in the world, the temptation to re-form has proved too much.

It’s not that guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor need the money. Queen have been one of the most successful British rock bands of all time and one of the few to comprehensively break into the American music scene.

They’ve certainly had their moments when it came to excess… stories of cocaine served on trays perched on the heads of dwarves at their legendary after gig parties persist — but they were also one of the few bands to take early control of their contracts and their fortunes and turn themselves into a company, using business law to protect their fabulous earnings from the depredation of the music industry’s hangers-on.

There has been no prodding of the unpaid tax bill or the dwindling nest-egg to push them into the desperate — and surely futile — hunt for a Freddie replacement. So once the HIV virus had robbed the band of Freddie Mercury in 1991, it reslly did seem as if never really would mean never.

Certainly John Deacon decided that there was no band without its outrageous and theatrical frontman, and he went home to his mansion on the outskirts of north London to be with wife Veronica and their six children.

WHEN Robbie Williams recorded We Are The Champions two years ago for the film A Knight’s Tale, he made no secret of his hope that he might be able to fill the patent-leather thigh-high boots left vacant by Freddie. Deacon, meanwhile, was in a rare public (…) about the idea: “No one could replace Freddie and certainly not him.”

Ever since Freddie’s death, Deacon has resolutely refused to join his more musically-active band-mates in any of their projects (although he has happily endorsed all their Queen related ventures) and only recently did he agree to take up his drumsticks just one more time for a recording of No One But You, Brian May’s tribute to Freddie.

And even though he has made no effort to maintain the fame that brought him fortune, he — like May and Taylor — remains a very rich man whose back account is constantly being replenished by Queen’s enduring popularity.

In the six years after Freddie’s death the earnings of Queen Productions Ltd in which all four members had had an equal share, topped more than £120m(?).

Even in the Queen-lull of the mid-Nineties, the company’s annual income topped £10m(?). And, once Brian May had asked Ben Elton to create a vaguely feasible plot that would make it possible to create a musical featuring Queen songs, the company’s earnings rocketed again, and We Will Rock You became a West End smash hit. In London alone, more than two million people have been to see the show since it opened two years ago — not to mention its popularity in Las Vegas, Australia and various European theatres.

YET the magic of the Queen brand is difficult to define. Even at the height of their fame, they were roundly and persistently rubbished by music critics who seemed disgusted, more than anything, by the theatricality that this bunch of ex-students, with their big hair and their clogs, had inflicted on rock music. Former art student Freddie was singled out for much of the blame.

“It was as though they couldn’t forgive him and, indeed, the rest of them for being rather bright — Brian May all but got a PhD in astrophysics before he decided to give all his attention to music — and also very musically talented,” says Queen biographer Jane Higgins.

“It’s rather ironic, given who Brian has now chosen as a worthy (…) to Freddie, that a lot of those critics hated the camp flamboyance of Queen because they were stuck in the (…) days of bands like Free.

“Keep it working class, keep it real — I think that was their attitude. All this stagecraft stuff that Queen were so good at, and which Brian May and Roger Taylor have recreated so successfully in the stage show, just tainted the industry.

“As time has proved, they were wrong. Who, except for a few old hippies like me, remembers who Paul Rodgers is, even though he does still have one of the most superb voices in the business.”

No publicist could have planned Queen’s career path. They did all the wrong things — or so professsional image-makers would have told them at the time. Never mind Ferddie’s dress-sense, which frequently dropped the jaws of producers on Top Of The Pops (but wowed the youngsters), or Brian May’s coiffure courtesy of Charles II’s hairdresser.

There was the widely soundtrack composed for Flash Gordon in 1980, a commission regarded at the time as cred-suicide for any self-respecting rock band and a source of (…) for drunks of a certain age today — but still a solid source of (…) for Queen enterprises. It topped the charts in the USA in all threee categories of rock, soul and disco and sold more than 45 million albums worldwide.

They wrote songs with fabulous (…) and ridiculous lyrics. Neither Taylor or May could explain what the words of Bohemian Rhapsody meant when Ben Elton was struggling to find a way to slot it into the stage show’s plot, snd yet the song remains one of the nations’s favourite tracks of all time. It has twice been a number one hit, the second time after Mercury’s death, re-released after it was featured in Mike Myers’’ Wayne’s World.

And there are hundreds of thousands of people who will tell you that no matter what anyone says the show-stopping performance of 1985’s Live Aid was Queen’s.

There was more jaw-dropping over Brian May’s relationship with Anita Dobson, at the time best known as Angie in EastEnders.

“We know his wardrobe is put together by stylish Swedes but how can any rock legend have his love-life scripted by soap opera and hold his head up high in a nightclub,” wrote one columnist at the time.

THEY remain an item having finally married a couple of years ago. “Any time I try to move away from her in even the smallest degree, my guts drop out,” says May. “It’s been (…) that since the first time I met her.”

And although Freddie’s sexuality was a taboo subject until the day before his death, when he announced that he had the Aids virus, it was not difficult to guess from his music and lifestyle that his love-life was, at the very least, flamboyant. But the power of his charisma made it possible for both gays and sporting types to share the anthem that is We Are The Champions.

No matter what Queen did, or how hard the (…) tried to knock them off their (…), the band were and are still adored by an utterly loyal fan base. It was only right, therefore, that the figure silhouetted against the sky atop Buckingham Palace, playing God Save The Queen on Stratocaster at the beginning of the ground-breaking 2002 Rock Jubilee Concert in the Palace gardens, should be none other than Brian May. Freddie should have been there, too. He would certainly have been invited.

So the group that still needs the record for pulling in the largest paying audience for a single band — 131,000 people at the Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo — has few concerns about whether the new line-up will be able to sell tickets.

The new tour will include all the major stadiums in Britain and more spectacular events abroad — they have been asked to play at Nelson Mandela’s concert for Aids charities being held in South Africa in memory of his son — and the new obligatory Hyde Park gig in July. Several dates are already sold out.

“I’m personally not very excited about it,” confesses Jon Kutner. “I was a huge fan and I’m really too young to be a true Paul Rodgers fan. But I talked to Brian and Roger about this comeback a couple of days ago and they are very (…) that Paul is not meant to be Freddie’s replacement.

“They see him as a (…) who had the talent and experience to carry that burden well enough to recapture a bit of that live performance excitement again.

“A lot of people will be very angry but I think they may be missing the point. As Brian says, Freddie himself would rather enjoy (…) people off — he’d probably say: ‘Gor for it.’”

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #paul rodgers #queen scans #daily express march 2005

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rabbitcruiser · 4 months

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Inspire Your Heart with Art Day

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is celebrated annually on January 31. Art can touch our souls and make a lasting impact. Whether it’s a piece of music or a painting, it can broaden our horizons and inspire us in many ways.

History of Inspire Your Heart with Art Day

It was undoubtedly a creative and artistic person who created this day that shines a spotlight on the importance and power of art. We often don’t realize the impact art can have on our hearts. It can inspire, motivate, guide, and touch us in more ways than we can imagine.

Art has been around for a very long time. Several archaeologists found the first artifacts of human art, which date back to the Stone Age. Since then, art has developed over the years and is appreciated for a variety of reasons. Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is celebrated by various art organizations and strives towards appreciating all forms of art.

Many associate art with paintings only but it comes in many forms and it almost always inspires or touches your heart. Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is the perfect day to take a closer look at a piece of art to understand what the artist is trying to communicate. With an open mind, you can allow it to inspire you and change your perspective on many things. Art satisfies our basic need for harmony and balance, and it brings people together. Art also acts as an important form of communication that bridges the language barrier. Art can really go a long way in making a social impact on our lives.

On this day, it is a nudge to let your heart be inspired by paintings, books, music, movies, drama, e.t.c., whichever form of art draws your interest.

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day timeline

1504 Statue of David

Michelangelo completes the sculpture of David.

17th Century Sir Isaac Newton’s Color Wheel

Newton invents the color wheel, which allows artists to observe the most effective color complementation.

1889 Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night”

Van Gogh paints his famous Starry Night while at the asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole.

1912-1948 Art in Olympics

Art is part of the Olympics and medals are awarded for painting, sculpting, music, architecture, and literature.

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day FAQs

What are the genres of art?

The genres of art keep evolving. Some of the traditional categories of art include literature, visual art, graphic art, plastic arts, and the decorative arts.

What can be called art?

Art is an object or experience created through an expression of skill or imagination. Over the years, there have been many different things that have been encompassed under the umbrella of art.

What is the highest form of art?

While art comprises many genres, literature is often regarded as the highest form of art.

Inspire Your Heart with Art Day Activities

Attend a live theatre performance

Share your art with others

Read a book

Theatre actors put in a lot of effort to perfect their acts. Everything from their voices, to acting, to building confidence. A live theatre performance has no retakes and actors have to get it right the first time around. Attend a live performance to appreciate the hard work and talent.

Have you been secretly painting, or writing a song, or even a short story? Well, it’s time to put it out there. Share your art with your family or friends. It may inspire others to dive into the world of art as well.

Books are a great way to expand your knowledge on varying subjects, even if it is fiction. A fictional novel set in a different country can open up your mind to new cultures. Let your imagination run free when you pick up a good book to read.

5 Fascinating Facts About Art

The Mona Lisa

A museum for spoons

Tallest statue

Oxford dictionary’s definitions

Leonardo Da Vinci was ambidextrous

The Mona Lisa painting became immensely popular only after it was stolen.

Lambert Castle in New Jersey is home to a massive collection of spoons.

The tallest statue in the world, the Statue of Unity in India, measures 597 feet in length.

The Oxford dictionary has 12 definitions of the word art.

Da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other.

Why We Love Inspire Your Heart with Art Day

It helps you to express yourself

Art offers different perspectives

Art encompasses many genres

Art is an excellent way to express oneself. Many times, we can’t express ourselves in our daily lives and tend to bottle up those feelings. Art can help you release pent-up emotions via paintings, books, music, e.t.c. It allows one to truly be themselves.

Through art and the perspective of the artist, we are exposed to many different viewpoints. Appreciating art encourages our brain to think differently, to understand why a piece of art was created, and to learn the story behind it. Art can help you put many things into perspective and help overcome unresolved issues.

Art is not just paintings, it goes well beyond that. Art encompasses a multitude of genres such as writing, singing, dancing, cooking, films, and more. With a plethora of options available, it’s easy to find inspiration.

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footprintsinthesxnd · 5 months

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helloooo!! it's me!!

here to ask you all the questions about ALL of your ocs :D

so please can i have:

💭📚🎻💯💤🔺🚫🌈🐈🍃❤️🤍💔😊 for ALL of your ocs (yes i wanna know about every single one of them please!!)

and if you want more questions then ☕️🤔😥 too!!

sorry i know i asked a ton of questions but i love all your ocs so i'm always down to hear about them!!

JULIAN! Thank you for your ask. Wow that’s a lot of questions. It literally took me two days to answer all these. So some of these ocs I haven’t introduced yet so I’ll list them with a mini introduction and then I’ll make a whole oc masterlist to have them all together in one place.

So I’m sure everyone knows Josie Wills, Julian Owens’ (also from )and William Beaumont from ‘Young Love and Old Money’

Lois Drake an SOE agent from ‘Loving Her Was Red’

Florence Lark an ENSA singer from ‘A Larks Song’

Gwen Fletcher an EMT from an Easy Company zombie apocalypse au I’m collating on with @georgieluz and @malarkgirlypop

Julia a Weapons Systems Officer from a Top Gun au I’m collabing on with @georgieluz and his oc Joey

Hugh is my new Masters of the Air oc who will have a proper introduction along with his sister very soon

OC question answers below

————————————————————————

💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/ interested in)?

Josie - ISTP, enneagram type 3 (competitive achiever) Josie is definitely a ‘doer’. She’s task driven and competitive and once she sets her mind to something then she intend to do it.

Julian - INTP, enneagram type 2 (the considerate helper) Julian is very warm and giving and people oriented. But also type 5 (quiet specialists) because he is always observing and exploring how the world works. But he can struggle to share thoughts and feelings and may seem socially awkward so he’s a mixture of both but doesn’t fit all the traits for either.

Lois - ENTP, enneagram type 8 (active controller) Lois is a force of nature and has strong values of right are wrong. She can be guarded but caring and protective of those around them.

Florence - ISFP, enneagram type 9 (adaptive peacemaker) she is diplomatic and attuned to the ideas of others. I fell like she would absolutely be a peacemaker within a group. Within her family she forms the glue between them all.

William - ESTJ, enneagram type 3 (competitive achiever) Will is similar to Josie in this respect. He is goal driven and he intends to achieve all he can. He will risk overstretching and pushing himself too far to achieve what he wants.

Gwen- INFP, enneagram type 4 (intense creativity) she can be emotionally sensitive and is attuned to her environment. She is creative and expressive as individuals.

Julia- ENTJ, enneagram type 7 (enthusiastic visionary) Julia is fun loving and enthusiastic about life. She brings creativity, energy and optimism to any group and easily makes friends.

Hugh - ESFP, enneagram type 6 (loyal sceptic) he easily tunes in to potential danger and can become anxious but doesn’t let his friends know. He can be insecure and often relies on his sister to know he is good enough.

📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)?

Josie - she was studying English Literature and classics at Oxford University when the war broke out. Her family had sent her to a Private School in London but never expected her to want to go to university.

Julian - he was studying acting and script writing at university before the war broke out. However he dropped out to join the paratroopers but intends to go back and finish his studies after the war. He also plays music on the side and sometimes plays piano during musical theatre productions.

Lois - I feel like Lois had quite a high class eduction which allowed her to study languages. She never really flaunted her education or her family but it has given her certain privileges in life.

Florence - she comes from quite a poor background and was raised by her father and brother. She went to the normal local school until she was 15. Her father couldn’t afford to further her or her brother’s education and so they both found jobs locally where they worked until the war broke out.

William - he studied law at Cambridge university and graduated six months before the war broke out in 1939. He joined his father’s law firm and was working alongside his father, who also worked with the government and so he planned to further his career in politics until he went for his pilot training.

Gwen - she wanted to train to become a doctor but her parents couldn’t afford her university tuition so instead she trained to become an EMT through an apprenticeship. Gwen is very clever although she never flaunts it.

Julia - after college Julia went straight into the Navy, completing basic training before moving onto her Weapons System training to become a naval aviator. She is very good at her job and graduated first of her class from Top Gun along with her pilot Joey.

Hugh - he was at university doing an engineering course when the war broke out. He wanted to get a good career so he didn’t end up like his parents in dead end jobs they hated

🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)?

Josie - she plays a lot of musical instruments during to her family and would often have to play at dinner parties and for her family’s friends. She began to resent having to play for other people and avoids playing where she can although she sometimes plays for Lewis if he asks.

Julian - he plays piano and as a child had joint lessons with his friend Jess. When he moved away he continued to play and he often played while studying acting at university and sometimes played in their amateur theatre productions.

Lois - she was always spending her time reading history books, literature and learning languages, although she can appreciate all genres of music from jazz to the opera.

Florence - she can play the piano as well as having an excellent singing voice and will often play while she sings.

William - he can play the piano, violin and the clarinet. His father expected him to play for dinner guests ever since he was a boy.

Gwen - she learned how to play the recorder at first school but she never kept it up and never had time to learn any new instruments between her studies.

Julia - like Gwen she’s never really had a knack for musical instruments and always found herself too busy traveling or keeping Joey out of trouble.

Hugh - he appreciates good music but he cannot play an instrument to save his life.

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

Josie -

1) she’s actually very good at drawing and has lots of random little drawings of her friends but she would never let them see them. 2) Josie had never actually been abroad until she travelled to the French battlefields as a VAD. Despite her families money and connections she was never invited on any of their abroad trips. 3) Josie has an exceptional singing voice and no one ever expects her to sound as good as she does. Lewis tells her she is wanted as an VAD and should join the USO.

Julian -

1) Julian makes the best hot beverages. You feel sad and need a cup of tea he’s on it. You’re feeling sleepy and need a coffee, he’s got you. Regardless of the drink hot beverages are Julian’s specialty. 2) Julian used to write little scripts for Jess and Josie to read from their favourite childhood books. He’d often make up stories for them too. 3) Julian nearly got kicked out of the paratroopers for helping Bill and George prank Sobel by filling his room with confetti, he never got caught but he nearly died from the stress of it and vowed to never let George talk him into anything like that again.

Lois -

1) she was burned in love once before and swore that she would never let her heart get broken again. When she started out with Winters it was just some fun, but he very quickly stole her heart and she began to believe that maybe you only get hurt when you love the wrong people. 2) Lois lived in Germany for several years when she was a young teenager. 3) Lois is fluent in German, French and Latin and has a flare for learning languages.

Florence -

1) she actually fell for Webster before he fell for her. She’d never admit it but she fell first. 2) Florence nearly became a ops room girl but decided against it when she saw an advertisement for ENSA auditions which changed her life for the better. 3) Florence is named after the city in Italy where her mother spent time when she was younger. One day when the war is over she’d like to visit and take a certain paratrooper with her.

William -

1) he’s actually really insecure but he puts on this big front, an act to cope with this. 2) Will had the opportunity to travel to America with the RAF to help train American pilots for combat but his father has a strong dislike towards the Americans and so he never went but always wished he had. 3) During his childhood Will spent more time with Josie and her family than his own because despite their flaws they still gave him a family he so desperately craved.

Gwen -

1) she wanted to become a medic in the army after she finished her EMT training. 2) she secretly sees Caleb as the brother she never had. She looks up to him and the way he carries and handles himself. She’d like to be more like him. To be stronger. 3) Gwen was actually born in New York but her family moved to the outskirts of Boston when she was just a baby. Her family often visit New York at Christmas and she loves the Rockafella tree.

Julia -

1) she’s always worried about failing Joey on a mission. It keeps her up at night that she’s going to make the wrong call and get them both killed. Joey is the only family she really has and if anything ever happened to him she’d never forgive herself. 2) Julia almost joined the airforce to become a pilot but changed her mind and joined the navy instead. 3) she has always wanted to own a dog but with her job and so much travelling it would be impossible.

Hugh -

1) he used to have a spaniel called Charlie as a boy and still carries a photograph of him in his pocket. 2) he’s secretly very proud of his sister and her achievements as a flight nurse but he doesn’t always tell her 3) he’s a hopeless romantic and would absolutely write the best love letters

💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits?

Josie - she’s a deep sleeper. She can sleep through Lewis snoring but she becomes a light sleeper after the war, always listening out for Lewis having a nightmare.

Julian - he’s a light sleeper. He can run on about 3-4 hours sleep and then he has to get up and start being productive.

Lois - she’s a bit like Julian. Due to her SOE training she has learned to function on vet little sleep but she can also sleep in the most random places in the field where she can catch a few hours sleep before moving on.

Florence - she generally has a good sleep pattern. Bed by 11pm and then early to rise in the morning. She’s normally up by 6am. When she has shows she generally stays up past midnight but she still gets up early to make the most of the day.

William - he enjoys a lay in. He would quite happily lay around in bed all day if he had the chance but his job pre and during the war very rarely allow for that.

Gwen - she worked shifts before the apocalypse began so had very varied sleep patterns. Which put her in good stead for the sleep deprivation she would suffer from during the apocalypse.

Julia - in the navy on active duty you sleep where you can so she doesn’t really sleep very well then but when she’s on leave she is sleeping in and relaxing as much as possible.

Hugh - he does like to catch up on his sleep when he can but is quite a light sleeper. He often lays in bed looking a ceiling and listening to his comrades snoring.

🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons?

Josie - she can handle herself and throw a punch buts she’s not a fighter.

Julian - yes he’s a paratrooper

Lois - she can definitely handle herself and received perfect scores on her weapons training.

Florence - she wouldn’t even hurt a fly.

William - he’s a Lancaster bomber pilot but in hand to hand combat he’s all mouth and will most likely get smacked in the mouth.

Gwen - she’s a good shot because she used to go hunting with her father but close combat is not her forte. It’s going to take lots of training from Caleb and Sam to improve her skills.

Julia - well she is a weapons systems officer and she’s in the navy so don’t go messing with her. And if you mess with Joey then you better watch your back.

Hugh- he has been known to throw a few punches to defend his sisters honour (although she can definitely handle herself)

🚫 PROHIBITED - does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

Josie - she will have a glass of wine or beer with her friends at the local pub and she used to drink at her families dinner parties but she isn’t a big drinker.

Julian - like Josie he’s a social drinker and will have a few but he’s not necessarily a big drinker. He’s sat with Eugene watching the other paratroopers get hammered and laughing at them.

Lois - she rarely drinks, always wanting to keep her wits about her. But with Dick she can let her hair down a little and trusts him enough to relax.

Florence - she’ll have a glass of gin to steady her nerves before some of her shows but she isn’t a big drinker. She saw what drink did to her father after her mother died and so would never want to feel that way herself.

William - he’s a big drinker. Dinner parties, nights out with his fellow pilots, social events etc. He likes to have a good time.

Gwen - she rarely drinks as she works so many varied shifts but when she is off or at weekends she’ll happily have a glass of wine and relax.

Julia - she’s a social drinker. She’ll happily have a few beers at the Hard Deck and she had definitely gotten drunk with Joey more times than she cares to admit.

Hugh- he can hold his liquor and has often drank his fellow pilots under the table, especially if a bet is involved.

🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use?

Josie - she/her and she’s straight

Julian - he/him and Julian isn’t openly gay due to the time period but his friends and of course his boyfriend George know and fully support and protect him.

Lois - she/her and she is straight

Florence - she/her and she is straight

William - he/him and I feel like he’s bisexual. Although he’s mainly a womaniser he’s definitely had a fling or two with his fellow pilots and with a few boys from boarding school. Although he’ll never admit it as his family would disown him.

Gwen - she/her and she is straight

Julia -she/her and she is straight

Hugh - he/him

🐈 CAT - does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends?

Josie - she has a lot of acquaintances but only a small group of true friends.

Julian - although he has social anxiety he is quite the social butterfly amongst the men of Easy Company. Everyone knows Julian and he’ll quite happily have a laugh and a chat with all of them.

Lois - she keeps to herself. Only having a small group of friends made up form a few men from Easy Company and her fellow SOE agents.

Florence - a few close friends. She gets on well with a lot of the men from Easy Company but only really had a few true friends.

William - he has so many friends. He has university friends, lawyer friends, pilot friends, family friends. This man’s guest list is a mile long.

Gwen - a few close friends. Gwen is very reserved and it took her a long time to even open up to her partner Tom. She only had a few friends from work and college and lost them during the outbreak but she soon forms a strong bond with Caleb and Sam.

Julia -she has lots of friends all the way from basic training to Top Gun. She’s a social butterfly and loves chatting to everyone and is very easy to get along with.

Hugh - he’s a social guy and gets on with a lot of the men he’s known since basic training. He’s very easy to talk to but he only really has a small group of close friends.

🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND - what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school?

Josie- she always loved Literature which is why she went to study it at Oxford University until the war broke out. Books are a big passion of hers.

Julian - he always loved History and Classic Literature but nis favourite class was drama which definitely put him in good stead for perusing a career in acting and script writing. She excelled in his drama classes.

Lois - so Lois is fluent in both French and German which puts her in good stead for her SOE training. She also is fluent in Latin and she has a thirst for knowledge and languages which is why that would be her favourite subject at school.

Florence -I feel like Florence has been singing her whole life. She always lived music and that’s why it was her favourite subject at school. She would often go to concerts or music and dance nights because of her love of live music. Which intern lead her to join the ENSA when the war broke out.

William - he always loved sports and would have been captain of the cricket and football team and his private school. He would often play sports of his family estate in the summer and played for the local county team.

Gwen - she loved biology. Anything to do with the natural world but also learning anatomy and physiology. The human body always fascinated her and how much a person could withstand.

Julia - she loved Physical Eduction. She’s super sporty being Captain of the Handball Team, the netball team, and baseball team. She’s also an exceptional swimmer and a pretty fast runner.

Hugh- he loved art at school. He’s quite the artist actually and will often draw his fellow pilots or the planes. He was left in charge of the planes nose art.

❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits?

Josie -

1) she has a big heart and is a very loving and loyal friend. She is the kind of friend that will stand by you regardless of the situation and will fight fiercely for them. 2) she is very intelligent and intellectual. Like Lois she has a thirst for knowledge and was determined to study Literature at Oxford university. 3) she can adapt well to varying situations. She went from her privileged life to living in a cabin with Lewis. She went from her university studies to training as a VAD to help the battlefield nurses and medics. She is versatile.

Julian -

1) he has the kindest heart and would do anything for anyone. His soul is pure and he truly is the greatest, most reliable friend anyone could ever want. 2) he is very good at calming people down and being reasonable and sensible. He would make a good leader and has some excellent ideas. 3) he has excellent taste in music and is always recommending new songs to Josie and Jess to listen to. The radio intrigues him and he’s often fiddling around with radios and record players because it amazes him how they work.

Lois -

1) she has a keen eye and is very perceptive, which again is excellent for her wartime career. 2) she has good intuition and can read situations and work out the best possible outcomes for her and her team before making any kind of move. 3) she has a lot of empathy but also has a tough outside that once you get passed she will love you unconditionally.

Florence -

1) she is very sweet and caring. Having looked after her brother and father as she grew up she is used to caring for people. 2) her voice sounds like an angels, many of the men have told her this before and her father always said she sounded like her mother when she sings. 3) she writes little song lyrics to her brother and to Webster is letters she sends them to keep their moral up.

William -

1) he’s a decent man really and he is very loving. Despite his boyish charm and womanising tendencies when Will truly cares about someone he would do anything for them. 2) he’s an excellent party planner and social butterfly. You absolutely want him as your host or partner at social events because he knows everyone and is very good at making you feel supported if you’re worried. 3) he’s a very loyal friend. He stood by Josie when her parents disowned her and despite her marrying another man he still allowed them to stay at his families cabin so he was always looking out for her.

Gwen -

1) she a good egg. You want someone like her on your apocalypse survival team. She is always looking out for everyone and thinking what is best for the group. 2) she so kind. She would do anything for anyone, even if they didn’t really deserve her help or kindness. 3) Gwen is a very good listener and shoulder to cry on. She always has the best advice but is also ready to just sit and listen if that’s what you want too.

Julia -

1) she would do anything for her friends and is loyal to a fault. She is the kind of woman you want fighting your corner. 2) she makes the best pancakes and she always makes them for Joey when he’s sad or he’s had a bad day. 3) Julia is a badass. She is very good at her job and hardly ever misses her target. She can give Bob a run for his money.

Hugh-

1) he’s such a sweetheart. He’s so caring and is very protective towards his sister. Any man looking to step out with her better be good enough 2) he’s very good at raising moral with his friends, cracking jokes when they need a laugh 3) he’s a very good cook and although the have cooks on the base he will sometimes sneak in a whip up a meal

🤍WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/ questionable traits?

Josie -

1) she needs to read other people’s emotions better and understand how other people are feeling. 2) she often forgets how privileged she is and can be arrogant sometimes. 3) she doesn’t always realise how besotted Lew is with her but she loves him very much.

Julian -

1) believing that he doesn’t deserve to be loved and happy because society has drummed into him that being gay is wrong (but he absolutely deserves to be happy because he such a sweetheart) 2) not believing in himself sometimes. He needs to realise how talented he is. 3) Laughing at inappropriate times. This man will absolutely laugh if you tell him something traumatic if he feels awkward and doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t mean too but it just happens.

Lois -

1) she needs to learn to except that Dick is a good guy and he truly does love her and isn’t just in it for fun and games. 2) she needs to learn to put herself first sometimes 3) she needs to learn to lean on other people sometimes and she doesn’t always need to be strong.

Florence -

1) thinking that Webster is too good for her and will realise she isn’t good enough for him because he is from a richer background. 2) she’s too hard on herself sometimes and she needs to except that she can’t always do everything for everyone 3) she needs to believe in herself more

William -

1) he needs to realise that he doesn’t always have to follow in his fathers footsteps 2) Will needs to learn that he’s not always right and that other peoples opinions are valid. He gets a bit full of himself sometimes 3) he needs to know that there is another person out there for him and if he loves Josie he needs to let her go so they can both move on.

Gwen -

1) not thinking she is good enough for her friends and the man she loves. 2) thinking she has to try and be strong all the time because Caleb and Sam close off their emotions but really Gwen just needs a good cry. 3) she will absolutely get distracted by the shape of clouds and Caleb had to recuse her from a zombie once because she was looking at the clouds. She likes to pretend that just for that moment she isn’t in an apocalypse.

Julia -

1) she cannot hold her liquor and has vomited in Joey’s car more times than she cares to admit. 2) she daydreams a lot, sometimes when they are flying which is always helpful but most of the time she’s on her A game. 3) she has questionable taste in men, until she meets Bob, and has often ignored Joeys advice because she liked to believe that this time it will be different but hopefully with Bob it will be.

Hugh-

1) he talks to himself a lot and it annoys his friends 2) he needs to remember to write home because his mum worries about him but he’s always thinking of a million other things 3) he likes to quote books and movies he’s seen which other people find annoying

💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits?

Josie -

1) she is very headstrong and doesn’t always think before she speaks or acts which does land her in trouble some times. 2) She can be self centred and doesn’t always realise what is going on in her friend’s lives because she is so focused on her own. 3)She can be a liability at times, being rash to make decisions and says what she thinks without considering whose secrets she is telling.

Julian -

1)sometimes he can be a little sensitive and will take things to heart even if it’s not meant that way. He’s a sensitive souls but he can also be hard when he needs to be. 2) he will 100% hold a grudge. When he finds out Josie told Lewis about him and George he is fuming and he lets that get in the way of their friendship, which is only fair because Josie did betray him but he doesn’t forgive easily and downs fully trust her for a while. He needs to learn to let go of things more easily. Maybe not in this situation specifically because this is a big thing but to learn not to get worked up so quickly. 3) he needs to learn how to communicate better and express his feelings more plainly so George doesn’t mixed signals.

Lois -

1) she doesn’t trust people very easily, Dick Winters is an exception. 2) she tends to put other people’s needs before her own and will always put the safety of others above hers, which Dick finds infuriating. 3) Lois winds Lewis up on purpose because she finds it funny when he gets all riled up at her. Which makes life difficult for Dick because he’s then stuck between the woman he loves and his best friend.

Florence -

1) she can easily jump to conclusions before she has the whole picture of what’s actually going on. 2) she can be nice and a little gullible but it’s because she’s a very trusting person and so she always sees the good in people. 3) she not always confident in herself and her abilities which is why Webster is always reassuring there and telling her how much he loves her because he wants her to realise how amazing she is.

William -

1) Will can be very arrogant and thinks he id absolutely the bees knees. He’s a ladies man and he thinks that all ladies will love him, which isn’t necessarily the case. 2) he isn’t very good at sharing. He loved Josie from when they were young and didn’t exactly like sharing her with Lewis but he learns to live with it and excepts that she is with Lew and is happy to still have their friendship. 3) he definitely has rich privilege and I feel is arrogant to what the less fortunate people are going through during the war, whereas I feel that Josie although from a rich background does have more awareness of this and empathy.

Gwen -

1) she can be very naive and easily trusts the wrong people because she believes that everyone has a good heart and deserves a second chance. 2) she needs to learn to express her feelings better and not hide her emotions. She closes herself off to protect herself but ends up hurting people she cares about. 3) she sometimes can’t see passed the logical steps and improvise so if something goes wrong she can panic a little bit. She had improved on this with her job and was able to adapt quickly but the outbreak is very different.

Julia -

1) she’s a hot head and needs to learn to pick her battles and not just rush in. Her opinion is valid and often she is right but she needs to accept others opinions too. 2) she gets wound up so easily. Hangman is always pissing her off by making little gestures or jokes towards her. She needs to learn to calm down and ignore him when he’s messing around. 3) she needs to learn to remember dates for meetings etc and to write them down because otherwise she is hopeless.

Hugh -

1) he can be absolutely oblivious sometimes and is the last to notice things (especially his sisters feelings towards his fellow pilot) 2) he can be too caring and sometimes the others see that as him being weak 3) he needs to learn to let go a little sometimes and learn to be not so uptight.

😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES - what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life?

Josie - after the war Josie would like to move back to America with Lew. She wants a simple life really where they can spend lots of time together. She will most likely get a job at Nixon Nitration Works in the office. Her and Lew will travel but will settle down and get a dog and children soon follow.

Julian - he wants to be able to walk down the street hand in hand with George but as he is unable to due to the time period he settled for small holidays away somewhere secluded where they can be together. After the war he heads back to America to continue his studies and becomes a script writer and director.

Lois - she’s an adrenaline junkie and is always looking for an adventure but with Dick she decides she just wants to settle down and spend time with Dick on their farm.

Florence - she loved to continue to sing professionally after the war and for her voice to send her around the world travelling.

William -he wants to finish his degree but branch away from his father’s company and go out on his own to make a name for himself.

Gwen - well Gwen wanted to continue her career as an EMT but also was considering joining the army to become a combat medic. However once the world came to an end her priorities changed and now all she wants is a community that can support each other and make the best of the life they have.

Julia - she wants to continue her career climbing the ranks and become a Top Gun instructor. This may take her away from Joey but she’d like to be stationed in one place more permanently as her career progresses.

Hugh - he wants to be happy in a job that he actually enjoys unlike his parents who work because they need to. His very good with his hands and so wants to continue to peruse his career in engineering but after becoming a pilot he will also consider flying as a career post war but is unlikely to stay in the air force.

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE - does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink

Josie - she likes a nice strong cup of tea with milk and one sugar.

Julian - he is also a big tea drinker. He believes it makes everything better.

Lois - a black coffee with one sugar. She likes her drinks strong

Florence - she likes a milky tea with honey

William - coffee, milk with one sugar. But he will sometimes have a tea at afternoon social events

Gwen - she mainly drinks water but would often start her mornings with a milky coffee

Julia - strong black coffee with two sugars

Hugh - black coffee

🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/ mannerisms?

Josie - she talks in her sleep. Her friends and Lew try to tell her but she won’t believe them.

Julian - he gets very anxious if his hair gets wild and out of place. When he gets anxious he keeps smoothing his hair down as a nervous tick.

Lois - she chews her lip when she is anxious or thinking about something

Florence - before each of her performed she will blow a kiss to the picture of her mother that she carries with her for good luck

William - he doesn’t like jam so if he has a scone he put cream and honey on it instead which is very controversial amongst his family

Gwen - she always sits cross legged on the floor. While the others will sit on a table or lean against a wall etc she will always sit cross legged on the floor

Julia - before each flight or mission she had Joey have a little ritual where the do their little handshake and sing their favourite song before hopping into their plane

Hugh - before each mission or flight he’ll try to make sure he visits his sister. She’s like his lucky charm

😢 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE - is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool?

Josie - she doesn’t necessarily get stressed but she gets uptight and angry very easily but Lewis and her friends know how to handle her and calm her down

Julian - he’s a worried little bean. This poor man gets easily stressed and he over thinks and worries about everything. George is very good at helping him stay calm and to stop stressing and when George isn’t around he likes to have a hug from Jess she will stoke his hair and he instantly feels more relaxed

Lois - she is very good at keeping a calm level head but when she does get angry or stressed heads will roll so you do not want to be in the firing line when that happens

Florence - she is generally quite good at keeping calm and level headed and when she is up on stage she is in her element although she can get nervous sometimes but is good at controlling her emotions

William- he almost never gets stressed. He’s very cool and calm

Gwen - she’s generally very good at keeping her cool and being the levelheaded one of the group. She is normally trying to calm everyone else down.

Julia - as I’ve said before she is a hot head but she is very good at keeping her cool in stressful situations

Hugh - he’s a very levelheaded guy most of the time but he sometimes gets anxious and doubtful of himself which is when he relays on his sisters reassurance

#get to know my OCs #oc ask game

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