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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

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THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER

March 27, 1950

"The Man Who Came To Dinner” was a presentation of Lux Radio Theatre, broadcast on CBS Radio on March 27, 1950.

The Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy in three by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals.

The play was adapted for a 1942 feature film, scripted by Philip G. Epstein and Julius J. Epstein and directed by William Keighley. The film featured Monty Woolley, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, Jimmy Durante, Mary Wickes and Richard Travis.

“The Man Who Came to Dinner” was previously presented on radio by Philip Morris Playhouse on July 10, 1942. Monty Woolley, who played the leading role in the film version, starred in the adaptation. It was broadcast again by Theatre Guild on the Air on ABC Radio November 17, 1946 starring Fred Allen. In 1949, “The Man Who Came to Dinner” was produced on “The Hotpoint Holiday Hour” starring Charles Boyer, Jack Benny, Gene Kelly, Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Rosalind Russell.

On October 13, 1954, a 60-minute adaptation was aired on the CBS Television series “The Best of Broadway.” A “Hallmark Hall of Fame” production was broadcast n November 29, 1972 starring Orson Welles, Lee Remick (Maggie Cutler), Joan Collins (Lorraine Sheldon), Don Knotts (Dr. Bradley), and Marty Feldman (Banjo). The 2000 Broadway revival was broadcast by PBS on October 7, 2000, three days after the New York production closed, and was also released on DVD.

Synopsis ~ The story is set in the small town of Mesalia, Ohio in the weeks leading to Christmas in the late 1930s. The outlandish radio wit Sheridan Whiteside is invited to dine at the house of the well-to-do factory owner Ernest Stanley and his family. But before Whiteside can enter the house, he slips on a patch of ice outside the Stanleys' front door and injures his hip. Confined to the Stanleys' home in a wheelchair, Whiteside and his retinue of show business friends turn the Stanley home upside down! But is he really injured?

This adaptation was written by S.H. Barnett. The characters eliminated for this adaptation include Richard Stanley, John, Mrs. Dexter, and Mrs. McCutcheon.

The show is hosted by William Keighley, who directed the 1942 film adaptation.

Lux Radio Theatre (1935-55) was a radio anthology series that adapted Broadway plays during its first two seasons before it began adapting films (”Lux Presents Hollywood”). These hour-long radio programs were performed live before studio audiences in Los Angeles. The series became the most popular dramatic anthology series on radio, broadcast for more than 20 years and continued on television as the Lux Video Theatre through most of the 1950s. The primary sponsor of the show was Unilever through its Lux Soap brand.

CAST

Lucille Ball (Maggie Cutler) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. “My Favorite Husband” eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Clifton Webb (Sheridan Whiteside) had appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1946 film The Dark Corner. He was nominated for three Oscars. Webb had played the role of Sheridan Whiteside on stage for two years.

Eleanor Audley (Mrs. Stanley) appeared in several episodes of Lucille Ball’s “My Favorite Husband” as mother-in-law Letitia Cooper. Audley was first seen with Lucille Ball as Mrs. Spaulding, the first owner of the Ricardo’s Westport home in “Lucy Wants to Move to the Country” (ILL S6;E15). She returned to play one of the garden club judges in “Lucy Raises Tulips” (ILL S6;E26). Audley appeared one last time with Lucille Ball in a “Lucy Saves Milton Berle” (TLS S4;E13) in 1965.

Ruth Perrott (Sarah) played Katie the maid on Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband.” On “I Love Lucy” she played Mrs. Pomerantz in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), was one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16).

Betty Lou Gerson is best remembered as the voice of Cruella De Ville in the original Disney film One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).

Stephen Dunn had appeared with Lucille Ball in Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949).

John Milton Kennedy (Announcer)

‘DINNER’ TRIVIA

The same date as this radio adaptation (March 27, 1950), original star Monty Wooley arrived in Vancouver to perform in the play.

This broadcast aired the day after the “My Favorite Husband” episode “Liz’s Radio Script” also starring Lucille and Ruth Perrott.

Lucille Ball’s good friend and frequent co-star Mary Wickes was typecast as a nurse due to her breakthrough role as Nurse Preen in the Broadway, film, and television versions of The Man Who Came To Dinner.’ She does not play Nurse Preen in this adaptation. The character is given the first name Geraldine.

Lucille Ball previously appeared on “Lux Radio Theatre” for a November 10, 1947 adaptation of her film The Dark Corner (1946).

The first commercial talks about how Lux soap is gentle on stockings, like those worn by Betty Grable in Wabash Avenue.

The second commercial (between acts two and three) interviews actress Joan Miller, talking about the Warners picture Stage Fright, and how Lux helped keep the costumes looking great.

In the post show interviews, Clifton Webb promotes his next film Cheaper By The Dozen.

The final Lux commercial talks about how movie star Hedy Lamarr uses Lux.

The program presents a special address from president of the Red Cross, General George C. Marshall. The American Red Cross was mentioned on “My Favorite Husband” and Red Cross posters were frequently scene decorating the sets on “I Love Lucy.”

The ending of radio’s “My Favorite Husband” episode “Mother-in-Law” (November 4, 1949) starring Lucille Ball is identical to the ending of The Man Who Came To Dinner.

In “Lucy and Viv Reminisce” (TLS S6;E16) on January 1, 1968, while nursing Lucy, who has a broken leg, Viv slips and also breaks her leg. She says she feels just like a female version of The Man Who Came To Dinner.

“Vivian Sues Lucy” (TLS S1;E10) on December 3, 1962 also has a plot that resembles The Man Who Came To Dinner. Viv injures herself due to Lucy’s careless housekeeping, and is bedridden. Lucy goes out of her way to cater to her every whim, so that she won’t sue!

Although the play is fictional, it draws on real life figures and events for its inspiration.

Sheridan Whiteside was modeled on Alexander Woollcott.

Beverly Carlton was modeled on Noël Coward.

Banjo was modeled on Harpo Marx, and there is a dialogue reference to his brothers Groucho and Chico. When Sheridan Whiteside talks to Banjo on the phone, he asks him, "How are Wackko and Sloppo?"

Professor Metz was based on Dr. Gustav Eckstein of Cincinnati (with cockroaches substituted for canaries), and Lorraine Sheldon was modeled after Gertrude Lawrence.

The character of Harriet Sedley, the alias of Harriet Stanley, is an homage to Lizzie Borden. The popular jump-rope rhyme immortalizing Borden is parodied in the play.

Radio critic Dick Diespecker was not exactly enthusiastic about this adaptation.

The announcer reminds viewers that next week “Lux Radio Theatre” will present “Come To the Stable” starring Loretta Young and Hugh Marlowe

The announcer promotes Lucille Ball’s new picture Fancy Pants starring Bob Hope.

#Lucille Ball #The Man Who Came To Dinner #Clifton Webb #Eleanor Audley #My Favorite Husband #Ruth Perrott #Red Cross #Betty Lou Gerson #Hedy Lamarr #Betty Grable #Kaufman and Hart #Fancy Pants #Lux Radio Theatre #Lux #William Keighley

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joebidensanonymous · 5 years

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HELP & ACT NOW, before abortions become illegal!

More and more laws have been restricting and banning abortions across the U.S., here’s what’s happening and what you can do about it.

What happened in Alabama?

Tuesday, Alabama’s state senate passed a ban on abortion, making it a crime for doctors to perform the procedure, at any stage of pregnancy.

Doctors could face up to 99 years in prison for helping their patients terminate unwanted or unviable pregnancies.

This law was decided on by 25 white men, and passed by a vote of 25 vs 6. The 3 women on the state senate all voted against it. However, the law was written, and signed, by two women.

These senators refused to add exceptions for cases of rape or incest, by voting against democratic amendments. The text only allows an exception when the pregnant woman’s health is at serious risk. This gives women lesser rights than those of rapists or abusers, and makes the abortion ban the strictest in the US.

Wednesday, Alabama’s Republican governor, Kay Ivey, signed it into law.

This does not immediately outlaw the procedure (which is currently still legal). The measure would take effect in six months, if it passes.

These anti-abortion politicians want to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, by taking this ban to the supreme court. In other words, they’re working to make abortions illegal across the country. So, if you think this bill doesn’t concern you, IT DOES.

Alabama is one of 16 (Republican controlled) states to introduce or pass anti-abortion laws. This represents a growing push against women’s reproductive rights in the U.S., fuelled by right-wing, republican Christians, and made worse under Trump’s presidency.

What are we doing to stop this?

State senator Vivian Davis Figures fought hard against this bill. She told the male lawmakers: “You don’t have to raise that child. You don’t have to carry that child. You don’t have to do anything for that child, but you want to make the decision for that woman.” She proposed amendments to expand Medicaid, force legislators who voted for the measure to pay the state’s legal bills, or make it a crime for men to get vasectomies. All were rejected.

Pro-choice activists have promised to challenge the measure in court. The ACLU said it will file a lawsuit (with Planned Parenthood) “to stop this unconstitutional ban and protect every woman’s right to make her own choice about her healthcare, her body and her future.” The legal battle could stop the restrictions entirely, or at least delay them.

They also acted against the spread of fear and misinformation. Staci Fox, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates, stressed that abortion is currently still legal in all 50 states. And the ACLU of Alabama tweeted “PLEASE REMEMBER: This bill will not take effect anytime in the near future, and abortion will remain a safe, legal medical procedure at all clinics in Alabama.” Don’t forget to also share this message for people who might need to read it.

Democratic leaders reacted with outrage, and pledged to fight for abortion rights. This includes Joe Biden, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.

What can you do?

If you want, and are able to help, please donate to:

Planned Parenthood, which provides sexual health care and education.

The ACLU, which defends individual rights and liberties in the US, including reproductive rights.

The National Abortion Federation, which promotes safe, legal, and accessible abortion care.

The Yellow Hammer Fund, which helps patients seeking care at one of Alabama's 3 abortion clinics.

The Abortion Funds, which gives patients facing financial and logistical barriers access to safe abortions.

Emily’s list, which gets pro-choice Democratic women elected to office.

The Democratic Party, which pledged to “protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion".

Here are some more things you can do right now:

You can participate in the online donation campaign Democrat senator Cory Booker created to help some of the organizations listed above to protect access to abortions.

You can check and share this Twitter thread to know which organizations help provide safe abortions near you.

You can write to Alabama’s Governor Kay Ivey via Planned Parenthood, here.

Also, if you’re from Alabama, support and vote for Vivian Davis Figures, who fought this bill in her state senate, pledged to “continue to stand for the rights of ALL women to use our God given free will”, and is running for re-election in early June.

Please share any additional information or ressources, and spread this shit like wildfire.

ACT NOW. SPEAK UP. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

Sources: New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Week, Well and Good

#abortion #feminism #sexism #feminist #alabama #pro choice #abortions #reproductive rights #women's rights #joe biden #women #women's health #HANDMAID'S TALE #the handmaid's tale

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2telluthetruth · 4 years

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before i watch some shit i gotta know how the story ends. if not, ima critically analyze the whole movie until i figures it... it usually takes me 30 minutes to figure out the whole plot but that’s besides the point. knowing the ending of a movie allows me to pay attention to alll the little things leading up to the end. the directors choice in lighting, the way that certain actor did a certain movement to portray a certain feeling, setting, like camera work, basically everything i just the last 4 years of my life studying get applied to my enjoyment of a film.

I wish life was like that... you get to like google how it all ends for you. like what will happen in your life all the way to the end. you can always have what you envisioned for yourself, your plan, your schedule of things but then life has a funny way of letting you know that shit happens. and you learn whatever it is you need to from that incident, apply the lesson, and keep going. it’s actually pretty simple. like looking both ways before you cross the street and still almost getting hit by a car because a person felt the need to speed thru an intersection because maybe he had a family emergency or he had too much to drink. regardless life will thro curveballs, ain’t that fucked up? like bitch. lemme read my book of life so i can move accordingly. but i guess that’s not fun anyways because God would just tell us what to do and there would be no free will. and we all know how people hate being told what to do with there life from a higher up lmao

....but idk none of this shit really applies to me. I guess I’ll just share my testimony here since I'm only people who really give a fuck about me would give a fuck about this post. ( Which i recently found out is ME, i’m the only person who opinions/decisons matter when it comes to me life)

SO HERE IT GOES

Since a child, I always knew i was going to be a very wealthy person. I’m smarter than my peers, i’m stronger than my peers, and way more wiser than most of people i meet. It’s very rare I met a person who’s intellect is as diverse as mine in terms of emotional knowledge and regular book smart shit. Like i’m sort of a hood intellectual, but like different because my Dad is a foreigner who comes from i guess what you would call a decent background, My grandfather was an engineer in Germany lmao. Like wtf. That’s very hard to do. Them mfs got some history of disrcrimnation if you know what I mean. And another ancestor of mine on my father side was adopted by the priest of a missionary because he was so smart, hence why my last name has french origins. and you know what i found out this year during my research dives on the different religions in the world..

There is a Saint in the catholic religion named St. Malo and his birthday is the same birthday as mine. He’s french as well. LMAO SO like i said I AM BUILT DIFFERENT. But that’s not what i really wanted to go talk about so let’s talk about how I’ve always knew I am dying a extremely rich woman. First of my name type shit.

So yeah.

I LOVE PERFORMING AND PUTTING ON A SHOW OKAY! SINCE BIRTH!

I’m not even dramatic. I remember dancing in front of my family all the time. Ask my auntie teena and she’d tell ya I would dance in front of anybody at any place in a drop of a dime. There’s literal footage of me dancing at every function at BayBay (Vivian) house. Lmao I still dance with all my family members at the bbqs I attend. Dancing really is my shit.

Singing is too.

I remember going to church with my daddy, some spot in LA/ the Jamaican jawn with uncle Jerry, and singing “Because of who you are” in front of everybody. No fucks given, And i kid you not I felt the holy ghost. That’s the best feeling in the world. Happened to me a couple times but I’ll tell ya bout it later some day when it matters. i remember one time coming home and singing and HITTING THAT HIGH PITCH ASS MARIAH CAREY NOTE! ( we got the same birthday too)

and i always loved music. the only time i didn’t cry was in my daddy cars listening to the reggae and bass booming thru the fucking trunk.

During school I remember performing all the time. School plays, I got the lead role. School assembly, I’m putting on a show. Shit even for my 5th graduation I choreographed the whole MJ we are the world dance routine. Lol for hispanic heritage month I always was the girl who had the authentic skirt for the folklore dance. it was black and red. Very pretty. Mrs. Sanchez was enamored with me girl. She was like your the star you gone be centerstage in the middle only black girl while everyone else wonder why your on stage lmao. We were so good we entered a competition and got a trophy.

Basketball was fun. I do not like team sports so that ain’t work out. Plus i think i suck. Well I couldn’t have been that bad because in middle school I made the All City team. I didn’t play because my hair wasn’t done I kept the jersey though LMAO. They was hot. HS was whatever. Lowkey only did it because of the niggas and cheer was boring/got too intense for me. I had commitment issues back then like crazy lmao.

Track was fun too. Made championships when I ran. Heart really wasn’t into to it if I’m keeping it G-Real. Didn’t fuck with the track meets plus the girls on the team hated me. I was always with the guys but the weren’t like the guys i hung out with all the time. them niggas was squares, homeschooled and all that. i hung out with delinquents lmao. Shit they always more fun. I know why Jesus hung out with the sinners mmkay. They loyal and know how to have a good time.

In middle school, I won a poetry contest about this poem I had about being a tree and not falling despite what happens. I also got like award for being the top 3% of scoring in the whole district a couple times. Moms got me a iPod touch lmao.

High school ASB President, got accepted into more than 20+ colleges, in AVID. Cheer team. Basketball team. My drama Teacher, Mrs. Borek called me the baby Viola Davis. I directed and produced my own play lol. Boy, when I graduated I was on stage with admin and faculty.

But anyways overall,

I’ve always been the cream of the crop in any arena I apply myself. And I’ve never ever experienced a situation where I’ve been down bad that I didn’t plot and maneuver my way out of it (besides the shit that happened this year 2020 but i’ll give my 2020 review later ). I’m continuously blessed. Even when I shouldn’t be.

In elementary, I could’ve caught a case because I punched this boy in the head and he hit the tetherball pole then the floor. Buddy was knotted up lmao

In elementary school during after school day care I banged this girl head on the table and a pole lmao.

In the carmelitos i gave this girl the business at auntie meanies house. Abri said beat her ass so I did. Trust me daddy, I’m always on go lmao. Her family was from some type of hood. They ain’t retaliate.

Middle school I was beating boys up after school never got in trouble. LMAO None of the girls wanted to fight with they scary ass.

High school I did the dumbest shit freshman year but didn’t get suspended. \bro i’m tired. i’ll tell the rest later. but closing statement life’s a gamble for people who don’ t know the code. once you figure out your role play to the best of your ability and pray to God to constantly look out for you. * 4:48

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the-record-obituaries · 4 years

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March 4, 2020

Cora Ann Neikirk, 87

Cora Ann Neikirk, age 87, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Friday, February 28, 2020 at Wilkes Senior Village.

She was born October 10, 1932 in Wilkes County to Gordon Russell and Maggie Gray Godbee. Cora was retired from Tyson Foods. She loved to do crafts. Ms. Neikirk was preceded in death by her parents.

Surviving are her children, Al Davis and spouse Annie of Texas, Linda Norris and spouse Lee of Wilkesboro, Tony Davis and spouse Joyce of Moravian Falls, Debbie Smith and spouse Shep of Taylors, South Carolina; thirteen grandchildren; a number of great grandchildren; and a number of great great grandchildren.

Memorial service will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Eulogy by the family. Memorials may be made to the Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Mr. William Francis Dargin

Mr. William Francis Dargin, age 79 of Wilkesboro passed away Friday, February 28, 2020 at his home.

Memorial services with Military Honors by the Veterans of Foreign War Post # 1142 will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, July 4, 2020 at Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Matt Miller officiating.

Mr. Dargin was born February 21, 1941 in Newark, NJ to William J. and Margaret M. McClain Dargin. He served as a Captain in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was a Mensa member, Friends of the Wilkes County Library and he had a lifelong love of boats and sailing. He was an avid gardener and mentor to many teens and young adults. He had a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years; Laurie Volsdal Frachey-Dargin of the home, three daughters; Heather Bartram and husband Brian of Connecticut, Liv Perry and husband Ross of Vermont, Kimberly Crabb of Wilkesboro, two sons; Jared Dargin and Tammie Brown of Millers Creek and David Frachey and wife Deidre’ of Connecticut, four grandchildren; Jim and John Bartram of Connecticut, Eli Perry of Vermont, Nathaniel and Theodor Frachey of Connecticut, one sister; Margo O’Malley and husband Tim of Tennessee, dear friends; Shasta Phillips, Shelia Owens, Collee Riddle, companion canine; Macy, several nieces, nephews and several great nieces and nephews around the globe.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Wilkes, PO Box 306, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or Friends of the Wilkes County Library, 215 10th Street, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

Marvin Franklin Wagoner, 66

Marvin Franklin Wagoner, age 66, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Saturday, February 29, 2020 at his home. Mr. Wagoner was born November 12, 1953 in Wilkes County to Raymond Hobert and Bessie Viola Royal Wagoner. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Rufus Wagoner; and sisters, Margie Wagoner and Geneva Wagoner.

Surviving are his wife, Brenda Brown Wagoner; sons, Joe Wagoner and spouse Retha, Mickey Wagoner and spouse Amanda all of North Wilkesboro; grandchildren, Jeremiah Wagoner and spouse Kayla, Joe Joe Wagoner and spouse Megan, Tommy Wagoner, Sophia Wagoner, Dakota Wagoner, Gina Wagoner, Mickey Wagoner, Jr.; great grandchildren, Jazmine Wagoner, Abigail Wagoner, Aria Wagoner, Joseph Keith Wagoner; and brother, Spencer Wagoner and spouse Verna of North Wilkesboro.

Funeral service were be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Brother Billy Wagoner and Brother Michael Brown officiating. Burial followed in Mountlawn Memorial Park. The family received friends at Miller Funeral Service from 6:00 until 8:00 Monday night. Donations may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice, 688 North Bridge Street, Elkin, NC 28621. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Gladys Wyatt Roberts, 70

Gladys Wyatt Roberts, age 70, of Millers Creek, passed away Friday, February 28, 2020 at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem. Mrs. Roberts was born July 13, 1949 in Wilkes County to Rev. Archie and Julie Cleary Wyatt. Gladys was a member of New Light Baptist Church #2. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bud Roberts; great grandchild, Gauge Bumgarner; and sister, Clara Hart.

Surviving are her son, Allen Roberts and spouse Becky, Millers Creek; daughter, Pat Roberts and fiancé James Hart of Millers Creek; grandchildren, Julia Medford and spouse Michael of North Wilkesboro, Jason Bumgarner and spouse Celeita, Halie Smith all of Millers Creek; great grandchildren, Jayden Bumgarner and Kason Bumgarner both of Millers Creek; several aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral service were held 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at New Light Baptist Church #2 with Pastor Jim Belcher and Rev. Mike Church officiating. Burial followed in the Ambrose Roberts Cemetery on Mertie Road. The family received friends at New Light Baptist Church #2 from 1:00 until 2:00 on Tuesday, prior to the service. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Mikey James Lovette, 37

Mikey James Lovette, age 37, of Wilkesboro, passed away Wednesday, February 25, 2020 at his home. Mikey was born August 14, 1982 in Wilkes County to Janet Vivian Johnson Lovette. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Cecil and Marie Lovette and Lawrence Johnson.

Surviving are his mother, Janet Johnson Gregory of North Wilkesboro; sister, Malisa Lovette and fiancé, Oliver Bentley of Wilkesboro; aunt, Sandra McCrary and spouse Randy, Smithfield, Virginia; nephews, Tyler Carter, Trace Bentley, Bradley Vorsteg, Elijah Bentley, and niece, Jaycee Carter.

A Celebration of Life was held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 1,, 2020 at Miller Funeral Service. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Carlie Elvin Cleary, age 87

Carlie Elvin Cleary, age 87, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at his home.

Carlie was born December 7, 1932 in Wilkes County to Raymond and Mozelle Ballard Cleary. He was a member of Second Baptist Church, a US Navy Veteran; was a Mason and a Shriner. Mr. Cleary was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Scott Bryan Cleary, Mark Elvin Cleary; sister, Bernice Cleary; brother, Arbury Cleary; and a step-daughter, Paula Sebastian.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Porter Cleary; step son, David M. Wyatt and spouse Sandy of Millers Creek; step daughters, Tamara Wyatt of Wilkesboro, Nikole McGuire and spouse Chris of North Wilkesboro; brother, Larry Cleary of North Wilkesboro; sister, Barbara Jean Cooney and spouse Dan of Knoxville, Tennessee; eight step grandchildren; seven step great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; special little friends, Katie Owens and Bubba Prevette.

Graveside service with military honors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard Post 1142 and Masonic Rites were held 1:00 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Mountlawn Memorial Park with Rev. Danny Dillard officiating. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Miller Funeral Service was in charge of the arrangements.

Donald Ray Ferguson, 73

Mr. Donald Ray Ferguson, age 73 of Millers Creek passed away Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Wilkes Health and Rehabilitation.

Graveside service were held 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Wilkesboro with Rev Gwyn Anderson officiating. The family received friends from 12:30 until 1:30 PM prior to the service at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.

Mr. Ferguson was born May 18,1946 in Wilkes County to Everette and Ruby Nichols Ferguson.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Fred and Robert Ferguson.

He is survived by a sister, Betty Jean Ferguson Price and husband, Sydney of North Wilkesboro, a brother, Bill Ferguson of North Wilkesboro, a sister in-law, Helen Ferguson, of Millers Creek, and special friends, Wanda and Danny Byers of Millers Creek.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

Mr. Gary Dale Colbert

Mr. Gary Dale Colbert age 55, of North Wilkesboro passed away February 25, 2020 at Forsyth Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at Reins Sturdivant Chapel Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 2:00 PM with Reverend Danny Bauguess officiating. The family received friends from 12:00 until 1:45 prior to the service. Burial was in Mountlawn Memorial Park.

Mr. Colbert was born January 1, 1965 to Fred Ray Colbert and Blanche Durham Colbert. He was self-employed as a Little Debbie Distributor.

Mr. Colbert was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Bruce Colbert.

He is survived by a son, Cory Garrett Colbert of the home, Gary’s fiancé, Samantha Hamby of the home, a sister, Cindy Colbert of Elkin, a brother Bobby Colbert and wife Kathy of Traphill. Beloved father figure to nieces Jenna Lyons, Gracie Colbert, nephew Traeson Colbert and Sammi Jo Walker, and also survived by niece, Kathy Jo McGee and nephew, Matthew Colbert.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Leukemia Society of America 5950 Fairview Road, Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28210.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

Wilhelmenia Wilby Greene Harris, 90

Mrs. Wilhelmenia Wilby Greene Harris, 90, of Millers Creek, passed away on Friday, February 28, 2020 at Maple Leaf Health Care in Statesville.

Wilhelmenia was born on June 25, 1929 in Watauga County to Willie Lawrence Greene and Flora Belle Greene.

Wilhelmenia was a homemaker and life long member of Stony Fork Baptist Church.

Wilhelmenia is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Samuel LeRoy Harris; daughter, Cathy “Vicky” Harris; brothers, Claude Greene, Cecil Greene; sisters, Wilma Latham, Lorena Greene, Linda Kay Watson.

Wilhelmenia is survived by her sons, Robert Alan Harris (Kelly Church) of Wilkesboro, Barry Harris (Rebecca) of Statesville; sister, Louella Copley of Charlotte; two grandchildren, Madison Harris of Statesville, McKenzie Harris of Millers Creek; two great grandchildren, Tanner and Shania of Statesville and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation was held Sunday, March 1, 2020 from 2:00-2:45 at Stony Fork Baptist Church. The funeral service was held on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3 p.m. at Stony Fork Baptist Church. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

Rev. Sherrill Welborn and Rev. Phillip Woodring officiated.

Memorial donations may be given to Stony Fork Baptist Church Cemetery Fund P.O. Box 128 Deep Gap, NC 28618.

Condolences may be sent to: www.adamsfunerals.com

Adams Funeral Home of Wilkes has the honor of serving the Harris Family.

Arvie Lou Hayes Hamby, 89

Mrs. Arvie Lou Hayes Hamby, age 89 of North Wilkesboro, passed away Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Wake Forest Baptist Health-Wilkes Medical Center.

Funeral services were held 2:00 PM, Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Sherrill Wellborn and Rev. Dr. Susan Pillsbury officiating. Burial was in Arbor Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery. The family received friends from 12:00 until 1:30 prior to the service at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home.

Mrs. Hamby was born February 22, 1931 in Wilkes County to Washington Mumford Hayes and Essie Viola Holcomb Hayes. She was a member of Arbor Grove United Methodist Church. She was a former President of the Handicap Organization of Wilkes.

Mrs. Hamby was preceded in death by her parents, her husband; Max Aldean Hamby, a sister; Marybelle Hayes Johnson, a brother; William Jasper Hayes and two brother in laws; Walter George and Lester Johnson.

She is survived by four sons; Niki A Hamby and wife Kim of North Wilkesboro, Kimi M. Hamby and wife Kathy of Boomer, W. Kipi Hamby and wife Melissa of North Wilkesboro and Kini H. Hamby and wife Kimberly of North Wilkesboro, four grandchildren; Trevor Hamby, Kailee Davis and husband Tim, Jordan Cheek and husband Thomas and Ethan Hamby and Brenna, two great grandchildren; Sidney Cheek and Emersyn Davis, two sisters; Dicie Hayes George of Sparta, Dorothy “Dot” Hayes Foster and husband Curtis Foster of Purlear and special friends of the family; Perry and Claudia Parks.

Memorials may be made to Arbor Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery c/o Esther Eller 480 Shepherd River Road, Millers Creek, NC 28651 or Mtn. Valley Hospice 401 Technology Lane Suiter 200 Mt. Airy, NC 27030.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

Virginia Fay Handy Watson, 65

Mrs. Virginia Fay Handy Watson, age 65 of Sparta passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Elkin NC.

Funeral services were held at 1:00 PM Friday, February 28, 2020 at Traphill Baptist Church with Pastor Mike Caldwell officiating. The family received friends from 6:00 until 8:00 PM on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home. Burial was in White Rock UMC Cemetery on Haystack Rd.

Mrs. Watson was born December 2, 1954 in Wilkes County to Mack Charlie Handy and Merle Blevins Handy. She started at Chatham’s in 1994 and worked there until 2016. She retired after 22 years. She loved her grandchildren, was an avid church goer, made a mean gravy and biscuit, liked canning, cooking, and planning family get togethers.

In addition her parents, he was preceded in death by her husband; Tony Clinard Watson; one sister Ester Mae Handy and three brothers Charlie, Billy, and Bobby Handy.

She is survived by her daughter; Lisa McCann of Ronda and boyfriend Gary Perdue, and two sons, Tony Dale Watson and girlfriend Jessica Venable of Ennice, NC; Larry Watson and wife Jessica Watson of State Road; four sisters, Patsy Lail, Rita Anderson.Tina Lambert, and Angie Holder; two brothers, James Handy and Chris Mcharque Thirteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren, and a special friend, Jimmy Billings.

Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to the Donor’s choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

James Jackson “Jack” Brown, Jr., 63

James Jackson “Jack” Brown, Jr., age 63, of Hays, passed away Sunday, February 23, 2020 at his home. Jack was born January 30, 1957 in Wilkes County to James Jackson “Jim” Brown, Sr. and Sally Brewer Brown. He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his daughter, Carrie Beasey of Hays; grandson, Tyler Beasey of Hays; sister, Jennifer Fuller and spouse Ralph of Hays; nephew, Clinton Fuller and spouse Brandy of Hays; niece, Christina Call of Wilkesboro; two great nieces; great nephew, Nathan Call of Wilkesboro.

Memorial service was held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Dare Foster Moore, age 89

Dare Foster Moore, age 89, of Wilkesboro, passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at Wake Forest Baptist Health-Wilkes Regional. She was born September 3, 1930 in Wilkes County to Alonzo and Nora Riggs McNeil. Mrs. Moore was a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. She loved cooking, music, dancing, fashion and decorating. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bobby Ray Moore; son, Michael Foster; daughter, Susan Faye Foster; four brothers; and four sisters.

Mrs. Moore is survived by her children, Cathryn Aldridge of Columbia, South Carolina, Debbie Foster, Tim Foster and spouse Melanie all of Wilkesboro, Jodi Foster of Asheville, Sandi Foster of Wilkesboro; six grandchildren; six great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral service was held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church with Pastor Kevin Brown officiating. Burial followed in the Church Cemetery. The family received friends at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church from 1:00 until 2:00 on Saturday, prior to the service. Memorials may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice, 688 North Bridge Street, Elkin, NC 28621. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Bina Louise Myers, 82

Bina Louise Myers, age 82, of Hays, went home to be with Jesus, Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at her home. Mrs. Myers was born March 12, 1937 in Watauga County to Edward and Lona Belle Tedder Brewer. She was a member of Rose of Sharon Baptist Church and was a prayer warrior. Bina loved gardening. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, James Brewer, Dean Brewer, sisters, Ella Mae Huggins and Jean Ring; son-in-law, Craig Gambill.

Surviving are her husband, Bill Myers of the home; daughter, Pat Gambill of Hays; sons, Billy Myers and spouse Susan of Millers Creek, Charles Myers and spouse Rachel of Hays; grandchildren, Jamie Gambill of Hays, Anthony Myers and spouse Ashley of Winston Salem, Will Myers of Millers Creek, Acacia Myers of Thomasville, Steven Myers of Hays; great granddaughter, Grace Gambill of Hays.

Funeral service were held 12:00 p.m. Friday, February 28, 2020 at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church with Rev. Steven Shumate and Rev. Travis Brown officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery. The family received friends at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church from 11:00 until 12:00 on Friday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Pallbearers will be Anthony Myers, Will Myers, Steven Myers, Allen Holbrook, Jim Wood and Bill Gryder.

Clyde Grady Nickelson, age 83

Clyde Grady Nickelson, age 83, of Millers Creek, passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at his home. Clyde was born July 12, 1936 in Ashe County to Robnit and Grace Barker Nickelson. He was a member of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. He loved to garden, loved his plants and trees, and being outdoors. Clyde worked for Lowe’s Co. as a truck driver and 33 years for Skyline Marina as manager. Mr. Nickelson was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Jim Stone.

Surviving are his wife, Dorothy Johnson Nickelson; sons, Clyde Nickelson, Jr. of Ronda, Michael Shane Nickelson of Purlear; daughters, Phyllis Keen of Layton, Utah, Roberta Hadley of Las Vegas, Nevada, Sheree Smith of Victory, Texas; brother, Duane Stone of Millers Creek; nine grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral service were held 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Rev. Sherrill Wellborn and Randy Gambill officiating. Burial followed in Mountlawn Memorial Park. The family received friends at Miller Funeral Service from 12:00 until 1:00 on Wednesday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home, PO Box 2777, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Kaye C. Reid, age 81

Kaye C. Reid, age 81, of Purlear, went home to be with her Lord, Sunday, February 23, 2020 at her home. Kaye was born May 18, 1938 in Wilkes County to E.M. and Iola Church Campbell. Mrs. Reid was a member of Rock Creek Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Billy Wayne Reid; brother, Bobby Campbell; and sister, Virgie Campbell.

Kaye is survived by her son, Guy Wayne Reid and spouse Lonnitta of Millers Creek; grandson, David Wayne Reid and spouse Jamie of Cary; granddaughter, Ricquell Cooper of Charlotte; great grandson, Gavin Wayne Reid of Cary; brother, James Campbell and spouse Judy of Wilkesboro; sister, Jane Bouchelle and spouse Jim of North Wilkesboro; a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral service were held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Rock Creek Church of Christ with Pastor Michael Howard officiating. Private burial was in the church cemetery. Memorials may be made to Rock Creek Church of Christ Church, c/o Chuck Wallis, 748 Campbell Road, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or to Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes, PO Box 1072 Wilkesboro, NC 28697. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

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quakerjoe · 5 years

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“Alabama’s Senate approved legislation on Tuesday that would ban nearly all abortions in the state at every stage of pregancy, but refused to consider amendments that would take provide health care for the mothers who were denied abortions.

State Senator Linda Coleman-Madison proposed an amendment to the bill that would require the state to provide free prenatal and medical care for mothers who had been denied an abortion by the new law. Her amendment was struck down by a vote of 23-6.

“The sin to me is bringing a child into this world and not taking care of them,” Coleman-Madison said. "The sin for me is that this state does not provide adequate care. We don’t provide education. And then when the child is born and we know that mother is indigent and she cannot take care of that child, we don’t provide any support systems for that mother.”

State Senator Vivian Davis Figures proposed three amendments to the bill, one which would require a Medicaid expansion to provide funding for mothers and their young children, another that would require those who voted for the bill to pay for the legal costs of defending it in court and a third to make it illegal for a man to get a vasectomy. All of the amendments were voted down.

The new abortion laws do not grant exceptions for cases of rape or incest and doctors who perform abortions in-state would face up to 99 years in prison. The change sets up a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark Supreme Court case that granted women their constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.”

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faveficarchive · 5 years

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All the Colors of the World: Part 1

The Bard Brat

By Vivian Darkbloom

Pairing: Mel/Janice, Xena/Gabrielle

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: After meeting once again post-Macedonia, Mel and Janice come to terms with their feelings for one another, while also coming to terms with who they are individually.

Personal note: Vivian Darkbloom is probably my favorite author out of all of these that I’ll ever post. From an editorial point of view, I barely have to proofread. From a reader’s point of view, her style is playful without being ham-handed and her voice is clear and strong, and denotes a skill and talent not often seen among fanfiction writers. I fucking love reading her stories, and I hope you enjoy them, too.

It was a hot, late afternoon day in June of 1943. Melinda Pappas sat on the expansive porch of her home in Charlotte, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her guest, due any minute now, from the train station. As she fanned herself in her wicker chair, the Reverend Dupree, his wife, and two of their young daughters emerged onto their porch, to Melinda's left. "Good afternoon, Melinda," called the young Reverend. "Care to join us for lemonade?"

"Why, that's very kind of you, Reverend," drawled Mel, "but I am expecting someone very shortly..." and your two little brats look like they'd sooner drink poison than let me have any of their lemonade, she thought. The wife looked a little relieved as well; Melinda, beautiful, rich, aristocratic, was nonetheless viewed as terribly eccentric by the upper crust of Charlotte, due to her single status, living alone in her late father's home, her seeming lack of interest in men, and her scholarly inclinations.

The Reverend, however, believed that there was no harm in trying. Especially with such an attractive woman...he blushed as Melinda smiled at him. "I understand completely. Well, if your guest does arrive soon...perhaps you can bring her over for a nice cool drink."

Maybe if you offer scotch on the rocks, she'd like that, Mel thought. She was about to respond when she saw a yellow cab swerve violently onto their street and careen down the block, halting dramatically in front of her home. From their respective porches the Duprees and Mel watched the drama unfold. They saw the driver turn in his seat, red-faced, to yell something at his passenger. His door swung open and he stomped out. The rider in the back seat was, the Reverend and his family thought, a young man dressed in a rather rugged fashion: a rumpled fedora and a brown leather jacket. As the cabbie opened his trunk, a back door swung open and a loud female voice could be heard: "It's not my damn fault you got lost!" The figure emerged. The Duprees emitted a collective gasp as the man pulled off the fedora, revealing a mass of red-gold hair and a decidedly feminine face. Mel smiled at the sight, her heart even skipping a beat, as Janice Covington slapped the old fedora against her khaki pants.

The cabbie ungraciously threw her bag on the street. "Son of a BITCH!" roared Janice. Mel cast a sideways glance at her neighbors. She could feel them go pale with shock. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Be careful with that!" the red-haired archaeologist shouted.

"Too late now," sniped the cabbie. He stood defiantly, arms crossed. Angrily, she put her hat back on.

"Too late for a decent tip as well," retorted the archaeologist. She tossed a dime at him.

It hit his barrel chest and fell to the street. He shook his head. "Thanks," he sneered.

"GO TO HELL!" she yelled as he climbed in the cab and drove off. She grabbed the bag off the street and sauntered up the walk, shaking off her bad mood. Catching sight of Mel, and oblivious to the shocked Duprees, she grinned.

Climbing up on the porch, Janice dropped the bag, tilted up her fedora, and bellowed in her crassest Yankee fashion, "Well sweetheart, glad to see me?"

She was. But then she glanced over at her neighbors, flummoxed. Mrs. Dupree had tried to shelter the children behind her abundant hips. The Reverend's face was the reddest she'd ever seen, even redder than when he first saw her in a bathing suit so many years ago.

Mel remembered very little of her mother, who died when she was very young. However, one thin memory clung to her like gossamer: her mother, smelling of perfume, lowering her lovely face to Mel and saying, "Honey, the best advice I can give you, as a Southern lady, is this: When in doubt, faint."

And, on that hot July day, under the scrutiny of her neighbors and a woman she was, she had to finally admit it to herself, having the most illicit thoughts about, she finally took her mother's advice. The last thing she saw was Janice's face. Thanks, mama, she thought, as the world went dim.

*****

Without opening her eyes Mel could tell that she was lying on the divan in her drawing room; the soft velvet fabric that crunched gently underneath her was soothing. Tentatively, she opened her eyes, and saw Janice peering anxiously down at her. Then a panoply of emotions crossed Janice's face: the anxiety melted into concern, then relief, then a wide, relaxed grin. Oh Lord, I'm going to faint again, Mel thought. That beautiful face, lit even brighter by a smile, was more than she could bear.

It had been almost a year since Mel had met the young archeologist. They kept in touch with letters and the occasional phone call, but had not seen each other since their initial meeting in Macedonia. Nonetheless, to Mel's consternation, Janice Covington remained a dominating presence in her mind. She found herself thinking of Janice whenever her mind was not engaged in other matters; and even as she continued her work on the Xena scrolls, she could barely wait to tell Janice of her new discoveries. Often, sending off a letter to Janice was the first thing she did as her work progressed as she found out more about Xena, Gabrielle, and their adventures.

And it was just a month ago that Janice suggested a visit. She had discovered another scroll, she said, and wanted Mel to work on it. So the archaeologist packed a bag and came down South.

And now, Janice smiled down upon her. "Well, Melinda, that was a hell of a how-do-you-do," she growled pleasantly. Then Mel heard the reverend's voice behind Janice: "Melinda, honey, are you all right? Your...friend...and I managed to carry you in, my goodness, you are a big girl, I always forget..."

"How could you forget? She's almost six goddamn feet tall!" Janice threw the comment over her shoulder, then quickly leaned down and whispered to Mel: "It was mostly me who carried you, believe it or not." Mel grew dizzy again at the closeness of the beautiful young woman, and the thought that she had been cradled in Janice's arms...and, kicking herself mentally, she had not even known it.

The Reverend clucked audibly. "Really, Miss Covington! The language!"

"It's Dr. Covington, Mr. Dupree."

"Reverend Dupree."

"Get the point?" she shot back.

The Reverend frowned. Ignoring her, he reached down and patted Mel's hand. "Melinda, if you need anything, please do call. My wife has sent over some lemonade, that should cool you off a bit, and maybe you should take a cold bath."

Mel's eyes had wandered down Janice's khaki shirt front, and lingered on the unbuttoned expanse that revealed soft skin and tempting cleavage. She cleared her sandpapered throat. "Why...yes, Reverend, I think a cold bath would be in order right about now," she said hoarsely.

"Wonderful! I could draw a bath for you, if you like!" the Reverend offered too enthusiastically.

Janice glowered at him. My, she really doesn't like him, Mel thought. He means well, but he's just a bit silly. But then Janice doesn't suffer fools very well.

"Er, that's quite all right, Reverend, I'm sure Janice can handle it," Mel replied.

Crestfallen, the reverend offered a goodbye, and headed home.

"Jesus, I thought he'd never leave! He's got it bad for you, Mel." Janice reached for a cigar. Popping it in her mouth, she was about to light up when she looked at Mel and noticed that her friend was sweaty, disheveled, and still a bit green around the gills. Reluctantly she tucked away the stogie for a later time. "C'mon, let's get you something to drink, then I'll prepare a bath for you. How's that sound?" Mel nodded, sitting up. "Hey, don't get up," Janice said, rising from her kneeling position on the floor and heading to the kitchen. "I'll bring it to you."

Mel slumped back and sighed. So far concealing her feelings for her friend wasn't progressing very well. She had fainted the moment she laid eyes on Janice again, and her stomach fluttered at the thought of the woman merely preparing a bath for her. Yet Janice's friendship meant too much to her; Janice was strong, independent, and smart. And they had the same interests. Mel had always longed to have a friend like that, let alone a lover, a companion...no. She could not reveal this attraction. The risk was too great. Just because her father had understood didn't mean that Janice would. Her father was an exceptional man, well-traveled and urbane, who truly understood differences among people and cultures. Who never judged.

*****

She remembered that day he brought her into his study. She was 20 and home for Christmas, from Vanderbilt. Joshua Davis, her steady beau from high school, scion of one of Charlotte's oldest and most respected families, had proposed to her the day before. He looked dapper and handsome in his army uniform; he was already a captain. As a rare snow fell, they galloped around the town square in an old-fashioned, horse-drawn carriage and he asked her to marry him. She said no, keeping her eyes fixed on the delicate flakes that swirled around them, and the puffs of icy breath emanating from their mouths. "No, Joshua...I'm not ready yet."

"When, Melinda, when?" he urged her gently.

"I don't know." They rode home in silence. He helped her out of the carriage after it drew in front of her home, kissed her hand, and drove off.

It was a small town. News of her rejection of Joshua spread quickly. And a day later, when her father called her into his study, she was certain he was going to reprimand her, in his usual gentle yet stern fashion. But...it was strange, she recalled. He was awkward, almost shy.

"I take it...you turned down the young man?" he asked softly.

She nodded.

He, too, nodded, as if he had expected it. He stood behind his desk, and as he continued too speak, he paced a little. "Melinda...love is a strange thing." he stated flatly. Idly he plucked a large black volume from one of the shelves that lined one wall from ceiling to floor. His large hands cradled it gently.

She frowned, wondering where he would go with this.

He cleared his throat. "We never know whom we shall love, or what or why someone attracts us. This can be a frightening thing for many people. And when people are frightened, they react blindly with emotion, which prevents them from truly understanding the differences among people..." he sighed.

"Daddy...?" she asked tentatively, unease gripping her.

He smiled, and, as usual, it seemed tinged with a melancholy. "I know I'm rambling my dear. I'm sorry." He placed the large book in front of her and tapped the cover. "Perhaps this might explain things...of course, you may have already read it, you are always reading so much." He chuckled.

She did not have her glasses on, and she just barely made out the name on the spine: Havelock Ellis.

Her father placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, a quick kiss from his lips bussed the top of her head. "Know this, Melinda," his voice deep above her, "no matter what, I shall always love you very much." Another squeeze, then, "Goodnight." He left her alone.

She spent the night reading through the book; it sprawled in her lap as she sat by the fire in his study. As dawn stripped away the night, this book stripped away her own blindness, and she burned with recognition.

When the morning came, she was awakened from a light sleep by her father, in his robe, handing her a cup of fresh coffee. Wordlessly she took it from him, and as she drank it greedily, as if she spent a night wandering in a desert, her eyes never left his.

His eyes were as blue as hers. They waited, expectantly.

She put the cup down with a clack. "How did you know?" she blurted.

Again, his sad, wise smile. "You are my daughter. I know you. And I've seen you in the world. You know many men, in fact you have many male friends, but their beauty did not move you. I could see it in your eyes. At a party, when you would walk into a room with Joshua Davis, all the women would be looking at him, the most handsome young man in Charlotte. Except you."

"I was looking at Muffy Crassdale," she whispered.

He rolled his eyes. "My dear, you can do better than that. I'm sure that girl hates you, you took Joshua away from her." He sipped his own coffee. "Besides, I am certain that blonde hair of hers is quite artificial."

"Father!" she squeaked, scandalized. It was inconceivable. She was sitting here with her father, talking about women...in that way.

For his part, he laughed. "This is funny, isn't it?" He gave his daughter a wry, loving look. "Think of it as something else we have in common, Melinda: An appreciation of women."

*****

She stood up, wobbly on her long legs like a newborn colt, and head to the kitchen. She wondered what her father would have thought about Janice Covington. Very attractive, my dear, she has potential, but don't you think she should be cleaned up a bit? She mimicked his suave voice in her head.

What to do about Janice...she sighed as she entered the kitchen, and saw Janice peering suspiciously into the pitcher of lemonade that the Reverend had left. "The Bible Brats brought this over...d'ya think it's safe to drink?"

In spite of herself Mel giggled. "Janice, you are such a heathen." Janice grinned, and placed ice from the freezer into two glass tumblers, then poured the lemonade. "How are you feeling?" she asked, peering critically at Mel and shoving a glass toward her.

Mel sat down and drank the cool beverage with a sigh of approval. "Mmmmm...much better. Try some, it's good."

Janice grunted, then took a sip. "Not bad. Of course, we may be dead in minutes..."

Again, Mel laughed, and Janice beamed with delight at making her friend laugh. Then Mel felt the intense scrutiny of the green eyes on her, though, and in a panic she gulped her drink.

"Sure you're all right?" Janice asked again, her face clouding over with concern.

"Yes, yes...I'm fine. Why don't you tell me a little about this scroll."

Janice downed the remainder of the lemonade, wishing that she had some vodka to add to it. "This one was sent to me by a friend in the Greek consulate. He smuggled it out. Didn't want it to fall into the Nazis' hands." Her thumb stroked the cool side of the glass, and once again she allowed her eyes to skitter over Mel's long, languorous form; the Southern beauty, with her tussled hair, flushed face, and rumpled white shirt, looked as if she had been ravished. She must be as beautiful as Xena once was, Janice thought. A sigh escaped her; she might as well deliver the disappointing news...well, the news was disappointing to her; she knew Mel would appreciate any find, any scroll relating to Xena--her scholar's mind was that fine and inquisitive. "Well, this scroll doesn't detail any adventures of Xena, as far as I can tell. In fact, she seems kinda secondary. It involves Gabrielle and the Amazons in some sort of way."

"Ah!" Mel murmured with approval. "Wonderful! I wanted to know more about Gabrielle's link with the Amazons; the scrolls we have only mention them in passing. It's odd. If Gabrielle was an Amazon, why was she born in Potedeia and raised by a non-Amazon family?" Mel rubbed her hands together with relish and anticipation. "We know so little of Gabrielle's background--"

"Well, why should we?" Janice interjected. "She was just a bard. Just a tagalong." This earned a dark glare from Mel. "Come on, I'll admit she was a talented storyteller and writer, but that's about the extent of it. She was basically Xena's Boswell. Nothing more."

"You neglect the fact that Boswell was an intriguing man himself, Janice," retorted Mel.

The archaeologist rolled her eyes.

"You remember what Xena said to you. In the tomb," Mel prompted.

"Of course. But she was just saying that to make me feel better..."

Mel slammed her glass on the table. The gesture startled both of them. "Stop that right now," Mel commanded, her voice dropping an octave. She leaned forward in her chair. Tiny hairs rose on the back of Janice's neck at her this thrilling, low voice, this voice that her friend had never used before. It was almost as if its dark, deep tones drowned Mel's accent. "Gabrielle meant a hell of a lot to Xena. More than you know." Then, the brooding expression lifting from Mel's face, she settled back in chair, blinking.

"Jesus Christ, Mel..."

"I'm sorry about that outburst. I don't know what got into me." Or do I? Mel thought.

"It's okay. But...you swore, Mel. You actually used a curse word."

Mel blinked. "Did I?"

"Lemonade's loosening your tongue, eh?" Janice teased. "Son of a bitch!" she swore gently, with admiration.

*****

After dinner that evening, Mel settled down in the study that was once her father's, and now hers. She sat at the huge mahogany desk, the lamp bathing the scroll and sprawling books with a golden light. Janice glanced at the bookshelves, while rolling around the ice in a glass of scotch. She picked a well-thumbed volume of Ovid's verse and sat in the leather chair near the dormant fireplace. But soon her mind drifted, and she fell into a light, dreamless sleep, that ended abruptly when she heard a soft yet distinct "oh my!"

Janice's lolling head snapped to attention. "What? What is it?" She looked at the clock on the wall. It was a quarter past eleven, and she had been asleep for three hours, much to her chagrin. "Jesus, Mel, why did you let me sleep so long?" She looked at Mel, who was staring intently, with open-mouthed awe, at the document before her. Instinct kicked in, and excitedly Janice joined her friend at the desk.

Mel looked nervously at the expectant young woman. For a frantic, delusional moment she thought she could lie to her friend about what she found; she did not know how Janice would react to it.

"Well?"

"Janice, I don't know how accurate my translation is..."

"Don't give me that bullshit. You're damned good and you know it."

"You're very kind, but really, give me a few more days..."

"You've had over FOUR hours now, you should at least have the gist of it!" Janice growled impatiently. Part of her was queasy with worry...Mel didn't want to tell her something. "Out with it!" she commanded.

Mel took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach. "This scroll begins with a love poem. It's rather...explicit."

Janice cocked an eyebrow. "Gabrielle wrote poetry too, eh? And dirty stuff at that--"

"Erotica," corrected Mel haughtily.

"Oh great," she muttered sarcastically. "So I'm half-impressed. Probably to some stupid teenager she met on the road, right? What's it called, 'Ode to a Pimply-Faced Stableboy'?"

"Er, actually no, Janice. It's addressed to a woman." Mel paused as Janice's face registered surprise. "And I think the woman is Xena."

*****

My desire for you is longer than the night

that stretches before us.

The fire of day has burned and Helios departs

but the flames within me rage

and your visage is burned brightly into my soul.

In the glow of firelight you strip before me

and I permit my eyes to do what my hands cannot:

they caress your body

and your face,

they are ensnared in your hair,

they glide over your muscled shoulders

and your smooth breasts

they ride over your rippling stomach

and cup your buttocks

they enter you

they pleasure you

they are drenched with your richness.

And then I do this again,

this time using eyes for mouth,

in my imaginary possession of you.

In this fashion, warrior, night passes for me.

*****

"I think it's my turn to say 'oh my,' " Janice whispered with astonishment.

"Indeed," Mel agreed, breathy. "It's very...well written, don't you think?"

"What about the rest? How far did you get?" Janice managed to ask, ignoring the warmth crawling up her body.

"Not very. From there Gabrielle writes of a trip to the Amazons. For a royal ceremony." Mel saw that her words fell on deaf ears; Janice was eerily quiet. "Janice? Are you all right?"

With a shudder Janice ended whatever revery she was in. Awkwardly, she rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh, yeah. Guess I'm more tired than I realized. It was a long trip, and now this..."

"Janice!" Mel said urgently She desperately wanted to right things again, to make Janice as ease. It was as if her own secret desire for her friend had seeped into the poem, into the words she had nervously recited to the archaeologist. And Janice must be shocked to know that her ancestor was a deviant...like me, Mel thought miserably.

"Huh?" Janice replied.

"You know," she stammered, "homosexuality was er, much more common and tolerated in ancient societies...they didn't know any better" --I can't believe I'm saying this-- "and after all, Gabrielle was a young woman, living a lonely life on the road, she was very impressionable, or so I've gathered from my readings of her scrolls thus far." An inner voice protested all this.

Janice smiled weakly. "Come on, Mel, I don't need to rehash History 101, or Psych 101 for that matter." She stood up, stretching. "I think I'll go to bed, if you don't mind."

"Of course not. The guest room is the third bedroom on the left, at the end of the hall. Alice"--the housekeeper, who had laid out the simple cold dinner for them--"took your things up earlier. There should be fresh towels on the bed."

"Great." She paused. "Thanks for everything, Mel. Good night."

"Good night," Mel replied. She watched the young woman saunter gracefully out of the study and up the stairs, the fiery red-gold head bowed, almost as if in prayer. "Sweet dreams," she added in a whisper.

Upstairs, Janice closed the door and virtually collapsed against it in exhaustion, "Jesus Christ," she moaned to herself, "these damned feelings are genetic." Again in her mind she pictured Mel, lovely in the lamp light, reciting the poem. She shook off a tingle of desire. "That goddamned bard brat."

*****

Normally, Gabrielle thought, they would keep to the main road. Because it was safer, for them anyway, not necessarily safer for those travelers who bore the steely gaze of the Warrior Princess. But this time they took a different route to Amazonia, a rough path that cut through a rather dense and magnificent forest. She wouldn't say to Gabrielle if it were a shorter route, or why she wanted to go this way in the first place, or how she came to know this road. But by this time Gabrielle could guess: Many winters ago Xena led a band of men (surely not an army, the road was too narrow and rutted for that, even Argo was having a time of it) down this road, on some clandestine raid, to pillage/conquer/destroy any number of villages along the way...blah blah blah. She stole a look at her friend atop Argo. It would only be a matter of filling in the details, wouldn't it, Gabrielle thought, almost cynically.

Suddenly the blue eyes were on her. "Are you tired?" the warrior asked, her voice rumbling from above.

"No, I'm fine," the bard replied. "It's good weather for walking. Cool, but sunny. Although we're not getting much sun through these trees."

A dark eyebrow rose.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Gabrielle amended hastily. "This is such a beautiful area, so lush and green, and quiet." She surveyed the woods, the peaceful verdant depths mirroring her own eyes. "Xena, what do you know of this rite-of-passage ceremony?"

"Not much more than you," replied the warrior. "It's supposed to occur approximately one summer after a new Queen's ascension to the throne. They're very secretive about it."

"That they are," the bard complained. "I have no idea what to expect."

Xena smirked. "That's the idea."

With a mock scowl, the bard decided to grill her friend. "Why did we come this way? How do you know this route? It's very untraveled."

"No reason..."

"That is such a lie. Warrior princesses never do anything without a reason."

This brought much mirth to Xena, as she repressed a guffaw. "Relax, bard. All shall be revealed to you in due time," she responded cryptically.

As the sky began to fade, they decided to make camp for the night. "We'll make the Amazon village tomorrow by mid-day," Xena estimated, as she settled down for the evening with her sword and whetstone. As she fell into the rhythmic sharpening of the blade, Gabrielle relaxed on her bedroll, a scroll unfurled in front of her. She tapped the quill against the paper. Xena seemed in a good mood, she thought; the warrior hummed as she worked the stone against the blade. Gabrielle allowed herself some surreptitious gazes at Xena, watching her graceful strokes, the tiny flexing of muscles in her arms, the blue eyes that glittered in the fire.

Suddenly the hissing of the whetstone stopped. "Xena?" Gabrielle asked quietly. Did the warrior hear something? Was someone approaching their campsite?

"By the gods, it's warm tonight," Xena muttered. She stood up and quickly shed her leather battledress and breeches, the armor having been discarded earlier. She used the leather as a seat and eased her nude form upon it.

Much to Gabrielle's simultaneous agony and delight, Xena had always been very comfortable and un-self-conscious about her body, and thought nothing of being naked in front of the bard. "Yes...it is very hot," Gabrielle gulped, even though goosebumps ran down her body. She flattened her hands against the parchment for a moment in the hopes they would cease shaking. She took a deep breath as the sword sharpening resumed, and picked up her quill, giving herself over to the words that would take her where she wanted to be.

*****

Before she opened her eyes, Janice smelled coffee. Real coffee, the good stuff she could find in Greece, or at least in a good coffee shop in New York before the war. Maybe I'm dreaming, she thought. Only one way to find out. She rose, washed up, dressed, and descended the staircase.

The rich smell grew stronger as she approached the kitchen. Mel, to her astonishment, was frying eggs. The coffee awaited her on the table. She sighed with pleasure.

This caught her hostess's attention, and Mel turned to her, startled. "Goodness Janice, I thought you'd never get up," she said by way of greeting.

"Good morning to you too," Janice replied sarcastically. Then she softened. "Mel, that smells like real coffee."

"It is."

"Where the hell did you get it?"

The raven-haired beauty shot her a mischievous grin. "I have my sources."

Janice smiled in turn. "I can accept that." She looked around the clean, orderly kitchen. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, y'all just sit down. I'm about ready here."

They settled down to a meal of eggs, buttermilk biscuits, coffee, and juice. Mel smiled at the small woman's appetite. "Would you like a tour of Charlotte today?" Mel asked.

"No," Janice replied through a mouthful of egg. "I want you to work on that damn scroll."

"Ah, I don't know why I even bothered to ask." Mel grinned again. There was a companionable silence as Janice made short work of the biscuits on her plate. Mel decided to risk the mood as she tentatively asked, "So I trust this means you're feeling...better about the content of the scroll thus far?"

Janice's busily chewing jaw stopped abruptly as she tried to formulate an answer. She decided to take the diplomatic approach and avoid either outright condemnation of the bard's lustful thoughts for her best friend, or praise of her admirable writing skills and no doubt good taste, for Xena of Amphipolis was frequently described by her contemporaries as a great beauty. "I'm not a prude, Mel. I can handle it. I'd like to see where the kid goes with it."

"Goes with what?"

"You know, see how she deals with these feelings. Does she tell the Warrior Princess? Does Xena find out somehow? Is it...even remotely possible that Xena may have felt the same way?"

Mel could have sworn she detected a tinge of hope in the archaeologist's voice. "I think it's...possible," she ventured nervously. "Even though Xena had a child, and many of her affairs with men were legendary, that does not preclude bisexuality on her part."

Janice snorted. "No, probably not. She was on the road a long time, it must have been difficult for her to find someone for...pleasure at times. So having the bard as a bedwarmer may have been a last resort."

Mel scowled. "’Last resort'?" she asked. "Why do you always think so little of Gabrielle?"

Having finished her breakfast, Janice pushed herself back from the table. "Force of habit," she replied, plucking a cigar from her breast pocket and clenching it between her teeth. "Since I think of myself in the same way." As she searched her pockets for a light, Mel snatched the stogie from under her nose.

"Janice Covington, you are a big pain in the ass." Janice stared at her, Mel instinctively clamped her hand over her mouth, then removed it. "See, you made me swear again! Janice, I'm going to prove you wrong about Gabrielle. And about yourself too." She stood up, determined, and started to clear the breakfast dishes. With a glance that was admiring, fearful, and sweet, Janice stood up and helped her.

*****

Water was dripping on her face.

Gabrielle moaned, semi-conscious. Another summer storm, her mind supplied. Well, I can sleep through it, can't I?

Not unless you want to get totally drenched, another thought supplied.

I could care less, her stubbornness threw in.

Wait a minute, desire spoke seductively. Xena will get wet too. Her hair will be damp and slicked back from her face...you love that look on her, don't you?

"I'm there," the bard mumbled aloud.

Hey, practicality piped up, if it's really raining, then why is your face the only part of your body that feels wet?

Her eyes snapped open. She was looking directly at a very familiar pair of boots that were not her own. "Good morning, Gabrielle," the warrior's voice said from on high. Slowly Gabrielle's vision trailed up the long legs, past the skirt (don't look up the skirt, propriety screamed inside her) to the armor-clad torso and arms, which held two large trout fresh from the stream directly over the bard's head.

"Ugh, fish water!" she spat, sitting up.

"If it's good enough for the fish, it's good enough for you," Xena said, heading toward the fire.

The bard stood up with a stretch. "Hang on, I can clean them."

"No, that's okay. I can do it. Go wash up."

Pleasantly surprised, Gabrielle removed a linen towel and soap from her satchel, and went to the stream. The forest opened onto a clearing where the stream gurgled beneficently. As she placed the towel and soap on a rock, she prepared to strip...and heard a rustling behind her. But before she could even think of what to do next, a bag was thrown over her head; it was moist with some chemical which made her sleepy, and as she slipped from consciousness she felt arms gently cradling her body in the air.

*****

Solari sauntered through the woods toward the campsite, where Xena sat on a stone, placing trout in a skillet about to go on the fire. Before she could even announce her approach to the warrior's back, Xena's voice rumbled at her: "Hades' balls, Solari, couldn't you wait until I fed her breakfast at least?"

The Amazon stopped dead in her tracks. "How did you know it was me and not Gabrielle?" she demanded.

"Look, you know the line..."

"I know, I know, many skills and all that..."

"So why did you even bother to ask?" Disgusted, Xena struck a flint against some wood. The fire didn't take. Growling, she stood up and spun around to face Solari in one fluid motion. "You didn't hurt her, did you?" It was more a threat than a question.

Solari released a breath of exasperation. "No, Xena. I used the plant you gave me. Lydia knew how to prepare the drug. Gabrielle never knew what hit her."

"All right then," Xena said tersely. "I'll be in the Amazon village by midday. By tomorrow morning I will expect to hear from you. Your runner better be fast...and Solari," she paused for menacing effect, "if I don't get a message I'll be coming along to break up this little ceremony, sacred or not. Got me?"

The Amazon rolled her eyes. "Xena, please, this will be over quicker than you imagine. I guarantee you Gabrielle will be in the village tomorrow, if not sooner."

This response seemed to satisfy the warrior. She nodded reluctantly.

"Hey, Xena?"

"What?"

"You gonna eat all that fish?"

*****

"Your father was certainly a well-read man," Janice commented as she completed yet another scan of the books in the study.

"Mmmm," Mel murmured. Her dark head was bent intently over the ancient parchment.

Janice shook her head. The woman was so thoroughly engrossed in the scroll, she could not even muster the barest of her Southern civilities. "Yep...let's see here...everything from Kant and Kirkegaard to Gone with the Wind and the Kama Sutra," Janice stole a quick look at her friend to see if Mel noticed the spurious volumes--the latter two--that her imagination had inserted into the collection. No response. She let her fingers trail over the smooth leather volumes, riding the rough ridges and indentations, until her fingers stopped suddenly: Havelock Ellis. Kraft-Ebing. Oh my. Dr. Pappas knew his stuff. Wonder if would've been able to diagnose me on the spot?

Janice cast yet another glance at Mel. Jesus Christ, has Mel read this stuff? She wondered. And if so, has she figured me all out? I am sort of a walking bulldagger at times...the clothes, the cigar...God, I have to get out of here for a while. Unwilling to break Mel's concentration, Janice opted to exit quietly, without a word, and go for a walk.

She got no further than the door's threshold when she heard Mel call her name softly.

"Yes, Mel?"

"Where are you going?" The scholar removed her glasses, her blue eyes touching Janice like a flame.

"Just out for a walk, to get some air. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not." She put on the glasses once again. Janice turned to leave.

"Janice?" The voice sounded darker, silkier.

"Yes?" The young archaeologist froze, her hand lingering on the doorknob.

"My daddy hated Gone With the Wind and he kept his copy of the Kama Sutra so well hidden I didn't find it until last year."

Without a word, Janice and her blush walked out.

#xena #xena warrior princess #xena/gabrielle #mel/janice #mel/janice fanfiction #xena/gabrielle fanfiction #author: vivian darkbloom #fanfiction #femslash #mature

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wwwbaileyalexandercom-blog · 3 years

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Why can't Americans argue like the French?

Why can’t Americans argue like the French?

I could argue Americans don’t like to argue or more specifically, don’t argue well. For instance, too quickly, they may start to scream. Or worse, become violent. They might even use a gun. They like guns. Apparently last week an Alabama state lawmaker named Vivian Davis Figures’ house was shot 23 times in an early morning attack. I think the house is still alive. It was not a major headline…

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klaineharmony · 3 years

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First Lines

tagged by @rthstewart and @wingedflight - thank you both! :)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

Many of my most recent things are snippets, or from the 3SF, but I will list them anyway. Some are also most recent chapters of recently finished stories, or unpublished WIPs! From most to least recent, and keeping the original formatting:

1. Chapter 13 of We’ll Be There to Defend One Another (Newsies):

David woke up to the unfamiliar and glorious sensation of having Jack’s arms wrapped around him from behind, and Jack breathing into the back of his neck.

2. A snippet from the same Defend ‘verse, posted for the 110th anniversary of the Triangle Factory Fire (Newsies):

The ringing of the telephone startled Sarah.

3. Narnia, Aslan, cardboard boxes, prompted by Vialethe (3SF; Narnia):

It is the cardboard boxes that hurt Peter the most.

4. Narnia, any, Old Guard AU prompted by Wingedflight (3SF; Narnia):

Jill listened quietly as Susan told the story of Narnia, and of how she and her siblings became immortal.

5. I prompted a Narnia/White Collar crossover for 3SF, and then started to write it myself:

“I don’t like this, Neal,” Peter muttered as they arrived at Mozzie’s Thursday residence.

6. Tumnus’ Corner, Chapter 2 (Narnia; AU):

As they walked up the sand toward the house, Polly and the Professor appeared at the back door and hurried toward them.

7. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (Newsies; Jarah):

The tiny club was packed to the walls, and Jack could barely hear to tune his guitar.

8. Chapter 5 (the last) of A Warbler’s Reunion (Glee):

Rachel wiped yet more tears from her eyes as Blaine left the stage, then laughed shakily as Wes offered her a handkerchief.

9. ‘Til the Stars That Were There Before Return Above You (MCU; Steggy):

Peggy arrived at the Stork Club at 7:45 p.m.

10. Chapter 10 (the last) of Wounded With His Wounded Heart (Sherlock; Johnlock):

It had to happen sometime, of course.

11. Bring Me Love (This Christmas) (Newsies; Jarah):

A knock sounded at the apartment door, and Jack, from under his comforter on the couch, groaned.

12. Out Here is Where the Force Is (Star Wars/Newsies/Les Mis/Aida):

The broom comes to him without thought, the smallest gesture of his hand enough to bring the handle to him.

13. Midsummer Meeting (Newsies, poly, Faerie/witches AU):

Sarah woke on the morning of Midsummer with the feeling that something was about to change.

14. Sweet and Right and Merciful (Newsies; Jarah):

Jack woke to the rosy light of dawn spilling in the bedroom window.

15. The Four Freedoms (Newsies/The Dark Knight/Wonder Woman):

Sarah knocked at the door of the Kelly mansion, looking around her a bit sadly.

16. Sweet Summer Music (Newsies; Newsbians; Berkshires AU):

Sarah crept up the back stairs that led to Davey and Jack’s apartment in Lenox, MA.

17. Witness (Bandstand; Jimmy Campbell & Davy Zlatic):

Jimmy sighed as he took in the figure of Davy, slumped over the bar, hanging on to a shot glass even in his drunken stupor.

18. Three Ways Peggy Carter Could Have Come Back From the Dead - and One Way She Did (MCU; Steggy):

“You realize that I have no idea if this will work,” Stephen said a bit dryly.

19. The Substance of Things Hoped For (Glee/Narnia; Klaine)

Vivian Anderson tsked in exasperation as she swept up her calendar, cell phone, and file folders and tossed them into the messenger bag that held her laptop.

20. Have a Little Faith (Glee; 4x04 Fix-it; Klaine):

“You’re hanging out with fashion goddess Isabelle Wright; I’m running for student body president with a former stripper,” Blaine said dryly, amusement and something unidentifiable lacing his tone.

SO MANY WIPs. I’m really hoping to have time to finish some of these this summer, especially 500 Miles, Tumnus’ Corner, and Sweet Summer Music. My balanced of finished/WIP fic stays leaning toward the finished side, but sometimes only just. Out of these, I think my favorite line is from the new chapter of We’ll Be There to Defend One Another.

Tagging: @whatstheproblembaby, @queenofbrooklyn, @coffeegleek, @wordshakerofgallifrey, @elozable, @writemetohell, @thelittleredheadedmusician, @livingchancy, @penzyroamin, @radioactivepigeons, @honeysucklepink, @vividstitch and anyone else who would like to play! :)

#Klaineharmony writes #meme things

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brooklynislandgirl · 6 years

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Role-Play Cheat Sheet

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted. Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

mun name: Turtle {or ya know, D also works} ooc contact: Inbox, IMs, if we’re mutuals and you really want to chat ask for my Discord and/or Skype

Who the heck is my muse anyway? Elizabeth Riley is a nurse. Nothing special, nothing unusual on the surface. Scratch deep enough and you’ll find a woman of uncanny ability. Mage, mutant, witch. There are many names for her kind, but she tries to keep her abilities the best kept secret outside of where Jimmy Hoffa is buried. She is also the sister of Sam ‘Falcon’ Wilson’s former wingman, Andrew Riley.

She exists quietly in the shadow of people much more exotic than herself, that quiet voice of calm in the dead of night, the hand that holds someone else’s and gets them through.

Points of interest:

Beth is...soft. She is sweet. She is gentle. She treats everyone like a long lost friend and has an uncanny knack for understanding what a person needs on a soul deep level. She’s quick to laugh and offer succor. She’s far smarter than she lets on but has never once judged someone for any reason. She’s well off, could live off family money if she chose to, but is a hard worker. She has nerves of steel and doesn’t frighten easy. She’s lived many lives across innumerable centuries. Never quite the same, she’s always been small and delicate and dusky. The only thing she’s retained in all of her incarnations are her eyes, those wide and lovely pools of green with a hint of a honey gold to them. Whether a powered individual or not, and across her verses, one thing that remains a constant is Beth has Auditory Processing Disorder, a learning disability. Also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder, individuals with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard. They can also find it difficult to tell where sounds are coming from, to make sense of the order of sounds, or to block out competing background noises. Symptoms include: difficulty processing and remembering language-related tasks but may have no trouble interpreting or recalling non-verbal environmental sounds, music, etc. May process thoughts and ideas slowly and have difficulty explaining them. Misspells and mispronounces similar-sounding words or omits syllables; confuses similar-sounding words (celery/salary; belt/built; three/free; jab/job; bash/batch) May be confused by figurative language (metaphor, similes) or misunderstand puns and jokes; interprets words too literally. Often is distracted by background sounds/noises. Finds it difficult to stay focused on or remember a verbal presentation or lecture. May misinterpret or have difficulty remembering oral directions; difficulty following directions in a series. Has difficulty comprehending complex sentence structure or rapid speech “Ignores” people, especially if engrossed Says “What?” a lot, even when she has heard much of what was said.

She’s also a terrible cook and can scorch water.

The most terrifying thing about Beth...is...you see that shadow there? Just a few feet to her left? Darker and colder than the rest? That feels like the chill of the early grave and robs you of your breath just thinking about? Yes, that one. If you look close enough, you’ll see the outline of a man. Tall and predatory. A lethal grace. If you’re lucky, that is all you’ll ever see. If you’re unlucky, you’ll come to find out his woman is NOT your playtoy, and he’ll teach you the error of your ways.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Saving the world, one soul at a time.

Where to find them:

Mostly in New York: In Manhattan {WoD/Main verse}: Saint Vincent’s where she works regular hours and on call. {Defenders} In Hell’s Kitchen: She, along with her partner, an EMT who is also gifted, she runs a free clinic. No questions asked. ~Various AUs~ {Legend} London: A small pub in the East End called The Sole Trader, as owned by Mr. Ronnie Kray. {shifts across various eras...from the 1940s through Modern day, but she’s rarely found beyond Ron’s company} {Xmen} A supporter, believer and general trash-panda of Magneto, Beth wants nothing more but to live in a world where she doesn’t have to fear people because she’s a gifted individual. {MI-5/Spooks} The Hospital of Saints John and Elizabeth {which she finds funny}. {Hawaii-50} Beth’s life took a turn unexpectedly in which she gave up her career in medicine for one in law enforcement, in which she became a rookie under Danny Williams in New Jersey. They were partnered for many years before he took a transfer to be with his daughter, and beth eventually followed in his footsteps, finally returning ‘home’ to Oahu. She currently is an officer with HPD and likes to surf on the weekends. {Agents of Shield} Beth became a SHIELD asset and medic for various teams under the watchful eye of “Uncle” Phil Coulson. Her supervisor, Vivian Harrison isn’t quite sure she’s cut out for the job and there’s often conflict because of her...peculiarities. {Stranger Things} Beth’s father and brother have recently come to rescue/employ of Hawkins Laboratory, leaving the neglected teen-age girl to pretty much raise herself. {Supernatural} A good and decent witch who lives in the hills of Appalachia. She might be dirt poor and illiterate but has a heart of gold. {Peaky Blinders} Set in the 1940s, Beth is a little Romani woman poised to set the world on fire. {The Stepney Mob} The whisper of witch or avenging ghost is quickly hushed in the confines of the Blind Pig and maybe only Davy Lloyd knows the truth {always up for new AUs or places for her to be!}

Current plans:

Doing her job, saving people when he allows her to. Hopefully, saving him from himself.

Desired interactions:

She’s the avenging angel of the down-trodden and ill-spirited, and will patch anyone up for any reason. She is currently also the head of the James Buchanan Barnes protection detail and will kill a bitch for looking at him cross-wise. She’s usually quite reasonable when it comes to playing well with others and can in fact bend over backwards to accommodate rp.

{I’d kill to have a Phil Coulson or other AoS character to play with, I’d love to have a Frank Castle, and I just really wanna make new friends and murder them. With feels. Because murder is wrong. >.>}

Offered interactions:

See all of the above. If questions remain, feel free to msg Turtlemun and we’ll work something out.

Anything else? I like grapes. I drink coffee. I know too many things. A particular note: @brooklynislandgirl is Beth’s blog and my main rp ground. Super-selectively there is a blog for Andrew Riley {her brother and Sam Wilson’s former wingman} which I might share if you ask nicely but keep in mind has to be very canon divergent. Beth also comes with a host of npcs which currently consist of: Ian Barrie of the Firm {Legend} Chauffer/Knife-Wielding Scot/Confident and Loyal to Ron Kray Dmitri Woźniak: Black Market Dealer/Conspiracy Theorist Quothe Ravenchenko: Were-raven and general bane of your existance, what doesn’t say the N word, and will absolutely get whatever you need, whenever you need in one scene change or less. Father Vincent Dafaux: Catholic Priest and Celestial Chorus Mage, nominal leader of the Latch Key Saints cabal. He runs numerous safe houses, keeps his church and rectory open at all hours, and supplies a daily Soup Kitchen and Tent City in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Lucien “Luc” Toussaint: A med-school drop out and current EMT with the FDNY out of Bed-Stuy. Originally from Tangipahoa Parrish, Louisianna.

@rxsmyers

Tagging: @lilxlionxman, @ronmanmob, @multi-mused, @reclaimedasset, @jerseysass, @hoouna, @morgansmornings, @drifting-anarchist, @magnetician @lokitheliesmith, @tattoosandmusclecars, @loneshelby @theregoesthebellhop, @thegreatmariahgatsby, @daddylcnglegs @nctcricus, @leslie-holt, @exanimax, @madteddyrp, @bluebxmfing, @bourbonstreetdevil, @thegloriannaobreen, @therapardalis, @thedarcydichotomy, @therealgamble, @lucxsnorth, @leomcleod, @hands-cf-fate, @punishmentismyjob anyone else who wants, just tag me back <3

#meme goodness #This only took about a million years

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