#(FYI the one he's wearing is Taylor's)

[beingsuneone]

Sunset & Vine

PART ONE | PART TWO

SYNOPSIS: one year was all you had, and the winners of the previous hunger games. You didn’t know them that well, but they were still youre only friends. Now you’re thrown back into the Games with some new confusing feelings.

FANDOM: The Hunger Games

PAIRING(S): Peeta Mallark x Victor!Reader

RATING: G

CHARACTERS MENTIONED: Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen, Haymitch Abernathy, Coriolanus Snow, Johanna Mason, Finnick Odair, Effie Trinket, President Coin, Gale Hawthorne

GENRE/AU: Dystopia, Angst, a very small amount of comfort,

WORD COUNT: 5.2k

WARNINGS: Katniss is slightly OOC, Canon divergent in some ways but not others, CATCHING FIRE AND MOCKINGJAY SPOILERS, Reader won the 74th hunger games and Peeta and Katniss won the 73rd.

A/N: Jjj, I’ve really got to stop writing stories with ending like this. Lemme know if you want part two. FYI!!! Changed a few words that completely changed the context and set up for the next part.

DEDICATIONS: Peeta my beloved

CREDITS: Taylor Swift for the name (Gorgeous - Taylor Swift)

It’s a woman, standing with her back to you— she has similar hair to yours and an almost protective stance to her. A haze of colour surrounds her… oranges, purples and yellows swirled into an indescribable but beautiful mess.

Peeta Mellark may be a fellow victor, and he may be one of your neighbours, but you know nothing about him. Except for this beautiful painting that he gifted you.

She wears a dress that flows in some sort of assumed breeze, and has a hand tentatively braced in her hair; there’s something so familiar about this scene that you can’t place— something familiar about the woman in particular.

You can’t place it.

You run your fingers along the small note that Peeta had left with the painting, hovering over the loopy cursive of his signature; it’s the same on the painting but it’s too beautiful to touch like that.

Last year, you won the seventy-fourth annual hunger games, and became a legend for getting district twelve two wins in a row— right alongside Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, Who won the seventy-third hunger games.

Thank god the months of parading you around were over and you could settle happily into your gigantic house by yourself.

Well, happily might be an over statement— you had no family, and certainly no friends… unless Haymitch counts but you don’t think he does.

So this painting feels extra special— a warmth in an otherwise cold and unfamiliar home.

“Where should I put it?” Muttering to yourself, you mentally scan the layout of your house; you’d want it to be in a place where you could see it often, but also somewhere where any house guest would be able to see it… yeah. House guests.

After shaking your head uselessly, you settle on hanging it in the entryway. For sure people would see it there.

You’d been putting off doing this for a couple of days, just because you hadn’t had a whole lot of energy to do anything but sit in a chair and half-read a novel.

So, after a few minutes of fiddling and messy calculations, the painting is hung in the entryway.

You take one last glance at the swirling coloured background once more, and then turn away, leaving the comfort and fantasy behind.

……

Victors are supposed to have immunity, they’re supposed to be done with the games for the rest of their miserable, trauma ridden lives.

But the seventy-fifth hunger games brings back all of the worst parts of last year— you know that out of the three other victors, you’re the female they want to get picked. You’re the easy decision, the loner that nobody cares about.

You know the Capitol loves Peeta and Katniss far too much, and you, not enough.

This, stacked on top of everything else the Capitol has put you through… it’s too much.

You’re pulled from your thoughts when there’s a knock at your door.

“Hello?” You say as you open it; Peeta Mellark is standing there with his lip turned down just slightly, his eyes center behind you for a moment before his face softens and lightens.

“Hey. You got the painting.” A smile melts onto his face, and you swear he looks… beyond words when he smiles.

After a long moment of silence, you clear your throat. “What brings you here…?” You stammer awkwardly, cringing at your choice of words.

He sort of— laughs? Chuckles? at you. “We’re talking strategy for the Quarter Quell and we figured we should include you.” His face falls again, and he looks like he’s holding something back.

Your back straightens. “The Quarter Quell isn’t for another few months—”

He nods slowly. “But we’re going to have to do the pre-tour… and they’re pulling names in just a couple weeks.”

The band around his ring finger gleams brightly in the sun, which sends some sort of jealous feeling rolling through you.

You shake your head because you don’t know Peeta Mellark, and, even if he is gorgeous, you don’t get crushes on people you don’t know.

Plus he’s in love and engaged to Katniss Everdeen, even if you did know him well enough to develop a crush.

He glances down, and then quickly yanks the ring off. “It’s, uh— just for the camera’s.” Then he gestures to the painting behind you. “That’s you, you know. I know you’ve never worn a dress like that, but I saw a screencap of you in The Games and inspiration just kind of… hit me.” he trails off at the end and fiddles with the ring in his hand.

“It’s… me?” You say slowly. “We barely know each other, why would you paint me?”

He takes a small breath. “You’re really beautiful, Y/n, I’ve always thought so.”

A breath hitches but you genuinely can’t discern if it’s him or you over the roaring of blood in your ears.

“So…” he starts again. “If you want to join us, we’re heading over to Haymitch’s now.”

“Okay.” You say, sounding more winded than you did before; you stare at him for a few more moments before you step out of the front door and shut it.

You walk silently beside him, trying not to take in his messy blonde hair or pretty blue eyes—and also, failing miserably—

Just as you reach Haymitch’s doorstep, you stop and tug on Peeta’s sleeve to get his attention. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Peeta.”

He looks down at you, the air around you charged with some kind of something that you can’t name, and just as he’s about to reach over to you, the door swings open.

“Why are you guys just standing out here?” Katniss says with her nose scrunched, she eyes you up and then eyes Peeta up in a similar fashion.

At least it wasn’t exclusively you.

Both your heads snap toward her, while Peeta smoothly comes up with a reason. “Y/n was feeling nervous, I was just trying to help calm her nerves.”

Haymitch raises an eyebrow from behind Katniss, and gives Peeta a look.

“Hey, Sweetheart.” He says, as Katniss steps aside and lets the two of you in. There’s a tenderness to his voice that you hadn’t realized you missed so much.

“Hi.” The three of you shuffle into what you think was once a living room but it’s chillingly messy in Haymitch’s house.

“Couldn’t we have done this at someone else’s house?” Peeta says, eying the empty bottles on the floor.

“No.” Katniss shakes her head, shooting Haymitch a glare. “Because everytime we have to talk to him, we have to wake him up with a bucket of water.”

You snort. “I’m sorry— a bucket of water?”

Haymitch cuts in. “Why do you think my hair’s wet? I definitely didn’t take a shower.” There's a water stain that makes his shirt sag, and you wonder how you didn’t notice before. Haymitch clears his throat. “Moving on; if it’s Katniss and Peeta then we can still milk the whole star-crossed lover thing— if it’s me or Y/n… that won’t work.”

“Y/n shouldn’t go.” Peeta interjects; you’re taken aback by it.

You fidget with the hem of your shirt. “I really thought I was the best person to go.” You pause, looking up at the three of them. “It’s not like there’s anyone here that will care if I don’t come home.”

Haymitch gives Peeta a scrutinizing look. “Look, Lover-boy, we know you have a crush but that isn’t enough for Katniss to volunteer herself if Y/n gets picked.”

Peeta looks to you and then back to Haymitch. “Katniss and I are the Capitol’s favourite couple right now, if we went we’d probably be much better off in terms of sponsors and parachutes.”

“And you don’t want her to go.” Haymitch gestures in yours and Katniss’s direction.

Peeta sighs but doesn’t deny it. It makes sense that he wouldn’t want his fiancé to go back to the Games.

“Peeta is right,” Katniss starts, “but, Haymitch, if you get picked… Peeta should stay. Either way.”

Peeta shakes his head. “No. I’m not staying.”

You cut in. “There’s no good reason why I should stay.” You’re basically the only clear answer; if you get picked you’ll go, and, if Katniss is picked, you’ll go. “I won’t.”

Now all three of them are staring at you. “If I get picked, Katniss can’t volunteer and if she gets picked, you can’t stop me from volunteering.”

Katniss huffs. “You can’t stop me from volunteering either.”

Really, you could all argue this for hours.

…..

The four of you had never come to a conclusion, and now it’s the day of the Reaping.

Effie stands uncomfortably at the bowl; she doesn’t seem happy about having to pull your names, despite her chipper facade.

“The female tribute for District Twelve is…” she says, digging around in the two slips of paper in the bowl. She finally pulls one out and reluctantly reads it out. “Y/n L/n.” She almost sighs your name.

Katniss’s fingers twitch nervously, like she wants to say something but you shoot her the strongest glare you can muster.

She doesn’t volunteer, and you’re glad for it.

You walk up to the stage, head held high; you know this is the start of the end of your life, so you might as well act more confident than you truly are.

Effie looks at you sadly once you’re settled behind her, and then turns back to the audience. “And… the male tribute for District Twelve is,” she spends another five minutes routing through the two names. “Haymitch Abernathy.” This time her sigh is one of relief.

But the relief does not last long.

“I volunteer!” Peeta says, stepping forward; Haymitch grabs his arm and says something too quiet to hear, and Peeta says something back. His face is full of determination as everyone watches him walk up the stage and stand next to you.

Everyone in your little group wears a look of defeat. Even you.

Only one of you can go home, and you’re going to do your damn best to make sure it’s Peeta Mellark.

…..

“I’m not ready for this.” You say quietly, as you walk down the corridor to your bedrooms on the train. “It’s hardly been a year, Peeta.”

He nods solemnly, not looking at you as you arrive at your door. His is just across the hall.

Peeta gently takes your hand in his and squeezes. “I know. It’s too soon.” He looks angry. “We were never supposed to have to do this again.” He drops your hand before you can reciprocate in any sort of way.

You do feel a little less nauseous though.

“It‘s okay.” You whisper, twitching your fingers and slapping it onto the doorknob. “It’ll be okay.”

Peeta’s eyes rove over you in a scrutinizing manner as though he’s trying to figure some meaning behind your words, but there isn’t one to figure.

Just that it will be okay. Peeta will, if you really just be specific. Peeta will return home, happy and safe.

Ready to live his life with the woman he loves… Katniss.

And you will fade into false glory and distant memory.

…..

“Finnick, Right?” You fidget with your fingers in front of you; Finnick Odair was an attractive man who oozed with confidence and smooth words.

“Want a sugar cube?” He asks slyly, holding one out to you. “They're supposed to be for the horses but— we’re going to die anyway, it won’t matter after that.”

You nod carefully. “Of course, because that would obviously matter if we weren’t already set for death.” You still take the sugar cube from his hand and pop it in your mouth.

You almost gag from it. Pure sugar was… a lot. “Ugh. That’s disgusting.”

Finnick chuckles. “But liberating.”

You shake your head but a smile still spreads across your face. “Liberating indeed, Finnick Odair. My last act of rebellion is eating a sugar cube.”

“Devastating, really. To the Capitol, I mean.” He smiles easily at you, before someone catches his attention and he saunters off.

Claudius Templesmith stood not far from you, crooning about something with one of the older tributes.

The older man— Betee, you think— stood, looking indifferent but also invested in Claudius’s ramblings and unnecessary questions.

You were dreading the questions he’d ask you during your second round of interviews.

The last time was time enough for you.

“What’d he want?” Peeta asks, walking up behind you and pulling your attention away from the other party-goers.

“Oh, you know,” you say flippantly, “sugarcubes, secrets, and sarcasm.”

Peeta’s eyebrows furrow in confusion but the smile remains on his face. “Sounds like an interesting conversation.” He extends his arm to you. “Shall we?”

You sigh. “Not like we have much choice.”

….

“I’d give anything to know what’s going on inside your head.” Peeta says softly, fidgeting with the rope in his hands. You’d both decided that learning how to tie some knots would be beneficial.

You chuff, an awkward laugh. “What do you mean?”

His fingers work steadily, and somewhat clumsily, with the rope; there’s something alluring about how sure he can be with his hands.

It makes you think of the painting in your house— the one that you’ll never see again— how patient he must’ve been to complete such a beautiful piece, how still and sure of himself.

“What are you thinking right now, Y/n?” He looks up at you, with those beautiful blue eyes of his.

You shrug. “I was thinking about…” you trail off, because you absolutely cannot say that you were thinking about his hands. A half-truth will have to do. “Your painting. How I’ll never see it again.”

Hip lips pull into a frown. “You’ll see it again, I’m going to make sure of it.”

Sighing deeply, you stand. “You’re the one who has to go home, Peeta, not me.” He opens his mouth to speak but you cut him off. “It has to be you.”

….

You don’t have the time to argue about it for the next couple of days, you hardly even see each other.

Now, Cinna is preparing you for the arena. You know that everything he gave was meant for Katniss, he had obviously expected it to be her, or that he wouldn’t style you.

He hadn’t been your stylist, but yours had opted out of this year’s games, claiming it was too painful to watch you go back in.

You hadn’t liked her much the first time around, wanted to change you too much in ways that you most definitely did not like.

Cinna, though, you liked him. Though this would be the last time you saw him.

You were dressed in whatever mandatory suit that they designed for this game, a skin tight suit that looked like you were about to go scuba diving.

“It’s time.” Cinna says, glancing back to the tube at the back of the room. You turn back to it.

“Thank you, Cinna.” You say, bowing your head for him. “It was nice getting to know you.”

He smiles half-heartedly. “It was a pleasure, Y/n.”

You exchange a final goodbye and step into the tube. The sixth second countdown begins as the tube starts to ascend.

It's all water, just water and water and water in a large circle around them. There was also thin sand bars that connected the tubes and the Cornucopia, but you knew you wouldn’t be braving that.

Peeta stands three tubes down, with a morphling, a Career and Johanna between you two.

Twenty seconds.

You stare at him desperately, hoping he’ll stick to the plan and swim towards you; you catch his eyes and he smiles reassuringly. It’s not a genuine smile but it still calms you all the same.

Ten seconds.

You ball your fists, clenching hard.

Nine.

Eight.

God, it’s going to be difficult to get out of the water.

Seven.

Six.

You’re not the strongest swimmer, maybe you should go to the Cornucopia.

Five.

Four.

And it’s a long way to swim, even for someone who does know how. Only experienced swimmers, like Finnick, would have an easy time of it.

Three.

Two.

Then, it occurs to you, maybe those sandbars go all the way to the shore; if you get to the Cornucopia, Grab, well, anything, and then flee via the sandbars, you just might be okay.

One.

The pads everyone stands on recede into the water and dumps everyone straight in.

It makes you realize that most of your competitors do not know how to swim.

Peeta is just barely floating thanks to the bright purple belt that had been strapped around all your waists.

You know how to swim at least a little bit , so you unbuckle yours and swim over to him; once it inflates fully, you give it to him and try to drag him towards the sandbars.

It dawns on you all over again that Peeta is a tall guy, and he’s not exactly small either.

He’s strong and his weight definitely shows that; he tries to keep himself afloat but ends up making it worse.

Eventually, you make it over there, and he pulls himself up onto the loose sand; it takes a bit of effort because it’s slippery and keeps moving under your weight.

It’s barely stable enough to be a viable option. Just barely.

You leave him there for a minute and swim to the cornucopia. There's fighting going on on its small platform, but you just snag a small waterproof bag that sits a few yards away; a knife comes flying in your direction, and knicks your face.

The salt of the water stings as it mingles with blood.

When you spin back towards Peeta, he’s struggling and Finnick is approaching him.

You race back as fast as you can.

Finnick already has some pretty gnarly weapons strapped to him.

You’re about to draw the knife on him when shakes his head. “Relax, Y/n, I’m saving his ass.” Then he lifts a hand out of the water and flashes some sort of bracelet at you.

It’s the alliance bracelets that Haymitch had mentioned.

Oh.

“I-”you start, but you never really had a sentence to begin with.

You just lag silently behind as Finnick helps Peeta to the shore. The closer you get to the shore, the wider the sandbars get, and the sturdier they are as well.

Until they're eventually higher than the water, and wide enough for both Peeta and yourself to walk side by side.

You collapse onto the sand when you finally reach the shore and stay there for only a second.

That’s all you have before the three of you are up and running into the forest in front of you.

….

When Peeta’s heart stops, you're sure that yours does too— you’re sure that, as you stand there in a state while Finnick tries to resuscitate Peeta, you’re also unresponsive and silent. Dead.

True enough, in a way.

The longer you stare at Peeta’s face, still twisted in pain from the shock, the more you feel like dropping to the ground and sobbing.

You tried to imagine the way he painted with camouflage training stuff, drawing intricate designs onto both his and one of the morhpling’s arms.

It had washed off by the next morning but you had spent the whole night longing to touch it, run your fingers along his arm, trace the shapes and swirls.

Beyond the paintings, you recalled his magnetic smile and the way he always made you feel safe and calm, the steady air that he radiated.

You weren’t ready for him to die, he was the one who was supposed to win this, after all. You had resolved that Peeta Mellark was going to be the winner of the 75th Hunger Games and you were going to do whatever you needed to to make that happen. You were even prepared to turn into somebody you weren’t, just to make sure Peeta went home. Or at least, you thought you could if you had to come to it.

But now, you’re ready to give up. Finnick or Johanna could win— and they should. Literally anyone else but you. Everyone who had a life now that Peeta is gone.

You’re just about to collapse to the ground when Peeta starts to cough erratically, and he manages to sit straight up.

“Peeta!” You cry as you fall to the ground next to him, and wrap your arms around his neck. He seems disoriented for a moment before he hugs you back, right. “I really thought you were gone.”

He gently strokes your back, as you fuss over him, double checking that he’s okay and checking his burn.

…..

You hear a loud sickening crack from somewhere else in the arena that makes everyone but Johanna and Finnick jump. You feel Peeta’s hand wrap around you protectively and pull you closer to him in the single instant that you’re all reacting to the noise.

It takes a few delayed seconds before each one of you realizes that it’s just the lightning in 12, before you realize just how having Peeta’s hands on you makes you feel.

His fingers slip from your waist, brushing softly as they fall away and leaving you feeling just slightly feral.

You pull yourself away, and dig your nails into your thigh to ground yourself. Getting used to this clock thing was going to be agonizing.

You’re waiting patiently as the lot of you— You, Peeta, Finnick, Johanna and Beetee— come up with a plan to take down the force field and take out the Careers at the same time.

You can barely focus on the conversation because you itch to have Peeta’s hands on you again, to feel his fingers against your skin again.

In fact there’s so many things you’d like to say and do with Peeta that you know you will never have the chance to; not to mention that he is in love with someone else and would never be interested in any of those things with you anyways.

You’re pretty sure you’d been staring at Peeta but you only notice because Finnick shoots a look at you— you can’t tell exactly what he’s thinking but it must be something about that.

You try to zone back into the plan.

….

Trying to trap the careers failed miserably, and the person most experienced with a bow was you, but only thanks to Katniss’s training.

Everything was a blur as the force field came down; chaos, fire everywhere— you couldn’t see or hear Peeta.

You worried about him and you laid pathetically on the ground, half out of your mind. You wondered if he was having trouble with his prosthetic leg, or having run from Enobaria or one of the other careers. You wondered if he’d make it out okay, even though it was obvious you wouldn’t.

You wondered and worried for what felt like forever until an airship appeared above you.

Great. You thought, the Capitol has come to torture you and everyone you’ve ever loved until the couldnt anymore and all of you was nothing more than a shell of a person. Until the only option was avox or death.

You can’t move, or fight it as the giant claw, scoops you up.

All that effort and you still managed to condem each and everyone of you to torture.

…..

“Relax, Y/n!” Haymitch snaps, as Finnick restrains you.

Katniss sits on the other side of the table, looking just as devastated as you.

“What do you mean, you didn’t get Peeta? You can’t just leave him there, they’ll hurt him worse than any of us could ever imagine!” You say, still struggling to get away from Finnick.

Katniss actually argues in your favour. “I did say I would only do this thing if you got both her and Peeta.”

Plutarch, the game maker shakes his head redundantly. “Peeta and Johanna were just to far away for us to locate before the Capitols airships came; I’m sorry, we’ll get them back eventually.”

Finnick finally lets you go once you’ve calmed down. He has a solemn look on his face. “I’m sure they’ve got Annie too. We need to save them as soon as possible.”

….

As soon as possible turns into several weeks, several heartbreakingly, agonizingly long weeks.

You can’t help but think about Peeta every moment of every day . You imagine all the terrible things Snow is doing to him, you wish it was you in his place.

Peeta was the one person who never deserved any of this, over anyone else. You and Katniss had been willing to do whatever you needed to to survive, you’d done things maybe you weren’t particularly proud of. But Peeta? He had never let the Games change him.

He had always been the same.

Safe, steady, comfortable, strong.

You don’t even have any hope that they’re showing him any mercy.

They aren’t.

You know now, you know by the way that last interview they aired went— how he was struck just as the cameras shut off, how your heart broke when you looked into his eyes, when you saw just how much they’d hurt him already.

You were just about ready to burst into Coin’s office and tell her that you were getting Peeta now, regardless of the consequences to Thirteen.

Gale and Katniss were fighting a lot lately, tension was heavy between them; and not in a good way. You didn’t know Gale well, but the comments he made about Peeta made your skin crawl and your hands itch to throw a few punches.

Actually they were arguing now, about Peeta, and you were listening.

Gale’s head snaps to you randomly and he barks at you; “and you! Why the hell are you so invested in Bread Boy?”

You startle for a moment, but then narrow your eyes. “What do you mean why am I invested? He’s my— friend.” You say, sounding unsure even to yourself.

Katniss huffs. “I mean, come on, Gale, you know that our relationship has been fake from the start and we—” she gestures between the two of them. “—we’re friends, Gale, we always have been.”

He scoffs, and says something else in a bitter tone but all you can hear is Katniss’s words replaying over and over in your brain.

Our relationship has been fake from the start.

“Shut up for a second!” You snap at Gale, and turn back to Katniss. “Your relationship was fake the whole time? Yours and Peeta’?” You almost feel like an asshole for asking, just in case it is real; but so many things Peeta has done and said make so much more sense recontextualized like this.

Like when he said their rings were ‘just for ten cameras.’ Or when he told you he always thought you were beautiful. Or even the way he tried so hard to convince not to go back into the games.

Both of their faces fall flat, Katniss’s in disbelief. “You didn’t know?” She says.

You shake your head slowly. “No, I-” you stop yourself because you're at a loss for words.

“Y/n, we didn’t try to hide it from you, how did you not know? Even Haymitch said right in front of you that Peeta had a crush on you!”

You deadpan once again. You had blatantly misread everybody’s words in that conversation. “I just assumed that was about you!” You stare at each other for a second longer before you stand up abruptly. “I have to go.”

There was a lot of thinking you had to do and then a lot of planning— and a bit of yelling too.

…..

You were deemed too invested in the mission to actually go on it, and Finnick was too distressed over Annie to be allowed.

So you had been sitting together in silence; the silence was comfortable but the insane amounts of stress running through your veins was enough to make the tension in the air as sharp as a knife. Not between each other but to any other person.

Especially since Gale was allowed to go on the mission, and you felt that was entirely unfair— Gale doesn’t even like Peeta.

It had turned into a whole day of waiting, and only twenty minutes ago, they had returned with Johanna, Peeta and Annie.

The anxiety had grown tenfold when you were both informed you weren’t allowed to see them yet.

Now, you’re standing outside the door where Annie was resting, watching her through the one way window.

Finnick’s eyes are filled with so many you can only pick out one or two; you wonder if your eyes will look similar when you enter Peeta’s room.

You wish him luck and watch as he enters the room; Annie looks like she screams his name and then jumps him. He holds her up, looking like it’s the happiest moment of his life.

Watching them makes you much more excited to see Peeta, although you're not sure it will be quite that exuberant of a reunion.

You walk a couple doors down, glancing in the windows as you do; but you stop when you see Katniss and Johanna in one of the rooms before Peeta’s.

Why in the world is Katniss in the Hospital? What happened?

You push open the door gently, and Katniss doesn’t stir— you take note of the morphling drip in her arm, that must be keeping her knocked out.

You see Johanna is also asleep, her head is shaved and she has the worst tortured expression on, even though she looks to be sleeping soundfully— physically, anyways.

If she’s looking that bad, you can’t help but wonder about Peeta. You’re always wondering about him.

You don’t want to disturb either of their healing so you quickly leave the room, shutting the door as quietly and calmly as you can.

Finally, as you walk out, you spot the guards in front of Peeta’s door; you think it’s a little strange, considering neither Johanna nor Annie had security at the door but you walk towards the door anyways.

The guards hold out a hand as you approach.

“Restricted access, you can’t go in there.” The guard says, almost heartlessly.

Just as he finishes speaking, the door opens and Haymitch steps out and away. You would look through the window but the blinds are down.

“I’m sorry, Sweetheart, you can’t see him.” Haymitch takes your arm and leads you back down the hallway. “The Capitol… they tortured him so bad he—” Haymitch stops, and looks away for a second before looking back. “He tried to strangle Katniss, and kept yelling about how Katniss was a liar. He’s not himself right now.”

So much for your heartfelt reunion.

All content belongs to @beingsuneone , do not repost, copy or post on other platforms without my permission.

[spade-riddles]

Just FYI the photographer who was at Karen Elson's wedding who took the photos of Taylor arriving at the wedding with the football clown also took a photo of Karlie wearing that maroon dress and has an IG story of one of the pics he took of Taylor and football ogre directly followed by an IG story of the photo her took of Karlie wearing that maroon dress, so make of that what you will 🤷🏼‍♀️

🤭

[rhaenella]

You & Me - Rhys Montrose x Reader - Masterlist

Summary: What happens when reader assassin is tasked with killing the possible future mayor of London; Rhys Montrose. Politician by day, Eat the Rich Killer by night. But he isn’t the only person wearing different masks. 

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Violence, murder, immoral sociopathic behaviour, mentions of alcoholism, drug abuse and neglect, (eventual) smut

Total word count (so far): 102k

A/N: Multi part Rhys Montrose x Female Reader fic. FYI, this fic will incorporate the use of Y/N. I have decided to also post this fic on AO3 (same username as on my Tumblr) and to change the x Reader to an Original Female Character over there using a fictitious name. That will be the only difference. So, if the use of Y/N isn’t your thing, go ahead and look the fic up on AO3 :)

Below you'll find the links to all the parts that have thus far been uploaded. I will try my best to upload a new chapter each week. Every part is also accompanied with a 'soundtrack', these are all listed below as well. Finally, a little preview of what's to come... I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it! There aren't a lot of Rhys x Reader fics out there, so I hope I can bring some extra flavour to the table.

Ps don't forget to watch the trailer/edit I made for the fic! x

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23

Soundtracks: 00. Feeling Good – Nina Simone 01. Royals – Lorde  02. Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene – Hozier  03. (I Just) Died in Your Arms – Hidden Citizens  04. Secrets And Lies – Ruelle  05. No Good – KALEO  06. …Ready For It? – Taylor Swift 07. Meet Me In the Woods – Lord Huron 08. The River – Daisy Jones & The Six 09. The Silence – Manchester Orchestra 10. Power – Isak Danielson 11. wicked game – Jessie Villa 12. Beautiful Crime – Tamer 13. Toxic – 2WEI 14. Cherry – Lana Del Rey 15. In the Air Tonight – Natalie Taylor 16. Whole Lotta Love (Dermot O’Leary) – Hozier 17. Lavender Haze – Taylor Swift 18. Don’t You Know – Jaymes Young 19. One For My Baby – Frank Sinatra 20. Run Baby Run – The Rigs 21. Sinnerman – Nina Simone 22. And so It Begins – Klergy  23. Darkness In Your Heart – Cowbell

Preview

Song: Feeling Good – Nina Simone

The sound of the heavy door opening as it noisily scraped the floor made you look in his direction. 

Rhys entered slightly out of breath, looking positively dishevelled as he ran a hand through his unruly curls.

“What happened to you? Killed another person?” You couldn’t help but teasingly joke, taking in his state as your eyes roamed freely over his physique. 

Rhys had put his hands on his hips, taking some deep breaths to slow down his heart rate. When he looked up at you, head tilted to the side, he shot you his charming smile that feigned innocence.

No way.

You stared at him. 

No way the man was truly this brazen.

He started to move closer to you, his eyes mischievous as they betrayed his wicked actions. You marvelled a little at how quickly you were getting better at reading him. Perhaps you recognised the murderous tendencies from the mirror. 

[cobrakaisb]

agora hills by doja cat

kissing and hope they caught us

lies by gus

what other lies are we telling ourselves?

ma belle evangeline by jim cummings

look how she lights up the sky

you’re my favorite song by joe jonas & demi lovato

i’d never want to change a single note

party for two by johnny orlando

and we can throw a party for two

if he wanted to he would by johnny orlando

you’re the best i’ve ever had

anywhere with you by johnny orlando

i’d go anywhere with you

vegas by johnny orlando

i’ll love you through all our phases 

she don’t like the lights by justin bieber

she don’t like the lights

bad idea right? by olivia rodrigo

seeing you tonight, it’s a bad idea right?

call it what you want by taylor swift

i want to wear his initial on a chain around my neck

think later by tate mcrae

live now think later, i do it so well

best friend’s brother by victoria justice

my best friend’s brother is the one for me

if you have any other songs you think should be added lmk!! fyi this a combo of songs i think they’d listen to and ones i think fit their relationship

[artikgato]

10/15/2023

Well, it was raining yesterday, so I didn't go out for the jogwalk. I did today, though! It took me until like 10:30 but I did do it!

I was also up until nearly 1am last night...reading a fanfic. A Slayers fanfic. A 60+ chapter Slayers fanfic, currently unfinished, in the year of our lord twenty twenty-three. I have no excuses. I make it a policy to almost never read unfinished fanfics, for one. I also knew exactly what I was getting into when I saw the chapter count and just shrugged and went YOLO I guess?

Okay, so it all started with Anime Weekend Atlanta announced, less than a month out from their con by the way, a whole slew of new guest announcements. The schedule is out now and it's less than two weeks to the con so I think they're done doing that now, but I digress. They announced Veronica Taylor as a guest. Well, years ago I already had the honor of meeting her and getting her to sign my VHS copy of Pokémon The First movie, so I don't necessarily need her autograph on any more Pokémon stuff. But of course she's in plenty of other things, including Slayers, which is one of my absolute favorite media franchises, period. So naturally I have to get her to sign for Amelia! And Lisa Ortiz, the voice of Lina, will be a guest at a convention I'm going to in March, so I can get her to sign, too! Fantastic!

And then, because I haven't really thought about Slayers in a long time, my brain went I should cosplay from Slayers again. I've been wanting to for a while. I cosplayed Filia (from TRY) waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, maybe I could remake her? (I do still want to do that, FYI, talk about obscure characters though am I right?) Or despite being so tall, I've always liked Lina's character design, she'd be great. I can probably pull that off before Khromakon in March, but absolutely not before AWA. But do you know who I could pull off before AWA?

Yeah, so I actually cosplayed Xelloss all the way back in high school. I never wore him to a convention, and it was a very bad cosplay. Technically, my first cosplay. (Technically, because my actual first cosplay was a very, very very bad closet cosplay of emperor Hotohori from Fushigi Yuugi the year prior, my junior year of high school. Our high school banned Halloween costumes but a gaggle of my stupid friends and I decided to see if we could get away with just wearing regular clothes but clearly being in cosplay. So I was Hotohori, a friend braided her hair and was Duo Maxwell, etc. etc.)

Anyway, my aunt made the cloak for me, and I still have it all these years later. The rest of the cosplay would be easy, because of how skilled I am now. I can 100% do this cosplay in time for AWA, and it'll be fun! He's a pretty recognizable character from a classic anime, so while I'm sure The Kids won't recognize me, I'll get at least a few people excited to find someone else that remembers Slayers. And hey, I already cosplayed one evil purple-haired anime prettyboy this year (Okada Izou) so why not two?

So anyway, I made a deal with myself. I would go to no more than three thrift stores after work one day and see if I could find a yellow turtleneck. If I could, I would proceed with the costume. If I didn't, oh well, it's not like I don't have a closet full of cosplays to wear. And wouldn't you know it, I found the turtleneck at the third Goodwill. So I ordered a wig, and now I just need to do a few minor alterations and possibly make the staff.

And so, with Xelloss Metallium now fully on my brain, I remembered that, oh yeah, Xelloss/Filia was one of the OTPs for me back in the day. One of the very first ships I got really, really invested in. And I wondered if, in the fifteen or so years since the least time I probably looked, any good new Xel/Fil fics had been written. I mean, the last time I was really invested in the ship, Evolution-R and Revolution hadn't even come out yet! A03 didn't exist yet! What was the harm of taking just a little, tiny peak at A03, right?

And that's how I ended up binge reading a 60+ Slayers fanfiction, in the year of our Lord Of Nightmares 2023. I'm not even done reading, but I've got shit to do today!

Time: 21:41 Weather: 63, sunny Humidity: 60% Song of the Day: Ghost, Mystery Skulls

[mafaldaknows]

I posted 10,784 times in 2022

1,017 posts created (9%)

9,767 posts reblogged (91%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@silvyysthings

@estrellaesmoi

@lo20

@valgal78

I tagged 1,574 of my posts in 2022

#instagram - 519 posts

#tales from the charmiesphere - 401 posts

#timothée chalamet - 237 posts

#mafalda always looks for signs - 197 posts

#armie hammer - 177 posts

#hello anon - 162 posts

#johnp.shanley - 156 posts

#youtube - 103 posts

#support armie hammer - 101 posts

#call me by your name - 87 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#the fact that this is a small film with a tiny ensemble - there would be no place to hide - him and taylor had to carry the film in a way he

Just FYI: ☝️This tag was one that I kept from a reblog. I know that didn’t write this since I haven’t seen the movie yet 🙃

Also, look at tumblr being cute and making suggestions 🤭😜

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

The picture that’s giving you Johnny Rotten vibes...look closely at the top he’s wearing. I’m sure it’s the cover artwork to The Velvet Underground’s Venus In Furs. I haven’t seen this picked up elsewhere yet - please look up the lyrics to that song if you’re not familiar with it. Very interesting choice, Timmy! 😏🥵❤️

Hello, Anon:

The image on Timmy’s shirt is actually the cover of a book by sexologist Michael Leigh, published nearly 60 years ago, which inspired the name of the legendary band, when a friend of the band found a copy of it lying in the street.

The Universe speaks. ❣️✨🤘✨❣️😜😉

Instagram: britishvogue

See the full post

181 notes - Posted September 15, 2022

#4

But how can we be part of the solution for charmie to come out? What is my pebble look like?

Hello, Anon:

I think it’s up to you to decide how to best utilize your own special gifts and talents to support Charmie in the way that speaks to you most clearly, to help the solution happen. We are all hands on deck, each with our own contributions, all of which are significant and valuable in maintaining course on this ship. Steady as she goes.

It might be helpful to define your purpose as a Charmie by identifying the values that are most meaningful to you, and to write them in a simple mission statement.

My values are beauty, truth, and love, in no particular order or hierarchy. In my mind and in my heart, they are all equally important. I also enjoy a good laugh and do not always take things so seriously.

I like to use my Charmie pebble to find and share signs of hope and possibilities, to help lift our spirits, and to seek out and defend beauty, truth, and love wherever and whenever I can, with kindness and good humor.

This is my mission statement, as seen in my Instagram bio:

“Noodle-centric seeker of truth & beauty, believer in random luck and the power of LOVE. Call me by your noodle and I’ll call you by mine.”

It may sound silly, but it also helps keep me focused on the values that guide my purpose as a Charmie, which is simply to enjoy the voyage on this beautiful ship powered by love, with all of my Charmie shipmates, come what may.

See the full post

182 notes - Posted January 25, 2022

#3

[x]

The Night Porter, 1974

[x]

See the full post

201 notes - Posted March 22, 2022

#2

Instagram: readytimmywear

230 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

625 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The completely unnecessary news analysis

by Christopher Smart

December 27, 2022

INSTRUCTION MANUAL TO SEN. KRYSTEN SINEMA

Some people are just troublesome, to wit: Arizona Sen. Sinema who was a Democrat but transitioned to an Independent (read: conservative spy). Despite the Senate handbook that says “staff are not compensated for the purpose of performing personal activities,” a 37-page memo from Sinema to her staff outlines the dos and don'ts she demands. Such as, always have a room-temperature bottle of water at the ready; never book her a flight on Southwest Airlines; always schedule a weekly hour-long massage; be sure to check with her on Mondays to get grocery list. No Wilson, we are not making this up. But there's more — the sleuths here at Smart Bomb have discovered another memo: never talk about the vibrators in the desk drawer; never mention big donations from hedge funds, pharmaceutical companies or Victoria's Secret; always make sure her bath is exactly 112 degrees; be sure to place Velos “Pleasure Serum” near the tub; never discuss her shoes or mention Imelda Marcos; never confirm she was a Jack Mormon; never ever verify she called Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush “the real Saddam and Osama lovers;” when asked why in Congress she wears dresses that reveal her shoulders, curtly respond that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bare arms.

CATS AND DOGS? NAH, IT'S RAINING LIZARDS

It's raining lizards in south Florida — again — after a mass of arctic air dove into the Sunshine State last week. It's not the first time. The staff here at Smart Bomb reported in February that iguanas resting in tree tops froze and started falling from their perches all over the place — on cars, on people, on skateboarders and strollers. What kind of umbrella do you need for that? Hello, yes, can you help us, we're looking for iguana parasols. It's practically biblical — but instead of raining frogs as it did when the Egyptians refused to free the Israelites, it was raining six-pound lizards. FYI: The thing about raining frogs is no fiction. It's a rare meteorological phenomenon where frogs get swept up in a storm, travel miles and then fall from the sky when the clouds release their water. The Bible doesn't lie: Exodus 8:2-14. The Lord said, “If you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs.” But there's no mention in the Good Book of raining lizards. Just imagine the shock for those old folks in retirement homes who moved to Florida to escape the weather up north. Hazel come here quick, it's raining lizards. Darn it, Fred, you've missed your meds again. No seriously, Hazel, it's actually raining big-ass lizards. That's it, Fred, I'm calling your therapist — and take your damn meds.

‘LARGE MARGE' IN DEEP YOU-KNOW-WHAT

As of late, she's been called “a trailer park hood rat,” a “threat to national security,” and one far-right radio pundit noted that after recent media coverage of her divorce she has “stopped talking about dildos and butt plugs.” Exactly who are these ultra-conservatives talking about? If you guessed QAnon acolyte Marjorie Taylor Greene, you'd be right. MTG has found herself in the crosshairs of her one-time fellow crazies. You're right Wilson, it couldn't happen to a nicer person. It seems they don't like her supporting Kevin McCarthy for Speaker 'cause he's not extreme enough. “There is something so odd about what is going on between McCarthy and MTG,” wrote far-right organizer Ali Alexander. McCarthy must be blackmailing her, said pundit Mike Crispi, nothing else makes sense. Radio host Stew Peters didn't hold back, either. “Marjorie is not America First, but regrettably a faker and a liar who raised millions claiming she would impeach Biden.” Others in her caucus couldn't help but to mentioned MTG's alleged affairs with a “tantric sex guru” as well as the manager of her gym. When the Republican-controlled House convenes in January expect a lot of body slams, knuckle shuffles and flying leg locks. WWE and professional wrestling won't have anything on this show.

Post script —

That's it for another festive week here at Smart Bomb where we keep track of would-be insurrectionists so you don't have to. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it. The freshly minted Jan. 6 committee report reveals that Sen. Mike Lee spent a month trying to convince state legislatures to endorse a second set of electors that would vote for Trump. When the plot looked to be failing, Lee changed course and eventually voted to certify Biden's election. On Christmas Day, the Salt Lake Tribune announced it's readers pick for “Utahn of the Year.” Holy Jack Gallivan, they selected Mike Lee. You're right Wilson, that's about all you need to know about Utah. Meanwhile, back at the Tribune Tower, the editorial board selected its own “Utahn of the Year” — University of Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham, who made $6 million this year. And that's about all you need to know about college sports. The salary of the president of the University of Utah, Taylor R. Randall, was $524,109 in 2021, not exactly peanuts but still some $5 ½ million less than the football coach. But still the university post pays a lot more than that of U.S. senator — Mike Lee only makes $174,000. No wonder he shops at Mr. Mac.

Alright Wilson, Whittingham's Runnin' Utes are headed back to the Rose Bowl and that's a good thing. But the Utah Fight Song, aka “A Utah Man Am I,” has been labeled, well, a sexist, backward, male chauvinist ditty. Things could get a little dicey, so it might be wise for the band to have goalie masks at the ready, just in case. OK, hit it and then duck:

I am a Utah Man, sir, and I live across the green, Our gang it is the jolliest that you have ever seen. Our coeds are the fairest and each one's a shining star, Our yell, you'll hear it ringing through the mountains near and far!

Who am I, sir, A Utah Man am I! A Utah Man, sir, Will be 'til I die. Ki-yi!

We're up to snuff, we never bluff, we're game for any fuss. No other gang of college men dare meet us in a muss. So fill your lungs and sing it out and shout it to the sky, We'll fight for dear old crimson for a Utah Man am I! Ki-yi!

Who am I, sir, A Utah Man am I! A Utah Man, sir, Will be 'til I die. Ki-yi!

We may not live forever on this jolly good sphere, But while we do we'll live a life of merriment and cheer, And when our college days are o'er and night is drawing nigh, With parting breath we'll sing that song: "A Utah Man Am I."

[octowussabi]

It’s great that THE Tay is back and all, but I gotta know- where was he all this time? Flying in between space and time?

“Ha! I wish. No, no, I had a far worse experience. Let me tell you all about it!”

“It all started when I was minding my own business, playing some Hatty Time. But then, suddenly, there’s this puff of smoke and I’m somewhere else. I’m sat at some piano, switch controller still in-hand.” 

Tay takes a deep breath before continuing.

“THEN, as if things weren’t confusing enough, Sabi comes in, asks me if I’m alright because I ‘stopped playing’ – but it’s not Sabi, it’s a human called Sei, and before he can finish asking he screams like I’ve hit him. I fall off of the piano stool, he stumbles backwards onto the floor, nobody’s happy.” 

“Anyway, after a very difficult conversation, it turns out I’ve swapped places with some human fellow that looks like me – how lucky for him – and I’m stuck in his world. Obviously that’s not the case anymore, but I spent a whole day cooped up in that human’s bedroom. I had to pretend I was horribly sick so his father wouldn’t come in and have a heart attack.” 

“And the worst part – the worst part is that I’ve left my best dressing gown and switch controller behind!” 

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

GOTHAM 5X12

THE LAST EPISODE OF GOTHAM EVER LET'S GOOOO

drink: a truly nefarious "punch" made by my friend Kelsey; the base is hard cider and everything else is various flavored vodkas that were sitting around their house

man Bruce Wayne is always losing himself among a crowd of anonymous East Asian people to Find Himself

TEN YEAR TIME SKIP

genuinely I didn't think the flash forward was going to be like this I assumed it was like a 10-15 minute thing at the end of a normal last episode not. you know. the actual whole last episode.

THIS MAN IS STILL THE MAYOR!!!! HOW????

Gordon being gray + rocking a mustache vs Harvey still looking exactly the same is so funny

oh sure Barbara's a redhead now why not

OH NO THEY MADE CORY MICHAEL SMITH WEAR ANOTHER WIG

oh my god that actually has nothing on what they've done to Cameron Monaghan

shout out to Lee's sexy red hair streaks she remains hot

you're not Cameron Bicondova :/

Nygma has been in Arkham for the entire ten year timeskip... this bitch got arrested again IMMEDIATELY after he helped SAVE GOTHAM... my dude what the fuck...

oh they're cockteasing Batman HARD

that didn't come out right

they're teasing you with the REVEAL of Batman hard

don't quote me but I think? maybe? they're still having sweet baby David Mazouz do the voice even though he's been cruelly recast with an adult (the biggest misstep of this whole ill-advised flash forward if I do say so myself)

I hate to say it but Robin Lord Taylor is kind of working that Burgess Meredith Penguin 60s Batman tribute costume

OSWALD ALSO GOT ARRESTED SIX MONTHS AFTER THEY SAVED GOTHAM YOU FUCKING BUFFOON. YOU GAY LITTLE SIMPLETON.

Barbara's wig is BAD fyi

god. jesus. give Cory Michael Smith the emmy for "it's a CALLBACK"

the Riddler is really walking around in shiny little silver boots... cunty!

Pengriddler about to have middle aged sex in the back of this car

"we have Harley Quinn at home" the Harley Quinn we have at home

I don't want to talk about the makeup they put Cameron Monaghan in tbh we're just not discussing it

fuckin always ace chemicals

anyway Barbara was briefly but notably the head of the league of shadows and she wasn't GOOD at it but I can't believe she couldn't win a fight against two clowns, one of whom must be suffering severe muscle atrophy

the hoops they're jumping through to not call him the Joker. unbelievable.

this woman is no Camren Bicondova btw. I know I already said that but christ this is hollow. they were so focused on finding someone with a vague resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer that they forgot to find someone who could sell the performance

OH THAT BATMAN JUMPING CGI WAS VILE

Pengriddler going home to have gross middle aged sex instead of fucking with Batman twice in one night

WOW BRUCIE BABY YOU LOOK AWFUL!!!!!!

OKAY THAT'S THE END EVERYONE GO HOME!!!!!!!!

FUCK!!!!!!!

WHAT'S UP GAMERS IT'S GOTHAM TIME

Gotham 5x09

drink: simply spiked lemonade (5% alcohol)

Lee asked if she's supposed to stay at home to raise Jim's baby with Barbara while Jim's out playing cowboy cop and like... maybe. personally I would like to see it

I love the spirit halloween costumes the gangs are wearing they're so fun. also quoth my wife they're all "bouncing in an idle animation" and they really are

baby batcat date!!!

Ben McKenzie got to write an episode and the first thing he did was shoot Jim... even Jim is sick of Jim

and Erin Richards is directing they really were just outsourcing episodes to the cast at this point

Robin Lord Taylor is dialing the performance up to like a 20 out of 10 today. full male hysteria moment. and good for him!

unexpected Ivy return! ma'am please step away from that underage boy!

my wife, watching Jim Gordon prosecute himself at his own hallucinatory trial, unimpressed: "that's just what it's like to be Catholic."

cannot believe Zsasz may have finally pulled off a hit on a main character good job baby boy.

Ben McKenzie I am hugging you warmly for writing a moment where Alfred talks about how much he loves Bruce and Is his father. perhaps a tiny Alfred redemption arc with four episodes to go.

Ivy and Zsasz should just fuck, actually

Lucius baby you've been Poison Ivy'd before you cannot fall for this so easy I'm in hell

Jim hallucinating Oswald and Ed cozily playing the piano singing together... what does it all mean

Bruce and Selina fighting:

I cannot believe I'm going to say this but Ben McKenzie should have written more episodes. this one is so dumb it rules.

actually genuinely extremely fucked up the degree to which Jim and Lee seem to be planning to raise this child without Barbara entirely what's the plan gamers

HOLY TIMESKIP BATMAN

NOT THE WEDDING AT THE GCPD BEN MCKENZIE YOU MADMAN

Harvey officiating... shut the fuck up...

Selina wearing a studded leather jacket and her cat gloves to a wedding is so fucking funny. iconic. she IS Catwoman.

my wife, watching Jim and Lee get married: "she should kill him right now. take him out in the happiest moment of his life."

my wife understands this show perfectly, reader

[andrewslover]

one

masterlist

word count: 1.5k

warnings: none

I groaned as my alarm blasted through the air, wishing that it was still the weekend. God, I hate Mondays. I forced myself to sit up, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I shiver as I walk into my bathroom. I hate that it’s getting colder. New York winters are not something to be desired. I stare at myself in the mirror, just wishing that I didn’t have to go back to school already. Thanksgiving break is always far too short for my liking.

I sigh, deciding to finally get my routine started. I quickly wash my face and put in my contacts. I curse my dad for giving me shit vision. I check my phone as I brush my teeth, going through notifications and checking the weather. Once I’m done, I sit down at my desk and pull out my makeup. I only really wear concealer and mascara, just so that I don’t look like the walking dead. Since it’s cold as fuck outside, I decide to wear a thick gray cable-knit sweater, a pair of mom jeans, and my black doc martens.

I check the time, reading 6:42am, meaning I’m running late. I curse at myself, quickly running a brush through my long dark hair. I throw my books in my navy blue backpack and rush downstairs, finding my twin brother, Josh, standing by the front door.

“I was just about to leave without you, T,” Josh said, grabbing the car keys from the hook next to the door.

“Yeah, if you wanted Mom to kill you,” I say, grabbing a coat from the rack.

“We have to pick up Andrew, so let’s go,” Josh says, opening the front door.

“Ugh, are you serious?” I groan. I look up at him and pout. Andrew Garfield is one of the most annoying people on the planet and the fact that he’s my brother’s best friend makes it so much worse. 

“His car is in the shop because of a nail in his tire, so he needs a ride. And it could be worse, it could have been Bryce who needed a ride,” he chuckles, walking outside.

I roll my eyes, following close behind him. I quickly turned on the heat in the car and made sure my seat warmer was as hot as it could be. I hate the cold so much. I love my brother, but his friends? Not so much. Andrew is a pompous prick who has only ever made fun of me since the moment I met him and Bryce is the star football creep. Josh turns the radio on and I smile as I hear the calming voice of Taylor Swift fill the air. My love for her and her music is mainly what Andrew makes fun of, even though he’s never really learned the reason why I love her so much. But I wouldn’t tell him anyway, he’d probably just use that information against me and make my life worse.

We pull up in front of the Garfield residence. I can’t lie, their house is gorgeous. A gorgeous brick house that was obviously built for a large family. I watch as the lanky, brown-haired boy walks to the car, the trip not taking him long due to his long legs. His outfit is typical, black skinny jeans, a black hoodie, his infamous black converse that have certainly seen better days, and his army green jacket that he seems to pair with everything. He moans at the warmth as he climbs in the car, cursing the cold air behind him

“Hey, man,” Josh says, turning back to look at Andrew.

“Hey, thanks for giving me a ride. I should have my car back tonight so you don’t have to worry about it,” Andrew says as he and my brother take part in the handshake they’ve had since the second grade. 

“It’s no problem. You’re just lucky we got here in time since Taylor was running late this morning,” Josh chuckles.

“Ooooh, little miss perfect was running late for a change. Let me guess, you were up late listening to your basic music and fantasizing about me,” Andrew smirks, causing me to roll my eyes at him.

“Can it, Garfield,” I grumble, scrolling through my Instagram. I quickly tune them out as I text my best friend, Dakota.

T: fyi, i’m gonna be in a shit mood today

Andrew always knows how to make my blood boil. I feel as though it’s his goal in life to make mine a living hell. I don’t understand (and probably never will) why he feels the need to get under my skin.

D: um why?

T: we drove andrew to school

D: yikes…don’t worry when you get here you can complain about him until you’re blue in the face 

I chuckle at Dakota’s response as we pull into the school parking lot. Dakota and I have been best friends since she moved here in third grade. We’ve been inseparable since. While she may be the typical popular cheerleader that everyone adores, she’s never left my side. Even though I’m just a nerdy theatre kid that tends to stay in the back of the classroom with my nose in a book. She’s never made me feel as though I’m not good enough to be in her life. She’s always been like a sister to me.

Once Josh parks, I immediately get out of the car, not even waiting for him to turn the car off. I need to be as far away from Andrew as possible. I wouldn’t really admit this to anyone, but when we were younger, I had the biggest crush on Andrew. The only person that knows is Dakota. I really liked him, but then he was an absolute ass to me. But it doesn’t matter anymore. He got what he wanted. He got me to loathe his entire existence.

I find Dakota standing in front of my locker, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. Her blonde hair is curled today and our outfits are quite similar, except her sweater is pink and her shoes are heeled boots. “Hey stranger,” she smiles at me, pulling me into a hug.

“Hey, Dak,” I smile, opening up my locker and shoving my coat in. 

“So, what did the lanky one have to say this morning?” she chuckles, putting her phone in the pocket of her jeans.

“Not much, surprisingly. But Josh didn’t tell me that we were giving him a ride until we were quite literally walking out the front door. And of course, I was running late this morning and Josh mentioned it so he asked what I was doing all night. And then proceeded to suggest that I fantasized about him all night, so, great start,” I groan, shutting my locker.

“Ugh, as if. You haven’t had a crush on him since like, middle school,” Dakota giggles, pushing me jokingly.

“Please don’t remind me,” I whine, pushing her back.

“Okay, whatever, don’t get your panties in a twist. Just try not to let it ruin your day, okay?” she says, forcing me to look at her.

“I promise.”

                                                         ---

It has been a relatively boring day. However, I was forced to hear Andrew’s talking all day, as seat charts had been changed and I’ve been forced to sit next to him in three of the four classes we share. I’m finally on my way to my last class of the way, which is my favorite: Theatre. It’s the one class where I don’t feel like everyone is judging me, well, except for Andrew who pushed his required arts credit until his very last year and could only get a spot in my class.

I sit down in my normal seat, pulling out my notebook. The drama director, Miss Stone, is making casual conversation with the majority of us, asking about our breaks and if we enjoyed having a little time off, when the late bell finally rings and Andrew races through the door, sliding into his seat.

“Late again, Mr. Garfield,” Miss Stone observes, watching him take his seat.

“I’m sorry, Miss Stone, forgot how long of a walk it is here,” Andrew says, obviously out of breath.

“Just don’t be late again,” she sighs, pulling up the lesson plan for the day. “As you all can see, it’s time for midterms. Now, this year, I’ve decided that we are going to do partner projects for your midterms so that you can all understand what it’s like working directly with another person. Now, I’ve already assigned partners, considering in the real world you don’t get to choose a co-star. So, no whining or complaining, please. For your project, you are going to write an original one-act play based on a song that has meaning to you both. I don’t care what songs you decide to use, however, they have to be songs that are not used in the world of musical theatre, as that would just be too easy. Alright, here are your partners.”

Just please, don’t put me with Andrew.

“Jessica and Lauren.”

Please, please, please.

“Rebekah and Jacob.”

I’m begging here.

“Angelina and Kristen.”

Please no.

“Collin and Anna.”

Oh my God.

“And finally, Taylor and Andrew.”

Fuck.

[paigelts05]

FNAF - *Offended hitman noises*

https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/FNAF-Offended-hitman-noises-842137935

Published: May 17, 2020

He isn't one to question or disobey. However, just this once, he's questioning what's going on. It's only a small question, but he's questioning it. He is in a white rabbit (FNAF world) suit, as I feel for the context, it would fit. You see William Afton, aka the mastermind behind the slaughter sees Vincent Taylor, aka the Hitman behind the slaughter, as a tool, and knowing full well that the hitman’s first failed target can turn into a spirit that looks like the white rabbit, he would make a spring-lock suit that resembles said white rabbit. Then the mastermind would get the hitman to test this suit, knowing damn well how insulting it is for him. Also, I'm drawing his hair up, so it's in a bun so it fits inside the head of a spring-lock suit. Also, yes, that's a needle holding his hair up. He will use it as a weapon, and it's his secondary go-to weapon. Fyi, at the location Vincent Taylor (purple man/ purple guy) works at, back when spring lock suits were used, it was protocol to wear either a black long sleeved t-shirt and leggings (preferred) or a standard uniform with the badges removed (at minimum if t-shirt and leggings were unavailable) when performing in a spring-lock suit.

[snarkwrites]

m | j m & w ➼ c. taylor | m

disclaimer: this is cross posted from my wrestle writing blog @snarkwriteswrasslin in the event that I decide to delete it once I’ve moved all  my chosen posts over. Before anyone tries to be slick and say that I’m stealing writing or anything, lmaooo.

Anonymous:

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character) with Chuck Taylor if not I can bring these back with a different wrestler.

j - jack off { masturbation headcanon}

Chuck is a very horny guy sometimes… and it’s hard to spend long stretches of time away from each other. His way to cope with the lack of sex when he’s on the road is to video chat with you. He gets off on knowing that you’re watching, that you can hear every single grunt, growl and groan as they fall from his mouth. He really loves it when you touch yourself and whimper and moan, get real good and worked up for him while he’s doing his thing on his end. Sometimes, when he finishes first, he’ll sit there and talk dirty to you, biting that lip, watching you work towards getting yourself off, helping as much as he possibly can. An aside to the above.. If you want him to get real good and stirred up real quick? Send him a picture where everything appears normal, but once he looks closer, he’ll realize that you’re not wearing underwear.. Or you can clearly see your nipples straining against the fabric of your shirt… That shit really gets him going, faster than a full on nude, to be perfectly honest.. Or, alternately.. Record yourself moaning his name and whimpering, a real soft and low voice. He’ll be ringing you on video chat in literal seconds upon receipt.

m - motivation {what gets them going, turns them on}

Chuck isn’t into a full on skin show, fyi. He likes the whole dirty picture thing, yeah.. But he likes it where there’s like… Just something random at play (Nipples can be seen through clothing, it’s obvious you’re not wearing underwear, etc) so that’s one way to turn him on when he’s not around. Anything to do with his neck being played with will get him feeling frisky in literally 0.000005 seconds. Kissing him and biting down on his lip/tugging at it when you do kiss him, whew.. That really gets him going. Rubbing your foot up the inside of his legs when you’re out somewhere and sitting at a table. Loves to have his thighs ridden. Massages will get him going too.

w- wild card { a random nsfw headcanon }

Chuck is a huge fan of surprise blow jobs.. Particularly those given when he’s sleeping and you wanna wake him up. If you want to get utterly railed, go down on him while he’s asleep and then let him watch you swallow.

[snarkwriteswrasslin]

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

With Chuck Taylor if not I can bring these back with a different wrestler

oooh. good choice. gooood choice. Let’s do this, shall we? Thank you for sending letters!!! This was so much fun to try doing. I hope you like it, anonymous!!!

If anyone else sends in letters for Chuck, don’t send in J or M, please and thanks???

[ send 3 letters or less from this post and a wrestler and get NSFW answers. ]

Warnings: 

Uhh.. mentions of masturbation / swallowing of body fluids. Very mild M. Kids under 18 for the love of God, go outside and play. It might be mild but ya’ll still do not need to read it.

Tagging:

@kyleoreillysknee

@rampagewriting

@writertoo18

@thatnerdwriter

@wrestlingismyguiltypleasure

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@waywardwrestlewritingwaif

@sassymox

@champbucks

@hungmanhorsecarriage

@wardl0w

@ryantaylorgirl

@dilfmoxley

@hotyeehawman

@gabbynorth98

@bec0m

@irish-newzealand-idian-dutch 

@daddyslittlevillain

@rubyred1980

 [ faq page | masterlist | tag list doc ]

j - jack off { masturbation headcanon}

Chuck is a very horny guy sometimes... and it’s hard to spend long stretches of time away from each other. His way to cope with the lack of sex when he’s on the road is to video chat with you. He gets off on knowing that you’re watching, that you can hear every single grunt, growl and groan as they fall from his mouth. He really loves it when you touch yourself and whimper and moan, get real good and worked up for him while he’s doing his thing on his end. Sometimes, when he finishes first, he’ll sit there and talk dirty to you, biting that lip, watching you work towards getting yourself off, helping as much as he possibly can. An aside to the above.. If you want him to get real good and stirred up real quick? Send him a picture where everything appears normal, but once he looks closer, he’ll realize that you’re not wearing underwear.. Or you can clearly see your nipples straining against the fabric of your shirt... That shit really gets him going, faster than a full on nude, to be perfectly honest.. Or, alternately.. Record yourself moaning his name and whimpering, a real soft and low voice. He’ll be ringing you on video chat in literal seconds upon receipt.

m - motivation {what gets them going, turns them on}

Chuck isn’t into a full on skin show, fyi. He likes the whole dirty picture thing, yeah.. But he likes it where there’s like... Just something random at play (Nipples can be seen through clothing, it’s obvious you’re not wearing underwear, etc) so that’s one way to turn him on when he’s not around. Anything to do with his neck being played with will get him feeling frisky in literally 0.000005 seconds. Kissing him and biting down on his lip/tugging at it when you do kiss him, whew.. That really gets him going. Rubbing your foot up the inside of his legs when you’re out somewhere and sitting at a table. Loves to have his thighs ridden. Massages will get him going too.

w- wild card { a random nsfw headcanon }

Chuck is a huge fan of surprise blow jobs.. Particularly those given when he’s sleeping and you wanna wake him up. If you want to get utterly railed, go down on him while he’s asleep and then let him watch you swallow.

[greymattermaelstrom]

Ozlander Fan Gathering 2020  -   The Rik and Sophie Show

I attended Ozlander in Melbourne. What an incredible weekend so would like to share my Ozlander experience with you. Of course, it was during the very early days of covid-19 which I’ll address shortly. I’d never met any of the cast before, nor any group of like minded fans. Of course, you are usually lucky to know anyone who watch the TV show (not counting a partner) in your circle of friends let alone personally know a group of fans to chat with. It’s funny though, I’m not sure what I expected, but I thought people would have in depth discussions about OL characters/plots during coffee breaks or in line ups for autographs/photos. I didn’t experience that. I think it was a given that we were all deep into OL. Instead, I found we just chatted and got to know each other, ‘Where are you from?’ etc. As this was the first formal Outlander convention held in Australia, this was big news. I bought my ticket the day they were available (Nov 2019). It was a long way off but I knew the gathering would occur a short time after the first few episodes of Outlander S5 were broadcast, so when S5 started airing, my anticipation grew. Prices were steep admittedly, but a number of us felt it may be the first and last opportunity to meet a cast member, so we did what we could to get there (i.e. sell the healthiest child, blackmail the rich, etc).

Article from “The Scottish Banner” Feb 2020.

Unfortunately, 4 weeks out, Ed Speleers withdrew due to work commitments but local, David Berry, was announced as his replacement on the same day. Then 10 days out, Graham McTavish withdrew due to work commitments in Slovakia. No news of a replacement was announced (I learnt at the event that organising a visa etc with Covid-19 developing had made it nigh on impossible to organise a replacement in time). Ozlander organisers revisited the program and added extra value features to the various tiers. The gathering weekend was so close, yet seemed so far away in these uncertain times. Every day, I anticipated receiving an email stating it had been cancelled. I knew the organisers must have been pulling their hair out. Selfishly and as long as it was safe to do so, I was hoping it would still go ahead. The virus was not as advanced in Australia. Most of our relatively low number of cases were brought in by travellers (residents returning or tourists) from Europe/Asia before flying was cancelled. The Federal Government had restricted public gatherings to less than 500 at the time. Attendance was actually under 200.  FYI, below are the global covid-19 stats as of 19 April 2020, a month later. Australia’s population is 25 million.

A few days after the Ozlander event, only crowds of less than 100 were permitted by the govt. We were so, so lucky!! Of course, that reduced further as precautions were implemented over time. We have self-isolation and a lot of business closures, cancellation of sports/entertainment etc. It is dreadful, but not a total lock down in Australia. We could walk dogs and make necessary trips to the supermarket, pharmacy, doctor or special court appearances. Anyway, just wanted to address this concern. ~ Tickets sold well (premium tickets sold out). I saw fans on sm stating the date of the event clashed or it was a bit expensive so I know more wanted to come. Yes, the cost was relatively high. Return airfares for cast, accommodation, plus I assume their appearance fee was always going to be an expensive venture, especially as our AUD had been declining sharply against the USD for some time. Australia can miss out on some things because of distance and a relatively small population, but overall, I think we have done well over the years. ~ Rik (Richard) and Sophie posted IG photos from Melbourne a couple of days before the event. Yay!! They were in the country at least, enjoying the sunsets, cuddling koalas and hypnotising wallabies lol. Sophie posted a selfie from a public toilet (bathroom) - as you do. See Sam’s comment below. Toilet paper was becoming a precious commodity....🤔

So the odds looked good and finally, Ozlander arrived.🥳 Before we took our seats, a lone piper slowly walked into the throng playing Waltzing Matilda (iconic Australian bush ballad) which segued into Outlander's theme song. Goosebumps! Applause all 'round. The piper was a big fan too.

What a thrilling start to proceedings. We took our seats and Meagan Taylor (the one who dared dream the dream), welcomed everyone. The age range of fans was predominately 40-65. We were excited and expectant. Housekeeping announcements focused on coronavirus precautions of course. Wash hands, use hand sanitiser when you can't, no handshaking and no touching the cast. This last request was a little disappointing after seeing photos from other OL cons, but it was quite understandable. I think we were just over the moon Ozlander went ahead so we were more than happy to comply and consider the health and safety of others. Then Meagan had the unenviable task of informing us David Berry had unfortunately cancelled his appearance due to health reasons. Yikes! What a shame. (David released a press statement 15 March(?) outlining his difficult decision. Sydney is Australia's Covid-19 hot spot, so David being a Sydneysider, had to consider this I guess). There are IG photos of David, Rik and Sophie together in Australia, just not sure where. So of course, it surprised everyone that David wasn't attending. Refunds of his meet and great and the re-jigging of tiers was to be announced on the fly. Then there were two, Rik and Sophie (and no pressure whatsoever!)🤪. Meagan then advised that the five panels across the weekend would be all audience Q & A which got a loud cheer. On with the show! The Rik and Sophie show! 🎉 They came on stage ready for a good time. Rik opened with 'G'day'. Great start I thought and continued his half decent Australian accent. It's a hard accent to imitate as we know. Rik's was a bit exaggerated but that was part of the fun. 

‘G’day. ‘How are ya’?’

Sophie in an outfit she bought here. Same brand as Saturday’s dress that she brought with her.

Roger Mac is in da house.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I have seen Rik and Sophie in a lot of interviews, OL promos (talking to camera) and taking part on OL panels on YouTube. I can find their rapport a little strained and snarky at times. Luckily, I was very pleasantly surprised that their 2020 version was very endearing and entertaining. I think they’ve worked on this. I also think, that the spectre of Sam and Cait, through no fault of their own, does loom large at cast events. Therefore, it was great to see Rik and Sophie rise to the challenge of working the room in the absence of their cast mates. And I think they really relished this (albeit exhausting) opportunity and the small theatre made it a casual and intimate affair. They answered questions in an engaging manner and often expanded on it, citing on set examples, many I’ve never heard before, and I’ve seen a lot of OL interviews. Almost as soon as they came on stage, Rik was asked if he would play his guitar and sing for us. While flattered, I think it was too early in the piece and he said maybe he would do so during the weekend sometime. Alas, time wasn’t on our side so it didn’t eventuate. ~ Rik was asked if his hair ticks were under control (ep 501)😂. Combing his fingers through his hair, he replied in his strong Scottish brogue that most of them were gone now. Good sport. ~ He was told the OL bts photos he posts on sm (taken on set) were great and much appreciated and to keep them coming to which the audience applauded. I think he quietly enjoyed that moment. All creatives will take that, knowing their skills and hard work meant something to someone, much like our appreciation for OL and these sorts of events!

Then on to costumes, wigs and make up. It was thought that it must be nice to have your scalp/hair attended to in the makeup. ‘No, it’s not’ R&S said in unison.😂 Verra uncomfortable process apparently. The hair is flattened and held down with clips. The hairline edge of the wig is ‘glued’ to the top of your forehead and then alcohol is used to get the glue off after shooting, which dries the skin. Some hair falls out over time with this process also. We know this has happened to Sam to an extent.😬 Rik is hoping to grow his hair long enough so he doesn’t need a wig, which accounts for his current hirsute glory. ~ Sophie said they both share a make up trailer and added that Rik has a magic make up chair. Being early morning, he often goes to sleep in it and upon waking up, hey presto, it’s Roger Mac. At make up time, they do know if the other is a bit touchy, so they try not to annoy each other. Too much.😂 ~ At one stage, we were a bit shy in asking questions. Meagan said if this was in the US, there’d be a line up for the mic.😂

Ozlander Fan Gathering 2020 selfie. 

~ Sophie responded to a geeky question about wearing wireless mics secreted in their costumes or hair as well using the usual overhead boom mics you see on bts videos. She was asked about her experience with ADR which she’s not a great fan of it. The audience asked, ‘What’s ADR?’ There are a few accepted terms in the industry, Additional Dialogue Replacement is one. It’s when some dialogue needs to be re-recorded late in post production if the original dialogue audio recording at the time is less than optimal for a variety of reasons (thanks Google). Sophie gave an instance when in S4, Bree told Claire she had been raped. The stream in the background got into the dialogue mics too much in this particular outdoor location, so Sophie had to re-record her dialogue (like lip syncing) saying exactly what she said at the time, whilst watching the scene on a screen in a recording studio. It’s hard to get the context and emotion of the scene back into your voice and that’s why some actors hate doing it and plead to have the original dialogue kept as much as possible. But ADR happens more than you realise and for various reasons (see Google). It is impossible to tell when you watch the show, what scenes have had ADR done, it’s blended so well. They would record the stream/ ambient sounds separately at some point and then mix it in lower against the dialogue after ADR is done. 😅

 ~ Sophie talked about her audition process and was sat down in an exec’s office and was told OL fans are very passionate! (we are?🤔😁). They have an idea of how book Brianna should look and Sophie confirmed she wasn’t tall enough, eyes the wrong colour, etc and that yeah, as expected, she received some not so nice things on sm. But she tried not to read too much of it and pressed on with the role of Bree. Her tone wasn’t sarcastic or indignant at all, but humble. I was impressed. 

Queuing for photos with Rik or Sophie on this occasion. We weren’t allowed to touch but we all had a squirt of hand sanitiser (just to be super safe?).🤔            

There were a few photo opportunities over the weekend and a bonus or two thrown in make up for the cast that couldn’t make it. A refund was offered for people with meet and greet tickets for David. However, R & S kindly offered to do a meet and greet for David’s fans instead and they happily accepted. Legends! I don’t know where they found the energy to be constantly ’on’ with so many people over the weekend. Chocolate? Youth?  ~ As it was a small event, there weren’t any extra security staff that I could see. I think it was only the Museum staff and the security cameras which were hardly noticeable. ~ When getting my autographs, Rik and Sophie didn’t ask for my name, but when I read their personal messages, they had used my name (which they’d seen on my Ozlander lanyard. How cool is that? Very slick!). There were assorted costumes, the de rigueur wedding dress of Claire’s which added to the ambience. Of course, most of the audience were women but good to see a handful of men there, some even in kilts! Saw some Aussie Peakers in their MPC tees too. Cool. 

To settle a pronunciation question, Sophie asked the audience after lunch, ‘Is it scone (as in, phone) or scone (as in, shone)? 

An emphatic SCONE (shone) came back. Rik said “Oh, wow, a shouting(?) majority?’ 

Just to be sure, someone asked who lost, Rik pointed at Sophie. He didn’t gloat too much. Poor Sophie!

Of course, what would an OL event be without the cast having a drink or two to lubricate the tonsils (as we say).

Here are a few more tidbits. All the info I’m sharing has been gleaned from the panels and time spent with Rik and Sophie over the weekend as my tier allowed (which was a lot). ~ Yes, they had tried Vegemite (similar to marmite/promite), courtesy of David Berry. Sophie has some in Scotland. Onya Davo! (good on you David). Incidentally, Sam tried some when he was here in 2016 on Studio 10 (morning talk show - March 2016, his interview is on You Tube). It’s a thing. ~ Rik didn’t know if Sam’s whisky would be his cup of tea, but said it was ‘good actually’. ~ Rik was sometimes surprised by the particular take post production used for the show, but was more surprised by what was edited out of a scene (to add dynamics or guide the narrative a certain way which would apply to all productions everywhere). ~ The pyre scene with the Jesuit Priest at the Mohawk Village Ep 412 was hard to watch on TV. He said it was hard to watch them shoot that scene on set as it was so dangerous!😬 ~ Sophie very occasionally discussed the historical accuracy of things in a scene with directors ie. birthing stool or not in Ep 413 and 1960′s The Mashed Potato moves in S5 are different to how we know them now. She convinced the director’s on those 2 occasions. To me, it shows her passion for the show! ~ When asked about Bree meeting Jamie for the first time in S4, Sophie was asked about the eww factor but didn’t think about Jamie’s hand touching her face after he had relieved himself as he had only used a fruit juice bottle.🤣 ~ R & S were asked to respond to: ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!’ And with relish they replied: ‘Oi, Oi, Oi!’. Someone did their homework. Cool. It’s a parochial call and response thing some aussies do at sporting events etc. ~ R & S often went for an early morning run. Before Sunday’s program began, Meagan asked us all to be very quiet. ‘That sound’, she said, ‘is Rik having his hair blown dry backstage.’ Laughter at Rik’s expense all round. Sophie came on with her’s still damp.

Graham McTavish ‘popped’ in from Slovakia to say hi and sorry I can’t be there. Rik and Graham had a good rapport. After some banter, the audience was now supposed to ask a question and GM rolled his eyes as he heard Rik’s voice again, this time asking him what he conditioned his beard with? ‘Well”, said GM, ‘well Richard, um, I, ahh (chuckle), I condition it with...., obviously a little bit of your love ..’. Much laughter in the theatre.

Then GM commented further, (which I missed, sadly), to even more laughter.

Who knows what would have happened had GM been at the event in person?! There is so much more I could share, but you get the idea. 

Sophie wasn’t feeling the best during the last panel just before the close of the event, but she pushed through like a trooper. Rik said she had eaten too much chocolate. A weakness of Sophie’s. I think fatigue was catching up with both of them. They did so much.

Meagan presented Rik and Sophie with an Akubra (pron. uh·koo·bruh) each (iconic Australian outback hat) as a memento of their time here at Ozlander. Rik had the Crocodile Dundee style whilst Sophie’s was more demure. In his best aussie lingo, Rik said: ‘I’m Richard Dundee and this is my partner, Skippy (Sophie).’ (Referencing Skippy the bush kangaroo ? - a much loved Australian TV show 1968-1970). 

The Scottish Banner article promised an intimate relaxed chance to get to know stars from the Outlander TV series and I’m happy to say that this is exactly what we got. Whilst it’s a shame we didn’t get to know Ed, Graham or David better, we certainly got to know Rik and Sophie better than we had ever anticipated. As a result, I see Rik and Sophie in a new light, esp in S5, where they have more scenes together. In a small way, I’ve gotten to know a little of the person that inevitably informs their TV persona (ie facial expressions, mannerisms, speaking cadence and inflections). What a memorable time I had (can you tell?). Thanks to Rik and Sophie, the gathering organisers (who got a special mention on stage at the close) and the other fans I met there. Thanks for reading this far on a rather lengthy post.😊 I know it’s my take on the weekend, but I’ve tried not to editorialise it, but present it, as accurately as I can, hence, it may be a bit dry to read.😅  I think Ozlander is a great name and I look forward to Ozlander Fan Gathering 2021.  

Ozlander graphics: Ozlander Fan Gathering (I tweaked the circle logo in the title)

Ozlander Fan Gathering 2020 selfie: Ozlander Fan Gathering

other photos: all permissions obtained    

Ozlander Fan Gathering article: The Scottish Banner February 2020

Sophie Skelton post: Instagram

global covid-19 cases stats: Wikipedia

[nowitsdarkfic]

hanging out with joey would include

First of all, he’d be really sweet to you. No strings attached, either—even if you’re a guy, he’ll be a darling to you. 

He’ll hold the door for you. 

He’ll tell you if that shirt looks good on you—he might even tell you if it doesn’t, because he was once caught wearing his mom’s leopard print top over leather pants, he KNOWS what ridiculousness looks like.

You guys probably met on accident, like he was standing next to you in the beer line and he overheard you singing “Oh Sherrie” to yourself and he thought it’d be a good idea to break out in song with you. Or you guys kept rubbing butts together when the walls of the concert halls got a little too tight.

He’s not really looking for anyone but he wouldn’t mind spending an hour or five with a lovely young lady such as yourself.

Don’t let his old stoney/resting bitch face fool you, especially since he’s had it since he was an adolescent. Even so much as saying hi to him is enough to coax a smile so bright, you would think the Indian summer is upon us.

He blushes... a lot, especially when you tell him he’s one of your favorite singers. You know, he’s like “me? No wayyyyy.”

Dirty jokes. Absolutely filthy and naughty, and to the point you wonder if he’s sure about not wanting someone.

He’s the kind of guy who’s a total gentleman but at the end of the day, he’s got a dick and he knows how to use it. 

There’s a little twinkle in those brown eyes when you least expect it but he knows he’ll make you laugh because he’s just that good.

Pizza. Penne with prosciutto. Coffee. Lots of coffee. He might even take yours if you don’t finish it. No booze: too many times Scott and Frankie threatened to leave if he didn’t put down the bottle.

You better be a music fan otherwise you have no business being there. So help me.

You play music, oh boy!!!

If you’re a drummer, he’ll suggest jamming with you. 

If you’re a guitarist, he’ll look at you all coy and ask for a lesson in a small voice.

He’ll do that but get uncomfortably close to your face and pucker his lips if you play piano.

You remember that his aunt likes to call him sassy and ho-oh-oh-oh boy does it show. 

You think he’s gonna be like “please...” and he’ll be thinking “bitch” before then and “get out” afterwards if they fuck up the set of Madhouse. Again. The boy likes to perform and play with his hair.

#geddyleeorbust

“The White Album on creamy vinyl is a surefire way to make me cream my jeans.”

When you guys are at that weird stage in which you’re not sure if he likes you more than a friend, compliment on his butt and see how he reacts to it. 

If he blushes and covers up, you’re not there yet.

If he giggles and says “nah”, it’s getting there.

Notice how he behaves with Charlie and Danny. You watch him put an arm around Danny’s shoulders and cuddle him like he’s a little teddy bear and you low-key want him to hold you like that.

He and Charlie like to shop around for vinyl, but something tells you that it’s all for you, baby doll.

His high-waisted jeans accentuate his legs and his hips so much you’d think they’re going up to ya-ya.

Ah, upstate New York. Even saying the name beckons a feeling of fresh fallen snow.

Take his word for it when he tells you to wear a coat and a sweater. 

Take his word for it when he tells you to watch your step, even if there’s nothing there, especially if there’s nothing there. Trust me, it’s upstate. There’s always something underfoot, even when there isn’t.

You ask him if his hockey mask really is made just for him and he dares you to put it on. He’s got those full cheekbones, that straight Roman nose, and those odd, almost gaunt dimples in his cheeks, good luck 🙃 

He wants to give you a dream catcher because they keep the nightmares away, and this is where you start to wonder if there’s something more between the two of you, like if he sees you as more than just a new friend to bring home to Ma.

You find he’s got about twenty different wristwatches and five identical pairs of black Chuck Taylors and yet he’s hardly got anything to eat. Except for pasta. He’s lousy with it.

He’s not a very good cook, but he tries, though. Oh, does he try—the other side of his heritage is Italian after all. 

But his hand shakes from the pressure of cooking for a guest and from the fear of legitimately setting a pot of water on fire, and so you assist him. 

You stand next to him and you make sure he has a rolling boil for pasta.

He puts his hands in the butt pockets of his jeans and you make out a lovely curve to his hips.

In fact, this is where you start to see him as... kinda cute. He’s trying his best for you even when he screws up, because he likes you

You remember that his butt is soft, and it’s kind of a weird thing to recall from when you guys met. Kind of.

He’s got back, as in baby got back—he is a Libra, you know. Libras are the kings and queens of the derrière.

You also remember his hair feeling weirdly soft, too, even though it’s so coarse.

And then that voice--oh, holy fuck, that voice! You could hear him sing the phone book and it’d be the hottest thing ever.

You look at his hips and you wonder if it’s subconscious on his part, like if he’s trying to flex for you.

As a matter of fact, you take a closer look at his sinewy arms and find that yes, he is flexing.

You start to wonder about his chest, and then his stomach, and of course, his thighs and the space between.

You examine the full shape of his thighs, prominent and striking on his slender body. Gosh, he’s so thin, but his hips and thighs are actually quite sensual. Voluptuous and healthily thick. Sexy, in fact. 

You think of touching them and kissing the insides of them. It’s a fleeting thought but it’s there. You think it.

No, no. You don’t wanna think about him like that. He’s not looking for anything and he’s just being kind to you.

But gosh. His thighs are tempting. He’s looking a little lush right now, too. Think about it: he brought you home with him, he’s been nothing but sweet to you, and most of all, you got to touch his butt!

And then he looks at you with those deep eyes and those sensual lips and says “you wanna put the linguine in or should I do it?”

And then you go ahead and do it for him because you don’t want his beautiful body splashed with boiling hot water.

He likes to eat. Well, you might’ve noticed that from before but HAHAHAHAHA you only saw the tip of the iceberg.

When he’s full, he gives his black hair a toss before he leans back in his chair and sets his hands on his svelte, slim tummy for a gentle massage. Something about it so comforting and... erotic.

He’s relaxed and feeling soft. He’s vulnerable.

Is he flirting with you? You don’t really know. But oh. my. god... you’re... finding him very attractive right now.

I mean, shit. You just had dinner together. And you know the old proverb: “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” He’s showing you his body in the most relaxed state you have ever seen.

He closes his eyes and sets a hand on the side of his face.

Okay, he’s definitely flirting with you.

You start to wonder what you would look like as a couple.

You start to wonder what he’s like in bed. The skin in his thighs... the skin... elsewhere.

“Lights on or off?”

Oh fuck. You’ve really fallen down the rabbit hole now. You just wanted an innocuous friendship but you find yourself feeling moist. He’s so tempting and you’re starting to feel hot.

It’s intense, especially when he offers you dessert.

Chocolate gelato.

(And FYI: chocolate is an aphrodisiac.)

He asks you for whipped cream on top of his. Let that sink in.

At one point, he offers you a bite of his and he feeds it to you.

A gentle groan emerges from your throat, especially when your eyes lock and he shows you the tip of his tongue.

Oh, no.

Oh... OH, NO.

Oh YEAH!

He asks you if you’re staying at one of the hotels in Oswego, and when you say no, he offers you to spend the night with him.

When the two of you finally do go to bed--he in his own bed and you on his nice comfy couch--you can’t help but think of him, laying there in bed with no shirt on...

And you wonder if he’s thinking of you... if you know what I mean.

And the next time you see each other, he’s still very friendly to you but he never goes any further than the simple platonic behavior of a friendship. 

And you wonder if your feelings are reciprocated.

You wonder if he’s feeling something for you but he’s just wary of telling you for... whatever reason.

Ruin the friendship? Wanting to stay true to his word? What the fuck.

In fact, it kinda drives you nuts (yes, that was intended). So many mixed signals but you can’t help yourself.

You look at his thighs some more and you want to touch them SO MUCH.

Indeed, you catch him looking at your chest. It’s a fleeting glance but he does it. You caught him in the act.

He starts acting odd, too: leaving things out, forgetting things, tripping on his words, getting flustered easily... so unlike Joey, what gives?

But remember what I said, though: compliment his butt and see how he reacts to it.

If he blushes, it’s not there yet. If he brushes it off, go for it, baby doll.

[thetourguidebarbie]

The emergency contact one??

From a list of exes to lovers prompts. I wrote this in one sitting at work, so no readover, but I hope you guys like it! Dedicated to @goldcaught, who had to sit with the fact that I was writing a kc threesome like a champ. I can’t tell if the cut worked. Sorry!

xxx

Caroline froze as the familiar opening notes of a very pointed break up song blared out from her phone, too surprised to reach for it. She’d never expected Klaus to call her again, and the fact that he’d have known she’d be at work made her even less inclined to give him the time of day.

“Taylor Swift? Really?” her officemate drawled.

Caroline resisted the urge to attack Liv with the nearest heavy office supply, settling for an icy glare. The clip started over and Caroline snatched the phone from her desk to silence it, hesitating at the words on the screen.

Klaus (Work)

Why would he be calling from his office phone? She only had the number for emergencies when he wasn’t answering his personal phone, and even when he had called her from work it had always been on his cell. “I have to take this,” Caroline said. It could be important, right? Why else would he call?

It wasn’t that she still wanted to hear his stupid smug voice.

In a rare showing of being able to read the fucking room, Liv excused herself, closing the office door behind her.

Caroline swallowed, swiping across the screen before she lost her nerve and holding it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hi. Is this Caroline Forbes?” a definitely American, definitely female voice asked.

Caroline frowned. “Yeah. Why—“

“You’re Klaus’s emergency contact, right?”

Caroline felt her heart drop to her stomach, her lungs suddenly feeling like lead. “Yeah, I’m his...Is he...Is something wrong?”

She felt like she couldn’t breathe, her hands shaking so hard that she nearly dropped the phone as the woman talked. There had been an accident, she said. Someone had been going down the stairs on their phone and had knocked into him. He’d fallen a few flights of stairs. Four or five, maybe? She wasn’t sure, but of course they’d called the ambulance immediately. That she understood that it must be a shock, and the company was so sorry. The company’s thoughts were with her at this difficult time, of course. It must be a bit overwhelming, she knew, but they did have his briefcase and a few personal belongings, and if Caroline might want to—

“What hospital?” Caroline interrupted impatiently. “Where is he?”

“St. John’s Medical Foundation. But we just have one or two things for you to sign—“

“If you think I’m going to drive across town to sign paperwork when my fiance is in the hospital—“

“Of course, I just meant—“

“Send someone over with his stuff,” Caroline said impatiently, already grabbing her purse and pulling on her jacket. “Consider me notified. Bye.”

She didn’t think twice about rushing out, Liv giving her a sympathetic look when Caroline explained briefly where she was going, promising to pass the news along to Meredith.

Her fingers were shaking as she walked through the parking lot pawing through her purse for her keys, and she swore when she realized she left them on her desk. Waiting for her uber took too much time, gave her an opportunity to think about why she was dropping everything to make sure he was okay. They’d broken up six months ago after a colossal argument that had left her sobbing and raw, his expression stoney and resolute as he packed an overnight bag.

He hadn’t even come to get his things, and it wasn’t like she was going to do him the favor of gathering them. All of his stuff was in boxes in the garage, pushed against the wall and neatly labeled. It was her house after all, her Mom having left her everything she owned, and Klaus could more than afford movers to gather his stuff and bring it to his new probably-swanky apartment in a highrise.

He had probably held off just to be petty, to make her look at his stuff and feel her heart break all over again. She hated that she still missed him, had blocked Rebekah’s number after the thinly-veiled hints that Klaus missed her too.

Of course he did. She was a fucking catch.

She shivered, regretting her decision to wear a light jacket. It wasn’t like she expected to be standing in the freezing cold waiting for April-in-a-white-Prius relitigating all of her Klaus-related feelings, but still.

The drive wasn’t any better, the jaunty Christmas music on the radio only making everything worse. April apparently didn’t have any understanding of how social cues worked, trying to engage her in a conversation about holiday plans despite Caroline’s short answers, and she was thankful when they finally pulled up to the hospital.

When she arrived at Klaus’s hospital room she felt her throat close, her eyes filling with tears. He had his eyes closed, though it wasn’t clear whether he was sleeping or unconscious. The nurse that arrived a few minutes later gave her a small smile, gesturing to the guest chair by the bed.

“He’ll be fine,” she said, giving Caroline a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “He was lucky. A concussion isn't anything to sneeze at of course, but with a little rest he’ll be fine. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he stays in bed. We’ll keep him until tonight to get all his injuries sterilized and wrapped up and then I’ll get you some instructions for his care. If all goes well you can take him home tonight.”

“Me?” Caroline squeaked, belatedly realizing at the nurse’s raised eyebrows that of course the nurse would think that was why she was there. “Um, okay.”

What was she supposed to do? Say no? Let him rot?

“You can stay until then if you like. He’s just sleeping.”

“Thanks,” Caroline said, feeling a bit awkward. She pulled out her phone, hoping for a distraction.

[Bonnie]: Are you okay?? Liv said you’re at the hospital!!

[Bonnie]: Caroline???

[Bonnie]: Do I need to come over?????

Caroline winced, trying to weigh how to respond.

[Caroline]: I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’m apparently still Klaus’s emergency contact. He fell down the stairs, apparently.

[Bonnie]: Good.

[Caroline]: OMG BONNIE!!!!!!!!

[Bonnie]: Am I supposed to pretend to like him again?

[Caroline]: Not sure yet. Stay tuned.

[Caroline]: btw can you do me a favor?

[Bonnie]: Depends...

[Caroline]: Can you drive my car to the hospital? Keys are on my desk.

[Caroline]: I’ll pay for your uber back AND buy you dinner.

[Bonnie]: Fine. I’m about to leave work anyway.

Caroline sent a string of heart emojis and looked up when she heard a groan, catching her breath when Klaus stirred, his eyes opening slowly.

She licked her dry lips, resisting the urge to grab his hand. “Hey.”

He moved his head to look at her fast enough that he winced, reaching to touch his head and swearing under his breath.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” she said, knowing she sounded like she was scolding but not particularly caring. “I’ll call the nurse. I know you hate that.”

He snorted, laying back against the pillows.

“Why’re you here?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Hi to you too, you jerk. FYI its because your work called. Apparently you weren’t organized enough to change your emergency contact.”

“Did you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course,” she lied, feeling a pang in her chest when she saw a flash of hurt. “What? You were pretty clear about not wanting me to bother you.”

He took a deep, shaky breath. “And yet, you’re here.”

“Do you want me to go? I’m happy to leave you to have a pity party all by yourself.”

“Don’t go,” he said quickly, too quickly, and she felt a bit satisfied at his hasty answer even though she knew she shouldn’t.

She sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, and he sighed, staring at the ceiling. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

“You don’t get to call me that.”

His lips thinned, and they lingered in awkward silence for a few seconds before she changed the subject. “The nurse said you can go home tonight. I’ll drive you.”

“All right.”

“You’re welcome.”

He smiled slightly, still not looking at her. “Thank you, Caroline. I do appreciate you taking the time. Truly.”

She huffed. “Whatever.”

She checked the clock, wondering when the nurse would be back. She was starting to regret coming, was mad at herself that she’d thought there would even be a slight chance of him being anything but a total asshole. She should have learned her lesson, honestly.

“Why are you really here, Caroline?”

“I told you, your work called, and—“

“You could have texted Bekah or Elijah. Or Kol, if you felt like being particularly vindictive. Lord knows I don’t deserve your help after what I did.” She smiled slightly. That he was totally right about, at least. “But you’re here. Why?”

She sighed, staring past his bed at the shades of the hospital window. “I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she admitted. “Yeah, we broke up, but we were together for four years. It’s not like I stopped caring about you just because you were a Grade-A jerk.”

He looked almost confused when she met his eyes. Surprised. Hopeful, even?

She looked down at her hands, clearing her throat. “Anyway, I’ll just—“

“I never stopped loving you, Caroline,” he interrupted, and she looked up at him in surprise.

“Umm...Thanks?”

His lips twisted into a smile that held no humor. “I tried to. Pretended that what happened wasn’t at all my fault. Hoped I could walk away and let you go, and I couldn’t.”

“What happened was your fault,” she couldn’t help but point out, her need for I-told-you-sos a convenient excuse to ignore how quickly her dumb traitor heart was melting.

His lips quirked, his hand moving as though he was hoping to take hers. “I want to be with you, Caroline.”

“You have a concussion and just nearly died. I don’t think now is the time for big confessions.”

“I’ve wanted to say it since the moment I left.”

“Then why didn’t you?” she asked, trying to quell the hurt but giving up almost immediately, letting her voice shake.

“I didn’t think you wanted...” he trailed off, but she waited for him to finish. “Me. Us.”

“You never asked.”

“Do you?” he asked, looking at her with clear trepidation.

“I did,” she said slowly, not meeting his eyes. “I mean, I do in theory, but...”

“But I was a prick,” he finished.

“To put it nicely.”

He was quiet for a second before taking a deep breath and giving her the same look that had always stolen the breath from her lungs. “It’s your choice, of course. But I love you, Caroline. And I’m sorry for hurting you.”

She swallowed. “Thanks.”

She wanted to forgive him, couldn’t imagine her life without him, and every part of her was screaming for her to admit what both of them knew, that she wanted him too.

“One chance,” she said finally.

“One is all I need, sweetheart. I promise.”