#AT&T Center

[divina-madonna]

"THE REBEL HEART TOUR"

[subsidystadium]

If the current San Antonio Spurs arena never lived up to its economic promises, why would another new arena be any different?

The San Antonio Express-News continues to write article, after article, after article on the Spurs’ interest in moving to a new arena. As time goes on, more and more of these articles include statements that a new arena could be a “potential downtown revitalization project” that brings “together sports, dining and drinking”. The Spurs believe that a new arena would “revitalize downtown”. Except,…

[rootedinrevisions]

One of Them Girls

Summary: Inspired by the song "One of Them Girls" by Lee Brice. While enjoying a night out with friends at a local bar, your evening takes an interesting turn when famous storm chaser Tyler Owens arrives with his crew. Confident and charming, Tyler quickly becomes the center of attention. But you remain unimpressed, playing it cool despite his obvious attempts to flirt. What unfolds next is a night of back and forth between you and Tyler.

Warnings: Alcohol Consumption, Wagering (Friendly Bet)

Word Count: 4.1k

You were sitting on the patio of the local bar, enjoying the evening air and the company of your friends, when the sound of a truck engine caught your attention. Turning your head, you saw a red Dodge pickup truck pull into the parking lot, its exterior covered in gear and storm-chasing equipment. The truck's driver, a familiar face.

It was Tyler Owens, the charismatic storm chaser who had dubbed himself the Tornado Wrangler with over a million followers on his YouTube channel. You'd seen his videos, filled with thrilling footage of him chasing down tornadoes and navigating wild weather. He exuded confidence and energy, and he clearly thrived on the attention.

Behind him, an older RV rolled up, its loudspeaker system blaring country music that added to the lively ambiance of the bar. The driver honked the horn, grabbing the attention of everyone on the patio. Conversations paused around you, and heads turned to watch the crew make their entrance. It wasn't every day that a storm-chasing team rolled into town, and the buzz of excitement in the air was contagious.

You watched as Tyler got out of his truck, a crowd of excited fans already gathering around him. The man who appeared to be the cameraman of the operation jumped out of the passenger seat and ran around the front of the truck just as Tyler exited. Tyler opened the driver's door and stood up, bracing himself with one hand on the bars surrounding the truck and raising the other hand in the air to acknowledge his fans. A bright white smile spread across his face as he placed a cowboy hat on top of his head.

"Hey T, tell the folks how you're feeling?" The cameraman, Boone, called out, pointing the camera at Tyler.

Tyler looked directly at the camera and said "I'm feeling pretty good, Boone." He then turned to the crowd, his energy infectious, and called out his catchphrase, "And if you feel it..." he paused, letting the crowd finish the line with a loud, "Chase it!"

Tyler, clearly enjoying the moment, amped up the crowd even more. "I said if you feel it, chase it!" The crowd responded with even more enthusiasm, their voices echoing around the patio.

"Oh, it was a beautiful day," Tyler declared, his smile widening as the cameraman stopped recording. With that, Tyler and his crew began to make their way into the bar, being slowed by fans trying to get an autograph or picture with Tyler.

Back inside the bar, you and your friends had returned to your usual spot at the end of the bar. It had been five or ten minutes since Tyler's crew had pulled up, and they were just now making their way inside after taking photos and signing autographs. You were mindlessly peeling the label off your Bud Light bottle as your friend talked about her most recent breakup. Though you nodded occasionally, your mind began to wander, tuning out the conversation.

Your gaze drifted across the room, landing on Tyler as he made his way towards the bar. You took in his appearance, noting every detail. His dirty and worn boots and his blue Wrangler jeans fit better than should be legal. His button-up shirt was damp from a day spent in the rain, clinging to his frame in a way that only accentuated his rugged charm. The signature cowboy hat atop his head and that ever-present beautiful smile completed the picture.

As you continued to watch, Tyler's eyes met yours from where he stood about halfway down the bar. His grin widened slightly, and he shot you a playful wink. You raised an eyebrow, unfazed, and turned back to your beer bottle, peeling the label with renewed focus. One of your friends, having caught the exchange, nudged you with a teasing grin.

"Really? Not even a blush for THE Tyler Owens?" she whispered, loud enough for your little group to hear.

You shrugged nonchalantly. "He's just a guy, right?" you replied, playing it cool despite the flutter in your chest.

Your friend's eyes widened in disbelief. "Just a guy? Have you seen his YouTube channel? He's a legend!"

"A legend for making jeans look that good," another one of your friends added.

You laughed, shaking your head. "Legend or not, he's still just a guy."

Your friends laughed, and the conversation continued, but you couldn't help sneaking another glance at Tyler, wondering if he was used to getting such a non-reaction.

About half an hour had passed since Tyler and his crew had settled into the bar. You were perched on a bar stool, peeling the label off your second Bud Light bottle of the night. Your friends had migrated over to the jukebox, dancing on the makeshift dance floor the bar owners had put together, leaving you alone at the bar.

You glanced up and saw Tyler walking towards you, that ever-present grin on his face. He approached casually, stopping in front of the stool next to you. "Is anyone sitting here?" he asked, his tone light.

Tyler took a seat, his charm turned up to the full volume. "I'm Tyler," he said, as if you didn't already know.

You played along, giving him a slight smile. "Nice to meet you, Tyler. I'm (Your Name)."

"It's a pleasure to meet a real-life angel," he said, eyes twinkling with amusement.

You laughed out loud, rolling your eyes. "Wow, that's original."

He chuckled, unphased by your reaction. "Can I get you to dance with me?" he asked, nodding towards the dance floor.

You shook your head immediately. "No, thanks."

Tyler leaned back slightly, still smiling. "Come on, just one dance."

"Nope," you replied, your voice firm but still amused.

He tried one last time, his persistence evident but not overbearing. "Are you sure? I promise I won't step on your toes."

You shook your head again, and Tyler finally raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Maybe another time then," he said with a wink. "Enjoy your night, (Your Name)."

He stood up and headed back to where his friends were, leaving you with a curious mix of amusement and intrigue about the lengths he'd go to win you over.

As soon as Tyler walked away, your friends quickly made their way back to you, their faces lit with excitement and curiosity.

"So, what did he say?" One of them asked, practically bouncing on her toes. "What did he want?"

You took a sip of your beer, trying to play it cool. "He just wanted to chat and asked me to dance."

Your friends' eyes widened in shock. "He asked you to dance? And you said no?"

You nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of your mouth. "Yep, I told him no."

They stared at you as if you'd just revealed you were a secret agent. "Are you serious? Tyler Owens? Most women would kill for a chance to dance with him!"

You shrugged nonchalantly. "He's just a guy, remember?"

Your friends shook their heads, laughing and exchanging incredulous looks. "You're unbelievable. But hey, at least you got his attention!"

You chuckled, enjoying the playful banter, and took another sip of your beer. Despite what you had said earlier, you were secretly hoping Tyler would make another move. Or at least try to.

You were leaning against the wall near the pool tables, watching your friends play a game. The bar's dim lighting cast a warm glow over the tables, creating a cozy yet competitive atmosphere. Tyler spotted you from across the room and made his way over, his grin still firmly in place.

"Hey," Tyler said as he approached.

"Hey Tyler," you said returning his smile.

"Looks like you aren't too busy, how about a game of pool?"

You glanced at the open table and raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure...but what's the wager?"

Tyler looked intrigued. "Wager?"

"Yeah," you said, a mischievous glint in your eye. If I win, you pay for my next drink, whatever I want."

Tyler's grin widened. "And if I win?"

"You get that dance you were asking for earlier," you said with a smirk.

He extended his hand, and you shook on it. "Deal."

You started the game by playing the role of a novice, pretending not to know the rules or how to handle the cue stick. Tyler, ever confident, offered you the opportunity to break.

"Want to take the first shot?" Tyler asked with a grin.

You picked up the white cue ball and placed it in the center of the table. Looking over at Tyler, you asked, "Is this where it's supposed to go? I've only played once or twice."

Tyler's grin widened. "You're doing perfect so far. Just hit it towards the other balls with a good hit."

You took a deep breath and struck the cue ball. It cracked again the racked balls with a satisfying thud, scattering them across the table. Tyler's eyebrows shot up as he watched them spread, clearly impressed.

"Well, that was a good break," he admitted, though he assumed it was just a stroke of luck.

You lined up for your first shot, aiming carefully. As you sent one of the balls rolling smoothly into a pocket, you looked over at Tyler with a playful smile. "Am I doing this right?:

Tyler chuckled, shaking his head. "You're not just doing it right - you're making me look bad."

With each shot, you continued to maneuver the balls with impressive skill, all the while maintaining your guise of a casual player. Tyler's initial confidence slowly gave way to a mix of admiration and mock frustration as he realized you were far more adept than you'd let on.

In the end, you won decisively, with a victorious smile on your face. Tyler threw up his hands in mock frustration."Alright, you got me. Guess I owe you a drink."

You laughed, returning the cue sticks to the rack. Tyler led you back towards the bar. "A man's nothing if not true to his word," he said guiding you to the counter.

He flagged down the bartender and ordered a drink for himself before turning to you, "And for the lady, what'll it be?"

You made your choice, and as Tyler paid for it, you couldn't help but feel a thrill of satisfaction. The playful banter and easy chemistry between you were quickly becoming one of the highlights of your night.

As the night wore on, the bar began to clear out. People slowly paid their tabs and headed home, leaving the once bustling room quieter and more intimate. The music had softened, creating a relaxed atmosphere that almost felt private.

All your friends had left by now. One of them had offered to stay so you wouldn't be alone, but you insisted she go home. "I'll let you know when I get home safe," you promised.

Before she left, she teased you, nudging you with a grin. "You better tell us if anything happens with Tyler!"

You rolled your eyes, amused. "He's just a guy, you know. And we are roommates, so you'd definitely find out if anything happened."

"Should I leave a blanket and pillow on the couch for him, then?" She teased before giving you a quick hug and making her way out of the bar.

Your attention shifted to Tyler, who was now alone at the bar. His crew had left, and he seemed to be enjoying a rare moment of solitude.

Taking a deep breath, you made your way over to him. As you approached, you asked, "Is anyone sitting here?" Gesturing to the stool next to him.

Tyler looked up, surprised by your move. "No, go ahead," he said, his smile returning as he gestured for you to take a seat.

You sat down next to him, feeling the subtle shift in the night's energy. The bar's quiet hum and the soft light made the moment feel unexpectedly intimate.

As you settled onto the stool next to Tyler, the soft lighting and the quiet hum of the bar created a cozy atmosphere.

"So, how were the storms today?" You asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

Tyler leaned back, taking a sip of his drink. "Eh, they were okay. Nothing too dramatic. No big tornadoes or close calls like the viewers love. Just a regular chase day."

You nodded, intrigued. "That's too bad. I guess those big moments are what makes the videos so exciting."

"Yeah, they definitely get the adrenaline pumping," Tyler agreed, his gaze shifting from the bar to you. "But enough about me. What's your story? What are you doing in a small town like this?"

You considered his question for a moment before answering. "Actually, this is where I grew up. I graduated a while ago and didn't really know what I wanted to do next, so I stayed on the farm to help my parents out while I figured things out."

"That sounds pretty grounded," Tyler said, his tone genuinely interested. "So, what's next for you? Any big plans?"

You shrugged. "I'm still figuring that out. For now, I'm just here, helping out."

Tyler nodded thoughtfully before turning the conversation back to himself. "And what about me? How did I end up wrangling tornadoes?"

"Yeah, I was curious about that," you said. "How did you get into storm chasing?"

Tyler's eyes lit up with a mix of nostalgia and passion. "Well, I've always loved storms. Ever since I was a kid, they fascinated me. But it wasn't until a few years ago, after a really bad close call during a bull ride, that I decided to make a change. That bull ride nearly ended my life, and I figured if I was going to be on the edge, I might as well do it in a way I love. So I put together a crew of close friends and started recording our chases, and one viral video led to another. Before I knew it, 'Tornado Wrangler' just stuck."

You listened, captivated by his story. "That's pretty amazing. It sounds like it's been quite the journey for you."

Tyler chuckled, a hint of humility in his voice. "Yeah, it's been a wild ride. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

The conversation flowed effortlessly, and soon you found yourself delving into more personal topics.

"So, do you have a girlfriend or anything?" you asked, trying to keep the tone light but curious.

Tyler let out a thoughtful sigh. "Not at the moment. I get a lot of attention from fans, but being on the road all the time makes it hard to really connect with anyone."

You nodded sympathetically. "That sounds rough. It must be hard to balance everything."

"Yeah, it's a challenge sometimes," Tyler agreed, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability. "What about you? Any interesting stories from your love life?"

You laughed softly, a hint of self-depreciation in your tone. "Oh, my love life - or lack thereof - is pretty sad, to be honest. It's hard to find anyone in a town this small, especially when you've known most of the guys your age since preschool."

Tyler raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? So you've never met anyone that you were interested in? That sounds like a tough situation."

"It is," you admitted with a shrug. "And I'm not exactly the type of girl guys usually choose first. I'm a little quiet and shy, and a lot of guys think I'm stubborn and hard to break through to."

Tyler chuckled softly. "I'm sure that's not entirely true. Everyone's got their own charm, even if it's not always obvious at first."

You smiled, appreciating his attempt to reassure you. "Thanks, Tyler. I guess we all have our own struggles."

"Definitely," Tyler agreed. "But it's nice to have someone to talk to who gets it."

The conversation continued, with both of you letting down your guards a bit more, enjoying the rare moment of honest connection amidst the bar's quiet backdrop.

The night was winding down, and the bar was now a quiet sanctuary with only a few patrons scattered around. The soft music playing created an almost magical atmosphere. You felt a sense of calm settle over you as you looked over at Tyler, who was leaning against the bar, eyes catching yours.

With a mix of anticipation and nerves, you softly said, "You know, I think I'd like to take you up on that dance," you said, surprising him with your decision.

Tyler's eyes widened, and a genuine smile spread across his face. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice laced with excitement.

You nodded, feeling a flutter of nerves and excitement. Tyler slid off his bar stool and extended his hand towards you. With a deep breath, you took his hand. He intertwined his fingers with yours, giving you a look as if seeking confirmation. You returned the gesture with a gentle squeeze, letting him know you were comfortable with the contact.

Tyler led you towards the dance floor, his steps confident but gentle. As you reached the floor, he carefully placed one hand on yours and moved his other hand to your waist. The touch was light but firm, and he drew you closer, though your chests didn't quite touch yet.

The two of you began to sway side to side in time with the music, the silence between you punctuated only by the soft melody playing in the background. The world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you in your own little bubble.

As the song moved into the second verse, Tyler's hand slid from your waist to your lower back. With a careful and deliberate motion, he pulled you gently into him, closing the distance until your chests were touching. The warmth of his body pressed against yours, and the rhythm of the music guided your movements.

You could feel the steady beat of his heart, and as you swayed together, the intimacy of the moment grew. Tyler's grip was tender yet secure, and you found yourself relaxing into his embrace, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest as you both moved in sync.

The dance was slow and tender, each movement a soft conversation between your bodies. The world outside seemed to disappear, leaving just the two of you, wrapped in a dance that spoke volumes without needing words.

As the dance continued, Tyler's touch grew more confident. His hand on your lower back slid up to your waist, and you instinctively wrapped both of your arms around his neck, pulling yourself closer to him. The move felt natural as if you were meant to be in this close embrace.

Tyler's hat, which had been perched atop his head, was suddenly tossed aside with a casual flick of his wrist. It landed somewhere out of sight, but you didn't notice. All your focus was on him and the closeness you shared. His forehead gently pressed against yours, and you could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with yours. The sensation was intimate, his breath soft and warm against your skin.

The world around you seemed to dissolve as you both maintained this closeness. Tyler's eyes, now only inches from yours, were soft and focused. The gentle rise and fall of his chest against yours synchronized with the rhythm of the music, creating a soothing, rhythmic dance that was more than just physical.

The space between you was filled with unspoken words, a quiet intensity that neither of you needed to voice. Every subtle movement, every shift of his body, seemed to deepen the connection you both felt, making the dance a private exchange that was as much about the closeness and shared warmth as it was about the music.

As you swayed together, the intimacy between you deepened. Tyler's movements became slower, more deliberate, and he began to lean in just a little closer, his face coming nearer to yours. The moment felt charged, his intention clear as he seemed to be inching towards a kiss.

Your heart raced with anticipation, the closeness and warmth of his breath mixing with a subtle thrill of excitement. Tyler's lips were almost close enough to brush against yours when suddenly, the bartender's voice cut through the intimate silence.

"Last call, folks!" the bartender announced loudly. "Everyone needs to pay their tabs and head on out!"

The interruption was jarring, and Tyler halted his movement, his breath now mingling with yours in a mix of warmth and surprise. He straightened up, giving you a sheepish grin. "Well, I guess that's our cue," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

You both laughed softly, the tension of the moment dissipating as the reality of the bar closing in on you settled. Tyler gently released his hold on you, and you reluctantly began to move away from the dance floor, the spell of the moment broken but not forgotten.

As you made your way back to your barstool, you reached into your purse to retrieve your wallet, only to realize with a sinking feeling that your roommate must have grabbed your bag by mistake when she left earlier. You had hoped to settle your tab without any trouble, but now you faced the awkward situation of having the wrong purse.

You turned to the bartender, who had been a friendly face during your many visits. "Hey, I think I've got the wrong purse," you said, trying to hide your embarrassment. "Is there any chance I could come back tomorrow to pay for my tab?"

Before the bartender could respond, Tyler stepped in with a grin. "Hey, don't sweat it," he said, his voice warm and reassuring. "I'll take care of it."

You started to protest, but Tyler gently cut you off. He slid his card across the bar and gestured to the bartender. "Put both tabs on this," he said with a wink.

The bartender raised an eyebrow but nodded, taking Tyler's card and beginning to process the payment. You looked at Tyler, a mix of gratitude and surprise in your eyes. "You really don't have to—"

Tyler just shrugged, his smile playful. "Consider it a token of appreciation for the dance. And hey, I owe you a drink, remember?"

You chuckled, touched by his gesture. You and Tyler stood outside the bar, the rain starting to pick up around you. You exchanged numbers with a smile, your fingers brushing against his as you typed in your contact details. He gave you a quick, friendly hug before pulling away, saying, "Goodnight," and heading towards his truck.

You watched him get into his truck, then pulled out your phone to call a taxi, only to realize you had no signal. You sighed, glancing around the deserted street, the dark and the rain making the thought of walking home less appealing. The house you shared with your roommate was only a ten-minute walk away, but the weather was less than ideal.

As you began to make your way towards the street, the sound of a horn blared through the night. You turned to see Tyler's truck pulling up beside you. He rolled down the window, his concerned eyes finding yours. "Hey, what are you doing out here?"

You explained the situation, your voice a mix of frustration and resignation. "My roommate took the car home, and I can't get any signal to call a ride. I was just going to walk—it's not far."

Tyler shook his head, a firm yet gentle tone in his voice. "No way. Get in, I'll give you a ride." His expression made it clear that he wasn't giving you a choice, and you knew better than to argue.

You climbed into the passenger seat, shivering from the cold rain that had soaked through your clothes. Tyler noticed and reached into the back seat, pulling out a hoodie. He offered it to you, but you started to decline.

"It's fine, really—" you began, but he cut you off, insisting as he pulled the hoodie over your head.

"Just put it on," he said gently but firmly, ensuring you were snug and warm. The hoodie smelled faintly of him, a comforting mix of cologne and the outdoors.

You settled into the seat, the warmth of the truck's interior a stark contrast to the chilly rain outside. Tyler glanced at you, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips as drove off into the night.

[chevelleneech]

What irks me most about the drama surrounding Jikook, is that people keep pretending it’s not specific to them. The invasion of privacy? No, because it happens to all celebrities all the time, including other BTS members. All of them having stalkers and people who want to know their every move, people who post about them in efforts to gain popularity, and etc. However, it’s only ever when it concerns Jimin and Jungkook that the fandom starts lashing out and making it a “shipper” problem.

People are once again “siding” with antis and TK shippers, saying only Jikookers are the worst of the fandom and don’t respect the guys, and amp up their tweets about not sharing private photos, buts it’s like… where are y’all when it’s TK shippers spreading supposed sightings of them hanging out? Spreading pictures of TJen. Where was the whole fandom meltdown when that monk went to the press about Namjoon’s concerns? Yes, people said, “Oh, that’s not good. That’s fucked up.” But y’all were not screaming about how the fandom has gone downhill and their lives were at stake.

Where were y’all when people posted about T and Hobi in Hawaii? Yes, it was after they left and the guys thanked them for waiting, but they still took pictures of them without their consent. They still invaded their privacy. Same as when fans pop up at their homes or place of work. Jin was given/almost given medication by a stalker. JK just had a stalker at his house. Yet no one was going this crazy over demanding their privacy be respected. So what is the difference here?

Again, I do think fans have less respect for Jimin and Jungkook, but I don’t think that is Jikook shipper centered. Especially because not every fan who sees them out and about are Jikook shippers, and it doesn’t make any sense to pretend that is the case. This fandom just genuinely has a problem with people showing any sort of interest in JM and JK as a duo, because the whole damn fandom knows they have a Different relationship.

Does everyone ship them? No, but it’s not rocket science to notice they treat each other differently. There’s even a tweet going around about how all the members act exactly the same, and people who hate Jikook under the guise of shipping being gross, have latched onto it to say that disagreeing equals forcing a sexual angle to Jikook’s bond. Meaning now, people can’t even defend their friendship and closeness without it being called over-sexualization.

So again, it’s not that people shouldn’t or can’t be justifiably upset at the constant invasion of privacy, but to act as if Jimin and JK aren’t genuinely close and have made decisions regarding each other that they have not made regarding the others, is bullshit. The two of them are very close and they clearly like it that way. There is no need to frame it as anything other than a loving bond, because that’s what it is. If you don’t like them, so be-it, but stop the fake concern. As well, stop the mass outrage and dramatizing the situation in attempt to downplay Jimin and Jungkook’s relationship. No one is forcing anyone to ship them, but at least take them as they are.

And to clarify even more, I do not think anyone should be revealing their hotel locations nor constantly updating the timeline of their whereabouts. I do not think people should be going out of their way to find out where they are or using their work connections to get in close proximity of them. If it happens naturally, cool, but other than that, leave them alone. However, if you do happen to see them and choose to take a photo, wait until they’re gone from the area or you see they’ve left your country. That is the polite thing to do.

At the same time, Army needs to stop bullshitting. Jikook pisses people off no matter what they do, and it’s because for some reason the fandom does not like them together. Shippers and non-shippers alike, so it’s always going to be a bigger issue. And unfortunately, the fandom will never acknowledge the hypocrisy of the situation. Because people can “stalk” the members all they want so long long as it’s not Jimin and JK, and the fandom will only brush it off with, “Y’all are doing too much.”

Everybody need to get on a similar page and realize that celebs are normal people. Take your photo or whatever, but have some sort of discernment. Let them enjoy themselves before choosing to ruin their moment all because you went online clout. There it. It’s not about shippers or whatever. Respect them all, and respect their relationships with each other.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Dodge Challenger R/T

This custom Challenger was originally a Plum Crazy Purple car. It has a Shaker hood TA spoilers and dual mirrors. During its custom build it was fully disassembled and blasted before it was finished in custom PPG paint. The custom 528ci all-aluminum Indy HEMI engine features a Maxx aluminum block Manley rods Wiseco custom dome pistons 426-1 Indy heads with Super Mod porting K-Motion springs and 10-degree titanium keepers. The engine is fed by a 950cfm Holley Ultra HP carburetor through a port-matched Indy 426-2 intake. It?s also equipped with an Indy Maxx oil pump and oil pan custom 24-gallon aluminum fuel cell with a Holley racing fuel pump MSD Pro Billet distributor custom 1-1/4 ceramic-coated headers flowing into custom 3 exhaust with X-pipe and ceramic-coated Holly Flo Tec mufflers. A Be Cool aluminum radiator with dual thermostatically controlled fans Meziere high-volume water pump and Indy reverse-flow water pump keeps the engine running cool. Richmond 6-speed manual transmission with a long shifter and McCleod dual disc clutch with Lakewood scattershield transfers the power through a Dennys heavy-duty aluminum metal matrix driveshaft and DTS custom-built Dana 60 rear end with Strange axles. This Challenger features a custom frame and suspension with a full roll cage Aldan coilover shocks and Magnum Force A-arms with 1-1/8? sway bar up front Aldan coilovers out back Modified Competition Engineering engine and mid-plate mounts and full aluminum tubs. Wilwood dual master cylinder and billet disc brakes at all corners provide stopping power to the one-off Boyd Coddington billet wheels and Nitto 555Extreme ZR tires. Additionally this Challenger was equipped with a Painless wiring harness Summit battery disconnect dual batteries mini starter variable speed wipers Electro-life electric windows Halogen headlights and custom driving lights. The restored interior features Legendary leather seats a Rim Blow steering wheel center console full Auto Meter Phantom gauges and tachometer a custom Autosound stereo with 5-disc CD changer Sony Xplod amp and Pioneer Aramid fiber speakers with IMPP cones electric antennae tinted glass and air conditioning. 

[ncisfranchise-source]

he experience of working on a show for 22 seasons is not something Sean Murray takes for granted. “It’s incredibly rare,” he says, “and I’m very thankful. It’s not lost on me.”

On NCIS, Murray plays Special Agent Timothy McGee. He was first introduced as a guest star in season one and has gone on to become the show’s longest running cast member.

“I was looking at some of these photos and I’m just thinking about how much I’ve been there over two decades, and so there’s always an nostalgic aspect to everything and I'm really proud of us,” he says. “We’ve gone 22 years and the world of television has changed quite a bit and in some respects we’re a dinosaur, but we’re still got our fan base. We’re doing quite well!”

Murray is speaking to T&C after wrapping season 22 (the finale, “Nexus,” airs Monday, May 5), and started to prepare for season 23. “We all care very much, which is not always the case out there,” he says. “A lot of people like to rest on their laurels. I think we’re always pushing to do good work and as long as we’re doing that, then I’m having fun.”

Here, Murray takes T&C to the set of NCIS:

“I’m proud of us that we are always trying to make it better and make good episodes. I really mean that,” Murray says of NCIS’s longevity. “I’m not just saying that—because if we weren’t doing that, I’d be bored. I wouldn’t want to do it. It’s not just a job, it really keeps me really interested and I love the people that I work with.”

“We had the same trailers for the first 10 years—I think they were from the '70s! They had wood paneling and shag carpeting. In the last years, they they did improve—there’s a fake fireplace thing, I bought a little rug. I’d never personalized it before.”

He continues, “But we’re not a bunch that spends a lot of time on our trailer, just because of the way we shoot. We don’t have a lot of downtime; in a typical day, I’m in my trailer in the morning getting changed, maybe 15 minutes, 20 at the most. The other time, I’m on the stages. I’m in hair and makeup, I’m in the DR room at lunch. Six hours later, I’m in there for 30 minutes maybe.”

“Hair and makeup is where everyone gets social and runs the scenes [while we] try and wake up and get our lines down and all that fun stuff,” he says. “The people that we’ve been working with in hair and makeup we’ve been with for a very long time.”

In this photo, “I’m holding blue script pages, and that was because there was a revision on a scene that I wasn’t aware of—that’s why it was blue pages. We’re frequently cramming some revised dialogue in hair and makeup.”

The show’s MTAC room (which stands for Multiple Threat Alert Center) doubles as actor holding. “We’re all hanging out in MTAC between shots, running our lines; I’d say 95% of the time we're in there running lines and just doing the last minute little things, makeup touches, and getting our wardrobe for the scene, stuff like that.”

Of playing the same character for 22 seasons, he says, “I have a pretty good idea of the line between McGee and myself. But that’s not to say that there aren’t any similarities; as you grow with a character, you start to integrate parts of yourself into these characters. McGee’s father is a Navy captain, my father is a Navy captain—things like that become inspire and can inform some of that stuff. But at the same time, let’s say I’m reading a new script, if something is off, if the dialogue isn’t right the way the phrasing is, or something just doesn't ring correctly in terms of it being true to McGee, I see it right away and [know] we’ve got to fix it right away. That’s just probably from that character for such a long time.”

McGee’s desk has moved throughout the bullpen multiple times over the course of the run, but one thing that��s stayed the same: a collection of Post Its that Murray has collected over the years. “There’s a stack of little Post-It notes on McGee’s desk that are little cheat notes that various actors have used in the squad room over the years,” he says. “Little hints, not full dialogue, but just little hints, little names, little just that things on computers and whatnot.”

He adds, “That’s probably the last 12 years of different things I’ve collected from different actors we’ve had on the show, people that have been on the show a long time.”

Murray and co-star Diona Reasonover, who plays Kasie Hines. “I love the people I work with and I know what a good place it is. I really do,” he says. “A number of the actors are very involved in the show. I’m not making it sound like we write everything that our characters do—it’s nothing like that. But we care a lot and we’ve been there a long time, so we kind of know the way certain things gel and great ideas can come from anyone in the company.”

“Even though we’ve been around 22 years, the show has gone through different iterations, it has felt like different shoes in one It’s not just the cast changes over the years. The show, the style has changed and evolved as we’ve gone on,” he says. “If you watch early episodes of this show, it’s very different than some of the episodes that we do now. We’re never just trying to be like, ‘Okay, well we did this. Let’s do this thing again.’ We care.”

“I get slightly bummed out when we’re not working because I miss everyone a little bit. We have a company of 100+ people—and also it’s not like how a lot of shows have different crew turnover. We’ve had 75% of our people have been with us since the show started.”

“In the last couple episodes of this season, the last three, four episodes, my character actually goes through some really fun different stuff that I’d never done on the show in 21 years previous.”

“I’ve lived in L.A. a long time and I remember doing the Universal Studios backlot tours—and my early auditions at Warner Brothers where I got to be on these back lots and see all this amazing stuff. I’m actually really proud of this: Over the last 10 years, we’ve built our own back lots, which you can see in this picture—it’s pretty impressive, it’s around two blocks.”

“There’s a real comfort that a lot of people have being able to check in with their group of people,” Murray says of the appeal of NCIS. “And usually you’ve got a story that is contained inside of an episode that you can have fun with. You don’t always have to watch the previous seven episodes to be able to get into it. You can jump into it.”

Over 22 seasons, Murray says, he learned some invaluable lessons—including from Mark Harmon, who played the show’s lead, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, from season one through 19.

“When you’re doing 20 to 24 episodes a year of one hour television, you’re shooting nine to 10 months a year,” he says. “You’ve got to be able to pace yourself. There’s an art to it—there’s knowing when to ramp it up and be a hundred percent and really push it, and there’s times to know when you just lay off it a little bit.”

[fortheloveofnutrition]

My goodness. I let too much time lapse in between posts. Life gets the better of me. And so does adhd. But no matter where or when we are in life, nutrition is a constant center.

Especially nutrition as we age. Especially if you happen to have female hormones while you do that aging.

So let’s start to talk about Nutrition in relationship to our aging bodies and their changing needs.

In the last month, I’ve gotten back on that juicing wagon. I’ve successfully made a fresh juice every single day for the last month. If you have local farmers or food pantries in your area- theyre a great resource.

Now if you’re like me and you happen to be anywhere from 35-45 years of age and have female anatomy, you may very well start to experience the signs and symptoms of peri menopause.

thanks to TikTok, I’ve learned a lot about this mysterious phenomenon that happens years BEFORE actual menopause. Not every species experiences menopause either- we’re cool like that. But people have discussed all sorts of symptoms like itchy ears, brain fog, night sweats, muscle tension, changes in cycle length, and joint pain JUST TO NAME A FEW. A few. Doesnt that sound fun???

I’m sorry but I refuse to accept that “this is just what happens.” Yes, you should talk to your doctor about anything that concerns you and always make sure any type of change, nutritionally or otherwise, is a safe choice for your body and your health. Always talk to your healthcare provider before making changes. Everybody is different.

But since Itchy Ears are not something I want, I got the all clear and started making some changes to my diet. So what do they say you should consume to help mitigate these symptoms? Here are a few things Ive started doing.

I have introduced vitamin D into my life as well as magnesium. Be it in tincture, powder, or lotion, i am making an effort to regularly consume vitamin D. You can even get your vitamin D level checked at the doctor. remember that vitamin D is a critical player in the absorption of calcium for strong bones. and magnesium is fantastic for promoting mood regulation, bone health, and muscle cramps. Magnesium comes in sprays, lotions, and supplements of all kinds.

But you know who’s really been the star of the show? Beets. Yes. Not just a fictitious band on the 90s cartoon Doug, beets are loaded with iron.

Did you know, “Menopause can significantly impact a woman's heart health, increasing her risk for cardiovascular disease. This is primarily due to the decline in estrogen levels after menopause, which can affect blood vessels, cholesterol, and blood pressure.”

BECAUSE I DIDN’T. Well sh*t. That sounds scary doesn’t it? But fear not! We’ve got beets.

According to https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/beetroot-juice-for-menopause/amp. “Beetroot juice is a rich source of nitrates that help widen and dilate the arteries and veins in the cardiovascular system. When the blood can flow easily through our heart to our entire body, the stress on the heart naturally reduces. The outcome of drinking beetroot juice persistently has more long-term benefits on a woman’s heart health in comparison to hormone replacement therapy which only shows effects during the first few years of menopause. Overtime, relying more on hormone therapy can increase the risk of cancer and stroke.”

Not to mention the phytoestrogens in beet root may help regulate hormone levels, potentially helping to ease symptoms like hot flashes. 

The other part of this journey for me is tackling Cortisol. I recognized I was puffy & part of that could have been cortisol because lord knows I’m an anxious human. Do a quick search and you’ll see that high cortisol in the body can manifest as weight gain in the face and body, low libido, muscle weakness , fatigue, and high blood pressure.

The vitamin C in beetroot could regulate an imbalance of the stress hormone cortisol. Beetroot is high in vitamin C, which can lower cortisol levels and restore balance. Regularly consuming beetroot can be a safe and natural way for your body to absorb some of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C.

Awesome. So whats a good way to consume beet juice? One of the simplest juice recipes is the ABC- Apple Beet Carrot. Beets have an earthy taste to them and apples are an excellent way to help balance flavors. Citrus like lemon or orange is also a great addition to help brighten up the flavor and balance those earthy notes. Just remember to Peel your citrus- juicing the skins of lemons will make everything taste horribly bitter.

Cheers to Beets!

[beedlemania]

In the 80s (when recording quality got better) Peter spends a week installing a really nice sound system in the pad even like crawling under the house to run wires from room to room. He rents an electrician’s book from the library and learns about electrical currents and pathways and how electricity and sound relate and how electricity turns sound waves into bigger sound waves with amps etc etc he connects their phonograph, cassette deck, and (eventually) their CD player and he gets a decent soundboard to control it all and he spends months talking about it and teaching Micky how to use the sound board to isolate the different instruments & vocals so he can make things sound the way he likes (Micky always complained about sound guys giving them a bad mix during shows) and teaching Mike how to use the synthesizer to play with his guitar noises so he can make things sound the way he wants them to in his head and Davy (who only learned to play the guitar and bass out of necessity) doesn’t really care too much about all the fancy stuff Peter hooked up which disappoints him because Peter likes when Davy is interested in his hyper fixations but when Davy is just chilling and Peter reveals the entertainment center (a shelf with their Phono, cassette player and “now playing” stand so they don’t have to ask what’s on, room for all their favorite albums where they’re easily accessible *and* Peter painted it so it fits the rest of their groovy décore) and Davy is like raving about it for days and Peter is all giddy about Davy bragging about him and then Micky points out the pad is decked out better than most night clubs and Davy gets the bright idea to turn their house into a nightclub and suddenly they’re all regretting giving Davy that idea because now they’re the hottest beachside night club of 1987 and every night they’re the house band for a night club and Davy starts getting other small local bands asking if they can audition to play at his night club and it all gets out of hand and they need to get a bouncer because their house can only hold so many people and have to start posting up club safety flyers and put up and anti drug policy because they start waking up to find people still zoned out on their couch and it all comes to a close when they get shut down because Davy didn’t get a permit to run a night club and the Miami news station runs a story on a “small British man running a night club out of his apartment” and “the night club of the summer getting shut down because they owner failed to register proper business permits” with clips of Davy standing pathetically next to Mike and very sadly saying “I didn’t know!” When being asked why he didn’t get a permit and then whenever they try to ask Peter questions he just starts info dumbing about sound waves and musical composition.

They still have people coming to their house thinking it’s a night club until the 90s. The main body of the club was queer young adults who thought the mostly 60s music the club played was cool and novel like it was some themed club and not just because the house band is the Monkees.

After they get shut down the sound system is still used by the TV and the music and all the other stuff they need a sound system for but it’s mostly used by Micky or Davy when they wanna do something they know Mike will complain about so they put on an album, turn it on really loud and then they just can’t hear Mike when he tells them to stop trying to explode the apartment!

Peter never stops trying to explain sound stuff to Davy. Davy never understands sound stuff he’s just glad Peter is having fun.

Oh my god I love this so much what the hell!!!!

All the guys are messing around with equipment to make cool new sounds they can use in their music and Davy’s just checking himself out in the nearest shiny surface.

Peters installing everything and Mike has to keep reminding him about safety gear, Micky has to help him wire some things (danger!!!) and Davy’s just handing him tools etc while filing his nails.

Davy starting a completely illegal scheme😭but hes still cute enough to get out of it so its okay! Mike does have to go lawyer mode for a bit though and the man is stressed

Peter explaining everything to Davy and Davy doesn’t understand a word so he just says it all back to peter wrong so he can explain it again. He just likes to hear Peter talk <3. Peters explained it about five times now (he doesn’t get bored because he’s super excited to tell Davy about it anyway) and Davy’s still clueless as when he started. Peter asks him to help with something and Davy’s just 🧍🏻head scratch

[karl-jensen]

My Deltarune Headcanons, Part One:

The interactions between Kris and their SOUL are similar to how Homer talks to his brain in The Simpsons, but amped up to 11 due to how the soul would be torn out of Kris’s body and placed in a birdcage. A conversation would go something like this:

Kris: Alright, SOUL. I don’t like you. We must work together to kick this Queen’s ass once and for all. If we fail, then you’re going back into the birdcage!

SOUL: IT’S A DEAL.

Another one of Kris’s interactions with their SOUL would be the decision on hugging Ralsei:

SOUL: Hug Ralsei, Hug Ralsei.

Kris: Do I have to?

SOUL: Do it.

* You hug Ralsei, but Kris feels something peculiar about hugging him.

Kris: This feeling… It’s like hugging Azzy…

SOUL: I know you miss him, buddy. Just think of Ralsei as your second brother.

Susie is a fan of Van Halen, and would air guitar many of Eddie’s solos in her free time.

Swatch speaks in a mixed accent of French and Belgian like Hercule Poirot.

Rouxls Kaard has a speech impediment where he would pronounce his ‘R’s’ as ‘W’s’ just like Elmer Fudd; He also sounds exactly like Pontius Pilate from Monty Python’s Life of Bwian. Here is an example on how he would sound like with the Speech Impediment:

Rouxls: I am Wouxls Kaawd, the Gweateste Puzzlemastuh the Dawk World hath evuh witnessedeth!

Tasque Manager has OCD due to her thing with organizing things. Aside from that, she also has an interest in Zoology and proposes to Queen to open a research center for Animals… as well as a Zoo.

Spamton used to be an Auctioneer and would talk really fast when auctioning things.

Pizzapants’s real name is Felix T. Garfield.

The book that Toriel reads in the end of Chapter 2 is Murder on the Orient Express.

[myloveforhergoeson]

That's All She Wrote - Chapter 29

Chapter Index

Find me on wattpad + ao3!

Chapter 29: Sick, Sick, Sick (2.8) ~ 15k

“Dawgs! You’ve come a long way…” 

Roxy certainly hadn’t missed the grating tone of Gustavo’s voice over their long winter vacation, but now, it was time to snap back into reality. While Minnesota had been fun, and the five had the chance to masquerade as semi-normal teenagers for a bit, their first day back in Los Angeles was shaping up to be a long, hard work day. 

Back in the studio, Gustavo had the band standing in his preferred military-style line-up, while Roxy and Kelly hung off to the side.

“...But you have a longer way to go before you go multiplatinum and start selling out 50,000-seat stadiums.”

Just the thought of it made Roxy bounce on her heels in anticipation. A song of mine going multiplatinum… 

“James is still too self-centered,” The man spat, standing in front of her boyfriend, who was, for some reason, wearing a white and blue-ringed t-shirt with a picture of himself on the front. Though she thought it was cute, and she’d likely steal it later, she could understand where her boss was coming from. The tall boy tilted his head, looking past Gustavo and giving his girlfriend a small wave. “And too Roxanne-centered.” 

From his back pocket, the singer produced a large hand mirror and his black lucky comb. As he pulled his hand up to brush it through his hair, checking himself out in the reflection, Roxy could see the bracelet she’d made him circling his wrist. In return, her fingers traced over the matching one she wore as he spoke to his reflection, “James and I still disagree.”

“I think he could stand to be more Roxanne-centered,” The writer piped up, shooting a wink back at the boy as Gustavo turned to glare at her.

“Roxanne needs to stop enabling the four of you!” He growled, before returning down the line and sharing “Carlos still lacks direction!” before the assistant could get a word in edgewise.

To his credit, Carlos was standing with his back fully turned to everyone else in the room, but only because he was admiring the large speakers in the back of the studio. “I do not!”

“Turn around,” His producer demanded, and Carlos executed a perfect 360-degree cross-spin-pose, ending right back in his stance toward the back wall from before. 

Gustavo blinked, everyone in the room holding their breath before he silently shook his head and moved down the line once more. “Logan still lacks swagger!”

Smiling, Logan took his words in stride as he pushed the flap of his cardigan aside and revealed a pocket protector sticking out of his button-up underneath. From there, he produced one of the many writing utensils it held and offered it to his boss. “Yes… But if you ever need a colored pencil, who you gonna call?”

Accepting it, Gustavo snapped the red pencil right in Logan’s face, dropping it on the hardwood floor wordlessly before reaching the last boy in line. “And Kendall needs to stop talking back to me after everything I say!”

“And Gustavo needs to take-” Kendall bit back, before his boss held up a large hand in warning. 

“Don’t say it! Not one more word!” 

 All of his friends turned to face him, everyone in various stages of head shaking or fingers sliding across throats as if to say “He’s going to kill you!”

As much as Roxy loved her job and all the opportunities it afforded her and her friends, that only lasted as long as Gustavo allowed. So, if Kendall wanted to take the heat, that was fine with her, just as long as he didn’t push the producer's buttons too hard. 

A few beats of silence passed, and Gustavo let his shoulders relax, “Good!” right as Kendall breathed out, “A chill pill.”

Though it made his assistant laugh, she was soon ducking for cover behind a few extra amps she had left in the corner of the studio as Gustavo’s shoulders scrunched back up in anger. His famous infuriated grunting caused a low rumble to shake the studio floor while she clamped her hands over her ears, watching in awe as white-hot steam curled out of their boss’ ears.  

“Steam…” James and Carlos mused, eyes widening. 

Logan looked equally as shocked, reaching out to run his fingers through the gas. “Oh, that’s a new one.”

Their boss’ face reddened, hands curling up into fists as he brought them to his chest. 

“Run!” was all Kendall could fathom, and he, Logan, and Carlos piled out of the studio as fast as they could. 

James, quickly shoving his lucky comb and mirror back into his pockets managed to pull his girlfriend from her hiding spot and drag her out before their boss exploded at them for the first time in the new year. 

Pontiac GTO be damned, Gustavo chased them through the Rocque Records parking garage before the girl was able to dig the keys from her mini backpack, leaving her and her friends no choice but to run the few blocks to the Palm Woods hotel. It was quite reminiscent of the stage training he had forced Roxy and the boys into all those months ago, but now, running through the streets of Los Angeles hand in hand with her boyfriend, Roxy beamed. They’d come such a long way together on their musical journey, and none of them were planning on ever slowing down - even once Gustavo was completely out of sight. 

By the time they’d made it through the Palm Woods lobby, up the winding stairwell, and safely into apartment 2-J, Kendall slammed the door behind him, pressing his back flat against it as his chest rose and fell while the rest of his friends found any hiding place they could. 

Carlos and Logan had run up the swirly slide, leaving the yellow plastic tube far too cramped for another body. Hurriedly, Roxy whirled around to face James, brows shooting up her forehead as they attempted to find somewhere else to conceal themselves. 

“Trust me?” He asked, completely out of breath, eyes flickering to the loft above the slide. 

Roxy barely nodded before his hands flew to her waist and easily hoisted her up onto the slide’s lowest curve while she let out an unexpected squeal. From there, it was easy to grab onto the loft’s edge and pull herself up and over, using the outside of the slide as a stepping stool, before ducking behind the solid railing. 

Moments later, James followed, smoothly guiding himself over the ledge as she helped haul Carlos, Logan, and Kendall out of the tight-winding yellow tube. 

Just when they thought they were safe, the wooden door of 2-J violently burst down with a bang!

In the doorway stood Gustavo, still fuming while his eyes roamed the room, eventually finding the five cowering together above him. 

The man’s voice boomed off the high ceiling, “Get down here! Get down here right now!” 

“Not until you chillax!” James called back, and Roxy snaked a hand around his arm in solidarity. 

A scoff from below made them all flinch as Gustavo yelled, “Oh, I am chillaxed!” before his pounding footsteps brought him into the kitchen, where he began rummaging through their drawers and cabinets, looking for something.

“Oh, this can’t be good,” Roxy breathed and in return, she dropped her bag to the floor and tried to find something to throw in retaliation. 

Old songbook, keys, chapstick, phone, new songbook… No, no, no, no, no! 

“Where do you keep your knives?” Their boss screamed, just as she pulled out a package of gum and wound her arm back. 

“Um, in the drawer next to the sink,” Carlos replied, always wanting to be of assistance, before the other four began to shout indistinctly in his direction. 

In a flash, Gustavo was pulling the drawer open and dumping whatever wasn’t a knife onto the tiled floor, while James and Logan slapped Carlos over the head, the sound resounding off his black helmet. 

From the bathroom in the back of the kitchen, the door opened, and Buddha Bob walked out, plunger over his shoulder, whistling. When he noticed Gustavo rooting around and the five teens fearing for their lives in the loft, he froze.

“Buddha Bob! Help!” The boys plead, just as the other man held up a steak knife in victory, and the maintenance man leaped into action. 

Slamming the plunger down on the floor, Buddha Bob reached out and pinched Gustavo’s shoulder between his fingers and thumbs, almost like a snake biting into one of its victims. In a matter of seconds, their boss dropped the knife into the sink and let out a small whimper as the other man didn’t let up his grip. 

Then, using both his hands, Buddha Bob smushed Gustavo’s face and sharply pointed it to the left. The sound of bones cracking was resounding, and Roxy felt the package she was holding slip out of her fingers as her jaw dropped to the floor. 

“Ooh,” Her friends winced. They’d all sat through enough action movies to be incredibly fearful of whatever happened next. 

Silence. 

A weak, “What was that?” from Gustavo. 

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. 

“Himalayan Monkey Pinch,” Buddha Bob shared, hands still framing Gustavo’s face. “Then I realigned your chakras.” 

The twisting motion he made with his hands to demonstrate made Roxy’s stomach churn.

“I feel so… So…” Gustavo was at a loss for words.

“Calm?” The maintenance man did his best to help. “Now focus on what matters, not what angers.”

Taking a few slow steps forward, Gustavo swayed back and forth a bit, before looking back up at his employees. “Dawgs, I must write a song for the New Town High soundtrack. I’ll call you when I need vocals… And do you mind if I borrow Roxanne?” 

The girl felt her skin heat up as the four of them looked toward her. Normally, Gustavo snapped at her whenever he wanted to have a writing session, giving her little choice as to whether she was ready to share one of her songs or not. At the moment, she didn’t have anything close to being done - that she was willing to share, anyway - and certainly nothing good enough to make it to the New Town High soundtrack. 

That, and she was quite worried about Gustavo’s strange, new zen state. Is he even in the headspace to write a song for a CW teen drama right now?

She felt James' hand reach out to hers, twining their fingers together with a small squeeze. 

“How about you call me if you need any assistance, Mr. Rocque?” Roxy asked, though she worried his famous temper would reemerge at any moment before adding on, “Or if I think of anything, I’ll call you?” 

“Alright,” was his reply, no yelling, no screaming, no “I own you so do as I say!” The man blinked before heading to the door. “I look forward to collaborating with you. You’re very pleasant to write with.”

Though she didn’t share the sentiment about writing with him, she nodded and gave a small wave as he exited the apartment. 

In no time, her friends were rushing toward the slide, getting down to the first floor to harass Buddha Bob about what he’d done, while their assistant stayed up on the loft, gathering everything she’d dumped out of her bag back inside. 

The small trinkets were easy enough, but once she’d collected her two songbooks she found herself sinking to the floor and flipping through them to see if anything might be fit for New Town High. 

Cool, black leather filled her fingertips as Roxy thummed through the first book, the one she’d written her first Big Time Rush song in. Along with the released BTR songs, there were a few complete songs inside she hadn’t shared with the band, like “Invisible” and “Paralyzed” and a few she’d written after leaving Brand New Day, but those were far too personal to the writer to be released. A few works in progress remained, like her space-themed song she’d begun writing in the observatory, one she’d worked on over the last few weeks titled “Got Something” and one small verse she’d written in the Pontiac with James at the wheel. 

Nope… Not yet, she told herself, before setting the black book down and picking up an identical-sized and shaped journal, but this one was bound in a beautiful, dark red.

Back in Minnesota, after she’d written down the events of the New Year’s party with a drunken mind and blushing cheeks, Roxy realized she’d hit the final sheet of her black journal when she had turned the page and found the small message James had written in there for her after they started dating. 

So, before catching the flight back home, she’d ran out to the store and picked up a fresh, new one, ready to be filled with as many Big Time Rush songs as possible. She’d even picked the deep crimson cover because she anticipated an uptick in her love songwriting, as she and James continued to grow into their relationship.  

All that was in there for now was her diary entry from the previous day, where she got to detail how horrible her flight back to Los Angeles had been, and hundreds of blank pages ready to be written over. 

“You guys should try listening to your boss more often.” Buddha Bob’s words ripped Roxy from her thoughts and she quickly stuffed the two books into her bag before coming downstairs on the swirly slide. “He’ll be less stressed and won’t want to kill you.”

When she reached her friends beside the breakfast bar and snaked a hand around James’ bicep, the maintenance man was out the door, and Kendall had clearly taken his words under consideration.

“You know, he’s right,” The blond shared, pointing a thumb toward the fallen door.

His assistant snorted, “That’s rich coming from you.” 

When James, Carlos, and Logan nodded their heads in solidarity, Kendall crossed his arms. “I’m not pro-Gustavo or anything, but I am very anti-being killed! And, like, the man works his butt off for us, and I do tend to talk back a bit…”

“Yeah, I mean, I kind of do lack direction sometimes,” Carlos added, facing the opposite way of his friends while he admired the racing video game outside the kitchen. To get him back on track, Kendall grabbed his shoulders and whirled him around. 

Beside her, Logan shifted uncomfortably, “I guess I could use a little more swagger.”

“And I suppose I can put down my mirror,” James shared, taking it out of his back pocket and tentatively placing it on the kitchen counter. 

It was an action that shocked his four friends, and Roxy looked up at her boyfriend in surprise to find him gazing right back at her, “Because I can always find myself reflected in your eyes.” 

“Oh,” She gasped, suddenly unable to tear her focus away from him as she accidentally matched his intensity. “Anytime you want, babe-”

Just as she brought her fingers up to push a stray strand of hair out of his hazel eyes, she felt someone grab her wrist and pull her away. 

“Rox!” Kendall scolded her, as if she had done anything wrong, “That’s exactly what Gustavo was talking about!”

While she twisted out of his grip and slapped him on the shoulder, Roxy rolled her eyes. “So what if I encourage you four a bit too much? You do what you want anyway”

Kendall shot her another glare.

“Fine. I won’t enable anymore.” 

 “Then it’s agreed. We are going to listen to Gustavo so he’s less stressed and won’t kill us?”

The band piled their hands on top of one another, like they were in the middle of a team huddle before break, ready to get back into whatever game they were playing. 

Now, Roxy was caught at a crossroads. As a songwriter-assistant, she was at the bottom of the Rocque Records food chain; Almost completely expendable if not for the fact the she and the band cared for each other so much. In theory, if Gustavo wanted to kill anyone, it would probably end up being her. So, she should put her hand in as well. But on the other hand, if she was supposed to stop egging the boys’ schemes on, why would they be waiting for her to put her hand in?

“This is the last time,” Roxy sighed, placing her hand on top of Logan’s. 

“Woah, break!” Her friends called, throwing their hands up into the air to seal their pact.

***

Sitting at the breakfast bar with Logan felt like the safest avenue. 

If Roxy was supposed to work on dialing back her enabling, being around her boyfriend, Kendall, and Carlos wasn’t the best idea. So, she worked on getting a jump start on today’s journal entry before circling back to some of her old incomplete songs, while Logan was typing up a storm on his laptop. Whatever he was doing just looked like a storm of nonsensical numbers and letters all strung together in something the writer didn’t understand in the slightest, so she eventually dove her nose back into her book. 

Can’t goad if I don’t know what’s going on…

Footsteps from down the hall caught their attention and James strode into the kitchen to see them, a very proud look on his face. 

“Okay, so I traded in my James t-shirt for one with all of us!” He shared, gesturing to the white and black-ringed Big Time Rush tour t-shirt he had exchanged his previous look for. “And I’ve decided to make more eye contact with you guys, not just Roxy.”

Leaning over the breakfast bar, James narrowed his eyes and stared at Logan, who looked over his laptop confusedly.

Though his friend attempted to type up a few things and help James with his goal, when the long-haired boy began to quirk his brows it just felt weirder and weirder as time continued to progress. 

“O-kay,” Logan drew out, hitting the enter key and finally glancing back down at his screen.  

Blinking as though he were brought out of a trance, James shook his head a bit.

“Well,” The studious boy continued, “I’ve decided to increase my swagger by creating a Swagger App, which will automatically push the swaggiest trends, clothes, and moves from the net, right to my phone.”

Despite thinking it cute, Roxy held her tongue and simply wrote about the new development in her book, while James burst out laughing, “Dude! You either have swagger, or you don’t. And I have tons, so let me help you.”

“No need, ‘cause I am fully loaded,” Logan shared, pulling his phone off the download cord he had connected to his laptop. Some techy sounds emanated from the phone’s speakers, signaling the app was ready to be put to use. “Now I just press ‘Swagger App’ and…”

Buzz buzz

A host of notifications began to pop up on his home screen, a picture of the five of them at their last Big Time Rush show, and he intently read each one. 

When Roxy glanced over his shoulder, she could see each push notification had a category, like clothing, music, and one ominously titled moves, and a small description of how Logan could implement that into his daily routine. 

“Huh,” she found herself saying, though she really wanted to tell him how cool she thought the app was - especially since he’d built it from scratch in a matter of twenty minutes. Unfortunately, because it enabled his scheme to gain more swag, that was all she could push out. 

Without a word, Logan closed his laptop and hopped off the bar stool, racing down the hallway to what Roxy assumed was his room. A few seconds later, James hopped up on the empty seat and slung an arm around his assistant's shoulders. 

“Flirting with you will just enable your big ego,” she mumbled into the journal in front of her, pretending to be very interested in the flower she was doodling on the top corner of the page. “Which, I don’t mind, by the way. Gustavo’s wrong; It’s stupid he doesn’t want you to love yourself.” 

I really admire your confidence, she wanted to tell him. It’s one of my favorite things about you.

James didn’t respond, but after a moment Roxy felt his smooth fingertips on her face, gently guiding her to look over in his direction. 

“What were you saying earlier about how I could stand to be more Roxanne-centered?” 

“That was just a-” She made the mistake of lifting her gaze, finding herself temporarily lost in the flecks of green and gold in his eyes, “Joke.” 

Seeing herself reflected back amid the hazel she stared into, just like he’d claimed earlier, she felt the back of her neck heat and closed her eyes. “Not enabling, not enabling, not enabling…” 

A feather-light kiss fell over her left eyelid, then the right, and she heard James let out a small chuckle as he dropped his hand, “Whatever you say, songbird… But you know it’s impossible to resist me.”

Roxy imagined lots of things taking place after that, wondering how comfortable it would be for two people to share the same barstool if she climbed over and sat on his lap, peppering his face with as many kisses as she could, before the sound of heavy boots came from down the hall. Daring to peek one eye open, James had luckily turned his head to find the source - Logan, now heading into the kitchen to show off his new outfit. 

Not only was it so much more stylish than his usual cardigan-over-t-shirt get-up, but it was also the outfit he’d let Roxy pick out at the Duluth mall back home. A perfect-fitting black leather jacket, a nice t-shirt, tight black jeans, and a pair of booths she didn’t know he owned adorned him well and made him look quite nice if she did say so herself. 

As he showed it off to his friends, his phone continued to chime, just like he had programmed it to. 

When she felt James tense beside her, his tone deepened as he pointed a finger Logan’s way, “Okay. You look cool, but swagger comes from within,” He drew his hands up to the side of his face and wiggled them as his girlfriend giggled at the silly move, “It’s not digital!”

“Oh-ho, it’s digital!” Logan assured him, doing a cross-spin-pose with an elegant snap and point combination, shocking the couple with how smoothly he’d managed the move. Even with his hours and hours of dance practice, he’d never made it look as effortless as he had just now. 

Without even saying goodbye, Logan trotted out the open apartment door, a never-before-seen pep in his step and James moved to follow him, accidentally tripping over his own feet. As he braced himself on the door frame, Roxy rushed to his side, “Are you alright?” 

Instead of steadying himself on the doorframe like he’d been planning, he raised an arm above her head, leaning over her with a wicked grin, “Aw… Concerned about me?” 

Obviously. Always. All the time, she almost said and thought about bringing a hand out to his arm to ground him as she leaned deeper into the frame behind her. Instead, she settled for, “Not flirting!” 

“No fun…” he mumbled into her ear, dropping down to press a quick kiss to her cheek before dashing off after his friend. “Logan! You’re playing with forces you don’t understand!” 

Buzz buzz

Kendall’s ringtone flooded through her phone’s speakers, startling her as it echoed through the empty hotel hallway. 

Picking up, Roxy held the phone to her ear, “Hello?” 

“Hey, can you meet me in Palm Woods Park in the next five minutes?” 

His tone sounded urgent, as though something was wrong. 

“Yeah,” She responded, trying to keep her cool as she practically ran down the hallway, “What’s going on?” 

“Just the usual; we caused a big huge mess and Kelly’s pretty pissed at Gustavo. We tracked his phone and it looks like he’s just hanging out in the park when the two of you should be writing that song.”

Whatever had gotten into him earlier was starting to scare her. Seeing him be so obedient to the man he’d spent almost a year back talking to was something the writer was having a hard time wrapping her head around. 

“I thought we’d come to an agreement? If one of us thought of something, we���d just call the other… Songs aren’t just magically written because you want them to be,” She huffed. As much as she loved her friend, this wasn’t the first time he’d assumed songwriting was a breeze. 

There was the sound of hushed tones bickering on the other line, meaning he was probably with Kelly at the moment, before he hit her back with, “This one needs to be done before the New Town High execs come tomorrow morning. I’ve seen you write songs on less.” 

Wow, Roxy thought as she reached the bottom of the stairwell and followed the trail out to the park, He’s taking this far more seriously than I’d expected…

“Is there something I’m missing? Hearing you suck up to Gustavo is just weird… Is this Kendall Knight?” 

She could imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose, a slight exhale coming through the speaker, “Rox… Come on. A Big Time Rush song on Jo’s show - You’ve got to understand the importance of that.” 

Ah…

“You mean a romantic song that you sing being featured on your girlfriend’s show?” Roxy baited, teasing him a bit for his comments before. “Now, why would that be important to you?”

A cool, Los Angeles breeze tossed her hair over her shoulders by the time she finally made it outside, following one of the park’s many trails as she spoke. Eventually, she’d bump into Kendall, Kelly, or Gustavo, so for now she’d just enjoy her walk. 

“Because you know why!” He hissed before taking a deep breath, “It’s a big deal to me, okay? A public display of affection or whatever you call it so the whole world can know that I love Jo Taylor!”

Finally spotting Kendall and Kelly across the way, Roxy watched as Kendall finished yelling his statement into the phone before he noticed her staring back at him with an open jaw and wide eyes. 

Immediately, his whole face turned as bright red as a tomato, but he took a few deep breaths and pressed the end call button before shooting her a weak smile coupled with a small wave. Meanwhile, Kelly pretended to be very interested in the small piece of leather peeling off her ledger. 

“Aw, Kendall!” Roxy called, making her way over to where the pair was standing. “How adorable!”

She was truly elated by his words, a similar feeling settling in her chest as when Jo had admitted her feelings to her over the phone a few days ago. They were the perfect couple, ready to take their relationship to the next level, and it seemed as though Kendall was just nervous about how it would all go down. However, that was no excuse for how he’d spoken to her. 

Sheepishly, his hand flew to the back of his neck, giving a few tentative rubs as he choked out, “Yeah, I guess.”

“If it means that much to you…” Roxy grinned as she trailed off, pulling her new red songbook out of her bag and waving it in the air a few times. Just as Kendall’s smile widened, she shoved the book into his chest. “Write it yourself. Unless, of course, you want me to sweep your girl off her feet with my romantic lyrics and unforgettable melodies…” 

Beside them, Kelly let out a snort of laughter at the girl’s words while Kendall’s brows practically shot to his forehead. His grip on the book she’d shoved into his chest tightened. “You wouldn’t.”

“Imply songwriting is easy one more time and I just might!” The girl bit back, loud enough to draw some funny looks from other park patrons passing the group by. “Now, I know this is important to you, Kendall, and I’ll do my best to write you guys another hit, but first we need to find Gustavo and break his zen trance thing.”

Snapping her fingers, the talent scout pointed to the girl, agreeing with her statement. “My tracking software - don’t tell him I have that by the way - said he should be somewhere in this area. Any ideas?” 

Holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the unrelenting California sun, Roxy scanned the grassy area for any signs of their boss. Instead, all she could see were families picnicking in the enjoyable weather, a few birds taking a bath in the fountain, and some kids from her class setting up a kickball game in one of the larger fields. Painstakingly mundane and not at all helpful. 

“There!” Kendall pointed, and his assistant followed his outstretched finger to the far right of the park, where she saw a quick flash of a red pageboy cap and someone with unruly, brown hair trimming the hedges along the edge of the hotel. 

As fast as humanly possible, the trio made their way over to find the two men engaged in a seemingly one-sided conversation as Gustavo rambled something about trimming the excess from his life, unclogging his mind, and staying away from all the nuts in town.

He can say that last one again…

“What are you doing here?!” Kelly started, causing the man to jump slightly at her words. “You and Roxy have got a soundtrack song to write!” 

Turning to face the newcomers, Gustavo shared a content smile. It was nearly unnerving to his employees since they were so used to seeing a scowl etched like stone into his features. “Kelly. Roxanne. Kendall. This man’s wisdom has just opened my eyes to a life I never thought possible!” 

He grabbed his talent scout and lead singer by the shoulder and squeezed them, leaving the assistant sandwiched uncomfortably in the middle before grinning even wider and wandering off to another area of the park. 

While it was nice he was learning to relax a bit, Roxy almost missed his high-strung and demanding attitude; Like Kendall’s personality switch up earlier, things were getting stranger and stranger as the day went on. Seeing her boss act as though he were an entirely different person was just offputting. 

It seemed as though Kendall was having similar thoughts, turning to Buddha Bob as he continued to neatly trim the hedges with a raised brow. “What did you do to Gustavo?” “Who’s Gustavo?” was the man’s reply, not even bothering to look up as he continued his work. 

Maybe it was because the assistant was so plugged into pop culture, she wondered aloud, “There are people who don’t know who Gustavo Rocque is?” while Kelly and Kendall shook their heads in disbelief. 

As the maintenance man continued down the line of hedges, Kelly had to step away for a phone call from one of Griffin’s many assistants about the song for New Town High, leaving the frontman and his assistant alone to work out the problem at hand. 

Roxy figured if Gustavo was riding the relaxing waves of serenity from Buddha Bob’s “teachings,” the boys could probably snap him right out of it with one of their harebrained schemes. Or, better yet, she could pitch him a song so terrible it might make him angry enough to snap out of his zen mode. 

I think I still have some of my books from a few years ago on my shelf.

Just as she was deciding which song would be worse to give him, “Storm in a Teacup” or “Rip-Off the Old Block,” she noticed Kendall’s eyes light up with a familiar spark of mischief. With a satisfying click of his fingers, he held one up to the sky, and just before he opened his mouth to speak, his assistant clamped her hands over her ears.

“Nope! Not listening! I can’t enable any of your ridiculous schemes today!” She cried but felt a bit bad for being hypocritical in thinking up her own plan. “Whatever you need to do, I don’t need to know, just… Get it done and don’t get fired!”

In response, her friend frowned and Roxy winced as her stomach twisted with guilt. It’s not fair for me to fault him for his attitude change when I’m doing the same exact thing.

She was a far better supporter than a schemer, but if the other boys were committed to listening to their boss’ words, the least she could do was join them in solidarity. 

“Suit yourself,” The boy beside her sighed, “Promise me you’ll work on a song while I take care of this?” Roxy nodded, though she had no idea where she’d get the idea for one. At the moment, all her song ideas had come from hanging out with James, and he was a bit dangerous to be around at the moment. Though, if she just observed him, that wasn’t really flirting… right? 

With a wave goodbye to Kendall, Roxy was off in search of her boyfriend without a second thought, songbook and pen already clutched in her hands and itching to write down some new ideas. 

***

Eventually, she found James and Logan at the Palm Woods pool, still locked in their debate over whether or not the latter was able to digitally create swag or not. Of course, they’d chosen this location over anywhere else in the hotel, considering the pool was where all the popular residents hung out. If Logan’s app helped him fit in with the popular crowd of Palm Woods High upperclassmen, they’d settle this debate once and for all. For them, there was truly no better method than trial and error. 

Oh, Logan, Roxy thought as she quietly approached her friends, Even in his cool, new outfit, he’s still a scientist at his core. 

“Yes, the clothes work!” She heard James protest, picking at one of the stiff leather wrinkles on Logan’s jacket. “But let me show you how to walk the swag walk.” At least, after all their bickering, James was simply doing his best to help his friend. 

“No need!” Logan interrupted, holding up his beeping phone, “‘Cause Swagger App advises: Strut at approximately three miles per hour and cock your head at a 45-degree angle.” 

“You missed ‘Shades up and shake it!’” His assistant added, reading the screen over his shoulder, and finally announcing her presence in their conversation.  

Not enabling… Simply pointing out something he didn’t catch.

Turning her way, Logan stuck out his bottom lip in contemplation as he nodded at her words, “Huh… Good catch, Rox.”

To their right, James was too busy laughing at the app’s advice. “Logan, I am no longer self-centered or Roxanne-centered,” He took a brief pause to mouth Hey, babe, in Roxy’s direction before continuing, “Now, if you’d just listen to me, I want to-”

Wordlessly, Logan cut him off by popping on his pair of dark black sunglasses, turning his head to a sharp 45 degrees, and strutting away from where they stood at the edge of the pool, newfound spring in his step as he made his way to the lobby.

It was hard to miss the way heads turned as she walked down the small stretch of deck as though he were a runway model. Whispers erupted from everyone - not just their classmates - as they took in the singer’s stark change in both attitude and style. Even Roxy found herself following his every move, eyes watching him like a hawk as he reached the door to the lobby and spun on his heels, holding his arms out with smug pride as he showed off his moves. 

James erupting into a coughing fit brought his girlfriend back to reality and in a flash he grabbed her hand, quickly pulling her across the same stretch of deck. 

“Do you need a cough drop?” Roxy asked in earnest, thinking she must have a few at the bottom of her mini backpack somewhere, but James waved her off as he was all too caught up in whatever strange thing he and Logan had going on.

When they reached the boy across the way, James huffed, doing his best to act nonchalant about his friend’s new programable swagger, but his voice slightly rose as he shared, “The walk wasn’t bad, but can you talk the swag talk?”

He coughed again, this time Roxy pulled her hand out of his to root around in her bag, voice cracking on his last word.

Holding up his phone again, Logan’s app directed, “Swag talk: Keep exchanges short and try these nicknames.”

“Nicknames?” His popular friend scoffed, “What are nicknames gonna do?”

“Songbird - Don’t ever stop writing songs about me!” Roxy piped up, poking her boyfriend in the arm as she pointed out his favorite nickname for her, “Whatever you say, songbird…” 

Eyes widening, he cried, “That’s special. I wouldn’t call just anyone that!” as she giggled at how riled up her words made him. 

Too caught up in their own little conversation, the pair almost didn’t notice Logan cock his head back at the suggested 45-degree angle and take off down the pool deck again as if it were his own personal catwalk. With each strut, he became more and more confident in his moves and every single person he crossed paths with in the crowded pool gained their own special nickname. 

“Wow…” The girl marveled, watching as the girl dubbed “Blue Eyes” loudly announced she wanted to date Logan. “You never call me Shorty Shorts…”

James shot her a look of disapproval before his eyes trained back on his friend. “While it may be true…” His hand clumsily slipped into her back pocket. “I don’t need an app to come up with pet names for my girlfriend.”

And that got her instantly. At that moment, Roxy was ready to give up on her no-flirting promise earlier, turning into James and placing her hand lightly on his chest while she looked up at him through innocently batting eyes. 

Just as she opened her mouth to invite him up to her apartment for a little while, Camille’s voice approaching from behind cut her off.

“Hey… Since when does Logan have more swagger than James?” 

The comment snapped him into defense mode and his hand left Roxy’s pocket, “He does not have more swagger than me-”

Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted by “This Is Our Someday” blasting out of one of their classmate’s boomboxes in the fire pit area. It seemed as though Logan had struck up an impromptu party in the blink of an eye thanks to his Swagger App. Calling “Check it!” to his friends and attempting to wave them over. “Swag tunes!��

Too focused on the fact the app had determined one of her songs swaggy, Roxy felt the beat flow through her body and summon her toward the scene of the party, completely forgetting about the few lozenges she held in her palms as the sound of James’ coughs was drowned out by the melody.

Unfortunately, her phone vibrating in her pocket prevented her from fully getting her groove on, causing her to step away from the pool area and back onto the path to the park to take the call. 

As she held her phone to her ear, she didn’t even get a chance to utter out a greeting before Kendall’s voice came over the line. “What do rainbows, candy, and the mandolin all have in common with one another?”

“Uh,” The assistant blinked, knitting her brows in confusion, “They’re all… Colorful? Maybe?” she guessed, imagining her bright red electric guitar shrunk into a smaller size.

Kendall made an annoying buzzer sound, “Wrong! They’re all featured on the new Big Time Rush song!”

“Oh, that’s neat. I didn’t know Gustavo could play the mandolin.”

“He most certainly cannot! And so, the song is terrible, and the New Town High execs are coming tomorrow.”

The urge to shoot back, “And what do you want me to do about it?” was strong, but the assistant bit her tongue before she managed to say anything to escalate the tense situation. From his tone of voice, Kendall was beginning to panic, and though she wanted nothing more than to help ease his anxiety, none of the songs she had in her book were New Town High worthy. The complete ones were far too personal, probably to be kept in the off-white pages until the end of time, and the incomplete ones just didn’t have the right vibe for the show. 

So instead she settled for, “Kendall. Seriously? Rome wasn’t built in a day.” 

“But it burned in one, didn’t it? Much like Big Time Rush if Gustavo releases this song into the world.”

As she let out a large, obvious sigh into the receiver, Roxy felt like kicking the bushes Buddha Bob had done such a wonderful job trimming. 

“I know, I know!” Kendall said on the other line, “Just… See if you can make it back to the Crib soon. Kelly wants to have an emergency band meeting at Rocque Records and I figured we’d all go together.”

“That’s fine,” The writer conceded as she pinched the bridge of her nose, switching to a different path in the park that would lead her to the back entrance of the hotel. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Kendall didn’t even bother saying goodbye before the line went dead. 

Entering the hotel, the air conditioning sent a small chill up the girl’s spine, but she ignored it, tossing her bag over her shoulder and pulling out her black-covered songbook. 

Maybe I was wrong about some of these songs… She thought, beginning to climb the stairs to the second floor, but as her eyes cast over the lyrics, she was starting to believe her suspicions to be correct. I wonder if Gustavo still has the portfolio I gave him at the audition. One of those might work, even with my inexperienced writing.

Honestly, she was a bit intrigued by the song Kendall had mentioned on the phone. It might not be as bad as the boy was making it out to be, but she wasn’t sure mandolin had a place in pop music… At least, not in this day and age. 

When she reached the apartment, she walked in on Kendall tugging his coat on and explaining the situation he’d mentioned on the phone to a swagged-out Logan and sickly-looking James at the breakfast bar. 

Completely forgetting what the frontman had said about driving to Rocque Records, Roxy felt her chest squeeze when she laid eyes on her boyfriend, whose hand was shaking as he attempted to pull a spoonful of cereal out of the bowl in front of him. 

I’ve been away five minutes and he looks moments away from death.

He’d traded his trendy outfit for a loose-fitting, battered t-shirt and old sweats, and his paled skin made him look like a vampire from one of the Twilight movies. That, and his normally perfect hair was plastered to his forehead with what she assumed was sweat, suggesting he was beginning to run some sort of fever.  

In an instant, she was by his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and bringing the back of her free hand to his forehead. “James! You’re so hot!”

“Don’t I know it…” He coughed weakly, “Babe.”

“Who cares?!” Kendall interrupted, showing no regard for James’ health, “Let’s go!” 

Beside the couple, Logan closed his laptop with a sigh and held up his phone, “Can’t, K-Dog, I’m updating my Swag App for even more swag-itude.”

Not the answer the blond was hoping to hear, which was quickly made evident as he ignored Logan’s answer and screamed, “Carlos?!”

Knock, knock, knock!

Heads turned to the bathroom door in the kitchen, where Katie was pounding on the hardwood. “He won’t come out of the bathroom!”

“Panic room!” He corrected her through the door, leading all five of them to wonder exactly why he was panicking.

Is he just as worked up as Kendall over the song?

Katie crossed her arms, leaning on the counter beside the door. “A bird told him he’s got 24 hours to live. But I got to brush my teeth!” she called into the wood, prompting even more pounding on the door. 

“Well, I’ve got to save my life!” Carlos informed her, before claiming, “Super Parrot knows all!”

No one had a chance to process any of that exchange before James launched into another loud coughing fit, shoulder shaking as he tried to hack out whatever was causing his throat to itch. 

“And I feel cold and clammy,” He shared, though he wrapped an arm around Roxy’s waist as she continued to rub his arm. “Is it possible for someone to lose their swagger?” 

“What?” She and Kendall chorused, looking at James with concern. 

“If there’s a finite amount of swagger in the band and if someone were to gain swagger…” Not so subtly, he glanced over to Logan, who appeared to be downloading the Billboard Hot 100 songs to his iPhone. “Is it possible for someone else to lose their swagger?” 

Attempting to sweep some of his wet hair off his forehead, Roxy puffed out her bottom lip, “That’s a very good question, baby… Do you need anything, like soup, or medicine, or-”

“Okay! I’ll go alone.” Kendall rudely cut her off with a huff, speaking as though his four friends had lost their minds. 

And maybe Roxy had, because seeing James suffering felt like someone had taken a knife to her heart. Forget the song, forget the band, forget anything that would pull her attention from trying to help him feel better in any way she could. He’d always been so gracious with her and her airsickness, right now she wanted nothing more than to do everything in her power to get him better - Swag-induced pain or not. 

“Just keep me updated, please?” She asked Kendall as he turned to leave, though she was still fussing over James' appearance since he wasn’t in the shape to. “And if I get any song ideas I’ll let you know.” 

With his hand on the doorknob, the blond whispered something under his breath she couldn’t quite make out, before throwing the door open and stomping out of 2-J. 

“Douche,” She muttered, and James laughed between a few breathy coughs while he tried to finish the few bites that remained of his now-soggy cereal. 

Letting go of his girlfriend’s waist, the sick boy pointed his spoon toward the door, “It might be a good idea to go with him. I don’t want you getting sick because of me.” 

Roxy was quick to wave him off, “We’ve been butting heads all day since he’s so concerned with kissing Gustavo’s ass… Hanging out with you sounds way more fun than that.”

“Sounds like you need to chillax, cupcake!” Logan butt in, beginning to blast his newly downloaded pop music out of his phone’s weak speakers. “Come party with me for a while and forget about all your worries!” 

From the seat beside him, James wound up for a punch to the arm and miserably whiffed it, though he did manage a weak, “You need to chillax.”

“How about we work on comebacks later, James?” His girlfriend cautioned, moving his bowl into the sink and attempting to pull him off the bar stool. “We can focus on getting you better over in 2-H… It’s much quieter over there.” 

As if on cue, Katie began pounding at the bathroom door again, bickering back and forth with Carlos in his new panic room. If that was enough to make her own head ache, she could only imagine how terrible James felt. 

Though it was tough to move him, mostly supporting his weight with her body as he slung an arm over her shoulder, the pair managed down the hallway to Roxy’s apartment. There, James happily flopped down onto her couch, while his girlfriend ran around the small space to make sure it was as cozy as possible for him. 

Opening the blinds and window, fresh air began to circulate into the one-bedroom, smelling a bit chemical from the pool a floor below. From her linen closet, a clean pillow was propped behind his head, and a blanket she nearly burrito-ed him into. Then, emptying her medicine cabinet she pulled out anything she thought might help alleviate some of his pain and set it on her kitchen counter; cough syrup, cough drops, Tylenol, and allergy medication galore. 

But even then, it felt like something was missing as she surveyed the space.

What would Dad do? She asked herself before running through her mental checklist. Air, comfort, medicine… Music!

Finally putting an end to her scramble, Roxy popped into her bedroom to grab her acoustic guitar before heading back out to the living room where James was lounging. 

With her hip, she pushed the coffee table in front of the couch to the side and plopped down in front of him, running her fingers over the cool, smooth wood in her hands. Since she’d restrung her acoustic to make the boys’ Christmas gifts, she hadn’t used it for much; Primarily writing her Big Time Rush songs on the electric. Now felt like a good time to get some use out of the instrument. 

As she made sure the strings were still in tune, plucking each one with the pick a few times before finding just the right sound, she tried to figure out what to play. James always claimed his favorite song was whatever was number one on the pop charts, which if she recalled correctly was TikTok by Kesha. 

Not sure I can manage that on this instrument… She contemplated, trying to form a chord pattern in her head to no avail. 

When she looked back up from the fretboard, she caught James’ eye from the hole in the blanket she’d left for his head and felt a wave of self-consciousness pass over her. 

“My dad always said music was the best medicine… So what do you wanna hear?” She asked, nervously playing with the green pick between her fingers.

In response, James broke out into a coughing fit and had to untangle himself from the blanket cocoon his girlfriend had put him in to make sure he covered his mouth. After practically forcing a cough drop down his throat, the boy finally managed to say, “Something new,” before falling back into the cushions. 

That was an answer Roxy certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear, but she was more than happy to oblige. Mentally running through the songs in her book, she tried to determine which one was best fit for performance on the acoustic guitar. 

When she landed on “Invisible” and began to strum out the melody she had constructed months ago, she laughed a bit to herself. This song had come from a place of longing and desperation, lines she constructed out of fear James would never do anything about the limbo-like state of their relationship at the time. Knowing what she knew now, she was glad she sat down and wrote it when she did. She’d probably never be able to write a song like this again, especially since she was so happy. 

Humming out the words, Roxy didn’t lift her eyes from the fretboard, though she didn’t need to watch where she was placing her fingers at all. Thoughts of tour swirled in her head - Her first kiss with James, the feeling of being on stage with her best friends, the cheering of the crowd… But also the uncertainty of her relationship status and the sadness it caused her, her time alone on the bus writing “Til I Forget About You,” and how much she’d missed Jo and Camille. Tour was rough, but rewarding, and in turn, she’d written the beautiful song she was now playing for her boyfriend. 

By the time her strumming stopped, it looked like James was half-asleep, so she decided to continue and play her next longest work in progress “You’re Not Alone” even though it was missing most of a chorus, a bridge, and a second round of verses. 

From then on, she improvised, smashing together other incomplete songs she’d written, blending them with chord progressions she came up with on the fly. The combination of the guitar, her quiet humming, and James’ soft breathing as he let his eyelids finally begin to droop was slowly becoming one of Roxy’s favorite sounds.  

Once she finally figured he was asleep, she stopped playing, giving her fingers a little wiggle before moving to stand up and put her guitar away. 

“Rox,” James weakly mumbled with closed eyes, somehow managing to catch her wrist. It felt like Roxy’s heart jumpstarted as she squatted back down to hear him better. “Lay with me?” 

Gently, she leaned in and kissed his temple, “‘Course, babe,” and kicked off her shoes, abandoning her guitar in the gap between the couch and the hardwood floor.

Shedding his blanket, James sat up and let Roxy make herself comfortable, using the pillow against the armrest as she moved to lay on her back. In no time, his arms circled her waist, before he slowly moved to rest his head on her chest, ear falling right over her heart which was no doubt beating over time. When they cuddled, their positions were typically reversed, a fact Roxy tried not to focus on as his chest rose and fell against her own. In an attempt to calm herself down, she returned his gesture and placed one of her arms lazily on top of his frame, beginning to run her nails lightly over his back, slightly zigzagging as her other hand sunk into his plush hair. 

James let out a small groan as he stretched his legs out, tangling them with Roxy’s.

“I love holding you,” he told her, and she could feel his dry lips moving against the skin around her collarbone, “It’s like everything melts away and nothing else matters…” 

She only managed to continue breathing because she knew he’d be able to hear if she stopped. “Oh. Yeah? I suppose it does feel like everything around us stops, doesn’t it?” 

Waiting a few moments for him to reply, Roxy heard his shallow breaths slow.

Falling asleep in the middle of a conversation? What a dork…

***

Hey babe!

Sorry to sneak out on you, but I had a wonderful idea for a new song (yes, it’s about you and yes, you’ll love it) and I didn’t want to wake you by scribbling it out or playing the melody on my guitar so I moved into my room for a little bit. Once this is all written and Gustavo approved, we’ll have all the time in the world to cuddle :) 

I left all the medicine you might need in reach, so feel free to use anything you think might make you feel better. If you need anything just shout.

XX Songbird

P.S. Feel better soon!! <3

P.P.S. Ignore that last line. I wrote that around 2ish but now, it’s nearing dinner time and I didn’t have anything good for sick people to eat. I’m running to the store, so call or text if you need me! <3 <3

***

Even though it had taken about twenty minutes to run to the store across the street from the Palm Woods and back, Roxy was still concerned about leaving her sick boyfriend alone for so long. Of course, she knew James was able to take care of himself, but that didn’t mean he should have to. 

Hopefully, he’d enjoy what she’d picked out for dinner, and she imagined walking into her apartment to see his cute face all snuggled up in her pillow. 

It’s so not fair, she decided, he looks so good both awake and asleep.

A few weeks ago he’d taken a picture of her after she’d fallen asleep on his shoulder during a work meeting, claiming it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen, and Roxy practically had to tackle him and wrestle the phone out of his grasp to delete it. 

I should take one when I get back as revenge.

Entering the lobby with a smile at the thought, she weaved in and out of the crowd of hotel patrons to get to the elevators, before a familiar voice caught her attention. 

“All we need to do is create a computer virus to destroy Logan’s swagger app!” Camille cried enthusiastically, and Roxy scanned the area to find her - and James - huddled around one of the small circular tables Bitters had set up. 

A green laptop sat in front of her and she was furiously typing away while she talked. 

“And if Logan’s going to steal my swagger, then I’ll steal his smart brain stuff things!” James shared, just as caught up in their plan as Camille was, while he fluffed the sides of a white lab coat he must have stolen from his friend’s closet, revealing a smart-looking sweater vest underneath. In the pockets, he had stuffed numerous pens and pencils and it appeared as though he’d swiped a pair of Mrs. Knight’s reading glasses as well. 

Did he look good? Of course, he did. It almost seemed like he’d stepped out of her favorite hospital drama Paging Dr. McDreamy. But seeing him hanging out with Camille, alone, caused a strong bout of jealousy to knot in her stomach when she should have been happy he was feeling better.

Despite making peace with what had happened between them, she didn’t like the thought of them alone together.

Whatever, Roxy told herself, resigning to push through the lobby and squeeze into an elevator to get back to 2-H. I’m not enabling today, so if they have a plan I’d just ruin it. And now it wouldn’t hurt to eat all of his favorite snacks myself.

 At the ding to let her know she was on the second floor, Roxy managed to get herself out of the packed elevator and hurried to her apartment as quickly as she could while not thinking about her conversation on the phone with Jo and Camille the other night. When Camille mentioned she might want to see other people, she couldn’t have been talking about James, right? 

Footsteps echoing in the empty hallway, the writer figured she was home free once she reached her front door, setting the grocery bags on the ground and slinging her backpack around her shoulder to root around for her keys. 

There was the faint sound of music down the hall, one of the other many musicians at the Palm Woods must have been testing out a new melody, but as she continued to search among the large collection of items in her bag, the song grew closer and closer. It also grew more familiar as well, and as a group of dancing teens turned the corner, Logan leading the pack, she realized “This Is Our Someday” was now blasting down the hall and if she didn’t find her keys in the new few seconds it would be too late for her to escape into her apartment. 

As the crowd passed, Logan grabbed her arm in a smooth display of synchronized dance with the members of his party, and she was immediately sucked into their non-stop march around the Palm Woods. 

***

Two laps around the entire hotel and surrounding park. That’s how long Roxy was caught up in Logan’s swag parade when all she wanted to do was go home and wallow. At many points throughout their procession, she’d tried to escape but Logan or his posse always managed to reign her back in as “This Is Our Someday” played on a loop. 

In fact, she’d caused them so much trouble, that she’d landed herself in the hot seat - on top of Logan’s shoulders - as they made their way closer to 2-J for the third time.

“If you keep dancing, you’ll die!” Roxy called down to her friend, giving a rough tug to his hair in hopes it would steer him toward the apartment door and not continue down the hall. “Think about it! Get some water in the Crib or something!”

Getting him to stop is certainly the opposite of enabling, right?

Thankfully, Logan headed his assistant’s advice, managing to get the two of them in the doorway and lose the accumulated group that had been following them around. Though, the Big Time Rush song continued to play outside, so it appeared no one else was ready for the party to end just yet. 

As the pair took in the commotion going on inside the apartment, it seemed as though they’d missed quite a lot on their swagged-out journey. 

In the kitchen, Carlos finally decided to come out of the panic room and was standing next to a gorgeous woman in fortune teller’s garb. On her arm sat a majestic blue and gold macaw who appeared to be quite chatty. The moment it laid eyes on Roxy and Logan it squawked, “Get them into the O.R., stat! Clear! Clear!”

A fellow Paging Dr. McDreamy fan…

It took Roxy a moment to realize there were other people in the room as well, until she heard a slow, steady beeping noise emanate from the living room. There, she noticed James, looking a lot worse than he had in the lobby, still wrapped up in the blanket she had given him in her apartment. He was hooked up to an oxygen tank, though she doubted his illness was that serious, and some type of machine taking a few readings from electrodes on his chest. 

And right next to him, helping him sip water from a clear glass was Camille, dressed in a white nurse's uniform and everything. 

“Put me down,” Roxy practically growled, tapping on Logan’s head to grab his attention, but he was already too focused on the scene in front of him, 

“Woah! Is that an EKG?”

Pulling on his hair again, his assistant purposefully cut him off, “Who cares? Put me down!”

Finally, the boy respected her wishes and managed to get her off his shoulders as Camille solemnly replied, “SKG… His swag count is dangerously low.”

The writer bit her tongue to hold back a dumb, anger-fueled retort at the sight of those two together again but was unable to mask a small snort as she crossed her arms, staring the pair down. Had the care she’d been giving James earlier not been enough? Did she have to wear a stupid, sexy costume to make it count?

“As you grow stronger…” James whispered between a few coughs, “I grow weaker…”

“Fine!” Logan shrugged, “You can have it back. I didn’t even want the swagger! My pants are too tight, everyone keeps following me, and honestly, there’s too much dancing.”

Could have fooled me.

Shock riddled her friend’s faces, eyes blowing wide as Camille asked, “Really?!”

“Yeah, look,” The boy assured her as he pulled out his phone and clicked a few buttons, “Swagger App: Deleted!” 

At the same time, the beeping on the SKG rapidly increased, showing what Roxy could only assume was a level of swagger worthy of her boyfriend. As quickly as his readings stabilized, he’d jumped off the couch, throwing the oxygen mask and blanket behind him while ripping off the electrodes under his gray v-neck. His color had returned, and he seemed steady on his feet but threw on a black jacket just to be safe. 

“I’m better now!” He announced, as though no one in the room had eyes, and turned to thank Camille. 

“Oh, whatever,” Roxy couldn’t stop herself from spitting out at the sight of the two of them all buddy-buddy. Gripping the strap of her bag, she pushed past Logan, down the hallway to 2-H, and slammed the door behind her, leaving three confused friends in her wake. 

Not that I need thanks, she told herself, flinging her bag onto her couch, but it sure would’ve been nice.

When she heard James call her name from the apartment next door, she wasn’t quick enough to make it back to the shared door and flip the lock. 

Roxy didn’t want to be upset; She’d made peace with what happened between James and Camille after speaking to both of them about it. At the time, James wasn’t her boyfriend, and Camile had made a stupid decision; She had no grounds to be fuming about it months after the fact. 

But something tugged in her stomach at the thought of James and Camille alone together. She’d felt it on the day of pranks, she’d felt it earlier in the lobby, and now, the feeling was taking root in her chest, gnawing away at her heart and making her seem like a terrible girlfriend for not being able to trust her partner. 

Just as she drew her arms around her sides, trying to combat the ugly feeling, the door to 2-J slowly opened, and James entered her apartment, worry written all over his face. “Babe? What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” She bit, far too quickly and far too sharply. The fact that she was starting at the hardwood floor wasn’t helping her case either. 

Between them, there was a moment of silence before James took a long, deep breath. “I can’t read your mind.”

His girlfriend didn’t answer him, but she stalked over to her kitchen to pour herself a cold glass of water. If she held that, he might not notice the shaking of her hands or the color she felt draining from her skin. 

“Is Kendall bothering you about the song again? From the note you left, I thought you were onto something.”

Taking a sip, the girl shook her head, trying to figure out the quickest way to shut this entire conversation down. She wouldn’t look like a jealous, controlling partner if they never managed to talk about it.

“Songs all good,” She finally managed, threading her fingers together as they held her cup. This was her out. “Wanna hear it?”

“Sure,” her boyfriend smiled, and Roxy felt some of the knotting in her stomach vanish. “Once you tell me what’s bothering you.”

James took the cup from her hands and set it on the counter beside them, removing the object Roxy had been attempting to hide behind. She looked to the ground again, trying to slow the fast-paced beat of her heart, and James brought one of his hands up to cup her cheek. 

Gently, he tilted her head so she’d finally look him in the eye, and the dam broke.

“I don’t want to fight with you,” She whispered, even though they were the only two people in the apartment. “That’s not us.” 

“Oh.” James blinked a few times as he took in her words. He hadn’t realized she was mad at him. “We’re not fighting, baby, just talking. So you can tell me, right?”

When she nodded, Roxy felt like the worst person in the entire world. “I- I can’t stand to see you and Camille together. Not because I don’t trust you or I want to control who you hang out with, but… God, James, I don’t know. The thought of you two alone together after what happened I just-“

There was no denying her relationship with Dak Zevon had royally screwed with her trust issues, and Roxy struggled to vocalize this, pausing in the middle of her sentence. The last thing she expected James to do was pull her into his chest, allowing one hand to sink into her hair as the other rubbed soothing circles into her back, yet he didn’t say anything in response. 

Roxy was mad at him and he still made an effort to comfort her. Now she felt even worse about bringing it up. 

“The last thing I want to be is the partner who tells you who you can and can’t be around. Been there already, don’t recommend it. But I feel like… Maybe I have a bit of justification for feeling this way? Obviously, you had some sort of feelings for her if you kissed her.” 

More silence, though this time, Roxy felt herself fall deeper into her boyfriend's embrace.

“I understand,” He breathed. “Thank you for telling me.” 

It was almost impossible to ignore the way her heart dropped clear into her stomach. No apology, no promise to do better, no denial of feelings for her best friend. 

If Roxy wasn’t so concerned with what James had to say next, she wouldn’t be trying so hard to suppress the tears she felt stinging at the back of her eyes. She’d told him, just like he’d asked, and normally getting something off your chest was supposed to make you feel better, but as more time went by without a response Roxy felt guiltier and guiltier. 

When James took another deep breath, she could hear it this time, her ear pressed to his chest, and she clung to him tighter in anticipation of whatever he had to say. 

“For what it’s worth, I don’t have feelings for Camille. Never have, never will.” 

“You kissed her!” 

The hand rubbing her back stopped. “Yeah. I did. But like I told you before, that’s a mistake I’m doing my best to make up for. Part of that is being honest with you about why I did.”

Roxy pulled away from him, glancing up at the boy in front of her to catch onto his every word, no matter how much it would pain her to hear. 

“I’m not sure how I can prove this to you now, but ever since I realized I liked you, you’ve been the only girl for me. Maybe you can ask the guys to confirm… But that day Camille and I were practicing, you went off to the observatory with Logan and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wished it was me with you, not him. 

“As the scene we practiced went on, I kept losing track of my place in the script, I kept thinking how pretty you would look in the dress Camille was wearing, and before I knew it, I was leaning in to kiss her when the script called for it, thinking about when we made out by the pool-”

“When did you know?” She couldn’t stop herself from asking, almost stuttering as she pulled away, cleared her throat, and clarified, “That you liked me?”

“Gustavo’s mansion.” Now it was James’ turn to look at his shoes, unmistakable pink tint hinting at the top of his ears. “I tried to tell you then but Logan cut me off when the alligator showed up. And then the next day you met Dak…”

Months. James had liked me for months.

His girlfriend cringed, “If we want to talk about mistakes, that whole thing with him was the biggest one of all… But thank you for being honest with me.” 

“Not a problem at all, not if it’s for you,” James assured her, finally able to pick his gaze up and meet Roxy’s. “If you don’t want me and Camille to hang out alone, I understand, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner. I wouldn’t want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, but let me know if your feelings change. How does that sound?” 

For the first time that evening, Roxy’s smile returned, and nothing had relieved James more. 

“Sounds like a good compromise…” His girlfriend agreed, gently reaching for one of his hands and bringing his knuckles to her lips. “You’re good at fighting. I thought there’d at least be some yelling, maybe some crying on my part.”

“Roxy… We’re still not fighting!” He said, taking her hand and pulling her toward the couch in her living room, “Trust me. After years of watching others do it, you learn the right ways and the wrong ways to go about a disagreement.” When she opened her mouth to ask a question about his statement, James plopped down on the cushions, pulling her into his lap. “And I know that this is the part where we kiss and make out.” 

“It’s kiss and makeup, babe.”

“Isn’t that what I said?” 

***

Kendall and Kelly had managed to break Gustavo’s zen spell by cleverly hiring an insult comic to pick apart and destroy the original song he’d written for the New Town High soundtrack. Fortunately - and unfortunately - for the band and their assistant, they’d restored their boss back to his angry, hate-filled glory and now had less than a few hours before the producers of the show arrived to hear the song. 

Working late into the night usually didn’t bother Roxy, it was something she’d been accustomed to back in Minnesota, but she suspected Gustavo’s time of peace had led to a lot of pent-up rage, which he subsequently took out on her in the writer’s room. Even if he did love the song she’d written. 

A few writing and recording sessions later, they’d finished the incomplete lyrics and tracked her guitar portions, and he’d managed to call in the band to add in the rest, while Mr. X and the boys worked on a dance routine for the live performance they’d give the New Town High execs. 

In Roxy’s opinion, “Nothing Even Matters” was one of the best songs she’d ever written, and she had a sneaking suspicion the boys loved it as well. That fact was evident on their faces as they moved about the studio, nailing practice dance after practice dance, even as the sun began to rise. 

While the base storyline came from her conversation with James earlier, she did her best to draw in the show’s current story as well. As of the last episode, Jo and Jett's characters, while being some of the most popular students in school, were facing lots of hate for their relationship after going public. Other students were rooting to see them break up; Relationships between monsters and humans weren’t well-liked, so Roxy channeled their characters’ nothing-can-stop-us attitudes and blended that into the lyrics. 

When the show producers arrived and the boys gave their performance, Roxy, Kelly, and Gustavo anxiously sat in the sound booth with them. 

“That’s just what we were looking for!” One of the men claimed at the conclusion of the performance, “And perhaps Big Time Rush will make a guest appearance in our school dance episode…” 

At the notion, Roxy squealed as she jumped out of her seat, moving to stand beside her bosses as they shook on the business deal. 

Music and screen exposure? We sure are headed for the big time.

She knew the boys could see her practically jumping up and down through the glass into the studio, but she let Gustavo deliver the big news this time around.

Pressing the microphone button, Gustavo announced, “Looks like our song is gonna be on TV!”

A chorus of cheers broke out in the boys’ room, as the three moved from the recording room to the dance studio. 

“And forget what I said about wanting you dawgs, and Roxanne, to change. Let’s just stay our usual, annoying selves.”

“Good!” Carlos cried, “‘Cause I am done taking advice from birds!”

Pulling his large hand mirror out of his back pocket again, James reverted back to talking with his mirror. “James and I totally agree, don’t we Rox?” 

He turned it her way, framing her features into the little reflective circle, “Yeah… I’m tired of pretending I don’t love participating in their schemes.” 

“And I can get all the swagger I need with a simple pair of shades!” Shared Logan, taking his black aviators from where they hung on his button-up and popping them on. 

James put his mirror down and looked helplessly at his girlfriend, “Feeling woozy…”

The thud that resounded in the studio after his body hit the floor rang in her ears, and she ran to his side to help him back up. 

“Okay, no shades…” The studious boy decided and Roxy did her best to hold James back up, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kendall and Carlos push them back onto his face. James lost consciousness again, almost taking her down with him this time, and she stumbled a bit to regain her balance. 

“Guys! Knock it off!” She called, reaching in front of Kendall to try and snatch the glasses off Logan’s face. 

Easily, Kendall blocked her hand, and trapped her arms at her sides with a bear hug, teasing, “I thought you said you loved our schemes?” 

“Not this one!” 

Laughter rose from her friends, and once she stopped struggling against Kendall’s grip, Roxy realized she was laughing too. The euphoric feeling of a job well done washed over all of them, including James once he popped back up. 

One of my songs on a TV show… Does it get any better than this?

***

“Roxanne!” 

Though he stood right beside her in her kitchen, James hissed out Roxy’s name as she pulled the strawberry she’d been holding out of the marshmallow fluff container on the counter. 

Since they’d worked through the night, Gustavo had given them the day off, and James had decided the best use of their time together would be a Star Wars marathon in 2-H. Apparently, he had found it appalling she hadn’t seen any of the six films and sought to rectify that immediately. 

Ignoring his words while she took a bite, she shoved him with her shoulder before taking a piece of pineapple from the tray she’d put together in the kitchen and dipping it into the sweet dip. “What? You like healthy things and I like sugary things! Is this not the perfect blend of both?” 

“You dipped that strawberry in twice!” He accused, pointing a finger her way, “Double dipper!”

With a drawn-out bite of her pineapple, her eyes flickered to where he stood beside her, “James. Your tongue was in my mouth not even five minutes ago.”

“That is so different!” 

“Oh, yeah?” She dared to step back and poke his arm with a teasing grin, glancing over to the TV with a paused image of Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca in the Millennium Falcon. “How?” 

James faltered, his argument taking more than it should have to construct itself inside his brain, and when his mouth opened in response, Roxy picked up a strawberry and popped it right in. 

“Ha! You can’t think of anything! Just admit it - It’s the same thing!” Taking the berry in his mouth, James made a display of slowly chewing and swallowing, staring right at her with narrowed eyes, before he reached out and stuck a finger in the marshmallow fluff. 

“Dude-” She started to protest, about to inform her how that was way grosser than double dipping, but he took a quick step toward her and smeared it on her cheek. 

Now it was her turn for her mouth to hang open, this time in disbelief as he snickered at her expense. She couldn’t even think of a way to retaliate before his snickers turned into full-on waves of laughter and he moved again, this time catching her around the waist, hauling her back over to the couch as she screamed about how she was going to kill him.

“This makeup is expensive, you know! You can’t just go around ruining it!” Roxy chastized, legs kicking wildly in the air, though she was giggling now as he let her fall on her back onto the cushions below. 

As his knees slid over her hips, he shook his head, “Didn’t do anything to you…” before leaning down and licking the small amount of dip off her blushing cheeks. 

“God, you’re so annoying-” 

James shut her up with a kiss, and suddenly, Roxy didn’t feel like complaining anymore. 

Just as her hands clumsily fumbled out to find the hem of his shirt to slip under, a sharp knock rapped at her door, giving them both of them pause. 

Looking toward the sound, James just shook his head, diving back down to press a trail of open-mouthed kisses down her throat and whispering, “They’ll go away.” 

But they didn’t, because as her hands found their destination, the knocking came again. 

His sigh was unmistakable, but James pulled away from her regardless, looking between his girlfriend and the door. “Expecting someone?” 

Sitting up, Roxy ran a hurried hand through her hair to smooth it out, finding it nearly impossible to take her eyes off James. Flushed cheeks, pink lips, chest heaving… Whoever was at the door better be delivering the most important news of their life if they were dragging her away from all that. 

Reluctantly, she stood up and willed her legs to move her forward, shaking her head at James’ question. 

When she turned the lock, popping the door open just wide enough to see who was on the other side, her good mood instantly dissipated. 

“Hey, Roxy!” Mag McAllister stood in the hallway, dazzling smile as blinding as ever. He always was quite the charmer, and his pretty boy good looks had earned Brand New Day more than one important booking in the past. 

She should’ve shut the door in his face, or maybe reached forward and poked one of his sapphire blue eyes out, but the emotional whiplash she was experiencing gave her pause, so he continued.

“Long time no see, huh? I wish we had more time to talk at the radio station, but, you know, duty calls! It’s pretty crazy L.A.’s number one morning show wanted us on so early in BND’s career… They haven’t even had Big Time Rush yet, right?”

Roxy blinked, doing her best to appear unphased by his visit. “What do you want? I’m busy.” 

“Always right down to business with you…” He trailed off, reaching into the pocket of his blue and gold flannel before fishing out an envelope. “As you may have heard, our first album is coming out at the end of the week. Galactic Records is throwing us a huge party, so we thought we’d invite you and celebrate this accomplishment together.”

Snorting, because she thought he was joking, Roxy made a big show of rolling her eyes, but Mag continued to hold out the invitation. While the promise of a party did catch her attention, he must’ve been crazy if he thought she would be interested in attending. 

Her mouth was dry. “Mag. You’re not actually serious.”

“Sure I am!” He shot right back, “Dani and I want you there. You were a huge part of our band’s beginning and we want to show our appreciation. This is a huge milestone for the two of us.”

The two of us. That phrase alone knocked the remaining wind out of Roxy’s lungs, and she did her best to bring her focus back to the conversation at hand.

“Unless… You don’t think it is? I know your band already has one album out, but you can’t forget about the little guys too.”

Gritting her teeth at the insinuation, Roxy put on her best fake smile and reached to accept the invitation. “No, it is. Tell Dani I said ‘Congratulations.’”

Mag’s eyes widened, sparkling in that annoying way she once wrote songs about. “So you’ll come?”

“Big Time Rush is very busy… I’ll have to check my schedule,” Roxy admitted, honestly, before feeling the need to tack on, “And I need to see if my boyfriend’s free. I do get a plus one, right?”

“Boyfriend?” 

The writer relished in the sound of his surprise as she continued to keep that smile on her face. “James Diamond, you met him at the station.

The boy in the hall cocked his head to the side, tight curls flying in the same direction, “Is that the one who wears the helmet?” 

“No. He’s the one on the cover of Teen Vogue this month.” 

It technically wasn’t a lie if all of the band was on the cover… In a small picture in the corner. But Mag would never know the difference. He used to poke as much fun as he could at anything mainstream, including the “girly” magazines Roxy would always bring to band practice. 

“Ooh,” He pretended to sound like that mattered in the slightest. “You always had a thing for musicians… How exciting that must be.”

That was something she didn’t even want to dignify with a response. He knew exactly what he was getting at with those words and now, she wanted to step outside and poke out both his eyes. 

“Which songs do you think we should play at the party to showcase our work? ‘From Me To You, With Love or ‘Heartswell Summer?’ Maybe ‘Baby Blue’ or ‘Into the Night?’’”

When she slammed the door in his face, his laughter echoed out in the empty hallway, “Rox, come on! It was just a joke!”

“Go to hell!” She yelled back and threw the invitation in the kitchen trash bin without another word. 

  In her living room, James was standing now, brows knit while his girlfriend strode over to the couch behind him and sat down, beginning the movie again. 

After a few moments, she noticed his hands flex, but he sat back down beside her, draping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his chest. 

Roxy was shaking, but neither of them mentioned it. 

“I never knew Harrison Ford was so hot,” She said, trying to break at least a little bit of the tension she felt in the air. 

Turning to James, his eyes were still glued on the screen, and she watched his throat work once, twice. “Just wait until we watch the prequels… Then we can talk about Hayden Christensen.” 

Though she nodded and tried to keep her focus on the movie, Mag’s words had their desired effect. Until then, she had wondered if they’d use any of the songs in the book he’d taken from her, but specifically naming those erased any doubt in her mind. 

Brand New Day was releasing their first album and it sounded like it was full of songs Roxy had written.

--

thanks for reading <3 likes are appreciated and be sure to leave a comment so i know people are still reading lol

[marmolita]

kinktober day 3: Seifer/Squall exhibitionism

Title: Training Center After Hours

Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII

Ship: Seifer/Squall

Rating: Explicit

Tags: pre-canon, exhibitionism, semi-public masturbation

It's not like Squall plans to jerk off in the showers. It's just that he gets so amped up in the training center, so hot and bothered when he's pushing himself to the limit, slamming his blade into some monsters and feeling the rush of paramagic flooding through his body. And he's not gonna whip it out where he might get interrupted by a T-Rexaur, so the showers are the first place he can get a hand on himself and relieve some tension.

Read it at AO3

[confusedananass]

Steps in After Effects after the cut.

(instagram)

Created my illustration in Adobe Illustrator at first but then remade a few elements on After Effects because it's easier to animate it.

Created a solid layer, slapped some looping texture over it.

To create those circling lines:

I created one line with a Pen Tool and added a Repeater animator to it;

Went to Contents → Repeater 1 → Set Copies to 42;

Then went to Transform: Repeater 1 and set the Position to 0.0 and Rotation to +10;

And animated its rotation from the center;

To create moving circles:

I created some random sized circles on one shape layer in the places I wanted. Now the fun part is to make them move around randomly on a 10 second loop (or however long you want it to be);

I found the Position parameter of every circle I created (you can use search function) and added this expression to one of them:

freq = 1; amp = 30; loopTime = 10; t = time % loopTime; wiggle1 = wiggle(freq, amp, 1, 0.5, t); wiggle2 = wiggle(freq, amp, 1, 0.5, t - loopTime); linear(t, 0, loopTime, wiggle1, wiggle2)

Then Left-Clicked on it and selected Copy Expression Only;

And then pasted it onto the rest of the Positions;

Then search for the Scale parameter and do the same but with the amplitude of 50 this time (amp = 50);

Copy the expression and paste it on the rest of the Scales;

To create twinkling lights:

Created a circle, added Pucker & Bloat animator, set the Amount to -85;

Added some keyframes on Scale animation so it would go from 100% to 0% to a 100% again every 20 frames;

Added loopOut() expression to Scale so it would twinkle forever;

Added the same expression to Position parameter as I did on the circles (amp 30) so it would randomly move around;

Also added these effects on a circles layer to style it a little:

Echo - Echo Time (seconds) -0.020; Number Of Echoes - 3; Echo Operator - Composite In Back; (creates copies of my animation and spreads them out over time which creates this light trailing effect);

Roughen Edges - Border 6; Edge Sharpness 10; Fractal Influence 0.2; Scale 10; Complexity 2; (gives them more organic look);

And then I added Adjustment Layer over the whole project and added these effects:

Noise - Amount 5%;

Posterize Time - 12;

Roughen Edges - Border 2; Edge Sharpness 5; Fractal Influence 0.2; Scale 10; Complexity 2;

Turbulent Displace - Amount 2; Size 100; Complexity 1;

Turbulent Displace 2 - Amount 30; Size 2; Complexity 2;

[ahriloosey]

Todos os mods que uso no The Sims 4

» MODS PARA O CAS:

Fundo default para o CAS:

https://ellcrze.tumblr.com/post/721970601223438336/minimalist-cas-background

CAS Lighting:

https://simplyanjuta.tumblr.com/post/668662872078974976/cas-lighting-spotlight-daylight-variants

More Columns:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/more-columns-in-27751117

Almofada Default Para Bebês de Colo:

https://simbeeez.tumblr.com/post/712337094680477696/floral-boppy-pillow-infant-cas-prop

CAS Unlocks:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/34827823

Tidy (Organizador de Conteúdos Personalizados):

https://sparrowcc.tumblr.com/

No EA Lashes:

https://kijiko-sims.tumblr.com/post/663751056760635392/ea-eyelashes-remover-mod-updated

» TELA DE CARREGAMENTO E MAPAS:

Tela De Carregamento:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/studio-ghibli-61023215

Mapas Mais Bonitinhos:

https://simscommunity.info/2023/03/02/sims-4-map-replacements/

» MODS BÁSICOS:

MC Command Center:

https://deaderpool-mccc.com

Better Exceptions:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/better-v2-03-52688481

Wonderful Whims:

https://wonderfulwhims.com

UI Cheats:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ui-cheats-v1-16-26240068

XML Injector:

https://scumbumbomods.com/xml-injector

Mood Pack:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/mood-pack-mod-v1-43759541

Pose Player:

https://sims4studio.com/thread/2617/andrews-studio

Teleport Any Sim:

https://sims4studio.com/post/72734

Free Camera Mod:

https://modthesims.info/download.php?t=536953

Full Control Camera:

https://ravasheen.com/download/iso-love-photos-full-control-camera/?utm_content=cmp-true

Smaller Plumbob:

https://illogicalsims.tumblr.com/post/180066132834/smaller-plumbobs-randomly-found-that-you-could

» SHADERS:

Reshade:

https://reshade.me

Preset Que Eu Uso:

https://neecxle.tumblr.com/post/659526619226128384/bohodreams

» MODS DE GAMEPLAY:

Call To Meal:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175406887453/choose-who-you-call-to-meal-this-tuning-mod-lets

Better Reactions:

https://lotharihoe.tumblr.com/post/644749389427048448/better-reactions-download-google-drive-patreon

Children Can Cook:

https://modthesims.info/d/658947/children-can-cook.html

Everyone Can Sleep Together:

https://modthesims.info/d/641369/everyone-can-sleep-together.html

First Impressions:

https://lumpinoumods.com/2020/12/08/first-impressions-mod/

Food Delivery:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175409490398/littlemssams-food-delivery-service-order-more

Food Texture:

https://utopiamordor.blogspot.com

Ghosts Can Have Babies:

https://modthesims.info/d/602411/ghosts-can-have-babies.html

Go For A Walk With Dogs Will Fill Up Needs:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175411275238/go-for-a-walk-with-dogs-will-fill-up-needs-going

Housewarming Party:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175403169118/housewarming-party-instead-of-welcome-wagon

Longer Parties & More Guests:

https://modthesims.info/d/558097/longer-parties-amp-more-guests.html

Loud Noise Reaction:

https://modthesims.info/d/605017/bugfixes-it-s-a-crying-shame.html

Moveable City Living Objects:

https://modthesims.info/d/588505/moveable-buyable-city-living-apartment-objects.html

No React To Strangers Death:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bg-no-react-to-30385184

PlantSim Lives:

https://srslysims.net/downloads/plantsim-lives/

Quick Shower:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175406394233/quick-shower-quick-bath-this-mod-adds-new

Release all Ghosts & Get Urn for:

https://www.curseforge.com/sims4/mods/rsm-release-all-ghosts-get-urn-for

Remove Sims From Conversations:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/remove-sims-from-62823426

Science Baby Tweak:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/mod-science-baby-80018691

Slow Infant Needs:

https://modthesims.info/d/675613/slow-infant-needs.html

Social Activities:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175408773833/social-activities-visit-friends-family-and

Spend Weekend With:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/179252225808/spend-weekend-with-send-your-kids-away-to-visit

Teen Parenting Skill:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175409100748/parenting-skill-for-teens-more-this-mod-unlocks

Ultrasound Scan:

https://littlemssam.tumblr.com/post/175410620123/ultrasound-scan-pregnant-sims-can-do-a

Variable Default Relationships:

https://scumbumbomods.com/variable-default-relationships-mod

[assignmentimprobable]

For people who want to know what’s going on in Palestine, a workup of links across various sources detailing the historical context (which is why some links predate the NOW part of the struggle) between Palestine and Israel. I tried to be as varied as possible with collecting information with some measure of 'good faith' education, but like. My biases are up front, and real, and raw. I'm not gonna shit anybody about where I fall. So take that in mind as much or as little as you like when looking at the links.

Center for Constitutional Rights - The Genocide of the Palestinian People: An International Law and Human Rights Perspective (Pub. August 25, 2016)

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/program/newsfeed/2023/10/9/israeli-defence-minister-orders-complete-siege-on-gaza

https://x.com/deviIette/status/1718280425640951818?s=20 (Oct 28, 2023)

https://x.com/MSNBC/status/1712911792106602608?s=20 (Oct. 13, 2023)

https://x.com/Raminho/status/1719385390086271164?s=20 (Oct. 31, 2023)

https://x.com/a_leesha1/status/1392969664049946625?s=20 (May 1, 2021)

The Genocide Education Project: Ten Stages of Genocide

What Israel is doing to Palestine? Genocide. There is no right to self defense when you are not only using internationally banned weaponry to systemically wipe a people off a land (while claiming to care about the hostages. Who are also being bombed with the civilians in these attack mind you), but have spent decades in practice of settler colonialism and racial apartheid, limiting the airspace and poisoning land because it isn’t ‘yours’. Argue with the fucking wall.

[saralayne]

We Are (A) Family 🩷

Chapter 8: My Girls

A little fluff as Kelly & Stella prepare for baby girls arrival. Kelly’s nerves start to come through and becomes extra protective.

Stella was reaching 30 weeks along in her pregnancy. Feeling she was growing by the hour on some days. Becoming increasingly more tired. They had moved into their forever home. Unpacking was a slow process. 51 family had come over numerous times to help with the settling in. Cindy and Donna had made many home cooked meals for Kelly and Stella. Kelly was back at work. Stella had scaled back her hours at the firehouse. Not officially starting Maternity leave for a few more weeks. She was concentrating on getting the house ready and nesting for baby girls arrival. Early on in the pregnancy when she first came off active duty, the thought of being alone at home would make her crazy. Always wanting to be around her husband and their 51 family. The firehouse was her safe place. Kelly was. Knowing when he went out on a call, she could keep track of the calls or at the very least able to get immediate updates. Now, she just wanted to make their new home not only her safe place but also their baby girls as well.

Kelly had only had feelings of pure excitement and joy. The dream he always had of being a dad was becoming a reality. Not only becoming a dad, becoming a dad with the love of his life. His wife. The one person in this world who meant everything to him. Life felt perfect. As overjoyed as he is feeling. The feelings of doubt and fear had quietly crept in. Kelly only felt in control of his emotions was when he was making sure Stella and his daughter were always safe and secure. When Stella was at the firehouse. He would be right by her side in the bull pen, even bringing any paper work with him to where she was. Stella would constantly assure him they were both good. Kelly needed to be there to see for himself. On calls, being the lieutenant he is was able to focus on the task at hand. Never putting his team or any possible victims at risk. As soon as the call was over, he was back to shadowing his wife and unborn daughter.

At first, Stella loved the idea of Kelly going into full papa bear mode. He really was going to be the best dad. He has always been protective of Stella even in their early days of their friendship and then even more when they finally got together. So, this didn’t seem odd to her. She knew it would amp up during her pregnancy. Kelly was such a loving man. He was a show you kinda man. But, after they moved into their new house. The protectiveness had escalated and it was becoming stressful. Stella knowing her husband as well as she does. She knew something more was going on inside his head. But knowing her and their baby girl would always be protected and safe was all that mattered.

On this day, Stella had stayed home while Kelly went into shift. Telling him before he left that morning, she had planned on doing some grocery shopping. Spending the rest of the day at home, getting some rest. Giving her husband a soft kiss as he made his way out the door. “Have a good day, my handsome man. We will be waiting for you. We love you” Kelly giving Stella small kisses before a passionate kiss. “I love you. Make sure to call me when you get home from shopping. Do not forget” Kelly using his stern voice. Or as sternly as he could be with her. “Yes, sir”

Stella made her way out the door to do some shopping. As she made her way to the shopping center. As she parked, realizing she had forgotten her phone at home. ‘Oh well’ Stella thought. ‘Pregnancy brain had come out on many occasions recently. Stella started grocery shopping. Got everything she needed. While making her way to her jeep to load groceries, Stella spotted a cute baby boutique store. They had already bought more than enough. But they could never have enough clothes for their baby girl.

It had been a few hours and Kelly had returned from a call. Was doing paperwork. Stella had promised to text him when she returned home. Still nothing. He called her twice and sent a couple texts, still with no response. Kelly was really trying to tame his protectiveness. Easier said than done. He was constantly worrying about his girls. He really was already in dad mode. ‘Come on Stella. Call me back’ Even if she was still out shopping, she would of seen all the missed calls and texts.

Stella returned back to their house. It took two trips to bring groceries and baby girl purchases into the house. As she left bags on the counter, noticing her phone. She then saw the missed calls and texts. Knowing her husband was most definitely in a slow panic. He was so protective in recent weeks. Picking up her phone, dialing Kelly’s number. Kelly answering before the first ring had begun.

“STELLA. Thank god. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“Babe. I’m so sorry. I accidentally left my phone at home. I didn’t realize until I had already gotten to the store”

“Stel. You can’t do that to me. You know how I am lately”

Stella laughing at her husbands over protectiveness.

“Kelly. I know. I’m sorry. We are both more than OK. My pregnancy brain is in full gear apparently”

“I know baby. My girls are good and that’s all that matters. So what extra stuff did you buy? I’m sure whatever you bought we absolutely needed, right?”

“Of course. We can never have enough adorable outfits for our princess”

“Yes Stel. Of course.”

“I will see you when I get home. I love you both, my beautiful girls”

“We love you too”

Stella knew Kelly would never stop with his protective ways and that gave her butterflies. Knowing how much he loves her and their baby girl. He was going to be the best daddy. Stella couldn’t wait for them to meet their princess and start this incredible journey together.

[haggishlyhagging]

As part of a far-flung community of fellow pop-culture feminists that has bloomed over the years, I've seen pop culture and media transform feminism, for better and for worse and feminism, in turn, change pop culture and media. But as I started to write this book, something weird happened: feminism got cool.

A current of excitement that had previously been humming just under the surface of mainstream culture suddenly amped up. In August 2014, Beyoncé commanded the stage at the close of MTV's Video Music Awards, the word "FEMINIST" glowing in neon lights behind her as her song "Flawless" sampled the words of Nigerian author Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie. (“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, ‘You can have ambition, but not too much.’”) The sample concludes with Adichie paraphrasing the dictionary definition of "feminist": "The person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes." Though the song was already well known, and though Beyoncé's particular brand of business-minded feminism was threaded through lyrics dating back to her Destiny's Child days, the visual display served as her official flag in the ground. Bathed in spotlights, the biggest pop star in the world rocked the once-maligned label like a curve-hugging Met Gala dress, literally spelling it out for an audience of more than eight million.

Beyonce staking her claim to feminism was the start of a media domino effect. Shortly after, Emma Watson, beloved for years as Harry Potter's Hermione, gave a speech on the importance of gender equality to the United Nations noting, among other things, that "[i]t is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, instead of [as] two sets of opposing ideals." The pop singer Taylor Swift, who several years earlier had disavowed feminism, quickly changed tack with a media announcement that, in fact, she'd been feminist all along. At Paris Fashion Week, Chanel's runway-show finale took the form of a feminist rally, with models draped in the label's signature tweeds raising signs that read "History is Her Story" and "Women's Rights Are More Than Alright." Brands like Verizon, Always, and Pantene began centering feminist themes in their ads for wireless plans, maxi pads, and shine-boosting shampoos. And my Google alert for "women and feminism," which used to turn up lonely articles with headlines like "Feminism: Outmoded and Unpopular," began teeming with woman-power boosterism: "Beyonce's Hip New Club: Feminism," "Emma Watson Gives Feminism New Life," "Why Male Feminists Are Hot." Seemingly overnight, almost every female celebrity—and a fair number of male ones—who walked a red carpet was asked whether they were feminists. References to Lena Dunham and Leaning In were suddenly cropping up in everything from gossip columns to in-flight magazines. The increasing presence of transgender women in mainstream pop culture—Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, the Amazon series Transparent—offered new opportunities to talk about gender as a limiting social construct. Cosmopolitan, the bible of man-pleasing sex tips, began embracing more explicitly political writers and subjects, though it will still teach you "40 Ways to Blow His Mind." Feminism, so long dismissed as the realm of the angry, the cynical, the man-hating, and the off-puttingly hairy, was officially a thing. It was hot. And, perhaps most important, it was sellable.

-Andi Zeisler, We Were Feminists Once