#Andrew is never invited back for any all stars follow-ups
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Note
But also... Andreil on the great British bake off (they have celebrity seasons)
Look, I'm gonna be honest.
It's a disaster in two parts.
Neil is there EXPLICITLY because Stuart found out that he had been asked to go do it because he is technically British. Stuart has asked him to be the bane of Paul Hollywood's existence and is willing to do quite a bit to make the man's life hell.
"He knows what he did." is all Stuart will say on the matter.
Neil agrees to come be a Baker on the stipulation that Andrew also gets to come. Andrew has no interest in baking other than what it can produce for him to eat, he has no desire to do the laborious task of baking himself.
Stuart offers him an Aston.
Andrew agrees.
Neil is a nightmare in the tent. He hates desserts. He hates measuring. He has never done a single prep bake. He has no idea what the desserts are during the technical challenge. He just goes with his gut (his iron gut). He produces three straight desserts that Paul will not let Prue eat for fear that she will just straight up die if she eats it. He is a pile of misery upon consuming all three.
When Neil is kicked off in round one no one is surprised. Paul pats Neil on the back as he leaves the tent and Neil just leans in, "Stuart Hatford sends his regards." he says now that the mic has been removed. Paul Hollywood's tan fades but Neil doesn't look back.
Andrew is a nightmare for a completely different reason and that reason is that he very visibly and honestly does not give a single flying fuck about what he's doing but he's doing quite well. He is the most boring man on camera, zero quips, won't interact with Noel and whoever the fuck is the other presenter by this point, just him doing exactly what the recipe requires and then he always makes a point of grabbing whatever Paul and Prue have judged and taking it all back to his station so that he can eat it. He stares straight into the camera as he eats an entire three tier cake. He dedicates every week he is Star Baker to his inspiration: Kevin Day.
Andrew makes it all the way to the Finals with impressive bakes that he basically just decided on 100% by how much he thinks it would upset Kevin to watch him eat it knowing that he SHOULD be doing weight training for the olympics. ("Weight TRAINING not Weight GAINING Andrew! Do you have to hold up two fingers as you eat the entire thing? Can you at least PRETEND it's not to SPITE me?" Kevin wails as Andrew calls him for the post-credit scene where the star bakers call their families usually but Andrew just uses it so everyone can hear Kevin Day lose his mind on Public Access.)
Andrew gets to the finals and his show stopper....it's immaculate. It's gorgeous. It's a work of art. Paul Hollywood is looking at this feat of modern baking engineering in wonder.
He shakes Andrew's hand before he even tastes it and-
"Stuart Hatford sends his regards."
Paul Hollywood is now nervous to eat this cake. Does he look out at the gathered friends and family of the contestants and see Stuart Hatford? Does he remember what he did?
He eats the cake because show obligations and it tastes as good as it looks but he is oddly silent as Prue talks about it.
Andrew Wins and Paul Hollywood stays exactly one entire party's width away from Neil, Stuart, and Andrew during the entire victory picnic.
Andrew gives his post bake-off speech and flat out says it was kind of boring and he wants to go home to America. The next scene is him driving off with Neil in an Aston Martin.
Edit: Thanks @the-inner-musings-of-a-worm for the idea once again!
#Great British Bake Off x AFTG#AFTG AU#AFTG#Andreil#There is absolutely some outrage about a fucking American winning#People are mad#Andrew is never invited back for any all stars follow-ups#Stuart has to ship that car across the ocean#He still thinks it was worth it to mess with Hollywood#What is Paul Hollywood and Stuart Hatford's past together you may ask?#Perhaps Stuart was a big Mary Berry fan. Perhaps he has sent an almost insane number of letters about this#And if Paul Hollywood woke up numerous times to cherry pie filling on his walls#Stating that Stuart Hatford preferred Mel and Sue?#And not a single detective Paul Hollywood went to would touch it once he gave Stuart's name?#Well that's between Stuart Paul Hollywood and GOD.#Personally I like the whole cast no matter the season#But I am not a man who has all 71 Mary Berry cookbooks and biographies#But you know who might?#Stuart Hatford might#A Foxhole Bake AU
275 notes
·
View notes
Text
Total Eclipse of My Art by Bonnie Tyler (EP - 1984)
The story of how mega-selling Welsh chanteuse, Bonnie Tyler, came to record a bizarre EP of Goth covers hinges upon the influence of Invented Records founder, Max Scratch.
This South London Svengali, equal parts Andrew Loog Oldham and Nosferatu, had a misfiring genius for pulling people into his vainglorious, chemically-driven visions and then completely fucking up their execution.
He genuinely loved nurturing leftfield talent â often willing to make a bet on the next big thing based on one gig in a dingey pub. Those bets were almost always completely wrong, as is evidenced by the continuing irrelevance of the Invented Records back-catalogue.
However disastrous his navigation of the music business, Max had two things that meant he was the most connected man in the British music scene during the 1980s: a seemingly never-ending supply of primo-grade narcotics â and copious amounts of blackmail material.
Some have described him as a gangster, but only after he disappeared whilst holidaying in Thanet during the summer of 1997.
Scratchâs base of operations during the 1980s was his Croydon nightclub, âDas Bootâ. Iâll no doubt cover the tawdry history of this concrete sonic bunker at some point, but all you need to know for the purposes of this post is that on one star-crossed sweltering Saturday night in July 1984, Bonnie Tyler, Wayne Hussey of the Sisters of Mercy and Ian Astbury of The Cult were all sharing a booth in the Das Boot VIP lounge, hosted by the loquacious Invented Records impresario.
Tyler was an international megastar at the time, but her new single âHolding Out For A Heroâ was barely registered on the charts (though it would go to number 2 the following year). She was in London to promote the single, but felt it wasnât her best work after the Wagnerian grandeur of her previous collaborations with Jim Steinman. She was looking for a new musical direction and, surprisingly, was a big fan of the rapidly evolving Goth genre. âI loved Bauhaus, Birthday Party, but especially the Sisters. I was handed a tape of their music by Duncan Kilburn from the Psychedelic Furs,â she later revealed in an interview. âI was recording in LA and the Furs were in the studio next door. Duncan was wearing a Merciful Release T-shirt and that got us talking. I listened to the tape repeatedly whenever I got a moment. It was so dark and raw â miles from the polished fluff I felt I was recording at the time.â
Having floated into Tylerâs circle via his acquaintance with her manager, Ronnie Scott, Scratch invited her down to Das Boot without knowing any of this.
The Sisters of Mercy had just finished recording their first album, âFirst and Last and Alwaysâ, but Hussey was increasingly estranged from Sisters lead singer, Andrew Eldritch, before the album had even been released. He came to Das Boot to discuss moving to Invented Records with a newly configured band.
Finally, Astbury of The Cult had turned up because he was shit-faced after a gig promoting recently released album, Dreamtime. He knew Scratch was good for cheap amphetamines.
In the booth that night, Tyler hit it off with both men, and, ever attuned to the main chance, Scratch offered to take them all to the Invented studio above the club for a jam session.
Pulling in a few random musicians from the darker corners of Das Boot, Scratch acted as engineer himself, as Tyler recorded some very rough one-take tracks with Hussey on lead guitar, and Astbury on percussion and backing vocals.
âIt was amazing how great her voice was â she just kept belting out these amazing vocals, despite the epic intake of tequila and cigarettes,â Hussey said.
As dawn reluctantly illuminated Croydonâs cut-price imitation of the Manhattan skyline, Tyler was tracked down by her management and whisked into a limo. Perhaps, once sober, she realised that Goth wasnât her future. Perhaps, fearing for their income stream, Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe persuaded her to drop the idea.
Either way, Bonnie Tyler continued in an increasingly mainstream musical direction. Even if she had any memory of that crazy Croydon night, it was quickly forgotten due to the whirlwind of touring commitments.
However, Scratch had not forgotten. Four of the tracks from that funereal jam session to would eventually surface on the EP, âTotal Eclipse of My Artâ, released by Invented in October 1984.
#rarevinyl#rarerecords#inventedrecords#record sleeve#vinylcollection#bonnie tyler#sisters of mercy#ian astbury#the cult#gothstyle#ukmusic#goth music#goth art
4 notes
·
View notes
Photo
âGentlemen like you are few...â:Â A Supercentenary Tribute to Irwin Kostal
1 October 2021 marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Irwin Kostal, the musical arranger, orchestrator and conductor whose work helped shape the sound of the post-war American stage and screen musical. In this post we look back at the career of this remarkable 'music manâ with a particular focus on his collaborations with the equally remarkable Julie Andrews -- who, as it happens, shares the same birthday, so this post is doing double birthday honours.
A gentle, unassuming man, Kostal or âIrvâ as he was known by associates, was not one for the limelight. Itâs possibly why he gravitated to the âbehind-the-scenesâ art of musical arranging. Unlike composers, performers, or even conductors, arrangers seldom loom large in public perceptions of professional musicianship. They are, for the most part, the âinvisible artistsâ of the music industry: their contributions to the sound and experience of music are immense, but they remain largely âuncredited in records, liner notes or books or recordsâ (Niles 2104, p. 4). That Irwin Kostal would ultimately prove a rare exception to this tradition of thankless anonymity -- becoming sufficiently well-known to have his own name not only included on recordings, but emblazoned on the front cover alongside those of the âstarâ vocalists with whom he worked -- is a testament to the singularity of his talents.Â
Born the son of first generation immigrant parents in Chicago in 1911, Kostal claimed he was instantly âsmittenâ by music when he saw a piano at the age of two-and-a-half, but his family was too poor to afford such luxuries. Moreover, his father -- a hard-drinking Czech with a fiery temper -- was ârigidly opposedâ to his interests in music and âcould see no future in itâ (âIrwinâ 1962, p. 70). So Kostal initially had to content himself with listening and absorbing as much musical knowledge as he could indirectly. When he was eleven, his father finally brought home a broken player piano salvaged from a removals job and it provided the young Kostal with the launch pad he needed.Â
Kostal devoted himself to his musical education with single-minded zeal. His formal training was intermittent -- enabled by a supportive mother who âsurreptitiously managed to save money from her weekly allowance for my musical instructionâ (âIrwinâ 1962, p. 70) -- but he was a passionate autodidact who would spend countless hours studying and practising on his own. By age 15, he was already playing professionally with local touring bands, while also offering his own services as a piano teacher with, at one point, more than 40 pupils (ibid.).
When he wasnât playing, Kostal would be found in the local library poring over musical scores and reading about the greats of the classical canon. He was particularly intrigued by orchestration and the possibilities it offered for varying the sound and feel of music. He recalls how he would take orchestral scores home and study all the parts learning âabout musical instruments I never knew existedâ (Suskin 2009, p. 56).  He progressively worked his way through the music of the masters, going alphabetically:Â
âBach...Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Elgar, Frank, Gounod, on and on through the alphabet...I tried to absorb everything. By the time I came to Ravel, Tchaikovsky and Wagner, I knew quite a lot about music in a jumbled wayâ (Suskin 2009, p. 57).
While still in his teens, Kostal started to experiment with arrangements of his own, scoring a high school production of Uncle Tomâs Cabin with multiple variations on the American folk melody âWay Down upon the Swanee Riverâ. âBy taking away the rhythmic aspects and playing it in a minor key,â he recounts, âI found lots of ways to play this song, making it fit the dramatics of the half-hour long storyâ (ibid., p. 56). Thus, Irwin Kostal the arranger was born.
Throughout the 1930s and early-40s, Kostal honed his talents in a professional capacity, working with various big bands, before finally landing a job as a resident arranger for an NBC radio affiliate in Chicago. Following the war, Kostal moved to New York where, after a rocky start, he secured regular work as conductor and arranger on a number of long-running radio and TV variety shows including Your Show of Shows (1950-54), Max Liebman Presents (1954-56), and The Garry Moore Show (1959-63). It was demanding, fast-paced work with Kostal having to arrange and orchestrate hundreds of score pages a week, but it consolidated his musical versatility and capacity to work across a wide range of styles and forms (Suskin 2009, pp. 57-60).
Throughout this period, Kostal was also orchestrating for Broadway shows, racking up over 52 credits on theatre productions big and small (Allen 1995, p. 18). Many of these assignments were done in a âghost-writerâ capacity including contributing work to such classic musicals as Wonderful Town (1953), The Pajama Game (1953) and Silk Stockings (1955). A major breakthrough came when Kostal was contracted to work in a credited capacity as co-orchestrator on the original Broadway production of West Side Story (1958) -- collaborating with Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Sid Ramin. It earned him his first Grammy Award and a subsequent invitation to arrange and orchestrate a string of other big Broadway musicals including Fiorello! (1959), Sail Away (1961) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962).
The success of West Side Story also saw Kostal do repeat honours on the film version (1961) which would, in turn, earn him an Academy Award and kickstart a hugely successful Hollywood career. In 1963, Kostal was invited by none other than Walt Disney to take on the major job of arranging the songs for Mary Poppins (1964) which had been written by the in-house Disney composing team of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. The Sherman Brothers claim to have suggested Kostal because they were fans of his Broadway work and they wanted a bright theatrical sound for the score. However, Walt Disney demurred. He reasoned it was a period film and they needed someone who could write music for any style or era, suggesting they get the musical director from The Garry Moore Show instead. Cue mutual delight when it was discovered they were all referring to the same man, Irwin Kostal (Sherman & Sherman 1998; Suskin 2009, p. 65).
Kostalâs work on Mary Poppins catapulted him to new heights of mainstream success. It not only secured him another Academy Award nomination -- he lost to Andre Previn for his work on My Fair Lady -- but it also brought him a tidy fortune in royalties from the filmâs best-selling soundtrack album (âKostalâsâ $65,000âČ, 57). His fame -- and fortune -- skyrocketed even further the following year when Kostal was contracted to arrange the score for The Sound of Music (1965). His dazzling efforts on this box-office blockbuster confirmed Kostalâs status as Hollywoodâs presiding musical wonder-boy and saw him walk home with his second Oscar. A string of other big screen musicals followed including Half a Sixpence (1967), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).Â
Many of these films were repeat collaborations because Kostal favoured working with people he knew and with whom he clicked personally and creatively. He would for example continue as the de facto âhouseâ arranger for Disney well into the 1980s, working on various assignments for the studio including Peteâs Dragon (1978), Mickeyâs Christmas Carol (1983) and the controversial re-recorded 1982 release of Fantasia (1940/1982) (Tietyan 1990). Kostal would also maintain a long association with the Sherman Brothers, acting as musical arranger for all their big screen musicals including the aforementioned Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), as well as Tom Sawyer (1973); Charlotteâs Web (1973); and The Magic of Lassie (1978) (Sherman & Sherman 1998).
The other great collaboration of Kostalâs career was of course with Julie Andrews. Perhaps it was the fact that the pair shared the same birthday but Kostal had an extraordinarily sympathetic relationship with Julie and he would work with her more than any other vocalist. Long before they teamed on Poppins and The Sound of Music, Julie and âIrvâ were making musical magic together. Kostal was the arranger and conductor for Julieâs first two solo albums for RCA: The Lass with the Delicate Air (1957) and Julie Andrews Sings (1958) where his sensitive facility with a wide range of musical idioms from English classical to Broadway and Tin Pan Alley came to the fore. Reviewing the first of these albums at the time of its original release, one music critic lauded it as âa record to charm every member of the family...[with] a combination of sincerity and simplicity and wholesome sweetness...Thank goodness arranger and conductor Irwin Kostal met the challenge and set the ballads winningly without overpowering Miss Andrewsâ light pure tonesâ (RRS 1958, p. 5A). In a similar vein, another reviewer praised the second album for âits charming unforced version of standards, well known and almost forgotten...Miss Andrews still sings naturally and purely [and] the deft accompaniments played by an orchestra under Irwin Kostal are agreeably restrainedâ (Masters 1959, p. 11).
In this early period Kostal also worked with Julie as guest star on several episodes of The Garry Moore Show, where he was resident musical director. In this context, Kostal was pivotal in helping establish the legendary teaming of Julie and Carol Burnett which came out of the Garry Moore appearances. He would go on to act as musical director for their breakout 1962 TV special Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall which would earn Kostal his first Emmy (Taraborelli 1988, pp. 172-79). He would secure his second Emmy a few years later working with Julie again on the 1965 variety special, The Julie Andrews Show (1965) where, among other highlights, Kostal scored a series of stellar song-and-dance medleys for Julie and guest star Gene Kelly. The same year, Kostal teamed up with Julie on yet another recording with the 1965 edition of the annual Firestone Christmas albums.Â
It was however their combined work on the two big musical mega-hits, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, that secured the Kostal-Andrews partnership a place in the history books. A cultural phenomenon of the highest order, the soundtrack recordings for these two films remain among the most successful albums of all time. Mary Poppins held the #1 spot on the US national music charts for 14 consecutive weeks in 1964, beating out Elvis Presley and The Beatles (Hollis and Erhbar 2006, pp.72ff). The album for The Sound of Music sold over 9 million copies in its first four years of release alone, remaining in the Billboard Top 100 for an unbelievable five-and-a-half years, and becoming the highest selling LP of all-time in the US up to that date (Murrells, 1978)  The Sound of Music continued its record-breaking run abroad, dominating the international charts and holding the #1 spot for 75 weeks in Australia, 73 weeks in Norway and 70 weeks in the UK, becoming in the process the single biggest selling album worldwide of the 1960s (Harker, 1992, pp. 189-91).
Commentators have frequently singled out the combination of Julie Andrewsâ soaring vocals and Kostalâs dynamic arrangements as instrumental to the phenomenal success of these two albums. âMiss Andrews glows--positively glows--right through the record groove, vinyl disc, amplifiers, speakers, and all other mechanical barriers,â enthused one contemporary reviewer of the Mary Poppins soundtrack, noting how the âsongs that Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman have writtenâ and âthe handsome arrangements by Irwin Kostal have the perfect balance âof lilt and flair to provide Miss Andrews with an effective working basisâ (Wilson 1965, p. 109). Apropos The Sound of Music, another critic pronounced it âas good a reproduction of a score as has ever been madeâ, noting how it âpresents Julie in a most appealing role and given the splendid musical direction of Irwin Kostal, her talent comes shining through...as a treat beyond measureâ (Moore 1965, p. B6).Â
In total, Julie Andrews and Irwin Kostal would work together on six recordings, two musical motion pictures, two television specials, and a host of other TV appearances representing some of the very best of Julieâs musical work during her heyday of the 1960s. Considered alongside the wealth of Kostalâs other work across film, stage, television and recording, itâs hard not to concur with Disneyâs Nelson Meecham who, on the occasion of Kostalâs passing in 1994, eulogised: âHe brought the joy of music to more people than it is possible to countâ (Allen, p. 19).
Sources:
Allen, John F 1995. âRemembering a Music Man: On the life and work of Irwin Kostal.â Boxoffice. August: pp. 18-19.
Harker, Dave 1992. âStill Crazy After All These Years: What was popular music in the 1960s?â Cultural Revolution? The challenge of the arts in the 1960s. Bart Moore-Gilbert and John Seed, eds. Routledge, London and New York: pp. 186-200.
Hollis, Tim and Erhbar, Greg 2006. Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
âIrwin Kostal: Music in all its many forms is his life.â (1962). The Province. 2 June: p. 70.
âKostalâsâ $65,000 Poppins Scoreâ 1965. Variety. 10 March: p. 57
Levy, Charles 1964. Mary Poppins: About the stars and photo-story features [Press kit]. Buena Vista Distribution, New York.Â
Masters, John 1959. âOff the Record: Enchanting Music.â The Age. 7 January: p. 11.
Moore, Robert 1965. âRecord Turntable: Julie Andrews out in front again in film album ofâSound of Musicâ.â The Arizona Daily Star. 7 March: p. B6.
Murrells, Joseph, ed. 1978. Book of Golden Discs: Records that sold a million. Barrie & Jenkins, New York.
Niles, Richard 2014. The Invisible Artist: Arrangers in popular music (1950-2000). BMI, London.
Oliver, Myrna. 1994. âObituaries: Irwin Kostal; Film, TV Orchestrator.â The Los Angeles Times. 1 December: P. B8.
RRS 1958. âOn the Record: âLass with the Delicate Air.â Bristol Herald Courier. 9 February: p. 5A.
Sherman, Robert B &  Sherman, Richard M 1998. Walt's Time: From before to beyond. Camphor Tree, Santa Clarita, CA.
Suskin, Steven 2009. The Sound of Broadway Music: A book of orchestrators and orchestrations, Oxford University Press, New York.
Taraborelli, J. Randy 1988. Laughing Till It Hurts: The complete life and career of Carol Burnett. William Morrow & Co, New York.
Tietyan, David 1990. The Musical World of Walt Disney. H. Leonard, Milwaukee, Wis.Â
Wilson, John S. 1965. âThe Lighter Sideâ. High Fidelity Magazine. 15: 4: pp. 107-111.
© 2021, Brett Farmer. All Rights Reserved.
#julie andrews#irwin kostal#musicals#classic film#the sound of music#mary poppins#Disney#Sherman Brothers
20 notes
·
View notes
Note
Alright â this is very important â whatâs the wedding party look like? Do either of them get walked down the aisle? What do the bachelor parties look like? Whatâs the first dance like? The cake cutting? OR! Do they just elope?
Either way, the most important thing of all â what are their vows?
iâm going to warn you:Â iâm afraid this is going to be a very long post.
the wedding is in january, before playoffs have the chance to start up. itâs easier that way also, because most of their friends either play exy or coach it, so theyâre all off too. and daltonâs professor friends are off for winter break.
that being said, theyâre on a time crunch for bachelor parties. and since kevin doesnât drink or anything, the idea of the âtypical bachelorâ party is out of question. kevin doesnât care for a bachelor party for himself, anyway.
however, when andrew is added to a groupchat with the whole wedding party, he sends two texts. not to the group, but to allison. sheâs the one handling it, anyway.
the first text is a link to elton john at madison square garden, the second is a text. Â
hamilton on broadway friday the 14th, concert 15th.
(ik the timelines donât technically match up, but since this is all fictional who cares)
itâs perfect. allison checks with dalton to be sure, and he lights up. apparently kevin has gotten really into hamilton because duh itâs history, and elton john is one of his favorite artists, especially after dalton introduced him to âyour songâ in college.
dalton goes with him because they know kevin would want him there, unlike normal bachelor parties where you spend it without your fiancé.
as for daltonâs, he gets taken to florida (itâs only like a 5 hour drive i think but they could fly also) and his friends, who for the most part are straight besides emmie, a blazing proud lesbian, take him to gay bars on gay bars, and then go to star wars land in disney world for a day- kevinâs idea. dalton is very excited about this because in this ask dalton reveals heâs a star wars fan and says heâd like to go see it someday. they also get drunk in disney, donât worry.
they both have good sized wedding parties. for dalton, itâs carmen, bella, and his best friends jenna, reid, and sam.
for kevin, itâs andrew, neil, and dan. if anyone asked kevin in college if heâd thought she would be in his wedding party- or even if theyâd leave college being friends, he would have said no, but he was stupid to think the foxes would ever lose touch. if anything, he got closer.
heâs also gotten closer than he ever would have probably wished to allison. thereâs something to be said for the both of them having good taste. all it took was one trip of clothes shopping for a banquet for them to realize theyâd had a lot more in common.
the only reason they never realized it was because theyâve both got the same level of stubbornness.
which is why she somehow ends up being asked to be in his wedding party, too.
kevin isnât worried about asking neil. a little about andrew, but he can always get neil to talk him into it. he stops them both from leaving after practice, one day. âwill you be my groomsmen? both of you?â
neil really doesnât look surprised. not even phased. heâd been mattâs best man, after all. âyeah, sure.â
kevin looks to andrew, who hasnât moved a muscle.
when he does, itâs to swing his bag around his shoulder. "no speeches.â and before he gets to the door. âand no oneâs wrapping their arm around mine down the aisle.â and thatâs more than okay with kevin. he doesnât really want them speaking, anyway.
and then thereâs dan and allison. he isnât worried about them, so all he does is text them and they agree.
thereâs no more than 70 people there. the actual ceremony only about 30. itâs not big by any means, but they didnât want it big anyway. plus, kevin doesnât have a whole group of family to invite like dalton does in the first place. he doesnât mind, though, because heâs grown to consider daltonâs family his own.
kevin doesnât get walked down the aisle. he never saw himself doing that with a woman before he realized he was bi and could potentially marry a man, so heâs never cared for it.
wymack, however, officiates the wedding. heâs very proud of it, too. he never seems to show nerves, and he doesnât let kevin know, but this is something that causes him great stress. he canât fuck it up.
he doesnât, of course.
heâs standing beside kevin when dalton gets walked down the aisle by his mother, and kevin told himself he wouldnât get emotional.
he lets out a breath and a soft laugh, then looks up at the ceiling to blink away the sudden wetness in his eyes.
when anne hands him off, she kisses kevin on the cheek and whispers. âall yours now, love.â
kevin wants to kiss dalton so bad. so so bad. but he has to wait. instead he gives him a wink and takes his hands. he expects them to be a tiny bit sweaty like they sometimes are when he gets nervous, but theyâre not. daltonâs grip is firm, and the only thing kevin can see on him is glee.
kevin feels he barely can pay attention to the words his father is saying until itâs time for the vows. heâs first. he takes a deep breath.pays attention to what his father is saying, too busy staring at his fiancĂ©. until they get to the vows, that is.
kevin is first, and his heart has never beat this fast. he memorized his vows, but just in case, he unfolds the paper from his pocket and takes the microphone. âiâve made plenty of bad decisions in my life. going to the club the night before a game, trying to fix the kitchen sink by myself.â he smiles when dalton laughs at the memory. âd, i knew from the moment i told you about my demons and you stayed, that choosing you was the best decision iâve made in my entire life. your are the strength i didn't know i needed, and the joy that i didn't know i lacked.â dalton mouths i love you. âthank you, for supporting and loving me unconditionally, i know i havenât always made it easy.â
dalton gives the slightest shake of his head at that one. loving kevin comes as easy as breathing.
âthank you for showing me how to accept myself, and showing me what itâs like to find peace, to know what itâs like to feel wanted and loved. thank you for helping me to better myself as a man and a partner. you make me a better person in every single way, and i promise to put it all to use and give back every single day of our lives. i promise to love you through every hardship, to love you for who you are and who you are yet to become. i promise to support and help you in every new adventure, and to always be at your side. i promise to be patient and loyal. i promise to remember to show you every day how deeply i care for you. i promise to share my whole heart with you, to love you fiercelyâ for the rest of my life. as long as youâll have me.â
dalton blinks away tears, and after taking a moment, he accepts the microphone. "kev,â he whispers, and takes a breath. kevin knows he has his written down, but he doesnât take it out. he doesnât need it. âi used to think that i just got lucky that some random hot kid asked me for help with his homework.â kevin grins.
âbut iâve realized now that the universe put you in front of me for a reason. you have filled my life with happiness and have given me a sense of peace that iâve never known. you are my best friend, my biggest supporter, and the best co-pilot in life that i couldâve ever wished for.â he smiles. âtoday marks the start to the rest of our lives, whether weâre ready or not. i will not take our time together for granted. and because words canât do it, i promise to show you, for the rest of my life, how much i love you. i promise to encourage you to follow your dreams. to support you through any of lifeâs obstacles. i promise to make you laugh when youâre taking yourself too seriously. i promise to hold your hand through the good and the bad, to keep you afloat when you feel youâre drowning. i promise to share the weight on your shoulders like itâs my own.â
a tear drops from kevinâs eye, and dalton reaches to gently wipe it with his thumb before grabbing his hand. âi promise to never stop making up my own lyrics to songs i donât know. although, i know you wish i would. i promise to look back on our lives when weâre old and gray and have no regrets. i promise, from this day forward, kevin day, that you will never walk alone.â he lowers the microphone, whispering. âas long as youâll have me.â
itâs a very emotional ceremony, thatâs for sure, but theyâre grinning by the time the rings go on, and dalton barely holds back from jumping kevin before he can say, âyou may now kiss.â
kevin has his arms around daltonâs waist and daltonâs hands on his cheek and the back of his neck, and theyâre both smiling into the kiss less than two seconds in. but kevin doesnât care. daltonâs laugh is the best thing heâs ever heard and he relishes in it as he crushes him in a hug before tearing back down the aisle.
their first dance is to âyour songâ by elton john. is it probably overused? sure, but kevin isnât into music enough to know or care about that. itâs the song that
itâs always been daltonâs go to song to sing in the car, and whenever he does he tends to just kind of grab onto kevinâs hand while he sings. heâs no harry styles but he can hold a tune just fine.
it then turned into a song kevin listened to on bus or plane rides, and when he entered the pros dalton started sending him voice memos on text of him singing like two lines from the song before his every flight.
kevin also played it in the car back to the cabin after he proposed.
itâs their song.
dalton pulls kevin to him for the first dance, with one hand holding kevinâs and the other pressed against the small of his back. and daltonâs singing along just loud enough for kevin to hear. it makes him smile at his dork of a husband, and halfway through the song kevin lays his head on daltonâs shoulder and slides his arms around his neck. he closes his eyes and ever so quietly sings along. Â
dalton kisses the side of his head and wraps his arms around kevinâs waist.
when the song is coming to an end, dalton kisses kevin and smiles as he sings the last lines to him. âhow wonderful life is while youâre in the worldâ
kevin smiles. âsweetheart,â he whispers.
but then the song ends, and kevin leans back against their table as dalton takes the floor with anne for the mother son dance. he sends a thought up to kayleigh.
âiâm incredibly proud of you.â itâs abby at his side, sliding her arm around his waist. she kisses his cheek. âi know you know this already, that you foxes are family to us. but... you have always been like a son to me. and you always will, even if not by blood.â
kevin is looking at his feet, but eventually he meets her gaze. âyouâre the closest thing iâve ever had to a mother.â he squeezes her hand, and, âdo you want to do the dance with me?â he doesnât know how he hadnât thought of it before.
abbyâs a little teary, but nods.
dan rests her head on wymackâs shoulder. âheâs done good.â
wymack nods. he doesnât respond, because heâs got⊠something⊠stuck in his throat. not emotions, definitely not emotions.
kevin smears cake all over daltonâs lips when they cut the cake, and in return he presses a messy kiss to his cheek. itâs sickenly sweet. the whole thing is, especially compared to the kevin day that some people know, and the one they see on television.
i canât think of other things i may have missed, but please please let me know if there is anything else you guys want more insight on, or prompts regarding these!
oh yeah, kevin throws one of the bridesmaids little bouquets as a joke.
and carmen catches it.
#kevin day#bisexual kevin day#the one where someone doesnât know who kevin day is#kevin#OC: dalton miller#dalton miller#kevin day x dalton miller#wedding#exy#aftg#all for the game#the foxes#the foxhole court#palmetto state university#palmetto state foxes#andrew minyard#neil josten#aaron minyard#nicky hemmick#erik klose#aaron x katelyn#dan wilds#matt boyd#allison reynolds#renee walker#david wymack#dadmack#abby winfield#ravens#the raven king
129 notes
·
View notes
Text
TZN Exclusive Interview: Andy Robinson
On Garak, "Star Trek", "Dirty Harry" & Sci-Fi Idealism
TrekZone Network sat down with Andrew Robinson, who played the Cardassian Garak in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", in Hamburg prior to the "Evening with Andrew Robinson", organized by FKM Events. We talked about Garak's past and future, Robinson's current projects and the idealism of science fiction fans.
TrekZone Network: Is this the first time you are in Hamburg?
Andrew Robinson: No, I was here 12 years ago for a convention with another organizer. So this is my first time back in 12 years, I believe.
Andy Robinson at the FKM Evening in Hamburg
TZN: Long time.
Robinson: It has been a long time. And as they say, a lot of water under the bridge...
TZN: You have been to Germany in the meantime?
Robinson: Yeah, I've been here several times. For one reason or another and in several different places. I have come here for a whole bunch of reasons. Even just as a tourist. But I have never made a film here or anything.
TZN: Your first stint as Garak was in the third episode of "Deep Space Nine". When you first got that role, did you anticipate or did you know that it was going to be a recurring role?
Robinson: No, not at all. Originally, the role of Odo, that Rene Auberjonois played, came down to three of us. Myself, another actor and obviously Rene. Then Rene got the role. Then they asked me to come in a few weeks later to read for this other role, which I thought was just going to be one episode. But it turned out that they were looking for a way to get the character of Doctor Bashir more involved with the show and so they, they were testing a storyline for Doctor Bashir and obviously the storyline was: he meets this older Cardassian, presumably tailor. Is he a spy? Who is he? This very mysterious person, the last Cardassian left on the station.
They wanted to see if there was any chemistry between Siddig and myself as actors. And of course we hit it off immediately. We had a great time with each other. And so it was based on that when they saw that episode, I think it was "Past Prologue", and they saw that we were working well together then they decided to add more episodes of Garak. Which I am eternally grateful for.
TZN: Do you regret that you were not cast as Odo?
Robinson: No, no, no, no. Not at all. As an actor, and an actor of a certain age, after a while you become very philosophical about these things. And genuinely so. Whoever gets the role, that was their role, you cannot feel remorse or try to second-guess or be bitter. And it always is the right actor as far as I am concerned and certainly with Rene it was the right actor. He was wonderful as Odo.
TZN: The part as Garak turned out to be rather substantial as well, of course.
Robinson: O, Garak was one of the best characters, I mean this, he was one of the most enjoyable, fully satisfying characters I have ever played in my life. And the fact that it is the only time in my life, too, as an actor, that I was able to develop a character over a seven-year period, and not be overused. By that I mean often if you are a regular on a series, they run out of things for a character to say and to do, and so the character just ends up repeating himself/herself, and the actions and the plotlines and after a while it becomes what they call the law of diminishing returns. The character becomes reduced. With Garak, because I was not a regular character, I appeared occasionally, I think I was in 39 episodes, and when I appeared, it was for a reason. Almost always it was for a reason, There are a few episodes when I wondered what I was doing there... But that always happens and at least they paid me, so that was fine.
TZN: Is there anything you would have liked to do as Garak on screen? Or any aspect of his character, his personality, that you would have liked to develop?
Robinson as Cardassian Elim Garak
Robinson: They did start this love story. But then they could not find the right actress. And so they had this one actress playing Ziyal and they did not like her, so they had another actress playing Ziyal who looked like my granddaughter, so that made me feel a little perverse. Then they just decided to forget about it. But it would have been wonderful to have had a bittersweet love story, someone who breaks Garak's heart, who tries to unlock the mystery romantically and cannot do it.
It is one of the reasons I wrote the book, to explore that part of Garak, Garak's heart. Because as an actor, you fall in love, well you do not always fall in love with your characters but the ones that you do fall in love with, it is a very deep relationship that you have with the character, and the character does take on a life on its own. Because as an actor, that is what you try to do. You try to transform yourself into this character's life. Obviously, I am not Garak, I am not Hamlet, but you find those places within yourself that can make that transformation.
I was not a "Star Trek" fan when they hired me. I had no idea what the "Star Trek" universe was, who Cardassians were, who Klingons, Romulans, I had no idea about any of that.
TZN: You had never seen anything, never heard about it?
Robinson: I had heard about it but never saw a thing. And a Cardassian? I had no idea what that was.
TZN: Then the makeup was applied...
Robinson: Yeah, right. But they did show me the episode, in "Next Generation", I think David Warner was the first Cardassian or was Marc Alaimo the first?
TZN: Marc Alaimo.
Robinson: Yeah, but it was that two-parter where David Warner's Cardassian character is torturing Picard and I thought, well, that is a really interesting-looking guy. That was the first episodes that peaked my interest. I thought, they deal with substantial things. And the acting was wonderful. Of course, David Warner has always been one of my favorite actors.
So I started writing a diary. As if Garak had a diary and I would write things, and I would make up things about him. And it is what you do, it is what an actor does sometimes for any character. You try to create a story, a life for this character. And when the series was over, I realized there were still things I would have loved to say about Garak and that is why I wrote the book "A Stitch in Time".
TZN: Did you start with the diary when you recognized that Garak would not be a one- or two-episode thing but a recurring role?
Robinson: Yeah, exactly, I think I started in the second year. I also started it when I started being invited to conventions and I realized, after two or three conventions, there were four or five questions people who would always ask me. How long does it take, your makeup... But I thought, would it not be interesting if I if at the conventions did something different. And so what I would do is that I would get up and I would read excerpts from these diaries. It became enormously popular, and that in a sense spawned a lot of things, then as actors we all started saying, well, maybe there is something that we can do rather than just get up and talk about our makeup and so forth. And that unleashed a whole bunch of stuff. Even Siddig and I wrote a play together that we did at several conventions and it was really a rather challenging play, dealing with string theory...
TZN: What was it about? I read just before this interview that you had this play...
Andy Robinson in Hamburg in June 2008 (Photo credit: Klaus Wittmack)
Robinson: Well, basically Garak and Bashir meet up in this place and it is like, nobody knows, but it looks like a convention with "Star Trek" fans there. And so they had to conduct this very tricky business in front of these people sitting at tables and sitting in chairs watching them. It was very, very, very postmodern. (laughs)
And there was a time when we were working on the play in front of an audience, too. Towards the end, when we finally got it written and got it right, that was when it was at its best but while we were experimenting with it, I think a lot of people fell asleep. (laughs)
Getting back to those diaries, [Michael Scott] co-wrote a book with Armin Shimerman ["The Merchant Prince"] and he said to me, "You should turn this into a book!" and that was when I did. And it was actually the first "Star Trek" book that was written without what they call a ghostwriter.
TZN: Are you thinking of writing another novel about Garak?
Robinson: No. I actually have said everything I could possibly say about Garak. I really have. Plus, if I did, I would then because of the corporate nature of Pocket Books, the Simon and Schuster division that does the "Star Trek" books, I would then have to follow all these other books that have been written about Garak and that does not interest me at all. Because the story I came up with was actually, oddly enough close my story, especially when Garak was a young man.
TZN: You did write another short story though, right? Set after the book.
Robinson: Right.
TZN: That was the last thing we have heard from Garak. In that story, he is not in a very positive state of mind and not in a good place.
Robinson: No.
TZN: So if we could jump forward in time, to a time and place after that, where would we find Garak?
Robinson: Dead. Honestly, because when I wrote that novella, first I was interested in putting - because I live part of the year in Paris -
I was interested in having Garak in Paris and see what that was like. Paris is like a museum now, and I thought that they would have really preserved it in 400 years and it would have become the museum of the world. But when I got Garak to Paris, it became very depressing. That is why I think he was not in a great state. I realized that if I had have written much more about Garak, he probably would have had to die. I do not want to go into why because it is all political and you are not here about politics. (laughs)
TZN: When did the producers tell you about who Garak's parents were?
Robinson: The big reveal was of course with Enabran Tain, who was the head of the Obsidian Order. I know that the mother appeared at one point when they were on Cardassia in that last series of episodes that I was in and that they ended up at Garak's mother's house, hiding. But the story of Garak and his parents really is what I myself put together, in terms of the relationships.
TZN: Did you have a hunch though that the storyline could develop into the direction of Enabran Tain being revealed as Garak's father?
Robinson: O, no! It was a big surprise to me. It was great!
TZN: Just like for the viewers.
Robinson: O, yeah, absolutely! But that is how I felt every time I would get a new script from the writers because the writers loved writing for Garak, that was the pleasure. It was evident that they liked writing for Garak because of the language, the dialogue that they would give him which was so delicious and so much fun and very ironic. One of the things you certainly know is that in America irony is not at the top of our list. As a people we do not really appreciate ironic humor. I think that one of the things that made Garak popular is the fact that he did have a sense of irony. That to everything he said there was a twist and there was always a subtext. And indeed probably he was lying but enjoying it and enjoying the fact that he was lying and seeing how far he could get away with it and who was gullible and who was smart.
Andy Robinson in Hamburg in June 2008 (Photo credit: Klaus Wittmack)
TZN: There was this one episode with the implant, "The Wire". That embodies everything you just said.
Robinson: Yeah, and that is by far my favorite episode.
TZN: We asked our readers to hand in some questions for you beforehand. One of them is: how long did it take to apply the makeup?
Robinson: At the beginning, it took about four hours, I would say. And then they got it down to about two hours. Towards the end they got more dexterous, thank God, because sitting in the chair for four hours meant that I would have to come in long before dawn and it was just excruciating, it was horrible. Even two hours was bad enough. It is the only thing about Garak that I do not miss at all.
TZN: Did the makeup inhibit you in the way you could express yourself?
Robinson: Well, that is the great, mysterious thing about working with a mask like that. For one thing the technology is very good, there were I think seven prosthetic pieces and they were all very flexible, very pliable and so you put it on and you think, my God, it is like this corpus, you're encased in it. But then you were fine, you could move. You were not, you were not limited the way Rene was limited with Odo because he could not eat, he lost a lot of weight. That is something I should have done!
But he had to take his lunch through a straw and so he could not move much at all because it was a mess. If he marled just a little bit, then he would have to sit in a chair and have to go through a whole process to get it back to that smoothness. That obviously was not my problem. My problem was the claustrophobia that I have, which I experienced actually last night. I went to a bar in Paris with some friends to watch the French lose to the Dutch. (laughter) Really lose. And deservedly so, I mean it. The French should get rid of that coach of theirs because he is awful.
I was at the bar and everybody was crowding in around me, I had to leave at the interval, go home and watch it on my own television. That was the thing about the Garak makeup. That was one thing but then this heavy wig that they put on top of me and then, because they wanted Cardassians to look big, they made the costumes out of the material that you make furniture pads, furniture textiles, and so all the costumes were very heavy and once you zipped them up it was like you were in a sauna, literally.
Actually that is where I lost a little weight, a lot of water weight anyway. When you get under the lights, underneath the makeup and the wig and the costume, there were rivers of sweat, I was soaked underneath. Not very glamorous (laughter) and I certainly did not smell like a flower.
TZN: I have got another reader question here, that touches a different subject. Did you know that there is speculation about Garak's sexuality?
Robinson: Oh, yeah. I started it.
TZN: Really? Then this might be interesting to this reader. He calls himself your gay fan Dominion and he asks a lot of questions like: Why haven't we seen a gay character in "Star Trek"? Have gays become extinct in the 24th century? Do you think there will ever be a gay character in "Star Trek"? Do gays not belong in "Star Trek's" future?
Robinson: O, yeah. There will be gay characters. Certainly now there will be, for one thing, America is still very puritan, we are very squeamish when it comes to sexuality. I remember when I very first played Garak, I played him gay! I thought this would be great! He sees this young man, this young, very attractive doctor on the station, he is lonely, he is the only Cardassian there, this doctor is curious about him, and if you remember, this was a great moment because Sid totally went with it! When he comes up and he puts his hand on his shoulder, Sid did this great thing, it was this sort of an electrical charge that went through him and so I played him totally gay in that episode.
Garak's First Scene
Of course the producers did not actually tell me not to play him gay but then they started writing him a little more macho and more like a Cardassian. But I said, "Listen, one of the great things about Garak is that he is not Gul Dukat, he is not one of those macho, militaristic guys, he is your finesse Cardassian." So we struck a compromise but I was always very clear. I did not get into it in the book. Quite frankly, I was going to go in that direction. I had written a whole thing about Garak's sexuality because I felt that Garak was sort of - talk about bisexual, I think that he was multisexual, essentially that anything that moves is fair game for Garak. He has a voracious sexual appetite.
But as I say, especially on American television you have the odd gay character now but it is all going to be just cosmetic. In terms of commercial television ever getting into real sexuality, that is not going to happen. "Star Trek" is very conservative, there is a conservatism about "Star Trek" that I think "Deep Space Nine" in a sense went against. It defied that conservatism. "Deep Space Nine" was not as black and white as the other "Star Trek" shows. It was different. It was not people in a rocket ship doing one-night stands on a planet to planet to planet, coming in and battling the evil aliens or some kind of monster or whatever. It was a community unto itself on the edge and this is what I loved about the show, every one of the characters on "Deep Space Nine" had a moral dimension about them. Each one of them was in touch with their dark side.
That episode "In the Pale Moonlight", when Garak introduces Captain Sisko to the concept of realpolitik, that okay, if you want to get rid of the Romulan threat, what you do is, you kill them. And you kill them in a not very nice way. So you just eliminate your enemy. Of course that is not fair play, that is not the American way. I was surprised, I loved that episode because it was very mature in that sense. It said you have to grow up, this is the world you live in now. And of course the world we live in now is very morally ambiguous to say the least.
I rambled, I am sorry. We went away from sexuality but I think there has to be more gay characters. I do not know what this movie is going to be like but this movie I believe is about Starfleet academy?
A gay Sulu? According to Robinson an interesting idea
TZN:It is a prequel. It is not entirely set on Starfleet academy but shows the young crew in their early years getting together.
Robinson: Right. For instance, I wonder, George Takei, who has come out, who is an openly gay man, and actually now I think he and his partner are going to get married since the California Supreme Court has now finally legalized gay marriage. But I wonder where they are going to go with his character in this prequel. It would be very interesting.
TZN: You did some work behind the camera as well. You directed I believe an episode of DS9. How was that for you, the experience to suddenly tell your colleagues what to do?
Robinson: Yes, right. It is funny, it was very different getting on the other side of the camera and not just working with the other actors, I mean they were fine. But it was the first episode I really had a lot of trouble with because it was my first episode ever directing something. And of course when you are directing "Star Trek" you have the added dimension, the added complication of the special effects. Although they have great special-effects people and you just get out of the way and let them do their work but still you are always trying to visualize what the picture looks like as a director.
But I must say that directing the "Star Trek" episodes really in a sense changed my life because it was the first time I started directing. From there I went on to a lot more directing, mainly theater because I have always been more of a theater person than a film person. And that really gave me the courage to continue in that direction as a director which I have and which has actually led to my current position. I am a fulltime teacher now. I run an acting program at the University of Southern California. And that all came out of directing.
TZN: You have been an actor, you have been a director, you have written a book, actually is there anything artistic you would still like to do? Singing maybe?
Robinson: No, I do not think so. Actually, it is true, it is interesting you should say that. I would actually love to do a musical. I really would love to do a musical, you are absolutely right. I would love to do one of these great musicals. But I still go back and forth. I am going to do a play this summer in San Francisco as an actor. I will continue to direct. I do not know how much longer I will run this program because I created this actor-training program and that was exciting.
I am going to be actually talking about that today. I work with young actors in terms of how does one train to be an actor, what is it that one does? I am being able to put some of my own ideas and thoughts about what actor training is into a coherent program that goes over three years, that trains professional actors. That has been very exciting. That is part of who I am but I think the territory of being an actor is that you do reinvent yourself from time to time. You have to reinvent yourself from time to time. Not to change, you really have to transform because that is the business.
TZN: In your career, you played many roles, and you guest starred in "Bonanza".
Robinson: No, you could not possibly remember! That is incredible. No, o my God, how could you... That is amazing. Yeah, that was the very last season of "Bonanza", too. And I think it was my first work in television.
TZN: How was it to play with such very famous actors like Lorne Greene?
Robinson: Well, see, it was very nice. They are household names but I had just come off from doing my first film with Clint Eastwood. So playing with Clint Eastwood was like playing with God. And then everyone else, they are wonderful actors, but still, my first film experience was the "Dirty Harry" film and that was extraordinary. I must say I enjoyed doing "Bonanza" because it was a show that had gone on forever. I helped kill it because that was the last season... Having the experience of doing "Dirty Harry" which was a feature film, that interested me a lot more than doing television.
Andy Robinson in "Dirty Harry"
TZN: You did very many TV series. The list of your guest appearances just goes on and on and on.
Robinson: Yeah, I did and most of the time I was the villain. That was courtesy of "Dirty Harry". After I did "Dirty Harry" nobody could see me as playing anything but the villain.
TZN: Is there any of these series that you would have liked to be on as one of the lead actors or main cast?
Robinson: In America, there is a series that just ended. I do not know if it is here, I do not know if it has come here. They did five years of it. HBO has these. I do not know if you know Home Box Office? It is a cable network in America. They had these series, "The Sopranos" was their flagship, their famous series. But they had another series called "The Wire". Have you ever heard of "The Wire"?
TZN: The title sounds familiar but that is all.
Robinson: It is interesting because you had me talking about that episode of "Deep Space Nine" that is called "The Wire", that was my favorite episode. Well, this series, "The Wire", is probably the best television series I have ever seen in my life. It was a brilliant series that took the city of Baltimore and it investigated the city of Baltimore in a dramatic series format on every level from drug dealers to police to schools to unions and it was an amazing series. I do not know how it got done because in America we are not big on socially-relevant thematic. We want our entertainment to be pure and uncluttered with things we have to think about. But this was a brilliant series and I, every time I watched the series, thought, o my God, I would love to be on that series! That was one of the few things I ever watched where I felt that way. I hope it comes here, I am sure it will come here. It has to. If it does, you must watch it because it is extraordinary.
TZN: I am afraid we have to wrap up already. One last question: Is there any question that you would really particularly badly like to answer but have never been asked?
Robinson: Wow. I have to say I think I have been asked every question that I can possibly imagine. Short of questions that I would prefer not to get into. No, I do not think that there is. I do not think that there is at all. I find that "Star Trek" fans for the most part, especially in Europe, are relatively sophisticated. I think that there is an idealism about following a series like "Star Trek", especially in this world.
Can we imagine ourselves projected into 24th or 25th century or wherever and still functioning. Obviously, it is weird. As you said earlier, here we are, four- five hundred years later and where have all the gay people gone? Where have all the people of color gone in a sense. That has always been something. What has indeed happened to poverty and what has happened to racism and fundamentalism and terrorism and all the things that bedevil us. I really do hope that science fiction continues to evolve and the way certain writers have challenged themselves to think about what happens to all of these social issues in the future and how we project solutions for them or perhaps not solutions but perhaps just accommodations, how do we learn to live with each other because in the end I think that that is what the "Star Trek" series perhaps offers its best insights about. Then I think that it is also great dramatic material which is the great question how do we learn how to live with each other without violence and without predatory behavior.
TZN: That ends this interview on a very thoughtful note, I think. Thank you very much.
Robinson: It was a pleasure, thank you, it has been great.
88 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Oklahoma! (1955)
Composer Richard Rodgers was in search of a new songwriting partner in the early 1940s. His previous partner, the lyricist Lorenz Hart, was devolving into an alcoholism that would soon claim his life. Wanting to transform Lynn Riggsâ rustic play Green Grow the Lilacs into a musical, Rodgers would find a new lyricist in Oscar Hammerstein II, who had not been involved in any Broadway successes for some time. Rodgers and Hammersteinâs 1943 adaptation of Riggâs play was Oklahoma! and â despite widespread predictions that Broadway audiences would only flock to modern, urbane works â it became the longest-running Broadway musical for another dozen or so years. It began one of the most fruitful, important, and accomplished musical theater partnerships in the mediumâs history.
Interest in a cinematic treatment from Hollywoodâs major studios for the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical came almost immediately after the initial reviews for Oklahoma!, but the rights went not to a movie studio, but a film equipment start-up known as the Magna Theatre Corporation. Magnaâs owners intended Oklahoma! as a test for the Todd-AO widescreen process (a rival to Cinerama), but more on that and the filmâs unique distribution history â which involves RKO and 20th Century Fox â later. Most importantly, the lack of studio executives to appease meant that Rodgers and Hammerstein could have full control over the filmâs structure and musical/narrative changes for this adaptation. Directed by Fred Zinnemann (1952âs High Noon, 1953âs From Here to Eternity) â an unorthodox choice, given his expertise for morally complex dramas and no musical experience â 1955âs Oklahoma! is a harbinger for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical films to come, and an inextricable part of the duoâs legacy.
Somewhere in the Oklahoman countryside, amid corn as high as an elephantâs eye, is the clean-cut cowboy Curly McLain (Gordon MacRae). Curly is en route to the farmstead of his crush, Laurey Williams (Shirley Jones in her cinematic debut), and Laureyâs aunt, Aunt Eller (Charlotte Greenwood). There, Curly invites Laurey to the box social scheduled for later that evening. Annoyed that it took him this long to ask her out, Laurey decides instead to go the box social with the Williamsâ antisocial and intimidating farmhand, Jud Fry (Rod Steiger). Elsewhere at the train station, another cowboy, Will Parker (Gene Nelson) might be singing about how much he was entranced by Kansas City, but he is searching for his sweetheart, Ado Annie (Gloria Grahame) â herself entranced by traveling salesman Ali Hakim (Eddie Albert in brownface).
No members of the original Broadway cast reprised their roles for this film, which also stars Barbara Lawrence and character actors James Whitmore, Jay C. Flippen, and Roy Barcroft.
As Curly, MacRae is like a Broadway stage version of the characters Gene Autry or Roy Rogers might have played in another decade. MacRae, who started his career as a Broadway and radio singer, had just run down the end of his contract with Warner Bros. (signed in 1947) when he appeared in Oklahoma!. At Warners, he starred in a number of musicals including Look for the Silver Lining (1949) and opposite Doris Day in On Moonlight Bay (1951), but he had only starred in a film adaptation of stage musical once before. MacRae, despite a long hiatus from the Broadway stage, is a natural here: charming and exuding a natural chemistry with co-star Shirley Jones. This exterior, however, is not without malice â as seen in the scene where Curly tries to influence Jud to commit self-harm. Cut from the same baritone cloth like contemporary Howard Keel (Frank Butler in 1950âs Annie Get Your Gun, Adam Pontipee in 1954âs Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), MacRae never achieved the popularity that other stage-to-screen musical stars of the â30s and â40s did (and, of course, Julie Andrews much later on).
The filmâs surprise package for audiences in 1955 was in Shirley Jones. Jones, rather than subjecting herself to a vetting process by a director, casting director, or studio executives, was hand-picked by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Stunned by her 1953 audition for the premiere of South Pacific but wanting more experience for the then-nineteen-year-old, the songwriting duo kept Jones in mind for future productions and signed her on a contract (Jones was the first and only singer to be contracted to Rodgers and Hammerstein). With a few years of Broadway productions under her belt, Jones still came to Oklahoma! lacking an understanding on how to tailor sharper emotions to a film camera. With Fred Zinnemannâs assistance, she navigates Laureyâs light romantic comedy scenes and tumultuous friendship (if one can call it that) with Jud maturely â one could scarcely believe this is her cinematic debut. For Laurey, she accentuates the characterâs naĂŻvetĂ©, especially in respect to how she acts around men and romantic idealizations, without feeling grating or overacting (a common problem when approaching characters without much life experience) the part. Jonesâ excellence in Oklahoma! would land her the lead in Carousel (1956), with other Hollywood hits in Elmer Gantry (1960) and The Music Man (1962) to follow.
As their artistic collaboration progressed, Rodgers and Hammerstein did not shy away from asking heavier questions in their musicals. Their first two projects, Oklahoma! and the musical film State Fair (1945) are relatively airy, flighty compared to their successors â the darkness of morality in Carousel, the racist beliefs of the lead character in South Pacific. Foreshadowing that later drama in successive musicals is the misanthropic (not just misogynistic) character of Jud Fry. Played by Rod Steiger, Jud is a villain without any redeeming qualities in the original musical. Steigerâs Jud remains a reprehensible character, but Steiger â as have most other actors who have played Jud in on stage in the decades since â positions Jud as more of a loner whose social ineptitude results in an unchecked covetousness over Laurey. To some reading that last sentence, that distinction between portrayals of Jud may not make any meaningful difference in oneâs negative opinions about the character and his actions. Yet, Steigerâs portrayal of Jud â as sloppy, maladjusted, knowing little else about life other than farm work â is nevertheless a refinement on the character Rodgers and Hammerstein originally did not give much thought to.
Zinnemannâs dramatic tendencies needed moderation, as they sometimes threated to overshadow the musical features. Although, to Zinnemannâs credit, as a dramatist first, he imbues Oklahoma! with a dramatic fervor that came to define all Rodgers and Hammerstein musical film versions after it â something that one never received from the somewhat assembly line-like musical from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Fox. Oklahoma! was Zinnemannâs first widescreen film, as well as the first time he shot in color. Â The emotional intensity of his earlier movies would be antithetical to the sweeping rural cinematography that he and cinematographer Robert Surtees (1959âs Ben-Hur, 1971âs The Last Picture Show) and Floyd Crosby (1931âs Tabu: A Story of the South Seas, 1960âs House of Usher) needed to capture. Zinnemann, Surtees, and Crosby offer sumptuous images of the Arizona countryside (Oklahomaâs oil wells proved too plentiful and distracting for the production) and the inviting blue sky that overhangs the cornfields sweeping across the land. With widescreen cameras rather new around 1955, the cameras wisely stay further back in interior scenes (shot at MGMâs studios in Culver City, California)Â with numerous people, directing our gaze centrally with brilliant blocking from the actors. The staging nevertheless feels like a stagebound musical during some interior scenes, like a lower-budget MGM musical with a trivial plot.
The widescreen cinematography, of course, was purposefully a showcase â see the shots of Gene Nelson spinning his rope directly towards the camera in âKansas Cityâ and the shot of an overly-excited auctioneer hammering their gavel and having the gavel nearly break the camera in another. Magna Theatre Corporation intended Oklahoma! to be a demonstration of their new Todd-AO 70mm process, in hopes of competing against Cinerama (which used three synchronized projectors at once on a curved screen). Because some theaters could not support the widescreen prints, two different versions of Oklahoma! exist: one in Todd-AO and another in CinemaScope (the latter a 20th Century Fox invention). This review is based on the Todd-AO print â which I recommend over the CinemaScope print â that currently is streaming on Disney+. Another note about the Todd-AO print: the first two films shot on Todd-AO 70mm â Oklahoma! and Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) â were shot in 30 frames per second (FPS) rather than the standard twenty-four. Thus, the Todd-AO print will appear slightly smoother in motion than most all other films, including modern ones.
Why 30 FPS for film screenings in 1955? Higher frames per second result in less noticeable light flickering and more dynamic colors (these effects for movies shot at higher FPS rates only apply to films shot on film stock, not digital). However, film projectors with a Todd-AO print would run hotter, requiring simultaneous cooling of the film while it ran through the projector. All subsequent films shot on Todd-AO reverted to the standard twenty-four frames per second.
youtube
Diehard musical fans often consider Fred Zinnemannâs Oklahoma! the most faithful â narratively, musically â of all the Rodgers and Hammerstein film adaptations. Deleted from Oklahoma! are two songs: Ali Hakimâs chauvinistic âItâs a Scandal, Itâs a Outrage! [sic]â and Judâs brooding âLonely Roomâ. The former has among the least musical interest in the entire musical, but âLonely Roomâ might have been a helpful source of characterization of Steigerâs Jud (the limited vocal range required for the song would suit Steiger). Otherwise, some of Rodgers and Hammersteinâs most iconic songs are present, starting with âOh, What a Beautiful Morninââ. Sung solo by MacRae on horseback (as opposed to being sung completely offstage in the original stage version), it serves the same purpose as the title song from The Sound of Music (1965) does. It establishes Curlyâs character (mostly), and establishing the vast environs where the film takes place. The atmospheric opening shot of the camera moving through the corn and opening up into a grassy landscape might seem corny inane, but what a visual message it sends for one of the early widescreen American movies. Curlyâs solo leads into âThe Surrey with the Fringe on Topâ, as he attempts to woo Laurey into accompanying him to the box social. A brief visual aside to allow viewers who do not know what a surrey looks like is a touch that a stage musical cannot provide, but this song â along with my choice of the best song in the musical, âPeople Will Say Weâre in Loveâ (which gives MacRae and Jones a lovely duet with the productionâs most romantic melodies) â exemplifies the rapport between MacRae and Jones and their two characters.
There remains charm aplenty across the musical score. Gene Nelsonâs rendition of âKansas Cityâ is by no means essential to the plot of Oklahoma!, but it is a diverting number with some fancy footwork by not only Nelson (essentially the filmâs comic relief and using a perfect, non-jarring voice for such a role), but Charlotte Greenwood and the sceneâs extras as well. And then, arriving late, there is also the lively title song, delivered by MacRae with a similar energy as he employs for âOh, What a Beautiful Morninââ. âOklahomaâ became the official state song for Oklahoma in 1953, replacing a lesser-known song, âOklahoma â A Toastâ. Credit must also go to the extras and chorus for spearheading the song for its second half, as well as Robert Russell Bennett for his gorgeous (and definitive) vocal arrangement.
As its theatrical release drew near, details of the distribution of Oklahoma! would depend on which print a theater received. If a movie theater screened the Todd-AO 70mm print, Magna handled the distribution; if they showed the anamorphic CinemaScope 35mm print, the responsibility fell to RKO. RKO â the studio that gave audiences King Kong (1933), Citizen Kane (1942), and distributed all Disney movies until Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1954) â had fallen into turmoil by the mid-1950s and, by decadeâs end, would be the first of the Big Five Hollywood studios to cease operations. The studioâs tyrannical owner, the eccentric Howard Hughes, disemboweled the studio from the inside out, and is a story for another day. Due to Hughesâ mismanagement, RKO withdrew from distribution and, in their place, came 20th Century Fox. Todd-AO and Fox shared theatrical and home media rights until Foxâs purchase by Disney in 2019; Todd-AO and Disney retain the split-ownership arrangement over Oklahoma!.
Though Oklahoma! is not usually part of most cinephilesâ and musical nerdsâ pantheons of great Hollywood musicals, its contributions to the subsequent Rodgers and Hammerstein film adaptations are unmistakable. The duoâs closeness to numerous parts of the filmâs production, the stunning widescreen cinematography, and the casting of actors with proven musical ability are hallmarks to be replicated, even in lesser adaptation such as South Pacific (1958) and Flower Drum Song (1961). For Rodgers and Hammerstein, they were so pleased from working with Fox that they continued to provide the rights to their musicals for all of their worksâ adaptations with the exception of Flower Drum Song (which went to Universal). Like their work on Broadway, their best music and best movie adaptations of their musicals was yet to arrive. Oklahoma! marks a solid, healthy start to that run of adaptations, a hallmark of mid-century American moviemaking.
My rating: 7.5/10
^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the âRatings systemâ page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).
For more of my reviews tagged âMy Movie Odysseyâ, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.
#Oklahoma!#Rodgers and Hammerstein#Fred Zinnemann#Gordon MacRae#Shirley Jones#Gene Nelson#Gloria Grahame#Charlotte Greenwood#Rod Steiger#James Whitmore#Richard Rodgers#Eddie Albert#Oscar Hammerstein II#Robert Surtees#Floyd Crosby#My Movie Odyssey
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
Garrett's giddy excitement was contagious.
Andrew grinned as he took out the key his friend had lent him and let them into the golf course. It was after hours, after dark, so it looked very different from when he would play there. The large, empty grounds might have even been spooky, if Garrett wasn't there.
Andrew felt a sense of pride as the two men walked through the empty turf. He had invited his best friend to Illinois, after he had been so kindly invited to Washington. He wanted his family to accept Garrett into their lives, much like what Garrett's family had done for him. The trip was going surprisingly well, and it got even better when he learned of an upcoming meteor shower. He knew he had to surprise Garrett with it.
The larger man stayed next to him, but his head was twisting and turning as he took in their surroundings. He seemed to literally be buzzing with excitement, itching to explore. And Andrew would have let him, if they weren't on a time crunch.
He led Garrett to the highest hill and spread out a large blanket he had brought. Garrett's giggles filled the air as they settled onto their backs, and Andrew couldn't contain his own either.
"This is amazing," Garrett sighed out, looking up at the night sky. It was so clear without the harsh LA lights, so vast. Andrew couldn't look too long without questioning his place in the world, so he decided to just focus on Garrett until the shower started. "Thank you so much for bringing me here, Andrew."
"Of course, man. It's something you would have done for me."
Andrew saw a wide grin form on Garrett's face as his eyes roamed sky. "This is beautiful."
"Ya," Andrew agreed quietly. You are. Andrew flushed, ashamed at the thought that had been creeping into his mind much more often lately. In that moment, he was glad of the distance between them.
But of course, Garrett decided to scoot closer. Andrew wondered if it was subconscious, but realized it was intentional when Garrett raised an arm. "Whoa, that star is so bright!"
Andrew looked up. "Which one?"
"That one!"
"I don't-"
"Here." Garrett moved his head even closer, so that their cheeks were touching. He lowered his arm to grab Andrew's hand, raising both back up and pointing. "You see?"
Andrew didn't see. He was too focused on Garrett touch, too aware of the fact that his heart was now pulsing in his throat. "Y-yes," he lied, hoping to end this contact. But when Garrett pulled away, he missed it dearly.
A silence fell over the two men, and Andrew wondered if it felt as awkward to Garrett as it did to him. Andrew, afraid to look over, continued to stare at the speckle of stars above them. They were so much more significant than him... "Sorry. The shower should start soon," he finally murmured, having to rip his gaze away.
"I don't mind," Garrett said. Andrew tried to hear if there was a change in his voice; is it more strained than usual? "The meteors are nice, but-" Garrett turned his head so that they were now face to face. "-being here with you is what matters most."
Andrew's breathing hitched as he stared into his best friend's eyes. They were soft, searching. He impulsively dragged his eyes down to Garrett's lips, yearning to close the distance between them.
His hand began to move without permission, grazing Garrett's cheek. His gaze flickered back to his eyes, afraid of his reaction, and he saw shock in them. No anger, no rejection. And no turning back now as he brought their mouths together.
The kiss was gentle; he let out a light sigh of relief as he felt Garrett kissing him back. Any tension in his body melted away as more pressure was applied, as tentative tongues met. He felt himself begin to roll onto his back; he wasn't sure who was responsible for it, but either way, Garrett was quick to follow.
The kiss was broken moments later to breathe, and in that moment, Andrew reached up to run his fingers through Garrett's hair. He studied his friend's beautiful face, and felt his comfortable weight on top of him. He didn't know what would make this moment better.
But then he saw something out of the corner of his eye - a flash of light moving across the sky. He gasped and let go of Garrett. "Look!"
Garrett lifted off of him, rolling back onto the blanket. He let out an excited laugh as more meteors began to shoot across the darkness.
They were both mesmerized by the meteor shower, having never seen one in person before. But Andrew was able to look away long enough to slide closer to the man next to him. Without looking away, Garrett lifted an arm so he could snuggle closer.
Andrew rested his head on Garrett's shoulder and placed a hand on Garrett's broad chest, letting himself be fully taken by all of the beautiful sensations around him: the meteors flashing across the sky, Garrett's heart beating under his hand, the rise and fall of their chests, the slow strokes along his back, and the whispered "I love you."
#i wanted to post a little something before I'm gone for a bit#and i kept thinking about the golf course date#i hope this reads okay#even though i don't know anything about golf or meteor showers lol#Gandrew#drabble
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
Seconds To Midnight
Pairing: Sweet Pea x Reader
Words: 2400ish
Warnings: Underage drinking, a lil heart break, pregnancyÂ
Summary: Y/N and Sweet Pea share a lifetime of New Yearâs together, some better than others.
Notes: Filling my âMidnight Kissâ square on my @riverdalebingoâ card! The next few days are gonna be a flurry of super late Christmas Eve/New Years posts as I attempt to catch up!
10...
They still canât believe theyâve convinced their parents to let them stay up passed midnight. Not even when the five of them are crammed into a booth at the Wyrm arguing over a pack of cards and sharing bottles of soda way past their usual 10 year old bedtimes.
By the time the ball drops, Jugâs already asleep, the cheering from around the bar barely making him stir. Fangs and Toni decide to mock the adults around them, pouting at each other and making âkissyâ noises. Y/N laughs along with them, pretending to gag, but Sweet Pea doesnât miss the way she blushes when she looks over at Gladys and FP once more.
A tint that deepens a dark red when he leans over and places a quick peck to her cheek.
âHappy New Year Y/N.â He whispers, thankful that the others are still too distracted to notice.
âHappy New Year Pea.â
9...
By the time theyâre 13, they care a little less about their parents permission, opting to swap the warmth of the Wyrmâs crowds, for the back of Fangâs brothers truck, at the edge of the car park instead. The same way Jugheadâs opted to switch them for Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper.
The huddle together for warmth, gazing up at the stars, and even though no one will admit it for a fear of being deemed âuncoolâ, everyoneâs excited for the burst of fireworks about to come.
When the first explosion sounds off, Sweet Pea misses the look Toni gives him, her eyes switching fiercely between him and Y/N.
But she doesnât give up.
âI dare the two of you to kiss.â She blurts out the challenge, and Sweet Pea hears Y/N suck in a breath beside him.
âWhat?â He chokes on the word, eyes casting from her down to his lap, not missing the way Y/Nâs leg brushes against his, suddenly aware of how close theyâd been sitting.
âItâs midnight.â His best friend shrugs, the streak of bright pink hair falling off her shoulder. He can still remember her Grandmotherâs face the first time sheâd seen it, Toniâs first act of outright defiance. âYou have to kiss someone.â
âThen you kiss Fangs.â Sweet Peaâs hand gestures wildly between the two of them, both gagging in unison.Â
âThat would be like kissing my sister.â Fangsâ nose scrunches up with the statement, and Y/N canât help but laugh.
âBut-â
His fight is already lost, now three against one as the girl besides him sits up straighter, rolls her eyes and simply grabs his face. âOh Pea, just shut up and kiss me!â
Heâs too distracted by the warmth of her palm against his skin, feather light fingertips dancing across his cheek, to see her closing the gap between them.Â
He sees fireworks even when he closes his eyes.
8...
At 15, Y/Nâs forced to spend New Years at her grandparents. Their first one apart in 6 years and Sweet Pea feels her lack of presence more with every passing second.
He misses her when Toni talks about last years celebrations and sneaking on the Wrymâs roof, when she text him early so her words donât get caught in a signal back log, when he sees Jug squeeze Bettyâs hand.
He wishes she was there to share the beers Fangs has managed to steal for them and make fun of the way Archie follows Veronica around like a lost puppy, wondering how their two opposite friendship groups somehow became intertwined to ring in the new year.Â
And when the count down ends, he watches as Toni kisses Ginger, turning to tell Y/N she owes him $5, before remembering sheâs not there. His heart sinks a little a further as he struggles to understand the feeling swarming in his head.
Heâs not interested in the fireworks that year.
7...
When theyâre 17, everything just goes wrong.
Theyâre at their first official New Yearâs Party, thrown by none other than Cheryl Blossom, as they desperately cling onto the last parts of their high school selves, months before they all leave the town behind and disappear to different colleges.
Some partying to celebrate the year that everything changes, others to forget what lays ahead.
They dance too much, they laugh too hard, they drink more than they should.
One minute sheâs in front of Sweet Pea, the next sheâs gone.
The panic sets in, once the ball drops, and he only catches a glimpse of her over Josieâs head once the singer starts pulling him towards her. Y/N laughs at something Reggie Mantle whispers in her ear, the sound piercing into Sweet Peaâs lungs.
He hadnât planned on kissing her at midnight, yet now itâs he can think about.
But heâs too late.Â
Heâd never make it in time, not with Josie hanging onto his arms. Not with the way Reggieâs already leaning in to do the one thing heâs always been to afraid to do.Â
He wants to look away, but he canât, even when heâs sure his heart wonât take it. He watches as Reggieâs lips press firmly against hers, watches the way she kiss him back and does the one thing that would stop him screaming out over the crowd.Â
He kisses Josie and pretends it her.
Her eyes blaze like fires when he finds them again, and Sweet Pea doesnât see it back then but everything changed in that swift couple of seconds, a silent, wordless disagreement that tears them apart.
Distance grows between them, not just physically as she leaves to chase her dreams in New York City and he stays, ever attached to Riverdale.
His heart shatters at the thought of the next New Years Eve without her.
But thinks maybe its for the best.
6...
âY/N will be there.â
Sweet Pea still declines the invite politely, but he can tell by the triumphant glint in Toniâs eyes that she knows sheâs won.
Thereâs no way heâd turn down the opportunity of even a glance at his former best friend after three years.Â
So he finds himself dressed to the nines, hiding away on the rooftop of Toni and Cheryl's penthouse apartment, because of course they have one of the best views in New York, trying to forget the image of her dressed in red.Â
It doesnât take her long to find him, and he doesnât need to turn around to know itâs her creeping up behind him. He can feel her presence the minute she steps out, like itâs coded in his DNA. He hates it as much as he loves it.
âHi.â She breathes out the greeting, tiptoeing across the unsteady ground between them. Itâs the first words she uttered towards him since she left for college and the sound makes his heart sing.Â
âHi.â He parrots back, there's so much more he wants to say but that's all he can manage. Her eyes meet his, locked together, unaware of the countdown being called out below.
And then she laughs.
And he does too.Â
Laughs over the stupidity of it all, laughs because its them, laughs until it hurts, until the fireworks explode around them surprising them both back to silence.
âIâve missed you.â He feels her hand close over his, fingers squeezing his tight.
He feels like he can breathe for the first time in a long time. âIâve missed you too.â
5...
This time its him that finds her on the roof, eerily similar to their moment two years prior.Â
Theyâve been trying for the last few years, piecing the remains of their broken friendship back together. But itâs not enough.
Not for him.Â
Maybe not for her.
The thought rips through him, his chest exploding with pain, and need, he has to tell her. He canât wait any longer.Â
The idea alone burns its way into his lungs until he canât breathe, until he canât think straight.
âI love you.â The words slip out the same time the noise below them erupts into a chorus of the number ten. He can hear it all around him, from people in the building next door, from people down the street.
She just stares at him, eyes wide with a hint of something he doesnât quite understand.
âYou donât have to say it back.â He panics, trips over his words and the way she looks at him. âI just want you to know.â
Heâs whispering into the dark, but she can hear him, over the chanting, over the beating of her own heart drumming clear in her ears.
âI just love you.â He falls into a spiral, confessions pouring out as he plunges downwards like the countdown under their feet. âI always have, I probably always will.â
And as the ball drops, and the crowd underneath explodes in cheers, their friends, sheâs suddenly pulled back into reality.
Her eyes soften at the sight before her, Sweet Peaâs bashful grin luminated by the glow of the fireworks in the distance, their light dancing off his skin.
And she does the first that comes to her mind, the only thing sheâs wanted to do every New Yearâs Eve since she met him.
She kisses him.
4...
At 25 they find themselves back on the roof.Â
That roof.
Their roof.
A location so sentimental to their relationship.Â
Relationship.Â
The word feels so weird in Sweet Peaâs thoughts, the concept of her being his girlfriend still so foreign to him, still so unreal, even after three years.
He loves her.Â
More than heâs loved anything ever before in his life, heâs sure of it. And heâs sure she loves him too, even if sometimes he doesnât understand why, but lord knows she does.
Which is why he finds himself down on one knee, velvet ring box held tightly in his shaking hand, surrounded by candle light and rose petals that float in the wind. He can feel wet tears streaking lines down his cheeks that mirror her own as she nods out her answer, not trusting her own voice before she pounces at him.Â
His back hits the floor the same time fireworks light up the skyline and his heart swells in bliss when she slips the ring onto her finger, a perfect fit.
âDid she say yes?â Fangs calls from across the roof, head peering around the door, Toni just behind.
âShe said yes!â Sweet Pea sings back, a permanent grin on his face.Â
Itâs only seconds later the two dive on the couple still sprawled out on the floor, four sets of limbs, four sounds of laughter, embracing in celebration.
3...
The tell tale signs are there all night, he doesnât understand how he didnât see it sooner.
She professional switches out her vodka orange for plain juice, gags at her usual favourite fancy foods that Cheryl and Toni insist on serving every year, and has ran to the bathroom more than once in the last three hours.
But he doesnât fit the puzzle pieces together.
Not even when she slots her hand in his, half guiding, half pulling him towards the roof and presents him a neatly wrapped gift once theyâre surrounded by cold night air.
Itâs only right she thinks, to tell him here, on the very roof top he confessed his love, where he asked her to be his wife only a year before. It has to be here he finds out this too.
He stares, confused down at the box held in his hands, feeling guilty that he has nothing to give her. She laughs at him, a sound that still sets his heart alight as she encourages him to open it quick.
The excitement takes over, racing to reveal its contents before the countdown sounding below hits 1, his fingers make light work of the paper.
When he lifts the lid of the box heâs sure heâs stopped breathing.
This canât be real.
Two blue lines stare back at him, clear at the dead of midnight and he chokes out a sob.
âYouâre?...â He canât finish the sentence, canât get his tongue to move and say the words. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, nodding her head in confirmation.
He canât help but drop to his knees, his hands gently cradling her barely there bump, his heart so full of love.
âIâm gonna be a Dad.â
2...
Of course they get married on New Yearâs Eve.
Itâs their day, no matter how much Toni and Fangs tease them about it. But their friends draw the line at a roof top wedding.
Sweet Pea canât describe the day as anything other than a god damn dream.
Heâs wanted this for so long itâs hard to believe itâs actually happening.
She looks a vision in white, too good to be true and he couldnât ask for anything more.
As he twirls his now wife in his arms, their baby girl nested up against Toniâs chest just a few feet away, heâs so overwhelmed with love that he canât help but cry.
It starts as a gentle shake from his chest, vibrating through his shoulders before the tears fall fast and he has to hide his face in her hair.
Tears pool in her own eyes as she pulls him closer, whispers how much she adores him into his neck, claims sheâs the luckiest woman in the world.
Heâs not afraid to admit this might be his favourite New Years Eve.
1...
At 30 thereâs no lavish parties.
No roof top confessions, no pregnancy announcements, no engagements, no Wrym.
Just them and their closest friends sprawled out in their living room, discarded pizza boxes on the coffee table, their three year old asleep upstairs.
And when those around them start counting down, Sweet Pea cups her cheek, tilts her head towards his so he can see her eyes staring back.
âI love you.â He whispers, so honestly, so raw. He feels her smile into the kiss that comes next. He doesnât care that his friends might see them, not like that shy ten year old hidden in a booth 20 years ago daring to plant a peck on his best friends cheek. No, he wants everyone to see how happy his is now, how far theyâve come. âHappy New Year Y/N.â
âHappy New Year Pea.â
Riverdale Bingo Holiday Masterlist
Forever Taglist: @p-marie-sp
Sweet Pea Taglist: @80sand90simagine @wildberryyyy @hopelesslylosttheway @be-gay-do-crime-cutie
#riverdale bingo#riverdale holiday bingo#riverdale#riverdale edit#riverdale sweet pea#riverdale one shot#riverdale imagine#riverdale fanficton#sweet pea#riverdale Christmas#sweet pea x reader#sweet pea Christmas#sweet pea edit#sweet pea imagine#sweet pea one shot
78 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Photographer // Matthew Gray Gubler x Reader
So I made a one-shot based off of the picture down here!
Word count ~ 3.1k
Summary - y/n is a celebrity photographer, and Matthew's birthday is coming up. This calls for a birthday shoot.
Ever since I was in sixth grade, I dreamed of being a photographer. But back then, I was just taking candid pictures of my cat (Peanut Butter), and random flowers that my mom had graciously planted for me. I really never planned on taking nice, professional pictures of people.
But here I was.
I went to 'California College of Arts' in San Francisco for 4 years. After that, I had a bit of trouble getting myself out there. I had a decent following on my instagram. People liked the pictures of my dog, and the pictures of nature that I took on my many travels. But likes and follows don't get you money, at least not enough. So I switched my focus onto more interesting things.
Advertising yourself as a photographer wasn't an easy task. You had to be ruthless, and be willing to get rejected and not back down. So I did what any semi-sane person would do.
I messaged over 50 celebrities asking of they wanted to do a shoot with me. I sent them my prices, and what kinds of shoots I was willing to do. I didn't have much hope for it, but it was worth a try.
And that's where it began.
Out of all of the messages, Andrew Lincoln, AKA Rick from The Walking Dead messaged me back.
*Hello Miss y/l/n! I've actually seen quite a few of your nature shots and I have always wondered how your photos would turn out with people. I would love to be your Guinea Pig.*
He sent me days he was available and I did his shoot. After posting his pictures, my popularity shot from there.
That was a few years ago, I was now taking photos for multiple celebrities. I was ultimately known for my black and white shoots. I had, in fact, just gotten done with a shoot of A.J. Cook. She had requested *me* to take her pictures for an up and coming article that was being written about her. I, of course, gratefully said yes, being a huge fan of hers, along with the whole Criminal Minds cast.
I emailed her all of the pictures I had taken, edited and all, while simultaneously posting them on my instagram.
It was mere hours later before a notification popped up on my phone of an email that I could not believe. Theres no way that he was emailing me, right?
*You have an Email from Matthew Gray Gubler*
*Hi there! I saw your shoot on AJ's instagram and my birthday is coming up. My manager wants me to do a birthday shoot, and we both like your black and white style. I know it's not usually the kind of thing you, birthdays, do but I figured it was worth a shot, and I think you have some real talent. Let me know when you are free next. I am on a break so my schedule is relatively flexible.*
I could safely say that it was a good thing that I lived alone because I don't think I have ever screamed louder into a pillow. Matthew has been one of my favorite celebrities for the longest time. If we were going to be completely honest, once I started watching Criminal Minds, I immediately had a crush on him. This wasn't exactly the profession to be in if you were going to have a celebrity crush. I was often invited to red carpets and movie premiers, so I met quite a few stars. I never thought I would have to worry about slipping up on my professionalism.
Because I never thought I would even meet him.
My obvious answer to his request was yes. I would never *ever* miss an opportunity to have a photoshoot with someone so inspiring and meaningful to me. So I started writing an email back.
*Hi Matthew!*
Should I address him like that? Is that unprofessional?
*Hi Mr. Gubler*
Abso-fucking-lutely not.
*Hi Matthew!* We are gonna stick with that. *I don't know if this is too short of a notice, but I actually have a free spot tomorrow. (Of course if that doesn't work for you, I can figure something out for later, and try to fit it in before your birthday). I have a few ideas for props that I can send you? Let me know how I can help.*
I sent it and ran my hands through my hair, tossing my phone back onto my comforter. I had taken pictures of so many awesome celebrities:
âą Selena Gomez
âą Robert Downey Jr.
âą Dylan O'Brien
âą Grant Gustin
âą Holland Roden
âą Danai Gurira
But this was by far the coolest one, in my mind at least.
While waiting a little to anxiously for a reply, I decided I was going to make myself some lunch, Ramen. I set my phone on the counter as I boiled my noodles, peering over at the blank screen every few seconds (but really they felt like **minutes**).
Just as I was adding the flavour packet to the bowl my phone buzzed. I jumped slightly, spilling part of the packet out of the bowl.
"Damnit." I quickly wiped the salt into the trash can and snatched my phone, seeing another email.
*Tomorrow is actually perfect, and I would love to hear your recommendations on props, clothes, anything really. I'm going to leave my number on this email so we can have easier contact of that's okay with you.*
Wow, alright. I will now have Matthew Gray Gublers number in my phone. I made a contact for him.
**It's y/n, soooo for props. I figured I could bake you a cake! I took a few baking electives in college so I could make a really nice one and we can do something with it. I recommend you bring clothes you like to wear that are black and white. (Other colors work too, but it just looks and flows better if it's black and white). I will set the rest of the stuff up. I will be ready for you by 1 pm if that's okay.**
*You would bake me a cake?! That would be super cool thank you! I would love that. I will bring a few black and white outfits. Would it be weird if I brought a black and white Kimono?*
A chance to see Matthew in a kimono? Please yes.
**Oh my gosh please do. I would love to take pictures of you in an infamous kimono of yours.**
*Awesome! I will see you tomorrow at 1. Heres my managers info for you to sell the billing to.*
He attatched his managers email. I just sat at my kitchens island, smiling like a true dork at my phone.
**And here is my address, I run the studio at my house. What is your favorite cake and icing by the way? :)**
Was a smiley face unprofessional?
I need to chill out.
*Vanilla cake and chocolate frosting possibly? I will eat anything though probably. :)*
Now I was really smiling at my phone like a psycho idiot.
**Alrighty, see you tomorrow**
Since I didn't want to wake up too early tomorrow, I decided I was going to start the cake tonight. I had quite a few recipes held in my cabinets. I located my vanilla cake recipe and put my pre-made chocolate frosting on the counter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After about an hour of preparing, making a cake from scratch, and putting it in the oven. The cake was finally done and cooled. I added black cocoa to the frosting to make it completely black and got out my white gel.
*You made it 3 decades :)*
Was scrawled in calligraphy on the top of the cylindrical cake. I added white drips down the sides and white multi shaped sprinkles to the bottom part.
I set it in my fridge and got ready for bed. I know it's going to be hard to sleep just thinking about tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My alarm woke me up at 10 am, never before this had I woke up with a smile on my face before 12.
I took a quick shower and dressed in a white and blue floral romper with my hair in a high ponytail. Now it was time to set up backgrounds for the shoot.
I had two stations downstairs where I took all my photos. I set the first one up very normal with a white background and a rustic black stool. The second one was set up with another white background but littered with black streamers and big *30* black and white speckled balloons strung at the top.
Once I was done with all that. It was nearing 1. I slipped the cake out of the fridge and slid it onto my island. I glanced up at the clock above my stove.
*12:49*
Since I just had a little bit of time, I went a put some simple makeup on. I usually don't wear makeup when taking pictures of people, but for obvious reasons, I was making an exception.
Just as I was leaving my bathroom I heard a knock at my door. I walked swiftly to my door and opened it shakily.
"Hi!" He held up the clothes that were hung lazily over his arm. He smiled that million dollar smile and I could have sworn he looked me up and down.
Wishful thinking I guess.
"Welcome!" I stepped out of the doorway, silently inviting him in. "If you wanna set your stuff down, those stairs to the right lead you down the the studio."
"Thanks." He scurried down the stairs as I grabbed the cake and followed him down. I set it on a table that I had down there, he peered over at it and immediately burst into fits of laughter.
"I knew you had a sense of humor, so why put something normal and boring on the cake." I laughed with him as he tried to catch his breath.
"This is so perfect." He laughed a little more. "Thank you, so much." I shrugged with a smile. I posed him in front of the streamers with the cake.
He made some silly faces and smiled like there was no tomorrow. Next I brought him to the more plain station, sitting him on the stool. I looked through the lenses of the camera and glared a bit.
"Hey can you put your left leg up on the second peg of the stool?" I asked, pointing to his leg.
"This one?" He put it on the third. I shook my head. "This one?" He moved it down the the fourth. He was smiling a sly smile, seemingly challenging me.
"Let me do it for you." I had to pose people often, but posing him was going to be a little harder for me, considering I found him painfully attractive.
I moved his leg up to the second one and patted it.
"Now leave it there, so I don't have to help you again." I giggled, walking back to my camera. Taking a picture of him leaning forward on the stool and smiling. I then made him laugh and got a good genuine one of him leaning back and laughing. After all that, I proposed that we eat some cake and took a break.
I cut him a slice and handed it to him with a smile.
"So, tell me about yourself." He said, eating a bite of his cake.
"Well, I have always enjoyed photography. I love all types of art, so I also draw and paint often. And I have a black cat upstairs. His name is-" and I stopped, blood rushing to my cheeks. He is most certainly going to ask me the name, and I do not want to tell him.
He stared at me expectantly. "What is his name?" He motioned me to go on.
"Uh," I laughed a little awkwardly, setting my hands in my lap and staring at them. "His name is Spencer. As in Spencer Reid..." I glanced up at him and saw a huge grin break out on his face.
"So you like Criminal Minds? I never would have guessed. You just don't seem the type."
"Well all my memorabilia is in my room, just so people don't think I'm weird for having quite a few framed and signed posters." I smiled up at him, pushing around the remaining cake crumbs on my plate.
"One, That's not weird, that's awesome. Two, can I please meet Spencer and take pictures with him in my kimono."
I don't think I have ever heard a better sentence in my entire life.
"Yes, absolutely! I'll go get him." I clunked up the stairs on my search to find Spencer. I went to his usual spot first, my bed. Luckily he was sitting there, licking his outstretched foot. "Hi baby! You are about to take pictures with the guy you are named after. He almost as cute as you!" I grabbed him from the bed an headed back downstairs. I walked in with the accidental impeccable timing to see Matthew in his barely tied kimono, showing off his chest. My eyes widened a bit and he tied it off fully.
"Is this the famous Spencer?! He is so cute!" He reached his arms out at Spencer. My little fluff ball curled up into him instantly, cuddling into his silky kimono.
We took many many pictures of Spencer and Matthew together. I think maybe my cat likes him more than he likes me now.
"Okay, last idea. How about we just take some more up close pictures of me feeding you some cake?" It came put as a question because I didn't know how comfortable he would be with it.
"Perfect!" I cut another slice of the cake and brought it over to him. We were both sitting on the floor.
"This might be a little awkward, okay?" I giggled as I leaned back to get his whole face in the shot. This proved to be very difficult as I was using my left hand to take the picture. I fed him the cake with the right as he looked at the camera with a more seductive look. I could have melted into the floor.
I decided to switch hands so I could take the photos better, but now my very uncoordinated hand was the one picking up the cake. As I went down to get another section of the cake for another angle of feeding this sculpture of a man, I instead dipped my thumb right into the deep black frosting.
"Shit, I'm so sorry hold on." As I went to stand up and grab a napkin to wipe my thumb off, Matthew grabbed my wrist lightly.
"Hold on, uh, I have an idea, before you do anything." I sat down with a confused look. "I saw someone do this in another shoot. But we totally don't have to do it. I just thought it would be a different idea." His words were more rushed than usual.
"I'm sure I've done weirder things for other shoots, don't worry. It's *your* shoot." I reassured him, though my head was swimming wondering what he was going to do.
"Ok. So. What I'm going to do is put your thumb in my mouth, and I'm basically gonna, uh, suck on it while kinda smiling?" He could barely get through the whole thing without laughing.
"Alright, weird request but I like it!" I giggled for what seemed like the 30th time today. "And to make you feel better, yes, I have done weirder."
"Thank God."
"So I am guessing you want me to do something like this with the rest of my hand, ya know, the part that's not in your mouth." I stated as I placed my hand on his cheek. He let a slow breath out, staring into my eyes.
"Yeah, exactly."
"Okay." I said with a shrug, grabbing my camera from the ground. He opened his mouth with an all too familiar wide grin as I placed my thumb in. His mouth closed around it and he smiled, just a little. I brought my camera to my face, capturing the moment that I would have forever in my mind and in a small frame on my bedroom wall, for sure.
I slipped my thumb from his mouth and watched as his face turned extremely red. To save him embarrassment, I immediately stood up and grabbed a napkin to wipe the rest of the frosting off.
"Can I see it?" He motioned to the camera. I nodded, sitting down right beside him, showing him the picture. It showed off a closer look at the rose tattoos I had near my wrists and the shiny watch that was gifted to me by my mom. "It turned out good! I really hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."
"Oh no! Of course not. Total opposite." As soon as I said that I regretted it.
"So that made you extremely comfortable?" A sly smile was making it's way onto his face.
"That's, that's not- You know what? Sure, yes." I chuckled. "You don't really make me uncomfortable at all to be honest. So no, you didn't make me uncomfortable."
"Well I'm glad." He smiled and we sat in silence for a moment.
"Well I guess that's it yeah?" He nodded. "Well this was fun. Thanks for being an excellent subject to take pictures of."
He gathered his stuff as we went back upstairs. Once at the door, Spencer came up to him, rubbing on his leg. He bent over to pet him.
"So, I'm not sure if you are single or not." I could feel the blood draining from my face. Was this really happening right now? "But I wanted to know if you wanted to go on a date?"
Yes, this was happening right now.
"Really?" I could tell I sounded extremely excited, but at this point, I didn't even care.
"Yeah, you are super laid back, funny, talented, and you aren't scared away by how weird I am." He laughed, "So yes?"
"I would absolutely love to."
"Great. I'll text you." He winked and waved as he closed the door, leaving.
My back went against the door. I couldn't keep in the squeal so I just embraced it and squealed my heart out, doing a little dance.
Which was quickly ended when I heard a knock at the door.
"I'm sorry, I want to get to know you better immediately." He let out a nervous chuckle. "Are you free for the rest of the day?" I was sure that my face was red as a tomato.
"Yes I am." He grabbed my hand, dragging me outside.
"Then let's go."
#mgg#criminal minds#spencer reid#criminal minds fic#matthew gray gubler#matthewgraygubler#matthew gray gubler x reader#MGG#mgg x reader#mgg fic#mgg fanfiction
284 notes
·
View notes
Note
46, 48, with team awesome?
Hey anon!! Thanks for the ask! This one got away from me, Iâll be real, so itâs a little long, but I had fun with it!
46. Fever and 48. Shackles
Eugene Fitzherbert isnât a man who would crack under pressure. Sure, thereâs been the odd time where the panic will settle deep in his bones and heâll be forced to choke it down like a bad pill- but he never cracks. Not for Stalyan, not for Gothel, not for Zhan Tiri-
But this might just break his streak, and snap his disposition in two.
It was supposed to be a simple trip to Vardaros, an easy in-out kind of trip to grab a few things for his and Rapunzelâs anniversary. The kind of adventure that was more of a chore than anything, just a long hike and a day of shopping, followed by the trip back. Maybe that was why heâd invited Varian along, just for someone to talk to while they made the trip- though Eugeneâs sorely kicking himself for that now.Â
Theyâd been jumped not even a few hours from the border.
Theyâd been attacked from the side of the road, a group of thugs springing from the brush like rats from a sinking ship. It had caught them both off guard- hell, Eugene was still kicking himself for that. Heâd gotten complacent with the low crime rates of Corona, it seemed it had made him rusty. Sure, theyâd put up a good fight, the kid had gotten a few good swings in and took down a guy nearly twice Eugeneâs size- the man couldnât have been prouder, bless- and Eugene had managed pretty well for himself.Â
But when a familiar figure had emerged from the bushes, Varian had frozen up immediately.Â
Andrew looked just about as smug as he had the last time Eugene had seen him, but with Varian distracted- even for a second- it took only a few seconds for the other Saporians to get the drop on the kid, and Eugene by extension.
And now, here they were, chained up in some kind of basement, waiting for the bunch of hippies to decide what to do with them.
The cell was about the size of a Coronian jail cell, made of thick stones and iron bars against one side. A small window let in a few slivers of weak light, but it also let in the drafts of cold air from the evening. When theyâd first been locked in, the two brothers had tried everything they could to escape, from picking locks to chipping at the grout between the stones, but nothing had worked. Their chains attached to their cuffed ankles only allowed for maybe two feet worth of movement, not even close to enough to reach the cell door. Theyâd been in the cell for the better part of the week.
And Varian started to get sick.
âHowâre you holding up, bud?â Eugene asks, and Varian offers a weak smile. The kid shifts a bit- the shackle around his ankle makes an unhappy noise of iron scraping against stone. Eugene winces at it, but shuffles closer to offer his shoulder.Â
âBeen better.â Varian mutters, pressing into his older brotherâs side. Eugene gives up on the macho-man bit and wraps his arms around the kid, hugging him close to keep him warm. Varian keeps shivering, cold no matter what Eugene does to try and help. Itâs damp and nasty in the cell- Eugene can see mold and mildew growing in all the little crannies, even in the weak light.Â
Andrew hadnât been nice enough to give them blankets, or anything really- it seems the Saporians werenât exactly about five-star accommodations.
âItâll be alright.â Eugene says, curling his arms around Varian as if to shield him from the world. âIâm sure sunshine is out there right now looking for us- give it another hour and I bet sheâll be here with her frying pan flying.âÂ
Varian laughs at that, but it quickly devolves into a coughing fit. Eugene grimaces and rubs at his back, unable to do much else. Just their luck that the dismal conditions had caused Varian to get sick, but the former thief canât say heâs surprised. The kidâs small, he gets cold easily- as Varian had complained about on more than one occasion- and the cell certainly isnât the place to keep an illness at bay.
The coughing stops, and Varian slouches a little more into Eugeneâs side. Idly the man brings up a hand to feel the kidâs forehead with the back of it. Heâs burning up- Eugene huffs out a stressed breath. This was only going to get worse the longer they stayed down here.Â
Eugene tenses when, speak of the devil, he hears a nearby door slam open. His arms tighten around the kid, trying his best to hide Varian from view. The alchemist shudders, from the fever or from fear Eugene canât tell, but either way he levels his very best glare as Andrew waltzes into view.
âHowâre we doing today, boys?â Andrew asks, his grin splitting from ear to ear. Eugene feels the urge to growl- Andrew only seems to have eyes for Varian at the moment, and it sets the older man on edge. Eugene knows they have history, knows that Andrew would love nothing more than to kill the kid.Â
Eugene refuses to let that happen.
âWeâre doing just swell, thanks!â The former thief says in a faux-chipper voice. âReally, out of all the cells Iâve ever stayed in, this one is a solid eight-out-of-ten.âÂ
âWe do aim to please.â Andrew snarks, pulling a key from his pocket. Part of Eugene wants to lunge for it, but he knows better by now- heâd only get caught on the chain and fall flat on his face.Â
But it doesnât stop him from curling tighter around his little brother when Andrew cracks the door open and enters the cell.
Varianâs shaking hands ball up in Eugeneâs undershirt- the only layer theyâd left him in once theyâd taken anything they could use to escape. The man scowls as Andrew approaches, has to bite back a scathing retort as Andrew crouches into a squat and looks at them with a sort of condescending look.
âIâm going to give you a choice.â Andrew says, âBecause we of Saporia believe in giving everyone a chance.âÂ
âBite me.â Eugene mutters. Andrew laughs.
âNah, Iâm good.â He tilts his head to get a look at Varian. âNow, hereâs your options. Youâre either going to let go of the kid, or weâre going to take him, forcefully. Itâs up to you.âÂ
Eugene feels Varianâs shaking hands tense, curling tighter. In response Eugene manages to curl around the kid more, offhandedly worrying about how warm Varian was getting, but he looks up to Andrew to ignore it for now.
âNot happening.â Eugene says. His voice rings through the cell, ricocheting off stone and iron and puddles of water. Andrew rolls his eyes, and stands.Â
âFair enough, you had your chance. Kai!âÂ
Andrew barks the name, twisting around as the larger man enters the cell as well. Eugene tenses, clinging to Varian all the tighter. The kidâs gone a little limp, the fever taking over and sapping the alchemistâs strength. He canât fight this, Eugene realizes as the panic settles in, itâs down to Eugene to keep his little brother from the people who wish him harm.Â
But this is a fight even Eugene knows he canât win.Â
As Kai roughly reaches for Eugene, Andrew backs off a little, grabbing at the place Varianâs chain is bolted into the wall. Eugene tenses, anticipating it, but it still is a jolt when Andrew grabs the iron and yanks- nearly tearing Varian from Eugeneâs grip. The kid shouts in pain as his ankleâs pulled, but Varian clings to Eugene all the same.Â
And then Kai intervenes.Â
Eugene snarls when he feels hands on his arms, an inhuman growl that nearly startles Kai-Â
And thatâs when Andrew manages to pull the kid from Eugeneâs arms.Â
Varian screams, a weak little squeak of a thing that rings through Eugeneâs ears like a funeral bell. Kaiâs hands tighten on Eugeneâs arms- he tries frantically to pull away as Varianâs essentially dragged along the floor towards Andrew like a fish on a line. The boyâs hands weakly scramble at the floor, trying in vain to dig into the smooth stone.Â
Andrew laughs a bit at the display, deftly pinning Varianâs ankle with one hand and unlocking the cuff with the other. Varian spits something that Quirin would box his ears over but Eugene canât stop to chide him- the manâs too busy trying to pull away from Kai.
âAndrew!â Eugene shouts, desperately trying to pull the Saporianâs attention back to him. âAndrew, câmon, donât you want to pick on someone your own size, man-bun? Isnât the kid a little below your paygrade-â
Andrew laughs, roughly grabbing Varianâs flailing wrists with both hands. âOh, no.â The Saporian says, harshly using his grip to yank the kid off the floor. Varian snarls, trying to kick at Andrew with all he has. Eugene canât help but notice how pale the kid is- thereâs a thin sheen of sweat on Varianâs brow, which is worrying in the chill of the cell. Andrew chuckles, leering over Varian as the boy begins to tremble.Â
âMe and the kid have unfinished business.âÂ
Varian struggles as Andrew drags him up and away, both his wrists caught in each of Andrewâs hands. âLet go!â The kid cries, digging his heels in as much as he can. Eugene pulls against Kai with everything heâs got- thatâs his little brother goddamn it-
âEugene!â Varianâs voice is wrecked, a scared noise that digs right into the depths of Eugeneâs soul. The panic is so thick in his throat he can taste it, the bitter twang of not being able to protect-
Kai shoves Eugene back into the wall. His back hits with a crash and a flash of pain that skitters up and down his spine like fire. Eugeneâs head cracks against the stone, and just like that heâs out like a light.Â
>>><<<
When he wakes up again, Rapunzel is there. Eugene feels a pulse of confusion, and then terror. If sheâs here, then whereâs-
âThe kid!â Eugene gasps, sitting up roughly, Rapunzel hisses as he moves, taking a hold of his shoulders and pushing Eugene back down onto the plush surface underneath him.
âDonât move,â She says, âYou still might have a concussion.âÂ
âNo- I- sunshine the kid-âÂ
âIs right next to you.âÂ
Eugene tilts his head to the left, breathing a sigh of relief when he sees Varian lying close by. Theyâre both on a bed in some kind of caravan, the kidâs curled up around himself, not looking any worse for wear. Heâs still pale, but the shaking seems to have stopped. Eugene feels something in him settle, seeing his little brother more relaxed. Rapunzelâs hands in his hair are soft and gentle. She hums her song to him, even if it doesnât have magical properties anymore she canât seem to help it.
âHeâs fine.â She murmurs, âYouâre both fine. But you need to sleep.âÂ
Ah, sleep sounds so good.Â
Eugene reaches out an arm for Varian, patting next to him. On instinct the kid rolls into his side, in that subconscious, innocent way kids do. With Varian properly accounted for, Eugene feels himself start to drift.Â
âGo to sleep,â Rapunzel coos, âHeâll be there when you wake up.âÂ
The man nods his assent, already feeling himself floating away. Varian snuffles into his side, hands curling tight into Eugeneâs shirt and clinging. Heâs small, warm and safe, Eugene canât help but press a firm kiss into Varianâs hair at the sheer relief of having his little brother safe and sound in his arms. Exhaustion creeps up on him, his eyelids growing heavy. Rapunzelâs hands are soothing, soft and gentle, and the former thief feels himself slip away into his dreams.Â
And Eugene, for the first time in a week, sleeps soundly.Â
103 notes
·
View notes
Text
Had to Go Too Far to Know How Far to Go
( @shadowhunterbingo Square: Enemies to Lovers) (Read on AO3)
Jace is seething, sitting across from Maryse in her office as the Head of the Institute. Jace isnât sure if heâs relieved itâs Maryse and not Robert - sometimes he thinks he can play Robert a little better than he can Maryse, but he isnât sure it matters this time around. He knows heâs in actual trouble when heâs called into the office instead of just reprimanded wherever she happens to find him around the Institute.
And heâs definitely in trouble. Apparently, someone saw him sneaking out after curfew and turned him in. He barely made it two blocks away from the Institute before he felt a tap on his shoulder and was instructed to return back immediately, then escorted directly here.
Jace isnât sure who told on him - he knows he mentioned the party he was trying to go to around a few of the other Shadowhunters during training that morning, mostly to brag about the pretty Seelie girl who invited him. Any one of them couldâve gotten jealous and decided to be petty about it.
So instead of drinking Seelie wine and forgetting about his responsibilities for a night, heâs getting a lecture on representing not only the New York Institute and the Nephilim stationed here, but the Lightwood name. Jace grits his teeth and manages to âYes, Maâamâ and âsorry, Maâamâ his way through the lecture.
No matter how many times he asks, she refuses to tell him who turned him in.
The next morning at training he eyes the others with a steely gaze. âIâm not sure which one of you ratted me out,â he says. âBut if I find out-â Jace pauses there, his eyes narrowing dangerously. âScratch that, when I find out, Iâll make sure you never have a single fun night in your entire life. Donât pull that shit again.â
Jace eyes them all one-by-one, catching Alecâs eye-roll before noticing the confused expressions of a few others who donât seem to know what heâs even talking about, let alone be the ones responsible for it. Either theyâre surprisingly good at playing dumb, or none of them went to Maryse.
But if it wasnât any of them, who else could it be?
---
The next time Jace gets in trouble for trying to sneak out of the Sanctuary to avoid getting caught, this time to test out using the morning star flail that Robert keeps insisting Jace canât take in the field, he gets assigned weapon and combat gear cleaning duty for the next two weeks.
To his surprise, Andrew Underhill is waiting outside the training room as he leaves Maryseâs office. He tries to look like heâs just passing by but Jace is positive he was listening in.
âWho knew wanting to practice a new weapon would be frowned upon,â Jace comments, covering his frustration with the whole situation with his usual bravado, forcing a smirk on his face. âGuess cleaning all the weapons is one way to familiarize myself with them better.â
âPretty sure itâs less the wanting to practice and more the going on patrol alone with a weapon youâre not proficient in,â Andrew doesnât look amused. âSeems like a good way to get yourself killed.â
Jace rolls his eyes. âI wouldâve been fine.â
âSure you wouldâve,â Andrew agrees easily enough, though Jace notes with a moment of annoyance that he doesnât sound genuine. Does he think Jace is that incompetent, too? âSorry about the cleaning detail,â Andrew adds, which shifts the subject slightly.
âDonât be,â Jace shrugs. âIsnât like itâs your fault.â
A strange look crosses Andrewâs face at that, a flicker of hesitation as if he might say something, then changes his mind. Jace almost comments on it but Andrew speaks again, his words quick and dismissive.
âYeah, no, of course not. Just trying to be sympathetic.â Thatâs what Andrew says, though Jace canât help but notice he still looks guilty, but maybe thatâs just for the eavesdropping.
Jace arches an eyebrow. âRight,â he says slowly, not sure why Andrewâs being so weird all of a sudden. âAnyway, guess I should go get some rest if Iâm going to be up at the crack of dawn wiping down weapons.â Jace turns and leaves Andrew still lingering outside of Maryseâs office, not thinking twice about it.
The following morning Jace shows up to the weapons room prepared for several hours of solitary cleaning. He definitely doesnât expect Andrew to show up about half an hour in with an offer to help.
âWant a hand?â Andrew asks, eyeing the still very large pile of unpolished weapons.
â...why would you want to do that?â Jace asks suspiciously. This is a punishment after all, and he sure as hell wouldnât be here if he didnât have to be. No one in their right mind would willingly subject themselves to this.
Andrew shrugs. âCouldnât sleep. Sometimes the repetitiveness of these sorts of tasks helps clear my head. Plus, I figured you could use the company. If youâd rather be alone, though, I could goâŠâ
Jace considers the offer. Itâs way too quiet in here - Jace always preferred to be around people, to have conversation and distractions so he isnât left alone with his thoughts for too long. If nothing else, Jace would definitely appreciate the company even if Andrew just hangs out and doesnât do any actual cleaning.
âAlright, have at it,â Jace finally agrees.
The two of them spend the next two hours talking and joking as they polish the weapons, and Jace realizes that this is probably the first significant amount of time heâs spent alone with Andrew. They get along surprisingly well, and Jace would be lying to himself if he didnât admit how much he appreciates the way Andrew seems to look at him with an almost reverent admiration, despite being older than Jace. He canât help it - when you spend the better part of your life trying to impress others, itâs the best feeling in the world when it pays off.
Andrew shows up to help Jace a few more times that week, until Jace begins to expect him rather than wonder if heâll show. Outside of a few misguided attempts to rein in Jaceâs reckless side, which Jace chalks up to pretty standard interactions for a friendship with him, the two of them only grow closer. Andrew is smart, the properly clever sort of smart that Jace loves, but heâs also kind. Much more kind than many raised in the life of Nephilim are. And itâs that kindness, that warmth, that Jace is drawn to the most.
When Jaceâs punishment ends he feels a pang of unexpected loss at the idea of not seeing Andrew every day. He goes out on a limb and asks if Andrew would want to have a standing offer to meet up for breakfast in the mornings in the cafeteria, so they still have time outside of training and patrols to just hang out.
Thereâs a little flutter in Jaceâs stomach when Andrew eagerly agrees with a huge smile, and Jace realizes with sudden certainty that somewhere over the past two weeks his feelings for Andrew may have shifted to something more than just a desire for friendship.
He ignores that for now, content with breakfast, daily talks, and getting to know Andrew a little better.
---
âWhy donât you wash up and meet me down in the cafeteria? Iâll see if I can get us some breakfast food cooked up,â Andrew offers. He sounds⊠hesitant. Maybe even a little scared. Jace doesnât blame him - Jace knows he must look about two seconds away from self-destructing because he feels like he is.
Jace messed up. He knows he messed up, and heâs going to do something to fix it. He has to.
âNo, I just want to sleep,â Jace says, his tone uncharacteristically cold toward Andrew who has recently become the only person to see the best sides of him nearly constantly. He canât help it when the very sight of Andrew brings a small smile to his face no matter how bad of a mood heâs in⊠or at least, it usually does. âSee you tomorrow.â
They just got back from a failed mission, one that Jace was in charge of. Jace kept most of his control during the debriefing, and now the rest of the team heads off to shower and rest.
Not Jace.
Jace waits until Andrew is out of sight before he slips away unnoticed to the weapons room. Grabbing two extra daggers and a seraph blade, he heads back to where his team lost track of the demons they were after before. Heâs only back on the trail for a few minutes before Alec finds him, saying that Hodge sent him to track Jace and bring him back. The look of pure regret on Alecâs face says everything Jace needs to know about how in trouble he is.
âSorry,â Alec says for the tenth time on their way back to the Institute. âI could always say I didnât find you,â he offers, sounding unconvinced that would be any better.
Jace shakes his head. âNo, then theyâll just punish you, too,â he sighs. âHow did he even know I was gone?! I swear no one saw me leave.â
Alec shrugs. âI dunno.â They continue to walk in silence until Alec drops Jace off in the training room where Hodge is waiting, arms crossed over his chest.
Jace thinks that the worst news heâll hear that night is the clearly stated warning that if he ever tries to go on an unsanctioned mission alone again heâll be pulled from active duty entirely.
Instead, itâs the revelation of who told Hodge what he was doing that fills Jaceâs veins with ice and makes him feel like heâs about to throw up.
âIf Underhill hadnât seen the cameras and warned us as fast as he didâŠâ
Jace doesnât hear anything after that, the words a buzzing noise in his brain. Underhill. Andrew. The fact that Andrew is the one who betrayed him makes this a million times worse. He trusted him. He liked him. He still does, which makes this hurt so much more. If itâd be anyone elseâŠ
Jace wastes no time going directly to Andrewâs room after Hodge releases him.
âWhat the fuck, Andrew?!â Jace demands before the door is even fully open.
Andrew looks as sick to his stomach as Jace felt only minutes prior.
âIâm sorry,â Andrew manages. âBut you-â
âYouâre not my goddamn keeper. You nearly got me pulled from active duty!â Jace seethes.
Andrew pales. âIâm sorry,â he repeats.
âYeah, you keep saying that,â Jace points out, nothing but heat in his eyes and venom in his tone. Heâs pissed. He doesnât want to be pissed at Andrew, but he is, and he needs to get this out.
Andrew, to Jaceâs surprise, grows defensive. âMaybe if you stopped trying to show off on your own all the time I wouldnât have to keep turning you in just to--â
Jaceâs jaw drops open and Andrewâs words cut off abruptly with the realization of what he just admitted.
âKeep turning me in?â Jace repeats, shaking his head. âIt was you before, too, wasnât it? By the Angel, Andrew, I thought we were friends! I thought-â but now itâs Jaceâs turn to cut his words off abruptly because now is not the time for that, no matter how hurt he feels right now. âYou know what, never mind. It doesnât matter, because we clearly arenât. I donât want you to speak to me again, Underhill.â
Jace doesnât stay for a response, allowing the abrupt shift from calling him Andrew to spitting out Underhill like itâs poison to do all the talking for him.
---
Things continue on in this way for a while - it seems like every time Jace goes off to make a potentially reckless decision Andrew is right there to drag him back. At first, Jace thought he was being too obvious, but no matter how many precautions he takes, Andrew always finds out, and Jace suffers for it. He knows the punishments are meant to be a deterrent but he mostly ignores them - in fact, they have the opposite effect. If everyone is going to assume heâs always out to cause trouble, then he might as well actually be out to cause trouble and have some fun in the process, live up to the reputation and all, right?
The times he manages to elude punishment only fuel more attempts, more risks to see how far he can push whatever fates are working against him here. When he gets away with it heâs rewarded with lavish nights out and thrilling solo missions far beyond anything heâd get cleared for through official channels, as well as any other number of adventures. More importantly, every time he manages to sneak out under Andrewâs seemingly constant watch (because of course Andrew works security at the Institute) it feels like a bigger victory, a louder âfuck you!â to the person who, for reasons Jace still doesnât understand because he refuses to speak with him, seems determined to ruin his life.
The only time they talk is on missions, and even then Jace shuts down any attempt at conversation outside of tactics and relevant information on whatever theyâre tracking or fighting or protecting. He can tell that it hurts Andrew, but he pretends not to care just as intently as he pretends it doesnât hurt him just as much. Jace reminds himself that Andrew is the one who betrayed him and his trust, after all.
They go on like this for quite some time. For half a year, in fact. Six straight months of Jace glaring daggers at Andrew every time he gets pulled in for breaking some rule or another. Six months of ignoring Andrew every time he practically begs Jace to just stop doing things thatâll get him in trouble in the first place.
Six months until Jaceâs curiosity gets the better of him, finally overriding his anger enough for him to spin around after starting to walk away from Andrew in the middle of yet another attempted-conversation-turned-fight.
âI have to know,â Jace says. âWhat did I ever do to make you hate me so much?â
âI donât hate you!â Andrew says. âI never hated you! Which youâd know if you ever just listened to me.â
âThe thing is, I find that really hard to believe because I canât imagine spending every waking moment trying to ruin the life of someone I liked.â Jace huffs. âWas it something I said? Were you jealous that the Lightwoods let me head missions-â
âStop it,â Andrew pleads. âStop being an ass just to push people away. Iâm not your enemy, Jace!â Andrew snaps. âIâm trying to keep you alive, since you have no inclination of doing that on your own. IâmâŠâ Underhillâs words stall out in his frustration as if heâs suddenly wondering if he should be saying anything at all. âIâm looking out for you, you self-sacrificing asshole,â he finishes, then seems to forcibly shut his mouth to not say anything more.
The words sound like they should be insults, but there isnât anger behind them. Or, at least, there isnât just anger - Jace can hear the concern behind them, too.
âI can look out for myself,â Jace points out, still defensive but much less angry.
âSure you can,â Andrew says. âBut you donât. And I couldnât convince you to, soâŠâ
So Andrew wasnât trying to ruin Jaceâs life, heâs trying to protect it. And if Jace believes him, then heâs been doing it since before they were friends, and while they were friends, and even after, while Jace treated him like absolute shit for it.
âWhy?â Jace asks. Heâs pretty sure he knows, but he needs to hear Andrew say it. He needs to know and not just assume.
Andrew looks momentarily mortified by the question. âI canât believe youâre going to make me say itâŠâ Andrew mumbles.
âYou wanted me to listen,â Jace reminds him. âHereâs your chance. Iâm listening.â
Andrew seems to have lost the drive he had at the start of the conversation when the words were spilling out of him. Now it looks as if he has to force himself to say what comes next, but he does.
âBecause I care about you, Jace. Because I like you. A lot. And the idea of something happening to youâŠâ Andrew trails off, looking down at his feet for a moment before lifting his head to meet Jaceâs eyes again. âI couldnât stand it, not if there was something I could do to try and keep you safe. And maybe it wasnât my place. Maybe I shouldnât have, but I just⊠even if you hated me for it, I couldnât just stand back and wait for the night you went off to do something reckless and didnât make it back.â
A heavy silence falls between them, Andrew done speaking his truth and Jace taking a moment to process it all.
âIt wasnât your place,â Jace agrees. âBut as far as reasonings go, not wanting me to get hurt isnât the sort of thing I can hate you for, is it?â
âI donât know, you tell me,â Andrew says, looking anxious again.
Jace sighs. âListen, before all of this,â Jace says, making a vague hand motion between the two of them to symbolize the past six months and everything that went wrong. âBefore I ruined everything, I thought there might be something between us. And I get it, if I fucked things up too much to go back now, I understand, but-â
A second later Jaceâs words are cut short by the press of Andrewâs lips to his in a kiss he returns eagerly once he recovers from the momentary surprise of it. It only breaks when Jace absolutely needs to take a breath, and honestly, Jace mightâve just gone right back in for more if Andrew didnât take a small step back.
âYou didnât ruin everything,â Andrew says, unable to keep the small smile from his face now. âI meant what I said. I care about you. I like you. Present tense, here and now, even after everything. Iâm not saying we should just pretend the last few months never happened, but⊠I donât think it isnât anything we canât come back from. Do you?â
âListen, I know we need to talk about this, and we will, but right now I really just want to kiss you again,â Jace confesses.
Andrew laughs. âWe do need to talk. We should also maybe take the night to think things through before we jump into anything weâll regret, verbally or physically.â
âI hate it when youâre rational,â Jace mutters. âBut youâre right.â
âMaybe we can meet tomorrow? Over breakfast?â Andrew suggests.
The idea of having Andrew back, as a friend or something more, feels too good to be true. But here it is - here Andrew is - beaming like the goddamn sun.
âBreakfast sounds perfect,â Jace agrees, his smile genuine and hopeful for the first time in months.
#HeronHill#jace herondale#andrew underhill#shadowhunters#jace x underhill#hmdiscord#ShadowhunterBingo#this is a belated birthday gift for the lovely FacialTeeth who made me aware of this ship idea#and I am never going to let it go now#long post#elle writes a few deadbeat lines#elle talks too much
12 notes
·
View notes
Text
Royals Investigating Royals
Lainey
POSTED BY LAINEY
ON 04/03/2021 AT 3:36 PM
For all the times that weâve heard about the British royal family staying above the fray, and never complaining or explaining, the events of this week should shut that sh-t down forever, non? The British royals are out here doing the MOST right now, as we get closer and closer to Prince Harry and Meghan Markleâs two-hour special with Oprah Winfrey airing on CBS this Sunday. F-ck the Super Bowl, this is the television event of the year.
On Tuesday, The Times published a report with source quotes from royal aides who revealed that complaints have been filed at the palace about Meghanâs alleged bullying of staffers. Conversations took place with Samantha Carruthers, the head of HR. Supposedly nothing was done about it. But as I wrote yesterday, if the royals are leaking information about internal HR complaints, it opens them up to further scrutiny about how their HR works in general. How often do we hear about royal HR complaints? And suddenly itâs all over the news over the only member of the family who happens to be a person of colour? And not the prince who was friends with the dead rapist pedophile and who was seen on multiple occasions hanging out with the dead rapist pedophileâs victims!?
Whatâs especially hilarious is that following The Timesâs story about Meghanâs supposed bullying, Buckingham Palace released a statement:
âWe are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of the staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned. The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not wand will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.â
How does this make sense? Royal aides were the ones who leaked the information about the alleged bullying to the media in the first place. And now as a result of said leak, the royal family is going to investigate themselves?
First of all, what has become quite clear in the last few years is that there is no hope of impartiality when the corporation investigates itself. If the royal familyâs HR is looking into HR issues within the royal family, how objective of an investigation can we expect? Typically in these situations, an independent third-party is brought in to do the work. And even then, it depends on how that independent consultant is brought in and at whose behest. See Ray Fisher and Warner Bros. Weâre talking about the monarchy here â is anyone seriously going to believe that the royal family is going to investigate the royal family and actually be transparent about the findings on the royal family?
Also⊠the âDignity at Workâ policy is a joke. Because any time you want to throw around the word âdignityâ and âworkâ in that family, you run up against the problem of Prince Andrew. And itâs not just the Jeffrey Epstein association. Remember Andrew had to step down from his role as UK trade envoy a decade ago because of shady dealings with bad actors. If weâre talking about violations of Dignity at Work, why the f-ck are we starting with Meghan Markle?!
Black women know all too well the answer to that question. But that perspective will likely be missing from whatever bullsh-t âinvestigationâ the royals will be conducting on themselves because, of course, theirs is not a diverse workplace. And the reason why there has been a push across the board, in all industries, for diversity at work is so that the experiences of all employees can be considered. So that when people of colour find themselves in positions of authority, and women in particular, theyâre not labelled with the âangry Black womanâ stereotype that is a direct product of prejudice. The fact that the royals leaked this story out now, desperately, is a gross reminder of what theyâre capable of, how low they can go.
At the same time⊠itâs a f-cking scramble. This is messy â and also frantic. Nothing about the cards that the British royal family have played this week gives us any indication that theyâre cool, calm, and collected, which is the image that theyâve been selling from time. These people are famously stoic, or at least they were. We were told theyâre unflappable, composed at all times. But all it took was an interview with Oprah to completely destroy that illusion. How is any of this on-brand?! Are they Real Housewives now? Because these moves are reality show star moves!
It used to be that the British royal familyâs machinations happened in secret, they let other people do the dirty while they made the orders from afar and kept themselves clean. Nowadays theyâre waist-deep in their own sh-t, no longer capable of distancing themselves from the drama â because weâre no longer living in the 60s and 70s. And their problem is that they want to be half back and half forward. They want things to work like they did in the 60s and 70s and to be rewarded with 2020s clout, which is not coming as quickly or as easily as they expected it to. Playing this offense against the Sussexes when they did, just days before the Oprah interview, is clumsy. Everybody, even those who are predisposed to side with the Queen and the royal family, is aware of the timing. And it only highlights how dramatically UNCHILL the institution is about whatâs about to go down in this Harry and Meghan interview. Which only makes us all the more fixated on Sunday. The added complication here for them is that theyâre trying to fight pictures with words. These reports in the UK papers have gotten a lot of coverage, no doubt. But they have to go up against video, two hours worth of video featuring Harry and Meghan with Oprah, and soundbites that will travel a lot farther than article links. Like the new preview that just dropped yesterday. Thatâs coming up in the next post.
#lainey gossip#meghan markle#british royal family#prince harry#duchess of sussex#duke of sussex#royals#smear campaign
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
a regular guy ~ andrew siwicki
word count: 2245
request?: yes!
@acscvf âYouâre such a good writer! Loved your Andrew Siwicki one please do another with him? Maybe where he falls in love with a famous actress and she loves how heâs just a sweet regular guy.â
description: when the squad is invited to a red carpet premiere of a movie, andrew finds himself falling for the leading actress, and is surprised to find her returning the feelings
pairing: andrew siwicki x actress!reader
warnings: swearing
masterlist
If anyone told me when I started filming and editing videos with Shane that Iâd end up invited to the red carpet of a Marvel move, I never wouldâve believed them. And yet here I was!
I was stood wit Shane, Ryland, Morgan, and Garrett, who was freaking out the most in our group. We had received the invite just days before and of course were all beyond excited for the opportunity. Just two short years before, we were just a group of friends making videos for YouTube, and now weâre on a red carpet!
I wasnât sure how I should be acting. There were so many big named celebrities walking the red carpet, looking professional and like they belonged as they posed for the cameras and signed autographs for fans.
âOh my God, I think thatâs Samuel L Jackson!â Garrett exclaimed excitedly as another celebrity started walking the red carpet. I tried to keep my cool, but he was right. it was totally Samuel L Jackson.
âWhat do we do?â Ryland asked. âDo we walk the red carpet?â
âAre we even famous enough for that?â Morgan asked.
âWell, we canât just keep standing in the corner like losers,â Shane said. âLetâs walk and see what happens.â
The minute we started walking, fans started calling for pictures and autographs. The paparazzi took our pictures, although we could tell that they werenât really sure who we were. We were being treated like big movie stars. It was a weird feeling.
Suddenly, all the attention turned to the start of the red carpet. I recognized the actress getting out of the limo as the star of the movie. (Y/N). She was mainly big within action movies, and was a newbie to the Marvel franchise. I wasn't one for super action-y movies, but Garrett loved the Marvel movies and had me watch them all with him.
To say I had a crush on her was an understatement. I was completely star struck as I watched her walking towards us, smiling and waving to fans.
âItâs her!â Garrett exclaimed, grabbing on to my arm. âOh my God, I canât believe itâs her! Do you think weâll get to meet her?â
âWe can sure as well try,â I told him, pulling my arm so I could lead him down the carpet. Iâd love to stand there and watch (Y/N), but we were already getting weird looks.
The place where the premiere was being held was a theatre that had been shut down specifically for the premiere. The lobby was set up with snack and drink tables for the guests. Now that awe were inside, we were thrown into the mix with the other celebrities. I was feeling much more nervous now.
âWe have assigned seating,â Shane told us. âSo we can go do whatever now, then meet up when the doors open.â
We agreed and broke off. Garrett and I immediately went to one of the snack tables. I expected it to be mostly those foods that you see rich people eating in TV shoes or movies, but it was a lot of good looking snacks; some sandwiches, fruit and veggie platters, cheese platters accompanied by some crackers.
âDo you think one of these tables will have any Cheez-Its?â Garrett asked as he stuffed a whole grape into his mouth.
I started laughing, about to tell Garrett that Cheez-Its definitely were not a snack youâd find at a movie premiere (although I wouldnât doubt that he had brought some with him) when a voice said, âGod, I wish. I could devour some Cheez-Its right now.â
Garrett yelped as I looked over my shoulder. I came face to face with none other than (Y/N), smiling brightly at us both. I found myself suddenly tongue tied, unsure of what to do or say. This felt like a dream, it couldnât be real. There was no way she was actually there in front of me.
âYou eat Cheez-Its?â Garrett finally asked after a moment of silence.
(Y/N) laughed. âI love Cheez-Its! Theyâre my favourite snacks. I donât get to eat them enough because Iâm supposed to be on a strict diet for workouts and stuff.â
âI think Iâd die if I had to give up Cheez-Its for exercise,â Garrett commented. I was shocked at how calm he was being, but I could tell by looking at him that he was freaking out on the inside.
âIâm Andrew, by the way,â I said, finally finding my ability to speak. âThis is Garrett.â
âOh, I know,â (Y/N) said, Just as quickly as she said it, her face turned red. âI - I mean Iâm a fan of you guys on YouTube, Shane too. God, that sounded so stalker-y didnât it? Iâm so sorry.â
âDonât be, itâs an honor to know you watch us,â I said.
I shared a look with Garrett and I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was: Holy shit, she watches our videos!
âIâm gonna grab a drink,â Garrett decided. âThen Iâll be back to discuss ways to sneak Cheez-Its while youâre on your diet.â
(Y/N) laughed as Garrett walked away. Her laugh was beautiful. I couldnât help but smile at her.
âDonât tell him, but I already sneak Cheez-Its,â she whispered to me. âDonât tell anyone, really. If my trainer catches word that I sneak snacks sheâll make me do the most extraneous exercises she can think of for a week straight. I wonât be able to walk for at least two weeks.â
âWhen people talk about how strict their diets and their trainers are, it makes me not want to work out anymore,â I commented.
âItâs definitely not easy,â (Y/N) confirmed. âEspecially when your technical days off from workouts are days that youâre shooting action movies, so out of technicality Iâm always working out.â
âWait, do you do your own stunts?â
(Y/N) nodded, a proud smile on her face. âThatâs why I have such a strict diet that I try and follow all the time. I want to make sure I can actually do the stunts I have to do. The oneâs that arenât terribly dangerous, that is. If itâs something thatâs way too dangerous I have a stunt double.â
We started talking for a while about all (Y/N) had done for the movies she was in; besides the strict diet and her workout routine, she had also learned different types of martial arts so she could accurate do her own fight scenes, such as karate, taekwondo, Jiu Jitsu. Basically, she knew how to fight and how to defend herself.
She told me the rigorous process of her first audition or an action film; the casting director thought she looked too young and not looking strong enough for the role (âJust a way of saying I wouldn't get it because I was a young woman,â she told me). Due to this, she started practicing martial arts and started ending in video after video of her fighting, and of her workout routines. Finally, the director called her and told her they had made a mistake in turning her down and casted her in the role.
After a while, she stopped mid sentence and smiled. âIâm sorry, Iâm talking all about myself.â
âNo, donât apologize. Iâm enjoying listening to your stories,â I told her. âI donât have anything to talk about thatâs even close to being that interesting.â
(Y/N) shrugged. âYou donât have to try and top whatever Iâve said. I just want to know about you.â
âWhat do you want to know?â
âWas filmography always your passion? Did you always want to make movies or videos?â
I shook my head. âGrowing up, doing anything within the entertainment business was seen as a farfetched dream. I went to college for psychology, I have three degrees, actually. It wasnât until YouTube started taking off that I realized that making videos as a job could actually be possible.â
(Y/N) was smiling at me as she picked up a snack from the table and ate it. She was looking at me as if every word I was saying was the most interesting thing on the planet. Although I figured I was just imagining that because sheâs a fucking actress! Thereâs no way she could think anything I was saying was interesting.
Garrett returned with two fancy glasses of champagne then. He passed one to me and addressed (Y/N), âI didnât have enough hands to bring one for you, too, and I almost knocked one over just taking two so I didnât get the chance to bring you one.â
(Y/N) chuckled. âThatâs alright. Iâm not a fan of champagne anyways. Iâm more of a beer or a rum and coke sort of girl, but they never have anything like that at these fancy events.â
âI love a good beer,â I admitted. âI donât get a lot of time to go drinking lately because of filming and editing and stuff.â
(Y/N) opened her mouth like she was about to say something else when suddenly someone announced that the screening was about to start. They warned about cell phone usage during the screening and asked us to keep what we witnessed tonight a secret for at least two weeks after the movie was released. Suddenly, all the people in the lobby began moving towards the theatre, getting between (Y/N) and myself and Garrett.
âIâll see you after the screening!â she called as the crowd of people started moving her towards the doors.
Garrett and I found Shane, Ryland, and Morgan, and as we walked to our seats we told them about meeting with (Y/N). When we sat, we realized we were only two rows behind her.
âIâm gonna throw food at her till she notices us,â Morgan decided, taking a handful of the popcorn that was provided for us.
âDon't you dare!â Ryland scolded, grabbing hold of her hand.
It didnât take food throwing for (Y/N) to notice us. She turned around, scanning the seats behind her until her eyes landed on us. A small smile spread on her face as she waved. I smiled and waved back.
The movie, as expected, was really good. It got a standing ovation when it ended. (Y/N), her cast members and the crew stood to bow and to thank everyone for coming out. They made quick speeches, talking about how the film was dear to them and they were glad we enjoyed it, but asked again for us not to speak of it with anyone else until after its release.
The whole time, (Y/N) was looking at me. Whenever I locked eyes with her, sheâd smile. I couldnât help but smile back.
When the event was over, the Squad and I stood to exit the building. I had just walked out of the theatre when I heard a familiar voice say, âAndrew!â
I turned around to see (Y/N) pushing through the crowd towards me. âSorry, I just wanted to catch you before you left.â
âThatâs alright,â I said. âThe movie was really good by the way. We all loved it.â
âThank you!â she said. âListen, you said you havenât had the time to go drinking lately, but do you think youâd have the time sometime this weekend to go...with me?â
I was shocked by the question. I could hardly believe she actually asked. I was back to believing that this whole night was a dream. How could I, just a normal guy that liked making videos on YouTube, go from just that to being at a premiere for a Marvel movie, and being asked out by the lead actress afterwards? This was crazy!
âReally?â I found myself asking.
(Y/N) giggled. âYes, really. You donât believe me?â
I shrugged. âHonestly, not to stereotype, but I figured youâd already have a boyfriend. Someone whoâs in your profession. Youâre incredibly cute and you have a great personality after all.â
Her face turned red again, matching my own no doubt. I couldnât believe I had said that. What was this night?!
âIâve dated guys in the business,â she admitted. âBut Iâd rather date someone whoâs...not. Donât get me wrong, you are incredibly famous, but youâre also still a sweet, down to earth, normal guy. Most people who hit this level of fame let it go to their head. Most guys Iâve dated are so full of themselves, or they only date me for leverage on their own career.â
I shook my head. âYou deserve someone who wants you for who you are, not for what you are.â
(Y/N) looked down as she admitted, âIf you want to, Iâd kind of like for that to be you.â
Iâd be crazy for turning down that offer. I meant what I told her, she did deserve someone who saw her for the person she was, not for the fame she had. She was beautiful and had an amazing personality. If I said no to this beautiful woman asking me on a date, Iâd be completely insane.
âIâd like for that to be me,â I told her. âIâm free Saturday night for a drink. I could pick you up wherever youâre staying, we can go somewhere quiet where you wouldnât be recognized.â
(Y/N) looked back up at me, the brightest smile I had ever seen on her face. âOkay, Iâd love that.â
This is kinda shit, Iâm so sorry
#andrew siwicki#andrew siwicki imagine#andrew siwicki x reader#the squad#youtube#shane dawson#garrett watts#imagine#request#one shot
282 notes
·
View notes
Text
20/50 -Â âItâs 8:30, I have a hangover and youâre annoying me.â
Fandom: All for the Game/The Foxhole Court Characters/pairings: Jean, Jeremy/jerejean Summary: Jean and Jeremy tag along on the Foxesâ spring break trip. A/N: This has taken me too long to finish. I think I started it two years ago. I almost forgot to use the quote prompt.
Warnings: implied past abuse
âKevin invited you to the Foxesâ spring break trip?â Jean asked, eyebrows high.
Jeremy barely glanced up from the text he was studying. âMm.â
âAre you going?â Jean pressed.
âAre you?â Jeremy snapped.
Jean flinched and Jeremyâs mouth dropped open. âIâm sorry.â He finally put his studying materials down and turned to face Jean. âI didnât mean to snap. I just - last semester, you know?â
âYes,â Jean said, even though he didnât. He felt the heat in his cheeks and internally cursed himself for not being able to control his reactions. Riko used to love to make him flinch. It was at one point worth the beatings for not giving him the satisfactory.
âSo, are you going?â Jeremy asked, back to his normal self if a bit exhausted.
He bit the inside of his cheek and stayed completely still. It was hard being around Kevin but it might be nice. Kevin did whatever Riko told him to do but Kevin wasnât cruel. He had learned from his therapist that he didnât miss Evermore; he missed the familiarity of it. Kevin could give him a bit of what he thought to be normalcy.
âJean?â Jeremy said quietly, patiently.
Jean looked up to meet his eyes. âI - yes.â
âYouâll have to give Kevin my regards,â Jeremy said and turned back to his text.
âYou arenât going?â Jean didnât know if he was relieved.
âI should really study,â Jeremy sighed.
Their bedroom door opened and Jean jumped.
âYâall left your door unlocked.â Laila fell onto Jeremyâs bed. âAnd youâre going to spend your last spring break studying? Come on, Jer.â
âFuck off, Laila,â he said.
She nudged his chair with her foot. âI bet those Foxes get fucking crazy. I wish Iâd been invited.â
âTake my invitation.â
Laila took a loud breath. âMama Alvarez would have a cow if we bailed on her family trip.â
âIf you donât come theyâll probably stick me in a room with Hemmick,â Jean said.
âYou could use the brea-eak,â she sang. âAlso, see if theyâve picked up any new moves for finals.â
âLaila.â
She held up her hands in a placating gesture. âIâm kidding. Go. Have fun. Or youâll burn yourself out and have to come back in the fall.â
Day 1
âAn island? Seriously?â Thea stood with her arms crossed over her chest.
Kevin shrugged.
âI thought we were just flying somewhere tropical,â Jeremy added.
âWhy are you all looking at me?â Allison demanded. âNeilâs the one who paid for this trip.â
âItâs not a big deal,â Neil said. âI recently came into some money.â
Jeremy sighed. âRight. N.B.D. I just rented an island.â
âFollow me.â A man in khakis and a polo shirt motioned for them. He had introduced himself as Frank as they boarded the small plane that brought them to their rented island.
It was a short walk through some trees and a large house came into view. There were gasps and one of the freshmen from the team said, âNo fucking way.â
âDude, how much did this cost?â Matt asked.
âDonât worry about it,â Neil said, leading the way through the gate.
They walked past the pool and its fountains, up some stairs and through double doors. As they all stood in the foyer, Frank smiled and said, âRight. Everythingâs stocked. Iâll be back at the end of the week. If you need anything, call the number on the refrigerator.â
Neil handed the man a cash tip and thanked him.
Allison looked around at everyone. âThere are ten rooms. Neil gets first pick, losers.â
âYou mean Andrew,â Jack mocked.
It was quiet for a moment then at once everyone raced to find a room. Jean looked at Jeremy and said, âTheyâre fucking crazy.â
Jeremy laughed as they heard Dan yell, âIâm your damn captain!â
They followed the shouting and as they turned a corner Jeremy ran into Renee. They both apologized, looking like literal sunshine and Jean bit his lip.
âTheyâre the guests.â Allison was staring down one of her teammates. âThey get the room next to ours.â
Jeremy realized she was talking about them and opened his mouth. Renee shook her head, a warning in her eyes. Someone stomped by and Allison grinned.
âWelcome to the third nicest - who am I kidding? - the fourth nicest room on this island!â She gestured grandly. âAnd thatâs saying something.â
Nicky popped his head in. âFifth nicest. Andrew and Neil gave up the first nicest so they have the second nicest, Dan and Matt have the third nicest, and you have the fourth nicest.â
Before Allison could demand to know who got the glass room on top if it wasnât Dan and Matt, Nicky ran off.
Jeremy looked as if he suddenly remembered something. âDid you two wanna share? I can room with Nicky or whoever.â
Allison cackled. She left the room.
âWeâre not -â Jean started.
âWe were never dating,â Renee said.
Jeremyâs eyes were wide. âOh, Iâm sorry. I just assumed and uh, forget I said anything.â
Renee smiled kindly and backed out of the room. Jeremy looked at Jean who was staring at the one bed in the middle of the room.
âI can still room with Nicky if youâre not comfortable sharing,â he said.
Jean swallowed. âItâs fine.â He managed a small smile and said, âWe share every other day of the year.â
After they unpacked, everyone seemed to congregate by the pool. Nicky and Andrew were situated behind the bar and Neil was perched on top, but everyone else was already swimming.
Jean glanced around nervously. Since joining the Trojans, heâd become a lot more self-conscious about the state of his body.
âYou can leave your shirt on.â The voice startled him and he looked up at Neil, then glanced to see if Jeremy had heard as well. Then he realized Neil was speaking in his native tongue. âBut nobody cares.â
Andrew spoke. âIgnore the freshmen. Theyâre idiots.â
âWhereâs Kevin?â Jeremy asked, coming to sit at the bar.
âFucking Thea,â a girl said, joining them. âI saw her take his shirt off but then they moved away from the glass.â
Aaron grabbed a tray of drinks from Nicky and sneered, âDo you have to be such a perve, Sheena?â
She stuck her tongue out at him, snagging a drink and flicking her wet hair at him.
âLike, Andrew said,â Nicky stated. âThe freshmen are idiots.â
He mimicked Sheenaâs face, nose scrunched and eyes narrowed, then asked, âWhat can I make for you?â
âSomething thatâll make me forget I have my last midterm when we get back,â Jeremy grimaced. âWho gives a midterm after spring break?â
âI got just the drink for you.â
The sound of the blender going again cut off conversation. Sheena left to play chicken with her friends and Renee called Jean over.
âDonât break anything!â Dan called from where she was laying out with Allison and Renee as Jean joined them.
âHere you go.â Nicky handed him a glass.
Jeremy held the drink up and studied it. âAre those silver stars?â
âEdible silver stars.â
Aaron came back with a tray in one hand and a girlâs hand in the other and said, âNicky has to make everything gay.â
The girl hit his arm lightly with the back of her hand. She looked at Jeremy and held out a hand. âKatelyn.â
âJeremy,â Jeremy said and shook.
âI made you both the same,â Nicky said, handing two more glasses over the bar.
âOn three?â Katelyn suggested. âOne. Two. Three.â
Everyone who had a drink took a large sip and more than one of them sputtered. âWhat the fuck is this?â Aaron gasped. âDid you just add ice and stars?â
Nicky shrugged. âMake your own damn drinks if you donât like it.â He hopped over the bar and ran for the pool.
âYouâre drinking this?â Aaron asked in disbelief and Jeremy turned to see Neil gulping it down.
After one large sip, Jeremy was already starting to feel warm. He took another sip, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. When he opened them he saw Renee running her hand down Jeanâs bare back. How many times had Jeremy wanted to do the same?
He shook his head. He was such a lightweight. Heâd never been one to party hard but he knew how to hold his liquor. The last year heâd spent more time studying and less and less time drinking and his tolerance was down. Clearly.
Day 2
By the second night, Jeremy was starting to realize the Foxes werenât so different from any other college sports team if you took away the tragic backstories. Yeah, Jeremy would stick out if they all sat around and compared histories but - surprise, surprise - there wasnât much talk about that.
Allison banned any talk of Exy and if she ever saw Neil and Kevin together sheâd cock a brow and put her hands on her hips. Kevin would flip her off and sheâd leave with a, âFuck you. There are rules for a reason.â
It was making him miss his own team - the way they all fit together even when they shouldnât.
Jean was there, but if anything he was part of the Kevin/Thea/Jean Former Ravens group or the Kevin-Neil-Jean-I-Was-Abused-By-Riko-Moriyama-and-Marked-For-His-Perfect-Court group.
He was different from a year ago when heâd first joined the Trojans but he still had his rough edges and hangups. And Jeremy saw it all.
Whether someone tapped his arm lightly without warning, or when he was flinching awake from a nightmare, Jeremy was there, trying to think of a way to calm Jean down without overstepping.
Jeremy had promised Laila heâd enjoy his spring break and be involved in all the fun things the Foxes did. Jeremy didnât break promises. Thatâs why it was two in the morning and he was just starting to work on a study guide problem heâd left at five AM yesterday morning.
He groaned. Shots before homework wasnât working for him.
âJer,â Jean said, voice hoarse. âCome to bed.â
In his sluggish alcohol influenced state of mind, he almost thought Jean was asking him to come to his bed. His face flushed as he thought, What if Jean could read my mind and saw that?
He cleared his throat. âSoon. Iâll go to bed soon. I just need to finish at least three problems first.â Who was he kidding? Heâd be lucky if he finished one.
âOkay,â Jean breathed, turning over and promptly falling back to sleep.
That was something that had surprised Jeremy. The way Jean could just sleep. He had expected his distrust to keep him awake at night. He guessed when you were tortured and worked to the bone, you had to take the sleep where you could get it.
Jean looked so cozy and peaceful, Jeremy wanted to be cozy and peaceful. He made the mistake of putting his head down on the desk.
He bolted awake when tentative fingers touched his arm.
Day 3
Jean flinched and Jeremy took a deep breath. âSorry, sorry.â
âThe others are going for a hike,â Jean said quietly though he offered a smile. âApparently thereâs a waterfall. Do you want to come?â
âYeah, yeah,â Jeremy responded, yawning and stretching. When he looked back at Jean, Jean quickly averted his eyes.
âTheyâre meeting by the pool.â
Jean hurried out, closing the door behind him.
Jeremy stretched as he stood. There was a crick in his neck that was making him regret last nightâs choices.
He picked up a shirt off the floor and sniffed it. What did it matter? They were gonna get sweaty on their hike. He tried to shove away the thought of what would Jean think and changed into the shirt.
âJer-bear!â Nicky greeted him as he stepped outside.
He squinted at the sun. It was only eight in the morning but it was already too hot. Jeremy couldnât wait to get to the waterfall.
As they approached the start of the trail, two figures raced down the hill toward them. Thea pushed Kevin and Kevin shouted, âHey!â
The two of them passed the sign indicating which way to go around roughly the same time and immediately Jean said, âThea.â
âNo one asked,â Kevin said, panting, but he didnât look upset. âBesides, she cheated.â
âProve it,â Thea said, hands behind her head as she gulped air.Â
âRematch.â
Nicky said, âNeil would beat you both.â
âWith those little legs?â Thea looked skeptical.
âShow âem, Neil.â
Neil shook his head. âI donât feel like it.â He paused and looked at Andrew. âI donât run anymore.â
The way he said it gave the words weight and Jeremy felt like he was missing something. Neil and Andrewâs teammates groaned and Andrew looked unimpressed.
âThat was really sweet, Neil,â Matt said.
Neil winked at Matt and Andrew muttered something that had him grinning widely.
âIf weâre done with the cheesefest ...â Allison stomped past everyone.
The waterfall was breathtaking. Jeremy couldnât believe something could be so untouched by man.
âWhat took you guys so long?â Thea called as she dunked Neil under the water.
Despite what heâd said about not running anymore, Neil couldnât resist Theaâs challenge and theyâd run ahead of the group with Kevin.
As some of the others dived in, Jeremyâs eyes searched for Jean. He was leaning down so Renee could rub some sunscreen on his face. Jeremy tried to stuff down the jealousy bubbling in his chest.
This wasnât him. He didnât get jealous. Certainly not of one the nicest humans to ever exist touching his teammate who clearly didnât mind. He was about to turn away when Jean pulled his shirt over his head.
And how could he have such negative feelings when Jean was so obviously enjoying his spring break? After the first day, Jean didnât even hesitate in stripping down and letting the others see him shirtless. As his roommate, of course Jeremy had seen him without a shirt, but it had been months before his first reaction wasnât to cover up his scars. In the locker rooms, he always changed as quickly as possible and usually with his locker open.
Here, with people who had trauma, too, and who didnât bat an eye when Jean took his shirt off, he was able to stop thinking about it. It made Jeremy sad that he wasnât able to give Jean that around their team.
Jean turned around and Jeremy tried to pretend he hadnât been staring. When he stood in front of him, he asked, âYou okay, Jer?â
Jeremy swallowed once. He felt his cheeks get hot but hoped his sunburn hid his blush. âYeah, just, um, enjoying the view.â He inwardly groaned. Jean had seen him staring at him. He scratched his cheek.
âItâs amazing, isnât it?â Jean said. He clearly meant the trees and the water. Jeremy was both relieved and disappointed. âSee you down there?â
âYeah.â
Day 4
Jeremy put on his noise canceling headphones and opened his textbook. He had to get this reading done. He wouldnât allow any more distractions until he finished.
Not even a sleepy looking Jean poking his head into their shared room.
He removed his headphones and gave him a questioning look.
âWeâre putting on a movie. Wanna join?â
Jeremy sighed. âCanât. I should have finished this chapter two days ago.â Jean bit his lip, then he closed the door. âWhat are you -?â He sat on the bed.
âI donât really like movies that much.â
It was a lie. Jeremy knew it was a lie, but he wasnât going to argue. He remembered the look of confusion on his face the first time he heard Jeremy ask what movie the rest of the team would like to watch. He gave Jean a small smile before putting his headphones back on.
An hour later, Jeremy was lying beside Jean, who was dozing, his head on an open book. His head lolled to the side and pressed into Jeremyâs arm.
Jeremy froze and tried to keep his breathing even.
His eyes followed the line of Jeanâs jaw. He liked this side of Jeanâs face best. It wasnât tattooed and it had less scars. He still liked the other side of Jeanâs face - he liked his whole face - it was just easier to not think about the circumstances that brought him to his team when he could only see the right half of Jeanâs face.
Day 6
âNo studying tonight!â Allison yelled.
âBut -â
âJean told us you study every night after we go to bed,â she said. âItâs your last night. Enjoy it!â
Jeremy shot a look over to Jean at the bar who - was smiling? He shrugged at Jeremy before tipping back a shot.
Allison had made a list and passed it around to anyone who wasnât a freshman. Any time one of the freshmen said or did something on her list, the others had to do a shot.
From the looks of things, Nicky, Dan, and Matt had gotten an early start on the game. Allison whispered, âDonât worry if you canât remember whoâs who. Just drink when the rest of us do.â
Jeremy looked around at the team, then into the pool with its night lights on and glowing balls floating on the surface.
Renee came over and said, âDonât worry. Iâll make sure no one drowns.â
When one of the freshmen girls made a pervy remark about Kevin, Nicky handed out shots. When one of the boys copped a feel off the girl and she pretended to be offended, he handed out two shots to every person. When a couple of the freshmen started making out, he got three shots - one for the act and two for the couple.
Things and time started to blur and Jeremy had no idea how much time had passed. Theyâd all eventually moved into the large house to get warm. Kevin and Thea had disappeared a while ago as had Aaron, Katelyn, and a few of the freshmen. Now Neil and Andrew were heading upstairs.
The music was loud, the lights looked brighter, and Jean was laughing. It almost made Jeremy smile, but then he realized he was laughing at something Renee had said. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned down so she could whisper something in his ear.
Jeremy left.
It was too difficult to watch and he didnât want to say or do anything to embarrass himself. Allison grabbed his arm in the hallway and said, âYou better not be going off to study!â
âNo!â he shouted back. âI just need to lie down for a bit.â
Once he made it to his room and shut the door, it seemed uncomfortably quiet. He flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling as his eyes adjusted to the dark.
Jeremy was generally a positive person, but as he lay there, thoughts of Jean and Renee swirled around his mind. They said they werenât dating. They said theyâd never dated, but the whole week it was almost like they were a couple. They went everywhere together and partnered for every game.
He fell asleep, his mind seeped in jealousy and booze.
He woke up when Jean stumbled into the room, holding something in his hand. He vaguely registered music still pounding in the hallway.
âHey, sorry,â Jean tried to whisper. âEveryone is asleep.â
âOkay?â Jeremy said.
âRenee made cookies.â He offered out his hand.
Jeremy might have sneered. âOf course she did. Sheâs amazing. Sheâs an amazing person. Sheâs an amazing goalie. I bet sheâs an amazing girlfriend.â He was still drunk. It probably hadnât been that long since he fell asleep.
Jean looked confused and timid. âWhatâs going on?â he asked.
âNothing,â Jeremy muttered, suddenly aware of how he mustâve come across.
âAre you jealous of Renee?â he asked, lips quirking.
Jeremy sighed and fell back on his pillows. âWhat? No ...â He looked over at Jean. âOkay, fine.â
Jean stepped closer and sat on the edge of the bed, looking over his shoulder at Jeremy. âWhy?â
âNothing,â he murmured, cheeks feeling hot.
âIâve not been a good friend,â Jean said. âYouâre just so friendly and easy going that I didnât think you wanted me hanging around the whole week. And I figured Kevin would be taking up at least half your time.â
âThatâs not - I mean -â Jeremy was at a loss for words.
âThen what is it?â
He threw an arm over his face, struggling to get a word out.Â
âYou guys are so close,â he finally said. âI guess I just want to be - close with you.â
âWeâre roommates,â Jean said. âWe are close. Thereâs no one I trust more.â
Jeremy sat up. âNo, Iâm gay.â
He shrugged. âOkay ... I figured -â
âI have these ... feelings ... for you ...â He knew his expression was pained and sad but he couldnât help it. He had probably just ruined things between them.
âWhy didnât you just say that?â Jean asked as Jeremyâs head lowered and he shrugged. âI think I have ... feelings for you, too.â
Jeremyâs mouth fell open. âReally?â
Jean shrugged again, feeling self-conscious. âYes. Itâs why Iâve been hanging out with Renee so much this week - to get her advice about you.â
âI really want to kiss you,â he said in a rush. âI mean, if thatâs okay.â
Jean held his breath, then nodded. Jeremy moved closer. Jean blurted, âI just - um, I need to set clear boundaries and I need you to respect them.â
âOf course,â Jeremy breathed. He watched as he bit his lip, looking like there was more he wanted to say. âHey, itâs okay. You can set all the boundaries you need.â
Jean took a shaky breath. âI need you to take things slow,â he said, voice quiet. âI need you to be patient and not get mad if I canât do - if I canât -â
âHey, Jean, you donât need to do anything, alright?â Jeremy said. âYou donât need to explain yourself to me.â He reached out to take Jeanâs hand but Jean flinched.
âIâm sorry, I -â
Jeremy held up his hand this time and slowly moved to grab Jeanâs hand so he had time to move away if he wanted to.
âIâve never - I donât mean to flinch. Itâs not you.â He lay down next to Jeremy and stared at the ceiling. Their arms were pressed together from their shoulders to their fingertips and after a minute, it started to feel comfortable. âIâve talked about you in therapy because I wasnât sure about what my feelings meant.â
He took long pauses between sentences but Jeremy didnât dare to interject.
âNothing that ever happened in my life ever was consensual.â Hard swallow. âUntil you and the Trojans. I donât know if Iâm gay, honestly. Iâm still figuring things out. Feeling anything confuses me. Youâre the only person who offers something to me and lets me choose to accept it.â
âYou noticed?â Jeremy was shocked.
âOf course I noticed. I was confused - at first - but itâs become everything to me. If this is too complicated I understand ... but I hope - I donât know.â He sighed, frustrated with himself and everything leading up to this point that was making him unable to trust his own feelings.
Jeremy bit his lip. âIâm here. Youâre worth the wait, Jean. I want to be the one you can figure things out with.â
Jean sat up. âWhat if - what if Iâm wrong about this?â His voice was breathy and when Jeremy met his eyes, they were wet.
âThen weâll stop and weâll continue being friends.â
âI donât even know if I can try.â Every fear seemed to be coming to the front of his mind. âWhat if Iâm wasting your time?â
Jeremy sat up. âI donât care. Can I hold your hand again?â Jean nodded. âIf after everything, you decide youâre not gay, or youâre not into me, it will all be fine. I could never hold it against you. I care about you and nothing will ever stop me from caring about you.â
Jeanâs gaze on his face was intense but Jeremy tried to keep an open expression. He meant what he said and he needed Jean to know that everything would be okay.
âCan I kiss you?â
Jeremy felt his eyebrows raise in surprise. âPlease.â
Day 7
As they sat on the boat that would take them back to the mainland Jeremy couldnât help the smile on his face. Jean was next to him, arm pressed right against his.
He looked behind him to where Neil and Andrew sat, space between them but hands linked on the seat. Andrew was looking off in the distance.
Jeremy opened his mouth to ask Neil a question when Andrewâs head snapped in his direction. âItâs 8:30, I have a hangover and youâre annoying me.â
âI havenât done anything.â
âThat smile on your face is making my hangover worse.â
Jean turned around. âGet used to it.â
1 Kevin/Thea 2 Neil/Andrew 3 Dan/Matt 4 Allison/Renee 5 Jean/Jeremy 6 Aaron/Katelyn 7 2 freshmen 8 2 freshmen 9 2 freshmen 10 Nicky
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Through The Years pt. 5 (Bucky Barnes x fem!Stark! Reader)
A/N: feedback is appreciated, as always!
the tags: @the-romanian-is-bae @a-girl-who-loves-disney
the warnings: torture (nothing too intense, but still.), explosions, wounds, captivity, angst, fluff at the end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOVEMBER 3RD, 1943.
KRAUSBERG, AUSTRIA. A HYDRA BASE.Â
4:00Â HOURS.Â
âVake up! Vake up!â Was the first thing you heard when you woke up, laying strapped down on a cold metal table, in a dark room, with a light shoved right in your face. A thick German accent.Â
Oh no.Â
You tried to open your eyes to the best of your ability, albeit they still hurt and your whole body stung with pain beyond imaginable. âHurry up!â
A harsh slap to your face.
If this didnât make you open your eyes, you feared what was next. As you opened them, the light which was once harsh on your face now illuminated a good part of the room. Despite the pain in your neck, you were able to turn your head and see-
Bucky.Â
No. You wouldnât let them hurt him. âBucky, baby please- are you okay?â you were able to say through tears, feeling a sob on itâs way. He doesnât seem to hear you at first. Itâs as if heâs blanked out on reality, in another world. He then proceeds to snap out of it, turning his head to you. He too is strapped to the table.
He lets out a cough before letting out a relieved breath. âDoll, hey.â he seems to lose his breath for a second. âI wonât let them hurt you, darlinâ. I promise.â
âI should be saying that Barne-â
âSILENCE! Project Survival has begun.â the man said. Turning your head as much as the pain allowed you to, you were able to catch a glimpse of him. He was an average height, with some hair on his head and round glasses.
Arnim Zola. The one and only right hand man to Johann Schmidt. You had heard about him before, while in several briefings with Erksine. That was now in the past. He was no longer a name and a photograph. He was a reality.Â
Laying your head back once again, you thought of Howard. What would he do without you? Would he be able to rest at night knowing this is how you met your end?
No. You couldnât. As he said, many more birthdays to celebrate.Â
Shifting uncomfortably under your armor and clothes, your breathing picked up and went short as Zola rolled a table between you and Bucky, full of bottles and syringes, scissors and scalpels.
He fills a syringe up with a blue liquid from a bottle. He then proceeds to shine it in the light. âWho shall go virst, hmm? The lady-â he looks at you. âOr ze gentleman?âÂ
âNO! i wonât let you hurt her. Give it to-â Bucky said, desperately; his eyes darting between you and Zola.
âTsk, tsk, tsk. Barnes, I thought you knew better. Ladies first, is that not correct?â
Zola then proceeds to walk over to the end of your table with your head on it, grabbing it by the chin and setting it straight so it wonât move.
âJust a little zomehting, hmm?â a pause. âTo enhance that little ability of yours.âÂ
Buckyâs eyes widen. âW-What ability, sweetheart? Whatâs he talking about?â
There are no more words from any three of you and Zola plunges the needle into your neck in such a harsh manner, making you scream and causing your whole body to thrash. It causes your whole body to go numb and a pounding headache to arise.Â
The last thing you hear before you black out is Bucky yelling a âNO!â and Zola laughing.Â
This was going to be a long day.Â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOVEMBER 3RD, 1943.
KRAUSBERG, AUSTRIA. A HYDRA BASE.
12:00 HOURS.Â
You wake up slowly and easily this time, the sunshine on your face. The room was quiet this time. No Zola, no harsh light in your face. Just a numb body and a migraine.Â
The straps didnât hurt anymore, for some reason.Â
You turned your head to see Bucky, also waking up from his -chemical- induced sleep. âWhatâd they do to you, Buck?â He turns his head. The tear marks are evident on his face. He sighs.Â
âMore like what didnât they do? I feel awful.â
This brought tears to your eyes. âMy feet hurt so much. I canât feel much else. Itâs pretty numb. Buck. Iâm scared.â He stares back at you, tears welling up in his eyes. All he wanted was to keep you safe. If it were up to him, heâd whisk you off to Brooklyn, right now. Maybe you could meet his Ma, Rebecca too. You could be the best of friends.
He would take you dancing, after youâd both reveal the relationship to Howard. Heâd be mad at first, but then able to see eye to eye with you. he would dress in his tailored navy blue suit, only one he had. Oh, and youâd be wearing that stunning sky blue dress you told him about once, with a red lip and victory curls. Absolutely beautiful.Â
He thought about it more. Heâd pick you up exactly at 9âČoâclock, your brother greets him at the door. Youâre still getting ready, and Howard reluctantly invites him in. Youâd eventually come down the stairs, a little bit out of breath, but stunning nonetheless. Howard is happy, but heâd never show it in front of Bucky.
Youâd dance cheek to cheek. He brings you home exactly at 10:30, like Howard instructed demanded. Heâd kiss just your cheek, knowing Howard is probably watching, probably holding a bat. Made of wood. Or maybe metal. Or maybe both. Youâd go up to your room after saying goodnight. Youâd put on a nightgown, and just before putting your hair in rollers youâd hear him climbing up the fire escape to give you a proper kiss, just as Howard walks in with the bat in hand, ready to shoo him off.
It would be perfect, albeit a bit chaotic. But there be peace and no pain, and thatâs what mattered.Â
The tears stream down his face. âDarlinâ, what was he talking about? What ability? Enhance what?â
Your eyes start to tear up as well. âIâm sorry! I was so scared!â You break and before you know it, youâre crying so much it shakes the table.Â
âDoll, you donât have to tell me now-â
âI want to. I shouldâve a long time ago. Itâs called Telekinesis. I can move objects with my mind, if I focus. But itâs still hard sometimes. I donât know what he did to me!âÂ
âHey, sugar. Oh, my love. Itâs alright. Weâre going to be just fine, I promise ya. Just close those eyes for me. Iâll still be here when you wake up, alright?â
Nodding, you laid your head back and relaxed, as much as you possibly could.Â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOVEMBER 3RD, 1943
THE ALLIED POWERSâ BASE, ITALY.
19:00 HOURS.Â
The thunder was as loud as gunshots and could probably be heard all the way in Spain. But the rain made the mood all the more bitter as Steve sat drawing in a little sketchbook.Â
âHello Steve.â
Steve, hearing Peggy, turns around. She seems sad, tear marks on her face. âHi. What are you doing here? Is everything okay, if you donât mind me asking?â
She quickly wipes her face with her hands. âOfficially, Iâm not here at all.That was quite the performannce.â
Dodging his head back to the ground, âYeah. I had to improvise a bit. Most of the crowds are a bit - are a bit more.. twelve-.â He looks back up at her. âBut youâre dodging the question. Are you ok?â
âSchmidt sent forces out to Azzano. There were two-hundred men went up against him, led by newly appointed Lieutenant General Y/N Stark. Less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the 107th. The rest where either killed or captured, we donât know.â
Steveâs heard perks up. âThe 107th?â
Both hiding under Peggyâs coat, they ran to General Phillip's tent under the rain. They walk in to a frantic man, talking to the General so fast, he might just run out of words.Â
âCaptain Andrews, Iâll need you to calm down.â he turns to Peggy and Steve âAh, the Star-Spangled man with a plan. Whatâre you up to?â
âI need the casualty list from Azzano. I just need one name-â
âYouâre not one to give me orders, son.â
Both men are interrupted by Captain Andrews. âExcuse me sir, my name is Tommy Andrews. I-Iâm a Captain, I serve in Lieutenant General Starkâs Company.â
Steve looks at him with a range of emotion on his face. âHello, Captain. What can you tell me?â
Tommy takes a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. âWe had just set up camp in Bordeaux, resting up before invading Azzano. It wasnât time yet. but we were too late, and we were ambushed. The Lieutenant General told me to run away with as many men as I could. Told me to contact General Philips. Both the Lieutenant General and your friend, Sergeant Barnes were captured. Iâm sorry.â
Steve shook his head. âThereâs no need to be sorry, Captain. You did what was right, following your orders.â he turns to General Phillips.Â
âSince when is Stark a Lieutenant General? When did he-â
âShe. His sister. Not him, Rogers.â General Phillips cut him off.Â
âBut how-. Look. just give me their names. Tell me their alive. B-A-R-N-E-S and S-T-A-R-â
âIâve signed more condolence letters than I care to count. Her brother is devastated. But Barnes does sound familiar. Iâm sorry, son.âÂ
âGeneral, but what about a rescue mission?â
âThey are 30 miles behind enemy lines. In some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. Possibly in the world. Weâd lose more men than weâd save. You wouldnât understand, chorus girl.â
âI understand just fine.â
âThen go understand somewhere else. From what I know, youâve got somewhere to be in 30 minutes.â
âI do.â
Phillips starts to say something, but Steve already took off, Peggy behind him.
 While heâs putting on a jacket and helmet, Peggy asks âAre you insane?! Whatâre are you going to do, walk to Austria? And as the General said, theyâre probably dead!â
âThese are my friends, Peggy!â
âYou donât think I- Y/Nâs been my best friend since secondary school. Sheâs the older sister I always wished I had! It like losing family, Steve!â
Steve walks out of the tent, loading his stuff in the car. âYou told me before I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?â
Thereâs a silence as the pair stare into each others eyes. âEvery word, Steve. But let me help you.â
~~~~~~~
On the plane, Peggy is showing Steve a map, where heâs supposed to be headed. âThe HYDRA camp is in Krausberg, between these two mountains.â
âWe should be able to drop you off right at their doorstep.â Howard said from the cockpit, in a cold tone.Â
âJust get me as close as you can. Howard, how are you holding up?â
âListen here Rogers. You donât talk about her, donât think about her. You didnât know her like I did.âÂ
âSir, with all due respect, she was my friend-â
âWELL SHE WAS MY SISTER! She was all I had left. Now if you donât bring back her Company and ease that poor Captain Andrewsâs soul, I will make sure the rest of your life is miserable.â
Thereâs a sad silence throughout the plane. Peggy speaks up. âStark is the best civilian pilot Iâve ever seen. Heâs brave enough to man this airspace. Weâre lucky to have him.â
Gunshots are heard, and the trio knows theyâve arrived at the destination. Steve approaches the door, ready to jump out. âWhen I land, you turn this thing around and go back, understood?â
âYou canât give me orders!â
âLike hell I can, Iâm Captain!â
~~~~~~~~
NOVEMBER 3RD, 1943.
KRAUSBERG, AUSTRIA. A HYDRA BASE.
20:00 HOURS.Â
âBucky-Bucky, wake up!â you say, trying to get him to open his eyes. He does, but once again stares off into space. Once he hears you crying, he turns his head. âHi. Are you okay? How much does it hurt, sweetheart?âÂ
âItâs almost nothing. Something is different, although. I can feel it.â you said, through sobs.
âWeâre gonna be alright. You know that, right?â
You take a deep breath and nod. âYou think weâre gettinâ out of here?â
âWe can only hope.â
You close your eyes and tilt your head back as gunshots are heard outside, and someone running down the corridor.Â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the narrow corridor, Steve hears a groan and cries from the âoperatingâ room the soldiers had told him about. Looking both ways before going in, he enters the room slowly, with caution. As he pears in further, he sees to people strapped to tables. He make his way closer to them, and there laying there-Â
Bucky, Bucky and you.
He walks over to undo the straps on Buckyâs body. âHey, Hey Buck, itâs me.â
Bucky is able to focus his eyes on Steve âHey. Steveâ. Laying a hand on his shoulder, Steve whispered âI thought you were dead.â
âAnd I thought you were smaller. Please, I need to help her, Stevie. Sheâs hurting.â
Realizing who heâs talking about, he walks over to you, laying conscious on the table and undoing the straps. You come to and turn to see Steve and Bucky.Â
The crackle on gunshots is heard outside. The three of you flinch.
You are able to support yourself a bit better now. âSteve, hi. How are you doing? You ok?â
âStark, I should be the one asking you that. Letâs get out of here.â
âStevie, how do you two know each other? What happened to you?â
âI joined the army, all thanks to her and her Howard Stark.â
 âYouâll have to tell me about it later.. Did it hurt? Is it permanent?â
âOnly a little Buck. And yes, permanent so far. I hope it is.â
Coming from outside, the three of you hear an explosion, causing the three of you two walk down the hallway as quick as possible. You make it to the bridge above the power plants, and the three of you climb to the top, hoping to find an escape route, and quickly.Â
But like everything else today, it didnât go as planned, as a thick German accent cut through the air. âCaptain America! How exciting! I am a great fan of your films!â Schmidt said, being followed by Zola.Â
You whimper in fear, and as Bucky hears this, quickly tucks you into his side, stroking your hair in an attempt to calm you down.  âY/N Stark! I am a very very big fan of your work! Hydra would be blessed to have someone like you.â
Schmidt turns to Steve again. âSo, looks like Dr. Erksine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but impressive. I have to give it to him.â
Steve then proceeds to wack Schmidt across the face with his shield, which results in him knocking Steve back with a swift punch. Now on opposite sides of the bridge, Zola pushed a button that made both sides seperate from one another.Â
âYou see, no matter what lies Erksine told you-â
You cling to Bucky in fear.Â
âI was his greatest success!â Schmidt then proceeds to take the skin off his face, to reveal a new, bald, red skull. âYou pretend to be a simple soldier, Captain. But you refuse to admit that weâve left humanity behind! Unlike you, I choose to embrace it proudly. Without fear!â Zola and Schmidt then proceed to go into an elevator, that carried them far away from the two of you.Â
There are more explosions from below, and Steve leads you both to climb another set of stairs. On this bridge, you encounter a narrow beam made of iron. The only thing separating you from the other side. âOkay one at a time.âÂ
Steve looks between the two of you. âY/N you first, please.â You shake your head. âIâll be able to make it anyways. I have the serum. Itâs in my blood.â
âThatâs a story for another time. Bucky, i guess itâs you then.â
âNo! I canât just cross to the other side and leave here here!â
âBucky, please just do it! Iâll be fine.â He proceeds to give you a quick peck on the lips and Steve helps him mount the beam. The beam creaks and falls down as he walks, but luckily he jumps just in time.Â
âGo on Buck! Get out of here!â you yell.
âNo! Not without you guys!â
You back up to the side as Steve makes a brave jump across the bridge. That only leaves you on the platform. âCâmon! You can do it! I Know you can!âÂ
Taking a deep breath, you unbutton your uniform coat, revealing the chest plate of your armor. Whipping out a sword, you throw it to the other side and jump.
The sword catches you in mid air, as one hand stuck to the railing. Steve and Bucky help you up.
âLetâs get out of here, boys.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOVEMBER 4TH, 1943
THE ALLIED POWERSâ BASE, ITALY.Â
9:00 HOURS.
âI took a chance on you, Agent Carter. Now not only is Americaâs golden boy dead, but my Lieutenant General too. All because you had a crush.â General Phillips said.Â
âIt wasnât that, General. I believed in him.â
âI hope itâs a comfort to you when they shut this division down, Agent.âÂ
Outside, there were a bunch of soldiers running. Not from, but to. âWhat in the hell is going on out there?â General Philips seemed to ask himself, as he made his way outside, Peggy following him.Â
There marching right beside Steve, were you and Bucky. The 107th had gone through hell, and made it back alive. Soldiers started cheering and clapping, approaching the group. There was even one who exclaimed âLook who it is!â
Howard hears all the commotion from his tent and goes outside to see whatâs going on. He stands behind Peggy, hoping to catch a glimpse of what caused so much ruckus in the once silent base. It couldnât be. You were supposed to be dead.Â
âGeneral Philips, these men need medical attention.â said Steve, as you and Bucky stood at his side. Your turn to Bucky. âTold you weâd make it out, darlinâ?âÂ
âMaybe I should trust you more, Buck. Thank you.â You said as he locked his eyes with your own, wrapping his arm around you. âYou better. I plan on having you around for a long time, sweetheart.â
âReally, now? I sure hope so, Buck. Youâre my person.â
A smirk makes itâs way onto his face. âIâm your person? Well, then. I ainât planning to let you go forever plus a day. Iâm so happy to have you.â
âYou better do something about it, wise-guy. I see Colonel Johnson eyeing me from the tactical tent-â
Before you can finish your sentence, he swoops you up, pulling you into a deep kiss as he lifts you off the ground and gives you a small spin.Â
âBarnes you are someth-âÂ
âY/N!â you and Bucky immediately pulled away from each other, and you turned to see Howard right in front of you. âY/N! oh my god!â
You start to fiddle with the buttons on your uniform. âHoward! Iâm sorry you had to find out like this-â
âNonsense! Iâm just glad your home. Even if it involved getting with- himâ Howard said, making a hand gesture towards Bucky, who was behind you, cowering in fear. You wrapped your arms around his neck. âIâm so sorry, Howwie. I hate to make you worry.â
âWell, I also hate that you make me worried, but it isinât your faultâ You pull away from Howardâs hug and Bucky holds out his hand.
âIâd like to formally introduce myself, Mr. Stark. You havenât let me introduce myself. My names James Buchanan Barnes, sir. Itâs a pleasure to finally meet you, without you threatening to fight me.â
Howard, hesitantly holding his hand out, âThe pleasure is all mine, James. Iâm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. All I want is to see my sister happy. Which, you obviously do so- maybe I wonât chase you with a bat.â
âHoward!â
He lets out a laugh. âI only want the best for you, you know that. Now, Iâm pretty sure Phillips wants you to give a debriefing.â
You nod. âSee you later, Buck?â
âYou know it, darlinââ he walks off.
âHe loves you, you know. You can tell from his eyes. Youâll always be able to tell from someoneâs eyes, sis.â
âWhat would you know? I be t you donât even remember that one girlâs name!â you said, crossing your arms.Â
âOf course I remember. Maria, from New Haven. moved here to learn how to play piano. Youâve got to meet her sometime.âÂ
âI hope so. Give her the sibling talk?â
âYou wouldnât dare.â
âWatch me.â you said, walking away.Â
âWait-wait. This conversation isn't over!â he chases after you.
~~~~~~~~~~~
This was a long one, good god. anyways i spent an entire day on it so please show it some love. <3
- Talya
#Bucky Barnes#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes x you#marvel#marvel imagines#marvel x reader#marvel x you#marvel x y/n#Steve Rogers#peggy carter x best friend! reader#peggycarter#Howard Stark#howard stark x sister reader
34 notes
·
View notes
Photo
An Angel from Heaven Come to See Us: Darling Lili Turns 50
This week fifty years ago, Darling Lili -- the last of the big Julie Andrews screen musicals of the 1960s -- had its long-delayed World Premiere at Hollywoodâs Cinerama Dome on 23 June 1970.Â
The event marked the symbolic endpoint of a three-plus-year marathon in which the ill-fated production was beset by an endless stream of problems and delays from inclement weather and union pickets on location to studio takeovers and shady refinancing deals (Bart, 63-72; Dick, 146-48; Wasson, 146-48). This litany of setbacks saw the filmâs already sizeable budget blowout to era-record levels estimated anywhere, depending on who you spoke to, between $14-25mill. (Warga, C-20; Wedman, 7-A; Kennedy, 175-77). Egos clashed, tempers frayed and recriminations flew with writer-director, Blake Edwards, blaming Paramount Pictures for imposing impossible demands, and studio executives firing back counter-accusations of reckless indulgence and profligacy (Oldham, 24-25; 44-45).Â
That this highly publicised drama played out against the backdrop of the greatest economic downturn to hit Hollywood in half a century garnered Darling Lili an unenviable advance reputation as âthe archetypal flop among big budget Hollywood productionsâ (Oldham, 44). âRarely has so much bad word of mouth preceded a picture,â wrote the Saturday Review, âAs the shooting schedule increased, as the costs mounted, everyone was certain that Darling Lili would prove to be a landmark disasterâ (Knight 22). Another widely syndicated newspaper article dubbed it, âThe Most Maligned Movie Ever,â prompting Blake Edwards to fume: âIâve never known of an important picture in production so talked about, whispered about, and, yes, lied about as Darling Liliâ (Manners, B5).
Adding fuel to widespread perceptions of the film as a legendary bomb in the making, the release of Darling Lili was held up for over a year by nervous studio execs. By 1969, Paramount had more big budget roadshow product in the pipelines than any other Hollywood studio (âParâs Bigâ, 3). Panicked by the repeated failure of roadshow releases, in general, and the growing cultural backlash against big budgeted musicals, in particular, the studio feared they were âon the verge of an unprecedented financial disasterâ and vacillated over how to proceed (Farber, 3). They ordered competing rounds of edits to the film, taking material out to secure a G-rating, then reinserting other material in an effort to broaden appeal (Manners, B5; âParâs Lili Rated Gâ,5). There were even rumours the film might not get a release at all. It is âhiding somewhereâ and seems to have âjust evaporatedâ noted one newspaper report in late-1969 (Gussow, 62; Benchley, 9).
In December, Paramount finally held two sneak test screenings of Darling Lili in Oklahoma City and Kansas City which proved sufficiently positive for the studio to green-light release (âKansasâ, C2). After the test screenings, Robert Evans, production chief at Paramount and longtime vocal critic of Blake Edwardsâs direction of the film, sounded an uncharacteristically upbeat note. âAt the end of the film, there was a standing ovation,â he enthused, âand almost all the patrons stopped in the lobby to fill in comments cards...term[ing] Darling Lili as excellent, with special acclaim for both Julie Andrews and Rock Hudsonâ (Muir, 2-S).Â
In January 1970, it was announced that Darling Lili would premiere that summer as a hardticket attraction at New Yorkâs Radio City Music Hall (âPar Getsâ, 3). The following month, a series of exhibitor previews was held in five major US cities but, in a telling sign the studio still harboured reservations about the film, the trade press was pointedly excluded from all advance screenings ("Not Readyâ, 6). This same lingering disquiet resulted in a radically scaled back approach to the filmâs release and marketing.Â
Originally planned as a reserved-seat roadshow attraction, Darling Lili was ultimately repositioned by Paramount as part of what they called their âBig Summer Playoff,â a package of eight films given saturation releases during the summer off-season starting in June (âParamountâs Summer Playoffâ, 5). Only New York and Los Angeles would screen the film as a 70mm reserved-seat attraction; elsewhere, the plan was for the âpic to quickly saturate every major and minor market with single-house firstruns and key city multiplesâ (ibid.). In an era when studios typically gave their top films staggered releases and only ever issued B-product or second-runs widely during the quiet summer months, this new-style release strategy had a decided air of dump-it-and-run desperation.Â
The apparent lack of care and finesse in the release of Lili did not go unnoticed. âDarling Lili undoubtedly rank[s] among the unusual summer attractions,â commented one newspaper article, âsince one would expect to see th[is] multi-million dollar production around holiday timeâ (Sar, 4-B). Another bluntly opined that Paramount âseems to have dumped the expensive movie rather than spend any more on itâ (Taylor, 21-E). Even Julie, normally the soul of diplomatic discretion in such matters, expressed public dismay at the studioâs handling of the filmâs release:
âThree weeks before the opening, there was no advertising campaign. None whatsoever. Paramount didnât seem to know how it was going to sell the picture--or if. I simply canât understand an attitude like thatâ (Thomas, 13).
The sudden shift to a summer saturation release also meant the filmâs premiere had to be rescheduled as New Yorkâs Radio City Music Hall wasnât available till July. In late-May, a matter of mere weeks before the film was set to bow, Paramount announced Darling Lili would now make its world premiere at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood on June 23 before rolling out nationwide the following day (ââDarling Liliâ to Premiere,â W-2). The New York premiere, meanwhile, would remain at the Music Hall but delayed a full month after the rest of the country.
Putting on a brave face, Julie and Blake did their best to launch their film. On June 18, they attended a special press preview and celebrity reception hosted by Robert Evans and his then partner, Ali McGraw, at the Directorâs Guild Theatre (Sar, 24-A). Dressed in a modish psychedelic Pucci pantsuit -- which fans of Julie-trivia will note was a recycled outfit from her recent NBC TV special with Harry Belafonte -- Julie looked relaxed and radiant or, as one columnist put it, âpeachy dandy in her wild patterned party pantsâ (Browning, 2-13). At the after-show reception, she and Blake mingled warmly with a host of Tinseltown notables including Edward G. Robinson, James Garner, Walter Matthau, George Peppard, Raquel Welch, Sally Field, Dyan Cannon, and Peter Graves (ibid).
The following week, Julie and Blake were back for the premiere proper at the Cinerama Dome on 23 June. Dressed to kill in a sleek beaded cocktail gown, Julie posed for press shots on the red carpet with Blake, Robert Evans and Ali McGraw, and co-star Rock Hudson who attended with longtime friend and agent, Flo Allen. Sponsored by the Southern Californian chapter of VIMS, Volunteers in Multiple Sclerosis, the premiere attracted a capacity crowd with an invitation-only champagne supper held at the theatre after the screening (âPremiereâ, IV-8) .
For all the old-school Hollywood trappings of the premiere, the American roll-out of Darling Lili was afforded little sense of showmanship or distinction. The Cinerama Dome would be the filmâs only fully reserved-seat roadshow presentation (ââDarling Liliâsâ One Reserve,â 7). The filmâs run at New Yorkâs Radio City Music Hall -- which will likely be the subject of another post next month, time permitting -- was another exception but it had a hybrid mix of partial reserved and general admission. Elsewhere, the film was released in what could only be described as a woefully slipshod manner.Â
The day after the World Premiere, Lili was issued simultaneously to an idiosyncratic assortment of theatres and even drive-ins across the United States including such out-of-the-way places as Lubbock, Texas; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Mason City, Iowa. Conversely, several major metropolitan markets didnât get the film till much later, and some didnât show it at all. When the film ran it was often booked for a flying season of a week or two -- in some instances, just a few days -- and given little promotion or build-up.
On a PR trip to San Francisco, Blake Edwards was reportedly incensed to discover that Lili was being shown at a local theatre on a double-bill with The Lawyer, an R-rated crime drama (Caen, 6-B). But this was far from an isolated instance. A survey of newspaper advertising from the era shows that, throughout this initial release period, Darling Lili was widely double-billed in US theatres with a range of questionable screen-mates including Downhill Racer, True Grit, Norwood, The Sterile Cuckoo, and Lady in Cement to name a few.
Much like the filmâs chequered release pattern, reviews of Darling Lili were sharply mixed. Contrary to the apocalyptic predictions, though, there were surprisingly few outright pans and quite a number of good, even glowing, notices--certainly enough to furnish choice grabs for newspaper ads. Moreover, a common refrain among even lukewarm crits was that the film was far from the disaster everyone anticipated:
âDarling Lili [is] the musical comedy a lot of people have been expecting to be a bomb, but which turns out to be a quite likeable movieâ (Crittenden, D-10).
âWhen a movie becomes notorious like this, everyone expects it to be an unredeeming dud...Iâm relieved to say Darling Lili is certainly nobodyâs bombâ (Stewart, 28)Â
â[E]veryone was certain that Darling Lili would prove to be a landmark disaster. Happily, the opposite seems to be the case...it is definitely, joyously, what the industry likes to call an âaudience pictureâ (Knight, 22).
While many reviewers found aspects of the film wanting, they were mostly full of praise for Julie:
âMiss Andrews has, I think, never looked better, warmer or more emotionally mature, nor has she sounded better. The irony is that she projects a richness which is wasted here. Itâs like getting Horowitz to play Chopsticksâ (Champlin, IV-1).
âAndrews...is one of the last of the great English music-hallmarks. She can sing effortlessly, make a mug or a moue with equal facility, throw away a line and reel it back in with the bestâwhen she is given half a chance. Her latest, Darling Lili, is only a quarter of a chance (Kanfer, 78).Â
âIn Darling Lili...Julie Andrews is the most pleasant actress any audience ever had and thatâs what counts...The pictureâs weaknesses are Hudson and the war...But I think Julie Andrews is enoughâ (Geurink, 6-T).
âThe best way to enjoy Darling Lili is to look upon it as escape fare [with] Miss Andrewsâ golden voice for listening pleasure...While she deserves something much better than her role in Darling Lili, Julie Andrews...is still an out and out professionalâ (Blakley, 6-1).
âMiss Andrews...is absolutely perfectly suited to the title role. Her voice, her mannerisms, her beauty and her obvious delight with the entire project pay off in one of the finest performances of her careerâ (Fanning, 17).
âThe filmâs bright moments belong to Miss Andrews. She is a complete entertainer, and tho [sic] she is center stage for nearly the entire film, one never tires of her pure voice and intelligent actingâ (Siskel, 12).
Alas, the better-than-expected reviews were not enough to save Darling Lili commercially. By the end of its domestic run, the film had earned a meagre $3.2mill in rentals, placing it 37th in Varietyâs list of annual box-office rankings for 1970 (âUS Films,â 184). Instructively, the film posted its best returns at the two theatres where it was exhibited with some modicum of prestige showmanship: the Cinerama Dome and Radio City Music Hall. In the case of the latter, Lili actually broke house records for a non-holiday release (âRadio City,â 12). Combined, these two venues accounted for over a third of the filmâs entire North American boxoffice grosses. Itâs a curious footnote to the whole sorry saga of Darling Lili which does suggest that, while the film would likely never have been a hit, it could certainly have done much better had its distribution and exhibition been more carefully managed. But that is a discussion for another time and another post...
Sources:
Bart, Peter. Infamous Players: A Tale of Movies, the Mob (and Sex). New York: Hachette, 2011.
Benchley, Peter. â1969 A Watershed Year for Motion Picture Industry.â Journal Gazette. 6 January 1970: 9.
Blakley, Thomas. âJulie Andrews Eyes a New Start.â Pittsburgh Press. 28 June 1970: 6-1.
Browning, Norma Lee. âHollywood Today: Julieâs Reception.â Chicago Tribune. 22 June 1970: B-13.
Caen, Herb. âItâs News to Me.â Hartford Sentinel. 5 August 1970: 6-B.
Canby, Vincent. âIs Hollywood in Hot Water?â New York Times. 9 November 1969: D1, D37.
Champlin, Charles. âMovie Review: âDarling Liliâ Has World War I Setting.â Los Angeles Times. 24 June 1970: IV-1, 13.
Crittenden, John. ââDarling Liliâ Surprises by Being Very Pleasant.â The Record. 24 July 1970: D-10.
ââDarling Liliâ to Premiere in Hollywood June 24.â Boxoffice. 25 May 1970: W2.
ââDarling Liliâsâ One Reserve Seat Date.â Variety. 3 June 1970: 7.
Dick, Bernard F. Engulfed: The Death of Paramount Pictures and the Birth of Corporate Hollywood. Louisville, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 2015.
Fanning, Win. âThe New Film: Andrews, Hudson in âDarling Liliâ at Squirrel Hill.â Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 25 June 1970: 17.Â
Farber, Stephen. âEnd of the Road?â Film Quarterly. 23: 2. Winter 1969-70: 3-16.
Geurink, Bob. âJulieâs Pretty Darling in âLiliâ.â Atlanta Constitution. 11 July 1970: 6-T.
Gussow, Mel. âExcitement Fills Premier of âDollyâ: But Air of Festivity Belies Future of Movie Musicals.â New York Times. 18 December 1969: 62.
Higham, Charles. âTurmoil in Film City.â Sydney Morning Herald - Weekend Magazine. 25 May 1969: 19.
Holston, Kim R. Movie Roadshows: A History and Filmography of Reserved-Seat Limited Showings, 1911-1973. Jefferson, NC: McFarlane and Co, 2013.
Kanfer, Stefan. âCinema: Quarter Chance.â Time. 96: 4. 27 July 1970: 78.
âKansas City.â Boxoffice. 22 December 1969: C2.
Knight, Arthur. âHow Darling was My Lili.â Saturday Review. 18 July, 1970: 22.
KrÀmer, Peter. The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars. London: Wallflower, 2005.
Manners, Dorothy. âThe Most Maligned Movie Ever.â San Francisco Examiner. 15 March 1970: B5.
Mills, James. âWhy Should He Have it?â Life. 7 Match 1969: 63-76.
Muir, Florabel. âHollywood: It Snowed Customers.â Daily News. 21 December 1969: 2S.
âNot Ready for Trades But Exhibs See âLiliâ.â Variety. 28 January 1970: 6.
Oldham, Gabriella, ed. Blake Edwards: Interviews. Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 2018.
âPar Gets Hallâs Summer Spot for its âDarling Liliâ.â Variety. 21 January 1970: 3.
âPara. Sets Preview Series in Five Cities for âLiliâ.â Boxoffice. 26 January 1970: 10.
âParamountâs Summer Playoff Strategy: 5,000 Bookings for Eight Major Films.â Variety. 3 June 1970:Â 5.
âParâs Big Roadshow Splash.â Variety. 25 June 1969: 3.
âParâs Lili Rated G.â Variety. 24 September 1969: 5.
âPremiere.â Los Angeles Times. 25 June 1970: IV-8.
âRadio City Music Hallâs All-Time Boxoffice Darling.â Variety. 5 August 1970: 12.
Sar, Ali. âParamount Unveils Two Top Pictures.â Van Nuys News. 21 June 1970: 24-A.
Sar, Ali. âCuriosity Films: Plagued Studios Hope.â Van Nuys News. 28 June 1970: 4-B.
Siskel, Gene. âThe Movies: âDarling Liliâ.â Chicago Tribune. 22 August 1970: 12.
Sloane, Leonard. âAt Paramount, Real Financial Drama.â New York Times. 28 November 1969: 48.
Stewart, Perry. âWarm Kiss from âLiliâ.â Fort-Worth Star-Telegram. 1 Juy 1970: 28.
Stuart, Byron. "Pictures: Big Budgetâs Big Bust-Up." Variety. 23 July 1969: 3, 20.
Taylor, Robert. ââLiliâ Can Be Charming.â Oakland Tribune. 27 June 1970: 21-E.
Thomas, Bob. âJulie Andrews Praises âLiliâ.â Courier-News. 15 September 1970: 13.
âU.S. Filmsâ Share-of-Market Profile.â Variety. 12 May 1971: 36-38, 122, 171-174, 178-179, 182-183, 186-187, 190-191, 205-206.
Warga, Wayne. âStanley Jaffe: Paramount Risk Jockey.â Los Angeles Times. 24 January 1971: C1, C20-21.
Wasson, Sam. A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards. Middletown: Weslayan University Press, 2009.
Wedman, Les. âThe End of the Roadshow.â Vancouver Sun. 9 January 1970: 7A.
Copyright © Brett Farmer 2020
#julie andrews#Darling Lili#fiftieth anniversary#1970#cinerama dome#film premiere#paramount#film history#hollywood#classic film#blake edwards
36 notes
·
View notes