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msmc-796-official · 3 months ago

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// I- wow. This is... incredibly comprehensive. Now you've got me thinking: as a squad without a dedicated handler - or any handler at all, actually - would that make us easier or harder to recondition? (Is that even still an option for us, now...?)

asking for a friend - where can I find the link to this "mech pilot care guide"? is it buried in the Omninet archives somewhere? (I doubt any of my usual contacts would know, HORUS or otherwise; they usually get off to that sort of abuse thing...)

> ...hm.

-- Angel, Slipshod, & Lockbreaker

decided to crack open my skull and pour the contents of my brain onto the keyboard. thought the denizens of tumblr might enjoy it. bon appetite

Mech Pilot Care guide

You never expect it, do you. Even as you see the flashes of pulse-decay fire in the sky, illuminating a scene of violence on the cosmic scale. Planetary defense satellites forming Monolithic structures in the sky, their purpose now revealed as they scatter constellations of destruction across the night horizon, drowning out the stars and replacing them with ones born of death. The oxygen in a ship catching fire and burning away in an instant, a flash of light that marks the death of its crew of hundreds. Even if you take your telescope to watch this spectacle, this war in a place without screams, you still feel profoundly disconnected from it. Even as you see a pilot cleave through a drone hive with a fusion blade, the molten metal glistening in the light of the explosions around it, scattering without gravity to the corners of the universe, even as two mechs dance across the sky, their reactors pouring into the engines enough energy to power the house atop which you sit for ten thousand years, flying in a 3.5 dimensional dance with only one word to the song that can reach across the vacuum: “I Will Kill You.” you don’t feel even the slightest glimpse of what goes on inside their minds. You don’t feel the neurological feedback tearing across the brain-computer interface, filling her mind with more simultaneous pain and elation that an unmodified human could ever experience. You don’t feel it as the pneumatic lance punctures through steel and nanocarbon polymer, the mech AI sending floods of a sensation you could never truly know through the skull and into every corner of the body carried on enhanced nerves for every layer of armor punctured, tearing into the enemy chassis with a desire beyond anything the flesh can provide. Let the stars kill each other. After all, I am safe on earth. No, you don’t expect it when the star is hit with a sub-relativistic projectile, piercing through both engines in an instant. You don’t expect it to fall. You never would have expected it to land, the impact nearly vaporizing the soil and setting trees aflame, on the hill beyond your house, and you would never have expected, beneath the layers of cooling slag, for the life-support indicator light to still be visible.

All the fire extinguishers in your house, your old plasma cutter that you haven’t used in years, and whatever medical supplies you think they might still be able to benefit from. All that on a hoverbike, speeding at 120 kilometers per hour through the valley and up onto the hill, still illuminated by the battle above, unsurprisingly unchanged by this new development. 200 meters. 100 meters. You don’t know how much time you’ve got. It wasn’t exactly covered in school, how long a pilot can survive in an overheating frame. You’ve heard rumors, of course, of what these things that used to be human have become. That they don’t eat and barely need air. That they don’t feel any desire beyond what instructions are pumped directly into their brains. Not so much of a person as much as an attack dog. It’s understandably a bit concerning, as if they are alive, then it’s not guaranteed that you will be. Three fire extinguishers later, the surface of the mech is mostly solid, and the cutter slices through the exterior plating. With a satisfying crunch, the cockpit is forced open, revealing the pilot, and confirming a few of the rumors, while refuting others. Pilots, it seems, are not quite emotionless. In fact, there seems to be genuine fear on its face when it sees you, followed by… a sort of grim certainty as it opens its mouth, moves its jaw into a strange position, and you only have half a second to react before it would have bitten down with all its force on the tooth that seemed to be made of a different material then all the rest.

Your thumb is definitely bleeding, and is caught between a metamaterial-based dental implant, and one containing a military-grade neurotoxin. You’re not sure exactly why you did it. The pilot looks at you for a second, before the tubes that attach to its arms like puppet strings run out of stimulants, and it passes out after who knows how long without sleep. This battle has been going on for weeks already. Has it been fighting that long? Its various frame-tethered implants disconnect easily, the unconscious pilot draped over your shoulder twitching slightly with each one you remove. It’s a much longer ride back to the house. Avoiding having the pilot fall off the bike is the top priority, and the injured thumb stings in the fast-moving air.

An internet search doesn’t lead to many helpful sources to the question of “there is a mech pilot on my couch, what do I do?” a few articles about how easy targets retired pilots are for the “doll sellers,” a few military recruitment ads, and a couple near-incomprehensible legal documents full of words like “proprietary technology” or “instant termination.” However, there is one link, a few rows down from the top-- “Mech Pilot Care Guide.” It’s a detailed list, arranged in numbered steps. The website has no other links on it, just the step-by-step instructions: a quick read reveals that this isn’t going to be easy, but looking at the unconscious pilot, unabsorbed chemicals dripping from the ports in its arms and head onto the mildly bloodstained towel, you come to the conclusion that there’s no other option.

Step one: the first 24 hours.

The first thing you should know is that pilots aren’t used to sleeping. They’re used to being put under for transport and storage, but after the neural augmentations and years of week-long battles sustained by stimulants that would fry the brain of anyone that still has an intact one, they’ve more or less forgotten what real sleep is. If they see you asleep, they’ll think you’re dead, so don’t try to let them stay in your room yet. Once you’ve removed the neurotoxin from the tooth (it breaks easily with a bit of applied pressure, but be careful not to let any fall into their mouth or onto your skin.), start by moving them into a chair (preferably a recliner or gaming chair, as the mech seat is about halfway in between), and putting a heavy blanket over them. Don’t worry, they don’t need as much air as normal humans do, and can handle high temperatures up to a point. This is an environment similar to the one they’re used to. It’ll stay like this for about 12 hours-- barely breathing, trembling slightly underneath the blanket. Feel free to check if it’s alive every few hours, not that you could help it if it wasn’t. It won’t freak out when it wakes up. In fact, it doesn’t seem like they can. Turn down the lights and remove the blanket from its face. It’ll stare blankly at you, trying to evaluate the situation with a brain that’s not connected to a computer that’s bigger than they are anymore. Coming to terms, if you could call it that, with the fact that it isn’t dead. Don’t expect it to start reacting to things for a while yet, give it a couple hours.

It’s been a bit, and its eyes are starting to focus on you. The next thing you should know is this: pilots only have two groups into which they can categorize non-pilots: handler and enemy. You need to work on making sure you’re in the right one. Move slowly, standing up and walking toward them, making sure they can see where you’re going to step. Place both hands on their shoulders, then slide one under their arm and carefully pick them up. Don’t be startled by how light they are, or how they still shake slightly as they realize their arms don’t have anything connected to them. Most importantly, don’t break. Don’t reflect on how something can be done to a person so that this is all that’s left. Just focus on rotating them as if you’re inspecting all the brain-computer interface ports, while holding them at half an arm’s length. Set them back down, wrap the blanket around them, then lean in close and say “status report.” they won’t say anything, as they usually upload the data via interface, but what’s important is that now they recognise you as their handler. Their entire mind will be focused on the fact that they exist now to do what you want. Now it’s up to you to prove them wrong.

Step two: the first week.

They’re shaking so hard that you’ve had to move them from the chair back to the couch, sweating heavily as they pant like the dog they’ve been trained to think they are. This was to be expected, really. Pilots are constantly being filled with a mix of stimulants, painkillers, and who knows what else, and you’ve just cut them off completely. You’ve woken up several times in the night and rushed to check if they’re still breathing, debating whether you should try to tell them that they’re going to be okay. The guide says they’re not ready for that yet, whatever that means. They’re still wearing the suit you found them in, made from nanofiber mesh and apparently recycling nutrients and water before re-infusing them intravenously. It’s been three days since you tore them out of the lump of metal atop the hill outside. Long enough that the suit’s battery, apparently, has run out. You lift them gently from the couch and carry them to the bathroom. The shower’s been on for the past hour or so, meaning the temperature should be high enough. You set them on their chair, which you’ve rolled there from the living room and covered with a towel. Removing the suit normally isn’t done except in between missions, and it’s only done to exchange it for a new one. Without the proper tools, you’ve opted for a pair of scissors. Cutting through the suit takes a bit of time, but you manage to cut a sizable line from the neck down to the front to the bottom of the torso. The pilot recoils slightly from the cold metal against their skin, but you manage to peel off the suit without incident, The Temperature of which was roughly the same as the steam filling the room, and you’ve done your best to minimize air currents. They’ve got a bit more shape to them than you expected of someone who’s been so heavily modified. Perhaps what little fat storage it provides helps on longer missions, or perhaps this is for the purposes of marketing. Just another recruitment ad that appeals to baser instincts. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Using a cloth with the least noticeable texture possible, you wash off as much sweat and dead skin as you can, avoiding the various interface and IV ports, as you’re not yet sure that they’re waterproof. Embarrassment is the enemy of efficiency, so you’re slightly glad that their eyes never completely focus on you. They shift their weight slightly, however. Despite the difficulty moving with their current symptoms, they lean in the direction opposite the places you wash once you're done, allowing you to more easily access the places you haven’t got to yet. An act of trust that you have a suspicion they weren't “programmed” to do. As they dry out, you prepare for the difficult part. You take the blanket that previously wrapped around their suit, and gently touch a corner of it to their shoulder. Pilots are used to an amount of sensory information that would overload any normal human in an instant, but most rarely experience textures against their skin. After about half an hour, they’re used to it enough that you’re able to replace what’s left of the suit with it, and after another you’re able to wrap them in it again. You carry them back to the couch, and place a few of your old shirts next to their hand. They pick one and touch it with one finger before recoiling slightly. Eventually, they’ll be used to at least one of them enough that they can wear it. It’s slow progress, but it’s progress.

Step 3: food

It goes without saying that it’s usually been at least a year since they’ve eaten anything. The augmentations scooped out much of their knowledge on how to survive as a human, assuming that they would die before ever needing to be one again. Start them off with just flavors. Give them a chance to pick favorites by giving them a wide selection and firmly telling them to try all of them. Avoid anything solid for the first month or so, both because they can’t digest it and because they associate chewing with their self-destruct mechanism. Trying to and surviving might make them think the “mission’s fully compromised” and attempt to improvise. They’ll typically pick out favorites quickly with their enhanced senses, so once they’ve sampled everything, tell them to pick one. Remember it, not in order to use it as a reward or anything, but them still being able to have a “favorite” anything is something you should keep in mind for later.

Use a similar method anytime they become able to handle the next level of solidity. Don’t be alarmed if one of their favorite foods is the meat that’s most similar to humans (such as pork.) they’re not going to eat you, they just will have already formed an association between that flavor and the moment they went from being a weapon to living in your house. Don’t worry about your thumb getting infected, by the way. Pilots barely have a microbiome.

Step 4: entertainment:

Roll them over to your computer and give them access to your game library. No, really. They need enrichment, and there’s only one activity that they’re able to enjoy at the moment. A simulation of it will make the shift from weapon to guest easier. Start them off with an FPS with a story. Don’t go multiplayer, as your account may get banned for being suspected of using aimbots. Watch as they progress the story. The military left pilots with just enough of a personality to allow them to improvise, and that should be enough for them to make decisions on this level. They won’t do much character customization, but keep an eye on which starting character body shape they pick. No pilot would consciously think they have enough of a “Self” to still have a gender, but keep track of the ones they pick in the games. As for the one you’ve found, it appears that she’s got a player-character preference. You even saw her nudge one of the appearance sliders before clicking “start game.” Whether this means that a pilot doesn’t think of themselves as “it” or that it means there’s still enough of their mind left for them to know there’s more to themselves than the body they have, it’s a handy bit of information to know. Some pilots might have had this decision influenced by their handlers having referred to them as “she” in the way it refers to boats, but still, on some level they always know that “it” meant that they’re a weapon.

Step 6: outside:

There’s a profound difference between experiencing the world through information fed directly into your brain and standing up for the first time, wandering around the room and investigating with hands not made of a half-ton of metal. She’s not used to feeling the air on her skin as she stands in front of the window, visual data coming from two eyes instead of seven cameras. It’ll take a while to get used to it again. New old data, reminiscent of a time before she’s been trained not to remember. It’ll take a while until she’s walking like a human and not a mech, as the muscles used are different, and the ones to hold herself upright haven’t been used in a while. She’s going to fall down at least once. Be sure you’re standing next to her when it happens, as pilots that fall aren’t trained to think they can get back up. It’s worth it, though, when she opens the door herself and strides into the yard, still wobbly but standing. Be careful not to let her look into the sun, partially because it looks nearly identical to the barrel of a pulse-decay blaster milliseconds before it fires. She would get hurt trying to dodge it. It will be somewhat confusing for her, standing on a hill as she once did, but not contained within a 12-meter metal chassis. A feeling of being small and alone without the voices of the computer. This means it’s time for step seven.

Step 7:

All this time, and any idea that she’s still a person has, for her, been subconscious. Any thought of humanity is stopped when it slams into the wall of her handlers and mech AIs reminding her for years before now that she is a weapon. She’ll still ask for your permission before doing just about anything, and that’s just the rare times that she’ll do something you don’t tell her to. Even after you’ve moved her into your room, she’ll still try to sleep on the floor. She still thinks that beds are only for humans. Kneel next to her as she curls into a ball on the ground, assuming that’s what she’s supposed to do. Expect her to try to move down to the foot of the bed after you set her down on it. Gently move her back up until her head’s on the pillow. Sit on the edge of the bed, and hold out your hand to her. After a bit, she’ll take it, wrapping both hands around it and tracing her fingers along the scar on your thumb. Lie down next to her, an arm’s length apart. Place your other hand on her forearm, then slide it up her arm to her shoulder. Don’t move too quickly, and don’t surprise her. Whisper softly but audibly every movement you’re going to make in advance. Move in a bit closer, until you’re wrapped in her arms. Mech pilots aren’t used to this. They aren't used to feeling someone next to them. Not above them, but next to them, getting exactly as much out of this as they are. Even after several months, many won’t admit they deserve it. You wouldn’t waste time lying next to a gun. So why do they feel so strongly that they don’t want you to leave? Why do they hold on tighter? They often feel they’re doing something wrong. Overstepping a boundary. There’s a rift between what they want and what they’re told they can want that nearly tears their mind in half, and it hurts. No normal human will ever know how much it hurts them to think they’ve broken some instruction, that they feel things they aren’t allowed to. Nobody said it was easy, learning how to become human again. Tell her it’s okay. That she’s allowed to feel this way. She still won’t know why. It’s time to tell her. The guide can’t tell you what to say, only that you have to say it. It has to come from you. You have to be the one that tells her what she is underneath all the modifications. It’s time, say it.

“Do you feel that? Do you feel your heart start to beat faster as it presses up against mine? Do you feel your own breath against your skin after it reflects off my shoulder? Do you feel your muscles start to tighten as I slide my hand across them, then relax because you know it means that you are safe? It’s because you’re alive. Because despite everything, you’re still alive. Still someone left after all the changes, all the augmentations. And I know you’re someone because you are someone that likes food a bit spicier than most would prefer. Someone that closes her eyes and gets lost in music whenever it’s playing. Someone that added that one piece of customization to her character, even though they would wear a helmet for most of the game and nobody would know it was there but you. Maybe you aren’t the same person you were before. Maybe they did take some things from you that nothing can give back. But you’re still someone. Someone that people can still care about, and I know because I do.”

You can feel her tears drip down onto your neck as she pulls you closer. She tries to say something, but you can’t understand what. You tell her it’s okay. That it’s not easy, and that she doesn’t have to pretend that it is. Not for you, and not for anyone anymore. She doesn’t have to be useful anymore. No need to keep it together. All that matters is that she’s alive.

There’s another battle going on in the night sky outside. The same flashes of light you saw the night you stopped living alone, even if the other person couldn’t admit that they were one yet. She still flinches at the brighter bursts of pulse-decay fire, still stretches out her hand on reflex to prime a pneumatic lance that isn’t there. But she knows it’s not her, it’s just a ghost of the weapon that died when it hit the ground. You can feel her relax as she realizes this, moving her hand back to dry her face before reaching out towards yours. You hadn’t noticed the tears on your own face. You place your hand on hers as she wipes the corner of your eye. Outside and above, the war continues on a cosmic scale, so far apart from where you both are now that you barely notice it. Let the stars kill each other. After all, the one before you has already fallen, and she doesn’t have to return to the sky. Together, you are safe on earth.

#lancer ttrpg #lancer rpg #lancerrpg #// maybe we don't think about this one too hard #// maybe we go to bed early tonight so that we don't get homesick looking out the window towards Argo Navis #// maybe we delete the blink coordinates to Galán Station off of our data records temporarily; just in case #+ in case it wasn't glaringly obvious the friend is me #+ there are several folks I know and have known that could benefit from having this information #> it would appear I have some colleagues to contact; their perspectives on handler-pilot relationships would be very useful right now #OOC: oh my god I need this on this blog IMMEDIATELY #WOWZA OP this is some SOLID writing right here

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jazziejax · 2 months ago

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - Outer Banks Cast! X OC’s

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 - The tension and banger between the Outer Banks cast during the 2024 Kitten Interview.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - none except the mention of the alleged tension and drama between real actors.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 - I hope this doesn’t ruffle any feathers. I was just so bored but also curious as to what could be going on behind the scenes of everything and I wanted to be a lil messy. I have kind of outgrown RPF fics but I honestly don’t feel like writing anything else and I wanted to do this. Don’t crucify me, I beg. Also, sorry for any grammar errors, I don’t like reading back what I write. I hope you guys like and find this interesting.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭! - 9,371 (???)

“Okay.” Charlie said as her video started, chewing her gum as she moved to find a place to stick her phone. Her heels briefly clicked against the linoleum floor before she stuck the suction case to an available pilfer in the building. “Quick OOTD before we begin.” She whispered to the camera before she backed away some show her whole outfit. Her straightened brown hair swayed as she did a small twirl to show the back of her dress and her styled hair. She looked over her shoulder and did a small leg life before turning back around and moving closer to the phone. She took her small sunglasses out of her handbag and pushed them on the crown of her head to make the outfit complete.

“I do not know where this dress is from, I’m pretty sure my stylist thrifted it.” She said as she leaned down a little to be in eye contact with the phone. “These gold bangles are from grandma.” She chewed her gum as she showed her jewelry. “The earrings are from my mom. I think this bracelet is Betsy Johnson. These glasses are vintage Jean Paul Gaultier.” She paused as she thought of what she could be missing with her outfit. “Oh! Uh, this bag is vintage Coach.” She said as she held up the red leather bag before unclamping it and digging through to pull out a medium sized bottle. “No one asked and I don’t know why I’m telling you but today’s scent is Argos, Triumph of Bacchus.” She listed as quick as she could before backing up a little more and pointing out her leg in front of her to show off her shoes as she simultaneously put the bottle back into her bag, completely unbeknownst of the pair of eyes watching and another figure making its way closer. “And these shoes are vintage Chanel.” She smacked her gum before finally catching sight of movement in the background. A figure approached, and Charlie glanced over, smiling. “Tee, come here!” She called, extending a hand.

Tatum grinned, placing her hand in Charlie’s as she joined her. Her curious eyes flicked to the phone stuck on the pillar. “How the hell is it doing that?” She muttered, leaning closer.

Charlie ignored the question and gestured to the camera. “Outfit of the day, Tee.”

Tatum slightly squatted and gave the camera a small wave before stepping back. She placed her hands in her hips before he brought her left foot behind her right, then continuing to do a slow turn until she faced forward back into her original position. Charlie stood to the side in the cameras view, looking between her phone and her friend in confusion. The girls odd movements in the middle of the lobby caught her costars attention, Kai walking over to stand next to Charlie and leaning down to look into the camera that was recording, awfully close.

Charlie squinted at her friend, stifling a laugh. “What was that?”

The girl dropped her hands from her hips as she shrugged. “I was giving them a 360 of the fit.” She said nonchalantly.

Charlie just shook her head, still chuckling. “Right. Okay, details.”

Tatum stepped forward and gestured to her deep red blouse. “Uh, this blouse is Isabel Marant.” She began as her hands slid down to her black mini-skirt. .“Skirt, I have no idea, it’s black fucking mini skirt.” She pointed to her dark red boots, lifting a foot. “These… alligator? Crocodile?” She paused, frowning, and glanced over at Charlie. “What’s this pattern supposed to be?”

Charlie shrugged, but Kai, who had wandered over unnoticed, leaned into the shot. “Are you asking us?”

“Is this pattern supposed to be alligator, guys?” She asked again, this time lifting her foot back up to show the phone, as if she was asking the supposed people that would see said video. She then quickly turned, her hair whipping behind her as her eyes dated to find a specific person.

“Malcom.” She said as low as she could, the lobby in daily chatty as people buzzed around.

Malcom glanced up from his phone, confused, but sauntered over. “What now?”

“Is this alligator print?” Tatum asked, lifting her foot again.

Malcom studied the boot. “Uh… sure? Looks like some kind of reptile,” he replied with a shrug. His attention quickly shifted to the phone on the wall. “How the hell is that staying up there?” He asked, walking closer and leaned down, putting his large eye directly in front of the lens.

Tatum huffed and playfully shoved him aside. “Focus, Malcom. We’re doing outfits.”

The man grinned and, without missing a beat, struck a series of over-the-top model poses. Charlie and Tatum burst out laughing, and she shoved him out of frame. “Wait your turn.” She said before continuing. “I don’t know what the hell the pattern on these boot are supposed to be, maybe I’m not the fashion baddie I thought I was. But I do know that they’re Coach.” She said with a grin. “And this is a Dior saddle bag.”

“What scent are you wearing?” Charlie asked, smirking.

Tatum gave her a skeptical look, causing the girl to reiterate. “Not like some creep, chill.” Charlie said.

“Why would I tell them what I smell like?” Tatum asked.

Charlie rolled her eyes. “It’s a thing! People want to know.”

“That’s weird, even for me, Charlie.” She said to the girl in an obvious joking tone, shouldering her bag and folding her arms as she gave the woman across from her a judgmental look. Charlie scoffed. “Says the girl that likes to sniff people.” She said to her. Tatum’s jaw dropped. “You know that’s my love language.” She told the girl before they both burst out laughing. Once it died down, Tatum looked into the camera. “I’m not showing you what I smell like. That’s for people that see me in person.” She sassed before moving aside.

Malcom stepped back in. “Guess it’s my turn,” he said, smoothing his short blonde hair as he moved into frame.

Charlie grinned. “Alright, let’s hear it.”

“Uh, this shirt is Miu Miu, jeans are Levi’s.” He listed before going lower. “I’m not sure if these are Sambas or Gazelles but, cool shoes anyways.” He said before turning to the side slightly and showing the hat hanging off his belt loop. “Corduroy Polo hat.” He stated before moving closer to the camera and bending down. “The pièce de résistance—my hair.” He tilted his head to show a few red lipstick marks. “Charlie left this kiss here,” he said, pointing to one on the side. “And Kai drew these in the back.”

Tatum leaned closer, inspecting. “That’s so sick.” She whispered before looking at someone on the other side of the camera.

Kai, who was trying to blend into the background, was suddenly yanked forward by Tatum. “Your turn, Kai!” she declared, shoving him into the frame. He didn’t even have time to react, placed into the middle of the video against his will. “Uh, I don’t know where this shirt is from.” He started. “All I know is that it says Eme Studios, Co…whatever that means.” He continued nonchalantly, causing his friends to chortle at his usual unbothered behavior. “Uh, regular Levi jeans. Blue leather jacket that used to be my mom’s actually. Um, green loafesr, don’t know the brand I just know it’s supposedly Italian leather. I got these from Drew actually.” He said with a small chuckle as he pointed at his feet planted on the ground. He then reached into his back pocket and pulled something out. “And I have this deck of card for some reason.” He said as he showed the expensive looking, gold and black playing cards to the camera.

The group stared at him, dumbfounded. “What?” Charlie asked, laughing. “Why?”

Kai shrugged. “Don’t know. They’re cool, though.”

“He’s just like me for real.” Tatum sighed before walking off. Charlie face frowned into confusion further as she looked into her camera, briefly pointing her thumb at where the girl left to. While Malcom continued to question Kai on his fancy deck of cards, Charlie moved over to the end the video. But before she could, she was stopped by the sound of heels clicking against the floor and Tatum’s voice.

“Wait.” Tatum whispered yelled as she dragged Pricilla behind her, pulling her into the frame with a flourish. The other woman had a large smile on her face as she followed after the girl she considered a sister.

“Cilia!” Charlie said excitedly with a grin as she moved out of the way of the camera to make room for her.

“The real fashion diva is here!” Tatum as she placed Pricilla in the front and stood next to her, presenting her arms out to display the slightly shorter woman. Pricilla placed her hands on her waist as she posed for the camera, puckering her lips. She then did a stylish twirl as if she was on a runway. Charlie let out a catcall whistle while the woman continued to hit pose after pose. She then stopped with a laugh, waving her previous actions off and began to move from the camera before Tatum stopped her.

“No, you have to give the outfit details.” She said, placing her hands on the sides of her arms.

“Oohh, okay.” Pricilla said before moving back to her place.

“This little off the shoulder sweater number is Jean Paul Gaultier x KNWLS. It’s 100% wool.” She said as she moved her perfectly manicured hands down her shirt until she made it to her pants. “These jeans are from Nordstrom if I remember correctly.” She then slightly pulled up a pants leg to show her lace heels. “These shoes are Dolce & Gabbana and my bag is Gucci, even thought I don’t really like either of those brands.” She stated, her voice getting lower at the end as she looked between her on screen sisters, who met out small laughs at the girls words. She laughed as well before continued. “Uh, this watch is a Cartier Baignoire, and my earring are Van Cleef.” She finished before a smiling at the camera and giving a small wave, her hand then moving to subconsciously rub the smooth surface of her slicked back hair.

Just as she finished, the camera picked up on the sound of voices calling out for them, the cast looking over at the sound. Charlie quickly grabbed her phone from the wall and took her gum out of her mouth. “Okay, see you guys later.” She whispered before the video cut.

“Hey, my name is Kai Garcia.”

“I’m Carlacia Grant.”

“I’m Madison Bailey.”

“I’m Tatum Thatcher.”

“And I am Jonathan Davis.”

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

“Hello, my name is Malcom Anderson.”

“I’m Charlie Osbourne.”

“I’m Chase Stokes.”

“I’m Drew Starkey.”

“My name is Pricilla Vaughn.”

“And I’m Rudy Pankow.”

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“We’re the cast of Outer Banks,” Carlacia said, flashing a bright smile at the camera.

“And we’re here with BuzzFeed,” Kai added from the other end of the group.

“To play with kittens!” Madison and Tatum exclaimed simultaneously, their faces lighting up with excitement. The rest of the cast laughed at their enthusiasm.

“Ahh! I’m so excited,” Tatum grinned, clapping her hands softly. She had tucked her legs neatly to the side, almost like a mermaid, mindful of her short black skirt and the cameras. She adjusted a strand of her freshly blown-out hair, tucking it behind her ear as they waited for the kittens to arrive.

“Oh my God, shut up!” Madison gasped, covering her mouth when the tiny kittens were brought into the enclosure.

“They’re so freaking precious!” Tatum cooed, her voice soft as her eyes sparkled.

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Charlie let out a gasp when she spotted the kittens. “A tabby cat!” she whispered, almost to herself.

Rudy glanced in her direction, catching her soft expression, and quickly looked away with a small, amused smile.

The kittens were gently placed on the floor, and immediately the tabby started making its way toward Charlie. She let out a delighted coo. “Hi, cutie!” she greeted the kitten softly, reaching out a hand to it as the others reacted to their furry companions.

Across the enclosure, Chase held up his hands in mock alarm. “Please don’t poop on me,” he pleaded, earning a round of laughter from the group.

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“Oh my gosh, how did they get them so small?” Carlacia gushed, her hands clasped over her heart as she leaned closer to the kittens.

Meanwhile, Jonathan was preoccupied, carefully making sure all the kittens stayed inside the enclosure. “Welcome, little ones,” he said, softly greeting the tiny creatures.

“Look at this one! He’s so cute!” Tatum exclaimed, pointing to a small black kitten sitting quietly in front of her.

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“Run,” Chase declared dramatically as the kittens were placed in the center of the group. “Go, my babies!” he added in a bizarre, high-pitched voice, earning a laugh from Pricilla, who was holding the black kitten in her hands.

Across from her, Drew was attempting the near-impossible: balancing two wiggly kittens on his knees.

“I could just do this all day,” Malcom said contentedly, gently cradling a kitten inside his hat as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

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“Who in the Outer Banks cast consistently makes you break character?”

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“It depends on the take,” Carlacia responded, settling a small black kitten in her lap.

“Yeah, that’s true,” Jonathan agreed with a nod.

“Maybe Madelyn,” Madison offered thoughtfully, glancing at the others.

“Oh, definitely her,” Tatum chimed in, shifting her position and stretching her legs straight out in front of her. “Giggles McGoo there.” Her comment earned a round of chuckles from the group.

“I’d say you, Tee,” Kai said, looking up from his lap, where a calico kitten was batting at his fingers.

The others hummed in agreement, nodding.

“Really?” Tatum asked, tilting her head toward Kai with an amused expression.

“Yeah, but it’s different with Cline,” he explained, chuckling. “We’d break character because she breaks character first. With you, it’s the faces you make during scenes. Your expressions are so over-the-top—like, the most disgusted or confused looks ever. You just look so fed up all the time.”

The group burst into laughter, and even Tatum couldn’t help but grin as she nodded along.

“I think that’s because AJ is fed up,” she replied dramatically. “AJ’s been fed up for a while.”

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“JD. Every day,” Rudy said without hesitation as he swaddled a kitten in his lap. His co-stars immediately chimed in with agreement.

“Yeah, JD a lot,” Drew said, leaning back with a laugh. “But specifically JD and Tatum together.”

A chorus of “yes” and “absolutely” followed from the cast.

“It’s like they’re on the same wavelength,” Malcom added. “Tatum will say the most outrageous thing, and then JD will repeat it at the most random moment, turning it into this running inside joke for days.”

“Tatum’s also just…odd,” Pricilla said with a teasing grin, cradling the kitten in her arms. “Like, a little chaotic. If it’s not what she’s saying off-camera, it’s what she does on-camera. She’s such an atmospheric actor—she makes every scene feel like real life. So, even if her character isn’t speaking, she’ll just look at you.”

“And if her character hates yours in the moment?” Pricilla paused for emphasis. “You’ll get the nastiest glare out of nowhere. It throws me off every time!”

The group laughed as Tatum threw her hands up in mock surrender. “What can I say? I commit!”

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“Honestly, 90% of these interviews are just about keeping the kittens in the frame,” Jonathan remarked, gently scooting a few curious kittens back toward the center of the group.

Tatum held the black kitten close to her face, tilting her head to place her cheek against its soft fur. She shot the camera a playful pout before glancing over at JD, who was visibly struggling to keep the kittens from escaping.

A small smile played on her lips as she debated giving him a hand, but her attention shifted when she noticed the sleepy calico kitten nestled in his lap. Her eyes widened at the adorable sight, and she turned back to the camera, her expression soft and full of wonder.

“This is the definition of a cuteness overload,” she said, her voice tinged with a fond pout.

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“I’m trying to be as non-intimidating as possible,” Rudy announced as he laid flat on his back, a calico kitten perched on his chest. He gently rocked his hands back and forth over the kitten, watching it with a dreamy smile.

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The all-black kitten in Carlacia’s lap suddenly let out a loud screech, startling her before it slid down into a pile of purple tissue paper.

“Oh my gosh! Hello, little one!” Carlacia exclaimed, her tone full of affection as she reached down to pet it.

“Are y’all related? Do you know him?” Madison asked, holding the same black kitten Tatum had been cuddling earlier.

The kitten responded with a sharp meow, as if answering her question.

“Only on one side,” Kai joked, making the group burst into laughter.

“Same dad, different mom,” Carlacia added, glancing at Kai with a mischievous grin.

“He said, ‘We go way back,’” Madison continued, chuckling as she cradled the tiny kitten closer.

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“What’s your favorite behind-the-scenes memory from filming season 4?”

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“He’s Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.” Carlacia said as she chased after the small black kitten with her hand. The rest of them laughed at the memory while she continued.

“There’s an ad-lib that JD did in one scene, and he just came in and he goes “He’s Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!” And it was, like, the funnest thing at the time. We all alighted for, like, twenty minutes and they had to stop filming and it became a thing.”

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“Mine was this one time with Charlie.” Pricilla began, softly scratching her nails behind the ears of the grange kitten she held in her hands. Said girl looked over at her when she said her name, anticipating what she could possibly say. “I don’t mean to spoil but we had to do this once scene on the beach, and Rudy and her were in the water.” She explained. Charlie had a small smile on her face as she listened, remembering the exact story she was speaking of while Rudy looked over at Charlie as the wither woman retold the occurrence. “And I just remember looking over and she’s just jumping from the board into the water, cannonball after cannonball.” She chuckled, cashing the toner to laugh.

“You were there.” She said, looking up at Drew, who was already looking at her and he nodded. “It reminding me of that TikTok that’s like, ‘You’re only here for the zip line.’” She laughed. “And by the best time I looked over, it looked like she was trying to drown Rudy.” She finished as she glanced at Charlie. The woman had a smile on her face as she looked at her, before her eyes drifted to the man next her, catching his fond smile and soft blue eyes. Charlie grinned before looking at the kitten in her hands.

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“If you could create a playlist for your characters, what songs would be on it?”

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“I already have playlists for my character,” Malcom said, lowering his hand to gently cover a kitten before lifting it again to play with it.

“What’s on yours?” Drew asked, tilting his head curiously.

“For me, I like to capture not just the vibe of my character but also the overall tone of the show,” Malcom explained. “But for Twitch, I listen to a lot of old Tyler, The Creator, Vince Staples, Joji, and Memoboy.”

“Solid picks,” Chase nodded, humming in agreement.

“I have a lot of, like…dark stuff,” Drew said, glancing at Charlie, who was trying to tuck a kitten into the pouch of her sweater. A soft smile spread across his face as he watched her.

“For me, it’s The Cure,” Chase chimed in. “And a lot of Cage the Elephant.”

“Oh, I love them!” Charlie said, looking up from the kitten and over at Chase. “You sent me their playlist, remember?”

“Yeah,” Chase nodded.

“I know the song you like…uh, what is it?” Rudy asked, snapping his fingers in thought. He turned to Chase. “Salute the Solution?”

“Yeah, Salute the Solution,” Chase confirmed. “I actually heard it playing in Charlie’s car when she pulled up to set one day.”

“One of my favs,” Charlie said softly, smiling as she glanced at the camera. She turned to Rudy, catching him slightly off guard with her gaze. “Did you like it?” she asked, her voice light and warm.

“Yeah,” Rudy nodded, holding her stare for a moment. “I remember hearing it before—probably because you were playing it.”

Charlie nodded, a content smile on her face, before turning back to the camera. “I also listen to a lot of Stevie Nicks.”

As if on cue, she, Pricilla, and Malcom broke into song. “You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you!” they belted out in exaggerated country accents before dissolving into laughter.

“What the hell?” Drew asked, laughing along with the group.

“If Tatum were here, she’d totally get it,” Charlie said dramatically, slumping her shoulders in mock disappointment.

“I feel like my playlist is less structured than yours,” Pricilla said with a chuckle. “I’ve been listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack for the past two seasons. Plus, Van Morrison, the Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind & Fire. None of those really fit the show’s vibe, but that’s my go-to.” She shrugged before adding, “Oh, and Adele. Lots of Adele.”

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“Shenseea,” Carlacia said confidently. “And Rihanna—Man Down.”

“Period!” Tatum and Madison exclaimed simultaneously, glancing at each other with smiles.

“I listened to a lot of The Smiths,” Kai added, placing a tabby kitten on his shoulder. “Like, a lot.” He emphasized, drawing laughs from the group. “And Laci had Malcom and I listening to Rihanna on repeat, too.”

“Yeah, Kai’s obsessed with Rihanna’s Rude Boy now,” Carlacia teased with a smirk.

“It’s true,” Kai admitted, smiling sheepishly.

“I’m glad y’all are answering questions,” Madison said, focused on a kitten in her lap. “Somebody’s gotta hold it down.”

“We can multitask,” Carlacia replied with a small smirk. She gestured to the cat in her lap. “I’ve got a nice little kitty right here.”

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“My ADHD is screaming right now,” Chase groaned, stopping mid-sentence to coo at one of the kittens crawling in front of him.

“I know,” Drew agreed, not even bothering to hide his grin.

“I thought I was better at multitasking,” Pricilla admitted, leaning slightly into Drew as she struggled to focus. “But these questions require me to think, and I have zero thoughts right now except, look at these adorable little babies.” She held up a tiny kitten for the camera to see. “Like, how am I supposed to focus with this in my lap?”

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“Pine and Ginger.” Madison answered the question. “Give It To The Water is one that you have put on Kiara’s playlist.” She said to Carlacia.

“Same.” Tatum added, placing a kitten onto JD’s shoulder. “Since the beginning, I’ve been listening to a lot of Rollings Stones and Nirvana. David Bowie. A Lot of Jimi Hendrix, little Richard and Jane Brown, I feel like those really fit the vibe of who AJ is as a character. My favorite to listen to though is Fleetwood Mac.” She explained. “You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you!” She and JD sung at the same time.

“I only know that song because of you.” The boy grinned over at her. Tatum smiled at him, pointing a finger at him. “And never forget that message.” She said. The male just shook his head with a small laugh while Madison furrowed her brows at her. “What does that even mean?” She asked with a small smile.

“Listen to the song, Maddie babe.” The girl told her friend.

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“If you could cast any famous person to guest star in Season 5, who would it be? And what character would they play?”

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“Any famous person?” Drew repeated with a sly grin, glancing at Chase. “So, not even an actor?” He asked with a small chortle. Before he could answer, the black kitten in his lap let out a sharp screech. Drew blinked and looked down at it. “Hi,” he said sheepishly, earning an even louder screech in return.

“Dude, she’s pissed at you,” Rudy called from his spot on the floor, barely containing his laughter.

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“I’ve always wanted Giancarlo Esposito to play a villain in the show,” Jonathan said, shifting slightly as the kitten perched on his elbow started climbing down his back. “I mean, he’d be perfect. If you’re watching this, Giancarlo, we’d love to have you.”

“I want Rihanna,” Carlacia chimed in confidently. “She should play Cleo’s older sister.”

“Yeah, someone get Rihanna out of retirement,” Madison added quickly before clarifying, “For acting, of course. For acting.”

Kai smiled softly as the kitten on his lap climbed onto his shoulder. “Honestly, I’d want my grandpa to guest star. He’d play…well, my grandpa. Or maybe a no-nonsense cop.”

“That’d be hilarious,” Tatum said, giggling. “Your grandpa is such a character. He’s no-nonsense but also a total joker. He’d steal every scene.”

“I’d actually love to see your grandpa on the show,” JD agreed. “He’d make a funny cop.”

“Yeah, but he’d hate playing a cop,” Carlacia interjected knowingly, glancing at Kai, who nodded in agreement.

“Fair,” Kai said with a shrug, before looking into the camera. “But still—make it happen, guys.”

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“I would like to cast this kitten,” Rudy declared dramatically, gesturing to the calico kitten curled up on his chest. “I’ve always wanted a pet.” His voice turned comically serious.

“You know you can just…get a pet,” Chase said, deadpan, as he gently stroked the kitten in his own lap.

“I meant on the show!” Rudy shot back, sitting up slightly. “Like, the Pogues should have a pet—a mascot.”

“What about French Fry and Porky?” Pricilla asked, pretending to be offended as she referenced the Kooks’ dogs on the show.

“Yeah, and Maren and Butternut Squash,” Charlie added, naming the horses they’d featured in earlier seasons.

“Oh, wow,” Rudy said, his mouth dropping open slightly as he chuckled. “I totally forgot about French Fry and Porky.”

Charlie gasped, shaking her head in mock disbelief. “If they could hear you now, they’d cry.”

“They’re more like mascots anyway,” Drew pointed out. “Compared to Maren and Squash.”

“The real mascot is the chicken in Crocs,” Malcom said casually as a kitten climbed onto his shoulder. “But JJ and Andy killed him back in Season 1.”

The room fell silent for a moment before Charlie sighed dramatically. “Let’s not bring up the past.” She said sadly.

“I’d cast Jelly Roll in Season 5,” Chase said, bringing the conversation back to the original question. Drew hummed in agreement. “Yeah. That’d be awesome.”

“Would The Rock fit?” Rudy asked, his tone serious.

“No,” Drew answered immediately. “He wouldn’t fit.”

“Too bald,” Malcom added matter-of-factly. “Also, no bad guys in Crocs allowed.”

“Yeah, and he probably wouldn’t even fit in frame,” Chase added, causing Pricilla to shake her head at the boys’ antics.

“I’d like to cast Quen Blackwell,” Pricilla said, turning to the camera with a grin. “She’s one of my friends, and she’s hilarious. She’d make the perfect bitchy Kook.”

“I’d like to cast Matthew McConaughey,” Charlie said suddenly, her voice completely serious as she focused on the kitten bouncing around in her lap. “Or Christian Bale. Whoever looks better shirtless.”

The room fell silent again as the boys exchanged looks, trying to figure out if she was joking. Pricilla chuckled, clearly amused.

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"Who’s the most like their OBX character, and who’s the least like their OBX character?"

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“Nick Cirillo, who plays Barry—he kinda just played himself,” Chase said matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Drew agreed, nodding. “He’s so much like his character.”

“The least like?” Drew echoed, thinking for a moment. Pricilla placed a gentle hand on his back as spoke up.

“I think it’s you,” She said, causing him to turn to her with a questioning look.

“Me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as they trailed her face.

She nodded. “I think JD too,” He added, causing her to nod again before her gaze shifted away as she began scratching the kitten in Drew’s lap.

He watched her for a moment before responding. “I think you’re a lot like Grace.”

That got her attention. Pricilla looked back at him, locking eyes with his icy blue ones. “Really?” she asked, smiling softly.

“Yeah,” Drew said, his own smile mirroring hers. “You match her sweet, soft-spoken nature. But you’re also fiercely protective of the people you love.”

Pricilla’s smile grew even wider, her cheeks glowing. “Aww, thanks, Drew!” she gushed, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

Drew smiled back, resting his head gently on top of hers.

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“The least like?” Madison repeated. “Drew.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t usually choke his family,” Jonathan joked.

“To the best of my knowledge,” Tatum added, laughing. “I mean, we don’t know what happens in his free time.”

“I feel like Rudy and Tatum are the most like their characters,” Carlacia said.

“Yeah, Rudy’s a lot like JJ,” Jonathan agreed, nodding.

“And Tatum is like AJ in the sense that she’s kinda crazy,” JD teased.

Tatum whipped her head toward him, raising a brow. “In what way?”

JD smirked. “In the way that, if anyone in this cast could commit a murder, robbery, or go on an actual treasure hunt, it’d be you. You don’t give yourself enough credit, but you’re super spontaneous and adventurous.”

“Aww, thank you, JD!” Tatum exclaimed, reaching over to grab his cheeks and squish them together. JD didn’t resist, instead shooting the camera a tired look as everyone laughed.

“I agree,” Madison added. “If anyone could pull off what the Pogues do in real life, it’d be Tatum, Rudy, and Kai.”

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"If you suddenly became rich after finding treasure, what’s the first thing you’d spend your newfound wealth on?"

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“Probably get a cat,” Chase said without hesitation, keeping his focus on the kitten next to him.

“Yeah,” Drew nodded, leaning back on his hands as the kitten in his lap nuzzled against him. Pricilla, who was leaning against his shoulder, played with a kitten of her own.

“Probably a cat. Or multiple cats. Maybe with a purple backdrop,” Chase added with a straight face, causing Drew to chuckle.

“A couple of friends,” Drew joked, smirking.

“Yeah, a couple of friends,” Chase repeated, matching his energy.

“Such dad humor,” Malcom said, shaking his head as he laughed.

“They’re getting up there, Malcom. Don’t make fun of the aging men,” Pricilla chimed in, grinning.

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“Look at the cat couple over here,” Carlacia said, pointing to Tatum and JD, who were absolutely swarmed by kittens.

Jonathan was holding two kittens while entertaining two more. Tatum, with one tucked into her shoulder, patted the kittens in her lap as another batted at her red boots.

“I’m pissed,” Madison said sarcastically, making everyone laugh.

“What do you have, like, catnip in your pockets?” she asked, reaching over to pretend to check JD’s coat.

“He probably does,” Carlacia teased.

“I actually rubbed myself down with it this morning,” Tatum joked. “This was all part of my plan. JD just got caught in the crossfire of my scheming.”

“This is exactly what we mean when we say you’re a little bit crazy,” Kai added, chuckling,, causing Tatum to gape at him.

“I was obviously joking, Kai.” She whined.

“This is such a scam,” Madison muttered, laughing along with the rest.

“I’d build a bat cave,” JD stated seriously, not caring for the other commentary as he answered the question looking straight into the camera. “I’ve said this before. If I was that rich, I’d fight crime.”

“I’d be your Joker,” Tatum said without missing a beat. “That way, you’d always have a villain to fight and stay employed. I’d make sure to do the craziest things.”

JD smiled at her, his eyes softening. “Are you guys seeing it now? The craziness? Are you getting it?” he asked, pointing to the camera.

Tatum gaped at him dramatically. “I’m doing this for you, JD. So you can achieve your ultimate dream,” she said with mock indignation. “I need to go somewhere my creative ideas are appreciated.”

“They’re appreciated here, TT,” JD said softly, making her smile.

“I was dead serious by the way. If you become a hero, I become the villain.”

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“I’d open an Outer Banks-themed treasure hunt amusement park,” Malcom said, shrugging. “No, I will not expand further,” he added, cutting off the group’s laughter before they could even ask.

“I’d build a garden back home,” Charlie said. “We already have a garden, but I mean, like, a full farm with animals and fruit. I want bears, deer, moose—”

“You’d have to go to Alaska for that,” Drew interrupted with a chuckle. “I don’t think they sell those in Hawaii.”

“I know! That’s why I want them.” Charlie slightly grinned, stealing a quick glance at the Alaskan actor. “I’d love to, but I’m not used to the cold. I am from an island, after all,” She said with a teasing smile.

Rudy looked down, a faint smile tugging at his lips before he quickly erased it.

“I’d produce, direct, and film my own movies or shows,” Pricilla added with a casual shrug.

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“What’s your most useless talent?”

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“Making a fart noice with my mouth.” Chase answered. “Well, Rudy, that’s yours probably.” He nodded over at him. Rudy, who was laid all the way out, his head on the floor, let off a few fart sounds. Charlie covered her mouth as she tried to hold in her laugh at such an immature gesture. Pricilla looked over at her, pointing her way. “She laughs at everything.” She told the camera.

“That’s actually how Rudy and I find each other on set.” Chase said, causing Rudy to laugh. “It’s true.”

“And I’m not lying, yeah. It’s like one little…it’s our bird call.” He continued to explain.

“Is that loud enough?” Drew asked, genuinely curious.

“It can get loud.” Rudy said.

“Mine would probably be the amount of times I can dye my hair without it getting damaged.” Malcom said. “I also can do many patterns on it, as well.” He said. “So useless, bit, I like that I can do it.”

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“I got, like, a bunch of useless knowledge in my brain.” Jonathan said. “A bunch of facts that, like, don’t matter. Will never come up in conversation unless I’m taking to Tatum.” He gestured over at her, the girl smiling at the camera at the mention of her name. “I know a bunch of, like, voice actors who worked on this animated movie years ago. I’ll just know that and I’m like, ‘That doesn’t help me.’”

“Unless it’s trivia night.” Tatum added.

“I wish I made space for, like, important stuff. Like, how to do my own taxes.” He chortled.

“I’m sort of the same.” Tatiana began. “But mine isn’t more so random facts, I just know a lot of biology and history. My two favorite subjects growing up, and I minored in Biology in college, so I just know a lot of facts about either. And I love talking about them.” She said before a grin made its way into her face as she leaned in some. “And let me tell you this, guys love it when you nerd out on subject’s like that.” She winked. JD glanced over at her, a not so amused look in his eye. Tatum looked at him, a small grin on her face. “What?” She asked softly. JD just nodded at her, a small smirk on his face. Tatum looked away from him.

“Non of my talents are useless.” Kai said. “I’m a jack of all trades.” He shrugged.

“Mines is escape rooms.” Madison said. “Really good at escaping rooms.”

“Yeah, we crush an escape room.” Tatum nodded.

“That’s not useless.” Kai said. “What’s happens if we need to, like, get out of a room?” He questioned, casing Madison to grin. “You’re there and we’re good.”

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“What’s one storyline from Season4: Part 1 that shocked you to your core after reading the script.”

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“One I can’t talk about.” Chase said.

“Same.” Charlie said softly, looking down.

“Dad.” Rudy stated.

“Dad.” Drew nodded. “Yeah, that one.” He said. “That’s one shocked me to my core.”

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“What’s something that shocked you from part one bro?” Jonathan asked the black cat in Tatum’s lap. “Yeah, answer the question please.” Madison added. Tatum watched them both pause as they waisted on an answer they’ll never get.

“Yeah.” Jonathan begun. “That Terrance thing. Terrance dying.” He nodded as he leaned over, placing the cat on his shoulder, causing the creature to crawl onto his back.

“I mean, I obviously never expected them to put, knowingly put, the not strongest swimmer very far underwater with some of the best swimmers we have.” Madison said as she gestured to Kai. “The scuba diving was very shocking.”

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“Who in your contacts would answer immediately if you FaceTimed them right now?”

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“Madison.” Tatum said, causing the girl next to her to laugh. “Madison, JD and Pricilla answer all my calls.” The girl continued. “I can’t name one time I called and they didn’t answer. Especially Pricilla—she will answer the phone in the middle of a doctor’s appointment.”

“Yeah, we are for sure the answerers of the phone.” Madison said as she gestured between her and JD.

“Okay, well, let’s narrow it down to famous people.” Jonathan said as he looked over at all of them. “What famous friends do you have in your phone that would answer right now?” He asked. They all made a face of thought.

“Well, that’s the thing, famous people don’t answer the phone.” Madison whined, causing them to laugh.

“They don’t.” JD said. “That’s why I would say Bijon but I think they’re practicing.” He said.

“Probably Toni.” Madison answered. “Toni Gentry.” She said. “She’d answer if I called right now.”

“As crazy as it sounds, mine would probably be John Cena.” Kai chuckled, causing them to all laugh. “From all the people I’ve worked with, I think he’s the most famous and he would definitely pick up the phone. Maybe even give me some advice.” He nodded.

“That’s so cool.” Tatum said with a grin. “That’s sick. Uhh, for me, out of all the people I’ve gotten to know working on different projects, I would say either Ayo Edebiri or, shockingly enough, Ke Huy Quan.” She said.

“That is an insane pair.” Kai laughed.

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“Not Drew.” Chase said as he looked over at him. “Cause you’re busy.”

“Yeah, I’ve been getting better though.” The blonde said. “But, uh, right now? Pricilla definitely.” He stated. “You probably.” He told Chase. “You’re pretty immediate.”

“Yeah, I try to be.”

“Well I’ll say definitely not Drew.” Pricilla stated, cradling the ginger cat in her arms like a baby. Drew looked over at her, shocked. “What?” He asked, causing the girl to look at him. “How could you say that?”

“I mean, you just agreed with Chase.” She said. “Plus, if I weren’t on set with you, I’d never hear from you Starkey.”

“Now, that is not true.” He told her. “You know that’s not true. I answer your calls.” He said firmly. Charlie furrowed her brows as she looked between them before shooting a quick glance at the camera and then down at the animals in her arms.

“Yes it is, Drew. I send you funny videos all the time and you never respond.” She said, a small pout forming on her lips as she looked at him. “I respond to them when I can. But I answer your calls, you can’t say never. Maybe not all the time, but not never.” He said, pointing a finger at her. “I’m a busy guy, I have to answer when I can.” He shrugged.

“I answer whenever.” Pricilla said, giving him a sassy look before looking away from him. Drew chortled as he tongued his cheek, a smirk on his face as he looked at the back of her head. “Okay, I’ll do better.” He said, still leaning back in his hands as he waited her fork from the back. “I’ll answer even if I’m on the toilet.” The rest of the group laughed while Pricilla just nodded. “Good.” She said, not sparing a glance his way even though she could feel his eyes on the exposed skin of her shoulders.

“I would call by dear friend Sophie Wilde and make fun of her accent.” Pricilla stated. They nodded at that, the premise seeming pretty sound to them.

“Mine would be Glenn Powell.” Malcom said, aging nods form the rest of them. “He’s pretty good with answering the phone. I mainly just call to talk to his dog nowadays though.” He shrugged.

“That so real.” Charlie said. “Mine is kind of out of the blue but I’d call Billie Eillish.” She said, gaining confused and perplexed looks from the rest of the cast. “And I say that because she’s the only other famous person I know outside of the cast and I met her thought some friends of mine.” She said.

“When was this and where was I?” Pricilla asked.

“Rolling Loud.” She said. “We snuck into the pit for the Lana Del Rey she was near us.”

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What’s your biggest ick?

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“If you don’t have a sense of humor,” Jonathan said. “Like, a dry one? It’s not an ick exactly, but if I’m making a joke and you don’t laugh, it’s awkward. And if I have to explain it? No thanks.”

“That’s kind of like mine,” Kai added bluntly. “But just…stupid people.” The group burst into laughter. “I cannot be with someone who dumber than me and I don’t care how rude or vain I sound. We have to be able to have conversations about everything, even if we just learned the subject. We could be taking about the, fucking, lifespan of a jellyfish, you better keep up.”

“Strict rules over here,” Madison joked, pretending to nervously scratch her neck.

“Yeah,” Kai nodded, staring directly at the camera. “Strict.”

“Mine is classist people,” Tatum said. “Elitists. I hate that. Coming from a self-proclaimed bougie bitch, it’s the worst. Especially in this industry—it’s everywhere. The best way to deal with them? Ignore them. They hate it when you don’t give them a reaction.”

Madison snapped her fingers. “Okay, Professor!” she teased, making everyone laugh.

“But a real ick?” Tatum continued. “Dirty fingernails. Or seeing a guy’s butt crack when he’s getting out of the car.”

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“Food in the teeth, maybe?” Rudy suggested, softly petting a kitten in his lap. “Oh, or if you don’t like animals.”

“Yeah, that’s a huge ick,” Drew agreed. “If you don’t like animals, get outta here.”

“Mine is people being rude to service workers,” Drew added.

Pricilla nodded. “Mine would be people not understanding my interests and making me feel bad for them.” Pricilla began. “Or I would say people who don’t care to entertain my interests but want a deeper relationship with me, if that makes any sense.” She said softly, looking over at her friends.

“It does.” Drew reassured while Charlie nodded. “Okay, yeah.” Pricilla nodded. “Because I’m a big movie person but really in the technical sense, such as camera work and coming and if I can’t talk a bit it with you, I don’t think we should be speaking.” She said.

“I get that,” Charlie said, balancing a kitten on her head. “I’m a farm girl. I do messy work, and I hate when people make me feel bad about it. Like, as if what I do is gross or boring. Like, it can be sometimes but that doesn’t mean I am, you know?”

“I’d say unhygienic people,” Malcolm chimed in. “I’m a germaphobe, so the idea of someone dirty touching me, is enough to make me vomit.”

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If you could guest star in any series—currently airing or not, which would it be?

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“I’m digging The Rings of Power, right now,” Drew said, him and the other guys lounging on the backdrop while the sat up anplayed with kittens. “It’d be cool to hang out in Middle Earth for a day.”

“Ooh, that’s a good one!” Charlie exclaimed. “Mine would be It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Or How I Met Your Mother.” Rudy hummed, looking at her. “Those are nice.” He said, having a quickly glance at the girl.

“House of the Dragon,” Pricilla said with a sly smile at the camera. “I love that universe and I love Baela and Rhaena Targaryen..”

“I was going to say that too,” Malcolm laughed, a kitten climbing onto his chest. “I already have the white hair—I could totally be a Velaryon!”

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“White Lotus,” Madison said with a knowing grin at Tatum, who tried to hide her smile.

“Oh my gosh, yes! Absolutely White Lotus,” Carlacia agreed, then teased the audience. “Stay tuned.” The group laughed, knowing Tatum was set to appear in the next season. “Black Mirror,” She continued to list before all the attention went to the cat the dropped into the purple floor from JD’s hands.

“Uh, Atlanta.” He answered casually, not giving the kitten a second thought. “I’d want to be in Atlanta.”

“Jonathan Davis!” Madison said, placing her hands on her forehead in distress.

“I didn’t do it; he jumped,” JD defended himself.

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” Carlacia continued as JD, Madison, and Tatum watched the kitten dart back and forth.

“He’s just like me for real.” Tatum sighed.

“Insecure,” Kai added. Carlacia gave him a look.

“What? It’s hilarious,” he said with a laugh. Laci nodded, smirking at him. “I know that’s right.”

“Abbott Elementary,” Tatum said, earning hums of agreement from the group.

“Wait,” Kai said, leaning closer. “Weren’t you already in that?”

Tatum nodded. “Yeah, I played a student teacher-slash-substitute in season one, but I want to be a series regular.”

“Damn, girl, you get around,” Madison teased as the group chuckled.

“What can I say? I don’t stay in one place long. Gotta pay the bills somehow!” Tatum quipped with a smirk.

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What’s was your favorite stunt for film this season?

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The Enduro,” Chase stated.

“Yeah, the Enduro race—everything with the dirt bikes,” Drew clarified.

“Besides the running-from-bad-guys and the effects-heavy scenes, the only girl who gets a lot of stunts this season is Tatum,” Pricilla said. “And Charlie with the surfing scenes—those were all her. She shreds huge waves, but they didn’t focus on that much this season.” She laughed. “Honestly, my character doesn’t do much anyways.”

“Oh, I did have the scuba scene this season,” Charlie said with a grin. ““With Kai, Madison and Rudy.” She said, the words foreign on her tongue using them in this setting. “That was kind of crazy. It’s wasn’t anything I haven’t die before but it’s been a long while.” She explained, making sure to keep her eyes away from blue eyed blonde away from her. “AJ is the one doing the crazy shit this season.”

“Yeah, Tatum went wild this season,” Malcolm added. “But my favorite stunt was the dirt bike scene when Cleo called Twitch. I could’ve had a stunt double, but that was one of my only big action moment this season, so I wanted to go all in.”

“Same here,” Rudy said. “My favorite stunt was the Enduro. We shit that over a week and all the stunt guys were amazing and the extras were even just as amazing.” Rudy explained as he rubbed his finger against the head of the napping calico on his chest. Drew pointed at the small animal as he stated laughing. “Bro, this guy is cracking me up,” He laughed, turning everyone's attention to the relaxed feline.

“Leave Rosen Cranz alone!” Rudy protested.

“Dude hasn’t moved an inch,” Drew chuckled. “Looks like he’s been through a lot today.”

“We have the same hair,” Rudy said. Charlie laughed, looking between the cat and his own messy hair. “I need a picture of this,” She said, but then realized she didn’t have her phone on her.

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“Scuba for me,” Madison said, while JD tried to stop the fighting kittens in his hands. “Hey hey. Knock it off.” He told them firmly. “Knot it off. Stop. I’m not playing with yall anymore.”

“It was much for fun in a pool where we filmed it than or acting in the ocean, which was very scary.” Madison stated before her attention darted to the male next to her who was writing the kittens. “And guess who it is. Look who it is.” Madison said, pointing at the Tabby cat. “He’s an instigator.” Tatum said disappointedly. “Just like me, for real.” Carlacia stopped what she was about to say to let out a small chuckle.

“Boating,” Laci said, looking into the camera. “I learned how to boat this year.” She looked around at the group. Kai was about to speak when everyone stopped and stared at JD’s kitten, which had just hit the floor again.

“What do you keep doing that for?” Laci asked desperately, while Tatum shook her head. “Someone call PETA,” she sighed, throwing her hands up.

Kai laughed, hiding his face in his hands. Tatum joined him in laughter. “My favorite stunt… I don’t think I can talk about it yet,” She said. “But AJ really handles business this season. She shows the Pouges and Rafe that she’s not to be messed with.” She smirked at the camera. “I love fight scenes.”

“You liked those better than the dirt bike scenes? The Enduro?” JD asked, looking back at her.

Tatum thought for a moment. “Hmm... I think so.” She nodded. “The Enduro was good. I liked at AJ was the only girl out there. And I liked that we’re seeing more of her dark side and how the weight of her mother’s lie is still on her shoulder’s and how it’s affecting her. The Enduro scene was more than a stunt to me, it was more of a look into AJ’s, new psyche, if you will.” She explained. “The other scene was pure adrenaline, though.”

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Who was your celebrity crush growing up?

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“Halle Berry,” Chase said.

“Yeah,” Drew nodded, along with Malcolm.

“Nia Long, Lisa Bonet, Aaliyah, Cameron Diaz in The Mask,” Malcolm listed. “Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman—is that the name of that the move?…” Be questioned himself at the end.

“Robin Williams,” Rudy said, looking into the camera. “I love you, Robin,” he added with a chuckle. “Had a huge crush on him.”

“Mine was Anakin Skywalker,” Pricilla said. “I’m still in love with Hayden Christensen.” She smiled sweetly.

“Mine was the nerd from The Breakfast Club,” Charlie said. “The cute blonde with the braces. He was also in Sixteen Candles and Weird Science—I loved him in Weird Science. Such a cute but hot geek.” She gushed. “Also, SodaPop Curtis from The Outsiders.”

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“Maybe Halle Berry?” JD said, glancing between them. “No, I mean definitely Halle Berry.”

“Oh, 100% Halle Berry,” Kai agreed. “Catwoman, The Flintstones, and Storm.”

“Some of mine were Salma Hayek, Angela Bassett, Lucy Liu, Devon Aoki, Jessica Alba—especially in Honey—and Kerry Washington,” He added.

Tatum nodded. “A cultured man. Exquisite taste, my friend,” she said, causing Kai to smile.

“Zach and Cody?” Madison asked uncertainly.

“Zach and Cody? That’s crazy,” Kai laughed.

“Right? Zach and Cody?” JD said, amused.

“Not you wanting both of them now.” Tatum teased, causing girls cackled. “I ain’t mad at you, though. I get it.”

“The Cheetah Girls?” JD suggested. “Celebrity crush, all of them.”

Tatum jerked her head back. “Uh-oh, not you too,” she said, chuckling. “I wanted to be them so bad, though.” She groaned.

“I wanted to be them and with them, and I had no idea,” Madison added with a laugh.

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“JD, has two on the lap, one in the chamber.” Tatum said as she gestured to the kittens roaming the boys body. “He’s got one hiding bending his coat.” She cooed, moving the boys jacket as she peeked in to look at the rest kitten.

“I’m just busting like that.” He bragged, causing Tatum to groan. “Oh brother.” She sighed, causing them all to groan.

“Stop being a hater, Tee.”

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“If you want to adopt any of these adorable and lovely kittens, you can go over to FriendsofNorman!” Pricilla said as she held two kitten in each hand.

“You guys better hurry and get there before I do.” Charlie said as she cradled the ginger kitten to her face. “Because this one is coming home with me. And maybe the black one and the calico.” She said before kissing the top of the orange cats head.

Pricilla gasped. “OMG, you’re adopting him?” She gushed while Charlie nodded.

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“Thanks, Buzzfeed!” Tatum said sweetly as she waved at the camera. She then picked up the black kitten from her lap and made it wave its tiny paw. “Thanks, Buzzfeed!” She said again with a large smile. She sighed before placing the kitten back down. “Should I adopt a kitten guys?” She asked them, but her eyes went to JD.

“No.” He told her. Tatum smacked her lips before letting out a sad sigh. “I’m convincing someone to adopt all of these kitten.” She mumbled to herself. “Y’all ain’t seen crazy yet, watch me.” She said.

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