#I hope one day we get to see that audition tape

[elegantwoes]

The fact that Olivia Cooke got the role of Alicent Hightower by acting a scene of Cersei in her audition will forever be my Roman Empire.

[restinslices]

Kinktober Day 1 - Pegging & Sex Tape

Johnny Cage X Female!Reader

Word Count: 2019

Summary: Johnny’s acting career hasn’t been going the best, so you decide to make a different type of movie with him

CW: Pegging, sex tape, feminization, mommy kink, fingering (male receiving), Johnny is a soft sub, reader a lil mean

A/N: Hey y'all! I typically post drabble smut or headcanons so I'm a lil rusty but we'll use this as practice. See y'all tomorrow! Hope y'all enjoy! MINORS DNI

Times had been hard on your pretty boy. He could try to use all his acting skills to pretend to be his happy and normal self, but it'd never work on you. 

You could understand why his spirits had been so low. Everything around him began shrinking - his starlight, the amount of money he had, his social circle, his following, everything. He was forced to watch as everyone started to slowly forget about him. 

He had tried everything. He auditioned for practically every role his manager could find for him. He posted on social media, participated in trends, lowered his standards when it came to scripts, he was trying anything he could think of to extend his fifteen minutes.

He hadn’t thought of everything though. That was okay. That’s where you came in.

“We should just make a sex tape” you suggested while you two cuddled one night. “Then we can pretend it got leaked. Celebrities do it all the time. You really think all of those leaks are accidents? Yeah right! It’ll put a spotlight on your name. If all else fails, maybe people will pay to see you naked”.

Johnny didn’t need much convincing. He even came up with using one of his phones rather than an actual good camera. Said it would look authentic. Would make the “leak” more realistic. 

That’s what you kept thinking of as you stretched him with your fingers. “How'd I get such a filthy slut like you, hm?”. His back pressed against your bare chest, his hands holding his legs apart, giving the camera the full view of his erection and your two fingers moving in and out of his hole. 

“Luck?” he joked. Of course he had some smart comment to say. Wouldn't be him if he didn't. His head fell back in response to your fingers making a scissoring motion, a low whine passing his lips. 

A thought crossed your mind. A thought that gave you full confidence that this “accidental leak” would go exactly as planned. “Look at the camera baby”, but Johnny always had a problem with following instructions. That was fine. The longer this went on, the better. 

You feigned a disappointed sigh as you pulled your two fingers out of his hole, your arousal growing when Johnny sent the most pathetic look your way. And this was the man that convinced Hollywood he was some big shot playboy? No wonder he was an actor. It took real skill to lie like he did. “Why'd-”. 

“I said look at the camera and you ignored me. Your brain shouldn't be all that mushy yet. I only got two fingers inside you”. 

Gods, he was so cute and pitiful. The way he turned in your lap, his legs straddling you, hands resting on your shoulders. “I’m sorry” his bottom lip poked out, making you roll your eyes and push him off you. 

“I'm not sure I even wanna fuck you anymore, Johnny”. 

A complete and utter lie. Your desire to see him fall apart on your strap was still strong, but denial would add more intrigue to the video. “If you're not listening to me, maybe that's your way of saying you don't want me”. 

His head shook, concerned eyes following you as you got to your feet. “I do need you. I want you”. 

“Yeah?”. His serious tone made your heart squeeze a little bit, and you wondered if maybe you should've whispered in his ear that you were only playing before you got up. Too late now. He'd catch up. “You want me to make you feel good?”. He nodded several times, getting to his knees and placing his hands on his thighs, ignoring his needy cock. 

You motioned towards the phone, which watched like some sad pervert. “Tell the camera how bad you need me”. You let out a sigh of relief internally when you saw a look of realization cross his face. Realization, then a look of mischief. 

He took his middle and ring fingers in his mouth, swirling his tongue around them as he looked over at the camera pointed at him. A trail of spit followed his fingers out his mouth, “I need it really bad”. 

“It?”. 

“You”. His fingers circled his hole slowly before he slipped them in, making him let out a breath. “Fuck- I need you to fuck me. Need you to stretch my pussy open”, his breath matched his fingers, which started to speed up. “Don't you wanna stretch my pussy open, mommy? Please-”, his breath hitched when he added another finger. “My fingers aren't enough. Please. Please. I'll listen”. 

You tsked, trying to hide how badly you wanted him. “Keep talking” you instructed. “Can't stay mad at you”. 

Johnny practically rode his fingers. He meant it when he said his fingers weren't enough. They never were. He curled all three fingers inside him, and while that felt good, he needed more. “I need to feel your dick hit that spot inside my pussy. Wanna be under you” he said in between breaths. His free hand gripped one of his pecs, “touch me everywhere. I'll be good. I will”. The rough pad of his thumb rubbed against his nipple, trying to mimic how you'd touch him. Once again it was pleasurable, but he needed you to be the one to do it. “Please…” he added a fourth finger, making him arch in his own touch. “Please hurry. I can't cum if you're not fucking me. My clit needs you so bad” the words came out whiney, full of desperation. His hand moved from his pec, going down his torso until he reached his dick. He wrapped his hand around himself, shuddering when his thumb swiped against his slit. “Shit- I'm ready! Can't you see I'm ready?”. 

He opened his mouth to let another plea fall from his lips, but all that came out was a groan when he felt you grip his hair and tug his head back. 

You looked down at him, watching as he worked his fingers inside his ass and around his dick. “Ple-” his words were cut short when his eyes finally landed on the pink dildo attached to you, wide in girth with an average length. And of course because Johnny was your good and desperate boy, he didn't need to be told that he needed to get you wet. 

He whined at the loss of contact, but knowing he'd finally be getting what he wanted made him spit in both his hands and wrap it around the rubber cock. His hands pulled and twisted around it, taking pleasure in the way your nails scratched his scalp. 

“Good boy” you cooed in response to him taking you all the way in his mouth. His eagerness showed in the way he sucked you; fast and sloppy. Spit dripped from the sides of his mouth, and the sounds of his moans mixed in with gags filled your ears. And as his eyes remained on yours, you couldn't help but wish that the dick attached to you was real. Maybe someone could magic it or something. You'd ask later. 

His breathing was heavy when he finally came off you, not even bothering to wipe the spit on his chin. “Come on! I'm ready!” he whined. “Please fuck me. Haven't I been doing good?”. He moved so he was on his hands and knees, eyes on the camera. “I really really need it”. 

Who were you to deny him?

Especially when he was so cute. 

You kneeled behind him, your hands finding his hips and pulling him close. Inpatient, Johnny reached around to grab your cock and line it up with his entrance. “Johnny, did you ask?”. When he let out a whine, you laughed and squeezed his hips. “I'm just kidding, baby. Go on and don't hurt yourself”. 

Johnny only heard the first part. 

He pushed himself back, forcing himself to take all of you in one thrust. “What'd I just say?!”, he hadn't even heard you scolding him. His moan, which was borderline a scream, was far too loud. You rolled your eyes, watching as he fell to chest. “What an unfortunate consequence that didn't need to happen”. 

“I'm okay” he assured you once his breathing was back to normal. “Can you start moving please? I'm sorry”. 

“Sorry again?” You massaged his hips softly, wanting to offer him a relaxing touch. “You know what? I don't wanna hear anymore apologies, okay? Not even sure I wanna talk to you after how stubborn you've been”. You moved your hips slowly, letting him adjust. “Just talk to the camera. Think you can handle that?”. 

“Yes mommy. Feels so good already” he sighed, the pain leaving his body. “Think I'm close already” he told the camera, “her fingers felt so good. Can I cum again after this? Please?” he turned his head to look at you, earning a slap to one of his ass cheeks, making him groan. 

“Two simple rules Johnny. Talk and look at the camera”

“I'm sorry- FUCK!”

The apology died on his tongue when he felt you pull all the way out then slam back into him. It hurt like hell, but the pleasure it brought him was more intense. His eyes returned back to the perverted camera, but your thrusts remained the same - pulling out slowly then slamming your cock back inside him. 

Once, twice, a few more times later and he felt the knot inside him unravel, cum painting the sheets under him. 

He couldn't cum once and be satisfied, no. His balls still felt full. You still felt too good inside him. But in the same breath, he didn't want you to think he was misbehaving again and be upset with him. 

“Something wrong, baby?” You asked, noticing the tension in his shoulders. You placed a kiss to one, “you feel okay?”. He mumbled some lie about being tired, but you could see straight through it. “Tell me what's on your mind”. 

Johnny, the guy who was known to take hardly anything serious, had the softest sounding voice when he finally asked “are you really mad at me?”. 

You shook your head before placing another kiss on his shoulder, then pecking him on the lips. “I'm not mad at you, babe. You think I'm actually upset with you?”. 

“I wanna cum again… but I didn't wanna ask if you were mad at me”. 

“You wanna cum again?” You asked with a chuckle. Your fingers found one of his nipples, twisting it with your pointer and thumb. Maybe he felt particularly sensitive because of all that was going on in life. Or maybe you were being a bit too harsh. Maybe both. Either way, you could make him feel better. 

Your lips found his, initiating a sloppy open mouth kiss, while your other hand moved from his hips to his other pec. 

Your tongue explored his mouth, swallowing his moans as you started thrusting in him again. This time, you gave him exactly what he wanted. 

Your chest laid against his, letting you be closer to him while you fucked into him, your pace much faster than it was before. “Just- ah! L-like that! Right there!” his moans came out loud and he did nothing to silence them. 

He could feel that special spot inside him being hit repeatedly. He could feel your hands squeeze his pecs and your lips attacking his neck. Everything felt amazing. He wrapped his hand around the tip of cock, making him fuck his hand with every thrust you gave to him. 

“Oh fuck! Mommy!”. 

He imagined himself fisting his cock while watching the video back, and that excited him more. Then there was the thought that other people would get off to this… 

He was such an attention whore. 

“Mommy! Yes!” his chest heaved, feeling himself getting close again. “I love mommy's cock!”. 

His eyes rolled back when he felt you lick a stripe up his neck where you sucked and bit marks into his skin, “yeah?”. 

“Yesyesyes! Fuck! Ah! Mommy fucks my pussy so good! So fucking good! I'm gonna cum again! Gonna make another mess!”. 

The pressure kept building and building until finally it collapsed. He let out a cry, followed by ropes of cum joining his previous orgasm under him. 

You slowed inside him, capturing his lips in another kiss. This one slower and patient. “My good boy” you whispered against his lips. “I bet you look very pretty on camera”. 

Johnny chuckled then pecked your lips, his pleasure being replaced by exhaustion. “You think that was good?”. 

“I think it was perfect”

[thestarlightforge]

Why “I’m Billy Maximoff” Mattered to Me — A Queer Disabled Person’s Journal

10/17/24

***

Call it silly if you like. But I feel actually healed. Because these stories, they’re not just “superheroes”—they’re modern mythology. They’re how we teach each other and our children who deserves a place in the world.

When I watched WandaVision, like a lot of people, I identified with Wanda’s grief/depression/trauma journeys. And of course saw myself in the queer kids she gave a loving home, more so the more Young Avengers books I read. But with the WandaVision versions of Billy and Tommy in particular—more so even than the comic books—I also read into it the disability/childhood terminal illness allegory. It’s something on Schaeffer’s mind while writing them—leaked audition tapes from actors not cast as the boys revealed as much—even if it didn’t occur to all the viewers.

But I wasn’t supposed to live, either. Wasn’t even supposed to be born.

I don’t talk about it a lot because it’s hard to talk about. But when my mom was pregnant with me, doctors in Tennessee (pro-life peons they claim to be; it’s all an act) tried to get my parents to late term abort me, all because of a genetic condition they suspected I had—which I don’t even have lol, turns out I had a different handful of impairments, but anyways. A lot of people with the genetic conditions I DO have die within two hours of being born. My whole childhood was spent ducking in and out of hospitals, I had eleven major surgeries and almost died a dozen or so times before I turned twenty… I am so pro-choice it’s insane, but I was one of the “inspiration porn” kids that white, southern Republicans used in their crusades, screaming their “pro-life” BS at the Democrats who gave MY mom the right to choose my life.

I know. It’s WILD.

All that to say, though: It hit me in a particular place when Wanda married her trans husband, had queer kids who the entire world screamed at her (either weren’t real or) shouldn’t have been allowed to live, and then believed in them and loved them. With her everything. Thanked her queer, disabled kids for the honor, for choosing her to be their mom. (And Multiverse of Madness asked us to hate her. It baffles me to this day.) She didn't give up on them, did everything in her power to rescue them on the faintest hope they had survived (calling out for help in the Darkhold), even as some of the most powerful mages on SEVERAL worlds gaslit her for years... And when the gaslighters finally convinced her they were right, she destroyed the artifact that could be used to hurt anyone like her boys ever again.

For years, since Schaeffer had to relinquish creative control to the Multiverse of Madness team, I have felt that “the only creator amongst my favorite stories who feels like I belong has had to let us go, and the people who follow her don’t even believe we deserve a chance… we’re crazy, imaginary, and the world is better off without us.”

A slam-the-door narrative, Doctor Pandemonium & Avengers: Disassembled come again, the likes of which Byrne & Bendis would be proud.

But Agatha is an anti-hero/anti-villain story about ALL misunderstood, outcast people who deserve a second chance, no matter what the world may think.

The fact that Billy’s story in the MCU is now a meta-commentary on that publication history narrative… That Schaeffer took the episode to say, “I don’t know how many times or in how many different ways I’m gonna have to spell this out for y’all, but Wanda’s kids are HERS. They are and were REAL. They have their OWN SOULS and they BOTH DESERVE to FIND THEMSELVES and FIND LOVE and LIVE.”

I can’t think of a better way to have honored us. 💙

“It’s nice to see you again, Billy” 😭

(for the record, Agatha saying this totally genuine and with tears in her eyes—she will never be a villain to me, not ever again 💜🖤)

Thank y’all for listening. ❤️

This one’s for Tommy 🥹💚

[katyawriteswhump]

the freak in the penthouse: the end!

E-rated (for sexual content), accidental millionaire eddie/sex-worker steve. On tumblr: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3.1 Part 3.2 Part 4.1 Part 4.2 Part 5.1 Part 5.2 Part 6.1 Part 6.2 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 or search #thefreakinthepenthouse :) On AO3

Chapter 18: Epilogue (2/2) and Happily Ever After

They passed through the hotel lobby, grinning like lovestruck morons, lost in each other’s eyes.

Odd couple didn’t even faintly capture it. Eddie was, of course, wearing a thrash metal t-shirt and a bellhop hat, while Steve sported a thousand-dollar designer suit. If they got any judgmental looks, Eddie didn’t notice any more than he cared. To these high society jerks, he might look like a flat-broke stoner. Joke on them was that the credit card Eddie had slammed on the counter was well in the black.

Vecna’s Doom Quest II had been a blockbuster hit. While he’d paid all his early royalties back to Dustin, Suzie and their charitable trusts, he and Steve had plenty of cash left over for them to live a lifestyle that… wasn’t beyond their wildest dreams, actually. So far, and with the exception of the harrowing court cases, it’d been quiet and domestic and just kinda nice.

When they approached the revolving door, Steve reached out and squeezed Eddie’s hand. Steve was always super-vigilant, looking out for him, when they were out and about in crowded places. Occasionally, Eddie also worried they were getting too responsible and middle-aged before their time.

Or maybe not.  

When they finally got back to their rented apartment, there were six messages on the answerphone:

“Dude, pick up!” Gareth whined, on the full-to-bursting tape. “Jeff’s van’s totally busted, so we’re gonna fly down and practice on your gear at the apartment. You better be ready, man.”

Ooookay. Quiet domesticity was about to be shattered.

Eddie had finally persuaded Corroded Coffin to get back together. While he army-crawled his way toward the challenge of performing live again, they’d recorded a demo and scattered-gunned it all over LA. Next week they’d gotten their first actual audition, with a lowkey Indie label.

Now, Eddie grimaced, while Steve made a beeline for the galley kitchen. While Eddie was pumped for the audition, he’d hoped they’d have a day or so more to themselves.

“Better order several crates of beer in,” muttered Steve, pausing to kick a stray drumstick out of his path. He dumped a paper bag of snaffled pastries from the hotel kitchen. “I got first dibs on the leftover cinnamon buns, before your crew eat us out of house and fucking home.”

“Look, I know you said you were fine with the band crashing here,” said Eddie, pursuing Steve across the barely visible linoleum, “you sure about that?”

“I do technically own a hotel for a few more hours.” Steve chugged back some Diet Coke then shrugged. “This place is already cluttered with your shit. I can rarely find middle C on my keyboard, so I don’t see what difference a few more sweaty bodies is gonna make, and… I get it, Eddie. If you guys wanna be real again, or whatever, capture the right vibes, you need to get back to those grass roots.”

As long as nobody smokes grass in my Babe’s apartment. Eddie wasn’t going to say that out loud, because Steve would bristle. Eddie would quietly enforce it anyway.

“Okay, feel free to change your mind,” he said. “They piss us off, I’m sure Robin can store them in your old linen closet, or something.”

Steve snickered, but genuinely seemed chill about it. In fact, his smirk segued into a grin, one hand snaking around to find that strategically placed rip in Eddie’s jeans—so yeah, basically groping Eddie’s butt-cheek. “We better make the most of our privacy, right?” he purred.

Eddie stalled only to plop back on the bellhop hat, which he’d still gotten clutched in one sweaty paw: “Your wish is my command.”

“Jesus, will you drop that shit?” Steve’s grip on Eddie’s ass tightened, and he smacked his lips to Eddie’s in an inarguably hungry kiss.

…

Steve couldn’t ever get enough of kissing Eddie. He couldn’t ever get enough of their life together.

Today, Eddie tasted of coffee and almond pastries and of… yeah, that uniquely awesome taste of Eddie. Kissing him set off the sappiest lyrics wailing in Steve’s ears. He was only sorry, as he backed Eddie out of the kitchen and toward the bedroom, that they’d not gotten Corroded Coffin’s ‘Fire Shroud’ demo blasting from the beatbox. Steve, basically, had Bryan Adams on a hell-loop: ‘You know it's truuuue, Everything I dooooo, I do it for yooooou!’

On the other hand, it was so good to have music as his happy place again.

Before, he’d hardly been able to endure songs he once loved. The feelings that they’d triggered, and the avalanche of memories, had been too overwhelming. Once he’d learned the truth about his parents, he’d been able to grieve at last. To finally move on, knowing they’d done their best to look out for him after all. It wasn’t their fault—nor his, really—that he’d been conned.

He even conceded that Extreme cover of ‘Love of my Life’ was passable. But only after he made Eddie sing the original Queen harmonies—as many as one guy could—while he was belting it out on his other new beloved, his Yamaha keyboard.

One matter between them remained slightly off-key, though.

Eddie was still hyper-conscious about how things had started out, how he’d hired Steve as a hooker. Steve was eternally telling him that he didn’t need to ‘make amends,’ that they’d rarely been out-of-kilter in the bedroom. Eddie still needed reassurance sometimes.

Which Steve was more than willing to give.

Now, when they broke for air, Steve wedged his fingers under the chin strap of the bellhop cap. He swung Eddie around with it before shoving him down flat on their entirely normal-sized double bed. Who needed Emperor-size when you sleep best entangled in each other? Eddie didn’t snore so bad since he quit, while Steve’s asthma was pretty much under control.

Though not as much as he had a demonically grinning Eddie completely under his control. He straddled Eddie’s torso, playfully pinning Eddie’s arms either side of his head.

“I can ask for anything, right?” Steve arched over Eddie, nibbling his lips down the curve of Eddie’s throat.

“Hell, yeeeeeah,” Eddie was saying, his voice pitching toward a squeak. Steve nuzzled his thrumming voice-box and undulated on top of him, bumping and grinding against his groin.

“Let’s start with getting rid of that dumb hat.”  It was flung across the room in an instant. “Seeing as I’m gonna spend the next week being your groupie”—Steve paused to scrub his tongue up the shallow stubble on Eddie’s throat— “I want you to get totally metal on my ass. I mean, Jesus, Munson! It’s been a traumatic day. I’m not in the mood for heavy lifting.”

Then he slammed back down for another kiss, rolling and grappling and hugging and laughing, till Eddie rolled on top, pinning him instead.

“Fuuuuuck, Stevie!” Eddie now sucked Steve’s earlobe, nibbling the line of his jaw. Eddie’s hands slid down his arms, thumbing the super-sensitive arc of Steve’s elbow—Christ, when he was with Eddie, every part of his skin turned into an erogenous zone. They helped each other out of their shirts—not quite sending buttons flying nor seams ripping. Eddie really loved that Exodus t-shirt, which was limited edition and pretty much irreplaceable, while Steve had only sunk money into one premium-brand court day outfit.

“God, I love you so much,” whispered Eddie. “Have I ever told you how beautiful your body is?”

“Yeah. Every day. Never gets old… Shit, yeah… Lower… Gnng!” Eddie’s breaths blazed over Steve’s tightly sucked-in belly, while Steve gyrated up against him. Then Eddie hooked his fingers in Steve’s tailored waistband and peeled Steve’s pants down—a relief, because Steve’s erection was definitely straining plenty of stitches around there. He forgot that the instant he was freed, the pants tossed aside. Eddie took Steve’s dick in his mouth and pure liquid ecstasy overtook him.

Steve rested his head back on the feather-soft pillow, otherwise floating on thin air, all his awareness confined to the blowjob. Eddie suckled briefly, then licked his length, before seeking out that tender patch round the back of Steve’s dick that Eddie knew he loved. Like he loved when Eddie’s rough knuckles kneaded and toyed at the base of his balls. He loved how they knew each other’s desires so damn well.

“Yes, there… Christ!” Steve literally went cross-eyed with need. Nevertheless, while he knew Eddie would happily blow him and swallow every last drop of jizz, that wasn’t what Steve wanted right now:

“Hey, groupie wants his ass played with.”

“Demanding brat, aren’t you, groupie?”

Steve grinned, tightened his fist in Eddie’s hair. “Always.”

Steve rolled onto his belly, and luxuriated in Eddie’s skilled hands, playing him like a goddamn musical instrument. Okay, cliché alert, but who fucking cared? Eddie worked Steve open, slicked fingers strumming inside him, and Steve leaked precum everywhere. They’d need to change the sheets before the band arrived, or there was gonna be some real grungy stains around.

Steve, still squirming and simmering, peeped back to watch Eddie lubing his so-fucking-ready dick.  Steve was in the mood for doggy, so he pushed himself up onto his forearms and knees, keening with relief when he felt Eddie’s cock nudge along his crack. His whole frame tautened to breaking point, tight springs coiling in the base of his dick and sacs. Then he unleashed a comfortable sigh and pressed backward, the same instant Eddie jerked his hips forward and breached him.

He kinda happy sobbed, eyes watering. Oh wow. That moment of total connection… that stretching, searing, almost-too-much yumminess.

“Yes… wow… so good,” he panted.

“Damn, you feel sweet, groupie,” cooed Eddie, an arm bracing Steve’s middle, kissing Steve’s nape. Steve’s shoulders loosened a little and he adjusted to the penetration.

“Not so bad yourself, rockstar.”

Steve snatched a tight breath then exhaled again, long and hard, his body softening toward a puddle of pleasure. Apart from his dick, which was obviously screamingly hard. Screw houses with swimming pools—as far as Steve was concerned, this was Eddie’s forever home. He twisted his head to nip Eddie’s ludicrously soft, lush lips with a wet kiss.

“Metal on my ass, right?”

“Whatever you desire, my Liege.”

Eddie began to move, and so did Steve. Despite what he’d said earlier, Steve found himself totally pepped for a workout. He thrust back against Eddie, setting the rhythm at that perfect pace—fast enough to set his teeth lightly rattling, but slow enough for the drag against his prostate to absolutely set him on fire. He was just reaching for his needy dick, when Eddie beat him to it, chivalrously pumping Steve to the rhythm of their lovemaking.

Steve grinned into the pillow and let the pleasure build and crash through him. They’d melded as one, like waves on the fucking sun-kissed seashore. As Eddie surged into him, Steve crashed back.

“Stevie,” sighed Eddie, voice wavering on pained. “Dammit… Fuck, fuck… how does this just keep getting better?”

“Fuuuuck!” wailed Steve, so not in the headspace for existential discussions. He was caught between wanting this to continue forever, and the sensations getting a touch too much. His climax built in those mad waves, then rushed upon him. As he started to come, Eddie did too, deep inside him, in a series of joyful, juddering thrusts.

…

They floated happily, tangled together, through their shared post-coital high.

Steve wound up dozing with his nose buried courageously close to Eddie’s sweaty armpit. Eddie, on the other hand, wasn’t quite in the mood for a nap. He stretched out and grabbed a music mag from a pile on the bedside cabinet, causing a minor avalanche.

He leafed through, until his attention zoned in on an advertisement that made his blood jump: “Yikes.”

“What?” Steve’s muffled voice resonated through Eddie’s chest.

“Check this out, Babe. The actual owners of Jimi Hendrix’s guitar are putting it up for auction.”

“Oh. Wow.” Steve’s chin dug into Eddie’s pec as he slid his face up to see what Eddie was on about, and Eddie helped by brushing his hair from his eyes. “Well, if you reckon it’s gonna help you in the audition, maybe you should—”

“Naaaah,” said Eddie, the word blending into an unbothered yawn. He chucked the magazine to the floor and curled both arms around Steve, cuddling him a little tighter. “It’s gonna be me and my two true sweethearts against the world from now on.”

“You can battle all you like with your beloved guitar, man. I’m looking forward to not having the world fight back for a change.” Steve sounded invigoratingly bitchy.

Eddie pressed a kiss to his hair. They curled up beneath the covers to enjoy being naked together… till the arrival of Corroded Coffin sent their lives spiralling off into a new kind of chaos, this time entirely of their own choosing.

The End

🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕 🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕 🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕

perma-tag for the best inspiration friend ever: @wheneverfeasible (who has kindly put together a playlist for this fic, which I will get up on my tumblr over the next few days hopefully, after a few final additions 😊)

Thank you for reading to the end and I really hope you enjoyed the fic. Likes, re-blogs, comments and follows are always very much appreciated and will help feed the bunnies for possible future fic, though I've a feeling this will be my last long fic, at least for now, though I do intend to finish all my WIPs, including 'power of love' over the next few weeks, if possible🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕🐰💕

On tumblr: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3.1 Part 3.2 Part 4.1 Part 4.2 Part 5.1 Part 5.2 Part 6.1 Part 6.2 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 or search #thefreakinthepenthouse :)

On AO3 All my ST stuff on AO3

[synnamonroll666]

Casting Couch

Picture lightly edited by me.

Pairing: Josh Washington x Fem!Reader Description: You get a chance to play the lead role in the most famous and successful Hollywood producer's—Josh Washington's—new film. And it seems like you got the part! But there is only one thing left for you to do—a sweet deal that's just too perfect for you to refuse…  Warnings: Movie Producer X Actress, Strip Tease, BlowJob (Male Receiving), Female Riding Male, P In V, Creampie. Word Count: 2.6k A/N: FINALLY I'm going to repost this! I don't know why it has taken me so long to, but I hope my new followers enjoy it just as much as my other ones did on my other account. Just to warn you all, this is lightly reedited. So it's not quite like my new writing style but not like my old one either. I hope you enjoy it regardless! 🖤 Main MasterList: 🖤 Synny's Angels: @koexchange, @yesitsloulou, @mistmoose, @jasonexo, @fortune-fool02, and @raven-the-cryptid. (If you want to be added to the taglist, let me know in the comments! 🖤)

𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐

"I'm here to see Mr. Washington." I said confidently to the middle-aged woman sitting at her desk before me.

The lady merely glanced up at me and then continued to type on her keyboard at a speed that showed me just how long she had been working as a secretary while saying, "Mr. Washington will be ready for you in a moment, dear. Please, take a seat." before gesturing to the chairs in the spacious waiting room. Though her body language seemed cold, her tone was sweet and kind. I knew that she was just busy; after all, she did work for one of the biggest film producers in Hollywood, so it was understandable.

Speaking of, it was a huge opportunity to meet up with Mr. Washington for a role. I had already done my audition, but Mr. Washington had requested that I meet him in his office for a more personal review. Despite meeting one of the most successful men in the film industry at the time, I didn't feel nervous. I was more excited and ready for anything. And I had every right to be. It was just one of those days where everything felt right—my hair was perfectly done, my dress hugged my form just the right way, my make-up was on fucking point; I felt like I was on fucking fire.

After a few minutes of reading some useless magazine about 'Top 10 Beauty Tips for Women Trying to Find a Man.', the secretary, who I had learned was named Betty, granted me permission to enter Mr. Washington's office.

I nodded my head as I stood up before saying a quick thank you and entering the room where Mr. Washington sat behind his desk. I looked around the big office and noted just how much it looked like a horror movie producer's office in particular. The walls were painted black with framed posters of all the movies he had done hung upon them, the carpet floors were blood red, and the furniture within it seemed more of a Gothic style than the usual furniture producers would keep. He was casually reading over some paperwork until he noticed my arrival just a few seconds later.

"Ah, Ms. (L/N)! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!" He greeted me as he stood up while gesturing to the seat in front of him. "Please sit down. We have so much to discuss."

I walked over to the offered seat and sat down, crossing my legs afterwards and resting my arms on the armrests of the quite comfy chair. Mr. Washington was definitely more attractive in person, especially in that all-black suit he had on. The man sat back down in his seat and smiled seductively, all while his eyes roamed my form for a brief moment. I could see the wheels turning in his brain as he undressed me with his orbs and it was quite a turn-on, especially with how his pupils dilated his light green iris' the more his eyes stayed on my body.

"So, you liked my audition tape?" I asked nonchalantly, knocking him from his brief fantasy and bringing him back to reality.

"Uh- Yeah! You are quite a talented young woman." He responded in a sort of dazed tone, as if he were slowly coming back from being unconscious.

"Thank you, Sir." I said with a smile.

That title I gave him seemed to do a lot for him, as he visibly shuddered after the word left my lips. He swallowed thickly and adjusted his tie, as if he were trying to fight his urges. But I had a feeling that that battle would soon be lost.

"U-Um... However, there is an additional requirement you'll have to proceed with if you want this part badly enough." He added, and I titled my head to the side slightly, causing my hair to flip over my shoulder and flow down my arm gracefully as I raised a questioning brow. He cleared his throat while adjusting his tie yet again, making me smirk slightly at the effect I was having on him. "The thing is, ladies who work for me not only have to show me how well they do on set, but behind the set as well."

After speaking his last sentence, Mr. Washington gestured to a black leather couch that was placed against the left wall of the office. It didn't take long to know what he meant, and I was more than willing to show him just how badly I wanted this part.

"Well, Mr. Washington, what are we waiting for?" I asked in a low and seductive tone as my lips curled up into a devilish smirk. My tongue cut through their seam to glide across them slowly, wetting them in a rather suggestive manner.

Mr. Washington's sexy smile only grew wider, since he clearly knew he was getting exactly what he wanted. He stood from his chair and walked over to where I was seated before he offered me his hand, which I gladly took without hesitation.

He helped me stand, guided me to the couch, and then sat down on it, resting his arms on the headrest. I smiled down at him sweetly—instantly getting the hint of what he was suggesting—before I kneeled down onto my knees.

Though the extra-soft carpet was so nice against my bare knees, I could barely take time to appreciate it as I stared down at the growing bulge in Mr. Washington's pants with awe. Clearly, he was just as excited about this as I was—maybe even more.

I licked my lips hungrily and began undoing his belt. No longer than a couple seconds later, I was unzipping his expensive dress pants and pulling out his erect member to meet the cool air of the room. I held his length in my hand, admiring the girth of it as I bit my lip to stifle my smirk. It wasn't until I heard the agitated clearing of Mr. Washington's throat that I got snapped out of my little wanton of fantasies and appreciation.

"Are you just going to hold it like it's a trophy?" I looked up upon hearing his words to see him staring down at me with a raised brow. "Trust me, honey, you'll have plenty of those to man-handle once I reward you for your services. Now, get to work."

Immediately after he gave me his order, I began moving my hand up and down his shaft, tightening my fingers around its width, and pumping it slowly before taking the tip into my mouth.

He let out a strained moan at the contact of my lips wrapping around his tip, and I could see him fighting to keep himself from moving one of his hands down onto my head to force me to go deeper. But being a good little servant, I took the hint and lowered myself on his cock. I opened my throat as I took him deeper into my mouth, consuming each thick inch and practically having to fight back a moan due to the delicious taste of his flesh.

It didn't take long for the salty taste of his pre-cum to meet my palette and satisfy my taste buds, earning a deep groan from me to vibrate against his cock. He clenched his eyes shut and threw an arm over them as his mouth hung open, while his voice was producing the most beautiful sounds that had ever greeted my ears.

I tightened my lips around his length and began sucking as hard as I possibly could. I bobbed my head up and down slowly, though I quickly made sure to pick up speed each time his member reentered my mouth. Since I wanted this experience for him to be the best it could be, I let one of my hands move to his balls and grip them firmly. His voice grew louder due to my actions, and I took it as meaning that I was doing a good job. Now massaging his balls in my hand, I wiggled my tongue against his dorsal vein as I decided to work even faster.

But just as I had started to increase my speed even more, Mr. Washington's fingers clenched into a fist, gripping my hair firmly in his grasp. He pulled my head away from his cock, forcing his length out of my mouth with a wet pop.

"I-I think that's enough." He whispered breathlessly, and I cocked my head with confusion. It wasn't until he patted his lap that I understood what he wanted. I stood up, quickly obeying his orders with a lot of excitement for what was to come next.

After standing to my full height, I turned around so my back was facing him. Then I reached behind me to clasp the metal zipper—the one that was holding my dress closed—in my fingers before slowly pulling it down. I let the straps fall off my shoulders, and the only thing hiding my partial nude form fell to the floor, leaving me in my black lace bra and panties.

Mr. Washington's eyes roamed my form slowly, growing more hungry with every passing second, making it clear that I was his next meal to devour. I approached him, taking slow steps as I did so. I wanted to drag this out for as long as I possibly could. Smirking at him, I hooked my fingers under the waistband of my panties and pushed them down my legs as well. Mr. Washington's eyes never left my hands as one went to my core to let a finger brush through my folds, showing him just how wet I was for him.

I brought that finger up to my lips and sucked it into my mouth, letting my eyes flutter shut and moaning a little over dramatically as the salty taste hit my tongue. After I was done with my little performance, my eyes opened again to see that Mr. Washington's eyes had widened with what seemed like crazed lust and want. Smirking smugly due to the effect I still had on him, I climbed onto his lap to allow him to line his tip up with my dripping hole.

I slowly sank down onto his length, letting my heat consume each thick inch. I bit my lip hard as I tried to stifle all the crude noises that my body was dying to release. But to my surprise, Mr. Washington grabbed my face with one hand, squishing my cheeks and forcing my mouth open.

"Don't hold back those beautiful noises." He growled his demand and I visibly shuddered, letting out a shaky breath as I did so.

I stayed still for only a moment, allowing myself to adjust to his large size. But once that stinging shock melted into delightful pleasure, I lifted myself back up and sank back down in a swift motion. The feeling of his size stretching me out was arousing enough, but that look on his face was something else. It lit a fire within me in an instant and only sent me further into a downward spiral of pure ecstasy.

His eyes were squeezed shut, his mouth had fallen agape, his cheeks were a nice tint of red, his slicked back hair slowly became disheveled, and a thin coat of sweat glossed his tanned skin. It was quite a sight to behold, and I felt so lucky that I was the one who was lucky enough to witness it.

I leaned forward and kissed his neck, attacking all the spots that I knew were his weak spots. Though I just couldn't hold back for long, I sank my teeth in, right by his collarbone. To my pleasant surprise, Mr. Washington let out a loud gasp in shock as his hands flew to my back so he could dig his nails into my soft flesh.

"My, my, Mr. Washington." I leaned back to smirk at him. "I didn't take you as the sensitive type."

He responded with a low growl as his eyes burrowed into mine intensely with hunger and need. He clenched his teeth so tight, as if he were fighting back words of frustration—though his eyes said it all. And soon after, he couldn't refrain from letting his lips do so as well.

"Just... Do... Your... Fucking... Job..." He rasped between ragged breaths, and I instantly nodded as my cocky smirk grew.

I rolled my hips in just the right way, not only making the moment more enjoyable for him but for me as well. I tossed my head back as I let out a loud moan, suddenly not caring who heard me—suddenly not caring who heard how I'm his little slut.

Taking the hint, Mr. Washington's thumb flew to my clit, pressing down hard and rubbing the swollen little bead in quick circles. I almost couldn't take it. I wanted to hold on for as long as I could so he could be satisfied first, so I clenched my teeth together tightly and tried to ignore the burning pleasure within my core the best I could.

But then Mr. Washington caught on rather quickly. He leaned in until his lips just grazed my ear, letting his breath fan its shell ever so gently.

"Cum for me." He spoke in a low, deep growl.

Merely a second later, I let go. Between his deep voice in my ear and his cock twitching against my g-spot, I fell into the void of blinding pleasure as I screamed through my climax. His words, his voice, his touch, his scent—it let off an explosion within me quicker than gasoline hitting a match. Shortly after my orgasm, Mr. Washington came too. I was blessed with the sight of him coming undone before me, and the only thing that went through my mind was, 'I did that—I've ruined this big, powerful man.'

Nothing had ever felt so empowering.

I rested my head on Mr. Washington's shoulder as we both slowly came down from our highs. The feeling of his hand gently rubbing my back in slow, smooth circles was a nice contrast to the rough fucking we just had and helped me to come back down to my senses and reality.

After a few minutes of sitting in complete silence, I leaned back to smile down at him. He returned my smile and brought his hand up to gently caress my cheek. I responded by leaning into his touch as my eyes fluttered shut again in contentment. I felt so at peace at that moment, as if nothing else mattered.

He kissed me on the lips one last time—sweetly—compared to the careless ones he had given me prior, as if I didn't even matter to him. But I knew differently then, like I do now. I slowly pulled myself off of him, earning more moans due to the oversensitivity both of us were experiencing in our post-orgasmic state.

After dressing myself while Mr. Washington stayed on the couch, I readjusted my dress and slowly walked to the door of the office. But when I placed my hand on the door handle, I turned around one last time to see Mr. Washington looking at me with a loving smile on his lips—a loving smile that I returned.

"See you at home around eight, hun?" He asked as he slowly sat up and began buttoning up his shirt.

"I'll have dinner ready on the table, sweetheart." I confirmed before blowing my husband a kiss, which he caught, then I turned my heel and walked out the door.

𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐⭒𖤐

[fangirlingfromdownunder]

A Sweet Mishap - Chapter 19

Pairing - Jensen Ackles x Reader 

A/N: I just want to start by thanking everyone for all the love on this story so far. Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list. This chapter is a little heavier (as is the story going forward, but I'll include potential triggers for each chapter as relevant), so please read the TW below and only read on if you feel comfortable doing so.

Potential Trigger Warnings: None

A Sweet Mishap Masterlist | Main Masterlist

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

I don’t give myself time to miss Jensen as I spend every spare minute preparing for the audition. I finally pick a song: Hopelessly Devoted To You. I want the best chance to show that I can be a good Sandy. Between memorising the monologue and lyrics, I work on staying active. There’s no way of knowing what the choreography will be, so I can’t practice that, but I can make sure I’m prepared for anything. I try to enact everything I’ve learnt in class. 

When I finally check my phone I see a bunch of texts from Jensen, mostly links to articles about relaxation.

Good luck with the audition tomorrow!You’ll do amazing!Don’t get too in your headJust relax and be yourselfI hope these articles help

I want to call him but know I need to rest my voice after hours of singing and rehearsing otherwise it will all be for nothing.

I’ll read them now Thanks

In the large auditorium, I collect my number and stick it to my shirt before heading with everyone else to the main stage. The director introduces herself and welcomes everyone before introducing the choreographer and leaving him to teach a routine. He leads a quick stretch and warm up to ensure no one’s going to pull a muscle or injure themselves before going through a jazz routine. We go over it a few times slowly with him counting us in and walking around the stage providing guidance were possible, before he puts on some music and leads it at a faster pace. I focus on hitting every beat and making each step while also steadying my breathing so I don’t panic. Once he’s satisfied with everyones understanding of the short dance he restarts the song and the director comes back onto the stage. She wanders around assessing everyone as we focus on the moves. Once the song comes to an end, she thanks everyone and ushers us back into the hall to wait for the next instructions. I take a seat on the ground leaning against a wall and sip water as I relax my body and steady my breathing and heartrate. While I sit there I also run through the monologue. 

Time passes slowly as I wait for my number to be called. As I wait one of the other girls sits beside me and we chat. I’m thankful for the welcome distraction as we help each other relax. When I finally hear my number she wishes me luck and I stand up and make my way back to the stage. As I enter the big doors again the sound mixer asks for my song selection, so I tell her and she lines it up while explaining to give her a nod when I’m ready. I then walk into the middle of the stage, marked with a red X made out of duct tape. The director welcomes me and tells me to start whenever I’m ready. I take a few deep breaths and nod over at the sound department. The notes of Hopelessly Devoted to You echo through the hall and I start to sing. I draw on old emotions from when I was devoted to men who cast me aside and tear up alittle. After the first chorus the music fades out and I relax for a beat before moving into the monologue. I deliver it with power, emotion and passion. When I finish she thanks me and urges me to wait in the hall. 

I know better than to get my hopes up or get too disappointed too early, so I go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face to quell the adrenaline and nerves. I know they won’t announce callbacks until the end of the day, so I find a secluded space outside yet undercover and out of the freeing breeze and light drizzling snow. I pull out my phone and in lieu of messaging the person who got me into the mess in the first place, I message Jensen.

Audition’s done. Just waiting for them to announce callbacks So nervous

A few seconds later his name pops up on my screen. I slide across to answer.

“How’re you feelin’?” he asks in his deep Texan drawl.

“I already told you. Nervous!”

“That’s normal, but how do you think you went? You happy with your performance?”

“Yeah. I’m proud of myself.”

“That’s my girl. I’m proud of you too. Give me a reason to come watch some broadway.”

“You’ll be back in Vancouver by the time live shows start.”

“I get weekends. I’d make time to come see you.”

“If you start coming to New York regularly people are gona start asking questions.”

“Let ‘em. I don’t care. I’d only be worried about it impacting you, but I can be discreet. We can make it work.”

“I gotta get a callback first. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I know you wouldn’t have had to do auditions in a while, but surely you remember the process and slim chances.”

“All too well. But I can tell by the state of your apartment that you take rejection better than I used to…I remember putting my fist through a wall and then calling my dad in tears.”

“I’ve never put my fist through a wall, but there’s definitely been tears.”

“Yeah, it’s a rough industry, but I have every faith that you can- Uh, sorry, Darlin’, I gotta go, my agent’s calling.”

“Alright, I’ll text you later,” I say before the line goes silent.

As the sun starts to set the chill sets in. I wander back into the heated foyer. People of all ages sit or stand around the room, mostly engrossed in their phones or idle chatter while they move from foot to foot or bounce their leg. A few girls in the far corner are even doing star jumps and squats. The room is a weird stale mix between body odor, deodorant and perfume. I miss the fresh air of outside, but my chilled body welcomes the super charged heat. I find a free patch of carpet by the door and sit down. My foot taps quietly against the floor in my high-top boots. 

After what feels like an eternity, an assistant that I’d seen around earlier comes out of the stage doors with a stack of papers. She ushers a group away that are leaning against a large cork board before slowly pinning up each sheet. I know the same pages will be scanned onto their website by morning, but there’s nothing quite like the atmosphere in the room; it’s one of the things I like about stage productions over TV or movies where they just get your agent. I patiently wait as the people closer to the board crowd around before either cheering or sighing and storming or sulking out of the foyer into the cold, dark night. As I’m watching people react to the casting I spot the girl I was talking to before my audition. She looks over her shoulder and skims around the room before she spots me and waves me over with a smile. I quickly throw my backpack over my shoulder and hurry over to join her. 

“Let’s find out together. Good luck!” She says as I catch up to her.

Despite Sandy being the lead role and the one that most girls dream of, she said she had a soft spot for Frenchy, and the cotton-candy pink hair to match. So I’m glad to go up with someone who is not in direct competition, although even if she was, I’d be a good sport about it. She grabs my hand and squeezes as she pulls me through the small crowd to read the cast list. My eyes go straight to the top of the list, but next to Sandy is Mary Jacobs. I scan down the first page just to make sure I didn’t get cast in any other role. Finally on the third page across I find my name, I feel a bubble of hope at getting a role, even if it is just: Female Student #3 - Ensemble. I accept my fate with a sullen smile as my new friend motions to the final page: the list of understudies. She holds two fingers on the page as she smiles at me. My jaw drops as I see my name in the third column next to Sandy Olsson and hers next to Frenchy.

“It means we could still get a matinee performance…Or if the lead God forbid falls sick for a night…” She offers with a hopeful smile.

“Looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other, fellow understudy.”

We step back and input our numbers into each other’s phones so we can keep in contact about the rehearsals. We share a quick meal together at a closeby fast food joint in the city as we gush over our future roles and how awesome it’s going to be to perform on the big stage for real finally. We become quick friends and my nerves settle slightly at knowing that I’ve got someone in my corner as I go into this new world. 

On the subway I text Jensen:

May I introduce to you……Drum roll please…Female Student #3…

His little speech bubble pops up and disappears multiple times.

And understudy for Sandy!I’m gonna be on broadway, Baby!!

You’re happy?

We can’t all get the lead Understudy to the lead isn’t bad There’ll likely be a chance that I’ll get to do a matinee I got a part I’ve never even gotten ensemble before So to get that as well as understudy for the lead

I guess I’m not used to understudies We don’t exactly have an understudy in TV Stunt doubles, sure But not understudies But if you’re happy, I’m happy

I’m happy

I’m glad I’m so so proud of you

Can I call you later?I just wanna call my mom and tell her too

You told me before your parents? I’m honored But tonight’s not gonna be good for me I’m having drinks with a friend Call tomorrow?

Sure Enjoy your night

You too, Darlin’ And congratulations!

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Taglist: @stoneyggirl2 @hobby27, @n-o-p-e-never, @deansimpalababy,

@winchesterwild78, @kr804573, @chriszgirl92, @smoothdogsgirl

@speakinvain, @deans-baby-momma

[hologramcowboy]

Hello! You mentioned in some recent posts Jensen Ackles' acting became histrionic lately. Can you please expand a bit more on that? I read histrionic acting leans heavily on emotions, exaggerating them. Is that so? I'm not sure I got that right.

Thank You.

Hi, there! Thank you for the beautiful question.

Acting has evolved a lot over the years, so untrained actors who have a background in soap operas often actin histrionically, basically overacting and mimicking emotions instead of feeling and instead of making natural, organic choices.

Nowadays, acting is all about how real one can get, this means truly embodying the psychology of a character as opposed to playing an idea of that character which is what histrionic acting is.

A high tier actor will ensure any character choice made is not only high stakes, risky but also organic. Example: they choose to walk with a limp for said character and instead of merely mimicking a limp they do inner work and acting exercises that organically cause that limp.

Another example is Meryl Streep adopting a certain voice for a character, it never feels mimicked, it’s organic, on the other side, we have Jensen who fails to adopt Dean’s voice organically (he is copying JDM anyway) and as a result it comes off fake and breaks the spell of his acting.

These days even soap actors are trained to be realistic in their potrayals so, I think, in Jensen’s case, it’s a matter of him still applying things he learned ages ago without ever studying what is now modern and castable. All of which can be easily avoided through private or group coaching. All the actors who constantly book are constantly training and they never submit a self taped audition or go to one without getting private training on it first.

Jensen has a great potential but he seems intent on simply replicating histrionically his idea of what Dean was over and over again and by doing so not only is he typecasting himself on the wrong type, he also runs the risk of coming off as a very limited one trick pony and those aren’t exactly in high demand. Jensen’s been lucky so far that his friends have been casting him, without their help, I can guarantee you there’s no way he would have booked much with his current level of acting. If it wasn’t for Kripke, Jensen would have slowly faded.

I look forward to seeing his new projects unfold and I hope he will actually do script analysis, character analysis and also get private coaching. Competition is high in the acting world and an actor that never trains stagnates.

[devisrina]

Another comparison between Sydney and Claire - The Meet Cute

Credits to: @velvetimbre for this post

We all know the infamous speculation about whether Sydney lied about eating at The Beef or not. What is found even more hilarious is the fact that we're speculating that Claire planned her grocery store encounter with Carmy.

This is unhinged. Like, truly mind-boggling.

Because, the biggest hint that we ever got to Sydney lying was in episode 8, aka the season 1 finale, when she reveals to Marcus that she didn't eat out a lot.

Similarly, we find out in episode 10 aka the season 2 finale Claire has always had this huge crush on Carmy. Meaning that there could be a decent enough chance that she planned the encounter.

It's just the way that these fan theories directly have similarities about how deliberate the planning was while also working as juxtapositions as their reasons were different.

Sydney, while yes, could hold attraction to him, was more on the professional side for her career. Carmy is the best chef in the country and she strives to learn a lot from him to improve her skill. I also want to add that while I think she was planning to talk to him about his career, I feel like she isn't necessarily holding onto that question. I feel like she would have been fine with waiting to ask him at a later day. But because he's the one who is asking her more about herself, she decides to return it by asking about what he's doing there.

It's also really sweet that she asks him before to clarify if it's okay, to ask him a question. This might allude to her thinking that it was a touchy subject, so she made sure to ask first if it was okay. And it's so sweet, especially since we know Carmy, we know he's shy. He runs along with people always telling him what to do or say, and even though this is little detail, it's nice that she gives him a choice with this.

Throughout the show, he's more of the person who kind of breaks down her walls a bit and wants to get to know her on a more personal level. And she begins to feel more comfortable with this and is really glad to have him as a maybe friend.

With Claire, (this isn't meant to be taken in the wrong way) her motive came from wanting to pursue a relationship with him. It begins with some small talk that feels natural but then starts to feel a bit rehearsed when she says "Cause you're the bear, and I remember you." And she segways their earlier banter as a way to get his number.

Her actions and body language are purposely flirty. The way that her voice is when she talks to him, she wants to mesmerise him with her actions. Specifically after he gives her his 'number' she looks back up with her wide eyes and slightly says "Kay."

I also remember thinking when I saw their meet-cute and how Claire/Molly was acting out her lines, how it felt like she was reading off a script for an audition tape. (Molly is a talented actress in Shiva Baby, Good Boys, Broken hearts Gallery and Booksmart, so watching this scene felt off). But then it hit me. It was meant to be that way. Claire essentially rehearsed her lines to come off confident and cool when she finally got a chance to see Carmy.

Like, I feel like she would look way more shocked, nervous and stumbling over her words and sentences if that was the first time she saw him.

Even the most confident person feels so jittery over seeing their long-term crush. She seemed like she planned what to say to him before she saw him again. Even if it had not been that specific day that she thought she would see him, she probably has walked around here and there in hopes that she would see him again.

[crimson-chaser]

Not SOZED, but its coming soon

im just putting this here because those "td headcanons" or "totaldramahcs" dont really respond to most of my asks, and you normally reply to all of the asks ive sent so far

this is what i think Mike and the alters room would look like in headspace

Mikes is just a replica of his irl room, the one we see in his audition tape. but the rewards that he got due to Svetlana and the framed pictures that were ( implied ) to be taken by Manitoba are changed into posters of his favourite music singers, actors, etc. But he does have some school awards that he still has in his room from like old school spellings bees or winning in sports day all by himself without the help of the alters ( not chester, hed break his hip on the long jump )

Svetlana is minimalistic but massive, biggest bedroom in the house, probably because she also has bars she can swing on and mats she can do her gymnastic stuff on. One of her walls is also just filled of rewards that she earned in real life but manifested ( I hope I worded that right ) into headspace for her room.

Chester definietly has one of those old man rooms, no need to explain, just search up stereotypical elderly man bedroom and youll get what i mean.

Vitos room is nothing special really, personally I see his room as the same room as Billys room from Stranger Things. I think Vito wouldve watched Stranger Things with Anne Maria when it was first trending and he doesnt like Billy at all, but he though his room was cool.

Also personally, I think Mal and Manitoba would share a room. I have no idea why, I just like the "roomates being polar opposites" trate ( not. a. ship. I see Mal and Manitoba as father-son ) For the shared room I think theyd have a bunk bed, but the bottom bunk is too smal for Manitoba but so is the top bunk ( Mal joked about Manitoba being too heavy to hold the top bunk, they all took it seriously (( addition, i think Manitoba is super fucking tall, like 6-7 foot atleast )) )

for singular room, just give Mal a more modern version of Ravens room from Teen Titans Go and give Manitoba Jasmines room but more plain.

- SOZED anon, Louie

I could defo see this, i like this head canon! :3

[nancy-drewdles]

Ace's love interest (4x10-11 spec)

So I've decided to rewatch the audition tape for Alice, the love interest, to look for clues on when she will finally bother to show up, and boy oh boy

Under the cut because of somewhat heavy spoilers.

Exhibit A. The audition tape.

The actress reads two scenes, both with Ace. The first one makes no sense to me. It sounds like they meet in college, which considering the insane timeline of this show — h o w. Episodes 6-8 happened in the span of 3 days (🤯) at the end of March. Episode 11 happens on April 8th (Passover), so we know there’s no big time jump. Unless he’s been taking night classes and didn’t tell anyone? For now, I’m choosing to believe that part of the tape is fake dialogue (for my own sanity because what do you mean you'd risk death by radiation for her).  

No, what really interests me is the second scene, where the girl gets possessed. 

LI: *heavy breathing* ACE: Ghost? I don’t think you are here to hurt me. I did some research and- LI: It’s cold. It’s cold.  ACE: Are you Mia who froze on the mountain? LI: I can’t breathe. It burns.  ACE: Are you Sam who died in the fire?  ACE: Talk to me. What do you remember? LI: My hair wrapped around my neck. I saw orange grey and everything went quiet and my hands were so cold. I don’t remember who I am…

Exhibit B. This shot from the latest trailer. 

Meet Alice, the possesed love interest.

Notice the burns on her face and her arms in flames (Are you Sam who died in the fire?), but the rest of her body looks almost frozen (Are you Mia who froze on the mountain?) with her hair in disarray (My hair wrapped around my neck). 

We don’t see who she is facing, but judging by the collar, it’s Ace who wore the same jacket in The Dilemma of the Lover's Curse. 

IMDB is not the most reliable source, but according to their listings, 4x10 has a character named Mia Peterson, and in 4x11 there’s a Nurse Sam. So it looks like whatever is going on takes place during these two episodes.

Episode 4x10 is titled the Ballad of Lives Foregone, and before, I thought it had something to do with Ace and Nancy and Ryan and Carson. But what if it's about all the lives sacrificed to the benefit of the Sin Eater and his creators?

What if whatever occurs in episode 10 (and 9) releases those restless spirits into the world? And some of them attach themselves to poor Alice?

(Or maybe, maybe it's a dybbuk situation).

And then there's this line from 4x11 description.

Lastly, Bess (Maddison Jaizani) is left feeling concerned after speaking with Ace (Alex Saxon).

Honestly, I hoped it was because he was trying to break the curse on his own, but Bess being concerned because her platanchor is being haunted by a ghostly love interest and is probably hiding it seems plausible.

And a little more ↓

I'm almost sure this happens at some point before, during, or after the Passover dinner since Ace is wearing the same shirt. You know what else is happening at the same time? The Glasses are sacrificing Nancy at some altar in the forest during biggest full moon of the year. Something something it's all connected.

"I did some research-"

[boosmidnighthour]

[WIP] Meet the Victims (Part 1) Screenplay

Here's what I have for the first episode of the rewrite. Mind you, I've been avoiding it for months, and at least half of it is just copied and edited from the actual episode. It's also not finished.

I decided to delete the scenes with the audition tapes, so if it feels more rushed than the actual episode's introduction scene, that might be why. I did this because I want the reader to get to know the characters and their goals, instead of having it spout out at you in 5 second intervals. Plus, a few of the characters didn't get an audition tape scene, so I just think it's only fair. Some of the lines are rewritten, though, so I do suggest you still read it.

I'm also fairly new to writing outside of like... regular fanfiction writing. So, yeah. Have fun!

Chris McLean: Back to the rundown cabins, hungry bears, hungrier bugs, the stinky outhouse where contestants confess their secrets, Chef’s disgusting food… What more could a teenager want? 15 years ago, this is where it all began, and I intend to bring back the good ol’ days. 

*Chris walks into the camera’s view*

Chris: Today’s 16 new contestants arrive, and battle to be the last one standing and win 1. Million. Dollars! But winning won’t be easy. This isn’t just a reboot, it’s a re-boot to the face! [Smug laugh]

*Camera pans to Chef, who looks unimpressed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes*

Chris: *Mutters* Someone doesn’t know a good joke when he hears one… *Clears his throat* Anyway… *Points to the camera with his signature smile* Crazier challenges and deadlier dares, all hosted on today’s show. I’m your host, Chris McLean, and welcome back to Total. Drama. Island!

☆☆☆

SCENE: Dock of Shame

Chris McLean: Unlike the first season of this show, this cast of… interesting characters knows what they’re getting into. This time, they’re willingly coming to this crummy camp. *Wrinkles his nose in disgust* Can you believe that?

Chris: Now, here comes the first victim- I mean… camper. First up-

*Chris points to the first to arrive and the camera sweeps in that direction, focusing on Millie*

Chris: Welcome, Millie! Just over here is fine. *Gestures to the dock*

Millie: *Steps off the boat once it has stopped at the dock*

Chris: Next up-

Chris: Axel!

Axel: *Throws gear onto dock*

Chris: Wow, you came prepared for… everything. Perfect~ *Smiles smugly* Over there please! Next up-

Chris: Priya.

Priya: Wow! I can’t believe I’m actually here! I can’t wait for my very first Total Drama challenge. I’ve always wondered what it would actually be like. I bet we’ll have to dive off the cliff like in the first Total Drama season and All Stars. It’s always some sort of physically challenging… *Gestures awkwardly* challenge the first episode-

Chris: All Total Drama challenges are physically demanding. It’s a bonus if it's mentally straining, too. *Chuckles ominously* Join your fellow campers.

Priya: *Walks over and stands by Millie*

Millie: … How long have you watched this show? You seem to know more about it than the average person, at least from my school.

Priya: Oh- uh, I’ve always watched this show. My parents love it to death.

Millie: Interesting…

Chris: Next up, all around fun dude-

Chris: Zee!

Zee: Chri-hi-hi-is, my man! Bring it in! *Walks towards Chris to give him hug*

Chris: *Stops him* Nope! Welcome to the island. *Gestures to the other campers* I hope you enjoy your stay. *Snickers to himself before collecting himself* Our next camper is-

Chris: Ripper.

Ripper: *Jumps off of his boat and onto the dock* Time for beast mode! *Rips shirt off and flexes his muscles*

Priya: *Looking disgusted* Oh- oh my…

Millie: *Looking disgusted and unimpressed* Ugh…

Axel: *One hundred mile glare*

Zee: *Takes a loud sip of his soda*

Ripper: *Makes his way over to the collected four* Take a long, dreamy gander, ladies, ‘cause once I win the million bucks, I’ll be outta your league.

Chris: I don’t see a suitcase. Was that your only shirt?

Ripper: Ah, man!

Chris: We’ll find you something. *Turns back to the camera* Next up-

Chris: Damien!

Damien: *Makes his way off the boat and onto the dock very carefully, before making his way over to Chris* Ay, wassup, man! I’m here for that million bucks. Where it at?

Chris: *Frowns* We don’t just give it to you. You- you have seen this show before, right?

Damien: Nope! How do I get the money?

Chris: *Smiles evilly* Oh-ho-ho, you are gonna be fun! Go meet your fellow campers; I’m sure they’ll happily inform you.

Chris: Speaking of fun-

Chris: Here comes Lauren!

Lauren: *Giggling evilly*

Chris: Welcome!

Lauren: You should stop looking at me.

Chris: *Covers his eyes* Well, then. Right over there, please! *Gestures vaguely where he thinks the other campers are before continuing* Let’s look at our next camper-

Chris: Bowie!

Bowie: *Cleaning his heart sunglasses as he walks down the dock with his bag* *Smiles at Chris confidently* Chris. *Continues over to the other campers*

Chris: *Rolls his eyes before continuing* Next up, Emma!

Emma: Chris, it’s so good to be here! I can’t wait to-

Chris: Oh! Here comes Chase!

Emma: *Eye twitches* What-

Chase: *Water-skiing from the boat bringing him in* WHOO-HOO-HOO-HOO! *Hops up off of the skis and onto the dock, throwing off his safety jacket*

Emma: *Fuming* What. Is he. Doing here?!

Chase: Babe?

Emma: Ugh! *Tries to attack him, but Chris catches her*

Bowie: Ooh. *Mutters to Ripper* I like this one… 

Chris: *Leading Emma away from Chase* Wow. Wow! In. Tense. *Looking at the camera smugly* You’d almost think we brought you both here on purpose! *Winks at the camera* Up next? Mary Kate.

Mary Kate: *Walks by with her bags, hands in her jacket pockets* It’s just MK.

Chris: *Shrugs* MK, just over there, please! And now *Sighs dreamily* Caleb…

Caleb: *Smirks to the camera*

Priya: Oh my…

Bowie: *Staring dreamily*

Emma: W-Woah…

Intern: *Staring at Caleb* *Accidentally crashes boat onto the beach* Wow. Sorry, I- I just… I’ve never seen anyone as handsome as you!

Caleb: No worries. Happens all the time.

Zee: Wow, it’s pretty clear who’s gonna win this thing. *Mutters to Priya* Twenty bucks on that guy.

Priya: Betting against yourself seems wrong…

Zee: Dis-oh-gree! If I win, I get the million. But if I don’t, and he does, I make twenty bucks.

Priya: *Just shakes her head in disbelief*

Chris: Our next two players came as a package deal. All the way from Northern Alberta, Wayne and Raj!

Raj: *Looks down towards the lake* Duuude; imagine winter time. This lake turning to ice…

Wayne: *Joins him on the edge of the boat* Biggest hockey rink ever, bro!

Raj and Wayne: *Laugh as they jump onto the dock*

Raj: ‘Sup, man; we’re here, eh!

Chris: *Gestures to the rest of the campers* Boys, go set your stuff down and meet your fellow campers. *Looks back to the camera* Our next camper is a bit of a big deal. Welcome… Nichelle Ladonna!

Nichelle: *Has somehow arrived unnoticed until now* Yes! *Swipes her hair back confidently* Hi; it’s me!

Bowie: *Gasps* Nichelle Ladonna?! Star of the hit TV show, Hot Team Ninja Detective Squad!

Emma: I loved her in Gorgeous People High.

Priya: *Whispering to herself* Be cool. Be cool. Be cool- *Starts waving her arms and hands around excitedly, nearly hitting Zee* O.M.G. I am literally the biggest fan ever!

Nichelle: *Checking her nails* … M-kay.

Priya: *Cringes, quietly playing with her fingers*

Chris: Now, here is our next arrival. Welcome, Julia! You can join the others-

Julia: *Wraps arm around Chris’s shoulders while holding her phone out* Sorry! Could youuuuu… *Takes selfie with him* Thanks. *Walks away texting* “Growing! #My journey begins!”

Chris: *Blocks her from joining the other campers* Um, remember the legal blah blah contract you signed? *Pulls out folder that probably holds that contract* There was that bit about no phones on the island?

Julia: *Looks around in confusion* But… how am I supposed to grow as a person if I’m not telling my followers I’m growing as a person?

Chris: That is a question for someone who cares about that question. *Chef walks up to them with a box* Give Chef your phone, please.

Julia: Fine. I’m stronger than you think!

Chris: Wonderful. *Smiles deviously* Now all your phones.

Julia: *Freezes before turning back to the box* *Drops two more phones into the box* That’s it. I swear on the planet.

Chris: *Pulls out a security metal detector* On the planet, huh? *Swipes the detector over Julia until it buzzes* Wow.

Julia: *Puts another phone into the box* Bye, babies! Don’t worry; mommy will be back for you.

Chris: Don’t fret! Your phones will be safe… at the bottom of this lake.

Chef: *Chucks the box of phones into the lake like a football, causing Julia to scream and Chase + Priya to cringe*

Chris: *Smiling* Now I think I have a pretty good idea of who will mesh well with who, so we’ll split you guys into your teams now! Chef, go grab the flags.

Chris: I think most of you know how the game works, but let’s go over the basics while we wait for Chef. Obviously, your teams will be competing against each other. Whichever team wins a challenge, you’ll all be safe. However, the losing team will attend a marshmallow ceremony at the campfire. There, you’ll vote off one of your teammates and send them home on the Drone of Despair.

Chef: *Returns with two flags, one red and the other green*

Chris: Finally!

Chef: Keep it up and you’ll be short a host.

Chris: Okay, okay. *Turns his attention back to the campers* Axel, Ripper, Priya, Millie, Chase, Lauren, Damien, Zee. You will all be known as… the Ferocious Trout!

Chef: *Gives Priya the red flag*

Priya: *Excitedly grips the flag and bounces foot to foot* Thanks, Chef!

Chris: Emma, Raj, Wayne, Caleb, MK, Bowie, Julia, Nichelle. Your team is called… the Deadly Frogs!

Chef: *Gives Emma the green flag*

Emma: Whatever, fine. At least I’m not stuck with him. *Glares at Chase*

Chase: *Doesn’t notice*

Wayne: *Laughs at the Ferocious Trout* Guess that makes that… the other team, then. *Smirks confidently* Whatcha think, Rajie?

Raj: *Snickers* I’d be more impressed with a clogged toilet.

Ripper: Oh, yeah, well… you two aren’t… you-you’re both… then- look out ‘cause-

Raj: Oh no! I think this half naked one’s broken! *Laughs*

Wayne: Oh, be nice, Rajie! Maybe it’s his first day with a new mouth hole! *Laughs with Raj*

Ripper: *Walks towards the two as he growls angrily*

Axel: *Looks unimpressed and stops Ripper* Save it for the game.

Ripper: *Points sharply at Axel* Don’t tell me what to do!

Axel: *Growls angrily at him*

Ripper: *Backs off* … I’m gonna save it for the game.

Chris: Excellent! *Sighs happily* I get such joy seeing you all accomplish nothing except hurting yourselves… for everyone’s entertainment.

Damien: *Laughs nervously* Sorry, uh… hurting ourselves? *Doesn’t notice Lauren smiling creepily behind him*

Chris: *Whispers to Chef* He’s never seen the show.

Chef: *Shakes his head with a heavy sigh* This kid’s gonna die…

Damien: WHAT-

Chris: There are two cabins just over there, which I’m sure you know of. Go hang your flags on the flag poles and settle in. We’ll meet back up at the campfire at noon for your first challenge. Were there any questions?

Ripper: *Suggestively* Are the cabins co-ed? *Laughs, before Axel drops her bag on his toes* Ow!

Axel: Can I vote now?

Millie: I assume challenges get postponed if it’s too hot-

Lauren: Can I switch to the team that has “deadly” in the name-

Zee: Ah- what if I don’t have a question?!

Damien: DIE?!-

Chris: *Blows air horn, wearing headphones* Time’s up! No more questions. *Snickers* Goodbye~

☆☆☆

SCENE: Outside Cabins

Emma: *In front of the Deadly Frogs’ cabin’s flag pole, looking at the flag in her hand* … How are we supposed to get the flag up there?

MK: *Sarcastically* All you gotta do is learn how to fly. *Walks past to get to the cabin*

Emma: *Rolls her eyes with a laugh* Gee, helpful. *Looks to Nichelle hopefully*

Nichelle: *Looks off to the side, pretending not to see her as she also makes her way to the cabin*

Emma: *Deflates* Ugh!

Chase: *Walks over* Aw, don’t worry, babe! I got it-

Emma: *Glares at him* No you don’t. We’re on different teams. Go put your flag up.

Chase: Well, I totally would, but…

Priya: *Has already parkoured up the flagpole and gotten it hung up with a victorious little cheer*

Emma: *In awe* Wow… if only we had a trained camper on our team…

Chase: *Smirks* We?

Emma: *Glares at him again* Yeah, we. As in me and my team. Not you! Go away!

Chase: Aw, c’mon, you know what you meant-

Bowie: *Has finally reached the flagpole* Oh, buzz off, Trout. Go get comfortable while you can.

Chase: *Scoffs before finally slinking away*

Emma: *Sighs in relief and looks up at Bowie with a grateful smile* Thank you.

Bowie: *Smiles* Don’t worry about it. We have other things to worry about.

Wayne: *Walks up with Raj, placing his bags down* Ah, we got it, eh?

Raj: *Takes the flag from Emma* Go high, Wayner!

Wayne: *Climbs the flagpole with ease and catches the thrown flag before hanging it up*

Bowie: Wow. I thought you guys were hockey jocks. Where’d you learn that?

Raj: *Laughs* Wayner and I used to hang the loser team’s underpants after a game. We’d gather them up before they got a chance to leave the ice, put them in a bag, and then find the highest place to put them, eh. Wayne learned how to climb so that it made it easier. You should see their faces when they find out their underpants have gone missing. They spend hours looking for them.

Wayne: If I had my phone, I’d totally show you pictures.

Bowie: *Snickers* Impressive.

Emma: You should totally teach me that. I could use it on Chase!

Bowie: What’s up with that, anyway?

Emma: Ugh- I don’t want to talk about it.

Wayne: C’mon- let’s go pick our bunks. First one there gets the top bunk! *Runs to the cabin with a laugh*

Raj: Hey! *Scoops up their bags* No fair! Stop cheating!

Bowie: *Sighs* I should go make sure they don’t die going up the stairs.

Emma: *Rolls her eyes with an amused huff* Have fun with that.

☆☆☆

SCENE: Inside Deadly Frogs’ Cabin [Boy’s Side]

Wayne: *Runs into the cabin with a victorious hoot* Ha! I win!

Raj: *Runs in after and throws their bags onto one of the beds* That’s because you cheated, cheater! *Tackles him to the floor with a laugh*

Bowie: *Walks in seeing the boys roughhousing on the wooden floor* *Rolls his eyes with a snicker* Boys… *Walks to the middle of the room with a hum*

Raj: *Pins Wayne to the floor before looking up* Oh, hey- uh…

Bowie: Bowie. Which one are you? Wayne or Raj?

Raj: Raj!

Bowie: Raj… okay. *Looks around the room again, before walking over to the bunk the other two’s bags are on* You boys mind if I take this bunk instead?

Wayne: Nah, go ahead, eh. *Takes advantage of Raj’s pause and flips them over with a triumphant laugh* I win again!

Raj: Oof- stop cheating, bro! *Struggles longer before huffing in defeat* Get off, eh! Lemme breathe!

Wayne: *Gets off of him before getting their bags off the bunk Bowie has claimed* Here, lemme get these for ya before my buddy here breaks his arm trying.

Raj: It was one time!

Bowie: *Shakes his head* You two sure are something. *Places his bag on the bunk*

☆☆☆

And that's all for now. 10 pages in, around 9 to 10 more to go. (The intro would count as a minute, and each episode is technically 20 minutes because of that, minus the credits.)

I'm liking it so far, minus the copy and pasted parts in the intro scene, but I'm so bad at introductions, so I can't really blame the writers for how awkward it feels. I'm having a hard time coming up with things for the characters to do after this stopping point (remember, this is the episode where the characters are going to interact before the challenge next episode). I feel like the scenes are a little rushed, but that's nothing a little narrative writing won't fix later on down the line.

Let me know what y'all think. Critiques and ideas are always welcome!

[pure-jeff-ward]

What’s this strike?

ah! well... I hope I'm going to explain this right, because I feel like there's a lot of things I could say which... might make it sound as if I know absolutely nothing and am just spouting stuff; I am not part of the film industry or know enough about how it works, and it's gonna get a bit lengthy but I'll try and keep it concise!

In Hollywood, there is a labor union of actor's known as the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-Aftra) which represents... roughly... 160k media professionals and entertainers - including journalists, talk show hosts, other broadcast workers so it's not just actors! Their contract expired several months ago in June, but they were able to extend the deadline up until July; which ultimately did not work out because negotiations broke down and they went on strike. We're 115 days into it as of today (Nov 6th, 2023 - or is it 116?)

On the flip side of this strike is the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) who are a trade association that represents film and television studios. Think the big names - Disney, WB, Netflix, etc etc.

The main issue that has been the center of this strike is the studio's desire to use AI in order to scan actor's faces to generate their performances digitally without giving them any credit or compensation. And the other issue is also due to streaming residuals, but there are potentially other factors involved as well, such as the regulation of self-tape auditions and so on.

Since then, there have been talks between the members of the SAG-Aftra who are led by their president Fran Descher (one of the many people involved!) in order to try and reach an agreement with AMPTP and have their demands met - the Writer's Guild of America was also on strike for similar and yet different reasons of Hollywood labor disputes; however after 148 days (May 2 – September 27) they were able to settle their strike and have resumed work.

Just recently as an hour or so ago of me replying to this message (5.30 pm PST) the latest update is that the AMPTP had sent a "Last, Best & Final Offer" this past Friday(?) and SAG-Aftra has responded -

so we are still going to continue to see the actor's picketing and being supported by those who believe that they deserve fair compensation and reasonable demands about AI, because what they're asking for and what they have been asking for has been nothing but justified!

I hope this answers everything anon and covers most if not all of the important points about your question!

[stfu-im-thinking-abt-blorbo]

Thoughts about each TDI Reboot episode, starting at 1. SPOILERS UNDER THE READMORE.

Chris' new voice is certainly... a change. I don't mind it, and I think Terry is getting his acting and emotes for him right, but it's definitely gonna take some time to adjust and not immediately think it's Don.

"Hey, what's up I'm here to slay" from the intro is killing me in the best and worst ways. Rip the old intro song.

Also there's a very VERY small detail for the campfire. When Raj looks back to the screen, only one of his eyes follow. Either an animation error, or he has a lazy eye.

It's been 15 years since the beginning of the show in canon?? That means the gen 1 and 2 casts are roughly between 28-31 I think?? And yet Chris and Chef Hatchet don't look any different. Also since og Island premiered in 2007, this one is taking place in 2022 and NOT 2023.

Either way this gives me a good excuse to practice character design with a 15 years timeskip and make adult designs for the gen 1 and 2 casts.

Priya. WHAT. GIRL GO TO THERAPY AND GET AWAY FROM YOUR PARENTS. Also Owen cameo.

Bowie is gay like I thought he'd be. Now way he wasn't a reference to David Bowie. Getting some vibes of him being the new Heather tbh.

I, like many others, thought Ripper was going to be the new Owen. He's only a small bit Owen with a dash of Duncan, and a whole lot of Scott. Respect to Ripper for how spicy he likes his food, tho lol.

Chase and Emma are exes. Chase is a YouTube/Twitch personality T-T. Here's hoping that Emma broke up with him bc she's a lesbian. Really want her and Bowie to be besties.

Scary Girl's real name is Lauren >:(

Zee is both the smartest and dumbest character. I want him to be the blorbo of the season, but I'm getting the feeling it's gonna be Bowie.

Wayne: "What'd you think, Rajey?" 🥺

Nichelle is the only one to not get an audition tape. Interesting. Also a Madonna reference?

Julia called herself an influencer. She better be an early boot for that.

MK, Axel, Caleb and Damien are the only ones I don't have any comments about. Sucks 'cause I was hoping I'd really like MK and Axel.

Drone of Dispair. Somehow the worst idea yet lol. Can't wait for a joke about one of the contestants flying over private airspace and getting shot.

Ripper called himself the alpha male nooooo

EVEN BOWIE IS CALLING WAYNE AND RAJ GAY LMAO

And Bowie immediately goes to the girls' side of the cabin to talk shit about Chase with Emma. Love them sm.

Ripper: "Where'd you get the soda from??"

Zee: "...I have no idea."

Rip Bowie's heart glasses, hope cartoon logic kicks in and he has a million of then.

If Damien thinks they can't show Ripper's censored ass on TV, then I wonder what his reaction would be to a show like Naked and Afraid.

Emma and Chase didn't break up over lesbianisms unfortunately. But messing up her car's breaks and causing her to crash is still a valid reason for her to break up with him and be incredibly upset. Like, he could have killed her, other bystanders, or any of the puppies at the shop she crashed into. Yet I think the show is treating Emma as being unreasonable? It's just a prank bro.

Also MK calling Emma out for saying 25% of the money instead of half like she did when talking to Bowie earlier. Maybe there's more to the break up story?? Like she's lying?? But that still wouldn't make sense if the show is already treating her as unreasonable beforehand. Idk.

Bowie really do be like "are the straights okay? 🙄"

Raj: "Wayners" 😭

Also Wayne and Raj both have the same accent as Ezekiel.

Goodbye Caleb, we barely knew ya. Have fun hanging out with Staci and getting no character development like her. Maybe one day he can come back like Justin.

BOWIE IS THE NEW HEATHER, I WAS RIGHT AND HE IS GONNA BE THE BLORBO

Overall, fun first episode. Not a smash hit or anything, but a pretty good hook. Also the animation and character design is such an upgrade. I was hesitant about the new cast's designs, but actually seeing them in the show and moving makes it work so much better to me. After rewatching the first half of og Island, it is amazing to see how far this show and its animators have come from 2007.

[sceneohscene]

More than any sacrifice in the world

Fresh out of Yale, Donna arrived on the set of a new movie to participate for the soundtrack, and, if she was charmed by her surroundings as soon as she got there, it was especially for the protagonist that she fell for: Harvey Specter. For three months, the two young stars lived the love story secretly and passionately, knowing that, at the end of the shooting, they wouldn't have many choices but to leave each other to resume their own lives. A year later, when they met again for the first broadcast of their movie, they would never have thought that their brief adventure would have had such an impact on their future.

Rating: T

Words: 14,129

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donna couldn't believe it. After studying acting and singing at Yale for five years, she had just gotten her first job. She never imagined she would get something so quickly, because in Hollywood and Broadway, competition was tough, and the only thing she could hope for was to do crappy roles until she got the one that would change her life, or the worst, staying in the shadows forever. But while she was sleeping peacefully in her small apartment in the Bronx, she was woken up one morning by her phone ringing, as an unknown number was trying to reach her.

« Hello? » 

« Am I speaking to Donna Paulsen? »

« It's me, yes »

« Hello, Miss Paulsen, I'm Katrina Bennett, casting director for Jessica Pearson’s new film. We received your audition tape and would like to see you in person for another screen test. Do you think that's possible? »

Oh my god. She couldn't believe it.

« Sure, of course »

« Are you based in New York? »

« I am, yeah »

« Great. We are currently in Los Angeles, but we're coming in New York in two days. Do you think you can come for the audition on Thursday morning? »

« I’ll be there »

« Great. We will email you all the information and look forward to meeting you »

« Likewise »

« Good day, Miss Paulsen »

« Thank you very much »

As soon as she hung up, Donna stared at the wall in front of her for a few seconds, still sitting in her bed, before screaming with joy as her best friend burst into the room.

« Wow wow wow. What's going on? Are you alright? »

« I have an audition, Rach »

« No way? What kind of audition? »

« Do you remember that new romantic movie where they were looking for a singer for the soundtrack, the one by Jessica Pearson? »

« You kidding me? Jessica Pearson? Donna, this is — oh my god »

As she joined her best friend in her bed to hug her, the two young women chatted about everything and nothing while the brunette snorted.

« Well, it looks like you're going to need an agent »

« I’ll tell you about it after the audition »

Thursday quickly approached, and while the redhead had rested her voice for almost two days, she walked with a knot in her stomach towards the place of the audition that could change her life. This new romantic drama was set up by one of the most talented directors of her generation, who had already won several awards and who could do the same with this film. If it were the case, she could also be nominated for the original song, and finally, she will perhaps be on the stage in Broadway, her dream. In front of the building, she took a deep breath before entering and following the instructions until she found herself singing in front of four people for about twenty minutes. At the end, they thanked her and promised to keep her informed.

« So? What do you think? »

« I don't know, Rach. I did the best I could, and now the decision is in their hands »

« Let's hope so »

« Yeah. Let's hope »

Three days later, when the redhead had just finished her shift at Starbucks near Times Square, her phone rang with another unknown number, and her heart raced.

« Hello? »

« Miss Paulsen? »

« Yes? »

« Katrina Bennett on the phone. Congratulations, miss Paulsen, the part is for you »

« Really? »

« Yes. Your audition blew us away, you are extremely talented, and we are very happy to have you among the cast »

« I don't know what to say, just thank you very much »

« You're welcome, Miss Paulsen. Do you think you can come again with your agent? In order to discuss your contract »

« Of course »

« Tuesday at ten o'clock will be fine with you? »

« We will be there. Thank you »

« Have a nice day, Miss Paulsen »

« You too »

As soon as she hung up, Donna changed before running to the building where her best friend worked, going straight to the reception, a bit out of breath.

« Hey, is Rachel Zane there? »

« Do you have an appointment? »

« No, but I'm her best friend, and she's not answering her phone, it's urgent »

« Well, I'll call her office — one moment »

After a few seconds of discussion, she smiled at Donna before giving her instructions on where the young journalist's office was, and the redhead walked quickly to the place to see her looking at her with big eyes.

« What are you doing here? »

« I need an agent »

« No way »

« Yes way »

« You kidding »

« No, I'm not »

« Oh my god, Donna »

« Oh my god, Rachel »

« You made it »

« I made it »

Immediately, they jumped into each other's arms screaming, all the brunette's colleagues looking at them as they were so happy for the redhead's new success. After the announcement, the two young women went to the meeting organized, where the redhead learned that she would have to travel with the cast depending on where they were filming, while the redhead had stars in her eyes. So, two weeks later, she flew to Los Angeles, where one of the set assistants was waiting for her at the airport and took her directly to the set. After making her badges to enter the place, she was taken to the set where the two actors were already busy filming. She didn't have much information about the movie she was going to sing the soundtrack for, except that it was a romantic comedy, but as she walked along, she felt her breath catch when she saw the protagonist of the movie: Harvey Specter. She knew the guy, she had already seen him mentioned in some gossip articles and in movies because he was typically the young handsome guy of the moment that everyone was talking about, and even if he looked very handsome in pictures, in real life, he was incredibly. On his side, the moment the director had shouted action, Harvey had gotten into character and was acting the scene with his co-star Dana Scott, aka Scottie, focused only on the brunette and his lines, but as he turned his head, he abruptly stopped, completely thrown off balance by a young redhead watching the scene behind the camera. At that moment, it was as if time had stopped, and it was only when he heard his name that he reconnected to reality.

« Harvey? »

« What? »

« Is everything okay? »

« Yeah, sorry, I had a blank. I couldn't remember my lines »

« It's alright. Five minutes break anyway »

As the assistant, Louis Litt, announced the break, everyone left their posts while the assistant who had picked her up at the airport introduced her to Jessica while Donna could feel the young actor's gaze on her, making her shiver.

« Donna, it's nice to meet you »

« Me too, Mrs. Pearson »

« Oh, please, call me Jessica »

« Jessica, right »

« I saw your audition, and really, I was impressed. I'm so happy that it's you who will do the soundtrack of this film »

« I really wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to put my voice for your film »

« It's us who thank you. By the way, let me introduce you to the team — everyone, let me introduce our new singer, Donna Paulsen, she’ll do the soundtrack of the film »

As she nodded with a big smile hearing everyone greet her, it was only the young actor's burning gaze on her that she saw. After a brief introduction, everyone got back to work even if Harvey was really having trouble concentrating, the beautiful redhead invading his mind. As Donna was still watching the filming for an hour, the moment Louis took a new break, the two young adults not taking their eyes off each other, the redhead heard someone calling her, forcing her to take her eyes off him.

« Donna? »

« Yes? »

« This is Benjamin, the composer »

« Oh, nice to meet you »

« Likewise »

« You can go discuss together about the music for the film if you wish » smiled one of the assistants.

« I would really like to have your opinion on some of the works I composed, Donna. I am sure that your studies at Yale and your opinion could be beneficial »

« I can't wait to hear that »

After a last glance between Harvey and Donna, the redhead finally left the studio to follow Benjamin, discussing everything and nothing, as Harvey watched her disappear, hearing Scottie's voice behind him.

« What's going on, Specter? Already under the spell of Red over there? »

« Shut up »

« Everyone in position » shouted Louis.

For another two hours, the two actors played and took small breaks until Jessica announced the end of the day and Harvey hurried off the set before calling out to the assistant.

« Louis? »

« Harvey? How can I help you? »

« Hmm, where is the new singer? Donna? »

« At the studio with Benjamin, why? »

« Hmm, because — » 

« — we would like to invite her for a drink tonight » interrupted Scottie, seeing the young man running out of explanations.

« Oh, that's nice of you two. Well, the music studio is near studio three »

« Thank you »

Once Louis had left, Scottie chuckled while looking at Harvey.

« What's going on? »

« What? »

« Oh please, you saw her for thirty seconds, and now you can't do without her? »

« I just wanted to greet and welcome her »

« Really? »

« Come on, they introduce her in a few seconds to everyone, we could consider her better, no? »

« Oh, I'm sure you'll consider her very well. Go get her, tiger »

« Shut up »

Read more

[juliepinsononline]

by Stephanie Sloane

It took three auditions, but Julie Pinson finally found a home in Salem

It's Friday afternoon, and Julie Pinson has just finished taping an episode of SOAP TALK (see sidebar). The neighborhood is familiar to her--PORT CHARLES taped here-- so Pinson suggests a restaurant nearby to chat. Turns out, it's too late for lunch, so we walk down Vermont Avenue in the Silverlake district of L.A. and happen upon a noisy diner, where there is no air conditioning (it's in the 90s) and the waiter thins he's a comedian. But easygoing Pinson doesn't care. We sit, despite the head and the loud '80s music blaring, to discuss the long road that eventually lead to Salem.

Pinson hit the soap scene in 1997, when PORT CHARLES debuted to much fanfare. "It was a great experience, especially the very beginning because it was a brand new show," she recalls. "We were in People magazine. We were on the sides of buses! I remember driving around L.A. in my piece-of-crap car, and I came to a stop sign and there's my big old face on the side of a bus. And it was like, 'Hmmm, what's wrong with this picture? I'm in a piece-of-s**t car, and my face is on the side of a bus and in People magazine.' So, it was a great experience, very fun. All of us interns started together, and we bonded right away."

Pinson's PC stint came to an end when her alter ego was killed during the "Secrets" murder mystery. Being the "fifth chair" threw the actress for a loop. "It was a big surprise: I was shocked," she admits. "It was really sad: I didn't want it to end. I wasn't ready to go. I'd been playing Eve for five years. I was friends with the character: I liked her. And I had to stop being her." At the time of Eve's demise, because of PC's shooting schedule, Pinson filmed the exit months before it aired. That put the actress in a delicate situation in terms of looking for new work.

Julie with her family in 1976.

"It was difficult because the storylines were taped like three months in advance at this point, so they killed me and then I was supposed to be quiet for three months and ABC did not want me to get another job in that period," she explains. "But at the same time, they weren't paying me either, so, you know, I still went out and looked for work."

One of the places she auditioned was at DAYS, to play Billie. The actress had tried out for the role once before, a year after Rinna's 1995 departure. Krista Allen was cast. In 2002, Rinna reclaimed the role. Finally, two years later, Pinson won the part outright. Looking back on the process, she feels that she joined the cast at the right time. "If I had gotten Billie right after PORT CHARLES, I may not have appreciated it as much or maybe I wouldn't have stayed very long because I wanted to see what it was like out there," she reflects. "I saw it, and I hate it. I don't like to audition at all. I don't like being out there and since PORT CHARLES, I've hd work, but it hasn't been a steady job and that's what everybody wants in this town. So, it was really humbling going out there and thinking I'm gonna take the world by storm because I did this soap opera and then I go out there and nobody knows who you are. People in the night-time world rarely watch soaps, so it was a humbling experience and I was so ready."

Click on image above to see larger pic!

But because this was her third go-round with the NBC sudser, she didn't get her hopes up. "I wasn't as excited as in the past because the last time I auditioned for Billie was right after PORT CHARLES, and I kind of thought it was in the bag and then Lisa decided to come back and there goes the job," she grins, "So, this time around, I was cautious. What if they didn't want to have somebody that looked like Lisa? What if they wanted to go in a totally different way--I wouldn't have gotten the job." But when she did, she was thrilled. I felt like this was where I was meant to be, because if I didn't get it this time, then it was never gonna happen," she explains. "So, when I finally got the job, it was just so sweet."

And her experience so far has made it worth the wait, she reports. "My first day, I was running through a jungle, and I got shot by a dart and then Peter Reckell [Bo] wakes me up and I got to kiss him," she says. "I'm having the time of my life. I think this is the best I've ever felt."

And she wants it to last, "I'm hoping to be there forever," she exclaims. "As long as they'll have me, I would love to be there. I'm so happy. I think it's just the beginning. I'm looking forward to the wonderful things they have in store for Billie."

The Billie Club

"I get the comparison all the time," Pinson says. "I've been geting it since I was on PORT CHARLES, and it's flattering." In fact, Rinna is responsible for Pinson's current hairdo.

"The first time I went on SOAP TALK, I had long hair and after the show was over, Lisa took me aside and said, 'I just had this epiphany. I don't know what it is, but I get this kind of psychic thing every now and then and I just have one about you. If you cut your hair short, you're gonna get work again.' I said, 'But Lisa, if I cut my hair, I'm gonna look just like you again.' She said, 'I don't care. You need to cut it. You'll work.' So, I cut my hair and soon after that I got [Y&R]."

Rinna has been equally supportive of the role reversal. "I saw her at the SOAPnet fall lunch party, and it was really funny because the two of us walked in around the same time together down the press line," Pinson recalls. "Harry [Hamlin, Rinna's husband] looked at both of us and couldn't figure out which one was his wife. And Lisa was so gracious and said, 'I'm so happy for you, congratulations. I think it's great, all for the best.'" The two even cooked up a funny intro for Pinson's recent SOAP TALK appearance."We played a joke on the audience," Pinson explains. "Lisa and I switched roles. I sat in her seat as the talk show host and she came out, pretending to be me!"

Did you Know:

• The single actress was once engaged to Billy Warlock (ex-AJ, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Frankie, DAYS)? "We're very friendly. He's a wonderful guy. I wouldn't have been engaged to him if I didn't think so."

• She's bought herself a pink KitchenAid mixer to celebrate nabbing the role of Billie? ($50 went to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.)

• Her favorite show is The Food Network's BAREFOOT CONTESSA with Ina Garten?

Thanks to KatLucas for the scans. For more on the Peter Reckell Group the contributer runs click on the image or the link above :)

[corndoggod]

The Future of Brooklyn

Gliding backwards up the drowsy Hudson, so wide and slow, retreating from New York where it mouths the Atlantic, swallowing chemicals and commerce and the ocassional paddler. It’s mother’s day and I’m off to White Plains, flowers in hand, heart full, thinking of mother in the Great Plains.  

I’ve been listening to a mammoth biography of Ulysses S. Grant on long bike rides in recent weeks so the train attendant becomes a civil war officer in union blue with spriggy mutton chops. I tell everyone his middle initial of S, creating a comic U.S. Grant, was the result of a clerical error when he enrolled in West Point, which lies on the other side of the Hudson. I listen while biking and every hour of tape is also 15 miles of concrete. Grant had a head for math but not paperwork. He liked horses but not people. By the end of the book I’ll have ridden at least 750 miles. I’m sure my Mom, an American history teacher, and my Dad, a voracious reader with a penchant for war history, have both already read Chernow’s biography of Grant. 

The kinetics of trains activates some tongue inside me. Same for cycling and running. Motion loosens language. 

*****

It has been a tremendous weekend, a healthy, balanced weekend. Sav came to visit and stayed overnight. I watched the end of the Knicks game as she and C jawed and made risotto. Polished my beer and out the door to meet Nicky for another at Sycamore where I bump into a small press editor I worked for in Chicago. We’ve lived in the same neighborhood for years, but have only seen each other a handful of times. We made plans to get a drink Monday. 

Nicky and I go to Mia’s house party and scope out her new spot deep in Brooklyn. Newkirk deep. The lobby is gutted and scarred by fireworks, but there’s ample bike storage. This is the future of New York. A lonely future I lived in for seven years before the market caught up. 

*****

We woke up at a reasonable hour Saturday and took our coffee in the park, looping Sav in on our petition to ban dogs from Brower. Once grassy, the park is now balding, revealing tiny shards of glass and micro plastics, which can and will kill you with enough exposure. 

I retreated back to my desk to promote a story about Trump’s tax audit which could cost him $100 million. I hoped the story would get 100 million page views. 

C went to meet her mom and sister at The Met and I biked up to do laps in Central on standby until they were ready for lunch. The sun was illusory and I never did warm up in my short sleeves no matter how hard I pedaled. (Plus, my legs were still wiped from two days earlier when I ran 8 miles in the morning and banged out a quick 25 after work cycling around Prospect. It was the only way to vanquish my demons.) Worse still the weak sun attracted New Yorkers to Central’s green sanctuary like moths to a flame. There were horse carriages clopping and pooping, blind bike caddies, lazy eyed tourists, indexed runners going long and hordes of pedestrians abusing crosswalks lighting up my path with red, red, red. 

I stopped after two laps. I never stop but it was warmer when idle and the crowds were too annoying and sometimes it’s good to be still and really listen. I found a slab of black rock and read about Justice Clarence Thomas complaining about the “horrible lies” hounding him that just won a Pulitzer Prize. 

Mediocre thai for lunch, but hunger is the best sauce. The calories gave me a second wind and I decided to hit 50 and beelined to Prospect to round out the final 12 miles. Turning home, I noticed the statue on the little island between Rogers/Bedford and Dean/Bergen is of Grant on horseback. 

*****

I was running on fumes by then but we had tickets to go see a saxophonist in Greenwood Cemetery after dark. It turned out to be one of the most incredible performances I’ve seen in one of my favorite New York spots. 

I didn’t fully appreciate Colin Stetson’s genius until the second to last song when he explained he didn’t use any looping pedals. Instead he relied on circular breathing to deliver constant sound, as well as mics on his throat to magnify whale-like moans and a couple more on his sax for percussive finger taps and slaps. The result was eerie, hypnotic and cinematic. Everything felt deserving of a slow zoom in, which only felt appropriate from the man who scored Hereditary. 

We lounged for most of the set, huddling under blankets against the 50 degree chill, but we crowded the stage for the last song. Up close you could see his massive arms grip the sax, and his throat and mouth balloon like a veiny bagpipe. The kids in front of us lost their minds and edged toward moshing but stopped short of freefalling. 

Overgrown, quiet, moonlit: it was all the more special in Greenwood, which is maybe my favorite spot in all of Brooklyn. We lingered after and walked around the cemetery, encircling a pond through lucioius grass and aged stone. It felt like high school.