#Roper from Everybody Want Some

[callsign-cacti]

This is for the Anon who was asking if I would ever write anything for Roper! This has been sitting in my drafts for two weeks because life got super fucking busy. And I love this little introduction to the story I want to do for him.

Hope this hold you over!

---

Roper wasn't quite sure how he had gotten himself into this position.

Well, he knew exactly how he had gotten himself into this position, but he didn't care to think too hard about why he was back in your bed. Again.

Not when you were on top of him, riding him like a fucking champ.

He refused to think about it, until you were rolling off of him as soon as the last waves of your orgasm subsided, reaching for your glasses, and gesturing to the door.

"You, you want me to go?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, sure that he was misunderstanding in his post orgasmic haze. Hell, he hadn't even taken the goddamned condom off yet, and here you were, pulling the sheets halfway up your body and reaching for the book that had been knocked onto the floor.

You didn't even dignify him with words, just nodding and jerking your head towards the door. A clear dismissal if there ever was one.

This didn't fucking happen to him. He didn't get dismissed after sex. Normally, they were begging for some post sex cuddling, or negotiating for another round with Kenny fucking Roper before they had to leave.

In a daze, he got out of bed, slowly picking his clothes up off the floor and sliding them back on.

Surely you were playing a joke on him.

Because that was some of the best sex he had ever had in his life, the only thing that was topping it was two days ago.

Two days ago when the two of you had slunk into the room in the baseball house marked Fornication. Under. Consent of King.

You had looked around the room with disgust clear on your face as Roper fell to his knees before you.

And while he hadn't been dismissed that night either, you certainly hadn't stuck around for the usual post sex laze about.

But now, you clearly wanted him gone.

And that just wouldn't do.

[venactricisfics]

Bucking Tradition: A Yellowstone Fanfic

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter List

The morning sun blazed overhead, turning the air thick and dry, the kind of heat that settled into your skin and refused to let go. I leaned against the fence, watching as Ryan and the rest of the hands worked to set up the panels for the branding pen. The metallic clang of steel against steel rang out as Colby snapped two pieces of fence together with a grunt. Dust swirled around his boots, kicked up by the steady movement of men and cattle.

“You gonna join us for some actual manual labor?” Colby called, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his glove.

I smirked, crossing my arms. “I’m supervising. You’re doing a great job, by the way.”

Colby rolled his eyes. “You always supervise.”

“That’s ‘cause I’m damn good at it,” I shot back, grinning.

The scent of sunbaked earth and cattle lingered in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of sweat and leather. But another smell—faint but unmistakable—pricked at my senses. I turned my gaze toward the horizon, where a thick column of smoke billowed into the sky, dark against the endless stretch of blue.

It was early for a fire. Too early.

The blaze was deep in the forest, hidden beyond the hills, but its presence sent a ripple of unease through me. It had been a hot, dry spring, and if the forecasts were right, summer was shaping up to be even worse. The land was thirsty, brittle—one careless spark could turn the whole damn valley into an inferno.

I exhaled slowly, shaking my head before making my way toward my father and Rip. Rip had settled into his role as more than just the ranch foreman—he was family now. Even with the tension between Beth and me, he hadn’t taken a side. Maybe because he didn’t know everything. Maybe because he didn’t want to.

“Morning,” I said as I joined them.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Dad responded, his gaze fixed on the horizon as we walked. The land stretched wide and golden beneath the sun, but that thin column of smoke in the distance darkened the picture. “It’s early for a fire.”

“It’s gonna be a dry year,” Rip said, his voice steady.

I let out a short breath. “It’s already been a dry year.”

Dad nodded, rubbing a hand over his chin. “Our calves big enough for branding?” His time was stretched thin between home and Helena, and there were things he used to know without asking. Things that, now, had to be left to someone else.

Rip shook his head slightly. “I’d like them a little bigger, but it seems like the whole valley’s short-handed.”

I glanced toward the pens, “We just helped the Mitchells, and we’re getting calls every day now. And now that you’re governor, we can’t exactly say no.”

Dad’s expression hardened, but he didn’t argue.

Rip crossed his arms. “We need to brand ours first—before we help anybody else.”

It was practical. Necessary. But the way things were shaping up, I wasn’t sure how much longer we could afford to put it off.

“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Rip said, his tone all business. “We’ll pull the cattle out of the backcountry, push ‘em through the valley, and do the branding here. Run two crews—one working the branding, the other pushing ‘em out to pasture. No wolves there.”

Dad nodded, considering. “How many day workers you figure we’ll need?”

I glanced at Rip before answering. “Fifteen will get it done. Twenty will get it done right.”

Dad gave a short grunt. “Where are you planning on housing ‘em?”

“Was thinking about the loft,” Rip said.

Dad scoffed. “Hell no. I don’t need some drunk day worker falling down the stairs and suing me.” His voice was firm, no room for argument. “Bring out the tents. Everybody sleeps outside. And I mean everybody. I don’t need that bunkhouse turning into a damn honky tonk.” He shook his head, frustration evident. “No one knows what the hell we do anymore. It’s time we remind ‘em. Have Gator pull out the wagon—I’m inviting the whole damn county.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of team ropers in one pen, Dad.”

“Only ranch cowboys drag,” he shot back as he started walking off, already set on his plan.

Rip called after him. “Sir? You coming?”

Dad didn’t break stride. “You’re damn right I’m coming.”

I pushed my sunglasses up on my nose, watching as the protester strolled down from the hill. My jaw tightened. “What the fuck is she doing here?” I muttered to no one in particular. Without waiting for an answer, I made my way over to find out.

“Can I help you?” I asked, my tone flat.

She took her time surveying the pens, the barn, the horses—like she was taking inventory. “Just checking out my new prison.”

I smirked. “Some days it’s a prison,” I admitted. “Some days it’s paradise. Most days, it’s something in between.”

Her gaze drifted past me to the horizon, where smoke curled into the sky. “What’s on fire?”

“The forest,” I said simply. “Happens every year. Some years are worse than others.”

Her brows knitted together. “How do they start?”

I thought I asked a lot of damn questions, but something about the way she looked at me, at the ranch, at the smoke—it didn’t feel like she was prying. She wasn’t fishing for intel. She was trying to understand.

“Lightning, usually,” I answered.

“Is anybody gonna put it out?”

“They’ll try,” I said. “But the only thing that can really put it out is God.”

She gave me a puzzled look. “God puts out the fire?”

I shrugged. “God brings rain. Rain puts out the fire.”

She huffed out a dry laugh. “Nature puts out the fire.”

“Nature, God,” I said, meeting her eyes. “Same thing.”

“What are you doing over there?” she asked, motioning toward the pens.

“Getting everything set up for branding,” I told her. “We’ve got to bring the cattle in from the pasture they’ve been grazing on all winter, give the calves their shots and brands, then push them out to the summer field.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds barbaric.”

I shrugged. “I suppose it might seem that way,” I said, “but it’s not any different from the things people do to their own young.”

Before she could respond, Lloyd’s familiar drawl cut through the air. “Yee-haw! ‘Bout time we do some real cowboy shit.”

I chuckled, arching a brow at him. “What’s the plan?”

“Gonna ride up there and cold camp for the night,” he said. “Drive the cattle down in the morning.”

“No tents?” I asked.

“Just the dirt and you,” he smirked. “Think you can handle it?”

A soft smile tugged at my lips as I glanced over at Ryan. “I’m sure I’ll find some way to keep warm out there.”

Lloyd shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he walked off to find Carter and set up the spike camp.

I turned back to the protester. “You ride?”

She scoffed. “Ride a wild animal that you’ve broken to your will? Uh, no.”

"Your name’s Summer, right?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Well, Summer," I continued, meeting her gaze, "why don’t you just watch what we do here? See it for yourself—then you can decide how barbaric it really is."

I gave her a small nod before turning away, leaving her to chew on my words.

I smiled as Kayce’s truck and trailer rolled through the gate. It was the first time I’d seen him since the funeral.

“Hey,” I called as his window rolled down, “couldn’t stay away, huh?”

“Couldn’t miss out on all the fun,” he teased, his familiar grin easing some of the weight in my chest.

I turned to Tate. “You ready to go cowboy?”

“Sure am,” he replied, “Can we get in some fishing, Grandpa?”

“Not this trip, grandson,” Dad said from behind me, his tone warm as he looked between us. “But this... it makes me happy. Having all of you here.”

He paused, then added, “Why don’t you all meet us up at the house for supper?”

“Alright, Dad,” I agreed.

“Clara might need your help, sweetheart,” Dad continued.

“With what?” I asked, frowning slightly.

“She’s riding out with us,” he explained, “needs to be geared up.”

“Of course, Dad,” I replied. “I’ll grab her some things and meet you at the house with Ryan in a bit.”

—-----

“Please don’t make me face dinner with my family alone,” I said, gathering a few things for Clara to wear.

Ryan let out a long sigh. “I feel so outta place there, baby.”

I turned to face him, a grin tugging at the corner of my lips. “Kayce, Rip, and my dad will be there,” I said, trying to make it sound more manageable. “But, you know, my sister’s coming too, along with my dad’s assistant. Oh, and we can’t forget my dad’s thirty-something mistress who just got outta prison. Should be a blast.”

I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around his waist, then stood on my toes to whisper in his ear, “C’mon, it’ll be fun. If it’s not, I’ll make it up to you when we get back here.”

His lips curled into a smirk, his eyes darkening just a little. “How do you plan on doing that?”

I couldn't help but tease. “I’ll let you put it anywhere you want.”

His grin deepened, and he leaned down to catch my lips with his for a moment, his voice low and playful as he pulled away. “Is that right?”

I gave him a sly smile, knowing I had his attention. 

“I can suffer through dinner with your family,” Ryan said, leaning in close, his breath warm against my skin. “If I can have you for dessert.”

The dining room table was packed, fuller than I’d seen it in years. Not since before my mother died. The thought gnawed at me, an ache in my chest for the people who weren’t here anymore. The ghosts that lingered in the quiet moments between words.

I squeezed Ryan’s hand under the table, grounding myself in his warmth, in the solid presence of him. A silent offer of comfort—for him, for me, for whatever shitstorm was about to start.

Beth’s sharp gaze flicked around the table before she exhaled a dry, humorless laugh. “One big happy family,” she drawled, swirling the liquor in her glass before glancing at Clara. “And an assistant.” Then her eyes slid to Summer. “And a hooker. I don’t know what could make this any better.”

Summer tensed beside me, but before she could respond, Gator appeared, balancing two trays filled with steaming cuts of meat.

“So, Gator,” Summer said, eyeing the trays with barely disguised contempt. “What did you kill for dinner this evening?”

“Sorry,” Gator replied smoothly, “I didn’t know you’d be joining us. I would’ve picked a different everything had I known.”

I shot him a sympathetic smile, but Dad didn’t miss a beat. “She’s gonna be here for the next six months,” he told him. “So a vegetarian option each meal would be—”

“A vegan option,” Summer corrected, lifting her chin. “Please.”

Beth scoffed. “Gator, just give her what we feed the horses.”

“So, anyway,” Gator continued, ignoring her, “tonight, we’ve got an assortment of game. On the left, there’s venison.”

“Which is to say,” Summer interjected, “a deer you shot.”

“That would be correct,” Gator said, unruffled.

“While it was minding its own business, foraging for sustenance,” she added.

Gator blinked. “Uh… yeah. Beside that, we have roast duck.”

“Are you aware that ducks mate for life?”

“At least something at this table does,” Beth muttered.

I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing, but across from me, Monica didn’t even try.

“Oh, shit,” she burst out, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. This is just so fucking uncomfortable.”

“Well,” Gator pressed on, shifting the tray slightly. “I did kill both of them, if it makes you feel better.”

“No,” Summer deadpanned. “That makes it twice as bad.” She pointed to another section of the tray. “And what is this little creature that can’t even feed one person?”

“Actually, I serve four per person,” Gator said, his polite smile looking more strained by the second.

“So you kill four,” Summer said flatly. “And what exactly is this mystery meat?”

“That’s a dove,” Gator told her.

Summer stared at him, appalled. “You killed the goddamn bird of peace?”

Kayce, who had been silent up until now, leaned back in his chair, nodding. “Dove’s pretty good.”

I fought the urge to burst out laughing, but Monica lost it completely, clutching her stomach as she laughed into her hand.

“Can we eat?” Tate groaned, eyeing the food longingly.

Beth leaned forward, placing her glass down with a thud. “Summer, let’s you and I take a walk. Maybe I can help educate you on our differing ways of life. Our different value systems.”

Summer narrowed her eyes. “You have values?”

Dad sighed. “Whoa, girls—”

“Girls?” Beth and Summer snapped in unison.

Beth shot him a look before turning back to Summer. “Do you see a girl in this room, Dad?” Then she motioned toward the door. “After you.”

Summer crossed her arms. “Not on your life.”

Still, she stood, following Beth out of the dining room.

I exhaled, reaching for my drink. “Well,” I muttered, “that should be fun.”

Rip glanced toward the door where Beth and Summer had disappeared, his brow furrowed. “Should I go after them?”

“That’s a terrible idea,” I said, shaking my head.

Dad let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. “Gator, why don’t we eat while we still can?”

Kayce didn’t hesitate, jabbing his fork into a cut of venison like the conversation hadn’t just been derailed by a battle of lifestyles. Meanwhile, Gator placed the cooked dove onto Dad’s plate.

“I’ll take four of them,” Dad said, completely straight-faced.

The laughter couldn’t be contained. It started as a chuckle, then spread like wildfire until the entire table erupted. Even Monica, who had been barely keeping it together before, threw her head back and laughed.

Dad grumbled into his drink, shaking his head. “You can’t make this up.”

Rip, still not entirely amused, frowned. “Sir, I’m a bit worried about them.”

Dad let out a slow breath. “You probably should be.”

I passed the plate of venison down the table to Ryan and Tate who had been drooling since the tray was brought into the room.

“Are all your family dinners this eventful?” Ryan whispered to me. 

“Mostly,” I told him, taking a sip of my drink. “But this is actually pretty tame.”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “Tame? Two women just stormed off to either fight or become best friends, your dad looks like he wants to fire someone, and your sister is one smart-ass comment away from flipping this table.”

I smiled, squeezing his thigh under the table. “Exactly. No one’s thrown a punch yet.”

Ryan gave me a long look, then shook his head with a grin. “Jesus. You’re gonna get me killed.”

“Probably,” I teased. “But at least you’ll die entertained.”

The dining room had settled into an uneasy quiet, broken only by the scrape of forks against plates. Conversation had taken a backseat, tension simmering just beneath the surface like a storm waiting to break.

I couldn’t decide who I wanted to root for. Summer was way the hell out of line—someone needed to knock her off that high horse of hers. But Beth? Beth always won. And part of me, maybe just a small part, wanted to see her taken down a notch. Just once.

Rip broke the silence first, his voice low but certain. “You know what’s gonna happen, don’t you?”

I barely glanced up from my plate. “I’m sure it’s already happening.”

Dad let out a tired sigh and set his knife down with a clatter. “I’m just sick of listening to it. Let ‘em get it out of their system.”

Rip scoffed, shaking his head. “Nothing gets out of your daughter’s system, sir.”

He wasn’t wrong. If there was one thing everyone at this table knew, it was that Beth could hold onto a grudge like it was the last damn thing keeping her alive. She’d carry it around, sharpen it like a blade, and wield it at the perfect moment.

Rip pushed back from the table, unfolding himself from the chair with that slow, deliberate way of his. “Excuse me,” he muttered before heading toward the front door.

Ryan leaned in the second it clicked shut behind him, his voice barely above a whisper. “Should we be worried?”

I smirked, finally looking up. “Only if Beth comes back smiling.”

I fought the urge to go after them, but I didn’t want to get sucked into whatever war they were waging. This wasn’t just about clashing values or who had the louder voice. It was about Dad.

In Beth’s mind, Summer wasn’t just some annoying activist with her self-righteous speeches—she was a threat. Not just to the land, but to the one thing Beth refused to share. Our father.

Beth would never say it outright, but I knew the truth. No one would ever replace Mom in her eyes. And even though I agreed—no one could—it didn’t change the fact that Dad had a right to move on. Whether it was Summer, Lynell, or whoever else he found comfort in, Beth would see it as a betrayal. She always had.

The tension sat heavy at the table, thick enough to choke on. I cleared my throat and shifted gears.

“So… um, Clara,” I said, cutting through the silence. “I left a couple things upstairs for you to try on.”

She glanced at me, visibly relieved at the change of subject. “Thanks,” she said, a small smile playing at her lips. “This trip was supposed to be about work, but… well, it evolved.”

I smirked. “Oh, it’s still about work,” I told her. “Just a different kind.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as Beth and Summer walked back in, each settling into their seats like nothing had happened. No words, no lingering glares—just quiet, calculated nonchalance.

But the proof was written all over Summer’s face. Bruised, swollen, and beaten to hell. Meanwhile, Beth sat there with a smirk that told me everything I needed to know. She’d won this round. And for now, the war was at a standstill.

I didn’t think it was over. Not by a long shot. But at least, for the moment, there was a chance at peace.

Summer scanned the table, her expression tight as she searched for something she could eat. After a beat, she reached for the mashed potatoes, spooning a generous portion onto her plate.

“Wait,” Beth drawled, tilting her head, “there might be butter in that.”

Summer didn’t even hesitate. “Fuck it,” she muttered, wincing as she shoved a bite into her mouth.

I watched her, intrigued. “So, you’ve never eaten meat in your whole life?”

“Never,” she said, chewing carefully. “My parents were vegetarians.”

“Really?” I glanced down at my plate—duck, venison, and steak. I tried to picture a life without it. Just salad and kale or whatever the hell vegetarians ate. Didn’t seem like much of a life at all.

Beth snorted. “You know we’re not designed to just eat lettuce and grass and all that shit, right?” She gestured vaguely with her fork. “That’s why we have to turn it into flour in the first place.”

Summer rolled her eyes. “We’re not designed to eat that either.”

Beth smirked, picking up a piece of meat with her fingers and taking a bite. “This,” she said around her food, “is exactly what we’re designed to eat. Everything that lives off grass has a four-chambered stomach. You don’t.”

“That’s bullshit,” Summer shot back, her tone sharper now.

Beth didn’t even blink. Instead, she turned to Dad, tilting her head toward him like he was some kind of judge and jury. “Ask him.”

Dad exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face like he was beyond done with this conversation. Then, without missing a beat, he looked at me.

“Why don’t you go get the first aid kit?”

I nodded and slid out of my chair, making my way to the downstairs bathroom for the first aid kit. The house felt quieter than usual, the kind of silence that followed a battle—tense, charged, waiting for the next strike.

By the time I returned, Summer was dabbing at her split lip with a napkin, her expression unreadable.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” she said, though the purpling bruise on her cheekbone told a different story.

Dad huffed, unimpressed. “Oh, that’s a relief,” he said dryly. “If it was as bad as it looks, you’d be on a Care Flight to the hospital.”

He cast a glance around the table, taking in the uneasy expressions, the way no one seemed sure if they should stay or leave. Finally, he sighed and waved a hand.

“You’re all excused.”

An almost audible sigh of relief rippled through the room as chairs scraped against the floor. No one wasted time making their exit, eager to escape the thick awkwardness clinging to the evening.

Ryan lingered as he stepped away, catching my hand just before I could pull away. He leaned in, his voice low so only I could hear.

“Anywhere?” he murmured, a slow grin tugging at his lips, reminding me of the promise I’d made earlier.

I caught the gleam in his eyes and felt a smirk of my own forming.

“Anywhere,” I confirmed, squeezing his fingers lightly. “I’ll meet you back at the cabin once I’m done here.”

His grin deepened before he let go, disappearing into the departing crowd.

I turned back to Summer, first aid kit in hand. “Alright,” I sighed, flipping open the lid. “Let’s patch you up.”

Nothing was broken beneath all the blood and dirt. That was something, at least.

After packing up the first aid kit, I made my way through the living room toward the door. Dad and Rip were still by the fire, each swirling a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid catching the light. I supposed they needed it. Hell, we all did after surviving that dinner.

I paused beside Dad, wrapping my arms around him in a hug before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Good night, Daddy.”

“Thank you,” he murmured.

I pulled back, giving him a look. “For what?” I hadn’t done anything remarkable, at least not in my eyes.

His gaze softened, but there was something heavy behind it. “You’ve taken on more than I ever wanted you to, sweetheart.”

I nodded, swallowing down the lump in my throat.

I had given up a lot—dreams, chances, things I’d once thought were non-negotiable. But I’d done it willingly. Staying here, fighting for this land, protecting what was ours—it wasn’t just a duty. It was a choice. And I didn’t regret it. Not for a second.

Because in giving up what I thought I wanted, I’d gained something so much more.

This family. This ranch. Ryan.

If I had kept chasing rodeo, throwing everything I had into that life, I wouldn’t have any of this. And that… that was something I couldn’t imagine living without.

I squeezed Dad’s shoulder, giving him a small smile before stepping away. “Good night,” I said again, turning toward the door.

By the time I made it back to the cabin, Ryan was already in bed, half-dozing as he leaned against the headboard. His shirt hung open, revealing the toned lines of his chest, and his boots had been kicked off haphazardly at the side of the bed. He looked peaceful like that, bathed in the dim glow of the bedside lamp, his breathing slow and steady.

I didn’t want to wake him, so I moved quietly, changing into my pajamas before slipping beneath the covers.

The bed dipped under my weight, and his lids fluttered open, hazy with sleep as he turned his head toward me.

“I was just resting my eyes while I waited for you,” he murmured, voice rough from sleep.

I smiled, brushing a hand over his chest. “Sure you were, cowboy.”

Leaning in, I pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, letting my lips linger against his warm skin.

Then, with a smirk, I whispered against his ear—

“Take your pants off.”

—-------------

I stepped out of the shower, steam curling around me as I reached for a towel. The cabin was still cloaked in darkness, the only light coming from the dim glow of the bedside lamp. The clock on the nightstand glared back at me—3:45 AM. Too damn early for most people. But not for us.

Ryan was already getting dressed, pulling his shirt over his head as he glanced over at me.

“Last one of those for a few days,” he said, nodding toward the bathroom.

I smirked as I dried my hair. “Guess I’ll just have to make this one count, then.”

He chuckled, shaking his head as he buttoned his shirt. “You sure you wanna come out there with us, baby? There won’t be any soft bed to sleep in.”

I pulled on my jeans, tugging them over my hips before looking over at him. “You’d miss me too much if I didn’t come,” I teased. “And I can’t have you out there distracted by missing me.”

Ryan paused, his hands stilling on his belt buckle as his gaze dragged over me, slow and deliberate.

“I suppose we can’t have that,” he murmured, eyes dark with something unreadable. “Though you’re plenty distracting when you’re there.”

I grinned, stepping closer and running my fingers down the front of his shirt, smoothing out the fabric. “Just keep your eyes off my ass, cowboy, and on the cattle—you’ll be alright.”

He caught my wrist, his grip warm and firm. “No promises,” he said, his voice low.

I laughed, shaking my head as I grabbed my boots. It was going to be a long few days, but at least I’d be spending them with him.

The night still held its grip on the land as we stepped out toward the barn, the air crisp with the lingering chill of early morning. The sky stretched wide and dark above us, stars still scattered like dust across the horizon.

Every ranch hand from the nearby spreads had come to help—men and women we’d ridden alongside, worked beside, and looked out for. Just like we had for them. It was the way things worked out here. A quiet understanding, an unspoken promise. You showed up when you were needed, no questions asked.

The low murmur of voices filled the air as they unloaded their horses, the soft snorts and restless shifting of the animals blending with the rhythmic clatter of hooves against packed earth. Warm greetings were exchanged, handshakes and nods given as the circle of trust tightened around us.

Ryan’s fingers found mine, his grip firm and steady. I let my hand settle in his, stealing a brief moment of warmth before the long day ahead.

We were all here for the same reason—to get the job done. But as I glanced around at the familiar faces, at the way they’d shown up without hesitation, I knew it meant more than that.

This was more than just work.

This was family.

“I saddled your horse for you, Alex,” Carter’s voice came softly from behind me. “Do you wanna double-check it?”

I turned to look at him, taking in the way he carried himself now—taller, surer. He wasn’t much of a kid anymore.

“I trust you,” I said, offering a small nod.

He gave a hint of a proud smile before stepping back to finish tending to his own horse.

I turned back to my saddle, packing my bags with the bare essentials—just what we’d need to get by for the next few days. No room for extras, no luxuries. But I still clipped a thermos full of cold brew to my saddle horn. I already knew I’d be thanking myself come morning.

Colby caught sight of it and shot me a look. “Don’t think that’s a necessity.”

I smirked, tightening the strap. “We’ll see how you feel about it tomorrow morning.”

The knowing chuckles from a few of the others told me I wasn’t the only one who had their priorities straight.

I swung my leg up over my horse, settling into the saddle like it was my second home. In a way, it was. It was like that for everyone here—this was more than just a job. This was a life we were built for.

I urged my horse forward, trotting slowly toward the line of cowboys, the first light of dawn brushing the sky as we all fell into place, ready to begin. The sun was just starting to breach the horizon, casting a pale glow across the land, and the air was still cool, untouched by the heat of the day yet to come.

My father sat proudly atop his own horse, talking to Emmett Walsh, one of his old cattle buddies.

“You sure you got another ride in ya?” Dad asked with a grin, teasing the older man.

The old cowboy’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I’ll race your ass up to the top, Governor.”

Dad laughed, the sound rich and warm. “Thanks for coming.”

“Nowhere I’d rather be,” the old man replied, tipping his hat in respect.

Dad turned his attention to the rest of us, his tone shifting to business as he took charge. “We’ll ride up along Mount Chisholm, push them down to Lewis Creek, and hold ‘em in the meadow overnight. If we’re lucky, we’ll get ‘em all in one drive. No way to get a camp up there, so it’s empty stomachs and cold backs for a couple of days.”

He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning over the line of cowboys, and then his grin returned, the same one I’d seen a thousand times growing up. He shouted, “Yee-haw!”

The sound was a call to action, a signal that we were about to make our move.

I smiled, the familiar thrill coursing through my veins as we all kicked our horses into gear, riding off toward the horizon. The others behind me whooped and yipped, their voices rising in excitement as the day began in full swing.

We rode through the valley, the soft earth beneath our horses’ hooves muffled by the rising heat of the day. By the time we reached the top of the hill, the sun had fully risen, hanging high in the sky, and the day had wrapped its warm hands around us.

“Guys in the back, drop in!” Rip called out, his voice cutting through the morning air.

I rode ahead, my horse’s steady gait carrying me up to the peak. I paused, letting my gaze sweep over the horizon. The land stretched out in front of me, vast and unbroken, a beautiful, wild expanse.

Dad rode up beside me, his presence familiar and grounding. He glanced out at the view before turning his attention to me. “And they wonder why we fight so damn hard.”

He looked over at Beth, who had come up on the other side, her expression skeptical. “You see what you’ve been missing?”

Beth didn’t seem particularly moved by the sweeping landscape. “Did anyone think to pack any vodka?” she asked dryly, glancing around like we’d just stumbled onto some sort of vacation spot rather than the ranch.

“Beth, just look,” I said, nudging her slightly with my tone, trying to get her to see what I saw. I motioned out toward the land that had shaped us, our home.

“Yeah, I see it, Alex,” she replied, her voice flat. “It’s very pretty.”

Dad let out a soft chuckle, clearly amused by her lack of enthusiasm.

“What?” Beth raised an eyebrow. “I said it’s pretty. Don’t make a thing out of it.”

Dad waved a hand dismissively, clearly used to her deflections. “You two drop in there,” he directed to Rip and Beth, his voice shifting back to business. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s move down a hundred yards so she can’t ruin this for us.”

Beth shot him a side glance, not backing down. “It’s the same view from the porch,” she said with a shrug. “Just a different angle.”

I chuckled softly at her response, but I didn’t let it distract me. Nudging my horse forward, I urged him down the slope, feeling the cool breeze against my skin as I left the peak behind.

I rode alongside Ryan, Colby, and Teeter, guiding the cattle toward the clearing where we planned to group them. The herd had stayed close over the winter, so the roundup went faster than we expected.

"You know," I said, breaking the silence, "we should do something together. All of us."

Colby shot me a quick look as he nudged a stray cow back into the herd. "We're doing something now."

I chuckled, not missing a beat. "I don’t mean work, Colby. We do this all the time. I mean, like... go out, do something different. Have some fun."

Ryan gave me a sideways glance, his voice low. "Baby, you know how it is when we all go out together. It usually ends in some kind of violence."

I couldn’t help but laugh at the truth of his words, but I pressed on. "It’s never been just the four of us," I pointed out. "No bars, no wild antics—just dinner, maybe a movie. Something low-key."

Teeter shifted in her saddle, glancing at me over her shoulder. "You really want us to be that normal?" she asked with a grin, though I could see the curiosity in her eyes.

I shrugged, trying to hide a smile. "I’m just saying, we never get the chance to do anything that’s... well, not about work."

Ryan smirked, shaking his head. "I don’t know, Alex. I think you might be asking for trouble."

I raised an eyebrow, challenging him. "Or maybe we’re just overdue for a little trouble that doesn’t involve cattle or fists."

"Alright, you’ve convinced me," Colby said with a half-grin, giving in. "Though if we end up in another fight, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

I smiled, the familiar tension of the past giving way to something lighter. "I’ve been duly warned," I teased, nudging my horse forward as we rode together to push the cattle further into the valley.

The air felt different today—brighter, maybe. As we rode, my gaze wandered over to my sister, who was working with us. To my surprise, there was no scowl on her face, no tension in her posture. Instead, she had a real smile on her lips, something rare and genuine. She was here, participating, but without the usual edge of conflict. She was simply doing the work—without needing to fight.

There was a subtle sense of joy in the air, like we had all found a moment of peace, something we didn’t have to fight for. I looked around at the others, feeling the unspoken understanding between us. My eyes finally rested on Kayce.

Kayce had been broken ever since they lost the baby. The weight of that loss had sunk deep into his bones, and I wasn’t sure if he could ever fully recover from it. Yet there, in the middle of the valley, with the herd moving peacefully around us, I saw something in him that I hadn’t in a long while. It wasn’t much—just a glimmer, really—but it was there.

It wasn’t joy, not yet. But it was something close. Maybe, in time, that joy would find him again.

I reined my horse to a stop beside my father and Emmett, the old cowboy. The breeze carried the faint scent of earth and cattle, and for a moment, the world seemed quiet—just us and the herd.

“The herd came together quicker than I thought,” I said, glancing over at Dad.

He nodded, his weathered face unreadable, but his eyes were sharp, taking in the scene. "Yeah, but it’s a good thing. We’re ahead of schedule."

“I’m gonna let ‘em graze here for a bit,” Rip said as he rode up, his horse moving with the same calm precision he always had. "I’ll send some of the boys across the creek to keep an eye on things. You all can settle in the shade while the sun’s high."

“All right,” Dad agreed, his voice steady. “Then find somewhere up the creek we can run a picket line, keep the herd from wandering."

“Yes, sir,” Rip replied, tipping his hat before turning his horse and riding off.

Beth watched Rip’s retreating figure, her brow furrowing slightly. “I can’t believe you’re not smiling,” she called after him, her voice teasing but carrying an edge of curiosity.

Rip looked over his shoulder, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’m smiling on the inside, honey,” he called back, his tone just as teasing, yet with a trace of sincerity beneath it.

Beth crossed her arms, looking from Rip’s retreating figure back to me. “Y’all don’t ever call this work, okay?” She shook her head as if the notion of it was completely absurd. "Ever."

I met her gaze, fighting a grin of my own. "It’s hard work, but it’s the kind we don’t mind," I replied, my voice light but truthful.

Beth scoffed, but there was a softness in her eyes. "I just don’t get how you can do this day in and day out and still act like it’s some kind of vacation," she muttered, though the amusement was clear in her tone.

Tate and Kayce rode up to join us, both looking like they had just come off a long stretch of quiet, thoughtful riding.

“You bring your fly rod?” Dad asked, his voice casual, but with a hint of a challenge.

Tate shook his head, a slight grin forming at the corners of his lips. “You said no fishing on this trip.”

“Ah, right,” Dad said, a little sheepish, though it didn’t last long. His eyes shifted to me, and I could feel the weight of his gaze. “Alex? How about you? What else did you sneak into your saddlebags?”

I laughed and shook my head, meeting his gaze with a knowing look. “I don’t fish, Dad. You know that.”

“Well, I didn’t realize we’d be done so quick,” Dad muttered as he adjusted his hat, his expression softer now, almost amused.

“If we’re not careful, John,” Emmett piped up, grinning, “people are gonna start thinking we know what we’re doing.”

Dad chuckled, the sound of it rich and deep. “You, uh, didn’t think to bring a fly rod, did you?” he asked, giving Emmett a mock side-eye.

“Of course, I brought my fly rod,” Emmett replied, his tone light but confident, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

I couldn’t resist. “I think Tate may arm wrestle you for it,” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

“No need,” Emmett said, his smile widening. “Tate, come with me. We’re gonna tie these horses up and take turns.”

Tate hesitated for just a moment, a small glint of excitement in his eyes as he looked toward the creek. Then, without saying much, he nodded. “Sure thing,” he said before he spurred his horse and followed Emmett.

Kayce and I watched them ride off, the silence between us comfortable, though there was something heavy in the air.

“He needed this,” Kayce said, his voice softer than usual.

I looked at him, my gaze steady, but my words more than simple acknowledgment. “You both needed this,” I told him, a quiet conviction in my voice.

Kayce gave me a small nod, his eyes lingering on the horizon for a moment. There was a silent understanding between us now, something unspoken but deeply felt.

“That was fucking awesome,” Clara, the assistant, said as she rode up, her face flushed with excitement. Then, realizing who she was speaking to, she shot my father a sheepish look. “Sorry, Governor.”

Dad barely blinked, but Kayce smirked. “Tell us how you really feel.”

Clara grinned, completely unapologetic. “It was fucking awesome,” she repeated, then winced. “Sorry, again. Wow. So… what do we do now?”

“I think I’m gonna go find my cowboy and curl up under a tree,” I told her, stretching in the saddle. Kayce caught my eye, his grin knowing.

“I’m too excited to nap,” Clara admitted, practically bouncing in her seat.

Dad let out a small chuckle. “You’ll get over that,” he assured her. “For now, get yourself on the other side of the creek and make sure these cattle stay on our side.”

“All right,” she said, still buzzing with adrenaline as she wheeled her horse around and rode off in the direction he pointed.

Dad took in a long breath, looking out over the herd, the land stretching endlessly beyond. “You could sell it,” he mused. “Bottle it up and sell it.”

Kayce huffed a quiet laugh. “I don’t think there’s anyone to sell it to, Dad.”

I nodded, following his line of thought. “Anyone who knows what it’s worth is already out here doing it.”

“Maybe so,” Dad murmured, giving one last satisfied glance at the cattle before nudging his horse away, likely in search of a shady tree to lay under.

I turned to Kayce, watching him carefully. “How are you doing, really?”

He was quiet for a beat, staring out at the grazing herd before exhaling softly. “I’m okay,” he said. “Or at least getting there.”

I didn’t push him for more. Instead, I sat there with him in comfortable silence, the sounds filling the space between us—horses shifting, cowboys murmuring, the distant clang of metal as someone checked their gear.

My gaze drifted to Ryan, across the way, sleeves rolled up, muscles flexing as he worked with the others to run a tie line between two trees for the horses. Sunlight caught in his hair, and for a moment, I just watched him, warmth settling deep in my chest.

Kayce must’ve followed my gaze because he spoke again. “Didn’t think you’d fall in love with a cowboy.”

I glanced toward where Dad had ridden off, then back to Ryan, before finally meeting my brother’s eyes. A slow, knowing smile tugged at my lips.

“All the men I’ve ever loved have been cowboys.”

“Go,” Kayce told me, his voice steady. “I’ll keep watch.”

I met his eyes, a silent exchange of trust passing between us. Then, with a small nod, I nudged my horse forward, crossing the creek toward the shade where Ryan was waiting.

He stood relaxed, leaning against a tree, adjusting his hat against the sun. As I approached, his gaze lifted, a slow, easy smile spreading across his face.

“Come to steal my shade, sweetheart?” he drawled.

I smirked, sliding down from my horse. “Among other things.”

Ryan reached for me, and I let him, the warmth of his touch grounding me as the sounds of the cattle faded into the background.

[straw-folk]

SWTD Plot Part 1

That insane moment where you decide to write a play by play plot list of the entirety of still wakes the deep for fanfics you may or may not even write....

Story notes 

The Start 

Starts with Suze sending him a letter talking about divorce on Christmas in the 3rd deck 

Trots comes gets Caz and tells him Rennicks looking for him 

Kelly and Douglas room 

Caz finds Finlay down the hall she asks for a light before telling him he's in deep shit with Rennick because he got some letters from the mainland 

She complains about Cadel and Rennick being cheap 

Caz goes to get breakfast  

Gibbo rooms with Dobbie 

Addier signed up for double portions Roy caught him 

Canteen (accommodation) 

Conversation between trots, O’Connor and gibbo 

Trots talking about unions, industrial actions and Cadel making cuts to get more rigs going 

Gibbo thinks he's being ridiculous  

O’Connor agrees with him stating they're down to a skeleton crew in the pontoons 

Conversation between brodie and Raffs 

Raffs going for his first solo dive 

Brodie is looking out for him and chides Caz when he mentions he would never do a solo dive 

Raffs is nervous 

Addier is eating alone 

He antagonizes Caz saying it'll be his last day and pokes fun at his lack of ‘good’ work 

Caz bites back with how he couldn't hold a light when doing his job. 

Cracks a joke and everyone laughs (you wouldnt know a spark plug from a fucking hairdryer) 

Conversation with Roy 

Rennick immediately buzzes the announcer calling Caz to his office 

Caz tells Roy about Suze whose thinking about divorce 

Roy tells him not to worry about it too much and to next time think before battering in Billy chamberlains head next time (not dead but certainly injured) 

Apparently, he made some unclean comments criticizing Suze and Caz swung on him 

Roy reassures that the lord loves Caz and so does Suze 

Dobbie passes by the kitchen door and lets Roy know that trots left roys insulin in his cabin 

Trots is Russian??? Maybe German 

The Deck 

Innes and Muir are bantering on the lower deck 

Muir makes a comment about Innes's head being hard to miss 

Innes chides him saying the Rennick is just itching to give someone a kicking 

Banky is working on the stairs making Caz go around 

Yellow sign says Cadel Beira D 2/23 (February 23rd?) 

Rennick again announces to us questioning why were not in his office, this happens multiple times with different phrasing throughout this area.  

Caz askes Innes and Muir if they need a hand 

Muir lets them know that they're alright 

To which Innes adds on that if he wants to transfer to the deck, he should give him less lip/backtalk 

Muir buts in saying not to mind Innes he loves it 

Another announcement, they assure Caz that he'll be alright and to try not to punch him 

Conversation between Sunil and Alex 

Sounds like they're trying to fit metal parts 

Alex says they've got gaps to will Sunil comments that the drill crew will love that 

Alex reply's that Rennick will love it even more and that Sunil's telling him 

Sunil replies that he told him last time and its Alex's turn 

Sunil is on top deck, Alex lower 

Conversation with roper 

Roper is usually in marine control but came down as the drill is acting up, has everybody scrambling to figure out the problem thought they can't. 

He’s hoping they won't get behind schedule, most likely to avoid Rennicks outbursts 

Roper and un-named are in the derrick 

Conversation between McClurg and Bruce 

Talking about shipments that won't be coming in for a few weeks 

McClurg says he can patch it but might want to say some prayers 

Bruce seems exasperated as they've been needing a lot of those lately  

Dalgliesh warns Caz to stere clear of the lift as to not get crushed 

Scooby startles Caz (calls him Mcleary) 

Asks Caz to quickly fix the fuse box while he's down there and toss down a screwdriver 

Scooby is on the upper deck 

Administration 

Rennick in installation manager office, above administration 

Conversation with Rennick 

He is pissed, really pissed. Rennick is upset about the letter he got from the police and yells at Caz about how he runs a tight ship and there is no excuse for how he's a liability. 

Revealed that Caz was a pro boxer, however no matter how popular he is on shore on the rig Rennick is the ‘fucking king’. 

Caz tries to explain how he can sort this with some time, but Renick cuts him off 

Rennick gets a phone call from gibbo presumably telling him that the drill hit something, and he thinks they should stop and investigate before continuing. 

Despite gibbo and roper advising against it Rennick orders them to continue drilling or he’ll come down there himself 

The call ends and Caz makes a comment causing Rennick to tell him he's fired and to get off his rig. 

Helipad 

3 people on helipad, Gregor, archie and someone else 

Something explodes causing Gregor to fall off the edge, Caz notices and runs after him while archie screams at him to get away from the edge 

Gregor begs for Caz to help him, to not let him die 

A second small explosion causes Gregor's hands to slip from the railing. Sending him plummeting into the sea 

This is followed by a third, larger explosion the sends Caz over the edge after him 

Caz falls into the ocean cutting his vision 

Screen flashes with flesh like tones akin to an injurie matched with flashing distorted images and memories. 

This is where the story will start 

The true Beginning  

There is a memory sequence with Roy, Caz and Suze 

They're talking about Caz working on the rig, Suze is against the idea and goes back a fourth with Roy 

It's brought up how Roy forgot their wedding cake on a bench 

Roy promises to take care of Caz 

Caz was going to be stationed for four months on the rig 

The Dive Deck 

Caz fades in and out of consciousness where we hear Douglus and Brodie pulling him out of the see 

They both fuss over him with brodie focused on getting them to safety while Douglus panics if he's still alive, they both fuss over him while rushing to cover, most likely to avoid getting tossed off themselves 

Caz passes out again after coughing up water and wakes up alone 

Stepping outside brodie immediately, yells out for Caz to help him,  

we can already see the rig falling apart with things popping off the sides and plummeting into the ocean 

Caz asks if he was able to get Gregor out too, with brodie replying that he couldn't find him and that he's not the only on they lost 

His attention is then grabbed by what we can assume to be raffs who's stuck in the bell. 

Raffs is tossing inside the bell screaming his head off much to Brodies horror and confusion as ‘decompression shouldn't be this bad’ 

The current running theory is that the drill hit something, a gas leak or air pocket, that caused an explosion 

Douglus went off to find out more about what happened and if the Beira’s even safe anymore 

Brodie tries to comfort raffs saying he’ll get him out real soon, brodie regrets letting him go down there, stating he was supposed to take care of raffs 

 

 

The under rig, Catwalks 

On first observation the rig itself is falling apart, the catwalks are mangled and bent 

When we pass the drill there's glowing blue light with an undertone of red that reflects onto the tin undercarriage of the rig like water. 

In the center of it is a web of winding rope like pieces of perhaps flesh, if its pulsing and breathing has anything to say about it. 

It looks to be coming from inside the drill, having probably winding up and around it before bursting out and latching onto the under carriage 

It has a bubbling effect on one's vision, gathering on the part of the eye that is closest to it 

Caz’s reaction to this is a mix of awe and horror, cause what the fuck 

He starts to hear someone or something, almost like music that is until Douglas breaks his temporary fog by telling him to get the fuck away from that and come back inside before the Catwalk falls apart and dumps his ass back into the ocean. 

He then tells Caz to meet up with him inside  

There is a lock Caz breaks with the screwdriver that blocks the way 

Balancing across a board mixed with some jumps and monkey bars Caz ends up around leg b before transitioning to leg c to get to engineering access 

Leg C 

Looking down over the railing the flesh from before seems to have penetrated Leg C 

Using the walls to form and grow in spiral patterns and drape onto the surrounding walkways 

Thankfully it seems to have only made it about halfway up the inside of the leg, rapid growth 

Rennick comes on the announcement declaring that there has been a minor drill issue, and that work is suspended until it is fixed.  

He continues to press that it is a ‘temporary issue’ much to Caz's exasperation and disbelief 

Continuing down we notice that the inside of the leg is almost as twisted into scrap metal as the catwalks outside, roundabout jumping and walkways continue 

The Beira shakes rumbles periodically, causing more pieces of metal to fall further into the leg and in turn the mass of flesh 

Caz continues to make his way around to the entrance for engineering and finds a head lamp, thank God, shit was dark 

Engineering  

stepping inside the left and most direct path to engineering ops is closed off by rubble, making us take the right path that will lead us to gas separation 

Once going down the stairs the path’s floor is covered in maybe 5 inches of water and gas (if the rainbow reflection tells much) 

Entering an open room a pipe bursts, making a loud pop sound that is replied to by a even louder gargle/shriek much to Caz’s horror as he rushes up a set of stairs to the next room 

There he finds a vent which he quickly pries open and climbs into 

Coming out the other end however he is met with smeared blood and a white hardhat 

The ominous noises continue mixed with what sounds like sobbing, snorting, and more gurgles  

Finlay 

Following the hall Caz opens the door and gets startled by Finlay who beckons him to come closer 

Caz asks what's making that noise, commenting that Finlay looks like She’s seen a ghost. 

He’s shocked when she’s says its gibbo making all that racket and says they should go find and help him 

Though Finlay is against that idea, going on to say that he's not right in the head. 

Apparently, the explosion caused an unknown substance that looked like oil to splatter all over him causing him to go crazy and lunge at Finlay 

She tells Caz that Gibbo’s out there with him, much to his displeasure, and to be careful, really fucking careful 

Caz asks if she’s seen anybody else to which she replies that she just got here. Most likely missing Douglas by a hair 

Finlay continues and tells Caz that he needs to go through the water tanks to get to accommodation, she warns him to be quiet and to stay the fuck away from gibbo, has not right 

Walking through gas separation Caz climbs a ladder and comes face to face with a scene right out of horror movie, taking place in Engineering OPS 

This would be our first close look at Wisps (that's what I'll call the ropes and curtains of flesh from now on) 

It looks to originate from the top panels, most likely growing and spreading through the crevices between the roof and ceiling.  

It then would have shot down, probably enveloping the people closes to it and infecting them, causing rapid growth and likely death (perhaps they weren't infected with the right type of shape, therefor causing them to be used as energy rather than gatherers. Perhaps 2-3 people caught 

Continuing through the room Caz goes up the ladder to level 2 jumping over a hole in the loft before entering the water tanks 

A few water tanks seem to have burst, partially flooding the room up to Caz’s hip 

Water tank section 

Stepping down into the water immediately sets Gibbo off, we can hear him heaving as he bangs between water tanks, his voice echoing of the metal. This makes it hard to tell where he is 

He seems partly conscious, pleading with Caz through strained breaths to not come any closer and to stay away. 

Though conscious he’s hardly coherent, he mentions addier telling him to go down here, most likely with Finlay to do something with the drill 

At times he’s comforting himself, saying he's a good lad 

Caz makes his way through the water tank almost shitting his pants when he gets to a hatch 

It's only a few steps down the hatch that what gibbo now is barrels overhead, slamming the hatch closed and sending Caz to the flooded ground, gibbo continues to stomp and bang on top of the tank,  

Caz slip through a tight hallway connecting the tanks and to his horror finds Douglas hunched over the ladder, 

It looks like he fell, probably the same way Caz did except he hit his head, hard. Though gibbo probably had a hand in that as he states. 

As we go up the stairs gibbo screams apologies, he didn't want to hurt him, just stop him from looking, he keeps seeing his face, don't leave him alone down here, he's confused, what's happening, and tell his mom he’ll be home soon 

If you hang around a bit longer, you'll hear sobbing, he'll say he’d never you'd know I'd never, what do I do, I don't know what to do 

Take the exit to accommodation 

Accommodation 

Step in to the utility floor in accommodation and Caz will find a heater, thank God since he's fucking freezing. Caz tells himself not to think about it 

Turn right and Caz finds a phone and answers it, on the other end is O’Connor 

O’Connor has Bruce and Fergus with him, he asks Caz what the hell's going on 

To which Caz replies that the drill hit something, and O’Connor needs to get the fuck out of there, and O’Connor doesn't disagree 

O’Connor tells Caz that something is wrong in Engineering (I'm assuming his on level 3 since we just passed through 1 and 2) he says they’re 

Going to go through the leg and come up the under rig, he swears that Rennick better set up evacuation and fast. Then he cuts off 

Caz tries to tell him he must come up through accommodation, but the call has already ended by the time he gets too 

Caz goes back into the hallway, the only way to move forward is to go up since the laundry room is blocked  

Going up the stairs Caz notices the way to the cabin floor has been blocked, the way to the deck is covered by whisps and the canteen door is barricaded 

Entering the crew lounge we hear trots struggling with something in what i think is the bathroom  

Refracting blue light flashes the room leaving water like shadows on the floor and ceiling 

Inside trots is screaming to get ‘it’ off him, repeating the phrase in a shrill panic as Caz tries to get inside asking him if he's ok and to let him in 

Caz gets increasingly panicked as trots screams turn from panicked to pain filled, ending with a strained and gurgling scream before silence. 

After a few more attempts to get the door open Caz is forced to give up in favor of finding Roy, taking the other exit to try and get into the canteen 

Roy 

Walking into the canteen it’s in complete disarray, the ceiling panels are falling off and chairs, tables and a trashcan was used to block the main entrance, that and the metal cover has been pulled down over the serving windows. 

Opening the door Caz scares the shift to out Roy, before Roy Tells him to get the fuck in here 

Roy seems panicked and out of breath as he asks Caz what the fuck is going on out there, Caz tells him that people are dying much to roys horror as he asks who and how. 

Caz struggles to explain what's been happening saying he doesn't know what to believe 

Roy agrees, stating he saw something outside and thought he doesn't know what it was it scared the shit out of him, he wants to barricade the door, but Caz disagrees, they must get off the rig, they can't just hide 

And that's all I've got so far which is, granted, a fuckton...

[zeondraws]

Definetely noticed how much I am learning about the game through trial and error. Some details I just don't notice, until a certain moment where it clicks in my head.

Earlier this morning I rewatched the videos from the developers and noticed they did show closeups of a few crew members, including Muir and I was like- Wait, that's him!

I remember watching that video before, but not quite understanding who these characters were, or maybe the way they got rendered threw me off.

Seeing how much I am learning here makes me wonder, how come I don't do the same with other topics? There is so much I could learn, if I had the motivation or the drive. It's hard on some days.

Either way, I feel like making a small post for myself with various links/image references. At one point I have to make a mega post to link each of my research posts, so that it's easier to pinpoint.

Here are some face closeups of a few crew members

Innes (I am sorry everyone it looks like he's half bald)*

Gibbo - Gibson

Muir

Brodie, Edit: I think the two images are actually Dobbie? But I'll check up on this in the future again

O'Conner (This one was a bit hard to identify, but some folk on discord helped me)

Roper

Video Source:

*In the Cantines I noticed another person that looks similar to the model, that I linked to Innes. Tho that person wears a red suit, while Innes wears blue. Tho I still think the above pictures fit for Innes, we never get to see him without his hat. So it's hard to say for me.

Helpful Link for the Achievements (scroll down for a List of Achievement Timestamps):

(I still need 3 of them)

Ripped 3D Models on Sketchfab (You need an account to view Muir, Addair, Trots and Rennick):

What I also did was looking through reddit to find tiny pieces of information here and there. I am not sure how deep I want to dive in for this game, considering it's quite time consuming to check small details (replaying the entire game again each time). But here are two Screenshots I grabbed from TheChineseRoom's comments on Reddit.

And of course their Youtube Channel has a bunch of Videos about Behind the Scenes. Quite interesting listening through them. Helps me to get a small glimpse into the Industry and how things work.

I think I have rambled for long enough, I gotta tidy up XD Been posting so much about this game, hope it doesn't get annoying.

Either way, if anyone has something else to add to this, feel free to tell me.

[lover-of-mine]

No seriously I’m only okay with Buck in shorts like those from the 80s if it’s one of these ⬇️

Everybody Wants Some!! for anyone curious btw (it has Ryan & Tyler Hoechlin in it as Roper and McReynolds respectively

Look, I'm a basketball person, so I was legit envisioning this, but honestly, sure, anything works, the shorter the better jspaksoskspakaoak

[veloursdor]

ews, please! The original novel one~ 💕

ews stands for everybody wants some! a movie by richard linklater about the weekend before college is about to start for a baseball team. is literally just dudes hanging out, no plot, just vibes

there's a character there played by tyler hoechiln (derek teen wolf) that bc is tyler hoechlin i sorta had a crush on, so i started writing a self insert fic. but since there's no mcuh to his character personality wise or character arc, is also like a blank slate for me to write him however i want. i just burrowed his name and how he looks in that movie

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Melody asked as she looked at the frat house in front of them with mistrust in her eyes.

It wasn’t much, just a simple house one would find in the suburbs with a white picket fence. But instead of being surrounded by peace and tranquility, the house in front of her was surrounded by people in various states of drunkenness.

Next to her, Lennon was also looking at the house, but where Melody was unsure of their presence at the house, Lennon kept looking expectantly at the door, as if eagerly awaiting for something, or someone.

“Yeah,” Lennon shrugged, failing to appear nonchalant, as they never took their eyes away from the door.  Their black hair, short and spiked in all directions, shone underneath the moonlight, softly reflecting the lights coming from the frat house as well. “Kenny invited us here.”

“Roper invited us?” Melody said, looking sceptically at Lennon from the corner of her eye, emphasising the last word. She and Roper had never shared more than three words in the time they had known each other, unlike Lennon, who was pretty much at the edge of… something with the guy.

“Well, he invited me here, and he knows you and me are like a package deal. So, yeah, he invited the both of us,” Lennon said as they clapped their hands together — making the bracelets in their wrists jingle — before they turned to look at her with excitement in their eyes. “Let’s go.”

Without waiting for a response and never looking back, Lennon made their way towards the house, decidedly and with intent. The only sight of their nervousness Melody could spot in their demeanour was the way they tightened their leather jacket to themselves. Melody could do nothing but follow them, hoping that whatever happened at the party would at least make for a fun story… eventually, sometime in the future.

The inside of the house wasn’t much better than the outside, with beer bottles and empty red cups covering every surface of the inside. Wherever she looked there where people sprawled on the furniture and the floor, making out with whoever they could find. She didn’t recognise the song playing in the background, but at least it had a nice enough beat to not make her have a headache on top of her general discomfort.

People were laughing and dancing, a party in full swing. From the corner of her eye, Melody could see her friend Cheryl in the middle of the living room laughing and dancing with Finnegan, a friend and teammate of Roper’s. Cheryl’s long, auburn hair was in a loose bun, her pink dress tight around her body, but not enough as to limit her movements. For his part, Finnegan’s outfit was his trademark checkered shirt and jeans, his blond hair hidden underneath his cowboy hat. Finnegan’s hands were on Cheryl’s hips, their bodies pressed closer together as they danced in place.

Melody briefly wondered if Cheryl had any issue with Finnegan’s moustache  — as blond as the hair in his head — on her face, as he was softly kissing her cheek. Trying to hide her snort her own thoughts caused her, she looked away from them, only for her smile to turn soft as she caught sight of the moment Roper noticed Lennon was there.

The man had been in the middle of a conversation with his best friend, Glen McReynolds, before stopping mid sentence and drop his friend to walk directly towards Lennon, who was smiling brighter than Melody had ever seen them. To Melody, the sight of Lennon smiling was a good look on her friend, as they deserved to smile more.

“Lennon, you came,” Roper said in astonishment, a coy smile dancing on his lips as he passed a hand through his shoulder length brown hair. His hands then went to the back pockets of his pants, a sign of nervousness if Melody had to call it something.

“Hey, Kenny,” Lennon said as they turned towards the man, ignoring the rest of the world. They were also a little shy under the gaze of Roper, their cheeks turning pink and their smile a little bashful. It was sickeningly adorable, and Melody couldn’t help but get excited for her friend.

“Melody,” McReynolds’ voice said in that tone of his that made Melody’s skin crawl, interrupting the moment she was witnessing and drawing her attention away from her best friend. Unlike Roper, who was wearing a casual shirt and jeans, McReynolds was dressed in a black shirt that up close looked like leather, with the three top buttons undone, and black dress pants that matched the fabric of the shirt.

His upper lip showcased his moustache, that on anyone else would’ve been called a pornstache, seemed to compliment his outfit. Melody hated his look on principle alone, ignoring the butterflies erupting in her stomach.

“McReynolds,” Melody replied dismissively, turning away from him to look back at Lennon, who was busy talking quietly with Roper in the corner of the room.

It wasn’t easy to ignore the heat emanating from McReynolds, but the less the man knew about the effect he had on her, the better.

“Didn’t think this was your sort of thing,” he said, motioning with his beer bottle towards the room, a smug smirk on his face. “Thought you’d prefer to be holed up studying in a little nook in the library.”

“The semester hasn’t even started,” Melody said ignoring the painful twist her stomach made at McReynolds’ words. She rolled her eyes instead, showing her irritation rather than her unease. “Lennon asked me to come with them.”

“And wherever they go, you go?” McReynolds asked mockingly before taking a sip of his beer, the bob of his Adam’s apple distracting Melody from her attempt to ignore McReynolds. “How cute.”

“Drop dead, McReynolds,” was all she said before walking away from him, the sound of his laughter echoing through the room.

She ignored his voice as he called her name, looking for a room where she could hide from him and everyone else. Engaging in conversation with McReynolds in any capacity wouldn’t turn out good for anyone, especially not for herself.

She knew herself enough to know that she was a particular kind of fool.

[the-firebird69]

Except the assignment and it is to no I accept the assignment and yeah that was the Michael two wife and she was wrong and sick and she's getting fixed I mean fixing yourself I mean fixing the problem and that was Sarah I think heavens and I accept the assignment and it is to take Wrangler jeans and to make a new model called original cowboy cut they weren't straight legs they weren't like a loose fit but they're loose and they're straight and sort of and we know how it was and they looked pretty cool they like workman's pants and they were designed different they're designed well and they used a heavier material and it's good for riding motorcycles and we're going to get a bunch of people to test it and he wants my kids in on it and a bunch of corks because he has to fit people and some of trumps and we're moving out now and it's Wrangler and really he wants to change a reputation this will do it because it's the original cowboy cut

Dan

You still got it Chris

Terry cheesman

Thank you very much and they're rolling on it and they probably need an assist

Zues Hera I want my pair of cowboy cut so I'm going to go down there and see if they're going to start making it

I can't believe we're doing this this is so much fun and that was Hera and she's going to try and get a pair everybody on Earth is going to want these because they're all going to be riding motorcycles and it's perfect for it and Dave AKA Dan is right it is made for motorcycle riding and you can actually put padding on the inside se knee things and other stuff and heart attack it goes underneath and there are shirts to go with it too and Wrangler is going to make those it is intense this is a great idea it's a perfect type of bike too we're going to have a lot of beige seats and a lot of people are taking the leather that's beige off of the rider mower and they're making seats out of it

Terry cheesman

You see a lot of yellow too and that became a color later for wranglers and you can see it in magazines and books it was on the saddle so people could see you at a distance

Thor Freya

That's ridiculous I'm going to bet that it translated to lawn mowers

Zues Hera

And I'm back and it comes up automatically and I'm pleased

Yes it did happen that way it came from the Wrangler who are hustling rustling I mean the cattle and with they're still doing it with horses and they are going to be pleased and impressed and he wants a shipments to go to them of the new Wrangler cowboy cut for them to be seen wearing them and if they're smart enough they can make a deal and we're going to try and get that done and they're pleased about that

Frank Castle hardcastle

I hate to say I have something to do with this but I might

Roper

Olympus

[therappundit]

"For you, I recommend...” - The Rap Pundit’s Picks From the First Half of 2023

****PART 1 of 2****

*If you are interested in tracking my favorite songs released in 2023, I will be updating this 2023 Tidal Playlist all year long*...and yikes it’s already ridiculously long.

https://tidal.com/playlist/2a4cccc0-19db-4ef2-8ad9-d29e866ef672

Been a while, how’s everybody doin’?  Me, I’m just doing the same ol’ husband/father/jaded American worker thing, exhausted but well aware of how fortunate I am.  As with any art, the irony is that inspiration is too often tied to depression, frustration, and a need for change.  I regarded the past few years of rap music as some of the strongest in recent memory, which is not a coincidence, considering how increasingly unhinged our world appears to be.

From the standpoint of major releases, strong underground releases, and a growing range of different sounds and aesthetics, I would argue that 2022 could go up against any of the greatest years in the history of rap music.  The nostalgia factor will always hold court over recency bias whenever folks who claim to be in the know get into such conversations, but I think 2022 had something for everyone - and those somethings were at the highest level that each respective lane has to offer.  Now here at the midpoint of 2023, we have a year that is extremely shallow when it comes to noteworthy releases trickling down from household names that loom large over mainstream rap music, but instead there are a seemingly unlimited amount of under the radar gems washing up on our streaming shores on a weekly basis.  In 2023, if you want to hear the best rap album of the week, there’s a good chance that it won’t receive a shout-out from On Thin Ice’s New Music Friday post (but a HUGE s/o to CROWNTHEM and RapSurvivalGuide for digging deep every week, and not just catering to your own personal biases or whoever kisses your ass for a slice of that sweet, sweet Twitter Share pie...but I digress).  ;-)

For the past decade my musical tastes have shifted, grown, and sharpened, and while getting older has certainly played a factor, my own interests in rap music have expanded due in no small part to the names I mentioned above, as well as many others.  Thank you all for doing what you do every week, it takes discipline, a good ear, but above all else, a real passion for the music and artists that share their gifts with the world.  Staring down at the back half of the year (July already!?), I hope to continue to share the same love for the art form, and put at least a few folks on to dope songs or albums that they otherwise may have missed.

So for my “Best of 2023 so far”, I tried to do the following:  pick *some of* my favorite songs of the year, NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER WHATSOEVER, choosing one song from each artist (not including features or producers, both could have multiple showcases within the list below), and trying to touch on all of the different styles of rap music that I love.

Hope you enjoy, let me know your thoughts, and see you when I drop Part 2 (which I’m aiming to do within the next two weeks).....

🙏

“Fair Oaks Drive” - Ace P feat. Righteous Emcee, Juice Lord & Knucky

https://dontaskwhy.bandcamp.com/track/the-proof-prod-roper-williams

“Veracruz” - Che Noir feat. 7xvethegenius

https://bigghostlimited.bandcamp.com/track/veracruz-ft-7xvethegenius

“OPEN LETTER” - dp0mmy feat. K9shmere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7vaRgkzbBw

“Swing!” - KING VISION ULTRA feat. Nakama

https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/track/swing-with-nakama

“Red Jacket 6″ - MIKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1AZB7ZxNf8

“Auntie Crystal” - Jae Skeese

https://jaeskeeseofficial.bandcamp.com/track/auntie-crystal-explicit

“STARS” - Papo2oo4 feat. YL, Starker & DVNTBEATS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4lBqeubo4M

“Hitman Synopsis” - Freddolo & Charlie Mayo feat. Blu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLBR-TE8BjI

“Gerald’s Flattop” - SickInTheHead

https://soundcloud.com/sith92/geralds-flattop?in=sith92/sets/smokin-boots

“Pressure” - Wulf Morpheus feat. Silky Southern & BACKSEAT [S]MILES

https://soundcloud.com/wulfmorpheus/pressure-feat-silky-southern-backseat-smiles?in=wulfmorpheus/sets/epp

“Imported Goods” - Kadeem feat. Caliph, Avenue, & Latrell James

https://itskadeem.bandcamp.com/track/imported-goods-feat-caliph-avenue-latrell-james-prod-by-god-damn-chan

“Woke Up” - Jay NiCE feat. Big Cheeko, T​.​F & Jansport J

https://nicesupreme888.bandcamp.com/track/woke-up-feat-big-cheeko-t-f-prod-by-jansport-j

“SOUTHSIDE STORY” - Hoodlum

https://tidal.com/track/286322005

“Already” - EastsideEggroll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GL8Qk1h9Ws&list=OLAK5uy_n7zKo_AAp5vLgvFZH5BowfcuRs7VZSVvc&index=4

“Top Of The Morning” - Talibando feat. Samuel Shabazz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Nrh4kOcBw

“Pistachio” - MVW, Valee & Zelooperz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7YpBd09TGc

“Really Him” - Mike Shabb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptUo-N6cWgE

“Look Closer” - The Legendary Traxster feat. Buk Of Psychodrama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyhTwWglaIk&list=OLAK5uy_k61kabHMaTugmcIsGP0BAWmja7XF6sD5M&index=16

“Family Tithes” - Gnarly Marley feat. Martyy Jugg, Esoderic & The Abnorm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXGi9QDPP94&list=OLAK5uy_lOKtMuI2x9AnUeGKsx7FxtbxVWK5lgOXk&index=6

“STOOP” - Akhen feat. Roscoe P Coldchain & Lord Maskoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivVEnzMBOuA

“Boat Interlude” - Veeze feat. Lil Yachty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69jRaPHx0vk

“Club Spook” - Popstar Benny feat. $pook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRgCcHoioug

“Stand On It” -  DaBoii feat. Philthy Rich, 4 rAx & Mac J

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBmejHaDpVo

“Top G” - King Hendrick$

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzSHrpp3n68

“Okra” - Young Nudy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4YxcS_SNRA

“Bipperz Anthem” - KP SKYWALKA & Lil Dude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iftj9Sud6nk

“'86 TESTAROSSA“ - Curren$y & Harry Fraud feat. Rome Streetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBUpBbucBMY

“Starting Lineup” - Murs & Wiardon feat. Larry June & ICECOLDBISHOP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ienLlyytWK8

“Chit Chat” - French Montana & DJ Drama feat. A$AP Rocky & Smooky MarGielaa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaR_ZRLcLqI

“Basket” - DaeMoney feat. Babyface Ray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvNkAPFwS2o

“Woedy” - Rob49 feat. Birdman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zihkny_M42Q

“PILL FORM” - 2 Eleven & T.F feat. Rome Streetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkX7cS7jZeM

“Hollow Way” - El Michels Affair & Black Thought

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYqcfCtRARM

“I USUALLY SAY HOW I FEEL” - Tree

https://mctreeg.bandcamp.com/track/i-usually-say-how-i-feel

“Boom (Mouskatool)” - Mello Buckzz feat. Amari Blaze, Moni Da G & Kashh Mirr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AMwuCjoNeA

“Fuck Mr T” - RRB Lil Mel & RRB Cheese feat. feat. RRB Duck & SME TaxFree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1kI8DBl5No

“Ron Artest” - Babyface Ray & 42 Dugg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqP7EwfbroE

“Slipping Into Darkness” - Hit-Boy & The Alchemist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqeK6BIS_pQ

“Three Kings” - Wiki feat. Big Ouee & Papo2oo4 

https://wiksetnyc.bandcamp.com/track/three-kings-ft-big-ouee-papo2oo4-prod-juju-merk

“Ghetto To Meadow” - Oddisee feat. Freeway

https://oddisee.bandcamp.com/track/ghetto-to-meadow-feat-freeway

“Eastside” - Jay Rock feat. Kal Banx

https://tidal.com/track/300682190

“Gurd” - Drego fest. Beno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2EuvC5NjaM

“F**K Yo’ Set” - DJ Rude One & RXK Nephew

https://djrudeone.bandcamp.com/track/f-k-yo-set

“Brucifix” - Conway The Machine feat. Westside Gunn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slqKjNdjseU

“Foie Gras” - Your Old Droog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udq9HXLmnKs

“Robbers Cave” - Sleep Sinatra feat BloodMoney Perez, Sekwence & KlwnKat

https://sleepsinatra1.bandcamp.com/track/robbers-cave-feat-bloodmoney-perez-x-sekwence-prod-by-klwnkat

“The Proof” - YL

https://dontaskwhy.bandcamp.com/track/the-proof-prod-roper-williams

“k.o!” - Raz Fresco feat. Daniel Son

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuxx33m_AdI

“PBS Kids” - AJ Suede & Televangel feat. Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire

https://fakefour.bandcamp.com/track/pbs-kids-feat-mr-muthafuckin-exquire

“Class” - Spectacular Diagnostics feat. Curly Castro, Illogic & Defcee

https://spectacular-diagnostics.bandcamp.com/track/class-ft-curly-castro-illogic-defcee

“hue_man nature” - Saba & No ID

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o01_JnGtj8A

“Smug” - Nappy Nina feat. maassai

https://nappynina.bandcamp.com/track/smug-feat-maassai

“She Could” - phiik & Lungs/LoneSword

https://phiik.bandcamp.com/track/she-could

“It Don’t Stop” - J. Rawls feat. Wordsworth & MC Bravado

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QOK22JQlVg

“Blunt Guts and Laundry Rooms“ - Tokyo Cigar

https://tokyocigarmusic.bandcamp.com/track/blunt-guts-and-laundry-rooms

“S.H.O.W. ENT” - Sideshow

https://ghettosoundz.bandcamp.com/track/s-h-o-w-ent

“Zoo” - Mr Brady & Budamunk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuVFDHSdZFg

“BlitzBerg” - Niontay

https://sexafterchurch.bandcamp.com/track/blitzberg-2

“Venison” - Chuck Strangers feat. Navy Blue

https://chuckstrangers.bandcamp.com/track/venison-feat-navy-blue

“The Plug” - Jay Worthy & Roc Marciano feat. Kokane & Ab-Soul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF-pNfKHiKM

“Chicago Piffers” - Jamal Gasol & Vic Spencer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CHXucmHMuE

“Sunflowers and Gunpowder” - Stik Figa

https://stikfiga785.bandcamp.com/track/sunflowers-and-gunpowder

“Cocaine On My Sweatshirt” - Stove God Cook$ feat. Earl Sweatshirt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABBh1fS_M4Y

“Michael Myers” - AyooLii & Run Along Forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFqaDKNVkB4

“Oh Dear” - Jadasea & Laron feat. Wiki

https://jadase15.bandcamp.com/track/oh-dear-ft-wiki

“HALLELUJAH” - Pote Baby

https://soundcloud.com/potebaby/hallelujah-1

“bread & butter” - Gunna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaKdWGnUF4

“Jellyfish” - Roadrunner Glockboyz Tez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWdIgSoyRrQ

“Hts” - Myaap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8GxPW2_piY

(s/o to @JunkiesRPeople for putting me on to this one, Milwaukee has some crazy fun records)

“Gettin Fishy” - Luh Tyler feat. Scy Jimm & Wizz Havinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3cdOha_8i4

“Let’s Do It” - DD Osama feat. NLE Choppa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aV_GtP3hH8

“Adventure Time” - A$AP Twelvyy feat. Roc Marciano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCZAAJKtgjk

“Baby Steps” - billy woods & Kenny Segal feat. ELUCID & Benjamin Booker

https://billywoods.bandcamp.com/track/baby-steps-featuring-elucid-benjamin-booker

“LALO” - Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher feat. 38 Spesh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DxN5IqE7Q0

“Nat Turner” - Talib Kweli x Madlib feat. Seun Kuti & Cassper Nyovest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caim8oPc4r8

(Yeah.  I get it.  You don’t like Talib Kweli.  But if you get a chance to check out Liberation 2, do so, because it’s dope.)

“Kill Switch” - Navy Blue feat. J Rocc

https://soundcloud.com/navybluethewaterbearer/kill-switch

“The Hillbillies” - Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhivl6fln3s

“Duckin Smoke” - Mac Ty & GloRilla

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhiBY3ViqOM

“Kia Boyz” - Trdee feat. Certified Trapper & Mariboy Mula Mar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw-mgOxrJK4

“Michelin Star” - WateRR & Lupara feat. MIGHTYHEALTHY

https://waterr.bandcamp.com/track/michelin-star-feat-mightyhealthy

“4DEVILHEADZ” - Estee Nack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJzMNDzzwWY

“Transactions” - Gabe ‘Nandez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTd7JNH8VfE

“On The Floor (Remix)” - Latto feat. Cardi B

https://tidal.com/track/297661618

“RIP Hutch” - Babytron feat. Rico Nasty & Remble

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSb6guRt10E

“Top Dog / Under Dog” - YUNGMORPHEUS

https://yungmorpheus.bandcamp.com/track/top-dog-under-dog-prod-fitz-ambro-e

“Terpalation” - Zombie Juice feat. Curren$y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC2dF2canl0

“Tell Em That” - Dre Wave$ feat. Marco Plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vyuTs_UsZg

“BFFR” - Kenzo B

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpdfKEqTqZE

“Corsairs” - Knowledge The Pirate feat. Roc Marciano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GlmtXE8PjA

“Each Smack” - Certified Trapper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgn5FiUlXdQ

“Get A Ticket” - Chase Fetti feat. Benny The Butcher 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ZqCby_ie4

“East Side Summer” - SKECH185 & Jeff Markey feat. I​.​B. Fokuz, Collasoul Structure & Solar Five

 feat. https://skech185.bandcamp.com/track/east-side-summer-feat-i-b-fokuz-collasoul-structure-and-solar-five

“Raps Don’t Move Me” - greenSLIME & Boathouse

https://closedsessions.bandcamp.com/track/raps-dont-move-me

“Lift Me Up” - Marco Plus feat. Chris Patrick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf7_XCjuDqk

“Biddy Mason” - 7xvethegenius

https://soundcloud.com/lovethegenius/biddy-mason-1

[strugglingwriterwattpad]

cherry bomb pt 3 - glen mcreynolds x reader SMUT

everybody wants some 2016 - glen mcreynolds x reader SMUT

In 1980s Texas, college athlete Jake Bradford moves into the communal house of his baseball team. The roommates soon begin to navigate the ups and downs of growing up unsupervised. The houses are in need of renovation bringing in the new landlord that quickly takes glen McReynolds, captain of the team's interest.

Word count – 20,996 in total

As the sun rose, Glen slowly woke up. His head was sore and his throat dryer than sand. He placed his hands along the rough wood of the closet finally looking up at the line of baseball uniforms and stinky shoes. "Shit." He groaned, his bone cracking as he got up from her makeshift bed. He slowly opened the door letting the sunlight in. His eyes squinted but he carried on walking out seeing the bottles and cups covering the floor. "fuck" he muttered. The entire house was trashed. He could hear the team in the living room so he decided to follow hoping (Y/N) would be awake. "Morning boys." He grumbled collapsing on the sofa with a thud. "Is (Y/N) still asleep?" he asked not taking his head out the cushion. "As if you care." With the sound of an angry Kenny, he looked back up at his friend's face red with anger. "The fuck?" he questioned. As he got back up, he noticed everyone around him, Jake, Plummer, Finn, coma and Nesbit all had sour faces. "What happened? Is it (Y/N)?" he asked quickly hoping she was okay, and he was just panicking himself. "don't you remember what you did?" Jake asked his usual cheerful voice low. He shook his head lightly turning back towards Kenny. "How can you not remember?! You fucked another girl last night. I knew you were an asshole, but this is a whole new level for you Mac."

Glen processed the memories he had of last night, everything seemed to be there. No holes, no gaps nothing. "Now I didn't," he stated making Finn roll his eyes. "We all heard you. You had a girl screaming your name in your room with the door locked. Come on man just own up." Finn took a swig of his coffee. "I never went to bed last night." He growled. He was quickly getting angry he knew what the truth was, and he didn't like being called a liar. "I fell asleep in the fucking closet, next to your rotten shoes Coma." His teammate rolled his eyes in disgust not believing him in the slightest. "Kenny dude how could I have gotten in I didn't have the key." He turned back towards his roommate. "But I don't have the key anymore Glen. And only you knew where it was in my back pocket. It's now gone." The captain stood up with a stomp emptying all his pockets to find nothing but bottle lids and a crumpled-up joint. "I," he took a step, "don't," he took another step rage almost bubbling over. "Have it." the group held their silence as Glen marched towards the stairs begging for the door to open, but it didn't. Kenny followed close behind him finally realising the door was still locked from the inside.

"Did (Y/N) hear it?" he asked with fear threatening to escape his lips. All Kenny could do was nod his head lightly making Glen sigh almost holding back the tears. "We heard a girl moaning your name. Glen, please be honest. What happened last night."

"I told you Roper, (Y/N) went to get me a water and I tried to follow her. I fell into the closet and couldn't get back up. So, I fell asleep. I didn't go upstairs. Not once." Glen tried desperately to hold back the tears but failed to know his girl was probably at home alone crying from a broken heart. "I couldn't...I wouldn't hurt her like that." He stuttered. Kenny quickly moved his friend to the roof sitting the pair on the picnic chairs that had made their home on the homemade 'balcony.' Roper places the phone in Glen’s lap holding the cord to not get it tangled. "Call her quick." He ordered.

Bev and (Y/N) sat in her studio apartment, the low volume of her record playing the same song they danced to a month ago. She hadn't changed the record since that night and knew now she needed to but just couldn't reach her hand out to do it. couldn't or wouldn't? She didn't care anymore. "Come on (Y/N) you need to shower," Bev begged turning her friend’s shower on letting the steam out to try and tempt her with the heat. "Okay." (Y/N) muttered taking baby steps into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. She slowly stripped off the clothes she wore the night and the red lingerie she had planned to gift him. She ripped it off hastily and stepped in ridding herself of that night. As (Y/N) cried on the wet tiles, Bev tidied up the apartment from their night of sorrow. She felt for her friend knowing how broken her heart felt. With a ring of the phone, Beverly sprung up quickly going to answer so (Y/N) wouldn't panic. "Hello? Beverly speaking." She answered picking up the sweet wrappers off the bed.

"Bev please it’s Glen (Y/N) there." Her eyes widened in shock from hearing his strained voice. She almost felt bad for him before snapping out of it quickly. "She not available." She spoke monotoned. "don't lie to me, Bev. Please I didn't do anything last night."

"Like hell, I'm gonna believe that Glen. Everyone heard you. Clear as day moaning with another girl who was moaning your name. explain that, Glen."

"Please Bev just-"

"Now don't bother. Be grateful I promised her I wouldn't tell her dad. don't call her don't come near her. Just leave her alone." She slammed the phone down with a bang quickly going to unplug it. the room fell silent the only sound being the business seniors muffled cries.

The phone line ended like a flat line to Glen’s heart. He held himself back from launching the machine over the roof. "Fuck!" he shouted deciding on the picnic chair instead, sending it down the ground with a crash. "I gotta fix this." He muttered, "How the fuck am I gonna fix this." He groaned. "Can I even fix this?" the tears quickly fell once again as Kenny pulled his captain up. "I don't know man but you’re gonna. We’re gonna find out who is or was in that room and we’re gonna sort this out. Okay?" the dark-haired senior nodded his head slowly calming down as his friend held him tight. "Thank you. For believing me." He muttered. Kenny smiled lightly. "If that door wasn't still locked, I wouldn't believe you."

Word spread around campus about what happened at the baseball house, and it was hard on (Y/N). The girls that were once insulting her were now laughing at her. She distanced herself from the team and the house asking her dad to put her on a different job till the situation was calmer. Her dad was the worst for igniting her anger. He begged her every day to kill Glen for what he did but ordered him to let her handle it. he hated seeing his baby girl sad because of a stupid boy. But he was a stupid boy to her. She loved him. and she didn't want to admit it to anyone. Not anymore.

She distracted herself with work and studying sitting in the canteen with Bev every meal. Beverly watching her like a hawk was annoying, but she knew the freshman meant well. She wanted to make sure her friend was eating well and not hiding from the world. "(Y/N) Come one... at least try and eat something other than chicken salad," Beverly begged to push a sandwich and a slice of apple pie towards her friend. "I'm trying Bev." She muttered not daring to look at the plate and focusing entirely on her study book. Glen watched intensely from the other side of the canteen, his once smug attitude was dead and replaced with a mess of a man. his pain only got worse as he watched her. her once dazzling eyes were now dull almost lifeless, and her skin was dull also like all the sunlight she used to radiate off her was gone.

As the rest of the baseball group sat down, he stood up. he had no control over his legs, but he knew he had to do something. He couldn't sit there and watch her break herself over his stupid actions. "(Y/N)." He spoke softly breaking the gloomy trance she had over herself. She refused to look up her (H/C) hair covered her face from him. "Please, baby. Let me explain what happened." He begged. As he sat down, she stood up shooting off like a bullet. As Bev and the team watched Glen Chase after her they felt the emotions of their two friends, like an aura clouding over them. Beverly looked towards Jake in confusion, but he shook his head, signalling her to leave them to it he turned back to his teammates each one not saying a word.

The halls were empty except for the two teens. Glen finally caught up, grabbing hold of her shaking hand like he used to do. the only difference was now she shook her hand out of his grip breaking his heart. "don't touch me." She stuttered not once missing a step towards the campus exit. "Cherry baby please." She quickly turned around shoving him away. He stared in shock as she finally looked up at him. her eyes were clouded with sorrow tear steams stained her skin. "Just stop it! you've done enough." Her voice was croaky like she hadn't drunk all day, she was defeated. And so was he. He let her go down the hall, not wanting to cause her any more pain.

The next few days were a blur for the broken couple. (Y/N) buried herself into Oz and Glen into figuring out who was the one in his room. The team had sat themselves down in the canteen once again on a miserable Friday afternoon. The rain poured down heavily on the field cancelling practice for that evening. Once again (Y/N) and Beverly sat across the canteen, their table now full of different art pieces for the party they were roped into. "I just don't get it, man." Plummer grumbled, "Why would some random guy come to a party and have sex with a girl in your room specifically? Assuming that the guy isn't called Glen because that would be too much of a coincidence, who would gain anything from breaking you two up?" the group shook their heads not being able to think of anyone outside their friend group. The couple barely entertained other people outside the baseball team. (Y/N) friends being the only ones outside the group but none of them would want to hurt (Y/N) like that. Not even the jealous girls that bad-mouthed her could conjure up a plan like that.

"Maybe we’re too friendly," Finn murmured, his eyes focusing on something coming towards them. Finn picked something out of his pocket jingling a key as the boys watched him with shock plastered on their faces. The missing room key that hadn't been seen since Glen put it in Kenny's pocket "Maybe it's one of our own. The boys found it in the other house last night" His orbs focused again as someone sat down next to them. "Afternoon Niles," Finn muttered eyeballing the rest of the group in silent agreement. He must have done something. The key to a bedroom in the wrong house. but the only one out of the entire team who lived in the other house and had a grudge against Glen and (Y/N). "Sup," Jay mumbled wolfing down his meal. "I didn't see you for most of the party Jay?" Kenny asked pretending to take an interest in the weirdo’s night. "Yeah, the man had a girl on my dick instantly." He gloated. Glen watched the group shocked plastered on his face for a split second before he attempted to mask it. his once sickly skin had turned red with rage, but he kept taking deep breaths until he could confirm their suspicions. "Hi, Glen."

The group quickly turned their attention to the voice, not recognising it. or the person it came from. A girl. A cute freshman girl dressed in a Texas college jumper and flared jeans with thin-rimmed glasses and chocolate brown skin decorated with darker freckles. "I enjoyed the other night at the party. You never called me back?" the girl's words were directed not at Glen but at Jay shocking the guys and some stared on in confusion. "I'm sorry who are you," Alex asked. "Oh, sorry I'm Paisley. Glen invited me to the party Saturday night." The girl pointed towards Jay smiling lightly but the group did not. "Glen?" Alex and Nesbit pointed towards both Glen and Jay confusing the poor girl. "Yeah, Glen." She muttered pointing towards Jay. Glen watched on, the rage bubbling up as he quickly put two and two together and sprung up. "Your fucking dead Detroit." He shouted earning the attention of everyone in the room including (Y/N). Niles quickly got out of his seat racing down the hall to not get caught by his captain. the group stayed behind in the canteen offering a seat to a very confused Paisley.

It took glen a lot of strength not to kill his teammate knowing that if Niles went to the coach covered in bruises he'd be off the team. But now he knew what happened. Now he could prove he was innocent. "Your gonna tell her what you did." He ordered slamming Jay into an empty wall hoping he harmed the transfer student. "Like hell, I will." He spat. "Oh, you’re gonna. Or I'm gonna tell coach exactly what you've been up to. I'm gonna tell her father what you did." He pointed his rough finger into his chest pushing it between his ribs in a jabbing motion. "I don't give a shit if we lose the house. I'm not losing her because of you." The group finally joined the two. Finn yanked Mac into his arms with a tight grip. "Calm down Mac." He muttered as the rest of the boys faced Niles with fury. "Calm down Mac, paisley's agreed to tell (Y/N) at the Oz party. It's all gonna work out fine." The captain sighed heavily releasing himself from Finn’s grip. "It's gonna be an okay dude." He nodded his head lightly rubbing his eyes to hide the tears threatening to fall. "I swear to go Niles. Why the fuck would you do something like this." Jake growled. "(Y/N) has been nothing but nice to us from day one." Jay rolled his eyes pushing the teammates off him as he waved his arms around like a flag. "Oh, please she's distracted. All she does is sway her hips and bat her lashes and Mac's gone like fucking road runner. It's pathetic." The captain rolled his eyes with a groan. "Seriously. You did this cause your jealous?!" he shouted. "Whatever man." as the asshole teammate walked away anger radiating off his body glen held himself back throwing Nile's books in his direction. "The boys have filled me in on what happened Glen." He heard Paisley stutter watching the poor manipulated girl cover her tears. "Believe me I had no idea." Glen pulled himself together pulling the small girl into a tight hug hoping to bring her some sort of comfort. "I'm so sorry for Niles. He won't be doing anything like this again. Especially unpunished."

"What the hell do you wear to an art party?" Nesbit groaned pulling everything out of his wardrobe in a huff. "I don't know do colour, patterns nothing boring., Finn replied trying to ignore everything other than Kenny and Glen as they spoke. "Jake said she's doing a tent for Bev, so you'll have to wait till she's finished whatever she's doing. That'll give you time to get Paisley there and time to figure out what you’re gonna say afterwards." Glen buckled his leather belt up tightly keeping his main focus on his breathing to keep himself calm. "I already know what I'm gonna say." He muttered. "And that is?" Jake asked hanging the phone up and placing it on the side. "That I love her." each boy tilted their head in surprise at the three words. Frozen in place the team held shocked grins. "Seriously?" Alex muttered. "No Alex I'm gonna tell Cherry it was all a sick prank. Of course, I'm gonna tell her I love her." Jake quickly picked up a shirt from Mac's wardrobe brushing the fabric with his hands before holding it out to the senior. "Wear green. She's going as poison ivy." He ordered handing it to his captain with a proud nod. In a normal circumstance, he would be thinking how sexy Shell look dressed as the DC villain hoping to end the night fucking her in her costume. But tonight, all he thought about was her heart, praying to God, she's take it all okay and be with him again. It was a long shot in his eyes, but he knew he would do anything to get his cherry back. "Do you love her Mac?" Dale asked placing his weights down on the ground to join the rest of the group. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't," he confessed. "Cherry had me wrapped around her fingers the moment she stepped out of that van." Smiling widely the group proudly congratulated their captain as they all started to pile into their cars ready to go. "Cherry?" Finn asked skipping the congratulations and jumping straight into his curiosity. "Why do you call her cherry? you've called her that since you started dating." Glen sighed feeling his heart murmur remembering his love for her intimate tattoo. "don't worry about it." he smirked hoping he'd be able to wrap his hand around her arousing ink.

(Y/N) and Beverly split up as soon as they entered the party, their tents being on the opposite side of the land the house surrounded. The house was probably the same size as the baseball houses, but they were completely different decoration-wise. Covered a variety of artwork that stayed up all year round. The land was the same with performers scattered everywhere. From artists, and performers to actors. Everyone had a particular talent to display tonight and tonight (Y/N) wasn't going to be one of them. Although she had fully gotten over what happened the last weekend, she had sucked it up for Bev knowing the girl had wasted an entire week helping her get over the heartbreak. (Y/N) quickly made her way to the plant-filled tent. It was decorated entirely based on the plant villain covered in vines plants and tables full of fruit and plant-decorated sweets. She didn't know what the tent was meant to be for, but she knew her task was simple enough for her to do for the next two hours. She situated herself on the green velvet chair waving lightly to the other two girls she was working with. One dressed as a cat woman, the other batswoman. The two girls grabbed hold of platters feeding (Y/N) as seductively as they could put on. The tent quickly flooded with people as the music turned on and the buffet down below was slowly being emptied. She got quite a few looks from people, some saying she looked sexy and others admiring her costume. She couldn't lie she loved the tight corset bodysuit and matching thigh tall boots. It made her feel powerful. For once.

"Okay you know the plan, right?" Glen asked making sure Paisley was still behind him as the group split off. "Find her tent, find her, explain and leave you to it." she smiled brightly doing her little mind prayer for the couple. "Thank you again for this." He muttered his eyes darting across the tent knowing the shed to be in a green one. "No thank you for the chance to explain it to her. I can't believe I got roped into something like this." The two wandered the field almost lost until they spotted the lit-up emerald tent in the corner of the land. "Ready?" she asked pulling her skirt down as she started her run towards their location. He quickly joined her making sure to keep breathing.

The drug-like feeling quickly for (Y/N) vanished as the tent door opened again. Glen slowly stepped inside. She couldn't deny he looked good, neatly groomed, in tight black trousers black dress shoes and a dark green button-up coincidentally matching her colours tonight. He stopped at the sight of her, his breath hitching as she took a cherry from the grip of the batswoman. She had one leg resting on the ground and the other leaning up the side of the velvet chair showing off the tattoo he loved so much. He slowly stepped forwards looking behind him to make sure Paisley hadn't gotten lost before continuing his track to get his girl back. (Y/N) stood her ground begging herself to ignore him and continue with what she promised shed do for Bev. "(Y/N)." He muttered getting as close as he could to her before the two other girls stood in front of her. "that's far enough civilian." The cat woman hissed keeping in character even if she knew why he was there or not. "(Y/N) Please let me talk just for a minute." He begged. She continued to ignore him as the bat woman climb on top of the chair joining her in their seductive performance. Glen ignored the two other performers focusing entirely on his cherry. "If you still don't believe me afterwards, I'll leave you alone. I'm begging you." The girl sighed heavily spitting out the cherry stone and throwing it in the bin beside her. (Y/N) quickly eyed the girl by Glen seeing her hopeful eyes glitter with the catch of the light. "Please (Y/N)" the girl stuttered as if she was begging the senior to give him a minute of her time. "I'll be back." She spoke to the two girls, they quickly changed positions to carry on the show. Glen and Paisley followed (Y/N) out of the tent getting as far as she could from the music to be able to hear him. He watched her intensely her all-matching outfit was giving him a tough time downstairs, especially the thigh tall boots and matching gloves that were decorated with ivy leaves and vines. He had to make a mental note for her to keep the costume for later use. That was if she took him back.

"What do you want Glen?" she groaned folding her arms to cover her voluptuous chest. He gulped heavily mustering the courage to get his words out. "I know it looks really bad, Cherry. Believe me, I know. But I can prove it wasn't me in the room." She rolled her (E/C) heavily before turning to the girl that stood behind Glen. "I'm guessing this is the girl." She mumbled. "(Y/N). My name is Paisley. Believe me, I'm just as pissed off as you are." The senior unfolded her arms in confusion resting her weight on her other foot. "I was the girl in the room that night. But I wasn't having sex with Glen. Well, I was but it wasn't with this Glen." (Y/N) furrowed her brows as she looked towards her ex in confusion once again. "Jay told me his name was Glen and took the bedroom key to have sex it there. He wanted to trick you into thinking Glen cheated. He tricked us both (Y/N) I promise I'm not that type of girl I would never have done anything so nasty" Her eyes switched from confusion to shock before Paisley continued the story. "I didn't find out till yesterday. That's what all the shouting was about in the canteen. I'm so sorry this happened."

Before Paisley could continue (Y/N) wrapped her gloved hands around the girl’s shoulders pulling her into a tight hug. "Are you okay?" She asked completely ignoring her own mixed emotions to comfort the poor girl who had been pulled into the rivalry between the couple and Jay. "I'm fine. I'm angrier than anything. We still don't get why he did it." the two girls let go of each other. "He probably wasn't thinking knowing Niles. Acts before he thinks the type of guy." The two laughed lightly before Paisley fixed her clothes. "I'm gonna leave you to it." she smiled. "Thank you again, Paisley," Mac spoke watching the girl join the rest of the group in their pussy patrol.

The captain turned back towards his girl waiting for her to show any sign of what she was thinking. "Where were you?" she asked, "I went looking for you and I couldn't find you anywhere." The boy sighed holding back a laugh at the memory. "I went to follow you into the kitchen but fell in the closet. I couldn't get back up, so I just fell asleep." (Y/N) giggled quietly imagining him cramped up in the tiny baseball closet. He gained some confidence, stepping towards the girl he had fallen in love with. "I'm so sorry (Y/N)." He spoke. She shook her head lightly pulling him close for comfort. "I should have let you explain what happened." He took shook his head wrapping his muscular arms around her tight. "don't dare apologise. I would have thought the same thing." His lips brushed the top of her head placing butterfly kisses down her parting. "I love you, Cherry."

Her orbs turned towards him in astonishment before smiling lightly at his tender words. "Really?" she questioned. "of course, I do." the girl's smile widened further pulling as close as she could get him. "I love you too." She stuttered tears threatening to fall for the hundredth time that week. "don't cry, baby." He spoke. Glen quickly pulled her lips into his own, sparks shooting out their bodies from the long awaiting touch of each other. Their lips moved in sync before he bit down forcing a gasp from her throat. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue to meet hers dancing for dominance. "Let's go home," she mumbled pulling herself away. "What about the tent?" he asked brushing her red-sprayed hair out her face. "I'm sure Bev will understand when she finds out what happened." He nodded his head finally deciding on spending the night with her in his home, alone. The couple quickly raced to his car driving as fast as he legally could back home.

The two lovers tumbled their way up the staircase not wanting to break away from each other as he grabbed the doorknob. Finally, the door swung open, and Glen took the opportunity to reel his arms under her picking her up and throwing her on the waterbed. The mattress jiggled making the girl forced to steady herself. "You really wanna do this?" he asked pulling her velvet boots off her feet slowly and seductively. She nodded her head pulling him close by his matching green shirt. "I planned on doing this last week." She confessed slipping her head under his jaw and kissing his neck heavily leaving purple marks where she displayed her ownership of him. He groaned loudly as he gripped her hips feeling the fake leaves attached to her body suit. "Forget about last week," he spoke going for her zip. "Focus on right now." He took the zip down her back letting her skin breathe as the fabric fell slightly. "Nothing is gonna interrupt us." He smiled allowing the fabric to completely fall onto her lap.

He pushed her lightly signalling her to move back allowing him space to finally join her on the bed. He quickly took his shirt off as he watched her move the fallen fabric alongside his shirt adding her gloves to the pile as well. His green eyes couldn't leave her chest. They were perfect like they were carved by a skilled sculptor. He could see that her nipples were erect already lightly brushing his fingers along the darker parts of her skin. "Your so fucking beautiful." He breathed quickly working his belt out his jean loops. (Y/N) smiled lightly shimming closer to his body to allow herself to touch his chest feeling along the course chest hair and muscle. Her other hand joined in pulling him closer, so their chest touched together like pieces of a puzzle. Glen pulled his jeans off leaving the two in just their underwear. "Your 100%," he asked again locking his lips with hers once again. "Yes. Please, Glen." She begged.

After his final check, Glen pushed her down, the bed shaking heavily as he moved his weight to surrounding her. He locked her body under his own trailing messy kisses from lips, neck to chest. He focused on her breathes watching her breast jump with her heartbeat. As his lips and facial hair brushed her nipple, she whimpered almost begging him to hurry up and grant her the pleasure she was hoping for last week. And he did so, locking his lips around her breast and squeezing the mound with his large hand. "Fuck." He groaned, listening to her moans of approval for what he was doing to her.

his lips trailed lower and lower meeting his hands to hook her black panties down. "I've been dreaming about being this close to you. Ever since I saw your pretty tattoo." He confessed. "it's in the perfect place to put my hand while I fuck you with my tongue." His words had her lost in lust, the feeling of wetness pooling between her folds. He did as he said he would, placing his hand on her tattoo and parting her lips with his digits. Before could fully comprehend what was happening, he quickly devoured her arousal his tongue painting circles along her sensitive bud. "Fuck, Cherry." He groaned as she pulled tightly on his dark hair holding back her moans in embarrassment. "Stop holding back. I wanna hear it all," he ordered, his tongue returning to her pussy tongue fucking her as she let out a cry in shock. "There we go." The vibrations from his voice echoed through her almost to the point she would finish. But knowing it was barely the beginning of what Glen had planned for her she held it back as much as she could.

(Y/N) quickly took control, pushing the baseball player away from what would assume was the fountain of youth with the groan that left his gaping mouth. "Get up." She whispered laying on her stomach, her ass sticking out. He quickly got up putting his weight on his knees as her dainty hands wrapped themselves around his length. Her lush lips locked on his tip swirling a mixture of precum and spit before swallowing as much of him as he could. "Holy fuck." He gasped holding back the urge to rock his hips into her mouth. He watched her work her magic, rubbing the portions she couldn't get into her mouth sticking to a speed she got the most moans out of him. She moaned giving him the same treatment he did to her making him groan. "Stop." At his words (Y/N) quickly sprung up with worried plastered on her face. "Did I do something wrong?" she stuttered making him laugh lightly Glen quickly wrapped his arms around her tightly flipping the two, so he was now laid down with her on top. "No sweet. I just didn't wanna cum in your mouth." He smiled adjusting her hips, so she was placed perfectly above the tip of his cock. Glen looked into her lust-filled eyes awaiting approval. With an eager nod, he pushed her down, groaning as he felt her body clench around him. "Holy shit." She moaned.

(Y/N) couldn't get her mind to wake up, she was in a state of bliss. But as soon as Glen started to move her body finally created a motion of pleasure between the two. The room filled with the sounds of the two-moaning mixed with their skin smacking against each other as he picked up the pace. The quickened rhythm sent her body into overdrive forcing her to hold back her orgasm until she knew glen was closer. His hands travelled up her body clutching on any sort of flesh he could, hips, thighs or breasts. Glen brought his lips to join his hands leaving mark after mark on her neck and chest. The new purple bruises formed quickly turning him on further with the idea of the team knowing to whom she belong. "You gonna cum baby?" he groaned picking up the pace. She nodded her head heavily syncing her moans with his. "Use your words Cherry or ill slow down." (Y/N)'s eyes looked down towards him as he nuzzled her neck slamming into her tight little cunt as she squeaked out, "I'm so close Glen. I wanna cum on your cock." He groaned heavily forcing his orgasm back as she let go of her own. As her pussy tightened, he carried on his pace knowing she would be a lot more sensitive now. And he was right. "Glen it's too much." She stuttered her thighs shaking against his muscular ones. With a hard groan, Glen quickly flipped her overshooting his load into her stomach with a squeak from her. "Fuck." He groaned. She smiled with a deep breath she didn't even realise she was holding watching him look down at her messed stomach like it was a piece of art. "was it worth the wait?" she asked wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Fuck yeah it was." He smiled slowly standing himself up to grab his boxers and wiping his mess from her skin. "That was the best sex I've ever had." He admitted making her smile grow. "Good." He could tell from her voice she was exhausted making him get his clean-up job done quickly and wrap her up in his arms securely. "I love you (Y/N)." He muttered resting his head in the crook of her hot neck. "I love you too Glen." He replied sending them both into a deep slumber.

The sounds of birds chirping made (Y/N) wake up the next day. her body had cooled down but the aches and pains from the events of last night were strong. As she opened her sleep-filled eyes, she took a deep breath getting the scent of the strong cologne she loved so much. She turned her attention to the hairy chest that had her trapped in a strong grip. She knew it was Glen, but she still couldn't help but smile that he was still there, and she didn't dream of the perfect make-up night. She slowly shimmied her way out of his grip quickly heading downstairs with his oversized shirt and boxers covering her body. She went to their locked cupboard going for the breakfast stash they had hidden the first few times she had stayed over. Ignoring the sounds of the teammates around her she started a cooked breakfast of eggs bacon and the amazing store-bought pancakes they almost wolfed down on a very strong edibles night.

"Well good morning miss cherry." At the sound of her special nickname, she spun around seeing Finn and Kenny smiling widely almost hugging her until they noticed her lack of proper clothes. "Morning boys." She smiled. "Before he wakes up," she spoke watching the two sit their asses down on the counter stealing a piece of bacon to share. "Thank you for looking after him this week. I know I probably should have heard him out but knowing you guys were there for him makes me feel less guilty." As she piled the breakfast onto plates offering one for the two to share, Finn and Kenny looked each other in the eye before sighing. "Fuck it." both locked their arms around the frat mother laughing hard as her head buried itself in Fin’s armpit. "We don't blame you for anything that happened as long as you two have made up. You have." She smiled widely looking down at her clothes with a wink. "We certainly did." She confirmed taking Glen’s plate to his room.

With a creak of the door, Glen sprung up hoping to see Cherry. And he did. He smiled brightly and did so wider when he saw the plate of food. "You didn't have to." He spoke gladly taking the plate as she got back under the covers. "But I did." She grumbled into the pillow trying to keep the mattress from wobbling under her weight. "Good morning." The vibrations of his voice made her smile wider. (Y/N) looked up at her lover’s bright green eyes, their once dull colour was now as bright as traffic lights full of love and an adoring gaze. "How are you feeling?" he asked brushing her still tangled hair from her shoulders to check the marks travelling down her chest. "Like I've had the best sex of my life." She giggled racking her hands through his chest hair. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. Knowing he had stayed in the bed all night with her sent her body into arousal once again. She had finally found a guy that didn't abandon her late at night or treated her as an equal. and she was incredibly grateful for that.

"How do you feel about the waterbed now?" he joked making her join him in his laughter. "I don't know I might need some more convincing." Glen leaned back into her body trailing the same kiss down the same path from last night. "Well, we have plenty of time to convince you." He replied. "How long do we have?" she asked looking around for the time as he placed the now empty plate on the bedside table. Her attention turned back to him as she left his hard-on pressed against her thigh. "All our lives Cherry." He grinned pulling his body back over her own and pulling the duvet off her perfect body. "All of our lives."  

[darkacademicfrom2021]

Jotunnary | Day 4 - Lovers

Word count: 1 K

Warnings: it's a little smutty. I think it'd be like a lime rating.

Loki, or, as he is supposed to be called right now, Mr. Pine, is playing his part perfectly.

There aren’t many things he isn’t good at -or that much you know for now-, but definitely, working undercover is one of his biggest assets for the team.

As you laid your hand over the counter, you asked for one more glass of champagne for the gentleman in the blue three-piece suit over there -the target. You raised your eyebrows to meet Loki’s eyes across the room as subtly as you could, and he walked up to you. He, still on the phone with one of Roper’s men, surrounded an arm around your waist and kissed your cheek -just for the looks of it, of course. You could get used to it, though.

In the past week you’ve had this mission, Loki has behaved like a complete gentleman. One that would make any lover fall to their knees. You were there just as the trouble maker, the lover that would get mistreated and to the brink of death by his own hands, just so Roper -the worst man in the world- could see the menace he was. Just so Roper could want him on his team.

Loki is making it extremely easy for you to act in love with him. Truth be told, you had already fallen for him long ago. This was only adding up to the arousal you’d feel every time he roamed his ocean eyes around your body and licked his lips subtly, a slight smirk on his lips as he talked to someone else about how you were the most amazing person he had ever met.

You could absolutely get used to this.

“Right. Thank you very much for your…”, he says to the man on the other line, yet it seems he cut the conversation. “How are things going, my love? Enjoying the party?”.

Untense your shoulders as he massages them, that way, they’ll see how much sexual tension you have. Fake one, of course. Fake, right?

“I’m perfect, Jonathan, yet… I’d much rather go to our hotel room”, you whispered in his ear, loud enough so the men around him could hear. He chuckles darkly, and you can’t help but notice the light flush on his sharp cheekbones, making its way to the ears and neck.

“And who am I to say no to that, darling?”, he whispers equally loudly. His arms snake its way around your waist again, and he redirects his attention to the men you are trying to fool. “Gentlemen, if you may excuse us, it’s getting a little past my lover’s bedtime and work tomorrow will be very early. It’s been a lovely evening”.

“Until next time, Mr. Pine”, says one of them, and nods his head to you in acknowledgement.

The next few steps for that were quite easy. In the hall, where supposedly nobody walks in the middle of a party, he has to yell. You have to yell back. A fight has to happen, to catch everybody’s attention, and he has to pull a knife on your neck. This is not the first time he threatens you with slicing your throat, and will not be the last one. This is, on the other hand, the first time he has to kiss you.

Because the dramatics never escape the two of you, in the middle of the yelling and verbally fighting, he grabs your hair and pulls you in with a tongue deep kiss -a passionate one, filled with lust. He grabs your hair tighter and you suddenly forget what your next move is, because your hands travel around his neck and you somehow let yourself enjoy the act.

Curtains open, Roper is witnessing a very soft and slightly less dominant than desired Jonathan Pine, who is, instead of threatening to kill you, biting your lip and pressing you against the wall with his whole body. He seems to have forgotten his next move too.

As soon as he pulls away, he remembers, and takes the knife out against your neck. He now looks more threatening, more like a menace, ready to do some damage at the cost of his own sanity. Roper observes contently, admiring how Mr. Pine changed from one moment to the other, as if flipping a coin would determine this minute’s personality.

You should act scared. You’re turned on. Loki can sense it, and it seems to arouse him too, by what you’re feeling on his trousers, threatening to pop out at any moment. He presses himself against you even more, so that nobody around notices he’s not in the mood for anything other than killing you, and you have to hold back a moan. You whined in terror instead, and he puts a hand against your mouth.

“Shut it. You know what will happen if anyone sees you like this”, he groans in your ear. “I’ll kill you. Don’t play with me”.

You act some tears, scrunching your forehead and trying to battle against his grip. As you move around, you accidentally grind against him, and he presses the knife further against you, with a voice that you can discern being from Loki himself this time,

“Don’t move, or else”.

You want with all your strength to ask him or else what, but you stay in character instead.

That same night, as you change into your pajamas and Loki sits on the edge of the bed, waiting for you to say something, or do something -anything about what had happened-, you ask him. You turn around, facing him completely, standing almost between his legs, and untie his tie.

“Did you kiss me?”.

He seems to be taken aback by the question. He fakes a kind smile and slowly denies with his head.

“I kissed your character, that’s all”.

“Would you have liked to kiss me, instead?”, and he doesn’t waste any more time, crashing his lips over yours.

If he was going to fake a relationship with you for the sake of the mission, they might as well have to hear your moans in the middle of the night, wouldn’t they?

Taglist: @lucywrites02 , @louieboo87 @the-departed-potato , @jesuswasnotawhiteman , @idontknow296 , @beksib , @spythoschei , @geekwritersworld , @whatafuckingdumbass , @mysticunicorn7 @shadowolf993 , @joscelyn02 , @t00-pi , @selfship-mishaps , @sallymagnoliaposts , @deadgirl88 , @theonewiththenerds , @vicmc624 , @spiderlaufeyson @theaudacitytowrite @bi-andready-tocry @alorev @justasmisunderstoodasloki @i-beg-your-pardon-laufeyson @theetoastyghosty @lokiprompts @sarahpaq08 @lostgreekgod

[callsign-cacti]

Would you write for roper from everybody wants some

Hello my lovely! I’m sorry it took me a few days to see this, I’ve been super busy and haven’t had much time to be on here unfortunately! However, I have had some half baked Roper ideas floating around in my head, and this just gave me the push! Hopefully, I can have something out by the weekend!

[wheredafandomat]

The Hotel Waitress 🏨P8🏨 The Party

Previous chapter

The following morning, you and Jonathan both headed towards the estate, hand in hand, spotting the Lounbrone family, accompanied with their nanny arriving. You narrowed your gaze, honing in on Sandy helping the nanny out of the car, only, he seemed to have held her hand slightly longer than needed. Caroline greeting you is what freed you from your thoughts as you looked towards her with a smile.

All of you walked to the party together. In front of you and Jonathan was Caroline and Sandy holding hands. You grimaced when you realised how loosely he was holding her hand after seeing how tightly he held the nannies. Once you all arrived, Roper greeted the guests whilst you tried to get closer to him so you could put a name to every face. Realising that Jed wasn’t present, you turned towards Jonathan.

“Where’s Jed?” You asked.

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, mimicking your expression before his eyes widened as he got an idea.

“I’ll go and get Jed” he announced before leaning down to you to kiss your cheek “I’ll use the chance to sneak around a little.” He whispered.

“Wait, I’ll come with you.” You smiled.

“No, that’s fine, you enjoy the party.” He insisted.

For some strange reason, you didn’t want Jonathan to go and get Jed. You wanted him here, with you, not galavanting around Ropers estate searching for the blonde beauty.

“How about you stay here my love, I’ll go and get Jed alright.” You said before giving Jonathan a quick kiss on the lips not allowing him time to argue.

Walking towards the estate, you took your sandals off and held them in your hands to reduce the amount of noise you’d make. Heading up the stairs, you noticed that all the doors on the lower levels were open whereas the ones on the upper levels were closed. When you reached the top, you cautiously stepped down the hallway, pausing when you heard muffled speaking coming from one of the rooms. Slowly, you opened the door, regretting it once you saw Jed laying naked on the bed, curled into a ball and crying. Trying to remain unseen, you quietly closed the door before raising your fist to knock it.

“Sorry to interrupt” you apologised as Jed gasped “the guests are arriving.” You informed before closing the door behind you and heading back towards the party. Back to Jonathan.

When you arrived, you spotted Jonathan listening to Roper who was entertaining a group of children. Walking towards him, you wrapped an arm around him and he did the same, pulling you close to him. Glancing upwards, you saw that Jed had arrived too. Ignoring her, you focused on Roper.

“The story begins in Egypt, 4500 years ago. The  ancient Egyptians invented this game, it’s literally the oldest trick in the book. Now, you start with the ball” Roper said as he held up the red ball “you lay one cup like that, one cup like that and one cup like that” he explained as he arranged the cups “now I’m going to take the ball and I’m going to place the ball in the cup, shake the cup, turn it over” he said as he placed the last cup at the end of the row. “all right now you have to watch very closely you have to watch the cups. I’m going to move these two around like that this one around like that” he said, moving the cups around. “everybody clear on where the ball is now? Danny where’s the ball?” He questioned with a smirk as Danny pointed to one of the cups. “You think the ball is here?” He asked as Danny nodded. Lifting the cup up, he revealed that the ball wasn’t there. Picking up the cup in the middle, he revealed that the ball was under it. “No Danny the ball is in the middle” he chuckled as the group of children laughed. “you’re not watching the cups Danny.” Roper teased before looking up at you and Jonathan “Valentina is watching the cups, aren’t you, Val?” 

You felt transfixed on Roper as he stared at you. Time felt as if it was moving in slow motion. You could have sworn your surroundings darkened around you as you and Roper looked at one another. It felt like the tension was back. All the time you had spent working your way closer to Roper had been in vain. He was back to trying to work you out. Turning away from him, your stoic expression was replaced by a beaming one when your eyes met Jonathan’s.

“Why don’t we dance?” You suggested.

“Dance? Whatever for?” He chuckled.

“Because you promised me we would once you got better, besides, you like it when I dance.” You teased as you placed his hands on your hips.

“Alright.” He smiled before placing a soft kiss on your lips.

The both of you danced as you seamlessly made your way to the empty dance floor. You noticed one of the guests speaking to Sandy, so you tried to move closer to them. You overheard Sandy calling him Apo. Realising what you were doing, Jonathan spun you around helping you get closer to the pair.

“He can’t stop his mouth.” Apo scolded as he shook his head.

“Corky can get a little overexcited when he’s drunk.” Sandy replied.

“Yes, that is what Mr Barghati is worried about. According to our friend, he’s been shooting his mouth off, talking about things he shouldn’t. Barghati doest want him involved, a condition of the deal.” Apo said as he lowered his head.

“Thanks for that Apo.” Sandy nodded before walking over to Roper who had left the children and was now speaking to Jed. You and Jonathan tried to stay within earshot of the conversation but you couldn’t hear much. You saw Sandy gripping Ropers arm as if to speak to him privately. Jed nodded and the two departed. They walked towards the bar leaving you and Jonathan trying to stealthy get closer to them. You were so close to hearing the conversation but your movements were halted as Jed approached you both with a smile.

“Hey Jed.” You smiled.

“I just love that dress on you Val. I swear if I could, I would leave Roper for you, you beauty.” She teased.

You tried to laugh off her remark as Jonathan pulled you closer to him “not if I have anything to say about it.” He grinned as he and Jed exchanged a quick abhorrent glance.

“Roper” she called out “the Quinces and I are going to go for a little stroll.”

A/N: It’s been like 100 years since I updated this fic 😂 hope you liked the chap!!

Tags:

@kingtwhiddleston

@sititran

@littleone65

@virtualstrawberrydinosaur

[meggie-stardust]

WIP Game: That's What I'm Talking About!!!

Thanks for the ask!

Every now and then I venture off the the beaten path of what fandoms I normally write for because I get some crazy idea. And usually that idea ends up in the WIP folder...

So, what you need to know is that Everybody Wants Some!! is probably my fave movie from the past few years, and easily in my top 10-15 of all time. It's one of those movies I put on when I just want something fun to watch.

There's a scene towards the end of the movie, when the baseball team ends up a a theater party, and McReynolds and Roper are playing like telephone with some girls and Roper kisses one and tells her to pass it on... well, there's a deleted scene where the girls expect them to kiss and instead of kissing they streak, but before they do, they say "Yeah, we should have just kissed."

And so, I was like, what if they did kiss? Or what if they strike out with the girls, and then think, what if we just kissed? Except it never went more than about 3 lines, and yet I still have the WIP in the folder:

It’s been three years, and while the baseball team certainly excels at throwing parties, he hasn’t seen anything like the scene they walk into at OZ. The fact that they’re here because of a fucking Freshman (a Freshman pitcher) rankles McReynolds a bit, but given the amount of girls and booze, he’s willing to let it slide. For now.

[blackkudos]

Hope Clarke

Hope Clarke (born March 23, 1941) is an American actress, dancer, vocalist, choreographer, and director. Clarke performed as principal dancer with the Katherine Dunham Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 1960s; actress on stage, film, and television, 1970s–1980s; choreographer and director, 1980s--. Clarke served on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee for the 2011–12 Broadway season. Clarke made history in 1995 when she became the first African American, as well as the first African-American woman, to direct and choreograph a major staging of the opera-musical Porgy and Bess. Clarke's production of the George Gershwin classic was staged in celebration of the work's 60h anniversary, and it toured not only major American cities but Japan and Europe as well. Clarke drew critical acclaim for her commitment to staging the show as a monument to African-American community and pride, giving a more hopeful, positive aura to a story that has been criticized for its stereotypes. As for the director herself, the success of Porgy and Bess is just the latest accolade in a long career devoted to dance and drama.

Biography

Early life and career

A native of Washington, D.C., Clarke grew up in just the sort of community she sought to portray in Porgy and Bess. Segregation was still a harsh fact of life during her childhood. She recalled, for instance, how people shopped through mail-order catalogues in order to purchase clothes offered in stores where they were not welcome. "The black community, as I remember it, was very closely knit," Clarke said in the San Francisco Examiner: "Before the fabric of this society was torn by racism and lack of education, we all took care of each other. We all watched each other's children." In 1960, the still-teenaged Clarke landed a role in the original touring cast of West Side Story, a musical play about rival big city gangs. Following West Side Story, Clarke served as a principal dancer in two noted African-American dance troupes: the Katherine Dunham Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She was particularly prominent in the Alvin Ailey company and sometimes danced in partnership with Ailey himself. Clarke told Essence magazine that her years as a professional dancer helped her to prepare for the next stages in her career: "The discipline I learned in dance carried over into acting and directing," she said.

Career

Stage and acting

On Broadway, Clarke, who was also raised in New York City, appeared in West Side Story (1960), Hallelujah, Baby! (1967), Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (1972), and Grind (1975), and choreographed Jelly's Last Jam (1992), for which she was nominated for a Tony and Drama Desk Award, and Caroline, or Change (2004). Clarke was also cast as Tia Mowry's grandmother in Seventeen Again. After leaving the Alvin Ailey group in the 1970s, Clarke moved into acting. Her most notable feature film performance was in A Piece of the Action (1977), starring comedian/actor Bill Cosby and Oscar-winning actor/director Sidney Poitier. She also appeared in guest roles on numerous television shows, including The Jeffersons, The Ropers, Hill Street Blues, Three's Company, and As the World Turns. Her Broadway credits include Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope, Purlie, and Hallelujah Baby. She also appeared in the NBC-TV miniseries King (1978), which was based upon the life and ministry of the slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..

Choreography

When not busy acting, Clarke was often called in to choreograph various stage and television shows. She discovered that she enjoyed the challenge of choreography and, after years as a dancer, was eminently qualified. Besides, she joked in Essence, "I had bills to pay." Clarke found ample opportunities to develop her choreographic skills and was rarely without a project either in America or abroad. She worked for the New York City-based Opera Ebony, helping to produce Porgy and Bess in such unlikely venues as Brazil and Finland. She earned a Tony Award nomination for choreography for her work in the 1992 Broadway hit Jelly's Last Jam. Over time, Clarke's choreographic talents were directed to projects as diverse as Dorothy Rudd Moore's Freedom and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte. All of these efforts helped to bring Clarke to the attention of opera and musical theater executives. One of them was David Gockley, general director of the Houston Grand Opera. Gockley had decided to create a whole new touring production of Porgy and Bess, and wanted an African-American director for the project. Clarke reportedly thought that the idea was splendid. "I've worked through the ranks, and I was ready for this," she recalled in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Elsewhere, in the San Diego Union-Tribune, she spoke to the contributions she could make to the play as an African American and a woman.Recalls Clarke of the plans for the Porgy & Bess production:

"As a director, I guess I bring in the female sensibilities," she said. "Since I'm also an actress, I've really tried to develop the characterizations so that the performers don't do a little singing here, and some acting there. And coming from a black perspective, I know how we think, how we feel, what we do. I understand the little things. That makes a difference."

Porgy and Bess

(1995) Houston/Dallas Opera production

Porgy and Bess was written by a white composer, George Gershwin, for an all-black cast. The story, set in a fictitious Charleston, South Carolina neighborhood called Catfish Row, revolves around a crippled beggar named Porgy, a sensuous woman named Bess, and two troublemakers, Crown and Sporting Life. Though Gershwin's score has always been highly popular, especially the ballad "Summertime", the characters and setting have drawn criticism for portraying African Americans in stereotypical ways. For example, Porgy begs for money, Bess takes lovers, Sporting Life sells drugs, and Crown is a murderer.

Although Clarke knew that she could not tamper with the essential plot and characterizations in the play, she still, nevertheless had several ideas about how to present the residents of Catfish Row in a more favorable light. She conceived her production of Porgy and Bess as a celebration of the lives of Charleston-based Gullahs, an African-American community believed to be Angolan in origin. Critic Kenneth Herman noted in the Los Angeles Times, "Clarke ... fleshed out the opera's Gullah context, using that culture's integrity to compensate for some of the lead characters' moral defects. She ... also made certain the cast knows how to pronounce Gullah dialect, which the opera's libretto employs."

Clarke was well aware that she was making history both by serving as director of a large-scale production and by her artistic decisions about the show. She told the Los Angeles Times: "I want African Americans who come to see the opera to be proud that an African American is directing ... and to recognize the people on stage. I wanted to draw a community which we could find today: It could be any poor community, but one with pride." She expanded upon this philosophy in Opera News: "In my production, everybody works. Everybody has some type of job. Just because you are poor doesn't mean you have to be slovenly or ignorant." Clarke's staging of Porgy and Bess toured several major American cities, including San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Minneapolis. It also played engagements in Japan and at Italy's famed La Scala opera house in Milan. Clarke received a Tony Award for her work on Porgy and Bess and has since kept a full schedule in New York City and elsewhere, choreographing various plays and musicals. Through her successes, she is paving the way for other talented artists. "Blacks and women have been locked out of directing major productions for too long," she asserted in Essence: "It's time for us not only to tell our stories but to direct them."

Film and TV filmography

Stage credits

Awards and recognition

1993 - Tony Award (nominated) – for choreography in Jelly's Last Jam

1995 - Tony Award (won) – for directing Porgy and Bess.

[inlovewiththefictionalcharacters]

Part - 3 : Mr. Ax Everybody wants some!! (Glen McReynolds X Reader)

Warnings : Language.

The next day, Glen was in a sour mood, staring at some soap on the T.V. along with his teammates, downstairs, in the living room. Though he was staring at the television, his mind was entirely somewhere else, thinking about why (Y/N) just silently sneaked out of the house, when she woke up. That’s exactly what she does every time they slept together. He sighed and looked at the television from his position, sprawled out on a couch with a bottle of beer in his hand.

“God, Erica’s such a bitch” he remarked, looking at a female character talking dramatically to someone, on phone.

Roper shook his head, looking at the girl on T.V., shaking his head and said “She’s definitely cheated on him”, making Glen look at him and ask “What?”

Just then, a movement by the stairs caught Roper’s eye, making him look at the stairs.

Billy Autrey, whom the whole team call as Beuter Perkins was coming down the stairs, with a backpack slung on his shoulder.

“Hey! Beuter! You leaving us already?” Roper asked, making everyone to look at him.

Plummer chuckled and asked “Running home to mama, Perkins?”

Billy looked at him and said “C’Mon ya’ll, my name ain’t Beuter. Okay guys? It’s Billy Autrey.”

“Bullshit” Glen said pointing at Billy, making him to look at him.

“It’s Beuter Perkins until we tell you otherwise. Now where are you going B.P.? You running back to that corn fed girlfriend of yours, already? Hmm?” Glen asked and took a sip from his bottle of beer.

“No, sir. I’ll be back Sunday for practice” Billy said.

“Well, well, well. Looks like Beuter Perkins is getting laid this weekend, huh?” Douglas taunted.

“You’re finally trading in that phone for the real thing?” he asked, making everyone laugh, except for Billy, who just sighed in exasperation.

“Shoot y’all…” Billy said, dropping his bag.

“Man….Guys… I don’t… She says she might be pregnant” Billy said, making everyone stop their laughter and look at him in shock.

“No sir….” Jake said and everyone else had pretty much, the same reaction.

“Yeah… Man… That’s what she says” Billy told him.

“How late is she?” Jake asked him.

“She’s a day late” Billy said and everyone groaned because that sounded pretty silly to them.

“Oh man!” Glen chuckled.

“You gotta be shitting me, Beuter! She’s one day late, she’s giving you shit for it?” Roper chuckled.

“She’s testing you. She’s trying to gauge your response. Are you the guy that says “Don’t worry, I’m gonna pay for the abortion” or are you talking about marriage, which is what she’s hoping for. Either way, you’re fucked” Finn told Billy.

“Give it up, Beuter Perkins” Finn added.

“No trust me, man. She’s not fucking pregnant, alright? We’ve all been through shit like this, except for Nez of course, ‘cause he’s still a virgin” Glen told Billy, while thinking about the time when (Y/N) once gave him a mini heart attack two years ago, telling him that she might be pregnant. Turned out she wasn’t.

Their relationship was complicated back then, too and she always gave him a hard time and he wasn’t any less. Both of them still continue their antics. Nothing changed. Things are still the same between them, if only they got even more intense and heated.

“Look, she’s just taking your little chicken-fried nuts and she’s running them through the wringer, okay?” Glen added.

“She’s just giving you shit for it because you left her back on the farm with all the other little pigs you used to fuck” Roper said making everyone laugh, except for Billy who said “I ain’t ever put it in a pig!”

“They speaketh  the truth, young Beuter Perkins” Douglas said and added “Man, we’re just worried about you, alright?”

“Yeah, man. I mean school hasn’t even started yet and guys, correct me if I’m wrong, but you are the official front runner for the Freshman numb-nut of the year award, right guys?” Glen said.

“The- the what award?” Billy asked.

“It’s the annual award. We give it out to the most clueless freshman” Finn said and looked at Roper and other guys and said “ I think we already started engraving his name on the plaque” and then looked at Billy and asked “How do you spell Beuter, by the way?”

“My name is not Beuter! It’s-“ Billy was saying, but got cut off by Nez, who said “Uh Beuter, we also got a bet going on whether your share of phone bill is gonna be under or over $300.”

“We gotta pay the phone bill here?” Billy asked, looking at Nez, clearly looking clueless.

“I’ve already done the calculations based on its usage thus far, way over $300” Finn told him.

Plummer laughed hearing it and said “$300 and a kid? Man, your life’s gonna fucking suck.”

“Fine. Fine” Billy said, taking his bag from the ground and made his way to the door while the remaining boys said “Later Beuter!”

Later that day, the boys decided to hangout in the backyard of the baseball houses. A few of them were playing basketball, a few of them were just relaxing, a few of them were getting high and a few of them were playing some other sport of their own choice.

Glen on the other hand was talking to Nez who was placing a bet on him. While Nez only got a beer bottle in his hand, Glen got a beer bottle in one hand and an ax in another.

“I'll bet you 10 bucks” Nez told him.

“Ten bucks?” Glen asked smugly while sipping from his bottle of beer.

“Yeah. Ten bucks” Nez said.

“You wanna go... That's steep for you” Glen said, slowly stepping backwards with a grin on his face.

“ Best out of three” Nez told him.

“So, I gotta get two?” Glen asked.

“Yeah, Mac, two” Nez replied.

“ Okay. You feel like losing 10 bucks?” Glen said with a smirk on his face and placed his bottle on a nearby table, only after taking a huge sip from it. 

“You're just excited to hit off me for once, huh?” Nez asked.

“ Oh, man. I mean, this is gonna be fun. This is gonna be very fun, Nesbit” Glen said, holding his ax as if it’s a baseball bat.

“ Man, let me get a little stretch in” he added, doing some stretches, the crop top he’s wearing riding up when he’s stretching.

“Come on. Come on, Mr. Ax. Strong Man” Nez mocked him.

“ Anytime” Glen said and stood, holding his ax like a baseball bat.

 Nez threw a baseball at Glen who immediately made a strike at it with the ax,effectively splitting the ball into two halves- each flew in different direction. 

“Fuck” Brumley muttered, collecting one half of the the ball that fell nearby him.

“I don't believe what I just fucking saw” Plummer said while Roper and Douglas walked towards them.

 “You know how strong you'd have to be to do that?” Brumley asked Plummer.

“ And the eyes!” Plummer was saying, but got cut off by Roper who said “Let me see that” snatching the half of the ball from Brumley’s hand.

 “You know how well you'd have to see the ball to hit it with an ax? Fucking crazy” Plummer said and Roper made a sign of the cross while looking at Glen.

 “You just wouldn't listen, Nez. You wanna go half price? We can stop now. We can call it five bucks” Glen offered looking very smug.

“No, no, no” Nez said while Glen said “Double or nothing.”

“No. No, no. Triple or nothing. Huh? Yeah, you feeling lucky? I am” Nez said.

“ I feel great with those odds. Triple or nothing sounds fantastic. Maybe one of the best days of my life here, Nez. You know, until tomorrow” Glen said, and went back to take his position, standing like a batter.

 Nez threw another ball at Glen which Glen successfully split into two halves again.

“If (Y/N)’s here, it would have saved Glen some effort to impress her” Plummer said, making Roper and Douglas to give him a look.

“I don’t think so” Douglas told him.

“What?” Brumley asked.

“I don’t think that’s how their relationship works. It’s a lot more complicated than that” Douglas said.

“I still don’t get it” Plummer said.

“Well, the two of them already knew what the other one is capable of. She doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction that he managed to impress her. That’s how they kinda get on each other’s nerves” Roper explained.

Later that day, the guys went to a club to hangout. Glen was playing foosball with Finn, Coma and Willoughby when (Y/N) entered the club along with a few more of her friends, including Emily, of course. Glen smirked when he spotted her, but immediately went back to playing the game, with the wheels in head already turning, formulating a plan to confront her.

(Y/N) gazed around the room and saw that Emily’s already attached to Roper who was standing by the pool with a cue in his hand, by her hip. Nez was also with them. Then she frowned seeing that the baseball guys, well, most of them were here and she huffed when she spotted Glen, playing foosball.

She walked towards Emily and smiled at Roper when he saw her and greeted her. 

“Hey (Y/N)!” Roper said.

“Hello Roper. Nez” she greeted them.

“Hi (Y/N)” Nez said.

“Wanna join us? We’re about to get started” Roper asked, motioning to the pool table.

“Sure. Why not? But, hold on a moment. I need to have a word with Emily” (Y/N) said and literally dragged Emily a few feet away from there.

“What is it?” Emily asked with a huge grin on her face.

“When you told me that we’re gonna hangout, I thought it’s just gonna be us” (Y/N) told her.

“Well, I did tell you that Kenny’s gonna be here too..... Along with a few of his friends” Emily said.

“Yeah! But you didn’t tell me that he’s gonna be here!” (Y/N) whisper yelled at Emily, widening her eyes dramatically, while casting a glance at Glen.

Emily rolled her eyes and said “Well, Mac is one of Kenny’s friends.”

That earned Emily a look from (Y/N).

“Yeah... Fine... I might have forgot to tell you that he’s gonna be here.....” Emily said.

Well, it might be a part of hers and Roper’s plan to bring their friends together.

“ But, wait a second. Hold on! Why are you being so bothered about his presence?” Emily asked.

“I um.....” (Y/N) trailed off.

Emily’s eyes widened in realization.

“You slept with him again, didn’t you. Yesterday, isn’t it?” Emily asked.

“What? No! I- I didn’t!” (Y/N) lied.

“Oh, shut up! You always act like this when he’s around, after you slept with him. I know you too well. Stop trying to lie” Emily said, making (Y/N) roll her eyes.

“But, seriously (Y/N/N). He likes you. A lot! And even though you wouldn’t admit it, I know that you like him.... A lot! And you two are insanely attracted to each other. Not to mention the sexual tension between you guys is making the people around you to choke. Cut the guy some slack. Why don’t you give him a chance?” Emily asked.

“Because I don’t want to add it to his already boasted ego” (Y/N) said and started walking towards the pool table, where Roper and Nez were standing, wondering what the girls were talking about.

Emily started walking along with her and said “But you like it!”

“Whatever” (Y/N) said and gave Emily a look to stop that topic, which clearly meant to cease discussion about the topic.

Roper passed the cues to the girls and said “Ladies first.”

Everything was already set on the pool table.

Emily looked at (Y/N) and said “You first.”

“Okay” (Y/N) said with a shrug and bent down to make  shot.

She shot the cue ball and effectively managed to break straight on. All the pool balls except for the cue ball sunk into the pockets, making Nez to gape at the table and then at her. Even Roper looked quite surprised.

“Are you psychic or something?” Nez asked (Y/N), making Emily to giggle.

(Y/N) shrugged and said “I’m something”, her eyes held humor.

“You’re something indeed” an all too familiar voice said from behind her, making (Y/N) to turn around to look at the source.

“(Y/N)” Glen greeted her with a smile that looked borderline smirk for (Y/N).

“McReynolds” (Y/N) acknowledged him.

“Hey, I need to talk to you, like right now, so-” Glen was telling her, but was cut off by Emily who said “Hey! Stop trying to steal my best friend away from me!”

Glen rolled his eyes and said “Yeah. Well, I’m only stealing her for a few minutes” and with that he grabbed the cue from (Y/N)’s hand, placed it on the pool table, grabbed her hand and walked away from there, leading her to a secluded area.

Glen remained silent for a few seconds, but kept staring at (Y/N). (Y/N) on the other hand started growing nervous under his gaze and kept shuffling her feet while gazing them. With every ticking seconds, she became more and more flustered under his gaze and finally sighed, looking up at him, meeting his gaze.

“You wanted to talk?” (Y/N) asked, mustering as much confidence as possible.

Glen slowly nodded his head, but remained silent.

“Okay. Talk” (Y/N) told him.

Glen just remained silent, yet again. (Y/N) waited for a few minutes, hoping that he’d talk and when he didn’t, she sighed and said “Look, if you want to talk or tell me something, just say it. Or else, I’m gonna go” and with that she turned around to leave, but stopped when Glen said “Go on a date, with me.”

(Y/N) froze in her step hearing those words. Maybe it’s the way how he down right ordered her to go on a date with him, not asking her, just telling her, more like ordering her or maybe because she never expected Glen McReynolds of all people to ask her to go on a date with him is what stunned her.

She turned around and muttered “What?” clearly looking stunned.

Clearly, she never pegged Glen to be a kind of guy to date. She always took him as the playboy type. Just flirt with the girls to fuck them. No dates. She didn’t even believe Roper’s words when he said that Glen’s only been with her, ever since he met her and he only flirted with other girls to make her jealous.

“I know I should have done this years ago and I’m an idiot for not realizing it anytime soon. I am done trying to annoy you and get on your nerves, but that’s the only way you’ve ever responded to me. I just want things to be more than what they are now, between us. You’re smart, funny, confident and incredibly sassy and i find that super hot, but that’s not it. I want to be more than being frenemies or being in a complicated situation with you. Go on a date with me” Glen said.

His little speech had effectively stunned her and when she finally came to her senses , she muttered “Uh... Yes.”

Glen grinned hearing her words and said “Cool. I’ll pick you up at 7, tonight” and walked towards her, kissed the corner of her mouth and walked away, saying “Be ready by that time!”

[keepingupwithlinmanuel]

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Laura Benanti, and More Attend the Opening of Shakespeare in the Park’s Twelfth Night

In short, it was a celebration of making the joys of theater accessible to all. True to form, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, actress Laura Benanti, and comedian Rachel Dratch were among the many boldface names who came out to catch the performance. And what better way to spend a summer night in the city? As Miranda told Vogue before the curtain went up: “It’s my favorite show every year. It reminds the world that theater is for everybody and it can be made by everybody.” And Miranda should know; before his very own Hamilton went to Broadway, it premiered at the Public, which is just one of many community-theater experiences he said he holds close to heart, adding: “My favorite memories of New York are walking out of Central Park, thrilled that I’ve seen another Public Works show.”

Conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah (who directs with Oskar Eustis) and Shaina Taub (who wrote the music and lyrics), the company’s latest production brings the land of Illyria to life. If you’ve never heard of it—and most Elizabethans hadn’t either—the ancient region along the Adriatic Coast is where Twelfth Night takes place. Except in Shakespeare’s fictionalized version, it’s also where celebrities like the Duke Orsino flock, the wine flows, and the gossip never stops. Suffice to say, the unusual little town was already buzzing by sunset. In the moments leading up to the 8 p.m. showtime, audience members were invited to venture out onto the interactive set, where Illyrian Hula-Hoopers, jump-ropers, and jugglers all swayed to the sounds of a live band (which would continue to keep a beat during the actual performance).

The sense of community also spilled over into the lively after-party that followed on the lawn, where the green stretch of grass outside of the theater had been transformed into a miniature carnival of sorts. There, underneath the stars, showgoers joined the cast and crew in toasting yet another wildly successful opening night that had only just begun. After filling up on swaths of cotton candy and handfuls of fresh popcorn, guests cooled off with a summer cocktail. Between all of the music, dancing, and merriment, it was only natural that the festivities should creep on until the wee hours—that’s just how Shakespeare would have wanted it.

[some images from LinMiranda.com]