#and I just know that I need a second season just for more avi and samar and Sheila and Shobha

[merinelsa]

The way the 7th ep of fame game is the most gayest ep I've ever seen on indian tv . Like when Avi finally comes to terms with himself and confesses to his bestfriend and crush that he reciprocates his feelings . And then they get to have their first date and be intimate with each other . And then the lesbian moms decide to fight for the custody of their son against one of the moms ex husband . And then there's the cute domestic scene between them where they cuddle on the couch . And then the scene where Shobha becomes a lesbian mom guiding her little gay son Avi through his confessions . Like she held out her hand for him and takes care of him during the search . All in one ep .

[wide-nose-and-wonderful]

SNOWFALL SEASON 1 Franklin (PART 3)

Pairing: Franklin Saint x Black Fem Reader!

Warnings/Type: Established Relationship. Angst. Drama. Use of the n-word. Here is part (1),(2). 

Summary: You’ve seen the worst parts of him and the best parts of him and vice versa. That’s why you made a good pair, but the recent knowledge of his new life path has torn you both apart. However when tragedy strikes, it might be the thing you need to take another look at the Franklin you fell in love with.   

Word count: 8,350k / Please Consider leaving a Comment to show some love. It's oh so appreciated and encourages me to write more for y'all! 

In places it could touch, the sun beat down mercilessly on the cracked pavement under the highway, casting a harsh glare on the graffiti-covered walls amid the L.A heat. Secluded, hidden from view by the thick pillars, the smell of exhaust and garbage lingered thick in the air. Franklin held a hand over his face, body hunched by the aftermath of the hit. Leon stepped back, tilting his head to access the damage. The sound of cars whizzed above overhead.

“My bad nigga.”

Franklin turned to face him. Blushing red markings visible just over his eyebrow and the other sitting under his eye. Marks left deep. 

“This is a loaded fuckin’ gun!” He shouted. “What the hell is wrong wit’ you man!” 

Leon frowned and closed space, surprised by Franklin's rage. The lack of acceptance of the apology, caused Leon to scowl. The two stood close in face, eyes steady on the other. Hard and held in place. 

“You ain’t gotta be doin’ all that yellin’ aight,” he shouted back. “You wanna be a trigger man go’ head. It’s all you.” 

“Just-” Franklin waved him off and turned his back. He walked a few paces away until he stood in the line of a shadow. Feet planted firmly apart, eyes focused on the target in front of him. He took aim. His finger gently caressed the trigger. A sense of urgency resided in his movements, and a tension in the atmosphere that made his hands shake slightly stayed present. When he reloaded the gun, he did so with precision. Franklin took sight of the toy figures he'd sat up earlier that morning. He fired off several rounds.The sound of the shots echoed under the highway. Bullets hit just above the targets. Leon shook his head at another missed attempt. 

“Look man. Maybe this whole movie thing ain’t such a good idea tonight. Know what I'm sayin’? Feel like this might take a lil’ longer than we planned.” 

Franklin shook his head. “Naw. We can still do it.” He squeezed the trigger and the gun recoiled, the sound of the shot echoing off the concrete walls to a light spark that only lasted the split of a second before it faded. He quickly reloaded and fired again, each attempt hitting closer and closer to the center of one of the targets.

“But why?” Leon sounded from behind after four more bullets flew. “Shit seems irrelevant to what we got goin’ on.”

“Because I keep ma’ word Lee,” Franklin answered without hesitation. 

A small chuckle left the afro wearing gang member. “Naw, fuck all that. You got pussy on the brain, nigga. I mean, I get it. Not really the type of mindset we need right now, but, maybe if yo ass was gettin’ some, you would shoot better.”

Franklin frowned and shut his eyes for a moment baring his teeth in irritation. “Lee, shut the fuck up. Ain't no body thinkin' about no pussy right now, man. Bigger shit to worry about if you ain't kno.”

“Yeah, aight Saint. We can do this movie thing. How you know she still wanna talk to yo’ ass tho’. Bet you ain't called her since she got out the hospital, wit yo oh pussy whipped self, ” Leon said in effort to poke the bear. 

Franklin cracked his neck and squinted his eyes in the direction of the dinosaur in the middle of the two robots. “Clearly, been dealin’ wit’ a lot as you can see. If I don’t get that money back, I can forget the talkin’ period. Avi’s gonna kill me. Or worse, probably cut out my fuckin’ tongue.” He closed one eye and aimed down the barrel, lining up his shot. The loud bang echoed through the empty space, followed by the clatter of the bullet hitting metal in the distance. He took a moment to adjust his aim before firing again.

“Speaking of. We got time, we should roll up to his spot first.”

Franklin threw a glance over his shoulder to look at Leon. “Why?” 

“Because nigga. Maybe that motherfucka can give us some advice. Not like we in the position to be opposed to it. You act like I do this shit all the time. Besides, if you gon’ be a killer, may as well get the kno’ how from a professional.” 

Franklin took a deep breath and let it out slowly before firing off, this time, hitting one of the robots on the end.

…

Between all the tests and medication instruction, you were completely exhausted when you stepped through your front door with Cissy by your side, helping you keep steady and up right. God bless her, she did you this kindness after working long grueling hours for that prick of a boss, the day before. There was a dizziness that lingered a few hours afterward. Not to mention the slight headache that kept pounding at your brain like a nat that just wouldn’t leave, and when Cissy asked if you needed anything, the answer was always no. After all, she had done more than her share. 

Between you and your mother, you couldn’t be sure who threw up more that first night you came back. What you could be certain is that you’d both said less than three words to one another. Hardly even looked in each other's direction. Or asked if the other was okay. That word in its own right seemed a trivial thing, because of course neither of you were okay, and not likely to ever be okay again. 

You noticed how worn out she looked when Cissy had sat her down on the couch to talk. You could hear them from the bathroom as your bones found comfort in the heat of the water you laid. Her eyes were red and puffy. That was one trait that stuck. So puffy it was like she’d had an allergic reaction to something. She could barely open them. Tender skin, probably filled with parental regret. I could have done more. I should have been there to protect him. Why not me instead?

It was like Cissy knew all these things. These questions that your mother could not speak. Then again. She had experience. You could kill Franklin for lying to her. She might forgive the marijuana, but cocaine was a whole nother monster. You knew it would break her heart, yet despite the knowledge of such truth you never said a word. You never overstepped your boundaries when it came to Franklin and his mama. Remembering how Cissy assured your mother more than once that she had been a good woman, and that what happened was entirely out of her control, you kept your peace. 

“I’m here to help. I can bring you dinner before I head off to work so you don’t have to cook. But you both need to eat.”

If only you could explain that it hadn’t been her cooking that turned your stomach inside out. Of Course you could only speak for yourself, and since your mother had decided to take a vow of silence you could only assume that just like you, the sadness had caused an after taste of bitterness to sit on the tongue, so potent that anything you thought remotely tasted good before, was just like eating dog shit, fresh.   

That had been three days ago. Three days of depressive sleep and crying, not to mention, avoiding Ronnie’s room every chance you got. There was a part of you that wished it would disappear, and another part that hated the thought of it eventually being gone. Time would move on, and pretty soon his things would no longer hold space. You’d switch your thoughts to food. Standing there in your towel fresh out from the shower, phone in hand, you were starving. Your tummy let you know it every other second with a cramp and a grumble begging you desperately to feed whatever creature lingered inside, dormant and angry while you talked. Your grip on the phone grew tighter as you fought through another hunger pain to watch your mother walk past you and out the front door. You sighed only to focus on the voice speaking through on the other end of the line. 

“Yeah, okay. I will. I'll definitely think about it. And yeah, I'll absolutely keep you updated. Alright. Bye.” 

You listened to the click before the dial tone sounded as your smile fell. A wonder it had been on your face in the first place. Could it be decoded by the person on the other end, or did it more so aid the facade you were presenting? The one that said you were very much holding up and making it.

The puddle of water under your toes had grown since the duration of the conversation. The water dripped from different places, but mostly from the ends of your hair. With no desire to do anything about it, you reached over, holding the towel close at your breast to place the phone on the receiver before you turned. 

Your mother’s absence had no significant changes on the way you felt most of the time being home. Either with her there or without, a lonesome feeling remained. You liked the solitude but came to find your thoughts had a funny way of suffocating you. Another cramp swelled at your insides and you could no longer fight the desire for food.   

When you entered, the dishes greeted you. The kitchen area was small but functional. Modern appliances and a good sized dining table. The night you’d gone to Cho’s and got the news about Ronnie, your mother had asked you to clean them, but since your three day stay at the hospital, you hadn’t gotten around to it. The inner part of you that was susaquent to her approval had you walking up to the sink to start some water, but instead of give into the temptation of pleasing someone who had ignored you and who hadn’t bothered to visit on any of the three days, you B-lined and opened the refrigerator door to scan over your choices for food. 

Not many options, you reached down to grab the apple right before you noticed a plate that hid behind the milk carton. It was covered with silver tin foil. A meal Cissy had left, probably. You had slept many hours and only when time reached mid afternoon had you decided on a shower before the phone rang. 

You reached inside to grab it, with Franklin on your mind. 

Why hadn’t he called? 

You wanted to be mad but frustration warranted you to a harsh reality. The better question was why had you expected him to. 

You removed the foil and placed the plate into the microwave. Watched the light flick on, and walked away toward the hall once it started up. 

When you got to the living room you used the remote to turn on the tv that filled your home with the voices of strangers and an altered reality of forced happiness. 

The added pressure of passing Ronnie’s room had you sitting on the edge of your bed in a daze after you’d found a pair of shorts and tank top to wear. Your stomach was eating itself, but your leg bounced in cowardice and the dread of having to pass the door in order to get back to the plate of food waiting for you in the microwave. 

The law books didn’t help in your plight. They only served as harsh reminders of failure. You didn’t need anymore representations. The dream you had in the hospital, or whatever the hell it was, did its due diligence just fine. Why be tortured?  

You combed out your hair and rubbed vaseline over your legs and arms before you stood to your feet and looked in the mirror. You didn’t keep the focus long, hating how your eyes were reddened and almost like your mothers when you made the mistake of catching sight of polaroids taped at the top of your long mirror. 

There were many with different depictions of moments in time when you felt content. A picture of you with a group of friends at school at lunch. The time you’d captured your mother putting on her lipstick. You and Leon with matching afro’s, you and Melody playing dress up, Kevin with a group of girls in the hallway right before the bell rang before class. Your uncle on the grill. You and Ronnie riding bikes down the street, you there with Franklin with his arm over your shoulder, both of you smiling, and the one your mother had given you. A picture of your father, a younger Ronnie and a baby version of you in his arms.

You couldn't be sure which was worse, the seen or the unseen, but you made the decision to hold your breath when you walked past his room without looking. 

…

The food was cold by the time you made it back in the kitchen to retrieve the plate. With no desire to put it through another round of warm up, you went back to the living room and sat on the couch with the plate in your lap as you grabbed the remote and switched through channels until you settled on a station you liked.

Tuna casserole. Quick and easy for the most part, you were thankful for Cissy. 

Your spoon made a substantial scoop and finally you could put to rest the hunger pains while Good Times resumed its running episode, What’s happening to Florida?  

You laughed as you watched Thelma snatch JJ’s hat off, waking him up from his nap wrapped tightly in a pink and green patterned blanket, as he pleaded with a smile to allow her to finish some dream he’d gone on about. You took another bite of food, and little by little as you ate, became less and less hungry. 

When the commercial break happened you’d gotten up to retrieve a glass of water, only to return with the announcer going on about the big movie premier.

‘Ladies and Gents, you should get yourself down to a movie theater tonight, because Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd will be debuting their hilarious new comedy as two very different men who Trade Places-’ 

The words had been drowned out by thoughts. Past thoughts of you and Franklin discussing the movie when the very first trailer dropped. You’d been at the park, each of you on a swing. 

“You gonna take me right?” You’d said only to fly slightly past his view. His eyes stayed on you, followed. 

“We can make a whole day out of it. Dinner first, then the movie.” 

Franklin had laughed. “You really tryna break a nigga’s pockets, huh?” 

You had frowned and slowed down your swing. “Boy, I'm very much worth it. Besides you can always get them ugly lil oh’ shoes you want later. Just cuz you wanna one up Leon.  But all that aside, we need to be there on opening night. No if ands or buts about it. So make it happen Frank.” 

You sipped the water as you remembered how he’d grabbed the chain on the swing and stopped you completely. Your eyes stayed on each other, and you couldn’t help but look at his lips, briefly before you'd gotten sassy with a head tilt with your own lips poked and coated lightly with the carmex you always kept on hand, ready to challenge whatever he would say. 

“Why you always gotta be there for opening night?” 

“I just do. Besides you know no one can keep their damn mouth shut. If you don’t see it right then, everyone usually ruin’s it.”

He had brought you closer and leaned in for a kiss. A kiss you had taken your time with. His last words, that the two of you would go.

You eased your grip on the glass and took a big gulp of water before you put it down and shut off the Television. You grabbed your plate of food and walked out the front door to make your way to the swinging chair sitting on your porch as you heard the screen door slam. 

The air that found you was a refreshing contrast to the staleness that lingered within your home. Very much a needed relief, you acknowledged how the L.A heat hugged you. You had just the right amount of shade and you settled in your seat to resume eating with thoughts of Franklin and Eddie’s new movie behind you. 

…

Your body jerked you back awake when the ice cream truck drove past with screaming neighborhood kids running behind it, money raised and ready for the taking. The heat still enveloped you like a larva in a cocoon although the sky didn’t give an accurate indication of the current time, blue and clear enough to possibly offer up a couple more hours of light before the sun would begin to set. You had no idea how long you sat there. 

You lowered a hand to reach down for your glass of water. When your hand didn't touch it, you raised your head to look over the side of the chair. Only the plate and spoon. You sighed, far too lazy to go into the house after it, forgetting at what point you had put it down. Instead, you shut your eyes and cosied back into the light rock of the swinging chair with your mouth that had gone dry. 

Not two minutes into your rocking did a loud base rumble the block, with George Clinton’s Nubian Nut. The noise had one of your eyes open and searching for the source. 

A car similar to Kevin’s made its way down the street. You raised your head as it continued, stopping just shy of your gate. Franklin stepped out from the back car door, passed through the gate, and trailed the sidewalk all the way up the steps of the porch, minus one. He placed his hands in his pockets, and for a moment the two of you just stared at each other. Part of you thought it might be another dream until the buzzing fly had you swatting it away. 

All you could register was the shirt he wore as the music lowered in volume. The very shirt you'd brought him for his birthday the year prior, after you'd mentioned how the color had the potential to do wonders for his skin tone. Why had he chosen this shirt to show up in? Or maybe he hadn’t. Maybe like most times you were reading too much into it. 

As the question echoed the inner workings of your mind you held back a smile that tickled your lips. If memory served you correctly, although he disagreed with such admiration, he wore it many times after that day. Dare you conclude it had become a favorite in his wardrobe? Or at the very least, inspiration for more pops of color. You could still remember the grin on his face as he opened it among the many other gifts he'd gotten between cake, balloons and singing. 

Your eyes traveled over him.

There was something that didn’t belong to the vibrant color of this type of orange that reminded you of some far off place with fresh fruit, and tropical birds that flew above black people who spoke a different language. It was the wound. The wound was still fresh. It's tint. Out of place. The red mingled within the broken flesh, evident. “Happen to ya face Franklin?” You asked, still looking at the cuts on his deep brown skin, and with enough audacity to skip any formalities. 

Franklin merely shook his head and snickered. “Nothin’. Accident at work.”

You always wondered how he could be such a terrible liar. Or maybe it was simply that you knew better. 

“Right. Work,” you huffed. “That why I didn't hear from you? Or, did it have something to do with selling cocaine? Got caught up?” You rolled your eyes and looked away with a defeatist sigh. You would offer up your disapproval every chance you got. 

Franklin sighed as well, his features almost annoyed by the statement. “Look, I didn't come here to fight. Came to pick you up. So you gonna come or not? We got this whole night planned. We hit Eddie first, then Cujo.”

Maybe a different version of you would have considered it, or Imagined in your mind how the night would play out with all the laughs and good company. Somehow you couldn't see it, and all you could picture was climbing back into bed, and more sleep. A quick glance at the car to reel in Leon's afro into view, along with the smoke from Kevin's cigarette, Melody's lime green purse, and you shook your head slouching down in your swinging seat. “Nope. You go ahead. Have fun.”

Franklin chuckled, and leaned to lightly smack your leg. “Come on. Stop playin’. You love Eddie Murphy. Besides, you been waitin’ for this premier for weeks.” 

Oh, so he had remembered. You thought that your breakup would mean the end of all future plans. After his reaction of wanting to keep the planning hush in the hospital, you figured you wouldn't be invited. 

“Go grab a hoodie,” Franklin said. “We gotta get there. Starts soon.” 

You smiled. Your bed felt so close you were practically already in it.  “Then you probably shouldn't be late then, huh?” As you folded your arms, your smile faded. Sinking down until your legs could reach the ledge, you propped them up, one after the other and closed your eyes allowing yourself to feel the sounds of the neighborhood. 

 “Alright fuck it.” Franklin shrugged, climbing the last step. “I'll just sit here then. Be miserable too.” 

You opened your eyes and stared at him, shocked at what he said. You weren't miserable! 

“Excuse me?” 

You watched him put on a frown, but it was filled with a taunting sarcasm. 

How's the saying go again? Misery loves company?” He turned to you, poking out his bottom lip for extra effect as he found his seat. “How I look?” He smacked your leg for the second time and proceeded to move forward with his horrible acting.

A glare on you burning and present, you watched him mimic a fake pout. “Oh, fuck you Franklin.” You threw your hand in the direction of the car. “Will you leave me alone and just go!”

The rise in your voice got the attention of Leon, Kevin and Melody. 

“Well. Hope the line ain't that long for popcorn. At this rate, we probably gon’ miss the first part of the movie.” Leon said loud enough for you to hear it. 

Beeeeep Beeeeep 

“Aye, get y'all shit together and let's go!” Kevin yelled from Melody’s window. 

Your legs hit the ground at the second beep of the car horn. You threw a quick glance at your neighbor's house. 

“Hey Kevin, chill out! You know Mr. Baker doesn't like all that loud noise this time of day!”

“Hurry yo’ asses up then. All that shouldn't take this long. If y'all wanna conversate, do all that in the car!” He shouted back. 

You faced Franklin with eager angry eyes. “Okay. Seriously. Go. Mr. Baker gon’ tell ma mama when she get back if he gets woken up from his nap. Last thing I need.” 

You waited but nothing. Stiff as a board. Franklin made no effort to get up and move from the place he'd made for himself on the extra chair not too far from where you sat. Instead he settled in place, only getting more comfortable. “Naw,” he offered with ease. “I'm serious. I wanna make sure anyone walking by can see the pain from where we are.” He sat up just enough from his slouch to direct his attention to the sidewalk. “Hey everyone, how's the sad face workin’ out for me. Do I look good? Thinkin’ bout’ keepin’ it. Forget that my friends came to cheer me up!” 

The two women who Franklin had caught the attention of looked for a moment, and then continued on their way, only picking up their pace in the process as they walked.

Leon stood in the open door of the car and tilted his head as his eyes went from the women to the porch.“What you say Saint?”

Franklin offered a wave, then turned to smile at you. “Nothin’ we all just chillin!” 

You smacked your teeth. “Really? You're so damn childish. Forreal. Just go.” You rose up, frustrated as you smacked his arm, harder than you had his leg. “Quit playing wit’ me.” 

The hit didn't phase Franklin's determination. In response, he locked his hands together and sat them casually on his lap. “Nope. I'm good.” He'd flipped his hands around and placed them at the back of his head, extending his legs to prop them up on the ledge. Just as you had done. Once he closed his eyes, a smirk had found his lips, and you knew he'd won. 

“Whenever you wanna grab that hoodie.” 

“Such a fuckin’ annoying ass-” you jumped up from your chair barely able to complete your sentence and leaned to snatch up Cissy's plate from the floor, before you shuffled inside the house, stomping the entire way to the kitchen.

“Yeah, well. Learn from the best so hurry up!” Franklin called after you which only earned him another roll of your eyes. 

You would have thrown the plate at the wall, but since it was Cissy's and you'd only gain yourself attention from the crash, you decided against it. 

You moved swiftly through the house huffing and puffing your way into Ronnie's room with the knowledge that all your other hoodies were in the hamper, dirty. Not much energy for washing clothes, you decided on a black and gray hoodie from the closet, one that had an imprint of Malcom X’s face and X symbol, not at all realizing that it had been Franklin who broke your pattern of avoidance that had you enter your dead brother's bedroom. 

By the time you were nearing the door, Franklin had removed his hands, and let his legs fall back to the ground as he leaned forward. The smirk was no longer on him, replaced instead with a frown as he reached up to touch the cut just over his brow. He hissed at the perpetual sting the contact of his fingers brought and raised his chin up toward the sky, allowing the sun to kiss at his skin. You grabbed your inhaler and watched him. A familiar sadness found its way back as you stepped out the door to shut and lock it, remembering the phone call you were on earlier that day. Only when Franklin heard you did he stand and bring the smile back. 

“Ready?”  

…

The open windows allowed a warm breeze that pulled from a beautiful glow akin to sunset and entered through the space of Kevin's ride like the words of a story.  

From where you sat you watched Kevin nod his head to the beat of a song and turn up the volume when the next  flooded through the surrounding speakers while he drummed his hands on the steering wheel. Besides the music, conversation among the friend group was minimal to none. More importantly you hated the seating arrangement. Leon wanted a window, and so did Franklin, landing you in the middle in line of the front mirror as Kevin drove. You noticed how he would look in it, at you, then back to the road which strangely made it read like the hot seat. Any other time you would have fought tooth and nail for one of the windows, anything to avoid the driver's gaze. This time you accepted an easy defeat. 

Seeing your eyes, you sighed. They were still puffing from your cry at the hospital, from the night before. You hated crying. The after effect could linger on for days. Only, they were nowhere close to your mothers eyes. Had that been the case, Franklin and no one else would have persuaded you to come out. You were grateful that no one mentioned it. You knew they noticed, but chose not to say anything on account of the situation being necessary for such an after effect. They might all think something was wrong with you, had you not cried at all.  

The tired silence seemed a long while before Kevin spoke. He'd begun to snap his fingers and immerse himself in the tempo of the current song. 

“Alright now. Imma need some groovin’ and movin’.” 

You felt the vibration of the speaker's. Kevin had turned the knob on the radio more and more, elevating the volume substantially. Leon tilted his head, Melody threw a glance in Kevin’s direction, and Franklin grinned before garnering his attention back out the window to the passing L.A scenery. No one made any effort to sing along. 

“Aye. Y'all don't get to be boring in my ride,” you heard Kevin blurt out as the song switched from L.T.D’s Back In Love to Shalamar’s A Night to Remember. “Either you sing or I put ya ass out.”

The looks thrown around were unanimous. Everyone suddenly paid attention. All eyes on Kevin. He grinned, throwing a glance in the mirror only a second before his eyes were right back on the road. Leon sucked his teeth and raised his chin to challenge the threat. 

“Man, get that shit outta here.”

Kevin glared through the mirror and pulled the steering wheel. Car horns sounded off. The swerve had you shoulder bumping Leon and holding on for dear life while Kevin settled into the farthest lane just barely missing a collision. 

“You see that sidewalk? Think I'm playing. I'll drive right over to that bitch.”

You noticed Franklin in your peripheral. He'd sat up, alert. Chest going up and down. His eyes ran over you before he sat his hand on your leg. “You okay?” 

You gave him a quick nod. He directed his attention to the front where Melody sat. “Mel, you good?” 

She didn't answer, instead she turned and smacked Kevin's arm.  “The hell, you almost gave me and everyone else in here a heart attack!” 

“Kev man, are you serious?” Franklin added, eyes wide on the road, then behind to the people in the car who expressed their anger with curse words none of you could hear and middle fingers being thrown as compensation for the silent words.

Leon hit the back of Kevin's seat, fist balled and chest puffed. “What the fuck, drive like you got some sense nigga!” 

You straightened out your hoodie. You could still feel your heart pounding when Kevin chuckled and lit up a freshly rolled joint he'd taken from the ashtray. 

“Well, get ta’ singing damnit, like you heard what I said.” He exhaled, releasing the smoke from his lungs that went rushing out the side window due in part to the speed the car traveled. “I know you know how Lee. You carry that damn boom box around enough. Can't just be fa’show.”

Leon sat back pointing. “Fuck you.”

Kevin lifted his middle finger and threw it back in Leon’s direction. “Aye, fuck you to. Mel.” He brought on a smile as he looked at her. “Come on girl, let's hear it.”

Melody shook her head and laughed. “Oh my God Kev. You stupid. And you almost killed us, so yeah, no.” 

His smile fell. “You wanna get out? I'll pull this bitch right over and call Andre to come pick ya up. Just say the word.”

Melody shook her head and narrowed her gaze on him, but a small grin made its way to her lips as the song played. It was one of the powerful trio's best. A party hit that made it hard to resist after a while. Melody, succumbing to the pop of the tune started moving her head to the beat and began to sing along to the lyrics earning a face of displeasure from Leon who seemed to sit back disappointed that she’d given in, but a hoot from Kevin who'd passed her the joint as his voice came in on a few lyrics. 

Get ready, gonna make this a night to remember…

Kevin threw a glance over his shoulder directed on Franklin. “Come on Saint. Let’s go.”

Leon had leaned into you, bumping your shoulder. This time it had little to do with Kevin’s horrible driving. This time he had a smile on his face and just like Melody he’d fallen into Kevin’s request to sing. With a  scrunch your nose at his singing, you felt another shoulder bump coming from Franklin’s side, with even worse singing that filled the car. 

“Your turn Afro puff,” Kevin said, snapping his fingers. “You the last one to catch the groove. I love ya, but please believe I'll have ya ass out here walkin’.” 

You hadn’t realized your shoulders were beginning to put in work until you waved him off. “No no come on. It's okay Kevin. I got a headache.” 

“I don’t give a fuck. The singing will help wit’ the headache, come on.” 

You laughed. Franklin and Leon tried to out do the other’s singing amidst Kevin's persuasion, and with Kevin and Melody’s voices jumping on the lyrics, you finally broke and joined in on the madness. You smiled, then began to shimmy your shoulders to the beat. Repeating the lyrics as the joint passed to Leon. 

This night you won’t forget. Gonna make this a night to remember….

“Aight, see there ya’ go. Y'all can’t sing worth a damn but that's how we spose ta’ have fun.” Kevin shouted over the car full of voices. 

By the time the song ended you'd arrived. A line had already begun to form outside with crowds of people eager to see the new releases. Kevin parked, and one by one You, Franklin, and Leon took exit from the backseat.

“Whelp let’s do this y'all.” Leon said, smoothing down his brown shirt. 

“Wait wait hold on,” Kevin interjected as he leaned to dig around in his glove compartment. “Let's do a picture real quick since we got all us here.” 

He searched around until he caught hold of an unsuspected victim to be the designated picture taker. Some girl who had been walking with her friend. One who’d given Kevin her number right before she walked away. Leon had taken the friend's. 

When the image made itself visible you offered the smiling faces a grin of acknowledgement with the hopes of a good night. 

…

“Mind if I sit with you while we wait for them?”

Your mind had latched to two different spaces. One in the present and the other of countless possibilities. All things new. You only heard Melody because she was standing so close. All the other conversations, you had gone deaf to. 

“Uh huh.” 

You look down at the space beside you. You had taken off your hoodie and sat it down. A tactic done on purpose so that no one would think it was okay to sit by you randomly. The theater was packed with people. A normal turn out for a friday night, but with a new Eddie Murphy movie, it seemed to be double the amount. You grabbed the article of clothing and placed it on your lap, motioning your hand toward the empty space you’d made. 

“Please. Help yourself.” 

Your eyes tracked the places where Franklin, Kevin and Leon had gone. They were closer to getting the tickets as the line continued to move. You looked at all of them, but your eyes settled over Franklin a little longer. 

“I uh, just wanted to tell you personally, how sorry I am about Ronnie.” 

You blinked, breaking your gaze on Franklin. You’d begun to run a thumb over your knuckles. Everytime someone brought Ronnie up it sent this relentless wave of tension through your body. Your shoulders slumped automatically whenever anyone said his name. You didn’t look at her, even though you could feel her stare.    

“I didn't get the chance to tell you that,” Melody continued. “You were sleeping when we got there. All I could really do was leave the flowers.”

“Thank you. They were nice.” 

When you got out of the hospital you’d taken the bouquet with you. The old vase they’d come in had been changed, along with potting and arrangement. They looked good sitting as a centerpiece on the coffee table in your living room. 

“Yeah. No problem.” 

That would have been the end of it. You could feel her weight shift on the cushion as if she were about to get up. Abandon whatever mission she’d willed for herself that mustered up enough courage to speak, and say those words you hadn't expected. You pulled in the scent of popcorn through your nostrils and exhaled through your mouth, then closed your eyes briefly before you sighed to stop her departure. 

“Listen Melody. I had some time to think. Think about, a lot. And, I don't want things to be awkward between us. Okay.”

Melody settled back down and you looked over at the moving line of happy moviegoers.

“I know all that stuff happened with Franklin, and honestly even though I still feel you totally disregarded the relationship by crossing that boundary. How I reacted wasn't called for.” 

You paused. You had to take a breath. You were still angry and somewhat annoyed, but you had your part in the aftermath. Owning up was the only way to call a truce to the unspoken tug of war. 

“All the cursing and blaming. That wasn't me. Or it shouldn't have been, even in the moment.” You brought your hands together in a fold. “Although I was dealing with all that stuff going on with my brother, I had the choice to react in a better way, and I didn't.” You pulled your legs up and crossed them. 

“You're right.”

Your head at Melody’s words.

“I absolutely did cross a boundary. I went on like things hadn’t changed. The worst part was that I didn’t take your feelings into consideration. You being his girl. I didn’t respect it. So, I’m sorry.”

With a short nod you looked at her. 

“Thank you.”

Melody sat back, resting her head on the wall. “I just. I really want things to go back like they were between us.” she smiled. “I’m telling you girl, no one can do that hot comb like you. You see it’s looking a lil’ rough right now.”

You let go of a light laugh that hit the air among the rest of the conversation and bustle that was going on in the lobby. “As much as I speak against hot combs, That would be the thing I'm really good at.” You shook your head. The irony always had a funny way of creeping in. You threw a glance at Melody’s hair. A simple blow dry, but you could tell no hot comb touched it. “I told you you wouldn’t even have that problem if you’d just join the afro gang. We're always looking for new members.” You and Leon were steady tryna recruit folk. You’d make two very dedicated Jehovah witnesses.

“I don’t even think mine is capable of doing that,” Melody said with a soft laugh, throwing a glance at yours. 

Despite being in a high ponytail, your hair remained a nice healthy mini afro. Bound but still mighty, and powerful enough to shut shit down if you at any point decided to unleash her and go full Black Power.  

“I honestly feel you and Leon got everybody beat.” 

You took some sort of pride in that being the case. “Maybe,” you smiled to yourself. “Maybe so.” 

Melody turned and extended a hand before you. Her face held an expression much like a girl getting something she'd desperately wanted in the same way a child would in a candy story, or being invited to play tetherball on the playground with a group of girls that never noticed that innate desire for belonging. “Friends again?” She declared. 

You looked at her and then her hand before you took it and exchanged a shake by way of a calling of troths. “Friends.” You ended with a smile similar to hers, and a bit of weight lifted. The awkwardness to, had also subsided. Your entire body became much more free of the tension it held even with the ever present thought of your brother. 

“Wassup, y'all ready ta’ do this?” 

Both you and Melody looked up. Franklin, Leon, and Kevin had returned. Kevin with his hands full. To large boxes of popcorn, a thing of nachos, some bag of candy you couldn't identify, and a large box of lemon heads. 

“Damn, y'all buy up the whole concession stand?” Melody asked and stood to her feet. Franklin and Leon weren't as bad as Kevin, but they had their hands full just the same.

“Mel, you know we had to buy supplies for two movies. I don't wanna get up and miss somethin'.”

You shook your head, got to your feet and put your hoodie back on. “Could have just bought two big boxes of popcorn to split between us. We could have shared. Leon gotta box, you, Franklin. Y'all, for real?” 

Kevin sucked in his teeth.“Shhhhhit. That thang woulda been gone in five minutes. You know them nigga’s greedy.” 

Leon threw you a look before stuffing his mouth full of popcorn. “Share? Hell naw. I don’t know why y’all actin’ like Kev don’t be lickin’ his fingers n’shit.” 

Franklin chuckled. “Right. Wit’ them damn lemon heads.”

Both you and Melody directed your attention to Kevin’s arms. Sure enough two mini boxes of Lemon Head candies nuzzled between the popcorn and larger candy bag. You smiled and shook your head, folding your arms to look at Kevin. Everyone did. You, Franklin, Leon and Melody were staring at him. 

Kevin stepped back, throwing gazes back and forth. “Oh, so it’s like that? That’s why, don’t nobody ask me for none then. I was gonna be generous, but hell, nevermind since ya’ll hatin’ on a nigga.” 

…

The laughter and jokes felt like old times as the five of you entered into the theater. Lucky to have spotted seats closer to the screen but still in the middle, the order set Kevin on the end, then Melody, Leon, Franklin and you at the other end. 

The previews had already begun playing by the time you got comfortable and lifted up from your slouch to raise up and throw some popcorn in Kevin's direction when he whined about his three boxes of Leon Heads. He threw some back, more than the handful you had, and Franklin stole his mini box, passing it discreetly to both you and Leon before he’d gotten caught when he turned to offer some to Melody. 

By the time you were in a debate about the next big movie to come out, the theater space had darkened and Trading Places had begun. 

Immediately engrossed in the movie, you laughed and gasped at all the right moments earnestly digging your hands for more popcorn to pass between Franklin and Leon.

Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of pure bliss and enjoyment before the headache you’d thought you’d gotten rid of had come back full force, and you felt sick. The same kind of sickness you’d experienced the night at Cho’s, and the same headache you carried with you when Cissy brought you back to your house. 

There was Eddie Murphy. His character, thrown in a holding cell. Your mind had somehow replaced the face, just like you were watching up on that screen, the details Jerome expressed to Cissy. Words they thought you hadn't heard, now very much vivid and beating. How could you be so selfish? He’d been gone all of three days and you were in a movie theater laughing. Enjoying yourself, living life. Your eyes swelled up with regret and you looked down at the hoodie you wore. Ronnie’s hoodie. 

Miraculously your hand had found Franklin’s. He’d been so taken by the movie that he only noticed once you squeezed down. His eyes found you through the low light shining from the big screen. “Huh?” You heard him say through the hordes of laughter that filled up the space. 

You tried with all your might to avoid the shake in your voice, and force one final smile. “I need to go to the bathroom. Be back.” 

You watched him nod, as you stood to your feet and put the popcorn box on the ground with no intention of returning to it. You wasted no time, moving through the seated people as fast as humanly possible.

The rise and fall of your chest led you inside a stall to let the breath free you’d had held up trying to make it to seclusion. You sobbed, a kind that had been suppressed as much as possible in order not to be discovered by those leaving and entering the restroom. You would have preferred your own bathroom, where you could hear your own labored breathing and wheezing. Maybe one of your pillows could provide you some sort of comfort rather real or imagined, or at least been there to muffle your screams down. 

That’s where you should have been. Home. The regret you harbored for laughing and enjoying yourself poured out in short, choking bursts and sniffs. If you kept it up you would need more than your inhaler to calm it, and you'd be damned if you'd return to the hospital, willingly. You covered your face with your hands but tears found their way around the barrier and ran down your chin to drip and pool along your neck. You leaned on the stall that separated the other and quietly let the tears go. 

When you found you hated the position and the way your neck began to feel at such an awkward angle you stood up and wiped your eyes with the sleeves of the hoody. 

You could barely breathe, all congested with sorrow, but you blew your nose and rushed out the bathroom. The less opportunity you had to look at the mess that was now your puffy exterior, the better you’d be. 

As you debated on going back in and telling Franklin you were leaving, a familiar face caught your view. He was there with a woman and two kids, a girl and boy. A happy family enjoying a night out together. A family going about their lives without a care or concern for a grieving mother and daughter, or the young man who had all the potential in the world, only to be cheated and forgotten due to a corrupt system. 

Anger, one emotion not unrecognizable to you had provided the motivation it took to walk and confront such atrocities head on. 

Why? Why wasn’t he feeling just as much grief and despair? “Hey,” you shouted. 

From that point your descent had begun. Your own voice echoed in your ears loud and passionate with words that would cling to the atmosphere long after you left. Curse words, hurt words, and everything in-between. You even gained the attention of those in the lobby. An audience to your own personal demise. 

He always regarded you with your last name first, like he meant to stay professional at all times. It annoyed you. It made him come off, pretentious and dismissed his attempt at keeping things calm. 

“So tell me Shelby motherfucking Fleming. Why you not at home wit’ ya head hung low. My brother is dead because you didn't know what the hell you were doing. Or maybe you just didn't give a fuck. That it? Just another black man to be disposed of. Because I told you that taking that deal was gonna fuck us!” 

All the attention seemed more of an embarrassment for him than for you. In fact you hardly even noticed anybody else other than the bastard before you. 

“I beg your pardon. I understand your frustration. It was a terrible thing that happened. But I did what I could for Ronald. He had the best legal representation for his circumstance. No matter what offer I put on the table, he was going to do time. Now, if you don't mind. My family is here.”

Your blood boiled. The way he'd said it. Like he brushed it off as nothing. 

“Fuck you. Fuck you and your woods stalk lookin’ ass family. You think I actually give a fuck about all that when you destroyed mine? Y'all all played a part. You, that stupid ass judge!” 

You hadn't even realized the size your rage had grown. Before you could stop yourself you’d smacked the medium size popcorn box from Shelby's hand. Little golden puffs went flying. When you pushed him his wife called for security, hysterical. Another random man had come to break up the tension. He pulled you back trying as he might to block your path from Shelby. In all the commotion you hadn't even noticed Franklin. He'd inserted himself to push the man away from you. You tried to rush at Shelby again but Franklin blocked your path. He struggled with you until he took hold of your shoulder to shake you still. 

“Hey hey calm down, wassup, what happened?” 

You took a step back and threw him a look before you pushed his hands away. 

“I'm going home.” You murmured through a glaze of tears. The security, not far off and moving through the crowd of onlookers had you in hindsight, but you wouldn't wait. You changed direction and ran out the closest door with Franklin's voice calling out your name and begging you to stop. 

You didn't stop. You just kept on running. 

……………………………………..

Taglist: @fairy-cores-world  @megamindsecretlair @notapradagurl7 @hopelessdisasterr @slippinninque

[avissapiens]

Jockbull Summer Week 4 Set C (3/12/23-10/12/23)

Model used is Onome Egger

1.

I have continued the trend of fasting+cardio day. It’s actually not that bad. What was bad was the decision to bake while fasting. It’s not that I wanted the food. I don’t eat most of what I bake. But I couldn’t realistically test things too much to make sure they came out well. Luckily they were quite good the next day. Only half of one. It’s still cutting season.

2.

I got two in again! The first one was just kind of a general muscle flash. Brain producing lovely images for myself. Who needs AI when your head is already so full of muscle.

The second one however was a deeper introspection done together with Abg. We’re both POC but in many senses we are atypical. And yet still the presence of stereotypes still kind of gets in the way of both of our minds, and in particular our muscular journeys. We are both dead-set on breaking stereotypes and still coming out on top, so that was the seed for this meditation. There’s a lot of stereotypes for Black folks. And I know they are nonsense because not only do I not embody them, but most of my friends, relatives, peers etc from back home don’t either. But every time that one encounters a situation where you do meet that stereotype in yourself or in others, you pause for a second. Because especially while living in a mostly white country, you become extremely aware of the fact that everything you do is a form of ambassadorship for anyone who looks like you and visa versa. Which is a shitty burden to bear. Even after coming from a background of Black excellence in the Caribbean, there’s still so many stereotypes that come to mind. The perception of black people being unattractive, or if we are, it can only be in a brutish, animalistic, unrefined non-aesthetic way that doesn’t adhere to societal norms.

The mental stereotypes of underperformance and stupidity. The lack of ambition.

So many stereotypes are strangely contradictory too

That we're just needlessly loud and confrontational all the time but still get portrayed as servile slaves.

That we can only be good at sports but still deserve to be excluded from them. That we can't perform well at anything else. The strange juxtaposition of the athletic achievement that many POC are forced into because they lack the resources to pursue other interests and the idea that Ethnic food is unhealthy, dirty. And the very real reality of unequal access and outcomes for healthcare. The idea, often reinforced within the community, that we do not belong in certain places. In certain professions. In nature, in the world at large. That we should remain forever in this conservative slave mentality while we exist in the west.

Frankly, I see muscle and hypnosis as ways of outgrowing and defeating these stereotypes. Of changing perceptions not only for me but for my community. Perception is everything because it means that those who come after can see something different for themselves.

3.

Anyway on a lighter note. Yup, we’ve entered an edging period. It always feels so fucking good after a full week of building that erotic energy. It takes you to new and darker places and makes you vulnerable to things you might not have been before. Sometimes thats good. Sometimes its dangerous. But even that danger comes with a certain appeal.

4.

Its been a rough and busy week working on the first comm. I have some ideas brainstormed with Jockrs for an avis abstraction, it’s just always a whole different story putting pen to paper. Wish me better luck for the next week.

5.

So this one’s been interesting. It’s less been a process of drafting and then sticking. More a progressive building of momentum. Incorporating more and more things until the morning and myself feels more whole. I’ve ordered a bunch of supplements to take. A bunch of skincare stuff to harden my routine. I’ve expanded my already existing routine and even incorporated some new concepts from the world of Looksmaxxing. Truthfully, there is this deep desire in me to grow so much more in so many dimensions.And the himbo programming has definitely made one of those dimensions my aesthetics. Not for anyone else’s pleasure but for my own. I already know i’m gorgeous to other people. I want to be brilliant for myself and to be able to use that element of me like a tool and a weapon.

[qnewsau]

Isis Avis Loren's simple message to Drag Race Down Under critics

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/isis-avis-lorens-simple-message-to-drag-race-down-under-critics/

Isis Avis Loren's simple message to Drag Race Down Under critics

A year on from her Drag Race Down Under win, Isis Avis Loren reflects on her experience, and when asked about what she would say to those who underestimate the franchise, she had five simple words… “You’re a bunch of assholes.”

A drag artist for 11 years and Australia’s first winner of Drag Race Down Under, Isis has some choice words for viewers ahead of Drag Race Down Under’s return.

“Winning has brought me so many wonderful opportunities and experiences that have been life- and perspective-changing,” Isis told us.

“But there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it, and I’ve struggled allowing myself the grace to just be a human.”

“Support from the wider community doesn’t feel like it’s been there, I don’t feel. And I mean this globally. I think the Down Under franchise doesn’t get its dues.”

Isis felt the love when she headed to the US for RuPaul’s DragCon earlier in the year, but feeling that love doesn’t mean the scales are balanced.

“When things don’t financially translate, it makes you question whether and why people want to support you,” she said.

“Other girls from other franchises had lines out of the wazoo, and people were getting two seconds with them while I was quite open and freely giving my time.

“When that doesn’t translate into followers and the opportunities that come with that, it makes you question your validity.”

“It makes you question the feasibility of spending thousands of dollars for a TV show. I was fortunate to win, but many girls have put a lot of money into this and are still paying it off – girls from all around the world.

“It’s important to tell our queer stories, but it’s also important to be financially secure. Maybe we’re in a weird period where things will shift, but I need to see those results first before I believe in it.”

‘Give more love to all the girls from Down Under’

Thoughtfully and calmly, Isis called those who underestimate Drag Race Down Under “a bunch of assholes”.

“You’re giving your time to the main franchise that doesn’t need your attention anymore and not looking in your backyard,” she said.

“Queer people from down under need to be supporting these girls. Show them love, see their shows and interact with them online.”

“We can be the beacons and stories you support here. Americans have America; we are your fucking girls. We tell your queer stories from our gender perspective, from the zeitgeist that we inhabit here in Australia and New Zealand and across the Pacific.

“It’s mind-numbingly frustrating that we put ourselves in this position and don’t get the support from our people.”

This is a narrative we continue to see across big names in the local franchise, but it also affects anyone who competes.

“I’m a kind, sweet, generous person. I’m a very giving person. And I want to see more love given to all the girls from Down Under.” Isis said.

“With the new season starting with Michelle as the new host, it will enliven the franchise and give a different perspective. I think there are a few changes that are going to allow for a more ‘down under’ experience.

“From what I know and have heard, I think this season is very strong. The talent is exemplary. We have some wonderful queer artists who will give the show some excitement and wonder, as well as pure skill.”

The question is… will you get behind it?

Drag Race Down Under season 4 is streaming in Australia on Stan from November 1.

Read more:

Meet the new cast of Drag Race Down Under season 4

A US Drag Race superstar is cheering on Down Under’s Mandy Moobs

Rhys Nicholson is not ‘the new Michelle’ on Drag Race Down Under

Yes, Michelle Visage wears trackies under the Drag Race desk

Rhys shares the ‘grim’ Drag Race Down Under we almost saw

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[fictionz]

New Fiction 2023 - September

"Baruch" ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

A short interlude before another juggernaut of a chapter.

Creature Teacher by R.L. Stine (1998)

They really hold out on the monsters here in Series 2000, so this is a welcome entry.

Invasion of the Body Squeezers - Part 1 by R.L. Stine (1998)

An unnecessarily long red herring.

Invasion of the Body Squeezers - Part 2 by R.L. Stine (1998)

That's some way to prevent an extinction event.

I'm Your Evil Twin! by R.L. Stine (1998)

They always do the ol' switcharoo.

Revenge R Us by R.L. Stine (1998)

The Uncut Gems of Goosebumps.

Fright Camp by R.L. Stine (1998)

Fool me several dozen times, shame on us all.

Headless Halloween by R.L. Stine (1998)

Here we GOOOOO. A+ Goosebumps.

Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls by R.L. Stine (1998)

A bit weirder but still more welcome than kids being dicks and no actual spooky happenings.

Brain Juice by R.L. Stine (1998)

Just bizarre. Leaning a little too far into the weird science angle I've no interest for in these books.

The Deadly Experiments of Dr. Eeek by R.L. Stine (1996)

Nope. These gamebooks aren't good for reading one after another, and the ones that more or less stay in place are especially meh.

Night in Werewolf Woods by R.L. Stine (1996)

Another meh entry in spite of the werewolves running around.

Beware of the Purple Peanut Butter by R.L. Stine (1996)

More weird science and generally not scary stuff, less and less interesting.

"Hotline Miami" by KC Green (2023)

The speedrun.

"I was told by my doctor that this'll completely compensate my human meat diet" by scribblingchimp (2023)

Gotta find an alternate.

"Carl's Date" dir. Bob Peterson (2023)

Good to see the gang again.

The Equalizer 3 dir. Antoine Fuqua (2023)

Didn't need to do all that.

Bottoms dir. Emma Seligman (2023)

The kids are alright.

Elemental dir. Peter Sohn (2023)

A personal story.

They Live dir. John Carpenter (1988)

That's a long fight.

Jawan dir. Atlee (2023)

The Robin Hood we need.

Christine dir. John Carpenter (1983)

Somehow, a car is scary.

The LEGO Movie dir. Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (2014)

Too familiar, but perhaps because it kicked off something we've seen a lot of since then.

Outlaw Johnny Black dir. Michael Jai White (2023)

A fun and shooty romp.

Satanic Hispanics dir. Alejandro Brugués , Mike Mendez, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Eduardo Sánchez, Demián Rugna (2023)

The anthology offers much.

Prey dir. Dan Trachtenberg (2022)

Hell yes. If they made Predator movies that are just "a Predator fights someone at this point in history" I'd be all in.

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight dir. Ernest Dickerson (1995)

Definitely a feature-length version of an episode, but they pull it off.

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood dir. Gilbert Adler (1996)

Or do they? But this is still better than...

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Ritual dir. Avi Nesher (2002)

A very boring movie like this.

Vault of Horror dir. Freddie Francis (1973)

Ooh that second story is tops.

Tales from the Crypt dir. Freddie Francis (1972)

This first movie was just a tad too straight-faced. Where's the camp?!

The Origin of Evil dir. Sébastien Marnier (2023)

A-n-x-i-e-t-y.

The Expendables 4 dir. Scott Waugh (2023)

I know they can't all come back every time, but the concept seems to be slipping away from them.

The Creator dir. Gareth Edwards (2023)

Hm. Striving toward something I might've liked but somehow doesn't land.

Tales from the Crypt - Season 7 (1996)

I've been annoyed with many people writing off season 7 as not worth watching. It's fine! There's even a few episodes really worth watching.

Tales from the Cryptkeeper - Season 1 (1993)

Basically Goosebumps, so John Kassir recording wraparounds is what makes it special.

Star Trek Strange New Worlds - Season 2 (2023)

I like it, but 10 episodes is not enough. Bouncing from fun to deadly serious episodes too often makes it feel disjointed.

[sleekervae]

The Neighbour [3.9]

A/N: Good Morning everyone!! Happy Holidays and ready to bless your Saturday morning with a dose of... all this. I put this chapter into a word counter and came up with 7.6 k and honestly, I'm proud of myself lol. Hope ya'll are having a lovely holiday season, be happy and stay safe out there!!

Warnings: smut ahead, some mild inklings of a panic attack

Masterlist

A week had shot by so fast. It had been a blur of packing, unpacking, repacking and second guessing everything that Eva thought that she needed for Seattle. She had moved around so many times, always lugging her knick knacks and chachkis from her travels; this time it felt so weird just packing a small back and a backpack.

She felt like she was forgetting so many things, leaving behind little comforts that in hindsight really wouldn't mean that much to a person. Some things were reasonable, like her favourite green cardigan -- it kept her warm through so many winters, the sleeves were frayed and it smelled like cat hair, but Eva would never dare to brave the cold without it. Other things, like her plastic skull paper weight -- a charming and macabre little souvenir she'd bought at an obscure flee market in Portland, stayed attentive at her desk, porous eyes threatening anybody that dared near her belongings.

Eva stared at her open suitcase, the clothes neatly folded and yet she still felt so disorganized. After all, California was supposed to be her last big trip, and given global circumstances, travel should have been the last thing on her to-do list this week. And yet she had a gnawing guilt in her chest whenever she spoke to her dad this week; he was always giving her updates on her mother's condition. She didn't need the image of her mother in a dialysis clinic clouding her mind, neither.

Pluto was curled up underneath the couch, having rapidly lost interest in his cotton mouse toy. The pale tabby always had a knack for becoming a deflated balloon whenever he spotted a suitcase, usually because he'd have to be shoved into his carrier and loaded under a plane seat or into the back of an Avis rental. So of course, he was hiding from his master should the threat arise.

Eva walked across her living room, taking a brief look around for her cat while she went over her list in her head. Warm sweaters? Check. Hole-less jeans? Check. A spare toothbrush because she always either forgot hers going or coming back? Check. Her boyfriend...?

With one glance at that house across the street, Eva felt her heart sink. She wished so terribly that circumstances were better in her family, then maybe it would be safer to bring Remington? But her father was already uneasy about the relationship and she hadn't even told her sister yet -- good God! When that uptight little asshole finds out she's dating a musician...

Remington didn't need the drama of her family's snide remarks and entitled elitist delusions, and quite frankly neither did she. It was the best way she knew to protect him. And yet she could picture how fun it would be to have him in her home town, showing him her old stomping grounds and all of the best places she knew for impeccable meals. Maybe one day when she could breeze into town without a medical emergency and she didn't have to have her family expecting her?

A lump began to grow in her throat; it was small and Eva swallowed it down as best as she could. However, the more she clambered around, packing, cleaning, her mind began to spin. It was as if fate had a sick sense of humour, and no matter how hard, how far she had tried to leave her past behind, the phantoms creeped through crevices and shadows, always looming, lurking, awaiting just the moment where they could pounce and drag her back nails scrapping across the floor.

She was angry for feeling guilty, never picking up phone calls and dodging family holidays for years. She never even had the urge to get to know her little half brother. But why should she? Eva's family was abuzz of narcissists and entitled brats that believed the world owed them everything. And in a way, Eva embodied those traits as well, not to the extent where she'd dare embarrass herself or her friends.

Perhaps that why she was upset, recognizing that no matter how hard she tried she could never get rid of the toxicity of a behaviour that had been bred in her from the beginning...

She didn't even register the tears on her face until she went to brush her hair away from her eyes, cringing at the slippery surface of saline-soaked skin. Eva hated crying, she spent too much of her adolescence locked up in her room and balling her eyes out. First because her sister constantly picked on her, and then she got her brother to join in. And when her mom up and left with nary an explanation, Eva truly felt what it meant to have her heart ripped out of her chest. No breakup could ever compare to the anguish of watching your mother leave you behind because you weren't good enough.

The distinctive clicking of the lock clicked and the door hinges squealed, giving Eva just barely enough time to wipe the tears from her eyes as Remington slipped inside. He had two bags of groceries hanging from one hand, and his back pack slung over his shoulder. His long hair was tucked underneath his toque in true skater boy fashion, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like a puppy on a fresh summer's day.

"I'm home, baby!" he announced. Eva couldn't help but smile to herself, hearing him call her apartment 'home' was a small but hearty comfort to her. He stopped briefly to kiss her cheek as he breezed into the kitchen, dropping his groceries onto her countertop with a crinkly thunk, "What's the name of the game tonight? That's right -- we got chickpea sweet potato stew! Prepared expertly by our in-house chef, Remington! No relation to the rat,"

Eva simpered, shuffling over and watching him pull out two large sweet potatoes, "The recipe called for two cups of potatoes, so I grabbed two of these just to be on the safe side," he grinned.

"We can make fries with the rest," she heartlessly chuckled.

It was then Remington met her eyes, his giddy smile slipping when he noted her demeanour. His tongue slipped over his lips, tasting the excess salt that he'd picked up from her cheek in that split moment.

"What's wrong?" he rounded the counter to meet her, "Did something happen?"

"N-No. I'm okay," she tried to assure, though she having a hard enough time trying to convince herself, let alone Remington.

"Eva," he voice dropped, oddly stern yet dismayed because he never liked seeing his girl upset. And his dark eyes just reached into her brain, picking on all the tells she had to try and put up a false face. He knew her too well by now to fall for it, and he reminded her she was safe as he took her hands in his.

Eva took a deep breath, her gaze averting to the floor. She picked out the nicks and scuffs in his sneakers, the grooves in the hardwood floor, how he smelled of body wash, cigarettes and autumn all at once.

"I'm okay," she nodded slowly, "I just had a minute; I got a little overwhelmed..."

Remington looked passed her and into the living room, her suitcase was tossed open on the floor, half packed neatly and the other half in disarray.

He didn't want to be stubborn and try to coax it out of her. Instead, he took her in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest and just listened to her uneasy breathing. She was trying not to cry again, but silent tears brimmed over her lids and rolled down her face. They soaked into the sleeves of his t-shirt, warm and cold when they hit his skin.

Remington waited until she could calm down, not uttering a word and yet holding her like her life depended on him solely. Because he was scared for a moment; if he had let her go, there was a fine chance she may have buckled to the floor. Through the whole calamity of her situation, Eva had remained so calm, so composed, a little annoyed from time to time, but now the reality of what was happening was finally setting in.

"It's okay," he cooed softly, "Take a deep breath, it's okay. Do you want to sit down?"

Her shoulders rose and fell, exhaling warmth breath across his neck and she reached up to wipe away her tears. However she nodded firmly, so he brought her over to sit at the table. Eva grabbed some loose napkins and dabbed at her face, sniffling quietly to herself.

"I'm sorry," she huffed, "I don't know what came over me for a minute,"

"Eva, it's okay," Remington assured, "... You know, if you don't have to get on that plane if you don't want to. We can tell them you caught covid,"

She laughed pitifully, "Like that'll go over better..." and she sniffled again, "There's just a lot I left behind in Seattle, I'm not looking forward to going back to it,"

"But you're not going back forever," he reminded her, "Even if you wind up having to... ya know... even that isn't forever,"

"I know," she sighed, "I keep wondering if the universe just has a sick sense of humor and likes to laugh at my pain sometimes. And it sucks because I want to be the best version of myself for you, and it doesn't need to involve -- that -- them," she pointed at the window, bearing the general direction of North.

His smile was endearing as he took one of her hands, squeezing assuredly, "You know, I remember a while ago, a smart young woman told me that it wasn't her job to fix me because I had already done the work. Her job was to remind me that the bad days and the awful things don’t define who you are. What you do from this point, and what you’ve accomplished: that defines you. The days where you get dragged back to your lowest moments are the ones where I'm the loudest person cheering for you, regardless of whether we're in the same room or not,"

Eva smiled then, genuinely this time as she squeezed his hand back, "Remi..."

"I think you might know her, actually! She's about yay tall, big cat person, has the most amazing blue eyes I've ever seen in my life -- she's the total package," he grinned broadly.

She simpered, "Really? Because I heard she's a bitch,"

"And whoever told her that is just jealous of her," he pressed a kiss to her head, followed to the tip of her nose, and then her lips, "Speaking of the cat, where is Pluto?"

She pointed to the couch, "Oh, he's hiding because he thinks I'm going to stuff him back in his carrier," she replied.

Remington shuffled over to the couch, crouching down and peering underneath. Sure enough, two shiny thin eyes were staring back at him.

"Well, hiya Pluto!" he greeted, then he turned back to Eva, "Should I get him out?"

"Just leave him," she shook her head amusedly, "I'd hate him to swipe at that perfect face of yours,"

He stood up and came back to the kitchen counter, "But I would look like a total badass, though," he began to unpack the rest of his groceries from the bag, however he was almost thrown aside when Eva suddenly ran up behind him, hugging him tightly. He laughed merrily and hugged her back; it was almost stupid how much he adored her.

"I love you," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I love you, too," He threw his head back, turning his head around just enough to get a glance at her. She batted her lashes sweetly at him, still slick with moisture and dried makeup, "My sweet girl," he brought one of her hands to his mouth and planted a kiss on her knuckle, "Maybe I should tie you up and keep you so you miss your flight tomorrow?"

Eva giggled, "Don't threaten me with a good time,"

"Do you have work to finish?" he asked.

"Work to start," she huffed, not eager to get to it.

"Well, how about you get on that while I make us dinner, hmm?" he turned in her grasp.

"I can help you," she offered.

He shook his head, "No, no, you take care of what you need to tonight, I've got dinner. Besides, all I need to do is throw things into a pot, even I can't screw that up,"

She chuckled slyly, "Like when you tried making mac n' cheese without the flour, right?"

"... That was different. This is stew," he assured, beaming radiantly.

Her eyes glimmered happily in the way that he loved, and she smirked as she wandered over to her desk, "Let me know if you need anything!"

The living room stayed a mess while Eva sat at her desk, lost in her zone while fingers flew furiously over her keyboard. A lovely, hearty smell was rising in her apartment, accompanied by clamoring and clanging of spoons against pots and water running. Eva was tempted a few times to check in and watch what he was up to, though Remington swiftly caught her and scolded her not to peek.

Remington was getting better at cooking, thanks to some advice from Sebastian. He didn't mind cooking, especially when he and Emerson first moved in together -- God only knew he didn't trust that boy to put together something with enough sustenance for them. Though more than anything he enjoyed getting to cook for Eva, showing off in a way that he knew she'd appreciate.

He tasted the stew before taking it off the heat, and when he was satisfied he went to fetch her in the next room. Remington crept up quietly behind her, just peeking over her shoulder and watching her write. It looked to be some sort of outline, organized, indented and most points bulleted down. Her gaze was fixed on the screen, unaware of his presence looming over her. Her concentration broke when warm fingers pulled back her hair, followed by equally soft lips pressing to the side of her neck. Eva giggled with surprise.

"Whatcha' working on?" he asked in a whisper.

"I'm organizing a college essay," she replied.

His eyebrows popped, "People pay you to write their essays?"

"Oh, heck no," she shook her head, "They send me their research and I condense it into an outline for them to write the damn thing themselves,"

"Clever," he kissed her on her cheek this time, "Dinner's ready,"

"Smell's wonderful,"

He spun her around in her chair, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet. She nearly fell into his chest, a surprised squeak emanating from her throat. He laughed after her, towing her behind him to the table.

The lights had been dimmed down, the table set simply, and an open bottle of wine sat in between two bowls of steaming stew. Despite his warning that it may be a little under seasoned, Eva enjoyed the stew immensely. It was just sweet enough, a little zesty with the hint of cilantro, and the wilted spinach practically melted into every bite. It was easily one of the most delicious meals Eva had.

"Sebastian's got some stiff competition behind him," she noted, "Maybe you guys should release a cookbook one day, too?"

Remington simpered, "101 Royale Recipes -- All Stolen From Other Recipe Books," he winked back.

"I'll draw up your own copyright, don't worry," she grinned gleefully before taking her wine glass, "How was writing today?"

"Very productive," he informed, "Chris went to pee thirteen times in six hours,"

Eva stopped mid-sip of her wine, "I don't think that's healthy?"

"I let him deal with it," Remington shrugged back, "But Michael sent us the final cut for the music video. It goes up Friday,"

There was a flutter in Eva's chest, both of excitement and nerves, "Wow! That's awesome!" She would finally get to see the video Michael and his team had been working so hard on, and of course seeing the finished product with it's Anne Rice-esque plot was elating. However, she was still weary about seeing herself on film.

"I'll probably lock myself in my room and watch it," she decided, "My dad won't get it,"

Remington grinned back, a glimmer of mischief twinkling behind his gaze, "Or... we could watch the cut on my laptop here?"

Eva popped a brow, "Tonight?"

"I have it," he nodded, "Unless you can bare the suspense of two more days,"

She bit down on her lip with unease, "Really?" and he nodded, "Okay," she giggled nervously.

"You do want to watch it, right?" Remington asked, "You put in a lot of good work, too,"

"I pretended to play the cello,"

"And you did it beautifully,"

"Yeah," she nodded along, "Yes. I want to watch it," after all, Remington was literally staring as a vampire! She'd be foolish to wait to watch that cinematic gold.

Despite his assurances that he had it handled, Eva helped him clean up the plates and pack up the rest of the stew. Her fridge was a little emptier than usual, cleaned out and only stocked with a few essentials. Remington was taking Pluto to stay at his house anyway; as much as he loved being in Eva's apartment, it felt weird to him being here without her in it.

They got settled on her couch; the curtains were drawn down with only one lamp giving them ample light to get around. Remington set up his computer on the coffee table while Eva set down a blanket for them. It was November in LA; never really cold but the seasonal energy called for it. There was still some wine left, cloistered in the corner of her counter and would probably be finished at some point tonight.

Pluto meanwhile had crawled out from under the couch, satisfied in seeing his carrier wasn't out. He was still careful, mind you, he opted to sleep against the curtain, far from Eva with enough time to escape should the threat arise.

Settling under the blanket, she snuggled in against Remington, laying her head on his shoulder as they waited for the video to buffer and play.

The video opened eerily with a black and white rain storm, followed by a pan on a group of hooded individuals that made up the Visigoths, crowding around the steps to the beautifully withered estate. The next cut sliced across the screen, with Remington as Aldous soaking wet and bloody as he was forced to his knees before Lilith Visigoth.

What followed was a seductively creepy short film, filled with mystery, intrigue, and of course, a couple of bloody murders. Eva didn't think it was possible, but Remington looked more handsome than ever; adorned in his raven tailored suit and dark makeup beneath his eyes. She watched him perform on that set, and yet he looked so hauntingly beautiful in the cast of fixed lighting shadows. Larissa and Shy looked beautiful in their gowns and jewels, darkly luminated by the academia-esque ballroom.

And much to Eva's chagrin, she had a two second frame up, her face contorting in confused terror when the horror and mayhem began to take shape. And again when she flew down a winding case of stairs to escape the vampire siege. She couldn't deny how cool she looked, how beautiful everything looked.

The story came to a tragic end, poetic and homespun of a plot by Gaston Leroux. However, it was the final cut in the video that had Eva suddenly fired up.

"They left him!?" she suddenly shouted before the video even came to a close, "His brothers just left him there to die?"

Her outburst had Remington amused, "Eva, you were there when we filmed this," he noted.

"But I didn't think that's how we were gonna' end it!" she sat up abruptly, poignant accusingly at the screen, "What about the girl? Isn't she gonna' save him?"

"I don't know. Guess we'll need to wait for the sequel," he pulled her back down, moving to mutter quietly, "You looked amazing,"

Eva's cheeks tinted red, averting her gaze to the blanket, "I wasn't paying attention to that part," she shrugged listlessly, "I was too focused on everything else,"

"Like me hopping over a balcony to chase you down, right?" Remington chuckled back, smirking with an effervescent smugness.

Eva thumped his shoulder, "You didn't hop a balcony," she pointed out.

"But I would if I needed to," one hand slithered around her waist, his other came to stroke tenderly at her cheek, "Especially if it came to you,"

She glowered playfully, "... To eat me or fuck me?"

He took a moment to think, smirking delightedly as he began to tickle her, "Both!"

Eva whined and squirmed, giggling between breathless protests. Every grab she made for his hands was unsuccessful as they darted under the blanket at a furious speed, torturing every spot he knew made her weak and giddy. Her hysteria was heightened when he swooped down to her neck, nibbling and biting along the sensitive skin. The warring sensations put her brain into overdrive, pleading for mercy and promising surrender.

"Okay! Okay, okay, okay! I give! Stop it!" he finally let her breathe, smoothing his hands over her belly and ribs to ward off the previous sensations. Remington couldn't wipe the smile off of his face, Eva's fluttering eyes and bashful giggle just made her completely irresistible.

He kissed her cheek this time, the tip of his nose nuzzling her sweetly, "You give? What are you giving in to?"

"Anything that doesn't involve me scissor kicking you in the neck," she replied.

She flinched when he reached for her again, but he soothed his hand over her thigh, "I'll be nice," he drew her legs over his lap and pulled her close, "I'm sorry," he simpered.

She popped a brow, "Mhm," she brushed the blonde hair from his eyes, "You're a really hot vampire,"

"And you're a gorgeous happy meal," he laughed when she rolled her eyes.

Eva sat up and rested her cheek on her hand while she watched Remington undress; shameless she was. She couldn't help it, she adored every part of his body— from his shiny ringlets to his broad chest to his lean thighs and she worshipped every part of his body on a regular basis. She felt the tips of her ears heat up and her dilated pupils couldn’t be torn away from his, even if the cat came scratching at the door. She slid forward in the bath, gasping and laughing as water sloshed over the edge of the tub as Remington climbed in.

“Hey!” she laughed.

“It’s not the first time we’ve made a mess,” he giggled merrily.

“…I mean, yeah fair. I’ll give you that,"

Remington ghosted his hand over the layer of bubbles, and beneath them he pulled Eva’s legs to circle around his waist. She slid along the smooth bottom of the tub, and when she reached Remington she found him suddenly hard between her legs.

She didn't acknowledge it, instead dunking her sponge into the water and suds and rubbing it over his chest. Remington, his hands idle, scooped hot water up Eva’s back and shoulders, and let his fingertips follow the line of her spine.

“We haven’t had a bath together in a while,” he said softly, eyes on her ear where his thumb stroked, as his palm rested against the side of her throat.

“Well,” Eva said, trying to concentrate on cleaning him down, “To be fair we've been a little busy, lately,”

Remington reached forward and pulled Eva up onto his lap, his cock now pressing insistently against her.

“Maybe we'll get to do this more once I take you on tour,” he murmured, and then Eva was avoiding his gaze as she dunked the sponge again and scrubbed down his shoulders. A sweet orange smell was drifting through the steam as she went.

“You know, you won’t have to go to such extreme measures for us to have a bath together,” she said, and then swiped the soapy sponge all the way down his back, "You just need to ask nicely,"

Remington shuddered, moving to bury his face in her neck, "That feels good, babe," he groaned.

Eva bit back a smile and moved the sponge in circles, peering over Remington’s shoulder and carefully scrubbing down his spine and waist. His hands stayed glued to her skin, his forehead was leaning against her chest, and she made sure to get her sponge lower into the curves of his hips around his thighs. She switched hands and did the other side of his back, pretending not to notice Remington's cock twitching beneath her as she scrubbed him down.

He groaned again, and put his teeth in her shoulder. Eva shuddered, dong her best to concentrate and was now squeezing water over him to clear the suds off. Hot water cascaded over his hair and at the sides of his face, the wet patterns shimmering beautifully in the dim bathroom light.

"You feel okay?" she crooned.

"Oh, I'm just perfect," he replied, starting to move her hips with his hands so that she was sliding up and down in his lap while she swirled more hot water over his back and shoulders.

His motion stuttered when she ran the sponge down his chest and over the nipple, and then he had his arms tight around her and then he had his mouth on hers and was leaning forward to kiss her harder.

Eva dropped the sponge and tangled her hands in his hair. She had always loved how he looked with his hair wet and slicked back. Remington kissed her greedily, and she had to admit she was also quite fond of fooling around when they were tipsy. The bottle of wine had been finished a little while ago and was a distant memory for them both, it made everything more fun when they were both handsy-drunk.

Eva drank the taste of wine off Remington's lips and got lost in the tingling sensation where his fingers gripped her. And then he lifted her hips and brought her right down on his cock under the water.

It should be so familiar by now. Nearly ten months together and one might think this wouldn’t surprise Eva anymore. But every time, every single time the pleasure of having Remington inside her was almost too much to bear. Eva cried out and grabbed a hold of his shoulders, hanging on tightly as he started to bounce her in his lap.

“Fuuuck Eva, fuck,” he groaned, as his head fell back against the edge of the tub and his hips tilted up to get deeper inside her. His eyes closed but his hands clutched tighter, and then Eva took a hold of the sides of the tub to get leverage as they quickened their pace, “God, you could kill a guy, fucking like this,”

He sat up suddenly, water sloshing noisily as he closed his mouth over one of her breasts. His hand came up to massage the other, and his free hand squeezed her backside. Eva moaned as his teeth touched her nipple, and changed her motion so that she was grinding into his lap instead of moving up and down. Remington’s tongue flicked over her peaked nipple and it seemed to echo in her clit, over and over until she was clawing at his neck and pushing back her orgasm, trying to stretch the feeling out.

Remington saw it coming, dragged her mouth back to his and then kissed her with her tongue sucked into his mouth as he got his hands back on her hips and slammed into her exactly how he wanted it and not letting her hold anything back. And then she was screaming as she climaxed, head tipped back and sweat and steam and bubbles plastering the stray strands to her face as she came apart in the bathtub. Remington was not far behind, and Eva reveled in the unguarded, unrestrained sounds that he made, too.

When they had stopped moving, collapsing against each other in a heap of . Eventually, Remington yawned and Eva kissed his head before whispering “Let’s go to bed.”

“I’ll just sleep here,” Remington mumbled.

“You can’t sleep in the bathtub,” she giggled.

“Sure I can,” he closed his eyes, affirming his point, “I’m doing it right now,”

She whined when he buried his face in her neck. He smelled of wine and citrusy bath oil, his skin warm and soft to the touch. Her fingers slid up and down his soap-slick torso, reveling in the kisses he was laying across her neck.

"You sure you're so sleepy?" she whimpered, squirming eagerly in his lap.

"I didn't say I wasn't done with you, yet," he replied, his fingers sliding beneath the water and finding place between her legs. Her eyes slipped shut, her body shuddered and twisted, barely able to contain herself as his fingers slid through her lips and played with her clit. Tingles fluttered across her body, every sensation elevated in pair with her first orgasm.

"Rem," she whined, grabbing his hand and still him.

He crooked an eyebrow, "You want me to stop, sweet girl?"

"Nooo," she shook her head, pouting at him, "I want something else,"

"Do you, now?" his voice came down in a gravelly whisper, his coy smirk seemingly mocking her desire, "And would does the lady desire?"

She blushed, her teeth catching her lip between them. It was almost endearing to Remington; she was so bold one minute, then bashful the next. It was so easy to tease her in this mood.

"Come on, Eva," he moaned softly.

She averted her gaze, absentmindedly stroking across his chest and just grazing the side of his nipple. She leaned down to his ear, whispering shyly, "I want you to eat me,"

His cock twitched beneath her thigh. He feigned a groan, letting his head fall back against the tub rim, glaring at her through hooded eyes.

"You mean -- get out of this bath tub, drag myself over to your bed, and fuck you with my tongue?" he spoke as if it was a hassle, though he couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off of his face. Eva nodded slowly, still biting nervously at her lip.

"Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Remington watched her hop out of the bath first, eyes lingering at the length of her towel wrapped body momentarily before he got out as well. He dried himself off quickly, sweeping Eva off of her feet and carrying her over to her bed. They were both grateful the shades had been drawn down in the open hall, should someone outside catch a glimpse of them in their birthday suits.

Eva shrieked when she was tossed onto the bed, scooting up and laughing as Remington crawled on top of her.

"You have to be quiet, Eva!" he scolded playfully, hands coming down to tickle her sides, "What would your neighbour say?"

She squealed, trying to choke back her giggles while she squirmed beneath him. It was no use, she was trapped, naked and vulnerable. He cackled above her, teasing her for her meagre escape attempts.

"I don't give a fuck!" she cried out between breathless gasps and giggles, trying and failing to catch his hands.

Remington relented soon after, and without giving her much time to catch her breath, he kissed her frantically. Eva's hands came up to his hair, twisting and tangling in the damp locks.

A whimper escaped Remington’s mouth and he pulled back, leaving Eva panting underneath him. He stared at her, eyes darkening with irrevocable lust.

"So pretty," his nose brushed against her cheek, then shifting down to mouth at her breast. The other breast he stroked with his hand, twisting her nipple between his fingers. He licked into her mouth, the kiss turning dirty, and he slotted himself between her legs, hips pressing up against hers. She moaned when he began to harden against her; the fingers in his hair tightened and then tugged.

It took a minute for her to register him situating himself between her thighs, his mouth dangerously close to her heat. He placed kisses against her hip bones before eagerly burying his mouth between her folds, moaning as he finally tasted her on his tongue.

Eva's head fell back, her hand finding Remington's hair again to keep him pressed against her. She didn’t have to guide him, he’d spent hours down there, learning all the right ways to make her moan and the quickest ways to make her come. He knew what he was doing, and Eva was almost positive that this was going to be one of those times when he was going to see how fast he could make her come. But clearly Remington had other ideas.

He'd pulled back just when she had a nice rhythm going, and Eva groaned in disappointment. Sometimes she loved it being drawn out, but when she was as eager and needy as she was now, she wasn't in the mood to wait. But Remington was in charge, and given the glimmer in his eyes, he didn't appear to be in a generous mood tonight.

"Remi, please," she whined, pawing at his shoulder to coax him along.

"It's okay, baby. I'll make you feel real good," he promised, dropping more kissed on her thigh, "But I'm gonna' take my time over here,"

He buried himself between her legs again, dragging his tongue slowly up the length of her folds, just barely catching her clit, and it was all she could do not to yank on his hair.

Remington took his time just as he promised, lazily licking at her folds, avoiding her clit all together, and Eva took several deep breaths as she tried to relax, just enjoy in the intimacy. She revelled in how he treated her, softly and gently, she wanted to memorize and write it down so she could keep the feeling while she was away.

It was at some point, perhaps between her constant wriggling and heavy panting that Remington decided to take pity on her. Without warning, his lips closed around her clit, applying suction and it was enough to have Eva's hips bucking against his mouth.

"Fuck -- please, I need more!" she huffed, glancing down at him. He watched her, eyes dark, and fuck, she could never get tired of seeing him down there. She felt herself clench in and out, she needed something to relieve her itch.

Remington granted her respite, sliding a finger inside of her with ease, "You taste so good, Eva," he mumbled sweetly against her skin, and he sped up his tongue whilst he slipped in a second finger. His other hand meanwhile slipped up her torso, rubbing his thumb against her perky nipple.

She yelped, swearing she would’ve come right then and there, but Remington pulled away. He knew all her tells by now, and she loved him for it. Even if she hated him so much right now, his fingers slid out of her and his lips moved to press gentle kisses against her thighs.

He loved quietly, adjusting himself between his own legs as he watched her chest heave. Her head was thrown back, eyes staring up at the ceiling whilst she collected herself. He could fuck her right now, take her hard and fast if he wanted to; lord knew his dick was screaming for it. But he loved teasing her, he wanted to draw this out as long as he could.

After all, he wouldn't get to do this for five days.

Eva settled down, keeping her eyes averted to the ceiling. She didn't want to look at that shit-eating smirk on Remington's face, both in love with and annoyed at how smug he could be. So she kept her focus above, slowing her heavy breath. After all, it wouldn't be long before it would be taken from her again.

And sure enough, not a second later two fingers slid inside of her and lips pressed to her clit. Her back arched, hands flying down to Remington’s head, and she let out a long whine, pleasure shooting throughout her entire body. He thrusted his fingers hard and fast, lips suctioning around her clit, sucking hard enough that she sobbed with pleasure.

“Please, please, please, please, please,” she breathed out, eyes screwing tight and body tensing. It didn’t take Remington long to get her to that edge, but once again, as soon as Eva was close, the pleasure was painfully taken away.

She groaned, frustrated as she threw her hands into the mattress. Tears were on the cusp of springing behind her eyes; she wanted him so badly and she wanted to come now. She was hypocritical, of course she knew because she loved to tease and play just as much.

His warm body pressed against her, soft lips coming down on her cheek, her chin, her jaw, and then up to nibble on her earlobe, "You’re so good, baby, so good. So proud of you. Do you feel okay?"

She nodded slowly, bringing her hand up and brushing his hair from his eyes, "You sure?"

Even with all of this frustration pent up inside of her, despite her need to have him fuck her numb, these check ins were just as important. She never had a partner do this with her before, she always felt safe so safe like this.

"I'm okay," she assured quietly. That was all the permission he needed. A startled gasp left her lips as Remington pinched a nipple between his fingers, and then he slid down and put his fingers and lips on her core once more. She wanted to watch him, watch his shoulders rise and fall, his dark eyes flutter and bliss out, but she didn't. Instead, Eva kept her hands in his hair, hanging on for dear life as Remington worked her back up. He was slower than he was before, but it was still enough, and fuck, her head was spinning.

Remington groaned and his tongue slipped around his fingers, licking up everything that she had to offer. She whined, bucking her hips as she felt her orgasm approach again. His fingers moved at a wild speed, stroking at the spongy walls while his tongue began to beat down and suck on her clit. Eva's back came off the bed, her eyes scrunched tight.

It was all entirely too much. The dirty sounds of wet slurping mixed with the squelching of his dexterous fingers only made Eva hotter as she lost herself to the sensations. Her orgasm was building, her legs shaking and tense as she chased her release. She reached out and grabbed wildly, creasing the damp bedsheets by her side, tangling Remington's hair, “Rem… Remi -- I’m so close…I’m so close…” she whimpered, voice wavering more and more as she was teetering on the edge. 

“Cum for me” he ordered, lips detaching as his fingers pressed hard and deep against that spot inside. His heavy whisper did her in, it pushed her teetering control over the edge as she exploded, her body beyond her control as she rode out the mind shattering orgasm he had so effortlessly afforded her in the end. 

By the time she finally stopped twitching, her body spent and aching in just the right places, Remington’s face popped up from between her legs, rubbing his wrist as he met her eyes with a smirk.

"Good girl," he kissed her temple and rested his hand on her heaving chest. Much to his surprise, she gave a breathless giggle, bringing up her hands to cover her face, "What's so funny?" he grinned.

"I was just remembering how unenthusiastic you were to get out of the bath tub," she joked, "Are you glad you did?"

"Sooo glad; and I was just joking anyway," he smirked, nuzzling her nose against hers, "How are you feeling?"

"Like jelly in the best way," she sighed, "What about you?"

"What about me?" he popped an eyebrow.

She smiled coyly, sitting up on one elbow as she reached down between his legs, "This," she began to stroke him, setting a steady rhythm and squeezing at his tip. Remington's jaw clenched, and he exhaled tightly through his nose. His forehead knocked against hers.

"Can you take another one?" he whispered hoarsely, "I wanna be inside you,"

"Yeah," she linked her hand with his, practically melting under him when he stole a kiss. His demeanour had changed now, he was still out for pure satisfaction but his dominate mood had diminished. He'd become softer, laying her back down and covering her body with his.

Her breath caught in her throat as he eased into her. She was already so wet she took him so easily, squeezing around him, calming her breathing as she adjusted.

Remington praised her for taking him so well, whispering sweetly and biting down on her ear, “Doing so good for me, Eva. You're doing so well,"

Her nails scratched down his back, moaning as he slowly rocked his hips, pushing all the way into her. His breathing grew heavier as Eva wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. 

He kissed her passionately as his high built further and further. She was like velvet around him, every part of her completely soft. She was addicting and sweet, and Remington was enamoured by how perfect Eva was for him. 

"Mhmm, Rem I'm --"

"I know, I'm close too," he grunted, bringing his hand down against her clit, "Let go, Eva, c'mon --"

His warm breath against her skin sent a shiver up her spine, and her back arched up as she came. Her breathing became uneven as her nerves sparkled with electricity. The sight of her coming undone beneath him had Remington spilling over the edge with a deep moan that echoed through the bedroom.

It took Eva a couple moments before she settled back into reality. She turned onto her front, relishing in the cool crisp sheets beneath her scalding body. Remington snuggled up beside her, his limps heavy and his skin slick with sweat. He peppered kisses across Eva's back, relishing in the faint smell of her body lotion and citrusy bath oils.

"Maybe we should hop in the bath again," she suggested, her voice was teetering just barely above a whisper.

Remington smiled, a sleepy lull beginning to overtake him as he shook his head, "If I have to go back to that bath, I will fall asleep and I'm not coming out -- I mean it this time,"

"But you'll be all pruny and cold," she chuckled.

"Then I'll be the sexiest prune you've ever seen," he replied, reaching out and stroking her cheek with his thumb, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, pouting like a little kid, "I don't want to go tomorrow," she snuggled in closer to him, "I don't want to leave this bed, ever,"

He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close and pressing more kisses to her head and cheek. His smile was endearing, faltering on the tail-end of sad, but his touches were gentle, reassuring to her.

"I know, but listen you're gonna' be home before you know it. And if all goes well, you never have to go back if you don't want to," he said.

Eva inhaled sharply, "And if things don't go well?" at this point, it was hard to tell in this situation what was best or worst case scenario.

"Then I catch the next flight out and I'll be there with you. I'm never gonna' leave you alone like that," he promised, "Take that to court,"

She chuckled, "I think the expression is 'take it to the bank', Remington,"

"Ah, who cares? You know what I mean," he grinned bashfully.

"I do," she snuggled into his chest, trying to hide her glossy eyes. The tears brimming from her eyes weren't sad; quite the opposite. Eva had never felt so secure in a relationship before, so safe; all of her vulnerabilities were on display and Remington loved them so tenderly. His respect for her was insurmountable, it meant more to her than any date or material gifts he could shower her with. All she ever wanted was to be loved so completely, and having found it now made her chest ache in the most delicious feeling.

"Hey," he nudged her gently to look at him, his sharp features dimly lit by the lamp still on in the next room. He was truly the most beautiful creature she had ever come across, "You're gonna be okay, Eva,"

Usually she never gave in to vague promises, but she knew him better by now then to question his sincerity. She linked their hands together, bringing them to sit just over her heart.

"We will be," she echoed happily.

Remington's heart swelled in his chest; five days felt long but he knew it wouldn't be long before he had Eva back here again. He kissed her softly, tender sentiment and sweet nothings echoed with just the one.

"I love you so much," his voice was barely above a whisper.

"I love you, too," they settled back into bed, sleepy, tipsy, enraptured in the other's presence as sleep began to take over. Morning would be here before they knew it, so they kept each other close, willing sleep to last all night and forever...

[youngcollectedtired]

𝖙𝖔𝖝𝖎𝖈

Warnings? Adorable Mikasa, hot Levi ackerman

Pairings? Levi Ackerman

Part 1/?

Reader needs a date for a dinner when her best friend can't make it. Her sister and friends all help her get ready while Erwin and Hange convince Levi to take a leap of faith on old feelings. Modern AOT x Reader. No spoilers for aot season 4 part 2 please.

note: [side characters are my real friends and this is a real scenario. replace the names with whoever you'd like.]

You rushed home, not surprised to see everyone already spread across your living room. You'd left in the morning to do some shopping for the sleepover and also to pamper yourself for your nights events.

Your roommate moved out a few months ago and you found paying for a 3 bedroom apartment on your own not as bad as you would have thought to be. You made enough to pay the bills and self-indulge. Your job as a professor good to keep you on your feet. And you got Friday's off.

"Hey can you put these groceries up?" You asked your sister dumping them on the counter, "hey guys!" You waved to your friends.

Eren was laying on the ground, his head tilted backwards as he waved. Mikasa and Armin were in the middle of a card game. Levi was sipping from your favorite mug, you could see the familiar tea string coming out of the side. Connie, Sasha, and Jean were laughing at a movie. And your friend Jazz was teaching Hange how to make origami. You recognized the pattern for a bird.

All of this took a few seconds and then you took your personal bags to your bedroom throwing the target, torid, and walmart bag on the bed. You had two hours to shower, do your nails, and get dressed for tonight's event.

You were meeting your friend and her boyfriend for a double date, with your non existent boyfriend. Instead your best friend was to take his place and he was still at work. Which made you even more stressed. He was supposed to meet you at your place and you'd ride together, however as you shut the door to your bedroom and stripped it seemed as if that was unlikely.

You heard your door creak open and you turned quickly tying your robe. You were relieved to see it was just Mikasa.

You smiled, "Sup?"

She shook her head, "nothing, can i hang in here? I haven't seen you all day," she smiled a bit. You could tell she was a bit shy. She was a few years younger than you, not by much but you could tell she looked up to you.

You smiled widely, "of course! I'm gonna play some music and hop in the shower, but feel free to sit in my bed," you gestured to it barely made. She thanked you and moved towards it. The door was slightly creaked open not that you minded. You were completely covered.

You plugged your phone into it's charger and hit shuffle on your playlist.

Busy on the weekend

Caught up in your own small world

Well, I might wanna see it then

Call it hesitation, girl

You shut the bathroom door behind you and began your routine. You brushed through your hair running conditioner between your hands. You scrubbed your legs in sugar and shaved. You took a moment in the warmth knowing you'd need to get it out.

Still the water kept you captivated. Until the fourth song started. You knew it was time for you start your hair. Your rinsed the conditioner and turned off the water. Wrapping yourself in a towel.

You nearly slipped coming out of the shower, but your hands found the counter. You cracked open the door letting the steam free as your hair hung at your sides. It was longer than you remember. You knew it would take a while to do. As the steam was set free, you opened your bags on the bed.

Mikasa leaned forward, "What are you getting dressed for?" She asked curiously her eyes scanning the lingerie almost confused.

As your dried off to the best of your ability without flashing her you explained, "my friend and her boyfriend invited me to a dinner date. We're getting all dressed up and since I do not have a boyfriend I invited Avi," you gave a dry chuckle.

She nodded thoughts filling her mind. "So what are you wearing?"

You turned to your closet pulling out the dress you'd spend weeks mulling over purchasing. Her eyes widened greatly.

"Oh my goodness," her cheeks grew red, "you're gonna look freaking amazing!" She complimented.

You smiled, "We hope, I need to do my hair and finish my makeup," you made a face attempting fear. She laughed as you hung the dress back up.

"I'm not doing much for my makeup, I'm bad at it anyway," you spoke as you organized your makeup on the bed.

"Make up?" You heard Jean ask from outside your room.

You laughed opening the door to see everyone minus Levi sticking there head in your doorframe.

"Did I hear something about a date?" Eren smirked staring you up and down.

Jean rolled his eyes, "Shut up you idiot she doesn't have a boyfriend," he pushed Eren away. Who instantly soured his expression, the two began arguing as Armin shook his head.

"She said she was going with her best friend," Armin pointed, to you.

At the same time your phone buzzed, you read it before your anxiety rose, "Unfortunately he encountered an Emergency at work," you whispered, as your stomach dropped.

Your skin grew cold, "this is bad," you whined as your sister winced for you.

"Do you have to have a date?" Connie asked curiously.

You shook your head, "Normally no, but this friend of mine is very proud of her and boyfriend and takes any opportunity to make fun of me for my lack of one," you sat on your bed disinterested now, "now I don't even have a fake date." You cradled your head in your hands.

Mikasa moved from the pillows to sit next to you on the edge, "Hey now, don't completely loose hope!" She had her hand on your back.

Jazz sat next to you, "Yeah keep getting dressed, we'll think of something," she assured you.

Anna called out, "I know you really want to do this dinner, even though she's a bitch. So let me do your makeup, we'll make her boy friend fall in love with you," you heard her tone. It sounded quite evil.

Within seconds Anna grabbed your attention as the others made a beeline for Levi.

An hour later, with 30 minutes to spare before your departure time, your makeup was finished. They hadn't let you leave your room. You thought you'd heard the start of an argument, but it was resolved quickly. The music drowned out the rest of the noise. And the others were thankful you loved your playlists too much to try and turn it down.

Now you stood in front of your dress. Your curly hair dried, but resting on top of your head in a cotton shirt. Your makeup was beautiful. The foundation a perfect match, the sharp eyeliner to your liking. Your lashes and extensions fluttered as you adjusted your big glasses to your face. For a moment, staring your dress down you squeezed your freshly painted nails together. Knowing how exposed you'd be in this dress. It was a bodycon black dress, with mesh over shoulder sleeves and butterfly patterns.

You now had it on and focused on securing your jewelry around your neck. The square neckline left room for a simple gold drop down necklace. With a purple butterfly pendant falling right above the fabric. You fastened your gold mini butterfly earrings along your ear. You had a few different piercings and you were happy you'd had a chance to show them off.

You pulled the cotton shirt free and your hair laid along your shoulders still damp. Your style for tonight required dried hair, so turning on your fan you began diffusing your roots.

You knew flipping to the highest heat setting was bad in the long run but for now you didn't care. Because within 10 minutes your hair was dry. Leaving some curly strands to frame your face you pulled the rest of it back, twisting it and clipping a gold butterfly clip around it. The curls fell over it and now examining yourself in the mirror, you felt flawless.

"You ready?" Jazz asked pushing open the door, but before you could answer she finally looked at you. Her eyes widening and her mouth gasping.

Eren heard her, confused he entered the bathroom too, "wha-," he too was silenced into shock.

Suddenly you felt sick, "Is it bad?" You asked nervously.

"OH hell no," Eren laughed, "You're definitely making your friends boyfriend jealous tonight," he smirked, "you look hot."

You could tell at least from his perspective he wasn't lying. Still his obvious confession didn't stop the blush from warming your cheeks.

"Thanks," you mumbled unsure of how to respond.

Jazz shook her head, "He's not lying.”

You shook your head focusing on making sure you had everything. To focused to notice that you had exited your room. You felt pretty but the confidence dwindled as you realized you didn’t have a date.

You looked up to hear Hange giggling madly. And you finally saw why.

Levi was awkwardly standing his eyes downcast to his shoes. You could tell he was trying to make since of what he was wearing. He had on a black suit with a black turtle neck and a leather belt. On his middle finger was a simple silver band. And his hair was styled to perfection.

“Wow,” you muttered without realizing it. He looked up and his eyes scanned you.

You both looked at one another.

“Levi will be your date for tonight,” Jean presented as he gestured to him.

Your eyes bulged. “How did you even find a suit so fast? I’m so sorry you’re being roped into this,” you shook your head, “thank you.”

He rolled his eyes, “who said I was being roped into anything? Don’t apologize,” he offered his arm for you, “let’s go we should have already been on our way.”

And he was back. Back to your friend. You chuckled, “alright let me get my keys.”

He shook his head, “no need, I’ll drive.” He explained as he pulled you out the door.

“Have fun!!” Hange screeched the others wincing at her as they shut the door.

He opened the passenger door of his black car for you. You climbed in the night feeling more normal than anything.

You’d met Levi in college and you’d become fast friends. In the midst of that, you’d never admit to yourself or anyone else but you’d fallen for him.

Then life happened. You moved away he stayed behind. You traveled the world. He started teaching. When you came back for a visit he made you stay. Now you worked together. Your sister and her friends his students, Erwin and Hange his teacher friends.

A group of friends who became family. You’d never change it for anything.

Now onto dealing with your 𝖙𝖔𝖝𝖎𝖈 friend. Great. You couldn't even prepare Levi for the onslaught of torture.

[rachelking2819]

Hollywood

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

I want to start of with a grand applause for Hollywood on Netflix. It is was not at all what I expected, but I was positively surprised! When I first watched the trailer and saw Darren Criss I was already sold, but I just thought that it was going to be old Hollywood and how he was going to be the breakout star. And then there was the tease about the controversy of a black person involved in the making of a movie, so that also got my attention, but nothing else was remarked from the trailer. It also gave me major musical vibes, so I expected that they would break out in song every moment… Spoiler, they didn’t.

There are a lot of important and remarkable characters on this show. Almost everyone we see has some significance to the plot and overall story. But I don’t want to bore you with a detailed dissection of all of them, so I’ll be explicitly discussing 4 characters.

The new series on Netflix is basically about 5 young people trying to make it in Hollywood.

First there is Jack Castello, he essentially drives the story, he was a veteran in World War II. Now he is trying to pursue a dream of becoming a movie star so he can provide for his (spoiler) cheating pregnant wife… bit sad ain’t it. In the beginning he obviously struggles and makes some morally questioning decisions to make ends meet. This shady business gets him a foot a in the door at a major production company, Ace Pictures, by sleeping with the casting director and the wife of Ace Pictures’ owner. Ultimately, he gets cast in the movie Meg written by Archie Coleman.

Secondly, we meet Archie Coleman. An aspiring black gay screenwriter. He also is struggling to make ends meet. He gets caught up in the same shady business as Jack. However, he has written and send a script to Ace Pictures. A peculiar thing about this, is that no one at the studios know of his race or sexual orientation. Archie doesn’t want to be known as a black screenwriter, but as a screenwriter. Which I think is a great sentiment. Against all odds, he gets the call that his script will be made into a movie and that is when the series really starts.

Then there is Camille Washington. She is a contracted black actress at Ace Pictures. As a black girl in the fifties she doesn’t get cast as important roles though… She mostly plays the dumb maid and is used for comical relief. The latter is quite recognizable still… Camille tries to give the characters she plays more agency and some sense of seriousness but is shutdown at every chance. Until a very lucky audition she gets cast as the leading actress of Archies movie, becoming the very first black lead actress on the white screen.

With a black lead actress, a black screenwriter, and an interracial couple at the head of Meg, the movie and studios get major criticism from the society. They threaten everyone involved, going as far as setting fire to the studios’ president’s home and protesting outside the studios’ gates. While all of this is going down, Dick Samuels rises to the stand to offer comfort and motivates everyone to go on and “fuck the haters”. Dick is a closeted employee at Ace Pictures and oversees every movie in production and makes sure that everything is as it should be. He really is the backbone of the whole project. From the very beginning he is very much supportive of the movie and the progressive innuendos. He really feels like the sweetest uncle ever. However, he is struggling with his sexuality. Society isn’t very supporting of homosexuality, to say the least. Especially in Hollywood it could mean the end of one’s career.

Together with countless amazing characters these four remarkable people set out to make the movie that will make history against all odds. Everyone is aware that the movie they made will either be an incredibly good thing or a great disaster. As the president Avis Amberg during her toast says: “we’ll either be looked at as the smartest people in the room or we will never work again. To never working again.” Personally, I love this quote. This quote means that the movie will be so controversial, that changes need to happen within the filming industry. But the people are too small minded to ever want that to happen, hence the protests. So, while to be looked at as the smartest people in the room is great, it won’t have the same impact as when they all would be fired for releasing the movie and then never work again. This means they have done a tremendous job with so much power and impact, that people will be scared for what they will do next and how it will affect them. So, keeping them out of a job represents the fear of that power to me.

What I commend Hollywood most for is that every properly introduced character had a purpose, a mission, a “flaw” and grew from it. I say “flaw”, because of the way the “flaw” was perceived by other in the series, like sexual orientation and race. But there were also genuine flaws like sexual manipulation, homophobias and infidelity. The characters were so well fleshed out that I really understood them, what they stood for and why they would do certain things the way they did. Even the “villainy” characters showed this growth and progression. Most tv shows I watch, characters are mostly explained but growth is barely shown. So, for this series with only 7 episodes to round out their characters without it feeling rushed, is something I appreciate.

While I definitely enjoyed the series, I don’t think I want another season. It probably would be about how the characters are holding up now as well-established names in Hollywood or maybe different people would take the spotlight now. But to me that feels unnecessary, because the way this show ended already gave me a feeling of completion and I think a second season would be too much of a good thing.

Kudos to everyone involved with Hollywood. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it 10/10 to others to go and watch it. I might have already pressured my sister and cousin.

Thank you for reading! Tell me what you thought of Hollywood and ‘till next time!

[perryavenue]

Hollywood on Netflix

Hopefully not too late to the party. Sharing my thoughts about Hollywood on Netflix. Putting them below the cut for those of you who haven’t yet seen all seven episodes. Long post, don’t judge me!

I loved it! Hollywood was the perfect escape while being confined at home. All the 1940s glamour, beautiful clothes, great cars, cool music, and pretty people. Plus the underbelly of homophobia, racism, sexism, blackmail, bullying and harassment. I have quibbles with a few things (explained below), but there’s so much in Hollywood that’s really, really good.

Let’s start with the “goods”

Number one on my list was the ensemble acting. Unlike ACS Versace, were Darren had the lead and the story was built around Cuanan and his murders, in Hollywood, no single person carries the weight of the story.  Instead, there are something like ten actors who have roles of similar size. My faves were Joe Mantello as Dick Samuels, Dylan McDermott as Ernie West, Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman and Jim Parsons as Henry Willson. They were given such great material to work with! I think there could be an Emmy race between Dylan McDermott and Jim Parsons.  I don’t mean to slight Patti LuPone as Avis Amberg and Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid, because they were excellent. There were so many good performances across the board!

Number two was the great chemistry among the actors. Darren, Jeremy and David just clicked in their scenes together as Raymond, Archie and Jack.  I was completely sold on the relationship between Darren and Laura Harrier as Raymond and Camille, too. Speaking of Laura, how many saw her in Spike Lee’s BlackKKlansman? She was terrific in that film, and totally unrecognizable.

Next is my list of “Um, what just happened?”

Some of these may be why Hollywood got mixed reviews, but although my eyebrows went up a time or two (or three) I still LOVED the series.

Number one on this list was the one actor/role that just did not click for me. It’s Jake Picking as Rock Hudson. A number of people have mentioned it. I don’t know if the problem was his acting, the direction he was given, or both, but TBH, there were moments when it was painful to watch him.  In the last episode, he tells Henry how badly Henry traumatized him, but I never felt we really got to see it (except for possibly Henry’s Isadora Duncan dance). I just wasn’t able to convince myself that the character was believable.

Number two was Henry’s redemption arc in the final episode. He was apologizing to Rock, and seeking Rock’s forgiveness. I can understand how being in therapy can include the need to apologize to those you’ve harmed. But although my problem might have been more with Jake Picking’s acting (because Jim Parsons was incredible) I had trouble buying what Henry was selling in that scene.

Number three was the decision by Jack, Raymond, Archie and Rock to pimp themselves out so they could raise the $25,000 to pay back the “Meg” budget overrun. Then Jack declines, leaving only three to get it done. I decided to do the math. That’s a LOT of sexual trysts if you base it on three guys taking in either $100 or at best $200 a pop. Ernie was right to tell them no, call in some pros, and generously make up the rest with his own funds. Maybe the shark didn’t quite jump at that plot line, but I saw it circling.

Number four was the request by the photographer to take nude pictures of Camille and Jack. Jack says “yes,” but Camille’s response is ambiguous. Should we assume that she declined? I kept thinking of the harm those pictures did to actors trying to get ahead in their careers. It’s a piece of plot that was left dangling.

Number five was the Oscar ceremony. So many nominations and SO many wins! Fun to watch, but kinda over the top, maybe? Also, Camille was able to claim her front row orchestra seat, yet Anna May Wong ended up in the balcony? What was that about?

Last is my list of “loves”

Right at the top is the Darren of it all. He wasn’t the only reason I watched Hollywood, because the subject matter and the fact it was a Ryan Murphy production had plenty of pull. Darren was great as Raymond. He nailed Raymond’s ambition, his naivety and inexperience as a newbie director, his romanticism and his passion. Plus, the guy should wear those wide brim hats all the time. He wasn’t the lead, but he was great in a supporting role. Just one question… the publicity still of Darren with the thin mustache was used multiple times, yet we never saw a mustache during the series. What was up with that?

Second on this list was the curmudgeonly film editor, Harry Golden, who took no shit from anyone and hid a spare copy of “Meg” when all the others were burned. That was William Frederick Knight, an actor I’ve never heard of before, and he had the best lines in the series. Hands down!

Number three was “Meg,” the film within the series. Just when I thought it was going forward, something completely unexpected would happen. It kept me on my toes. “Meg” had more lives than a cat!

Number four was the closing credit, “The Beginning.” Bring me season 2 ASAP!!

Seven episodes of transactional sex, ambition, and overcoming adversity to follow your dreams.   Worked for me!

[gotmilk5101520]

Miraculous Ladybug Rewatch Episode 63 Desperada

*Hiss in French*

“You're so talented, Luka. How long have you been playing for?”

“Since I was in diapers” When Luka was born there was a guitar with him.

“They're so cute together” Mood.

“I agree. That boy and your friend seem to get along very well. I think the four of us can get along really well“ “What?“ “Nothing”

“We're officially at fencing practice right now”

“But -- Oh, no, Kagami. Isn't this the wrong address?”

“Oh, dear, I think you're right”

Adrimi is a cute couple.

“It's a good thing Adrien's found someone he can get out of the house with at last I think the four of of us can get along really well” “What?” “Nothing”

“I wish Luka would give me some lessons as well” “...” “...” “...” “...” “...” “Uh... No homo”

“Kagami might be on to something, you know”

“Luka? You know he's just a friend”

“Marinette? Yeah, of course! She's a very good friend”

“No she’s not. Marinette is just a friend”

“Me? Going after Marinette? No! She's just a friend”

“You know perfectly well you were my first choice. You're the only one, Nanarky”

“"Nanarky"?”

“You can't fool me, pirate. I bet you threw your guitarist overboard again!”

“ No, I swear, I didn't. She sailed away from me, she left me in the lurch”

“Look how perfect we were together. Come back and play with me, Nanarky”

“Jagged and our mom?”

“We're not co-captains anymore. I sail alone now, skipper. Luka! Juleka! Where’s my gun?“ “Mom, we’re not telling you where your gun is” “Your gun is under Luka’s bed” “Thank you Juleka” “Juleka!”

I like how everyone is like "What is going on?" And Kagami is like "Yeah you tell him"

“I-I can play a few notes on the flute” Season 4 better give us more Marinette playing the flute.

I think the funnest thing about this scene is Kagami’s reaction to the whole thing. You can really tell what she’s thinking right now.

“Adrien plays the piano, not the guitar. Marinette. You’re pretty, but stupid”

“Marinette he has a guitar right now, and he was teaching you like 5 minutes ago. Plus during the Zombiezou Apocalypse he was beating up some kissing zombies with it. Wait no one has told you that story yet. Shit”

“This is so stupid. Why the hell am i even in this episode?”

Oh hey it’s my (Now old) Discord avi!

“Thanks Luka. I always wanted you to teach me how to play the guitar. Again, no homo” “No problem” “More like all of the homos” “Kagami, did you say something?” “Nope. Nothing”

“Jagged Stone! So you fire me, and now you want to replace me with what?”

“A school-kid? And what are you doing girl? Protecting your boyfriend? Is it banana hair? Or blueberry hair?” “Yes” “Hey Luka, who do you think Kagami is referring to. Me or you?” “Yes” “I still don’t get it”

“Vivica? Is that you?” *Rage in French*

“Ah-hah! You ship rat! I knew you were lying. Vivica didn't leave you. You dropped her just like you would drop me before...! Fortunately i found  my gun!” “Mom no!”

“Wait Kagami! You can’t just charge at her-”

“Well i tried to warn her. But she never listens. Always been like that even during the Zombiezou Apocalypse” “The Zombiezou what?” “Wait, Nathaniel hasn’t told you guys about it?” “Well he tries, but there’s never anytime for him to explain”

“I never should've given that guitar to Adrien. Why did I do that, Tikki?” “Marinette, what does that have to do anything?”

“Not there. You'd be a sitting duck in that cabin” “So where can we make out?” “What?” “Nothing”

“We'll be safe here” “Thank you, Luka. So we can make out here?“ “What?” “Nothing”

“May I?” “Are you going to hit her on the head with your guitar?” “That’s my plan”

Ha! Gay!

“You can count on us whenever you need help”

*Stares lovingly at Luka in Ladrien*

“Could I... borrow that, please?” “You know how to play?”

“Let's just say I have my own personal style” “If you plan to hit her over the head with it, then be my guest”

“You can hide in here. Or maybe the both of us can fit” “No there’s only room for one” “Damn it”

“You  can hide in here and i’ll go somewhere else” “You sure you don’t want  to hide in a locker?” “Thanks. But after that one commenter on Instagram, who wanted me to go to their school so they can shove me in a locker, i’ve been afraid of them since”

“The snake's power is a very strong one, Marinette. Whoever uses it must be wise enough, not to be tempted to manipulate time for their own personal gain” So has people like gone insane cause of it’s power? It’s pretty much a Groundhog Day Miraculous. Have past users seen people they love die over and over again that it drove them to insanity?

“I understand, Master Fu, I know just the perfect person. I can't believe I didn't think of him before -- a perfect match”

“Master, you already know where this is going to go right?” “Yep. Hopefully Adrien doesn’t go insane after this”

“I have to find Adrien Agreste!”

“You wanna entrust him with a Miraculous?”

“You're not supposed to know, but now that you do, i need to find someone else“ “Oh. Okay good luck finding someone” “Thanks. Now where is Luka?”

You really fell for it huh?

Look how happy he is!

They’re gay everyone.

“This is my chance to get her to love me as myself! "Adrien"!” *Laughs in Irony*

“Amazing!”

“But what am I supposed to do?” A+ acting.

“Sass, My Anaconda Don't!”

“Uhh... Is the egg head necessary?” “I just think if my father ever got a Miraculous, then this is what he would look like”

“Wait who is that?” “It looks like a new hero using the Snake  Miraculous” “Wait a minute. That’s my son Adrien using the Snake  Miraculous!” “So what are you going to do sir?” “I am so proud of him. He went with a egg head just like me Nathalie”

“Aspik” “Aspik? That sounds like Ass Pick” “Huh. Well that name makes sense now. I’m an Ass Pick for this”

“Here. As a thank you for choosing me”

“Oh! Uh, thanks!”

*Screams in Ladrien*

“Hey! You stole Luka’s idea!”

Fail.

Fail.

Fail.

Fail.

“You know, Ladybug?”

“I'm actually also Chat Noir and I've been in love with you since our eyes first met” “Take this! No more  evil-doing for you, little Akuma” “Oh well that takes care of that” “You’re also what?!“

Again it isn’t over.

“No, I can't bare seeing Desperada capture you every time without ever being able to save you” *Cries in French*

“I've been trying for months. It was 25,913th time” “All to save me?” “Well some. I’ve done some other random things during those loops” “Like what?” “Well i made out with Luka in a locker” “What?” “Second Chance!”

“But... who could possibly wear this Miraculous beside to you?

“Ladybug? Oh, I see you found Adrien. I'm glad, I was worried”

“Brave?  Determined? Caring? Hot? Plays the guitar? Makes guys like me realize that their not straight? Why don't you give him the Miraculous?”

*Screams in Ladrien again*

Have some Lenny Face Ladybug.

“Ah! It’s a giant snake! Mouse? Snake-Mouse!”

“Sass, My Anaconda Don't!”

“Hey my lady. Who’s this hunk?” “Just in time. Chat Noir, I'd like you to meet“

“Viperion. Can't wait to work with you” “Nice to meet you too Viperion. Wait is that your abs?” “Uh yes?” “Oh okay.... Oh shit”

“I would have preferred a horseshoe for my first mission”

“I love your sense of humor!”

“Perhaps you would've preferred a lucky horseshoe for your first mission”

“Chat!”

Great they just turned the Eiffel Tower into the Leaning Eiffel Tower of Pisa.

“History repeats itself, Ladybug! But rest assured, one day I will be the one who rewrites it!” This is really helping my theory.

He knows does he?

“Besides,I get why Anarka no longer wants to play with me. And I respect her decision, what's past is past, isn't that right, Nanarky? Though i didn’t expect you to have kids in the 16 years since you left. Your son Luka is great at the guitar. How old is he? And who’s their father?” “Uhhh...”

“I was wrong about you and Luka, wasn't I? So does that mean he’s still available?” “What?” “Nothing”

“But you'd better hurry up and choose, Marinette. You don't always get a second chance when it comes to love”

“Well, Adrien and Luka can choose too, right? And they haven't made their choice yet, either”

“I think they already have”

“But you'd better hurry up and choose, Marinette. You don't always get a second chance when it comes to love” “Well since it finally happened! So now i  can say-” “We’re out of time” “Oh come on!”

New Hero: Viperion.  Identity: Luka Couffaine. Power: Intuition.

So how are we suppose to have Christmas in 2020?

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The Girl Next Door (Part 5) - Date Night

Summary: Dean and the reader have their first date...

The Girl Next Door Masterlist

Pairing: Neighbor/Mechanic!Dean x baker!reader

Word Count: 3,300ish

Warnings: language, medical emergency

A/N: Parts of this series are told from two different POV’s. Dean’s POV are written from limited third person. Reader’s POV are second person (like a typical reader insert). Enjoy!…

Dean POV

“Where are we going?” asked Sam for the hundredth time the next morning. Dean only shrugged as he drove, Sam rolling his eyes again. “Dean.”

“Would you relax before you have an aneurysm over there,” said Dean, smiling to himself.

“Funny,” said Sam.

“Oh, come on, it was a little funny,” said Dean. “We’re almost there. Ten more minutes at most.”

It only took five for Sam to see the sign to the state park and Dean to drive in. Sam raised an eyebrow when Dean found a parking spot and hopped out, grabbing the cooler and a couple of chairs from the back seat. Dean plopped them down in the grass by the lake edge, Sam walking over and taking a seat while Dean cracked open a few sodas.

“I remember this,” said Sam as he took his root beer. “Our first ‘brothers’ vacation.”

“Yup. We went swimming, ate some burgers and you got your first kiss from that girl in the red bikini at the beach over there,” said Dean.

“Yeah, I remember,” said Sam, chuckling to himself. “Time flies.”

“That it does,” said Dean, both boys quiet for a few minutes. “Mom and dad are gonna swing by tomorrow night for a few hours if that’s cool.”

“Excited for your date with Y/N?” asked Sam.

“It’s really not a date, Sammy. We’re just hanging out,” said Dean, sipping on his drink. “We’re friends.”

“You talk to her every single day and I see you smiling at your phone when you text her at night. It’s a date, dude,” said Sam.

“We’re just friends,” said Dean, taking another sip, pursing his lips.

“Dean.”

“Fine, it’s a date. Now shut up about her. I like her. I said it. Moving on,” said Dean.

“Alright, alright,” said Sam, a smile on his face. “But you’re gonna tell me how your first date goes tomorrow, alright?”

“Alright, Sammy.”

“Hey,” said Dean the next night, walking downstairs in a light blue button down shirt with rolled up sleeves and khaki shorts. “Is this...okay?”

“Yeah, it’s good,” said Sam with a smile. “Bring over that bottle of wine that’s been sitting in the back of the fridge forever. Y/N seems like a wine girl.”

“Good idea,” said Dean, Avy popping her head over the back of the couch.

“Do you have a date Uncle Dean?” she asked.

“Mhm. I’ll be right next door at Y/N’s if you need anything,” he said. “Grandma and Grandpa will be over real soon.”

“Sooner than you think,” said John, opening up the screen door. “You guys hungry?”

“Starving,” said Avy, John chuckling as Mary came in and gave Dean a hug and then Sam as he got to his feet.

“Look at you all cleaned up. You got a date or something?” asked John. Dean shrugged.

“Just...plans,” said Dean.

“Hey, Dean’s here 24/7 most of the time. Let him have a night off for him,” said Sam, turning to his brother. “Hey and don’t come home until late, okay?”

“Yeah,” said Dean, taking the wine from the kitchen and slipping on his shoes. “See you guys later.”

Reader POV

You had finished with the cake for Dean not too long ago when the doorbell rang. You smoothed out one of your summer dresses, still hoping it wasn’t too much. You were pretty sure after all the flirting the past week that it was an actual date and all but you didn’t want to assume anything.

“Hey,” said Dean with a big smile when you opened the door.

Oh. He put on a dress shirt. And nice shorts. And brought wine.

This was so a date.

“Hi,” you said, Dean stepping inside, handing over the bottle. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “You know, I actually haven’t been in your house yet.”

“Well come on in then. Bathroom is right around the corner,” you said, pointing at the door past the stairs. Dean hummed as he followed you to the kitchen, pausing when he saw it.

“Wow. This island is huge,” he said, walking around, spotting the cake sitting in the center. “Red velvet bourbon cake?”

“Yup. I figured I’d call and order that pizza?” you asked. He nodded and wandered around a bit more. You went out to the family room, returning after a minute to tell him it’d be there in about twenty minutes. He was standing in front of your chalkboard, pointing at a scribble you’d written down.

“S.W. business talk?” asked Dean.

“Sam mentioned possibly helping out. I said I’d think about it,” you said, Dean’s gaze stopping on your dessert binder. “Take a look. I got all my offerings in there, including seasonal.”

“I bet you make some awesome sugar cookies,” he said.

“Guilty as charged,” you said. “I got fourth of July coming up in a few weeks. I can whip up a batch of ‘em for ya. I make them look like little flags.”

“I’m going to get so fat living next to you,” he said with a laugh.

“Number one rule of being a baker. Don’t eat the product,” you said. “Too much.”

“I don’t have that kind of will power,” he teased, grabbing the bottle of wine. “Should we let this breathe?”

“Oh. You a wine expert?” you asked, going to the drawer and pulling out a corkscrew for him.

“IPA guy more myself but I like a glass on occasion. I know, shocking considering the high caliber job I have,” he said.

“Eh, stuck up snobs are overrated,” you said, smirking at him. Dean returned it, pouring the two of you a few glasses after a minute. He slid one over when you hopped on top of the counter and crossed your legs.

“To Sam’s recovery,” you said, holding yours out.

“To Sammy’s recovery,” said Dean, clinking his glass to yours. You both took a sip, nearly gagging at the taste. “The fuck?”

“What is this?” you said with a wince. “Shit, that’s gross.”

“I don’t know. It’s not good,” said Dean.

“It tastes like spoiled garbage,” you said, shaking your head. “I got a six pack in the fridge and leftover bourbon from the cake in the cupboard.”

“Now that’s my kind of date.”

“So, Dean Winchester,” you said, leaning forward in your seat. You were two and half slices of pieces of pizza, part of a piece of cake and two beers in. To say you never in a million years had felt more relaxed on a first date would have been an understatement.

“So, Y/N Y/L/N,” said Dean, smiling as he rested his chin in his hand, leaning across the kitchen counter.

“How the hell are you single?” you asked.

“I don’t know. Am I single?” he teased.

“Well…” you said with a smirk, Dean biting his bottom lip. Your doorbell just had to ring and you sighed, a fist pounding on it quickly. Dean moved around, holding out an arm for you to stay back as he went over.

“Dean!” you heard through the door. He pulled it open to see a woman standing there.

“Mom? What’s-”

“Y/N, your friend. She’s a doctor right?” she said, locking eyes with you.

“What’s wrong?” you said, brushing past Dean.

“Something’s wrong with Avy,” she said. You were out the door like that, not even bothering with your shoes, Dean pulling it shut as you jogged across the yard and inside Sam’s. Sam was sat on the floor in Avy’s room next to her bed, an older man on the phone with 911 you assumed.

“What happened?” you asked, feeling for her pulse, finding it steady but too fast. Avy looked tired and like she was having a little bit of trouble breathing.

“I don’t know. She was upstairs playing with dad when he said she just couldn’t take a full breath anymore,” said Sam. You looked at their father, the guy holding up his hands.

“Alright. What did she eat for dinner? Anything new or different?” you asked, checking her breathing, a bit shallower than it should have been. “Tell them I think it’s anaphylactic shock.”

“What?” said their dad.

“Allergic reaction if I had to guess, probably food based. Sam, what did she eat?” you asked.

“Nothing. We had pizza,” said Sam. “Supreme from-”

“Has she ever eaten mushrooms before?” you asked. “That comes on supreme pizzas. She’s little so she may not have eaten that before.”

“I don’t...I don’t think she has,” he said.

“Alright. That’s probably it. They’ll test her to be sure. Ask them how long before they get here,” you said, Avy sucking in a shallow breath. “Shit. How long?”

“Fifteen minutes,” said their dad.

“Fucking hick town,” you grumbled as you stood up and looked back at Dean. “Dean, carry her. Put her in a car and speed to the hospital, now. I don’t care how fast. Go. Now.”

He didn’t wait for Sam to even get to his feet before he was out the door with her.

“What…” said Sam, staring at you with big eyes. “What-”

“She’ll be okay but we don’t want to wait around fifteen minutes. I bet Dean can get her there in five,” you said. Sam went to move out the door but you grabbed his arm and sat him down on the bed. “I know that’s your daughter but you need to calm down for a moment, take a breath and then all four of us will get in the car and go to the hospital.”

“But-”

“Sam,” you said, putting your hands on his head gently. “Dean’s got her. She’s safe. We need you to be safe too. Adrenaline and your medicine you’re on are not a good combo. I want you calm before we move you. I want you to count with me, alright?”

“One,” he let out, looking to his parents when you shook your head.

“Just me, Sammy,” you said, a funny look in his eye. “Sam.”

“You can call me that,” he said quietly, closing his eyes. “Two.”

“Good job. Three,” you said.

“Three. Four,” he said, body relaxing a little.

“Keep going, Sam. Nice and even like that,” you said.

A few minutes later when he was calmer, you went downstairs with all three of them.

“Hey,” said Dean, calling his mom a minute later as you were just driving down the street. “Avy’s okay. They stuck one of those allergy pen things in her leg. She’s a lot better now, breathing just fine.”

Sam untensed for the most part but you knew you better get him over to the hospital to see her as fast as possible.

“Hey,” said Dean, wandering over to a set of chairs you were waiting in.

“How’s she doing?” you asked as you stood up, bare feet cold against the tile floor.

“She’s fine. Bad mushroom allergy apparently but they’ll give her an epipen to carry around. Doc said we made the right call in not waiting around. It could have been a lot worse,” said Dean.

“Sorry to start barking orders like that at everyone,” you said.

“Hey. My niece is going to be just fine because of that. Sam too. The Winchesters are pretty glad to have you around,” he said.

“Maybe I’m just your bad luck,” you said, glancing down.

“I don’t believe that,” he said. You smiled when you looked up, a doctor walking down the hall giving you one.

“Ah, Y/N. You’re in with the girl with the anaphylactic shock?” he said. “Should have known you’d be the one to tell the paramedics to screw themselves.”

“I was always impatient, Dr. Bradley,” you said, looking to Dean. “This is Dean, Avy’s uncle. I live next door to their family. Dean, this is one of my old residents. I didn’t know you moved out here.”

“Oh, I was sick of the city. This one would have made one hell of a doctor. But her cookies are very good too,” he said, his pager going off. “Good seeing you, Y/N.”

“You too,” you said, giving Dean a smile when he left. “You want to finish our date tomorrow night?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I almost had myself a girlfriend there for a minute.”

You blinked up at him and give him a sweet kiss, Dean looking surprised when you moved back. He leaned in and gave you one of his own, pulling away with a bashful look.

“Can I drive you home?” he asked.

“Yeah. You can drive me home, Dean.”

You woke up the next day with a stretch and a smile. Sitting in bed you scratched the back of your head. In a way, last night had been a disaster. Avy was thankfully fine though, happily eating a bowl of mushroom free ice cream when you’d said goodbye to her at the hospital.

On the other hand, you liked Dean. You felt at ease around him, relaxed. He was far too handsome for his own good, not to mention how devoted to his family he was, putting his own life on pause to take care of his brother.

You liked Dean Winchester.

You shut your eyes, that sense of dread returning to you that’d been shoved away the past few weeks. You tilted your head and sighed, flashing open your eyes when you heard the stairs creak. You glanced to the open door, blinking a few times when a body came into view.

“Jack,” you said dryly.

“Sis,” he said, giving you a nod. “Nice place. I like it better than that city apartment. Nice neighborhood too.”

“How are you here?” you asked.

“It’s called a day pass,” he said. “They do let me out of the nut house on occasion you know.”

“I just...what are you doing here? And how’d you get in? Or know where I live?”

“I came to visit, the spare key was under the rock in the front and google,” he said. “Anymore stupid questions?”

You rolled your eyes and got out of bed, grabbing your robe and tossing it on before you brushed past him and downstairs.

“Nice to see you too,” he said. You heard him follow after you and into the kitchen. You made yourself a cup of coffee, Jack looking around. “Bakery business good?”

“Yup,” you said.

“Still not going back to med school?”

“Nope.”

You glared at him over the rim of the mug, Jack’s smile falling away.

“What do you want, Jack?” you asked.

“My share,” he said.

“Until a doctor tells me you’re mentally fit-”

“If I wasn’t mentally fit, they wouldn’t give me a day pass,” he said.

“Mentally fit people don’t break into other people’s homes,” you said. “And it’s my decision when it happens so back off.”

“Oh, I didn’t break in. Just give it to me, sis and then I’ll leave you alone forever,” he said. “I need it.”

“Why? So you can get into all kinds of trouble and wind up dead in a ditch? No thanks,” you said. He glared at you, narrowing his eyes.

“Did you spend it? My share?” he asked.

“I didn’t fucking spend it. You know that. You’re not in a state of mind to-”

“I’m not nuts,” he growled, biting his bottom lip.

“Hey,” you heard through the front screen door. You sighed from the kitchen and saw Dean step in, glancing down the hall to you and Jack. “Everything alright in here?”

“What are you? Nosey neighbor? Get lost,” said Jack.

“Leave, Jack, or I call...them, and tell them about this. Come in my house again without permission and it’s the cops next time,” you said.

“Why would I think you even cared,” he mumbled. You stared at him until he spun around and went past Dean, bumping him on the way out. You shut your eyes, Dean stepping inside and back into the kitchen.

“Everything alright over here? I saw your front door open and then heard some arguing…” said Dean.

“Let’s just say I don’t have the relationship with my older brother that you and Sam do,” you said. You sat down at the counter, twirling your coffee around in the mug. “It’s fine.”

“Alright. If it’s ever not...you can talk to me about it,” he said. You nodded, Dean tapping a finger on the counter. You lifted your chin, Dean giving you a half smile.

“He’s not dangerous,” you said. “Just...you can understand wanting to help your brother but knowing it’s out of your hands.”

“Yes, I do,” he said with a smile, turning to go. “Sorry for barging in like that.”

“No, it’s okay. Do you want to stay for coffee?” you asked. “If you got time?”

“Sure. My parents are over Sammy’s,” he said, sliding onto a barstool. “Us four talked this morning. They’re going to stay over on the weekends for the next little while to help out.”

“Good. You deserve a break from it all,” you said, rubbing a hand up and down his back as you went past.

“I don’t do anything special,” he said quietly.

“Yeah you do,” you said.

“You’re very kind to me,” he said softly. “Genuinely. That’s...nice.”

“Being mean is too much energy,” you said, working on another cup of coffee for him. “Are people not kind to you?”

“No...I’m still working on that being kind to yourself thing though. I’ll figure it out one of these days,” he said.

“Well if you do, be sure to share the secret with the rest of us,” you said.

“You seem so put together though,” he said.

“I’m put together...and very much alone,” you said, glancing down at your cup. “You have a family. I’m by myself so much...it’s not where I thought I’d be at this point in life, you know?”

“Me too,” he said, moving his legs up to the seat, sitting cross legged, something innocent about him for a moment. There was some subtle difference between him and Sam, something you hadn’t quite picked up until that very moment.

It was as if, there was something missing. Something Sam knew or had learned that Dean hadn’t quite yet.

“You’re staring,” said Dean with a chuckle.

“Sorry. You just look very cute like that,” you said.

“Oh, I know it,” he said, flashing a wink your way. You giggled, Dean playing with his own coffee now. “Well, I don’t think you’re alone if it means anything.”

“Maybe not so much lately,” you said, a flash of heat on your cheeks.

“What do you do for fun?” he asked. “When you’re not baking or saving the damsels in distress next door?”

“Nothing,” you said. He frowned, tsking you. “Really. I don’t...I’ve been a workaholic most of my life. With school, college, med school, my business. I don’t really go and have fun.”

“You like music?” he asked.

“Yeah…” you said.

“Great. I’m taking you out tonight,” he said. “I’ll swing by around five if that works?”

“Sure? What’s-”

“It’s a surprise,” he said. “You’re gonna love it, I promise.”

A/N: Read Part 6 here!

[thedollarcrate]

50 Best Albums (That I Own on Vinyl) of the Decade

It’s hard to comprehend how much transpires over the course of a decade or wrap your head around how long (or short) of time that really is.

But what better way to try than to make a list!

Now, I know “Best of” lists like this one are inherently subjective – and probably say more about their maker’s preferences than actually reflecting the best music released in a particular time period. And, I’ll be the first to admit that the list below is incredibly limited, and that I need to widen my exposure to more artists and genres.

But hey, this is all in fun.

So feel free to debate, pick apart or share your own favorite albums from the past decade. But before you dive in, just a few quick points for context:

-I only ranked albums I actually own on vinyl released between 2010 and 2019, which limited my choices to about 170 records.

-I only ranked new music released this past decade, so no reissues or older material released for the first time (sorry Prince’s Piano & A Microphone and Originals).

-I first started buying vinyl around ’09-’10 and started off purchasing mostly new releases before my habits shifted and I started looking for older records. This shows in the list below – nearly a quarter of the albums below were released in 2010 and almost 70% from the first half of the decade.

And we’re off…

50. Centipede Hz, Animal Collective (2012)

Let’s be honest, it was impossible for Animal Collective to top a universally acclaimed and era-defining album – and it was unfair to expect them to. But maybe the continuous onslaught of bizarre and eclectic music found on Centipede Hz was just what we needed after all.

49. Singles, Future Islands (2014)

So much more than Sam Herring’s pelvis busting dance moves and “Seasons (Waiting On You),” every track on Singlesbursts with life and heart pumping  energy. To quote Letterman: I’ll take all of that you got.

48. Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph, Frog Eyes (2010)

I don’t think I’ll ever understand Carey Mercer’s lyrics, but I’m certain I’ll never tire of getting lost in his hidden words and knotty melodies.

47. Leaving Atlanta, Gentleman Jesse (2012)

Thirty seven minutes of Pure Power Pop Perfection (note the capital “Ps”).

46. Burst Apart, The Antlers (2011)

If there’s another album with a song titled “Putting the Dog to Sleep” that is as haunting and beautiful as this one, I don’t want to know about it.

45. Carrion Crawler/The Dream, Thee Oh Sees (2011)

With John Dwyer churning out record after record in the ‘10s, it should come as no surprise that at least one landed on this list (and they’re all great). Garage rock. Surf rock. Post-punk rock. Psych rock. Noise rock. Rock rock. I don’t care what you call it, Thee Oh Sees put the pedal to the metal on Carrion Crawler/The Dream, taking you for a wild ride that never lets up.

44. 1989, Taylor Swift (2014)

Irresistibly catchy, everyone needs to satisfy their pop sweet tooth every now and then. 1989 is so sugary, it might just give you a cavity or two.

43. City Music, Kevin Morby (2017)

The city. The countryside. A beach. Aboard a train. At the pearly gates. It doesn’t matter where you listen to City Music because Kevin Morby’s jams will immediately transport you to your own laid back, happy place.

42. Remind Me Tomorrow, Sharon Van Etten (2019)

You’ll regret it if you keep waiting to listen this powerhouse – and powerful – synth-soaked record.

41. You Want It Darker, Leonard Cohen (2016)

It doesn’t get much darker, bleaker or sparse than this, but I wouldn’t want it any other way from the masterful Leonard Cohen.

40. American Dream, LCD Soundsystem (2017)

Retirement never sounded so good.

39. Capacity, Big Thief (2017)

Quietly captivating, mesmerizing and elegant, Big Thief knock you out without you even realizing it.

38. St. Vincent, St. Vincent (2014)

Annie Clark’s shapeshifting album won’t only shred your face off, it somehow makes you feel smarter, too.

37. Before Today, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (2010)

So, so weird and so, so good.

36. Expo 86, Wolf Parade (2010)

Like #50, Wolf Parade might always live in the shadow and expectations of a towering classic, yet somehow Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner still continually craft eccentric and bombastic rock albums. Expo 86 is no exception, and it is an underrated classic in its own right.

35. Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves (2018)

Like a sunset or sunrise, Golden Hour radiates beauty and warmth with each of its glowing tracks.

34. Yuck, Yuck (2011)

Despite their name and its hideous album cover, there’s nothing gross about Yuck’s infectious indie rock.

33. Play It Strange, The Fresh & Onlys (2010)

I once saw The Fresh & Onlys play at a tiny club in D.C. It might’ve been the loudest show I’ve ever been to – my ears rang for days. This record is just as rollicking, hazy and good as that show was loud.

32. Natalie Prass, Natalie Prass (2015)

There’s a reason “Welcome to 1979” is stamped in tiny letters on this vinyl’s inner ring – it’s silky smooth, filled with impeccable soft ballads and finely tuned jams – and just a tinge of funk.

31. I Am Easy To Find, The National (2019)

Few bands matched the consistent output of quality albums in the ‘10s as The National. They had one heck of a run, and I Am Easy To Find was a fascinating way to end it – a 21st rock album that felt more complex and expansive than anything they’d done before.

30. Melodrama, Lorde (2018)

Everything a pop record should be and then some – bold, breathtaking and exuberant.

29. Just Enough Hip To Be Woman, Broncho (2014)

If you can’t tell from its playful title, this pop rock album wants nothing more than to have fun – and it succeeds on every level.

28. Avi Buffalo, Avi Buffalo (2010)

Sometimes all you want is a light, sunny and meandering album to wash over you and get lost in, and this one will do the trick every time.

27. Hippies, Harlem (2010)

Imagine a band practicing inside a garage inside a garage inside another garage and you’ve got Harlem. This is garage rock to the max – and at its rambunctious best.

26. Puberty 2, Mitski (2016)

It’s hard to describe Puberty 2. Sure, it might sound like simple dreamy indie rock, but it ebbs and flows in unexpected ways that leaves you guessing where it’s heading next.

25. mbv, My Bloody Valentine (2013)

Picking up right where they left off – even if it was more than a decade later – My Bloody Valentine reminded everyone why they are the masters of reverb soaked shoegaze.

24. A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead (2016)

Even after all these years and albums, Radiohead still found a way to reinvent themselves and push the boundaries of rock music – and our expectations of them. With gorgeous arrangements and slow-burning, tension filled tracks, AMSP proves that even Radiohead can still take risks – and proves rock bands can make quiet, intimate songs sound epic. Oh yeah, and it has “True Love Waits.”

23. Art Angels, Grimes (2015)

Grimes gave us the future of pop music before most could even envision it. This laid the groundwork for all the challenging and intricate – and danceable – pop music that would follow. And it still sounds ahead of its time.

22. Meet Me At The Muster Station, PS I Love You (2010)

The first sounds out of Paul Saulnier’s mouth on Meet Me At The Munster Station aren’t words at all but two short, ecstatic yelps. And this same boundless energy and passion bleeds through on every fuzzy, raucous second of every track. Did I mention there’s a song called “Butterflies & Boners”?

21. More Than Any Other Day, Ought (2014)

You really ought to listen to Ought if you aren’t already. Tim Darcy and co. sound a bit uneasy, paranoid and self-aware, but they make the most minute challenges sound so exhilarating and life-altering – even the struggle deciding between two percent and whole milk at the grocery store.

20. Lemonade, Beyoncé (2017)

All hail Queen Bey.

19. Twin-Hand Movement, Lower Dens (2010)

This album sounds like 2 am on a dark, rainy Saturday night – in the best way imaginable.

18. Tomboy, Panda Bear (2011)

You can always count on Panda Bear to make hypnotic, loopy electronic music sound so breezy and effortless.

17. Modern Vampires Of The City, Vampire Weekend (2013)

I don’t know why, but I want to dislike Vampire Weekend so much. But that’s impossible when their music is so damn good and every note sounds so neat and perfect.

16. Past Life Martyred Saints, EMA (2011)

Just do yourself and listen to this album please.

15. The Archandroid, Janelle Monáe (2010)

Blending too many genres to count, this is what I imagine music sounds like in space.

14. Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan Stevens (2015)

I’ll let you know how I feel about this one after I stop crying.

13. The Suburbs, Arcade Fire (2010)

It’s everything you either love or hate about Arcade Fire. Grand, sincere and sweeping rock that swings for the fences with every guitar chord, drumbeat and horn blast. I love it.

12. Silence Yourself, Savages (2013)

Savages grab you by the throat and never let go – this is one intense album.

11. Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes (2011)

This might be the epitome of ‘10s indie rock – and for good reason. Introspective, sensitive and searching for some greater meaning, Robin Pecknold holds nothing back and lays it all out on Helplessness Blues.

10. Kaputt, Destroyer (2011)

Dan Bejar is an enigma and seemingly reluctant rock star. I saw him perform an acoustic set where he spent a majority of the time playing with his back towards the audience (although in fairness, it was at a free outdoor show on a college campus with people mostly chatting obnoxiously over him), and yet it’s as if his creativity requires him to constantly release new albums and show them off. Kaputt is as equally strange and mysterious – and just as creative – as its maker.

9. Black Star, David Bowie (2016)

Take away the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding this album’s release and it would still be in the top tier of David Bowie’s extensive catalogue. Experimenting until the very end, Bowie morphed into something entirely new one last time. Part jazz, part rock and part I’m not sure what you would call it, the results were once again out of this world. He couldn’t give it all away, but we’re sure thankful for what he could.

8. Bon Iver, Bon Iver (2011)

Shedding the cabin in the woods vibe, Justin Vernon took a giant leap forward with Bon Iver and made ‘80s soft rock popular.

7. Celebration Rock, Japandroids (2012)

Perhaps the most aptly named album on this list, no other album exudes the joy of making music and rocking out with your buddy than this one. It’s hard to believe all that noise and energy comes from just two people.

6. Burn Your Fire For No Witness, Angel Olsen (2014)

Angel Olsen’s hypnotic and seductive vocals, lyrics and guitar suck you in immediately, mesmerizing you from the first gentle strums to the peaks and valleys of “Lights Out” and “Stars” all the way to the closer’s pulsing drumbeats and majestic piano.

5. Black Messiah, D'Angelo And The Vanguard (2015)

Oozing with cool, sexy and confident R&B funk, D’Angelo returned after 14 years with an instant soul masterpiece.

4. The Monitor, Titus Andronicus (2010)

It says a lot when a band can a.) make an hour plus punk rock record b.) loosely base it on the Civil War c.) quote Abraham Lincoln d.) close it out with a 14 minute track inspired by a famous naval battle and e.) still make you want to listen to it over and over and over again.

3. Lost In The Dream, The War On Drugs (2014)

The rare album that can feel vast and ambitious and yet deeply private and personal all at once. You really will get lost in these soaring songs.

2. Halcyon Digest, Deerhunter (2010)

At times perfectly melodic and structured and at others feeling on the brink of falling apart, Halcyon Digest is a paradox – sounding peaceful, bright and idyllic while also peering over the edge into something darker. This is a remarkable record from a remarkable band. If not for the abrupt end to the darkly beautiful closer “He Would Have Laughed,” Halcyon Digest sounds like it could go on forever.

1. Let England Shake, PJ Harvey (2011)

A stunning, thought-provoking, and moving – not to mention endlessly listenable – transcendent piece of art about life and the Great War. PJ Harvey doesn’t hold back on the brutality and absurdity of armed conflict, and the album’s devastating closing track – “The Colour of the Earth” – will linger in your mind long after the record stops spinning. As powerful today as it was eight years ago, this album will remain timely and important for years – and decades – to come.

[eurusholmmes]

Rewatching TWD: This Is My Opinion

The greatest part of The Walking Dead is that you can legitimately go from the S5 finale straight to the beginning of S9 and not miss a single thing. You only need to know a few points.  

1. Glenn died brutally, as did Abraham. Sasha’s gone because she sacrificed herself for a war that was extremely boring and poorly executed. Oh, and Carl? He got killed off because the executive producer is a douchebag and didn’t deserve Chandler Riggs to begin with. If you don’t know what happened there you are probably living under a rock. 

2. Alexandria is still there, remarkably enough, even after surviving a bombing and a ton of fire. Like I said, there was a war - it was boring - and Daryl was a victim. Speaking of Daryl, he’s utterly pointless for S6-8. The man has a scarce amount of lines and when he does, he mumbles. There’s 3 new groups going into S9: The Hilltop, Oceanside and The Kingdom. Ezekiel has a tiger. 

Shiva is the best part of S6-8.

3. Negan may be labeled a antagonist, but he’s pretty boring up until S9 and has the thickest plot armor besides Daryl. He's not going anywhere anytime soon, and S9 starts with Rick and Maggie at odds because he’s this close to slitting Negans throat and holy crap.. He lets him live! Cue conflict!

4. Maggie is in fact pregnant for three straight seasons, which according to what they say canon is, is for the first few months of her.. first trimester? Second? It makes it seem like years, but she does have that baby and he is adorable. 

5. Melissa McBride is the best part of this show, her talent is extraordinary and quite frankly she is someone who deserves better then the poor material they gave her for three seasons. The best eps are the ones she’s either soloing in or with NR. I was planning on getting out after 9x05 - Rick Grimes exit - but Angela Kang actually knows what she’s doing and turned this show back into what it was before they ever arrived at Alexandria. I loved every minute of S9. 

And here I have compiled a list of the episodes that are actually worthy of watching between S6 through 8. The few that are double starred are actually some of the best in the entire show, while the single starred are the ones where Carol is featured and is some of MMB’s best acting.

6x02: JSS *

6x09: No Way Out **

6x10: A New World (Jesus is introduced and Richonne goes canon)

6x13: The Same Boat (This is entirely women lead. It is GLORIOUS) *

6x14: Mainly important for Daryl’s manpain.. Can be enjoyable but it’s also painful at the same time so it’s iffy 

6x15: East *

7x01: The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be (PAIN PAIN PAIN)

7x07: Sing Me A Song (Carl centric, again GLORIOUS)

7x10: New Best Friends (CARYL CARYL CARYL) **

7x12: Say Yes (More Richonne, it’s adorable, I STAN)

7x13: Bury Me Here (I cry every single time I watch this, it is MMB best beside 4x10) 

8x04: Some Guy (Mostly Ezekiel and Jerry with Carol included, this was what made me like him more) 

8x08 and 8x09: Carl’s exit, really heartfelt and wonderfully performed by AL, DG and CR

8x13: Do Not Send Us Astray (BEAUTIFUL EPISODE, Avi Nash is new to the cast here and does a phenomenal job as Siddiq) 

Do yourself a favor and if you haven’t already seen it, watch Season 9. I know the ratings plummeted with the terrible writing, but I haven’t been so excited for a new season in at least three years. The Whisperers are rad. Samantha Morton as Alpha is awesome, I’m feeling Lydia will end up being Caryl’s adopted daughter, and I cannot wait to see Judith come into her own as she grows older.  I was skeptical of NR as the lead after AL exited, but he did a phenomenal job. His dialogue is powerful, Daryl’s influence on Henry and Lydia is beneficial moreso for her, it really just was an altogether wonderful season. 

[riseandfxll]

You’re Everything to Me

Pairing: Ava Bekker x Connor Rhodes

Show: Chicago Med

When I started writing this, I planned for it to be smut, but as I kept writing it, and after the season premiere, no matter how hard I tried to turn it into a steamy rhekker fic, it slowly but surely turned into a heartfelt Ava x Connor oneshot. So, sorry if that’s not what you’re into, I’ll get around to writing a rhekker smut one day soon, but for now, this is what i needed. 

[also posted on my ff.net and Ao3]

“How dare you undermine me in front of a patient?! How dare you?!” Ava’s voice roared as soon as the door to the break room closed.

“I wasn’t undermining you, Ava, I just suggested there might be a different route for treatment!” Connor objected, choosing his words wisely. “Keyhole surgery would be much less invasive, and cut the recovery time by more than half,” he continued.

A red flush of anger climbed up her neck and towards her face. If this was in a cartoon, there would be steam billowing from her ears, Connor thought to himself, having to fight the slight smile that threatened to appear at the thought, if Ava saw Connor smile while she was yelling at him, her anger would only intensify more, and neither of them needed that right now.

Dr Bekker scoffed, turning away from him, “And decrease the probability of us being able to remove the entire clot!” She barked, “the likelihood of us having to open him up anyway if something were to go wrong is too high. The single surgery is already risky, I’m not gambling with his life by keeping him under any longer than absolutely necessary. And if you’ve already forgotten, I’m lead surgeon, not you, Connor, which means I get to decide what’s best for my patient!” she continued, blood still climbing, masking her face red as she turned back to face him.

Now it was Connor’s turn to get angry, “I am aware that you are the lead on this, Dr. Bekker, I just thought that your patient should know all the options that were available, not just the ones you like best or will look good on your resume!” He spat, stepping towards her.

He knew he had gone too far, but it was too late now. He’d already said it.

Ava took a step closer to him, her face ice and her eyes fire, “How dare you…” she hissed, her voice quiet but full of fury. “Just because you weren’t chosen to lead, doesn’t mean you get to treat me like shit. I know you’ve got an ego the size of Texas that’s more fragile than glass but come on Connor, get over yourself.”

“I’ve got an ego?” he sneered back at her, eyebrows raising as he took a step closer to her. “Ha! Don’t make me laugh!”

“Seriously? You’re acting like a child! How would you feel if I told one of your patients that there was a surgery, that heightens the risk of complications, by the way, that you weren’t telling them about because you didn’t think it was a viable option for them, but I just came in and told them, ‘Dr Rhodes is actually not giving you all the options, there’s this other one that seems far more appealing with less recovery time even though you probably won’t wake up again but at least your chest doesn’t need to be cracked open!’ That’s what you did, Connor. Whether you meant to or not.”

He let out a breathy laugh before responding, “Jesus Christ, who pissed in your cheerio’s this morning? We argue constantly, why are you getting so hurt by this? It’s not like you haven’t made snarky comments about me around my patients!” he knew he had crossed a line before he had even opened his mouth, but there was no stopping the words that had already started to form.

Ava’s eyes dropped to the stark-white linoleum beneath their feet, a shuddery breath of air filling her lungs. She could feel tears threatening to pool in her eyes as she turned away from Connor, taking a few steps as she did so to put some space between them. “I know… I know,” she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper, “it’s just that, ever since the missing tool incident,” she cleared her throat, willing her voice not to crack, “I’ve just been second guessing myself and my abilities as a surgeon,” she told him, turning back towards him but still not meeting his eyes with hers.

Connor opened his mouth to try to form a reply, but Ava continued, cutting off his thoughts, “and I know, I know, it was a mistake and we all make them, and the patient recovered, but that’s not the point. I could have killed him, the mistake I made could have been the one to end his life.”

The emotion in Ava’s voice, the genuine hurt she was experiencing threw Connor off the war path he was well on his way to walking. God knows they had argued over patients and treatments before, but he had no idea this one was so different. He knew how much the mistake had affected her, shit, he had found her crying in the break room, but he didn’t know that she still felt that way, that she was still dealing with the mental repercussions of a mistake of that calibre.

“Hey, hey…” he said, his voice softening as he took a step towards her

Connor swallowed the spear-headed reply he had ready and took a deep breath, not moving his eyes from Ava’s. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have said that in front of your patient, it was wrong of me.” He consoled, carefully treading the metaphorical waters surrounding the pair of them.

When he saw her features soften at his apology, he continued, “you’re an incredible surgeon, Ava, one of the best I’ve ever met,” he took another step forward, until she was only an arm’s length away. “God, you could very well be one of the best in the country, and you’re right, he’s your patient, and I trust whatever decision you make will be the right one.”

Ava sniffled, trying to mask the tears that had slipped passed the carefully structured wall she had put up, “but what if it’s not? Connor, what if I make the wrong decision and it kills him?” her voice was soft, scared even, as she fought to get the words out.

Connor tried his hardest to mask the bolt of shock that ran through him at her sudden change of pace, “Don’t do that, Ava, don’t let yourself doubt your choices,” he whispered, taking another step forward, tightening the gap between them and cupping her cheek with his hand. “I trust you, and you should to. I was just doing that stupid competitiveness ‘charade’ that we have, and I shouldn’t of. Not in front of a patient, at least.” He finished, his voice still no more than a whisper as he wiped a tear of her cheek with his thumb.

Ava didn’t answer, instead, she raised her hand and gripped onto Connors wrist, holding it harder to her cheek, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Connor felt her start to cry before he saw her, the feeling her of her body fighting to take in enough oxygen.

“Hey, look at me,” Connor instructed, lifting his other hand up to cup her other cheek and guiding her eyes to look at him “you’re remarkable, Avie,” he whispered, bringing his lips to her forehead and holding them there, “I’ve never felt this was about anyone before; I just think of you and I start smiling, I can’t control it, and when I’m around you, my heart feels lighter than it ever has. You’ve made me into a better man, a better surgeon, a better friend. You’re the kindest, most incredible person I’ve ever met,” He continued, resting his forehead against hers as he spoke, taking a beat before speaking again, “I owe everything to you, Ava.”

[brandymsa3626-blog]

What Program Ought to I Use To Convert A CDA File To MP3?

The right way to convert cda to wav windows 10 CDA to WAV online with CDA to WAV Converter ? The album topped the Billboard Prime Soundtracks for 11 consecutive weeks and convert cda to wav windows 10 sixteen weeks in whole. As of April 2017, it has bought over 1.seventy five million copies in the United States alone, and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album was the US's second best-selling soundtrack album of 2014, behind only the soundtrack to Frozen. Click on Rip settings. It is a tab at the prime of the Windows Media Participant window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu. Step 1. Open Home windows Media Player, insert a music CD, and may see "Rip CD" and "RIP Settings" at the high menu. When creating an audio CD one of the best source format to make use of is a WAV file (MP3s are at all times compressed from CD audio quality to some extent). Changing a 44.1 kHz WAV file to CDA introduces no noise, distortion or coloration to the sound. I am not a seasoned mastering engineer however I do have a number of years experience, largely with classical music. I do think that classical is more dependant on those subtleties than different music genres. Nonetheless, I'm positive that if one took the time you can hear even those small variations from a "ripped" track from the newest Depeche Mode disc. if i copy thecda recordsdata from a CD, they're 1 Kb each, which is too small to include any audio. Some gamers know find out how to play the links, some do not. In any case you can't use the cda view to repeat the audio. If someone sent you acda file it was probably their mistake considering they have been sending you the audio file, after they have been solely sending a 44byte link to the monitor on the CD in the drive. To open Home windows Media Participant and play the file, observe the steps below. Are you utilizing dMC (fairly than dMC Audio CD Inoput) to transform a track and specifying for the file destintion "same folder as authentic"? this doesn''t work if you're working with cda's. When you rip the cd to any 16bit forty four.1khz pcm format, or container codecs reminiscent of aiff, riff, wav, avi, and many others. it will likely be exactly the identical as the CD, allowing for that ripping itself is prone to errors, jitter, error correction and many others. It may join CDA files to at least one huge AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, M4B, WAV, OGG or WMA. Click on "Converter Now!" button to start converting all CDA files to MP3. cda is just the file extension used for audio is similar thing, but with a COMPUTER extension. Basically, whenever you burnwav information to an audio CDR, it does whatever it does and burns the LAPTOP files as audio information (.cda). Many software applications create play checklist files that act as pointers to audio recordsdata in your pc (and typically specify a playing order). Playlist file types will range between purposes, but the commonest file extensions used arewpl (utilized by Windows Media Participant) andm3u (used by a whole lot of open source functions and WinAmp). So, if you happen to still want titles and your Audio CD would not comprise any, key-them in, or use software like EAC or dBpoweramp with access to AccurateRip and varied title databases. In case your CD's a burned home brewed sampler, you can skip the latter carefree. Using the TOC we determine how may tracks there are on the CD (no file IO here; we have already got the TOC). Then in an iteration although all the tracks we proceed. Let's see: A 'Red Guide' Audio CD has no filesystem. It only has a 'TOC' pointing roughly the place each observe begins. One way or the other Home windows Explorer slaps on a pseudo-filesystem on high of this TOC. Whenever you doubleclick on acda file, Home windows will read the TOC's pointer, and do some low-stage acrobatics to have the CD drive to just begin reading the pointed-at sector. Then Home windows' driver will then redirect the 'uncooked' data being read from the CD to the sound driver to make audible sound. Lastly, you need to select the output format and audio high quality. Inside the MP3 dialog subject, select the format settings for the ultimate MP3 recordsdata. Counting on prime quality you need, choose the bitrate of the file, pattern price and the variety of channels. You'll probably lose some audio content material materials in case you select the mono choice. You can choose what pattern worth you want to use. forty four.1 kHz (or 44100 Hz) is the sample charge used by audio CDs. Lower than that and you may begin to hear the loss in top quality. You probably can select the bit payment you might want to use. 128kbps is usually used for MP3s on the internet.

[humphreycochrane90-blog]

Real Estate Properties For Sale Or Rent In Tallinn, Harjumaa, Area Guide

If there is one part of the house that best reflects our personality, it is probably the bedroom. Kuid ärge muretsege, siit leiate tohutul hulgal pakkumisi lähedal asuvates majutusasutustes. J'ai longtemps eu une attitude de repli face à ce traité car il n'est pas enthousiasmant et nombreux sont ceux sur ce site qui peuvent confirmer ma position. For instance, in the example shown under Request Structure ”, we also provide the date-time format. The panic room was 6 feet (1.8 m) by 14 feet (4.3 m). Three versions of the room were built so Fincher could film scenes from multiple angles. Lis l'interview de Rocard dans le journal précédent. La recherche de nourriture ne sera entreprise qu'une fois que les trois précédents problèmes ont été résolus. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. Koepp and Fincher agreed to streamline the film so the opening would introduce the characters as soon as possible. On notera que c'est la seconde fois, cette année, que les pirates s'en prennent un bâtiment de ce genre, le confondant avec un navire civil. In retrospect, Panic Room has been assessed for its portrayal of childhood and feminism , the elements of video surveillance and diabetes , and its thematic approach to mortality. L'émission de TVE Imágenes prohibidas (Miquel Romero, 1994), sur la censure au cinéma pendant le franquisme, qualifie le film de «cas exceptionnel, incompréhensible quel que soit le point de vue adopté, un cas unique dans le contexte de censure répressive auquel le cinéma de cette période devait faire face». A la limite, si j'avais un avis fixe et definitif, je passerais surement moins de temps dans des debats. As an Exotic Club Member you deserve a weekend break in the heart of your city or in a private cottage along the country side. Le TCE définit la règle du jeu européen aussi. What that means in practice is that the Aedra tend to be more mortal-focused and what desires and drives they have are more recognizable and salubrious to mortals. Misleidis and Gustavo, the hosts, are very friendly people, respect the privacy of guests but are always available to help and suggest the best places to visit in the villa and its surroundings. The next day I picked up a "tweet" from a friend on "Letting Go" and I was reminded of my savior, Melody Beattie, and her book, "The Language of Letting Go", the contents of which has helped me keep my sanity during some challenging years. Aun así, son pocos los estudios que existen sobre ella y vienen, más que de los estudios queer, de académicos y críticos interesados en cuestiones de censura. Un comble, et cette guerre n'en manque pas. Spring Cloud Stream provides a common abstraction for implementing partitioned processing use cases in a uniform fashion across different types of middleware. Et guillame Duval, rédacteur en chef d'Alternatives economiques en remet une couche. Application properties that are defined during deployment override the same properties defined during the stream creation. However, they are scattered all over the city which mean that you do not have to be constrained because of location in these hotels. Because this is a "Rooms to let" appartment and not a hotel, if you want something you have contact to the people at the restaurant. You can share the rent costs, allowing you to enjoy the many beneficial features of living in the city, such as museums, galleries, concerts, bars, clubs, restaurants, and much more. Pass over that piece of pie and opt for healthy, nutrient-dense foods this holiday season. Now you are going to be the one receiving PMs (private messages) from landlords, so you have to check your other” folder quite often. C'est incroyable de voir le respect qu'il y avait entre les 2 hommes. Business owners can play the drama in their heads, know the struggles they have had to get to where they are now and wear a medal of valor for having survived all the challenges. A system that is part of the telephone equipment which provides for hotel guests and staff to retrieve a message left by a caller. Lapsed tõid välja enim seda, et tal võib olla kurb, kui ta ei kuule näiteks mida tegevustes ja mängus räägitakse või mida räägib õpetaja. Prétendre que la seule voie possible est celle de la majorité, c'est couper court à toute discution, et c'est fondamentalement une mauvaise chose. Post a free Room Wanted ad and make sure people with rooms can find you. Et Popov fait la même chose pour se protéger d'Uncle Benz. Properties are passed to TaskLauncher as application properties. In the Dependencies text box, type task to select the Cloud Task dependency. Once the space has finished indexing its data it will be marked with a green check. Many of the people I work with, including these three doing the interview, are people who sort through rubbish, people who go to retro bars that resemble the places I used to go to with my parents in a working class area in Madrid in the Seventies. There is a Single bedroom available in Manchester on Longworthy Road Salford near Tram & Bus stop, Tesco, Aldi store, shopping centre and Salford University. Elle s'offre à lui sexuellement, dans une attitude qui renvoie parallèlement à l'excitation de la jeune novice qui débute … et, point encore plus intéressant souligne le sentiment de désir intense que le jeune homosexuel triste suscite chez les femmes» (122). Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized. Des chercheurs de l'institut pour l'immunologie de la clinique universitaire d'Hambourg-Eppendorf, en collaboration avec leurs collegues suedois de l'institut Karolinska a Stockholm, ont trouve de quelle maniere les salmonelles rendaient malades et comment agissait le denomme "facteur de virulence". Vu que la déclaration de votre variable n'est pas remontée au scope de la fonction, il existe un moment où votre variable n'existe pas. C'est tout de même 49,99999999% de chances de plus qu'un pilote qui ne s'éjecte pas. Once you let your ego control your life, you will never be happy or relaxed because as soon as you lose one of the things that you identify with, the rest will fall like dominos and you will lose your happiness. All you need to see in Kuressaare city is only walk away from the Kuressaare Family and Garden apartments. Kavand, mille järgi maalimistööd teostati, tuli Nissi Valla Kultuurikeskuse noortelt, keda juhendasid noorsootöötaja Ott Jeeser ja Turba kooli õpetaja Piret Tamm. This entails deploying multiple instances of a message-consuming app and using content-based routing so that messages with a given key (as determined at runtime) are always routed to the same app instance. On the other side of the desk, our customer was building the work flow in K2, creating the new web pages that are now replacing the SSM administration tool and connecting the output directly to our interface tables. Prostitutes have been prime targets since forever and I think it was just by sheer closeness in time of two murders that the press- hungry for stories- made the facade of the Whitechapel Ripper, which then influenced bored, insane people to look for meaning in their life in this Whitechapel Ripper. Marisol en est convaincue et prévient ainsi le garçon : «gare à toi si ma sœur apprend que pour toi ce n'était pas de l'amour mais une question de philatélie…». Les gestes charismatiques de l'actrice la situent aussi dans l'enfance, c'est le cas lorsqu'elle se mord les lèvres, frustrée par une activité manuelle qu'elle n'arrive pas à exécuter et qu'elle refait lorsqu'elle veut voler de la nourriture comme Oliver Twist. The special did so well that it was picked up as a series by CBS, but Thomas considered its assigned time slot to be too quiet and pulled the show. Õppetegevus meie koolis on pikemaajaline astmeline protsess, mis on süsteemselt läbimõeldud ning vastab iga õpilase vanusele, tasemele ja soole. It also shows how to map these applications into Spring Cloud Data Flow and deploy them. As cupboard doors Large cupboards often require bifold doors - sometimes two separate bifold doors - as a space-saving measure. A seamless shot at the beginning of Panic Room took nine days to film on set but took several months to complete in post-production. She offers herself to him in a pose that at once suggests the excitement of the young woman just starting out … and, even more interestingly, the high level of desirability the sad young man arouses in women» ( p. 122). Book your slice of summer sunshine with a prestigious holiday company and you can look forward to an exciting and memorable break in one of these Gran Canaria, Portugal or Tenerife resorts. Neil on seal enne ka üks eestlane töötanud, paar aastat tagasi. However, even if there are already hotels during this time, only few people stay in London hotels because transportation infrastructures were not yet developed. It is one of the busiest parts of London and more people are in Central London at any given time than in any other part of London. Emmaus-france Le site de tous les groupes Emmaüs de France. It's great to know the TYPE of man you want to be with, but stop trying to change the men you meet into your fairytale, and accept nobody, including you is perfect. C'est à dire que le contenu d'un tableau ou d'un objet déclaré avec const bloque la réassignation de la variable, mais ne rend pas la valeur immuable. Tant que des gens comme toi diront que si on a pas le même avis que toi, on rejoint Le Pen. Lisaks osati tegevuste järel välja tuua täiendavalt näiteid, kuidas lapsi igapäevaselt aidata võiks. I know you're adults, but my mother used to say how when three kids were together there was "always a problem". Any problems that you notice should be reported to front desk staff right away. The location of the log file for the log application will be shown in the Data Flow server's log. I can rent the place to you furnished or unfurnished, depending on what you want and also long term lease will be favorable since i won't be coming soon you will definitely be informed 2month before our arrivalAll bills like phone, internet, water and Electricity are included in the rental fee so you have nothing to worry about,i want to let you know that we do not intend making so much money on our home or inconveniencing you we only want our place to be kept nice and clean.I just want to let you know that we wont be staying at the house, you will have the place to yourself as long as it is kept nice and neatFeel free to get back to me after inspecting the place so we can proceed with other move in procedures on time. Donc, il ne faut pas trop s'étonner non plus de se faire insulter par la famille Attac : en ce qui concerne le TCE ils ont posé le cerveau. If over at this website are just starting out with Spring Cloud Data Flow, you should probably read the Getting Started ” guide before diving into this section. As a result, you should see a list of available REST endpoints. In that case, you must configure the Composed Task Runner to use the same datasource that the Spring Cloud Data Flow instance is using. Comme on l'a déjà exposé ci-dessus, il n'est ni possible ni souhaitable d'anticiper d'ores et déjà à cet égard par une révision de la Constitution (voir ci-dessus, nº 7). B & Q than half a year ago into China, the original home in China, the world has only 12 stores in Home Depot's appliance business can only "test the water" to describe, though, Home Depot's appliance market performance in North America extraordinary. No matter how well the shoes are made, our feet won't stay dry in ballet flats with even the lightest of rain. The importance of promoting activity in young people cannot be overstated. 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