#but do i think laura is better for bradley? yes!

[season-two]

laura and cory in a competition for most down bad losers of all time for bradley and i fear laura is winning in a landslide

[chiaraslittlethings]

I just finished episode 3x08 of The Morning Show and I really need to get my thoughts out here because I’ve been reading crazy theories on Twitter and God forbid I read Ig’s comments full of straight problematic people’s opinions.

First of all, I think it was a good episode, I was literally feeling “anxious” for the entire thing because I didn’t know when they wanted to go. At the same time of course I think they can do better, as they proved before.

You know what’s the aspect I’m missing the most this season? The one we literally NEVER had for 8 episodes at this point: where on earth is the relationship between Alex and Bradley????? The show was based on their dynamics and now they are 404 ERROR PAGE NOT FOUND. What the actual fuck??!?! They NEVER interact, while all men interact with each other, I’m so TIRED.

As for what concerns Paul, of course the Kate thing is gonna explode on the finale and Bradley will be the one to investigate, together with Chip. Alex will be, once again, found in a problematic position.

As for my lovely lovely babies Bradley and Laura. First of all, Laura'a storyline is exclusively related to Bradley’s, she doesn’t have a personal arc, she doesn’t have anything to do and this is, once again, sickening (I saw this is millions of shows in which the love interest in a sapphic relationship is there just to serbe that purpose).

Of course now Laura is mad as hell and she's hurting a lot. Let’s be honest, my sweet Bradley is a total mess, she doesn’t even think about some aspects of her life because she is not used to. She literally committed a felony and at this point she dragged Laura with her, even unwillingly so.

Nevertheless, I really don’t think Laura will report this news herself. She’s definitely gonna scream every bad word in the universe to Bradley and she's gonna break up with her (AGAIN) but I really think she’s gonna either “sell” the story to someone else or cover for Bradley in some way, maybe reporting other things.

Do I think their relationship will survive? I honestly think yes, they will probably go back together later in Season 4, but they will keep rotate one around the other because they are too involved, too in love and too literally drunk on each other. We never saw Laura behaving like this, she is devastated because Bradley lied to her.

Also I really don’t see where it was “established” in the last episodes that Bradley will end up with Cory because this is not what I’m seeing AT ALL??! The outing thing still has to come out for instance (if they don't mention I'm gonna riot), and a part from that Bradley does not have any type of feelings for him. And for me personally, I DESPISE HIM, I HATE HIM SO MUCH.

BradleyLaura will fight like crazy and they will breakup AGAIN (poor me, poor us) but I don’t see other implications. A theory that could be true is that maybe Bradley could “save” Paul from the Kate thing in exchange of Paul “saving” Bradley from the insurrection stuff. We will see.

Thank you for reading this totally unnecessary and long post!

[iridescentoracle]

you know what those last tags are getting their own post actually because it’s TRUE and it’s IMPORTANT

#also [slams fist on table] HOLMES SPENDS THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION PRAISING AND THANKING WATSON #AND CALLING HIM INVALUABLE AND SAYING HE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT WATSON'S HELP DAMMIT #he refuses to stop emphasizing how important watson has been to the case until watson smiles!!! #and even then he brings it up again later in the conversation more than once!!! #YES i am still holding a grudge against The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) dir. Sidney Lanfield NO i will not let this go

'The surprise was not all on one side, I assure you. I had no idea that you found my occasional retreat, still less that you were inside it, until I was within twenty paces of the door.'

'My footprint, I presume?'

'No, Watson, I fear that I could not undertake to recognize your footprint amid all the footprints of the world. If you seriously desire to deceive me you must change your tobacconist, for when I see the stub of a cigarette marked Bradley, Oxford Street, I know that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. You will see it there beside the path. You threw it down, no doubt, at that supreme moment when you charged into the empty hut.'

'Exactly.'

'I thought as much - and knowing your admirable tenacity, I was convinced that you were sitting in ambush, a weapon within reach, waiting for the tenant to return. So you actually thought that I was the criminal?'

'I did not know who you were, but I was determined to find out.'

'Excellent, Watson! And how did you localize me? You saw me, perhaps, on the night of the convict hunt, when I was so imprudent as to allow the moon to rise behind me?'

'Yes, I saw you then.'

'And have, no doubt, searched all the huts until you came to this one?'

'No, your boy had been observed, and that gave me a guide where to look.'

'The old gentleman with the telescope, no doubt. I could not make it out when first I saw the light flashing upon the lens.' He rose and peeped into the hut. 'Ha, I see that Cartwright has brought up some supplies. What's this paper? So you have been to Coombe Tracey, have you?'

'Yes.'

'To see Mrs Laura Lyons?'

'Exactly.'

'Well done! Our researches have evidently been running on parallel lines, and when we unite our results I expect we shall have a fairly full knowledge of the case.'

'Well, I am glad from my heart that you are here, for indeed the responsibility and the mystery were both becoming too much for my nerves. But how in the name of wonder did you come here, and what have you been doing? I thought that you were in Baker Street working out that case of blackmailing.'

'That was what I wished you to think.'

'Then you use me, and yet do not trust me!' I cried, with some bitterness. 'I think that I have deserved better at your hands, Holmes.'

'My dear fellow, you have been invaluable to me in this as in many other cases, and I beg that you will forgive me if I have seemed to play a trick upon you. In truth, it was partly for your own sake that I did it, and it was my appreciation of the danger which you ran which led me to come down and examine the matter for myself. Had I been with Sir Henry and you it is evident that my point of view would have been the same as yours, and my presence would have warned our very formidable opponents to be on their guard. As it is, I have been able to get about as I could not possibly have done had I been living at the Hall, and I remain an unknown factor in the business, ready to throw in all my weight at a critical moment.'

'But why keep me in the dark?'

'For you to know could not have helped us, and might possibly have led to my discovery. You would have wished to tell me something, or in your kindness you would have brought me out some comfort or other, and so an unnecessary risk would be run. I brought Cartwright down with me - you remember the little chap at the Express office-and he has seen after my simple wants: a loaf of bread and a clean collar. What does man want more? He has given me an extra pair of eyes upon a very active pair of feet, and both have been invaluable.'

'Then my reports have all been wasted!' My voice trembled as I recalled the pains and the pride with which I had composed them.

Holmes took a bundle of papers from his pocket.

'Here are your reports, my dear fellow, and very well thumbed, I assure you. I made excellent arrangements, and they are only delayed one day upon their way. I must compliment you exceedingly upon the zeal and the intelligence which you have shown over an extraordinarily difficult case.'

I was still rather raw over the deception which had been practised upon me, but the warmth of Holmes's praise drove my anger from my mind. I felt also in my heart that he was right in what he said, and that it was really best for our purpose that I should not have known that he was upon the moor.

'That's better,' said he, seeing the shadow rise from my face. 'And now tell me the result of your visit to Mrs Laura Lyons - it was not difficult for me to guess that it was to see her that you had gone, for I am already aware that she is the one person in Coombe Tracey who might be of service to us in the matter. In fact, if you had not gone to-day it is exceedingly probable that I should have gone to-morrow.'

The sun had set and dusk was settling over the moor. The air had turned chill, and we withdrew into the hut for warmth. There, sitting together in the twilight, I told Holmes of my conversation with the lady. So interested was he that I had to repeat some of it twice before he was satisfied.

'This is most important,' said he, when I had concluded. 'It fills up a gap which I had been unable to bridge, in this most complex affair. You are aware, perhaps, that a close intimacy exists between this lady and the man Stapleton?'

[…]

'It is he, then, who is our enemy - it is he who dogged us in London?'

'So I read the riddle.'

'And the warning - it must have come from her!'

'Exactly.'

[…]

The darkness was rising, but much was still hidden by the shadows.

'If this woman is in truth his wife, where does Mrs Laura Lyons come in?' I asked.

'That is one of the points upon which your own researches have shed a light. Your interview with the lady has cleared the situation very much.

he simply will not stop telling watson how important he’s been and praising watson for keeping up with holmes’ train of thought!!!

[youngerdrgrey]

all the pieces aren't even in the box // the morning show, bradley/laura, chapter five

about: Bradley and Laura's last few months in Montana and how the world reacts along the way (and maybe how they find their way back to each other) ~ read earlier chapters on AO3 chapter five summary: Bradley makes the journey to West Virginia, and Laura comes to some realizations of her own. (read chapter five on AO3) chapter notes: so you know, this does include some of Sandy's funeral! I think it's chill, but if you're sensitive to that, just know everything after "she's on" will be at the funeral.

~

Laura’s phone buzzes the next night.

Bradley - 8:15 PM: So much for keeping a low profile. Mia sent me this. I can never tell whose side they’re on.

Laura shakes her head with a smile on her face.

Laura - 8:20 PM: You know what I don’t understand… how am I the fake fan if I know you better than anyone? Bradley - 8:21 PM: Prove it. Name three of my best segments. Laura - 8:22 PM: Ha ha Laura - 8:22 PM: I’m partial to your Vegas coverage, but that may be about the offscreen moments.

Seeing Bradley step into the spotlight had been amazing. Her political coverage and insightful analysis were great. That being said, Bradley in nothing but a robe was the highlight for Laura. Their not so spontaneous trip had proven they were more than just fun.

Bradley - 8:25 PM: Are you nostalgic already? I haven’t even been gone a day Laura - 8:26 PM: I’d answer your question, but you may not like my answer… Bradley - 8:26 PM: To which question? Laura - 8:30 PM: I missed you before you even left. Last night, in our bed, when you wouldn’t open your eyes to look at me…. So yes, forgive me if I’m nostalgic for the first time I truly had you to myself.

.

.

Bradley runs a hand through her hair as she waits for Laura to pick up the phone. Her skin’s flushed after that last text, and if she can’t see Laura, the least she can do is hear her girlfriend over the car speakers.

The second Laura answers, Bradley’s on her.

“You cannot say something like that, and just expect me to keep driving.”

Laura laughs on her side of the call. “You know you shouldn’t text and drive.”

“I was parked,” Bradley points out. “But I gotta get back on the road, and somebody has made that incredibly hard.”

If they weren’t fighting, Bradley would’ve joked about turning the car around. But it wouldn’t be right to joke like that after yesterday. Even if a part of her means it.

“One question though,” Bradley starts, “wouldn’t the first time be that day at your place?”

Laura cocks her head to the side, not that Bradley can see it. “Which day was that?”

“The one when you told me that I know my way around.”

“Ah, yes, and you said you weren’t actually a lesbian.”

“Well, I’m not,” Bradley says with a slight smile. She’s not just a gay bisexual type either. Twitter’s still on her ass to define herself, but she’s told Laura, and that’s enough for her.

“You’re something,” Laura echoes, “but no, that doesn’t count as the first time I had you to myself. It was the middle of the day, and you left right after to go back to work. We were still… having fun back then.”

Bradley laughs without meaning to. “That how you say ‘screwing around?’”

“Yes, because I’m a lady, and it was fun,” Laura begins, before dropping her voice. “Until you broke my vase.”

Bradley rolls her eyes. “I’ve apologized for that a hundred times.”

“And I’ve accepted a hundred times. It’s still broken, Bradley.”

Are they? Broken? 

A beat passes where neither of them speak, and neither of them ask what they need to.

Laura breaks the silence. “Are you still in Minnesota?”

“Barely. Traffic’s been light, thank God. I might make it to Hal earlier than I thought.”

“That’s good.” It is. Bradley doesn’t say it enough, but she misses her brother. His good days are really good. Honestly, his bad days might even be behind them.

Bradley clears her throat. “How much heat do you think we’ll get now that the word’s out?”

Laura moves her phone to speaker to go to Twitter. “Let’s see.” 

When she searches Bradley’s name, the first thing she sees is that same tweet from the screenshot. Under that, there are mostly tweets about their broadcast that morning. Fans speculating that their ‘vibes were off,’ and coupling that with the Minnesota tweet that’s gaining traction.

“What are they saying?” Bradley asks.

Laura goes for honesty. “They can’t tell if you’ve left me or just gone to the funeral.”

Bradley inhales sharply on her side. Laura holds her breath for a response.

“I’d be an idiot to leave you, Laura.”

Bradley’s not always the smartest. Laura can’t say that without sounding both insecure and like she’s instigating another argument. If Bradley says she’s coming back, then she’s coming back. Laura has to believe that.

“Do you want to tell them that or should I?” Laura asks.

Bradley comes to a red light on the long road masquerading as a freeway. It’s fine since it gives her a chance to reach for her phone on its car stand. “One second.” It only takes a moment to go to her Favorites folder and hit send.

Laura’s phone lights up as their picture from yesterday pops into their text chain. The two of them by the fence. They look so happy and in love. No one would ever know what happened next. Looking at it, Laura almost forgets herself.

“I’m framing this,” Laura says.

“You better. I want to see it hanging in the foyer when I get back.”

Laura shakes her head. “Family photos in the foyer are so overdone.”

“Just this once? For me?”

Bradley has to stop asking her for things she has no interest in giving up. This one, however, is easier to give than Laura’s blessing. 

“One photo. That’s it. Any more, and Architecture Digest will revoke my cover.”

“They need to do an updated version anyway. Wait ’til they get a load of all the postcards in the studio.”

Laura rolls her eyes. Bradley left a repurposed shoebox of postcards on a table in the studio. It’s an eyesore. The only reason Laura hasn’t moved it is because Bradley’s only brought one thing into that space.

“You mean your postcards?” Laura clarifies.

Bradley hums in a way that sounds triumphant. “That’s not even all of them. I’ve been collecting postcards since I first started driving. Everywhere I went. Used to be little cities, but then it became the bigger stuff. First out of town assignment, first major story, first time on UBA.”

Laura switches her phone back off speaker. “You never told me that. When you pulled out that stack of postcards, all you said was, ‘Don’t let me lose these.’ And you put them in a box.”

“I mean, you’ve got all kinds of amazing decorations and cool art from all around the world. They’re just, I don’t know, something silly I do. I wasn’t gonna do much with ‘em anyway. They normally do just stay in the box.”

“When you get back, let’s find a place for them,” Laura suggests. “Somewhere you can see them and really see how far you’ve come.”

“Laura,” Bradley sounds choked up. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Just not in the foyer, alright?”

Bradley laughs. “Deal. They’d clash with our fence picture anyway.”

.

.

The next day, Bradley calls, and Laura misses it. Her phone’s tucked too far down while she takes Sue out on a ride.

Laura calls back once she sees, but Bradley doesn’t pick up.

“Missed your call. I’d say Sue says hello, but she hasn’t taken to you the way that Scout has. Let me know you got in safe.”

.

.

Bradley - 4:15 AM: I’m here. Hal wasn’t joking about how many casseroles are in the fridge. And sourdough starters. Why is everyone making bread???   Laura - 5:00 AM: Bring one home.   Bradley - 5:16 AM: Funny. This place used to be my home. Bradley - 5:17 AM: I’m happy it isn’t anymore. Bradley - 5:17 AM: I miss you

.

.

Bradley - 10:19 AM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/55536512  Bradley - 10:19 AM: since everybody knows I’m here, I have to talk. There’s the link in case you want to see it before Twitter does   Laura - 10:21 AM: Ooh is Two Fucks Jackson making her comeback? Bradley - 10:22 AM: Say fuck again. Laura - 10:22 AM: Fuck. Bradley - 10:22 AM: God, I miss you. Laura - 10:23 AM: You said that already. Bradley - 10:23 AM: I miss all of you.

Bradley watches as the message goes from delivered to read. As Laura starts typing, stops, waits, then types again.

Laura - 10:24 AM: Bradley… don’t start something you can’t finish.

How does Laura do that? How can she read Bradley’s mind from two thousand miles away?

Bradley misses that. Text messages and two phone calls aren't enough. Not when she’s spent every day with Laura for months. Laura’s so touchy feely. It’s not like Bradley isn’t, but she’s gotten used to that touch now. To that steady reassurance that Laura is there whenever and however she needs her.

Maybe it’s being back here that does it. Makes her feel smaller and lonelier and needier. Makes every text feel like Laura’s whispering in her ear.

Laura - 10:24 AM: Tell me more.

Laura’s right. Bradley shouldn’t do this.

Bradley - 10:25 AM: I’m going into a church in 15 min Laura - 10:25 AM: It doesn’t take that long to use your words. Laura - 10:26 AM: What do you miss, Bradley?

Bradley crosses her legs and flips her phone back over. She can’t do this. She’s in the car with her brother, on the way to her mother’s funeral. She’s not sexting her girlfriend right now. She reaches over to roll down the window so the breeze can cool her flushed cheeks.

What do you miss, Bradley?

Everything. Her laugh. Her lips. Her hands. God, her hands.

Does the window go down any further? Do they have any ice in the car?

Hal calls from the front seat. “You okay, Brad?” 

Cheryl turns over her shoulder to look back at Bradley, and Bradley uncrosses her legs and tries to act natural.

“Just… letting off steam before we go in there.”

Four days. 

A funeral and then four days to go.

.

.

Laura eyes her last text to Bradley once again. She knew she was pushing it, but she also knew Bradley clearly needed a distraction. The younger reporter still had trouble asking for what she needed at times.

Laura, on the other hand, knows exactly what she needs. That’s why she has a strong bourbon in her hand and Gordon on FaceTime when she opens Sandy Jackson’s Zoom funeral. Her long-time friend and producer raises his own glass to his web camera in a morbid toast.

“I can’t believe we’re doing Zoom funerals now,” he says. “What’d they make the flyer on? Canva?”

“I have no idea what that is,” Laura says with a sip of her drink.

He rolls his eyes. “Only the lowly worker bees have to know what Canva is.” 

He’s hardly lowly, and Laura’s quirked brow says it loud enough for him to wave her off. She imagined that would be the end of it, but Gordon studies her. What does he see when he looks at her? 

She made sure to wash her hair today. No makeup, aside from a slight lip so that she doesn’t look as sun-starved as she could. Her black suit jacket should feel silly along with her black joggers, but she is allowing herself one small mercy since no one can see the bottom half of her anyway. Her camera’s not even on. Not unless Bradley needs her. To the rest of the world, she’ll be a black square with her name on the bottom. To Gordon, though, she at least looks the part of girlfriend dragged along to an uncomfortable family event.

He clicks his tongue. “You seem to be doing well.”

She can’t quite tell if he means it, but she has no use in lying. “The house is too quiet. I’ve mostly been sitting outside, or playing music.” She turns her glass in her hand. “Bradley’s not even that loud, but she makes noise, you know. She’s… alive.”

“And what are you?”

She levels a tired look at him. “My therapist thinks I’d gotten used to the silence as a child. Then I made too much noise as a teen to get attention.” Which did not work, by the way. “And while I’d found a balance as an adult, pre-Bradley... it’s a different thing to find a balance with another person.”

Gordon stares blankly into the call. “Right. So you miss her.”

Laura flops her head back on the couch. “Desperately.” It’s pathetic. She lifts her head to glare at the phone. “I’m too old to feel this… swept up.”

“You don’t believe that.”

She doesn’t. Love doesn’t have an age limit. But love is… elusive. Laura’s parents were in love once, and they were out of it for a hell of a lot longer. When the passion is gone, when the laughs fade and the spark snuffs out, what will they have left? Will it be this incessant ache in her gut, hollowing her through to her spine? Is that how she’ll feel? How she’ll want?

When they end — because all things do — will it fade, or will it be like the last few days?

“You haven’t seen how she’s been acting, Gordon. She’s so angry.”

“And you grew up with silence over anger.”

“Discontent was the reigning emotion. I don’t — I don’t know how to talk to her when she gets like that. There is no talking to her when she gets like that. We fought the night she left, you know.”

He tips his drink back. “And?”

She frowns. “And what?”

He drinks and smacks his lips together. “People fight. But you forced me to be your date to her mom’s online funeral, so clearly you’re still together.”

“Of course.” Though there were doubts before. She shakes her head. Glances at the muted laptop and people's backs as they wander through the funeral hall. “She’d wanted me to go with her. She said she wanted to hold her girlfriend’s hand in front of her mother.”

Gordon’s face is torn between a smile and grimace. “She could hold it all the way to the emergency room.”

Laura chuckles. “That’s what I said. But Gordon—“

“Don’t ‘But Gordon’ me. I have watched you twist yourself into knots to be there for Bradley, and I refuse to watch you do it again.” He leans in close to his camera. Takes up the whole frame to give her his full attention and his toughest love. “She may be a grown woman, but she acts like a child.”

“She does not.”

He scoffs. “She broke your vase on week one.”

“That wasn’t childish; it was….” She scrambles for a word. Impulsive, brash, reckless, misplaced.

“Unhinged,” he finishes for her. “And before you start, yes, she had a bad childhood. Yes, she was regressing. Yes, you like her anyway. But she has a lot of work to do on herself that you cannot walk her through. You can’t will her into growing up.”

Can’t she? They’ve gotten this far. Bradley even apologized after their last fight. She is doing the work. Laura shouldn’t have to cut her off just because Bradley needs more time to catch up.

Laura takes another sip of her drink. “I never should have told you about the vase. I regret that.”

Gordon barks out a laugh. “I regret I can’t tell anyone else. The great Laura Peterson bought for a three-hundred dollar gift card.”

“It wasn’t the gift card. She needed me.”

“And you wanted to be needed.”

She did. But what happens now?

Her heart thuds in her chest. Her voice lowers as she asks, “What happens when she doesn’t need me anymore?”

Her friend softens. He leans his head close to his shoulder.

“Well then, she just wants you.”

Bradley wants Evening News. She wants to be the face of politics at UBA. She wants Montana snow without the bone chills and to see her old hair color again without the board freaking out about it. She wants the stable home life she’d never had growing up. She doesn’t want Laura. Does she?

She says she loves Laura. Or almost says. Love and want aren’t necessarily synonymous. They’re congruous if anything.

Bradley needs someone to help her grow. She needs a place away from the pandemic and a sounding board and someone to hold onto who won’t lash out if she holds too tight.

Laura can provide those things. They haven’t known each other long, and this is all still new. It’s been a long time since Laura’s been in something even semi-stable and long-term. She hadn’t even meant for this. Feels like one moment she joked about getting Canadians out of a pool and the next she was hosting The Morning Show again with Bradley by her side.

The thought of being more than a stop post, or a loading dock… of being more than someone warm and willing… of being truly, deeply wanted for every part of who she is? It widens her eyes. It stills her breath. It makes her look at the damn Zoom funeral that she’s tuned into at eight in the morning on a Saturday.

Laura groans.

Gordon quirks a brow. “What now?” And it’s a concerned question, really, it is.

Laura’s almost afraid to say it. To whisper it into the air of the ranch that’s started to feel less like hers and more like theirs. Bradley had almost said it, and Laura had felt the rush, but she hadn’t felt like saying it back. She hadn’t known then. But now?

“I think I love her.”

Gordon laughs, and she glares at him, which only makes him laugh harder.

She curses. “Fuck!”

He keeps laughing. “Oh, honey, what did you think you were doing?”

Her hands reach for her face. She has to set her cup down to explain herself.

“I thought it was fun! It was nice. I didn’t move her in because I wanted to move her in. We were in a pandemic!” 

But even as she says it, her heart betrays her. Her voice ticks up an octave too high. Because truthfully, she had already cleared space in her brownstone before Montana had even been on the table. She had wanted Bradley by her side. She would’ve slow played it, of course, but she was already headed down this path. She was already falling for Bradley fucking Jackson.

She presses her fists to her eyes. “If that blonde woman wrecks me….” It’s meant to be a curse. A threat to the universe, but it mostly sounds like a warning. A ticking timer that speeds her pulse and quickens her breathing.

Gordon’s incredulous. “Why did you think I kept calling her your wife?”

“I thought you were being an asshole. I thought you wanted to scare her away, so I wouldn’t upend the very fabric of our lives over a woman with unprocessed abandonment issues.”

“Oh, honey,” he would’ve held her hand if they were in person. Would’ve patted it twice and then clinked his glass to hers. “You have unprocessed abandonment issues.”

Laura gasped. “You take that back. I have spent far too much in therapy—“

“And now you’re in a new relationship, so it has to be done all over again. You know this.”

“I hate this.”

His nose scrunches happily. “I love it. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I knew we were done for the moment you brought us on TMS. The interview in Vegas, I could handle. You can wine and dine whoever you want on the company’s tab. But waking up before sunrise? That’s not a fling.”

The last time Laura was in love….

She fights back the immediate churn in her stomach. Chases down the bile in her throat with the rest of her drink before rising to make herself another at her bar.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Ooh, refill quick! She’s on.”

.

.

Bradley hasn’t felt this nervous since her first broadcast with Alex. Her jaw trembles, but thank God, nobody can see it under her mask. A bunch of the attendees have asked if she plans on keeping it on. She pinches at the bridge of the nose as she clears her throat at the podium.

“Wow.” Her voice sounds rough, and she can’t fully blame it on the bad church mic or the dehydration. Her mom’s in a casket behind her. For all she said about needing to see for herself, she hasn’t been able to actually look in yet.

Hal did. He stumbled as he did it. Cheryl helped hold him up, but his eyes raced until he caught Bradley’s where she stood in a corner. Her baby brother needed her. She couldn't move. She didn't move again until Father Evans called her name to speak.

She’d put a teleprompter app on her phone with a speech she’d written when she couldn’t sleep last night. That way, this could feel like another day at work. Another segment for a live audience this time.

Live except one, of course.

Bradley clears her throat to try and focus. Stay present. Forget Hal and her mom. Forget how many hands she’s shaken since arriving. Her skin’s all cracked from hand sanitizer, and her lotion’s in Hal’s car since he hadn’t put on any that morning.

This is Bradley’s first trip without a producer since she started on The Morning Show. She’s alone. With every eye in the room on her, waiting for her to break.

She coughs, then winces.

“Sorry, not trying to scare anybody, just not used to talking to this many people without a camera in my face. I, uh, I’m Bradley Jackson, Sandy’s daughter. I wasn’t going to do a speech at first, but somebody’s gotta say something, right?”

A few heads nod. Bradley seeks out Hal, who’s in the front row with Cheryl. He won’t look at her. She doesn’t remember exactly when Hal had started crying, but it feels like it’s been hours. 

Bradley’s chest burns. She reaches to soothe it. Her fingers brush against the cool leather of her favorite jacket. Maybe Laura would laugh at it. Or whisper that she told Bradley to bring it. Or maybe she wasn’t watching at all.

Anyway, Bradley doesn't start her prompter. Surprise, surprise, she's off script already.

“I always thought my mom was too stubborn to die. But that’s the strength of this virus — it can take down anyone.” Somebody groans, and Bradley rolls her eyes. “She died of Covid complications. I’m gonna talk about Covid. It’s my mom’s funeral, not yours, so just deal with it.”

Hal snorts from the front row. He glances up at least. Bradley must be on the right track.

She says, “A lot of y’all are here for the same reason I am — to make sure she doesn’t claw her way up.” Some laughs mix in with the gasps. “Those were her words, not mine. Sandy Jackson was a lot of things, but meek wasn’t one of ‘em. People used to hear her down the block, calling out for us. And you know Hal and I would run home as quick as we could when we heard her. She wasn’t perfect, but… she did try.”

She failed even more though.

Something like spite bursts in Bradley’s chest. Burns cold in her veins. Nobody in this room gives a flying fuck about her mom. They barely knew her. Sandy put up such a show for everyone around her. She changed her looks, her voice, everything, to distance herself from other people. Then she would take Hal out of rehab because she got lonely. She endangered his safety and everyone else’s time and time again. Bradley would never have done that.

Except Bradley is doing that, isn’t she? Hal freaked out once, and Bradley threw her whole life into the wind. Instead of ruining his progress, she’s ruining her own, just so that Hal doesn’t feel alone. Mom came calling, and even in her forties, Bradley couldn’t resist going to clean up the vomit and see what’s left of her.

“Fuck,” Bradley whispers. The mic picks it up of course. She winces. “Sorry. Laura, that doesn’t count. That wasn’t even in the mic. Laura’s —“ Bradley stops herself from explaining. They know who Laura is. Her mom knew too. Even if Sandy refused to say Laura’s name once she knew they were dating.

“Bradley,” Hal calls in a stage whisper from the front row. He’s finally stopped crying. In fact, he looks like he’s trying not to laugh. “You’re dying up there.”

“Following in Mom’s footsteps,” Bradley says immediately. A few people laugh at that.

Hal calls out louder, “Don’t you dare!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promises him. “But if Mom taught me one thing, it’s who not to be. She was so disconnected from everything, including herself. We deserve better than that. We deserved better than her. Our whole world has a choice right now. We can stay the same as we’ve always been. Reopen to more school shootings and endless burnouts. Or we can do something different. We have brighter sunsets now that everybody’s not driving all the time. Some people have free time for the first time in decades. Families are getting to really know each other. You know it sucks that my mom won’t get to see what’s on the other side of this, but each and every one of us in here has that chance. Don’t waste it by falling into old patterns.”

The church is quiet as she finishes. Stunned probably.

Until one clap rings out from the back of the room. The opposite corner from where Bradley had hid out pre-speeches. Her eyes jump to it, as do most others. Her jaw clenches instinctively.

Hal groans from his seat. “Ah, shit.”

Whispers rip through the church. A chorus of people all wondering who, or what, would make Bradley and Hal uncomfortable that quickly. Even Cheryl asks for clarification.

“Is that…?”

Hal nods. “Our dad, yeah.”

Hearing it aloud unhinges Bradley’s jaw, so two more words can slip out. “Fuck me.”

.

.

Author's Note:

Bradley's having a very rough day, but part two of her West Virginia trip MUST be better, right? what do you think? any guesses on what happens next, or how long until Bradley rushes out of there?

[autumncalls]

1, 4, 8, 15 & 30 for the book asks? ✨ (Also! Yes! The Laura series was an experience as a kid/teen!)

Thank you! And yes! I was obsessed with these books as a kid!

1. do u prefer a standalone or a series?

I don't think I have a strong preference for either. I may lean a bit more to the standalone side though, since I hate waiting for the next book in a series to be released. But I also often wish for more content when finishing a standalone.

4. a book which had a tv adaption that was better than the book itself?

Don't come for me but I prefer the Lord of the Rings movies to the books, I just don't have the patience to read Tolkien (I read 'The Hobbit' and it took me forever, started 'The Fellowship of the Ring' and just couldn't do it)

8. the best protagonist u have ever seen in a book and why?

Hm, maybe Eliza from 'Eliza and Her Monsters' (which is a book about a teen girl with social anxiety who created a super successfull webcomic) because I really related a lot to her when I first read the book. Or Sam from 'Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow'. He's incredibly flawed and really unlikeable at times but also just very well written and though he is not my favorite character in the book, I just have a soft spot for him.

15. an underrated book?

Oh that is a tough question, I have no sense for what other people consider over/underrated. Maybe 'The Cat and the City' by Nick Bradley? It's a book I would have expected to be big on bookstagram/booktok based on vibes but I haven't really seen lots of people talk about it. And it was one of my favorite reads last year.

30. give any 3 book recs to ur followers!

I'm picking three from my somewhat recent 5 star reads, 'Four Seasons In Japan' by Nick Bradley (amongst the themes it deals with is identity, parental/family expectations and the struggle of picking ones own path for the future and I just really loved the writing), 'In Cold Blood' by Truman Capote (it's a classic, there has been said a lot about it by all sorts of people over the years and I just couldn't put it down) and last but not least 'Howl's Moving Castle' by Diana Wynn Jones (yes it's a childrens/middlegrade book but I love the studio Ghibli movie and the book is so much better)

[wheresmytardis]

My thoughts on episode 5:

I LOVED IT AND EVERY EPISODE JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!!

I do NOT think that Cory is going to out Bradley, not at all. I think that she is going to leak something to the press and out herself to help Cory and protect Hannah-it gives her control of her own narrative and life, means she’s becoming more comfortable in her own skin, and she’s putting other people’s needs before her own. That is MAJOR growth for the character of Bradley. It came on the tail of that conversation with Laura, and she also told him that she would try to think of something and looked very thoughtful afterwards. If she doesn’t, I still think that it will be someone else and not Cory.

-Cory told her that she’s one of the most truthful people that he knows and that she’s his Jiminy Cricket so he will go with whatever she says. Cory is not stupid. She makes him better, not worse, and he obviously relies on her when he’s unsure of what to do. I also thought Bradley’s offhanded comment about the deal he made with Fred was interesting. I thought she was convinced that SHE got him the job?

Edit: I went back and watched that scene again and she doesn’t seem to be aware of the deal with Fred, she just suggested that he go to the Times, if would he get fired because it isn’t in the network’s best interests.

(Yes I saw the spoilers too but we don’t know the context of their conversation. And let’s be honest Apple did not drop that “accidentally” it was to bait us and stir the pot 😂 I could be entirely wrong but him purposely outing her is not at all in line with what we have seen. Also I’m pretty sure that he would come straight out and ask her if he was going to drop that story, because he’s not stupid.

Also, Cory made it clear to Bradley in the flashback that he was better off without the job at UBA , because *ahem* we know why. SO WHY WOULD HE MAKE A DEAL WITH FRED FOR A JOB THAT HE DIDN’T WANT!? It sure seemed like Fred was the one that brought it to the table, and I got the impression that there was more to that scene than we saw. I also loved the lighting of that scene, it was certainly dark and sinister.

Also…Alex this episode 🤯🤯

[nastasyafilippovnas]

If Laura is so GREAT the show needs to stop teasing us with Cory and Bradley because this is the angst I live for ! It’s tortureeeee

loool Ikr??!! ALL THE PINING AND THE ANGST. Make up your mind, TMS, because this love triangle will be the death of me. But of course it is like this, because this season has been all over the place. The moment you think you have a character figured out, they throw another curve ball and it changes your whole perception.

And this has been especially bad with Bradley and her relationship with Laura. As I've said before, I don't trust Laura - her conversation with Chip last episode, when she mentioned Maggie, only reassured me she has her own secret agenda. Despite that, and despite their incredibly cringy start, I think Bradley and Laura had some good scenes these last two episodes, that showed us they are/can be happy together. (Although some already pointed how Laura could've dealt better with Bradley's feelings after coming out, but it was a stressful situation for her too imo). How real Bradley feelings are or is she just using Laura to escape her loneliness, *I* don't know, because it has been surprisingly hard to read Bradley this season. I wouldn't be surprised either way. Still, they could be good together.

Having said all that...they certainly don't have the development (and chemistry) that Bradley and Cory have, lol. They have a relationship that was built, first, on friendship - and a healthy and necessary dose of flirting and sexual tension. They went through a lot together and they both care about each other. Yes, Cory did something bad last episode, he broke Bradley's trust in a way that deeply hurt her, but it's not something unforgivable (imo). I think they could come back from it. Maybe not as a couple (yet), but for sure as even stronger friends. He clearly loves her and will always be there for her. It's also interesting that the episode not only ended with them, but with a scene where Cory is the one that managed to offer some comfort to Bradley, that knew the right thing to say to make her feel better.... So, yeah, I have no idea what they are doing to us but... not all hope is lost?

[andrewmoocow]

Little Homeworld Life chapter 13: Snowfall Feast (originally posted on November 7, 2022)

AN: And now, for our big finish to the season! It may not be Christmastime yet, but that doesn't stop stores everywhere from blasting Mariah Carey once Halloween ends. Anyways, what better way to celebrate the season with giving than to give a parody of How The Grinch Stole Christmas to quite possibly the sourest character in all of Little Homeworld? Yeah, much like Halloween, or Samhain Night, Black Rutile doesn't see the point of my stand-in for Christmas, but in this case, since her time in Little Homeworld has been so miserable, why not make everyone else miserable for once? Yeah, she's officially devolved into cartoon supervillainy at this point, but she's desperate to get a victory in, okay? And as for the Crystal Gems, we once again have some family drama to sort out, but it's not related to Steven this time. No, this time it's about Greg and his parents from "Mister Universe!" How can they work things out in time for the holidays? Tune in and find out!

Synopsis: On the most merry holiday of the year, Black Rutile tries to spoil the festivities for everyone. Meanwhile, Greg reunites with his estranged family.

Cast:

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Zach Callison as Steven

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper, Shy Rose

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Tiger's Eye

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Volleyball

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

David Willis as Andy

Maurice LaMarche as Thomas DeMayo

Laura Post as Gloria DeMayo

Kristin Chenoweth as Sheena Synstylae

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Ruby

Erica Luttrell as Sapphire

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion

Featuring Bill Farmer as Santa Claus

And Matthew Rhys as The Narrator/Dr. James Brenner

--

Ah, Snowfall Feast. It's the most wonderful, merriest time of the year. Fun for all that everyone, human and Gem alike, calls their favorite holiday. Yes, everyone loved Snowfall Feast a lot. However, the ever-unabashedly unpleasant Black Rutile did not. She just hated Snowfall Feast, the whole holiday season. But why do you ask is her reason?

"I just don't see the point of it all!" Black Rutile complained. "It's absolutely abhorrent! Why should everyone be merry when my time here has been nothing but pain?!" Throwing on a white scarf, Black Rutile stormed outside her house to continue fuming, as she watched all the Gems decorate their homes with typically festive decorations. "Like, I have suffered nothing but setback after setback, failure after failure! And instead of just shattering me on the spot, they subject me to a fate worse than harvesting!"

"Hey, Black Rutile, happy Snowfall Feast!" Tiger's Eye exclaimed while giving her a Santa hat to wear. "You like it? I made it myself!"

"Thank you; I am very touched." Black Rutile growled as she marched away from Tiger's Eye. "Like, why do the denizens of this disgusting planet choose now of all times to actually play nice with each other when they just go back to bullying each other for the rest of the year?"

"Something troubling you, my Rutile?" Aquamarine asked as she flew down to perch on Black Rutile's shoulder. "You don't seem to be in a merry mood."

"Gee, I wonder what tipped you off?" Black Rutile dryly replied as she sat down on a snow-covered bench. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Just helping with the decorations." Aquamarine responded. "How about you?"

"Too busy working on the Vortexxer to get into this silly spirit." Black Rutile proclaimed. "Like I said, why do people choose now of all times to be nice to each other when no one here has been nice to me?"

"Maybe it's because you're so unbelievably selfish and think the universe has to bend to your whims, that you think everyone has to act as you say?" Aquamarine responded under her breath, catching her master's attention. "I mean, yeah, why does nothing ever go your way?!"

"I heard what you said, and yes, I totally don't take offense to being called selfish because I know a certain someone who's no better." Black Rutile added. "That reminds me, what are the Crystal Gems doing for the holiday?"

--

Meanwhile, the townies were also getting into the holiday spirit in Beach City. Families and friends had reunited for the season, and the Crystal Gems were no different. However, one family, in particular, wasn't as together as one member wanted it to be. As the Gems baked cookies, wrapped presents, and decorated the beach house, Greg solemnly gazed out the window while drinking some hot cocoa and sighing.

"Problems, Greg?" Pearl's paramour Sheena Synstylae asked the rock star-turned-father as she sat down next to him by the window.

"Oh, hey, Sheena." Greg casually greeted Sheena. "Just thinking about my family right now. I mean, I already got a great one with Steven and the Gems and all his friends, but I can't help but think of my parents now. Aside from Andy, my fam hasn't been together in years, as far as I know. And after hearing about how Steven made amends with Rose, it made me think about my folks and how they're doing after I moved out."

"I can relate." Sheena concurred. "Never had the best relationship with my stepmom myself. Oy gevalt, the stories I could tell you about her! Like, this one time she accidentally took my makeup, and I think I nearly got gray hairs trying to get it back!"

"Hehe, nice." Greg laughed softly before taking a sip of hot chocolate. "Did you two manage to patch things up?"

"Eh, it was half and half." Sheena replied. "We're on better terms now, but we still get on each other's nerves from time to time. Take the good with the bad, as they say."

"Oh, Sheena honey, there you are!" Pearl exclaimed as she walked over to her pink-haired lover and kissed her on the cheek. "And what a coincidence I found you talking with Greg because I was about to give him some great news!"

"What kind of news, Pearl?" Greg asked Pearl.

"Well, I overheard you talking about your parents just now, which reminded me that I arranged for them to come over for Snowfall Feast!" Pearl exclaimed. "Isn't that delightful? I can't wait for Steven to meet your folks once he comes over!"

"Wait, they're coming, here, now?!" Greg yelped in shock at the news. "But, you, I, parents, Rose, dead, Steven, alien-"

"Yo, something wrong here?" Amethyst asked while eating some leftover cookie dough out of the container. "What's this about Greg's parents coming over?"

"Well, that's the thing." Greg responded. "How can my parents possibly respond to the big pink elephant in the room?"

"Pink elephant? What could you possibly mean?" Pearl wondered, only to immediately realize what Greg was talking about. "Oh right, Rose."

"Yeah, gonna be pretty hard to tell everyone that your wife was an alien warrior who died in childbirth, even if everyone knows who the Gems are now." Sheena said. "Hey, Pearl fell for me because I was a near-dead ringer for her. Why don't I fill in?"

"I have an even better idea!" Amethyst declared before she began shapeshifting into Rose. However, Greg quickly stopped her mid-transformation.

"No, no, no, let's not do that all over again!" Greg yelled frightfully, not wanting to be reminded of the last time Amethyst did something like that. "I think maybe we try to be as honest with them as possible." Suddenly, he got a different idea. "Or maybe….." He then suddenly grabbed Pearl by the wrist and dragged her along to the Warp Pad so she could be used to activate it and send them away.

"What's up with Greg?" Bismuth wondered quizzically, stopping her decorating of the tree to watch Greg make off with her and Sheena's mutual girlfriend.

"Daddy issues." Garnet flatly responded. "I don't think I want to know what harebrained schemes can come out of this."

"You know what this reminds me of?" Amethyst asked. "That one Lil Butler Christmas special where the butler disguised as the neighbor's grandpa!"

"Oh please, it can't be that bad!" Peridot remarked while she and Lapis wrapped presents together. "I mean, what's the worse that can happen?" As if the universe wanted to answer Peridot, Greg and Pearl finally returned from their sojourn with a Rose Quartz that looked almost exactly like the one who formerly led the Crystal Gems following them.

"Um, pardon me for being rude," Lapis said. "but what's this Rose clone doing here?"

"Phew, you had no idea how long this took us!" Greg panted in exhaustion. "I had to go to another galaxy just to find a suitable replacement!"

"Uh, hi Crystal Gems, nice to see you again." The shy Rose nervously greeted. "Happy Snowfall Feast, I guess."

"Hey, isn't she one of those Rose Quartzes from the zoo?" Amethyst asked. "How are they possibly going to believe this?"

"I got a plan, everyone." Greg stated. "We're going to act all nice and normal, so that means no weird powers, no fusing, and no shapeshifting in front of my folks. If any of you slip up, we'll say we live an alternative lifestyle. And whatever you do, don't mention the war."

"Yep, totally a harebrained scheme." Garnet nodded just as the front door opened, and in walked Steven Universe, having decided to take a break from his road trip to return home for the holidays. "Steven!"

"Hi, everyone, happy Snowfall Feast!" Steven greeted everyone in the beach house before locking eyes with the lookalike of his mother standing next to Greg. Even if he amicably parted ways with the trio of Rose Quartzes, he never guessed he'd see any of them again, especially this one. "Uh, what did I miss?"

--

"Closer, closer!" Black Rutile muttered to herself as she started running some tests on the nearly completed Vortexxer. "Just a little more!" As the portal began showing some signs of life, Black Rutile's front door suddenly opened, and in walked White Topaz and Jasper, both dressed for the weather and bringing cookies inside.

"Happy Snowfall Feast, Black Rutile!" White Topaz yelled happily, causing her former boss to lose concentration and the Vortexxer to fizzle out, much to her disappointment.

"No!" Black Rutile yelled angrily before turning to glare at the pair. "Look what you made me do, you dolts!"

"Geez, we were just trying to help you get into the spirit." Jasper responded before presenting a cookie. "You want some Snowfall Feast cookies? White Topaz made them herself."

"No, thank you, you should know Gems don't need sustenance." Black Rutile replied as she got back to work. "I just don't get this holiday at all! What's the meaning of all this blasted happiness and cheer anyways?!"

"Oh, I know where this is going." White Topaz realized cheerfully. "You're just a total Grinch or a Scrooge who's too moody to understand the true meaning of Snowfall Feast. It's not just about being happy and merry; Snowfall Feast is about the celebration of giving and the bonds that bring us all together. Plus, all the cool gifts in exchange for cool gifts you give to the ones you love too!"

"Like I buy that sappy garbage." Black Rutile grimaced, not taking her eyes off her experiments one bit. "As that old codger from that silly story would say, bah humbug!"

"Well, if you feel like coming out and celebrating, our door is always open." Jasper said as she and her girlfriend began leaving the house. "Happy Snowfall Feast, I guess."

"Get bent!" Black Rutile yelled back before the door closed, just as Holly Blue, Eyeball, and Cat's Eye entered the room.

"How is progress going on the Vortexxer, my Rutile?" Holly asked her rebel leader.

"I was just about to make a breakthrough when Jasper and White Topaz broke in to assimilate me into their holiday cheer." Black Rutile answered. "I don't understand it at all! Why is everyone but me so freaking happy all the time?!"

"Probably because we've encountered nothing but setback after setback in our plans." Cat's Eye said, which gave Black Rutile an idea. "I mean, what point do they have in making us happy when we have no plans to?"

"Wait, I got it!" Black Rutile beamed creepily as she got a positively wonderful, awful idea. "If they want to force us to be all happy and peaceful, then I think we should make them realize how miserable I am here, and maybe they'll be just as miserable too!"

"I like the way you think, my Rutile!" Eyeball exclaimed as she snacked on the cookies left behind by White Topaz. "But what are we going to do?"

"I'm shocked you didn't get the implication." Black Rutile said as she tied a piece of scrap metal to Eyeball's head to act as a reindeer's antler. "Ruby, with your gem so bright, won't you help us steal Snowfall Feast tonight?"

"Wait, really?" Eyeball gasped as her eye lit up in amazement. "But what will the other Rubies think?!"

"Oh, come on, you've already bullied them into becoming your subordinates. What say we put them to good use?" Black Rutile suggested smartly. "Now, let's start plans for tonight; everyone should be asleep by then."

--

Later that day, more members of Greg's family were invited to Beach City to celebrate Snowfall Feast with the Crystal Gems. Andy showed up first after landing his plane on the snow-covered beach and walking up to the front of the beach house before greeting them as he opened the door. "Hey Greg, happy Snowfall Feast."

"Hi Andy, glad you could make it!" Greg greeted Andy as he let his cousin into the house. "You arrived just in time, because we got some special guests coming!"

"Yeah, Pearl invited Greg's parents for dinner!" Steven added eagerly, though Andy was less than enthused about the news.

"Hey, I'm all for a little family reunion, but how do you suppose they're gonna react to, y'know?" Andy asked while gesturing to each of the Gems. "I mean, it took a while for me to get used to them. I wouldn't be surprised if the same applied to them."

"Ah, don't you worry, Andy-man, we got everything under control!" Greg said proudly with a laugh that quickly turned into anxious stuttering. "Oh geez, this is gonna get so awkward!"

"And who's this supposed to be?" Andy asked as he turned to the shy Rose Quartz, now dressed as Steven's late mother. "Isn't your wife supposed to be dead or something?"

"Hello." The shy Rose politely greeted Andy.

"That's actually a really long and complex story." Steven answered. "I think you're going to need to sit down for this one. You see-"There was a knock at the door. "We can talk later; I think they're here!"

"AGH, THEY'RE HERE!" Greg screamed, his anxiety over seeing his parents again kicking into overdrive. "LET'S HIDE AND BURN THE HOUSE DOWN!"

"Calm down, everyone. We can make it through this. Just don't mention the war." Garnet eased everyone's nerves before she opened the door for Thomas and Gloria DeMayo. "Hello there."

"Excuse me, madam, but is this the right address?" Thomas asked the fusion. "I'm told this is where Gregory lives now."

"Yes, welcome to Greg's house. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. DeMayo." Garnet greeted and shook the DeMayo father's hand. "Would you like to come in?"

"Gladly." Thomas answered as he and his wife entered the house, where he immediately met his son for the first time in decades. "Son."

"Hey, pops, long time no see." Greg awkwardly chuckled and gave his dad an equally awkward hug. "Pat pat."

"Oh Greg, you've gotten so big!" Gloria exclaimed as she got a hug from her son as well. "And I've been told you're a millionaire now? How lucky you must be!"

"Yeah, an old business partner of mine used one of my songs for a burger commercial." Greg responded. "He's dead to me otherwise."

"And I suppose you must be Greg's son." Thomas said while looking down at Steven. "Stephen, I suppose?"

"Steven, actually." Steven corrected his grandfather. "Nice to meet you, Grandpa."

"So, who's the lucky woman you got together with to make such a handsome young man?" Gloria asked with a tousle of Steven's hair before looking around at the Gems in the room with them. "Is it the one with the long nose?"

"What, me?!" Pearl blushed in embarrassment, causing Sheena and Bismuth to laugh. "Oh no, you got it all wrong, Mrs. DeMayo; I'm only Steven's mother in spirit, though I did possess feelings for her once upon a time."

"Hm, is it normal for humans to become this elderly?" Peridot quizzed the DeMayos while examining their aged forms. "I must conduct further research on this."

"Hi." Lapis greeted Greg's parents while sticking a candy cane in her mouth.

"My my, your friends are certainly unique." Thomas remarked dryly. "In fact, I think I remember-"

"Oh, it's nothing much, really!" Greg interrupted his father before introducing him to the rest of the Gems. "I'd like you to meet my wife Rose, her old college roommates Estelle, Amy, and Pearl, her sister Biddie, and Steven's sisters Lana and Dot!"

"Wait, sisters?!" Peridot squawked in offense. "I'll have you know Lapis and I are actually-"

"Quit yacking, you wacko!" Lapis whispered as she slapped Peridot's mouth shut and dragged her away.

"Well, this is certainly a colorful family you have here." Gloria punned softly.

"Good one, Mrs. D!" Sheena exclaimed while standing under the mistletoe with Pearl & Bismuth and getting kisses from them both. "Oh, I guess he forgot, but name's Sheena. I'm Pearl's girlfriend."

"I see; you're one of those queer found families." Thomas stated while adjusting his tie and turning to meet the Rose posing as Greg's wife. "You must be my son's lovely wife, yes?" he asked while kissing the shy Rose on her hand. "Charmed."

"Oh, why thank you." Rose blushed at the older man's politeness. "Though, I've only known him-"

"Since I toured Beach City when I was young!" Greg interrupted his fake wife. "Hey, you two must be tired after the long trip. Why don't we sit down to some hot chocolate and chat for a bit?"

"Oh, we'd be much obliged." Gloria said as she sat down on the couch. However, she didn't know that the sofa was already occupied by Lion, whose mane was decorated with ornaments and Christmas lights. "Oh my! Is that a-"

"Lion!" Steven exclaimed as Lion looked at his young master and pounced on him. "Oh, I missed you too, big guy! How's Connie doing these days?"

"Uh, is that an actual lion?" Gloria whimpered at the sight of a predatorial animal in the house. "How did you manage to get one?"

"Oh, Lion." Garnet replied. "He's just a huge cat we got from the shelter a few years ago. Please don't ask why he's pink. Not even the shelter workers know why."

"Nice kitty." Thomas said nervously as Lion got off Steven and slid towards the DeMayos to inspect them. "Be a good boy, and don't chomp my arm off."

"Hey, who wants cookies?!" Bismuth yelled as she presented some Snowfall Feast cookies on a baking sheet she turned her left hand into. "Oh shoot, my hand!"

"Cut it, cut it!" Greg whispered to Bismuth, who quickly exchanged her hand for a regular baking sheet. "Don't mind Biddie here. Sometimes she's not very good with her hands."

"I see." Thomas said while sipping his hot chocolate and turning to watch Lapis make shapes with her cocoa in the air, to Gloria's delight. "And what's she up to?"

"Psychic powers!" Lapis got in on the fibbing. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Oh yes, my dear sister Lana is quite the telepath." Peridot declared. "You should've seen what she did to the gardens last week! Positively spellbinding!"

"Fascinating. I want to give that a look later." Thomas replied dryly when he heard a strange humming nearby. Suddenly, two little girls were standing beneath a mistletoe dangling from one of the support beams. "Good lord, what is happening over there?!"

"Look, Ruby, mistletoe." Sapphire chuckled lovingly.

"Oh, come here you!" Ruby exclaimed as the happy couple made out under the mistletoe, much to Thomas's alarm. "Uh, hi there. I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Wha, how, I-"Thomas stuttered in alarm.

"Now, Thomas, no need to be so close-minded," Gloria said to her husband.

"No, it's not like that; I just want to know where they came from!" Thomas yelled.

"We have made a huge mistake." Sapphire realized. "Look over there, the aurora borealis!"

"Where?!" Thomas yelled as he looked away, giving the two small Gems enough time to fuse back into Garnet, arousing more suspicion from him. "Wait, where did they go?!"

"I don't know who went where." Garnet said cheekily.

"Those girls, they were right there!" Thomas roared in shock, but his expression changed from shock to anger as he turned to Greg. "Gregory, you have some explaining to do!"

"Uh, Grandpa, can I talk with Dad for just a moment?" Steven tried to calm everyone down and took Greg to the bathroom behind their families. "Look, Dad, I know you're uncomfortable about talking to your parents about what you've been up to and especially about Mom, but I think this is all a lost cause. I mean, they probably know who the Gems are because they were already over the news. Why don't we just cut our losses and confess to them already?"

"Aw, come on, Schtu-ball, just give me a chance here." Greg responded softly. "Listen, this plan may not make much sense, but I suggest we just ease them into our situation here, and then we can tell them everything."

"Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I'm warning you," Steven urged Greg. "This will end badly."

"Sheesh, no need to be such a pessimist." Greg awkwardly answered as the father and son left the bathroom to rejoin the gathering.

--

As night began to fall on Little Homeworld, Black Rutile began putting her plan into action. All through the town, not a creature was stirring, not even a Flower Buddy, a gourd pup, or a mouse. The stockings were hung all around with care, in the hopes that the big man in red would be there. The Gems were nestled, all snug in their bed, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads. With Black Rutile in a Santa costume and her cronies in elf caps, they made sure their plan was under wraps.

"Ho ho ho, this is perfect!" Black Rutile laughed as she drove her makeshift sleigh around Little Homeworld, pulled by Aquamarine and the Rubies with Holly Blue and Cat's Eye in the back. "I just can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize everything's gone!"

"Yeah, this might be a good reason to kill time before the Vortexxer is finished." Holly Blue agreed. "So, which house are we robbing first?"

"Where else?" Black Rutile answered as the sleigh pulled up to Jasper and White Topaz's house, and she got off the sleigh to sneak in through the door. As she, Holly, and Cat began pilfering every Snowfall Feast decoration and present they could find, Black Rutile was suddenly reminded of a song. "You're a mean one, Black Rutile; you're proud of being vile!" she started singing. "You're as warm as a volcano; you're as sweet as stomach bile, Black Rutile! You're as disgusting as a hideous pile!"

"Oh my, you write that yourself?" Cat asked as the trio went outside with their loot to pack into the sleigh.

"No, ripping off some old Snowfall special." Black Rutile answered before commanding the Rubies to pull the sleigh again, and she continued to sing. "You're an animal, Black Rutile, you literally have no heart! Your gem is covered in cracks; you've got razor blades for a soul, Black Rutile! I'd rather die than touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole!"

Next up on her list of treasonous former minions for Black Rutile to rob were Demantoid & Pyrope, followed by Emerald, and then the Lapis twins. Presents aplenty were snatched from homes all around, clothing and tools and such all ripped from the ground. Anyone else wouldn't dream of causing such despair, but that naughty Black Rutile didn't care.

"You're disgusting, Black Rutile. You'd make the evilest souls retch!" Black Rutile kept singing as she next chopped down the big tree at the center of town with her sword and tied its trunk to the back of the sleigh. "You have the heartlessness of a man with lots of sketch, Black Rutile! If you had to choose between him and me, you'd choose the man with lots of sketch!"

Despite Black Rutile's attempts at catlike stealth in her theft of Snowfall Feast, the tree dragged loudly against the ground, rousing at least one Gem from their slumber. But she was too busy singing to notice as she began reaching the front gates of Little Homeworld. "You're morally bankrupt, Black Rutile. You're a real piece of junk! You've got the mind of a madman and the attitude of a punk, Black Rutile! If I had to pick three words to describe myself, they would be as followed: stink, stank, stunk!"

--

"The talent agent asked what the name of their act was." Amethyst finished telling a story at the dinner table to the Universe and DeMayo families. "And you know what their answer was? The Aristocrats!" Everyone began laughing uproariously at the punchline, but Pearl was a little turned off by the joke.

"That was quite possibly the most disgusting story you've ever told, Amethyst." Pearl declared as she tried not to barf. "And that's saying something considering the booger story from last month."

"Pardon me, but what is this booger story you speak of?" Thomas asked.

"Oh man, you should've been there!" Amethyst exclaimed, grossing Pearl out even further. "It was the greenest, the biggest, the juiciest-"

"Could someone please pass the potatoes before I lose my appetite?" Gloria nervously asked, and Rose did just that. "Oh, thank you, Rose, you're such a dear! I can see why Greg fell for you."

"Thank you." Rose began blushing.

"Oh dear, none of you have eaten!" Gloria realized as she discovered the Gems hadn't touched your dinner. "You're going to let such wonderful cooking go to waste?"

"We actually don't need to eat." Pearl responded.

"I do!" Amethyst added. "More for me, then!" She quickly scooped up Garnet, Pearl, Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth's dinners and hoarded them all in her mouth. To Thomas's shock, Amethyst did not gain additional weight from that much food.

"You young people and your alternative lifestyles." Thomas frowned.

"Actually, we're way older than you. Like, thousands even." Lapis accidentally slipped up, and she covered her mouth in horror of what she had just said. "Uh oh."

"Thousands of years older, huh?" Thomas said as he ominously turned to Greg. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Aw geez." Andy groaned as he smacked his face in disappointment.

"I knew it." Steven muttered, just as disappointed, while Greg slumped in his seat.

"Okay, you got me." Greg sighed in acceptance. "I'm not part of a normal family. I was actually married to an alien warrior who died in childbirth to give birth to Steven."

"I knew it!" Thomas yelled while smacking the table, briefly spooking Gloria and Pearl. "You were lying to us this whole time! What's next? Are you going to tell us that you replaced your wife with an imposter too?!"

"Actually, that's exactly what we did." Pearl pointed out brightly, quickly realizing she wasn't helping, and kept quiet.

"I'm sorry if I made you mad, Greg's dad." Rose shyly apologized, followed by Gloria putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Now, Gregory, what do you have to say for yourself?" Thomas coldly admonished his ashamed son.

"Look, Dad, I'm sorry for lying about all this." Greg apologized to his father. "It's just; I only wanted to ease you all into what I've been up to since I moved out. But now, I guess I have no choice but to tell. So which story do you want to hear, mine or Rose's?"

"Either one of them will do, dear." Gloria replied calmly. "Go on. We won't judge."

"Okay, it's a long and complicated story." Greg sighed as he started telling everyone about Pink Diamond. "Got any gum?"

--

"So what do you suppose we'll do with all our loot?" Aquamarine asked as the Rutile Rebels parked their sleigh outside of Little Homeworld. "Maybe burn it all or toss it off a cliff?"

"We can sort things out later; I just feel like gloating right now!" Black Rutile answered. "I can't believe it; this might be my first big triumph in ages! I've not just ruined Snowfall Feast for all the Gems in the present, but I'm sure to ruin all Snowfall Feasts yet to come too!" As Black Rutile let out a wicked cackle, suddenly, another Gem began making crunchy footsteps in the snow, causing the Snowfall thief to turn to discover who it was. "You again? Why do you keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, like everywhere?!"

"Santa Claus, why?" Teal Zircon asked innocently as she discovered that Black Rutile was making off with all the presents and decorations in her sleigh. "Why are you taking our Snowfall Feast? Why?"

"You really don't get it, do you? Figures for such a complete idiot." Black Rutile sneered before shedding her disguise. "Nay Teal Zircon, it is I, Black Rutile! Besides, there's no Santa Claus, just like there's no Easter Bunny or queen of England! He was just some fat idiot made up by morally bankrupt toy companies to make more money!"

"Of course, it was you, Black Rutile." Teal responded. "Still, why did you go all this way to steal everything Snowfall Feast-related from Little Homeworld? Is it because you have some kind of bah humbug grudge against the holiday?"

"No, it's because I don't get it at all!" Black Rutile snapped at the childish Zircon. "I'm expected to be all happy and smiley during this time of year, but I have no reason to because I'm constantly miserable here!"

"Well, if you don't want to be happy, I guess I'll have to make you myself, my bromide." Teal said as she took a krav maga stance and fiercely tackled Black Rutile, causing her bag of presents and décor to topple over as the two Gems fought. Among them was a gift box labeled "To Lapis and Peridot, from Jasper" containing a small, orange Pomeranian puppy that peeked out of the box.

"Come on, Black Rutile, can't you let your heart grow three sizes for just one day?!" Teal yelled as she trapped the rebel in a headlock.

"Never!" Black Rutile yelled. "Plus, having your heart grow any size larger would probably be deadly! To me, my Rutile Rebels!"

"Hands off, you annoying advertiser!" Holly Blue yelled, drawing her whip and cracking it at them both, shocking the Gems and freeing Black Rutile from Teal Zircon's grasp.

"You don't understand, I am so close for once!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "Can't I get a little victory as a Snowfall Feast gift?!" Just then, she heard an assortment of indistinct voices echo from Little Homeworld as they slowly approached the front gates. "Oh no!"

"What's going on here?" Volleyball wondered as the Gems discovered the Rutile Rebels with their sleigh full of stolen goods, along with Black Rutile face down in the snow and Teal desperately trying to save Snowfall Feast. "Teal, what's the meaning of this?!"

"It's Black Rutile!" Teal yelled while poking her head out of the sack. "She's trying to make you all as miserable as she is by stealing Snowfall Feast!"

"Somehow, I figured something like this would happen." Jasper rolled her eyes with dismay.

"Yeah, I think this might be the time for a lesson here, Black Rutile." White Topaz added. "Sometimes, Snowfall Feast isn't about what comes from a store. Maybe it means just a little bit more."

"That's it? That's the message you want to give me?!" Black Rutile yelled in disgust. "You know what, forget this dumb plan, and you can have your dumb stuff back! I'm out of here!" With an overdramatic huff, Black Rutile turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving everyone to take back their stolen belongings.

"Once again, Black Rutile refuses to budge. Not surprised." Jasper huffed back before she looked down at the Pomeranian pawing at her ankle. "Hey, little Earth creature." She said while picking up the puppy. "Let's get you to your new owners."

--

"So, there you have it." Greg proclaimed as he had finished telling his parents the story of his relationship with Rose and everything afterward. "The long and complicated history of me, Rose, and the Crystal Gems. So, what did you think?"

"My, you…. certainly had an eventful time as a father." Thomas said plainly in response to the story. "I was just so blind to how much you've been through. Plus, I did not expect to hear that you technically killed your wife through, y'know."

"Oh, you poor dear." Gloria said as she brought Greg in for a hug. "You've been through so much but never let go of what mattered most. At least you still found happiness after leaving us."

"Thanks, Mom." Greg replied and returned the hug. "You too, pops."

"Okay, you asked for it." Thomas smirked as he stepped up and hugged Greg even tighter than his wife. "Please forgive me for driving you away."

"Eh, maybe that could take a while." Greg said just as the door opened, Jasper and White Topaz walked in. "Oh hey girls, you missed a real crazy night!"

"Hi, Mr. Universe, happy Snowfall Feast, everyone!" White Topaz exclaimed. "Hey, we just wanted to stop by because we got a little gift for a pair of special someones."

"Really, who's getting what?" Peridot asked, causing Jasper to unfurl her hands and reveal the Pomeranian inside them. "Oh my stars, it's so precious!" she exclaimed with stars in her eyes. "What made you want to get it?!"

"Well, we knew how much you missed Pumpkin, so maybe this could be a good replacement." Jasper said sheepishly, not being used to being so giving to her former enemies. To her surprise, the two Gems hugged her in response. "Thanks."

"Merry Snowfall Feast to all!" Steven declared happily.

"And to all, a good night!" Rose added.

--

Unfortunately, not everyone was so merry on Snowfall Feast. Black Rutile sat down on the whirly-bird tower, gazing up at the night sky all by her lonesome as she began contemplating her actions. "Is it really worth it to keep doing all this when failure is basically the only option?" she pondered to herself. "Why even bother trying to make everyone miserable when I'm the only one who's left miserable myself?"

"Something the matter, kiddo?" a jolly voice said, making Black Rutile turn around to see a large man with a white beard, a red suit, and a warm smile sitting next to her. There was no mistaking it; Black Rutile had come face to face with Santa Claus himself. "What's gotten you so sad on Snowfall Feast?"

"What's gotten me so sad?! Oh, you have no idea what I've suffered, old man!" Black Rutile exclaimed. "I am only doing what's best for everyone and trying to be a good leader, but the universe seems to be doing everything in its power to ruin everything for me! I've lost all my power, I barely have any allies, I'm treated as a joke by my former superior, and now my plan to steal Snowfall Feast and make everyone just as sad as I am has been ruined!"

"Well, you're certainly not the first person to try stealing this time of year." Santa commented cheekily. "But I don't think you get it. Snowfall Feast isn't completely about getting things from other people, though that is a very good reason to celebrate it. No, Snowfall Feast is about spending time with the ones you love the most, giving to your fellow man, and just celebrating what it means to have peace on Earth. You get that, right?"

"Why yes, I do." Black Rutile answered. "That was basically the exact same answer White Topaz gave me! I don't know why you bothered visiting me!"

"Okay, geez, I was just trying to be nice, you naughty little Gem!" Santa yelled as Black Rutile stormed off once again. "Uh, merry Snowfall Feast, Black Rutile!"

"Get bent!" Black Rutile responded to Old Saint Nick.

--

"And so ends this heartwarming Snowfall fable." Dr. James Brenner proclaimed while sitting by a fireplace and closing a book. "Please come again, if you are able. We'll take a break for some holiday fun, but when we meet next time, this shall be a good one!"

--

Well said, Brenner. I hope this could become an annual holiday tradition for fanfiction readers, but when we meet again in 2023, shit will surely hit the fan as Black Rutile's next big plan comes to fruition. See you next year everybody, and happy holidays!

[iwanthermidnightz]

Do you watch The Morning Show? Did you see Julianna Marguiles’ comments? I love how she brought up “assumptions”. Made me think of Taylor even though the comments aren’t about her, but more so the context of how it can apply to she or anyone really.

Yes, I saw that article earlier! And I love that show. It just got way better with the Bradley/Laura storyline. There were a lot of interesting moments in this scene too…

[kendrysaneela]

I don't really know what to think of Stella's character, and I think only after this episode I've kinda figured it out, but it seems like she's willing to go past her own morals to do what's best for the company? E.g. the racism incident with Yanko, like yes it was good that he stood up for her, but also unfortunately she has to take the side of her company and put him on suspension?? IDK she's an interesting character, sort of a bit like Cory from s1 in that we didn't really know much about his character.

Stella could turn out completely different from Cory, however, both of their actions were similar to varying degrees (doing whatever is best for UBA), except when Cory outed Bradley and Laura because he needed a better story than Hannah's smear campaign. I think I'm referring more to s1 Cory and maybe pre-this episode Cory. Either way, I think they have very similar motivations which is what I'm saying.

Hmm I don’t know if I agree. I don’t think her suspending Yanko was her doing whatever was best for the company even against her own morals because while Yanko was in the right for punching that dude he was a dick Stella also can’t have someone who beat up a man on the weather right away regardless of that guy deserving to be punched. So that move made sense to me. Completely normal business decision on her part regardless of her being grateful to him for punching the guy. I don’t think Stella is like Cory I think she’s her own thing. I think she’ll try to prove herself but I don’t think she’ll go against her own morals to do so. She strikes me as someone who thinks she can make change and run the network without compromising herself. I think her struggle is gonna be that people keep underestimating her cause she’s young or white men who are below or on the same level as her are trying to undermine her. (We’ve seen this about the fact that Cory didn’t tell Stella that Sybil wanted to fire Bradley and just made the unanimous decision to leave her out) or stopping people from pairing her with Cory. (We’ve seen Stella accuse Cory of hiring her just for a diversity hire as well and not wanting to give her any responsibility so that’s also part of the undermining and underestimating) So I think her thing is gonna be pulling away from Cory’s influence and making herself stand out among the crowd and fighting against peoples assumptions of her and fighting against people who try to undermine and underestimate her as she tries to make her own way in the corporate world of TMS.

[eizneckam]

Not that this would ever happen, but I like rolling around the idea of fancasts in my head, so here’s some ideas for an Omori fancast (I used mostly anime VAs since they tend to do video games too). I’ll put a couple roles next to the names in case you don’t recognize them so you can look them up:

Main Cast

Sunny/Omori - I mean. This VA would get Persona levels of “no actual voice lines”, since neither of these characters speak until the last 5% of the game, but still… I saw someone suggest Kyle McCarley (Hyde Kido from UNIB, Shinji from Fate/stay night, Narancia from JJBA: Golden Wind) for this, and even if I weren’t a huge fan of Kyle, I still would choose him for this. It’s actually a really good fit. (Of course, this video contains an… interesting alternate suggestion.)

Aubrey - Cassandra Lee (Taiga Aisaka from Toradora!, Kyubey from Madoka Magica). Again, this is a bit of personal bias since she’s one of my favorite VAs, but she can do both the “cute little girl” voice (for Headspace Aubrey) and the “abrasive” voice (for the real Aubrey), so I think this works out really well.

Kel - Two VAs for this one. I think in real life, Kel would be one of those boys who’s tiny and cute when he’s little, but grows up to have a surprisingly deep voice, so for Headspace Kel I went with Brittney Karbowski (Selim Bradley from FMAB, Black Star from Soul Eater) since I think she’s one of the few female VAs that can do an actually good impression of a little boy’s voice. (Maxey Whitehead (Alphonse Elric from FMAB) would also work.) For the real Kel, I would probably go with Austin Tindle (Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom), since he sounds friendly (though Karma is really anything but).

Hero - This was the hardest one for me, because I feel like Hero’s voice needs to be just right. After a lot of deliberation, I settled on two - Johnny Yong Bosch (Yu Narukami from Persona 4) or Bryce Papenbrook (Shirou Emiya from Fate/stay night). I still don’t know if these are correct, so if you have a better idea, tell me.

Mari - Cristina Vee (Sakura Matou from Fate/stay night and countless others). This is one of those that I can’t really explain, only say that it fits in my head. Don’t you agree?

Basil - ...okay. I’m just going to say - I actually don’t like the “female VA plays young boy” trope. Yes, I know I did it for Kel above, but I used two actresses who I actually think can pull it off - I just don’t think most female VAs are good at it (not that they’re bad actors - it’s just that despite similar pitches, a young boy’s voice still sounds different from an adult woman’s). All that said… there’s no way I hear Basil with a male VA. Maybe one with an extremely high-pitched voice, but until someone can suggest one of those, I’ll go with Lindsay Seidel (Nagisa Shiota from Assassination Classroom). She’s among those few actresses I mentioned who can somewhat pull off the “young boy” voice. Of course, I also chose her because of the similarities between Nagisa and Basil - young man, looks like a girl (kinda), bad parents, seems shy but has a hidden dangerous side, etc. So yeah. (This explanation was unnecessarily long.) ...except several meme videos have also made me read Basil with the voice of Red Van Buskirk (Silver from Real-Time Fandub), which, despite being a joke idea, works scarily well.

Side Characters

Pluto - One of two actors. Either Christopher Sabat or Patrick Seitz, as they are the biggest hams the English-speaking VA community has to offer. (See: Vegeta and Dio.) Now that I’m thinking about it, Sung-Won Cho (a.k.a. ProZD) would be perfect too.

Space Boyfriend - Thanks to Osulan, I am unable to unhear SB as Chase Young (a.k.a. Mephiles from the Real-Time Fandub series). This is not a serious choice, but it’s the only one I have.

Sweetheart - Due to Sweetheart essentially being “Beatrice+Erika minus the nasty bits”, I really want to say Sayaka Ohara (the voice of Beatrice). But I did say English voice actors, so we’ll go with Mela Lee (Rachel Alucard from BlazBlue), mainly because Rachel and Sweetheart are both “elegant lady”-type characters.

Mr. Jawsum - Probably Patrick Seitz again. Yeah, actually I think this one works.

Slime Girls - I really don’t know about this one… Probably Monica Rial for Marina, Jamie Marchi for Molly, and Laura Bailey for Medusa. That sounds about right.

Humphrey - As a joke idea, Humphrey with the voice of Tom Kenny (Spongebob from… well) would be absolutely hilarious. (Imagine Spunch Bop saying “I fucking love air conditioning”.) Anyway, for a real idea, maybe Sonny Strait because Koro-sensei’s and Humphrey’s laughs are eerily similar. (Also, Sonny Strait is scarily good at changing his voice pitch. I would never recognize Krillin, Hughes, and Kyuzo as all being the same person.)

Hooligang - Unfortunately, I couldn’t really think of any except Todd Haberkorn (Ling from FMAB, Italy from Hetalia) for Mikhael, so if you have any ideas, add them.

I’m out of ideas. (Sorry, Polly.) Feel free to debate (politely) and add more.

[sapphicscholar]

The Morning Show:

4. F/M/K: Alex/Bradley/Laura.

Also, Stella/Mia/Paola (because we should do one one of the sane people)

Oooh for the first one:

Marry: Laura - I am SO down to go live on that fancy ranch in Montana with a beautiful, competent woman while the rest of the world implodes

Fuck.... I think I have to go Alex! Sometimes you just need a little (so much) unhinged energy, but for one night only haha

Kill: sorry Bradley! Nothing personal!

And for the second set:

Marry: Mia - like yes she is in the job from hell and probably would not be home much, which would be a major bummer BUT I feel like unlike most people on the show she's still pretty self-aware and grounded (also this character is now a little mixed in my head with the I-think-queer professor Pittman is playing in the sex and the city reboot, which just makes her even better)

Fuck: Stella - love her energy, but can't do anything long-term with someone whose career is 100% tethered to Cory's and uba+ lol

Kill: Paola - sorry bud! You got a little too buddy-buddy with Mitch, but you've got great hair as a consolation!

[tocinephile]

T'was the night before the Oscars...

Here we are again. The final stab at a decent award show ceremony amidst a global pandemic. I'm not getting my hopes up after the Golden Globes and SAG zoom calls, in fact I've read very little about the upcoming ceremonies since they announced they would not be using zoom... and then promptly reversed that decision.

It would seem no matter how late we delay the Oscars, I still find myself the night before the show scrambling to watch all the Best Picture nominees. It also hasn't slipped my mind all the promises I'd made to discuss my top films of 2020 and the things I would not have seen if not for this global catastrophe. Having had a number of conversations with fellow cinephiles, many have also found themselves very unenthused about award season contenders, dramatic pictures or anything with heavier content so to speak, or even movies in general. The struggle to concentrate is real.

I'm going to get right into my list of predictions with the caveats that I have yet to see Sound of Metal, and I have to watch the second half of Judas and the Black Messiah after I hit 'post' here. You will find as we go through, there's lots more I haven't seen.

Best Picture

“The Father”

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Mank”

“Minari”

“Nomadland” - Will win

“Promising Young Woman” - Should win (though I liked Nomadland very much as well)

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Best Director

Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)

David Fincher (“Mank”) - excellent director but I actually don't think he left his mark on Mank as much as he did many of his other films, I've questioned previously whether he should have gotten the nomination

Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) - Will win/should win

Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

Best Actor in a Leading Role - very strong contenders all around in this category, every one of them (I'm sure I'll have the same reaction about Riz Ahmed) made me say "holy shit" in amazement out loud

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) - Will win/should win

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Steven Yeun (“Minari”)

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) - I think if not Andra Day, then Viola will win it

Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”) - Will win?/should win

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) - I think he's also got a decent shot in this category

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) - Will win/should win

Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)

Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”) - truth be told I didn't think her performance was so great that she should get an Oscar nomination for it

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Olivia Colman (“The Father”) - another potentially unpopular comment... while I think Olivia Colman is one of the best actresses and most delightful people in existence, given her range and talent I don't she particularly excelled in The Father to make it an Oscar-worthy performance.

Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)

Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”) - Will win/should win

Best Animated Feature Film - I only saw one film so I have no basis for comparison

“Onward” (Pixar)

“Over the Moon” (Netflix)

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)

“Soul” (Pixar) - will win

“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS)

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Nina Pedrad

“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller - should win...and will win?

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers - might also win?

“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani

Best Original Screenplay

“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas

“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung

“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell - 50/50 will win/definitely should win tho!

“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder, Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin - 50/50 will win... I really didn't get onboard this movie, but I will say the script was the best thing about it

Best Original Song - I'm not even going to venture a guess...

“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas

“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson

“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

Best Original Score - I actually didn't think much of any of the scores in any of the films I've seen in 2020...

“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard

“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“Minari,” Emile Mosseri

“News of the World,” James Newton Howard

“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste - will win

Best Sound - I suspect it might be Sound of Metal but I haven't watched it yet. I've also not seen Greyhound.

“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman

“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin

“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett

“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh

Best Costume Design

“Emma,” Alexandra Byrne - will win

“Mank,” Trish Summerville

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Ann Roth - should win

“Mulan,” Bina Daigeler - should also win

“Pinocchio,” Massimo Cantini Parrini

Best Animated Short Film - I didn't watch a single Oscar-nominated short this year

“Burrow” (Disney Plus/Pixar)

“Genius Loci” (Kazak Productions)

“If Anything Happens I Love You” (Netflix)

“Opera” (Beasts and Natives Alike)

“Yes-People” (CAOZ hf. Hólamói)

Best Live-Action Short Film - I didn't watch a single Oscar-nominated short this year

“Feeling Through”

“The Letter Room”

“The Present”

“Two Distant Strangers”

“White Eye”

Best Cinematography

“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt

“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt - will win/should win

“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski

“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael

Best Documentary Feature - I thought I watched a decent number of docs in 2020, but apparently not the right ones because I saw none of these.

“Collective,” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

“Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

“My Octopus Teacher,” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster

“Time,” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Subject - I didn't watch a single Oscar-nominated short this year

“Colette,” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard

“A Concerto Is a Conversation,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

“Do Not Split,” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook

“Hunger Ward,” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman

“A Love Song for Latasha,” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

Best Film Editing

“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos - 50/50 will win/should win

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval

“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten - 50/50 will win

Best International Feature Film

“Another Round” (Denmark) - will win

“Better Days” (Hong Kong) - should win (yes, because I'm biased, plus it's also the only other film aside from Another Round that I've seen in this category and I liked it a lot better, but also, just because it's very fine film)

“Collective” (Romania)

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)

“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze - will win

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson - should win

“Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff

“Pinocchio,” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli, Francesco Pegoretti

Best Production Design

“The Father.” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone - I don't think this is the best Production Design but I do think it's underrated what they did and that it should be recognized a different kind of creativity went into designing the sets for this film.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton

“Mank.” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale - will win? I do think the Production Design was spectacular...

“News of the World.” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

“Tenet.” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas - should win

Best Visual Effects

“Love and Monsters,” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox

“The Midnight Sky,” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

“Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram

“The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

“Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher - will win/should win... like why would it not win??

Ok, I wasn't very decisive in some of those categories and since I'm taking part in an Oscar pool I will have to make some choices and refine my selections before tomorrow. I will share my final Oscar pool pics, do my part bombarding everyone's twitter tomorrow evening, and review after the awards where it all went right/wrong.

[mystic-scripture]

What if It Wasn’t Fake? Part 1

A Bucky Fake Dating AU. 

Hey all, this is part of Amanda aka @stanclub���s 2.5 K writing challenge! This is the first time I’ve done one of these and honestly, I can’t believe I have to split this up, it was so simple in my mind, but the details just got away from me.

Word Count: 6,992 

Warnings: Swearing, lots of drinking, anxiety ridden situations, anything else please let me know ASAP 

I want to say this is part one of two, but I am not sure yet...we’ll see.

Fake Dating Prompt: my friends are all coupled up and i’m the only single person so i pretended you were my partner even though you’re the barista/bookstore owner/etc. that i see all the time and now they want to meet you (for bucky)

Warning( separate from the others I guess) : I refer to Rocket briefly in this, but please assume he is human, kay (i.e. he looks and sounds like Bradley Cooper). Not judging others, but not really into that furry stuff. I just wanted to make the jokes that I make really bad.

What if it Wasn’t Fake?

“Are you kidding me right now?” Bright, frost blue eyes glanced at yours in amusement as well as confusion. “I mean, you’ve gotta be right? We’ve never interacted outside this bar as individuals, let alone what you’re proposing so there’s no way you expect me to say yes to that.”

“Come on, Buck!” You pleaded, slapping your hand against said counter as he cleaned a glass in front of you. “It’s not like I had any other options!”

“Oh, so I’m not even your first choice; Just your only one.” His eyes narrowed at you, but there was a playful glint to his eyes that you swear you (or rather the booze in you) could see. “Consider me flattered.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples with a headache that wasn’t even close to a warning of the impending hangover you were going to have in the morning. You’d been hanging out with your friends, Gamora (and goofball of a boyfriend Peter), Okoye (and her new beau M’baku), Jarvis (though he goes by Vis ever since he started dating Wanda), and Clint (and his baby mama Laura).  

The pattern is already becoming evident, thus your problem. You were single in a flock of paired lovebirds. Which is what led you into the very situation that had you pleading a teasing Bucky. They were all partnered up, and even adding more couples to the friend group, while you sat alone and isolated amongst a sea of friends. And none of them helped with the numerous blind dates they wouldn’t tell you about until you were trapped. Not that you were complaining about the hookup with Peter’s friend Rocket, dude was an animal and knew what he was doing.

So, when it came time to decide who your plus one to the big art gallery opening you were all invited to in a week, you embellished on your relationship status. And by embellished, you told everyone that you were dating the hot bartender at your favorite bar, now they all want to meet him beforehand, and you were strapped. Dinner, in three days, and you hadn’t even told him that you’d said this just as long ago. Work had been hectic and you’d been cramming to get this done in time, and well, you just couldn’t bring yourself to tell him. At least not until it was last call and you’d had several of your go to cocktails.

This lead to the very circular conversation you were currently having about a few days of prep/ ‘research’ in order to know each other and not get caught up in things. He, though finding you amusing and adorable, was refusing, and you were getting more embarrassed the more you talked about it. It’s not like you wanted to have a fake boyfriend, you were just tired of all the couples feeling bad for you.

“Look, I’ll tell them that we broke it off because you had to do something that will make you look good, or even better, you dumped me for someone better!”

The begging had started about ten minutes ago, but it was getting more slurred as you sat there, more and more of the liquer saturating in your liver. You had figured if you ordered enough drinks and tipped him enough, he might eventually give in out of sheer annoyance. Unfortunately, he was painfully sober and not having it. So, you’ve dissolved into telling him the truth.  

“And you really think none of them are going to see through it?” He shook his head, punching buttons in the register to close out someone’s tab. “Pretty sure Clint is a regular here, and Gamora comes on Karaoke nights.”

“Please, we both know you don’t work Karaoke.” You argued, not denying the holes in your plan. “And if Clint’s here, he’s here to drink, not pay attention to the various people that serve him. Well, unless it’s Nat, he’s never too busy to flirt with Nat.”

“Oh he does more than flirt,” The redhead corrected, casting a wink in your direction. “At least he did until he knocked Laura up; now he’s a total boy scout. Mention me in casual conversation; you’ll see.”

“Romanoff you are really not helping. “Bucky rolled his eyes at your banter, “That is hardly the point here, and you have four tables to clear off.”

A mock salute was tossed his way as Nat gracefully floated away. “Fine, Fine, go back to your petty excuse for a fight that we all know you’re going to cave on.”

You watched as an icy glare was sent in her direction, before the gaze turned molten towards you. There was something about the intensity of these gazes that sent chills down your spine. You didn’t know if it was because of the booze, or the fact that you suspected Natasha’s comment meant something more. You were scared by this, still awaiting a reply. A part of you wanted to worry, but something else in you made you put on a brave face. You slapped a rather large tip on the table, and raised an eyebrow in what you hoped looked like a challenge.

“So…” You dragged the word out, your small spark of courage fluttering. “Are we going to keep up this charade, or are you going to help me?”

A dark, throaty chuckle resounded from his chest. “Puppy eyes and begging didn’t work, so we’re resorting to bribery now, Doll?”

“You underestimate the desperate nature of my condition.” The statement sounded a lot less pitiful in your head, but you barrelled forward. “And judging by your coworker’s comments I have overestimated your resolve.”

Broad shoulders turned from you, long fingers gracefully cleaning the freshly washed glasses. “We’ll see (y/ln), we’ll see.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been a long process, but after you’d all but locked yourself in the bar with him while he closed, you’d finally convinced Bucky to go along with your plan. Well, most of your plan. He refused to see you outside of work until the dinner which was right before the event, meaning no prep, and no idea what to say about him for the next few days as questions abounded. Typically, it ended up with you texting him, or Nat should he refuse to answer, as quickly and discreetly as possible. As you sat at lunch with the guys today, (the girls were having a spa day that you rejected to) you could feel the worry curdle in your gut. Or maybe it was the Bailey’s from the Car Bomb you all downed.

“So, tell us more about your boy, (y/n).” Quill slurred, leaning back in his chair to the point that it tipped slightly, causing him to slump forward. “How can we believe he’ll show?”

“Like you can talk when you tried to set me up with that Trash Panda you call a friend.” You bit back. “Dude showed up an hour late and then tried to steal an old man’s prosthetic. The only reason I even did anything with him after is because he was very ripped, and very persuasive.”

“Eww, you actually did Rocket?” he gagged. “I’d hoped he was kidding when he said he’d hit it and quit it.”

“That is only half true!” Clint laughed, sticking up for you, which made you relax your fist around your glass. “I’m pretty sure (y/n) kicked him out of her apartment after she was done with him.”

“Were you listening from the roof again, you perv?” You teased, feeling yourself grow calm in the banter. “I swear you just sit at that air duct so you can have blackmail.”

“You can prove nothing, (y/ln). Nothing.” The blonde winked, tossing his sandwich wrapper into the bin three tables down with a soft swish. “And even if you could, you’ll never see me coming.”

M’baku’s deep chuckle sounded next to you as he swallowed down a bite of his veggie wrap. “I fail to see what any of this has to do with your...Bucky?” You nodded. “And how we know nothing of him. How long have you been seeing each other without any of us knowing?”

Vis nodded, the tea in front of him steaming in curls around his face.”I agree, I feel like you would have told us something sooner, (y/n). I’m honestly quite offended to have not heard of this.”

You sighed, bobbing your shoulders up and dropping them in a look of doubt. “If I’m telling the truth? I don’t even know, we’ve known each other in passing for a while, so I can’t pinpoint exactly when we crossed the line between friends and more…” You paused, trying to find a way to say this in a way that wouldn’t make it sound like you’d literally said the first guy they didn’t know that popped into your head. “Besides, I wanted to make sure this was a decent thing before bringing him into the fold, ya know? Vet him out a little bit.”

This seemed to please them, and after everyone had finished eating, it was decided they would go to the park to wait for the girls. Some frisbee was tossed, a few vendors visited. As the sun died down, you all walked for a bit, discussing work and the various things that have happened throughout the week, when you felt a light tap at your shoulder, causing you to turn, the group continuing without you. Knowing it wasn’t any of your friends, you swung your fist, thinking it was someone up to no good. (I mean, the park didn’t always have savary people, and the day was dying down) However, you were surprised when a warm hand wrapped around yours, catching the punch with ease. Taking a look up, you instantly felt regret and panic as you looked to your friends.

“Buck, what the hell?” You hissed, yanking out of his loose grip as you tried to fix the situation. “What are you doing here?”

“I was heading home, worked the delivery this morning instead of the bar tonight.” He shrugged, running his now free hand through his hair. Nodding behind you, he smirked. “So, those your friends?”

“Yeah, but I don’t like that look on-”

Your concerns were cut off as he swerved around you and towards your friends that were sitting at and around a nearby bench when they saw you weren’t with you. You could have sworn you felt the ghosting of his lips at your temple, but you were too busy panicking at whatever he was planning to really think about it. He had replaced the smirk with a smooth smile, the one you’ve seen him use for the patrons of the bar, and his walk was poised to be relaxed. You numbly followed him, managing to catch up to him in frantic steps just as he reached the boys.

“You all must be (y/n)’s friends I’ve heard so much about.” His voice oozed charm and confidence, a hand outstretched toward Clint who happened to be closest. “I’m James, but you can call me Bucky or Buck.”

You barely had time to catalogue that you never knew his first name before Clint grasped his hand, raising an eyebrow at him. “I know you from somewhere, don’t I? You look super familiar, Dude.”

“Well, I’ve heard your close one of my closest staff members at the bar I own.” He replied easily raising a curious eyebrow in your direction. “Natasha over at Winter’s Draft?”

“Oh, yeah...Nat.” Clint’s grin turned wicked, though frantically made him blanch as we all looked at him. I guess she had been right, total boy scout, my little rebel. He rubbed at the back of his head, giving off a shrug that was meant to look nonchalant. “I mean, I knew her, but it’s been a while. Haven’t seen her since I started seeing Laura.”

“Right, well, she sends her regards.” He stated before quickly going through and introducing himself to each man, somehow knowing enough about them to get through introductions. You watched all of this in awe, barely even reacting to the exchanges and jokes made around you. This was not part of the plan. You were to meet him at your place, and figure out a strategy, dinner at around Seven, go to the gallery opening, and then call it a night. Getting along with your friends? Laughing and knowing things about them? Not expected or anticipated.

It wasn’t until Barton poked you in the ribs saying they were gonna head home since the girls decided to grab some drinks before getting dolled up, that you could really do anything.

“I-I’ll meet you at your car, Clint.” You muttered, blinking slowly to wake yourself up. “I just want to confirm a few things with James about tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it, Man, I can give her a ride.” Bucky insisted, wrapping a loose, but heavy arm around your shoulders. “This might take a while, we’ll just meet you at the restaurant, yeah?”

None of them, aside from Clint, who was still trying to parse how he knew Bucky and not seeing the obvious answer, seemed to pick up on any of the panic that you were trying to exude from your body. There were slight micro expressions of how easily he touched you, something that they knew people had to earn, but otherwise, nothing. Putting on a small smile, I nodded, gulping down the chokehold of anxiety in my throat.

“You know, he’s right, why keep you all away from your Ladies, right? We’ll meet you at the dining hall.”

All the men nodded, waving as they departed, leaving you alone with your bartender, who apparently was the bar’s owner. He seemed relaxed, and not as if he’d just bumped into you with your friends casually when he’d refused to even talk to you about this facade. You swallowed the lump in your throat as you took in the details of his face, a hushed growl replacing it.

“What the fuck was that?!” Your elbow moved to make contact with his ribs, but  he’d spun around you and started leading you in the opposite direction with a scarily practiced finesse. You moved with him, knowing that otherwise you’d be dragged, or fall on your face and cause an even bigger scene than the one you’d imagined. “You couldn’t warn me? Text me a heads up, maybe, anything?”

You waved your hands for a more dramatic effect, but it only served to amuse him, an easy smile coming across his lips. “And miss out on how adorably thrown you are? Not a chance in Hell. Besides, figured it would be better if we hadn’t planned on this.”

At this you stopped, stumbling slightly when his arm kept moving behind you. You were quick to duck though, rebalancing yourself to look at him. Your face scrunched as you crossed your arms to hug yourself. His face gave the illusion of being an open book, but you couldn’t read anything off of him. Noticing the crinkle in your brow, he smirked, knowing he was successful.

You let out a puff of air, all anger deflating out of you at this point. “Well, it’s too late to take any of it back now, you just dug yourself deeper down the Rabbit Hole. No backing out now.” You looked where you’d retraced your steps. “Wait wha- You came this way why are we walking through it again? Were you stalking me?”

“Please.” He scoffed, his lip twitching slightly as he tried to hide that damn smirk again. “Don’t flatter yourself, (y/l/n). I happened to be walking through the park after a long day, and wanted to relax before an even longer night where I have to be in a monkey suit.”

“Geeze, such a drama queen.” You scoffed now, motioning to his attire. “You’re halfway there most of the time anyway.”

You both looked down button down shirt, rolled crisply to the elbow and gently folded back. This was actually the first time you’d ever seen him in the daylight, and you couldn’t deny that you liked what you saw. The muscles at the bar were even bigger than you imagined, but there was a softness to him that you didn’t normally see. He had his shirt tucked into dark jeans that tauntingly hugged at his legs (and his ass, if you guessed correctly), and pooled ever so slightly over his boots. Though dressy, you noticed that they also looked scuffed and worn as if he’d had them for a while, or used them in more utility fashion. His hair waved just at the top of his shoulders, giving off a volume that would make a supermodel jealous, and his stubble had been trimmed and groom very recently.

You didn’t even realize you’d been staring until he made some comment about being better than the polar opposite like you- which was true, you were hanging with the guys today, so you’d settled for a ratty old baseball tee, stained jeans, and comfortable sneakers- and huffed, trying to act as if you were looking for your friends in hopes of escaping this mad man. Hell, a part of you was doing this in earnest; he was far too wild a card to play at this kind of thing.

Maybe you could run for it, tell them it was all a ruse, and just never go to the bar you’d been going to nigh on religiously for the past three years. You bit your lip, knowing that wasn’t going to happen, and started to move in the direction you’d been walking in. Having done this, little did you know that he’d dug the rabbit hole deeper for you both, and not just himself.

You muttered a half-hearted shut up, beforehand, but otherwise you both remained quiet, in a way that wasn’t entirely uncomfortable.h Unsure of what to say, or if you should say anything, you kept glancing his way, hoping he wouldn’t notice your squirrelly behavior. However, since luck had clearly designed to abandon you in this endeavor he broke the silence with roll of his eyes.

“What are you looking at? Is this something I’m going to have to deal with all night?” He rubbed a hand down his face with a groan. “Just ask whatever prep questions you wanted to ask, might as well kill the time somehow.”

the silence between you was too much, and you could use the extra time to prepare.

“So.... you own the bar, but work behind the counter?” You asked, “How did I not know that?”

“You never asked.” he stated, “And clearly neither did any of your friends. They cared more about my schooling, and where I grew up and all that junk.”

“But I’ve been going there forever and you didn’t think to mention that ‘oh hey (y/n) just while I make you this long Island I wanted to tell you that I’m the Owner and could charge you for harassment of a staff member.”

“Please, everyone over there loves you, and if you were harassing them, you’d have heard it from Nat. She doesn’t tolerate that shit, which is what makes her a great partner.”

“Also explains how she knows everything about you.” You muttered, the words coming out more bitter than you thought you meant. You didn’t know why, but there was something about the word he used that left a sour taste in your mouth. “She okay with you doing this? Running around with a customer who refused to take no for an answer? Which let me tell you, sounds pretty close to harassment.”

He chuckled, his adam’s apple bobbing with his mirth. “Not that kinda partner, or at least not anymore, strictly business between us. We’ve known each other for years. She also knew I’d give in because I was going to this thing anyway. Would have been awkward to say no and bump into you.”

“Wait-What?” You paused, grabbing his arm. “What do you mean you were going anyway? Are you working the event? Or-”

“The artist is a close friend of mine.” He paused stopping to look down at your hand. You swore you could feel the faintest of flexes under your fingers, but he continued, “I’ve known about this far longer than you have most likely.”

“You are friends with Steve Rogers?” You felt your jaw go slack. “And you never thought to mention this? What else are you hiding from me?”

“I don’t hide anything from anyone, it’s all about asking the right questions, which, again, you didn’t ask.” He corrected, pulling away from you to continue walking. “And I’m not just friends with Steve; I’m best friends. Which means it would suck if I was late. So, let’s get a move on, huh?”

You frowned, following him as a small crinkle appearing between your eyes in confusion. You didn’t say anything for a while, trying to figure out what to do with all of this information, any prep you had prepared went out the window as you glanced at your phone to see the time. It was around 5:30 which gave you a little under two hours to get ready and you still had to shower and blowdry your hair before you actually got dressed and did your hair and makeup. Wanda offered to come over and help, but you’d refused, afraid she’d go a little too heavy on the eyeliner.

“You might want this.” You jumped as Bucky passed you a helmet. “Also, don’t judge her for her age, okay? This baby’s a classic.”

You took in the vintage bike in front of you, it had been well cared for and clearly been made by it’s rider with a heavy dedication for authenticity. You felt yourself smile before forcing a stoic look on your face. It was beautiful, but you had already given Bucky the satisfaction of surprising you enough today. You weren’t new to riding, having been with Clint on many a ride before he traded it in for an actual car now that he was a future father, so you waited until he got on, wrapping your legs over the bike and placing your hands on his shoulders.

“Looks who’s all confident.” He said, taking a hand and moving yours around his chest. “But you’re gonna want to hold on somewhere a little more secure, Doll.”

You felt your face heat up at the pet name, shaking your head against his back as you held on tight. “Whatever you say, Evil Kenevil.”

   He dropped you off at your apartment and darted off to get ready himself, barely telling you anything even though you were shouting all kinds of questions into his ear. Your body went into autopilot as your mind tried to go through the tangled web that was this lie. All just so you wouldn’t go on another blind date? So you could feel included? Is this what dating was now, having a thousand questions and not nearly enough answers about who you are with? It seemed so backward to you, but as you fit yourself into a classic black number, you couldn’t help but wonder if you should add a splash of color that would match his eyes. You were sure you had a few blue pieces to play around with. His eyes were always shifting from one shade to another so you’d have to make a guess, and-

Wait. What the hell were you doing?

You paused, your hand hovering over the pieces in question, not even realizing you’d moved to them with the thought. Why did it matter so much that you matched his eyes? If it was the quiet before the storm, or the blizzard of bottled emotions, you always found solace in them after a long day. You’d settle for drinking alone with some random RomCom if you knew he wasn’t working, not even bothering to go there unless you knew he’d be there with a heavy hand and light hearted banter. You knew this, but why did your friends need to see you matching him? Why was that so important?

Running a hand through your lightly curled strands, you let out a sigh that had been trapped there for weeks. It was a sigh that lifted one weight off  your shoulders, but placed another on your heart. You’d been wrestling with why you would drop his name of all names to your friends, and now you knew why. It was a lie made of hope, and desire. A lie made out of a desperation for something hidden to be in view and true. You were in love with Bucky Barnes, a man who probably knew more about you than vice versa, and it took you pretending to date him to realize it.

You put on the barest strokes of make-up with shaking hands, your epiphany hitting you at the wrong time to conduct yourself properly. Looking in the mirror, though you’d hidden away all the shock and stress from the week, all you could see was this truth hidden in the lie. You grabbed a nip from your emergency stash in your clutch, barely having time to down it and throw away the shell when your doorbell rang. You closed your eyes, gave yourself a steadying breath, and opened it, left utterly breathless by the sight.

Bucky stood there, a beautiful compilation of straight lines and soft edges that blurred into each other in a wonderful contradiction. His hair had been swept back tidily, the strands tucked away from his face in a partial bun, and his tux was jet black against his skin. Like you, he’d gone classic black, and having no idea what you were wearing, donned a silver vest for the accent. It matched your bag and your jewelry so perfectly that you could swear he’d somehow seen what you were wearing. You smiled, probably brighter than you should have, and stepped out the door, the cool Brooklyn Air billowing around you softly.

“You clean up nice, Barnes.” You said, turning from him to lock up. “I take back what I said at the park today.”

He let out a shaky chuckle, was he as nervous as you suddenly were? Or were you imagining things? “You’re not looking to bad yourself, Doll.”

“Oh I do try,” You joked, carding your hands through your hair as if to fan it into his face. Deciding against it, you turned to find the street in front of you empty, he hadn’t ridden his bike here, but there wasn’t a card either. “So, are we walking over biking tonight or…?”

He smirked, this time the annoying shift in facial expression shaking you to your core. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you to your carriage.”

Holding his hand out to you, you hesitantly put your hand into it, enjoying the comforting squeeze he provided. As you descended the steps, he pulled you closer, looping your hand through his arm as you rounded the corner. It took far too much free will to stop yourself from leaning into his warmth, the musk of his cologne inviting you closer. With the heels you had on, you rested at the perfect height to lean onto his shoulder, you mused, but he had stopped before you could test the theory.

Standing in front of you stood a Limo, with the girls hanging out of the moon roof to let out a bunch of “OOOOoooohs” at you or him, you couldn’t tell, clearly people had pregamed far harder than you did, something you’d be catching up on presently.

You looked from your friends, the guys visible as Vis stepped out to hold the door for the two of you, to Bucky. His expression, as always was unreadable, but there was something less confident in his stance that was absent at the park this afternoon.

“Not having second thoughts...are we, Buck?” You teased, pulling him behind you to get into the very crowded car. “You seem more surprised by this than I am.”

“More than likely because Peter texted him at the last minute.” Gamora stated, slipping down to meet us. Her hair had been pulled into a beautiful fishtail braid that covered the exposed shoulder on her one sleeved number that matched the purple of her hair beautifully. Her joyful face turned severe as she looked at her boyfriend. “Like right at his doorstep last minute.”

“Hey, I was I supposed to know he lived so close to Okoye?” Quill argured, his burgundy number complimenting her well, while also giving him a look that screamed 80’s nostalgia. I wasn’t even the one who got his address, it was Clint!”

You felt your eyes narrow as you looked to your neighbor. “And how did you get that information, might I ask?” Especially given that you didn’t even know what it was yourself.

Looking wearily to his own date, he straightened his grey suit and purple tie so that he didn’t have to meet anyone’s gaze. “I may have gotten it from a friend we have in common, aside from you, of course.”

You smirked yourself this time, making eye contact with Buck. “Nat.”

 He rolled his eyes, rubbing at his scruff in thought. “Well, that’s either going to get her extra closing duties or dish detail...I’m not sure which yet, but I’m sure she’ll remember to not mess with me after.”

“Well, if everyone’s settled, I do believe we can head towards our dinner.” You shifted as Vis moved back into the seat where Wanda was waiting for him. “Shall we?”

“We Shall!” You all shouted, causing Bucky to shake his head at the group while you drove towards the restaurant that stood right next to the gallery. You were proud of being able to get reservations there so close to the opening, and had even gotten yourself seated right next to the exit, the glass room, looking over the gallery as you ate.

“So…” Laura started, reaching for her club soda. “Tell me, how did you two meet?”

“Oh well…” You rubbed at the back of your neck looking to your ‘date’ in hopes of being freed from an unplanned question. “I don’t know if it’s really a story to tell....”

“You only say that because it’s embarrassing on your end.”

He teased, launching into the story of how you two literally met, which you could only remember in the fuzziest of details on. You had been at the bar with Clint doing trivia or something, when you got bored with him flirting with Nat -a detail Bucky mercifully left out- that you’d moved to the back to hear the DJ better as well as get better drink service. You didn’t have work the next day, so you didn’t really care to think that you’d had enough, or pay attention to where you were going. That is until you were bumping into the bar, and grabbing the hand of the muscular man behind it to get a drink.

“She couldn’t even say what she wanted.” He remembered, glancing down at your reddened face with glee. “She justed wanted that drink named after a part of the state and had tea involved. And to ‘make sure it’s with the good stuff, since my friend’s paying’ I believer were her exact words.”

“Hey! If it was that late into trivia night, you can’t blame me for not being able to explain a long island iced tea!” You remembered this part of the night, but not much else. “Besides, if I remember correctly, it sparked a somewhat interesting game of twenty questions, right?”

“The one time in your life you asked the right questions, and I bet you can’t even remember the answers, can you, Doll?” Mischievous eyes glanced over your face and you felt your breathing stop slightly as he brushed a stray tendrel of hair from your face.

“You know I can honestly say that I can’t.” You muttered, turning yourself from him, suddenly very interested in your Alfredo dish. “Did I give away anything terribly embarrassing, as I’m sure you’ve memorized that night.”

This led him to detailing every answer to every question he gave, including some of the less than polite dinner conversation ones that sent your whole group into a frenzy. Everything from your worse Middle School Memory to your favorite position, and you couldn’t even remember how you had told these to a complete stranger at the time. The part that had you feeling the warmest however, wasn’t even the shame of your answers, but the confidence in which Bucky answered them all, his face taking on one of fond memory as he shared your life in a manner of twenty randomly strug queries. He didn’t make a single one up, though there were asides where others provided their answers, leaving you even more scandalized. You hadn’t even realized that the check for your food had come and gone, until you felt Bucky stand next to you.

“I do hate to break up with lovely chatter, but I have to meet the artist to save him from his own anxieties about tonight. So, if you don’t mind me stealing (y/n), we’ll meet you over there soon.”

“She failed to let us know you knew Mr. Rogers.” Wanda stated, smiling around her wine glass. “Though when it comes to you, she fails to tell us much.”

He brought your hand to his lips as he kissed it lightly before looping your arm through his, an easy smile crossing his face. “That’s because she knows I like to keep an air of mystery about me.”

You smiled, a shy smile that worked hard to cover up the blush that was threatening to appear from his easy displays of affection. “He also failed to tell me that we’d be meeting him beforehand. I should have prepared my tape recorder.”

“No reporting business here, (y/l/n) just a friend calming another as he makes his Debut.” He patt your hand lightly before leading you away. The others shooed you off with jeers and teases, which prompted Bucky’s next comment to hit you like a ton of bricks. “I’d say they’re falling for it pretty well, wouldn’t you?”

You bit your lip, the frown threatening to spill over pulling the skin between your teeth. “Yes, yes I’d say they are…”

The two of you walked quietly, him letting you go as soon as you were out of eyeshot. Part of you wished he hadn’t, but you wanted to respect his boundaries as well, it was the least you could do after the performance he’d just put on for you. Even though you were questioning each micro expression to see if he felt even slightly the same way about you. As always, you couldn’t read his face, and he had a smug air about him as if he knew and enjoyed it.

The walk to the Gallery was short, both of you let in as soon as Bucky gave his name. Most of the canvases were covered, or in the process of being uncovered, no one wanting pictures to be taken before the event. You kept your eyes Bucky’s shoulders, following him meekly until you reached the green room so to speak. There, you pressed yourself against the wall opposite him, not sure how far he wanted you to go with this. He didn’t seem to notice, and knocked on the door, lightly, and in a rhythmic beat that you could almost swear was morse code.

The door burst open and a frenzied man with sharp features and kind eyes opened the door. You knew from your research into the gallery opening that this was not Rogers, but his agent, and other best friend, Sam Wilson. Relief flooded his severe expression as he took in the sight of Bucky, giving a toothy grin that almost made you want to smile too.

“Oh thank God you’re here man, I don’t think I can say anything to make him sto-” He paused, as Bucky brushed past him. “And of course no time for pleasantries, just off doing your thing.”

He moved to close the door in front of him, but then his eyes swept towards you. His expression pinched in confusion, then furrowed in suspicion. Then he saw Bucky’s Jacket, which he had insisted on putting around your bare shoulders, and he gave a small, close lipped smile.

“You’re Barnes’ date to this thing?” You nodded trying to shrink into the identifying fabric. “Damn, I’m sorry for you then. Come on in, I’ll get you a drink while he does his magic.”

“Oh, I don’t know if I should-” You started, but stopped when Mr. Wilson suddenly appeared before you. Placing a comforting hand on your shoulder, he gave you that contagious grin you saw earlier, and you relaxed. “Is suppose it’s better than waiting for him alone in the hallway.”

“Yeah, don’t want Stark’s security guy to catch you, dude takes his job very seriously.”

“Wait, Stark’s? I thought that Stark passed on sponsoring Roger’s work? Said it was too old school for a tech mogul.”

“Well, gotta give him some credit, he brought a girl who knew what she was talking about for once.” Sam rubbed his chin in thought as he led you through the doorway. “Tony’s just big into the optics of things, he was always going to support our boy, but  he wanted to generate a bit of buzz for it.”

“Only Tony Stark…” You mused, your lips twisting upward at the comparison to other girls Bucky has dated or taken to such events. “Though I suppose it makes sense for him to support the gallery when it’s from an investee of his father. Even if he isn’t open about it, the press loves to eat him alive for his Daddy Issues.”

“H-yeah they do.” Sam paused, tilting his head towards you as he called out to the two huddled figures by the bar. “Yo, Barnes, where did you find this girl, and better yet, how did you convince her to come as your date?”

“It’s a real funny story, Wilson.” Buck turned, his eyes narrowing at the joke being mad. Seeing the worry cross your face, he snapped his gaze back to Sam. “It’s on a ‘need to know’ basis, and sorry, but you didn’t make the cut.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re being paid to be here.” Sam muttered as soon as Bucky turned away. “I would hate for him to stoop that low. Even he has to have some lines.”

“Mr. Wilson, I do think I am offended by that comment.” You said, moving away from him with a frown. “I happen to be invited here under a press badge, which won’t be used until the event starts.” You added quickly, not wanting to seem like you were using Bucky to get an exclusive.

“Oh, now I see, he’s found someone who can match his wit, and use words in that stabbing way he does.” Sam gave a shrug, shaking his head. “I better not see anything from this interaction in whatever publication you work for.”

“Cross my heart.” You said, tracing your pinky in an X over your collarbone. You slipped your clutch out of Bucky’s jacket pocket and threw it towards Sam. “And have some collateral.”

“I don’t think that’s how that saying goes, but I admire your honesty.” A calm voice declared from next to you, making you jump. “Sorry miss...didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

You turned only to find yourself looking into the near perfect blue eyes of the man of the evening himself, Steve Rogers. Though he was build the same way that Bucky was, he seemed to lack the confidence his friend had, slouching slightly as if to make his presence less intimidating. He was dressed in a way that mirrored Buck’s everyday look, but with softer colors and his hair was a striking blonde that swooped in a 40’s era fashion. Everything about this man gave off a comforting aura, but you could also feel the panic that he was trying to keep at bay.

“No, it is I who should be apologizing, Mr. Rogers, I’m intruding on a time meant for you and your friends. We don’t even know each other, and yet here I am, before your event even starts and-”

You paused as Bucky put a hand on your lower back, hovering next to you. Your nerves seemed to vanish in that moment, and all you could feel was his hand. The heat was so intense you almost jumped away from the burning sensation. You could feel your face flush, with embarrassment and the redistribution of that concentrated searing sensation. It was just a moment, but it felt like it had been stretched for days. Finally, after a year of seconds, he laughed, brushing his face next to your ear.

“I think he gets the point, Doll.” He murmured, the vibration of his voice dizzying as he rubbed your back soothingly. “Just take a breath, it’s fine.”

You shifted slightly, moving only until the very second your eyes met. Was this part of the act? Was he telling Rogers to just go with the lie in case they ran into your friends? Or was he lying to his best friend on your behalf. How far was this going to stretch. So many questions filled your head, and you started to choke on the air around you.

“(y/n)?” Bucky’s voice turned worried, but sounded distant as everything around you blurred. “(Y/N)!”

His hand slipped from your back as you crumpled on the floor, overcome with what you’re lie had done to everyone around you.

[hannibals-cheekbones]

On your post about Bradley and Cory, the relationship is complicated. I noticed between both seasons how Cory refrains from touching her or being positioned in a intimate way while he’s her boss. He tests the waters a little in the flashback when he’s fired but even then you can tell that he was hesitating in touching Bradley but Bradley had no qualms and touched his face. Right now it’s complicated because Bradley doesn’t know the deal he made with Fred and I can see that and the outing to be HUGE issues in season 3 as Bradley appreciates honesty in the relationship. Laura and Bradley are good too but I feel like it’s unfair to Laura to have to wait on someone that just started their healing journey. In a relationship the emotional imbalance can strain it . I’m conflicted tbh lol. I like both couples but idk I felt like the things Cory did will make it harder for Bradley to swallow. But if I had to choose I would want Cory and Bradley to quarantine and see that growth . We saw how close and intimate they were when they were both fired . But it’s pretty clear, Cory loves her a lot

Yes, he's so careful around her and super aware of how close he gets to Bradley-I loved the knee touching in the flashback, he immediately pulled away when he realized he did it! Our boy is a gentleman! lol I also noticed how he seems very sensitive, like any little thing she says can hurt him. She told him about Laura and he stepped back like it stung, it was so sad. Poor guy, he's so in love with her! I think there's a chance Bradley could return his feelings and Cory would still say no, that they can't be together because it would be unprofessional and wrong. Of course, Bradley could also just say that she's not interested and only sees him as a friend now, and chooses to stay with Laura. I believe if they had both lost their jobs, or only Cory wasn't invited back, he and Bradley would be together. I'm so curious to see what will happen next season.

I really do love the Bradley and Laura relationship also, but they've known each other less than a month and Laura doesn't seem the type to hold anyone's hand as they come out. She's an older lesbian and a bisexual who is just coming out and dealing with family drama might not be the relationship she needs in her life. I'm worried she might not be interested if Bradley continues the relationship with her brother. I also feel like Bradley and Cory are really equal in terms of relationships, since they've both never been in love. Cory didn't even realize what his feelings were and Bradley has said she didn't think love existed, they might be better suited for each other than Laura and Bradley.