#crack stuntman

[c5553]

his ass is getting arrested

[incorrecthsrquotes]

You know, I never had much as a kid. Just loving parents, stability, and a mansion... and a thriving baked goods enterprise for me to inherit. Useless crap like that.

Crack Stuntman, detailing his humble beginnings in an interview

[superprofesh]

Every day I think about the Australian rental car guy who tells Colt his car is "one of only two" and tells him to drive carefully because apparently stuntmen "seek to destroy everything he loves"

and then Colt absolutely demolishes the car in a high-speed chase on the Sydney Bridge

[depressio111117]

Cheat Commandos becomes a little funnier if you interpret it as largely just some elaborate spat between two spiteful old exes who are also unfortunately military commanders

[womantoday]

Grace was in the film (Conan The Destroyer) too. I liked Grace very much and I was the first person she called when she came to London a year later to do the Bond film A View To A Kill. But she was very hard work. I was responsible for choreographing all the fights, but Grace just had no concept of pulling punches. It was unbelievable. I had to pad up all the stunt guys with much more padding than was normal but she still managed to kick one of them and crack his ribs. I said, “Grace, we’re not doing this for real here. You’ve got to pull the punches.”

…the first person I saw (in Mexico) was Terry O'Neill, a weightlifter and a mate of Arnie. … I noticed that Terry’s nose was spread all over his face. “What happened?”, I asked. “Grace Jones”, Terry replied. She smacked him in the nose and totally flattened it. ~ Vic Armstrong (stuntman & filmmaker)

[charmac]

Cracked recently did an interview with Andrew Friedman (Uncle Jack):

It’s strange they didn’t ask (or did and didn’t reveal) whether he was in Season 17, but there was still some good Sunny info in the article that leads me into some thoughts for the upcoming season, particularly when he was asked how Sunny has changed over the years:

The co-directing mention is interesting, and I wonder if that might be related to Season 17 because there are a lot of first-time Sunny directors this year (and the episodes Andrew did in 16 were directed by long-time Sunny directors)… so perhaps Uncle Jack will be back.

And when he talked about working with Danny, mentioning that up until shooting, he’s off set:

I think we’ve kinda known this is how Danny works (and more-so as the years go on) but I can’t recall getting any harder confirmation than a statement like this that Danny’s double/stuntman is basically on set if Frank has scenes.

Why this is interesting to me is the fact that his double, Mario Munoz, announced that he wrapped Season 17 on November 22. This somewhat pretty heavily implies that Danny wrapped around that time too, and Frank was not in the final scenes they were shooting this week.

We kind of also suspect that Charlie had wrapped a week early as well, due to the lack of beard, so it seems that whatever scenes they shot in the last week, it didn’t involve Charlie or Frank

What does this mean? Well, if they were shooting in order (which is a toss-up, but I will note that both 15 and 16 shot their finales in order) that means the finale of S17 probably has Frank/Charlie fairly separate from Mac/Dennis/Dee (and potentially the Waitress in an old lady costume?)’s plot, and we know the finale is the white board episode from Rob’s Twitter challenge… which seemed Frank-heavy based on what we could make out. So, this potentially means there is a significant B plot there that just isn’t clear from Charlie’s chicken scratch

Or, it could have just been a scheduling thing for Charlie and/or Danny, so they decided to push an episode (or many scenes) that didn’t call for either of them to the end of production.. but it’s still interesting to think about the pairings here, regardless. Probably, more particularly, the fact that unless beardless Charlie Kelly is real, the Waitress’ plot is not with him this season (not that crazy, he didn’t have scenes with her in S15) but instead most likely something to do with Mac/Dennis/Dee

And my insane brain is for some reason beaming Mac’s Banging the Waitress into my head through all of this with this…. But probably just cos I would kill for a reprieve/parallel of that episode

[loumandivorce]

devil's minion fic: give me one good movie kiss and i'll be alright

The curtains were open, light streaming into the room. Why the hell were the curtains open? Irritated, Daniel drew the pillow over his head. It was promptly yanked away from him. Armand’s face was even closer now, bug eyes so near Daniel swore he could feel the feathery wires of eyelashes flutter against his skin. “We are going now.” “Now?” Daniel asked. “Why now?” Armand looked very pleased with himself. “I have acquired a job.” (Armand gets hired as an action movie stuntman in a bid to impress Daniel, who doesn't really get the message.)

word count: 7k; rating: m; tags: Devil's Minion Era (Vampire Chronicles), Young Daniel Molloy, Crack Treated Seriously, Canon-Typical Violence, armandaniel's ability to make everything a weird sex thing, Drug Use, armand is still a vampire hes just doing it for the love of the game, Implied Sexual Content, armand being armand sure but also daniel being daniel, bastard4bastard relationship, Prompt Fic, probably inaccurate depictions of 70s film production

for @black-market-wd4o 💗

[anonymous-dentist]

hi dear AD ^_^ some ordem perhaps?? maybe some cesar with thiago pretty please.....

(not picky at ALL anything about any of my ordem guys would be so great :p)

Congrats on making me write my first ever real Ordem fic!!!

-

Idly, Cesar wonders if his father ever had to kick down any doors. Yes, right? He was some kind of stuntman, of course he's kicked down doors.

...He had kicked down doors.

Joui and Liz are drunk. Arthur is looking at the wall like it's personally wronged him. Thiago is on his phone. And Cesar?

Well.

Cesar has a bag of ice on his ankle because, of course, he's also drunk. And, because he's drunk, he decided to kick the fucking door like an idiot. His brain feels like soup, and his ankle feels like a broken stalk of celery. (Liz says that it isn't broken, but isn't she a doctor for dead people? A... what's it called, mortician? Does she even know what living ankles look like?)

Sighing, Cesar throws his head back and looks up at the ceiling. There's a stain on it that almost looks like a dick.

He cracks a smile and flails a hand in Thiago's general direction.

"Hey," he says. "Hey, Thiago. Hey. Look."

He points up.

Thiago, being an honorable man, looks up. He laughs and lifts his phone to take a picture.

Did Cesar's father ever have dicks on his phone?

...Why is that even a question?

The dick on the ceiling judges Cesar harshly. As does the alcohol currently sitting in Cesar's poor hungry stomach.

"It's unnatural," Cesar declares. "It's got eyes, I swear."

Thiago hums thoughtfully. "Maybe, maybe. Or maybe that's just Joui admiring your handsome face again."

"What?" asks Cesar.

"What?" asks Joui. "Thiago-sensei, your eyes need checked."

Thiago raises his hands defensively. "Hey! It's my ears that are screwed up, not my eyes!"

Liz snorts. "Darling, your eyes don't work. You keep talking to furniture thinking it's us."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Thiago plainly says. He taps his temple. "I have the eyes of a hawk, my dear."

At the mention of birds of prey, Arthur's eyes water.

Cesar adjusts the ice on his ankle. He's pretty sure that the dick is still looking at him. Rudely.

He doesn't believe in Heaven or anything, and he certainly doesn't believe that his father ended up there, but maybe it's his father looking down upon him and asking why his darling son is getting wasted in a bar and not, like, fuck, going to law school or something.

Cesar could have gone to law school. He still could, hypothetically. He can hack himself in, easy. Harvard. Yale.

"What is that on the ceiling?" Joui gasps. He pulls out his own phone. "Arthur-kun, get on a chair."

Arthur, of course, clambers up onto a chair pulled near the ceiling dick. He strikes a double peace sign as Joui snaps at least a dozen pictures.

And then Arthur falls off the chair and screams on his way down and crashes right into a table filled with empty glasses.

Cesar wonders if his father ever fell off a chair in a bar. Probably. He was stupid enough to do it.

Tears threaten to sting at Cesar's eyes. He can't tell if it's emotional pain from his literal dead father or physical pain from his possibly-broken ankle.

Either way, he takes a picture of the fallen Arthur. It feels like a bandage, fixing him right up.

"Aw, fuck," Arthur whines as he slides off the table. "The ceiling is paranormal. It pushed me!"

Cesar nods sagely. "Of course."

He chooses not to mention that Arthur is drunk out of his mind and that the chairs in this place look barely sturdy enough to survive a bar fight.

Liz sighs and pushes back from the table. "Come here. If you broke something like Cesar did, I'm going to lock everyone into a room until the morning."

"If you can get up the stairs," Joui quietly says.

Cesar lets out such a loud laugh at that that he surprises himself.

He blinks.

Joui beams as bright as a car's headlights.

Cesar looks down at his ice pack. It's starting to melt.

Did his father ever have to deal with this kind of thing? He was a veteran or something, right? With the paranormal? Or something? And that's why he wasn't there to teach Cesar how to ride a bike or anything? Or something?

Arthur toddles over to Liz while rubbing his tailbone mournfully.

"I think our friend broke his ass," Thiago astutely says.

"Do I need to take my pants off?" Arthur asks.

"Please don't," Liz responds.

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

"I can if you want me to."

"Who said I wanted you to!?"

"Oh, no, my belt is stuck..."

"Keep your pants on, for fuck's sake!"

Cesar looks back up at the dick on the ceiling.

"It's a little big, don't you think?" Thiago asks, following his gaze.

Cesar nods. "Very unrealistic."

"It looks broken," Joui adds.

"How do you know what a broken dick looks like?" Arthur asks.

Joui doesn't answer. He takes a drink instead, and then he proceeds to fall sideways out of his chair and onto the floor unconscious.

Cesar watches him fall.

Stuntman.

Thiago clicks his tongue, clearly holding back laughter. He gets up shakily to help Joui into a more comfortable position.

Liz is checking Arthur's ass out... medically. His pants are still on, but she's poking his lower back with purpose. He looks mildly embarrassed. She looks like she's trying not to think about what she's doing.

Cesar adjusts his ice.

Thiago knew Cesar's father. He might have gotten door-kicking advice from him, that's why he's so good at it compared to Cesar. (But he also fails just as often as Cesar does, so...)

If Cesar's father was still around, he wouldn't be letting Cesar kick any doors down. He would be nursing a sore ankle instead of Cesar, and he would be punching ooze monsters and chasing weird European scientists and, like. Breathing.

He hadn't been much of a father. He couldn't teach Cesar how to ride a bike or skateboard or fish. But maybe there's a universe where he did do all those things, and where he taught Cesar how to successfully kick a door down.

Cesar smiles at the thought.

Wouldn't that have been nice?

[deke-rivers-1957]

Harum Scarum Review

The second Gene Nelson and Sam Katzman picture starring Elvis Presley. Inspired by Rudolph Valentino's The Sheik and filmed on the original Cecile B. DeMille's set of The King of Kings, Elvis had hope of finally getting a movie that allowed him to be more of an action hero. Given that Peter O'Toole's 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia was a massive success for Columbia Pictures, MGM likely wanted to capitalize on that success by using a guaranteed money maker in Elvis.

Unfortunately, the hype Elvis had regarding the possibility of being a Rudolph Valentino figure was quickly squashed. He received the script and realized that his character wouldn't live up to the expectations he originally had. It's a pretty known story that even the Colonel thought the script was so weird, he thought it should include a talking camel. This of course is in reference to the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movie, Road to Morocco. Ironically enough, the reference I make to Zanzibar in my announcement post was another movie that the duo made. With Kissin Cousins being described as the begin of Elvis' decline, this movie is typically described as being Elvis' rock bottom. Is it really as bad as people say, or is it over hated due to outdated elements? Let's find out.

"Harem Holiday" while it sounds great, is very confusing in the context of this movie. Why is this movie called Harum Scarum when it's called Harem Holiday elsewhere and even has a song with that name? I get that it's a term meaning someone acting reckless and without care, but it doesn't relate to the movie at all. Both titles completely gloss over the very important detail of how Johnny ended up in the position he will end up in.

We immediately open to a movie within a movie as Johnny Tyrone stars in an Arabian film where he saves a woman by killing a jaguar with his bare hands. He even sings to her "My Desert Serenade" while he has the weirdest sideburns I have ever seen. And then the movie just ends to a roaring applause in front of what's an unusually white crowd.

Apparently this is being screened in front of Arabian dignitaries as a diplomacy mission by the US State Department. Why is this specific actor's movie being chosen for this mission when just by what we're shown, would be the equivalent of going into the Soviet Union and screen a movie of Elvis fighting a polar bear in Siberia? Only 2 minutes in and I already have a lot of questions on why this is the set up. He sings "Go East Young Man" and again why is this the song that you're choosing to perform in front of dignitaries you're supposed to schmooze? Again it'd be the equivalent of going into the Soviet Union and singing a song about drinking vodka with Josef Stalin. It's just so stereotypical that if this was a real diplomatic mission, it would be an absolute disaster. Dignitaries that you're trying to establish a relationship with, wouldn't see this as honoring their culture. If anything, what this movie should be about, is Johnny being kidnapped because they found his performance insulting.

Johnny Tyrone in this picture above summarizes Elvis' acting throughout the entire movie. Sir, you are meeting actual royalty and this is how you act? I can understand wanting to make a good impression but for goodness sake crack a smile. Or at the very least show humility by bowing before the prince. For someone who's supposed to be an actor/stuntman that was given a golden opportunity to act as a diplomat of American culture on this mission, Johnny looks like if it wasn't for Aishah, he literally couldn't care less to be there. Even when the prince invites Johnny to the king's palace (making him the first American to ever do so) Johnny looks bored out of his skull.

After traveling with the prince to Lunarkand, Johnny stops at a camp. Johnny goes to flirt with Aishah and we get a Red West appearance as on of the attackers. I know Star Trek didn't come out yet, but what is up with these costumes? These men look like an alien race trying to disguise themselves as human. Also this is the worst depiction of drugging someone I have ever seen. It's obvious that Aishah drugged his drink, but what drug could possibly work that fast? Whatever plot they want to commit would be executed a lot faster if they simply used a little too much of the Brand X drug if it's truly that effective. Drinking something is the slowest method you could possibly use to drug someone. It doesn't go directly to the brain like inhaling a substance.

The prince is obviously behind this and any twist that comes from it, is gone. My reason why it's so obvious: the prince would be completely incompetent if he traveled without any type of security for himself. So the fact that these men were able to enter his camp with absolutely no resistance indicates that this was planned to happen. If this was truly just a plot by Aishah, he would've been a victim as well to get the King's attention or attempt to implicate Johnny for the crime so Lunarkand would go to war agains the US. But that didn't happen. The prince is conveniently resting in his tent while Johnny is kidnapped.

I have never laughed so hard at an Elvis movie as I did when Johnny starts singing "Mirage". You have Johnny who was just kidnapped waking up in a strange place and what does he do? He literally starts singing to the slave women thinking this is just a dream. How in the world are we supposed to take anything that happens in this movie seriously? Johnny is being held captive in a Middle Eastern country and nobody will even know about it until after a week when Johnny doesn't return from his vacation. But no we need to have a gag about how Johnny's horny for slave women.

Even when he's facing Sinan, the leader of assassins who wants him to kill the King of Lunarkand, he still doesn't seem to care. All he does is make a snarky remark about how stupid it is to believe he can actually kill a jaguar with his barehands. Even if it was actually true, that just makes him all the more boring. Why should I care about Johnny Tyrone, if he's shown to be physically invincible and doesn't even seem all that scared about the amount of danger he's in? That isn't relatable. It's especially worse when you get the racist stereotype that poor Arabians are thieves in the form of Zacha offering to help Johnny escape for 10,000 American dollars. He explains how this country is so isolated that there's airport. How would Zacha even know what an airport was if Lunarkand's been isolated for 2000 years? And how does he speak fluent English if Johnny's the first American to even be on palace grounds? I just don't get how this world is set up.

Johnny escapes and runs into Princess Shalimar who for literally no reason says she's a slave girl. This would absolutely never happen and if anything makes me even more suspicious of the prince. Shalimar is a princess so she should have guards everywhere. Johnny would've been immediately captured just by being near her. Shalimar wasn't there during Johnny's movie screening so she has no reason to believe that he isn't going to be a danger to her. Johnny being hot isn't enough of a reason to trust him.

It also makes Johnny's plight even more frustrating to watch. For someone who's supposed to be on the run he sure takes his sweet time escaping. He doesn't take his safety seriously as he stops by the lake and sings "Kismet" to a woman he literally just met. It's a good song but it the movie literally stops when Johnny is supposed to be running away. When he tells Shalimar about Sinan and she runs away, it becomes all the more dumb that he wasted that much time. The guards are right on their heels and only get lucky in their escape.

So Johnny decides to follow Zacha until they find some dancing girls in Bar Esalaam that are part of Zacha's Den of Thieves. The stereotypes don't get better as you have an element out of the 1920s in the form a little person playing the mute fool named Baba. We've seen Billy Barty before in Roustabout and it's nice to have him do more than just one gag. I just wish they could've treated Baba as a real person, given how progressive it was to even have little people (especially since Billy Barty was the founder of the non-profit organization, Little People of America). Heck you know things are bad when you have me praise this movie for having a token black person be on screen in a movie that's meant to be in the Middle East. Are there pale skinned people in the Middle East? Absolutely. I don't mind that the royal family and their servants have pale skin. My beef is that a movie meant to be in the Middle East shouldn't have only one noticeably black person. Especially when you consider that Lunarkand celebrates Ramadan, a holiday celebrated by Muslims, who are typically darker skinned.

"Shake That Tambourine" I guess is good but why on earth are we stopping everything just for this? All we're doing is pro-porting the stereotype that all poor Arabians are thieves. What exactly is this accomplishing when Johnny needs to escape and he's going to pay Zacha $10,000? Nothing. If anything Baba getting caught stealing only brings attention to them. The guards chase Johnny in what's the most ridiculous display of physics I've ever seen in a fight. Johnny might be an actor/stuntman, but that doesn't mean he's capable of taking on a group of soldiers. The fact that this is being treated like one of his movies destroys any possible conflict. Why should I be worried about him getting caught when I know he's just going to beat them up and get away? What's worse is that you have two orphan children throwing rocks at the guards and it knocks them out. These children are about 10 years old at the oldest. Even if they're using a slingshot of sort, I just don't see them as being strong enough to make it at all effective.

"Hey Little Girl" has the worst context I've ever seen. Johnny is singing this song while a barely 10 year old girl dances like a stereotypical adult dancing girl. This isn't me taking the song out of context when the girl literally says she dreams about growing up to be a beautiful slave woman. Not to mention that there's literally a lyric that goes "Hey little girl, I'd like to take you home. Come on, come on, come on I want you for my very own." and another that goes "I want you swing it to the left, and shake it to the right. Hey little girl, you know you're lookin' fine". This is not at all appropriate for a girl this young to be shown doing that.

If you were listening to this song as just the soundtrack version, then it's just fine. It's a different sound that breaks up the monotony of his other songs. But when you watch it in context, it just doesn't match the actual intent Johnny has of wanting to adopt this girl. I of course don't blame Elvis because he didn't choose to have this be included. I don't think he realized that, her even doing this would be inappropriate since the movie itself has associated those moves to an adult woman in a more sexual nature. Movie scenes aren't always filmed in the order the audience sees them in, so I can understand why Elvis wouldn't have made the connection the audience would make. Regardless, there were better ways to have Johnny bond with the children he plans on adopting than this.

Aishah arrives at the Den of Thieves because Zacha is still working for Sinan. Knowing Johnny isn't a complete villain, she intends on holding the slave women and children hostage so Johnny has no reason to chicken out. In what is a very jarring display of seriousness, Sinan's men arrives at the den too with a bunch of weapons. They fully intend to kill these orphans if Johnny doesn't do it. The plot to kill the King is on as the plan is to kill him during the final celebration of Ramadan.

Princess Shalimar meanwhile laments that Johnny doesn't know she's a princess. That was entirely her fault so I don't feel bad for her. I get that she probably only said she was a slave girl to keep herself safe, but once she kissed Johnny, she never told him the truth. She's so down bad for Johnny, that she hallucinates seeing his reflection in her pool. I actually don't mind this break in reality since we're obviously supposed to understand this is just her imagination. "Golden Coins" is probably the only song with a Middle Eastern sound that doesn't feel completely stereotypical. If anything it gives us an insight that Shalimar wants Johnny to worship her by giving her many gifts. Very appropriate given how she's a princess.

So Johnny goes to the palace with the flimsiest disguise I have ever seen and I severely question what Sinan's plan is. Why on earth would you have Johnny try to kill the King when he's surrounded by everyone? If Johnny is trying to warn the king why would he take his knife out before explaining the situation? Having the knife in your hand is obviously going to lead to a "shoot first, ask questions later" reaction. Why is Sinan using Aishah to hold hostages knowing good and well that Johnny would never be killed? Johnny is an American who has people knowing that he'll only be gone a week. If he never returns from Lunarkand, the State Department is going to know he was killed. This was meant to be a diplomatic mission built into his vacation so even if the prince succeeds in killing the King, having Johnny be killed would only lead to war.

This is probably the most amount of emotion Johnny shows in the entire movie. He felt betrayed that Shalimar lied to him about being a princess. He's additionally upset that he let everyone down by failing. "So Close, Yet So Far (From Paradise)" is the most relatable song in this movie. At this point in watching, I looked at the run time and saw that I was barely at the hour mark. This movie felt so long that I had to pause and walk away for a minute to contemplate how a movie could be so complicated plot wise, yet also give you nothing. After coming back to finish this movie, Baba manages to set them all free. I take back what I said earlier as in a way, he did have a genuine character moment by getting past the guards to save his friends as opposed to running away to save himself. Johnny decides to try to reason with the King knowing he would have diplomatic immunity anyway.

Sure enough, things are smoothed over once Johnny explains himself. I guess the King only believes him because Shalimar vouched for his honor. In her heart of hearts, she never believed he could do such a thing. I mean she technically shouldn't anyway since again, Johnny killing the King as the first American to step foot on this land would be an act of war. Johnny isn't that stupid to risk that. Johnny comes up with a plan to keep the King safe, and expose Sinan. Meanwhile, we get actual whippings and the potential murder of women and children at the Den of Thieves. The true mastermind is of course revealed as the prince. However, what I didn't expect is for Sinan to betray the prince so he can take the throne himself. Granted there's the very big issue of Princess Shalimar being the heir to the throne, but I appreciate the attempt to be unpredictable. Sinan does after all, plan on keeping the prince alive so the people don't grow suspicious.

Johnny of course, exposes Sinan and saves the hostages in what's a pretty clever way. Using the slave women's bells as a means of misdirecting Sinan's men is a great way to get to Sinan and make him vulnerable. After a complicated plot involving the King fighting his brother that ends with Sinan getting shot full of holes by a machine gun somehow. The King defeats his brother with Aishah's hands being binded and promises Shalimar's hand in marriage to Johnny despite knowing him for only less than a week. The King doesn't even have his brother executed and instead has him banished. Because I guess blood is thicker than water and having your brother knowingly commit an act of treason without coercion on his part isn't as bad as Johnny only pretending to try to kill you. Aishah was part of the conspiracy too so unless she goes with the prince as banishment she would absolutely be executed for her treason. But no, we just jump right over that as if the King's possible assassination doesn't even matter.

We get one final performance and what I think is a Joe cameo with Johnny's new act in a reprise of "Harem Holiday". It's nice that Johnny fulfilled his promise to adopt the slave children, but what did you expect? Johnny isn't a complete villain to just let orphan children remain in slavery. There's just no reason to even worry about them, when there's no sense of complex morals in this movie. I have no idea why Johnny would even want to call it a holiday either. Sure he was on vacation and got a bride out of this, but getting kidnapped and being asked to assassinate a monarch should be traumatizing. I get that this is an Elvis movie and we need to have an Elvis movie, but really? This is the best way you could think of ending it?

It just raises several questions on how the movie ends. Why is Johnny performing in Vegas during what's supposed to be his honeymoon? Why did Johnny even decide to go back to the US at all when he's married to a LITERAL PRINCESS? If this country is so isolated that it doesn't even have an airport, how did Shalimar and her father even get into the country without a passport? This isn't a diplomatic mission and Shalimar wouldn't automatically be a US citizen just because she married Johnny. I'm just so baffled on how the movie emphasizes Lunarkand's monarchy and isolation only to completely erase that when Johnny marrying Shalimar would be a huge deal. The unfortunate reality is that nothing in this movie that's supposed to be taken seriously is taken seriously. And when you have that happen, all you have left to do is sit there and care about as much as Johnny does about everything: very little.

This movie at times was painful to sit through. I have seen The Sheik and Son of the Sheik before watching this movie. Those were made about 40 years prior to this one and were both silent. I enjoyed those movies a lot more. Things didn't age well but at least they had cohesive stories, and actors that express real emotion. When Rudolph Valentino is angry, he can be explosive, or silently seething without hearing a word. Elvis in this movie is just flat the entire time. This is probably one of the only times where Elvis has visibly given up without having had a concussion only a couple weeks prior to filming. When the movie is supposed to be dramatic, he's just so blasé I lose all investment. If Johnny can't even care about the trouble he faced, why should I?

I have no idea how to rate this. It looks nice visually and most of the songs if listened to out of context actually sound decent. Everything else ranges from mid to bad to (in the case of "Hey Little Girl") cringe inducing. IMDB has a current rating of 4.6 which sounds about right. Since it's not even 50% good, I'm giving this a 4/10. I wouldn't recommend watching this since if you like songs, just listen to the soundtrack. If you're looking for movies in an Arabian setting, do not watch this. Just watch Rudolph Valentino's movies on YouTube since that was what Elvis specifically expected. And when you take those stories for what it was, you'll see why they were used as a source of inspiration and just how unfortunate it was that this didn't measure up.

AN: Happy Holidays everyone. I hope you have a better time than I did. If you want to be tagged in future reviews, please leave a note here: https://www.tumblr.com/deke-rivers-1957/743326835519176704/ecu-movie-taglist?source=share

Tagging: @searchingforgravity, @mercsandmonsters, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @50sexyshadesfashionista, @atleastpleasetelephone,

@iloveelvis2, @arianatheangel-girl, @eapep, @vintagepresley, @peaceloveelvis,

@arrolyn1114, @smokeymountainboy, @tacozebra051, @hooked-on-elvis, @littlejoecartwright1842,

and @xanatenshi.

[gregorygerwitz]

Moustead + Hollywood AU

Jay Halstead had lost count of the number of dangerous stunts he'd done. He'd actually lost count of the number of movies he'd worked on to begin with, and then multiplied by the number of stunts he'd done for each one... well, he hadn't gotten into the business because he was good at math, that was for sure. He did it because he was good at it. He did it because he enjoyed it. He did it because the rush of adrenaline that came with it was almost as good as the connections he made doing it.

He'd been working with Thelma Gerwitz and her productions company for years without a single bump in the road. He was in every standard contract that Elliot Knox's agent drew up after the actor's big break - the fastest growing name in Hollywood had to have the best stuntman in the business for every role, of course. It meant Jay had steady work for as long as Elliot did, and as each contract was signed, he learned more and more about the production company that seemed to be bankrolling the star's entire rise to fame.

"Halstead! Get over here!" "Is there something you need from me, Thelma?" "Show Greg around the set, will you?" "Aren't there PAs for that? They get paid to deal with visitors." "Don't be ridiculous, Halstead. Greg isn't a visitor. My son will be working with the director this week as the liaison with your stunt coordinator. You aren't too busy to give him a tour, are you?" "No, ma'am."

One set tour and one week of his performance being run by another set of eyes for approval is all he'd signed up for. When that turned into three movies in a row, and then a brief stint on some show marketed to teenagers, and half a dozen more movies... Jay saw more of Greg than he even saw of Elliot. That might have had something to do with how much time they spent in Jay's trailer. Liaising. About stunts. And definitely not making out against every surface they could find.

He was just getting tired of that - sneaking around, hiding under the bed or in the cramped trailer closet when someone needed Greg's attention - when it all went wrong.

Elliot was throwing one of his usual fits, something about Jay's jawline showing up too much in a shot and taking the attention away from him. He acted as if anyone even knew Jay was there, as if he didn't brag in every single interview about doing his own stunts. But that was just what the job was - doing the dangerous stuff that no one else wanted to do, and letting Elliot take the credit for it. That was what he expected to do on a daily basis. At least it was a good paycheck.

What he didn't expect was a miscalculation, a rig that wasn't checked thoroughly enough, a harness that wasn't quite up to holding his weight. He was supposed to be caught in the middle of the fall, stop in midair so that the footage could be cut in with a take of Elliot hitting an airbag and continuing with the scene. Instead, the rope just kept slipping through the rig, and it was Jay who was filmed at the end of the fall, but there was no bag to catch him. So, when he fell, he hit solid ground, and the crack that filled his ears at the impact was quickly replaced with the ringing coming from inside them.

A fall like that was more than enough to end any stuntman's career, no matter how much of a recovery he would make. That was a fact that Greg had known before he knew he wanted to work on movies at all. He followed his mother to sets through his childhood, watched movies get made, watched stunts performed by professionals to make for perfect shots. When he brought up the idea of directing a movie of his own, she encouraged that dream, with the stipulation that he learned the ins and outs of it all before he did it on his own.

Greg liked working with the stunt teams almost more than he liked working with the stars. He knew what to ask them to get just the right shot for the final product, knew how Erin, the stunt coordinator on most of his mother's films, liked to communicate with her team. He fit in better with the nobodies, as Elliot liked to call them, than the people who had cameras pointed at them beyond their ten hour filming days.

Specifically, he really liked Jay.

He really liked the privacy of trailers, and getting time alone with someone who didn't want his attention just to get on his mother's good side. He really liked talking about his work, and the directorial decisions he helped make on set every day, even if his name was what had gotten him in that position in the first place. He really liked kissing the man who cared about his input where they couldn't be interrupted or judged by anyone who wanted to insert themselves into his life.

Watching the fall that ended his boyf- best friend's career was a moment he would never forget. It had felt like slow motion, like a bad dream that he was going to wake up from at any moment. But he never did.

Instead, Greg pushed through the worst of his fears and anxiety and stopped by the hospital once a week. He never made it past the elevator, sometimes staring at the hallway that led to where he knew Jay was, but never stepping out of the protective cage. If he did, he might get the ground ripped out from under him, as if he was the one who had fallen, not wanting that feeling back of his stomach in his throat. Maybe he was. Maybe he had fallen even before the malfunctioning rig had taken so much from him.

He got glimpses of Will, the brother he'd seen pictures of but never met. He got quiet updates during lunch breaks on set from Erin. Jay was going to be fine. He was expected to make a full recovery, after more time than anyone would like him to spend in a hospital and a strict physical therapy schedule. But he had his family to get him through that, and Greg knew from the start that he'd never had a chance at being part of that inner circle.

He let himself be swayed by his mother, pushed his focus back to his career and the stunts that had to be filmed for each project. After two years, he could forget about Jay when he was awake, put all of his attention to what needed to be done in a work day, and those eyes would only haunt him in his dreams. It was good for him, or so his mother liked to tell him, not letting himself worry about something he couldn't change. He could gain his own reputation in the industry, start signing onto his own projects, and take on the task of directing a movie from the start of the process to the end.

It was long enough after the incident that he didn't think about it when he was planning a scene with Erin. He didn't even think about it when the new stunt guy on his set took a turn on the track too fast and ruined the shot by bumping into the camera. He didn't think about it while he marched across the set to give the apparent rookie a piece of his mind. He didn't think about it while the car's door was pushed off and landed on the ground - the model was completely totaled, so he was quietly glad that the rest of the run went flawlessly, even the way the vehicle flipped across the tarmac, and the VFX team could fix the botched angle.

He didn't think about it until the familiar body straightened up, and for the first time in years, he was looking at Jay Halstead again.

"I thought you always said you were going to leave it to Elliot to make the dramatic entrances." "This entrance wasn't dramatic." "You showed up on my set, Jay. Two years of radio silence and then you just showed up without so much as a hello before you busted a camera." "I told Erin that the track was-" "I don't care. Last I checked, you were out of the stunt game completely. Get off my set and leave it to my real crew." "Your real crew? Sorry, I was under the impression that you asked for me specifically." "After you never texted me back or returned my calls? Why would I ever want to see you again?"

[becauseimanicequeen]

There is a short piece in the My Stand-In trailer where Joe is in a wheelchair on a rooftop. How likely do you think it is that Joe has come back to his old body? I want this to happen so bad.

Hi, Anon.

I'm sorry to say this (considering you want this to happen), but I just don't think it's likely at all. And I'm basing my thoughts on what I've seen in the series so far (I haven't finished the novel, I'm only on chapter 43 which is around the 4th episode, so please don't spoil it for me).

Even though I was raised on soap operas (Days of Our Lives in particular), and am used to shit like this (and love it, lol), I don't think there will be another switch.

I don't think it's Joe 1.0 in the trailer for 2 reasons:

Up and Poom's comments in their interviews on iQIYI have dropped some spoilers, so I'm pretty sure Joe won't go back into his former body.

Since the transmigration is the only fantastical element in the story (at least of what we've seen so far in 7 episodes), and Joe is a stand-in basically in every part of his life (though I'm sure till will eventually change), I don't see how a switch back would be part of the story. I don't think that's the story they want to tell.

I also see there being 2 possible reasons for Joe being in that wheelchair:

He might have a relapse in his recovery. It's possible considering Joe 2.0 was in a coma for 2 years. However, I don't see this as being as likely as my 2nd option...

Which is that Joe has an accident doing his job. Since he's a stuntman, and we've seen it happen before, this is quite possible. It might be a sprained ankle or broken ribs, it doesn't have to be anything major.

I personally lean towards the second option because I feel like that has the potential to have the biggest impact on both Joe and Ming (and potentially even Tong).

It could allow Joe to reflect more on his mortality. Just because he got a second chance once, doesn't mean he'll get another one.

Depending on when this happens in the story it can either make or break Joe's willingness to be distant or close to Ming (depending on where they are in their relationship).

When it comes to Ming... Just imagine how he would react if Joe 2.0 (whom he might know is Joe 1.0 at that point) is in an accident. Just imagine how he would break down hearing about/witnessing Joe's accident. We saw how he reacted at the end of episode 7 when the guilt was so heavy it cracked him open. I don't think it will be any less emotional if Joe is in another accident (even though it's most likely just a minor one *hopefully*).

Another interesting thing the show might play with if Joe is in another accident at work is the potential that Tong might be involved in it somehow (directly or indirectly) since they're working on his movie (right now, at least).

We already saw in the 7th episode how the relationship between Ming and Tong has changed. Ming has drawn a hard line around Joe and Tong isn't allowed to cross it. It would be interesting to see Ming going feral on his "beloved" brother-in-law. It could potentially sever the connection between Ming and Tong for good, which could show Joe that Ming no longer cares about Tong in any particularly significant way.

Obviously, these are only speculations and I can't wait to see how wrong I am, lol.

Is it Friday yet?

Thank you for your ask.

[c5553]

yippieee

[yesmaddyposts]

Maybe 41 or 47 for the prompt game? colt centric?

Put That Guy In a Situation™️ Ask Prompt Game No. 47: sickfic / caretaking

Fandom: The Fall Guy (2024) Word Count: 955 Tags: Sickfic, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort Crossposted on AO3

Description: Colt is sick, Jody is there for him.

Colt is not the type to go down easily. He’s a stuntman, it’s his job to get back up. He can wreck a car three takes in a row and bounce back without a scratch, can drive a boat through a ring of fire like it’s as easy as breathing. Especially after everything, going back to work after his not-an-accident fall, paired with all the hits he took while chasing down Ryder. He thinks it is safe to say he is pretty resilient. 

Which is why he tries not to act as miserable as he feels when he wakes up one morning with a throat that feels like he swallowed a thousand shards of glass. He reaches a shaky arm out to feel the left side of the mattress, but all he feels on Jody’s side of the bed is cold sheets. She must have gone to her morning pilates session already. The involuntary groan he lets out only worsens the burn as he forces himself to sit up. Rubbing his eyes is a chore because it seems that overnight his limbs have turned to heavy slabs of stone, but once he does he looks to his bedside table. The clock reads 7:00.

“Shit,” he huffs and his voice cracks. Ouch. Speaking is a no-go today, then. 

He overslept past his alarm, which means now he only has thirty minutes to get ready and get to set. That also means no time for breakfast, but that is hardly his main concern because as Colt shuffles to the bathroom his stomach revolts dangerously. He barely even feels the ache in his knees as he crashes down in front of his toilet bowl and vomits up his dinner from the night before. Time blurs as he continues to retch, and he doesn’t know how many minutes have passed before a knock on the bathroom door sounds.

“Colt? Are you alright in there, love?” Jody’s sweet voice sounds on the other side. 

Colt doesn’t have the energy to lift his forehead from the cool porcelain so he just exhales heavily and gags again at the taste in his mouth. Vomit and morning breath are an awful mix. The knocking comes again, followed by the door creaking open a few inches. 

“My eyes are closed so feel free to shout at me at any time—oh!” Jody cuts herself off as she squints open an eye and catches sight of him.

He must look pathetic like this, still in his sleep shorts and curled around a toilet bowl. But Jody doesn’t bat an eye, just rushes to his side and crouches down to his level. She puts a soothing hand on the back of his neck and Colt can’t help but melt at her touch. He closes his eyes when Jody moves her hand to feel his forehead. He trembles from a bone-deep chill even while sweat beads at his hairline. 

“Oh dear, you’re burning up. Let’s get you back to bed, come on.” Jody helps him up with her arms under his, and he doesn’t fight her on it. 

“Have to work…” Colt protests with no actual heat behind his words. 

He knows as well as anyone that he would be no good in the stunt department like this. Any number of things could go wrong if he isn’t fully focused on his job, and any good stunt team would take one look at him and steer him right back around off the set.

So he doesn’t even pretend to argue when Jody clicks her tongue admonishingly and tells him, “I’ll call out for you.” 

Jody guides him back into bed and he finally takes a good look at her while she pulls the sheets back over him. She’s wearing a matching purple athleisure set he got for her for Christmas, and a few blonde flyaways are coming out of her ponytail from her workout. She’s so beautiful. He must tell her so out loud without realizing it, because when she stands back up she is laughing with a light shake of her head. 

“You are such a sap when you’re like this.” 

He shrugs innocently, and she laughs again. 

He frowns a little when she leaves the room, her absence something he can physically feel (jeez she was right about him being a sap). But she’s back only a few minutes later, armed with fever reducers, a glass of orange juice, and a cool wet rag for his forehead. Just two years ago he wouldn’t be caught dead letting Jody take care of him like this. He was the stunt guy, the cool guy, the one who got pushed down on purpose and shook it off for another go. It’s taken a lot of work and trust to allow someone in to see this side of him, but Jody has that way with people. She never teases him, never makes him feel inferior for being human with weaknesses. He’s so lucky to have her in his life, even if it did take a whole lot of pain and tears to get to where they are now. 

“Alright, you get some rest now. I’m going to make a few calls.” Jody gently pats his chest and goes to leave the room again, but Colt grabs her hand before she can go far.

“Hey,” he says tiredly, sleepiness already engulfing him, “thank you.” 

Jody looks down at him with soft eyes. “Of course.” 

“I love you,” he tells her, blinking slowly as he fights to keep his eyes open. 

Sleep takes him under before he hears her reply, but he isn’t too worried. There will be plenty more opportunities to hear her say it back in the future. 

[paintbrushnebula]

Y'all.. 👉👈 plz don't hate me /j

I made a Screwball variant for SpiderByte's universe.

let me. let me explain

$krew_bll is a vlogger and stuntman like your typical screwball, but he's also one of the biggest social media personalities in this side of the Cyberspace. Which is bad, because he's had a ripple effect on users in the 'Space. He's amassed his following by organizing unethical challenges that put his followers in danger, coercing SpiderByte into action so her presence as a worthy opponent can boost his popularity and the inherent wackiness of his challenges.

He's got this army of big, burly attractive henchmen who all dress like him--purple jacket, rubber ducky propeller hat--all of whom he treats with great respect and care, and best of all, healthy workplace conditions!

For his design you can probably tell I took from Elton John's old Rocketman outfit and (omg...) 🤦 *ehem*.....Harry Styles.

I'm sorry that man is just. Idk nothing abt Harry Styles, I just thought his drip was the perfect type of freaky for a cracked up lad like $krew_bll plz don't @ me I promise I don't even care abt Harry Styles /lh

[sigmxnd]

forever (short story)

hi everyone :3 i posted this on ao3 not that long ago, but since a few more people are aware of my ocs on here, i kinda wanna try my hand at posting a story just on my account!!!!! this took me months with LOTS of breaks inbetween, but it's finally finished and i'm extremely proud of it. i hope you enjoy :3

~♡~

Leo's screaming fell upon his own deaf ears as his knees painfully hit the wooden floor. That wasn't him.

And yet they all still identified him.

Leo choked on his own wails and sorrowful tears, tearing the hoodie off his back and tossing it away from him. The fabric made him want to tear himself apart.

He was so deformed, destroyed. Twisted and cracked. His form resembled a horrific art project, a test of what the human body was capable of and how far the limits could possibly be pushed. And McLean was smiling.

A sick man and his best work. The ratings would fill his dinner plate tonight.

Leo could only wonder if he had any shred of consciousness left. If he was there now, would he even be recognized? If he hadn't left, would any of this have happened? The scenarios only encouraged the bile that threatened to escape his stomach. He couldn't handle this; not now, not ever.

Was 'he' even there? His body may have been, but the crowd calling upon his name seems to bring no reaction. His eyes only filled with one emotion that reflected throughout his terribly thin body as he reached towards Chris through the bars. Fury.

But maybe, if Leo called out for him, if he could only scream louder and reach his arms for the only one he'd ever desired to hold.. Maybe he was still there. Still clawing and fighting and looking for him, through the blinded mind of an animal. Hoping that someone would come back for him.

Leo didn't realize he'd moved to a different room until he heard the bathroom door open, seeing the taller stature of Sigmund from his spot on the cool tile floor. The blonde kneeled in front of him, reaching out and tenderly taking one of his wet hands.

"Can you hear me?" Sigmund mumbled, and though his head was pounding and his chest that felt far too small for the breaths he took, he nodded.

"Focus on me, if you can. Everything will be okay."He didn't understand. How could he? It certainly wasn't his fault, Leo couldn't blame the emotions he could never feel on him, but how could he ever see a silver lining in a ravenous tornado?

The front of his shirt was becoming uncomfortably soaked. He wanted to writhe, rip the cotton in two and free his body from the cage. Like a beast. The associated imagery didn't help.

"Maybe it's all a trick. You know how Chris is, he'll do anything to keep his show popular. Especially if it had something to do with the person everybody loves and talks about."

Although he wasn't wrong, how on Earth could he have faked that? It didn't seem like any kind of high budget CGI, a stuntman in makeup, a real animal, anything. Leo felt as though he wouldn't have known it was him so profoundly if it wasn't real.

His mind finally slipped the name. It only worsened his already severe sobbing. It really was Ezekiel.

Sigmund had stopped trying to comfort him, most likely realizing nothing he could say was going to help him. He sat properly beside him, letting the light brunette grip his hand as hard as he needed to.

The agony stayed for longer than he could bear to keep track of.

~~

Leo had found he never particularly cared for eating at restaurants. Always too noisy for him and too expensive, the idea never seemed worth it. And while a café seemed to get grouped in with that concept, when Sigmund suggested a local shop that didn't seem to get too populated, it didn't seem like a horrible idea.

The drive was silent, which Leo was thankful for, but he could tell Sigmund didn't enjoy it. He needed sound, something to fill the air and give him a chance to get out at least some of his pent up energy he couldn't expel elsewhere. But Leo couldn't bring himself to engage, feeling mostly numb. He'd spent himself with the constant crying and feeling the most rock bottom he thought he'd ever felt, and now there wasn't much left to give. As dramatic as it sounded in his head, there wasn't a better way to tell it.

The tiny building was admittedly very cute. They stepped inside, and he was satisfied that the described environment didn't disappoint. The two men placed their orders and went to sit, not exchanging words between each other. It didn't bother Leo, but evidently Sigmund couldn't take it anymore, breaking the air with a sentence that stirred the still emotions inside of him.

"They're making a new season." He muttered, audible enough for the man across from him to hear. "I don't know why. I don't know where it'll be, either. But I just heard about it."

Leo sighed and put his face in his hands, trying to keep himself from bursting into tears in a calm atmosphere. To his surprise, it mostly worked. "Awesome. I can't wait." The sarcasm practically dripped from his teeth onto the freshly cleaned tables, and he'd started to feel guilty as he saw a blur of the blonde man beginning to fidget with his hands nervously. He wasn't mad at Sigmund for anything; the entirety of everything simply weighed him down to the point of not having the capacity to fake it 'till he made it. He just couldn't.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make it seem like I'm angry at you, I'm not."

"No, don't worry, man. You've been.. Dealing with a lot. I shouldn't have brought it up."

The spiked edges of the old grief stabbed his chest and burned at his eyes. 'Not now.'

"It's fine." He replied in a flat voice, looking out the window as Sigmund got up to retrieve their drinks. He felt the desire to be in the closed off box of his room develop in his mind and tug at his limbs, but he didn't move. He was long due for a day out of the house, and he was going to get through it, no matter how badly he wanted to go home.

When the man returned, they quietly enjoyed their drinks, equally knowing that any more conversation would surely lead to something worse.

~~

Sigmund knew he was far from being over it. Even without it being visually obvious, he just knew Leo had been struggling to live the way he had before. Which was completely understandable.

He tried to help as best he could, but he didn't know how. Asking would typically work, but Leo's mind clouded and would overload so frequently that it made it hard for him to even know what he needed himself.

He just wished he could connect with the way he felt. Take his feelings and memories and put them in his own head, so he could be a more effective friend. It wasn't a really good train of thought, as friends couldn't be labeled by how 'effective' they were, but he found he had a hard time trying to find a better term for it.

He'd been there as much as he could, whether it was just as the comforting presence of another person or to be the encouraging voice to get him to eat. That was another thing Leo had been battling with; he'd told Sigmund it was hard to not imagine what Ezekiel had to (more so what he couldn't) eat throughout the period of him going crazy, and it made him sick to his stomach. It was rough looking for a technique to help with that.

Today, he'd constantly been worrying about the words that left his mouth, knowing all too well he had the habit of saying things without thinking, nearly every moment they came to mind. He'd tried to keep from internally cursing himself as he drove Leo back to his home, as it wouldn't help anything, though he lost that battle quite unfairly.

They hopped out of the parked car when they'd arrived, walking up the driveway and turning to each other at the door.

"Do you need me to stay for anything?" Sigmund asked softly, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands in moments of nervousness; he typically tried to settle on putting them away. "I don't have anything to do today, and my mom can just call if she needs me."

The taller shook his head, digging in his pants pockets for his house key. "No, it's fine." Turning the key in the lock, he paused before he put his hand on the knob. Sigmund took notice of the hesitation and furrowed his brows.

"You okay?"

Leo took a quiet, restricted breath. "Sorry, I lied. Can you stay?" He wiped his face on his deep blue hoodie before turning back to Sigmund, scratching at the raw skin of his hands that had been far past itchy hours ago.

"Yeah, of course."

~~

As the trees became bare with the unforgiving winter, Leo slowly moved back into his normal routines. The grief hadn't gotten a lot easier, many things still made his heart hurt and have the potential to ruin his day, but Sigmund had helped him with healing more than he realized.

He knew he didn't have to, and there was a chance it wouldn't be accepted out of humility, but he wanted to get his friend something as a 'thank you' for not abandoning him when he was most vulnerable. He didn't think he wouldn't, but he was still beyond grateful.

Though after lasting two seconds thinking about it, he figured he'd just grab some snacks and go visit him.

Parking in the driveway of the modest two-story house, an unpleasant shiver ran up Leo's spine as he exited the warm car into the contradicting temperature outside. He knocked on the equally freezing door, not having to wait long before he was greeted by an unusual concerned look displayed on Sigmund's mother's face. She looked a bit surprised to see him at the door, but she couldn't get a word out before an unintelligible and distressed yell echoed from upstairs.

"My apologies, Leo, I didn't know you were coming. Sigmund is upstairs, but I'm not sure if he wants to be interrupted at the moment." She stepped aside and let him in, locking the door behind him. The warmth spread throughout his face and down to his bones, and he sighed contentedly, a small piece of calm before he was startled by another angry exclamation. A swear word he, frankly, never planned on repeating.

"Is he okay?" The taller man asked, readjusting the plastic bag he held. Maybe what he'd bought wasn't quite right for this.

"Yes, he's just on a call with somebody, I forget who. I checked on him a bit ago and he's very upset, but thankfully the walls are insulated enough that the neighbors can't hear him. I've been trying to tune him out until he comes down for any comfort." She sat down on the couch, taking a sip of a soda she had. "Feel free to sit down, if you'd like."

"Thank you, but I'm okay. I'll go see what's up." He made his way up the stairs, stopping every time a shout rung through his ears. By the time he made it to the cracked door, the vibrations of the blonde evidently pacing around his room could be felt through his navy boots.

"FUCK YOU!" Sigmund cried, a flash of black flying past the light creeping out of the doorway. No thump was heard, which was slightly relieving, but it was nullified immediately at the sound of Leo's friend uncontrollably sobbing.

Leo approached the door, knocking gently and standing awkwardly. The door was flung open by a disheveled and seething Sigmund on the other side, who eased up at the sight of him and dropped his shoulders silently. "Oh, um.. Hi." He stepped back from the door, trying to inconspicuously wipe his tears on his shirt.

Leo wasn't sure what to say. The emotion in his chest was different this time; not quite the same grief he'd been trying to deal with for months. It hurt without the crushing hopelessness welling up in his eyes and throat. He felt something bloom in his chest, hardening his heart while opening it up to the vulnerable man in front of him.

Hesitantly, he stepped towards him, setting the plastic bag of snacks down on the ground and extending his arms to Sigmund. The way he'd desperately wanted to, days and days ago. Without a second thought, he nearly fell into Leo's offered hug, completely breaking down and muffling his cries in the taller man's soft blue jacket.

~~

"Hey."

Startled, Leo and Sigmund looked up from each other, up at the stranger standing at their table.

"Oh hey, I know you. Aaron, right?" Sigmund pointed out, putting on a fake voice to try and cover up what they were both feeling. Leo simply folded his hands on the table and anxiously tapped on his skin. "You were in the newest season."

"Yeah. I know you guys too, no need to tell me or anything." Aaron rustled in the pockets of his white jacket, clearly trying to grab hold of something. "I don't want anything, I just came by to.. Stir shit up, I guess." He gestured for Sigmund to lean forward and whispered something inaudible in his ear, causing the blonde to put on his iconic shit-eating grin and cover his mouth some.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He mumbled, trying to hold back his giggling. Aaron smiled slightly and nodded, the former pulling his jacket over his nose to muffle his laughter. The dark brunette then turned to Leo, pulling out a folded up piece of paper and putting it in front of him.

"You don't gotta open it right now. I just figured you might want it."

Those words repeated in Leo's head the entire way back to Sigmund's house, he was (they both were, frankly) dying to see what it was. As soon as they parked, they flew in the house and up the stairs, holing themselves up in Sigmund's room.

"Okay open it, I think I might explode if I don't know what it is." The blonde threw himself on the bed, flipping onto his stomach and leaning his chin on his palms. The taller sat next to him, delicately opening the mysterious paper.

The air went from warm, to very, very cold. They exchanged no words, nor a glance, seeing a slightly weathered, signed photo of Ezekiel in his corny rapper persona.

~~

"Okay, I think that's the last box." Sigmund sighed heavily and sat down against the wall, twisting his soda open and taking quite an unreasonable drink. It caused him to choke and cough, but he couldn't care.

"Cool." Leo slumped next to him, also taking a (better) drink of his pop. The room was empty for now, but hopefully unpacking everything wouldn't take forever.

"Jesus, why is all my shit so heavy? Are you sure you didn't hide a vintage brick collection in my boxes?"

"Last I checked, I don't collect bricks, but you never know. Maybe I did."

Infectious giggles filled the vacant space of the room, causing the two to almost spill their drinks on each other. When Sigmund calmed down, his eyes caught on the already assembled desk table. "Hey, since that's already up, we could probably fill it with stuff. You still tired?"

"Nope. Let's do it."

Simultaneously singing along to the likes of 2010's hits and popular emo music ("Is it true emo though?" Leo asked, to which Sigmund shrugged and said "Who cares, it's good.") while unpacking stuff for the table, it seemed to get faint when Leo picked up the picture of Ezekiel he framed years ago.

It had gotten a little dirty before he'd put it behind the glass, but it still nearly looked as good as when he'd got it. He knew now that it definitely couldn't look like it did when it was taken, but he didn't care. It didn't make it any less special.

"Put it there, I can surround it in dinosaurs." Sigmund pointed to a specific area of the table, holding a clump of plastic dinosaurs in the other hand. Leo chuckled softly as he gently placed the frame on the table, helping surround the picture with not so menacing looking creatures.

"Perfect, now he will never leave and can forever live in fear of these dollar store prehistoric.. Things."

Stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets, he blinked back some tears as he smiled. A familiar, loving warmth took up all the space in his heart.

"Yeah. Forever."

[end ♡]

[callahanisms]

lights! camera! action!

in honor of hotd’s golden globe win, have just this random shitpost of an au for the hotd cast.

aka. movie star au! (i also saw someone edit ewan to be aemond on the red carpet so that also inspired me)

anyways where do you see yourself, or your oc, fitting in this au? i’d love to know!!

ser criston cole

say hello to ser criston! or just cris, as you’ve come to call him. a stuntman making his acting debut in the new drama, house of the dragon. compared to his stoic persona, he is very goofy. laughs a lot and can never do one take. being serious is not his forte which only makes his acting chops a lot more impressive. he also laughs when he’s nervous and he’s constantly nervous around the more experienced people. doing combat scenes with him is super fun and he always makes sure his costars, and even you, are alright. does his own stunts. formerly worked on the game of thrones show (according to rumors at least).

“the princess rhaenyra is brazen and relentless. a spider who, haha. spiders. a spider who strings and sucks her prey dry. hahaha. i’m so sorry guys. can i get some water please?”

daemon targaryen

daemon is an experienced actor with a lot of films under his belt. however, he’s most prominently known to have starred in lots of b movies, particularly of the horror genre. he’s given his characters depth but the critical reception has really shrouded his talent. house of the dragon, then, is proof that he can act. and, most importantly, that he’s a good actor. he acts with professionalism and enjoys spending time with his costars outside of work. he does have a loyal following that are willing to watch anything he is in but also, he’s been single for a long time. dating just isn’t in his mind until he meets you.

“that was a really great shoot today. anyways, (y/n), do you want to join me and the others to grab some food? we’re all quite hungry and want to wish the children goodbye and good luck on future projects. kind of sad they’re leaving.”

rhaenyra targaryen

rhaenyra targaryen is a famed stage actor. outside of theatre and drag, they are not well known. house of the dragon signifies their serious television debut. rhaenyra is queer, using they/she pronouns, and presents masc outside of the show. they bring a unique perspective to their character and are well respected in the theatre and drag scene. they got into performing through drag and was even featured on a reality show for a brief time. they become a queer icon once making their television debut and can’t be any happier with their success.

“are those chocolate covered almonds? can i have one (y/n)?...thanks! say, there’s something i want to try with my character. spare me a minute so i can run it by you?...you’re the best!”

alicent hightower

alicent has quite the filmography to brag about. she’s been an actress since she was a child, thus she has as many films under her belt as daemon despite the latter being much older than her and having more experience. she is especially known from her role on a teen show as the sweet protagonist (who everyone eventually got fed up with after 8 seasons of no character growth). so playing a complex character like alicent lets her show off her acting chops while also metaphorically shedding her image as the good teenage girl. you can find her hanging out with rhaenyra or yourself.

“what made me want to take this role? well, it was a chance to grow, you know. and such a devoted mother, wife, woman, has layers to it. it just goes deeper than what i have done during most of my career. and to bring this woman to life is such a great honor.”

aegon targaryen

aegon targaryen is the leading man with a lot of fans and a role in an ongoing multi-movie franchise. a chris evans, if you will. his most notable role is as a righteous man, someone so morally upstanding. so to play someone like aegon provides him with a challenge. he loves the new material and to finally be something different! he’s also very much like criston, always cracking up during his lines and making jokes. he’s always bringing refreshments to set for everyone and there are nothing but good things said about him.

“oh wow. did you get me a smoothie (y/n)? you didn’t have to, y’know. i don’t mind getting you stuff....oh, you just wanted to? you are very sweet. maybe we can go grab some food after this shoot is done.”

aemond targaryen

the newbie. he’s only acted in soap operas and dramas but he blows up after his debut on house of the dragon. aemond becomes probably one of the most popular actors after his debut. his inexperience makes him nervous and after the takes are done, he’s always apologizing and asking if his costars are okay (like with luke). he’s mostly played sweethearts in his roles, so his character is a new change of pace. sometimes, he does need a pep talk from you because it is very intimidating to be working around such experienced actors and actresses like rhaenyra and alicent!

“i am so sorry if i was too aggressive. are you alright?...okay thank god! i was worried that i had pushed it too far....it was a good take? oh wow! thank you so much for the compliment (y/n)!”

helaena targaryen

the it-girl and a rising new talent, helaena is the hottest new actress. she rose to prominence with rom coms and many people feared she would be categorized as a rom com actress from then on out. however, helaena is not one for formulas! she starred in a tv series that went against her rom com image and a dramatic film that had critics praising her for weeks on end. house of the dragon is one of her many endeavors to expand her craft. she is also on the more famous side compared to some of her other costars and has a large social media following, hailed as a style icon.

“(y/n), you want to take a picture with me on the iron throne?...cool! weirdly enough, this is very comfortable....oh, are you cold? here, you can have my jacket. it gets quite chilly on the sound stage.”

jacaerys velaryon

jace has dipped his toes into acting, mostly in comedies because his comedic timing is amazing. but his primary source of income is as a model and a musician. he’s written a few songs solo and heads a punk band. house of the dragon represents his dramatic debut. and a lot of his fans don’t recognize him at first when he comes on screen until they look at the credits. nevertheless, he brings in new fans for his band and his numbers on social media sky rocket. he is a bit of a goofball like aegon and has a large storage of memes for the groupchats.

“hey (y/n), (y/n). why did the bike fall over? because it’s two tired! hahaha, sorry, sorry. i will stop telling you corny jokes. i know you secretly love them.”