#i have to make this in honor of past libby who did not have the skills but talked about making this set in her tags *blows kiss*

[wistfulwatcher]

7.04 Painless | 5.02 Haunted

[riddles-n-games]

Can you write a headcanon about what types of tattoos each character would get? If they would get one…

Ok, but why did that remind me of the Tattoo Roulette game with One Direction on James Corden's late night show? Xander would be Niall, Nash would be Liam, Grayson would be Louis (the sassy mothertrucker) and Jameson would be Harry but much more willing and enthusiastic. Actually, I could see this happening on a very badly drunk edition of Drink or Dare.

Sure, I'll just do our main crew though. Here goes:

Nash-Personally, he really doesn't want one but if Libby asked he would. One of her fun suggestions would be a little cowboy hat on the base of his thumb. He thinks it's cute but for himself, he may just choose a motorcycle or a horse on his forearm. Something in black. Tattooing Libby's name would also be a must for him.

Grayson-This boy would be really against them but the only time he'd get them, very begrudgingly might I add, is if all his brothers wanted to get tattoos or because of a lost bet and he doesn't lose them often. He may get a dagger on his wrist. But, if he wanted something very personal, he would get a meaningful one that reflects a bit of the past and he would get it on his ribs, just to make it hurt, to punish himself for past wrongs like his haiku, the words Never Forget or Nothing Less Than Perfection. Although, for a bet, on a dare, his brothers (read: Jameson) would make him get a smiley face with I AM PERFECTION surrounding it on his abdomen.

Jameson-Wholeheartedly, this one would go all out and for fun probably pick something to go on his ribs even though it's the placement with the worst pain to get one since he has no self-preservation. Probably flames, maybe Ghost Rider. If he was one to already have tattoos, he'd probably have a bunch of stupid ones from like a dare or something. For some reason, one he'd get is a snake coiled around his wrist with the words from the Bible verse: Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. In honor of Avery, he would get Heiress tattooed over his heart or something funny like Property of A Very Risky Gamble along his collar bone. But his girlfriend's actual suggestion is getting the word EXTRAORDINARY on his finger.

Xander-He'd say he want one without any thought whatsoever about the process he has to go through to get it but then when he gets in the chair, he'd chicken out and pass out. Insert Stiles Stilinski fainting gif here. Although, he actually wants a really cool cartoony classic robot design in color on his arm if he did.

Avery-She's not necessarily fond of the idea but would totally do it for a dare or get one with Jameson. Avery entertains the idea that if she ever did, she might get a key tattooed on the inside of her wrist or a chess piece (we all know which one; the queen). Other ones that feel like a good possibility include getting her mother's name in cursive with little postcards on either side or Hannah, The Same Backward As Forward. One that she would get to commemorate to her relationship with Jamie is Heads or Tails on her ring finger with a small penny on the underside of the finger.

Libby-She'd get one on the back of her neck saying Love Yourself, some fun finger tats that Xander, Max, and Avery helped her pick out and get Nash on her ring finger where the wedding band would go. Also, a cute cupcake with Stress Baker underneath it would be mandatory on her arm or leg. Maybe the top of her shoulder blade. She and Avery would design some sort of special tattoo that they'd get together at some point in the future.

Max-Straight up would get AUSTRALIA with a kangaroo on her foot because she's real like that and also a fanatic for that crazy place (honestly don't understand how she survived). She'd also get a blueberry scone in honor of Xander who couldn't get one for himself because of the fainting incident. Maybe a quote from the Bible from John or a Star Wars quote on her arm.

Hope this is what you were looking for along the lines. I could make a part two in the future. Thanks for the suggestion.

[thechaseofspades]

3 characters that inspire you?

Did that thing again where I turned a fun little ask into a whole essay. Whoops haha.

1. Libby Stein-Torres

I love "Mazel Tov, Libby!" so much. Everything about it was great, but it really felt like a coming out party for the Libster. How anxious she was when the party started going against her plans, especially at the Hora scene. Her moment with Molly at the end where she admits all she wanted to do was spend time with her best friend. The freaking turtle races!!! Such a great episode.

Libby gors through the "first friend" arc as I call it. We all know how it goes. Shy character meets somebody and becomes friends but they don't really know how to be friends with somebody yet so they have to figure it out as they go but it all works out because they're perfect for each other and 100% supportive of one another. And now she's in the title sequence too! Go Libby!

(Honorable mentions for this category: Webby Vanderquack and Casey Goldberg-Calderon, who both also went through the "first friend" arc and I just couldn't go without mentioning them. Libby gets the edge because Mazel Tov was so good)

2. Luz Noceda

I think I made a post about how sometimes I don't understand the blatant messaging of media until I see an hour long video essay about it. That was in reference to Luz. I had the pleasure of finding a lengthy video taking about her as ADHD/neurodivergent rep and had that in mind watching S3 and wow yeah it's definitely there.

In many ways, I'm not like Luz. We have different diagnoses and different traits. So obviously it's not 1:1. But in my time watching The Owl House, I've had my own (unrelated) journey about learning to accept myself and embrace who I am. Seeing it all culminate for Luz these past six months made me feel really good. Too good to describe because I wouldn't be able to do it justice.

3. Huey Duck

Oh hey what's this how'd my favorite show end up on this list that's crazy.

I talked about this during Huey hours earlier this week but I'll repeat it here. I really appreciated how Ducktales handled Huey's autistic traits for the most part. Astro-B.O.Y.D.! being the obvious example, but I want to focus on examples like the Terra-firmians episode or Timephoon!, times where Huey was "wrong". Sure, his reliance on order and structure and his strict adherence to the JWG led him to inaccurate conclusions, but he was never *wrong* for doing it that way. The lesson was never "stop being who you are and doing what you're doing".

Compare that to the seemingly countless examples where Huey bailed the family out of a situation because of his knowledge in certain subjects or recalling rules from the guidebook. With a success rate like that, it's great that the show let him flex that strength whenever it could.

The lesson of this whole thing seems to just be to never stop being who you are. Even though sometimes it might set you apart and make you different, or might be difficult to navigate, or might send you in the wrong direction on occasion, it's still worth it to be true to yourself and do what you love. Do what works. Do what makes you you.

That's the lesson I've learned in the past few years. And maybe it's not a coincidence that I learned that lesson at the same time that I watched these shows. Whether I noticed it or not, I might have been inspired by them more than I think.

Thanks for the ask!

[backuparguelles]

The Wraith Wrath of Libby vs Her Dad

Following the events of “Like Father, Like Libby”, what happens if her Dad Mathias came to Brighton but in a significant remorse and revenge by turning Libby into a ghostly wraith scaring her dad as a vengeance for not returning home because of his busy schedule signing his books. With some references to “Hooray for Mollywood”, it takes place in Brighton Park.

Scratch: are u sure about this, scaring your dad might feel sad and kinda horrifying. Libby: combine with my zombie apocalypse feels and the wraith souls of me, Molly and Darryl. I wanna make sure he will apologize to me and my dad for not coming home! Darryl: OK I got Blair as the director; Reggie, Geoff, and Jeff as our film crew, our honorable ghost chairman is the ghost dad and Libby is our star of this new film. Molly: wow your dad is kind fun but really weird, glad your mom isn’t here. Libby: oh you’ll see my vengeance and my dignity. Molly: as much as your a serious girl but I hope this film will make your dad make some regrets! Blair: everyone take places!!! “Ghost Girl Vengeance” will begin filming! This is gonna go so well as a first time horror movie director!!!

Mathias: Hello? Libby? Anyone? I just wanna say I’m sorry here. Hello? Since when one part of this park is a cemetery? Molly: awoooooo!!!!!!! Mathias: huh who’s there? Darryl: we’re your worst nightmare!!! Mathias: is that u guys? Molly, Darryl, where’s Libby? Molly: who’s Molly and Darryl? We’re the souls of the past! Mathias: but I hear your voices! (thunder cracks and booms, with winds and white smoke flowing into the air) Wait your Yellow and Green with no ears and legs, are u really ghosts? Molly: Boo!!! muahahahahahahahaha!!! Mathias: who are u and what have u done to Molly McGee!!! Molly: who’s Molly McGee I’m the ghost of friendship! And u don’t care about Libby!!! Darryl: I’m the ghost of childhood and u let your daughter Libby suffer by not coming home here in Brighton!!! Mathias: U look like Darryl. Darryl: I’m not Darryl!, I don’t know what Molly or Darryl is? Mathias: please! Where’s my daughter!!! Libby: awooooooooo!!!!!! Someone call me? Mathias: Libby is that u? Libby: u ruined my life dad u didn’t came home after all those years! Now your home again it’s all too late! Mathias: your dead! Libby: a nuclear accident nearly killed the town! And virtually almost everyone is now dead, me and the two kids u already met before me are hiding in the bookstore where my mom worked before the accident happened! Now that u came back, we’ll haunt u to eternity unless u say I’m sorry!!! Now fear me of my miserable life that u made after u leave me for years!!! Mathias: please don’t me!!! I’m sorry that I left u behind after all those years!!! Sniff, please Libby please come back as a human!!! I promise we can spend more time together alongside your mom too!!! I want u back in one human skin!!! Libby: u really think so Dad? We can start going to the bookstore by apologizing to my mom. Mathias: OK OK I can go to “Book Marks The Spot” now!!!

After the filming of the horror movie. Hours later, Mathias came inside “Book Marks The Spot” meeting Leah for the first time. Leah: oh u came back? U look dreary? Did u met Libby? Mathias: yes but our daughter is actually dead, I wish her coming back as a human! Leah: did u apologize to her? Mathias: yes!!! Wait is that really Libby? Libby: hi dad! Mathias: Libby!!! Your back!!! I miss u so much!!! I thought your dead!!! I’m sorry that I left u for so long!!! Can we start over even I was visiting for a week. Libby: well we can start playing board games here, c’mon mom can we play together please? Leah: OK sure but I’m calling the McGees to come in too. This somehow resolved our family problem for now also I’m sorry too Mathias so does your book. Mathias: I do love Libby’s book tbh. So can we start all over again? Leah and Libby: yes!!!

(Epilogue) Sharon: wow, Libby’s dad did go well as an author and a drummer. Pete: hey, if our kids do a poetry slam, it’s really look like a rap battle.

The end

[emjee]

so you wanted to like Bridgerton

…but you couldn’t get past the gender politics/massive consent issues/rich people/crime of wearing stays with no shift underneath/insert your reason here.

Behold, I present to you this list of some of my favorite romance novels categorized by my own reactions that mayhap you share:

(But first, a note: I have read all of the books on this list, but in some cases it has been quite a while, so I’m not going to list content warnings because I frankly don’t remember all of them. I recommend checking Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, author websites (KJ Charles has her content warnings listed by book), and reviews if you’re concerned. If you DM me about specific books I can also do a quick search and give you an answer.)

(Actually, a second note: Please obtain these books through means that support the authors as well as small business, if possible. If audiobooks are your thing, check out libro.fm, which allows you to support an indie bookstore through digital audio purchases. If you prefer paper, order from an indie if you can--The Ripped Bodice is a romance-only bookstore that has paper copies of authors who can be hard to find in paper elsewhere, like KJ Charles. Where you have to get your ebooks depends on what your device is, but please pay for them. If you can’t or don’t want to, (which is fair!) check and see if you library uses Libby and/or Hoopla, which allow you to borrow ebooks as well as audiobooks. I believe Libby and Hoopla is only available in the US, but I might be wrong.) 

I’m not going to do a summary for every book because this post is already long enough but I’m happy to answer questions about any of them!

If you liked the brotherly shenanigans, but weren’t into the weird controlling thing Anthony had going on:

The Turner Series by Courtney Milan (Unveiled, Untamed, and Unraveled) is about Ash, Smite, and Mark Turner, three brothers who have made it through life so far by relying on each other. If you want schemes and revenge on rich people, start with Unveiled. If you want to read about a law professional who actually cares about justice, start with Unraveled. If you want a book-length purity culture takedown, start with Untamed.

The Brothers Sinister Series by Courtney Milan (The Duchess War, The Heiress Effect, The Countess Conspiracy, and The Suffragette Scandal) listen Courtney Milan’s just really good at brothers and sibling relationships in general. If you want a duke who’s a class traitor, start with The Duchess War. If you want politics and wild fashion, start with The Heiress Effect. If you want friends-to-lovers plus SCIENCE! start with The Countess Conspiracy. If you want the best suffragist newspaperwoman ever to appear in fiction and the forger who falls in love with her, start with The Suffragette Scandal.

If you were very happy to see people of color in an English historical drama, but have some reservations about the way it was handled (see this video about colorism, racebaiting, and implicit bias in Bridgerton):

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian (this one’s gay)

After the Wedding by Courtney Milan (this one has a bi heroine)

An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles (also gay)

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

Wanted, a Gentleman by KJ Charles (also gay)

Unfit to Print by KJ Charles (also gay)

If you were like “none of these members of the aristocracy are sufficiently embarrassed that they’re members of the aristocracy”:

The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian (also this one’s gay)

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian (this one has a bi heroine)

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan  

The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan (The Duke Who Didn’t, also falls under this category)

If you thought, “actually I’ve decided I’m not interested in the aristocracy, no matter how embarrassed they are”

Try anything by Rose Lerner, especially Sweet Disorder, True Pretenses, and Listen to the Moon.

If you thought, “dear God please just use your words and talk about sex” (a.k.a. books about women who are DTF):

A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian (this one also includes a bi for bi main pairing, and every single main character is queer)

Gilded Cage by KJ Charles (this one has a bi heroine)

Extra shoutout to The Duchess War, listed above, for A+ communication between the two protagonists about the sex they do and don’t want to have.

If you did kind of agree with “reformed rakes make the best husbands”:

The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian (also gay)

Band Sinister by KJ Charles (actually very little reformation goes on here, which makes it better, trust me, and gay as hell)

If you were like “yeah yeah can we get back to Benedict and this artist guy? Is it too much to want them to make out?” (a.k.a. this is the section for queer books I haven’t already mentioned)

Anything by Cat Sebastian and KJ Charles, with honorable mentions for:

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian

The Society of Gentlemen Series by KJ Charles (A Fashionable Indulgence, A Seditious Affair, and A Gentleman’s Position)  - extra shoutout for the research that went into this series and how historical events directly impact the plot and the characters’ decisions, it’s really quite masterful.

I have also heard wonderful things about Olivia Waite’s The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Navigation and The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, but I haven’t had a chance to check those out for myself yet.

You actually kind of liked the costumes, but you would like to read about historically accurate wild fashion in which everyone wears the proper linings under their stays and corsets really dear Lord is it too much to ask:

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan. The wild outfits are a plot point, trust me, and have historical basis to boot.

These books are concentrated on nineteenth century England, because that’s when Bridgerton is set. (Courtney Milan’s books are Victorian, not Regency, but they’re going on the list because I said so, Netflix Adapt Courtney Milan Next And Do Not Mess It Up challenge 2k21). If you’re looking for non-England-set romance novels in any of these categories, hit me up and I will see what I can find.

“Hey MG, this list is made up of like…the same four authors.” Yes, alas, I have grown wildly picky about my romance novels in the last few years and this is the core of what I know well enough to confidently recommend.

I’d love to hear what people think of these!

[flufffysocks]

let's talk about andi mack's worldbuilding

sorry this took forever to make! i've been pretty busy with school stuff and i kind of lost my inspiration for a bit, but i ultimately really enjoyed writing it! i wish i could've included more pics (tumblr has a max of 10 per post), and it kinda turned from less of a mini analysis to more of an extremely long rant... but i hope it's still a fun read!

i've been rewatching the show over the past few weeks (thanks again to @disneymack for the link!), and i’ve been noticing a lot that i never did the first time around. this is really the first time i’ve watched the show from start to finish since it aired, and it honestly feels so different this time - probably a combination of the fact that i’m not as focused on plot and can appreciate the show as a whole, and also that the fandom is much, much smaller now, so there’s a lot less noise. so the way i’m consuming this show feels super different than it did the first time, but the show itself doesn’t - it’s just as warm and comforting to me as it was the first time around, if not more so.

i think a lot of that can be attributed to andi mack’s “worldbuilding”. i’m not quite sure that this is the right word in this context, to be honest, because i mostly see it used in reference to fantasy and sci-fi universes, but it just sort of feels right to me for andi mack, because you can really tell how much love and care went into constructing this universe. for clarity, worldbuilding is “the process of creating an imaginary world” in its simplest sense. there’s two main types: hard worldbuilding, which involves inventing entire universes, languages, people, cultures, places, foods, etc. from scratch (think “lord of the rings” or “dune”), and soft worldbuilding, in which the creators don’t explicitly state or explain much about the fictional universe, but rather let it’s nature reveal itself as the story progresses (think studio ghibli films). andi mack to me falls in the soft worldbuilding category. even though it takes place in a realistic fiction universe, there’s a lot of aspects to it that are inexplicably novel in really subtle ways.

so watching the show now, i’ve noticed that the worldbuilding comes primarily from two things - setting and props, and oftentimes the both of them in tandem (because a big part of setting in filmmaking does depend on the props placed in it!).

one of the most obvious examples is the spoon. it really is a sort of quintessential, tropic setting in that it's the main gang's "spot", which automatically gives it a warm and homey feel to it. and its set design only amplifies this:

the choice to make it a very traditional 50s-style diner creates a very nostalgic, retro feel to it, which is something that's really consistent throughout the show, as you'll see. from the round stools at the bar, to the booths, to the staff uniforms, this is very obvious. the thing that i found especially interesting about it though is the choice of color. the typical 50s diner is outfitted with metallic surfaces and red accented furnishings, but the spoon is very distinctly not this.

instead, it's dressed in vibrant teal and orange, giving it a very fresh and modern take on a classic look. so it still maintains that feeling of being funky and retro, but that doesn't retract from the fact that the show is set distinctly in modern times.

of course, this could just be a one-off quirky set piece, but this idea of modernizing and novelizing "retro" things is a really common motif throughout the show. take red rooster records. i mean, it's a record shop - need i say more? it's obviously a very prominent store in shadyside, at least for the main characters, but there's no apparent reason why it is (until season 2 when bowie starts working there, and jonah starts performing there). a lot of the time, though, it functions solely as a record shop. vinyl obviously isn't the most practical or convenient way of listening to music, but it's had its resurgence in pop culture even in the real world, mostly due to its aesthetic value, so it's safe to say that it serves the same purpose in the andi mack universe.

the fringe seems to be nostalgic of a different era, specifically the Y2K/early 2000s period (because it's meant to be bex's territory and symbolic of who she used to be, and its later transformation into cloud 10 is representative of her character arc, but that's beside the point). to be honest, exactly what this store was supposed to be always confused me. it was kind of a combination party store/clothing store/makeup store/beauty parlor? i think that's sort of the point of it though, it's supposed to feel very grunge-y and chaotic (within the confines of a relatively mellow-toned show, of course), and it's supposed to act as a sort of treasure chest of little curios that both make the place interesting and allow the characters to interact with it.

and, of course, there's andi shack. this is really the cherry on top of all of andi mack's sets, just because it's so distinctly andi. it serves such amazing narrative purpose for her (ex. the storyline where cece and ham were going to move - i really loved this because it highlights its place in the andi mack universe so well, and i'm a sucker for the paper cranes shot + i'm still salty that sadie's cranes didn't make it into the finale) and it's the perfect reflection of andi's character development because of how dynamic it is (the crafts and art supplies can get moved around or switched out, and there's always new creations visible).

going back to the nostalgia motif though, the "shack" aspect of it always struck me as very treehouse-like. personally, whenever i think of treehouses, there's this very golden sheen of childhood about it, if that makes sense. i've always seen treehouses in media as a sort of shelter for characters' youthful innocence and idealistic memories. for example, the episode "up a tree" from good luck charlie, the episode "treehouse" from modern family, and "to all the boys 2" all use a treehouse setting as a device to explore the character's desire to hold onto their perfect image of their childhood (side note: this exact theme is actually explored in andi mack in the episode "perfect day 2.0"!). andi shack is no exception to this, but it harnesses this childhood idealism in the same way that it captures the nostalgia of the 50s in the spoon, or the early 2000s in the fringe. it's not some image of a distant past being reflected through that setting; it's very present, and very alive, because it reflects andi as she is in the given moment.

some honorable mentions of more one-off settings include the ferris wheel (from "the snorpion"), the alley art gallery (from "a walker to remember"), SAVA, the color factory (from "it's a dilemna"), and my personal favorite, the cake shop (from "that syncing feeling").

[every time i watch this episode i want to eat those cakes so bad]

these settings have less of a distinctly nostalgic feel (especially the color factory, which is a very late 2010s, instagram era setting), but they all definitely have an aura of perfection about them. andi mack is all about bright, colorful visuals, and these settings really play to that, making the andi mack universe seem really fun and inviting, and frankly very instagrammable (literally so, when it comes to the color factory!).

props, on the other hand, are probably a much less obvious tool of worldbuilding. they definitely take up less space in the frame and are generally not as noticeable (i'm sure i'll have missed a bunch that will be great examples, but i'm kind of coming up with all of this off the top of my head), but they really tie everything together.

for example, bex's box, bex's polaroid, and the old tv at the mack apartment (the tv is usually only visible in the periphery of some shots, so you might not catch it at first glance) all complement that very retro aesthetic established through the settings (especially the polaroid and the tv, because there's really no good reason that the characters would otherwise be using these).

besides this, andi's artistic nature provides the perfect excuse for plenty of colorful, crafty props to amplify the visuals and the tone. obviously, as i discussed before, andi shack is the best example of this because it's filled with interesting props. but you also see bits of andi's (and other people's) crafts popping up throughout the show (ex. the tape on the fridge in the mack apartment, andi's and libby's headbands in "the new girls", walker's shoes, andi's phone case, and of course, the bracelet). not only does doing this really solidify this talent as an essential tenet of andi's character, but it also just makes the entirety of shadyside feel like an extension of andi shack. the whole town is a canvas for her crafts (or art, depending on how you want to look at it. i say it's both), and it immensely adds to shadyside's idealism. because who wouldn't want to live in a world made of andi mack's creations?

and, while it's not exactly a prop, the characters' wardrobe is undoubtedly a major influence on the show's worldbuilding. true to it's nature as a disney channel show, all of the characters are always dressed in exceptionally curated outfits of whatever the current trends are, making the show that much more visually appealing. i won't elaborate too much on this, because i could honestly write a whole other analysis on andi mack's fashion (my favorites are andi's and bex's outfits! and kudos to the costume designer(s) for creating such wonderful and in-character wardrobes!). but, i think it's a really really important aspect of how the show's universe is perceived, so it had to be touched upon.

[^ some of my favorite outfits from the show! i am so obsessed with andi's jacket in the finale, and i aspire to be at bex's level of being a leather jacket bisexual]

and lastly, phones. this is a bit of an interesting case (pun intended), because the way they're used fluctuates a bit throughout the show, but i definitely noticed that at least in the first season terri minsky tried to avoid using them altogether. these efforts at distancing from modern tech really grounds the show in it's idealist, nostalgia-heavy roots, so even when the characters start using their phones more later in the show, they don't alter the viewer's impression of the andi mack universe very much.

so, what does all of this have to do with worldbuilding? in andi mack's case, because it's set in a realistic universe and not a fantasy one, a lot of what sets it apart from the real world comes down to tone. because, as much as this world is based on our own, it really does feel separate from it, like an alternate reality that's just slightly more perfect than ours, which makes all the difference. it's the idealism in color and composition in andi mack's settings that makes it so unmistakably andi mack. even the weather is always sunny and perfect (which is incredibly ironic because the town is called shadyside - yes, i am very proud of that observation).

the andi mack universe resides somewhere in this perfect medium that makes it feel like a small town in the middle of nowhere (almost like hill valley in 1955 from "back to the future"), but at the same time like an enclave within a big city (because of its proximity to so many modern, unique, and honestly very classy looking establishments). it is, essentially, an unattainable dream land that tricks you into believing it is attainable because it's just real enough.

all this to say, andi mack does an amazing job of creating of polished, perfect world for its characters. this is pretty common among disney channel and nickelodeon shows, but because most other shows tend to be filmed in a studio with three-wall sets, andi mack is really set apart from them in that it automatically feels more real and tangible. it has its quintessential recurring locations, but it has far more of them (most disney/nick shows usually only have 3-4 recurring settings), and it has a lot more one-off locations. it's also a lot more considerate when it comes to its props, so rather than the show just looking garish and aggressively trendy, it has a distinctive style that's actually appropriate to the characters and the story. overall this creates the effect of expanding the universe, making shadyside feel like it really is a part of a wider world, rather than an artificial bubble. it's idealism is, first and foremost, grounded in reality, and that provides a basis for its brilliant, creative, and relatable storytelling.

tl;dr: andi mack's sets and props give it a very retro and nostalgic tone which makes its whole universe seem super perfect and i want to live there so bad!!

[letterboxd]

Greater Lovers: The Céline Sciamma Q&A.

“It’s a new narrative of love.” On the eve of its Valentine’s Day wide release, Dominic Corry puts your questions to the writer and director of our highest-rated romance film of the decade, Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Few films have more hearts beating on Letterboxd lately than Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, which has a 4.4 average rating, was second only to Parasite as the highest-rated feature film of 2019, and holds the number one position on our official Top 100 Narrative Feature Films by Women Directors.

“This is one of the most emotionally intense viewing experiences I’ve had in a while, so I’m not ready to sum it up with a neat and tidy star rating,” wrote Trudie. “My body is still visibly shaken… yearning personified,” said Lucy. “I’m going to think about those last fifteen minutes for the rest of my life,” swooned Stephanie, speaking for us all.

Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, the film had a short Oscar-qualifying run in American theaters at the end of last year, and although it was criminally overlooked by the Academy (it was not France’s submission for International Feature, though it is up for ten Césars), it’s finally going wide on American screens on Valentine’s Day.

As a giant fan, it was a huge honor to personally convey all the Letterboxd love for Portrait of a Lady on Fire to Sciamma, and to take with me several of your questions. (Lucy, we read your entire comment to her: “I just wanted to thank Céline for Portrait of a Lady on Fire. It holds a very special place in my heart now and is my favorite film of the decade. I’m truly, eternally grateful.”)

Spoiler warning: several questions reference the nature of the film’s ending, without getting into specifics. And a warning for easy fainters: Kristen Stewart may have been brought up during this interview; and Céline has been reading your Letterboxd reviews.

Adèle Haenel (left) and Noémie Merlant in ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’.

What would you like to say to your Letterboxd fans who have fallen so completely in love with your film? Céline Sciamma: Well thank you! No, but really. Because what touched me the most is the fact that people will write about films. And that’s the beauty of this digital era. I’m paying a lot of attention about what’s going on around the film, what is being said. I’m really looking at things, so I’ve seen a lot of Letterboxd [reviews]. And I’ve seen that Letterboxd, at some point, used the emoji thing, which was really, really beautiful and fun [Sciamma is referring to the fire and picture frame emoji we added to our Twitter name at the time of the film’s release last year].

And the fact that people who were touched by the film would take the time to write about it, I think it’s something really beautiful, especially with this film, which is about how love is an education to art. Because art consoles from love, or makes us greater lovers. I find it beautiful that people would express their feelings and put their heart and their mind into cinema. As a young cinephile there was no internet, and I remember writing, just only for myself in little diaries, about film. And so I found it really, really important.

There’s one question we like to ask every filmmaker we speak to: what is the film that made you want to become a filmmaker? Well, the film that made me understand filmmaking, mise-en-scène, was The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Jacques Demy, as a director, his films in France, we see them when we are very young; he made Peau d’âne, which is a film that is shown to kids. He is such a great director. Definitely as a young kid—I was twelve years old—I found out that, okay, there’s somebody behind this with a vision. Somebody would paint a city like in Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Somebody would paint a wall to make it sing the vision of somebody.

And when discovering mise-en-scène—the fact that there was a director, a vision of somebody—it really blew my mind. I remember I fell in love with the idea of cinema. So, you know, it’s not one film that makes you want to be a director. There are some films that connect you to the idea of cinema and vision and just make you crave for this idea.

Before this interview, we asked our community to submit questions for you. The first is from Letterboxd member ‘I’, who wants to know if you were inspired by any movie in the process of making Portrait of a Lady on Fire. When I’m writing a film, or just even just going with the idea of starting to dream about a film, I don’t watch films anymore, because it’s a very fragile moment. I’m trying to be candid and I’m trying to create this prototype and not to begin being in dialogue with the history of cinema.

But then when the script is done, and especially when we are talking with the team, with the DP, there are some films that can come up in the discussion. “Okay, we should we should take a look at that,” regarding one specific issue. For instance, with Portrait of a Lady on Fire, regarding the lighting, there was this idea, I mean you could definitely look at all the period-piece films and be like, “What about the candles? Are they in the frame? Are there a lot of candles? Are they on chandeliers? Or are they held?”

So, I’m thinking about that, this issue of the light in the candles. Night. Day. So me and [cinematographer] Claire Mathon, we had that discussion. So Kubrick, Barry Lyndon, we watched obviously.

And also at that moment I’m trying to watch, not specifically films that seem to be related, but films that give me faith in cinema. For instance, Jeanne Dielman by Chantal Akerman, which is such a radical film. I’m trying to get radical positions that have nothing to do with the film, subject-wise, but of people who firmly believed in the language of cinema, and were radical about it. I’m trying to watch radical films that renew your faith in cinema. I mean, they’re major pieces of art, but just give this feeling that you can be radical, you can be bold, and to get this excitement about, really, the language of cinema.

Many of our members are writing that Portrait of a Lady on Fire is the most romantic film ever made, and one of the best expressions of female desire ever put on screen. What’s the most romantic film you’ve ever seen? You know, it’s weird because when I think about it… film is emotional right? A lot of the things that come to my mind are films that are not necessarily pure love stories. This is gonna sound stupid, but E.T., for instance, is a great love story. This is a great love story for me, and one of the greatest endings in terms of how a relationship ends: E.T. has this idea that the breakup between the two characters is… they want the same thing. And that’s why they’re breaking up, because one is saying “come” and one is saying “stay”, which I think is the most heartbreaking breakup, not being a breakup.

I think there might be a new contender for most heartbreaking breakup. The ending of it is really climaxing. Because when we watch love stories, it’s harder, the frozen image of two people leaving in a car, you know, marriage, whatever. Like the romantic-comedy ending where they end up together, then that’s the end. Eternal possession as a promise of fulfilment. Or, it’s the tragic ending, where they will never [be together]. And I really tried to find another way [in Portrait of a Lady on Fire], like in E.T. you know, it’s two people saying “I love you” but not being together. It’s a new narrative of love.

So I’m always trying also to think about forms. Mulholland Drive is a film that definitely was also an inspiration, because it’s a film that creates its storytelling around an idea of love. Everybody said: “Oh this film is so hard to get”. [But] it’s really simple. It’s like the first part is a dream of a story that has already happened. And so Lynch created this, screenwriting-wise, he created this idea that those two women, they meet and suddenly they’re in bed together and one says “I think I’m in love with you”, which means that Lynch is telling us that “I love you” is always something you say in the past. And with Portrait of a Lady on Fire, I was thinking I have to create a form where “I love you” is something that always has a future. So that’s the kind of dialogue I have with films that inspire me.

And also Titanic. It has kind of the same structure as Portrait of a Lady on Fire: the presence of a love story but the memory of a love story. And also, not being together even though there’s a tragic death. It’s a love story about emancipation. And that’s so much what we’re trying to tell: it’s not about whether you end up together, or you don’t. A good love story isn’t about that, it’s about: did it give you emancipation?

This last question is from Pauline: “How much do I need to pay you to hire Kristen Stewart—who has just said Portrait was her favorite movie of 2019 and that she has seen all of your movies—in your next project? I’m ready to write the check, just say a number.” Well no, it’s not about the money. But I met Kristen Stewart a few months ago. So I mean, it’s already a start. We talked about cinema, and, and I really enjoyed talking about cinema with her, so…

‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is in select US theaters now, and on wide release from 14 February. This interview took place in the English language and has had minor edits for clarity. With thanks to NEON, Cinetic Media and Ginsberg/Libby.

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[theawkwardterrier]

things left behind and the things that are ahead, ch. 14

AO3 link here

He’s always taken by surprise when the memories come for him. It will be something small, usually: an article he goes to set aside because Bruce would be interested, or - even after all this time - a reach for his phone to check the weather before realizing the reflex won’t make sense for several more decades. The first Thanksgiving he spends with Peggy, he’s muddled through enough to have the turkey in the oven and the potatoes boiling on the stove and suddenly he remembers being on the run, holed up in an apartment in Sofia with Sam recounting stories of family holidays past as he taught Steve and Natasha to make “the best damn cornbread you’ll ever eat.” (Steve remembers the recipe and serves it at dinner, but can’t bring himself to taste it.)

There’s the time that Rose, independent minded as always, starts calling her new brother Natty, then Nat (over and over - “Nat, Nat, Nat”), until Steve, who does not yell at his children, finds himself barking at her to quit it before leaving the room. He apologizes to them all later, a mulish, wary-eyed Rosie in particular, but none of them ever uses the nickname again.

Once, he is waiting in line at the post office and recalls with a sudden and biting shudder that something of him is out there, frozen and insensate in the solitary ice while Steve lives this life. And then he realizes that Thor is somewhere now too, still young and princely, a warrior, already having lived a thousand years or more. Someone Steve could talk to, someone who would not know him, someone who can’t be reached. (The postal clerk offers condolences as he mails his package.)

The day Tony is born is particularly bad.

Steve knew that Maria was pregnant, knew it was going to happen soon. The date on the calendar triggered something familiar in the back of his mind when he went to write in the sleepover party Emma has scheduled for that evening. But he is still surprised when he gets the call.

It comes in the early hours. Peggy grumbles when the phone shrills into the dim morning quiet of their bedroom - she’d been on a late-night call and only got to sleep around 2 AM - so Steve rolls out of bed and over to the dresser to answer it.

“Steve!” It’s Howard, sounding entirely too awake. “Steve, he’s here!”

Steve massages his eyes for a moment, wondering if he has to rouse Peggy after all. Some diplomat, some dangerous figure he doesn’t know about…? But Howard is continuing, “—told me take her over to Mt. Sinai. Luckily I had Jarvis drive us because that woman really had her claws in my arm - hard to steer with that kind of grip on you. Figured the kid was ready to fall out of her, the way she was acting, but we were there all night.You know they let husbands come in for the main event these days? Crazy times. Thought Ana would be better at that sort of thing, though. Calming presence and all. She came out about an hour ago, brought me in to see him before they took him away. Ten fingers, ten toes and all, did great on that baby score test, and we’ve named him too! Anthony, for Maria’s father, but we’ll call him—”

“Tony,” Steve says softly, but it is lost under Howard’s joyful echo.

He had thought that it would be Jarvis calling, pride and delight masked beneath British propriety. He imagined it like being informed about a royal birth: “It has just been announced that Mrs. Maria Stark was safely delivered of a boy at 3:43 A.M. and that she and the child are both doing well.” He could have stood for that, offered suitable congratulations on behalf of himself and the rest of the family, and hung up. But now it is Howard, bursting with unexpected eagerness about his son over the telephone line, and the appropriate amount of corresponding happiness seems more than Steve has to give.

There’s a sick twist in his gut as he thinks of the disdain and hurt in Tony’s voice whenever he spoke about Howard, and it only gets worse when his mind recalls the vivid details of Tony slumped in his armor that final time - the smoke of it all, the everywhere wreckage. He remembers, too strongly for a memory so far past and so far future, the beautiful sun and silence of everyone at the funeral for this child who’s just been born.

He doesn’t even notice Peggy there until she has eased the phone from his ear. “I hear you’ve some good news for us, Howard,” she says, her tone cheerfully dry in a way Steve can’t manage just now. He leans against the bureau and places his thumb on the inside of her wrist, even though he knows that it means the pulse he’s feeling is most likely his own.

Once she’s had her turn to be exuberantly hollered at, the story told lovingly all over again with little additions (Jarvis’s hurried trip back to the house to find the pre-purchased cigars, the little tip Howard had dropped for the nurses to make sure they didn’t go running to the papers), she asks when they should plan to come up and see the baby.

“Come up next weekend, if you can manage it,” says Howard. “Bring the kids! Well, maybe don’t bring them, but park them with Dr. and Mr. Barnes and bring yourselves over.”

“And you’ve confirmed with Maria that she won’t mind?” Peggy asks. “It’s all likely a bit overwhelming between the birth and caring for a newborn, without adding the stress of entertaining.”

“I bet the Jarvises will be over the moon to see you,” Howard says, either not having heard or choosing to ignore her.

“I see I’ll be checking directly with your better half when she’s had an opportunity for some well-deserved rest,” Peggy says with a slight sigh, and then her voice softens. “And, truly, congratulations again, Howard.” She looks up at Steve’s still and somber face. “From all of us.”

Peggy covers it well, but she always needs a moment to settle in around babies when they’re this young. Steve doesn’t technically have much more practice than she does: he’d held Bucky’s kids at this age - mostly Libby; Davy wasn’t born until they’d moved back to DC - but even Emma was a toddler by the time she came into their lives, which means that he doesn’t have much day to day experience. Still, he knows without being asked that Peggy needs him to step up, so when Maria offers to let them hold the baby, he puts out his arms.

Tony is light and sleepy against him, with only a vague suggestion of dark hair. His mouth works at the air a little, dreamily, crusty suggestions of milk at the corners. Maria fed him just before they came. Steve rocks him a bit.

“He’s a sweet, sweet boy,” says Maria, fond and proud and fierce, even though Steve doubts the baby’s done anything to prove that, even though Maria looks tired through her natural elegance. There’s a bit of spit-up on the shoulder of the long, pale blue silk robe she’d greeted them in.

“You seem like you’re doing a great job,” Steve offers.

Maria, easing herself back to recline on the sofa, laughs. “Only because it’s four against one,” she says. “If I was doing this alone, I’d be crying along with him.”

Peggy stands from her settee and holds out graceful hands to take her turn. Steve passes the baby over gently, careful of his head. Tony makes a cranky little cry despite the precautions, but returns to sleep as Peggy begins to rock him rhythmically.

“He’s absolutely darling,” she tells Maria. “Or at least doing a very good impression at the moment.”

Maria says, “I’m glad you think so,” and Steve can see the sweet canniness to her smile that had once convinced him that she could handle Howard. “Because I—We—Howard and I have a request for the two of you.”

“What?” he asks warily, but just then the door opens, and Howard enters the sitting room. Peggy turns her back, holding the baby away from the sudden draft and the cloud of pollen Howard brings in with him clinging to his suit jacket.

“You didn’t start without me, did you?” he asks his wife, striding over to her.

She takes his hand and replies, “You’re only lucky that I didn’t - you promised to be home before they even arrived and I’ve been throwing the child at them as a distraction to cover for you.”

Howard bends to kiss her cheek. “You’re a very good woman,” he tells her, then goes to shake Steve’s hand and wrestle Peggy for a turn to hold the baby.

This turns out to be a poor idea: Tony makes his opinion of all of their antics very well known, and finally Maria takes the baby back herself and calls Ana to put him in the nursery.

“She means our room,” Howard says. “Spent months choosing the paint and just the right books, tracked down all the baby equipment in the world, but she can’t stand to have him on his own.”

“Volunteering to carry him back and forth a dozen times a night, then?” Peggy asks innocently. “How very helpful of you, Howard.” Maria and Steve snicker as Howard busies himself pouring coffee from the tray Jarvis had left on the side table for their refreshment. (No one bothers to tell him that it was put out when Steve and Peggy arrived and is now room-temperature at best.)

“Well,” says Maria, shifting over to let her husband sit beside her. “As I was saying before the interruption, we have something to ask you.”

“We’d like you to be Tony’s godparents,” Howard says, serious for once, although he ruins it immediately by pulling a horrible face after taking a sip of lukewarm coffee. He puts his cup on the table and tries to recover. “Be his guardians if there’s ever a need.”

Peggy glances over at Steve, who has settled himself to her right. She’d speculated that this was why the Starks had been so eager for them to visit in person, but Steve had insisted that they were simply new parents looking to show off their offspring and that there were surely other people who would be better suited to such a role.

There’s a reason he usually doesn’t argue with Peggy’s hunches.

“I’m honored. Truly,” says Peggy, striving to make clear the sincerity in her voice rather than the fact that she’s stalling. “I’m sure that we both are.”

“Of course we are. And I’m grateful that you would want to trust us with something like this.” Steve leans forward. “But are you sure we’re the right choice? We don’t live close, and things can get a little busy around our place. Maybe someone more local, someone who can offer him more time than we can really promise - plus, if you’re serious about the godparents business, someone who’s actually religious - maybe that would be better. Jarvis and Ana would probably be—”

“Too worn out for that sort of thing.” Maria reaches forward and covers his clasped hands with hers. “This is exactly why we wanted it to be you. You held him for two minutes and you’re already thinking of what’s best for him.”

“Bucky,” Steve tries, one last time. “Buck and Layla—”

But Howard interrupts now, bringing a triumphant hand down on the table. “Didn’t I tell you that he’d be modest about it?” he says to Maria, then turns to Steve and says, “It’s you, pal. The two of you - the smartest, most capable woman I know, who’s already proven she can handle a Stark, and the best thing I ever—The best father in the world - there’s no one better.”

“So?” asks Maria with quiet hope, and it is clear that at least some part of her has registered Steve’s hesitation in a way that Howard hasn’t. She lets go of Steve’s hands and sits back against the couch again, although her expression is still kind. “Will you do it?”

Steve knows without even looking at Peggy that it is his choice and she will have his back either way. He thinks of Tony as he knew him, lost and brilliant and bold, friend and adversary. He thinks of tiny, fragile Tony as he held him just now, unformed and entire. He thinks about Tony’s daughter who Steve never got to hold at that age, who never got to place a grandchild in her father’s arms.

Maybe this time around.

They excuse themselves soon after, Maria clearly worn out and hanging on by the barest threads of her hostess smile. Peggy goes to speak with the Jarvises about joining them in seeing Angie’s new show tonight (“Come now, Mr. Jarvis, there’s no Benny Goodman these days to stop you from enjoying an evening out”) while Howard walks Steve down to the foyer.

“Any chance—” Howard starts, and even though his tone isn’t wheedling or sly the way it usually is, Steve knows what he is going to ask. “Any chance you’ll give me a hint about the future of it all?”

“Howard, you know that I—”

“Sure, sure, I’ve heard it all before. But just this once, tell me if things turn out. For him.”

It’s a selfish bit of manipulation, but a parental one too: “How will my child grow up? How can I protect them from the harm that is in store?” Did such thoughts ever come to the other Howard, the one who was caught up in weapons and cold war and past victories, who seemed to have been gone even when there, cruel and disappointed in a way that led only to more disappointment? Had he showed this sort of wonder and worry in the beginning only to let it fade?

“I can’t tell you things like that,” he says, driving unyieldingly forward over Howard’s protest. “But as a father, I’ll tell you this: you need to take time with him.”

Howard laughs. “Steve, I’m sure I’ll have a few minutes to catch a ball once he actually starts being able to control his own hands.”

Steve shakes his head. “Not just that.” He doesn’t know where the idea comes from or if it will fix anything, but he says it anyway. “You should take a day off every week. One day, to give the rest of them a break and so you can spend time getting to know him.”

“I don’t think there’s much to know about him yet.” Howard laughs again, but there’s an edge to it now, the laugh of a man who isn’t accustomed to interventions into his business. Steve questions if there would be a laugh at all if it wasn’t him, or perhaps Peggy, saying it.

“If you don’t start now,” Steve predicts, “you never will. And, sure, at the beginning you’d be missing sleeping and diapers and crying - things I never got with my kids - but soon it’ll be first steps and first words and first day of college. The time goes fast, Howard, faster than you can believe. You asked for advice, and there’s mine: spend a day out of the office and taking care of your son.”

“Not exactly a convenient time,” Howard says brusquely. “You were the one who said I should throw those AGU characters a bone and give the keynote, and then the whole thing went off between the ones who are saying the planet’s going to explode if we don’t do something and the ones who say the planet’s going to explode even if we do something. Most of them say it’s getting too hot, but then there are the ones who say the problem is cold. And of course there are the ones who say it’s not a problem at all. I’m starting a whole new division to try to straighten things out, so I’m not sure that all those expert scientists I just hired are going to take too kindly to my kicking my feet up for a whole day.”

“You’re in charge. And you did just say that they’re the experts,” Steve reminds him, then tries a different tack. “And who knows? Your boy could be the next expert if you’re around to help him.”

That seems to strike something in Howard. “As if he’d ever be an egghead like that.” He looks irately Steve and adds, “And didn’t I tell you he’s already a genius? Aced everything the doctors threw at him. That’s genetics, pal.”

“So,” Peggy asks as they begin making their way back to Bucky’s. Jarvis had offered to drive them, but they’d declined. “Attempting to engineer fatherhood now, are we?”

“He didn’t do a very good job the first time around,” Steve says.

She looks at him, gentle but shrewd. “And do you expect he’ll actually make the time as you suggested? I believe Howard loves Maria, but since they were married he spends as much time in the office as ever. Perhaps more, now that he doesn’t need to excuse himself to charm the next starlet in the pack.”

Steve shrugs. “I don’t know if he’ll listen, or if it will change things, or if it might make it all worse. But I know I had to try something.”

With a fond sigh but no surprise, she says, “Of course you did.” They continue walking even as are separated for a moment by a tour group taking up the sidewalk, Peggy moving in toward the wall and Steve stepping off the curb into the street. When they rejoin each other, she twines her fingers with his. “I’m sure you feel a particular responsibility too, now that we’ve been named godparents.”

Steve sighs himself. “Well, we’ll see how that goes.”

“What do you mean?” She looks up at him. “They sounded quite firm in their intentions, if you’ll recall.”

“I know that,” Steve replies. “But you might end up changing your mind and sabotaging the whole deal.”

She pulls away. “Steve Rogers, I would do no such thing!” He laughs; sometimes he likes to be reminded that beneath the spy and the director and the mother, there’s the boarding school girl who kept secrets on her word of honor and considered welching a criminal offense.

“You just wait,” he says. “I have the feeling that no matter what I try, some things can’t be avoided - and Tony Stark’s personality might be one of them.”

“That’s no reason to malign me,” she says, settling back against him though clearly still touchy. “I do have some fortitude. I did help bring up Rose, after all.”

They pause at a cross street to wait for the stoplight. Steve glances up at the clearing sky, a brilliant May blue emerging. “You’re right. And so did I. Maybe I’ll actually have the upper hand this time around.”

Peggy tells him airily, “Well, I perhaps wouldn’t go that far. When have you ever with the children?” and laughs when he glares down at her.

The light changes and, clasped hands still together, they step off the curb and cross onward.

More chapters here

[illbeyourreasonwhy]

So much I think it must be...

In honor of Andi’s fifteenth birthday, I decided to post the first chapter of my Ambi Enemies to friends to lovers fic! I’ve got the story mapped out and it should be about fifteen chapters - hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: We’re on the same team

“Why does she always have to be here?”

“Because she’s our friend?” Cyrus rolled his eyes at her. “Come on. She’s not that bad.”

“Whose side are you on, Cyrus?”

“Yours, Andi. Always yours. I just don’t get why we need to pick sides in the first place.”

Andi huffed and pushed the door to the laser tag open. Realistically, she knew that Cyrus (and everyone in their friend group, really) was right. Her feud with Amber had been going on for so long now that neither of them even remembered exactly how it had started. She was pretty sure it had been because of some messy drama involving both of them being into Jonah, but that was now clearly irrelevant seeing as in the past two years, Andi had dated then broken up with him, Amber had come out as a lesbian, and Jonah had recently started dating Libby, who Andi and Amber both loved. That hadn’t stopped their ongoing series of bickering, arguing and criticizing each other at each and every occasion. And with their friend groups somehow merging together over time despite the mutual loathing between the two girls, there had been a lot of occasions.

“Cyrus, hey!” Andi blinked. As if conjured by her thoughts, here Amber was, rushing over to hug Cyrus, who hugged her back immediately.

Traitor, Andi mouthed over her head.

You’re ridiculous, he mouthed back before pulling away from the hug with a smile.

To be fair, Andi knew she was, in fact, being ridiculous. Cyrus and Amber shared a bond she couldn’t really understand, forged in therapy sessions and dance lessons. He had been an immense source of support for her when she came out, and Andi was pretty sure the two of them had a group chat with TJ called ‘Gays United’.

She couldn’t expect Cyrus not to be friends with Amber on her account, just like Amber couldn’t expect Cyrus not to be friends with Andi on hers. The same went for all their friends. They both knew that, and they had both silently agreed that turning their friends against each other was off-limits (complaining, however, was not). That didn’t stop them from being petty towards each other, though.

Amber grinned at Cyrus before turning around and going back to join the others without so much as a glance towards Andi.

Really petty.

Andi raised an eyebrow at Cyrus as they followed Amber to meet the others inside the lobby. He rolled his eyes. “You’re both ridiculous,” he muttered.

“I don’t know,” Buffy commented, bumping shoulders with Andi as a hello, “at least we didn’t have to sit through an argument this time.”

Andi opened her mouth to answer, but Jonah cut her off.

“Guys, you’re late!”

“No, we’re not, you said to be here at 4:30 and it’s 4:28.”

“And we had to park Andi’s motorcycle.”

Jonah looked torn between berating them more and moving on to their actual reason to being there. He eventually decided on the latter, pulling them forward. “Come on, it’s going to start.”

“We booked the session, Jonah,” Buffy reminded him. “It’s not like the game can start if there aren’t any players.”

It had been Jonah’s idea for the whole gang to go play laser tag to celebrate the start of summer. According to him, since it was going to be close to impossible to get everyone together during the holidays, they had to make sure they at least had one big thing before everyone left.

“Okay, we’re ready!” he called to the counter.

A man in his early twenties sighed and moved over to them, holding a sheet of paper.

“Okay, so we have… Buffy’s Slayers vs Jonah’s Titans. Buffy, TJ, Cyrus and Marty in Slayer, red team,” he said in a tired voice, eyes never leaving the paper, “and Jonah, Libby, Iris, Andi and Amber in Titans, blue team. Any questions?”

Andi and Amber exchanged matching looks of alarm before Amber carefully schooled her features back into a mask of indifference, a slight smirk tugging at her lips.

Andi glanced over at the other team. TJ and Cyrus were sneaking quick looks at each other, trying (and failing) not to look too pleased about being on the same team, while Marty and Buffy were talking fast, exchanging strategies and game plans excitedly.

Oh, we’re screwed, Andi thought. Buffy and Marty put together were unstoppable. Add to that TJ’s competitive streak and Cyrus’ analytical skills (not to mention his more daring side that seemed to come out more often than not when TJ was around), and… yeah, Jonah’s team stood no chance. Especially with Andi and Amber’s inability to work together added to the mix.

“Okay, follow me,” the probably-underpaid-intern drawled, opening the door. “You have forty minutes. Remember to avoid shooting at close range, and avoid the eyes. Okay, have fun,” he concluded in the least fun voice Andi had ever heard.

Marty and Buffy had already stormed inside the arena, TJ and Jonah hot on their heels. Cyrus was still hanging back and, as the only one who had actually listened to the instructions, was finishing translating everything for Libby before Iris pushed him lightly forward, telling him to get back to his own team. Amber and Andi exchanged a long-suffering look before following them in.

“Don’t get in the way,” were the sweet first words Amber said to Andi that day.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

 The game was actually going pretty well. Andi had teamed up with Iris at one point when they figured out where TJ and Marty were hiding and had stormed the place, sending them running. Andi had lost track of her by now, but she had had her fair share of laser tag games over the years, and she liked to think she had gotten pretty good. At the very least, she knew what she was doing, she thought as she crouched behind a plank, eyeing Cyrus who was unknowingly edging closer to her. Just a few more steps and she would be able to…

Her sensor buzzed went out.

She whirled around and there Amber stood, laughing.

“Amber! I almost had him!”

“That’s a shame.”

“We’re on the same team!” Andi fumed.

Amber smirked. “Oops.”

Andi bit down a retort when she felt her sensor buzz back to life into her hands, deciding instead to point her laser to Amber’s and watch it be her turn to be down.

Amber yelped before narrowing her eyes. “Oh, you’re on.”

Andi smiled sweetly. “Not if you can’t catch me.”

And with that she slipped away, racing through the dark. She could hear Amber behind her and ducked in a corner, tagging her as soon as she came into her sight.

The rest of the game was a bit of a blur. Andi couldn’t really tell what was happening, aside from the fact that she and Amber were in an all-out war trying to out-tag each other. She was dimly aware of bumping into Jonah at one point and him desperately reminding them that they were on the same team, but it was useless. By the time the game ended, Andi was fairly certain that their team had been crushed.

“Well, this is a disaster,” Jonah confirmed, glancing up at the scoreboard.

“To be fair, we never stood a chance with the three most competitive people on the other team.”

“Libby got the highest score,” Jonah deadpanned. “And we had an extra player. We would have been fine if you two hadn’t decided halfway through the game that fighting each other was way more interesting than fighting the other team.”

“She started it,” Andi mumbled, crossing her arms.

“I don’t care who did,” Buffy grinned, throwing an arm around Andi’s shoulders. “I’m buying both of you a drink to thank you for our crushing victory.”

“As long as it’s not at the Spoon,” Amber said. “I spend enough time working there already.”

“Where else do you expect us to go, Amber?” Andi asked irritably.

“Easy, you two,” Cyrus stepped in. “That was enough for one day. How about we all go to my place, now?”

And so they all made their way out of the laser tag place, Andi trying to push down the annoyance as she followed.

[hellyeahomeland]

An HYH Exclusive Interview with Maury Sterling

[Here at HYH, it’s no secret that we love and adore Max. As the most dependable and loyal person in a sea of unreliable characters, it’s hard not to. And it’s about this time every season that we start and rally behind a #ProtectMax campaign. So it’s quite an understatement to say that we are thrilled to feature an exclusive interview with the man who’s brought him to life the last seven years, Maury Sterling. Maury was gracious enough to answer our questions about auditioning for Max, how he’s brought him to life, and his favorite moments working on the series as part of our ongoing “On the Record with...” series. Thank you, Maury! --the HYH team]

Hell Yeah Homeland: You first appeared in the pilot. How did you get involved in the show? What do you remember from your audition and first days of filming? 

Maury Sterling: I auditioned for the show. At the time, didn't know much about it. Neat bit of trivia, I read for the Virgil character. I remember the audition as being... special. Alex Gansa and Michael Klick were in the room. Junie Lowry Johnson and Libby Goldstein were casting. Was one of those that was relaxed, easy, good.  

HYH: We think that everyone needs a Max in their life. What do you love about playing the character?  

MS: I need a Max. I'm terrible with technology. Max has taught me a lot. He has taught me about being simple, about listening, and about telling the truth. From a selfish perspective, I get to go to work and watch great actors do their thing.  

HYH: When we first meet Max, he’s Virgil’s “mute” brother whom Carrie is suspicious of. Now, he’s one of her (if not the) most trusted friends. How would you describe Max’s evolution overall throughout the seasons? How has the way you’ve approached playing him through the years changed?

MS: I never expected the role to have lasted this long. So, I've always taken it one season at a time and it has ended [up] being a happy surprise. That said, my approach to playing Max has stayed the same. The Homeland writers are so strong, and Max's character felt very available from the first episode. That clarity created a great foundation as we moved forward. Max has a line in season two (I think) when he says to Carrie, “I always believed you.” I feel like Max understands Carrie in a way, and isn't shy about telling her when she has screwed up.

HYH: You’ve been a part of all seasons except season five. What has been your favorite scene to film? 

MS: Many scenes. Snooping with Virgil in the pilot. Great one-liners with Rupert. The scenes in season four, with Fara and Carrie, were powerful and heartbreaking. Walking into the bot farm in season six gave me goosebumps. It's really an honor to get to work on the show.

HYH: Carrie’s relationship with Max is one of the few on the show we’ve seen from the very beginning. How would you describe the evolution of that relationship? Why do you think Max has remained loyal to Carrie for so long?

MS: Maybe Carrie, and this would be a question for Claire, can trust Max. A place that she can relax? I find being around people who tell the truth to be very calming. I don't always like what they have to say, but in the short and long run, it creates a stability. And, as I said earlier, I think that Max understands Carrie, and believes in Carrie’s mission to defend the country. And Max is just as committed to the job.  

HYH: Max was by Carrie’s side last season when she was battling for custody of Franny and again reminds her this season that she has to be home in time to get Franny from school. How do you think Max feels about Franny and Carrie’s role as a mother? 

MS: One of my favorite lines this season was, “Hi Franny.”  Max likes Franny. And feels for her in his awkward Max way. Again, I think Max has a mathematical way of looking at things. Meaning, he sees and understands the consequences of actions. It's not about judging Carrie or not judging Carrie, it’s about the cost. Max wants Carrie to win, to succeed. As a person, a mother, a spy. He's also got a big heart. He feels for people. 

HYH: Last season, Max astutely calls out that Quinn has a “thing” about Carrie. Max witnessed their ops and partnership from DC to Islamabad to New York. How do you think Max understood that relationship?

MS: So much drama. Just get on with it for crying out loud!  

HYH: Last year, the “Quax” bromance had quite a following on social media. We really loved Max and Quinn’s unusual but ultimately close friendship and we actually see how torn up Max is about Quinn’s death in the season six finale. Can you talk about what it was like to bring that friendship between Max and Quinn together onscreen with Rupert? 

MS: Unusual is right. At first I don't think Max liked Quinn very much. Quinn was the new guy: bossy, rude, arrogant. And Max is protective of Carrie. But, over time, I think Max appreciated Quinn's direct nature. Looked up to him (not just because he is taller), and greatly respected his skill set. I'm sure some part of Max wants to be like Quinn. And once Max decides to make someone a friend, he is deeply loyal. As for working with Rupert, he is a royal pain in the ass whom I miss. ;) I loved working with Rupert. He is a talented son of a gun.

HYH: We’ve read that there was discussion of Max possibly being somewhere on the Autism spectrum. Can you talk more about this backstory and how it informs your portrayal of the character? 

MS: Yes, early on in rehearsal with Michael Cuesta, the director of the pilot, and Alex Gansa, we decided that Max was probably on the spectrum. It's been interesting to explore that aspect of Max. How it manifests? He doesn't like to be touched. He is generally uncomfortable with others. And he has a keen attention to detail. Max notices anomalies. He is also unfiltered in his way, and doesn't follow expected social graces. I had to validate Max's value in the world of Homeland. He couldn't just be the “weird little brother.”  He needed to serve a purpose. And I think that purpose is he sees the heart of things. Whether it be on the job or personally.  

HYH: Our hearts broke for Max when Fara died, and we still miss the character dearly. Carrie’s role in Fara’s death was a major issue between Carrie and Max at the end of season four. How do you think that’s affected Max and Carrie’s relationship? Do you think Max will ever be able to move on from Fara’s loss and find love? 

MS: I'm not sure Max will move past that. I don't think Max has ever had any expectation that love would be a part of his life. I  think Max always knew that Fara was out of his league. He never really believed that they could be together. But it didn't stop him from loving her. Max loves Carrie too. And he gets the cost of living in her world. The loss of Fara, of Quinn, of shooting someone in Islamabad, all these things weigh on him. I think he stands by Carrie because he cares [for] her and part of that care is [trying to] stop her from causing excess damage. 

HYH: What are your hopes for Max’s future? What would you like to see for the character as the show winds down next season? 

MS: I've been enjoying getting to do some of Max's own missions. Some more of that would be fun.  

HYH: Homeland’s seventh season is wrapping up. What other projects are you working on during the hiatus? 

MS: I'm doing some writing and looking into producing. And may be doing a play this summer.  

HYH: We also love following your wife, producer and actor Alexis Boozer, on social media. You both make a great team! What projects is she currently working on?

MS: She is really busy. She has at least three films in early stages of development. She is a badass.

HYH: You posted on Twitter about shadowing Lesli Linka Glatter as she directed the season seven finale. What are your biggest takeaways from the experience? As an actor, what insights did you gain from observing that aspect of the production? Can we expect to see “Directed by Maury Sterling” on a future episode of Homeland? 

MS: [It] would be nice to see “Directed by Maury Sterling” but I have a ways to go and some more learning to do. Takeaways: Preparation, preparation, preparation. Communication. Know what you want.  Bring your own vision to the table. Surround yourself with good people. Have a point of view. I can't say enough about Lesli Linka Glatter. She is an astounding human. I feel so unbelievably grateful that she let me follow along. Her work ethic, preparation, skill, kindness, boundless energy, [and] celebration of creativity are inspiring. One of her mottos is “best idea wins.” It's not about ego, it's about telling the story. She knows everyone’s name on set. She also taught me about when to stand one’s ground. The entire Homeland team is really impressive to see in action. A level of professionalism from the top down. As an actor, it is really good to appreciate that we are just the tip of a very big triangle. To see the whole machine, the whole crew, and all the work that goes into the moment when the cameras roll. Humbling. And don't [take] things personally, and preparation, preparation, preparation.    

HYH: How did it feel, after six years, for Max to finally get a last name? Is Pietrowski really his last name or was that a cover? 

MS: Ha! It felt very validating. Mandy and I spent a few minutes making sure we were pronouncing it correctly. I also just like being “Max.” And no comment if it is just a cover.