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[inkameswetrust]

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Big Time Rush: Big Time Halloween - Season 2 Episode 5 (October 22, 2010)

[suttonstrackesdrinkingproblem]

No one:

Like absolutely no one:

Me: WIZARD OF OZ BIG TIME RUSH AU

[crazyk-imagine]

Chapter IX: Playing Pretend could be your End 

Characters: Sulane “Sullie” Celeste, Jasner "Jas" Verbane, James Diamond, Kendall Knight, Carlos Garcia, Hortense "Logan" Mitchell, Katie Knight, Mama Knight, Kelly Wainwright, Gustavo Rocque, Merceds, Griffin, Lo-Lo the chimp

Warnings: Cringe, classic btr things, Kelly being unhelpful, Gustavo being Gustavo, Sulane being an icon, Sulane saving the day, more Kelly and Sulane mom and daughter content, Sulane close to fighting Mercedes

Word Count: 5,402

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Sulane lays in bed, staring at the ceiling, not in the mood to get up. Someone knocks on the door; she groans. “I don’t want to talk, Janser!” She throws the blanket over her head and closes her eyes.

“It’s not him… It’s someone better.”

The teen throws the sheets off her head and glances over her shoulder. “Kelly?”

The woman smiles before she has to keep her balance as her daughter latches onto her. “Hey,” she rubs her hand against the back of her head. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” she mumbles.

“Sulane,” Kelly lightly pushes her off her. “Clearly something happened, what is it?”

“I,” she rolls her eyes, wiping away her tears. “It’s nothing. I’m not even sure why I’m crying.”

“So, you’re telling me this has nothing to do with what Jasner told me.”

She groans. “I’m going to kill him.”

“No, you’re not.” She grabs her arm before Sulane could walk out of the room.

“I don’t want to talk about my not important teen “drama”. I want to hear about your trip with Gustavo.” The teen sits down on her bed and pats the empty spot beside her.

“I want to hear about what happened.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“No. You haven’t cried this hard since your mom and you found out your dad-”

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

“You have to talk about something at some point.”

“I have.”

“No.”

“No, I- I have. I mean- I do. If I show you this, will you promise not to tell anyone?”

“Of course.”

The blonde raises a brow. “Really?”

“I take offense to that look because I know what you’re referring to but if it’s this important to you, you know I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the relationship we have.”

“Fine.” She walks towards her dresser and reaches behind it, pulling out the box.

“What’s in it?”

She sets the box down in Kelly’s lap. “Open it.”

She carefully lifts the lid open and finds a stack of envelopes. “Are these-”

“She hid every letter sent and the ones I wrote.”

“Where were they?”

“With me because she likes to torture me.”

“Have you been writing them back?”

She shrugs. “Maybe.”

“Are you going to give them back to the guys?”

“I don’t want to think that far ahead.”

“These ones are addressed to your mom.” Kelly sets the letter back inside and closes the box. “How long have you been writing to her?”

“I- it didn’t really start until recently. I just, I wrote the one a few months after… everything but since I started this, I needed to write to her to. It’s weird, I’m actually starting to feel a little better.”

Kelly’s lips tug upwards. “That’s called healing.”

“I don’t buy it.”

The woman sighs. “Do you think you’d be able to come into the studio today?”

“Do I have to?”

“What’s that look for?”

“I think I have feelings for James but then he basically shot me down and I’ve felt... sad since.”

“Oh.” She takes a minute to process this new information. “Do you also like Jasner?”

“He’s really nice.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I like both of them,” she flops backwards and groans.

“You really do have a lot of teen drama in your life now.”

She smacks mom’s arm. “Kelly!”

“I’m sorry. I’m just- I’m shocked this is not what I was expecting when I came back.”

“How do you think I feel?”

“All I can say is, it’s your life and whatever choices you make,” she reaches over to hold Sulane’s hand. “I’ll be here right beside you.”

“Thank you,” the teen whispers.

S01 EP09

“I can't believe we've been here for three months,” Kendall starts.

“Three glorious, fun-filled months,” Carlos adds.

“Three glorious, fun-filled, sun-filled months,” James chimes in.

“Let's all look up and think about them now,” Logan says.

All four stare up and think about a few of their minor adventures.

“Good times,” they say.

“And that was just today,” Carlos happily says.

“Hey, guys. I just stopped by to drop off your tickets,” Kelly informs them, doing her best to keep her composure and not expose anyone.

“Oh, hockey tickets?” Logan asks.  

“Concert tickets, hm?” James adds, thinking about who he’d take, wanting to talk to her and make up for the things he said last night.

“Plane tickets. You guys do know that if your demos don't get picked by the record company tomorrow, you're going back to Minnesota.”

“WHAT?”

- Ah, ah, ah-ah, oh -

The boys run down to the studio so they can beg Gustavo to do something… more so after chasing him to his office.

“Griffin loves all the bands with demos, and there are six of them, but only one gets picked. And the one that everybody is talking about is Vampirah,” Gustavo tells them.

“Ah! Vampire dudes with guitars,” the brainiac whines. “We're toast.”

“Hey, hey, hey, we are not toast. What's the one thing we've learned since we've been in L.A.?”

James points to his shirt. “That black is the new black.”

“If you drink cold milk on a hot day, you die,” Logan adds.

“That every time you leave your house, your toys come alive,” Carlos says with fear evident in his voice.

“That you don't wait for your dreams to happen. You make them happen,” Kendall informs them.

“Now, how does the winning demo get picked?”

“That is a highly classified corporate secret that no one will tell me, and it's killing me!” The producer whines.

“Guys, we want this as badly as you do, but all we know is that the winning band is picked by a top-secret adviser very close to Griffin,” Kelly tells them.

Laughter comes from behind the boys. “Yeah, eww, I just entered this totally ugly office. Hold on, I'm mini barfing.” Mercedes coughs. “I'm here to pick up a CD from Big TimeWhatever.”

“I'm sorry, who are you?” Gustavo shouts at her.

She sets her phone down to answer him. “Mercedes Griffin, as in your boss' daughter.” She lifts the phone again. “I'll call you back, Jess. Livin' large here is about to start groveling.”

“Hey, ha-ha, I am so, so sorry,” Gustavo loses all his cool. “Um, here Hey, um, here is the demo. Um, can I- can I get you a latte or a yacht?”

She stops, staring at the band. “Is this the band? You guys are hot.”

“Oh, and you're the secret someone who's close to Griffin who decides the winning demos,” the helmet lover states.

She has no idea what he’s talking about but she’s not about to disagree because… that sounds like a good idea. She silently hopes that someone doesn’t come around and expose her. “That's right, I make the decisions, and I just decided that,” she points between all four of them and chooses Kendall. “You're my new boyfriend. Let's go.”

“What?” Kendall stares at her confused before she yanks him by the collar of his shirt. “I don't even- I don't even know her. I don't even know her.” He grips the sides of the doorway but that does him no good. “Help, help, help, help.”

“This is not right. How could she pick Kendall over me? I don't want to go back home,” James complains.

“Call her. Call her now,” the producer tells Kelly.

“Already on it.”

-

“Hurry up, new boyfriend. I heard the Palmwoods' pool scene is fabtastic.”

Kendall walks in behind her, carrying everything Mercedes could have ever wanted to bring with her as he breathes heavily. “Do we really need all this stuff just for you to sit by the pool… Pumpkin?”

“Froopy can only sit on imported dog bedding, and I always bring my own lounge, so I never have to touch other people's butt sweat. No more questions.”

The leader wants to complain but knows he can’t win. He takes two steps before he loses his balance and falls. “Ugh, ugh Ohh-ohh-ohhh.”

The three walk out from behind the big plants in the lobby.

“Hey, big guy, you're doing a great job,” Logan says, trying to boost his buddy’s confidence.

“She's horrible.”

The guys are not helping him in the slightest and then Gustavo and Kelly join in on the fun.

They put a hat on his head saying, “pick Big Time Rush” while adding a boombox playing one of their songs.

They watch as he struggles to walk out to the pool area.

“This is relaxing. Now fan me and make dolphin noises so I feel like I'm in Cabo,” Mercedes orders him.

-

Sulane stares at herself in the mirror. “You got this. It’s easy. You won’t talk to any of them.” She sighs, “this is going to be harder than I thought.”

She walks out the door because she knows if she doesn’t help them, they won’t stop blowing up her phone and things won’t end well… especially since she knows who really choses the demo winners.

She pulls out her phone when she hears a familiar ringtone. “Stop calling me, Kelly. I’m coming.”

“Hurry up. Logan is making dolphin noises while Kendall has to pretend, he’s in love with her. Oh no.”

“What now?”

“He hesitated in telling her he loves her. Now, she’s upset.”

She walks out to the pool area and finds Mercedes easily moving on as she hops into Carlos’ arms.

The two pass her.

She walks towards the others.

“Why didn’t you stop her?” Gustavo asks.

“Don’t give me that attitude.”

“I’m going to give you more than attitude,” he shouts.

“Yeah, no. I’m not helping you guys. Later.”

Kendall and Logan rush towards her, blocking her way out.

“Wait, wait. Let’s not say things we don’t really mean,” the brainiac says.

“Why do you need my help so bad?”

“You know why.”

“I think you guys are going to do fine without me.”

“You know we won’t be,” Kendall adds. “We don’t ask for your help-”

“One day a week you do… plus the other six.”

“If you would have let me finish, I was going to say a lot. We don’t ask for your help a lot.”

She rolls her eyes, “move. I’ll go and see what’s going on now. Maybe I can talk to her or something.”

They high five one another before moving out of her way.

“Don’t follow me.”

“You got it.”

“We’re following, right?” Gustavo asks.

“Yep,” Kendall adds.

They follow behind her, leaving some distance between them.

“Where’s Jasner?” Kelly asks.

The leader and brainiac glance at one another, silently asking if they’ve seen him.

“I don’t know,” the blond tells her.

“He and Sulane are kind of in a fight, so he’s giving her space and hanging out with Camille,” James chimes in.

The four (yes, even Gustavo, he’s invested) raise a brow at him.

“What? I talk to people.”

“We just didn’t think he was one of the people you talk to,” Logan says.

“Well, I do. Are we going to keep following or not?”

-

Sulane walks in to see Mercedes take a bite of a cookie and spit it back in Carlos’ face. “These are the worst cookies ever.”

“Ohh, well, I'm not my grandma. I'm a hockey player.”

“Well, maybe that's why these taste like hockey pucks.”

“I wonder if Vampirah makes great cookies,” she holds the demo up. “I guess I'll find out when I pick them and not big-time crud!” She starts throwing cookies at the poor boy.

“Ahh! Stop it. Please, stop. Ow! Ow! Stop!”

“Mercedes!”

The girl pauses, slowly looking over at Sulane. “When did you get here?”

“Why are you treating these guys like absolute-”

The door slams shut and Sulane notices Carlos is gone.

“Seriously, Mercedes. What happened? You never come to town unless your dad makes you.”

“No, I don’t,” she says defensively. “I need to find out why my new boyfriend is taking so long.”

“No,” Sulane grabs her arm, holding her in place. “You need to stop being so rude and stop lying. How do you think they’re going to feel when they find out you’ve been lying to them about being the one who chooses whether they have a career or not? I know I wouldn’t be happy.”

“Yeah, well. It’s a good thing they’re not you,” she says and yanks her arm out of her grasp.

“I’m not going to repeat myself.”

“Neither am I.” She bangs on the bathroom door. “Are you talking behind my back with shower people?”

“No, Apple blossom,” Carlos weakly replies.

She manages to push the boy away from the door so she can open it. “You lied to me.”

The blonde furrows her brows and peaks in, finding everyone there. She shakes her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“We're finished. My new boyfriend is… Him.” She points to Logan which irks James.

“Him? Do you not see this, huh?”

“Let's go, new boyfriend. We're gonna dye your hair to match my bag.”

The brainiac whines and holds his head, “No.”

“So, you gonna do the right thing?” The producer asks the smart one.

“No,” Kendall steps up. “I am. Hold my loofah.” He stops in front of the teen. “I will need backup.”

“I am so fine with that because if you don’t do something, we’re all losing our jobs with how badly I want to-”

He grabs her clenched fists and lowers them. “No need to get physical but keep the energy up. We’re going to need it.”

“She used to be such a nice girl.”

“Really?”

“From the two times I talked to her, yeah.”

“Hey, you're my old boyfriend. Where's my new boyfriend?”

“He's dumping you.”

“What?” She puts her hand on her hip.

“What?” The bathroom people scream.

“What?” Gustavo adds.

Now’s her time to shine. “I got this, K-Doll.”

Everyone gives her a weird look.

“Now’s not the time to judge me. Okay, Mercedes, don’t play dumb. You know exactly why he’s breaking up with you.”

“Oh, really?”

“Would it kill you to quit this act. It’s not cute, not even a little bit. Carlos, not “new boyfriend” is breaking up with you because you're spoiled, pushy, mean-”

“And he and me and we would all rather go back to Minnesota than spend one more second pretending to be your boyfriend. And, man, it felt good to say that.”

“Well, let me tell you something. There is no way I'm picking your demos now. Big time rush is big-time done.”

Sulane rolls her eyes, “nope. Nope, I can’t do this anymore. I’m telling the-”

Mercedes grabs her and pulls her out of the room. “This is kidnapping.”

“I’m not kidnapping you.”

“Well, I didn’t consent to us having a girl’s day.”

“I don’t want them to see me as the bad guy.”

She sighs, knowing the moody teen is giving her side eye.

“Okay, I get it. I wasn’t the easiest person to deal with, but we can both admit that it would be better if they found out from me.”

The teen shrugs, “I guess.”

“Good, so now we’re going to drop off my dog and then we’ll go back so I can tell them.”

“I knew you were still that good person.”

“Shut up.”

“Never, because once again I was right.”

“What’s going on between you and the pretty one?”

“Who?”

“You know who. You used to carry around a picture with all of you in your bag.”

“There’s- nothing. Why are you even asking?”

“There’s some awkward tension surrounding the two of you but I don’t think anyone else has caught on yet.”

She doesn’t say anything after that.

-

The band screams when they see who enters their apartment.

“Look, I know we haven't all dated that long, but I just wanted to come back to say.” Mercedes sighs and smacks Sulane’s elbow away when she nudges Griffin’s daughter.

“I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, you should be sorry.” The pretty boy steps forward. “How could you pick them over me?”

“Because I never,” she glances to Sulane, who doesn’t meet James’ eye, “I never date anyone prettier than me.”

He turns around, facing the others, “I'm better now.”

“And the two were right. I'm a rich, spoiled bully who dresses hot and thinks your songs are great.”

“So, you're gonna pick Big Time Rush,” Carlos says.

Gustavo wakes up from his “I’m about to lose all my money” coma and shouts, “We're halfway there!”

“Yeah! Yeah, I don't choose the winning band.”

“What?” They shout.

“You're not the top-secret music adviser?” Kendall asks.

“See, my dad asked me to pick up the demos because it was on my way, but I let you believe I choose the winning band because you're cute, and,” she begins sobbing, “I love manipulating people.”

Sulane glances at her from the corner of her eye and takes a step to the left. Now she remembers why she and Mercedes aren’t as close. The girl is crazy.

“Oh, there, there, Mercedes,” the producer takes a step forward to console the girl. “The boys forgive you. Now… How do the demos get picked?”

“Well, first daddy looks at the demos to make sure that the covers are shiny. From there, the guy with white gloves takes them to an unmarked door at the end of a corridor. White gloves confirmed. Finally, he places them on the desk of daddy's top-secret music expert Lo-Lo, the million-dollar hit-predicting super chimp.”

No one was expecting that to be the answer.

“A monkey picks the demos?”

“No, a chimp, and if he claps, you're in, but if he makes a fart noise, you're out. And sometimes I think daddy loves Lo-Lo more than me.” She stands there sobbing again, this time Kendall takes a step forward to console her.

“There, there, Mercedes. It's okay. Don't cry.”

“Have you ever thought about going to therapy?” Sulane chimes in. “I think it might be beneficial for you.”

“That’s a good idea,” the leader adds. “Now, do you have a security card to your dad's building?”

“Oh, please. What are you guys gonna do? Chimpnap Lo-Lo and train him to love Big Time Rush?” Kelly asks.

The boys glance at one another, unsure if they should ask for some… assistance or not.

“No.” Logan and Carlos grab her before they to the nearest corner to convince her.

“If we don’t do this we’ll be out of here,” Kendall starts.

“Yeah, and I won’t get to be famous.”

Logan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You’re not helping us right now,” Carlos tells him.

“What are we doing here then?”

The leader steps in front of the two, “ignore them because we really need, your help. There’s no one else who could get us into the building and get us past any kind of security guards like you can.”

“Yeah,” the brainiac chimes in. “We really don’t want to ask Mercedes for help.”

Sulane doesn’t respond for two minutes, scaring the guys to no end. She sighs, “Fine. God, you guys need to stop teaming up and doing this to me.”

Kendall and Logan fist bump.

“No,” she walks past the two, stepping in between them, breaking them apart.

-

Kelly raises a brow.

They stare at the chimp humping around on top of a table in the studio.

“I was kidding.”

“But the plan worked perfectly,” Logan tells her.

Everyone’s voices overlap with one another as Kelly glances at her daughter.

“I only got them in and out.” Sulane raises her arms. “I didn’t actually do any of the kidnapping.”

The leader lowers the binoculars (he’s way to happy to have) as he looks over at the teen. “Way to band together.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “I did not agree to those terms and conditions.”

The older woman grabs her and pulls her into the recording area.

“Why am I in here?”

“You done more than enough to help them. I think they can manage without you for five minutes.”

The teen raises a brow at her words.

“Okay, fine. I heard what I said out loud and now I’m realizing it. Two minutes and if something comes close to catching on fire, I’m sending you in.”

She gets a thumbs up in return. “Can we at least listen?”

Kelly doesn’t have time to respond before Gustavo pushes the mic button.

“Now, according to Pavlov, animals can be trained to associate positive feelings with certain stimuli,” Logan explains. “Such as sight, smells, and-”

“Big time rush demos.” Kendall gestures to their demo.

“Exactly. We're gonna train Lo-Lo to pick the Big Time Rush demos through the positive reinforcement of…” Carlos hands the brainiac a handful of- “Bananas.”

Gustavo snaps at Kelly and points to the door.

She nods and grabs the blonde to move her in front of the door. “You need to go in now.”

“I don’t smell smoke,” she tries to stop her feet from moving but is unsuccessful. “There’s no fire. You can’t make me.”

“Too late.”

The door clicks shut.

She stares at her mom with thinned lips and brows pinched together.

“Lo-Lo Tasty bananas.”

She leans back against the door, listening to the song playing. “Kelly, I’m scared.”

“You’re doing great. Stay close to the door in case anything happens.”

“This is not in those parenting 101 books.”

Big time rush Make it count, play it straight don't look back, don't hesitate-

“More bananas,” Logan tells them.

when you go big time More Big Time Rush. Any kind of guy you want, girl that's the kind I'll be-

“He's clapping. It's working,” Kelly says, shocked to see their plan actually working.

“Halfway there, and here we come,” Gustavo adds.

The boys hold a bundle of bananas in each of their arms.

“Where did they even get those?” Sulane asks herself.

“Even more bananas,” Logan shouts over the music.

“Even more Big Time Rush,” Kendall gestures to the producer.

Studded supermodel magazine You can do it.

“He's picked up the bananas. Is that a good sign?” Gustavo turns to Mercedes.

Lolo throws a banana, the boys barely moved away in time before they could be maimed by the fruit.

“Let me in, let me in,” the teen rattles the door handle, trying to get back in. “Kelly, please!”

Those safe in the booth scream.

The boys notice that the chimp is aiming at them once again and put their hands out in front of them. “No. No. No.”

They back closer and closer to the window before sliding down. “Ow! No! No! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!”

Lolo jumps down from the chair and runs towards Sulane, who screams.

The chimp stops in front of her and stares at the teen for a few seconds before running out of the room.

“Well, he either really loved that song or really hated it,” Mercedes points out.

The producer screams.

-

The boys pull the banana peels off them, grimacing as they do so while Kelly eats a banana.

“I know this is a bad time, but I honestly think I just made friends with a chimp.”

Mercedes squints her eyes, not understanding why she’d bring it up.

“Don’t give me that look, you honestly expect me to believe the few seconds of eye contact we made didn’t make a bond?”

“Okay, it was pretty cool how she didn’t attack you,” Carlos adds.

“Thank you.” Sulane sticks her tongue out at the blonde.

The producer goes on about, talking senselessly about unimportant items. “You know, the scooter is the sensible solution for today's high gas prices, pollution, and offers seniors increased mobility, and Ahhhhh!”

She covers her ears and glares at the man, “I get we all have different ways of processing things but really?”

“You know, we are not giving up.” Kendall pushes himself off the couch. “We're almost halfway there, and another thing I've learned since coming to L.A. is that together, we can do anything.” He turns to Sulane.

She nods.

Griffin walks in. “Look who I found hitchhiking on the Hollywood freeway.”

The chimp lets go of the man, running towards the blonde.

She chuckles and holds onto her. “I told you guys.”

Kendall’s shoulders sag. “Yeah, we're done.”

“I am deeply disappointed in all of you, but I'm also curious. What happened? Help me out.”

Everyone glances at one another.

“I made a friend,” Sulane tells him.

“I see that.”

“It's my fault, daddy. I lied to them, and I made them be my boyfriends, and then I ate terrible cookies, and then I cried, and then I helped them chimpnap Lo-Lo, and I love you,” Mercedes confesses.

“Is that true? Because she lies A lot,” Griffin asks.

The teen girl snorts, covering her face when realizes she made the noise too loud. “Not surprising.”

Mercedes gives her a look, placing one hand on her hips.

Everyone is quick to intervene before anything bad could happen.

Gustavo stands up. “It's all of our faults.”

The teen and chimp nod.

The leader pushes himself up. “We really want to stay here in L.A. and make an album.”

The corn dog stands up. “And a tour.”

Followed by the pretty boy. “- And be famous.”

Then the brainiac. “But we may have gone a little too far.”

“Sorry?” Kelly mumbles with a mouthful.

“Those are a lot of sentences containing words, containing letters, and I admire your passion and dedication, but it doesn't change the fact that Lo-Lo picks which demos win.” Griffin snaps his fingers so his assistant can grab Lo-Lo.

“What? No, we were bonding.”

“And we need him to make an important decision.”

Sulane groans, “fine.”

“So, what do you say, Lo-Lo? Do you like Big Time Rush?”

“Oooh, the fart noise. Sorry, boys, Vampirah wins.”

“What? Lo-Lo, come on.”

“Lo-Lo's wrong, daddy. The vampire fad has one, two years left, max. These guys' songs have infectious melodies, classic pop hooks, And Big Time Rush will crush the which is your core music-buying base.”

“Yeah, and,” Sulane adds. “If they ever decide to take a break, disband, and/ or reunite in let’s say in less than ten years. You know they’re going to be big. I mean, they’re going to have fans who have been listening for years coming out of the woodworks. Young girls who will be grown adults at the time, coming back for, yeah you guessed it. Big time rush. They’re your best investment.”

“Wow. Lo-Lo, I'm transferring you to missile defense. Mercedes, you're my new hit-predicting adviser, and this way, we'll get to spend more time together. Big time rush wins!”

Everyone starts screaming in celebration.

“Anything else for my princess?” He daughter glances over at the teen girl, glancing over at the brainiac.

She shakes her head. “Well, I never really got a chance to date Logan.”

“Logan, you're Mercedes' new boyfriend.” She pats his shoulder. “I wish you the best.”

“Ah-ah! No, please,” he pleads, hiding behind James and Sulane.

“Oh, Mercedes! Wait!” She briskly walks toward the father and daughter duo, “I have another guy you can go out with! If you don’t want Wally, that is. His name is a little odd, but you would get along. He knows the best cupcakes place! I mean, they’re gonna be better than the cookies you had earlier, you know.”

Carlos whines.

She waves her hand behind her, needing him to shut up.

Griffin smiles, “now get to work. We need some new songs for the Big Time Rush album.”

“I've already got one. Move out.”

The boys run behind the producer, “Whoo!”

When the chips are down, back against the wall

got no more to give, 'cause we gave it all

seems like going the distance is unrealistic, but we're too far from the start

so we take what comes and we keep on going leaning on each other's shoulders

then we turn around and see we've come so far somehow

The teens jaw drops. “Oh my god.”

Mercedes shakes the girls shoulders. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“This is- Gustavo?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh my god.” She starts jumping in excitement.

Mercedes and Kelly jump with her, hugging her.

“Does anyone have a camera?”

“What?” Her mom asks.

“I can get some good shots for a future video, does anyone have a camera or not?” She runs into the studio.

Jasner pops out from the vents. “What’d I miss?”

“Jasner, I found you a girlfriend.”

“Really? Who?”

“The blonde who’s trying to eat your face.”

Logan glances at the other three.

Carlos gives him a thumbs up.

We're halfway there, we're looking good now, and nothing's gonna get in the way

we're halfway there and looking back now, I never thought that I'd ever say

we're halfway there

If we never flew we would never fall

if the world was ours, we would have it all

but the life we live isn't so simplistic, you just don't get what you want

So we take what comes and we keep on going leaning on each other's shoulders, then we turn around

and see we've come so far somehow

We're halfway there, we're looking good now, and nothing's gonna get in the way

we're halfway there and looking back now, I never thought that I'd ever say

We're halfway there

Logan and Kendall grab her and pull her into their video while James sets up the camera.

Oh, we're halfway there. Halfway there. We're halfway there. Oh, we're halfway there. Yeah, we're halfway there.

“Whoo!”

“I like it,” Griffin says.

“Of course, you do.” The teen tosses her hair over her shoulder, “I did it.”

“I don’t think so.”

“It was a team effort Gustavo, grow up.”

“Whoo!”

-

Kelly interrupts Mama Knights and Katie’s conversation with Bitters.

“I need to renew the lease for 2-j.”

“We're gonna make a full album,” Carlos tells her.

“And probably a concert tour,” Logan adds.

“And be famous,” James says.

The Knight mother smiles and slams the plunger onto the desk. “I quit, and I gave boater Bob the rest of the day off.”

“What room?”

“3-b, and it's bad.”

“Well, I guess we're not going home.”

“Actually, mom, I think we are home,” Kendall says, placing a hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“Race you to the pool,” Katie interrupts the sentimental moment.

“Oh, yeah, right.” The boys ran out.

Carlos calls out for her. “C’mon, you’re gonna miss out on the fun.”

“I’ll be out there in a second.” She turns to the adults. “I miss Lo-Lo.”

“You barely knew her.”

“What we had was real,” she tells her mom.

“Lo-Lo?”

Kelly shakes her head to Mama Knight, “don’t ask.”

“Oh, Jasner’s having fun on his date.”

The two lean over her shoulders, reading his texts.

“He sent nine one one,” the other mom points out.

She shrugs, “he’s fine. I’ll tell him to get a cupcake.”

-

She walks out where the boys and Katie are hanging out and take the empty chair beside Logan. “How’s our guy?”

“I’m pretty sure he regrets coming into the room when he did.”

He nods. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For helping me out. I mean- I know I haven’t been nice-”

She raises a hand to stop him. “You haven’t been nice?”

“Poor phrase, hang on.” He thinks for a second before having an “ah-ha” moment. “We’ve butt heads more often than I’d care to admit and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, just- let me do this please.”

“Okay.”

“But I am happy to say that life has been more fun with you in it.”

She smiles. “I’m happy to be hanging out with you guys again. But I am going to miss that little chimp.”

“You two really made a connection, didn’t you?”

She nods. “Yeah.” She stands up, setting her stuff down reaching into her bag to grab her wallet when she’s pulled backwards and shoved into the pool.

She comes up only to find a semi-upset Jasner. “Hey, J. How was your date?”

“Terrible. So bad. We’re meeting up again tomorrow.”

“Run lines?”

“Yep.”

Carlos let’s out an excited shout before cannonballing into the pool.

The others join in on the fun.

The raspberry lover feels bad and offers his hand to pull her out only to be tricked and pulled in. “I deserve that.”

“Exactly.”

Previously: Chapter VIII // Continue: Chapter X

-

Tag list

@kmc1989

[keepingyouposted]

Posted @withregram • @galore Sister Sister 💖 meet the future iconic moguls @the_combs_twins we talk all things fashion, beauty, and sisterhood more from our rebel beauty issue with our girlies @sheamoisture www.Galoremag.com wearing all @dolcegabbana on the cover

Team Credits:

Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa

Creative Dir @natmoar

Talent: The Combs Twins, Jessie and D'Lila, @The_combs_twins

Photographed by: Bonnie Nichoalds @bonnienichoalds

Wardrobe Stylist: Bianca Agrusa

@bianca_agrusa

Glam & Hair: Stephen Moleski

@stephenmoleskibeauty

Galore Cover Art: Carlos Garcia @sadpapi666

Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa @princechenoastudio

Galore Features Editor: Perrin Johnson

@editsbyperry

Interview by @officiallydaitime

[omniversalobservations]

Scream VI (2023)

In the Scream franchise, law enforcement officers have been trying to end Ghostface's reign of terror for more than a quarter of a century, with considerable risk to themselves (R.I.P. Deputy Dewey) and little longterm success. Can the Reno 911! crew finally put a stop to his murderous ways?

That's the question raised by a new Scream VI promo clip, which finds three of the comedy show's cops — played by Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Carlos Alazraqui — getting tipped off to the latest crimes committed by the horror movie icon.

To say their "investigation" is unlikely to end with Ghostface wearing handcuffs is putting things mildly. Alazraqui's Deputy Garcia simply denies having heard of the killer, despite declaring "Ghostface!" when shown a photo of the perp, and Kenney-Silver's Deputy Trudy seems more excited about getting a date with the "gender-fluid hottie" than securing their arrest. Lennon's Lieutenant Jim Dangle, meanwhile, loses all interest in the case once he realizes that Ghostface is currently wreaking havoc in one of the biggest cities in the world — New York — and not The Biggest Little City in the World.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

(image via YouTube)

[abhishek-chhabra-04]

Icons Media Publishing | Books, eBooks, Audiobooks Publish

When it comes to finding great literature, there are few things more exciting than discovering a book from a new part of the world. From the colorful streets of Mumbai to the serene landscapes of Norway, each country has its unique perspective to offer. But with so many books to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That's why we've put together a list of the 10 must-read books from around the world, curated by the best book publishers in the industry.

The publishing world is a complex and ever-evolving industry, with countless players vying for attention and recognition. But some publishers have managed to rise above the fray, earning a reputation for consistently producing high-quality work that resonates with readers around the globe. These best book publishers are committed to showcasing diverse voices, exploring new genres, and pushing the boundaries of what we consider great literature. By partnering with these publishers, we're able to bring you a list of books that are sure to inspire, challenge, and entertain you. So whether you're looking to expand your reading horizons or simply want to discover your next favourite author, read on for our top 10 must-read books from around the world.

Highlighted books from different regions and countries

In today's fast-paced world, it's more important than ever to broaden our horizons and learn about different cultures and perspectives. One of the best ways to do this is by reading books from different regions and countries. In this post, we're highlighting 10 must-read books from around the world, published by some of the best book publishers in the industry.

First on our list is "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. This classic work of African literature explores the clash between traditional and colonial cultures in Nigeria, and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern literature.

Next up is "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This magical realist novel follows the multi-generational saga of the Buendia family in a fictional town in Colombia, and is a must-read for anyone interested in Latin American literature.

Moving on to Japan, we have "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu. This classic work of Japanese literature is often considered the world's first novel, and follows the romantic escapades of the eponymous Genji.

From Iceland, we have "Independent People" by Halldor Laxness. This epic novel tells the story of a stubborn farmer named Bjartur and his struggle for independence in the harsh Icelandic countryside.

Next, we have "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. This Booker Prize-winning novel is set in the lush, tropical landscape of Kerala, India, and explores the themes of love, loss, and family.

Moving on to Russia, we have "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy. This timeless classic of Russian literature follows the tragic story of Anna Karenina, a married woman who falls in love with a dashing young officer.

From the Middle East, we have "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. This heart-wrenching novel tells the story of Amir, a young boy growing up in Afghanistan, and his complicated relationship with his best friend Hassan.

Next, we have "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This gothic mystery set in Barcelona, Spain, is a thrilling ride through a labyrinthine world of secrets, books, and betrayal.

From Australia, we have "The Secret River" by Kate Grenville. This historical novel explores the brutal colonization of Australia by European settlers, and the complex relationships between colonizers and indigenous peoples.

Finally, from the United States, we have "Beloved" by Toni Morrison. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel explores the legacy of slavery in America, and tells the story of a woman haunted by the ghost of her dead child.

By reading these books, we can learn about different cultures and perspectives, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

Offering readers, a diverse range of books to read

Reading is an incredible way to broaden our understanding of the world around us. Books from different regions and countries provide us with unique perspectives and help us to see the world in a new light. In this blog, we've compiled a list of 10 must-read books from around the world, curated by Icons Media Publishing, a leading book publisher that is committed to offering readers a diverse range of books to read.

Icons Media Publishing understands the importance of publishing books that offer different perspectives and experiences. Their commitment to diversity is reflected in the books they publish, which come from a variety of cultures and regions. From classic literature to contemporary fiction, Icons Media Publishing strives to bring readers the best books from around the world.

Our list of must-read books features works from some of the most acclaimed authors in the world, including Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Chinua Achebe, and Haruki Murakami. Each book on our list has been carefully selected to provide readers with a unique and captivating reading experience.

From the magical realism of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" to the poignant coming-of-age story of "Persepolis," each book on our list offers a different perspective on life and culture. Whether you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, or ponder the complexities of the world, our list has something for everyone.

Icons Media Publishing has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusivity, which is reflected in the books they publish. By offering readers a diverse range of books to read, they are helping to break down cultural barriers and promote understanding and acceptance.

In conclusion, reading books from different regions and countries is an excellent way to broaden our horizons and expand our understanding of the world. The books on our list, curated by Icons Media Publishing, offer readers a diverse range of experiences that will leave them enlightened and inspired. We hope that our list will encourage you to pick up a new book and embark on a journey of discovery.

[heffrondriving]

BTR 01×03: BIG TIME SCHOOL OF ROCQUE ˗ˏˋ ꒰ HEADERS + ICONS ꒱ ✧༉‧₊˚

❀ requested by @thequartz0ne ❀

[crowsrad]

Honey themed art for big time rush

[gibaas]

big time rush headers

- reblog If u save or tag me on twitter @anwisegirl

[sunlitstarks]

BIG TIME RUSH ICONS — BIG TIME PRANKS

like or reblog if you save :)

[buckybarnesbootycheeks]

Thanks @yellow-roseman for the amazing icons ;)

[couldibeanymorechaotic]

elevate or get up

but honestly all of them are freaking awesome

fuck your zodiac sign what's your favorite big time rush song

[crazyk-imagine]

Chapter VI: House Drop

Characters: Sulane “Sullie” Celeste, Jasner ""Jas" Verbane, James Diamond, Kendall Knight, Carlos Garcia, Hortense "Logan" Mitchell, Gustavo Roque, Kelly Wainwright, Katie Knight, Mama Knight Freight Train, Camille Roberts (Briefly mentioned) 

Warnings: Shenanigans, Sulane not feeling well, mansion sitting gone wrong, Monty the hairless cat being called a chicken, Sulane and Monty are not friends :(, Sulane showing her future potential as a producer, Jasner being both helpful and unhelpful, Kelly is a godsend

Word Count: 5,627

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jasner decides to take a break from auditions for the next few hours, debating on if he should work on some homework, he hadn’t been able to do yesterday or put it off until later and find Sullie. 

He shakes his head at the feeling of those damn butterflies moving around in his stomach whenever he thinks of her. He's happy to see her become the person he imagines she was before arriving in the Palm Woods, happy. 

But he’s also kind of scared because the pretty boy of the band seems to hate him. Which is kind of weird for him to think about when everyone else here seems to like him and yet, he thinks he knows why. 

Yesterday when he left Camille for a second to grab the smoothies, he may or may not have taken a minor detour and may have used his favorite form of travel in any building (he can find a blueprint to) the vents. 

He couldn’t tell what he was feeling when Gustavo asked them if they had experienced the kind of love, they needed to in order to “perfect” the song and James turned around to look at the only person who’s around them most of the time, that’s their age. 

He left without popping in to say hi, needing to figure out what he was feeling before talking to Sulane again. 

-

“How are you feeling?” 

“Huh?” She turns her head, staring at him. 

‘Oh… no.’ He smiles at her, has she always been this pretty? 

Is he slow to realize that she’s really cool and interesting and- he’s not just crushing he’s on the verge of falling for her, and hard. 

He sits on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs. ‘Act normal. She doesn’t need to know.’ “Whatcha doin’?” 

“Reading more letters. I found some hidden behind pasta in the cabinets.” 

“Oh, really. Do you,” his voice cracks. Jasner winces and shakes his head. “Do you want me to look around and see if I can find anymore?” 

“Not right now. I’m still reading through the first two weeks I was here. Apparently, Carlos got his first A which turned out to be a mistake because there were two Carlos’ in his math class.” Sulane huffs, throwing her head back against the cushions of the couch. 

They turn to look at one another, staring into each other’s eyes before she sighs. 

“Do you want to take a nap?” 

She shakes her head, stretches her arms above her head, stifling a yawn. 

“You’re lying. Come on, up you go,” he pats the cushion beside him. 

“Fine.” She sets the letter on top of the pile she’s made. 

He moves out of the way, smiling. “Lay down, I’ll watch something on TV and wait till you fall asleep before leaving.” 

She nods, already half asleep. 

He purses his lips, wondering what he can do to help make things easier for her. 

She’s been working so much more than he's ever seen and it’s taking a toll on her. 

He shakes his head, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch, carefully laying it across her before squatting, resting on the balls of his feet. 

He brushes a few fallen strands off her cheek, pushing them behind her ear. “If I ever get a big role and have to shoot out of town or something, I’d really miss you,” he mutters, watching over her until he realizes he needs to go to his apartment and make an audition tape. He doesn’t know why he said it, but he doesn’t regret it because he would.

S01 EP 06

She opens her eyes at the sound of Gustavo’s ring tone for when he calls, Darth Vader’s iconic music. 

She chuckles at the sound because she doesn’t like Star Wars (but watched all the movies because of Jasner and knew when she heard the sound, she had to find it). “What?” 

“Don’t you what me? I’m the one who signs that thing you call a paycheck.” 

“And I’m the one keeping your assistant sane because I’m amazing, want to try that again without so much attitude.” 

He grumbles. 

A heavy sigh comes through along with some rustling. “Sulane. I need you to get down to the studio, Gustavo needs help finishing the boy’s song. He can’t figure out this one line and he’s starting to get on my nerves,” Kelly tells her daughter. 

“On my way.”

-

She hangs up and changes before grabbing a piece of licorice and opening her door. “Freight Train, just the guy I wanted to see.” 

“You heading off to work?” 

“You know it.” 

“Piggyback?” 

“Please.” 

They pass by as the boys are doing something moronic but don’t stop. 

Sulane needs to keep her stupid meter on low today. 

-

Jasner walks out into the pool area, wandering over towards the guys listening to Logan explain fartology to Kendall and James. “It's basic fartology.” 

“He’s not wrong.” 

“Hey, Jas,” Kendall and Logan greet him.

“So how do we know when it's coming?” James asks. 

The three band mates leaned down. 

“I'm not sure,” Kendall responds. 

“Oh, guys. I wouldn’t-” 

It’s too late. They’re drenched. 

“Whoo! Did you get that on video?” Carlos shouts, excited about the results. 

“Should it be smoking like this?” Kendall asks, watching as his camera short circuits and smoke comes from it. 

“Man!” “Oh, man.” The boys exclaim, disappointed in their work.

- Ah, ah, ah-ah, ooh -

“I wanna be famous,” the band sings waving Kendall to sing his line. “You want to be the one who's living the life.” 

The producer pushes his mic button. “And cut!” 

“It sounded great, right?” Kendall asks, still feeling the adrenaline of singing with his best friends. He glances over to see the blonde doing a “stop” gesture and tilts his head in confusion… until Gustavo continues. 

“No,” he starts off, which confuses the boys. “Green day sounds great. You guys didn't make me want to vomit.” 

“Oh, Gustavo!” They all angrily rip their headphones off their head. “Come on!” 

Until the producer pushes a button and mutes them and he mouths to them, “I can’t hear you.” 

“Why can't you tell them they sound good? Or thank them for all their hard work?” Kelly asks, after smacking his arm. 

“Showing thanks is a sign of weakness.” 

“What about you know who?” She gestures to Sulane, who stands in front of the glass window, writing something in her notebook. 

“I stand by my previous statement. And besides, you don't hear them thanking me.” 

The teen girl lifts her notebook for the boys to see. “Say thank you or I end you all. You haven’t thanked him once and I think he’s hurt by it.” 

Carlos gives her a thumbs up. 

“Gustavo,” Kendall says earning the adult’s attention. “We just wanted to thank you.” 

The others chime in. “Yeah, thank you.” 

“Thank you so much,” Logan clarifies. 

“So much fun,” James adds. 

“It's been a blast,” Carlos tells him.  

Kelly nudges her boss’s shoulder. 

“I just wanted to say you guys,” the producer pauses for dramatic effect.

“Are done for the day. Kelly and I are off to North Carolina.” 

“Ooh, can you bring us back a tar heel?” The corndog lover asks, with a clearly excited tone. 

“Ooh, I'm thinking about bringing back a hot new band, that I can replace you with when you inevitably fail me.” 

Sulane pursed her lips, she knew this was going to happen, but she hoped he wasn’t going to do it to them. She pinches the bridge of her nose because she cares. 

Kelly gives the boys a sorry look and her frown deepens at the sight of her daughter. 

“Replace us?” 

They glance over at her. 

“Did you know?” Logan asks. 

She scoffs, rolling her eyes, placing her headphones on her head, needing to tune the stupidity out before exiting the room. 

The band follows their producer. “Gustavo!” 

“Stop!” 

“You can't be serious.” 

“You can't. You're not gonna replace us, not after you see my new head shots.” James lifts his headshots after seemingly pulling them out of his pocket. “One hot young doctor, one hot greasy mechanic.” 

“Ooh, ooh.” Gustavo says, removing them from the pretty boy’s grasp, flinging them to the side. “Ooh, I'll put these with the others.” 

James yelps and reaches for his headshots. 

Sulane glances at the boy from the corner of her eye. 

James feels her stare and quickly hides it behind his back. 

“Kelly,” Gustavo walks to his office backwards, “who'd you get to house-sit my mansion?” 

“Oh, you said that you would take care of that,” Kelly points out.  

“There is no way I would have ever said-” 

The more experienced assistant pulls out a tape recorder and hits play. “Kelly, I'll find someone to house-sit my mansion.” 

The producer groans. 

She glances over shoulder at the boy band. “I record everything now.” 

James gives her an impressed expression with an okay hand signal. 

Logan clicks his tongue and points to her. 

Kendall is impressed (and hopes Sulane takes notes). 

Carlos is a little scared but proud of her. 

Sulane wraps her arm around her mom’s shoulders, “I’ve taught you well.” 

“See! This is why I didn’t want you two working together. You’re both mean.” 

They scoff, rolling their eyes. 

Jasner walks down the hallway, turning right so he's standing behind the boys; he sips his smoothie. “What’s up?” 

The band jumps back, not expecting him. 

“Shouldn’t you be in school?” The blonde asks. 

“Shouldn’t you?” 

“Touche.” 

The producer rolls his eyes. “You can play your blame game later. Meanwhile, who's gonna dust my 100-inch plasma.” 

The boys step forward. 

“Feed my exotic pets.” 

They take another step. 

“And make sure my $1 million media room stays set at 68 degrees?” 

Carlos holds onto Kelly shoulder, slightly shaking while James does the same thing with Sulane as they answer. “We'll mansion-sit for you.” 

“Oh, you want me to let the monkey’s mansion-sit?”  

“Yeah, I thought we were dogs,” the brainiac points out. 

“You're monkey dogs. And the answer is no.” 

“Can I see you in your office, please? Mm.” The more experienced assistant shoves her boss into his office as Gustavo glances back at them, feeling very confused. 

-

The teen girl throws her head back and laughs. “Oh, you guys are desperate.” She pushes James and Jasner off her. “And I’m done. Bye.”  

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Carlos asks. 

“I have plans.” 

“But, watching Gustavo’s mansion is probably better than your plans,” James tells her, not wanting her to depart from them just yet. 

She sighs and he smiles and pulls her closer to the door so they can listen in. 

The group falls onto the floor and quickly pushes themselves off the ground… except for Jasner. 

The boy notices the raised brow he’s getting from Kelly. “I’m not going to waste a drop of this smoothie; I can’t find a raspberry one anywhere.” 

“What’s up?” Carlos says after pushing himself up. 

“Hey man,” Logan starts. “We were- we were just hanging out.” 

“I didn’t plan on this happening,” Sulane quickly adds. 

“Quiet and follow weird name.”

-

“There are five mansion-sitting rules at Casa Gustavo. One, stay out of my media room.” 

James gives him a thumbs up. 

“Two, do not open my living room fridge.” 

Carlos does an okay gesture with a reassuring head shake. 

“Three, keep the butts off my $40,000 Federico Benini couch.” 

Kendall gives him finger guns and then looks away, glancing over at the blonde, silently asking if he’s serious to which she nods. 

“Four, do not touch my Peruvian hairless cat, Monty.” 

“Ooh, I love cats,” Logan replies, with a smile. 

“Don't touch him!” 

The brainiac shrugs. “I don't even like cats.” 

The teen girl slaps her chest. “Oh my god.” She snatches Jasner’s smoothie from him and takes a sip. “That thing is still alive?! You haven’t accidentally cooked it.” 

Everyone glances over at her. 

“What? It was sitting in a bowl, and I thought he was defrosting some chicken.” 

“And five, if anything- anything is broken in my mansion, you are all fired! Are we clear?” 

Sulane shakes her head, “morons.” She walks out of the room as they continue to cheer. 

-

As Kendall tries to persuade his mom into letting them mansion sit, with the not so helpful assistance of Logan; he has to chuck a dinosaur chicken nugget at the other two to make his point. 

“You-” Sulane takes a deep breath, swallowing her food. “You are not old enough? You can be an adult and have a childish side, nothing too like major though you know… not like Molly.” 

Mama Knight glances in her direction. 

“Sorry, anyway, they’ll be fine.” 

“Fine, as long as she goes with you, and I want hourly updates.” 

“No,” Sulane groans, holding her head in her hands. 

The boys cheer until Carlos knocks over James’s chocolate milk. 

“You knocked over my chocolate milk.”

The helmet lover chews louder which angers his friend. 

“Whoa!” Carlos shouts as the pretty boy tackles him. 

Katie and Logan each take a nugget from the boys’ plates. 

“I'll be in charge along with the assistance of everyone’s favorite person.” 

She shrugs him off her. “Get off me.” 

-

Sulane opens the door to hear, “Katie, you're not staying. Get out of the duffel bag.” 

“Fine.” 

She shakes her head at the young girl’s behavior. “Sorry, Katie,” she and Kendall apologize. 

“See you.” Jasner turns around and thanks Mama Knight. 

The older woman smiles, “you’re welcome. I’m happy they have someone else to hang out with.” 

He turns around with a big smile on his face. 

“Why do you look so excited?” Logan asks. 

“This is the only time I get to see the inside of Gustavo’s mansion.” 

“So, you’ve never been here before?” 

“Only to the front door but that’s about it.” 

“Why?” Kendall chimes in. 

“Something about him not trusting me or thinking I’m going to destroy his mansion.”

The boys nod before running inside. 

-

The teen girl escapes to her room, not at all in the mood to even try and deal with the boys and their excitement. 

She rolls her eyes when she hears them having fun come from the media room. 

-

They decide to go on a journey to the kitchen. 

They stare at the fridge with their heads tilted. 

“Why do you think Gustavo locks his fridge?” Kendall throws out there. 

“I bet he keeps his heart in there,” James replies. 

“Or his victims,” Logan adds. 

“Or food,” Carlos and Jasner say. They turn to one another and high five. 

“Well, only one way to find out.” 

The brainiac turns to stop his blond friend from taking a step further. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you crazy? Don't you remember mansion-sitting rule number two?” 

They turn to a flashback of Gustavo telling them, “rule number two, help yourselves to anything you want in my living room fridge.” 

“That was not it,” Logan tells them. 

“Yes, it was,” the other four say. 

Carlos spreads his arm open, forcing Logan, Jasner, and James to take a step back. “Step aside, boys. My uncle was a locksmith. You just place your hands between the cylinder and the central housing, and then hit it with the sledgehammer!” The corn dog lover raises the item (he seemingly pulled out of nowhere) and screams. 

The found Gustavo’s holy grail… his pudding fridge. 

“Pudding!” They all shouted. 

-

Sulane walks downstairs, in need of an aspirin or something to get rid of her migraine, something that always happens whenever she thinks about visiting her mom’s grave. 

Once she gets what she needs and begins to slowly feel some relief, she decides to check on the boys and passes by the broken fridge. 

“What. Did. You. Guys. Do?” She sees Kendall reaching over to grab a spoonful of James’ pudding (and is successful). “Don’t you dare.” 

The leader turns to her, looking like a deer in headlights… and then the pudding falls from his spoon. 

The boys start screaming. 

“You idiot. Why would you do that?” 

“Gustavo's $40,000 couch!” Carlos freaks out. 

“Get your butts off his couch was rule number three,” Logan adds. 

“No, it wasn't,” Kendall shakes his head. 

They see another flashback. “Rule number three, keep your butts off my $40,000 Federico Benini couch.” 

“Okay, maybe it was,” the leader stresses the last word. 

“Gustavo's gonna kill us. And we're only 64 years old,” James adds. 

“Minus us two, right?” Jasner whispers to Sulane. 

She shrugs him away; this whole thing just turned her sour mood into an even worse sour mood. 

The leader pulls her out of her thoughts. “Which means we are more than capable of removing a pudding stain from a couch. Logan brain now.” 

“Right, okay, um- Gustavo has a cat, right? And cat litter's main ingredient is bentonite, which as we all know, is a natural absorbent.” 

“Why the hell do you know that? Do you study cat litter in your spare time?” 

The brainiac frowns. “Why are you so upset?” 

As these three talk, Kendall has Carlos and James getting started on their pudding mishap. 

“I’m not.” 

“You are though,” Jasner tells her. 

“Okay, well you two need to shut up because I’m fine.” 

“You don’t sound fine.” 

“Logan.” 

“Yeah.” He sees the look she’s giving him. “Shut up, right, got it.” 

-

“There, now we just relax and wait.” Logan sets the box of cat litter off to the side. 

“Did anyone think that maybe that Monty is going to see cat litter and think it’s in his litter box?” 

No one answers her as they scream when they see said cat hop onto the couch. 

“Whoa, what is that thing?” Logan points to the hairless cat. 

“Oh, it must be his cat,” Jasner and Kendall adds. 

“That's a cat?” Carlos asks. 

“No, it’s a chicken in disguise.” 

“I totally see it now. That’s freaky. I never saw Gustavo to be the kind of guy who would buy a naked cat. Did anyone else see that coming?” Jasner chimes in. 

The boys shake their heads. “J- just get him off before he-” 

“Marks his territory,” they answer together. 

Sulane throws her head back and claps her hands. “I told you guys.” 

“Get him off the couch,” Kendall screams. 

“Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.” Carlos lifts the cat, but it tries to fight back, and he chucks the cat to the other side of the room and out the door. “Uh-oh.” 

“There goes rule number four.” Logan sits down at the nearest table, feeling a little defeated with all their mishaps so far and accidentally sits on Gustavo’s party remote. 

A disco ball pops out of the ceiling and Carlos is scared. 

“Rule number five! If we break anything, we're fired!” James shouts over the music, freaking out. 

“Everybody, just calm down. All we got to do is get the stain off the couch, Find the cat, and raise the disco ball. We can do this together,” Kendall puts his hand out, wanting everyone to do it. 

“Uh- hi,” Jasner interrupts, putting his hand in too. “What about the pudding? You guys-” He clears his throat when he sees Sulane glaring at him. “We ate like, all of it. How are we going to restock his fridge?” 

Kendall purses his lips. 

Logan runs up to Kendall and Jasner who use the fire extinguishers to put out a fire they made. “I can't find the cat at all.” 

“I think I broke the statue,” James says, holding two of the statues’ pieces. 

Kendall accidentally sets off his fire extinguisher. 

“Okay, kid,” Jasner lowers the blond’s hands. “Don’t set it off again.” 

“Well, the good news is, this can't get any worse, right?” 

Carlos pops into the hallway and starts screaming. “The alligator's loose! The alligator's loose!” 

“Wait, is there a- Why is there an alligator?” Logan passes out. 

“Get him! Get him!” Kendall tells the others. 

“Leave him. He’ll be the bait. If we feed it, we can lock it back up.” 

They turn to look at her as she leans against the stair railing. 

“Sulane!” Kendall yells at her. 

“What?” She rolls her eyes. “Hurry up and grab him before you all become alligator food.” 

-

“How did an alligator get in here?” The leader whines as he holds a piece of meat on a makeshift “fishing pole”, standing on a ladder with Carlos next to him. 

“I opened the back door to let the smoke out, and it crawled in from Gustavo's moat.” 

Jasner’s head snaps in Carlos’ direction. 

“His moat?” James and Logan repeat from their section. 

“Oh, yeah.” Sulane’s voice echoes from the top of the stairs. “I could have told you guys that a while ago. They usually don’t leave the moat though.” She chuckles. “Maybe they like boy bands.” 

James and Logan frown at her. 

“What? It’s a joke.” 

“Nice alligator. Follow the meat.” 

The alligator yanks the meat and broom out of his hands. 

They slam the door shut behind it and cheer. 

Sulane walks down and watches them celebrate. “You guys’ better hope that alligator can’t open a door.” 

Jasner grimaces at the thought. 

“Now just to find Gustavo's freaky bald cat so Gustavo doesn't kill us,” Kendall reminds them. 

The pretty boy turns to Logan. “Call the FBI.” 

“For a missing cat? The FBI only works with serious crimes.” 

“Oh, that explains a lot.” James has a flashback of when he called. “FBI, help! My hair is limp and lifeless.” The call ends. “Hello? Hello?” 

“I know one of you used all my cuda massive hold.” 

“Focus,” Kendall regains everyone’s attention. “Now, there's only three possible places the cat could be hiding. One, he's roaming the neighborhood. Two, he's hiding up a tree.” 

They hear the alligator burp. “And that would be three.” 

“So, it might like a chicken in disguise.” 

“Stop joking about the cat being a chicken,” Carlos says, sounding all serious until he starts chuckling. 

“You can’t tell me it doesn’t look like one. If we find it, put it in a bowl and tell me it doesn’t.” 

-

The group stares at the orange cat sitting on the table. 

“You can't shave a cat,” the brainiac tells them. 

“Don’t you dare touch this cat.” Sulane grabs the cat, petting it in her arms. 

“Oh? Would you rather tell Gustavo we lost his and you know, have him replace us and destroy my dreams?” James screeches. 

“Where did you get the cat?” 

“I've got a guy,” Carlos answers Logan. 

Sulane and Jasner take a step back, glancing at the corn dog lover with concern. 

“Quiet. Hold him down steady.” 

James passes the clippers to Kendall. 

Carlos takes a step forward. 

“Don’t you dare,” Sulane tells him. “I will fight you and you will not win, corn dog.” 

“Licorice, please. Come on. You don’t want to destroy our dreams, do you?” 

She can see the look James is giving her from the corner of her eye. 

“Oh, I can't look,” the brainiac covers his eyes when Carlos takes the cat from her. 

“Would you chill? How hard can it be to shave a cat?” 

The leader turns the clippers on. 

-

They sit on the couch, whining when they see more of the house being ruined and torn into a million pieces. 

“Where did it learn to spray paint?” Carlos mumbles, watching the cat spray paint an exclamation point onto its “cats rule”.  

“We're doomed,” Kendall whines. 

“No kidding.” She says, holding an ice pack for him. 

“What’s this for?” 

“Your lip.” 

-

Meanwhile in North Carolina, Gustavo realizes he’s missing a certain group. “What's the problem?” 

“I'll tell you what the problem is. They do everything I say when I say it, and I can't stand it,” the producer pouts. 

Kelly smiles. “You know what I think. I think you miss your boys or your monkey dogs or your boy monkeys.” 

“Miss them? Me miss them? Ha! Ha-ha!” 

“You thrive on the chaos. They argue with you. They get in your face. They raise your blood pressure. And you like it. You need it. And that’s why you haven’t fired Sulane because she does the same thing but, better since she actually keeps you on track.” 

“Wrong! Okay, not wrong. But I can't abandon the windmills. I'm their hero. And it's not like there's record producers waiting outside the door ready to sign them.” 

Kelly gets up and opens the door, proving her boss wrong. 

He sighs, “okay, they're all yours.” 

-

“Oh, we are horrible mansion-sitters,” Kendall comments, taking a look around the place. 

Jasner pats his shoulder. “No.” 

Sulane snorts as she takes a bite out of her secret mansion stash of licorice. “Yes, you are.” 

James rolls his eyes at her comment. “You’re not helping.” 

“I’m not trying to,” she tells him. 

The blond’s phone rings, and he pulls it out of his pocket, “oh. Oh, good news. Gustavo and Kelly are coming back early.” 

“Oh! Okay, don't worry. I can fix this,” Logan runs to them with a laptop. 

“Yes! I knew the smart one would come through. What do you got?” James asks. 

“There's a 4:00 A.M. flight to Bolivia. We get there, change our names, raise alpacas.” 

The teen girl takes a deep breath before she chokes on her snack. “That is actually one of the best plans I have heard from anyone today.” 

“Yeah, I have a better idea.” 

“You're gonna call a cleaning service,” Carlos throws out there. 

“A statue repairman,” James adds. 

“And one of those places that gets the cats out of the alligators,” Logan says, with hope in his voice. 

“Ooh. All of the above.” 

“I’m going back upstairs. You all have fun.” 

“Oh no, no,” Kendall wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her off the stairs. 

“Noooo!” 

-

“Hey, mom, here's the sitch,” Kendall starts to say. 

“Zip it. I'm gonna need three liters of club soda, a sewing Kit, a bucket of vinegar, bleach, and get on the phone and find a place that delivers super-turbo bonding glue and semigloss white paint.” 

“Got it.” 

The gang nods. 

Carlos puts his helmet on. “Wait, what about Gustavo's cat?” 

Mama Knight pulls a box of cat food out of her cleaning supplies and shakes it. The boys cheer. 

“That's a cat?” Katie points to Monty. 

“No, it’s a chicken in disguise.” 

“That I believe. There’s no way this is a cat.” 

“Right.” 

“What are you all staring at? We're gonna be here all night. Go! Go, go, go!” Mama Knight sends them on their way. 

“That's right. Move it,” Katie adds. 

“You too! Go!” 

-

“Guys, it’s almost time!” Sulane shouts. 

“Okay!” 

“All right. Looking good, guys. And that glue will be dry in ten, nine-” 

“Bigfoot's on the campground. Repeat, bigfoots on the campground,” Logan repeats. 

“Mom,” Kendall says, extending the word with worry in his voice. 

“Five seconds and the bond will hold.” 

“He's coming up the steps!” Logan screams, freaking out. 

“Three, two, one, let's roll,” Katie drags her mom out of the mansion. 

“Mom,” Kendall screams, causing her to turn around. “Thanks.” 

She smiles and blows a kiss in his direction, until Katie grabs onto her again. “Come on.” 

“Oh, look who's here,” the leader says, with a fake yawn. 

“It's Gustavo and Kelly,” the pretty boy adds. 

“We slept here 'cause we didn't want to touch anything,” Logan clarifies. 

“Yeah. We're not just pretending,” Carlos says, basically giving them away. 

The boys pinch him. “Ow!” 

“Silence! Monty?” 

The cat comes prancing into the room. 

“The chicken has returned.” 

“I told you it’s not a chicken. Why are you down here with the dogs?” 

“I woke up too early and was bored.” 

“We'd love to stay and chat, but we got to get out of here,” Kendall starts walking past them, along with the others trailing behind him. “Thank you so much.” 

“Stop. There's something I need to say.” 

“Well, you can say something tomorrow, so-” The leader’s eyes don’t focus on the producer, and he turns away. 

The others add, “Yeah!” 

“See you at the studio!” 

“Guys? This is important,” Kelly tells them, getting them to stop. 

“We've been working together for a month now. And I just wanted to say, although we've had our ups and downs, the truth is, I luh- I luh- I like you.” 

The statue shatters and breaks again. 

“And we like you too,” Kendall says, calmly before shouting, “Run!” 

Gustavo groans, staring at the statue. 

Carlos walks back towards Kelly, placing the cat they almost shaved earlier into her arms. “Here. Have a cat.” 

“Thanks for the break. See you,” James runs back into tell them. 

“Sulane!” 

“Thank you so much, Gustavo! You’re the best!” She screams and runs away, never having felt this way before. 

“Aspirin. Aspirin. I need aspirin.” The producer goes into the one bathroom he shouldn’t have and locks the door. 

Kendall holds onto the door and informs the older assistant of the situation. 

Sulane stands behind him. 

“Oh, and by the way, you might not want to go in the bathroom.” 

“Alligator! Alligator!”

They glance at one another with wide eyes. 

“Run?” He asks. 

“Run.” 

They push each other closer to Mama Knight’s car, not caring about anything else other than getting away from the mansion. 

“Alligator!” Gustavo tries to get out without making things worse. 

-

Once Gustavo successfully escapes from the bathroom and gets the animal back into his moat, he finds the boys and yells at them for a solid… hour and a half. 

“Can I suggest we get smoothies and then we make a song?” Jasner chimes in, needing to fill the silence. 

“That’s not a bad idea after I ALMOST DIED!” 

Sulane nudges her friend in the ribs. 

“Ow!” Jasner whines, holding his side. “What was that for?” 

“Quite reminding him.” 

“I barely told him.” 

She narrows her eyes at him and looks away. “Why don’t you go out while I finish the song?” 

“Uh- no.” 

“Why not?” She puts her hands on her hips, “you know I’d do a good job.” 

“Maybe that’s a good idea,” Kelly adds. “I think it’d be a good idea to let them do their own thing while we stay away from the mansion for a bit longer?” 

“Fine.” 

The two exit the studio and go off onto their own thing. “Okay, guys you know what to do.” 

“Time to get in that booth.” 

She raises a brow at her friend. 

“What?” Jasner shrugs. “It was right there; how could I not take the opportunity to make a rhyme.” 

“Easily.” 

“Whatever just go on and do your pushing of buttons and sliding slash turning the nobs.” 

“Why don’t you shut up?” 

The raspberry lover rolls his eyes and decides to sit down. 

She puts her headphones on and gives them a thumbs up.

-

When the chips are down

Back against the wall 

Got no more to give

'Cause we gave it all

Seems like going the distance is unrealistic

But we are too far from the start

So we take what comes, And we keep on going

Leaning on each others shoulders

Then we turn around

And see we've come so far somehow

We're halfway there 

We're looking good now

And nothing's gonna get in the way

We're halfway there

And looking back now

I never thought that I'd ever say 

We're halfway there 

We're halfway there 

We're halfway there 

We're halfway there

-

She bobs her head and turns a nob here and there. “Atta boys,” she greets the boys after clicking the mic button. “You guys did great.” 

They cheer, all smiling widely at her. 

“We’re done for right now. I want Gustavo to hear it before I make my suggestions.” 

“Alright,” Carlos says. 

“Let’s celebrate,” Logan finishes for him. 

“Smoothies?” Kendall suggests. 

“Are you in my mind? I was thinking that,” Jasner says with a smile. 

“You really are weird, aren’t you?” 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” He grabs Sulane’s bag and wraps an arm around her shoulder. 

“Get off me you weirdo,” she chuckles. 

He smiles and pulls her into his grasp again; she doesn’t pull away and lets it happen. “Smoothies!” 

“You’re so weird.” 

Logan’s about to take a step forward when he realizes no one from the band is moving. 

“You okay?” Carlos asks James. 

“No.” 

“Is it because-” 

“Yes! Why else would I be upset? I mean, I’m watching the girl I’ve had- she’s hanging out with him. She invited him to help watch Gustavo’s mansion… if she likes me the way you guys say she does, why is she hanging out with him?” 

“Because he’s her friend,” Kendall answers him. 

“Friends don’t look at each other like that.” 

“You do,” Carlos points out, not really thinking about it or realizing that the pretty boy never officially confessed to his feelings for her. 

Logan nods with his lips curving to one side of his mouth. “True, but he also wants to be more than that with her.” 

The three boys stared at James with concerned expressions before leading him out the door to follow them. 

“What are we gonna do?” Carlos asks before they exit the building. 

“I don’t know,” the other two confess.  

The three let him walk out first when Sulane opens the door. 

“I think that’s the first time he’s been honest with himself about his feelings for her since we got here,” Logan whispers to the other two. 

“I know. What should we do?” Kendall asks. 

“I don’t think we’re the ones who are supposed to do anything. I think it’s up to them,” the brainiac adds.

Previously: Chapter V // Continue: Chapter VII

[atlasfoundation]

Greg Pak Returns to 'Planet Hulk' in New Sequel Series

In 2006, writer Greg Pak, along with artists Carlo Pagulayan and Aaron Lopresti, crafted PLANET HULK, one of the most iconic stories to ever grace the pages of INCREDIBLE HULK, and this November, Pak will return to this storyline in PLANET HULK: WORLDBREAKER! This five-issue limited series will take place a thousand years into the future and present a shocking expansion and culmination of the mythos of Sakaar. Pak will be joined by visionary DEVIL'S REIGN artist Manuel Garcia.

[sophiechoir]

Artists I Like

(Listmaking is totally a creative exercise, right? Right? If that’s true then this is the longest running creative exercise I’ve ever indulged in lol)

Gerda Wegener - fashion & lesbian art nouveau/deco

Harry Watrous - enigmatic paintings of sophisticated women

Helen Frankenthaler - abstract expressionist paintings

Sergio Toppi - italian illustrations & comics

Dan Hillier - contemporary spooky angelic ink/print/collage

Mike Binge - 70s sci fi art

Gustave Dore - highly detailed wood-engravings prints, dante

Paul César Helleu - numerous portraits of beautiful society women

Roberto Ferri - making the old masters cool again

Gustav Vigeland - weird figure sculptures

NC Wyeth - one of america’s greatest illustrators

Andrew Wyeth - melancholy realism painter

Frank Frazetta - best fantasy & pulp artist

John Buscema - conan comics artist

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez - wonder woman comics artist

Parker Hagarty - landscapes & figures

Henry Patrick Raleigh - star of golden age of illustration, high society drawings

Paul Lehr - 70s future-fantasy pulp illustrations

Stanley Meltzoff - 50s scifi/pulp cover illustrations

Alphonse Mucha - art nouveau

Kawase Hasui - japanese woodblock prints

Edmund Dulac - delicate detailed book illustrations

Makoto Takahashi - vintage shoujo manga

Harry Clarke - super detailed & dark art nouveau/deco illustrations

Sophie Lecuyer - contemporary spooky illustrations

Wassily Kandinsky - abstract geometry

George F. Kerr - book illustrations

Beatrix Potter - book illustrations

Mary Bauermeister - eclectic sculptures & drawings - geomancy

John William Waterhouse - Pre-Raphaelite paintings

Alexandre de Riquer - gorgeous mucha-esque posters & illustrations

Gianpaolo Pagni - patterned graphic designs

Giovanni Boldini - dynamic paintings/portraits, “Master of Swish”

Erté - art deco fashion ladies (new orleans!)

Cicely Mary Barker - fairy illustrations

Dorothy P. Lathrop - beautiful childrens book black n white illustrations

Kay Nielsen - glittering golden age illustrations

Coles Phillips - “fadeaway girl” golden age illustrations

Gustav Klimt - gold 💋

Koloman Moser - patterned art nouveau

Konstantin Tarasov - contemporary colorful & detailed digital drawings

Carlo Dolci - soft & dramatic chiaroscuro baroque religious portraits

Trung Le Nguyen aka Trungles - deviantart digital artist, colorful golden age mixed with anime illustrations

John Everett Millais - Pre-Raphaelite paintings

Arthur Rackham - English golden age illustrations, muted colors

Syd Mead - industrial & sci fi concept art

Mario Garbuglia - Barbarella set design

Henri Patrice Dillon - dreamy fadeaway muted illustrations/paintings

Frantisek Kupka - later Czech painter who began in representational art and evolved into pure abstraction

John Bauer - classic nordic fairy tale/myth illustrations

Aya Takano - superflat/anime but make it fine art

John Singer Sargent - heavenly portraits

Winslow Homer - masculine largely marine landscapes

George Barbier - art deco illustrations

Edward Okuń - polish art nouveau & symbolist painter

Robert Anning Bell - paintings & illustrations

Thomas Cooper Gotch - sorta preraphaelite paintings, portraits of girls

Jules Chéret - colorful french posters

Kaarina Kaila - dreamy soft children’s illustrations (almost kitsch)

Helen Hyde - japanese woodblock prints but actually they’re american

Melchior Lechter - paintings and book designs. “His hieratic, symbolic, decorative style combined gothic elements with art nouveau”

Jan Mankes - gentle unlined dutch paintings

Amrita Sher-Gil - contemporary indian paintings, mostly of woc

Sydney Long - australian watercolor landscapes

Carlos Schwabe - freaky religious/mythological symbolist paintings

Bob Pepper - groovy 60s-80s pulp illustrations

Frank R. Paul - scifi illustrations

Chéri Hérouard - La Vie Parisienne french illustrations

John Berkey - scifi illustrations/concept art

Aubrey Beardsley - fin de siecle black and white illustrations

Charles Caryl Coleman - pretty still lifes & landscapes, flowers & capri

Erich Schutz - Austrian illustrator of children's books, Schutz was influenced by Art Nouveau, and specialised in painting fairies and mermaids

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - French painter, printmaker, caricaturist and illustrator

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale - lush detailed paintings of richly dressed figures and scenes

Anne Claude de Caylus - not sure if he actually made them but print illustrations of peasantfolk

Friedrich König - Austrian prints & paintings, Klimt contemporary

Georges Barbier - french illustrations like erté

Betty Jiang - contemporary pretty pearly & dark digital art

Stephan Sinding - marble sculptures of lovers

Heikala - contemporary soft & sweet watercolor & ink illustrations anime inspired

Paul-Albert Besnard - french prints & paintings in between academic & impressionist

Henry Ossawa Tanner - biblical realism paintings

Norman Lindsay - etchings with lotsa great figures

Michael O’Toole - colorful landscapes

Caspar David Friedrich - moody Romantic paintings

Gian Lorenzo Bernini - iconic baroque marble sculptures

Francois Schuiten - french detailed architecture comic art

Adrienne Gaha - colorful contemporary half-abstract paintings

Tradd Moore - trippy silver surfer comic art

tono/rt0no (on tumblr) - super cute illustrations of victorian cats ;-;

Nanaco Yashiro - pretty colorful contemporary illustrations

Ramiro Sanchez - contemporary traditional painter, director of painting program at Florence Academy of Art

Isabella Fassler - contemporary colorful illustrations

Florence Harrison - art nouveau childrens book fairy tale illustrations

Shahzia Sikander - contemporary Pakistani-American visual artist

Atelier Heinrichs - trippy colorful collage covers for sci fi pulps

John Macallan Swan - pretty kitties

JC Leyendecker - our fave dapper gents

Frederick Sandys - pre raphaelite paintings

Stepan Kolesnikov - realist yet stylized russian paintings

Okumi Iyo - embroidered illustrations

William Henry Barribal - colorful art deco paintings

Ilya Glazunov - russian historical/orthodox paintings in the time of communism

Igor Karash - spooky illustrations

Daud Ahkriev - his drawings of fishermen

Seiichi Hayashi - pretty, contemporary japanese manga & illustrations ft women

Nola (nolawon.art) - pretty, detailed takashi murakami-esque illustrations

Harrison Fisher - classic american illustrator, pretty women

John Austen - gorgeous black n white detailed hamlet illustrations

Gustave Moreau - fantastical & aesthetic french paintings admired by proust

Ceri Richards - welsh abstract paintings of people indoors

Otto Mueller - highly textured angular colorful paintings with bold lines

Henri Privat-Livemont - Art Nouveau posters

Giovanni di Paolo - prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts

Ben Reeves - contemporary painter, moody & blue-heavy collages of colors

Alex Niño - amazing abstracted comic artist

Ludovic Alleaume - dreamy french paintings

Yoshiko Fukushima - unsettling figures with strange colors, superflat paintings

Zinaida Serebriakova - kind realistic russian paintings of pretty women and children

Harold Robert Millar (H.R. Millar) - famous Scottish graphic artist and illustrator of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Alice Marshall - delicate illustrations of fairies on black background

Stanislaw Kamocki - colorful Polish landscape paintings

Bertha Lum - American version of Japanese woodblock prints

Raphael Kirchner - art deco fashion illustrations

Tamara de Lempicka - highly stylized art deco portraits of ladies, polish

Phil Greenwood - bright pop-y floral landscapes

Rose Cecil O'Neill - vintage illustrations & cartoons

John Rush - great use of color in figure drawings

Jean Delville - otherworldly paintings

Paul-albert Besnard - monochromatic prints

Helene Schjerfbeck - modernist subtle portraits

Heinrich Lefler - beautiful detailed narrative paintings/illustrations

Maximilian Liebenwein - art nouveau illustrations

Franklin Booth - detailed pen and ink drawings

Ulla Thynell - dreamy contemporary illustrations

Jun'ichi Nakahara - japanese graphic artist, early manga

K.F.E. von Freyhold - playful German book illustrations

Beth Billups - contemporary abstract painter

William McGregor Paxton - interior scenes of woman like Henry James depicts them

Ida Rentoul Outhwaite - Australian illustrator of children's books. Her work mostly depicted fairies

Ernest Biéler - Swiss painter, draughtsman and printmaker

Junko Ogawa (@junk_junk_junk on ig) - surreal anime style drawings

Marianne Stokes - Austrian painter, one of the leading women artists in Victorian England

Lee Mullican - abstract paintings

Rae Klein - creepy surreal paintings