#jessica 2017 nail

[crunchity]

12 24 Songs of 2024

Another end of year list and another great year for music. So great I have decide to double my usual count from 12 to 24 (it is 2024 after all).

I was fortunate to be able to see 10 of the bands listed live this year - I hope 2025 is as good a gigging year.

Previous year lists: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

Anyway here we go (there is a Spotify playlist at the bottom) my favourite 24 songs released this year:

King Hannah: Big Swimmer

Waxahatchee (ft MJ Lenderman): Right Back to It

Bonny Light Horseman: I Wanna Be Where You Are

Sam Evian: Rollin' In

English Teacher: Sideboob

Alan Sparlawk: Not the 1

MJ Lenderman: Wristwatch

Ex-Easter Island Head: Norther

Cassandra Jenkins: Clams Casino

Rosali: Hills on Fire

The Cure: Alone

Bon Iver: SPEYSIDE

Merce Lemon: Foolish and Fast

Tucker Zimmerman, Big Thief: The Idiot's Maze

Hannah Frances: Bromwyn

Clairo: Sexy to Someone

Wild Pink: St Catherine Street

Soccer Mommy: Driver

Dummy: Sudden Flutes

Tapir!: Nail in a Wooden Truck

Allegra Kreiger: Came

Jessica Pratt: World on a string

Jane Weaver: Love in Constant Spetacle

Adrianne Lenker: Sadness as a Gift

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - July 13

2015: Scott gives Jean advice on car shopping. Amadeus Cho sends Angel, Gabriel, and Arthur on a chase through NYC; they finally nail him down and convince him to come to Xavier's. Gabriel complains about Amadeus macing him and asks Clarice for an eye exam. Quentin meets his new roommate (Amadeus) and is severely unimpressed. Jungbrunnen: Wade updates the rest of X-Force on North’s condition and what happened to him; Wade, Marie-Ange, Doug, and Emma meet to discuss North's potential mental state as well as the few loose ends allowed to blow in the wind until they tangle themselves up.

2016: Maya posts about setting up a Pokemon Go trip to the woods. Laurie posts about a dementia vaccine that’s being developed. Cecilia posts about not tending any Pokemon Go related injuries. Jessica posts about going old school, and playing Pokemon on her 2DS.

2017: Hope A. shares her plans for the summer. While recovering from food poisoning, Rogue and Jean communicate via a walkie-talkie. Gabriel and Domino get to know each other better while working a job. Wanda and Kyle hang out in his suite. Warren offers to pay for Lorna’s wedding.

2018: Sins of the Father: Tandy's powers go out of control, and Topaz feels a kick of magic right before it happens; she talks to Amanda, and they agree it's time to hit the books; Amanda emails the rest of the magic crew for research help; Laurie posts about the three curse victims, and tells everyone to keep an eye out. Kitty posts about missing New York.

2019: Fear in the Dark: Two teams of X-Men go to the fight club; Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Marvel Girl, Wolverine, Blink, and Dust are inside and see the trademark Asgardian hammer box in the main ring; Nightcrawler tries to teleport it out but is unable to and winds up fighting the champion, Craig Hollis; Wolverine and Blink see Skadi and D'Spayre in the crowd and overhear their plan to use the fight as a way to find the Worthy for the hammer; before anyone can act, the hammer box is broken and Hollis revealed to be the newest Worthy, Angrir; Scott’s team try to subdue Angrir and evacuate the crowd while Marvel Girl stops the roof collapsing, but lose the three bad guys in the crush; outside, Dominion, Xavin, and Spectrum are also on crowd control when they are confronted by Skadi, D’Spayre and Angrir; they fight, but Skadi and Angrir combine their hammer forces and escape; as the X-Men are leaving, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Black Widow approach them wanting to combine knowledge, but an emergency call forces them to all go to the Triskelion, which is under attack by all of the Worthy, plus the Dweller, who are after the last hammer; Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Dust and Spectrum join Iron Man against Nerkkod and Mokk; Dominion, Marvel Girl, Xavin and Captain America face Angrir and Griethoth and in the vault room, Cyclops, Hellion, Blink and the Hulk try to stop Kuurth, Skadi and the Dweller from getting to the hammer; during the course of the fight in the vault room, the Dweller is knocked out by Cyclops and teleported to the mansion, but the hammer box is broken and the Hulk becomes Nul; the bad guys teleport away and the X-Men head home; Jean and Amanda successfully combine forces to try and lock down the Dweller enough for Tandy to resurface.

2020:

2021: Arise, X-Man: Darcy helps Laurie attend physical therapy and they have a difficult conversation in the car. Matt posts about being old and creaky. Jubilee brings Kyle to a nightclub, where she fills him in on their status in a fake dimension.

2022: Darcy wonders how much she'll get murdered if she brings spray tea in a can to work.

2023: Match and Shatterstar explore Ben's Bygone Belongings in District X.

[elves-n-angels]

How Sebastian Stan Went From Winter Soldier to 'Winter Swoldier'

To keep up with the Chrises, Stan upgraded his diet, training, and worldview. And 2020 is shaping up to be his best year ever.

BY LAUREN LARSON 

DEC 19, 2019

THE COFFEE-SHOP staff is having a silent meltdown. The peppermint tea I ordered was forgotten as soon as Sebastian Stan walked in. He orders a coffee, receives it instantly, and goes to put it down on a table. The lid isn’t fully on, and the coffee spills. It’s almost a “stars are just like us” moment, but then a barista suddenly materializes with a paper towel in his outstretched palm. “It’s wet,” he says eagerly.

Stan, 37, is wearing black shorts, a black T-shirt, midcalf black socks, and a gray hoodie missing its drawstring. He looks very off-duty SoHo, which he is: He’s back home in New York City on furlough from preparations for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, an extravagant collaboration between Marvel and newborn streaming service Disney+.

He’s also wearing a blue baseball cap, which sits slightly higher on his head than it might on the head of someone with less va-va-voom hair. That hair sent the Internet into a tizzy recently, when a poster for Falcon showed Stan with a short cut. In the past when Stan has played the Winter Soldier (né Bucky Barnes), he’s had shoulder-length hair. Next to his forehead, which is giant—the White Cliffs of Dover of foreheads—the longer style made him look very sinister.

Stan is somewhat less recognizable in street clothes, but women still side-eye him on their way to the bathroom. Maybe they recognize him; maybe he’s just a little too strapping not to be famous.

As Stan talks, he maintains an unsettling deadpan, verging on a glower. “People always ask me if I’m okay,” he says, still glowering. “They’ve said I have ‘serial-killer resting face.’ No matter what I do, I’ve always had dark circles under my eyes that never really go away. Lately there might be a little moisturizer happening here and there, just in case. Preserving a couple years, or whatever.”

The more reserved the actor, the more likely he is to become part of Hollywood mythology. Between Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), a rumor circulated that he had gotten too ripped for the arm he’d worn in the earlier film, a wraparound contraption meant to look like a machine prosthetic. Redditors called him “the Winter Swoldier” and “Bulky Barnes.”

Stan laughs when I bring it up and clarifies that he used a new-and-improved arm in each successive film. With the first iteration, he had to apply lube to slide his real arm into what was essentially two rigid metal tubes. “It was like having a massive hammer attached to me,” he says, “but it looked unbelievable in the movie, and it actually informed a lot of my body language.”

Subsequent arms were more mobile, and Stan doesn’t have to lube up to get in there anymore: There’s a sleeve inside the arm for his next appearance as the Winter Soldier. But, he concedes, he did get too big for the arm used in Civil War. “I was so insecure being around these massive fucking guys, so I started lifting really heavy and ate a lot. I remember I showed up, and I was a little bit bigger than I had been in The Winter Soldier. The arm was a bit tight,” he says. “I was losing circulation.”

Stan is not a new arrival in the Marvel universe: He made his superhero debut in 2011, with Captain America: The First Avenger. But recently he’s enjoyed a burgeoning late-term fandom as his roles (and arms) have ballooned. Beyond Marvel, he starred alongside Margot Robbie in 2017’s I, Tonya, as Tonya Harding’s jackass boyfriend. When we meet in October, he’s just returned from shooting the spy film 355 in London, with Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, and Diane Kruger. Another insecurity-inspiring roster.

With Stan’s constellation of anxieties—he says he’s “terribly self-aware, to the point of detriment”—he is uniquely suited to stardom in 2020. A decade ago, audiences wanted actors to be pillars of Hollywood hubris, strutting around in latex Marvel suits, muscly and impenetrable. We still want the muscles, but we also want stars to be genuine.

Marvel films can seem at odds with that national craving for authenticity. Steve Rogers, for example, becomes Captain America instantly, in the first ten minutes of The First Avenger: He goes into a machine and emerges fit, huge, and self-actualized. I ask Stan whether that narrative—man gets muscles and immediately earns the admiration and attraction of everyone in his midst—isn’t a dated, unrelatable picture of masculinity.

“When I was watching Steve Rogers,” Stan starts in, “I saw him question his identity, his alliances, the government. ‘Who am I? What is this? What made me come into this is very different than the role I am in now.’ I think it was very timely, in the sense that you could see that character evolve. Then he gives up his shield and is like, ‘I’m out. I’m going to do my own thing.’ He chooses his own life. It’s actually more relatable.”

There’s an obvious metaphor there: Stan is Captain America, and stardom—and the press tours, the scrutiny, and the training that come with it—is his government, always invading his carefully fortified sense of self. As a result, he can appear very reticent in public, offering only occasional glimpses of the unguarded Sebastian Stan. Audiences live for those moments.

Stan is the anti-celebrity in the year of the anti-celebrity.

And his ambient hostility toward questioning is offset by the behavior of his Falcon costar Anthony Mackie. When alone in interviews, Stan can seem deflective and bored, but he gets an enormous kick out of Mackie, who has jumped in to rescue many an interviewer left to writhe on the hook by Stan. He is the Sebastian Stan whisperer, midwife to a charm that can be difficult to coax out.

“When I’m trying hard to find the honest moment, he sort of unlocks me a little bit. We both laugh and we find a way to have a good time,” Stan says. When I tell him that I’m planning to mine Mackie for gossip, he laughs. “Here’s what he’s going to say: ‘He’s way too serious. It’s boring. He slows everything down. It’s always these questions and, like, the stare. Give this kid a Yoo-hoo! Somebody get him a chocolate milk. Good God, put a smile on his face!’ ”

Mackie is the enthusiastic extrovert to Stan’s pensive recluse. Even though I reach him on the phone at 9:00 p.m. after a long day of shooting in Savannah—“I’m already going to bed,” Mackie says in a N’awlins drawl that sounds sleepier than usual—he’s forthcoming about Stan. He describes his costar as a hermit, a chronic Irish-goodbye-er who doesn’t offer much of himself at first. “If the FBI ever needed to get anything out of him, they’d be in very big trouble,” Mackie says. “I don’t know what the male equivalent would be of ‘resting bitch face,’ but Sebastian has nailed that 100 percent.”

His first impression, which lingered for a long time, was that Stan was a very quiet, very reserved actor. They shook hands when they met, but it wasn’t a buddy-com bromance at first sight. It wasn’t until much later, when the two were on a press tour for The Winter Soldier, that they hit it off. Mackie hung out with Stan and a few of his closest friends, and they “unlocked” Stan for Mackie the same way Mackie now unlocks Stan on press tours.

Their chemistry also plays well on set. They share a dedication to their work, and they both come from classical acting backgrounds. (“He went to Juilliard,” Stan says of Mackie. “He can do anything.”) Beyond that, they’re opposites, reining in each other’s moods to a perfect, workable middle. “He calms me down when I’m ready to rage against the machine,” Mackie says. In turn, Mackie bullies Stan into having fun.

Case in point: When they were on a press tour in Beijing, they had one of those endless nights that make press tours seem glamorous. “It just went on and on and on,” Mackie recalls. “We had to do press the next morning, and he’s like, ‘I’m going to bed.’ I’m like, ‘Nope.’ I took his wallet and his cell phone so he couldn’t get into his hotel room. Then, by the time we got to the press, I was fine. He just looked like he’d gotten hit by a car.”

Hollywood has always relished actor partnerships—from Robert Redford and Paul Newman to Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson—but now more than ever, buddying up feels like an imperative. Pairs perform, especially on social media. In November, when Stan and Mackie took over Marvel Studios’ Instagram to announce that they’d begun filming Falcon, fans were as thirsty for their friendship as they were for the show. Their dynamic is the stuff of memes: “[I] want someone to look at me the way Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie look at each other,” one fan tweeted.

I know what that fan meant. When Stan does look at you without suspicion—when, perchance, he laughs at something you say—it’s like winning a battle.

WHEN IT COMES to fitness, Stan has also benefited from the influence of a charismatic spirit guide. He played soccer and basketball at his Rockland County, New York, high school, but he didn’t start running and going to the gym until he was in college at Rutgers University. And he didn’t get really into fitness until 2005, when he was cast in a film titled The Covenant, which Stan calls “really classic.”

Really classic, indeed: The Covenant also stars Chace Crawford, whom Stan would later join on Gossip Girl (another classic), and Taylor Kitsch. Stan plays one of five prep-school boys endowed with supernatural gifts and sick abs.

“I got a call,” Stan says. “And one of the producers said to me, ‘Look, you’re going to have to look like John Travolta in Staying Alive.’ He’s just glistening with muscles. It’s ridiculous. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I started to work out with a trainer, but it was my buddy

Taylor Kitsch who got me into it.” With the trainer and Kitsch as his gym shepherds, Stan began exercising in earnest.

Then, in 2013, ahead of The Winter Soldier, Stan teamed up with trainer Don Saladino, who’d also sculpted Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, and Liev Schreiber. That same year, Stan starred in a Broadway revival of William Inge’s Picnic, playing a character whose defining trait is his hotness.

“Inge was writing something very important about vanity and how people were perceived in terms of being quote-unquote good-looking, beautiful, or pretty,” Stan said in a Playbill interview in 2013. “In the play, there’s something shameful and dirty about it. Our obsession with beauty has not changed. When we see something that turns us on, we either appreciate it or judge it. It’s so primal. We still dismiss people if they’re pretty; we don’t care how they feel, because they should just be happy looking the way they do. That’s something we were trying to say with this production.” Stan is less philosophical about his Picnic bod these days. “I had to be basically shirtless every night, like eight shows a week,” he says. “I really zoned in on diet, and everything transformed.”

He prefers exercising on an empty stomach, so he generally starts his day with coffee—and a rice cake with some almond butter and honey if he’s feeling depleted. Today he was feeling very depleted, he says, so he had some scrambled eggs with Brussels sprouts and aioli. “I’m not going to tell you the place where I got that,” he adds, unprompted and wary, as though I might start dining there daily in a stalker vigil.

Stan is a proponent of “quality over quantity,” but that doesn’t mean he skimps on his workouts; he just knows that a 20-minute session that catapults his heart rate into the red zone is as effective as an hour of low-intensity bullshit. He runs (“I’m not going to tell you where”) when he’s feeling meditative.

In advance of the Falcon shoot, Stan started lifting weights every morning and knocking out stunt training for the fight scenes. He points out that filming an action movie is a workout in itself: You spend whole days running around and sweating in a heavy suit. “I mean, next to Evans and Hemsworth and all those guys, I feel like I’m 50 miles behind. I don’t think I can get to that size, to be honest,” he says. That aside, Stan feels, in his late 30s, better than ever. “My body right now is probably the best it’s ever been.”

THERE'S A PHOTO of Stan, age 15, on his Instagram. It’s a headshot from Stagedoor Manor, an acting camp that he attended while in high school. He’s recognizable from the brow up—he has the same broad forehead, the same voluminous hair. His arms look pale and soft, like overcooked linguine, and he’s staring down the camera with theater-kid intensity.

Stan lived in Romania until he was eight years old. Shortly after the Romanian revolution, he and his mother moved to Vienna and stayed there for four years before heading to New York in 1995. No, he says, he didn’t have a foreign exchange student’s social cachet in middle school. “Maybe if I was from France or something. But I am Eastern European. We left communism,” he says. “When I came here, I just wanted to be like everybody else.”

I ask Stan which of his mannerisms are typically Romanian. “You’re kind of putting me on the spot to define a whole nation—a guy who hasn’t been there for years,” he says. But he thinks for a second. “For me, based on my mother, the ‘Romanian temperament’ is perseverance—being able to handle more than you think you can. At 27, my mother was working two jobs in a foreign country where she barely spoke the language. There’s a sense of family and perseverance that’s deeply ingrained in the blood.”

Even for someone who has experienced a certain degree of stardom, Marvel fans can be a shock to one’s sense of family. Certain Marvel stars acquiesce to the attention on some level, greeting fans with a Chris Hemsworthian openness to scrutiny. Stan’s boundaries are reflexive and firm, as though his sense of self is always under attack. (Which, to be fair, it may well be: “He’s so reserved,” Mackie says, “but in this day and age that’s a very good quality.”)

Stan is more protective of his personal life than most actors. Celebrities often use social media to dispense calculated chunks of themselves in exchange for privacy. Stan occasionally opens up on Instagram: “Been working with this guy through years of self judgement and mental wars when it comes to fitness and LIFE,” he wrote of Saladino in a caption accompanying a gym selfie. But questions about the people in his orbit ping ineffectually against his poker face.

He attributes this to only-vaguely-alluded-to incidents in which his family and friends were subject to public attention. As a public figure, he has opted into that attention, he explains, but they haven’t. It upset him when they were the targets of scrutiny, particularly when that scrutiny came from his fans. Stan seems to be looking for earnestness in an industry that, on the whole, disdains earnestness. He “tries hard to find the honest moment,” as he himself puts it (much like how he saw a profound statement about “our obsession with beauty” in William Inge’s horny play).

In this, the Marvel universe is an improbably good fit for him. We speak the week after Martin Scorsese said Marvel films “are not cinema,” and Stan is as defensive of the films as he can be without disrespecting Scorsese, one of his heroes. “All I know is that all movies affect people,” he says. “I’ve certainly experienced firsthand many people who have been affected and helped by Marvel movies.”

Captain America fans lean earnest. People have told Stan that Bucky Barnes helped them cope with their PTSD. During Q&A sessions, he’s asked questions like “What would Bucky Barnes’s major be?” and “What happened to Bucky Barnes when he fell from the train?” Stan fields those questions without sarcasm or diversion.

“They think we are these people,” Stan says, again without condescension. He’s content to take questions about Bucky Barnes, especially if it distracts fans from asking questions about Sebastian Stan. “Now we’re much more obsessed with the personality rather than the actor. We take people and swallow them and digest them and chew them up, and then we spit them out the other side. Then we’re done,” he says. “We’ve done that with numerous celebrities—people. I’ve seen people have massive ups and downs and stuff. All I can do is just try to be as honest as I can. And do my job.”

Men's Health Magazine, December 19, 2019.

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Nomadland

I’m even less informed than I usually am going into this year’s Oscars race because I haven’t spent 3 days a week inside movie theaters for over a year now (the way I did previously). So all I knew about Nomadland is that it’s winning everything and I’ve loved Frances McDormand since Fargo. What I didn’t realize was that this tale of Fern (McDormand) and the community she belongs to of migratory workers who travel across the US in their vans, campers, and trucks is based on a 2017 book by journalist Jessica Bruder. Bruder investigates the phenomenon of these nomads, who in many cases are older adults who lost everything during the housing crisis and recession of 2008. Now, 12 years later, some of those same nomads are featured in this film, which is not fiction but not non-fiction either, but more of an embellished pseudo-memoir, in which Fern’s story may as well be the story of dozens of others who have taken to the road to survive in a country that no longer has the infrastructure or social safety net to support them. 

Chloe Zhao’s direction is tightly focused on the very human details of Fern’s life while also becoming expansive when it needs to. The cinematography depicts the American West in lush blues and purples at twilight, the landscape so big it seems to swallow Fern whole. This is a beautifully shot film that feels universal and simultaneously deeply personal. The stories of so many Americans around the campfire are the driving force of the nomad existence, so full of personal loss, and the losses to end stage capitalism. It’s devastating to see all these elders - the youngest in the camp looks to be 40s at minimum - scratching and scrabbling and having to turn to each other because there is no infrastructure to protect them. And they’re all full of grit and determination and that rugged tough-as-nails demeanor that the America conservatives want us to return to was built on. In many ways the film showcases the most alluring parts of the American myth of exceptionalism while also showcasing the horrifying cost of carving out a piece of that myth for yourself. 

But make no mistake, there is great joy in Fern and the life she’s chosen for herself. I love seeing these moments of joy: her spa day with Linda, line dancing with Dave, watching animals get fed at the zoo. This life is hard and grueling but it contains freedom and beauty as well. There’s a very good dog who makes a brief appearance. [Edit: there are MANY good dogs in this film. Nomads like their dogs and keep them nearby.] And more than just her experiences, I love that Fern is a people person. She reaches out and makes connections everywhere she goes, and people reach out to HER as well, wanting to provide help and resources. She makes a point to say she is not homeless, she is houseless and it becomes clear throughout the film that, even if she hadn’t lost everything she might have chosen this life for herself. It’s interesting the shift over time as you get to know Fern better - you think that the fall of Empire is what pushed her to the nomad lifestyle, when in fact it seems it was within her all along, and the loss of her husband and her town is what finally allowed her to become the freest version of herself. 

Much has been made of Amazon’s involvement in the film, and the uncritical view of the seasonal gig economy that Fern and her friends rely on in order to survive. A nation that relies on transient labor, that does not provide health care or shelter or consistently provides for the needs of its people - ALL its people - is one that is doomed to fail. And it’s that “ALL the people” part that keeps nagging at me. I have to wonder who is being left out of the nomad story - I notice that the vast majority of the folks Fern meets on the road are white. I know the nomads live a hard life, and a life of poverty, but theirs is also a life of nearly unimaginable freedom, and it seems that the only people who have access to that freedom are those who always had it in the first place. 

Did I Cry? When Linda told Fern about her lowest point, I got teary. When Swankie told Fern about why she was taking her trip, I choked up. But when Bob talked about his son, I sobbed. This movie made me feel a lot of big things and made me think about even bigger ones. France McDormand is the exact right person to play this role and the nomads around her (played by real nomads interviewed in Bruder’s book!) lend a real sense of warmth and connection to every scene. I can’t recommend watching this movie highly enough. 

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

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[tabloidtoc]

Star, December 28

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: The Kardashians in ruins 

Page 1: Fans jumped to conclusions when Taylor Swift who is known to drop hints about her personal life in her music videos posted a teaser shot for her new clip for Willow of herself in a lacy dress and floral headpiece looking very much like a blushing bride -- Taylor and boyfriend Joe Alwyn have been talking weddings and they initially discussed throwing a big bash in Joe’s native England but they’ve reconsidered since holing up in Taylor’s farm outside Nashville so now they’re just going to go ahead and get married in a small romantic ceremony and forgo the church wedding and elaborate reception since they are super private and prefer to do things out of the spotlight 

Page 2: Contents, Heather Rae Young scoped out wedding dresses with Chrishell Stause by her side 

Page 4: Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio are heating up the Boston set of their movie Don’t Look Up where their chemistry is off the charts even though both are seriously taken: Jennifer is wed to Cooke Maroney and Leo’s been dating Camila Marrone since 2017 but Jennifer and Leo have always had a flirty rapport whenever they bumped into each other at awards shows and other industry events -- Jennifer’s husband Cooke could be annoyed with all the flirting even if the actors are keeping things professional and as for Camila she finds his connection with Jennifer pretty intimidating 

Page 5: There’s plenty of tension on the set of The Morning Show now that Julianna Margulies has joined Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston on the series -- Jen wasn’t in on the decision to add Julianna to the cast and is miffed she wasn’t consulted and doesn’t understand why Reese insisted bringing Julianna on board and she’s just plain hurt that the new arrival has been getting so chummy with her BFF and Julianna and Reese are whispering behind everybody’s backs and barking orders like they own the place and they’re not even inviting Jen to lunch 

* Olivia Jade Giannulli addressed her part in the $500,000 bribe that ensured her entrance into USC and sent her parents Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli to prison and reactions to her appearance were harsh with a typical commenter calling her smug but she thinks she did well and figures this will be good for her career as a social-media influencer 

* Martha Stewart has been flourishing during lockdown and a new photo shows her looking beyond refreshed leaving some to wonder if she’s doing more than nibbling her new CBD gummies to look so good

Page 6: Kelly Clarkson’s divorce from Brandon Blackstock may be getting ugly but her ex-mother-in-law Reba McEntire is standing by her side even though it can get a little awkward at time but nothing is going to get in the way of Kelly and Reba’s relationship 

* A slew of A-listers are about to be dragged into Johnny Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard as shocking new court papers allege that Johnny had affairs with a bevvy of his costars including Angelina Jolie and Keira Knightley and Marion Cotillard and must submit all responsive communications with them -- the women are mortified and embarrassed they’re being pulled into Johnny and Amber’s tawdry split while for his part Johnny flipped out when he learned he needed to produce his communications with these women and he’s calling the tactics lowdown and disgusting 

* Star Spots the Stars -- David Beckham, Chrissy Teigen, Carrie Underwood, Gal Gadot, Floyd Mayweather, Nick Offerman, Hilaria Baldwin 

Page 8: Star Shots -- Audrina Patridge and her daughter Kirra out in Beverly Hills, Pete Wentz let his bleached hair down during a tennis game in L.A., Joe Jonas and wife Sophie Turner walking with their daughter in a stroller in L.A. 

Page 10: Steve Martin took his meal to go during a break from filming Only Murders in the Building in Central Park, Josh Duhamel and his son Axl enjoyed a playful romp in the grass, Paris Hilton and Carter Reum celebrated their one-year anniversary in Bora Bora 

Page 11: Diane Keaton jokingly flirted with the men watching on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in Burbank, Sir Michael Palin brought the laughs during his appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show in London 

Page 12: ‘Tis the Season -- Kristen Taekman left a nursery in Encino, a decked out Lil Nas X and Ellen DeGeneres opted for a safe season’s greetings by bumping elbows on the talk show 

Page 13: Brooke Burke was all smiles shooting content for her fitness app in Malibu, Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts kicked off their first holiday season as a married couple in plaid pajamas 

Page 14: Kylie Minogue performing on The Jonathan Ross show in London, Irina Shayk out and about with daughter Lea in NYC, Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld and a canine costar filmed scenes for Hawkeye in NYC

Page 15: Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn showing some major skin during a photoshoot in L.A., Antonio Banderas and journalist Maria Casado posed for photos at a presentation for their new Spanish television series Escena en Blanco y Negro in Malaga, Spain 

Page 16: Beach Babes -- Chantal Jeffries and boyfriend Drew Taggart in Miami, Mark Zuckerberg showed off his gliding skills on his $12,000 eFoil electric surfboard in Hawaii 

Page 17: Chris Pratt used his hoverboard as a weight after hitting the sand with his son, Julia Roberts enjoyed a solo stroll in Hawaii 

Page 18: Normal or Not? Vanilla Ice headlining the drive-in Winterfest concert in West Palm Beach -- normal, Demi Moore wearing big boxing gloves -- not normal, James Franco couldn’t go without his phone during a getaway in Mexico -- not normal 

Page 20: Fashion -- stars look timeless in black -- Sofia Carson, Nicole Richie 

Page 21: Taylor Hill, Vanessa Kirby 

Page 24: Like so many Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are putting their future on hold amid the global health pandemic and Gwen revealed that the two won’t even set a date for their nuptials in order to avoid a COVID situation that would require restrictions -- they have already nailed down a few details like the location which is Blake’s Ten Point Ranch in Oklahoma where he proposed inside a chapel Blake built for Gwen on the 1300-acre property

Page 25: Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox are embroiled in a bitter custody war over their sons Noah and Bodhi and Journey -- Brian responded to Megan’s divorce filing by requesting joint custody and spousal support and he’s in a non-negotiating mood and if she tries to take his kids it’s going to get ugly really fast 

* James Franco is ready to pop the question to girlfriend Isabel Pakzad and he’s been looking at rings -- dating since 2017 the two overcame a difficult time in 2018 after James was accused by multiple women of misconduct -- surviving that scandal and enjoying their time in lockdown has convinced James he’s found The One 

* Kristin Cavallari and comedian Jeff Dye who were first linked in October jetted off to Mexico for a fun getaway with friends where the couple smooched and danced and enjoyed cocktails and had a wonderful time in Cabo but Kristin isn’t looking for anything serious following her divorce from Jay Cutler 

Page 26: Cover Story -- the Kardashian empire crumbles -- with their show leaving the air early next year the Kardashian-Jenner crew could stand to lose it all -- ratings for Keeping Up With the Kardashians reached a new low before they pulled the plug and it’s obvious fans are losing interest and they spend money like it’s going out of fashion 

Page 30: A Spy at the Palace -- after a staff member steals more than $200,000 worth of her personal keepsakes Queen Elizabeth no longer feels safe in her home 

Page 33: Gone Too Soon -- a look back at the celebrities we lost in 2020 and the legacies they leave behind -- Naya Rivera, Kelly Preston, Regis Philbin 

Page 34: Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman, Alex Trebek 

Page 40: Beauty -- pretty pout -- sparkly, shiny and matte lipsticks to rock this New Year’s Eve -- Rihanna 

Page 42: Entertainment 

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Vanessa Hudgens as host of the first MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time 

[lovemesomesurveys]

Name a song that brings back memories of your childhood when you hear it. Songs by BSB, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, etc for sure.

When was the last time you ate strawberries? Honestly, I don’t know. It’s been years.

Is there anything you like to put on a sandwich, that some might find odd? I don’t think so.

What colour are the shoes you wear most often? I always wear my black and white Adidas.

When was the last time you were required to put on a mask? I had a doctor appointment yesterday and they still require you wear one, but I wear one regardless whenever I go out and plan to even when the restrictions are fully lifted.

And what colour was the last mask you wore? My black Adidas mask.

Can you recall the last time you gave your mobile phone number to someone? It’s been awhile since I’ve given my number to other than a form of some kind or when I order something. The last time you were in a queue, what were you waiting for? When I was in line at the grocery store.

Have you had your Covid vaccine yet? Which one, if you have? No.

If you've had your vaccine, did you experience any side effects? --

Can you recall the last time you walked up or down a hill? I never have.

Any idea what you were doing at 5:30PM last Saturday? Uhh. Probably snacking on chips and dip and watching YouTube videos.

The last time you went to a supermarket what were some of the items you bought? Just name a few. Sandwich stuff, chips, dips, ice cream, Starbucks Doubleshot energy drinks.

When you were 13 years old, who was your closest friend? Do you still talk? Kyle, David, and Jessica. No, we don’t. 

Have you ever met anyone named Janine? Tell me a little bit about them. No.

When was the last time you had a bottle of pop, or soda? What kind? I’m currently drink a bottled Coke.

What was the last catchy song you heard? Did you sing along to it? I don’t remember at the moment. 

Can any of your friends sing well? Which one has the nicest singing voice? I don’t have any friends.

When was the last time you wore make-up, if ever? What shades/colours? A couple weeks ago when I went to my brother’s grad party. It was just mascara and eyeliner, but it was the first time I had put on any makeup at all in almost 5 years.

Do you have any accessories that you wear daily? No.

What brand of lip balm do you prefer? EOS.

What was the last thing you wrote down on paper? My dad was picking up dinner the other night and asked me to write down what I wanted.

And what colour was the pen you wrote with? Black.

When was the last time you had a parcel delivered? What was it? Some clothes about a month ago.

If you wear nail varnish, do you have a favourite brand/shade? I haven’t painted my nails in quite awhile. Not like there’s much nail to paint anyway.

What's the next item of clothing that you intend to buy for yourself? I don’t have anything particular in mind.

What is something that seems popular, but doesn't interest you personally? Shows like Friends, The Office, Schitt’s Creek...

How old is the device you're currently using to access Tumblr? I have a 2017 MacBook Air.

[brigade-claire-opinions]

Day 7: IT Chapter Two

Let's talk about this novel and THIS film.

IT Chapter Two is an (admittedly rather loose) adaptation of the adult chapters of Stephen King's 1986 novel IT. It's now 2016 - 27 years after the events of 2017's IT - and our friends from the first film have all grown up. Unfortunately, most of them have forgotten all about Derry, It, and each other. After a tragic homophobic attack followed by It eating its first victim since the events of the first film, Derry is thrust back into Its reign of terror, and it's up to Mike Hanlon - the only member of the gang who stayed in Derry and, thus, retained his memory - to gather our ragtag band of Losers and defeat this ancient evil once and for all.

With this particular adaptation of IT, there are two key elements that I feel are paramount to my feelings about the film.

The first is the cast. They absolutely NAILED every single adult counterpart to the kids in the previous film. James McAvoy replaces Jaeden Martell as our lead protagonist Bill Denbrough; Bill Hader takes Finn Wolfard's place as Richie Tozier; Jessica Chastain takes over for Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh; Isaiah Mustafa takes the torch of Mike Hanlon from Chosen Jacobs; Jay Ryan takes up the mantle of Ben Hanscom from Jeremy Ray Taylor; Andy Bean fills in for Wyatt Oleff as adult Stanley Uris.

While everyone mentioned above does a phenomenal job playing the aged up versions of their counterparts - most of them even look believable as 40-something incarnations of their respective characters - I need to give special props to the decision to cast James Ransone as adult Eddie Kaspbrack. This dude is an absolute dead ringer for Jack Dylan Grazer - seriously, it's like they reached 27 years into the future and plucked him for this film. The resemblance is nothing short of uncanny.

Bill Skarsgård returns as It and crushes the role just as he did in the first film. I truly believe that his performance will go down in history as the iconic portrayal of IT, even if we see another adaptation in the future.

As many of you may know, Stephen King would often receive criticism about the endings to his stories. That extends to Bill Denbrough, who grows up to be a successful author, who doesn't know how to write a good ending to save his life. Stephen King makes a cameo appearance in this film and... well, I won't spoil exactly what happens, but it's probably my favorite scene out of both films.

That leads me to the second key element, one which may have a significant effect on the reception that many audiences receive this film. Tonight's viewing of this film is my third - once in the cinema, twice now on Blu Ray - and now, I can finally confirm that IT Chapter Two is not a horror film. Sure, it has the setting, cinematography, score, and plot progression of a horror film. It has some scary sequences and at times even leaves you chomping on the edge of your seat.

The writing and the performances, however, have led me to the conclusion that IT Chapter Two is a dark comedy wrapped up in the cloak of a horror film. The humor in this film is so organic and so well-timed that this absolutely has to be intentional. I mean, I could be wrong and all of this could be a happy accident, but I am convinced that Andy Muschietti wanted to turn IT into a comedic film.

And it works! The film really leans into the ridiculousness of its premise - that a group of 40-somethings who haven't seen each other in 27 years have to come back together to take down an eldritch abomination in the form of a killer clown who haunted them in their childhood. It's absurd, the movie is aware of that, and it has a ton of fun with this premise.

It's really difficult to compare this film to the adult portions of the novel without getting into spoilers. What I'll say is that, while it hits the expected plot points from the novel for the most part, they're delivered with that comedic tone that the novel just doesn't have. But, hey, cocaine is hell of a drug, and was Stephen King's cowriter on many of his famous works, including this one. There's a humorous anecdote that King tells about hardly remembering Cujo, but that's a story for another time.

IT Chapter Two disappointed many people I've spoken to, but I really enjoy it. While I hesitate to refer to it as a horror film, I think it's a wonderful dark comedy that serves as a great second half to the first film. It successfully delivers on the promise set up by Chapter One. These two films together build a strong narrative and complement each other well. While watching these back-to-back is quite a feat, Andy Muschietti is reportedly working on director's cuts for each chapter, as well as a third cut that edits both films together in book order. I am super interested in all three of these - if they ever come to fruition, I may just have to revisit this property in the future.

I watched the original television adaptation of IT as a kid with my cousins. For the longest time, IT appeared in my mind's eye as a haunted house film about a creepy spider clown. While there is a spooky house involved, this is absolutely not a haunted house film. Speaking of, though, I have yet to review any page-to-screen adaptations of haunted house stories...

[acvitas]

we’re heading under the cut for these bc i have no self control to not go on and i dont wanna spam the dash by separating these qs !!

@paragcne​ sent   “1-5!!”   from the oc meme.

when did you create your muse? 

for this i cannot nail down an exact date however !! i know it was late 2015/2016 because i originally started her in fic drafts and THEN made a actual tumblr blog to write and refine her as a break from my old jessica jones blog. ALSO a fun fact, in this iteration i made a blog for her in late 2017 as well where i advanced her character to be most similar to what you now see.

where did you find inspiration for your muse?

this is embarrassing as hell but. so. there was a period in the aos fandom where we were all speculating on what daisy (then skye) was and there were A LOT of fics creating alien races and shit. so inspiration from ti came directly from a thankfully never published aos speculation fic in 2014 which i then decided to use the concept of because it was still interesting to me. also the tumblr fad of making personifications of everything? y e a   an old inspiration was ti being a personification of the universe and i love character development.

tell us something about the world/universe in which your muse lives

i mentioned the moon of cayde in a headcanon once but i also have...A LOT of lore for it that i love. the planet it belongs to is the planet of giise which has been ravaged by an unending war for centuries, peace never lasts there for one reason. the moon of cayde had been completely transformed : constructers built apartments and markets there with security measures to protect it from the nearby sun and any attack. only the richest can afford to live there and the ones that do often thrive by making money from the war on the planet below. the entire structure there covers half the moon and harbours it’s own independent society and few outsides own property there. it’s self sufficient and automated with shutters only opening for certain safe periods, a constantly maintained dome to provide oxygen, as well as the moon being partially hollowed out to allow the structure to descend upon threat of an attack. ti owns a complex there which houses a collection of her prized possessions and multiple rooms. she purchased it for a previous partner and as such rarely takes anyone there if she can avoid it. 

what’s your favourite headcanon about your muse?

answered here !!

what’s something only very few people know about your muse?

im so very very stupid so. if this means what people on the dash know then, tbh, i have never been capable in my life of not sharing every single thought my brain has. if it means like in canon.....everything tbh. she so rarely shares details about herself. she doesn’t need to, she’s not in danger, but remaining a myth in the galaxy means her father can’t even hear rumour of her. but even the people who do know her are rarely told what happened during the attack on her home or how she gained that scar : it’s the subject of her nightmares and extremely personal to her and so she just doesn’t trust to share it.

[talonted]

Today’s post features the Jessica Street Style collection and if – like me – you’re excited about the change in the seasons, then this range will be right up your street. Deep greys, purples, greens… it’s very dramatic and bold, so if that’s your thing then keep on reading!

Before we get into the Jessica Street Style swatches, I wanted to make a quick note on the polishes in general. The formulas are great but I really, really wish they’d change their brushes: they are really thin, which means it takes more strokes to coat the nails which raises the chance of streaking and bubbling. So many brands have now moved towards fat brushes, so I’m hoping this is where Jessica will end up soon. As I mentioned, the formula itself is great: fast-drying and shiny even without top coat (although all the pictures below are shown with Seche Vite, of course). As always, the names of the polishes below are all linked so you can buy or see more details.

Swatches! Let’s go!

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Haute Hoodie* is a ‘classic mauve with grey undertones’ and is such a beautiful soft colour. It was the only polish in the collection that needed three coats as the formula was quite streaky and thin, but it layered well and smoothed out perfectly with top coat. I love that this colours falls between a bright, pretty lilac and that autumnal grey tone.

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Luscious Leather* is described as a ‘smooth grey-toned port wine’. It’s a very traditional, classic A/W nail colour… I think it might be a law that all nail varnish collection releases at this time of year have to contain a dark red! Obviously I’m not complaining as this is a beautiful colour, and this one is a bit softer than most of the vampy reds in my collection.

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Deliciously Distressed* is a ‘concrete jungle blue-grey’. Does anyone else remember the denim nails trend? I feel like this would have been a great addition to that. It’s such an unusual blue and I feel like I’ve already over-used the phrase ‘grey toned’ but that basically sums up this whole range so I apologise! This dusty blue is so flattering and is a great option if you want a softer version of the ubiquitous navy shades released at this time of year.

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Fab Faux-Fur*, a ‘deep taupe with shades of grey’, isn’t really my kind of colour but I’d love to see it on medium-dark skin tones, I think this would look so chic and beautiful. I’m not a huge fan of brown polishes but I think the fact this leans a little bit more red makes it more wearable and interesting than a flat brown shade.

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On The Fringe* is described as a ‘moody dark sage-grey’ and I think this might be my favourite in the collection. A dark green with a slight dusty finish, this is the perfect combination of dramatic, chic, and unusual. When it comes to the colder seasons, I’m always drawn to polishes that look almost black but then transform in the light, and this is the perfect example of that.

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Very Vinyl*, described as ‘charcoal grey infused with bursts of purple’, is another of those almost-black-but-ooh-not-quite polishes. I’m not sure I’d agree that it’s grey with purple, as I think the overwhelming colour coming through is that rich aubergine shade. In my opinion this is a pretty standard dark purple polish that I’ve seen a few times before, but it’s still beautiful and a perfect autumn shade.

And that’s your lot! Which polishes from the Jessica Street Style collection have caught your eye? Do you switch up your nail varnish choices when the seasons change, or do you have year-round favourites? Let me know in the comments below, or come chat on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Lex

*PR sample. Links may be affiliate. For more information, please see the Disclaimer tab at the top of the page.

Jessica Street Style Fall Collection Review Today's post features the Jessica Street Style collection and if - like me - you're excited about the change in the seasons, then this range will be right up your street.

[butdidyousee]

My Top 8 Halloween films🎃👻

🎃Hocus Pocus (1993) - The fun Disney 90’s classic that reminds us every year how much fun Halloween can be. Armed with memorable quotes and musical stylings of Bette Midler and the acting chops of A pre “sex and the city” and “Sister Act”, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. This film always gives the fun feel Good’s for everyone.

🎃Trick ‘r Treat (2007) - I stumbled upon this movie one evening whilst I was getting ready for a Halloween party. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. At first, I just kept saying “damn, this movie is terrible.” But, as it went on, I felt more and more satisfied with the kookiness and chaos. I love the way all the stories intertwine in a single night. “Sam” has become one of my most fav characters I get excited to see every Halloween.

🎃The Strangers (2008) - The first time I saw this film it left me a little nervous and shaken on a visceral level. This story scares me mostly because this isn’t some crazy story that can happen from some outer-worldly force or demonic craziness, this was just people being gross. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE COUPLE WAS SIMPLY HOME AT THE WRONG TIME. The soundtrack gives me the goosebumps and terrible nightmares.

🎃Coco(2017) - Technically not a Halloween movie, but dia de los muertos counts for something huge in my culture. This animated Disney film is so much fun. Memorable songs and witty quick jokes and references and a heartfelt story make this movie fun for adults and kids alike. The animation and visual candy is exciting for any student of detailed work.

🎃The Cabin in the Woods (2012)- No lie, I was still riding high from the sexiness of Chris Hemsworth in “Thor” when I saw this. This just brought me to the movie but, I stayed for the sheer cleverness and good times of this movie. The twists and turns keep you doing mental acrobatics but in a give me more kinda way. A definite must watch.

🎃Scream (1996) - I consider this movie the slasher film of my millennial generation. Staring Neve Campbell on previously only known for “Party of Five” this was her vehicle to be a bonafide movie star and I think she nailed it. All the killings being done using horror movie tropes, make this movie fun to watch. Masked killers will forever make for a good scary movie.

🎃Practical Magic (1998) - Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as two witch sisters who are completely opposite looking for love in a small town full of prejudices. This is a fun movie with different elements like a romantic comedy or “chick flick”. This film is sweetly enjoyable without feeling like a lifetime original movie(which there isn’t anything wrong with that).

🎃Addams Family Values - The sequel and in my opinion better of the Addams family follows our favorite kooky and all together ooky family as they go through a new baby, a new marriage and a threat that they don’t know they have until its much to late. Another good time with many memorable actors and actresses giving these characters so much life that you can’t help but love every spooky/fun moment.

💀———————💀——————-💀

Honorable Mentions:

👻The House of the Devil(2009) - A crazy and trippy thriller about a babysitter getting into more than she bargained for when she goes in for a normal job and ends up being prey for a crazy satanic cult. Shot like an old 70’s/80’s movie, this movie is a film students dream with the tropes and cinematography style.

👻Fright Night (1985/2011) - I couldn’t bring myself to choose just one. I loved the original and the re-make about a kid who discovers that his new neighbor is not only an ancient vampire but, also responsible for a string of murders in his neighborhood. Enlisting the help of an old vampire hunter and Las Vegas magician this movie made for a thoughtless yet fun watch.

👻The Craft (1996) - This movie always takes me back to A 90’s nostalgia that I love being blasted back to. Not a very scary movie but a fun watch for everyone during a time when Wiccan magic was at it’s most PR prime. This is a fun and easy Saturday afternoon watch.

👻A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984) - One of the first movies to make me loose sleep after watching as a tender 8 year old, after child’s play of course. This movie has a good story and an interesting and creepy character that has been used time and again in multi-able sequels and remakes. Our dear friend Freddy is always waiting in our dreams to get the revenge he feels entitled to.

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - July 13

PHASE 2

2015: Scott gives Jean advice on car shopping. Monet posts inviting people to join her at the gym. Amadeus Cho leads Angel, Gabriel, and Arthur on a chase through NYC; they finally nail him down and convince him to come to Xavier's. Gabriel complains about Amadeus macing him and asks Clarice for an eye exam. Quentin meets his new roommate (Amadeus) and is severely unimpressed. Jungbrunnen: Wade updates the rest of X-Force on North’s condition and what happened to him; Wade, Marie-Ange, Doug, and Emma meet to discuss North's potential mental state as well as the few loose ends allowed to blow in the wind until they tangle themselves up.

2016: Maya posts about setting up a Pokemon Go trip to the woods. Laurie posts about a dementia vaccine that’s being developed. Cecilia posts about not tending any Pokemon Go related injuries. Jessica posts about going old school, and playing Pokemon on her 2DS.

2017: Hope shares her plans for the summer. While recovering from food poisoning, Rogue and Jean communicate via a walkie-talkie. Gabriel and Domino get to know each other better while working a job. Wanda and Kyle hang out in his suite. Warren offers to pay for Lorna’s wedding.

2018: Sins of the Father: Tandy's powers go out of control, and Topaz feels a kick of magic right before it happens; she talks to Amanda, and they agree it's time to hit the books; Amanda emails the rest of the magic crew for research help; Laurie posts about the three curse victims, and tells everyone to keep an eye out. Kitty posts about missing New York.

2019: Fear in the Dark: Two teams of X-Men go to the fight club; Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Marvel Girl, Wolverine, Blink, and Dust are inside and see the trademark Asgardian hammer box in the main ring; Nightcrawler tries to teleport it out but is unable to and winds up fighting the champion, Craig Hollis; Wolverine and Blink see Skadi and D'Spayre in the crowd and overhear their plan to use the fight as a way to find the Worthy for the hammer; before anyone can act, the hammer box is broken and Hollis revealed to be the newest Worthy, Angrir; Scott’s team try to subdue Angrir and evacuate the crowd while Marvel Girl stops the roof collapsing, but lose the three bad guys in the crush; outside, Dominion, Xavin, and Spectrum are also on crowd control when they are confronted by Skadi, D’Spayre and Angrir; they fight, but Skadi and Angrir combine their hammer forces and escape; as the X-Men are leaving, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Black Widow approach them wanting to combine knowledge, but an emergency call forces them to all go to the Triskelion, which is under attack by all of the Worthy, plus the Dweller, who are after the last hammer; Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Dust and Spectrum join Iron Man against Nerkkod and Mokk; Dominion, Marvel Girl, Xavin and Captain America face Angrir and Griethoth and in the vault room, Cyclops, Hellion, Blink and the Hulk try to stop Kuurth, Skadi and the Dweller from getting to the hammer; during the course of the fight in the vault room, the Dweller is knocked out by Cyclops and teleported to the mansion, but the hammer box is broken and the Hulk becomes Nul; the bad guys teleport away and the X-Men head home; Jean and Amanda successfully combine forces to try and lock down the Dweller enough for Tandy to resurface.

2020:

2021: Arise, X-Man: Darcy helps Laurie attend physical therapy and they have a difficult conversation in the car. Matt posts about being old and creaky. Jubilee brings Kyle to a nightclub, where she fills him in on their status in a fake dimension.

2022: Darcy wonders how much she'll get murdered if she brings spray tea in a can to work.

[pussymagicuniverse]

American Horror Story Seasons Ranked from Best to Mediocre

Practically every TV series has a season that you don’t feel overjoyed about. Very few shows that have multiple seasons will impress you every time, unless you’re a super fan that finds no wrong even in what you love. It doesn’t make you less of a fan to critique and notice what could have been done better.

With American Horror Story it’s a different experience in regards to critiquing each season because it’s an anthology series. Despite American Horror Story: Apocalypse’s crossover with American Horror Story: Coven – every season has its own theme, plot, and characters. That alone brings on a plethora of possibilities each season, especially when we’re given weird teasers and minimal information.

Despite my love for AHS, there have been seasons that were quite sloppy or just not my speed. Below you’ll find my own personal ranking and if you’re a fan then you’ll understand all of what I’m saying.

1. Coven (2013)

While it may not seem like it, this season gets bashed on occasion. Some arguments on why it wasn’t the best were valid, but not enough to change my mind about this season.

Was it perfect? No, but nobody can say this wasn’t a nail-biting season. Not only did it have bad ass witches but Angela Bassett (Marie Laveau) and Jessica Lange (The Supreme, Fiona Goode) stole the damn show! A lot of the memorable moments featured one or both of them. Unless Stevie Nicks’ cameo appearances are more your speed. Which, in my opinion, were iconic and can’t be touched.

All in all, the season explored racism, what it’s like being black and a witch, depictions of Marie Laveau, Madame LaLaurie and the Axeman, as well as other topics. In my opinion, this season deserves better treatment than it’s received.

2. Murder House (2011)

This season was the perfect one to rope us in for this anthology series. It gave us the right amount of drama and plenty of horror. Of course, Jessica Lange (Constance Langdon) was stellar in this season, but the performances from the rest of the cast were on point as well.

The Harmon Family, which this season focuses on, keeps us on the edge of our seats throughout. Not many things will have you saying “totally saw that coming,” from the twists and turns to what transpired in that spooky ass mansion. While there were a handful of things that still disturb me, it’s still a top season for me and is undoubtedly a successful one within the series.

3. Apocalypse (2018)

Having Murder House and Coven crossover is something I have to applaud Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk (the show creators) for. Not only that but casting Cody Fern as Michael Langdon (aka the Antichrist ) was a big thumbs up. His performance throughout is no joke and it held me til the end, even when his character had me unimpressed, which unfortunately happened more than I’d like to admit.

Some parts of this season were dragged out to me and some characters felt pointless by the end. And that’s just some of what could have been done better in my opinion. Nevertheless, seeing my favorite witches again and witnessing many explicit scenes and having certain gaps filled helped the slow parts of the season.

4. Roanoke (2016)

Weird as hell. That’s the easiest way to describe the overall vibe of this season. In the beginning it seems confusing because of the set up. Though soon enough you come to the conclusion that it’s a TV show within a TV show.

It starts off being about an interracial couple, Shelby (Lily Rabe) and Matt Miller (André Holland), Matt’s sister, Lee (Adina Porter) and their experiences in a farmhouse that’s situated on the land where the Roanoke Colony disappeared in the 1580’s.

It was an interesting way to explore a real-life mystery and bring something new to the table for the series. What can be considered memorable is how many times Matt’s name is said from start to finish, the crazy ass ghosts, Scáthach or that British accent from Sarah Paulson in the final few episodes.

5. Hotel (2015)

This season is one that you either really didn’t like or you liked for the most part. For me, it’s re-watchable and holds my interest every time, even with the jacked up and bizarre happenings that occur in the Hotel Cortez. Though, I’m one for weird and batshit crazy stories, so maybe that makes me slightly biased in this instance. Mostly the season focuses on serial killers, supernatural occurrences and beings and a whole lot of mystery.

Lady Gaga, who had never appeared on the show before, gets to show off her acting chops as The Countess, a vampire who’s endured decades of the Hotel Cortez, and it’s creator. She can’t be compared to Jessica Lange but she wasn’t a disappointment either. Essentially she brought a different flavor that you either like or don’t. Regardless, it may not have been amazing but it wasn’t the worst either.

6. Asylum (2012)

This season does way too much and it overall feels like the wrong type of chaos. Whether it’s the alien abduction, “Bloody Face”, the consistent bullshit Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) endures, Briarcliff Manor overall, the demonic possession, or the other craziness within this season.

I just can’t bring myself to actually consider this season the best one. Meanwhile, other fans most certainly will give it that title. The cast does help keep the season afloat and that does help save the season for me. Without a solid cast, this season would been a huge dumpster fire, which is the short way of saying it. If anything, it’s very much memorable for “The Name Game” scene, as well as watching a possessed nun act high-key explicit.

7. Cult (2017)

Ahhh, the results of the 2016 presidential election. I despise thinking about the rigged and undeniably corrupt results. The same ones that made that orange fool the president. We already deal with this reality and the horror of it all. So having this season be so realistic was... awful.

Instead of wacky serial killers, vampires, possession, bad ass witches, ghosts, or anything else that American Horror Story has given us – we get the horrors of our present day, such as: violence coming from Trump supporters and the right-wing in general to how progressives are painted as too radical and sensitive. In addition to how even white progressives can flip.

Not much about this season is unrealistic, which made it hard to watch. Normally I would be all for symbolism and realistic aspects, but Cult wasn’t as gripping as previous seasons. Not even Evan Peters (whose character I really hated in this season) helped.

8. Freak Show (2014)

Unfortunately there’s not much to take away from this whack season. Yes, the title should have given it away. Though it was given the benefit of the doubt and became a let down.

Maybe the first episode showed some potential, yet from there it was just a weird chain of events within the plot. No one was prepared for a choppy story or the most irritating character that is Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock).

This season is indefinitely my least favorite and not even a few re-watches can change my mind. Not even the gay content within this season made it any better, which is saying a lot. So it makes the bottom of this list, will stay at the bottom, and won’t crawl up from the abyss.

Vanessa Maki is a queer writer, artist & other things.

She’s full of black girl magic & has no apologies for that. Her work has appeared in various places like Really System & others. She is also forthcoming in a variety of places. She’s founder/EIC of rose quartz magazine & is involved in other literary spaces as well. 

Follow her twitter & visit her site.

[purficklyclean]

Yuletide Recs, Part One

I was on vacation all week for once and so I’ve really dived into Yuletide in a way I don’t usually have time for.  So many great stories this year, as usual; my top 10 from Fandoms A-M (oh, and also the number fandoms) in alphabetical order by fandom below the cut:

We'll Burn That Barn When We Come To It (11th Century CE RPF, Harold II of England/William the Conquerer)

from: h.godwinson@homespuntwaddle.com to: brn@norman.org.fr

Hi Bill

Look, can we just talk this over like adults?

And the fact that I’m saying this despite the WIRE FENCE you’ve now erected round the perimeter of my farm ought to show you that I mean it. Please reply!

Harry.

You don’t have to know anything about William the Conquerer or Harold Godwinson for this epistolary modern AU to be super fun and hilarious to read (though having some knowledge makes it even better, of course).

Refraction (17776, Gen)

Hey Ten? Do people still write fanfiction?

If you aren’t already familiar with 17776: What football will look like in the future, I recommend you drop everything and go experience that because it was one of my favorite things of 2017.  Once you’re done, come back and read this delightfully meta fic about fanfiction in the future.

cross the bridge as it burns (Babylon Berlin, Gereon Rath/Charlotte Ritter)

Don't try to put your thoughts in order. Gereon at the end of the world.

When I finished Babylon Berlin earlier this year, I immediately went to check for fic and there were like less than a dozen fics and none of them were what I was looking for, so I was SO pleased to see a Gereon/Charlotte fic in the Yuletide collection and I’m even more pleased to report that it is absolutely fantastic and captures the tone of the show so, so well.

Miss Scarlet Rolls the Dice First (Clue (1985), Miss Scarlet)

"The 1950s were good for business. The war in Korea had segued nicely into a cold war, which was her preferred kind."

Ms. Scarlet, after.

A fascinating, well-written look at Ms. Scarlet’s life in the decades after the events of the film.  I don’t even know what to say about this except it’s nothing I would have expected from fic about Clue, but I loved it and I’m so glad it exists!  It has a completely different tone from the movie and yet everyone feels completely in character; it’s so marvelous.

i found it hard, it was hard to find (The Defenders, Luke Cage & Jessica Jones)

They’re not quite exes, and they’re more than exes, and last she heard they each have someone else now to wake up next to, but she wonders sometimes still about the version of herself who could have been someplace for him to return to.

(Luke finds Jessica, after.)

I’m super behind on all things Defenders and am unlikely to ever catch up at this point, but I still love these two and I loved this fic.  It’s basically just a conversation between them, but it feels so in character and true and warmed my heart.

The Inbox of Good Tidings (Tea House (Gmail Theme), Fox)

Something is very different around the tea house. For one, it has snowed. Fox's entire routine is thrown off!

This is the most adorable thing I’ve ever read??  I’m not even sure why I clicked on it, other than wanting to know what a story based on a Gmail theme would look like (classic Yuletide), but I’m so glad I did.  It’s just a super sweet story with just the right amount of meta gmail theme content, which is something I never thought I’d type.

Performance Review (The Good Place, Judge Hydrogen)

The Judge is judged.

It’s time for Judge Gen’s latest performance review! I cannot possibly say enough good things about this fic: it’s formatting is fun, it feels so true to The Good Place, it’s HILARIOUS, and it has a perfect ending.  A must-read for any Good Place fan, for sure.

Bakes to Die For (The Great British Bake Off RPF, Gen)  

While digitizing the BBC archives, an intern who asked to remain anonymous discovered a transcript of a lost episode of the Great British Bake Off. The paper could neither be photocopied nor scanned as all the copies came out blank; and the actual footage was never found.

In the spirit of The Seventh Seal (or Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey), Death is challenged to the Great British Bake Off, and the judges and hosts are along for the ride.  What more could you possibly want out of a fic???  This script-formatted fic nails the tone and format of GBBO absolutely perfectly, while also being completely hilarious as everyone deals with Death and the situation at hand.  Also, I want to be BFFs with Bettina, the human here who challenges Death.

in good hands (Justified, Rachel Brooks & Raylan Givens & Tim Gutterson)

A hand, a refrigerator, a flood. Another hand. Raylan might be psychic.

An absolute treat for anyone who misses Justified.  Great character work, super funny writing, and a very great and very Justified-style plot featuring our favorite US Marshals.

There's No Shame in It (Mamma Mia!, Tanya Chesham-Leigh & Rosie Mulligan & Donna Sheridan)

"So… on three, then?”

And on three… they made music. It was everything Donna had always imagined it could be. The harmonies, the descants, the way their three voices blended into something so much bigger than any one of them could have been on their own. It was every reason why she’d never understood her mother’s clinging to a solo career. Why would you ever want to sing alone when you could sing like this?

I don’t think anything brought me more joy this summer than Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, but I wasn’t sure how the gorgeous scenery and fun performances and ABBA music would transfer over to fic.  However, this lovely little origin story about the beginning of Donna and the Dynamos managed to bring that same joy.  The characters are captured beautifully (really, I can’t say enough about how spot-on all three feel), ABBA is involved, and a beautiful friendship is born.

[chloes-yellow-cup]

Nowish - Part 6

Bechloe. Staubrey. Bellas Squared/Stechlobree.

A story in which I convinced myself by accident that this could work. Let me try and convince you too.

Nowish Master Post  - Everything on one page.

A Shared Lifetime - All my fics

Recommended Mood Music on Spotify. Artistic license taken with song release years.

Note on the links: The ones about music lead to YouTube vids for fun. Rest are GIFs or links to whatever gift idea I have.

Chloe’s Birthday and an accidental live sex show.

Only a tiny bit of smut in this one, but it’s there!

~B~

Wednesday, June 7th, 2017

Beca worked quietly in the hallway outside her room, trying to arrange her surprise while it was still hot and not wake up the sleeping birthday girl. Per her self-created birthday tradition, she was serving Chloe breakfast in bed and after last year’s almost debacle bringing things up the stairs, she’d decided to carry them up in stages and put it together out here. Currently she was arranging a covered plate, glass of orange juice and a single rose in a small vase on the tray for Chloe. Carefully she lifted it and nudged the bedroom door open with her foot, smiling as she saw Chloe buried in a huddle of blankets and pillows.

Setting the tray down on the dresser, she stealth crawled her way up until she was propped up on her right arm next to her sleeping wife. Slowly she leaned down and pressed feather light kisses all over Chloe’s face until she stirred, then captured her lips to ease her gently awake.

Chloe’s arms slid from the blankets and around Beca’s neck, humming in approval. “Mmm… Morning.”

The kiss broke as Chloe gave a sleepy stretch and Beca whispered softly into her ear. “Happy Birthday, Chlo.” She ran the back of her fingers across Chloe’s cheek, watching as those gorgeous cerulean eyes blinked open. She wasn’t sure how she could be more in love with this woman every day, but she was. Even though she’d been falling since that first day at the activities fair, she never took it for granted.

Chloe nuzzled under Beca’s chin and placed a kiss on her neck. “Thanks, love.” She pulled Beca down tight against her body. “Are you my present?” Her hand ran down Beca’s side until her fingertips slid under the elastic of Beca’s shorts and nails scraped lightly at her hips.

Beca moaned softly, pushing her body even closer. “I mean, I do consider myself a gift to mankind…” She hissed as teeth nipped at her neck. “But I did make you breakfast.”

“What if I want you for my breakfast?” Chloe’s hand moved to rest against her stomach, dipping further under her shorts and stroking lightly just above the juncture between her legs.

“Ungh… Breakfast…” Beca briefly wondered how many times she’d squeaked that word in the time since she’d met Chloe. It seemed like a lot. She swallowed. “I would consider… Sweet baby Jesus, Chlo… myself more of a dessert.” Against her will she found herself angling her body to give Chloe better access as her hand slipped lower.  She could always just remake breakfast, right? Then Chloe’s hand stopped.

“Do I smell bacon?” Chloe sniffed the air. “Did you actually make me bacon?”

“What?” Beca blinked. “I… Yes.” She swallowed and tried to refocus again. “Do you… should I get…” She twitched a thumb over her shoulder. “Tray?” Words were complex when the blood was rushing elsewhere.

Chloe laughed as she kissed her one more time. “I love that you make me breakfast in bed, Becs.” She pulled her hand out of Beca’s shorts. “Huh. That’s… well that’s a phrase with two meanings.” Chloe giggled wickedly.

Beca rolled her way off the bed and groaned, sticking with the original intent of Chloe’s words. “I love that you all finally taught me how to cook things without burning the place down.” Beca had always been horrible in the kitchen; it was a long standing joke that all she was good for was coffee. But she had wanted to contribute more to the cooking while they were in college, for reasons she still wasn’t sure she understood, so the Bellas had taken turns teaching her one breakfast food throughout that first year in the house.

 Chloe had taught her to make bacon after several weeks and false fire alarms. Beca still flinched every time it popped, grease screen or not. The day she discovered there was a company that made actually good microwavable bacon in a pouch, she was set for life. Unless it was something special, like for Chloe’s birthday, then she did it the traditional way.

Stacie had taught her how to make eggs, scrambled, fried and over easy, as well as bacon and cheese omelets, which had become Beca’s signature go to. She still wasn’t sure about adding milk to it, it went against everything she’d seen growing up, but she did it rather than face her wrath. Plus, they were eggcellent, if she said so herself. Which she did, often, to the groans of the others.

Jessica and Ashley had taught her pancakes, though they never turned out a perfect circle. Chloe said that just meant they were unique, like Beca.

Flo had taught her how to make Huevos rancheros, which sounded intimidating until she was told it basically eggs and a few other things mixed with chorizo, which also intimidated her until she found out it was essentially a spicy sausage.

Cynthia Rose had tried to teach her waffles, but after several failed attempts, Beca stuck with Eggos. Once in a while she’d help Chloe make them, but she’d accepted it was never going to be something she did well.

Amy said she would teach Beca a food from her homeland, but that just turned out to be the fact that she put the milk in the bowl before the cereal. “What kind of monster does that, Amy?”

No one could understand what Lilly was trying to teach, but when she pulled out a steak knife, most of them evacuated the kitchen, including Beca.

When they first moved into the condos, Aubrey had offered to teach Beca how to make French toast. Hesitantly, mostly out of PTSD from Bellas training, Beca had agreed. She had been more than pleasantly surprised to find that Aubrey was a patient teacher in the kitchen. She took her ability to break down a routine and used it to make the steps easy to remember. Beca didn’t do it that often, her slices turned out soggy more often than not, but on several occasions where Stacie would travel with Chloe, Beca would surprise Aubrey with French toast for breakfast. Beca always tucked away the shy, pleased smiles whenever Aubrey would come out and find a plate being loaded for her.

 As Chloe sat up and arranged their mass of pillows as a backrest, Beca paused as she admired how that put her wife’s naked form on display. Since Beca had taken the day off, she had woken Chloe up just after midnight with a whispered “Happy Birthday on Hump Day.”  Chloe had let out a sleepy laugh and let Beca thoroughly make love to her until they passed out in a warm mass in the center of their bed. That was another tradition Beca hoped to be able to continue and her favorite so far.

Beca brought the tray over to the bed and set it down as far as her arms could reach. “Wait!” She stopped Chloe from grabbing it. Beca climbed carefully on the bed and shuffled on her knees until she was able to lift it and set it gently over Chloe’s lap. She took the cloth napkin and flicked it open, draping it across her chest like a bib. “There.” When Chloe arched her eyebrow Beca shrugged. “Gotta protect the girls from any spillage.”

“Our hero.” Chloe deadpanned as she rolled her eyes.

“Breakfast is served.” Beca lifted the lid off the plate with a flourish. She’d made Aubrey’s French toast recipe, taking extra care to avoid her sometimes soggy results, with a couple scrambled eggs and a side of bacon. Sitting beside the plate was a small container of syrup and the tiny salt and pepper shakers they’d stolen from their many hotel stays.

“Becs, that’s real bacon. Not your microwavable pouch bacon.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled. “You do love me!”  She poured syrup over her pre-buttered – Beca had the amount memorized at this point – French toast with a small pool to dip her bacon in.

“Until my last breath and probably beyond.” Beca smiled and leaned down for a kiss. She watched as Chloe took her first bite and moaned appreciatively. “I’ll be right back.” She scuttled off the bed and to the hall table where she’d left her own tray. She came back in, repeating the process to settle on Chloe’s left. Her own plate held her normal omelet and she applied the salt and pepper liberally.

“So, what do you want to do today, birthday girl?” Beca watched as Chloe thoughtfully finished her bite of food.

“You mean other than you?” Chloe wiggled her eyebrows. “That joke never gets old, by the way.”

“I hope not.” Beca’s voice was scandalized. “And yes, other than me.”

Chloe dunked some bacon in syrup and ate it. “I didn’t actually have anything in mind this year.”

“Chlo, you’re too young to be treating this as ‘just another day’ like my grandma.”

“I know. But. I just feel like things are perfect. I can’t think of anything I want to add. I do wish I’d have thought about a day trip to Disney earlier, it might not be so bad this early in June on a weekday.”

Beca’s mouth dropped open. “Oh man! Disney on Hump Day? That… I’m so disappointed in myself for not thinking of that!”

“Stacie would kill us if we went without them, especially on my birthday. I didn’t think of it until yesterday, way too late for either of them to arrange the day off.”

Beca nodded, her mind filing the idea away for future celebrations. “Alright. So. If you have no plans… Let’s spend a leisurely morning here, and I’ll take you out to lunch. Then we have dinner with the girls.”

“Sounds like a perfect day to me.” Chloe reached over and took Beca’s right hand, bringing it up to her mouth for a kiss. “Thank you, love.”

As Beca went to respond, Chloe’s phone started to ring. Beca pushed Chloe’s tray down so she could pull her legs free and gingerly roll to the side of the bed to grab it. Beca swallowed, helpless to stop her eyes from roving over the view as Chloe pushed to her hands and knees to reach her phone. Beca’s pulse beat harder and desire stood up and started waving to get her attention, which was already firmly on Chloe’s ass.

“It’s Emily!” Chloe bounced a little and Beca’s mouth went dry.

“Chlo, you can’t FaceTime – you’re naked.” Beca was still trying to wrestle with her desire to ravish her wife again.

“Oh, yeah.” She tossed the phone to Beca. “Answer, I’ll put on a shirt.” She slid off the bed and pulled a drawer open on their dresser.

Beca nodded absently, eyes still distracted by smooth skin. “Yeah, sure.” She looked down and hit answer before it went to voice mail. “Yo, Legacy.”

Emily’s smiling face filled the screen before her eyebrows furrowed. Her mouth was open, probably to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ “You’re not Chloe.”

“I’m so glad college is helping train that sharp brain of yours.” Beca forked up another small bite of her food.

“Shut up.”  Emily stuck out her tongue.

“She’s getting dressed.” Beca’s tone was sly. “She wasn’t camera ready.” She loved watching that disconcerted look cross Emily’s face. She waited, knowing what was coming. It was one of her favorite things about Emily and Beca loved to provoke her into saying it.

“Gross.”  But Emily was smiling, her tone affectionate.

“Beca, don’t scar Emily with that sex talk.” Chloe said as she crawled back onto the bed, grabbing a stand for the phone as she did so.

“Aca-mom 2, you can’t say sex when I know you’re naked!” Now Emily sounded, and looked, to Beca’s amusement, scandalized.

Chloe settled back in, pushing her tray against Beca’s. She balanced the phone in the stand so it sat on both trays and they could both see Emily and she them.

“Happy Birthday, Chloe!” Emily waved at her.

“Thanks, sweetie!” And she devoted her attention to the phone when Emily began to sing to her.

Beca waited half a heartbeat before she joined in. It had been too long since she’d sung with Emily, the girl – young woman, she corrected herself – she’d taken under her wing her senior year. Well, eventually. It was more accurate to say ‘when Beca finally got her shit together after the retreat’. She smiled at Emily’s excited grin as their voices blended. She heard a sniffle and looked over as Chloe wiped a few tears from her eyes.

“I love you guys.” Chloe smiled. “I don’t know how much more perfect this day can get, and it’s barely started.”

Beca squeezed her hand and went back to eating, letting them catch up. After a bit, she heard Chloe ask something she’d been wondering at for a while.

“How come I’m ‘Aca-mom 2’?”

“Well…” Emily’s voice trailed off and she squinted a bit.

“Spit it out, Legacy.” Beca nodded. “You know she’ll get it out of you anyway.”

Emily took a deep breath. “You kinda scared me my first year, Chlo.”

Beca interjected. “Because of the crazy eyes she’d get over Worlds and DSM?”

Chloe still looked a little mortified every time it came up. “I’m so sorry about trying to kill you with my eyes after the riff-off! I never really wanted you to crawl under a rock and die.”

Emily still flushed faintly at the memory. “I know, Chloe. It’s… I forgave you a long time ago. Like the next day when you made me cupcakes.” She grinned. “Though, you were still always nice to me…  Beca kept running out of practice before the retreat. Maybe I’ve had it backwards this whole time.”

“You can’t just choose who your aca-moms are, Legacy.” Beca’s expression was stern, though her lips twitched.

“But, Beca. I technically met Chloe first. So really…”

Beca sighed. “You’re probably right. Plus, she is older. So I guess it-“ Chloe’s hand hitting her in the stomach stopped her words with a gasp. “Though she doesn’t look a day older than when we first met.” Beca said quickly.

Emily beamed at them, her happiness actually radiating through the screen to bathe them both in its warmth.

They spent the next half hour catching up while Beca and Chloe finished their breakfasts, before Emily finally had to go for class.

“I can’t wait to see you guys at the Reunion. And in October!” Emily bounced in her seat. “I miss you guys so much.”

“You miss Disneyland, you mean.” Beca pointed at her. “That’s ok. I get it. We’re second on your list.”

“Shut up.  Disney is just like, a bonus to seeing all of you.”

“Don’t let her fool you; she’s bummed because we didn’t think about a day trip to Disney for today.” Chloe leaned her head onto Beca’s shoulder, careful not to bump the trays.

Emily’s eyes widened. “Oh. Em. Aca. Gee! That would have been amazing.” Her eyes darted over to Beca who nodded slightly. She knew Emily was thinking of next year just like Beca. They really were an aca-family. “I love you, Aca-Moms! Happy Birthday, again, Chloe! Tell my Aca-Aunts I said hello for me! I’ll call them this weekend.”

“Wouldn’t Aubrey be more of your aca-grandmother?” Beca pondered out loud before she could stop herself.

“I am not calling her that!” Emily gasped, shocked. “She’d make me do cardio or something!”  Her voice dropped into a whisper. “For life!”

“Besides, she’s as old as me. What’re you trying to say Beca? Again, I might add.” Chloe’s voice purred in her ear.

“Uh…” Beca swallowed. “It’s cause she gradua-… firs… Heh-” and she trailed off as Chloe’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Uh huh. Keep going.”

“No, I think I’m good just dropping this here. Aca-Aunts it is.”

“Probably best.” Chloe looked back at Emily. “Love you, Em!” She blew her a kiss.

“Make good choices, Legacy.” Beca grunted at the elbow in her side. “What? She knows that’s how I say ‘I love you’!” Emily laughed, nodding.

“Beca.” Something in her voice made Beca meet her eyes and she saw Chloe’s eyebrow wing its way up. “You said that to me on your first Hood Night. Like, literally the fourth day we ever saw each other.” Her tone was almost shy and definitely quietly pleased.

Beca stopped, aware that Emily’s face shot had shot closer to her phone. She ran through that night in her mind, her lips twisting slightly as she hit that moment. “I… Oh. I did. Huh. Right after that whole jiggle juice thing.” Beca grinned as Chloe blushed. “I was so fucking stupid.”  Chloe’s soft look was starting doing things to her insides, pulling and tugging, demanding she get closer.

Emily’s squeal would have made Ashley proud. “You guys are perfect.”

“Bye, Legacy. I’m about to do something that would scandalize you completely.” Beca’s hand reached blindly for the phone. She turned in time to see Emily’s face change, caught between horror and delight.

“Oh, GROS-“ The laughter cut off as Beca ended the call.

“Why, Mrs. Mitchell…” Chloe ran her hand down Beca’s arm as Beca handed her the phone. “Whatever could you have in mind?” She set it out of the way.

Beca was silent for a moment, as she moved out from under her tray and scooted to the edge of the bed, tugging it after her. “I’m going to make last night look like a warm up to the main event.”

“Oh. My.” Chloe bit her lip, her eyes darkening. “That’s a mighty big claim.” She lifted her tray to the side as Beca came around to get it after setting her own on the dresser. Setting Chloe’s next to it, she faced the bed.

“You’ll have to grade me later.” Beca moved closer and stripped out of her clothes, feeling Chloe’s eyes on her. “Let me know if I lived up to your expectations.” She stalked across The Expanse as Chloe pulled her shirt back off.

“You usually do.” She tugged Beca over until she was straddling Chloe’s leg.

Beca lowered herself slowly, savoring the pressure sliding between her thighs. “Usually?”

“Oh yeah.” Chloe pulled their bodies together. “Okay, maybe more like, all the time.”

Beca leaned her head down, stopping to whisper against her lips. “Happy Birthday, Chlo.”

 ~C~

 Chloe sighed happily as she leaned back in the passenger seat of Beca’s convertible. After a completely wonderful breakfast in bed, a conversation with her aca-child and a second bout of birthday sex, she really couldn’t have planned the day any better than this. She smiled to herself. She was going to have to do some thinking about how to celebrate Beca’s. Beca did need a new laptop, but... It was on a Saturday this year, so maybe… She’d think on that a bit longer, maybe talk it over with Aubrey and Stacie.

She stretched a bit, all the right muscles just a little bit sore; Beca certainly had made good on her promise after breakfast. She’d never admit it, but Chloe kind of needed a nap after all that. Especially after the lunch they’d just eaten. So it was with surprise that she noticed they were driving past their exit. “Is this a kidnapping?”

“Maybe.” Beca kept her eyes on the road but turned down Lauv’s ‘I Like Me Better’ that she’d been singing with. “Maybe I’m taking you to my secret lair.”

Chloe leaned on the arm rest between them. “Beca, the only places you’d call your lair is your studio at work or at home.”

“Rats. This is true.” Beca snapped her fingers. “Curses, foiled again.”

Chloe settled back against the seat, eyes closed as the sun warmed her while the breeze blew over them. Beca had gotten the BMW 4 series convertible – in black sapphire metallic, of course – when she’d gotten promoted to full time producer last year. The bonus she’d gotten had made the perfect down payment. Originally she wanted to get something more practical for them, but Chloe had insisted they get something fitting for Beca’s new title. She was perfectly happy with the car they’d gotten upon reaching LA. It’s not like she had to impress artists or anything, just haul around a bunch of singing teenagers to their dance competitions or for pizza and ice cream.

They had fun picking out the bells and whistles – the M sport design, executive package, night blue Dakota leather upholstery, aluminum dark carbon trim, the driving assistance package that Beca thought ridiculously unnecessary – and literally every single option the car came with.

Chloe opened her eyes as they slowed to make a turn. “What…” She looked at Beca. “Why are we in a Cadillac dealership?”

Beca parked her car. “Sec.” She got out and moved around the back to Chloe’s side. “Madame.” She opened the door and held out her hand.

“Becs?” Chloe felt excitement beginning to bubble up.

Beca stepped back until the whole of the lot was behind her. She held out her arms. “Pick one.”

“What?” Chloe was sure she’d heard wrong. “Did you just say…”

“Pick one. Happy Birthday!” Beca rocked back on her heels, clearly pleased with herself.

Chloe had to whisper it. “For serious?”

Beca whispered back. “Dixie Chicks serious.”

Chloe squealed and launched herself forward, almost bringing them both to the pavement. She dropped kisses all over Beca’s face before planting several very thorough ones on her lips.

Beca laughed and spun her around. “Seriously though… Pick one. Whatever catches your eye. Whatever you want to put in it. On it, whatever.”

“Careful, Mitchell. I’ll take you up on that.” Chloe stepped back and tilted her head.

Beca leaned forward. “Dare you.”

And Chloe had taken her up on it, boy had she.

Once she settled on the Escalade, the salesman had finally come over after Beca had waved him off the first time.  He kept showing her different options, and she kept adding them and Beca kept smiling. At the end of it, what she’d come up with was a 4WD Platinum trim (which seemed to be just a super luxury package) Escalade in Crystal White. She’d selected every option like they’d done with Beca’s, including a 4 bike carrier that could added to their trailer hitch, as well as innumerable roof carriers for whatever was required for Chloe’s competition trips and hauling her kids and their outfits. She may also have been envisioning various road trips the four of them could take when she added the ski carrier.

When they were all done, and she saw the price, she’d barely kept her gasp contained. She fully expected Beca to laugh and tell her ‘ok, funny joke, let’s get real now.’ But what Beca had said was…

“We’ll take it.”

Chloe had had been unable to speak, her ears filling with white noise for a second as the world faded out. “Becs..?”  There was no way –

But the salesman was already shaking hands with her wife. “We actually have a fully loaded one on the lot, in that color. It won’t take long to get the carriers together; we can load them in the cargo area for you.”

The world came back in an instant. “Wait. That’s – Beca. How can we?”

Beca reached over and took her hand. “Yes. We can. Joel Cain signed with the label Monday. I got a bonus. This one’s for you. But I’d have done it anyway without it.”

Chloe barely restrained from throwing herself in Beca’s lap out of excitement. The news that Beca had actually gotten Joel to sign with the label was aca-mazing and she was so proud of her. The prospect of a new car was just a cherry on top.

She turned around. “So, wait.” The salesman looked up from gathering the paperwork. “You have one of these, with all this.” She pointed at all the checkmarks she’d made on a list. “In stock. Now. On this lot.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled at her. “You’ll get to drive it out of here once we get the paperwork done.” He stood. “I’ll go work with the finance guys. I’ll be back.”

Beca nodded. “Thanks, Barry.”

Chloe was up the second he was out of the office and pulling Beca to her feet. She hugged her tightly before pulling back to look her in the eyes. “Are you-“

Beca shut her up with a kiss. “Positive. We got this, love.”

Chloe let out another squeal and pulled her into another tight hug.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

~B~

Stopping at home to drop off Beca’s car, the two of them were going to go for a drive in Chloe’s new car. Beca took advantage of it and ran up to their room to brush her teeth. Midway she wandered over to her closet, thinking about changing to a lighter top, and as she turned around, she happened to look out her window, thinking she’d get Stacie to help her take out all the carriers and store them in the garage.

Her head slowly tilted, the brush idly held in her mouth. “Huh. So. Aubrey’s a boob woman. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”

She continued to watch, without really thinking about it, as across the way a topless Stacie was standing at the foot of their bed, head thrown back, while an equally topless Aubrey nuzzled at her breasts. Beca noted the way Aubrey would pull back a little before swooping back in and –

“HOLY FUCK! WHAT AM I DOING?!” Beca’s eyes shot wide in panic, the toothbrush angled out of one corner of her mouth, forgotten. “WhatdoIdoohgod.”

Beca, was in full prudish panic mode, and spun to look back into her own room. This was something she should not be seeing right now. Though, really, to be more honest, this was something she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to see… yet. That was a different animal all together and one she didn’t really have time to work out right then thanks to her current level of freak out.

Cautiously, she closed her eyes and turned around, fumbling for the string to close the blinds. She finally found it by blind luck and started to close them. Until it jerked to a halt. “Oh of COURSE you get stuck right now. Jesus Christ.” Beca jerked at the cords in her frustration. “Goddamned…. Blinds… fuckery… always happens… when it’s least convenient. Which is always.” The blinds snapped all the way up with a crash. “Fucking…”

Beca opened her eyes in frustration, momentarily forgetting why she had closed them. Until a vivid reminder sprang into view as Aubrey’s arm looked like it was moving back and forth, hand below Beca’s line of sight, and Stacie had wound her own hand into the back of Bree’s hair, pulling her head back, bringing Aubrey’s chest into sharp relief.  “Oh my God. They’re totally sexing in front of my eyes.”  She frantically tried to get the blinds down, but every time they got halfway they would stick and she would have to rake them to the top and start again.

She was so caught up in her curse laden and ongoing battle with the window treatments that it took her a minute to realize something had changed. Against her will, she looked across their yards before she could stop herself.

Aubrey and Stacie, still TOPLESS for fucks sake, were standing in the window, watching her. Beca watched as Aubrey’s hand came up, but it felt like everything was moving in slow motion like some film about an existential crisis Jesse had made her watch in college. The hand waved back and forth and Beca’s eyes shifted over as Stacie started laughing. Beca didn’t think her eyes could get wider as the panic mixed with mortification at being caught and, well yes, hello there lust. She swallowed as Stacie stepped behind Aubrey, her hands coming up to cover Aubrey’s breasts until Aubrey grabbed one, pushing it down over her stomach. And lower. Aubrey’s head leaned back against Stacie’s shoulder and that’s about when Beca mentally slapped herself. Repeatedly.

Completely unsure which emotion swirling through was stronger, though mortification was tying with too-rapidly-rising lust, she flattened herself against the wall like a cat burglar caught in the act. A high pitched hysterical giggle filled the room. “Maybe... yeah, no... Maybe they didn’t see me… Maybe?”

“Becs?” She could hear Chloe’s voice coming up the stairs. “Are you ok, babe?”

“Yes! Yeah. Yep. Everything is fine. Here. In our room. Nothing. Uh. Nothing is going on across the way. Nope.”  Beca’s eyes darted around the room even though she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Maybe just an escape from the moment.

“I…” Chloe stopped in the doorway. Beca knew how she must look, pressed into the wall. Her eyes felt wide and probably crazy and, oh yeah, she had been brushing her teeth, so she probably looked rabid on top of it.

‘Fuck, I totally look like a rabid fucking cat burglar right now.’

“What’s all this?” Chloe’s finger wiggled at her. “This is new.” She walked into the room.

Beca waved her back as she hissed, “No, they’ll see you!”

“Who?” Chloe moved over and looked through the window. “And why are you whispering?”

“Aubrey and Stacie! They’re –” Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, unable to say the words. Chloe just stared at her, waiting. “TheyarehavingthesexandIthinktheysawmelooking.”

Chloe looked at her like she’d just grown horns. “Did you just say ‘having the sex’ like an old person?”

Had she? “Oh my god. Maybe?”

Chloe said, slowly. “I thought you were interested in this kinda thing. Isn’t that why we had our big talk?”

“We had our talk. I don’t know if they did! I don’t know if we’re allowed!” Beca flailed her arms. “This is like - sacred stuff if you’re not allowed!”

“Well – Oh.” Chloe stopped, her inflection changing to greatly intrigued as she leaned toward the window. “Are they naked?” She didn’t sound scandalized, like Beca thought she should, but this was Chloe and she was always more open with the ‘sex stuff’ as Beca had once called it.

“OH MY GOD. DON’T LOOK. Close the blinds, they’re not working for me again!”

Chloe stepped closer to the window.  “Oh. Why, yes they are. Aubrey just turned her back to us and pushed Stacie down on her knees.” She sounded curious, more than anything, and Beca couldn’t believe she was standing their calmly like she was describing a golf game. “And… OK. Bree obviously keeps up her training more than I thought. I didn’t know that her leg could go that far to the side. Maybe Stacie’s been working with her on her splits.” After a pause, Chloe cracked up at her own statement. “In more ways than one.”

Beca felt trapped between two very strong emotions. She still firmly believed that she wasn’t allowed to see any of that because the four of them haven’t had a talk about it. But, ok, yeah. She kinda wanted to look.

Instead she just looked up as Chloe asked her, “Do you think we should get a notepad and offer scores on the most difficult positions? Or take notes, in case, you know.”

Beca eyes slipped closed. “Oh. My. God.”

“Like, I feel I should get popcorn and take the drive later.” Chloe snickered. “We’ll just watch Stacie take Bree for a drive.”

“Dude! Privacy!”

Chloe scoffed. “Hey, they’re the ones that didn’t close the blinds once they realized you were ogling them.”

Beca’s response was instant and indignant. “I was not ogling!” Except she was fully aware that was a lie. She totally had been. And, if she were to start being honest with herself, maybe wanted to do again.

“Then?”

“We’re not allowed yet!” But, Bree had been standing there, letting Stacie touch her, knowing Beca was watching. Maybe they were allowed. Curiosity was now rising beside the other emotions clamoring for her attention.

“Yet?” Chloe turned to look at her, one hip resting against the window sill.

“IF EVER. Oh my god.” Beca idly wondered how many times had she said ‘oh my god’ in the last five minutes alone.

Chloe’s eyes turned back to the window and widened. “Oh, my.”

Beca couldn’t fight it anymore, she had to look. She was only human after all. She leaned forward and peeked around the window frame. The window across the way was empty. She turned her eyes to Chloe, who quickly stepped back out of range, laughing.

“You should see your face right now.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

“You’re lucky it’s your birthday.” Beca paused and had to take a deep breath as Chloe’s smile widened. “And still that pretty.” She closed her eyes and took another breath. “I can’t believe you punked me like that.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Most of it was true.”

“What?” Beca blinked at her, feeling like she was still running a few steps behind.

“Yeah, no. They dropped to their bed just before you looked. But everything else totes happened.”

“So. They’re totally having sex. Right now. While we’re talking about it.” Beca said it slowly, as if she were processing at half speed. “Just… out of sight.

Chloe was already nodding. “Oh, totes. If we got the step stool we’d probably be able to look over and down onto the bed. We could always ask them to move it in front of the window for next time.”

Beca stared at her. “You… can’t be serious?”

Chloe stepped up to her and gently took the toothbrush that Beca had forgotten about out of her mouth. “Can’t I?” She placed a kiss to the corner of Beca’s mouth and put the toothbrush in her hand. “Why don’t you finish that up and we’ll go for a ride, yeah?” She spun on her heel and sashayed out the door, with far more hip sway than was necessary outside of a strip tease or catwalk.

“Uh…” Beca felt what was left of her brain melt and settle between her thighs.  She called after her, “I mean… we could always give a return show…?”  She ignored the quiver the thought of the others watching her and Chloe sent through her. There was already too much going on in her head to add that to the mix.

But Chloe was already downstairs, leaving Beca alone with her toothbrush and the knowledge of what was going on in the house behind her.

“Maybe I have time for a cold shower before we leave.” Beca muttered to herself as she went back in the bathroom to rinse out her mouth.

 ~A~

 Aubrey pushed her chair back from her dining room table and stretched her legs out. “I can’t eat another bite.”

“Dinner was amazing, Bree, thank you.” Chloe reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Anything for the birthday girl.” Aubrey smiled at her before cutting a look at Beca. “Nice ride you got your girl.”

Beca jumped, a guilty look flashing over her face. “What?”

“The Caddy.” Stacie let out a whistle. “That is one nice looking tank you picked, Chloe.”

Beca leaned on the table. “I couldn’t tell you liked it, what with the lying on the hood like you were at a car show. Again.”

Chloe snorted with laughter but ignored her. “I know, right? Totally over the top. But… The ride was so smooth.” Chloe winked as Stacie leered at her. “But, it’ll keep me and the kids safe in the event that something stupid happens.” She sat up in her chair. “Plus, we can totally take all our gear in one car now, including our bikes, when we want to torture Beca with nature.”

Beca’s face morphed into a frown. “I don’t mind nature.” She scratched her nose. “I like sitting by the pool. It’s the ‘peddling through heat’ thing that gets me.”

“Cardio is good for you, Becs.” Stacie leaned over to ruffle her hair but Beca ducked out of the way.

“Why am I always saying ‘why cardio’ to you people?” Beca huffed and drank the last of her wine.

“Because you love us.” Aubrey said it simply. It was a fact that could still surprise her once in a while.

“Touché.” Beca shrugged. “Fine, we’ll take a trip soon. And I won’t even bitch about it. Much.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Stacie leaned one elbow on the table. Aubrey recognized the look on her face and tried to keep hers expressionless. Stacie had already talked to her about what was going to happen next. Aubrey was kind of looking forward to it. “Speaking of seeing.” Beca froze in the act of picking up the wine bottle to pour them all a bit more. Chloe reached over and took it, doing it for her.

“I don’t suppose we could all agree to never speak of this?” Beca’s face was turning an interesting shade of red that Aubrey hadn’t seen before.

“Isn’t the phrase ‘never speak of this again’.” Aubrey nodded her thanks at Chloe and picked up her refilled glass.

“No, ‘again’. Period. I would really like to not…”

Stacie interrupted. “Talk about how you totally were getting off on-“

“I WAS NOT.” Beca looked embarrassed. “I didn’t even mean… It was an accident… The blinds wouldn’t close…”

Aubrey started to laugh. “That’s what gave you away, by the way.” Chloe looked at her quizzically as she sat down. “The blinds were just going up and down.”

Stacie snickered. “It was like some sort of fucked up Morse code and went on for like - ever.”

“Oh god, please let me die right now.” Beca slumped forward and put her head in her hands.

“Aww.” Chloe reached over and rubbed her arm. “It’s ok, Becs. We’re all friends here. Very close friends apparently.” Beca just groaned again.

Aubrey took pity on her. “Beca.” Her tone pulled Beca’s eyes up immediately. “It’s ok.” The echo to her conversation with Stacie wasn’t lost on her. “I’m not mad. I mean, obviously. We waved at you.” She decided to leave it unspoken that they just as obviously were putting on a show.

“Me either, if anyone cares.” Stacie waved at the table.

“I’ve seen you parade through the Bella house when you forgot a towel,” Beca said dryly.

Stacie waved her hand across the table. “Like Aubrey said. We’re not mad.” And her voice changed at the last word, making Aubrey narrow her eyes. “It was ridiculously hot, actually.”

Aubrey laughed as Beca took a huge gulp of wine. “Stace,” she chided, though she thought it was obvious she didn’t mind.

Stacie held up her hands. “What?! It was!” 

Stacie was absolutely right, and it still greatly surprised Aubrey that she had felt the same way. It was hot enough that Aubrey didn’t even think about pulling away or closing their blinds, which was what she would have done before her talk with Stacie the month before. But today… and she didn’t really know what all Beca had seen before they saw her, though she could guess. The thought that Beca might have been watching when Aubrey had slid her fingers into Stacie – well that was enough to cause more than a little arousal even all these hours later. It had made her bold enough to stand there, proudly. Agree to let Stacie cup her breast from behind, to push Stacie’s hand down between her legs to see how long Beca would watch them. To wonder how it had made Beca feel to watch it. If she… enjoyed it and was affected as strongly as Aubrey was by knowing Beca was there.

Aubrey smiled to herself. Though even in that moment, she had known that Beca’s top emotion was going to be panic. So it didn’t surprise her when Beca had quickly darted out of view, but it may have disappointed her just a little, which did surprise her a bit. And while they had chuckled over it, it hadn’t changed what they were doing. Not even when Chloe took Beca’s place. Though, she admitted, she had turned her back, not quite ready to be that open. Literally, considering what Stacie was doing with her mouth at the time.

‘Lord, we really all need to talk about this soon. There are too many different ways this could fall apart if we don’t.’ Aubrey shifted in her chair, both hating and enjoying the frission of desire stretching its claws down her spine. ‘Not tonight, but soon.’

Chloe traced the rim of her glass. “You guys were just celebrating the holiday.”

All of them looked at her, confused, but it was Beca who asked it. “What holiday?”

Chloe shrugged. “Hump Day.”

As the others cracked up, Chloe simply sipped her wine, looking beyond pleased with herself.

Beca wiped a tear from her eye. “I walked right into that.”

Chloe nodded. “Both eyes. Wide open.”

Aubrey stood up. “Alright, I’ll clean the table, you guys go sit on the couch.”

Beca stood and stretched. “I’ll help.” She waved her hand dismissively when Aubrey tried to stop her. “Whatever, it’ll get done faster. Besides, it’s not like the Bella house days, you guys have a dishwasher. I just gotta rinse and throw them in.”

Aubrey shook her head but relented. With Beca’s help they were done quickly, which Aubrey kind of wished they weren’t. She and Beca didn’t get to spend quiet time like this together very often. Maybe that needed to be another thing that happened soon. Find some reason to send their wives out to play while she and Beca… Well, she wasn’t sure yet, exactly, but she had a half image of Beca working on music while Aubrey read over contracts on the couch in Beca’s studio. It was a warmly domestic image that she usually associated with Stacie or, back in their college days, studying with Chloe. It helped tamp down the lingering desire into simple contentment.

The thought made Aubrey smile as she walked back into the living room and found Stacie braiding Chloe’s hair. She settled on the other side of the sectional with Beca. “Birthday braids. Good choice.” She’d just leaned back when she remembered that they still had to give their gifts. “Oh! I’ll be right back.” She set down the wine glass she’d brought in with her and went upstairs to her office. She had to lift a few folders until she found what she was looking for.

She laughed as she came back down. “We almost forgot.” Aubrey set the two envelopes on Chloe’s lap before sitting down again. “Happy birthday, Chlo.” She sat back down beside Beca who handed her the wine glass again. “Thanks, B.”

Chloe ran her fingers over them. “Aw, you guys. You didn’t have to.”

Beca snorted into her glass. “She’s on this ‘it’s just another day’ kick today.”

“Except it wasn’t just another day. You guys have all made it kind of perfect. I need to find a word better than ‘perfect.’” Chloe smiled. “Guess I haven’t reached Grandma Stage after all.”

Aubrey was indignant. “I certainly hope not. I don’t like to think what that’d say about me.”

“That you’re old.” Beca deadpanned beside her before grinning impishly as Aubrey’s jaw dropped. “Which you most definitely are not.”

“Nice save.” Aubrey raised her glass slightly before turning back to Chloe expectantly. “Well?”

“Hold on, just gotta do the ends.” Stacie finished her braid and sat back to admire her handiwork. “There. Perfect.” She nodded. “Go on.”

Chloe picked up the first envelope, her name in Aubrey’s neat handwriting, and opened it eagerly. “Ooh. A spa day before the reunion?!” She looked up at Aubrey, eyes dancing. “I love you!”

Aubrey laughed. “Glad you like it. I wasn’t sure-“

“Are you kidding? A day being pampered with my bestie? What’s not to love?” Chloe looked back down at the reservation and ran her fingertips across it. “Seriously Bree, I can’t wait.” She folded the paper and put it back in the envelope before turning to the other, unlabeled, envelope in her lap.

Beca nudged Aubrey. “You did good. The timing on that is perfect. She always worries, though she won’t admit it, about the reunion.”

“That’s cause of Alice.” Aubrey’s lip curled. She wasn’t always as thrilled about her reunions as she once thought she would be. There was always that bit of tension when they walked in, waiting to see if she’d hear ‘Oh, it’s you slut bags’ from the side. It hadn’t happened yet, which made the rest of the night more enjoyable. Well, and that and all the rest of her Bellas, new and old. She was learning to just enjoy watching Beca scan the area before leading them in and stop letting it get to her. Once the pressure was off, they always had a good time.

“You mean That Whore Alice™.” Beca’s lip curled to match.

“Let’s… not think of her now.” With Beca nodding, Aubrey turned back as Chloe started laughing and threw her arms around Stacie.

 “You’re welcome.”

Beca looked confused as Stacie’s words were directed at her instead of Chloe. “What?” She looked from her wife to her friend as Chloe continued to giggle helplessly. “I’m missing something.”

Her words caused Chloe to laugh harder and Aubrey couldn’t help but laugh with her. “Chlo, you’ll have to show her.”

Chloe handed over the card she’d opened. Aubrey watched Beca scan the flowery and sentiment laden Hallmark moment.

“Yeah?” Beca shook her head. “I don’t get it.” She took the paper that Chloe then handed over.

The font for the first two lines was huge, Stacie was just obviously trying to fill the entire page in landscape mode. The rest of the lines were in slightly smaller print below.

 One IOU for Chloe Beale Sex Toy Shopping Sextravaganza And some lunch if we work up an appetite being hot. Which, let’s face it. We will. Because we’re hot. From Stacie Conrad

 “Oh for the love of…” Beca began to laugh helplessly, leaning on Aubrey.

Stacie beamed as she patted Chloe’s back and pulled away. “Exactly, B. For the love.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Making.”

They were interrupted by Chloe’s phone, and they knew it was hers because “Makeba – Dirty Ridin’ Remix” was the ringtone blasting from the kitchen. Beca had made it for her last month and Chloe hadn’t gotten bored yet. She wiped her eyes as she got up, kissing Stacie once before heading into the other room to answer it.

“Are you saying you think I need help in bed, Stacie?” Beca mock glared.

Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Oh Beca, I don’t think you wanna start…” but Stacie grinned wickedly.

“I dunno, B. Yet.”

“Oh… Jesus.” Beca’s face instantly turned red. “I… Yeah, nope. I surrender. Right now.”

Whatever else they might have said was interrupted by a loud squeal of joy from the kitchen. “You are!? WHEN!” Chloe rushed out into the living room. “Guys! It’s Jessica and Ashley, they’re moving to LA!”

“That’s aca-mazing!” Aubrey clapped once and echoed Chloe, “When!?” while Stacie and Beca let out a cheer at the same time.

Chloe just waved her hand. “Shhh. Uh huh… Yeah… No. Oh totes!” She was nodding and smiling like a bobblehead; it always made Aubrey happy to see Chloe so excited. “Definitely. I’ll call you tomorrow when I find his card.” A short pause, then, “No, we’re at Staubrey’s having dinner.” She looked back at the rest of them who were watching her with various degrees of affection.

Aubrey felt her heart thump at the nickname. It may have started as a joke but she loved how it tied her to Stacie. Beca, of all people, said she felt the same way about Bloe, even though it had come up at one of the lowest points of their relationship.

Chloe was nodding, “Sure, one sec. Girls, Jessley wants to say hi.” That was another Amy nickname that had stuck. She often joked that her nicknames had the power to make couples, and with a 3 out of 4 success rate, she might be on to something. She’d tried to make “LillyRose” a thing in college and while everyone had known that was doomed to failure, they were all not-so-secretly happy it had crashed before it left the gate.

Chloe switched from a voice call to FaceTime and Jessica and Ashley appeared on the screen as she turned it toward the couch. Their faces were pressed together as they yelled, “We love you guys! We won’t have to miss you anymore!”

Aubrey, Beca and Stacie yelled “We love you!” at the phone, trying to see who could be louder.

Beca threw herself at Stacie and tried to cover her mouth. “No fair, your lungs are bigger because you’re taller and they have to support your giant boobs!”

“That’s not how bodies work, Beca!” Stacie pushed her back and they fell into an impromptu wrestling match on the couch. It seemed to be more tickling and squealing than headlocks. Aubrey watched them, smiling with affection.

Aubrey heard Ashley ask, “Do they do that often?”

“Unfortunately.” Chloe mock sighed. “They’re like teenagers sometimes.”

“What, like all horny all the time? What, ow, stop hitting me Jessica. It’s a legit question for those two!” Ashley rubbed her arm.

“Perv.” Jessica wrapped her arm around Ashley’s head from behind and covered her mouth. “Sorry about her.”

“It’s not like she’s wrong.” Chloe turned the phone around and winked.

“Ha.” Ashely pulled the hand away from her mouth. “But we’ll let you guys get back to your after dinner wrestling whatever. Happy Birthday again, Chloe.”

“Wait! We have to sing! Chloe, go sit with the girls.” Jessica cleared her throat.

“When did you get so bossy?” Beca asked as she waved Aubrey over to the couch on the other side of Stacie as she flopped breathlessly back into her spot.

Aubrey rose and went were directed. “Hi. Would you like to be pot or kettle?” She laughed as Beca stuck out her tongue when Chloe sat down between Beca and Stacie. “Shall I count us down for old time’s sake?”

“Thanks, Bree.” Ashley said as Jessica smiled widely.

Aubrey switched her gaze from the screen to her best friend.

She counted, softly, “1, 2, 3, 4.”

By the end of the beautifully, if she said so herself, harmonized rendition of “Happy Birthday” Chloe was a sniffling mess. Aubrey reached behind Stacie to give a soft tug on Chloe’s braid and got a watery smile in response.

As they all wished Jessley a good night, Aubrey once again thanked the Universe for putting these women in her life. She couldn’t imagine anything different or anything that could make her life more complete.

“What was that about finding a card?” Beca ran her knuckles down Chloe’s cheek,  smiling when Chloe captured it in her own and brought it to her lips.

“Oh. Uh.” She sniffed once, clearing her throat. “They’re moving. Like, soon. End of July soon. So they wanted to know if there was any housing here.”

“Oh there’s totally empty houses!” Aubrey sat up on the couch. “That would be aca-awesome.”

“Totes, right? I’m going to call them tomorrow when I find that guys number.”

“Oh I have it in my rolodex! I’ll give it to you before you head home for the night.”

“Of course you still have a rolodex.” Beca rolled her eyes.

“That’s saved your bacon once or twice, DJ Titanium. Like when you lost the number for AND forgot the name of the client you were supposed to show around the office last year?”

“Oh. Yeah. Right.” Beca shrugged. “One of us has to be an adult, I suppose.”

Stacie asked, “I really like adult things, does that count?”

Beca answered, “No” at the same time Chloe and Aubrey said, “Yes.”

Stacie was smug. “You’re outvoted, B.”

“Yeah yeah. I’m getting used to it.” Beca rubbed at the side of her nose with her middle finger.

“Real mature.” Aubrey raised an eyebrow.

“You still love me.”

Aubrey sighed. “Unfortunately.”

“Ha.” Beca sat back against the couch. “I win.”

Aubrey grinned to herself as Stacie spoke up, not-so-subtly redirecting the conversation. “Hey, Chloe. Are you getting a personalized license plate?”

“Oh man.” Beca leaned forward again. “This is going to require alcohol.” She leaned over and grabbed her glass from the other side of the table. “For the record, I still think ACA AWES would be fine.”

Aubrey laughed looked at her quizzically and back at Chloe, who perked up. “That does sound like you, so what else could you be thinking of?”

“I’m just having problems deciding between two.” Aubrey just twirled her finger, asking her to keep going. “OK, here they are. I-M-T-H-T-T-S.” She watched as they tried to put it together.

After a second of silence, Beca offered. “I’m the tits.”

Aubrey choked out a laugh. “Chloe!”

Chloe giggled and waved a hand. “No wait. There’s one more. W-R-T-H-T-T-S.”

“’We are the tits’?” Stacie laughed. “That’s actually more perfect than ACA AWES, Becs.”

“Bingo!” Chloe laughed. “I lean more toward the second, because of the whole ‘we’ thing. That could be my team or my wife, and it’s always going to mean the Bellas. Or all of the above.”

Aubrey winced. “But, Chlo… What will your kids’ parents think?”

Beca pointed at her. “See? Adult.”

Chloe’s face fell and Aubrey felt bad. “Oh. I didn’t think of that.”

“Who cares?” They all looked at Stacie. “They’re not paying for it. And she’s already established herself as a responsible, and trophy winning I might add, instructor. That suddenly won’t change cause she quasi has ‘tits’ on her license plate.” Chloe’s smile was getting wider by the second. “They’re not the ones in her bed. Who cares what they think?”

“What does the bed have to do with anything?” Beca asked but now Aubrey was nodding.

“All good points, hon.”

Stacie waited the slightest fraction of a beat. “No, those are on her chest.”

It was just long enough that both Aubrey and Beca were taking a drink and it caused them to simultaneously snort and almost shoot wine out through their nose.

Chloe looked coyly at Stacie and smiled. “Thanks.”

Stacie just leaned back and smiled smugly.

Chloe bounced in place. “So, Bree. What all does this spa have?”

Aubrey jumped up and grabbed her hand. “Oh! I forgot to include the brochure in the card. C’mere, it’s upstairs. I can get you that number too.” She tugged until Chloe got to her feet. “We’ll be back. Behave while we’re gone, will you?”

Beca groaned as they headed upstairs. “You know that just makes Stacie think inappropriate things, Bree.”

 ~S~

After she watched them head out of the room, Stacie looked back and smirked as Beca eyed her narrowly. “It’s like you expect me to jump your bones immediately or something.”

“I ain’t givin’ you no ideas.” Beca sipped from her glass and Stacie saw something shifting behind her eyes. “So, that party that I stupidly suggested we throw.”

Stacie scooted back until she could lean on the arm of the couch. “Yeesss. Not one of your smartest moves, inviting all our offices.”

Beca groaned. “I know. I was in a good mood. Or drunk. Or in a good mood while drunk, I don’t know. Whatever. I think we need to plan better this time, though.”

“What do you mean?”

Beca ticked them off on her fingers. “Last time we ran out of chips before the sun even went down. There was an emergency ice delivery that had to be made by 8. We almost ran out of beer. The last person didn’t Uber their ass out until like 3 in the morning.” That last was said just a little too casually, but Stacie couldn’t find anything in it that felt like it needed to be hidden.

She tilted her head. “You think they’ll be here late again?”

“The party is bigger.” Beca shrugged. “I mean, the invite said to be ready to Uber, no exceptions.” Beca rolled her eyes. “But in a more… office politics correct way. Thanks to Bree and her lawyer-ese.”

Stacie laughed. “You gotta admit it does come in handy sometimes.”

“Whatever. But…” And her eyes did that shifting again. “Yeah. I think it’s going to be really late before we get the last one out the door.” She cleared her throat. “Thankfully we have both Sunday and Monday to recover. I had one mother of a hangover last year.”

Stacie thought she was starting to see what Beca might be getting at peeking around the edges. It had crossed her mind that the party was a perfect time to see if they were all ready to maybe do this thing. Or start the actual talk about it. And, if the past few weeks had been any indication – hell, today alone was like a giant signal fire - it really was just a matter of time. But Beca had a point. They were all super drunk last year. Stacie actually didn’t remember the last person leaving or going to bed. She had woken up in her party outfit, makeup smeared all over her pillow like a cheap whore on a bender. Even Aubrey, while she’d managed to wash off her makeup and change into pj’s, took at least another hour to wake up after Stacie had crawled her way to hug their toilet.

Maybe… this was Beca’s way of telling her to wait. That the answer would be ‘yes’. Eventually.

Or Stacie was totally full of shit and reading things that weren’t there.

She decided to ignore it for tonight and focus on what she could answer without asking potentially awkward questions. “You’re right. Ok, so how about this year…” She thought a minute while Beca waited. “I know Bree has that full list of food and drink. I’ll look at it and see if she accounted for those random outages. Knowing her, she probably did, but I’ll check.” Stacie suddenly grinned. “Have you gotten the playlist ready?”

Beca groaned. “No! Chloe keeps adding things and now Aubrey keeps texting me her ideas.”

Stacie laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. Is this too much for you, DJ Titanium?” And for once she didn’t mean any of the underlying things that could, and usually did, mean.

Beca glared at her. “Don’t insult my honor, Legs.”

Stacie dodged the decorative pillow thrown at her, laughing easily.

[polyvore-thenerdyfalcon]

(via Yes, I'll take the Hastenburg - Polyvore)

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - June 8

PHASE 2

2015: Felicia posts about curing her late-night dance party and Monday blahs with coffee and a croissant. Jessica posts about wanting to wanting to work off tension by smashing things in a deserted area and being unreachable. Monet posts about how she files her nails to appear more disinterested in ridiculous and asinine things people tell her. Sue and Warren go shopping together.

2016: Molly asks for TV suggestions and editing help.

2017: Johnny makes a journal post debating the performance of the electric engine versus the combustible engine.

2018: Maya is unimpressed by Star Wars’ “white male problem”.

2019: Amanda and Topaz have a conversation about Adam Destine.

2020:

2021:

2022: