#l.a. casey

[jerzwriter]

Thank you to @coffeeheartaddict2 for this ask! For @chociesprompts Smuttember - Prompt #17 - Make Up Sex

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Rating: Mature (18 +) Words: 1,030 Summary:     Fighting absolutely sucks; that's why Tobias & Casey do their best to avoid it, but with making up like this, they may be looking for reasons to squabble. A/N: Didn't have time to edit much - be kind. :)

Casey could have been doing one of a million things; after all, a working mom’s to-do list is never done. With Samantha in school and the day off work, she knew her time could be put to better use, but she just couldn’t find the energy to move.

Fighting wasn’t common in the Carrick household, but this morning had been an exception. A glitch in their usually meticulous family schedule led to confusion over who was dropping Samantha off at preschool. Exhausted and overworked, they were not at their best, and things escalated quickly, and both said things they didn’t really mean. By the time Tobias returned from dropping Samantha off at school – late - the atmosphere in their home was icy.

He found Casey exactly where he had left her, sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, staring blankly at the morning news. Without a word, he set a small, fancy box of chocolates from L.A. Burdick's on the coffee table.

“Peace offering?” he asked, giving his best apologetic smile.

Casey raised a brow but didn’t move. “Do you really think bribing me with chocolate is going to work?”

Tobias rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous grin. “Well… not exactly, but I thought it’d be a good start.”

She crossed her arms and huffed, mainly as an attempt to suppress the smile that threatened to show him he was succeeding. No, Casey wasn't letting him off easy this time, but Tobias was undeterred.

He sat beside her, his smile fading slightly. “I really am sorry,” he said, opening the box and holding out one of her favorite truffles. “Come on. Truce?”

But when she didn't budge, Tobias got creative. He popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth and leaned in close, taking Casey by surprise when he kissed her softly. His lips were sweet and warm against hers, the hint of the delicious chocolate slipping through.

She pulled back, equal parts annoyed and amused. “That’s your plan? Seduce me with chocolate kisses?”

“Perhaps.” He whispered as his lips brushed against hers, slower and more deliberate.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed another piece of chocolate and placed it on her lower lip, teasing it into her mouth when she began to protest; then, he followed with a deep, lingering kiss.

The tension between them began to melt away quicker than the chocolate, replaced with a passionate heat as Tobias’s hands began to wander. Any resistance Casey intended to offer crumbled completely as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

One kiss turned into another, and the chocolates were all but forgotten when Tobias’s hands slipped under her shirt, his mouth tracing a path from her lips to her neck and below. Casey shoved the blanket to the floor, and within seconds, Tobias had her shirt lying beside it.

“Still mad at me?” he smirked while placing wet kisses on her skin.

“Mmm, maybe a little,” she teased, taking his hand and dragging him toward the bedroom.

Their playful banter continued as they climbed the stairs, but as soon as they hit the bed, words were no longer necessary. Tobias had one mission in mind: erase any remnants of their earlier argument from his wife’s mind, and he was willing to use anything in his arsenal to make that happen.

Casey squirmed as his tongue and fingers joined together to playfully toy with her nipples, and she gasped audibly when his hand dipped inside her yoga pants, his fingers quickly rubbing the very spot he knew would drive her wild. Tobias Carrick only studied one thing more than medicine, and that was how to render his wife defenseless at his touch. This morning, he was pulling out all the stops, and with full appreciation, Casey responded in kind.

Her hands tugged at his shirt, a button or two popping off as she yanked it over his head and tossed it across the room. He had wanted all attention to be on her, so he playfully tried to pull away when she began to unbuckle his pants, but she was as determined as him.

“Oh, you think that will stop me,” she teased, her voice a seductive whisper. “You know I always get what I want.”

With one quick tug, his pants were at his ankles, and he eagerly pushed them away. His head fell back as Casey took over, her hands working their magic until her mouth encircled him.

“My God – “ he groaned, almost forgetting his original goal, but he snapped back quickly. Grabbing her by the waist, he flipped her onto her back. “Sorry, Princess,” he hissed, nudging her thighs apart as he centered himself over her, “but this morning, I’m taking care of you.”

Her eyes screwed shut as she succumbed to him; all she could see was a golden light as he slowly pushed inside her. If his gentle caresses and deep, intentional thrusts weren't enough, his whispers of how beautiful she was, how incredible she made him feel, and how much he worshiped her had her forgetting her name.

She couldn’t remember what they fought over as her nails dug into his shoulders. Tobias let out a gentle scream, relishing the sensation as she slowly dragged them down the length of his back. Tobias doubled his pace, leaving Casey trembling beneath him.

Her eyes stayed shut, but his gaze was focused on her, taking in her lovely face as she came undone. Each gasp, every little twitch, and lingering moan reassured him that he was doing precisely what he had set out to do... reminding her that she was his, and he was hers, and nothing else mattered.

When the heat between them finally erupted, they collapsed beside each other, breathless and deliciously spent. There was a huge smile on Casey's flushed face as she curled up against her husband's chest.

“That was...” she trailed, trying to catch her breath.  

“Are you saying you approve?” Tobias laughed gently, brushing her hair back from her face. Her languid groan, accompanied by a satisfied grin, would have to suffice as a response because words were still lost on her.

Tobias propped himself up on an elbow and placed a kiss on Casey’s forehead. “So, are we good?” he asked.

“We’re good,” she replied, her fingers tracing circles on his chest. “Just… maybe let’s not fight like that again.”

“Deal,” he agreed, pulling her closer. “Unless, of course, we end it like this.”

"Hmmm. If we end like this," she smiled. "We may be fighting all the time!"

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[mariacallous]

Orange County Rapid Response Network is a loose association of volunteers—organizers and lawyers and hundreds of concerned residents—who help immigrants fight detention and deportation. On Monday morning, a hotline run by the group received an unusually high number of calls. Uniformed agents from the Department of Homeland Security had been spotted at various locations just west of Santa Ana, the county seat. They had streamed out of a maroon truck in the parking lot of a Home Depot and chased down a day laborer waiting to be hired outside. They had raided a car wash and apprehended someone at a bus stop. “We got a bunch of hits, and we mobilized our first responders to go and confirm the sightings,” Casey Conway, one of two full-time staffers at O.C. Rapid Response, told me. The network circulated warnings on social media, reached out to immigration lawyers, and guided family members through a kit on the “immediate steps to support your loved ones.”

O.C. Rapid Response was founded by a group of advocates and lawyers at the start of Donald Trump’s first term. Sandra De Anda, the other staffer, joined as a volunteer that year. De Anda is from a Latino and Cambodian neighborhood in Santa Ana, where ICE was often present. “We were seeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement target people at their homes,” she said. Orange County sits just below Los Angeles and has a population of 3.2 million people, thirty per cent of whom were born outside of the United States. Parts of the county have a strong immigrant identity, while others are proudly nativist. The surfing town of Huntington Beach, for instance, passed an ordinance earlier this year declaring itself a “Non-Sanctuary City for Illegal Immigration for the Prevention of Crime.”

Whereas ICE focussed on home arrests during Trump’s first term, President Joe Biden’s policy was to get people “straight from prison into detention,” Conway told me. Such targeted enforcement, which requires paperwork and time, seems to be over, De Anda explained. “Now it’s about numbers.” As soon as Trump returned to office, he issued an executive order that aimed to “significantly increase” the number of immigration officers and make expedited removal, a sped-up deportation process that had previously been used only at the border, a default policy. In February, Homeland Security launched a series of raids in L.A. Last month, ICE agents started to arrest and detain asylum seekers and other new arrivals at the immigration courthouse in Santa Ana, despite city and state sanctuary policies. A reporter named Ben Camacho found that the Santa Ana police had known on more than forty occasions since Trump’s Inauguration that immigration police would be conducting operations in the city. (Spokespeople for the city of Santa Ana and its police department declined to speak with me. ICE did not respond to my requests for comment.)

Last Friday, ICE led an operation at Ambiance Apparel, a garment wholesaler in Los Angeles, detaining workers and sparking daily protests. At least a few of those workers have already been deported. “We saw what was happening in L.A., and we were, like, it’s maybe a matter of time before they get to Orange County,” De Anda said.

On Monday, the Administration announced that it would deploy four thousand National Guardsmen and seven hundred marines to greater Los Angeles, claiming that they were needed “to enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties.” O.C. Rapid Response received reports of at least seven raids in the county that morning. The network posted an immediate “call to action” outside Santa Ana’s Civic Center Plaza, a government complex where arrested immigrants are processed:

NOW! MASS ICE RAIDS AROUND ORANGE COUNTY ARE BEING PROCESSED HERE. Lets show them how OC keeps its people safe.

Detained immigrants were being transported to and from a government building in big white vans with tinted windows. Members of the network lined a driveway leading to the building and swarmed every van that came through. Conway counted fifteen vans in a matter of hours. O.C. Rapid Response could not free people from detention, but they could slow the process down and try to prevent deportation by getting people lawyers. Around noon, federal agents in riot gear pushed through to clear the way for a van. They shoved an older woman, fired rubber bullets, and used pepper spray on the protesters, including Conway. The liquid caught on his glasses and dripped into his eyes.

By the time I arrived, it was sunny and hot, and the demonstration had grown far beyond the network’s direct contacts. A couple hundred people filled the driveway. Every passing car seemed to honk and cheer in support. Vicente Sarmiento, an Orange County supervisor, was in attendance. “I was at Home Depot this morning, and it broke my heart to see six people being taken away,” he told the crowd. An organizer instructed them to write “Grabate y llama este # 9233#” (“Record yourself and call this number”) on their signs and hold them up when a van came through. The number would connect detainees to legal aid. Fernando, a thirty-one year-old delivery driver, told me that he had come because ICE was “just abducting people.” He continued, “I’m Mexican, and I have family that’s scared. I don’t even want my mom to go out.” Down the street, about a dozen armed and helmeted federal agents stood at the main entrance to the building.

A phalanx of Santa Ana police officers appeared at the opposite end of the street in the late afternoon. The protesters moved away from them, in the direction of the federal agents. People threw plastic water bottles, and the agents responded with pepper balls and tear gas. People ran. Amid the chaos, two white vans drove through a gap created by the Santa Ana police and into the ICE processing center.

That night, De Anda and Conway led a training session for people interested in becoming “ICE watchers.” The network held such events every month or so and, ordinarily, attracted twenty or thirty people. This time, more than three hundred had R.S.V.P.’d, requiring a last-minute scramble for a larger venue. Those who came were of every race, age, and gender. They filled the seats and floorspace of a lecture hall, then two overflow rooms, at Santa Ana College. De Anda went through a series of wonky slides but kept things lively; she writes fiction and does standup comedy on the side. She explained that, because ICE hadn’t had much luck gaining access to people’s homes, they now seemed to prioritize outdoor areas. She referenced a recent court decision holding that immigration police cannot enter the areas surrounding a residence—a covered porch, a carport, or a back yard—without a judicial warrant. (I learned a new word: “curtilage.”) Conway was exhausted from the protest and the pepper spray; he played a supporting role and ordered pizzas for the crowd.

O.C. Rapid Response is one of two dozen similar networks in California, including Ventura County Defensa and Stand Together Contra Costa. Several members of partner groups were at the training, including Amina Fields, an immigration lawyer at the Council on American-Islamic Relations of California. Earlier in the day, she had held a “NO HATE / NO BAN” sign at Los Angeles International Airport, to oppose Trump’s new travel restrictions on citizens of nineteen countries, in the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. Now Fields was trying to figure out how to support the immigrants who had been taken into ICE custody. “O.C. Rapid Response has created a list of who was recorded being detained, and now we’re going through it,” she told me. “From the legal side, it’s much harder once they’re detained.” Like De Anda and Conway, who is the child of a Vietnamese refugee, Fields has personal connections to these efforts. When she was young, she emigrated from Vietnam by way of a Thai refugee camp, and she spent a decade in the U.S. Air Force before going to law school. She was angered by Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and the Marines. “To put them against their own community members, their own family members—there is no need to have the military here,” she said.

On Tuesday morning, the O.C. Rapid Response hotline was still buzzy. Hundreds gathered again outside the building where detainees were taken—and were met by a frightening display of tactical vehicles and National Guardsmen. “It feels like an occupation,” De Anda told me. “They are doing as they have been directed, to destabilize our communities, our economy.” Reports of ICE raids spread. On Instagram, the network distributed whatever information it could verify on the movements of Homeland Security. “We received an anonymous tip that ICE is going to be present at the Orange County Social Services building on South Grand Avenue, Santa Ana either today or tomorrow,” one post read in English and Spanish.

That day, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, told a House Subcommittee that the National Guard members and Marines could be in greater L.A. for two more months. The estimated cost was a hundred and thirty-four million dollars, just to cover food, transportation, and lodging. “I think we’re entering another phase, especially under President Trump, with his focus on the homeland,” he said. The National Guard would be a “critical component.” (A federal appeals court will soon consider whether to uphold a lower court’s decision to temporarily block the mobilization.)

Military convoys sped down Interstate 5; an ICE checkpoint went up at an exit near a school. Governor Gavin Newsom gave a speech after Hegseth testified, saying, “Other states are next. Democracy is next.” There were marches in Austin, Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. In Southern California, rapid response became the strategy of the moment. Every union and nonprofit seemed to be advertising a help hotline and know-your-rights materials. Community group chats, focussed on particular neighborhoods, proliferated on Signal. In Arcadia, northeast of L.A., protesters yelled and banged on instruments for twelve hours outside a Hilton Garden Inn that was housing ICE officers; by Tuesday night, the officers packed up and left. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, admitted that demonstrations were making enforcement “more difficult.” He told the right-wing activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk that ICE required more resources to carry out mass deportations: “We need more officers. Need more beds. Need more planes.”

O.C. Rapid Response tried to celebrate a small win. In the course of tracking down a community member who had been arrested, using ICE’s “online detainee locator system,” the network discovered that the city of Glendale, in L.A. County, had an active federal contract to hold immigrants in its jail. The contract apparently predated the state’s 2017 sanctuary law, and was permitted as an exception. A few days after O.C. Rapid Response members and the lawyer representing the community member publicized the issue, Glendale cancelled the contract. The decision was “not politically driven,” the city said.

That meant one less way station, but the community member still ended up detained. As of this month, more than fifty-one thousand immigrants are in ICE detention, the highest number since 2019. And California’s largest private facility, the Adelanto Detention Center, owned by the GEO Group, recently resumed business, after the settlement of a class-action lawsuit over unsafe conditions during the pandemic. Late last year, because of that litigation, the facility held just three inmates; it can now house up to nineteen hundred. “In this work, you have to accept the David role, as in David and Goliath,” Conway told me. “A lot of victories will feel like losses, but it’s still resistance.”

[hanlight]

can someone start a petition to keep amir casey in the show next season? I got attached to this sweet man with his funky cardigans fast...

logically he needs to stay the hell away from L.A. but my heart says PLEASE STAY!

[mattnben-bennmatt]

When I say Casey drives me crazy, it's rooted in experience like that [of living together in L.A. with Ben in the mid-‘90s]. Like Casey graduated high school, and he and his close friend who had also graduated high school moved in with Ben and me. So we’re in our early 20s, and these two 18-year-olds wreaked havoc on our living situation for a year. But we had a great time and those were actually really wonderful years. I do look back now on those years really fondly. But it wasn't easy—we were all worried and it was a very insecure time. We all had mattresses on the floor. The house was a mess. We were young and full of ideas and nervous about what our lives would bring, and I don't miss that feeling.

— Matt Damon, interviewed by Parade (2 August 2024).

-

See also:

As soon as I graduated from high school, my best friend and I drove to California and saw everything in between. In L.A., we lived with a bunch of people from Cambridge, including Ben and Matt Damon, but I still felt like an outsider.

— Casey Affleck, interviewed by The Wall Street Journal (30 July 2024).

[lokiondisneyplus]

Potential spoilers below the cut, but a super interesting article.

Some non-spoiler pull quotes:

Tom is my producing partner in a true sense. Before we had any writers or directors, it was Tom and I for months building this story out. We had a 30-page document that was like, This is what the show is: TVA, He Who Remains — even Victor Timely was in that first document years ago. And it’s just carried through. -- This is maybe — not maybe — this is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography. The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make. -- We were casting, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was playing in L.A. and in New York, but it hadn’t gone nationwide yet. I think it was going the very next week. We had gotten a call from our casting director who said, “Hey, I’m about to put together a list for OB — just initial thoughts. But before I do that, I really think you guys should meet Ke, and I think it should be Ke. I think you guys should meet with him quick, because probably by Monday, he’s going to have a lot of offers for different things.”

Of the eight live-action TV shows that Marvel Studios has produced for Disney+ to date, only one has concluded with the explicit promise of a second season: That would be “Loki,” the outrageously entertaining series about Tom Hiddleston’s god of mischief and his metaphysical exploits in the Time Variance Authority.

It turns out, those plans were already in the works before a second of “Loki” had ever streamed. As executive producer Kevin Wright explains to Variety, he and Hiddleston began talking about Season 2 of the show while in production on the third episode of Season 1.

“As we were shooting the ‘Lamentis’ episode, Tom and I started having lots of conversations about how this world could build out, how we dive deeper into it,” he says. “A large part of what we wanted to do was not trying to repeat ourselves, and not try to play the hits.” At the same time, he adds, they also wanted to make sure didn’t start Season 2 by “fast-forwarding through the drama” of the Season 1 finale. 

And so much happened in that finale. To recap: Loki and his variant-turned-potential-soulmate Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) arrive at the end of time, where they meet the creator of the TVA, He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) — the variant of the supervillain Kang who won a massive multiversal war. To prevent future Kangs from emerging, He Who Remains has used the TVA to maintain a single, sacred timeline — pruning away trillions of potential lives in the process. He gives Sylvie and Loki an impossible choice: Replace him as the head of the TVA, or kill him and bring forth an infinite number of Kangs.

Loki wants the first option; Sylvie wants the second. She wins, kills He Who Remains, and boots Loki back to an alternate version of the TVA, where previous compatriots Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) don’t remember ever meeting him.

Variety has screened the first four (of six) episodes of “Loki,” and without spoiling anything, Season 2 picks up pretty much exactly where the first season left off — before then charting its own storytelling path. The full cast has returned, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw as former TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer and Eugene Cordero as TVA functionary Casey. And Majors returns as well as He Who Remains, in addition to another Kang variant, a 19th century inventor named Victor Timely. They’re joined by new actors including Kate Dickie (“Game of Thrones”), Rafael Casal (“Blindspotting”) and recent Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan as TVA technician Ouroboros, aka “OB.”

Behind the scenes, there have been some changes from Season 1. The series’ original director Kate Herron and head writer Michael Waldron both stepped back to focus on other projects. In their places, “Moon Knight’s” Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have stepped in as lead directors, and Season 1 writer Eric Martin stepped up as head writer for Season 2.

To delve into the second season of “Loki,” Wright talked with Variety about casting Quan just before his performance in the multiverse spectacular “Everything Everywhere All at Once” changed the actor’s life forever; what the future of “Loki” the show and Loki the character might be following Season 2; and how Majors’ arrest in March for assault did (or did not) affect their plans for Season 2.

What were the discussions like about how to approach Season 2?

I think we had to just keep reminding ourselves that the TVA is a great world, let’s live in the drama of what we’re creating there. Which means not fast-forwarding through the drama that they just decided to stop pruning timelines, but also staying in the emotional turmoil that Loki and Sylvie are coming into this season with.

Also, there were certain things in Season 1 that felt like they were maybe a risk, and we didn’t know how the audience would respond. Once we realized that they embraced it, it felt like a lot of freedom to go further.

What did you feel was a risk?

In a very early draft of the script that Michael Waldron had written, that first Time Theater conversation between Mobius and Loki was maybe a couple of pages. And then a lot of other big Marvel-y action things happened afterwards, and we all went, “That’s not the interesting stuff. This Time Theater conversation is interesting. That’s what the show could be.” If we are really diving into the character-driven philosophy and introspection of self, that’s quite different than the last 10 years of Marvel movies. Would the audience follow us along on that? 

Tom Hiddleston famously held seminars on the character of Loki for Season 1. Did he do anything like that for Season 2?

No, because we tried to bring back as much crew as we could from Season 1. It was largely the same team. Obviously, we went from Atlanta to London [for production], but a lot of our department heads carried over, so there was an institutional knowledge that was built in. And Tom is my producing partner in a true sense. Before we had any writers or directors, it was Tom and I for months building this story out. We had a 30-page document that was like, This is what the show is: TVA, He Who Remains — even Victor Timely was in that first document years ago. And it’s just carried through.

So even as Kate Herron kind of handed the reins over at the end of Season 1, there is an institutional knowledge that comes with us being the glue between the seasons.

You mentioned He Who Remains and Victor Timely. You finished shooting Season 2 in 2022, but did Jonathan Majors’ arrest for assault in March resulted in any changes to the show? 

No. This is maybe — not maybe — this is the first Marvel series to never have any additional photography. The story that is on screen is the story we set out to make. We went out there with a very specific idea of what we wanted this to be, and we found a way to tell it in that production period. It’s very much what’s on screen on Disney+.

It’s clear that Majors plays an integral role this season, and you just alluded that Marvel usually does additional photography on all its titles. So was there any discussion about making changes to the show, given the uncertainty about what was happening with Majors?

No. And that mainly came from — I know as much as you do at the moment. It felt hasty to do anything without knowing how all of this plays out.

How early into the writing of Season 2 did you decide to cast Ke Huy Quan as OB?

We were in London, so I had at least some version of our scripts. The way the process works, they’re always being rewritten, but OB was in there, and his introduction scene was almost exactly as originally written. I would like to say it was in early spring, which was maybe just two months before we started shooting. We were casting, and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was playing in L.A. and in New York, but it hadn’t gone nationwide yet. I think it was going the very next week. We had gotten a call from our casting director who said, “Hey, I’m about to put together a list for OB — just initial thoughts. But before I do that, I really think you guys should meet Ke, and I think it should be Ke. I think you guys should meet with him quick, because probably by Monday, he’s going to have a lot of offers for different things.”

So that that Friday, myself, Justin and Aaron, two of our directors, had gotten on a Zoom with Ke. We pitched him the show and this character. We shared that introduction scene with him and maybe the full script. And then we called in the big guns that Monday; Kevin Feige got on the phone with him and said, “Ke, I know you read the script. I know you talked to the guys. We really think you should do this. I really want you to join the Marvel family.” And he had already made up his mind over the weekend. It was like, “I’m there. I’ve been a huge fan of this for a long time.”

In Season 1, the show explored several time periods and locations outside the TVA, but in the first four episodes of this season, you stick to just 1880s Chicago, 1970s London and 1980s in the Midwest. How did you come to that decision to focus more on the TVA and building out its history?

Because that felt like where so much of our core character conflict was going to come from. There was so much intersectionality of our characters and what they think of the TVA. Sylvie wants to burn it down because the apple is rotten, as she says. Loki sees it as potentially the only form of defense against whatever else is coming in a war with Kang. Mobius and B-15, they’ve dedicated their whole life to it. They’re not quite ready to give it up. Renslayer feels like she’s been keeping it together, and you get a real understanding of why she thinks she should be the one to get this thing back on track.

We want everybody to be in the gray area — they’re neither good nor bad. They might make bad choices or heroic choices, but they are trying to figure out who they are. The TVA felt like the place where we could maximize that storytelling and learn more about those characters through that. But also stay tuned, because we are going to more places [in Episodes 5 and 6].

Do you think the TVA could start to appear in other titles in the MCU?

I would love that. Look, I’ve been siloed in on “Loki” for almost five years now, by the time this show finishes, and with every filmmaker who has put their hands on the show, we’ve all had the same conversations: It feels like the TVA could really be this exciting connective tool for all of this storytelling. And we’ve only seen a fraction of it. We’re dealing very specifically with this one smaller department with Mobius and B-15 and Renslayer, but you look out at those vistas — this place is infinite. The exciting thing to us is there certainly are more stories to be told there. We’ve carved out our own little corner of the sandbox and built something cool. We’re hoping that other people want to come and play with it.

One of the things I’ve most enjoyed about “Loki” is how it’s telling its own story, but have you considered bringing more of the MCU into it?

Yes, in both seasons of writers’ rooms. It always felt wrong to go too far outside of the box of things that would directly contribute to Loki’s character arc in these two seasons. So that’s why we get [Jaimie Alexander as] Sif in there [in Season 1], we play with the variants in the void and various levels of Asgard-specific storytelling. But while we’ve had nearly 12 hours of storytelling, it never feels like we have enough time. Eventually, just handling the stories of our ensemble and not shortchanging them has always been priority number one.

Now, Season 1 and 2 were always built to be two chapters of the same book. The hope would be going forward, there are more books that we can tell these stories with. I certainly think that we could start doing that.

Would there be a Season 3 of “Loki”? Is the future of the show finite or more open-ended?

I think it’s open-ended. We certainly did not develop this season going, “We have to tee up Season 3” — in the way that we did with Season 1, where there was a very specific, “Hey, we’re coming back.” But I also think that where this show goes, there certainly can be many, many, many more stories told with Loki in the “Loki” world, and in other worlds connected to Loki, the character.

Do you think Loki would ever rejoin the larger world of the MCU? 

That’s the hope. I don’t want to — yeah. I think the the sun shining on Loki and Thor once again has always been the priority of the story we’re telling. But for that meeting to really be fulfilling, we have to get Loki to a certain place emotionally. I think that’s been the goal of these two seasons.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

[ao3feed-ncislosangeles]

Chicago Meets L.A

by JTFox Prompt by: SelaBudd13 Buck is Shay’s brother, he’s a navy seal. Married to Halstead. No one knows about him or that Halstead is married until Shay’s death. They see him at the funeral but don’t get time to ask who he is because he’s assigned to the 118 undercover for NCIS (served with Sam). What is the undercover assignment? Can Evan finish it before things take a turn for the worst? When he finishes the undercover assignment does he reunites with Halstead? Does he decide to work at 51? Words: 2562, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Chicago PD (TV), Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, 9-1-1 (TV), NCIS: Los Angeles Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Jay Halstead, Evan "Buck" Buckley, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Hank Voight, Kim Burgess, Adam Ruzek, Kevin Atwater, Kelly Severide, Matthew Casey, Gabriela Dawson, Alvin Olinsky, Trudy Platt, Sylvie Brett, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Bobby Nash, Athena Grant, Howie "Chimney" Han, Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Maddie Buckley, Sam Hanna, G Callen, Kensi Blye, Marty Deeks Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Jay Halstead, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, U.S. Navy SEAL Evan "Buck" Buckley, Undercover, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley Needs A Hug, Smut, Anal Sex, Sex Toys, Teasing, Porn With Plot, Dom/sub Play via https://ift.tt/6MTyXdk

[oncalls]

   ✱   [ bullet ] @ezburns takes a bullet for matthew casey .

los angeles was supposed to be temporary. it started with the wildfires in california, casey was called in to help. they kept raging longer than anyone thought it would. captain casey did everything he could do to help, from the command tent he was supposed to be working in to being out on the field, in the worst parts of the fire, working with local and visiting firefighters doing everything in their power to put the fires out. he was in california for a while. he made friends there, people who became his family as much as the crew back home at fifty one. eddie diaz was one of the people that made it hard to leave. he was making up every excuse not to go back home to chicago. because l.a. felt like home too.

he spent most of his time in los angeles with eddie. ended up crashing on his couch instead of at the hotel more nights than not. that continued long after the last ember from the wildfires was put out. he was far away from the people who made his life in chicago hell. but trouble seemed to follow matt casey wherever he went. and his fatal flaw was that he always had to play the hero. even when he was off the clock, even when he was out of his own jurisdiction, even when he was hundreds of miles from the address that was technically his home. he couldn't just stand by and watch someone get hurt. so he intervened. and before he knew it, a gun was pointed at him. he was going to die. but he wasn't the one to get shot.

it was like everything happened in slow motion. he heard the shot. there was a blur of dark hair in front of him. and he was catching eddie in his arms. "NOOOOOO!" he called out, like he could go back in time, undo the last sixty seconds, take the bullet meant for himself instead. eddie was an innocent bystander, in the wrong place at the wrong time. casey was too, but he brought this on himself. he was the one trying to play the hero. but diaz was the one that took a bullet. for him. "eddie?" he was vaguely aware of the shooter vacating the premises. he heard sirens in the distance, but it was like he was underwater and everything was muffled by the whooshing in his head, the sound of his own blood pumping through his veins as eddie bled out in his arms. "eddie, hey, stay with me okay? you're going to be okay," he said, but he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince eddie. so he repeated those words again. "you're going to be okay. you're going to be okay." at some point he had lowered down to the ground, he didn't even remember moving but eddie was in his lap. "that was so stupid, why did you do that?" he asked, putting pressure on the wound.

[tllgrrl]

7th Inning Stretch by @tllgrrl aka Nefertiri Jones

Sarah Wilson/James “Bucky” Barnes | 5K Words | Ch 1: SFW Fade to Black. Ch 2: NSFW Spicy.

Summary: Sarah and Bucky enjoy their day off, beating the heat at home on the sofa, watching the ballgame.

Summer + Baseball + Waltzing + Ice(?) = Shenanigans!

* * * * * * * * *

Chapter 1 - Take Me Out

Where: Southern Louisiana.

When: Summertime. Baseball Season.

Late afternoon at the Wilson-Barnes home. It’s not just hot and humid. It’s steamy, and rain is in the forecast. It hasn’t started yet, but it’s on its way.

Sam’s visiting for a few days, and to keep two bored tween boys from going stir crazy he offered to take his nephews to the movies, pizza, and then for a mini-shopping spree at Crescent City Comics in NOLA, so Sarah and Bucky, both in lightweight cotton shorts and tank tops, are lazing on the sofa, enjoying a quiet day off…and air conditioning.

Like in many older buildings and houses in Southern Louisiana, opening windows and/or doors and letting the air flow through was “air conditioning” in the generations-old Wilson house.

To make it more effective, some window units were installed in the living room and the bedrooms, including Bucky’s bedroom/office in the attic.

Having Stark Industries and WakandaTech available did have its perks. Low profile, high-efficiency and environmentally friendly A/C was one of them.

But sometimes, open windows and good screens were fine. Especially after sundown.

Bucky got the small ice chest out of the garage, filled it with ice, a couple of bottles of beer and 2 bottles of water. Sarah laid out some snacks, including a few of Bucky’s favorite granola bars, on the coffee table.

He’s watching the L.A. Dodgers (the “Brooklyn” Dodgers, as he sometimes calls them) play the New York Mets while he rubs her feet with his warm right hand.

She’s enjoying the hell out of the pampering, while reading the novelization of the Bridgerton spinoff, Queen Charlotte.

He knows about the popular TV series and enjoys the way she tries to keep a cool demeanor at what she and her friends call “the juicy parts” of the book.

He can hear her when she says under her breath, “Well, alright now…” or “Mmm-hmm…”

And he took particular note when she covered her mouth, whispered “Giiiiirl?! Yesss…” and her toes curled in his hand.

He planned to try and get her to read whatever that part was aloud to him later.

“It’s almost time,” he informs her, releasing her foot and rubbing his left hand, still cool from holding a cold beer, on her legs.

“Mmmm…that’s nice.” she sighs as she lightly kneads his thigh with her heels. “Time for what?”

“7th Inning Stretch…

…You know the song, right? Take me me out—“

“To the ball game? Everybody knows that song.”

“Yeah, the chorus part of it. Did you know there are verses?”

She laid the book down on the coffee table next to the bowl of roasted peanuts, snagged a little cube of ice and rubbed it on her wrists, her neck and her collarbone.

His eyes caught a drop of water from the ice making its way from the hollow at the base of her throat, down her chest, rolling into her cleavage.

For a second he considered going in after it. With his mouth and tongue. Instead, he gave her another piece of ice and popped one into his own mouth, crunched it, then taking her hand slowly kissed up her arm, from the pulse point of her wrist, watching her eyes slightly widen as she grins.

"Is that right..." she murmured, getting a little lost because it felt like every time his cold mouth landed on her warm skin, all of her attention, her focus, was drawn to that spot on her body.

And he saw her thighs press together just a little when he reached the inside of her elbow, kissed it and then rubbed his bearded cheek on it, making her hiss and pull away but just a little because the cold followed by the warmth made her want more.

“Verses? That song has verses? Lay it on me, Sinatra.”

“Okay, it goes something like,

Katie Casey was baseball mad,

had the fever and had it bad.

Just to root for the hometown crew,

Every sou—that’s a penny—Katie blew…”

“Really! That’s how it starts?”

“Yeah. Learned it from my Pa. There was another version later about a girl named Nellie Kelly.”

“Anyway," she ruffled his hair, and lightly raking her nails on his scalp, she watched his eyelids start to flutter. "I’ve never heard the intro before. My baseball knowledge isn’t very deep. Daddy’d sometimes watch depending on who was playing, and you know about Sam and his football. I’m into whatever the boys are into, but I don’t know a lot about baseball.”

“My Ma loved baseball. Prob’ly more’n Pa. She’d listen to games on the radio doin' housework, or makin’ dinner, and during the 7th Inning Stretch she’d grab me and Becca, turn the radio up, and we’d all three of us dance around in the living room. God, in the summertime it’d be so hot, but we didn’t care.

Sometimes if I had a little bit o’ money left from a job, when the ice wagon came around I’d run downstairs and get us snow cones.

Man, when that ice hit your mouth…it was like heaven. I’ll never forget…”

Sarah saw that soft smile and look of almost wonderment he sometimes gets when an old formerly-lost memory resurfaces.

‘Well, anyway,” he offered, rising from the couch, taking her hand and leading her to the middle of the room, “I’ll be more than happy to be your private baseball tutor.”

“Private tutor, huh?”

“Mmm-hmmm. May I?”

She nodded, he placed her right hand on his shoulder, took her left hand, and pulled her nearer.

“When you’re watching the boys’ team play, you want to be the parent who knows exactly what they’re yelling at the ump for.”

“Well, I thank you in advance, Professor Barnes.

So when do my lessons start?”

“Now. Do you waltz?”

“Waltz? A little. Not much occasion to, but I can waltz with a good partner.”

“You’re in good hands. Trust me. Okay…”

He raised the volume on the TV, tossed the remote onto the couch, and they began to dance as the announcer sings:

🎶Take me out to the ballgame,

Take me out to the crowd…🎶

“Say! Not bad, young whippersnapper!”

“Thank you!”

🎶Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack…🎶

“Who taught you?”

“Daddy. And mama taught Sam.”

“Sam? Your brother Sam? Sam Wilson can waltz?”

🎶Root, root, root for the home team,

If they don’t win it’s a shame…🎶

“Oh, yeah! Social Dancing was definitely part of our Home Training. But not Soul Train dancing. You learned popular dances from friends, and from the TV.

I mean Fox Trot, Swing, and Waltz. Like your Mama taught you, our Mama and Daddy taught us…just like you’re gonna teach Cass and AJ.”

“You want me to teach them.“

“Mmm-hmm. They're already learning baseball fundamentals from you. You can show them basic partner dancing steps, and they can practice leading with me.”

“I thought you wanted them to like me!”

“It’ll be fun! I promise.”

“Mind if I hold you to that?”

The song continues and the crowd on the TV sang as Sarah and Bucky find themselves slow dancing.

Whenever they dance past the AC unit, they linger, feeling the cool air as it hits the light veil of sweat that has settled on their skin.

It’s Southern Louisiana. In the Summer, it’s always there.

She grew up with it.

He’s gotten used to it and actually loves it because he’d had enough freezing in his life to never want to be cold again unless necessary.

She places her hand on the back of his neck and feels him inhale, rub his cheek on her temple, then he lightly kisses her there.

The back of his left hand slides down her shoulder, then his fingers slowly run from just behind her ear, down the side of her throat.

The sensors in that hand know her skin intimately now.

He remembers the first time she took his hand, the first time he touched her arm, her cheek, her bottom lip. Her...

He lightly kisses the side of her neck, her ear, while softly humming the song, pulling giggles from her.

Her hands roam up and down his back, gently kneading the muscles there, pulling another deep inhale and sigh from him.

🎶Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack…🎶

His mouth travels to her cheek, then to her mouth.

🎶I don’t care if I ever come back.🎶

They get lost in the kiss, and when they finally do come back…

“Well, now. Tell me, Professor Barnes, do they still call a kiss like that getting to First Base?”

“I believe they do, Ms. Wilson.”

“I wonder if you can make it to Home Plate.”

“Not if I can, sweetness, but how many times.”

“Oh, really now,” she huffs, pulling away before he can go in for another scorching kiss, and heading toward the stairs.

He watches her ascend and when she looks back at him over her shoulder, she sees that “got an idea” look he gets when he gets the kind of “ideas” that get her pulled into a hideaway someplace at least semi-private for some good old-fashioned grownup shenanigans.

“The truck windows are still down,” he grins. “I’ll be right up.“

As if on cue, the wind kicks up a bit, and then there’s the sound of rain beginning to fall.

{*ping*}

They both glance over at his phone on the end table, then at each other, and she starts to prepare herself for the words that’ll mean he has to get dressed, grab that ever-ready Backpack and board a QuinJet that’s miraculously showed up in the front yard.

(Dammit. Here it comes: “HQ called—blah blah blah. The boys and I are headed back home. Wheels up in 2 hours—blah blah blah. Sorry Buck.”)

Bucky picks the phone up, reads the message, and breathes a sigh of relief.

“It’s from Sam. He says, raining cats and dogs up here...storm’s headed your way...boys are knocked out and so am I...crashing at safe house...see you guys in the morning. Don’t get distracted and forget to roll up windows on that old truck, White Panther? Distracted?!” Bucky says to his phone. “I don’t get distracted, Samuel!”

For a few seconds, Sarah watches with amusement as he fusses at the phone, then she turns and continues up the stairs.

“Don’t take too long rolling up those windows, Lover,” she teases. “It’s the top of the 7th.

Batter up.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 2: Rounding The Bases on AO3 (Rated E)

Originally published for the 2023 SarahBucky Summer event.

Thanks for reading! (Or re-reading!)

[iramreads]

december reads

wine over cocoa - m.l. preston and sade rena (that was cute and a very light reading) from december tbr list

out on a limb - hannah bonam-young (i want to LIVE inside this books, i hope they just adopt me i love their family SO MUCH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 oohhh to have a bo durant in your life!!!!) from december tbr list

shatter me - tahereh mafi (i took literal months to reach 20% but boy oh boy after that i lost control of myself lol this is soooooooo good why did i take so long to read this omg) from december tbr list

destroy me - tahereh mafi (i had to read warner's novella right? i'm getting obsessed.............. it's tiktok's fault i SWEAR!!!! anywayyyyyy he's losing his mind and tbh so am i!!!!!!!!!!!!)

this is not a holiday romance - camilla isley (a cutesy christmas book, very light and fast paced and i read during my insomnia night lol no regrets at all)

over the limit - k. bromberg (i really like sports books especially motorsports!!!! pretty nice hehe)

lights out - navessa allen (yes. simply YES. damn....... never thought i would love this book SO MUCH and my only mistake here, or maybe it prevented me from dying overheated, was not reading while listening to the audiobook! i'll definitely read it AND LISTEN TO IT again. i'm absolutely in love.)

joyland - stephen king (took me a wee while to finish it but it was completely worth it) from december tbr list

unravel me - tahereh mafi (what can i say about aaron warner.....................)

fracture me - tahereh mafi (it was okay)

ignite me - tahereh mafi (that one was the best of them so far! i don't think there will be another one as good as it, really!)

rook & rebel - kate crew (ok i like it, it was cute in their own peculiar way hehe)

baby, one more time - camilla isley (i swear i would love to watch a film adaptation!!!!!! cute)

the love algorithm - camilla isley (3rd book from her because it's so light and funny lol i particularly loved the droid yapping and gossiping around lmao)

one year ago in spain - evelyn skye (it's beautiful and touching)

dateless - l.a. casey (i know there are bunch other books from this author that is well know and loved but i don't really feel the need to read them all... i mean i liked this one it was a quick read but that was it)

stolen touches - neva altaj (yeah... definitely a book... you can say that)

the paradise problem - christina lauren (i liked it and had pretty much fun with it, i normally enjoy their books a lot hehe)

butcher & blackbird - brynne weaver (normally not my first choice of genre but i liked it a lot and had sooooooo much fun so i'll think about reading the other 2)

the game changer - lana ferguson (pretty okay, quick and nice)

haunting adeline - h.d. carlton (that was INTENSE)

hunting adeline - h.d. carlton (that was EVEN MORE INTENSE AND DARK........ that one is so so so heavy so if you're not comfortable after reading the tw list you better put it down. i swear)

if you need me - helena hunting (i liked most of it but i got kinda mad near the end for some reason but it was fine again by the time i've finished lol)

funny story - emily henry (urggghhhhhh i ended up so in love with both miles and daphne and also julia she's the sweetest darling!!!! took me a minute to start but it was such a quick fast paced read! ALSO, funny story was my 1st henry's book and i'm DEFINITELY reading all of her other books!!!!)

interview with the vampire - anne rice (YES. HUNDRED TIMES. YES.) from december tbr list

the road trip - beth o'leary (finishing the last page felt like divorcing... didn't really want to end AT ALL 😭😭😭😭 also would've loved an epilogue i love epilogues in general what can i say!!!! also!!!! finished just in time to watch the tv adaptation hehe)

people we meet on vacation - emily henry (one more gem of hers, right? 12 years is A LOT of time longing for someone... mad)

the wake-up call - beth o'leary (i've just read this so fast, i couldn't put it down for a second!!!!! loved izzy and lucas dearly)

beach read - emily henry (i liked this baby here soooooooooooooooooooooo much, i would say it's my favourite alongside funny story!)

happy place - emily henry (beautiful. very much beautiful indeed 🥺)

a very krampus holiday - katee robert (i would very much like to read more of this genre.............)

lights out - navessa allen (YES. AGAIN. YOU'RE NOT READING IT WRONG. i mean i've thought i read it like november but nooooooooooooo i logged it on dec 5th!!!!!! and i was missing jossy and ally sooo soooooo much also i wanted to listen to the audiobook so i finally did it........ i may or may not repeat this next month........... i mean it's a lovely way to finish the year readings right?)

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restore me - tahereh mafi - currently reading 52%

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if you have any books recs or any question at all just ask me here!

[kudosmyhero]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (vol. 1) #51: City at War, part 2

Read Date: November 19, 2023 Cover Date: September 1992 ● Writer: Kevin Eastman ◦ Peter Laird ◦ Jim Lawson ● Pencils: Jim Lawson ● Inks: Keith Aiken ● Letterer: Mary Kelleher ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers (👏=didn't like it, 👏👏=it was ok, 👏👏👏=I liked it, 👏👏👏👏=I really liked it!, 👏👏👏👏👏=I loved it!)

Reactions As I Read: ● the detailed line art continues to be beautiful

● oof, not the best pick-up line, Case ● Casey, pull over and sleep, dude! ● wow, he's clear over in Colorado? ● ew, stop with the gross pick-up lines, Casey ● April's out in L.A., too, huh? ● Casey's not been having a good time 😞 ● Robyn looks like the 80s cartoon version of April 😊 ● 👏👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: The Ninja Turtles have taken up residence in a large, empty water tower on top of an old New York City building. The guys are restless and directionless without Splinter to guide them, upset by the news reports of escalating street violence between the fractured factions of the Foot Clan. Violence that the TMNT feel responsible for, as it was their actions that lead to the splintering of the Foot. Raph wants to take the fight to the Clan and finish what they began when Leo killed Oroku Saki, but Leonardo isn't sure that they need to continue fighting Splinter's blood feud with the Foot for the rest of their lives.

Casey Jones is still driving out west in his Chevy and falling asleep at the wheel. As he startles himself awake, he remembers how he had tried to begin a relationship with April by holding her hand, but she said to him, "Oh, um… Casey… don't" and walked off. Jones felt bad about his advance and later returned to the farmhouse with flowers to patch things up, only to find that O'Neil had packed her things and left. This enraged Casey, and he picked up a dresser and threw it through a window. As Casey reflects on his recent past, he's once again startled to his senses when he almost has a head-on collision with a truck. Jones decides that he needs some coffee and food, and so he stops at a diner in Goat Head, Colorado. The place is deserted except for the waitress/cook named Gabrielle, who Casey hits it off with. Gabby asks Casey if he's headed out west to become a movie star, as she's seen her share of people passing through with that goal.

"Yep, good ol' Goat Head - gateway to broken dreams." Gabby remarks.

"Yeah," Casey replies, "I know about dreams."

April is in Los Angeles with her sister Robyn, hanging out in a night club. Robyn tries to get April to cheer up and they discuss Casey and the "guys" that April left behind in NYC. Robyn wonders why April has been so secretive about all of them and why she's so unhappy lately.

Back in NYC, the TMNT are investigating the porn shop that was destroyed by the Foot bombing. We see a shot of the old man who lived above the store, lying in critical condition in the hospital. Donatello surmises that they'll find no clues on this site, so they head to the bridge where the Foot Soldiers were slaughtered.

Casey finishes up his coffee and heads out of the diner when he's accosted by two thugs. The men attack Jones and eventually knock him out by smashing his skull with a gasoline can, and then they steal his car! Gabby rushes out and helps Casey inside.

The Turtles check out the bridge site and find no clues. Feeling vulnerable, they decide to head back to their base.

Robyn and April get back to Robyn's messy apartment. Robyn asks April what she wants to do and April says they should clean the apartment.

"Ha ha." Robyn states, "I meant something fun."

The sisters decide that they'll go to the beach and then embrace, happy to finally be spending some time together again.

The Turtles are running along the rooftops when they hear some noise in an alley. They cautiously investigate, only to find some boys kicking a garbage can around. The guys get antsy and are obviously on edge.

"This really sucks," Don gripes, "How long are we going to wander around hoping to run into the Foot when we don't even have a plan for what to do when it happens?"

"Plus 30 seconds ago, we were ready to jump all over some kids playing with garbage cans… what the Hell are we doing?" queries Mike.

"Let's face it guys," Raph quips, "We've been reduced to the neighborhood watch!"

(https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/City_at_War,_part_2_of_13)

Fan Art: April by LinART

Accompanying Podcast: ● Shellheads - episode 34

[jerzwriter]

This series tells the story of how Tobias and Casey's second child, Brooke Vivian Carrick, came to be. In this second installment, Tobias and Casey let a couple of their friends in on their plans just before they celebrate a memorable Valentine's Day.

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Characters: Sienna Trinh, Jackie Varma, Vivian Carrick (F!OC) Rating: Teen Words: 1,600 Summary: See above. A/N: This little series will be a few (?) short stories leading up to Brooke Carrick's birth on August 30th.

Sienna burst into the Diagnostic Team’s office, still shivering from commuting to work during a brutal Boston winter. “That’s it,” she said. “I’m applying for a job at UCLA Medical Center. I cannot do another winter here.”

Casey glanced up from her laptop, a sly grin spreading on her face. “Oh no, you’re not. Sure, the winters are tough, but you know what Boston has?” She gestured between herself and Jackie, who had also stopped by. “Us. Boston has us. You're not going to find friends like us in L.A.”

Sienna sighed as she took off her coat, stretching her back. “You’re right. I know, you’re right.”

“No, she’s not!” Jackie retorted. “You and I can go to L.A., and we’ll see Casey twice a year for girls’ weekends. Problem solved. We’d be fine.”

“Gee! Thanks, Jackie,” Casey replied. “I can just feel the love.”

“Speaking of girls’ weekends,” Sienna continued. “Should we book Smith Rock for March? I’d love to get out there before tourist season begins.”

Casey scrunched her nose. “For someone complaining about the cold, I don’t think you’d enjoy rock climbing and kayaking in Oregon in March.”

“I don’t think I would, either,” Jackie agreed.

At that moment, Tobias sauntered into the room, and Casey smiled tenderly when he placed a kiss atop her head.

“What’s this about rock climbing and kayaking?” he asked.

“Girls’ weekend,” Casey replied. “Though I Sienna might be rock climbing solo if Aurora can't make it. But I’m down for kayaking.”

Tobias sat next to his wife and gave her a knowing look as he bit into an apple. “Maybe hold off on that.”

Jackie’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow! Casey, tell me you’re not turning into one of those wives who lets her husband tell her what to do! Are you?”

“Of course not!” Casey retorted. “The only place he's allowed to boss me around is in bed."

Tobias chuckled contently as Sienna and Jackie gagged.

“Ignore us,” Casey laughed. “Mr. Eternal Optimist here thinks he has super sperm or something.”

“Uh, before I run out of here and lose my breakfast... what?” Jackie cringed.  

Casey glanced at Tobias, who gave her a nod.

“We’re trying for another baby,” Casey beamed.

“Oh my God, Casey!” Sienna exclaimed, running over to hug her friend. “That’s amazing news.”

Jackie, still seated, looked puzzled. “Uh, but didn’t you just have one?”

“Jackie! Samantha was born nearly two years ago. Besides, it takes the average person six months to conceive, so based on my calculations, I’ll be pregnant by June. Our new baby would be born next spring when Sammy is three, it’s perfect! And I can go on the girl’s trip in March, to boot!”

“Only one flaw in that plan, sweetheart,” Tobias chimed in. “I’m not average. You’re not average. We’re not average. Our little bambina will be on board much sooner than that.”

Casey rolled her eyes. “You still leaving, Jackie? I might join you!”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Tobias smirked, sliding his arm around his wife. “In fact, I think we should get some practice in right here.”

Sienna grabbed Jackie’s hand, pulling her toward the door. “Aaaand on that note, we’re out!”

As the women left, Tobias pulled Casey close. “Told you I could get rid of them,” he murmured with a playful growl.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Maybe,” he said, tapping her nose with his finger. “But you love me.”

“I do.”

~~~~

Valentine’s Day, 2025

Already dressed for their date, Casey wobbled toward their bed as she slipped on her diamond stud earrings. She took a deep breath. Tobias had been looking forward to this evening for weeks. Valentine’s Day was his thing; he loved turning up the romance, and he was so proud of himself for getting a reservation at Mistral. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she couldn’t go.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and her mother-in-law, Vivian, stepped inside. She was babysitting Sammy tonight, and her granddaughter needed her elephant plushie, which had been left on Tobias and Casey’s bed. But one look at Casey and concern spread on Vivian’s face.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” she asked. “You look absolutely peaked.”

Casey glanced up sadly. “I feel awful, Vivian. I think I caught that stomach bug Tobias had last week.”

“Oh my!” Vivian replied. “Then you need to tell Tobias and stay home to get some rest! I’ll stay and watch Samantha; this way, at least you two can spend the night alone.”

“With Tobias taking care of me? Hell of a romantic Valentine’s Day,” Casey groaned.

“Well, the fortunate part is that you two just brim with romance every day of the year. You don’t need a Hallmark holiday to celebrate that.”

“You’re right,” Casey said with a wan smile. “Can you send Tobias up?”

Moments later, Tobias burst through the bedroom door, worry etched on his face. “Baby, what’s going on?” He asked, placing a hand on her forehead.

“I think I caught the stomach bug you had last week.”

“Yeah, but I was burning up, and you don’t seem to have a fever. Did you eat anything that might disagree with you?”

“Eat?” Casey chuckled weakly. “I've barely eaten. My stomach has been off for days.”

Tobias paused, a realization dawning in his eyes. “Casey, are you… late?”

“Late?” she repeated, almost stunned by the question. She mumbled to herself, counting on her fingers. “I haven’t been keeping track as well as normal with everything going on, but if I am, it’s only by a few days.”

Tobias’s eyebrows lifted.  

“No!” Casey insisted. “It’s entirely too soon! That’s impossible.”

“Casey. Baby girl, let’s go back in time,” he teased. “Pretend you’re in college; no, let’s go all the way back to high school. High school biology class.” He stood up and cleared his throat. “All right, Miss MacTavish, I assume you read chapter 2. So, can you tell the class how babies are made?”

“Tobias,” she laughed with a shake of her head.

“Excuse me? That’s Mr. Carrick to you, young lady. Now, unless you want to admit that you didn't do your homework, tell the class how babies are made.”

“Babies are made through unprotected sex, Mr. Carrick,” she giggled.

“OK, I'm gonna switch back to husband mode now, or this is gonna get real weird real fast,” he smirked. “Now, about how many times do we have unprotected sex per week?”

“Five to seven times more than the average American couple,” she sighed. “Depending on the study, of course.”

Tobias grinned at her silently, then finally said, “I’ll go buy a test.”

“But our dinner plans,” she protested.

“Do you really want to eat, baby?”

She looked at him, her complexion turning green just thinking about being in a crowded restaurant surrounded by the smell of food. “You’re right. Go buy a test.”

“Buy two,” she called after him as he reached the door. “Maybe three. I like to be sure.”

He turned back and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and kissing her forehead. “This could be it,” he smiled. “This could really be it.”

“Well, if it is, I won’t feel guilty about being too tired to shop for a Valentine’s Day gift for you this week.”

Tobias handed her a nightgown with a smile. “Get changed and get under the covers. I’ll tell Ma I’m running out to get you medicine. We don’t need her to know what’s happening just yet. I’ll be right back.”

~~~~~

Tobias and Casey locked the door to their en suite bathroom. Tobias opened the first box and handed the plastic test trip to Casey.

“OK, time to pee on this,” he instructed with a grin.

Casey stifled a laugh. “If you’d told me we’d be celebrating Valentine’s Day with you ordering me to pee on something, I would’ve thought you had a new kink... not this.”

“Good point,” he chuckled. “But let’s get to it, and I’ll set the timer.”

They sat on the bed, hands clasped as they waited. “This feels so different from the first time I took a pregnancy test,” Casey mused. “I was all alone and so scared. I didn’t know how you’d react, and I was barely an attending... I couldn’t imagine it all working out.”  

“And look at us now,” Tobias said, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Do you think we’re ready for this?” she asked. “Two children, two demanding careers....”

“We are,” he nodded confidently. “Honey, don’t you know by now? There’s nothing we can’t handle together.”

They shared a tender kiss, disappointed when it was interrupted by the timer.  

“Oh boy,” Casey sighed. “Ready for this?”

“Very much so!”

They walked into the bathroom and picked up the first test. Tobias pumped his fist and whispered, “Yes!” while Casey let out a squeal.

“OK, OK, OK,” Casey cautioned, trying to keep her excitement in check. “Let’s check the others... that’s just one test.”

They checked tests number two and three, which had the same results. Casey turned to Tobias, simply beaming. “Looks like you’re going to be a daddy again! And not in the kinky way we roleplay every other weekend.”

Tobias lifted her in his arms, chucking as he spun her around. “Do I tell you enough how much I love you? How perfect you are for me?”

“You do,” she smiled. “But considering I’m about to grow another baby for you, you can tell me again... every day of this pregnancy... and beyond.”

He kissed her again, only for her to pull back suddenly as a wave of nausea hit. Tobias sat by her side, lovingly rubbing her back. When she finally sat up, her hair was a mess, and her face looked tired, but she still managed a weak smile.

“You’re so beautiful,” Tobias said, his eyes full of admiration.

Casey let out a chuckle. “This isn’t my best look.”

“Oh, yes, it is,” he said, holding her close. “We’re going to have another baby!”

“Yes, we are,” she grinned. “Happy Valentine’s Day, love!”

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[lgbtqreads]

Hi do you have any recs for mlm sports books that are not overly sexual or too graphic? Any sport is great!

I don't know what your standard is, and I admittedly haven't read most of these, but here are a whole bunch of mlm sports books - a quick check of reviews will probably tell you how sexual they are, or you can always stick to the YA!

The Long Run by James Acker (High School Track and Field)

Gravity by Tal Bauer (Pro Hockey)

The Rest of the Story by Tal Bauer (Pro Hockey)

The Team by Tal Bauer (Football)

Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen (College Hockey)

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (College Hockey)

Unwritten Rules by KD Casey (Baseball)

Playing for Keeps by Avery Cockburn + (Soccer)

Level Hands by AJ Cousins (College Rowing)(Amz)

Love Me Like a Rock by AJ Cousins (NA)(Amz)

Rush by Nyrae Dawn (College Football)

Luchador by Erin Finnegan

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons – T (High School Soccer)

Scoring Chances by Avon Gale – B (Hockey)

Hat Trick by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn (Hockey)

*The Keystone Combination by KT Hoffman – T

Rocking the Boat by Christopher Koehler (College Rowing)

Double Up by Vanessa North (Wakeboarding)

Seduction on the Slopes by Tamsen Parker (Skiing)

Relay by Layla Reyne (Swimming) (Amz)

Out of Bounds by A.J. Truman (College Basketball)

Running with Lions by Julian Winters (High School Soccer)

The Master Will Appear by L.A. Witt (Fencing)

[bearterritory]

#8 Cal Wins Opening Weekend

Bears Are Flawless in Dispatching Four Opponents

BERKELEY – The No. 8 ranked California beach volleyball team closed out its opening weekend at the Clark Kerr Sand Courts with straight wins, beating all four opponents by a score of 5-0. In fact, with their victories over Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, American River and San Jose State they only dropped a single set.

"It was really exciting being able to open at home this year in front of our fans and supporters," Cal head coach Meagan Owusu said. "It was fun to see a bunch of new players in the lineup. It's a new squad, so we're just growing and getting to know the strengths that this specific group has and rolling with that."

Cal 5, Saint Mary's 0 The Golden Bears (4-0) got out to a fast start to the day as their first two pairs flew through their opening sets. Sophomore Portia Sherman and junior Ella Dreibholz started with a 21-11 win. After falling behind 13-8 in set two, they quickly rallied and pulled away late to take it 21-17.

Across the way, junior Ella Sears and freshman Kendall Peters cruised to a 21-12 opening-set victory before dropping set two 24-22. They broke a 9-9 tie in the decisive third set with three straight points, closing out the Bears' first nailbiter of the season with a 15-12 win.

Kicking off the next set of matches, sophomore duo Marilu Pally and Gia Fisher rallied from five points down in set one and never looked back, claiming a 21-17, 21-9 victory. Senior Brooke Buchner and graduate student Lara Boos broke out of a pair of close sets, holding off a pair of SMU (1-1) comeback attempts in a 21-19, 21-16 sweep.

The No. 1 pair of Emma Donley and Alexandria Young-Gomez finished things off with a dominant 21-10, 21-13 win in the final match against the Gaels.

1 Emma Donley and Alexandria Young-Gomez (CAL) def. Sedona Sherman and Sadie Shipman (SMU)  21-10, 21-13 2 Marilu Pally and Gia Fisher (CAL) def. Hannah Couch and Hawley Harrer (SMU) 21-17, 21-9 3 Brooke Buchner and Lara Boos (CAL) def. Allie Cataldo and Angie Bour (SMU) 21-19, 21-16 4 Portia Sherman and Ella Dreibholz (CAL) def. Karmin Brown and AJ Slojkowski (SMU) 21-11, 21-17 5 Ella Sears and Kendall Peters (CAL) def. Paola Peralta and Nya Crump (SMU) 21-12, 22-24, 15-12

Order of finish: 4 5 2 3 1

No. 8 Cal 5, Santa Clara 0 In their afternoon matchup with the Broncos (0-2), the Bears comfortably handled every set by at least four points. Pally and Fisher went 21-8, 21-17 while Sherman and Dreibholz won 21-15, 21-17.

None of the Bears' final three pairs gave up more than 13 points in a set. Donley and Young-Gomez won set one 21-13 and finished things off on a cheeky bump winner to take set two 21-11. Sophomores Amelia Vugrincic and Jenna Colligan jumped out to 16-6 leads in both sets en route to a 21-13, 21-11 victory. Buchner and Boos ended the day with wins of 21-12 and 21-9.

1 Emma Donley and Alexandria Young-Gomez (CAL) def. Katie Kishton and Elena Radeff (SCU) 21-13, 21-11 2 Marilu Pally and Gia Fisher (CAL) def. Ella Duffner and Noelle Niederman (SCU) 21-8, 21-17 3 Brooke Buchner and Lara Boos (CAL) def. Casey Campbell and Sveva Munneke (SCU) 21-12, 21-12 4 Portia Sherman and Ella Dreibholz (CAL) def. Jordan Bennett and Hailey Benesz (SCU) 21-15, 21-17 5 Amelia Vugrincic and Jenna Colligan (CAL) def. Alexie Epstein and Alexia Gallegos (SCU) 21-12, 21-9

Order of finish: 2 4 1 5 3

Up Next The Bears will now head south for the weekend for their road openers in the Battle For L.A. at Mapes Beach. Cal takes on UCLA and Cal Poly on Friday, March 1. The following day, the Bears face Concordia University Irvine and Loyola Marymount.

[cuttergauthier]

Hockey Fanfiction Masterlist Part TWO

You can find the Imagine/blurbs/Insta edits i've written for each player under their written below!

Quinton Byfield

→Imagine

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Quinton Byfield x Female Hockey Player

Brock Boeser

→Imagine

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Brock boeser x Spring time

Tyler Duke

→Imagine

→Blurb

Secret Relationship 0.5k

→Insta Edits

Tyler Duke x Female Fantilli Reader

Rutger Mcgroarty

→Imagine

Summer Time 2.4k

→Blurb

Take Care Of Me 0.3k

→Insta Edits

Rutger Mcgroarty x Naurato daughter

Rutger Mcgroarty x Sister's Best Friend

Hughes sister AU’s

→Imagine

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Conner Smith x Hughes sister 

Adam Fantilli

→Imagine

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Adam Fantilli x Childhood best friend

Alex Turcotte

→Imagine

L.A. Living 0.7k

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Kirby Dach

→Imagine

The Story Of Us 2.0k

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Kirby Dach x Female Strome Reader

Gavin Brindley

→Imagine

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Gavin Brindley x Casey Twin Sister

Arber Xhekaj

→Imagine

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Arber Xhekaj x Female Dach Reader

Gabe Perrault

→Imagine

Treated Like A Princess 1.3k

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Brock Faber

→Imagine

Let Me In 2.7k

→Blurb

Flowers & Breakfast 0.2k

→Insta Edits

Owen Lindmark

→Imagine

Shy Girl 1.0k

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Nick Granowicz

→Imagine

Proposing 1.0k

→Blurb

Cheering Up 0.3k

→Insta Edits

Nick Granowicz x Msu Reader au

Jacob Truscott

→Imagine

Snowed In 0.6k

→Blurb

Sick 0.1k

→Insta Edits

Jacob Truscott x Blankenburg Sister

Jimmy Snuggerud

→Imagine

→Blurb

Protector 0.2k

→Insta Edits

Matt Boldy

→Imagine

→Blurb

Mr. & Mrs. Boldy 0.8k

→Insta Edits

Charlie Stramel

→Imagine

Stop hogging the blankets 2.0k

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

Will Smith

→Imagine

→Blurb

Tossing & Turning 0.2k

→Insta Edits

Mason Lohrei

→Imagine

→Blurb

2 a.m Cuddles 0.3k

→Insta Edits

Timo Meier

→Imagine

Family Snow Day 0.8k

→Blurb

→Insta Edits

[mattnben-bennmatt]

Casey Affleck in New York in May. Photo: Alexia Barroso.

Casey Affleck interview w/ The Wall Street Journal (30 July 2024)

Casey Affleck on Living With Matt Damon and Ben Affleck—and Feeling Like an Outsider

Co-star of ‘The Instigators’ talks about his alcoholic father, what kids’ AA meetings taught him about role-playing and his ‘Price Is Right’ hot tub.

By Marc Myers

-

Casey Affleck, 48, is an Oscar-winning actor best known for his roles in “Manchester by the Sea,” “Gone Baby Gone” and “Oppenheimer.” He co-wrote and co-stars in the heist film “The Instigators,” which will stream on Apple TV+ starting Aug. 9. He spoke with Marc Myers.

Early home life was a wild and unmonitored experience. I grew up in the late ’70s and ’80s on a slightly rundown street in a sweet neighborhood in Cambridge, Mass. Our area off Central Square was ethnically diverse and blue collar.

My father was many wonderful things, but his alcoholism took him from us for many years. As a result, my mother was a single mom for much of my childhood.

Affleck with his mother, Chris, in Westwood, Calif., in 2000. Photo: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

My family lived in a two-story clapboard house. My mother rented out the space above us. Many houses had three generations living at home, and families survived from paycheck to paycheck. Everyone was in the same situation.

My mom was an elementary school teacher. She worked long hours, so my older brother, Ben, and I saw her mostly before and after dinner, when she’d grade papers and we’d do homework. My dad was a janitor, a mechanic and a bartender. Before I was born, he was a stage manager at the Theater Company of Boston. 

In my early years, I attended AA meetings for kids who had a parent who was an addict. The goal was to help me understand what was happening and to cope. We’d re-enact at-home scenarios—behaving like your addicted parent to better grasp the problem and express your feelings. This role-playing was my first unintended exposure to acting.

Eventually, my dad’s drinking and erratic behavior led to my parents’ divorce when I was 9. Mom, Ben and I remained in our house while my dad moved to various places.

My mother placed an emphasis on education, so Ben and I had to maintain some level of academic standards. As a kid, I was a class-clown extrovert and got into lots of trouble because of it. 

When I was 10, my mom was a tutor for child actors on PBS educational programs. We went to Mexico for nearly a year and traveled throughout the country and the Yucatán Peninsula with a PBS TV series. My horizons broadened.

After we returned to Cambridge, my mom’s best friend, Patty Collinge, took an interest in me. She was a casting director with two daughters my age who became two of my best friends. Patty would take us to film sets to be extras so she could keep an eye on us. 

Affleck, left, at age 11, and at age 4. Casey Affleck (Family Photo)

I never had plans to become an actor, but in high school, I had a great drama teacher, Gerry Speca. He gave me most of the tools I use now.

He’d arrive at 7:30 a.m. and stayed most nights until 8 or 9. He was brilliant, selfless and could be hard on us. I think he initially saw me as a mediocre performer who was a bit of a wiseass. I didn’t get good parts until I was a senior. 

Gerry also encouraged us to write our own plays. We did months of skits and improv scenes. Then he put all that stuff together, and we competed in the New England Drama Festival. Everything I’ve been able to do I can attribute to the process that Gerry taught me.

Acting just happened. As soon as I graduated from high school, my best friend and I drove to California and saw everything in between. In L.A., we lived with a bunch of people from Cambridge, including Ben and Matt Damon, but I still felt like an outsider.

From left, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck at Damon’s birthday party in the late 1980s. Photo: Casey Affleck (Family Photo)

I spent 1994 in L.A. auditioning for roles that I didn’t get and working as a busboy in a brewery. I decided to go to college. I did two years, total, at Columbia University. I also auditioned for acting jobs to earn enough to pay the next semester’s tuition. But as acting work picked up, I faded on college. Now I wish I hadn’t. 

The turning point in my acting career was the 2007 film “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” in which I played Ford. I began that role by trying to understand the person who had killed James. To do so, I had to understand the darkness in myself.

Clockwise from top left: Casey Affleck in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James’ (2007); in ‘Gone Baby Gone’ (2007); in ‘The Instigators’ (2024), right, with Matt Damon; and in his Oscar-winning role in ‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016), leaning on Kyle Chandler’s shoulder. Everett Collection (3); Apple

Today, I live in the same four-bedroom French Norman house in East L.A. that I bought in 2005.

My dad eventually went into rehab and became sober. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate and love him more and more. He is incredibly strong, of great character, extremely funny and very smart. I owe him and my mom a lot.

Their chief concern is whether I’m happy. On the acting side, the answer is never easy for me. As for my family, I love being a parent more than anything. 

Casey’s Hot Tub

“The Instigators”? I play Cobby, who, with a group of Boston thieves, attempts to pull off an election-night heist as a therapist tags along.

Downtime? I love being on my two kids’ schedules when they stay over.

Meaning? I make them lunch, take them to school, pick them up, do stuff after school, make dinner and hear about their day.

Pastime? I play on a baseball team and write a lot.  

Splurge? I bought a hot tub from a “Price Is Right” contestant who didn’t want it. It’s big and ugly, but I am kind of star struck by it. I even added a cold plunge.

Appeared in the August 2, 2024, print edition as 'From a Boston Pack To an L.A. Outsider'.

[rockislandadultreads]

Page-to-Screen Adaptations: Fiction Picks

Check out these titles recently adapted for the big screen - the book is always better!

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father? This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure - but as the two sides square off against each other, all of the Delaneys start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.

This adaptation is currently streaming on Peacock.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by Billy Dunne. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes the key to supercharged success is putting them together. 

This adaptation is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

The Christmas season offers little cheer for Eileen Dunlop, an unassuming yet disturbed young woman trapped between her role as her alcoholic father’s caretaker and a day job at a boys’ prison. But when the bright, beautiful, and cheery Rebecca Saint John arrives on the scene as the new counselor at the prison, Eileen is enchanted and her affection for Rebecca ultimately pulls her into complicity in a crime that surpasses her wildest imaginings.

This adaptation is currently available to rent/buy on Prime Video.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. When photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. the plan for damage control involves staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. 

This adaptation is currently available to stream on Prime Video.