#netflix sex/life season 3

[mixbrasilcombr]

Segunda temporada de Sex/Life exibe nu frontal de Jonathan Sadowski

A segunda temporada de “Sex/Life” estreou no dia 2 de março e exibiu o nu frontal do ator Jonathan Sadowski, o intérprete de Devon no sexto episódio a partir do minuto 17. Na história, após se separar da mulher, Cooper (Mike Vogel), amigo de Devon, decide aproveitar a vida. Em uma das saídas, os amigos acabam indo a uma festa regada a drogas e álcool. Acompanhado de duas garotas de programa,…

[clairedaring]

Sneak Peak of the Cutting-Edge Futuristic Netflix Thai Original ‘Tomorrow and I’

What happens when hyper-advanced technology collides with traditional Thai beliefs and customs? Discover the answers in Tomorrow and I, a four episode anthology series that takes viewers on a journey through a futuristic Thailand where technology has become an inescapable part of daily life.

The cast includes Pakorn Chatborrirak, Violette Wautier, Waruntorn Paonil, Treechada Hongsyok, Ray Macdonald, Timethai, Thongchai Thongkuntom, Aelm Thavornsiri, Pongsatorn Jongwilas, Chananticha Chaipa, and Wanichaya Pornpanarittichai.

This groundbreaking series is directed by Paween Purijitpanya a trailblazing filmmaker known for his genre-defying works such as Body, 4bia, and Phobia 2. Paween has also showcased his talents with the feel-good series Seven Something, the boundary-pushing film Ghost Lab, and his exceptional direction in the episode “Liberation” of Girl from Nowhere Season 2. In Tomorrow and I, Paween reimagines four everyday scenarios in intriguing ways, starting with…

Episode 1: Bringing your loved ones back from the dead. Imagine a future where innovation has reached its peak, testing the boundaries of life and death. In this world, the cycle of birth, death, and being reborn may become an everyday reality through the technology of cloning.

Episode 2: Welcome to a place where technology meets intimacy. Have you ever felt that your partner couldn't quite meet your desires, or felt uncertain because you're still new to relationships? What if there's a city where technology might provide the solution? Enter a world where intelligent sex robots are designed to cater to every emotional and physical need.

Episode 3: What if a Techno-Monk joined the Buddha and the Dharma in the Triple Gem, replacing the Sangha? Imagine AI continuing ancient teachings preserved and upheld for over 2,500 years, revolutionizing Buddhism. Could this challenge traditional faith, or signal the end of the monastic order?

Episode 4: And if an entire city were submerged underwater after years of relentless rainfall, how would humanity survive? Would people fall into despair as the waters rose, or would they have to rely on "octopuses," potentially the last hope for survival? When this moment arrives, everyone will face a crisis beyond our species' abilities.

Unveil the future in Tomorrow and I, the year-end series that will spark your imagination and challenge your perceptions of a world where technology seamlessly integrates into every facet of our lives. Coming soon, exclusively on Netflix.

[kuwdora]

Witcher Recs - Cahir (TWN Edition)

More witcher recs! This post is devoted to The Witcher Netflix's Cahir. Here are 8 stories that includes some rarepairs, shenanigans and smut. I won't rule out making another TWN Cahir recs post since I haven't even gone into some of my other bookmarks that I made back when I was reading as much as I could. So many good stories everywhere.

Hangover by @astaldis. 3785w. Mature. TWN. Fringilla and Cahir. Season 3 canon divergence AU. Drunken shenanigans. Angst and humor. After a night of celebrating his unexpected reunion with Fringilla, Cahir wakes up with a bad hangover and with no memory of the events of the night.

Forever besties and confessions, omg. Fringilla and Cahir’s dynamic is so great, I can’t get enough of it and thankfully this author has so much great fic with them.

In the city of golden towers by @limerental. 11,858, Mature. TWN but blending with books. Fringilla & Cahir. After being accused of treason for their role in Xin'trea, Fringilla is dismissed and demoted, and Cahir is reassigned. Sent back to the City of Golden Towers, the capital of Nilfgaard, the pair end up reluctantly sharing a room together in Cahir's great aunt's apartments.

OMG they were platonic roommates. It’s such a great story about home and friendship and being in that liminal space after failure and not knowing where you fit in now that you’ve fucked up. It’s got some great anachronistic tidbits of the kind you’d find in the witcher books, a ton of incredible Fringilla characterizations, a cat character, and a ton of laugh out loud moments.

the backs have bled by woahpip. 606w. Teen. TWN. Yennefer/Cahir. ��You can never trust someone like me, Cahir.” His face never changed; that wasn’t news to him.

This is a great fireside chat between the two characters. It’s a great and candid look at their very different lived experiences and their general philosophy on life. Great ficlet.

Flame and Chaos by MindTraveler. 7531w. Mature. TWN. Yennefer/Cahir. Touch-starved, horsemanship, touch starved. He hadn’t been touched in months, except for pain. Yennefer and Cahir struggle to retrieve what they have both lost. Power.

This is really fucking delicious and really turned me onto the possibilities of the pairing.

A Skittish Colt by @sassaffrassa. 300w. Explicit. Regis/Cahir. Fisting, d/s, praise kink. Cahir's stress can be easily managed with the proper medical techniques applied.

This is 🔥🔥🔥.

What soliders do by Ruler_of_Nope_Island. 742 words. Explicit. TWN. Gallatin/Cahir. Handjobs, there was only one bedroll. It's been a cold, long journey, and the lads need to rest.

Delicious smut.

Stinkhorn by kayforpay. 1895w. Explicit. TWN. Gallatin/Cahir. Sex pollen. Cahir ran headlong into a patch of what Gallatin called "stinkhorn". What he failed to fully explain was that where elves simply had to wash their clothes a few more times than normal, humans tended to fall into a sex frenzy.

More delicious smut.

Head Rush by aunt_zelda. 200 words. Explicit. TWN. Emhyr/Cahir. Alcohol, fealty, dubcon, rape. He owes the Emperor everything, body and soul.

The gif inspiration for this fic, whewwww. This fic is A Lot for 200 words.

Previously on Kuwdora's Witcher Recs:

Angst and Connection

Sorceress Femslash Part 1

Villains and Bad Guys Part 1

Istredd Recs

[receival]

castlevania, season 3 starters.

the following is a collection of sentence starters from the netflix original, castlevania.

oh, my god. i am losing my mind.

it’s only been a month. i think.

i think it might actually be a nice night, for once.

do you think we’ll make the next town before we lose the last of the light?

do we need to make more noise?

they need to hurry up. i’m hungry.

let them get in close and get confident.

oh, god, not this again.

i am certainly doomed. doomed, i say! i am defenseless and frozen to my seat with fear!

laying it on a little thick, aren’t you, (name)?

this will all be over in a minute.

what if i said i was sorry?

i’ve been promoted from “brain - damaged servant”, then.

it’s absolutely bloody chaos out there!

i want to get in a bath, for at least a day.

the plan couldn’t have gone more wrong.

you’ll be wanting a drink, then.

you do still love me!

it’s us against the world, (name).

has there been some apocalyptic development that i somehow slept through in the meantime?

time absolutely does move on, and, sadly, none of us is master or mistress of it.

they are somewhat, uh, broken.

did you kill it?

how do you know this?

they said they felt his death.

does that offend you?

it’s time for you and yours to move along now, (name).

what the hell was that?

oh, dear. what a shame.

not until i feel a little safer here.

you killed that bastard thing. you get one free.

that is better than sex.

i do hope you sleep well tonight, with my tiny, icy foot shoved all the way up your —

and you know the smell of hell?

are you breathing, betrayer?

i was spoiled by a single act of kindness in this city. and so i attempted to be reasonable, honest, and peaceful. this was against my better nature.

it was stupid to expect anything other than hate from you.

i keep making the same mistake. i should know better.

then why are still talking to me?

do you know what annoys me about it the most? it’s a really good idea.

maybe we could just torture him until he does what he’s told.

i suppose i’m awake now.

good boy.

what a formidable beast you are.

uh … who the hell are you?

you are practically the jesus of murder.

i have no idea what’s happening right now.

and … what do you want in return?

what interests you so much about hell?

i will not be hunted.

if i wanted him dead, i would have aimed higher.

i am not “the” anything.

you’re better than i thought.

you will have to unlearn much of what you know about the world and take on more than you ever imagined.

i think my mother would approve.

now we are not alone.

i suppose we could take a break.

ah, you’ve gone insane.

you could have told me that yesterday.

well, now i want to know how you’re even alive.

the place is apparently full of lunatics.

what do you need to know?

they just looked … well. broken.

i’m not looking at you, (name).

you like looking at me.

do you partake of alcohol?

it’s not pain as you understand it.

i’m too angry. i cannot find myself.

i cannot pray. i cannot see god.

he was confused. he was grieving.

it is a skill, learned over many years.

through my hand, god lifts the damned from hell in his mercy to enact their penance on the earth as my soldiers.

well after you’ve had your blood, what will you do then?

i’ve been cruel. it’s a cruel world. maybe we do all deserve to die — but maybe we could be better, too.

revenge is good. bastards need punishing.

vampires. you like to play with your food.

sorry. it must look like blood, mustn’t it?

i seem to have some roasted chicken in here. i’m afraid there are no maggots on it — i can call the guard and ask him to get you some sprinkles.

we enjoy all the good things of life. it’d be silly not to, wouldn’t it? otherwise, well, why live forever, if you’re not going to live well?

why live forever, if you’re not going to live well?

it’s alright. i’m not here to cause you any more harm.

let’s just have something to eat, and talk.

well! wasn’t that fun!

i’m a diplomat, (name). i make peace. and because of that, people think i’m soft. people think i’m weak. you won’t make that mistake again, will you?

fetch!

don’t look at those.

how long have you been here on your own?

tell me i’m wrong.

i admit it, alright? it’s been amazing. but i also remember how hard it was to get here.

i wish you’d stop talking to me like i’m insane, (name).

we wear the mark of hell?

i confess i had doubts about you.

enough. move away.

quietly confident people are competent and careful. nervous people make mistakes.

i’d rather they were nervous than happy in their work.

stop pretending that this is anything other than what it is.

it’s not poisoned.

let’s talk about what you would like.

i — i don’t understand the question.

i wasn’t necessarily looking for a reward.

so, you would have died with your boots on.

but what if you’re lying to me?

oh, i don’t have to lie to you. i have no interest in faith. faith makes for terrible diplomacy.

i like the sound of your voice.

i mean, look at you. beaten down a dozen different ways, and you don’t give up on yourself.

what a monster i have become.

i cannot believe this is happening again.

why do i keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result?

am i mad?

what the hell are you doing with your life?

what the actual hell are you thinking?

you weren’t following me, were you?

somebody always needs something.

places have a strange way of catching back up with you.

and you know it wasn’t there yesterday?

oh. that’s worrying,

i want to see how good you are when it comes down to a blade.

i’m developing a taste for the rougher things in life.

i do not trust people, generally.

who did you lose?

a bird might think your penis was a twig and fly off with it.

good boy.

the thing is, (name), humans forget things. vampires don’t.

you have a lot to learn.

so dramatic. relax and enjoy the night.

alright, i admit it. that’s fantastic.

is this a trick? am i dreaming?

i had a feeling you might find it interesting.

can i see you tomorrow night?

that’s a depressing thought.

i hope i love long enough to find out how it ends.

we — we shouldn’t be … here.

take my hand! please!

i’m sure there must have been a time when i had nice dreams.

do you remember who you were?

i think it was a long time ago.

i gave up others so that i may live.

thank you for my second life.

it will take a very long time, and there are more important things to do.

i’m not going anywhere, (name).

it’s a little more complicated than that.

not an obvious thing to find in a church.

i don’t see why this would excite you so.

i fail to see why this should interest me.

you’re alone here?

i smell you.

i see you.

i’m just not as strong as i was.

there are worse things than betrayal.

i’m a simple man with simple pleasures.

oh, i do like meeting a professional killer.

keep a civil fucking tongue in your head when you’re addressing me, (name).

you can’t keep me here.

i can’t believe i tried to be nice to you.

why are you still awake?

can you not keep it down?

well, now i definitely need a drink.

he’s holding things back from us.

can it be after i’ve had a nap?

i’m not lazy. i conserve my resources for important

efforts.

i feel as if i’ve been led here.

we’re doomed.

i don’t have enough information yet.

i seem to have missed that epic part of your plan.

you’re being … kind.

alright, alright. no need to make a production out of it.

i’m simply not used to people being kind to me for no reason.

there’s not something you’re not telling me?

has night fallen already?

you didn’t hear me enter.

i’m presuming there’s some disturbing reason for that and i will regret asking.

so now we’re not all monsters?

diplomacy is compromise.

i get something, you get something.

i have all the power, and you’re a pretty man in a box.

i’m — i’m pretty?

i’ve been awake all day thinking about it.

i want to be let out.

that would be a direct betrayal.

you’d survive less than a day on your own.

i would die almost immediately.

uh, that wasn’t what i was expecting to hear.

i think we’ve made a terrible mistake.

god is no longer in that house.

sleep, you idiot.

maybe i should get a coffin to sleep in.

tell me you’re mine.

i’m yours.

tell me you belong to me.

i belong to you.

what the fuck is that?

i may have been on my own for too long.

another hopeful idea that died in its sleep.

(name), do you have my back?

you’re already dead.

why? why would you tell me this?

all this death and horror for that leech?

show me what i want to see, you fucking bastard!

i gave you everything.

the world is not against you.

i am not against you.

i never lied to you.

i just want to know what’s behind that door.

this could not have gone more wrong.

[gothcsz]

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 / Chapter II.

gif credit / @azertyrobaz

PAIRING: Javier Peña x Original Female Character

SUMMARY: Javier is slowly beginning to realize that monotony isn't as bad as he initially thought…

WORD COUNT: 9.4k

RATING: 18+ Mature topics such as sex, drugs, murder, the occult, religion, cannibalism and other triggering matters will be explored in this body of work. Minors DNI.

CHAPTER SPECIFIC TAGS: Mutual pining, mentions of masturbation, they really wanna fuck each other, that good slowburn angst, lots of smoking, southern gothic vibes are strong with this one, if you love worldbuilding then this is the fic for you, mentions of a religion, mentions of sex workers, dbf!Javier Peña because I have no self control.

DISCLAIMER/WARNINGS:   The Javier Peña referenced in this body of work is solely based off of the character that appears in Netflix’s Narcos and not the actual person. Very canon divergent and I will tweak things as I see fit to compliment the narrative of this story. While efforts have been made to be accurate in terms of canon timeline, a lot of details will be fictionalized, including the usage of the song(s) that Paloma will perform throughout the story.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Lexi, my beloved, who has been a BIG help in helping me figure out this crazy ass story. Love you bestie, I don't know where I'd be without you < 3 I am… so obsessed with these two and the little universe they live in… *muffled screaming* I hope everyone reading so far is having a good time because I know I am! I've got a lot in store for this pairing, and if you're a fan of the horror/thriller aspect of this plot there's a lot comin' your way ;) Anyways feel free to drop any type of feedback on this blog < 3

♰  read on ao3. ♰

♰  playlist | pinterest | series masterlist ♰

It’s an extraordinarily warm day, which isn’t uncommon for the area, however it’s the type of warm that reminds her that summer is just around the corner. 

It’s Paloma’s favorite season. While the Seminary heat is unforgiving as all hell; she loves the way the sun feels against her skin, the thin layer of sweat that clings to her gives her the perfect glow and nothing beats cooling down by the creek. The town is also much more lively during the season, too, since tourists heading west often take a rest stop in in town.

It’s how she gathers most of her summer weekend crowd. People who do not expect this drive through town to be as charming as it is. While small, it has a community actively keeping it thriving. The businesses that line the streets of their downtown all owned by families who have been here for decades. A lot of love has been poured into their settlement, and while most of the time Paloma feels suffocated by the repetitiveness of her days, she’ll always have a soft spot in her heart for her hometown.

She’s become the performer that she is by staying here. Her shows at The Whiskey Fox have been the perfect training grounds for her to get a comfortable grasp on her stage presence, which aside from singing, is the most important thing about being a musician. An aspiration that she keeps to herself, mostly, just telling those who ask that she’s doing this ‘singing thing’ as a hobby. That her ‘real job’ would be going full time at the library.

That is her plan, the future she damns herself with. As quick-witted and rambunctious as Paloma can be; she’s still not valiant enough to take control of her own life.

Instead, she’s at the beck and call of her father’s.

It is much easier this way, she justifies it to herself like that all the time. If she goes out into the world, pursues her want to be a musician; there’s a chance that she fails and has to return home with her tail tucked between her legs like a shameful dog. At least staying here in Seminary provides her with a stability to keep her content for the rest of her life.

But would she really be content? Would she regret not trying and potentially not even failing?

Paloma bikes the familiar path from her house down into town, woven bag with her belongings in the basket that’s zip tied to the front of the bicycle she’s had since she was in high school. There’s a small grocery list and an even smaller to-do list accompanying her things; a brown paper bag with her father’s lunch also tossed in there.

When Darla, her 1970 Buick Electra, officially died on her; she hated having to bike everywhere. Her father was able to take her places whenever he could, but most of the time it was just Paloma and her bike against the world. 

The sheriff even made the suggestion of sending one of the deputies to escort her wherever she pleased, but she despised the idea of having an officer always following her around. So after a few awkward car rides to and from town; she decided it’d be more convenient for her to bike it until further notice. The only time she requests an escort is after a closing shift at the library or a show at the bar. 

The most peaceful part of the trek is riding over the abandoned railroad tracks near the old train station. Something about the scenery; being surrounded by the lush forest with nothing but her and her thoughts for miles and miles is very comforting to Paloma, so whenever she arrives at this little landmark of hers, she makes a point to stop and soak it all in. 

On days like this, where she doesn’t have much to do; she stays for a while.

Paloma approaches the familiar tracks, stopping entirely and propping her bicycle against a nearby tree. She pops a Linda Ronstadt CD into her portable player, the headphones slipping over her ears as she approaches the tracks. The sound of the gravel crunching beneath her boots is muffled out by the soft country tunes that begin to play. Paloma sits right on the track, a little unorthodox but she doesn’t care. Using her bag as a makeshift pillow, she lays flat and looks up at the sky until her eyes shut close; sighing wistfully as she slips away into another world entirely.

She has been struggling to finish any of her music lately, inspiration lackluster to the point where she’s had to revert to covering songs instead of performing original material at the bar. It is frustrating, to say the least, especially when she knows she is more than capable of writing a good song.

There just hasn’t been much happening that warrants a spark in her passion. No romantic love to pour her heart over, no life-altering event to process with instruments and lyrics. Nothing exciting.

She was in a rut…

That was until a few days ago.

Mind seemingly wanders over to the handsome man that had been in her family home.

Those dark brown, intense eyes that had her flustered any time they made eye contact, the strong cut of his jaw and how it flexed when he spoke, lips that looked so inviting underneath the mustache that she hates she’s so attracted to.

This is the first time any man has left such an impression on Paloma. She sighs softly, remembering how she was harping on her own father for bringing out the fancy scotch in order to impress Javier.

“Man must’ve left quite an impression for ya to be bustin’ out the crown jewel.”

Now she understands why. Aside from being nice to look at— she found herself completely engaged in any conversation he partook in. While he was not a man of many words, the few that he did have had her feeling like a freshman schoolgirl crushing on a senior athlete.

She is particularly interested in the fact that he had lived in Colombia for a better part of however many years; curiosity bubbling anytime he mentioned anything about his time there. She is envious that he has been able to experience a country filled with such culture and ecological beauty, even though she understands that the nature of his job probably didn’t entail to him sightseeing much. 

That’s another thing; he was very vague about what his role was down there. All Paloma knows is that he was a DEA agent, responsible for cornering one of the most notorious drug traffickers to exist in the modern world. One thing led to another and now he’s back in the United States as a Deputy Sheriff for a small town in the middle of fuck-knows-where Texas. 

It intrigued her to know his backstory and how that led him here. What all he’d done and witnessed, even if it wasn’t any of her business.

She finds it fascinating and it adds a layer of mystique to his persona.

Then her thoughts begin to turn into something more… naughty as she imagines the way his mouth wrapped around the colored end of the cigarette, his fingers flexing around the drinking glass before downing its contents in one swift movement, tongue peering out to lick at his lips. Fuck, her eyes flutter open and she squints slightly as the sun beams down on her. Her skin is warm, just how she likes it, buzzing with excitement at the image of the older man nuzzled in between her thighs, teasing her until she was at his mercy. 

She takes her bottom lip between her teeth, fingers slowly trailing down her torso then drumming along the exposed skin of her lower stomach. The thought of moving her digits beneath the fabric of her panties crosses her mind for a split second before she remembers where she is. Not that she would be interrupted at this time of day but she has to have some shame, right? It’s already bad enough that she’s fantasizing about him, no need to fuel that fire by touching herself in plain daylight.

Paloma sits up, removing the headphones from over her ears and twisting her body to reach into her bag as she pulls out her notebook and pencil, a sudden stroke of inspiration striking her.

Javier lazily leans back against the leather chair he’s sat in, typical cigarette dangling from his lips as he scans the report in front of him, brows pulled in to a frown as he half ass reads it. He’s only been in Seminary for a week and it hadn’t taken him long to fall into routine. 

He gets up early to exercise, finding the time in his day to be able to do that again, eats what he considers a ‘healthy’ breakfast (it’s just toast and eggs… maybe some fruit if he’s really feeling it) then heads to the sheriff’s department. The day drags by until he’s at home again. He spends the evenings glued to his couch, takeout remnants on the table, nursing a beer and watching reruns until he goes to bed.

That is the part he dreads the most. The night time. Javi has always had trouble sleeping, but his time in Colombia only made the insomnia worse. He’ll stare at the ceiling, replaying all his fuck ups over and over until day breaks and soft sunlight seeps into his room. 

On the nights where he does manage to fall asleep, it’s restless and doesn’t last very long as he jerks awake from whichever nightmare decides to plague him that night. He has a few that revisit him often, involving Helena and how things ended with her. Others about Carillo and his untimely death.

It is quite a vicious cycle that he has not been able to break himself free from. It was much more easier to get ahold of it back in Colombia where he could go pay for a distraction at a brothel or bury himself in the demanding job.

Here, there isn’t a damn thing he can bury himself in.

Well, there’s one person he’d love to find a distraction in but fucking the sheriff’s daughter just to get some sleep is not the best move for him to make considering he’s trying to be a better person nowadays.

There is barely anything happening at the station. The few deputies employed are constantly out on patrol, which Javi had recently revamped by giving new routes for them to follow. A task he’d conjured out of pure boredom yet left Sheriff Leighton impressed by his proactiveness.

Furthermore, the department is left partially empty with just himself, Romeo and Lorraine holding down the fort. 

With no further updates in the ongoing homicide cases; there isn’t much to do. He isn't in the mood to go make small talk with the locals, and he’s already driven and familiarized himself with most of the roads within town limits, so he’s stuck in this building for the time being. 

The sheriff had reiterated many times not to expect the same hustling and bustling he experienced back in Bogotá or Medellín. A fact that he knew when coming in, but experiencing it is just so damn grueling.

Instead of going home and bullshitting there, Javier decides to be responsible and help Lorraine reorganize their filing system. It is outdated to all hell and messier than anything he and Murphy could have ever conjured up at the embassy, but in attempts to be a more… responsible person, he tells the front desk clerk to not worry about a thing and that he’d handle it all himself.

He might have gone in over his head, but they’re just files. The tedious task something he is very familiar with. Javi had done his fair share of mindless tasks during his DEA days.

He’s at his desk, an unused one he plucked from the center of the room and moved over into a corner that gave him just a pinch of privacy. Romeo apologized about the lack of space for a private office, but Javi didn’t mind it. Being in an office is stifling; and he enjoys, for the most part, being out in the open. 

Also, Lorraine is great company. Very unfortunate that she shares the name with his ex-fiancée.

Javier sets the sheet of paper he’s reread a dozen times down, ashing his cigarette and scratching at his nose with his thumb when he hears the sound of the front door opening. 

His eyes lazily trail over to the entrance and an immediate smirk tugs at his lips, crease between his brows disappearing.

Paloma Leighton.

Oh, how he’s been thinking about her since that night he had dinner over at their house. How wrong it is of him to be pining after a woman like her.

It is not that difficult to capture Javier’s attention, he is very self aware in that regard. As long as you were interested; you were pretty much on his radar.

Javier loves women. He loves the way they look, the way they smell. Their soft moans and pants in response to his coaxing, how their nails feel digging into the soft skin of his shoulders as they come down from an intense orgasm. 

Can anyone blame him for being so attracted to them all the time? Women are a godsend.

He watches her carefully as she saunters over to his desk that’s on the opposite side to where her father’s office is. 

“Now, Miss Leighton— to what do I owe this pleasure?” He asks, taking another drag of his cigarette as he keeps his position leaned back in his chair.

With an air of curiosity, he casts a lingering gaze over her figure, his lips moistening involuntarily as he drinks her in.

She’s wearing cutoff jean shorts that hug her in all the right places and a halter top with an exposed back. She isn’t wearing a bra so her stiff nipples are prominent against the fabric. The sight gets him stirring below his belt, and he has to keep smoking in order to keep his antsy hands off of her. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” She throws the typical line at him with a smirk.

“I forgot my camera at home. Mind comin’ back to mine, cariño? I’ll make sure to take the prettiest pictures.” He ashes the cigarette, flirtatious as ever despite telling himself he was not going to go down this route.

But there’s nothing wrong with a little flirting, right? Especially not when she’s playing into it.

“Clever, charming and cocky. I’m startin’ to sense a pattern here, cowboy.”

“And what would that pattern be?” 

“M’still figurin’ that out, unfortunately.” There’s a brief pause, “Those things’ll kill you.” Paloma changes the subject, nodding her head towards his nicotine stick.

“I’m going to die eventually.” Javier rebuttals and she just hums, honey colored eyes watching as he takes another long drag.

Javi is thankful that Lorraine had left early today. He's certain that this little conversation of there's would have played out differently had there been a third person in the room.

Maybe it wouldn’t have happened at all and he would have been stuck thinking about her like a perverted fool.

“S’that why you’re here? To criticize me smoking?” His toned biceps flex as he brings his hands behind his neck, fingers interlocking and cigarette hanging from in between his lips.

“No, just stopped by to drop off daddy’s lunch before I ran some errands. That man wouldn’t eat if it weren’t for me.” Now it’s her turn to do the ogling, her gaze traveling from the cigarette to his arms, eyes sparkling down at him.

“Sheriff isn’t in right now.” He informs her but something tells him she already knew this. Her brows raise at the news and she shrugs. 

“‘Course he ain’t. Probably already went down to Carl’s for lunch. I keep tellin’ him his arteries are gonna get all clogged up if all he eats is greasy burgers and beer.” Javier can sense a hint of irritation in her voice.

“So just let him. He’s a grown man, M’sure he doesn’t need nor want his daughter looking out for him every second of the day.” He interjects, watching her carefully as she rolls her eyes. 

Her hair is in two neat braids, bangs framing her beautiful face leaving the entirety of her back exposed to him. A few droplets of sweat slowly roll down her spine and he imagines himself licking them right up; preferably while he has her bent over his desk. 

“Well if I don’t do it then who will? He’d barely last a week on his own.” Despite being irritated, Javier catches how she genuinely seems to care for her father so with that, he decides to not meddle in their family business and instead moves on swiftly.

“You know him better than I do.” He leaves it at that, finishing his cigarette, “Heard you got a show comin’ up” And when he says ‘heard’ what he really means is listening to everyone else rave about the sheriff's daughter's incredible talent and how he simply must attend one of her performances.

That sparkle in her eye glistens brighter at the mention of her show and she nods, “Yup,” pops the ‘p’, fiddling with the pens he’s stuffed into his faded DEA mug, her body turned slightly to face him. “Every Friday and Saturday. Will we be blessed by your presence, Mr. Peña or are you going to hide out in your trailer home all weekend?” Hearing his last name coming from her has his jaw ticking ever so slightly and he watches her eyes take notice of it.

Paloma likes it.

“Dunno. Gotta check my schedule, querida. Things tend to get crazy ‘round here. Or so I’ve heard.”

“Well… if you do decide to find some time in that busy schedule of yours; the show starts at six both nights.” And who was he to deny her? Especially as she bats her eyelashes at him, an unspoken way of letting him know she wants to see him there.

The front door bell dings, announcing the arrival of someone new, interrupting the comfortable pause of silence they were sharing. 

That someone new is the sheriff, and Paloma immediately rises from her spot on the edge of his desk, making her way to her father. Javier straightens up, picking up the previously discarded sheet and feigning interest in it; but Romeo doesn’t seem to notice a thing. He looks deep in thought.

“There ya are. I brought you lunch.” Paloma calls after him but he’s already in his office. She lets out a sigh, looking over her shoulder at Javier whom she catches getting an even better view of her ass.

“See you around, Mr. Peña. Maybe you should start carrying around that camera of yours. Y’know… to get all them pretty pictures.” She makes a point to sway her hips as she walks away and he runs his tongue over his front teeth slowly.

This girl is going to get him into trouble.

At least he won’t be so fucking bored anymore.

Paloma leaves the building twenty minutes after getting her father to agree to eat the lunch she brought and not go down the street to the local diner. He seemed pretty distant so she didn’t press him like she usually would, instead giving him a peck on the cheek before leaving his office.

Her gaze wandered over to the opposite corner, hoping to find Javier sitting in his seat already watching her but he was nowhere to be found.

She felt a slight pang of disappointment in her gut at his absence but she pushed it down, a budding smile on her lips at the thought of seeing him at her show. 

She doesn't even care that the man is older than her, she’s down bad for him. 

Paloma swings her leg over her bicycle, kicking the kickstand inwards and riding down the street towards the farmer’s market until she’s stopped by a familiar voice calling her name.

“Paloma!” It’s Sloane, who’s jogging to catch up with her. 

Sloane McCarthy is the only best friend that Paloma has ever had. Like, ever.

Growing up, she was a very shy child and only had the typical schoolyard friends, but not any that she would willingly swap secrets with or any of that other stuff girls usually do within their social circles.

After her mother’s death, Paloma became more of an introvert. She didn't maintain a friendship outside of school, instead all her focus and energy was put into her artistry. To her, instruments were her best friends. They would always be there to listen, to help her navigate through her grief alongside coming into her own without a mother to guide her through the trials and tribulations of girlhood. 

As lonely as it sounds, it was probably for the best that she chose her musical hobbies to be what got her through the hard times. It allowed her to navigate the creation process at her own pace, figure out her strengths and work on her weaknesses.

She is grateful, however, for the guidance she received from Tammy, Kristy and Lola: the sisters that owned The Whiskey Fox.

They helped fill the void left barren by her mother, Abilene, and were the ones who convinced her to start performing at their bar when she was only fourteen.

Paloma met Sloane a few months ago at the library. She had come in with two other guys whom she can barely remember now, asking her about Seminary’s selection on books about the occult. There are hardly any, she had replied, since this town is too obstinate to allow many books on those matters on their library shelves.

Ever since that afternoon, they hit it off and began to hang out together more regularly. Paloma had even hooked her new friend up with a job as a bartender.

She stops, steadying herself as the girl hugs her from the side then rounds the bike to stand in front of her.

“Hey Slo, whatcha up to today?” Paloma asks, eyeing the book in her friend’s possession before meeting her gaze.

Sloane possesses a striking beauty. Waves of rich brown hair cascade down to her collarbone, framing her face like a halo. Her button nose, perfectly proportioned, adds a charming innocence to her features.

But it’s the freckles that truly distinguish Sloane’s features, far more pronounced than Paloma's. They form constellations upon her round face, like tiny stars scattered across a canvas of porcelain skin. And above them, her signature touch: baby blue eyeshadow delicately applied across both eyelids, enhancing the color of her brown eyes.

Paloma found herself being envious of Slo and comparing her beauty to that of her best friend’s; especially when she was the main one being approached whenever they went out.

Not that Paloma cared about male attention, however, she still felt that pang of rejection deep in her belly each time Slo was being hit on while she was left making small talk with the bartender or waitress, depending on where they were.

It wasn’t because she wasn’t attractive, anyone could tell you that Paloma is one of the most beautiful women in town; but more so because of who her father is. Sometimes, men don’t approach her in fear of being shot at by the sheriff. It can be very frustrating, but it does help keep the creeps away.

“Well… ”  She drags out, “I went to the library to look for ya, but Olsen said you didn’t work today so I’ve just kinda been roamin’ town… hopin’ to run into ya before poppin’ up to your place unannounced. What are you so smiley for?” Her bubbly and chirpy southern accent reminds Paloma of the bright smile she’s still sporting.

“Just havin’ a good day, s’all. Why are you lookin’ for me?” She questions, deciding not to tell Sloane about her infatuation with newly appointed Deputy Sheriff Javier Peña just yet, gaze once more flickering down to the thick book in her grasp.

“‘Cause, babygirl, I got the answers to all those existential questions you think up in that pretty little head of yours,” she shows off the printed work, “Right here. Got a sec?” with the look Sloane gives her, Paloma knows she can’t say no.

So they situate themselves on a nearby bench, her bicycle propped up against the backside of it. Sloane turns to her, their knees knocking against each other as she begins to explain.

“Ya know my friend August? He wrote that poem I showed you a few weeks ago… the one that had your face as red as a ripe tomato.” She pokes fun at her, pinching her thigh which Paloma swats away playfully.

“It was more explicit than anticipated, but yes I know who you’re talkin’ about. Didn’t he come in with you that one day? In the library?” She just barely remembers him, since he hadn’t said much; just browsed the shelves with the other guy as Slo did all the talking.

“Sure did! Well, he’s written a few books, none of them published…. they’re more so for record keepin’. However, I told him you were… a fan of his work—”

“Fan is a bit of a stretch, don’t ya think?” She snorts, stare flickering over to Slo. 

“— So he asked me to share this with you. It’s his prized possession.” She continues, eyes twinkling as she slides the book over to Paloma.

Paragons of the Sacrificed

By Augustus Rutherford Dixon

“Augustus? What a name.” Is the first thing Paloma notices, thumbing through the book and scanning some of its contents. “This reads like a manifesto, I’m not sure I’m all that interested.” She tells her, closing the item shut and attempting to give it back.

Sloane blocks her from doing so, shaking her head. “No ma’am, you’re gonna read through it. I promise you’ll enjoy it. I know how you like to get lost in your books and music… this is right up your alley.”

She seems almost desperate as she makes her case, so Paloma reluctantly keeps the book in her lap.

“Right up my alley. What exactly does that mean?”

“You know… the adventurous fantasy stuff. He’s really into religion and history but not in a weird, bible thumpin’ way how the people ‘round here tend to be. Eye openin’ stuff… real, tangible things that make you want to pack up all your shit and get the hell outta dodge.”

Slo doesn’t have to say much after that, it’s as if she knew exactly what words to say to get Paloma to be more open minded about reading the book. She chews on the inside of her cheek, eyes falling to her lap and she sighs, giving in.

“Sure, why the hell not. If it’s crappy, though, and you waste my time I swear I’m gonna get it back in blood.” She teases, nudging Sloane with her elbow. 

“Oh please, I wouldn’t be bringin’ this to ya if I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

Sloane was right. This book is right up her alley.

After getting over the initial wariness of the man’s introduction, she is fully immersed in the historical events he writes about as well as the practices of an unorthodox religion that’s been on the rise, according to him, since the birth of Christianity.

Her relationship with religion in general is pretty unadorned. Paloma is a practicing Catholic, just like the majority in Seminary, and she attends mass every Sunday with her father.

It’s enervating, in a way, but she knows just how much it means to Romeo for her to accompany him every week so she does it just to pacify him. Now whether she’s as devoted as she makes herself out to be is a completely different story.

She’s not. Paloma believes in a greater being; but not in the same manner that organized religion does.

It would quite literally break her father’s heart if he heard her say that out loud.

August is a talented writer, his words transporting her entirely while also making his message concise and informative. Paloma’s been tucked away in her room, obsessively reading the book for about three hours when the landline in her room suddenly rings and it makes her jolt out of surprise.

The clock on her nightstand indicates that it’s nine p.m. and she blinks away the sudden tiredness at the realization. Inserting her bookmark on the page she’s currently reading, she closes the book and reaches over to pick up the receiver and wedges it between her ear and shoulder.

“Paloma speakin’.”

“Hola, hermosa.” Javier’s voice cuts right through her and she’s instantly smitten, the book she was so engrossed in not even a minute ago now forgotten.

“You sweet talk every girl you meet with Spanish endearments?” She can't help but ask, feeling the flutter of the butterflies in her stomach at how he flirts. Between his sultry southern accent and alluring dash of Spanish; Paloma can’t decide which one she likes to hear more.

She hears him shuffling on his end of the phone, “Why? You don’t like it, cariño?”

The Spanish. She definitely prefers the Spanish.

“I do. It’s different.” She twirls the telephone cord around her index finger,  “You call just to shower me in pet names?”

He chuckles, the deepness of it having her bite down on her lower lip.

“No, I was hoping I could speak to your father.” This makes her frown slightly, but also what other reason would he have to call their house at this time of night?

Call for her? Talk her through an orgasm through the phone, telling her to imagine his fingers instead of hers and whispering those goddamn pet names until she’s panting; wailing out for him? Or even better: offer to come by to get her out of the dry spell she’s been under before her father made it back home?

Both so appealing. Both so ridiculously out of this world.

She realizes she’s been quiet longer than intended, so she snaps out of her sudden wet daydream, speaking up.

“He’s out with some friends from the bar. Don’t anticipate him comin’ back home till way later so you’re just goin’ to have to catch him at his office tomorrow, Mr. Peña.”  She had taken notice of the way he was so bothered by her calling him by his last name earlier that she does it again, just to fuck with him.

“You make me feel so old callin’ me that.” He scoffs and her smile doesn’t budge.

“Well aren’t you?” She fuels the teasing, wondering how far she could push it before the fire she’s been harboring burns her.

“You really want to play this game, corazón?”  

“Maybe…”

There’s a swift pause, all that’s heard is both of their breaths on either side of the line. Paloma braces herself for whatever racy event decides unfold but he breaks the silence first.

“Just be a sweetheart and tell your dad I called. Have a good night, nena.” He doesn't even give her the opportunity to give a closing remark, the dial tone ringing in her ears before she pulls the phone away and sets it back into place.

She hadn't realized how tightly her thighs had been clenched throughout that whole exchange. It’s embarrassing how her body reacts to him. Whether it just be his voice or his presence itself. 

Paloma groans, standing from her bed and deciding to shower to calm herself down, August’s book being placed on her nightstand next to the landline.

Javier walks in to the crowded bar much later than he intended to, stuck at the station with some chatty citizen who called to complain about her neighbors dog.

This is the life he lives now. Went from tracking down dangerous sicarios to listening to elderly women bitch about pets.

He hears the rumbling music spilling out into the street upon arrival. The decently sized bar is filled with so many patrons, that it took him a second to recognize it. Honest to God. 

Javier has definitely underestimated Seminary. It becomes clearer the longer he's here. While he does find himself complaining about the monotony most of the time, he’s slowly but surely easing into it.

He finally makes it to the bar and orders himself his drink. Dark eyes scan the crowd until they land on the stage where the first person he notices is Paloma; dressed to the nines with a bright smile. A smile he mimics as he watches her strum her guitar, the three other woman sing along with instruments of their own adhered to their bodies.

She isn’t currently singing, just adding in to the instrumental of a song that he doesn’t recognize. After paying for his drink, he maneuvers the crowd until he finds Romeo sitting front and center, swaying along to the music with nothing but adoration in his eyes for his daughter. 

When he sees Javier approaching, his entire face lights up.

“Javi, my man! You made it.” The two share a friendly handshake as Javier sits down in the empty seat besides him, digging in his leather jacket for a smoke. 

“Woulda been here earlier but had a Margaret Lipton call complainin’ about how her neighbors dog won’t stay on its side of the fence.” He grumbles, lighting the cigarette and taking a lengthy drag as the song finishes.

“Sounds just like her. Expect a lot more’a those. Poor woman is just lonely; her husband of fifty years died not too long ago. Ever since then she’s been callin’ nonstop over petty shit. She’ll complain if a fly buzzes by, I tell ya.” Romeo adds on, taking a sip from his drink and this gets a brief chuckle from Javier, making a mental note to limit his calls with one Margaret Lipton.

The next song begins, a very lively country tune that immediately shifts the atmosphere of the already buzzing bar. People begin to flood the dancefloor in front of the stage, but it doesn’t obstruct his view from the person that he’s here to see. He watches as she strums her instrument before approaching the microphone.

♫

Her voice is so rich and smooth, ears perk up at the angelic singing and he takes a swig of his whiskey, eyes not leaving her for a second.

She shoots a wink towards their table, and while Javier knows it’s directed to the man besides him, he can’t help but be selfish enough to think that’s it’s meant for him. 

That her attention is all for him.

The music picks up, he can feel it embedding itself in his bones and he’s so entranced by watching her perform that he just barely notices when Romeo leans over to talk to him.

“Swear I’ve never been more proud of her.” Javi peels his gaze away from her before the man notices how he’s basically eye fucking his daughter.

“Does she usually write her own songs?” He can't help but ask, her voice ringing out passionately as the song continues.

“Majority of ‘em. Always got her nose stuffed in one’a her journals. When she’s not writin’, she’s at the piano or on the porch with her guitar. Melts my heart every time I see it.” 

Javier doesn’t say much in response, intrigued to hear how her voice sounds when it’s just her singing.

Paloma reproaches the microphone after the long instrumental that had the crowd dancing along to the upbeat country track concludes.

“My daddy warned me about men like you He said, "Baby girl, he's playing you! He's playing you!”

She sings with a vigor he was not expecting, making eye contact with him and he catches the way her red-stained lips pull into a smirk.

Just like that, she has captivated him all over again. 

Under the stage lights, Paloma radiates with an otherworldly glow. Clad entirely in black, she stands out against the band’s more colorful attire. A leather miniskirt, paired with sleek black stockings, hugs her form, the oversized silver buckle of her belt gleaming beneath the spotlight pointed at the stage.

Her leather jacket, mirroring the skirt, features intricate silver detailing that catches and reflects the light with every movement. Beneath it, she wears nothing but a black bra, veiled by a sheer mesh top that adds a layer of sexiness to her ensemble.

Atop her head sits a black cowgirl hat and it wouldn’t be Texas if she wasn't wearing her cowgirl boots, tying everything together.

They drag the last lyric out with the rattle of the drum’s percussion before the song officially ends and bar erupts into a boisterous applause. The women take turns hugging and congratulating each other, though his focus is solely on Paloma. He doesn’t even acknowledge when Romeo gets up to get them all another round of drinks.

“Well, folks, I reckon y’all just witnessed a taste of the good ol’ honky-tonk spirit tonight. Ain’t nothin’ like harmonizin’ with the talented Lone Star Sisters. Let’s raise a toast to good music, good company, and good times at The Whiskey Fox — where the spirits are high and the music’s just right!” The bar laughs and this gets a bemused chuckle out of Javier, who stubs out the cigarette he’d been puffing on throughout the performance.

After a few more formalities and some announcements, she disappears for a brief moment before he spots her again, this time heading in his direction.

She’s stopped a few times along the way by some patrons who simply cannot get over her and her performance.

All Javier does is admire and be amused at how they treat her like she’s a celebrity. Even watches as she signs a slip of paper and crouches down to give it to a little girl. The interaction has his heart racing so he downs the drink in front of him to slow it down.

The adrenaline that Paloma feels after a show is indescribable. It’s like she transforms when she’s up there, giving it her all and making sure that the crowd is being entertained to the fullest extent. It’s why she absolutely loves it when she sees everyone dancing, she's even spotted a few people singing along to some of the original songs she performs regularly.

It’s an even better feeling when she gets off stage and is being praised left and right; it makes her feel like the art she puts out is important as it’s being appreciated by everyone and not just those in her immediate circle. What really melts her heart, though, is when she sees the gleam in the eyes of the younger girls who come see her play. As if they’re looking up to her, seeing their own aspirations performing out on the stage. Knowing that she’s somewhat of a role model to them is all she needs to stay content in her passion for creating music.

After finally getting through the crowd of… admirers (she doesn’t like calling them fans; it feels odd), Paloma reaches the table her father always sits in but is pleasantly surprised to see just Javier there.

“You came.” She doesn't even try to hide the large smile on her face, heart still beating wildly in her chest due to the high energy performance.

“Found a small window of opportunity in my very busy schedule to be able to make it. You’re lucky, hermosa.” He teases and she laughs with a shake of her head, shaking off the leather jacket on her shoulders and removing the hat that sits on her head.

It is entirely too hot for her to sport it for the rest of the evening, so she drapes the jacket over the back of the chair and lets her hat hang over the corner of it.

“You’re a damn good singer.”

The compliment has those butterflies stirring in her stomach again. Paloma won’t admit that she made sure to be on her game tonight in anticipation of his attendance. She doesn’t want to come off as desperate, despite how flirtatious their interactions have been since they met.

“You sayin’ that ‘cause you mean it or are you just tryin’ to become my groupie?” She cocks her head to the side slightly, sliding into the seat across from him and crossing her legs. She bites her lip as she watches his eyes divert down to her thighs; the top of her stockings showing and a soft slither of her skin teasing him to reach out and touch.

“I genuinely mean it, but being your groupie doesn’t sound half bad.” Paloma giggles, scrunching her nose and he smiles at her.

Why does she feel like she’s drunk off him? What the hell does he lace his attention with?

Romeo returns right on time, setting down three glasses on the small, round table.

“Alright, a bourbon for me, whiskey for Javier and a root beer with muddled cherries for my beautiful daughter.” She reaches for her drink, ignoring the look Javier gives her and she takes a lengthy sip from the straw; the carbonation feeling so refreshing as it travels down her throat.

“No post-performance drink?” He asks her, fingers once more fishing out his cigarettes and lighter.

“I only drink on occasion. Try not to do it when I sing unless I need to loosen up the good ‘ol pipes.” Two fingers tap against her throat to emphasize her point, his dark eyes trailing the area and she knows his soft lips would feel divine against her warm skin.

The trio fall into small talk for all but five minutes when Javier’s pager buzzes in his jacket pocket. He excuses himself from the table and he saunters away to the pay phone outside of the bar. Paloma’s gaze follows him all the way out, sound of her father talking muffled as he overtakes her thoughts.

Javier digs into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out a few coins to insert into the public telephone then punching in the familiar number of his former partner. The line rings three times before Murphy picks up.

“We got him.”

The words knock the wind out of him and he stabilizes himself by sticking his hand out to lean against the payphone stand.

“Alive or dead?”

“Trujillo shot the fucker right between the eyes.”

He presses the phone against his forehead at the news, eyes closing as he allows it to fully sink in. He knows he should be relieved… that the weight on his shoulders should dissipate now that Pablo Escobar is dead.

Not in custody or cornered. No, dead.

Yet he isn’t relieved. Not as much as he would have wanted to be. It’s a bittersweet feeling, really. They can rejoice now that they got one dirty narc over and done with but if Javier has learned anything in the past years— it’s that this war on drugs is far from over. The rest of the Medellín cartel has yet to fall and Cali just reached its peak. 

You know what they say: cut off one head and two more take its place.

But that’s no longer his problem. He had been reassigned, sent somewhere where he could chill the fuck out and start making amends for his fuckups in Colombia. His only focus now, as long as he’s concerned, is dealing with what happens in Seminary and Seminary only.

He and Steve finish their conversation, reminiscing on all the crazy ass shit they had to do and endure in order to get to this point. Steve ends the call by telling him that he should have been here to see it all the way through and that, in a strange turn of events, he was proud of everything they accomplished together despite the bullshit that ensued.

Javier doesn’t say much, as per usual, but he doesn’t have to. Steve knows he’s appreciative. 

Fingers itch to pluck out another cigarette but he goes against the urge, instead collecting himself before reentering the bar.

Paloma was left alone shortly after Javier left to take his phone call, her father pulled away by his buddies while she finished up the rest of her drink.

When Javier does return, she immediately notices the change in his demeanor but doesn’t know how to ask him what’s wrong without coming off as bothersome.

“Everythin’ good?” Is what she decides on, leaning in to rest her chin on the palm of her hand as her elbow sits on the perpetually sticky top of their table.

“Everything’s alright, muñeca.” He takes his seat again, still being flirtatious but there’s an edge to it. He grabs his drink and swishes its contents around the glass before downing it all in one swift shot.

Paloma doesn’t say anything else, and she doesn’t get the chance to when her father returns to them.

“I gotta go handle some shit that’s poppin’ off with the Sullivan’s. Go get your things, baby, we’re leavin’.” This pulls a groan from the back of her throat.

“I do not want to tag along while you deal with whatever the fuck they got goin’ on. Not after last time.” Very rarely does she tag along with her father when he’s on the job; and last time they had been called to the Sullivan farm— she didn’t expect to be there for almost three hours trying to help calm down Mrs. Sullivan, who was threatening to shoot her husband with their shotgun.

The conversation seems to intrigue Javier, eyes darting between the both of them as he begins to smoke again.

“Well, you’re gonna have to hitch a different ride, then.”

“That’s no problem, Mr. Peña will take me.” They both look over to Javi as she’s just volunteered him to drive her home.

“Paloma—”

“It’s fine, Romeo. Go handle it, I’ll make sure she makes it home safely.” His thumb drags against his bottom lip as he stares right back at her and his intense gaze has her shifting in her seat, the familiar feeling of arousal shooting heat up core.

It doesn’t take much convincing to send the sheriff on his merry way, her body tingling at the idea of being alone with Javier in his truck as he takes her home.

“You gonna make sure m’fine? That I make it home safe and sound?” Paloma asks with a bat of her eyelashes, leaning close enough to where their knees brush up against each other beneath the table.

He follows her lead, leaning forward and taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke away from her face. “S’what I’m here to do, princesa. Make sure beautiful girls like you stay safe.”

There’s still some bite to his words but it’s hot the way he flirts with her. She catches the scent of his musky cologne mixed with the liquor and cigarettes he's consumed and it’s intoxicating.

“I thought I told you these things’ll kill you.” She plucks the nicotine stick from between his middle and index fingers, putting the thing out against the ashtray.

“And I thought I told you I’m gonna die eventually.”

“Try not to make it anytime soon.”

“Why? Would you miss me, cariño?” His brows raise inquisitively as he asks her, brown eyes twinkling beneath the dim lighting. 

Paloma shrugs, sliding out of her seat. “Probably not. I’ve just met you.” She replies nonchalantly, despite her head spinning from how badly she wants him. She grabs ahold of her jacket and hat, “I’m going to go pack up my things. Meet me in the back alleyway in ten.”

After getting her stuff into the back of his truck and watching her say goodbye to everyone, Paloma is sat in the passenger seat as Javier drives along the familiar road towards her house.

It’s quiet at first, the radio playing some song softly to fill the void from the absence of conversation.

“So… you got a girlfriend?” Her question catches him off guard and he actually laughs in her face. “Or boyfriend— I don’t judge.” She raises her hands defensively.

“Why, you tryin’ to apply for the spot?” Javier briefly takes his eyes off the road to look over at her, biting his tongue once he sees how she’s staring at him.

Her back is against the door, the soft hue of the radio's blue light casting a shadow across her face as she draws one knee up to her chest. She looks irresistible. Javier contemplates pulling over just to grab her by the neck and press his lips against hers.

She just rolls her eyes playfully, fidgeting with the ends of her skirt.

“Not really, just curious.” He can hear the sincerity coating her words and while he usually wouldn’t divulge in his personal life, let alone his romantic relationships, he decides to answer her truthfully.

“No girlfriend. M’not really the settle down type of guy.”

“Ah, so he’s got commitment issues…” She trails off, messing with him.

“Somethin’ like that.” He isn't offended by her assumption, since it is the truth.

“So no girlfriend back home? Or in Colombia?” 

“Why the sudden interest, princesa?”

“Just tryin’ to get to know you, cowboy.” There she goes with that nickname again and he just shakes his head softly.

“The honest truth...? No girlfriends anywhere. Lots of hookups in Colombia, though. The women there are very beautiful.”

She’s silent, which has him looking over at her again yet this time she isn’t staring back, instead looking ahead at the road in front of them.

“So you’re a slut.”

He laughs again, much more lively this time, “Most people would agree with you, yeah. But I had my reasons for sleepin’ around.”

“Aside from pleasure, what were the reasons?” Her brows raise, her arms crossing against her chest, pushing her breasts together beneath the mesh material and the sight is like something straight out of a Playboy magazine.

“Most of ‘em were informants. Prostitutes who had vital information on the criminals we were after.” 

“So in return for intel, they got to spend a night with you?”

“That was part of it.”

She hums and he flips the question on her before she starts asking about other aspects of his life in Colombia.

“What about you? Got a boyfriend— or girlfriend. I don’t judge.” He repeats her own playful words back to her, making a turn then flipping on the brights as the street lights have decreased to none; leaving them traveling down the dark back roads.

“No, not at the moment. I’ve only ever had one real boyfriend.” Paloma leans her head back against the window, eyes still trained on the emptiness of the night. “And that ended terribly so I didn’t bother trying again after that.”

Curious to know this terrible ending she speaks of, Javier proceeds to stay on topic. “Must’ve been real bad if it got you to give up entirely.”

“Yeah. His name was George. We dated in high school... can you keep a secret?” She suddenly asks, ripping her gaze from the windshield over to him. He can see her from his peripheral.

“For you, nena, of course.”

“We were supposed to get married and run off the night before graduation. Had planned the whole thing out, even bribed an officiant to wed us in the middle of the night down by the cemetery. It didn’t take him much convincin’; told us he had a soft spot for young love.” Javier doesn’t say anything in response, instead letting his silence speak for itself and allowing her to continue on with her story.

“The big night came. I was so nervous I coulda puked. Me and the officiant waited for what felt like an eternity until eventually he apologized to me and left. I cried there all night, a stupid and naive part of me hoping George would eventually show… he didn’t.” She sighs heavily and Javier wants to reach his hand out to rub comforting circles with his thumb against her thigh but he doesn’t, instead driving down the driveway.

“Found out the next day that he had left for the army. Which was so heartbreaking since that’s why he wanted to leave Seminary. He didn’t want to enlist like his brother and father had. Guess somethin’ changed his mind… haven’t heard from him since. I never told anyone about it, and the officiant passed away shortly after so…” She trails off and Javier genuinely feels for her.

However, he can relate to an extent. Not to her but to her ex. His relationship with Lorraine back in Laredo a haunting reminder of the type of man he was slowly turning into. Instead of leaving for the army, though, he’d left her at the altar to run off to Colombia.

“That’s… tough, querida.” He's never been the best at comforting and it doesn’t seem like she minds his scarce sympathy.

“It is what it is. I got over him eventually.” They roll to a stop once they’re at the house, he puts the truck in park and cuts the engine; letting a comfortable silence fall over them.

“Thank you—”

“Do you need—”

They both speak at the same time, interrupting the other and they share a laugh about it. “Ladies first.” He beckons her to continue, shifting his body slightly to face her.

“Thank you for bringin’ me home. I know I didn’t give you much of a choice.” The soft click of her seatbelt being undone brings a sense of reluctance over him, knowing that her departure is imminent and he's already dreading the moment she’s gone.

“Anytime, hermosa.” Javi's dark eyes soften, “Do you need help getting your things inside?” Paloma nods and he’s quick to hop out of the truck, rounding it to open the door for her before she even gets the chance to reach over for the handle.

“What a gentleman.” She purrs, her hand brushing against his shoulder as she walks past him to help unload her equipment.

The desire to push her up against his truck and passionately kiss her, have his hands explore every inch of her body is tempting as all hell but he shows some self restraint.

They get everything into the living room and she walks him over to the front door.

“I appreciate your help, Mr. Peña.” Paloma leans against the doorframe with a teasing simper. They’re close enough to where he can see all the small imperfections that litter her skin. His eyes taking in how beautiful she looks up close, their bodies slowly gravitating towards each other.

“You ever gonna stop callin’ me that?” He asks, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, hands landing on either sides of his hips.

The girl shrugs, blinking slowly. “Not ‘til you’re not bothered by it.” They exchange a lustful stare until he decides it’s time for him to leave before things escalate and he crosses a boundary he’s helplessly trying not to overstep.

“I’ll see you around, Miss Leighton.”  Very reminiscent to their last goodbye on this porch, her smirk softens into a smile.

“Goodnight, Javier.” One, two seconds pass before she’s leaning in to place a gentle kiss against his cheek, the feeling has his heart racing and she pulls back slowly before taking a few steps back and closing the door. 

Javier is left in a stunned silence, the small act of affection impacting him more than he would like to admit.

[nostalgicmiscellaneous]

‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Gave Us Some of the Best Steamy Scenes of 2024

We’ve lived entire lives since Season 3 of Bridgerton dropped on Netflix earlier this year. I don’t even remember the person I was when Season 3, Part 2 released four episodes in June, let alone Part 1, which came a whole month earlier in May. And while I have to search the recesses of my mind to remember what I was even doing with my life as the summer months rolled in (I think I was in my baking bread phase, maybe?!), I do remember feeling grateful for some of the sexiest scenes that Bridgerton has produced thus far.

In Season 3 of the acclaimed Netflix drama, we finally saw our wallflower Featherington daughter, Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), embrace her beauty and brilliance and chase down a marriage match with a previously unsuspecting Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). In the first two seasons, Colin and Penelope were simply good friends with a nasty case of unrequited love on Penelope’s part. Readers of the Julia Quinn book series the show is based on — and anyone with half a brain, honestly — could see that the pair were being teed up to fall in love, although with the show going out of order from the novels and making changes for the small screen, it was unclear how they would get there.

For quite some time, you could not scroll more than five videos on TikTok or look at your Instagram feed or stories without seeing some reference to this scene. The moment — which comes in Season 3, Episode 4, “Old Friends” — sees Colin finally realizing his love for his longtime best friend and chasing her down after she left the ball in tears following the dissolution of her only real marriage match with Lord Debling (Sam Phillips). It was Colin’s own selfish (and welcome!) actions that led to Debling backing out of his marriage proposal to Penelope, need I remind you? So when he pulls up on her carriage as it’s leaving the ball, he is all hot and bothered and so is she.

After a battle of wits and words, the two finally get to a steamy makeout session — set to an instrumental version of Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything” — and end up doing a lot (but not the whole damn deed) in the back of a carriage on the way to the Featherington residence. Colin, who is very experienced thanks to his escapades with hookers doesn’t take Penelope, a true novice, very far but does make her eyes roll back with his hands, if you know what I mean.

Sadly, the clip below only goes as far as YouTube would allow without Netflix getting in trouble, but you can imagine hands going up skirts. You can also go to roughly 47 minutes into the episode to keep the carriage rolling…

The scene is only made hotter by the last line of Part 1 being, “For God’s sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?” Immediate gasp.

In Part 2, the stakes get even higher as Penelope struggles to reveal her Lady Whisteldown identity to her fiancé, making their sexy scenes a twinge hotter. And boy, are there some sexy, sexy moments in the second half of the season.

Not only does Season 3, Episode 5, “Tick Tock,” feature the longest sex scene in the show’s history — more than five minutes of bliss where Penelope and Colin get it on in their future home, it copies a scene straight from Romancing Mister Bridgerton, the book where Colin and Penelope fall in love. The straight-from-the-page mirror scene in which Colin undresses Penelope in front of a mirror is just one of the best examples of the faithfulness of the series. The scene sees Coughlan strip off all her layers and then partake in the lengthy sex scene where they also break a chaise while popping Penelope’s cherry.

According to Coughlan, she was actively fighting for certain scenes — including her going fully naked — to be included in the season. So not only do we have to thank her for being hot and talented, we must express our gratitude for being a confident woman.

And we are grateful for it. So much so that as I have come to the end of the year and have started thinking back on the best shows, movies, and books of 2024, Bridgerton Season 3 cannot leave my mind. The sex scenes — and Penelope’s storyline, in general — are really the gifts that I am thankful for this year.

[dailysimoneashley]

As I, along with the rest of world, patiently await the arrival of the second installment of Bridgerton Season 3, I'm looking to get my fix of the 'Ton in any way I can. So, when I was invited to interview Simone Ashley, it is needless to say I jumped at the chance. The actress, known for playing Kate Sharma in the hit Netflix period drama, Olivia Hanan in Sex Education and sister to Ariel in the 2023 live-action remake of Disney's A Little Mermaid, has recently landed a new role: L'Oréal Paris UK spokesperson.

[mad-madam-m]

Castlevania Fic - To Be Someone that Somebody Needs - Chapters 1-3

Title: To Be Someone that Somebody Needs Fandom: Castlevania (Netflix) Relationships: Trevor/Alucard Word count: 7333 Rating: E Tags: canon divergence - post season 2, Fix-It of Sorts, Grief/Mourning, Alcohol, Drunk Trevor Belmont, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, mild dirty talk, Coping Mechanisms, the relative health of said coping mechanisms is up to you, one-sided Trevor/Sypha, POV Trevor Belmont Summary: "Sypha stayed with the Speakers. I came back. When she gets here, we'll try to find a way to seal up both of these places so you can leave, if you want to." Alucard cleared his throat. "And what makes you think you'll find anything?" Trevor waved his arm to encompass the castle. "We found a spell that made it possible for Sypha to drag this fuckoff giant thing halfway across the damn country. There's got to be one that will seal it." "You're looking for needle in a haystack," Alucard said. "Or perhaps a single clear drop of water in a bottle of wine." "We found it before," Trevor said stubbornly. "Or do you want to be stuck here for the rest of your life?" Read it on AO3!

[lol-jackles]

Hello! I don’t suppose you watch Bridgerton, but something a little strange has happened there this season that I wanted your opinion on. Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) and Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington) were leading this season, as each of the Bridgerton siblings has their own season. So this season was Colin’s, a friends-to-lovers trope.

Now, the way Luke and Nicola carried out press tours was *chef’s kiss*, handholding, talking about how they’d be jealous of each other’s future co-stars cuz they were each other’s leading people first, etc. Even the jealousy trope played out in the actual season was used as a quick, fun bait for fans during such interviews where if Penelope’s other suitor (Lord Debling) was talked about, Luke would act bothered. In short, they were perfectly in sync with each other and were all set for a beautiful season.

Understandably, the formula worked and people couldn’t be more excited for this supposed lightning in a bottle chemistry. But once the show opened, there seemed nothing there! It couldn’t really translate to the screen. The much muchhh hyped sex scenes (it was a running joke that the director ywlled ‘cut!’ but luke and nicola still kept going cause they hadn’t heard them, seemingly so lost in each other, and also another time that they broke furniture filming a scene) seem awkward at best. Rather than coming across as two people who have long known each other and so find security through extending their companionship into a romantic relationship, what we got came across as two teenagers engaging in an awkward, horny one night stand.

Netflix’s comments section is filled with people bashing them for different reasons. Perhaps they didn’t give their leads enough screen time in their own season, maybe they cut down on their steamy scenes, etc etc. but still, the scenes they did get together, like i said, didn’t do anything for the audience in the first place. On the contrary Kate and Anthony, the season 2 leads, have outstanding chemistry and during the moments they popped up this season, totally stole away the room.

This has got me thinking, why couldn’t the press tour magic translate on screen? And are there any notable instances where the red carpet/ on-screen disparity has come out so notably?

The romantic leads of the previous seasons went through chemistry auditions, so they were casted precisely because they have chemistry with each other. Nicola and Luke were cast primarily for their characters, and I doubt they went through chemistry auditions because producers didn't know if there will be more seasons as the odds are against any new shows. #NetflixCancelsEverything exist for a reason.

If fans found the sexual chemistry between Penelope and Colins lacking, then it's probably for the same reason why Friends Rachel and Joey hook up in season 6 had zero chemistry. While I'm sure Matt LeBlanc was game, Jennifer Aniston had worked with and known Matt for 6 years and saw him in the friend-brother zone. It was awkward for her. By the time Bridgerton season 3 rolled around, Nicola had worked and known Luke for 5-odd years and she saw him in the friend-brother-zone. It's awkward for her and Luke picked up on it and acts accordingly. I'm not blaming Jennifer or Nicola, I blame the writer/showrunner for seemingly forgetting two things: 1) just because a woman has friendly chemistry with men does not automatically mean romantic interest. It's a bane for many women in real life that their niceness gets misinterpreted by men to mean sexual opportunities, and 2) women friend-zone men for non-negotiable reason, because women are innately more selective because they have to be because the risks are so much higher for them than men.

Full disclaimer: with all three seasons I watch the first two or three episodes and then skip to the eighth episode. My nieces watched S1 first two episodes over one of the holidays at my house and while somewhat intrigued, I quickly figure out they were going to go through all the romantic tropes, so it was a nope for me, but I had to find out who Lady Whistledown was and skipped to the final episode. A habit I kept for the following 2 seasons and Queen Charlotte.

ETA: I liked how Penelope wanted to find a husband in order to get away from her own family, only for her marriage to actually draw her closer to her blood family by healing some of the rifts, and then saving her mother and paying for her sister's dream ball.

[imekasf]

Favorite Things 2024

Every year(ish) I try to jot down some of my favorite things from a given calendar year - mostly for myself, but maybe also for you! Anyway, here is this year's list, in no particular order (and with spoilers) - let's list!

-->Agatha All Along - Season 1, Episode 7: Death's Hand in Mine (Disney+) I'm gonna go ahead and guess that this specific episode will make a lot of people's lists this year. This entire show was fantastic, but this episode in particular was an absolute masterpiece. The gorgeous visual of Lilia falling in that bubblegum pink gown against a black backdrop was simply breathtaking. The way the episode expertly weaved together all of Lilia's small but important moments was incredible. And Patti LuPone is a goddamn legend.

-->Emerald Wounds, Select Poems by Joyce Mansour Fun fact about me; I love poetry. I picked up this book at City Lights Booksellers, which is a well-known beatnik bookseller in San Francisco. About 75% of my decision to buy was based on the written recommendation from their staff, which read: Oh, how dark! Oh, how wet! Oh, how terrifying! Oh, how absolutely erotic! Between death and love: the sex lives of dreams, flayed open. Surprisingly, not a Scorpio.

Anyway, I read In the Dark to the Left, and cackled until I cried.

-->Wicked, Part 1 Like most of the English-speaking world, I have a long history with this property. I grew up watching and adoring The Wizard of Oz; I read and liked Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire; I saw the original traveling run of the stage version of Wicked in San Francisco (twice). So of course I had a lot of expectations going into this film. And they were almost all met and at times exceeded! The cast is incredible, the visuals stunning, and the songs! Ugh. I'm getting teary just thinking about it. Ariana Grande is also SO funny. I don't think I fully realized until this year how naturally comedic she is. Incredible.

-->A Man on the Inside, Season 1, Episode 7: From Russian Hill With Love (Netflix) Honestly, this entire series is just completely heartwarming, hilarious, and delightful, but this episode is the one that showcases more of the city that I call home than any other (They even filmed a scene in the middle of a Giants game at Oracle Park!) so of course it is going to be a favorite.

-->SNL Season 50, Episode 3: Ariana Grande & Stevie Nicks (NBC) When SNL is firing on all cylinders it is practically unstoppable. This has been a fairly strong season for them, and the Ariana Grande episode was a true season highlight. My Best Friend's House is a darkly hilarious earworm; Bridesmaids introduced us to the now-inescapable character of Domingo (and showcased Grande's talent for singing completely flat and off key on purpose), and Castrati had no business being as goddamn funny as it is. Bonus shout out to Episode 2, which brought back Nate Bergatze, who is a true gem of a comedian.

-->Travel Season - Season 1, Episode 1: Fried Chicken in Korea (YouTube/Watcher) I love travel shows. And I love food shows. Mostly I love travel food shows, so this new show from Watcher Entertainment ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love the vibe of this show, I love the warmth it conveys, and I love watching naturally curious people discover and try new things. It was smart of this crew to focus on one singular location for the entire season, giving them plenty of time to deep dive into a lot of different types of food.

—>Taskmaster, Series 17 (YouTube or Channel 4 in the UK) If you haven’t yet watched this phenomenal British game show, what are you doing? This is the ultimate comfort watch, in that it is entertaining, escapist, hilarious, and charming.

Like many of the casts in previous years, Series 17 included two charming contestants who were terrible at tasks (Sophie Willan and Nick Mohammad, the latter of whom dressed as a vampire to do his tasks and the editors cleverly removed his reflection from mirrors and water); a very clever contestant who did nearly everything right (John Robins); a sexy sassy older woman who flirts with the Taskmaster (Joanne McNally); and a curmudgeon (Steve Pemberton). This cast doesn’t quite live up to the absolutely magical chaos of Series 16, but it is still worth a watch.

-->Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé Whether or not you think this album sits in the Country genre (it does and it also doesn't, as it is so much more than just Country), there is no denying the masterpiece that this turned out to be. I definitely spent most of the Spring of this year spinning this record, and waiting with baited breath for a tour announcement (still waiting, btw). It was hard for me to choose just one track, as I went through many phases, but since AMERIICAN REQUIEM is still sitting firmly in my On Repeat playlist, it must be the one that resonated the most.

-->Hot Fuss, The Killers Hang on. This album is 20 years old, you might be saying - and you’re right, it is! But the band celebrated the anniversary with a mini-residency in their hometown of Las Vegas, and when I tell you this was one of the best nights of my life, I’m not even exaggerating. I scream-sang every single song from this album, and it was joyous, cathartic, and fun as hell.

-->Diamond Jubilee, Cindy Lee (YouTube/Bandcamp) There is a reason this album is popping up on every Best Of list of 2024 - it's fantastic. It sounds both contemporary and classic, and has the warmth of a vinyl record being spun on a Sunday afternoon. That they managed to gain so much traction while staying off the major streaming services says a lot about how great this album is.

-->Kaleidoscope, Chappell Roan Just like everyone else, I listened to Chappell Roan a lot this year, but this particular song made me burst into tears the first (and second) time I heard it, so it gets a spot on the list.

-->Bobby Sox, Green Day Green Day celebrated the anniversaries of both Dookie and American Idiot this year, by playing both albums in their entirety on a world tour. They also released perhaps their best album in years, Saviors, which they also played tracks from on their epic tour. Bobby Sox is their bisexual anthem (Billie Joe has been out as bi since the 90’s, btw) and it is my favorite track on an album full of bangers.

-->L'AMOUR DE MA VIE, Billie Eilish At 22 years old, Billie Eilish has accomplished more than most of us will in our entire lives. She is the textbook definition of an old soul - someone who sings like she has smoked a thousand packs of cigarettes and burned through a hundred lovers.

--> The music video for Taste, by Sabrina Carpenter I have a deep and unwavering love for the cult classic Death Becomes Her, so when I saw that pop video queen Sabrina Carpenter's video for Taste was paying homage to that film (with Jenna Ortega, no less!) I knew I'd be in for a good time. Carpenter retains the goofy antics of the film and has the perfect sense of humor for a video like this. Sure, there's a lot of (fake) blood, but what's a little brutal murder amongst friends?

-->Have I Got News For You (CNN/Max) This news-based panel show has been on in the UK for something like 30 years, and while the U.S. version is still working out some of the kinks, they have completely nailed the casting. Host Roy Wood, Jr., and team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black are perfect for this format, and it makes me hopeful that we might see more panel shows make their way across the pond soon.

-->James Acaster: Hecklers Welcome (Max) If you are not familiar with the extremely specific comedy stylings of Acaster (or only know him from Taskmaster or that GBBO meme) this may not be the best stand up special to start with (I’d recommend Repertoire on Netflix first). That being said, this special is brilliant, and really showcases what a unique and whip-smart comedian he is.

-->How Did This Get Made? Episode 357: Eye of the Beholder (Podcast) Every episode of HDTGM is a banger, but I chose this one because I love Ewan McGregor, and hate this movie so, so much. It's awful. Which is why this episode of HDTGM is great.

I'm sure I have forgotten a million things even though it took me like a month to write this. But nobody has read this far down anyway so it's all good!

[agentnico]

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off - Season 1 (2023) Review

We are Sex Bob-omb!!... 1... 2... 3... 4!!!

Plot: A 20-something Toronto indie rocker's adventures in getting and keeping jobs, avoiding being kicked out of his apartment, and surviving encounters with the seven evil exes of the new girl in town on whom he has a crush.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is one of Edgar Wright's best films, and to be fair it is easy to argue that any movie directed by Wright is the best in his career as he's yet to make a proper dud. I have on the other hand never read a single word from the original Scott Pilgrim, so my knowledge of the source material is primarily and sorely based on the 2010 movie. Luckily with the new Netflix show, the creators very much are targeting and appealing to fans of both the film and the books, and as such if you are acquainted with either you'll easily get to enjoy some of that delightful nostalgia flavour. However, if you are a newcomer to Scott Pilgrim, then you may be a tad lost in all the chaos.

When I first started watching this show, I was skeptical and concerned. Especially with the first episode playing nearly shot for shot with the 2010 movie only in anime form, and for a moment I wondered if this was simply a stylish yet pointless reenactment. However, in the final moments of the first episode, the writers reveal this surprising bait and switch, though not that surprising if you observe the show's title. From there the show continuously goes forth to subvert expectations of what we know, playing up to our knowledge of the movie (and books) and then flipping things around. There's also a bigger focus on the characters who maybe did not get to enjoy the limelight in the original story, and as such it's actually to the show's advantage that they manage to bring back most of the original film cast to reprise their characters' voices, as again, adds to the nostalgia, but also allows these actors to play around more with their roles. It results in a very entertaining take on the story and is delivered with such funky and exciting animation. The fight sequences are reminiscent of a lot of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter with a narrator constantly jumping in with an announcement of yet another character VS character match-up, and these anime fights were truly awesome!

There are also so many Easter Eggs and random references in this show, that you'd easily enjoy rewatching each episode multiple times to catch every single detail. Naturally with Edgar Wright producing you can expect his regulars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost popping in for vocal cameos, and then the references can be as obscure as a character leaving the room whistling the tune from Disney's Robin Hood. You know, the one with the animals! Also, don't be fooled by the animation, this isn't a family-friendly show. There were a surprising amount of sex jokes in this, so this is very much oriented towards the adults.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a joy to the fans of the source material, yet also tries to do something original and different and tell this story with a new approach. The show is quirky, colorful, fast, and spontaneous like a comic book strip, and as such I had no issue binging through the 8 episodes within two sittings. It's also hilarious, and as myself having worked in a coffee shop for over 4 years, I really appreciated the amount of jokes that were included about work life and customers in a cafe. I'd say the comedy still doesn't hit the highs of the original movie, which doesn't come as a surprise as Edgar Wright is only on producing duties here rather than scriptwriting, but nonetheless, there were consistent chuckle-worthy moments throughout. I'd also say even though I enjoyed the new narrative direction of this show, I do think they dragged a little the central Where's Waldo-style mystery, and they could have resolved that mystery an episode or two earlier and progressed more in the crazy sooner. But still, I'm pleasantly surprised and delighted that instead of rehashing the old, the writers here decided to do something different with the property. Also solid music and again, have I mentioned those anime fight sequences? Pure awesomeness!!

Overall score: 7/10

[sugdenlovesdingle]

Since Hollywood is on strike (take down the greedy studio bastards!) and I saw a post calling people to check out non-American media - let's start a rec list!

as far as I know these are on Netflix (I don't have any other streaming subscriptions at the moment so I can't rec anything from the others) and might be available online *elsewhere* with a little internet magic.

La casa de papel (also known as Money Heist) A group of criminals are robbing the Spanish Mint - chaos ensues. I think everyone and their grandmother has seen this by now but still. I loved this show - I stayed up until stupid o'clock because i HAD to know what was going to happen next and how they were going to get out of the shit they'd gotten themselves into. 5 seasons. La casa de las flores (also known as House of flowers) Think telenovelas/soap operas. It's unhinged, it's funny, it's a little queer (mlm and wlw). Long lost children, affairs, Big Family Secrets, drag queens - what more could you ask for?? 3 seasons, a special episode (la case de las flores el funeral), and a film (la casa de las flores la pelicula)

Anne+ (film + 1 of 2 seasons tv show - it originated as a webseries so the episodes are pretty short but Netflix deleted the second season) The life and loves of Anne - a queer millennial living in Amsterdam.

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga Queer (wlw) Bollywood film. A friend recced it to me once. I had never watched a Bollywood film in my life, didn't know anything about the genre, but still enjoyed it. It's a drama. Don't go into this thinking it's the Hindi version of the L word though or you will be disappointed.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Another queer (mlm) bollywood film my friend recced me. It's a little more "blatant" than the one I mentioned before (this one is from 2020, the other 2019) and it's more of a comedy This one is not on Netlfix - it used to be on Amazon prime but I don't know if it still is. I found it *elsewhere* though with better subtitles than on amazon.

Kalifat This is a Swedish show about a young girl getting pulled into the world of extremist Islam, a young mother who already is in the kalifat (and wants to leave) and a (female) journalist trying to help her. It's intense but really good - and kind of scary how easy it is fall down an extremist internet rabbit hole.

Meskina Dutch romantic comedy about a Dutch/Moroccan woman in her 30s who is still single and her family play matchmaker. Featuring one of the funniest women in the Netherlands (Soundos el Ahmadi - who is also a stand up comedian and her shows are on netflix too)

Isi & Ossi German romantic comedy film about a rich girl who wants to go to culinary school but her father won't let her, so she pretends to be in a relationship with a poor guy who is also a boxer to piss off her parents.

Family business Completely unhinged French comedy series about a guy who turns his family's butchershop into a shop that sells weed - because he heard weed was about to be legalised in France. Really funny - 3 seasons.

Lupin French crime/heist show - but from the POV of the thief. Based on/inspired by the Arsène Lupin books. With Omar Sy. IT'S SO GOOD! 2 seasons, season 3 coming in October.

Dirty Lines Dutch (kind of) comedy about a woman who takes a job at a sex phone line.

reblog and add your own!

[morning-softness]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks to @crit20lesbian for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

Eighteen

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

166,316 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The Magnus Archives

4. What are your top five fics by kudos

Netflix and Chill- (TMA, JonTim, 3k, Precanon) Tim and Jon watch Netflix and chill. They do not have sex.

Love, Or Whatever You Call It - (TMA, JonMartin, 20.5k, No Age of the Beholding AU) After Jonah's ritual fails, severing Jon's connection to the Beholding, Jon and Martin try to put the pieces of their lives back together. Adjusting to normal life again after everything is hard, and exploring their new relationship is even harder, especially as Martin realizes he might be aro-spec.

Archive Shenanigans - (TMA, Gen fic, 1k, Season 1) All the assistants are the hot assistant, or Tim says Hot Martin Rights and Hot Sasha Rights and even Hot Jon Rights.

Are You Calling Me ‘Darling’? - (TMA, JonMartin, 2.5k, No Age of the Beholding AU) Jon likes it when people call Martin his boyfriend. Martin…doesn’t.

Here Might You Bless Me - (TMA, JonMartin, 4k, Safehouse Era fic) Martin’s changed after Jon pulls him out of The Lonely, and he’s sure that Jon won’t want to stick around once he figures that out. After all, it turns out Jon has a lot of love to give, and who would want to waste their love on someone who can’t return it? Jon convinces him he’s not going anywhere.

Note: Most of these fics are in my top 6 for hits as well as kudos, but I was really surprised to see Archive Shenanigans make the list. It was the first TMA fic I published, 1k of pure unpolished fluff and comedy, but for whatever reason it has a much higher kudos to hits ratio compared to my more-read fic.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do my best to respond to them, because I want people to know that I read and treasure all of their comments. Sometimes it takes a while though, because I want to give a thoughtful response.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Can’t Have You, Even As An Enemy. It’s a fic where Jon and Tim share a hotel room on the eve of the Unknowing, and talk about (or mostly talk around) their issues. The angst is that it’s written with the intention of being canon compliant, which means that Tim will still die in the explosion, and the best that can be hoped for is that this conversation will give Jon a bit more closure.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I write mainly hurt/comfort, so most of my fic has a happy—or at least hopeful—ending. The happiest might be Can’t We Just Wait Together? (Or Five Times Jon and Tim Didn’t Have a First Date, and One Time They Did), since it’s a 5+1 fic where the final chapter is entirely fluff of Jon and Tim going on a date together.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No. I have comment moderation on just in case, though.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No. Not yet, anyway. Funnily enough, my fic with the highest number of kudos is about Jon and Tim not having sex.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No. The closest might be Listen to the Voice that Told Me where I borrowed the obedience curse mechanics from the book Ella Enchanted, but it’s not really a crossover of the world or characters.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I do have a few that were podficced, though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I tried, but we only got one chapter in before life got in the way. Maybe someday…

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Jon and Martin, followed by Jon and Tim.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Melanie-pov AU where she joins the Archives in Season 2 after she realizes something is wrong with Sasha. I wanted to write it as a choose-your-path style story, because I think it’s easy in hindsight to say decisions characters made were wrong, but a lot harder to decide what the right decision would have been, so I wanted to explore a lot of different ways the characters could have messed up with Melanie added to the mix (and maybe a few ways things could have worked out better). I don’t want to say it will never happen, but it’s a big and complicated project so it definitely won’t happen anytime soon.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I’ve had several comments from readers attesting that I’m good at conveying emotion—particularly negative emotions—in a way that feels real and relatable. I’ve also been told that I do a good job portraying character dynamics.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My biggest problem is that since my writing is really emotions-based, once I’ve hit the emotional high points, it’s no longer interesting to me. Which means with longer fic it’s a struggle for me to actually continue through the falling action to the denouement instead of just stopping right after the climax. (I’ve had two getting-together fics now where I initially wanted to end right after the love-confession scene and had to be convinced by my Beta reader that readers would probably want to see at least a scene or two of the characters actually being together now.)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I usually don’t. I definitely think it can add another layer to characterization, so I’d like to where it makes sense for the characters, but I think it needs to be done carefully so that 1. The dialogue sounds natural for native speakers of the language and 2. People who don’t speak the language can grasp the overall meaning of the exchange through context.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Magnus Archives

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Since I’d like to think my writing skill is consistently improving, my favorite fic is always whichever I’ve most recently completed. That said, I have a soft spot for Here Might You Bless Me, which made the Top 5 Kudos list above. It’s a JonMartin safehouse fic I wrote back in December 2020, where Jon reassures Martin that he is loved even if he can’t return the feeling in the same way. (And Jon uses one of my favorite Edna St. Vincent Millay poems to do so, because I wrote this before I got to Episode 165 and found out that Jon apparently disliked poetry in general, and not just Keats.)

Tagging @three-magpies-in-a-trenchcoat, @rookfeatherrambles, @chrisis-averted, @wordsintimeandspace, @suttttton, if you’d like!

[bethaven]

#25 Summation, reflections and plans for 2024

Now that the calendar is over I want to wrap things up with some thoughts and facts about of what have been and what is coming.

The calendar

In this calendar I've written about 24 series that have meant something to me through my life. There are other series I might actually like more than some of them today, but they've all changed how I see things or how I feel about a certain subject. I started of with M*A*S*H, which will always be my all time favourite and which came into my life early. I ended with Julie and the Phantoms, which just recently came into my life and about which I still have a lot to learn. Some posts almost wrote themselves, while others needed some rewatches and reminiscing.

Here are all the posts:

#1 M*A*SH

#2 The Big Bang Theory

#3 Gilmore Girls

#4 Sex and the city

#5 Oc

#6 How I met your mother

#7 New Girl

#8 Please like me

#9 Modern family

#10 Glee

#11 Gossip Girl (2007)

#12 Miss Fisher's murder mysteries

#13 Tales of the city (2019)

#14 Hollywood

#15 Grace and Frankie

#16 Bridgerton

#17 Young Royals

#18 Emily in Paris

#19 Find me in Paris

#20 Sex Education

#21 Ginny and Georgia

#22 Heartstopper

#23 Xo Kitty

#24 Julie and the Phantoms

Other series/movies that were recommended in posts

Never have Iever, Angus, thongs and perfect snogging, Anne with an E, Queen Charlotte - a Bridgerton story, Younger, Girls, Skam, Élite, Skins, Atypical, Pose, A secret love, Boys in the band, Minx, Tales of the City (1993), More Tales of the City, Further Tales of the City, Looking, Queer as folk, Glamorous, Orange is the new black, Everything's gonna be ok, Nanette/Something special/Douglas, The Good Place, Friends, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, How I met your father, Scrubs, Beverly Hills 90210, 90210, One tree hill, Dawso n's creek, Hart of Dixie, Young Sheldon, Gilmore Girls - a year in the life, Grown-ish, M*A*S*H (1970) and After MASH.

The list for 2024

I stream A LOT of media, and mostly series, some weeks up to 40 hours. This because I usually have something on in the background, it makes me focus even better. I work from home about half the time and the TV is always on, on these days. But it's normaly rewatches and comfort series and I have a hard time starting new ones. So, to help with this, my goal for 2024 is to complete a list of series I want to watch, but haven't dealt with yet. I might not complete them all if I don't like them, but the goal is to start them all.

The unlisted

The irregulars

Raising Dion

Cloak and Dagger

Never have I ever

Everything sucks

Heartbreak high

Elite

Derry Girls

Umbrella academy

Bodies

White Lotus

My life with the Walter boys

The Crown

Minx, season 2

Smiley

BONDING

Everything Now

Todas las veces que enamoramos

Dead to me, season 3

Love and anarchy, season 2

Cunk on earth

Survival of the thickest

Kitz

Julia

Parks and Recreation

The Flight Attendant

It's a Sin

Gentleman Jack

The Sex Lives of College Girls

The Comeback

This is us

Griselda

I'd love to get other tips you think I might like to add to the list! it's mostly Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+ that works, but feel free to tip on anything.

New seasons in 2024

Apart from new discoveries I'll surely get back to some old favourites from time to time. And some of them have some very interesting updates coming up.

Young Royals, season 3 (March)

Bridgerton, season 3 (May 16th and June 13th)

Emily in Paris, season 4

Heartstopper, season 3

Ginny and Georgia, season 3

Confirmed seasons but not confirmed year

Bridgerton, season 4

XO Kitty, season 2

That 90's show, season 2

Ginny and Georgia, season 4 (2025)

Thank you.

Thanks to all of you who've hade the patience to read at least one of these posts. I made them mostly for myself, to be honest, but I'm always glad if someone else enjoys it too! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!

[gameofthunder66]

Sex/Life (2021-2023) tv series

-(finished) watchin' Season 1- 6/10/2023- 3 [1/4] stars- on Netflix

[cobra-bunchofnumbers]

Umbrella Academy S4 Spoilers!

Man that final season just doesn't exist in my eyes. I would've rather Netflix have cancelled then what we got because honestly it was pretty bad.

I don't think them dying was bad at all, I also thought that would happen in the end but its just how they got to that point just felt so undeserved and rushed. They really dropped the ball with Allison in this season because I really believed they were gonna follow up with what happened last season and she'd be put in the ringer, but nah. She just is mildly afraid to talk to her siblings and they also don't really care either. I get there was time jump but like come on its like her betrayal just gets brushed to the side.

Five was absolutely done dirty. I kinda get what they wanted to do with him but i don't think it works at all because Five is Five, we've seen him be so determined to save his family that i really can't believe him to just sit in his fantasy world with Lila and not go back to help them. This is not the five we've known since S1 and getting back to Lila and Five. What the fuck was that romance/cheating arc!?! It really did nothing for the plot other than to have more dysfunction in my dysfunctional family show? Just overall really cheap drama for the sake of drama.

Diego is also fucked up here as well, I really don't get how he got here other than not having powers made him regret having to provide for his family so he just complains and wants to be back in the good ol' days. Granted he that terrible of a father in this season but seriously what that about?

Luther is a stripper which was kinda funny, I mean im not gonna turn down the offer of seeing more of Tom Hopper's physique and it was nice seeing Luther feeling good about himself but I guess that stopped around season 3 anyway with Sloane, and yea Sloane just gets casually remarked and we see him kinda sad about it and he comments to Diego about how him and Sloane would've loved to have what him and Lila have and then she's just never mentioned again despite being a big part of Luther's life in also a short span of time. My guess is the actress didn't want to come back or she was busy but yea all she gets is a mention same with Raymond who just walked out.

Viktor i don't really have much complaints about him, I think he's probably the only one that had a decent arc, I guess he's just a really bad boyfriend now? It was nice seeing him finally putting Reggie in his place during the mansion scene and seeing his screen time with Reginald.

Gene and Jene are a great pair on screen but they don't do really anything other than its nice seeing these two act together.

Klaus has always been underused in my opinion. That whole sex slave medium plot is certainly a choice. It didn't really bother me but just it also didn't really do anything other than be plot b for awhile. I do like how Klaus acts without his powers, him being so just afraid of everything because without his powers he's just a mortal man, and I also like that touch of him being afraid of his powers because he wants to be sober. If i always thought he was underused well in this season it really feels like he does nothing to progress the plot other than being there in the end.

Absolutely no mention of Pogo, I guess Reginald just deleted him from existence just like Sloane. Kinda messed up to be very honest.

There's probably more stuff i have issues with but this post is already quite long and probably messy but overall I would say if you haven't seen 4th season, come to your own conclusions but don't also expect anything and maybe you'll enjoy it i guess?