#so yeah. dino boy for the win my beloved

[whos-hotter-jjba]

Can we have a cowboy men poll?

Hell yeah! I was so tempted to add every single sbr character who identifies as male sksjdjhfshsjdhk but that's way too big a mess

Cowboy Showdown

[letterboxd]

Ranking Little Women.

“This is a film not about a single woman’s quest for identity or independence, but about the infinite power of a woman’s community.”

Letterboxd is humming with Little Women Cinematic Universe energy, particularly since the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s new version, with its cast pulled straight from the Letterboxd Year in Review, dropped.

“I have a guttural five star type of feeling after the trailer,” writes Leia. “Bi culture is thirst-watching this for Timothée Chalamet and Florence Pugh,” Raph enthuses.

Yeah, we see you watching and re-watching all the previous film adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s landmark 1868 novel that you can fix your eyeballs on. We’re not ones to doze by the fire; we like adventures. So let us take you on a romp through past Little Women screen adaptations, in which we rank the productions based on our community’s stantastic response to each.

From left: Milton, Daisy & Ruby.

Little Women (1917) Directed by Alexander Butler

Though the March family lived in the town of Concord, Massachusetts, it was the British who got to the beloved American book first, with this silent film adaptation.

Starring Ruby Miller as Jo March and musical-comedy star Daisy Burrell as Amy March, the film is considered lost, so nobody on Letterboxd will ever be able to confirm how the prolific English actor Milton Rosmer stacked up as rich-boy-next-door Theodore ‘Laurie’ Laurence.

Letterboxd ranking: #7.

Conrad Nagel & Dorothy Bernard.

Little Women (1918) Directed by Harley Knoles, screenplay by Anne Maxwell

Also considered lost is the first American adaptation, by the brilliantly named Harley Knoles, a British director who spent the 1910s working in the US. Matinee idol Conrad Nagel played Laurie.

Letterboxd ranking: #4. Jo March was played by silent film queen Dorothy Bernard, whose father hailed from New Zealand (as does Letterboxd), therefore this version ranks highly even though there are no Letterboxd ratings or reviews to confirm this fact. Instead, check out D.W. Griffiths’ dark, march-across-the-desert film The Female of the Species, in which “only Dorothy Bernard gives a believable performance” according to Michael.

(An aside: Here’s a list of unseen silent films that actually do exist, but that nobody on Letterboxd has yet seen, apparently.)

From left: George Cukor directs Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Frances Dee and Jean Parker in ‘Little Women’ (1933). / Photo courtesy MGM

Little Women (1933) Directed by George Cukor, screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman

Now we’re getting to the meat & potatoes of Little Women standom. Not that it’s a competition, but Katherine Hepburn is the one Saoirse Ronan needs to beat. Hepburn set the screen standard for gutsy portrayals of Jo March, and appropriately so in this first version with sound because let’s be honest, when the world got to hear Jo March speak those lines aloud for the first time, Hepburn’s voice was the perfect choice.

The prolific Cukor was nominated for the best directing Oscar (he eventually won one in 1964 for My Fair Lady), but it was the screenwriters, married couple Mason and Heerman, who won the Academy Award for their script. (Hepburn also won that year, but not for playing Jo March.)

Letterboxd ranking: #3. “A true gem of depression-era cinema,” writes Taj. “Every single scene in the first half of this film is a pure delight.”

“I’d like to personally thank Katharine Hepburn for being absolutely perfect,” writes Skylar. Morgan concurs: “Hepburn plays Jo with a rough physicality, bold confidence, and a gentle sensibility, standing out in a rather unremarkable movie.”

June Allyson and Rossano Brazzi.

Little Women (1949) Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, screenplay by Sally Benson, Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason, and Andrew Solt

Why re-write a script that’s already perfect? Mervyn LeRoy’s 1949 Technicolor update lifted most of the screenplay and music from Cukor’s version, throwing in an on-trend acting line-up of June Allyson (Jo), Janet Leigh (Meg), Elizabeth Taylor (Amy) and Margaret O’Brien (Beth).

Never mind who played Laurie in this version (okay, okay, it was hunky Rat-Packing socialite Peter Lawford); the real tea here is the American film debut of Bologna-born Italian great Rossano (The Italian Job) Brazzi, as Professor Bhaer.

Letterboxd ranking: #2. “This is the best Little Women, fight me,” DylanDog declares. “I’m so impressed by the fact that they rewrote/restructured/padded out the 1933 screenplay, assembled a nearly pitch-perfect cast, and made such a fantastic Technicolor remake,” Dino reasons. “We actually see way more of the novel’s subversive gender politics play out here, and Jo’s motivations are much more palpable.”

“Although I also really like the 1933 version, the Hepburn film lacks the warmth I do find in the 1949 adaptation,” Annewithe writes. “I feel that this version conveys the true spirit of the book and is as cozy and warm and loving, and it’s in colour!”

Susan Dey and William Shatner.

Little Women (1978) Directed by David Lowell Rich, screenplay by Suzanne Clauser

Between 1949 and 1994, all we got was this seventies miniseries adaptation, which flies far under the radar of Letterboxd’s Little Women obsession with only two member reviews.

Susan Dey was a smart choice to play Jo March, given her Partridge Family profile at the time, while Meredith Baxter Birney, who played Meg, went onto huge sitcom fame as Michael J. Fox’s mom in Family Ties. The real curiosity factor here, writes LouReviews, is “the casting of one William Shatner as the Professor, and he’s rather good!”.

Letterboxd ranking: #6. “This story keeps moving me,” is all Sandra had to say, while LouReviews writes “not essential by any means, but if you like the novel, you'll want to see this”.

Winona Ryder and Christian Bale.

Little Women (1994) Directed by Gillian Armstrong, screenplay by Robin Swicord

It only took 126 years from publication for a woman to get behind the camera of a Little Women film, despite Alcott’s masterpiece long being a prime example of (white privileged) female complexity in storytelling. (Although, it’s fair to note that women have been involved in the scriptwriting for every Little Women film adaptation that we know of.)

Released—as Gerwig’s 2019 update will be—at Christmas, Gillian Armstrong’s version was as star-studded as they come, with 90s it-girl Winona Ryder—fresh off Reality Bites—as Jo March, and Christian Bale as Laurie. Also: Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis and Eric Stoltz, with Susan Sarandon as Marmee.

Letterboxd ranking: #1. Sydney writes: “It’s really tough dealing with the fact that this movie is probably never going to get the respect it deserves.” Well Sydney, we’re happy to make your day. This Little Women is currently the highest-rated on Letterboxd (except for Bale’s facial hair, which is not highly rated by anyone). Thomas Newman’s score is much beloved, and the film is, in Julia’s opinion, “the definitive adaptation!”.

On a recent re-watch, Lauren “was transported back in time to my childhood and for those two hours everything felt simple and safe.” Meanwhile Sally Jane Black, in a thoughtful piece, gets right to the heart of Little Women-love: “This is a film not about a single woman’s quest for identity or independence, but about the infinite power of a woman’s community.”

Little Women (2017) Directed by Vanessa Caswill, screenplay by Heidi Thomas

Not strictly a film, but well worth a mention, this recent three-part BBC adaptation stars Thurman-Hawke offspring (and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood flower child) Maya Hawke as Jo March. Emily Watson plays the March matriarch, and—Gerwig connection alert!—Kathryn Newton (Lady Bird’s Darlene) is Amy March.

Letterboxd ranking: #5. Alicia is a fan: “Winona will always be my Jo, but Emily Watson absolutely kills it as Marmee! Just love her FACE!!!! Her pain is your pain; her joy is your joy. Oyyy!”

Bethchestnut was slowly convinced: “A very handsome and loving production, even if there were a lot of things that bothered me about it. Doesn’t help that I watch the 90s version every year. Still made me cry twice.”

Little Women (2018) Directed by Clare Niederpruem, script by Clare Niederpruem and Kristi Shimek

Released to mark the novel’s 150th anniversary of publication, this version wins points for casting Lea Thompson (Howard the Duck, Back to the Future) as Marmee, but loses points for the weird contemporary update, in which the March sisters inexplicably lose the messy complexity of their far more adventurous 19th-century selves.

Letterboxd ranking: #8. “Who decided casting Ryan from High School Musical was a good idea?” asks Sue.

Also worth seeking out: two different Japanese anime adaptations, the 1981 series Little Women’s Four Sisters (若草の四姉妹), and the 1987 series, Tales of Little Women (愛の若草物語), which aired on HBO in 1988 and is notable for writing in a black character. Not worth a mention: this 1970 TV adaptation.

Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ opens in cinemas this December.

[you-get-to-exhale-now-cyrus]

Cyrus’ Dictionary

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10

Summary: Cyrus has always been good with words; there’s a reason English is his favorite subject. But with TJ, he seems to be at a loss for words. When they get paired up for a summer assignment, Cyrus slowly starts to build a new dictionary. One that involves TJ and everything they do together. Along the way, maybe he’ll find the words to tell him how he feels.

Chapter 10: Naz

Word Count: 3292

Read on AO3

Buffy paced around her room, waiting for the ringing on the phone to stop.

“Hello?” came Cyrus’ voice from the other end.

“We have a problem,” she muttered, plopping down on her bed.

“Oh? Is everything okay?” Cyrus asked, his brows furrowing together.

“Marty told me he loves me,”

Cyrus nearly choked on his own spit. “He did?”

Buffy nodded, even though Cyrus couldn’t see her. “And it was totally out of the blue, like we were literally playing Mario Kart,” she explained, “and I was just so shocked and taken aback. So I just left,”

“Yikes,” Cyrus mumbled, much to the displease of Buffy.

“Not helping. What do I do?” she asked, playing with a lock of her hair.

“Well, do you love him?”

Buffy paused, and Cyrus almost thought that she’d hung up. “I-I don’t know. I’m not sure,”

“Tell him that,” he offered her, “feelings can be really hard and silence can be worse than the truth,”

“You’re probably right,” she said, “so, you and TJ?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

Cyrus froze, inhaling sharply. “What are you talking about?”

“Your text seemed off,” she stated.

“Nah, things are good, I’m good, we’re good,” he rambled, his face scrunching up as he spoke.

“Oo, you gonna hang out with him again?” she cooed, and even though Cyrus couldn’t see her, he knew she was smirking.

“Yeah, we’re going to the fair in town,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Not sure how that’s gonna go with his mom,”

“What do you mean?”

“Long story. I’ll talk to you later?” Cyrus offered.

“Talk to me after your date,” Buffy chuckled, grinning widely.

“I love you and I hate you,” he said, hanging up and putting his phone in his pocket.

“Stay still, I’m gonna screw it up!” Walker insisted, pouting.

“But it tickles,” Jonah countered, looking up at him with a big grin. He put his hands under his legs, trying to keep himself from squirming and ruining Walker’s face paint job.

“Bi the way, you look great with this,” Walker joked, to which Jonah replied with finger-guns.

“And you look pan-tastic. . .that was awful, I’m sorry,” he shook his head, peering in the mirror to admire Walker’s work, “it’s so pretty! I love it,”

Walker beamed, taking Jonah’s hand and rushing down the stairs. “Mom, we’re ready to go!”

Walker’s mom hurried into the room. “Well don’t you boys look lovely,” she remarked, ushering them out the door, “you know if anything happens to call me, right?”

“Right, we will,” Walker promised, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, “love you!”

The couple walked down the street, hand in hand, until they saw the big arch of rainbow balloons. Flags in every size and color danced in the wind, people threw confetti everywhere, and the whole environment looked a little hectic, but loving nonetheless.

“You ever been to pride before?” Walker asked, squeezing through the crowd to try and get a better view for the parade.

Jonah shook his head. “Never, what’s it like?”

“It’s like someone threw up the world’s biggest rainbow, then doused it in glitter,” he joked, “it’s really great,”

The parade was up and running by the time they got there. There was a bi float, to which Jonah screamed at the top of his lungs about. Someone on the float tossed him a little pin that said ‘I like my men how I like my women’. Sure, they were getting jostled and bumped around, but Jonah wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything in the world. Confetti filled the air, as did whoops of applause, when a proposal took place on one of the floats, and everyone collectively lost their minds.

“This is so great!” Walker cheered, turning towards Jonah, who had a small, telling smile on his face, “what?”

“. . .I love you,” he said softly, thinking the words would get lost in the cacophony of the parade.

Walker grinned, tears brimming from his eyes. “I love you too, you know. I was . . .gonna tell you, but I was afraid you were gonna freak out,”

Jonah cupped Walker’s face, bringing their noses together. “You absolute dork,” he mumbled, pecking his lips. People around them joined in with a chorus of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’, a few clapping the boys on the back and telling them they were adorable together. Everything was going so well.

Until a certain middle-aged woman was walking down the street and was able to pick out her son from the crowd.

“Jonah!” a shrill voice stood out from all the others, “Jonah what are you doing here?”

His blood ran cold. He felt like he was going to faint or cry or throw up or all three. Luckily, Walker was there holding his hand, and telling him things were going to be okay. People around Jonah and Walker stared at the woman.

“C’mon, let’s go,” she said, holding out her hand.

Jonah opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. By this point, more and more people had gathered around him, whispers and murmurs tearing through the crowd.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Beck,” Walker piped up, ever the brave one, “he’s gonna stay with me. I really care about him and,” he looked at Jonah, smiling softly, “I know he really cares about me,”

“But. . .you’re both boys?” she hesitated, all of a sudden feeling quite uncomfortable in her situation.

“Good catch, lady,” someone from the crowd called out, earning a few ‘woos’ and applause.

“So?” Jonah said, trying to stand his ground, “Mom, I love him. Isn’t that all that matters?”

Jonah’s mom looked at Walker, conflicted, as if trying to ask him for answers, but his face read ‘don’t look at me’.

“Wouldn’t you rather have a happy son who loves a boy rather than a sad one who pretends to love a girl?” said someone else, offering some advice.

She took a few steps forward, parting through the crowd to get to her son. “Jonah,” she started, putting her hands on his shoulder, “I love you no matter what, you know that right?”

And at that, Jonah collapsed into her arms and started to cry. Happy tears, sad tears, all the tears. Cheers and applause ensued, but all Jonah could think about was how happy he was to finally have this weight lifted off of his chest.

When his mom pulled away, she looked at Walker. “So, you’re the artist?”

Walker ducked his head, trying to hide the ever-growing blush on his cheeks. “How do you know?”

“Jonah has a drawing you did in his room,” she supplied, to which Jonah groaned of embarrassment, “and that’s my cue to leave. I’ll catch you boys later,” she said, walking off.

“You have a drawing I did in your room?” Walker asked, a soft smile gracing his face.

Jonah nodded. “The one you did of me in the park that day. It’s always been my favorite,”

Walker grinned, slinging an arm around him. He opened his mouth to say something, but then what seemed like a pound of glitter rained down on them.

“Happy pride, you’re never getting the glitter out of your hair,” Walker chuckled.

“Worth it,” Jonah assured him, grinning like an idiot.

“Yes!” TJ pumped his fist in the air, after he’d sunk the last basket.

“Surprise, surprise, ladies and gents, TJ Kippen can shoot basketballs,” Cyrus teased, poking his shoulder.

TJ ignored him, pointing to the plush dinosaur behind the man. “For you,”

Cyrus looked from the stuffed animal to TJ. “Really?”

TJ nodded. “Of course. You love dinosaurs, so it only makes sense that I’d give it to you,”

“It’s also a stuffed animal and I’m 16 years old,”

“I can easily take that away from you. I will turn this prize around,” he threatened with mock authority, crossing his arms.

Cyrus sighed, tucking the dino under his arm. “Thanks,” he muttered, kicking the ground.

TJ frowned, trying to meet his gaze. “Do you not like it? I can pick something else,”

Cyrus shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I just. . .I wish I could win you something, but my lack of hand-eye coordination impedes that desire,”

TJ rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, most of these games are probably math driven,” he insisted, peering at the booths, “darts?”

“Sure, we’ll just end up in the ER when I inevitably forget which direction to throw it in,” Cyrus mused, following TJ.

“I’ll help you,” he offered, handing the lady behind the booth a few tickets, and getting a few darts in return, “take the first shot. I’ll hold your beloved dinosaur,”

Cyrus picked up one of the darts with extreme caution. He shut one eye, trying to gauge where he should throw it. After a few intense moments of concentration, he threw it, and it hit the board and landed on the ground.

“Help?” TJ offered, setting the plush animal aside and coming up beside him, holding the dart in both their hands, “so, just pinch it like this,” he said, moving Cyrus’ fingers in the right position, electricity zipping through him with each touch.

Cyrus felt like he almost couldn’t breathe, and he didn’t even know why. Was there something in the air? Was it some weird summer curse? Either way, the next thing he knew was that the dart had left his hands and the balloon popped.

“Hey, you did it!” TJ cheered, ruffling his hair gently, “told you,”

Cyrus pointed to a small, plush basketball, thanking the lady. “For you,”

TJ beamed, picking it up like it was his own child. “I love it, thank you,”

Cyrus shrugged, grabbing his dinosaur as they walked. “Doesn’t begin to compare to this, but I’m glad you like it,”

“Cyrus?” a voice called, followed by a slew of excited squeals.

“Amber, hey!” he greeted, “ and Andi. What are you guys doing?”

“We’re going to recreate Love, Simon,” Andi said, pointing to the ferris wheel.

“Ah,” TJ nodded sagely, “round and round the lesbians go, where they stop, nobody knows,”

Cyrus chuckled, holding out his dino. “Look what TJ won for me!”

Amber raised her brows, giving her brother a knowing look. “Wow, that’s really special. He must have really known you’d like that,”

“Well look at what Cyrus got me,” TJ said through gritted teeth, “it’s a basketball because he knows I love it,”

Andi looked between the two Kippens, trying to figure out what was going on. “Should we head towards the ferris wheel? Recreate that iconic scene,” she said, taking Amber’s hand and running to the line.

“I want that,” Cyrus sighed, hugging the dino to his chest sweetly.

“To go on the ferris wheel?” TJ nearly squeaks out, “yeah, let’s do it,” he says with the least amount of confidence possible.

Cyrus grabs TJ’s hand, tugging him along and catching up to Amber and Andi. The girls and Cyrus talked about the movie for a little while, Cyrus gushing about the lighting and the cinematography, while Amber just kept repeating the word ‘gay’ over and over.

When they got towards the front of the line, Cyrus handed the man tickets for him and TJ, and they both took their seats, their respective prizes on the outside of the seats. The man started the ride, and the boys weren’t even three feet on the ground when TJ squeezed his eyes shut.

“Would this be a bad time to tell you I’m afraid of heights?” he muttered, feeling something gentle rest on his hand that was gripping the bar for dear life.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Cyrus assured him, “open your eyes. You don’t have to look down, just look at me,”

TJ slowly fluttered his eyes open, the first thing he saw being Cyrus’ hand on his. His gaze trailed up to his face, meeting his eyes; gosh, he could drown in those.

“Hey,” Cyrus whispered, scooting a little closer to TJ.

“Hey,” TJ said back, heart pounding, his breath coming in quick breaths, not because of the ferris wheel. He’d forgotten that he was so high above the ground. “I’m kinda weak, aren’t I,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

Cyrus frowned. “You know I’d love you no matter what,” he said, biting his tongue, “I mean, you know like, I-I love all my friends, like how friends love each other,” he stammered, exhaling.

“Oh. Yeah. Me too,” TJ replied, suddenly remembering he was on the ride, and clenching the bar a little tighter.

When they reached the bottom, TJ grabbed his basketball and flew off the seat. Cyrus took his dino, and walked off calmly, laughing as he caught up to TJ; the kind of laugh that made you dizzy with excitement. While TJ took a moment to catch his breath, Cyrus pulled out his phone and googled:

being loved no matter what

He opened his notes, and jotted down the word quickly so he wouldn’t forget.

naz: the pride that comes with knowing that you are loved no matter what you do

Amber and Andi stumbled off the ferris wheel, both laughing and smiling like two idiots.

“You two okay?” TJ asked, having regained his sense of safety.

“We’re good, just gay,” Amber supplied, squeezing Andi’s hand, “and also kind of tired and ready to go home,”

TJ nodded, turning to Cyrus. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Cyrus agreed, walking in the opposite direction with Andi, as Amber and TJ headed home.

“So how was your date?” Amber cooed, batting her lashes at her brother.

TJ pushed her, making her stumble a little. “It wasn’t a date,”

Amber stopped dead in her tracks, grabbing TJ by the wrist. “It was literally Love, Simon, you dumbass gay disaster,”

TJ rolled his eyes, tugging his arm away from her. “So, how was your date?”

Amber shrugged, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. “It was a sort-of date. We both like each other but are trying to keep this under wraps, you know?”

TJ nodded. “Yeah, I know. . .mom stuff,”

“Speaking of which, what did you tell her about this ordeal?” Amber asked, the two of them rounding the corner and walking down the street.

“I said we were going to the fair, just you and me,” he supplied.

“We need a selfie to prove it,” Amber decided, “my phone’s dead,”

“Fine, fine, I guess we can use mine,” he mumbled, unlocking it and clicking through. He accidentally selected photos instead of camera, and the picture of him and Cyrus in the Christmas shop popping up. Just his luck.

Amber’s jaw dropped, making incoherent noises as TJ tried to close the image, but Amber was holding onto his phone like death. “Oh my gosh, you guys are literally so cute,” she finally said, nearly fangirling over the picture.

“I mean I already know that Cyrus is adorable so,” TJ shrugged, giving into the fact that Amber was never going to let this go.

“No, like, you guys are legitimate couple goals,”

“Not a couple,”

“Yet,” Amber replied, not missing a beat.

“So,” Andi started, plucking a fry from the basket, “you and TJ?”

Cyrus groaned, bringing his forehead down onto the table. “Why does everyone phrase it like that, like we’re dating! We’re not!”

Andi was taken aback, chewing on her fries in confusion. “I just meant that you guys were having a fun time here, but dating, okay, let’s go there,”

“Let’s not,” Cyrus pleaded, picking his head up.

“Too late,” Andi chuckled.

Cyrus pouted, crossing his arms. “I don’t wanna talk about ‘us’,” he groaned, using air quotes.

“I’m, like ninety-nine percent sure he likes you, Cy,” Andi insisted, drumming her fingers on the table, “have you seen the way he looks at you?”

“. . .yeah, right, whatever,” Cyrus mumbled, taking another fry from the basket.

“I’m serious,”

“Hush,”

“But do you like him?”

And there it was; the loaded question that was there lurking in the shadows, but now it was on full display. He really didn’t want to answer, because heck, he didn’t even know how to answer it. So he stayed silent.

“Aha! So you do like him!” Andi clapped her hands together.

“I never said that! TJ’s my best friend,” Cyrus defended, taking the last fry in defiance.

“Cyrus, be honest. You don’t think that there could be something more there?” she asked, searching his face for some sort of answer.

“. . .no,” Cyrus said meekly, almost like he was disappointed, but not quite. His voice didn’t wobble, and he said it with as much confidence as he could.

Andi shrugged, tossing the empty basket into the trash can. “Whatever you say,” she chirped, getting up from her seat, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cy,”

He gave her a wave as a good-bye, and turned his attention back to the ferris wheel, watching people go around and around. Couples, kids, parents with their little ones, all smiling and laughing. He sighed, silently hoping that one day he’d get to do that with someone special.

6/25

Today Cyrus and I went to the fair, and it was so much fun! I played a basketball game and won him a dinosaur, and he played a dart game and gave me the stuffed basketball he won. Well, in truth I helped him a little bit, but his face when I said ‘you did it!’ was priceless. We ran into Amber and Andi, and we all went on the ferris wheel. Admittedly, I’m afraid of heights, but Cyrus was there with me, telling me that things were okay, and to just look at him, which helped. I was worried he’d think I’m weak, but he said he’d love me no matter what. You know, like friends do.

TJ sighed, shutting his journal and setting it on his nightstand. That little moment had meant everything to him, and even if he wanted it to go further or mean something more, deep down, he knew it didn’t. It was just a thing friends said to each other, like when Amber would text Cyrus and end the conversation with ‘love you!’.

[Underdog <3: so for tmrw, there’s free painting classes where the art gallery was that day! do you wanna come?]

TJ smiled, butterflies erupting in his stomach no matter how hard he tried to quell them.

[Me: totally! when is it?]

[Underdog <3: around noon, sound good?]

[Me: i’m there]

TJ turned off the lamp on his nightstand, shutting his eyes and trying to go to sleep. But even though it was late, and he was relatively tired, he couldn’t stop thinking. Thinking of Cyrus. Thinking about what they ‘were’. Friends, he supposed. Best friends.

6/25

TJ and I went to the fair today and it was so much fun! He won me this giant dinosaur stuffed animal and I love it! It’s sitting in my chair in my room right now. I tried to win him a stuffed basketball with a game of darts, but he helped me so much that he basically won it. We saw Amber and Andi there, and then all four of us went on the ferris wheel and it was so much fun! It was kinda dark when we were at the top, but I could still see TJ’s green eyes. They’re pretty nice.

And there it was again; Cyrus focusing on TJ’s eyes. “It’s a normal thing,” he told himself, flipping to the back and jotting down the notes he’d written in his phone. Naz. What a lovely word to describe him and TJ. They would love each other no matter what. Love, like friends do, of course. Because that’s what they were.

Friends.

Tag List: @shortstackofpeaches || @seanna313 || @geekingbeautytx || @heavenlybyers || @ginnychrises|| @wlwandimack || @giocondasstuff || @lemonboytyrus || @adorejrizzle || @swingsetboys || @ifellintotyrushell || @idk-dude-17 || @rbf-lesbian || @marianara-sauce || @kaptainjinxz || @alex-poster-pizz || @quietmarvel || @blueberry-my-hero-macadamia || @broadwayitbitch || @tjsmuffin || @tjthekippen || @idpleasesir || @hi-hello-hey-there || @bingewatchingenthusiast|| @booklove-2 || @illbeyourreasonwhy || @birdiesandflowers || @whistlepunk || @phinallyjackie || @thedampjofangirl || @tyrus4eva || @tj-is-a-lemony-boy || @tj-goodman-bittersweet-boy || @dis-app-oin-tme-nt || @nessarinthegay || @breadisticks || @typewriter-riz || @gobletofash || @bluemuffinboy || @sofuuh || @cheesystars || @tjmuffin || @multifandom-bxitch || @allylovessadie || @hithatsmyname || @tyrusinarush || @tyrus-lookback ||

[lovelycheollie]

#23: Loving Her was Weird (Woozi)

“A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other...Maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever” ― Dave Matthews Band

Words: 1669 LOOOL

Heyyy!! After a short hiatus and overcoming a writer’s block I am now back with a Woozi fluff scenario requested by the beloved @milkteafairy-hyeri heyyy!! Hello there Hyeri thank you for requesting and I hope you’ll like reading this!

There you were, sitting and chuckling with the giant beanstalk of the group, holding your own cup of tea as the wind grew colder and colder, whispering that winter was just around the corner. Your reddened cheeks seemed to brighten the room full of thirteen tired young men, somehow healing their souls with your angel-like voice. The boys just had a break from Woozi’s hellish recording session and it seemed that he wasn’t planning to give them a break or two at all, but thankfully you entered the scene with tea and cake rolls. The sullen looks disappeared from plain sight with just a flick of your fingers and soon roaring laughter filled the room. Yet a frown was almost visible on the music fairy of Seventeen who sat just across to your direction.

Sure, Woozi knew that he had never fallen in love, but there was something off in his body whenever you appeared out of nowhere. He was too timid, too stiff around with girls when they batted their eyelashes and pouted their lips at him. Woozi could only look away and smile bitterly at them, knowing that they did their best but he wasn’t into it. And then you came around, making him trip on his own toes and bite his lower lip, almost tasting the sweetness on his lips. He didn’t know why, but he found it weird, especially when your skin touched him and the electricity made him jolt all of a sudden.

He was in love, but as he saw you punching Mingyu on the arm lightly, he knew that he was drowning in his own emotions quietly. And he wanted you to rescue him.

By now, the others had noticed his deadly stare at the two of you, Mingyu even felt like some force was trying to bury him five feet under. They knew they had to make a move, ‘cause if they didn’t, well, who would?

“Hey Y/N,” Vernon called out as he leaned on the coffee table, serving himself another slice of chocolate cake. “You have to see Woozi hyung’s cat plushie in the recording studio. It’s so big that we could all sit on it.”

“A cat plushie? I’ve never seen it, or heard of it even.”

Hoshi inserted himself in the middle of everyone’s amusement. “Woozi here bought it immediately when he saw it in Japan. He said he just felt like buying it. You should go and see how big it is.”

“Woozi hyung, you should join her,” Mingyu lifted his eyebrows as he pushed you to stand on your feet. Woozi wore a blank face, in his mind he was slowly hitting them with a pillow. He felt wary of the thought that they were planning something and he didn’t know what it was.

“Can I see the plushie Woozi?” He almost saw hearts flying around the two of you when you grinned at him just a meter away. The blood rushed to his cheeks and he turned around to make sure you didn’t see a glimpse on his blushing state.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled you by the arm and walked you to the studio as the boys followed behind. You heard them whispering about the plushie and Woozi and locking the door, but you just shrugged it off and focused on the warmth that Woozi was radiating. Like always, he had managed to make you feel so giddy with just a touch from him.

He pulled out his keys from his back pocket and flicked the lights on, exposing the gigantic plushie on the corner of the studio. You forgot everything right then and ran onto it, jumping on its softest fur and fluff. A smile bloomed on his face as he strolled to you, and as he did, the boys were wearing their devilish grins. Before the two of you knew it, they had shut the door and locked you from the outside. You were stuck in the room, with the man you’ve been loving ever since, while hugging the cat plushie in between your arms.

“Did they just-”

“Yes, they did.”

The smile that he had turned into a face full of regret, running to the door and knocking on it without mercy. “Open the door! Open the door before I make you suffer later!”

“You need this Woozi!” Jeonghan screamed at the other side.

“You’ll also need herbal tea after I make you guys do vocalizations! Now let us out!”

“Nope, you’re not scaring us Woozi hyung,” Now it was Dino’s turn to torment him.

“What did you say Dino?”

“Nothing, sorry hyung. Anyway, we’ll let you out soon, so just take your time and do whatever needs to be done.” After that, the voices and footsteps were distant, and all that was left was the two of you neither speaking a word.

A sigh escaped his lips while he sat beside your silent figure. His hair was disheveled from running his hands through and calming himself before he does anything that he might regret. Out of all that he could feel right now, he was downright embarrassed and happy at the same time. Finally, you were out of Mingyu’s sight and was going to be with him right now.

“So,” you scoffed as you settled the plush on its original place and focused your intentions to him. “How was the recording earlier? They told me you were extra strict today.”

“Extra strict? For all I know I was being me. No extras, no jokes, just the typical producing fairy. But you know?”

You tilted your head to the right, seeing a sincere look on him. “Yeah?”

“Let’s forget it all for now. I just want to relax,” he slowly leaned his head on your shoulder which bewildered you for a second. For you, it felt like he was leaning all of him to you, and that he was exposing his weaknesses and strengths, and it was okay. As long as it was you, Woozi could surrender himself.

The seconds turned into minutes, and silence was still in the air while you rested beside each other. Your shallow breaths were on sync with his, heart palpitating whenever the scent of his hair lingered on you. The calm, his skin, your flushed face, it drove you to insanity. You prayed that somehow, by the end of it all, a permanent miracle might happen for the two of you.

“Y/N?” His voice was a soft whisper on your ears.

“Yes Woozi?”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault that you’re stuck here with me. And that I’m using your shoulder as a pillow.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. As long as I’m helping you, that’s all that matters to me.” And without a minute to lose, Woozi’s arms snaked on your sides and pulled you close to him, your shoulders jolting as your face was buried into his chest. You could hear his heartbeat, fast paced and intimidating. “Woozi?”

“I just want to hold you, is that bad?”

“Well no, but, is this hug enough for you?”

He lifted his head from your side and crawled to sit in front of you. His brown orbs were locked to your own and you felt that you shouldn’t turn away. You were wondering on what was about to happen, but his eyes were full of hidden emotions, striking deep within you as he continued to stare at you. “That’s not enough for me. I mean, I don’t want you as a person whom I could lean on. I don’t want you to sit beside me in silence inside a dimly-lit room with an imported plushie staring at us. I want you to be jumpy around with me, even if my body’s screaming rest. I want you to be someone more than that Y/N.”

You eyes widened at his sudden outburst while he connected his fingers with yours. “Wait, what? Woozi are you hearing yourself?”

“Yes and I don’t care if I sound cheesy and stupid and weird. You’ve turned me into this blushing mess Y/N, these sparks around and all the butterflies in my stomach is all because of you. I like you. No, that’s an understatement. I love you Y/N.”

Before you could even answer, Woozi chose to cover his face with nervousness and embarrassment, rewinding his confessions again and again in his mind. And you were honestly shocked, you didn’t thought that this guy in front of you was feeling the same way as you did for him, and that he was going to tell all of his feelings for you. The two of you were in a blushing frenzy, and secretly you thanked the stars under your breath.

“I’m weird aren’t I?” He asked and you shook your head.

“No, you’re not, but if you’re weird, what am I then?” You pinched his cheeks as a hearty laughter was heard throughout the room. “Woozi, I feel the same, I really do. I love you, heck, I think I loved you way before you realized that you loved me.”

“You mean, what we feel is mutual?”

“Well, yeah, I think that’s how it is. Mutual.”

“Mutual, I like how it sounds. But I want to you be my girlfriend. Is that okay?” He drew his face closer to you, and you didn’t even try to stop him. You met him halfway, foreheads touching while the tips of your noses tickled each other.

“Yeah, I’d like that Woozi,” you parted from him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, his heart skipping a beat as his face got tinted with red hues. He was wearing his winning grin, a winner from all of those weird feelings called jealously and weariness. You were now his girlfriend, and for him, the thought of loving you wasn’t weird just like before.

Loving you was a mystery box to be opened, along with the thought of giving the boys another cake roll as a gift of appreciation.

[lovelycheollie]

14, 24 & 27: Producer S.O.S. (Woozi)

“When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.” ― Jess C. Scott, The Intern

Words: 2496

Somebody help me from this 2k+ curse. I need to chill hahahahah

I am back with another Woozi scenario, this time with a cute fluff requested by @milkteafairy-hyeri! Well I need to be honest here, you guys need to feed me fluff and stuff because I want to make better fluffs hahahaha anyway I hope you guys will like this! Enough tears for today and let's fall for the music fairy!

Seventeen's dorm was at a very peaceful moment, wherein the boys sat in the middle of the living room and had their time, playing Uno cards and dunking cookies in their glasses of milk. The deeds for the day were done, and everyone was supposed to be taking a nap or strumming a string or two, leaving Woozi to compose. But Dino had other plans as he carried cards and board games on his hands. Soon, everyone was immersed in their small get-together, completely forgetting that their music fairy was locked in his own musical wonderland.

As Vernon and Seungcheol struggled to fight for their last cards, a knock on the door was heard throughout the room, startling the others who checked some videos online. A cold wind passed every member and no one was willing to get up and check whoever it was. Seungkwan then brushed the dust off of his bottom and strolled casually to the door.

The door creaked open, but their eyes were fixed on their winning cards and cellphones. Vernon had a taunting grin at the leader, who was wearing his triumphant smirk as well. Seungcheol kept a glare on his opponent as his dimples appeared on the side. "Hey Seungkwan, who is it?"

"Woo."

"Woo? Who? Spill it Kwan."

Woo."

"Woono!" Vernon smashed his card on the top of the pile as laughter escaped his lips, and out of the blue, a body fell on the floor with a heavy thump. Seungcheol rose to his seat as quickly as he could, only to see Seungkwan lying there with closed eyes and Woozi who had a sullen look on his face, painfully pale and weak. His lips were chapped, shoulders scrunched over and he resembled a possessed gnome rather than a fairy.

Their eyes were huge, almost to fall as the stressed man walked to where the kitchen was. Heads turned while his fingers took a hold on a banana and a bottle of coffee, forgetting the fact that he was the center of attraction for his co-members. And when Woozi turned his sight to them, he saw gaping mouths here and there.

The bottle popped open and he took a quick sip on it, amused at what he was seeing. "How long are you guys going to stare at me like a prized possession?"

"Hyung are you okay? You look-" Dino thought carefully of the words he was about to say, not wanting to get a hit from his hyung. But the gag trio was merciless and everyone prayed for their souls as they committed their crimes.

"-like you woke up from the dead?" Seungkwan muttered while being fanned by Jun.

Seokmin, who was sitting at the corner, raised his hand with his signature smiling eyes "-like he was mugged by a bunch of gangsters on the street?"

"Like a baby who had his candy taken?" Hoshi said with a tiny wag on his tail, innocently tilting his head. A pair of dog ears seemed to appear on his head. Everyone anticipated for the fairy to break the bottle into bits and send the three to hell, but Woozi just blinked and turned his attention back to his moment, sipping the coffee again and giving off a satisfactory sigh.

"Aren't you going to hit these three?" Wonwoo spoke while adjusting his specs on the tip of his nose.

"Why should I?"

Now they were perplexed. Woozi was not really doing well. Mingyu stood up and walked to confront him without any hesitation, his fingers pointed at the culprits who were already on their knees with shocked expressions. "Hey, you always chase them with your hands when they tease you!"

"Hey Cheol."

"Yeah?" His shoulders were tense as he heard his name coming from Woozi's mouth and they could all see goosebumps on his skin, the color fading from his cheeks. Seungcheol was motionless and frozen, almost resembling a block of ice. Woozi strolled in front the door while carrying his piece of banana and twisted the doorknob, exposing the small cave where he will be spending his time again, away from the world. They were all on the edge as they waited for him to respond.

"I need you to make some lines on a certain part of the song. I'll send you a copy of it on your email," and with that, the door shut with a minimal bang, the boys left with nothing but worry, not for their lives but for their composer. Woozi was in a bad condition, even if he'd say he was okay for the millionth time, the boys knew better.

"Kids, our music fairy is facing a crisis. We must do something," Joshua faced the team as they tried of thinking ways on how they could help. They knew they could do nothing. Unless they had to involve someone who knew how to press his buttons.

"How about... Her?" Jun said, smirks appearing on their cheeks as they remembered that your presence alone could do a lot for him. "For once can you guys stop smiling?"

"I can't believe that Woozi is in a relationship," Minghao sighed beside him.

The team heard a tsk from Jun. "Relationships are for nerds."

"At least nerds fall in love. How about you?" Oohs and ahhs were heard at every corner of the room and they saw how the two bowed at each other with respect.

"Who's going to call her?" A yawn escaped Minghao's mouth as he spoke, tugging their heartstrings for a second. Jeonghan's hand slid inside his pocket and fiddled with the phone. Scrolling up and down, he saw your name in his contacts and pressed call on the screen.

You clasped the USB between your hands, realizing that the whole song was finally complete. The desktop awed at your presence while you leaned back on your chair, sighing with a winning grin imprinted on your face. And as you reviewed the lyrics of the newly-composed song, a blush blossomed on your cheeks, remembering that your boyfriend was your inspiration to compose it from the start. Then the door swung open, the maknae of your team holding your ringing phone and almost throwing it square on your face.

"Someone's trying to reach you for a while now. And please don't forget to bring your phone with you always!" She exclaimed and shut the door with a sturdy bang as you focused on the thought that someone will be receiving a sermon after the call.

You glanced at the screen, only to see Jeonghan's precious selfie. You swiped answer and settled it on your ear. "Yo Jeonghanie?"

"Hey Y/N! I think we have an emergency?"

"Emergency? What do you mean?"

"Woozi looks like he-"

"Rose from the dead-" Seungkwan's booming voice echoed in your ear and you had to distance yourself from the phone. A fist will be meeting a prince-like face later.

"I'm trying to talk here," you heard a sassy tone on Jeonghan's voice and you could almost see him roll his eyes to the child. "Anyway, he looked very sickly and tired, so we thought that maybe you could pay him a visit tonight."

You let your legs hang on the side of your chair as you leaned further back. Your tilted head stared at the ceiling while the USB twirled on your fingers. "Tonight? Isn't he busy? Like shouldn't he be composing for the next album?"

"Well he is, but you know, he's dealing with too much stress and the boys only know that you're his stress reliever."

"You flatter me too much Jeonghanie."

"We really want to help him, but we need you to do so. Will you come for your boyfriend's sake?" Jeonghan held his breath, waiting for your reply with the boys crowding beside him. You giggled a little as your eyes fell on the folder full of finished compositions in your desktop. A smile curved on your face while walking in front of the closet.

"Okay then, I'll be there shortly," you said as you ended the call and grabbed a beloved hoodie and track pants, settling the black mask on your face and dialled for takeouts.

The dorm was still in a state of shock as they waited on their seats, hearing the ticking of the clock on the wall. Sweat trickled on their foreheads and their eyes shifted here and there. Woozi's door had a dark aura and nobody dared to come closer to it. But when they heard a knock on the front door, the boys welcomed you, jumping on their feet as they felt their anxiety fade away. You were finally there with 6 steaming boxes of chicken and bottles of soda in your plastic bags.

"Where is my perfect-except-for-his-height boyfriend?" You spoke while the young ones took the bags from your hands and placed it all on the coffee table. The boys seemed to push you somewhere, not even offering you a seat or coffee.

"He's in his hideout," Joshua said with a grin, pointing his fingers to the door.

"You mean his studio?"

"Well yeah," he stopped on his tracks and knocked on the door three times. You lifted an eyebrow when you saw him take a step back and crashed himself with the others. They looked like scared puppies, tucking their tails under them. "Good luck Y/N. Please make him better!"

"Who's there? Come in," Woozi replied as he heard someone knocking. The right earphone fell to his chest, but he was too busy on merging layers and fixing some tunes, fingers cramping on the process. He didn't even take the moment to see you enter his silent haven.

"I just finished composing a song Mister Lee, would you like to hear it?" His head turned at your direction, fixated on the little smile you had. He felt his heart work on the caffeine earlier and the redness came back on his lips and cheeks. With just your presence, you had cured your beloved boyfriend. "Hello my sweetest Woozi!"

He removed the earphone hanging on his ear and fixed in on his table, saving his piece before anything happens to the computer. "Hey Y/N! What brings your here? Weren't you supposed to be in your own studio?"

"You don't want me here?"

"What? No no, it's not that. I'm just really happy to see you. You're like a cure or something," he immediately turned his back to you and blushed in front of the desktop. "Anyway, I thought you were going to finish the tracks for your groups's album."

"Well I already did, plus I wanted to relax with you for a second," you walked to him and startled his brain when you gave him a kiss on the cheek. You sat on the small seat beside him and observed his static expression. "And you, my dearest Woozi, need to relax for the night."

"Okay first, what a sly attack Y/N. You got me. Second, for the night? I could finish the last two songs tonight."

"Just for a night. Don't get so worked up sweetie. The boys are worried for you outside."

"I really can't, I just want to finish this. You can wait for me with them."

He clicked his tongue, making you proceed with plan b. You pouted your lips and tucked your arms to your chest, not letting your eyes meet him. "He doesn't have any time for me. Oh what should I do? Oh my oh my."

"What are you doing? Are you using aegyo on me?"

"He wants me to wait. Oh you know how impatient I am, right mister?" You pointed your fingers to your cheeks, and with that, he sighed with defeat. You knew his only weakness was your aegyo, heck you could even make him kneel with your high-pitched voice and glittering eyes. And now you've won again.

You took your USB from your pocket and inserted it in the CPU, clicking the folder open and pressing play on the song you just finished. The slow music flowed inside the room, along with your co-members' voices, the melody you had made sounded heartfelt and full of emotions.

Woozi closed his eyes, letting himself drown in the song that his girlfriend had made. The two of you were producers of your own groups, and you both knew the joys and pains of producing music. You saw passion that you had in his eyes, and you fell for him and he did so too. You two made a piece only the two of you can sing. A duet meant for the you and Woozi.

He opened his eyes when he heard your soothing voice sing the lyrics, and he couldn't stop the smile forming on his lips. You turned to him, locking your eyes and trying to convey that everything about the music was for him. The beat up to the notes, they were all for Woozi.

The song ended with Woozi pinching your cheeks. A tint of red appeared on your face again, his touch making you feel tingly inside. "You made another masterpiece Y/N, I'm proud of you."

"You were in my mind when I made that. It sounds cheesy, but I'm honest. You were all that I could ever think of at that moment."

"Hey Y/N I'm the guy here stop being the man," you laughed at him while he locked you in his arms. The scent of your hair intoxicated him, dizzying him into a romantic frenzy.

"Can't you tell I'm trying to impress you?"

"Stop impressing me then and let me love you."

"Do you want to eat chicken or not?" the doorknob clicked and Jun's head poked through the small space. He wore a straight look as he saw the two of you being lovey-dovey with each other. "Hey Coups-hyung Woozi and Y/N are doing something here."

Both of you flinched when you heard Seungcheol's roaring voice just outside the door. "Tell them to stop! They're too young! I'm too young to have grandkids!"

"We're not giving you grandkids anyway!" You responded jokingly while standing from your seat. Woozi shut the PC off and followed you, connecting his fingers with you as he went outside the studio for the fifth time today. But it was different now, the light was somehow warm and inviting like the smiles of the others.

"So how was is doctor?" Vernon asked as he gnawed on a chicken wing. You turned to your boyfriend's face, then to him again.

"Bring back Woozi to life is a success!" They cheered with cups on their hands, and Woozi had a confused look on his face. But the night was well, everyone indulged themselves in the meat and chitchat, and Woozi was glad that you were there. But maybe for tonight, just beyond the fizz of the soda and the laughter in the room, he might see you, and realize that he might write a song for you too as well.