#then there's him saying jonathan is 'full of talent in his own way'

[general-sleepy]

Building off of @forthegothicheroine's post:

Mr. Hawkins really wrote Jonathan a letter of recommendation that basically said, "Hey, if you were looking for someone to manipulate and emotionally abuse, this is your guy right here!"

[jbaileyfansite]

The Bridgerton star plays the key role in the movie adaptation – and he tells us one thing he could do with the character that isn't possible on stage.

The characters in Wicked have all been played by some legendary theatre performers during its long run on Broadway and the West End – most notably Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth's iconic turns as Elphaba and Glinda.

Fiyero – the role played by Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey in the acclaimed new film adaptation – is no different, with Norbert Leo Butz having originated the character and a string of talented stars having brought him to life on stage since.

Bailey was very aware of this when taking on the role, but explained to RadioTimes.com that although he was very much informed by those who went before him, there was one way in which he felt he could put his own stamp on the character.

"Norbert Leo Butz– I'd never seen him perform, but there's obviously clips online, and I listened to many people's versions of Fiyero to... just because I loved the musical over time," he explained during an exclusive interview.

"But I think the one thing that I saw as an opportunity, especially when it's on film, is to... in the moments of quiet surrounding the script, you know, there's very lean but brilliant moments with Fiyero, and to expand and to really capture the sort of nuance of exactly what's happening as the mask falls and this idea of authenticity and being who you truly are."

He continued: "And obviously, we know that Fiyero has a complete transformative arc. So really, there was just an opportunity that, obviously, on stage, all the performances are amazing, but there is just... there are little moments that you can achieve in a close up, maybe.

"So that was what I was excited to explore."

Bailey and Jeff Goldblum – who has the vital role of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the movie – have struck up something of a bond on the press tour for the film, and the Jurassic Park star was full of praise for Bailey's interpretation of the character, remarking that it was "beautifully done".

"What a Fiyero!" he added. "And Norbert Leo Butz, you know, I saw him in this because I saw the original thing, and then I saw him in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and then I was doing Criminal Intent, we had an episode together. He's terrific. But you are the definitive Fiyero, one for the ages!

"And yes, I love that theme of what you say, of finding your true self, you know?," he added. "And it reminded me of that thing that is the credo of Popeye the Sailor. You know what he says, 'I am, what I am, and that's all what I am. I'm Popeye the Sailor Man', but in our case, 'I'm Fiyero!'"

Source

[vickyvicarious]

I handed to him the sealed letter which Mr. Hawkins had entrusted to me. He opened it and read it gravely; then, with a charming smile, he handed it to me to read. One passage of it, at least, gave me a thrill of pleasure.

"I must regret that an attack of gout, from which malady I am a constant sufferer, forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for some time to come; but I am happy to say I can send a sufficient substitute, one in whom I have every possible confidence. He is a young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition. He is discreet and silent, and has grown into manhood in my service. He shall be ready to attend on you when you will during his stay, and shall take your instructions in all matters."

Inspired by this post looking through Dracula's earlier letter to Jonathan, let's see what the Count might take from this section of Mr. Hawkins' letter.

Red = Jonathan is young, has only worked for Mr. Hawkins so far. He's only recently grown into manhood. He's likely to be a little bit naive and inexperienced, easier to toy with.

Orange = Jonathan may not look it at first glance, but he has great drive and he is smart. Not only will he be able to competently answer Dracula's questions and assist him with the work he's officially here for, but this means he's more likely able to endure a good deal of torment before breaking down completely. He'll be entertaining for a while to come.

Green = He will try his best to complete this job, even if just out of loyalty. He won't speak up for himself. How much pushing will it take to break his silence?

Blue = He's going to do what Dracula wants. Whatever he wants. He's obedient. How far can that be pushed? What kinds of unexplained orders will he follow?

Like... Dracula was expecting Mr. Hawkins. He would probably still have fun/use him as a resource as planned, but an old, experienced lawyer who is no longer in the prime of his life wouldn't be nearly as interesting for him, or for nearly as long. We see what his tastes run towards later... and Jonathan fits them all perfectly. No wonder he smiled so charmingly after reading this.

From Dracula's perspective, this description of Jonathan is more and more exciting. It absolutely gives him an idea of the kind of guest he has even beyond what he's already learned/confirming some things he's seen (Jonathan didn't speak up in the ride to the castle even when it was obviously not a straight trip there. He tried to save the driver from the wolves.), and it's all the sort of information that will make Dracula eager to test Jonathan. To see how far he can push him, to draw this out as slow as possible.

I don't think Jonathan was the only one here who felt " a thrill of pleasure" reading Mr. Hawkins' letter.

[patchworkgargoyle]

with a bang 🎊

A gift for the lovely and talented Joey (@matchingbatbites) as part of our STuad server holiday gift exchange! I hope you enjoy, and have a lovely new year <3

Based on the prompts: impact play, secret relationship, and "don't be mean to me." Fingers crossed I did them justice! Rated: E || 4.7k words || CW: impact play, unprotected sex Full tag list on ao3!

Eddie was going to combust. He was also debating whether he should plot Robin’s untimely demise or send her a Thank You bouquet. Dressing up for their New Years party had been her idea, after all, and once she got Nancy on her side there was no swaying either of them, no matter how much the rest of them had hemmed and hawed. Eddie didn’t see a point to it; he’d thought they were just calling it a New Years party as an excuse to hang out without the rugrats for once, but then Robin wanted to make it a party party. With champagne and shit. And fancy clothes.

Once Argyle had confirmed he could wear whatever colours he wanted, so long as the clothes were dressy, Eddie knew his fate was sealed. He’d been the biggest—and loudest—nay-sayer, but with Jonathan, Steve, and Vickie being more or less neutral, his hard-fought battle against a dress code had been lost.

And jesus christ, is he ever glad he lost.

He got to Steve’s place last after he hit up the liquor store, the three bottles of the cheapest sparkling wine in his arms bought with their pooled funds. They nearly smashed on the Harrington stoop when Steve opened the front door he’d obnoxiously kicked looking like… well.

Steve owned a suit, apparently. A nice one. God, it must be tailored or some shit with how well it fit. His shoulders were so broad in the suit jacket, the black tie looking at home around Steve’s throat under the pressed white collar. Black dress pants made his legs long. Even that signature swoop in his hair was perfectly coiffed. Eddie’s eyes devoured the sight before him, and the first and foremost thought in his mind was that he wanted to get Steve out of that suit as soon as goddamn possible. Especially when Steve began to smirk at him knowingly.

His second thought was that he was so screwed.

They’d been hooking up for a bit now, was the thing. It was new. They hadn’t told anyone yet because they wanted to keep it to themselves, figure it out a little, have fun before the kids learned about it and got nosy. When they’d started talking about going on dates, though—and if his past self knew he’d be planning a date with Steve Harrington he’d blow a gasket—they’d agreed to say something once New Years was over. But how the hell was Eddie going to keep his mouth shut, not to mention his hands to himself, when Steve looked like that!?

“You’re wearing that?” he hissed. “This is cruel and unusual, Steve. This is torture. Why are you dressed like that when I can’t do anything about it!”

Shrugging, Steve whispered, “It’s my only suit, it’s all I had to wear.”

Eddie felt he was being too nonchalant about this and narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth to complain more but then he heard Nancy’s voice from inside. “What are you guys doing? It’s cold out!” she said with a laugh, and Steve cocked an eyebrow and stepped aside so Eddie could come in.

Steve took the bottles so Eddie could get out of his coat, and he did notice, with no small amount of satisfaction, that Steve’s eyes were on him too. Eddie might not have a tailored suit, but his black dress shirt and slacks fit him pretty damn well, he figured, and the way Steve was looking at him made it clear he thought the same. Eddie stuck his tongue out between his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows at Steve suggestively and earned a dark, desirous look from him that promised later and sent a thrill down Eddie’s spine.

But later was getting harder and harder to wait for. As their little party went on, Steve found more ways to drive Eddie up the fucking wall, when he’d rather be pushed into the wall, secrecy be damned.

It was all the little touches, the fleeting looks. Steve developed a habit of tugging on Eddie’s belt loops when no one was looking, or the sleeve of his shirt; something that would grab Eddie’s attention and pull him just a smidge closer. When they’d ended up sitting next to each other on the couch Steve gradually shifted into Eddie’s space and their thighs kept touching, and Eddie couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to have his legs tangled with Steve’s in his bed. And then, when their eyes met, Eddie swore Steve would check him out. It was always quick, but he could practically feel it when Steve looked at his lips, or where his shirt collar was undone. Eddie went red every time.

Eventually Eddie decided to give as good as he got, though that may have also been fueled by the cheap wine. He’d watch Steve over the rim of his glass until Steve caught on and licked his lips when Steve’s eyes flicked downward, only glancing away after a few seconds of holding his gaze. Letting his arm drape casually over the back of the couch so he could brush his fingers down the nape of Steve’s neck was absolutely a risk, but it was worth it when Steve’s breath hitched and he stumbled over his words. He was talking to Jonathan, though, who was high as a kite and didn’t notice. Hopefully.

They kept upping the ante all night and Eddie was a stiff breeze away from getting hard from all the tension by the time midnight crept up on the group. Five minutes before the countdown, Nancy herded them all out to Steve’s backyard in a rush. The town stretched out in the distance, lights glittering in the dark winter night. An occasional screech and flash of colour from premature fireworks interrupted the anticipatory silence that hung over Hawkins. Vickie helped Robin uncork the last bottle of champagne, and the teens passed it around, refilling their glasses as they huddled close to fend off the cold.

“Did we really have to stand outside for this?” Steve grumbled. He stood between Eddie and Robin and kept bumping shoulders with both of them.

“Duh, we can’t see the fireworks from inside, dingus,” Robin said, even though she shivered the hardest out of all of them. Vickie was tucked into her side and had her arms wrapped around Robin’s waist to try to keep warm.

Steve crossed his arms and glared out across the snowy lawn. “We could’ve grabbed our coats at least.”

“I did mean to give us more time to get ready, but it’s too late now.” Nancy looked at her watch. “Two minutes until midnight.”

When Eddie shoved his free hand in his pocket and shivered extra hard, Steve leaned into him, and it took every bit of willpower to not give in to the urge to rest his head on Steve’s shoulder. Or kiss him. The idea of being openly affectionate with Steve made Eddie feel all fizzy inside in the best way. He was glad they were going to tell everyone after this. As fun as it had been, keeping this between themselves, he was getting tired of having to hide how he felt. He wanted their friends to know, wanted to touch and kiss his boyfrie—Steve without having to sneak around.

“Anyone got a wish they wanna make?” Argyle asked, and everyone else shot him confused looks.

“I don’t think people make wishes on New Years,” Jonathan said haltingly. “Do you mean resolutions?”

“Nah dude, I think wishes are better. Less pressure, y’know?”

Eddie tipped his head thoughtfully. “That’s a good point,” he said, and Argyle beamed at him.

“Yeah, that sounds like a nice idea.” Vickie agreed. “We should all think of a wish!”

“Just don’t say what it is or it won’t come true. Told my sister that I wished on a dandelion that my skateboard would never break but the next day it snapped like–” Argyle mimed breaking something over his knee, complete with sound effects. “It was a total bummer, man.”

“Wasn’t that the one you cracked and duct taped over?” Jonathan asked, bloodshot eyes narrowed as he tried to remember.

“Yeah, but like, with the good tape.”

Nancy gave an amused, but pinched, smile when she said, “Half a minute.”

Steve shuffled and Eddie looked over at him. He was so unfairly handsome tonight, freckled cheeks and nose flushed from the chill, and though his hair wasn’t quite as perfect anymore it just made him look roguish. Eddie wanted to get his hands in it. He wanted to kiss Steve so much it hurt. Subtly, Eddie slipped his hand from his pocket and wiggled the tips of his fingers in-between Steve’s, and Steve looked down at his feet to hide his smile, giving Eddie’s fingers a brief squeeze.

His heart beat a rapid staccato in his chest and Eddie knew right then what he was going to wish for.

“Ten seconds!” Nancy announced, then counted down, and everyone joined in, grinning at each other excitedly. Five seconds, three, one, and–

A whole chorus of screeching, banging fireworks from the town almost drowned out their cheers of Happy New Year! A riot of colours burst across the sky, spilling over the untouched snow and lighting up their faces, and Eddie silently sent his wish up into the sky with them.

Steve didn’t look at anyone but him, his face soft with affection. And Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off Steve. The fireworks looked better reflected in his eyes anyway.

“Hey, can you help me grab something from inside?” Steve asked, and Eddie nodded frantically.

Robin snorted when Steve and Eddie scampered off, but Eddie paid her no mind. He was too busy following Steve through the house filled with the loud music they’d forgotten to turn off. When he realised they were heading upstairs, heat began to burn low in his belly and anticipation buzzed under his skin. He wasn’t sure if they were out of view yet, but he didn’t care, giving Steve’s ass a light smack and smirking when Steve shot a glare over his shoulder. How could he be expected to resist? It was right in front of him!

They hurried down the hallway to Steve’s room, and Eddie was barely through the doorway when Steve shut it and crowded him up against it to kiss him. Eddie groaned hungrily and parted his lips for Steve’s tongue, the kiss turning messy with their enthusiasm. He felt Steve yanking his shirt out of his slacks and flinched, gasping, when Steve’s cold fingers touched his scarred sides.

“Been driving me nuts all night, Eds,” Steve muttered against Eddie’s lips, his hands inching up Eddie’s shirt. “You look so good all dressed up, god. When you touched my neck I almost caved and pinned you to the couch.”

Eddie laughed. “I couldn’t help myself,” he purred.

“Yeah well, it was a dick move.” Steve reached Eddie’s chest and swiped his chilly thumb over Eddie’s hardened nipple before pinching and rolling it, making him whimper. “Kinda think I should get some payback for it.”

“Don’t be mean to me, Stevie,” Eddie said, but his tone was deliberately teasing even as he squirmed a bit under Steve’s hands. He loved pressing his luck with Steve, pushing his buttons and seeing what it got him.

Steve arched an eyebrow, then shoved his knee between Eddie’s thighs, pressing into Eddie’s rapidly hardening cock. His mouth fell open and he rocked into the pressure. But then Steve’s hands grabbed him by the hips and held him still, pinned to the door, and Eddie whined.

“You teased me all night, and you think I’ll make it easy for you?” Steve smirked before he leaned down to kiss Eddie’s collarbones, nipping at Eddie’s skin to make him twitch ineffectually in his grip. All the while, he kept lightly grinding his thigh against Eddie’s dick, barely enough movement to taunt him.

Eddie groaned. “You teased me too!”

Steve slapped Eddie’s thigh and the shock of it, more than the light sting of it, made Eddie bite his lip to muffle a moan. “You made it worse,” Steve whispered into his ear as he soothed the spot he’d slapped with a gentle touch. “So yeah, I’m gonna be a little mean.”

Teeth caught his earlobe and Eddie shuddered, unable to contain a triumphant grin. Holy shit, he was excited for this. He fucking loved it when this side of Steve came out to play.

Straightening up, Steve let go of Eddie’s hips to work at the knot in his tie. “Ride my thigh,” he said as the knot came free and he whipped the tie off, flinging it somewhere into the room. Eddie nodded and started rolling his hips. The relief at being able to move was almost as powerful as the surge of arousal he felt at the command. His slacks were tight over his cock but the friction was so delicious. Steve’s strong thigh kept Eddie’s legs apart enough that he had to brace himself on Steve’s shoulders. It gave him enough stability to really grind, and jesus christ, between all the flirting and teasing and touching all night, and this, Eddie could already feel his orgasm building. Shit.

And the way Steve looked wasn’t helping anything. A lock of hair had come free over his forehead, making him look more artfully dishevelled, and Steve had unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, dark curls of hair peeking out. Eddie wanted to eat him, be eaten by him. He dug his fingers into Steve’s shoulders and pulled him into a demanding kiss, licking into his mouth and swallowing his low moan.

While they kissed, Steve made quick work of Eddie’s shirt, and as soon as it was gone Steve’s hands were on him again, greedy and grasping. One wide palm held the back of his head, tugging lightly at his hair, and the other guided Eddie’s hips faster. Heat blazed in his gut and Eddie’s desperate grinding was starting to lose its tempo.

“S-Steve, oh fuck, gonna come in my pants i-if I keep going,” Eddie rasped.

“You can keep going a little longer,” Steve replied, no, insisted.

“I can’t,” Eddie whined. Steve slapped his thigh again, harder this time, and Eddie’s whine went embarrassingly high and reedy.

“Might have to be a little mean if you can’t keep going. Do you want that, baby?”

Oh yes he fucking did. “Yes, yes, fuck, Steve, yes I do,” he babbled, and Steve clicked his tongue like he was disappointed. But all Eddie saw in his face was devoted hunger, hazel eyes intense with it, making something swoop in Eddie’s gut.

“Your choice,” Steve said casually. Then he slapped him again, on the same, still stinging spot, and Eddie threw his head back as he came soundlessly, making a mess of his boxers, immediately feeling warm and sticky as he gasped for air and clung to Steve.

Steve held him through it, made sure his head didn’t smash into the door, muttering, “So pretty when you come, Eddie. Couldn’t help it, could you? S’okay. You’ll make it up to me.”

“I will, I will Steve, whatever you want.”

“Good boy,” Steve said, low and confident. Eddie shivered at the words and his eager groan was silenced when Steve kissed him, taking him by the hand and leading him with teasing, bitey kisses to the bed.

Eddie’s knees hit the bed and he let himself fall, bouncing on the eyesore of a duvet and quickly scrambling to get his slacks off, cringing at the way his cum made his boxers stick to him. At least he had a spare pair here. Steve grabbed the lube from his nightstand and chucked it onto the bed, then stood between Eddie’s legs and stared, swallowing at the sight of Eddie sprawled out on his bed. Smirking, Eddie spread his legs further, tilting his chin back as he tossed his hair. Seeing Steve still fully clothed, in a suit no less, hard cock bulging in his dress pants while Eddie was bare fucking naked below him made Eddie feel electric. He wiggled a little just to ease the frisson skittering along his nerves.

“Like what you see?” he asked.

Reaching out, Steve trailed his big fingers along the sensitive skin of Eddie’s inner thigh reverently, goosebumps rising in his wake. “Always do.” 

How Steve managed to sound turned on and sincere, Eddie had no idea, but it made his heart do flips in his chest.

Steve started slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt as his eyes lingered over Eddie’s body. “Turn over for me,” he said, and Eddie obeyed quickly, getting on his knees and elbows. Stretching out across the blankets, he looked over his shoulder at Steve and wiggled his ass in the air.

“C’mon Stevie,” he urged, drawing out the syllables, “I wanna know what you’re planning in that pretty head of yours.”

“Jesus, you’re impatient.” Steve shook his head, but there was a fond smile tugging at his lips and he did speed up. Once undressed—and Eddie would never get over the sight of Steve naked, or the sheer size of his cock, jesus christ—he stepped closer to the bed and yanked Eddie in by his hips, making him yelp. “Maybe you should ask me politely,” he said.

“Pretty please, Stevie, with a cherry on t—aah!”

The slap to his asscheek rang out in the room, the sting radiating out all warm and tingly. Eddie made a short, whiny noise as his dick gave a valiant twitch. There was a click from behind him and Eddie jumped when he felt cold lube drip over his hole, then down his taint. Steve dragged his thumb through it, then rubbed soothingly over the ring of muscle.

“Count them for me.”

Eddie nodded and counted that first slap, then the next two, alternating sides each time. Steve kept massaging his hole, then pressing in gently when Eddie relaxed between each smack. By the fifth slap Eddie’s cheeks were prickling painfully, and his cock started to fill out again, hanging heavy between his legs and twitching almost painfully at every slap. He knew his pale skin must be so red.

Steve paused and brushed his free hand over Eddie’s heated, sore skin. “You doing okay, Eds?”

“Yep, oh yeah, so fucking okay,” he breathed, “green, golden, whatever. I’m so good.”

Laughing, Steve bent over and kissed the small of Eddie’ back. “Such a good boy for me, baby. Now keep counting.”

With each smack, Eddie felt his belly tighten further and further. He was so fucking aroused he’d began to writhe and rock back onto Steve’s thumb, then his fingers when he started stretching Eddie, prepping him. By the time they got to nine, Eddie was shaking, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

“Oh god, Steve, please, I want you to fuck me already, please please please,” he begged.

“I dunno. You think you’ve made it up to me yet?”

Another slap, and Eddie sobbed out, “Ten! Yes, please Stevie, I’ve been good!”

Steve’s fingers pulled out of Eddie’s hole and he sobbed again, clenching around nothing. “You’re okay, Eds, you have been good, I’ve got you,” Steve reassured. There was a wet sound, and soon enough the blunt head of Steve’s slicked-up cock pressed against Eddie’s stretched hole. He rubbed his clean hand down along the curve of Eddie’s spine, the tender touch almost overwhelming in comparison to the hot pain in his cheeks. “Ready?” Steve asked.

“God yes.”

Eddie muffled his guttural moan in the covers as Steve pushed in, also groaning in relief. And he didn’t waste much time. Eddie was loose enough that Steve’s short, sharp thrusts brought them flush together with little effort, though Eddie still felt stretched out and so fucking full. They stayed like that for a moment, adjusting to the feeling together. The way Steve breathed, heavy and quick, told Eddie that he was getting control of himself. That Steve was close to coming just from slapping him around made him grin and squeeze around his cock like a tease.

“Eddie, that’s unfair,” Steve grunted and grabbed a small handful of ass in retaliation. Pain burned deliciously under his hand.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Eddie said only a tiny bit insincerely. He felt Steve laugh more than he heard it.

Then Steve started to move again. The slow drag of his cock made Eddie shudder, able to feel every vein before he plunged back in again. Groaning low in his throat, Steve said, “Fuck, Eddie, wish you could see yourself.” Both his hands grabbed at Eddie’s ass, and he jerked and whimpered at the pain. “So pretty and red.”

Eddie just whined wordlessly, and Steve’s thrusts sped up. Fists white-knuckled in the covers, he rocked back eagerly, desperate for the feeling rising like a tide about to crash over him. Steve’s cock felt so fucking good, but then Steve got a knee up on the mattress and he draped himself over Eddie’s back and the angle drove him right into Eddie’s prostate, over and over. Eddie couldn’t help the sweet, needy cries that tumbled out of his mouth as his pleasure mounted.

Fingers entwined with his. It was Steve’s favourite thing to do during sex and it’d quickly become Eddie’s too. One more point of connection, a soft gesture no matter how hard they were fucking each other, and it made Eddie melt every time. He squeezed Steve’s fingers, maybe a little too hard, but Steve just fucked him faster, the sound of skin slapping against sweaty skin mingling with their moaning.

“Steve, gonna come, soon, holy shit. T-touch me? Please, want you to touch me,” Eddie said.

“Me too, god, I’ve got you.”

Reaching down, Steve wrapped his hand around Eddie’s aching, dripping cock and jerked him in time with his thrusts. Eddie was fucking overwhelmed. Steve’s hand, Steve’s cock, he didn’t know which feeling to chase, couldn’t tell the difference as he sped towards the crest of his climax. Fresh tears sprang to his eyes, his legs shook, the only anchor he had was Steve’s hand in his and he clung to it as he moaned Steve’s name.

“I’m so close, wanna come with you,” Steve begged raggedly. “Come for me, Eddie, please baby.”

The urgency in his voice and the way Steve’s rhythm grew sloppy and rough pushed Eddie over the edge finally, gloriously. His orgasm crashed over him and he came with a choked cry, rutting into Steve’s grip as he spilled on the duvet. Steve’s forehead dropped onto Eddie’s back and with a few hard pumps of his hips he came too, warm and deep inside Eddie.

Eddie’s legs gave out and he collapsed on the bed, grunting when Steve came down with him. They both laughed breathlessly, and Steve rolled off him, lazily scooting up the bed and trying to pull Eddie along too. Though he felt like a limp noodle, Eddie gave in and fumbled his way up and into Steve’s sweaty arms. Head resting on his chest, Eddie could hear how Steve’s heartbeat steadily slowed to something calm, and could feel his own slow to match.

Music was still blasting downstairs, and fireworks were still going off here and there outside. One flashed close to Steve’s window, a shower of green and gold that lit up Steve’s gorgeous eyes.

“Happy New Year, Steve,” he whispered.

Smiling, Steve kissed Eddie sweet and slow, then said, “Happy New Year, Eddie.”

Eddie returned the smile, but it grew into something cheeky when he got an awful idea. He saw the suspicion grow across Steve’s face. “I guess we, uh… really started the year off with a bang,” he said, and Steve’s head fell back onto his pillow with a pained groan.

When they both woke up, Steve eventually managed to coax Eddie out of bed so they could get breakfast started for everyone. It didn’t take much coaxing when he reminded Eddie that he planned to make french toast just for him. Dressed in Steve’s borrowed pyjamas, Eddie blearily trudged downstairs with him.

Their friends must have found their ways to the various guest rooms, because the living room and kitchen were empty. It looked like half of the mess from last night had been tidied, and Eddie shook his head with a smile when he imagined Nancy trying to clean before being convinced to go to bed.

Eddie took up his usual spot, seated on the counter—despite the soreness from last night—and mostly out of the way while Steve got everything together. He looked so soft in the light and his old, worn Hawkins High Basketball shirt, his hair ravaged by sleep. Sighing, Eddie propped his chin in his hand as he watched him move around the kitchen.

Steve caught him staring and put his hands on his hips. “What?”

“You’re just sooo handsome,” Eddie cooed, “I’d eat you for breakfast instead.” He snapped his teeth and Steve snorted and rolled his eyes as he closed the distance between them.

“Probably healthier to eat french toast,” he said. Hands on the counter at either side of Eddie’s knees, Steve looked up at Eddie. “And Robin would kill you for killing me.”

Clicking his tongue, Eddie tilted his head in agreement. “Yep. Probably. She’d have to enact some sort of best friend revenge clause if I murdered you and I don’t think I want to incur the Wrath of Buckley.”

“I don’t recommend it. She’s clumsy but if she does manage to land a hit she can kinda pack a punch.”

Eddie leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows, letting out a low, suggestive hum. “So do you,” he said, and even though Steve rolled his eyes again he also smiled. He barely had to tip his chin up to reach Eddie’s lips, and they traded a few kisses in the quiet morning sunlight. Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, his hands inevitably finding their way into Steve’s hair.

They were both so distracted that they didn’t notice someone walk into the kitchen.

“Morning, brochachos,” Argyle said cheerily, and Steve and Eddie jumped away from each other, red faced and wide eyed. “Oh shit, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt the love fest!”

“Wh-huh?” Eddie said eloquently.

“It’s—uh,” Steve followed up.

Robin peered around the doorway next. “You two done or are you gonna burn breakfast?”

“It’s not gonna burn, Robs,” Steve frowned, but then said, “wait. Why aren’t you freaking out?”

The flat look Robin gave him made Eddie snort, even if it was kind of about him, too. “You’re kidding, right? I had my suspicions, Steve, but last night confirmed everything. You couldn’t keep your eyes off each other all night, it was ridiculous. And then the whole, ‘can you help me grab something from inside’ thing was the most obvious excuse ever.”

“And you didn’t come back down after that,” Nancy said as she and Jonathan walked in. “Morning, Eddie.”

“Uh. Uh-huh. Good morning. So, hold on, none of you care?” Eddie asked.

“Like I said, kind of already knew. We were just waiting for you to tell us,” Robin said as she poured coffee into two mugs. “I gotta tell Vickie exactly how right I was, be right back. And the french toast is burning, Steve.” Steve swore and jogged over to the stove.

Jonathan pulled a mug out of the cupboard as he spoke next. “I think it’s great you guys are boyfriends. It’s a good fit, y’know?”

Eddie’s heart thumped and he looked at Steve, who turned around from trying to save the first batch of breakfast from incendiary doom. Steve’s cheeks were a little red, and he was smiling shyly. Shrugged a bit, like a question. Beaming at him, Eddie said, “Yeah. Boyfriends. I think it’s great too.”

Dividers by @/saradika and @/cafekitsune

[userautumn]

I see your actor chart and now I feel like asking you questions based on it cause I want your opinion 😁. So from the following tumblr wrapped actors:

Jonathan Bailey 💚 (sorry had to, and I would love to hear your truthful opinion though)

Ya fave Lou Ferrigno Jr 🩵

Kathryn Hahn 💜

Ncuti Gatwa 🩶

oooh, these are some good ones. okay, let's see:

jonathan bailey: really great. jonathan bailey is an exceptional talent; one of those actors who really makes a scene work for him, no matter how large or how small his role. fun fact, when i saw this message earlier, i was like "hmm, how many of his projects have i actually seen?" so i went to wikipedia and it turns out jonathan bailey was on my radar well before bridgerton, because i watched him in broadchurch several years ago! i thought his character was a massive dick. moments and scenes from that performance stick out in my memory even if i don't recall the details and this, too, is the hallmark of a good performance and a good actor. it all comes down to staying power, you know? their ability to leave an impression. obviously when giving credit to jonathan bailey, we have to praise his performance as anthony bridgerton in bridgerton, specifically in season two. with that much time and creative space to show what he's made of, jonathan bailey delivered over and over again. there were several scenes i rewound and rewatched in season 2 just so i could capture and study all the different things he was doing with his face + body at a certain point. he's so fucking brilliant. and i'd say he's a very subtle actor too, in the sense that when he steps into a character, he makes it look natural, like it's as easy as breathing. i don't really read/watch his interviews, so jonathan (the man) is completely obscured to me; there is only jonathan (the character, any character) and i really love when actors leave themselves at the door for the sake of becoming someone else. it's so great. ok. so. that's enough about him. moving on lol.

lou ferrigno jr: subpar - average. i realized after reading this message that, while i've seen a lot of things lou's in, i haven't actually seen him in any main role so my next course of action was, of course, to watch a couple of his movies. here is what i learned: lou's biggest problem is that he's untested. ordinarily, i'd say that's not really a (for lack of a better word) "excuse" and, in some ways, it isn't. i've come across several untested guest stars across various shows and movies that have performed on an exceptional level, so saying he's untested feels like a bit of a cop-out, but in this instance, it's true. lou is used to working within margins - guest roles here, thirty second appearances there - and as such, he sort of... flounders when faced with the full force of the spotlight. the result of that is that there are times when he overacts. for example, there's this one scene in impulse where he's yelling at his girlfriend, and i was just sitting on my bed wondering what the fuck he was doing with his face. the spotlight is very big, and lou tries to fill it in all the ways he's learned how (either from his dickhead dad or through professional training) but sometimes he overdoes it in a way that's horribly offputting. that doesn't mean he's bad, it just means he's not always good. to his credit, i will say that, when he came back to 9-1-1, i actually did think he was a bad actor because something about the way he spoke was just... not working for me. but then after an episode or two, i realized that's just his voice. lou jr.'s got an old hollywood cadence to his voice that doesn't always translate well to modernity. there's a lot to be said there about all the large and small ways in which art has changed, but the point is that he's... yeah. he's supbar - average. he's a big ol' OKAY. there are rumors that he's got a pilot coming up on FOX. so, do i think he could carry a television show on his own? possibly. i think he'd definitely learn-as-he-went and he's got a solid enough foundation that learning as he goes might actually work for him. so, you know, that's basically a compliment coming from me!

kathryn hahn: undecided. i haven't actually seen enough of her projects! or, well, i have, but not enough to make any real judgement on her ability. i just scrolled through her imdb and wrote some titles down that i'd be interested in, so! we'll see what happens!

ncuti gatwa: undecided. for the same reason as kathryn hahn, actually! i'm so charmed by this man, but i've never actually seen any of his projects, so! watch this space!

[invitationtoher]

You're in my Way, Cage. | Chapter 4: Kitana

Masterlist

Summery: Kitana Edenia, smart, beautiful, and stressed. With dreams of becoming a doctor due to her sister, Mileena, having a major case of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Throughout her entire school life she's been focused on her goal of getting into the very same college that her mother and father went to and fell in love at, Mortal Kampus University (MKU), an ivy league school where the only people are intelligent as they are talented. Kitana vows to make her mother proud with no distractions, at least that was the plan until she met an obnoxious dirty blonde in her English Class.

Jonathan Carlton? No, he's Johnny Cage! Hollywood's next big star! He may not act as smart as he actually is, but he shines when it comes to entertainment, if it's on the screen or behind the scenes Johnny can do it all, thanks to the Carlton family being in the film industry for generations. Thanks to his parents money and his acting and martial arts talents (as well as writing), he got a scholarship to MKU's theater department! He knows MKU will be a good time, it's his chance to make his own name. When he sees a pretty girl in his English class whose walls seem unbreakable, he vows to break down those walls and see the real her by showing her a film.

My jaw dropped. No way, a night with Johnny sounded like the biggest waste of time. I would rather be doing the things on my to-do list for the month instead of seeing some Hollywood, fantasy land, romanticized, fictional blue screen trash. I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth at his stupid smirk that irritates me to no end despite knowing this man for about 30 minutes. He knows exactly the right buttons to push.

“No, there’s no way I’m going to-“

“Tonight. It’s my day off, do you work a job?”

I blinked in astonishment as he cut me off, but I nodded my head. It’s clear that some of us are raised with proper manners more than others.

“Do you work tonight?”

I shook my head, the smirk on his face transformed into a giddy smile, his brown eyes sparkled once again like he found the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

“Gimme your number, I’ll pick you up and-“

“Hold on, I never agreed to this!”

Johnny held up a hand to almost as if he was trying to tame an animal- the same way my father attempts to calm my mother down but ends up infuriating her off even more- he mimicked the sound of my tongue clicking, he shook his head and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, we’re doing this, Princess.” He spoke.

My face instantly twists in disgust at the nickname, princess. I can’t stand being called ‘princess’ including my own father. I always try to brush it off when someone calls me princess, but there’s only so much I can take when it’s repeated. He notices my disdain for him and his little nickname, his sly smirk reappeared, both of his eyebrows were raised, but his eyes... they were full of mischief. It was almost as if he was enjoying this.

“My name isn’t princess, it’s Kitana.” I said, my face un-twisting itself from its altered appearance. “And I’m too busy for movies, and I’m far too busy for you.”

“Uh huh, so what are your plans tonight?”

I wasn’t expecting him to ask, it was an obvious question that anyone making plans with someone- even if they were one sided- would ask. I hesitate in my response.

“Um… Studying.”

Now it’s his turn for his face to express his distaste.

“Studying? On the first day?” He asked, his smirk fading as he pressed his lips together in a thin line, his eyebrows furrowing as he gives me a side glance. “Well, they say nerdy girls are always the freakiest.”

His voice was low, no one else was able to hear him, but to me it’s like the entire class heard it. My face turns hot, embarrassed from the comment. He lets out a quiet chuckle, most likely because of the look of my face.

My eyes rounded, I sat up straighter, my teeth grit behind my lips, I gripped my pen tighter to the point where my knuckles turned white, I could hear a tiny crack that was muffled by my hand. So help me, if I break this pen it will be lodged in his neck the moment I un-ball my fist.

“Do you have zero shame?” My tone shifted from calm to jarring in the matter of seconds. He smiles playfully and shrugs.

“I dunno, I’m just saying what I heard.”

He raises his arms over his head, his joints popping and a groan escaping his throat. The blue fabric of his shirt stretched across his broad chest struggling to keep the buttons closed as he stretched.

I force myself to look down at my hand, I don’t want to boost his skyrocket ego any more than it clearly already is. I unwrap my hand from my pen, silently praying to whatever was out there that there wasn’t any ink on my palm, knowing that I’d desperately want to retaliate by wiping it on Johnny’s shirt. Luckily for him and his button up, there was no sign of black ink on my skin.

“Alright, look, I promise just one movie.” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, “I promise! No dinner, no dressing nice, hell we can even go to a theater if you wanna. Although… my couch in my apartment is a lot more comfortable than the leather AMC seats, Princess.”

“No, Johnny.”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun! I won’t talk at all, and I’ll never ask again.”

Never ask again?  I don’t believe that for a hot second, just from his begging alone, he’s clearly the type to not let things go. It’s driving me crazy that he couldn’t handle the word ‘no’ and continued this… pleading.

“No. I told you, I’m busy.”

He puffed out his cheeks, his brown eyes rounding as he pouted like a child. He folded his arms across his chest. So immature. I shook my head, staring coldly into his puppy eyes.

‘I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not crack, I will not-‘ My thoughts are interrupted by a groan.

“You seriously wanna study? After the first day of school? And just what are you going to study? The syllabus? The history or introduction of whatever class it is? Kitana, I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but… we have to work together in this class, professors’ orders. This would be a good way to at least get… familiar with each other.”

I slide my bottom lip between my teeth and bite on it gently, getting a small taste of my strawberry lip balm. I can’t fathom the fact that he was able to form an effect argument, I’d hate to admit it but, he does have a point. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.

“I guess you surprisingly have a point.” I mutter. His eyes light up and his giddy smile returns to his face. “But I seriously can’t tonight.”

“Then when?”

As soon as his smile returns to his face, it fades away. Technically I am available tonight, I don’t have anything super important to do besides my father’s call, but I had to prepare myself before I spent any more time with him after class.

I shift in my seat, unsure of what to say. I feel my throat flexing as I swallow. When? Good question, hopefully never.

“Um, I’d have to check my sched-”

“Alright, class, I didn’t realize just how quickly we were running out of time. Wrap up what you’re talking about and head out, I’ll see you all on Wednesday.”

There truly is a god and his name is my English professor. I quickly pack up my things and stand up, sliding my puffer bag on my shoulder and shrugging to adjust it. I look down at the ground to hide my small smile as he growls in irritation. Looks like Cage isn’t getting the first date he thought he was going to get.

“I want an answer by Wednesday.”

I freeze in my motions and look over at him, raising my eyebrow a bit. He put his Ray-Bans back on, covering his eyes. His stuff was already packed, the paper, syllabus, and the mechanical pencil he was using probably all stuffed in his bag and not put in properly.

“You can’t just demand an answer like you’re the boss of me.” I placed my right hand on my hip as I scrunched my face at him. He flashes his pearly white teeth at me in a big smile, is he amused by my irritation? I wouldn’t be shocked.

“I gotta clear my schedule, baby, I’m a busy guy.”

He stands up from his seat, a single strap from his book bag on his shoulder while the other dangled behind him. He was massive, he wasn’t exactly towering over me like a morally grey male lead in a cheesy romance book tall, but he was tall enough that I had to tilt my head back to make eye contact with him. I sneer a bit and roll my eyes.

“First of all, don’t call me ‘baby.’” I held up my left hand up, shooting my fingers up as I counted, “Two, you’re not the only person that’s busy, Carlton-“

“Cage, sweetheart, it’s Cage. We went over this.”

“No, ‘sweetheart’ or ‘princess’ either.”

Johnny let out a dramatic huff, clicking his tongue as he placed his hands on his waist.

“How are you expecting me to not call you ‘princess’ when you’re ordering me around like one?”

He was skating on thin ice. Now I wish my pen did break. I let out a groan, my nonchalant mask was slipping, although it’s been slipping since he sat down next to me at the start of class. I need to get out of here before I make it known that he’s gotten under my skin.

“No. No ‘princess,’ my name is Kitana, and you will address me as such.”

I pushed my chair in and made my way to the door, most of the class were already gone, but there were a few other stragglers that lingered.

“Whatever you say, Princess, I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

I pretend not to hear him, but his stupid voice is like a broken record as I walked to my car. I made sure to walk a little faster than usual, I didn’t want him to follow. His voice makes my blood boil, his presence makes my blood boil, he makes my blood boil.

When I got to my car, I quickly shoved my bag in the passenger seat as I sat down in the driver’s seat, my seat belt was on in the blink of an eye and so was the key in the ignition. I pull out and drive home, no music from my phone, only the music from the radio. Even though the radio is loud, his voice that lingers in my head is louder.

© invitationtoher 2024

[ryutarotakedown]

you know, i like the "jonathan is afraid of being fired from his job" take much more than the "haha oblivious man" take, but it occurs to me that he… isn't really?

yes, he is doing this because of his job, but it's not that his boss is forcing him to or that he thinks he'll disappoint people by going back; it's because he sees it as his duty. it is a small difference but i feel like it matters

here's the may fourth entry:

However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it.

and here's the may fifth entry:

I handed to [Dracula] the sealed letter which Mr. Hawkins had entrusted to me. He opened it and read it gravely; then, with a charming smile, he handed it to me to read. One passage of it, at least, gave me a thrill of pleasure.

"I must regret that an attack of gout, from which malady I am a constant sufferer, forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for some time to come; but I am happy to say I can send a sufficient substitute, one in whom I have every possible confidence. He is a young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition. He is discreet and silent, and has grown into manhood in my service. He shall be ready to attend on you when you will during his stay, and shall take your instructions in all matters."

this doesn't make him stressed! he's not afraid of the responsibility itself — he's happy that he's made mr. hawkins proud! (and that line, "has grown into manhood in my service," makes me think they have a closer bond than just a employer-employee one; vague spoilers for far-far-future entries but didn't jonathan refer to him as a father figure once?)

so it's not, exactly, that he thinks he can't turn back because of the disapproval; it's that he won't let himself do it, because he has a job to do, goddammit.

[oceangirl24]

Find the Word... Nature Edition

Many thanks to my talented bestie @axolotlsupremacyowo for this one!

Tagging: @stealing-your-kittens @the-orion-scribe @amberlide @winterlovesong1 @violetrose-art @kayedium-writes and anyone else who liked to join in the fun. (Sorry if I missed anyone who wanted to be tagged. My memory is bad! 😭)

Words for me to find

Ivy, Palm, Moss, Blossom, Pebble,

Words for you to find

Rose, dirt, vines, oak, lily

Ivy- The Return: Countdown

The only true discrepancy he could find between Jon and Jay was an article about donors to Collegiate School and one about academic honors:

Blake and Jacklyn Turner of Westport, CT, parents of sophomore hockey all-state defenseman, Jonathan Turner, donated $500,000 to the school for  the building of the Ivy Preparatory Hall upon which the cornerstone for the building will bear their name….

…Jay Andrews, son of Richard and Elizabeth Andrews, was awarded the President's Award for Educational Achievement. This is awarded to students who have shown remarkable growth and improvement in their studies…

Shawn leaned back from the table and put his knee up against its edge, musing over all the information he had. Jon and Jay were the same person, of that he was convinced but he still had unanswered questions and he wanted confirmation of what he thought he knew.

Palm (not the tree, just the hand lol)- Saudade: Didn't We Almost Have It All

"I said the same thing, but I couldn't just walk away," Jon told him emphatically. "I tried and got my butt in so much trouble Audrey's dad had to bail me out. I know what it's like to have your parents in and out of your life."

Shawn sat back from him just a little and gave him a curious look. This was not something he'd ever heard before.

"I know what it's like to be kept close when it suits them," he went on. Shawn saw a familiar look in Jon's eyes; one he often had in his own when Chet disappointed him yet again. "I know what it's like to have the people who are supposed to love you and protect you turn their backs on you at fifteen."

Shawn was fighting hard to keep the tears back. So much so that the full meaning of what Jon was saying wasn't sinking in: how similar they were.

"I know the anger, Shawn."

He shook his head unable to see anything anymore. He pressed the palm of his free hand to his eyes to stop the flow.

Without thinking, Jon pulled him closer and tightened his grip on him. "My problem was I ran from my feelin's about my parents. I never dealt with it. Or them."

He paused a moment to collect himself. The kid sitting next to him could easily have been himself at fifteen.

Moss- none

Blossom- Saudade: The Ties that Bind

"Yeah," his teacher shot back. He put a hand against the door of the truck and wagged a finger at him, "but now you're gonna be out on the road with Audrey, too. This is serious, Shawn."

"I know it is!" he insisted. "But we've literally sat in a parkin' lot just goin' over the lights, the seatbelt, how to start the engine."

"You forgot about the adjustin' the rearview mirror and the seat."

Shawn let his head tip back until it made contact with the door's window. "I won't when I get in the truck."

"You just did!"

"I'm standin' outside of the truck," he pointed out, slapping a hand to his face. "Once I'm in the seat I'm sure muscle memory will kick in. Hours of doin' that very thing, Jon. Hours!"

Jon crossed his arms over his chest ready to pull the plug on the driving plans when Audrey walked out of the cabin with a plumeria blossom tucked behind her left ear. Seeing the location of the flower made Jon forget about his misgivings about Shawn's driving.

Shawn barely noticed the flower much less its significance as he rushed to grab the passenger door for her.

Pebble- Saudade: Preparations

But life wasn't so beautiful.

She nearly lost her grandfather before she had the chance to get to know him. If that had happened, Shawn would disappear; there was no way her life could turn out right if his fell apart.

Maya's thoughts drifted to Riley's family. Uncle Jon wasn't the only one not doing well. Mr. Matthews was on a crash course to the same place if something didn't change for him. She couldn't understand why Riley didn't see what was happening to her father. Farkle did. Zay did. Lucas, who could be as naïve as Riley, saw it. Even Smackle, who attended a different school, saw it.

Riley truly believed nothing bad could happen to her father. Unlike Maya, Riley liked to believe beautiful lies. One day, Maya knew, something was going to happen and shatter Riley's world.

She sighed heavily as she scrolled through the files on her phone, determined to be there for her best friend when the pebble cracked the glass around her world. She wouldn't let Riley fall alone.

Tears blurred her sight as she scrolled, irritating her immensely. She didn't want Julia to see and worry. As she reached to wipe the tears away, her thumb hit a file on her phone and a video popped up.

[yallemagne]

🎶We just got a letter, we just got a letter, we just got a letter, wonder who it's from!🎶

Peter Hawkins!

"I must regret that an attack of gout, from which malady I am a constant sufferer, forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for some time to come; but I am happy to say I can send a sufficient substitute, one in whom I have every possible confidence. He is a young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition. He is discreet and silent, and has grown into manhood in my service. He shall be ready to attend on you when you will during his stay, and shall take your instructions in all matters."

This whole paragraph is, of course, important, but why have I bolded that one line? To make a tragic point!

While most of the defence of Jonathan for just doing his job is "okay bitch I would like to see you fuck around and be left on the streets as a Victorian orphan", I will say that Jonathan's primary concern is not that Hawkins will fire him, it is that he will be disappointed in him. A worse fate, if you will believe him, as Hawkins is the closest Jonathan has ever had to a father, and he is desperate to repay the old man's kindness to him and Mina with faithful diligence.

Though he is scared, terrified even, this letter thrills him. He has earned this praise. If he had never reached Castle Dracula, the letter would have gone unopened, unread by him. He's so caught up in the high of "I have done a good job, I have proven myself a "sufficient substitute" by getting this far", he fails to recognize that this letter was written before he left for Transylvania. No matter if he had turned back or not, the words would still be the same, Hawkins would still care for him, he would still consider him the closest to a son he's ever had, and he would still be proud of him.

But no, Jonathan feels he must earn his employer's commendation, he doesn't deserve it otherwise, and he now believes he has or is on the way to doing so.

[That latter half of the paragraph including the praise itself? Uhhh, well, I have been writing an entire fanfiction about how Dracula perverts the original message to serve his own fancy... but Orice shall be spoilers to newcomers until the 17th. After that point, all the chapters have dates assigned to them so you can read them at your own discretion. Yes, shameless plug.]

[onesourceofbadinformation]

i saw peter pan goes wrong and it was one of the best nights of my life and here is everything that is different from the bbc recording/some stuff i want to remember/make note of

the preshow bits were so fun. i couldn’t see it all bc i was in the mezzanine but:

jonathan was going around chatting with people. chris came up and took him backstage, but he kept popping back out to talk

at one point both trevor and jonathan were climbing over the front rows. unclear why

trevor was drinking a beer

you could see max and dennis and sandra poking their heads around from the stage. max kept waving

robert was onstage trying to get the lights to work. they were doing something with a cable—they had the audience involved in feeding the cable back through the audience. again, couldn’t really see due to being in the mezzanine

one of the backstage people (actor, not for real) (im pretty sure she played annie in one of the broadway runs of the play that goes wrong!) was going around asking people if they had found a hammer. she made me check under my seat :) eventually she found it and lifted it up onstage to show everyone. everyone cheered for her :) then she pretended like she was going to throw it into the audience. good bit queen

at one point neil patrick harris was visible on the stage behind jonathan and jonathan seemed to think the cheers and applause were for him. good bit. in general i think the show is perfectly cast but greg tannahill is really a revelation. so perfectly charming yet smug

ok preshow bit over.

chris was even more sopping wet and pathetic than in the bbc version. he slipped on a puddle of “medicine.” he stabbed himself in the leg with scissors. he strangled himself with his own tie. he drank hand sanitizer

he was forced to drink hand sanitizer when he was [AGE AMBIGUOUS]

(cecco was supposed to hand hook a spyglass, rum, and a pistol. he handed him a rolled-up map, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and a program of “six” that nph tore into the shape of a gun—a “six-shooter.”)

a couple people in the front row came in late and chris stopped what he was doing to stare at them disapprovingly for a full ten seconds

later, when we booed him, chris called out the people in the front row, saying “don’t boo me, latecomers!”

instead of “pantomime”, the running joke was “family show”, and we just booed captain hook instead of “oh no it isn’t”/ “oh yes it is.” we did do “he’s behind you” though. and somebody did “do you need a hand.” i kind of do wish americans had the cultural context of pantomimes so we could do more of a call and response. also i think chris bean saying “oh yes it is” with increasing frustration is very funny. YES IT IS. OF COURSE IT IS. anyway it was still really fun to boo him

robert was the one who said it was a family show. “look how many children there are in the audience! child. child. ugly child”

chris bean, later, during the poison scene: “don’t boo me! robert was right, you are an ugly child!”

there was a whole undersea scene in the lagoon involving black lights and fluorescent fish and mermaids and such! typical goes wrong jokes (mermaid loses its head, jellyfish legs get tangled, fish fuse together to look like a dick and balls)

speaking of mermaids: max and dennis came out in mermaid costumes involving roller blades. matthew cavendish appears to be a pretty talented roller blader

i liked matthew cavendish’s performance as max! different then dave hearn but not in a bad way! there were no “snap snaps” but i actually prefer that, because it feels like a dave hearn thing. this guy was doing his own max, who was a little less of a ham and more a guy who is just having a silly time. i think dave’s max is a little smarter than matthew’s. dave’s max knows he’s fucking with chris—matthew’s max does not. i like them both.

when jonathan fell, a giant banner of “jack and the bean” (starring robert) also fell down, and chris yelled “intermission”

later, during the stage revolve bit, we see a banner of “rapunzel” featuring sandra’s ill-timed haircut

robert did the mr. bumble bit. hilarious bit of robert lore.

nph said something like “i fear that thing and the ways it may hurt me” re: the chair. he also climbed into it through the hole in the back. good chair bits. him being knocked unconscious during the final scene was just excellent. man fucking flew through the air

during annie’s electrocution, he “stalled” by (poorly) playing “being alive” on the recorder

during the poison scene chris had a little girl in the second row open the poison bottle and then said “you poisoned peter pan.” then annie pointed at the little girl later when jonathan asked who would do such a thing

robert’s “audition tapes” were played throughout during the sound cue errors. my favorite was his “uptight englishman” audition tape, which was basically “eughhhh im chris bean and i get to be the director AND the captain and i have thin reptilian hands” (at which point lucy reached out to feel his hands). also they played a bunch as we walked out. apparently robert has over 1000 audition tapes

during chris’ pan pipe “take one” recording, he called out something like “mother, have you seen my pan pipes instruction manual?” i just like the chris bean parents lore. raymond bean—racist?

trevor getting hit by the plank and hanging lifelessly was even funnier in person

when the boat was rocking back and forth chris got fucking LAUNCHED

when they made lucy “walk the plank”, she got absolutely hurled out of her wheelchair and trevor ran out to catch her. national hero. she clung to him like a koala. it was really cute. the audience cheered for him #trevorsweep

on the pirate ship, after “dennis you’re wearing the wrong costume”, dennis delivered an entire fight between a married couple. carl and jerry i think their names were? but i heard “she” at one point so maybe it was a “gerri” situation. one of them walked out. some lines i can remember (im probably misquoting, but this is the gist) “i’ve wasted years of my life with these people” “if you walk out, you’re not just walking out from this company, but from this marriage” “our marriage is a sham! you know it, i know it, even the kids know it” (to dennis) “hey little buddy. how you doing? i’ll be taking over. let’s take it from: aye, captain hook”

the final revolve bit was INCREDIBLE. i didn’t know where to look. when the stage started spinning faster and more out of control! sandra getting hit by the door twice! robert on fire again! the pirate pile-up!

by the time the stage stopped spinning, chris bean was just despondently lying on the top bunk. absolutely fantastic.

i feel really sad that this is probably the only time i will ever see the original mischief cast in…anything, since i don’t live in europe. i also feel really lucky that i got to see the original mischief cast!!! it was amazing! i was smiling the entire time! i kept having moments of “oh god this is really happening”

i tried to get my program signed but i was too far back in the crowd. Sad! but i did see chris leask, henry shields, greg tannahill, and matthew cavendish.

overheard at the stage door: a child asking his mother, “which is the guy whose pants fell down?” chris leask and greg tannahill were out. both of them had a pants incident. brilliant show 10/10 now THIS is theatre

harry kershaw as francis. you are my white whale. you know what they say you know what they say…put your trousers in the cabinet </3

i got this t shirt. i will treasure it forever and always.

[privilege-rpg]

BRODY WESTON

☆ FULL NAME: Brody Elias Weston ☆ GENDER: Cisman ☆ PRONOUNS: He/Him ☆ AGE: 34 (June 10th, 1990) ☆ TYPE: Full sibling; twin ☆ HOMETOWN: Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia ☆ JOB: Professor of Acting at PSU; Actor ☆ SCHOOL: Other ☆ SEXUALITY: Homosexual (semi-closeted) ☆ FACECLAIM: Jonathan Bailey

ABOUT BRODY

Spending his early years overseas, Brody was initially a rather shy kid. Moving around a lot the way they did meant he found it difficult to make friends for very long, but he did have his twin and that was alright by him. He always greatly admired his mom for how selfless she was, and how much she did for people she didn’t even know, but sometimes he wished they could just stay put in one place for a change. When they settled in the States, that was when Brody really came out of his shell, started to make friends outside of his siblings, and really blossomed.

Brody loved to watch his father at work wherever possible, often following him around sets or watching from backstage in awe of everything going on around him. He and Beth had been actors together as babies, and honestly it was perhaps the most fun he’d ever had doing anything in his life. Watching his dad just solidified what he already knew: Brody wanted to be an actor. No, more than that, Brody needed to be an actor. This was what he was always meant to do.

Having Beth at his side certainly helped with that, especially when it came to dominating the middle school theatre scene. She was cut throat and determined to get them the best roles, and he was more than happy to be the same, even if that meant them playing love interests. This was theatre after all, and as they had often told their drama teachers “who has better chemistry than Gemini twins?”. While his sister excelled at dance, Brody excelled at singing, often joking with her that maybe they should stick together forever and make one awesome triple threat actor. Still, whether it was Shakespeare, contemporary theatre, or a musical, Brody wanted to be a part of it and threw himself into extra lessons for dance, acting and singing to make sure that he could be the very best at everything that could be thrown his way.

When it came time for college, Brody knew he had some tough decisions to make. He adored his sister and knew she was headed for PSU, which was a great university, but he knew that all the greats went to prestigious theatre schools, and that meant he’d have to be apart from her for the first time in his life. With a successful audition came acceptance to The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, and Brody knew he couldn’t turn that down. It was time to prove himself as an actor in his own right, not as the other half of the Weston Twins, not as the son of Jude Weston, but as Brody Weston, highly skilled and in demand actor, man of many talents.

That meant striking out on his own as much as he could, asking his parents to let him pay his own way through college and make sure that his classmates couldn’t say that he was only here by virtue of their money and sway, but that presented a whole host of complicated problems for him. It was disconcerting being on his own for the first time, and living in New York was not cheap, not to mention the tuition fees, and the travelling for auditions, and the need to pay bills and buy food. Brody needed a job, he wasn’t about to go back on his word to do this by himself, but he needed way more money than working as a server or in retail was going to get him if he wanted to stay at LSTFI.

He isn’t proud of what happened next, a decision that he hasn’t even told Beth about, but Brody put his good looks and natural charm to use as an escort. He thought that it was a modelling gig at first (that is what was advertised after all) but it turned out to be a front for the high-end escort service. Brody had the chance to back out, and he almost did but in the end he couldn’t afford not to take that kind of pay right now. Brody felt… dirty almost, sex became a very transactional thing, but he was in demand and that paved his way through college. He’d intended to give it up once he graduated, but it turned out that not leveraging his family name meant that the roles were not pouring in the way he wanted, and if he wanted to live somewhere that wasn’t an underpass, that meant keeping up the escorting gig.

It also meant getting creative with his lies, telling his friends and family that he was getting more gigs than he was, that they were paying better than they were, anything to make sure that no-one found out what he was really doing to make money. He hated leading a double life, hated lying to his family, and honestly? He was starting to hate sex. It was all just mechanical to him, something he had to do in order to get paid, never convinced that anyone was actually attracted to him, they simply just didn’t want to be lonely. While Brody’s clients had been exclusively women up until this point, he got wind of a man that had requested his services, offering twice his normal rate. He was in deep at this point, with credit card debt and acting classes to pay off, auditions in LA and Toronto to get to as he widened his search for a role, and so he figured, why not? It was all just transactional after all.

Except, his appointment with Milo was different. I started in the way he treated him, not as an object, as something to be purchased, but as a human being that had his own thoughts, desires and needs. He had kissed him softly, gently removed his clothes, but before that he had sat down, had talked to him, asked him about his life. If it hadn’t been for the envelope of cash discreetly slid into his coat pocket when Milo had taken it from him on his arrival, Brody might have called it the best date of his life. He wasn’t ready to accept the truth yet, instead insisting to himself that it was simply just because he had felt human for a change, but it had left him with a lot of questions. Which was why a chance meeting with a stage legend at a bar one night became one of the most pivotal moments in his young life.

Cassandra July was a tour de force of the stage that Brody had admired for a long time (as an actress rather than a human being though admittedly, her very public breakdown was hardly a secret), so when she had approached him at a bar and started a conversation, he had been a little starstruck. That, added to the fact he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex just because rather than for money, and the alcohol in his system, and Brody made a less than stellar decision to let her take him home. To be fair, he was celebrating after all, he’d landed a role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, recurring for at least five episodes, so he was entitled to have a little fun.

Fun it was not though, not in the way that Brody was excepting anyway. Cassandra was hot, no denying that, but even though there was not a dollar in sight, their hookup still felt mechanical. He knew that night, as he lay next to Cassandra, that the reason things with Milo had felt so different was because he was gay. It was something of an earth altering realisation for him, but nothing he supposed he couldn’t handle. After all, it wasn’t like he would be the first actor in the world to be gay. But what he had seen as a simple one-night stand, something that would eventually fade into obscurity, turned into the beginning of a nightmare. The minute he stepped out of Cassandra July’s doors, Brody was hounded by paparazzi, all of them ready to get the scoop on her latest conquest, on the twenty something slinking his way out of her house to make the walk of shame home.

For months, Brody couldn’t go anywhere without being flocked by the press, his face and name were splashed across the tabloids, the little reputation he’d managed to build for himself dragged through the mud. To make matters worse, his new acting gig had been retracted due to all negative attention on him and the potential safety risk that came with him being hounded all the time. Try as he might, Brody couldn’t land another audition nevermind another acting job, and all the attention meant that the escort agency also dropped him without warning, citing the “need for discretion” for their clients, and he was now without every avenue he had for making money.

So Brody, with his head hung and his tail between his legs, did the thing he vowed he wouldn’t do and went back to his parents to help him stand on his own two feet. New York was tainted now, so he moved back home to LA, sinking into a deep depression as it seemed that his dreams, his great passion, were dashed. He withdrew into himself a lot for the next couple of years, still fighting for auditions and roles, but without the same passion and zeal he once possessed. Eventually, small roles filtered through, and Brody found a purpose again. He knew that the only reason he was getting these offers was because his last name carried weight in these circles, and as much as he resented it, the alternative was to keep sitting on the sofa of his parent’s house and wasting away his days playing videogames.

Still, if roles were offered that felt too good to be true or if they were offered without an audition, Brody turned them down. Maybe his pride got in his way, maybe now wasn’t the time to be saying no to roles, maybe he could prove that he was a great actor in his own right while still taking these roles, but still he couldn’t just go along with it like it didn’t bother him to not be respected in his own right. That got him a label as a “diva”, one that was picky about his roles and turned down perfectly good roles because of his ego, and it didn’t do his struggling career any favours.

Brody feels like he doesn’t know himself anymore. The Brody that everyone else sees isn’t the one that he knows himself to be, and maybe that’s why he never publicly came out. His family and his closest friends know that he’s gay, but the general public don’t, he’s seen the kind of damage the tabloids can do, experienced the repercussions firsthand, and with his career just recovering it seemed safer to put up a front than be his authentic self, hence the long, long line of women that he’s “dating”. Let them think he’s a playboy, a serial dater, there were plenty of men in Hollywood like that, it was better than them smearing him all over the tabloids for being himself.

Still, his career as an actor is struggling, and for now, Brody has taken a teaching job at PSU so that he can move out of his parent’s house again, putting all his surplus of skill into teaching the next generation of actors, and imparting the odd pearl of wisdom about keeping their names out of the press for the sakes of their careers. He dates men behind closed doors, but not a single one of them has ever stuck around for very long, and honestly he can’t even blame them. He feels like a coward and a fraud, but he just doesn’t trust that he can be himself and still achieve the dreams he was worked so hard for.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

Jude Weston knew he wanted to be an actor, and he started out in theatrical roles across Australia and eventually made his way to Broadway. He won a Tony Award for his performance in The Warlock of Oz, a story about Henry Warlock, one of Australia's most famous animal activists. His biggest break, and the way he made a name for himself, came when he landed a role as Iceman in the X-Men movie franchise. This led to him leading the movie franchise and gaining commercial and critical success. He married Molly Hartman, his lovely and not at all famous wife, and was lauded for his humility and "down to earth"-ness in marrying a civilian. Molly worked as a Foreign Service Officer and works in countries He went back to his singing roots recently in a musical adaptation called The Forgotten Genius, which was the life and times of Nikola Tesla. Their dad recently did a stint on Broadway as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and had an affair with his costar. He's in the process of divorcing his wife of over 20 years. Rumors have flown about him being gay. 

[karatecaulfield]

Could I get a ST ship? I'm a bisexual man (so any gender is fine!) in my 20s, INFP, and my sun/moon/rising is all Aquarius (and I act like it tbqh). I'm generally more of an intellectual (I'm in grad school studying forensics) or artsy (I play guitar in a doom metal band and have a couple of published short horror stories), but my secret jock talent is fencing.

I'm 5'11 and have long (mid chest length) brown hair + a reasonably full beard. I generally wear comfortable clothes (bc I'm in labs a lot), but usually include denim, leather, and/or band shirts. I also have lots of body mods (I think I'm at 15 tattoos and 8 piercings now?). One of my big hobbies is tabletop gaming, although that's partly because my best friend designs them for a living and likes to test things with me. I also love cooking- my resolution for 2022 was to master the 5 French mother sauces, and I totally succeeded! I also love hiking, reading really silly fluffy romance books, and making cocktails My friends think of me as somebody who's dependable and has a strong moral compass, although I can be stuck in my ways sometimes. They also think of me as somebody calm and chilled out (partly bc I'm a bit of a stoner ngl), although when I panic I can work myself up easily. While I'm generally introverted, I actually really love parties when I have the energy for them- I really like meeting new people and getting them chatting about the things they like!

Jonathan Byers! I think he’d really appreciate someone who’s more artistic and creative. He’d love to spend time taking turns showing each other works in progress or newly finished projects. You’d be the first person to see his newly developed pictures, and he would be your number one fan for any creative endeavors you have started. While he doesn’t have any tattoos or piercings himself, I think he would be really interested in those who do. He’d absentmindedly trace your tattoos and you would often catch him looking at your shiny jewelry. In a relationship, the biggest thing for Jonathan would definitely be dependability. He can get really caught up in the moment sometimes, and it’s helpful to have someone to ground you when that happens. We all know that he has no issues with the devil’s lettuce (he’d probably say “salad”) and would really enjoy having someone new to smoke with. Even though he can get stuck in his own head sometimes when he’s having a hard time, he’s really good at working down someone who’s panicking or anxious. The dynamic would be very balanced and fair between the two of you.

A/N- thank you so much for the request! I’m so sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoyed this. if it isn’t what you were hoping for, please feel free to request again<3

[vickyvicarious]

just thought about how the boss' description just tells Dracula how easily abused Jonathan will be: discreet. silent. shall take your instructions in all matters.

and jonathan beamed about it

Hang on, I actually wrote an analysis of what Dracula would take from that letter last year, let me grab it. Okay, here it is.

If you read that, then... yeah I agree, Dracula absolutely is delighted at this letter. He definitely takes it in a very "this man will be great fun to toy with" way.

But that's not what Mr. Hawkins meant writing it, or what Jonathan sees reading it. In fact, Dracula's the one reading much more into it than the intended message, which is a lot of praise.

“I must regret that an attack of gout, from which malady I am a constant sufferer, forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for some time to come; but I am happy to say I can send a sufficient substitute, one in whom I have every possible confidence. He is a young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition. He is discreet and silent, and has grown into manhood in my service. He shall be ready to attend on you when you will during his stay, and shall take your instructions in all matters.”

It seems that Mr. Hawkins was originally supposed to come on this trip, but for health reasons he's been forced to delegate. Now, we the readers know that Jonathan is a brand-new solicitor thanks to his thoughts outside the castle. Mr. Hawkins obviously knows that too. So this rich foreign noble isn't getting the experienced lawyer he expected, but someone who basically just graduated. You don't want to disappoint the guy paying your salary, so he's got to manage this situation. He may well have told Dracula some time ago about the switch, but this is Jonathan's official letter of introduction, so it's time to pull out all the stops.

He says, this guy is great at his job and I trust him completely. I admit, he's clearly very young (aside: babyface Jonathan confirmed), but I've known him for a while, personally trained him, and can definitely vouch for him. Solicitors may be privy to lots of information, but he isn't going to break your confidence, I promise. He's a hard worker and will be able to help you with whatever you need, so don't worry about me not being there. Even if it's not exactly what we've discussed prior to now, he'll be able to help you with other legal matters too, just as I would have if my health allowed me to come. Don't fire us, give him a shot.

Neither Mr. Hawkins nor Jonathan are looking at this paragraph for anything outside of a professional interpretation, and there's a certain amount of polite exaggeration going on too probably. Discreet is a virtue for a lawyer. When he says all matters it's assumed that means legal matters. And so on.

Is it open to sinister interpretation? Oh, hell yes. But that's not what Mr. Hawkins (talking up his replacement to a client) meant, or what Jonathan (my boss believes in me and has entrusted me with a great opportunity, I've got to prove him right by doing a great job here) hears.

[burtonbabygirlguster]

@magazineswithmyself it’s honestly a mixture of random silly things, and then pretty neat things- the obvious enemies to friends to lovers, that usually has me weak, the potential they have to become much closer friends, them having to sorta move past high school, so the awkwardness, their jigs with kids (dustin for steve, will for jon)

the way Steve was the one who bought Jonathan another camera- even, as small as this is, the way Steve’s iconic bat was made by Jonathan, both their urges to protect close ones, putting others before themselves, Jonathan ESPECIALLY, Steve’s six nuggets dream, and how Jonathan’s main thing is family, the obvious trauma bonding (not saying that’s the only requirement for a relationship, but it’s sorta what kickstarted Jancys) and i’ll privally make a longer post about how amazing it is to me after rewatching some more or looking at an old slideshow i have on Stonathan

AND NOW HEADCANONS <3

when Jonathan showed up in the van, Steve stole him IMMEDIATELY to do his hair, he’s always wanted to do Jonathan’s hair, but now it’s longer and messier, and Steve just will not stand for that (no offense to Jon’s hair, i like it)

jonathan tries weekly to ‘fix’ steve and his music taste

he’s made/given steve several mixtapes with some of Jon’s favorites to listen to, but on Steve’s birthday, Jon gives Steve a tape of all his favorite music, and Steve is beyond excited because he got his own tape with his own things- and even more so, Jonathan KNOWS what he likes! jonathan is the first person to know what Steve likes, so he’s a happy lol boy

when/if Jon ever opened up about his past, or at least the having to be a parent, and having no childhood at ALL, steve makes it a point to take him to do something fun every week, to fill in the missing parts

Steve let’s jon and his family take movies for free, that’s another small way of Steve apologizing to Jonathan and trying to let Jonathan have more fun for free

at one point Jonathan stole Steves “Scoops Ahoy” hat and made fun of him

steve said he’d make Jonathan pay double for ice cream if he didn’t stop

jon ended up getting free ice cream for a weak

Jonathan is actually used to cuddling, he’d do it with his brother and sometimes his mom if she was there, he was usually big spoon, but Steve is touch starved, so when he’s little spoon to Jonathan, he MELTS

jon also loves being big spoon because it makes him feel like he’s protecting whoever he’s cuddling

but one time Steve was big and Jon was little, and Jon cried some, because he’s NEVER been held before and HOLY SHIT

one time when Jon was high he decided to put pink glitter in one of Steve’s MANYY hair bottles

Steve has now a full head of sparkly pink hair

jonathan could NOT stop laughing. he was LITERALLY rolling on the floor, clutching his sides, dying.

one time steve tried doing a ‘hot’ pose for jonathan for his pictures, he ended up falling and spraining his ankle

Jonathan has at least three books on the Victorian flower language and picks steve flowers according to their meaning

whenever jon does get flowers, their hand picked from the ground, not bought

jon and steve went as werewolves together one time for Halloween

jon is actually a very talented puppeteer, he loves making little puppet shows for his family

steve has a pet turtle he named Jomatham

steve likes it when Jonathan reads books to him, Jon does different voice for each character

both jonathan and steve tend to punch people if they sneak up on them, like Zed and Addison from Zombies

generally one of them has a bloody or busied nose every other week

they have a specific first aid kit with the stuff they use for the noses

because jon never really had people to talk to, whenver he gets excited, if it actually shows, he gets all rambling and quick like Robin

neither of them can sleep with the curtains open, so before they sleep, one makes sure to go and shut all the blinds/curtains

jonathan can’t sleep in the dark, and steve can’t sleep in the light, so jonathan buys him a bright pink eye mask with eyelashes

it actually works

i’ll add more soon!

[jgroffdaily]

An article from Michelle Loucadoux, who Jonathan referred to by name in the Anything Goes Miscast - excerpts:

I did a benefit show in New York called Broadway Backwards with Jonathan Groff (and many other very talented individuals). Broadway Backwards gives actors the opportunity to play roles that they would not normally play on the great white way.

At the time, I was dancing in Anything Goes on Broadway and Jonathan’s job was to take on the role (and dance steps) of the brilliant Sutton Foster in the title song. The ensemble of the Broadway show was tasked with dancing and singing our usual steps and notes…but with Jonathan in Sutton’s role of Reno Sweeney.

Not only is the title song of Anything Goes epically long and extremely wordy for the lead singer, it is also a full-out tap number. And Jonathan insisted on learning and doing the exact dance steps in the Broadway show, no matter how difficult.

Groff was fantastic. But, that’s not the point. The point is that Groff came into a short rehearsal with me (and the rest of the ensemble of Anything Goes) and gave a master class on empowering other humans through true recognition. Here are two powerful lessons I learned from the gracious and talented Jonathan Groff.

You change things when you remember a name

Yes, Jonathan Groff took the time to learn each of our names. Every. Single. Person. In. The. Ensemble. And he remembered them.

I am often floored by the impact that the simple act of someone knowing my name makes on the way I feel about myself. The rehearsal process for the show was extremely short (I think I remember it being a week long). Groff absolutely didn’t need to take the time to identify a bunch of ensemble members while he was busy remembering lyrics, tap steps, pitches, and potentially negotiating his contract for Frozen on the side.

Nowhere in his contract did it say that he needed to remember the names of the 12 dancers circling his spotlight. But he did. And it made us feel fantastic.

In short, Jonathan Groff made us all feel important.

You can make the spotlight bigger

Not only did Groff remember our names, but he also surprised us by recognizing us by name during the performance. WHILE HE WAS DANCING.

I was doing drawbacks (a tap step) toward stage left in front of an audience of thousands of people when I heard him exclaim, “Hello Michelle. How are you?” I was fine, thank you. And as an ensemble member who rarely was recognized by name at that point, I was just plain giddy. I uttered a quick, “I’m great!” and then maxi forded off toward stage right.

Recognition, on that stage in that moment, was one of the best gifts we could receive. And Groff knew that it was up to him to either shift that spotlight or keep it all to himself.

Because, in fact, public recognition of the hard work of others doesn’t take away the light from your own spotlight. It only widens the light and brightens it.

It could be a simple word at a party recognizing the host, an unprompted shout out on social media for a hardworking teacher, or a quick text message to recognize a friend’s dedication. All of these things can create an opportunity to make others feel the way I felt on that stage while I was dancing.

So, I challenge you today. If you know a person, an educator, a friend, a loved one, or a coworker that is doing a great job, take a moment to recognize them for their hard work. That recognition goes much farther than you might think. Thank you, Jonathan Groff, for the powerful lesson.

[freelancearsonist]

smut prompts #74 w/ Jonathan and #30 w/ Bud? 💖💐🥺...Please?

(wanted to make you happy and give you one for Bud too!)

fem!reader if that's okay with you, if not gender neutral is good too!

yeesh this is… not what i meant for it to be and probably very telling about me as a person 😂 also i’ve never been in college officially so this is probably super inaccurate pls don’t yell at me

74. “the only way you’re getting off is on my thigh” from this prompt list

It’s so wrong.

You know it is, and he knows it is.

But you can convince yourself it’s just harmless flirting because it’s never turned into anything more.

Not yet.

Yet both of you know that the only way this will end is in a catastrophic and inappropriate explosion of elicit feelings and sin and it’s naive to believe that this flirting won’t lead anywhere. You both know it will.

But maybe you can plead innocent on account of ignorance if you let it build, let it happen on its own instead of inciting it yourselves.

Third degree adultery instead of first, as it were. That’s how your criminal law and procedure professor would put it.

If he hadn’t called out for the week on account of a family emergency, anyway.

And if Jonathan hadn’t been called in to substitute, because even though he’s very much not a law professor he’s a very talented teacher and can pick up material on the drop of a dime.

You feel a heavy weight on your shoulders when he asks you to stay after class to help him with tomorrow’s materials. You know it’s coming to a climax—quite literally. Because he’s not technically your teacher, he’s a substitute in this classroom. He would never start anything in his own classroom, but this room is the Switzerland of your ongoing battle of lust. Things can happen here, just once, that can never happen anywhere else.

The night starts innocently enough. It’s getting late, classes are over for the day, and Jonathan sits down with you so you can walk him through the lesson plan for tomorrow. He’s as good a student as he is a teacher—he listens with rapt attention and takes notes, engaging what you say with interest. He hangs onto your every word and it’s addicting to have his full and unbridled attention on you.

On the way your lips move and form around each word you speak.

On the way your fingers play with the edge of your textbook page absentmindedly as you explain the vocabulary terms to him.

On the way you squirm in your seat when you feel his eyes boring into you.

On the way his hands look on your hips as you climb into his lap.

Wait, how did you get in his lap?

It doesn’t matter—one second you’re talking about clauses and the next you’re kissing him like you’ll die without the air in his lungs.

He moans when you tug on his beard—just lightly, trying to pull him impossibly closer to you because after so long of fighting this urge, you think you might collapse if he pulls away.

“This is wrong,” he whispers, even as he’s tugging at the buttons of your blouse.

Your response is little more than a whisper. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

It makes him growl and kiss you even harder.

But as much as he’s losing his restraint, he still shows some modicum of self-control.

He holds you firmly against his thigh when you move to undo his pants, breath shaking as he tells you, “We can’t. We can’t, baby. Not here. The only way you’re getting off is on my thigh.”

You want to argue and tell him how bad you need him. But he knows, and he’s not outright denying you. Just here, where you could easily be caught.

There’s a promise to his tone that this particular extra-curricular activity will move off campus.

But he’s extending you an olive branch because he can feel how badly you need to come.

You can get off first and then he’ll give you the real show somewhere more appropriate for such activities.

How could you refuse such a generous offer?