#they went on totally not a date to see Wicked

[queeriboh]

unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe

blond.

[moonlightwonie]

Can I please request something with bang chan?

You've been trapped by his presence and he won't let you go and you're losing the spark in your eyes and chan doesn't know what to do.

So he tries to fuck his love unto you.

'Tell me how to make you happy?', 'tell me what I need to do for you to love me'

TW: ANGST & SMUT, NSFW 18+, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT‼️

bf!bangchan x gn reader || word count: 1.3k

angst, crying, dirty talk, spit, choking, kind of toxic tbh (oops) i wrote a lot, so prepare yourself 🫣

꧁ MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE꧂

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★ �� ☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

you and chan had been dating for a little over a year now, from the moment you two started dating, you had always spent so much time together. whenever you weren’t together it was only because of work or day to day activities, where you absolutely couldn’t be together. he’d always showed you and told you how much he loved you from the beginning, which was a little overwhelming to you at first, but you were still attracted to him and loved being around him. you could tell that he was a special guy, you just needed some time to get comfortable and let yourself fall for him.

as time went on, you just felt the spark kind of dying out, atleast on your end. you loved chan, but whenever it came down to anything intimate, you just weren’t feeling any… electricity; and that really bugged you, because how could you not be sexually attracted to him?? he’s handsome, has a big heart, a wicked sense of humor, and he treated you like a queen. he was a total sweetheart, you were his whole world. his top most priority was making you feel happy and loved. you couldn’t keep going on like this, how could you lead him on any further? you didn’t want to hurt him, you did love him after all, you just weren’t feeling that spark anymore.

once he got home from practice, you were immediately greeted with a big, bright smile and open arms, “heyy, baby!! c’mere, i missed you” he said as you walked over to him and gave him a small hug, which was nothing compared to the giant bear hug he gave you. “chris, we have to talk… it’s important” you muttered as you nervous bit on your lip, averting your gaze to the floor as you tried to calm your nerves.

the cheeriness and joy in his eyes quickly turned to worry and concern, taking your hands in his as he looked at you with a small frown. “w-what is it, y/n? is something wrong?” he’d ask you, making you shake your head and walk him over to the couch. “i don’t know how to say this… but… uh, well…” you’d start saying before looking up into his eyes, seeing the anxiety plastered on his face.

“it’s okay, it’s okay… just.. just say it, love” he muttered softly as he fought some tears in his eyes. because deep down he had a feeling of where this conversation was going. he could feel the difference in how you looked at him, the hesitation whenever he’d go to hold your hand, whenever he kissed you or when you two had sex, everything just felt off.

you sighed softly at his words and shook your head, “i.. chris, you’re such a good guy.. and you have always treated me so so well” you started to say, “but i just… i don’t think i have feelings for you anymore… i love you, just… just not like-“ you were cut off by your boyfriend, “just not what? like a boyfriend?? is that it?” he covered his mouth, tears boiling in his eyes as he tried to form proper sentences through the hurt, “how long have you felt this way? is it something i said or did? is something i didn’t do???”.

“no no no, baby, it’s nothing that you did.. it’s just-“ you went to wipe his tears, but he shook his head and gently pushed your hands away. “is it because of my schedule? i’ll drop everything if it means making you stay.. i’ll do anything for you to stay, absolutely anything for you to love me!! just tell me, y/n, what do i have to do for you to love me??” he asked as he fell to his knees infront of you. “do i not please you good enough? b-because i can do better, yeah.. i can be better for you and make you feel good, is that what you want, baby??” he asked eagerly as he bit his lip whilst looking into your eyes, tears filled in his own as he gently caressed your knees, “please?”.

fuck. you had no words. god, you hated yourself for this. you had this precious man literally crying on his knees, begging for you to love him. why couldn’t you just be normal and fall for him? fuck. you hated it whenever chan would cry, especially knowing it was because of you. “chris, it’s not that easy.. it’s not like that” you’d tell him as you wiped away his tears, “well can’t i atleast try? do you know how much this kills me? i just want you to love me” he sniffled whilst tilting his head, “please, please let me show you how much i love you? maybe i can make you love me, one way or another, i don’t care”.

you sighed heavily before nodding and caving into his words, sniffling at your own tears as you looked down into his eyes. “o-okay, channie… just please don’t cry” you said before you were interrupted by a sudden kiss to your lips. he cupped your face and pulled you in closer, kissing you deeply as he began untying his sweatpants. you had to admit, you didn’t mind having sex with him, you just didn’t feel the emotional elements of it with him… or maybe just not as deeply as him.

one thing lead to another, the two of you had been lying on the same couch you’d both been crying on, feeling him split you open with his cock and hold your hips in place. you couldn’t help but moan and mutter his name, he’d been making you feel so good, after all. “y-ya like that, baby? does.. hmm, does that feel good?” he’d asked you as he leaned down to kiss and suck on your neck, “do you see how much i love you? how much i’m willing to prove my love for you?” he muttered against your salty skin. you didn’t know what to say, you had already been feeling all fucked out AND he was making you feel good, but you still felt so guilty, because you knew this wouldn’t change anything, and yet here you were letting him use your body like this.

“tell me you love me, baby.. p-please? please just tell me once?” he begged as he looked deep into your eyes, making you sigh and throw your head back, “i… i.. i can’t” you said through your moans, feeling a pit in your stomach as you cursed yourself. “w-what?” he asked with wide eyes, slowing down his movements as he looked into your eyes. “just tell me what i have to do to make you happy… tell me what the fuck i need to do in order to make you love me, y/n?” he said as he unintentionally tightened his grip on your hips, feeling frustrated.

as strange as it may sound, you rarely ever heard him swear, so it you found it a little hot when you heard him say ‘fuck’ and hold your hips so mean. you felt a little tickle in your stomach as you bit your lip. you were so used to your boyfriend being so gentle with you and being afraid to hurt you, but right now all you wanted was him to take out his hurt and stress onto you and manhandle you. “can you.. b-be a little rougher? i can take it.. just don’t be gentle” you said softly as you felt your cheeks heat up, “i’ll use the safeword if i want you to stop”.

chan was taken a little aback by what you had asked of him. he was certainly surprised, but lord knows he’d do absolutely anything to make you happy and to love him, so he did just as you asked. he picked up the pace of his movements and began pounding in and out of you at an almost animalistic rate whilst you wore his hand around your neck like the prettiest choker you’d ever worn. “do you like being treated like a filthy whore, baby? is that all it takes for you?” he snarled at you as he forced your mouth open and spit into it. he grinned widely when he seen your eyes light up.

you couldn’t contain yourself, you were tugging at his wavy locks and screaming so loud for him, he’d never made you feel this good before- no one had. “d-don’t stop… please, daddy” you begged him desperately, the nickname you referred to him as only encouraged him to go harder, “feels so good”. not too long after, you both finally finished and rode out your highs. shit, you were seeing stars and could barely think straight. but one thing was for sure, not being treated like you were something fragile for once made you feel something, for sure. who knew all it took was for your boyfriend to treat you like a whore every now and then? <3333

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★ 🔮 ☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

i hope you enjoyed that, i apologize if that wasn’t you had in mind! i hope you guys liked it hehe<333

if you don’t like my content you can either keep scrolling or just block me, no need to send negativity ♡

[pixiedustjellicle]

I have such a difficult time connecting with the Cats community now. Part of me feels like maybe I'm too old for the current fandom(I don't feel old, but I'm certainly not 19 anymore). Or that perhaps it's because I don't much care about ships. Sometimes I worry that I intimidate people, and I'd hate that. Let me introduce myself and how Cats has shaped my life, and maybe I can find my people?

I first saw Cats at a tiny local theatre when I was eight. I fell in love with it, and even though I didn't have the movie yet, I spent months afterwards with just the poem book and highlights album. Eventually I got the 98 VHS too- and then another local theatre put it on when I was ten! I got to see it twice there. And afterwards, I made up my own attempt at a costume, turned our spare room into my attempt at the set, and put some chairs in there to put on the highlights show for some friends of my mother. The CD was worn out, I went on with the show, and they even gave me a card and a new CD afterwards- the London 2 disc set! Looking back, I think how embarrassing it probably was, but I was so happy and proud of myself in the moment. Two more years later, US Tour 5 came through Nashville, and I got to go and stagedoor for the first time. I wore a tail I made and one of the actresses told me I had a perfect Bombalurina tail twirl. For all those years, I worked Cats into school projects, I drew nothing else. My mom put up with it for so long, and I still thank her to this day.

And then I went into middle school. New school, new students, and I started getting bullied for it. I found other musicals I didn't get bullied for- Phantom, Wicked, and Sweeney- to latch onto, and I kinda put Cats in the back of my head. I still loved it, but my hyperfixation had waned thanks to mean kids, and other than occasionally watching the 1998 movie, I didn't think much of it for years.

But the US Tour 6 announced a date in Nashville. I hadn't seen the show in eight years, and I wasn't about to miss it. I had already started taking an interest in cosplay, but I'd never made a costume like that. I remembered admiring the CCDB as a kid though, and I told myself I was totally capable of making my own, just to go see the show in costume. And I did.

And the cast were SO sweet, and I started finding Cats fans on Instagram. I thought I could do better on the costume, so when the show stopped in Chattanooga a couple months later... I did it again.

The pandemic hit and I lost my job. Immediately I started getting work making Cats cosplays for others, and I haven't stopped since. And when the show resumed, I made an overnight trip to Memphis to dress up again!

And then, I saved until I could finally go see the Royal Caribbean production (front row all three performances), and got to cosplay on the cruise and get a picture on stage with the cast! This was absolutely everything to me, especially seeing the original choreography as opposed to the revival. I definitely cried. (I'm in the middle bottom row!)

I've gotten to make some costume pieces for three regional productions of Cats, in the Dominican Republic, Atlanta Georgia, and most recently Georgetown Texas. I've won some local cosplay contest with my costumes, too! And I'm lucky enough to own a few original pieces- though I've had to part with some too.

My love for this show has spanned just over 17 years now. I adore the story, the costumes, the choreography, the sets, and the characters. It's part of how I learned I am autistic. It's given me confidence I didn't know I could find. And every time I get to see it live, I feel like I'm where I belong. The fandom has felt quiet. And I'm not sure if that's just because I don't know where I fit in? So here's hoping I can find my tribe.

Favorite productions: Original Broadway, Moscow, and Mexico 2013/2018

Favorite Cats: Jemima/Sillabub, Bombalurina, Demeter, Munkustrap, Tumblebrutus, Jellylorum

Favorite songs: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, The Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball, Macavity

Favorite cats to cosplay: Etcetera and Victoria

[fetishfairytales2]

Besties 6 (Story)

This was originally written as a continuation of a story by [no longer active] called Besties.

—————

Besties 6: Alone with Ms. Lyndsey

“Heather, seriously?” I laughed; “is Connor really cool with all of this? Cause I know he’s not, y’know…” Heather laughed in response, walking out of the nursery, back to her bedroom. "No, he’s too much of a real man to give a shit about that," she snickered, pointing to Brandon, "Brandi just has a tight little ass that could milk a big dick and Connor likes to fuck it occasionally!"

Heather went back into the bathroom to wrap things up, leaving me alone with Brandi. "Connor gets it," she called out. "Sometimes I just want him to tear into Brandi’s ass because I get off on seeing it." There was a moment of silence. "Other times, Daddy Connor just wants to show her who the real man is in this household."

"Does Brandi like it?" I couldn't help but ask even though I already knew the answer. Heather emerged from the bathroom, rocking a killer outfit with her tight trench coat and those red heels, looking like a total babe. She had the biggest grin on her face. "The real question is," she giggled, "does she even have a choice? Now, Brandi, I'm heading out. You better behave for Ms. Lyndsey, be a good girl. Don't forget, if I hear any complaints, Daddy will find out!"

She turned and gave me a wicked grin. "He'll be getting punished either way, good girl or not. But if she acts up, let me know. I'll send you all the deets and instructions. Don’t forget, her dinner's in the fridge. Oh and do me a solid, share all the pics and vids I send you tonight with Brandi. She loves seeing Mommy's naughty side during my date nights!" She hugged me and lightly tapped Brandi's butt before strutting out of the room with a smirk.

I couldn't help but smirk as I saw Brandon, the man who was once so full of himself, reduced to nothing but a pathetic little sissy in a frilly dress and diaper, forced to face the consequences of his asshole behavior. I loved that my best friend had made it all happen. She took away his power, his pleasure, his whole life. I bet she wasn't done yet either. "Oh, look how far Brandi has fallen," I taunted as I grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to meet my gaze. "But don't worry, we can make you sink even further."

"You, like, have noooo idea how much shit I'm about to put you through, baby bitch," I cackled, eyeing Sissy Brandi's pathetic little frame. I pivoted, checking myself out in the mirror. This situation called for a whole different vibe. I came dressed down to Heather's place, but now it's time to bring out the big guns. I rummaged through her drawers until I found the perfect thing: a sexy black lingerie set.

Turning to Brandi, I couldn't resist poking fun at his sorry excuse for masculinity. "Heather and I have been swapping clothes and men since college," I said with a sly smile, knowing how much that would hurt his fragile ego. "All of them way better than you, of course." I held up the lingerie set and let him squirm in embarrassment. "But hey, some things never change, right?" I could practically hear him whimpering under that gag, clueless to what was happening behind him. Tossing the lingerie onto the bed, I couldn't wait to see his reaction.

I ran my perfectly manicured nails through Brandi's hair, feeling him tremble as I whispered, "Relax sweetheart, we have all night to play. No need to get too worked up just yet." A sharp slap on his ass made him squirm with anticipation as I continued my search, this time in the nightstand.

I pretended to be all innocent, asking with a sly smirk on my face, "Hm, I wonder if your mommy has any fun toys hiding in here?" I couldn't help but laugh as I found the handcuffs and the Hitachi wand, more evidence of Heather's kinky side. I turned again to Brandon with a smug look, ready to ruin his night.

"Anti-crucio!" I yelled, watching as Brandi immediately spun around to face me. My grin couldn't get any bigger as I twirled the handcuffs on my finger. "You have 12 seconds of freedom, just to hear how screwed you are, Brandi," I gloated, poking my finger into his chest.

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with Evan Ross Katz (2024)

Whether he’s carrying Kylie Minogue to the Hyde Park Festival stage with his pal Andrew Scott, making the Internet go collectively feral for merely running a half marathon, chasing dinosaurs (in the upcoming Jurassic World reboot), romancing Matt Bomer (in Fellow Travelers) or Simone Ashley (in Bridgerton) or Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo (in Wicked) or, with his most recent venture, launching an LGBTQ+-focused charity, it seems Jonathan Bailey is always up to something. And yet, he still makes time, from his hotel room in Thailand (where he’s shooting Jurassic World 4), to hop on a Zoom with me to catch up.

We discuss everything from chafed nipples to queer shame to who he’d like to see in the “Drink Your Milk” T-shirt to if we’ll see him on Broadway any time soon, which is to say it’s a brief but wide-ranging chat.

I haven't seen you since the Met Gala! When we last spoke, you were prepping for your first half marathon. I obviously saw the viral photos that went around of you at the finish line, but how did it go?

You know, I should have put those nipple stickers on. That's my main takeaway. 

[Laughs] Did you bleed?

I did a bit, yeah. Did you? I know you've done a couple of marathons. 

I did bleed, and I didn't know about the bleeding beforehand. It's not something you really hear about but it's painful and uncomfortable.

Totally! And not even just beforehand: It took ‘til 4 hours later when my best friend told me there was evidence [of the bleeding]. But anyways… it was euphoric!

At least there was no photo evidence of that element!

Exactly! So thankfully, it's done. But it's just the most amazing thing, isn't it? And the community as well. Hackney Moves is amazing and they raised loads of money. It was the Bridgerton [Season 3 release] week so I feel like you could sort of harness that.

I do have to ask you a pressing question: Days ago, it was announced that Wicked had moved up its release date and will now be released the same day as Ridley Scott's Gladiator 2. Many online were affectionately calling this Barbenheimer 2.0, which led many to try and speculate about a proper portmanteau. Jon Chu wrote on Instagram that the consensus seems to be “Glicked,” which you reposted on Instagram, signaling a cosign. But I have to ask you, Johnny: Are you not considering“Wickediator”?

I love it. Whatever Jon Chu has ever said to me, I’ve taken as gospel, so I actually hadn't explored all the other options. The one that I've now heard since then which is making me reconsider everything is “Gladicked.” [Laughs] It's quite good, isn’t it? 

Yes! To me, “Glicked” feels too Wicked-skewed and then “Wickediator” is just clunky AF, so I like where you're at. 

We want it to be equal footing for sure. Another thing that I love that went viral is someone going: “Oh, brilliant. A film for the ladies and a film for the ladies.” [Laughs] 

I am both ladies! 

Oh, yes. Me too! 

Let’s talk The Shameless Fund, the charity you founded to raise money for LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations. Can you tell me about the formation of this project?

It's been a labor of love over the last three or four years. It's been quite an organic experience, mainly inspired by Fellow Travelers, hence why I started with a collaboration which references a very specific scene and a performance by Matt Bomer.

I think through Covid and Bridgerton coming out, I found that there’s a real sense in the queer community about awareness of people who came before you and other experiences. And then obviously in Fellow Travelers, which explicitly explores that, the character I played was sort of on the front all the way through a very complicated experience for gay men at that time.

He experienced real moments of blooming liberation and quite insane amounts of oppression as well, and he was always fighting. He ends up becoming an activist, essentially, and I think it was in playing that part — which was kind of spiritual for me and for everyone who's involved in it — that I was like: Right, okay. I know that I've got this idea in my head and having experienced how much love there is for things like Bridgerton and how much money there is in collaboration, I felt that there's so many things I had said “no” to because it didn't feel quite right for me but if there was a world in which I could marry all of it in a creative sort of cocktail, then why not? And to give back to the community that I so love, and also, I'm a massive beneficiary of the work that the people that came before us did, so that's where it came to fruition from. 

You collaborated with our dear friend Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Loewe, on a T-shirt with a memorable quote from Fellow Travelers to promote the launch of The Shameless Fund. How did this collaboration come to be?

During the strikes during the filming of Wicked, I went on a run one day and this idea of a T-shirt came into my head in full form. Then I sat next to Jonathan [at a Studio Voltaire fundraiser], and he’s lovely and brilliant and naughty and has a foundation, so it was all kind of organic.

Then I went over to DC to present Matt Bomer with an award for the Human Rights Campaign and it was really galvanizing to experience the American fervor. It was a gala, and the energy in the room was absolutely wild and there were amazing stories on stage. I texted Jonathan and I said: “Look, I have an idea and it involves milk and a T-shirt. What do you think?” and he said: “Call me tomorrow,” and then he said yes within the same phone call. I just felt tentative because it’s the sort of thing where you ask and you don't know, but then it went from there. 

I do recall first seeing a photo of you in the shirt several months ago during a night out with the Loewe team in China…

I went to the Loewe exhibition in Shanghai, which was incredible, and that night, we had quite a big night out and I wore the T-shirt because I’d been given the first prototype.

I was having a little boogie and [Anderson] uploaded it whilst I had no access to the Western World — my phone was off the whole time. So by the time I came home, you could see that people were gonna go wild for the T-shirt. Now, it's sold out and we're gonna get some more and it'll be a first step for The Shameless Fund to raise some money. 

Jonathan Anderson did my and my husband's wedding looks and I had to send him that same initial text to be like: “Can one even ask this?”

That's what's so brilliant in life: People who have the ability to collaborate, and that's just what Jonathan does.

One thing that you said just now that struck me is: “Why not?” I interview a lot of people in your profession and they're not asking that question all the time. A lot of people say:

“Oh, there's lots of money I can make. I can have more money. I can have more things for myself.”

Why are you a “why not?” person rather than a “why”? Is that something that was imbued in you by your family and your upbringing or is it how you've always been?

I don't know. I just feel quite strongly emotionally. I sense injustice in certain places, and I think what comes with success — especially being a gay actor — is that you think: “Hang on a minute. Are there limitations? Are there glass ceilings?”

When you experience success that you never thought you would and you grew up thinking that you're limited because of your identity and who you are, I think about the people that have supported me and the people that were really pioneering, but also, the actual heroes who do the real work; the people who work for these nonprofits and these charities where the majority of their energy is spent trying to raise money. When Bridgerton came out, I was inundated with requests to help draw attention to [these organizations] or raise money or donate things that they could sell, so that's where the kernel of this idea came from. All my life, I’ve been thinking about how I can give back.

It's not for nothing that you call this The Shameless Fund. We grew up at a time when, and I don't know if this is the same for you, but I didn't know that gay people existed. I thought I was the only one because I didn't have access to the kind of media kids do today where you can go on Instagram and see that gay is not only acceptable; it's cool. There's this very significant paradigm shift. I feel like a lot of gay men of our generation felt this shame as young people and often spend a lot of our adult lives working to rid ourselves of it. What is it for you about this idea of shame? 

I totally agree in terms of generations. I think the queer experience changes every five years. Even with some of my friends who are 10 years older than me — it's just so specific to cultural moments and representation as well, as you're saying. But I think my understanding of shame, especially having experienced Fellow Travelers, is that it permeates. It's not just a community that experiences the shame; it's the people around them. It's the parents who don't understand it and kick their kids out of their house. It's the sisters, it’s the cousins, it's the nephews, it's the children that are in broken families because of it. It's actually so toxic, that sense of self-hatred. That’s why The Shameless Fund is actually something that I hope is going to benefit everyone, even beyond the community itself.

Also, the older we get and because of the world we live in now, you can read The Velvet Rage and you can read Matthew Todd’s Straight Jacket and you can explore and have conversations with your friends that are really enlightening and you can have therapy, if you're lucky enough that you can afford to do that. As a 36-year-old now, I look back and I just go: “My God, I had such a loving family and yet I was still so isolated and so crippled.”

Shame can stop people from having a proper education and from being able to structure proper emotional relationships, like fundamental relationships with their family, which is the one place you're supposed to feel safe. It's flawed if the family is not aware of what you're going through. 

How did you come up with the name?

I did have other names [in mind for The Shameless Fund], but we won't go into them. One was so aggressive! [Laughs] But “The Shameless Fund” felt punk enough and fundamental enough. To me, I think that to be without shame is to be able to be joyful and to be able to thrive and to be able to learn and have a bloody good time whilst doing all those things, so it just felt right that it should be targeting shame because then hopefully it benefits the whole community in every color on the pride flag and, in turn, will also help so many people around them. 

So what can people expect next?

There's going to be some really fun things coming with The Shameless Fund and there's different ways in which it can grow, but I have people who really know what they're doing who are helping lead it. By the end of the year, we'll hopefully have worked with three different charities, starting small and helping people understand the work they're doing because that's the most important thing. If you think about Instagram, other than chatting with Evan Ross Katz [laughs], that's the platform through which you can really draw attention to things. Literally anyone in our community who's thriving at the moment — in a community that's obviously under threat going forward — knows what it's like to receive support. We know what we missed growing up.

I, too, grew up with an accepting family, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t still feel ostracized. I appreciate you recognizing that nuance, one I think many of us experience in some form but don’t always discuss.

Now, on The Shameless Fund’s website, it does say that more collaborations are coming. As you said, there’s going to be a restock of the Loewe shirts, but are there other brands in the mix?

There are other brands, and it'll be really exciting because the scope is endless, but I definitely had a couple of other ideas. After Fellow Travelers, the next thing will be a Wicked garment, so you might have to keep your eyes out for that. Maybe jumpers and sexy boots?

That’s perfect for my fantasy! So we've seen Kylie Minogue wearing the shirt — who I was lucky enough to be introduced to by you on the dance floor at the Met Gala after-party, thanks again — and we've seen Kit Connor, Scarlett Johansson and your Bridgerton co-star Luke Newton sporting it as well. I'm wondering who else is on your wishlist of celebrities that you'd like to see in the Drink Your Milk T-shirt?

Oh, God. What a question! Great shout. I would love to see Jerrod Carmichael in it right now. Very specifically Jerrod Carmichael. 

I feel that.

I would also love to see Hanson in it. Their three-part harmonies are a knockout at the moment.

At the moment?

[Laughs] We were just talking about this today. I’ve literally just come away from a field where I was running towards or away from dinosaurs, and we were talking about Hanson for about four hours today and listening to their three-part harmonies. 

That is not what I was expecting.

Who else? I can only think of people who are going to be wearing it over the next few weeks, which is quite exciting. Is there anyone you want to see in it? 

I have quite a few people. First of all, Jamie Dornan. I would love to see him in it. Paul Mescal, for obvious reasons. And the fans are waiting for Matt Bomer!

Don’t you worry. They’ll be satiated! They’ll be quenched. And Andrew Scott had a good time at Glastonbury is what I’ll say. [Laughs]

I bet he did! Last but not least: Richard II is bringing you back to the stage. Wicked is giving us the musical theater moment we've been craving. Is there a musical theater moment that’ll be live on stage in Jonathan Bailey's future?

Potentially, actually. Maybe in 2026. 

On Broadway?

I would! I had the best time recently in New York and I watched as many things as I could. I saw Stereophonic, which, to me, was like a religious experience. That, and Oh, Mary! And Cole Escola.

That is what it's about. I would come back to watch that; I was so inspired by it. Obviously, I'd love to [be on Broadway] at some point and you just have to wait and see what pops up. 

Source

[watching-sam-and-dean-again]

Supernatural, Season 8 Sam Musings (Ranting):

There are many things I love about Season 8, like The church scene in Sacrifice, or the four (four!) brother-hugs we get throughout the season, or the moments of Dean trying to take care of Sam (even though Sam fights it), or having side characters that I actually like (for the most part … not Amelia), or the good moments of bad-brother-communication (there are some), but what I absolutely hate is the sacrificing of character for "story" that we see in this season.

So, shocking as this will be to the few who follow me or have read my thoughts (rants) before, but I’m a Sam-leaning brothers fan. And as someone who is Sam-girl adjacent, the beginning of Season 8 makes me ragey. Ironically, it was partially the "abuse" of Sam's character by the writers (among other things) that actually confirmed my tilt towards Sam because it forced me to think more deeply about Sam and his motivations. The writers also pulled some shady crap with Dean's character.

So, you can find my ramblings under the cut, if interested …

So, let’s tackle Sam's oft considered worst offense first: Sam not "looking for" Dean. What the actual fuck was this? I mean, I get it in theory; they brought Sam low in the start of the season, making him "betray" and "fail" Dean again, in order to high ten his rise to Savior Sam 2.0, but it was lazy writing, and almost unforgivable in two ways, out of character actions and failure to meaningfully explain said actions.

First, I’m sorry, but it’s just out of character to have Sam—Psychotic Without Dean—Winchester not look for his brother. We have so much canon proof of this that him not looking for Dean in season 8 is almost offensive. In "Faith" when Dean is going to die, Sam finds him to a "faith healer," and when it turns out another life was exchanged for Dean's, Sam obviously isn’t happy about it … but, I don’t exactly see him wishing to undo it either. In "In My Time of Dying," Sam is totally distraught throughout the entire episode because Dean is dying, even willing to embarrass himself in front of Dean by pulling out a "talking board" (or whatever it was called) just to try and communicate with him, and he wanted to save him so badly but didn’t know how. These two episode alone show us that Sam would not be okay with just "loosing" Dean, and that if Sam thinks there is even a hope of saving Dean, he isn’t just going to shrug and walk away. So, at the end of Season 7, if he thought Dean was still alive, the Sam we know should have been exhaustive,y hunting for Dean.

Second, if Sam thought Dean was dead, which I think was what the show was suggesting but could have made it more explicit, Sam should have been going insane, as he’s done in the past. In Mystery Spot, Sam basically becomes a revenge-driven automaton, even stabbing Fake Bobby in hope of getting Dean back. And when Dean is killed by the hellhound in "No Rest for the Wicked," Sam is destroyed. Season 4 shows us that Sam tried to trade his soul for Dean's, just an instant trade, but the demon wouldn’t deal. We see that Sam was full-on suicidal after losing Dean, basically attempting suicide by demon, drinking and taking pills. If Ruby hadn’t intervened (for her own evil purposes, but still…), he would have gotten himself killed, not might have. When none of the immediately self-distractive options worked, Sam once again went into full-on revenge mode. Sam without Dean, or at least Sam without a Dean alive somewhere in the world, is not okay. He is desperate and frightening.

Arguably, he’s not actually okay in Season 8 either, but his distress after losing Dean was too subtle, to the point that it almost makes him look a bit cold. So, to me at least, not seeing Sam very obviously fucked up, in some way beyond dating Amelia, over Dean's disappearance/death is a disservice to the character.

On the other hand, if the writers just needed Sam to not look for Dean because the drama was just too delicious for them … more important than, you know, staying true to character … then they should have bloody well shown us why. And showing us Sam shacking up with a bitchy pain in the ass Veterinarian was not giving him anything like fair treatment or good characterization, or understandable motivation.

Now, the subtext is that there was more going on in Sam's head than, "Oops, I hit a dog and met a rude vet. I guess I’ll just give up wondering if my brother is alive and move in with this woman who isn’t even particularly nice to me." He even said that hunting had gotten everyone he loved killed, and he that just "ran," in the first episode of the season. So, to me, this means Sam definitely thought Dean was dead, but the show doesn’t actually make it explicitly clear, at least I don’t think so. And this matters because there is a big difference between thinking Dean was lost and not looking for him VS thinking Dean is dead and not trying to sell his soul (or something else mystical and dangerous) to bring him back to life. It’s actually breaking the cycle and healthier for Sam to believe Dean is in heaven, and try to move on, but the show frames his actions, through Dean and Bobby as this huge failure of character. Also, Sam choosing running away from hunting (which has gotten everyone he loves killed) VS giving into revenge and basic insanity again, while not healthy in its escapism, is actually better than becoming an obsessive psycho. So, not just the fact that Sam didn’t look for Dean that is the problem, it’s the execution of how and why he didn’t look for Dean, or lack of exploration around these issues, that I’m especially annoyed by.

So, because we got what we got in the start of Season 8, my explanation to make it work, or headcanon, is that when Sam thought Dean was killed (not just missing) in the explosion of dick 😏, he utterly fell apart. As in, he collapsed in a heap and lost himself in his own head for a while. Maybe he even went a little insane again, sure that he was having a terrible hell-ucination again, even though Cas had supposedly taken his insanity onto himself at this point. Maybe he even feared he was still in the cage after all, and living through yet another nightmare scenario. So, Sam shattered. When he finally pulls himself together, he realizes he has two options, lose himself again in revenge and obsession over trying to bring Dean back to life, or give up the life that has brought him nothing but pain (and Dean, but Dean's gone now). So, he goes with the latter, thinking surly Dean would prefer that he try to live a normal, non-hunting life rather than utterly losing himself in suicidal behavior and revenge again … right?

What the show doesn’t bother to address either, and what many fans seem not to consider or care about, is that pre-Season 8 Sam has only had the devil out of his head for a matter of weeks/months at this point, and he’s still chalk full of fairly newly recalled hell trauma from being stuck in the cage with said devil for over a hundred years. Dean still wasn’t okay in Season 5, a season after getting out of his 40 year stint in hell, and the show addressed this pretty clearly, which is good. With Sam, the show doesn’t bother to remind the audience of his trauma or link it in any meaningful way to Sam's decision to give up hunting and not try to get Dean beck.

I think that’s the most unforgivable part of the first half of the season for me, not showing us in a way that, while some fans might still not consider it a good enough reason, the audience can at least understand why Sam made the choice he did. If the writers wanted Sam to make a decision that was not consistent with what we have seen of him this far, then they needed to show us why he acted differently this time. The show gave us a buttload of flashbacks (often not smoothly), so they could have very easily given us a few flashbacks of Sam falling apart, choosing to try to live without going insane over Dean, grieving his brother. We could have seen these things and still had time for him to meet and stay with a woman (not Amelia) for even, say, six months before Dean gets out of purgatory. Dean could even not be satisfied with Sam's explanation, or Sam could get defensive and not tell Dean how bad he was doing at first, so the brother drama could still be in tact, but at least the audience would understand Sam's motivations more. In a show where Dean usually gets the benefit of the doubt due to being our more regular POV protagonist, the narrative, and his protectiveness, it was a poor choice not to flesh out Sam's decisions more.

Season 8 was one of the rare times we actually see things from Sam's POV fairly often, and they wasted it on an unlikable love interest and half-explained motivations. The way the season is structured, it looks like it’s actually trying to argue that Amelia was the reason Sam gave up hunting (and Dean), but then it depicts her as incredibly harsh, annoying, and, frankly, not worth giving up Dean for. Giving Sam this particular love interest, one he has no chemistry with, makes it even harder to empathize with him because we (or most of the audience) don’t like her.

The real reason Sam gives up is essentially that hunting cost him too much, and he was too broken to carry on after losing Dean. But, the emphasis on the relationship, even though it’s explained that Sam and Amelia were basically just two broken people pulled together by their pain, doesn’t do enough to actually make it appealing, or to make me buy that Sam even loves her. I get that the show isn’t on the side of Sam living a normal life, and that’s actually fine, but making the relationship so … lame just helps stack the deck against Sam.

Meanwhile, Dean's friend-who-isn’t-Sam is incredibly likable, so we sympathize with Dean giving up Benny for Sam mid season, but most of us have been waiting for the moment when we no longer have to see Amelia being grating all over our screens since pretty much the first time we saw her. Thus, Dean's jealousy, dismissive remarks regarding Amelia, and his casual cruelty in letting Sam think she’s in danger just to get him out of the way, have less weight with the audience because so many of us don’t like her anyway. Whereas, Sam's sudden hate for vampires when he’s always been the more sympathetic brother when it comes to monsters, feels like it comes out of nowhere. And he ends up looking like a dick because the audience knows that Benny is a good guy (vampire), even though Sam doesn’t. Dean is no less jealous of Amelia than Sam is of Benny, but it comes across as more unreasonable in Sam's case. And he seems to be the only one who is often considered to be acting petty.

Here too, I feel the show does a bad job showing Sam's motivations. Sam has an instant hate-on for Benny, and his stated reasons are pretty much … he’s a vampire. And when arguing with Dean, the show has Sam bring up Amy. I mean, sure, Amy was a more recent monster and issue in their lives, but she isn’t a fitting Benny parallel, in my opinion. To me, Benny was to Sam, what Ruby was to Dean. They are both monsters: vampire VS demon. They both saved a brother’s life: Ruby saved a suicidal Sam VS Benny saving Dean in a land of Monsters. Both fought alongside a brother for a shared goal: Sam killing Lilith vs Dean getting out of Purgatory. Both monsters caused jealousy for sort of replacing the other brother: Sam chose to trust Ruby over Dean regarding Lilith VS Dean literally telling Sam that Benny (unlike Sam) has never let him down, and he lies to Sam to protect Benny. Sam should have brought up the mistake of trusting Ruby in their argument, if he thinks Dean is wrong to trust Benny. Of course, if Sam so much as said "Ruby," Dean would probably just fixate on Sam not listening to him back then. The thing is, looking at the Benny issue in relation to Ruby, it’s actually fair that Sam distrusts Benny. Of course, i do I think he’s also jealous and feels guilty.

Anyway, the season then sort of tries to make up for Sam being hard to sympathize with, by making Dean be straight up cruel to him a few times, which I don’t love either.

[mmimagine-40]

Pup pt.3

Alpha!Steve x Omega!female reader

Warnings:Talks of abuse and mistreatmen

Steve sighed as he looked down at his hands. “Your not the right omega I have met whose been through something like this, the last one I wasn’t able to really help”. Y/n watched Steve as he spoke, really turning into every word he said. “My Ma. She was in a similar situation. Not arranged or forced to be with my Pa. She was with him willingly. But after they mated he turned wicked. Being mean towards my ma. Forcing her to give up her job and dreams and have me. He only got angry after I was born as I was born weak. And didn’t present till way later then most pups. He thought I was an omega and that pissed him off as he wanted an alpha son. Made him even madder that he couldn’t get my ma to have more children as my birth left her unable to carry anymore children.”. “How did she get away?”, Y/n asked. Steve looked up at her with a soft smile. “One night after he not only hit her but hit me, my ma waited till he was passed out drunk. Then she grabbed me a bag each for us and all the money she had hidden away and we ran. Went a  few states over, where she found a women's shelter that helped us”. Y/n sat there taking in the story. It felt nice to hear others story like that. She knows many people in similar situations as she was. Hell her own mother was one. But all those Omegas back in that community never escaped. Few tried but none every did. She had even seen Omegas killed instead of being let go. All of which her father and the other board members of the community covered up. So it was nice another went through something similar and got away. And had an amazing life after. From the way Steve talked about her. She was able to get a job and rebuild her life while raising a pup. “Thank you for telling me.”. Steve smiled and nodded. Happy to see his ma’s story helped Y/n. He should probably call her it might help Y/n more to talk to her about it. Steve looked at the time as he stood up. “Okay , Pup. we should get going soon. Let me grab you a jacket and probably should wrap up that ankle lightly as I don’t think we will get your shoes on over that.”. Steve grabbed a notebook and a pen, handing it to her. “Write everything you need and your size in clothes. While we go to the doctor I’m going to have some friends pick some stuff up for us. So you don’t have to walk all over town or stay up here alone.”. Y/n nodded taking the notebook and pen. As she started to write everything down , Steve made his way to his room to look for a jacket for Y/n and to call Nat and Bucky. As he got in his room he grabbed his phone, which sat in the same spot he set it after coming back and helping Y/n clean up. Steve groaned as he looked to see all the notifications from a random number and then many more from Nat. A few from Bucky as well. The date last night! He totally forgot as he was helping Y/n out. Steve braced himself as he called Nat. “STEVEN GRANT ROGERS! YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE!” Steve winced as he pulled the phone away from his ear as Nat screamed at him over the phone. He rolled his eyes as he could also hear Bucky in the back laughing. “Nat-”, “You know Steve I worked hard to find you a sweet , kind , caring girl to go on a date with!” “Nat” Steve tried to get her to stop as she kept cutting him off. “And what do you do? NOT SHOW UP! And didn’t even reply to anyone's calls or messages!” “Nat, are you done?”, He asked. Which she wasn’t she went on to yell at him a little longer. “Can I talk now?”. He heard her huff as Bucky was in the back losing his mind laughing so hard at his friends mess up.

----

@vicmc624

[chvoswxtch]

midnights- blurb (less than 500 words) based on a lyric, book, tv/movie quote (request a vault track to make it spicy)

“of course, she couldn’t let him know she was melting, since he was a handsome man, and handsome men must never be allowed to know the full extent of their sexual appeal. they couldn’t be trusted with the knowledge.”  (from take a hint, dani brown by talia hibbert) BILLYYYY!! and please, PLEASE make it a track from the vault. sorry for shouting, i'm just embarrassingly horny for this dude.

this is totally over 500 words but I do not think you will mind ;)

as a reminder, from the vault means it's spicy! (minors dni)

blurb below the cut

take a hint (billy's version) (from the vault)*

handsome men must never be allowed to know the full extent of their sexual appeal / they couldn’t be trusted with the knowledge

You weren’t supposed to give in. You didn’t want to, or so you kept telling yourself. For months now, you and Billy had been playing this little unspoken game of cat and mouse. Billy wasn’t used to women being able to resist his “charm”, and his blinding arrogance caused you to deny every single one of his advances, thinking eventually he would get bored and give up.

Oh were you wrong.

Denying Billy only made him want you more, and he was just as stubborn as he was egotistical. He sent extravagant floral arrangements to your work, somehow always showed up at your favorite coffee place at the exact same time as you, and just “happened” to run into you on a girls night out. He even went as far as following you on dates and having the bartender bring a drink over to you, which earned him a glare from your date as the bartender pointed in Billy’s direction, but Billy never paid them any attention. His eyes were focused solely on you. He would simply raise his glass in a silent toast with a wicked smirk on his lips.

Everytime he tried to spark a fire within you with his tempestuous prose melting into your ear, you would ice him out with indifference, just to go home and invite him into the privacy of your dreams to satisfy you astrally.

Billy was incredibly attractive, and charming, and he could keep up with your wit and banter with his own cleverness. But you could never tell him that. That secret was too dangerous for him to know, and it would destroy the upper hand you currently had. You swore to yourself that you would never give into him, even in your weakest moments.

But somehow, you fucked up.

You weren’t sure if it was the dry spell you were going through, the two bottles of wine you guzzled on your own, the hunger in Billy’s eyes you could see twinkling in the dim lighting of the dive bar he had followed you to, or the loss of faith you felt in your own cause. Whatever the reason, you found yourself writhing on Billy’s cock, your head leaned back as surges of pleasure hit your nervous system like electric shocks, eyes closed as you tried to focus on the edge of ecstasy that was so close.

Billy’s hands were gripped firmly onto your hips, staring up at you in a mixture of wonder and self-satisfaction as he watched your body move above him, highlighted by the enchanting glow of the moon flowing through your bedroom window.

“You coulda been enjoyin’ yourself like this the whole time, darlin’. All ya had to do was give in. Woulda given you anythin’ you wanted.”

The smugness dripping from his voice made you grit your teeth, and you opened your eyes to stare down at him with a half hearted glare, pulling his large hands away from your hips and pinning them to your mattress above his head.

“I’m the one fucking you here.”

A devilish grin slowly stretched across his lips, and the look in his eyes sent a chill down your spine. Dragging his tongue along his bottom lip, he arched one of his dark brows in challenge.

“That so?”

Without warning, Billy suddenly flipped your bodies and pinned you to the bed beneath him, holding your own hands hostage above your head as he looked down at you like a wolf about to devour his prey. The impact of your back hitting the mattress so forcefully nearly knocked the wind out of you, and you were abruptly staring up at him in surprise. Billy leaned in to teasingly brush his lips against yours, trailing his nose down your throat as he whispered huskily into your ear.

“Still think you’re in charge here, doll?”

[bi-lavelent]

Lone Wolf (Quinn Fabray x Fem-reader part 12)

Warning:Angst,Fluff,Cussing

The next week I was walking through the halls of Crawford. I didn’t think that breaking up with Santana would be this hard but it was. I could barely leave the house and when I was home If I saw here I would run back downstairs and cry. I missed her so much. I was like a zombie walking around.

“Okay so we have two things of business. First we are having a Movie night and Sleepover at My house tonight as a bonding experience. Also we have gotten tickets to watch Sectionals next week to scope out our competition.” Jess said

“Who will be there?” Maria asked

“McKinley high school, Jane Adam’s school for girls and Haverbrook school for the deaf.” Lucy said

“Okay so if everyone is ready and wants to head out for the movie night. The seniors will be driving the younger kids.” Jess said

We all headed out and went to Jess’s house.

“So how the girlfriend doing?” Nicky asked

“We’re on brake so that she could figure out her sexuality.” I said

“We’ll my offer still stands and I don’t have anything to figure out.” Nicky said

I walked away knowing that a conversation with her will just lead to more of her flirting. I went and Mayes down on the couch next to Jess and Lucy. Who had the popcorn and I sipped on a beer that was out in the kitchen. They had so many alcoholic drinks that were unlimited to the seniors. Well the underclass man sat on the floor and the juniors only got 20 drinks max. The Sophomores only got 15 max and the Freshman got 10 drinks max. “You know what I kinda miss when me and you just had movie nights together.” Jess said to Lucy quietly but I still heard

”Oh those were more than movie nights and you know it.” Lucy said

“Yeah well maybe I miss the other stuff too.” Jess said

“Yeah you were pretty good at the other stuff.” Lucy said

“Hey babe what you talking bout.” Maria said sitting next to Lucy

“Nothing.” Lucy said

Oh my god they were they were the future Santana and Brittnay.

“So how’s the boyfriend?” Maria asked Jess

“Good I just can’t wait til we have a Dalton and Crawford dance.” Jess said

“I have no clue how you’re dating a Freshman.” Melody said sitting down

“We all don’t need to date someone that is ten years older than us. Right Y/n. How old was your girlfriend.” Nicky said sitting on the other side of the couch

“Sixteen.” I said

“So she’s a junior see there’s no problem with that.” Maria said

“Actually she’s a Sophomore.” I said

“See someone else who understands what dating younger is like.” Jess said

“Well Y/n and her girlfriend aren’t together anymore so I wouldn’t compare you with them.” Nicky said

“That wasn’t my idea okay. She’s still figuring out her sexuality and until then I said she and me need to take a break cause I was tired of coming in second to her boyfriend.” I said sipping my beer

“That actually makes sense but the real question is we’re you In love.” Melody asked

“Of course I was love has no bounds it sees no age it is handing a gun to someone who keeps it pointed at your heart. It’s a wicked game of roulette that has no bounds and someone always ends up pulling the trigger. You’re lucky if you find the person who doesn’t.” I said

“Hey we’re trying to watch a movie. We don’t want to hear about your sad love life’s.” A junior said

We quickly silenced ourselves. So that we could watch the movie. Once the movies were over we all found somewhere to sleep.

“Hey Jess..” I said when I left the bathroom upstairs

“Yes.” Jess said

“Look Nicky keeps making passes at me can I sleep in your room.” I said

“Yeah sure no problem just sleep on the floor.” Jess said

“I can totally do that.” I said

As we all went to bed and woke up and went back to school I had to get over my hangover quickly as we had flag football tryouts that afternoon. I was drinking coffee all day long and then finally went out on the field that afternoon.

“Okay girls my name is Coach Harper Steele. This isn’t a club that just anyone can play in. This is football no matter what we call it we’re gonna play like it’s football. We’re gonna start off with Laps last five to finish the laps are not allowed on the team. Also these aren’t just any Laps these are 16 kilometers runs. 8 kilometers each way. Two times. You will run from here to Hoover Reservoir park and go.” She said

I quickly grabbed my purse and my water bottle knowing that I didn’t want to wary my water with me the whole time. After running to Hoover reservoir the second time I saw other people were already running back so I tried to pick up my speed passing a couple people. I wasn’t sure how many people were behind me. I ran to reservoir and back. As I got close to the field I speed up to as fast as I could possibly go. I could hear my heart beating in my head my eyes were going dark. My legs felt like they weren’t even touching the ground and every time they did I felt a pain go up them from the amount of running. There was three people in front of me. I just wanted to stop why was I doing it. Santana she was why she liked football players so did Quinn so did Brittnay maybe they would be mine if I got on the team. I need to be on the team I have talked about being on a football team since I was kid. My thoughts gave me enough boost to pass two of the girls as I ran up to coach and hit her hand.

“Number 16” she said as I hit her and went to sit back down.

Once everyone was back Coach finally spoke to us.

“Okay players 31,30,29,28,27,1,2,3,4 are all cut you can all leave now.” She said as those people stood up and left. “Okay now all of you can follow me to the weight room. Your weights for Squat,Bench, Deadlift will be totaled together at the end the bottom four numbers are out.”She said

She wrote the numbers on the board next to the number we had gotten in the race:

Number: Deadlift Squat Bench

5. 125. 165. 130

6. 115. 170. 122

7. 110. 120. 100

8. 220. 275. 250

9 250. 320. 375

10. 160 115. 200

11. 50. 50. 100

12. 250. 300. 280

13. 175. 200. 230

14. 100. 150. 175

15. 100. 50. 165

16(Y/N). 230. 215. 200

17. 180. 50. 100

18. 275 300. 375

19 175. 160. 200

20 180. 200. 220

21. 190. 240. 280

22. 375. 375. 375

23. 280. 290. 270

24. 140. 240. 120

25. 160. 190. 110

26 235. 320. 340

27. 380. 120. 380

“Okay so 11,7,17,15 are cut. Everyone out to the field for a scrimmage. If I substitute you out you lose.” Coach said

We went out to the field and scrimmaged. I luckily never got called out.

“Okay if you’re still here welcome to the team.” Coach Steele said. “The first game is this weekend a triple back to back game. It will be taking place in Columbus. We will Spending the night in Columbus.”

At McKinley high

“Okay cheerios so this weekend. Saturday and Sunday we are traveling to Columbus spending the night cause we will be the main show of cheerleading at the televised. Female flag football game. Every school in Ohio that has a Flag football team is gonna be there. If you don’t come you are cut off the team.” Sue said

Back to Crawford

“Okay guys practice starts tomorrow. We will all meet in the weight room at 4:00am til the start of school at 5:40 and then after school we will practice. From 2:00 to 10:00” Steele said

I drove home knowing that I would need to get sleep. I woke up and went to school I was the first one in the weight room and started with dumbbells. Coach entered after 30 minutes.

“What time did you get here?” Coach Steele asked

“3:20 coach.” I said

“Do you live nearby?” Coach Steele asked

“No Mam I live in Lima.” I said

“What time did you get up?” Coach Steele asked

“2:00am I ate breakfast and then drove here.” I said

“What’s your name?” Coach Steele asked

“It is Y/N” I said gulping back

I left class and headed straight to glee. I had to leave Crawford county girls early so that I could get to practice on time. After a long day with Sectionals practice and Flag football practice I was gonna head home. I had been thinking a lot about Santana and just needed the touch of someone else. When I looked up in the bleachers I saw a glimpse of someone I knew. So I walked up there.

“Hey.” I said

“You looked hot out there.” Nicky said

“What do you want.” I asked

“Nothing me and the seniors in glee are having a party with liquor and pizza. Half the schools gonna be there it’s happening right now I just wanted to come and invite you.” Nicky said

“Oh well you know what I will come.” I said

“Okay well let’s go.” Nicky said

When we walked to the parking lot. Okay just follow me with your car. I only live a few blocks away. I followed her to the party. When I showed up almost half the school was there. I grabbed myself a beer before I knew it the party had died down. I had 3 beers and two solo cups of coke and whiskey. I wasn’t drunk to the point of not remembering what I was doing. Just enough to not make good decisions.

“Hey does that offer still stand.” I asked Nicky

“Hell yeah you want to go up to my bedroom.” Nicky said grabbing my hands and leading me into her bedroom downstairs.

We didn’t talk at all I just undressed myself and she undressed herself and pushed me into her desk chair and ate me out. She threw me onto her bed and fingered me like she had done it thousands of times before knowing exactly where to hit and the perfect speed. Was this what sex with someone who had sex with other women before felt like or was she just really good at it. We fucked for longer than I accepted too. But I woke up the next morning hungover a little bit disoriented in what I did the previous night. I opened my arms wondering whose bedroom I was in. Then I looked over and saw Nicky naked body covering me. As the memories of the night before came rushing back. I crawled out of her bed and threw my uniform on so that I wouldn’t be late to school.

”Late night Y/N.” Coach Steele said as I entered the weight room

“Nope.” I said

“So you didn’t go to that party that almost everyone at the school was at.” Coach Steele asked

“How did you know about that party.” I asked

“I’m their neighbor. Which means I also saw you leaving this morning.” Coach Steele said

“I messed up I took a break from my girlfriend and I went and made a dumb mistake by sleeping with Nicky. I messed up so bad how am I supposed to go to Glee tonight. If I slept with her.” I said

“Well that seems like a problem that you need to deal with don’t let it mess with your game.” Coach Steele said

“Yes mam it won’t.” I said

that day went by fast. I stayed at a hotel so that there was no chance I ran into Santana I couldn’t after what I had done. Before I knew it; it was Thursday and I finally went home. Funnily enough Santana happened to arrive at the same time as me.

“Where have you been? All week.” Santana asked

“I was at practice. Where were you?” I asked

“New directions filmed a commercial for our local mattress store.” Santana said

“Cool that sounds amazing.” I said

“So what’s been happening at practice?” Santana asked

“Well Glee has been going good we are prepared to beat our competitors. But football has been burning me out I’ve been getting up at 2:00am and leaving school at 10 pm.” I said

“Football?” Santana asked

“Yeah I joined Crawfords school team.” I said

She started to walk away.

“I cheated on you.” I said

“What?” Santana said angrily

“It was this week so we weren’t together but I have been staying at a hotel because I felt like I cheated on you.” I said

“With who?” She looked at me with tears in her eyes

“Nicky.” I said

“Who?” Santana said

“The glee girl.” I said

“You mean the one you told me not to worry about.” Santana said

“Yes but you also told me not to worry about Puck and I doubt that you felt this guilty every time you fucked him.” I said

“Me and Puck aren’t fucking anymore never again. I let him go. I did feel that guilty everytime. I don’t realize it tell you we’re gone. I felt like I was suffocating. I was gonna see if you wanted to try again but we are really over.” Santana said

“Santana we can’t ever really be over. We are always gonna be in each other’s deck of cards. We are the card that saves the other person.” I said walking away and downstairs to my room

Crawford

The next day me and the other Football players got on the bus and headed to Columbus.

Mckinley

”Okay Cheerios we’re all here let’s get headed to thi stupid thing.” Sue said

“I heard that it is televised nation wide.” Santana said

Back with me

We arrived and got assigned our rooms. I unpacked my bag and headed grabbed my gym clothes. I left and headed down to the gym for four hours I worked out til my arms and legs were sore and couldn’t do anymore. I grabbed my belongings and headed to the Sauna I sat in there for thirty minutes before heading up to my room. I was looking down at my phone asking my teammate that I was bunked in what room we were in and listening to music. When I ran into someone.

“Hey watch we’re your going?” The person said I took one earbud out of my ear

“I’m so sorry” I said looking up and seeing Santana “What are you doing here.”

“The Cheerios are cheering at some stupid flag football competition that Neanderthals are competing in. Why are you here” Santana asked

“Well I am one of the Neanderthals that are competing.” I said

“Oh well I guess that we will be seeing each other a lot this weekend.” Santana said

“Well me and a couple of my teammates were gonna go swimming if you and your friends want to come.” I said

“Yeah we’ll join.” Santana said

“Awesome see you soon.” I said

Santanas room

“Who was that?” Brittnay asked

“One of the football players asked if we wanted to join them swimming?” Santana said

“Why would they do that?” Brittnay asked

“Cause it was Y/N she was heading up from the gym.” Santana said

Me and my friends got on our swimsuits and headed downstairs.

(I don’t know why I decided to write about swimming but just looking up Naya in a swimsuit was sad. So this section will be short.)

Yellow suit Harley Marino and in the

My swimsuit

Santana and Brittnay’s

we swam for a little bit and messed around in the water and then we went and sat in the hot tub. Which was small so we had to sit really close to each other. Which caused me and Santana to be sat right next to each other. I had no where to put my hands til I sat it down on what I thought was the bench. Until I looked down and saw that it was on Santanas thigh. When we looked at the clock it was midnight way past all of our curfews. We snuck out of the pool room and tried our best to avoid the coaches looking for us. Until I ran into Coach Steele. While the others took a different route.

“What are you doing out?” Coach Steele asked

“Coach remember that girl the one I’m in LLove with she’s here she’s on one of the cheer teams. I think that I got her to forgive me for sleeping with Nicky. Can you please let this slide.” I asked

“Are they one the Cheerios?” Coach Steele asked

“I will distract Coach Sylvester while you run up to your rooms but run up there and get straight to bed. I will tell her that you got sick and that they helped.” Coach Steele said

“Tell her my name I used to go to McKinley we knew each other.” I said

I ran over to the path where the girls were. “Okay I got them distracted we just got to run to our rooms.” I said

“Well that sounds amazing. You guys go ahead will take the elevator after you?” Santana said

“Are you cold you’re doing that little dance thing that you do when you’re cold.” I said

“Yeah I left my towel in the pool area.” Santana said

“Here.” I said handing her my towel

“Thank you.” Santana said

“I’m sorry that you have to sneak around coach for me.” I said

“No I like sneaking around with you. I miss this.” Santana said

“I don’t think we’ve ever done this before.” I said as we both stepped into the elevator and I hit the button to our floor. We were on floor G4 and we were on floor 15

“No us I miss us. I miss your touch, I miss your smile, I miss your laugh.” Santana said

“Kiss me.” I said

Without missing a beat she kissed me and we went back. It was like we had never kissed each other before we counted as the ticks happened on the elevator Santana pulled away right before the doors opened. We both parted and went to bed

The next day was Chaotic the first three games of the Six games played this weekend. I ran out on the field the first game scoring 4 touchdowns. We won 119 to 35 after we caught 6 interceptions. The next game went the same although we were tired and hungry so we only managed to score 84 and the other team got 77.

At lunch time I was in line getting food when someone came up to my side and put their hands on my shoulders which caused me to jump.

“Hey” Santana said

“Hey how is your day going?” I said

“Good we have been watching you. You’re amazing out on that field.” Santana said

“Is it nice to finally be rooting for a winning team?” I said

“You know I have seen you win more today than I have seen our football team win in two years.” Santana said

“Do you guys have someone to eat with?” I asked

“Yeah we’re eating with the Cheerios.” Brittnay said grabbing food.

“You wanna hangout tonight.” Santana asked

“Totally.” I said

“Cool Brittnay and me are having a movie night.” Santana said

“Just like the good old days?” I said

“Not exactly meet me on the far side of the field I’ll grab Brittnay and we will eat on the bleachers.” Santana said

I meet them on the bleachers.

“What changed.” I asked

“Well me and Brittnay finally had sex together well we’re broken up.” Santana said

“FINALLY!!!! YES YES YES I WAS RIGHT.” I yelled

“Shhh.” Santana said putting her hand over my mouth

“I just wanted to say that if you want her I understand.” I said

“Nope I want you.” Santana said

I played the game and we won. 105 to 42.

Me and My team went back to our hotel rooms and I went and watched movies in Santanas room.

“When are you guys performing.” I asked

“It’s not a performance.” Santana said

“Well when are you guys Cheering?” I asked

“Tomorrow.” Santana said

“Does your sister know your hear.” Brittnay asked

“No.” I said

“Why not?” Santana asked

“I don’t want anyone to know. I don’t want people to be in the crowd and let them down.” I said

“Well we will always be cheering for you.” Santana said

“Thank you.” I said

We sat and watched the movie. Until Coach Sylvester went to check on Brittnay and Santana.

“Hey Y/L/N it’s time for bed.” Coach Sylvester said

“Yes Mam” I said as I walked over to my room.

We played the next games the next day and won. I watched the Cheerios performance.

“Hey Coach Steele can I talk to you and if you can get Coach Sylvester.” I asked

“Yeah totally kid.” Coach Steele said

Both Sylvester and Steele sat in front of me

“Hello I was wondering if since I live in Lima it would be easier for me to go with the Cheerios plus it would be easier with the Lopez picking me and Santana up.” I said

“That’s fine with me Sylvester?” Coach Steele said

“Fine but you and me need to have a one on one conversation.” Sylvester said

Coach Steele left

“Yes Mam what do you need?” I asked

“How are you doing at school?” Sue asked

“Good. I have been showing up to all my classes.” I said

“So you and Santana fucking hasn’t messed with anything.” Sue said

“What I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I said

“Oh so since you started living at the Lopez. You haven’t fucked Santana.” Sue asked

“You knew?” I asked

“She makes you happy.” Sue said

“I know that but I broke up with her last week. She kept dating Puck and sleeping with him. Behind my back. Then when we were broken up I cheated on her with the person I told her not to worry about.” I said

“Well have you apologized.” Sue asked

“Yes. But she told me today that her and Brittnay finally got together she said she wants me but I’m scared.” I said

“Well if anything I ship you to. Saith” Sue said

“What?” I asked

“Santana and your middle name faith” sue said

“Well thank you. But she doesn’t know what she wants yet. So could you keep it on the down low.” I asked

“I kept your sexuality under lock and key.” Sue said

The next day I grabbed my stuff and headed out. I walked out of the room to meet up with the Cheerios.

“You’re running late.” Sue said as I entered the bus

“I know I’m sorry.” I said

“Okay well the only seat left is right here next to Santana and Brittnay.” Sue said

“Yes mam.” I said as I sat down

“What are you doing here?” Brittnay asked

“I thought that it would be easier to go straight to Lima.” I said

“Okay well I guess we’re gonna get really close. On this bus ride.” Santana said pointing out how smushed together we were.

“I can’t wait to see you guys next week.” I said

“Wait you’re coming?” Brittnay asked

“Yes we need to scope out our competition. Which will hopefully be McKinley.” I said

“Why?” Santana asked

“Cause me and the girls are gonna beat you guys.” I said

“Sure you are.” Santana said

We had a long pause.

“I need to take a nap.” I said

“You can sleep on my shoulder if you want.” Brittnay said as Santana was sitting next to the window

“Thanks Britt.” I said

I felt Brittnay moving under me and felt someone tap my shoulder.

“Hey we’re at McKinley.” Santana said

“Five more minutes.” I said

“So no breadstixs.” Brittnay asked

“Breadstix?” I said jolting awake and getting off Brittnay’s shoulder

“You want to go with us?” Santana asked

“I’m gonna pretend like that wasn’t a question.” I said

I got out of the seat and put my arms around Santana and Brittnay.

[silverflqmes]

haithellie

- who fell first and how?

- what book sealed the deal on your relationship?

- did you guys join a book club together, if so — what was the book that caught both of your guys’ eye?

- what do the boys think about your guys’ relationship? (kaveh, cyno, & tighnari)

tartellie

- how did you guys meet and how long did it take for a single date?

- which of you said i love you first and how?

- e2l, which one admits they’re in love first and why?

yuellie

- he misses the high cloud quintet, how do you comfort him?

- you both fight phantylia together, who falls down first?

- bonus: who went for the body? i think i can answer this one

sephellie

- how to make a day of fun so sephiroth can be human again

- how would you style his hair for fun

- how to get him to stop being cloudobsessed and you-obsessed instead!!!

at long last i answered your ask bc monkey brain has just been SEPHIROTH SEPHIROTH SEPHIROTH as of late.. ahem. now without further delay, time to get the cogs winding

𓍼 haithellie.

— if i’m going with my e2l idea, he fell first because i was in hella denial.. but i fell harder. i haven’t really come up with much but i’m thinking we would both be in places in our lives where we’re dealing with loneliness?? for me i would have left home to study so i’d kinda be adjusting, while alhaitham has kinda been on his own, having lost his parents from young, and later his grandmother that took care of him after that. so i think we would have found mutual comfort in each other and he would have caught some feelings just from little details. stupid habits i have, shared interests, the bantering since we would have both been in the same darshan..

— i totally missed this question until i went back to read for the next ship but UHHH the wicked king cuz it’s my fav and i’ll never be normal about it

— we joined a book club not knowing that the other would be in there too LMAO it was just supposed to be a pastime kinda thing and it was just coincidence that we both ended up in it together.. but let me think, me being me i like my romantasy books so i dunno it alhaitham would also be into those.. but i could see him reading the folk of air — totally not bc it’s my favorite series, totally not bc we act like jude and cardan, totally not because — yeah, you got me..

— alhaitham wants them nowhere near me ( minus tighnari ) because they would enable me and they would tease him sm.. but i think we would be super chill together, i could see us playing uno or monopoly and just- disaster happening BAH but anyway i think they would be happy about alhaitham finding someone after his losses, and even it kaveh might be petty.. he’s happy for him<3

𓍼 tartellie.

— omg akira-san, i mean uh, tartaglia, yeah.. ahem. let me think.. we would have met at a flower shop, he was buying flowers to bring home to his family since he was likely away from home for a good while. he was just scanning all the different types, not sure which to pick, to which he would approach me, thinking me to be the store clerk ( i was not ). confused, i would break to him that i do not work there.. to which he would get embarrassed LMAO but since we were talking, he would ask on my opinion anyway, to which i’d try my best to offer a few options to my basic knowledge of flower language. i think he would show interest in the way i talk and explain, the hand gestures and expressions i make, but he’d ignore it.. until we stumbled once more upon each other, where he would chat with me.. and then proposes the idea of getting lunch. totally not a date, just lunch..

— he did and probably said so without even saying those three words tbh?? i don’t know how he would say it, but uh maybe smtn like.. “it’s strange.. home, until now was always being with my family back in snezhnaya.. but somehow, you seemed to have brought that feeling to me here and have blossomed it into something a little more than family, something special and precious to me.”

— now for this.. me LMAO if it was e2l it would end up as an unspoken confession i feel?? maybe if he was seriously injured or um, overdid things again because he used foul legacy or his delusion in a fight.. to which i would yell at him in a way that sounded like i really cared for him, and tartaglia would end up saying something along the lines of me sounding like i loved him or something.. to which i would go silent and he would piece it all together. unspoken confession!!

𓍼 yuellie.

— understandable as to why he would miss them, especially cuz he’s the last one remaining and with his memories in tact. it’s kinda heartbreaking honestly, but i understand the kinda fall of a friend group in a way, granted i still talk with mine but very minimally these days. regardless, i would do my best to comfort him, maybe take him out or encourage him to come be around others as well outside of his duties, just to feel yk welcomed as a dude and not just as a general. i think he’d like something like that cuz company helps when you miss those that you were once close with.

— AKWJSJDJSKSJ i fall down first and i make sure to KNEEL ( i did it on purpose ) yuan is probably like ellie???? and i’m like ain’t no way you said you’re going for the body — I’M GOING FOR THE BODY, YOU SIT YOUR ASS BACK THERE. atp he’s like, am i about to have my girl stolen by horrifyingly attractive woman that wants to kill us and is not just twice but several times her size?? he’s just watching in complete shock but like part of him understands.. i mean.. come on.

— I WENT FOR THE BODY AGAIN AND AGAIN ahem, your assumptions are likely correct.

𓍼 sephiellie.

— screams in sephiroth. okay um. let me actually get into this. sooo a day to make sephi have fun and feel more human.. well! after buying flowers from a certain peddler, i would whip out my super slay cool flip phone and urge him to come over after work because i had a surprise for him. said surprise is flowers to braid into his hair and a flower for him to keep at home cuz sephiroth having a green thumb sounds so adorable. for the rest, it would be just a cute self care day to remind him of his humanity in spite of whatever modifications and experiments were done on him ( FUCK YOU HOJO YOU UGLY ASS PIECE OF SHIT, THERE’S A REASON I’M NOT IN FFVII AND THAT’S BC YOUR ASS WOULD BE THROUGH, WHICH MEANS THE STORY DOESN’T END UP HAPPENING SO NO GAME )

— the braid with the flowers in it! high ponytail for sure HE IS SO PRETTY<3 maybe a bun as well after i told him that mine absolutely sucked and that my mom refused to let me out of the house without her doing my hair.. so he would ask to see how bad said bun is — so it ends up messy because i didn’t wanna make it too tight.. his hair is also super long.. but he liked it, probably wondered why i couldn’t leave the house when it looked so nice on him ( sobbing he’s so so sweet ), furthermore i would try the princess leia space buns and perhaps twin tails<3 he also would do my hair and try out different styles too, he’s so gentle<3

— I DON’T KNOW I GUESS I NEED SOME MAKO BATHS AND HIS CELLS SO HE CAN INVADE MY THOUGHTS INSTEAD😐 but like.. sefikura.. IM TORN

okay i believe that was all of them.. this took way longer than i’d expected😭

[clarepreed]

Mud

Short Story Summary and Content: 5,100 words. Northerner Nikki may not survive her first mudding date with her Southern boyfriend. Suffocation/drowning and on-site resuscitation. Features Zoll AutoPulse.

--

“So… we’re riding these things down a muddy trail and into a muddy field and spending the day getting covered in mud?” Nikki eyed the four-wheeler askance and tugged on her old, red-and-blue leggings.

“That’s about it.” Caleb grinned at her. “I swear it’s fun.”

“I guess I’m about to see for myself. Are we wearing helmets?”

“Nah, you don’t need one. Everything’s so muddy it’s like falling in melted ice cream. But I won’t tip us over.” He stepped close to her and snaked his arm around her waist, resting his palm against the bare skin between her leggings and sports bra. “Then we can shower off together later.”

“Well, that part I know I’ll like.” She pressed her curves against him and tipped her mouth up to be kissed.

He grinned, gripped her ass with both hands, and kissed her hard.

“Ugh! Get a room!” he heard his older sister, Em, say. “Gross.”

He broke the kiss, but he didn’t release Nikki, pivoting her around with him as he turned to look at Em and the disgusted expression on her face. “Just because you aren’t getting any—”

Em snorted and rolled her eyes. “Like you would know. I’m knee deep in—”

“NOPE!” Caleb released Nikki and clapped his hands to his ears. Em just grinned at him and sashayed over to her own four-wheeler, her thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her cargo shorts.

“You deserved that,” Nikki said when he dropped his hands. She offered him a wicked grin. “Over here playing with fire, of course you’re gonna get burned.”

He rolled his eyes at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

A half hour later, their group was headed down the trail. There were five total ATVs carrying eight people, all friends, family, and significant others. There’d been hard rain for two days prior on into the early morning, so the trail was a wide, rutty swath of red clay mud.

“Holy shit!” Nikki exclaimed, her arms tightening around his waist as the four-wheeler bounced and a muddy spray from a nearby vehicle doused them.

“That’s why I gave you those goggles!” Caleb shouted, laughing.

“I’m never getting this out of my hair!” she groaned, reaching up to pat her twists.

Eventually, the trail opened into a large, muddy field that Caleb’s uncle had given over to four-wheelers. During the wet times of the year, the field was nothing more than a vat of thick, orange soup.

He drove over to the edge of the field where the ground was firmer and there were downed trees to sit on, thinking Nikki might want a beer or at least a chance to rinse her mouth out. This was also the end of the field where his uncle’s gravel access drive terminated, giving them quick access to the house, should they need it.

The next hour flew by. Sometimes he rode with Nikki, sometimes he went solo. For being out of her element, he thought she was having a good time.

“I’m gonna take your girl out,” Em said, winking at him. Her short hair was spiked with mud, giving her a rakish look. When he didn’t react, she said: “For a ride…”

“Stop,” Nikki said, laughing as she put on the ATV goggles he’d loaned her. 

Em turned and patted the seat behind her, grinning when Nikki climbed on and slipped her arms around her waist. “Wish me luck!”

They took off, pulling in behind Caleb’s friend Mike as he rounded the curve of the field. He chuckled when he heard Nikki squeal, reaching into the cooler to get another beer.

Mike made a point of circling around the women and then cutting across their path, spraying them with a heavy wave of muddy water. Caleb shook his head, a little annoyed. Mike had a tendency to ride too close and go too hard, which is why the friend group often called him “Dumbass” instead of his name.

The far end of the field sloped up toward a ridge of pine trees. Em was more sensible than Mike, and she cut left pretty early before they gained much elevation. Mike, on the other hand, came around them on the right, engine roaring as he overtook them and surged up the hill.

He lost control halfway up, the weight of the ATV tipping back and carrying him and the four-wheeler downhill. He bailed, just before his vehicle crashed into Em’s. The four-wheelers collided and rolled together, dumping the women into the mud. 

Caleb sat his beer down, already losing track of who was where. “Hey! Fuckhead! Em? Nikki?”

“I think someone’s hurt,” he heard Robb say from behind him. “No one’s up waving their arms around to say they’re okay.”

“Em! Nikki!” Caleb hopped onto his four-wheeler and rode across the field, his heart pounding. He’d been in a number of rollover accidents over the years and had always been fine. But when he was in elementary school, his neighbor’s dad had died instantly in an ATV accident. He’d been there, too young to exactly understand what was happening, watching people run around trying to revive him. Also, this was his sister and his girlfriend, and he couldn’t help but feel protective.

Caleb jumped off his four-wheeler, his boots squelching in the mud. The ground was especially soft here, water pooling up around his ankles. He heard another ATV roar up behind him.

Mike was bent over next to one of the overturned four-wheelers. “Em! Hey! Em!”

Caleb ran up beside him and saw his sister sprawled on her back in the mud, her eyes closed. Blood trickled from her nose and a gash near her hairline. 

“Em!” Caleb shouted, shoving Mike to the side as he dropped to his knees next to her. “What the fuck was that, asshole?!”

Mike sat down hard in the mud. “I didn’t mean to! Fuck, I think one of the tires got her in the face…” Their friends Robb and Dana pulled up beside him, coming from a different angle.

Caleb leaned over her, gingerly touching her muddy skin next to the gash. Em groaned and her hands clenched. “Em?”

She didn’t respond, so he looked up, trying to see where his girlfriend had ended up. “Nikki?” 

He almost didn’t spot her due to the mud, but his eyes stopped on something red and blue under one of the ATVs.

He reacted instinctively; he wouldn’t even be able to recall his actions later. Skirting around the ATVs, he slid in next to her, ignoring the sludge that lapped over the top of his boots. Her upper half was completely submerged in the thick, watery mud. He first tried pulling her up at the waist, but the weight of the four-wheeler resting on her lower half pinned her down. 

Robb ran over, and they lifted the ATV off her prone body, setting it upright. Mike broke free of his stupor and grabbed Nikki under the arms, hauling her up and out of the divot she was lying in.

“She didn’t jump free?!” Mike exclaimed, mouth agape, still holding her out of the mud. “Why didn’t she jump free?!” 

Caleb and Mike turned her over. She flopped boneless onto her back, covered in mud, her goggles lost in the puddle. He cradled her head in one hand and rubbed his other hand down her face, trying to wipe the mud off. Watery muck leaked out of her nose and mouth. In a panic, he pushed his fingers into her mouth, trying to scrape out the mud.

“Nikki! Nikki!” She didn’t respond, her limbs dangling as he shook her. “Fuck! I think she breathed it in!”

Caleb leaned his ear close to Nikki’s face. She was motionless, reclined back in Mike’s lap. He’d never seen someone so still outside of a casket. Her chest wasn’t rising, and he couldn’t feel any movement. “She’s not breathing!” 

He pinched her nose shut, not bothering to drag her out of Mike’s lap, and sucked in a deep breath.  He covered her mouth with his, felt the grit of the mud on her skin. The chill of her lips. Then he breathed into her. Or tried to. His cheeks puffed out, her cheeks puffed out, but then the air stopped, finally forcing its way out of the side of his mouth with a sputtering sound. He took a breath and tried again, with the same result.

“I can’t get any air in her!” He shouted, looking up at Mike.

“Dana’s calling 9-1-1,” he heard Robb say.

“Is your uncle home?” Mike asked. His own wild eyes reflected Caleb’s fears. “Can he help?”

“Get her on a four-wheeler with you!” Robb shouted. “Get her over to dry land! I’ve got Em!”

Mike and Caleb scrambled to their feet, awkwardly hauling Nikki’s limp body between them. Caleb climbed onto his ATV and dragged her out of Mike’s arms, setting her sideways on the seat in front of him and wrapping his arm around her middle to keep her from falling off. Holding her was like holding some kind of rag doll; there was no muscle tension in her body whatsoever.

His ATV roared and jumped forward, and Nikki’s head lolled back on her neck.

Their friends Leigh and Nina waited on the other side, and they helped him get Nikki off the ATV and over the ring of tree trunks. Then they laid her out on one of the drier sections of grass.

Caleb leaned over Nikki again, forcing his fingers between her teeth to scoop out more muck. Leigh dropped down across from him. “Is she breathing?”

“No, and I can’t get any air into her!” 

“I think we need to do chest compressions!” Leigh said, briefly resting her hand on Nikki’s motionless chest. “I know CPR from school!” 

Caleb leaned over Nikki and tried to breathe for her again. When the air escaped uselessly out the side of his mouth, Leigh rose up onto her knees. She clasped her hands together and pressed her palm between Nikki’s breasts. It took her several hard compressions to figure out depth and rhythm, and then she started counting, her thrusts making Nikki’s body quake and twitch.

“One and two and three and…”

Caleb turned Nikki’s head to the side, hoping more mud would trickle out. Nina joined him, a bottle of water in hand.

“I’m going to wash off her face,” Nina said, meeting his eyes. “Is that okay?”

Caleb nodded and watched as she used a bottle of water and a cleanish t-shirt to wipe the mud off Nikki’s face.

“…twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine…”

“Mike’s gone to find your uncle!” he heard Robb call out. “And Dana took my four-wheeler to try to find cell service, we couldn’t stay connected long enough to talk to 9-1-1!”

“…thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, forty-two…” A faint sound came from Nikki’s mouth with each compression. It was disturbingly like the sound you’d expect to hear if someone were violently squeezing a bag full of liquid.

 Now that Nina had washed Nikki’s face, he could see that her beautiful umber skin had gone gray, her full lips purpling. He grasped her jaw, holding her mouth open so he could sweep his finger inside. More muck came out, along with another gush of orange water.

“How’s Em?” he called, his voice cracking.

“She’s okay!” Robb called. “She’s conscious. Keeps trying to get up, but she’s making sense now, so I think she’s alright. No, dammit, stay down, they’re taking care of her!”

“…eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight! When I get to one hundred… after you try to give her breaths… I need to switch!” Leigh was breathing hard, and if Caleb weren’t so terrified, he would be impressed by her strength. She hadn’t faltered once as she forcefully compressed his girlfriend’s sternum. “Ninety-nine, one hundred!”

Caleb scraped more muck out of Nikki’s mouth and then turned her face to the sky, tipping her chin back and pinching her nose shut. Her cold mouth was still as much of a shock as it had been the last time. He blew hard, but again the seal broke from the pressure. “Fuck!” 

“Nina, sit with Em,” he heard Robb say. “I’ll take over compressions.”

Caleb opened her mouth. The inside of her mouth was mostly clear, but he of course couldn’t see into her airway. He tilted her head back further and covered her mouth with his again, blowing hard.

Then Robb was on his knees beside her, his hands coming down hard between her breasts. Caleb turned Nikki’s head back to the side, his fingers lingering on her cheek. Her head was moving with each compression, but her face was still. She looked bad; he’d never seen someone that ashen color, not ever.

The squelching sound coming from her throat resumed. He watched Robb moving over her forcefully, the compressions from his burly arms making her stomach bulge out even further. Looking at her bloated abdomen, he thought she must have swallowed some water. The thrusts caved in her ribcage, jerking her shoulders and making her arms twitch. There was even movement down her legs and into her feet.

“…forty-three, forty-four, forty-five… I’m counting to one hundred, right?” Robb asked.

“I think…” Leigh sounded uncertain, and she was still breathing hard. “I think so, yes. Until we can get air into her. Anyone disagree?”

No one said anything except Robb, who was still counting.

When Caleb looked back at Nikki’s face, he could see foam, mud, and water oozing out of her nose and mouth again. “I think this is helping… the mud is coming out! Come on, baby, I need you to start breathing!”

“I can keep going,” Robb said. “After the next breaths. Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!”

Caleb quickly cleared her mouth and then leaned in to try another rescue breath. This time, though there seemed to be a lot of resistance, he saw her chest rise. He forced another breath in and got her chest to rise a little further.

“One, two, three…”

“I got some air into her!” Caleb exclaimed. “This is helping!”

“Should we switch to thirty compressions and two breaths?” Leigh asked, her voice anxious and loud. “I think we should.”

“…eighteen, nineteen, twenty…”

The wet bag sound was transitioning to a gurgle, followed by small surges of muddy water and orange-tinged foam leaking from Nikki’s nose and mouth.

A hand suddenly touched his back, and Em dropped down on her knees by Nikki’s head. She looked terrible, her face ghost pale and a dirty shirt pressed to her head wound. “Oh God… Caleb…”

“Thirty!”

Caleb turned Nikki’s face to the sky again and forced another breath into her lungs. Her chest rose, then fell. He gave her another breath.

“One, two, three…”

Caleb spared another look at Em. She was crying, her eyes locked on the violence Robb was doing to Nikki’s chest. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault,” Caleb choked out.

Abruptly, Nikki’s body heaved, and a great deal of muck shot up into her mouth. 

“I need to turn her on her side for a second!” Caleb exclaimed. Robb stopped compressions and Leigh helped them roll her over so the muck would slide out to the ground and not back into her throat. Nikki made a gagging and choking sound, and then there was another flood of orange water and mud from her mouth. Robb pressed his fingers into her neck as Caleb cleared her mouth.

“She doesn’t have a pulse!” Robb shouted after several long seconds, and they put her on her back again. “Caleb, take over!”

He didn’t hesitate, thinking about what mud might still be in her lungs, and how her heart wasn’t beating. He tried to mimic what he’d seen from the others, his clasped hands thrusting into her chest with a force he never would have previously imagined using on her.

As he worked, wisps of thought kept curling through his mind, threatening to distract him. 

How relaxed he’d felt when he’d picked her up that morning, Nikki coming to the door and insisting he approve her outfit before they left. Peeling the clothing off her when they decided they had time to spare. Further back, the look on her face when he’d explained what “mudding” was, and his own surprised laughter when she’d agreed to come along. The day they’d decided to make it serious. The first time they had sex. The day he met her, just a Tinder date that became so much more.

“Hey, Caleb, that’s thirty!” Robb had his hand on his shoulder. Caleb rocked back, lifting his hands. Em had moved, and Leigh leaned over to give Nikki rescue breaths.

“Count out loud,” Robb said. “It helped me concentrate.”

Caleb forced her sternum down. “One, two, three…”

They heard the roar of an ATV coming up the gravel access path behind them. 

“… eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one…”

“Caleb!” His uncle hit the ground running. “The ambulance is on its way; your aunt and your friend are in place to lead it up here. What the hell happened? Em! You’re bleeding!”

Leigh leaned over and forced a breath into Nikki, her chest rising higher than it had so far.

“I’m okay,” he heard Em say. “But… we rolled and the four-wheeler…”

Another breath.

Em couldn’t speak. Caleb started chest compressions again. 

“One, two, three…” Come on, baby! Wake up, wake up…

“We found her face down in the mud with the ATV on her, sir,” Robb said. “We pulled her out and brought her over here. She inhaled a lot of water and mud. She’s not bleeding, we don’t think, but we don’t know how else she might be hurt.”

“…twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!”

Caleb finally looked up at his uncle. The man’s face was pale, his eyes wide. His uncle David was typically stoic. He’d never seen him look so rattled. 

“Rescue station ain’t far,” David muttered. “We should start hearing sirens soon.”

Then it was time for Caleb to perform compressions. He could see her stomach bulge slightly with each thrust into her chest, felt the cartilage in her ribcage give. “…ten, eleven—Are we breaking her ribs? Fifteen, sixteen…”

“I don’t know,” Robb said. His face was blotchy; pale with red splashed across his cheeks. “I think… I don’t know.”

“You’re doing the right thing, son.” he heard his uncle say. “Do you know how long it’s been? The paramedics will want to know.”

“…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!” Caleb hovered over her, shaking his head as he watched her chest rise with Leigh’s exhalation. “I don’t know how long… Too long!”

“At least eleven minutes,” Nina said, her voice almost too quiet to hear. “That’s when I saw you pull her out.”

Caleb felt his eyes sting as he started compressions again. “One, two, three…”

“I hear the ambulance!” Nina said, her voice much louder. 

“…seven, eight, nine…”

“We should switch,” Robb said. “We don’t know how long it will take them to get up here.”

“…twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, okay—”

“I’m going to stand at the top of the drive,” Mike said.

“…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!”

Caleb leaned back, gasping and shaking out his burning arms, his eyes flying to Nikki’s face as Leigh breathed for her. She was still gray, with bits of dried mud along her jawline. His eyes traced down along her long neck and down to her chest. The sports bra was cut low enough that he could see the top of a bruise, looking like a malevolent shadow cast on her skin.

Robb started compressions, his big hands obscuring the bruise, fingers pressing against her left breast through the sports bra. “…three and four and five…”

The siren was getting louder, and Caleb could hear the tires crunching on the gravel. He reached out, took Nikki’s hand. Squeezed it, then brought it to his lips. He thought it was a good chance he was saying goodbye, and either way they would be loading her up in the ambulance soon and he didn’t know when he would see her again.

Then he gently sat her hand down in the damp grass.

“One and two and three and four…” 

The ambulance was close enough now that the sirens and the sound of the tires on the gravel drowned out the squelching sound coming from her swollen stomach and her wet lungs.  Caleb’s uncle showed the paramedic driver where to stop so that it wouldn’t get bogged down.

Caleb was about to be in the way. He scrambled to his feet and almost fell back down, the scenery around him tilting madly. He stumbled backward and then dropped to a crouch as the paramedics unloaded and hurried over to Nikki’s side.

“We have another unit on the way, but they’re twenty minutes out. Where’s the second victim?”

“It’s me,” Em said, sounding miserable. “But I’m okay.”

Robb and Leigh were asked to move back, and he watched the medics quickly assess Nikki’s condition. The female paramedic restarted chest compressions.

“How long have you been performing CPR?” the male paramedic asked. He’d grabbed a duffel bag from their collection and produced a mask with a balloon coming off the top of it. He pressed the mask to Nikki’s face, squeezing the bulb twice before moving on to another task.

“We pulled her out of the mud about thirteen, fourteen minutes ago,” Robb said. “We saw the accident. The ATV rolled over her and she ended up unconscious with her face in the mud and the ATV on her legs.”

“...ten, eleven twelve… AutoPulse?” the female medic asked her partner.

Everything was going so fast, and Caleb didn’t know what a lot of what they were saying meant. He jumped in when he could with things like her name and age, and no they didn’t think she was injured but they really weren’t sure. The male paramedic gave her two breaths from the bag and then checked her abdomen and chest for obvious injury. He went on to use a pair of shears to snip the fabric of her bra down one side and across the straps. The female medic lifted her hands for a second, and he pulled the fabric to the side, revealing her breasts. Compressions started again, her breasts undulating.

The two worked together, the female medic giving Nikki forceful chest compressions, lifting her hands again so the male medic could apply a large white defibrillator pad over Nikki’s sternum. Then she went straight back into compressions, Nikki’s head bobbing with the force. The other pad was applied just below and to the side of her left breast. A few seconds later, a high-pitched whine filled the air.

Caleb watched the male paramedic grab a large, flat blue bag and set it on the grass above Nikki’s head. He opened it up, revealing large white pads attached to straps and a short blue backboard. The female paramedic was still pounding mercilessly on Nikki’s chest, her ribcage flattening and rebounding. Caleb was too far away now to hear the sound the forceful compressions made.

The male medic walked around to Nikki’s feet, stepped one foot between her legs, and grasped her wrists. The female paramedic stopped compressions and he pulled Nikki up into a seated position, her head lolling back. Something about the way Nikki’s body flopped made Caleb want to cry, and he pressed his hand to his mouth.

The male medic held her there for a few seconds as the female medic dragged the blue board underneath her. They laid Nikki back, her breasts swaying, and the male medic rapidly fastened the white pads over her chest before pressing a button.

The straps moved automatically, pulling the large white pads down to her chest. Shortly after, the machine started pumping, pulling the pads down across her chest over and over again. The machine was surprisingly quiet against the noise of everything else. 

Nikki’s stomach rippled and her arms twitched. The male medic folded something white down by her head to hold it in place, and then clipped a harness over her shoulders.

“I’ll get her going on an IV and epi, you intubate and suction."

The machine clicked away, stopping briefly for the male medic to provide breaths from the bag.

“I didn’t know that a… a CPR machine was a thing,” he heard Leigh murmur.

The male medic tipped back Nikki’s head and angled a device into her throat before he said: “Pause compressions.”

The female medic reached over and pressed a button. The machine beeped, and the compressions stopped. The high-pitched whine from the monitor continued. The male medic made quick work of the intubation, and shortly after he reached around and pressed something on the screen of the compression device. 

Compressions started again.

This time, they continued even when the male medic squeezed the bag, which he’d removed from the mask and attached to the end of the tube. 

“Caleb.”

He looked up. David kneeled next to him, putting his hand on his back. 

“I called your folks.”

He had a hard time paying attention to what his uncle was saying. There was a noisy motor sound, and some commentary about what she’d aspirated. He kept looking back at Nikki. He felt hollow and distant.

“They said they have a number for her parents. They’re going to call her folks and send them on to Grace General. If anything changes, we can let them know.”

“Nothing shockable,” the female medic said, pressing a button on the machine. The pads pulled themselves down hard into Nikki’s chest. “…epi.”

“…time?”

“Caleb?” His ears were ringing.

“Coming up—twenty—”

“Caleb!”

His hearing was fading in and out.

“Give—no ROSC—load and—”

“Caleb!”

Caleb blinked in surprise at his uncle’s worried face. He was laying on back in the wet grass, David looming over him.

Leigh’s worried face joined David’s. “One of the paramedics just asked about Caleb.”

“Okay,” Caleb muttered, though he felt disoriented. “Nikki…”

“He’s conscious and talking,” David said, pitching his voice loud enough for the medics to overhear. “I reckon he fainted.”

“She’s dead,” Caleb whispered. 

David’s face changed, unexpected tears glistening in his eyes. Caleb didn’t think he’d seen him cry other than at the funerals of his grandparents. “They’re still working on her, son.”

Caleb didn’t respond. He let his head fall to the side so he could see Nikki. He really couldn’t see much. A bit of her profile, with the tube protruding between her teeth. The machine pumping her chest. Her muddy sneakers, swaying.

He looked back up at his uncle and felt a tear roll down his cheek. 

David held out a hand. “You up for sitting up yet?”

“V-fib,” he heard the female medic say. “Let’s shock her.”

David pulled him upright and kept an arm tight around his shoulders. “You don’t have to watch that, Caleb. It might be upsetting. See, your friends are all looking away.”

He watched anyway, as her chest jumped and her limbs twitched. There was a silent few seconds before the whine started up again.

“Damn. Asystole. Resuming AutoPulse. I’m going to push another epi. Give us back something we can work with, Nikki.”

“After that you want to package her up and do another rhythm check in the bus? Before we head on to the hospital?”

“Let’s do it.”

Caleb thought this was probably a bad sign, but he wasn’t sure. David must have felt similarly, because he said: “They haven’t called the time. They haven’t called her.”

The male paramedic stayed with Nikki while the female quickly packaged things up and hauled most of it to the ambulance. When she came back, she spoke briefly to Robb. 

The female medic crouched at Nikki’s feet and leaned forward, tugging on the blue fabric at the bottom of the CPR device. It unfurled into a lightweight stretcher. Then she picked up the monitor, slinging the strap over her shoulder, and lifted the IV bag. Caleb was surprised to see Robb helping them with the blue stretcher. His friend’s face had gone white.

When they stood, Nikki’s legs hung limp over the end of the stretcher. The machine kept performing compressions, unfazed by the movement.

The female medic looked over toward David and Caleb. “When we start moving, we’re going to take her to Grace General. They can do more for her there and they’re expecting her.”

They walked her to the gurney, and then loaded the gurney into the ambulance. Both medics climbed in and closed the doors behind them.

Everyone was silent for what felt like a very long time. Caleb let his breath out in a rush and pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. He felt like he was supposed to be doing something, when there was no longer anything for him to do.

David was speaking to him, he realized, and he looked up, though his eyes immediately drifted to the ambulance.

“We’ll ride down after the ambulance and your aunt is going to pick us up at the bottom of the drive,” David said. “She’s already ready to go. Why don’t we go ahead and get ourselves ready to do that?”

Caleb nodded.

“Does she have a bag that you need to grab? She might have insurance cards that she’ll need.”

“Everything’s in my pack,” he muttered, and suddenly his was in front of his face.

Mike, his face anguished, clutched the pack. “Caleb,” he began.

“Not right now.” David took the pack from Mike. “He can’t hear you right now.”

“But I—”

“Go the fuck home,” Caleb heard himself say, his tone ice. 

“Don’t push it,” Robb interjected. “Come on.”

“We’re going to go,” Leigh said. “We’ll get him out of here, Caleb. Robb and Dana are going to get Em down to the house. You’ll let us know? Let us know what…?”

“He will when he can,” David said. “Come on, Caleb.”

Caleb let his uncle help him to his feet and steer him over to a waiting four-wheeler. 

The back doors of the ambulance suddenly opened, and the female medic jumped out, slamming the doors behind her. She stopped long enough to call out: “We just got her pulse back. We’re transporting her now.”

Caleb climbed into the ATV behind his uncle, stunned into silence as the ambulance started, turned on lights and sirens, and headed down the gravel drive.

“Does that mean she’s going to make it?”

“It might, son. If you pray, do it now.”

[corpse-a-diem]

Dancing With Death | Anita & Erin

TIMING: Current PARTIES: Anita (@gossipsnake) & Erin (@corpse-a-diem) LOCATION: Anita & Metzli's Home (Mansión Mexicana) SUMMARY: Anita teaches Erin how to salsa. It's a perfectly normal, uneventful date. Until it's not. CONTENT WARNINGS: wrspice (touching, kissing)

Anita was great at distractions. One might even say that most of her life was just bouncing from one distraction to the next, never allowing herself time to think about the space in between. So when a beautiful woman online mentioned a dire need for dance lessons… well that sounded like an exceptional distraction. A lesson out on the packed dance floor of some seedy downtown club would certainly be more lively, a private lesson at home would hopefully be a bit more intimate. Besides, both locations had ample tequila. 

Fortunately, her brooding and even-more-annoying-than-usual roommate wasn’t going to be around to bother them. After clearing an impromptu dance area by moving around the couch and coffee table from the main living room, Anita changed into a flowing but short red dress and went to the kitchen to pull out a crisp bottle of Casa Dragones from the freezer. In a house where both occupants had … unique diets, there wasn’t much else taking space in the freezer. 

Just after she had cut a fresh lime into thin slices, Anita heard the doorbell ring and smirked. 

__

Every intelligent thought in Erin’s brain was screaming at her not to go to some stranger’s home for dance lessons. Her mother had taught her better and Netflix documentaries had taught society better. But there was a growing, overwhelming need for something other than constant death gnawing at her insides. Anita seemed lovely and lively and alive. Something Erin had to remind herself she needed more of, now more than ever. So she donned a simple, silk black dress and some courage to possibly (definitely) embarrass herself in front of this total stranger. It was fine.

She’d found the address simply enough, thankful not to have to navigate around the mess that was Worm’s Row area right now. But the mansion she found herself at was definitely unexpected. How much did college professors make in this town? Footsteps drew closer after she rang the doorbell, and in the midst of briefly questioning her own career choices, the door opened. Erin’s eyes widened in delight as she set her eyes on Anita for the first time. At least if she was going to get murdered tonight, she’d be okay if it was by the woman in front of her. “Anita?” She cleared her throat after a second, remembering herself and holding a hand out. “Erin. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” She smiled, shaking her head slightly, glancing around the exterior of the home. “Am I still in Wicked’s Rest? Because you and your home are just—stunning. We don’t get nice things like this here.”

__

The look on Erin’s face as Anita opened the door made her smirk widen. It was rather refreshing to be around someone so expressive. It was a lot different than what she had been getting from her roommate. It was also nice to know that this woman, who was undoubtedly stunning in her own right, clearly found her attractive. That would surely make this night that much more interesting. “I am,” she reached out to meet the extended hand, “It’s equally a pleasure to meet you, Erin.” 

The question genuinely made Anita laugh and the blatant compliment caused a soft, satisfied blush to spread across her cheeks. “Well, see! That’s exactly the point. Wicked’s Rest deserves some fun and flavor in town. So I’ve done my best to bring a bit of Mexican beauty to town. Both with the house, and with my presence. After all, we all  deserve nice things every now and then, no?”

“Come, I’ve got some more Mexican beauty to share with you.” Turning with the comment, Anita walked further into her home leaving Erin and the open door to sort themselves out. Making her way through the initial foyer and heading towards the bar situated between the kitchen and dining area. “And by that, I mean the best tequila you’ve ever had.” The open-floor plan let the rooms flow into one another, and they were mostly decorated with vibrant (slightly suggestive) artwork and bold colors. There was also, however, a sprinkling of more macabre decorations. Some art that Metzli had brought home from their gallery. Some skulls or other bone fragments situated between vases of flowers and warm candles. 

__

Anita was just as charming in person as she was online—not that Erin doubted she would be. It was infectious and drew her into the home and after Anita.  She pulled the door closed, trying not to think about how Ted Bundy’s victims had thought he was charming too. But her hand was warm and the blush on her cheek from her words didn’t feel even remotely dangerous. She was worrying for nothing again. Erin smirked, considering her words. “You know what? We sure as hell do,” she answered enthusiastically, eyes drifting around her home. Definitely a varied taste, the style and semblance of pieces only reinforced the mental picture she was building about Anita. No complaints yet. “You know, something tells me you might be from Mexico.” A grin broke across Erin’s face and she peeled her attention back to Anita. “How did you end up here of all places?”

She watched the other woman, leaning against the back of a nearby chair. “The best? Wow. That I’ll have to see for myself.”  She said with feigned arrogance, straightening out her blazer as if she was preparing for the ordeal. “And I’ll have you know, I did do my dancing homework. Turns out practicing alone in your bedroom the night before doesn’t make miracles happen. Hopefully you and that tequila will though.”

__

It was always exciting when there was a quick chemistry with whomever Anita invited over on a given night. Some people were all talk where others followed through with action. Erin seemed like the ladder. “No? What gave me away?” Anita teased in response with a smirk. “But yes, I am. I take it you’re from here? The way you said we don’t get nice things here,” she offered as her explanation before the question was even asked. She poured out two shots of the tequila before reaching over to grab the limes and salt, talking while she did so, “I moved here for the teaching job and a desire for new challenges. I came to the US for college, down in the southwest. After I finished my PhD,” she shrugged as she looked up at Erin, “I study insects and their environments, I guess I just wanted some new material.” It was an oversimplification of reality, but that was what Anita excelled at. Luring people in with enough honesty to seem vulnerable without any of the actual risk. 

“Ay, warming my heart! A woman who does her homework,” she said with a smirk as she slid one of the shot glasses across towards Erin. “Well lucky for you, here’s your chance to see that for yourself.” Preparing for the drink with the lime and salt, Anita licked the back of her hand while keeping her gaze focused on the other woman before putting a shake of salt on her skin. “I promise me and the tequila will be far more thrilling than anything you’ve done alone in your bedroom.” With that, she licked the freshly placed salt off her hand, shot the tequila back, and then placed a wedge of lime in her mouth. The drink was smooth enough to take on its own in her opinion, but she liked the foreplay. 

Anita poured herself another drink, before shifting her focus to the pretense for their meeting. “What music did you play when you practiced? Music sets the tone you know.” 

__

“All my life,” Erin nodded. Her brows raised. “PhD? Shit,” she laughed softly, watching the apparently very well-read woman prepare the shots as she spoke. There was something so carefree about Anita, in the way she moved and spoke. And she was smart? It’d almost be annoying if Erin wasn’t so drawn to it. “A beautiful woman who studies bugs and their homes, on a PhD level, huh?” She responded, taking the shot glass offered to her. “I knew you were more interesting than Wicked’s Rest deserved.”

Erin appreciated the light and playful energy Anita brought, emphasized with every smirk and teasing lilt. She knew exactly what this visit was about, as did Erin. The promised reprieve from the shadows and hard, dark tones making themselves home in her mind felt like a true beacon in the night. Erin knew she needed this but until she felt her own cheeks burn pleasantly and turn up in a bright grin, she wasn’t aware just how badly. She kept her eyes on Anita’s, mimicking her motions with the salt and lime, knocking her drink back, which went down so much smoother than expected. “Oh, yeah.” She nodded, pushing her shot glass back towards Anita. “That’s good. You were right. Of course you were. Hit me with another while you’re at it?” 

Right. The dancing part. She smirked and moved around the table, phone in her hand until she was closer to Anita. “Well, don’t laugh at me but I started off with some classic Ricky Martin. Because he’s great, you know?” She laughed and felt the flush of the liquor shoot through her chest, then motioned to her phone again. “But then I wisened up because I could just hear you mocking me in my head and found a popular latin dancing playlist on Spotify.” She pressed play, letting the music fill the room and she looked to Anita’s gaze for approval. “Good? Yes? No?”

–

“Must be kinda nice, getting to know a singular place with intimacy instead of bouncing from one location to the next.” It wasn’t necessarily a fate that she wanted for herself, not that there was any way to change the past even if she did, but Anita did find the idea of a lifelong community to be exceptionally compelling. “Two, actually,” Anita stated with a sly grin. The clarification was not one she made often, not usually wanting to come off as bragging, but Erin seemed to be intrigued rather than intimidated which made Anita feel like she could perhaps brag a bit without it souring the mood. “One PhD for the bugs, one PhD for their homes.”

“My three favorite words,” Even with just the simplicity of their interactions thus far, Anita felt like she was getting to know the other woman quite well. She wasn’t presumptuous or pretentious. At the request, her fingers wrapped around the cool bottle and refilled both of their glasses. Acutely aware of the closing distance between them, Anita leaned towards Erin as she approached as if getting a glimpse at the playlist on her phone was somehow a necessity. “I mean, he’s an international sensation for a reason. An exceptional place to start if you ask me.” 

As Erin kept talking about the music choices, Anita picked up her glass again and shot back the second serving of tequila - this time without the salt and lime ritual. “I would never mock a gorgeous woman playing latin music, of any kind, mami.” As the playlist began, a grin spread across Anita’s face which was followed by a joyous laugh as she heard the sounds of Calle Luna Calle Sol fill the room, “Muy buena!” With the exclamation, she reached over and grabbed Erin’s hand pulling her out towards the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the living room. “Follow my lead, yes?” 

__

“It has its pros and cons. Just like anything.” Erin answered nonchalantly, eyeing Anita and trying to discern whether that was longing or general curiosity in her tone. She couldn’t help but grow more curious about the other woman from the simple statement though. How much of her life was hopping from one place to the next, like she’d implied? There was a level of anonymity that came with moving around like that and it was a point of note that Erin made sure to keep in her back pocket.  “The familiarity is nice, I will say that. But the other side of knowing a place that well is that the place knows you just the same.”

A genuine laugh shook her shoulders. She liked Anita already. “You’re very humble. I like that about you already,” she teased, reaching for the refill on her glass and trying not to think too terribly hard about how close Anita was to her now. The tequila would help. Anita’s infectious energy already was. She watched her down the shot without any assistance and knew immediately she couldn’t back down right in front of her. Anita was already ten thousand leagues cooler than she’d ever hope to be. So, with only the smallest hesitation, she knocked the glass back. Thankfully, Anita was already pulling her toward the living room and she hoped she didn’t see the painful wince that followed. 

A flushed warmth spread through her as the alcohol trickled from her chest, into her limbs as she readied herself in front of Anita. “Oh, with pleasure,” she smirked, desperately trying to think through the haze of alcohol and excitement swarming her insides. God, she was going to embarrass herself in front of this beautiful woman and there was absolutely no stopping it now. She kept a firmer grip on the soft hand that led her here, lifting it up into the air while her other hand moved to slip around her waist, resting it tentatively. Her brow raised expectantly and she watched for further cues from Anita, unable to tear the grin from her lips. “Like that, right?” 

–

“It’s easy to be humble when you’re so beautiful and amazing.” Anita’s tone and body language were as if she was telling a joke, but in reality she did believe what she was saying. She had been on her own in life for long enough to know that when it all came down to it, you had to be your own support system. She couldn’t afford to doubt herself so she simply didn’t. The night started to fall into place as the salsa music warmed the atmosphere around them as the tequila warmed the two of them. 

Anita took the lead, like she had so many times before. If she were focused on teaching true, technical salsa moves it would involve much less prolonged physical contact with anything other than their hands. Instead, she opted to teach her the more casual salsa - the one that wouldn’t be seen on the latin ballroom dance floor but the one that would be found at every Mexican party. “Exactly like that,” she encouraged, moving her left arm up into form while she let her right hand rest gently on the small of Erin’s back. 

After getting the hold set up, Anita took a moment to appreciate the closeness between the two of them, the soft blush that spread across Erin’s cheeks, the smallest specs of yellow in her beautiful blue eyes, and that adorable grin. She let the music dictate the dance, letting her feet and hips move along with the beat while she kept them in the basic form, “I know it's a cliche… but salsa is all about the spirit. You let the music take you where you need to be, it’s an intuition.” It didn’t take long before it seemed like Erin was starting to catch on, following right behind where Anita was leading. 

As the song began to reach a crescendo Anita applied a bit of pressure to her hand on Erin’s waist and gilded her to spin out, then released that hand while she stepped to the side and spun Erin around with a grin. Without missing a beat, she then pulled Erin back in with her other arm and gently dipped her down as the song began to fade out. Their faces were closer now than they had been all night, and Anita’s eyes jumped between Erin’s and her mouth - silently inquiring about closing the remaining distance between them. 

__ 

Alright, so maybe this wasn’t as painfully awkward on her end as Erin had built it up to be. People always told her she thought too much. Planned too much of her life out into neat lines that didn’t leave much room for anything else. But as Anita held her close, she remembered how good it felt to let those lines blur once in a while. “Cliche isn’t so bad sometimes,” she smirked, noting - with absolutely no complaint - how close they were now. Her first few steps were a bit of a stumble, but Anita was patient and gracious, taking her time as she followed her lead. Eventually the rhythm started to click, and while her steps were imperfect and more clumsy than her elegant teacher’s, she’d stopped thinking and just moved. 

“I absolutely had my doubts…” she started, moving effortlessly into the small spin, breaking to let out a laugh as she twirled back into her arms. “But I think you’re magic. I swear. It’s the only explanation,” she grinned bigger now, only needing Anita’s guidance sparingly at this point of the song. She was even a little disappointed when the music began to slow. Only a little bit, and just for a second, because she was close and looking at her like that after a final dip to end their dance. A chill smoothed along her skin, up her spine and despite the heavy warmth in her cheeks, her skin was suddenly cold. Her brain was fully off at this point and all too familiar signals went ignored.

Another song started playing, softer and slower than the previous one. “This was a cliche I was counting on, you know,” she murmured playfully, moving a hand to cup her jawline. Erin pulled Anita’s face to hers, pressing her lips to hers, finally. Softly, slowly at first. Wrapping her hand around Anita’s back, it was incredibly easy to lose herself in the moment–

SLAM!

A door shut in the distance, slamming so hard it felt like it shook the entire house. Erin jumped, dazed, her head moving to the source of the sound then back to Anita. “What was–is your roommate home?” She asked slightly out of breath. 

–

Not to discredit her own exceptional teaching skills, but Anita was quite impressed with how quickly Erin had seemed to pick up on the basics of the salsa. She didn’t seem to get upset or discouraged by small missteps like some might, instead she just moved on through them and let the music guide them from one step to the next. It didn’t take long for the movements to flow with little effort as their bodies stayed closed together as they danced across the living room. “Don’t discredit your own magic. It takes two to salsa,” she said with a smirk as she paraphrased the classic idiom. 

Anita was pleasantly surprised when Erin was the one to make a move and close the distance between their lips, something Anita had thought she would need to take the lead on. The kiss had been just as tantalizing as the dance and Anita kept one hand pressed firmly against Erin’s back as her other hand moved to her waist. 

But then, suddenly and abruptly, their lips parted and as Anita opened her eyes back up it seemed as though Erin had been startled by something. “My roommate?” She looked around the room and it was just as empty as it had been ten seconds ago. “No, they aren’t. And they aren't gonna be home at all tonight, I promise.” She didn’t know if Erin was rattled at the idea of someone walking in to see them kissing or if there was something else going on. She reached out to grab Erin’s hand to try and pull her back in, “We can just go back to the dancing if you’re more comfortable with that.”

__ 

Erin wasn’t sure if she should have been relieved by Anita’s response or not. The obvious distraction was there but the noise had startled Erin enough to pull her out of the moment. Leaving her now trying to discern the nagging prickle it’d left in its wake. Her eyes bounced around the room as discreetly and quickly as she could manage, fully braced for the jump scare that always came when a presence decided to make itself known. “You really didn’t hear anything?” She asked, settling her attention back onto Anita. Doors slamming or small objects falling from tables was something she had gotten used to over the years. As used to it as anyone could be, she supposed. But the fact that Anita hadn’t heard it at all alarmed her the most–those things weren’t just for her eyes and ears alone. The house was still now, silent but for the salsa music still playing defiantly in the background. She shook her head, at herself more than anything, slipping back into Anita’s embrace at her prompting. Not everything was a fucking ghost, Erin. 

“Oh, no,” Erin started, her smile returning along with the playfulness in her words. Eager to move on and forget it, the nagging only a small buzz compared to a moment before. “I definitely want to do more of that. For sure. Way more.” Her hand squeezed Anita’s assuringly. Erin moved them now, her other hand on Anita’s hip, pulling her forward as Erin walked slowly backwards in one motion.“We could definitely dance as much as you want too. You saw me out there a few seconds ago, right? I’m basically a pro now, thanks to you. I can hardly believe it myself. But I have one very important request.” A dramatic pause lingered in the air as she tugged Anita closer, as close as they had been dancing moments ago. The shiver returned and she ignored that too. Then finally, Erin gestured towards the tequila with a nod and an imploring smirk. “Can we please make some margaritas?”

–

“No, I didn’t hear anything.” Anita had no idea what Erin thought she heard and while she was glad that it seemed they were moving past it, she found herself slightly more on-guard listening more closely at the happenings around them. “Maybe it was that stupid dog, though,” she offered up as an explanation no matter how unlikely. “My roommate has a small, yappy little thing. Always getting up to trouble.” That wasn’t entirely true about Fluffy, but she wanted to offer up a reasonable possible explanation to ease the mood. 

As they got back into a more relaxed dialogue, Anita hoped that whatever had distracted her dance partner before wasn’t going to interrupt them again. With their bodies closer together now, that interruption drifted further and further from her mind. “Oh, absolutely! I mean we could go out to any of the dance halls in Mexico City tonight and you’d fit right in with the baddest of them.” Even though she had no idea what request was coming, Anita was fully ready to comply - she already had her sights set on how she was hoping this evening would go and didn’t want anything to keep that from happening. “Anything for you,” she said as she returned the smirk. 

Before pulling away, something that was unfortunately necessary in order to make some margaritas, Anita leaned in and kissed Erin again. Her teeth gently caught her lower lip as she pulled away to head towards the kitchen. “Come, I’ll show you how to make the best margarita you’ve ever had.” 

_

A dog. Right. People had dogs. There were more dogs in the world than there were ghosts (probably - Erin would have to ask Lil about that later). That should’ve been one of her first thoughts to begin with. She graciously accepted her own paranoia, alright with feeling a little silly now if it meant she could focus on the woman in front of her. She laughed. “Sounds like you and lassie are the best of friends then, huh?”

“Only fit in? I’d lead the crowd. An instant overnight sensation,” she teased further, but the smile and gentle tone that followed grew sincere. “That really was a lot of fun though. Especially once I stopped stepping on your toes. ” The way Anita carried herself, how eager she was to please and appease her guest, and the charm that left her as easily as breathing. Anita was very good at this and she didn’t doubt that Anita probably utilized those talents with others just as easily. Good. It made this simpler. Made it easier to know they could have their fun and she would leave without further implications once she left. 

She almost regretted her request when it was Anita who pulled away from her this time. Though she wasn’t far behind at all, missing her warmth the second it left. It was freezing in here. “Ah, you don’t say. Because it’s made with the best tequila I’ve also ever had, right? Funny how that–”

A figure darkened the doorway Anita slipped through and past without a glance. The first thing she saw was red–dark, thick trails congealing down the man’s neck, bloodying his shirt and arms. Piercing blue eyes shot through her like javelins, rooting her to the spot. They startled her more than anything. Erin felt her stomach drop. She felt… wrong. He felt wrong. She didn’t say a word, leaving Anita to whatever she was doing now in the kitchen. 

“Get out.”

The words were harsh. Demanding. Full of barely contained rage packed into two syllables. She flinched and stood dumbfounded. Afraid to move, afraid to call out for Anita. What would she even say? Fuck. Fuck. Well. So much for thinking she could attempt even a night of normalcy. There was no explaining this in a way she could come back from. When Erin didn’t move, the ghost rushed forward in a blur and she jolted back, feeling like she’d been dunked in ice water. “I said LEAVE.” His voice was no longer calm and the painting on the wall next to her flew at her feet, the glass shattering into pieces. 

–

“Eh, the little thing’s grown on me. Don’t tell my roommate that though, they’d never let me live it down.” Anita liked how easy the evening had been. She liked how the evening had just been simple and fun, spending time with Erin felt almost comfortable. As comfortable as Anita let herself get with humans, that is. “You’re absolutely right. We’d be the talk of the town in the salsa community - two gorgeous women dancing like we were born to do it? Unstoppable.” She said with a wide smile and a gentle laugh as she stepped into the kitchen. 

“I don’t know where the blender is so I’ll make us some on the rocks,” Anita had noticed that Erin cut out mid-sentence but had opted not to think much of it. She just wanted the night, the ease of it all, to keep going. So she began preparing the drinks, squeezing out fresh lime juice that she would later mix in with the tequila, some simple syrup, and triple sec. 

Just as she turned around to ask Erin if she wanted salt on the rim, Anita saw her standing in the living room looking like she had just seen a ghost. That was how people described it, didn’t they? A pale face and an expression somewhere between terrified and horrified. She turned away for a moment to wipe her hands off on a towel before planning to go over to her guest when she heard the sound of shattering glass. Quickly making her way over to Erin, Anita looked around the room but didn’t see anything. “Vaya, are you okay?” She wrapped her arm around Erin’s waist and pulled her away from the shattered glass. 

_

Erin didn’t realize her hands were shaking until she moved to pull Anita’s hands from around her waist. “No. No, I’ve got to–” She held onto one of her hands, trying to implore how serious she was. “We’ve got to go.” The spirit had disappeared when the glass shattered at her feet but she wasn’t eager to wait around to see what else it would do if she didn’t heed it’s warning. Her feet edged towards the entrance and she tried to pull Anita along with her. “Listen, I–I know this sounds nuts and you barely know me–and I can’t really explain without sounding even crazier, but–”

How could she explain this, if Anita pressed her further? She pulled away only to reach for her jacket. Even if she couldn’t persuade her, Erin knew she was getting the hell out of here. The house was quiet again, eerily quiet. She didn’t like it. “We have to leave. We just have to. It’s not safe. You can come with me, or you can go somewhere else, which I get, because I’m ruining what was supposed to be a really good night–” Jacket on now, she paused only to catch Anita’s eyes, her own pleading desperately. A long breath left her lips and she took another step back towards Anita. “Please trust me. Please don’t stay here.”

_

Whatever was going on, Erin’s reactions seemed truly genuine and Anita did not know how to respond to it all, which rarely happened to her. Cause, fuck, maybe Erin had seen a ghost? Not like she had any way of knowing but it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities. It was curious, though, that Erin wanted them both to leave. Maybe if Anita was not so well versed in the supernatural world she may have been more apprehensive, but this was a far more interesting end to the night than she had been hoping for. And, she was offering to let Anita go with her. Playing up the confusion a bit, she nodded along as Erin was pleading with her. “Hey, hey, it’s okay.” 

“Not safe?” There was undoubtedly going to be some kind of conversation about all this later, wouldn’t there? It was nice that Erin’s reaction wasn’t just to flee but to also get Anita out of whatever situation she felt wasn’t safe. Maybe it was just best to go along to get ahead of whatever was happening. As Erin went to put on her jacket, Anita downed another shot of tequila and then grabbed her cell phone and keys. “I trust you,” she lied, before grabbing a jacket of her own and heading towards where Erin was near the front door. When she got over to Erin, she reached out and grabbed her hand. “It’s gonna be okay. Let’s just get out of here. Take me wherever you think is gonna be safe.” Maybe there was still hope for the night being really good still. 

[burningthrucelluloid]

Christmas Carol-cember, Day 23

It seems every generation has that comedy troupe that changed the lives for that age group and gave them sketch comedy that remains quoted and beloved.

The generation of the 1970s had Saturday Night Live.

The generation of the 1980s had The Kids in the Hall.

The generation of the 1990s had In Living Colour (and to an extent, Mystery Science Theatre 3000).

The generation of the 2000s had The Whitest Kids U’Know.

While the 2010s generation had Key & Peele for television, for those who were raised on the internet, there was one comedy troupe that spoke to them all…especially the obnoxious theatre kids who will never shut up about who was the best performer of Hamilton on Broadway.

Starkid Productions.

Starting out as just a bunch of theatre students from the University of Michigan, the troupe’s main founders were Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang and the one guy who went on to have a very productive career, Darren Criss. While studying theatre together, the group pulled together resources, some acting friends and staged a parody musical based on the work of J.K. Rowling called “A Very Potter Musical” on April 2009. The performance was recorded and posted onto YouTube where they became a viral hit sensation and garnered a massive fanbase for their irreverent humor and original music numbers.

Realizing there was an audience who would totally pay for this, the troupe reorganized themselves as Starkid Productions and, through Kickstarter, financed each and every one of their musicals that has come after. Including two more musicals based on Harry Potter, “Twisted: The Untold Story of the Royal Vizier” which took influence from Wicked but set within the story of Disney’s Aladdin, “Holy Musical B@man!” which takes a loving, if slightly mature, take on the DC Comics character, “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” and perhaps the most ambitious musical to date, “The Trail to Oregon!” where members of the audience shout out suggestions to the cast along with who should live or die.

This musical, titled “VHS Christmas Carols,” was initially workshopped in 2020 before being played live for audiences in 2021 to prepare for a full musical tour for 2023 and 2024.

To build interest for seeing the show live, Starkid Productions released a full livestream of their theatre performance. But just as quickly as it was streamed to YouTube, it was then removed to encourage people to come see them perform live for Chicago theatre.

But luckily for all of us, while the staged version was removed, the 2021 workshopped version is still available for viewing as well as a Digital Ticket from their website.

Although this stage adaptation plays it’s plot straight by establishing this takes place in London, the choice to create a purely 1980s synthesized pop soundtrack along with MTV-styled music videos that play on that time period from the clothing to occasional slipping in modern slang like “that guy sucked.”

Yet weirdly? It really works.

The 80’s colors, attire and songs tie together surprisingly well and with the exception of a few words, it still helps to illicit the suggestion that this story is still set in it’s original time and location. The lyrics show far more sophistication than the days where they had songs like “Take Off Your Clothes” or “Pigfarts, Here I Come.”

Out of all the Christmas Carol adaptations I’ve seen all year, this one easily had the catchiest songs that have been stuck in my head the most. “Bah Humbug,” “I’m The Ghost,” “That Scrooge,” “Christmas Day" and the song that is guaranteed to be stuck in your head, “Christmas Electricity."

One element that I found really fascinating was how the musical truly encapsulates the concept of multimedia production into its staging. Seeing as the music was being developed while the cast was under Covid Lockdown, they would record themselves and have them be edited together to create these videos and, once lockdowns were lifted, used the videos to be performed alongside the live performances as the actors engaged with the audience. Elements like that showcase the real potential of stage performances while playing off recordings, even more so when you remember these musicals can be accessed digitally online via purchase.

As much as I would love to show the entire stream, Team StarKid is entirely financed by the sales of their albums and their Patreon supporters who keep their goals of making comedic musicals afloat. It’s clear that these crazy kids had a dream and it’s thanks to the technology of streaming, they are able to fund their goals and share it. While Charles Dickens could never have imagined this format of spreading the story to a wide audience, I have to imagine he would be tickled to see how new technology continues to spread and share new ideas while rooting them in nostalgia of the past.

“VHS Christmas Carols” can be streamed on their website thanks to a $15 digital rental that shows the 2024 performance that expands on the original musical concept and adds elements from The Little Matchgirl to flesh out it’s themes further as well as add more humor.

Next time, marking the last day of this Christmas Carol challenge, we’re gonna turn to a podcast to explore one more aspect of the future media that will teach this story to the next generation. Expect to learn some history with this one...

[harrisongslimited]

George Chapter of the Day #6

I Saw Her Standing There

Trigger Warnings: swearing, adult situations, bullying

Chapter 6

"Where the hell have you been?" Allison greeted her.

"Staying with friends," Joie answered flatly.

"We are supposed to stick together you know," Allison reprimanded.

Joie just smiled. "Well, I'll be staying with some friends periodically. As a matter of fact, we can speak to the chaperone and maybe get you a new roommate."

"Hell no," she shot back. "I like having my own room. I'm gonna land me a Beatle if it's the last thing I do."

"Is that why you came here? To sleep with one of the Beatles?"

Allison waved a hand at her. "Why do you think any of these girls wanted to come? What are you? Stupid? Why the hell did you come?"

"Frankly, to see London..." Joie admitted, then threw in for good measure "and to see some old friends."

"Well have fun, roomie," she said. "I've got a plan I need to work on."

"So who are you after? John? Paul? George, Ringo?"

Allison threw her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Doesn't matter, does it?"

Joie followed her a moment. "But Allison, they have lives, girlfriends...wives!"

Allison forced a wicked smile and repeated, "Doesn't matter...does it?"

Joie watched her as she followed the group of girls into a dressing room. She was totally out of her element. Yes, she found Paul attractive but it wouldn't go any farther than that. And then peeking in her mind was George. What she felt for him was....was....well, she didn't know what exactly, but she would never try to sleep with any of them. Truth be told, she wasn't ready to sleep with anyone. The farthest she and Charlie got was her battling him to stop trying to unzip her pants. He finally gave up and started dating Sheila Mattes, who boasted about helping boys unzip her pants.

Joie wanted to be in love. She wanted her first time to be something special...not just a quick grope in the back seat of a car during a drive in movie. She wanted flowers and romance and a loving courtship. Like in the romance novels she read or love stories she watched at the movies. Someone to take her away. Someone who would love Jordan and watch football with her dad.

She knew that boy was somewhere. She just needed to be smart and patient. Apparently, very patient.

..........

Victoria Brown was the woman who would show them the ropes at the studio. From what Joie could tell, it would be a lot of standing around, then some running after the boys, then a little screaming. Simple. Except that girls were disappearing at an alarming rate. "Wandering off" they called it. Victoria Brown knew they were trying to get to the Beatles and Victoria also knew the Beatles' wouldn't mind a quick one in the loo before a scene.

They were all instructed as to what to wear, where makeup was, where they were supposed to report and when. It was like a cattle call to Joie, but she didn't care. It was all new to her. Some of these other girls had actually been in movies that had been produced by their fathers, so it was old hat to them. But Joie was amazed at the organization.

By 3:30 they were done. Tuesday was going to be a free day and then Wednesday, they were going to start shooting "B" shots of the girls running, standing...waiting for the Beatles. The last scene, in about 4 weeks, was the concert. Joie couldn't wait for that.

She was getting ready to board the bus to go to the hotel when Victoria pulled her out of line. She instructed the bus driver to leave. Seems Joie was going to have a special driver of her own.

Part of her hoped it was Paul, but another part of her said it wasn't a good idea. She went back into the cavernous studio with Victoria and was told to wait in a small back studio.

And wait she did.

And waited. And waited.

Nothing.

She heard people milling around and finally a man came in questioning why she was there. Joie told him she asked to wait here. She showed him the note Victoria had given her. It said simply, "Wait for me in Studio B, Paul."

The man laughed. "You've been had little one," he said. "Someone pulled a trick on you."

Joie didn't know if she should tell the man that Paul had actually brought her to the studio in the morning...but decided against it. Why embarrass herself further? The man probably wouldn't believe her anyway. So this, apparently, was the way little rich Hollywood girls have their fun and games. Well, fuck you and the horse you rode in on. Their bullshit bothered her as much as a 70° day.

"Can you tell me how I can get a taxi?"

"Where are you going?"

Joie had to think. To Freda's? To the hotel?

She decided on the hotel. It was the easiest place to get to. "Shepparton Inn," she told him.

"I'll drive you."

"That's ok," Joie told him, not wanting to get into the car with a stranger. "I'll manage with a taxi."

The man shook his head. "Look, my name is Dick Lester. I'm directing this movie and I'm safe to get into a car with. Who the hell are you anyway?"

All Joie told him was that she was from California and hired as one of the extras. She added that she had gotten separated from her group.

"I think the group separated you from the sound of that note," he said gently.

She felt foolish and small. All she could think of is going back home and thoughts of home made her weepy. But she wasn't going to cry in front of a stranger. She fought and fought until tears welled in the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm just a long way from home."

"For the first time?"

Joie nodded and blinked furiously to dry her tears. She took a deep breath.

"Look," he said sitting down before her. "go your own way. These other girls just want to bang a Beatle and go home. Probably some of them will. Others will make up stories that they did. Just go your own way and you'll be fine."

Joie took another breath and finally smiled. "Thanks Mr. Lester. That really helped."

"And I'll get my assistant to get you a taxi..."

"Thanks again."

"No problem. My pleasure. And don't let those other girls get to you."

"I won't."

Joie waited by the studio gate for a taxi, still not sure of where she was going. She had no way of getting a hold of Freda, who was probably at Brian's office, but Joie didn't know the phone number. The safest bet was to go to the hotel and call Freda later to let her know where she was.

She only waited a few moments when a green mini cooper pulled up beside her inside the gate.

"Need a ride?"

It was George, his dark eyes shining bright as he looked into hers.

Joie smiled in recognition. "You have no idea...."

Joie climbed into the passenger's side and George noticed she seemed to be a bit weepy. "I didn't know where to go."

"Just go to Freda's if anything ever happens or call Brian's office. I'll give you the number to ring."

Joie proceeded to tell him how the girls had tricked her with a note from Paul. And how she thought the note was really from Paul since he had picked her up.

George knew that the note was probably meant to do exactly what it did -- embarrass Joie, with a hug and kiss from the jealous extras in the peanut gallery, but he remained mute.

"How about dinner?" George suddenly asked. "there's a restaurant by our place where we won't be bothered."

"Our place?"

"Ringo's and mine. We live together for now until we find our own places. I'm looking out towards Esher. Ringo likes living in town."

"Is Esher far?"

"An hour outside London," he explained. "Not too far from John and Cyn's."

"We'll stop by my house to see if Ringo wants to come with us. Maybe Mo too."

[peppermint-rat]

I just realized it's officially been ten years since I properly left the mormon church. I don't remember the specific date because it was kind of a "I haven't believed any of this for a while why am I still going" but it did happen in 2013.

Escape-the-cult story time?

So, as I can with a few great things in my life, I can trace it back to a silly little comic series I started sort of by accident. It was about Left 4 Dead, specifically about me just barely escaping death by befriending the infected in cartoonish ways. It kind of really blew up unexpectedly. Suddenly I had an audience. I started doing livestreams and made close friends with many of the viewers.

Were those viewers also mormon? You can bet your ass they weren't. There was a good mix of queerness and transness in there. But everyone was still respectful of my mormon boundaries (kept swearing and really dirty talk to a minimum) so I found it really easy to be respectful back. Suddenly I was friends with a lot of people that the church told me would infect me with their wickedness if I tolerated them for too long. But you know what? Spending time with people different than you, seeing that they're just another human, seeing that they can become valuable people in your life even with the traits you're told to fear, it's very hard to keep thinking of them as wicked. At that point, you have to actively choose to sever these relationships that are making you happy and hammer that prejudice back into your head. And a lot of people do that! But I felt SO happy and SO loved, I just couldn't do it.

And all along in the background, my sister lived in Germany at the time and had a lot of time away from the church. This gave her space to read up on the ACTUAL history of the church and Joe Smith... and she was discussing her findings with me. I didn't really want to believe them, but it got harder and harder to explain things away.

Feeling relaxed around my non-member friends, I start joking like "Isn't it weird that I'm straight but I still get crushes on female characters?" And no one really rushes me to admit I'm queer, but they get really excited when I draw "joke art" of myself with those characters. And after a while, the joke wears off. I admit that these images of me with a woman give me happy fluttery feelings. But then my boyfriend at the time and my judgmental church friend and my other sister sees this, and they Don't Like It. But somehow, I don't end up feeling bad about myself - I feel disappointed that these people would judge me for loving this side of myself. I apologized/asked them not to tell anyone but inside went "You know what, I'm gonna start dating her even harder."

Started having/drawing lots more queer ships. Was pretty open about my fictional gay crushes. Flirted with my non-member female friends as much as I did my mormon friends, but they could actually flirt back which got me all flustered. And I loved it. I was worried about being queer in the church, but I wasn't worried about my soul. Letting myself be queer brought so much joy and love into my life, it couldn't have been evil.

Besides, it wasn't like I was gonna go out and have a queer relationship. It was all theoretical, right? Which is fine in the church. Hahaha.

Through a friend I made in my streams, I met someone who lived across the street from me. I knew of them, we were in the same graphics class in high school, and we were facebook friends. And I would look at photos of them and think "Man, that's the most beautiful person I've ever seen." But like. Totally not in a gay way, right? I won't be completely smitten with them when we start hanging out, right? Hahaha?

Nope. Instantly head over heels.

I came out as pansexual to everyone I knew. My mom thought it meant I was attracted to inanimate objects. My boyfriend (who looked at porn constantly and dismissed my insecurities about it) got upset because if I figured this out I must have felt attraction to another person, real or fictional (he got upset when he saw a totally sfw drawing of a pretty Homestuck troll in my tumblr likes). My dad said "I guess temple marriage isn't a priority for you anymore", and when I said "I never thought you would say that to me" he said "Neither did I, but here we are." Again, people taking issue with a thing I knew to be wonderful.

My parents sort of came around, at least to the point that they would not give me direct grief for being in a queer relationship. I broke up with my boyfriend (actually because I accepted that he was never going to join the church and we weren't even really friends, so what was the point). I was briefly in a relationship with a transmasc friend because I didn't feel like I could say no, but it's worth mentioning because since they were also Christian, I thought I could be with them and stay in the church, but when I realized that the church would never accept them into the priesthood because they're trans, it was a huge blow to my faith. Yet another "What am I even doing this for if I don't believe in it?"

We broke up because I was still in love with the person across the street. But here's where the shelf broke, so to speak, on my faith. I knew this person liked me too, but I was afraid to be with them, not only because it would be a queer relationship, but because they were a non-member and didn't uphold church standards, which I'd kind of just broken up with my boyfriend for. Remember that judgmental mormon friend I mentioned? I remember venting to her about this over Facebook IM, crying because I wanted to be with this person so badly, but how could it possibly work out? And she said, "It can't. :("

Oh. Ohhh. How fucking dare you.

It can't? Why? Because the church said so, and obviously nothing in life, not even my own happiness, is as important as obeying the church? I swore a blood oath to sacrifice all my happiness to the church or else I would burst into flames? This girl was big on the mormons-policing-mormons thing. Here I am in pain over wanting someone I felt I couldn't have, and she feels that the most important thing to do is make sure I don't entertain further temptation to disobey the church. That's the issue here - your friend is having gay feelings and they need to remember that's not okay.

Ha ha ha ha ha! Fuck you!

My sister and I decided to tell our mom together that we would not go to church anymore. My sister posted about it on Facebook, and our piece of shit brother (12 yrs my senior, would have been 31 at the time) said "Congratulations, I'm sure your parents are really proud of you." Because he's incapable of saying anything not horrendous.

I started dating the person across the street. And the relationship that "couldn't" happen has been going on for ten years now. Still completely head over heels.

Sssssuck on that!!

In short, yes, having lots of non-member friends can and will lead you away from the church, but not with their wickedness. They will show you how wrong you were for thinking that they were wicked, and by extension, how wrong the church is. And if you pull one thread, the whole thing comes apart.

[kay-elle-cee]

James and Lily are auditioning for a the musical Wicked, well to be more precise it’s Lily that is auditioning with Sev, and James had to help with the set up because he was caught by the Dean of the university, McGonagall doing something mischievous and in order to get out from suspension his punishment is helping the theater students for the musical. (Cliche but it’s so fun)

Like an annoyance to friends to lovers trope (I don’t think they were ever enemies in the books).

Naturally, Sev doesn’t get the role and surprise it’s James. And Lily is annoyed because he doesn’t know anything about Musicals, let alone take things seriously because he’s always playing football with his friends and causing mischief.

But she’s in for a surprise because in reality James’ father Fleamont is the biggest broadway star to exist (once he heard his son was going to be in the play he cancelled his plans and flew over in order to see the musical) and he so happens to be Lily’s ideal, she thought it was a joke because Fleamont uses a different name and is very private about his family.

Then one day James had invited Lily over to his home to rehearse (slow burn, but also moment where Lily wants to kiss James) and the door burst open and it’s Fleamont and Euphemia.

Talk about first impressions!

Lily is shocked that Fleamont is in the same room as her and is unable to speak until the tension is broken by James. But it only cause his father to think that James is dating Lily, so it goes to the fake dating trope because James doesn’t want to disappoint his father and also because Fleamont isn’t in the best of health (heart problems). He doesn’t tell Lily this because he hates being pitied and absolutely doesn’t want sympathy, the only one who knows this is Sirius his best mate.

Weeks pass by, and James and Lily have formed a bond, even when they bicker they still enjoy each other’s presence. Lily has even went to James’ football games and out to dinner “not a date” but the vibes were there!

Everything is fine until, Sev begins drama and fakes an injury and blames it on James. The manipulation is so strong that Lily doesn’t know who to believe, also add into the fray how the boys feel like James has been ignoring them. Mostly it’s Peter that thinks this way and makes it his business to address this non-issues.

Tension is rising and it’s rocky between the lovebirds, but even through all the obstacles they are working together because of hat they feel for each other is simple wicked (yes, I had to).

A few days before l the play, is James isn’t going to rehearsal or even spending time with Lily, and she thinks he wants to break up but in reality it’s because his father’s health has been declining (possible he had a heart attack).

Lily wants to know the truth so she calls Sirius and he tells her what happens and then she rushes to the hospital and is there for James. She sees him under the stairs, in the most vulnerable state m, his face is stained with tears and his hair is messy than normal and his glasses are broken in his hands. A total mess but once he hears “James” from Lily’s mouth, he looks up at her and shakes his head and that’s when she hugs him and tells him that everything is going to be fine and and everything will be good, and that his father is a fighter.

And it is. The doctors say that his father is stable and will just need to stay for some time in the hospital, even though Fleamont was arguing about not missing the play, and regardless of doctors orders he will see his son on stage with the love of his life because it reminds him when he and Euphemia had meet all those years ago.

Fin.

I loved this! Happy endings all around! (I fear that seeing Lily and James perform "As Long As Your Mine" would give Fleamont another heart attack, though— those two would have trouble keeping it PG). I love the idea that Fleamont and Euphemia also met through similar circumstances in this.