#trailer trash vibes fit her

[centaurivee]

I do create a version of Bella for every Bill Moseley character I fall in love with by the way so when I drop a fic with her and Otis don't be surprised

[auras-moonstone]

Hello!!! Hru?! I hope your doing great!

I don't know if the requests are open but i know you're a swiftie and 1989 tv just came out and "Slut!" really reminds me of Jack, so could you do a story inspired by it? Just reader being famous (actress/singer, whatever you think fits) and she is being all love-sick by meeting and dating jack? And she even buy that "i love my boyfriend/girlfriend" t-shirts?

I hope you get my request and i love your writing!! You are the best <3 (And what's you favorite vault track?)

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ slut! — jack champion

ᡣ𐭩 word count: 1.9K

ᡣ𐭩 pairing: jack champion x actress!fem!reader

ᡣ𐭩 summary: y/n has to deal with the reputation that has been set on her by the media as she falls in love with jack, her co-star and best friend.

ᡣ𐭩 contents/warnings: mentions of slut-shaming. friends to lovers. instagram posts. fluff.

ᡣ𐭩 author’s note: hiii! <3 thanks for sending this request! when i heard the lyrics “in a world of boys he’s a gentleman” my brain just screamed JACK so i agree with you! and my fav vault tracks are slut and say don’t go <3

ever since y/n started working as an actress, the media has been merciless with her. maybe it was because despite having been in the industry for just a few short months, she was already working with remarkable directors and successful and iconic franchises. media had always had the tendency to bash successful women, and y/n was fully living that experience.

the point was, she didn’t want to give the media more things to trash her for, so she stayed unproblematic and silent. and yet, regardless of all that, they had managed put a reputation on her that was far from the truth.

y/n was kind and had a unique vibe. every co-star spoke highly about her and the media always managed to twist this by painting the picture that she was a “serial co-star dater.” it happened to her with every single movie or show she worked in, and people bought it blindly. the name-calling became part of her every-day life, and she would be lying if she said it didn’t affect her.

she swore she would never make the media be right, and so she set a strict rule—never ever date a co-star or be extra affectionate with them. it was a sad way of living, setting boundaries that were useless because reporters and haters always found a way, but she just wanted to do what she loved. she wanted to be remembered for her good acting and not for who she dated.

but then jack champion walked into the set, with his cringy yet amusing dad jokes and contagious smiles, to turn her world upside down. everything was so natural with him y/n didn’t even notice the way she started ignoring the rules until the scream filming was nearing its end and the thought of not seeing jack as often anymore made y/n’s chest hurt as if her heart was being ripped out.

and then the questions ran through her mind—what should she do? should she act normal, as if realisation hadn’t drawn on her? should she confront jack and ask if there was something more than friendship between them? or should she start putting distance before the feelings got deeper?

what she didn’t count on was that she didn’t need to say anything, jack was not only observant, he also knew her like the words to his favorite songs. he noticed how her head was up in space, how she seemed to be always deep in thoughts, distracted. something was consuming her mind, and it was driving jack insane.

“you’re acting weird. what’s going on?” jack finally asked her, pulling her aside on set. right behind the trailers where no one could bother them.

y/n tensed up. “what? nothing.”

“please, don’t play dumb. if there is someone you can’t fool is me.” jack said firmly. he missed his y/n, the girl who brought him comfort like a cozy warm blanket. “i miss you.”

“i’m here.” she said breathlessly.

“but are you?” he accused her. “something is going on, and it has to do with me.”

“what makes you say that?” y/n asked nervously.

“because you’re especially tense when i’m around.” he said sadly, and it broke y/n’s heart. her mind has been a mess, and she was unconsciously hurting jack. “did i do something wrong? please tell me, we can talk about it.”

y/n shook her head and before she knew it she was breaking down. jack didn’t hesitaste to pull her in. “i’m the problem. i’m sorry.”

“shhh, it’s okay. i’m here. don’t worry about it now, just take a deep breath. we don’t have to talk about it now, i’m here whenever you’re ready.” he spoke softly, rubbing her back slowly, to try and bring some calm.

they both sat on the ground, backs resting against the trailer. jack held y/n’s soft hands tightly, hoping it would give her the comfort she needed. he had never seen her in such state, and he was concerned.

“it’s nothing bad… i guess. it depends.” she said, reading the expression on the boy’s face, which grew more confused by her words. “i realized some things a few days ago, and they have been occupying my mind. i don’t know what to do with this. no matter what i do, it’s going to change things so i might as well be completely honest.”

jack nodded, pressing his lips on the crown of her head. “not going anywhere, y/n/n. no matter what you say, i can promise that.”

“you know the reputation that precedes me, right? i’ve told you about it.” jack frowned but nodded. “because of that, i’ve set this rule, that i wouldn’t let myself be affectionate with my co-stars. and i have sticked to that rule, until you.”

a knot formed on jack’s stomach. “so it’s about that? you want to put some distance?” god, he hated this. he hated to think about not being able to hold her, but he would give it up if it meant he got to keep her around.

“that’s the thing, jack. the reason why i have been acting so unlike me is because i’ve been trying to convince myself that putting distance would be the wise decision. but… if these days have proven anything is that it would be ultimate hell.”

“why didn’t you talk to me?”

“well, to be honest i was thinking what i should do. you just beat me to it because you know me better than anyone else.” she smiled and jack mirrored it. “that’s… that’s not everything i realized though.”

“okay, go on.”

“when the countdown to our last day on set started, i got this horrible feeling on my chest. the first thing that ran through my mind was that we wouldn’t see each other that often anymore and i felt this hole in my chest… it’s more than just missing a friend, jack. i would feel empty because i like you and you’ve become my person.”

jack’s jaw fell open and he was close to pinch himself just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. the times he has dreamt about this scenario… it felt too good to be real.

“but…” she continued. and reality hit the shore, putting an end to his short-lived hope. “i’m scared of what people might say. it’s still hard for me to not let what others think get into my head, and to even think about the hate that might come your way if we dated, makes me sick.” she shook her head and then her eyes widened. “my god, what am i even saying? i just assumed that you liked me back, i didn’t let you talk. god, this is embarrassing i’m so sorry.”

jack cupped her cheeks. “y/n, y/n, stop. breathe.” the girl nodded and closed her eyes until she was breathing normally again. “okay, now listen to me. if you’re not ready for a relationship, that’s fine. but if it’s because you’re scared of the hate comments towards me, let it go. i don’t care about them, i just care about you. okay?”

“yes…”

“good. i want to be your boyfriend, and if you’re not ready because of what the media might think then i have an idea.” y/n’s curious eyes look up to meet his. “i really like you, too, y/n/n. we can date in secret, to see how things go, and whenever you’re ready, we can tell everyone.”

“jack, that’s a lot to ask to you…”

“you aren’t asking me anything. i want to do this. i want to call you mine so bad—in secret, in public, however you want.”

y/n smiled through the tears. “are you sure?”

“one hundred percent, y/n. never been so sure about something.” he reassured her.

y/n couldn’t even recognize herself. two months ago she had been completely against the idea of being in a relationship and now she was utterly and unquestionably love-strucked.

she used to think she was doomed to being lovelorn because of the restrictions she had put in her relationships with other people. and now, there she was in bed, feeling lovesick just because she hadn’t seen her boyfriend in two days.

though those days helped her make the decision. the relationship between them was beautiful, it was a safe place, it was her main source of happiness. jack was everything to her and she was tired of loving him in the dark. he deserved to be loved out loud, in plain sight. she knew she was going to be the one to pay the price, but it was fine.

“you know there’s no rush, right?” jack assured her for the hundredth time. when y/n told him she wanted to make their relationship public, he remained calm (even though he was jumping on the inside) and sat her down to think it through.

y/n smiled widely. how could she not fall for him when in a world of boys he was a gentleman? “i love you, and if they call me a slut… you know, it might be worthy for once.”

“i love you, too.” he pulled her in for a kiss. “okay. let’s do this.”

“okay. i’m just warning you, i truly believe in the slang go big or go home.”

jack eyed her suspiciously. “spill.”

the girl smirked mischievously and went to grab a bag. “i made us special shirts.”

“lord save me.” jack sighed when he took the shirts out of the bag.

“you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.” y/n said

“you know i’m going to, anyways. like i’d ever be able to say no to your pretty face.”

enchantedliv um, just bumped into y/n y/l/n and jack champion 🥺 they were wearing matching shirts that pretty much confirmed their relationship ????

landrysghost what did the shirts say??

enchantesliv “i ❤️ my girlfriend.” and “i ❤️ my boyfriend.” THEY ARE SO CUTE AND WERE SO SWEET😫

user1 are we really surprised? that girl dates everyone she works with.

user2 he’s too good for her.

user3 she’s going to dump her once she meets her next co-star for sure lmaooo

user3 y’all are so jealous lmao. acting bitter just because you want him, that’s her only crime. there has never been any proof that she dated previous co-stars.

liked by jackchampion, misstrinitybliss, baileybass and 878,913 more.

y/n.y/l/n hi everyone! this is more than me saying i’m taken by the most gorgeous and kindest man on the planet. this is also me getting something off my chest. been wanting to for a while, so here we go!

since the beginning of my career i’d told myself to stay unproblematic which i mistook for never fight back or defend myself.

the media always said i dated too many co-stars—even though that’s completely false. i’ve never dated anyone i worked with (until now)—, so i set this stupid rule for myself: try not to be too friendly with my workmates. i was so scared of proving the media’s rumours right that i built this shell around me, never allowing myself to fully connect with people. and then, a couple of months ago i met jack. he made me forget about those limitations i so foolishly put.

i’m done giving anyone the power to hurt me. i’m done letting people think it’s okay to shame a woman for who they date or not.

i’ve been in a dark place for a long time, and i never noticed until my person walked into my life and showed me daylight. i’m doing better than i ever was now. i’m never staying silent again, i’m going to defend myself, my relationship and my boyfriend. always.

that was all for now, thanks for reading.

ps. i love you, jack. all i need is you <3 thanks for being the best boyfriend, best friend and person in the world.

jackchampion so so so proud of you. this brought tears to my eyes not gonna lie. you’re the sweetest ever i love you 💌 thanks for the shirt, by the way, matches my personality!

y/n.y/l/n you’re so silly😭 i love you more and intend to be cheesy forever 🫶🏻💖

jackchampion certainly no complaints from me!

[gretavanfunk]

Fighting Fire (Series)

Chapter Eleven

Word Count: 8,843

Summary: Stevie and Sam never seemed to be what people refer to as "two peas in a pod" growing up. He got under her skin more times than she could count and Sam was desperate to be on a level playing field as his older brother and Stevie's best friend, Jake. One summer, Sam is forced to face his demons and in turn, Stevie is too.

Warnings: smut, 18+, minors dni, explicit content

This story is written and edited by me and it is my baby so I hope some people out there can enjoy it as much as I enjoy creating it! If there are typos, bear with me lol

Chapter Eleven Playlist for the vibes!

It was bright and early on Saturday morning when Stevie found herself in the heaps of the dreaded task of cleaning out the garage storage. Last night, the group had taken the boat out and had a nice afternoon together on the water, but Sam suggested that they utilize the twins' help while they could.

Sam and Stevie were sitting at the bow of the boat, his arm firmly placed around her hips, holding her close to him. Jake was driving the boat back to the dock and Josh was sitting at the back, watching the ripples in the water behind them.

"We can get a lot of stuff done tomorrow with them here," Sam said and Stevie looked over at him, "Like what?"

"Well," he smiled, "I know you don't want to do the garage! We can make them do it."

Stevie laughed and shook her head, "We could ask them for help, sure."

Sam leaned forward on his elbow, turning to smile at her and instead of talking about it anymore, he pulled her into a kiss, earning some indistinct shouting from Jake behind them.

So, here they were. None of them had stayed up very late after making the plans for the morning. They got up around six and started working, deciding to combine the garage cleaning and the garage sale all in one.

Stevie had been dreading this only because of how much stuff she knew her dad kept in here. However, Sam might have had a point about the twins being helpful to them in this task because after about forty-five minutes of working, they had already made a pretty big dent in the items they were keeping and getting rid of.

Stevie was chucking some junk into a trash bag towards the back of the garage when she heard Sam gasp. She turned and found him ripping an old sheet off of her dad's piano.

"Oh man," Sam muttered and ran his hand along the old, damaged wood of her father's piano, "What a beauty!"

She smiled at him and turned back to what she was doing, but stopped again when he spoke, "I gotta get this fixed up!"

Stevie watched him and chuckled, "For what, Sam? That thing is a piece of junk."

Sam opened the piano up to look at the keys and smiled, shaking his head, "Yeah, but it's my piece of junk, Stevie. I'm calling dibs!"

He pressed on a few keys lightly and looked at her, "Besides, I know a guy."

"A guy out in Nashville?" Stevie pestered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sam nodded, "Mhmm, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind making a trip!"

"You really wanna keep that thing?" Stevie laughed and he looked at her with wide eyes, "Of course I do! I might even get a U-Haul to take it home! Or should I keep it here? What do you expect me to play when I'm here with you, Stephanie?"

The sentiment made her body tense, thinking about Sam coming back to visit her. Part of her was delighted by the possibility, and part of her was very unsure how to feel. It sounded as if they were exclusive and she didn't know what she thought about that. She was scared to get into a serious relationship, especially considering everything that happened the last few days.

She made a face and shook her head, "Maybe a piano that isn't falling apart?"

Sam scoffed, "Please! It's great! Don't even worry about it!"

Jake's voice behind her caused Stevie to jump, momentarily forgetting he was there too, "We will probably need a U-Haul or a trailer or something though! We can't fit all this stuff in the Jeep!"

"Jesus," Stevie clutched her chest, "I forgot you were here!"

"That'll happen sometimes with him," Sam chuckled and Josh chimed in too, "Too occupied with tunnel vision, hmm?"

"Gross and offensive," Jake muttered, "Focus, people! We have so much to do!"

Josh grabbed onto Stevie's arm, pulling her away from Sam and out of the garage to where he had been working on the set up for their garage sale.

"What do you think?" Josh asked and Stevie looked around, nodding.

There were a couple of tables with smaller items lined up in a very organized way. Josh had lined up some of the bigger items next to the tables and Stevie smiled at how much he focused on details.

"It looks great, Josh," she exclaimed, "Let's just hope people actually show up to this."

"Don't worry," he patted her back, "I've been listing everything on Facebook Marketplace as I've been setting them out."

"Oh," she looked at him with wide eyes, "Are you sure that's a good idea to do publicly since you postponed your tour?"

Josh shook his head and laughed, "Not on my profile, Stevie! On yours, of course!"

"Oh, okay," Stevie chuckled, "So you're just hacking me now."

"Better you than me," Josh smiled and pat her on the back.

Josh found his spot on a chair close by the tables and he kept his eye out for anyone who would stop to take a look at things while Stevie returned to her duties inside the garage with Jake and Sam. When she would say her dad had hundreds of things in the garage, she wasn't kidding. There were multiple shelves housing books on so many different topics: history, music, religion, philosophy, cars, sports, you name it.

She brought out boxes and boxes with all of his books, deciding against keeping any of them, and then she cleaned up the bookshelves and Jake helped her carry them out to the sale as well. Sam was now organizing all of the stuff they decided to keep which wasn't very much. Stevie was pretty impressed by her ability to let a lot of this stuff go, but she figured having the twins with her helped with that.

The canoes, the piano, all of the fishing and camping supplies, a tote full of photo albums and artwork and some back up supplies for the boat were the only things that Stevie was holding onto. Sam was rearranging where things went, minus the canoes that remained strapped to the wall. Stevie was wiping surfaces down when Sam smacked the tote down and popped it open. She watched him for a moment as he took a photo album out and opened it carefully.

She felt her cheeks flush when she watched him smile at it. It's not as if he hadn't seen whatever pictures were in there before, but the change in the context of their relationship made this scene a lot more emotionally loaded for her. She watched him as he took a sharp breath in through his nose, silently chuckling at a photo, but she kept cleaning and smiled to herself.

"Having fun over there?" she asked and he looked up at her, still smiling, "These pictures are adorable."

Stevie laughed, "Dad had my grandma's knack for photo albums."

She set the disinfecting wipes down and walked over to him, "Which one is that?"

"Hmm," Sam smirked, "Must be high school."

Stevie looked down at the album and saw the photo that Sam was chuckling at and her eyes widened at it. It was a photo of them. Just the two of them. It was puzzling for her to see it because there weren't very many times that Sam and Stevie hung out just the two of them back then.

However, in this photograph, their arms were over each other's shoulders, both making funny faces while their faces were painted and they were decked out in their high school colors, sitting in the stands at one of Jake's soccer games. Stevie was probably a freshman in this photo while Sam was in seventh grade. She laughed loudly at the sight of them, both looking ridiculously awkward with braces and weird haircuts.

"Oh my God," Stevie said and Sam laughed, "Yeah, kinda crazy!"

"What a rare piece of history," she snorted and he nodded, "Yeah, a picture of just you and me together? Pretty rare."

Stevie looked up at him and smiled, scrunching her nose a bit, "Well, that can change."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows and a small smile, "It better."

Stevie stood up on her toes and grabbed his arm, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on," she patted the photo album, "We can look at these later. Right now, we've gotta sweep this place out."

Sam rolled his eyes playfully, but he shut the book, tossing it back into the tote and closing it up before lifting it up onto a shelf. Stevie passed him a broom and she went back to where she was standing previously, grabbing the wipes and moving on.

Once Sam and Stevie were done with the cleaning, he went inside to wash up and make lunch and Stevie walked out to where the twins were, checking in on how everything was going. When she got there, she noticed Jake talking to one of the locals about one of the instruments that they weren't taking home with them.

"Hey man," Jake laughed, "You're not about to lowball me. This thing is one of a kind! The price is firm!"

She laughed at the sight of Jake trying to hustle this guy and she shook her head, walking over to them.

"Hey there," she said, "Jake, relax. I'll take twenty-five off of the price."

"Thank you," the man smiled, "I'll take it!"

Jake glared at her as she took the man's cash and he walked away with a mandolin.

"Stevie, what the hell?" Jake said, "I almost had him!"

She rolled her eyes and smiled, "Jake, I appreciate it, really. However, I'm trying to get this stuff out of here, so it's not a big deal."

He hummed and threw his hands up in defense, "Fine, fine! I hope that guy has a great day 'cause he just robbed you!"

Stevie laughed and shoved Jake lightly, "Go get some water, Jacob."

Jake stuck his tongue out at her and went inside the house. Stevie sat beside Josh, handing him the cash and Josh smiled, tucking it away into the cash box.

"You've already sold a few things on Facebook too," Josh said, "But, I told them they're gonna have to come pick the stuff up today so we'll see if that happens."

Over the next couple of hours, Sam brought out sandwiches for everyone and they all hung out, sitting around while people came and went. Sam had brought Rosie out with him and they ran around for a while too, Stevie enjoying the sight of him just having fun.

"You two are awfully coupley after not knowing what you are like what," Josh scratched his chin, "thirty-two hours ago?"

Stevie narrowed her eyes at him, hugging her legs to her chest, "Can I not just admire him without it meaning something?"

Jake laughed, almost choking on his sandwich, "No, you can't. It's Sam. Admiring him definitely means something."

Stevie rolled her eyes, mumbling something to herself and Jake stared at her for a second, waiting for her to stop acting like a teenager.

"Just date him for fuck's sake," Jake muttered, "What's the point in not telling him how you feel?"

"Well what if I don't know how I feel?" Stevie protested and Jake rolled his eyes, "Give me a fucking break, Stevie. You literally can't stop stealing glances at him anytime you can."

"Didn't you just punch him in the face for kissing me? Why are you suddenly pressuring me to label it?" Stevie glared and Jake smiled.

He gestured his hand to his younger brother who was now laying in the grass with his dog, "You're also the one who told me you wanted him. What are you waiting around for?"

Stevie sighed, not able to hold back a smile when she looked back at Sam and she took in a sharp breath.

Stevie tried to regulate her face before turning to Jake, "I'm just hesitant to dive right in, ya know? I want to hold on to what things are like right now before a label goes on to change it."

Jake stared at her blankly, physically revealing that he did not understand what she was saying.

Josh then chimed in, "That's fair. Sometimes labeling it can complicate things and I don't blame you for being hesitant."

Stevie clapped her hands together and gestured to Josh with a smile, "Thank you!"

"But, you do have to consider it," Josh continued with a small laugh, "Do you want whatever this is with Sam to just be a summer thing or not? He's going to go home and get back on the road at some point and you've gotta decide what that means for you, missy."

"God! Since when did you guys decide to fucking grill me all the time?" Stevie rested her chin on her hands and huffed in irritation.

"Since you started fucking our brother," Jake snapped back and Stevie gasped, hitting him lightly while Jake fought back a fit of laughter.

"Jesus Christ, Jake!"

"Just hoping you're thinking about this," Josh patted her back, "Cause you're really playing with fire when it comes to Sam's feelings, Stevie."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, "I know that, Josh. I can really like him without making him my boyfriend though, can't I?"

"Yeah, I guess you can," Josh laughed, "I'm just picking your brain about it. Be careful."

"Seriously, Stevie," Jake sighed, "He's improved so much since the last time I saw him and I'm not saying that's all because of you, but if you rip his heart out, we will all be back to square one."

"I'm not a fucking monster," Stevie gasped, "I don't want to rip his heart out! I'm just proceeding with caution, that's all."

Stevie sat back in her chair and sighed aggressively, "Besides! A lot of his meltdown had to do with extreme burnout! Not me! And I have good reasons for hesitating, given my history."

Jake looked at her and grinned, "I know, Steve. Relax, I'm just messing with you."

"But seriously," Josh sighed, "The conversation about where you stand will come up and I just hope you'll be ready when it does."

"Jeez," Stevie laughed, slugging Josh in the arm playfully, "Why do you have to make it sound so eerie?"

Josh held his hands up but was laughing loudly and shrugged, "The dramatics, they never leave."

Stevie shook her head and stood up, deciding to go hang out with Sam and Rosie instead.

For not having advertised any of this beforehand, they sold almost everything. They were only left with the boxes of books and bookshelves by the time they decided to throw in the towel.

Jake and Sam carried the bookshelves into the garage while Stevie carried the boxes of books and Josh started to break down the tables.

Once everything was cleaned up, they all went inside and Sam sighed, flopping himself onto the couch.

"So," he proclaimed, "What do you guys wanna do with your last night here?"

"I'm fucking tired," Jake admitted with a yawn and Josh nodded, "Yeah, maybe something a little lowkey?"

"Movie night?" Stevie grinned wide and leaned forward in between the twins, looking back and forth at them excitedly.

Jake laughed, roughing up her hair with his hand and nodded, "Yeah, I'm down for that."

"Great! You guys pick," Stevie squeezed their shoulders and turned on her foot to the kitchen, getting ready to make some frozen pizzas and Sam popped in too.

"No," Stevie pointed to him and shook her head, "Do not try to help me, Sam. You already do everything around here."

"Oh, come on," Sam whined, "Let me help you!"

"I literally do not even need any help," Stevie laughed, "This is so simple, anyone can do it."

"Fine," Sam pouted and he scooted a chair out from the dining room table, "Then at least let me watch you."

"Freak," Stevie made a face and laughed. She walked over to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him to stand up again.

"Actually, I do need you to do something," Stevie said and Sam raised his eyebrows in anticipation, "I need you to go claim the couch for us! I know Jake is gonna try to sit there cause he doesn't like the lounge chairs."

The most mischievous smile spread across Sam's face and he grabbed her face in his hands quickly, kissing her for a moment and chuckling when he pulled away, "Finally! My time has come!"

"Not if he's already sitting there," Stevie laughed and Sam let go of her, turning on his foot quickly and heading out to the living room again.

When he rounded the corner into the living room, Jake was on his way to the couch but Sam panicked, taking off in a sprint to beat him. Sam jumped onto the sofa spread eagle and almost knocked into his brother, causing Jake to widen his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jake asked and Sam was face down in a couch cushion mumbling back, "Reserving the couch."

"Come on," Jake huffed, "The chairs aren't as comfy, Sam."

Sam lifted his head and smiled at Jake, still catching his breath, "That's too fucking bad, isn't it?"

Jake rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, not swayed by Sam to sit somewhere else and Sam huffed, rolling his eyes too.

"Jake, there's a bean bag chair in the room Josh is staying in. Just use that!"

"Fine," Jake shook his head and turned around, walking upstairs.

Sam flipped himself over and laid very still, not trusting that Jake wouldn't try to weasel his way onto the couch once he came back. Once Stevie had put the pizzas in the oven, she found her way to him, chuckling at the sight of him laying so still.

"Why do you look terrified?" she questioned, causing him to jump at the sound of her voice.

"I was saving your spot," Sam sighed and sat up, giving her space to sit down.

"Okay, but you could breathe ya know," Stevie laughed, settling in beside him and looking over at Josh who was sat cross-legged, still flipping through the big binder her dad had full of movies. He didn't even bother looking up at them as he spoke.

"You should of seen him launch himself into the sofa, Stevie," Josh giggled, "It was like Mission Impossible."

Stevie smiled and looked over at Sam who bit his lip and shook his head, "Hey, maybe we should watch Mission Impossible!"

"Uh, no," Stevie interjected and Sam laid his head back against the sofa, leaning slightly to look at her, "Well, I'll tell ya what we aren't watching!"

Stevie hummed in response, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow to him.

"The fucking Hunger Games," Sam replied with a small smile on his lips.

Stevie scoffed, "Maybe we can start at the beginning so you'll know what the hell is going on!"

Josh shook his head and interrupted their banter, "Nope! Too sad!"

He pulled a disk out of the sleeve and held it up and smiled, "But this one is perfect!"

"What is it?" Sam asked and Stevie saw the writing on the disk that said "A River Runs Through It".

"Absolutely not," she protested, "That movie is so sad, Josh!"

Josh scoffed and shook his head, "It is not sad! It's a beautiful film about brotherhood and life!"

Stevie rolled her eyes, "No! If we're vetoing The Hunger Games, we're vetoing A River Runs Through It!"

"Haven't seen either one," Sam shrugged and chuckled at their bickering.

"Fine," Josh sighed and put the disk back but he was quick to pull out another one, "What about Dirty Dancing?"

"I can get behind Dirty Dancing," Stevie nodded and Sam groaned, "You guys like the stupidest movies."

"Dirty Dancing is a classic," Stevie elbowed him and he laughed, "Whatever."

"It's not like you're even gonna be focused on the movie anyway," Josh laughed, "You're too busy in la la land over there."

Sam flipped him off and before Stevie or Josh could further tease him, Jake came into the room holding a bean bag chair that was almost as big as he is. He threw it onto the floor with a huff and plopped down, settling into it.

"Did you pick a movie?" Jake asked and Stevie just laughed at how nonchalantly he entered the room.

Josh nodded, "Dirty Dancing."

"Nice," Jake muttered and Sam gasped, "What? Even you like this movie?"

Jake looked at Sam with a questioning look and he shrugged, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner, Sam."

Sam fluttered his eyes, gawking at Jake in shock and Stevie patted his shoulder, "You'll get it when the movie is over."

While Josh got up and was putting the movie in the DVD player, the timer on the oven went off and Stevie hopped up, prancing into the kitchen to take them out. She set them all on the stove top to cool and went into the fridge, gathering beers for everyone. Stevie fixed up everyone a plate and they all settled in with their pizza, beers and Josh started the movie.

Stevie took the rare occurrence of silence among the four of them to take in the moment. She smiled to herself glancing at each of them focusing on the screen and if her dad were here with them, it'd feel just like it did when they were all teenagers. Sam glanced at her and smiled when he saw her smile.

He tilted his head in confusion, "Everything okay over there?"

She looked at him quickly with tinted cheeks and she nodded, lightly laughing, "Never better."

After they were done with the pizza, Sam offered to take the plates into the kitchen but Stevie refused, mouthing off to him about how he had never seen this movie so he can't miss any of it. Josh ended up interjecting and cleaning up instead, so Sam laid back on the couch grabbing Stevie's waist as she was in the middle of protesting Josh's work and he pulled her back onto him, grabbing a blanket and tossing it over them haphazardly.

She laughed at his efforts and settled into him, curling up onto his chest and fixing the blanket over them. Sam's hands rest on her back and her arms wrapped around him. His skin was hot to the touch and he felt snuggly, instantly making Stevie smile softly. She listened with her ear pressed against his chest and his heart sounded as if it would beat out of his chest, causing her to smile wider.

Sam always made his flirting and affection towards Stevie look easy, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous as hell all the time. As much as he loved sneaking around with Stevie and the physicality of their relationship thus far, he was really relieved that it wasn't a secret anymore. That's why his heart was pounding, because here he was, with the person he truly believed he could love forever in his arms and his brothers just sitting there like it was any other day.

For years he had wished it could be just like this. Her head on his chest, Jake and Josh completely unbothered. Now that it was, Sam felt at ease. For the first time in a long time, everything in his mind completely stilled like the sun peeking through clouds after a storm. But, his heart was racing because he had never cared more about anything. If he made one wrong move, everything could change just as quickly as it all started.

Not that he ever even imagined doing anything to ruin this, but the thought made him extremely anxious anyway. On top of that, what if she ever changed her mind? While it helped that it was all out in the open, he still wasn't entirely sure how she felt. Besides saying she liked him. That could change in seconds too.

Stevie erupted in laughter at something in the movie and he felt her shaking against him. He smiled down at her and decided to let his stream of thought go, focusing on the moment they were in now. He might not have cared at all about this movie, but he wanted to pay attention to something that seemed to be something she liked. He rubbed her back lightly and his heart fluttered when her grip around him tightened.

As the movie went on, Sam noticed Stevie pressing into him a little bit more than before and he sat up a bit and looked down at her, noticing that she had fallen asleep. He smiled and swiped his hand over her forehead, pushing her hair out of her face. He wanted to keep her there and didn't want to disturb her. However, when the credits started rolling and the twins both stretched and got up out of their seats, he knew she would be upset if they didn't all say goodnight. Sam pressed a kiss on the top of Stevie's head and rubbed her back softly, trying in the nicest way possible to wake her up.

"Stevie," Sam whispered, "Wake up, babe."

Jake walked over and pretended to gag before he grabbed Stevie's shoulder and shook her, "Steve! Wake up!"

"Hey, asshole!" Sam chuckled and Jake flipped him off, "Oh please, she's obsessed with you already, Sam. No need to be Mr. Gentle all the time."

"Still! Don't scare her awake, you dick," Sam shook his head and Stevie yawned, opening her eyes and looking up at Jake.

"No," she whined, "Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes, you did," Jake laughed, "And now we're going to bed so I wanted to say goodnight."

"Boo!" Stevie frowned and stretched, getting up off of Sam, "But after we sleep then you have to leave!"

"It's probably better that we leave you two alone," Josh chuckled as he approached them and stood beside Jake, "You clearly have things to do."

Jake made a face and looked at Josh with a frown, "Don't be a fucking freak."

Stevie laughed and she stood up, giving each of them a hug.

"Fine! Goodnight!" Stevie sighed and Jake rustled her hair, "Don't be sad! We'll have breakfast together tomorrow morning before we leave!"

He kissed the top of her head and Stevie nodded, "Okay, okay. Sweet dreams! I love you!"

"Love you," Jake smiled, letting her go and yawning before turning to go up stairs following Josh.

Stevie looked down at Sam and smiled, reaching her hand out to him, "Come on."

Sam smiled up at her and grabbed her hand but just as she began to pull him up, he yanked on her hand and pulled her back onto him. She grunted and hit his chest, "Sam! Come on, let's go to bed."

"Can we just stay here for a second?" Sam asked, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer to him, cuddling into her.

"Yeah, I guess so," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him again, "It's nice, isn't it?"

"So nice," Sam sighed, resting his cheek on her head softly, "I could stay here forever if it was socially acceptable."

Stevie smiled, but she didn't say anything further, leaving Sam questioning if she felt the same way he did, but she was still holding onto him and right now, that was enough for him. After a moment, Stevie lifted her head to look at him and she grinned, searching his face and taking a moment just to enjoy it.

"Ya know, if someone had told me that we'd be here like this a month ago," Stevie began and her smile widen, "I probably would've tried to punch them in the face."

Sam laughed loudly and nodded, "Which is reasonable."

"But, as surprising as it is," Stevie reached her hand up to his face, "I'm really glad that we are here."

Sam lowered his hands to the back of her thighs, pulling them forward and causing her to yelp with a string full of giggles. Sam sat up a bit, inching his face closer to hers and planting a kiss on her lips roughly. He didn't have words for the way it felt to hear her say something like that, but he figured kissing her was enough.

Stevie kissed him back and just as she was trying to pull away, Sam brought her back in, making her laugh and mumble against his mouth.

"Sam," She said and he hummed against her, continuing to kiss her and she pulled back. This time, he let her go.

"Let's go to bed, babe."

"But it's so far," Sam whined and Stevie chuckled, pushing her hands against his chest and lifting herself off of him and standing up.

"Suit yourself," Stevie shrugged, "But I know my bed is a lot comfier than the couch."

"Good luck sleeping without me next to you," Sam doubled down, turning over on his side and snuggling into the throw pillow.

She scoffed and crossed her arms, "Puh-lease! See you in five minutes."

She turned around and headed towards the stairs and Sam looked over his shoulder to see that she was actually leaving him there.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "Wait for me!"

Stevie heard Sam scramble to his feet and she chuckled, turning around to wait for him to catch up to her.

"I can't believe you were just gonna leave me on the couch by myself," Sam gasped when he reached her, grabbing at her waist and she laughed, "I can't believe you thought I would have any problem with just leaving your ass there."

He grinned and shrugged, "Good point."

He took her hand and lead her up the stairs to her bedroom, which was beginning to look more and more like her space after this weekend. Minus the very important decor upgrade it needed, of course. It was definitely beginning to smell less and less like her dad.

Stevie felt bad for thinking it, but with the full house and the twins here to help get so much of the work done, she didn't even really think about her dad for the last few days. Which overall was kind of a nice break from thinking about him constantly for months on end. Of course, there was the occasional sentimental moment that one of them would bring up when they found something in the house or in the garage, but it didn't feel the way it felt when she first arrived to the house.

It felt a lot more peaceful now.

Maybe she was too distracted by Sam and that was to blame. Or maybe she was forced to face his space and his stuff and she could actually be healing? Either way, she felt better so that's all that really mattered to her. Plus, with Sam's skin on her skin, it was hard to think about anything else.

Now, they were both perched on their knees on top of the bed, Sam's fingers lightly brushed her navel, gripping the hemline of her shirt, pushing it up and pulling it over her head as she smiled and lifted her arms for him to remove it. This was the first time that Sam wasn't so quick with his movements and the way he looked so focused at her made her think he was taking his time deliberately.

Sam was, in fact, taking his time. He never did complain about a steamy secret hookup, or a desperate exchange and he never would dare to. However, he didn't want to just fuck each other to sleep. He wanted to love her. He wanted something he could hold onto and remember in case this didn't last forever. It probably sounded stupid. Maybe even a little weird, but the way Stevie was smiling with her nose scrunched a little and her cheeks tinted pink, he knew she enjoyed the fullness of his attention.

It didn't take Stevie long to catch on to Sam's pacing and she was slow in her actions too, leaning forward slightly and touching the edge of his shirt, only letting her hands slide up underneath it and feel his skin. Sam let out a deep breath, only flinching slightly at her cold touch. Stevie's lips curved up at this but she didn't say anything, only scooting herself closer to him.  Sam swiftly grabbed at the back of his shirt, pulling his shirt over his head so they were even.

Stevie then popped off her bra and the two of them sat there, smiling softly. Sam took a moment to just look at her before he held her hips, pushing her back onto the bed. He looked down at her and smiled lovingly before kissing her gently. When he pulled away, Stevie's face was flushed and she bit the inside of her cheek.

"This is different," Stevie admitted and Sam hummed, "Just a little change of pace, baby. I'm multi-talented."

She snickered and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, leading him back to her lips. He kissed her deeply, deeper than he ever had. Stevie was quickly lost in it. Anytime they were together, Stevie had a hard time focusing on anything else, but this kiss completely consumed her. It was gentle and soft, but was dripping with desperation. She had never been kissed like this.

His hands started on her hips but they were exploring every curve of her body, soft to the touch. He clutched her shorts, tugging them slightly and she lifted her hips to help him take them off. Sam backed away from her, tossing her shorts off of the bed and scooting back away from her. He hooked his arms under her legs and pulled her closer to him and her breath caught in her throat. When he lowered himself down and settled his head in between her legs, she gasped quietly and sat up quickly.

Stevie grabbed his face, lifting it to look at her, "Sam, wait! Are you sure you want to do that?"

Sam tilted his head, eyebrows knitted together and a small questioning smile on his lips, "Uh, Stevie? I've been pretty fucking sure of this for a long time."

She grinned, cheeks heating but worry washed over her features again and Sam lifted himself a little, still holding onto her legs, "You okay?"

"It's just uh," Stevie sighed, running her hand through her hair, "Nobody has ever..."

Sam's eyes widened and he sat up a little straighter, clearing his throat, "Um, I'm sorry. Nobody?"

Sam was more than surprised. He was actually very shocked. In his mind, Stevie always was a girl who could have anything she wanted, just with the bat of an eyelash. This was the first time he was seeing that maybe that was just because he was the one that would do anything she wanted. He had to admit, however, that seeing her so nervous made him feel like his heart was about to explode. It was cute. So ridiculously cute even, he almost forgot about how shocking this new development was.

She felt her face become aflame and she shook her head, "Um, no."

Sam couldn't help but chuckle slightly, stopping himself to avoid her feeling even more weird about it.

He shook his head, "You mean to tell me that you dated the same guy for six years and he never once went down on you?"

Stevie shrugged, "No, not even once."

Sam raised his eyebrows and laughed, "But you went down on him, right? 'Cause I know you've definitely done it before, from experience."

She laughed at him and shrugged again, "Yeah, I mean, of course I did."

"What a cunt," Sam rolled his eyes.

He rubbed her legs gently and softened his eyes, "Do you want me to?"

Stevie bit her lip, not sure on how to respond. The sight of him so eager between her legs made her feel so intensely that the answer was obviously yes, but she wasn't sure if she should just skip ahead.

Sam picked up on her nerves and continued, "Because personally, I really, really want to."

Stevie bit her lip and smiled, "Okay, yeah. I want you to."

Sam reached up and kissed her lips, pushing her onto her back again.

"Take a deep breath, honey," Sam whispered, "Just enjoy."

Sam resumed his previous position and Stevie adjusted herself against the pillow below her head, looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath. Physical intimacy never made her this nervous before, but this was uncharted territory and it felt so... personal.

She wasn't expecting the surprise that came over her when Sam's tongue lapped against her the first time. It was warm. Warmer than she imagined it would be and Sam was hesitant at first, trying to ease Stevie into it. He peppered kisses on her inner thighs and ran his tongue between her folds a few times, feeling her body relax after becoming used to having him there.

Then, he switched focuses onto her clit, wanting nothing more than to hear her angelic voice. He buried his face a little closer to her, flicking his tongue against her at a steady pace. She gasped at the feeling. It was unlike anything she ever felt before and she was a little too nervous to look down at him, but she did and she was glad. His eyes looked back at her, more intensely than they ever had and without thinking, her hands flew into his hair.

"Oh fuck," she whispered, "Keep going!"

He groaned against her in response and she moaned, overwhelmed by the feeling. Sam quickened his pace, switching between his tongue, and sucking on her and he smiled when Stevie started to wiggle against him, arching her back.

"Fuck, Sam," Stevie panted, "I'm gonna come!"

Sam held onto her tighter, and she tried scooting away, but he never lost contact. He was getting a little tired, but he had her right where he wanted her and he thought about it for a moment, before using a trick from Stevie.

He started humming a song while trying to keep an even rhythm with his tongue, which proved itself a little bit difficult. However, Stevie started to move her hips against him and he smiled, feeling her legs shake.

"Holy fucking shit," Stevie sighed, letting herself fuck Sam's face until she settled from her high, laying still and gasping for breath. Sam was wearing a whimsical grin when he got up, grabbing his t-shirt and wiping his face on it. Stevie opened her eyes and realized that she pretty much rode his face and she gasped, "Oh my god, I'm sorry."

"Ha!" Sam chuckled, "Do not apologize to me. That was the hottest thing I've ever seen."

She laughed and shook her head, "That was unlike anything I've ever felt in my life."

Sam laughed, crawling up to lay down beside her and pulling on her hips until they were in a spooning position, "You don't want to feed my ego too much."

She sighed, pushing herself against him and taking a deep breath, "Don't worry, I would never."

"Although, you don't really have to," Sam pressed a kiss into her shoulder blade, "You kind of stole the show with that."

Stevie felt Sam's erection pressed against the lower of her back and she smiled, wiggling her ass a bit against it, making him hiss.

"Babe," Sam muttered, "Please, this isn't about me."

"Oh, I think it is," Stevie snickered, "Wouldn't want to be selfish."

"No," Sam sighed, wrapping his arms around her tighter, "I just wanted to make you come tonight."

"And I want to make you come," Stevie protested, "Come on, baby, put it in."

Sam laughed lightly and Stevie felt his breath hot on her neck.

"Sam," Stevie whined, "We don't even have to move! Just fuck me like this."

"Awww," Sam teased, "You're tired, huh?"

She laughed and nodded, "Exhausted, but I'll still do some work, babe."

She reached her arm behind her, grabbing onto his thigh and feeling the fabric of his shorts, "Come on, take these off."

"Alright, alright!" Sam giggled, "Since you're fucking begging!"

"I am not," Stevie rolled her eyes, "You wanna hear begging?"

Sam stilled himself, raising an eyebrow and nervous to respond, "And if I do?"

"Hmmm," Stevie smiled, thrilled that Sam couldn't even see her face, "I'd probably say something like pretty please?"

Sam laughed, "You can do better than that."

Stevie immediately moved her hand farther down between them, grabbing his dick tightly and making him jump.

"Damn, doesn't that hurt your arm?" Sam jested and Stevie ignored him, "Sam, I need you inside me, now."

He laughed, "That's not really begging, is it? More like demanding."

She let go of him, bringing her arms forward and crossing them over her chest, "Fine, suit yourself. I'm going to sleep just fine."

"I will too, thank you very much," Sam muttered, snuggling into her and she rolled her eyes. Stevie made it a point to keep moving every few seconds, trying to create some friction against him and after about a minute of this, Sam groaned, "Jesus fucking Christ, Stevie!"

He loosened his grip around her, pushing her away from him and she grinned to herself when she heard him shuffling around, wiggling out of his shorts.

Without any warning, Sam grabbed her leg, pushing it up and spreading her just enough to push himself into her. She sighed, relieved that she had won. Their brief little power trip argument didn't steer Sam clear of his plan to be intentional with making love to her. He didn't move very aggressively, thrusting into her gently and slowly.

"Is that better, baby?" Sam whispered, "Want me to fuck you so lazily like this? Nice and slow?"

Stevie just hummed, too focused on what he was doing to speak and he kissed her neck with multiple small kisses.

"Hmm," Sam continued, "Cat's got your tongue all of a sudden?"

She groaned, "Shut up, Sam."

He laughed, and pulled her closer to him, reaching his arm around her to grab her chest, massaging her softly and keeping his pace, wanting to last longer than he had been recently. However, because he was taking his time so much this time around, it was hard not to notice how much more he could feel her. They both were hot to the touch and because of the events only moments before, she felt more wet than she ever had. Sam's breathing was heavy, trying not to make it so obvious by how quickly he was already unraveling.

But Stevie could sense this, in the way the pads of his fingers dug into her skin a little bit harder and the way she could feel the breath escape his nose at an unusual pace. So, she grabbed his wrist, moving her hips against his own movements.

"Come on, Sammy," Stevie sighed, "I wanna hear you, babe."

"Shit, Stevie," he groaned loudly, "You're so fucking wet, I can't focus."

"Mmm," Stevie whimpered a little, letting her own facade slip a little, "You feel so good, Sam. Like you were made for me."

"Fuck, Stevie," Sam panted, "You can't say shit like that."

She craned her neck to try and face him, although she wasn't very successful, "Even if it's true?"

"Oh God," Sam grunted, clutching onto her tighter and thrusting faster.

"Mmhmm," Stevie smiled, "You're perfect, Sammy baby."

Sam's hand reached up to her shoulder, holding onto her and pulling his dick out of her, moaning rather pathetically. Stevie smiled, imagining what he looked like behind her and she bit her lip as she listened to his breathing even out.

Then, Sam giggled and she giggled too. He let go of her and smacked his lips, "Well, I'll be right back."

Sam got off the bed and Stevie laughed, turning around and watching him scurry himself to the bathroom. When he shut the door, Stevie sighed and reached out to where his body was moments before. She smiled and closed her eyes, feeling whole and a bit embarrassed for how much she wanted him to come back so quickly.

Sam looked at himself in the mirror for a moment when he was done cleaning up and he couldn't even try to stop himself from smiling. Stevie's words replayed in his head. She said it was true, but she could've just been saying that in the heat of the moment. However, he thought about what came next.

"You're perfect"

Nothing had ever made him feel so validated and loved. Even with thousands of fans screaming at him at every show, he had never felt the way he felt right now. He was just standing here in the locked bathroom, smiling at himself like an idiot and feeling childishly giddy. He took a deep breath and rand his hands through his hair before leaving the bathroom and making his way back to the bed. He saw Stevie laying there with her eyes closed and a smile on her lips and he smiled too, laying his hand on top of hers gently.

She opened her eyes, taking in a sharp breath and she chuckled, "Oh, you're back!"

"I'm back," Sam winked, "Now let's go to sleep, darling."

Sam lifted her arm and took his place beside her, draping the covers over them softly. He held her hips, pulling her close to him and kissing her forehead, "Goodnight, baby. Sweet dreams."

She hummed, wrapping her arms around his torso and nuzzling her face into his chest, "Goodnight, my love."

The pet name made Sam's heart jump to his throat quickly. All she did was say the word. That's all she said. Well, two words. My. Love. People say it all the time when they're fooling around. God knows he's been given that name quite a few other times. But this time? From her? It meant something entirely different than it ever did before. Did she mean it the way he had hoped she meant it? Did she love him the way that he so consumingly loved her?

Sam let out an uneasy breath and after an amount of time that to him, felt like an eternity, he whispered, "I love you."

She didn't respond, she just laid against him, breathing deeply and Sam bit his lip as he nervously eyed her sleeping body. He kissed the top of her head and closed his own eyes, begging for sleep to come.

The next morning, Stevie woke up first, before the sun was even fully up. The sky outside was a soft shade of indigo, giving the room a blue tint. It was earlier than she was used to waking up, but that was probably due to the uneasy sleep she got after hearing what Sam confessed to her last night.

She didn't say anything in the moment and decided that fabricating sleep was the best way to go. Things just mellowed out! She didn't want to start any fights up again just because she was nervous about something that she already knew. It wasn't any surprise to her that Sam loved her. She knew that he did and technically, this wasn't even the first time he said it. He literally confessed to her that he had been head-over-heels in love with her for years. But, removed from the heat of the moment argument that they were in the first time he said it, it felt different. Now, she was sure that he meant it and the thought of that scared her.

She looked at his sleeping face and smiled nervously. She liked Sam. She really, really liked Sam, but she wasn't ready to confirm whether or not she loved him. Yes, while everything was settling down and working out, she still had a lot to figure out and so did he! He had only been going to therapy for a few weeks and both of them had a lot of work to do to the house and to themselves.

On the other hand, she couldn't lie and say that hearing him whisper it to her last night made her heart want to explode over and over again. She took a deep breath at the memory and she began to slowly roll herself away and out of Sam's grasp. She knew that Sam would cook them all breakfast again if she didn't beat him to it first and she knew she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. Plus, she wanted to do something nice for everyone. While she has been here with Sam, she hasn't really had to do any actual work besides dusting her dad's old stuff and she was very grateful for that, all romantic feelings aside.

So, when she successful got out of bed without waking him up, she snuck into the closet and put on some clothes, tiptoeing through the room and slipping into the hallway carefully. When she got downstairs, she let out the breath she was holding in and she yawned, making her way to the kitchen and jumping out of fear to find Josh already there, sipping on tea at the dining room table.

"Fuck! You scared the shit out of me," Stevie breathed and Josh looked at her with surprise, "Woah! You're already awake? That's a first!"

She narrowed her eyes at him and started to put her hair up, walking to the sink and turning the water on to wash her hands, "Maybe I woke up early to make breakfast for everyone, did ya ever think about that?"

"No," Josh took a sip, "And I know that's not what got you up before seven, Stevie. Everything okay?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes. Just couldn't sleep that well."

Josh watched as she opened the fridge, taking the eggs out and setting them on the counter. He knew she was leaving something out, but he also knew he wouldn't have to pry to get her to talk about it. She opened the egg carton and sighed deeply. Josh's lips curved into a smile as she looked up at him and opened her mouth.

"He said it," Stevie blurted, "Last night as we were going to sleep."

"Said it?" Josh questioned and his eyes widened after a second, "Like? The thing?"

She nodded, "He said love. He said he loves me, Josh."

Josh gasped, "I knew he would but I didn't think he'd say it now! What did you say?"

She looked back down at the eggs and bit her lip, earning more of a grilling tone from Josh.

"Stevie," Josh taunted, "You did respond, didn't you?"

She rubbed her jaw with her hand and sighed, "No! I pretended to be asleep!"

"Steve-"

She wagged her finger at him and frowned, "Don't even start lecturing me, Joshua! I panicked, okay? What was I supposed to do? Tell him I wasn't sure?"

Josh hissed and shook his head, "Eh, I guess not?"

"Exactly!" Stevie took a deep breath, "Besides, the dust from this weekend has just settled and I'm not ready for another thing."

Josh stared at her carefully and breathed deeply in through his nose, "Well, it's going to happen again, ya know. Probably more likely when you're awake. So, I guess you've got something to think about."

"God," Stevie cracked a few eggs into a big bowl, "It feels like all I ever do it think. I want to stop thinking!"

"Well," Josh chuckled, "I have something for that!"

"Josh," Stevie rolled her eyes, "No. I don't need any of your weed."

He shrugged and took another sip, "Whatever you say! I think both of you could chill the fuck out."

She laughed at Josh's knowing expression and continued to cook the house some omelets. When they were done, however, it was still rather early and she didn't really want to go bother Sam or Jake but Josh grabbed her shoulder and shook his head, "Jake needs to get his ass up anyway. I'm not trying to spend all day getting home."

She chuckled and Josh patted her cheek, "I'll go wake them both. Don't worry!"

She smiled, "You are a saint."

Once Josh finally got the two of them downstairs, Stevie had already been sitting there for a few minutes, with the table made and while Jake and Sam were groggy and a bit grumpy, they both wished her a good morning and sat at the table with smiles. Sam kissed her temple before taking his seat beside her. It only took them a little bit to wake up and the four of them ate breakfast together, cracking jokes and laughing loudly.

Stevie felt bittersweet about the twins leaving. While their visit was way more dramatic than anyone bargained for, she was overjoyed to have them all here with her again. While she was excited to be alone with Sam again and to hopefully figure some of this shit out, she couldn't wait for Jake and Josh to return again.

"We'll see you on the fourth!" Jake assured Stevie with a squeeze a few hours later when the Jeep was packed up and they were saying goodbyes, "And this time I won't just drop in unannounced."

She had already said her goodbyes to Josh and he was a bit more serious than his twin, reminding Stevie that she had to address what she truly felt about Sam. So, this jesting from Jake made her crack a smile.

Stevie laughed, squeezing him harder, "I love you. Thank you for everything you did for me this weekend and always."

They pulled apart from their hug and Jake smiled, "I love you too! It's my pleasure, of course! Who knows, maybe you'll be in Nashville too before you know it."

Stevie rolled her eyes, "Mmm, we'll see."

He winked at her and the twins got into the Jeep, waving excessively while backing out and down the road. Sam and Stevie stood side by side, waving obnoxiously at the twins and about halfway through them leaving the property, Sam grabbed her hand, linking his fingers with hers. While Stevie was so unsure about a stupid four-lettered word, she was sure of how comfortable it felt to be swinging her hand with his as they walked back up to the house.

[milkloafy]

more dan feng/heng bits in honor of the new xianzhou update (warning: rant) to me, the concept of permanence also gives the image of this sort of cycle of abuse throughout the high elders. dan feng's suspected emotional torture which I feel contributed to his decision to break his oath, dan heng's unjust punishment and discrimination, and bailu having to grow up faster than she'd like to "fix the mistakes" of the ones before her and also not being considered a proper high elder.

as much as the permanence is about longevity, i feel like the longevity includes the permanence of pain. in the myriad celestia trailer, its said that the heavy burdens of high elders eventually become their shackles. this is where I feel the preceptors come in. forcing people to fit molds of perfection made from their opinion. giving them burdens too heavy for their shoulders and then deeming them disappointments when unable to carry it.

its said that as high elders grow, they slowly begin to resemble their predecessors. that's the mold. the one image they have to fit. those who aren't "perfect" are labeled as failures. no one seemed to care about how those high elders actually felt or if they hurt. all that matters is if they were able to be what the preceptors wanted them to be. thats why people thought so lowly of df. not only did he commit one of the unforgivable sins, but he also didn't fit the expectations and just be obedient.

so i feel that dh's arc was about breaking him and bailu from the cycle. with him letting go of the mold and her being accepted for who she is.

-🪼anon

(P.s. god their lore is depressing)

VIDYADHARA LORE IS SO SAD FR 🥹🥹 i love ur take nonnie. i think the preceptors are trash. 💀 like they give traditional conservative old ppl type vibes. literally making the high elder transform into their past reincarnations that the preceptors prob also manipulated and controlled ,, bleh they give me icky vibes. i’m glad dan heng and bailu broke the cycle 🥺🤍🤍

[gillianthecat]

The opening of Big Dragon has hooked me in! Drama! Blackmail! Toxicity! Chinese mythology and dragons and lion dancers! And the title sequence and theme song is a great vibe.

I'm liking the lighting/coloring and all the camera work. I suspect it may go a long way in making this show seem interesting. Perhaps more interesting and unique than the plot actually is? I will have to see. The Greek Chorus of dum-dum friends seemed very typical to Thai BL pulp, even if the room they were in seemed more grown up. I hope either they get more interesting or they disappear from the story.

I was trying not to compare, but so far it really does feel a lot like what Fahlanruk is trying to be. When two fuckboys collide. The parallel hookups did not help the comparison (Big Dragon did it much better.) Although the actors actually did very little that was explicit in that scene, the editing, script, music and acting made it feel a lot more explicit than anything in Fahlanruk has.

Anyways, I was excited about Fahlanruk's concept of two fuckboys meeting their match and disappointed that they weren't giving it to me. So I'm feeling excited and hopeful about this one so far. There chemistry has been more antagonistic at this point, but they're doing well at that. And the trailer made them look very good together.

~ I hope we don't get too much of these business interview things or business talk in general. Business bros are boring. Even the translator thinks so, the subtitles got markedly worse in that section. It seems like they got messed up at a crucial point when Mangkorn was sending Yai a loaded subtextual message during his speech. Or at least I didn't I understand what he was saying there.

~ Is this woman Ajo he's asking out gonna turn out to part of the lesbian couple? I'm getting distinctly uninterested vibes from her, but she's also framed like she's going to be an important character.

~ Secret photographer!

~ I like the spoiled but hardworking rich kid thing Yai has going on. He has a cute pout. I like how he kind of gets transformed by his circumstances. Young and earnest at the interview, full of swagger at his bar.

~ I also like the sets. They all seem textured and visually rich. I'm so tired of white walls. I know they're the low budget option so I'm not mad about it. But it's also really nice to see something else. (One of the reasons I like My Only 12% as well).

~ Pong and Park! They're great. I love that we've established some sort of pining situation right off the bat. The slapstick is a bit over the top for me, but doesn't stop me from liking them.

~ But what is Yai's necklace! I still haven't been able to get a good look.

~ Ok, so I am Very Intrigued by this rivalry they've got going on. When did it start? Why did it start? Was that the first time they fucked? The conversation kind of made it seem like it wasn't. 👀 And does that mean Mangkorn hired the photographer himself just to taunt Yai?

~ I like Ajo a lot. And I love that Mangkorn is constantly being shown entering rooms with shots that Pan up from his feet. Very fun and dramatic.

~ The colors! The textures! I love the look of this show. And, since I've had sound mixing on my mind, the sound quality seems decent. The whole thing feels... not expensive, but also not low budget. For some reason it's making me think of the US American TV show Revenge. Not that they're very similar in premise or even the look, but it has the same feel of trashy glamour. Or perhaps glamorous trash. Very fun.

~ Ajo's face as Yai and Mangkorn are doing their posturing game. 😂

~ Ah, it's a tiger pendant. Thanks, Mangkorn!

~ Phew. That skirted the edge of feeling too dubcon for me, but managed to stay on the safe side. Still fucked up, mind, but it feels mutually, consensually fucked up, and fits this glamorously trashy world.

~ That was reasonably hot with reasonably good chemistry. It didn't blow me away, but that feels about right for these characters at this point in the story. It was all very well shot and edited.

~ Ohhhhh. It's all been a flashback. They tricked me. 😂

~ THEY ALREADY HAVE EACH OTHER SAVED ON THEIR PHONES AS 🐯 AND 🐉!!! I don't know why but somehow that is the cutest thing. Even when they still think they hate each other they're using cute emoji symbols. 🥺

Plus a moody angsty music video at the end?!! This is amazing. This is perfect. I love it. This show is exactly what I didn't realize I was looking for. Thank you, universe for providing.

[the-witty-pen-name]

Deadbeat Pt. 2

Lee Bodecker x F!Reader

18+ ONLY

Read Part One

Warnings: age gap (reader is 21), smut, cursing, abandonment, infatuation, cheating/divorce, angst, mild housewife kink, this chapter talks about Reverend Teagardin/his actions towards the young girls in the story (nothing is described in detail- just accusations discussing how he gives off bad vibes and is creepy- if you’ve seen the film you already know)

Word Count: 5k

Summary: You work at the bar at the edge of town, the Sheriff is going through a divorce and needs to rent a room.

A/N: I’m terrible at writing summaries and I’m so sorry about that! I don’t think I would consider this a dark!fic, but it does cover a lot of themes, and topics that are darker than I usually write about- but I think that comes with the territory of writing about Lee Bodecker. I’ll make sure to update the warnings for each chapter and do not read if you are underage. I also ignored canon for this one.

I hope you all enjoy!

Tags and Requests are OPEN

It was always so hot in that little one room chapel. There was no fan and everyone would be crushed in together like sardines. The air was always sticky and it turned everyone sluggish. Your mama never brought you and Tommy to church, but you saw how that singled you out in this community. The judgmental looks people would give you for not going always made you feel like they viewed your family as trailer trash. So when they left, you started going regular like everyone else. You wanted to make a good impression and give yourself an opportunity to be more involved in the community. You used to attend with Arvin’s family, but now you sit on the opposite side of the aisle.

You and Arvin were still on friendly terms. On your nights off, sometimes you’d be invited to join them for supper. Ever since you and Arvin broke up, you’ve politely denied his grandmother’s thoughtful invitations. Now that you were living alone with the Sheriff, you wouldn’t anticipate any more neighborly invitations but instead prayers to save your soul, like you weren’t already damned for ‘peddling the Devil’s drink’ as you’ve heard alcohol referred to so many times by Ms. Russell.

You didn’t care much for the new reverend, and you found yourself often zoning out during his sermons. You were more preoccupied with the uncomfortableness of the pews and how your thighs felt like you’d be ripping giant band-aids off the back of them when you stand up after the service ended- even if it was a cooler day. Reverend Teagardin made a terrible first impression in your opinion, and he never did nothing to make you think you were misjudging him. You trusted the Sheriff’s advice to steer clear of him. Though based on the liking he’d taken to talking to the high school aged girls after service ended, you were thinking you were too old for him anyways. You shook your head, chastising yourself for joking about something like that even just to yourself. You made sure to tell Lee whenever he did something to tip you off that he might be trouble. You didn’t trust him one bit.

After the service, you were almost ambushed by a couple of women who were notoriously known for being the town’s busy bodies. The shorter of the two was Ethel Perry, who absolutely wreaked of cigarette smoke and always carried a little beaded purse. The other was Ida Sinclair, whose hair was a silver blue, and always wore a turtleneck and a thick sweater overtop even in the middle of hot summer days. They were sweet ladies, and normally you’d love to gab and let them fill you in on all the town gossip. They were great to talk to. But now that you were on the other side of their gossip, their nice demeanor felt much more predatory now that they were seeking you out for information instead of sharing it.

“Sweetheart,” Ida said sweetly, cornering you outside by the steps. “You poor thing how are you holding up?” You were buttoning up your jacket, when the pair snuck up on you, catching you off guard.

“Oh Mrs. Sinclair, I’m doing just fine. No need to worry about me,” you say, giving them a small smile.

“Is it true you’re renting a room to Sheriff Bodecker?” Ms. Perry interjects, not even bothering with the small talk. You almost respected her more direct approach, the small talk Ms. Sinclair was attempting to make made you feel a tinge resentful of their attitude towards you.

“Yes, ma’am,” you reply, not giving her anymore details. If she wanted the gossip, she’d need to own up to being direct in her behavior.

“We heard Janie kicked him out of the house,” Mrs. Sinclair said, her face plastered with worry like she felt sorry for the man. You smiled through your teeth and nodded.

“Makes sense,” Ms. Perry added, “Him needing a room and with your mama leaving you here alone and all.”

“Yes, ma’am,” you say smiling through your teeth, you hadn’t realized you were grinding down on them that hard.

“Ms. Beaumont was going on and on yesterday about how it wasn’t fitting,” Ms. Perry continued. “You being a young single girl- working at that terrible bar, renting out a room to a man. She was insinuating something awful- but don’t worry dear. We know she’s just being meddlesome and trying to stir the pot where she shouldn’t.”

“Thank you, Ms. Perry,” you responded, sarcastically but they didn’t pick up on it. “It was lovely seeing you both,” you say, stepping away, “but I should be heading home now.”

“Too bad the Sheriff doesn’t come to Church,” Mrs. Sinclair, said, “He could be driving you, so you don’t have to be walking.”

The Sheriff worked on Sunday mornings and both of them knew that. You knew it was just an attempt to insinuate something else you didn’t have the patience to try to decode. You just nodded as a goodbye and started walking home. It never took long to walk, and you wouldn’t bother the Sheriff for a ride unless you really needed one- like if it was bad weather or if you were leaving work too late at night. You didn’t mind walking at all- gave you a chance to just clear your head and enjoy the fresh air, especially after getting out of that stuffy chapel.

You knew the Sheriff actually wasn’t working today. He told you this morning he was going to the courthouse to sign his divorce papers and then to pick up his stuff at the house. You’d see him later on that night when he finished that whole mess. It was the quickest divorce you’d ever seen. Neither one of them seemed to care to get lawyers. Based on what Lee told you so far, he really just was fine with her taking anything she asked for- including the house. His indifference to the whole thing really was like no divorce you’d ever heard about. You sympathized, because it was just him not wanting to prolong the painful ordeal of it all. He just wanted to get it all over and done with, and you understood that.

When you got home, you changed out of your Sunday dress and into some work clothes. A pair of overalls, a short sleeved tshirt and a pair of your old saddle shoes. You protected your hair with a bandana and decided to get to work. You got some free cardboard boxes from the grocer yesterday, and you resolved to help Lee out and clear out all of your mom’s old stuff. You told him when he left to leave the door unlocked for you and it would be cleared out as best you could get it so he’d had somewhere to put his stuff when he got back.

You started with the closet and getting rid of all her clothes. You’d call the donation center tomorrow and they’d send someone to come pick it all up. You weren’t sentimental about anything that belonged to her. Much like the Sheriff and his divorce, you just wanted to get this stuff out of the house and get the chore over with. You kept the photographs, and some of the things you knew might be worth something, like any of the jewelry she’d left in her jewelry box. You took anything that was hers and either tossed it or put it in the large donation pile.

You knew the weather tonight would be fine, so you opted to carry all the boxes outside and stack them on the porch. You figured it would be better and easier to deal with if you piled the full boxes outside before they came tomorrow. You didn’t touch Tommy’s room. You figured there was no need, and he was the only one out of the two you had a small amount of hope would someday come back, even if it was just to visit.

You closed the first box, and carried it down the hall and down the stairs slowly because it blocked your vision. At the bottom of the stairs, you propped the box on your hip so you could open the door. You then walked sideways out of the front door to drop it on the porch. As you were walking out you saw the familiar cruiser, driving down the road. You smiled, actually liking the feeling of having someone living with you. It was a little exciting. It was clouded by terrible circumstances on both your parts, but you hadn’t realized how lonely you had been living alone- even if it had only been a couple of days of Lee being here.

When Lee saw you walk out on the porch, he almost hit the garage door. You looked absolutely gorgeous, sweaty from working around the house and moving boxes. His heart felt strained in his chest when you smiled at him. That right there made his whole shitty day worth it. He hated facing Janie, scribbling his signature fast as ever on every document thrown at him. He hated that she was there with Miller, him standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder comforting her, like she wasn’t the adulterer in the room. It was infuriating.

He felt like a stranger in his own goddamn house, rummaging through everything grabbing what was his. Janie watched him like a hawk, following him around and saying nothing, like he wasn’t to be trusted to not take something. What like he’d steal something that was his? He hardly spoke two words to her. Miller sitting in his recliner, watching the news on the television. She made no attempt to even shield him from the look of another man living there. She wasted no time, announcing she’d be marrying the bastard as Lee was leaving. He mumbled a ‘congratulations’ and loaded the few boxes he had into the trunk of the cruiser.

Now seeing you there standing on the porch, all the bullshit he had to put up with today seemed worth it. It was grounding. He sighed, tossing his hat on the seat, and zipping up his leather jacket- ignoring the way it was fitting a little snugger. As he fumbled with the zipper, his mind started to wander- thoughts always clouded with you. He was usually able to keep his feeling pushed away when he was out, but the second he would see you again, all progress was lost. And here you are, like you were waiting for him to come back to you.

“I still have a few more boxes,” you say as he closes the door to the cruiser.

“I can move them,” he tries to protest, but you’ve already disappeared back into the house. He gets his own boxes out of the trunk and brings them into the house, leaving them on the living room floor for now. He hangs up his coat on the coatrack, on the hook next to yours, and then heads up the narrow staircase to see if he can help you. He gets to his room and he stops in the doorway, dead in his tracks. You’re on the floor, on your knees in front of a box, using a roll of packing tape to secure it shut. His heart stops and he’s frozen. He stutters to make himself known, but you don’t seem to notice the way he reacted to you. He’s relieved that you don’t seem to miss a beat, pushing the box in his direction, your way of telling him he can bring it outside. You stretch over and pull another box in front of you and begin placing folded clothes that were on the floor inside just to fill it to the brim completely before closing it.

That silent assembly line of the two of you makes the work go by quick. You have six large boxes ready to get picked up tomorrow sitting on the front porch, and Lee is able to bring his stuff upstairs. You decide to let him have some time to just settle, and you get started on what to do for dinner when you see it getting pretty late in the afternoon.

There was never any spoken agreement that you’d both eat together. It just kind of happens on its on the past two nights he’s been here. You’d be making dinner for yourself anyways, and making something for two isn’t that much more work. You know he doesn’t expect you to cook for him at all, but since you were taking up the kitchen anyways you don’t mind. You weren’t the best cook, but you’re pretty sure your cooking beats a cold sandwich from the diner.

Upstairs, Lee was letting his emotions get the best of him. His ever-present feelings for you- he actually wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe it was just an attraction, or maybe he was so used to coldness from Janie that he’s falling apart at a woman being nice to him and treating like a person. He needed to pull himself together. He closed his eyes for a second, picturing how you looked packing the boxes up. On your knees, the overalls hugging your figure, the little bit of sweat on your brow- it was the best sight he ever got the pleasure of seeing. He looks at the mirror that sat in the corner of the room. He sighs looking over his appearance.

There’s no way a beautiful, young girl like you would look at him the same way, as much as he wished it. His slightly protruding stomach, a sign of all the drinking and his bad diet. He had a little bit of a double chin from angles as well. He sticks is neck out to try to remember what his face looked like when his jaw was more defined. He realizes how ridiculous he was being. He didn’t think you were the kind of person to care that much about the things that very much bothered him. He runs a hand through his hair, and continues to hang up his shirts in the closet. You were turning him soft, and you had no idea.

He hears you coming up the stairs, and he feels his heartbeat quicken like you were going to catch him thinking about you. He was being so stupid, he chastises himself. He couldn’t have you affecting him like this. He turned his head and catches your eye as you are heading into the bathroom in the hallway.

“Just washing up before supper,” you say casually, and heading into the bathroom. He had to pull himself together. He sighed, thinking about your sweetness and hospitality ever since he showed up at your door two nights ago. You welcomed him into your home without a second thought. You trusted him, and that made him feel even more guilty. He couldn’t be thinking that anything between the two of you could happen. He needed to be a good man. But Christ, how even could a good man keep himself in check when he’s in such close quarters with you?

“Made mac and cheese with some grilled chicken if you’re hungry,” you say, not looking back at him but just immediately heading back down the hallway and down the stairs. He watched you walk away, biting his lip at how your ass looked in that denim. He gently hits his head against the mirror, like that’s somehow going to snap him out of it. He makes a fist and then stretches out his hands like that will do anything.

“Ms. Perry and Mrs. Sinclair cornered me outside Church today,” you said with a chuckle, as he came into the kitchen.

“Yeah?” he asks, taking the plate you hand to him. He opens up the drawer and grabs silverware for him and yourself while you put your plate together.

“Yeah,” you grinned, biting your lip. “I’m the talk of the town apparently.”

“I’m sorry about that, hun,” he says sympathetically, “That’s all my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” you say, walking over to your kitchen table and taking a seat. “I find them kind of funny,” you shrug, “They were talking about me long before this and this is just the newest thing.”

“What did they say?” he asks, as he takes his seat across from you. It was a small table, only was able to seat two comfortably, anymore would be too crowded.

“They think I should be using you as a ride to Church,” you reply, “Also that our situation ain’t fitting according to Ms. Beaumont. But they insisted they don’t think that at all.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” he grins.

“I thought she was gonna ask me how much I’m charging you for rent next,” you scoff before taking a bit of food.

“Do they bother you?” he asks. He felt bad at how this living situation would affect you. He understood how much keeping up appearances mattered in this town. If someone were to start a nasty rumor, your name would be tarnish all over town. You might as well start wearing a big red A on your jacket.

“Not really,” you shrug. “It bothered me in the moment, cause they cornered me, but I have no reason to be worried. It’s not like anything they say is gonna amount to anything without evidence. They can insinuate all they want.”

The word evidence hung heavy on his mind. His brain running through scenarios if you both actually had something worth hiding. Kissing you in the backseat of the cruiser pulled into some back road by the water somewhere or sneaking touches under the table at the diner. It wouldn’t be wrong, not really, he thought to himself. You’re an adult and if you felt the same way fuck what the town would think.

You actually thought the Sheriff was quite handsome. You hadn’t really been able to look past how intimidating he looked sometimes or his gruff exterior. The man sitting across from you was not like the guy that makes the town cower away from him at times. He was relaxed, his face especially. It was a rare form for him. The man seemed to constantly be stressed, full of pent-up tension, no doubt due to the stress of his job. You noticed that his eyes looked softer, and how blue they were. Suddenly, you realized it was just you and him- alone. Living in your house. You felt your face heat up, and he picked up on your change in demeanor.

“You alright?” he asks, looking over at you.

“Yeah,” you say, a little nervously. “Just need some water.”

You get up and head over to the cabinet next to the sink, and you reach up to get yourself a glass. Suddenly, you feel his presence behind you, making you jump. He’s just reaching to get himself a glass too, his body pressing very lightly against you. He gives you a concerned look as you look flustered and you let out a small gasp.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya,” he says, and you could almost swear you saw him smirking. He takes his glass over to the fridge and pours himself some of the iced-tea from the pitcher you keep inside the fridge.

“I think you’re right about Reverend Teagardin,” you say, trying desperately to reorient yourself.

“He’s no good,” Lee agreed. “He’s crooked. Just be careful around him, sweetheart.” Those damn pet names were making your stomach churn with butterflies.

“I think I’m too old to be on his radar,” you admit quietly, in a rushed tone. Your accusation hushed, even if it was just you and Lee.

“You see him do anything?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“No, not really,” you say, “but he talks for an awful long time to the high school aged girls after services. I don’t know it just gives me a gut feeling about him. Those poor girls, like Lenora- they don’t know when their being sweet talked and manipulated. Just makes me nervous. Married man talking to those girls so shamelessly- charming them.”

“I’ll try to swing by and check the place out,” he nods, looking a little lost in thought.

“That’ll make me feel so much better,” you smile. He grins and licks his lips, before taking a swig of his drink.

You both take a seat at the table again, finishing up dinner fairly quickly. You asked him about his day and he told you all about Miller and the papers, and you listened intently. You felt bad he had to go through that. Yeah, Lee was not a picture-perfect husband by any means, you were sure. But the actions he faced today still sounded harsh. Somewhere in your mind, you thought he deserved better. Maybe he didn’t, but the man was clearly in pain and it tugs at your heartstrings.

“Since you made dinner, I can clean up,” he offered.

“That’s really sweet. Thanks, Lee,” you smile shyly. This all felt so… domestic. You were acting like a married couple. It’s not like the two of you could help it. You were living under the same roof and existing in the same space. This is how people who live together interact. That’s it. Right?

“I think I’ll call and leave a message at the donation center so they send someone to get those boxes tomorrow,” you decide. You head over to the living room where you kept your phone, pulling out your address book out of a drawer in the table the phone rested on. Lee nodded, taking your dishes and his own over to the sink.

You sit on the couch, criss cross and hold the base of the phone on one knee, resting the receiver up to your ear with your elbow. You dial the number, the phone clicking every time the dial falls back into place.

Lee can’t make out what you are saying, but he chuckles recognizing the tone of voice you use- like a customer service voice he’ll hear you pull out at the bar often. He does the dishes, and just lets himself escape into his fantasies again. His mind was racing about what those women at Church thought was happening between the two of you. He knows its wrong, but god he wishes it was real.

He imagines that after you both have gone to bed you show up at his door in the middle of the night- looking like how you did the night you agreed to let him stay. You confess how much you want him and he just pulls you into a rushed kiss- you just overtaken by the sudden relief of all the pent-up tension. He imagines how it would feel to hear little moans against his lips coming from you when he slips his tongue into your mouth. He can almost feel what it would be like to have you tightly against his body. His hands being allowed to just freely explore you and how you must look under him, begging and needy-

“Okay, that’s all set,” you announce walking back into the kitchen. “Hopefully they’ll send someone over first thing.”

“G-good, yeah,” he stutters out, pulling himself out of his daydream. “Do you have work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I go in at 4,” you reply, not noticing how flustered he is. He’s relieved to see you looking in the fridge and it gives him a chance to adjust before you saw how hard he was.

“Need a ride?” He asks. “I can pick you up on my way home.”

“Perfect,” you smile when you turn to face him. “Thank you. I’m gonna see if there is anything good on the television we can watch.”

“Sounds good, doll,” he says, relieved when she finally heads back into the other room, taking her seat on the couch again, clicking through the channels.

He needed a minute before heading in there. Every time you were in the room he felt like his skin was on fire. He knew if he wanted to stay, he needed to get a grip. He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. He joined you in the living room and sat on the other end of the couch. There was an old picture playing on the black and white set.

Neither of you could pay attention to the damn screen no matter how hard you tried. The tension in the room- between the both of you was borderline unbearable. Both of you were stealing glances at the other, not realizing the other person was doing the same. When you would look over to him, his eyes would be toward the tv set, seeming to be watching the picture- but he also looked incredibly tense. You wondered if he was hanging out with you because he felt like he needed to. You feel awkward now thinking he’s just sitting though this to not be rude.

Lee was on the whole other side of the world in comparison to what you thought he was thinking about. He was trying desperately to gain some level of composure. He felt like he was acting like a teenager again, fucking jumping out of his skin sitting next to a pretty girl. He hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. An hour went by, neither of you saying anything- him just lost in his own thoughts. But then he felt your head hit his shoulder ever so lightly.

You had fallen asleep. He wondered how long you had been sleeping before he even realized. Here he was stressed out as ever and you are relaxed enough to fall asleep. He doesn’t even dare move. His whole body goes stiff, not wanting anything to wake you up. He wouldn’t move from this spot for all the money in the world. You were blissfully unaware at how you cuddled up next to him, your face resting in the crook of his neck. You were going to be the death of him.

He very carefully wanted to just make himself a little more comfortable. He slowly moved the arm you had pinned and adjusted so it was wrapped around your shoulder. His fingertips just grazing your skin where the sleeve of your t-shirt ended lightly. Your skin was so soft, and he bites his lip, thinking about how soft you must feel everywhere. The man was so goddamn touched starved. He couldn’t even remember the last time he was this close with Janie. It had to have been years since he experienced something this intimate. After a very long internal battle, he allowed himself to rest his head on top of yours and close his eyes for a few. He didn’t intend on falling asleep, just bask selfishly in the moment for a few minutes.

You opened your eyes and yawned softly. You looked at the clock and saw that it was well past midnight. You closed your eyes again, too tired to realize the position you were in at first. Then, a minute later you realized, and your eyes shot open again. Cuddled up to Lee’s side, his arm loosely around you. His head rested on the back of the couch, looking so peaceful.

Fuck. You were so embarrassed. You hoped he had fallen asleep first and would have no knowledge of this interaction in the morning. You carefully untangled yourself from him, moving as slow as possible to not wake him up.

You clicked off the TV and then turned off the lights, getting ready to retire up to your room for the night. You felt so hot, flushed with pure embarrassment. Your mouth was dry and the only thing you think about was cold water. You tip-toe into the kitchen and fill yourself a glass, drinking the whole thing at once. You turn off the kitchen light and leave your glass in the sick before heading upstairs.

You change out of your overalls and shirt and put on your blue nightgown. You head across the hall to the bathroom, navigating in the dark. You brush your hair, wash your face and brush your teeth before climbing into your bed and swaddling yourself with your many blankets. Your eyes are heavy, and the feeling of being in Lee’s arms is still present on your skin.

His large hands sliding up your thighs is what jolts you awake. His calloused hands moving their way up your body, pushing up your dress as they went. He dips down and presses a tantalizing kiss to your lips, one hand cupping your cheek softly and the other rubbing over your wet panties. You kiss him back, opening your mouth and letting his tongue in. You can feel his hand slip under the waistband of your panties and his thumb gently rubs your clit. Without even questioning anything, you moan and he trails his lips down to your neck, and you shiver at the feeling of his stubble. You arms wrap loosely around his neck, and your fingers play with the ends of his short hair. He groans against your skin and the sound just sends a shiver throughout your whole body. You can feel him smile, and he pushes two fingers inside. You gasp and he muffles your sounds with another deep kiss. You feel overwhelmed by how good it feels combined with the terms of endearment that fall from his lips as he praises you.

The ringing of your alarm clock scares the shit out of you, and your eyes fly open at the sound. You’re breathing heavily, and you feel your hair sticking to your forehead. You let out a heavy sigh, and click off the alarm, and then cover your face with your pillow. You felt how wet you were without having to check. You had a sex dream about Lee. A fucking wet dream about Lee Bodecker.

Part Three

Taglist:

@asylumaniac​

@rosalynshields 

@jiminlife2k18

@scar-is-bi

[fideidefenswhore]

Thoughts on the new AB series trailer?

general thoughts before i dive in,

this project is from the same creators/producers as the last czars about the romanovs, which was...trash, respectfully (tbf, they did actually cover the pogroms, which was shocking but, uh...other than that), so i don’t have high hopes. my expectations are that this will, to some extent, be trashy. there are some historians as panelists on this series whose work i really admire, i’m looking forward to hearing from them, but ultimately they didn’t have creative control, so i’m tempering my expectations with that knowledge. 

so...yeah, it will probably be sensationalistic and trashy to some degree (i mean, i think that they’ve cast two soap stars as the leads is...a hint unto itself), i will probably have some issues with it. and yet, i don’t really mind, as i have that buddha nature ❤️

*cracks knuckles*

ok, let's begin:

the headband of maroon pipecleaners, the camo-esque pattern of the gown, the weird glitter-sequin coupling on the square neckline... my eyes are starving for beauty.jpeg

i’m guessing this is mary boleyn, but the way she’s asking it does not give off the vibe that she’s asking about someone mary herself has slept with before? more on that later (altho if this docuseries is going to argue the possiblity that mary boleyn wasn’t henry’s mistress, i believe it’ll be the first...beyond that, if they argue their affair ended before her marriage to carey, the same)

what if i told you i’m a mastermind? kinda vibe.

tbh, the idea that anne mandela effected henry viii into proposing marriage (second only to the depiction that she mentioned it as a joke, he took it seriously, and then she couldn’t back down from it...i mean, i would sort of potentially enjoy watching this even more, so long as it wasn’t some kind of TOBG bullshit, if only because it affords her more agency and that’s always more compelling to me than a character falling into something ipso facto ‘accidentally’) is so batshit that i’m kind of here for it (i mean, this is a docudrama, so. potentially i could enjoy that even if on the face of it is ludicrous; beyond marrying anne of cleves after their first meeting, there’s few times one can point to where henry did something he didn’t really want to do) 

then again, given that this season will be three episodes, as per one of the contributors on twitter, this ☝️ exchange could just as easily be about henry percy. i almost think it fits that better. 

this 👇 could be about settling for being henry viii’s mistress, or it could be about james butler (also in wolsey’s household at the time) versus henry percy as marital options for anne (assuming this is wolsey, which...yeah, i’ll go out on a limb, lol:

and one assumes this is henry percy:

particularly because she’s wearing the B necklace here...

whereas it seems like in scenes where she’s queen, she wears the HA pendant:

let’s continue.

well, she’s not wrong.

‘in an age’, well, i’d like to say we’re well beyond that age. but!

ok, let’s get down to the crux of the matter-- this seems to primarily be a documentary about henry & anne’s relationship (to call it a ‘romance’ has earned several, including the above, accusations of ‘abuse apologism’... even by one of the historians on the panel, so . interesting they wanted to contribute to this, but whatever). a lot of panic has been made about this, but the last on the subject, LWCH, did, by all accounts, treat anne’s predecessor fairly and poignantly? lipscomb said henry&anne were cruel to catherine, and even visited and paid reverence to her memorial. anne’s stepdaughter was not derided by the presenter, but was, for the most part, ignored (sort of an issue in and of itself, but i’m failing to recall any recent AB-centric drama that did not depict her fairly...the recent amc-adapted series was a very sympathetic portrayal, if not an in-depth one, but then, it was a miniseries)

so, getting into that (considering the focus on him in the promo photo releases, he seems to dip in and out scant times):

me @ the possibility of an actual portrayal of the “great reverence and a joyful countenance” moment  👇

SO IT’S GONNA BE FOREVER

OR IT’S GONNA GO DOWN IN FLAA-AAMES

real talk, there were two recorded fires during the time in which anne was queen. the first, in the summer of 1534, took down the charing cross mews/stables, which were adjacent to whitehall. the second, more infamous, was the ‘fire in  her bedchamber’ of january 1536. considering the first is very little-known, the shot is of a bed and its hangings, and the second incident is now firmly a part of the tudor zeitgeist, my money is on the latter.

that, or it’s a heavy-handed metaphor for an incendiary sex life. which, like...

and then i peeped the borman influence (borman and weir are thick as thieves, fwiw), and i believe i’ve tracked it down to the second:

going for the recusant tradition, are we? 

henry in black, anne in yellow...it’s pretty easy to ascertain what/where/when this scene is meant to be. 

poor harried henry, won’t anyone think of how he’s suffered? /s

in the end, chapuys’ interpretation of this dynamic seems to be the one that wins most docuseries:

the king himself is not ill-natured.... it is this Anne who has put him in this perverse and wicked temper, and alienates him from his former humanity 

for whatever reason, the concept/framing of this narrative is very attractive/appealing to people. the idea that henry was innately good and evil temptress anne just did her utmost to divorce him from his humanity dies really, really hard, it’s...biblical, really. isn’t it sad that this harridan henpecked him into exiling catherine, executing thomas more, etc. 

track it all the way down, though, and you see the cracks. was there animosity towards, and blame placed upon, anne after, say, the execution of thomas more? probably, but there’s more that indicates henry defended from her that (violently, even, is the implication, by contemporary report, during the same month: “[the king] nearly murdered his own fool, a simple and innocent man, because he happened to speak well in his presence of the Queen and Princess, and called the concubine "ribaude" and her daughter "bastard” [....] he has now been banished from Court” ) than encouraged it/partook/ than otherwise... (the story of him tearfully blaming her for that execution during a game of dice arrives only in the 17th century). the truth, as lucy wooding has said, is really more intricate than most narratives about henry allow. 

anyway, for whatever it is worth (considering all he did regardless...probably not very much) i do think henry wanted to be good, but i don’t agree that anne alienated him from his humanity. i think kingship/royalty did a pretty bang-up job of that on its own. the only grain of truth to this is that, i think, in henry becoming an even more supreme authority (a process/progress in which anne was very active), it enabled him to come to the place where he was the ultimate arbiter and this is, ultimately, other factors aside, what killed her. it was his judgement, as ultimate religious authority, that their marriage was invalid and his that she wanted to kill him and would have first, his convenient acceptance of a story that tied loose ends and absolved him of any blame: that their failure to have sons was hers alone, that the miscarriages were not lost children of his own but products of her adultery (i don’t think enough attention is paid to that the adultery accusations only begin on october 1533, i think that’s monumentally important re: his psychology on this).

stray observations until i move to under the read-more for sensitive subject matter:

uncanny. 

my initial reaction to the casting of henry was, probably not beefy enough to play even GM henry. then i peeped his insta and went...maybeso.gif

he’s posted about this project a fair amount, whereas the actress that plays AB, while very active on social media, has not, afaik..idk what to make of that, if anything. 

wolsey, wyd?

if they do this well, emotional catharsis. if not, voyeuristic. 

arriving at what i’m most concerned about in this trailer:

so... i mean, potentially i am reading this wrong (im autistic, so tbh, i don’t always pick up emotional/tonal cues well, whether onscreen or otherwise) but he looks very sexually intense/angry here and she is...crying?

so. not great, admittedly. the sun is trashy enough that they would call this series ‘steamy’ even it includes scenes of a dubcon nature. i hope i’m wrong. 

okay. i believe i have extrapolated as much on this 30 second trailer as was humanly possible. see you all on boleynsgiving, and may the odds be ever in the favor... of those who favor this concubinage  ❤️

[karimamk]

Movie review timeeeeee

So I watched don’t look up and you know obviously an all star cast and I was super looking forward to it, and you know obviously I was let down by how terrible it was lmao

So like first of all don’t come at me saying I didn’t understand it or how that’s actually how people would react, because that’s not what I’m saying, the whole concept of scientists finding out the world is ending and the government wanting to ignore/hide it and people literally not caring was not the problem, it was the atrocious acting by amazing actors and actresses. The entire cast seemed like they were forcing themselves to do these roles. Jennifer Lawrence’s character I’m indifferent about, because like honestly if I discovered what was gonna end the world I’d probably cry too and be incredibly stressed out, but like I don’t know if it’s just me but literally every time her character spoke I was cringing… I get that the idea is that this is realistically how people would react but again all of the acting felt forced. Also Jonah hills character was literally only there for comedic relief from the rest of the awkwardness and forced acting.

Second of all, the stupidity of the ending. Everyone being eaten by some alien dinosaur thing was unnecessary, and Jonah Hills character somehow surviving ruined the entire movie if you didn’t already hate the movie, after watching these scenes you definitely did hate the movie. If the movie had ended with all of them sitting around the table eating dinner and then dying together as the world obliterated, I think that would’ve changed my perspective on the whole movie being awful, but only slightly lol, I feel like that would’ve been a more powerful ending because like after all they did the world still ended, no fairy tale ending where they all miraculously survived and lived happily ever after, you know, like it just ends and that’s that.

Okay also thirdly, they brought religion into the movie and I thought that was super weird/controversial, because it was placed in there so awkwardly because he had started praying after seeing the comet for the first time and the girl questioned him being religious like what was the point of even including this conversation? Whether the character is religious or not, the world was ending, and his religion had nothing to do with the plot of the movie it was like an extra detail that wasn’t needed, it didn’t make the plot better or worse or more interesting it was just there???

Fourth point, I read the description of this movie and it sounded great, the trailer looked decent, and so again I was excited, but then i watched it and it felt like I watched a $5 knock off version of what I was promised lmao it could’ve been great, the idea and concept is great, the cast is great, but the actual movie is trash and that really sucks

Fifth point, not really a point but yeah: the most realistic parts of this movie were the government trying to hide and ignore the world ending, a billionaire trying to make money off of the world ending, everyone literally ignoring Kate even though she discovered it and it subtly hinting that because she’s a woman in the science field shes not being taken seriously especially after crying and being considered “too emotional”, and also everyone going to an Ariana Grande concert even though the world is ending lol

Last point lol, so this movie totally gives me Knowing vibes, everyone also hated that movie and the ending had something to do with aliens again, but I actually liked Knowing minus the aliens lol. I think if Knowing came out today more people would have liked it I feel like it didn’t exactly fit in 2009 you know?? Anyways, Don’t look up is literally the 2021 version of the 2009 Knowing movie and let me tell you why:

- The world is ending

- A person/group of people try to understand/stop the end of the world

- Said person/group dies in the end but not before having an argument with each other and splitting up before coming back together

- Weird alien ending

Ok I’m done now I know a lot of people loved the movie and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this is mine, so don’t tell me I’m wrong because I can’t get my own opinion wrong, even if it differs from yours. If you did enjoy this movie though, why? Genuinely curious lol

[doc-pickles]

squeeze cheese, pandemics, & you

AKA the pandemic fic that literally everyone asked for

i still cannot believe that i actually wrote this BUT soooo many people asked me for a freaking pandemic fic that i wrote it. it’s crazy, a little messy, and the sass radiating from levi schmitt fuels my cold dead heart.

i’d like to personally thank @odd-birds-and-booksellers @kidneys4karev @choosingmywife and Nat AKA the “jolex mass grave” chat that bullied me into doing this. they’re also the heart and soul of ‘pandemic jo’ and really brought her and her mannerisms to life. cheers to you ladies, this fic is for you!!

and now... without further ado... the pandemic fic that i wrote most of at 10 pm while slightly tipsy (BONUS POINTS: it’s also another fix it fic bc i am traaaaash hehehe)

“Why do we have a nacho cheese dispenser?”

Jo looked up from her place on the couch, eyeing Levi as he stared at the new machinery in the kitchen. She turned her attention back to the soap opera on TV before answering him. 

“Are you complaining?”

“No but-”

“Exactly.” 

Settling back into the couch, Jo grabbed the bowl of apples that she had covered in nacho cheese earlier. She had developed a nasty online shopping habit since being in lockdown, but figured since she had sold off a good chunk of Alex’s belongings that she deserved to treat herself. 

Worried sick that any exposure to the hospital or any of it’s doctors would harm her, Jo had been on a strict self-quarantine since March. Levi, having to choose between his job or place to live, was forced to reside with Jo full time. The past few weeks had been tough on both roommates, but their bond had been strong regardless of their arguments.

“I’m kind of concerned about your online shopping habit,” Levi sat on the other end of the couch from Jo, a plate of nachos in hand. “Between the nacho cheese machine and the ball pit, I have some questions about the vibe you’re trying to create here.”

“Hey I’ve never had a place to myself. I want to have fun! Let loose! Besides in a few months I’ll have to take care of someone else,” Jo patted her small baby bump affectionately. “I’m trying to be a cool mom and the ball pit was the first step.”

Ah yes, Jo’s unexpected pregnancy and the reason she was so paranoid about staying isolated. Three weeks after Alex had officially left, Jo had realized that he left her much more than just hospital shares and their loft. Four home tests later and a shoe thrown across the loft at Levi (“I’m just telling you Jo, false positives are really ra- OW!”) Jo had indeed confirmed her earlier suspicions. 

“Well… for your sanity’s sake, I hope your online shopping doesn’t go completely off the rails,” a knock on the door interrupted Levi’s sentence, his eyes trailing to Jo accusingly. “If that’s another Amazon package, you’re going to have some explaining to do.” “Actually, it’s something even better,” Jo rolled her eyes, standing from the couch and grabbing what had been dropped on the doorstep. “It’s takeout! From the Italian place downtown with the really good spicy meatballs! It’s important that we support small businesses during these trying times.” “You sound like a walking capitalism ad,” Levi groaned, moving from the couch to the dining table and sitting across from Jo. “But if it keeps me well fed I can’t complain about that. Oh please tell me you’re not- yup that is squeeze cheese on the meatballs. That’s not right.”

+ “Hey have you seen- Ow! Why the hell did I just sit on knitting needles,” Levi held up the items in question as he stared down Jo. “Are you an 85 year old woman? When and why did you take up knitting?” “So I can make baby sweaters, duh,” Jo rolled her eyes and bit into her toast. “I’m not that great at it yet, but Helen has been teaching me over Skype. She’s an expert, she helped me make a baby hat but it’ll probably fit a baby doll before an actual human baby.”

“Okay wow, umm so many questions,” Levi pulled a chair over to where Jo was sitting, staring at her quizzically before jumping into his questions. “First, what is on your toast? Secondly, Helen as in your ex mother in law? And third, why are you sitting in the ball pit wearing a bucket hat and a bathing suit top?”

To his credit, Levi was asking sensible questions to Jo. She was indeed sitting in the ball pit she had bought online, eating a piece of toast with some questionable toppings and wearing an old pair of Alex’s boxers and a bikini top, a Seattle Seahawks bucket hat thrown carelessly on her head. 

“The toast is nutella, swiss cheese, and strawberry jam, it’s like the trailer trash version of what you get at fondue places,” Jo took another bite as if to emphasize her point. “The bathing suit top is because my boobs are huge and won’t fit into my regular bras. Also my baby bump is growing larger by the day so I can’t fit into anything but sweatpants, but it’s way too hot in here for that. The bucket hat is because I was tired of staring at my unwashed hair in the mirror. And yes, Helen and I have become quite good friends and Skype every Tuesday while you go outside to call Helm for an hour and collect hospital gossip. She’s very excited she’s getting another grandchild and has begged me to come and visit once I bear the heir to the Karev name.” 

“So you’re keeping your last name? And passing it onto the baby?”

Jo had spent many nights thinking long and hard about what to do with her last name. She had finally decided to change it but when she had found out she was pregnant, she knew that Alex’s side of the family would be the only real family her child would have. And after crying about it over Skype with her former mother in law, Helen had reassured Jo that she would be more than proud if she and her unborn child carried on the Karev name. 

“Yes we’re both going to be Karev’s,” Jo sighed, hand coming down to her bare bump. “I don’t need to explain my decisions to you Levi.”

“Well I’m assuming that if you’re going to be staying a Karev that you’re going to tell Alex?”

Not wanting to answer Levi’s very direct question, Jo began to pelt him with the balls from the ball pit until he walked away towards the kitchen. Jo knew that she should pick up the phone and call Alex, that he had already missed so much of his other children growing up that he deserved to be there for everything for this one. But Jo was still angry and upset at Alex for leaving her alone. If he was still here, he’d probably be sitting in the ball pit with her, cracking jokes about her inability to knit. 

But he wasn’t, Alex was halfway across the country and Jo couldn’t bring herself to pick up the phone and hear her husband's voice. 

+

“For the last time Levi, I do not need anything from you! Stop asking me! And stop texting Meredith every two minutes!”

Jo walked from the couch to the bed, flopping down onto the surface as she let out a loud sigh. It had been eight weeks since she and Levi had been quarantined together, twelve since she had found out she was pregnant, and seventeen since she had actually fallen pregnant. The constant bouts of morning sickness and mood swings in close quarters with her pseudo friend/ roommate had not been easy, but Levi was being a trooper for his part.

“Come on Jo, Meredith just wants to make sure that you’re okay,” Levi pleaded, sinking down into the couch. “Don’t take her over compensating tendencies out on me.”

For her part, Jo understood where Levi was coming from. She knew that Meredith was over protective of her because of what had happened between her and Alex, but it didn’t mean that the situation bothered Jo any less. She was capable of taking care of herself and the life that was growing inside of her, pandemic be damned. 

“Tell Meredith I’m fine and that I’m doing crossword puzzles and going to Zoom therapy sessions once a week,” Jo huffed, hands coming to rest over her eyes as she tried to understand why she had ever thought a one room loft was a good idea. “I don’t need you two hovering over me at all hours of the day.”

A loud banging sounded on the door of the loft, Jo and Levi exchanging looks before Levi scurried to the door to see who was there. The only visitors the two had had in the past few weeks were either Meredith or the grocery delivery guy, neither of which were allowed inside and neither of which pounded their door so loudly.

“Jo! Open the door, I know you’re home,” both Levi and Jo paused at the voice outside the door. Levi, who stood next to the front door, looked to Jo for guidance, but she had no direction to give. “Damn it Jo, open the door. I need to talk to you!” After a nod from Jo, Levi slid the door open, one hand coming up to stop Alex from storming into the loft. The sight of her ex husband for the first time in months made Jo’s stomach flip, her hand coming to cover her mouth so she didn’t scream in shock. 

“Sorry, Jo doesn’t let anyone in the loft anymore,” Alex raised an eyebrow towards Levi, his expression angry and ready to challenge him. “Not even Meredith. There’s a pandemic happening, dude.”

Alex rolled his eyes, trailing them towards Jo who stood nervously in the kitchen now. If you knew her well enough, you could tell that her figure had changed in the past few weeks. Her breasts had filled out and her face was fuller because of the slight amount of weight she had put on. Alex couldn’t see from where he stood, but he assumed that her stomach had begun to curve outwards as well. 

“Jo, I need to talk to you,” Alex wanted so badly to step closer to his ex wife, but he knew that Schmitt would try to stop him no matter what he did. “Mer called me, can we please talk?” Jo peaked around the corner of the kitchen, eyes taking in Alex’s nervous form. His stubble had grown out, his eyes seeming more tired than usual as they scanned over her body. A subconscious hand floated down to her stomach, Jo shielding her unborn baby from the fight that was about to ensue. 

“You can do it from there, Alex,” Jo responded, eyebrows furrowing as she stared Alex down. “You can’t come in unless you’ve quarantined yourself for 14 days and you’ve been tested for COVID-19.”

“Leave it to you to be paranoid during a freaking pandemic,” Alex groaned, one hand coming up to run through his hair. He had driven straight through from Kansas to Washington, only stopping to pee on the side of the road every few hours. “Are you okay? You're…. feeling healthy and what not?” Schmitt, who had been quiet up until then, rolled his eyes in Alex’s direction. After spending every moment of the day with Jo, he knew that the question would piss her off to no end, regardless of who was asking it. He turned to her briefly, noting the pissed off expression on her face, then turned back to Alex.

“Jo is perfectly fine, she has been for the past few months without you,” Levi’s voice was firm and defiant to whatever Alex might counter him with. “And furthermore, I don't think either of us appreciate you showing up here unannounced. We are, may I remind you, in the middle of a pandemic.”

“I’m fine, Alex,” Jo took a step forward, coming further into Alex’s line of sight. Alex’s eyes trailed up and down her body, finally taking in the bump that had appeared on her normally flat stomach. “I do want to talk, I promise, but I can’t risk my health or… or our baby’s health right now. So come back in two weeks and I promise I will talk to you.”

The glare that Alex sends towards Schmitt sends the younger man reeling back, grasping for the door handle as he tries to shut Alex out of the loft. However, the older man’s voice rings through one last time before the door shuts completely. “I’m coming back for you, Jo,” Alex calls out, voice urgent and waiting for his lost love to hear him. “I’m coming back and you can’t stop me.”

Door firmly shut and locked, Levi turned to Jo, who seemed to be brimming with an odd mixture of anger and sadness. She ran her hands through her hair once, finally letting out a scream as she flopped back onto her bed. 

“Well shit,” Jo groaned, hand slipping down the cradle her baby bump. “That’s just about the last thing I needed.”

+

“Did you order breakfast? Because this is delicious.”

Jo stepped out of the bathroom, eyes narrowing as she took in Levi and the huge bag of food in front of him. She hadn’t ordered anything, but since the bag was clearly labeled from her favorite diner, she could only assume where it had come from. 

“Pretty sure you know who sent this,” Jo reached into the bag and grabbed a breakfast burrito, unwrapping it and slathering it in Easy Cheese and hot sauce. “I want to be mad about that, but I really can’t. This is the best thing I’ve eaten in awhile.” 

“It’s been five days, has he said anything to you,” Levi asked, eyes cautiously floating to Jo. While they’d grown closer in quarantine, the one thing that Jo never wanted to talk about was Alex. Now that he was here though, Levi thought that maybe she would be more open about the subject. 

“He’s texted a few times, assured me that he’s staying by himself and that he hasn’t even seen Meredith,” Jo shrugged, one hand coming down to touch her stomach. The once small bump had seemed to balloon in the past week, almost as if her unborn child was trying to show off for their father. “She’s mad at me now, saying that my paranoia is interfering with their friendship. But we haven’t really talked yet.”

To be fair, Alex had been texting Jo a lot since he had showed up at their door and confirmed with his own two eyes that she was pregnant. And if she wasn’t lying straight to Levi’s face currently, she would tell him that she had been texting Alex back. They had talked mostly about the baby, the rest of the world being a subject neither of them wanted to broach. Kansas hadn’t come up either, but Jo had a feeling that maybe everything wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows if Alex hadn’t hesitated in showing up at her door.

“I think it says a lot that he came back, you know,” Levi shrugged as he grabbed a tater tot from the bag and popped it into his mouth. “I mean he said he left for his kids but the first word he hears about you he drives all the way here. That’s a good man for you.” “Well he wouldn’t have had to drive all the way back if he didn’t go there in the first place,” Jo huffed angrily, dropping the rest of her burrito onto the table with a frustrated groan. “I’m going to take a shower.” “You just took one,” Levi countered, a confused look appearing on his face.

“Well unfortunately that’s the only place in this stupid loft that I can sit in silence,” Jo exclaimed, hands coming up in an angry gesture. “If you make it out of here alive it’ll be a miracle, Schmitt.” + “I swear if you don’t back up right now, I’m going to lose my mind!” “Okay but you’re-”

“I told you I’m fine Schmitt, back up!”

The raised voices alarmed Alex as he approached the loft, bringing his keys out to unlock the door instead of knocking. Relieved to find that Jo hadn’t changed the locks, Alex slid the door open and stepped into the loft unnoticed by the bickering roommates.

“I just think if you’re in pain you should go in,” Levi’s hands were held up defensively as he stood in front of Jo. “I’m no expert on pregnancy, but that can’t be a good sign.” “You’re in pain? What’s wrong?” Both Levi and Jo whipped around at the sound of Alex’s voice, the latter holding a hand firmly against her stomach. The glares that she was shooting in his direction didn’t go unnoticed by him, but he brushed it off as he was overwhelmed with worry for Jo. Alex noticed that even in the short time it had been since he had seen her last, Jo’s bump seemed to have grown. 

“You shouldn’t be here. I’m fine,” Jo tried to sound convincing but her voice faltered as she winced. “Seriously I’m okay. Stop looking at me like I’m some shelter puppy that’s about to be put down. I can take care of myself, I’ve been doing it for awhile now. And you need to get out of here, you’ve only been quarantined for like a week.”

Despite her best efforts, Jo had exhausted herself scolding Alex and felt breathless almost immediately. Settling her free hand on the arm of the couch, Jo tried to be inconspicuous as she sat down, but both men next to her were watching her closely. 

“Where does it hurt,” Alex asked as he sat next to Jo, unfazed by her outburst at him. 

“I told you I’m fine!”

“She’s been breathless and clutching her lower right quadrant for about half an hour,” Schmitt offered up, Jo immediately tossing a throw pillow in his direction. “I’m trying to be helpful! You haven’t been in pain this whole entire time.”

“Go be helpful in the bathroom Schmitt! I don’t need both of you hovering around me and I know that he won’t leave,” Jo gestured to Alex vaguely as she took another deep breath, leaning over as she clutched her stomach again. “Go!”

Levi ran off, Jo letting out an aggravated sigh as soon as he left the room. A few tears sprinkled Jo’s cheeks as she rubbed her hand into her stomach. 

“I’m fine I just… can’t catch my breath and my stomach has some localized pain,” Jo didn’t fight Alex off when he placed his palm gently next to hers, his larger hand almost covering her whole bump. “I’m okay, I swear I’m fine. The baby’s fine and it’s okay and nothing is wrong.”

As Jo rambled more, her tears began to fall harder, breaths coming in short gasps as she leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder. Doing his best to comfort and assess her at the same time, Alex rubbed his hand gently against her stomach. A few light kicks met his hand, tears threatening to fall as Alex felt his child move for the first time. Once he was satisfied that Jo had calmed down, he spoke up, sure his crooked grin was showing in full force. 

“Well, you’re not dying,” Alex chuckled, his fingers moving lightly against Jo’s stomach as he explained what she was feeling. “Baby’s lodged up here, in your rib, and when they kick, they knock the air out of your lungs. I can feel their head down here, which means their legs are stretching out and kicking up towards your diaphragm. That’s why you feel so out of breath. If you’re lucky, I can try and coax them out of their tight spot.” 

Jo barely nodded, eyes closed as she continued to lean against Alex and take deep breaths. He moved one hand up to where he felt the baby’s feet and gave a slight push, Jo groaning loudly as they shifted. Alex waited a moment, grinning when he felt a small kick against the lower left side of Jo’s stomach. 

“Oh god,” Jo let a gasp out, eyes flying open as she laid her hand over Alex’s. “Oh, I can breathe again! I haven’t been able to breathe since 2 AM. Jesus that feels so much better.”

Alex took Jo in with a sense of awe, observing all of the changes he had missed about her. She had cut her hair short again, the locks just brushing her shoulders, and her cheeks had filled out more. The way she had eased into her pregnancy made him smile, knowing that she had always had a maternal instinct hidden underneath her hard exterior. Alex eyed the chain across Jo’s neck that held two silver rings, but said nothing about it. 

“Easy trick, just remember that if they get themselves twisted around again. Your OB didn’t show you that,” Alex watched Jo turn her head towards his shoulder, burying her face and mumbling something incoherent. “I can't hear you when you’re hiding your face like that.”

“I haven’t been to my OB,” Jo muttered, eyes focusing on Alex’s hand that still sat under hers. “Not since I confirmed I was pregnant.”

“You’re a doctor, you know better than that,” Alex knew that Jo would never avoid something this important without a reason, so he didn’t go into a full on rant like he wanted to. “Why haven’t you gone in, Jo?” 

“Because I can’t leave the house! I’m so scared that if I leave something will happen to the baby and,” Jo inhaled deeply, her free hand coming up to wipe at her eyes. “This baby is the only thing keeping me sane, it’s the last connection I have to you… and I just can’t risk that. I’ve already hurt too much this year, I don’t need more heartbreak. I’m a doctor, I’ll know if something is wrong and I can go in then. I’m fine here, I don’t need to leave.”

Alex stared at Jo for a long moment before pulling her fully into his embrace. He knew the way he had left her was cruel, but at the time his brain had been so turned around that he couldn’t see another option than breaking the heart of the woman he loved most. 

“Izzie is remarried. She… her kids call him dad and he’s uh, he’s a good guy. She said that I can bring the kids here for a few weeks during the summer if I wanted to but I don’t belong in Kansas,” Alex pulled back and looked at Jo, tears streaking down her face and wide eyes staring up at him. “I’m sorry Jo, I know I screwed up and I should’ve just talked to you when I found out but I was so freaked out that I just… ran. But I wanna be here, with you and this baby and I wanna take care of you. It’s always been you, Jo.”

Jo sniffled, both hands running over her face quickly in an effort to dry some of her tears. She fixed Alex with a serious stare, eyes meeting his for the first time that day. 

“You have a lot of making up to do. And you’re gonna have to be the one to kick Levi out,” Jo motioned towards the bathroom, where she could hear faint cheers echoing from. “And… if you promise to get me cheesecake afterwards, I will go to see my OB this week.”

“I told you,” Levi strutted out of the bathroom, a satisfied smirk on his face. “That’s a good man you have there.”

“Oh shut up!”

[klausalvatores]

Tysm for the link ❤️ I just watched the first episode of hsmtmts and it was so good! It kind of reminds me of glee and I liked the high school musical references in it lol. Also it usually takes me a couple episodes to get invested into a ship, but I ship Nini & Ricky and I like them a lot. EJ seems nice, but I think that Ricky is a better fit for her, and I hope that we get to see more of their storyline.

No problem :)

Yeah lol. I read a few comments on YouTube and they said “So basically Disney’s version of Glee”. It definitely does have that Glee vibe to it because it’s filmed as a mockumentary, but their focus is just HSM while Glee did a bunch of covers from different artists and some of their own original stuff. I know Glee is iconic or whatever but that show was a big mess TBH. They covered every single topic but the execution was lacking.

From watching the HSMTMTS trailers, they’re definitely gonna have some deep and dark moments. I hear EJ is gonna struggle with anxiety? More specifically, panic attacks and I’m so looking forward to that storyline because I really related to Jonah when he had them on AM.

Same. It takes a lot of convincing for me to ship a couple right off the bat... but when they showed that flashback of them, I was already hooked. They were just too cute for words. And then I was even more trash for them when Ricky sang back the song Nini wrote for him for his audition because he does love her but he’s having trouble expressing those words because like he said, his parents stopped saying they loved each other a long time ago and so it just feels foreign to him now. They’re that ‘it’s right but not right now’ type of ship. I usually don’t ship couples that are already together or are exes because I’m more into that slow-burn get together trope but these two are also gonna be that slow-burn getting back together trope, which is a change of pace for me. I really wanna see more flashbacks to their relationship, like when they first met/first started dating, etc because I really need that if they’re gonna stay broken up for who knows how long.

With the triangle, I thought it was interesting it’s with EJ because he’s also a main character (not as main as Ricky/Joshua but still) I don’t know if you’ve watched Jane The Virgin but the way the triangle was handled on that show was a fucking NIGHTMARE. Jane had a side love interest that felt like he was a main at times because of the amount of material they gave to his character and to his relationship with Jane, and so the problem was that it overshadowed the actual main ship at times and the leading man got so much hate and it was just a big mess. I think it’s pretty clear Ricky and Nini are the main couple because of what I’ve seen in interviews with Olivia and Joshua and they’re also playing Troy/Gabriella so that’s kind of a no brainer right? Anyways, my point is EJ/Nini can’t outshine Ricky/Nini if the writers are trying to sell us on Ricky/Nini. But from what I’ve seen, a lot more people are Team Ricky, so they’re doing something right.

[cecilyjvckson]

Hi hullo it’s ur local trash human olive attempting to play anew third character bc! I’m a mess! Gonna keep this intro short and sweet! Her pinterest is here if you want to get her general vibe

( cisfemale ) haven’t seen PALOMA SINGER around in a while. the ALISHA BOE lookalike has been known to be GENEROUS & QUICK-WITTED, but SHE can also be STUBBORN & INFLEXIBLE. The 21 year old is a JUNIOR majoring in ART. I believe they’re living in AUDAX but I popped by earlier and no one answered the door. ( olive. 22. est. she/her.)

Alright so Paloma was born in northern Florida in a trailer park bathroom with her Aunt Lottie acting as midwife bc they didn’t trust hospitals

Her mom worked as a stripper and her honest, god-given name was Candy. Paloma was named after her mother’s favorite lizard that later died after it ate an ibuprofen off the floor

She was mostly raised by her grandparents bc Candy was a bit of a mess. She struggled with substance abuse issues and several times coming home from school Paloma found her on the floor after she OD’d

She’s always been really really clever and her elementary school teacher kind of took the girl under her wing bc she knew what Paloma was dealing with at home and how tough everything was for her. She’d let her study in her classroom after school for years just to have somewhere to escape to when her mom was drunk or high

Growing up poor means that she’s always been really thrifty and can basically do anything herself. All of her clothes are stuff she’s found in dollar bins, patched up, or traded for. U need a tire changed? Don’t have a wine bottle opener? Don’t worry she’s got this

Eventually when she hadn’t seen her daughter for three months bc she was living with her grandparents full time, Candy got her act together. She got sober for a year, and Paloma started cautiously living with her again, and things seemed to be getting much better after Candy started dating one of her rich clients from the club

They eloped in Vegas after a month of dating and so they whisked Paloma out of Florida to live in New York with her new stepfather Jason and Candy. They enrolled her in private school, gave her a starchy uniform and a credit card to spend on anything she wanted.

She didn’t exactly fit into her new lifestyle. She’s fundamentally kind and tender, and wasn’t used to the kids in New York who drank martinis purchased with fake ID’s and wanted to be Serena van der Woodsen

She tried being a party girl and definitely did a good job of faking it. She was pretty popular at school just for being pretty and having a really really wealthy stepfather, but behind her back people would make fun of the southern accent that would slip out of her when she forgot to hide it

Paloma stopped partying and using drugs when Candy OD’d again. Everyone thought she was sober but she had secretly been using again for years

When her mom died senior year of high school her stepfather grew really cold to her. He still pays for her education and all her expenses, but for all intents and purposes she doesn’t have a “family’ anymore

Okay so personaLITY! She’s really really kind. Would give you anything you needed from her and she gets taken advantage of a lot. Inspired partly by Noora Saetre in that she’s a super feminist and is not afraid to yell at you about it

Not super into hooking up but like… she’ll do it sometimes!

Love’s love! But she doesn’t believe she deserves it so she can be closed off

Is a really good artist! Some of her work went viral last year and she was featured in a short article on Vice about upcoming artists

Uhhh okay prides herself on being the drunk girl that will take care of everyone else

OKAY WANTED PLOTS TIME: best friends, ride or die, girl squad, um blease give me a messy ex, maybe a fling that she has in Amsterdam, someone she hooked up with, a will they won’t they friendship, unlikely friend that’s her total opposite, maybe someone that has a crush on her or vice versa, someone who was friends with her back in New York when she was a wild person, um friends she’s protective of, yeet

[ororowrites]

“42 Reasons: Chadwick x OC: Chapter Two

Author’s note: I apologize for the long wait! Life catches up with us sometimes, I guess. I should be back on track now. Here are the previous chapters in case you need to re-read:

Synopsis - Introduction-Chapter One 

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety 

Two Weeks Later 

Atlanta would be Holly’s home for the next several months. Filming would begin in the next couple of weeks after their table reads and screen tests. She was still in shock and nothing had completely set in for her about her new endeavors. Fans did not know what they were about to receive and Holly was under lock and key when it came to her new job. She wasn’t even allowed to share the news with close friends or family until Marvel officially announced the cast for the Black Panther sequel. 

Holly was glad she at least knew Chadwick and had someone to lean on once they began the filming process. She had met some of the other cast members in passing but did not have a relationship with most of them. 

Her first day in Atlanta consisted of getting settled in her new apartment that Marvel was renting. Attempting to make it feel like home, Holly sent for some of her furniture and items that made her space feel warm and comfortable. While hanging some of her art, her elevator bell rang, signaling a guest. 

“Who is it,” Holly pressed the call button and spoke into the mic. 

“Take a guess,” a voice called back. 

“Hmmm, I don’t know. Denzel , Will...” Holly joked, beaming from ear to ear without even noticing. 

“Even better. Now open up unless you want me to keep all this chicken and waffles to myself,” the voice replied back. Holly could hear his grin through the door and ran to buzz him inside. 

“Chad, you know I don’t play with my food. Come in,” the actress buzzed, waiting for the doors to open before she snatched the greasy bags from Chad’s hands. 

“Knew that would get your greedy behind to the door,” Chadwick chuckled, placing a kiss on Holly’s cheek and helping her sort out their meals. The simple act seemed very natural, though Holly’s breath hitched in her throat when his lips touched her skin. 

“Thank you. You came right on time, I’m starving,” Holly said gracefully moving around the space to find plates and silverware. 

“Lucky you. This will probably be your last unhealthy meal until after the film,” he replied. 

“Says who,” the actress quizzed, cocking her head to the side. 

“Says me,” Chadwick winked. “I can even hook you up with my trainer. He kicks my ass but he’s good. That’s if you want to use him.” 

Holly grinned, “You calling me out of shape, Boseman? I’ve been boxing for the last few months. You need to watch what you say to me.” 

The two friends shared a laugh before Chadwick answered, “No, I’m not saying you’re out of shape. Just offering some fight training. Since we’ll probably by fighting side by side.” 

Holly took the clue right away. “Say you want to spend time with me. Geez,” the actress teased, honestly honored by the generous offer. This was one of the things she adored about Chadwick. He had a big heart and when he truly cared about you, he didn’t hesitate to show it. His warmth and gentle spirit made him even more attractive and made him a people magnet. Anyone that spent time around him commented on his humbleness. 

“That makes it a win-win situation. You get training and time with Chadwick. This offer is only on the table for 24 hours,” he beamed, impatiently waiting on an answer. 

“Yes, I’ll kick you ass, I mean, I’ll train with you. But if I die, you’re responsible. Got it,” Holly threatened, pointing her fork in Chadwick’s direction. 

Her co-star held his hands up in fake surrender, “Alright, deal.” 

“Let me get this last cheat meal in before you torture me,” Holly complained biting into a crispy chicken wing. “I’m going to miss you baby chicken wing. Mr. Boseman is a big meanie and will take away all my meat and put me on this wack diet. I’m sorry.” 

The Black Panther star’s boisterous laughter filled the semi-empty living room, echoing off the walls. “Leave me alone,” he said through cackles. 

Becoming tickled herself, Holly snickered until tears spilled over. 

A week later 

The process of becoming Ororo Munroe was not an easy task to take on for an actress. Ryan Coogler, the sequel’s director was very serious about presenting accurate representation of different African cultures, accents, traditions and even clothing. He traveled the continent soaking up as much knowledge as he could manage. Holly respected his drive and knew she would have to work extra hard to make his vision come to life. 

As soon as Holly got the word that she would be playing Storm, she began her own research journey in an attempt to become well versed on different cultures on the continent. She didn’t want to be ignorant about what she was getting herself into and that served as motivation to study and learn. Wanting to know her own background, Holly ordered a DNA kit to study her lineage. 

Today, the cast was meeting for their last chemistry tests. Ryan did not put up with complacency. He wanted his actors to always better themselves and strive to be more. Holly and Chadwick were up first since they were the leads in the next film. The acting pair began with Ororo and T’Challa’s third scene that took place in a Harlem apartment. 

“Aight, we’ll start on page 3 and go through page 4,” Ryan called out to his actors. They followed orders and turned their scripts to the 3rd page of the second act. “Annnd, action.” 

“Ororo, come back to Wakanda with me,” Chadwick began, getting into characters immediately. 

“I have a life here. I can’t pick up and go,” Holly read, trying a new voice for her character. Ryan didn’t seem to mind the change as he knew the perfect fit for Ororo Munroe would take practice.

“Your life hasn’t always been here,” he continued, moving in closer. “I don’t think you want it to remain here.” 

“What makes you think that,”Holly said, her eyes meeting Chadwick’s as she took on Ororo’s quiet sex appeal. 

Closing the space left between them, Chadwick placed a hand on her cheek. Moving his face closer like the script demanded, “You aren’t happy and you’re running.”

Even though it was just acting, Holly somehow felt the double meaning in Chadwick’s words. This was the exact situation  that got them in trouble while filming ‘42′. Things got too real and it made separating reel from real difficult. When Chadwick became a character his entire being changed. The only problem was, T’Challa and Ororo could be interchangeable with Chadwick and Hoilly, which complicated things. 

“I’m not running from anything,” the actress whispered, feeling the heat from Chadwick’s body engulf her space. Their lips touched as they both juggled their acting and attraction. When their lips connected, Holly tried to stay in character but her mind drifted. His lips felt soft and warm against hers and she couldn’t shake the butterflies forming in her stomach. When he pulled away her lips were still parted. 

“Cut! Nice job, the chemistry is exactly where I need it to be,” Ryan complimented. “But...you have to tone it down a lil.” 

Chadwick and Holly chuckled, “Sorry,” Holly blushed, taking the hint that their onscreen kiss was a little too hot for a Marvel film. “Gotta do it for the kids.” 

“Hey, that was all you,” Chadwick laughed, wrapping an arm around Holly’s shoulders. “Chill out, Raye.”

“Dude, hush.” Going back and forth with each other, the two leads caught the eyes of a few of their cast mates. Their old romance began the same way. Without either of them noticing until things became too heavy to ignore. Cast mates and crew saw the small interactions and felt the chemistry. Some even teasing them occasionally. Now they had come full circle, only to repeat what had began years ago. 

The Black Panther sequel was officially in production and Holly’s nerves couldn’t have bothered her enough. With this being her first gig in years after the scandal on her previous job. 

Holly had to wake up at 2 AM for hair and makeup that would take more than a couple of hours to perfect. Like many trailers, the space was full of makeup products neatly organized against one wall and hair products on the other side. In between there were different variations of wig glues, eyelash glue and a few random items like stress balls and a bag of licorice. It looked like any other makeup trailer on a set but the vibe was different. 

Tiffany and Nadine Landry were a sister duo who had been working in the business for years. They made anyone who sat in their chairs feel like family which was one of the main reasons Ryan and crew wanted to keep them around. Their positive energy and talent to match spread throughout the cast and crew, contributing to the mass success of the first film. 

Holly was greeted by the sisters with a warm embrace and jokes. “We are here to make you the best Ororo Munroe that Marvel has ever seen,” Nadine said, gently pushing Holly towards Tiffany’s chair. 

“Nay, that was shady. Be nice,” Tiffany answered, calling her big sister out on the obvious shade to the previous Storm before the Disney deal was completed. “Don’t mind her Holly, she’s a mess but your face will be beat after you leave her chair.” 

“I trust you two. Besides, you have Ryan and Kevin to answer to if I walk out of here looking like a BAPS reject.” All three women slapped hands in laughter. 

The actress relaxed into the chair as Tiffany massaged her scalp, loosening the thick curls towards the crown of Holly’s head. 

Five hours and many looks later, the team had finally completed the new Ororo Munroe. The original hair and makeup options got trashed once Tiffany and Nadine slightly altered their initial plan for Holly. 

They settled on a straight, mid-back length wig and a neutral makeup palette that didn’t overpower the blue contacts and white wig.  

The big reveal came when Chadwick was brought into the trailer to see his co-star who had completely been transformed into the future Queen of Wakanda. 

When he stepped into the trailer, the actor’s laughter filled the small space as his excitement grew. Clapping his hands, his smile spread from ear to ear. “Look at you,” he exclaimed, gazing in awe. She was beautiful on any day, but there was a certain glow and confidence she was giving off. 

“Do I look good enough to be your Queen, T’Challa,” Holly teased dramatically, flipping her white locs. 

“You may outdo me in my own movie. Ya’ll trying to make me look bad,” Chadwick accused. 

“She makes it easy,” Nadine added, squeezing Holly’s shoulders, “She slays naturally. Sorry Chad.” 

Chadwick’s toothy grin widened. “Clearly.” His eyes fell to Holly, their gazes holding each other longer than they should. Look away, look away, Holly’s mind screamed, but her hormones were already betraying her. Those eyes were captivating and she couldn’t look away until Tiffany and Nadine interrupted. 

“Alright, out you go, Boseman. We need to finish her up before set call,” Tiffany gently pushed the actor towards the trailer door. “You can admire her when we send her out for your first scene.” 

Holly chuckled when Chadwick complained about how he was being treated by the crew. “That man is something else,” the actress shook her head.

“That man is feeling you,” Tiffany sang lowly but loud enough for Holly to hear. Today, she decided to ignore the truth and waited for the subject to change. Here we go, she thought. 

Later that day, when Holly had a small break in her schedule, she was faced with a situation and person she thought she had escaped. One of the old executives from the network she worked under years ago, was making a set visit. Supposedly, he was working for Marvel Studios under the same position. Holly’s stomach immediately dropped to her feet. There was no where to running, forcing the actress to face her fears in panic. Feeling helpless, Holly took off towards her trailer, praying no one saw the tears streaking her cheeks. 

Slamming the trailer door shut, Holly tried to take a few deep breaths. Ben Wiseman was a person she wanted to avoid for the rest of her life. He was responsible for a very dark time in her life and career, driving her to almost end it all to escape the pain. Ben was a Devil in a fancy suit and charming smile. Power and money made him untouchable and people flocked to him because of his title and reputation in the industry. Holly knew the man behind the suit and it put great fear in her heart that he’d been working right under her nose. 

The air in the trailer thickened causing the actress to take shorter breaths, making her panic more due to the heaviness of her chest. Over the last several months, Holly was able to keep her panic attacks to a minimum. After enrolling in yoga/meditation classes, she was able to learn different techniques to manage her stress. Counting to ten in her head Holly attempted to control her breathing and put her mind and spirit in a more positive realm. 

It took Holly 20 minutes to get back into a good place and for her breathing to calm. Going back outside meant risking running into Ben, though there was no way to avoid him. She gave herself a pep talk, prayed and dried her eyes before leaving the trailer. 

“There you are,” Chadwick said, walking up to the trailer with two cups of coffee in his hands. “Figured you’d need a little pick me up before we head back. Hey, you alright?” 

Worry was written all over Holly’s face, though she nodded with a fake smile, “Yeah, I’m good. Fell asleep in my trailer and woke up a bit confused.” 

“You sure, looks like you’ve been crying,” Chadwick pressed, holding the foam cup in her direction. 

“I’m sure, geez,” Holly faked laughter, doing a terrible job of hiding the pain in her voice. 

Chadwick was not buying her act and wasn’t going to allow his friend to go on with her day without getting to the bottom of this. “Raye,” he replied, his tone serious. Holly hung her head in defeat. “You want to go somewhere and talk? We have a few minutes before call.” Holding out his hand, Chadwick waited for Holly to accept it before leading her back to the trailer. 

I will begin working on the next chapter tomorrow, so it won’t be another month until I post again. lol Let me know of you want to be added to the taglist. 

Taglist: @wakanda-shit-is-that @lavitabella87 @destinio1 @airis-paris14 @babygirlofwakanda @siriuslycollins

[thaliasandy]

The R/J comment could def be about timing or circumstances getting in the way of Caryl and I'd much rather Caryl talk about that in a convo instead of friend/family zoning the pair because it's the truth. Timing has always been wrong for them. So if they know this, then why is Carol with KE? I think Carol could easily revert back to the kind of violence Daryl is exhibiting. Perhaps King E keeps her grounded. Sadly, I think Daryl's anger is what stands in their way now. Carol doesn't want that.

Well Carol is forced to be with him because gimple and kang are fucking trash writers but I have to disagree with you on zeke keeping her grounded...I’m sorry but I hate this! I’m not trying to find explanations for why c@rzekiel happens, I just want to hate it while I have to endure it and be glad when it’s over.If twd was like a regular drama show about people living in the real world I’d probably agree but those characters live in the zombie apocalypse, in fact they’ve lived in the ZA for so long that other humans have become the greater danger and the whole anti-violence, ‘I don’t want to kill humans’, all people deserve a second chance bullshit makes me angry. Trusting and forgiving horrible dangerous people is what’s going to get people killed. Just like sitting around, doing nothing, playing renaissance fair and reciting Shakespeare is not an useful trait in that world. The whole Kingdom is a joke, like Carol said back in s7 when she still seemed to be the real Carol.Characters like zeke and jerry would be fitting on a show like Z-Nation for example, which has more of an comedy vibe going on, on a show like twd it’s simply out of place and ridiculous!

Daryl might be violent but NEVER towards Carol. It’s also the only way she ever knew him and she’s always accepted and loved him despite his temper.In the trailer he beats up a dude who used to be a savior; Letting those people stay with team family was a bad idea in the first place, but since the other savior even puts a knife to Carol’s throat I guess it’s save to say they deserve to be beaten to a pulp.

I hope Carol eventually goes back to being the strong woman she was in earlier seasons before this stupidity is getting her and others killed.

I’m not trying to bash your opinion, sorry if it feels this way, I just have a lot of feelings about this subject.

[seesgood]

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY OF MY LOVES ARE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS? no? cool well ya’ll are about to find out .and BELIEVE ME when i tell you that you should follow the shit out of all of these guys. if you haven’t already. and if you haven’t, what are you doing you’re so missing out!!! 

@bloodmirrored ; @keeperofhumanity ; @1000liveslived ; @dissolvedshadows ; @wulfking ; @oddyssea ; @peaceific ; @grcdy ; @beaniesandmachetes ; @cordeliakomskaikru / @rainkilled ; @roaming-agent ; @motherbuilt ; @lead-pencilskirt ; @sterxid ; @scarredesmeralda

alright this time i got smart and am listing in alphabetical order so it’s easier for ya’ll to find your little love blurb: 

@1000liveslived --- so i know i was later than most people to hop onto the ‘holy shit jess is literally one of the most incredible humans’ bandwagon but i’m here. and i have my little conductors hat. and we gon fuck some shit up with love alright? but you know i love you. let’s talk about how much i love emma. emma is realistic. and dynamic. and she breaks your god damn heart as much as she makes it soar. emma, to me, feels like the kind of character that could exist in real life. she has flaws, she has strength, she has this lingering air of reality about her that not many people can bring to an oc. and tbh all of your ocs are like that and i love them all so much. they’re such unique characters and i love them more than anything.

@beaniesandmachetes --- ok so i know you’re technically not on jake as much anymore but tbh this is the blog where i first fell in love with everything about your blogs. for starters, your writing is to die for, writing with you has always been one of my favorite things. i love all the little details you put into jake and how you make him stand out among other ocs and other blogs that use jared as a fc. and while we’re at it, let’s talk about jared as a fc bc like honestly once in awhile an oc will come along where the fc is honestly just PERFECT and it makes the character and drives everything and tbh i can’t imagine jake with any other fc. jared is perfect. every last minute detail ( which i’m sure you’ve thought through bc you’re just that attuned to your characters and i love it ) is perfection. seriously i am deathly terrified of zombies but like your blog would make me try and watch twd again. which is a big thing, ok? bc i’m literally terrified of zombies.

@bloodmirrored --- icb i’m literally mentioning you on all of these ffs everyone’s gonna know i’m trash for you. but you have 800 blogs and i can’t tag them all so i’m just gonna tag this one especially and give @reapcriisms a shout out bc fuck man i love aleksei but ok anyway let’s talk about the sweetmeadows: bc i. love. them. so. freaking. much. you’ve made such a wonderful, organic, and believable contrast between the twins. where i don’t think they could exist in a verse where the other one doesn’t. as stand alone characters, they’re phenomenal, but when you put them together it’s like this magic just happens and you get to this whole other level of understanding and quality and overall perfection and i’ve told you before and i’ll tell you again that you honestly do develop some of the best ocs i’ve seen. like you have 800 of them.

@cordeliakomskaikru / @rainkilled --- le sigh. i’m mentioning both of them under one little paragraph bc i don’t wanna seem unfair but i feel like you should know by now that i could go on about your muses for 1800 days. seriously though. i’ve never met anyone who could have the kind of muse range that you do. like all of your muses, be them canon or oc, have different voices and mannerisms and none of them bleed together ( which tbh i feel like is super hard to do idk how you do this ) and i honestly forgot ( like legitimately ) that cordelia and peter weren’t “canon” like i got super confused when the trailer came out and i was like what an outrage where is cordelia i am going to riot oh shit wait she’s not technically in this show whatthefuck basically though, everytime i think i can’t love you more, you go and do something else that makes me love you more. just stop. my heart will explode. and i will die.

@dissolvedshadows --- throwback to those like 6 months where i did nothing but stalk your blog and constantly hover over the follow button and debate whether or not i should just go for it bc i was like ‘well shit if they don’t follow me back imma die’ BUT YOU DID AND HERE YOU ARE and skdjfsdkjlfh wow ok lets talk about caleb and ana. i am a sucker for characters who have two seemingly contrasting characteristics but somehow it works. like case in point, the thousand year old terrifying pretty much all powerful immortal demon who can’t figure out how to google things and ana the badass ‘could probably kill a man with boots and look fab doing it’ but who also i feel like just kinda needs someone to love her ( coughconnorcough ) and it takes someone with serious writing chops to pull that off, which --- hello, it’s you. it’s literally always gonna be you. i don’t think i’ll ever be able to accurately describe how much i adore you. but it’s a lot. a whole lot.

@grcdy --- !!!! JURASSIC WORLD OC !!!! like honestly i don’t know why the whole world doesn’t follow you for just that reason alone? which yes, would do you a total injustice bc you are so much more than just a jurassic world oc BUT YOU’RE A JURASSIC WORLD OC but ok, fangirling about your amazing oc making decisions aside, can we all please collectively appreciate bella? please? because girl is fuckin fantastic. like strong and smart and tough and incredible and badass and all around just a wonderful character that should have existed in the movie ( and now does, in my mind, thanks. ) and i just like, you guys. jurassic world. original character. plus great writing. plus and even better mun. plus just a great fucking character there are no drawbacks.

@keeperofhumanity --- i know you’re not as active on z anymore which tbh i think is a tragedy because of all of your characters ( which are all awesome ) z has always had such a soft spot in my heart. not only have you managed to make a character that is totally and completely badass without going over the top and in your face about it and making it hard to write with, but you’ve managed to weave in this incredibly soft and tender side of her. very few people can do that with the amount of finesse that you’ve managed to. and yes, no matter what blog you’re on you’re an incredible writer and an incredible human, but fucking hell ash you literally mined gold when it came to zandra. she’s incredible. like you.

@lead-pencilskirt --- emma aka the biggest sweetheart of an oc ever to be made aka the love of my life aka idk how you made her this amazing and how you yourself are this amazing but holy shit it’s like the holy grail of rp blogs. like writing with emma feels breezy. chemistry is natural, writing is fun, our threads are kinda just a nice break to be able to reply to. i love well developed ocs that feel like they could super easily just step out of the rp world and into the real world and we would never know the difference and emma i feel like fits that mold to a perfect t.

@motherbuilt --- and here we have another one of those oc’s where i have to literally remind myself that she’s not “canon” because she’s so canon it hurts. honestly i swear i don’t know how you do it or how you’ve made her this true to life and fit her in so well to the t100 universe but you’ve struck gold, okay? because lou feels like a part of that universe. she feels like she belongs with the other characters. and the whole idea of this scared kid who is gonna have a baby on the ground where they’re all probably gonna die? it’s freaking genius. plus lou herself is just all sorts of tough and badass and inspiring but also has this soft side and she’s so loyal and i love her to death. and i love all of our threads so freaking much.

@oddyssea --- okay but you literally took like one of my favorite tropes ( the bantery treasure hunting guy ) and made him better. and you gave him an accent. and you developed tf out of him to the point where i’ll be like psh nice try indiana jones but karter kane coulda done all that and looked better doing it ( which is hard to do, i mean we’re talking about young harrison ford here okay? ) but alright like, not only is karter an incredible oc but he’s one of those muses that i just love reading things for. i love all of your threads, even the ones that don’t even involve me in any way shape or form. you made an oc that’s fun to read and fun to write with and is just all around a great character. fuck man i could go on and on about how incredible he is and i probably will for the next billion years bc you’re stuck with me ( and care ) for at least that long 

@peaceific --- when i first followed you i honestly had to like refrain myself from getting giddy everytime you expressed an interest in writing with me. because you have been and always will be one of THOSE blogs. like the blogs that just radiate in the quality vibe. everything about noah and your blog and your writing and theme and everything is so perfectly matched and formatted and organized, i envy it. and even beyond that, noah is a fucking incredible character. like the most original idea for a character i’ve seen in my time here. i can’t get enough of writing with you. i can’t get enough of talking to you. i just wish i could constantly force you to bask in that kind of love day in and day out until you were like ‘damn ok i get it we’re loved’ 

@roaming-agent --- my girl. caroline’s girl. literally like i feel like you me and lissa need to make some kind of charlie’s angels verse with these three bc that’s totally the vibe i get from them. honestly though i just really love taylor. there’s something about her that’s really innocent and sweet despite the fact that i am fully aware that she is a not so secret badass at heart. she feels so real, and i love the development you’ve done with her and how you’ve expertly woven her into frank and joe’s lives and stories and it just brings new life and new levels and new angles to everything. plus, you’re literally one of the best people to talk to and write with like you’re such a freaking sweetheart idek how to deal with it.

@scarredesmeralda --- alright so we haven’t written yet and we’ve only been following one another for a little bit but already i know i’m gonna love you. because not only do you have a great fucking oc who you’ve managed to adapt to so many different verses ( which is no easy feat, i know ) but you are just like the nicest person ever. you’re like a mama lion protecting her cubs and i love that you’re so bold about what you believe in, i love talking to you, i cannot wait to write with you and explore different verses and muse chemistry and just see how things go. i give you all of the applause because you deserve it.

@sterxid --- ok but will i ever flail enough about how much i adore you and your blog? probably not. but we’re gonna keep trying until you get sick of hearing it. the first time i fell in love with your blog, i fell in love with one of your promos and honestly it was so gorgeous and simplistic and i just had to follow you because i needed more of that kind of quality on my dash. and you did not disappoint. not even for one second. every edit you make has this raw, simplistic, but gorgeous quality that is so aesthetically appealing and it’s all backed by this fantastically developed and written character. i swear lik everything about your blog is so downright gorgeous that i don’t even know how to properly express how much i love it except to flail over you constantly. so that’s what i’m gonna do.

@wulfking --- the god damn love of my life. i’ve told you a lot about how incredible alex is but now i’m just gonna tell you again bc you definitely don’t hear it enough: alex is incredible. you have put so much thought not only into the character you’re writing but into the world around him, his species, his family, his background, his mannerisms that he could ( and should ) be a real canon character somewhere. only i feel like even that would do him a disservice because he is so beyond the constraints of any canon anywhere. you write alex with a kind of adoration and love and skill that i could never hope to have and that a lot of us i think could never really hope to have. you’re just a natural born creative mind and a talented writer and you inspire me on the daily.

[thekoogler-blog]

The Koogler Watches Comic Con Trailers 2018

Comic Con Trailer

Glass.

I’ll be honest, not too concerned about this one. I feel like this trilogy should have been like a duology. Split could have been like a 20 min lead in to Glass. Like he takes the girls, there’s a montage of all his personalities, the little rascal, ms doubtfire, or maybe she was more professor mcgonagall. And then there was like his demon one who could bend bars or whatever. He’s fully demon now like climbing the walls like a cricket demon. So I’m trying to figure out the twist from the trailer, and I guess the twist is going to be this is all in their heads. Or the twist is that they’re like actually heroes and villains and then they need to save the world. The twist is that there will be a 4th movie. They’re going to wring this out and try and get one last movie out of it. Plus it has pouty face Sarah Paulson in it, I’ll probably catch this one on the VOD or something. I’ve never seen the whole movie of Unbreakable but I got the key points. Willis survives the crash, he’s unbreakable and Jackson is super breakable. He’s like the guy from SpongeBob the chocolate episode. I won’t lie, when he fell down those steps, I kind of laughed, which is like some hidden superpower that I have. I can’t get through Precious without cracking up at least three times. But anyway…….

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Three MeowMeowBeenz

 AQUAMAN

I feel like I don’t have to say much about this. I know the immense intense hate that some of the DC universe has for it. Mostly just the DCEU, the animated bit is good. The comics are good. The games are good. The movies, to me, are good too. Look, we didn’t have any of these movies, none, now we have them all over the place. I agree that we need quality over quantity, but on the DC side, we are just getting started. Let’s give it a chance. Now to the trailer. Man oh man. I’m digging the visuals. The inevitable war scene looks good. The giant jellies, the SEA TURTLES (side note, I love sea turtles. SO FUGGIN MAJESTIC), the deep sea monsters and riding sharks and sea horses and shig. DOOOOOOPE. I’m a big fan of under the ocean life in general so I’m here for all of it. They fixed the speaking thing from JL where they had to conjure a water bubble to talk, they just talk. Favorite part of this whole trailer, the sharks willing to just destroy the entire aquarium to help little AC. One thing I’m not too fond of, that red hair of Mera. And I do see the similarities of this and BP. But, there’s room for both. Always has been, always will be. I’m looking forward to seeing this because I want to see if maybe this is somehow going to set up Legion of Doom. We have the Joker, Lex, and Deathstroke, add in Manta with Cheetah coming in and then possibly Black Adam sometime in the future. I’d like to see Reverse Flash get added into this somewhere as well but hopefully DC pulls this off with all the shakeups. I’m just hoping its not going to be too heavy on the puns and one liners and what not. Arthurs transition from the surface world to becoming the king of Atlantis was no laughing matter and I hope that comes through on the screen.

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Five MeowMeowBeenz

  Shazam!

Yes BOYEEEEEEEE. As per usual with the DCEU, people have a lot of complaints, but I’m here for this one as well. Kid in a superhero body came through in the trailer and I’m looking forward to it. This is one movie that needs to have that light and breezy funny and easy touch. Billy is a foster kid down on his luck, home to home, who just got the gift of a lifetime. Needs to be funny and goofy, but have the action of MOS. Shazam and whoever he is fighting need to be slingin each other all over the place and what not. I like the suit and everything, but the lightning on the chest looks more like a night light than anything else. But you don’t really get much other than a quick intro to Shazam. Tells you the gist of who he iis. Meets the Wizard, says the name, now he is Shazam. Just like I was talking about with Aquaman with the LOD filling out, for the next one, the Justice League should be filling out as well. Now is the time to plant the seeds for it. Lex needs to be in the background of all of this plotting and scheming with Deathstroke putting his team together to take on the League. Maybe do the JLA: Doom storyline but have Lex in the driver seat instead of Vandal Savage. Yeah, yeah, that could work

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Five MeowMeowBeenz

 Godzilla: King of Monsters

So, I won’t lie, I know nothing about anything Godzilla other than what I learned from the Godzilla 2000. I think I saw pieces of the one released before this, but not much. I don’t remember if he fought a monster or not, but. This looks ok, but ONLY IF Godzilla is fighting all of these monsters. Also, Clair de Lune in the trailer. That gets two BIG THUMBS up from me. And it sounds like Vera Farmiga is going to be a bad guy somehow. Cuz Friday Night Lights coach and Millie BB don’t seem to like her. It looks like we’re going to see Mothra, and I’m guessing Rodan and the three headed one….Golgon? I don’t know names. I saw the moth one, there was a flying fire one, and the three headed one. Looks like its going to be a more dramatic world smasher. You don’t play Clair de Lune in a movie that is a bit classy

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Four MeowMeowBeenz

 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

You guys…..you guys you guys……you……guys. When I hear that music and I see those towers. You know the music that I’m talking about. Even though Harry isn’t here anymore that sense of wonder and magic still pulls you in. It still makes you want to watch WHATEVER they put out. Its great stuff, it really is. But this is about to give us a little glimpse into the world young Dumbledore, some of his humble beginnings. We get some returning faces along with some new ones. I personally can’t wait to see this and Nicholas Flamel. I mean….I feel we’re getting deep into some of the things we kind of just glossed over in the original series. I can’t wait. I’ll see this alone if need be because I’m always ready to dive back into the Wizarding World. I’d like a movie on the founders of Hogwarts to be honest, there has to be a story there. Right? RIGHT!!!! I just want more stories and more books and more all of it.

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Six MeowMeowBeenz

 The Walking Dead Season 9

So…..Rick is an old man now. Yes, there will be a time jump I suppose, and I still need to catch up because the last episode I saw was Carl getting bit and dying in a sewer. Do I care that much about that to stop watching the show? No. Will I catch up? Yes. Do I know what’s about to happen? Yes. Everyone seems to be living in harmony. The last of the Saviors, the bad ones at least seem to be gone. The Sanctuary, Kingdom, and the Hilltop, along with the trash people, seem to be living in harmony. But, there’s some cracks in the armor. The people seem to maybe not be getting along together. Some don’t want to be in a big group and others don’t want to play nice with each other. I mean, you had to expect that this would come, the Saviors did some messed up shig to everyone and forgiving them aint gonna be as easy as 1, 2, 3. This is also the fabled season of Rick and Maggie leaving I think. There is a shot of some boots walking with blood dripping down. I wager Rick is going to get but of course and die or whatever and Maggie or Michonne is taking over. And maybe the feud between Darryl and Rick is going to boil over. My man Dan Fogel looks like he’s going to play a part in this. Maybe he’s a Whisper. Who knows. But I will watch it, but I have to watch half a season, plus Preacher is on so I’m gonna fit this shignattle in here somewhere. I won’t lie, after the whole meeting with Negan where he first arrived, I gotta say my interest in TWD has waned from about 100 to a 90, maybe an 89. But I’m still fully on the wagon.

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Four MeowMeowBeenz

 Disenchantment

I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know if I dreamed this maybe, but didn’t they try this already with another Matt Groening show that didn’t work out. But I hear Abbi, I hear Keegan, not sure who the goblin person is, but I like all the stuff. Most of the stuff so I’ll watch and take a quick sneakle peekle and see if it keeps my interest.

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Two MeowMeowBeenz

 Titans

Yall. This one gon be zoppity. These are no longer Teen Titans. These are just straight up Titans as evidenced by the trailer giving the the large TV MA right in the beginning. With Raven being such a central part of the trailer, you already know who’s coming to dinner. That’s right, I know my boy Trigon is going to be making an appearance, how, when, and in what capacity, we don’t know. But, I’m anxious to see it. The core crew from the show is there, Robin, Star, Raven, and Beast Boy, but I’m guessing in this universe, Cyborg has been drafted to the JL and they are getting two new additions, Hawk and Dove, played by Thad Castle and ARods ol girl. The one thing I’m really anxious to see, just what the hell did Batman do to make Robin that….damn…mad. Because there is an episode here called Jason Todd, so this whole I’m kinda Jason Todd but I’m also Dick is gone. He’s got a real grudge against the Bat in this one with the standout line from the trailer

“Fuck Batman”

I mean, I’m in. Plus add in the fact that Jason Todd will be mentioned in the show, throw in the Doom Patrol, and Wonder Girl. I’m getting more of a Young Justice vibe (great comic by the way), from this than anything. With just a splash of adultness. I mean Robin really stepped on that guys face pretty friggin hard

Koogler Scale of Watchability: Five MeowMeowBeenz

 There were other trailers that I didn’t mention, Arrow, the Flash, the Orville, Black Lightning, Yeah, I’m not caught up on these either so I didn’t watch because I don’t know what happen with Flash and the Thinker. I don’t know what happened with the Arrow crew Diaz or Dominguez or whatever his name is. And I don’t know what happened with Black Lightning and Tobias Church. Hoping they didn’t kill him because I like him.

[kansascityhappenings]

Why are Star Wars droids so loveable? It’s science

In November 2014, a little orange and white ball named BB-8 rolled across the screen in the first “The Force Awakens” trailer, the next generation of plucky droids in the Star Wars universe.

In the short scene, the unique droid is rolling as quick as he can across the sands of Jakku. His body looks like its spinning in a million different directions, while his head somehow stays in place, antenna aimed forward like an English Pointer.

His big central eye and childlike movements and sounds evoked the same emotions we have toward babies and cute animals. BB-8 was designed to be loved.

And when they first saw him, fans thought BB-8 was a completely digital rendering. But then a practical, robotic BB-8 rolled across the stage at Star Wars Celebration in 2015. The sight, much like watching R2-D2 roll through the desert, caused another wave of wonder: Could this ever be possible in real life?

In the Star Wars universe, droids are part of everyday life. They pilot and repair ships (unless they belong to the Mandalorian), translate, navigate, hunt bounties, perform medical procedures, cook food, tend bar and act as weapons and armies during times of war.

But they also have personality. They talk back, get their feelings hurt and care for their human counterparts. Some are downright sassy.

As enamored as we are of R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8, these kinds of droids are not part our reality. Robots assist us differently, and usually behind the scenes. If your Roomba gets stuck under the sofa, you don’t have the same endearing feeling toward it as though it were a squeaky mouse droid zipping around an Imperial Cruiser.

“At this stage, depending on what you want your robot to do, we can create an R2-D2 that can roll around and make beeps and bloops with a universal probe that can interface with things,”said Patrick Johnson, physicist and assistant teaching professor at Georgetown University. “Can it stop a trash compactor on command? Not necessarily at this time.”

Johnson, author of “The Physics of Star Wars,” cited the ease of robotic mobility from companies like Boston Dynamics, known for its lineup of robots that can act as pack mules, move boxes, sense and inspect, and even a humanoid robot named Atlas. And regarding a universal translator like C-3PO, our current analogs resemble machine learning-based services such as Google Translate and language modeling software like GPT2 that can create believable text. Google Assistant’s AI can make reservations and uses speech patterns with hesitations or “umms” to sound natural.

“These are very basic things right now, but take GPT2’s language algorithm, combine it with Google Assistant and put it in a Boston Dynamics robot and you’re dangerously close to an actual droid we would see in the Star Wars universe,” Johnson said.

However, personality is another thing altogether. At the Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge portion of the Disney parks, guests can build their own droid and determine its personality by inserting a specific chip.

And the droids in Star Wars are powered by people.

Metal parts, human hearts

The legacy of Star Wars droids and their memorable personalities were forged by actors Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels, the real people inside the droid-like suits of R2-D2 and C-3PO respectively.

C-3PO, Human Cyborg Relations, was initially supposed to sound like a New York taxi driver.

The Star Wars droid was envisioned as a fast-talking, wise-cracking robot. But when British actor and mime artist Anthony Daniels first saw a concept sketch of the golden droid by artist Ralph McQuarrie over the shoulder of George Lucas, he got a different vibe.

“Over George’s shoulder, I saw a painting. And the most extraordinary thing happened,” Daniels said in an interview for “Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy.” “It just struck me. I looked at this face, and the face looked back at me and we had this extraordinary eye contact. He’s looking right out of the picture and seemed to be saying, ‘Come be with me. The vulnerability in his face made me want to help him.”

On the set of the original “Star Wars” film also so known as “A New Hope,” the slim Daniels suited up as C-3PO and used his natural voice, which he expected it to be dubbed over by the outrageous accent Lucas wanted.

But after auditioning a number of voices and showing clips of Daniels to his friends, including Francis Ford Coppola, they all said the same thing: Keep Daniels’ voice. Free to embrace the C-3PO he had brought to life, the actor refined the voice. The result was a dramatic, easily offended and oft-stressed overdone British butler.

Similarly, Kenny Baker’s three foot, eight-inch frame was encased in R2’s metal body and he was tasked with making the droid look alive and happy. He would bounce from side to side, making R2 look animated and effervescent. Slight head turns resembled that of a child looking from fascination point to fascination point.

Ben Burtt, sound designer, recalled in “Empire of Dreams” that R2 actually turned out to be the most difficult problem to solve in the sound design for “A New Hope.” He used a small synthesizer to stand in for R2’s dialogue at first because the script only referred to R2 making a sound or beeps, but it didn’t sound alive.

As the sound team talked about R2, they realized he was a bit like a developing toddler. They made baby talk recordings, sounding out beeps and boops, and married the tones with the synthesizer.

“R2 is 50% machine and 50% organic sounds coming from the performance of a person,” Burtt said in the documentary.

Bringing up BB-8

There are many versions of BB-8. He can be animatronic, digital or practical. The one seen in that first teaser trailer is a practical effect with two puppeteers who brought BB-8 to life: Brian Herring and Dave Chapman.

“That first shot was me running behind a camera car with Dave lashed to the back of it, hanging on for dear life,” Herring said. “Dave was bouncing around on the back controlling the head, I was running like mad moving the body. And it’s one of my fondest memories.”

BB-8 looks like he’s spinning impossibly fast because Herring twisted the body slightly left and right as he moved — something animatronics wouldn’t be able to do.

Much like the legacies of Baker and Daniels, it took the quirky personalities of Herring and Chapman to bring BB-8 to life. They suited up in green onesies so their performance would be digitally removed later, leaving only BB-8 behind on the screen.

Chapman and Herring had worked together before, but 15 years passed before they were hired for their dream job together in 2013.

BB-8 was a new droid and welcoming a new generation of kids to Star Wars. Like creatures, the droids often function as comedic relief. Director J.J. Abrams and Neal Scanlan, head of creature effects, told the duo to bring ideas, gags “and be as good as you can possibly be — it will be watched for many, many years.” The pressure was on.

A metal droid has its limits — they wanted BB-8 to be likeable, but not human. Chapman was in charge of the droid’s head. Herring controlled the body. Much of the time, they had to work together as one brain.

“We keep them robotic, small, sharp and snappy,” Chapman said.

Chapman and Herring had a short amount of time with the script and the BB-8 puppet before filming began to figure out his vocabulary of movement. They had to figure out how he looked happy, sad, angry or quizzical. And it needed to fit his unique shape.

Herring studied the droid and realized it was the size of a dog and he began to shape the droid’s personality as though it was a tenacious Jack Russell Terrier. He realized that BB-8 was like Poe Dameron’s dog, which Rey rescues and reunites with his owner.

By the end of their 10 days with the droid, “we knew how that puppet worked, backwards, forwards and sideways. Between us, its two brains doing one character,” Herring said.

“BB-8 is all about precision, especially of his eyeline,” Chapman said. “Once that eye is looking at what it needs to look at, it looks like he’s in the moment. If it’s 5 centimeters off, it looks terrible.”

Tiny head movements are key because he’s a small droid, especially next to R2-D2. Large movements would make him look “wacky.” But a head tilt helped him look curious. And rattling the rods at the back of his head gives it an excited shake.

They also developed a bizarre “breathing” for the droid. When puppets stop moving, they look dead, Herring said. He used the rods that puppeteer BB-8 to keep the body slightly moving at all times — like he’s constantly correcting to keep from rolling over. If BB-8 was upset or excited, the movement would be a little faster.

Digital effects were added to some of the scenes, like the thumbs up he gives Finn. And the sound team gave him a distinctive voice, including a kind of “purring” for his breathing. BB-8 doesn’t repeat any droid beeps heard in the Star Wars universe before.

The puppeteers cited the scene in the Millennium Falcon (between Rey, Finn and BB-8) as their favorite to shoot and perform. In the scene, Rey is fixing the ship, Finn is trying to help and BB-8 is determining where his allegiance lies. BB-8 does multiple double takes and rapidly flips his gaze between Rey and Finn.

Chapman hits every eyeline, angling it just so. BB-8’s movements suggest his inner turmoil over trusting Finn.

“I think it’s our best team work,” Herring said. “And it got the biggest laugh in the movie.”

A human’s best friend

A droid with a personality is a science fiction trope that some want as a reality. But as Johnson notes, just the idea raises ethical issues. Social and chat bots have turned into the worst versions of the internet because that’s how people communicated with them.

“I feel uncomfortable when people are rude to a digital assistant, like shouting at Siri or Alexa,” Johnson said. “When would a C-3PO need to have legal protections put in place? Is it a piece of property, or an entity that has a personality? It’s not alive, so it wouldn’t have same protections as human being, but that line gets gray.”

But even something as simple as podcasts could help an AI.

“There is so much content in this world we could feed into machine learning or AI,” Johnson said. “They could learn how to speak by listening to podcasts because there is so much audio content from so many people.”

Until that complicated concept becomes a reality, the droids of Star Wars reveal what human and robotic partnerships could be like in an idealized galaxy.

When “The Rise of Skywalker” premieres this week, we’ll meet another droid: D-O. He’s made of spare droid parts, looks a bit like a rolling hairdryer, and by all accounts, becomes buddies with BB-8. And foreshadowing in the trailer makes C-3PO’s nine-film run look like it’s coming to some kind of end. In a recent trailer, he says he’s “taking one last look” at his friends. Daniels is in the gold suit again, reprising his role 42 years after it began.

“Lucas wrote a great script for these guys, but Anthony made the droids human,” Herring said. “You had this fussy English butler with a foul-mouthed plumber as his best friend. They set the mold for everything that came after, like BB-8. It’s the human qualities of the droids in the Star Wars films that make you believe them and they’re the grounding for the audience to come into those movies.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/12/17/why-are-star-wars-droids-so-loveable-its-science/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/12/17/why-are-star-wars-droids-so-loveable-its-science/