#ye gods i LOVE Eric's anatomy

[erebus0dora]

i promised you a follow-up to this..?

yup, i did.

p.s.: bonus

[enm-enthusiast]

The Exhibitionists' Club Ch. 7 - Sebastian Part 1

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Last chapter followed Sebastian's boyfriend Thomas entering a male arousal study for extra credit, and ended up being milked by his insanely hot anatomy professor, and now he confronts his lover with the possible desire to have sex with the older man...

Sebastian

"Wait...you mean professor, ass of a Greek God, Ethan?" I said in response to Thomas bursting into the dorm room and shouting about how much he wanted to fuck a professor on campus.

"...yes" he said, meekly.

His eyes looked downcast, like he was ashamed. My heart sunk in my own chest and beckoned him over to me. He closed the door behind him and practically jumped into my arms on his bed. As I caressed his soft, wavy black hair I worked out the words I wanted to say:

"Babe, your going to run into certain guys that you are extremely attracted to, its natural. Like, there's a few bros in my Frat I'd love to bend over but I know I can't not just because they're straight, but also because it'd complicate things too much" I said.

He looked up at me, those sweet and sad puppy dog eyes never failed to make my heart melt.

"I won't forbid it, but I do want you to be careful, okay? don't do anything to get yourself hurt or in trouble, you got it?" I said.

"Don't worry Seb, I have it all handled" he said, smiling so warmly I couldn't resist kissing him, his warm velvety lips inviting further exploration which caused a stir in my groin.

But....I had somewhere to be, I had to get back to the Frat house and clean up my room and study for the rest of the night before bed. So I reluctantly pulled away before I found myself pounding away inside him once again.

He had a slightly pouty look on his face as I got up, but I merely smiled in return and said "Don't give me that look mister, you were supposed to strip down as soon as you got home, remember? be glad I didn't spank you again as punishment" I finished and a deep blush flooded his cheeks.

"I'll let it slide this time, but next time that ass is getting both a pounding AND a spanking, and I don't think you want both in a row" I said, giving him a mischievous wink as I closed the door behind me and started down the stairs of Thomas' dorm building.

I didn't tell Thomas this, but I was having some problems with the Frat lately ever since I bested the president, a real prick named Eric at a strip wrestling match in the Rainbow Room. The whole thing happened because of pledge week where we had to do one dare no matter how bad it was, and the vide president had dared me to wrestle Eric but I got to choose the time, place, and rules.

Eric lost. Badly. He ended up naked before his entire frat, who made sure to take plenty of photos of their senior's humiliation. He had been so angry lately, he was pissing off everybody and by extension some people were avoiding me because I was the source of his ire.

I got the impression that many of the seniors and other officers had grown increasingly tired of Eric's antics, I felt they were waiting for the proverbial straw. Until then I did my best to avoid Eric when I could, even try to apologize for things going so far but to no avail and I got the distinct feeling that he was planning some sort of payback.

Thomas already had enough to worry about with all this medical study business (which I found kinda hot, in a way) that I didn't want him to worry about me, besides I could take care of myself.

I was completely lost in my own thoughts as I walked across campus towards the frat houses I passed by a few security patrols. I recognized a few since I had recently landed a position as a student assistant to help pay my college expenses. This time it was that cute, blonde twink named....Daniel? and a bigger, beefy muscle dad named Jack who filled out every inch of his uniform which never failed to make me drool.

I waved at them politely but moved on without speaking a word, I had precious little time left in the day. I began walking up the steps to my two-story frat house and to my surprise there was a lot of noise going on inside. I heard loud, angry shouts coming a male voice from the main living room and a few others shouted back in response.

I opened the door and walked in and suddenly I heard the words much more clearly:

"-should be here to defend himself, you have no right to just go through a brother's room without him present or reasonable suspicion of banned items" I heard the vice president James say, who was unusually a nerdy tall kid with glasses and short brown hair. He was the smartest guy here and everyone knew it, and if Eric wasn't your atypical "popular jock" he'd be president instead.

"I have every right if I have personally witnessed him smuggling banned items into said room, and because those items were indeed found in his room, he needs to be punished accordingly" Eric, I now realized, said.

I felt a slight sense of dread as I suspected who he was talking about and slowly entered the living room and all eyes turned to me, some in sympathy, others in indifference to Eric's latest bullshit. James was up in Eric's face, and the latter had a sinister smirk that grew wide upon seeing me enter.

"Ah, the guest of honor has arrived, tell us brother Sebastian, why did I find *these* in your room today?" Eric said and held up a bag of weed in his hand.

My blood boiled as I realized what he was doing, I was being set up! but I wasn't going down without a fight.

"What?! But I've never seen that before, did you find a lighter, a bong or anything I could use to smoke all that with?" I said, as a point of fact. Some of the guys turned to whisper with each other, they seemed split on the issue.

"It's not just me, I have witnesses who say they saw you bring this bag into your room, besides myself" Eric said, and smugly gestured towards another frat brother, a junior named Casey who was reputed to be one of Eric's rivals. He also pointed to another guy next to him, Henry who was another freshman, rather fresh-faced and right now he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else right now. I was starting to feel the same.

"Hold on Eric, first let's hear it from them personally before dealing out any punishments" James said, and gestured to the two guys to come forward. Eric seemed a little annoyed at James's interference but said nothing in response, letting the boys speak for him.

"Now, did you or did you not witness Sebastian smuggle this into his room?" James asked them both.

"We both did, he came home late one night after seeing that boytoy of his, me and Henry here saw him slip the bag inside his room, isn't that right, Henry?" Casey said.

I clenched my fist at the way he talked about Thomas, but instead I bore my eyes right into Henry's who could barely look back at me and flinched every time. He knew full well what he was supposed to say was a lie, I only hoped that his conscience was stronger than his fear of angering the frat president.

"y-....y-yes, we both saw him" Henry said, his eyes glued to the floor like he was a child being scolded by his parents.

"But...that's a lie! can't you see James? they're both up to something!" I yelled in my defense, my face red.

James looked at both of them for a few long moments, scrutinizing them and asked one final time if that was indeed what they saw and they both repeated their stories, word for word.

The vice president finally turned to me with a look of pity and sympathy, one that wished he could stop this but his hands were tied, and said "I'm sorry Sebastian, but in light of this...you need to be punished" he said and folded his arms in disgust.

"That's right James, and as Frat president it is up to me to determine what befits our brother's crimes" he said.

"Don't forget Eric, first punishments should be handed out lightly, don't do a repeat of last year or I swear I'll..."

"You'll what? Report me? I will count that as interference in the performance of my duties as president, and I'll be extending Sebastian's punishment to you if you do" He said, viciously.

"Fine Eric, have it your way, freshman clear out this is not something you'll want to see" James said, giving me one last look of sympathy and escorted the Freshman out. Some of the sophomores and juniors left too leaving just me, Eric, and a majority of the seniors.

"Alright Sebastian, as punishment for smuggling of banned substances your clothing privileges have been revoked for two weeks. Strip." Eric said.

My eyes widened and I couldn't help but laugh a little despite my rising anxiety.

"Excuse me? What the fuck do you mean 'clothing privileges'?" I said.

"You heard me Sebastian, when freshman are punished we take all of their clothes and force them to walk around the house naked except for when they leave, I won't say it again. Strip." he said, this time more forcefully.

I looked around the room and noticed that some of the seniors were circling me like vultures, Eric's little sycophants no doubt, ready to jump at his command if I disobeyed.

Realizing I was trapped, I reluctantly, and very slowly I grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it up over my head, exposing my bare torso to everyone. A few of the seniors grabbed my nipples and twisted them, I slapped their hands away and felt heat flush in my face.

"I didn't say stop, drop your pants. Now. Or we do it for you." Eric said, stepping closer to me threateningly, along with his cronies.

I held my hands up before lowering them down to the hem of my pants and started unzipping them and to my embarrassment and shock...I realized my cock was beginning to stir within my boxer briefs!

I didn't stop but I felt a sudden feeling of humiliation as these guys might just be about to see my fully erect penis...I tried to ignore it but as I lowered my pants down my legs and stepping out of them I was sporting a very prominent bulge which I was quick to cover up.

Unfortunately, Eric noticed.

"What you hiding there Seb? or what are you...*not* hiding?" He said, chuckling derisively, his cronies mimicking him. He stepped closer to me, and we were face to face, my own expression was defiant despite the redness and when he said:

"Drop the undies." He said.

"Come on Eric, please don't make me do this" I said and Eric was about to call his brothers into action when I stepped in and slowly, every so slowly I slid my last garment down my legs. I felt my cock springing to life and my fully erect cock slapped against my stomach and was already leaking!

I stood back up, fully naked as the seniors gathered up my clothes and I attempted to cover myself but Eric was having none of it. "No no, keep your arms at your sides" he said but this time I wasn't having it.

"What the hell Eric? I'm not showing you guys my dick" I said.

"Awww, he's shy, let's help him come out of his shell you guys, grab him!" he said and on command I had two guys pounce on me, grabbing my arms and forcing them away from my crotch, exposing my erect penis as each of them held my arms behind my back. My dick was 7.5 inches long fully hard, cut, and was a caramel shade of tan that matched the rest of my body.

"Wow, he's not so little after all, we might need to change that" Eric said and I whipped my head towards him on confusion.

Suddenly he slapped my hard dick, and I groaned as he did it again, and again, and again. Tears stung the back of my eyes as my dick throbbed with pain and yet somehow was still leaking precum.

"Ha, not so mighty now, are you?" Eric said.

"He's crying like a little baby!" One of the seniors said.

"We should shave him smooth, make him into a little bitch boi" another said.

"Quiet you two, no, I got a better idea in mind for him" he said and nodded to one of the other seniors nearby who ran off to get something.

"What are you going to do?" I whimpered and my face was flooded with embarrassment and humiliation as I stood there naked and exposed in front of practically half of the entire frat! and if they kept to these rules I'd be showing myself off naked to them for two weeks...

"Just completing your punishment dear Sebastian, don't worry your pretty boy head about it" Eric said, ruffling my hair.

The other senior came back with a small bag and and reached inside, my eyes widened in horror as I saw him produce a cock cage from it and hand it to Eric and renewed struggling against the guys holding me, my cock deflating to the point it swung between my legs as I did so.

"Eric, come on this is going too far now, stop this" I said.

"No dear Seb, I decide when we stop, now then, Taylor!, Pierce!, shave his crotch so the cage will fit better" he said.

I felt my anxiety increase a hundredfold, my heart beat thunderously in my chest as the two guys on either side of me let go and walked to the front of me and each of them took out small electric razors from their pockets and didn't waste any time in shaving my crotch, already I could feel my man hair being forcefully taken from me.

I started to realize just how much this was planned in advance, I hadn't stood a chance the minute I walked in here tonight. Now here I was, stripped of all my clothes, and was being shaved of all my pubes.

Their razors cut through my bush like a hot knife through butter, I looked down in abject horror as they kept moving my dick to reach around my crotch, the stimulation was getting me hard again.

I wasn't especially hairy, but it still took them a minute to shave my bare crotch completely smooth, all the guys proceeded to practically point and laugh which just made my balls shrivel up and my face flooded with shame and embarrassment.

"Where's your man-hair? wow, what a loser!"

"His cock looks like a kid's cock, not like a real man's"

"If he didn't have such a big dick, it WOULD be a kids cock!"

I heard guys shout from all over, and Eric picked up on that last one and said "Don't worry guys, time to shrink him down to size, this cock cage here is specially designed to absolutely restrict blood flow to your dick while allowing you to piss freely without getting it dirty."

"And just how long are you making me wear this thing?" I asked.

A bunch of the guys started shouting off random different lengths of time. Eric ignored them all until they quieted down and said "I think....a month ought to teach you to learn your lesson" he said.

"Eric...you can't do this!" I said in protest but no matter how much I struggled I couldn't stop him as I felt Eric grab my dick and begin to wrap the cage around my cock. I had gone soft again and before it had a chance to get hard, he fit the cage right onto my manhood and proceeded to lock it with a key that he wrapped around his neck.

I looked down and saw the cage was small, round and made of metal and like Eric said put pressure on the base of my shaft which prevented any sort of blood flow. My face flooded with red once more, as well as anger, but the guys finally let me go and I fell on the floor in surprise.

The guys all began filing out, some of them muttering 'loser' and 'bitch' under their breaths, and maybe they were right, Eric had won. Here I lay, my clothes and dignity stripped away from me, Eric gave me one last look of triumph before leaving me there, completely humiliated, and I was left to stew in my shame.

I slowly got up and tried to make it up to my room, as soon as I reached the 2nd floor I heard a voice behind me say "Seb, over here" and I turned to see James come out from behind a corner at the top of the stairs.

"Please James, I just want to go to bed before anyone else sees" I said and James gave me a flat look in response.

"Show me" he said.

I guess there was no point in trying to hide it, soon enough I would be the laughingstock of the entire frat, so I moved my hands away from my crotch.

"Wow, that son of a bitch really did it again" he said, chuckling angrily.

"Wait, what do you mean *again*?" I said.

"Eric did almost the same thing last year to a sophomore who embarrassed him, no one dared contradict his blatant manipulation of the house rules, but I couldn't do anything about it then, I thought as vice president I could...but its still the same now" James said, sadly.

"He is *not* getting away with this" I said, baring my teeth.

"I never said he would, but I realize I can't do it alone now, I'm going to need your help" he said, smiling slightly.

"Help with what?" I asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but somehow Eric needs to be dealt with, play along for now until I can come up with something more, stay low if you can, but...I'm sorry I couldn't do more" he said, before finally walking away.

I walked the rest of the way to my room in silence, I decided I needed to trust James, he seemed decent enough and right now anything seemed better than Eric. I opened the door and my faint glimmer of hope was gone as I found my room stripped bare of any clothing, my cock cage clinked as I took the first step inside and just sat on my bed.

I looked down and the humiliation returned as I felt my smooth crotch and poked at the cage, I only hoped Eric would be satisfied by this, I just had to make it through the next two weeks and I'd get my clothes back at least.

I opened my phone, which Eric's cronies had left behind along with my wallet, and saw my text chat bubble with Thomas and thought about calling him, telling him what happened but right now I just needed to sleep. But as fitful sleep came, finally, I swore to myself that Eric would regret the day he messed with me, and by the time I was done with him he'll be remembered as the president who lost his frat.

End of Chapter Six.

Author's Note: Uh oh! the tables have turned on Seb at last as he finds himself at the mercy of Eric and his cronies, find out what else is in store for poor Sebastian as he faces the two most humiliating weeks of his life.

Keep an eye on the current timeline I have setup which you can see on my recent Tumblr posts, and in the meantime please enjoy this latest installment, and have a great week!

[harkeepitreal]

I am like a lot of the fandom anxious, nervous, freaking out about 6.6 and what will happen to our Chenford. I am thinking I may wait to watch the episode until after I read reviews or see the updates here from all you lovely people. If I know they are still together then I go an watch but if not then I can walk away. Because I know if a break up happens this one will kill me. I have not loved a couple like this in such a long time. The last time I really shipped a couple this hard was in Younger Omg that break up, if it was not for my love of Sutton Foster I would have stopped watching. We need our Chenford support system to help guide through this. Here is hoping our babies work through this. Because it will be devastating to the fandom. I need to stop reading stupid reviews that are someone's pov. I just read one from Screenrant where the author was talking about how this season especially the last episode is foreshadowing a devastating break up. Why do I let these people get into my head? Oh yeah tons of ship Trauma. Looking at you Scandal, Arrow, Grey's Anatomy, Outlander (I still watch because it is one the best shows on TV), Bones, Castle, Younger, Sex and the City, Friends...the list goes on.

Maybe that is part of the reason I hate angst so much I just always think it will lead that direction. Although I do have to say ST Voy did help a little when Tom and B'elanna got together yes there was angst as there will be with a human and half human/half Klingon who tends to lean closer to the Klingon side. They showed that it is possible to put a couple together let them have their differences and work stuff out without breaking up. I think more shows are going this way now.

I remember reading an interview that Alexi said (take what he says lightly). God I wish I could remember the interview because I laughed and shook my head yes when he said it. He said something along the lines of if they did anything to Chenford that he knows the entire fandom will hunt him down and cause a riot. I also read I am not sure if it was here I think it was in the notes of a fanfic I loved that Eric had responded to someone not sure where that they will not break up. Not sure how true that is, not that I am denying what the awesome fanfic writer, wrote in their notes. But would he really spill something that big? Also read somewhere not sure FB or here that Melissa said that the season finale was going to be big for them. Again who knows how true that is. I don't have IG, Tik Tok, Instagram.

Sorry for the long post. I started watching the Rookie because I love Nathan but I have kept watching because of Chenford. My PTST (Post Traumatic Ship Trauma) is coming through and rearing it's ugly head. I am a literal person so unless it is said directly I tend to not believe it and even then I question. So here is hoping our babies stay together and work this out. Because otherwise I think I will be broken, and will probably stop watching.

Love to you all❤️❤️❤️

[hunne-writes]

🎄Holiday Episodes🎄

Ted Lasso (Apple TV): S2E4 - "Carol of the Bells"

Bob's Burgers (Hulu): S3 E9 - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins S4 E8 - "Christmas in the Car" S5 E6 - "Father of the Bob" S6 E5 - "Nice-Capades" S7 E7 - "The Last Gingerbread House on the Left" S8 E6&7 - "The Bleakening" S9 E10 - "Better Off Sled" S10 E10 - "Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas" S11 E10 - "Yachty or Nice" S12 E 10 - "Gene's Christmas Break"

Grey's Anatomy (Hulu): S2 E12 - "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" S6 E10 - "Holidaze" S7 E10 - "Adrift and at Peace" S9 E7 - "I Was Made For Loving You" S9 E9 - "Run, Baby, Run" S11 E22 - "She's Leaving Home" S15 E12 - "Girlfriend in a Coma"

How I Met Your Mother (Hulu): S2 E11 - "How Lily Stole Christmas" S4 E11 - "Little Minnesota" S6 E12 - "False Positive" S7 E12 - "Symphony Of Illumination" S8 E10 - "The Over-Correction" S8 E11&12 - "The Final Page"

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Hulu): S6 E13 - "A Very Sunny Christmas"

Modern Family (Hulu): S1 E10 - "Undeck the Halls" S3 E10 - "Express Christmas" S5 E10 - "The Old Man And The Tree" S7 E9 - "White Christmas" S10 E10 - "Stuck in a Moment" S11 E9 - "The Last Christmas"

Rick and Morty (Hulu): S4 E6 - "Christmas Rick Tale"

Schitt's Creek (Hulu): S4 E13 - "Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose"

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Hulu): S1 E15 - "Deck the Halls" S2 E12 - "Christmas Show" S4 E14 - "'Twas the Night Before Christening"

This is Us (Hulu): S1 E10 - "Last Christmas"

Friends (HBO Max): S2 E9 - "The One with Phoebe’s Dad" S3 E10 - "The One Where Rachel Quits" S4 E10 - "The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie" S5 E10 - "The One with the Inappropriate Sister" S6 E10 - "The One with the Routine" S7 E10 - "The One with the Holiday Armadillo" S8 E11 - "The One with the Creepy Holiday Card" S9 E10 - "The One with Christmas in Tulsa"

Gossip Girl (HBO Max): S1 E11 - "Roman Holiday" S2 E12 - "It’s a Wonderful Lie"

Black Mirror (Netflix): S2 E4 - "White Christmas"

Community (Netflix): S2 E11 - "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" S3 E10 - "Regional Holiday Music"

Gilmore Girls (Netflix): S1 E10 - "Forgiveness and Stuff" S2 E10 - "The Bracebridge Dinner" S3 E10 - "That’ll Do Pig" S4 E11 - "In the Clamor and Clangor" S5 E11 - "Women of Questionable Morals" S7 E11 - "Santa’s Secret Stuff" Special - "A Year in the Life, ‘Winter’"

New Girl (Netflix): S1 E9 - "The 23" S2 E11 - "Santa" S3 E11 - "Clavado En Un Ba" S4 E11 - "LAXmas" S6 E10 - "Christmas Eve Eve"

30 Rock (Peacock): S3 E6 - "Christmas Special"

Parks & Recreation (Peacock): S2 E12 - "Christmas Scandal"

That 70's Show (Peacock): S1 E12 - "The Best Christmas Ever" S3 E9 - "Hyde’s Christmas Rager" S4 E12 - "An Eric Forman Christmas" S6 E7 - "Christmas" S7 E11 - "Winter"

The Office (Peacock): S2 E10 - "Christmas Party"

Mad Men (Prime Video): S5 E10 - "Christmas Waltz"

[calzona-ga]

In her unauthorized book, Lynette Rice explores the stories behind some of the ABC drama's biggest moments, including — in this exclusive excerpt — the factors that led to McDreamy's shocking death.

In How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, author Lynette Rice recounts the ABC medical drama’s eventful 16-year history, revealing new details behind some of the show’s biggest departures. Included in the unauthorized, 320-page oral history (St. Martin’s Press, Sept. 21, $29.99) is a chapter that offers new insight into leading man Patrick Dempsey’s shocking exit in season 11 of the Shonda Rhimes-created drama. In the chapter, Rice speaks with Dempsey’s co-stars and exec producers who were present during filming of his final days on Grey’s Anatomy, and reveals claims of “HR issues” that contributed to the death of his alter-ego, Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd.

“There were HR issues. It wasn’t sexual in any way. He sort of was terrorizing the set. Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him,” recalls exec producer James D. Parriott, who was brought back to the series to oversee Dempsey’s exit.

In more than 80 interviews with current and former cast- and crewmembers, Rice, an editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, also explores the show’s early days, recounts the thinking behind some of its more polarizing storylines and offers exclusive details about the show’s behind-the-scenes culture.

“After 17 seasons, fans still can’t get enough of Grey’s Anatomy,” Rice tells THR. But what went down behind the scenes was just as dramatic as what viewers saw every Thursday. I’m excited for fans to read what I learned about those early days, along with what it was like to work for Shonda Rhimes, and why the drama was so freakin’ headline-prone.”

Below, The Hollywood Reporter shares an excerpt — the full eighth chapter — from How to Save a Life, and tune in Friday to TV’s Top 5 for an interview with Rice about her book and the other big reveals she uncovered in her reporting for it.

(Reps for ABC, ABC Signature, Shondaland, and Dempsey declined comment on the reveals in Rice’s book.)

“He’s Very Dreamy, but He’s Not the Sun,” Or, How Grey’s Anatomy Loved — Then Learned to Live Without — Patrick Dempsey Ellen Pompeo may have played the titular role, but for many fans over many years, Patrick Dempsey was the real draw to Grey’s Anatomy. Some of it had to do with his celebrity: Dempsey was the most famous member of the original cast at the time of the pilot and brought with him quite a cult following from his 1987 movie Can’t Buy Me Love. But a lot of it was due to the way Rhimes wrote her McDreamy and how Dempsey depicted him. James D. Parriott I would say, “The guy would never say that,” and Shonda would say, “He’s McDreamy. He’s the perfect man. He would say that.” I’d say, “Okay. It’s your show.” Eric Buchman Shonda had a very clear idea of how important it was to keep Derek as this almost idealized love interest, not just for Meredith but for the audience. Naturally, the writers—especially writers who had been working on one-hour dramas for a while—were like, “Well, maybe have McDreamy make a big mistake in surgery and kill somebody. Or he develops an addiction of some kind. What is his deep, dark secret?” Shonda was very insistent: that’s not the character we do that with. Even when you find out he’s married, that was done in a very sympathetic way that kept him being a hero. He was wronged by his spouse and in spite of it all he was still gonna give his marriage a second chance. Stacy McKee Shonda was protective of McDreamy, but it was really with an eye toward being protective of Meredith. I don’t think the two were separate from one another. I don’t think she wanted to put something out there that maybe on the surface might seem a little frivolous. At its core, there was something really substantial that she wanted to say. She wanted to be very specific about the type of relationship values that she put out there. Tony Phelan I was in editing with Shonda once, and it was the scene where Meredith and Derek had broken up. He comes over and she’s like, “I can’t remember the last time we kissed.” And he says, “I remember. You were wearing this and you smelled of this …”

Joan Rater “Your shampoo smelled like flowers, you had that sweater on …” He described their last kiss. Tony Phelan Typically in editing you start on Derek, then you cut to Meredith for a reaction, and then you’ll go back to him. I noticed that we weren’t ever cutting back to Meredith. I asked why. Shonda said, “Because the woman in Iowa who’s watching this show wants to believe that Patrick is talking to her, and if you cut back to Meredith, it pushes them out of it.” In those special moments, we would just lock into Derek and let him do his thing. Joan Rater And he was a master at it. Patrick Dempsey He’s the ideal man, and that’s what Shonda constructed. There’s a projection [of him] onto me when you come in contact with fans, certainly with the younger and older fans. There is a certain amount of expectation. There is a responsibility to it. It made me grow, too. There were good qualities [of his] that you work on to obtain. Off camera, Dempsey was equally as charismatic to his fellow actors, crew members, and anyone who would come to visit the set. Lauren Stamile I was going in to meet him, and I remember I had this little cardigan sweater on and I took it off before I got into the room. Dempsey is one of those people—it’s almost like there’s a light shining around his body, and you feel like you’re the only person in the room. I got so hot and I remember saying, “Gosh, I would take off my sweater if I had one on because I’m so hot, but I took it off.” I was just babbling. He said, “You look nice,” and I said, “You look nicer.” I felt so awkward and he was so gracious and lovely. I was having a nervous breakdown. It’s like this “it” factor. I was like, God, whatever he has, I wish I had. I think it was very obvious how nervous I was, and he went out of his way to make sure he introduced me to everybody and made sure I felt comfortable, which he certainly didn’t have to do. But he did. Joan Rater He knew I had a giant crush on him, and he loved it. And when we’d go to table reads—I was an actress at one point in my life—they would always give me Meredith if Ellen wasn’t there. And I’d be getting my chicken tenders at craft services before the table read and he’d come up behind me and say, “Are you reading Meredith?” in my ear, like, so sexy. I’d be like, Oh my God. I mean, I could barely �� I could not look at him. Tina Majorino I worked with Patrick a ton. I love him so much. We had a really great time working together. I think he’s such a great actor and he really made me laugh a lot. I feel like we had a good dynamic in scenes together, and it was always fun to play opposite him. Yes, he’s that charismatic in real life. Yes, his hair is that awesome. Yes, he is dreamy up close.

Chandra Wilson Patrick Dempsey will forever be known as Grey’s Anatomy’s McDreamy. Derek Shepherd is a permanent part of television history.

Norman Leavitt He is a big, personable guy.

Jeannine Renshaw We all love Patrick. Patrick is a sweetheart. If I saw him on the street, I’d give him a hug. I love the guy.

Mark Wilding I’ve always had a soft spot for Patrick. He really does try to do the right thing. Brooke Smith, who played Dr. Erica Hahn, remembers how Dempsey defended her when the decision was made to fire her from the show in 2008. Brooke Smith I remember calling him and saying, “Oh my God, they said they can’t write for me anymore, so I guess I’m leaving.” And he was like, “What are you talking about? You’re the only one they’re writing for.” Which at that time, it kind of did feel that way. But I guess someone didn’t like that. They gave me a statement [to release, about her departure] and I never said it. Patrick said that he actually took it out of his jacket on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and read the statement. He won’t let me forget it. He was like, “I defended you, see?” And it was true.

By season eleven, however, fans saw a disturbing break in MerDer’s once unbreakable bond. Six episodes had gone by without a peep from Derek, who was supposedly in Washington, D.C., where he had apparently made out with a research fellow. Fans began threatening to bolt if their hero didn’t return soon to Seattle. “I have never missed one episode,” wrote a fan on Dempsey’s Facebook page. “But I swear if [Rhimes] kills you off I’m done.” But there was a critical reason for Derek’s strange absence: behind the scenes, there was talk of Dempsey’s diva-like fits and tension between him and Pompeo. To help manage the explosive situation, executive producer James D. Parriott was brought back in to serve as a veritable Dempsey whisperer.

Patrick Dempsey [That] was the first year that I haven’t been in every episode. I [was] in every episode since the pilot— close to 250 episodes. That [was a] huge run. James D. Parriott Shonda needed an OG to come in as sort of a showrunner for fourteen episodes. There were HR issues. It wasn’t sexual in any way. He sort of was terrorizing the set. Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him. He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people. The network and studio came down and we had sessions with them. I think he was just done with the show. He didn’t like the inconvenience of coming in every day and working. He and Shonda were at each other’s throats.

Jeannine Renshaw There were times where Ellen was frustrated with Patrick and she would get angry that he wasn’t working as much. She was very big on having things be fair. She just didn’t like that Patrick would complain that “I’m here too late” or “I’ve been here too long” when she had twice as many scenes in the episode as he did. When I brought it up to Patrick, I would say, “Look around you. These people have been here since six thirty a.m.” He would go, “Oh, yeah.” He would get it. It’s just that actors tend to see things from their own perspective. He’s like a kid. He’s so high energy and would go, “What’s happening next?” He literally goes out of his skin, sitting and waiting. He wants to be out driving his race car or doing something fun. He’s the kid in class who wants to go to recess.

Patrick Dempsey It’s ten months, fifteen hours a day. You never know your schedule, so your kid asks you, “What are you doing on Monday?” And you go, “I don’t know,” because I don’t know my schedule. Doing that for eleven years is challenging. But you have to be grateful, because you’re well compensated, so you can’t really complain because you don’t really have a right. You don’t have control over your schedule. So, you have to just be flexible.

Longtime Crew Member Poor Patrick. I’m not defending his schtick. I like him, but he was the Lone Ranger. All of these actresses were getting all this power. All the rogue actresses would go running to Shonda and say, “Hey, Patrick’s doing this. Patrick’s late for work. He’s a nightmare.” He was just shut out in the cold. His behavior wasn’t the greatest, but he had nowhere to go. He was so miserable. He had no one to talk to. When Sandra left, I remember him telling me, “I should’ve left then, but I stayed on because they showed me all this money. They just were dumping money on me.”

Patrick Dempsey It [was] hard to say no to that kind of money. How do you say no to that? It’s remarkable to be a working actor, and then on top of that to be on a show that’s visible. And then on top of that to be on a phenomenal show that’s known around the world, and play a character who is beloved around the world. It’s very heady. It [was] a lot to process, and not wanting to let that go, because you never know whether you will work again and have success again.

Jeannine Renshaw A lot of the complaining … I think Shonda finally witnessed it herself, and that was the final straw. Shonda had to say to the network, “If he doesn’t go, I go.” Nobody wanted him to leave, because he was the show. Him and Ellen. Patrick is a sweetheart. It messes you up, this business.

James D. Parriott I vaguely recall something like that, but I can’t be sure. It would have happened right toward the end, because I know they were negotiating and negotiating, trying to figure out what to do. We had three different scenarios that we actually had to break because we didn’t know until I think about three days before he came back to set which one we were going to go with. We didn’t know if he was going to be able to negotiate his way out of it. We had a whole story line where we were going to keep him in Washington, D.C., so we could separate him from the rest of the show. He would not have to work with Ellen again. Then we had the one where he comes back, doesn’t die, and we figure out what Derek’s relationship with Meredith would be. Then there was the one we did. It was kind of crazy. We didn’t know if he was going to be able to negotiate his way out of it. It was ultimately decided that just bringing him back was going to be too hard on the other actors. The studio just said it was going to be more trouble than it was worth and decided to move on.

Stacy McKee I don’t think there was any way to exit him without him dying. He and Meredith were such an incredibly bonded couple at that point. It would be completely out of character if he left his kids. There was no exit that would honor that character other than if he were to die. Patrick Dempsey I don’t remember the date [I got the news]. It was not in the fall. Maybe February or March. It was just a natural progression. And the way everything was unfolding in a very organic way, it was like, “Okay! This is obviously the right time.” Things happened very quickly. We were like, “Oh, this is where it’s going to go.”

So that was that: McDreamy would die in episode twenty-one of season eleven, even though Dempsey was in year one of his recently signed two-year contract extension. Rhimes wrote a script that was befitting of her lead’s heroic persona: she began “How to Save a Life” by having Derek witness a car crash and helping the injured. Once it appeared everyone was out of harm’s way, Derek continues on his road trip but is suddenly broadsided by a truck.

Rob Hardy (Director) The paramedics leave. He’s there by himself. He’s having a moment. The nice music is playing, and all of a sudden, bang. It comes out of nowhere, which, you know, is how accidents happen. So as opposed to watching it as a viewer, we saw the accident happen through Derek’s perspective. Derek ends up at Dillard Medical Center, a hospital far from Grey Sloan and the talented doctors who work there. His eyes are open, but his brain is severely damaged. No one hears his plea for a CT scan; he can’t speak. To help keep the episode a secret, the scenes were shot in an abandoned hospital in Hawthorne, California, about twenty-two miles from the show’s home studio in Los Feliz.

Mimi Melgaard It was really hard on all of us because it was so secretive and we had so many different locations. We shot at this closed-down hospital that was absolutely creepy haunted. All the scenes there were so sad anyway, and in this yucky-feeling haunted hospital? It was really weird. His whole last episode was really tough. Patrick Dempsey It was like any other day. It was just another workday. There was still too much going on. You’re in the midst of it—you’re not really processing it. Rob Hardy Here’s a guy who’s immobile. Now you’re inside of his head. We were trying to make that feel scary from the perspective of a person who’s used to being in control, from a person who usually has the power of life and death in his own hands. But now he doesn’t have the ability to speak on his own behalf.

Samantha Sloyan When I went to audition, I didn’t recognize any of these doctors’ names. I assumed they were just dummy sides so people wouldn’t ruin the story line or anything like that. All we knew is that we were dealing with a man who’s been in a car accident. I had no idea that it was going to be Derek. I just figured I was going to be a guest doctor and that whoever this person was who was injured, was going to be just a character on the show. Once it became clear what we were working on, I was like, Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this is the episode I’m on.

Mike McColl (Dr. Paul Castello) I signed an NDA before they would release the script to me. I was reading it in my house, and I was like, “Oh, my God.” I didn’t tell anyone, including my agents. I just said, “This is a really great booking. It’s a great role on Grey’s.” And they didn’t know anything until it aired.

Savannah Paige Rae (Winnie) The first scene I shot was actually the sentimental scene when I’m saying, “It’s a beautiful day to save lives, right?” I’m in the hospital room with Derek and talking to him. Even though I never watched the show, I recognized the value of the episode I was in and just really took it to heart. It was so special that I got to be a part of it.

Rob Hardy [Patrick] had a lot of emotions during the whole shoot, which evolved. I think when we first started, he was very calm and cool … the same Patrick that I remembered when I worked on the show a year or so before. With each passing day, he was a lot more emotional. A lot more was on his mind, and that would show itself in different ways. The finality of the episode and for his character was setting in. You’ve become a global icon on this show and then in five, four, three, two, a day … it’s over.

James D. Parriott Patrick was very cooperative and good.

Mike McColl When I met Patrick, he’s lying on a stretcher and we’re rushing him into the ER. I just introduced myself, shook his hand, and was like, “Man, I cannot tell you what an honor it is to be the guy to take you down.” He loved it. He could not have been nicer to me and was funny through the whole shoot. He was on the table in front of me there when I cut his chest open and all that stuff. He gave me a hug at the end. It was a real privilege to be a part of TV history in that way.

Samantha Sloyan I remember him being incredibly kind. They had his neck in a brace, and he’s strapped down to the board, so there wasn’t a ton of chatting. I remember him being really kind, but it was clearly intense for him.

Stacy McKee It was such a beautiful piece of storytelling. I knew this event was going to be a really sad, horrible event for Meredith, but I also knew it was going to be the beginning of such an incredible chapter for Meredith.

Dempsey completed his final hours of shooting on a rainy night. There was no goodbye party, no goodbye cake. Maybe that’s because some cast members were left out of the loop. James Pickens, Jr., told ABC News that the cast “didn’t know a whole lot. It was kind of on the fly. So whatever information we got, we pretty much got it kind of right before it happened.”

Caterina Scorsone (Dr. Amelia Shepherd) I didn’t get to say goodbye to Patrick when he left. I do think that helped, because I’ve been using the character of Derek in my internal landscape since Private Practice. Derek was the stability in Amelia’s life. He became a father figure after they watched robbers shoot their father. When he was suddenly gone from the show, we didn’t have that closure, so I got to play it out. She’s about to use drugs again before Owen confronts her in a way that she finally talks about her feelings about losing Derek. She doesn’t end up using.

James D. Parriott The day he left, that was my last day. There was a certain sadness to it, but I think he was relieved. I mean, I think it took a toll on him, too.

Rob Hardy I didn’t see other actors showing up and saying, “Hey, it’s the last day! Wanted to come and wish you well.” I didn’t get that. It was more the Patrick show. We were in the Patrick world, and then Ellen came, and there was definitely a lot of emotion that both of them had individually … not necessarily together. It was more so her being there on the day that he died. He had his own way of being with that, and the same thing with her. It was like two people who grew up together and … here we are. They had their own way of reflecting.

Patrick Dempsey I very quietly left. It was beautiful. It was raining, which was really touching. I got in my Panamera, got in rush-hour traffic, and two hours later I was home. Big news like this doesn’t stay quiet for long. Both Michael Ausiello—who left EW in 2010 to launch the news site TVLine—and Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter learned two weeks prior to Dempsey’s final episode that he would be leaving the show. No reporter worth their salt wants to sit on a scoop—least of all one as huge as this—but Ausiello and Goldberg didn’t want to spoil the outcome for fans, so they agreed to hold the story until after the episode aired. I eventually found out, too, but in the nuttiest way imaginable: I was standing on the set of CSI: Cyber, watching Patricia Arquette talk about some droll techno-criminal. Unfortunately, the publicist also cc’d Dempsey’s manager and ABC publicist while trying to give me a major story, so I couldn’t immediately report the scoop. But I did use the information to successfully negotiate the one and only exit interview with Dempsey. Two weeks before his final episode, I met him and his publicist at Feed Body & Soul in Venice, California, for a story that would hit newsstands on April 24. He seemed a little shell-shocked and at one point choked up, but at the time he said nothing about how his on-set behavior may have contributed to his ouster. My editor, Henry Goldblatt, wanted to put him on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, but he couldn’t guarantee to ABC that no one would see it before the episode aired. Good thing we didn’t: some subscribers got the issue on the morning of Dempsey’s final episode— and one actually tweeted the story. Our PR department tried to get the tweets removed, but the cat was out of the bag: some fans found out early that McDreamy was about to be McHistory. Outlets like Variety reported how the story got out early, while our PR department released this statement: “We are surprised that an EW subscriber may have received their issue a day earlier than planned. We always try our best to bring readers exclusive news first. We would like to apologize to fans of the show that learned the news ahead of time.” Dempsey’s final episode was watched by 8.83 million viewers—the show’s largest audience since the premiere that season. Variety even pontificated whether the ratings boost was due to my exclusive with Dempsey.

Lesley Goldberg (The Hollywood Reporter) I’m used to working with networks to hold news as part of their efforts to guard against plot spoilers. But the way Patrick Dempsey’s exit was handled involved a layer of paranoia and secrecy that has been unlike anything I’ve seen in my reporting career. News that he was leaving, and his character being killed off, would have been a major story considering how big the show is domestically and internationally. However, it also would have meant spoiling the episode and, more important, damaging key relationships I’ve worked hard to build. At some point, publishing the news of Dempsey’s exit before the episode aired became an ethical question of what was more important—a big story and its subsequent traffic, which would have come no matter what, or the relationships and trust that it took years to craft. Ultimately, I still published early because EW subscribers received the issue with Lynette’s Dempsey interview before the episode aired.

Mike McColl The morning after Derek’s last episode aired, my daughter sent me a link that was on YouTube or Facebook or something. I actually pulled it up to look at it, and it was a Grey’s Anatomy showbiz cheat sheet. It asked the question “Who is the attending doctor who killed Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd?” It included a photo that I posted from the set. I had on a bloody rubber glove and was in my scrubs and mask. I never obviously would have posted this before it aired. I posted it well after the episode aired, and I [captioned it] “McDeadly.” This writer said something like, “Kill McDeadly.” Maybe that’s why the producer didn’t choose a big-name actor to be the one who killed our beloved McDreamy! I want to be ultrasensitive to these hard-core fans because it means so much to them, and I certainly didn’t mean in that case to make light of it. It’s just, I’m an actor, and I recognize it for what it is. Is everybody clear on the fact that this is just pretend and Patrick knew he was going to be leaving the show? It was just like, “God. He’s okay. He really is okay.”

Peter Horton Derek was going to be there forever with Meredith because you went through a whole journey with them. That was incredibly fulfilling. So even if he’s not there, he’s there. I don’t think any of us really worried about that going away because by then you were so invested in it. The show can last as it has for years.

Patrick Dempsey Lots of people [miss him]. “It’s good to see you alive” is the comment I get. I’m like, “Yes, I’m very much alive in reruns.” People were really invested in that relationship. I knew it would be heavy. Very happy to have moved on with a different chapter in my life.

Samantha Sloyan The montage just killed me, when Meredith says, “It’s okay, you can go.” God, I’m getting choked up just thinking about it. The chemistry they have as a pair and the way they were able to build that and sustain it! So many of these relationships are, like, “Will they, won’t they,” and then it wears thin. They sustained it for the duration of their relationship on the show, and it’s just, I think, a testament to what those two created. It was just unbelievable.

Pompeo addressed Dempsey’s departure with a tweet that focused solely on his character, not on how she spent eleven years working side by side with him: “There are so many people out there who have suffered tremendous loss and tragedy. Husbands and wives of soldiers, victims of senseless violence, and parents who have lost children. People who get up every day and do what feels like is the impossible. So it is for these people and in the spirit of resilance [sic] I am honored and excited to tell the story of how Meredith goes on in the face of what feels like the impossible.” Meanwhile, fans futilely created a Change.org petition to reinstate McDempsey, while other, more desperate ones simply tweeted “We Hate You” to Rhimes.

Shonda Rhimes Derek Shepherd is and will always be an incredibly important character—for Meredith, for me, and for the fans. I absolutely never imagined saying goodbye to our McDreamy. Patrick Dempsey’s performance shaped Derek in a way that I know we both hope became a meaningful example— happy, sad, romantic, painful, and always true—of what young women should demand from modern love. His loss will be felt by all.

Talk about the mother (father?) of all postscripts: In November of 2020 Dempsey reprised his role as McDreamy in the season opener—but only in Meredith’s dreams. Stricken with COVID-19, an unconscious Meredith “imagined” reuniting with her husband on the beach. After talking exclusively to Deadline and saying how it was “really a very healing process, and really rewarding,” Dempsey would return for more beach-based episodes that would ultimately stand out as the best moments of season seventeen. “It was a second chance thing,” one ABC executive told me at the time. “Shonda likes a comeback. Also, they wanted him in their last season.”

[imgonnapanic]

Third gym squad with a theater kid s/o:

Kuroo Tetsurou

Tbh, he knew what he was signing up for when he started dating you.

He’s just not used to it, because he doesn’t have many extroverted friends who aren’t annoying pieces of-

I can envision you both going on the hub to watch pirated musicals. Hamilton, Heathers, Dear Evan Hansen, you name it.

He loooves your singing voice, even if it’s your nervous purposely bad one.

You love the musicals that include allll the good stuff (trauma, death, tragedy, etc.)

Or the iconic ones. You can’t forget about those.

So you’re less-than-thrilled when your school chooses “Honk! The Musical” for this years play.

It’s a spin off of the ugly duckling that no one has heard of.

And when you come up to Kuroo sulking about this boring play you’re emotionally obliged to do, he can’t help but laugh a little.

But his laughter stops when he sees your eyes down at your shoes.

And then he shuts the fuck up because you’re actually upset.

After assuring that you will still be Broadway material even if you’re dressed up as a goose, you feel a little better.

In the two weeks leading up to auditions, Kuroo is starting to get caught humming “A Poultry Tale” at practice.

I mean, his Spotify feed went from Kendrick Lamar to Legally Blonde within one month of dating you, so cut the guy a break.

The day of auditions, you’re a bundle of nerves as you go over the dumb song again and again.

And Kuroo is like “calm down babe you’re gonna do great.”

That sure did a ton.

“Shut up Heather”

...

“Sorry Heather”

He’s also a bundle of nerves at practice, though. He just couldn’t let you see it.

By now, all of the Nekoma team knows you’re auditioning today, and the minute he walks in he just holds up a hand.

“They’re auditioning as we speak”

He’s not surprised when you get the lead.

He looks like the cat who ate the canary he’s a little amused when he figures out the lead is named “Ugly” but by now he has learned to keep it on the inside.

Your schedule is now jam packed, but that’s okay, because Nationals are also coming up for Kuroo and needs to put in some extra hours at the gym anyways.

You better believe two months later Kuroo is making his entire team buy a ticket.

Kuroo didn’t even get to see you on opening night because of dress rehearsals, but that’s okay.

He cleared his entire schedule that day and now has time to wallow in his own excitement and buy you some flowers.

He’s there with the squad team at 6PM sharp, dressed up, and trying to keep his dignity.

When you first walk on stage, the team snickers a little bit at your costume, but Kuroo was completely enraptured by your singing voice, your blocking, your makeup, everything.

This was much better than the demo CD that they had given you.

Afterwards, he gives you your flowers and is glued to your side for the rest of the night, babbling about how proud he was of you, and how talented you are, Nekoma team be damned.

Tsukishima Kei

Tsukki-poo already had a soft spot for the arts before he met you.

Not that he would tell anyone, ever.

When you started dating him though, it gave him an excuse to share his favorite soundtracks.

“you can hit that note, you know.”

*cue the arguing about how you aren’t Barbara Streisand*

When you two are walking through the hallway with him and you see the poster reading “Auditions for Karasuno High School’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ are open!” You start freaking out.

You love that movie! And Kei tolerates it!

Kei honestly thought you would be Ariel/Prince Eric when he first heard you singing “Part of Your World”

Like, you have the voice of a fucking lark. The directors have to be batshit crazy not to cast you.

In his humble opinion.

So he’s a bit taken aback when you get the role of Flounder, but he’s very proud anyways. Especially after you explain that there’s musical numbers that you’re in that aren’t in the movie.

He just hates your director for no reason now.

Practicing your lines with him in your free time becomes almost inevitable because you both have nothing else better to do.

And he can see how into it you are.

And let me just say that you are killing it.

Seriously. You have no problem getting into character, and Kei doesn’t say this much but-

It’s fucking adorable, okay? He has little goth moths in his stomach.

And he can’t wait to see the show, because then he can show you off.

That doesn’t mean he likes the other first years prying at your progress.

Hinata’s incessant questioning about theater anatomy and the memorization of your lines gets really annoying.

Even for someone with a normal temper like you-

“Yes it’s called the right wing. NOT wing spiker. Yes they’re off book. Now will you shut your trap already?”

Dress Rehearsals come, and you’re spinning around his room, face morphing from complete concentration to happy, go-lucky Flounder.

You, Kei, and Yamaguchi (your little third wheel-) all know the soundtrack pretty much up and down, left and right, backwards and inside out.

He still shivers remembering the time you just walked into his house not registering that Flounder’s makeup looks kind of scary up close-

All of his pride was sacrificed that day. All of it.

On the morning of opening night, Kei was walking you to the school, pretending to be bitchy about it being on a Saturday.

“C’mon, what am I supposed to do all day?”

As luck would have it, he’s stuck sitting next to one Hinata Shoyo. Lovely.

So he sat down next to him, and ignored him the whole show. I mean, it worked, he shut up after thirty seconds.

After the show, Kei has to wait a bit for you to take your makeup off, but when you come running out, he can’t hold back a tiny grin.

“That was good. I’m proud of you.”

And then he took you to dinner because singing makes a bad bleep hungry 😌

Bokuto Kotarou

Listen, you’re loud, Bokuto’s loud-

So basically you two are on a mission to not annoy Akaashi for as long as you can before inevitably getting yelled at for your affection and love and shit.

Now, both of you would love for this to be possible.

But the Frozen soundtrack makes it too difficult.

Especially when you can edit the lyrics just to piss off Konoha.

“Turn away and slAm the door *on Konoha”

“The wind is howling like the storm inside *of Konoha”

The possibilities are endless, really.

The game changer is when you two are belting out the song where Elsa and Anna are arguing.

And you accidentally hit the “I-i-I CANNNNT”

Akaashi is like for the love of GOD just audition for the play.

He quickly realizes that his suggestion was not a good idea.

Since guess what the musical is.

You’re auditioning as a joke, okay? You love Frozen, but this is a Fukurōdani Academy level play.

You didn’t expect to land the role of Olaf.

Your director sat you down and bluntly told you that he thought that you had the charisma and energy to be Olaf, but he knew that you were auditioning for a joke.

He needed you to be committed.

And hell yeah, you were gonna be committed.

At first, Bokuto was super proud of you! His s/o as a lead role? So impressive!

You even taught Bokuto your choreography for “In Summer”

He only retained half of it, but eh.

He’s a volleyball player. He tried.

As rehearsal times became longer and longer, Bokuto was a little upset at himself because he didn’t realize how committed you were until it hit him in the face.

Akaashi is there to get him out of his funk when you aren’t, though.

“They feel the same way when you need to be in the gym longer. It’s just a part of having a passion. Just utilize your time with them wisely.”

This bitch knows full well Bokuto doesn’t do ‘wise’ though, so he also sets to him a little more.

Dress rehearsals start, and Bokuto is always waiting for you to come out of the auditorium to ride the bus home.

You’re just bubbling over with stories about the magic of being on stage.

The lights, the microphones, the costumes, just talking about it makes you nostalgic already.

On opening night, Bokuto and Akaashi are there in the front row, going through the program.

“There’s y/n!!!!”

And you can’t see him because of the blinding spotlight, but you can hear Bokuto cheering for you after you finish “In Summer”

Afterwards he gives you a big hug, and you guys go home and watch Frozen.

Akaashi Keiji

When you start dating Akaashi in your second year at Fukurōdani, you’ve been on stage for the last ten years of your life.

Singing, acting, dancing, you love it all.

You’re even considering making it your career.

Akaashi doesn’t know much about theater at all, but he makes sure to do his research since it’s such a big part of your life.

The company you take acting classes with is having their winter show soon, and you couldn’t be happier when you figure out it’s ‘Into the Woods.’

Akaashi makes the mistake of asking the plot of the story.

“So basically there are these two infertile bakers with dead parents and there’s this witch that’s old and wrinkly and she comes to their house because fifty years ago the bakers dad stole her veggies and took the magic beans that made her look old and wrinkly-“

(A/n: this isn’t even half the plot)

He decides he’ll figure it out when he sees the play.

Akaashi knows that it’s a difficult one, though.

Sondheim doesn’t fuck around.

So you shouldn’t be beating yourself up about cracking on some of the high notes and screaming into your pillow.

He feels like an idiot every time you ask him to give you constructive criticism.

He doesn’t know what to say. “That was good” is obviously not what you want to hear.

When the date of your audition rolls around, he has early morning practice.

So he sends you a text saying how far you’ve come already and he’ll be proud even if you end up being a tree and break a leg (he’s very proud of that part. Theater lingo with Akaashi 101)

He’s very pleased to hear through your extremely fast and animated chattering that you killed it.

You were going to be Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

He’s still not sure how that correlates with infertile bakers, but he’ll go with it.

You also have a notoriously hard solo, “Giants in the sky.”

Akaashi is very impressed.

All you two do is practice that song, until Akaashi is half sure he could sing the song if he really gave an effort.

(He tries seriously one time. He can’t sing. To save his life. Sorry Keiji and RIP y/n’s ears.)

“Maybe you’re just not a soprano?”

“I’ll leave the limelight to you.”

Rehearsals always leave you drained. There are so many dance numbers in the play that you have to go over.

And songs, oh god, the songs are pieces of work.

But you wouldn’t trade it for the world, so Keiji stays close, and is endlessly supportive.

You sent him a picture of your Jack costume, and Keiji is like that is kind of adorable ngl-

He walks into the auditorium you’re performing in, and even he’s nervous to be in there. It’s huge.

But when you walk on the stage, and start belting, all the breath leaves his lungs.

Oh. Ohhhhhhh. He understands the plot now.

[cardest]

Norway playlist

The trolls have gathered around to see the Mother North dance at midnight in the Trollheimen fjellområde as they listen to this epic NORWAY pllaylist I put together! Takk!

Are you ready? Have you your wits? This is the it.... NORWAY PLAYLIST songs are right here to listen to: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_gH0U66TKasbEjdbkPxeW7 001 Folket Bortafor Nordavinden - Ur Is Ka Ha So 002 Satyricon - Commando 003 Arcturus -  Fall of Man 004 Dimmu Borgir The Serpentine Offering 005 Borknagar -  The Eye Of Oden 006 NORDJEVEL - Sunset Glow 007 WArduna - Fehu 008 Z-off - Hurra For Norge Norsk punkrock 009 Shakma - Night of the coven 010 Duivelspack - Yggdrasill 011 Enslaved - Path To Vanir 012 Kalenda Maya- Villemann Magnhild 013 Mental As Anything - Beserk Warriors 014 Chontaraz - Rondamauh 015 Manes -  Menn På Helveg Hastar 016 Norske Gutter - Hvem Faen Tror Du Du Er 017 Iron Maiden - Invasion 018 Solefald - Oslo Melancholy 019 Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness 020 Slegest - Blodets Varme Gjennom Meg 021 Old Man's Child - The Millenium King 022 Covenant - Bizarre cosmic industries 023 In The Woods - I Am Your Flesh 024 Satyricon -  Ageless Northern Spirit 025 Golden Core - Rúnir Skal Rísta 026 Inferno - Metal Attack 027 Nordvegen - Ullensvang 028 Arcturus -  Ad absurdum 029 Ánne Máddji Heatta - Madji  at Dawn Light 030 Eldrim - Heimkomst 031 Hedvig Mollestad Trio - Approaching / On Arrival 032 Sirenia -  The End Of It All 033 Byrdi - Solsnu (feat. Kjell Braaten) 034 Bard Spec - Fire Tongue 035 Eirik Jarl - Norse song 036 The Open Mind - Thor, The Thunder God 037 Seidrblot - Skeggöld 038 Black Moon Circle - The Machine On The Hill 039 Sigmund Eiks - Knepphallingen (Hardingfele) 040 Satyricon -  Now, diabolical 041 Amberian Dawn - Valkyries 042 Gåte - Huldra 043 Enslaved -  Waruun 044 An Danzza - Rúnatal (Canción Rúnica de Odín) 045 Burzum -  Belus' Død 046 Abbath - Harvest Pyre 047 Aura Noir - Abbadon 048 Beatles - Norwegian Wood 049 INCULTER - COMMANDER 050 KAUNAN - Halteguten 051 Mortiis - Across The World Of Wonders 052 Skuggsa - Kvervandi 053 Covenant - Planetarium 054 Kampfar - Daimon 055 Adrian von Ziegler - Vinterns Drm 056 Blind Guardian - Valkyries 057 Ulver - The Argument, Plate 2 058 BigBang - Girl In Oslo 059 Gorgoroth - Bergtrollets Hevn 060 Emperor - Curse You All Men! 061 Tom Trussel - Oslo City Blues 062 Vazelina Bilopphøggers - Borghild 063 Dosdfall - Hemlig Vrede 064 Dimmu Borgir - Progenies of the Great Apocalypse 065 Kryst The Conqueror -  Valhalla 066 The Dogs - Oslo 067 Enslaved - Eld 068 Solefald - Loki Trickster God 069 Dunbarrow - You Knew I Was a Snake 070 A-ha - Take On Me 071 Ulver - Høyfjeldsbilde 072 Mayhem - Freezing Moon 073 Skambankt - Balladen Om Deg 074 Djerv - Headstone 075 Arcturus -  Raudt og svart 076 Øystein Sunde - Bleieskiftarbeider 077 Wardruna - Helvegen (The Way To Hel) 078 Ihsahn - Unhealer 079 Kampfar - Dominans 080 TNT - Seven Seas 081  NRK  Til Dovre faller - 1814 082 skuggsa - Rop Fra Rynda - Mlt Fra Minne 083 Iskald - Innhøstinga 084 Kvelertak -  Rogaland 085 Svarttjern - Hellig Jord 086 Renaissance - Northern Lights 087 Fred Åkerström - Oslo 088 Concrete Steps - Big Fish 089 Trevor Morris -  Northern Lights / Entry to Kattegat 090 KaadaPatton - L'absent 091 Adrian von Ziegler - Einherjer 092 Enthroned - Skjeldenland 093 Jokke og valentinerne - her kommer vintern 094 Styx - Man Of Miracles 095 Residents -  Arctic Hysteria 096 Martine Kraft - Himmelfot 097 Red Harvest -  Anatomy of the Unknown 098 Audrey Horne - Out of the City 099 Darkthrone -  Arctic Thunder 100 Trevor Morris - If I Had A Heart 101 Immortal - The Rise of Darkness 102 Sepulcher - Corporeal 103 Mysticum - LSD (from Planet Satan) 104 Empyrium - Under Dreamskies 105 Slagmaur - Norwegian Giant 106 Aeternus - Fyrndeheimen 107 Thorns - Existence 108 Solefald -  Crater of the Valkyries 109 Tristania - Libre 110 Trevor Morris -  North Sea Storm 111 Arcturus -  The Chaos Path 112 MAYHEM - A Grand Declaration Of War 113 Manegarm -  Odin Owns Ye All 114 Kampfar - Hymn 115 Dimmu Borgir -  Gateways 116 Dødheimsgard -  The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of 117 Satyricon -  The pentagram burns 118 Enslaved - Midgards Eldar 119 Folque - No har Jonsoknatta kome 120 Nekromantheon - Rise Vulcan Spectre 121 Iron Maiden -  Invaders 122 Tsjuder - Throne of the Goat 123 Einherjer - Naar aftensolen rinner 124 Mork - Holdere Av Fortet 125 Nidinger - Baldrs Draumar 126 Arcturus - Du Nordavind 127 Green Carnation - Into Deep 128 Darkthrone -  Too Old Too Cold 129 Pagans Mind - Through Osiris Eyes 130 Kvelertak - Blodtørst 131 Tristania - Year Of The Rat 132 Ulver - I Troldskog Faren Vild 133 Cirith Ungol - The troll 134 Eliwagar - Huldresagn 135 Vårsøg - Fram kom ein skreddar 136 Amethystium - Solace 137 Audrey Horne -  Bridges and Anchors 138 Gayte - Til Deg 139 Nanci Griffith - St. Olavs Gate 140 Folque - Liti Kari 141 Hin Onde - 24th of September 1155 142 Trevor Morris -  Ragnar's Sail 143 Enslaved - Ruun 144 Purple Hill Witch - Astral Booze 145 Thulsa Doom - Machine of Oslo 146 Svarttjern - Code Human 147 Leaves' Eyes -  Vinland Saga 148 Darvaza - A New Sun 149 LUMSK - DUNKER 150 Solefald - Tittentattenteksti 151 Raga Rockers    - Fritt liv 152 Isengard - Landet og Havet 153 In The Woods... - Pure 154 Communic - Conspiracy 155 Dimmu Borgir - Vredesbyrd 156 Arcturus -  The Arcturian Sign 157 Gorgoroth - Carving A Giant 158 Panopticon -  Norwegian Nights 159 Asmegin - Blodhevn 160 DumDum Boys - Lunch I Det Grønne 161 Taake - Nordbundet 162 Gehennah - Deadlights 163 Trønder Thunder - Tordenskjold 164 Årabrot - Maldorors Love 165 Misotheist - Blood Of Rats 166 Windir - 1184 167 BLOOD RED THRONE - InStructed InSanity 168 Deathhammer - Chained to Hell 169 Satyricon - Die By My Hand 170 Myrkskog - Bleeding Wrists 171 Ring Van Mobius - End of Greatness 172 Valkyrja - Crowned Serpent 173 Kjøtt - Hvit Hud / Svart Skinn 174 The 3rd And The Mortal - Why So Lonely 175 Voluspaa - Ferden Går Videre 176 Abyssic - Transition Consent 177 Myrkraverk - Nær Døden 178 Romantic Noise - Sagitario 179 Shining -  The One Inside 180 The Devil and the Almighty Blues - Distance 181 Manowar - Thor (The Powerhead) 182 Djevel - Det Svartner Paa Likbleik Hud 183 Øresus - Angst 184 Turbonegro - City Of Satan 185 Gåte - Sjå Attende 186 Immortal - Where Mountains Rise 187 Cor Scorpii - Fotefar 188 Cadaver - Hypertrophyan 189 Hugsjá - Ni Døtre av Hav 190 Kalandra - Brave New World 191 Borknagar -  Up North 192 Ved Buens Ende - You That May Wither 193 Alestorm - The Sunkn Norwegian 194 Brød & Sirkus - Frykt 195 Burzum -  Jeg Faller 196 Djevel - Et Menniskes Hele Korpus Og Legeme 197 Helheim - Ymr 198 Leaves' Eyes -  Farewell Proud Men 199 Sylvaine - Mørklagt 200 Enslaved -  Convoys To Nothingness 201 Gaahls Wyrd - Ghosts Invited 202 Hagalaz' Runedance -  When The Trees Were Silenced 203 Dismal Euphony - Et Vintereventyr 204 In Vain -  Image of Time 205 Khonsu - The Malady 206 Arctic Sleep -  Pine Mountain 207 Flametal -  I Am A Viking 208 Dimmu Borgir - The Sacrilegious Scorn 209 Trevor Morris - Vikings Attack 210 Wongraven - Tiden Er En Stenlagt Grav 211 Endstille - World Aflame 212 TYR - Eric the Red 213 Synthetic Gentlemen - Kick 214 OBLITERATION - Detestation Rite 215 Judas Priest - Halls Of Valhalla 216 Urarv - Red Circle 217 Old Man's Child - Doommaker 218 Abbath -  Winter Bane 219 A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV 220 Eldrim - Attergangar 221 Nan Madol - Tidal Waves 222 Vreid - Lifehunger 223 Acârash - Cadaver Dei 224 Triosphere -  The Sentinel 225 Vargvrede - Song of Betrayal 226 Vemod - Å Stige Blant Stjerner 227 Emperor - Inno A Satana 228 Eivør - Í Tokuni 229 Arcturus -  For to end yet again 230 Enslaved - The River's Mouth 231 Nidinger - Ash Yggdrasil 232 Covenant - Planetary black elements 233 Khold -  Forrykt 234 The Wretched End - Tyrant Of The Mountain 235 Voluspaa - Av Sin Klokskap 236 Solefald - Jernlov 237 Vredehammer - Viperous 238 Hellish Outcast - Partition of Lust 239 An Danzza - Rnatalins Rune Song 240 Green Carnation - The Quiet Offspring 241 1349 -  Nathicana 242 Sirenia -  Spor 2 243 TAAKE - Nattestid Ser Porten Vid 1 244 Virus - Black Flux 245 Blood Red Throne - Requiem Mass 246 Edvard Grieg - March of the Trolls (Orchestral Version) 247 Tidfall - Prophecy Horizon 248 Limbonic Art - A Void Of Lifeless Dreams 249 Lindy-Fay Hella - Three Standing Stones 250 Borknagar -  Winter Thrice 251 Panopticon - Håkans Song 252 ULVER - Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen) 253 Vondur -  Panzer Legions Of Vondur 254 JORN - Traveller 255 Disiplin - Liberation 256 Beyond Dawn - When Beauty Dies 257 Ruphus - Inner Voice 258 Leaves' Eyes -  Norwegian Lovesong 259  The 3rd  & the Mortal - Death-Hymn 260 STORM - Noregsgard 261 Satyricon - Hvite Krists Død 262 R. Stevie Moore –  Norway 263 Lucifer Was - In Anadi's Bower 264 Susane Sundfor  - White Foxes 265 Kjeld - Betsjoend 266 Kari Rueslåtten - Sørgekåpe 267 Green Carnation - Sentinels 268 Agenda - Suffer 269 Mortiis -  Tribute to Euronymous Unreleased Outro 270 Sirius - Sidereal Mirror 271 Insidious Disease - Betrayer 272 Gehenna - Through The Veils Of Darkness 273 The Deviant - Atomic Revolt 274 Varde - Halvdan Svarte 275 Carpathian Forest - He's Turning Blue 276  Ragnarok TV show - Outro 277 Sâver - How They Envisioned Life 278 Dold Vorde Ens Navn - Drukkenskapens Kirkegard 279 MANES - Young Skeleton 280 Nattefrost - Nekronaut 281 Cadaver Inc. - Primal 282 Ida Maria - I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast 283 ragnarok - En Verden Av Stein 284 Mari Boine - Chasing Myself Into Reality 285 Death By Unga Bunga - Don't Go Looking For My Heart 286 Hexvessel - The Tunnel At The End Of The Light 287 Urgehal - The Iron Children 288 Darkthrone - Soulside Journey 289 Theatre of Tragedy - Der Tanz der Schatten 290 Wardruna -  Kvitravn 291 Einherjer - Dragons of the North 292 Thale OST - Thale theme 293 Hedvig Mollestad Trio  -Bewitched, Dwarfed and Defeathered 294 Motorpsycho - Spin, Spin, Spin 295 Susperia - Vainglory 296 MYRKUR - Jeg er Guden, I er Tjenerne (Live at the Mausoleum) 297 ICS Vortex  - Odin's Tree 298 1349 - Beyond The Apocalypse 299 PRISTINE - You Are The One 300 Tristania - Beyond the Veil 333 Immortal - Where Dark And Light Don't Differ 444 Folket Bortafor Nordavinden - Odin 666 Satyricon -  Mother North  Songs are right here at this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_gH0U66TKasbEjdbkPxeW7 Have I missed a song or band? Let me know. Takk!

[sentientpaperbag]

IT’S A LONG POST BUT HERE’S THE STUFF I FOUND, UNDER THE CUT!

so this is from like.... 2012-ish? It was either freshman or sophmore year of high school. My friend and I thought it’d be funny if we made edgy pony ocs cuz we hadn’t really watched the show and we wanted to tease my boyfriend at the time cuz he was into it. Literally not too long after making these, my friend and i watched the show and got hooked...

....Yall probably won’t believe this, but this is Zonta. I don’t know what’s up with her proportions.. But Jesus.

This is an interesting situation. So my friend and I had an idea for a next gen situation with our ocs. The boy is named Remy, and he was Zonta’s son (this was back when eric was still around instead of markus. If you don’t know who Eric is, i’ve talked about that fucker on here before lmao just look up his name you should find it)

The girl was his gf, Layla. I’ve since recycled the name for a huepoint character cuz i liked it so much. This was my first attempt at drawings Goths

Little did I know Zonta would be the goth in the future...

IF SOMEONE CAN TELL ME WHO MADE THESE PLEASE TELL ME SO I CAN CREDIT THEM I HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO FIND THEM YET. But my other boyfriend printed this off for me cuz i had a bad iz phase in high school. I think he did this before we started dating, actually. There were more pictures, but I don’t have them anymore. There was a whole binder at one point.

more mlp fanart. I had a particular attachment to Sweetie Bell for some reason? Clearly this was before she got her cutie mark in canon, so I had to make up one for her. I don’t remember the context but i think i’d aged her up to give her a phantom of the opera story where she fell for a changeling who liked her singing? I was creative for sure.

this was from when i first got into fnaf, and you can tell. I got into fnaf right as I started college so this was one of many doodles i did during that time that survived. God i can draw them so much better now...

For the love of everything sane, don’t ask why i drew mlp characters in a Burton-esque style. I couldn’t answer that if I wanted to... Kinda wanna redraw it tho, especially Fluttershy cuz she was my favorite.

i didn’t draw this but i thought i’d share it anyway cuz it’s a fond, kinda funny, memory. So my boyfriend at the time actually drew this, because i’d asked him to draw Christine and the Phantom in his style... He’s a furry, so I don’t know what I expected, but honestly it wasn’t that bad for like 2011-2012

I got into Be More Chill not too long after it started getting popular... I’ve loved the SQUIP a long time, guys, probably since like 2016-2017ish.

Right before I made this blog, I was considering who to ship with Beetlejuice, so I started coming up with ideas, this was the first idea. I don’t remember her name right off the bat but i’d drawn her a few times before ultimately deciding to go with Dottie instead.

I just like this picture a lot cuz it’s sweet, even if the anatomy is weird and i dunno what’s going on with zonta’s legs.

This was another self insert character I ended up scrapping, but I don’t remember what she was for. She might’ve been another prototype character to ship with beetlejuice before i settled on dottie. She cute tho I might bring her back for whoever I fall for next.

THIS IS THE ONLY EXISTING FANART OF INVADER ZIM THAT I HAVE FROM BEFORE THIS BLOG. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE REST OF IT IS BECAUSE A LOT OF IT WAS DRAWN ON PAPER.

bad lighting but eh. The only care I’ve successfully drawn tbh. I drew it for my stepdad lol

Zonta again. God she looked so wonky. Yes, that is Snickers, he’s been a part of her life long before she was a witch and he was her familiar. He could talk even then, if i remember correctly.

I can’t quite remember when this was, but I think it was during the time I lived with my grandpa, so a few years ago.

THIS WAS 2015 FOR SURE CUZ THIS WAS DRAWN AT MY DAD’S HOUSE. Think of this as a prototype Husk situation, Zonta wasn’t a witch yet, but her telekinesis powers fucked her up really bad if she used it for too long, and she’d hallucinate stuff like this. This was in the short, short period of time where I gave her neat swirly tattoos on her arms.

This was done for sure in 2014 cuz it was for English class. We were reading the Scarlet Letter and my teacher had us draw a bunch of characters in our own stylistic way. So I drew Hester’s nasty ass husband, who was often called the Leech, as a leech monster. My teache was very impressed with me.

And, finally, some comics from when my mom was a kid. Some of these were hers, but a lot of them were actually my aunt’s. I think they’re neat.

[texasbama]

top ten fav male characters

tagged by my Tumblr wifey from across the pond @riosnecktattoo​

I too, love many fictional characters. some may say too many tbh. but anyway. these are ten idiots I love in no particular order. 

1. Stiles - Teen Wolf (my love for DOB in general is EMBARRASSING)

2. Rio - Good Girls (that man hopped off that counter and straight into my heart. my life has not known peace since.)

3. Jon Snow - Game of Thrones 

4. Frank Castle - The Punisher (man is bloody and bruised for half his scenes but my god it works)

5. Eric Taylor - Friday Night Lights

6. Nathan Scott - One Tree Hill(the character development?! yes please.)

7. T’Challa Udaku - Black Panther 😥🖤

8. Mickey Milkovich - Shameless (again the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. whew.)

9. Omar Little - The Wire 

10. Alex Karev - Grey’s Anatomy (we just gon ignore how they wrote my boy off cause...HELL NAW. NOPE!)

I taggggggg....mmmm... @breanime​ @honestlystephanie​ aaand idk 8 more people.

[reidandweep]

New Confessions

Otis Milburn x Reader (female)

A/N- Finally, we have part 3 of ‘New Faces’. I wanted it to be perfect and I am thinking of making this about six or seven parts. So if you want more, be prepared.

Word Count- 3659 words

Warnings- use of sexual language, making out, and the lord’s name in vain. Amen

Previously on New Faces and Feelings...

“Well my lunchbox told me today that the world’s largest erection is 13.5 inches long.” The class laughed as Mr Hendricks tried to calm them down. “Well, thank you for the fact Y/N.” he stuttered. “You’re welcome sir.” Y/N giggled as Mr Hendricks continued to teach the class about the basic structure of the human anatomy. Quickly catching Otis’ gaze, she leaned into him to whisper. “At least I didn’t tell them whose penis I suspect it to be.” Looking back at her, for the first time in his life, Otis believed he was falling in love.

“Oh God.” “Otis-“ “Oh Jesus.” Otis can you-“ “Please Lord.” “OTIS!” Otis ceased his pacing at the sound of his name. Turning on his heels he faced Eric. The boy looking back at him with an incredulous look. “It is not that big of a deal. So, calm down and stop using the lord’s name in vain.” Taking a deep breath, Otis took in Eric’s words. ‘He’s right.’ He thought. “Yeah. No big deal. Just Y/N coming over to my house. MY HOUSE! That is filled sexual objects and my mother, who is most likely going to shrink her the minute she walks in the door.” Eric rolled his eyes as the boy before him, once again, began to pace. “Y/N loves Jean.” “But she has never met her. Yeah, they spoke on the phone and mum leaves her facts most days in my lunch. But it is very different when you’re face to face with someone who is asking you frequently about your bodily fluids and sexual preferences.” Eric couldn’t help but laugh. What Otis said was true. Jean was a force to get used to. But Eric knew that Y/N was as well. Crossing his legs, Eric began to pick at his nail polish, chipping away at the florescent orange colour. “I believe the main reason you are so stressed is because of the conversation that is going to happen between you and Y/N.” Otis’ eyes went wide as he stared at his friend.

Eric smirked back at him. “Or more so what may come from the conversation. Or should I say who may come.” Otis was convinced that today, his friends were just trying to make him turn as red as possible. Because, so far, Eric was winning. “No. Nothing like that is going to happen.” Otis stuttered. “The conversation or the cumming part?” Otis flailed his hands at Eric’s question. “The latter.” He stuttered. Eric pushed himself off of Otis’ bed. Grabbing the boy by the shoulders he pushed him down onto the spot he previously occupied. “Now Otis, I ask, and you answer? Capeesh.” Otis nodded his head in reply, knowing that whether he said yes or no, Eric would still ask and still make him answer. “Is Y/N your friend?” “Yes” “Are you nervous about talking to her?” “Always.” “Why?” “She makes me nervous and scared.” “Why does she make you scared?” “Because she makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I didn’t feel them with Maeve, and I didn’t feel them with Ola.” “Otis?” “Eric?” “Are you in love with Y/N?” Otis and Eric stared at each other. Otis held his breath, not knowing how to answer. Licking his lips, he took a deep breath. “I think I’m not in love. But-“ “But?” “It’s where I’m going.” A smile beamed across Eric’s face. He was so proud of how far Otis had come the past year. Meeting Maeve and Ola had helped him become more comfortable with the social circuit of teenage girls and some aspects of dating. But meeting Y/N had made his best friend become more comfortable in his own skin. Eric was happy that Otis was finally feeling what all his friends had. He was falling in love. “You’re falling in love?” “Yeah.” Watching the smile beam across his best friend’s face, caused Otis to reciprocate. Eric clapped his hands. “Now you’ve got to tell her.” Record scratch. The moment had ended. Otis’ smiled dropped and the boy, once again, began to fidget. “No. She is never going to know. She can’t know. She-“ Before Otis can finish his sentence, the doorbell rang. Horror flooded his system. He hadn’t realised the time and now Y/N was here. Y/N was here, and he wasn’t the one answering the door. Bolting out of his room, Otis ran down the stairs; Eric hot on his heels. He was too late. Coming to a holt at the bottom of the stairs, Eric soon stopping after, Otis watched as his mother let Y/N into the house. He could see her already analysis her appearance and mannerisms. Whilst his mother may specify in sex therapy, she was still a psychiatrist. Y/N smiled at the lady before her. “It is nice to finally meet you Dr Milburn.��� Otis’ mother smiled back at the girl before her. She was respectful. Used her full title. Jean liked her even more than when she spoke on the phone to the young girl. “Call me Jean, honey. Otis is just in his ro-“ As she went to explain how to get to her son’s room, she turned towards the stairs, catching a glimpse of Otis and Eric’s heads. The boys had ducked the moment that Y/N introduced herself. Otis wanted to get Eric out the house quickly. He loved his best friend, but after his confession, he did not necessarily want to take any risks with Eric telling Y/N, or worse, his mother. Jean turned her gaze back to Y/N. Unfolding her hands, she placed one on Y/N’s back; guiding her towards to kitchen. “Actually, come wait in here. I will call Otis down. Make yourself at home. There’s drinks in the fridge and help yourself to any food.” Y/N nodded her head in reply. “Thanks Jean.” Walking into the kitchen, Y/N went and sat at the island, taking in the décor. Penises. Everywhere. Vaginas were scattered amongst them. Y/N thought Otis’ kitchen was the coolest place ever. As Y/N made herself comfortable, Jean headed towards the stairs. Seeing that the coast was now clear, Otis rushed Eric to the front door. Pushing him out the from, Otis went to slam the door shut. Pushing his foot against the door to stop Otis’ actions, Eric leant into his friend’s face. “If you do have sex, be a gentleman and make sure she cums first. I may be gay, and it may be your first time, but you and I both know how to be gentlemen.” As his mouth gaped open, Otis slammed the door shut; the sound of Eric’s laughter could be faintly heard through the oak structure. Taking a deep breath, Otis leant his head against the door. “Eric is correct Otis.” Otis jumped at the noise, forgetting his mother was there; witnessing and hearing everything that had just happened. “It is always respectful to make sure that all parties have had a satisfactory experience out of the act of sex.” “Mum stop.” “But female orgasms don’t necessarily occur just through penetration. The clitoris need to be-“ “MUM!” Otis shouted. He did not want to be hearing this, at this moment in time. They were not far from the kitchen. Therefore, Y/N could most likely hear what his mother had said. Walking straight past his mother Otis entered the kitchen; preparing for the worst. Whilst the commotion of Otis, Eric, and Jean had occurred in the hallway, Y/N had poured herself a drink. She had also made a cup of coffee for Jean and poured the same drink she had for Otis. Easily manoeuvring her way around the kitchen, she took a closer look at the pieces of art and phallic objects around the room. This is when Otis had walked in. Standing at the door with his mother, he watched as the girl he was falling in love with grab a wooden sculpture of a penis, off the window sill, and use it as a goddamn phone. “Hello Mrs Prime Minister. You want me to house the President of the United States? Mam, my husband and I have enough dicks in the house already, one more would be an overkill. Isn’t that right honey?” At that moment she turned to Otis, waiting for his answer. The boy did not know what to say. He was too focused on the fact that Y/N had referred to him as her husband; whilst pretending to talk to the Prime Minister on a wooden penis. Placing the object back to her ear, in her most sincere voice, Y/N continued talking. “I am sorry Mrs Prime Minister, but I must depart. You see, I am visiting my husband’s mother for the first time.” Jean laughed behind her son. Y/N smiling in reply. With a roll of her eyes, she spoke into the wooden object once more. “I know. You think 44 years of marriage would mean I would have met her a long time ago. I shall see you at the next cabinet meeting. Goodnight.” Putting the object back in its place, she grabbed the drinks she had made for Jean and Otis and headed in their direction. “One coffee for Jean.” Placing the drink in her hands, Jean thanked the young girl. Turning her gaze towards the boy in front of her, Y/N took a step forward; watching as he gulped at their proximity. “And one Dr Pepper for my husband, The Doctor.” Handing his drink towards him, Y/N winked and strode back to the island. Clasping his drink tightly, Otis watched as his mother went and joined Y/N at the island. He quickly followed. Taking a seat next to Y/N, Otis watched as his mother got comfortable opposite them. He could tell that things were about to get even more weird and uncomfortable for him. “So, Y/N?” Y/N’s head perked up at the sound of her name, her attention being solely placed onto Jean. “Do you find, that with yourself, you require more than penetration to reach orgasm during intercourse?” And so, it began. A look of disbelief was painted across Otis’ face. Quickly turning to his friend, he stuttered out his words. ‘You don’t need to answer that. Mum, that is way too much.” Sipping on her drink Y/N, she quickly put her cup down; placing a reassuring hand on Otis’ shoulder. “It’s okay Otis.” Keeping her hand on his shoulder, Y/N reverted her attention back to Jean. “Concerning intercourse, I would not know the answer to your question, as I am a virgin.” Otis was not shocked to hear this. He already knew. They had both been involved in many group discussions with the ‘Clinic.’ Whilst Otis sat and allowed his friends to talk about their sexual lives and preferences, he sat by in silence. Whereas Y/N happily asked questions and admittedly rather easily that she was a virgin. In every aspect. Much like Otis. “If we refer to self-pleasure…” Now Otis was shocked. “Then I would say I find myself thoroughly pleased without the need for penetration.” Jean seemed happy with the girls answer. Adverting her gaze to Otis, she noticed her son had become rather clammy and red. Sensing his shock at his friend’s words, she went to reassure him. “Otis it is rather normal for women to maturbate-“ “I know mum, it is just not the type of conversation I was expecting to have today.” Y/N smiled to herself. Removing her hand from Otis’ shoulder, she placed it on top of his that laid on the table. “Speaking of talks…” she said. Otis looked her in the eyes, a silent moment being shared. Grabbing the hand, she had placed in his, he stood from his seat; Y/N soon following afterwards. “It was lovely to finally meet you Jean. Thank you for the facts and for not complaining about the constant disappearance of yogurt in your house. Otis knows I really like them.” Jean smiled affectionately at the two young souls in front of her. Standing up, she walked around the island and stood in front of the pair. “It has been a pleasure Y/N. You are welcome anytime. Take as much food as you want- I’ve re-stocked the yogurt yesterday so you’re good to go.” Both Otis and Y/N laughed. Otis began to head towards the door, Y/N following behind due to their clasp hands. Jean watched as her son lead Y/N towards his room. Walking towards her office, she thought about what today may hold for her son. She had also seen the change in him. Whilst he was still reserved in certain situations, he had come to embrace himself and accept his quirks. She knew from the moment she had answered Y/N’s call, that the young girl was special; and she was going to be a special part of their lives. Otis lead Y/N towards his room, his hand not leaving hers until they fully entered. Y/N quickly made herself comfortable on his bed. Closing the door behind him, Otis went and sat on the corner of his bed. He watched as Y/N examined his room. Y/N looked at all the posters on his wall. “Very different from the rest of your house.” Otis chuckled. “Yeah it is.” Turning to face Otis, Y/N looked into his eyes. “It’s very you. It’s comforting.” A blush crept up Otis’ neck. “Thank you.” Shrugging her shoulders in response, she leant back, until she was lying across his bed. Sensing her gaze flickering towards him, Otis contemplated what to do next. With a surge of courage, Otis chose to lie down next to her- leaving room between the two. The pair sat in silence for a while. Neither knowing what to say or how to say it. Otis knew how he felt, however, he was not sure how Y/N felt. He did not want to assume and lose the friendship they had formed. Y/N was in the same thought process. But being the person, she is, she decided to go for it. Turning her head, she locked her gaze on the boy beside her. “Otis?” Turning his head, he faced Y/N. “Yeah?” “You’re my favourite person.” “Really?” ‘Really really.” He couldn’t help the smile that had come over his face. He had never felt like someone’s favourite person. He and Eric had been best friends for years, he and Maeve had some form of relationship, but now seeing them with their other halves, he saw that they had found their person. For Y/N to say that he was her favourite person brought him hope. Scooping up all the determination and courage into his heart and mind, he knew that this was his chance. No matter the outcome, he had her there by his side. Scooting closer, Otis’ face was a breath away from Y/N’s. His eyes scanned over her features. He noticed she had taken off her make up that she had worn to school. Her skin was painted with beauty marks and spots. Her under eyes a dark shade of purple, showing off the endless hours of work and studying the pair had done together and alone. She was just so beautiful. For the first time, Otis reached his hand over and grabbed hers first. Running his thumb over the back of her hand, he took a shaky breath, trying to calm his nerves. Keeping his attention on her hand in his, he began to speak. “You are my favourite person in the whole world. I know Eric is my best friend and I know I have my mum and all my other friends. But you’ve never tried to change me. You helped me learn to grown and love myself. If I feel down about a test or I am stressing about the clinic, you always know how to calm me down and what to say. “ Y/N licked her lips. Her eyes stayed locked on his face. Taking in his words and his touch. “You never judged me when you heard about my lack of experience or reservations to social situations. You’re just so funny and rude in the best ways.” They both laughed. Otis’ gaze began to switch from her hands to her face every few seconds. “For Christ sake, what person would answer such questions when they meet their friends mum for the first time? You just did it. Because you knew I was embarrassed.” “I didn’t mind it. My parents aren’t really open about stuff like that, so it was nice for some sort of advice and reassurance.” As she spoke, Otis lifted his gaze. “You’re so pretty.” And for the first time since he met her, Y/N blushed. Covering her face into the pillows in embarrassment, she giggled. He couldn’t believe that of all things that made her embarrassed and blush was to compliment her. “Did I make you blush?” “No.” she replied. The answer muffled by the pillow. Otis let out a chuckle, squeezing her hand with his own. “Yes. I did. You’re blushing. You’re embarrassed because I called you pretty. Aw, you’re so pink. Miss pretty in pink over here.” Y/N laughed, lifting her head from the pillow. “Carry on Doctor, and I’ll give you something to blush about.” Not registering the mischievous look on her face, Otis continued his teasing. “What you going to do? Become even more pretty?” Before the word had even left his lips, Y/N released her hands from his. Looking down in confusion, Otis’ body went rigid as he watched Y/N as she quickly sat up on the bed and swing her leg over his waist. With both legs on each side of Otis, Y/N straddles the boy’s waist making herself comfortable. Leaning in close to him, her breath fanning his face, she watched as Otis became bright red. She had definitely succeeded in making him blush the hardest today. Leaning in to his ear, she whispered. “Aw, did I make you blush?” Leaning back, she sat on his lap, watching as the boy who laid under her, took a deep gulp. Using his hands as leverage, Otis sat up. Y/N quickly placed her hands on his shoulders to keep herself from falling. ‘Just friends don’t do this do they?” he asked. “Not that I am aware of.” Silence passed them. Until… “Otis?” He gulped. “Yeah.” “I like you. As more than a friend. That’s why I grabbed your hand today. And I think you like me too because you held my hand back, and I am on your lap. Only last week you switched seats in class when Jackson’s new girlfriend sat on his lap.” That was true. He had moved because the display of affection had made him uncomfortable. “But if you don’t like me that way. We will still be friends and I mean it. But I will tell you honestly, it’s going to be hard to get over you, when your hot face is going to be in my sights every day.” Taking in her words, Otis licked his lips. Scooting back so his back rested against his head board, Otis wrapped an arm shakily around her waist, whilst his other hand rose to hold her left cheek. His hands were shaking from nerves, but Y/N did not mind. Once again, Otis took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. “I like you too. If it wasn’t already obvious.” A joyous laugh left Y/N’s mouth. The sound soon being accompanied by Otis’. As her hands travelled to the back of his neck, she played with his hair. Their laughter slowly died down as their gaze connected. Tightening his grasp on her waist, Otis moved his face closer to Y/N’s. “Can I kiss you?” Biting her lip, Y/N nodded her head in reply. “Yeah Otis. Yeah, you can.” Slowly, Otis placed his lips on top of Y/N’s, pulling her body closer to his as she played with his hair. Sighing into the kiss, Y/N moaned as Otis tongue entered her mouth. The kiss became more heated, with teeth clashing and small moans heard from both Otis and Y/N. Need air, Otis detached his lips from hers. She continued to kiss across his cheeks and down his neck. “Is this okay?” she breathed. Taking a gulp, Otis breathed out a yes, trying to calm the excitement in his veins. Y/N continued to place kisses across his neck. Once she found his sweet spot, her attention was centred. This was new for Otis. He had never felt comfortable enough to go this far. He liked it. He really liked it. He liked it too much. Once he squeezed her waist twice, Y/N stop the assault on his neck. Looking at his face, she saw his lust blown eyes and rosy cheeks. “Did I go too far? Was it too much?” she asked. Shaking his head, Otis placed a small kiss on her lips. “No. No. I was just overwhelmed.” Stroking his hair, Y/N understood. She could feel how excited he had become and could see that he did not want to further things right now. Knowing that Otis would become more uncomfortable the longer he had to deal with his excitement, Y/N lifted herself off of his lap and headed towards the Nintendo Switch. Grabbing the controllers, she passed on to Otis. Turning on the TV, she moved up the bed to sit next to him; tossing a blanket over the two of them. Smiling at the girl next to him, he breathed out a thank you. “No problem. Now let’s see how good you are at Smash Bros.” Quickly leaning over, he placed a kiss on her lips once more. As he leaned back, she grabbed his face. Turning the peck into something lightly longer. Pulling apart she started the game. “I can get used to this.” Y/N said. Otis smiled, watching as she chose her character. He could get used to this too.

A/N- Hopefully you enjoy and want a part 4. x

[those70scomics]

Links to the Rest of the Story: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Outline for the End

Disclaimer: That '70s Show copyright The Carsey-Werner Company, LLC and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC.

CHAPTER THREE THE TRAPEZOID

Eric hummed Rundgren's “I Don't Want to Tie You Down” while brushing his teeth. He hadn't won tickets this morning to the concert, and his next opportunity wouldn't be until he got home from school. But those tickets would be his, as would Donna's kiss. “Right here,” he said and tapped his Crest-coated lips. “Confident about that, are you?” The angel's reflection appeared beside Eric's in a burst of light, and Eric spat toothpaste onto the bathroom mirror. “Would you stop doing that?” Eric said. He grabbed a towel, wiped his mouth, and cleaned off the mirror. “What if I was peeing or something?”

The angel waved his hand dismissively. “Pshaw. We angels are dispassionate where human anatomy is concerned. Remember that time when your fly got stuck in Old Maine's bathroom, and you prayed for it to zip up?” Eric's stomach clenched. “Oh, God.”

“Precisely.” The angel smiled that smug smirk of his. “You've got six days left to get that kiss from Donna, or—” “Our relationship is over forever. You don't have to remind me.”

Eric washed his hands and left the bathroom. The angel went with him to his bedroom, but Eric had to get dressed for school. He searched his closet for the right outfit, one that would show Donna his sophisticated and sensitive side. He had a particular shirt in mind, but he couldn't find it. “The button-down one,” the angel said, “white with a coral-orange pattern?” Eric nodded. “That's the one.” “Donna bought you that shirt in ninth grade.” “Damn!” He chose a different dress shirt and grabbed his khaki pants. The angel was looking at him, and Eric's neck heated up. “Could you at least turn around?” “As you wish.” The angel faced Eric's bed while Eric got dressed. “But you won't avoid Donna's gaze so easily.” “Good!” Eric kicked off his pajama bottoms and pulled on the khakis. “I want her to see me, need her to. In my real life — my other life — she stopped.” “Are you sure about that?” Eric inhaled deeply through his nose. “Yeah, or my promise ring would be on her finger, and I wouldn't be here.” He began unbuttoning his pajama top. From the poster on his closet door, Farrah Fawcett seemed to be staring at him, but all he saw was Donna inside his mind. “But our connection must exist across the universe or something. I felt it on the driveway last night, and she did, too. Why else would she have told me about her parents?” “Yes,” the angel said, full of condescension, “you've made quite the impression on her already.” Eric's skin prickled, and he fumbled with the buttons of his dress shirt. “What do you mean by that? Did I come across as too nerdy? Does she need to see more of my rebellious side?” The angel turned from the bed. “Eric—” “No, wait. Should I cut my first classes at school and get a tattoo? Am I supposed to be — I don't know — more like Steven Tyler?” Or, maybe, more like Steven Hyde. “I wasn't … I didn't take chances.” His throat closed up. His dress-shirt was buttoned completely wrong, and he yanked it open, popping off some of the buttons. “Donna and Hyde are the reason I'm able to stand up for myself,” he said, voice cracking. “They're the reason I'm not a total duck.” The angel sighed. “You live and die by your own choices, Eric. Donna and Hyde might've influenced you, supported you, but every choice you make is your own.” He circled his finger in the air, and the buttons of Eric's dress shirt reattached themselves. The shirt buttoned itself up, and the collar adjusted itself around Eric's neck.

Eric's eyes widened. “You can use the Force!” “If you want a different reaction to your decisions,” the angel said, “make different ones — but they still have to be choices true to your heart, Eric.” “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Eric gestured to himself. “Can't you use your powers to give me some muscle? I mean, look at this!” He flexed his biceps. “Do you see anything? Because I sure don't.” The angel pressed a hand to his generous stomach and laughed. “You have other strengths. Use them.” Eric plunked down on the bed. “Strengths...” He tugged on a pair of socks. “Any hints about which ones I should use?” But the angel had left, and Eric slapped the top of his bed. Cryptic help was worse than no help at all. “'Make different choices,'” he said, mocking the angel’s advice. “'You have other strengths...'” He dug his hand through his hair. Whatever those strengths were, they hadn't kept him from losing Donna in his other life. To win her in this one, he needed to be stronger.

Eric chose a desk and dropped his backpack beside it. Spanish III was his first class of the day. He was the first student to arrive, but he remained standing in case Donna showed up. She took French in his other life. He had no reason to believe she’d do differently in this life, but he focused on the door as the room filled up.   A pair of gigglers, Emily and Denise, entered and took desks at the back. They were followed by Jimmy Headgear, Buddy Morgan — whom Eric waved to — and Kelso, with Fez right behind him. “You!” Kelso shouted, pointing in Eric's direction. Eric pressed a hand to his chest and mouthed, “Me?” Kelso barreled forward and shoved him into the wall. Eric's shoulder bumped into a framed map of Spain, but Fez caught the map before it crashed to the floor. “A little to the right, Kelso,” Fez said. Kelso moved Eric to the right but kept him pinned against the wall. “Why are you hitting on my girl?” “Trust me, Kelso,” Eric said with a laugh, “I have no interest whatsoever in Jackie.” “Huh?” Kelso glanced at Fez, who was replacing the map on the wall. “Maybe he is gay,” Fez said. Kelso's eyes narrowed, and he gave Eric another shove. “So you want me for yourself?” “No,” Eric said. “But if I were gay, which I'm not, I'd go for Buddy Morgan.” He jutted his chin in Buddy's direction. Buddy had taken the desk left of his. “He's smart and nice and funny — and he's got a cool as hell Trans Am. Yeah, I'd definitely pick him over you—” Kelso gasped indignantly, and his hands sprang off Eric's arms. Fez, meanwhile, slid into the seat to Buddy's left. “Hello, Buddy,” Fez said. “Or do you prefer Mr. Morgan?” Mr. Soto, the Spanish teacher, stepped into the classroom. Eric rushed to his desk, and Kelso sat at the one to his right. “If you're not into Jackie,” Kelso whispered, “then why'd you tell her all those things about me?” Eric didn't answer. He rummaged in his backpack and pulled out a big bag of M&Ms. “Buddy, mind passing these to Fez?” “No problem.” Buddy took the M&Ms and gave them to Fez. “For me?” Fez said, and his face brightened. “Mr. Morgan, I think I — I think I love you.” “Thanks? ” Buddy flicked his eyes toward Eric. “But they're not from me. They're from Eric.” Fez ripped open the bag. “Who?” “Junior from Janesville,” Eric said. “I'm fulfilling my part of our deal from yesterday, even though you completely failed at upholding your part.” “Oh, yes.” Fez crammed a fistful of M&Ms into his mouth. “Mfddd awud.” An ear-stabbing screech ended all chatter in the classroom. Mr. Soto had scratched his fingernails on the chalkboard. The nails on his right hand were long because of his guitar playing, and he used them to his advantage. “There will be no extraneous discussion in my class,” he said, “unless it's in Spanish. ¿Entendido?” “Sí, Señor Soto,” everyone said back. Mr. Soto started class, opening with the story about his summer. He told it in Spanish, and the first time Eric heard it — in his other life—he'd understood less than half. This time, however, he understood most of it. Mr. Soto must've noticed because his gaze returned to Eric's often. Kelso tapped Eric's shoulder when Mr. Soto talked about breaking a guitar string. His band had been on a tour of Southwestern bars, and Eric wanted to hear about it, but Kelso whispered, “Why? Why did you tell Jackie I—” “Mister Kelso,” Mr. Soto said in Spanish, “do you want your parents to receive a student-alert form?” “What?” Kelso said. Mr. Soto's finger zipped across his lips. “Shut it.” . Kelso quit whispering, but that didn't keep him from writing Eric notes. He passed Eric tiny, folded-up wads of paper. They resembled dry spit balls more than notes, and by the end of class, Eric's desk was covered in paper scribbled with, “Why?” and “WHY?” and “¿Por qué?” He scooped the notes into the garbage can. Whatever happened between Kelso and Jackie wasn't his problem. But Kelso stayed on his heels and stopped him in the hallway. “She broke up with me, you know that?” Kelso said. “And I never even got to do it with her!” “Okay, let's say Jackie hadn't dumped you,” Eric said, “would you turn down Pam Macy if she offered to make out with you?” Kelso grinned, as if he were kissing Pam Macy right there. “No.” “And that's why I told Jackie what I did.” “You've made out with Pam Macy?” Kelso shouted, and Eric winced at the volume of his voice. “You've only been here a day! I've been trying for two years!” Eric pushed past him. Kelso's idiocy was headache-inducing, but Eric's task wasn't to smarten him up. It was to earn Donna's kiss. Three flights down, in the science lab, Mrs. Bridges took attendance for homeroom. Eric hid in the back, behind the farthest workstation. Having homeroom with Hyde could lead to trouble, maybe even a black eye. In this life, Eric didn't have Hyde's loyalty. Kelso did. “Eric Forman?” Mrs. Bridges said. “Here!” Eric said from behind the workstation. “Who said that?” Mrs. Bridges said. Damn. He had to risk showing himself, and he rose to his feet. Hyde was standing by Mrs. Bridges, but he strode toward Eric after Eric reconfirmed his presence. “Forman,” Hyde said and clasped Eric's shoulder. Eric braced himself for pain, but Hyde's grip was friendly. “You really burned Kelso, man. Telling Jackie all that crap about him — don't know why you did it, but thanks.” His hand fell from Eric's shoulder, and Eric held his breath. Hyde’s eyes weren't visible behind his sunglasses. He could’ve been setting Eric up. but Hyde said, “You ended the whole 'Jackie Experience'. I owe you one.” Eric exhaled and leaned against the workstation. “Well, I know Kelso's type. Where I come from, people like him can't keep it in their pants.” “You don't know crap.” Hyde's jaw visibly tensed. “You don't know Kelso, so I wouldn't be makin' assumptions if I were you.” “But Jackie believing these 'assumptions' is okay as long as it gets you what you want?” Hyde shrugged, but the tension had clearly spread to his shoulders. “Lying to Jackie, who cares? But Kelso's no cheater, all right?” “How do you know?” Eric said and stood up straight. Hyde's loyalty to Kelso was blinding him to the truth. “Jackie is Kelso's first girlfriend, right? So how do you know he's not a cheater?” Hyde's temple twitched, but after a moment he rested his arm on the workstation and laughed. “I get it. You're sweet on Jackie.” “No!” Eric shook his head and tried to keep from gagging. “I'm — no!” “Here's a piece of advice, Forman...” Hyde slipped his arm around Eric's shoulders. “You've been here less than two days. Get to know people before makin' assumptions about 'em.” He half-guided, half-dragged Eric toward the door. “Kelso's a moron, but he's a good guy. And Jackie  might be cute, but behind those big brown eyes is a man-eating dragon. Watch yourself.” He released Eric and patted him hard on the back. “Thanks for the warning,” Eric said as the sting spread across his skin, but Hyde dashed into the hallway.  “What about Donna?” Eric called after him Hyde slowed his pace. “What about Donna?” “What's she like?” “Off-limits,” Hyde said and kept on walking.

Eric thought he understood his friends. Even if they didn't know him, he should've been an expert in talking to them. He'd spent his whole life — his whole other life — doing that. But in this one, they reacted in unexpected ways to what he did. Mainly, they kept threatening him, and Fez was no exception. During third-period English, Fez whispered, “Jackie Burkhart is mine.” To emphasize his point, he bit into an M&M and slammed the uneaten half onto Eric's desk. “This is what will happen to you if you talk to her again … unless it's to keep her away from Kelso. That is acceptable.” Fez snatched the uneaten half-M&M and popped it into his mouth, but Eric didn't care about Jackie. Especially not the one here. She was a means to an end, but she was getting in the way of that end. Surely, though, Donna would appreciate what he'd done. Jackie and Kelso breaking up was his gift to her. Eric held onto that thought on the way to trigonometry, but Fez beat him there. By the time Eric arrived, Donna was surrounded by Fez, Hyde and other students. Eric had no access to her. During class, Hyde intercepted the notes he tried to pass, and Donna ignored Eric when the school bell rang. She walked right by him without even a glance. She was angry. Had to be. But if he could explain himself, if they could talk, she'd understand his motives. He'd tried to protect Jackie from heartbreak, to liberate Donna from Jackie's obnoxious presence. He repeated this potential conversation to himself during music class. Fortunately, Mr. Campbell's lesson on Beethoven gave Eric the space to think. All Donna had to do was understand his perspective. She'd witnessed Kelso ogling Pam Macy yesterday, same as him. She had to see that Eric was acting from a good intent. Or she could continue to ignore him. She didn’t wave him over in the cafeteria, no invitation to sit with her. Eric wandered the tables with his bologna sandwich and cup of apple juice, but sitting with the jocks and cheerleaders — not in any life.  Other tables were occupied by groups of friends he wasn't part of, and he resigned himself to eating alone. In a corner of the cafeteria. Without a seat. Until Buddy Morgan spotted him. “Eric. Hey, Eric! Over here!” Buddy patted his table. It was crowded with popular kids, people Eric had barely spoken to in his other life. But Buddy gestured to the guy sitting across from him, Justin Something — Eric didn't know his last name — and Justin picked up his tray and found another place to sit. Eric sat in Justin's vacated seat. He and Buddy were at the center of the table, surrounded on both sides by guys and girls. Conversations were loud and fast, but Buddy's presence put some kind of force field around him. No one tried to get Buddy's attention as he welcomed Eric to the table. “Thanks,” Eric said, but he couldn't settle in. He and Buddy weren't friends yet. They'd been friendly to each other in chemistry class, but that was it. “You do know I don't belong here, right?” He forced a smile and indicated the kids at the table. “Where I come from, I wasn't one of them.” “You belong here because I want you here.” Buddy sipped his water. “Anyway, you're new. You can be whoever the hell you want.” “If only, Buddy. If only.” Eric bit into his bologna sandwich and chewed slowly. The bread was gluey, and the meat was sour — he wasn’t sure it was even bologna. “I know the food here isn't five-star,” Buddy said, scooping rice onto his fork, “but you don't have to look so miserable. You're making me want to buy you balloons to cheer you up.” A girl at the table giggled. The laugh was piercing and disruptive, but she was sitting far enough away that Eric dismissed her. She wasn't spying on his discussion with Buddy. No one seemed to be. The guys on either side of Buddy were angled away from him, same as the guy and girl sandwiching Eric. Buddy commanded a social power Eric didn't understand and would never have. “Sorry,” Eric mumbled. “I'm just … I'm in a very difficult situation.” Buddy's eyebrows rose. “'Situation,' huh?” “Yeah.” Eric examined his sandwich, peeking between the bread and the meat. It appeared safe enough, but without Hyde's insider info, he couldn't be sure. “I've lost a lot. You know, by moving away from my friends. And I'm trying to make a life here, but maybe I'm not smart enough.” “Come on. You're plenty smart. You're acing chemistry two days in.” Buddy chuckled. “It's pissing me off.” “I seem to have a knack for that, pissing off the people I like.” Buddy swallowed a mouthful of rice with an audible gulp. “You like me?” “As a friend, as a friend,” Eric said. “I'm not—” gay, but he couldn't say that here. In Eric's other life, Buddy had shared that part about himself privately. Talking about it openly, at the popular kids' table, might cause Buddy trouble. “I mean, I'm fine with you being … liking who you like,” Eric went on. “Why wouldn't I be? This is a progressive world, and I'm a progressive guy—” “Eric, stop.” Buddy clasped his hands together, as if in prayer. “For the love of God, please stop — and tell me what's really going on. You keep staring back at that table.” He meant Donna's table. Eric did keep staring at it .. at her. “I'm crazy. ” “Why, because you like the redhead?” “Because I...” Eric took another bite of his sandwich. Buddy would never believe his story, that an angel sent him to an alternate version of his life. Eric hardly believed it himself, but every second he spent here, the more real and dire the consequences felt. “How would you show someone who you really are?” Buddy grinned. “I'd kiss that someone.” Eric laughed and stifled himself with his apple juice. Kissing Donna would solve all his problems, but the kiss had to be mutual. He couldn't just pucker up and shove his lips against her mouth. “But apparently I didn't have to do that with you,” Buddy said. “You knew from the get-go I … what kind of person I dig.” He rubbed his chin, and his gaze drifted somewhere Eric didn't follow. “How exactly did you know?” “I have a really good friend back in my — back in Janesville. You remind me of him.” Buddy's cheeks flushed. “Really?” “Yup.” “Could you maybe give me this friend's number?” “Would if I could, but this person's already … occupied.” Eric flinched at his lie. He hated being so deceptive, but he had little choice. “Looks like the redhead's 'occupied,' too.” Buddy gestured to Donna's table. Hyde's arm was around her shoulders, and she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was laughing like he'd just made a joke. Like she was his girlfriend.

Eric had study hall after lunch. It would be his best chance to speak to Donna, and he waited in the cafeteria to give her a head start. She wouldn't avoid him in study hall. He'd do whatever he could to get her to listen — even if it meant her yelling at him first — but Jackie accosted him in the second floor hallway.

She dug her nails into his wrist and dragged him to the make-out alcove. It was a hollowed-out part of the wall, and glass covered the outside, giving a view of the lobby below. It was the most interesting architectural feature of the school and the last place Eric ever wanted to be with Jackie. “Listen, you,” she said. “Michael swears he'd never cheat on me.” “That's what cheaters do,” Eric said. “They lie.” He tried to leave, but she dug her nails deeper his wrist. “Ow! I think you're drawing blood.” “Oh, I will if you don't give me proof that Michael's a dirty dog.”

“Donna,” he blurted as Jackie’s nails cut into his skin. He pried her hand off him, but she grabbed his ear before he could escape the alcove. Her shorter height meant his head was positioned at a painful angle. “Ask her about history class yesterday! She saw what I saw!” “I did ask her. She says she's staying out of it.” “But she didn't deny Kelso was looking at Pam Macy.” “No...” She let go of him. “But she didn’t confirm it, either.” “Look,” he said and massaged his sore neck, “you can date Kelso, but I guarantee you'll end up heart-broken.” She stuck out her bottom lip. “But Michael's so beautiful!” He slumped back against the alcove. Donna had kept Kelso's infidelity a secret in his other life, but that was after she and Jackie had become friends. In this life, Donna wasn’t afraid of hurting Jackie. She should've spoken up. “Jackie...” He rubbed his forehead with both hands. “What's the point of being with someone who looks beautiful if he acts ugly?” “You're right!” “I am?” “Yes. Michael is the most beautiful boy I've ever seen....” She patted the center of her chest. “But I have to find out if he'll act ugly when I'm not looking. So you, whatever-your-name-is, are going to help me test him.” “I am?” He glanced at the alcove window. If he crashed through it, would the angel save his life? Or would he grant Eric sweet, sweet death by letting him splatter on the lobby floor? “Here's how it's going to work,” Jackie said. “I'm going to interview him tomorrow, and you will bring Pam Macy to us — after you've convinced her to hit on Michael — to reveal Michael's true soul.” “She'll never go anywhere with me.” “She will, or I'll find out where your dad works and have him fired.” “Don't care.” His dad getting fired in this life was irrelevant. All that mattered in this life was Donna. “But,” he said, “if your dad can score me some tickets to the Rundgren concert this Sunday, I'll help you.” Jackie fluffed her hair. “My dad can easily get tickets to the Todd Grunyon concert.” “Rundgren.” “Whatever. You bring Pam Macy to the art studio tomorrow after school, and I'll get you those tickets.” Eric rapped his knuckles on the alcove window. He was making a deal with the devil, but he'd already made one with an angel. That had to offer him some protection. “Lady,” he said, despite his throat closing up, “you've got it.”

Eric sat in the back of the history classroom, as far from Donna and Kelso as possible. History was the last class of the day, and Donna still hadn't acknowledged him. But trying to talk to her with Kelso present would be a mistake. At least he had all evening and five more days to turn the situation around. He spent the class writing notes, not about the Cold War but today's events. Hyde had put his arm around Donna's shoulders at lunch, but he'd done to same to Eric in homeroom. Eric wouldn't assume. He'd theorize, but he wouldn't assume. The final bell of the day rang, and he waited at his desk until Pam Macy stood up. He followed her out of the classroom and to her locker, at a far enough distance that she didn't notice him. Not until he needed her to. “Pam?” he said as she opened her locker. Her backpack lay at her feet. “Huh?” She faced him, and her expression went flat. “What?” Her shirt was cut low and showed off her cleavage. His gaze trailed down her neck, but he recovered his wits and looked her in the eye. “Pam, hi. I'm Eric. We've never met, but I need to ask you a favor.” She tilted her head, as if scrutinizing him. “Sorry, but I don't do pity sex. You'll have to lose your virginity another way.” She turned back to her locker, and he said, “No, no, no. I'm not a virgin, and I don't want to have sex with you. I just need five minutes of your time tomorrow—” “No pity make-outs, either.” She pulled a fluffy jacket from her locker. Feathers lined the collar, and they tickled Eric's nose as she put the jacket on. “I don't want to make-out with—” He sneezed into his sleeve. “I'm in a little contest. See, me and a bunch of other fellows are trying to find the hottest girl in school. Each of us gets to choose one and bring her to the art studio tomorrow. I choose you ... unless someone else got to you first.” She stepped closer to him, and the feathers of her jacket tickled his nose again. “What's the prize, Sneezy?” “It's—” He sneezed again, this time into the air. Pam smirked. She was messing with him, and it turned him on more than he liked. “What do you want the prize to be?” “You'll do my history homework all year.” “Done.” “That's just for me entering this contest for you.” She rubbed her feathery collar against his neck. “If I win, you'll also do my chemistry homework.” He backed away from her. The warmth of her body was causing him trouble, and he needed to focus. “I can do that, sure. Meet me outside the art studio at the end of school tomorrow.” “Will do, Sneezy.” She picked up her backpack and shoved it at him. “Carry this to my car.” “Okay...” He followed her down the hallway, but each step brought a different outlook. He was on the winding path to victory. He'd already failed. The alternating perspectives made him dizzy, and he stared at the back of Pam's blond head.

His center of gravity had shifted, but the tightrope beneath his feet wasn't new. He'd been walking it since his first kiss with Donna.

“Good Vibrations” played from Eric's stereo. It was Todd Rundgren's cover of the Beach Boys' song, and Jerry Thunder's deep voice said over the intro, “You know what time it is. Call me for your chance to win tickets to Rundgren's concert in Milwaukee this Sunday.” Pam Macy's history notebook was open on Eric's lap, and his history book lay beside him on his bed. But he stopped doing her homework and thumbed his nose at Jerry's voice. “I don't need your stinkin' tickets. I'm getting my own.” He began writing again, making his handwriting as loopy and girly as he could. More importantly, he tried to put his answers in Pam's voice, adding lots of likes and you knows in places they didn't belong. “The Cold War, like, started after World War II,” he said as he wrote. “It was full of, you know, stress and stuff because the U.S. and the Soviet Union didn't get along.” His pencil bounced off the notebook, leaving a period as its footprint. He might've agreed to do Pam's homework, but he never agreed to get her an A. “I'd say you're getting a D,” the angel said, and Eric flung the pencil into the air. The angel had appeared from nowhere. Eric should’ve been used to it by now, but his heart was pounding.

He got off the bed and searched for his pencil. If he didn't look at the angel, maybe he'd calm down.

“Not even two whole days,” the angel said, “and you have more tangles than Midge Pinciotti's first attempt at knitting.” Eric found the pencil by his dresser and slid it behind his ear. “A D? How could I be getting a D?” “You tell me.” The angel adjusted the cuffs on his white suit jacket. “How could you be getting a D?” “I don't know, unless...” Eric's eyes widened. “Does D stand for Donna?” “Guess again.” “Damn,” Eric said and winced. Cursing around an angel couldn't be healthy for his afterlife prospects. “I mean, darn.” The angel put up a hand. “I don't care what language you use, as long as you aren't trying to hurt someone with it.” Eric inhaled deeply. No hell for cursing around an angel. That was a relief, but it did nothing to stop his confusion. It rolled through his brain like a marble, and he sat back down on the bed. “I've got guaranteed Rundgren tickets from Jackie,” he said. “All I have to do is show Donna my true self, take her to the concert, and get that kiss.” “So you haven't been showing her true self so far?” the angel said. “I've been trying, but she hasn't spoken to me since yesterday.” The angel tapped his chin. “I wonder why that is.” Eric glared at him. “Do you want me to fail?” “You've already failed. I'm giving you a chance to correct your mistakes.” A triple knock rattled Eric's door, and Eric moved past the angel to open it. His mom was standing on the other side and breathing heavily, as if she'd rushed up the stairs. “Eric,” she said, “your friend Donna is here.” She clapped twice and grinned. “Oh, this is so exciting! You have a girlfriend.” “Mom, she isn't — we've only — I gotta go.” Eric raced to the stairs but slowed as he climbed down. His mom's footsteps vibrated behind him, and the angel was nowhere to be seen. Donna, however, stood by the front door. She was cracking her knuckles and glancing around the living room. His palms grew sweaty. She'd come here for him, but she hadn't been in his house before. This place was as new to her as he was. She'd probably rung the doorbell to get inside, and that thought set off hot sparks in his stomach. She should have come in through the basement, but it was empty. It had no history, just like she had no memories of him. He had to change that, starting now. “Donna, hi!” he said at the bottom of the stairs. He tried not to grin like an idiot, but his eyes crinkled, and his eyelashes blurred the edges of his vision. “I'm so glad you came over. I—” His mom clasped his shoulders from behind and pressed her cheek into his. “I'll give you two kids some privacy.” She disappeared into the kitchen, but the swinging door wasn't sound proof. She might put her ear to it and hear his and Donna's conversation. He pointed toward the den. “How about we talk in there?” Donna agreed, and they went to the den. He offered her the armchair, but she remained standing. He stayed on his feet, too, and pressed his heels against the ottoman. She wasn't talking, and his grin grew heavier until it became a frown. “Okay, what did I do?” His tone was familiar, as if he were talking to his girlfriend Donna, not this barely-an-acquaintance Donna. But he couldn't help himself. “If this is about Jackie and Kelso, I—” “Of course it's about Jackie and Kelso!” She slapped the side of her leg, and her cheeks reddened. “What are you doing, spreading rumors about my friend?” “Whoa! Whoa—” He tried to step back, but his foot slipped out from under him. He dropped onto the ottoman and tipped backward, but he caught himself before knocking into the fireplace. “I'm not spreading rumors. I'm protecting Jackie from—” “Kelso's not a cheater.” “Has he ever hit on you?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “None of your business.” “This may be going over the line,” he said and pushed himself off the ottoman, “but you're letting your loyalty blind you.” “I'm...” The redness in her cheeks spread to her neck and forehead. “Who the hell do you think you are? You've 'known’ us for two days!” His right fist clenched. He ached to tell her the truth, that he'd known her since before he could talk, that he loved her. “Let's just say I'm a good judge of character.” “A quick judge of character. What kind of rumors are you gonna spread about me?” “None. Donna, I'd never do that to you.” “Right.” She gazed up at the ceiling when she could have left. She was giving him another chance ... like maybe she felt their connection. His stomach contracted, and he swallowed a bitter laugh. He was such a screw-up. “This is not how I wanted our relationship to start,” he said. “Oh, we have a 'relationship' now?” He coughed, trying to untangle the knot his throat. “ “Friendship. I meant friendship.” “Sorry, but I don't make friends with sociopaths.” She charged from the den. Her hair flew out behind her, and she left the house through the front door. Its slam reverberated the walls and Eric's chest, threatening to crumble him, but he stood tall. Donna had always come back to him. No matter how badly he messed up, she always came back. He just had to correct his mistakes in time.

[exysapphics]

For your Fanfic February. How about a box of sherbert dib dabs gets left at the door of Funn Funerals for Rudyard?

I kind of took inspiration from this prompt and then ran with whatever. February 15. 1262ish words.

Rudyard has a secret admirer. Well, that's what Georgie is calling whoever has been leaving gifts outside of Funn Funerals for him, and Georgie knows about these sorts of things.

The gifts have been coming for weeks now. They're always left inside of his locker (which, how had whoever it is gotten his locker combination? the whole business is sketchy, if you ask Rudyard.) with a little card in top. The card has his name on it in neat print, and sometimes a little bit more than that.

The notes usually come with the smaller gifts, like a candy bar or, on the day before Valentine's Day, and compete with a "roses are red," poem and all, a rose.

The day after Valentine's Day, however, is Rudyard's breaking point.

He'd figured this whole weird game would die off, or maybe whatever cruel or deranged individual would confess to his face and he would shoulder the embarrassment like he did everyday of the hell that is high school. Instead, he gets to school early on February 14th just to see balloons floating above his locker. There, standing outside of his locker, is his nemesis, Eric Chapman.

Chapman is annoying and perfect...ly stupid and his outfits always look well put together and really who has time for that in high school? And he's staring at Rudyard's locker.

Jealous, huh Chapman? Rudyard thinks. You aren't the only one who gets attention at this school.

Chapman is gone before he catches sight of Rudyard. He feels sort of relieved at not having to answer any questions about the whole admirer thing, but also disappointed because oh, how he loves a good argument with Chapman.

The inside of his locker is far more impressive than the outside. Post it notes cover the door. A huge heart shaped box of chocolates and a teddy bear- a teddy bear, of all things, for Rudyard, of all people- rest precariously on top of his messy pile of books. The balloons are tied to the bear's arm. Every post it note has a different message on it, and Rudyard absolutely refuses to read those in public because he does not need any more public humiliation, thank you.

He's staring at it again after first period, unsure of where to stash the balloons for the rest of the day and questioning how on earth he would get his books out from under this stupid teddy bear.

Antigone and Georgie- Georgie's arm is wrapped around Antigone's waist, which, barf- walk up behind him.

Antigone is mid rant: "He is such an imbecile! He thinks he knows anatomy so much better than me, the nerve of him. I can't even begin to comprehend how this man ever earned a college degree. Just this morning he was saying that-"

She's cut off by Georgie's low whistle as the two take in the sight of Rudyard's locker.

"I know. It's embarrassing." He says through clenched teeth. "I wish whoever this is would just set a date to meet up with me so they can laugh at me with their douchey friends and get it over with."

"Rudyard, I'm getting rather tired of hearing about your stalker. Georgie, you should just figure out who it is and let the whole thing be over with."

"That's what I've been saying!" Rudyard said.

"Well, I am great at solving mysteries."

Maybe if Georgie hadn't been so preoccupied with her own life, (really, how dare she have a relationship and friends and hobbies. some people, like Rudyard, need her.) she would have solved the whole mystery before Rudyard had his... well, breakdown. The day after Valentine's Day seemed promising. Nothing could beat all of those post it notes (which did make him blush, and definitely did not make him cry. Rudyard Funn does not cry. No, Antigone, sniffles don't count. They'd all just said such nice things.) maybe they wouldn't even try. Instead, Rudyard found, in his locker, on February 15, the most thoughtful, and perhaps creepy, gift yet.

A new phone case, nearly identical to the one he used to have, which broke a few days before. "I noticed you needed a new one. I hope it's close enough. :)" The note reads.

It's close enough. It's perfect actually, but Rudyard is too busy being trying to act more freaked out than touched to be grateful.

He needs to get to the bottom of this immediately.

Immediately ends up really meaning fourth period. It's a significant class for two reasons: one, because it's literature, which he excels at, thank you very much, and two, because it's the only class he shares with Chapman. Who also, sadly, excels.

This means they get sent on tasks often for their rather lazy teacher, either just one at a time or, God forbid, both at once.

It's a God forbidden day, it seems. He and Chapman are on a journey around the school to try and find someone who has a phone charger their teacher can borrow. Even Eric Chapman's stupid magic smile can't seem to conjure up the charger.

"I think Georgie has an extra charger in her locker, we can just go find her." Rudyard said.

"Actually, I have a list of all the locker combinations for high school. Which I should not have told you. But there's no one you can tell to get me in trouble, really, because the principle gave it to me. She said that as student body president, its important that I.." He trailed off when he realized that Rudyard was no longer listening. Instead, he was staring at the list Chapman had pulled out of his pocket, and putting some pieces together in his mind.

"It's you!" He could tell by the look on Chapman's face that it was.

"Rudyard, I-"

"Give if a rest, Chapman. Just laugh about with your douchebag friends like you've been planning to this whole time."

"Rudyard-"

It was too late for Rudyard to hear anything that Chapman had to say, though, because he had already ran away.

The next day, no presents or notes waited for Rudyard in his locker. Even though he now knew that it was Chapman leaving them, he still felt a rush of disappointment.

At the end of the day though, a different surprise waited for him at his locker. Chapman himself stood beside it.

The hallway was empty except for the two of them, which gave Rudyard a sense of relief. At least no one but Chapman would get to laugh at him. He could handle his won against Chapman. The thing that was really bothering him was the idea of the other boy sitting down and hand writing all of those notes. The fact that he hadn't meant those things, that no one had meant those things, stung.

"Rudyard, can we talk?"

"We already are." He said snappishly.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with all of the gifts. I just wanted... I guess I wanted you to feel appreciated, and... loved. I wanted you to be able to see how much... how much I care about you. I promise, none of this has been any kind of plot to laugh at you or to lower your literature grade. No one even knows about it, I swear. And no one has to. Unless..."

"Chapman."

"Yes?"

Rudyard sighed. "I liked the bear. I guess. And the phonecase."

"Really? I'm glad. So if you liked the bear, does that mean that you would like to get dinner with me this weekend?"

"I get to pick the restaurant."

"Deal."

Send me prompts for Fanfiction February!

[jadedanddark]

Book Review: Pyramids

Short version: Teppic suddenly inherits the throne of an Egypt-like kingdom, and finds that the entire country has been stagnating for seven thousand years.  With the construction of the newest and largest pyramid underway, the truth comes out further--time hasn’t merely forgotten his kingdom, it’s been turned away entirely.  Good thing he got his education overseas.

What I thought: I love Terry Pratchett.  I have endless respect for him and the Discworld books especially, even the ones I didn’t like as much as the others, because they are full of incredible wisdom and organ-crushingly bad puns, but mostly they are founded on those “interesting facts” that everyone sort of knows but doesn’t really think about.  His works are probably best appreciated by people who enjoy trivia, but rarely have a place to put all that otherwise useless knowledge. As far as Discworld goes, Pyramids comes early enough in the series that it stands on its own quite neatly.  None of the recurring characters are present in it, and most of the plot takes place far away from everything we’ve become familiar with thus far.  It still takes the time to explain the oddities of the universe, which for anyone just tuning in, is a fantasy world that is literally a giant slab on the back of a turtle.  We get a nice understanding of how that makes things different, which things are the same, and which things are universal (namely, how people are).  Did you want to learn?  good, you’re going to, and you’re going to love it by golly. As always, I love how Pratchett has this wonderful take on female characters, especially the fact that a lady who has a very clear confidence in herself and her capabilities is damn near already queen.  Yes, please.  More of that, all you authors out there.  Read some of Pratchett’s works, and take that away with you.  Example: Teppic’s handmaiden (and half sister) had been trained in the finer arts of seduction and parlor pleasantries of a distinctly erotic nature, which gives her the job description of sex worker.  Instead of treating her like a lowly creature or ever, ever using the word ”whore,” Pratchett gives her the room to use her talents where necessary, grow and learn new things when what she has won’t work, and in between, be a person.  Ptraci (not a spelling error) might be able to pleasure a man with efficiency, but that same knowledge of human anatomy makes her a formidable martial artist, and while she may wear clothes the size of a postage stamp, she takes time to save a tortoise from an illogical logician. I’m ranting.  On the scale of impossible standards set by Discworld I can’t really compare this to anything but the books already in that series.  I’d call it better than Eric but not as good as Wee Free Men.

Read if you liked: Small Gods, also by Terry Pratchett, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Abarat by Clive Barker.

[calzona-ga]

Since 2005, Shondaland has produced groundbreaking television. And over the course of 17 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has made more than its fair share of bold choices. From the killing off of Patrick Dempsey’s beloved McDreamy to the still-controversial ghost-sex story line, the ABC series has seen, and done, it all. But perhaps no episode was riskier than turning the popular medical drama into a musical for “Song Beneath the Song,” the infamous season-7 hour in which a pregnant Callie (Sara Ramirez) gets badly injured in a car accident and, while her fellow doctors work to save her life, sees her hallucinatory self burst into song — with the rest of the characters quickly following suit.

Coming from the mind of series creator Shonda Rhimes, a vocal fan of both Broadway shows and TV musicals like Buffy’s “Once More, With Feeling,” the Grey’s musical episode was a monumental moment for the show and for television. Many viewers praised its audacity and swooned over the vocal chops of stars like Ramirez and Chandra Wilson.

“Song Beneath the Song” made for one of the most memorable hours of television, earning strong ratings and leading the soundtrack, particularly Ramirez’s show-stopping rendition of Brandi Carlile’s “The Story,” to Billboard success. A decade later, its impact is still growing, thanks in part to the countless teenage Grey’s fans who’ve only recently discovered the series via Netflix. Like the show itself, the musical has become an indelible part of TV history — and so, 10 years after its premiere in March 2011, we spoke to the episode’s cast and crew to get the story of how it came to be.

Featuring thoughts from Rhimes; writers, producers, and co-showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater; and actors Wilson, Kevin McKidd, Jessica Capshaw, Kim Raver, and Eric Dane, this is the oral history of “Song Beneath the Song.”

Finding the Inspiration

Inspired by a 2008 benefit concert in which several stars of Grey’s and its spinoff show Private Practice performed songs to support out-of-work Hollywood workers during the 2007-2008 writers’ strike, Rhimes decided to turn her long-held desire to make a Grey’s musical episode into a reality.

Rhimes (series creator and writer): I remember thinking to myself at a certain point, I have this sort of murderers’ row of Broadway people. Like, Chandra had been on Broadway and singing; obviously, Sara Ramirez had won a Tony on Broadway [for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, in 2005], which is how I first met her; and then I knew that Kevin could sing. There were so many people in the show with beautiful voices. ... It felt like it was leaning in that direction in a good way.

Rater (writer, producer, and co-showrunner): The first iteration for, like, two days when we first started batting around the idea was that we would write original music. It was all gonna be original music. And then we quickly realized that a) who’s gonna write that music?, and b) no, it doesn’t feel like the right thing. And then Shonda, I think a day or two later, came in with the idea that we would use these iconic songs.

Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey): But the studio wasn’t quite on board with this whole idea.

Convincing a Skeptical Network

After coming up with the episode’s plot and deciding that the characters would sing classic songs from the Grey’s soundtrack, like Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” and the Fray’s “How to Save a Life,” Rhimes pitched the idea to the network — but, in a surprising first, she was told that they were going to pass.

Rhimes: By that point, I wasn’t getting notes on anything; nobody was saying no to me about anything. So it was really bizarre to me that there was all this resistance to doing a musical episode. And I remember somebody at the network saying, “Can’t you just do one of your love-triangle thingies again?” And I thought, my head’s gonna explode, because the show is not a bunch of “love-triangle thingies.” You guys have missed the point entirely. I felt like, no, every year of the show is a completely different show, and this year the show has a musical episode. And that’s the story.

McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt): Tony, Joan, and Shonda basically said to us, “We are trying to convince Disney to give us actual money to do this musical episode, and we feel like we want to do a show-and-tell to show them what this musical episode could be. Are you guys willing to give your time to help us create this show-and-tell?” And we were like, “Yeah, of course.”

Wilson: So we gave them a concert. Sara, Kevin McKidd, and I, along with musicians, got together, and we performed this script that Shonda and Tony Phelan put together. Shonda did the narrating. And we went through what the entire episode would be, based on those iconic songs.

McKidd: I remember Sandra Oh came to the concert for the execs just to be moral support for us. And she became like our groupie — she would stand and cheer and whoop and holler in between all the songs.

Phelan (writer, producer, director, and co-showrunner): Once [the executives] saw it, and saw it could work, then they gave us the okay to do it.

Rhimes: I still feel like they thought we were crazy. But you couldn’t deny the talent in the room.

Getting the Cast on Board

Once the episode was greenlit, the team began the task of persuading a cast full of non-singers to simultaneously sing, act, and — in some cases — dance on screen.

Wilson: The offer was put out on the table from the beginning from Shonda — anybody that’s not interested in singing, you’re not required; you don’t have to do it.

Rater: I think Sandra from the beginning was like, nope.

Rhimes: She looked at me — it was her very deadpan face — and she was like, “I’m not singing.” And I was like, okay! If that’s not your thing, that is not your thing — that’s completely okay. And it didn’t feel like she was afraid to sing or push past this barrier. It felt like Cristina Yang doesn’t sing. And that made sense to me.

Rater: Ellen [Pompeo] has a great voice. She could’ve done more. ... Ellen was very gracious about, like, “I’ll doo-wop in the back; don’t worry about me. Let’s hear Chandra, let’s hear Sara, this is theirs.”

Capshaw (Dr. Arizona Robbins): In addition to Sara having this powerhouse voice, she was always very generous about others and never made anyone feel smaller because of her giant power. But singing with her was like, “Aw, man [laughs], how about you get this one? You got this leg of the race.”

Wilson: Probably the most frightened person was Kim Raver, bless her heart.

Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman): It was super-exciting and terrifying at the same time. We all love singing, but unless you’re Sara Ramirez or Chandra Wilson.

Dane (Dr. Mark Sloan): I don’t fancy myself a singer, so I said, “Shonda, in this particular episode, I want the least amount of lines.”

Rhimes: Eric Dane surprised me, because his voice had this lovely quality to it that was really nice.

Dane: I set her up for a catastrophe, so she had very low expectations.

Starting Rehearsals

For months leading up to the episode, the cast embarked on a grueling series of rehearsals and voice lessons, adding hours onto their already long daily schedules.

Capshaw: I had just had a baby, and I was really taking my life one day at a time. I knew it was going to be a big episode, but, timeliness-wise, it was a tough time. I think I was still breast-feeding.

Phelan: Usually in the writers’ room, you’ve got maybe six-to-eight weeks from the time you come up with an idea to the time that it’s shot. This we needed almost the entire season to plan for.

Raver: It was like riding a bike but then adding, like, six more wheels to it, and you had to kind of figure it out.

Capshaw: We were all bringing our A games. In normal days, it feels like there’s a familiarity, you can feel a little more casual, a little more off-the-cuff, but there was nothing off-the-cuff about this. It was all very high stakes because it was life or death, literally.

There were some silver linings, though.

Dane: We had these little earbuds in our ears, I guess like how you film musicals, so you can sync what you’re mouthing with the music in your ear. And so I went to the sound operator and said, “I can buy one of these earbuds, right? And I can create a content-receiver pack and connect it to an iPod and pipe music into this too theoretically, yes?” And he said, “Yeah, you could do that if you want to.” So I said, “So when I’m performing surgery in later episodes on this show, and I don’t have very many lines, theoretically I could be listening to music, and nobody would know?” And he said, “Yeah, theoretically, that would work.” So I had one made, and I shot many episodes in the surgical theater, sometimes with lines, listening to music, many times.

Filming the Episode

“Song Beneath the Song” revolved largely around the seriousness of Callie’s condition, but there were also some light moments, including a sexy, dance-filled take on “Running on Sunshine” featuring several of the show’s couples.

Capshaw: When Sara and I are in the car in the clouds — oh my god, I’ve never felt so goofy in my life [laughs].

Raver: Scott Foley [who played Teddy’s love interest Henry] and I had so much fun working together. He’s so funny, and so choreographing that dance singing number was really fun.

Wilson: Debbie Allen sent in Eartha Robinson, one of her choreographers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, who I knew from Fame, the television series. So this is who was coming in, teaching us how to twirl. And I was like, oh my god, I’m on Fame!

Early in the episode, McKidd’s Owen sing-shouts at his crew of doctors to “calm down” — a moment that, years later, became a widely shared meme for its over-the-top nature.

McKidd: In the scene, I think it was Kate Walsh — she’s brilliant; she’s a prankster — and Patrick and Eric Dane. And they were all arguing. And I’m sitting there and [the cameras] push in on me and I go, “Calm down.” And they couldn’t keep a straight face. Every time we did a take, they just would fall over laughing. And they were on camera giving me the eye line, and I had to sing this song seriously with those two actors just doubled over, like sidesplitting. It just tickled their funny bones so much. That was one of the hardest acting days of my life [laughs].

Capshaw: For sure, many, many, many shots were taken at Kevin McKidd for his “calm down” [laughs]. ... He really took on the rock-&-roll part of it.

McKidd: My daughter, who’s big on Twitter, she said that “calm down” thing’s like a serious meme thing now, which I guess is an honor. I don’t know.

The biggest moment of the hour came at the end, when Ramirez, a Tony winner for Spamalot, sang “The Story” as Callie fought for her life.

Phelan: When Sara came to Grey’s, she had this idea that she absolutely wanted to be known as an actress not a singer. And so for her first couple seasons on the show, she kind of left that side of her behind. Then, here was Shonda and I coming to her and saying, “No, we want to re-engage that part of you and put it on the show.” And so I think that she got nervous about that ... but to hear that amazing, magical voice come out of her ... that was the moment that was going to be able to sustain the music [of the whole episode].

Rhimes: When she sings “The Story,” I mean — I wrote the episode; I know what’s gonna happen. I’ve seen it a thousand times. It has nothing to do with me. But I always tear up a little bit because of her extraordinary voice and extraordinary performance.

Wilson: What a showcase it was for Sara Ramirez. I’m so glad that she got to share that part of herself with our audiences.

Reading Those Reviews

On March 31, 2011, the episode aired. While it garnered strong ratings, viewers’ reactions to “Song Beneath the Song” were mixed.

McKidd: I think we all went into it with our eyes open, and we knew there was gonna be mixed reviews. Because some people are gonna love it, and some people aren’t. But that shouldn’t stop people from taking a few risks in what we do, you know?

Rater: I remember being shocked that there were people who didn’t like it. I was like, come on!

Capshaw: It didn’t feel like [the reviews] were gonna affect anything either way. It wasn’t gonna be like, “Oh my gosh, that was too silly, and I’m never watching Grey’s again.” It had already found its place in people’s hearts.

Rhimes: I learned very quickly [on Grey’s] that if you’re gonna believe the good things people say about you, you have to believe the bad things people say. So there’s no point in paying attention to any of it. ... Nobody’s gonna like everything that you do.

Phelan: I know there are a lot of people who don’t like it, who felt like it bent the show too much, but it’s season 7 of a show, and if you’re not taking big swings when you’re on season 7 on a show, something’s wrong.

Creating a Legacy

Despite the critical reactions, the episode has developed something of a cult following over the years, thanks to live benefits and TikTok memes. A decade later, its creators all look back fondly on the hour and its impact.

Wilson: [The cast] watched it together, and I remember feeling like, wow, look at what we did!

Capshaw: When we showed up to do that benefit concert, I remember coming out onstage ... and being completely, completely overwhelmed with the people that responded to Arizona in that episode, and to the love story between Callie and Arizona.

Phelan: As a director, it was the biggest challenge of my career to do that, and it’s one of the things that I’m most proud of.

Raver: I’ll be in my car singing along, or at work if we’re in the hair-and-makeup trailer and we’re listening to [the soundtrack], it’s just an immediate flashback. It kind of feels like yesterday.

Wilson: The soundtrack is on my playlist on my phone [laughs]. So I will pop that thing out in a minute, because it’s just absolute happy memories.

Rater: If I’m cooking, that is what I put on. That’s what I tell Alexa to play for me.

Rhimes: I feel like that episode just always reminds me of having so much fun. That was what was really great. We had so much fun. And how much do you get to say that about just being at work?

Dane: As a cast, contrary to what some of the entertainment media might have speculated, we were all very close. We all spent a lot of time together, and a lot of that stuff felt really real to us. It was easy to access because of how we felt about each other off screen.

Raver: I just remember it being such an incredible experience, being able to work with all these incredibly talented actors and creators.

Rhimes: It’s right in my top 10 of episodes we’ve ever done.

Dane: I don’t particularly want to do it again, but I’m glad I did it.