#every interview should just be playing games cos they get so into it and get all cute together :')

[balfeys]

SamCait playing pictionary on Happy Sad Confused

[princessmaybank]

Never Have I Ever

Pairings: Rudy x Fem!Co-star!Reader

Warnings: Dual POV, Surprise kiss, alcohol, handjob, oral (both), unprotected p in v, etc.

Summary: You play Never Have I Ever in an interview and secrets get revealed.

Authors Note: This is my first Rudy fic and my first fic in a long time! Should I do more Rudy Fics in the future? Not proof-read and sorry it's so long! Let me know what you think!

"Hello and welcome back! I'm here with some of the cast of Outer Banks, not everyone was able to make it tonight, but we are happy to have all of you!" The TV host announced to the camera.

"Please go around the couch and introduce yourselves!" They said extremely excited. "Sup, I'm JD, I play Pope." "Hey, I'm Chase, I play John B." "Hi, I'm Rudy Pankow, I get to play JJ Maybank." "Hi guys! I'm Y/F/N Y/L/N! I play Harper!" "Heyyyyy everybodyyyyy I'm Carlacia Grant, I play Cleo!" "And I'm Drew Starkey, I play Rafe Cameron."

Everyone in the audience clapped when the cast was done with their introductions.

"We asked you, the audience, which game you'd like to see them play, and the answer that came out on top was *drum rolls with their fingers on the desk* Never Have I Ever!" The audience cheers, clearly excited to get all the juicy details.

"Now you guys can't get mad at me! These questions were asked by the viewers." The host lets out a laugh. "Sure, we all know these are the spicy questions you want the answer to." JD teases causing the host and audience to laugh.

"Let's get started! You each get a paddle with Have and Have Not on it. You'll turn the paddle depending on your answer, seem simple enough?" The host smiles. "You sure we can't do anything else with the paddle?" Chase smirked with a giggle, which made everyone start laughing. "Dirty mind Chase!" The host announced. "I never said what for!" Chase turned to Rudy and hit him on the arm with the paddle. Rudy didn't even say ow, he just began to pretend to cry.

The audience was loving everything they were hearing from you all. So far the cast has admitted to pranking people on set, forgetting lines, showing up late, improvising lines, things about childhood, some more explicit questions, etc. It was down to the last few questions at this point. Everyone was having fun just sitting and answering these questions, they all learned a bit more about each other.

Y/N's POV:

I can't stand the anxiety I felt when I heard the next question. I didn't want to lie because I'm not a good liar, but I also didn't want anyone to know. "Never Have I Ever had a crush on-set!" The host smiled, waiting for the drama that will ensue with this question.

One by one everyone changed their paddles.

Drew: Never

Carlacia: Never

Chase: I Have

JD: Never

Me: I Have

Rudy: I Have

My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw Rudy's paddle flip, but I tried to hide my reaction.

Rudy's POV:

She flipped her paddle to 'I Have'...I don't know if I should be hurt or excited about this. I wonder if she knows. I looked over to Y/N to make sure I wasn't seeing things and her eyes were already on me. I watched as she quickly changed her gaze to something different, it seems like she was flustered or embarrassed.

Y/N's POV:

After our interview was over, we all decided to go grab some dinner together. JD, Chase, and Rudy sat across from Drew, Carlacia and I. After we all ordered we just started a casual conversation about wrapping up filming.

As I reached for my drink I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked up and immediately spotted Rudy looking at me, he seemed kind of nervous and quickly looked away. I couldn't stop my wandering thoughts. My eyes traveled to his hair, his beautiful, soft, blonde hair that looked so tuggable. I looked at his lips, those plush pink lips, I'd love to feel them on every inch of my body. My teeth bit the inside of my lip as I started feeling a wetness pool between my legs.

I excused myself from the table so I could use the restroom and get my thoughts in order. As I walked out of the bathroom I almost bumped into someone. Without looking up I say sorry. Before I could react I was slammed against the hallway wall with lips pressed against mine. My eyes widened as I realized who has me pinned against the wall.

Rudy's POV:

I couldn't keep myself contained anymore. I said I had to go to the bathroom a few minutes after she left, just so I could have a private moment with her. I just needed to talk. I needed to reveal my true feelings for her, I've sat back in silence for far too long. I thought I would have more time to think about what I would say, but instead she came out of the bathroom almost immediately after I got to the hallway. I panicked, I had no idea what to do so I grabbed her and pinned her to the wall, attached my lips to hers. We both moaned into the kiss and that's when we realized the kiss lasted longer than expected.

The two of us pulled away and stared at each other in shock. "We'll talk later." Is what she whispered to me before heading to the table. I hid in the bathroom for a few minutes before heading back to the others.

Y/N's POV:

'What the hell just happened?' Is what I kept asking myself. It came out of nowhere. When I sat back down Carlacia looked at me with a smirk. I give her a look that says 'what?'. She responded with a whisper in my ear. "Your lipstick is all smudged." She giggled and handed me a compact mirror. I hurry to grab it from her and inspect my makeup.

I felt someone's eyes on me and looked up. Rudy's mouth was covered in red lipstick. Carlacia was the only one to notice and you could easily tell by her face that she was shocked. So were we. Before he could make it to the table I pulled him back to that same hallway as before. "Woah- what'd I do now?" He questioned. I only held the mirror up to his face in response. "You didn't look in the mirror before coming back out?!" I whisper shouted. He only shrugged to my question.

I decided to check the women's restroom and realized no one was in there. I hurriedly pulled him in and towards the sinks after I shut and locked the entrance. I grabbed some paper towels and wet them so he could take off the makeup. "Can you take it off for meee?" He asked so sweetly with those gorgeous, enchanting, blue, puppy dog eyes. I smile and get close to him, inspecting his mouth. His hands found my hips and held me close. My hand with the paper towel found his face and I was going so slow, I didn't want this to end. In fact I wanted to grab him by the face and do it a thousand more times. Those perfect lips.. and I was able to feel them on one part that I needed him tonight, how lucky am I? Gotta get those lips everywhere else next.

We locked eyes for a moment. Rudy looked hungry for more. Before I could ask him anything, he backed me up against the wall as his lips attacked mine again. My hand dropped the paper towel from the sudden jolt. Our eyes were closed but I felt his hands wandering my body. As his fingers inched closer to where I needed him most he pulled away but his arms trapped me against the wall.

"It's me right...it was about me?" He asked with a slight amount of pain in his voice. I looked at him confused. "w-wha-" Before I could even finish my question he interrupted me. "Don't play dumb, you're a smart girl. The game. Your answer to the last question..." He stated with hurt riddling his face. I realized he was talking about the game of never have I ever back at the interview. "Rudy...who else would it be about??" I questioned. He shrugged his shoulders and looked a little insecure in the moment. "I've seen how you look at Drew, and I can't handle the back and forth Y/N." I look at him like he's crazy. "What do you mean how I look at Drew??" I was louder and sounded upset now. "You look at him like you want to marry him or ya know, like at least fuck him.." My eyes nearly popped out of my head when Rudy spoke. "Rudy. I don't like Drew like that! He's always been just a friend and more like a brother!" I take a moment to look into his eyes and it looks like they flash for a second. "I've only liked one person on set this entire time and that's you Rudy." He paints a sad smile on his face before speaking. "I'm sorry I assumed." His head drops along with his arms. I'm not sure what to say, so I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close. My head rested on his chest and we just held each other.

Our moment didn't last much longer. We heard a knock on the bathroom door and I remembered the door was locked. I pushed Rudy into a stall and told him not to come out. I finally opened the door and I have to say Carlacia was the last person I expected to see at the moment.

"Are you okay? You've been over here a long time, JD is checking on Rudy too." My eyes go wide as she says Rudy's name. "Oh - I uhm I'm sure he's fine." Almost on cue JD runs over. "He's not in there and he's not picking up his phone!" He rushed, freaking out about his best friend. "I'm sure he's okay." I smiled but that made Carlacia give me a squint. "Let me in." She sounded firm, I just shook my head no as she continued to repeat her statement. "Y/N. I'm getting in there one way or another. I suggest the easier way." When the word 'no' left my lips she immediately pushed past me, followed by JD with his hands over his eyes.

"Rudyyyy, ya in here buddy?" JD asked from behind his hands. Carlacia moved his hands and pointed to the closed stall that had some nice dress shoes sitting at the bottom. "Just give it up, come on out.." I said slowly. He made his way out and we were immediately questioned. We told them everything besides the kissing and that we are deeply in love, but I don't think it's important information anyway. He came up with the brilliant idea of saying my lips bumped into his and that's why he had the lipstick on him. Note my sarcasm when I said brilliant.

They could tell we were lying and hiding information but they just let it be as we walked back to Drew and Chase.

It didn't take long for us to pack up and leave. Rudy and I decided to just take our food to go so we wouldn't be a burden to the others. Drew drove here and Chase lived nearby so he took him home. Carlacia also drove here and as I pleaded for her to let me get a ride home, she pulled JD into her car. "Enjoy your ride." She winked and looked at Rudy, causing a blush to run to my cheeks. Before I could say anything else she drove off. "I'll drive you home." Rudy smiled at me. I nodded to him as a thank you before getting in his car.

The ride was silent up until now, well except for the radio, but we had been trapped in a sexual tension that felt tighter any time one of us tried to talk. Rudy was the one to break it of course, I never would've had the balls to do it. "You're a damn good kisser.." he smirked. "but next time, don't smear your lipstick all over my face." He glanced over to me with a sultry smile. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips when I heard him. The response I had stopped halfway up my throat when I realized he said 'next time'. There was a next time??? Thank fuck. My heart nearly exploded as I played his words over in my head.

The car came to a stop before I could get myself too soaked from the memories. "Welcome home." He said gesturing to my house. But when I turned my head to look at my house I saw that it in fact was not mine. "This is your house Rudy..." He only nodded in response before he got out and helped me out of his car. Rudy somehow persuaded me to come in for a little while to hang out or talk or something. It honestly didn't take much, I'm whipped for this man.

I was sat on his couch when Rudy came up behind me, handing a glass of wine to me. Before he came around the couch to sit with me, his hand lingered on my shoulder, squeezing a few times. His arm wrapped around my shoulders as he sipped on his drink I could only assume it was some type of whiskey.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked with a hint of liquid courage running through my veins. He nodded as he placed his lips on his glass once again. "How long have you liked me?" He let out some air he was holding in and set his drink on the table in front of us. "Well..." He started, snuggling closer to me. "it hasn't been too long...just since the second week of filming this season." That was nearly a year ago. Not too long my ass. "Why didn't you say anything?" I pried. "Why didn't you?" His crystal blue orbs finally stared back into mine. His lips were formed into a teasing smirk but when neither of us decided to break the silence, his face fell. Rudy's eyes never strayed from mine, in fact as I stared back into his, I noticed they only got darker when he began looking between my eyes and my lips.

Before we both knew it, Rudy's hand cupped my cheek and pulled my lips to meet his. Fireworks started to explode in my chest as our little kiss suddenly got more heated. He pulled me onto his lap and our bodies started to work together to create the friction we both desperately craved.

"Ah shit-" He pulled us apart. "how far ya wanna take this baby..?" He heaved out as my heart fluttered from the nickname. Without saying anything I slid off of his lap while his head was thrown back, gasping in air, trying to catch his breath. My knees touched the ground while my hands ran up and down his thighs.

"Before I continue...is this okay?" I ask with a squeeze to his thighs. "Yes.." He said so quietly I barely heard him. My hands spread his legs farther apart and my lips pressed to the zipper holding back his erection. I peppered kisses all around his bulge and thighs. "M-more please.." He begged, caressing my cheek.

My fingers laced around his belt buckle and tore the accessory from his body. While I was tossing it to the side, Rudy slid his dress pants down. I removed them from his ankles and threw them over with the belt. "These too.." I tugged on the waistband of his briefs.

He happily and eagerly obliged. When his cock sprung free from his fabric-jail, my eyes grew wider. Rudy was big, and I don't just mean 'big' to boost his ego, I mean I am actually scared this man will hurt me with his size.

Rudy must've noticed my stare and concern based on his reply. "It will fit.. I'll make it fit baby." He chuckled lightly. A redness rushed to my cheeks as I heard him call me that nickname again.

Before I could waste anymore time, I wrapped my hand around the base of his thick cock. He immediately grunted from the contact and threw his head back. Rudy only met my eyes after he heard me spit and felt my saliva running down his length. I quickly moved my hand to spread the wetness around, followed by a few more spits to completely cover him. His breathing was heavy, I could tell by how his chest was rising and falling.

Rudy's eyes met mine when my hand began moving for his pleasure. A small moan escaped his throat as I continued slowly. "f-fuck...fas-faster baby..." I pumped him a few more times then slid my mouth around him. This took him by surprise but he wasn't complaining. His hand met the back of my head, he wasn't pushing me, only rested it there, making sure I didn't stop. My head bobbed up and down as I gagged on his dick. Our eyes met, mine full of tears, his full of pleasure.

His thumbs pressed to my cheeks and wiped away stray tears, that I tried so hard to not let slip out. "Don't stop..please baby.." There were those butterflies in my stomach. He reached out and helped me go up and down on him.

Now he was forcing my head down and thrusting into my mouth and down my throat. "Ah..fuck..so good, so fuckin' good." He hissed. My eyes were closed, somehow helping with the blissful abuse I was receiving. "Such a good fuckin' girl for me...c'mon take my cum baby.." He groaned. His hips spasmed as his load shot down my throat.

I swallowed it all down and left his dick with a 'pop' sound. My lips licked at the fluids daring to escape. We both sat back for a moment and caught our breath. With a small smirk and light laugh Rudy stared at me. "What?" I chuckled. "I'm gonna fuck you so good..I haven't came that hard since high school." He said in amazement. All I could do was smile at his promise.

Rudy's POV:

She looked so good on her knees for me. Her hair is a mess no thanks to me. Also lipstick smeared, mascara running down her cheeks, a mix of cum and spit slipping from her swollen lips, once again all me. I saw her catch her breath and lick her lips, swallowing the mixture. She is so beautiful, I couldn't help but let out a giggle while watching her. "What?" She let her own giggle slip out. "I'm gonna fuck you so good..I haven't came that hard since high school." I meant it too. Every word. Her smile was enough to let me know she was happy about my statement.

We took a few more breaths before I pulled her up onto my lap. I held her close and captured her lips with my own. My hands cupped her ass and squeezed every time her hips grinded into me.

Y/N was desperate to get my shirt off. I sat there naked, with a pretty girl, clothed, in my lap. My hands wandered under her shirt, and she helped me remove it from her body. She whined every time our lips were pulled away from each other, which made my dick twitch under her.

When our lips found the others again, we kissed with much hunger and even more passion. What I said in the car came back to me. Something about not smearing her lipstick on me next time. Too fuckin' late. It's true we did like each other, and I'm mentally kicking myself for having sex with her before taking her on a date first. Though we both agreed to this, I feel bad that this is how it's starting. I promised myself to definitely take her out for a nice dinner or whatever the hell she wants to do, after this.

I was thrown out of my overthinking when she left my lap. "What's wrong?" Oh no. Could she hear my thoughts? I squinted and began to think of random things, testing out the telekinesis.

Pizza.

42.

Barbie.

Super Mario Bros.

Y/N.

Her perfect tits.

Her plump ass.

Her stripping in front of me.

Wait.

Her stripping in front of me?!

I was pulled back in, again. This time she was standing in front of me, giving me a strip tease. Y/N wiggled her ass in my face while she was bent over and shimmying out of her pants. My dick was standing at attention, waiting to get fondled. I couldn't help myself. My right hand found my dick and slowly pumped, I was still a little sensitive but I overall didn't give a shit. My left hand reached out and slapped her ass. She hadn't expected it based on her little jump. That only excited me more when I saw it jiggle. Her delicate fingers found her pretty lace thong and tugged down slowly. My jaw nearly dropped when I saw her dripping wet cunt.

Once again I couldn't contain myself. I let go of my cock and spread her legs. My hands squeezed her ass at the same time my tongue played with her perfect pussy. She tipped forward and placed her hands on the coffee table, trying to steady her shaky legs. I felt like I could bust again just from her moans alone. They were so small and precious, my eyes rolled back from the mix of her moans and the taste of her pussy.

Next I shoved my tongue inside her tight hole, swirling it around, making sure I reached every spot I possibly could. Like the needy little girl she is..she started pushing back onto my tongue. Y/N was fucking herself with my tongue. I could only ever dream of this moment.

"Fuck- I'm gonna cum.." She whined. Her legs were shaking as my tongue only quickened its movements. My fingers found her clit, and moved in harsh circles in hopes of tipping her over the edge. My other arm wrapped around her waist to support her when she releases.

"Oh Rudy, fuck-!" She humped my tongue again as her liquid poured out of her juicy pussy and onto my tongue. I swallowed every drop before I turned her around and pulled her onto my lap again.

Y/N took my head in her hands and our mouths made a mess together. Her hands pulled on my golden locks while my hands snaked between us. I grabbed my cock and teased her entrance with my tip. "Please.." She begged, gasping for air. "Please what baby? Use your words." I teased. "Mmm please fuck me.." She whined rolling her head back.

I didn't waste anymore time teasing. My dick slipped right inside of her. We both let out a hiss as she slid down onto my cock. "Mmm.. so good.." She whimpered while my hips rocked softly back and forth. Y/N gently grinded down on my dick, simply being needy. "C'mon Rudy... please..." She whined some more.

I couldn't handle it anymore, so I flipped our position, she was laying on the couch with me on top of her. My dick never slipped out of her either. Before I moved inside of her, I brought my lips to hers. Our moans consumed each other as my hips slapped against hers. "Oh fuck mmm...Y/N..." I grunted into her mouth. Her eyes rolled back and I quickened my pace. "Hard-harder..." She breathed out. What my girl wants, she gets, so I pounded harder against her. I felt her sweet little pussy start to clench around me and I knew she was almost there. I felt her nails start digging into my back which was almost enough to throw me over. "I'm gonna cum Rudy- I'm gonna cum..." Y/N panted. Never thought I'd hear those words come from her perfect pink lips, but I'm glad they came out. "Me too baby, mmm cum with me.." I said grunting as I pulled myself from her pussy. Her fingers found her clit and she screamed my name. That was enough for me as I fisted my cock. My cum shot out onto her, covering almost every part of her. Some hit her face, a good bit landed on her tits, and the rest spilled onto her stomach. We were riding out our highs together, catching our breaths.

We both let out a loving laugh when we came back down. "Can't believe that just happened.." She giggled. "In a good way or bad way?" I questioned. She rolled her eyes and told me good obviously. Just wanted to hear her say it. "So where does our relationship stand?" She asked sheepishly. "Where do you want it to stand? I'm happy to throw a label on this baby." I pointed my first finger back and forth between us. "I wanna be with you..." She said while twiddling her fingers. I could feel my heart nearly burst out of my chest from her confession. I nodded and pulled her onto me so we were cuddling. "I want the same thing baby." I pressed a small kiss to her lips. "Will you be my girlfriend?" I asked, praying that she wasn't playing with my feelings. "It would be an honor." She smiled and kissed my lips with a bit of passion. "Wanna go again?" Y/N asked, full of eagerness. She bit her lip as she awaited my response. I bit my lip and nodded. She came closer before I pulled her down to kiss me again. Never have I ever thought of a better way to end my night.

[jameswilbyarchive]

NEW: My Favourite Things - Great British Life magazine Interview April 2025

Favourite role?

Maurice because very, very rarely is a piece of theatre or film about the character you're playing, and I was in every scene bar one. And it was a harmonious experience with the director James Ivory at the helm. He was just so supportive, inventive and wonderful. And I got on very well with my two co-stars Hugh Grant and Rupert Graves, and that also doesn't always happen.

Favourite playwright?

On one level, I love Stoppard but then I find you could say some people would argue he has a slightly particular frothy style in his use of language, and on another level I’d say Shakespeare because it's so profound.

Favourite director?

James Ivory, because he's one of those directors who has an amazing eye, and also an amazing ear.

Favourite co-star?

I loved working with Jonathan Pryce in Regeneration. What's interesting about really wonderful actors is you've just got to up your game. Also, Anthony Hopkins on Howards End, and Helen McCrory, who's sadly died now, on Witness Against Hitler.

Favourite theatre?

For the structure of the building, Glyndebourne. It seems to be a celebration of theatre, I'd love to do a play there, to direct a play, but I suppose it's not allowed. And the speed at which you can get out of it and into it and the bars and the restaurants, and the grounds – everything about it is a delightful experience before you've even watched whatever you're going to watch. The sight lines are so good, you can be quite far back and you still get an amazing experience and that's very rare in theatres.

Favourite location where you’ve filmed?

Canaima in Venezuela - you had to take a little prop airplane, land on a dirt runway, and there was just a sort of club, and it had about 20 chalets and a central dining space. It looked as though it was on a lake. And to the right of the lake were these massive waterfalls. It was just amazing and we were filming A Handful of Dust there for a week, and we all had to share one of these chalets because there wasn't enough of them for the entire crew. I shared with one of the actors who got very ill and went to bed at six in the evening. So I took my script on a boat, a long canoe, and under the starlight I was easily able to read and learn my lines for the next day. Charles Sturridge directed it for ITV, but it was a feature film with Kristin Scott Thomas, Rupert Graves and Alec Guinness.

Favourite thing about yourself?

Oh, bloody hell. That's just vanity. I'm a survivor.

Favourite thing about your work/career?

I love acting. It's a lucky thing because I've actually had not such a great career over the last 10 years, but when I get a chance, off I go and have a ball. I enjoy the whole thing, putting on the costume, the silliness of it all, and I revert to being a child every time. I love the theatre too although it’s much harder work for different reasons.

Favourite saying?

In The Prophet, a book of sayings by Kahlil Gibran, there’s one that really caught my eye, and I've followed it – and it's not necessarily done me any favours as I'm sure I’ve upset so many people in my business that I don’t work as much as I should – but it’s:‘most of us hover deviously between mute rebellion and prattling submission’.

Favourite house you've ever lived in?

The house we live in now near Arlington Reservoir.

Favourite place to walk?

Abbot’s Wood, it’s just literally five, 10 minutes away from our house. You can get lost in it, it's got so many different parts. I know it so well now, but at first, I had to pinpoint where the sun was so I could navigate my way home again. It's probably about 10 square miles.

Favourite thing to do on a day off locally?

Going fishing with my friend. We go down to Seaford or Newhaven. We're after things like bass and black hawk but we catch very little. Fifteen years ago you'd be pulling them out.

Favourite site in Sussex?

I do love the Pavilion [in Brighton].

Favourite drink?

Red wine. Bordeaux, claret.

Favourite thing about Sussex?

I feel obliged to be within striking distance of London because of my career. I'm always going into London for one reason or another, either to work there, do a costume fitting or a casting, so to be miles away seems counterproductive. Sussex has a lovely quality, the sea, as well as the countryside. I think it's quite interesting that where I am now, which is east of Lewes, is more rural and less stock-brokerly-belty than it was on the west side when I was in Plumpton.

Favourite decision you've ever made?

To become an actor. It was quite hard because I read maths at university and my father was a businessman and I think he was rubbing his hands and knees together that I would end up as an accountant or a banker. And I suddenly decided I wanted to be an actor, which rather threw him. He didn't put tremendous pressure on me not to but he kept pointing out that 90% of your profession are unemployed at any one point. I'm a lazy individual so the idea of sitting behind a desk doing accounting or banking didn't really appeal to me but the idea of playing in a room with lots of others really did.

Favourite place at home?

My study I suppose, get away from everyone, and sit there and do nothing, or learn my lines.

Favourite way to relax?

Probably doing The Times’ cryptic crossword. I do it every day, I'm an addict. What it does is it shuts me down in terms of anything else, so I'm not pondering and worrying about the worries of life. I also do Sudokus, the killer ones, and I’m also rather good at those as well.

Favourite time of day?

Just before dinner, let's say six o'clock, and you can have a drink.

Favourite season?

Spring. I love the idea that summer's about to happen and the buds are coming out. I just find it just electric – the garden springs to life and you think, God, where did all that come from?

Favourite Sussex restaurant?

I refuse to spend heaps of money on food. It would be somewhere quite cheap, I'm a Yorkshireman. Also, when you're out in the country, it's almost nicer to cook something for yourself than get in the car.

Favourite sport?

To play, tennis and to watch and to play, even though I have a sort of love-hate relationship with it, would be rugby. If England are playing rugby, I have to watch them. I played it to quite a high level as a school kid, even at university, until I realised they were all just too big.

Favourite item of clothing?

A black linen suit that I left on a train which really upset me.

Least favourite thing?

A bunch of middle-aged men in their cycling gear, taking up the road, thinking they're the bees-knees and just in the ****ing way and they can ***ger off.

Plans for April?

TV series ‘I Jake White’ out towards the end of the year. source: https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/sussex/24967090.arlington-reservoir-based-actor-james-wilby---favourite-things/

[bereft-of-frogs]

hap friday

⛈️ we started the day off with a thunderstorm, so honestly, the weekend has already peaked in coziness ⛈️ where do we even go from here?

📚 currently reading/watching/listening to:

🏔️ [ podcast ] Death in Ice Valley: I finished my Chernobyl audiobook and ran out of Libro.fm credits/Spotify hours and nothing available at the library looked interesting, so I've switched to some longform podcasts for my morning listening. I started this one a while ago, it's a co-production between the BBC and NRK about the Isdal Woman, an unidentified woman found in Bergen, Norway in 1970. It's an interesting podcast but it's strength definitely lies in the production value. I listen to a lot of lower budget/conversational podcasts, but it's nice to have actual radio producers working on a project. There's a lot of nice ambient audio. Which I do feel bad about enjoying, because it is reliant on the hosts getting stuck out in the rain a bunch, but it's pleasant listening, sorry guys.

🤖 [ audiobook ] Network Effect - Martha Wells: Still on this one! Like I said, it was nice to get to settle into a book for a week, the other novellas passed so quickly. I am LOVING this one, can already tell I will be relistening to this. I am having many emotions and as I said when I got to THAT part, I don't know that I've been this delighted about a character's return since Harrow the Ninth.

🛫 [ book ] Sky Daddy - Kate Folk: Okay look. I read the title and the blurb, and this headline and was like 'HARD pass'. And then I actually read the interview. And I was like. Okay. I'm glad I got over that initial rejection because it is entertaining, if super weird. The Sayaka Murata influence is super clear. I'm having fun.

🌌 [ tv ] The Expanse: My 180 on the Ilus/New Terra arc should be studied in a lab. If you had asked me while I was initially reading Cibola Burn, I would have said it was my least favorite. But ever since then it's been slowly climbing in my estimation. I think knowing where everything is going makes it better. Because yeah it's frustrating but the characters are also frustrated. Half the plot is Holden being frustrated and yelling 'um hello can we please focus on the existential threat' while being forced into the role of small town sheriff and dealing with all the natural disasters the planet keeps flinging at them. And Cibola Burn was about when my 'hey why don't we have POV chapters from the rest of the crew' frustration reached its peak, and knowing Nemesis Games follows solves that problem. ANYWAY. Yeah. This feeling is transferring to Season 4, I'm kinda really loving the 'landing on a Nightmare Planet' storyline, even if there are still little bits that vaguely bother me. (Don't know that I like how the 'Gods of Risk' B-plot adaptation is playing out, or conflating Felcia and Basia, and Havelock will be missed but I get the actor wasn't around. Little things.) But there's just something so fun about them all getting to go outside and the storyline is just tickling my brain. I'm looking forward to relistening to Cibola Burn which is insane given how I would have said I didn't like it as much as the others three months ago.

🛸 [ tv ] The X-Files Millennium: I finished season 6 and reached the Millennium diversion! Season 6 had some BANGERS in there. I regret how I did this because I now have to watch the whole of the Millennium series, leaving Mulder and Scully on a cliffhanger for a while. If anyone else wants to do the full series including spinoffs I'd advise breaking it up a little more, the order I found on reddit just said 'before season 7' so I held off, but I wish I'd watched it in airing order rather than in a clump like this. It should be interesting, honestly before embarking on this marathon I had never heard of it. Heard of the Lone Gunman spinoff of course, but not this one.

🤖 [ tv ] Murderbot: Won't beat a dead horse, it's hovering on the edge of cringe for me and the episodes are too short, I say this every week. But ironically the length of the episodes is why I'm still watching, because I can squeeze the new one in on Thursday nights and still watch an episode of The Expanse. I can't tell if the short episodes were a conscious decision on the part of the creative team (a misstep imo) or if it's a sign of trouble at Apple. We know they can make full seasons of 45-60 minute episodes, did they cut the budget or did the creative team not know how to stretch the novella? Like yes All Systems Red is short, but it's short partially because it's so reliant on narration, it would be pretty easy to expand it to have longer episodes and quit ending on cliffhangers. Every week it feels like stuff is just getting started and then it cuts off. Idk. Anyway, if it IS a sign of trouble with Apple's budgeting, I just hope they hang on long enough to finish the last two seasons of Silo.

🌳currently posting:

🌲new way out there chapter

🧺 to do list:

I'm hoping to squeeze in a long run but I'm keeping an eye on the weather. My usual Friday night trail is a bit exposed and there's not really shelter until you loop back around, so if the predicted rainstorms are actually thunderstorms I might have to skip

playing Baldur's Gate with some friends!

tomorrow I'm exchanging dogsitting services for laundry machine time. My parents are going to a play so I'm going to go give their dog dinner and also do a big sheets and towels load

I should probably start rewriting that rough draft, it didn't look crazy dire last time I peaked at it but we shall see

book club on Sunday. Oh man oh man oh man. Gotta go reveal I gave The Haunting of Room 904 one single sad star. Either everyone will agree and we'll have a good time or everyone will hate me, no in between. No that's not true, I can be diplomatic, I already have my more measured phrasing of my criticism if I show up and everyone is like 'omg so good'. (Mostly because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings really, I just hate being like ‘omg this book was awful’ and then someone says ‘it was my favorite’ like oops)

If you don't hear from me after Sunday I have been killed by my book club for bad book takes have a good weekend everyone 😅

[homestuckreplay]

The Wizard of Atari-Sega-Nendo 🧙🎮

On page 1056 of Homestuck, John Egbert thinks that his new Serious Business Goggles make him ‘look way cooler, like one of the kids from SPY KIDS’. Fletcher Wortmann, in an extended piece of meta on Homestuck that I will read in full when the timelines match up, describes the comic as ‘Suda 51’s game adaptation of David Lynch’s remake of Spy Kids 3D: Game Over’.

Today I rewatched the movie Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003), a formative movie for my own childhood, and it is absolutely a John’s Movies movie.

Spy Kids 3D focuses on a new virtual reality video game with the very on-the-nose title Game Over, which in-universe is the biggest and most immersive video game ever made, created by a mysterious entity ‘The Toymaker’ who is unavailable for interviews. The OSS spy organization has figured out this game is nefarious during its beta test period, just before its official release. The Toymaker has promised a sort of Ultimate Reward of riches beyond one’s wildest dreams to anyone who can beat Level 5, however, Level 5 is unwinnable, and the Toymaker plans to trap every kid who plays the game inside it. As one of the OSS agents frames it, ‘you control the youth, you control the future of the world’.

The movie’s protagonist is Juni Cortez, and as this is his third adventure, he’s confident in the protagonist role. He’s left the OSS and has become a hardboiled private investigator looking into petty crimes – it’s obviously played for comedy, but he’s clearly in charge of his own life and certain about what he does and doesn’t want. He’s very different to John Egbert in this way, but John watching this might envy Juni’s assertiveness and his clear belief that he should be taken seriously.

The biggest connection to John’s other movies is the theme of family. It begins with biological family – Juni is playing the game to save his sister Carmen, not unlike John playing Sburb to save his dad – but is later expanded to include friends and allies from the Cortez family’s previous adventures. Juni also has a grandpa who he’s able to summon into the game, who gets some incredible NPC powerups and shows up unexpectedly to help Juni when he’s struggling, not unlike John’s dynamic with Nannasprite. The movie introduces an intergenerational conflict, with Juni’s grandpa wanting to find the Toymaker and confront him, and Juni believing this isn’t safe and that escaping the game and shutting it down is the only solution. In the end they overcome this, and family in its broad definition wins out – just as it does in every single movie that John has on a poster.

Spy Kids 3D deals with the boundary between the physical and digital worlds, and the ways they’re increasingly becoming entwined. In the game, Juni interacts physically with coins, powerups and a hovering question mark. He has nine lives, and if he loses them all, it’s game over with no restarts. When he fights in an arena, the stands are populated with PlayStation 1-quality NPCs. And at the end of the movie, the game enemies enter the physical world as the Toymaker escapes, and Juni and his sister Carmen have to put on 3D-style glasses in order to fight them. Of course, this ‘digital bleed’ a common theme in media from at least the 1990s onwards, so it doesn’t uniquely share this with Homestuck.

Spy Kids 3D is also harsher on gamer culture than Homestuck is, and seems to come to the conclusion that digital worlds can’t replace real. The movie begins with the fictional US President and former head of the OSS stating that he prefers his current job to his former, because the ‘perception’ that he’s running the world means more to him than the ‘reality’ of doing it. Two ‘Programmerz’ of the game appear as cool, black-clad Matrix-style guys, and have their avatars removed to reveal stereotypical computer nerds underneath. And when Juni’s co-players show up in person, having previously only met each other in-game, it’s ‘revealed’ that Mr Strong isn’t actually strong, Mr Smart isn’t actually smart, and Mr Cool isn’t actually cool.

At the same time, the movie is filled with stupid gamer references – its first frame proclaims it ‘A Digital File by Robert Rodriguez’, a character is named Rez in order to make the joke “Hi, Rez”, a character claims to have got into the game ‘on a beta tester’s visa’, after falling into lava a character says ‘I saw all my points flashing away before my eyes’, and when a character is threatened, another steps in to say ‘you have to go through me first, Game Boy’. In perhaps the movie’s most famous line, Demetra, the girl Juni likes, gets a Game Over screen, and Juni says ‘I never even got her email address’.

I wonder what business a movie filled with jokes targeted towards gamers has in making fun of gamers. Juni’s co-players didn’t even change themselves that much in game – they didn’t present as older, or a different gender, or have wild superpowers. Entering the game just gave them the confidence to be slightly better versions of themselves, overcoming judgments based on physical appearance and others’ existing perceptions of them. At a tight 84 minutes, the movie definitely could have added extra scenes to give a little more characterization to the gamers Juni plays with, but in the final showdown Juni is only fighting alongside his real life friends and family. His internet friendships aren’t seen as important, and in that way the movie is very different to Homestuck.

In the game, Juni falls for another player named Demetra and even gives her the extra lives he collected – but she turns out to be a holographic game construct placed to deceive and mislead the players. When she betrays Juni, she says ‘I’m sorry, Juni. But it’s in my programming’. Just a scene later, she’s able to overcome her programming and hold open a portal for the real players to escape. She perhaps more than anyone else represents this blurred boundary, and while she doesn’t appear outside of the game, she reminds me of WV exploring perhaps his first taste of free will after arriving on Earth.

My big criticism of Spy Kids 3D is that the game doesn’t feel coherent; it’s hard to tell what its plot or objectives are beyond ‘reach Level 5’, and while the individual gaming scenes are cool they don’t necessarily feel like part of the same game. In their November 2009 Q&A, Andrew Hussie states that Sburb’s system, mechanics, universe and goal are the elements they’ve had planned since page 1 of Homestuck, and it shows. I don’t think Robert Rodriguez or his team were as focused on this element.

So, if there is a connection between Spy Kids 3D and Homestuck – which, given John’s explicit Spy Kids reference, is not out of the question – I have a few predictions. First, Juni at one point has to fight another player, Arnold, who wants to win the game to save his family from poverty. I think Sburb will also try to pit its players against one another, putting them in a situation where one player can save a family member at the cost of another. Next, The Toymaker wants Juni and his friends to reach Level 5 and is secretly trying to help them, because he wants Juni’s grandpa to find and confront him. I’m going to be very suspicious of any NPC or game construct in Sburb that seems too helpful, because they might have ulterior motives for wanting John to succeed, and that includes Nannasprite. Finally, at the end of the movie, Juni’s grandpa is reluctant to return to the real world, where he has less power and agency due to being in a wheelchair (although he later changes his mind, finding power in his real life too). Eventually, John and his friends will get the chance to escape the Medium, and one of them may be reluctant to do so. Their lives aren’t great outside of the game, and they have access to theoretically infinite alchemy within it as they advance to the late game, so it’s easy to imagine one of them being tempted to stay.

As a high grossing and child appropriate movie, Spy Kids 3D doesn’t have the freedom or flexibility with its storytelling that Homestuck does, nor is it able to explore its themes in as much depth. But it’s fast paced and funny, and relatable to a kid playing video games in the 2000s. I agree with John - in his suit and serious business goggles, he does look like a spy kid, and if he can find time to rewatch this movie in between alchemizing and imp slaying, it might help him with his current situation.

Movie Rating: 9/10

[bigblueoctoling]

I think one of the most baffling thoughts I've seen circling around the Splatoon fandom- not the most wrong, but the opinion that's the hardest to understand- is the idea that Splatoon as a franchise is going to- or even should- end after Splatoon 3.

I know the source of this idea, it's the line from the splatoon 3 trailer in the direct that said it's the end of the squidbeak saga.

But on every single level, the idea of splatoon as a franchise ending after Splatoon 3 just feels crazy. Like I gotta walk through every level of this hypothetical to fully explain how crazy this seems to me.

Narratively: It makes no sense for Splatoon to end at this point because it's really, really, really not like we've explored everything there is to explore in the splatoon franchise. Even putting aside the potential of new story paths to explore... We still know so so so little about daily Octarian living, and nothing about Splatoon 3 is any sort of conclusion to the story of Octarians. If you think Octavio helping to save the world from utter annihilation is a redemption for being a totalitarian dictator you are wrong. Deep Cut got damn near zero focus in this game. Everything we know about them is extremely surface level- the only deeper thing we know about them, their charitable nature and looting, has literally only ever been spoken about once.

Being able to explore everyday life in inkopolis or splatsville would also be illuminating? Like we know literally nothing about the governing bodies of inkopolis or splatsville despite having gone about saving these places several times. How do non-inkfish play turf wars? What's it like for someone who physically can't play turf wars since it seems to be such a pivotal cornerstone of the economy?

The story of salmonids still feels incomplete. Like yeah we're fighting the triumverate, but Splatoon 3 seems pretty clear set on showing us that invasively hunting down these sapient creatures is morally wrong (in case that was somehow something you needed explained), but Grizz Co's functional status quo is completely uneffected by the events of Splatoon 3.

There are more indulgent concepts worth exploring but just speaking about the surface level narrative elements that any player can recognize as important, these are still easy directions to go in.

Developmentally: It's quite clear Splatoon as a game still has a LOT of room to expand. Even just in the core gameplay, Splatoon 3 has sort of left a lot of stones unturned, to put it politely. ...But, with Side Order, the splatoon devs have explicitly stated in interviews that they are interested in exploring more alternative styles of engaging with Splatoon, and frankly, I feel like that's the single most important thing for Splatoon. Even putting aside how much I like the world of splatoon narratively, Splatoon's base gameplay has SO much room for experimentation and growth, and Side Order displayed that potential in full force. No shooter really matches Splatoon's elegant diversity, and that's not even getting into the potential of spin-offs in different genres entirely.

Business-wise:

Nintendo has absolutely zero reason to stop making Splatoon games. It has an extremely devoted fanbase who relishes in any merch they can get, and they've even held real-world concerts which as far as I can tell are very successful, at least successful enough that they've done it several times.

It's a franchise which not only has zero mechanical conflict with any other Nintendo game, but it's also their only venture into what is currently an EXTREMELY popular genre- it's obvious business sense to make a game that's a shooter, so why would they put an end to their existing shooter franchise that has already proven to be popular?

Politically: Frankly, I think the fact that Splatoon, a game which openly outright has LGBT themes, among other things, is a popular and significant franchise, is a pretty huge deal. Like the two most popular characters in the franchise are a gay interracial couple, and they're presented in such a genuinely well-spirited way- it genuinely means a lot to me, and frankly I think it would be a tragedy if the series just decided to end now after their relationship was canonized (more than it already was in splatoon 2).

In conclusion- I'd love to hear any actual reasoning as to why splatoon would, or should, end? Like it feels on par with thinking that Zelda as a franchise is gonna end now that TotK is out.

A friend of mine argued that splatoon as a series would be better off ending because of how toxic the fandom is, but, to be blunt, I think the fandom is only going to get better as the people currently making the fandom a horrid and toxic place grow up and grow out of their bigotry.

The tide of progress stops for nobody.

[ostensiblynone]

Oasis at Perseverance Studios, East London, 18th September 1995 Photo by Ian Davies for Ray Gun Magazine

[fouzia madini & fb]

Photographer Ian Davies:

'I grew up in the North of England in Salford, so photographing a local band should have been a bit of a doddle but then this was no ordinary band – full of Manc attitude and probably on a mission to rock and roll every moment and person that came into their path. At the time of taking these photographs Oasis were very much wanting to break into the American market; they had conquered the British music scene with their debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’ and here we were 2 weeks before the release date of the much anticipated second album ‘Morning Glory’. Because America was the next target, this may have played a big part in helping me with this photo shoot as the band were notorious for making life difficult for editorial photographers and the early signs of this shoot day were looking like it might be no different for me. The band had turned up to the studio in East London without their lead singer Liam Gallagher as he had missed his train from Manchester. I started the day as I usually do by offering to make the coffee and making sure that everyone was relaxed. When Liam did arrive some 30 minutes later, the mood in the studio suddenly changed to being a little more tensed - he had had an argument with his brother and from what I understood, Noel had arranged for one of the band’s security to have a word with Liam to straighten him out. This word according to Liam had included a bit of a bashing. The first shots taken were of individual portraits of Liam and Noel; this was an opportunity to talk to both brothers separately and to get to know them a bit better. When on their own they could be really good and easy to talk too, Noel in particular, but when together it was very tricky – possibly made a little easier by the banter they had with other members of the band like their trusted mate Bonehead. I was just keen to get as much work done as the shoot was for the American magazine Raygun - that I wanted to do my best for and having the editorial director and interviewer, Mark Blackwell, alongside made the band a little more co-operative as rightly or wrongly he could write a positive or negative article about the band. Thankfully this kept the shoot and the band on track. As although the joking about would get a bit unpredictable, I wasn’t sure if they were going to walk out of the studio at any moment or just help me get the photographs right. After shooting all the band shots I asked if I could photograph Liam and Noel together. When they were stood alongside each other I asked them to hold hands. For a split second they were just about to do it until they looked up and saw the smile on my face that said - 'that just ain't going to look cool'. I had said this just to ease the tension between them. And it worked! I think the fact that I played their game of cheeky attitude made them feel that I also took risks – as on a different day something as simple as that may have caused the brothers to walk out of the studio. The black and white portrait of Liam is probably one of my favourite shots, partly because it is Liam Gallagher, and also because I got a bit lucky photographing Liam and Oasis during the early part of their career, and therefore Liam still has that Northern edginess of looking raw and timeless. Later in the evening I met up with Liam, Bonehead and the magazine editor for a drink in Soho. A completely different and very chilled situation – just mostly chatting and talking music - we started off at some pub and then went to a party for the launch of a friend's band. For some reason Liam was refused entry into the venue, and when this happened we all just piled back to the bar where we had originally met. '

Ian Davies © 2013

[cliperry]

Teen Now EXCLUSIVE

'Can't wait to get on tour'

One Direction live. Excited? You betcha!

As they’re about to start their first tour, we caught up with the boys to find out more about life on the road.

How excited are you all about your tour?

Niall: It’s gonna be s-i-i-i-i-i-i-ck! It’s gonna be amazing! We sat down with the producer and went through the theme for it, what happens between each song, and it was just amazing, incredible—can’t wait! I was literally sitting there with goosebumps and I kept going, "Oh my God, oh my God."

Everyone was looking at me saying, "What is wrong with you?" I was like, "I’m so excited!"

Harry: Very excited, yeah! We’ve been working really hard towards it, and now we just can’t wait to get on tour! We said we wanted to do this and that, and it’s great watching it all come together. It’s going to be a great show. We’re going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure everyone enjoys it.

Liam: I think we’re all really happy with what’s going to happen. You do worry, like whether they’re going to make it cheesy or anything, but they got what we wanted to do.

TURN FOR MORE →

Teen Now EXCLUSIVE

Harry: "I’ll put pants on my rider so I don’t have to buy more!"

Harry:

We get knickers and all that kind of stuff, which is funny. Louis: I absolutely love those fizzy strawberry laces from Tesco. It would be nice to have some of them thrown on stage!

Now, riders... What are you going to be asking for in your dressing rooms?

Niall: We were actually talking about this in the car on the way here. On The X Factor tour, all the dressing rooms were kitted out with sweets and drinks, so for ours I was thinking: cans of Red Bull, sweets obviously, loads of water, honey—all the stuff for your voice.

Once there’s catering on the tour, I’ll be happy ’cos I love eating! If the catering’s anything like The X Factor tour, I’ll be happy. We’re gonna bring the Wii with us—it’s good for getting riled up before we go on stage and good to keep you occupied as well. ’Cos we’ll spend a lot of time on the bus, we’ll each take our DS and that to keep us busy! Harry: This is our first proper tour, so I guess I can put pants on there. Interviewer: You’re going to put pants on your rider? Harry: Maybe. Because then, wherever you go, you won’t have to buy more pants—you’ll just get given them. I’m gonna ask for boxers.

So, what are the rules on the tour bus?

Niall: My tour bus rules are that I get to sleep in a top bunk, and that I can go to sleep whenever I want to. And I get to eat a lot. Oh, and definitely no women on the bus! Harry: I don’t think there are going to be many rules on the tour bus. Clean up after yourself! Naked at all times. Get up at 9:30 every day, maybe 10. And only one glass of milk before bed. Zayn: What happens on the tour bus stays on the tour bus...

What are you going to be up to on there?

Liam: We need some decent board games on the tour bus! Monopoly is always a safe shout. Connect 4 is just the best shout ever. Plus classics like Snakes and Ladders, Twister... Oh, and Buckaroo too. Louis: As long as I’ve got a comfy bed, I’m not really bothered. And loads of good music and films, good classics, and lots of comedy like Anchorman. Zayn: Chillin’, playing Nintendo... General relaxing really. Whack that tracksuit on, catch up on a bit of sleep. It’s my chill-out time, so I will chill out and have a laugh with the guys too. It’s gonna be cool.

What’s your ritual before you go on stage?

Liam: We have a little hug before we go on stage actually. Niall: I usually change my socks and brush my teeth. And do a poo! Zayn: I brush my teeth. I don’t know if it’s a nervous thing or if I just want to brush my teeth. Oh, and I always wear two pairs of socks. Interviewer: Two? Why two? Zayn: Always, all my life. Interviewer: Don’t your feet sweat and smell? Zayn: They don’t. I’ve been quite lucky—I don’t have smelly feet. I change my socks every day. So they should smell reasonably well.

We’ve had loads of tweets from all over the world about you boys... Are you ready to go global now and take over the pop world?

Harry: For now, we’re just focusing on what’s in the pipeline. We have plenty of stuff to work on. It’s nice to know that people want to see us in other places though. We love travelling, so it would be great! Niall: I can’t wait! We’ve just come back from Europe, and it was just absolutely mental out there. It was amazing. I can’t wait to discover more and hopefully we’ll get to go to places like America, Australia, and Asia and stuff. Louis: I think it’s scary, but it’s more exciting. Actually, not everyone’s dream is to travel the world and see everywhere, so it’s something we can’t wait to do and to meet our fans around the world.

Are you having to get a bit more exercise in now you’re going on tour?

Liam: Not really, because our band is not one of those tops-off sorts of bands who go, "Look how muscly I am." We’re a bit more like—not muscly, not very ripped, skinny little boys.

Me and Harry are a little more body-conscious, so we like to keep trim. This tour is going to be hard work, but there won’t be any tops off, I don’t think. But it’s good to go to the gym to keep us trim.

Can you ever imagine life without the boys?

Harry: At the moment, no, definitely not. We spend every day together, so when you go home for two days, it’s really weird. It’s weird to go back home—I miss the boys a lot when I’m there, but I miss my family and friends a lot too when I’m away! Zayn: One of the great things about being in a band is that we’ve got each other’s backs, and we can keep each other grounded—it becomes unattractive if you stop being grounded. That’s just me; that’s just the way I am. But life without the boys... I just can’t imagine it.

Here’s the updated formatting while keeping the original text intact:

Teen Now Exclusive: On Tour with One Direction

Louis:

Very excited. Hopefully, it’s going to be a good watch for everyone. It is different to what I actually expected, but in a good way.

Zayn: I can’t wait. Honestly, can’t wait. It’s gonna be good.

Who’s the best act you’ve seen live?

Zayn: I haven’t been to many gigs, y’know. I went to Take That at Wembley. I’ve gotta say, hats off to the lads—it was amazing!

Louis: Chase & Status were amazing. More mainstream would probably be Take That—they were incredible. And James Morrison’s great as well.

Liam: I went to a Rihanna concert recently, actually. She was just amazing, really good. But the best one for me, I think, was Take That at Wembley. That was absolutely phenomenal! We have a long way to go before we get there. There’s a lot to live up to!

Harry: I saw Nickelback live when I was younger—they were great. But the Take That concert—those guys are in another class! They know how to put on a show. To see Wembley Stadium filled with people singing your songs with their hands in the air must have been incredible.

Niall: I went to watch Michael Bublé last week! Oh my God! I did everything but wee myself! I was the most excited person in that room! It was unbelievable. It was a TV special, but he had a full band and he sang live... He’s so good! Ah, he’s a legend!

What song are you looking forward to singing on tour?

Niall: We’ve got a few on the album that I’m really excited about. We were looking through the set list yesterday, and we have a great sing-along set and the fans can all get involved. I can’t wait to sing Na Na Na and What Makes You Beautiful, to be honest. We’ve got a few hidden songs that you don’t know about. When you hear them, you’re going to be like, "Wow!"

Harry: I’m really looking forward to singing a couple of the new ones, actually.

Liam: This is a tough question. But there’s a track from the album called One Thing that I think will be amazing live.

Louis: Yeah, I really can’t wait to perform One Thing either. I really, really like that song.

Zayn: There are a few songs that I’m looking forward to singing, actually. There’s a song called I Want that we wrote with Tom from McFly, and we’re doing an Ed Sheeran song as well.

Your tour sold out very quickly. Do you feel proud?

Zayn: Yeah. I’m massively proud. It’s just crazy to think, "Why would all these people come to see me?" It’s really cool. Really cool.

Harry: Definitely. You don’t really know how people are going to react, and then it turns out amazing. It’s a very nice feeling that people want to come and see you.

Which member of the group do you rely on most on stage?

Niall: Liam always knows what he’s doing!

Harry: I don’t know. I rely on everyone. You kind of look around and check what others are doing to get in there straight away. Then it’s great.

Liam: I would say whoever I end up next to. Like with Harry, we always have a good laugh together. I’d say Harry.

Louis: Probably Harry. He always looks like he’s having a good time, and he gets right into it.

Zayn: Louis, because he seems to always have a lot of fun. I get caught up in the performance kind of things, so I never really get to show that I’m having fun. I look serious because I’m concentrating, so it’s nice to bounce off Louis a bit and have fun.

Who makes you laugh on stage?

Niall: Louis! Oh my God! When we were on The X Factor tour, me and him did some ridiculous stuff on stage. People didn’t even have a clue. Like Liam was singing Only Girl (In The World) and he got past the first line, and me and Louis met in the middle behind him, high-fived, and then I got on Louis’ back and we ran around in a circle. Then we went back to our spots before we walked forward for the chorus. He didn’t have a clue what was going on!

Harry: Louis makes me laugh. He randomly grabs my bum, stuff like that...

Liam: Yeah, Louis, without fail. He does some funny moves on stage, just whenever he feels like it.

Louis: Everyone really. I think we all have the same banter as each other. We don’t take it too seriously and try to have fun on stage.

Zayn: Again, it’s got to be Louis. Niall makes me laugh on stage as well, actually.

What about banners? Do you love a banner?

Zayn: It’s nice to see people’s thoughts on paper. It’s nice to see support, and the funnier, the better. I find myself giggling on stage. If you’re a Teen Now reader coming to the concerts, put Vas Happenin? at the start of your banner and add the rest of your message so I can see who reads Teen Now.

Louis: Yeah, it’s amazing to see people in the crowd with a banner! The rude stuff is funny, but I always look for really random ones.

Liam: The innuendos are always funny. Hilarious.

Harry: I love a banner! There’s been a few random ones, but there’s been a lot of dirty ones, especially from the younger fans, which is quite worrying.

Niall: Love them! They’re brilliant! They’re a good way of getting our attention because we like to be able to see what the fans are doing during the concert. It’s always good to read them because people put a lot of time into them!

Do you get a lot of stuff thrown on stage when you’re performing?

Niall: Yeah, like a lot of T-shirts. One girl actually threw her mobile phone at us one time!

[alarrytale]

Sorry I can't remember your exact words but you said something about the world being ready for a gay male artist at Harry's level. I really agree. Harry and Columbia are losing out on so much by keeping him closeted. I don't know if it's completely down to Columbia or if he is still tied to his X Factor contract, as some X Factor contestants said that contracts lasted over 10 years. Sure he is making a ton of money at the moment but he's going to get left behind as more and more people CO. They need to be ahead of the game. It'll make such a huge impact. If they continue what they're doing now with stunts then they're just going to keep turning people off. Playing all sides is turning people off. He needs to commit and because I think (but acknowledge I might be wrong) that he wants to CO in the future, he should be working towards that now. Not making things worse for himself. I agree with you that he compromises a lot with Columbia. For every gay thing he does, he performs heterosexuality. If it's really gay, like MP, stunts get worse. This is going to be what turns people off him. When will they realize. I worry that he's going to go deeper into the closet. But if he does then that will probably turn people off too as many people are attracted to his ambiguity. "Straight Harry" is so uninteresting and boring. I think that many of his het fans are attracted to his flamboyance, and characteristics that come with being a gay man. But they don't realize it, or they do but they're deep in denial. So I think going deeper into the closet will even put fans off, but who knows. It's going to get harder to balance things. I really think the best thing he can do is CO within the next few years. But he's in a new pr relationship now so who knows where this is going.

Hi anon!

You've got so many good points here. It's all so frustrating! I feel like were here yelling, 'harry, jump on that train!' and he's just standing there on the platform, not doing shit. Columbia/Sony/Full stop is right there with him saying 'he'd rather walk'. Up until not long ago he used to be a trendsetter, but now he's falling behind more and more. He's losing his momentum. The chance is right there and it looks like he's not planning on taking it. We all know of the huge potential H and L have to become trailblazers. By coming out together. They'd never have engagement issues or have to fight for attention again. It would solve everyones problems, forever.

We have no way of knowing why Harry is currently closeted, and acts how he does, we can only speculate and make educated guesses. But what we do know, is if by any point the stakeholders believe they'll make more money off him being out, than him being in, then they'll let him out. If i'm right, that could mean that white old men, with no understanding of the current market and trends, have the decision in their hands.

My current obsession with rwrb has lead me to read some very interesting interviews with the director and cast. They talk about the current success of gay media (movies, series and music) and how it's not niche anymore, but become mainstream. The market is changing. It's the zeitgeist and in the coming years we'll have even more of it. With even more success. It's fresh, interesting and more genuine than old hollywood tropes.

There are also more and more up and coming actors/actresses and musicians that are queer and talented, and are enjoying success, but dosn't have the 'baggage' louis and harry does. It's going to be a harder market to compete in, both for money and attention. And now the straight dollar goes to queer artists as well. 'Straight' harry is boring as you say. 'Straight' harry is also a queerbaiter in the eyes of many. I agree with you that Harry's flamboyance and ambiguity is interesting and exciting to straight audiences as well. Before i'd see how people think that the interest and excitement would turn into dissappointment if he were to actually come out. Now however, i don't think it will. It's the opposite.

I fear that if they wait too long and let this opportunity pass that people will turn their attention away from them and to other up and coming talented out queer artists. New, fresh and interesting people, who are ahead of the times, without baggage, who are above stunting. I already see that happening. H and L's got a demographic problem. They are losing older tired fans due to heavy stunting and they are not attracting enough gen z ers, because they can't fight for the attention with their behaviour and the baggage they come with. The solution to all this is pretty obvious to me. And the longer they wait, the less impact it will have. My biggest fear is that two hot and really popular out gay stars would start dating (for real), maybe someone people already ship, and they'll take the shine and attention away from larry. I think that would be really detrimental to H and L's image rehab and ability to grow their respective and collective fandoms. So if i were them (h and l, and sony) i wouldn't wait too long.

[weclassybouquetfun]

The Game's Afoot! The Spirit Awards, Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes nominations have been announced, the Academy Awards shortlist for ten categories have been released.

While I am very happy for some of the nominations, I hate that some really good films seem to have little to no steam. Iceland's submission TOUCH was a very early favourite, but lost ground to KNEECAP and now KNEECAP is fading with I'M STILL HERE becoming the new International Film darling. But hope is still alive as all three were shortlisted.

And with even the starfxckers of the HPFA not recoginzing Michael Gracey's stunning Robbie Williams fantastical biopic BETTER MAN,

I worry that (outside of the technical categories) the film won't be recognized by the AMPAS. Thankfully the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has given the film 11 nominations. I hope people don't get deterred by the device that Robbie is played as a monkey (with actor Jonno Davies giving a tour de force motion capture performance). The rationale behind the simian depitction? While interviewing Willams, he remarked on how he felt like a performing monkey and that stuck in Gracey's head. Gracey also said that people tend to feel more compassion for animals than other people, so by not showing Robbie as a human, people won't get hung up on notions that he's unrelatable due to his celebrity or judge him by his addictions. I think people need to see it for themselves beause BETTER MAN is spectacular on every level, truly; ridiculously so.

Beyond BETTER MAN, there are movies/performances I love and want to see win like CONCLAVE, TOUCH or KNEECAP for International Film, and Clarence Maclin for SING SING, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor for NICKEL BOYS, Adam Pearson for A DIFFERENT MAN and NOSFERATU for Sound Design; but the only film I have really felt truly passionate about this year is BETTER MAN.

What are some of the other in contention films I've seen?

My lazy rankings - up arrow for "Loved", down arrow for "Didn't Love", straight line for "Good / Adequate".

TL; DR-ness

A24's FYC Slate.

Happy that Sebastian Stan is being recognized for A DIFFERENT MAN (and THE APPRENTICE), but it is outrageous that his costar Adam Pearson isn't being talked about. He's sublime. Without his counter to Stan's character, there would be no movie.

And if Clarence Maclin doesn't get a nod for Best Supporting in SING SING, I'd be destroyed.

AMAZON/MGM's FYC SLATE

Amazon/MGM is really bullish on NICKEL BOYS and that cast have shaking hands and kissing babies since September. While not a terrible film it is a slog to get through and the fact that it is told in first person perspective, for me, felt like it tamped down on the storytelling. UNSTOPPABLE is a really good film, but nothing about it screams cinematic. It's just a solid inspirational true story sports film the same way Amazon/MGM's THE FIRE INSIDE is (with a strong performance from Ryan Destiny and an excellent one from Brian Tyree Henry) and the same way Disney's YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA is.

FOCUS FEATURES FYC SLATE

Very strong slate with CONCLAVE and TOUCH being the best of the bunch. PIECE BY PIECE is special because using Legos as stand-ins is 1) so him; and 2) vastly helps it from being a staid documentary.

And the real treat? Having all of the absolute bangers Pharrell has had a hand in lined up. People turned on him for "Happy" and "White Lines", and many have taken sides in the Pharrell Williams /Chad Hugo estrangement, but no one can *ever* say Pharrell isn't a musical genius.

NOSFERATU should get recognized for sound design, most definitely; maybe makeup/costume design. An excellent film, sure, but nothing (other than the technical aspects) stands out.

NETFLIX FYC'S SLATE

EMILIA PEREZ's rock opera aspects turns people off, people are criticizing Zoe Saldana for running in Supporting when many thinks she is a co-lead (therefore our first (only?) accusation of Category Frau this season; and actor Eugenio Derbez slagged off Selena Gomez's performance, but I loved it.

THE PIANO LESSON is fantastic! Director Malcolm Washington (son of Denzel and brother of John David, who stars in the film) really made August Wilson's play cinematic. Incredible performances all around and while Danielle Deadwyler is the name being bandied about the most (for very good reasons) Michael Potts and, amazingly, Ray Fisher, were the MVPs in my eyes.

PARAMOUNT's FYC SLATE

A QUIET PLACE DAY ONE is an also ran. They are not serious about that film. BETTER MAN should be the one they push; SEPTEMBER 5 (the telling of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack told from the ABC Sports news team)-another excellent film: riveting, timely, but this could have been on Paramount+.

SEARCHLIGHT FYC SLATE

SONY PICTURES FYC SLATE

An embarrassment of riches. SATURDAY NIGHT is atrocious and should have been a TV movie and HERE - a film about a house and its inhabitants through centuries - is sweet and poignant, but no stand out performances.

UNIVERSAL'S FYC SLATE

WB'S FYC SLATE

SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY is fantastic and I love that it not only focuses on him, but his wife Dana, as well. It's a very well-rounded, warts-and-all look at Reeves.Sadly, it did not make the Oscar's shortlist.

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS FYC SLATE

[coolrahulsarin]

Kenny Pickett names his top five Pittsburgh Steelers of all time

New Post has been published on https://bestcustomjerseys.com/kenny-pickett-names-his-top-five-pittsburgh-steelers-of-all-time/

Kenny Pickett names his top five Pittsburgh Steelers of all time

As the new face of the franchise, QB Kenny Pickett aspires to be known as one of the Steelers’ all-time greats when he hangs up his shoes and finishes his career. For now though, he can write his own story and remember the greats he admired as a child.

That’s the direction Kevin Adams took Pickett as a guest on the steel here podcast, speaking with co-host of the Jersey show Jerry a Pickett about his time at Pitt, his rookie season and the preseason as Pittsburgh prepares to take on the San Francisco 49ers next weekend.

Adams asked Pickett who his top five all-time Steelers players were, to which Pickett stayed pretty relevant, listing players who have played in the past decade.

“Five all-time favorite Steelers… It’s got to be Troy (Polamalu), Ben (Roethlisberger), Le’Veon (Bell), AB (Antonio Brown) and Heath (Miller),” Pickett said on the Steel Here Podcast , which aired on the show’s YouTube channel. “Those are all the guys I grew up watching. My friend was a huge Steelers fan and he always had the games on. So if he was at his house and the Steelers were there, we were seeing it. So since I grew up, those five are the first five that come to mind.”

Some old-school yinzers might not be happy that Pickett is leaving out some of the all-time greats, like Joe Greene or Franco Harris, off his list, but Pickett admitted that he was listing the top five guys he’d like. they came to his head and he saw personally. growing. The five names Pickett listed make strong cases for his list, however, as S Troy Polamalu, QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Le’Veon Bell, WR Antonio Brown and TE Heath Miller were franchise staples during their respective tenures at Steel City. .

Jersey Jerry and Adams then discussed Brown’s situation as Brown worked his way out of Pittsburgh, tarnishing his reputation as a Steeler and leaving a stain on his legacy with the franchise. When asked specifically about Brown, Pickett was respectful and reverent of Brown and the dominance he’s shown in the league for the better half of a decade.

“Watching his tape, it’s incredible,” Pickett said of Brown. “Amazing player. I mean, there’s a case for him to say he’s one of the greatest of all time. Just crazy, incredibly talented, just a coach, explosive, an incredible player.”

Regardless of the antics Brown got up to throughout his NFL career, he should still be considered one of the best wide receivers of his generation. He finished his nine-year tenure in Pittsburgh with 928 receptions for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns, as well as being an effective kick and punt returner. He was nearly impossible to cover one-on-one, and would even beat double teams on occasions when he would get into position to receive passes from Roethlisberger. The fall from grace may not have been pleasant to Brown or the city of Pittsburgh, which had a receiver who could have finished his career as one of the all-time greats, but like Pickett, we can appreciate the dominant player who It was with the Steelers. for nearly a decade, as have all the names Pickett listed.

Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown became the seventh QB-WR tandem in NFL history with at least 70 touchdown connections.

Here are each and every one of them. 😏 pic.twitter.com/5j9oER5Xaz

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 20, 2018

Watch the full interview with Pickett and the Steel Here team below.

#Kenny #Pickett #names #top #Pittsburgh #Steelers #time

[ngjasper]

Oh I love those kind of discussion!!! 🥰

Also I felt like this deserved an explanation Longer than a comment so…

I personally ship hayffie In both movies and books, and if we observe the books only, in the og trilogy it is a lot more subtle and hidden behind katniss’s blunt way of observing those kind of situations. And in sunrise it was the very beginning of their connection.

to me there are some indications that they could have developed something of being more than friends during the 25 years of acquaintance. Also, since now after sunrise on the reaping how tight snows control and reach can be, regardless of what good connection they had they needed to keep it undercover as much as they could (like Effie saying to Haymitch before his victory interview ‘I know you position could not have been easy’ but a second later saying ‘but they are for the greater good, the games’ as if she is trying to cover her sympathy for him so she won’t look like she is opposing snow)

And for the book examples (this is how I view those exempels anyway)

1)the first thing Haymitch does in his first appearance in the book is to hug Effie so tightly that katniss thinks he is molesting her (for a sixteen yo to have this association means that Haymitch went overboard. Think about it - the first we as an audience see him he is drunk as a skunk and that he hugs Effie, and usually those first details are the defining things the author want us to know what establishing a character.

He could have hugged anyone else, the mayor for example, surly he knows him from around the district. But he chose to hug the Capitol escort on his birthday.

Alcohol makes us lose our Inhibitions, and in this moment he couldn’t stop himself from doing that.

2. Their whole interaction when they are fighting - in one line katniss says that ‘Cinna and portia presence at the dinner table civilised Effie and Haymitch’s behaviour’

Katniss described their interaction around dinner as ‘dinner with Haymitch and Effie is bound to be a disaster’ - I got that as they fight hard , a vary vocally loud and passionately kind fight. You don’t fight like that with someone you don’t feel something to (even with friends people usually try to play civil so to not upset or hurt the other) the fact that Effie the queen of pretend and of social interactions and Haymitch who as we know understand very well how this game works - the fact that both of them cannot stop themselves from fighting like that in front of their tributes, seams to me that there is more in there then just a disagreement (cause we know they can work together very efficiently, which I will explain later)

‎3. ‏״As I enter the dining car, Effie Trinket brushes by me with a cup of black coffee. She’s muttering obscenities under her breath. Haymitch, his face puffy and red from the previous day’s indulgences, is chuckling. Peeta holds a roll and looks somewhat embarrassed.״

Well this is just a funny thing but what kind of topic can make an adult woman to curse, a teen to be embarrassed and to an adult man to chuckle? Sex, of course. Or something sexual like that.

4. ‎‏״Haymitch and Effie grill us throughout breakfast and dinner about every moment of the day. What we did, who watched us, how the other tributes size up... Not that Haymitch and Effie are fighting anymore. Instead they seem to be of one mind, determined to whip us into shape. Full of endless directions about what we should do and not do in training.״

Continuing from no 2 - we know that they can work extremely well together, and with this exhilarating and emotional situation that they are in - finally having a shot at getting a living tribute after the games after twenty five years, they are so in sync at this moment, and I can imagine just good co worker dynamic can create this kind of force that they are

5. Haymitch saved Effie like in mockingjay, working very hard to keep her alive. This is not a trivial thing - Haymitch lost anyone he ever cared about, no letter how hard he tried. the fact that he was successful, that he was finally lucky in that regard (even Suzanne said in an interview that Effie is the ‘lucky break’ for twelve) could be a trigger for him to start to feel something more towards her.

(Plutarch worked on that too, but since we don’t have any indication in the books he cares about her at all other then the fact that she was serving his finale goals so that why he suggested her as drusilla’s replacement, so he does not count)

6. The golden token - we learned that Haymitchs token was a flint stricker that was given him by Lenore dove (on the book cover in was gold, but it is an impractical metal for a flint stricker but I couldn’t find another indirection to its colour in the book we will go with this one) this ment a lot to him and connected him to her throughout the games, so much so when she died He couldn’t even look at the token so he buried it in her grave.

25 years later Effie brings the tokens idea for the T.E.A.M (if you don’t know check the d12 team family names initials) to show that they are a team. Two days later, katniss sees Haymitch wearing his token - a fine golden bangle.

This is how katniss interpret this - ‏״The dining room's empty except for Peeta and Haymitch, whose face is flushed with drink and anger. On his wrist he wears a solid-gold bangle with a pattern of flames — this must be his concession to Effie's matching-token plan — that he twists unhappily. It's a very handsome bangle, really, but the movement makes it seem like something confining, a shackle, rather than a piece of jewelry.”

He could be angry, sure. I can think of at least one reason why. But you can also look at this from a different perspective - first, even though the last one to give him a token died and he probably had a very bad trigger with all of this (there was no indexation that Effie knew Lenore dove gave him the golden token, only that she needs to bring it to his girl when he dies) with all of those bad connotation - he still wore it, he played with it (most of the reasons to play with jewellery are related to stress and self soothing or focusing habits)

The fact that he wore it with the reasoning above - could mean that he cares deeply about her to wear it because she gave it to him.

6. “‎‏״…when the other elevator opens.Haymitch and Effie join us, looking pleased about something״

We still wonder to this day what happened in that elevator, since they weren’t in the last part with Johanna and 11 in the elevator (in the movie Haymitch was but not in the book)

7. The makeup box part im sunrise - this is a romcom trope if I’ve ever seen any, this is also the first time Effie sees Haymitch true character for the first time.

‎‏״Effie, to her credit, stands by me…“Your funeral,” a Peacekeeper says. I think about the things I did in the arena. Things they definitely would have shown…. Maybe they’re right to chain me like a beast. I feel grateful to Effie. “I won’t hurt you,” I mutter.״ ‏״I know that,” she says. “I’ve known who you are ever since you helped with my makeup box.”

If Lenore dove wasn’t in the picture at the time and Effie didn’t say what she said afterwards to not oppose snow - this is a recipe for him falling hard for her, if someone would say this to me if I was in the state Haymitch was - oh boy.

8. ‎‏״I rise up, locking my eyes on hers until things go black, making me lose my bearings.״

‎‏״A pair of heavily armed Peacekeepers has materialized, their rifles trained on me. Behind them, my prep team huddles and would likely flee if Effie Trinket didn’t have a firm grip on their grooming belts. ״

She was his emotional support during the hardest times on his life - the last person to know the real him and the first kind face to see after he left the arena, this is a bind like no other . Also the fact that she was his constant for 25 years and one of the four people to know Haymitch before his games in the end of mockingjay - could be the grounds for a beautiful relationship after the war.

I could bring more but the work on reblog comment made me quite hungry, maybe next time I’ll add more.

But if you have more - add in the comments❤️

Are there any Hayffie shippers that shipped it from the books or are they all movie fans? Cus people say Suzzane purposely ruined Hayffie in SOTR, but in THG series they have like, 0 chemistry. And Effie is barely in them... just finished a reread and I don't get it. Like, of course, there is no Hayffie in SOTR, he never liked her like that.

[purplesurveys]

1719

Do you still read the newspaper or have an online newspaper subscription? I have to check the news everyday for work purposes. That's multiple websites of newspapers, their social media accounts, and online magazines.

What's your favourite kind of meat? (vegan/vegetarian options count!) Chicken. I only like pork as pork belly tbh, and steak for me is always a hit or miss.

Have you ever been mistaken for staff at a store you were just visiting? Maybe once or twice; it doesn't happen often. I've been mistaken more frequently as someone's companion. Like people will think they're talking to their friend when it's me.

What's the coolest or most memorable animal you've ever seen at a zoo? The Philippine eagle, but I don't really get *amazed* per se when I see 'cool' animals at zoos. I just feel bad.

Do you share a bedroom with anybody? No. My sister and I tried to share a room once, but it lasted for all of a week because she hated sharing a room with anyone lol. The room also felt super cramped so we quickly decided it wasn't going to work.

What colour are the public buses where you live? We have these white mini-buses that'll pass by here every now and then, and they're white. The bigger buses that traverse Edsa are white and yellow if I'm not mistaken.

How often do you pay your utilities bills? I'm not assigned to any bills in particular, but I transfer to my parents' accounts twice a month. I let them decide how to allot the money.

What video game have you played the most hours of? If you don't know, just make a rough guess. I would guess The Sims 2; that or GTA San Andreas.

Do you own a two-piece bikini? I only own bikinis; I hate how one-pieces feel.

Is there anybody else in the room you're in right now? Nopes.

What have you got within reaching distance of you right now? My phone, my McDonald's orders, pillows, chargers, blanket, work chair, vape.

What have you been craving lately, food-wise? Anything non-food? McDonald's. I overordered last night because I was hungry so I got all my favorites lmao - a triple cheeseburger, large fries, and nuggets.

Is your short-term or long-term memory worse? My short-term memory is horrible; it comes as a disadvantage especially at work and I wouldn't blame my co-workers if they label me as forgetful.

Do you do anything in particular to help you fall asleep? I need to have videos on with the volume at the lowest setting. To avoid draining my battery I have a timer set so that when it runs out my phone will automatically turn the video off.

What was the weather like today? Too early to tell; it's only 7:20 AM. Right now the sun is out but I also wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly rains super aggressively later on in the day as that pattern has been happening lately.

Who will you see within the next week? My dentist, and I am guessing Angela, Hans, and Reena. We've been dying to go to the karaoke these days and I think we'll finally get to next Monday as it will be a public holiday.

Do you have any guilty pleasure music? Anything you're willing to admit in this survey answer? Idk if there's any? I don't feel guilty about anyone whose songs I like.

What was the last movie you watched that was over two hours long? It's been so long since I watched a long movie. It was probably either Titanic or Gone with the Wind.

Speaking of which, what's the longest you think a movie should be? I personally think most movies are too long. It depends on the plot and execution, so I'm not very nitpicky when it comes to this. If a movie needs to be 7 hours long to get its message and art across then so be it.

Do you know anyone who is a medical nurse or doctor? Yes so many people. I'm Asian (aka kids are pressured to be doctors) and Filipino (aka a heavyweight in nursing), so it checks out hah.

Have you ever worked night shifts? If so, did you like it? I have not. I once scored a job interview that would have been a night shift if I got the gig, but at the last minute I decided I didn't want to be in it so I didn't push through with the interview.

Are you good at fixing computer problems? I'd say just basic ones but I'll struggle with even those sometimes, so for the most part no. I leave the troubleshooting to my sister.

Do you tend to make decisions by following your heart or your head? Head.

What's the population of your current city/town? A little below one million.

Do your parents live in their hometown(s)? Nope.

What are you wearing today? My favorite purple pajamas.

Are you one to accessorise a lot? Not at all.

What language other than English do you know the most words of? Filipino.

When was the last time you ate? Did you eat something nice? I'm taking a few bites out of my cheeseburger every now and then this morning. Like I said, I overordered McDonald's last night because I was hungry LOL so most of the shit I got is still here with me today. The only thing I finished last night was the fries and that's because there's no way you can save fries that have gone cold.

[livingincolorsagain]

a’s sambucky master-list 2022:

(or mostly sambucky for the exception of exactly two ficlets which are gonna be added at the very end of this list)

ao3:

but baby i'm a fool for you

After several attempts at getting back in the dating game, Bucky bites the bullet and asks Sam for dating advice. Chaos ensues.

(Or, Bucky and Sam are dating, and they're the last to find out about it.)

(and to feel in the night) the nearness of you

Bucky stopped and let Sam’s feet touch the ground. “I’d never let you get hurt, sweetheart,” he said, too earnestly, and Sam looked at him, his wet hair sticking to face, his eyes that were as dark now as the midnight sky above them, big and sincere, full of love he never shied away from putting into words.

“I know,” Sam said, because he did. Some things would always remain certain; and like the sun rising and setting everyday, Bucky’s love would always remain real and undeniable.

You're my Calling (Cure my Longing)

Sam turns mid-sentence, gesturing ferociously at Bucky. The couple he’s talking to has big smiles that get bigger as he goes on, turning his back away from Bucky, talking with his whole body.

Bucky frowns and downs the last of his beer, debating if he should go over and join the conversation that’s obviously about him or if he should stay where he is, by the sidelines, watching from far away and–

Then Carlos is passing him and saying, “Congratulations, Bucky. Took y’all long enough,” and Bucky pauses, bewildered into stillness, but Carlos is gone before Bucky has the chance to ask what in the world he’s talking about.

the physical intimacy series:

i replay every embrace (just for a trace of you)

Every touch means something. Means everything.

and you touch me (and i'm like)

They both have their scars.

Some of them are marring their skin, touchable; a physical reminder of things they can never forget.

Others have left no trace.

But every scar has a story, Sam knows, even the ones you can’t touch.

When Riley fell, Sam wasn’t injured.

Like Heaven to Touch

The song ends and another starts. Sam half-turns toward the dancefloor at the first tone, the wine glass forgotten in his hand. He gets a look in his eyes as Frank Sinatra’s voice starts to fill the spacious room.

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

Bucky watches him for a moment; the look in his eyes is one of aching longing and wistfulness, as if the music has taken him to a different time and place. The look grows unbearably sad, so without thinking, Bucky asks, “Wanna dance?”

all that we do (we do for love) series:

(favorite choices)

(Bucky, Sam and the long, rocky road to parenthood.)

Baby Talks

Sam was just about done drying himself when he heard the giggles. Just like every other time, his heart bloomed, a love so tremendous and uncontainable filling his chest.

and i play it on repeat (until i fall asleep) co-written with @saryasy

“And for my last question, what’s next for you? Cap, you want to go first?”

Sam’s answer to this question has stayed the same throughout the day. He’s going to keep doing what he does best, fighting the good fight, protecting the people, and giving help to those who need it.

The thing is, all day, no one has asked Bucky what’s next for him. So, even though the way she worded it implied she’s asking Bucky next, Bucky’s completely blindsided when she turns to him and says, “What about you, Sergeant?”

There’s a long pause, Bucky’s mind blanking. He must have stared too long at the interviewer because Sam subtly nudges him.

So, without giving it much thought, Bucky says, “I’m gonna keep doing what I do best, watching Cap’s six and being an unpredictable, unstable human being.”

“That’s quite hot.”

must’ve been a deadly kiss (only love can hurt like this)

Sam imagined wedding planning was already stressful enough without fighting bad guys on a regular basis.

As it was, Sam was Captain America, and he had a job to do.

He also had a very disgruntled fiancé who followed him wherever he went.

romantic stylez (with a z)

“Oh, no.” Sam says, wrapping his arms around Bucky’s and leaning closer to him. “Tonight is very special for us. Y’see, James and I just got engaged and this is where we had our very first date.”

“Yeah,” Bucky picks up. “I’d’ve booked a table but I wasn’t sure he was going to say yes.”

“Aww, baby,” Sam says, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “I was always going to say yes, you only ever had to ask.”

Bucky’s heart stutters in his chest as he meets Sam’s eyes, and he loses himself in the deep brown and the long, curled lashes just a little, only looking away when he hears the lady sighs sappily next to them.

(or, an undercover mission changes everything.)

Rough Surfaces

There was an inherent loneliness to being Captain America.

And it wasn’t like Sam had never been lonely before. He'd been lonely, he’d been alone, and he’d been lonely and alone, but there was something about this, a feeling so old he was surprised he could still feel it; that it still affected him.

That hollow silence that was once filled with the sound of life.

Figaro meowed and Alpine didn’t answer, and for a split second, Sam forgot. He panicked.

Then he remembered, and it weighed him down, an ache so deep it felt engraved into his very being.

And really, it was fine. It wasn’t like he couldn’t do this alone, he could, but.

He didn’t want to.

Mostly, he had started to believe he wouldn’t have to.

tumblr:

nightfall

one chance, tender, savior (and check out the steering wheel flower arrangement by @elektraking)

pet

bruised/kissed

you’re distracting

delicious/mystery

shimmer

transparent

mornings and nights (samstevebucky)

in dreams (samriley)

[mollybecameanengineer]

Immunidad

word count: 9437 | Teen | MSR | @today-in-fic

Summary: A rewrite of Vienen. When Mulder and Scully suspect the black oil is on a drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, they realize they are the only ones who can stop it. Too bad he doesn’t work for the FBI and she’s thirty-three weeks pregnant.

This is the third part in my A Second Chance series, which is AU from DeadAlive, in a universe where Mulder never leaves. The series is episodic, like the X-Files, so each piece can stand alone.  

Part 1: Reentry -- Mulder tries to get used to being back from the dead.

Part 2: Lots and Lots of Boxes --  Mulder takes a trip down memory lane while cleaning out his storage unit.

Read Immunidad on AO3, or check out the prologue below the break. 

April 2001

“Are you still planning to come to work with me tomorrow?” 

She and Mulder were in the living room, folding laundry. The TV was on, a Yankees game playing with the sound turned low. It was all horribly domestic. 

“Yup, my appointment with HR is at 8:30, and then Skinner at 10,” Mulder replied.

He was being reinstated. Finally. After the weeks it took to get his identity sorted out, he’d turned his attention to getting things in order at the FBI. He thought it would be easy, as Scully had no trouble after her abduction. But she hadn’t been declared dead. So, rather than coming back to a job, he had to be hired again. Which meant applying for his old job and interviewing. 

Some days he wondered why he was trying so hard to return to the FBI. 

“What are you going to do for the rest of the day?”

Mulder shrugged, folding one of Scully’s bras. “I figured I'd hang out in the office.”

“You remember it’s not just us anymore.”

“Well, I have to meet the new people at some point.”

Scully bit her lip. She seemed to have no confidence in his ability to behave himself. 

“If I get bored, I’ll get a cab home. Or you can knock off early and we can spend the afternoon fooling around.”

She rolled her eyes as she sorted socks. “Oh, before I forget, my mom is coming for dinner Friday.”

“Oh?” Mulder picked up a pair of pajama pants. “Does she know I’m living here?”

Scully looked pensive for a moment. “She helped me clean out your place, so she knows you didn’t have an apartment to go back to.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

Scully sighed, throwing a matched pair of socks into his pile. “She probably assumes you’re living here, but I haven’t said anything.”

“And does she know I’m the father?” Mulder dug one of Scully’s shirts out of the pile. Despite being eight months pregnant, the shirt seemed impossibly small. 

“I think she assumes.”

“But you never told her.”

“She never asked.”

Mulder groaned, placing the folded top on Scully’s pile before digging a new article out to fold. “Well, I guess I should be comforted that I’m not the only person you’re not always forthcoming with.”

Scully threw a paired sock ball at him. It hit his forehead and dropped to the floor. He picked it up and put it in the correct pile.

“Does she know we’re ‘an item’?” he asked, drawing out the last two words in a playful tone.

She rolled her eyes. “I actually don’t know. I think she assumed we were together long before we were.”

“Good lord, Scully. You talk to your mom every week. How has none of this come up?”

Scully shrugged. “I mostly listen.”

Mulder grabbed the last item of the pile, his jeans, folded them, and then started transporting the stacks of clothes to the bedroom. Scully followed with the socks. “Well, do you want me here Friday night?” he asked, plopping the clothes on the bed.

“Of course.” Scully was putting her socks away. Her sock drawer was impossibly neat. Mulder had no idea how she managed that.

“Well, then how should I act?”

“Normal?” She was done with socks and headed out to the living room for the next batch.

“Should I act like your boyfriend?”

Scully returned with the underwear, her face scrunched in disgust. “Boyfriend?”

He shrugged. “What else would you call me? Once and future co-worker?”

“I think of you as my partner,” she said, putting his boxers away.

“Well, that’s wonderfully ambiguous.” He put the last of her pajamas away and went to get the rest of the clothes from the couch. The Sox had scored another run while they’d been arguing. Nothing was going his way.

Back in the bedroom, he said, “Look, I don’t really care what we call each other. The thing is I don’t want to get my foot stuck so far in my mouth it will take a surgical team to remove it. Can I say I’m living here?” He looked down at her stomach. Though he questioned if the baby was made the old fashioned way, Scully didn’t. And no matter what, it would be his child too. “Can I say ‘my son’?”

“Oh, she doesn’t know the sex.”

“Good to know, but not actually the part I was focused on. Are you being purposefully obtuse?”

Scully threw the last of her underwear into her drawer and slammed it shut. “What the fuck do you want, Mulder? For me to call her up and say, oh, by the way, Mulder and I started fucking on New Years Day last year. In fact, he fucked me so good, it popped and egg out of my defunct ovary, and now he’s my baby daddy! Oh, and we are shacked up, too!”

They glared at each other, silent except for Scully’s huffing. She cracked first. “Sorry. Sorry.” She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him as much as her stomach would allow. He returned her hug. “I’ll call and tell her. Before Friday.”

He kissed the top of her head. “While you can do whatever you want, may I suggest you clean up your language a bit? For instance, I’d change ‘fucking’ to ‘making loooove’.”

She pulled back and slugged him. Granted, he did deserve it. 

Keep reading on AO3

[thealexchen]

Highlights of the Katy and Erika Q&A

Link to the Q&A! https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1161022793 

- Erika’s first audition with a scene partner was with Han Soto (Gabe)! Neither of them had gotten their parts yet, but Han still called “I’ll see you on set!” over his shoulder as he was leaving. Erika also said that he was a wonderful mentor figure and also someone who gave her a lot of shit, like an older brother would.

- THEY ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!! 😭 I had asked, "Since you were working on this game for several years, how do you think your performance or skills as an actor changed over time as you got to know your character better?"

Erika explained that in an early callback, she had to act out Gabe’s death scene and got into the moment by imagining that her little brother Evan had died. Later on she realized that it wasn’t healthy or sustainable to go to such dark places mentally over and over: “It's great to bring your lived experience in but not at the at the level of sacrificing your own health.” She later referred to the Lucid Body Technique invented by a dancer named Fay Simpson that she learned while on an acting retreat in Creed, CO (”Fun fact, Creed is actually a small mining town that was saved by theater!”). Instead of calling up traumatic memories, Erika focused on where that emotion “lives” in her body, accessed them safely, and was able to bring herself back to the present moment. Katy also mentioned she studied the technique in college. All super interesting stuff!

- Han pulled so many pranks on set that Webb (performance director) and Corwin (mocap producer) forced him to limit it to “one prank per day... on Erika.” He managed to jumpscare her every time and when she tried to get him back, “He didn’t even blink. I was like ‘What the fuck is going on?”

- Alex evolved a lot over the course of writing the game. Apparently the first iteration of Alex was a lot more like Chloe-- very bitter, brittle and with a lot of repressed anger-- but that got softened as they developed Alex’s power and as Erika brought more of herself to the performance.

- Apparently Gabe’s death scene was fun to film because when Gabe got knocked off the cliff, Erika got pulled in a sled to simulate Alex being pulled toward the edge while tied to Gabe. So they did a million takes of that and Erika just got to sit in a sled. Meanwhile Katy was at a butterfly garden down the street.

- Another fun scene (apparently) was when Alex fell down the mineshaft at the end of chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5, as Erika describes: “They basically rigged me up to a swing, like a sex swing-- not a sex swing. I mean, I walked in and I think that was my first question. I was like ‘Is that a sex swing? What are we filming today? I didn’t get these scripts.’” Cue the chat going insane.

What actually happened was she hung onto a board and two pulleys dropped on either side of her so she fell onto a crash pad. Apparently Webb practiced before and “really bruised the shit out of his ribs.”

- The “The crowd is really picking up on my energy. Haaaaa we love you Alex! Haaaaa Steph sucks!” line during the foosball game was entirely improvised by Erika, just having fun on set. Erika also admits she’s very chatty and just enjoyed getting to know her castmates so that they were already all friends when they acted together.

- Webb sent Han and Erika on a day trip to Idaho Springs early in production to bond and of course Han suggested they go gambling (Erika added, “Which of course is something that Gabe would do! Like ‘Let’s go do something sinful.”) They also played with Han’s drone. Katy went to see one of Erika’s plays in Colorado!

- When asked about what Erika would do if she had Alex’s powers: “I think it would be a cool power too because there’s so much covering that happens with all of us in social settings and professional settings. And being able to have insight into what’s really going on would probably create the need to be a much a kinder, generous, forgiving person, which are things that I’m always working on. I don’t think you could not become that.”

- Erika on Asian representation in True Colors: "[Alex is] not the best friend, she's not the tiger mom, she's her own fully realized, three dimensional person with flaws and goals and dreams and things she wished she could do over again. And I think that, for me, as somebody who grew up not seeing people who looked like me in movies-- and that's why Lucy Liu was such a fucking huge deal-- but the fact that D9 didn't do it in a tropey way was incredible. I know how important that Alex is a woman of color. She doesn't fit the mold of typical video game female bodies either, which I think is amazing."

- Erika lowkey hated the mocap suits. She couldn’t understand why Katy didn’t mind them and said “Katy. Katy. Katy.” “No it was so comfy it was like I was in my jammies!” “I remember you said that and I was like ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?! This is not comfortable!’”

- Erika’s advice to aspiring creatives: “Don’t let the fear of being bad at something stop you.”

- E: “I feel like I've been talking a lot" K: “This is your interview!" E: “Yeah I know but your voice is better.” K: “What?! MA’AM. MA’AM??”

- When Erika and Katy talk about teleportation as a superpower: “Or like when you wake up in the middle of the night and you have to pee, like ‘Should I just pee my pants? Or should I walk to the-- it’s just so far.”

- When Erika mentioned she grew up with a Golden Retriever the chat went “RYAN THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER”

- Erika’s closing remarks: I cannot wait for y’all to play the DLC because Wavelengths is gonna be the shit. And I’m gonna tell you why! Because it’s all about Steph! Which means it’s all about Katy! It’s gonna be so fucking good you guys. It’s gonna be beautiful. It’s gonna be funny. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to live in Haven Springs even more. You’ll want to marry Katy Bentz. What more could you ask for?? K: Could you be my hype woman forever please?