#interview in which i gave very long answers to short questions

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

fic writer q&a

thank u @geneticcatalyst for tagging me <3<3 (when i opened up tumblr and saw the notification i was floored!! u?? participating in a writing game?? this is really cool im really happy about it! a normal amount of happy for normal mutuals who have def not spend a lot of their free time scream reblogging each other's takes with further additions)

How many wips do you have currently?

i usually work at multiple projects at once, it keeps me fresh, so, like, less than 30 but more than 10. lets not give out numbers to cultivate the illusion that i know what im doing

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish?

this isnt easy to answer because most of my wips give me headaches. im reluctant to say that all of them do, because i am an optimist, but the truth is that :D all of them do. but these kinds of headaches are usually easy to content with. most often its really just myself who stands in my own way; i have a method for that by now. i fridge wips and let them marinate for a bit, and often that is enough to work out the snares. either the enforced distance also established an emotional recontextualization, or future-me, who is 9 out of 10 smarter and more level-headed, immediately sees the issue and immediately knows the solution. god bless her

anyways! that is a longwinded way to say that yes, i have a wip like that. and its chosen in great honours for this title because, other than the other headache-inducing wips, this one's headache doesnt want to vanish even if i ignore it very hard, to my greatest chagrin. for one, i have to research a lot for it and subsequently examine subject matter that is difficult to expose yourself to over a prolonged period of time. my wip is inspired by and works through the socialpolitical events during soviet germany, nazi germany, and china during the time of the cultural revolution and in its present day. (im being vague on purpose.) im not a historian, and my formal education is helpful but lacking. the second reason, the true reason, is that through this wip, im also examining my own family history and recontextualize who i am in relation to it. its deeply personal and very emotional, and very exhausting. it also makes me, like, very angry, all the time. which is also exhausting.

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you?

that depends! im working on finding a better writing/resting balance for myself because im really bad at respecting when i have reached a healthy limit. i know that many people in the writing community struggle with getting words on the page or making daily writing a habit. i dont have that problem i dont have any problems im amazing, no im joking, of course i have problems, but its more the other way around. see afromentioned disrespect of personal wellbeing during working hours

my relationship to writing is super fraught. so when inspiration strikes me, i will not automatically open up my docs anymore and start drafting or editing, or to write down some notes, because that would mean to delegate the thing im currently doing to another time. i need to have a really, a really, really, good reason to do so now. (this is a recent development thats still in the trial and error phase.)

i dont want writing to have that kind of power over my day-to-day life, yknow. my motto is that if whatever im cooking up in that moment, if its really "meant to be", it can wait. and if not, well. thats not my problem! (it actually is my problem, but im trying to ignore that unfortunate happenstance. writing is, like, literally just a thing i do for fun, i dont have to do it, there are thousand other things i could do instead /threat, and not more. this is what im telling my brain everytime it tries to convince me to make more out of it than it is. takes out a knife.) i also find it super helpful to just, like, sit with the inspiration. to just enjoy that feeling of bursting creativity. it feels really good, like attraction. and i can channel that elsewhere. fortunately, i see myself as an artist (hairflip) rather than a writer, so, to my other innumerable talents belongs a variety of very cool creative hobbies that i literally could do instead. (and they arent nearly as stressful!!!!11!!!11! for me!!!! personally!!!1!!!!! oh look, a second knife, however did that come into my pocket.)

its been doing me a lot of good to just, like, not care too deeply, and only write when im in the right mood. i want the act of sitting down and tending to my wips to be a conscious decision i make in full-knowledge of the consequences, no matter how pressing it feels in that moment to “do” something with that strike of inspiration. cultivating that enjoyment of a story by spending a healthy amount of my writing time dreaming about it, and virtually “doing nothing” makes me happy, and helps me find to where i need to go in the end. that is also an argument i use to barter with my capitalist brain.

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different?

i used to curate playlists for wips. i still have those! theyre great for when i want to get into a specific mindset. i dont do that anymore though, too much work. most of my wips are fueled by the same music anyway, because most of my music listening to is being done while writing. thats also why i dont listen to music just for fun anymore, my music listening to capacity is fully exhausted (i know! how can i! im currently trying out this new thing called "recreational listening to music while lying facedown on the bed being a blob in the troposphere" its really nice)

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organized?

balls to the walls!!!!!!!! but id argue that these two things arent necessarily at odds u just have to know how to ride that rodeo (takes out a third knife)(camera pans in and it is revealed: im a knife bouqet shaped like a woman disguised in a trenchcoat)

tagging: @aiyexayen @intertexts @ayjada @fanghuas @gingabish0ujo

[writergirlll]

Will you write a lazy day with Charles Leclerc and Leo? Maybe Charles came back exhausted from a race that didn't go so well and all he needs is a hug from his girlfriend?

LAZY EVENING/ CL16

Charles Leclerc x reader

sorry if this isn't what you wanted, but I enjoyed writing it! It's just a lot of fluff sorry guys!!

Charles was always good at what he did. Cooking, making things, cuddling with your dog, or driving in Formula 1. He broke the curse of Monaco and thus began his huge career. But this race he ran didn't go too well, due to Ferrari's bad strategy and bad tires. And so he got a DNF in the first qualification and placed 5th in the overall race.

Which is certainly not a bad thing, especially since this race was in Las Vegas, where there are always the most participants and the track is very difficult to remember, but for Ferrari, who had to finish the season well, it wasn't enough.

Charles was mainly angry with himself. He knew that he should have tried harder and that he had messed up the race, but all he wanted was to finally get out of the cameras and pitiful stares and get cozy in bed with his girlfriend.

Unfortunately, You wasn't at his race because you had to stay at the hotel and do computer work due to work reasons that you hated. However, you definitely did not miss the race and watched it until the end, when Verstappen, Sainz and Norris stood on the podium.

But as midnight slowly approached and you tried harder and harder to stay awake to wait for Charles, your eyes closed until they closed completely and you fell asleep over an open laptop with work and the TV on with the main broadcast of interviews with F1 drivers.

When Charles came home, he expected you to be waiting for him. Therefore, he opened the door sharply, put his backpack on the floor and gave a small shout; "Love, I'm home"!

You twitched and grunted slightly in your sleep before turning over on the couch to face the TV and snuggling further into the blankets. You didn't plan to open your eyes because in your sleepy state you didn't realize that Charles was home.

Hearing no response, Charles frowned slightly and slowly walked into the living room. When he saw how the TV was on with F1 and you were sleeping on the couch, he couldn't help but feel happiness and love.

You were his everything. In good times and in bad, you were his sunshine. And that's why when he saw you sleeping in front of the TV with the footage of the other Formula 1 drivers, it warmed his heart. He knew very well how sad you felt when you couldn't make it to his race.

He slowly walked over to you, kneeling by your head and slowly brushing your hair away from your face. Then he bent down so as not to wake you and planted a soft kiss on your forehead.

You smiled a little under his touch as you realized who it was and slowly opened your tired eyes. “Hi Char” you smiled at him and reached out to stroke his cheek. “Congratulations on the race” you smiled.

He leaned into your touch and his smile brightened even more. “Shall we go to sleep?” he asked as he saw you close your eyes again even though you were trying not to and you slowly nodded.

“And where is Leo?” he asked one more question before he could pick you up in his arms and carry you to bed. You didn't answer anything and just lifted the blanket, where a small golden dog was hidden by your lap, which has become your "child" for the six months you've had it.

When he saw Charles, he immediately got up and ran his short legs to him for a kiss and a cuddle.

After Charles cuddled up to him, he scooped you up in his arms as a reward for having to wait for him and carried you to bed with Leo at your heels.

He slowly laid you down on the bed, you shifted to your side and waited for him to take off his shirt, change his pants and come to you.

Before long, he finally appeared by the bed in just his shorts and you couldn't help but bite your lip when you saw him like that. You still didn't understand how someone like him could be yours.

He climbed into bed behind you, pulling you to his side and you rested your head on his shoulder. One of his hands caressed your back and the other brushed your hair away from your face. Again. You should probably get a haircut..

“I love you do you know that?” he whispered in your ear and you raised your head to be directly facing him.

“How could I not know Char?” you smiled and leaned down so your lips met his halfway. It was a loving kiss that you thought was more of a good night, but later it got more and more passionate.

When you were both out of breath, you had to pull away from each other. “Are you sure you want to go to sleep?” he asked, looking all over your face.

You did, you think them even though you were actually 100% clear. "I'm not sure..." you whispered before smiling and bringing your head closer to his.

"I think you know" Charles smiled lightly and connected his lips to yours again, this time in a hungrier kiss.

[ididntseeurbag]

headaches and remedies

pairing: yeonjun x idol!fem!reader

genre: fluff, established relationship

warnings: mention of stressed out reader, mentions of food and eating, kissing, reader feeling under the weather (lmk if i missed any!)

in which reader has a headache, so her boyfriend tries to alleviate the pain.

a/n: omg hello again! it's been a long long time :) i've been very busy with my third year of uni, but i'm going to try and post a bit more now that i have a break between semesters! i hope you guys like this one <3

it was just another day of promoting for the new album that moonstone, y/n’s group released, this time in inkigayo, where yeonjun and her had been working for two weeks since then as the new mc’s. everything was going well, the interview had just started and the three commentators made the other five members feel comfortable. the audience was amused by their comfortable conversations and even laughed when they realised that they were going out of script.

nonetheless, y/n wasn’t being very talkative that day since she was having a headache from the moment she woke up, so she didn’t want to force herself to say anything apart from what was in her script before performing for that day’s stage.

yeonjun, who was standing next to her during the interview, had noticed her state and gave her a sympathetic look, to which she flashed him a fast and small smile, grateful that her boyfriend realised she wasn’t feeling her best right then. “so, y/n,” said boy started, feeling sorry that he had to make her talk, even if it was just a short answer to his question. “what can your fans, moonlight, expect from this stage?”

y/n took a short breath, composed herself, and straightened up, trying to seem as okay as possible. “well,” she responded, pushing herself to form coherent words. “this is our first performance for this song, so we’ll show our beautiful fans the whole choreo live for the first time!” she gave the camera a grin and continued. “we hope they all enjoy it just as much as we do,” she finished with a grin and a small heart directed to the camera and then looked at the actual audience, who cheered loudly at her words and gesture.

“amazing!” the third mc spoke and turned to one of the other five members to ask her another question. as said member talked, yeonjun kept stealing glances at y/n, both to make sure she was okay and because it had been a few weeks since they had seen each other, and he missed being next to her. the girl noticed but pretended to not see anything and tried to hide her smile to not alarm anyone that watched the interview, hoping twitter wouldn’t put their ship name on trending again for the nth time that month since they announced they’d be working together. on the inside, though, she wanted nothing more than to be with him without any cameras around, for she also wished to spend time with him, especially after not meeting at all for a while because of the hectic schedule that came with new releases.

the interview ended swiftly, so the members quickly went to their waiting rooms to get the final touches in order to perform. it was a hard choreography, and the song required a high vocal register, so y/n got an even bigger headache when the schedule concluded. thankfully, the group didn’t have to stay longer, so after changing, the members parted ways. some of them went to their idol friends’ dorms while others just decided to go to a café nearby and wind down before going back to work during the afternoon.

stepping inside the empty dorm, y/n said a quick hi to the cats that belonged to one of the members and to her dog remus, fed all of them and put on some comfortable clothes just to throw herself on the bed right after. as she let the mattress envelop her, she basked in the silence and let out a deep sigh, overwhelmed and tired of everything, even though it was just 1 pm. she thought of making lunch, but she didn’t have the strength to even do that, so she just closed her eyes and let sleep take over her.

an hour and a half later, she woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. she clumsily grabbed it and picked up the call. “hey,” y/n immediately smiled after hearing his voice. “can you let me in? i brought some stuff that might lift your spirits,” without answering him, y/n ran to the front door and opened it in a rush, throwing herself into yeonjun’s arms. he quickly dropped the bag he had on his hand and wrapped his arms around her, tightening his grip on her waist and lifting her up slightly, making her giggle softly at the action.

y/n placed her head in the crook of his shoulder, revelling on his warmth and slightly hearing the soft beating of his heard. “missed you,” she mumbled, pressing a small kiss to his collarbone.

yeonjun softly chuckled, trying to pull her even closer to him, even though there was no space left between them. “i missed you too, baby,” after a while, he slowly detangled himself from the hug and picked up the bags he had left on the floor, raising them up to his girlfriend’s face. “i gave myself the pleasure of buying you lunch and your favourite bubble tea cause you looked really exhausted during inkigayo and i hate seeing you like that,” he pouted slightly as he looked down at her. yeonjun always felt guilty when she was under the weather. he knew it wasn’t his fault, and she reminded him of that too, but he couldn’t help but think he could do more to try and make her feel better faster and more easily, so he always tried to do things for her, no matter how small, to take off some of the weight she seemed to carry. their relationship went two ways, and he always took that into consideration.

y/n was having a very busy schedule that month, so her anxiety piked up and she also felt very stressed, both things making her feel much more sensitive, so she almost started crying, her eyes glistening and unshed tears threatening to fall. “you didn’t have to do that, baby,” she whispered, smiling tearfully. “i would’ve been able to look after myself,” she tried to put up a front like usual, since she didn’t really like feeling vulnerable, although she tried to work on it when it came to yeonjun. “besides,” she continued, mirroring his pout. “aren’t you tired too? from today’s work and practising for the comeback?” y/n realised he was also kind of being hard on himself, and felt bad that he couldn’t rest as much because he went to get things for her.

yeonjun placed the bag on the kitchen counter, then turned to his girlfriend and placed one hand on her waist as the other cradled her cheek, his thumb slowly caressing it. “yeah,” he admitted. “i can barely hold myself up right now, but i thought that we could eat take out together and then cuddle in bed and take a well-deserved nap,” he gave y/n his signature smile, tilting his head and closing his eyes slightly as he did so. “don’t you think?”

y/n giggled at his actions. “yeonjun, love, you know i really like cuddles,” her smile widened as he his eyes lit up when hearing that. “but-” she tried to continue and argue that she had to prepare some tracks for the special stages for some performances that were taking place at the end of the month, but he cut her off.

“no!” the boy quickly intervend. “no ‘buts’, we’re taking the rest of the afternoon for ourselves whether you like it or not,” this time, he frowned, trying to make himself look fierce, but she just found it endearing.

still, y/n knew she couldn’t say no to him when he got so stubborn, so she accepted defeat and sighed. “you’re not gonna change your mind, are you?” she questioned, to which he quickly shook his head no, as she expected. “okay, cuddles it is then,” she tried to sound disappointed, but a smile threatened to peek out.

“yes!”

after the delicious lunch, the pair went to y/n’s room and laid in bed. y/n settled her head on yeonjun’s chest, hearing his steady heartbeat and feeling the pattern of his calmed breathing. yeonjun looked at her and smiled, slowly gliding his fingers through her soft hair and admiring her features. he could look at her every day for the entirety of it and would still find new things to love with every glance he took. he truly loved her with his whole being and always felt like he was soaring around her, the honeymoon phase of their relationship not quite over yet (and maybe it would never be, for every time he even spared a glance at her and her eyes met his, his heart went crazy).

“hey, babe?” y/n asked

yeonjun muttered a soft, “hm?” to tell her to keep going.

“can you not stare at me that much during interviews? it’s hard to concentrate while feeling your eyes on me all the time,” she pleaded, embarrassed to admit that he made her that nervous. 

yeonjun wrapped an arm around her waist, moving downwards so he could pull her closer and hide his face in her neck. “but i can’t help it!” he whined. “you’re too beautiful to not look at, love.”

“but you’re making it very obvious that we’re together, jun,” she chuckled, twirling his hair around her index finger.

yeonjun groaned in faux annoyance. “what do you suggest i do then, cover my eyes?”

y/n laughed at his question. “no, baby, i’m just asking that you look at everyone else except of just me or else we’ll get outed before we even realise it,” she stated. “twitter and tiktok are crazy enough about us already so let’s try and keep our companies as sane as possible until we decide to announce it on our own terms, okay?” she reasoned. they had been dating for half a year, so it was still new, and they didn’t want to rush it and be out to the public too early. they agreed on taking it slow so they could enjoy it without pressure.

“i-” he started, but sighed. “ugh, sure” he caved in. “fine, i’ll do what you say, your highness,” he flailed his arm around dramatically, pretending to bow like a knight would. 

y/n laughed and met his gaze. “thank you, junnie,” she said as she kept playing with the ends of his hair, noticing how he closed his eyes a slightly when she scratched his scalp with her nails. just by laying with him, her headache was already dissipating, so when her boyfriend checked in on her and asked her how she was feeling, she answered truthfully. “i'm feeling much better, baby,” she smiled. “thank you for being here with me.”

yeonjun’s eyes lit up at her answer, his whole self relaxing as he felt proud of himself for visiting her and doing his best to make the aching go away. he lifted her face up by the chin with his index and thumb fingers, moving his hand to the back of her head as he carefully pulled her closer, the distance between them growing smaller and smaller until their lips met. it was a short kiss, but also soft and just enough for them both to feel giddy inside like a pair of teenagers. yeonjun looked at her afterwards and smiled, tracing random patterns on the nape of her neck. “anything for you, my love.”

masterlist

[sephines]

guys???? have you seen this interview in which the rivals cast are asked the question 'do you think your character needs/likes power in their work and in their personal life/the bedroom, or needs it more in one area?'?

as soon as i saw the question pop up i was like ohhhhhh the gang will love this one

unfortunately aidan is THE MOST vague in his answer (i thought alex gave the most in-depth and interesting answer about rupert, very specifically talking about his attitude to sex) - the long and short of it is he thinks power and control is only important to declan within his professional life, and he thinks he's more likely to defer to maud in his personal life

[rubykgrant]

I have an idea for Sarge, tho it's a bit sad: his parents died when he was a baby. He was born on/near a military base at Mexico-Texas border, a base for both countries. Either his parents were soldiers or were just very close to the location. When his parents died, they hadn't told anyone the baby's name. He was raised by all the soldiers on base. Steel crutches, tank tread training wheels, all true. 57 syllables, Mandarin keyboard, fifth letter emoji? All adopted by the soldiers who raised him

That's a good back-story for him, thank you for sharing it!

I had a slightly similar idea for the "true backstory of Sarge" that I wrote as an interview with Andrews-

“I see you’ve decided not to wait,” she commented, taking her own seat.

“A-course! Save the BEST for FIRST!” he answered proudly. “Besides, listening to everybody else babble for too long might put ‘ya to sleep, and we can’t have that. They’re so easily distracted. Going off on tangents of unrelated topics and what-not,”

“Well, I’m not sure where you want to start-”

“I WAS BORN 29 YEARS AGO! I’VE BEEN THE PROUD LEADER OF RED TEAM FOR 20 YEARS! I CAME INTO THIS WORLD WEARING RED ARMOR, AND I’LL GO OUT OF THIS WORLD WEARING RED ARMOR!”

“Now, now…” Andrews said, her voice both amused and patient. “I won’t be exposing any secrets you want to keep, you’ll have the final word on what information I share publicly, but between the two of us? Let’s try to keep things simple, and honest. After all, we ARE on a first-name basis!”

The old soldier was quiet for a moment. A short moment, but for Sarge, being quiet was about as rare as hen’s teeth.

“Fair enough, Dylan…” he answered at last. “But the name is one of the things we keep quiet about, understand?”

“Absolutely… can I ask one question, though? Just for my own curiosity,” her curiosity often got the best of her, and certainly created problems occasionally… but that was why she was a reporter. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but satisfaction is what kept bringing her back.

“Hmph. Fine. Shoot,”

“I’ve never heard a name like yours before. Just what was the inspiration when it was chosen for you?”

Another quiet moment. Andrews was beginning to think he was simply going to ignore the question, and if that was the case, she would move on rather than press the subject. However-

“When I was born, which was MORE than 29 years ago, I ADMIT IT… m’family didn’t name me right away. Not too many infants survived their first few weeks at the time… it was a different world back then, see- you’re too young, you never lived in a war-zone, but that’s what it was like. So, they waited to see if… well, you know how you’re not supposed to name anything, or else you’ll get attached? ‘Folks were worried about getting attached to ME, because maybe I wasn’t even gonna live too long… but a few weeks went by, then a couple months, and I was still breathin’!” he chuckled a bit to himself before continuing.

“I guess I was the only baby that made it, and the group of survivors my family stayed with- they all supported each other. A whole bunch of people took turns watching over this little bundle of joy! Everybody had a different name they liked to call me, and when it was time to give me a REAL name… it all got combined together. One big name, from more than a dozen different people, who all came from different places, and spoke different languages… I was the only baby any of them had, so I suppose they gave me all the names of… their own kids who couldn’t be with them…”

“That’s… oh, Sarge, I don’t know what to say, that’s INCREDIBLE. It might be the sweetest thing’ I’ve ever heard-” it was true, Andrews didn’t know what it was like to be born directly into a war-zone; and at the time the man sitting in front of her was a child, the Earth had been under attack by enemies from outer space… not to mention all the never-ending fights between humans who decided they hated other humans enough to kill each other. No, she hadn’t lived through that, but she had seen documents and footage.

Many towns and cities were destroyed, and groups of people would try to band together; they formed new little communities, some traveling like nomads, others attempting to stay in one place, but all generally learning to rely on one another for safety and survival. Generations of children were lost during this time… from injury, illness, or lack of food. To think that she was now speaking to somebody who had grown up in that world, protected and nurtured by an extended-family of people who had been brought together by necessity, but stayed together by choice. That choice had, in fact, been to make sure a child could LIVE.

“I know, I know! Tragic and heart-warming… it’s practically Oscar-bait! But remember what we agreed on, not a word to anybody else! Bad enough that whipper-snapper apple-Jax knows…” he grumbled.

“Yes, I understand…” she couldn’t help but get a little choked-up, though.

“And, for the record- I mean, this is OFF the record, make sure to keep it that way! But just so YOU know, I’m not a bit embarrassed about my name! That’s not why I don’t wanna share it… it’s just…” Sarge seemed to struggle to find the words. “The people who named me are gone. All of them. And this wasn’t just my name, it was the name I shared with the all the children they lost… someday, I’m probably going to die on a battlefield, being taken out by an enemy, and God-willing, I’ll be wearing my RED ARMOR, going out with my boots on- but when that happens, whoever kills me… I don’t wanna take the chance of hearing them say that name. It was good name that good people gave me, so…”

“So, you don’t want somebody who hates you to use the name that was made by people who loved you,” Andrews finished.

“Hurrrgh- if you WANT to read into it like that and add lots of mushy, emotional subtext, sure!” Sarge made several grunts and groans, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his helmet away to avoid looking at her.

“You are a surprisingly deep and sensitive individual, Sarge…” Andrews marveled.

“NO I AIN’T! YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW! I AM A ONE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER, A FLAT STEREO-TYPE OF ALL GRUFF MILITARY MEN, AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT!” The man now stood up, striking a heroic pose, raising one knee to place a foot upon his now empty chair, both hands clenched into fists and resting against his hips, the visor of his helmet pointed upward.

“I’VE NEVER HAD AN OUNCE OF PERSONAL GROWTH, AND I NEVER WILL! OTHER SOLDIERS WEAR THEIR ARMOR, BUT I AM THE ARMOR! I AM THE BACK-BONE OF RED TEAM! AND THE BRAINS! AND THE FISTS! ALSO, THE WEAPONS IN THE FISTS! IF YOU SAY MY NAME THREE TIMES AFTER SUMMONING BLOODY MARY, I SHOW UP AND SCARE HER OFF! FREDDY KRUEGER HAS NIGHTMARES ABOUT ME! I AM-”

“You are the Reddest Red to ever Red, yes, I know. I’ll be sure to keep that for the interview. That way, everybody will know the REAL you!” Andrews promised. Sarge gave a single nod of his approval, and quickly sat back down, as if nothing had happened.. “But, just in case…”

Sarge made a cartoonishly over-the-top growling noise at this. Andrews ignored that, and pushed on.

“If there is possibly some hidden layers, maybe some insight or… the method to your madness? I do still have a few more questions. As I said before, you’re free to skip anything you don’t want to answer. What do you say, Sarge?”

“Alright. Fine. Hurry up ‘n ask, before I change my mind!” that was settled, it seemed.

[wildflower-otome]

[Translation] Bustafellows Season 2 - Helvetica Short Story - Am I bad?

Source: Bustafellows Season 2 Stella Set Special Bonus Booklet Note: Takes place after the first game, no S2 spoilers.

Helvetica Short Story - Am I bad?

‘Ah, Teuta, about today….’

Having rushed into the living room in a fluster, Teuta threw her bag onto the sofa.

‘What is it!?’

‘No…..you seem to be in a hurry.’

‘I’m about to be late! I’ve got tons of interviews on for today…..Ah! But I’ll make sure to be there tonight!’

‘Will you?’

‘’Course I will. I mean, didn’t you say it’s a big important academic conference? Since I got invited as your partner, I’ll be sure to come all dressed up. You know….because I couldn’t make it to the party last time.’

As she answered my question in a loud voice, Teuta was in the kitchen making a shoddy looking sandwich. The scene was just so comical, I couldn’t help but laugh in spite of myself.

‘....Why are you laughing?’

Cheeks stuffed with bread, she returned to the living room.

‘I wasn’t really laughing. I was just so, so happy that you hadn’t forgotten our promise.’

‘.....The way you said that just now sounded kind of pointed.’

‘Well, perhaps I am also referring to the fact that you stood me up last time without so much as a text message.’

‘I did say I was sorry about that….’

‘Exactly, that’s why I am very much looking forward to you being there tonight.’

‘Yeah…..Ah, crap! Forgot to print out my manuscript!’

Making a hurried reply, Teuta again dashed out from the living room. The sight of her hand holding on to her phone as she went by remained in my eyes like an after image. Vivid, red-coloured nails. The lacquer stuck out a little and was uneven.

(Those nails you tried so hard to paint really suit the red dress you picked out last night…..)

That evening, the venue was overflowing with well-dressed guests. My appearance on stage was now long well over. All I’d had to do was introduce the papers that had been submitted to the conference in a formal ceremony. Since the aim of tonight’s party was mainly to gather donations, I’d been able to keep the formalities to a minimum. The sponsors who gave us money had no interest in the latest technology. They only cared about the superficial side of things, about things that were showy and capable of generating buzz.

(....Teuta hasn’t arrived yet.)

When I looked at my phone, there was a message from her. Perhaps it was to say that she was already here at the venue, or that she wasn’t going to make it.

I took a surreptitious look around me. I couldn’t help but follow women with the same type of build with my gaze. If possible, I didn’t want you to see me looking around for you. You would probably laugh at me, saying, “Did you really miss me that much?”

(......Well, I suppose I wouldn’t really mind that either)

In the passageway towards the bar I saw a group of men and women. No, it was actually just one woman, and a number of men. With just a single glance, I could tell that she was beautiful. Her red dress and golden hair reflected vividly in my eyes.

(.....Teuta?)

Although the simple red dress and pointed toe shoes she wore looked mature, her side profile showed an appearance that still had a small element of childishness.

‘Which clinic are you from?’

‘Um, I’m-’

As I came closer, I could clearly hear their conversation. It was obvious from the tone of their voices that the men were trying to flirt with Teuta. I should probably immediately intervene, but it was fun watching both the troubled Teuta and the men getting ahead of themselves.

‘We can get into the VIP area, so why don’t you come with us?’

‘I-I can probably also get in. My boyfriend is a VIP too…..’

‘Your boyfriend’s a VIP? And who might that be? Perhaps you mean me? Ahaha!’

I almost let a burst of laughter escape me. They must be thinking they were doing pretty well, but just imagining what their faces would look like soon enough, my shoulders seemed about to shake with pent-up amusement.

‘Ah, hey….look this way for a moment.’

‘Huh? What is it?’

‘The tag’s still on your clothes.’

‘Wha-!? No way-!?’

As I listened to their conversation, I took a casual glance at Teuta’s dress. He was right, the tag was still hanging there, just as it had been when she’d bought it.

‘I’ll take it off, c’mon, turn around.’

‘Um…..’

Just before the man’s outstretched hand touched Teuta, I firmly pulled her towards me in an embrace.

‘Ah-.....Helvetica?’

I gently ran a hand through her golden hair, gathering it together.

‘Uh, if I’m remembering right, you’re-’

‘Do you know who I am?’

Having seen me take Teuta into my arms, the mens’ eyes had quite literally grown round.

‘Um, Helvetica…..?’

‘Stay where you are and don’t move.’

The tag hanging at Teuta’s back. I drew my face closer to it, biting down on the thread.

‘Ah-.....’

The tag I’d bitten off still in my mouth, I faced the men down once more. Seeing them look so shocked, I couldn’t help but smile. I spat the tag out at their feet.

‘So? Do you know who I am?’

‘Ah, um…..that is-, p-please excuse us-’

The group of men quickly scattered like a pack of hyenas that saw they no longer had a chance of victory.

‘..........’

Teuta timidly turned to look at me.

‘Helvetica…..?’

‘I’m not necessarily praising you with the words I’m about to say, so please don’t get carried away.’

‘Wh-What?’

‘You are a much more attractive woman than you think you are. There are probably a lot of men who find you physically desirable. And not only that, you’re dense when it comes to male-female relationships.’

‘Hey, “dense” is a bit....’

‘Men are good at sniffing out that kind of denseness.’

‘What do you mean by “good at”? I wasn’t really interested in getting to know those guys from earlier at all…..’

‘It means they think they can have their way with you if they’re pushy enough.’

‘That’s….’

Perhaps because I’d ended up wording it harshly, Teuta’s eyes looked a little hurt. Taking a deep breath, I put my arms around Teuta’s shoulders and drew her close to me. As I lightly stroked her back, she rested her head on my chest. The weight of it felt comfortable.

‘You’re in love with me, aren’t you? You love only me. Isn’t that right?’

‘.....It is.’

‘Still, please be more aware that there are bad men out there that might try and lay a hand on you.’

‘..........’

‘Your answer?’

Teuta took her face away from my chest, looking up at me with large eyes.

‘.....I, like bad men.’

‘What are you saying?’

‘I’m telling you I like bad men. The kind that’s always making a face like, “I only do what I want” but actually is always thinking about me, that can’t help wanting to keep me all to himself, that kind of bad guy.’

‘.....Is that so.’

I stretched out a hand, tangling Teuta’s hair around my fingers. The soft sensation of it running through the spaces between them felt pleasant.

‘.....Am I a bad woman?’

‘Yes, a woman that's bad at using her head.’

‘So mean.’

Leaning down a little, I put my lips at Teuta’s ear. As I sucked in a small breath, I could feel Teuta’s body tense. I spoke in a voice as low and breathy as possible.

‘.....Seeing as you can only think of me, don’t you think you’d have to be?’

[azaharinflames]

What are your thoughts on the how Eddie situation? Do you think he could really be leaving?

I just answered an ask about the Eddie situation, so to not make this incredibly long, check it out for a longer response! In short, however, I will say that even I, someone who is very neutral about Eddie, felt like his character was a bit mistreated last night.

Perhaps that's not the right word here, and I do acknowledge it is a big cast and that the episode wasn't for Eddie. But they gave Gerard more than they gave Eddie. They could've had him there earlier. They essentially made him feel like a recurring character when he's still very much a main.

As for if I think he's leaving... dude (gn) I'm more and more indecisive about it as the days go by. I first theorised Eddie could be leaving back in October/November, mostly based on Ryan's SM activity. Since then I've been changing my opinion every two work days it seems lmao.

Lately I was thinking they would just do a Season 5 2.0 and have Eddie come back to the firehouse at the end of the season, that perhaps he'd move back to his old house with Chris and Buck would maybe move in with Tommy. Now? I'm not so sure.

Like, yes, it would make sense if he were to come back to LA after this. If he takes this tragedy as motivation to come back. I think 813 lowkey showing us Chris wants to be with Eddie and not his grandparents could perhaps lead to Chris telling Eddie he wants to move back to LA. The house thing makes things more complicated, but not impossible.

But it would also make sense if he does not come back. If (potentially) volunteering in the MCE motivates him to try again with the El Paso firehouse, and he gets a job there. If he fixes his house, and he has a better relationship with his parents, and Chris is happy where he is.

So, because both things make sense to me, I have started to look a bit more into promo and bts. Not that it actually determines anything, it's just to add to each side of the argument.

Because, as it is, it does feel like they're sidelining Eddie in promo as well. Yes, he was barely in the episode, but they couldn't have posted a still where he's talking with Ravi? We knew he'd be in the episode; it wasn't something to keep for surprise value. And yes, I am aware they posted Eddie and Chris in between 814 and 815, but that was damage control if I've ever seen it lmao.

Then you have Tim's interviews, where he diverts the question to not directly answer if Eddie is coming back or not. Where he mentions he'll be in the last couple of episodes instead of answering if he's coming back to LA.

And then you have Ryan's overall SM activity. Where he's been doing a lot of self-promo and networking (including premieres), which is a bit bizarre if you know you are a main in a procedural. On top of that, I still find weird he didn't post a tribute for Peter when the rest of the cast did. What he posted yesterday was funny and it make me laugh, but it differs so much from the rest we saw from the cast. And this is not me criticising RG. Just pointing out it is a bit weird.

LT;DR: I have no fucking clue. I can see him leaving, and I can see him staying, and I can see him stepping down from being a main and going into being recurring, or a guest star.

[twistedmafiaau]

(next weeks...have fun 😈)

She was a bit spread thin. The reporter who destroyed her honor weekly now with debauched lies and the other families poking at her. In interview or online she was becoming a favorite to chat about. Trending hashtags and fans sending in questions for her to consider and accusations to refute. It was sweet if not for her love of privacy, but all that had gone up in smoke with Malleus, Draco, latching onto her two weeks ago and starting a feud. She had brought a knife to a gun fight, but that didn't mean she wouldn't get the drop on one of them if she got them bickering. Catch some body language and dig into some dirt. She wasn't someone to mess with and she'd show her lethal side with them walking all over her.

As usual she stands, front row before the Kingscholar's chairs that were far more comfortable than the cheap seating the venue gave the interviewers.

"Afternoon gentleman, hope your week has been a good one so far. First question is too the Kingscholar Family, what's the first thing you notice about someone attractive to you, your partner, or a potential partner?" She flips her pen between her fingers, the unpainted but well maintained nails catching oassionally on a spin but she makes do. "Let me expand on that for those that need detail. Think first meetings or after seeing a partner after a long time. What is it that stands out?" She lets the question sit for a moment before adding her second. "This question is for the King." Her dark eyes flicker to him before dropping back to her page that was blank, but for appearance she pretend to remind herself. "What is something you wish that those you favor understood about you?" She purrs politely glancing back up. She'd throw him a bone to gloat, get others jealous of the detail she paid the Kingscholar's, if they already weren't.

Her petty revenge on the mafia for the games they played with her. Pride was an excellent way to stirr up things. She was tired of being their play thing, a joke. If they were gonna tug her around between them to stir up tensions she'd simply give them the loaded gun and watch. Nothing was a play of power quite like strategizing a baiting. And she was ready for it. The questions were well within her normal asking and all she simply did was tweak a few tonal changes and body movements to give intent of genuine curiosity. They had underestimated her and she planned on getting them back for it without saying a word. Let the hidden feuding and looming cloud of pride be their own downfall.

Once again the room filled with a reverie silence as the families made their entrance, one by one, and took their respective seats. You held in your throat a relieved sigh when seeing all three of the Kingscholar family, still somewhat bruised but all alive and kicking still — even Leona, who was presumably in the worst shape of them all, seemed to be healed without too many problems; he made his usual digs and comebacks and very teasing movements while answering to another interviewer’s question.

You also couldn’t help but notice that the Draconia family was a little…short staffed. In their own private section only the General, the man known as Lilia Von Rouge, was sitting alone, representing the members who were missing. Seemed like the pack of beasts got the payback from the week prior.

When you finished posing your questions the three men cocked their heads to one side simultaneously, like a group of cats perched on the same fence — even if the first comparison that came to your mind was that of a synchronized swimming group. 

“I wouldn't necessarily describe it as attractive, but if you ask what's the first thing I notice…I'd say the shoulders.” answered Jack without even taking a second to think. 

“Boring.” said in unison the other two, to which Jack paid no mind.

“To me the shoulders are the first indicator to know what my partner, or any other person in general, had been up to in my absence. If they’re thin and sunken it means she was through a very physically demanding job or hasn’t eaten properly. If they’re slightly reddened it means she was someplace very hot and sunny, otherwise, when they're pale it means she was somewhere particularly cold, and so on…” he explained with minutia. 

“I really don’t believe you.” said Ruggie, one brow raised, “That can’t be the first thing you notice in someone!”

“These are things you learn to notice when you’re in a relationship for quite some time. Not that you know what I’m talking ‘bout.”

“I beg your finest fucking pardon?”

You were glad to see them bickering, oddly. It felt like the events from the week prior didn’t affect them as badly as you predicted.

Once again Leona had to intervene in the discussion between the two, with a smile you could only describe as a mix between amused and motherly.

“Well… — started Ruggie, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table as if the words failed to come to his mind — Either clothing or haircut.” he said finally. That answer earned a side eye from Jack — he got picked on for his answer and that is what the blond came up with? Unbelievable!

“These two things say a lot about a person, whether or not I'm attracted to them. They both give me a slight hunch on who I have to deal with. Fancy and flowing fabrics with long hair? A very feminine person, probably someone who’s got money and makes them rain like water. Baggy clothes three sizes their own with unkempt hair? Most likely someone who doesn’t have much confidence in their body, which gives me some ground to work with. Same for the opposite, if they have tight clothing in very obvious places and excessively kept hair, maybe tied, means they’re extremely confident in their body proportions… and are most likely looking for a hookup.”

“What about very short hair and flashy clothes?” Jack asked as a small grin started raising on his lips, Leona had one too.

“That is a Karen and no thank you! I’d rather pretend to be deaf mute than have one in my proximity! I think I’m speaking for everyone when I say that, I find myself near one I don’t think I might be able to stay civil for long.”

A loud, thundering laughter echoed in between the four marble walls of the parlor. You too found it hard to restrain a chuckle of your own.

You saw with clarity many of the family’s bosses barely containing their chuckles and giggles and snorts of pure amusement — that one was clearly a joke that resonated deep in everyone, independently from which side of the barricade.

Leona brought back the silence in the room with class, clinking one of his rings against the glass placed next to the microphone, like a progenitor asking for a toast.

“I appreciate your clarity of exposition of your question, it seems you have learned something after all our weekly meetings.” he said with the most raillery smile a man could ever wear. “Also, I appreciated your symbolic act of aid offered. Hope you don’t mind If I keep it with me for a few more days, I've been told that blood is a real nightmare to remove from clothes.” he added a bit more quietly.

“Anyway to answer your question, the first thing that I notice about someone are their eyes. I’m not talking about shape, color or any other thing running through the squirrel brain of some of you. More than aesthetics, my interest is purely in their language. The body can disguise some behaviors, many experts can even imitate some of them to deceive their interlocutor. But not the eyes, they are always faithful to their emotions. A few simple signals, a few glances if you will, are enough to immediately understand what is going on in their mind. If they are lying, if they are amused, if they are frightened, if they want to escape... if behind those irises the deepest hatred is imprinted. An experienced eye is capable of deducing many things just by reading the eyes, and as I said before...I keep mine always sharp.”

A few other interviewers started fidgeting, squirming in their seats at the idea of those emerald eyes reading their deepest emotions with just a single glance.

“While we’re at it, your second question is more personal. In the emotional sphere, type of personal. — you didn't miss how he spelled those last few words with a veiled tone of threat — I'll keep my answer simple: the one thing I wish that not only those I favor, but also those that dare to take me lightly, would understand about me is that if something really matters to me I'll play seriously. Away with the courtesy mask, off with the pleasantries, if I'm serious about someone or something you can bet I'm gonna stop playing with my food and instead bite where it hurts the most. Life is a battlefield and you have to fight to get what you want, that doesn't mean I'm going to throw in the towel that easily.”

Darkness suddently filled the room — a power outage.

In the middle of panicked screams and phones used as torches, the only thing you could focus on was Leona's eyes.

Sharp, predator-like, unforgiving. The cold stare of a serial killer that made the hair at the back of your neck stand up in alarm.

However, that stare wasn't directed at you. It was fixed on someone else, someone you couldn't perceive in the pitch black obscurity that had become the room. Whoever it was, you were sure, managed to truly angered the King.

And that wasn't a good sign.

✠ Back to Bullettin Board

✠ If you have arrived to this point consider leaving a like, a comment and reblog. Thank you so much for your support

[gesserith-the-broker]

The Evaluation

The Evaluation

            He had received well-advanced notice. Even before it, he was expecting it for a few months beforehand. But it still filled him with a sense of dread. The light, the chair, the officers, all of it was just… eugh. But no matter. The time had come. In through the door, and hopefully back out a Broker again. Three interviewers. One planeswalker. One simple evaluation.

            “Hello there. Take a seat, sir,” the interviewers requested. They politely gestured to the seat before them. Their eyes were welcoming. Their souls were ready to tear him apart. Gesserith moves to sit down, always keeping at least one of them in sight. “Please state your information for the record.”

            Gesserith sits up straight and looks them head on. “My name is Gesserith Edmund. I was born on (closest MTG date to Nov 23), 4526. I am the Chief Advisor for Extraplanar Relations of the Brokers. I am a planeswalker, Capennan native. Is that all?”

            The interviewers wrote down a few lines. “Good, good. Could you please state why you are here?”

            “Because I was scheduled for my psychological evaluation. That you all told me I needed. That you told me to be here for. That evaluation?” His voice was drier than the desk he was sitting at.

            The second interviewer gave a slight chuckle. “No need for the hostility, Mr. Edmund. We are only here to make sure you are capable of upholding the core tenants of the family’s philosophies and are able to properly execute the expectations of your position. Now, your last evaluation was about five years ago. Please inform the board as to what you experienced during the Phyrexian invasion.” There was no hint of care, no empathy, just a blank slate echoing questions.

            “Don’t you all have any water or something in here?” he asked. After a longing silence, he simply sighed and answered. “I was doing the same work as any Broker, trying to save as many lives as possible, whether it was on offense or defense. Some people died, yes, but one man can only do so much. Overall, my contribution to the plane’s defense was, although not notable, still worthwhile.”

            The only response was empty scribbling. “After the Omenpaths opened, you were the first among those willing to move out and work on contracts abroad,” the third one stated. “Please tell us what your actions did to impact your life.”

            Gesserith replied sternly. “I was able to leave, see the worlds, and expand on the abilities of my family. The Brokers are at the very least known in a variety of locations, in no small part because of my efforts. I have established footholds on a number of planes, some of which I have become well ingrained in. I am better off because of this and I would have it no other way.”

            This time there were muffled whispers among the three. He hated that. Every single time he came in there were always the whispers, and the scribbles, and the soulless board. But this was needed to weed out those that have lost their way. He hadn’t, but of course what would they know? His thoughts were interrupted by the board. “Mr. Edmund, please explain the period of time where you neglected your duties in favor of shutting yourself in your room and continuous ingestion of alcohol.”

            “There was a death of someone close to me. Though it was not entirely my fault, it was a result of some of my actions. So I took it harshly. She was like a daughter to me, so I acted like a father who just lost his daughter with no one else that close to him. It was a dark time, and I regret what I did. I have worked past it. That era does not define me, nor does any other one in pure isolation. If you consider it as such I WILL have a word with Falco Spara.” His patience was waning. They damn near brought up her name, and if they did he wouldn’t last much longer. But the only response was a short marking on the paper. “Could you respond? Show a little interaction? I might offer more if this didn’t feel like a HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION.”

            “Mr. Edmund, please inform the board as to any recent actions that impact your mental health.”

            “This.”

            “Mr. Edmund, please take this seriously. Inform the board as to any recent actions that impact your mental health.”

            He was biting his cheek to stop himself from losing it. “I was introduced to a universal communicator, which brought me many new friends and connections. I met a young girl who I plan on adopting once I get rid of the assassins and people trying to remove my position. There’s the aforementioned assassins, which don’t help. Further, I also had to make a bargain with a DAMN ARCHANGEL to save a friend and played both sides while doing so. That was not a fun period. But, made it through, and now I’m all the better for it. Are there any more questions?” He was holding himself down on the chair.

            Another short bout of whispers. “Mr. Edmund. During this evaluation, you have exhibited various signs of stress and anger. Explain yourself.” The first spoke with more authority than usual. “Failure to create a measured response will result in removal.”

            He shot up out of his seat, damn near taking it with him. “Explain? EXPLAIN? I don’t need to explain ANYTHING! You soulless freaks go through these examinations, offering no feedback, expecting people to stay relaxed as you poke and prod your words at my most vulnerable thoughts! You’re damn lucky you haven’t asked about the isolation! I’d have gone MAD by now if the only people I’ve worked with were like you lot! Not my fault my head just operates differently. No, every time, every DAMN time I go through these evaluations, it’s always the ‘talk about your trauma, Mr. Edmund’ or ‘who died recently, Mr. Edmund’ and never ‘that sounds awful, I’m sorry’ or ‘that’s good to hear, congratulations’! NO! Because you FUCKS can’t fathom what an emotion is, half of these WORLDSOUL-FORSAKEN EVALS fail because you don’t understand half of what you say! Maybe, just maybe, if you showed a slight bit of interest in your ONE JOB, the Brokers would have more people that are willing to be PEOPLE rather than whatever fucked up versions of themselves you deem are necessary. So fail me. I don’t give a damn anymore. I’ve got people that I can call family elsewhere. People that give me more love and affection than you three could even DREAM OF. And I give those same people the same amount of care. If that isn’t what you need, and all of this was all just to tick a box, then tick it off. Just let me leave here in peace, on my own terms.” He puts the chair back, and sits down, breathing heavily.

            All three of the board members stood up and moved towards the door. They talked amongst themselves for minutes. Gesserith couldn’t hear a thing other than the occasional “perhaps” or “what if”. Eventually, after an agonizing time that felt like a day and a half, they returned to their seats. They all stared deep into his soul, and the first one began to speak. “Gesserith Edmund. In this evaluation, you have exhibited signs of problematic characteristics that the Brokers would deem unwanted. This would result in the termination of your current position. However. Your outburst had reasonable beliefs behind it. Through this evaluation, you exhibited great disdain for us members of the evaluation board, and a similar pattern has existed through your past evaluations as well as many others in the family. Through deliberation, it is the board’s opinion that it falls to us to maintain the security of the Brokers. And if this board is found to be ineffective, it should fall to us to remove ourselves in such a way that it sustains the longevity of our family. Your evaluation is complete. You pass and may remain a Broker until your next evaluation. As for ourselves, effective as soon as we find suitable replacements, will retire. The board has stood as the arbiter of judgement for this family’s members since its inception. From that point, we have prided ourselves on neutral and detached verdicts. That time is gone, and that method is no longer feasible for us to continue operating. We will see to it that our replacements are suitable for this new era. Farewell, Mr. Edmund. We hope your adoption goes well.”

            With not a word spoken after, they all packed their suitcases, and walked out the door. Gesserith followed soon after, not speaking a word until he retreated to his home. After the door behind him was shut, he sat down on his couch, and he wept. He had lived to see another day as part of the family. He survived the board. He had changed the board. He changed. The board. He started to laugh through the tears, at the absurdity of it all. He had fundamentally altered the Brokers’ path for the better. Because he decided to suffer no longer. Because he cared. As he mentioned, he planned on doing plenty of that soon, just as soon as the assassins were gone for good. And so he would continue to weep and cry until his body gave out, at which point he got up, steeled himself, and called on his friends to help him with this daunting task ahead of him.

[hooked-on-elvis]

okay, hiiii! so ahem, I’m not too sure if you’ve watched elvis’ “stay away, joe,” and if you haven’t you really should. although it’s kinda…iffy, he’s so damn fine in there 😮‍💨🫠

I’m really curious about one of his ladies in the film! Quentin Dean, do you know anything or any info as in if they’ve had a bond, or any outtakes?

She randomly popped into my head after watching the wh0rehouse scene in the ‘68 comeback, bc susan henning lowk looked like her in it?!?! lol I think it’s the bangs or sumthin’

But please and thank you, I gotta know!

Hi, Lexy! I'm so, so sorry for taking so long to answer your question, dear. Thank you for reaching me out for information on Elvis' movies, I feel honored you'd think of me for this, really. If there's something I love to talk about, concerning Elvis' career, this is it, his movies — even if it's not always I am lucky finding satisfying info on them, like in this case. 😣

I've spent a long, long while trying to find anything about Quentin Dean and her relationship with Elvis during making of Stay Away Joe (that's why I took so long so answer you) - from Youtube videos to movie magazines articles, but unfortunately I still haven't.

Strangely, Quentin Dean retired pretty quick from Hollywood, after only 4 movies done and very few one-episode appearances in some Western TV shows.

Her acting career (TV and movies) lasted from 1967 to 1969, two years, and it's just bizarre since she was nominated for a Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actress due to her first role on the big screen on the Oscar winner movie (Best Picture) 'In the Heat of the Night' (1967). This movie was released the same year Quentin filmed Stay Away Joe with Elvis (filmed from October 9 to November 27, 1967, released on March 8, 1968).

Quentin Dean prepared for her screen test for the Academy Award Winner movie In The Heat of the Night (1967).

Curiously enough, other than the movies, one of the few TV shows Quentin worked on was The Virginian, created by - guess who! - Charles Marquis Warren, director/producer/screenwriter of Charro! (1969 *updated for minor correction on date -- 'Charro!' was filmed during July and August of 1968 and released in 1969*). Quentin appeared in only one episode of that show, but even so, why would she give up her acting career so fast? She surely had good network in Hollywood... that's just weird. What's worse is that it seems she rarely gave interviews during her acting career and/or denied interviews after retiring from Hollywood, which would explain why her interviews are so hard to find.

1968. Quentin Dean as Saranora on The Virginian (TV Series, 1962–1971) S7. E1 "The Saddle Warmer".

I really tried to find any interview with her, and there must be some, but with a career as short-lived as hers the journalists' interest for details on her acting career is not that big, therefore there aren't modern articles online (that I have put my eyes on) and the existing vintage 60s printed ones weren't scanned and shared online so far, I suppose. 😣 What a shame!

I am confident (or just hopeful) there must be some kind of information concerning her work relationship with EP in books specifically dealing with Stay Away Joe making of, such as "Elvis: Behind The Scenes Speedway & Stay Away Joe" by Erik Lorentzen. I haven't read this book yet, unfortunately. I'm so sorry for not being helpful for now, dear. I tried. I wish I knew something. :( If any friend reading this have already read this book and know something helpful, please, feel free to share what you know with our community. ♥

Well, since we're talking about it already, if you ask me I'd say Elvis and Quentin had a pretty good professional relationship but not as close as Elvis and some of his other leading ladies had. This is pure speculation on my part, but I have a reason to think so. This if one of the movies Elvis did (this one and 'Kissin' Cousins', maybe a few others too, not sure) that Priscilla -- as well as some of the wives from the Memphis Mafia guys -- was right there watching Elvis work in the filming set. I'm not implying Elvis would have had any intimate relationship with Quentin if Priscilla hadn't been there on the filming set or anything but, speaking on friendship matters, it makes sense Elvis would have spent more of his time on set, during breaks from filming, with his gang than with the other actors. Not sure but if so, Quentin wouldn't have many opportunities to get better acquaintance of him, I guess she wouldn't have much to say about him as a person because of this.

What I can say is: below is a "behind the scenes" picture [on the right], not a publicity shot for what I've read. Judging from their faces, Elvis and Quentin had fun working together. ✨ I know, I know... this is not specific but this is what I can share for now.

I'm gonna keep trying to find some information about Quentin's career, and hopefully on her accounts over working in Stay Away Joe. I really wish I could understand why her acting career was so short and what she has done afterwards in her life, so maybe in interviews she shared something about it.

For now, I'm humbly gonna share some of the pictures of Stay Away Joe. And, yes, I've watched it! I've watched all of Elvis' movies.

Stay Away Joe didn't catch my heart at first but little by little it grew on me. Now it is one of my favorite Elvis movies, even tho I still think it's an extremely noisy and a little messy-looking movie too. LOL. Even so it's a good movie... here and there I re-watch it. ♥

Elvis Presley (Joe Lightcloud), Joan Blondell (Glenda Callahan), and Quentin Dean (Mamie Callahan) in Stay Away Joe (1968)

And, to make all of us a little happier, our man:

Stay Away Joe (1968 released, filmed in late 1967)

[starcrossedxwriter]

I don’t know if you’ve been asked this before, or if you’ve answered this, but has anyone ever asked Michael or Charlotte where the nickname Honeybee came from? I just thought of that and it tickled me cause how would they answer that with a straight face.

Ok I love this question and I hope you see this, anon! Sorry it took me sooo long but I wanted to write something out cause I thought this was so cute lol and to answer your question, they definitely didn't keep a straight face hahaha Michael's been on Graham Norton a couple times and his interviews were so cute and he is so funny so enjoyyyy!

***

“I’m very excited to have you both on the couch at the same time, Michael and Charlotte. Here to promote Creed III, which is in theaters next week. I’ve had you both here separately but this is a treat to have you both here,” Graham Norton offered, the studio crowd applauding the couple. 

“Thanks man, it’s always a good time here,” Michael responded, Charlotte nodding in agreement. 

“So Creed III out next week. Your directorial debut, which is awesome. Congrats to you, Michael. But I have to ask you, Charlotte, what’s it like being directed by your husband? Is that weird having him boss you around on set? Did you give him a hard time?” 

Charlotte laughed. “You know, actually it was pretty fun. Not sure how other people feel… working with their husbands but I loved it. You know we’ve been doing these movies and playing Bianca and Adonis for almost a decade. And as these characters have grown and evolved so have we and our relationship. So we have developed a short hand and ease on set with each other that made it easier. It also helps when your pillow talk is with the director,” she chuckled. “I kinda had an idea of the shots he wanted at times and could adjust to make sure I was doing my part to help him get it. Honestly, I just felt proud and so excited for my husband in real life getting to watch him achieve his dreams. I would just watch him sometimes on set and think 'damn, that's my man.' It was fun." 

“That’s really sweet. What’s the most annoying thing she did on set?” He asked Michael. 

Charlotte playfully raised her eyebrow as Michael rubbed his chin.

“You tryin’ to get me in trouble, huh??” He chuckled with a jokingly nervous energy. “Nah, she has always been like this but she is clumsy as hell - in character and in real life. So more than once, we'd get like a perfect take and then she'd just trip over like… air and we had to redo it."

Charlotte covered her face with her hand in embarrassment as Graham, the other guests, and the crowd laughed. 

“Is that true?” 

“1000%. I drop everything, I trip alllllllll the time. It’s pretty wild that it hasn’t happened more on red carpets and stuff honestly. And I break a lot of stuff too,” she added, her shoulders shrugging lightly. “I’m worse than our kids and we have twin boys so that’s saying a lot.” 

“Wow… so I imagine it’s gotta be weird giving feedback and getting it from your husband? How’d that go over?” 

“You know she’s pretty perfect so I never gave her anything other than glowing praise,” Michael interjected with his award-winning smile that had every woman in the crowd swooning. 

“Awww, that’s so sweet. And a complete lie,” Charlotte answered playfully, causing the entire crowd to laugh. “I will say, he was very good at giving constructive feedback but I could always tell what kinda feedback was coming just by how he addressed me.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, he never uses my first name. And we try to keep it professional on set so he calls me Els 99% of the time on set and at home. But if he had constructive feedback, he always called me honey bee instead of Els. It was like his tell. But yea if he pulled out honey bee, I knew it was to butter me up,” she laughed. “But the feedback was mostly positive.”

“Honey bee, that’s so sweet,” Olivia Coleman, one of the other guests on the couch added. 

“To be young and in love. None of the rest of us know anything about that,” Graham joked as the other guests had been married far longer than Michael and Charlotte. “I know Els is short for your middle name. Is there a story behind that nickname?” 

Michael and Charlotte shared a glance, Michael trying to stifle his laughter. However, Charlotte could not hide her own, immediately doubling over at the thought of sharing that origin story. They did not mind sharing details of their personal lives and relationship but that was one area they strayed away from.  

“I take it that story is not appropriate to share?” 

They both shook their heads as they laughed. 

“Nah, definitely not, definitely not. It started off as joke but then I liked it and it stuck,” Michael laughed. “That’s her name in my phone too.” 

“Meanwhile, he’s name is just Bakari in mine with a heart and ring emoji. He’s the romantic in this marriage.” She scrunched up her face playfully as he leaned over and pecked her on the cheek, causing a loud awww to echo through the crowd.

***

This was fun! Ask me more stuff like this, friends lol

[elrielffs]

Hi!

I always just thought that SJM giving Azriel’s lover Steph’s birthday was a way to honor her friend, not as a way to do this big reveal for who the next female mc would be. I definitely think that the fandom made a big deal about the big birthday reveal, not SJM. I think if SJM was using the birthday to reveal the mc, she would’ve had it align with canon. But it doesn’t. According to gywnriels, SJM gave Gwyn Steph’s birthday but she also wrote the big Elriel scene. She didn’t have to write that scene.

None of it makes sense. That’s why I believe that Elain will be given Steph’s birthday. If SJM wasn’t putting any importance on the birthday thing (which she isn’t), it would make sense for her to reveal the couple first (Elriel) then Elain’s birthday. That’s what they get for thinking the birthday thing REALLY mattered when it doesn’t. What do you believe??

So short answer: It really doesn't matter. At all.

Long Answer: The interview where this question was asked happened after ACOSF was written. I've seen the interview in question and SJM's response gives very much an indulgent okay feel to a friend, like a joke. I don't think SJM thought people were gonna take that as a hint and do fae gestation prenatal charts and math to figure out Azriel's love interest. If it was important she probably would of said she can't promise anything or something vague.

She probably won't even remember to do it.

If we wanted to really look at it...why antis cling to this is weird too cause they have to do all this sleuthing to make it fit Gwyn's birthday but we also don't know Elain's birthday so it could easily be hers.

It's such a nothing matter.

And anyways, she can just retcon anyone's birthday if she wants to cause the only one that has mattered for their character is Feyre.

[jokeroutsubs]

📝 ENG Translation: Joker Out: "We perform only for a loud audience".

Article from City Magazine, Serbia.

ENG Translation:

We perform only for a loud audience

Loud, fun, with dancing and a pinch of sequins

We don’t remember when a band jumped several levels of the music scene so quickly, and flew into the most popular in the region ,like the Slovenian band Joker Out.

The popular Slovenians sold out a concert at Dom Omladine in just a few hours, so another date had to be added. Belgrade will welcome them on the 2nd and 3rd of November.

The guys are still on the fence about their fans, when the female fans throw teddy bears on stage, as well as bras. Their audience consists of girls of various ages, but even the parents have heard about them after this year’s Eurovision, when the guys won the hearts of Serbia, which in return gave them 12 points.

Even though it seems to us that everything happened quickly, the band’s frontman Bojan Cvjetićanin didn’t agree with us and told us they’ve been performing at this level for a few years already.

From here we started our short interview, before he and the band ran onto the stage in Belgrade and had an absolute blast.

“In Slovenia we’ve been working at a very high level as a band for at least two or three years already. But we’re still proud of how we’re leading the whole band. We’ve gathered a team that’s like a family to us, so we’re all trying to do things to keep that childish enthusiasm to the max. We’re still very happy and smiling children.” Bojan tells us and continues on that he knows he’s still a “happy child”.

“Even now, when we get to the soundcheck, I behave the same as when everything started. We run out of the van, set up our equipment, joke around, consult with the sound engineers… ”

I asked him what they do when they’re not rock’n’roll stars, but the rock’n’roll star got a little embarrassed at that. However, I asked him to be serious, because it wasn’t me who filled the space in front of the main stage at Arsenal fest this summer, but him.

“We really hang out a lot, and when we’re free, outside of gigs, we spend time together. We love to go fishing.” answers Cvjetićanin and adds what everyone always asks of him; what ‘Carpe diem’, from the name of their biggest hit, means to them.

“All of that time spent together, when we always have new ideas, and where we’re never bored, which also represents a part of that childish enthusiasm. Carpe diem, that’s our day when we’re together.”

A serious career in the west is opening for the guys. In addition to their notable Eurovision performance, this year they collaborated with the famous Elvis Costello. Because of this, and the quality and popularity of their songs, they had a nearly sold out tour in Great Britain, as well as Poland and Scandinavia.

“We haven’t really considered collaborations, with Elvis it came organically. He’s a big inspiration as a musician, and at the very top there’s not many above him. Of course, there’s people we’d love to collaborate with, but as I said, if something happens on its own, then that’s it.”

Regardless of the jump to the west, they haven’t forgotten about the first steps and the people they looked up to at the start, so they always take the chance to mention bands like Siddharta or Da Phenomena, which will be familiar to those who watched and enjoyed MTV Adria.

Lastly, we asked them which bands from the former Yugoslav republics they would bring on tour with them, if they could.

“Of course, from Serbia it has to be Buč Kesidi, Vojko V from Croatia, Who See from Montenegro. We’d bring the young Slovenian band MRFY with us as well. Now, I’m not familiar with a lot of the Macedonian music scene unfortunately, and from Bosnia… (after a long thought and with loud laughter) Hari Mata Hari.”

I had to ask the classic reporter question before a gig, a little twisted though, what do you expect when performing? “I don’t expect a quiet crowd. And I really wouldn’t like for someone not to have fun while we’re performing.”

I’m sure it’ll be exactly like that. Loud, fun, danceable, with a pinch of sequins.

Scan by: IG Safursey (cover picture) & IG Komplijovana (pic 2 & 3)

Translation cr: @moonlvster

[tobyblogger]

What Happened to the Other Users

Hey everyone, Toby here. Many of you have messaged me asking about what happened to the other users, like EerieWhispers, EddieMcRoy, NexusThrill, and Phantom Echoes. Pretty much all of them.

These are the people who posted previous accounts of their experiences with that copy of Five Nights at Prototype Fredbear’s. But before we get into it, have you noticed how once they posted their stories, they stopped talking? Well, you’re about to find out why.

Let’s start with EerieWhispers. I remember receiving a message from her parents about her whereabouts. In case you’re wondering, I’m friends with all of the missing users. Basically, her parents told me that after she stopped speaking—right after her pet cat Milo was murdered—they went to visit her. When they entered her room, they saw a shadow hanging over the bed in the dark. When they turned on the lights, they gasped in shock and sadness.

They found her body hanging by a noose above the bed, swinging back and forth. Underneath her body, they found a note. They read it and sent me the following:

“Dear friends and family,

I couldn’t believe it when I tried to call the police while attempting to stop it from taking my cat. They didn’t believe me and thought it was a joke. I can’t live like this anymore, so I will be taking my life.

Sincerely, Jessica.”

Her parents are now filing a lawsuit against the police department for causing their daughter to commit suicide.

On to the next person, Eddie McRoy, my cousin.

He didn’t kill himself or harm himself directly. Instead, at the end of his post titled I Encountered a Sighting of Prototype Fredbear—which was actually posted by his brother Julius—he described hiding in his room and huddling under his blanket. I was told that later that day, when Julius entered the house, he found Prototype Fredbear hovering over Eddie. The bear lunged forward, grabbing Eddie’s head and ripping it off.

Upon seeing this, Julius told the bear to “go fuck himself.” He grabbed his shotgun, aimed it at the creature, and opened fire. The bear took damage and fell out of the window. Julius immediately closed the window, locked every door in the house, and called both the ambulance and the police. When the police arrived, they told Julius they’d been receiving numerous reports of a similar creature matching his description. They investigated further, and while searching Eddie’s belongings, they found a terrifying image.

It was a photo of the backyard, with a strange creature visible on the left side. When the police showed the image to other people who had reported encounters, they confirmed it: the creature was Prototype Fredbear, the same one from JosephTheSnail’s game Five Nights at Prototype Fredbear’s.

For the record, the police also questioned JosephTheSnail, but it’s clear he wasn’t involved. Many of the people who reported the incidents didn’t press charges against him either.

Now, about NexusThrill. He stopped posting after sharing his account of the disturbing photos and videos on his computer. His roommate told me that Nexus shot himself shortly after.

His body was found on the floor, and his roommate took him to the hospital. Surprisingly, Nexus survived for a short while after the gunshot, but he later died from an accidental fall out of his apartment window.

As for Phantom Echoes, his cat was also killed. He overdosed on drugs and passed away. Sadly, his body began to rot because no one checked on him for a long time. I had been messaging him, asking where the hell he was, and eventually, a neighbor informed me of his death.

The neighbor checked Phantom Echoes' posts about the incident and typed the following: “Holy shit, what the fuck!?”

After that, he stopped speaking to me.

Finally, let’s talk about JosephTheSnail. The police interviewed him about the haunted game, and he gave them a very honest answer. He explained that everything started with a poll on Game Jolt. He showed them the poll results, and while the police were shocked, they realized Joseph wasn’t responsible for this. The haunted copy of the game wasn’t created by him, but likely by some psychopath—or something far more evil and horrifying.

As for me, I’m doing fine now, although I’m still pissed that Joseph’s reputation is being ruined by this creature. Thankfully, people aren’t blaming him.

My cat is safe and still with me. I swear I’ll protect him no matter what, and I’m staying as far away from that damn copy of the game as possible.

[joylinda-hawks]

October 9, 2018 Sweet Donut New Star. ZZH appeared on the cover of the magazine and gave an interview. The magazine indicated that ZZH had been perfecting his skills for eight years and finally got a chance to show his talent. Describing him, it was explained that in life, ZZH is a typical "action man" who does whatever he wants. He likes to play basketball, likes diving, and added the nickname "Crazy" on his Weibo. In addition to his love for outdoor sports, ZZH is particularly filial to his mother, he is very fond of children. He usually stays at home and reads books when he has free time. He always exudes a sunny aura and has a pure heart. During the interview, ZZH answered many questions, including why he cut his hair short. He also shared his experiences on the set of Legend of Yunxi and talked about his hero. In addition to the photo shoot, several video materials were also recorded. During these recordings, ZZH exuded a huge amount of warmth and joy. It was very pleasant to listen to his speech, and ZZH himself has a very nice voice, which is even more audible when ZZH sings a capella. Here, not only was a beautiful photo session created, but also an interesting interview during which ZZH shared information about his passions and future plans. As I have already indicated, a photo session of ZZH was done for the needs of the magazine. ZZH appeared here in several stylizations, which fit very well into the style that he himself prefers in everyday life. For the needs of this session, the stylist chose clothes that referred to the colors of the earth. Most of the sets consisted of clothes in beige and various shades of brown. The break was the color inserts in black or ginger. From several photos and several stylizations, I chose the photo that appeared on one of the versions of the covers. ZZH was dressed in a long-sleeved sweater in a beige and brown melange color. In the presented photo, ZZH is sitting leaning against a table, and in front of him are containers of water. In one of them, a goldfish swims. ZZH has his right hand raised to the height of his face and is gently covering one eye with his fingers. What is worth noting is that we can admire the beautiful golden shade of ZZH's skin, which perfectly harmonizes with ZZH's dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows and short hair. This golden shade of skin also enhances the color of his lips, which are full and the color of rose buds. ZZH looks ahead with a dreamy gaze, as if waiting for something and as if he did not notice the swimming goldfish. If the legend of the goldfish were true and if it fulfilled wishes, then if I had to choose only one wish, it would be this: for ZZH to obtain justice for himself, so that he could return with a cleared name.

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

Capitol Punishment III

Haymitch x Reader

Summary: The Capitol continues to torture it’s victors no matter how long ago they won through punishment, exploitation, and worst of all; their relationships.

A story in which Haymitch’s lover is a plaything for the Capitol.

Warnings: Canon level violence, rape (though never explicit), alcohol, murder, systemic poverty, exploitation, rebellion (?), more reliance on movie than book, suicidal thoughts

Word Count: 3.0K

Part II | Masterlist | Part IV

You, Cinna, and Effie were all eagerly sat on the couch in the living room of the penthouse waiting for Katniss and Peeta to return from their individual session with the game makers. You were discussing game outfits with Cinna when Effie suddenly interrupted you. “Y/N where is Haymitch?” she demanded.

“Calm down,” you began, “he’s down in the training area waiting for them.”

Before Effie could huff anymore the elevator dinged and out stepped the tributes and Haymitch. Haymitch made a beeline for the bar again as Katniss and Peeta approached the couch. “So how’d it go?” you asked.

“Katniss shot an arrow at them,” Peeta jumped in to answer.

“Peeta!” Katniss scolded.

“Katniss!” Effie shrieked. “Why would you do such a thing?”

As Haymitch rounded the couch, drink in hand, he gave Katniss an emphatic thumbs up. You were glad to she a smile tug at her lips, probably the first since she’s gotten here. “Calm down,” Haymitch told Effie as he sat next to you, throwing an arm over your shoulder.

“Calm down? This reflects badly on all of us!” she huffed.

Haymitch just ignored her. “Tell Y/N what you said,” he laughed.

Katniss chuckled, looking down at her hands. “Thank you for your consideration.”

Haymitch laughed again, repeating the line as Caesar Flickerman appeared on the screen, rattling off numbers until he got to District 12. “From District 12: Peeta Mellark. 8.” Everyone erupted into excited gasps until they were quelled by Caesar’s voice. “Katniss Everdeen. An 11.”

Had you not gotten so good at keeping your face blank, your jaw would’ve dropped. An 11? That was practically unheard of. “I thought they hated me,” Katniss said in disbelief.

“They must’ve liked your guts,” Haymitch answered.

“And your accuracy,” you added.

Cinna then stood up, glass raised. “To Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire!”

~

You and Haymitch were stood with the other victors and tributes who had already gone, huddled around the screens displaying the tributes’ interviews. You watched intently, the career districts dazzling the audience as always. As for the poorer districts they were all clearly very uncomfortable, boring the audience. You had been a lot like them. You were very uncomfortable with the skin tight, almost sheer dress you had been put in and you gave short, quiet answers to Caesar’s questions.

You watched as Katniss entered the stage looking dazed, tension clawing at your throat. “She’s gonna pass out,” you commented to Haymitch who had a hand rested on your hip.

“She’ll be fine. She’s the girl on fire, people will eat it up.” You only nodded, eyes still locked on the screen as Caesar welcomed her to the stage.

Caesar made a comment, waiting for a reply but all he got was a “What?” from Katniss.

“I think someone’s a little shy,” he laughed gently. “I said that was quite and entrance that you've made at the Tribute's parade the other day. Do you want to tell us about it?”

“Well, I was just hoping that I wouldn't burned to death.”

The crowd erupted into laughter, meanwhile Katniss still looked like she was going to throw up. “When you came out of that chariot, I have to say… My heart stopped. Did any of you experience this as well?” he asked the crowd which let out an applause. “My heart stopped.”

“So did mine,” Katniss breathed, earning another laugh.

“They love her,” you said in awe.

“Yeah they’re liking the vulnerability and the girl on fire thing,” Haymitch said, taking a swig from his drink.

“Now tell me bout the flames. Were they real?” Caesar asked.

“Yes,” Katniss answered with a slight smile. “In fact I'm wearing them today. Would you like to see?”

You clutched Haymitch’s blazer as the crowd began cheering.

“Wait wait wait. Is it safe?” Caesar asked. Katniss smiled and nodded, standing up. She faced the audience before spinning around, flames erupting from the bottom of her gown. “Woah woah woah! Steady!” Caesar called as Katniss’s spins slowed. He helped her sit back down, giving her a second to gather herself. “Katniss, that was something. That was something. Thank you for that. I have one more question for you. It's about your sister,” he paused for a second taking her hand. “We were all very moved, I think when, you volunteered for her at the reaping. Does she come to say goodbye to you?”

“Yes,” Katniss’ voice echoed across the now silent audience. You could see everyone looking incredibly sympathetic towards her.

“And what did you say to her in the end?”

“I told her that I would try to win. That I will try to win for her.” The crowd ‘awed.’

“Of course you did. And try you will,” Caesar said solemnly before take her hand and standing up. Back to him normal, excited presenter self he yelled, “Ladies and gentlemen, from District 12, Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire!”

“They ate that up,” Haymitch celebrated, jostling you a bit. “Sponsors will be clamoring to help her.”

Katniss then walked in, spotting you and Haymitch just as Peeta was entering the stage. “Nice job, sweetheart,” Haymitch complimented. “And nice dress.”

“Thanks,” she muttered before turning her attention to the screen.

Peeta was sat on the chair next to Caesar, looking very comfortable with the spotlight. “How are you finding the Capitol? Don't say with a map,” Caesar said with a laugh.

“Uh, it's uh… different. It's very different,” Peeta said with a suave smile.

“Different? In what way? Give us an example.”

“Uh okay, well the showers here are weird.” The crowd laughed.

“Showers?”

“Yes.”

“We have different showers,” Caesar told the audience.

“I have a question for you Caesar,” Peeta leaned up a little. “Do I smell like roses to you?” he asked very seriously even.

“Um…” Even Caesar, a seasoned professional, seemed surprised by the question.

“Do I?” He seemed especially surprised when Peeta leaned closer, gesturing Caesar to smell him. “Do I?”

“Yeah,” Caesar agreed. “Do I smell like it?” The audience once again roared with laughter as Peeta smelled the host.

“You definitely smell better than I do,” Peeta said, leaning back.

“Well I’ve lived here longer.”

“That makes sense.”

None of the other tributes’ interviews held a candle to Peeta’s. The Capitol was eating up his charming banter and they had adored Katniss’ awkwardness coupled with her image as the girl on fire. You glanced around the room, finding the career tributes sending side eyes to Katniss. Some were trading their glares between Katniss and her district partner on the screen.

You were brought from your thoughts by Caesar’s next question. “So Peeta tell me… is there a special girl back home?”

Peeta chucked bashfully. “No, not really.”

“No? I don't believe it for a second. Look at that face. Handsome man like you, Peeta. Tell me.”

Peeta licked his lips, the only sign of nervousness tonight. “Well, there a… there's this one girl that I had a crush on forever. But I don't think she actually recognize me until the reaping.”

“Well… I'll tell you what Peeta. You go out there and you win this thing. And when you get home, she'll have to go out with you. Right folks?” The crowed cheered.

“Thanks but I uh… I don't think winnings gonna help me at all.” Peeta was picking at the arm of his chair, not making eye contact. “Because she came here with me.” All three of you froze, both you and Haymitch slowly turning to look at Katniss. She had a look of shock that slowly morphed into anger.

The crowd broke out into sounds of sympathy and shouts of support.

“Well, that's bad luck,” Caesar said, surprised again for the second time this interview.

“Yeah. It is.”

“And I wish you all the best of luck.”

~

You, Haymitch, and Katniss headed towards the elevators, Katniss still silently fuming. Once you pressed the button, Peeta rounded the corner to meet you. Katniss made a beeline for him, pushing him over into a table, knocking over a vase which broke. “What the hell was that?” she demanded.

“Stop it!” Haymitch yelled, standing between them.

“He made me look weak,” she seethed.

“He just did you a favor,” Haymitch countered. “He made you look desirable. Which in your case can’t hurt sweetheart.” Ice rushed through your veins as you realized what Peeta just did to Katniss should she be the one to come out of the games.

You stepped over broken glass, towards Peeta. “C’mon,” you said, gesturing to help him up. He reached up towards you but stopped when he saw blood coming from hi palm. “It’s okay,” you dismissed his concerns about getting you dirty, “we’ll get that bandaged up.”

He took one of your hands with his non-injured one, allowing him to stand up. “We’ll go to the infirmary. See you up there?” Haymitch nodded, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead before facing the elevator once more.

You led Peeta down the hall, finding the training room and the infirmary just off of it. “Hello?” you called, expecting someone to be there. You got no reply.

“I don’t think anyone’s here,” Peeta said, still applying pressure to his palm.

“Yea, me too. Why don’t you sit down, I’ll find some gauze and bandages,” you requested, guiding him towards a chair. You then went into one of the back rooms, finding all the supplies you’d need. You grabbed them, walking back out towards Peeta. “Let me see,” you tugged on his hand, squatting down. “So, was that thing about Katniss real?” you asked, dabbing blood away from the wound.

“Yeah,” he said bluntly, seeming to have nothing else to lose. “I used to watch her walk by to school every day.”

“Well, sorry she kind of rejected you,” you laughed. Fortunately he did too.

“Yeah, definitely one of the harsher rejections.”

“Well if it’s any consolation, the sponsors absolutely loved you.”

“Hey, what’s your deal with sponsors?” Peeta asked. You froze, trying not to show it. “I mean you change whenever sponsors are mentioned.”

You huffed. No point in keeping this kid in the dark. “Because the sponsors who saved my life feel… entitled to me. And it’s become this situation where people pay Snow, and in return they get me for the night.”

“Oh…” Peeta said. “I’m sor-”

“Don’t be,” you cut him off. “It’s the price I pay for getting to love Haymitch. If not for him, I’d be long gone by now.”

“Do the people know about you and Haymitch?”

“No, Snow wants me to seem available. Even if we were allowed to be a couple publicly I doubt it’d change much. The Capitol loves to take things from the districts. I suppose my… predicament is also Haymitch’s punishment.”

“Can I ask— and I don’t mean to be rude—” you laughed internally at that. You were pretty sure this kid didn’t have a rude bone in his body. “Why are you with Haymitch? He’s like 15 years older than you and an alcoholic.”

You chuckled a little at the ridiculousness of it. Many others who knew about your relationship had asked you the same. “Because he was there for me my entire games. Even after he was beaten down by the Capitol and cynical about the world, he was there for me, meanwhile I had absolutely no one else. I won my games out of spite… Haymitch has become my only reason to live.” Peeta sat speechless, not sure what to say. “C’mon,” you said, taping down his bandage, “let’s get you to bed.”

You headed upstairs, making small talk as if you hadn’t just poured out your heart to this kid. You made your way into Haymitch’s room where he was laying on the bed, watching a holographic television. “Hey, how’s the kid?”

“He’ll be fine, just sucks he has to go into the arena with a cut open hand,” you said, lying down next to Haymitch. He rolled closer to you, pulling down the neckline of your dress a little, revealing bruises you didn’t cover up with makeup. Your presence had been requested by a Capitol man not long after Katniss’ 11 was announced. As he was using your body he demanded to know how Katniss scored an 11 and when you refused to tell him, he got violent until a couple avoxes that had been in the room had to pry him off of you.

“They’re getting more violent,” Haymitch noted, an edge of anger in his voice. “Y/N this is getting really dangerous.”

“There’s nothing either of us can do about it,” you sighed. “I’m doing this until I’m no longer desirable.”

“You’ll always be desirable to me,” Haymitch murmured, pressing his lips to yours. He rolled more so he was on top of you, sliding his hands down your body.

You placed a firm hand on his chest, pressing against him. Taking the hint Haymitch pulled away from you. “Not right now, I want to wash him off me first.”

“Yeah, of course. Take as much time as you need,” he said, pressing a peck to your lips before getting off of you.

~

The next morning both you and Haymitch walked Peeta to his tube, Katniss having decided to go with Cinna, the two of them becoming close over the past couple days.

“Remember, run away from the Cornucopia, nothing in there is worth getting killed in the first two minutes,” you advised. “If you join an alliance leave early, remember no one in there is your friend. Only one person comes out.”

Peeta nodded nervously, standing in front of the platform.

“I really do, sincerely hope I get to see you again,” you said, pulling him into a hug.

As you stepped back, Haymitch reached forward, taking Peeta’s hand, shaking it. “We’re going to try our best to help you in there.”

You watched nervously with the other victors as the time counted down. “3… 2… 1.” The tributes ran to the cornucopia. You watched as Peeta ran off into the woods along with two others. As for Katniss she ran towards the cornucopia, stopping only a couple feet in. She looked around, trying to figure out what to do as you internally cursed her for not having a plan.

Fortunately all the career tributes who had weapons were too distracted, slaughtering the others tributes who also went for supplies. Which gave Katniss enough time to decide to grab a backpack further away from the cornucopia than the weapons. She was suddenly knocked to the ground by another fleeing tribute before he was taken down by the girl from District 2 with the knives. She flung another one at Katniss which would’ve hit her in the chest had she not used the backpack as a shield. Taking the knife out of the backpack, she ran for the trees. Fortunately the girl with the knives lost interest in Katniss.

By the time the bloodbath was over there were 11 dead children, and you needed a drink. Seemingly reading your mind, Finnick appeared with a whiskey. “Sorry about your tribute,” you muttered into the drink.

Finnick shrugged sadly. “He was only 12. Didn’t have much of a chance anyways. Just sad that no one volunteered for him.”

“Yeah,” you agreed softly.

“I see your human torches are still alive. Congratulations.”

You chuckled. “Yeah well only one listened to me. Katniss got lucky the other careers didn’t target her as soon as that timer went off.” You looked over at Cashmere, Gloss, Brutus, and Enobaria who were observing their tributes as they officially formed their alliance. Every other tribute had either fled or laid dead, leaving them in control of all the weapons and supplies.

Suddenly, Peeta and the boy from District 3 came out of the woods, hands raised high in surrender. “No Peeta,” you whispered under your breath as Beetee came over to you.

“They’ve formed an alliance,” he commented.

“Yeah one that’ll get them killed as soon as they eliminate their biggest threat: Katniss.”

“I think Byte will prove to be a bit more useful to the careers than yours,” Beetee said in a slightly excited way. “No offense.”

“None taken,” you muttered. It wasn’t uncommon for victors to take pride in their tributes, especially the ones that had a shot at winning. No one wanted to watch the child they had just trained for a week get slaughtered.

“Sorry about your tribute Finnick,” Beetee said. Finnick only hummed a response.

You all watched as Peeta and Byte acquired the careers’ trust. With Byte saying he could rig the explosives to protect their supplies. And Peeta promising that he could help find Katniss. Finnick sucked air through his teeth. “Cold blooded. Say you’re in love with the girl from your district only to create an alliance to hunt her down.”

“Unless he’s slitting all their throats in their sleep, they’re going to kill him the first chance they get,” you said.

Suddenly peacekeepers entered the room, making a beeline for you and Finnick. Seeing the threat, Haymitch was immediately by your side, wrapping a protective arm around your waist.

“Finnick Odair,” you silently breathed a sigh of relief, “your presence is requested.” Finnick huffed, used to the drill, before handing you his drink and begrudgingly heading off with them.

“Glad it wasn’t you. I don’t think your body could handle it,” Haymitch muttered against your hair in relief, referring to the wounded state you had been returning to him in.

Part II | Masterlist | Part IV