#I can see why Hugh Grant praised his kissing

[oscarwetnwilde]

James Wilby's Kiss Scenes: Gradiva (2006) part 1.

[cloud9in]

The Half of It

A Mc x Poppy fic inspired by the film 

Summary: Bea, the town’s outcast is recruited by the school jock to win Poppy’s heart. But what happens when she starts falling for her as well?

Author’s Note: So this will be a multiple part series that includes scenes heavily inspired from the movie “The Half of It”. I certainly recommend watching it. My version will have different twists and a different ending, and definitely more angst. It will include mature themes as the story progresses.

Warnings for this chapter: Swearing. This is a good thing for now.

Chapter 1- 

“Love is simply the name for desire and pursuit of the whole.”

                                                   - Plato, The Symposium

It is said that when one half finds its other, there’s an unspoken understanding. A unity. And each would know no greater joy....than this. 

 ...Except this is highschool. And in my opinion, there is no other half. Maybe the other half is a paper on Greek God philosophy due at midnight. But make that four papers, including mine. 

 My name is Bea Hughes and let’s just say...this is not a very happy story. Well maybe some parts are, but you’ll have to read to find out. I come from a small town called Farmsville, and when I mean small, I mean really small. Except the highschool seems fucking huge, with never ending hallways and when you do somehow find the end, there’s usually two inbreds eating each others mouths off. Lucky for me I am the epitome of antisocial, reserved, an introvert, or whatever the inferior beings, aka every other senior, calls me when they think I can’t hear. But I hear everything, including that one time Bradley Denbrough, upcoming hotshot actor, or so he claims, found out about a crush a poor unsuspecting freshman had on him. Everybody knew what Bradley and his goons did to that boy, even the adults, but no charges were pressed. This town is as conservative as it gets, but no one knows of my secret. I carry this school on my back when it comes to having everyone graduate, but that’s all I am to them, a pawn. And that’s all I wanted to be, nothing more and nothing less. I preferred to be in the shadows. 

 ***

 ...Except the mandatory Senior Talent Show forced Bea out of her hibernation hole. The thought haunted her as she sat in the dance studio, the last fucking place she wanted to be. Dance was so not a Bea kinda thing, but the blonde knew exactly why she granted herself the misery of picking the class. Poppy Min Sinclair, the golden girl of Farmsville High, the preacher’s daughter on a more serious note. She is...the most fascinating girl Bea ever laid her eyes on even if her boyfriend was a complete asshole who sermonized his duties as her future husband. Like seriously? Poppy has got to have some screws loose to date such a fake loser who plagiarizes all of his speeches at sunday church, and once literally begged Bea to write an apology letter to his father for him after completely upending their summer cabin. Except the blonde wrote the opposite of an apology, it went something like this…

 Dear beloved donkey, I mean dad,

 I am terribly sorry for inviting 20 hookers to the summer cabin. I have these strange impulses and you should at least be grateful I didn’t invite the big boss as well. His wife came though, in many, many ways. You should get the carpet changed. 

 Sincerely, your STD free son

 It was safe to say that Mr. Denbrough had a near heart attack after reading it, and Bea did kinda feel bad, kinda. He never mentioned the letter to Bradley though, instead silently calling up the owner of Teopoli Catholic Summer Camp and essentially deporting the boy to Canada for the summer. No son of his would end up in hell was what the old man preached everyday from then on. It was the quietest summer Bea had ever experienced. 

 Being the towns outcast, Bea could have her fun when she so chooses to, but that didn’t pay the bills. In fact, the multiple essays that people paid her to write was her way of surviving and taking care of her mother. They weren’t very rich but Bea worked with what she had, helping her mother manage the farm, which included getting on her knees and wrestling the pigs. And that’s how she was gifted the name “pig girl”, stupid Bradley and his fake friends just had to wander too far and catch Bea in the act. She swore a remixed video of her hog calling surfaced the web at one point and that gave the blonde her five minutes of fame. Boy was it an awful time in her life. 

 Bea worked her mother’s previous job as station master or signalman for the trains that passed through, even if it barely paid her shit. The secluded feeling of sitting in that booth and having a moment with her thoughts was enough to give her purpose. Bea was fond of poetry and it usually helped her come up with song lyrics.

 Song lyrics…

 That she would have to sing at the talent show. A huge sigh escaped her lips as she slumped further into the ground, maybe hoping she could bury herself six feet under. It wasn’t that Bea hated singing, no she absolutely loved it. Playing her guitar at night and belting out lyrics that only resulted in her mother banging on the ceiling below in efforts to shut the blonde up. But the mere fact that she’d have to sing in front of the ruthless seniors rubbed her the wrong way. Something would go wrong, it always did. Bea was shaken out of her thoughts when Poppy crossed the center of the room, moving her hips slowly to the sound of Rihanna’s voice. The class chose a slow r&b song to choreograph today and of course all eyes were on Poppy.

 If i’m your girl say my name boy

let me know i'm in control

 Her silky blonde locks swayed as she danced to the beat, hands thrusting sensually along her sides. Bea stared in awe, almost like Poppy was the only one in the room and a spotlight illuminated every movement, every curve. Except she definitely wasn’t the only one picturing Poppy in that way. Carter, the school quarterback leaned against the railing, arms crossed and eyes trailing the rise and fall of her chest. 

 Got me wondering, I’m wondering if i'm on your mind

 Bea sat up straighter but nearly lost her bodily functions when Poppy locked eyes with her before spinning away. It was simple eye contact Bea, don’t let it get to your head. You already have multiple lyrics inspired by Poppy offering the bare minimum in human interaction. She doesn’t actually like you. Poppy is popular and has the perfect life...and boyfriend, even if Bea heavily disagrees. Poppy was a bitch of course, but not a bitch bitch. Unlike the other wannabe mean girls, the blonde didn’t give Bea hell, well that was because the girl paid her zero attention. She seemed distant, off in her own world, or well in her parents world learning the strategies of business. Poppy was expected to follow in her parents footsteps and keep up with her reputation of being the richest in town, and of course a faithful future wife. So fun. But the blonde had other prosperous dreams of travelling and following her passion of music and dance. Highschool was her only outlet and she took advantage of it any chance she’d get. Bea knew this because she would ride her bike every friday night to the school and watch Poppy dance from outside the glass window. Maybe Bea realized it was kinda creepy, but she’s dumb enough to not realize her obvious growing attraction. I mean who pedals miles just to watch someone trip on their feet? 

 ***

 The sound of the bell caught everyone's attention and the teacher slowly lowered the music. Bea watched as Bradley approached Poppy and smothered her with kisses and praises. She rolled her eyes painfully, this kind of PDA definitely wasn’t it, she could have gone her whole life without seeing that. She walked silently through the crowd of kids in the hall, everyone was laughing and talking to their friends. All Bea could allow her mind to focus on was the very intimidating billboard of names a few feet across from her. 

 Winter Talent Show Sign-Ups (Mandatory For Seniors)

 Bea glared at it quietly before signing her name on the sheet, sealing her inevitable fate. Through the hustle of students, Carter watched the blonde with a yearning look from afar. This should be great…

 The next few classes were a blur and Bea eventually found herself getting up to hand Ms. Kingsley her paper. The older woman looked at her with a knowing glance as she took a generous sip of her coffee, which was 75% tequila.

 “6 different interpretations on Plato? Colour me impressed Miss Hughes.” 

 Bea shrugs nonchalant, “yeah well would you rather read their actual essays?”

 “Oh hell no.” Kingsley feigns shock as she looks at the stack of papers with a comical expression. She takes another sip, watching her younger, prodigy of a student carefully. “You know there are places outside of this godforsaken town where you can put your talents to use... Real use. I teach at Belvoire University occasionally.” Ina winks and slides Bea an application, studying her initial reaction. “It’s...in New York.”

“Damn right! The Big Apple.”

 “Kingsley you know I have to stay here. It’ll be easier for me to manage the farm and be close to home”, Bea says confidently even though her body language displays otherwise. She predicted the big sigh filling her ears before it actually happened and it still managed to faze her. “Who ever said you had to do anything? What about what you want to do?” Bea doesn’t make eye contact with Ina, that woman could convince you to do just about anything with a certain look. “No we are not doing this. You can take your reverse psychology and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. I’m outta here.” The blonde stomps out of the classroom, the sound of Ina’s chuckles still ringing in her ears.

 “Hey! Everyone in this town fears God, but you know what God fears? My ability to hide a bottle of Don Julio in my left boot.” Ina pulls out the newly bought bottle and cradles it. “Come to mama.”

 ***

 Bea rode her bike alongside the dirt road, Kingsley’s words on replay the entire ride. Maybe she did deserve to experience something more than what this town had to offer. But would her mother manage without her? Sacrifices, sacrifices. Bea was used to making those for her mother after her father’s death. What would her dad think of all of this?

 “Hey!”

 He’d surely smack Bea upside the head for the little antics she pulled occasionally. And then he’d buy her vanilla coconut ice cream and ask for every single detail of what happened as they sat and laughed together. That’s the kind of relationship Bea would have had with her father, she liked to assume so. She also liked to assume that she’d get home safely everyday without a scratch, but then there’s Carter.

 “Hey wait up!” 

 The jock seemed to be running ridiculously fast and crashed right into the rear end of Bea’s bicycle, sending her face first into a mount of dirt. The initial impact was enough to boost the blonde straight back up like nothing happened and into a fighting stance, fists out and eyes wild. Very scary Bea. When she realized it was him...well it only pissed her off even more. “What the fuck Carter! You asshole!”

 “I’m sorry Bea! Here let me help-”

 “No! Move away! You- my bike- I…” Bea groans frustratingly, stepping away from the wreck as she tries to catch her breath. Carter watches her sheepishly, rubbing an envelope between his fingers awkwardly. After a few minutes of painfully uneasy silence he speaks up, “Okay...I didn’t want to ask you this way but I was wonder-”

“Oh, so you practically break my ass and now you want me to do you a favour? Real nice way of communication you have there Mr. Quarterback. What is with you and those freakishly large muscles anyways? Maybe it’s my fault I didn’t hear your avalanche built ass coming from behind.”

 “Hey! They are not freakishly large!”

 “I hate to break it to you Jackson but mine are significantly more appealing to look at.” Bea smirks widely, flexing her arm as best as she could. It’s a work in progress… just bare with her.

 It didn’t take much effort for Carter to break out into a smile and look at her fondly. Maybe there was more to this girl than just being a human dictionary. Well that’s what people called her, and he maybe believed it at first.

 Bea noticed the lack of response and shifted awkwardly, clearing her throat. “Listen, its $10 for three pages, $20 for three to ten, I'm not in the over-ten-page biz.”

 “No..no I’m not here to cheat!” Carter blurts out. “But I’ll let you know if I do plan on- anyways. I uh..” He hesitates before handing her the envelope. “What’s this?

 “Well you see it’s a letter..”

 “Yeah but who writes letters these days?”

 “I thought it seemed romantic..”

 “And I thought women writing Jeffrey Dahmer letters in jail seemed romantic”, Bea says sarcastically, her smile dropping instantly after catching a glimpse of Poppy’s name at the top of the paper. It was like the blood stopped flowing through her body for a few seconds as her mouth went dry. This had to be the work of the so-called God everyone praised in this town, or it was one cruel coincidence. Bea wasn’t sure why seeing her name made her heart beat ten times harder, but it also wasn’t a necessarily uncomfortable feeling…

 “I- I can’t help you.”

 “But if you just add a few more words-”

 “I’m not writing a letter to Poppy Min Sincla- to..to some girl for you. Letters are supposed to be authentic, from the heart, your own words, your...feelings.” Bea hurriedly turns to grab her bike, suddenly losing all interest in being social. 

 Carter was afraid this would happen. But he was stubborn. “But I can pay more for authentic!” 

 Too bad Bea was stubborn as well. “Just get a thesaurus...Good luck, Romeo.”

***

 Bea sat in her room, strumming away softly at the strings of her guitar. Some of the keys were off but the old thing still worked, and that was good enough for her. She could hear the tv blasting downstairs, her mother most likely watching the news. There’s something about old people and news, were they secretly ogling the news anchors? Just like Bea ogled Poppy any chance she could. The blonde frowned to herself, her eyebrows crunching together in question. What so hard about writing a letter to Poppy? It’s not like it's coming from her. Well it technically is, but Carter is taking the credit and Bea never had a problem with people taking credit for her words. So why did this very thought prove to be such an inconvenience? Lucky for Bea, her mind drifted elsewhere when she heard a painful snap. Even if it wasn’t physically connected to her body, she felt a horrible ache. Slowly peering down at the guitar in her hand, Bea found that the neck of the guitar had miraculously split almost clean off, a splinter of wood just holding it intact. She wanted to scream but nothing really came out, except air of course. Much to her disapproval, this was definitely a result of her strength. Stupid muscles couldn’t contain themselves at the thought of Carter being with Poppy. Now how could that be? 

 But now she had no guitar. And no guitar means no strings to strum, and no lyrics to sing, and no talent to show at the talent show. Now she was in trouble. Probably because she knew that the only way to get the money to replace the guitar would be through sealing the deal with Carter. Oh fuck it!

 ***

 “One letter. And enough money to buy a new guitar.”

 “Deal!”

 Bea turns away with a sigh, completely ignoring Carter’s high five. Now all she had to do was write this letter, and pray that Poppy wouldn’t completely consume every fiber of her being in the process.

                                 -------------------------------------------

End note: So how we feelin’? Carter and Bea Brotp??

Tags: @samanthadalton @somewillwin @clowneryme @baexpoppy @zigxryanz @uselesslesbianfr @aleiramacaii @thedaft1 @alexlabhont @iamsimpforpoppy

[girlsbtrs]

The Five Best Songs in Movie Scenes, According to a High School Senior

Written by Jennifer Moglia. Graphic by Laura Cross. 

As a girl who was born in the 2000s, lived out my childhood in the 2010s, and turned 18 years old in the year 2021,  all forms of media have played a huge role in my experiences growing up. From movies and TV shows to all different types of music to YouTube videos and social media creators, I’ve spent a large portion of my life watching other people do things, whether it was acting, singing, playing an instrument, or even just reviewing makeup products on Vine or TikTok. 

However, one of these mediums has stood out from the rest; movies (or as the nerd in me would like to call them, “films”). As a freshman in high school, I decided to try to start watching more movies when I realized that my favorites consisted solely of Disney cartoons and the occasional cheesy rom-com. 

Over the years, I’ve practically exhausted Netflix and Hulu’s libraries, bought a ridiculous amount of DVDs, and my Letterboxd diary has just reached 200 films (shameless self-promo, you can follow me there @happilyjennifer). When watching movies, especially ones that I’ve never seen before, I always try to pay attention to the music used in each scene - not the instrumental score, but the specific songs used to highlight pivotal moments. 

The right track can make a sad scene heart-wrenching or a happy scene exhilarating, a romantic scene fairy tale-worthy or a death scene absolutely traumatic; a particular song can elevate a key scene in a film, making it that much more impactful. So, without further ado, here are my five favorite uses of songs in movie scenes, from films I’ve seen throughout my 18 years.

Honorable Mention: Heroes by David Bowie in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Some might be shocked at this scene’s placement in the “honorable mention” section due to how revered it is, but that’s almost why it lands there. This film and book have both been overhyped to death as a coming-of-age staple for as long as I can remember, and for that reason, I was underwhelmed when I first read and watched it. 

However, I don’t think it should suffer because of its reputation, which is why I simply couldn’t pick a numbered spot for it. Standing alone as a scene, without any of the praise, this song and movie combination is absolutely breathtaking. 

The visual of Emma Watson’s character Sam standing up in the car with Patrick and Charlie, her arms outstretched as the trio zooms through the tunnel to the city, is a visceral experience. Charlie proclaiming that he feels “infinite” is the cherry on top - he finally feels free, free from any past trauma or current stresses or general pressures of being a teenager. 

It’s a beautiful moment, and it’s made iconic by the addition of Bowie’s hit song. The pairing of Heroes with “Perks”’ instantly recognizable “tunnel scene” is unforgettable.

5. God Only Knows by The Beach Boys in “Love Actually”

As a member of “Gen Z”, you won’t be surprised to hear that my attention span is not the best. That’s why, at times, “Love Actually” dragged a bit for me - I felt that the two-hour and 15-minute runtime was just a little much, especially with so many different stories to keep up with. 

Despite all of that, though, I think that the ending practically saves this movie. The words “one month later” flash across the screen, and we are brought to Heathrow Airport, the place that David, played by Hugh Grant, spoke of at the beginning of the film. 

We’re reminded of his opening sentiment, that whenever he’s feeling down, he thinks back to watching families reuniting at the gates in this airport, and he instantly feels better. It’s a perfect opening to a film about love, and calling back to it makes for a perfect ending. 

The viewers see each of the film’s stories wrapped up neatly with a bow, particularly helpful for people like me who practically forgot about some of the characters by the time the two-hour mark was reached. What really makes this scene one of my favorites, though, is the very end of it. 

As the lyrics “God only knows what I’d be without you” repeat and start to fade out, we are taken away from our characters and the screen now shows real families reuniting in Heathrow Airport, not actors. The clips form a collage and then, ultimately, a heart, before it all fades to black. True human connection can warm even the coldest of hearts, and this classic love song by The Beach Boys is the perfect soundtrack to these heartfelt moments.

4. Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop in “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Throughout my middle school and early high school years, I knew more about Marvel movies than I did about my family or the material I was learning in school. I saw “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in theaters five times, skipped my first spring formal dance to see “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” in 3D on opening night, and even had a personalized Iron Man sweatshirt that I wore nearly every day.

The Marvel franchise that utilizes music, or at least recognizable music, the most is definitely the “Guardians of the Galaxy” series. Chris Pratt’s character Peter “Star Lord” Quill’s mother made mixtapes for him while she was still in his life, filled with pop music from the 1970s-80s that she listened to when she was younger.

Titled “Awesome Mix Volume 1”, Quill becomes attached to it as it was one of the only items he had left of his mother after they were separated. The music that she shared with him becomes a key piece of this movie as well as its sequel, from Baby Groot swaying in a flower pot to “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 to Star Lord completing a mission while Redbone’s “Come And Get Your Love” plays through his headphones.

My favorite use of a classic song in a “Guardians” movie, though, is in an interaction between Quill and his love interest, Gamora. The two are bonding over their unusual relationships with their parents with Quill talking about how music connects him to his mom, pulling out his tape deck and headphones.

The dynamic between the two characters here is hilariously adorable, as Gamora explains that she doesn’t believe in music or dancing, which appalls Quill and leads to him explaining the plot of the movie “Footloose” to her, applying it to the people on her planet. He then takes off his headphones and puts them on her head, allowing her to listen to “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”, though she doesn’t quite appreciate the moment, talking over the music about how the “melody is very pleasing.”

I’m a sucker for awkwardly cute couples and the mini enemies-to-lovers storyline between Star Lord and Gamora gives me butterflies every time; I can’t help but giggle when Quill goes in for the kiss and Gamora immediately pulls a weapon on him. The use of such a well-known love song makes this moment that much sweeter.

3. Where is my Mind? by The Pixies in “Fight Club”

Yes, I realize that I’m automatically breaking the first rule of “Fight Club” by even listing it here, but I had to. This is a movie that countless people (men, countless men) had told me to watch for years, and I finally caved about a year ago out of “quarantine boredom.”

While I don’t praise this film as much as others do (men, as much as men do), I can certainly appreciate the influence that it has had on the world of film at large. There’s a lot of commentary on consumerism, violence, individualism, and the concept of masculinity packed into these two hours, even though many people (you know what these parentheses are about to say: many men) miss all of that and just watch it for the fight scenes.

The scene I chose from “Fight Club” as one of my favorites uses of a song in a film is the ending, which includes “Where is my Mind?” by The Pixies. The Narrator (Ed Norton) has just shot himself, effectively killing his alternate personality of Tyler Durden, and his love interest Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) has been kidnapped and brought to him by his Project Mayhem workers.

Marla is horrified upon finding The Narrator in the condition that he’s in and learning that he’s the one who put himself in this situation, or at least he thinks so. All he can offer to her is to say this: “I'm sorry...you met me at a very strange time in my life.” This is when the buildings start to fall.

All of the explosives planted by Project Mayhem begin to detonate, exploding and imploding as Marla and The Narrator look on, The Pixies’ hit playing softly in the background. She looks startled at first, before relaxing and allowing him to take her hand, and the two watch the city crumble to the ground with “Where is my Mind?” as the backing track; it’s masterfully done.

2. Everytime by Britney Spears in “Spring Breakers”

I want to start this section by saying that I’m fully aware that this scene shouldn’t work, let alone be beautiful, and the same could be said for this movie as a whole, but for some reason, there’s something captivating about “Spring Breakers” and the renowned “Everytime” scene. Netflix first suggested this movie to me as a freshman in high school (complete side note: Why, Netflix? What was okay about suggesting this to a 14-year-old?), and it has stuck with me for years after.

The way that “Spring Breakers” sugarcoats itself in its marketing is almost a microcosm of its themes and storyline. The neon color schemes and promos including former Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez and Vaness Hudgens hide a story of four girls on their spring break consumed by crime, drugs, and murder, and this scene exemplifies that perfectly.

After Gomez’s character Faith gets scared and goes back home, drug and arms dealer Alien (James Franco) takes Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Hudgens), and Cotty (Rachel Korine) to a strip club where they meet his rival, fellow drug dealer Big Arch. Alien arms the girls with shotguns and pink ski maks adorned with unicorns (hello, symbolism!), and they gather around the piano next to his pool to listen to him play.

Franco’s character begins to play Spears’ hit “Everytime”, the girls singing along, before Britney’s original version takes over, playing as a montage of the group participating in multiple armed robberies plays out on the screen in slow motion. The juxtaposition of the soft, feminine song with the violent crimes being carried out sums up this entire film in a nutshell; I strongly believe that this scene helps this film earn its title as a masterpiece.

1. Young Blood by The Naked and Famous in Disney’s “Prom” 

Giving the top spot to a movie that most people probably haven’t seen could be seen as a bold move, but I’m telling you, this movie raised me. I have such a vivid memory of seeing it in theaters with my mom when I was only eight years old, dreaming about the day that I’d get to dress up and go to my own prom; pretty crazy that ten years later, I’ll be attending my high school’s prom in a month, and I still think about this movie often.

I identified with Aimee Teegarden’s character Nova Prescott heavily when I was younger, the star student who always wanted to be the best and do the best, quickly turning into the obsessive perfectionist who doesn’t know how to have fun and let go. Thomas McDonnell’s portrayal of Jesse Richter, the bad boy with a soft side who introduces Nova to a whole new world, has always tugged at my heartstrings.

The scene in this movie that has stuck with me for a decade now comes when Nova and Jesse are starting to work together to plan and decorate for prom while also started to develop feelings for each other. Nova is stressed that another school’s theme is too similar to theirs and that they will be upstaged, to which Jesse says, “let’s see how starry their night really is.”

The pair hops onto Jesse’s motorcycle and sets off to visit the rival school. As they take the ride, indie band The Naked and Famous’ song “Young Blood” plays in the background, the upbeat chorus and “yeah yeah yeah”s perfectly framing Nova’s change of heart towards Jesse.

They sneak into the other school to check out their decor, only to be caught by the police and taken home by their parents. Nova’s father snaps at Jesse, and while the girl she was at the beginning of the movie would have agreed with her dad, she doesn’t; in fact, she defends Jesse, and apologizes to him for her parent’s behavior the next day.

In addition to being one of my favorite coming-of-age movie moments, this movie also introduced me to The Naked and Famous and the album that this song is on, “Passive Me, Aggressive You”, which has become one of my favorite records of all time (listen to Girls Like You and Punching in a Dream and you’ll be hooked). As I mentioned earlier, the right soundtrack can make a romantic scene a million times more magical, and that’s exactly what the use of Young Blood does here. 

[anamandabynes]

1. Before Colin Firth was convinced to take on the role of Daphne’s father, Hugh Grant was considered.

DENNIE GORDON: “I wanted to cast Colin Firth as the father, which entailed taking a trip to London to have lunch with, or have tea with him, at the Langham, a fantastic hotel...to convince him to play the father. We had talked to Hugh Grant at one point, but Hugh Grant said ‘Are you crazy? I’m not old enough to have a teenage daughter,’ which we all thought was hilarious. But, we really wanted Colin…we all had massive crushes on him as Mr. Darcy and just knew he’d be fantastic in the role.”

“He wasn’t so comfortable about the genre initially, but we just kept talking and I finally won him over because I said, ‘Look, it has to be somebody of your stature and has to be somebody who has the gravitas and the dignity and yet the kind of innate charm and morality that Henry has to have, that’s you, Colin, we have to have that.’ So, we finally won him over. And he was really, really fun to work with.”

“I remember when we finally screened the movie, Colin came up to me and said, ‘Well, Dennie, you’re a very clever girl,’”

“I don’t need to hear any more praise than that. I’m good. I can live forever now.”

2. It was one of the first films to shoot in Morocco and paved the way for future productions in England.

DENNIE GORDON: “Every time I turn on like ‘Downton Abbey’ or ‘The Crown,’ I’m seeing these locations that we were the first to use. Daphne’s ball is at Lancaster House, which they’re using all the time for Buckingham Palace for ‘The Crown,’ but when we were using it, we were one of the first film crews allowed to shoot there.”

3. Alexis Bledel and Jessica Simpson wanted the lead role that ultimately went to Bynes.

DENNIE GORDON: “There were lots of wonderful teen girls who wanted to play this part and I met them all... like Alexis Bledel and Jessica Simpson. Everybody who was in that age group at that time thought it was a really juicy part and wanted to play the role. But Amanda had starred on a television series here in the States, and she was a very up-and-coming young talent. And it was really fun to kind of capture her when she herself was exactly that age and when she herself was exactly going through the things that Daphne’s going through. Even though Amanda had a presence on television, she was not very traveled and she just was a worker and hadn’t really seen the world” because it allowed her to have this “innocence” to her that could easily be captured on film. When she goes to London, when she meets her father, when she suddenly sees all these things, she’s truly floored and truly amazed.”

4. The movie originally went through two working titles, including American Girl, and London Calling.

5. Bynes portrayed Daphne differently from how Gordon and the producers envisioned her playing the character.

DENNIE GORDON: “It was interesting because once we started shooting, we imagined her being, because she was a physical comedian, we imagined that she would be playing the role much broader and she did something very interesting that had us all a little scared initially because she was very small in her emotion and her eyes and kind of restrained at first and we were really wondering, like, ‘Is she getting it? Is she doing it?’”

“Oh, I think we all thought she'd be a little bit more goofy and slightly larger than life, but she was very inward with it and small and it wasn't what we all thought, but it ended up being so truthful and so interesting.”

“I think she arrived with a very clear idea on who this young woman was and a very clear idea of how she wanted to play her, and I think what was interesting was it wasn’t exactly what the producers and I had in mind, but we ended up being so delighted by it.”

“She had very carefully thought through this woman’s journey and she felt that at the beginning, there was something missing in this girl’s life and that she was going to play her sort of down and unfulfilled and unhappy but that she was deeply brave, and she wasn’t going to open up and become that girl that we knew from Nickelodeon until she landed at that place where she said, ‘I know who I am.’”

6. Kelly Preston was a late addition as Daphne’s mother, Libby.

DENNIE GORDON: “Kelly came in later. We had a lot of ideas for her and Kelly was sort of a late, breaking idea and we were so thrilled. I think we may have already started filming. I think we thought that maybe, the producers thought that maybe we’d find somebody in London who could play American or who was American and in the end, we just thought, ‘Kelly’s so great, she’s so classically American, she’s such a great beauty, she’s lovely.’ And we thought that the chemistry between her and Colin would be so great… She came in late in the game and fit right in and was just such a great part of the team.”

7. Oliver James beat out Henry Cavill and other U.K. actors with his charm and singing skills for the role of Ian, Bynes’ love interest.

DENNIE GORDON: “When [Oliver James] came in, he just knocked our socks off. He just was so boyishly good-looking and it’s so funny, I’ve seen all the other actors who’ve grown up around him… Henry Cavill was one of the guys who came in and he’s done extremely well. There were a lot of really fabulous, young U.K. men coming in to read for that part, but Oliver was just so charismatic and had such a beautiful singing voice that we just, that was sort of key for us that he could sing. And Oliver was just, I mean, why was this guy not a big pop star?”

“The authenticity of having a young face like that who can actually sing was so important to us that I don’t know what we would’ve done if we hadn’t found Oliver.”

8. Bynes’ and James’ chemistry lent its hand to the filming of a great kiss scene.

DENNIE GORDON: “Amanda really loved him, I think. When they kissed for that first time in the boat, I think it might’ve been one of her very first [on-screen] kisses, so it was like, ‘Wow, we’re really capturing something.’”

9. Some of the movie’s greatest lines were improv from the actors.

DENNIE GORDON: “[Dame Eileen Atkins] was a brilliant writer herself and so she was always taking the dialogue and plus-ing it up and making it hysterically funny, adding lines like, ‘No hugs, dear, we’re British. We only show affection for dogs and horses.’ That was pure Eileen. I don’t even remember what the original line was, but, of course, Eileen made everything she said more brilliant and better.”

BONUS: What does Gordon imagine the characters are up to, 15 years later?

DENNIE GORDON: “Well, I imagine that Daphne’s married and has children and Henry’s a grandfather. Henry and Libby lived happily ever after. Jocelyn, the grandmother, is probably no longer with us, sadly. Glynnis is on welfare. Yeah, we last saw Alistair as a tour guide. They’re just scraping along, the rats that they are… I am sure that Henry and Libby and Daphne and hopefully [Ian] are living happily ever after.”

[lumiolivier]

Chapter Twenty-Five:  Hello Kitty

Word Count: 6139

Chapter No. 25/?

Notes:  This chapter gets a little (and I do mean, a little) on the racy side.  That’s all I’m going to say.  Nothing too graphic.  But for those of you familiar with Mystic Messenger, it feels like a very Jumin Han thing to do.  Also, something I’d do...:3

Chapter Twenty-Four:  Journals from Central

I really wish the diner on the outskirts of Lenexa wasn’t horrifying.  That way, I could still avoid the café like the plague.  Unfortunately, here we are.  I looked in the window and made sure King Douchebag himself wasn’t in there.  Lucky for me, the café was emptier than last year’s bird nest.  I was a bit grumbly and I could use the caffeine boost that the Red Bull had failed to deliver me, so I made my first steps into the café as a civilian and waited for my boyfriend behind the counter to acknowledge me.

 I was so proud of him, making use of the downtime.  Julian was cleaning out one of the espresso machines while I stood there waiting patiently. I trained him well.  Although, everything seemed to be the same.  Even when I’m not here, this place is always in a rut.  But a small part of me kind of missed it here.  Sure, Griffin was an insufferable asshole, but I liked the people that came in here.  It sucked not seeing some of them anymore.

 Alright.  This was getting ridiculous.  Something tells me Julian wasn’t paying attention to the door and was off in his own little world right now.  I understood, though.  I’d daydream cleaning the espresso machines, too.  However, I had a fic to work on and I didn’t have all day to twiddle my thumbs in here.

 “Notice me, senpai…” I whispered.

 “Oh, senpai has noticed already, baby,” I could hear a smile on his face.  Julian came back to the counter, “What are you doing in here?  I thought this place was dead to you.”

 “It is,” I confirmed, “But there’s this really cute guy that works here.  I can’t seem to quit him.”

 “It’s me, isn’t it?”

 “Who else would it be?” I rolled my eyes.

 “You ok?” Julian glanced me over, “You don’t look so good.”

 “I’m fine,” I brushed him off, “I thought about what you said this morning.”

 “The parallel fic?” he figured.

 “Yeah,” I nodded, “I finished the Mustang chapter and I did the Hawkeye chapter.”

 “That’s my girl!” he praised, “How’d they turn out?”

 “The Mustang chapter was easier to write,” I sighed out, “The Hawkeye chapter made me need to take a walk or I’d start crying.”

 “Shit…” Julian understood, “That bad?”

 “It’s a heavy chapter,” I warned him, “Are you sure you need it in your life that bad?”

 “Positive,” he swore, “I have thick skin.  I can handle it.”

 “Are you sure?” I winced, “Because the Hawkeye chapter takes place right after Hughes’ funeral.”

 “Mimi!” Julian whined, “Why’d you have to go and do that?  It’s like when I read the L reader fic all over again!”

 “You actually read through it?” I cocked my head.

 “Yeah!” he squeaked, “And it crushed me!  When you went out with Veronica and I was sitting in the diner, my waitress asked me if I was ok and if I needed a hug.  I wasn’t and I did!  But I didn’t tell her that.”

 “I’m sorry, baby,” I bit my lip, “I don’t mean to rip your heart out.  It just happens.”

 “Mimi?” Kyle chirped from the back, “There you are!”

 “Hi, Kyle,” I greeted him.

 “Where have you been?” he drawled while Julian made my green tea for me, “I missed you!  The other day, I thought I was actually on time.”

 “I quit,” I told him, “Haven’t worked here since Tuesday.”

 “I thought today was Tuesday…” Yep.  Nothing’s changed.

 “No,” I corrected, “You’re off a couple days, Kyle.  Today’s Thursday.”

 “Damn,” Kyle sighed, heading back into the kitchen, “But it’s good to have you back!”

 “I’m not coming back,” I shot him down, “Only for tea and maybe a turnover.”

 “Here,” Julian gave me a green tea and a cherry turnover, “Don’t worry about it.”

 “Thank you,” I awed, “I need to get back to work.”

 “Me, too,” he did a quick glance around the café, sneaking a kiss from behind the counter, “I’ll see you when I get home.”

 “Sure will,” I assured, grabbing my bag and my cup, “I love you.”

 “I love you, too, Lieutenant.”

 And I went on my merry little way with my heart all full.  It felt so weird being on the other side of that.  Like tying someone’s tie for them.  I started walking around the park to clear my head.  Why not?  It’s the quickest and best way of straightening things out upstairs.  I could shit on Lenexa all I wanted to.  It did have its redeeming qualities. Especially this park.

 The city board was hard at work lighting this place up for Halloween.  The Mystic Forest was cool as hell.  The whole place looked dark and ominous and scary.  But in a fucked up twisted sense, it was so beautiful.  It’s how I pictured a rave in the woods outside of Phantomhive Manor to look if the young lord was into that sort of thing.

 As beautiful as it may be, it wasn’t much to look at during the day.  I started heading back toward Julian’s and got to work on the Free! fic. Which was just me staring at a blank computer screen for half an hour.  I had nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Haru wants to do a body swap with the mermaid, so he can have fins for legs.  I got that.  But how were they going to do it?  Rin was way too protective of her.  Maybe I should scrap it.  With the trouble it’s giving me, I was highly tempted.

 Maybe it’s just one of those projects that go in the ‘not today’ file.  I didn’t want to fully scrap it.  I loved the adorable concept!  And I wanted to get Rin’s sister involved and her telling him not to be creepy and her freaking out because…well…there is a mermaid in his bathtub. And maybe some of the other swim club members.  Even though the internet tries to get me to ship Haru and Makoto, I couldn’t.  Don’t get me wrong.  Makoto’s a cutie and I could just eat him up.  But Rin and Haru?  They’re too much of OTP material.  They’re rivals.  They make each other better swimmers.  They’re the cutest thing and I wanted them to be together forever.

 All of a sudden, I had a lightbulb moment.  Just because I was having a little case of writer’s block didn’t mean I had to give up a creative outlet altogether.  Julian still had some boxes packed.  Maybe I could be the sweet girlfriend I am and finish for him.  He was nice enough to let me crash here last night while I was in the state I was in yesterday.  It was the least I could do.  I wasn’t going through his stuff.  I’m unpacking.  There’s a difference.  And now, I’m starting to sound like Veronica.

 Granted, I had no clue where he wanted anything, but if he didn’t like where I put it, he can change it himself.  For whatever reason, I started in the basement.  I’ve never been down here.  God only knows what happened in his basement.  This could’ve been a sex torture dungeon and I’d be none the wiser. Julian didn’t strike me as the type to be into that sort of thing.  His kink threshold was probably cosplaying.  Aside from that, he’s probably not into pain or anything like that.

 I turned the light on and started down the stairs.  Sweet mother of God…I wasn’t expecting this down here.  Not quite a sex torture dungeon, but just as much of a turn on. Julian’s basement looked like a fully functioning workshop.  And it was all ridiculously organized.  His workspace put mine to shame.  Then again, I was restricted to making all of mine in my bedroom.  I’ve been wondering where he did all his work.  So many works in progress…I guess he really was getting a jump on con season.  This was chill inducing!

 Julian had so much down here.  All of the armor was metal instead of Worbla and probably fully functional.  All the leather was so well worn and aged.  By the looks of it, some of these were still drying.  I wanted to cry.  This was like looking into the Grand Canyon or over Niagara Falls.  And I wanted to live here.  Julian’s basement looked like my wet dream

 I’d be lying if I said this didn’t inspire me a little.  The bolts and bolts of fabric so meticulously organized made me want to play. Unfortunately, Julian’s sewing machine was occupied by some bright red silk that I wanted to wrap myself in.  I had visions of it hanging over Noiz after a night with Koujaku.  He really was working on a new one, wasn’t he?  I’m sure he knew what he was doing, but God, I hope he’s careful with this silk. I saw the price tag on one of his bolts. Silk didn’t come cheap.

 I could finish it while he’s gone…but then he can’t say he did it.  And robbing him of that would be a dick move.  I didn’t know how he was going to do this.  All I knew was how much I couldn’t wait to be the one to put Koujaku’s tattoos on his body.  I could not wait.  All those big, beautiful blossoms on his nicely defined back…I’m already swooning.

 I wasn’t going to screw with anything down here.  Julian had a system and I’m sure he’d bitch at me.  And I’m not his maid.  He can clean down here himself.  Wait a second…What did you just say in your internal monologue, Mimi?  That I’m not Julian’s maid.  I am feeling rather inspired, but I doubt Julian had a maid costume somewhere around here.  I might as well get a little practice if he and I are moving to southern California after local con season.

 I went back home for a minute and dug through the cosplay side.  I needed a black uniform dress, a little white apron, some fishnets, and my knee high black boots.  Did I want to go black?  Black is the tradition, but I had a light purple uniform dress, too.  I’d be adorable.  And with the purple dress, I’d have to have some sort of pastel hair, too. And my cat ears, too!  How could I be a neko maid without the neko part?

 Gloves…Did I want gloves? I kind of wanted gloves, but they’d get in the way.  I had two hours before Julian came home and I wanted to do something nice for him. Hey!  My light pink wig had pigtails to go with it!  Pigtails, cat ears, and a light purple French maid uniform. Tail, too?  Should I do a tail?  No.  The ears are enough.

 I threw everything in a bag and went back to Julian’s.  Time to have a borderline magical girl transformation.  Only instead of becoming a badass with superpowers that’ll save the world one day and be late to class the next, I’ll just be an adorable cat maid. Because why not?  After everything Julian’s done for me, it’s the least I can do. It’s too bad I don’t have a cosplay for one of Lucy Heartfilia’s celestial spirits.  I’d make a killer Virgo.  

 Alright, Mimi.  Let’s do this.  I dropped my pink dress around my ankles and did a corset first.  I’ve been eating my feelings lately.  The corset was necessary.  Besides, it made my dress fit a little better.  When I pulled the laces on my corset, I tried not moaning, having my Black Butler flashbacks to the infamous corset scene. Julian’s neighbors didn’t need to think I’m weird.  There’s a good chance I knew his neighbors anyway.

 Regardless, I finished getting dressed and forgot how much of a pain in the ass my fishnets were. Or my boots!  I mean, I did wear these Sunday for Misa, but still!  That didn’t make them any less difficult to contend with!  The things I did for you, Julian.  I cosplay my least favorite character I have a cosplay for.  I become a neko maid for your amusement, even though you don’t know about it yet.  The things we do for love, I guess.

 Now that I was completely dressed, I needed to get everything from the neck up cute, too.  I hadn’t put makeup on in a few days.  My skin won’t know how to act.  Watch.  I’ll end up all broke out because of this.  I shouldn’t.  This was the same stuff I used every other day.  Just because it hasn’t seen my skin in a while doesn’t mean it’s going to act up. I can only hope.  

 I could tell I was out of practice with putting fake lashes on.  That’s for sure.  I could put them on other people, but I had a hard time putting them on myself.  I drew a thickening black line on the top of my eyelid to cover the black band on my lashes, winging it out just enough to make me look like a cat, and took my white pencil, tracing the inner corners of my eyes.

 I debated for a moment or two on what lip color to use.  I was torn. A part of me wanted to go with a purple to match my dress, but I could’ve gone with a soft pink to go with my hair.  That would match my natural lip tone a little more.  Or I could’ve done neither and went with a super dark purple.  I’m a bit hesitant about using dark lip colors.  I had mixed emotions about it on other people, let alone me.  Nate and I hadn’t experimented with that yet.  Soft pink.  I’ll do a soft pink.  But a matte soft pink.  I ran the brush over my lips and looked myself over one last time.

 I looked like the most precious, pastel neko maid I’ve ever seen in my life.  Something about the way I looked screamed a need for glitter.  I brought a white, glittery, tulle skirt with me for such an occasion.  I shimmied it up my legs, puffing out the bottom of my dress a little, and did a spin in front of the mirror.  Mother of God, I’m adorable!  Kawaii! I didn’t need any more glitter. The rest came from the sparkle in my eyes.  I couldn’t get over myself!  I needed pictures.  Just a couple.

 I’m not exactly the master of mirror pictures and personally, I thought they were dumb, but I managed to get some of me not holding my phone.  It’s not like I had someone else here to take them, though. I’m sure once Julian comes home, he’d be more than happy to do some shots for me.  He had a spot in the basement for it.  I threw my wig on, clipped in my pigtails, and waited for him to come home to his newfound stray kitty.

 As soon as I saw his headlights come up the driveway, I sat on his kitchen counter, dangling my feet over the edge.  I knew he was about to shit a brick over me.  How could he not?  Hang on…I heard two car doors shut.  Why did I hear two car doors shut?  Julian went to work.  Julian comes home.  Why the fuck did I hear two car doors?  Maybe I’m overreacting.  Wouldn’t be the first time.  Maybe he’s getting something out of the back seat.  Everything was fine.  I sprinted into the bedroom and noticed a text from Julian.

 Hey, baby.  Paul’s coming home with me.  We’re talking Team Mustang shoot.

 Shit!  Not overreacting!  Paul?  Why did it have to be Paul?  It could’ve been worse.  At least it’s someone relatively in the community.  Besides, I could actually have a professional doing my shots now. I thought about having Paul doing them earlier today.  If I had his number, I would’ve called him.  Blessing in disguise, I guess.  I jumped back up on the kitchen counter and waited for them to come in.

 “Mimi!” Julian yelled from the door, “I’m home!  Tell me you didn’t trash the place.”

 “Welcome home, Master,” I put on a little smirk.

 “Oh, hello,” his face lit up.  Got him, “Paul, cover your eyes.”

 “Why?” Paul walked in, getting an eyeful of me, “Oh, that’s why.  Hot damn!”

 “Have I mentioned today how much I love you?” Julian picked me up off the counter, holding me in his arms.

 “I think so,” I nuzzled my face in his neck.

 “Why don’t you make me a drink?” he requested, “And while you’re at it, make one for you, too.”

 “My pleasure, Master,” I kissed his cheek.

 “That’s my good, little kitty,” Julian smiled, petting my head, “Dammit, Paul!  I said look away!”

 “I can’t help myself,” he continued to look me up and down, “You’re cute, Mimi.”

 “Thank you!” I chirped, “I wanted to be cute for when my master came home!”

 “Keep talking like that,” Julian grabbed me around my waist, “And you and I are going to have some problems.”

 “What’s wrong, Master?” I put on the sparkly eyes, “Did I do something you didn’t want me to?”

 “Oh, no, no, no, neko-chan,” he put his hand to my cheek, “You did something very right.  That’s the problem.”

 “I don’t understand…” I spoke softly.

 Julian pulled me against his chest a little more aggressively than usual.  Looks like I might have flipped a switch in him.  He whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine, “I’m doing everything in my power to not take you into my bedroom right now.  If it were just you and me home, I wouldn’t be holding back.  Unfortunately, we have company.  Why else would I be wanting a drink?”

 “Jack and Coke?” I assumed.

 “That’s right.”

 I hopped down from the counter and reached into the liquor cabinet.  It’s not my fault that I’m small.  That’s just bad genetics.  Why did Julian have to have such high cabinets?  Even though my boots gave me an extra couple inches, I’d still have to get a chair.  I managed to get the bottle of Jack Daniels down from the shelf and threw some ice in a glass, “Paul?  While I’m pouring?”

 “Can’t,” he shot me down, “I have to drive back tonight and I’m sure I can’t crash here with you like that.”

 “What do you mean?” Like I didn’t know.

 “I’m assuming you and Julian are going to want some private time,” Paul figured, giving Julian an overexaggerated wink.

 “I have to go home tonight, too,” I broke the news, “I’m sure my parents want me back.”

 “Does that mean we don’t get to cuddle tonight?” Julian pouted.

 “I’m sorry, Master,” I sat in his lap, giving him his drink.

 “That’s alright, baby,” he went back to petting me, “There’s always tomorrow.  Besides, you’ll be back at the ass crack of dawn, right?”

 “If you want me to be,” I promised, “I’d be more than happy to.”

 “That’s my girl,” Julian kissed my forehead, “I have a proposition for you.”

 “What?” Paul wondered.

 “Not you,” he clarified, poking my nose, “For you.”

 “Oh?” I laid my head on Julian’s thigh, “And what does my master have for me?”

 “Would you ever want to be featured on my site solo?” he offered.

 “Solo?” I thought it over, “I don’t know…”

 “They obviously love you, Mimi,” he pointed out, “We can always do a test shot.”

 “Of what?”

 “Well,” Julian smirked a bit, “You do look awfully adorable in my lap right now.”

 “You can say whatever you want about me,” I allowed, “It’s not you I’m worried about.  It’s the trolls on the internet.”

 “Paul,” he ignored my remark, “This is about to sound really stupid, but do you have one of your cameras with you?”

 “I don’t,” Paul cringed, “I know.  I feel naked. But all my cameras are at home, dude. You don’t have one?”

 “Yeah,” Julian groaned, “But I don’t really like using it.  It’s kind of a piece of shit now.”

 “What kind of camera?” Paul asked.

 “Digital?”

 “No shit, Sherlock,” Paul rolled his eyes, “What brand?”

 “It’s a Nikon, I think,” Julian slipped his finger under my wig cap and pulled on my real hair, scratching my head.  As weird as it’s going to sound, I could get used to this.  Being his neko-chan.  He really was treating me like his pet.  And in a twisted way, I was loving it.

 “And you dare call it a piece of shit?” Paul scolded, “How dare you, sir?”

 “It’s in the office,” he directed him, “I think it’s in the desk drawer.”

 “Got it!” Paul jumped up from the couch and I buried my face in Julian’s belly.

 “You know, Mimi,” Julian looked down at me, “I wasn’t expecting to find you like this when I came home.  I thought you were working on fic all day.”

 “I did for the most part,” I admitted, “Then writer’s block happened and I took a walk around town. I thought I’d come back here and finish unpacking, but…”

 “But what?” he sounded nervous, “What did you do?”

“I went into the basement,” I told, “I saw the inner sanctum.”

 “You saw the workshop,” he chuckled to himself, “What’d you think of my setup?”

 “I have the biggest nerdy lady boner,” I blushed, “Your setup is incredible.  Much better than what I got.”

 “I’m sure if you had your own house,” Julian promised, “You’d have a much better setup than mine.”

 “I’d have it all like a murphy bed,” I explained, “Everything would fold into the walls, so when people came over, they wouldn’t think I’m that weird otaku girl that spends her day reading manga and watching anime nonstop and has no job or social life.”

 “No, you wouldn’t,” he stopped me, “Your figurines would be on the fireplace.  Your guest bedroom would be a cosplay closet.  You’d have your wall scrolls in the living room. Don’t give me that.”

 “Depends on where I’m living, I guess,” I let out a heavy, depressed sigh, “I don’t know, Julian.”

 “Excuse me?” he chided lightly, “What happened to calling me Master, my sweet, little kitty.”

 “Forgive me,” I gave him what he wanted.  A smile back on my face.

 “Found it!” Paul came back into the living room with Julian’s camera in is hand, “Mimi?  You ready?”

 “Can I, Master?” I asked for permission.

 “Of course, you can,” Julian kissed my cheek, “In fact, I have an idea for one.”

 “Oh?” I wondered, “What is it?”

 “It’d involve me putting on a three-piece suit, though,” he cringed, “Gross.  I got into cosplay to keep myself out of shit like that.  And it’d only be for background purposes. I’d have Paul do it, but the rest of it I’d rather be doing myself.”

 “Would it be Master coming home from work?” I assumed, “Running his Fortune 500 empire?”

 “Someone catches on quick,” Julian praised, “I’d say she’s earned a treat.”

 “Is it yarn?” I beamed, “I really hope it’s yarn!”

 “I’m sorry to disappoint you,” he ran his fingers down my spine, “It’s not yarn.”

 “Aww…” I pouted.  All of a sudden, my phone started going off, completely breaking me out of the sweet, innocent character, “Oh, goddammit! Who the fuck is calling me?  I’m fucking busy!”

 “Hang on,” Julian laughed his ass off for a minute, tossing me my phone, “It’s your mom.”

 “Oh,” I slid my finger across my phone screen, “Hi, Mom.  What’s up?”

 “I thought you said you were coming straight home after work,” Mom whined, “Where are you?”

 “I’m in Kansas City with Veronica,” I lied, “She needed some last-minute things for her homecoming outfit.”

 “Ok,” she chirped, doing a complete one-eighty, “When will you be home?”

 “I don’t know,” I looked at the clock.  Six-thirty, “Nine?”

 “It’ll take you that long?” I loved my mother.  I really did. But she knew how to drone on when we’re on the phone, “Don’t you have anything she can borrow?”

 “Probably not,” I cut her off, “I’ll be home in a few hours.”

 “Fine,” she let me go, “See you soon, honey!  I love you!”

 “Love you, too,” I hung up and threw my phone on the table, getting back into character, “Now, where were we, Master?”

 “I’m going to go get changed,” Julian got up, “Then we can do this shoot.  That way, I’m still on my site and you’re not alone.”

 “Ok!” I smiled, “I love it! You’re so smart, Master.”

 “I try,” he disappeared into his bedroom, “Paul, I swear to God, if you touch her, I’m going to start severing fingers.”

 “He would, too,” I confirmed, “The katanas aren’t for show.  They’re real.  They’re sharp.  They’ll kill a man.”

 “I wasn’t going to!” Paul defended, “I know to keep my hands to myself!”

 “Not helping your cause!” Julian yelled.

 “Not that kind of keeping my hands to myself!”

 “Don’t worry about it, Paul,” I settled him, “I’m sure he knows better, too.  Besides, if you try anything, neko-chan has claws, too.”

 “Julian!” Paul called out.

 “Yes, dear?” Julian answered.

 “Marry her!” he demanded, “Hold onto this girl!”

 “I’m pretty sure we’ve had this conversation,” Julian came out in full Sebastian.  How appropriate given Sebastian has a cat problem.  The demon may loathe dogs more than anything, but cats?  Cats are the very image of perfection, “I plan on holding onto this girl for a while. Marriage isn’t exactly in the cards for either one of us right now, but I’ll keep her.”

 “Who else would do adorable cosplays with you?” I teased.

 “Kitty’s got a mouth on her,” Julian pulled me into his lap, “Maybe we’ll have to do something about that.”

 “I thought you liked my mouth, Master,” I kept my sharp tongue up.

 “This could turn into some not safe for work real quick, Mimi,” he pulled on the bottom of the tulle, “Would Master have to get his kitty a shock collar?  Or perhaps he’d rather go over my knee instead?

 “No, Master,” I dropped my gaze, “I’ll be your good, little kitty.  I promise.”

 “Good girl,” he praised, “I do owe you a reward, don’t I?”

 “Yes, Master!” I perked back up, “What is it?”

 “Here,” Julian undid his blue silk tie and dangled it over my face, “it may not be yarn, but it’s the next best thing.  And Paul, if you’re not getting any of this, I’m kicking the shit out of you personally.”

 “I am,” he assured, snapping away while I absentmindedly swatted at Julian’s tie.  Being a cat for a while wasn’t half bad.  I was cuddled, petted, loved.  I always thought the whole neko fetish was creepy and almost in the realm of bestiality.  Technically, I was a humanized cat, so I guess that takes care of the bestiality loophole.

 Julian and Paul had me all over the house.  Scratching at the curtains.  Playing in the empty boxes Julian had from moving.  Sitting on the counter.  Serving drinks.  Just some standard neko poses.  But my favorite?  That came at the end of the shoot.  I was already tuckered out, so I laid my head back in Julian’s lap, ready to fall asleep. All while he kept petting me and holding me, making sure I felt loved.  But what else was new?  That’s just the way we were.  

 “Mimi?” he nudged me, “Are you really sleeping on me, baby?”

 “I’m tired,” I let out a big yawn and Paul caught it on camera, “Leave me alone.”

 “Ok,” he sat me up, “Tell you what.  I’m sure you don’t want to go stumbling into your house and have your parents see you like this.  Go get changed and I’ll take you home.”

 “Ok,” I sighed out, ready to fall asleep right then and there with my head on his chest.  Wishing I could, “But I thought we were talking shop for Sunday.”

 “Don’t worry about it,” Julian helped me onto my feet, “Some other time.  In all honesty, our talking shop is Paul and me playing Final Fantasy.”

 “Fine,” I let it go, “You two can be nerds.  Think about me while you’re storming the castle and I’m tucked in bed.”

 “It’d be my pleasure,” he grinned, “Hurry up.  We want to get started.”

 “Ok,” I went into Julian’s room and put my regular clothes on again, putting the neko maid away for the day.  Then, a sudden realization hit me, “Julian?”

 “Yeah, baby?’

 “You can’t take me back,” I remembered, “Mom thinks I’m with Veronica.”

 “Why did you tell her you were with Veronica?” he wondered.

 “Who’s Veronica?” Paul asked.

 “My best friend,” I explained, wiping my makeup off in the bathroom, “Remember?  Not telling anyone until May?  If I spend all my time with you, she’ll know something’s up.”

 “I feel like your mistress,” Julian joked.

 “You’re not my mistress,” I giggled, “You’re my boyfriend.  My main.  No mistress.”

 “Does this mean I can’t tuck you in?” he pouted.

 “I’m sorry,” I stood on my toes, stealing a kiss, “I’ll be over tomorrow morning.  Promise.”

 “Good,” Julian held me tight against his chest, “I’ll miss you.”

 “I’ll miss you, too,” I assured, “But I’ll have Sebastian to keep me warm.”

 “And I’ll have Miku,” he gave me one last kiss, “I love you.”

 “I love you, too,” I curled into him.

 “And I’d love to get around to some Final Fantasy tonight,” Paul sped things along.

 “See you in the morning,” Julian grabbed the door for me.

 Just like that, I left his house and headed home.  I didn’t want to go.  I wanted to pass out on Julian’s couch while he and Paul played Final Fantasy four million and twelve.  But alas, I walked into my house, fully prepared to go upstairs and clock out.  However, I knew better.  There was no way in hell that was happening.

 “Mimi!” Mom squeezed me tight as soon as I walked in the door.

 “Hi, Mom,” I winced, “Ow…”

 “Sorry,” she let me go, “I got a little excited.  We haven’t seen you in days!”

 “I’m not the one that took the random trip to St. Louis,” I grumbled to myself.

 “It had been a while since we went to the boats,” Mom defended, “We thought, why not?  It gave you the house to yourself, didn’t it?”

 “That it did,” I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back a smile.  Binge watching Dramatical Murder with Julian all weekend? Yeah.  I’m not complaining.

 “So,” Mom joined Dad on the couch, “You know what we did.  What did you do?”

 “The usual?” Dad assumed, “Boys?  Parties? Alcohol?”

 “No,” I thought carefully about how to word this where I’m not technically lying, but avoiding certain truths to keep their blood pressure down, “I worked Saturday, hung out in Kansas City on Sunday, had to take care of Veronica on Monday, and Tuesday, I worked. Nothing too exciting.”

 “What brought you to Kansas City then?” Mom asked, “Why couldn’t you have gotten whatever Veronica needed on Sunday?”

 “I wasn’t with Veronica then,” I cleared up, “I was hanging out with Julian.”

 “What’s going on with you two?” Dad jumped down my throat, “It’s like you’re constantly up his ass or he’s up yours.”

 “There’s nothing going on,” I rolled my eyes, “And we’re not always around each other.  I was just with Veronica.”

 “But where were you last night?” Mom pointed out.

 “Julian’s,” I knew what she was trying to get at, “Where I slept on his couch because we’re friends. Not together.  We’re not going to be together.  We were working on a script for a children’s play one of his friends is doing.”

 “That’s so sweet,” she awed, “What’s it called?”

 “Currently untitled,” I thought on my feet, “But we’ve been working hard on it.”

 “What’s it about?” Dad wondered.  Weird. He’s never taken an interest in my writing.

 “It’s about a little boy learning magic,” I felt a warmth in my heart, “And how his teacher is a jerk, but his teacher’s daughter is his best friend.  It’s a very heartwarming story.”

 “Let us know when it’s done,” Mom insisted, “I’m sure that’d be adorable to see.”

 “Sure,” I nodded, “If it’s alright with you, I’m going to bed.  I’m really tired.”

 “Long day at the café?” Dad asked.

 “Yeah,” I cringed internally, “It’s been a long day and Veronica can be really exhausting when she’s indecisive. Good night.”

 “Night, sweetie.”

 I ran upstairs to my bedroom and shut my door.  Shit.  This had become more elaborate than I anticipated. Now, my parents want to see the fake children’s play that Julian and I are writing together.  All I did was describe early Royai!  My love life was none of their business.  I didn’t have to share anything with anyone.  Everything was fine.  Just need to keep the bases covered.

 “Hey,” Julian chimed on the other end of the phone, “Miss me already?  Need me to play Peter Gabriel at your window?”

 “No,” I shook my head at him, “We might be in a bit of a quandary.”

 “What kind of a quandary?” the game music stopped, “Is everything ok?”

 “Hi, Mimi!” Paul chirped in the background.

 “What’s up?” Julian ignored him.

 “In order to get my mom off my back about staying with you,” I confessed, peeling my dress off, “I told her we were working on a project together.  Right now, she and my dad were grilling me about said project.  If she asks you, it’s a children’s play that one of your friends in Kansas City is doing and they asked us to do the script.”

 “Ok,” he rolled with it, “I’m failing to see where we’re in the proverbial pickle here, Mimi.  They know you’re with me.  They know you’re doing a thing.  They know you’ll be in Kansas City a lot.  What’s the problem?”

 “They want to see it,” I worried, “How do you figure we get out of that one, Mr. Answer for Everything?”

 “That is a quandary,” Julian agreed, “We’ll find some little kids.  Paul, you have pull at the theatre in Kansas City, don’t you?”

 “Yes, I do,” Paul confirmed.

 “Awesome,” I let out a sweet sigh of relief.

 “What’s it about?” Julian asked.

 “What I wrote this morning,” I filled him in, “The story of fetal Royai.”

 “Aww…” he drawled, “Seeing that play out with little kids sounds adorable!  But so we don’t have to go through the hassle of putting it on, we could say it got dropped.”

 “I love you, Julian,” I threw myself on my bed, “You’re a godsend some days.”

 “I’m a godsend every day,” he corrected me, “Now, go to sleep, Mimi.  Don’t make me come over there.”

 “You’d be way too willing for me to make you,” I teased.

 “Very true,” he gave it to me, “I love you.”

 “I love you, too,” I curled into Sebastian.

 “See you in the morning.”

 Click.

 I emptied out my bag and put my neko maid back on the hanger.  With a quick spray of Febreze, I hung it back in my closet with everyone else. I didn’t wear it very long, so I didn’t expect it to be too terribly bad.  Not enough to warrant washing it.  Still, not a bad practice to get into.  However, I did have something in my bag I didn’t want to spray.  Because it still felt comforting and smelled like man. In the bottom of my bag was a crumpled up gray t-shirt that I drowned in.  I knew I’d sleep like shit since I’m out of whiskey and I’m sleeping alone, but this would make it a little easier.

 I might not have Julian, but I had the next best thing.  I just hope he doesn’t get pissed at me for stealing his t-shirt.  Doubtful.  I’m sure he’d let me have it and anything I needed to help me sleep that wasn’t booze.  This way, I’d wake up well-rested.  Regardless, I’d still want to go back to sleep as soon as I hit his bed again.  Only eight hours away.  That was all I had to wait.

 Until then, I buried my face in my Sebastian pillow.  He brought me back to Julian.  Thank you, Sebastian.  Maybe you’re not quite a demon, but an angel in disguise.  Kind of like Julian.  Even though the Black Butler angels are dicks.  However, you brought me back to my beloved.  My real beloved.  I hoped to God that Miles won’t be back in town for the weekend.  Not that it’d matter.  I’m going to be in Kansas City with awesome nerds like me.  Not like I needed Miles anymore anyway.

[pamphletstoinspire]

SAINT JOSEPH PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH AND WORKERS

GUARDIAN OF THE HOLY FAMILY, PRAY FOR US. FEAST DAYS:  MARCH 19TH (HUSBAND OF MARY) -  MAY 1ST (JOSEPH THE WORKER)

An Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen. (Say for nine mornings in a row for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail.) Imprimatur: Sept. 25, 1950..Hugh C. Boyle, Bishop of Pittsburgh

(This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to Emperor Charles, when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it, or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect on them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy, or shall be burned in any fire or shall be overpowered in any battle.)

Prayer for a Happy Death

St. Joseph, protector of the dying, I ask you to intercede for all the dying, and I invoke your assistance in the hour of my own death. You merited a happy passing by a holy life, and in your last hours you had the great consolation of being assisted by Jesus and Mary. Deliver me from sudden death; obtain for me the grace to imitate you in life, to detach my heart from everything worldly, and daily to gather treasures for the moment of my death. Obtain for me the grace to receive the sacrament of the sick well, and with Mary, fill my heart with sentiments of faith, hope, love, and sorrow for sins, so that I may breathe forth my soul in peace. Amen

THE LIFE OF SAINT JOSEPH

A study of the life of St. Joseph centers around two themes. First, in Scripture as the husband of Mary and the Foster Father of Jesus; and next, his personality in order to fulfill the Divine Will of God in his life.

In Scripture, Joseph is first mentioned when Mary, is betrothed, conceived a child before Joseph took her into his home. An angel of the Lord visited him and assured him to take Mary into his home for the child was conceived by the Holy Ghost. (Mt. 1:20-24) After the birth of Jesus, an angel again appears to Joseph and tells him to take the Holy Family away to Egypt in order to escape the wrath of Herod. (Mt. 2:13-15) After awhile the angel again appeared to Joseph, telling him it was time to return to Israel, where he settled in the obscure town of Nazareth in the district of Galilee. (Mt. 2:19-23) The final time we hear of Joseph in Scripture is when Jesus was “lost” in the Temple. (Lk. 2:42-52) His name never again appears in scripture.

THE NAME JOSEPH

The name Joseph, in Hebrew, means “God will add.” He was an ordinary individual whom God relied upon to do great things. He did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do, in each and every event that went to make up his life. That is why Scripture praises Joseph as “a just man.” In Hebrew a just man means a good and faithful servant of God, someone who fulfills the Divine Will, or who is honorable and charitable toward his neighbor. Therefore a just man is someone who loves God and proves his love by keeping God’s commandments and directing his whole life to the service of his brothers, his fellow man. He faced problems, dealt with difficult situations and showed responsibility and initiative in whatever he was asked to do.

THE VIRTUES OF SAINT JOSEPH

The virtues of St. Joseph can best be summarized in the words our Lady spoke to St. Bridget of Sweden: “St. Joseph was so reserved and careful in his speech that not one word ever issued from his mouth that was not good and holy, nor did he ever indulge in unnecessary or less than charitable conversation. He was most patient and diligent in bearing fatigue; he practiced extreme poverty; he was most meek in bearing injuries; he was strong and constant against my (Mary’s) enemies; he was the faithful witness of the wonders of Heaven, being dead to the flesh and the world, living only for God and for Heavenly goods, which were the only things he desired. He was perfectly conformed to the Divine Will and so resigned to the dispositions of Heaven that he ever repeated “May the Will of God ever be done in me!” He rarely spoke with men, but continually with God, whose Will he desired to perform. Wherefore, he now enjoys great glory in Heaven.”

WHY HAVE DEVOTION TO SAINT JOSEPH?

“To the other Saints it appears that the Lord may have granted power to succor us on particular occasions; but to this Saint, as experience proves, He has granted power to help us on all occasions. Our Lord would teach us that, as he was pleased to be subject to Joseph upon the earth, so He is now pleased to grant whatever this Saint asks for in heaven. Others whom I have recommended to have recourse to Joseph, have known this from experience. I never knew any one who was particularly devout to him, that did not continually advance more and more in virtue. For the love of God, let him who believes not this make his own trial. And I do not know how any one can think of the Queen of Angels, at the time when she labored so much in the infancy and childhood of Jesus, and not return thanks to Joseph for the assistance which he rendered both to the Mother and to the Son”. (St. Teresa of Avila)

SYMBOLS OF SAINT JOSEPH

The most well known symbol of St. Joseph is the Lily, a symbol of purity.

The other is a picture of St. Joseph holding tools, St. Joseph the worker.

There are also symbols of St. Joseph in Art:

The famous painting of the Wedding of Virgin Mary and St. Joseph has three  symbols:

1. Obedience to God...the greatest is obedience to God’s instruction through an  angel that he should wed Mary.

2. Courage...The second symbol for St. Joseph in the painting is courage in the face  of possible public opposition and oppression.

3. Non-judgmental...St. Joseph’s symbol in the painting is the practice of not  judging and condemning others.

Another famous painting of St. Joseph is the world renown, Nativity Scene. Here  the presence of St. Joseph is also a symbol in three ways:

1. Joseph demonstrates civil obedience by responding to the census request of the  government.

2. He demonstrates humility by accepting the stable for pregnant Mary to give birth,  rather than causing a public disruption in the belief they were entitled to  better accommodations.

3. He demonstrates steadfastness in honoring his marriage vows, seeing the  pregnancy through to completion and accepting the new challenge of fatherhood.

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH FOR EMPLOYMENT

Dear St. Joseph, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety over my present inability to support my family. Please help me to find gainful employment very soon, so that this heavy burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help us to guard against bitterness and discouragement, so that we may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God. Amen

Finally, Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge of who Saint Joseph was: “A RIGHTEOUS MAN”. (Mt 1:19) (douay rheims)