#Mr. C.B.

[ciccerone]

[fukinkitty]

horsey requests from twitter mutuals

[umamusucgs]

[suminomiyyas]

[rebelliousmuse]

Camera Malfunction – C.B.

For the Sam and Colby fans.

Warning: oral (female receiving), unprotected sex (use condoms).

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"What's up guys, it's Sam and Colby!" the boys boomed, a mischievous glint in their eyes.

Colby continued "And today, we're dragging y/n and Kris along on another terrifying adventure!" The camera cut to you in the back, holding some ghost hunting equipment. A shiver ran down your spine as the imposing iron gates of Blackwood Manor loomed into view.

"Guys," you said, "This place already feels creepy."

Sam snorted. "It's just an old house."

Colby nudged you with his elbow. "Yeah, y/n. Besides, even if there are ghosts, they probably wouldn't mess with someone as awesome as you." You rolled your eyes, a playful smile tugging at your lips.

Inside, the mansion was a labyrinth of dusty hallways and old portraits. Their guide, Mr. Grimshaw, started talking about a brutal family massacre that had stained the very walls.

"They say the spirits here are restless," Mr. Grimshaw rasped, his voice echoing in the cavernous hall. "They leave scratches on visitors, sometimes they also push or pull their hair."

You rubbed your arms, goosebumps erupting. "Okay, maybe it is a little chilly in here," you mumbled, pulling your well-worn XPLR hoodie out of your backpack.

"Good call, y/n!" Sam said, winking at the camera. "Don't want the viewers to think you're a coward, right?"

"Exactly," you said, throwing your arms wide and giving the camera a mock-heroic pose. "shopxplr.com, where comfort meets courage. Go shop, guys!"

Sam and Colby erupted in cheers. Mr. Grimshaw, however, remained stoic.

After all the story about the place was told, the investigation started. The camera cut back to Sam; a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Alright guys," he said, "Let's see if we can stir up some of those spirits!"

The EMF reader in Colby's hand whined, the light jumping wildly to red.

"Whoa, guys," Kris said, her voice barely a whisper. "This is intense."

Across the room, Sam held the spirit box device. The screen flickered rapidly, displaying fragmented words: "Alone... helpless... betrayed..." Then, a new word materialized, loud and clear: "SAM."

Sam's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. He whipped the camera towards him. "Did that just say..."

You cut him off, your voice surprisingly steady. "Alright, guys. Looks like things are getting a little too personal." You scanned the darkened hallway.

"We should split up," Colby suggested. "Even better, let the spirits choose the groups."

Colby pulled more equipment from his bag, "Good idea," Sam agreed. "We'll leave one piece of equipment behind each one of us. Whichever two go off, go together".

Kris agreed "Sounds like a plan."

With a shared look of determination, you each placed your chosen equipment on the dusty floor. You opted for the music box, setting it down carefully. The silence stretched, thick with anticipation.

Kris spoke, her voice cracking slightly, "Hey, Luke, could you choose two people to go together so we split up?"

Before she could even finish her sentence, a sombre melody erupted from the music box behind you. You flinched, instinctively covering your face with a groan.

"Oh my god, did you see that?" Sam exclaimed, practically leaping across the room. He pointed at your device, the music box going crazy. "Okay, thank you, that seems clear enough," he continued, his voice a mix of nervous excitement and genuine gratitude. "Could you choose another one, buddy?"

Another agonizing silence stretched on. You peeked through your fingers, watching the other three devices. Then, a faint flicker of light caught your eye. Across the room, Colby's EMF rope lit up.

"Looks like we have our teams!" Kris announced, a nervous smile tugging at Colby’s lips.

Each pair grabbed their ghost hunting equipment, an EMF reader, a spirit box and a camera with a light. Sam and Kris got ready, casting nervous glances towards the door of the basement.

"Basement for us then," Kris said, her voice echoing in the dusty hall.

You and Colby exchanged a look. "Second floor sounds good," you replied, grabbing some equipment and taking the lead towards the stairs. The grand staircase creaked ominously with each step.

Reaching the top floor, you found yourself facing a long hallway lined with closed doors. Colby turned to you, a hesitant smile playing on his lips.

"Which room do you think we should go to first?" he asked.

"Honestly," you mumbled, "I think the kids' room would be a good starting point. The parents' room... well, that's where the bloodiest murder happened, according to Mr. Grimshaw. Maybe we should save that for last?"

Your voice trailed off as you realized you hadn't been paying attention to what you were saying. Instead, your mind was replaying Colby's smile, the way his shirt fit his broad shoulders a little too well tonight.

You reached a door adorned with faded cartoon whales. This had to be the kids' room.

As you pushed the door open, you saw a dusty rocking horse sat frozen in the corner, and a faded floral wallpaper peeled from the walls. You set down the camera and switched on the spirit box.

Suddenly, a clear, childish voice filled the room. "Hi" it said, sending a shiver down your spine.

You began talking to the spirit, obtaining more story. It turned out to be a little girl named Lily, her voice filled with innocence. As you spoke, another voice joined in, deeper and slightly hesitant. It was her brother, William. Together, they painted a picture of a happy childhood cut tragically short.

You documented everything. The sadness of their story mingled with the guilt of being distracted by Colby. You kept asking yourself, 'How can I be thinking about him when these poor kids are trapped here?'

The conversation eventually finished, leaving a heavy silence in the room. It was time to move on. Pushing aside the lingering sadness of the children's story, you forced yourself to focus. There were other rooms to investigate.

Eventually, you reached the parents' room, the centre of the tragedy. The air in the room hung heavy. You stepped on the carpet, fumbling with the familiar weight of the camera.

Colby was beside you, setting up the spirit box. As you reached for the EMF, your hand brushed against his arm, sending electricity through you. You stumbled and before you could react, Colby was there. His hands shot out, instinctively grabbing you by the waist to stop your fall. The sudden contact sent a wave of warmth through you. You could feel the heat of his body through his shirt. “You okay?” he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, sorry," your answer nervously. You turned around, and your breath hitched. His eyes were on you, a soft smile playing on his lips. His touch remained on your waist.

You felt yourself blushing. The thrilling tension of the investigation was replaced by a nervous flutter in your stomach.

His gaze held yours. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "We should get this done already," he said, his voice husky and close.

"We should," you breathed back, your voice barely a whisper. But instead of pulling away, you surprised yourself by reaching out. Your hand, trembling slightly, landed on his chest. Your fingers grazed the fabric of his shirt. You traced a slow path down. Colby's gaze dropped from yours, lingering on your lips. A flicker of surprise, quickly overtaken by a hesitant smile, danced across his face.

You mirrored his gaze. The weight of his touch, the intensity of his stare, it was too much for you to resist.

In that charged silence, you leaned in, a slow, deliberate movement. Colby met you halfway. Then, hesitantly at first, your lips met. It was a soft brush, but in a moment, the kiss deepened.

Your hands moved instinctively, one cupping Colby's face, the other threading through his hair. He pulled you closer. The distant hum of the spirit box seemed to fade away, replaced by the frantic drumming of your hearts.

The world dissolved into a blur of heat and sensation. You were breathless, tangled in the sheets of the dusty parent's bed.

Colby hovered above you. His touch was everywhere, a gentle yet insistent exploration. Buttons popped open; clothes slipped away. You mirrored his movements, clumsy with desire.

Thank God you hadn't started recording yet, the thought flashed through your mind even as it faded into insignificance. The only thing that mattered was the press of Colby's body against yours, the warmth of his skin against yours.

He trailed kisses down your neck, his lips lingered on the sensitive skin of your collarbone, sending a gasp escaping your lips.

As Colby's kisses traced a path down your abdomen, a shiver ran down your spine with each touch. You closed your eyes, a silent prayer forming in your mind – that Sam and Kris were engrossed in their investigation, that you could have a few more minutes with Colby.

The silence in the room was broken only by the ragged rhythm of your breath. Colby paused, his gaze flickering to your face, searching for your reaction.

With a gentle motion, he removed the last layer of fabric separating your bodies, tossing your panties on the floor. The cool air sent goosebumps erupting across your skin, momentarily grounding you in reality. But then, his hands found your thighs as he separated your them and placed his head between them. His grip was firm yet gentle, a possessiveness that both surprised and excited you.

Colby's touch was exquisite, sending waves of pleasure through your skin. His tongue danced across your sensitive clit. A gasp escaped your lips, a mixture of surprise and delight. You arched your back instinctively.

Low guttural sounds escaping his lips as he explored further. His fingers joined, the intoxicating feeling of his touch.

As his fingers went deeper, massaging that gummy spot, a sharp gasp escaped your lips, leaving you breathless and trembling in his arms.

"Fuck, baby," he murmured, his voice husky and low. "I could eat you out all day." He started making his way to your mouth, leaving a trail of kisses through your body. Your lips meeting his in a slow kiss. Your hands roamed over his body, tracing the contours of his muscles.

His hand cupped your face. "We don't have too much time," you whispered.

A flicker of amusement danced across his face. "Should we stop?" he suggested, his voice a husky murmur against your skin.

You shook your head, "No," you breathed, your voice barely audible. "Fuck me, now." He smirked slyly, giving you a short kiss while grabbing his hard cock on his right hand, positioning himself on your entrance.

Colby entered you slowly, letting you adjust to his size. You gasped as he held your gaze with his jaw clenched.

A low growl rumbled in his chest as he began to move. Your moans escaped your lips involuntarily. The sound wasn't lost on Colby.

"Faster, Colby," you whispered, your voice rough with a need you couldn't deny.

He responded instantly, his movements mirroring your growing desire. The sound of skin slapping against skin was a counterpoint to the gasps escaping your lips.

With each thrust, you felt yourself reaching the edge. "Oh my god," you breathed, the words punctuated by moans that begged for release. "C-colb-y, I'm g-gonna..."

"Cum for me, baby," he whispered. "Show me how good I make you feel."

You arched your back, surrendering to the wave of pleasure that threatened to consume you. A choked cry escaped your lips as you reached your climax, the world dissolving around you. Colby collapsed beside you, his chest moving up and down as he caught his breath.

A distant creak of floorboards sent a jolt through you. "Did you hear that?" you whispered.

"Sounds like Sam and Kris," he confirmed, his voice low and gravelly. "They must be done with their investigation."

Scrambling out of bed, you reached for your discarded clothes, pulling them on with shaking hands. Colby mirrored your movements, his movements more controlled but a flicker of urgency in his eyes.

The room looked different, the messy the bed, the misplaced throw pillows, it all screamed sex. Desperate to create a semblance of normalcy, you darted around the room, straightening the covers, smoothing them.

"The spirit box!" you hissed, remembering the abandoned equipment in your haste. You snatched it up.

"What are we going to say?" Colby asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I don't know," you confessed, "We just need to come up with something believable." The creaking of floorboards grew louder.

Just as you were about to blurt out the first excuse that came to mind, the bedroom door swung open, revealing Sam and Kris.

"Hey, you guys done in here?" Sam inquired.

"Uh, yeah," Colby stammered, stepping forward with a forced smile. "We were just wrapping things up." His voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.

"Good," Kris said, "How was the investigation?"

Colby launched into a detailed account, telling the stories the children had shared and details about other spirits communication.

Kris's gaze shifted towards you. "What about this room?" she asked.

Your throat constricted. You stole a glance at Colby, a silent plea for help. He met your gaze, a flicker of reassurance passing between you.

"Well..." you began, "The camera started malfunctioning here," you blurted out, desperate to buy some time. "It didn't start recording anything."

A collective gasp filled the room. Sam's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with shock.

Kris raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Maybe we should try again," she suggested, a hint of excitement creeping into her voice.

Colby seized the opportunity. "Yeah, sure," he said, his voice regaining its earlier confidence. "Maybe we should do an Estes method here. I offer myself."

The suggestion hung in the air. Was it the best idea, volunteering himself for potential spirit interaction after their encounter? You fought down a wave of anxiety.

Sam seemed excited by the suggestion. "Cool, let's start so we can wrap this up already," he said, shivering slightly. "It's getting too cold and dark in this creepy house."

[burnthoneydrops]

A Shame Indeed (c.b. x fem!reader)

pairing: colin bridgerton x fem!reader

word count: 1.6k

warnings: use of female descriptors (miss, young lady, etc)

a/n: Part II to this post for colin! also a continuation of this series! i hope you enjoy and a reminder that requests are open! (both in general and for my 200 celebration :)) )

The Bridgerton drawing room is a wonderful net for beautiful sunlight. At least, that is what you gather while sitting there early one morning, a few weeks into your new role as governess. No main member of the family is awake, just the staff that keep the house afloat. It is rather peaceful, and you are grateful for the moments of solitude away from your room where you have piles of old curtain fabric surrounding you. As you finish stitching two panels of a Hyacinth size dress together, there are footsteps traipsing down the carpeted floor, alerting you of someone else’s arrival. You’re quick to your feet, lest it be a Bridgerton and you appear disrespectful. Though you have gained their trust and appreciation, it still feels as though someone might pull you back out of this dream scenario at any second. 

“Ah, good morning Mr. Bridgerton,” you nod, smiling lightly as Colin appears in the doorway. 

“Good morning Miss Y/N. It is rather early is it not? Is Hyacinth even awake yet?” He asks, looking down the hallway before walking closer into the room. 

“Alas, she is not. I figured wasting time while awake rather silly, however, so here I am”.

“With…” he looks behind you, back at the couch, and his eyebrows raise in confusion as his head tilts to the side. 

“Oh, those are curtains that Mrs. Wilson was going to have thrown out. There was a stain on them, apparently, but I have yet to find it”. 

That does not seem to lessen Colin’s confusion. 

“And what exactly are you doing with them?” 

“Hyacinth has been begging to go to the modiste with Lady Bridgerton and Miss Bridgerton, but the focus is on those who need new dresses for the season. So, in the absence of the actual modiste, I figured I could stand in and make her a new dress. It is, however, a surprise so please do not tell her,” you look between him and the curtain, hoping you hadn’t just spoiled your plan. 

Instead of verbally responding, Colin drags his fingers in front of his lips and twists an imaginary key, signalling his sworn secrecy. You laugh quietly, before turning to sit back down with your work. Now that you no longer have to fear the undermining of your surprise, you are free to work on it in the open, or at least in front of Colin. As a member of staff passes, Colin orders tea and scones, muttering something about how if the two of you were going to stay awake you might have some fuel. One thing you have learned throughout your few weeks is Hyacinth and Gregory’s love for mischief is rivalled only by Colin’s love of food. You say nothing, choosing to politely nod in agreement instead as you create the puff sleeves of Hyacinth’s dress. The scones and tea are brought quickly, you assume already prepared. You don’t think it will ever fail to amaze you how on top of everything the people who run Bridgerton house are nor the fact that you are now a part of that. 

“Do you care for cream or jam first?” Colin breaks the silence, almost startling you. 

“Oh, um, do not feel obliged to offer me any Mr. Bridgerton”. 

“Colin, please. We did agree to get to know each other on more adult terms, did we not?” 

“Well, I suppose we did. But that does not remove anything in the series of respect and class differentials Mr. Bridgerton”. 

“Yes, but if I am insisting, and you work for my house, then you must listen to me. Yes?” He looks quite pleased with himself as he pours milk into his teacup. 

“Fine, Colin it is. But if anyone asks, you are to inform them of your wishes immediately. I will not have people thinking I disrespect this house voluntarily,”. 

“Yes ma’am,” he laughs, “now, cream or jam?”  

The conversation carries on easily enough between the two of you, and for a second you forget yourself. You forget that you are inside the previously terrifying Bridgerton home, making clothes out of old curtains and drinking tea with one of your employers. It feels easy, relaxed, and you wish that you could perpetually stay in this moment. The warm sun on your back is the same that makes Colin appear glowing, making his laugh even that more heavenly in appearance. You pause, internally slow blinking and hoping that you’re not physically translating that on your face. You did not just call Colin Bridgerton’s laugh heavenly, did you? You push the thought out of your mind, remembering there is no place for thoughts like that while doing your job. 

That is until Lady Bridgerton makes her way into the drawing room and pauses at the sight before her. You notice her before Colin does, standing at attention immediately, dropping the dress down on the couch beside you. Colin stands cooly, walking over to greet his mother with a soft hug and a light kiss on the cheek. You do not think you’ve seen him do anything with much more force than that since your arrival, and you wonder if he is that gentle with every person he meets. Quickly checking that train of thought and registering it unhelpful at this current moment in time, you look back solely at Lady Bridgerton, apologising for the possibility that you had any part in waking her. 

“Oh no, my dear, it was not you,” she reassures you, choosing not to question why she found her third eldest and her newest hire alone together, but rather allowing Colin to excuse himself with the claim that he is to meet his brothers for a round of fencing. “May I ask why you have some of our old curtains in your possession?” She asks instead, taking Colin’s previously occupied seat on the couch across from you. 

“Oh, Mrs. Wilson said they were to be thrown away and I couldn’t bear the waste of perfectly good fabric, so I fashioned Hyacinth a new dress,” you display the work you had completed during your conversation with the third Bridgerton boy, trying to be prideful but fearing the response all the same. 

“How thoughtful of you,” Lady Bridgerton smiles and you secretly sigh in relief. Though you had never pegged Lady Bridgerton to be cruel or patronising in any way, some of your previous employers had not been as kind, so you always secretly fear the worst. Your letters to your mother would describe as such, the growing anxiety that every well-to-do mama that you serve under will be exactly like the last. As much as you continually remind yourself that the Bridgertons are different, those thoughts do love to linger. 

The afternoon sun brings a welcome break to your lesson with Hyacinth, who immediately insisted on wearing her new dress when presented with it. She looks lovely wandering around the garden, running across benches in the lightly patterned fabric which makes her easier to spot as well. Though that had not been your intention while making the garment, you have to admit it is a welcomed bonus. That child certainly has enough energy for all the ton twice over, so being easily seen is a necessity when she could run off at any moment. She had been dying to show you what she had observed in Gregory’s dance lesson and requested that you acted as the female so she could take Gregory’s spot. You curtsey as low as you can go before placing your hands on her small frame, bending at the knees ever so slightly so her hands can rest at a comfortable position. With no music to accompany you, Hyacinth takes to counting the steps out loud and you have to bite the inside of your cheek to suppress your laughter. One misstep has Hyacinth scolding you, though not entirely in earnest as the situation quickly crumbles into a fit of laughter between you both. The sweet girl sits next to you on the garden pathway, the two of you holding your stomachs as you laugh heartily. 

Colin stands at a window a floor above the gardens, overlooking the entertaining spectacle taking place before him. A persistent smile etches its way onto his face as his hands rest behind his back, grateful that you are down there and otherwise preoccupied so as to not witness his very obvious infatuation. He does not entirely know when his thoughts about you transitioned in such a way, he just hopes it is not as obvious as he feels it must be. Soon, he realises he is not the only person watching, as his mother has joined by his side, glancing down at what has captured her son’s attention so. 

“She has quite the way with the children,” his mother comments, continuing to glance at the two of you rather than addressing her son directly. 

“You chose well,” he agrees, looking quickly at Lady Bridgerton before continuing to smile at the sound of your laugh climbing its way up through the window. 

“A very kind soul indeed,” Lady Bridgerton sighs contently, turning then to look at her son. “With a rather large, loving heart as well. It would be a shame to let that go to waste”. With no further explanation, she turns and walks away, leaving her son in the sunlit spot on the carpet, confused. She did always have a way for reading her childrens’ minds, as well as their hearts, even when they could not conjure up their thoughts themselves. 

What a shame it would be, he agrees mentally. What a shame.

[lemonsdaydreams]

breaking the distance. |c.b|

summary: You and Colby have been dating for nearly two years, enduring long distance and making the best out of time zones and chaotic work/ school schedules. The two of you knew one day the distance would be shortened to where there would be no more planes needed to see each other, and date night could finally be more than just facetiming and watching a movie together at the same time. One of you just happened to know it would be happening sooner rather than later.

~*~*~*~*~*~

No one ever expected Colby and I’s relationship to last, and I couldn’t really blame them. On the outside looking in, It seemed like it was a storm waiting to happen. Colby, a very well known social media content creator, constantly traveling and investigating new locations with his best friend in and outside the country, and lives on the west coast of the united states. Me, a non social media content creator, studying emergency paramedicine, lives on the east coast, and never even had a passport until two months ago. The main thing people always loved to throw at us was the distance. ‘Why date someone who lives a 5 hour plane ride away, when there’s plenty of people here in the same state for you to choose from?’

I personally didn’t fully expect us to be where we are right now when I met Colby over two years ago. It’s crazy how things happen though, how quickly you connect with a person. It’s as if I’d known him my whole life, as if I was connecting with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years that night at the bar. We talked and talked for hours, the rest of the crowded bar tuned out and all I saw was him. Colby and his friends he had traveled to the east coast with a few days later after we first ended up coming over to my apartment for a game night after constantly texting and getting to know each other more. Ironically, one of his friends that came with him, I knew from my childhood. Talk about a small world.

The buzzing of my cellphone in my hand snapped me out of the daydream I was in. A smile quickly spread across my face as I spotted Colby’s name on the caller ID before answering.

“Finally waking up, Mr. Brock?” I smiled as I held the phone to my ear.

“I’m so sorry beautiful, I slept through my alarm. I totally planned on waking up earlier to be able to talk to you in case you began to stress over your exam today.” His morning voice was something that always caught me off guard, the deep rasp. It always made me yearn for the day I’d be able to hear it in person, and not over the phone.

Of course over the past two years we’ve met up and spent time together, however it was usually when him and Sam were on a trip to film or when I had a small break between semesters at school and could afford to visit him.

“It’s okay Colby, I promise.” I smiled to myself and attempted to contain my excitement as I scanned the empty apartment once more. “I’ve been just cleaning and relaxing on the couch. I think if I tried reading any more of my textbooks my eyeballs might fall out of my head.”

Colby chuckled as my apartment door swung open, and I quickly muted myself as Seth, the friend of Colby’s that I’ve known since childhood came in. “Who’s ready to mo- oh shit, are you on the phone?” He quickly covered his mouth with a hand.

“Yeah, with Colby.” I giggled before giving him a ‘shh’ and taking myself off mute.

“You’re going to do great. You always do great. This is the final bridge needing to be crossed and then I’ll be able to have you in my arms every night and hear about the crazy encounters you have at work in person. God, I can’t wait for that to be real, beautiful. I miss you so much.”

“I can’t believe that it’s finally here. Just this semester and then I’m done, graduated, nationally registered to work anywhere in the country. By the way, My supervisor reached out to the base that’s not far from where you live, and they have an open paramedic spot that is up for grabs.” I bit my bottom lip and glanced at Seth who also shared the same nervous look.

I’ve always hated lying, and lying to Colby these past few months have been absolute torture. But he’s always the one surprising me, I wanted to finally surprise him. I ended up taking an earlier program that Colby didn’t know about, which allowed me to graduate and become a paramedic three months ago. However, Colby still thought I had another two months to go. During this time since finishing school, I’ve been working and studying protocols for the state I’d be moving to, coordinating with Sam on shipping my stuff to Vegas from New England without Colby seeing the boxes, selling stuff I don’t need to bring, and basically getting ready to move to Vegas. Of course, Colby knew this day would be coming, as we have a whole checklist we share on google docs to make sure we have everything lined up for when the day comes, He just doesn’t know it’s happening sooner. Or that I’m going to be there, in like 12 hours.

“Baby, Is it okay if I let you go? I can call you back later. I have to bring my phone to the apple store, I finally got an appointment to get my battery fixed.” I ran a hand through my hair, constantly reminding myself mentally the lying would be over soon.

“Oh good, I’m so glad you got that appointment babe, I have to get going anyway. Sam and I have to go meet up with some friends to film a video, but text or call me as soon as you finish your exam okay? I love you.”

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I groaned and laid back on the empty granite counter. “Dude, no wonder you hate lying. Thank god that wasn’t a facetime call or one look at your face and Colby would see your face and just know you were hiding something.” Seth chuckled and I flipped him the bird.

“Can we go get coffee before we head to the airport? This whole not having my own car thing sucks.” Seth chuckled once more before nodding and holding out his rental keys that I snatched out his hand before he could speak. “Yes, I’ll drive. You drive worse than my grandmother.”

~

“Now boarding Group A.”

“I’m really flying to Vegas without a return ticket.” I mumbled as I handed my ticket to the flight attendant at the gate. I glanced over my shoulder at Seth who stood behind me, laughing. “You’re finally moving to Vegas. Which means Sam and I won’t have to hear Colby talk about how much he misses your voice all the time and try to figure out what haunted places we could go see near where you live.”

“Are you sure he won’t question why my phone is off for over five hours? I mean we don’t talk on the phone all day every day, but we usually check in over text to say Hi and that we miss each other or something. I don’t think a phone battery replacement would take five hours.” I buckled my seatbelt once Seth and I got to our assigned seats. “You seriously worry too much.” Seth patted my hand as he smiled. “We’ve got it all figured out. He isn’t going to have any time to check his phone with what they’re filming.”

“This is going to be a long ass five hours, Seth. This is why teleportation should be a thing. I could already be there, with Colby.” I sighed as I turned to look out the window, anxiously tapping my foot on the ground. Seth laughed and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted him hold his phone out to take a photo.

“Don’t you dare post that.” I looked at him wide eyed, which caused Seth to laugh more. “Relax, It’s a video. For memories.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest. “Should I yell it out now that you’re a paramedic, just in case there’s a medical emergency?”

“Don’t you dare. I’m too nervous to provide any care, nor do I want to start my career as a medic off by taking care of someone on a plane. Why aren’t we moving yet?” I peered up and around the seats, huffing as I noticed not everyone was seated.

“God this is going to be so funny to look back on.” Seth mumbled as he put his phone down.

~*~

“I’ve got all your stuff in the storage unit, and your car should be arriving in the next few days.” Sam smiled as he drove Seth and I from the airport. Colby was back at the house editing and thinking Sam had just gone out to get food for the two of them. “It’s really good to finally see you, by the way. Colby is going to lose his mind.”

“I’m so nervous.” I mumbled looking out the window of the car and taking in the change of scenery. “He thinks I’m still in my exam right now.”

“Oh I know. Dude is a love sick puppy right now.” Sam laughs and gives me a smile. “Once we get to the house, I’m going to go inside to ask Colby to come out and help me grab some stuff from my car, but in reality it will only be you.” He added while Seth readjusted the camera on the dash of the car. I nodded and prayed we’d be arriving at the house soon.

Once at the house, I laid down in the back seat of the car to hide until Colby came out. “Yeah it’s on the passenger side in the back, If you can just grab it for me as well as the camera!” Sam called out, signaling that Colby was coming my way. Before I knew it, the door was swung open and I quickly sat up and smiled as my eyes landed on Colby. “Surprise!”

Colby stared in shock for a moment, eyes wide with confusion. Next thing I knew, He was grabbing my legs and pulling me out of the vehicle and up into his arms. My arms quickly wrapped around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder and wrapping my legs around him as he held me. “What is going on?” Colby yelled out, turning to glance at his friends back at the doorway before slamming the car door and moving so I was pressed against it and using one of his hands to pull my head back so he could see my face. “You have an exam?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“Baby.” I laughed softly. “Oh my gosh I’ve absolutely hated lying to you. I graduated early, That’s why I was so busy over break and couldn’t see you. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you by being able to finally be here sooner than you thought.” I cupped his face in my hands and blinking back tears as I finally got a good look at him. “I can’t believe I’m here.”

“I missed your graduation?” He frowned, resting his forehead against mine. “I’m so confused baby.” He quickly closed the distance between us and kissed me gently. “But dear god have I been dying to kiss you.” He mumbled against my lips.

“No, It was a winter graduation so there’s no walk you didn’t miss anything.” I kissed him once more. “But I’m here. no more distance. It’s finally broken.” I ran a hand through his hair as I stared into his blue eyes. Colby pulled me closer once more and began kissing me again, deeper this time before beginning to head towards the house. “You guys should probably head our for a while.” Colby mumbled as he passed Sam and Seth, his gaze still set on me. “Already planned on it. We’ll be back later. Welcome home!” Sam called out as Colby walked away from them, still carrying me. I let out a small laugh and began kissing Colby’s cheeks and playing with his hair at the nape of his neck.

“I can’t believe you lied.” Colby fake pouted as he gently tossed me on his, ours now, bed before climbing on top of me. “But it was so worth it.” He mumbled before kissing me. “Now it’s time for me to welcome you home.” He smirked.

[todaysdocument]

Letter from Charles D. Levy to President Calvin Coolidge Requesting Protection for Jews from the Ku Klux Klan

Record Group 60: General Records of the Department of JusticeSeries: Straight Numerical FilesFile Unit: 198589, Section 560-619 (5)

198589

Chas. D. Levy

WHOLESALE DRY GOODS

OFFICES AND SALESROOMS

1444-1450 St. Clair Avenue

CLEVELAND OHIO

June 24th, 1924.

[Stamped begin] RESPECTFULLY REFERRED FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CONSIDERATION.

C.B. Sleuk Secy. to the President [Stamped end]

Honorable Calvin Coolidge,

President of the United States,

Washington, D.C.

My Dear Mr. President:

I have been a staunch Republican for many years, casting my first vote for James. A. Garfield.

I have twenty-three Department Stores located throughout the different towns and cities of Ohio. In some of these towns and cities the Ku Klux Klan organization has placed a boycott on several of my stores, on account of me being fortunate enough to be born a Hebrew, and just as soon as the present leases expire I will be compelled to move from these sections.

In the town of Ashland, Ohio, where one of my stores is located, there was held a meeting in the Public Square, and in front of thousands of spectators who had gathered to hear the speakers, the Ku Klux Klan openly told the audience they should not patronize any Jewish merchant. I think this is just plain boycott and very unfair to an American citizen or even a Non-American citizen.

I have read your platform and taken special notice to the paragraph in which you state that you demand "law and order" and "the protection of all citizens."

All I am asking for is your protection in this matter. If you have promised it for the next four years there is no reason why you cannot give it to us now, as you are The President now, of this glorious country, the same as I hope you will be for the next four years.

I await your kind reply for which I thank you in advance.

Very sincerely,

Chas. D. Levy

[giftplane]

some transcriptions of things that were on screen in TWF4. may not include everything (and may have misread some things), sorry. under the cut. There aren't any timestamps, sorry, i didn't write them when i sent them over discord

"Charles Brook: 10.10.1970 Hi, just got hired officially as the computer supervisor for "Unnamed Bunny Smiles Restaurant" (though I've been coming up with a few names myself) I've known these guys for a while, they're family! I've done some work for them along with Susan for years now, even before Cyberfun Tech! Getting to meet the Waltens and the Krankens has been super fun! So excited to get to work! The future is bright. [P. 27:12] C.B."

---

"Mr. Kranken This is Norman, I'm sending you this letter on behalf of our deal between Bunny Smiles and Cyberfun Tech and most importantly, the well-being of our Cyberfun staff. We've been getting a lot of complaints about a member of our staff team going missing who was highly associated with you and your team. Susan Woodings has been missing for a week now and here in Cyberfun Tech we are working as hard as we can to try and manage to get in contact with her. Is there perhaps any detail you could hand us to help locate our missing employee? I'm going to be entirely honest with you, Mr. Kranken, and tell you I have a ton of questions and suspicions about whatever is going on with your company. Whatever it is, it's making both your company and mine look bad to public light so, again, if there's anything that could help us find Susan, write us back immediately. Thank you. I'll see you Monday."

---

"Employee Notes #404 BSI Notes [???]

THE BSI CONSOLE The Bunny Smiles incorporated console allows the robots of bon's burger's (to) feel a lot more lifelike and allow for a more fun and impressing experience I think this is an ambitious and innovating concept i would've never expected to make in my life. Susan did not disappoint at all. Absolutely stunning and delicate work. Jack was fascinated, never seen anything like it! Felix was both amazed and scared, he doesn't understand anything about how it works!"

---

"BSI Employee Notes

WALKAROUND TEST (WEEK 1-2) WEEK 1: Banny knocked over the table! Rework room reorganizing feature! Bon test went well, recognized Sophie right away! Sha is next

Boozoo's magic trick bit went well, little rusty but he'll do better next time.

WEEK 2: Banny fixed, test went as planned. Mask broke (d)own from last incident Bon walkaround test went well, better than expected (Notes on side: "Mask broke down, get new one made by Friday!" "There should be a spare one in")"

[strawberry-whorecake]

One Hell of a Star | C.B.

pairing: Charlie Barber x fem!reader

summary: Being an aspiring actress, fresh off the press of Julliard, Charlie Barber’s theater company was the first place you put your bets on into making it. However, your audition doesn’t go quite how you’re used to, not that you’re complaining.

word count: 4.3k

warnings: swearing, power dynamic, abuse of power, PinV sex, unprotected sex, cum eating, slight dubcon

A/N: i’ve been writing so much Kylo, i decided to take a break with Charlie

Charlie Barber was the most sought after director in New York. His theater company, Exit Ghost, was exactly where you found yourself being a young, aspiring actress. It was the first place you figured you had a real shot, and after hearing nothing but good about Charlie Barber, it was worth that shot.

The halls glowed a soft orange as your shoes echoed against the linoleum with every step you took. It was mostly empty, only passing about two other people who paid you no mind as you walked along.

Reaching the main theater doors, you took a reaffirming breath as you pulled them open, the doors groaning in response. The theater was dimly lit and barren of anyone except for the back of a head containing raven colored soft waves.

Upon the doors' announcement of your arrival he smoothly turned his head and peered over his shoulder. "Can I help you?"

You'd recognized him in local papers and from website articles critiquing him with high praise for his work. "Oh, I'm so sorry to disturb you," your eyes flashed to the notebook he'd previously been scrawling his thoughts away in. "Uh, hi, are you Charlie Barber?" you asked, taking a few steps into the theater. He set his preoccupations aside and stood, swelling to his full 6'2 height.

"I am, and you are?" He looked you over as you two approached one another, taking in every aspect of your appearance while you introduced yourself. He stuck out his hand, giving yours a shake. His grip was firm, confident, and your handshake in comparison felt weak. Just as weak as you felt in the knees taking in the sight of the handsome man.

"I've heard all about your theater company–I saw your play on Broadway, Electra, it was excellent." He smiled at your praise and nodded his head in thanks. "I'm an actress–er, I'd like to be." You lowered your gaze, holding out your makeshift resume of previous productions you'd been a part of. He took it from your grip, letting his eyes graze over the paper.

His brows furrowed softly as he made mental note of everything you've done thus far. "You've never been a part of a proper play?" His tone was gentle despite his words being vaguely critical. "No sir, Mr. Barber, I've just graduated from Julliard, I've only done college productions..."

He raised a brow, his dark eyes meeting yours. "Julliard, huh? They're tough to get into." You nodded, but he spoke again before you could get a word out. "And please, call me Charlie, Mr. Barber was my father and makes me feel much older than I am." he chuckled softly, easing you into a gentle smile.

"Charlie," you familiarized yourself with the feeling of his name on your lips. "I know I'm asking a great deal from you, being rather inexperienced, but I'd like to ask you to take a chance on me."

He considered you, his eyes grazing over your appearance again. His gaze drifted across your features for a few moments before he allowed himself to peer at your frame only for a second–meeting your eyes again.

"So you're looking to audition then?" You nodded, "Truth is, I'd be honored to be a part of your company, even if I'm not on the stage, just being a part of Exit Ghost would be an incredible privilege."

"You've brought a piece to audition with?" You nodded once more, shuffling through the papers you'd held in your hand and outstretched another one toward him, which he immediately looked over. "Ah, Juliet's most famous monologue from Act 2, Scene 2." his words were butter-smooth, and you suddenly flushed.

"It's not too stereotypical, is it?" you chewed at the inside of your lip in nervousness, immediately second guessing your monologue decision–out of every monologue to ever exist you went with perhaps the most well known.

Charlie immediately took note of your sudden nerves and bid you a sweet, consoling smile. "No, no. It's good to play to your strengths, Romeo and Juliet is a classic for a reason, is it not? It's, uh, timeless."

You smiled, relief washing over you in waves. Charlie's gaze lingered to the stage for a moment before his lip curled slightly in the corner. "We can take this to my office, the stage's just been polished–it might be too slick to stand on currently." His hand lightly pressed against your lower back, guiding you back out the doors of the theater.

Following behind him, you made your way through the hall coming to a stop at a door that had a golden plaque hanging dead-center labeled, 'Director'. He pushed open the door, gesturing you in with his strong hand.

You took a few steps in, looking around at the office as Charlie followed in after you, shutting the door, making you look at him. "Oh, I'm sorry–would you prefer I left it open?" His brows raised softly as he spoke. "No, that's okay. It's your office."

He chuckled, his tone was mellifluous, a slight playfulness hung on his voice when he spoke. "It's your audition." You bid him a smile as he bypassed you, rearing around his desk and taking a seat in his chair, folding his hands together.

"Whenever you're ready to begin, you can." He gestured to you once more with a roll of his hand as he crossed his leg over his thigh and placed his hold onto his calf with one hand–effortlessly draping his other atop his opposite arm. You took a deep breath, and softly cleared your throat, mustering up your stage persona.

You lifted your head confidently, swelling your chest, and feigned your best love-stricken look–though in the presence of this admittedly handsome man, looking lovestruck was nowhere near impossible.

"O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Your voice was desperate, calling out. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn, my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" Charlie's voice was gentle, taking you slightly off-guard as you hadn't expected him to take Romeo's lines, but you were oddly relieved he had–filling the silence between Juliet's monologue. He ran his hand through his hair, cocking his head slightly as he looked at you.

You wet your lips, keeping your gaze on him because you just couldn't help yourself, he was elegantly handsome.

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art myself, though not a Montague–" you began the following part of Juliet's monologue, performing with great ease as it came naturally for you, while simultaneously watching Charlie's reactions to your audition.

As your chest would swell with confidence, he'd gently lean his head back, his eyes drifting over your frame, likely judging your stage presence. "What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot," you took a step forward, contemplatively. "Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man."

Another step forward, your fingers clutched the edge of his desk as you cried out desperately, "O, be some other name!"

Charlie's eyes studied you the entire time, your expressions were one he lingered on the longest. You pulled away from his desk, wrapping your arms around your own shoulders. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet."

Continuing the monologue you watched as Charlie stood, breezing around the side of his desk as he placed himself upon the corner, closing more distance between you two as he studied you. You took a great chance and pulled yourself closer to him, closing in more distance as your heart beat faster.

"-take all myself." the final line of the monologue ghosted off your lips, your voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. Your eyes interlocked with his. You didn't speak, awaiting your feedback and criticisms, and the silence that echoed throughout the room as you two both beheld each other.

His hand snaked up, fingertips gently caressing your cheek as he drew your face nearer to his. "I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth. I will never be Romeo." he muttered, words gliding off his tongue with ease.

His thumb traced up to your lips, your face burned with heat as he stroked your bottom lip with his thumb, your chin resting in the crook between his index finger and thumb as he held your gaze firm to his.

His thumb edged deeper into your lips, splitting them apart. You allowed his action, intoxicated with his touch and his attention, but you gently nipped at the tip of his thumb with your teeth, watching as his lip curled into a soft smirk.

Your heart skipped a beat–this was surely never the way any previous audition had gone down, and you convinced yourself if any other director had done this to you, you would've kicked him where it hurt... but Charlie...

Charlie had you enamored. You craved nothing more than his recognition, his touch. You were putty in his hands, and little did you know he planned to shape you into the budding star he saw you as.

"Quite the little Juliet you are." his words came out as a breath as he gently pulled your face closer to his. His nose touched your skin first, dug delicately into the plush of your cheeks before his lips made contact with your jaw–his thumb and forefinger pinching at your chin to keep your face close to his.

"Tell me..." he whispered against your flesh, "How good do you think Romeo made Juliet feel?" You couldn't stop your breath from hitching in your throat as he spoke. Your hand inadvertently grabbed hold of his leg as your thighs squeezed together.

He chuckled breathily as he watched your desperate attempt for friction, but he was in the lead, diving his knee between your legs and drove them apart. He took the opportunity to let his free hand snake around your waist, resting against the small of your back as he pulled you closer to him.

The smell of Charlie's cologne filled your senses, it was robust and masculine with undertones of leathers and wood, while being incredibly elegant and lavish. The scent alone made desire burn through your core.

His hand teased lower, cupping your ass and shoving you flush against him. "Charlie-!" you squeaked out in surprise. His fingers squeezed your chin, making you look up into his eyes through your lashes.

"How badly do you want to be an actress?" he purred, drawing his thumb back to your bottom lip again as he gripped your chin against his palm.

"M-more than anything..." you squeaked again, using all your control to not whine. His face zeroed in on yours, his eyes narrowing and darkening slightly. "Prove it."

He shoved his thumb into your mouth and you closed your lips around it, drawing in your cheeks and sucking on his digit. His eyes locked in on the sight of your mouth around his thumb, watching the way your cheeks hollowed out as you sucked–his own lips parting in awe. He pulled it free with an obscene pop before smearing your saliva across your bottom lip.

His hand trailed down your body, his eyes following the movements of his hand. "We need to take these off. I need to study you."

His hands clutched at the fabric of your shirt and despite your embarrassment you raised your arms, allowing him to pull your top over your head. You were taken aback as he folded your shirt in half and placed it with care on his knee. He wasted no time to begin fidgeting with the clasp of your jeans, working with his thick fingers to unbutton them.

The craving in your core forced your own fingers to assist him, kicking off your shoes before sliding your thumbs into the waistband of your jeans, dragging them down the plush of your hips, then your thighs, until you pulled them all the way off.

He took the pants from your hands, folding them with the same care and placed them on top of your shirt. He stood to his full height making you raise your head to keep your eyes on his. He placed your clothes in the chair that sat kitty-cornered to his desk, using his foot to sweep your shoes in that direction.

He swept around you, leaving your back vulnerable to him as you peered over your shoulder as he took you in. His brows furrowed softly, "No, not good enough. I need to really see you." Big warm hands grazed the small of your back again before tracing up and unclasping the hooks of your bra. He then grabbed onto your side, spinning you rather harshly to face him.

His eyes draped over your chest before meeting your eyes–locking in on your wide-eyed expression as he pulled your bra off your body, your nipples pebbling in the open air of his office. He draped it over his forearm as he indulged himself in looking at your breasts, his tongue darting along his bottom lip as he took in the sight of you.

"Almost." he hummed, looping his fingers into the waistband of your panties. His thick fingers pressing against your pelvis made your body burn with a mix of need and embarrassment.

This was definitely not how any other audition played out.

With an easy tug, he pulled the fabric down your hips, offering you his other arm to steady yourself as you stepped out of them. He placed the two articles in the chair with the rest of your clothing before returning his attention to you.

You bit your lip to silence the whimpers that leeched in your throat at the sight of him observing you fully bared for him, before he caught wind of your nerves and met your eyes again. "Stunning." he purred.

Your cheeks flooded with warmth the second his fingers reached out and trailed down your side, starting just below your ribs before stopping at your hip. He drew you closer to him, pressing you flush against him and you felt the tent in his pants from his half-hard cock prod against your lower belly.

"Let me spoil you like a real star." his words fell off his lips in a breathy grunt. His eyes searched yours for a moment and when you nervously nodded your head he dove his lips into yours.

The feeling of his plush pink lips against yours shot shockwaves through your nerve endings. It was hot–full of fervor–the way his lips worked. His chest fell as he exhaled against your lips, his thick fingers trailing around your waist, and he squeezed at the plush of your ass.

He kissed you heavily, pressing his hips firmly to your body as your hands rose up to his chest, gently dragging your fingernails down his shirt. You desperately wanted him to remove his clothing too–if anything, just to ease your nerves over being the only one so exposed, but you knew you were in no position to ask, forcing you to swallow down the thought.

The hand not fondling your ass rose between your breasts, circling itself around your throat before gently squeezing at the sides. You didn't have the time to stifle the breathy moan you pressed against his lips.

He smirked as he pulled away from you. He took in the sight of you once more before he grabbed hold of your waist and spun you around so your back was to him.

He trailed his thick fingers down your flesh, following the line starting at your shoulder blades and ending at the dimples in your waist. His hips rutted against yours forcefully, making you gasp and stick out your hands to his desk to balance yourself.

"You're perfect." he hummed, diving his hand around your waist as he reached between your thighs, his thick fingers sliding though your slit. Feeling how wet you were for him pulled a breathy chuckle from his throat.

"Oh you're quite the little star already, aren't you?" his words felt slightly jeering, making you whimper in protest. His fingers worked at your core, drawing meticulous circles around your clit. His hips rutted into yours again, pressing his hardness against your ass, and eliciting a moan from your throat.

He pulled his hand away from your folds and you bit down on your lip at the loss of contact, missing the feeling of his thick fingers on you until you heard the clack of his belt coming undone.

You peered over your shoulder to look at him, watching as he unbuttoned his slacks and pulled them down just enough to free himself from his boxers.

You gaped at the sight of him–his cock was much bigger than you'd anticipated, the vision of it made your thighs tremble and your cunt clench around nothing.

He caught sight of you looking, seeing your knees wobble softly and he chuckled again, "Don't worry, you can take it." He stroked himself a few times, swirling his precum along his length. He grunted softly as his fist worked him for a moment, before he grabbed hold of your hips again.

His hand trailed up your back, gently shoving your body downward and urging you to arch your back. You swallowed down a whimper as his tip slid between your slit, gathering your slick on the tip of his cock.

He teased you a few times by thrusting through your folds, making you whimper out and clench around nothing again. Another mocking chuckle escaped his throat. "Okay, I'm done teasing."

His tip aligned with your entrance, and you bit down on your lip as he dug his fingers into the plump flesh of your hip, easing himself inside of you.

"Fuck–" he huffed, "You are tight."

His explicit words made you moan out as your cunt throbbed, pulling him deeper into you. He withdrew slightly, making you whimper. "C-Charlie... p-please..." you pleaded.

He hummed in response before slamming his hips into yours, making you cry out at the sudden intrusion that seared between your legs. He repeated the action, groaning as you whined again.

Once he bottomed out inside of you he gripped your hips, pulling you against his length as he thrust in and out of you.

"Sh-Shit-!" you panted.

He filled you up so well, his cock nestled itself perfectly in your pussy, taking up all the room you offered him–which compared to his size–wasn't much.

"Language." he hissed through his teeth, ramming his hips sharply into yours again, making you cry out at the force.

He found rhythm, methodically unsheathing from you before thrusting in again. "God–you feel so good." he praised, squeezing at your hips.

Your brows knit as he hit spots of you no guy ever had before, all thanks to the sheer size of him. His cockhead nestled itself against your cervix, prodding it insistently.

His hands wrapped around your waist, moving toward your lower tummy where he felt himself inside you. "Filling you up so good, aren't I?" he hummed.

"F-Fuck... Charlie..." you moaned, earning another hiss through his teeth as a response. "I need to fill that filthy mouth of yours."

He hastily shoved his middle and ring finger into your mouth, making you gag at the intrusion before humming against them. "There... isn't that better?"

You whined in reply, sucking on his digits as you rocked your hips in pace with his, your brows knitting again in pleasure.

The drag of his hips was agonizing, and every time he withdrew your cunt clamped down around him, not wanting him to leave you. He groaned every time you pulled him back in, driving his fingers deeper into your mouth again making you gag once more.

He pulled his fingers from your mouth, quickly placing them on your waist, "Turn around, I need to see that pretty face." He simultaneously pulled out of you, making you whine as a brief emptiness settled over your insides. He spun you around so you now faced him, leaning against your arms for leverage, and he wasted no time to bury his cock deep inside you again.

He watched as your eyes nearly shut and your brows furrowed together, absolutely drunk on his dick. He leaned forward, placing sloppy open-mouthed kisses on your breast, keeping one hand on your hip as the other kneaded at your opposite. He groaned against your flesh, his hot breath exhaling from his nose as it dug softly against you.

He pulled away from your chest, moving his lips up to your neck as he fucked into you. "You're absolutely gorgeous like this–" he panted against your skin. You could only moan in response. "You take me so, so well."

You were already teetering on the edge of ecstasy, which you hardly ever did off pure penetration, but he hit every fucking mark.

You looked up at him rather pathetically, the knot in your core tightening incredibly as you looked at him. His brows were furrowed in focus, his forehead had a soft sheen of sweat, and his lips parted as he breathed heavily.

His already dark eyes looked black from being blown with lust as they caught yours and his lips curled into another smirk, eliciting a whimper from your throat. "You want to cum, is that it?"

Your mind was fuzzy from your impending orgasm and the sheer sight of him. You whimpered as a response. "No–use your words."

"P-Please!" you cried out, cheeks burning in embarrassment at your haste. He chuckled breathily, "Good…good girl."

Catching you by surprise he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead before diving into your lips again. His thick fingers snaked between your legs, pads finding your clit again. You moaned against his lips, making him swallow down your noises as he drew tight organized circles against your bundle of nerves.

Your thighs trembled at the added pleasure. "Fuck! Charlie!"

His grip on your waist spared, still using his other hand to tease your clit, his fingers dove into your mouth again. "What did I say about that mouth, hmm?" His digits pressed against your tongue, gently pulling your mouth open as you panted around them.

Your walls clenched, the knot in your core unbearably tight. "C-Charlie-" you attempted to speak around his fingers but it came out all muddled. His eyes met yours beneath his heavy brow. "You gonna cum, gorgeous?"

You nodded, feeling his thrusts and fingers around your clit pick up pace–moving frantically–the fingers in your mouth prodding against your tongue as you moved your head. "Cum on my cock, pretty girl." he purred, his eyes hungrily staring into yours.

As if he'd uttered the magic words, the knot in your core unraveled and your arms that held you up shook as your vision blurred, waves of white flooding your brain as your crescendo hit.

You cried out, trembling in intensity as he pulled his fingers from your mouth, steadying you with his grip again. Your cunt throbbed against him, as he continued pace, chasing his own orgasm. You listened as his breath hitched in his throat, grunting between breaths and he quickly withdrew his fingers and pulled out of you, frantically taking himself in his hand as he stroked himself off.

He grabbed a fistful of your hair and harshly pushed you to your knees, groans and expletives pouring past his lips. "Open." he ordered. You obliged, propping open your jaw as you looked up at him from your knees, looking between his hand pumping his cock and his face.

You watched as his chest stuttered, his tip twitching and he quickly used the grip on your hair to bury himself into your mouth–making you gag again and tears prick at the corners of your eyes. You could barely close your lips around his girth, but did you surely try your damnedest.

His essence flooded your tongue, overwhelming your tastebuds with sweet saltiness as he let out a strangled groan. You swallowed as best you could around him, which he bid you the courtesy of pulling from your mouth as you struggled against his size, but not for long before he pressed his tip to your lips again, making you clean him off.

You pulled him from your mouth with an obscene pop, before taking him in your hand and lapping your tongue along the underside of his cock, eyes looking up to him. He groaned at the feeling, prying open his eyes to peer down at you.

He released your hair, grabbing for your hand as he helped you to your feet before immediately smashing his lips against yours, tasting himself off your tongue. His hand smoothed over your ass again, reveling in the softness of your flesh before he pulled away.

"Rehearsals start Thursday at noon. Be there on time." he huffed as he shoved himself back in his pants. You stood speechlessly for a moment–recounting what just happened in your head. His eyes met yours, his brows raising slightly, "Do you understand?"

You quickly nodded your head, "Yes. Thursday, noon sharp." He smirked softly. "Good." He turned, grabbing ahold of your clothes and outstretched them to you.

You redressed, your skin burning in embarrassment as his eyes kept their focus on you. He only stopped looking at you once you pulled your jeans back up your waist, rebuttoning them.

He reared around his desk, grabbing the papers you'd given to him when you first arrived in the theater room, and he outstretched those to you too.

"I'm gonna make you one hell of a star." he hummed, shamelessly running his hand along your backside again as he saw you out of his office.

You bit your lip nervously, begging you weren't walking funny from your 'audition'.

"What time Thursday?" he called after you, making you spin on your heel. "Noon."

He grinned. "Perfect."

You bid him a smile as you spun back around, your mind racing as you left the building. If your audition consisted of Charlie burying his cock in you, you couldn't wait to find out what was in store for you during rehearsals.

[diabolus1exmachina]

Chrysler Special Coupé by Ghia (1 of 19). 

One of the first Chrysler show cars designed by Virgil Exner and built by Italian coachbuilder Ghia, the appropriately named Chrysler Special was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in October 1952. Built on a New Yorker chassis shortened by six inches, it featured unusually high radiused wheel arches that extended almost to the top of the fenders, smooth sides that flowed from bumper to bumper with only a small “kick” in the rear fender curve, rounded headlights, and a broad chromed trapezoidal grille.Its subtle yet muscular lines made the Special the hit of the show, and M. Ladouch, proprietor of the French Chrysler importers France Motors, realized that there was a willing market for a small number of copies, for which he secured the support of Chrysler export manager C.B. Thomas.Ghia’s “production” Chrysler Special was based upon the original show car but built upon a standard-wheelbase, 125.5-inch New Yorker platform and with a modified semi-fastback roofline to accommodate four full-sized adults. The first of these limited-production, hand-built cars was made for C.B. Thomas himself, and was followed by another 18 cars, six for customers of France Motors and another dozen for clients of Ghia. All were originally delivered in Europe. American customers, in many cases—with the exception of the fortunate Mr. Thomas—remained unaware that this truly “special” Chrysler even existed until a few of the cars made their way stateside later in life. Nonetheless, this “dream car for the public” can be seen as the forerunner of similar efforts to follow later in the 1950s, most prominently the Dual Ghia.

[green-planets]

StEx Appreciation Month Day Seventeen and Eighteen: The Cabeese (Pre/Post 2018)!

Does anyone remember draw your squad memes? Anyway, I'm cramming all three of these guys below the cut.

OLC! Caboose

Love this funky guy!

Favorite Songs/Moments: C.B. is hands down the funkiest song on the OLC! Album and Michael Staniforth was absolutely incredible!! I also love his verses in Freight, especially the way he says 'Hello!' He sounds like such a goober!

Favorite Costume: I think there's just the one, but I love it! You go Mr. Baseball-Playing-Trucker-Man!

Favorite Ships: I don't actively ship him with anyone but I don't mind OLC! Electraboose

Unpopular opinions: I don't think I have any

CB the Red Caboose

He's just a silly fun-time boy!

Favorite Songs/Moments: Wide Smile, the handshake bit with Electra during Wide Smile, taunting Rusty. There's one boot where he kicks Rusty in the face after crashing him and I don't know why but it's actually so funny (poor Rusty though!) Can we also get some appreciation for Todd Lester's splits! And Hans Johansson's dancing/acrobatics!

Favorite Costume: It's stayed pretty consistent, but why change it when it's already perfect!

Favorite Ships: I don't ship him with anyone, I actually hc him as aromantic (though I am partial to Idiot Sandwich purely for shits and giggles)

Unpopular opinions: I don't like the version of Wide Smile with the pop culture references at the beginning, it just kinda breaks my immersion

BV the Break Van

The bastard weasel man (affectionate)!

Favorite Songs/Moments: Mein Spiel! I'm glad he gets his own time to shine during the MegaMix! Watching him sneak around and negotiate with GB and Elektra is so fun! He's also great during Pumping Iron

Favorite Costume: There's only been one, but two-tone glove supremacy!!

Favorite Ships: Beelektra and Carriebee

Unpopular opinions: I love him! And I think he fits better contextually with the updated show

[hunted-moth]

Just Like Him  Chapter Four: A Mad Scientist Gave Us Pasta

Wordcount // 7k

Summary // The group seeks refugee at the CDC, all gose well until the secret about the virus is revealed 

Warning //Angst, Violence aginst women (Shane & Lori scene), Language, Death, Killing of Walkers, Typical TWD stuff really

OTHER STUFF// were so close to the end of season one guys

A/N // ive got chap 5 done, and its really short so it should be out soonish, just depends on my life lol

***: Major time Skip/scene change

*: small time skip/scene change

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                              ~~~Day Seven~~~

             “Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay?” everyone was gathered around and listened to Shane and Rick explain what was happening “Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?” Shane looked around, and then Morales spoke up.

“We, uhh, we're not going,” he said, everyone looked at him in confusion, so Mrs. Morales spoke up.

“We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people.” She looked at her family as Shane warned them of the dangers of being by themselves.

“We'll take the chance. I gotta do what's best for my family” He said as he looked at Rick. Rick asked them one last time if they wanted to leave. “We talked about it. We're sure.” Morles semented one last time as Rick had Shane give them a gun. Daryl rolled his eyes as they did so. Everybody else went to say their goodbyes. You didn't know them well but still hugged the kids goodbye.

After the goodbyes, Dale walks up to you and asks if you want to ride in the RV. You thought about it, but the idea of being there if Jim died and turned and being in a small space didn't sit right with you.

“I don't know, maybe I'll ride with Lori or something” Rick must've overheard you and walked over. 

“Sorry Y/n, don't think we’ve got room in the Jeep” Your face dropped a bit, but then you thought about Shane and his Jeep.

“What about Shane?” you asked Dale “Can I ride with him?” Dale had a weird expression on his face when you suggested Shane “Or not” You looked to Rick seeing if he had any ideas, and who just so happened to be in his line of sight, Daryl.

“Hey, Daryl!” Rick shouted as he walked over. Daryl was currently tying down a bike to the bed of his truck when he looked at Rick.

“What?” Daryl asked, not even looking at Rick as he stood by him.

“Ya mind lettin’ Y/n ride in your truck?” Rick asked him with a nonchalant voice, while Daryl looked like he had grown horns all of a sudden. 

“Hell no, have ’er ride with someone else” he refused. Rick just looked at him to eyes with his crystal blue eyes.

“Just do it, think of it as an apology for trying to burn her mom,” He said. Daryl glared and scoffed.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered under his breath “Fine, she can ride with me” Rick nodded and called you over. When you stood before them Rick clapped Daryl on the shoulder.

“You’re gonna ride with Daryl okay” You nodded your head as Rick and Dale walked away you looked at Daryl. You stood there awkwardly, he looked at you from the corner of his eye. 

“Put yer bow in tha back and get in tha truck,” he said, you did what he said and put your bear bow by his crossbow and hopped into the cab of the blue truck. Through the window you watched everyone continue to pack their things away. You heard the driver-side door creak open and in hopped Daryl. He didn't say anything as he sat there, just biting his thumb. 

Soon you saw the Morales Jeep start driving off along with the RV, prompting Daryl to start the truck. Soon all of you were on the road.

                                                          ***

              It was about thirty minutes of silence. You were about to fall asleep from boredom, while Daryl was thinking about what Rick said, about how he tried to take your mom while you were right there. In his mind, he was right to do so but he guessed he could've done it better.

“Hey, sorry about yer mom,” he said breaking the silence “And yer brother I guess” You didn't know what to say.

“Umm, thanks” You nodded your head slightly “Sorry about yours too” It fell silent again as the CB crackled 

             “HEY UHH THE RV IS SLOWING DOWN, DALE THINKS ITS THE HOSE” 

You heard glenns voice over the CB and even Dale's voice as he cursed the RV

             “UMM YEP DEFIANTLY THE HOSE WERE GONNA PARK”

You looked up ahead and could see the RV pull over along with the other cars. Daryl parked the truck opening the Door.

“Stay in the truck” he got out and went to grab his crossbow. You opened the door hopping out and walked to the RV. Daryl was right by you looking at you with an annoyed look.

“Thought I told yer ass to stay in tha truck,” he said with an annoyed tone.

“Chill, just want to see what's going on,” you said back to him as you quickened your pace. 

You walked over to see Dale talking to Rick about the hose.

“I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van.” Dale seemed to be a lot calmer than he was over the CB. Rick looked at the steaming mess trying to think of something. 

“Can you jury-rig it?” he asked, trying to help, but Dale just shook his head. 

“That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape.” Dale admitted. By now everyone had left their vehicles and surrounded the RV. Shane had binoculars and seemed to have locked his sights on something.

“Think I see something ahead, gas station if we’re lucky” You looked in the direction before Jacqui rushed out of the RV. 

“Y'all, Jim, It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore.” she then rushes back to him while everyone looks around, Shane and T-dog decide to check out the area and Rick follows Jacqui into the RV. Dale went back to looking at the hose, he called you over and had you help him.

“You know what we're looking at?” he asked, you shrugged your shoulders “We are looking at a busted radiator hose, you know how we fix it?” he asked again, you shook your head no “You don't! You have to replace the damn things” he joked you laughed a little bit.

“How's the ride with Daryl?” he asked “You can always ride with me in the RV” he offered again. 

“It's fine, he’s real quiet so it any horrible” You leaned against the RV and saw Shane Jeep pull up again. Shane got out and handed Dale some duct tape.

“Here, that should fix it for now” he walked away when he saw Rick walk out of the RV with his head down low.

“Jim has told me he wants to be left behind,” he reveals to everyone “It's what he wants.” You all let out small gasps and wide eyes. 

“And he’s lucid?” Coral asked Rick with a shocked voice, Rick just nodded his head.

“He seems to be, I would say” Rick looked around unsure of what else to say, Dale had a conflicting expression on his face before he spoke his mind.

“Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man.” he paused, gathering his composer.

“I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer” he finished. The air around him was thick as everyone thought about his words. Shane looked over at Rick and whispered to him.

Saying if it was right to just leave him here as they drove off. Lori had her hand around your shoulder, she squeezed it before she protested what Shane was saying.

“It's not your call, either one of you” She stared them down, and they looked at each other before they both entered the RV. 

                                                           *

              You watched as Rick and Shane carried him to a tree, you could hear the faint grunts and moans of pain from Jim. Everyone followed them up the small hill to say their goodbyes. You were next to Dale as you held some small flowers to give him. Your grandmother always said that flowers helped ward off evil spirits, thats why flowers were at funerals.

Shane tried one more time to try and convince Jim to try and stick it though but he just refused again. Shane backed away and Jacqui said her goodbyes while she kissed him on the cheek. When Jacqui left Rick walked up with a small gun and crouched down, asking if he would want it. Jim turned down the offer, saying you all would need it. 

Then it was yours and Dale's turn to say your goodbyes. You both crouched down to talk to him, dale went first.

“Thanks for, uh, for fighting for us” Jim softly smiled at him, giving him a small nod. Dale walked away giving you room to say goodbye. You placed the small flowers in his shirt pocket and looked him in the eyes.

“You gonna see your family soon,” you said to Jim in a soft voice. Jim closed his eyes and smiled

“I know” he smiled. You walked away and stood by Daryl waiting for him to go, you watched as he gave a small nod to Jim as he walked away. You looked back and gave him a wave goodbye as you all left.

                                                         ***

              You all had been on the road for hours. You could feel your eyes get heavy but you refused to sleep. Sometimes you'd be staring out the window and then begin to nod forward before you jolt back up, sitting up straight with wide tired eyes.

The first few times you did that Daryl would look at you with a confused and annoyed look. But after the first five times you did that, he just ignored it. 

“Just go ta sleep,” He said with a gruff voice. You rubbed your eyes and looked at him.

“You sure?” You asked him, he just nodded his head not saying a word. So you fished out your dad's coat from your bag, draped it over yourself and used your bag as a pillow, and slept. 

The group drove for a few more hours, you slept peacefully during the drive. Ocasuallying Daryl would look over when you made a noise. Sometimes he would smirk if you made a funny noise.

             “We’re about thirty minutes away from the CDC”

Rick's voice came on over the CB waking you from your sleep. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, your coat slid down to your lap.

“Were almost there?” you asked with a groggy voice. Daryl nodded with a ‘hmp’. You nodded and ate a food bar Lori gave you. You were about to take a bite when you looked at Daryl, you didnt see him eat anything yet and you guessed he was hungry. You broke the chocolate granola bar in half and gave one half to him.

“Here” he looked at it, he switched hands on the stirring wheel and took the half, and ate it.

“Thans” his words were muffled by the food in his mouth. You just nodded while you ate yours.

“You’re welcome.”

                                                              *

              You finally saw the big modern-looking building known as the C.D.C. When the truck was parked and you gathered all your things, you and Daryl got out. You wanted to throw up when the smell hit your nose, you could feel your throat start to gag. You used your shirt to cover your nose as you walked to the bed of the truck to grab your bow.

You followed Daryl to meet with the rest and all walked to the building. You had your bow drawn as you walked near Carol and Sophia. It seemed the closer you got to the building the darker it got, which didn't sit right with you.

You were half convinced the bodies on the ground would stand up and start attacking you all, but you tried not to think about that. But your body filled with dread when you saw all the doors to the CDC were closed, metal white shutters covering them. Shane and Rick tried to pry them open but they wouldn't budge.

“There's nobody here” T-dog voiced. You looked around as you stood by Daryl now. 

“Then why are there shutters down?” Rick tried to argue. You thought that was dumb reasoning, but you guessed he was trying.

“Maybe we should go back to the cars” Your voice was lost in the confusion when Daryl yelled and pushed you away, back towards Carol.

“Walker!”

you looked back to see one limp towards you all, Daryl shot it with one of his bolts. The group started to panic, not knowing what to do. 

“You lead us into a graveyard!” Daryl charged towards Rick. Shane tried to defend Rick, saying that he made a call. “It was the wrong damn call!” he yelled. 

Through the confusion, you notice a walker limp towards you all. Everyone was focused on arguing so you aimed your bow at the dead man's head. The arrow planted itself in his forehead, it staggered a bit before it fell to the ground.

“Fort Benning, Rick, Still an option” Shane tried to suggest but Andrea pointed out that you all had no food, and it was a hundred miles and you all didn't have gas. And with Glenn's input, it was a hundred twenty-five miles.

“Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now” You could hear Carl and Sophia cry. Lori was at her wit's end, she didn't know what to do and Rick and Shane arguing was not it. Shane started to herd everybody away to go back to the cars. You felt Carol usher you with her and Sophia as you all tried to go to the cars but Rick wouldn't move, his eyes were glued to something.

“The camera, it moved!” he announced, everyone stopped to see, but it looked the same. Shane walked up to Rick to try and drag him back.

“You imagined it,” He said as he put his hands on his shoulders.

“It moved. It moved.” Rick argued again, this time he pointed at a camera.

“Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on.” Shane tried to drag Rick away but he just fought out of his grasp and yelled at the camera. “Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick.” Shane pleaded with Rick, but Rick just brushed him off as he slammed the shutters.

“I know you're in there. I know you can hear me.” Rick yelled at the camera. Shane and Lori tried to pull him away. 

“Everybody to the cars now!” Shane yelled, you could feel Carol pull you away again. You looked over your shoulder to see Rick bagging on the shutter again. It was utter chaos now, yelling and crying filled your senses and you kept your eyes out for any more walkers.

“Please, we're desperate. Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left.” you could hear Rick yell at the camera, you didn't know what to believe, Rick or Shane.

You saw Lori try and fail to pull and push Rick away, but he just kept fighting back and begging whoever was behind the camera. You, Carol, and Sophia kept trying to walk toward the cars, you were in front with your bow in case a walker came out of nowhere.

You could hear Rick shouting incoherently. You looked over, seeing Shane physically push Rick away from the shutters, but something happened.

The shutters opened, it was almost like seeing heaven. Clouds of white smoke field out the door and white light blined you. But you could faintly see a man. 

You all stood there, gobbed-smacked, before Shane started moving forward prompting all of you to follow him. Carol moved you and Sophia more in the group as the adults scouted the area. With guns held high, the men looked back and forth but seemed to miss the man with a gun.

 “Anybody infected,” the mysterious man said. All guns pointed in his direction and he stepped out into the light, reviling himself. 

“One of our group was” Rick replied “he didn't make it” he reviled. 

The man slowly walked forward with the gun pointed at you all with a coautious face. 

“Why are you here? What do you want?” The man asked. He looked pale and sweaty as he walked more in the light.

“A chance” is all Rick said.

“That's asking an awful lot these days,” the man said. Rick agreed with the man as he looked around at all of you. He was studying you all. 

“You submit to a blood test, that's the price of submission,” He told you all, Rick nodded his head and agreed “If you got stuff to bring in you do it now,” he told you. You watched as people all left to get their stuff while you stayed.

                                                            *

              You were all packed in the tight elevator, you stood between Carl and Sophia. You shoved your hand in your pockets waiting to get out of the elevator. You hated being crowded, it made you anxious.  

“Doctors always go around packing heat like that,” Daryl asked Dr. Jenner as you know now. He looked back at you all from his position from the front. 

“There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself.” He said, “But you look harmless enough” he looked around and stopped to look at you, Carl and Sophia.

“Except you three, I'll have to keep an eye on you guys” he joked, earning a laugh from you three. It was quiet again, leaving only the sound of the descending elevator. You tried to stand closer to Lori but it failed so you stood awkwardly close to Carl. He looked up slightly and chuckled a little bit causing you to laugh lightly. Then the elevator doors opened and Dr. Jenner walked forward, so all of you followed him down a hallway.

Many doors were lined the hallway. But you didn't have time to check it out cause Dr Jenner was walking fast, at a neck-breaking pace. 

“Are we underground?” Carol asked Dr. Jenner in a meek voice. 

“Are you claustrophobic?” he asked her, not looking back nor stopping. She replied that she was a little bit, “Try not to think about it” was all he said to her. 

He continued to walk until he led you all to a big dark room. The lights were down but you could see a digital clock that had big red numbers on it. It read 16:12:25.

“Vi, bring up the lights in the big room,” Dr. Jenner said, but you couldnt see anyone but still, the lights turned on revealing a white sterile room full of computers. He turned around to face you all “Welcome to zone five” he said with an unamused tone. 

“Whoa,” you said under your breath. But something didn't sit right with you, you looked around and couldn't see anyone, not even this ‘VI’ person he talked to.

“Where is everybody” he asked, “the other doctors, the staff” Dr. Jenner bowed his head, almost disappointedly.

“I'm it, It's just me here” he revealed to you all sadly.

“What about that person you were just speaking with? VI?” Lori asked the doctor confused.

“VI, say hello to our guests, tell them” he paused as he thought for a moment “Welcome” Dr. Jenner looked at you all as he waited.

“Hello guest, welcome” a robotic voice came out of nowhere, making you flinch a bit. 

“Im all thats left, im sorry,” Dr. Jenner said as he walked away.

                                                            *

              “It's gonna feel like a pinch okay” Dr. Jenner whipped the area on your arm before he grabbed a needle a vile “You scared of needles?” he asked in a soft tone. You shrugged your shoulders as you watched him. 

“I don't know, my mom used to donate blood though, she would take me with her sometimes,” you told Jenner, he nodded his head as he stuck the needle into your arm. Your arm tensed up and you scrunched your face in pain. You opened one eye hesitantly and watched as the blood filled the little vile and watched it.

“Woah, thats kinda freaky” you joked a bit. You got a small smile from the doctor before he pulled it out and placed a small piece of gauze on the injection site. You got up so andrea could go next.

She sat down and Jenner started the process all over again. You went to sit by Carl and Sophia as you all waited for Andrea to get done.

“What the point?” Andrea asked him “If we were infected we be running a fever” she pointed out to him. 

“I've already broken every rule in the book letting you in here.” he argued with Andrea “Let me just at least be thorough,” he said as he stuck the needle into her arm. “All done”

Andrea went to stand up but got light-headed, Jacqui caught her to make sure she didn't fall. 

“You okay?” he asked. You looked at Andrea and noticed that her face was really pale.

“She hasn't eaten in days” Jacqui informed him “None of us have” she finished. Jenner looked around at all of you when an idea sparked in his head

                                                             *

              Laughter filled the room as everyone ate a full-course meal of spaghetti and wine, or soda if you were Sophia, Carl, and you. You were scarfing down your noodles as you ate, the sauce was all over your face. Lori would try and tell you to calm down but you'd only go slow for a moment.

You sat by Dale before he got up to refill people's wine. When he got to Carl he dropped a very interesting fact. 

“You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner.” he said as he filled Lori's cup “And in France” he winked at you and carl.

“Well, when they’re is in Italy and in France he can have some then” She even went to cover his cup. But Rick kept saying what would it hurt if he had some. Lori looked at him and laughed as she uncovered it to let Dale pour it. Everyone laughed as he poured and he looked over to you and asked if you wanted some.

“No thanks, I've tried it before” You declined and watched Carl taste the nasty drink. You laughed when he made a face of disgust and Lori poured the drink into hers. 

“That's my boy. That's my boy. Good boy” she said while she rubbed and patted his back and drank her wine.

“Yuck, that stuff tastes nasty” Carl announced causing you to laugh at him. 

“Yeah, maybe you should stick to soda pop there bud” Shane joked half amused. You laughed a bit and went back to eating. Twirling your fork around the noodles before eating it. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Rick get up before he tapped on his glass with a knife.

“It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly.” Rick nodded his head towards Dr. Jenner in thanks. 

“He is more than just our host” T-dog smirked as everyone cheered for him. You laughed at the adults and cheered with them.

But one person didn't seem to be in a festive mood as he asked Jenner a straightforward question, but one that ruined the mood.

“So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc? All the uhh the other doctors” Shane asked him as the room now fell silent “They were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?” you looked around the table in awkward silence.

“We're celebrating Shane, let's not do this now” Rick tried to squish the tension down but it only seemed to fire up Shane more.

“Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right? This was your move” Shane argued with Rick

 “Supposed to find all the answers. Instead we uhh We found him. Found one man. Why?” Shane ranted to Rick. Shane looked around to see if people agreed with him, but nobody talked.

“Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families.” Jenner spoke up, and you all looked at him. “And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted” he finished while he took a sip of his drink.

“Every last one,” Shane said as he slumped in his chair.

“No,” Jenner said “Many couldn't face walking out the door. They... opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time” he finished. You looked down at your plate and seemed to have lost your appetite for the moment thinking about it. 

“You didn't leave.” Andrea pointed out the obvious. “Why?” she asked.

“I just kept working. Hoping to do some good.” Jenner finished his explanation. The air was tense now, many people stopped eating and just stared akwardly.

“Dude, you’re such a buzz kill,” Glenn said to Shane, you shyly nodded your head in agreement. Eventually, everybody finished their meals.

                                                             *

              You all followed Jenner down another hall. These, however, were the living quarters. You all followed him as he explained the rules for the power. 

“Most of the facility is powered down including housing so you’ll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like.” you all followed him again as he sped through the halls.

“There’s a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don’t plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power.” he looked at you three kids, and your eyes widened at the thought of a game room “The same applies—if you shower, go easy on the hot water.” but that had everyone stop in their tracks to process what he said.

“Hot water?” Glenn repeated.

“Thats what the man said” T-dog confirmed”

Everyone scrambled to a room to put their stuff down and head to the showers. You picked an empty room with a couch and a coffee table. You set your bow down and put your bag on the table and grabbed some clothes and headed down to the showers.

                                                              *

              You got done with your showers first and headed to the rec room, excited to see what they had. You entered the room strolled over to the shelves and looked at the books. A lot of them were meant for adults but you managed to find one that piqued your interest. You grabbed the book and flipped through its pages and walked over to read it.

You go to sit down in a secluded area and read the book. After a while, you heard Carol, Sophia, and Carl enter the room. They didn't see you as you were behind the bar sitting down, you could hear them get out a game and Carol getting comfy on one of the couches. 

A while later you heard Lori enter the room and chuckle when she saw the sight.

“Any good books?” Lori asked with a cherry tone. You thought about going out there but you were so comfy in your little fort of blankets and throw pillows. Both Lori and Carol talked a bit before Carol ushered the kids to bed, now you were really glad you didn't come out, you wanted to enjoy your books a bit more.

It was quiet for a moment while you read your books before a door slammed shut and ripped your attention away. You couldn't see who it was though so you thought it was Lori leaving before Lori spoke.

“Jesus, you scared me,” Lori said to the unknown person. But you knew who it was when he spoke.

“I’m gonna tell you a few things and you’re gonna listen to me,” Shane said, his words slurred as he spoke to her. 

‘Oh, it's just Shane’ you thought, you relaxed and went back to your book.

“Now is not the time” is all that she said to him. Shane just chuckled dryly, like it was an old joke between them.

Come on. When is it ever the time?” he says to her “How can you treat me like this?” you could hear a thud on the door.

“You’re kidding, right?” Lori said in an agitated tone. You tried to ignore their intimate conversation and focus on your book. Shane made a noise, stating he wasn't kidding. “Because you told me my husband was dead.” she lectured him. 

“Jesus, Lori. I didn’t lie to you, all right? I didn’t. Do you know what it was like there? Huh?” You could hear her footsteps before you heard a door slam again. Shane's voice got louder and more desperate.

“Things were falling apart! They were slaughtering people in the hallways. It was a massacre. There were walkers everywhere!” His voice sounded almost like a plea, a desperate plea. 

“So you left him?!” Lori said, where Shanes was quiet, Loris had a bit of base in her voice. She had an accusatory tone in her voice.

“Everybody else ran. There were no doctors there. It was just me. He was hooked up to machines and I did not know what to do.” he took a breath from his ranting.

“I even took my ear and I put it on his chest and I listened for a heartbeat and I did not hear one. And I-I-I-I- I don’t know why. Maybe it was gunfire. I don’t know what it was, but there was no way he could’ve survived that. No way.” He slammed his fist on the door making you jump. 

You were fully invested the more their argument grew louder. Worried that something could happen

“He did,” Lori said boldly.

“Yeah, but then I had y’all to think about, didn’t I?” You heard them rustle a bit before you could hear them grow closer to the bar.

“I had you and Carl, and I needed to think about it,” Shane said to Lori, she said something back but you couldn't hear her due to Shane interrupting her “I had to get you guys safe to Atlanta. That’s what I had to do. Just stop.”

“If you thought for one second that he was still alive, would you have come?” he paused, waiting for an answer “ So I saved your life you and your little boy’s. That’s what I did. Right?” they were quite, making you peak you head out to see what they were doing.

Your eyes widened when you saw that Lori was pinned to a table with Shane on top of her. You quickly moved back to not be seen.

“And if I could’ve traded places with him, I would have. I would trade places with him right now because” you could hear Lori trying to cut him off. “I love you” he tried to shh her when she opposed what he said to her.

“NO you’re drunk” Lori protested.

“I LOVE YOU!” his voice boomed around the room. It made you jump, you froze a bit as you heard the commotion. 

You covered your ears as your eyes teared up. You could hear Lori try to fight him off, but it was muffled. You could hear screams as tears silently fell from your eyes.

It got quiet, you uncovered your ears. All you could hear was heavy breathing, then a door slamming. You could hear Lori sobbing. You wanted to walk out and comfort her like she does for you, but you were too busy processing what you heard.

After a moment Lori left the room. You calmed down but were sniffling. You got up and gathered your books and left the room.

                                                          ***

              Daryl was wandering around the halls drunk. His current bottle of whisky was running low and he was trying to find the kitchen where the booze was, but couldnt tell the difference between his lefts and rights so he was just walking around the CDC till he found the kitchen.

He took a swig from his drink as he walked past the generic paintings, he’d stop to look at a few to try and decipher what the purpose was. 

He was looking at one when he heard someone crying down the halls. He ignored it at first, ‘not my problem’ he thought. But the more he listened to it, the more it sounded like a kid crying. His conscious got the better of his drunk mind, and he walked over to the crying child.

He turned the corner and saw you crying on the floor. You were in a ball trying to be silent as you cried. Daryl froze in his steps not knowing what to do with said crying child now that he found it.

He grew up in an environment where showing feelings like this got you yelled at and called a sissy or weak. Hell, he even had a nickname for this kind of situation. 

He looked around, trying to find someone else to handle this. Hoping for Dale to pop around the corner or something but he was probably asleep already. Daryl heaved a sigh making you look up at him. You sniffed again as you wiped your eyes trying to compose yourself.

Daryl sloppily sunk to the floor with you. His back slid down as you made room for him and sat. he had one leg outstretched and one to his chest where his occupied hand sat. 

“Why are you awake?” you asked, your voice was a little horsed.

“Could- say the same fer ya” his words were a little slurred as he spoke. You shrugged your shoulders. “Ya thinkin’ of yer ma?” he asked, not knowing what to do.

“Umm,” you staled “yeah, she would've loved this palace” You wiped the wetness from your eye again.

He eyed the books you had next to you. One of them caught his eye, an Edgar Allen Poe book. He picked it up and inspected the cover.

“Wha’s this?” he put his bottle down and flipped through the pages.

“It's a book full of poetry and short stories,” you told Daryl, he huffed at it, closed the book, and put it back.

“Remember readin’ tha’ shit in high school” he picked up his bottle and took a swig. “So why are ya out here cryin’ and not in yer room?” he asked bluntly. Again you shrugged your shoulders not wanting to answer why.

He bit his thumb, thinking. 

“Do you miss your brother?” you asked him bluntly, not knowing what to say to him. 

Daryl looked at you from the corner of his eye. The question caught him off guard. Things have been crazy so he hadn't got a chance to think about Merle. He loved his brother, but he didn't really think about him. 

“Yeah,” he said, it was a short answer, not giving any room for interpretation. You nodded your head in understanding. “You cryin’ fer yer brother,” he asked you, looking at you from the corner of his eye.

You silently nodded your head. Your eyes were heavy from crying and tiredness but your mind wouldn't stop replaying what happened in the rec room.

“Ya should probably git ta bed kid” Daryl rubbed his face before he stood up. But due to him being drunk, he almost fell over, making you jump up and steady him. You hooked one of his arms around your shoulder and started to lead him to his room.

“Where's yer room?” you asked, your voice strained;’ from having to hold him up, but he was heavier than he looked. 

“Down the hall kid,” he vaguely pointed in the direction of his room.

You led him to the door opened it and lay him down on the couch. You noticed he was asleep already so you put a blanket over him then went to retrieve your books and walked to your room.

                                               ~~~Day Eight~~~

              You ate bacon sitting by Andrea and Dale. it was a lot more quiet than last night. Glenn was holding his face in pain, and maybe in embarrassment from his hangover. Carl ate his food unaware while Lori just poked at her food, only taking small bites.

You couldn't take your eyes off of her, you didn't know what to say to her, but you wanted to say something. 

You continued eating your food when Rick walked in and took a seat by Carl and Lori. Carl smiled at his dad.

“Are you hung over?” he asked with a hint of giddiness as Lori looked at him “Mom said you’d be” Lori rolled her eyes playfully. You guessed she was alright, she acted fine. 

Rick laughed at Carl's question “Mom was right” he said. 

“Moms have that annoying habit” she joked causing you to laugh a bit as T-Dog came in with a skillet of eggs. Soon after everybody trickled in as T-dog plated everybody's plate. He gave you and Carl a little extra and gave you a sly wink making you giggle.

Glenn kept moaning and groaning from the loud noises.

“Dont ever ever ever let me drink again,” Glenn said out loud causing a few people to laugh.

Shane entered the room and greeted Rick. you looked at Lori to see she got more tense as he walked over to the coffee machine. 

“What the Hell happened to you? Your neck?” T-dog exclaimed to him. You turned in your seat a bit to see scratch marks on his neck. His eyes widen at the question before coming up with an excuse.

“Must’ve done it in my sleep” He brushed it off. You looked back at Lori to see her fiddle with her hands. Rick's face looked confused.

“Never done that before?” Rick said with a confused tone. You piece two and two together to figure out how he actually got the mark on his neck. It made you shudder thinking about last night. 

Jenner entered the room saying good morning while rushing to the coffee machine. Everyone said good morning to him, but Dale straightened his posture when he saw him.

“I don’t mean to slam you with questions first thing” Dale started but Jenner interrupted him.

“But you will anyways,” he said with a monotone voice. You could tell it annoyed Andrea as she glared at him.

“We didn't come here for the eggs,” she said with a fierce tone. Dr. Jenner turned around and looked at you all a sighed.

“Follow me,” he said walking away at his fast pace.

You all followed him to the big room again with the computers.

“Give me playback of TS-19” Jenner shouted into the air as if it was normal.

“Playback of TS-19” the disembodied voice boomed over the empty room again. On a big monitor, you could see some science data showing on the screen, it didn't make any sense to you but you saw a person's head on the screen which caught your interest. 

“Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few,” he said while gazing at the screen.

“Is that a brain?” Carl asked.  

“An extraordinary one. Not that it matters in the end.” he pressed some buttons on the panel before asking VI for something “Take us in for E.I.V”

“Enhanced internal view.” the screen zoomed in on the figure's face, showing the brain from the inside. The inside of the brain was… “it looks pretty” you said out loud as you sat on a table, it showed blinking lights, kinda like stars shine at night. 

“Yes, it is pretty” Jenner agreed with you, smiling to himself.

“What are those lights?” Shane asked. It broke Jenner's attention as he thought of the answer

“It’s a person’s life— experiences, memories. It’s everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you— the thing that makes you unique and human” he explained it like he was explaining his favorite thing in the world but was interrupted.

“You won't make sense, ever” Daryl joked sarcastically. But Jenner just continued like he didn't hear Daryl.

“Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death” You gazed at the lights, totally mesmerized by everything Jenner was saying.

“Death? That’s what this is, a vigil?” Rick asked walking over to him to get a better look.

“Yes–Or rather the uhh,  playback of the vigil.” you noticed Jennrt stumbled on his wording. Out on the corner of your eye you notice Andrea walk up.

“This person died? Who?” She asked while looking at the screen.

“Test subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected” Jenner stared at the screen “and volunteered to have us record the process.” he gave a heavy breath as he told VI to do something.

“VI, Scan forward to the first event.” her voice boomed throughout the room again as the screen fast-forward. A mass appeared on TS-19 brain.

“What is that?” you asked, your voice sounding small.

“It invades the brain like meningitis.” he gestured to the image “The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death.” your eyes widened as you saw the body die in front of you. It tried to get gasps of breath as it writhed in front of you.

“Everything you ever were or ever will be–gone.” the brain then went black and still.

A silent tear rolled down your cheek as Sophia asked about Jim. you noticed Andrea was crying a bit when Lori said something to Jenner about her losing Amy. and Jenner gave his sympathy 

He told VI to scan to his second event which led to the screen to speed up as Jenner talked again.

“The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours.” he paused for a moment “In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute– seven seconds.” a red light formed in the black mass, it was small but soon engrossed the entire thing.

Everyone looked on in shock and horror as it covered more and more of the brain. “It restarts the brain?!” Lori exclaimed in disgust.

“No just the brain stem.” he corrected “It basically gets it up and moving” he further informed.

“But they’re dead?” Rick confirmed, “It's dark, lifeless, nothing like before” Rick said aloud. “Most of it is dark” he looks to Jenner.

“Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part—that doesn’t come back. The you part.  Just a shell driven by mindless instinct.” Jenner got impassioned as he spoke.

You watched the subject “came to life” again as they squirmed around. Its mouth snapped at something while the head moved like a wild animal befor it stopped due to it being shot in the head. Carol gasped in shock and asked what that was. Andra deduced that Jenner shot the subject in the head, and asked him directly which he deflected.

“VI, Power down the main screen and the workstations” he walked away from her as the lights turned off around you all. Andra followed him, wanting answers.

“You have no idea what it is, do you?” her voice full of accusations. 

“It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal.” Jenner began to list off various ways a disease like this could spread until Jaqui interrupted him.

“Or the wrath of god,” she said cooly.

“Or that too”

Andra and Carol both began to question him about the virus and if there was anyone else who was trying to stop it.

“There may be some. People like me.” his voice sounded dejected, and you felt sorta sorry for him.

“But you don't know? How can you not know!?” Rick's voice sounded agitated

“Everything went down. Communications, directives—all of it. I’ve been in the dark for almost a month.” Jenner explained in a defeated voice.

“So it’s not just here. There’s nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That’s what you’re really saying, right?” Andra’s voice is full of accusations and worry.

Everyone started to panic a little. Their faces were full of dread and anguish. You brought your knees to your body when it really started to hit you that this would be your life now. Constantly running from walkers your whole life. 

“Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you” Dale broke the silence making you trun you head to him 

“and I hate to ask one more question, but, that clock” Dale gestured towards a clock “it’s counting down. What happens at zero?” 

Jenner was quiet, to quiet. Like he was staling.

“The basement generators—they run out of fuel,” he said curtly and walked away before anyone could say anything. But he wasn't fast enough.

“And then?” Jenner just ignores Rick as he walks out “VI, What  happens when the power runs out?” Rick's voice was full of dread. You were filled with anxiety with him, you hugged yourself tighter waiting for the robot's explanation.

“When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur” Its fake voice causes a chill to run down your spine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next // If only we were in france

Previous // We Ate Some Fish, And Things Got Crazy.

Taglist // @your-shifting-gurl, @underrated-jellygirl, 

// Masterlist //

[umamusucgs]

[suminomiyyas]

[fibula-rasa]

Favorite New-to-me Films—March ‘24

(listed in order pictured above, L to R)

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

Forbidden Fruit (1921)

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C.B. DeMille and Jeanie MacPherson’s second swing at this modernized Cinderella story about overcoming a bad husband, now with eye-popping fantasy sequences designed by Natacha Rambova. [Gif sets incoming!]

Mary Maddock (Agnes Ayres) does seamstress work and takes in laundry to support her layabout, no-goodnik husband. Her wealthy clients (Kathlyn Williams & Theodore Roberts) hatch a scheme to use a social event to settle a business deal with handsome young entrepreneur Nelson Rogers (Forrest Stanley). Mary accepts the job to keep Rogers occupied, with the unintended consequence of the two falling in love. When Mary’s husband makes a surprise appearance, the jig is up. But, after her husband’s chicanery has deadly consequences, Mary and Rogers are free to live happily ever after. CW: a pet bird is killed.

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The Woman King (2022)

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Giving an epic treatment to fitting subject matter, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Maria Bello, and Dana Stevens tell the story of the Agojie, a real-life group of warriors from the kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa, and General Nanisca (Viola Davis), a fictional leader of the warriors. The Woman King has a creative approach to history, to which a lot of critical attention has been paid—it’s certainly worth seeking education on relevant historical topics. 

That said, it was a gutsy and risky proposition to tell a story tied into the Transatlantic slave trade focused entirely on the West African and Portuguese side for an American (and English speaking) audience. Also, as an avid fan of Xena: Warrior Princess and the Eddas/sagas of Iceland and Scandinavia, I appreciated the filmmakers taking a legendary approach to this location and time period. In its deliberately extra-historical engagement with history, The Woman King also brought to mind for me Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène‘s Ceddo (1971), which I highly recommend. (Obviously the films have wildly different tones/styles tho!) 

As you might imagine from the description, heavy CWs for violence (including SA), blood, and slavery.

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Why Change Your Wife? (1920)

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A month ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me that I’d be putting not one but two DeMille movies on my new-to-me favorites list! I initially watched them as reference for the cosplay I mentioned in the last monthly round-up post, but ended up enjoying both! Often there are elements of DeMille’s films that hamper my ability to enjoy them fully, whether it’s goofy class politics (hello Saturday Night), racist depictions (hi The Woman God Forgot, which I also watched for the first time this past month), or that I simply rarely enjoy christian bible epics. 

That’s not to say Why Change Your Wife? is somehow perfect—it features pretty sexist attitudes. But, having learned a little bit about DeMille’s unconventional marriage, I see it less of a story of wives failing and more of a story about how two people who have a solid partnership can lose themselves when they lose each other. Here I’m referring to the first part of the film, before Swanson’s Beth and Meighan’s Robert get divorced. Beth isn’t being true to herself when she’s on her mental-improvement kick—there are sufficient details thrown in that show that she and Robert have drifted apart and she’s responding to it by morphing into a maiden aunt type. The film could’ve made Robert’s role in their marriage’s demise a little more overt, but I do think DeMille and screenwriters Olga Printzlau, Sada Cowan, and William DeMille must have been concerned about the American public’s response to a story that normalizes divorce in 1920. For context, we didn’t have no-fault divorce here in the US until the 1970s.

Anyway, why should you watch it? Gloria Swanson and Bebe Daniels offer fun and energetic characterizations as the two Mrs. Gordons, and they share a pretty wild fight scene. The costumes by Natacha Rambova are funky and interesting. The film features an absolutely adorable dog too! (If anyone recognizes the dog please LMK!) [Gif sets for this film are also on the way!]

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Intohimon vallassa (1947)

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Teuvo Tulio don’t miss. 

The heir to the biggest farm in the county, Aino (Regina Linnanheimo), is forced into an arranged marriage, but the man she really loves, Olavi (Kullervo Kalske), sticks around and becomes the town blacksmith. Years pass and Aino’s husband becomes an alcoholic and an abuser. Olavi keeps his distance as Aino’s marriage implodes in a particularly disturbing fashion. CW: domestic abuse, alcoholism, implied death of dog

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

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Look at me watching more than one movie this year that was made in this century! Anyways, I’ve been a turtle fan as long as I can remember (photographic evidence below) and I love that the comics have been re-adapted so well in the last 15 or so years for younger generations. (The 2012 show is very cute btw, worth checking out especially if you have kids.)

This take features a unique and kinetic animation style with an accessible story touching on what makes someone an outcast and how both adults and kids can navigate that. Mutant Mayhem features probably my new favorite depictions of April and of Splinter. Also, even though the non-turtle characters are almost all celebrity voice actors, the voice acting quality is very high.

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Montana Moon (1930)

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Sweet romantic story with comedic elements about a millionaire’s willful daughter (Joan Crawford) who, fleeing an awkward situation on a train ride with her family, runs into a cowboy (Johnny Mack Brown). The two quickly fall in love and are married, but the newlyweds face challenges when the differences in their lifestyles come into sharp relief. I love Crawford’s costuming and styling in this and her performance elevates the material. There are extended sequences with classic country-western music tho, so if that grates on you, you might want to take a pass on this one.

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Leda – The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko (1985)

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Yoko Asagiri is a young girl struggling to confess her feelings to the boy she likes. She decides to confess via a song she composed herself, but the song turns out to be a key to another world. Yoko teams up with a talking dog and a tiny warrior girl with a giant robot to fight the villainous Zell, who wants to use Yoko’s song to conquer her world. The animation and designs are top-notch as is the music. I personally enjoyed all of the Oz vibes suffused throughout the OVA.

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Tomatos Another Day (1934)

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Also known as “It Never Happened,” this is ostensibly a short film about a woman carrying on an affair and said affair being discovered by her husband. What Tomatos Another Day actually is is a send up of early talkies conceived and executed by independent filmmaker James Sibley Watson Jr. and collaborator Alec Wilder. If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you probably already know that I love Watson’s Fall of the House of Usher (1928) [Gifs/Stills]. However, I haven’t seen much else of his work! Thankfully, Eastman House has preserved and digitized a couple of his films and I plan on watching more soon. The link above has the short film with an introduction and outtakes!

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Past Lives (2023)

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Past Lives is a quiet but emotionally-rich love story by Celine Song that spans decades but also a single eventful week. I loved the way that the story was structured and how much the film relied on thoughtful pauses to communicate complicated emotions. The actors, Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro, all put in great work here. If you haven’t seen it yet, but plan to watch it, prepare to cry a bit.

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The Mind Reader (1933)

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Warren William plays a carny with a different gimmick for every town in the midwest. When the Depression affects his take, he and his cohorts, Frank (Alan Jenkins) and Sam (Clarence Muse), come up with a new scheme: fortune telling. As Chandra the Great, the crew start to rake it in, but when Chandra falls for an upright citizen (Constance Cummings), the scheme and their freedom is put in jeopardy.

I’m not accustomed to William playing this particular brand of sleazebag, but he really kills it as Chandra/Chandler/Munro. I appreciated how creative and adventurous the cinematography and editing is—not an especially common trait for pre-code films. I also made some still sets for the film!

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Honorable Mention: Hard to Handle (1933) [letterboxd | imdb]

This film gets honorable mention because while I didn’t think it was particularly good, a few call outs are deserved. The bad: the plot was unnecessarily convoluted and the recurring sequences with fat people were iffy at best. The better: Ruth Donnelly shines as the comedically base mother of Mary Brian and she even gets to do a bit of physical comedy. Donnelly, Brian, and Cagney have a nice chemistry together throughout. In terms of costuming, the matching outfits of Brian and Donnelly are funny, but made funnier by the sheer quantity of mother-daughter ensembles they wear. The neutral: the film is packed with topical Depression-era references: notably Florida investment swindles and trends like dance marathons and the grapefruit diet. All-in-all, the filmmakers could have done less and achieved more.

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The only big post I completed this month was a massive undertaking: Lost, but Not Forgotten: Omar Khayyam / A Lover’s Oath and a timeline for the film’s production and release.

Otherwise, I made themed gif and still sets from:

Torture Garden (1967)

The Marriage Circle (1924)

Le Altre (1969)

The Mind Reader (1933)

As for April, the cosplay I mentioned should be up very soon. If I have the time, both Lost, but Not Forgotten and How’d They Do That should have new installments posted and I have a few movies/shows on my themed gif/still agenda.

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